The Sunday Six

It’s Sunday, which means the time has come again for going on another excursion to celebrate the beauty of music in different shapes from different decades, six tunes at a time. This latest installment of The Sunday Six touches the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and the present, and includes jazz fusion, British invasion, Motown soul, alt. country and rock. Ready? Let’s do it!

Wayne Shorter/Beauty and the Beast

Kicking us off today is some beautiful saxophone-driven jazz fusion by Wayne Shorter, a co-founding member of Weather Report, which I featured in a recent Sunday Six installment. By the time he cofounded the jazz fusion band, Shorter already had enjoyed a 10-year-plus career that included playing with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet. In addition to being a sideman, Shorter started his recording career as a bandleader in 1959 with Introducing Wayne Shorter – the first of more than 20 additional albums he has made in that role. One of these albums, his 15th, appeared in January 1975: Native Dancer, a collaboration with Brazilian jazz musician Milton Nascimento. Here’s a track from that record titled Beauty and the Beast. Composed by Shorter, the instrumental combines saxophone with some funky elements – very cool!

The Dave Clack Five/Glad All Over

Let’s jump back to November 1963 and a song by The Dave Clark Five I’ve loved from the very first time I heard it on the radio back in Germany during my early teenage years: Glad All Over. Co-written by DC5 drummer Dave Clark who also was the band’s producer, and lead vocalist and keyboarder Mike Smith, the tune first appeared as a single in the UK, followed by the U.S. in December of the same year. It also was the title track of the DC5’s U.S. debut album that appeared in March 1964. In January 1964, Glad All Over became the band’s first massive hit in the UK, knocking The Beatles’ I Want to Hold Your Hand off the no. 1 spot on the singles chart. In the U.S., the tune climbed to no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is a hell of a catchy song with a driving drum beat and great vocals – frankly worthy of displacing a Beatles song, and I say this as a huge fan of the Fab Four.

Martha and the Vandellas/Dancing in the Street

I guess Glad All Over has put me in some sort of a party mood, so let’s throw in another great party song: Dancing in the Street by Motown vocal group Martha and the Vandellas, which were formed in Detroit in 1957. Co-written by Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter, the tune first appeared in July 1964 and became the group’s highest charting single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 2. Dancing in the Street, one of Motown’s signature songs, also did well in the UK where it reached no. 4 on the singles chart. Subsequently, the song was included on the group’s third studio album Dance Party from April 1965. Martha and the Vandellas disbanded in December 1972. After leaving Motown, Martha Reeves started a solo career but wasn’t able to replicate the success she had enjoyed with the group during the ’60s. Reeves who in July turned 80 apparently is still active.

The J. Geils Band/Looking for a Love

Well, now that I mentioned the word ‘party,’ let’s keep it going by turning to a group that has been called rock & roll’s ultimate party band: The J. Geils Band. The group, which was formed in 1967 in Worcester, Mass., originally included J. Geils (lead guitar), Peter Wolf (lead vocals, percussion), Danny Klein (bass), Stephen Jo Bladd (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Magic Dick (harmonica, saxophone, trumpet) and Seth Justman (keyboards, backing vocals). That line-up lasted for a remarkable 15 years until Wolf’s departure in 1983. After the rest of the group called it quits in 1985, The J. Geils Band had various reunion appearances and tours with different formations until 2015. Following his departure from the band, Wolf launched a solo career, released various albums and remains pretty active as a touring artist to this day. Here’s a great track off the band’s sophomore album The Morning After from October 1972: Looking for a Love, a cover of a song co-written by J.W. Alexander and Zelda Samuels, and first released by The Valentinos in March 1962. The J. Geils Band also put this tune out as a single in November 1971. It climbed to no. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving them their first charting song in the U.S. It would take 10 more years before they scored a no. 1 with the more commercial Centerfold.

The Jayhawks/Five Cups of Coffee

I first covered The Jayhawks in August 2020 when I included a tune from their then-new album XOXO in a Best of What’s New post. I quickly came to dig this American alt. country and country rock band, and have since featured two of their other songs in previous Sunday Six installments this February and July. Initially formed in Minneapolis in 1985, The Jayhawks originally featured Mark Olson (acoustic guitar, vocals), Gary Louris (electric guitar, vocals), Marc Perlman (bass) and Norm Rogers  (drums). By the time their sophomore album Blue Earth appeared in 1989, Thad Spencer had replaced Rogers on drums. After five additional albums and further line-up changes, The Jayhawks went on hiatus in 2004, before reemerging with a new formation in 2019. Louris and Pearlman are the only remaining original members. Five Cups of Coffee is a great tune from the above mentioned Blue Earth album. It was co-written by Olson and Louris. The band’s great guitar sound and beautiful harmony singing are right up my alley!

Dirty Honey/Gypsy

For the sixth and final tune this week, let’s step on the gas with a great rocker by Dirty Honey. I first became aware of this rock band from Los Angeles in April this year when they released their self-titled first full-length album. At the time, I included one of the tracks in a Best of What’s New installment. Apple Music has compared Dirty Honey’s sound to the likes of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes. The band’s members include Marc Labelle (vocals), John Notto (guitar), Justin Smolian (bass) and Corey Coverstone (drums). I was drawn to Dirty Honey right away and covered them again in a Sunday Six post in May. Here’s yet another track from the above mentioned album: Gypsy. Labelle’s vocals very much remind me of Steven Tyler. Great to hear a young band other than Greta Van Fleet embrace a classic rock-oriented sound!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

What I’ve Been Listening to: Uriah Heep/Uriah Heep Live

Uriah Heep can be an acquired taste, especially their sometimes very high vocals. Interestingly, I pretty much dug the British rock band from the get-go. It all started with the power ballad Lady in Black, which became a pretty big hit in Germany and was on the radio all the time. Because of that tune, I bought Salisbury, their sophomore album from February 1971. And then I got Uriah Heep Live, the band’s first live album that appeared in February 1973. It definitely sounds very ’70s, but I still find it pretty enjoyable.

Uriah Heep were founded in London in late 1969. Their initial line-up featured Mick Box (guitars, backing vocals), Ken Hensley (keyboards, synthesizers, guitars, vocals), David Byron (lead vocals), Paul Newton (bass, backing vocals) and Alex Napier (drums). The band, which remains active to this day with Box being the only original member, has seen numerous changes over the decades. At the time Uriah Heep Live was recorded at Town Hall in Birmingham, England on January 26, 1973, Newton and Napier had been replaced by Gary Thain and Lee Kerslake on bass and drums, respectively.

Let’s kick things off with what Byron called a party song, a rock & roller boogie: Sweet Lorraine. Co-written by Box, Byron and Thain, the tune first appeared on Uriah Heep’s fifth studio album The Magician’s Birthday released in November 1972. I believe that somewhat crazy-sounding keyboard is a Moog synthesizer played by Hensley; hey, it’s the ’70s, baby! 🙂

Here’s another nice upbeat rocker: Easy Livin’, a track from Demons and Wizards, which was the band’s fourth studio album from May 1972. This tune was penned by Hensley.

July Morning from Look at Yourself, Uriah Heep’s third studio record that came out in September 1971, definitely blends into prog rock. The 10-minute-plus opus was co-written by Box and Bryon.

Next up is Gypsy, a co-write by Box and Byron from Uriah Heep’s debut album …Very ‘Eavy …Very ‘Umble. In the U.K., it was released in June 1970. The U.S. version, which had a slightly different tracklist, appeared in August that year. And in this case, there’s no doubt about the Moog, since Byron noted it during the song’s announcement. While he referred to it as a “Moog simplifier,” it was actually the so-called Minimoog, a highly popular synthesizer in the ’70s. Okay, I guess I’m getting a bit carried away here, so on to the song! 🙂

Let’s do one more tune: Look at Yourself, which apparently was the official set’s closer. The title track from Uriah Heep’s above mentioned third studio record was written by Hensley.

Altogether, Uriah Heep have released 24 studio albums, 20 live albums, 41 compilations, 33 singles and 17 videos to date. I had to count them all! Just kidding – that’s according to Wikipedia. For the most part, I’ve only listened to the band’s first five studio records and this live album.

It looks like Uriah Heep’s most recent album, Living the Dream from September 2018, charted in several European countries, including the U.K. (no. 57), Germany (no. 10), Austria (no. 18), Switzerland (no. 5), Norway (no. 28) and Finland (no. 28). While I haven’t listened to it, that’s pretty remarkable for a band that has been around for more than 50 years!

Their website currently lists various gigs across Europe starting in July – seems a bit optimistic to me! In early April, they also announced a series of shows in Russia that have been rescheduled to April 2021. That may be more realistic!

Sources: Wikipedia; Uriah Heep website; YouTube

Pix & Clips: Fleetwood Mac Debuts New Line-Up On U.S. Daytime TV Talk Show

The above clip of Fleetwood Mac performing The Chain was captured earlier today during their appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, featuring the new line-up for the first time. The band also performed Gypsy, which like The Chain first appeared on their most successful studio album Rumours released in February 1977.

Following Lindsey Buckingham’s exit in April, guitarist Mike Campbell, formerly with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and singer-songwriter Neil Finn, best known for fronting Australia’s Crowded House, were named to replace him.

Undoubtedly, fans will be divided over the new line-up. I think it’s probably wrong in the first place to compare the new members with Buckingham, who is near-impossible to replace, given his distinct vocals and guitar style. My first take is Campbell and Finn are doing a fairly decent job under the circumstances.

Having said this, I saw Fleetwood Mac live in 2013, a few months prior to the announcement of Christine McVie’s return. It was a great show, but I think once was enough for me. There are simply too many other artists I would like to see! Plus, I’m going to a nice music festival at the end of the month, which includes an excellent Fleetwood Mac tribute band called TUSK, so that should take care of any withdrawal symptoms! 🙂

As for Buckingham, the circumstances of his dismissal from the band sounded unfortunate, based on media reports I’ve read. Perhaps he can find some consolation that it took two talented musicians to replace him.

Sources: Wikipedia, Ultimate Classic Rock, YouTube