Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

an article that both fascinated me and made me smile, what a wonderful story about an iconic man of album cover art (and if you ever get the chance, stop by his website amazing!    

Interview: Illustrator and Musician Robert Crumb, Author of The Complete Record Cover Collection

By Richard Marcus, BLOGCRITICS.ORG

Robert Crumb is probably best known from his career as a comic book artist, specifically from the world of underground comics in the United States in the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s. Characters such as Mr. Natural have assured Crumb's name will endure amongst comic fans for years to come. However, talent like his does not pass unnoticed and his work has graced more than just the pages of comic books. Aside from illustrating Crumb has another passion, early twentieth century popular music. Over the course of his career drawing comics he has also been steadily amassing a portfolio of music related art work. He's designed everything from record covers to business cards and letterhead for small companies to promotional material for concerts and record stores.

Please read the rest at seattlepi.com


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Boy from U2 album covers shares story behind photos

By Kwala Mandel

Cover of U2's album "Boy" (L) and an unpublished outtake (R)

In 1980, U2 released a debut album, "Boy," with a memorable album cover photo featuring a six-year-old boy staring directly at the camera. Three years later, the same figure reappeared on the cover of "War." The child (who has since been featured on many of U2's albums) is Peter Rowen. Rowen, now a 37-year-old photographer with a daughter of his own, lives in Dublin, Ireland, and still stays in touch with Bono and The Edge

Read more at news.yahoo.com

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Joe Walsh Set To Release First Album in 20 Years

Walsh’s first solo album in 20 years will be called 'Analog Man,' and according to Walsh, it does actually mean something. It is the veteran rock star’s reflection on that facts that he started making music on reel-to-reel cassettes and vinyl LPs, but now he records on computers and sells his songs as digitally. The album was produced by Jeff Lynne.

"I know in the past, I’ve had screwy album titles, but I decided to call it 'Analog Man,'" Walsh said in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. "Because, you know, my generation of musicians, we grew up analog, and now it’s a digital world. We had to learn it, you know? Everything’s totally different. There's no record companies -- who knew that would happen? They were so powerful when I was young!"

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Nashville Country Stars To Cover Paul McCartney For Charity

SHeDAISY, Ricky Skaggs, Steel Magnolia, and Chuck Wicks (among others) have all signed on to appear at a tribute concert on November 7th at the Ryman Auditorium in a fundraiser for the Women and Cancer Fund. The show is in memory of Paul McCartney's late wife Linda McCartney, who died of breast cancer in 1998.

They are to join an all-star crew of performers that will perform songs by the former Beatle as well as tracks from their own catalogs. They will later collect their covers for a charity album titled 'Let Us In: Nashville - A Tribute To Linda McCartney.' The album will be released through Reviver Music on November 21.

Tracklist:

Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr) - "Junk"
Juliana Cole - "Bluebird"
Jeff Daniels - "Heart Of The Country"
Sarah Darling - "Blackbird"
Tommy Emmanuel - "She's A Woman"
Nikki Shannon Fernandez - "I Saw Her Standing There"
Cheyenne Kimball - "Mull Of Kintyre"
Samantha Landrum - "Pipes Of Peace"
Timothy B. Schmit, Mark Hudson, Laurence Juber, Denny Seiwell - "Every Night"
Ricky Skaggs - "Listen To What The Man Said"
SHeDAISY - "With A Little Luck"
Jordyn Shellhart - "I Will"
Nancy Siranni - "Calico Skies"
Steel Magnolia - "Maybe I'm Amazed"
Phil Vassar - "Lady Madonna"
Chuck Wicks - "No More Lonely Nights"

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stunning album cover art!

KRISIUN: New Album Released On Halloween

The group's new album, 'The Great Execution,' which will be released on October 31 in Europe and November 1 in North America via Century Media Records. The band's eighth studio effort "musically expands KRISIUN trademark high-speed death metal violence with a heavily increased amount of diversity ranging from extreme tempo variations over distinct rhythm patterns to clean guitars and even Flamenco parts!" according to a press release.

KRISIUN only used analog gear and instruments this time to avoid the compressed sound that so many musicians produce today. This wise decision resulted in a more organic sound, with the songs on "The Great Execution" possessing both warmth and rawness, which are so often lost through digital production. The low end is deeper, with drums that pound instead of bounce and guitar tones that sear rather than hiss.

"With our new record we managed to capture the sound and the vibe that we were always looking for," says KRISIUN vocalist/bassist Alex Camargo.

The cover artwork was created by Japanese artist Toshihiro Egawa who has been doing tons of great designs for acts like SUICIDE SILENCE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, DEVOURMENT and DYING FETUS, among others.

"The Great Execution" will be available as a limited-edition digipack including a re-recorded version of the classic KRISIUN song "Black Force Domain" as a bonus track, as a 180-gram gatefold vinyl and as a digital download.

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Tony Iommi/Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne Saga Report

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi discusses writing his new autobiography, life as a rock star and whether Ozzy Osbourne will ever rejoin the band.

When asked if Iommi will ever record with Ozzy again, the metal legend said, “Who knows? It’s like when we had Ronnie James Dio with us, we broke up, got back together, did another album and tour. You can never tell. We got back together with Ozzy in 1997 and toured so you never know what’s around the corner.”

Iommi admitted that he and Ozzy had had their ups and downs, but never had an actual falling out – not even when they had a widely publicized legal tussle over the ownership rights to the Black Sabbath name.

hey, guys, open a bottle of wine and get together and stop talking about it!

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Testament - Practice What You Preach

STUNNING 180 GRAM WHITE VINYL REISSUE OF TESTAMENTS DEBUT ALBUM

Practice What You Preach is the third album by American heavy metal band Testament, released in 1989. The album's lyrical themes are more about politics and society than the occult themes of the band's previous two albums. The title track of this album was a moderate mainstream rock hit, which featured a music video that gained substantial MTV airplay, as did "The Ballad".

SIDE A
1. Practice What You Preach
2. Perilous Nation
3. Envy Life
4. Time Is Coming
5. Blessed In Contempt



SIDE B
6. Greenhouse Effect
7. Sins Of Omission
8. The Ballad
9. Nightmare (Coming Back To You)
10. Confusion Fusion

Buy The LP Here



Testament - Souls of Black

DELUXE 180 GRAM LIMITED EDITION GATEFOLD BLUE VINYL REISSUE OF TESTAMENTS 1990 ALBUM

Souls of Black is the fourth album by American heavy metal band Testament, released in 1990. It preceded several changes in style to rather diverse styles of metal, including the traditional heavy metal sound heard in its succeeding album, The Ritual

SIDE A
1. Beginning Of The End
2. Face In The Sky
3. Falling Fast
4. Souls Of Black
5. Absence Of Light
6. Love To Hate


SIDE B
7. Malpractice
8. One Man’s Fate
9. The Legacy
10. Seven Days Of May

Buy The LP Here

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i know, it's only october......

Billboard Reveals Top Ten Best Selling Christmas Albums of the Last Twenty Years

Billboard has published a list of the top selling Christmas albums of the Soundscan era (1991-2011).

The top ten:

1. Noel - Josh Groban (5.28 million)
2. These Are Special Times - Celine Dion (5.17)
3. Merry Christmas - Mariah Carey (5.12)
4. A Fresh Aire Christmas - Mannheim Steamroller (3.61)
5. Christmas - Mannheim Steamroller (3.48)
6. Now That's What I Call Christmas! - Various Artists (3.39)
7. Christmas Eve & Other Stories - Trans-Siberian Orchestra (3.19)
8. When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick, Jr. (3.08)
9. A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio (3.01)
10. Home For Christmas - N'Sync (2.66)

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Songwriters Hall of Fame Nominates Costello, Lightfoot, Michaels, Reed, Townshend, Waits, 18 More

24 songwriters and songwriting teams have been nominated for the 2012 class at the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Among the nominees are Elvis Costello, Dion DiMucci, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Gordon Lightfoot and George Michael.

The nominees are broken into two categories, non-performing songwriters and performing songwriters with twelve being nominated in each. Members will have until December 12 to pick two from each category for induction. The inductees will be named in early 2012 with the ceremony taking place on June 14 at the New York Marriott Marquis. The British rock band Queen was the first band to be inducted in 2003

Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame honors those whose work represents a spectrum of the most beloved songs from the world’s popular music songbook. Songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond who founded the organization wanted to shine the spotlight on the accomplishments of songwriters who have provided us with the words and music that form the soundtrack of our lives. Each year the Hall of Fame inducts a slate of songwriters voted on by the membership at an Awards Gala that has been recognized by the music industry and the media as the most important of the year. In this digital age, the Hall of Fame has put together an award-winning online museum to honor songwriters who have been inducted. This has become a leading destination for music industry professionals and researchers, along with popular music fans.

Out of the tens of thousands of successful songwriters of our era, there are fewer than 400 inductees who make up the impressive roster enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The list includes Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland, Albert Hammond, Desmond Child, Paul Williams, Hal David and Burt Bacharach, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Richard and Robert Sherman, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Sir Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Curtis Mayfield, Jim Croce, Phil Collins, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Webb, Van Morrison, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Diane Warren and Leonard Cohen among many others.

2011 Nominees:

Elvis Costello
Dion DiMucci
Deborah Harry & Chris Stein (Blondie)
Yusuf Islam (former Cat Stevens)
Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)
Gordon Lightfoot
George Michael
Steve Miller
Lou Reed
Bob Seger
Pete Townshend
Tom Waits

Get more info at our friends at vintagevinylnews

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sabotagetimes.com has a sad story, a man and his music gone wrong!

Vinyl’s Dead. Now WAV Goodbye

"This is the last call for all you vinyl junkies out there."

With figures released this week showing that 99.7% of all singles sold are now digital, we need reminding of the joyful days when music existed in a physical world, before it all becomes but a distant memory...

Read the story at sabotagetimes.com

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and in music history for today, october 17th:

In 1957, the movie 'Jailhouse Rock,' starring Elvis Presley, was released in the US, premiering at Loews State Theatre where Elvis worked as an usher five years earlier.

In 1960, Ben E. King led the Drifters to the top of the US Pop chart with "Save The Last Dance For Me". The record will reach #2 in the UK in December.

In 1960, Dion and the Belmonts split up over what is described as "musical differences". Dion DiMucci says that the Belmonts are leaning too much toward "Middle Of The Road" music, but insiders say that the sharing of money is the major factor.

In 1962, the Beatles made their first TV appearance in Britain when they appeared on Granada TV's People And Places, singing "Love Me Do".

In 1964, a British group known collectively as Manfred Mann had the number one single on the Billboard Pop chart with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy". The song was sung by vocalist Paul Pond, who used the stage name Paul Jones. Keyboard player Michael Lubowitz would retain the band's name and continued to turn out chart hits until the mid 1980s.

In 1967, the musical "Hair" premiered at New York's Public Theatre. The show ran for 1,758 performances.

Also in 1967, a memorial service for Brian Epstein in London was attended by the Beatles.

In 1968, Jose Feliciano released his controversial, bluesy rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner."

Eric Clapton released "After Midnight" in 1970. Written by J. J. Cale, the laid back boogie feel of "After Midnight" is a prime example of Cale's signature style. Cale had written the song and released a demo version in 1966. This was Clapton's first single as a solo artist. Delaney Bramlett, who was friends with J.J. Cale, introduced Clapton to the song and to Cale's music. Clapton became a big fan, and began using Cale's whispery vocal style on some of his tracks.

"After Midnight" was also in many ways the catalyst for Cale's own solo recording career. Cale was unaware of Clapton's recording of the song until it became a radio hit in 1970. He recalled to Mojo magazine that when he heard Clapton’s version playing on his radio, “I was dirt poor, not making enough to eat and I wasn’t a young man. I was in my thirties, so I was very happy. It was nice to make some money.” Cale's friend and producer Audie Ashworth then encouraged him to capitalize on the song's success by recording a full album, Naturally, released in 1971. The single by Cale reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

Clapton switched guitars for this album. He started using a Fender Stratocaster instead of a Gibson Les Paul.

Clapton was still a member of Derek and the Dominos when he released this song.



Also in 1970, with lead vocals shared by Michael and Jermaine Jackson, The Jackson 5 scored their fourth straight US number one Pop single with "I'll Be There". Motown reported that the group had sold more than ten million records worldwide.

In 1977, 'Street Survivors' was released by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Three days later vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines (Steve's sister) and road manager Dean Kilpatrick were killed when their plane crashed in Gillsburg, MS. The other four members of the band were seriously injured but survived the crash.

Fleetwood Mac's two record set "Tusk", an experimental set of songs that cost the band a then record $1 million to record, was released by Warner Brothers Records in 1979. "Tusk" peaked at #4 in the US and achieved sales in excess of two million copies, spawning two Top Ten singles, "Sara" and the title track. It reached #1 in the UK and achieved Platinum status.

The film biography "Sid And Nancy" opened nationally in 1986.

In 1990, Steppenwolf's 1968 rocker, "Born to Be Wild" re-entered the Top 10 in Holland on the strength of the amount of airplay it received in recent movies and commercials.

In 1991, American singer and television presenter Tennessee Ernie Ford died of liver failure. He had the 1955 U.S. and U.K. #1 hit with his version of the Merle Travis song “Sixteen Tons.” In the ’60s, he hosted a talk show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show on the ABC television network.

In 1995, in London, Sting's former financial adviser was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of stealing $9.4 million from the musician.

Also in 1995, Rhino Home Video released 58 episodes of "The Monkees" on 21 cassettes. It was the largest video boxed set to be released.

In 1999, Thomas Durden died at age 79. He wrote the lyrics to “Heartbreak Hotel.” Durden read a newspaper account of a man who had committed suicide, the man had left a note saying, “I walk a lonely street.” Durden used the phrase as the basis for “Heartbreak Hotel.”

In 2000, a flat in Montague Sq. London, which was once owned during the ’60s by Ringo Starr, went on the market for £575,000. The two-bedroom, two-story property was also home for Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney during the ’60s.

In 2000, George Michael became the new owner of the piano that John Lennon used to compose his classic song "Imagine". George paid £1.5m at a London auction.

In 2005, visiting his New Orleans home for the first time since he was rescued by boat from rising floodwaters, 77 year-old Fats Domino found his piano overturned among mud and debris and his house in ruins.

In 2007, Teresa Brewer, who placed 14 songs on the Billboard Top 40, including the Top 10 hits "A Tear Fell" and "Sweet, Old Fashioned Girl", both in 1956, died of neuromuscular disease at the age of 76.

In 2008, the Four Tops lead singer, Levi Stubbs, died after a long series of illnesses, including cancer and a stroke, at the age of 72. Stubbs had been in ill health since being diagnosed with cancer in 1995, and a stroke and other health problems led him to stop touring in 2000. The group signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced 20 Top 40 hits over the following 10 years, making music history with other acts in Berry Gordy's Motown stable. The group placed 24 songs on the Billboard Pop chart and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990.



birthdays today (among others) Jim Seals (Seals & Crofts) (70), Eminem (born Marshall Mathers III) (39), Gary Puckett (Union Gap) (69), Ziggy Marley (43), Michael Hossack (Doobie Brothers) (65) and Jim Tucker (Turtles) (65)