Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Christmas Album Cover Art

Yes, these are real album covers and I suppose that they have real Christmas music on them. Why we have singing cats, singing dogs, singing frogs, singing pigs and a singing pile of crap. Makes the season seem worthwhile now, doesn't it? (I am not sure where my vinyl friend DJ Spyder got these, but I want to thank him for making my season a little but brighter!- to see more, visit his blog- http://dj-spyder.blogspot.com/


What else does Santa have in his bag boys and girls?

Vinyl Shapes

This is a rare example of a band pressing different shaped vinyl records for the same release.

Blue Zoo - “Forgive and Forget” & “Shine”.

Records By Mail

Records By Mail



https://www.recordsbymail.com/idev/idevaffiliate.php?id=181

50 Winters Later Concert Set for Clear Lake, Iowa

We're quickly coming up on the fiftieth anniversary of what is called "The Day the Music Died," the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. While not an event for celebration, it is one that is traditionally recognized as a turning point in rock music history.

On February 2, 1959, the three stars played their last show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Later, they boarded a plane for North Dakota which crashed shortly after takeoff.

That same Surf Ballroom and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have joined together to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Winter Dance Party with a week long series of events starting on Wednesday, January 28 and ending with a major tribute concert on Monday, February 2. During the week, there will be educational programs, symposiums and a record and memorabilia show, but the real events happen in the evening with nightly concerts from some early pioneers of rock music.

"50 Winters Later is about the music and the legacy of Buddy, Ritchie and The Bopper. The artists who will participate in the week's events will pay homage to these three stars who influenced music so deeply that musicians and songwriters continue to this day to be inspired and attribute aspects of their musical careers to them. It's going to be an extraordinary show - to be in the Surf where these pioneers played live decades ago is magical in itself," stated Shane Cooney, entertainment director for the Surf Ballroom.

"For one week we will focus on the extraordinary lives and legacies of three men who forever left their mark on rock and roll history and American society," said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "It will be a poignant and memorable experience honoring this pivotal watershed cultural event."

Here are the lineups for each of the shows:

Wednesday, January 28 (Sock Hop)

Jason D. Williams
The Original Founding Members of the Whitesidewalls

Thursday, January 29

The Comets
Johnny Tillotson
The Tymes
Dodie Stevens
Tommy Allsup & Johnny Rodgers
David Sommerville of the Diamonds (Host)

Friday, January 30

John Mueller, Ray Anthony & the Bopper, Jr.
Sting Ray & the Killer Vees

Saturday, January 31

Bobby Vee
The Crickets
Johnny Preston
Chris Montez

Monday, February 2

Tommy Allsup
Big Bopper, Jr.
The Crickets
Pat Dinnizio of the Smithereens
Joe Ely
Wanda Jackson
Los Lobos
Los Lonely Boys
Cousin Brucie Morrow
Graham Nash
Peter & Gordon
Sir Tim Rice
Bobby Vee

SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com

Classic Rock Videos

TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS - SWEET CHERRY WINE / CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION


Album Cover Art

Let's continue with our look at the Gigwise.com list of the dirtiest and sexiest album covers, this time #6 on their list (Gigwise comments in quotes):


6. The 2 Live Crew: ‘As Nasty As They Wanna Be’ – "The hip-hop outfit notorious for their highly sexed up, horny-as-fuck songs upped the stakes with their third album in 1989. Featuring the four members ogling over four women in leopard skin bikinis, it became a cult classic."

'As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989) became the group's biggest hit, largely because of the single "Me So Horny", which was popular in spite of little radio rotation, thanks, in part, to prevalent play on MTV. The song was based on a quote from a Vietnamese prostitute in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket and took a sample from Mass Production's Firecracker. This album was also produced by Mr. Mixx.

The American Family Association did not think the presence of a "Parental Advisory" sticker was enough to adequately warn listeners of what was inside the case. Jack Thompson, a lawyer affiliated with the AFA, met with Florida Governor Bob Martinez and convinced him to look into the album to see if it met the legal classification of obscene. In 1990 action was taken at the local level and Nick Navarro, Broward County sheriff received a ruling from Judge Mel Grossman that probable cause for obscenity violations existed. Navarro warned record store owners that selling the album may be prosecutable. 2 Live Crew filed a suit against Navarro. That June, Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled against the album, declaring it obscene and illegal to sell. Charles Freeman, a local retailer, was arrested two days later, after selling a copy to an undercover police officer. This was followed by the arrest of three members of 2 Live Crew after they performed some material from the album at a live performance. They were acquitted soon after. In 1992, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned the obscenity ruling from Jose Gonzales, and the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear Broward County's appeal. A notable feature of the case was the distinguished literary critic and now Harvard University professor, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. as an expert witness on behalf of the defendants. He argued that the material that the county alleged was profane, actually had important roots in African-American vernacular, games, and literary traditions and should be protected.

As a result of the controversy, As Nasty As They Wanna Be sold over two million copies. It peaked at #29 on The Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. A few other retailers were later arrested for selling it as well. Later heavy metal band Van Halen sued over an uncleared sample of their song "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" in the 2 Live Crew Song "The Fuck Shop". The publicity then continued when George Lucas, owner of the Star Wars universe, successfully sued Campbell for appropriating the name "Skywalker" for his record label, Luke Skyywalker Records. Campbell changed his stage name to Luke (and changed the record label's name to Luke Records) and then released an extremely political solo album, Banned in the USA after obtaining permission to use an interpolation of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. 2 Live Crew paraphernalia with the Luke Skywalker or Skywalker logos are usually sought after as collector's items.

Not a big fan, but sure (as the pig I am) love the cover!

This Date In Music History-December 17

Birthdays:

Art Neville (Neville Brothers-1937)

Paul Rodgers (Free and Bad Company-1949)

Wanda Hutchinson (Emotions-1951)

The Emotions' vocalist Sheila Hutchinson was born in Chicago in 1953, exactly two years after her sister Wanda.

R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills (1958)


They Are Missed:

Paul Butterfield, whose Sixties band was largely responsible for white musicians' embracing the blues during that time, was born in Chicago in 1942 (Died May 3, 1987).

In 2006, Dennis Payton, of The Dave Clark Five, died of cancer at the age of 63.

The late Eddie Kendricks was born in 1939.

In 1999, Grover Washington Jr. died after collapsing in a CBS dressing room.

Bluesman Big Joe Williams died in 1982 (age 79)


History:

In 1994, a remixed version of The Four Seasons' "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for another 27 weeks, just as it did when it first charted in 1976. The combined run established a record for the longest total chart appearance in history. The song reached #1 the first time out and #14 during its second stay.

In 2004, Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert Sillerman in a deal worth over $100m. Sillerman would run Graceland and own Elvis' name and the rights to all revenue from his music and films. In the deal Lisa Marie would retain possession of Graceland and many of her father's ‘personal effects.’

In 1982, Karen Carpenter made her last public appearance, singing Christmas carols at Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California.

#1 in the pop and country charts today in 1955 was Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons."

In 1963, James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles record on American airwaves. Carroll played "I Want To Hold Your Hand", which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend, who brought the single back from Britain. Due to listener demand, the song was played daily, every hour. Since it hadn't been released yet in the States, Capitol Records initially considered court action, but instead released the single earlier than planned.

In 1969, John Lennon told the world he's organizing a peace festival in Toronto to take place in July 1970.

When an autograph hunter handed Keith Richards a guitar to sign outside New York's Russian Tea Room in 1999, the Rolling Stone walked off with the instrument. The victim opted not to press charges, reasoning, "It's Keith, man."

Carl Perkins wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1955. Less than 48 hours later, he recorded it in Memphis, TN.

Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" entered the Billboard Pop chart for the first time in 1957, where it reached #6. It would make the chart again in December 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1962.

The Royal Guardsmen's "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" entered the Billboard Pop chart in 1966, where it peaked at #2 during its eleven week run.

Fifteen-year-old Christopher Tyrer saw the metal group Saxon in Wolverhampton, England in 1981 and head-banged along to their set. When he woke up the following morning, Tyrer discovered that he was paralyzed down one side and couldn’t speak. His condition deteriorated and he died on Christmas Day.