Friday, June 25, 2010

Music News & Notes

The Killers' Brandon Flowers To Release Debut Solo Album 'Flamingo' In September

It's been announced that the Killers frontman Brandon Flowers will release his debut solo album in September.

'Flamingo' is due out on September 6 – a week earlier than the US – and will be preceded by the single 'Crossfire' on August 23.

The album was produced by Stuart Price, Daniel Lanois and Brendan O'Brien, and includes songs originally intended for The Killers' next album.

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McCartney's Show This Sunday To Be Streamed on YouTube

Paul McCartney is playing the Hard Rock Calling Festival this Sunday in London's Hyde Park and the show will be streamed live around the world on YouTube.

The appearance will be shown on the BornHIVFree YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/BornHIVFree) starting at 8:30 PM GMT/2:30 PM EDT and will be available on the channel for one month after the show. It is the first show from Europe that has been shown live on YouTube.

The BornHIVFree organization is dedicated to the aim that no child be born with HIV by 2015. The campaign's ambassador, Carla Bruni-Sarkosky said:

"I want to thank Paul Mc Cartney for donating tonight's performance for the Born HIV Free campaign. Through this live stream, we share our common belief in a world where all children can be born free from HIV".

Michael Fremer Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW:
John Coltrane (reissue)
Crescent


impulse/ORG 018 180g LPs


Produced by: Bob Thiele
Engineered by: Rudy Van Gelder
Mixed by: Rudy Van Gelder
Mastered by: Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering







Review by: Michael Fremer
2010-05-01


This very limited double 45rpm set should have sold out within weeks of its release but that probably didn’t happen.

Here the classic quartet featuring Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison explore Coltrane’s more lyrical side on “Wise One” and “Lonnie’s Lament,” (where McCoy Tyner gets some space to block out), the struggling Coltrane on the searching title tune and the light, swinging, foot-tapping retro-saxophonist on “Bessie’s Blues.” “Drum Thing” turns the set over to Elvin Jones.

These numbers are played as if live in a club and when “Wise One” ends you expect the audience to begin clapping their approval. Some people, having heard some later Coltrane honk-fests run scared beyond the Prestige albums. This one hits a sweet spot heavy in both invention and innovation and swinging lyricism. You cannot go wrong with this classic, that is, as Net Hentoff’s notes suggest, a summation of Coltrane circa 1964, an artist not likely to march in place for long.

Coincidentally, one of the two sessions here was recorded June 1st 1964, 46 years to the day I write this. Coltrane is quoted in the notes as saying “I don’t know what I’m looking for.” There’s some of that searching here and much summation.

“The main thing a musician would like to do is to give a picture to the listener of the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe.” That came some time later.

Rudy Van Gelder’s recording shows that the “Blue Note sound” was a reverberant creation for that label. Here the sound is drier, more focused and far less atmospheric. Yet some of Van Gelder’s spatial and tonal sonic signatures pop through. The piano sound is so-so and the spatial assignments somewhat arbitrary. However, tonally and texturally the sound of this Bernice Grundman mastering is superb.

The liner notes repeat the original’s “it is his Jones’…” liner notes typo. In the interest of authenticity I guess that’s what you do. The packaging and sound are true physically and otherwise to the original, though better turned out and definitely better sounding on two 45rpm 180g perfectly pressed LPs.

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 - June 25

Birthdays:

Eddie Floyd ( "Knock On Wood"). Wrote "634-5789 ,"a 1966 hit for Wilson Pickett. (1935)

Carly Simon (1945)

Allen Lanier - Blue Oyster Cult (1946)

Ian McDonald - King Crimson, Foreigner (1946)

Tim Finn - Split Enz, Crowded House, Solo and Finn Brothers (1952)

David Paich - Toto (1954)

Georgios Panayiotou (George Michael) Wham! - (1963)

Sean Kelly - Sixpence None the Richer (1971)

Mike Kroeger - Nickelback (1972)

Mario Calire - Wallflowers (1974)


They Are Missed:

Songwriter Boudleaux Bryant died in 1987. Wrote with his wife Felice, The Everly Brothers hits, 'Bye Bye Love', 'All I Have To Do Is Dream', 'Wake Up Little Susie' and 'Raining In My Heart' a hit for Buddy Holly. Other acts to record their song include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Simon and Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles.

Hillel Slovak original guitarist and founding member of The Red Hot Chili Peppers died from a heroin overdose in 1988, shortly after the band returned from a European tour.

Jimmy Soul ("If You Wanna Be Happy") died of a heart attack in 1988.



Born on this day in 1939, Harold Melvin, US soul singer and pianist. He died on March 24, 1997.

Born today in 1940, Clint Warwick, bass, The Moody Blues. Died from liver disease on May 18, 2004.

Turkish-American music producer and arranger Arif Mardin died in 2006 (age 74) from pancreatic cancer. He worked at Atlantic Records for over 30 years, before moving to EMI. The winner of 11 Grammy Awards, he worked with Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Wilson Pickett, Average White Band, The Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand and Norah Jones.

In 2007, American singer and record producer Hank Medress died of lung cancer at 68. He was the vocalist on The Tokens 1961 #1 hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Also produced the hit single “He's So Fine” by The Chiffons, as well as Tony Orlando's “Knock Three Times.”

In 2009, Michael Jackson died at the age of 50, after suffering heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills. Jackson is credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool, four of his solo albums are among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), while his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time with sales of over 50 million. Guinness World Records list’s him as one of the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", with 13 Grammy Awards and 13 number one singles. Prior to his death, Jackson had been scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010.

Sky Saxon, lead singer of the Seeds ("Pushin' Too Hard") died from an internal infection in 2009.




History:

Bo Diddley’s two-sided hit, "Bo Diddley" and "I’m A Man," top the R&B chart in 1955. Both songs become Rock n' Roll staples.

The Beatles started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1966 with "Paperback Writer," the group's 12th US #1. Also #1 hit in the UK.



In 1966, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Love, Captain Beefheart, The Lovin Spoonful and Percy Sledge all appeared at The Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California.

Also in 1966, Jackie Wilson was arrested for inciting a riot and refusing to obey a police order at a nightclub in Port Arthur, Texas. Wilson had a crowd of 400 whipped into a frenzy and refused to stop singing when requested to do so by police. He was later convicted of drunkenness and fined $30.

During a north American tour in 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience gave a free afternoon concert in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. They then played another two shows that evening at the Fillmore West.

In 1967, more than 200 million people saw The Beatles perform "All You Need Is Love," live via satellite as part of the TV global link- up, 'Our World', Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, Keith Moon and Gary Leeds provided backing vocals.



The Hollies recorded 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" in 1969. Elton John played piano on the session.

Sly & the Family Stone recorded "Hot Fun In The Summertime" in 1969.

Daryl Hall & John Oates record together for the first time (as Whole Oats) in 1970.

Marvin Gaye went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1977 with "Got To Give It Up," his third US #1.

The film soundtrack to 'Flashdance' started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1983.

The soundtrack "Purple Rain" was released in 1984, five weeks ahead of the film.

Patti Scialfa joined Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in 1984.

Debbie Gibson went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1988 with "Foolish Beat," making Debbie (aged 17), the youngest female to write, produce and record a US #1 single.

Van Halen started a four-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1988 with 'OU812.'

In 1993, Bruce Springsteen was a surprise guest on David Letterman's final show as host of NBC's Late Night.

In 1994, five people attending this years Glastonbury Festival were shot and injured when a lone madman pulled a gun and started shooting.

Pearl Jam’s feud with Ticketmaster in 1994 resulted in the cancellation of the group’s tour. The group contends the ticket company’s surcharges are excessive.

Stone Temple Pilots started a three-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1994 with 'Purple.'

At a Grateful Dead show in Washington, D.C. in 1995, three people are struck by lightning.

Pink Floyd were at #1 on the US album chart in 1995 with ‘Pulse,’ the bands fifth US #1.

Enrique Iglesias was at #1 on the US singles chart in 2000 with "Be With You."

In 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America disclosed its plans to fight Internet piracy. The plan was to sue hundreds of individual computer users who illegally share music files online. The process was planned to begin the next day. Good plan.....if your an idiot.

In 2004, Eric Clapton raised about $7.5 million for a drug addiction center he set up in the Caribbean. The items that were sold were the "Blackie" Stratocaster that Clapton played from 1970-185 for $1 million, a 1964 cherry-red Gibson for $847,000 and a 1939 Martin accoustic that Clapton played on his "Unplugged" album went for $800,000. All three sales were records for a guitar sale, a Gibson guitar and a Martin guitar respectively.

A Sgt Pepper souvenir poster bearing the signatures of all four Beatles sold for $52,500 at a pop memorabilia auction in New York City in 2009. Other musical items that went under the hammer were a set of Bob Dylan's handwritten lyrics, which made $25,000 and a bass guitar owned by Kurt Cobain sold for $43,750.











Note:  I have been compiling "This Date In Music History" (one of the most comprehensive lists on the net) for years now, I usually do it every other day.  Looking back, it seems I have been repeating some, so I will make a quick change to the 'even' numbered days for the rest of June and then July.  Hopefully, this helps to keep this feature fresh, with new information about rock and roll's glorious history!