On This Day In Rock & Roll History: May 13

As we start a new week, it’s time for another post of my irregular music history feature, the blog’s longest running series I started back in July 2016. It was my seventh post, and today is the 76th installment – yes, I had to count them all. Since the feature revolves around specific dates, this still leaves me with plenty of additional posts. With that said, let’s take a look at select happenings in the world of music on May 13.

1955: A performance by Elvis Presley in Jacksonville, Fla. led to what became known as the “first Presley riot.” During the show, Elvis told the screaming girls in the audience he’d “see them backstage after the show.” Apparently, some fans took the tease a bit too literal and rushed toward the stage when the spectacle was over. Some also corned Elvis in his dressing room and tore off his clothes, hoping to grab a souvenir. Remarkably, this all happened before he had ever appeared on national TV. Also in attendance was a man who called himself Colonel Tom Parker and would become Presley’s manager after he had witnessed his potential. Here’s an interview of Presley conducted on May 13, 1995 by Mae Boren Axton, which briefly references the “riot.” It was the first time Axton met Presley, and she ended up giving him her song Heartbreak Hotel. It worked out nicely for both of them, becoming Presley’s first no.1 in the U.S. on the national pop charts

1966: The Rolling Stones released their single Paint It Black in the UK. It had first appeared in the U.S. on May 7. Credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the initial version was a much slower, conventional soul song. When during the recording session Bill Wyman started following around on an organ with a spoof of music played at Jewish weddings, Charlie Watts joined in, improvising the double-time drum pattern, echoing the rhythm heard in some Middle Eastern dances. Another notable feature of Paint It Black is the sitar played by Brian Jones, an instrument The Beatles had introduced to pop the year before on their song Norwegian Wood.

1970: Let It Be, Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s documentary about The Beatles and the making of their studio album of the same name, made its theatrical debut in New York City. The UK premiere followed a week later in London and Liverpool simultaneously. At the time, the film wasn’t particularly well received. In addition to poor technical and conceptual qualities, most of the criticism focused particularly on it as a document highlighting the fractured relationships within the band. Peter Jackson’s documentary TV series The Beatles: Get Back, which premiered in November 2021, helped update the record. It drew largely from unused footage and audio material originally captured for and recycled original footage from Hogg’s documentary. An updated version of that documentary, which was fully restored by Jackson, started streaming on Disney+ on May 8. “Let It Be is the climax of Get Back, while Get Back provides a vital missing context for Let It Be,” Jackson told Rolling Stone.

1978: Hawaiian vocalist, songwriter and actress Yvonne Elliman, who had gained initial prominence as part of the cast of Broadway musical production Jesus Chris Superstar, hit no. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 with If I Can’t Have You. Co-written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees, the catchy dance song was part of Saturday Night Fever, the soundtrack from the 1977 film of the same name, starring 23-year-old John Travolta. At that time, the Bee Gees dominated the U.S. pop charts. If I Can’t Have You knocked off Night Fever, another Bee Gees song from soundtrack, from the top spot, which had been at no. 1 for eight weeks.

1985: The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) held their first meeting at a church in Washington, D.C. Co-founded by Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice President Al Gore; Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker; Pam Howar, wife of Washington realtor Raymond Howar; and Sally Nevius, wife of former Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius, the PMRC’s goal was to increase parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related or sexual themes. Their influence led to a Senate hearing on September 19, during which John Denver, Frank Zappa and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister testified, opposing any kind of labeling, arguing any such regulation could lead to censorship. Two months later, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents most record companies, agreed to voluntarily place warning stickers on albums deemed offensive to avoid legislation.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts Music History Calendar; Florida History Network; Rolling Stone; YouTube

On This Day In Rock & Roll History: April 23

Time for another installment for my long running irregular music history feature. I still find it interesting to tackle this by taking a look at select events that happened on a specific date throughout the decades.

1964: Additional footage was captured for the Can’t Buy Me Love sequence for The Beatles’ first movie A Hard Day’s Night. The Beatles Bible notes, Filming took place on Thornbury Playing Fields in Isleworth, south London. A fake helipad was constructed, and The Beatles were filmed running around and acting up. The film was released in July of the same year.

1971: The Rolling Stones released Sticky Fingers, which most fans regard as one of their best albums. It marked their first studio album without Brian Jones who had passed away in July 1969 and the second full-length recording after their live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!, which featured guitarist Mick Taylor. Sticky Fingers, which was the band’s first to top the UK and the U.S. albums charts, became one of their best-selling, including more than 3 million sold units in the U.S. alone. Here’s the first single Brown Sugar, written primarily by Mick Jagger and, as usual, credited to him and Keith Richards.

1976: New York punk rock band Ramones released their eponymous debut album. While it became their best-selling album and eventually was certified Gold in the U.S. in April 2014 (500,000 certified sold units), it only reached no. 111 on the Billboard 200. Its two singles Blitzkrieg Bop and I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend missed the charts altogether. None of that changed the fact that the album is now regarded as their most accoladed and iconic release. Here’s the second single, which was written by drummer Thomas Erdelyi, known as Tommy Ramone.

1977: Soul and disco vocalist Thelma Houston hit no. in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 with her rendition of Don’t Leave Me This Way. Co-written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert, the song was first released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass. Houston’s cover also enjoyed significant chart success in other countries and became her biggest hit.

1983: British band Dexys Midnight Runners reached no. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 with the upbeat song Come On Eileen. The single, off their sophomore album Too-Rye-Ay, became their sole chart-topper in the U.S. Their biggest hit also topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Ireland and Switzerland. The group who continues to exist and fronted by Kevin Rowland is now known as Dexys. Come On Eileen was co-written by Rowland (bass, guitar, piano, vocals); Jim Paterson (trombone) who continues to be part of the current line-up; and Billy Adams (banjo, guitar, backing vocals).

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Songfacts History Calendar; Recording Industry Association of America website; YouTube

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Second Helping Hits the Big 50

Today, another classic ’70s rock gem turns 50. On April 15, 1974, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their sophomore album Second Helping. To the casual listener, it’s best known for Sweet Home Alabama, which became the group’s biggest hit single. While it hasn’t exactly suffered from obscurity on radio waves and I still enjoy it, there’s more to the album than its defining song, so let’s take a closer look!

Since I’d like to do this celebratory post in the order of the tracks, ironically, we’re right back to Sweet Home Alabama, the album’s opener. It was co-written by Skynyrd guitarists Ed King and Gary Rossington with lyrics by lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, none of whom were from Alabama. The song was a response to Neil Young’s Southern Man, which they felt unfairly had characterized all Southerners as rednecks. Ol’ Neil in subsequent interviews agreed, and despite the public dissing, they remained good friends. Turn it up!

With one of Skynyrd’s signature songs out of the way (the other one being Free Bird), let’s highlight some of other great great tracks on the album. Don’t Ask Me No Questions, a fun boogie rocker and the album’s first single, was co-written by Van Zant and Rossington. Unlike Sweet Home Alabama, it missed the charts altogether, which is a shame. Yeah, it’s a simple riff and in that sense perhaps less sophisticated than Alabama but rock doesn’t need to be complicated to be neat!

Closing out Side one is Workin’ for MCA. Co-written by King and Van Zant, the song recalls Skynyrd’s signing with the record label. The “Yankee slicker” is Al Kooper, the man who discovered and signed the band, and who produced their first three albums. The reference to “seven years of hard luck” acknowledges Skynyrd’s early period from 1966 to 1973 when they didn’t have a label deal. They also went through a series of names before becoming Leonard Skinnerd in 1969, which subsequently was changed to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

This brings us to Side two and the great The Ballad of Curtis Loew. Co-written by co-founder and Skynyrd’s third guitarist Allen Collins and Van Zant, the song is about a composite of different people, including Skynyrd lead guitarist Ricky Medlocke‘s grandfather, Shorty Medlocke, according to Songfacts. Medlocke wasn’t part of Skynyrd’s line-up at the time they recorded it. “The original version of the band only played ‘Curtis Loew’ one time on stage,” recalled Ed King. “We were playing in a basement in some hotel and thought we’d try it. We never played it again until the Tribute Tour with Johnny Van Zant.”

The lyrics of The Needle and the Spoon, a deep cut penned by Collins and Van Zant, leave no doubt what the song is about. Van Zant who was struggling with addictions to heroin and cocaine himself knew what he was writing about. Songfacts notes, In 2015, Guitar World honored guitarist Allen Collins’ solo, and his use of the wah-wah pedal to inject the Southern rock song with a hit of ’70s psychedelia, by ranking it at #19 on the magazine’s list of greatest wah solos of all time.

This leaves us with one more track, Skynyrd’s great rendition of J.J. Cale’s Call Me the Breeze. Cale included the song on his October 1971 debut album Naturally. Songfacts explains, When Lynyrd Skynyrd covered this song, it once again financed Cale’s lifestyle, allowing him to release albums in a leisurely fashion and without concern for hit potential. Another key supporter was Eric Clapton, who not only helped Cale get his first record deal but who also covered some of the Oklahoma guitarist’s songs, most notably After Midnight.

While reviews of Second Helping at the time of its were mixed, contemporary assessments are more favorable. The album climbed to no. 12 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 and no. 9 in Canada. It also quickly reached Gold status (500,000 certified sold units) in the U.S. by September 1974 and hit 2x Platinum (2 million certified sold units) in July 1987. As such, ranks among Skynyrd’s most successful albums.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; RIAA website; YouTube; Spotify

On This Day In Rock & Roll History: March 14

Checking my previous content revealed it had been six weeks since the most recent installment of my irregular music history feature. I felt this was a good reason for putting together another post. It also turned I had not covered yet March 14.

1958: The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) officially certified the first Gold single (1 million sold units): Catch a Falling Star by American pop vocalist and TV personality Perry Como. Co-written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, it became Como’s final no. 1 hit in the U.S., topping Billboard’s Most Played by Jockeys chart, which was different from the Hot 100 where the single reached no. 3. The melody borrows from Academic Festival Overture by 19th century German classical music composer, pianist, and conductor Johannes Brahms. The backing vocals were provided by The Ray Charles Singers, a group of rotating vocals conducted and arranged by Ray Charles.

1963: British Merseybeat group Gerry and the Pacemakers released their debut single How Do You You It? Penned by English songwriter and record producer Mitch Murray, the song was an instant success in the UK, topping the charts there. George Martin, who saw hit potential, asked his then-new group The Beatles to record it. While the four lads did, they were less than excited. Martin ended up releasing their original song Love Me Do instead and giving How Do You Do It? to Gerry and the Pacemakers. It was a happy ending for both groups who also shared another commonality. Both were managed by Brian Epstein.

1968: BBC primetime television music program Top of the Pops premiered the promotional video of Lady Madonna. A March 14, 2016 article by Ultimate Classic Rock recalls The Beatles had started to make such videos in 1965, long before they would become the norm on MTV in the early ’80s. “Out of convenience, we decided we were just not going to go into the TV studios to promote our records so much,” explained George Harrison in the Anthology documentary. “It was too much of a hassle,” he added. “What we’ll do is just go and make our own little films, and we’ll put them out.” Notably, the video used studio footage of the band recording Hey Bulldog. Sounds like capturing video of Lady Madonna may have been too much trouble as well!

1972: Carole King’s legendary Tapestry album took the coveted Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards held at the Felt Forum in New York City. King also won in three additional categories: Record of the Year for It’s Too Late, Best Pop Vocal Performance for the album’s title track and Song of the Year for James Taylor’s rendition of You’ve Got a Friend, which she wrote. Among other winners that night were America (Best New Artist of the Year), Nilsson (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male for Without You), Ike & Tina Turner (Best Rhythm & Blues Performance – Duo Or Group (Vocal Or Instrumental) for Proud Mary) and Bill Withers (Best Rhythm & Blues Song for Ain’t No Sunshine) – different times!

1987: Huey Lewis and the News hit no. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 with Jacob’s Ladder. The song, which became third single from the group’s fourth studio album Fore!, was co-written by Bruce Hornsby and his younger brother and frequent collaborator John Hornsby. Jacob’s Ladder became the final of three no. 1 songs Huey Lewis and the News scored on the U.S. pop chart. Hornsby subsequently recorded his own version of the song for his May 1998 sophomore album Scenes from the Southside. His friend Huey Lewis was a guest, playing harmonica on Defenders of the Flag, another song Hornsby wrote with his brother.

1998: In an unusual move, Rick Rubin, who produced Johnny Cash’s 82nd studio album Unchained, aka. American II: Unchained, placed a full-page ad in Billboard magazine to thank “the Nashville music establishment and country radio” for their support. On February 25th of the same year, Unchained had won the Grammy for Best Country Album. The ad was bitter irony to make the point the Man in Black won the award despite country radio, which by that time had written him off as an aging artist. The shot originally was taken by photographer Jim Marshall during Cash’s 1969 performance at San Quentin prison after he had been prompted to “do a shot for the warden.”

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts Music History Calendar; Ultimate Classic Rock; YouTube

Steely Dan’s Transformational Pretzel Logic Hits the Big 50

Steely Dan have been among my favorite bands for four decades, and my appreciation of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker has only grown over the years. That’s in part because I’ve been to many gigs of my dear friend Mike Caputo and his incredible band Good Stuff who faithfully play the Dan’s amazing music. I also feel fortunate to have seen Steely Dan three times since 2018, most recently in July 2022. Given all of that, celebrating today’s 50th anniversary of the transformational Pretzel Logic album was a no-brainer! BTW, the date coincides with what would have been Becker’s 74th birthday.

Released on February 20, 1974, Pretzel Logic was the final album to feature the Dan’s full quintet lineup and the first to rely on significant contributions from outside top-notch Los Angeles session musicians. Or as Fagen later put it, “the scrupulous meritocracy.” He was referring to the big band era when leaders would hire musicians based on the needs of the music, rather than rely on a standing line-up. Shortly thereafter, Messrs. Fagen and Baker would take the concept to the extreme, stop performing and become a sophisticated studio act.

From Pretzel Logic gatefold (from left): Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Denny Dias, Donald Fagen, Jim Hodder and Walter Becker

Pretzel Logic marked the first album where Fagen and Becker took over as directors of Steely Dan. It’s worthwhile recalling the band’s seeds were planted in the summer of 1970 when guitarist Denny Dias placed the following ad in The Village Voice: “Looking for keyboardist and bassist. Must have jazz chops! Assholes need not apply.” At the time, Fagen and Becker, who first had met in 1967 as students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York and played together in various short-lived bands, were working as pop songwriters for ABC/Dunhill Records in New York City. Confident they were qualified, they responded to the ad, and the rest is history.

After Fagen and Becker had joined Dias’s band, they immediately introduced their own music. Dias fired the group’s remaining members, and the three of them relocated to Los Angeles. Subsequently, Jim Hodder (drums), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (guitar) and David Palmer (vocals) joined the line-up. By the time Steely Dan’s sophomore album Countdown to Ecstasy appeared in July 1973, Palmer had left (though he contributed some backing vocals) and Fagen had taken over as lead vocalist. Becker was still playing bass. That would change on Pretzel Logic where for the first time he also handled some guitar work. Hodder’s role, on the other hand, was reduced to backing vocals.

I’d say it’s time for some music, and where better to start than the amazing opener Rikki Don’t Lose That Number! Jazz connoisseurs, especially fans of Horace Silver, undoubtedly noticed the song’s cool keyboard riff borrowed from Silver’s Song For My Father. Not only does this reflect Fagen’s and Becker’s love of jazz but also nicely illustrates how they incorporated jazz elements in their music. The instrument that can be heard in the beginning is a flapamba, Songfacts notes, a variant of a marimba. One of the song’s standouts is the killer guitar solo by Baxter. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number also appeared separately as the album’s first single in April 1974, climbing to no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Steely Dan’s highest charting in the U.S. By comparison, my all-time favorite Dan song Deacon Blues made it to no. 19. But, hey, 19 means a top 20, which isn’t too shabby either! 🙂

“It’s a beggars life”, said the Queen of Spain/”But don’t tell it to a poor man/’Cause he’s got to kill for every thrill/The best he can” – hm, what did Messrs. Fagen and Becker mean to tell us here? Songtell opines Night By Night explores themes of struggle, survival, and living in the moment. The lyrics depict a world filled with disparity, jealousy, and chaos, where the rich and powerful hold all the peace of mind while the poor and downtrodden have to fight for every small pleasure in life. Old Time Music maintains the lyrics poetically addresses the theme of self-destructive behavior fueled by addiction, both in personal relationships and societal structures. Previously, I read Fagen and Becker wrote some lyrics because they sounded good, so go figure. What I know is quite simple: I love this groovy track and that’s good enough for me!

Any Major Dude Will Tell You, which was the B-side to the Rikki Don’t Lose That Number single, is another great track Songfacts cheerfully calls “fairly obscure”. They also reference a 2009 Rolling Stone interview during which Fagen said this: “When we moved out to LA, people called each other ‘dude,’ which we found funny. We were trying to speak their language.” Notably outside contributors on the recording include prominent session bassist Chuck Rainey , Toto co-founder David Paich on keyboards, and Derek and the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon.

Next up: Barrytown, another great song with a fairly straightforward pop vibe. Barrytown is close to the aforementioned Annandale-on-Hudson. “I used the name of the town because I like the sound of it,” Fagen told student newspaper The Bard Observer during a 1985 visit of Bard College to receive an honorary degree, reversing his previously pronounced resolution never to return to his old school, as documented by Songfacts. “It’s basically a fiction. Funny thing is that I came back to Bard during Thanksgiving this year for the first time since I left. Just drove up for the day. When we got there most of the students were gone. It was pretty amazing walking around campus because a lot of those sites are emotionally charged for me. It was a very bizarre experience for me.”

I’m eight graphs and four songs into this celebratory review and, speaking in vinyl terms, I haven’t even touched the album’s Side two yet! The one song I’d like to call out here is the album’s title track. Referring to 1994 Steely Dan biography Steely Dan: Reelin’ in the Years by Brian Sweet, Songfacts notes Pretzel Logic is about time travel. They add Fagen specifically directed the author (who used to publish a UK-based Steely Dan fanzine) to the lyrics “I would love to tour the Southland/In a traveling minstrel show” and “I have never met Napoleon/But I plan to find the time” – glad we clarified that! Among the guests on the song’s recording is Timothy B. Schmit, of Poco and Eagles fame, who provided backing vocals.

What else is there to say? Pretzel Logic peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard 200, making it Steely Dan’s highest charting album in the U.S. at the time. Elsewhere, it reached no. 5 in Canada, no. 18 in Australia, no. 23 in New Zealand and no. 37 in the UK. It also secured Platinum status (1 million certified sold units) in the U.S. in September 1993.

Among critical accolades, Pretzel Logic was included in Rolling Stone’s inaugural 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, at no. 385, and nearly held that position in the list’s 2012 update (no. 386). Like many other great albums, it didn’t make the most recent 2023 revision. As a consolation, my all-time favorite Dan album Aja did (no. 63), and the current no. 1 is another album I love: Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Songtell; Old Time Music; YouTube; Spotify

On This Day In Rock & Roll History: January 30

Earlier this month, I proclaimed this year I would give more attention to music history. And while I still don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, I thought what the heck and decided to take another dive into the past and see what comes up, this time for January 30!

1958: Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley entered the UK Singles Chart at no. 1, the first single ever to debut in the top spot. Presley also holds the distinction of being the solo artist with the most no. 1 songs on that chart, 21 times, including three re-releases of songs that previously had reached the top spot. And, yep, that’s more than The Beatles, the band with the most no. 1 singles in the UK, though there’s a tie when you exclude Presley’s three aforementioned re-released songs. Jailhouse Rock was co-written by the songwriting and production power house of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

1961: The Shirelles reached the top of the U.S. charts with Will You Love Me Tomorrow, aka. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?. Not only did the song become the first no. 1 for an African American girl group on the Billboard Hot 100, but it also marked the first big hit for the songwriting duo of Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The Shirelles would return to the top of the U.S. pop chart one more time, in 1962, with Soldier Boy. Ten years after The Shirelles had scored their first no. 1, King would record her own rendition of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? for her iconic Tapestry album.

1969: The Beatles performed their last public gig, an impromptu concert on the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters in London. Joined by their friend Billy Preston on keyboards, they performed nine takes of five new songs as people gathered in the streets and on rooftops close by to watch and listen: Get Back (three takes), Don’t Let Me Down (two takes), I’ve Got a Feeling (two takes), One After 909 and Dig a Pony. They also played a snippet of God Save the Queen. After about 40 minutes, police ascended the roof, and the concert came to an end shortly thereafter. Fortunately, the historic performance was captured on film. Beatles fans got to see footage in the 1970 documentary Let It Be and Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back. And, yes, they passed the audition!

1971: Neil Young played The Needle and the Damage Done during a concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall. At first sight, it may seem a bit arbitrary to call out a song Young frequently performed at the time, except that this particular take was recorded and ended up on his fourth album Harvest. Released in February 1972, it became Young’s best-selling album and also was the best-selling album of 1972 in the U.S. The Needle and the Damage Done was inspired by musicians addicted to heroin, who Young knew, including his former backing guitarist Danny Whitten who passed away in late 1972.

1988: Australian rockers INXS hit no. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 with Need You Tonight. Co-written by the band’s guitarist Andrew Ferris and vocalist Michael Hutchence, the funky song first appeared on their sixth and most successful studio album Kick, released in October 1987. While INXS scored four other top 10 singles on the U.S. pop chart, Need You Tonight was their only no. 1. The song also enjoyed significant chart success elsewhere, including the UK and Canada (each no. 2) and New Zealand and Australia (each no. 3), among others.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts Music History Calendar; YouTube

Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark Continues to Shine At 50

Note: This week, Song Musings, which normally runs on Wednesdays, will appear tomorrow, Thursday, January 18

Today, 50 years ago, Joni Mitchell released the acclaimed Court and Spark. Not only did the Canadian singer-songwriter’s sixth studio album become her most successful to date, but it also introduced jazz elements, marking an important stylistic evolution in her music. Or, as Apple Music puts it: Court and Spark sits halfway between Joni Mitchell’s folkie past and her jazz-rock future.

By the time Court and Spark appeared on January 17, 1974, Mitchell was in the sixth year of her recording career. Each of her four previously issued albums reached higher chart positions in Canada than its predecessor. With Court and Spark, she topped the charts there for the first and thus far only time. In the U.S., where Mitchell had lived since 1965, the album surged to no. 2. Elsewhere, it reached no. 14 in the UK, no. 18 in Norway and no. 34 in Australia.

Court and Spark took longer to come together compared to Mitchell’s previous albums, which until the predecessor For the Roses she released at a pace of one per year. As a 2017 Uncut story posted on Mitchell’s website explains, the delay can largely be explained by Mitchell’s search for the right backing musicians for her increasingly complex songs. In the end, Los Angeles jazz fusion ensemble L.A. Express turned out to be the right fit.

Led by Tom Scott who had played woodwinds and reeds on For the Roses, L.A. Express included Larry Carlton (guitar), Joe Sample (keyboards), Max Bennett (bass) and John Guerin (drums). Court and Spark also featured some other prominent guests, such as José Feliciano (electric guitar), Robbie Robertson (electric guitar), as well as David Crosby and Graham Nash (backing vocals each). Time for some music!

Court and Spark opens with the title track, which finds Mitchell on piano. The song explores love versus freedom, a key topic on the album. A contemporary review by Jon Landau of Rolling Stone noted the song delves into the idea that the freer the writer becomes, the more unhappy she finds herself, and the more she surrenders her freedom, the less willing she is to accept the resulting compromise.

Help Me became the album’s second and most successful single, reaching no. 6 and no. 7 on the Canadian and U.S. pop singles charts, respectively. It marked Mitchell’s only top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Songfacts explains Mitchell sings about a guy she’s falling in love with while at the same time knowing the relationship is doomed, as he is “a rambler and a gambler” who loves his freedom. Mitchell reported called Help Me a “throwaway song,” but a “good radio record,” explaining, “My record companies always had a tendency to take my fastest songs on album for singles, thinking they’d stand out because they did on the LPs. Meantime, I’d feel that the radio is crying for one of my ballads.”

Free Man in Paris, which also became the album’s third and final single in July 1974, is about the pressures the music industry puts on artists. Songfacts notes the “free man” is David Geffen, co-founder of Asylum Records, Mitchell’s label at the time. The song featured José Feliciano on electric guitar, and backing vocals by David Crosby and Graham Nash. Geffen doubted the song’s hit potential and needed to be convinced that it be released as a single. While it didn’t match Help Me, it made the top 20 in Canada (no. 16) and reached no. 22 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. Notably, it peaked at no. 2 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. Not too shabby – most importantly, it’s a great song!

Down to You is another gem featuring Mitchell on piano. The song, which takes part in the aftermath of a one-night stand, addresses the need to either change one’s life or take responsibility for it. Down to You won Mitchell and Tom Scott the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) – one of for which she had been nominated, including Album of the Year.

The final track I’d like to highlight is Raised On Robbery. It also appeared separately as the album’s lead single in December 1973. The song has a cool rock & roll vibe that’s a bit reminiscent of Chuck Berry. It’s about a prostitute trying to pick up a man sitting by himself in a hotel. The track features Robbie Robertson on electric guitar.

Court and Spark evidently had some remarkable effects on other artists. According to Wikipedia, Mitchell told Rolling Stone in a July 1979 interview that when she played the newly completed album to Bob Dylan, the maestro fell asleep, apparently in the presence of David Geffen. Mitchell brushed it aside as Zimmy likely trying to be “cute” in front of the label boss. Stevie Nicks reportedly took LSD while listening to the album at her producer’s house, recalling it “a pretty dynamic experience” – jeez, you can’t make this stuff up!

Court and Spark received various accolades. In 1974, it was voted ‘Best Album of the Year’ in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. It’s also on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time; in the most recent 2020 revision, it came in at no. 11o, its highest ranking thus far. Last but not least, Court and Spark was also included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die published in 2006.

References: Wikipedia; Apple Music; Joni Mitchell website; Uncut; Rolling Stone; Songfacts; YouTube

On This Day In Rock & Roll History: January 8

Among my New Year’s resolutions is to give more love to my music history series, the oldest recurring feature on the blog – just kidding, I actually don’t believe in making such grand declarations. That said, researching what happened on a specific date over the past 60 to 70 years is fun, so let’s take a look at January 8.

1957: The first-ever rock & roll tour of Australia kicked off at Newcastle Stadium in New South Wales. It featured Bill Haley and His Comets, The Platters, Freddie Bell and The Bell Boys, La Verne Baker and Joe Turner. The tour was organized by American promoter Lee Gordon. Contrary to predictions from local pundits who viewed rock & roll as a passing fad, the tour was a huge success, breaking box office records with more than 300,000 visitors – never bet against rock & roll!

1966: The Beatles’ Rubber Soul album, which had been released in December 1965, hit no. 1 in the U.S. and would stay in the top spot for six consecutive weeks. The band’s 7th no. 1 album in the U.S. remained in the charts there for 56 weeks. The date coincided with the single We Can Work It Out, which started a three-week run at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the U.S., We Can Work It Out was included on the June 1966 compilation Yesterday and Today, which gained notoriety because of its initial “butcher cover” depicting The Beatles in white coats and covered with decapitated baby dolls and pieces of raw meat.

1970: Marvin Gaye’s 10th studio album That’s the Way Love Is was released on the Tamla (Motown) label. Naming it after Gaye’s previous hit single, which had reached no. 7 and no. 2 on the U.S. pop and R&B charts, respectively, Motown wanted to capitalize on that success. This contributed to Gaye’s growing disillusionment with the label and, together with other factors, eventually led to what arguably was his best album, What’s Going On, released in May 1971. How Can I Forget, co-written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and first recorded by The Temptations, became the second single single off That’s the Way Love Is.

1972: British pop group The New Seekers, who had been formed in London in 1969, stood at no. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart with I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony). Originally, the song was titled True Love and Apple Pie and penned by British hit songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. Subsequently, the lyrics were re-written by Cook and Greenaway, together with U.S. advertising executive Bill Backer and U.S. songwriter Billy Davis, for a Coca-Cola TV commercial. The jingle’s popularity led to re-recorded versions by American folk group The Hillside Singers and The New Seekers.

1979: The Canadian government named Rush “Ambassadors of Music”. Ultimate Classic Rock noted The honor came with a plaque presented in Chicago by W.J. Collett, the country’s consul general, which read: “We wish to recognize the international aspect of the music by this talented Canadian musical group and note the interest shown by American audiences in both performances and recordings.” At the time the band, who was founded in 1968 in Toronto, received the honor, they had released six studio albums. From their then most-recent Hemispheres, which appeared in October 1978, here’s the single Circumstances.

2006: American rock band The Strokes hit no. 1 in the UK with their third studio album First Impressions of Earth, their highest charting there to date. While music critics were divided, the album also did pretty well elsewhere, reaching no. 3 in Ireland and Canada, as well as no. 4 in the U.S. and Australia, among others. Here’s Juicebox, which became the lead single in October 2005.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts Music History Calendar; This Day In Music; Ultimate Classic Rock; YouTube

Brothers in Perfect Vocal Harmony

“Any musician with a set of ears was influenced by The Everly Brothers” – Graham Nash

This post was inspired by a documentary, The Everly Brothers: Harmonies From Heaven, which I coincidentally caught on PBS on New Year’s Eve. From the PBS description: Explore the story of Phil and Don Everly, two of the most important and influential early rock ’n’ roll stars of the 1950s and ’60s. Featuring new interview footage with surviving brother Don and archival interviews with Phil, the film delves into their relationship with Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, the songwriting team who wrote many of their early hits. It also includes commentary from Art Garfunkel, Graham Nash, Waddy Wachtel, Keith Richards and other music artists. Here’s a link to the trailer.

I started listening to The Everly Brothers in my early teens back in Germany, after my brother-in-law had given me a compilation as a present. I still own that copy and was able to find it in my current mess of vinyl albums (see photo below). At the time, Elvis Presley still was my favorite rock & rock artist. As such, initially, I was mostly drawn to songs like Wake Up Little Susie, Rip It Up and Keep a Knockin’. I immediately loved the Everlys’ great harmony vocals. I think calling them “harmonies from heaven” is no exaggeration!

Isaac Donald “Don” Everly and his younger brother Phillip “Phil” Everly grew up in a musical family and began singing with their parents Ike Everly and Margaret Everly in the 1940s when they were still children. In the mid-’40s, Ike who was a coalmine worker had a show on Shenandoah, Iowa radio stations KMA and KFNF. First, he performed there with his wife, then with their sons who were billed as “Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil”, who at the time were about 8 and 6 years, respectively. Together, they were known as “The Everly Family”.

In 1953, the family relocated to Tennessee, first to Knoxville, then to Madison. Following high school graduation in 1955, Don moved to Nashville, together with Phil who finished high school there in 1957. The brothers decided they wanted to continue focusing on making music together. Eventually, they came to the attention of family friend Chet Atkins, manager of RCA Studios in Nashville. Atkins helped the brothers get a deal with Columbia Records, but after their first single Keep a-Lovin’ Me flopped, the label dropped them.

Phil Everly (left) and Don Everly

Atkins subsequently introduced Phil and Don to Wesley Rose who told them he could get a record deal if they would sign with his music publishing firm Acuff-Rose. The brothers obliged and Rose introduced them to Archie Bleyer, founder of Cadence Records. Phil and Don got signed and recorded their first single for the label, Bye Bye Love, penned by husband-and-wife country and pop songwriting duo Felice Bryant and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant.

Released in March 1957, Bye Bye Love became the first of many major hits for The Everly Brothers. In addition to topping the county charts in the U.S., it climbed to no. 2 and no. 5 on the pop and R&B charts, respectively, indicating the duo’s appeal across different music genres. By 1973, tension had built up between the brothers, and they decided to split to pursue solo careers. While Don found some chart success, Phil did not, even though he recorded more frequently.

The Everly Brothers during their 1983 reunion concert at Royal Albert Hall in London

In September 1983, Phil and Don reunited as The Everly Brothers at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The concert was recorded and released as The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert later that year. While the live album reached a respectable no. 47 in the UK, it stalled at no. 162 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200. The Everly Brothers subsequently released three additional studio albums in the ’80s. They continued to tour on and off until 2003-2004 when they were guests on Simon & Garfunkel’s Old Friends reunion tour.

Phil Everly passed away from COPD on January 3, 2014 at the age of 75. Don Everly died at his home in Nashville on August 2021. He was 84. Let’s take a closer look at some of The Everly Brothers’ music and those “harmonies from heaven.” I’m going to highlight six of their songs, followed by a larger career-spanning Spotify playlist.

Bye Bye Love (March 1957)

Notably, this classic had been rejected by 30 other artists before it was given to The Everly Brothers. “I wrote ‘Bye Bye Love’ while traveling home one night,” noted Boudleaux Bryant. “Felice was driving down the highway and I got the first verse and chorus right down there. I always make sure I have a pen and paper in the car for these occasions.” He went on, “We really believed in the song and were disappointed when so many people turned it down. They said it was unsuitable, some even asked if we has anything better!”

Wake Up Little Susie (September 1957)

Wake Up Little Susie, another song by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, became the first no. 1 for the Everlys on the U.S. pop chart. It also topped the country and R&B charts, as well as the charts in Canada. In addition to outstanding harmony vocals, the song has a really cool rhythm, which Don Everly said was inspired by Bo Diddley’s signature beat. “And I guess it rubbed off on me,” Keith Richards said in the above documentary. “Don’s acoustic guitar – rockin’, man!”

All I Have to Do Is Dream (April 1958)

Written by Boudleaux Bryant alone for a change, All I Have to Do Is Dream became another major hit for The Everly Brothers, toping the pop, country and R&B charts in the U.S. Once again, it reached no. 1 in Canada and became the duo’s first song to top the charts in the UK as well. “I remember hearing ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’ on an acetate with Boudleaux’s version on it, and I said, at the time, they could have put Boudleaux’s out and it would have been a hit,” Don Everly stated. “It’s just a great, great song. It’s beautiful.” Indeed! BTW, these neat tremolo-style guitar chords were played by Chet Atkins.

Cathy’s Clown (April 1960)

While Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote many hits for the Everlys, the duo also had original songs. One of the most beautiful examples I know is Cathy’s Clown, which Don Everly wrote. Initially, both brothers had been credited until 1980, seven years after Don and Phil had split and I guess still weren’t on great terms. The song, which has been inspired by one of Don’s ex-girlfriends, became the last no. 1 for The Everly Brothers in the U.S., topping both the pop and the R&B charts. Cathy’s Clown was their first single on Warner Bros. after Cadence Records no longer could afford resigning them. They were still on top of the world.

Crying In the Rain (January 1962)

By the time Crying in the Rain came out, The Everly Brothers had not had a big hit in nearly a year. It already foreshadowed their declining popularity. The ballad was penned by Brill Building songwriters Howard Greenfield and Carole King, who worked for Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music at the time. Kirshner had been eager to produce a hit for The Everly Brothers. He didn’t need to cry in the rain. The song, one of the few King didn’t write with her usual lyricist Gerry Goffin, became the second-to-last top 10 hit for the Everlys on the U.S. pop chart (no. 6) and also reached that same spot in the UK.

On the Wings of a Nightingale (August 1984)

For my final pick, I’m jumping 22 years forward to what became the last charting single for the Everlys, reaching no. 50 and no. 41 on the U.S. and U.K. pop charts, respectively. Following their reunion concert in London the previous year, Phil and Don recorded EB 84, their first studio album of original material in 11 years. On the Wings of a Nightingale, which Paul McCartney specifically had written for them, became the lead single. After Phil Everly’s death in 2014, Macca wrote the following on his website, as reported by the Los Angeles Times: “Phil Everly was one of my great heroes. With his brother Don, they were one of the major influences on the Beatles. When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don.”

Altogether, The Everly Brothers scored 35 Billboard Top 100 singles, of which 26 reached the top 40. They hold the record for the most Top 100 singles by any duo, second only to Hall & Oates for the most Top 40 singles by a duo. In the UK, the Everlys had 30 chart singles between 1957 and 1984. In 1986, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Neil Young, who said every musical group he had ever belonged to had tried, and failed, to copy the Everly Brothers’ harmonies. Here’s the above-mentioned Spotify playlist.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Los Angeles Times; YouTube; Spotify

Albums Turning 50 This Year: A First Peek

A new year means more albums hitting the big 50. Like in 2023, this preview is based on a review of Wikipedia and an initial selection of 40 studio albums that appeared over the course of 1974. From there, I narrowed it down to six favorites, each of which are briefly highlighted, followed by a Spotify playlist that captures one song from each of the 40 albums, except for Joni Mitchell. I’m planning individual, more in depth posts about the six picks and possibly a few more, all timed to each album’s anniversary date.

Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark (January 17, 1971)

Kicking off this preview is Court and Spark, the sixth studio album by singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, one of the many outstanding artists hailing from the Land of the Maple Leaf. Not only did Court and Spark become Mitchell’s most successful album, but it also marked the start of her transition from a “straight folkie” to an artist who incorporated jazz elements in her music. Court and Spark featured prominent guests from both the jazz and other music realms, such as pianist Joe Sample (co-founder of The Jazz Crusaders), jazz bassist Max Bennett, session guitarist Larry Carlton and The Band’s Robbie Robertson. Here’s Trouble Child, which like all other except for one track was penned by Mitchell.

Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic (February 20, 1974)

While my favorite Steely Dan album will always remain Aja, there’s a lot more to the Dan than their September 1977 gem. Every time I see Good Stuff, an outstanding tribute led by my dear friend Mike Caputo, I’m reminded how great their earlier music was as well. Case in point: Pretzel Logic, their third studio album and final as a standing band featuring Donald Fagen (keyboards, saxophone, vocals), Walter Becker (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Denny Dias (guitar) and Jim Hodder (drums). That said, Hodder only sang backing vocals on one track, and the album had significant contributions from many prominent L.A. session musicians, already foreshadowing the approach Fagen and Becker would take starting with the next Steely Dan album Katy Lied. Here’s the excellent Night by Night, which has become one of my favorite Dan songs pre-Aja.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Second Helping (April 15, 1974)

With (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), the Southern rockers had released a strong debut in August 1973, which not only charted in the U.S. and Canada, but also overseas in the UK and Switzerland. While their follow-on Second Helping included what arguably is their signature song, Sweet Home Alabama, which became their first charting single and a major hit at home and elsewhere, the album missed the charts overseas. That said, it did better in the U.S. and Canada than their debut, peaking on the mainstream charts at no. 12 and no. 9, respectively. Here’s Don’t Ask Me No Questions, a great rocker co-written by guitarist Gary Rossington and lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. The horns by Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence and Steve Madaio give it a nice soul vibe!

Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Boulevard (July 1974)

461 Ocean Boulevard, one of my favorite albums by Eric Clapton, marked his triumphant return to music after a 3-year hiatus due to heroin addiction. It also represented a clear break from Clapton’s hardcore blues rock-oriented days with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds, Cream and Derek and the Dominos – all music I love as well. Sadly, his struggles with addiction weren’t over, and he would soon replace heroin with alcohol before finally getting sober in 1987. Here’s the fantastic Let It Grow, one of three tracks on the album Clapton wrote or co-wrote.

Supertramp – Crime of the Century (October 25, 1974)

Supertramp are a band I will always associate with my school days back in Germany, which in the U.S. would have been the equivalent to middle school. The English group became very popular in Germany, especially when they released their Breakfast in America album that topped the charts there and in many other countries. Crime of the Century, their third studio album, predated Breakfast in America by about 4.5 years. The song I best remember hearing on the radio is the opener School. Like all other tracks, it was co-written by Rick Davies (vocals, keyboards, harmonica) and Roger Hodgson (vocals, guitar, pianos). Typically, both alternated lead vocals, which in this case were sung by Hodgson.

Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (November 22, 1974)

This brings me to the final album I’d like to highlight in the post’s main section: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, the sixth studio album by Genesis. The British group became one of the few progressive rock acts I warmed to in the ’80s. I had always liked The Carpet Crawlers, which I had well known from the radio. Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, the song missed the charts everywhere, which I find hard to believe. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was a concept album telling the strange story of a poor Puerto Rican boy from The Bronx, who goes on a bizarre adventure in New York City, which ends in death. That said, musically, the group’s final album with original lead vocalist Peter Gabriel remains a gem, IMHO. Here’s the title track credited to all five members of the band: Gabriel (lead vocals), Steve Hackett (electric guitars), Tony Banks (piano), Mike Rutherford (bass) and Phil Collins (drums, bell-tree, glockenspiel, triangle, wind chimes, tambourine, timbales, backing vocals).

Here’s the above-mentioned Spotify playlist. It doesn’t include Trouble Child by Joni Mitchell who in January 2022 removed her music in solidarity with Neil Young to protest the platform for hosting Joe Rogan’s podcast, which spread dangerous misinformation about COVID-19.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify