http://www.jerryosborne.com/cgi-bin/Forum/YaBB.pl
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Join Jerry Osborne's Vinyl Forum
Ask "Mr. Music" is in its 22nd year of syndication (1986-2008). Jerry Osborne has also opened up a new forum for all vinyl and music lovers....stop by for a visit!
http://www.jerryosborne.com/cgi-bin/Forum/YaBB.pl
http://www.jerryosborne.com/cgi-bin/Forum/YaBB.pl
This Day In Music History- January 13
In 1979, Donny Hathaway ("Where Is The Love" with Roberta Flack) falls to his death from the 15th floor of a New York City hotel room (ruled a suicide, though evidence suggests it was accidental).
In 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono cut their hair and donate it to a charity auction.
British police arrested the Who's Pete Townshend in 2003, on suspicion of possession of child pornography (he says it was "research" and receives an official caution).
In 1999, the performing rights group BMI proclaims the most-performed song of the century is the Righteous Brothers' 1965 # 1 hit "You've Lost That Loving Feeling."
The Beatles released “I Want To Hold Your Hand" in the U.S. in 1964. Let Beatlemania begin!
Guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers was born in Washington, D.C. in 1948.
In 1948, Tony Gomez, organist with English soul act the Foundations ("Build Me Up Buttercup"), was born in Sri Lanka.
Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, PA, patented the accordion in 1854.
1957 saw Elvis Presley record "All Shook Up" and "That’s When Your Heartaches Begin" in Hollywood.
In 1968, Dr. K.C. Pollack of the University of Florida audio lab, reported that tests found that the noise levels at rock & roll concerts was harmful to teenage ears. (and we loved it anyway!)
The Y.M.C.A. filed a lawsuit against the Village People in 1979 over their song, "Y.M.C.A." The suit was later dropped.
Elvis Presley entered the American Sound Studio in Memphis ("Memphis Sessions") in 1969, where he will cut some of the finest recordings of his career, including the hits "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds." It is the first time he's recorded in his hometown since 1956.
Backed by an all-star band in 1973, guitar legend Eric Clapton performed a solo concert at London's Rainbow Theatre. It is promoted as a comeback concert, returning Clapton to the public eye after a reclusive period of heroin addiction. Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert is released in abbreviated form on LP (6 tracks) in 1973 and in expanded form on CD (14 tracks) in 1995.
In 1958, radio station KWK in St. Louis declared that Rock n’ Roll was dead. After giving their Rock n’ Roll records one final play, the station staff started breaking them. (real smart, eh?)
In 2006, it was announced that The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Axis: Bold as Love" and Bob Dylan's "Bringing It All Back Home" albums will be added to the Grammy Hall of Fame. The inductees represent "the most significant recorded musical masterpieces that have had a profound impact on our culture," says Recording Academy president Neil Portnow.
"The Twist," by Chubby Checker, topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks in 1962.
In 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono cut their hair and donate it to a charity auction.
British police arrested the Who's Pete Townshend in 2003, on suspicion of possession of child pornography (he says it was "research" and receives an official caution).
In 1999, the performing rights group BMI proclaims the most-performed song of the century is the Righteous Brothers' 1965 # 1 hit "You've Lost That Loving Feeling."
The Beatles released “I Want To Hold Your Hand" in the U.S. in 1964. Let Beatlemania begin!
Guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers was born in Washington, D.C. in 1948.
In 1948, Tony Gomez, organist with English soul act the Foundations ("Build Me Up Buttercup"), was born in Sri Lanka.
Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, PA, patented the accordion in 1854.
1957 saw Elvis Presley record "All Shook Up" and "That’s When Your Heartaches Begin" in Hollywood.
In 1968, Dr. K.C. Pollack of the University of Florida audio lab, reported that tests found that the noise levels at rock & roll concerts was harmful to teenage ears. (and we loved it anyway!)
The Y.M.C.A. filed a lawsuit against the Village People in 1979 over their song, "Y.M.C.A." The suit was later dropped.
Elvis Presley entered the American Sound Studio in Memphis ("Memphis Sessions") in 1969, where he will cut some of the finest recordings of his career, including the hits "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds." It is the first time he's recorded in his hometown since 1956.
Backed by an all-star band in 1973, guitar legend Eric Clapton performed a solo concert at London's Rainbow Theatre. It is promoted as a comeback concert, returning Clapton to the public eye after a reclusive period of heroin addiction. Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert is released in abbreviated form on LP (6 tracks) in 1973 and in expanded form on CD (14 tracks) in 1995.
In 1958, radio station KWK in St. Louis declared that Rock n’ Roll was dead. After giving their Rock n’ Roll records one final play, the station staff started breaking them. (real smart, eh?)
In 2006, it was announced that The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Axis: Bold as Love" and Bob Dylan's "Bringing It All Back Home" albums will be added to the Grammy Hall of Fame. The inductees represent "the most significant recorded musical masterpieces that have had a profound impact on our culture," says Recording Academy president Neil Portnow.
"The Twist," by Chubby Checker, topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks in 1962.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Blue Note Releasing Classic Music
Blue Note Records To Release 'Droppin' Science' Feb. 12
On February 12, Blue Note Records will release Droppin' Science, a unique collection of the legendary label's classic late 60s through mid-70s jazz-funk tracks, all of which have featured prominently as samples in some of the greatest hip hop cuts of the late 80s, 90s and beyond.
Friday, January 11, 2008
This Day In Music History- Jan 11
In 1963, Sam Cooke's late show at the Harlem Square Club in Miami, Florida, was recorded by RCA for possible release as a live album.
"Little Boxes," by Pete Seeger, entered Billboard's Top 100 in 1964. It is his one and only entry on the pop charts.
In 1975, "#9 Dream," from John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges LP, entered the Top Forty, where it will peak, appropriately, at #9.
In 1986, "Living in America," the theme song from Rocky IV, reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, becoming James Brown's biggest pop hit since "I Got You (I Feel Good)" went to #3 in 1965.
Spencer Dryden of Jefferson Airplane passed away in 2005.
The big man - Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band - was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1942.
In 2005, Jimmy Griffin, guitarist with soft rock superstars Bread and co-author of the Carpenters' hit "For All We Know," passed away from cancer complications in Nashville aged 61.
Mickey Finn, percussionist for '70s glam rockers T. Rex ("Get It On (Bang A Gong)") died in a hospital south of London in 2003 at age 55.
Vicki Peterson, guitarist with the Bangles and the Continental Drifters, was born in Los Angeles in 1960.
The Whiskey-a-Go-Go opens in Los Angeles in 1963. The rock club would become a hangout for musicians trying to break into the music industry, as well as the launch pad for the Doors.
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix recorded "Purple Haze.”
The Beach Boys recorded "Do You Wanna Dance,” in 1965.
In 1992, Paul Simon became the first international performer to play in Johannesburg, South Africa after a U.N. apartheit boycott was lifted.
Chuck Barksdale, bass vocalist with the R&B group the Dells ("Oh What A Night"), was born in Chicago in 1935.
In 1964, "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash became the first country album to top the U.S. pop album chart.
Nirvana appeared on “Saturday Night Live.” At the end of a song, Krist Novoselic hurls his bass into the air. Unfortunately, it comes down right on top of him. (*ouch*)
The Coasters record their first tracks for Atlantic Records in 1956.
"Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen was the number one song on the Cash Box music chart in 1964. For a while, the record was banned by some US radio stations because of its indecipherable lyrics, which were rumored to contain some naughty words. Even the F.B.I. investigated the song, but finally concluded that they could find nothing wrong. (what a long way ‘censorship’ has come !)
"Little Boxes," by Pete Seeger, entered Billboard's Top 100 in 1964. It is his one and only entry on the pop charts.
In 1975, "#9 Dream," from John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges LP, entered the Top Forty, where it will peak, appropriately, at #9.
In 1986, "Living in America," the theme song from Rocky IV, reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, becoming James Brown's biggest pop hit since "I Got You (I Feel Good)" went to #3 in 1965.
Spencer Dryden of Jefferson Airplane passed away in 2005.
The big man - Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band - was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1942.
In 2005, Jimmy Griffin, guitarist with soft rock superstars Bread and co-author of the Carpenters' hit "For All We Know," passed away from cancer complications in Nashville aged 61.
Mickey Finn, percussionist for '70s glam rockers T. Rex ("Get It On (Bang A Gong)") died in a hospital south of London in 2003 at age 55.
Vicki Peterson, guitarist with the Bangles and the Continental Drifters, was born in Los Angeles in 1960.
The Whiskey-a-Go-Go opens in Los Angeles in 1963. The rock club would become a hangout for musicians trying to break into the music industry, as well as the launch pad for the Doors.
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix recorded "Purple Haze.”
The Beach Boys recorded "Do You Wanna Dance,” in 1965.
In 1992, Paul Simon became the first international performer to play in Johannesburg, South Africa after a U.N. apartheit boycott was lifted.
Chuck Barksdale, bass vocalist with the R&B group the Dells ("Oh What A Night"), was born in Chicago in 1935.
In 1964, "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash became the first country album to top the U.S. pop album chart.
Nirvana appeared on “Saturday Night Live.” At the end of a song, Krist Novoselic hurls his bass into the air. Unfortunately, it comes down right on top of him. (*ouch*)
The Coasters record their first tracks for Atlantic Records in 1956.
"Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen was the number one song on the Cash Box music chart in 1964. For a while, the record was banned by some US radio stations because of its indecipherable lyrics, which were rumored to contain some naughty words. Even the F.B.I. investigated the song, but finally concluded that they could find nothing wrong. (what a long way ‘censorship’ has come !)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
New Vinyl Information!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Vinyl Art - A New Canvas
By Robert Benson
Album cover art has a fascinating and long history. From the days of Alex Steinweiss to pop artists like Andy Warhol and Roger Dean, album cover art has evolved; with some highly praised covers (i.e. the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper LP) to the controversial, including Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland” that featured nude women.
But using old, generally unplayable vinyl records (LP’s) as a canvas, artist Daniel Edlen is creating one-of-a-kind ‘Vinyl Art’ masterpieces, adding a new dimension to the art of vinyl albums.
I spoke with Daniel about his love of art and music and how he is able to merge the two on the unique canvas of a vinyl record.
“My Dad introduced me to records with the Beatles’ “Revolver” album,” explained Daniel. “My Mom volunteered for the local library, running the used book sales. They would get records as donations and I got first crack at them because they were usually too beat up and they didn't sell well. Then I had an art project in my teens with white pencil on black paper and I thought, why not try to paint on some of these old records.”
But as a record collector yourself, isn’t this almost blasphemy, using a vinyl record as a canvas?
“I have struggled with that question, especially after the reaction I've gotten from some collectors. My answer is that I do try use albums that would practically ruin a good phonograph needle, and also, I'm turning something that likely would sit in a box in someone's garage into something they can hang on their wall to celebrate their musical culture. It's something unique and creative that is a great ice-breaker, starting conversations about music, art, and all things retro.”
When asked about the process, Daniel detailed:
“The actual painting part of the process verges on meditation for me, it just flows. I'm always listening to music while I work, often whom I'm painting. It's a joy to do what I do, and when I write my blog posts, I often end up adding how lucky I feel that my passion allows me to touch people. The tricky part is finding and sizing the right image of the musician. I place the portrait so the label becomes part of the composition, sometimes highlighting specific information, like the title of the album or certain tracks that make that particular record special or important. I use just white acrylic paint, using the density to create the shading. The whole process takes about a day."
Recently, Daniel has also begun creating time-lapse videos that he's uploaded to YouTube http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=dedlen. These show the development of the paintings, using about twenty-five pictures taken as the painting goes through its stages, and are backed by music recorded by the subject of the piece.
So, just who is Daniel Edlen? Obviously a very talented artist, he would draw and paint for fun and enjoyment throughout his formative years and after experimenting with other art media (such as sculpture), he did a few pieces of what he now calls ‘Vinyl Art’ for friends and family as gifts.
His audience not only loved his work, they encouraged him to try selling them. So with the support of his wife, family and friends, Daniel decided to utilize his talent and passion to, not only make something new from something old, but to create a whole new way for music-lovers to share that passion. For Daniel, the payoff is peoples' reaction when they see the pieces for the first time.
Daniel has opened up a web site and online gallery http://www.vinylart.info/why.htm so the public can see just what he does. Framed simply in a black metal LP frame with the album sleeve behind, the focus is on the original painting.
As a vinyl record collector and enthusiast, I am excited and just marvel at the ‘Vinyl Art’ history and one-of-a-kind paintings that Daniel Edlen creates everyday. Daniel keeps his audiences craving more, and as an artist, that is all you could ever wish for.
Album cover art has a fascinating and long history. From the days of Alex Steinweiss to pop artists like Andy Warhol and Roger Dean, album cover art has evolved; with some highly praised covers (i.e. the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper LP) to the controversial, including Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland” that featured nude women.
But using old, generally unplayable vinyl records (LP’s) as a canvas, artist Daniel Edlen is creating one-of-a-kind ‘Vinyl Art’ masterpieces, adding a new dimension to the art of vinyl albums.
I spoke with Daniel about his love of art and music and how he is able to merge the two on the unique canvas of a vinyl record.
“My Dad introduced me to records with the Beatles’ “Revolver” album,” explained Daniel. “My Mom volunteered for the local library, running the used book sales. They would get records as donations and I got first crack at them because they were usually too beat up and they didn't sell well. Then I had an art project in my teens with white pencil on black paper and I thought, why not try to paint on some of these old records.”
But as a record collector yourself, isn’t this almost blasphemy, using a vinyl record as a canvas?
“I have struggled with that question, especially after the reaction I've gotten from some collectors. My answer is that I do try use albums that would practically ruin a good phonograph needle, and also, I'm turning something that likely would sit in a box in someone's garage into something they can hang on their wall to celebrate their musical culture. It's something unique and creative that is a great ice-breaker, starting conversations about music, art, and all things retro.”
When asked about the process, Daniel detailed:
“The actual painting part of the process verges on meditation for me, it just flows. I'm always listening to music while I work, often whom I'm painting. It's a joy to do what I do, and when I write my blog posts, I often end up adding how lucky I feel that my passion allows me to touch people. The tricky part is finding and sizing the right image of the musician. I place the portrait so the label becomes part of the composition, sometimes highlighting specific information, like the title of the album or certain tracks that make that particular record special or important. I use just white acrylic paint, using the density to create the shading. The whole process takes about a day."
Recently, Daniel has also begun creating time-lapse videos that he's uploaded to YouTube http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=dedlen. These show the development of the paintings, using about twenty-five pictures taken as the painting goes through its stages, and are backed by music recorded by the subject of the piece.
So, just who is Daniel Edlen? Obviously a very talented artist, he would draw and paint for fun and enjoyment throughout his formative years and after experimenting with other art media (such as sculpture), he did a few pieces of what he now calls ‘Vinyl Art’ for friends and family as gifts.
His audience not only loved his work, they encouraged him to try selling them. So with the support of his wife, family and friends, Daniel decided to utilize his talent and passion to, not only make something new from something old, but to create a whole new way for music-lovers to share that passion. For Daniel, the payoff is peoples' reaction when they see the pieces for the first time.
Daniel has opened up a web site and online gallery http://www.vinylart.info/why.htm so the public can see just what he does. Framed simply in a black metal LP frame with the album sleeve behind, the focus is on the original painting.
As a vinyl record collector and enthusiast, I am excited and just marvel at the ‘Vinyl Art’ history and one-of-a-kind paintings that Daniel Edlen creates everyday. Daniel keeps his audiences craving more, and as an artist, that is all you could ever wish for.
Monday, January 7, 2008
70's Reggae Music Missing
A portion of the 70's reggae music that had been locked up in the archives of the former Jamaica Broadcasting Corp. are now gone. The sketchy act is a dis on the Jamaican government who people accuse of not properly maintaining the archives, according to the AP.
The theft was noticed recently by workers for the new Public Broadcasting Corp. of Jamaica, who went to the old JBC building looking for archived material for new programs on the network.
Thousands of vinyl records and compact discs are being considered stolen. Also missing is video, including footage from Fidel Castro's 1977 visit and the 1978 "One Love Peace Concert," where Marley famously joined the hands of two bitter Jamaican political rivals, political rivals Michael Manley (PNP) and Edward Seaga (JLP), onstage.
'from news files'
Today In Music History- Jan 7
In 1963, Gary "U.S." Bonds files a $100,000 suit against Chubby Checker, charging Checker rearranged "Quarter to Three" and turned it into "Dancin' Party." The suit is settled out of court.
In 1970, area residents file a $35,000 lawsuit for property damages against Max Yasgur, owner of the New York farm that hosted the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
1978 saw the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever enter the US album charts, where it will eventually hit number one and stay there for six weeks starting February 18. The album had a chart stay of 39 weeks and to this date, has sold over 15 million copies.
The "Eagles Live" album went platinum in 1981. The two-record set will turn out to be the final Eagles album until 1994's comeback LP, "Hell Freezes Over".
Led Zeppelin's "In Through the Out Door" was awarded a platinum disc in 1980. It's the last album issued before the September 25th death of drummer John Bonham.
Paul Revere ("Hungry") turns 70.
Happy birthday to Kenny Loggins ("Your Mama Don't Dance" with Jim Messina) who turns 60.
In 1962, Chubby Checker's "The Twist" returns to #1, the only rock song to do that by the same artist.
Led Zeppelin fans riot before a Boston concert in 1975, causing $30,000 in damages and the concert to be cancelled.
In 1998, Owen Bradley, who introduced slick instrumentation to the country genre in his productions for Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee and helped establish Nashville as the center of C&W, dies at the age of 82. His last work was on k d lang's album Shadowland.
Early rock 'n' roll star Larry Williams is found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in his Los Angeles home in 1980. The "Bony Maronie" singer drifted into crime during the '60s, and although his death is ruled a suicide, many believe he was murdered.
Also in 1980, The Rivingtons' Carl White dies in Los Angeles, aged 48. The West Coast doo-wop group made their mark on the pop culture with the two nonsense singles "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's the Word."
In 1964, the Beatles record a session for the BBC Saturday Club program, during which they make their only known recording of the Chuck Berry song "Johnnie B. Goode."
In 1967, The Young Rascals, The Doors and Sopwith Camel played at Winterland in San Francisco.
Today in 1950, the song "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," by Gene Autry, topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
In 1956, the song "Memories Are Made of This," by Dean Martin, topped the charts and stayed there for 6 weeks.
Rolling Stone founder and editor Jann Wenner was born in New York City in 1946.
In 1968, David Gilmour is asked to join Pink Floyd, briefly making them a five-piece band.
In 1970, area residents file a $35,000 lawsuit for property damages against Max Yasgur, owner of the New York farm that hosted the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
1978 saw the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever enter the US album charts, where it will eventually hit number one and stay there for six weeks starting February 18. The album had a chart stay of 39 weeks and to this date, has sold over 15 million copies.
The "Eagles Live" album went platinum in 1981. The two-record set will turn out to be the final Eagles album until 1994's comeback LP, "Hell Freezes Over".
Led Zeppelin's "In Through the Out Door" was awarded a platinum disc in 1980. It's the last album issued before the September 25th death of drummer John Bonham.
Paul Revere ("Hungry") turns 70.
Happy birthday to Kenny Loggins ("Your Mama Don't Dance" with Jim Messina) who turns 60.
In 1962, Chubby Checker's "The Twist" returns to #1, the only rock song to do that by the same artist.
Led Zeppelin fans riot before a Boston concert in 1975, causing $30,000 in damages and the concert to be cancelled.
In 1998, Owen Bradley, who introduced slick instrumentation to the country genre in his productions for Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee and helped establish Nashville as the center of C&W, dies at the age of 82. His last work was on k d lang's album Shadowland.
Early rock 'n' roll star Larry Williams is found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in his Los Angeles home in 1980. The "Bony Maronie" singer drifted into crime during the '60s, and although his death is ruled a suicide, many believe he was murdered.
Also in 1980, The Rivingtons' Carl White dies in Los Angeles, aged 48. The West Coast doo-wop group made their mark on the pop culture with the two nonsense singles "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's the Word."
In 1964, the Beatles record a session for the BBC Saturday Club program, during which they make their only known recording of the Chuck Berry song "Johnnie B. Goode."
In 1967, The Young Rascals, The Doors and Sopwith Camel played at Winterland in San Francisco.
Today in 1950, the song "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," by Gene Autry, topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
In 1956, the song "Memories Are Made of This," by Dean Martin, topped the charts and stayed there for 6 weeks.
Rolling Stone founder and editor Jann Wenner was born in New York City in 1946.
In 1968, David Gilmour is asked to join Pink Floyd, briefly making them a five-piece band.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Naked Vinyl Cover Art- Selling Music and Sex
Part two
As we continue our look at ‘naked vinyl’ album cover art, let’s explore two other companies who capitalized on the fad and what has transpired since.
In the last article, we discussed two West Coast record labels that were prolific and utilized ‘naked vinyl’ to sell their record albums. Not to be outdone by their counterparts, many East Coast record labels followed suit. None were more successful than the Davis and Que record labels and both of them focused on saucy songs and risqué nude cover art. Davis, in particular, had a cavalcade of stars that would churn out ‘double entendre’ songs that had been popularized on the Vaudeville stages. In fact, the owner of the label, Joe Davis, also wrote some of the songs and brought talented entertainers to the genre as well as a classic line of album cover art. The Que record label produced more of the same material, but the records were dubbed as “sexucational,’ with songs and stories to inform the uninitiated.
In 1967, it seems that the attitudes about ‘naked vinyl’ had changed over the years, being replaced by peace, love-ins and flower children. When Jimi Hendrix released his album “Electric Ladyland,” that featured Jimi surrounded by naked and buxom beauties, it created quite a stir. The cover was replaced, but the genre did not go away altogether, rather it was replaced by pop-art covers, psychedelia and slender, beautiful European women who would grace various covers from a multitude of musical genres.
Maybe the fad had run its course; the gimmick wasn’t nearly as popular by the end of the 60’s. But, now instead of getting coarse comedy, stag party specials and often quality music to accompany the ‘naked vinyl’, instead it became an avenue and a tool to release terrible music, by not so talented musicians; all packaged in a sexy cover and priced to sell.
Foreign music from Italy, France and Germany and other countries flooded the market with substandard music, but they all had one thing in common-‘naked vinyl ‘covers. Cover versions and greatest hits compilations were hastily recorded and rushed to press, all including that special feature that the record companies knew the public would enjoy, never mind the music. In the 1970’s, the ‘easy listening’ music boon was in full swing, full of Hammond organ medleys, smoochy-sax covers of pop hits and ear-bending violins destroying popular classics. Artists such as Gil Ventura, Klaus Wunderlich and the ‘Latin Lounge Lizard’ covers of Robert Delgado were all cashing in on the fading fad.
In addition the 70’s saw an exotic extravaganza of foreign music that the public would probably have never have gotten to hear, sans the ‘naked vinyl’ album covers. Mysterious countries all of a sudden were thrust into the music spotlight, from Borneo to the shores of South America and Africa. No country or culture was excluded. From the erotica landslides of misguided music of traditional song, all merged with native naked women in exotic poses that were happily hawking the substandard music.
In the late 70’s, another phase of ‘naked vinyl’ came in the “disco era.” The Ohio Players released a wonderful erotic series of ‘almost’ nude cover art. Sexual innuendo on the form of an album cover was not lost with the disco ‘divas’ “Silver Convention,” whose cover for their album called “Save Me” created waves. Their frontal nudity of “Discotheque Volume Two,” not only features their big hit of the era “Get Up and Boogie,” but a startling cover of a handcuffed female. Blended in with a list of steamy, seductive songs, the cover grabbed audiences’ attention as well as their eyes.
But as the disco era closed and the 70’s drew to a close, society seemed to tire of the market and album cover nudity was no longer a mainstream wonder. Album cover artists and record companies all left sex to the imagination and returned to the safe images and cover art that was G-rated. With the advent of the compact disc, album cover art was led into the annuls of music history and pretty much became a non-issue. But, there have been some historic naked album covers since then. Let’s explore a few.
Leave it to John Lennon to create a stir, he was a master at creating controversy and knew how to draw media attention to whatever he was doing. In 1968, Lennon and Yoko Ono released their album called “Two Virgins,” with the front cover displaying a full-frontal nude image of them. The back cover showed the same image, but from behind. They were forced to replace it (they sold it in a brown paper wrapper) and copies of the album were impounded as obscenity in some jurisdictions.
The rock band Blind Faith had a cover that pictured a topless pubescent girl in 1969, and the U.S. record company had it reissued with an alternative cover showing a photograph of the band. The Scorpions actually had two “naughty” covers that caused a stir, 1976’s “Virgin Killer,” also featured a topless young girl and was replaced with a photo of the band. In 1979, the band released “Lovedrive,” with a man and a woman in the back seat of a car. The woman’s chest is exposed and the man was pulling bubble gum off of her breast and the album was repackaged.
But the band Jane’s Addiction got it right when, anticipating trouble, released the 1990 album called “Ritual de lo Habitual” with two covers. One cover, which featured singer Perry Farrell’s artwork (male and female nudity), was released along with a ‘clean’ version of the cover with the text of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, that promotes free speech.
All we can ask is where was the censorship in the heyday of ‘naked vinyl’ album cover art? Now pop artists, rappers and rock and rollers can sing and say anything they want on a record. You can turn on the radio and hear the “Frankie Goes To Hollywood” sexual number “Relax,”, but god forbid you show any nudity on an album cover.
But all is not lost for the lovers of ‘naked vinyl’ cover art, as the 90’s and beyond have seen album cover art and specifically ‘naked vinyl’ return as record companies and designers are not afraid to use the human body to sell music. Vinyl is back, with the public demanding the format as well as the album cover art that accompanies it, no matter what the format, because as we have all learned; sex sells.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music, vinyl record collecting and operates http://www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can pick up a copy of his ebook called
"The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Contact Robert at robert@collectingvinylrecords.com
As we continue our look at ‘naked vinyl’ album cover art, let’s explore two other companies who capitalized on the fad and what has transpired since.
In the last article, we discussed two West Coast record labels that were prolific and utilized ‘naked vinyl’ to sell their record albums. Not to be outdone by their counterparts, many East Coast record labels followed suit. None were more successful than the Davis and Que record labels and both of them focused on saucy songs and risqué nude cover art. Davis, in particular, had a cavalcade of stars that would churn out ‘double entendre’ songs that had been popularized on the Vaudeville stages. In fact, the owner of the label, Joe Davis, also wrote some of the songs and brought talented entertainers to the genre as well as a classic line of album cover art. The Que record label produced more of the same material, but the records were dubbed as “sexucational,’ with songs and stories to inform the uninitiated.
In 1967, it seems that the attitudes about ‘naked vinyl’ had changed over the years, being replaced by peace, love-ins and flower children. When Jimi Hendrix released his album “Electric Ladyland,” that featured Jimi surrounded by naked and buxom beauties, it created quite a stir. The cover was replaced, but the genre did not go away altogether, rather it was replaced by pop-art covers, psychedelia and slender, beautiful European women who would grace various covers from a multitude of musical genres.
Maybe the fad had run its course; the gimmick wasn’t nearly as popular by the end of the 60’s. But, now instead of getting coarse comedy, stag party specials and often quality music to accompany the ‘naked vinyl’, instead it became an avenue and a tool to release terrible music, by not so talented musicians; all packaged in a sexy cover and priced to sell.
Foreign music from Italy, France and Germany and other countries flooded the market with substandard music, but they all had one thing in common-‘naked vinyl ‘covers. Cover versions and greatest hits compilations were hastily recorded and rushed to press, all including that special feature that the record companies knew the public would enjoy, never mind the music. In the 1970’s, the ‘easy listening’ music boon was in full swing, full of Hammond organ medleys, smoochy-sax covers of pop hits and ear-bending violins destroying popular classics. Artists such as Gil Ventura, Klaus Wunderlich and the ‘Latin Lounge Lizard’ covers of Robert Delgado were all cashing in on the fading fad.
In addition the 70’s saw an exotic extravaganza of foreign music that the public would probably have never have gotten to hear, sans the ‘naked vinyl’ album covers. Mysterious countries all of a sudden were thrust into the music spotlight, from Borneo to the shores of South America and Africa. No country or culture was excluded. From the erotica landslides of misguided music of traditional song, all merged with native naked women in exotic poses that were happily hawking the substandard music.
In the late 70’s, another phase of ‘naked vinyl’ came in the “disco era.” The Ohio Players released a wonderful erotic series of ‘almost’ nude cover art. Sexual innuendo on the form of an album cover was not lost with the disco ‘divas’ “Silver Convention,” whose cover for their album called “Save Me” created waves. Their frontal nudity of “Discotheque Volume Two,” not only features their big hit of the era “Get Up and Boogie,” but a startling cover of a handcuffed female. Blended in with a list of steamy, seductive songs, the cover grabbed audiences’ attention as well as their eyes.
But as the disco era closed and the 70’s drew to a close, society seemed to tire of the market and album cover nudity was no longer a mainstream wonder. Album cover artists and record companies all left sex to the imagination and returned to the safe images and cover art that was G-rated. With the advent of the compact disc, album cover art was led into the annuls of music history and pretty much became a non-issue. But, there have been some historic naked album covers since then. Let’s explore a few.
Leave it to John Lennon to create a stir, he was a master at creating controversy and knew how to draw media attention to whatever he was doing. In 1968, Lennon and Yoko Ono released their album called “Two Virgins,” with the front cover displaying a full-frontal nude image of them. The back cover showed the same image, but from behind. They were forced to replace it (they sold it in a brown paper wrapper) and copies of the album were impounded as obscenity in some jurisdictions.
The rock band Blind Faith had a cover that pictured a topless pubescent girl in 1969, and the U.S. record company had it reissued with an alternative cover showing a photograph of the band. The Scorpions actually had two “naughty” covers that caused a stir, 1976’s “Virgin Killer,” also featured a topless young girl and was replaced with a photo of the band. In 1979, the band released “Lovedrive,” with a man and a woman in the back seat of a car. The woman’s chest is exposed and the man was pulling bubble gum off of her breast and the album was repackaged.
But the band Jane’s Addiction got it right when, anticipating trouble, released the 1990 album called “Ritual de lo Habitual” with two covers. One cover, which featured singer Perry Farrell’s artwork (male and female nudity), was released along with a ‘clean’ version of the cover with the text of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, that promotes free speech.
All we can ask is where was the censorship in the heyday of ‘naked vinyl’ album cover art? Now pop artists, rappers and rock and rollers can sing and say anything they want on a record. You can turn on the radio and hear the “Frankie Goes To Hollywood” sexual number “Relax,”, but god forbid you show any nudity on an album cover.
But all is not lost for the lovers of ‘naked vinyl’ cover art, as the 90’s and beyond have seen album cover art and specifically ‘naked vinyl’ return as record companies and designers are not afraid to use the human body to sell music. Vinyl is back, with the public demanding the format as well as the album cover art that accompanies it, no matter what the format, because as we have all learned; sex sells.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music, vinyl record collecting and operates http://www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can pick up a copy of his ebook called
"The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Contact Robert at robert@collectingvinylrecords.com
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Naked Vinyl Cover Art- Selling Music and Sex
Part one
by Robert Benson
When we look back at album cover art throughout the years, it is kind of ironic that some album covers that are released these days can cause such an uproar because they may have a nude image on them or sexual suggestive scenes. But ‘naked vinyl’ started a long time ago, and, in fact, sold many, many records before it was decided that it is offensive. In this two-part article series, let’s explore some of the more interesting facets of ‘naked’ album cover art and erotica.
There is an age-old adage in the marketing world that ‘sex sells.’ And let’s face it, you’re more apt to buy a particular product from a curvy supermodel than a housewife with curlers in her hair and pictured in a robe and slippers, or you may prefer a hunky-he-man instead of a pot-bellied, balding gentleman hawking a product.
So, taking advantage of this motto, the record labels and specifically, album cover art, used this phenomenon to sell records. The labels released all kinds of music and ‘blue’ comedy records with one thing in common, nudity and plenty of it.
It all began in the late 40’s when album cover designers and the marketing departments for various record labels conjured up a plan to sell records by adorning the album covers with nude or scantily clad women. Another slippery gimmick was to make a play on the title of the record, a visual pun that allowed the erotica to slip in subtly and unnoticed.
For instance, on an album by Hugo Winterhalter (RCA Victor LPM-1904) called “Wish You Were Here,” the cover depicts a beautiful woman seemingly stranded on a desert island with only a telescope and her ripped and cleverly revealing nightgown. Beside her, in a cartoon caption cloud, she is stating the name of the album. And, yes, this worked, the album sold very well and it is still cherished by record collectors to this day.
In post-war America in the 1950’s, stripping as a form of adult entertainment was in vogue, with some women becoming minor celebrities. Why even American idol Joe DiMaggio had a well-documented affair with a hooker. Sex was selling magazines, posters, calendars and everything else in between. And jumping on this bandwagon, record companies rose to the occasion by releasing hordes of “Music to Strip By” records.
Cinema and magazines soon jumped in with big and low budget films and the success of the adult magazine ‘Playboy’ helped pave the way for an increase in the use of ‘naked vinyl’ record covers. In fact, famous Playboy models like June Blair, Dawn Richard and Jayne Mansfield were featured on record album covers. Playboy even released a few records now and then, such as 1958’s “Playboy Jazz-All Stars LP.” In the same year the magazine featured a pictorial montage about erotic album cover art, even using the headline “Music To Make Your Eyeballs Pop.” Playboy documented that the record companies were utilizing a discovery that was made popular by the paperback and romance book publishers-that nudity on the covers sells.
But the ‘naked vinyl’ and erotica vinyl cover phenomenon was just getting started. The 1960’s brought the public ‘stag party’ records, sex-obsessed vinyl covers that not only featured risqué music and lyrics, but ‘live’ blue comedy as well. Kind of like sports cards for adults, these ‘stag party’ records were highly sought after and collectible.
Yes, the public was snatching up these raunchy and ‘blue’ comedy records and two record labels on the West Coast in particular took full advantage of the opportunity to cash in on the trend. It became an excuse to release as much crass comedy and trashy sex songs as they could. Based in L.A., Fax Records was one of the most prolific labels, and had four distinct ‘sex genres’ that they focused on. They, of course, capitalized on the ‘stag party’ themed records, but also included a ‘personality’ series, a special ‘erotica ‘series as well as a ‘themes and scenes motion picture set’ series. These records were all about sex, in many forms, and were both educational and entertaining.
The second West Coast record label, LAFF records, focused on the American Nightclub Comedy Circuit and promoted their releases by quipping “Recorded at the scene of the applause, on the stage, or at an intimate party, the live and living heart-tugging, button-busting laughter of America’s funniest comic personalities; on LAFF Records just for you!! Have a Party, Have a LAFF!”
And LAFF backed up their claims with coarse and crude comedy records including a record called “Tales You’d Never Tell Your Mother,” from raunchy comedian Kenny Carol. A country comedian, Sam Nichols’ (Cowboy Sam-The Old Cowhand From The Rio Grande) slow southern drawl was a perfect medium for his crass comedy; including a country comedy song called “Courtin’ on a Mule.” Other “naked cover” comedians included the lascivious Rex Benson, the ‘blue’ comedy of Bub Thomas, the stand-up dirt of Bert Henry and many, many more.
But the coarse comedy was not limited to the men. Faye Richmond, Madame Mame, Terri “Cupcake” O’Mason and many others were all successful entertainers in their own right. All these records invited the public into the intimate world that was popularized by the rich, famous and sexually successful, embellishing “You Are There” or “Rubbing Shoulders With Hollywood Greats.”
In part two of our look into ‘naked vinyl’ we will explore a couple of East Coast record labels and look at some other albums that have caused a stir because of nudity.
Look for part two of this article in tomorrow's post!
by Robert Benson
When we look back at album cover art throughout the years, it is kind of ironic that some album covers that are released these days can cause such an uproar because they may have a nude image on them or sexual suggestive scenes. But ‘naked vinyl’ started a long time ago, and, in fact, sold many, many records before it was decided that it is offensive. In this two-part article series, let’s explore some of the more interesting facets of ‘naked’ album cover art and erotica.
There is an age-old adage in the marketing world that ‘sex sells.’ And let’s face it, you’re more apt to buy a particular product from a curvy supermodel than a housewife with curlers in her hair and pictured in a robe and slippers, or you may prefer a hunky-he-man instead of a pot-bellied, balding gentleman hawking a product.
So, taking advantage of this motto, the record labels and specifically, album cover art, used this phenomenon to sell records. The labels released all kinds of music and ‘blue’ comedy records with one thing in common, nudity and plenty of it.
It all began in the late 40’s when album cover designers and the marketing departments for various record labels conjured up a plan to sell records by adorning the album covers with nude or scantily clad women. Another slippery gimmick was to make a play on the title of the record, a visual pun that allowed the erotica to slip in subtly and unnoticed.
For instance, on an album by Hugo Winterhalter (RCA Victor LPM-1904) called “Wish You Were Here,” the cover depicts a beautiful woman seemingly stranded on a desert island with only a telescope and her ripped and cleverly revealing nightgown. Beside her, in a cartoon caption cloud, she is stating the name of the album. And, yes, this worked, the album sold very well and it is still cherished by record collectors to this day.
In post-war America in the 1950’s, stripping as a form of adult entertainment was in vogue, with some women becoming minor celebrities. Why even American idol Joe DiMaggio had a well-documented affair with a hooker. Sex was selling magazines, posters, calendars and everything else in between. And jumping on this bandwagon, record companies rose to the occasion by releasing hordes of “Music to Strip By” records.
Cinema and magazines soon jumped in with big and low budget films and the success of the adult magazine ‘Playboy’ helped pave the way for an increase in the use of ‘naked vinyl’ record covers. In fact, famous Playboy models like June Blair, Dawn Richard and Jayne Mansfield were featured on record album covers. Playboy even released a few records now and then, such as 1958’s “Playboy Jazz-All Stars LP.” In the same year the magazine featured a pictorial montage about erotic album cover art, even using the headline “Music To Make Your Eyeballs Pop.” Playboy documented that the record companies were utilizing a discovery that was made popular by the paperback and romance book publishers-that nudity on the covers sells.
But the ‘naked vinyl’ and erotica vinyl cover phenomenon was just getting started. The 1960’s brought the public ‘stag party’ records, sex-obsessed vinyl covers that not only featured risqué music and lyrics, but ‘live’ blue comedy as well. Kind of like sports cards for adults, these ‘stag party’ records were highly sought after and collectible.
Yes, the public was snatching up these raunchy and ‘blue’ comedy records and two record labels on the West Coast in particular took full advantage of the opportunity to cash in on the trend. It became an excuse to release as much crass comedy and trashy sex songs as they could. Based in L.A., Fax Records was one of the most prolific labels, and had four distinct ‘sex genres’ that they focused on. They, of course, capitalized on the ‘stag party’ themed records, but also included a ‘personality’ series, a special ‘erotica ‘series as well as a ‘themes and scenes motion picture set’ series. These records were all about sex, in many forms, and were both educational and entertaining.
The second West Coast record label, LAFF records, focused on the American Nightclub Comedy Circuit and promoted their releases by quipping “Recorded at the scene of the applause, on the stage, or at an intimate party, the live and living heart-tugging, button-busting laughter of America’s funniest comic personalities; on LAFF Records just for you!! Have a Party, Have a LAFF!”
And LAFF backed up their claims with coarse and crude comedy records including a record called “Tales You’d Never Tell Your Mother,” from raunchy comedian Kenny Carol. A country comedian, Sam Nichols’ (Cowboy Sam-The Old Cowhand From The Rio Grande) slow southern drawl was a perfect medium for his crass comedy; including a country comedy song called “Courtin’ on a Mule.” Other “naked cover” comedians included the lascivious Rex Benson, the ‘blue’ comedy of Bub Thomas, the stand-up dirt of Bert Henry and many, many more.
But the coarse comedy was not limited to the men. Faye Richmond, Madame Mame, Terri “Cupcake” O’Mason and many others were all successful entertainers in their own right. All these records invited the public into the intimate world that was popularized by the rich, famous and sexually successful, embellishing “You Are There” or “Rubbing Shoulders With Hollywood Greats.”
In part two of our look into ‘naked vinyl’ we will explore a couple of East Coast record labels and look at some other albums that have caused a stir because of nudity.
Look for part two of this article in tomorrow's post!
This Day In Music History- Jan 5
Sam Phillips, the producer who discovered Elvis, was born in Florence, Ala in 1923. With his Sun Records label, he also brought to the world's attention the talents of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, and Howlin' Wolf.
In 1959, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" becomes the last release from Buddy Holly before his death.
The late Wilbert Harrison ("Kansas City") was born in 1929.
Sonny Bono ("I Got You Babe" with then-wife Cher) died in a skiing accident in South Lake Tahoe, California, in 1998.
Michael Stipe (R.E.M.'s lead singer) was born in 1959.
Today the song "Please Don't Go" by K. C. & the Sunshine Band topped the charts and stayed there for a week. (1980) It was the first number one song of the eighties and the band’s fifth and final U.S. chart topper.
Today in 1991, the song "Justify My Love" by Madonna topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
The Blues Brothers top the American album charts in 1979 with Briefcase Full of Blues. The album goes on to sell two million copies.
The No. 1 album in the country today in 1974 was The Carpenters' The Singles 1969 - 1973.
In 1954, Elvis Presley cut a 10-minute long demo tape at Memphis Recording Studio.
In 1962, The Beatles released their single "My Bonnie." When a fan in Liverpool asks record shop owner Brian Epstein for the single, Epstein further investigates the Fab Four and has his life changed: he becomes the band’s manager.
Prince made his solo performance debut in Minneapolis, MN in 1978.
In 2005, Doors’ manager Danny Sugarman passed away at age 50. Involved with the band since 1967, Sugarman, co-author (with Jerry Hopkins) of the Jim Morrison tome No One Here Gets Out Alive, had been fighting brain cancer for several years.
"Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits" goes Gold just nine months after its release in 1968.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Unqiue Artist's Canvas
I have been in contact with an amazing artist who can do wonderous artwork on old vinyl records and essentially turn them into treasured art. Come see for yourself:
I will be talking more with the artist, Daniel Edlen, and you can visit his gallery at http://www.vinylart.info/
In the meantime, enjoy the music and the experience:
I will be talking more with the artist, Daniel Edlen, and you can visit his gallery at http://www.vinylart.info/
In the meantime, enjoy the music and the experience:
Thursday, January 3, 2008
ebay Vinyl Sales
Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 12/29/2007
1. LP - Mozart a Paris Oubradous Pathe 7 LP Box Set - $7,230.00 Start: $6,999.00 Bids: 2
2. LP - Bach Suites Andre Levy Lumen 3 LP Box Set - $6,678.00 Start: $2,999.00 Bids: 9
3. 78 - Daddy Moon Hayes "Gang Of Brown Skin Women" / "Two Little Tommie Blues" Gennett - $3,250.00 Start: $8.99 Bids: 24
4. 45 - Aztex "The Streets Of This Town" / "I Said Move" Staff - $3,051.77 Start: $0.99 Bids: 33
5. LP - Sonny Clark "Cool Struttin'" Blue Note - $3,000.00 Start: $3,399.00 Bids: Best Offer
1. LP - Mozart a Paris Oubradous Pathe 7 LP Box Set - $7,230.00 Start: $6,999.00 Bids: 2
2. LP - Bach Suites Andre Levy Lumen 3 LP Box Set - $6,678.00 Start: $2,999.00 Bids: 9
3. 78 - Daddy Moon Hayes "Gang Of Brown Skin Women" / "Two Little Tommie Blues" Gennett - $3,250.00 Start: $8.99 Bids: 24
4. 45 - Aztex "The Streets Of This Town" / "I Said Move" Staff - $3,051.77 Start: $0.99 Bids: 33
5. LP - Sonny Clark "Cool Struttin'" Blue Note - $3,000.00 Start: $3,399.00 Bids: Best Offer
This Day In Music History- Jan 3
In 1959, Berry Gordy moves all of Motown's operations into a two-story house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, which he christens "Hitsville."
Davey Jones quits the Monkees in 1970, following Peter Tork who left one year earlier.
In 1978, three songs from 'Saturday Night Fever' hit #1.
Stephen Stills ("Love The One You're With" and member of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash) is 63.
Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys refuses induction into the U.S. Army, claiming he is a conscientious objector, 1967
The Beatles appear in a film clip on NBC-TV's "Jack Paar Show" (weeks before their first appearance on "Ed Sullivan"), 1964
Today the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" by B. J. Thomas topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks. (1970)
Today the song "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers topped the charts and stayed there for a week. (1976)
The Clash's Joe Strummer is cremated. The funeral procession takes his remains past the Elgin pub in West London, where The Clash played some of their earliest gigs.
In 1997, Spirit guitarist Randy California drowns off the coast of Hawaii's Molokai Island trying to save his 12-year-old son from the undertow. He was 45.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Unfinished Music, Vol. 1: Two Virgins arrives at Newark Airport in New Jersey. However, the shipment of 30,000 copies of the album is confiscated by police, who object to what they call the "pornographic" picture of the naked couple on the front cover.
In 1966, Hullabaloo airs clips of the Beatles performing "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out."
In 1964, Tonight on TV's The Jack Paar Show, the talk show host airs a clip of a Beatles concert in Bournemouth, England. It's the Fab Four's first major TV exposure in the United States. ." It was a performance of the song "She Loves You."
Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones is born in Sidcup, England. As a '60s session man, he played on and arranged tracks for the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and Jeff Beck.
Songwriter, producer and Brian Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks was born in 1941.
George Martin, who produced most of the Beatles' most memorable recordings, was born in London in 1926.
1960 - Bobby Darin and Connie Francis performed together on the "Ed Sullivan Show."
1970 - "I Me Mine" was recorded by the Beatles. It was the last song that the band would record together.
1987 - Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Bill Haley and 14 others. Franklin was the first woman to be inducted.
Davey Jones quits the Monkees in 1970, following Peter Tork who left one year earlier.
In 1978, three songs from 'Saturday Night Fever' hit #1.
Stephen Stills ("Love The One You're With" and member of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash) is 63.
Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys refuses induction into the U.S. Army, claiming he is a conscientious objector, 1967
The Beatles appear in a film clip on NBC-TV's "Jack Paar Show" (weeks before their first appearance on "Ed Sullivan"), 1964
Today the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" by B. J. Thomas topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks. (1970)
Today the song "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers topped the charts and stayed there for a week. (1976)
The Clash's Joe Strummer is cremated. The funeral procession takes his remains past the Elgin pub in West London, where The Clash played some of their earliest gigs.
In 1997, Spirit guitarist Randy California drowns off the coast of Hawaii's Molokai Island trying to save his 12-year-old son from the undertow. He was 45.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Unfinished Music, Vol. 1: Two Virgins arrives at Newark Airport in New Jersey. However, the shipment of 30,000 copies of the album is confiscated by police, who object to what they call the "pornographic" picture of the naked couple on the front cover.
In 1966, Hullabaloo airs clips of the Beatles performing "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out."
In 1964, Tonight on TV's The Jack Paar Show, the talk show host airs a clip of a Beatles concert in Bournemouth, England. It's the Fab Four's first major TV exposure in the United States. ." It was a performance of the song "She Loves You."
Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones is born in Sidcup, England. As a '60s session man, he played on and arranged tracks for the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and Jeff Beck.
Songwriter, producer and Brian Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks was born in 1941.
George Martin, who produced most of the Beatles' most memorable recordings, was born in London in 1926.
1960 - Bobby Darin and Connie Francis performed together on the "Ed Sullivan Show."
1970 - "I Me Mine" was recorded by the Beatles. It was the last song that the band would record together.
1987 - Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Bill Haley and 14 others. Franklin was the first woman to be inducted.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
This Day In Music History- January 1
In 1912, the first song with the term "blues" in the title was released, "Memphis Blues" by W.C.Handy.
In 1950, Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service. He begins recording several local blues artists, including B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf and James Cotton.
James Brown joins the Gospel Starlighters in 1953, a vocal quartet led by Bobby Byrd, after completing a four-year stint in prison for robbery. The group will change its focus from gospel to R&B and its name to the Famous Flames, as Brown becomes the focal point of the act and the “Godfather of Soul” was born.
Also in 1953, problems with drugs and alcohol led to Hank Williams' premature death by heart attack at age 29 while en route to a show.
George Martin was made the head of the Parlophone record label, in 1955.
The Payola hearings began in 1958.
In 1960, Aldon hires teenage newlyweds Carole King & Gerry Goffin.
In 1961, Motown signs the Primettes, a girl group just out of high school. They would change their name to the Supremes and make music history.
The Beatles made their debut at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1961.
In 1962, Bob Dylan's eponymous debut album released; as is Peter, Paul & Mary's self-titled debut.
'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' was released in 1963, containing "Blowin' In the Wind,” "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright.”
In 1965, Petula Clark becomes the first British female artist to hit big in America in the 1960s as "Downtown" reaches #1.
In 1966, Aldon founder Don Kirshner conceives made-for-TV band the Monkees, who reach #1 with Neil Diamond's song "I'm A Believer."
Simon and Garfunkel's majestic "Bridge Over Troubled Water," tops the singles chart in 1970.
'Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.', Bruce Springsteen's debut album, was released in 1973.
In 1977, the film 'Saturday Night Fever' is released; 15 of the 28 #1 songs are disco. (ohhh the humanity!)
London Calling, by the Clash, was released in 1980. Critics hail it as the best album of the Eighties.
Appearing with Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters makes his final public performance in 1982.
In 1988, the Beatles inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (there were also a number of other artists that were also inducted to the Hall in various years, but space is limited!)
In 1997, George Martin produces and scores Elton John's best-selling single "Candle in the Wind '97," a tribute to the recently deceased Princess Diana.
San Francisco psychedelic rocker "Country" Joe McDonald (the infamous "Fish cheer" at Woodstock) turns 66.
In 1962, the Beatles performed their first audition for Decca Records in London. However, the company's A&R man was unimpressed by their 15-song set of standards and originals. He passed on them, and signed the Tremeloes instead. (OUCH!)
In 1995, street musician turned genuine blues hero Ted Hawkins died of a stroke in Los Angeles.
VH1 made its debut in 1985. It’s initially designed to appeal aging baby-boomers, leaving MTV to the teen audience.
On the first day of the new year in 1956, RCA released Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel.” In 1999, the single would be certified multi-platinum for the second time.
In 1993, Elton John breaks Elvis Presley's record for the most consecutive years having a US Top 40 hit when "The Last Song" peaks at number 24, giving him a string of 23 straight hit making years.
In 1950, Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service. He begins recording several local blues artists, including B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf and James Cotton.
James Brown joins the Gospel Starlighters in 1953, a vocal quartet led by Bobby Byrd, after completing a four-year stint in prison for robbery. The group will change its focus from gospel to R&B and its name to the Famous Flames, as Brown becomes the focal point of the act and the “Godfather of Soul” was born.
Also in 1953, problems with drugs and alcohol led to Hank Williams' premature death by heart attack at age 29 while en route to a show.
George Martin was made the head of the Parlophone record label, in 1955.
The Payola hearings began in 1958.
In 1960, Aldon hires teenage newlyweds Carole King & Gerry Goffin.
In 1961, Motown signs the Primettes, a girl group just out of high school. They would change their name to the Supremes and make music history.
The Beatles made their debut at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1961.
In 1962, Bob Dylan's eponymous debut album released; as is Peter, Paul & Mary's self-titled debut.
'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' was released in 1963, containing "Blowin' In the Wind,” "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright.”
In 1965, Petula Clark becomes the first British female artist to hit big in America in the 1960s as "Downtown" reaches #1.
In 1966, Aldon founder Don Kirshner conceives made-for-TV band the Monkees, who reach #1 with Neil Diamond's song "I'm A Believer."
Simon and Garfunkel's majestic "Bridge Over Troubled Water," tops the singles chart in 1970.
'Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.', Bruce Springsteen's debut album, was released in 1973.
In 1977, the film 'Saturday Night Fever' is released; 15 of the 28 #1 songs are disco. (ohhh the humanity!)
London Calling, by the Clash, was released in 1980. Critics hail it as the best album of the Eighties.
Appearing with Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters makes his final public performance in 1982.
In 1988, the Beatles inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (there were also a number of other artists that were also inducted to the Hall in various years, but space is limited!)
In 1997, George Martin produces and scores Elton John's best-selling single "Candle in the Wind '97," a tribute to the recently deceased Princess Diana.
San Francisco psychedelic rocker "Country" Joe McDonald (the infamous "Fish cheer" at Woodstock) turns 66.
In 1962, the Beatles performed their first audition for Decca Records in London. However, the company's A&R man was unimpressed by their 15-song set of standards and originals. He passed on them, and signed the Tremeloes instead. (OUCH!)
In 1995, street musician turned genuine blues hero Ted Hawkins died of a stroke in Los Angeles.
VH1 made its debut in 1985. It’s initially designed to appeal aging baby-boomers, leaving MTV to the teen audience.
On the first day of the new year in 1956, RCA released Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel.” In 1999, the single would be certified multi-platinum for the second time.
In 1993, Elton John breaks Elvis Presley's record for the most consecutive years having a US Top 40 hit when "The Last Song" peaks at number 24, giving him a string of 23 straight hit making years.
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