Earlier this month, I proclaimed this year I would give more attention to music history. And while I still don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, I thought what the heck and decided to take another dive into the past and see what comes up, this time for January 30!
1958:Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley entered the UK Singles Chart at no. 1, the first single ever to debut in the top spot. Presley also holds the distinction of being the solo artist with the most no. 1 songs on that chart, 21 times, including three re-releases of songs that previously had reached the top spot. And, yep, that’s more than The Beatles, the band with the most no. 1 singles in the UK, though there’s a tie when you exclude Presley’s three aforementioned re-released songs. Jailhouse Rock was co-written by the songwriting and production power house of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
1961:The Shirelles reached the top of the U.S. charts with Will You Love Me Tomorrow, aka. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?. Not only did the song become the first no. 1 for an African American girl group on the Billboard Hot 100, but it also marked the first big hit for the songwriting duo of Carole King and Gerry Goffin.The Shirelles would return to the top of the U.S. pop chart one more time, in 1962, with Soldier Boy. Ten years after The Shirelles had scored their first no. 1, King would record her own rendition of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? for her iconic Tapestry album.
1969:The Beatles performed their last public gig, an impromptu concert on the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters in London. Joined by their friend Billy Preston on keyboards, they performed nine takes of five new songs as people gathered in the streets and on rooftops close by to watch and listen: Get Back (three takes), Don’t Let Me Down (two takes), I’ve Got a Feeling (two takes), One After 909 and Dig a Pony. They also played a snippet of God Save the Queen. After about 40 minutes, police ascended the roof, and the concert came to an end shortly thereafter. Fortunately, the historic performance was captured on film. Beatles fans got to see footage in the 1970 documentary Let It Be and Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back. And, yes, they passed the audition!
1971:Neil Young played The Needle and the Damage Done during a concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall. At first sight, it may seem a bit arbitrary to call out a song Young frequently performed at the time, except that this particular take was recorded and ended up on his fourth album Harvest. Released in February 1972, it became Young’s best-selling album and also was the best-selling album of 1972 in the U.S. The Needle and the Damage Done was inspired by musicians addicted to heroin, who Young knew, including his former backing guitarist Danny Whitten who passed away in late 1972.
1988: Australian rockers INXS hit no. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 with Need You Tonight. Co-written by the band’s guitarist Andrew Ferris and vocalist Michael Hutchence, the funky song first appeared on their sixth and most successful studio album Kick, released in October 1987. While INXS scored four other top 10 singles on the U.S. pop chart, Need You Tonight was their only no. 1. The song also enjoyed significant chart success elsewhere, including the UK and Canada (each no. 2) and New Zealand and Australia (each no. 3), among others.
Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts Music History Calendar; YouTube
Neil Young continues his remarkable late-stage career activity with a new release. Before and After, his 45th studio album that dropped on December 8, comes only four months after Chrome Dreams, another “lost album” he initially had planned to release in 1977. While both are compilations, Before and After is “unlike any other other album he has released to date,” according to a statement.
One thing that’s a first for Young is that all of the 13 tracks are connected, resulting in a continues 48-minute flow of music, “a music montage with no beginnings or endings,” in his words. Another feature that looks unique is the collection’s breadth, ranging from Buffalo Springfield’s eponymous debut album released in December 1966 to Barn, Young’s December 2021 album with Crazy Horse, which I reviewed here at the time.
The above statement characterizes Before and After as “a totally eclectic collection of mostly obscure songs”, favorites Young picked “from his playbook like a trip into his music history.” The album was conceived by him and co-producer Lou Adler who has worked with the likes of Jan & Dean, The Mamas & The Papas and Carole King. Adler produced her iconic Tapestry album. Mixing was done by Young and Niko Bolas. Apart from various other Young albums, Bolas has worked with Warren Zevon, Steve Perry, Melissa Etheridge and KISS. This review by The Guardian and a few others I saw noted the album captures live performances from Young’s most recent solo tour without audience noise.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the songs on this collection. To do this, I thought it would be fun to present Young’s latest renditions followed by the initially released versions of the songs. I’d like to start with I’m The Ocean, which first appeared on Mirror Ball, Young’s 21st studio album from August 1995, which featured members of Pearl Jam. Compared to the grungy original, the stripped back take on Before and After makes it one of the biggest sonically different versions on this collection.
Here’s Burned, the oldest song on Before and After from the aforementioned self-titled debut album by Buffalo Springfield. Burned also appeared separately as the album’s second single in November 1966. Unlike their first single Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing and For What It’s Worth, which became the album’s hit, Burned missed the charts altogether.
If You Got Love is previously unreleased, the only such song on Before and After. It’s also one of three songs featuring Young on pump organ, giving it a somewhat churchy sound I find intriguing. Like on various other tracks, Young also plays harmonica. Initially, If You Got Love was supposed to be included on his January 1983 studio album Trans but was dropped at the last minute. Wikipedia notes Young felt the song was “too wimpy,” referencing an October 1983 interview with nationally syndicated U.S. radio program Rockline.
One of the non-obscure tracks on the album is Mr. Soul. It’s another rendition that sounds very different from the original. Mr. Soul was the opener of Buffalo Springfield’s sophomore album Buffalo Springfield Again, which came out in October 1967. It took a few spins to sink in but now I find Young’s new version captivating. There’s just something about this pump organ!
The last track I’d like to call out is the closer Don’t Forget Love. It’s the newest song on the collection, which first appeared in December 2021 on the above-mentioned Barn album. Unlike Mr. Soul and I’m the Ocean, both versions are relatively similar.
“The feeling is captured, not in pieces, but as a whole piece — designed to be listened to that way,” said Young in summing up the album. “This music presentation defies shuffling, digital organization, separation. Only for listening. That says it all.”
The credits reveal that in addition to vocals, Young played almost all instruments on the album, including guitar, harmonica, piano and pump organ. Bob Rice, who according to his online bio is a Los Angeles-based producer, guitarist, sound designer, engineer and teacher, handled vibraphone and piano on two of the tracks. Notably, the credits also list singer and Wilco guitarist Jeff Tweedy as one of two backline and guitar technicians.
I generally like what Young has done here. As you would expect from a 78-year-old artist, his vocals show some signs of aging, but they still remain compelling. That said, I agree with what I read in various reviews that Before and After doesn’t represent “essential Neil Young.” As such, it’s mostly an album for his longtime fans. Since I consider myself to be part of that group, it’s not a major drawback to me.
Before and After appears on Warner Music Group’s label Reprise Records. It’s available in various formats, including vinyl LP; clear vinyl LP (limited edition); Blu-Ray disc featuring Atmos mix, Binaural mix and Hi-Res 96/24 stereo; as well as compact disc.
Sources: Wikipedia; The Guardian; Warner Records; Bob Rice online bio; YouTube
Backed by high-caliber All-Star Band, Singer-Songwriter shared stories and beloved tunes
When I saw a few months ago that James Taylor is touring, the decision to look for a ticket didn’t take long. One of my biggest regrets is having missed his 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour with Carole King. While King would have been the bigger draw, I’ve always liked Taylor and had never seen him. Finally, last Saturday evening, it was showtime, at the TD Pallivion of The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pa. Taylor and his amazing band did not disappoint!
Not only have I admired Taylor for many years as a great acoustic guitarist but also as a singer-songwriter with a distinct smooth baritone that instantly puts me at ease – even if he sings about a less-than-cheerful topic like in Fire and Rain, a song I absolutely love.
TD Pavillion. According to The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, James Taylor is the artist who has most often performed at the Mann since the venue was built in 1976 as the summer home for the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Taylor, who in March turned 75, has enjoyed an impressive 55-year-plus run. Among others, this includes more than 100 million albums sold, multiple Grammy Awards, as well as inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Taylor’s current tour is billed as An Evening with James Taylor & His All-Star Band – makes me wonder whether that band name may have come with a little inspiration from a friend! Speaking of with a little help from his friends, in 1968, Taylor became the first non-British act signed to Apple Records, which of course is the label founded by The Beatles that same year. It all happened after Paul McCartney and George Harrison listened to a demo tape Taylor had given to Peter Asher.
James Taylor’s All-Star Band (left to right, starting with upper row: Kate Markowitz (vocals), Dorian Holley (vocals), Henry Taylor (vocals, guitar), Andrea Zonn (vocals, fiddle), Larry Goldings (piano), Walt Fowler (keyboards, horns), Lou Marini (horns), Michael Landau (guitar), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Michito Sanchez (percussion) and Steve Gadd (drums)
Coming back to Taylor’s All-Star Band, the name wasn’t hyperbole, as his website reveals. The first musician who jumped out was legendary drummer Steve Gadd. The other members are certainly no slouches either: Michael Landau (guitar), Larry Goldings (piano), Walt Fowler (keyboards, horns), Lou Marini (horns), Michito Sanchez (percussion), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Andrea Zonn (vocals, fiddle), as well as vocalists Kate Markowitz, Dorian Holley and Taylor’s son Henry Taylor (also guitar). This is one killer band!
In addition to performing many beloved songs, Taylor also proved to be an engaging storyteller with a great sense of self-deprecating humor. After the first tune of the evening, Something In the Way She Moves, which was mostly delivered in the form of a video montage, Taylor recalled the above beginning of his recording career, jokingly adding, “George liked the song so much that he wrote it as his own song.” Beatles fans know it was a reference to Harrison’s Something, which starts with the words, Something in the way she moves.
Sometimes, Taylor’s anecdotes behind his songs felt a bit like standup comedy, especially the story about Mona, a pig he once owned as a pet. It certainly was hilarious and also involved some acting when Taylor pulled out a large handkerchief to bemoan the accidental death of Mona, who had grown from a little piggie into a 290-pound specimen. That said, he probably could have shortened it a little! 🙂
With 20 studio albums released to date, Taylor had plenty of material to choose from and he did. For his original songs, he mostly drew from his 1968 eponymous debut album and his ’70s catalog, including Sweet Baby James (1970), Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971), Gorilla (1975), In the Pocket (1976) and JT (1977). He also briefly acknowledged the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s with picks from That’s Why I’m Here (1985), New Moonshine (1991) and October Road (2002). Taylor rounded out the evening with four covers. Time for some music!
Let’s kick things off with Copperline, a tune from Taylor’s 13th studio album New Moon Shine, which came out in September 1991. He announced it as a song about his home state of North Carolina, adding, “but it’s probably not the one you’re thinking of.” He proceeded by holding up big signs of his two setlists, cheerfully pointing to the song that may have been in the minds of many folks in the audience.
Sweet Baby James is the title track of Taylor’s sophomore and breakthrough album released in February 1970. Like its predecessor and the next three albums, it was produced by Peter Asher. Unlike his debut, it appeared on Warner Bros, Taylor’s new label until the mid-’70s. Sweet Baby James is about the son of Taylor’s older brother Alex, who named the child after him.
And then it was time for some smoldering blues, a genre Taylor isn’t commonly associated with. But he actually wrote a blues tune for the Sweet Baby James album. Taylor felt there were too many pretentious white blues bands, so he decided to mock them with Steamroller Blues. This may be a parody tune and at times Taylor clearly treated it as such, but watch his band turn up the heat in this one, especially Lou Marini on trumpet, Walt Fowler on the mighty Hammond and Michael Landau on lead guitar.
After a 20-minute intermission, which Taylor insisted they really didn’t need since they would just stand right behind the stage and count down the time, it was on to the second set. As a huge Carole King fan, it’s a no-brainer I must cover You’ve Got a Friend, off Tapestry, her timeless gem from February 1971. Taylor recalled how King and he played the song together for the first time at The Troubador in Los Angeles before it had come out. He added it blew him away and he decided then and there to record it himself. And that he did and put on his third studio album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, which came out two months after Tapestry.
Next up is a tune I sadly missed capturing, but fortunately Kelly K did, at Taylor’s May 31 gig at Santa Barbara Bowl – thanks, Kelly! To me, Raised Up Family, a tune Taylor included on his 15th studio album October Road, released in August 2002, was a musical highlight of the second set and in fact the entire evening. It nicely showcases the chops of Taylor’s backing vocalist and his amazing band.
Another must-cover is my all-time favorite song by James Taylor: Fire and Rain, off Sweet Baby James. This tune still gives me chills every time I hear it. Do I need to say more? I don’t think so!
Yet another highlight, especially from a vocal perspective, was Shower the People, the opening track of In the Pocket. Taylor’s seventh studio album was the first relying on a producer other than Peter Asher, in this case, Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker, and his last before signing with Columbia. The performance showcased the impressive vocal chops of Dorian Holley.
And then it was time for the encore, which included three tunes. I decided to leave you with the last, You Can Close Your Eyes, another tune from Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. This performance featured Taylor and his son, Henry Taylor, both on vocals and guitar.
Following is the entire line-up of the songs Taylor performed in Philadelphia. Based on Setlist.fm, it has stayed unchanged up to this point in his tour.
Set 1 • Something in the Way She Moves • Rainy Day Man • Copperline • Everybody Has the Blues • Mona • Some Days You Gotta Dance (The Chicks cover) • Sweet Baby James • Country Road • Steamroller Blues • Mexico • Up On the Roof (Carole King cover)
Set 2 • Secret o’ Life • You Make It Easy • You’ve Got a Friend (Carole King cover) • Carolina in My Mind • Raised Up Family • Fire and Rain • Shower the People • Your Smiling Face
Encore • Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran cover) • Shed a Little Light • You Can Close Your Eyes
As I think you can see from the clips, the audience clearly loved James Taylor. So did I and I’m glad I finally got to see him! This wasn’t my first visit to the Mann, a great open-air venue where I previously sawBonnie Raitt with opening act Lucinda Williams, as well as John Mellencamp with Emmylou Harris and Carlene Carter (see here). Despite some logistical challenges with parking and getting into the venue, which I had not encountered in the past, it likely wasn’t my last visit.
Evidently, Taylor enjoys the Mann as well. In fact, last Saturday marked his 21st concert there. According to the Mann, this makes him the artist who has most often performed at the venue since it was opened in 1976 as the summer home for Philadelphia’s symphony orchestra.
If you like Taylor and can make it to one of his shows during the remainder of the tour, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Some of the gigs for which tickets still appear to be available include Huntsville, Ala. (Aug 22); Cincinnati, Ohio (Aug 24); Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Aug 26); Bridgeport, Conn. (Aug 29); and Boston, Mass. ( Aug 31 and Sep 1). The two immediately upcoming shows in Lenox, Mass. (Jul 3 & 4) are sold out. Taylor is currently scheduled to be on the road until Sep 10. The full schedule is here.
Sources: Wikipedia; James Taylor website; Setlist.fm; YouTube
It’s Wednesday, which means time to take a closer look at another tune I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. My pick for today is Hello It’s Me by Todd Rundgren. I was reminded of this song when my friend Mike Caputo recommended the first album of the Nazz to me.
Hello It’s Me is the first song Rundgren ever wrote, in 1967 when he was 19 years old. The best-known version of the tune was included on his third solo album Something/Anything?, which came out in February 1972. It also became the double LP’s third single in December 1972. The studio banter gives the recording a spontaneous live feel. Notably, Rundgren played all instruments and sang all vocals on the first three sides of this sprawling album.
Hello It’s Me is among the tunes on the fourth side of the album, which included other musicians – in this case Mark Klingman (organ), who would become a member of Utopia, another band Rundgren formed in 1973, and prominent saxophonist Michael Brecker, among others. The song became Rundgren’s biggest hit, climbing to no. 5 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. Elsewhere, it reached no. 17 in Canada and no. 68 in Australia.
Fueled by this tune and another single, I Saw the Light, Something/Anything? also ended up as Rundgren’s most successful solo album. In the U.S., it climbed to no. 29 on the Billboard 200 and reached Gold certification (500,000 unit sales). In Canada, the album became his first to enter the charts there, peaking at no. 34.
Rundgren first recorded Hello It’s Me as a slow ballad with Nazz, a short-lived rock band he founded together with bassist Carson Van Osten in Philadelphia in 1967. Thom Mooney (drums) and Robert “Stewkey” Antoni (vocals, keyboards) joined soon thereafter. Hello It’s Me appeared as the B-side of the group’s first single Open My Eyes in July 1968 and was included on their eponymous debut album that followed in October 1968.
The song’s initial version made it to no. 66 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached no. 41 in Canada. The album peaked at a meager no. 118 on the Billboard 200. During the recording of the band’s sophomore album Nazz Nazz tensions emerged, which led to the breakup of the band prior to the album’s release in May 1969.
Rundgren subsequently launched a solo career. Since his September 1970 debut he has released 25 additional solo albums to date, mostly recently Space Force in October 2022. His discography with Utopia includes 10 studio, four live and four compilation albums, recorded between 1974 and 1985. Rundgren has also done lots of production work for a broad range of bands and solo artists, such as Badfinger, New York Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, Meatloaf and XTC.
Following are additional tidbits about Hello It’s Me from Songfacts:
Rundgren wrote this song, which takes us through a phone call where the singer breaks up with a girl. It’s a remarkably realistic account, devoid of sweeping metaphors typically found in breakup songs. We hear the one side of the phone call, which starts with the familiar greeting, indicating they’ve been together a while. Then they have “the talk,” where he hashes out why they can’t be together and lets her know that she should have her freedom. All he can ask in the end is that she think of him every now and then.
Remarkably, it was the first song Rundgren ever wrote. In his teens, Todd was an avid listener to music but it was only when he put The Nazz together at the age of 19 that the young musician realized he’d better start penning some material. He attributes the sophistication and success of this song to the vast amount of listening he’d done by the time he wrote it.
A specific musical inspiration was the Dionne Warwick song “Walk On By,” written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. ” I hadn’t thought much about the songwriter’s role previous to listening to that record and realizing how different it was, how it had all the qualities of music that I admired, and yet it also was a song,” Rundgren said in his 2018 Songfacts interview. “That was the first time I really started to, in my own head, deconstruct what a songwriter was doing. That song had a lot of influence in ‘Hello It’s Me.'”…
…This song, and many others Rundgren wrote at the time, was inspired by a high school relationship that didn’t work out. He graduated in 1966, wrote the song about a year later, and recorded the original Nazz version in 1968, so that relationship was still fresh in his mind. He realized, however, that he didn’t want to keep revisiting this heartbreak, so he made a conscious effort to avoid that theme in his post-Something/Anything? output. “There’s more than just relationships to write about,” he said when speaking at Red Bull Music Academy. “There’s your whole inner life to draw on.”
In real life, Rundgren was the one getting dumped, but he flipped the story so he was breaking up with the girl. Speaking with Marc Myers in 2018, Rundgren explained that the girl was named Linda, and she was his high school girlfriend. He had long hair, and one day when he walked her home, Linda’s dad saw him for the first time and turned the hose on him – no hippie kid was going to date his daughter. A few days later, Linda acceded to her father’s wishes and broke up with him. She did it rather casually, which Todd didn’t appreciate.
Rundgren wrote the lyric thinking about how he would have liked Linda to break up with him: in a sensitive phone call where she tells him it’s important that he’s free.
Many years later, Rundgren was in Tulsa for a concert (this was likely March 31, 2003) when Linda called his hotel asking for tickets to the show. He put her on the guestlist, but never told her she inspired his most famous song. “Our lives had gone in different directions,” he said. “We had nothing to say. I also wanted to hold on to the image I have of her in high school.”
According to Rundgren, the chord progression for “Hello It’s Me” were lifted directly from the intro of jazz organist Jimmy Smith’s rendition of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.”
Rundgren expected the album opener “I Saw The Light,” which was the first single from Something/Anything?, to be his big hit, even going as far as to say so in the liner notes rather tongue-in-cheek. However, his re-recording of “Hello It’s Me” eclipsed it on the charts – “I Saw The Light” stalled at #16. Both songs displayed his newfound admiration (and subsequent imitation) of Carole King following her Tapestry album.
“Hello It’s Me” was a very slow-moving hit; the Something/Anything? album was released in February 1972, and it only became a hit when radio stations started playing it over a year later and the song was subsequently released as a single. It didn’t hit the Top 40 until November 1973, and by then, Rundgren’s psychedelic album A Wizard, a True Star had been out for eight months. That album was a completely different sound, and Rundgren was in a completely different mindset. The record company didn’t put any singles out from Wizard for fear of alienating Rundgren’s fans, and Todd had a hard time performing the sudden hit that was now five years old. One of his more bizarre moments came when he performed the song on The Midnight Special wearing what looked like something from David Bowie’s closet. Rundgren’s girlfriend Bebe Buell called it his “Man-Eating Peacock outfit.”…
…The 1968 version of this song by The Nazz was originally relegated to the B-side of another single, “Open My Eyes.” Ron Robin told Songfacts how the single got flipped. Says Ron: “How ‘Hello It’s Me’ by Nazz became a ‘sort of’ hit nationally was quite an accident. I was the music director/DJ at WMEX in Boston when a record promoter came by to tell me about this new group… Nazz. He was promoting ‘Open My Eyes,’ a terrific hard driving rocker. I loved it. At home I accidentally played the flip side of the record and heard ‘Hello It’s Me.’ It blew me away. I just had to add it to our playlist at the station. After a few weeks it made it to our top 5. We were the only station in the country playing it! Several months later other stations across the country started playing it. Several years later Todd records it in his new style without Nazz and of course without Nazz lead singer Stewkey.”…
…In our 2015 interview with Todd Rundgren, he called this “a selfish song.” Said Rundgren, “It’s me, me, me – it’s all about me. I’m in charge, and all this other stuff.”
For this reason, Rundgren didn’t play it when he toured with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, as it didn’t fit in with the other songs in the show. Instead, Rundgren played a song he recorded with his band Utopia that was a hit for England Dan & John Ford Coley: “Love Is The Answer.”
Rundgren recorded a dark, Bossa Nova version of this song on his 1997 compilation album With A Twist. Speaking about the song in Mojo, he explained: “‘Hello It’s Me’ has become the albatross to me: everyone has attached to me the idea of the amateur singer, the amateur piano player, the funk-free boy doing his little song. But I just can’t go there anymore, I can’t even think there anymore.”…
…The 1972 single opens with three distinct notes on the bass, a part Stu Woods came up with in the studio. The album version features a few false starts due to the confusion over which musicians were supposed to play first. “When we were in the studio, a lot of people had a hard time hearing where they were supposed to come in,” Rundgren recalled to Mix magazine in 2019. “The only person who was supposed to come in on four was the bass, and everyone else was supposed to come in on one, but everyone kept coming in on four. So if you listen to the album version, you can hear all these false starts.”
Rundgren didn’t have any concrete ideas for the new arrangement and came up with it on the fly in the studio. “I hadn’t written out the arrangements,” he explained. “I had something stewing in my head and said, ‘Here are the changes to the song,’ then taught them the changes, found the feel I liked. If somebody played something I didn’t like, I’d say, ‘No, don’t play that, change it to something else.’ I wanted it to be less dirge-y than the original and have a little more energy to it. Music had evolved a little, so I wanted something that sounded a bit more contemporary, as opposed to the original stripped-down band.”
This post first appeared last week on A Sound Day, a great blog by Dave as part of his fun Turntable Talkfeature, where he invites contributions from other bloggers on a topic he proposes. His latest ask, which he playfully titled ‘Feels Like the First Time,’ was to write about the first album we ever bought. In this republished version of the post, I altered the feature image and added one of the embedded images. I also adjusted the formatting of the post to fit the style of this blog.
Thanks, Dave, for inviting me back for another Turntable Talk contribution. Your recurring feature truly is a gift that keeps on giving. I particularly enjoy reading the posts from fellow bloggers and the insights I gain in both their music tastes and personalities. And since I love writing about music, of course, it’s also fun sharing my own two cents.
This time, Dave asked us to reflect on the first album we bought, whether on vinyl, CD or in other formats. Jeez, I oftentimes can’t recall what I did the previous day, so remembering what I did some 45-plus years ago seems to be impossible. So, I decided to take some liberty with the topic.
While I really can’t remember the first record I bought with my own money, which to be clear would be my monthly allowance or any German Marks I received as a gift for my birthday or Christmas, I’m fairly certain three records were among the very first I owned and still do to this day!
Two of them are pictured below.
I believe The Beatles compilation I bought with my “own” money. The greatest hits sampler by The Everly Brothers, on the other hand, was a gift.
Obviously, I could have picked The Beatles, my all-time favorite band. But I’ve written multiple times about them, including once for Turntable Talk. That’s the main reason I picked the following record. Plus, given Elvis Presley was my first and only childhood idol before I discovered the four lads from Liverpool, there’s a high probability I owned Elvis’s 40 Greatest prior to getting the Beatles compilation.
Before I get to the record, let me tell you a little bit about my obsession with Elvis as a kid back in Germany. While my six-year-older sister introduced me to some of the greatest music ever recorded, such as Carole King’sTapestry, Pink Floyd’sWish You Were Here and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’sDéjà Vu, the “King of Rock and Roll” was my own discovery.
I must have “met” the man for the first time on the radio. We’re talking about 1976 or 1977, when I was 10 or 11 years old. I can’t recall specifically what it was that grabbed my attention in ways no other music had done before then. Mind you, I didn’t understand or speak any English, so I was reacting to Elvis’ amazing voice, as well as the cool groove and incredible energy projected by tunes like Tutti Frutti and Jailhouse Rock.
I became truly infatuated with Elvis and wanted to know everything about him. Obviously, there was no Internet back then, so I couldn’t simply ask Mr. Google or check Wikipedia! I do recall reading a bio published in paperback but sadly don’t remember the author or the title. Mr. Google didn’t help either, but since that bio included Elvis’ death in August 1977, obviously, it must have appeared thereafter – I assume sometime in 1978.
I also watched Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite on German TV. Given the original broadcast aired in 1973, it must have been a re-run, likely in the wake of Elvis’s passing. I also recall watching the Western Flaming Star (1960). Elvis starred in many movies, most of which were forgettable. I would say Flaming Star and Jailhouse Rock (1957) were among the best ones.
Dance scene from 1957 motion picture Jailhouse Rock, directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Vaughn Taylor and Jennifer Holden
My obsession with Elvis culminated in attempts to impersonate the King in front of the mirror. I would even put grease in my hair. Once I also “costumed” as Elvis during the so-called Karneval season, which is prominent in the Rhineland, the area where I grew up, especially in the cities of Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Aachen and Mainz. Costuming, dancing, parades, drinking and happiness (or is it really forced silliness?) are part of the celebration, which reaches its climax in the week leading up to Ash Wednesday when ‘everything is over,’ as the Karneval fans say.
Once I started picking up the guitar as a 12- or 13-year-old, incorporating the instrument became part of my Elvis impersonation package. One of the first Elvis tunes I learned was (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear. My poor parents really had a lot to endure!
Okay, I think you get the picture. I idolized Elvis, of course in an innocent childish way.
Time to finally get to some music and the aforementioned compilation, which according to Discogs was released in 1978. I know I got it as a present for Christmas, and we’re likely talking about the holiday that same year.
As also noted above, I still own that copy. While a bit worn it’s still playable. To prove it, I’ll leave with clips of four tunes I captured myself, one from each side of the double LP.
Side 1, Track 7: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear (1957) – of course, I couldn’t skip that one!
Side 2, Track 2: Hard Headed Woman (1958) – this song just rocks; love the cool guitar solo by the great Scotty Moore!
Side 3, Track 10: Can’t Help Falling In Love (1961) – call it schmaltz, but that tune is a true beauty, which literally has brought me to tears!
Side 4, Track 8: Suspicious Minds (1969) – one of my all-time favorites I couldn’t skip!
While since those days back in the second half of the ‘70s I’ve become a bit more mature (I think!) and no longer idolize Elvis, or anyone else for that matter, I still enjoy much of his music. I also think Elvis was an incredible performer, especially in the ‘50s before joining the U.S. Army in March 1958 for his military service.
Time for another installment of this infrequent feature, in which I republish select content that first appeared in the earlier stage of the blog when I had fewer followers. The following post about my favorite saxophone players originally appeared in November 2017. I’ve slightly edited it and also added a Spotify playlist at the end.
In Appreciation Of The Saxophonist
A list of some of my favorite saxophone players and solos
Music instruments have always fascinated me. I also have a deep appreciation for musicians who master their gear. Oftentimes, I wish I would have learned more than just the guitar and the bass. For regular readers of the blog or those who know me otherwise, none of this should come as a big surprise. I’ve written a bunch of posts on some of the gear I admire, from guitars like the Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul and Rickenbacker 360/12, to keyboards like the Hammond B3, as well as some of my favorite drummers and bassists. One of the coolest instruments I haven’t touched yet is the saxophone.
Let me address the big caveat to this post right away: Since I know next to nothing about jazz, I’m focusing on genres that are in my wheelhouse: rock, blues and pop. While many of the saxophonists I highlight come from the jazz world, it’s still safe to assume I’m missing some outstanding players. On the other hand, where would I even start, if I broadened the scope to jazz? With that being out of the way, following is a list of some of favorite saxophonists and sax solos.
Update: Since subsequently I’ve started to explore the jazz world, mostly in my Sunday Six feature, I’m going to add some tracks in the Spotify playlist featuring some additional outstanding jazz saxophonists.
Raphael Ravenscroft
I imagine just like most readers, I had never heard of this British saxophonist until I realized he was associated with a ’70s pop song featuring one of the most epic sax solos: Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty. The breathtaking performance put Ravenscroft on the map. He went on to work with other top artists like Marvin Gaye (In Our Lifetime, 1981), Robert Plant (Pictures At Eleven, 1982) and Pink Floyd (The Final Cut, 1983). Ravenscroft died from a suspected heart attack in October 2014 at the age of 60. According to a BBC News story, he didn’t think highly of the solo that made him famous, saying, “I’m irritated because it’s out of tune…Yeah it’s flat. By enough of a degree that it irritates me at best.” The same article also noted that Ravenscroft “was reportedly paid only £27 for the session with a cheque that bounced while the song is said to have earned Rafferty £80,000 a year in royalties.” Wow!
Wayne Shorter
The American jazz saxophonist and composer, who started his career in the late ’50s, played in Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet in the 1960s and co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report in 1971. Shorter has recorded over 20 albums as a bandleader and played as a sideman on countless other jazz records. He also contributed to artists outside the jazz realm, including Joni Mitchell, Don Henley and Steely Dan. For the latter, he performed a beautiful extended tenor sax solo for Aja, the title track of their 1977 gem.
Clarence Clemons
The American saxophonist, musician and actor was best known for his longtime association with Bruce Springsteen. From 1972 to his death in June 2011 at age 69, Clemons was a member of the E Street Band, where he played the tenor saxophone. He also released several solo albums and played with other artists, including Aretha Franklin, Twisted Sister, Grateful Dead and Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band. But it was undoubtedly the E Street Band where he left his biggest mark, providing great sax parts for Springsteen gems like Thunder Road, The Promised Land and The Ties That Bind. One of my favorite Clemons moments is his solo on Bobby Jean from the Born In The U.S.A. album. What could capture “The Big Man” better than a live performance? This clip is from a 1985 concert in Paris, France.
Curtis Amy
The American West Coast jazz musician was primarily known for his work as a tenor and soprano saxophonist. Among others, Amy served as the musical director of Ray Charles’ orchestra for three years in the mid-60s. He also led his own bands and recorded under his own name. Outside the jazz arena, he worked as a session musician for artists like The Doors (Touch Me, The Soft Parade, 1969), Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Carole King (Tapestry, 1971). One of the tunes on King’s masterpiece is the ballad Way Over Yonder, which features one of the most beautiful sax solos in pop I know of.
Dick Parry
The English saxophonist, who started his professional career in 1964, has worked as a session musician with many artists. A friend of David Gilmour, Parry is best known for his work with Pink Floyd, appearing on their albums The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), The Division Bell (1994) and Pulse (1995). He also worked with Procol Harum guitarist Mick Grabham (Mick The Lad, 1972), John Entwistle (Mad Dog, 1975) and Rory Gallagher (Jinx, 1982), among others. One of Parry’s signature sax solos for Pink Floyd appeared on Money. Here’s a great clip recorded during the band’s 1994 Division Bell tour.
Ronnie Ross
Albert Ronald “Ronnie” Ross was a British jazz baritone saxophonist. He started his professional career in the 1950s with the tenor saxophone, playing with jazz musicians Tony Kinsey, Ted Heath and Don Rendell. It was during his tenure with the latter that he switched to the baritone sax. Outside his jazz engagements during the 60s, Ross gave saxophone lessons to a young dude called David Bowie and played tenor sax on Savoy Truffle, a track from The Beatles’White Album. In the 70s, his most memorable non-jazz appearance was his baritone sax solo at the end of the Lou Reed song Walk On The Wild Side. I actually always thought the solo on that tune from Reed’s 1972 record Transformer was played by Bowie. Instead, he co-produced the track and album with Mick Ronson. According to Wikipedia, Bowie also played acoustic guitar on the recording.
Walter Parazaider
The American saxophonist was a founding member of Chicago and played with the band for 51 years until earlier this year (2017) when he officially retired due to a heart condition. In addition to the saxophone, Parazider also mastered the flute, clarinet, piccolo and oboe. Here is a clip of Saturday In The Park and 25 Or 6 To 4 from Chicago’s great 2016 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction performance, which features Parazaider on saxophone.
Alto Reed
Thomas Neal Cartmell, known as Alto Reed, is an American saxophonist who was a member of The Silver Bullet Band since it was founded by Bob Seger in the mid-70s. He toured with Seger and the band for 40-plus years, starting with Live Bullet in 1976. Reed has also performed with many other bands and musicians like Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, Little Feat, The Blues Brothers and George Thorogood. Among his signature performances for Seger are the saxophone solo in Old Time Rock And Roll and the introduction to Turn the Page. Here’s a great live clip of Turn the Page from 2014.
Junior Walker
Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr., known by his stage name Junior Walker or Jr. Walker, was an American singer and saxophonist whose 40-year career started in the mid-1950s with his own band called the Jumping Jacks. In 1964, Jr. Walker & The All Stars were signed by Motown. They became one of the company’s signature acts, scoring hits with songs like Shotgun, (I’m a) Roadrunner, Shake And Fingerpop and remakes of Motown tunes Come See About Me and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You). While Walker continued to record with the band and solo during the ’70s and into the early ’80s, one of his most memorable performances resulted from his guest performance on Foreigner’s 1981 album 4. His saxophone solo on Urgent is one of the most blistering in pop rock. Walker died from cancer in November 1995 at the age of 64.
Bobby Keys
No list of saxophonists who have played with rock and blues artists would be complete without Bobby Keys. From the mid-1950s until his death in December 2014, this American saxophonist appeared on hundreds of recordings as a member of horn sections and was a touring musician. He worked with some of the biggest names, such as The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Harrison, John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker. Some of these artists’ songs that featured Keys include Don’t Ask Me No Questions (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Second Helping, 1974), Whatever Gets You Thru The Night (John Lennon, Walls And Bridges, 1974) and Slunky (Eric Clapton, Eric Clapton, 1970). But he is best remembered for his sax part on Brown Sugar from the Stones’ 1971 studio album Sticky Fingers.
– End –
The original post, which was published on November 11, 2017, ended here. Here’s the previously mentioned Spotify list featuring all of the above and some additional saxophone greats.
Eighth annual 10-hour festival on Jersey shore to feature top notch tribute music for great cause
On September 24, the annual music festival Rock the Farm returns to Seaside Heights, N.J. Since my first attendance five years ago, I’ve loved the idea behind the 10-hour spectacle to combine top-notch tribute acts with a great cause. And with the dreadful COVID-19 pandemic now being well into its third year, that cause has taken on a new urgency: supporting individuals and families struggling to overcome addiction.
Drug overdose-related deaths in the U.S. have soared by 28.5% to an estimated 100,306 during the 12 months ended in April 2021, according to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in November 2021. That’s up from 78,056 for the corresponding period a year earlier. The latest CDC insights also show that estimated overdose deaths from opioids totaled 75,673 for the latest 12-month period, a 35% increase from 56,064 the year before. Imagining all the empty seats these lost lives have left at kitchen tables around the country paints a pretty grim picture.
While there are no barns and cows and Rock the Farm doesn’t take place on a farm, it rocks anyway!
Rock the Farm is the main annual fundraiser of the CFC Loud N Clear Foundation. The New Jersey non-profit community organization offers programs for individuals and families battling to overcome addiction to opioids, alcohol and other substances. Their efforts aim to fill the gap after clinical treatment in rehab, a period when staying sober and remaining on track can be particularly challenging.
The CFC Loud N Clear Foundation was established by the Regan family in 2012 after their son Daniel Regan had come out of a rehab center and with the help of his mother, Lynn Regan, developed a recovery system for himself. Other people noticed it was working for Daniel and started asking how they did it. That’s when the Regan family realized everyone should have access to an aftercare program, sparking the idea of establishing a foundation.
“CFC Loud n Clear Foundation is celebrating over 10 years of building strong communities of recovery,” said Alyssa Regan, CFC Assistant Executive Director who was kind enough to provide a quote for this post. “Rock the Farm is in its eighth year of bringing family fun and incredible music to Seaside Heights, New Jersey. However, this festival is more than just a great day during summer down the shore! Rock the Farm is about smashing the stigma of addiction, living life in recovery out loud, and the importance of aftercare and relapse prevention! This festival, which hosted 15,000 people last year, is entirely run by our community of recoverees and their families in order to raise funds for the program that has helped them gain a new life!”
Rock the Farm’s foam dance floor is a huge attraction for kids. Many mamas and papas like it as well!
Let’s take a look at the great line-up for the upcoming event, which includes tributes to Fleetwood Mac, Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, ELO, Eagles, Billy Joel, Carole King, Alanis Morissette, ZZ Top and Bon Jovi. Just imagine for a second seeing all the real acts in one festival, not to mention this particular line-up wouldn’t even be possible any longer, given Carole King has retired from performing! Fleetwood Mac and Carole King tributes TUSK and One Fine Tapestry performed at all four previous Rock the Farm events I attended. On separate previous occasions, I also saw Stiff Upper Lip and Keep The Faith, tributes to AC/DC and Bon Jovi, respectively. The other tribute artists are new to me.
Following are clips to preview some of the tribute acts who will play at Rock the Farm 2022. Kicking things off are TUSK with You Make Loving Fun, footage I captured at last year’s event. Focused on the pop rock period of Fleetwood Mac, the group includes Kathy Phillips as Stevie Nicks (vocals), Kim Williams as Christine McVie (keyboards, vocals), Scott McDonald as Lindsey Buckingham (guitar, vocals), Randy Artiglere as John McVie (bass) and Tom Nelson as Mick Fleetwood (drums).
Next up are One Fine Tapestry with one of my all-time favorite Carole King tunes from the iconic Tapestry album: I Feel the Earth Move. At the core of this tribute act are Gerard Barros and Diane Barros, a versatile husband and wife couple performing a variety of different tribute shows, sometimes as a duo, other times backed by a full band, which was the case here. This clip is also from Rock the Farm 2021.
Let’s do two more, using YouTube clips I didn’t create. Here are Stiff Upper Lip with Back in Black. The New Jersey band has been around since 2007 and includes Glenn Taglieri (vocals), Joe Witterschein (guitar), Mike Cusumano (guitar), Peter Lee (bass) and Steve Villano (drums).
As a blues rock fan, I couldn’t resist including ZZ Top tribute La Grange. The band features Sean Peronard as “Billy Fibbons” (Billy Gibbons), Pete Perrina as “Frank Goatee” (Frank Beard) and Jim Capobianco as “Rusty Hill” (Dusty Hill) – clever stage names! Here’s a fun promo video, including snippets of Waiting For the Bus, Under Pressure and Gimme All Your Lovin’.
In addition to plenty of great music, Rock the Farm features food trucks, a wine and beer garden and beach yoga. They also have some fun activities for kids, including a Kidzone Arts & Crafts, face painting, braid bar and “the world’s greatest FOAM dance floor.” While I can’t verify that claim, I can confirm kids and adults have had a lot of fun with the foam in the past!
“All of the members of CFC get the opportunity to create something magical that positively impacts the community, be inspired by purpose, and uplift others who are in search of hope and connection,” Regan added. “CFC has impacted over 20,000 families since its foundation and continues to come up with new and innovative ways to make recovery fun. We can’t wait to rock out with everyone on September 24th and end Recovery month in the best way possible!”
If you’re into live music, dig the above bands, want to support an important cause and can get there, I can highly recommend Rock the Farm. For tickets and more info, visit https://www.rockthefarmnj.com. You can also read more about the CFC Loud n Clear Foundation and their important work here.
Sources: CDC National Center for Health Statistics; CFC Loud N Clear Foundation website; TUSK website; One Fine Tapestry website; Stiff Upper Lip website; La Grange Facebook page; YouTube
Today, Carole King turned 80 years – wow, it’s hard to believe! Admittedly, I would have completely missed the occasion, had it not been for a Facebook post I saw earlier this evening.
Ignoring the 80th birthday of one of my longtime favorite singer-songwriters simply wasn’t an option. Carole’s defining solo album Tapestry holds a special place in my heart. I devoted an entire series to this record around its 50th anniversary in February of last year.
Carole King & James Taylor
Not only is Tapestry a timeless gem, but it also was one of the very first vinyl music records I heard back in Germany when was about eight years old. This album became an essential part of what marked the start of my journey into the beautiful world of music, a journey I’m so glad I embraced, and a journey that continues to this day.
If you’re looking for a recap of Carole’s life and her impressive accomplishments, there’s a great bio on her website. Frankly, I probably couldn’t do better than that. Instead, I’d like to celebrate the happy occasion with some of the great music Carole has written.
I’m going to do this in the form of a Spotify playlist that is focused on Carole’s solo career. In case you’d like to read about her songwriting partnership with Jerry Goffin, you could check the aforementioned bio or this post I published in November 2020.
Let’s get to some music. The following career-spanning playlist is in chronological order, starting with Carole’s solo debut album Writer from May 1970 and going to Tapestry: Live in Hyde Park, released in 2017.
A first look back at 1972, another outstanding year in music
With the 50-year anniversaries of 1971 gems like The Who’sWho’s Next, Carole King’sTapestry, Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV, The Rolling Stones’Sticky Fingers and Pink Floyd’sMeddle now behind us, it’s time to take a first look at 1972 albums that are hitting the big milestone this year. And like in the case of 1971, I think the caliber of music released in 1972 is just breathtaking!
Checking Wikipedia revealed an impressive amount of records that appeared 50 years ago. Of these albums, I picked 30 studio releases that are represented in the below Spotify playlist with one song each. Following, I’d like to briefly highlight six of them. I’m planning more in-depth posts timed to their and possibly some of the other albums’ actual 50th-anniversary dates.
Neil Young/Harvest (February 1, 1972)
Undoubtedly, Neil Young’s fourth studio album Harvest is one of his best known and most beloved. With gems like Heart of Gold, The Needle and the Damage Done, Old Man and A Man Needs a Maid, it’s no wonder. Not only did Harvest top the Billboard 200 for two weeks, but it also became the best-selling album of 1972 in the U.S. But Neil Young, who is always good for a surprise, had a different reaction. Feeling alienated by the huge success of Harvest, he decided to release what became known as the “ditch trilogy”: the live album Times Fades Away (October 1973), as well as the studio records On the Beach (July 1974) and Tonight’s the Night (June 1975). While the ditch albums didn’t perform as well as Harvest, let’s just say they didn’t exactly harm Neil’s standing with his fans!
Deep Purple/Machine Head (March 25, 1972)
Machine Head, Deep Purple’s sixth studio release, remains the ultimate ’70s hard rock album in my book. While I literally dig each of the record’s seven tracks, the band’s most commercially successful album is best-known for the classics Smoke on the Water, which is safe to assume must be a nightmare for anybody working in a store selling electric guitars, and Highway Star. Machine Head topped the charts in the UK, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands – yes, I had to name them all, hoping Wikipedia’s account is accurate and complete! The thought of a hard rock album topping the mainstream charts is unreal, especially from today’s perspective! In the U.S., Machine Head reached no. 7 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest-charting record there.
The Rolling Stones/Exile on Main St. (May 12, 1972)
While I prefer Sticky Fingers, there’s no doubt Exile on Main St. is among the top albums by The Rolling Stones. Many Stones fans regard the double LP as their best record – hey, I won’t argue, it’s great rock & roll, and I like it! Some of the highlights include Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia, Happy and All Down the Line. Given Keith Richards’ frequent no-shows to the recording sessions since he was, well, stoned, while Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman oftentimes were absent as well, supposedly for other reasons, it’s a near-miracle to me how great this album turned out. That being said, initial reactions among critics were mixed, but as is not uncommon, opinions subsequently changed.
David Bowie/The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (June 6, 2022)
Of course, there was no way this upfront section would skip my favorite David Bowie album of all time. The British artist’s fifth studio release, revolving around a bi-sexual alien rock musician who becomes widely popular among teenagers before his fame ultimately kills him, is a true glam rock gem. Similar to Deep Purple’sMachine Head, I feel there’s no weak song on this record. Starman, Suffragette City, Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide and the title track are a few of the amazing tunes that come to mind. The Ziggy Stardust album climbed to no. 5 in the UK and also charted in various other European countries. In the U.S., where there was generally less of an appetite for glam rock, the record still reached a respectable no. 21 on the Billboard 200.
Curtis Mayfield/Superfly (July 11, 1972)
Curtis Mayfield is another longtime favorite artist of mine, so I’m more than happy to call out Superfly. His third studio album appeared as the soundtrack of the Blaxploitation motion picture of the same name. Rightfully, this record is widely considered a classic of ’70s soul and funk music. In addition to the title track, some of the other tunes on the album include Pusherman, Freddie’s Dead and Eddie You Should Know Better. Superfly was hugely successful in the U.S., topping both the Billboard 200 and the R&B chart. It also became Mayfield’s highest-charting album in the UK where it reached no. 26. Side note: It seems to me music listeners in the UK were into glam rock but not so much into psychedelic soul and funk.
Santana/Caravanserai (October 11, 1972)
The final album I’d like to highlight in this section of the post is a less obvious choice for me. I absolutely love the first three studio albums by Santana, which make up the band’s so-called classic period. I find the combination of Latin rhythms and rock electrifying. On Caravanserai, Carlos Santana and his band went in a very different direction. The album mostly features jazz-like, improvisational instrumentals – definitely posing a challenge for a guy like me who digs catchy hooks and great vocals, especially harmony singing. But sometimes it’s good to push beyond your comfort zone. Musically, I think there’s no question Caravanserai is an outstanding record. Given its radical departure from Santana’s first three albums, it did remarkably well in the charts. In the UK it peaked at no. 6, matching its predecessor Santana III, which previously had been the band’s highest-charting album there. It did even better in The Netherlands, climbing to no. 3, again matching Santana III. Elsewhere, Caravanserai reached no. 8 in the U.S., no. 10 in Norway and no. 16 in Australia.
Following is a playlist featuring the above tracks, as well as tunes from 24 other albums that were released in 1972. Since Spotify, unfortunately, doesn’t have Status Quo’sPiledriver (neither does Apple Music!), I included a pretty good, more recent live version of Paper Plane. Again, I have to say 1972 was another amazing year in music!
A final look at 1971, one of the most exciting years in music
As 2021 is drawing to a close, I decided to revisit 1971 one more time. With releases, such as Who’s Next (The Who), Tapestry (Carole King), Led Zeppelin IV (Led Zeppelin), Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones) and Meddle (Pink Floyd), it truly was an extraordinary year in music. And let’s not forget At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band, perhaps the ultimate southern and blues-rock record, and certainly a strong contender for best live album ever.
I wrote about the above and other records in a three-part series back in April, which you can read here, here and here. What I didn’t do at the time was to look at singles that came out in 1971. I’ve put my favorites in a playlist at the end of this post. Following I’m highlighting 10 of them, focusing on songs I didn’t cover in the aforementioned three-part series.
Marvin Gaye/What’s Going On
I’d like to start this review with What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, released in January 1970. Co-written by him, Al Cleveland and Four Tops co-founding member Renaldo “Obie” Benson, this classic soul gem was inspired by an incident of police brutality Benson had witnessed in May 1969 while The Four Tops were visiting Berkely, Calif. The tune became Gaye’s first big U.S. hit in the ’70s, climbing to no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.
Deep Purple/Strange Kind of Woman
In February 1970, Deep Purple released Strange Kind of Woman as a non-album single. The follow-on to Black Night was credited to all members of the band: Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover and Ian Paice, their most compelling lineup, in my view. The song reached no. 8 in the UK and Germany, but didn’t chart in the U.S. The track was also included in the U.S. and Canadian editions of Deep Purple’s fifth studio album Fireball from July 1971 in lieu of Demon’s Eye on the UK edition.
Jethro Tull/Hymn 43
Hymn 43 is a great rock song by Jethro Tull. Penned by Ian Anderson, it appeared in late June 1971 as the second single off Aqualung, the group’s fourth studio album that had come out in March of the same year. Hymn 43 followed lead single Locomotive Breath. Incredibly, it only charted in Canada and the U.S., reaching an underwhelming no. 86 and no. 91, respectively.
T. Rex/Get It On
In July 1970, glam rockers T. Rex released one of their signature tunes, Get It On. In the U.S., it was re-titled Bang a Gong (Get It On), since there was a song with the same title by American jazz-rock band Chase. Get It On, written by T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, was the lead single from the British band’s sophomore album Electric Warrior that appeared in September that year. Get It On became the band’s second no. 1 in the UK and their only U.S. top 10 hit (no. 10) on the Billboard Hot 100.
Santana/Everybody’s Everything
In September 1970, Santana released their third studio album Santana III and lead single Everybody’s Everything. The tune was co-written by Carlos Santana, Milton Brown and Tyrone Moss. The classic Santana rock song became the band’s last top 20 hit (no. 12) in the U.S. until the pop-oriented Winning from 1981.
Sly and the Family Stone/Family Affair
Family Affair is a track off Sly and the Family Stone’s fifth studio album There’s a Riot Goin’ On that came out in November 1971. Released the same month, the psychedelic funk tune was the first single from that album. It became the group’s third and final no. 1 hit in the U.S., topping both the mainstream Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles chart.
Badfinger/Day After Day
Day After Day, first released in the U.S. in November 1971 followed by the UK in January 1972, became the biggest hit for British power pop-rock band Badfinger. Written by Pete Ham, the tune, off their third studio album Straight Up from December 1971, climbed to no. 4 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached no. 10 in the UK. In Canada, it went all the way to no. 2. This gem was produced by George Harrison who also played slide guitar along with Ham.
Elton John/Levon
Levon is one of Elton John’s beautiful early songs that first appeared on his fourth studio album Madman Across the Water from early November 1970. Composed by John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin, the ballad also became the record’s first single in late November. Producer Gus Dudgeon has said Taupin’s lyrics were inspired by Levon Helm, co-founder, drummer and singer of The Band, a favorite group of John and Taupin at the time. Levon reached no. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to no. 6 in Canada.
The Beach Boys/Surf’s Up
Various music connoisseurs have told me their favorite album by The Beach Boys is Surf’s Up from late August 1971. I can’t say it’s been love at first sight for me, but this record is definitely growing on me. The Beach Boys released the title track as a single in late November that year. Co-written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Surf’s Up originally was supposed to be a track for Smile, an unfinished album that was scrapped in 1967. Brian and Carl Wilson completed the tune. By the time Surf’s Up was released as a single, the last major hit by The Beach BoysGood Vibrations was five years in the past. While the single didn’t chart, the album reached no. 29 on the Billboard 200, their highest-charting record in the U.S. since Wild Honey from 1967.
The Kinks/20th Century Man
The last song I’d like to call out is 20th Century Man by The Kinks. Penned by Ray Davies, the tune in December 1970 became the sole single off the group’s 10th studio album Muswell Hillbillies. The record had appeared in late November that year. 20th Century Man stalled at no. 106 in the UK and reached no. 89 in Australia. It didn’t chart in the U.S. The album didn’t fare much better, though it received positive reviews and remains a favorite among fans.
Check out the playlist below for additional 1971 singles I dig.
Christian's Music Musings 