Ahem, Zero Point Energy, Worldcub, Lightheaded, Sid Simons and The Avett Brothers
It’s Saturday and I’d like to welcome you to my latest weekly look at the new music front. All picks appear on albums that were released yesterday (May 17).
Ahem/Waterlogged
Ahem are a Minneapolis, Minn. power pop and indie rock trio who were formed in 2015. Comprised of Erik Anderson (guitar), Courtney Berndt (bass) and Alyse Emanuel (drums), they released their debut album Try Again in November 2019. Waterlogged is a song off their new sophomore album Avoider. “We were writing songs in ways we never had before, from various separate basements, and that certainly fed into the song’s feel of breaking out of a malaise, a trapped-ness, a kind of unresolved hope that maybe we can someday break a little loose and get free in whatever ways we need, too,” the band told entertainment outlet Flood Magazine.
Zero Point Energy/Disintegration
The origins of Zero Point Energy date back to 2018, according to a profile on the website of their label Danger Collective Records. That’s when Genesis Edenfield and Ben Jackson, two former members of now-defunct Atlanta indie rock band Warehouse, revived their musical partnership. Over four years, they gradually worked on material they had written separately. The result is their debut album Tilted Planet, which also features Jimmy Sullivan (bass) and Nick Corbo (drums). Here’s Disintegration credited to Edenfield, Jackson and Sullivan.
Worldcub/Grog
Worldcubare a British band from North Wales, who their website notes blend elements of surf guitar music with kraut-rock grooves and psychedelic-flavored harmony vocals. They were formed by Cynyr Hamer (guitar, vocals) and his brother Dion Hamer (drums, vocals) under the name CaStLeS. In November 2016, they self-released Fforesteering, their debut album as Worldcub. Off their latest album Back to the Beginning, here’s Grog. It’s different but it somehow drew me in!
Lightheaded/Bright Happy Girls
Lightheaded are a power pop band from New Jersey, featuring Sara Abdelbarry (lead guitar), Stephen Stec (guitar) and Cynthia Rittenbach (bass, vocals). Their Bandcamp page notes they draw from 60s Brill Building songwriters, later 60s folk/pop and 80s DIY pop. following their October 2023 debut EP Good Good Great, they are now out with their first full-length album Combustible Gems. Here’s Bright Happy Girls – it’s got a bit of a Bangles vibe.
Sid Simons/Dead Ringer
Sid Simons is a New York-based indie rock-oriented singer-songwriter. Initially, he used the now-defunct moniker Girl Skin to produce, release and perform his music, relying on rotating band line-ups. According to a web profile, Simons is influenced by early 2000s rock revival, The Libertines, David Bowie, Motown and Americana. This first album under his name, Shade Is On the Other Side, appeared in April 2020. From his second and latest album, Beneath the Brightest Smiles, here’s the great-sounding Dead Ringer.
The Avett Brothers/Forever Now
My last pick is by The Avett Brothers, a folk rock band I first encountered in July 2018 when they shared a bill with southern jam rockers Gov’t Mule. The band’s origins go back to the late 1990’s when Seth Avett’s high school band combined with his bother Scott Avett’s college rock outfit. Subsequently, Seth and Scott started The Avett Brothers as a side project, which resulted in the release of an EP, The Avett Bros., in 2000. The band’s first full-fledged studio album Country Was appeared in 2002. Fast-forward some 22 years to their self-titled 11th album. Here’s the beautiful and mellow Forever Now, co-written by Scott, Seth and Bob Crawford, who together with Joe Kwon completes the group’s current line-up.
Happy hump day and welcome to another installment of my midweek feature that takes a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. My pick today is what many folks call the best pop song ever recorded: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. While as a long-time fan of The Beatles my knee-jerk reaction is to question that label, thinking the four lads from Liverpool must at least have one song that’s better than God Only Knows, I have to admit The Beach Boys delivered a true gem that’s certainly more than worthy to explore in greater depth!
Co-written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, God Only Knows initially appeared on Pet Sounds, the 11th studio album by The Beach Boys, released in May 1966. While it is a remarkable record, I can’t resists to opine it’s not “the greatest rock album ever made”, and also have to say I never quite understood all the fuzz about it. Perhaps one of the best things Pet Sounds did is to influence an album that in my humble opinion is way superior: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band! 🙂
Since this isn’t a post about The Beatles, though they were a much better group than The Beach Boys (I know, I know…), we can work it out and get back to God Only Knows. The pop gem also appeared separately as the album’s third single in July 1966, interestingly as the B-side to Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Notably, the single barely made the top 40 in the U.S., peaking at no. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. In other countries, God Only Knows was the A-side, which I guess did the trick: No. 2 in the UK, no. 6 in Norway and no. 17 in Australia!
God Only Knows took an impressive production effort. Over the course of March and April 1966, Wilson gathered about 20 session musicians. Most were associated with The Wrecking Crew, a loose collective of L.A.-based top session cats who played on hundreds of top 40 hits in the ’60s and ’70s. To call out a few, Hal Blaine played drums and the sleigh bells, which give the song a bit of a Christmassy touch. Another quite noticeable instrument is the French horn, which was provided by Alan Robinson. A third key musical feature are the strings by The Sid Sharp Strings, creating a lush Phil Spector-type sound.
While the musical arrangement is notable, to me, the true outstanding aspect of God Only Knows are the mighty vocals. Personally, that’s how I feel about The Beach Boys overall, especially when looking at their surf music, which from a strictly musical perspective was pretty derivative. That said, I still love it – because of their incredible vocals! Going back to God Only Knows, the amazing lead vocals were sung by Carl Wilson, which some consider his finest performance. Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston provided the song’s beautiful harmony vocals. Here’s a mind-boggling October 2014 star-studded cover produced in connection with the launch of BBC Music.
God Only Knows is among the majority of songs on Pet SoundsBrian Wilson wrote with Tony Asher. BTW, in case you’re wondering, Tony Asher neither is related to actress Jane Asher, Paul McCartney’s former girlfriend, nor English musician, manager and record producer Peter Asher, Jane’s older brother. Tony Asher has expressed his thought that God Only Knows was his most effortless collaboration with Brian Wilson who acknowledged he had not written a song like it before and that Asher was a musical influence.
God Only Knows, rightfully, has received much recognition. To start with, none other than Paul McCartney has called it “the greatest song ever written.” I guess Macca forgot about a few Beatles songs! 🙂 Here are some other quotes noted by Songfacts: Pete Townshend: “‘God Only Knows’ is simple and elegant and as stunning as when it first appeared. It still sounds perfect.”Barry Gibb:“It blew the top of my head off. My first thought was, ‘Oh, dear, I’m wasting my time. How can I ever compete with that?'”Dave Bayley of Glass Animals: “That [song – CMM] just keeps taking on new meanings as you go through life. I often ask people if the world was going to end what three songs would you listen to. I change my three songs all the time, but ‘God Only Knows’ is on there most often.”
In 2004, God Only Knows was included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it at no. 11 in their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I know the Rock Hall and the publication’s lists continue to trigger passionate debate, but as along as I agree with them, I will shamelessly continue to reference them! 🙂
The song has also been covered by god only knows how many other artists. Some include Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John, Glen Campbell, David Bowie and even Time magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear one of these covers? You bet! Here’s English singer-songwriter and actress Joss Stone who included a beautiful rendition on her September 2044 album Mind Body & Soul.
Following are select additional tidbits from Songfacts:
Brian Wilson wrote “God Only Knows” with Tony Asher, an advertising copyrighter and lyricist Wilson worked with on songs for the Pet Sounds album. Asher came up with the title, but the song reflects Wilson’s interest in spirituality. It was a big departure from previous Beach Boys songs that dealt with girls, cars and surfing.
“It came from God through me,” Wilson told Steve Baltin in the book Anthems We Love. “I was 24 when I wrote ‘God Only Knows’ and the rest of Pet Sounds. All I know is I wrote what was in my heart. And the lyrics and the music just connect with people.”
“God Only Knows” is a pop music landmark and Beach Boys classic, but it went unheralded in the United States when it was released as a single in July 1966. It was first released as the B-side of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and then as an A-side, but with little promotion. Fear was that radio stations would refuse to play a song with “God” in the title.
In the liner notes to the reissued Pet Sounds album, Tony Asher explained, “I really thought it was going to be everything it was, and yet we were taking some real chances with it. First of all, the lyric opens by saying, ‘I may not always love you,’ which is a very unusual way to start a love song.”
In America, the song peaked at a lowly #39 in September 1966 and would only be truly appreciated much later. It did far better in the UK, where it went to #2 in August behind The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” That November, The Beach Boys played the song at some London concerts, which is where they first saw its impact.
Carl Wilson (Brian’s brother) handled lead vocals on this track. Not long after the song was released, he said, “At present our influences are of a religious nature. Not any specific religion but an idea based upon that of Universal Consciousness. The concept of spreading goodwill, good thoughts and happiness is nothing new. It is an idea which religious teachers and philosophers have been handing down for centuries, but it is also our hope. The spiritual concept of happiness and doing good to others is extremely important to the lyric of our songs, and the religious element of some of the better church music is also contained within some of our new work.”
Brian Wilson produced the song, but the only Beach Boy to play an instrument on the track is Carl Wilson, who added guitar. The group used session musicians at this time, and lots of them. Fortunately, the Los Angeles area where they recorded was home to some of the best.
These musicians aren’t credited on the album [deplorable! CMM], but a Beach Boys researcher named Craig Slowinski did the work of figuring out who they were, with some interesting discoveries, especially with the percussion. Hal Blaine played drums but also sleigh bells; another drummer, Jim Gordon, played “plastic orange cups.” There’s also harpsichord by Larry Knechtel, accordion by Carl Fortina and Frank Marocco, and flutes by Jim Horn and Bill Green.
Brian Wilson has cited both “The Sound Of Music” and the works of the composer Tchaikovsky as influences on the melody.
Brian Wilson planned to sing the lead vocal himself, but decided that his brother Carl was better suited for the track. “I was looking for a tenderness and a sweetness which I knew Carl had in himself as well as in his voice,” said Brian.
Asked by The Guardian which Beach Boys song took the least effort to write, Brian Wilson replied: “I wrote ‘God Only Knows’ in 45 minutes. Me and Tony Asher.”
In Al Kooper’s tell-all autobiography Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, Kooper talks about his evening visiting Brian Wilson only a week before Pet Sounds hit the streets: “Brian played a test-pressing of the record, jumping up and stopping cuts in the middle and starting them over to emphasize his points. He was very proud of his accomplishment, maybe even a little show-offish, but I wasn’t about to argue. Do you remember the first time you heard ‘God Only Knows’?”
Just in time before seeing off the year, I’d like to take a final look at new music. This post highlights my six favorite albums of 2023 I reviewed.
Highway 61 – Driving South
After 30 Years and an incredible background story including the global pandemic, a near-fatal cancer episode and the death of a music mentor, Los Angeles blues rock four-piece Highway 61 released their debut album Driving South on March 24. While after their formation in the early ’90s the band managed to establish themselves on the Southern California club circuit, the record deal they sought remained elusive, and they broke up in 1993. Fast forward to the summer of 2022 when they reconvened for the first time in decades at an L.A. studio to finally record their first album. Highway 61 blend flavors of The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty with dashes of The Black Crowes and Stevie Ray Vaughan. For a little taste, here’s the kickass opener Walk On Water (full album review). Thanks again to Gregg Bell of Wanted Management, who brought Highway 61 on my radar screen!
Ian Hunter – Defiance Part 1
Ian Hunter may be an octogenarian, but he sure as heck can show all the young dudes how to rock. After his departure as lead vocalist from British glam rockers Mott the Hoople in 1974, Hunter launched a solo career and has released his own albums at a fairly steady pace. He frequently collaborated with Mick Ronson until the untimely death of David Bowie’s former sideman in 1993 at the age of 46. His 15th and latest album Defiance Part 1, recorded during COVID lockdown and released on April 21, features the late Jeff Beck, Slash, Billy Gibbons, Todd Rundgren and Ringo Starr, among others, who all added contributions at their home studios. The album also includes Hunter’s longtime collaborator Andy York, one of John Mellencamp’s guitarist, who also served as co-producer. Here’s This Is What I’m Here For, written by Hunter and featuring the late Taylor Hawkins (formerly of Foo Fighters) on drums, Waddy Wachtel (guitar) and Def Leppard’sJoe Elliott (backing vocals) (full album review).
Lucinda Williams – Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart
Lucinda Williams may be among the ultimate rock & roll survivors. Only two and a half years ago, things looked pretty bleak for the singer-songwriter, who turned 70 in January. After her East Nashville home had been damaged by a tornado in March 2020, she suffered a debilitating stroke in November of the same year. Not only did the stroke limit Williams’ physical mobility, but it also took away her ability to play guitar, the instrument she had relied on to write her songs. None of this stopped Williams. After intense rehab, she returned to the stage. Still unable to play guitar, she adjusted her way to write music, collaborated with her husband and co-producer Tom Overby and others, and recorded the incredible album Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart, which dropped on June 30. I don’t mean to romanticize hardship, but I find Williams’ strength truly inspiring. Here’s the de facto title track Rock n Roll Heart, co-written by Williams, Overby and Travis Stephens, guitarist and Williams’ road manager. The song features Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa on backing vocals (full album review). Only select songs of the album are available on streaming services.
Cordovas – The Rose of Aces
East Nashville, Tenn.-based Americana and country rock band Cordovas have become one of my favorite contemporary groups since the summer of 2018 when I coincidentally caught them at a free open air summer concert in New Jersey. Their three-part harmony vocals and warm sound remind me of other groups like The Band, Grateful Dead, Eagles and Little Feat. Cordovas were formed in 2011 by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Firstman after he had put out a series of solo projects and served as bandleader on NBC’s former late-night TV show Last Call with Carson Daly from 2005 to 2009. On August 11, they released their fourth studio album The Rose of Aces, another gem. Here’s Love Is All It Takes, a song written by Firstman with a neat Allman Brothers Band vibe (full album review).
The Rolling Stones/Hackney Diamonds
Hackney Diamonds is no Sticky Fingers or Exile On Main St., but the first new Rolling Stones album with original music in 18 years still marks a late-stage career highlight. Released on October 20, Hackney Diamonds sounds remarkably fresh and dynamic for a band that has existed for 61 years! The first Stones album since the 2021 death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts features Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Bill Wyman, Paul McCartney and even Watts, among others. One of the most effective contributions are Lady Gaga’s backing vocals on Sweet Sounds of Heaven, a great soulful ballad credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It also includes Wonder on keyboards and piano, but you don’t notice unless you carefully listen to Jagger telling Wonder, ‘Play me something, Steve’, at around the 5:30-minute mark or check the credits – a relatively small wrinkle on what I think is the Stones’ best studio album since 1989’s Steel Wheels (full album review).
Raze Regal & White Denim Inc. – Raze Regal & White Denim Inc.
The collaboration between Raze Regal, who AllMusiccalls an eclectic, psych, jazz, and rock-influenced guitarist, and James Petralli, vocalist of Austin, Texas indie rock band White Denim who he co-founded in 2006, is one of my most intriguing new music discoveries this year. The album’s sophisticated sound blending jazz, rock, soul and pop at times reminds me of Steely Dan and some of Gino Vannelli’s work I’ve heard. Here’s the cool opener Ashley Goudeau, named after a local Austin morning news anchor, a song about a parasocial relationship with a TV personality (full album review).
After re-publishing my most recent December contribution to Turntable Talk yesterday, it occurred to me I never posted my submission for November’s installment of the great monthly participatory feature hosted by fellow blogger Dave from A Sound Day. The culprit was a temporary hiatus from blogging due to a family vacation in Europe, combined with bad memory – after my return, I simply forgot!
Before finally getting to it, I’d like to acknowledge yesterday’s 80th birthday of Keith Richards, which feels especially appropriate, given this is a post about The Rolling Stones! Richards joined the club of octogenarians after Mick Jagger did this past July. Who would have thought in the early ’70s when the Stones arguably hit their high The Glimmer Twins would still be rocking in their ’80s! ‘On with the show,’ as I’ve heard Keith say during Stones gigs.
# # #
I can’t believe Turntable Talk is hitting 20 – congrats on this milestone, Dave, and keeping this such a fun feature by continuing to come up with great topics. This time you asked, Do we still care about the Rolling Stones? I guess you won’t be surprised about my spontaneous answer: hell, yes!
Unlike The Beatles who have been my favorite band since my early teenage years back in Germany, my love for The Rolling Stones started a few years later and developed more gradually. If asked today whether to pick The Beatles or the Stones, I would still go with The Fab Four, though the Stones would be a close second. I also feel it’s difficult to directly compare the two groups since their styles ended up being very different.
How do you assess the relevance of a music artist objectively? The first thing I thought was their sales of music. I found this website, ChartMasters, which calculates total equivalent album sales (EAS) across all music formats. Using their methodology, The Rolling Stones have 244.55 million EAS. This puts them at no. 6, ahead of Pink Floyd (238.57 million) and behind Madonna (248.35 million) – certainly not a spot that would suggest irrelevance! The Beatles top the list with 423.9 million EAS – of course, they do!😊
Since the aforementioned sales volumes are cumulative, I figured they favor acts who started selling music a long time ago compared to those who are newer. Next, I thought that looking at top grossing concert tours should provide a more level playing field. Last year, The Rolling Stones came in at no. 6 on Billboard’s Top Tours 2022, grossing $179.35 million, behind Coldplay ($208 million) and ahead of Red Hot Chili Peppers ($177 million). Again, an impressive showing!
A third gauge I came up with to capture current relevance is followers on Spotify, something ChartMasterstracks as well. The top 3 are Ed Sheeran (114.9 million), Ariana Grande (94.26 million) and Arijit Singh (93.2 million). By comparison, the Stones and The Beatles have 13.4 million and 26.31 million followers, respectively. I think this outcome is a good illustration that assessing relevance very much depends on how you measure it.
The other day, I learned about Perplexity AI, an AI-powered search engine and chatbot. Putting my decidedly mixed feelings about AI aside, I was curious to see what kind of answer I would get to the question, Are The Rolling Stones still relevant? Here’s what I got (with references, which I removed):
The Rolling Stones are still relevant today, despite having been around for over 60 years. Here are some reasons why:
• Live shows: The Rolling Stones remain one of the most electrifying live acts in music, and their tours continue to draw large crowds and sell out stadiums. • Timeless music: The songs recorded by the Rolling Stones in the 60s continue to cast a lasting influence on popular culture, and their music is still enjoyed by both old and new generations of fans. •Adaptability: The Rolling Stones have managed to adapt and anticipate new musical trends while remaining true to their rock ‘n roll and blues roots. They have also continued to release new music, with their last album “Blue & Lonesome” being a return to their blues days. • Cultural legacy: The Rolling Stones are one of the most important bands in the history of music, and their impact on popular culture cannot be overstated. They have influenced countless musicians and continue to be studied and analyzed by scholars.
Overall, the Rolling Stones are still relevant today due to their continued success in live performances, their timeless music, their adaptability, and their cultural legacy.
This doesn’t look like a bad answer, especially if you consider it only took a couple seconds to obtain it. Obviously, Perplexity AI missed Hackney Diamonds, the new album by the Stones – one illustration AI-generated content isn’t entirely up to date. Not yet!
After all the above attempts to address the topic as objectively as possible, I came to the brilliant conclusion that all of the above matters relatively little. None of it changes the fact that The Rolling Stones remain relevant to me. Why? Because I love their music – it’s really as simple as that at the end of the day!
I’d like to leave you with five Stones songs I dig:
The Last Time (single, February 1965)
I always loved the guitar riff. While credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song is adapted from a traditional gospel song The Staples Singers released in 1954 as It May Be the Last Time. The Last Time became the Stones’ third no. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
She’s a Rainbow (single Nov 1967)
While it’s perhaps uncharacteristic for the Stones, I’ve liked She’s a Rainbow from the first time I heard it many moons ago. That great piano part was played by Nicky Hopkins. John Paul Jones, then still a session musician who would later join Led Zeppelin, provided the string arrangement. This was the second upfront single from Their Satanic Majesties Request, a studio album the Stones released in December 1967.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (single, May 1968)
This non-album single is another terrific riff-based song. The Stones recorded it during the Beggars Banquet sessions. While it certainly didn’t lack great songs, I’m still somewhat puzzled Jumpin’ Jack Flash didn’t make the album. I once read Richards still the kicks playing the song during live shows – can’t blame him!
Dead Flowers (Sticky Fingers, April 1971)
One of my all-time favorite songs by The Rolling Stones, off my favorite album Sticky Fingers. This song came together during a time when Richards’ friendship with Gram Parsons influenced his writing. I love the guitar lines he traded with Mick Taylor throughout the track. The solo in place of a third verse was performed by Taylor – perhaps the ultimate bar band song!
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It) (It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll, October 1974)
The title track from the Stones’ 74 studio album kind of sums up why I love the Stones: It’s only rock & roll, but I like it. Then-future Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood collaborated with Jagger on the song, though it’s only credited to Jagger and Richards, as usual. David Bowie sang backing vocals to Jagger’s lead. Also notable, bass and drums were provided by Willie Weeks and Kenny Jones, respectively, instead of Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.
If you haven’t checked out Hackney Diamonds, I can highly recommend it. This latest album by the Stones provides my evidence the greatest rock & roll band in the world remains very relevant, at least in my completely unbiased opinion!😊
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
As we’re now well into the final month of the year, the weeks seem to fly by even faster than it usually feels. Sunday is here once again, and whether it’s the morning, afternoon, evening or night in your neck of the woods, I hope you’re up to join me for some music time travel. I got the itinerary ready, so let’s start up the magical music time machine and go now!
The Quintet/Perdido
Our journey today starts in December 1953 with jazz by what in pop or rock you’d call a super-group: Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet); Charlie Parker (alto saxphone), who fellow blogger Music Enthusiastfeatured the other day; Bud Powell (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); and Max Roach (drums). While I visited all of these outstanding musicians during past Sunday Six excursions, this is the first time here we’ll get to hear all of them and the only occasion when they recorded together: a concert at Toronto’s storied Massey Hall on May 15, 1953, appropriately titled Jazz at Massey Hall. The show also marked the last recorded meeting of Parker and Gillespie. Except for Mingus’ mostly under-recorded basslines, which were subsequently overdubbed in a New York studio, everything we hear on the album is from the live performance. Here’s Perdido, a composition by Puerto Rican jazz trombonist Juan Tizol.
The Rembrandts/Just the Way It Is, Baby
How about some power pop? For this we shall set the controls of our music time machine to September 1990 and the eponymous debut album by The Rembrandts. I think it was my often-mentioned longtime German music buddy Gerd, who first brought the American duo of Phil Solem and Danny Wilde on my radar screen. At least in the U.S., they’re probably best known for co-writing and performing the main theme song of NBC sitcom Friends, I’ll Be There For You, which became a big hit in the mid-’90s. The Paul McCartney-esque Just the Way It Is, Baby was their first single, which also did pretty well.
Ian Hunter/Just Another Night
Time to kick up the dynamics a notch with a great rocker by Britain’s Ian Hunter who first came to prominence as a young dude with Mott the Hoople, serving as the English rock band’s lead vocalist from inception in 1969 until their break-up in 1974. Hunter subsequently launched a solo career that frequently saw him work together with David Bowie’s sideman and guitarist Mick Ronson. Not only did their collaboration include Hunter’s above album, You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic, but Ronson also co-wrote the neat opener Just Another Night. Hunter, now 84, is still active and came out with a nice new album in April 2023, which I covered here at the time.
Sheryl Crow/Weather Channel
Next, let’s hit the current century and travel to April 2002. That’s when Sheryl Crow, one of my favorite female American singer-songwriters, came out with her fourth studio album C’mon, C’mon. Even if you’re generally not familiar with Crow’s music, you’ve probably heard All I Wanna Do, off her 1994 debut album, which catapulted her to international stardom. Or her second-biggest hit after that song, Soak Up the Sun, which brings me back to C’mon, C’mon and my proposition from that album: the closer Weather Channel, a more obscure cut. Penned by Crow, the song features guest vocals by Emmylou Harris, another great artist in my book!
The Moody Blues/Go Now
On Tuesday, we lost another great music artist with Denny Laine who passed away at age 79 from a severe from of lung disease. Laine is best known as co-founder of The Moody Blues and Wings, Paul McCartney’s backing band from the early ’70s till the early ’80s. Since 1973, he also had a solo career and was still active as recently as earlier this year. Laine co-wrote Mull of Kintyre with Macca, a November 1977 non-album single that not only became Wings’ biggest hit in the UK but also one of the best-selling singles there of all time. While Laine did some writing for the Moodies, he didn’t pen my pick but sang lead on it: Go Now, a stunning rendition of a song first recorded by American R&B and soul singer Bessie Banks she released in January 1964. The Moody Blues included what became their first and only no. 1 in the UK on their July 1965 debut album The Magnificent Moodies. What a gem!
Chris Isaak/Wicked Game
We’re reaching our sixth stop, which means it’s time to wrap up today’s trip. This takes us to June 1989 and Heart Shaped World, the third studio album that became the breakthrough for American singer-songwriter and occasional actor Chris Isaak, fueled by Wicked Game. After the track got featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild At Heart, Isaak’s signature song also became his biggest hit. Kudos to another dear friend who reminded me about Wicked Game the other day: Mike Caputo, a professional songwriter, musician and leader of Good Stuff, a great tribute band to Steely Dan, who also play select songs by Sting, Stevie Wonder and Gino Vannelli (I previously covered him and the group here and here). I’ve always loved Wicked Game’s cool guitar sound.
Before wrapping up this post for good, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above songs. As always, I hope there’s something there that tickles your fancy and you’ll be back for more.
Happy hump day and welcome to another installment of my weekly feature, in which I’m taking a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. According to the best of my recollection, I first heard today’s pick on the radio in the late ’70s back in Germany. I liked it right away and to this day feel it’s one of the defining piano-driven ballads of this decade with a beautiful melody and great sound, even though it’s on the lush side: Year of the Cat by Al Stewart.
The Scottish singer-songwriter recorded Year of the Cat as the title track of his seventh studio album released in July 1976 in the UK, followed by the U.S. three months later. The song also appeared separately as the album’s first single in July 1976. Not only did it mark Stewart’s first charting single but it also became one of his biggest hits and is widely considered his signature song.
Credited to Stewart and pianist Peter Wood, Year of the Cat climbed to no. 8 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 3 on Canada’s Top Singles Chart. By contrast, its performance on the UK Singles Chart was more moderate with a peak position of no. 31. Elsewhere, the single reached no. 6 in The Netherlands, no. 9 in Belgium, no. 13 in Australia and no. 15 in New Zealand. Undoubtedly, it also helped propel the album to become Stewart’s most successful, with Platinum and Gold certifications in the U.S. and the UK and peak pop chart positions of no. 5 and no. 38, respectively. In Australia, it reached no. 10.
Year of the Cat is a narrative song, which Wikipedia nicely summarizes as follows: [The] protagonist, a tourist, is visiting an exotic market when a mysterious silk-clad woman appears and takes him away for a gauzy romantic adventure. On waking the next day beside her, the tourist notes that his tour bus has left without him, and decides to stay where he is for the time being. The lyrical references to the classic 1942 motion picture Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid and Peter Lorre weren’t coincidental: Stewart had watched the movie on TV, which triggered the opening lines, On a mornin’ from a Bogart movie/In a country where they turn back time/You go strollin’ through the crowed like Peter Lorre/Contemplating a crime…Here’s a nice live performance from a mid-’70s appearance on British music show The Old Grey Whistle Test.
One of the things I’ve always liked about Year of the Cat are the extended instrumental parts. If you haven’t done so, I would encourage you to listen to the song with headphones. Apart from the catchy piano part, which it appears was played by Stewart on the recording, I love the melodic bass action by George Ford who played with British groups Medicine Head and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, among others. Another standout is the saxophone work by Phil Kenzie, a British musician who has worked with the likes of The Beatles, Eagles, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks and David Bowie, to name a few.
There’s another intriguing Beatles connection to Year of the Cat. The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Alan Parsons, who had done sound engineering work on the Abbey Road and Let It Be albums. It was Parsons who had Kenzie add the alto sax part, which transformed what originally was a more folk-oriented song into a radio-friendly ballad with a jazzy vibe. During an episode of the North American radio program In the Studio with Redbeard, which was dedicated to the making of the album, Stewart said when Parsons reached out to Kenzie, he was watching a movie and not in the mood to do session work but agreed as a favor to Parsons. Apparently, Kenzie didn’t like his sax solos at first but eventually embraced them.
Al Stewart who turned 78 in September is still active and has a series of upcoming shows. The schedule is here. And in case you’re curious how Stewart sounds in 2023, check this out – not bad!
I’m leaving you with some additional comments from Stewart, captured by Songfacts:
When he played Royal Albert Hall on May 16, 2015, Stewart talked about this song:
“This one came about in a really strange way. Tim Renwick previously played in a band called The Sutherland Brothers, and they had a keyboard player called Peter Wood. I was touring in America in 1975 and Peter Wood continually, at every soundcheck I ever went to, he played this riff on the piano. After I heard it about 14 times I said, ‘You know, there’s something about that. It sounds kind of haunting and nice. Can I write some lyrics to it?” And he said: “Sure, go and write some lyrics.’
But that was the easy bit. The difficult bit was writing the lyrics. Eventually, I came up with a set of lyrics about an English comedian called Tony Hancock and the song was called ‘Foot of the Stage.’ He committed suicide in Australia and I saw him right before he went there and I knew there was something terribly wrong. And so, I wrote this song about him and the chorus was:
Your tears fell down like rain At the foot of the stage
The American record company said, ‘We’ve never heard of Tony Hancock. We don’t know who he is.’ So, then I thought, ‘Well, that’s annoying so I’ll take the piss out of them.’ So, I wrote a song about Princess Anne called “Horse of the Year”
Princess Anne rode off On the horse of the year
They didn’t like that either.
I was beginning to lose my mind because I had this piece of music forever and I couldn’t think of any words. I had a girlfriend at the time and she had a book on Vietnamese astrology, which was kind of obscure, and it was open at a chapter called ‘The Year Of The Cat.’ Now that’s, I think, the year of the rabbit in Chinese astrology. I’m not too sure. I don’t know a whole lot about a whole lot of things but I recognize a song title when I see one and that was a song title.
But then another problem: what do you do? ‘The Year Of The Cat.’ OK, well:
I used to have a ginger Tabby And now I have a ginger Tom The first one made me crabby The new one…
I thought, ‘You can’t write about cats, it’s ridiculous.’ And I was absolutely lost and then the Casablanca movie came on television and I thought, ‘I’ll grab Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre and see where it goes.’
Somehow or other, in between all of that and Vietnamese astrology, we came up with this. Thank you, Peter Wood, for writing the music. He’s no longer with us but thank you, Peter.”
Stevie Ray Vaughan first entered my radar screen in 1986 shortly after I had joined a blues group as a bassist, marking the beginning of my short but intense three-year period as an active band musician. To get up to speed with our setlist, I was given a music cassette, which among others included Vaughan’s amazing rendition of Tin Pan Alley, off his second studio album Couldn’t Stand the Weather. The moment I heard his guitar sound, I fell in love with it. In this post, which is part of an irregular feature called My Playlist, I’d like to celebrate the music by who I think is one of the best blues guitarists of all time.
Vaughan’s web bio characterizes his guitar-playing as follows: With his astonishingly accomplished guitar playing, Stevie Ray Vaughan ignited the blues revival of the ’80s. Vaughan drew equally from bluesmen like Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Albert Collins and rock & roll players like Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack, as well as jazz guitarists like Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery, developing a uniquely eclectic and fiery style that sounded like no other guitarist, regardless of genre. I feel they hit the nail right on the head!
Before getting to some music, I’d like to provide a bit of additional background on this extraordinary artist who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Vaughan picked up the guitar as a seven-year-old, initially inspired by his three-and-a-half-year-older brother Jimmie Vaughan. Five years later, he started playing in garage bands, followed by semi-professional groups. By the age of 17, Vaughan dropped out of high school to focus on music. In 1971, he formed his first own blues band, Blackbird.
Stevie Ray Vaughan with his older brother Jimmie Vaughan
Fast-forward to 1979 when Vaughan played in Triple Threat Revue, a band he had formed two years earlier. After the group’s vocalist Lou Ann Barton left, they became Double Trouble, named after an Otis Rush song. In addition to Vaughan, the initial line-up featured Jack Newhouse (bass) and Chris Layton (drums). In 1981, Newton was replaced by Tommy Shannon, putting in place the core line-up of the group that would back Vaughan for the rest of his short life.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble became regulars and gained popularity on the Texas club circuit in the early ’80s. In 1982, they played the Montreux Jazz Festival and came to the attention of David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Impressed with Vaughan’s guitar chops, Bowie offered him to play on his upcoming album Let’s Dance. Vaughan ended up contributing lead guitar for six of the tracks on what became Bowie’s commercially most successful album.
Stevie Ray Vaughan with Chris Layton (l) and Tommy Shannon (r) of Double Trouble in 1983
Meanwhile, Browne offered the fierce trio three free days at his Los Angeles studio, which they used to record a demo over the Thanksgiving weekend in November 1982. That tape found its way to record producer John Hammond who had worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. He secured a contract for the band with Epic Records. The demo recordings were subsequently remixed and mastered in New York City and released in June 1983 as their debut Texas Flood.
Texas Flood was the first of five albums that were recorded and appeared during Vaughan’s lifetime. A sixth, The Sky Is Crying, was released in November 1991, three months after Vaughan and four others had been killed in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wis. following a gig. He was only 35 years old, a loss I think was comparable to Hendrix. Time for some music!
Let’s kick it off with Pride and Joy from the aforementioned Texas Flood, which Chris Layton noted Vaughan wrote for a new girlfriend he had at the time. Apparently, the same woman also inspired another song on the same album titled I’m Cryin’. As you can guess, the inspiration for that song was less cheerful, namely a fight between Vaughan and her. Pride and Joy has an infectious shuffle that makes you want to move!
Obviously, I can’t skip Tin Pan Alley, a great slow blues composed by Bob Geddins, a San Francisco Bay area blues and R&B artist and record producer. This song, off Couldn’t Stand the Weather, is a great illustration of Vaughan’s incredible sound. Check out his amazing tone, which still gives me chills!
Vaughan also composed some great instrumentals, including this one called Say What! The tune appeared on Soul to Soul, his third album with Double Trouble, which came out in September 1985. By the time of the recording, the band had grown into a four-piece and now also included Reese Wynans on keyboards.
The House Is Rockin’ – the title says it all! This is pure rock & roll that reminds me a bit of Chuck Berry. Stevie Ray Vaughan wrote this gem together with Austin blues musician Doyle Bramhall who as a high school student had played in a band with Jimmie Vaughan. It was included on June 1989’s In Step, the fourth and final studio album with Double Trouble, which appeared during Vaughan’s lifetime. Wikipedia notes that the album title can be viewed as an acknowledgment of Vaughan’s successful rehab from years of drug an alcohol addiction.
In 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan made an album with Jimmie Vaughan titled Family Affair. Released as The Vaughan Brothers in September of the same year, it was the only album Stevie recorded with his brother. It also was his last studio release prior to his fatal helicopter crash. Here’s the closer Brothers, which the two guitarists penned together.
The last track I’d like to call out is another great instrumental, which is on The Sky Is Crying, the above-mention post-mortem album. This compilation of songs Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble recorded throughout their career was released in November 1991. Here’s their cool rendition of Jimi Hendrix’sLittle Wing, which originally appeared in December 1967 on the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s sophomore album Axis: Bold as Love. I think Jimi would have been proud of it!
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s impact on reviving blues and blues rock among mainstream audiences cannot be underestimated and perhaps is his biggest legacy. He also influenced many other guitarists like John Mayer, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Pearl Jam’sMike McCready, Albert Cummings and Chris Duarte.
Vaughan, who has sold over 15 million albums in the U.S. alone, is ranked at no. 20 in Rolling Stone’sjust released eclectic 2023 list of The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time – probably too low, but these lists are highly subjective. Vaughan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, along with Double Trouble bandmates Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon and Reese Wynans. The Blues Hall of Fame was a bit faster in getting their act together, inducting him in 2000.
I’d like to leave you with a career-spanning Spotify playlist, which includes the above and 14 other tracks. Hope you dig Stevie Ray Vaughan as much as I do!
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
Hope everyone is spending a nice weekend. For those of us living in the U.S.A., it may be a long one with Indigenous Peoples’ Day coming up on Monday. Regardless of your geographic location, I hope you’ll join me on other imaginary journey with the magical music time machine. All aboard!
Andreas Vollenweider/Belladonna
Our first stop today is the tiny town of Thalwil, Switzerland, the birth place of Swiss electroacoustic harpist Andreas Vollenweider. In an October 1984 concert preview, The New York Times characterized his music as “swirling atmospheric …, which evokes nature, magic and fairy tales.” His work is generally categorized as new age. Whatever you call it, I enjoy the music I’ve heard. Belladonna is a composition from Vollenweider’s second studio album Caverna Magica. Check the neat transformation from a slow mellow tune into a more up-tempo Latin style track with backing vocals by Swiss singer-songwriter Corin Curschellas. It ain’t jazz, but I think it’s just as worthy to kick off a Sunday Six!
Buddy Holly/Everyday
While the ’50s are a frequent destination on these weekly excursions, for the most part the stops are jazz-related. Today, I propose an alternative that takes us to February 1958 and Buddy Holly’s eponymous album. Like on November 1957’s The “Chirping” Crickets, the Texan singer-songwriter and ’50s rock & roll pioneer was backed by his band The Crickets. But if I recall it correctly, for label contractual reasons, his self-titled album couldn’t officially appear under the name of The Crickets. Here’s the beautiful Everyday, penned by Holly and co-producer Norman Petty. I was pleased to see it’s Holly’s most streamed song on Spotify with 100.2 million streams, though had you asked me, I would have guessed it was Peggy Sue, which is second at 62.3 million streams. Not only did both of these gems appear on the same album, but they also were released on the same single, with Everyday being the B-side.
Diamond Dogs/Wring It Out
If you happened to read my weekly new music post from last Saturday, the name Diamonds Dogs may ring a bell. And nope, I’m not talking about the David Bowie song, though I dig that one as well. While Diamond Dogs were formed in the late ’90s, you could be forgiven if you thought the Swedish rock band were a ’70s act. I’ll give you Wring It Out, off their brand new album About the Hardest Nut to Crack, which came out on September 29. This is smoking hot rock & roll, baby, which you could easily picture on a Faces album!
John Hiatt/Your Love Is My Rest
If you’ve followed my blog for some time or are aware of my music taste otherwise, you know how much I’ve come to dig John Hiatt. While his songs have been covered by the likes of Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez and Delbert McClinton, to name a few, and some of these covers became hits, mainstream chart success largely escaped Hiatt. Your Love Is My Rest is from Hiatt’s October 1995 studio album Walk On. It peaked at no. 48 on the Billboard 200, making it one of his highest charting albums on the U.S. pop chart. Hiatt has done much better on Billboard’sIndependent Albums, where since 2000 all of his charting albums reached the top 20.
Ultimate Spinach/Jazz Thing
Today’s trip may skip a jazz stop, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t visit a song with a jazzy groove, which its title acknowledges. Ultimate Spinach were a short-lived American psychedelic rock band from Boston, Mass. That said, during their two-year run from 1967-1969, three albums appeared under their name, though by the time production of their final studio release Ultimate Spinach III began, technically, the group had already broken up. If all of this feels to you like a listening tip from my longtime German music friend Gerd, you’re spot on! Here’s that Jazz Thing, a cool track off the group’s sophomore release Behold & See, which came out in August 1968. Like all other songs on the album, it was written by the band’s lead vocalist Ian Bruce-Douglas who also played multiple instruments.
Uriah Heep/Bird of Prey
And once again it’s time for our final stop. I hope you’re still with me and, if yes, I won’t lose you with this pick. Coz let’s face it, English rock band Uriah Heep can sound slightly weird and certainly aren’t for everybody. I still remember when in ca. 1980 I got their second album Salisbury on vinyl, my six-year-older sister who accompanied me to the record store felt embarrassed! Yes, David Byron’s falsetto vocals could reach astronomic highs, but it didn’t take long for me not only to tolerate but even like them outright! Nuff talk, let’s kick some ass with Salisbury’s opener Bird of Prey. Credited to Byron and his bandmates Mick Box (lead guitar), Ken Hensley (keyboards and multiple other instruments, backing vocals) and Paul Newton (bass, backing vocals), the song initially appeared in December 1970 as the B-side to Uriah Heep’s European debut single Gypsy. It also was included on the U.S. version of their debut album …Very ‘Eavy …Very ‘Umble, which came out in August 1970. The band re-recorded Bird of Prey for Salisbury, released in January 1971. Perhaps that’s more than you wanted to know, so let’s just play the bloody song!
Ghosh, that was weird but dang it, Bird of Prey rocks! 🙂
Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above goodies. See ya later, aligator!
Sources: Wikipedia; The New York Times; YouTube; Spotify
Part one of two about albums John Lennon and Paul McCartney had planned but never released
Until recently, I had no idea that John Lennon and Paul McCartney each recorded an entire album only to abandon their projects. That changed last week when my longtime German music buddy told me he was listening to a “lost” Paul McCartney album on YouTube. The following day, he said the same thing about a previously unreleased John Lennon album. I thought, ‘What the heck going on here, where do all these albums suddenly come from?’
My friend’s back-to-back discoveries prompted me to conduct some research. It didn’t take long to get to the bottom of the mystery. The result is a two-part series, with each installment focusing on one album. I’m doing this in chronological order starting with Lennon and Between the Lines, an album he intended to release in 1976. My main source for this mini-series is The Beatles Bible, which recently posted background videos on YouTube about the making of the albums and imagined reconstructions of each.
In 1975, Lennon gave an interview to the British TV music program Old Grey Whistle Test, in which he said was planning a new album and TV special. At the time, John explained he got three-quarters of the new album “on paper” and now needed to do some “half-arranging” before heading to the studio. The TV show was supposed to revolve around the music of the album.
In her book Loving John, May Pang with whom Lennon had a relationship that had been “authorized” by Yoko Ono, recalled John had planned to work on a new LP after they had paid a visit to Paul McCartney in New Orleans who was recording his Wings album Venus and Mars in the Big Easy. Pang also mentioned two songs Lennon had penned for the album: Tennessee and Popcorn.
A 2007 book by John Blaney titled Lennon & McCartney: Together and Alone included an interview with Apple Records vice president Tony King, during which King said Lennon’s new album was going to be titled Between the Lines. King also confirmed that Puerto Rican guitarist and arranger Carlos Alomar, who had worked with Lennon on the song Fame for David Bowie, would hire a group of Black musicians for the album.
One of the other tunes Lennon had written for Between the Lines was Nobody Told Me, which eventually would be released in January 1984 on the posthumous album Milk and Honey. I’m leaving out some of the details of the background story. You can watch the entire corresponding Beatles Bible clip on YouTubehere.
So what stopped the album? The Beatles Bible doesn’t give a definitive answer, but I think they rightfully conclude it’s quite plausible Yoko’s pregnancy with Sean and subsequent birth changed John’s recording priorities. Following is how The Beatles Bible imagines Between the Lines would have sounded like, based on all the pieces of the above puzzle. In other words, while there is obvious evidence Lennon had planned the album, I understand neither the tracklist nor the order of the songs is confirmed.
So here it is, Between the Lines, as imagined by The Beatles Bible. It’s one clip, but they skillfully included partitions (they call them chapters), so you in case you’d like to sample each song, you can do so easily.
Here’s the track list with the time stamps:
0:00 Here We Go Again 4:46 Nobody Told Me 8:20 Sally and Billy 11:44 Mucho Mungo 15:13 Rock and Roll People 19:28 Move Over Ms. L 22:03 I’m The Greatest 24:39 Tennessee
The above tunes can also be heard on other posthumous albums, compilations and bootlegs. Here are clips of some of the individual songs. The mellow Here We Go Again and the great rock & roll tune Rock and Roll People appeared in November 1986 on the posthumous Lennon compilation Menlove Ave.
Nobody Told Me, one of my favorite posthumous John Lennon songs, was included on Milk and Honey, as previously noted. Originally, John gave the tune to Ringo Starr in 1980 for his studio album, then titled Can’t Fight Lightning. But things got delayed when Ringo’s label Portrait Records withdrew support. By the time he signed with RCA subsidiary Boardwalk, Lennon had been shot, and Starr was too grief-stricken to record the tune. His album finally came out in October 1981 under a new title, Stop and Smell the Roses.
Move Over Ms. L, a soulful rock & roll song, initially was intended for Lennon’s fifth studio album Walls and Bridges, which appeared in September 1974. Instead, it was first released as the B-side of his March 1975 single Stand By Me, a tune off Lennon’s February 1975 covers album Rock ‘n’ Roll.
I’m the Greatest was another song Lennon wrote for Ringo Starr. In this case, his former bandmate ended up recording it as the opener for his 1973 album Ringo.
The last song for which I’d like to feature a clip is Tennessee, which appeared on a 1997 bootleg titled The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes – Volume 1 & 2.
For Sally and Billy, The Beatles Bible relied on a cover by Estefy Lennon (born Estefania Figueroa), a John Lennon tribute artist from Argentina. I found a demo version by Lennon, which appeared on The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes – Volume 5 & 6, evidently another installment of the above bootleg.
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
Welcome to the first Sunday Six of this summer, which officially started on Wednesday. It was also the longest day and shortest night in the Northern Hemisphere. I hope you’re up for another trip to visit some great music of the past and the present. The magical music time machine is ready to take off, so grab a seat and fasten your seatbelt while I set the controls for our first stop. And off we go!
Miles Davis/I Fall In Love Too Easily
Today, we start our journey in July 1963 and Seven Steps to Heaven, a studio album by Miles Davis. During his five-decade career, the trumpeter, bandleader and composer was at the forefront of many major stylistic developments in jazz, making him one of the most influential and acclaimed music artists of the 20th century. On Seven Steps to Heaven, Davis worked with Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums), who became his regular sidemen for the next five years. I Fall In Love Too Easily, composed in 1944 by English-American songwriter Jule Styne, featured Davis, George Coleman (tenor saxophone), Victor Feldman (piano), Carter and Frank Butler (drums).
Dirty Honey/Heartbreaker 2.0
Our next stop takes us back to the present and a cool classic rock-oriented band I first came across in April 2021. Dirty Honey, founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, have a sound reminiscent of groups like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes. Heartbreaker 2.0, their most recent single released in January this year, is an updated version of Heartbreaker, a tune that first appeared on their eponymous debut EP, which came out in March 2019. This song nicely rocks and I look forward to more music by these guys!
Bo Diddley/Who Do You Love?
The beauty of the magical music time machine is it can take us to any year of any decade in an instant. So, how about the ’50s? Sure! Let’s go to 1956 and the man who became famous for playing rectangular electric guitars and a seductive signature beat: Bo Diddley, who played was instrumental in the transition from the blues to rock & roll, and influenced many artists, such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, The Animals and George Thorogood. Here’s Diddley’s classic Who Do You Love? written by him and first released as a single in 1956. Featuring his signature Bo Diddley Beat, the tune was also included on his eponymous debut album, which came out in 1958.
David Bowie/Life On Mars?
Since I saw a great David Bowie tribute band on Tuesday, the English singer-songwriter and actor has been on my mind. I’m particularly drawn to Bowie’s early phase. This particular pick leads us to December 1971, which saw the release of his 4th studio album Hunky Dory. Bowie was clearly intrigued with space exploration, as evidenced by tunes like Space Oddity, Starman and Life On Mars?Hunky Dory introduced Bowie’s new core backing band of Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Mick Woodmansey (drums), who would soon become The Spiders from Mars. The piano part on Life On Mars? was played by Rick Wakeman, then a session musician and soon-to-be member of Yes.
Third Eye Blind/Semi-Charmed Life
Next, let’s pay a visit to the ’90s with a catchy tune I well remember hearing on the radio: Semi-Charmed Life by alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. The tune first appeared in February 1997 as the lead single of their eponymous debut album, which was released in April of the same year. Solely credited to frontman Stephan Jenkins (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Semi-Charmed Life became their most successful single. Third Eye Blind were formed in San Francisco in 1993 and are still around, with Jenkins remaining as the only original member.
Scorpions/Rock You Like a Hurricane
Once again, the time has come to wrap up another musical excursion. For our final stop, let’s go out with a bang by German pop metal rockers Scorpions and Rock You Like a Hurricane. The tune was included on their ninth studio album Love At First Sting, which solidified the band’s international popularity and became their biggest seller. Scorpions were formed in Hanover in 1965 by Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) who remains with the group to this day, as are two members who were part of the line-up that recorded the album: Klaus Meine (lead vocals) and Matthias Jabs (lead guitar, backing vocals). Scorpions are currently touring in Europe. I still love that guitar riff and Meine is a killer vocalist. And don’t you love his German accent? 🙂
This post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist of the above-featured tracks. Hope there’s something you dig and that you’ll join me again next Sunday for another trip!
Christian's Music Musings 