rolling stones-beast of burden
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Rock/Pop Tidbits
This is a rerun of a popular daily feature here at
CollectingVinylRecords Blog, a feature I call Rock/Pop Tidbits; interesting facts about rock and pop music and artists, some humorous, some informative and some just silly. Long time readers will recognize some of these, but I have written up some new ones, so now you can win at trivial pursuit! Feel free to leave comments or add more of your own:
After Elvis Presley began his meteoric rise to fame in 1956, his father Vernon said to him, "What happened El? The last thing I remember is I was working in a can factory and you were driving a truck."
Peter Cetera wrote "If You Leave Me Now" about a faltering relationship. Although the song proved to be Chicago's biggest selling record, it didn't help save the union, as the woman involved ended up leaving anyway.
CCR's John Fogerty had a notebook in which he jotted down words and names that he thought would make good song titles. At the top of his list was "Proud Mary", a phrase that brought images of a domestic washerwoman to John's mind. When he got around to putting it to music, the first few chords he used reminded him of a paddle-wheel going around. Instead of Proud Mary being a clean-up lady, she became a boat and the song is a staple at any wedding reception.
Lesley Gore's first album was called "I'll Cry If I Want To" which consisted of songs completely devoted to crying.
"Mack The Knife" was written for the 1928 German play The Threepenny Opera, in which "Mack" is Mackie Messer (Macheath), an amoral, anti-heroic criminal. Although it suffered an initially poor reception, the show went on to run 400 times in the next two years. It was translated into English in 1933 and since that time, at least seven productions have been mounted in New York, on and off Broadway.
It has often been rumored that Billy Joel played piano on The Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack", but this has been denied by one of the song's co-writers, Ellie Greenwich.
The original version of "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen cost just $36 to record, but sold over 12 million copies.
In the 1950s, Paul McCartney's father lead a combo called Jim Mac's Jazz Band, where he played piano and trumpet. When he was a boy, Paul said that someday he hoped to be as good as his dad.
Set to Ronald White's tune, Smokey Robinson was inspired by his wife Claudette to write the lyrics to one of music history's greatest love songs, "My Girl". Smokey's personal problems lead to their divorce in 1986.
From clay tablets and other forms of pictures, historians have determined that stringed musical instruments were developed in ancient Egypt and Rome over 3,300 years ago. The first six string guitar, called a vihuela, was developed in Spain in the 17th century.
In February 1949, after RCA Victor introduced the first 45 rpm phonograph, they put together a promo package of seven 45s that were sent to US disc jockeys and retailers. The records were color coded for classification of music. Popular - Black; Classical - Red; Popular Classical - Midnight blue; Children's - Yellow; Country and Western - Green; Rhythm And Blues - Cerise; International - Sky blue.
CollectingVinylRecords Blog, a feature I call Rock/Pop Tidbits; interesting facts about rock and pop music and artists, some humorous, some informative and some just silly. Long time readers will recognize some of these, but I have written up some new ones, so now you can win at trivial pursuit! Feel free to leave comments or add more of your own:
After Elvis Presley began his meteoric rise to fame in 1956, his father Vernon said to him, "What happened El? The last thing I remember is I was working in a can factory and you were driving a truck."
Peter Cetera wrote "If You Leave Me Now" about a faltering relationship. Although the song proved to be Chicago's biggest selling record, it didn't help save the union, as the woman involved ended up leaving anyway.
CCR's John Fogerty had a notebook in which he jotted down words and names that he thought would make good song titles. At the top of his list was "Proud Mary", a phrase that brought images of a domestic washerwoman to John's mind. When he got around to putting it to music, the first few chords he used reminded him of a paddle-wheel going around. Instead of Proud Mary being a clean-up lady, she became a boat and the song is a staple at any wedding reception.
Lesley Gore's first album was called "I'll Cry If I Want To" which consisted of songs completely devoted to crying.
"Mack The Knife" was written for the 1928 German play The Threepenny Opera, in which "Mack" is Mackie Messer (Macheath), an amoral, anti-heroic criminal. Although it suffered an initially poor reception, the show went on to run 400 times in the next two years. It was translated into English in 1933 and since that time, at least seven productions have been mounted in New York, on and off Broadway.
It has often been rumored that Billy Joel played piano on The Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack", but this has been denied by one of the song's co-writers, Ellie Greenwich.
The original version of "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen cost just $36 to record, but sold over 12 million copies.
In the 1950s, Paul McCartney's father lead a combo called Jim Mac's Jazz Band, where he played piano and trumpet. When he was a boy, Paul said that someday he hoped to be as good as his dad.
Set to Ronald White's tune, Smokey Robinson was inspired by his wife Claudette to write the lyrics to one of music history's greatest love songs, "My Girl". Smokey's personal problems lead to their divorce in 1986.
From clay tablets and other forms of pictures, historians have determined that stringed musical instruments were developed in ancient Egypt and Rome over 3,300 years ago. The first six string guitar, called a vihuela, was developed in Spain in the 17th century.
In February 1949, after RCA Victor introduced the first 45 rpm phonograph, they put together a promo package of seven 45s that were sent to US disc jockeys and retailers. The records were color coded for classification of music. Popular - Black; Classical - Red; Popular Classical - Midnight blue; Children's - Yellow; Country and Western - Green; Rhythm And Blues - Cerise; International - Sky blue.
Famed L.A. record store Music Man Murray preparing to close
By John Rogers of The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — The 45s, the 78s, the vinyl LPs, the CDs are all spinning to a halt, and you can push the stop button on those old cylinder recorders.
Music Man Murray — who for almost a half-century has been L.A.'s go-to-guy for that elusive record, the one you spent years searching in vain for until you found Murray — is closing up shop and selling his collection of some 300,000 discs. Everything must go, from the rare 10-inch vinyl LPs, to the even rarer 19th century Edison cylinders. Even that framed, mint-condition “Yesterday and Today” album by the Beatles, the one with the notorious “butcher cover” that makes it worth thousands of dollars, needs a home.
No, says Murray Gershenz, an energetic man of 87, he's not getting too old to run Music Man Murray's. Truth is, he says, his budding career as a character actor is finally taking off and he just can't devote the time anymore that a record collection like his deserves.
So someone else will have to keep watch over those ancient and fragile discs like the 100-year-old 78s recorded by Swedish opera singer Sigrid Onegin.
“Great singer, absolutely phenomenal,” he says, respectfully, holding one lovingly in his hands.
Then there's the priceless Kenny & the Cadets 45 (one of those small plastic records with the big hole in the middle). Only a few copies were pressed in 1962 before the group's core members became much better known as the Beach Boys.
Read the rest here:
LA Store Closing
LOS ANGELES — The 45s, the 78s, the vinyl LPs, the CDs are all spinning to a halt, and you can push the stop button on those old cylinder recorders.
Music Man Murray — who for almost a half-century has been L.A.'s go-to-guy for that elusive record, the one you spent years searching in vain for until you found Murray — is closing up shop and selling his collection of some 300,000 discs. Everything must go, from the rare 10-inch vinyl LPs, to the even rarer 19th century Edison cylinders. Even that framed, mint-condition “Yesterday and Today” album by the Beatles, the one with the notorious “butcher cover” that makes it worth thousands of dollars, needs a home.
No, says Murray Gershenz, an energetic man of 87, he's not getting too old to run Music Man Murray's. Truth is, he says, his budding career as a character actor is finally taking off and he just can't devote the time anymore that a record collection like his deserves.
So someone else will have to keep watch over those ancient and fragile discs like the 100-year-old 78s recorded by Swedish opera singer Sigrid Onegin.
“Great singer, absolutely phenomenal,” he says, respectfully, holding one lovingly in his hands.
Then there's the priceless Kenny & the Cadets 45 (one of those small plastic records with the big hole in the middle). Only a few copies were pressed in 1962 before the group's core members became much better known as the Beach Boys.
Read the rest here:
LA Store Closing
Bird and Animal Names In Rock And Roll History- part twenty-seven
Written By Robert Benson
Let’s continue our article series about “bird” and “animal” band names in rock and roll history, again focusing on some indie bands.
Taking his inspiration from film, photography, art and the climate in his home country of Finland, Marko Nyberg formed the indie band called Husky Rescue in 2002. Playing a mixture of ambient pop with a hint of country, the band released (with the help of twenty musicians and singers) their debut LP “Country Falls” in 2004. In order to play the compositions live, Nyberg recruited Reeta-Leena Korhola (vocals), Ville Riippa (keyboard), Anssi Sopanen (drums) and Miika Colliander (guitar) to tour and record. Nyberg poetically describes the group’s sound:
"Every track is designed to be a warm breeze to counter the chill of daily life, whether you live in cold climes or not. All moments from life become part of the music. Husky Rescue reflects our background in Helsinki where the winter nights are so cold and long while the summer is hot and short, but oh so sweet. It's melancholic music but there is always hope. Husky Rescue's music is like the first snow on the ground when you can still see the green grass through the snow. It's like spring's sunbeam after the long, dark, sunless winter time."
The group has released a series of singles throughout the years and in 2007 released their second LP “Ghost Is Not Real.” The band continues to tour and record and is gaining a small but loyal fan base.
Noah and the Whale is an Indie folk band from London, England and was formed in 2006. They draw comparisons to other indie bands such as Neutral Milk Honey and Belle & Sebastian and cite both folk and punk rock as major influences to their sound. The group derived their band name from a combination of the title of one of the band's favorite films, The Squid and the Whale, and the director of the film's name, which was Noah Baumbach.
After releasing several singles early on, the band released their debut album, "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down" in August 2008. The release rose to #5 on the UK Album Chart and has received critical acclaim and support.
Their next release, "The First Days Of Spring" is scheduled for release in the US on October 6, 2009. Singer Charlie Fink is making a film to accompany the LP; which will mark his directorial debut. The new album has been described as more electric than previous releases and there will be a running narrative throughout the album describing the disillusion of a relationship.
The band gained many fans as performers on the Jeremy Warmsley’s internet television show, "Welcome to our TV" show, and have made several appearances at festivals including Leeds, Latitude, SXSW, V Festival and Glastonbury and have tour dates scheduled in Europe well into November of 2009. The band plans to come to the states after the UK touring is finished, confirming a date in Phoenix, Arizona in late November and bringing their unique blend of folk-punk to the music lovers of America.
Neon Horse is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, signed to Tooth and Nail Records with two studio albums to their credit. Their sound has been described as a 'very 80s sound.'
The band remained almost anonymous and did not release any of the band member’s names, the lead singer was known only as "Norman Horse." However after playing a gig on April 10, 2008 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, the secret came out; the band members are now known: Mark Salomon (of Stavesacre) is the singer, Jason Martin (of Starflyer 59) plays guitar, and Steven Dail (of Project 86 and Crash Rickshaw) plays bass. It's rumored that Alex Albert (formerly of Project 86, also of Crash Rickshaw) is Neon Horse's drummer.
On the band's MySpace page, they describe themselves to their music audience:
“From the wreckage of roughly 20 nameless and faceless Los Angeles bands, Neon Horse arose as a collective of session musicians, home studio producers, waiters, postal workers, and bartenders …who found common ground in their music.”
"Citing influences broad in range – from the Rock of AC/DC, Oingo Boingo, and even the Stooges to the Sass of Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, and the Eurythmics – the band set out to make music they could play with a straight face, and that would allow Norman to exhibit his wide range and… personality. Eclectic and manic, Neon Horse is a band of Rock and Roll roots in the purest form: An ever changing, mercurial, addictive – and at times, slightly bizarre – continuation of Rock’s re-inventive nature."
“The band elected to maintain a simple understanding: Beyond the logical necessity of establishing Norman as the face of the group, they simply prefer to be known as: Neon Horse.”
Mixing parts David Bowie with elements of Alice Cooper blended with a grinding rhythm, the cut “Crazy Daisy” is getting major playing time on the band’s MySpace page. Another cut, "Little Lamb," with an infectious beginning riff and again brings the Bowie sound to the forefront. Ok, Neon Horse it is.
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, The Ponys are an indie rock/garage rock band formed in early 2001. Founder Jered Gummere was in a punk outfit called Guilty Pleasures; a band he subsequently quit to devote his full attention to the Ponys.
He recruited members for the band, the first being his girlfriend, Melissa Elias. They were soon joined by drummer Nathan Jerde and the band began playing the clubs in the Chicago area. Gummere then recruited Happy Supply member Ian Adams to round out the sound, a mix of indie/post punk styles. The band cut a few singles and was signed to Red Records and released their first album, "Laced With Romance" in 2004. The LP met with moderate success and was praised, not only in the local indie papers, but mainstream music publications like Rolling Stone and Spin. The Ponys toured with The Unicorns, The Fall and The Fiery Furnaces in support of the release.
The next LP, "Celebration Castle" was released in May of 2005 despite some band members tiring of the road and the recording schedule. The album had a much more defined sound to it and retained the instantly recognizable live sound that they were known for. Later that year, Ian Adams left the band, tired of touring and was replaced by Brian Case of 90 Day Men.
The Ponys left their record label and signed with the New York-based indie label Matador Records. They recorded their third album, "Turn The Lights Out," in the fall of 2006 and it was released in March of 2007. With their most brilliant batch of songs to date, plus the luxury of being able to take their time in the studio, the group turned in an ambitious, but wholly addictive recording. At heart, the Ponys are and always will be a garage band, with a bright future and new musical boundaries to cross.
Look for more write ups here at the Collecting Vinyl Records Blog, when we continue of look at indie bird and animal band names.
Husky Rescue Tidbits:
The cut "My World" has been used in Hyundai's ‘Think About It’ advertisements and the song "New Light of Tomorrow" was used in a P&O TV commercial.
Buy Husky Rescue Music
Noah and the Whale Tidbits:
The band consists of Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar), Doug Fink (drums), Tom Hobden (fiddle), and Urby Whale (bass). Laura Marling and Emmy The Great sang with the band for a short period; however the band has decided that there will be no female backup vocals on their second LP.
The group are also avid fans of the film director Wes Anderson, who helped produce The Squid and the Whale alongside Baumbach; in fact, the group's e-mails, and many of their MySpace blog posts, are signed "Sic Transit Gloria", a phrase frequently used in Anderson's film Rushmore.
"The First Days of Spring" will be the first single release from the album of the same name and is available for download from the band’s website. Additionally the cut "Blue Skies" will also be released as a single.
Neon Horse Tidbits:
The band has posted a Christmas song on their MySpace page.
On July 27, 2009, their sophomore album titled "Haunted Horse: Songs of Love, Defiance, and Delusion" was made available for download on iTunes.
Buy Neon Horse Music
The Ponys Tidbits:
Gummere met his girlfriend Melissa Elias while she was attending Illinois State University in his hometown.
Buy The Ponys Music
Let’s continue our article series about “bird” and “animal” band names in rock and roll history, again focusing on some indie bands.
Taking his inspiration from film, photography, art and the climate in his home country of Finland, Marko Nyberg formed the indie band called Husky Rescue in 2002. Playing a mixture of ambient pop with a hint of country, the band released (with the help of twenty musicians and singers) their debut LP “Country Falls” in 2004. In order to play the compositions live, Nyberg recruited Reeta-Leena Korhola (vocals), Ville Riippa (keyboard), Anssi Sopanen (drums) and Miika Colliander (guitar) to tour and record. Nyberg poetically describes the group’s sound:
"Every track is designed to be a warm breeze to counter the chill of daily life, whether you live in cold climes or not. All moments from life become part of the music. Husky Rescue reflects our background in Helsinki where the winter nights are so cold and long while the summer is hot and short, but oh so sweet. It's melancholic music but there is always hope. Husky Rescue's music is like the first snow on the ground when you can still see the green grass through the snow. It's like spring's sunbeam after the long, dark, sunless winter time."
The group has released a series of singles throughout the years and in 2007 released their second LP “Ghost Is Not Real.” The band continues to tour and record and is gaining a small but loyal fan base.
Noah and the Whale is an Indie folk band from London, England and was formed in 2006. They draw comparisons to other indie bands such as Neutral Milk Honey and Belle & Sebastian and cite both folk and punk rock as major influences to their sound. The group derived their band name from a combination of the title of one of the band's favorite films, The Squid and the Whale, and the director of the film's name, which was Noah Baumbach.
After releasing several singles early on, the band released their debut album, "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down" in August 2008. The release rose to #5 on the UK Album Chart and has received critical acclaim and support.
Their next release, "The First Days Of Spring" is scheduled for release in the US on October 6, 2009. Singer Charlie Fink is making a film to accompany the LP; which will mark his directorial debut. The new album has been described as more electric than previous releases and there will be a running narrative throughout the album describing the disillusion of a relationship.
The band gained many fans as performers on the Jeremy Warmsley’s internet television show, "Welcome to our TV" show, and have made several appearances at festivals including Leeds, Latitude, SXSW, V Festival and Glastonbury and have tour dates scheduled in Europe well into November of 2009. The band plans to come to the states after the UK touring is finished, confirming a date in Phoenix, Arizona in late November and bringing their unique blend of folk-punk to the music lovers of America.
Neon Horse is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, signed to Tooth and Nail Records with two studio albums to their credit. Their sound has been described as a 'very 80s sound.'
The band remained almost anonymous and did not release any of the band member’s names, the lead singer was known only as "Norman Horse." However after playing a gig on April 10, 2008 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, the secret came out; the band members are now known: Mark Salomon (of Stavesacre) is the singer, Jason Martin (of Starflyer 59) plays guitar, and Steven Dail (of Project 86 and Crash Rickshaw) plays bass. It's rumored that Alex Albert (formerly of Project 86, also of Crash Rickshaw) is Neon Horse's drummer.
On the band's MySpace page, they describe themselves to their music audience:
“From the wreckage of roughly 20 nameless and faceless Los Angeles bands, Neon Horse arose as a collective of session musicians, home studio producers, waiters, postal workers, and bartenders …who found common ground in their music.”
"Citing influences broad in range – from the Rock of AC/DC, Oingo Boingo, and even the Stooges to the Sass of Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, and the Eurythmics – the band set out to make music they could play with a straight face, and that would allow Norman to exhibit his wide range and… personality. Eclectic and manic, Neon Horse is a band of Rock and Roll roots in the purest form: An ever changing, mercurial, addictive – and at times, slightly bizarre – continuation of Rock’s re-inventive nature."
“The band elected to maintain a simple understanding: Beyond the logical necessity of establishing Norman as the face of the group, they simply prefer to be known as: Neon Horse.”
Mixing parts David Bowie with elements of Alice Cooper blended with a grinding rhythm, the cut “Crazy Daisy” is getting major playing time on the band’s MySpace page. Another cut, "Little Lamb," with an infectious beginning riff and again brings the Bowie sound to the forefront. Ok, Neon Horse it is.
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, The Ponys are an indie rock/garage rock band formed in early 2001. Founder Jered Gummere was in a punk outfit called Guilty Pleasures; a band he subsequently quit to devote his full attention to the Ponys.
He recruited members for the band, the first being his girlfriend, Melissa Elias. They were soon joined by drummer Nathan Jerde and the band began playing the clubs in the Chicago area. Gummere then recruited Happy Supply member Ian Adams to round out the sound, a mix of indie/post punk styles. The band cut a few singles and was signed to Red Records and released their first album, "Laced With Romance" in 2004. The LP met with moderate success and was praised, not only in the local indie papers, but mainstream music publications like Rolling Stone and Spin. The Ponys toured with The Unicorns, The Fall and The Fiery Furnaces in support of the release.
The next LP, "Celebration Castle" was released in May of 2005 despite some band members tiring of the road and the recording schedule. The album had a much more defined sound to it and retained the instantly recognizable live sound that they were known for. Later that year, Ian Adams left the band, tired of touring and was replaced by Brian Case of 90 Day Men.
The Ponys left their record label and signed with the New York-based indie label Matador Records. They recorded their third album, "Turn The Lights Out," in the fall of 2006 and it was released in March of 2007. With their most brilliant batch of songs to date, plus the luxury of being able to take their time in the studio, the group turned in an ambitious, but wholly addictive recording. At heart, the Ponys are and always will be a garage band, with a bright future and new musical boundaries to cross.
Look for more write ups here at the Collecting Vinyl Records Blog, when we continue of look at indie bird and animal band names.
Husky Rescue Tidbits:
The cut "My World" has been used in Hyundai's ‘Think About It’ advertisements and the song "New Light of Tomorrow" was used in a P&O TV commercial.
Buy Husky Rescue Music
Noah and the Whale Tidbits:
The band consists of Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar), Doug Fink (drums), Tom Hobden (fiddle), and Urby Whale (bass). Laura Marling and Emmy The Great sang with the band for a short period; however the band has decided that there will be no female backup vocals on their second LP.
The group are also avid fans of the film director Wes Anderson, who helped produce The Squid and the Whale alongside Baumbach; in fact, the group's e-mails, and many of their MySpace blog posts, are signed "Sic Transit Gloria", a phrase frequently used in Anderson's film Rushmore.
"The First Days of Spring" will be the first single release from the album of the same name and is available for download from the band’s website. Additionally the cut "Blue Skies" will also be released as a single.
Neon Horse Tidbits:
The band has posted a Christmas song on their MySpace page.
On July 27, 2009, their sophomore album titled "Haunted Horse: Songs of Love, Defiance, and Delusion" was made available for download on iTunes.
Buy Neon Horse Music
The Ponys Tidbits:
Gummere met his girlfriend Melissa Elias while she was attending Illinois State University in his hometown.
Buy The Ponys Music
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Rock/Pop Tidbits
This is a rerun of a popular daily feature here at
CollectingVinylRecords Blog, a feature I call Rock/Pop Tidbits; interesting facts about rock and pop music and artists, some humorous, some informative and some just silly. Long time readers will recognize some of these, but I have written up some new ones, so now you can win at trivial pursuit! Feel free to leave comments or add more of your own:
For many years it was thought that the very first song ever recorded was "Mary Had A Little Lamb", as spoken by Thomas Edison while testing an early phonograph in 1877. In March, 2008, the Association for Recorded Sound Collections announced the discovery of a recording of "Au Clair de la Lune", found by audio historians in the archives of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris . The recording was made by Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville and recorded on a "phonautograph", a device that engraved sound waves onto a sheet of paper blackened by the smoke of an oil lamp. The recording took place on April 9th, 1860...17 years before Thomas Edison invented his phonograph.
The Four Seasons' Frankie Valli was arrested by Columbus, Ohio Police in September 1965, after his manager forgot to pay his hotel bill.
Although he sang the lead vocal for "Sugar Sugar", a song that sold over 13 million copies and was named Billboard magazine's Record of The Year, Ron Dante did not earn any royalties for the hit. Just happy to be recording at all in 1969, he did the session for the musicians' union scale wage.
In November, 2007, Neil Diamond finally revealed a secret that he had held onto for decades. The inspiration for his 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline" was President Kennedy's daughter.
They say you don't have to be a rocket scientist to write a hit song, but Michael Kennedy was working for the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company when he co-wrote The DeFranco Family's "Heartbeat - It's A Love Beat". He later gave up music and went on to work on the International Space Station.
Jay And The Americans first learned the song "Cara Mia" in 1962 because it contained the only four chords they knew. When they finally recorded it in 1965, the tune rose to #4 on the Billboard chart.
After seeing Marvin Gaye's large collection of pornography, writer David Ritz suggested that Gaye needed some "sexual healing". The two later collaborated on some lyrics which went into the hit song, but Ritz was not given any writing credit. After Gaye died, Ritz successfully sued.
The Allman Brothers' only Billboard Top 10 hit, "Ramblin' Man" was the last song recorded by bassist Berry Oakley before his death in 1972.
The soundtrack for the movie Saturday Night Fever was composed and performed primarily by The Bee Gees and has gone platinum fifteen times over. Despite this success, The Bee Gees' Robin Gibb says he has never seen the film all the way through.
When "Monster Mash" first started to get air-play in 1962, Bobby "Boris" Pickett was working part time as a cab driver. The song has since become an annual favorite, reaching the Billboard Top 10 in '62 and '73, earning three gold records and selling an estimated four million copies. Bobby has said that royalties from the record have "paid the rent for 43 years". Not bad for a song that took a half hour to write and another half hour to record and was intended to be a bit of fun to be shared only among family and friends.
The Who's album "Tommy" spent over two years on the US chart, but in their home country, the UK, it lasted only nine weeks.
CollectingVinylRecords Blog, a feature I call Rock/Pop Tidbits; interesting facts about rock and pop music and artists, some humorous, some informative and some just silly. Long time readers will recognize some of these, but I have written up some new ones, so now you can win at trivial pursuit! Feel free to leave comments or add more of your own:
For many years it was thought that the very first song ever recorded was "Mary Had A Little Lamb", as spoken by Thomas Edison while testing an early phonograph in 1877. In March, 2008, the Association for Recorded Sound Collections announced the discovery of a recording of "Au Clair de la Lune", found by audio historians in the archives of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris . The recording was made by Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville and recorded on a "phonautograph", a device that engraved sound waves onto a sheet of paper blackened by the smoke of an oil lamp. The recording took place on April 9th, 1860...17 years before Thomas Edison invented his phonograph.
The Four Seasons' Frankie Valli was arrested by Columbus, Ohio Police in September 1965, after his manager forgot to pay his hotel bill.
Although he sang the lead vocal for "Sugar Sugar", a song that sold over 13 million copies and was named Billboard magazine's Record of The Year, Ron Dante did not earn any royalties for the hit. Just happy to be recording at all in 1969, he did the session for the musicians' union scale wage.
In November, 2007, Neil Diamond finally revealed a secret that he had held onto for decades. The inspiration for his 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline" was President Kennedy's daughter.
They say you don't have to be a rocket scientist to write a hit song, but Michael Kennedy was working for the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company when he co-wrote The DeFranco Family's "Heartbeat - It's A Love Beat". He later gave up music and went on to work on the International Space Station.
Jay And The Americans first learned the song "Cara Mia" in 1962 because it contained the only four chords they knew. When they finally recorded it in 1965, the tune rose to #4 on the Billboard chart.
After seeing Marvin Gaye's large collection of pornography, writer David Ritz suggested that Gaye needed some "sexual healing". The two later collaborated on some lyrics which went into the hit song, but Ritz was not given any writing credit. After Gaye died, Ritz successfully sued.
The Allman Brothers' only Billboard Top 10 hit, "Ramblin' Man" was the last song recorded by bassist Berry Oakley before his death in 1972.
The soundtrack for the movie Saturday Night Fever was composed and performed primarily by The Bee Gees and has gone platinum fifteen times over. Despite this success, The Bee Gees' Robin Gibb says he has never seen the film all the way through.
When "Monster Mash" first started to get air-play in 1962, Bobby "Boris" Pickett was working part time as a cab driver. The song has since become an annual favorite, reaching the Billboard Top 10 in '62 and '73, earning three gold records and selling an estimated four million copies. Bobby has said that royalties from the record have "paid the rent for 43 years". Not bad for a song that took a half hour to write and another half hour to record and was intended to be a bit of fun to be shared only among family and friends.
The Who's album "Tommy" spent over two years on the US chart, but in their home country, the UK, it lasted only nine weeks.
Even More Uses For Your Cell Phone
This new application is being pushed for those who think a phone is some sort of magical do-it-all gadget. Me? If I need a picture of something, I use a camera. Well, for those of you who use these cell phones for more than just talking, texting, getting directions, surfing online, playing vidoes games, watching movies....now we have this little feature. Honestly, getting the latest sales numbers off of eBay is not the way to value a record. To each his own, but I don't think this has any real-time application or is of value to anyone who is buying vinyl- the best way to ascertain the real value? Jerry Osborne's Cyberguides, a real-time updated version of his Rockin Records Price Guide.
ceeFrenzy is a dedicated iPhone/iPod touch version of the website CollectorsFrenzy.com, developed jointly by Collectors Frenzy and Say Goodnight Software.
Collectors Frenzy is a record price guide for collectors and dealers to get a general idea of how much an LP is worth. The price of LPs are constantly fluctuating due to supply and demand, so as buyers and sellers it can be difficult to determine whether you are over paying or under selling your records. Collectors Frenzy is a record price guide to help you obtain fair market value for your LPs.
How does Collectors Frenzy work? It gathers completed auction data off of E-Bay on a regular basis giving you the most accurate and up to date prices on LPs.
To retrieve this data simply type in an artist name, album title, etc into the search bar. To sort the data simply click on one of the search type buttons and select the method of sorting you prefer (ascending or descending).
For more info: http://collectorsfrenzy.com/iPhone.aspx
ceeFrenzy is a dedicated iPhone/iPod touch version of the website CollectorsFrenzy.com, developed jointly by Collectors Frenzy and Say Goodnight Software.
Collectors Frenzy is a record price guide for collectors and dealers to get a general idea of how much an LP is worth. The price of LPs are constantly fluctuating due to supply and demand, so as buyers and sellers it can be difficult to determine whether you are over paying or under selling your records. Collectors Frenzy is a record price guide to help you obtain fair market value for your LPs.
How does Collectors Frenzy work? It gathers completed auction data off of E-Bay on a regular basis giving you the most accurate and up to date prices on LPs.
To retrieve this data simply type in an artist name, album title, etc into the search bar. To sort the data simply click on one of the search type buttons and select the method of sorting you prefer (ascending or descending).
For more info: http://collectorsfrenzy.com/iPhone.aspx
1st new Kiss album in 11 years? It's a Wal-Mart special
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Wal-Mart is being embraced with a Kiss.
The veteran heavy metal group, Kiss, is joining a growing list of classic acts putting out new music through the world's largest retailer.
"Sonic Boom" is due to be released only at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores on Oct. 6. The three-disc package will include a CD of the band's first new music in 11 years, re-recorded versions of famous Kiss hits and a live DVD.
Paul Stanley - one of the quartet's two original members, along with Gene Simmons - said the band chose to release the album at Wal-Mart because the store allowed them to make it memorable.
"They offered us an opportunity to do something that's very much in line with what we used to do with our classic albums, and that's to give people more than just an album of music," Stanley said. "We've always believed in trying to make an album a special event."
read the rest here:
Wal Mart & KISS
This Date In Music History - August 22
Birthdays:
Bob Flanagan - Four Freshmen (1926)
Fred Milano - Belmonts (1939)
Joe Chambers - Chambers Brothers (1942)
Kathy Lennon - Lennon Sisters (1942)
Ron Dante - studio voice of the Archies, Detergents & Cuff Links (1945)
Gary Withem - Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (1946)
Donna Godchaux - Grateful Dead (1947)
Theresa Davis - Emotions (1950)
Frank Marino - Mahogany Rush (1954)
Vernon Reid - ex-Living Clour (1958)
Ian Mitchell - Bay City Rollers (1958)
Jay & Michael Aston - Gene Loves Jezabel (1961)
Debbi Peterson - Bangles (1961)
Roland Orzabel - Tears For Fears (1961)
Gary Lee Connor - Screaming Trees (1962)
James Debarge - Debarge (1963)
Tori Amos (1963)
Paul Doucette, Matchbox 20 (1972)
Howie D - Backstreet Boys (1973)
Dale Hawkins ("Susie-Q") is 71
David Marks of the Beach Boys ("Little Deuce Coupe") turns 61
They Are Missed:
Orchestra leader David Rose died in 1990 (age 80). He had the 1962 US No.1 single 'The Stripper'. He also wrote music for the television series Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza.
Bluesman John Lee Hooker, whose boogie rhythms provided a link with rock 'n' roll, was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1917. Hooker died on June 21, 2001.
The Knacks' original drummer, Bruce Gary, died in 2006 at age 55 in Tarzana, CA, after a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He played on the band's chart-topping ‘79 hit "My Sharona" and stayed with the group until their breakup in ‘81. Outside of the Knack, Gary worked as a session drummer.
Layne Staley - Alice in Chains (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) In his last interview, which was given in early 2002 months before his death, Staley admitted, "I know I'm near death, I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way." How sad.
History:
In 1906, the Victor Talking Machine Company received a patent for its Victrola phonograph. The Victrola was the first phonograph designed to be a fine piece of furniture, as well as a means for reproducing music. The mahogany cabinet hid the flared horn, the turntable and the tone arm from sight. Despite the then unheard of price of $200, Victor could not keep up with orders for the Victrola.
Elvis began work on his first movie, "Love Me Tender" in 1956. In the drama that was set during and just after the Civil War, Elvis played Clint Reno, the youngest of four brothers. The original title for the movie was The Reno Brothers, but was changed to take advantage of the ‘Love Me Tender’ song recorded for the film.
The Five Satins made their debut on the R&B charts in 1956 with a song they recorded in a New Haven, CT church basement, "In the Still of the Night."
In 1962, the first TV appearance of The Beatles was recorded by Manchester based Granada TV, who filmed a lunchtime session at The Cavern Club Liverpool, (it was shown on October 17, 1962).
Martha & The Vandellas' "Dancing In The Streets" was released in 1964.
Liberty Records reported that the album "The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles" was selling 25,000 copies a day in 1964. Yeah, right.
The Supremes reached the top of the pop music charts in 1964 with their hit "Where Did Our Love Go?"
The Beach Boys met the Beatles backstage at a Beatles concert in Portland, OR in 1965.
In 1966, New York City teenagers Carol Hopkins and Susan Richmond climbed out onto the ledge on the second floor of a city hotel and threatened to jump unless they could get to meet the Beatles. Police talked then down and they're sent to Roosevelt Hospital to get their heads examined.
Also in 1966 - Jerry Lee Lewis was signed to play Iago in "Catch My Soul," a rock version of Shakespeare's "Othello."
Cynthia Powell Lennon sued John Lennon for divorce in 1968 on the grounds of adultery. She came back from a vacation and found Yoko Ono living in the Lennon's London home. Ooops.
Ringo Starr quit the Beatles during the White Album sessions in 1968, when the constant bickering and tension became too much for him. The news of Ringo's departure was kept secret, and he rejoined the sessions on September 3. After Ringo walked out, the remaining Beatles recorded "Back In the USSR," with Paul on drums and John playing bass.
The Beatles got together at John Lennon’s Tittenhurst Park home in England for their final ever photo session in 1969.
Bread went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1970 with "Make It With You," the group's only #1 hit (#5 in the UK).
Elton John signed with MCA Records in 1970.
Creedence Clearwater Revival's Cosmo's Factory LP hits #1 in 1970, a position it held for 9 weeks.
Derek and the Dominoes began work on their first and only studio album in 1970, "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs."
Sex Pistol Sid Vicious made his last live stage appearance in 1978 when he appeared with Rat Scabies from The Damned, former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and Nancy Spungen at London's Electric Ballroom. In the audience: Elvis Costello, Blondie, Joan Jett , The Slits and Captain Sensible.
Led Zeppelin released what turned out to be their last album together, "In Through the Out Door" in 1979.
Foreigner’s “4” is the top album in the US in 1981. The set featured “Urgent,” with the Jr. Walker sax solo, “Jukebox Hero” and the mega-ballad, “Waiting For A Girl Like You.” The album had a ten week run at #1.
Suzanne Vega's "Luka" peaked at #3 on the pop chart in 1987.
Madonna went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1987 with "Who's That Girl," her sixth US #1 and also a #1 in the UK.
Bruce Springsteen hopped on stage with Levon Helm during Helm's show at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ in 1987. They played "Up on Cripple Creek" and Little Richard's "Lucille."
In 1998, Mark David Chapman said that he did not want any of the money that would be made from the sale of the signed "Double Fantasy" album that John Lennon signed for him the same day he was killed. Chapman was currently serving sentence for the December 8, 1980 murder. Like the asshole deserves any - last report the record is still for sale for $525,000.
In 2003, Kjell Henning Bjoernestad, a Norwegian Elvis Presley impersonator, set a world record by singing the rock 'n' roll legend's hits non-stop for over 26 hours. The previous record was set by British Elvis fan Gary Jay who sang for 25 hours 33 minutes and 30 seconds. What's sad is that there was a previous record for him to break.....
Bob Flanagan - Four Freshmen (1926)
Fred Milano - Belmonts (1939)
Joe Chambers - Chambers Brothers (1942)
Kathy Lennon - Lennon Sisters (1942)
Ron Dante - studio voice of the Archies, Detergents & Cuff Links (1945)
Gary Withem - Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (1946)
Donna Godchaux - Grateful Dead (1947)
Theresa Davis - Emotions (1950)
Frank Marino - Mahogany Rush (1954)
Vernon Reid - ex-Living Clour (1958)
Ian Mitchell - Bay City Rollers (1958)
Jay & Michael Aston - Gene Loves Jezabel (1961)
Debbi Peterson - Bangles (1961)
Roland Orzabel - Tears For Fears (1961)
Gary Lee Connor - Screaming Trees (1962)
James Debarge - Debarge (1963)
Tori Amos (1963)
Paul Doucette, Matchbox 20 (1972)
Howie D - Backstreet Boys (1973)
Dale Hawkins ("Susie-Q") is 71
David Marks of the Beach Boys ("Little Deuce Coupe") turns 61
They Are Missed:
Orchestra leader David Rose died in 1990 (age 80). He had the 1962 US No.1 single 'The Stripper'. He also wrote music for the television series Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza.
Bluesman John Lee Hooker, whose boogie rhythms provided a link with rock 'n' roll, was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1917. Hooker died on June 21, 2001.
The Knacks' original drummer, Bruce Gary, died in 2006 at age 55 in Tarzana, CA, after a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He played on the band's chart-topping ‘79 hit "My Sharona" and stayed with the group until their breakup in ‘81. Outside of the Knack, Gary worked as a session drummer.
Layne Staley - Alice in Chains (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) In his last interview, which was given in early 2002 months before his death, Staley admitted, "I know I'm near death, I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way." How sad.
History:
In 1906, the Victor Talking Machine Company received a patent for its Victrola phonograph. The Victrola was the first phonograph designed to be a fine piece of furniture, as well as a means for reproducing music. The mahogany cabinet hid the flared horn, the turntable and the tone arm from sight. Despite the then unheard of price of $200, Victor could not keep up with orders for the Victrola.
Elvis began work on his first movie, "Love Me Tender" in 1956. In the drama that was set during and just after the Civil War, Elvis played Clint Reno, the youngest of four brothers. The original title for the movie was The Reno Brothers, but was changed to take advantage of the ‘Love Me Tender’ song recorded for the film.
The Five Satins made their debut on the R&B charts in 1956 with a song they recorded in a New Haven, CT church basement, "In the Still of the Night."
In 1962, the first TV appearance of The Beatles was recorded by Manchester based Granada TV, who filmed a lunchtime session at The Cavern Club Liverpool, (it was shown on October 17, 1962).
Martha & The Vandellas' "Dancing In The Streets" was released in 1964.
Liberty Records reported that the album "The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles" was selling 25,000 copies a day in 1964. Yeah, right.
The Supremes reached the top of the pop music charts in 1964 with their hit "Where Did Our Love Go?"
The Beach Boys met the Beatles backstage at a Beatles concert in Portland, OR in 1965.
In 1966, New York City teenagers Carol Hopkins and Susan Richmond climbed out onto the ledge on the second floor of a city hotel and threatened to jump unless they could get to meet the Beatles. Police talked then down and they're sent to Roosevelt Hospital to get their heads examined.
Also in 1966 - Jerry Lee Lewis was signed to play Iago in "Catch My Soul," a rock version of Shakespeare's "Othello."
Cynthia Powell Lennon sued John Lennon for divorce in 1968 on the grounds of adultery. She came back from a vacation and found Yoko Ono living in the Lennon's London home. Ooops.
Ringo Starr quit the Beatles during the White Album sessions in 1968, when the constant bickering and tension became too much for him. The news of Ringo's departure was kept secret, and he rejoined the sessions on September 3. After Ringo walked out, the remaining Beatles recorded "Back In the USSR," with Paul on drums and John playing bass.
The Beatles got together at John Lennon’s Tittenhurst Park home in England for their final ever photo session in 1969.
Bread went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1970 with "Make It With You," the group's only #1 hit (#5 in the UK).
Elton John signed with MCA Records in 1970.
Creedence Clearwater Revival's Cosmo's Factory LP hits #1 in 1970, a position it held for 9 weeks.
Derek and the Dominoes began work on their first and only studio album in 1970, "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs."
Sex Pistol Sid Vicious made his last live stage appearance in 1978 when he appeared with Rat Scabies from The Damned, former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and Nancy Spungen at London's Electric Ballroom. In the audience: Elvis Costello, Blondie, Joan Jett , The Slits and Captain Sensible.
Led Zeppelin released what turned out to be their last album together, "In Through the Out Door" in 1979.
Foreigner’s “4” is the top album in the US in 1981. The set featured “Urgent,” with the Jr. Walker sax solo, “Jukebox Hero” and the mega-ballad, “Waiting For A Girl Like You.” The album had a ten week run at #1.
Suzanne Vega's "Luka" peaked at #3 on the pop chart in 1987.
Madonna went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1987 with "Who's That Girl," her sixth US #1 and also a #1 in the UK.
Bruce Springsteen hopped on stage with Levon Helm during Helm's show at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ in 1987. They played "Up on Cripple Creek" and Little Richard's "Lucille."
In 1998, Mark David Chapman said that he did not want any of the money that would be made from the sale of the signed "Double Fantasy" album that John Lennon signed for him the same day he was killed. Chapman was currently serving sentence for the December 8, 1980 murder. Like the asshole deserves any - last report the record is still for sale for $525,000.
In 2003, Kjell Henning Bjoernestad, a Norwegian Elvis Presley impersonator, set a world record by singing the rock 'n' roll legend's hits non-stop for over 26 hours. The previous record was set by British Elvis fan Gary Jay who sang for 25 hours 33 minutes and 30 seconds. What's sad is that there was a previous record for him to break.....
Friday, August 21, 2009
Rock/Pop Tidbits
Let's start a rerun of a popular daily feature here at
CollectingVinylRecords Blog, a feature I call Rock/Pop Tidbits; interesting facts about rock and pop music and artists, some humorous, some informative and some just silly. Long time readers will recognize some of these, but I have written up some new ones, so now you can win at trivial pursuit! Feel free to leave comments or add more of your own:
The night before their recording session, The Kingsmen played a 90-minute version of Louie Louie during a gig at a local teen club. Once they got into the studio, the song was recorded in one take.
Courtney Love of the band Hole gained the distinction of being the first AOL subscriber to have her e-mail account shut down, mainly for the death threats she posted against people she thought deserved them.
Eagles' bassist Timothy B. Schmit sang backing vocals on Firefall's 1977 hit, Just Remember I Love You.
Anne Murray's 1969 hit Snowbird was released as the "B" side of a 45 RPM single, with a song called Bidin' My Time as the A side. A radio station in the Eastern United States flipped it over and Snowbird caught on. Record sales soon topped one million copies, marking the first time in history that an American gold record was awarded to a solo Canadian female.
Although singer / songwriter Harry Nilsson placed eight songs on Billboard's Top 40 chart, including the Grammy Award winning, million seller Everybody's Talkin, he disliked performing in public so much that he seldom appeared in concert and rarely made televised appearances.
While Elvis only recorded twenty Christmas songs, his holiday albums have sold more than twenty-five million copies in the US alone.
Elvis Presley's 1957 LP Elvis' Christmas Album is the top selling holiday release of all time, racking up over nine million in sales.
Scotland's hard rock group Nazareth recorded a tune called Love Hurts as a B-side filler, never intending it to be a hit. Record buyers felt differently and the single rose to number 8 in the US and number 15 in the UK. One count revealed that over 42 different artists have recorded the song, including The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison.
Bobby Helms Jingle Bell Rock entered the Billboard Pop chart only two days before Christmas in 1957, but still managed to climb to number 6 during a six week stay.
The chords and structure of Tommy James' 1967 Billboard #10 single, Mirage, were actually the chords to his previous hit, I Think We're Alone Now in reverse, created when it was accidentally played backwards during a writing session.
Bruce Hornsby's demo tapes were rejected by over 70 record companies. A year after RCA signed him in 1985, his tune The Way It Is topped the Billboard chart, followed by five more Top 40 hits, including Mandolin Rain (#4) and The Valley Road (#5).
CollectingVinylRecords Blog, a feature I call Rock/Pop Tidbits; interesting facts about rock and pop music and artists, some humorous, some informative and some just silly. Long time readers will recognize some of these, but I have written up some new ones, so now you can win at trivial pursuit! Feel free to leave comments or add more of your own:
The night before their recording session, The Kingsmen played a 90-minute version of Louie Louie during a gig at a local teen club. Once they got into the studio, the song was recorded in one take.
Courtney Love of the band Hole gained the distinction of being the first AOL subscriber to have her e-mail account shut down, mainly for the death threats she posted against people she thought deserved them.
Eagles' bassist Timothy B. Schmit sang backing vocals on Firefall's 1977 hit, Just Remember I Love You.
Anne Murray's 1969 hit Snowbird was released as the "B" side of a 45 RPM single, with a song called Bidin' My Time as the A side. A radio station in the Eastern United States flipped it over and Snowbird caught on. Record sales soon topped one million copies, marking the first time in history that an American gold record was awarded to a solo Canadian female.
Although singer / songwriter Harry Nilsson placed eight songs on Billboard's Top 40 chart, including the Grammy Award winning, million seller Everybody's Talkin, he disliked performing in public so much that he seldom appeared in concert and rarely made televised appearances.
While Elvis only recorded twenty Christmas songs, his holiday albums have sold more than twenty-five million copies in the US alone.
Elvis Presley's 1957 LP Elvis' Christmas Album is the top selling holiday release of all time, racking up over nine million in sales.
Scotland's hard rock group Nazareth recorded a tune called Love Hurts as a B-side filler, never intending it to be a hit. Record buyers felt differently and the single rose to number 8 in the US and number 15 in the UK. One count revealed that over 42 different artists have recorded the song, including The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison.
Bobby Helms Jingle Bell Rock entered the Billboard Pop chart only two days before Christmas in 1957, but still managed to climb to number 6 during a six week stay.
The chords and structure of Tommy James' 1967 Billboard #10 single, Mirage, were actually the chords to his previous hit, I Think We're Alone Now in reverse, created when it was accidentally played backwards during a writing session.
Bruce Hornsby's demo tapes were rejected by over 70 record companies. A year after RCA signed him in 1985, his tune The Way It Is topped the Billboard chart, followed by five more Top 40 hits, including Mandolin Rain (#4) and The Valley Road (#5).
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.
ALBUM REVIEW:
Thelonious Monk (new release)
The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club
Mosaic MRLP 3001 4 180g LPs
Produced by: Teo Macero
Engineered by: N/A
Mixed by: Mark Wilder (from the original 3 track masters)
Mastered by: Kevin Gray at AcousTech
Review by: Michael Fremer
2009-08-01
The mid-sixties may not have been Monk’s most creative period but it was arguably his strongest and most focused both in the studio and onstage. If any jazz musician was poised to withstand the rock era it was Monk the performer and Monk the composer.
A live set culled from these six sets recorded to three track by an anonymous Columbia records staff engineer October 31st and November 1st 1964 at Los Angeles’ It Club probably wasn’t issued back then because so many other performances of the same material had already been released. The tapes certainly weren’t left in the can because either the performances or the recording quality were lacking!
In fact, edited versions of three of the tracks did make it onto Monk’s Misterioso album (Columbia CS 9216) issued shortly after the material was recorded and Columbia issued an edited two LP version of Live at the It Club (C2-38030) in the 1980s.
About a decade ago Columbia issues the complete and unedited Live at the It Club on a double CD set (C2K-65288) and now Mosaic returns to vinyl with this 4 LP set cut from Mark Wilder’s two channel analog mixdown from the original 3 track tapes.
I don’t know how you came to Monk or if you’re familiar at all, but for me it was the Columbia album Criss-Cross (CS 8838) issued in 1963 featuring John Ore on bass and the crisp Frankie Dunlop on drums. Monk’s humorous deconstruction of “Tea For Two” and his almost heavy-metal (before there was such a thing) rendering of the ballad “Don’t Blame Me” provide an invaluable roadmap to the artist’s heart and soul.
Here Larry Gales and Ben Riley replace Ore and Dunlop. They weren’t chosen for their button-down approach to jazz and by the time this set was recorded both were well invested in Monk’s musical game plan. Larry Gales’ long bass solo on set three’s opener on October 31st is nimble, understated and captures well Monk’s playfulness.
This completist set, which gives you every note of three sets per night for two nights includes six “Epistrophy” variants as Monk chose it as a set closer every time. Leaving in all of the various solos and giving you the six complete sets opens a window onto ‘60s jazz clubbing that’s difficult to otherwise obtain. Were you to sit nursing a gin and tonic or whatever, for an entire evening at the It Club, this is what you’d hear.
You’d also hear signature Monk tunes like “Blue Monk,” “Well You Needn’t,” “Bemsha Swing,” “Round Midnight,” “Evidence” and of course “Epistrophy,” played confidently as reliable set pieces, with Monk working easily and playfully around the comfortable edges of the tunes and so investing them with extra, straightforward energy and clarity.
Mark Wilder’s mix is on the dry, literal side, close to the instruments; less about club ambience and more about instrumental honesty and clarity. The drums are spread across an arc between the right speaker and phantom center channel, Rouse is mid-stage right while Monk is left-of-center stage. The talkative, raucous crowd can be heard in the background. Who says audience verbosity is a product of the cell phone age?
Monk fans should be delighted with this fine sounding set (except for the occasions where the musicians step back from the microphones), while the curious will find this a great (albeit expensive) intro to the wit and musical wisdom of one of jazz’s true originals. Excellent sound, great music and a unique window on two complete nights of performances so many years ago make this a set worth owning and enjoying often.
SOURCE: http://www.musicangle.com Reprinted By Permission
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.
ALBUM REVIEW:
Thelonious Monk (new release)
The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club
Mosaic MRLP 3001 4 180g LPs
Produced by: Teo Macero
Engineered by: N/A
Mixed by: Mark Wilder (from the original 3 track masters)
Mastered by: Kevin Gray at AcousTech
Review by: Michael Fremer
2009-08-01
The mid-sixties may not have been Monk’s most creative period but it was arguably his strongest and most focused both in the studio and onstage. If any jazz musician was poised to withstand the rock era it was Monk the performer and Monk the composer.
A live set culled from these six sets recorded to three track by an anonymous Columbia records staff engineer October 31st and November 1st 1964 at Los Angeles’ It Club probably wasn’t issued back then because so many other performances of the same material had already been released. The tapes certainly weren’t left in the can because either the performances or the recording quality were lacking!
In fact, edited versions of three of the tracks did make it onto Monk’s Misterioso album (Columbia CS 9216) issued shortly after the material was recorded and Columbia issued an edited two LP version of Live at the It Club (C2-38030) in the 1980s.
About a decade ago Columbia issues the complete and unedited Live at the It Club on a double CD set (C2K-65288) and now Mosaic returns to vinyl with this 4 LP set cut from Mark Wilder’s two channel analog mixdown from the original 3 track tapes.
I don’t know how you came to Monk or if you’re familiar at all, but for me it was the Columbia album Criss-Cross (CS 8838) issued in 1963 featuring John Ore on bass and the crisp Frankie Dunlop on drums. Monk’s humorous deconstruction of “Tea For Two” and his almost heavy-metal (before there was such a thing) rendering of the ballad “Don’t Blame Me” provide an invaluable roadmap to the artist’s heart and soul.
Here Larry Gales and Ben Riley replace Ore and Dunlop. They weren’t chosen for their button-down approach to jazz and by the time this set was recorded both were well invested in Monk’s musical game plan. Larry Gales’ long bass solo on set three’s opener on October 31st is nimble, understated and captures well Monk’s playfulness.
This completist set, which gives you every note of three sets per night for two nights includes six “Epistrophy” variants as Monk chose it as a set closer every time. Leaving in all of the various solos and giving you the six complete sets opens a window onto ‘60s jazz clubbing that’s difficult to otherwise obtain. Were you to sit nursing a gin and tonic or whatever, for an entire evening at the It Club, this is what you’d hear.
You’d also hear signature Monk tunes like “Blue Monk,” “Well You Needn’t,” “Bemsha Swing,” “Round Midnight,” “Evidence” and of course “Epistrophy,” played confidently as reliable set pieces, with Monk working easily and playfully around the comfortable edges of the tunes and so investing them with extra, straightforward energy and clarity.
Mark Wilder’s mix is on the dry, literal side, close to the instruments; less about club ambience and more about instrumental honesty and clarity. The drums are spread across an arc between the right speaker and phantom center channel, Rouse is mid-stage right while Monk is left-of-center stage. The talkative, raucous crowd can be heard in the background. Who says audience verbosity is a product of the cell phone age?
Monk fans should be delighted with this fine sounding set (except for the occasions where the musicians step back from the microphones), while the curious will find this a great (albeit expensive) intro to the wit and musical wisdom of one of jazz’s true originals. Excellent sound, great music and a unique window on two complete nights of performances so many years ago make this a set worth owning and enjoying often.
SOURCE: http://www.musicangle.com Reprinted By Permission
USS Enterprise Record Player?
Taken from the Star Trek Model Gallery we have here an Enterprise record player. It was designed from the NCC-1701 from the new Star Trek movie and uses the saucer section as the turntable where the music entitled “Space” can be seen playing.
Unfortunately it’s not real and just designed along with 24 other real random looking Enterprises from the film.
Heck, if it played great, I might be interested as would millions of 'Trekie' fans all across the galaxy!
Music News & Notes
Cavo opening for Daughtry; lands on Billboard 200
St. Louis rock band Cavo’s new CD “Bright Nights, Dark Days” makes its debut on the Billboard 200 this week after selling 10,600 copies its first week out.
That’s good enough for a No. 48 debut on the charts.
Also, Cavo has been tapped to open for Daughtry on an arena tour this fall.
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Metal-Hardcore Leaders HATEBREED Set to Release New, Self-Titled Album
Metal-Hardcore juggernauts HATEBREED are set to release its new album, the ferocious, self-titled "HATEBREED," on September 29th, 2009.
The album will be available on CD, digital download, vinyl and special edition with a bonus 65-minute DVD. HATEBREED's follow up to 2006's "SUPREMACY" will be released on E1 Music in North America and Roadrunner in all other territories.
Front-man Jamey Jasta comments, "This is our fifth studio album and it's a monster! We've survived some pretty rough times and the music shows it. There was no reason to change the recipe that our fans know and love but we added a few brutal new ingredients and we're more than amped on the results. Violence is a given!"
To date, HATEBREED has sold over 1 million albums in the U.S. alone and toured the world with the likes of Slayer, Slipknot, System of a Down, Lamb of God, Korn, Killswitch Engage, Disturbed, Black Sabbath and much more.
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Lynyrd Skynyrd, 'Still Unbroken' -- Video Premiere
When it came time to shoot a video for 'Still Unbroken,' the first single from Lynyrd Skynyrd's new album, 'God & Guns,' the southern rockers kept true to their live performance roots. "[It's] a very raw, rock 'n' roll, grainy video that we hope you all enjoy!" guitarist Rickey Medlocke tells Spinner.
Director P.R. Brown captured the performance shots of Skynyrd at the Verizon Amphitheater in Indianapolis, while the clips of the band on the bus were from the same night as they rode to the next gig in Chicago. Check out the exclusive premiere of the video, and look for 'God & Guns' Sept. 29.
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Ex Dementia Cover Art
New Jersey's Ex Dementia has revealed the cover artwork for their new album "The Red Mass." The art can be viewed here. Ex Dementia is also streaming the track "Mud and Blood" from the new album on their MySpace page. "The Red Mass" is currently set for an October release.
Some great cover art, one of my favorites of the year so far.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Ask Mr. Music - Jerry Osborne
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.
FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 17, 2009
DEAR JERRY: When will someone release a compilation CD of Jerry Fuller's many great songs? I think he is one of the most overlooked of the teen-pop artists.
I have several of his 1950s and '60s Challenge singles, but I know there are lots more songs out there.
A few that are digital disc worthy are “Betty My Angel”; “Shy Away”; “Tennessee Waltz”; “Guilty of Loving You”; “Double Life;” “First Love Never Dies;” and “I Only Came to Dance with You,” with its amazing violins at the end.
I know that Jerry worked closely with Ricky Nelson, another favorite of mine. How many of Rick's hits did Fuller write?
—Chip Bickford, Milwaukee
DEAR CHIP: Wait no longer. Thanks to Britain-based Ace Records, the compilation CD you seek is now easily available from numerous online sources.
Titled “Jerry Fuller - A Double Life: The Challenge Recordings 1959-1966” (Ace CHD-1209), this 24-track collection has one or both sides of 17 of Jerry's 20 total singles during those years: from “Betty My Angel” (1959) through “Double Life” (1966).
The only cut of the ones you list that is missing here is “First Love Never Dies,” originally the flip side of “Guilty of Loving You” (1961). Since it also received a lot of air play, it definitely should be included and it's unfortunate they missed it.
Jerry Fuller loved working with Rick, and wrote 23 songs for him in the early 1960s.
One particularly impressive stretch for Nelson-Fuller team came in 1961 and '62. In that two-year span, four of Rick's biggest hits are from the pen of Jerry Fuller: “Travelin' Man”; “A Wonder Like You”; “Young World”; and “It's Up to You.” In total, these four sold approximately 10 million singles.
The other three significant hits of that period, and their writers, are: “Hello Mary Lou” (Gene Pitney); “Everlovin'” (Dave Burgess); and “Teen Age Idol” (Jack Lewis).
It first came to my attention in 1996 that Jerry Fuller, one of the most influential people in the music industry, and with 20 consecutive singles for Challenge, somehow never warranted an LP.
It isn't that Challenge was a singles-only label, as they issued four Jerry Wallace and four Champs albums. While these were their top acts at the time, in that order, Challenge also released LPs for artists not nearly as famous, or successful, as Jerry Fuller. A few among those are Diane Maxwell; Ray De Michel; Yvonne Shubert; Rhythm Rockers; and Jerry Wiggins (the third Jerry in their stable).
I brought this up in a March '96 phone conversation with Jerry Fuller, telling him it is certainly time for a compilation CD, and that I would push for the project if I knew who to push.
He agreed, and gave me the contact information for Jack Jackson, in Master Licensing and Compilations of the Challenge Masters at Sony's Nashville office.
I spoke with Mr. Jackson about getting Jerry's music on CD, but it wasn't among their immediate plans. Unfortunately it wasn't in Sony's plan at all, at least not until December 2008, when Ace came to the rescue.
IZ ZAT SO? Some might be curious about the “Double Life” part of the title on “Jerry Fuller - A Double Life: The Challenge Recordings 1959-1966.”
Though not known to the general public, “Double Life” (Challenge 59329) is wildly popular among collectors, especially in the UK, of Northern Soul music.
Its popularity has driven prices for this 1966 single into the $100 to $200 range, about 10 times as much as Jerry's other Challenge records.
And the correct title is just “Double Life,” not “A Double Life.”
Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission
FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 17, 2009
DEAR JERRY: When will someone release a compilation CD of Jerry Fuller's many great songs? I think he is one of the most overlooked of the teen-pop artists.
I have several of his 1950s and '60s Challenge singles, but I know there are lots more songs out there.
A few that are digital disc worthy are “Betty My Angel”; “Shy Away”; “Tennessee Waltz”; “Guilty of Loving You”; “Double Life;” “First Love Never Dies;” and “I Only Came to Dance with You,” with its amazing violins at the end.
I know that Jerry worked closely with Ricky Nelson, another favorite of mine. How many of Rick's hits did Fuller write?
—Chip Bickford, Milwaukee
DEAR CHIP: Wait no longer. Thanks to Britain-based Ace Records, the compilation CD you seek is now easily available from numerous online sources.
Titled “Jerry Fuller - A Double Life: The Challenge Recordings 1959-1966” (Ace CHD-1209), this 24-track collection has one or both sides of 17 of Jerry's 20 total singles during those years: from “Betty My Angel” (1959) through “Double Life” (1966).
The only cut of the ones you list that is missing here is “First Love Never Dies,” originally the flip side of “Guilty of Loving You” (1961). Since it also received a lot of air play, it definitely should be included and it's unfortunate they missed it.
Jerry Fuller loved working with Rick, and wrote 23 songs for him in the early 1960s.
One particularly impressive stretch for Nelson-Fuller team came in 1961 and '62. In that two-year span, four of Rick's biggest hits are from the pen of Jerry Fuller: “Travelin' Man”; “A Wonder Like You”; “Young World”; and “It's Up to You.” In total, these four sold approximately 10 million singles.
The other three significant hits of that period, and their writers, are: “Hello Mary Lou” (Gene Pitney); “Everlovin'” (Dave Burgess); and “Teen Age Idol” (Jack Lewis).
It first came to my attention in 1996 that Jerry Fuller, one of the most influential people in the music industry, and with 20 consecutive singles for Challenge, somehow never warranted an LP.
It isn't that Challenge was a singles-only label, as they issued four Jerry Wallace and four Champs albums. While these were their top acts at the time, in that order, Challenge also released LPs for artists not nearly as famous, or successful, as Jerry Fuller. A few among those are Diane Maxwell; Ray De Michel; Yvonne Shubert; Rhythm Rockers; and Jerry Wiggins (the third Jerry in their stable).
I brought this up in a March '96 phone conversation with Jerry Fuller, telling him it is certainly time for a compilation CD, and that I would push for the project if I knew who to push.
He agreed, and gave me the contact information for Jack Jackson, in Master Licensing and Compilations of the Challenge Masters at Sony's Nashville office.
I spoke with Mr. Jackson about getting Jerry's music on CD, but it wasn't among their immediate plans. Unfortunately it wasn't in Sony's plan at all, at least not until December 2008, when Ace came to the rescue.
IZ ZAT SO? Some might be curious about the “Double Life” part of the title on “Jerry Fuller - A Double Life: The Challenge Recordings 1959-1966.”
Though not known to the general public, “Double Life” (Challenge 59329) is wildly popular among collectors, especially in the UK, of Northern Soul music.
Its popularity has driven prices for this 1966 single into the $100 to $200 range, about 10 times as much as Jerry's other Challenge records.
And the correct title is just “Double Life,” not “A Double Life.”
Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission
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