Thursday, September 3, 2009

The Magical History Tour


The engineers who remastered the Beatles catalogue (from left) Guy Massey, Simon Gibson, Sean Magee, Sam Okell, Steve Rooke, Paul Hicks and Allan Rouse.

Do the Beatles remasters capture the authentic Fab Four sound or are they a digital cash-in on the iconic group? Michael Dwyer gets back to mono.

THE world's most famous zebra crossing still leads to the same place. Towering behind the graffiti of a white wall in London, the familiar facade of Abbey Road Studios seems untouched by time.

Inside, though, everything has changed. Studio 2, where the Beatles mostly recorded between 1962 and 1970, is all that remains among the rolling renovations necessary for a world-class recording facility.

But each day, engineer Allan Rouse negotiates a past that clings to the corridors of the building he's known since 1972.

"There's simply nowhere else to put it," he says of the archaic machinery shunted into corners and stairwells. "We are state-of-the-art but we have a history. And we have the equipment to go with it."

This juxtaposition of vintage authenticity and cutting-edge production lies at the heart of Rouse's latest project.

Since 2006, he has co-ordinated six engineers in the epic task of digitally remastering all 13 Beatles albums, plus the Past Masters collection of non-album tracks.

"It's long overdue," he says. "Many bands have been remastered two or three times since the advent of CD and the Beatles never have."

Indeed, audiophiles winced when the Beatles' albums were transferred "flat" to CD in 1987. "Thin and bright, without a hint of the LPs' analog warmth," American fan Steve Guttenberg recently sniffed in his Audiophiliac blog.

But come on. For most of us, surely the songs remain the same, regardless of whatever black art is applied by men in white coats. Isn't the Beatles' remasters launch of 09/09/09 just another way of getting us to buy our old records again in new sleeves?

Rouse bristles. "Any time anything comes out Beatle-wise, people say it's just a matter of getting money out of people," he sighs. "I object to that strongly. I don't think Neil Aspinall has done that at all. In fact, I think he's been very cautious."

Aspinall was the school friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison who ran the Beatles' record company, Apple Corps, a post he held until just before his death last year.

It's fair to assume he shared the music industry's practical ignorance of the digital process in 1987. Remastering for CD (see below) was an aficionado's concept that had little bearing on the wider market — like the esoteric notion of stereo back when the Beatles made records for a mostly mono world.

Today, ubiquitous digital stereo gives everyone's ears an edge. The Beatles rose to that standard with a lavish range of "new" releases in the past 15 years, beginning with the archival Live at the BBC and Anthology sets.

Rouse oversaw the 5.1 surround mix of the Yellow Submarine Songtrack, then Let It Be . . . Naked, the controversial reshuffle of the Beatles' final album. He admits his purist's streak was tested by the Love album for Cirque du Soleil.

It found original producer George Martin splicing master tapes into an 80-minute symphony that remixed songs, takes and eras to create a 2006 blockbuster. The remasters, Rouse stresses, are the antithesis to all of that. "These are not radical alternative listening experiences," he says. "These are the real thing.

"Love changed the face of the Beatles. But the originals should always be out there.

"What we've done now is to make them available, so the kids of the future can hear them sounding as they should — in fact, in my view, sounding better than they ever did."

Early test audiences have been inclined to agree, although the notion of betterment suggests a fine line between restoration and vandalism.

Has A Day in the Life been improved, for example, by removing the squeak of the piano stool that punctuates the ultimate chord of doom? Heaven forbid, Rouse says.

"We agreed at the onset we would only remove things that were technically related. If it had anything to do with the Beatles' performance — breaths, coughs, squeaky bass drums, squeaky chairs — they stayed."

And still, authenticity remains a relative concept. Apple's insistence on releasing a separate set of the original mono mixes of each album (except Abbey Road and Let It Be, which only ever existed in stereo), opens a Pandora's box.


Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beatles, popularly known as the White Album, have glaringly different mono mixes. Although the world has come to love them in stereo, Rouse is clear on which versions the Beatles considered more valid at the time.

"The Beatles spent upwards of two or three weeks mixing Sgt Pepper in mono. The stereo was done as an afterthought by George (Martin) and (engineer) Geoff Emerick — regrettably forgetting some of the things they had done on the mono mixes," Rouse says.

Nonetheless, the stereo remasters will doubtless outsell the mono box innumerable times over. And whatever hairs Beatlemaniac audiophiles choose to split, Rouse has a message for them. "The Beatles are not just for you. They are for history."

What is digital remastering?

"MASTERING for vinyl was a process dictated by physical space. Louder signals took up more room on the LP. Softer passages allowed a longer playing time, making dynamics integral to the recording art. Digital has brought a fixed-maximum record level.

Engineers can no longer make peaks louder but they can raise levels between the peaks for greater impact. Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory took this art to the extreme in 1995, setting a new standard in the 'Loudness Wars'. But while a soft CD might have less initial impact, mastering quieter is the only way original dynamics can be preserved.

With such loved material as the Beatles' catalogue, it will be interesting to see how true to the original cuts the engineers have dared to be."


Written By- Joe Leach, Cowshed Studios, London

SOURCE: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Rock/Pop Tidbits

In 1957, Frank Sinatra was quoted as saying "Rock 'n' Roll is phony and false, and sung, written and played for the most part by cretinous goons."

October 17th, 1990 marked the first time that the #1 album in the United States was only available on CD or cassette - and could not be found on vinyl. The album was Vanilla Ice's "To The Extreme".

Songwriter Tommy Durden showed his partner Mae Axton a newspaper story about a suicide victim who had left a one-line note that said "I Walk A Lonely Street". The pair added "Heartbreak Hotel" to the line and in 22 minutes had written Elvis Presley's first million seller.

Vaudevillian Jack Norworth wrote "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in 1908 after seeing a sign on a bus advertising BASEBALL TODAY - POLO GROUNDS. Norworth and his friend, Albert von Tilzer (who wrote the music) had never been to a baseball game before his song became a hit.

Pat Boone was a semi-finalist on the TV talent show Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, but before the finals, he appeared on a similar show called Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, for a fee of $600. Ted Mack's show then disqualified him, as he was no longer an amateur, costing Pat a chance at a $6000 scholarship.

In 1972, Keith Richards and his girlfriend at the time, Anita Pallenberg, rented a lavish palace on the French Riviera while the band was recording the LP “Beggar’s Banquet.” Included in the household budget was $1,000 for food, $1,000 for alcohol, $2,500 for the rent and $2,500 for drugs.

Two of Jim Croce's biggest hit songs were inspired by real people. Leroy Brown was a fellow member of the Air National Guard who had gone AWOL and Big Jim Walker ("You Don't Mess Around With Jim") was a pool shootin son-of-a-gun from south Philadelphia.



Brenda Lee's 1960, US number one hit, "I'm Sorry", was recorded at the tail end of a recording session with just five minutes of studio time left. It was intended to be the "B" side of a 45 that featured "That's All You Gotta Do", but disc jockeys flipped the platter over and "I'm Sorry" soon shot to the top of Billboard's Hot 100.

Jim McGuinn of The Byrds changed his middle name to Roger and began using it as a stage name after becoming interested in Eastern religion. A guru had told him that names starting with the letter "R" would vibrate better with the universe.

When Paul McCartney wants to play some of his old Beatles' hits in concert, he must pay a royalty fee to Michael Jackson, who bought the publishing rights for $47.5 million in 1985.

In 1929, American Paul Galvin, the head of Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, invented the first car radio. Consumers had to purchase the radios separately as they were not available from carmakers. Galvin coined the name Motorola for the company's new products, combining the idea of motion and radio.

When Richard Penniman was asked how he came by his stage name, he said that in his childhood neighborhood, there were only two nicknames used, 'lil and bro. That's when he became Little Richard.

When John Lennon's Aunt Mimi bought him his first guitar in the summer of 1956, he practiced constantly. As she watched him play hour after hour, day after day, she finally remarked "The guitar's all very well John, but you'll never make a living out of it."

During the early stages of their careers, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Hall and Oates and Steve Martin were all opening acts for the rock and roll nostalgia group, Sha Na Na.

The Crickets were given awards as the Best Vocal Group in the US and Great Britain in 1957, despite the fact that the only member of the group that actually sang was Buddy Holly. The background vocals for their number one hit "That'll Be The Day" were sung by Gary and Ramona Tollet.

Roy Orbison's highest charting album did not come about until after his untimely death in 1989. "Mystery Girl" reached #5 and was eventually certified platinum.

Aerosmith was known to bring a chainsaw with them out on tour so that they could chop up hotel rooms with greater efficiency. They also traveled with extra-long extension cords. Their reasoning? So the TVs that they tossed out of their hotel rooms would stay on and keep playing all the way to the ground before they were smashed up.

Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales For August 2009

Let’s continue with a new feature here at CollectingVinylRecords.com, one that helps us to keep track of the top five best selling vinyl records at eBay in the last month. This is a real-time indication of what is ‘hot’ and selling at the present time and reflects the rare vinyl records that are changing hands in the collector’s market these days.

Here we will see test pressings, acetates, promos, and alternate versions of songs, foreign releases as well as a wide variety of musical genres being bought and sold. No matter what the record price guides may quote, these are the real numbers that people are actually paying for specific records.

If we look at the last entry we can see that The Beatles "Please Please Me" Stereo Parlophone Gold UK First Press, sold for the astonishing price $36,409.41!! Goes to show you how valuable the four lads can be!


Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 08/01/2009

1. 45 - The Beatles "Our First Four" Promotional Presentation (Plastic) - $13,058.88

2. 45 - Ellipsis "People" / "Gregory Moore" Briarmeade - $3,383.33

3. 45 - Al Williams "I Am Nothing" / "Brand New Love" Palmer - $2,650.00

4. LP - The Who "self titled" Italy Polydor (A Quick One) - $2,300.00

5. 45 - Nirvana "Love Buzz" 462/1000 Sub Pop - $2,224.99



Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 08/08/2009

1. 45 - D. A. Hung "Greyhound Blues" / "Lonesome Old Jail" - $10,323.00

2. LP - Johanna Martzy "Bach: The unaccompanied Violin Sonatas" Columbia Box set UK - $5,200.00

3. 45 - William Powell "Heartache Souvenirs" / "The Chicken Shack" - $5,100.00

4. 12" - Led Zeppelin “Road Box” - $4,001.00

5. 45 - The Fix "Vengence" / "In This Town" - $3,500.00



Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 08/15/2009

1. LP - Dexter Grodon "Blows Hot And Cold" Dootone DL-207 red vinyl - $3,059.00

2. LP - Slayer "Nightmare On Elm St" - $2,999.99

3. LP - Jungle "self titled" Private Press - $2,900.00

4. LP - Hank Mobley-Lee Morgan "Pickin' Time" Blue Note 1574 - $2,605.00

5. LP - Lee Morgan "self titled" Blue Note 1557



Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 08/22/2009

1. LP - David Bowie "Ziggy Stardust" Acetate alternate tracks - $4,772.00

2. LP - Velvet Underground & Nico self-titled Mono White Label Promo - $3,119.00

3. 45 - The Suedes "13 Stories High" / "My Girl" Psychedelic - $2,375.00

4. 78 - The New Yorkers "There's A Cradle In Caroline" / "I'm Living On Love" - $2,246.00

5. LP - The Beatles "A Hard Days Night" Record Club Issue - $2,226.99





Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 08/29/2009

1. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Stereo Parlophone Gold UK First Press - $36,409.41

2. 45 - Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen" / "No Feeling" A&M AMS-7284 - $13,211.91

3. 45 - Narbay "Believe It Or Not" / "Believe It Or Not" Impact - $3050.00

4. LP - Stack "Above All" Charisma - $2,949.99

5. LP - Judge "Chung King Can Suck It Up" Revelation white vinyl - $2,905.55


As always, a special thank you to Norm at http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com for this great data. Stop in and listen to their unique radio show Accidental Nostalgia with Norm & Jane On Radio Dentata Thursdays 4PM PDT/7PM EDT

Vinyl Collective Top 40 Sales for August 2009

Stop by www.vinylcollective.com for some fantastic deals on vinyl!

1 CHUCK RAGAN “Break Our Bread” 7 103 copies
2 TIM BARRY/ FRANK TURNER split 7? all 3 colors set 94 copies
3 TIM BARRY/ FRANK TURNER split 7? black vinyl 87 copies
4 HEAVY HEAVY LOW LOW “Turtle Nipple…” LP brown/pink 82 copies
5 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “Live At Park Ave” 10? Record Store Day exclusive 76 copies
6 BOUNCING SOULS “20th Anniversary Series: Volume Three” 7? 64 copies
7 CHAD PRICE “Smile Sweet Face? LP Transparent Brown vinyl 56 copies
8 JOEY CAPE / MIKE HALE “Under the Influence Vol 11? 7? brown vinyl 55 copies
9 7” Record Jacket Sleeves (20) 7-1/4? x 7-1/4 52 copies
10 EVERY TIME I DIE “New Junk Aesthetic” LP 50 copies
10 MARIACHI EL BRONX “S/T” LP 50 copies
12 CHUCK RAGAN “Gold Country” LP black vinyl 48 copies
13 TIM BARRY/ FRANK TURNER split 7? blue vinyl 46 copies
14 12” Record Jacket Sleeve. Fits over album jacket. 45 copies
15 BROADWAY CALLS “Good Views, Bad News” LP green vinyl 41 copies
16 PORTUGAL THE MAN “The Satanic Satanist” LP german import white/blue marble vinyl 38 copies
16 Suburban Home Pick 5 for $25 Sale (CDs, Vinyl, Pint Glasses) 38 copies
16 PORTUGAL THE MAN “It’s Complicated Being a Wizard” LP light blue vinyl 38 copies
16 CHAD PRICE “Smile Sweet Face” CD 38 copies
20 PORTUGAL THE MAN “The Satanic Satanist” LP german import orange vinyl 36 copies
21 A WILHELM SCREAM “Mute Print” LP mustard yellow vinyl 35 copies
22 O PIONEERS!!!/NEW BRUISES “Under the Influence Vol 10? 7? white vinyl 31 copies
23 NINJA GUN “Restless Rubes” LP transparent green vinyl 29 copies
24 EVERY TIME I DIE Big Dirty LP purple w/ black splatter 27 copies
25 ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD/ COBRA SKULLS “Under the Influence Vol 6? 7? w 26 copies
26 PORTUGAL THE MAN The Satanic Satanist LP red/orange 25 copies
26 THE FLATLINERS/ THE SNIPS split 7? blue/red inside outside vinyl 25 copies
26 THE FLATLINERS/ THE SNIPS split 7? blue/red splatter vinyl 25 copies
26 NORMA JEAN 4 x LP Vinyl Box Set colored vinyl set B limited to 700 25 copies
30 AVAIL “Dixie, 4 AM Friday & Over The James” LP set 25 copies
31 JON SNODGRASS/ CORY BRANAN split LP sun colored vinyl 24 copies
31 JOEY CAPE / MIKE HALE “Under the Influence Vol 11? 7? yellow/gold vinyl 24 copies
31 EVERY TIME I DIE “Gutter Phenomenon” LP pink/black 24 copies
34 BOLLWEEVILS “Heavyweight” LP 23 copies
34 GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV “This Empty Northern Hemisphere” LP brown vinyl 23 copies
34 FRANK TURNER “Campfire Punkrock” 10? yellow vinyl 23 copies
37 CHUCK RAGAN/ BRIAN FALLON “Gospel Songs” 7? black vinyl 22 copies
37 THE TAKERS ?Taker Easy? CD 22 copies
37 KEVIN SECONDS / KEPI GHOULIE “Under the Influence Vol 12? 7? white vinyl 22 copies
40 AUSTIN LUCAS/ THE TAKERS split 7? frosty blue vinyl 21 copies
40 THURSDAY “Full Collapse” LP solid brown vinyl 20 copies
40 LET ME KNOW, BYO 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY BOX SET 20 copies
40 THE TAKERS ?Taker Easy? LP beer colored vinyl 20 copies
40 TWO COW GARAGE / JR. JUGGERNAUT “Under the Influence Vol 9? 7? PBR colored 20 copies
40 MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER “III” LP grey vinyl w/ silk screen poster 20 copies
40 O PIONEERS!!!/NEW BRUISES “Under the Influence Vol 10? 7? translucent blue vinyl 20 copies
40 EVERY TIME I DIE “Hot Damn” LP silver/black 20 copies
40 FEAR BEFORE THE MARCH OF FLAMES “Always Open” dbl LP 20 copies
40 Suburban Home SHOTGUNATOR black 20 copies

Music News & Notes


Matthew Herbert Making an Album Based on Pig Sounds
The conceptual artist is working on three new LPs.

Endlessly inventive producer Matthew Herbert's albums are often as fun to read about as they are to hear, whether he's making music of sounds made by everyday household objects, internal organs, or breakfast cereal. And his upcoming projects are no different.

Most intriguing is a new concept album called One Pig, which "will be made up entirely of sounds made during the life cycle of a pig," according to a post on a blog dedicated to the making of the album. (Via FACT.) That's Herbert's pig up there.

He goes on: "i will be there at its birth. during its life. present at its death. and during the butchery process. its body will then be given to chefs new and old. there will be a feast. and maybe a pair of shoes and a drum from the skin. and a toothbrush from its bristles. and ink from its blood. it will all be recorded. and then turned in to music." Kinda morbid, kinda amazing. One Pig is due next year.

Can't wait for this one....err three.

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'Idol' runner-up Adam Lambert to release debut album November 24

Kris Allen and Adam Lambert competed head-to-head during American Idol's eighth-season finale, however their debut albums apparently won't do the same.

Lambert announced in a Wednesday morning Twitter post that his post-Idol debut album will drop November 24 -- a week after Allen's first effort is released on November 17.

Both signed a recording contract with 19 Recordings/RCA Records a few weeks after Allen defeated Lambert to take home Idol's eighth-season title.

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Where the Wild Things Are: Karen O's Soundtrack Cover Art Revealed

Here's the cover art for the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack. Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame made the music, along with a collection of musicians dubbed "the Kids." The Kids consist of Tristan Bechet (Services), Tom Biller (co-producer with Karen O and member of Afternoons), Bradford Cox (Deerhunter), Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs), Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes), Oscar Michel (Gris Gris), Imaad Wasif (New Folk Implosion, Alaska), Nick Zinner, (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and an untrained children’s choir.

The soundtrack comes out September 29, and its lead single, "All is Love," is currently available on iTunes. The movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book comes out October 16th.

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Harrison Expo Shut Down

The exhibition of George Harrison memorabilia currently running in Liverpool will be shut down early after a rare signed picture, worth about $1,400, was stolen. The owner, Denise Theophilus, was also the person running the exhibit which included items from collectors across the country. She told the Liverpool Echo that she was glad it was one of her items as she would hate to break the news to one of the people who trusted her with their memorabilia.

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U2 Open SNL Season

U2 will serve as the musical guest on the season premiere episode of Saturday Night Live on September 26th, cast member Bill Hader told Access Hollywood. The band’s performance will come just two days after the Dublin rockers bring their 360 Tour to two sold-out nights at East Rutherford, New Jersey’s Giants Stadium. Jennifer’s Body star Megan Fox will handle the hosting duties on the premiere.

U2’s September 26th performance on SNL marks the third time Bono, the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton have played Rockefeller Center’s Studio 8H.

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Underwood Music

The first single from Carrie Underwood’s November 3rd album Play On has hit the Web. Check it out:



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Charlie Watts Is Not Quitting The Rolling Stones

Band release official statement

The Rolling Stones have officially denied that drummer Charlie Watts is leaving the band.

Rumours began circulating on Wednesday (Spetemeber 2nd) that Watts would cease recording and touring with the band but a statement was released denying these rumours.

This Date In Music History-September 3

Birthdays:

Al Jardine - Beach Boys (1942)

Gary Leeds - Walker Brothers (1944)

George Biondo - Steppenwolf (1945)

Mike Harrison - Spooky Tooth (1945)

Eric Bell - Thin Lizzy (1947)

Donald Brewer - Grand Funk Railroad (1948) Most successful US Heavy Metal band of the 70's selling over 20 million albums.

Steve Jones - Sex Pistols (1955)

Todd Lewis - Toadies (1965)

Jennifer Paige (1973)

David Mead (1973)

Tomislav 'Tomo' Milichevich Sarajevo - 30 Seconds to Mars (1979)

Jay 'Cone' McCaslin - Sum 41 (1980)

Robert Curry - Day26, also known as a contestant on the TV show Making the Band 4 (1984)


They Are Missed:

Major Lance ("Monkey Time") died of heart disease in 1994.

Born on this day in 1934, blues guitarist Freddie King. Eric Clapton covered his 'Have You Ever Loved A Woman' on the 'Layla' album. Died on December 27, 1976 of heart trouble and ulcers (age 42).

In 1967, folk singer Woody Guthrie died of Huntington's Chorea in New York City. He was 52.

In 1970, Alan Wilson guitar player with Canned Heat, was found dead at fellow band-members Bob Hite's garden in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles (age 27).


History:

In 1955, Bill Haley & the Comets turned down their first invitation to tour outside of the U.S. because of a fear of flying. The Australian offer of $2,000 for 15 dates wasn't enough to get them on a plane.

Billboard reported in 1955 that independent record manufacturers were continuing to expand at an unprecented rate. They took in $20 million last year.

Band leader Mitch Miller had the #1 song in the US in 1955 with a song that was written in 1853, ‘The Yellow Rose Of Texas.’

During a US tour in 1964, the Beatles played two shows at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis. They were paid $85,000 for the shows, tickets cost $4.00.

Lou Christie recorded "Lightnin' Strikes" in 1965.

Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" hit #1 on the chart in 1966. The track featured then Yardbird and future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.

Question Mark and the Mysterians' "96 Tears" makes into the Hot 100 in 1966 (it peaked at #1 for a week on October 29).

The Four Tops "Reach Out I'll be There" also entered the Hot 100 in 1966 where it claims the #1 position on October 15.

After a two week absence, Ringo Starr rejoined The Beatles in 1968. Upon Ringo's return to the studio, he found his drum kit covered with flowers to welcome him back.

The Four Seasons' "I've Got You Under My Skin" was released in 1969.

In 1970, Rolling Stone reported that the Bob Dylan bootleg "Great White Wonder" had sold over 350,000 copies.

At the Palermo Pop '70 Festival in Italy in 1970, Arthur Brown (of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown) was arrested and put in solitary confinement for four days after he set fire to his helmet and stripped naked during his stage performance. The audience threw all sorts of things at him. While in solitary, he was given a note signed by over 200 locals telling him to get out of Italy and stay out.

Also in 1970- The Dave Clark Five are now just Dave Clark. The band breaks up today, according to Rolling Stone, having scored eight top 10 hits, including "Bits and Pieces."

The Rolling Stones' "Angie" was released in 1973.



110,000 fans descended on Old Bridge, New Jersey in 1976 for an eleven hour concert by the Grateful Dead, the New Riders of the Purple Sage and the Marshall Tucker Band.

The three day U.S. Festival got under way in San Bernardino, California in 1982. Over 400,000 people show up to hear Fleetwood Mac, the Police, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, the Grateful Dead, the Cars, Pat Benatar, Talking Heads, Dave Edmunds, Santana, the B-52's, the Kinks, Eddie Money, the Ramones, Gang of Four, the English Beat and Jerry Jeff Walker. It's financed by Steve Wozniak, the founder of the Apple Computer Company.

In 1977, the month after his death, Elvis Presley had 27 albums and 9 singles in the Top 100 charts in the UK. 'Moody Blue' was the #1 album while 'Way Down' was #1 on the singles chart, (putting him equal with the Beatles, each amassing 17 #1 hits).

The Eurythmics went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1983 with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)."

David Bowie appeared on the cover of "Architectural Digest" in 1992, the first human to do so in 4 years. He tells the magazine that, "my ambition is to make music so uncompromising that I will have no audience left."

John Mellencamp and Me'Shell NdegeOcello's remake of Van Morrison's "Wild Night" peaked at #3 on the singles chart in 1994.

Neil Young’s album “Sleeps With Angels,” the title track referencing Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, was released in 1994. Cobain’s suicide note contained a reference to Young’s “My My, Hey, Hey (Out Of The Blue”). “It’s better to burn out than fade away.” 1994

The largest music bootleg bust in US history was made in 1999. It was estimated that this one operation alone was responsible for $100 million in lost revenues. Recording equipment valued at $250,000 was confiscated, as were almost 1 million CDs and tapes.