The Sunday Six

It’s Sunday morning, at least in my neck of the woods in New Jersey, U.S.A., and I’d like to welcome you to another imaginary music time travel experience. In my book, escaping into the beautiful world of music works any time of the day or night, so I hope you’ll join me!

Jimmy Smith/Back At the Chicken Shack

Our journey today starts in February 1963 with groovy Hammond-driven jazz by Jimmy Smith who helped popularize the mighty B3 by blending jazz and ’60s soul music. As a young child, Smith began teaching himself to play the piano and at the age of 9 won a boogie-woogie piano talent context conducted by a Philadelphia radio station. After attending Royal Hamilton College of Music in Canada and Philly’s Leo Ornstein School of Music in the late ’40s, he played piano and organ in local R&B bands before permanently switching to organ in 1954. Soon thereafter, Smith purchased his first Hammond and was signed by Blue Note. His March 1956 sophomore album The Champ made him a jazz star. The amazing title track of Back At the Chicken Shack was written by Smith. He was joined by Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone), Kenny Burrell (guitar) and Donald Bailey (drums). Feel free to groove along!

AC/DC/Back in Black

This next pick was inspired by fun AC/DC tribute band Stiff Upper Lip who I saw last Saturday. The title track of the Back in Black album takes us to July 1980. It was the hard-charging Aussie rock & rollers’ first to feature Brian Johnson following the death of original lead vocalist Bon Scott in February 1980 at the age of 33. Fast forward 36 years to April 2016 when AC/DC announced Johnson’s departure during the Rock or Bust World Tour due to hearing loss. He was replaced by Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose to finish the dates. But AC/DC hang on and returned in November 2020 with their 17th studio album Power Up, which featured Johnson, along with Angus Young (lead guitar), Stevie Young (rhythm guitar), Cliff Williams (bass) and Phil Rudd (drums). Against long odds, AC/DC recently announced The Power Up Tour Europe 2024, which will feature Johnson. No word yet whether the tour will have an American leg! Meanwhile, here’s Back in Black, a rock song with one of the coolest guitar riffs I can think of.

Alejandro Escovedo/Sister Lost Soul

Let’s dial it down a bit with some great melodic roots rock by Alejandro Escovedo. The son of a Mexican immigrant to Texas and a Texas native and, according to his website, one of 12 children, is an eclectic rock musician and singer-songwriter who has been recording and touring since the late ’70s. He played in various bands, such as punk groups The Nuns and Judy Nylon’s band, as well as country rock formation Rank and File, before releasing his 1992 solo debut Gravity, an alternative country and heartland rock-oriented outing. Sister Lost Soul, written by Escovedo, is a great-sounding song from his June 2008 studio album Real Animal.

Bobby Womack/Across 110th Street

Time to pay a visit to the ’70s with some cool and groovy music by the versatile Bobby Womack, another great suggestion from my longtime German music buddy Gerd. Across 11oth Street (credited to Bobby Womack and Peace) was the title cut from the soundtrack for the 1972 action crime picture of the same name. Starring Yaphet Kotto, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Franciosa and Paul Benjamin, the film was inspired by ’70s blaxploitation pictures and the film noir genre. Over a more than 60-year career from 1952 until his death in 2014, Womack recorded and performed music in multiple genres, including R&B, jazz, soul, rock & roll, doo-wop and gospel. Across 11oth Street is one of Womack’s best-known songs, and it’s easy to see why!

Big Joe Turner/Shake, Rattle and Roll

For our next stop, let’s set the time controls to April 1954 to visit a rock & roll classic by Big Joe Turner. Shake, Rattle and Roll was penned by R&B and blues musician and songwriter Jesse Stone. By the time Turner recorded what became his best-known song that topped the U.S. R&B charts, he already was some 30 years into his career. Four months later, Bill Haley & His Comets released a cover of Shake, Rattle and Roll, which took the song to mainstream success, reaching no. 7 on the U.S. pop chart – the version I first knew. Turner performed until the ’80s and passed away from heart failure in November 1985 at the age of 74.

The Mavericks/Here Comes the Rain

Once again we’re reaching our final destination, which takes us to September 1995 and The Mavericks – shoutout to Randy from Mostly Music Covers, who with a recent post brought the Florida group on my radar screen. Founded in Miami in 1989, The Mavericks blend country with rock, pop and Latin flavors. Here Comes the Rain is from their fourth studio album Music For All Occasions and also became the album’s lead single in August of the same year. Co-written by the group’s Raúl Malo (vocals, guitar) and Greek-born American country songwriter Kostas Lazarides, Here Comes the Rain peaked at no. 22 on the U.S. country charts. It also climbed to no. 4 on the Canadian country charts, becoming The Mavericks’ highest-charting single there. It’s got a bit of a Roy Orbison vibe.

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist of all the above goodies. Hope there’s something you dig. So long for now!

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday! I’d like to invite you to join me on my latest music time travel excursion. Since many folks like to call it the most wonderful time of the year, I decided to give today’s trip a Christmas theme. Other than that, everything will stay the same, i.e., six tracks from six different decades in different flavors!

In my original home country Germany, people who celebrate Christmas traditionally start the festivities today, December 24, in the early evening, followed by two days that are part of the Christmas holiday. Here in the U.S., the holiday is observed on December 25 – not everything is bigger in America after all! 🙂

Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, I hope to see you on board of the magical music time machine. As always, our itinerary is pretty eclectic. It’s gonna be fun, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas. All aboard, fasten your seatbelts and off we go!

Louis Armstrong/Christmas In New Orleans

Our trip starts in 1955 with an iconic jazz artist who I trust doesn’t need much of an introduction: Louis Armstrong. Over a 50-year-plus career between 1919 and 1971, Satchmo touched various genres from Dixieland to swing to pop. The man with the distinct gravelly voice also helped popularize scat singing, a vocal improvisational style using wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or no words at all, and was an inventive trumpet and cornet player. Christmas In New Orleans, which Armstrong released as a single in 1955, was written by Joe Van Winkle and Richard Sherman. Listening to Satchmo just makes me happy!

AC/DC/Mistress For Christmas

How about a hard rock Christmas song? I told you this was going to be an eclectic experience! Let’s head to Australia and September 1990, which saw the release of AC/DC’s 12th studio album The Razors Edge. Other than that it was co-written by the band’s Angus Young and Malcolm Young, I couldn’t find any specific information about Mistress For Christmas. Perhaps the song is deemed too naughty. If that’s the case, perhaps looking at it with a sense of humor would help! In the UK, Mistress For Christmas also became the B-side of the single Moneytalks. It’s classic AC/DC, and I love it!

James Brown/Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto

Time to pay a visit to the ’60s with a groovy and soulful Christmas song by James Brown. Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto was penned by Alfred Ellis, Charles Bobbit and Hank Ballard. It appeared on Brown’s second Christmas album A Soulful Christmas, released in November 1968. Christmas was special to Brown. In addition to recording various Christmas albums, he started the James Brown Toy Giveaway in the early ’90s where he dressed up as Santa and handed out presents to needy children during Christmas gatherings. The annual toy giveaways continue to be conducted to this day by the James Brown Family Foundation.

Cher/Run Rudolph Run

Our next stop takes us all the way back to the present. Undoubtedly, you’ve heard Run Rudolph Run, a staple during the Christmas holiday season. Initially recorded and released by Chuck Berry in 1958, and credited to him, Marvin Brodie and Johnny Marks, the classic Berry rock & roll-style song has been covered by numerous other artists over the decades, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foo Fighters, Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams and Keith Richards. The latest is Cher who included it on her first-ever Christmas album, Christmas, released on October 20 this year. At 77, Cher surely still knows how to rock!

Run-DMC/Christmas in Hollis

Did anyone say there’s no such thing as a Christmas song that raps? In case that myth ever existed, American hip hop and rap group Run-DMC busted it in 1987 with Christmas in Hollis. Co-written by their three members Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels and Jason Mizell, and co-produced by them and Rick Rubin, the track first appeared on A Very Special Christmas, an October 1987 compilation to benefit the Special Olympics. In November of the same year, it also came out as a single. Unlike Walk This Way, Run-DMC’s hugely successful 1986 collaboration with Aerosmith, Christmas in Hollis missed the charts.

Greg Lake/I Believe in Father Christmas

And once again, we’re reaching our sixth and final destination. This will take us to November 1975 and I Believe in Father Christmas, a single by Greg Lake. The English bassist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, who passed away in December 2016 at the age of 69, first gained prominence as a co-founding member of progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Composed by Lake with lyrics by English poet and songwriter Peter Sinfield, I Believe in Father Christmas also borrows some music from Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s 1934 Lieutenant Kijé Suite. While Lake called the song a protest of the commercialization of Christmas, Sinfield said the lyrics are about a loss of innocence and childhood belief. Check out this beautiful sound!

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above goodies. Hope there’s something for you here. To anyone celebrating it today, Merry Christmas!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Reliving the Live Music Experience

It’s safe to assume most music fans agree that seeing a beloved artist or band live is a special experience. In fact, to me, it’s the ultimate thrill! Nearly every time I go to a concert, big or small, I also get “the itch”, thinking perhaps I should have continued playing music actively. Even though my band days date back more than 30 years, I think I will always remain a musician at heart! As such, it felt right to take a look back on my live music experience in 2023.

Hopefully, it doesn’t come across as bragging when I say this year was really busy on the concert front. In fact, I was surprised myself when realizing how many shows I visited. I don’t know, I guess it just happened. Much of it was driven by spontaneous action. I will add that given high ticket prices, especially for prominent acts, I doubt I can keep up that pace next year. For now, let’s focus on some of my favorite concert moments of 2023.

Big ticket/prominent artists and bands I saw this year include Southern Avenue (review), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (review), The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (review), Peter Frampton (review), The Doobie Brothers (review), James Taylor (review) and Los Lobos (review).

In the following, I’d like to let the music do the talking, or perhaps I should say writing. Going through old clips and pictures I took was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy my little collage!

Southern Avenue/Don’t Give Up – SteelStax, Bethlehem, Pa., Sep 7

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band/Ways and Means – Lizzie Rose Music Room, Tuckerton, N.J., Aug 17

Peter Frampton/Shine On – Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, Pa., Jul 15

Los Lobos/Kiko and the Lavender Moon – Pollack Theatre, West Long Branch, N.J., Feb 24

Catching prominent music acts I love is great, but as in previous years, my live music experience wasn’t limited to them. Once again, I was also fortunate to see great tributes, such as Sugar Mountain (Neil Young), Who’s Next (The Who), Stiff Upper Lip (AC/DC) and Good Stuff (Steely Dan, Sting, Stevie Wonder & Gino Vannelli), as well as various other bands.

Luckily, a good deal of these “non-big ticket acts” were free and/or very affordable. I believe in supporting live music, but there’s only so much I can do. Otherwise, the hole in my wallet would even be bigger! Here’s a small sample. My apologies for not featuring everybody I saw!

Sugar Mountain/Like a Hurricane – Lizzie Rose Music Room, Sep 9

Who’s Next/Won’t Get Fooled Again – British Invasion Festival, Golden Nugget, Atlantic City, N.J., Jul 22

Stiff Upper Lip/It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) – Readington Brewery, Readington, N.J., June 9

Good Stuff/Deacon Blues – New Jersey Brewing Company, Mount Olive, N.J., Mar 31

There you have it. What’s in store for next year? Not much to report yet, except for two events I really hope will happen. First is seeing The Rolling Stones during their Hackney Diamonds Tour at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on May 23. I’m thrilled I was able to get a ticket I could pay for. Granted, I settled for the least expensive seat. But for a live music nut like me, being there means nearly everything!

I also look forward to Rock the Farm, the main annual fundraiser of the New Jersey nonprofit CFC Loud N Clear Foundation, featuring great tribute acts to raise funds for programs to prevent relapse after drug rehab. Due to bad weather, CFC made the tough but right call to postpone last year’s event until June 1, 2024. I love the idea of music for a cause and have attended this festival on the Jersey shore multiple times over the past six years. My review of Rock the Farm 2022 is here.

As for the rest of 2024, we’ll see. I guess I’ll take it one show at a time!

A Hit That Wasn’t

This post first appeared last week as a contribution on A Sound Day, penned by fellow blogger Dave who hosts a great monthly feature titled Turntable Talk where he invites fellow bloggers to share their thoughts around a topic he suggests.

This time, Dave asked us to write about a song that we felt should have been a hit but wasn’t. Following is what I submitted. After the post had been published, I found what I feel is a better live version of the song and used it to replace the original clip. This version of the post has also been slightly edited to fit the format of my blog.

Turntable Talk, now in its 16^th round, truly is a gift that keeps on giving. I always enjoy participating, so thanks for having me back, Dave!

This time, thanks to Max from PowerPop blog, our task was to identify a song that we feel should have been a hit but wasn’t. Dave rightly acknowledged that defining what is a hit can be tricky but did not set any guidelines other than suggesting we should only focus on tunes that were released as singles. Of course, this still leaves many options from which to pick.

As I further reflected on how I would define a hit, I decided it should be a single that entered the top 40 pop/mainstream singles chart. The next question was which country’s chart. Since I live in the U.S., naturally the Billboard Hot 100 came to mind first. Looking at that chart, you can find some incredible examples of songs that failed to become hits, such as AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Purple Haze and Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, stalling on at no. 47, no. 65 and no. 86, respectively.

Then I thought while the U.S. undoubtedly is an important music market, so are Australia, Canada and the UK, to name a few others. Once you consider more markets, finding a song that should have been a hit but wasn’t becomes more complicated.

While Highway to Hell missed the top 40 in the U.S., it climbed to no. 4, no. 9, no. 17, no. 24 and no. 30 in the UK, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Australia and Germany, respectively, clearly satisfying my above-mentioned definition of a hit in these countries. Or take Purple Haze, which undoubtedly was a hit in the UK (no. 3), Norway and Austria (no. 7 each), The Netherlands (no. 11) and Germany (no. 17).

This little exercise finally made me conclude that my real task was to find a single I really dig, which was released in multiple markets but failed to place within the top 40 in any. At first, it looked a bit like a daunting task. Then I suddenly remembered Joe Jackson had a number of singles that didn’t make the top 40 or didn’t chart at all. This includes one of my all-time favorites by the versatile English artist and my pick for this post: Down to London.

Written, arranged and produced by Jackson, Down to London was included on his 10^th studio album Blaze of Glory released in April 1989. It also became one of three singles. Based on Wikipedia and Discogs, Down to London appeared as a single in the UK and various other European countries, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada. Incredibly, not only did it fail to make the top 40 in any of these markets, but it didn’t chart at all anywhere except for Australia where it reached a measly no. 126!

According to Wikipedia, Down to London is an autobiographical tune that was inspired by Jackson’s early music career in London. “The song is from the point of view of a teenager who’s going to the big city for the first time,” Jackson told VH1 during an interview in 1989. “The songs on Blaze of Glory are loosely a journey through time from the perspective of someone who’s getting older as it goes along. The song is the third on the album. To me, it’s when I was about 17.”

He went on, “It’s an old story that’s retold everyday – people going to the big city to seek excitement, fame or just a job. The ambivalence of the song, I think, is although it’s your first exposure to that big city excitement, at the same time you’re exposed to a certain amount of harshness. You can’t afford to stay in a nice hotel, you’re sleeping on someone’s floor. There’s an element of that, but on the whole, I think the song is pretty positive.”

Here’s a version, included on Jackson’s 2004 live album Afterlife that was recorded during various gigs in California in August 2003.

Down to London may not be quite up there with Joe Jackson classics like Is She Really Going Out with Him?, One More Time, It’s Different For Girls or Steppin’ Out, but it sure as heck is a great song that at least would have deserved to land in the top 40 in the UK and the other markets in which the single appeared.

I’ll leave you with the lyrics.

Stop – what’s that sound
It’s the death rattle of this rusty old town
Stop – listen again
It’s the sound of laughter all along the Thames

Hey – what’s my line
Do I have to stay here ’til the end of time
I’m – good looking and bright
I want to see life after ten at night

So if they ask you where I am
I’m in the back of a transit van
In a squat on the earls court road
Gone down to London turning coal into gold
Down to London – down to London
Gone down to London to be the king

Hey – what’s your name
The boys back home all seem to look the same
You – should stick with me
And one of us will make it, just you see

Stop – what’s that sound
Seems like the sixties are still swinging around
Hey – can you hear me back there
Or is there anybody left to care

So if you ask me where they are
They’re hanging tough in a soho bar
Playing guitars in the underground
Gone down to London trying to chase that sound
Down to London – down to London
Gone down to London to be the king

So I ask you should I cry or laugh
Drinking tea in a kings cross caff
A leather jacket against the cold
Gone down to London turning coal into gold
Down to London – down to London
Gone down to London to be the king

Sources: Wikipedia; Discogs; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Hope your weekend has been groovy and if you live in the U.S. is extended through Tuesday, the Fourth of July holiday. For the 125th time (yep, time flies!), I’d like to invite you on a trip to visit music in different flavors from six different decades. For this milestone installment, I decided to pick another geographic destination, coz why not! Today, we shall all travel to a land down under!

Graeme Bell and his Australian Jazz Band/Mississippi Mud

Our first stop is the year 1950 and music by Australian Dixieland pianist, composer and band leader Graeme Bell. Active from 1935 until 2008, Bell was one of the leading promotors of jazz down under. He also had the distinction of being the first Australian jazz band leader who was still playing at 90 years and the first Westerner to lead a jazz band to China. Bell who started piano lessons in classical music as a 12-year-old began playing jazz in 1935 when he was 21 years old. Six years later, he led his first own group Graeme Bell Jazz Gang. Since late 1946 Bell’s group was known as the Australian Jazz Band. Mississippi Mud, a great Dixieland composition by Harry Barris, appeared as a 10″ 78 RPM in 1950. Feel free to snip along!

Men At Work/Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive

Next, we set our time machine to April 1983, which saw the release of the second studio album by another great band from a land down under: Men At Work. Formed in Melbourne in 1978 and led by lead vocalist and guitarist Colin Hay, the group released their debut album Business As Usual in November 1981 in Australia. It brought them huge success right out of the gate, topping the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, the UK and the US, and became their best-selling album. Off their follow-on Cargo, which also did pretty well, here’s one of my favorite Men At Work tunes: Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive, a parody of the Robert Louis Stevenson 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds/Jubilee Street

Time to travel back to the current century, more specifically to February 2013. This is when Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their 15th studio album Push the Sky Away. By that time, the group was in their 30th year, and Cave (vocals, piano) and Barry Adamson (bass, backing vocals) who had returned were the only original members. AllMusic calls them “one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the ’80s and onward.” Jubilee Street was co-written by Cave and band member and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, with lyrics by Cave.

The Easybeats/Sorry

One of the great ’60s Australian bands were The Easybeats, formed in Sydney in late 1964. Their level of success in their home country rivaled The Beatles, and in 1966, they became the first Australian group to score an international hit with their single Friday On My Mind. The catchy tune became their second in a row to top the charts in Australia. Elsewhere, it reached no. 2 in New Zealand, no. 6 in the UK, no. 13 in Canada and no. 16 in the U.S. This brings us to their first no. 1 in Australia, Sorry, which appeared on their third album Volume 3, released in November 1966 – perhaps not quite as catchy as Friday On My Mind, but still another great tune!

Hoodoo Gurus/The Right Time

For our next stop, we shall jump 28 years to July 1994 and music by Hoodoo Gurus, who were formed in Sydney in 1981. Their popularity peaked in the mid-to-late 1980s with albums Mars Needs Guitars!, Blow Your Cool! and Magnum Cum Louder. After a five-year hiatus, they reunited in 2003 and remain active to this day. The Right Time, written by the band’s only constant member Dave Faulkner, appeared on their sixth studio album Crank – great melodic rock song! And how about the band’s cool attention-grabbing cool name!

AC/DC/It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)

Once again, we’re reaching our final stop. Let’s end it with a big bang by what I feel is Australia’s ultimate rock & roll band: AC/DC. They were formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar) and Angus Young (lead guitar). Their first two albums, High Voltage (February 1975) and T.N.T. (December 1975), were released in Australia only. In May 1976, their first international album appeared. Also titled High Voltage, it combined songs from their first two Australian albums. One of the tracks is It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll). Co-written by the Young brothers and lead vocalist Bon Scott, the tune initially appeared on T.N.T. This anthem just r.o.c.k.s.!!!

And there you have it, folks. Wait, I won’t leave you without a Spotify playlist of the above goodies. Hope there’s something there you dig!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Musings of the Past

The other day, fellow blogger Max from PowerPop featured Sweet Little Sixteen by Chuck Berry, and we started exchanging comments about Berry’s importance in shaping early guitar-driven rock & roll. When I heard the iconic intro to Johnny B. Goode for the first time as a young cat, I wanted to be able to play like that. Once I got my first electric guitar at around 14 or 15, I tried very hard, but my fretting fingers just wouldn’t cooperate very well.

Berry’s playing was actually pretty crude, but it just sounded cool. And what a terrific showman he was. Only much later did I realize how great his lyrics were. I also learned that like many of my music heroes, Berry was no angel. All of this made me think of a post I first published in August 2017. Instead of writing about Berry’s original recordings, I thought it would be fun to feature great covers of his songs performed by other artists. So, here is that post again, slightly edited and with a Spotify playlist added as a bonus.

Chuck Berry Classics Performed By Other Artists

A list of covers from AC/DC to The Yardbirds

A few days ago, I coincidentally came across a previously created iTunes playlist I had completely forgotten about: Covers of Chuck Berry classics performed by other music artists. I thought it would be fun to develop a post around this theme.

While no one artist can claim they created an entire genre of music, there is a reason why Berry was known as Mr. Rock & Roll. In any case, the number of other artists who covered his tunes sure as heck is impressive.

Maybelline/Foghat

English blues and boogie rock band Foghat included a killer version of  Maybelline on their 1972 eponymous album. The tune was written and recorded by Berry in 1955, and first released as a single in July that year. It also appeared on his 1959 iconic third study album Chuck Berry Is On Top, which also included many of his other major hits. Here’s a great clip of the tune from a Foghat live performance.

School Days/AC/DC

AC/DC recorded a cool cover of School Days for their second Australian studio album T.N.T., which appeared in December 1975. Originally, Berry released the song as a single in March 1957, two months ahead of his debut studio album  After School Session.

Too Much Monkey Business/The Yardbirds

Too Much Monkey Business is the first track on Five Live Yardbirds, the band’s terrific debut live album from 1964. Berry released the song as his fifth single in September 1956. It was also included on the After School Session album.

Sweet Little Sixteen/John Lennon

John Lennon recorded a nice Memphis soul-style cover of Sweet Little Sixteen for Rock ‘n’ Roll, his sixth studio album from 1975. Berry released the track as a single in January 1958. It was also included on his second studio album One Dozen Berries, which appeared in March 1958.

Rock & Roll Music/The Beatles

Rock & Roll Music is among my favorite rock & roll covers by The Beatles. They included it on their 1964 fourth studio album Beatles For Sale. Berry initially released the tune as a single in September 1957. It also appeared on the One Dozen Berrys studio album. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a clip of the Beatles’ studio version, so here is a live performance captured from a 1965 performance in Paris. [Actually, nothing unfortunate about it. Rock & Roll Music is now available on YouTube, but I decided to keep that live clip – CMM]

Carol/The Rolling Stones

I’ve always loved the cover of the song The Rolling Stones recorded. Initially, they included it on their 1964 eponymous debut album, but my favorite version appeared on the fantastic 1970 live record Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!. First released in 1958 as a single, Carol is also one of the gems from Chuck Berry Is On Top. Here’s a great clip of the Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out version. [Damn, I’ve said it before and I say it again, the Stones never sounded as great as on that live album – CMM]

Johnny B. Goode/Jimi Hendrix

If I only had one classic rock & roll tune to choose, it would be Berry’s 1958 gem  Johnny B. Goode, which first appeared as a single in March that year and is yet another highlight from Chuck Berry Is On Top. Who could possibly do a better cover of it than Jimi Hendrix? Here is a great clip of Hendrix absolutely killing it live – not sure whether it is the same performance that was also captured on  Hendrix in the West, a 1972 posthumous live album. [Kind of funny how Hendrix asks the audience whether his music is too loud! – CMM]

Little Queenie/The Kentucky Headhunters with Johnnie Johnson

Frankly, I do not quite remember how I came across this cover of Little Queenie  when I put together the above iTunes playlist, but I find it pretty awesome. It’s performed by country and southern rock band The Kentucky Headhunters featuring Johnnie Johnson, a jazz, blues and rock & roll pianist, and was included on a 2015 release titled Meet Me In Bluesland. Originally, Berry released Little Queenie as a single in 1959, another tune from Chuck Berry Is On Top.

Roll Over Beethoven/Electric Light Orchestra

It’s safe to say this is one of the most unique covers of the track performed by Electric Light Orchestra. Blending elements of classical music with rock & roll and other styles of rock, ELO is one of the weirdest ’70s bands, in my opinion. While most of their productions were bombastic and completely over the top, I still have to admit there is something intriguing about their music. Their 8-minute-plus cover of Roll Over Beethoven was included on their eponymous second studio album, which was released in 1972. Berry first recorded the tune as a single in May 1956. It also appeared on Chuck Berry Is On Top. The following clip is an abbreviated live version of the song, captured from a 1973 performance on The Midnight Special, an American late-night music variety show that aired during the 1970’s and early ’80s.

Memphis/The Hollies

This cover from The Hollies was included on the band’s debut album Stay With The Hollies, which appeared in the U.K. in January 1964. The track was also included on the U.S. version of the album titled Here I Go Again, released in June that year. Berry first recorded Memphis as a single in 1959.

– END-

The original post, which was published on August 26, 2017, ended here. Man, this is classic rock & roll, and I hope you guys had as much fun revisiting these tunes as I did! Following is the aforementioned Spotify playlist.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

The Dark Side of the Moon at 50 Remains a Timeless Gem

Missing the actual March 1 date wasn’t how I had envisaged celebrating it, but at the end of the day, I simply couldn’t ignore the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon– especially after I had found myself with some unexpected extra time to write a dedicated post about one of my favorite albums. Limiting myself to a brief song inclusion in yesterday’s installment of my Sunday Six recurring feature would have been pretty measly!

The Dark Side of the Moon is one of the rare albums I can think of that hasn’t lost any of its magic since its release on March 1, 1973. To start with, it continues to be a sonic gem to this day, which has aged very well. Moreover, while greed, division and mental disease, to name some of the topics the concept album explores, have existed since the beginning of mankind, these issues remain relevant today, arguably more than ever.

Since so much has been written about this album (once again, I’d like to call out fellow blogger Vinyl Connection’s outstanding recent post), I’ve decided to keep this upfront tight and mostly focus this post on the music. I also made the deliberate choice not to contribute to the over-exposure of Money, even though I still dearly love this tune. I will also skip the excellent Us And Them, since I just featured that track in my aforementioned Sunday Six.

Let’s start taking a closer look at the music with Breathe (In the Air), the second track on Side one (in vinyl speak!). Like all other tunes, the lyrics were written by Roger Waters, the mastermind behind the concept of an album to explore dark aspects of human existence. Come to think of it, “The Dark Side of the Human Condition” would have been an apt alternative title, though the chosen option much better captures the spacy sound. The music for Breathe was composed by Richard Wright and David Gilmour, Pink Floyd’s keyboarder and guitarist, respectively. Songfacts notes Breathe…is about an older man speaking to a baby, telling it to breathe. The old man then describes the unfortunate working life the baby will have to face: “Run, rabbit, run. Dig that hole, forget the sun.” The song implies that we need to overcome these messages and do what inspires us.

Once you hear the ticking clocks, you know it’s time for, well, Time. The album’s only track credited to all four members of Pink Floyd (including drummer Nick Mason) deals with the topic of mortality. From Songfacts: This song is about how time can slip by, but many people do not realize it until it is too late. Roger Waters got the idea when he realized he was no longer preparing for anything in life, but was right in the middle of it. He had just turned 28. Songfacts also notes the layers of clock noises were put together by Alan Parsons, who served as the album’s production engineer. The sounds of each clock were recorded separately at an antiques store and subsequently were blended together – quite a feat!

Side one closes with the magnificent The Great Gig in the Sky, which I simply couldn’t skip. The track’s key feature are extraordinary vocals by Clare Torry, a British singer who had been brought in by Parsons. “She had to be told not to sing any words,” Parsons told Rolling Stone in March 2003, as documented by Songfacts. “When she first started, she was doing ‘Oh yeah baby’ and all that kind of stuff, so she had to be restrained on that. But there was no real direction – she just had to feel it.” Torry rightfully ended up receiving a writing credit for her powerful contribution. This track continues to give me chills, even though I must have listened to it more than 100 times over the decades!

Let’s move on to Side two. As previously noted, I’m skipping Money and Us And Them, which also became the album’s two singles. Instead, I’d like to call out the two final tracks, which were each written and composed by Waters. First up is Brain Damage. Songfacts observes This is probably about insanity, something the band was quite familiar with. To me, there’s no doubt this tune is about mental disease! Songfacts adds, The line, “And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes” is a specific reference to Syd Barrett’s propensity for playing the wrong song on stage during his “episodes” towards his final days with Pink Floyd, which subsequently led to his dismissal. It’s really sad what certain drugs can do!

This leaves me with the final track titled Eclipse. It seamlessly follows Brain Damage, essentially making both tunes one song. From Songfacts: The album was well into production but didn’t have an ending until Roger Waters came up with the song. It reprises some lyrics to the opening track “Breathe” (“All that you touch, all that you see”) before closing out the album with the words, “There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it’s all dark.” Songfacts adds the closing statement was spoken by Gerry O’Driscoll, the doorman at London’s Abbey Road Studios, where this masterpiece was recorded. I think it’s safe to assume this makes Driscoll the most popular doorman most of the album’s listeners aren’t aware they know. I was one of them!

Following is a Spotify link to the album. If you own headphones, I highly recommend using them!

The Dark Side of the Moon has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide, which according to Wikipedia makes it the best-selling album of the ’70s and the forth-best selling in history after Michael Jackson’s Thriller (70 million), AC/DC’s Back in Black (50 million) and the soundtrack of The Bodyguard (45 million). A Billboard story published in March 2013 for the album’s 40th anniversary reported, Despite only reaching the No. 1 spot for one solitary week, the album continues to hold the record for the most weeks charted on the Billboard 200 (over 800 weeks!) and was a constant feature on the Billboard 200 from its initial release until 1988 – returning to the chart in late 2009 after Billboard revised its chart eligibility rules regarding older releases.

A look at the current Billboard 200 (week of March 4) reveals The Dark Side of the Moon at no. 155 with a total of now 972 weeks on the chart – that’s the equivalent of approximately 18.5 years! I imagine the upcoming March 24 reissue box-set The Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary, if anything, is going to breathe in (no pun intended!) additional life for this amazing album!

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Billboard; YouTube; Spotify

Musings of the Past

Last Saturday night, I went to see a fun AC/DC tribute band. For anyone living in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area, where they mostly play, they’re called Stiff Upper Lip, in case you’re interested in catching them. This reminded me of how much I’ve come to dig the rockers from down under – and of a post I originally published in June 2020. Here it is again, with an added Spotify list at the end, which in addition to the featured tunes includes a few other AC/DC songs.

My Playlist: AC/DC

Yesterday, I found myself listening to AC/DC and once again was reminded what a kick-ass rock band they were. While I’ve covered them on previous occasions, it occurred to me that I had not put together a playlist. Well, the time has come, but before getting to some music, a bit of history is in order.

AC/DC were formed in Sydney, Australia in November 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar) and Angus Young (lead guitar) who teamed up with Larry Van Kriedt (bass), Colin Burgess (drums) and Dave Evans (vocals). Apparently, the Young brothers came up with the band’s name after their sister Margaret Young had seen the initials “AC/DC” on a sewing machine. Margaret also inspired Angus Young’s characteristic school-uniform stage outfit.

In September 1974, Evans was replaced by vocalist Bon Scott. Like the Young brothers, Scott had been born in Scotland and come to Australia as a child. In October 1974, AC/DC recorded their first studio album High Voltage. It was produced by Malcolm’s and Angus’ older brother George Young and Harry Vanda, who both were also members of The Easybeats. The album was released in February 1975 in Australia only.

LONDON – 1st AUGUST: Australian rock band AC/DC posed in a studio in London in August 1979. Left to right: Malcolm Young, Bon Scott, Angus Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)

By the time AC/DC started work on their sophomore record T.N.T. in the summer of 1975, Mark Evans (bass) and Phil Rudd (drums) had joined the band. Not only saw the record, another Australia-only release that appeared in December 1975, the band’s classic lineup but also the hard-edged R&B-based rock & roll that would become AC/DC’s trademark sound.

The next important stage in the band’s history was the signing with Atlantic Records and their first international release in April 1976, an album that was also titled High Voltage. The record was a compilation of tracks from the band’s first two albums. AC/DC have since recorded 14 additional studio albums, and released various live and soundtrack records, one EP and two box-sets. The band has also gone through numerous lineup changes, with Angus Young being the only remaining original member. Let’s get to some rock & roll!

I’d like to kick it off with Love Song, a tune from AC/DC’s first record, the aforementioned Australia-only release High Voltage. Like all their songs until the Highway to Hell album, it was co-written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott. The track is one of two tunes from that album that were never officially released internationally until 2009 when they were included in the box-set Backtracks.

AC/DC’s first international release, which as noted above was also titled High Voltage, includes two of their early classics: It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) and T.N.T. It was a tough choice since I dig both of these tunes. I decided to go with the former song, which also became the album’s second single. Who would have thought bagpipes and hard rock guitar form such a friggin’ perfect harmony!

For the next tune, I’m jumping to Let There Be Rock, AC/DC’s fifth album from July 1977. It was the last record with bassist Mark Evans, who after clashes with Angus was replaced by Cliff Williams. Here’s one of my favorite tunes from that record, the fantastic closer Whole Lotta Rosie.

Highway to Hell marked another important milestone for AC/DC’s. The band’s seventh studio album released in July 1979 was the last with Bon Scott, who died in February 1980 after a night out in London. The official cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning, but according to a book by British-Australian author Jesse Fink, heroin was involved as well. While the album’s title track certainly hasn’t lacked exposure, I think it remains one of the greatest rock songs of all time, with a beautifully simple, instantly recognizable guitar riff. Here’s the official video.

Perhaps not surprisingly, AC/DC almost called it quits after Bon Scott’s death. But they decided to carry on and, apparently with the Scott family’s encouragement, hired Brian Johnson. Not only did Johnson become the band’s new vocalist, but throughout the ’80s, he also assumed Scott’s role in co-writing songs with the Young brothers. Five months after Scott’s death, AC/DC released Back in Black. The title and the all-black cover were in honor of Scott. With more than 50 million copies sold worldwide, Back in Black not only became AC/DC’s most successful record but one of the best-selling albums in music history. Here’s the official video of the great title track, another tune with a brilliant guitar riff.

For the next tune, let’s jump to January 1988 and AC/DC’s 12th album Blow Up Your Video, the last produced by Harry Vanda and George Young. That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll also came out separately as the record’s second single in March 1988. Here’s the official video.

After releasing five albums during the ’80s, which certainly was a remarkable pace, AC/DC started to slow down. The ’90s only saw two new records. Another change was that the two Young brothers took over all of the songwriting. Here’s Hard as a Rock, the great opener from Ballbreaker, the second of the two albums that appeared in September 1995. Phil Rudd, who had left during the recording sessions for the Flick of the Switch album from August 1983 due to drug problems and frictions with Malcolm Young, returned as the band’s drummer.

Stiff Upper Lip, AC/DC’s 15th studio album from February 2000, saw the return of George Young as producer. Here’s the opener and title track. It also became the album’s lead single.

In October 2008, AC/DC released Black Ice. With an eight-year span since Stiff Upper Lip, it marked the longest gap between the band’s successive studio albums. The record’s development was delayed due to an injury bassist Cliff Williams had sustained and the band’s switch from Elektra Records to Sony Music Entertainment. But I guess AC/DC made it count by making Black Ice their longest-running studio album to date. Here’s the official video of opener and lead single Rock ‘n’ Roll Train.

The last track I’d like to highlight is from AC/DC’s most recent record Rock or Bust, which came out in November 2014. While all songs were co-written by Angus Young and Malcolm Young, Malcolm had retired earlier in the year because of his declining health due to dementia. All of his guitar parts were recorded by his nephew Stevie Young. Here’s the fantastic Play Ball, a true late-career gem, in my opinion.

Sadly, AC/DC’s story has been pretty grim since Malcolm Young’s departure. Shortly before Rock or Bust’s appearance, Phil Rudd was arrested and charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine and possession of cannabis, following a police raid on his home. While the murder procurement charge was subsequently dropped, Rudd was convicted of the other charges and sentenced to eight months home detention and a fine of NZ$120,000 in July 2015. As a result, he missed the 2015-2016 supporting tour for Rock or Bust.

Things got worse. In April 2016 during the Rock or Bust tour, AC/DC announced the departure of Johnson due to hearing issues. Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose was brought in to complete the tour’s remaining gigs. In July 2016, bassist Cliff Williams announced his retirement from the band at the end of the tour. On November 18, 2017, Malcolm Young passed away at the age of 64. Three weeks earlier, George Young had died. A cause of death wasn’t reported. He was 70 years old.

AC/DC have sold over 200 million albums worldwide, including approximately 71 million in the U.S. alone. And the story may not be over yet. Over the past couple of years, there have been rumors about a new AC/DC album in the making. And it appears they weren’t just rumors.

In February this year, heavy metal vocalist Dee Snider told Blabbermouth.net  that Brian Johnson not only had confirmed to him that he was working with the band again, but that AC/DC was indeed recording a new album. Apparently, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams are back in the fold. Supposedly, the material includes recordings of Malcolm Young from the early 2000s. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

– END-

The original post, which was published on June 3, 2020, ended here. In the meantime, AC/DC against the odds did release another album, Power Up, in November 2020. Featuring Angus Young, Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams and Stevie Young (nephew of Malcolm Young), AC/DC’s 17th studio album, which I reviewed here at the time, delivers plenty of the kind of straight kick-ass rock & roll that have made them such a widely beloved band among rock fans – a truly remarkable outcome!

So what’s in store for AC/DC? According to a December 21, 2022 story on Blabbermouth.net, Brian Johnson when asked during a recent SiriusXM interview with Eddie Trunk whether the band will ever perform again live declined to answer: “I’m not answering that. Why should I? First of all, there’s five members in this band, and to ask one member isn’t fair.” When Trunk pressed him, Johnson added, “Eddie, I cannot answer that. I’ve been told not to by everybody. It’s the official line.” I guess until that changes, AC/DC fans will need to be patient.

Here’s the aforementioned Spotify playlist:

Sources: Wikipedia; Blabbermouth.net; YouTube; Spotify

Musings of the Past

It’s been about seven weeks since the last Musings of the Past, a feature that roughly runs once a month where I revisit previous posts published at a time when this blog was in its younger days. I guess I missed November! With the holiday season being in full swing, I thought this would be an opportune moment to republish a post from December 2017, which featured a variety of modern Christmas songs from various music genres. The Spotify playlist at the end wasn’t in the original post.

Making Your Christmas Groove

A list to get you into the mood for that most wonderful time of the year

When I was looking back at previous posts on the blog, I came across a list of Christmas rock, soul, rap and pop tunes I had put together last year [December 2016 – CMM]. For the most part, I still stand behind it and thought it would be fitting to publish a slightly updated version.

One of the things I liked to do during the Christmas holiday while growing up in Germany many moons ago was to listen to my favorite radio station, which was then called SWF III. At that time of the year, the DJs would frequently play song requests from listeners.

Not surprisingly, Christmas pop and rock songs were high in demand. Some of these tunes became seasonal anthems, such as Wham’s Last Christmas, Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmas Time and Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas. Okay, maybe these are not the most compelling examples, but these tunes come to mind first when I think about those times.

Some folks may cringe at the thought of pop and rock artists dressing up as Santa and performing Christmas songs, whether they are covers of traditional tunes or new songs with holiday themes. Others may get cynical about music artists and record companies suddenly discovering Jesus and Santa when people conveniently are willing to spend insane amounts of money on Christmas presents. I get all of that and being cynical about it is not unfounded.

I still think there are some great Christmas rock and pop songs that have come out over the years – in fact, make that over the decades! Plus, let’s be honest, while many traditional Christmas tunes have beautiful melodies, they don’t exactly groove. I don’t know about you, but I like listening to music that makes me want to get up and move – by the way, probably not such a bad thing during the holiday season when many folks like to indulge on food and drink. So how about rockin’ and rollin’ off that of these extra calories!

Below are clips of some of my favorite Christmas rock and pop tunes in no particular order: From John Lennon’s haunting Happy Xmas (War Is Over) to Chuck Berry’s rockin’ & rollin’ Run Rudolph Run to Run-D.M.C.’s cool rap Christmas in Hollis to AC/DC’s hard-charging Mistress For Christmas to a fantastic live version of Feliz Navidad with José Feliciano and Daryl Hall to the unforgettable James Brown and his funky Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto, these tunes come in many different genres!

John Lennon/Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971)

Chuck Berry/Run Rudolph Run (1958)

The Pogues/Fairytale Of New York (1987)

Run-D.M.C./Christmas In Hollis (1987)

AC/DC/Mistress For Christmas (1990)

José Feliciano & Daryl Hall/Feliz Navidad (2010)

James Brown/Santa Claus, Go Straight To The Ghetto (1968)

Otis Redding/Merry Christmas Baby (posthumous, 1968)

The Ravers/(It’s Gonna Be) A Punk Rock Christmas (1978)

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band/Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (2007)

– End –

The original post, which was published on December 21, 2017, ended here. And, yes, I kept Springsteen’s version of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, even though I snarkily commented the other day this tune has been overexposed – oh, well, it was part of the original post. Plus, it’s certainly not terrible!

The Spotify playlist is an addition. Instead of The Ravers, it features a rendition of It’s Gonna Be A Punk Rock Christmas by UK pop punk band Majorettes. Feliz Navidad is the studio version José Feliciano recorded in 1970, not the live performance with Daryl Hall captured in the clip. The playlist also includes some additional tunes. Season’s Greetings!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Time Again for Another Thanksgiving Music Tradition

It’s hard to believe that here in the U.S. Thanksgiving is upon us again. This is also the time of the year when New York classic rock radio station Q104.3 does its annual countdown of the Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs Of All Time. The following borrows from two related posts I published last year.

The countdown is based on submissions from listeners who each can select 10 songs. All picks are then tabulated to create the big list. The countdown starts at 9:00 am EST the day before Thanksgiving (Wednesday) and stretches all the way to sometime Sunday evening after the holiday. That’s how long it takes to get through all 1,043 songs. Obviously, they are all different tunes, as opposed to the much smaller rotation of songs most radio stations play over and over again.

The only interruption of the countdown happens at noon on Thanksgiving when Q104.3 plays Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant, all 18 and a half minutes of it – just wonderful! Officially titled Alice’s Restaurant Massacree and released in October 1967, Alice’s Restaurant is also the title track of Guthrie’s debut album.

The tune is a largely spoken satirical protest song against the Vietnam War draft. It’s based on a true though exaggerated story that started on Thanksgiving 1965 when Guthrie and his friend Ray Brock were arrested by the local police of Stockbridge, Mass. for illegally dumping trash. Guthrie’s resulting criminal record from the incident later contributed to his rejection by the draft board.

Perhaps not surprisingly given Guthrie’s cinematic story-telling, Alice’s Restaurant also inspired a 1969 comedy film of the same name, starring Guthrie as himself. It was directed by Arthur Penn who among others is known as the director of the 1967 classic biographical crime picture Bonnie and Clyde.

Coming back to the countdown, this year, I didn’t get to submit any picks. After having taken a look at what I did last year, I still stand behind these tunes and shaking up things a little with four artists I had not selected in previous years: California Dreamin’ (Dirty Honey) and Side Street Shakedown (The Wild Feathers), both songs from 2021, as well as I Don’t Understand (The Chesterfield Kings) and Cinderella (The Fuzztones), tunes released in 2003 and 1985, respectively.

Following are the songs I probably would have submitted again this year, if I had had the opportunity. They are in no particular order.

Dirty Honey/California Dreamin’ – Dirty Honey, April 2021

The Wild Feathers/Side Street Shakedown – Alvarado, October 2021

The Black Crowes/Twice As Hard – Shake Your Money Maker, February 1990

AC/DC/It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) – High Voltage, April 1976

The Beatles/Helter Skelter – The Beatles, November 1968

David Bowie/Suffragette City – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, June 1972

Queen/Tie Your Mother Down – A Day at the Races, December 1976

The Who/The Real Me – Quadrophenia, October 1973

The Chesterfield Kings/I Don’t Understand – The Mindbending Sounds Of…The Chesterfield Kings, August 2003

The Fuzztones/Cinderella – Lysergic Emanations, 1985

I’m sure I’ll be listening on and off to the countdown over the coming days. Will Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven once again come in at no. 1, which it has every year since Q104.3 began their countdown? While I think that’s a foregone conclusion, I still enjoy listening to the countdown. It’s not all rock, but there is lots of great music with no repetition while it lasts!

Here’s a Spotify playlist of the above tunes.

Last but not least, if you celebrate it, Happy Thanksgiving! If you don’t, hope you have a rockin’ and rollin’ great time anyway!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify