Reveived this note from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, stop by the site, show your support and read the great information about this year's inducties!
Hi Robert!
I’m working on behalf of Positively Cleveland. Since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is tomorrow, I wanted to keep you and your readers informed about the latest news. There’s an awesome new website called Rock Immortal, created by the Rock Hall of Fame, where fans of the artists being inducted this year can help to create a digital monument for the artists. The site also has all of the latest info about the events leading to the ceremony!
Fans can upload images, videos and stories in tribute to their favorite 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee!
You can check out Rock Immortal at: www.rockimmortal.com
This Years Inducties:
Jeff Beck
Little Anthony & The Imperials
Metallica
Run D.M.C.
Bobby Womack
Wanda Jackson
Friday, April 3, 2009
Michael Fremer Review
I am very proud to continue our new feature (look for this every Friday), music reviews that are written by the senior contributing editor of Stereophile magazine- Michael Fremer. It has been a pleasure to speak with Michael and learn more about audio sound and equipment. In fact, his new DVD, "It's A Vinyl World, After All" has hit the shelves and is selling out very quickly. This is a must have for anybody who loves vinyl, it is a true masterpiece.
Additionally, make sure to stop by his site, www.musicangle.com and bookmark it for further exploration. I certainly want to thank Michael for the exclusive rights to reprint his fantastic material.
Bob Dylan (recent release)
Tell Tale Signs, Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006: Volume 8
Columbia 88697 35796 1, 4 180g LPs+digital download
Produced by: Jeff Rosen
Engineered by: Various engineers
Mixed by: Various mixers
Mastered by: Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound
A&R: Steve Berkowitz
Review by: Michael Fremer
2009-04-01
Larry “Ratso” Sloman’s annotation brings into sharp, entertaining focus this collection of vital Dylan outtakes, alternative takes, unreleased tracks and live performances from 1989’s Oh Mercy sessions through his most recent 2006 release Modern Times.
There’s not a throwaway or “curiosity” in the bunch. Back in 1987, Sloman recounts, Dylan had booked some dates with The Grateful Dead, at a time when he felt pretty much washed up and ready to retire as he wrote in his autobiography “Chronicles-Volume One.”
During the first rehearsal Garcia had urged Dylan to try out some of his more obscure songs but Dylan felt so disconnected he used a lame excuse and fled the space. On the way back to his hotel, Dylan stopped into a local bar where he heard an older gentleman delivering some jazz standards in a style that immediately spoke to the spent superstar. It so inspired Dylan that he immediately returned to the rehearsal space and began trying out the old tunes. At least that’s the story. With Dylan you never know! At least it’s a good story. Dylan had a second fall and rose yet again from the creative dead in front of a Swiss audience in 1987.
This tumultuous period of self-doubt and creative outbursts produced the swampy brilliance of Oh Mercy and the confused Under the Red Sky,” but even that album had a few worthwhile tracks, though nothing from those sessions are found here.
There are seven tracks from the Daniel Lanois producedOh Mercy sessions and six from Time Out of Mind. Less is sometimes more and that’s the case with these revealing, under-produced, unadorned tracks. The feel is live, exploratory and vital. These are not “leftovers” in any sense of the word. In fact, Dylan sounds more vital on most of these tracks than on the more polished studio albums that came from these sessions. The live unreleased tracks are a treat—which is more than I can say for the live show I saw at the PNC center in New Jersey a few years ago when Tom Petty opened for Dylan. Tom’s set was reliably swell. Dylan came out and played keyboard in front of an unidentified older looking gent in Bermuda shorts who played guitar while conferring with Bob about the chords. We walked out half way through. There was nothing happening on the stage that night but plenty was in 1993 when Dylan sang “Ring Them Bells” at The Supper Club, which is included here.
This 4 LP set was cut from 16 bit 44.1K files so why would anyone bother with it instead of just getting the far less expensive CD set?
Well, there’s the packaging and the free MP3 download that’s part of the purchase price. Of course, if you buy the CD set you can upload higher quality files to your pod of choice but you can’t beat the 12”x12” full color perfect-bound, full color book (calling it a “booklet”) would be an injustice.
The photos are stark and instructional, showing Dylan both empty and fulfilled. The annotation is at the same time brutally honest and sympathetic and the credits are unusually complete.
Greg Calbi, who mastered the set at Sterling Sound culled from disparate digital sources sent by the set’s compiler, brought over some CD refs so we could compare them to the vinyl cut at Sterling by Ray Janos.
George Marino’s room at Sterling has recently been retro-fitted with a preview head-equipped playback deck that will once again allow Sterling to cut AAA vinyl, but of course given the set’s source material that system couldn’t be used.
Comparing the actual source with the vinyl proved interesting! Ideally the tonal balance should be identical, assuming your goal is faithfulness to the source. That’s not everyone’s goal judging by what some listeners prefer, but that’s another story!
I had the $80,000 four box DCS stack here to use as a digital source (transport, DAC, word clock and upsampler) and my reference Continuum Caliburn turntable and Manley Steelhead to use as the analog source.
The well-pressed 180g vinyl sounded tonally identical to the CD through the Steelhead—less so through some other phono preamps here for review. However, the vinyl’s additive qualities produce a greater sense of realism without losing any of the CD’s positive attributes. There’s something about the vinyl process that does that. When properly played back there’s magic and I really don’t care from where it comes. It’s just there.
Tell Tale Signs-The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 is a surprisingly vital and coherent abridgement of a creatively mixed but ultimately rich and triumphant period for Dylan.
SOURCE: http://www.musicangle.com Reprinted By Permission
Pick up Michael's DVD's Here:
Copyright © 2008 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - All rights reserved
Additionally, make sure to stop by his site, www.musicangle.com and bookmark it for further exploration. I certainly want to thank Michael for the exclusive rights to reprint his fantastic material.
Bob Dylan (recent release)
Tell Tale Signs, Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006: Volume 8
Columbia 88697 35796 1, 4 180g LPs+digital download
Produced by: Jeff Rosen
Engineered by: Various engineers
Mixed by: Various mixers
Mastered by: Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound
A&R: Steve Berkowitz
Review by: Michael Fremer
2009-04-01
Larry “Ratso” Sloman’s annotation brings into sharp, entertaining focus this collection of vital Dylan outtakes, alternative takes, unreleased tracks and live performances from 1989’s Oh Mercy sessions through his most recent 2006 release Modern Times.
There’s not a throwaway or “curiosity” in the bunch. Back in 1987, Sloman recounts, Dylan had booked some dates with The Grateful Dead, at a time when he felt pretty much washed up and ready to retire as he wrote in his autobiography “Chronicles-Volume One.”
During the first rehearsal Garcia had urged Dylan to try out some of his more obscure songs but Dylan felt so disconnected he used a lame excuse and fled the space. On the way back to his hotel, Dylan stopped into a local bar where he heard an older gentleman delivering some jazz standards in a style that immediately spoke to the spent superstar. It so inspired Dylan that he immediately returned to the rehearsal space and began trying out the old tunes. At least that’s the story. With Dylan you never know! At least it’s a good story. Dylan had a second fall and rose yet again from the creative dead in front of a Swiss audience in 1987.
This tumultuous period of self-doubt and creative outbursts produced the swampy brilliance of Oh Mercy and the confused Under the Red Sky,” but even that album had a few worthwhile tracks, though nothing from those sessions are found here.
There are seven tracks from the Daniel Lanois producedOh Mercy sessions and six from Time Out of Mind. Less is sometimes more and that’s the case with these revealing, under-produced, unadorned tracks. The feel is live, exploratory and vital. These are not “leftovers” in any sense of the word. In fact, Dylan sounds more vital on most of these tracks than on the more polished studio albums that came from these sessions. The live unreleased tracks are a treat—which is more than I can say for the live show I saw at the PNC center in New Jersey a few years ago when Tom Petty opened for Dylan. Tom’s set was reliably swell. Dylan came out and played keyboard in front of an unidentified older looking gent in Bermuda shorts who played guitar while conferring with Bob about the chords. We walked out half way through. There was nothing happening on the stage that night but plenty was in 1993 when Dylan sang “Ring Them Bells” at The Supper Club, which is included here.
This 4 LP set was cut from 16 bit 44.1K files so why would anyone bother with it instead of just getting the far less expensive CD set?
Well, there’s the packaging and the free MP3 download that’s part of the purchase price. Of course, if you buy the CD set you can upload higher quality files to your pod of choice but you can’t beat the 12”x12” full color perfect-bound, full color book (calling it a “booklet”) would be an injustice.
The photos are stark and instructional, showing Dylan both empty and fulfilled. The annotation is at the same time brutally honest and sympathetic and the credits are unusually complete.
Greg Calbi, who mastered the set at Sterling Sound culled from disparate digital sources sent by the set’s compiler, brought over some CD refs so we could compare them to the vinyl cut at Sterling by Ray Janos.
George Marino’s room at Sterling has recently been retro-fitted with a preview head-equipped playback deck that will once again allow Sterling to cut AAA vinyl, but of course given the set’s source material that system couldn’t be used.
Comparing the actual source with the vinyl proved interesting! Ideally the tonal balance should be identical, assuming your goal is faithfulness to the source. That’s not everyone’s goal judging by what some listeners prefer, but that’s another story!
I had the $80,000 four box DCS stack here to use as a digital source (transport, DAC, word clock and upsampler) and my reference Continuum Caliburn turntable and Manley Steelhead to use as the analog source.
The well-pressed 180g vinyl sounded tonally identical to the CD through the Steelhead—less so through some other phono preamps here for review. However, the vinyl’s additive qualities produce a greater sense of realism without losing any of the CD’s positive attributes. There’s something about the vinyl process that does that. When properly played back there’s magic and I really don’t care from where it comes. It’s just there.
Tell Tale Signs-The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 is a surprisingly vital and coherent abridgement of a creatively mixed but ultimately rich and triumphant period for Dylan.
SOURCE: http://www.musicangle.com Reprinted By Permission
Pick up Michael's DVD's Here:
Copyright © 2008 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - All rights reserved
Why Has Vinyl Records Become So Popular Again?
By Joe Boikowich
The vinyl format has always been popular between hi-fi enthusiast and music passionates. For these people the vinyl record was always considered to be the true release and the general opinion was that the format has a richer and more interesting sound. Despite of this the vinyl was loved by the few. However, over the last couple of years the vinyl record has increased its popularity enormously, which has manifested itself in a tremendous sales growth. This has partly given the struggling independent record stores a new chance and even huge retailers have started to sell vinyl records.
The question is how could a format that was virtually dead suddenly become so enormously popular again, especially with young crowd, who was not even born at the prime of the format. This article will take a brief look at the history of the vinyl record in order to understand what factors made this possible.
Vinyl was the first commercial physical music format and for a long time it therefore dominated the market for physical music. Several different types of vinyl records were developed, but in general, when people wanted to buy music to play at home there was no other choice than to buy it on vinyl. However, at some point the compact disc (CD) came around and that quickly put an end to the vinyl format for most people. The CD was smaller, cheaper to produce and some would argue that it had better sound quality. Also, people could easily bring the CD with them to play it in the car, while working out or on their Discman. At some point it also became possible to copy the content of a CD to another CD and a little bit later the content could also be copied to a computer and converted to mp3 files. The last part was the beginning of the end for the CD format.
As CDs could easily be ripped to mp3, people had better Internet connections and new file sharing services were developed buying music gradually became less of a necessity for the more technically savvy music lovers. It didn't take long before whatever music you would want could be downloaded for free. So when the content suddenly was available for free, why should people then buy CDs? Well, of course there's the moral question, but except from that the CD format did not provide any extra value that would convince a lot of people to pay for it. As digital music online has become even more convenient to consume and we're living in a world where streaming music is the most convenient option this has become even truer. So the case is that the CD format has become a format stuck in the middle. It lacks the flexibility of streaming and the great physical characteristics of the vinyl format. The vinyl format and streaming are perfectly negatively correlated, and as a consequence of that perfectly compatible. While streaming offers superior convenience on one hand, vinyl offers the ultimate physical experience on the other hand by being a piece of art in itself.
So what exactly are these neat characteristics of the vinyl format? Well, one thing to start with is the cover art. The vinyl has much more space for cover art than a CD and is different from what can be thought of as cover art online. This makes it easier to enjoy the work that is put into create something unique. Another characteristic related to this is that people by nature are collectors. Everyone likes to collect something. Since digital music has no scarcity it just doesn't make much sense to collect it. Vinyl on the other hand is perfect for collecting. Music lovers like to show their dedication and support to a band by buying the record and it fits nicely on the shelf just as books do.
Another, and often debated characteristic, is the sound quality. Many vinyl lovers claim that it is the cracks, pops and hisses that create the special vinyl sound and make vinyl unique. It is for sure true that this is an important part of the vinyl experience, however, whether or not this is important depends on two factors. First, a person naturally needs to have a preference for this type of sound and second; the record must be mastered specifically for vinyl, which means analog mastering.
A final factor which contributes to the attractiveness of the vinyl format is the listening experience. Listening to music on vinyl is a ritual in its own. Picking the right vinyl, putting the needle on the record, getting up to flip the record before picking up a new one. This physical listening experience stands in stark contrast to the digital one and too a higher extent require that people take time to actually listen to a record and listening to it in its entirety. In that regard listening to music on vinyl therefore often can be experienced as a break from the daily stress and routines.
The future indeed looks bright.
Joe Boikowich writes about music formats and vinyl records. For more information check out Nylvi. Nylvi is a new social marketplace for buying and selling vinyl records. For more info about the idea behind NYLVI have a look here.
The vinyl format has always been popular between hi-fi enthusiast and music passionates. For these people the vinyl record was always considered to be the true release and the general opinion was that the format has a richer and more interesting sound. Despite of this the vinyl was loved by the few. However, over the last couple of years the vinyl record has increased its popularity enormously, which has manifested itself in a tremendous sales growth. This has partly given the struggling independent record stores a new chance and even huge retailers have started to sell vinyl records.
The question is how could a format that was virtually dead suddenly become so enormously popular again, especially with young crowd, who was not even born at the prime of the format. This article will take a brief look at the history of the vinyl record in order to understand what factors made this possible.
Vinyl was the first commercial physical music format and for a long time it therefore dominated the market for physical music. Several different types of vinyl records were developed, but in general, when people wanted to buy music to play at home there was no other choice than to buy it on vinyl. However, at some point the compact disc (CD) came around and that quickly put an end to the vinyl format for most people. The CD was smaller, cheaper to produce and some would argue that it had better sound quality. Also, people could easily bring the CD with them to play it in the car, while working out or on their Discman. At some point it also became possible to copy the content of a CD to another CD and a little bit later the content could also be copied to a computer and converted to mp3 files. The last part was the beginning of the end for the CD format.
As CDs could easily be ripped to mp3, people had better Internet connections and new file sharing services were developed buying music gradually became less of a necessity for the more technically savvy music lovers. It didn't take long before whatever music you would want could be downloaded for free. So when the content suddenly was available for free, why should people then buy CDs? Well, of course there's the moral question, but except from that the CD format did not provide any extra value that would convince a lot of people to pay for it. As digital music online has become even more convenient to consume and we're living in a world where streaming music is the most convenient option this has become even truer. So the case is that the CD format has become a format stuck in the middle. It lacks the flexibility of streaming and the great physical characteristics of the vinyl format. The vinyl format and streaming are perfectly negatively correlated, and as a consequence of that perfectly compatible. While streaming offers superior convenience on one hand, vinyl offers the ultimate physical experience on the other hand by being a piece of art in itself.
So what exactly are these neat characteristics of the vinyl format? Well, one thing to start with is the cover art. The vinyl has much more space for cover art than a CD and is different from what can be thought of as cover art online. This makes it easier to enjoy the work that is put into create something unique. Another characteristic related to this is that people by nature are collectors. Everyone likes to collect something. Since digital music has no scarcity it just doesn't make much sense to collect it. Vinyl on the other hand is perfect for collecting. Music lovers like to show their dedication and support to a band by buying the record and it fits nicely on the shelf just as books do.
Another, and often debated characteristic, is the sound quality. Many vinyl lovers claim that it is the cracks, pops and hisses that create the special vinyl sound and make vinyl unique. It is for sure true that this is an important part of the vinyl experience, however, whether or not this is important depends on two factors. First, a person naturally needs to have a preference for this type of sound and second; the record must be mastered specifically for vinyl, which means analog mastering.
A final factor which contributes to the attractiveness of the vinyl format is the listening experience. Listening to music on vinyl is a ritual in its own. Picking the right vinyl, putting the needle on the record, getting up to flip the record before picking up a new one. This physical listening experience stands in stark contrast to the digital one and too a higher extent require that people take time to actually listen to a record and listening to it in its entirety. In that regard listening to music on vinyl therefore often can be experienced as a break from the daily stress and routines.
The future indeed looks bright.
Joe Boikowich writes about music formats and vinyl records. For more information check out Nylvi. Nylvi is a new social marketplace for buying and selling vinyl records. For more info about the idea behind NYLVI have a look here.
Scratch the notion that LPs are a "sunset market."
Despite - and perhaps because of - digital trend, vinyl is now retro chic
By Daniel Rubin
Inquirer Staff Writer
With 1,973 songs in his iPod and Radiohead's "Karma Police" on his earphones, Brian Brazina strode into Spaceboy Music on South Street searching for digital delivery.
But it was fresh vinyl that grabbed the 25-year-old - a brand-new, cellophane-wrapped pressing of Babes in Arms, a 1966-1971 rarities collection by the Detroit guitar-army called MC5.
"A great band," said Brazina, a Center City concierge, admiring the LP's oversize art. "I love the grainy sound of vinyl."
Against a trend of compactability, portability and personalization - and maybe because of them - vinyl is making an unlikely return.
You can't say vinyl is back because it was never really gone. Certainly not for audiophiles who swear by albums' warmer sound and tactile superiority, or DJs whose hunting and gathering kept record stores going during the leanest years, since the CD's arrival in 1983.
Since then, records and turntables have become what Brian Majeski, editor of Music Trades magazine, calls a "sunset market."
Greet the new morning. Urban Outfitters is selling sleek $300 turntables for the holidays, and retro models appear in catalogs from L.L. Bean, Hammacher Schlemmer, Restoration Hardware and Brookstone. Target, too.
Warner Bros. and Rhino Records are releasing their back catalogs on vinyl, including the entire LP collection of the Grateful Dead. Next year, Sony plans to reintroduce LPs.
"It's become trendy, cool, a novelty," said Stefanie Douglas, 28, manager at Cue Records at Fourth and South Streets, where DJs shop for soul, hip-hop and R&B wax to sample.
To walk into Spaceboy is to fall through time - rows of shiny LPs for sale: vintage Captain Beefheart next to classic wax by the New York Dolls, Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding next to Love's Da Capo - all as newly minted as the Interpol, Elliott Smith and the Postal Service records on the other wall.
Much of that product comes from Sundazed, which is releasing 40 titles on vinyl this year.
When people in his hometown of Coxsackie, N.Y., ask label founder Bob Irwin why he still makes records, he tells them to check out prime-time TV.
"At some point, you'll see vinyl, whether it's the opening of Monk or One Tree Hill, with a guy standing in front of a rack of records, to ads for Toyota or Tide," says Irwin, 47. "It's all young people."
And they are the ones he still makes records for.
"I have no interest in selling music only to the audiophile community," he said. "I make records to introduce people to great music, and let them hear it on what I consider to be the best format available."
Fifteen years ago, Irwin started Sundazed, making CDs and a handful of albums - the Knickerbockers, the Trashmen - just as the major labels began phasing out vinyl.
Sundazed did fine, he said, until 1993, when the majors had given up and music stores followed suit. "People gave up looking for it," he said.
In the mid-'90s, he put out only four or five titles a year. His company's reputation attracted the attention of Bob Dylan's management in 2001, and Irwin was invited to reintroduce Dylan's original Columbia titles on vinyl.
Sundazed has now put out nine of them on hefty, 180-gram vinyl, priced comparably to a CD. Next year Sundazed will release 45 titles, from Aretha Franklin's first Atlantic album to five jazz LPs.
Matador, in New York City, is another label that has made vinyl work. "For us, vinyl sales are stronger than they have been for years, despite higher prices," said Patrick Amory, the indie label's general manager.
"We treat our LPs like luxury items, press them on heavy vinyl, do gatefolds, inserts, printed inners."
Amory says DJs have driven most of the sales, and new technology - digital machines that replicate the sound of records, scratching and all - will cause sales to slow.
The numbers for turntables, although modest, are on the rise. The International Music Products Association says about 69,000 players were sold last year, not counting professional mixers for DJs. That is the highest number since the 105,000 sold in 2000.
Record sales remain relatively low - about one for every 500 CDS sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With the majors getting back into vinyl, that presumably will increase.
Vinyl accounted for about 5 percent of the business at Old City's AKA Music two years ago - the last time owner Mike Hoffman checked. "I think it is going up a couple points," he said.
Why? Maybe it's digital backlash. Alan Light, editor of Tracks music magazine, notes that MP3 players have allowed albums to be deconstructed into "menus of songs," stripped of context.
LPs bring a fan back to the days of carefully sequenced sides of music - shorter, more essential.
But Light isn't putting too much stock into a vinyl revival. "My question is: 'How much are these turntables in these lifestyle stores intended to be listened to, and how much are they art pieces?' People are selling 12-by-12-inch frames to put album covers on their walls. Are they just sort of retro accessories that look cool, like the way people have manual typewriters around?"
Jim Webster, co-owner of the Philadelphia Record Exchange, at Fifth and South Street, says that kids are doing what they always have done: discovering previous generations' cast-offs.
"It has to do with an adventurousness of spirit," said Webster, 51, hand-rolling a Gauloise cigarette as a 60-year-old Mills Brothers song played on his turntable.
"Retro isn't a fashion. It's what you do when you're on your own and most things around you stink."
Dryw Skully, 28, who spins records each month at the 700 Club in Northern Liberties, has a purist's system for record purchases: If it was originally made for vinyl, he'll buy it on vinyl.
"You can go to the Princeton Record Exchange and pick up an old Rolling Stones record for $1 as opposed to getting a CD of it at Tower Records," he said.
"That record has been someplace. It has some vintage to it, some history. It's not from some jewel case that you open up and pop into the computer."
SOURCE: http://www.philly.com/
By Daniel Rubin
Inquirer Staff Writer
With 1,973 songs in his iPod and Radiohead's "Karma Police" on his earphones, Brian Brazina strode into Spaceboy Music on South Street searching for digital delivery.
But it was fresh vinyl that grabbed the 25-year-old - a brand-new, cellophane-wrapped pressing of Babes in Arms, a 1966-1971 rarities collection by the Detroit guitar-army called MC5.
"A great band," said Brazina, a Center City concierge, admiring the LP's oversize art. "I love the grainy sound of vinyl."
Against a trend of compactability, portability and personalization - and maybe because of them - vinyl is making an unlikely return.
You can't say vinyl is back because it was never really gone. Certainly not for audiophiles who swear by albums' warmer sound and tactile superiority, or DJs whose hunting and gathering kept record stores going during the leanest years, since the CD's arrival in 1983.
Since then, records and turntables have become what Brian Majeski, editor of Music Trades magazine, calls a "sunset market."
Greet the new morning. Urban Outfitters is selling sleek $300 turntables for the holidays, and retro models appear in catalogs from L.L. Bean, Hammacher Schlemmer, Restoration Hardware and Brookstone. Target, too.
Warner Bros. and Rhino Records are releasing their back catalogs on vinyl, including the entire LP collection of the Grateful Dead. Next year, Sony plans to reintroduce LPs.
"It's become trendy, cool, a novelty," said Stefanie Douglas, 28, manager at Cue Records at Fourth and South Streets, where DJs shop for soul, hip-hop and R&B wax to sample.
To walk into Spaceboy is to fall through time - rows of shiny LPs for sale: vintage Captain Beefheart next to classic wax by the New York Dolls, Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding next to Love's Da Capo - all as newly minted as the Interpol, Elliott Smith and the Postal Service records on the other wall.
Much of that product comes from Sundazed, which is releasing 40 titles on vinyl this year.
When people in his hometown of Coxsackie, N.Y., ask label founder Bob Irwin why he still makes records, he tells them to check out prime-time TV.
"At some point, you'll see vinyl, whether it's the opening of Monk or One Tree Hill, with a guy standing in front of a rack of records, to ads for Toyota or Tide," says Irwin, 47. "It's all young people."
And they are the ones he still makes records for.
"I have no interest in selling music only to the audiophile community," he said. "I make records to introduce people to great music, and let them hear it on what I consider to be the best format available."
Fifteen years ago, Irwin started Sundazed, making CDs and a handful of albums - the Knickerbockers, the Trashmen - just as the major labels began phasing out vinyl.
Sundazed did fine, he said, until 1993, when the majors had given up and music stores followed suit. "People gave up looking for it," he said.
In the mid-'90s, he put out only four or five titles a year. His company's reputation attracted the attention of Bob Dylan's management in 2001, and Irwin was invited to reintroduce Dylan's original Columbia titles on vinyl.
Sundazed has now put out nine of them on hefty, 180-gram vinyl, priced comparably to a CD. Next year Sundazed will release 45 titles, from Aretha Franklin's first Atlantic album to five jazz LPs.
Matador, in New York City, is another label that has made vinyl work. "For us, vinyl sales are stronger than they have been for years, despite higher prices," said Patrick Amory, the indie label's general manager.
"We treat our LPs like luxury items, press them on heavy vinyl, do gatefolds, inserts, printed inners."
Amory says DJs have driven most of the sales, and new technology - digital machines that replicate the sound of records, scratching and all - will cause sales to slow.
The numbers for turntables, although modest, are on the rise. The International Music Products Association says about 69,000 players were sold last year, not counting professional mixers for DJs. That is the highest number since the 105,000 sold in 2000.
Record sales remain relatively low - about one for every 500 CDS sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With the majors getting back into vinyl, that presumably will increase.
Vinyl accounted for about 5 percent of the business at Old City's AKA Music two years ago - the last time owner Mike Hoffman checked. "I think it is going up a couple points," he said.
Why? Maybe it's digital backlash. Alan Light, editor of Tracks music magazine, notes that MP3 players have allowed albums to be deconstructed into "menus of songs," stripped of context.
LPs bring a fan back to the days of carefully sequenced sides of music - shorter, more essential.
But Light isn't putting too much stock into a vinyl revival. "My question is: 'How much are these turntables in these lifestyle stores intended to be listened to, and how much are they art pieces?' People are selling 12-by-12-inch frames to put album covers on their walls. Are they just sort of retro accessories that look cool, like the way people have manual typewriters around?"
Jim Webster, co-owner of the Philadelphia Record Exchange, at Fifth and South Street, says that kids are doing what they always have done: discovering previous generations' cast-offs.
"It has to do with an adventurousness of spirit," said Webster, 51, hand-rolling a Gauloise cigarette as a 60-year-old Mills Brothers song played on his turntable.
"Retro isn't a fashion. It's what you do when you're on your own and most things around you stink."
Dryw Skully, 28, who spins records each month at the 700 Club in Northern Liberties, has a purist's system for record purchases: If it was originally made for vinyl, he'll buy it on vinyl.
"You can go to the Princeton Record Exchange and pick up an old Rolling Stones record for $1 as opposed to getting a CD of it at Tower Records," he said.
"That record has been someplace. It has some vintage to it, some history. It's not from some jewel case that you open up and pop into the computer."
SOURCE: http://www.philly.com/
Music News & Notes
Mates Of State Tour, Offer Mash Up, Announce Remix Release Details
Mates of State and Black Kids are set to kick off a US trek that runs the length of April. In celebration of the double-barreled coast-to-coast barn burner, DJA of Mad Decent has created a Black Kids vs. Mates of State mash-up, premiered by the folks at RCRD LBL. Mates' "Re-arrange Us" and the Kids' "Look At Me" act as source material for the bass-heavy mixture.
Additionally, The Mates will be releasing "Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1" April 14th on Barsuk Records. This limited-edition 12" vinyl features four reinterpretations of tracks from Mates of State's 2008 release, "Re-arrange Us," with contributions from noted remixologists DJ Sega, Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, and RAC. Packaged in a classic DJ white sleeve, this 12" EP is limited to 1000 copies worldwide and will be available exclusively on vinyl several weeks before hitting digital retailers.
============================
Montreux Jazz Festival Lineup
The Montreux Jazz Festival has announced their lineup for this year, which includes B.B. King, Bettye LaVette, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Alice Cooper, Steve Winwood, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithfull, John Fogerty, Jeff Beck, Ray Parker Jr., Donna Summer and many, many more. The festival runs July 3 to 18 on the shores of Switerland's Lake Geneva.
============================
Ray Charles Goes Digital
The post-1960 Ray Charles catalog of 28 albums is set to go digital next Tuesday thanks to Concord Music. iTunes will have them exclusively for the first two weeks, at which time they will be released to the rest of the digital services.
"Ray Charles was a trailblazer and innovator in his music and the business of music. I am pleased Ray's songs are now available in all current formats. Concord enables the legacy to endure and prosper, " said Valerie Ervin, President of the Ray Charles Foundation.
============================
Former Genesis Drummer Dead
John Mayhew, the third drummer for Genesis (Phil Collins took his place), died on March 26 from a heart related condition. His only album with the group was Trespass.
Not much is known about Mayhew's lifeafter he left the band. He moved to Australia in the late-70's and worked as a carpenter, coming back just once to his native England. His brother, who had not seen him in 18 years, had started a search just two days before his death.
============================
Marvin Gaye Reissues
Yesterday would have been Marvin Gaye's 70th birthday. It was 25 years ago that Gaye was tragically killedby his father on the day before his 45th birthday.
Gaye's influence on music is undeniable. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was Motown's biggest selling single of the 60's and considered an iconic classic. His 1971 album "What's Going On" regularly lands in the lists of the top ten albums ever made and Rolling Stone recently placed him at number six on the list of the greatest singers.
Motown Records, which is celebrating it's own 50th anniversary, is saluting Gaye's birthday with the release of the rarities collection "Now & Then." The 14-track collection is only available digitally and runs from his days with Harvey and the Moonglows (Mama Loocie, Twelve Months of the Year) to a 2009 funk remix of "I Want You." In between are a recently found 1966 recording of a song called "Soulie," the deep vault track "It's Your Party" and tracks from before his hitmaking days (Witchcraft, Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide).
Also coming on April 14 is the vinyl reissue of the album "United" by Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The album includes the hits "If I Could Build My World Around You," "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."
============================
Kings, Matthews, No Doubt, Taylor Swift On Today
Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, No Doubt and Taylor Swift will take the stage for The Today Show’s annual summer concert series. Fall Out Boy, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry and Flo Rida will also join Matt Lauer and Co. Get the complete lineup after the jump.
============================
Jayhawks Reunite For pair Of Shows
Nineties Americana band the Jayhawks will reunite this summer for a pair of reunion shows, Reuters reports. For the first time in a decade, the band’s two principal members Gary Louris and Mark Olson will perform an American show, booking a date at Minneapolis’ Basilica Block Party on July 10th.
Mates of State and Black Kids are set to kick off a US trek that runs the length of April. In celebration of the double-barreled coast-to-coast barn burner, DJA of Mad Decent has created a Black Kids vs. Mates of State mash-up, premiered by the folks at RCRD LBL. Mates' "Re-arrange Us" and the Kids' "Look At Me" act as source material for the bass-heavy mixture.
Additionally, The Mates will be releasing "Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1" April 14th on Barsuk Records. This limited-edition 12" vinyl features four reinterpretations of tracks from Mates of State's 2008 release, "Re-arrange Us," with contributions from noted remixologists DJ Sega, Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, and RAC. Packaged in a classic DJ white sleeve, this 12" EP is limited to 1000 copies worldwide and will be available exclusively on vinyl several weeks before hitting digital retailers.
============================
Montreux Jazz Festival Lineup
The Montreux Jazz Festival has announced their lineup for this year, which includes B.B. King, Bettye LaVette, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Alice Cooper, Steve Winwood, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithfull, John Fogerty, Jeff Beck, Ray Parker Jr., Donna Summer and many, many more. The festival runs July 3 to 18 on the shores of Switerland's Lake Geneva.
============================
Ray Charles Goes Digital
The post-1960 Ray Charles catalog of 28 albums is set to go digital next Tuesday thanks to Concord Music. iTunes will have them exclusively for the first two weeks, at which time they will be released to the rest of the digital services.
"Ray Charles was a trailblazer and innovator in his music and the business of music. I am pleased Ray's songs are now available in all current formats. Concord enables the legacy to endure and prosper, " said Valerie Ervin, President of the Ray Charles Foundation.
============================
Former Genesis Drummer Dead
John Mayhew, the third drummer for Genesis (Phil Collins took his place), died on March 26 from a heart related condition. His only album with the group was Trespass.
Not much is known about Mayhew's lifeafter he left the band. He moved to Australia in the late-70's and worked as a carpenter, coming back just once to his native England. His brother, who had not seen him in 18 years, had started a search just two days before his death.
============================
Marvin Gaye Reissues
Yesterday would have been Marvin Gaye's 70th birthday. It was 25 years ago that Gaye was tragically killedby his father on the day before his 45th birthday.
Gaye's influence on music is undeniable. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was Motown's biggest selling single of the 60's and considered an iconic classic. His 1971 album "What's Going On" regularly lands in the lists of the top ten albums ever made and Rolling Stone recently placed him at number six on the list of the greatest singers.
Motown Records, which is celebrating it's own 50th anniversary, is saluting Gaye's birthday with the release of the rarities collection "Now & Then." The 14-track collection is only available digitally and runs from his days with Harvey and the Moonglows (Mama Loocie, Twelve Months of the Year) to a 2009 funk remix of "I Want You." In between are a recently found 1966 recording of a song called "Soulie," the deep vault track "It's Your Party" and tracks from before his hitmaking days (Witchcraft, Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide).
Also coming on April 14 is the vinyl reissue of the album "United" by Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The album includes the hits "If I Could Build My World Around You," "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."
============================
Kings, Matthews, No Doubt, Taylor Swift On Today
Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, No Doubt and Taylor Swift will take the stage for The Today Show’s annual summer concert series. Fall Out Boy, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry and Flo Rida will also join Matt Lauer and Co. Get the complete lineup after the jump.
============================
Jayhawks Reunite For pair Of Shows
Nineties Americana band the Jayhawks will reunite this summer for a pair of reunion shows, Reuters reports. For the first time in a decade, the band’s two principal members Gary Louris and Mark Olson will perform an American show, booking a date at Minneapolis’ Basilica Block Party on July 10th.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Bird & Animal Names In Rock & Roll History- part six
In our continuing series about “bird” and “animal” groups and names in rock & roll history, let’s explore a unique section dedicated to birds, namely crows.
One of the first in a number of 1950's “bird groups” (including the Flamingos, the Falcons, Cardinals among others) was the Crows, a one hit wonder doo wop group from New York. Discovered in New York’s famous Apollo Theater in 1952, their most successful single was the song “Gee,” an infectious, cheerful vocal and harmony ditty. That song peaked at number fourteen on the pop charts and number two on the R & B charts in 1954.
A Minneapolis rock/blues band called The Crow, released the hard-rockin’, chest thumping anthem “Evil Woman Don’t Play Your Games With Me” in late 1969, a song that peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Top 40. Unfortunately, even with the earnest and engaging vocal theme, the group was unable to hit the charts again.
The Black Crowes are an American, blues-oriented hard-rock jam band that have sold well over 20 million albums. With a vintage Rolling Stones/Faces sound, the Black Crowes emerged from Georgia as brothers Chris and Rich Robinson and the rest of the band achieved national prominence with a cover of an Otis Redding tune called “Hard To Handle” from their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker.” The band also hit the Top 40 with an acoustic ballad from the same LP called “She Talks To Angels.” Their timeless sound and mixing full-throttle rockers with acoustic and soulful ballads served them well as they released several multi platinum albums in the early 1990's. Much as the Stones used Chuck Berry’s influence and sound, the Black Crowes use the Stones, Faces and Humble Pie influences to deliver an eclectic mix of pure, articulated rock and roll.
The Adam Duritz led Counting Crows come in with a different, yet successful level, mixing angst-filled lyrics, twisting melodies and Duritz’s expressive vocals to attain a national following. The band took its name from a divination rhyme about the crow, heard by Duritz in the film Signs of Life. The rhyme is used at the end of the song "A Murder of One" on the album August and Everything After: "Well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows / One for sorrow, two for joy / Three for girls and four for boys / Five for silver, six for gold / Seven for a secret never to be told." In the poem, the act of counting crows is particularly useless.
The band's debut album “August and Everything After,” produced by T-Bone Burnett, was released in late 1993. The San Francisco rock group reached the Billboard Top Ten in 1994 with the infectious hit “Mr. Jones” and they continue to have modest success entertaining fans with somber ballads, inventive jangling guitar work and Duritz’s continued lyrical tales of muted joy.
Sheryl Crow came into her own in 1993 after spending years as a backup singer for Don Henley, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Michael Jackson, among others. Working with veteran Los Angles studio musicians, this Missouri native hit the charts running with an exceptional debut album called “Tuesday night Music Club.” The album won Crow the 1994 Best New Artist Grammy Award. The release, a melodic mix of gritty blues rock, not only showcased her song writing abilities with the song “Leaving Las Vegas” and “All I Want To Do,” (which stayed on the Billboard Top 40 for an impressive twenty-seven weeks, peaking at #2 for six weeks) but also Crow’s adventurous, bluesy voice.
In her self-named next release (1996) as well as subsequent releases, Crow relies upon the previous mentioned attributes and mixing playful pop energy, social commentary and friendly roots-rock, she continues to add to her legacy as an inspiring, talented songstress.
In our next article in the series (number seven), we will continue to explore more “bird” and group names and artists in rock & roll history.
The Crows Tidbits
When The Crows started out in 1951, practicing sidewalk harmonies, the original members were: Daniel "Sonny" Norton (lead); William "Bill" Davis (baritone); Harold Major (tenor); Jerry Wittick (tenor); and Gerald Hamilton (bass). In 1952, Wittick left the group and was replaced by Mark Jackson (tenor and guitarist).
They were discovered at Apollo Theater's Wednesday night talent show by talent agent Cliff Martinez, and brought to independent producer George Goldner who had just set up tiny new indepent Rama Records label.
The Crows were the first group signed and the first to record for the small label. The first songs they recorded were as back-up to singer and tenor Watkins. The song "Gee" was the third song recorded during their first recording session, on February 10, 1953.
Crow Tidbits
Crow was formed in 1967 by singer David Wagner, guitarist Dick Wiegand, bassist Larry Wiegand, keyboardist Kink Middlemist, and drummer Harry Nehls under the name South 40, which was used until the group went national.
In 1969, Crow’s debut album Crow Music was recorded. The single "Evil Woman (Don’t Play Your Games With Me)" made the Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 that fall.
Black Crowes Tidbits
The band has toured with acts such as Aerosmith, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Who, AC/DC, The Grateful Dead, and Neil Young.
The Black Crowes released their first studio album, "Shake Your Money Maker," in 1990. On the strength of singles "Hard to Handle", "She Talks to Angels", "Jealous Again", "Twice as Hard", "Sister Luck", and "Seeing Things", their debut album received multi-platinum certification and eventually sold over three million copies.
Buy Black Crowes Music
Counting Crows Tidbits
Counting Crows, and Adam Duritz in particular, have become renowned for the energetic, passionate nature of their live performances. Duritz frequently extends and rewrites songs live, adding extra verses or alternate middle sections and/or endings, sometimes fitting most of another of the band's other songs into the middle of the first.
The band has drawn deep in covering artists such as Rod Stewart, Fairport Convention, Pure Prairie League, The Rolling Stones, Jackson C. Frank, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Oasis.
The band actively encourages the recording of its concerts and the distribution of the resulting bootleg recordings. The band hosts a trading network on its website to enable fans to swap concert recordings. Sale of fan recordings for profit is prohibited; fans must either trade bootlegs for other bootlegs or pay for blank media, postage, and packaging.
Buy Counting Crows Music
Sheryl Crow Tidbits
After graduating from college, Crow worked as a music teacher at the Kellison elementary school, in Fenton, Missouri.
Crow toured with Michael Jackson as a backup vocalist during his Bad World Tour from 1987-1989.
In 1992, Crow recorded her first attempt at her debut album with Phil Collins' producer Hugh Padgham. The self-titled debut album was slated to be released on September 22, 1992, but was ultimately rejected by her label.
Crow had been involved with the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) since the late 1990s, performing at fund-raisers and befriending Sharon Monsky.
Crow was featured in the February 21, 2008 issue (#1046) of Rolling Stone. The article discusses how the singer beat cancer and returned with Detours. Rolling Stone says "Detours is Crow's most powerful and most personal record yet."
On May 11, 2007, Crow announced on her official website that she had adopted a two-week-old boy named Wyatt Steven Crow.
Buy Sheryl Crow Music
Look for this feature every Tuesday and Thursday!
One of the first in a number of 1950's “bird groups” (including the Flamingos, the Falcons, Cardinals among others) was the Crows, a one hit wonder doo wop group from New York. Discovered in New York’s famous Apollo Theater in 1952, their most successful single was the song “Gee,” an infectious, cheerful vocal and harmony ditty. That song peaked at number fourteen on the pop charts and number two on the R & B charts in 1954.
A Minneapolis rock/blues band called The Crow, released the hard-rockin’, chest thumping anthem “Evil Woman Don’t Play Your Games With Me” in late 1969, a song that peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Top 40. Unfortunately, even with the earnest and engaging vocal theme, the group was unable to hit the charts again.
The Black Crowes are an American, blues-oriented hard-rock jam band that have sold well over 20 million albums. With a vintage Rolling Stones/Faces sound, the Black Crowes emerged from Georgia as brothers Chris and Rich Robinson and the rest of the band achieved national prominence with a cover of an Otis Redding tune called “Hard To Handle” from their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker.” The band also hit the Top 40 with an acoustic ballad from the same LP called “She Talks To Angels.” Their timeless sound and mixing full-throttle rockers with acoustic and soulful ballads served them well as they released several multi platinum albums in the early 1990's. Much as the Stones used Chuck Berry’s influence and sound, the Black Crowes use the Stones, Faces and Humble Pie influences to deliver an eclectic mix of pure, articulated rock and roll.
The Adam Duritz led Counting Crows come in with a different, yet successful level, mixing angst-filled lyrics, twisting melodies and Duritz’s expressive vocals to attain a national following. The band took its name from a divination rhyme about the crow, heard by Duritz in the film Signs of Life. The rhyme is used at the end of the song "A Murder of One" on the album August and Everything After: "Well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows / One for sorrow, two for joy / Three for girls and four for boys / Five for silver, six for gold / Seven for a secret never to be told." In the poem, the act of counting crows is particularly useless.
The band's debut album “August and Everything After,” produced by T-Bone Burnett, was released in late 1993. The San Francisco rock group reached the Billboard Top Ten in 1994 with the infectious hit “Mr. Jones” and they continue to have modest success entertaining fans with somber ballads, inventive jangling guitar work and Duritz’s continued lyrical tales of muted joy.
Sheryl Crow came into her own in 1993 after spending years as a backup singer for Don Henley, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Michael Jackson, among others. Working with veteran Los Angles studio musicians, this Missouri native hit the charts running with an exceptional debut album called “Tuesday night Music Club.” The album won Crow the 1994 Best New Artist Grammy Award. The release, a melodic mix of gritty blues rock, not only showcased her song writing abilities with the song “Leaving Las Vegas” and “All I Want To Do,” (which stayed on the Billboard Top 40 for an impressive twenty-seven weeks, peaking at #2 for six weeks) but also Crow’s adventurous, bluesy voice.
In her self-named next release (1996) as well as subsequent releases, Crow relies upon the previous mentioned attributes and mixing playful pop energy, social commentary and friendly roots-rock, she continues to add to her legacy as an inspiring, talented songstress.
In our next article in the series (number seven), we will continue to explore more “bird” and group names and artists in rock & roll history.
The Crows Tidbits
When The Crows started out in 1951, practicing sidewalk harmonies, the original members were: Daniel "Sonny" Norton (lead); William "Bill" Davis (baritone); Harold Major (tenor); Jerry Wittick (tenor); and Gerald Hamilton (bass). In 1952, Wittick left the group and was replaced by Mark Jackson (tenor and guitarist).
They were discovered at Apollo Theater's Wednesday night talent show by talent agent Cliff Martinez, and brought to independent producer George Goldner who had just set up tiny new indepent Rama Records label.
The Crows were the first group signed and the first to record for the small label. The first songs they recorded were as back-up to singer and tenor Watkins. The song "Gee" was the third song recorded during their first recording session, on February 10, 1953.
Crow Tidbits
Crow was formed in 1967 by singer David Wagner, guitarist Dick Wiegand, bassist Larry Wiegand, keyboardist Kink Middlemist, and drummer Harry Nehls under the name South 40, which was used until the group went national.
In 1969, Crow’s debut album Crow Music was recorded. The single "Evil Woman (Don’t Play Your Games With Me)" made the Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 that fall.
Black Crowes Tidbits
The band has toured with acts such as Aerosmith, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Who, AC/DC, The Grateful Dead, and Neil Young.
The Black Crowes released their first studio album, "Shake Your Money Maker," in 1990. On the strength of singles "Hard to Handle", "She Talks to Angels", "Jealous Again", "Twice as Hard", "Sister Luck", and "Seeing Things", their debut album received multi-platinum certification and eventually sold over three million copies.
Buy Black Crowes Music
Counting Crows Tidbits
Counting Crows, and Adam Duritz in particular, have become renowned for the energetic, passionate nature of their live performances. Duritz frequently extends and rewrites songs live, adding extra verses or alternate middle sections and/or endings, sometimes fitting most of another of the band's other songs into the middle of the first.
The band has drawn deep in covering artists such as Rod Stewart, Fairport Convention, Pure Prairie League, The Rolling Stones, Jackson C. Frank, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Oasis.
The band actively encourages the recording of its concerts and the distribution of the resulting bootleg recordings. The band hosts a trading network on its website to enable fans to swap concert recordings. Sale of fan recordings for profit is prohibited; fans must either trade bootlegs for other bootlegs or pay for blank media, postage, and packaging.
Buy Counting Crows Music
Sheryl Crow Tidbits
After graduating from college, Crow worked as a music teacher at the Kellison elementary school, in Fenton, Missouri.
Crow toured with Michael Jackson as a backup vocalist during his Bad World Tour from 1987-1989.
In 1992, Crow recorded her first attempt at her debut album with Phil Collins' producer Hugh Padgham. The self-titled debut album was slated to be released on September 22, 1992, but was ultimately rejected by her label.
Crow had been involved with the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) since the late 1990s, performing at fund-raisers and befriending Sharon Monsky.
Crow was featured in the February 21, 2008 issue (#1046) of Rolling Stone. The article discusses how the singer beat cancer and returned with Detours. Rolling Stone says "Detours is Crow's most powerful and most personal record yet."
On May 11, 2007, Crow announced on her official website that she had adopted a two-week-old boy named Wyatt Steven Crow.
Buy Sheryl Crow Music
Look for this feature every Tuesday and Thursday!
Glass Houses: Who Wants Vinyl? I Do
Loved this article and want to thank Debbie for allowing me to reprint it:
Vinyl is back. While I might not be able to get every release I want on vinyl, I will be able to get some from most every record label. Why am I happy? My daughter bought an iPod Touch the other day. Now, the wireless network is down in my house, and I don’t know why. It will likely take hours and several phone calls to figure it out. For what? So she can listen to compressed MP3 files? If that’s not bad enough, she’ll have to go on the computer (when it’s finally working again), to find out information on the songs--that is, if she can find the info at all.
Gail Marowitz, who was nominated for a Grammy this year for her art work on Aimee Mann’s @#%&! Smilers (SuperEgo Records) shared with me a recent experience she had. "I was on myspace.com looking at the page of an artist I like. That artist recommended another artist; I went to that artist’s page listened to three songs, liked them, and downloaded them. There’s a duet with a guy … don’t know who he is … no liner notes … no PDF booklet on iTunes. It became a frustrating experience because I liked the music and I couldn’t do what I did my whole childhood which was put a record on a turntable, open the gatefold [or flip to the liner notes side of the sleeve], and read about everyone who played on the album. I couldn’t get the lyrics either. It’s like driving blind. Since I was so interested in the artist, I found the experience frustrating."
I tried to get someone from iTunes to talk to me about this subject, but they said they had no one who could go on record. So, where am I leading with this latest round of MP3-bashing? It’s not that I don’t enjoy the convenience of MP3, but often I want more! I want a choice! Obviously, I’m not alone. According to Billboard, in 2008 there was a record number of vinyl albums sold, with nearly 1.9 million--more than any other year since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. The top-selling vinyl set of 2008 was Radiohead's In Rainbows, with 26,000, but Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida did pretty well too.
Why is vinyl making this unexpected comeback? Admittedly, it can never truly compete with MP3s in a generation born into the portable age, but at least, with the record labels all committing to releasing at least some titles on vinyl, the long-adored physical format is no longer a retro-fad, but rather a formidable niche. Of course, many audiophiles never gave up on vinyl. (There is another group of audiophiles that are looking at high-definition as the future, but that’s another story, as I discussed last month). I’ve sat through many Audio Engineering Show (AES) panels where hatred of not only MP3s, but all things digital, was everywhere. So my true question is, who wants vinyl? Can it just be the audiophiles?
I spoke with Steve Sheldon, president, Rainbo Records, who has been in the media manufacturing business for many years. While Rainbo manufactures CDs, they never stopped pressing vinyl. He says, there is way more to the story than audiophiles. That market never went away, and there has always been the nostalgia market as well: those consumers who have been buying new records and replacements for the LPs they already had. However, real growth in vinyl has been with those aged 18-24 who are buying this "new thing" called the record. "They do play the albums, but I don’t think sound is a big part of why they are buying them. The people I talk to, play the album once, then upload it to their portable players. They like owning and handling the cover," he said.
The growing vinyl business, however, does not mean it is really an opportunity for newcomers wanting to press product. There are nine record pressing plants left. Rainbo is one of the largest along with United Record Pressing. Generally, capacity at those nine plants is enough to handle demand, he said. "Last year was tough. We were running about a 10–week backlog, but that was, in part, because all of the labels jumped on the bandwagon at the same time. That seems to have evened out and I think all of us are now able to keep up with demand as companies reasonably space out releases." Another reason for the backlog this past summer had to do with raw materials shortages. There are only two suppliers of vinyl and they hadn’t ramped up for the surprise demand at that point.
Back in May and June, Sheldon says Rainbo was getting 20 different releases at once from one customer. "Also, at that time, customers were overanxious and probably overpressing as well. Many of the order sizes were up in the 20 or 30,000 piece range. Now, a lot of customers are in the 1-5000 units range. However, it’s not only about limited editions, he says, there are quite a few re-orders.
Despite the steadying growth, unavailability of manufacturing equipment is one deterrent in getting into the vinyl manufacturing business today. Sheldon says Rainbo’s newest press is 32 years old! "We haven’t been able to buy parts since the 1980s. We’ve been making our own parts. If it’s not a part that we can make, then we change it around. It would be expensive to develop a machine. Although the record business is good, I don’t think it would be good enough…it’s not like a company is going to build 1000 presses and then sell them all." Even if you managed to get a press, there is the learning curve, in terms of making the disc. It’s not an exact science like manufacturing a CD or a DVD. It’s more of "craft," he says. Rainbo has trained new workers, but there are people at the plant that have making albums for the last 25 years, Sheldon says.
What is the real issue here? It comes down to choice. David Sidebottom, mobile and music specialist at Futuresource Consulting, told me recently, "It's all about treating every release individually to maximize impact and sales potential, and to satisfy the fan base." When you look at studies from companies like Gartner Consulting who says CD production should stop now! It’s unnerving. Not all consumers are created equal. We all have likes and dislikes and those likes and dislikes change depending on situations. Instead of squelching any format, it’s beneficial to all to see how the formats can work together. Vinyl was killed long before consumers were ready for it to go.
Sheldon shared a story. He said that in the heyday of CDs, people were always amazed that he was still manufacturing vinyl. Now the tables have turned, so to speak. "I recently went to a party and someone asked…what do you do for a living? I said, ‘I make vinyl and CDs.’ His response was…’you still make CDs? I haven’t bought a CD in years!’"
SOURCE
Debbie Galante Block (debgalante at aol.com) is a freelance writer based in Mahopac, N.Y.
http://www.emedialive.com
Reprinted By Permission
Vinyl is back. While I might not be able to get every release I want on vinyl, I will be able to get some from most every record label. Why am I happy? My daughter bought an iPod Touch the other day. Now, the wireless network is down in my house, and I don’t know why. It will likely take hours and several phone calls to figure it out. For what? So she can listen to compressed MP3 files? If that’s not bad enough, she’ll have to go on the computer (when it’s finally working again), to find out information on the songs--that is, if she can find the info at all.
Gail Marowitz, who was nominated for a Grammy this year for her art work on Aimee Mann’s @#%&! Smilers (SuperEgo Records) shared with me a recent experience she had. "I was on myspace.com looking at the page of an artist I like. That artist recommended another artist; I went to that artist’s page listened to three songs, liked them, and downloaded them. There’s a duet with a guy … don’t know who he is … no liner notes … no PDF booklet on iTunes. It became a frustrating experience because I liked the music and I couldn’t do what I did my whole childhood which was put a record on a turntable, open the gatefold [or flip to the liner notes side of the sleeve], and read about everyone who played on the album. I couldn’t get the lyrics either. It’s like driving blind. Since I was so interested in the artist, I found the experience frustrating."
I tried to get someone from iTunes to talk to me about this subject, but they said they had no one who could go on record. So, where am I leading with this latest round of MP3-bashing? It’s not that I don’t enjoy the convenience of MP3, but often I want more! I want a choice! Obviously, I’m not alone. According to Billboard, in 2008 there was a record number of vinyl albums sold, with nearly 1.9 million--more than any other year since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. The top-selling vinyl set of 2008 was Radiohead's In Rainbows, with 26,000, but Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida did pretty well too.
Why is vinyl making this unexpected comeback? Admittedly, it can never truly compete with MP3s in a generation born into the portable age, but at least, with the record labels all committing to releasing at least some titles on vinyl, the long-adored physical format is no longer a retro-fad, but rather a formidable niche. Of course, many audiophiles never gave up on vinyl. (There is another group of audiophiles that are looking at high-definition as the future, but that’s another story, as I discussed last month). I’ve sat through many Audio Engineering Show (AES) panels where hatred of not only MP3s, but all things digital, was everywhere. So my true question is, who wants vinyl? Can it just be the audiophiles?
I spoke with Steve Sheldon, president, Rainbo Records, who has been in the media manufacturing business for many years. While Rainbo manufactures CDs, they never stopped pressing vinyl. He says, there is way more to the story than audiophiles. That market never went away, and there has always been the nostalgia market as well: those consumers who have been buying new records and replacements for the LPs they already had. However, real growth in vinyl has been with those aged 18-24 who are buying this "new thing" called the record. "They do play the albums, but I don’t think sound is a big part of why they are buying them. The people I talk to, play the album once, then upload it to their portable players. They like owning and handling the cover," he said.
The growing vinyl business, however, does not mean it is really an opportunity for newcomers wanting to press product. There are nine record pressing plants left. Rainbo is one of the largest along with United Record Pressing. Generally, capacity at those nine plants is enough to handle demand, he said. "Last year was tough. We were running about a 10–week backlog, but that was, in part, because all of the labels jumped on the bandwagon at the same time. That seems to have evened out and I think all of us are now able to keep up with demand as companies reasonably space out releases." Another reason for the backlog this past summer had to do with raw materials shortages. There are only two suppliers of vinyl and they hadn’t ramped up for the surprise demand at that point.
Back in May and June, Sheldon says Rainbo was getting 20 different releases at once from one customer. "Also, at that time, customers were overanxious and probably overpressing as well. Many of the order sizes were up in the 20 or 30,000 piece range. Now, a lot of customers are in the 1-5000 units range. However, it’s not only about limited editions, he says, there are quite a few re-orders.
Despite the steadying growth, unavailability of manufacturing equipment is one deterrent in getting into the vinyl manufacturing business today. Sheldon says Rainbo’s newest press is 32 years old! "We haven’t been able to buy parts since the 1980s. We’ve been making our own parts. If it’s not a part that we can make, then we change it around. It would be expensive to develop a machine. Although the record business is good, I don’t think it would be good enough…it’s not like a company is going to build 1000 presses and then sell them all." Even if you managed to get a press, there is the learning curve, in terms of making the disc. It’s not an exact science like manufacturing a CD or a DVD. It’s more of "craft," he says. Rainbo has trained new workers, but there are people at the plant that have making albums for the last 25 years, Sheldon says.
What is the real issue here? It comes down to choice. David Sidebottom, mobile and music specialist at Futuresource Consulting, told me recently, "It's all about treating every release individually to maximize impact and sales potential, and to satisfy the fan base." When you look at studies from companies like Gartner Consulting who says CD production should stop now! It’s unnerving. Not all consumers are created equal. We all have likes and dislikes and those likes and dislikes change depending on situations. Instead of squelching any format, it’s beneficial to all to see how the formats can work together. Vinyl was killed long before consumers were ready for it to go.
Sheldon shared a story. He said that in the heyday of CDs, people were always amazed that he was still manufacturing vinyl. Now the tables have turned, so to speak. "I recently went to a party and someone asked…what do you do for a living? I said, ‘I make vinyl and CDs.’ His response was…’you still make CDs? I haven’t bought a CD in years!’"
SOURCE
Debbie Galante Block (debgalante at aol.com) is a freelance writer based in Mahopac, N.Y.
http://www.emedialive.com
Reprinted By Permission
Music News & Notes
Daltry Says Moon Would Have Quit for the Beach Boys
Roger Daltry, who is touring Australia with the Who, told the Courier Mail that Keith Moon would have dropped out of the group in a heartbeat if he could have drummed for the Beach Boys.
"He was a mad Beach Boys fan. He would have left the Who at the drop of a hat to join the Beach Boys. Even at our height, when the Beach Boys were on their way down and the Who were at the top of the world, if the Beach Boys had asked him to drum for them, he would have gone. We used to do Barbara Ann for Keith to keep him happy."
=============================
VAN HALEN's Classic Debut Released On 180-Gram Vinyl - Apr. 1, 2009
As part of their ongoing vinyl reissue series, Warner/Rhino on Tuesday (March 31) quietly released VAN HALEN's groundbreaking self-titled 1978 debut record on 180-gram vinyl.
One of the most explosive and accomplished hard rock albums ever produced, VAN HALEN's 1978 self-titled debut altered perceptions of what the guitar could do and it set the template for the sound of rock and roll for the next decade. From the instrumental blow-out of "Eruption" and the gritty pop of "Feel Your Love Tonight", to the strutting riff of "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" and the grandiose reworking of THE KINKS' "You Really Got Me", VAN HALEN amply demonstrates the drive, showmanship and musicianship that would turn them into rock revolutionaries!
"Van Halen" vinyl reissue details:
* Mastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Grey at Acoustech Mastering, using half-speed mastering for superior sound
* Pressed on high-quality 180-gram (180g) weight vinyl for longer life and superior sound
* Features all-original artwork and packaging
Most experts agree that the richness and depth of the original master tapes is truly captured only on vinyl. This should sound better than both the original vinyl, and the remastered CD.
For more information, visit VanHalenStore.com.
===================================
Neil Young To Reissue Time Fades Away
In a stunning decision, Neil Young has announced that he will be re-releasing "Time Fades Away" on June 2. This decision pushes back the release on The Neil Young Archives Volume 1 which had been scheduled for this release date.
The announcement comes after a 4 year campaign by fans to have "Time Fades Away" re-released after being out of print since the mid-1980's. The online petition campaign began in February 2005 and has received over 15,000 signatures thus far.
In a statement, Neil Young said:
"My fans have spoken. They want to hear "Time Fades Away" after being out of print for so long. And in order to satisfy my fans, I'm going to re-release the album in it's original format only -- vinyl.
As far as the Archives go, well they've waited this long, so they can wait a little while later. It was a tough decision because I never really cared that much for the album. But after hearing all the complaints about the Archives Box set and trying to address them, I feel that re-releasing "Time Fades Away" is my only option to placate my fan base."
The statement goes on to say that the vinyl album will also be available as a deluxe version with new music videos for each song. The videos will be included on a VHS tape in the deluxe version along with the original lyrics sheet that the 1973 release contained.
===================================
Holly Golightly reissues on CD and Vinyl
Three classic Holly Golightly albums get the re-issue treatment from Damaged Goods on May 11, 2009 with ‘Painted On’ and the two live albums ‘Down At Ginas At 3′ and ‘Up The Empire’ to be released on digipack CD and 12” vinyl.
PAINTED ON~Release date – May 11th
This is a reissue of Holly Golightly’s third proper album which was originally released in 1997 on the Sympathy label in the USA, now finally available on digipak CD and 12” LP vinyl.
‘Painted On’ is one of Holly’s favourite albums and it features some of her regular live favourites including “A Length Of Pipe” and “I Let My Daddy Do That” which she now plays along with Lawyer Dave in her current incarnation as Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs.
UP THE EMPIRE~Release date – May 11
This is a reissue of Holly Golightly’s first ever live album which was originally released in 1998 on the Sympathy For The Record Industry label in the USA, now finally available on Digipak CD and 12” LP vinyl once again.
‘Up The Empire’ was Holly’s first live albums and it features thirteen tracks that was apparently recorded in the summer of 1997 at Bridgetown’s premier nightspot, The Empire Ballroom and features some of her regular live favourites she’s still playing today including “Won’t Go Out” and “You Ain’t No Big Thing Baby”.
DOWN GINA’S AT 3~Release date – May 11
‘Come on in, put your cigarettes out and have a dance’ kicks off this reissue of Holly Golightly’s second live album which was originally released in 2004 on CD only on the Sympathy For The Record Industry label in the USA, now finally available on a double 12” LP vinyl for the first time and dusted down for a Digipak CD.
‘Down Gina’s At 3’ was recorded at the start of their US tour in 2004 and released by the end of it!
This is pretty much the line-up which recorded Holly’s classic ‘Truly She Is None Other’ album - featuring Bruce Brand on Drums, Eric Stein on lead Guitar and Jack Lawrence on Bass while Ko And The Knockouts appear on the encore tracks.
===================================
Girl In A Coma Music
Girl in a Coma's debut album, Both Before I'm Gone, was released in 2007, but the trio was successful in releasing three hit singles and touring off the 10-track CD through 2009 — they're just that good (and dedicated to fans). They finally took a break to write and record a new album, which now has a title and a release date. Trio B.C. will come out on Blackheart Records on June 2.
Of the title, the band says:
"We chose Trio B.C. as the album title because it was the name of [sisters Phanie and Nina's] grandfather's tejano band way back in the 50s. He was our first musical influence . He would play us guitar and sing and we would love to watch him in the garage with a cold beer in his hand playing his records and sing along like he meant it. His passion is our inspiration. We hope to make people feel that way about our music."
The band stuck with Joan Jett's label for their sophomore release, and even have Jett and her co-hort Kenny Laguna producing tracks for the album. They also worked with Gabe Collins, who has done tracks for Gwen Stefani and U2 and Gabriel Gonzalez, who worked on Both Before I'm Gone. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
The album will also include the band's first song in Spanish: “Ven Cerca." The song is a cover a Los Spitfires song.
June may still be months away, but GIAC aren't leaving us high and dry — they are releasing the Hiding My Trail EP on vinyl and digital formats on April 21. Having the two tracks ("Only I" and "A Conversation"), I can vouch that it's not much of a departure from songs like "Say" and "My Cell" — which is a good thing. Girl in a Coma have a great handle on their dark pop-rock style, and it allows them to appeal to all different kinds of crowds, including gay ladies who not only appreciate the basslines from out member Jenn Alva, but the insatiable hooks and layered instrumental that makes them so much more than a Joan Jett pet project or "girl band."
As for Trio B.C., fans will definitely not be disappointed. Punk with tinges of bluegrass, goth-rock and rockabilly, the album is definitely worth the wait.
Roger Daltry, who is touring Australia with the Who, told the Courier Mail that Keith Moon would have dropped out of the group in a heartbeat if he could have drummed for the Beach Boys.
"He was a mad Beach Boys fan. He would have left the Who at the drop of a hat to join the Beach Boys. Even at our height, when the Beach Boys were on their way down and the Who were at the top of the world, if the Beach Boys had asked him to drum for them, he would have gone. We used to do Barbara Ann for Keith to keep him happy."
=============================
VAN HALEN's Classic Debut Released On 180-Gram Vinyl - Apr. 1, 2009
As part of their ongoing vinyl reissue series, Warner/Rhino on Tuesday (March 31) quietly released VAN HALEN's groundbreaking self-titled 1978 debut record on 180-gram vinyl.
One of the most explosive and accomplished hard rock albums ever produced, VAN HALEN's 1978 self-titled debut altered perceptions of what the guitar could do and it set the template for the sound of rock and roll for the next decade. From the instrumental blow-out of "Eruption" and the gritty pop of "Feel Your Love Tonight", to the strutting riff of "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" and the grandiose reworking of THE KINKS' "You Really Got Me", VAN HALEN amply demonstrates the drive, showmanship and musicianship that would turn them into rock revolutionaries!
"Van Halen" vinyl reissue details:
* Mastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Grey at Acoustech Mastering, using half-speed mastering for superior sound
* Pressed on high-quality 180-gram (180g) weight vinyl for longer life and superior sound
* Features all-original artwork and packaging
Most experts agree that the richness and depth of the original master tapes is truly captured only on vinyl. This should sound better than both the original vinyl, and the remastered CD.
For more information, visit VanHalenStore.com.
===================================
Neil Young To Reissue Time Fades Away
In a stunning decision, Neil Young has announced that he will be re-releasing "Time Fades Away" on June 2. This decision pushes back the release on The Neil Young Archives Volume 1 which had been scheduled for this release date.The announcement comes after a 4 year campaign by fans to have "Time Fades Away" re-released after being out of print since the mid-1980's. The online petition campaign began in February 2005 and has received over 15,000 signatures thus far.
In a statement, Neil Young said:
"My fans have spoken. They want to hear "Time Fades Away" after being out of print for so long. And in order to satisfy my fans, I'm going to re-release the album in it's original format only -- vinyl.
As far as the Archives go, well they've waited this long, so they can wait a little while later. It was a tough decision because I never really cared that much for the album. But after hearing all the complaints about the Archives Box set and trying to address them, I feel that re-releasing "Time Fades Away" is my only option to placate my fan base."
The statement goes on to say that the vinyl album will also be available as a deluxe version with new music videos for each song. The videos will be included on a VHS tape in the deluxe version along with the original lyrics sheet that the 1973 release contained.
===================================
Holly Golightly reissues on CD and Vinyl
Three classic Holly Golightly albums get the re-issue treatment from Damaged Goods on May 11, 2009 with ‘Painted On’ and the two live albums ‘Down At Ginas At 3′ and ‘Up The Empire’ to be released on digipack CD and 12” vinyl.
PAINTED ON~Release date – May 11th
This is a reissue of Holly Golightly’s third proper album which was originally released in 1997 on the Sympathy label in the USA, now finally available on digipak CD and 12” LP vinyl.
‘Painted On’ is one of Holly’s favourite albums and it features some of her regular live favourites including “A Length Of Pipe” and “I Let My Daddy Do That” which she now plays along with Lawyer Dave in her current incarnation as Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs.
UP THE EMPIRE~Release date – May 11
This is a reissue of Holly Golightly’s first ever live album which was originally released in 1998 on the Sympathy For The Record Industry label in the USA, now finally available on Digipak CD and 12” LP vinyl once again.
‘Up The Empire’ was Holly’s first live albums and it features thirteen tracks that was apparently recorded in the summer of 1997 at Bridgetown’s premier nightspot, The Empire Ballroom and features some of her regular live favourites she’s still playing today including “Won’t Go Out” and “You Ain’t No Big Thing Baby”.
DOWN GINA’S AT 3~Release date – May 11
‘Come on in, put your cigarettes out and have a dance’ kicks off this reissue of Holly Golightly’s second live album which was originally released in 2004 on CD only on the Sympathy For The Record Industry label in the USA, now finally available on a double 12” LP vinyl for the first time and dusted down for a Digipak CD.
‘Down Gina’s At 3’ was recorded at the start of their US tour in 2004 and released by the end of it!
This is pretty much the line-up which recorded Holly’s classic ‘Truly She Is None Other’ album - featuring Bruce Brand on Drums, Eric Stein on lead Guitar and Jack Lawrence on Bass while Ko And The Knockouts appear on the encore tracks.
===================================
Girl In A Coma Music
Girl in a Coma's debut album, Both Before I'm Gone, was released in 2007, but the trio was successful in releasing three hit singles and touring off the 10-track CD through 2009 — they're just that good (and dedicated to fans). They finally took a break to write and record a new album, which now has a title and a release date. Trio B.C. will come out on Blackheart Records on June 2.
Of the title, the band says:
"We chose Trio B.C. as the album title because it was the name of [sisters Phanie and Nina's] grandfather's tejano band way back in the 50s. He was our first musical influence . He would play us guitar and sing and we would love to watch him in the garage with a cold beer in his hand playing his records and sing along like he meant it. His passion is our inspiration. We hope to make people feel that way about our music."
The band stuck with Joan Jett's label for their sophomore release, and even have Jett and her co-hort Kenny Laguna producing tracks for the album. They also worked with Gabe Collins, who has done tracks for Gwen Stefani and U2 and Gabriel Gonzalez, who worked on Both Before I'm Gone. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
The album will also include the band's first song in Spanish: “Ven Cerca." The song is a cover a Los Spitfires song.
June may still be months away, but GIAC aren't leaving us high and dry — they are releasing the Hiding My Trail EP on vinyl and digital formats on April 21. Having the two tracks ("Only I" and "A Conversation"), I can vouch that it's not much of a departure from songs like "Say" and "My Cell" — which is a good thing. Girl in a Coma have a great handle on their dark pop-rock style, and it allows them to appeal to all different kinds of crowds, including gay ladies who not only appreciate the basslines from out member Jenn Alva, but the insatiable hooks and layered instrumental that makes them so much more than a Joan Jett pet project or "girl band."
As for Trio B.C., fans will definitely not be disappointed. Punk with tinges of bluegrass, goth-rock and rockabilly, the album is definitely worth the wait.
This Date In Music History-March 2
Birthdays:
Keren Woodward – Bananarama (1961)
Emmylou Harris (1947)
Leon Russel (1941)
Greg Camp- Smash Mouth (1967)
David Robinson- The Cars (1953)
Tony Fredianelli- Third Eye Blind (1969)
They Are Missed:
Born on this day in 1952, Leon Wilkeson, bass, Lynyrd Skynyrd (died on July 27, 2001).
Rob Pilatus, one half of pop duo Milli Vanilli was found dead in a Frankfurt Hotel room in 1998 after taking a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol. Milli Vanilli won the 1989 best new artist Grammy after hits like 'Blame it on the Rain' and 'Girl, You Know It's True,' selling 30 million singles and 14 million albums.
The late Marvin Gaye was born in 1939.
One of the greatest jazz drummers of all time, Buddy Rich died in 1987 (age 69) due to complications caused by a brain tumor. The self-taught prodigy started drumming when he was only 18 months old, and his incredible rhythmic sense influenced just about everyone who picked up a pair of drumsticks afterward. Rich worked with many acts including, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey's band, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson.
Edwin Starr ("War") died of a heart attack in 2003.
History:
The Black Crowes performed in Knoxville, TN in 1999. One of the concertgoers later sued the band for $385,000 in a claim that he had suffered significant hearing loss at the show. Apparently, he couldn’t have just got up and left…..
Janis Joplin was at #1 on the US album charts in 1971 with “Pearl.”
The Beach Boys recorded "I Get Around" in 1964. Brian Wilson got so fed up with his father's criticism that he fired him as their manager.
Freddie & the Dreamers recorded "Do The Freddie" in 1965.
Johnny Cash recorded "I Walk The Line" in 1956.
Frank Sinatra cuts his classic anthem "My Way” in 1969.
Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group to form Traffic in 1967.
In 1967, the Beatles finished recording the legendary album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
John Lennon and Yoko Ono held a news conference in New York in 1972 to discuss their appeal of the Immigration Department's decision to deport John.
Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Duke Ellington, "Sir Duke," was released in 1977.
Ringo Starr released his best solo effort and biggest chart success, “It Don’t Come Easy” in 1971. (Written by Ringo and produced by George Harrison)
Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” was #1 in the U.S. in 1977 (less than two months following its release). The album stayed on the chart for over a year-and-a-half.
In 1978, Cheap Trick performed at Tokyo's Budokan Hall before a wildly enthusiastic audience. “Live at Budokan” eventually sells over three million copies and is Cheap Trick’s best seller.
David Lee Roth left Van Halen in 1985. This is the very definition of a ‘bad move.’ He was replaced by Sammy Hagar who’s actually with the group longer.
U2’s fifth studio album, "The Joshua Tree," makes its debut at #7 on the U.S. album chart in 1987.
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was certified platinum by the record industry in 1992.
Keren Woodward – Bananarama (1961)
Emmylou Harris (1947)
Leon Russel (1941)
Greg Camp- Smash Mouth (1967)
David Robinson- The Cars (1953)
Tony Fredianelli- Third Eye Blind (1969)
They Are Missed:
Born on this day in 1952, Leon Wilkeson, bass, Lynyrd Skynyrd (died on July 27, 2001).
Rob Pilatus, one half of pop duo Milli Vanilli was found dead in a Frankfurt Hotel room in 1998 after taking a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol. Milli Vanilli won the 1989 best new artist Grammy after hits like 'Blame it on the Rain' and 'Girl, You Know It's True,' selling 30 million singles and 14 million albums.
The late Marvin Gaye was born in 1939.
One of the greatest jazz drummers of all time, Buddy Rich died in 1987 (age 69) due to complications caused by a brain tumor. The self-taught prodigy started drumming when he was only 18 months old, and his incredible rhythmic sense influenced just about everyone who picked up a pair of drumsticks afterward. Rich worked with many acts including, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey's band, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson.
Edwin Starr ("War") died of a heart attack in 2003.
History:
The Black Crowes performed in Knoxville, TN in 1999. One of the concertgoers later sued the band for $385,000 in a claim that he had suffered significant hearing loss at the show. Apparently, he couldn’t have just got up and left…..
Janis Joplin was at #1 on the US album charts in 1971 with “Pearl.”
The Beach Boys recorded "I Get Around" in 1964. Brian Wilson got so fed up with his father's criticism that he fired him as their manager.
Freddie & the Dreamers recorded "Do The Freddie" in 1965.
Johnny Cash recorded "I Walk The Line" in 1956.
Frank Sinatra cuts his classic anthem "My Way” in 1969.
Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group to form Traffic in 1967.
In 1967, the Beatles finished recording the legendary album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
John Lennon and Yoko Ono held a news conference in New York in 1972 to discuss their appeal of the Immigration Department's decision to deport John.
Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Duke Ellington, "Sir Duke," was released in 1977.
Ringo Starr released his best solo effort and biggest chart success, “It Don’t Come Easy” in 1971. (Written by Ringo and produced by George Harrison)
Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” was #1 in the U.S. in 1977 (less than two months following its release). The album stayed on the chart for over a year-and-a-half.
In 1978, Cheap Trick performed at Tokyo's Budokan Hall before a wildly enthusiastic audience. “Live at Budokan” eventually sells over three million copies and is Cheap Trick’s best seller.
David Lee Roth left Van Halen in 1985. This is the very definition of a ‘bad move.’ He was replaced by Sammy Hagar who’s actually with the group longer.
U2’s fifth studio album, "The Joshua Tree," makes its debut at #7 on the U.S. album chart in 1987.
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was certified platinum by the record industry in 1992.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Vinyl Collective News
Here's the latest from Virgil at www.vinylcollective.com:
One of my favorite independent labels just sent us a big box of restocks including a handful of the Lemuria get better vinyl which is nearly out of print (alex from art of the underground is in lemuria in case you don’t know). We also got in a bunch of the AOTU 7″ series which will all soon be out of print. Get yours while you have the chance.
LEMURIA “Get Better” LP pink w/ white vinyl
ALEX KERNS “Single Series Volume 33″ 7″
ARMED WITH INTELLIGENCE / YOUNG ONES “Garbage Pickin Youth” split 7″
CHEEKY “Single Series Volume 29″ 7″
CHINESE TELEPHONES “Single Series Volume 31″ 7″
MALCOLM BAULD “Covered In Dust” LP
SCREAM HELLO “Single Series Volume 35″ 7″
THE CLOSET FAIRIES “Single Series Volume 26″ 7″
THE JETTY BOYS “Single Series Volume 34″ 7″
THE MANGES “Single Series Volume 36″ 7″
TIN ARMOR “Single Series Volume 32″ 7″
One of my favorite independent labels just sent us a big box of restocks including a handful of the Lemuria get better vinyl which is nearly out of print (alex from art of the underground is in lemuria in case you don’t know). We also got in a bunch of the AOTU 7″ series which will all soon be out of print. Get yours while you have the chance.
LEMURIA “Get Better” LP pink w/ white vinyl
ALEX KERNS “Single Series Volume 33″ 7″
ARMED WITH INTELLIGENCE / YOUNG ONES “Garbage Pickin Youth” split 7″
CHEEKY “Single Series Volume 29″ 7″
CHINESE TELEPHONES “Single Series Volume 31″ 7″
MALCOLM BAULD “Covered In Dust” LP
SCREAM HELLO “Single Series Volume 35″ 7″
THE CLOSET FAIRIES “Single Series Volume 26″ 7″
THE JETTY BOYS “Single Series Volume 34″ 7″
THE MANGES “Single Series Volume 36″ 7″
TIN ARMOR “Single Series Volume 32″ 7″
Mr. Music
I am continuing our new feature: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.
DEAR JERRY: After seeing how someone put together an album of all the different versions of “High School U.S.A.,” “Louie Louie,” and “Talkin' Baseball,” it amazes me that RCA Victor never made a long-play album of Jimmie Rodgers' “Blue Yodels.”
The theme itself would have made good sense, but considering there are only a dozen or so songs — perfect for an album — makes it seem like a no-brainer idea.
I know they are all included in some multi-disc CD boxed sets, along with numerous other Rodgers' tracks, but the point is they should all be on a single record or CD.
I'm tired of waiting, so if you'll provide a complete listing I'll create my own compilation. —Arnold Kim, Milwaukee
DEAR ARNOLD: I doubt a better idea for a concept album ever existed, one that inexplicably went unfulfilled.
As you suggest, the baker's dozen of Jimmie's “Blue Yodels” would perfectly fill an LP.
And unlike “High School U.S.A.,” where all 30 tracks are essentially the same song with only slight lyrical variations, each of the 13 “Blue Yodels” is a unique piece of music.
Another bewildering slant to this story is knowing you could own the first 14 RCA Victor LPs (1952-1977) AND all eight Rounder albums (1990-1991), and still not have all 13 “Blue Yodels”!
So here they are, complete with A and B-sides, sub-titles, alternative titles, year recorded, and original Victor-Bluebird 78 rpm numbers:
Victor 21142: “Blue Yodel” (“Blue Yodel No. 1”; “T For Texas”) (1928). Flip: “Away out on the Mountain.”
Victor 21291: “Blue Yodel No. 2” (“My Lovin' Gal Lucille”)” (1928). Flip: “The Brakeman's Blues.”
Victor 21531: “Blue Yodel No. 3” (“Evening Sun Yodel”; “She's Long, She's Tall”) (1928). Flip: “Never No Mo' Blues.”
Victor 40014: “Blue Yodel No. 4” (“California Blues”) (1929). Flip: “Waiting for a Train.”
Victor 22072: “Blue Yodel No. 5” (“It's Raining Here”). Flip: “I'm Sorry We Met.”
Victor 22271: “Blue Yodel No. 6” (“Midnight Turning Day Blues”) (1930). Flip: “Yodeling Cowboy.”
Victor 22488: “Blue Yodel No. 7” (“Anniversary Blue Yodel”) (1930). Flip: “Any Old Time.”
Victor 23503: “Blue Yodel No. 8” (“Mule Skinner Blues”) (1931). Flip: “Jimmie's Mean Mama Blues.”
Victor 23580: “Blue Yodel No. 9” (“Standing on a Corner”) (1931). Flip: Looking for a New Mama.”
Victor 23696: “Blue Yodel No. 10” (“Groundhog Rootin' In My Backyard”) (1932). Flip: “Mississippi Moon.”
Victor 23796: “Blue Yodel No. 11” (“I Got a Gal”) (1929). Flip: “Sweet Mama Hurry Home Or I'll Be Gone.”
Bluebird 5942: “Blue Yodel No. 11” (“I Got a Gal”) (1929). Flip: “My Good Gal's Gone Blues.”
Victor 24456: “Blue Yodel No. 12” (“Barefoot Blues”) (1933). Flip: “Cowhand's Last Ride.”
Bluebird 5281: “Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel” (1933). Flip: “Fifteen Years Ago Today.”
For those whose only desire is having all 13 Blue Yodels on one CD, one self-titled 20-tune collection (“Jimmie Rodgers”) plays them in order, but also adds seven other tracks: “Brakeman's Blues (Yodeling The Blues Away)”; “Train Whistle Blues”; “In the Jailhouse Now No 2”; “I'm Lonely and Blue”; “Hobo Bill's Last Ride”; “Whippin' That Old TB”; and “Waiting for a Train.”
However, for the COMPLETE collection of Jimmie Rodgers music, you'll need “The Singing Brakeman,” a lavish 1994 six-CD boxed set from Germany's Bear Family Records.
IZ ZAT SO? The first of Jimmie Rodgers' “Blue Yodels” originally came out without mention of a number. Labels showed the title as “Blue Yodel,” making no reference to the song itself, “T for Texas.”
The recording became a huge hit, selling half-a-million and creating a national sensation.
With subsequent yodels being numbered, reissues of “T for Texas” identified the earlier track as “Blue Yodel No. 1.”
Rodgers eventually earned three completely different and equally appropriate nicknames: “The Blue Yodeler”; “The Singing Brakeman”; and “The Father of Country Music.”
Apart from his many Country-based accolades, Jimmie is also known as the most original American Blues protagonist in the first half of the 20th century — an inspiration to Gene Autry and Ernest Tubb; as well as Howlin' Wolf; Muddy Waters; and Louis Armstrong.
His twang and yodels may scream Country but his compositions and song constructions are pure Beale Street Blues.
"Rockin Records" 2009 edition is now on sale- call with the code "CVR" and receive $6 off your purchase
Toll-Free: (800) 246-3255
Jerry Osborne's "Rockin' Records" has long been the most popular record guide. Now with 1,104 pages, it is by far the biggest record guide we've ever made. It is regarded throughout the industry as the best available guide, and it is the one accepted by all the major insurance companies.
Call today with the code "CVR" to receive your discount!
DEAR JERRY: After seeing how someone put together an album of all the different versions of “High School U.S.A.,” “Louie Louie,” and “Talkin' Baseball,” it amazes me that RCA Victor never made a long-play album of Jimmie Rodgers' “Blue Yodels.”
The theme itself would have made good sense, but considering there are only a dozen or so songs — perfect for an album — makes it seem like a no-brainer idea.
I know they are all included in some multi-disc CD boxed sets, along with numerous other Rodgers' tracks, but the point is they should all be on a single record or CD.
I'm tired of waiting, so if you'll provide a complete listing I'll create my own compilation. —Arnold Kim, Milwaukee
DEAR ARNOLD: I doubt a better idea for a concept album ever existed, one that inexplicably went unfulfilled.
As you suggest, the baker's dozen of Jimmie's “Blue Yodels” would perfectly fill an LP.
And unlike “High School U.S.A.,” where all 30 tracks are essentially the same song with only slight lyrical variations, each of the 13 “Blue Yodels” is a unique piece of music.
Another bewildering slant to this story is knowing you could own the first 14 RCA Victor LPs (1952-1977) AND all eight Rounder albums (1990-1991), and still not have all 13 “Blue Yodels”!
So here they are, complete with A and B-sides, sub-titles, alternative titles, year recorded, and original Victor-Bluebird 78 rpm numbers:
Victor 21142: “Blue Yodel” (“Blue Yodel No. 1”; “T For Texas”) (1928). Flip: “Away out on the Mountain.”
Victor 21291: “Blue Yodel No. 2” (“My Lovin' Gal Lucille”)” (1928). Flip: “The Brakeman's Blues.”
Victor 21531: “Blue Yodel No. 3” (“Evening Sun Yodel”; “She's Long, She's Tall”) (1928). Flip: “Never No Mo' Blues.”
Victor 40014: “Blue Yodel No. 4” (“California Blues”) (1929). Flip: “Waiting for a Train.”
Victor 22072: “Blue Yodel No. 5” (“It's Raining Here”). Flip: “I'm Sorry We Met.”
Victor 22271: “Blue Yodel No. 6” (“Midnight Turning Day Blues”) (1930). Flip: “Yodeling Cowboy.”
Victor 22488: “Blue Yodel No. 7” (“Anniversary Blue Yodel”) (1930). Flip: “Any Old Time.”
Victor 23503: “Blue Yodel No. 8” (“Mule Skinner Blues”) (1931). Flip: “Jimmie's Mean Mama Blues.”
Victor 23580: “Blue Yodel No. 9” (“Standing on a Corner”) (1931). Flip: Looking for a New Mama.”
Victor 23696: “Blue Yodel No. 10” (“Groundhog Rootin' In My Backyard”) (1932). Flip: “Mississippi Moon.”
Victor 23796: “Blue Yodel No. 11” (“I Got a Gal”) (1929). Flip: “Sweet Mama Hurry Home Or I'll Be Gone.”
Bluebird 5942: “Blue Yodel No. 11” (“I Got a Gal”) (1929). Flip: “My Good Gal's Gone Blues.”
Victor 24456: “Blue Yodel No. 12” (“Barefoot Blues”) (1933). Flip: “Cowhand's Last Ride.”
Bluebird 5281: “Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel” (1933). Flip: “Fifteen Years Ago Today.”
For those whose only desire is having all 13 Blue Yodels on one CD, one self-titled 20-tune collection (“Jimmie Rodgers”) plays them in order, but also adds seven other tracks: “Brakeman's Blues (Yodeling The Blues Away)”; “Train Whistle Blues”; “In the Jailhouse Now No 2”; “I'm Lonely and Blue”; “Hobo Bill's Last Ride”; “Whippin' That Old TB”; and “Waiting for a Train.”
However, for the COMPLETE collection of Jimmie Rodgers music, you'll need “The Singing Brakeman,” a lavish 1994 six-CD boxed set from Germany's Bear Family Records.
IZ ZAT SO? The first of Jimmie Rodgers' “Blue Yodels” originally came out without mention of a number. Labels showed the title as “Blue Yodel,” making no reference to the song itself, “T for Texas.”
The recording became a huge hit, selling half-a-million and creating a national sensation.
With subsequent yodels being numbered, reissues of “T for Texas” identified the earlier track as “Blue Yodel No. 1.”
Rodgers eventually earned three completely different and equally appropriate nicknames: “The Blue Yodeler”; “The Singing Brakeman”; and “The Father of Country Music.”
Apart from his many Country-based accolades, Jimmie is also known as the most original American Blues protagonist in the first half of the 20th century — an inspiration to Gene Autry and Ernest Tubb; as well as Howlin' Wolf; Muddy Waters; and Louis Armstrong.
His twang and yodels may scream Country but his compositions and song constructions are pure Beale Street Blues.
"Rockin Records" 2009 edition is now on sale- call with the code "CVR" and receive $6 off your purchase
Toll-Free: (800) 246-3255
Jerry Osborne's "Rockin' Records" has long been the most popular record guide. Now with 1,104 pages, it is by far the biggest record guide we've ever made. It is regarded throughout the industry as the best available guide, and it is the one accepted by all the major insurance companies.
Call today with the code "CVR" to receive your discount!
Music News & Notes
Black Sabbath News
NEW HEAVEN & HELL SINGLE BIBLE BLACK NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
Exclusive 7" Vinyl Single Available For Record Store Day on April 18
New Album The Devil You Know Available April 28 From Rhino
LOS ANGELES -- "Bible Black," the first single from Heaven & Hell's highly anticipated new album THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, is now available for download from all digital retailers. The epic tale was one of the first songs written for the new album and finds the quartet of Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice in top form. "When you start off with a blockbuster like that, it makes the rest of the album so much easier because it gives you a benchmark to measure the other songs against," says Dio. "Bible Black" begins with Iommi on acoustic guitar behind Dio's plaintive wail before the rhythm shifts to a menacing stomp for the rest of this dark tale about a book of sinister scriptures. The song is also streaming at myspace.com/heavenandhellmusic.
A limited edition 7" vinyl single of "Bible Black" will be available exclusively for this year's Record Store Day on April 18 for a suggested list price of $5.98. The single's B-side features a live version of "Neon Knights" recorded at the band's heralded Radio City Music Hall performance in 2007. The 7" is available only at participating independent music retailers. For a full list of participating stores, visit www.recordstoreday.com.
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Bad Co Tour
Last August, Bad Company reunited for a one-off gig at the Hollywood, Florida Seminole Hard Rock Cafe and the surviving members of the group will return to that venue on June 17 to kick off a 10-date reunion tour.
Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirkes will be on the road to promote their Hard Rock Live DVD, recorded at last year's show, which will be sold at all the shows before being made widely available on August 8.
Rodgers talked to Billboard about the reunion. "It was a really good show. Both the band and the fans were on fire. Queen [Rodgers is their current lead singer] does fantastic versions of my material, but it was very authentic playing with the guys, very much the real deal, I guess."
Joining the trio of original members will be Lynn Sorenson from Rodgers' solo band and Howard Leese, formerly of Heart. The Doobie Brothers will be opening all of the shows except the final one in Atlantic City.
Rodgers did say not to expect additional shows as he will be using the rest of the year to write new material.
The tour dates:
06/19/09 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre
06/20/09 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
06/21/09 - Birmingham, AL - Downtown
06/23/09 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
06/24/09 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
06/27/09 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
06/28/09 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
07/01/09 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
07/02/09 - Canandaigua, NY - Constellation Brands - Marvin Sands PAC (CMAC)
07/04/09 - Atlantic City, NJ - Resorts Atlantic City
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Hudson Recovering
Brett Hudson of the 70's group the Hudson Brothers revealed that he has been battling throad cancer for over a year and has beat it using a state-of-the-art treatment not available in the U.S. He was appearing at the NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans with his brother Mark when he said, "On August 27, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer. My doctors told me to get my affairs in order and that I wouldn't survive six months. I proved them wrong.
"I was headed toward a morbid operation to remove my larynx when my dear friend Cher, whom I've known for 35 years, led me to a doctor in Germany, and today I don't have cancer.
"Bottom line: You go to Germany, they'll cure your cancer. You stay in America, they'll cure you if you survive the treatment."
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Beck Reissuing 1994’s “One Foot in the Grave” on April 14th
Beck will reissue his 1994 slacker folk album One Foot in the Grave on April 14th, with reportedly 16 additional songs tacked onto the original track list. The rocker’s publicists confirmed the release date, which Rock Daily noted on Amazon.com’s preorder page, which also indicates Interscope Records will handle the reissue. The LP was originally distributed by K Records and recorded before — but released after — Beck’s breakthrough major label debut Mellow Gold.
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Devo's Roots
Along with Devo’s recent reunion, founding member Jerry Casale is also working on the first draft of a band biopic.
“It’s about Devo in the sad, sad Akron days beginning in 1974. It shows the truth, which is stranger than fiction, where, against all odds, and totally whacked-out, this art band goes from being this hopeless joke everyone laughs at to synching up with the new wave and punk movements,” Casale told Flavorwire.
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