Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 29, 2010


DEAR JERRY: I know you are familiar with the singer Bertell Dache, but how much do you know about him?

I ask this because for as long as I can remember, music books, magazines, album liner notes, and more recently web sites, indicate Bertell Dache is merely a pseudonym used by Tony Orlando in the early 1960s.

As the story is sometimes told, Orlando was under contract at the time with Epic Records, and, as was somewhat common in those days, concealed his identity by using another name.

In fact, using fake names on records is something Orlando did on other occasions.

While not an exact vocal match, Bertell Dache sounded enough like Tony Orlando to float the claim.

Further fueling the story is that Carole King wrote, played on and sang on songs for both Orlando and Dache.

Then I ran across a recent (March 16) blog entry from “palawanabe” which says:

“For 47 years, record collectors have claimed Bertell Dache is Tony Orlando, and radio DJs who specialize in artist bios have perpetuated that myth.

“In my endless quest to collect those rare songs I recently came across a copy of “Not Just Tomorrow, But Always” (a 1961 answer to the Shirelles'

“Will You Love Me Tomorrow”) along with a picture of Bertell.

“He is definitely not Tony Orlando, but a demo singer for Carole King and Gerry Goffin, as was Orlando at that same time. They did sound very similar and when Tony became popular a few years later, the rumor was off to the races.”

Can you settle this conundrum once and for all?
—Maurice Loveless, Carlisle, Pa.


DEAR MAURICE: With absolute certainty!

First, palawanabe is not alone. By way of Mitch Mitchell comes this very interesting take on the Dache story:

“My name is Tom Diehl and I am a historian for the Diamond record label.

“Diamond had an artist named Bert Dache who released one single in 1966, “Don't Stop the World for Me” (Diamond 202).

“Bertell was indeed a real person, and a demo singer for Gerry Goffin and Carole King. He passed away in 1987. I have spoken to his nephew, his aunt and his mother, who have all confirmed that he was not Tony Orlando by providing copies of recording contracts, photos, etc. Some of my friends in the music industry also worked with Bert and confirm he was not Tony.

“Session musician Artie Kaplan played saxophone on all of the Dache sides and songwriter Artie Wayne co-wrote some songs with Bert in the early '60s.

“FYI: Carole King added her background vocals live to the mono mixes of his songs in a later session. She was never actually in the studio with Bert.”

Thank you Tom and Mitch.

This case of mistaken identity — however believable it may have been — is an example of how an untrue story, if repeated often enough, can eventually be regarded as fact.

Count me among those who had no reason to doubt the legend, until just a few days ago I came across some very recently posted online photos of the late Dache. I knew immediately he and Tony Orlando were not the same person because Bertell was a black man.

Case closed!


IZ ZAT SO? Brief reference is made above to times when Tony Orlando really did record using a nom de guerre.

In 1969, using the name Billy Shields, Tony had a regional hit with “I Was a Boy” (Harbour 304), then as Wind, a Top 30 item titled “Make Believe” (Life 200).

Orlando returned in mid-1970 as Dawn, and scored four consecutive huge hits, “Candida”; “Knock Three Times”; “I Play and Sing”; and “Summer Sand.”

After those, the billing changed, first to Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando, then Tony Orlando & Dawn.


Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. 

Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368
E-mail: jpo@olympus.net
Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com


All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2010 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission

Music News & Notes

Glen Campbell to Release Final Album, Do Last Tour

It's being reported that pop legend Glen Campbell is recording a new album and also planning to tour one last time before he retires. The album, which will be all new material, is being produced by Julian Raymond who told Billboard that all of the basic tracks have been laid down and the orchestral backgrounds will be recorded next week.

Raymond said "It's not your mother's Glen Campbell. He's playing guitar better than ever, singing and writing better than ever. It's really going to be a great final statement from him."

Guests on the album is Jakob Dylan, Chris Isaak, Paul Westerberg (who wrote the title track, Ghost on the Canvas), Bob Pollard, the Dandy Warhols, Steve Hunter, Wendy Melvoin (Prince) and drummer John Freese.

A release date for Ghost on the Canvas will be announced once a label deal is confirmed.

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Crystal Castles Return With Ultra Limited, 12" Vinyl Only Single Next month...

Crystal Castles are set to return next month with an ultra limited edition single. 'Doe Deer' will be released on April 17th via Fiction Records / Lies Records on exclusive 12” vinyl only which will be limited to 500 copies around the globe. Billed as a “typically abrasive and sonically arresting” track, there will be no CD or download release of 'Doe Deer'.

The Canadian electronica duo's second album is expected to follow in June. The group will also play a live show at London's Heaven on April 20 as part of a string of low key worldwide dates. All tickets are completely sold-out.

The 'Doe Deer' track-listing is as follows:

A1 - 'Doe Deer'
A2 - 'Mother Knows Best' (2004 guitar version)
B1 - 'Insectica' (2004 guitar version)
B2 - 'Seed' (2004 guitar version)

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Green Day Go 'Back To Basics' For New Album

Green Day have begun working on their new album, one which singer Billie Joe Armstrong has described as “back to basics." The band recorded demos for the follow-up to 2009's '21st Century breakdown' during their recent world tour.

In an interview with MTV, Armstrong said it was “too early” to know whether the new album would follow their punk past.

"It's just been songwriting right now,” he said. “Instead of doing it later on, we decided to start doing stuff now. “It's all back to the basics again. Just getting in a room together and start jamming.” Cool....

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R.E.M. 30th Anniversary

Athens, Georgia will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of R.E.M.'s first performance as a band this coming weekend. Included will be bus tours visiting important sites in Athens' Music History, a three day retrospective of R.E.M. concert films and rarities and a tribute concert. Although R.E.M. announced the weekend on their website, there in no mention of them making an appearance. I would think that they will, just a hunch....

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Roger Dean Talks 'Avatar' at Retrospective

A special thank you to author Cathy Rose A. Garcia for allowing me to reprint this wonderful article

``Osibisa'' is the original work by British cover artist Roger Dean, which was also used for the cover of Osibisa's 1971 self-titled album.  Courtesy of Roger Dean

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter


One look at the floating islands in British artist Roger Dean's landscapes and the first thing that comes to mind is ``Avatar.''

But Dean was creating these lush, otherworldly landscapes in the early 1970s, decades before director James Cameron even started work on the billion-dollar-blockbuster. Days after the film came out the Internet was abuzz as fans discussed the striking similarities between Dean's fantasy world and Cameron's Pandora planet.

Dean, who was in Seoul last week for the opening of his retrospective ``Dragon's Dream'' at the Daelim Contemporary Art Museum, Tongui-dong, Jongno, remained tight-lipped whether he will pursue legal action against Cameron.

``The only thing I will say is I am extremely grateful to these millions of people online who have recognized the similarities and talked about my works. It's a great honor that so many people recognized it. I didn't know there were that many people who would remember my work,'' he said, during a press conference at the museum.

Dean apologized for not being able to talk about the matter, but hinted of future developments, saying: ``I'm sorry I can't say much about it, but watch this space.''

``Dragon's Dream'' is the largest retrospective of Dean's works, which include original paintings; original album covers for the rock bands Yes, Uriah Heap, Gun and Asia; and design logos.

``This is exciting for me because this is the biggest exhibition of my work that I have ever seen. It is wonderful that we have my works all in one place. Some of the pictures have never been exhibited before, and some have never been shown since the 1970s,'' he said.

Dean's career in cover art started in 1968. After designing Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, record label executives were impressed and asked him to do art cover for then a new band named Gun's album ``Race with the Devil."

``It was an intriguing thing for me. I never thought to do cover art. ... They continued to ask me to do jazz albums with very austere graphic designs. At that time I wanted to go and do more rock 'n' roll. So with my portfolio, I went around London, knocking on doors and asking for work,'' he said.

In 1971, Dean did his first covers for Osibisa (``Osibisa'') and Yes (``Fragile''), which attracted a lot of attention and made him a sought-after cover artist.

His album cover art was distinguished by a dreamy, surrealistic quality that matched progressive rock music. Dean created a world of floating rock islands with pine trees and flying dragons that most people would label as ``fantasy,'' but he disagrees.

``I never thought of it as fantasy. Essentially, I paint landscapes. Most are real, like the trees, but I add something that is not real like waterfalls with no source of water or rocks that float. But these are all inspired by places I've seen,'' he said. For instance, some of his landscapes with rock formations were inspired by American deserts.

Some of Dean's paintings are now worth as much as $2.5 million, but he takes more pleasure in the fact that his album covers have reached millions of people around the world. ``I definitely feel happiest when millions buy the albums. ... Basically, I only paint three or four paintings a year and if I sell one, it is a great honor for me,'' he said.

Rock music by Yes, Uriah Heap and Asia are played at the museum to get viewers into the right mood while looking at Dean's works.

Interestingly enough, the silvery-haired artist is not influenced by the music of the bands whose covers he makes. ``I talk to the band about the ideas they want to convey through their music. ... (But) I'm not reinterpreting their music. I listen to what they're saying about their music,'' he said.

While he loves different genres of music, Dean doesn't listen to music when working on his paintings and designs. ``When I listen to music, it's for the mood, but not for the creativity,'' he said.

Dean is also a designer, who has worked on logos and stage design and architecture. One of his most famous logos is for the video game Tetris, which has been played by millions of people around the world.

The ``Dragon's Dream'' exhibition runs through June 6. Tickets are 5,000 won for adults and 3,000 won for students. Visit http://www.daelimmuseum.org/.

SOURCE:  http://www.koreatimes.co.kr

This Date In Music History-March 30

Birthdays:

Rolf Harris (1930) (1963 US #3 single "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport")

Graeme Edge - Moody Blues (1942)

Ronnie Rice - New Colony 6 (1944)

Eric Clapton (1945)



Jim Dandy - Black Oak Arkansas (1948)

Dave Ball - Procol Harum (1950)

Re Styles - Tubes (1950)

MC Hammer (1962)

Tracy Chapman (1964)

Celine Dion (1968)

Mark McClelland - Snow Patrol (1976)

Norah Jones (1979)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1955, Randy VanWarmer, singer/songwriter, (1979 US #4 single "Just When I Needed You Most"). He died of leukaemia on January 12, 2004.

Timi Yuro, died from throat cancer in 2004 (age 62). Was just 18 years old when she reached #4 on the US charts in 1961 with "Hurt."

Born today in 1913, Frankie Laine, popular singer. He died on February 6, 2007

Born on this day in 1973, Adam Goldstein, DJ AM. Worked with Crazy Town, Blink 182, Madonna and Will Smith. Died on Aug 28, 2009 of an accidental drug overdose.


History:

In 1957,  Buddy Knox became the first artist in the Rock 'n' Roll era to write his own number one hit when "Party Doll" topped the US singles chart. Knox would go on to score four more US Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1961.

The Chiffons started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1963 with "He’s So Fine." In 1971 George Harrison was taken to court accused of copying the song on his 1970 "My Sweet Lord" and ordered to pay $587,000 to the writers.

16 year-old Lesley Gore recorded her breakthrough hit, "It's My Party" in 1963. The song produced by Quincy Jones went on to be a US #1.



Lesley Gore first appears on TV in 1963, on ABC's "American Bandstand."

Paris police arrested 85 rioters at a Rolling Stones concert there in 1966.

Lip-sync mishap in 1967 - Jimi Hendrix was appearing on Top of the Pops, but instead of playing the "Purple Haze" tape, a studio tech rolled Alan Price’s "Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear." "I don’t know the words to that one," Hendrix calmly states.

Also in 1967, the photo session took place at Chelsea Manor studios in London with Michael Cooper for the cover of The Beatles 'Sgt Pepper's' album. A release was needed from all the living persons represented on the cover. Mae West initially declines but is later won over by a personal request from the group. After the shoot The Beatles resumed work at Abbey Road studios on ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ adding guitars, bass, tambourine, and backing vocals. The session began at 11:00 pm and ends at 7:30 am.








The Yardbirds performed and recorded "Live Yardbirds" at the Anderson Theater in 1968.

John Denver went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1974 with "Sunshine On My Shoulders," the singers first of four US #1's. Denver was killed in a plane crash on October 12, 1997.

The Sex Pistols played their first show in 1976 at The 100 club, London and they began a weekly residency at the club in June.

The Eagles’ “Hotel California” hits the top of the album chart in 1977.



Paul Simonon and Topper Headon of the Clash were arrested in London in 1978 for shooting pigeons from the roof of a rehearsal hall.

Genesis released “England By The Pound” in 1980.

Phil Collins started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1985 with "One More Night," his second US #1 hit.

Gloria Estefan started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1991 with "Coming Out Of The Dark."

R.E.M. started recording sessions for their 'Automatic For The People' album at Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, New York in 1992.

Pink Floyd released the album "The Division Bell" in 1994.

Rapper Scarface was at #1 on the US album chart in 1997 with ‘The Untouchable.’

In 2001, LeAnn Rimes reached an out of court settlement with her father and her former manager. The country star filed a lawsuit claiming the pair had stolen $12 million from her.

It was announced in 2006 that Courtney Love had sold a 25-percent share of her stake in Nirvana's publishing rights to Larry Mestel, of Primary Wave Music Publishing. "I needed a partner to take Kurt Cobain's songs and bring them into the future and into the next generation," says Love. " The grapevine claimed that Love made more than $50 million on the deal.

In 2007, a man was arrested by police and detained under the Mental Health Act after trying to force his way into Paul McCartney’s mansion, screaming: “I must get to him.” The middle-aged man burst through security patrols into McCartney’s isolated Sussex estate; guards who feared an assassination attempt were scrambled to intercept him as he sped towards the front door. He was finally halted by trees and a fence just yards from Sir Paul’s six-bedroom home at Peasmarsh.

Guitars signed by Bruce Springsteen, the Who's Pete Townshend and Sting were up for bid at the third annual Musicians On Call Benefit Concert and Auction in New York in 2007. The event helped support the organization's program of entertaining hospital patients through live and recorded music.

Monday, March 29, 2010

New Music Releases - March 30, 2010

.38 Special - Authorized Bootleg: Nassau Coliseum Uniondale NY
Adam Green - Minor Love (vinyl)
Alan Jackson - Freight Train
Alex Welsh & His Ba - Wild Bill Davidson With Alex Welsh
Alexis Cole - Someday My Prince Will Come
Amy Grant - Somewhere Down the Road
Amy Grant - The Breakout Years
Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Anita O'Day - Cool Heat
Annuals - Sweet Sister
Anton Quart Delecca - Lost City
Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Go Home / Chi Congo
Art Pepper - Among Friends
Art Pepper - Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section
Arthur Brown - Requiem/Speak No Tech
autoKratz - Animal
Bamboos - 4
Barenaked Ladies - All In Good Time
Benny Carter / Roy Eldridge - Urbane Jazz
Beth Orton - Trailer Park (vinyl reissue)
Bill Evans (Trio) - Live At Lulu White's
Black Francis (aka Frank Black) - NonStopErotik
Black Tambourine - Black Tambourine (vinyl)
Blossom Dearie - Once Upon A Summertime/My Gentleman Friend
Blues Explosion - Dirty Shirt Rock N' Roll: The First Ten Years
Bob Welch - Greatest Hits
Bobby Caldwell - Consummate
Brad Treeby & The S - Wake Your Soul
Brian Lynch - Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra
Brian Smith - Rendezvous
Caravan - World Is Yours Box Set (4 CDs)
Catherine Wheel - Ferment (reissue with bonus tracks)
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
Chet Baker - Mellow Jazz
Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
Cinematic Orchestra (DJ Mix) - Late Night Tales
Circus Devils - Mother Skinny (vinyl)
Cobblestone Jazz - Modern Deep Left Quartet
Coleman Hawkins - Mellow Jazz
Conway Twitty - Country Hits
Count Basie - One More Time
Dave Brubeck - Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection
Dave Brubeck - Jazz At Oberlin
Dave Brubeck - Mellow Jazz
David Grisman - Live
Deep Purple - Live in Montreux 1969 (2 CDs)
Dexter Gordon - Mellow Jazz
Dickie Betts - Great Southern / Atlanta Burning
Dio - Sacred Heart
Dizzy Gillespie Quintet - Complete Studio Recordings
Django Reinhardt - Complete Solo Guitar & Duet Recordings
Django Reinhardt - Plays The Music Of Porter & Kern
Don Rendell & Ian Carr Quintet - Live At The Union 1966
Donna Fargo - Country Hits
Drake - Thank Me Later
Duke Ellington - Brunswick Sessions, Vol. 1
Duke Ellington - Side By Side
Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be (vinyl)
Eddie Higgins - Essential Standards Best
Eddie Higgins - Portraits Of Love
Edward Gordon Larry - Soul Jazz Records Presents Celestial
Ella Fitzgerald - Best Of Irving Berlin
Ellington Men - Big Sound
Emil Viklicky - Sinfonietta: Janacek Of Jazz
Envy On The Coast - LowCountry
Eric Alexander - Lazy Afternoon: Gentle Ballads IV
Eric Dolphy / Charles Mingus - Complete Bremen Concert
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Part II: Return Of The Ankh
Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn (vinyl)
Felice Brothers - Mix Tape
Florence and the Machine - Dog Days are Over
Francois Couturier - Un Jour Si Blanc
Frank Kimbrough - Rumors
Frank Sinatra - I Remember Tommy
Frank Sinatra - It Might As Well Be Swing
Frank Sinatra - L.A. Is My Lady
Frank Sinatra - Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back
Frank Sinatra - She Shot Me Down
Frank Sinatra - Sinatra & Strings
Franz Nicolay - Saint Sebastian of the Short Stage EP (vinyl)
Frightened Rabbit - Liver! Lung! FR!
Froy Aagre - Cycle Of Silence
Fyer-Barnhart Intern - Break In The Lakes
Galaxie 500 - On Fire (remastered with bonus CD)
Galaxie 500 - This Is Our Music (remastered with bonus CD)
Galaxie 500 - Today (remastered with bonus CD)
Gerald Albright - Sax For Stacks
Gerry Mulligan - In Sweden
Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Meth Ghost, Rae - Wu Massacre
Glenn Miller - Glenn Miller In Hollywood
Grace Jones - Live in NYC & London: 1981
Graeme Bell & His D - 1947 & 1948
Graham Parker - Imaginary Television (Vinyl)
Gretchen Wilson - I Got Your Country Right Here
Helen Humes - New Million Dollar Secret
Helge Ensembl Sunde - Finding Nymo
Helloween - Unarmed: Best of 25th Anniversary (CD/DVD)
Henry Mancini - Icons (4 CDs)
Herman Dune - Next Year in Zion (vinyl)
Hiriam Bullock - Late Night Talk
Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs - Medicine County
Jaared - Manhattan Nights
Jackie O Motherfucker - Ballads of the Revolution
Jackson 5 - J Is for Jackson 5
Jawbreaker - Unfun (reissue with bonus tracks) (vinyl)
Jay-Jay Johanson - Original Album Classics
Jazz Crusaders - Live At The Lighthouse
Jedi Mind Tricks – Army of The Pharaohs: The Unholy Terror
Joan Armatrading - This Charming Life
John Coltrane - Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection
John Coltrane - Mellow Jazz
John Coltrane / Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane
John Dankworth & Cleo Laine - Jazz Matters
John McLaughlin - The Early Recordings
John di Martino - Romantic Jazz Trio: Moliendo Cafe
Jon Secada - Clasico
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Dirty Shirt Rock n' Roll: The First Ten Years
Judas Priest - British Steel (Picture Disc)
Judas Priest - Killing Machine (Vinyl)
Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East (Vinyl)
Ken Camden - Lethargy & Repercussion
Ken Vandermark - Chicago Volume
Ken Vandermark - Milwaukee Volume
Kenny Rankin - After The Roses
Kids in Glass Houses - Dirt
Lady Gaga - Telephone: The Remixes
Lali Puna - Our Inventions
Laraaji / Edward Gordon Larry - Soul Jazz Records Presents Celestial Vibration
Living Sisters - Love to Live
Loner - Western Sci Fi
Louis Armstrong - In Sweden
Lucky Millinder - Shorty's Got To Go
Mae - (a)fternoon
Marc Mommaas - Landmarc
Martial Solal - Complete Recordings
Matthew Ryan - Concussion (reissue)
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis - Live In Berlin 1969
Miles Davis - Mellow Jazz
Miles Davis - Round About Midnight
Miles Davis - Walkin'
Mishka - Talk About
Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Steps Ahead (vinyl)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream (remastered)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Tender Prey (remastered)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Good Son (remastered)
Nikki Parrott - Fly Me To The Moon
Oscar Peterson - Oscar Peterson Plays The Cole Porter Songbook
PJ Harvey and John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By
Paper Tongues - Paper Tongues
Pat Travers & Carmine Appice - Keep on Rocking (CD/DVD)
Peter Brotzmann - Woodcuts
Pop A La Catalana: Jazz Bossa & Groovy Sounds From - Pop A La Catalana: Jazz Bossa & Groovy Sounds From
Raekwon, Ghostface Killer and Method Man - Wu-Massacre
Ralph Marterie - Into The 1950'S
Red Garland Trio - Groovy
Renato Sellani - O Sole Mio
Roy Acuff - End of the World
Roy Eldridge - Urbane Jazz Of Roy Eldridge
Samuel Hallkvist - Center
Sarah Vaughan - Masters Of American Music: Divine One 6 - DVD-Video
Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown
Savannah Churchill - Time Out For Tears
Seasick Steve - Man From Another Time
Serena-Maneesh - No 2: Abyss in B Minor (vinyl)
Sidney Bechet / Martial Solal - Complete Recordings
Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme (remastered)
Sinead O'Connor - Throw Down Your Arms (vinyl)
Slow Club - Yeah, So
Sneaky Thieves - Brotherly
Sonny Rolllins - Mellow Jazz
Stacey Kent - Raconte Moi
Stan Getz - Mellow Jazz
Stefano Battaglia - Pastorale
Steve Waddells - Steve Waddells Creole Bells 1979 & 19
Strange Boys - Be Brave (vinyl)
Sun Ra - Space Is the Place (soundtrack) (vinyl)
Tarlton - Evergreens
The Contribution - Which Way World
The Go Find - Everybody Knows It's Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight
The Revere - The Great City [digital release]
The Twilight Sad - Room (vinyl)
Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane - Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane (remastered)
Thelonious Monk - Monk (vinyl reissue)
Tiny Grimes - Loch Lomond
Tomasz Stanko - Dark Eyes
Turin Brakes - Outbursts
UB40 - Labour of Love 4
Usher - Raymond v. Raymond
Various Artists - Bob Dylan's Radio Radio 3 (4 CDs)
Various Artists - Dark As a Dungeon: Songs of the Mines
Various Artists - Hey Jude: Tributo a Los Beatles
Various Artists - Quantic Presents: The World's Rarest Funk 45's
Various Artists - Soviet Funk Vol. 2 (vinyl)
Various Artists - Stax Number Ones
Various Artists - Up In The Air (Music From The Motion Picture) (blue translucent vinyl)
We Are The Union - Great Leaps Forward [digital release]
White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights (2-LP, CD & 3-DVD Limited Edition Box Set)
Wooden Shjips - Vol. 2 (vinyl)
Wu-Tang - The Wu-Massacre

Music News

Warner Bros. Records and DEVO Announce the Release of Re-Mastered Versions of "DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE" and "NEW TRADITIONALISTS" From Ohio Art-Rock Pioneers

"Fresh" DEVO Vinyl Available on Record Store Day; DEVO to Perform on ABC TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on April 20th

BURBANK, CA--(Marketwire - March 29, 2010) - Electro-art-rock iconoclasts DEVO celebrate their early recorded works from the Warner Bros. Records vaults with remastered vinyl and expanded CD editions of their second album, 1979's "DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE," and their fourth album, 1981's "NEW TRADITIONALISTS." "DUTY NOW" will be available beginning on April 17th, Record Store Day, on vinyl while "NEW TRADITIONALISTS" will follow on May 11th.

Both albums have been re-mastered from the original analog recordings and housed in DEVO-luxish packages with a plethora of bonus tracks. Both titles will be released on CD as well as color vinyl album packages and both will include the Bonus Tracks. Please see below for track listings. The reissues follow last year's expanded first and third groundbreaking albums: "Q: ARE WE NOT MEN? A: WE ARE DEVO!" and "FREEDOM OF CHOICE."

Also available on April 17th, will be a Warner Bros. Records Record Store Day Exclusive DEVO release of two brand new recordings: "Fresh," backed with "What We Do," in pristine, Limited Edition 12" color vinyl glory. These will disappear fast so don't delay on Record Store Day!

As previously announced, DEVO will perform live at the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA on Record Store Day -- April 17th -- where fans can buy RSD releases in the Zia Records tent on the festival grounds. All the more reason to come out and hear some brand new, focus group-tested/approved DEVO songs and buy new DEVO music and merch.

As an added bonus, DEVO will host a rare signing session in the Record Store Day Tent, powered by Zia Records where fans can meet DEVO and have your new DEVOlicious purchases autographed by the band on April 17th, at the Coachella Festival. Strangely enough, over 300 Record stores across the U.S. will celebrate RSD in grand DEVO tradition as their employees will be outfitted in exclusive DEVO Energy Domes. Clearly, the Spud Patrol will be in full effect coast to coast and ready to serve YOU, the faithful, beloved Consumer.

Just a few days after Coachella on April 20th, DEVO will perform live on the outdoor stage of ABC TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live." This is DEVO's first live television appearance in several years. Tune in to ABC TV at 12:05AM PST and 11:05 CT. Check local listings for details.

Want to get "Fresh," now? Go to: http://www.clubdevo.com/. Stay tuned for more details about DEVO's plans for a new album to be released later this year.

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Rhino Spins New Vinyl For Record Store Day

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Rhino Records) - For many music geeks, the local indie record store is a safe haven, a place to loiter for hours as they flip endlessly through bins of music and pepper clerks with questions about obscurities in the hopes of discovering a new contender for their Top Five list of favorites. To celebrate the spirit that unites this unique culture, Rhino will offer several limited edition vinyl releases for this year's Record Store Day that spotlight Jeff Beck, Pantera, The Doors and Joy Division. Each will be available at independently owned music stores on Saturday, April 17.

The first is an exclusive 7" single that contains The Doors' "People Are Strange" backed by "The Crystal Ship." The vinyl coincides with When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors, which will receive its theatrical release in select markets April 9.

Released in a limited edition of only 2,500 copies.

Next, Atco/Rhino will release a vinyl pressing of Jeff Beck'sEmotion and Commotion, Pantera's Cowboys From Hell,Vulgar Display of PowerandFar Beyond Driven, and Joy Division: Boxed Set.

For a list of participating stores and more information on Record Store Day, visit http://www.recordstoreday.com/.

Jack Skuller - Love Is A Drum

Sunday, March 28, 2010

This Date In Music History-March 28

Birthdays:

Chuck Portz - Turtles (1945)

John Evans - Jethro Tull (1948)

Milan Williams - Commodores (1948)

Reba McEntire (1954)

Steve Turner - Mudhoney (1965)

Cheryl James (Salt) - Salt-n-Pepa (1969)

James Atkin - EMF (1969)

Mr. Cheeks - Lost Boyz (1971)

Dave Keuning - Killers (1976)

Lady Gaga (1986) Her 2008 single "Poker Face" reached #1 in twenty countries


They Are Missed:

Delta blues singer and guitarist Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup died of a stroke in 1974 (age 69). He wrote "That's All Right (Mama)," covered by Elvis Presley.

Freaky Tah (Lost Boyz) was killed in 1999 by a ski-masked gunman who came up behind him and fired a single gunshot into his head. Freaky Tah was 27 years old.


History:

Eddie Cochran recorded the epic cut "Summertime Blues" in 1958.



In 1958, Buddy Holly kicked off the first night of a 43 date tour at Brooklyn Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. The Alan Freed’s Big Beat Show also featured Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon, The Diamonds, Billy Ford, Danny & The Juniors, The Chantels, Larry Williams, Screaming Jay Hawkins, The Pastels, Jo-Ann Campbell and Ed Townsend. On most days the acts played two shows.

Brenda Lee recorded "I'm Sorry" in 1960.

Radio Caroline goes on the air in 1963. The pirate radio station (actually a ship broadcasting off the English coast) gives music fans an alternative to the BBC. The first song aired is the Rolling Stones’ "Not Fade Away" (written and originally recorded by Buddy Holly).

Madame Tussauds, London unveiled the wax works images of The Beatles in 1964 - the first pop stars to be honored.

In 1967, working on session for the new Beatles album 'Sgt Pepper' at Abbey Road studios in London, John Lennon recorded his lead vocal for "Good Morning Good Morning" and Paul McCartney added a lead guitar solo to the track. Lennon had decided he wanted to end the song with animal sound effects and asked that they be sequenced in such a way that each successive animal was capable of scaring or eating the preceding one. Hmmmm, I did not know that.

Van Morrison recorded the classic song "Brown Eyed Girl" in 1967.

Joe Cocker played his first American concert in 1969.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Woodstock" was released in 1970.

Elvis Presley recorded "Burning Love" in 1972.



In 1976, Genesis began their first North American tour since Peter Gabriel left the band, appearing in Buffalo, New York, with Phil Collins taking over as lead singer.

Blondie started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1981 with "Rapture," which was the group's fourth US #1 hit.

Also in 1981, Elton John's version of The Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There" was released as a tribute to John Lennon.

David Crosby was arrested in 1982 after crashing his car on the San Diego Highway. Police also found cocaine and a pistol in the Crosby Stills & Nash stars car. When the police asked Crosby why he carried the gun, his reply was, "John Lennon."

In 1986 - More than 6,000 radio stations of all format varieties played "We are the World" simultaneously at 10:15 a.m. EST.

Over a $100,000 worth of damage was caused at The Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, California in 1992, when Ozzy Osbourne invited the first two rows of the audience on stage. Several others took up the offer and the band was forced to exit the stage.

After bassist Chris Novoselic and drummer David Grohl threaten to disband Nirvana in 1994 if their singer/songwriter/guitarist Kurt Cobain doesn’t get drug treatment, Cobain enters the SoCal Exodus Recovery Center. This is after Cobain nearly dies from an OD in Rome only weeks earlier. Cobain walks out three days later.

In 1995, country singer Lyle Lovett and actress Julia Roberts announced they were separating after 21 months of marriage.

In 1996, Phil Collins announced that he was leaving Genesis to concentrate on his solo career.

Kiss played the first of five sold-out nights on their Alive II world Tour at the Budokan in Tokyo, Japan in 1998.

In 2000, Jimmy Page accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages from a magazine which claimed he had caused or contributed to the death of his Led Zeppelin bandmate John Bonham. Page's solicitor, Norman Chapman, told High Court Judge Mr Justice Morland that the feature in Ministry magazine printed in 1999 claimed Page was more concerned with keeping vomit off his bed than saving his friend's life, and that he stood over him wearing Satanist robes and performing a useless spell.

The artist formerly known as both Puffy and Puff Daddy said in an interview on MTV in 2001 that he now wanted to be known as P. Diddy. In August 2005, he changed his stage name to simply "Diddy." In related news, I now want to be called 'Bob Diddy'...

After playing a warm-up date the night before at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, U2 kicked off their Vertigo tour at the iPay One Center in San Diego, California in 2005. The 131 date world tour would see the band playing in North America, Europe, South America and Japan. By the time it finished, the Vertigo Tour had sold 4,619,021 tickets, grossing $389 million; the second-highest figure ever for a world tour.

In 2006, Tina Brown, the sister-in-law of Whitney Houston, sold pictures taken in her bathroom to the National Enquirer claiming Whitney Houston had been taking crack cocaine. The pictures showed drug paraphernalia including a crack-smoking pipe, rolling papers, cocaine-caked spoons and cigarette ends strewn across the surface tops of the bathroom.

Kelly Clarkson started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 2009 with ‘All I Ever Wanted’, the singer’s fourth studio album.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Going retro is back

By Kimberly Nicoletti
summit daily news


I started noticing it about two years ago. Suddenly, the young-20-something graphic artist I depended on to lay out “my baby,” Mountain House & Home magazine, began coloring the pages in turquoise, orange, gold and avocado. Truthfully, I was appalled. She obviously wasn't old enough to grow up in a 1970's home filled to the brim with an avocado refrigerator, a gold stove (yes, my mom mixed those groovy '70s colors in one room), purple flock wallpaper and velvet purple sofas (then called “couches”), gold walls, and a huge octagon coffee table swirling with psychedelic orange, turquoise, black, purple and every color in-between. (Oddly enough, my mom never smoked pot, much less dropped acid.)

I couldn't bring myself to tell my hip graphic artist how much I disliked the “new” color palette she found so cutting edge, and I especially kept my thoughts to myself when my coworkers — both younger and older — seemed to enjoy the look.

But when Copper Mountain changed its entire website this season — even returning to its old “C” logo, which, personally, I've always liked — I had to look further into this retro trend, which doesn't seem to be slipping away anytime soon. So I called Copper representatives to chat. That same week, I received an e-mail touting an “Old-school Tech Heaven: Vintage Voltage Expo” Sunday in Northglenn. This, too, piqued my interest, because in an effort to clean my garage, I've listed about 25 old albums on Amazon. To my complete shock, five have sold already. So, I figured I'd make a trip to see Gary Koenig — who owns Affordable Music in Dillon and said he “blissfully lives in the 20th century” — to see what this whole '70s fever is all about, because honestly, as bars host more and more '80's nights, I really thought we were past the far-out vibe.

Retro rules

“Retro's always been popular,” Koenig said. “People are always trying to grab a piece of the past — we all feel life was better then.”

Koenig has made a living for 18 years selling vinyl albums, tapes, CDs and other music paraphernalia at Affordable Music. But classic rock (vintage) vinyl albums are “the stuff I can't keep in here,” he said. “If I could get 500 Led Zeppelin albums, I could sell them.”

His vinyl-loving customers range from teenagers to folks in their 50s. Some prefer the sound, while others simply own records for nostalgia, especially since album covers contain large artwork and often lyrics, credits and more.

“They want to feel what it was like back then ... and some teens get vinyl and have fallen in love with the sound.”

He describes the analog sound as warmer and fuller.

“Sound is not digital; sound is analog,” he said. “The sound our ears work with is analog ... it has a vibration. You get that vibration with the needle dragging across the little bumps, and our ear drums respond.”

Demand for vinyl has increased so much that the music industry is reproducing old jazz and other standards, but they're not cheap. Many sell between $30-50; still, demand remains strong.

“People appreciate the sound of vinyl better,” he said. “People into quality (of sound) are going back vinyl. People into quantity are going to computers and downloading.”

While sound quality may be debatable, overall, the emotional pull of the past seems to strengthen as people age. The number of people — both buyers and sellers — attracted to the Vintage Voltage Expo in Northglenn, Colo., continues to grow year after year.

“People remember how much fun they had in the '80s, '70s or '60s — whatever decade they're nostalgic for,” said expo promoter Dana Cain, adding that yearning for the past increases in difficult times, such as recessions. “Especially when people are having money problems, it's very natural to hanker or long for the past. People put more stock in those emotional touchstones of the past.”

Old toys, turntables, antique televisions: These are the objects that help trigger memories.

“If you put the stuff around you, it helps bring you back to that emotional state,” Cain said.

Marketing the past

Copper Mountain resort tapped into the past with its National Snow Day Campaign, launched in fall, 2008. The idea: Recreate those magical feelings when kids rejoiced as television and radio announcers proclaimed, “no school due to snow!” Copper specifically targeted the Southern population, which may never have experienced a snow day. It went so far as to produce snow in downtown Austin. The campaign tested out the potential success of a retro feel, and consumers responded positively, said Pete Woods, Copper's director of marketing.

So this season, Copper went all out, transforming its website and ads into a '70's swirl of gold, dark and light blue, and reintroduced its original logo from 1971, when the ski area opened.

“We wanted to bring that classic hometown feel back — that feeling we know and love at Copper,” said David Roth, Copper's public relations coordinator.

“As soon as we (revived the old logo), it opened flood gates,” Woods said. “Employees just loved it — especially those who have been here for a long time.”

Though some people have asked what the heck Copper's doing returning to the '70's era, most homeowners, particularly long-time locals, resonate with the change.

“I noticed the retro look, and I hope (it helps) the mom-and-pop shops return after Intrawest,” said North Carolina Pam Smith, who lived in Golden, Colo., and has been coming to Copper for 20 years. “It's nice. It feels like home. It doesn't look so big business — it looks more down home.”

During the 1995-96 season, Copper revamped its original, rounded logo to a more sleek square logo. In 1996, Intrawest bought the resort and rebuilt the village core. Woods called the new “C” a branding exercise for a new era — one that also had a more corporate feel. The return to the old logo signified “a move away from the corporate feel,” toward a more local feel. The change happened to coincide with Intrawest's sale of Copper to Powdr Corp.

“We're trying to go back to a time when skiing was sexy and mustaches were thick,” Woods said.

In the competitive ski industry, many resorts find it challenging to differentiate themselves. But going retro has “raised emotions where as the previous campaigns have not,” Woods said. “(The ski industry) is a tight-knit group. They're not risk takers when it comes to communicating differently. (Ads tend to) look and feel the same. Every so often, someone drops a bomb in the room, and it changes everything.”

Far out, man.


If you go retro
BOX: Going retro in Northglenn
What: Fourth Annual Vintage Voltage Expo
Details: Features approximately 75 vendors with hundreds of vintage stereos, turntables, radios, guitars, vinyl records and more, plus show pieces, lectures and demos, including The Colorado Radio Collectors Club's annual radio show
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Ramada Plaza Convention Center, 1-25 at 120th, Northglenn, Colo.
Admission: $5 (children younger than 12, free)


SOURCE: http://www.summitdaily.com  Reprinted By Permission

Friday, March 26, 2010

Music News & Notes

WARBEAST: Final 'Krush The Enemy' Artwork Unveiled

WARBEAST (formerly TEXAS METAL ALLIANCE), the band which features RIGOR MORTIS vocalist Bruce Corbitt, GAMMACIDE guitarists Rick Perry and Scott Shelby, GAMMACIDE/DEVILFIST bassist Alan Bovee and DEMONSEED drummer Joe Gonzalez, is set to release their debut album, "Krush The Enemy," on April 27 via Philip Anselmo's (DOWN, PANTERA) Housecore Records. The record features ten tracks covering a wide range of metal terrain aimed squarely at the neck-snapping headbanger in the front row.

Not only does Anselmo run the label that WARBEAST's debut album is being he released on, he produced the record as well. Corbitt had the following to say about signing to Housecore Records and working with Philip on the production of the album:

"WARBEAST is proud to be signed with Housecore Records. I like the fact that their expectations are high for what they want out of a band. They also have a way of creating this family vibe between the band and the label while making it obvious that they believe in us. That is all the motivation we need to want to kick some ass for their label at all times.

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Trina Looks 'Amazin' in Cover Art of Her New Album

The female rapper looks stunning as she stares at the camera with droopy eyes in the 'Amazin' artwork. As her release date for the new album "Amazin" inches closer, Trina revealed the cover art for her May 4 release. In this artwork, the female rapper is photographed lying down and starring at the camera with droopy eyes.

Trina recently debuted a music video for a single called "Million Dollar Girl" which has cameos from her featured guests P. Diddy and Keri Hilson. The song is produced by Mario Winans and C.P. Hollywood, while the clip is directed by Gil Green.

Beside P. Diddy and Keri Hilson, other big stars lined up for the forthcoming album include Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Lady GaGa, Monica, Rico Love and Kalenna of Dirty Money. The album is preceded with the release of a mixtape called "The Definition of a Million Dollar Girl".



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Christina Aguilera Pictured as Half Cyborg in 'Bionic' Cover Art

Christina Aguilera has released an official picture to be featured on the front page of her upcoming studio album "Bionic." While the previous photo for "Not Myself Tonight" artwork has the singer with devil's horns and tail, Christina Aguilera now appears as a human-machine hybrid for 'Bionic' cover art.

Christina's fourth effort, "Bionic" is scheduled to be released in the US on June 8. The lead single "Not Myself Tonight" was produced by Polow da Don and described as a "fiercely energetic anthem." The track will be debuted on March 30 at 6 P.M. EDT, receives radio airplay on April 5 and will be available on iTunes on April 13.







============================================

Courtney Love’s Hole Unveil ‘Nobody’s Daughter’ Tracklisting and Cover Art

Hole have unveiled the album artwork and track list for their upcoming album "Nobody’s Daughter." It is set for release via Mercury/Island Records on April 11th, and is the band’s follow-up to 1998’s "Celebrity Skin." ‘Nobody’s Daughter’ was recorded in Hollywood and New York over a five year period with production from Michael Beinhorn and Micko Larkin.

The ‘Nobody’s Daughter’ tracklisting is as follows:

1. Nobody’s Daughter
2. Skinny Little Bitch
3. Honey
4. Pacific Coast Highway
5. Samantha
6. Someone Else’s Bed
7. For Once in Your Life
8. Letter to God
9. Loser Dust
10. How Dirty Girls Get Clean
11. Never Go Hungry

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The Dead Weather Announce Tracklisting and Release Date For ‘Sea of Cowards’

The Dead Weather have announced that "Sea of Cowards," the follow-up to 2009’s "Horehound," will be released on May 11th. According to the band’s official website, first single “Die By the Drop” will hit digital music services on March 30th. A 7” inch version of “Die,” backed by Cowards closing track “Old Mary” will be available to pre-order through White’s Third Man Records starting March 30th.

Sea of Cowards Tracklisting:
1. “Blue Blood Blues”
2. “Hustle And Cuss”
3. “The Difference Between Us”
4. “I’m Mad”
5. “Die By The Drop”
6. “I Can’t Hear You”
7. “Gasoline”
8. “No Horse”
9. “Looking At The Invisible Man”
10. “Jawbreaker”
11. “Old Mary”

The Dead Weather Tour Dates:

Apr. 14, 15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Apr. 17 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Apr. 18 – Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Concert Theater
Apr. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
Apr. 22 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
Apr. 23 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Capital Federal Park
Apr. 24 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Apr. 26 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
Apr. 27 – Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Soundstage
Apr. 28 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
Apr. 30 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ
May 1 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
May 2 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
June 12 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Festival


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Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr’s Debut Solo Album Set For Release

LOSTBOY!, the new solo project by Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr, will release his debut album in the UK on 16th May through earMUSIC. The self-titled record has been produced by Kerr’s Simple Minds cohort Jez Coad and features bassist Charlie Jones, who has worked with Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant and Goldfrapp amongst others, as well as long-time Simple Minds drummer Mel Gaynor.

Described as a ‘noisy and juvenile explosion’, the project was initiated by Kerr’s desire to create something fresh after years with Simple Minds: “I had a yearning to create something brand new,” he said. “Something that involved going back to the very beginning, something without past glories to depend on.”

However, the new direction does not signal an end to Simple Minds:

“Lostboy! AKA can and will move into the future in parallel with the continuing story of Simple Minds,” says Kerr, who also confirmed he will take the record out on the road. “Lostboy! AKA was born to play live, likewise the music is screaming to be heard in a live context.”

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Jimi Hendrix Rock Band Edition Confirmed

It's being reported that a deal has been made for Jimi Hendrix’s music to become the latest edition of the hugely successful ‘Rock Band‘ series. As a deal with Harmonix, MTV Games and Experience Hendrix, Jimi’s entire back catalogue will be made available as downloadable content, beginning with the his second album, ‘Axis: Bold As Love‘, and single ‘Valleys Of Neptune‘ on March 30th.

Commenting on the deal, Janie Hendrix, Jimi’s stepsister and CEO of Experience Hendrix, said: “Much like Jimi’s music, we feel that Rock Band represents an amazing, innovative medium for music discovery and interaction that can have a profound affect on those who experience it. We are extremely pleased to be able to have Jimi Hendrix’s genius musical legacy continue to live on and touch people the world over through Rock Band.”





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AT WAR: 'Infidel' To Receive Limited-Edition Vinyl, Cassette Release

On March 30, "Infidel" — the first album in 20 years from reunited Virginia thrash metal legends AT WAR — will be released as a limited edition of 500 vinyl LPs in a gatefold jacket and an extremely limited edition of 100 cassette tapes.

AT WAR has launched a brand new web site which features a library of streaming audio and video content as well as an archive of photos and show flyers spanning the band's 27-year history.

"Make Your Move", the new video from reunited AT WAR, can be viewed below. The song comes off "Infidel", which was released in August 2009 via Heavy Artillery Records. The CD's stunning cover artwork comes courtesy of legendary illustrator and photographer Claudio Bergamin.




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HELMET To Release 'Seeing Eye Dog' In June

Heavy-rockers HELMET have set "Seeing Eye Dog" as the title of its new album, which is due on June 22 via Work Song, the label imprint shared by singer/songwriter Joe Henry and HELMET mainman Page Hamilton's manager.

Regarding the musical direction of the new CD, Hamilton tells AOL's Noisecreep, "It's a cool album. I'm really into it. It's really good. The mastering guy was freaking out. That makes you feel good. You have to take some time to step back from it. I'm the singer, songwriter, guitar player, producer. I do all the backing vocals and all the extra instruments. It's just about putting everything into it and making it great. You can't really worry about what people are going to say ... a lot of people have a musical agenda or a stylistic agenda. 'I like emo.' Well, we're not emo. 'OK fine.' We're not metal. We're not hardcore. It's just HELMET."

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ROBERT PLANT And BAND OF JOY Planning New Tour, Album

LED ZEPPELIN frontman Robert Plant has resurrected his pre-ZEPPELIN band BAND OF JOY for a new album and tour. The group, features a diverse group of musicians — Patty Griffin, vocals; Darrell Scott, multi instrumentalist/vocals; Byron House, bass/vocals; Marco Giovino, drums and percussion/vocals; including co-producer Buddy Miller, guitar/vocals and they will embark on a 12-city North American tour in July, to be followed by further dates in the fall.

The album is set for release late summer/early fall on Rounder.

Kicking off in Memphis on July 13 (see full tour schedule below) the tour will feature Plant and the BAND OF JOY — the same musicians who also appear and play on the album.

Says Plant: "It's been a blast working on these new songs…and I'm enjoying such creativity and vitality. It's been a remarkable change of direction for all of us and as a group we all seem to have developed a new groove."

Robert Plant and the BAND OF JOY tour dates:

July 13 - Memphis, TN - The Orpheum Theater
July 15 - Little Rock, AR - Robinson Center Music Hall
July 16 - Tulsa, OK - Brady Theater
July 18 - Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Casino Amphitheater
July 20 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theater
July 21 - Tucson, AZ - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater
July 23 - Dallas, TX - Meyerson Symphony Hall
July 24 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 26 - Austin, TX - Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater
July 28 - Mobile, AL - The Saenger Theatre
July 30 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
July 31 - Miami, FL - Bayfront Park Amphitheater

Michael Fremer Album Review

Fuck Buttons (new release)
Tarot Sport


ATPR Records LP35 2 180g LPs


Produced by: Andrew Weatherall
Engineered by: Steve Boardman
Mixed by: Steve Boardman
Mastered by: Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service












 Review by: Michael Fremer
2010-03-01

Icy cold vistas, shards of broken electronic glass, relentless thumping disco beats and possible mysteriously encrypted bits of dialogue may not sound like something that would be particularly inviting on a full range audio system, but somehow Fuck Buttons makes it so on this album of artificial mayhem and just plain noise.

The more you listen, the more your brain can begin to unravel the sonic components that produce these enticing synthesized soundscapes. On the other hand you might just want to do a popper and relive the ‘70s, depending upon your experiences and predilections because this oddly modern yet retro music can sound like either outer space or a drugged out disco inferno.

The “tunes” aren’t so much composed as they are programmed over steady beats. The duo blends deep, ring modulator like feedback-drenched squiggles with high pitched squeals set to simple, shifting three chord triads to produce a wide band treat for some ears and just plain shit-noise for others.

Clearly Fuck Buttons’ studio creations will not please every musical taste and Brian Eno they are not, nor obviously do they aspire to be, but in my musical world, this kind of cold, abrasion acts as a pleasing audio palette cleanser.

Aside from being oddly therapeutic and sounding really good (not at all harsh and bright) and producing a wide and deep artificial soundstage, some of the thrash-noise engraved in the grooves of this well pressed double 180g vinyl set just might act as a good system demagnetizer.

That’s a possible added benefit as you listen while fingering the cool, smooth orange (fuck?) buttons embossed on the album jacket. Can’t do that with a download, nor would it sound as good as this. If you’ve got bass, Tarot Sport will exercise your woofers. Speaking which, judging by the picture on the inner gatefold, these two young guys are already sporting big studio midriff tires. Some Pilates guys...


Thanks to Michael over at http://www.musicangle.com/  for the exclusive rights to reprint this material.

Copyright © 2008 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - All rights reserved Reprinted by permission

This Date In Music History-March 26

Birthdays:

Diana Ross - Supremes (1944)

Fred Paris - Five Satins (1946)

Richard Tandy - Electric Light Orchestra (1948)

Steven Tyler - Aerosmith (1948)



Fran Sheehan - Boston (1949)

James Jonas Iha - Smashing Pumpkins (1968)

Kenny Chesney (1968)

Juvenile (1975)


They Are Missed:

One-man blues band Duster Bennett was killed in a car accident in 1976. Worked with Alexis Korner, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac and B.B. King.

Jon Paulus (Buckinghams) died of a drug overdose in 1980 (age 32).

Born today in 1953, William Lyall, keyboards, Pilot. Also worked with Sheena Easton and The Bay City Rollers. Lyall died in 1989.

Rapper producer, and record executive Eazy-E (Eric Lynn Wright) died of AIDS in Los Angeles in 1995 (age 31). Formed Ruthless Records, worked with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube.

Randy Castillo drummer with the Ozzy Osbourne band died of cancer in 2002 (age 51). Worked with Osbourne during the 1980s and early 1990s. Also worked with Lita Ford and Motley Crue

In 2004, Jan Berry of Jan and Dean, died at the age of 62, after being in poor health sustained in a 1966 car crash. Had the 1963 US #1 single "Surf City" (co written by Beach Boy Brian Wilson).

In 2005, Australian drummer Paul Hester died (age 46), after he "attempted suicide" and died from strangulation after being found hanged in a park in Melbourne. He had been a member of Crowded House, Split Enz and Largest Living Things.

Born on this day in 1950, Teddy Pendergrass, soul singer. One time member of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes. Died on Jan 13, 2010 at the age of 59 following a difficult recovery from colon cancer surgery.


History:

Ricky Nelson recorded his first tunes-- "I'm Walkin'" and "A Teenager's Romance" in 1957.

In 1961, the Beatles performed at the Casbah Coffee Club, West Derby, Liverpool, their last performance before traveling to Hamburg, West Germany, for their second visit.

The photograph for the "butcher" cover for the Beatles' American "Yesterday And Today" album was taken in 1966.



In 1970, Peter Yarrow of Peter Paul and Mary pleaded guilty to 'taking immoral liberties' with a 14 year old girl in Washington D.C. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months in jail. Just days earlier, the trio had won a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children for their album, 'Peter, Paul and Mommy.'





Mott The Hoople announce they were finished in 1972. David Bowie, a major fan, offered a song to keep them recording. They choose “All The Young Dudes” which becomes their biggest hit.




The film "Tommy" premiered in London in 1975.

Hall and Oates started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1977 with "Rich Girl," the duo's first US #1 hit.

The first single by Elvis Costello, "Less Than Zero" was released in 1977.

The Police became the first Western pop group to play in Bombay, India for over ten years when they played a one off gig in the city in 1980.

In 1985, radio stations in South Africa banned all of Stevie Wonders records after he dedicated the Oscar he had won the night before at The Academy Awards to Nelson Mandela.

Guns N' Roses were signed to Geffen Records in 1986.

Michael Jackson started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1988 with "Man In The Mirror."

Soundgarden entered the US album chart at #1 in 1994 with 'Superunknown.'

In 2000, Phil Collins won an Oscar at the Academy Awards for Best Original Song with "You'll Be In My Heart" from the Disney animated feature 'Tarzan.'

The toy figure of Eminem was facing a ban from UK shops in 2001. Woolworth's and Hamleys were refusing to stock the dolls. Psychologists warned parents who buy the dolls for children will be inadvertently giving their approval to bad language.

In 2006, readers of Total Guitar magazine voted the guitar solo by Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin’s "Stairway To Heaven" as the greatest guitar solo of all time. The 1971 track was voted ahead of tracks by Van Halen, Queen, Jimi Hendrix and The Eagles by its UK readers.



Also in 2006, U2's The Edge donated his favourite guitar a 1975 Gibson Les Paul to a charity he co-founded to replace instruments lost or destroyed when Hurricane Katrina hit the US.

Digital downloads of all of Elton John's albums were available for purchase exclusively (for a little over a month) by iTunes in 2007. The releases include nearly 400 tracks from John's four-decade career.

In 2008, a new promotion was launched promising a free can of Dr Pepper to nearly everybody in America if Guns N' Roses release their long-delayed "Chinese Democracy" album in ‘08. "It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients," says Pepper marketing director Jaxie Alt. "So we completely understand and empathize with (frontman) Axl (Rose's) quest for perfection." 2008

Also in 2008, the Los Angeles Times apologised for claiming rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was involved in a 1994 shooting of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur. The LA Times, which published the original story on its website, initially said its claims were based on FBI records, witness accounts and other unnamed sources. The apology followed a claim that the newspaper was conned by a prisoner who doctored the documents used.

Johnny Maestro (1939 - 2010)

Thanks to www.vintagevinylnews.com for this indepth look at the remarkable career and voice of Johnny Maestro

Johnny Maestro, the Brooklyn-born singer who had success with both the Crests and the Brooklyn Bridge, passed away in Florida on Wednesday from cancer and a possible heart attack. He was 70.

Maestro was born John Mastrangelo in 1939 and, at the age of 17, joined the fledgling doo wop group the Crests under the stage name of Johnny Mastro. The group recorded their first single, Sweetest One, for the Joyce label, scoring a regional hit in 1957 and reaching number 86 nationally. The next year, they moved to the Coed label where their single Sixteen Candles flew to number 2 on the pop and number 4 on the R&B charts.

The Crests continued having hits for the next two years, making them one of the most successful of the integrated doo wop groups. While never equaling the success of Sixteen Candles, they did place eight more songs on the charts including four that reached the top 40 (Six Nights a Week (1959/#28 Pop/#17 R&B), The Angels Listened In (1959/#22 Pop/#14 R&B), Step by Step (1960/#14 Pop), Trouble in Paradise (1960/#20 Pop).

Maestro left the group in late-1960 to attempt a solo career, scoring with Model Girl (1961/#20 Pop) and the minor hits What a Surprise (1961/#33 Pop) and Mr. Happiness (1961/#57 Pop).

For the next seven years, Maestro recorded for a series of labels (Apt, Cameo-Parkway, Sceptre, United Artists), at times with different Crests lineups, but had no chart success. It wasn't until 1967 that he was invited to join the group the Del-Satins who had been around New York for a decade recording their own songs and backing Dion after he left the Belmonts. At first, Maestro turned them down but eventually relented.

In 1968, the Del-Satins joined forces with another group called the Rhythm Method. They changed their name to the Brooklyn Bridge and signed with Buddah Records. Like the Buckinghams before them and artists like Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chicago after, the group combined smooth vocals with a rhythm and horn section. They covered a song originally recorded by the Fifth Dimension as their first single and went straight to number 3 with The Worst That Could Happen.

Like the Crests, they peaked early and spent the rest of their recording career much lower on the charts, reaching the top 50 with the double sided hit Blessed is the Rain/Welcome Me Love (1969/#45 & #48 (each side of the record charted separately at the time)) and Your Husband-My Wife (1969/#46).

Even after the hits stopped coming, the group continued to perform and record with various changes in the lineup, shrinking as low as five members and expanding back to eight when turing demanded it. Their last album, Today, Volume 2, was released in March of 2009.

Maestro is in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame twice, with the Crests (inducted in 2004) and the Brooklyn Bridge (2005). The Brooklyn Bridge are also in the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.




SOURCE: http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/

Thursday, March 25, 2010

"Hendrix" - Valleys of Neptune - Jimi Hendrix

"Hendrix" - Valleys of Neptune - Jimi Hendrix, guitar; Noel Redding, bass; Billy Cox, bass; Mitch Mitchell, drums; Rocky Isaac, drums - Sony Legacy, 62 minutes ****1/2:

The new Jimi Hendrix album is probably the best of his posthumous releases.


The new Jimi Hendrix album—I’ve never written those words before—is probably the best of his posthumous releases. It contains twelve tracks of never-before-released tunes and alternate takes on previously-released material. The music has the feel of completion, far more so than his other posthumous albums like Cry of Love, War Heroes, and Loose Ends.

I heard one cut live in November of 1968 and later wondered why it had never made it onto an album: Sunshine of Your Love. It’s an instrumental version of Cream's best-selling song. The first thing you notice is the faster tempo; the second of course is Hendrix’s phenomenal guitar work. How he handles the piece differently from Eric Clapton is best summarized by Franz Joseph Haydn’s quote on W.A. Mozart: “People say I have genius, but Mozart stood miles above me.” After a minute, the piece slips into a rhythm guitar riff that charms with its subtly variations, then erupts into untethered virtuosity. Hendrix’s jaw-dropping musicianship reminds me of his guitar work in All Along the Watchtower.

Ships Passing Through the Night has also never been released before. The lyrics are nothing extraordinary, but the solo guitar riffs may send you back to the days of Electric Ladyland. Clocking at 5:52 it’s one of the longer cuts on the album and features wild perambulations. The title piece, Valleys of Neptune, melodic and furiously inventive yet still ragged, has never appeared in this full band version. Bleeding Heart differs from the version on War Heroes and contains solo guitar work and tight playing that should amaze anyone. Contained wildness. The longest track, Hear my Train A Comin, is the only full-band version of this 12-string acoustic song (from Jimi Hendrix:Blues). Blues is right. He even scats while playing. Listen close to the last minute, when the tempo mysteriously slows, the volume drops to a whisper, then bang! There’s a final shout and a stinging guitar coda. Another blues tune, Red House, contains expanded arrangements and shows that Hendrix had not only been listening to B.B. King, but had actually surpassed him. Like the recently released At Carnegie Hall (Thelonious Monk quartet) and My Dusty Road (Woody Guthrie), Valleys of Neptune is a welcome visit from beyond the grave. Who knows how many more are out there lurking in dusky catacombs?

TrackList:

1. Stone Free
2. Valleys of Neptune
3. Bleeding Heart
4. Hear My Train A Comin'
5. Mr. Bad Luck
6. Sunshine Of Your Love
7. Lover Man
8. Ships Passing Through The Night
9. Fire
10. Red House
11. Lullaby For The Summer
12. Crying Blue Rain

-- Peter Bates

SOURCE:  I want to thank John over at http://www.audaud.com/ for the exclusive rights to reprint this material.



AUDIOPHILE AUDITION focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors, with an accent on surround sound for music, and on all hi-res disc formats. Over 100 SACD, DVD Video/Audio and standard CD reviews are published during each month, and our archives go back to January 2001.

New Album Cover Art

Godsmack, 'The Oracle' -- Cover Art and Track List

After a four year wait for another studio album, Godsmack fans' desire for a new album will finally be satisfied, when 'The Oracle' releases. They've released the first single from the new album ('Cryin' Like a B----!!'), for sale on iTunes in the beginning of March. They will also be headlining Rockfest 2010 in Kansas City and Rock on the Range in May.

Until May 4, the release date for 'The Oracle' rolls around, here is the album artwork and track list for the Boston-based band's fifth effort.

'Cryin Like a B----!!'
'Saints and Sinners'
'War and Peace'
'Love Hate Sex Pain'
'What If?'
'Devil's Swing'
'Good Day to Die'
'Forever Shamed'
'Shadow of a Soul'
'The Oracle'.







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Lacrimosa Reveals New Album "Schattenspiel" Artwork

Swiss Gothic act Lacrimosa has revealed the cover artwork for the band's upcoming 20th anniversary album "Schattenspiel." The band also issued the following statement about the album:

"New double album will be released on May, 7th 2010! For their 20th anniversary Lacrimosa will release a new double-CD with 17 previously unreleased tracks from their 20-years band history on May 7th, including the first demos from 1990 and brand-new songs, which at present Lacrimosa are recording in the studio."

Interesting Videos


To Have & To Hold - Taster Tape from Jony Lyle on Vimeo.


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 22, 2010


DEAR JERRY: From a book at the library I made a list of 20 hit songs with foreign language titles, all of which were popular long before I was born.

Since you are probably familiar with them, will you tell me which ones are sung entirely in another language, which ones are either partly foreign, and which are really in English but just have a foreign title?
—Gina Lanza, Milwaukee


DEAR GINA: Here then is your newly-alphabetized list, with the performers commonly associated with each song, and a comment about the language.

“Al Di La”: Emilio Pericoli's Top 10 hit is all Italian; Connie Francis provides one verse in English; and, except for the title, the Ray Charles Singers' version is all English.

“Allez-Vous-En”: Kay Starr sings a few lines in French, but most of this tune is in English.

“Chanson D'Amour”: By Art & Dotty Todd, mostly in English but with a sprinkling of French here and there.

“Chantez Chantez”: Dinah Shore serves up “a little Paris song,” but with only a few words in Francais.

“Danke Schoen”: Other than the German title, and one “auf wiederseh'n,” Wayne Newton's signature song is alle Englisch.

“Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup”: Though Nat King Cole opines “wish my French were good enough,” he effectively adds several French phrases to what is mostly an English number.

“Dominique”: The Singing Nun (Sister Luc Gabriel), from the French-speaking area of Belgium, sings in French from start to finish (but not Finnish). A No. 1 hit in many countries, including the U.S.

“Enamorado”: Washingtonian Keith Colley spoke no Spanish, yet learned enough to convincingly sing this Mexican doo-wop classic entirely in Spanish.

“Guantanamera”: From the Sandpipers, this beauty is all in Spanish, except for a brief English narrative-translation.

“Innamorata”: For both Dean Martin and Jerry Vale, this is just an English tune with an Italian title.

“Je T'Aime … Moi Non Plus”: Once Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg turn up the heat, it's probably just as well all the play-by-play is called in French.

“La Bamba”: All of the hit versions (Ritchie Valens; Tokens; Trini Lopez; Los Lobos) are completely in Spanish, though the lyrics do often vary. The 1987 Los Lobos effort reached No. 1.

“Mala Femmena”: As with her treatment of “Al Di La,” Connie Francis provides a token verse in English. The rest is Italian.

“Malaguena”: A Spanish classic from Connie Francis, totally en Espanol.

“Mas Que Nada”: By Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, this is the only tune on the list in Portuguese, or more specifically it's Brazilian Portuguese. No English heard here.

“Morgen”: Sung entirely in German by Yugoslav-born Ivo Robic and the Song Masters. “Morgen” is mornin', our abbreviated a.m. greeting. Interestingly, Robic's follow-up, and only other U.S. hit, “The Happy Muleteer,” is in English.

“Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)”: Using that title, Domenico Modugno took the tune to No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic in 1958, in Italian of course. Dean Martin did nearly as well with Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu), using equal parts English and Italian. In 1960, Bobby Rydell's mostly-English “Volare” (translation: fly) soared into the Top 5.

“Shina No Yoru (China Nights)”: Kyu Sakamoto's follow-up to “Sukiyaki,” listed first only because they are alphabetical, is all in Japanese. You'd almost think Kyu's singing “she ain't got no yo-yo.”

“Sukiyaki”: Recorded in Japan, in Japanese, by Kyu Sakamoto, and a No. 1 hit on three continents. Strangely, the song has nothing whatsoever to do with “Sukiyaki.” The word is not even used in the lyrics, but the powers that be felt the true title, “Ue O Muite Aruku,” would be too difficult for non-Japanese dee jays to pronounce. They picked “Sukiyaki” for its familiarity factor. The tune could just as easily have been titled “Sushi.”

“Senza Fine”: Another from Dino's old country songbook, though everything but the Italian title is in English.


IZ ZAT SO? Not only did The Singing Nun and Kyu Sakamoto both have No. 1 foreign language hits in 1963, about five months apart, they both died in 1985, also about five months apart.

The Singing Nun took her own life March 31, 1985, and Kyu Sakamoto died Aug 12, 1985 — one of 520 killed in the deadliest airline crash in history.

About 45 minutes after takeoff in Tokyo, Japan Airlines Flight 123 descended uncontrollably into a ridge near Mount Osutaka.


Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column.
Jerry's Question page: Ask your question here.


Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368
E-mail: jpo@olympus.net
Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com  


All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2010 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission

Music News & Notes

Them Crooked Vultures Join In On Record Store Day

Absolute Radio spoke with John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme of Them Crooked Vultures on Monday night at Royal Albert Hall and found out that the band will be touring through the end of August, at which time Grohl and Homme will pick up some other projects, pushing the second Vultures album to sometime after this year.

The group is releasing a 10" vinyl picture disc to retailers participating in the April 17 Record Store Day with Mind Eraser, No Chaser and Highway One on one side and an interview on the other.

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Ten Greatest Album Covers in Roadrunner History: #3 Sepultura - Roots

Roadrunner is continuing their look at their ten best album covers, they're at #3!

Brazilian death metal contingent Sepultura's last album with frontman Max Cavalera on the mic, Roots, came out in 1996 just as the metal landscape really began to change in a nu direction. In line with the downtuned sounds of the times and honoring Sepultura's experimental traditions, Roots basically boasted the band's return to their Brazilian heritage. Accented by the affluent tribal tones fully realized in the form of thick, layered percussives -- even featuring Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown playing traditional instruments on tracks like "Ratamahatta," the title was fitting for the sonic offering.




Read the rest here:
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Ten-Greatest-Album-Covers-in-Roadrunner-History-3-21113.aspx

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SOULFLY: 'Omen' Artwork Unveiled

SOULFLY's seventh album, "Omen," is set for for release on May 25 via Roadrunner Records. The CD will be made available in a standard edition and a special edition featuring bonus tracks.

The cover artwork for both versions of the album can be viewed below.

Standard Edition:















Special Edition:















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Official Cover Art of B.o.B's 'The Adventures of Bobby Ray'

Bobby Ray is in action, bending in front of an explosion in the official artwork of his upcoming debut album 'B.o.B Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray'.

Gearing up to release his new album on April 27, B.o.B has debuted an artwork to be featured on the front page of the upcoming record. The Atlanta rapper is featured in bended knees in front of an explosion, wearing a black and red jacket on top of white T-shirt combined with a pair of denims and sneakers.

"B.o.B Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray" has chart-busting song "Nothin' on You" as a lead single. Bruno Mars, Lupe Fiasco and T.I. are tagged to lend their vocal in this effort.




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MASTERPLAN: New Album, Single Artwork Unveiled

"Time To Be King", the new album from MASTERPLAN, the melodic power metal band led by former HELLOWEEN guitarist Roland Grapow, will be released on May 21 via AFM Records. The CD's first single, "Far From The End Of The World", will be issued on April 16.

Check out the cover artwork for "Time To Be King"
















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