Classic Album Cover Art- Guns N' Roses The Spagetti Incident

Anyone hungry for some pasta? The Spaghetti Incident? is the fifth album by hard rock band Guns N' Roses. The album was very unique for the band and consists entirely of cover versions, mostly of punk and glam rock songs of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The title is in reference to a food-fight between Axl Rose and Steven Adler, obviously involving spaghetti. Much was made of this food fight during Adler's resolution lawsuit with the band; and Adler's attorney referred to it as the Spaghetti Incident. It is suggested that the attorney's choice of name for the incident was a reference to the David Bowie movie, The Linguini Incident.

Many of the tracks were recorded with original Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin during the Use Your Illusion I and II sessions. Those tracks were previously intended to be included in a combined Use Your Illusion album, consisting of three (or possibly even four) discs, instead of the two separate discs they ended up being.


Notes:

In 1992, the band prepared to release the leftover cover tracks as an EP, with then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke replacing Stradlin's guitar tracks. They later decided on making the album a full release and recorded several more tracks for it.

Then-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan sings on many of the album's tracks and Hanoi Rocks frontman (and Axl Rose's idol) Michael Monroe appears on "Ain't It Fun" as a guest vocalist.

The album was released shortly after the conclusion of the Use Your Illusion World Tour which had lasted since early 1991. The vinyl copy of the album was released in clear plastic orange, and the CD was released with colour designs and markings, which would later be changed (in the 1997 reissue) to simply a plain silver coloured CD.

Despite protests from Rose's bandmates, an unadvertised cover of Charles Manson's song "Look at Your Game, Girl" was included on the album at his request. The CD release gave no track number to the song - it could only be found by listening through the dead air left after the last documented track on the album. In early 2000, Rose said that he would remove "Look at Your Game, Girl" from re-issues of the album, citing that critics and popular media misinterpreted his interest in Manson and that a misunderstanding public no longer deserved to hear it. However, the song is still present on the album, and in recent re-issues, "Look at Your Game, Girl" has been added as a separate, 13th track.

In the first week of sales "The Spaghetti Incident?" sold roughly 190,000 copies and debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, selling way less than their other releases, the album has failed to match the success of any other Guns N' Roses album, it did not increase the popularity with in the band, most reviews of the album were rated average saying the covers are just of mostly punk songs that really aren't that good.

To date, it is the last full-length studio album released by Guns N' Roses.

Rock/Pop Tidbits

Rod Stewart was always known as a ladies man. But his girlfriend Britt Ekland had a very stern warning for the loose lover: “If you screw another woman while you’re with me, I’ll chop your balls off.” We can only presume that the overly friendly Rod was on his best behavior while with Ekland.

It was rough going in the beginning for Axl Rose. In fact, in 1985, Axl and his band mates rented a small apartment in Los Angles. To cook dinner, the resourceful rockers had to set fire to a set of drum sticks and proceeded to roast hamburgers over the improvised flames.

Before joining the Monkees, Davy Jones was both a stage actor and a racehorse jockey.

Joey Dee, who had a US number one hit in January, 1962 with "Peppermint Twist" was surrounded by future recording stars at various stages of his life. He attended Passaic Highschool in New Jersey at the same time as the Shirelles. A female trio that was part of his act at the Peppermint Lounge went on to become The Ronettes. When he opened his own club, his backup band included Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish, and Eddie Brigati, who would form the Young Rascals. After Joey sold the club and went on the road, his guitar player was Jimi Hendrix.

After his short fifteen minutes of fame, former Partridge family actor Danny Bonaduce landed a gig as a DJ. So he had the call letters and the name of the station tattooed on his rear end. His thinking? He was under the impression that it would help him keep his job- it didn’t work.

In 1961 Ricky Nelson's father, Ozzie Nelson, filmed a video for the hit "Travelin Man,” featuring pictures of places mentioned in the song. This film is often called the world's first rock video. This is disputed however by Jay Perry Richardson, the son of J.P. Richardson, better known as The Big Bopper, claiming that his father made a video in 1958 for "Chantilly Lace" and actually coined the term 'music video' in 1959.



Wango tango! When a female reporter inquired why ted Nugent didn’t wear tuxedos on his album covers, his reply was, “Why did you decide not to douche yourself with molten lava?”

When Vernon Presley re-married on July 3rd, 1960, Elvis did not attend the ceremony.

Elton John wrote his US number one hit, "Philadelphia Freedom" after watching Billie Jean King play a tennis match with her World Tennis League team, the Philadelphia Freedoms.

It was in 1972 when John Denver dropped some acid and drove around on a motorcycle. Then he penned the hit song, “Rocky Mountain High.” Denver explained: “What a far out experience that was.”

Denver also thought that saying “far out” was really, well for the lack of a better term, far out. “The first time I appeared as guest host of the Tonight Show, I must have said ‘far out’ fifty times. I would say ‘far out’ without even thinking, it was like a nervous tic…” Far out.

After John Denver saw a Rolling Stones concert in Long Beach, California, the soft rock troubadour confessed, “I didn’t get Mick Jagger or his onstage gyrations. It just didn’t compute to me.” Maybe he needed more of that ‘Rocky Mountain’ high to appreciate it.

In 1951, when Brenda Lee was only 6 years old, she auditioned for a local Atlanta television show called TV Ranch. An hour and a half after singing "Hey, Good Lookin'" for the producer, she appeared on the program.

Apparently Madonna’s pet Chihuahua “Chiquita” was suffering a bout of doggy depression over the attention that was given to Madonna’s new baby, Lourdes. So the ‘material girl’ sent the sad pooch to a canine shrink. I guess the $7,500 choker from Tiffany’s just wasn’t enough to cheer up the little yapper.

Before Michael Jackson made love to his wife Debbie Rowe, the gloved one would dress up as Peter Pan and dance around the room. Another time he wore a horse’s head and galloped around on a broom stick. “It made him feel romantic,” explained Debbie. Uh, okay…and why doesn’t that surprise anyone?

The Queen song, “Radio Gaga” was actually inspired by band member Roger Taylor’s son who had heard a song on the radio and called it “Radio Ka-Ka.”

When the record producer for the Spice Girls hired a voice and singing coach to train the girls, his first impression: “My God, there’s a lot of work to be done here!”

In the early fifties, Neil Sedaka teamed up with some high school friends to form a vocal group. They had a local hit in New York, but then parted ways. The group later went on to record as The Tokens and in 1962, scored a Billboard number one smash with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain got very close early on in their relationship. “We bonded over pharmaceuticals,” detailed Love. “I had Vicodin extra-strength…and he had hycomine cough syrup.”

In a Vanity Fair interview in 1992, Love said “If there ever is a time that a person should be on drugs, it’s when they’re pregnant, because it sucks.”

At a Pink Floyd concert in 1980 for the concept album “The Wall,” fireworks ignited the stage curtains. Pieces of burning fabric rained down on the audience, who cheered mightily; they thought it was part of the show.

This Date In Music History-September 21

Birthdays:

Singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen (1934)

Dickey Lee (1943)

Versatile session guitarist Jesse Ed Davis (1944)

Don Felder - Eagles (1947)

Phil "Filthy Animal" Taylor - Motorhead (1954)

Faith Hill (1967)

Timmy T (1967)

Tyler Stewart - Barenaked Ladies (1967)

Jon Brooks - Charlatans (1968)

Trugoy the Dove (real name David Jude Jolicoeur) - De La Soul (1968)

Liam Gallagher - Oasis (1972)

David Silveria - KoRn (1972)


They Are Missed:

In 1987, jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius died from injuries sustained in a fight. Pastorius was trying to enter the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, Florida, (where he'd been banned), and became involved in a fight with a bouncer, Pastorius fell into a coma and was put on life support. In 2006, Pastorius was voted "The Greatest Bass Player Who Has Ever Lived" by readers in Bass Guitar magazine. Was a member of Weather Report and worked with various acts including Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock

Founding Bad Company bassist Raymond "Boz" Burrell died at his home in Spain in 2006 . He was 60 years old. Prior to the formation of Bad Company, Burrell was briefly a member of Prog-Rock pioneers King Crimson.


History:

The Platters' first million seller, "Only You," entered the pop charts in 1955 (#24). The song hits #1 on the R&B chart. It became the first record to sell more than a million copies in France.

In 1957, Scotty Moore and Bill Black quit as Elvis Presley's backup musicians in a salary dispute (Bill eventually forms Bill Black's Combo).

Bobby Vinton started a three week run at #1 on the US charts in 1963 with "Blue Velvet." The single became a hit in the UK 27 years later when it reached #2.

Jimmy Hendrix changed the spelling of his name to "Jimi" in 1966 during a trans-Atlantic flight to London.

Deep Purple made #4 on the charts in 1968 with their debut single "Hush."

Jeannie C Riley went to #1 on the charts in 1968 with "Harper Valley PTA." Jeannie won a Grammy for the best female country singer of 68.

Jimi Hendrix released his masterful reworking of Bob Dylan`s "All Along The Watchtower" in 1968. It`s Jimi`s biggest pop hit going up to #12.



BTO's stuttering single "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" was released in 1974.

Guitarist Ariel Bender left Mott the Hoople in 1974 and was replaced by former David Bowie guitarist, Mick Ronson.

Barry White went to #1 on the charts in 1974 with "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Baby," his first and only solo chart topper.

Also in 1974, Carl Douglas was at #1 on the US singles chart (also #1 in the UK) with "Kung Fu Fighting." The song was recorded in 10 minutes, had started out as a B-side and went on to sell over 10 million copies.

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter joined the Doobie Brothers in 1974.

In 1980, during a North American tour, Bob Marley collapsed while jogging in New York's Central Park. After hospital tests he was diagnosed as having cancer. Marley played his last ever concert two nights later at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Also in 1980 - Elton John signed a long-term exclusive, worldwide recording contract with Geffen Records, the new label that recently signed Donna Summer. This marked the first time his records will be released on the same label around the world.

Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" was #1 in 1985 for the first of three weeks. Inspired by a shopping trip to a NYC appliance store, group leader Mark Knopfler composed the lyrics based on the critical lines he overheard a guy spew while watching display TVs all tuned to MTV. Coincidentally, the song was aided by an animated video that lands on MTV’s heavy rotation.

In 1986, the National Inquirer Magazine featured a picture of Michael Jackson in an oxygen chamber with a story claiming that Jackson had a bizarre plan to live until he was 150 years old.

In 1989, the Bangles issued a press statement confirming that the group were splitting. They reformed in 2000.

Color Me Bad scored their first #1 single with "I Adore Mi Amor."

Nirvana's album, "In Utero" was released in 1993.

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. in 2001, the commercial-free “America: A Tribute To Heroes” was broadcast. Bruce Springsteen opened the show that featured U2, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Sting, Billy Joel and Sheryl Crow. $150 million was pledged to help victims.

In 2003, Hilary Duff was at #1 on the US album chart with "Metamorphosis."

In 2004, singer Cat Stevens ("Wild World"), who changed his name to Yusuf Islam after becoming a Muslim, was denied entry into the United States after his name was found on an anti-terrorist watch list. Stevens denies links to the terror group Hamas.

In 2007, the Rolling Stones top Forbes' list of the top-earning musicians. From June, ’06 to June, ’07 the group earned nearly $88 million.

Rock/Pop Tidbits

A bit under the weather as they say, here's an expanded version of Tidbits. Hope to back in the groove tomorrow :O)

For the recording of "A Whiter Shade Of Pale,” Procol Harum's producer Denny Cordell chose to replace the band's regular drummer, Bobby Harrison, with session man Bill Eyden. Even though the song went to the top of the charts world wide, Eyden was paid the Musicians' Union rate of 15 pounds and 15 shillings. Harrison received, like all the other members of the band, 10,000 pounds, despite admitting he had taken no part in the recording. He later left the band and was replaced by B.J. Wilson.

The Bellemy Brothers hit "Let Your Love Flow" was written by Larry Williams, a roadie for Neil Diamond. It was the only song that he wrote that was ever recorded, but it sold over four million copies.

The Standells' drummer, Larry Tamblyn is the brother of Russ Tamblyn (star of West Side Story) and uncle of Amber Tamblyn (star of Joan of Arcadia and Grudge 2).

Barry McGuire, who recorded the number one smash "Eve Of Destruction" in 1965, never had another US Top 40 hit. He did however become a born again Christian in the 1970s and sold hundreds of thousands of Gospel records.



The follow-up album to the Beach Boys classic LP “Pet Sounds” was initially called “Dumb Angel,” then “Smile.” To record the album, Brian Wilson and a collaborator brought in $2,000 worth of black hash, toked it up and set their microphones about a foot from the ground and then lay on the floor. This plan was quickly nixed when the stoned-rockers ultimately decided to stand back up to keep from falling asleep. Ya think?

Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State anthem.

The world's first cassette player was made available to the public at an electronics show in August 1965.

In 1980, former Amboy Dukes guitarist Ted Nugent, known as "the Motor City Madman,” was made a deputy sheriff near his home in southern Michigan.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was at a press conference early in their career. He picked his nose and flicked the rock and roll bugar across the room. When an appalled writer made a comment, band mate Mick Jagger replied, “You’re lucky it wasn’t a green one, he eats those.”

The Beatles' last concert tour appearance was a 33-minute performance at San Francisco's Candlestick Park on Monday August 29th, 1966. The Park's capacity was 42,500 but the Beatles only filled 25,000 seats, leaving entire sections unsold. The last song they played was not even one of their own tunes. It was Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally.”

Gus Cannon had written and recorded a song called "Walk Right In" in 1930. Erik Darling heard the record over 30 years later and along with some friends, recorded it as The Rooftop Singers. Cannon was 79 years old at the time and had been living in a tiny trackside house, heated by coal. His financial situation improved dramatically when newly recorded song caught on across America and went to number one in January, 1963.

While still in the Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald sang backup vocals on Christopher Cross' 1980, number two hit, "Ride Like The Wind.”

The last time all four Beatles were ever together was in a recording studio during a mixing session for "Abbey Road" on August 20th, 1969.

Faced with the Beatles' breakup, Paul McCartney told the others he wanted the band to get back to its roots and tour little clubs. John Lennon said he was nuts.

In 1980, Texas rockers ZZ Top wrote to NASA and formally requested that they be booked as the lounge act on the space shuttle. NASA actually responded saying that the band’s request would, “receive all due consideration.” Unfortunately, the band did not get the gig.

A popular fad of the 50's, the jukebox used to be known as 'the nickel in the slot machine'. The first of these were created when a coin operated slot was added to an Edison phonograph in San Francisco in 1889. In its first six months of service, the Nickel-in-the-Slot earned over $1000.

In 1966, a record company actually hired Frank Zappa and his band, The Mother’s of Invention, to cut a record with Burt Ward, who portrayed Robin on the TV series Batman. The result was a single appropriately called, “Boy wonder, I Love You.”

One night in 1968, while Gary U.S. Bonds was playing at a club in New Jersey, he thought he'd give a local kid a break and invite him up onstage to do a number. That kid turned out to be rock superstar Bruce Springsteen.

Prior to becoming rock and rolls most notorious lip synchers, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli tried their hand at modeling. Alas, they were not tall enough, so they switched to ‘singing,’ well, sort of.

Elvis Presley's 1958, number one smash, "I Beg Of You" took 34 takes to get it right.

As a youth, Billy Joel once contemplated suicide. “I went into the closet and said, ‘I’m gonna fill myself.’ There was chlorine bleach and I said, ‘Nah, that’s gonna taste bad.’ So I took the furniture polish Pledge- all I ended up doing was farting furniture polish.”

While we are on the subject (farts that is), it’s reported that comedian Sandra Bernhard was once romantically involved with Madonna, although the affair probably had more to do with publicity than passion. The ‘couple’ had a very public breakup with Bernhard stating: “Every time Madonna farts, the press picks up on it. They want to see how it smells. I hate to break the news, but it smells like everybody else’s farts.”

At the Argentina/Brazil border in 1981, while Queen traveled through Latin America on their “Gluttons for Punishment” tour, a customs official suffered a heart attack when he saw Queen’s equipment- all 110 tons of it.

At the end of a 1992 tour, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett lowered his pants and mooned a TV camera shouting, “that’s what I think of the Guns N’ Roses tour!”

In 1970, Jeff Christie offered his composition "Yellow River" to the Tremeloes. They recorded it to release as a single, but when they changed their minds, they allowed Jeff's own band to use the backing track themselves. The result was a UK number one hit in May 1970 and subsequently #23 in the US.

When Angus Young of AC/DC first started performing he wasn’t quite sure what to wear onstage. He tried a gorilla suit, then a Zorro outfit, when his sister suggested that he don an Australian schoolboy’s outfit- and a rock start was born!

This Date In Music History-September 19

Birthdays:

Bill Medley - Righteous Brothers (1940)

Sylvia Tyson - Ian and Sylvia (1940)

Lee Dorman - Iron Butterfly (1941)

Freda Payne (1945)

David Bromberg (1945)

John Coghlan - Status Quo (1946)

Lol Creme - 10CC (1947)

Daniel Lanois - producer, singer (1951)

Nile Rodgers - Chic (1952)

Lita Ford - Runaways (1958)

Jarvis Cocker - Pulp (1963)

Trisha Yearwood (1964)

Alan Jay "A. Jay" Popoff - Lit (1973)

Ryan Dusick - Maroon 5 (1977)


They Are Missed:

Billy Ward (Billy Ward and the Dominoes) was born in 1921. (died February 16, 2002)

Born today in 1931, Brook Benton. He died on April 9, 1998.

Born on this day in 1934, Brian Epstein, Beatles manager and manager of other Liverpool acts. Died of an accidental overdose of brandy and barbiturates on August 27, 1967.

Born today in 1935, Nick Massi of The Four Seasons. Massi died on December 24, 2000.

Born on this day in 1943, Cass Elliott, singer, Mamas and the Papas. Died from a heart attack on July 29, 1974 while staying at Harry Nilsson's London flat.

In 1973, country rock singer, songwriter 26-year-old Gram Parsons, formerly of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, died under mysterious conditions in Joshua Tree, California. His death was attributed to heart failure but later was officially announced as a drug overdose. His coffin was stolen by two of his associates, manager Phil Kaufman and Michael Martin, a former roadie for The Byrds, and was taken to Cap Rock in the California desert, where it was set on fire, in accordance to Parson's wishes. The two were later arrested by police.

American country music star Red Foley died in 1998 (age 58). Foley sold over 25 million records, hosted the first popular country music series on network television, Ozark Jubilee.

Edward Cobb died of leukaemia in 1999 (age 61). Singer songwriter & producer, member of The Four Preps and also wrote the infectious "Tainted Love," a hit for Soft Cell in 1981.

Australian country music singer-songwriter David Gordon "Slim Dusty" Kirkpatrick died in 2003 (age 76). He sold more than five million albums and singles in Australia. During his time with EMI, he released 105 albums.

Skeeter Davis, a country singer who went to #1 in 1963 with "The End of the World," died in 2004 (age 72). Davis also performed on the Grand Ole Opry show for over 40 years

Drummer Earl Palmer died in 2008. Worked with The Beach Boys, Little Richard (‘Tutti Frutti’), Frank Sinatra, Ike And Tina Turner (‘River Deep, Mountain High’), The Monkees, Fats Domino (‘I'm Walkin’), Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, The Righteous Brothers (‘You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin’), and Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, Tim Buckley, Little Feat and Elvis Costello.


History:

16 year-old UK singer Cliff Richard, still known by his real name, Harry Webb, joined the Dick Teague Skiffle Group in 1957.

Former chicken plucker Chubby Checker went to #1 in 1960 with "The Twist."



In 1960, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters had the honour of being the first group to have three songs in the US Top 100 at the same time. "Finger Poppin’ Time," "Let’s Go Let’s Go Let’s Go" and "The Twist" all made the Top 30.

The Lovin’ Spoonful got their first #1 single in 1966 with “Summer In The City.”

In 1968, recording starts on the Beatles song "Piggies."

In 1969, Child (featuring Bruce Springsteen) played the first of two nights at the Free University, Richmond, Virginia.

Diana Ross started a three week run at #1 in 1970 with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

"Loaded," the Velvet Underground's fourth album, was released in 1970. Contains classic songs including "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll."

Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" album entered the charts in 1970.

"Get Yer Ya Ya's Out" was released by the Rolling Stones in 1970.

In 1974, Max Weinberg made his debut as the drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

In 1976, readers of The New York Times opened their papers and discovered a full-page ad placed by promoter Sid Bernstein asking the Beatles to reunite. Bernstein had organized the Beatles shows at Shea Stadium in the mid-'60s. But his intentions are honorable. He asks the band to do it as a "symbol of hope."

The No Nukes concert was held at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1979. Performers included Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, The Doobie Brothers, Poco, Tom Petty, Carly Simon, James Taylor and Bruce Springsteen.

Also in 1979 - The New York Post claims The Beatles are considering a performance for a charity event. Paul McCartney was quoted as saying the group would “have to rehearse for six months” before they could play live. Since one of John and George’s big complaints about Paul back in The Beatle days was his desire to constantly rehearse, this idea dies.

Simon and Garfunkel reunited for a concert in New York's Central Park in 1981. Over 400,000 fans attended the show. The performance was recorded for a record and video release.

The Rolling Stones album 'Tattoo You' started a nine-week run at #1 on the US chart in 1981, the band's ninth US #1.

"Press To Play" was released by Paul McCartney in 1986.

A reunited Pink Floyd, minus Roger Waters, released "A Momentary Lapse of Reason," in 1987, their first studio album since 1984's "The Final Cut."

In 2005, U2's Bono made a surprise appearance during Pearl Jam's Toronto concert. They do a version of Neil Young's "Keep On Rocking In The Free World."

In 2006, Willie Nelson was charged with drugs possession after being pulled over in Louisiana for a routine check. Police allegedly find 0.7g of marijuana and 91 grams of magic mushrooms on the country stoner's bus. Mushrooms Willie?

In 2008, ex-Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker is seriously injured when his plane crashes during take-off following a free concert in West Columbia, SC (University of South Carolina). A blown tire is the suspected cause. Two members of Barker’s personal staff, the pilot and co-pilot die in the accident. Barker and another passenger survive by sliding down the craft's wing.

Classic Album Cover Art - Black Sabbath Born Again

Black Sabbath- "Born Again" - Black Sabbath's eleventh studio album and was released in 1983. It was panned by critics at the time of its release, but reached #4 in the UK charts as well as the top 40 in the U.S. and has gained a strong cult following among a number of fans.

The album cover, which featured the image of an infant with horns and vampire fangs, with a purple background, was designed by Steve Joule. He also handwrote the lyrics that appear on the inner bag. The deliberately lurid design was submitted by Joule in a vain attempt to be rejected from this design commission, as he was also retained on a lucrative contract by Ozzy Osbourne's organization for his sleeve designs. To Joule's horror and surprise, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler approved the image for the album. Gillan and Ward were not present when the decision was made, though they later noted that they hated the finished cover. Gillan reportedly hated the cover so much, that he threw a box of 50 records out a window. Joule reports that he was drunk and high on speed when he drew the finalized designs for the album.

The cover is hated by many fans, but also has a cult following (much as the album itself), most notably with Max Cavalera and Glen Benton both stating that it is their favorite album over. Chris Barnes of Six Feet Under also said he likes the artwork, stating; "It's really the birth of the Antichrist in a Pop Art way which is scary of sorts on a few different levels for me."

Notes:

The album also featured the vocals of Ian Gillan, former lead singer for Deep Purple. Gillan joined the band in 1983 to replace departed vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward returned to the band as a replacement for Vinny Appice, who had left with Dio to form the band Dio, and quit the band right before the 1983 tour.

In the US and Canada, the album has never officially been released on Compact Disc by Warner Bros. Records. It is only available as an import.

Rock/Pop Tidbits

Gerry Goffin and Carole King wrote "The Loco-Motion" with the hope that Dee Dee Sharp would record it. For the demo, they asked their infant daughter's baby sitter, Eva Boyd to sing the song. Sharp's producers turned it down, but their publishing firm liked the demo so much, they released it as a single, giving Little Eva a number one record.



The videos for Neil Young’s song “This Note’s For You” lampooned corporate rock sponsorship. The video featured a faux Michael Jackson with his hair on fire, an obvious reference to the accident that occurred while the gloved one was shooting a Pepsi commercial. Stunned MTV immediately banned the video, only to declare it Best Video of the Year at the 1989 Video Music Awards.

Bobby Vinton found his biggest hit, "Roses Are Red" in a pile of reject demo records while he was waiting to be told of his release from his recording contract. He talked Epic Records management into letting him record the song and soon after, he and the label had their first million selling, number one smash.

Gale Garnett, who sang the Top 40 song, "We'll Sing In The Sunshine,” appeared in a number of episodes of the TV show Bonanza.

Madonna is a glutton for publicity. In a 1994 appearance on the David Letterman Show, she said the “F-Word” a total of thirteen times. Then she demanded that Letterman sniff her undies, to which a startled Letterman declined to do.

None of The Beatles played instruments on "Eleanor Rigby” though John Lennon and George Harrison did contribute harmony and backing vocals. Instead, Paul McCartney used a string octet of studio musicians, composed of four violins, two cellos, and two violas all working off a score written by producer George Martin.

The Eagles were not satisfied with record producer Glyn Johns. In fact, while they were recording their LP “Desperado” in 1973, drummer Don Henley asked Johns to make him sound like Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. But John’s could only sigh and say, “You don’t play like John Bonham.”

Shock rock artist G.G.Allin had his share of classic escapades during his brief career (he died in 1993 from a heroin and cocaine overdose). Before a gig in New York, Allin entered a women’s restroom and asked for a volunteer to urinate in his mouth. One gal declined, but did give him the sanitary product that she had just removed. As Allin explained: “I just ate it right in front of her, just swallowed the whole thing.”

Even in death, strange circumstances followed G.G.Allin. He was buried in a leather jacket and a jockstrap upon which was written the epitaph “Eat Me.” At his open-coffin funeral, a microphone was positioned in his hand as well as a bottle of Jim Beam bourbon. His friends all took turns taking swigs from the bottle and put pills into the corpse’s mouth. Others pulled down the jockstrap, posed for pictures and drew on Allin’s corpse with a marker. Some friends.

In 1977, Pink Floyd created a forty-foot inflatable pig for a photo shoot. However, during the session, the renegade pig broke free from its moorings and drifted toward London’s Heathrow Airport. Pilots approaching Heathrow were amused to hear British aviation officials warn, “Pig on the loose!” The Pink Floyd pig eventually crashed into a farmer’s field and no injuries were reported. I guess pigs really do fly, or at least they did for one day.

The song "Happy Birthday" brings in about $2 million a year in licensing revenue to Warner Communications, who hold the copyright to the song.

The harmonica that John Lennon used to record The Beatles "Love Me Do" was one that he shoplifted from a store in Arnhem, Holland.

Even though Barry Manilow wrote many of his chart makers, he did not write three of his most popular hits. "Mandy" was written by Scott English and Richard Kerr, "Looks Like We Made It,” was penned by Will Jennings and Richard Kerr, and "I Write The Songs" was composed by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys.

Iggy Pop is one strange character. His concerts included exhibitionism, jumping into the crowds, and smearing himself with peanut butter, why he even performed a gig while zippered inside a military duffel bag. Even his personal hygiene was questionable as he would keep an empty glass next to his bed at night so if he had to pee in the middle of the night, he didn’t have to walk all the way to the bathroom. His most humiliating concert occurred in 1997 when he jumped off the stage into the arms of his adoring fans. Apparently, they were not so adoring, and they failed to catch the airborne rock star. He slammed to the ground, dislocating his shoulder and had to cancel the rest of his tour.

Music News & Notes

U2's THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE REMASTERED

U2's fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire, has been remastered and will be released by Mercury Records on 26th October.

This special edition marks 25 years since the album's original release in October 1984. Recorded at Slane Castle, Ireland, The Unforgettable Fire was the first U2 album to be produced by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, and spawned two top 10 UK singles - 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)' and 'The Unforgettable Fire'.

Special formats of The Unforgettable Fire will also feature bonus audio material, including two previously unheard tracks from the Slane Castle sessions: 'Yoshino Blossom', and 'Disappearing Act' (a track which the band recently completed), and a DVD including music videos, a documentary and unreleased live footage from the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986.

The Unforgettable Fire has been remastered from the original audio tapes, with direction from The Edge and the album will be available in four formats:

* Limited Edition Box Set: containing 2 CDs (remastered album and bonus audio CD), a DVD with live footage, documentary and videos, a 56 page hardback book with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois, Bert Van de Kamp and Niall Stokes, and 5 photographic prints

* Deluxe Edition: containing 2 CDs, the remastered album, and the bonus audio CD which features B-sides and previously unreleased material, a 36 page booklet with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

* CD format: featuring the remastered album

* 12" vinyl format: 16 page booklet with liner notes by Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

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Jawbox Reissue Set

Seminal DC post-punk band Jawbox will reissue their consummate release, For Your Own Special Sweetheart, on November 24th. The album, which was originally released on Atlantic Records in 1994, sees the band returning to their roots at the renowned Dischord Records as well as their own DeSoto label, which will work together to release this reissue. Jawbox was one of the cornerstones of the pivotal DIY punk label, in good company with bands such as Fugazi, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring and Shudder To Think.

With the help of Dischord and engineer Bob Weston (Pixies, Jawbox, and member of Shellac), For Your Own Special Sweetheart is meticulously remastered and will be re-released on both CD and vinyl. And, according to bass player, Kim Coletta, "it just sounds a whole lot better." The collection will include the entire original song line-up along with three additional tracks that appeared on the Savory +3 EP released by Atlantic in 1994. The vinyl version will include a coupon redeemable for free digital download of all songs including the bonus tracks.

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Devo Whips Up New Major Deal And Tour

Devo is headed back to the future thanks to new deal with Warner Bros. Records, the group's original major label, and a series of concerts celebrating a pair of older albums.

The company has announced a "unique, ground-breaking worldwide partnership" during which it will "internationally service all aspects of the band's career, including recorded music, touring, merchandising, web services, promotion, e-commerce, sponsorships, licensing and endorsements."

It begins with the November 3 release of deluxe editions of 1978's gold album "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!" and 1980's platinum "Freedom of Choice" on both CD and limited-edition colored vinyl, as well as a seven-inch vinyl single featuring "Jocko Homo" and "Mongoloid."

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Buckcherry Set Album Release

Buckcherry will release their first live album, Live & Loud 2009, on September 29th. Buckcherry are giving their fans what they've never had before – a live album that combines their raw and explosive on-stage energy with their catalogue of smash rock staples. The album will be released on Eleven Seven Music with distribution through RED.

Live & Loud 2009 will feature the band's biggest hits like 'Sorry' (#2 on Billboard's Hot AC chart), 'Crazy Bitch' (#3, Mainstream Rock), 'Lit Up' (#1, Mainstream Rock), 'Ridin'' (#9, Mainstream Rock) and 'Everything' (#5, Active Rock). The new live album will also feature songs from Buckcherry's current release Black Butterfly (named Album of the Year for 2008 by Entertainment Weekly and Best Rock Album of 2008 by iTunes critics), including 'Talk To Me' which was recently the #1 most added track at active rock radio.

This fall, Buckcherry will tour with KISS on a trek being routed through www.eventful.com/KISS. The site allowed fans to vote at the website to "demand" what cities they want to see the tour hit. More than 8,000 cities and towns were represented on the fan-submitted list.

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Floyd To Rock Band or Guitar Hero?

Say it ain't so. Despite how some musicians feel about music 'n' rhythm games, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason isn't entirely ruling it out for his band. With The Beatles: Rock Band having just released, the BBC asked him if we could be seeing a Pink Floyd Rock Band or Guitar Hero game, to which he replied, "I think we'd consider it."

While he isn't a big supporter of the genre (he thinks it deters kids from learning real instruments, just like other celebs do), he did add, "Everyone's looking at new ways of selling the music because the business of selling records has almost disappeared."

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Trumpeter Chris Tedesco Releases New Jazz CD

Los Angeles Trumpeter Chris Tedesco has officially released his new Jazz Big Band and Studio Orchestra CD entitled Living the Dream.

Eight big band tracks along with two, thirty piece orchestra tracks along, four of those with vocals by Tony Galla. The CD reminds one of visions of 1962 Capitol Reocrds with Sinatra and Basie live in the studio.

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OBITUARY: ‘Left To Die’ EP Released On Limited-Edition Hand-Splattered Bloody Vinyl

Night Of The Vinyl Dead Records has released a limited-edition vinyl version of OBITUARY’s “Left To Die” EP. Only 500 hand-numbered copies were made available on hand-splattered bloody vinyl, including an insert.

“Left to Die” contains four songs: two new originals (“Forces Realign”and “Left To Die”), a 2008 studio recording of “Slowly We Rot”, and a cover of “Dethroned Emperor” by CELTIC FROST.

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PARADISE LOST: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

"Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", the new album from British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST, is being streamed in its entirety on the band's MySpace page. The CD will be released via Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Italy: September 25
Spain, Portugal: September 29
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: September 30
Rest Of Europe: September 28
USA: October 6

The limited formats of this landmark gothic metal opus will include two orchestral versions of the album tracks "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" and "Last Regret", which were recorded by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in July 2008.

The limited-edition deluxe two-CD includes special packaging (DVD-sized Mediabook with O-Card in a special leather look) and a bonus track, "Cardinal Zero", on Disc 1 plus a separate bonus CD featuring the "Lost In Prague" tracks. All vinyl lovers will be delighted to hear that the album is going to be available as limited edition gatefold LP, including the bonus track "Cardinal Zero", the orchestra mixes on a separate bonus 7" EP, the entire album on CD (in a blank sleeve), and an exclusive poster.

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Joe Perry Gives Steven Tyler Silent Treatment Over Canceled Aerosmith Tour

Fans aren’t the only ones frustrated over the cancellation of Aerosmith’s summer trek. In an interview with the AP, guitarist Joe Perry expressed extreme disappointment that the band was unable to see the tour to its end—so much so that Perry hasn’t spoken to lead singer Steven Tyler in over a month.

“The tour was building up to be a great tour, and I was pretty [upset], you know,” Perry told the AP. “I haven’t talked to him in over five weeks. I don’t know what’s going on with him. I hear he’s getting better, but I don’t know I really don’t know what’s going on with him.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers had to cancele their trek with ZZ Top after Steven Tyler fell off the stage during a concert in South Dakota on August 5th, suffering a broken shoulder and requiring 20 stitches to the back of his head. Tyler’s fall was one of several health-related pitfalls that found Aerosmith postponing dates and using substitute members.

In a candid interview, Perry said the incident - and Tyler's other recent problems - proved the band needed to examine their current status.

"All I know is he's got to get his act together,” Perry said.

“I mean, he and I haven't written a song together alone in the same room in over ten years, so there's been some changes in paradigm of what Aerosmith is.”

Maybe they needed a break in the action and Tyler is recovering from his missed dance step. Time, my friends, give it time.

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Ozzy Honored

Ozzy Osbourne will receive the Legend of Live Award at the Billboard Touring Awards on November 5 in New York. The award is given to those who have made a significant and lasting contribution to live music and the touring business.

Ray Waddell of Billboard said "Ozzy has altered the course of rock music and live performance through his work with Black Sabbath and as a hugely popular solo artist, and his continued commitment to playing live makes him the perfect choice for the Billboard Legend Of Live award. There is no doubt that Ozzy's impact on live music, including pioneering the multi-act rock festival touring with Ozzfest, will be felt for many years to come, and his efforts continue to shape the touring landscape in this century."

Vinyl records still find niche with music lovers

Longtime readers of the blog know that I like to feature any 'brick and mortar' store articles, and I have another to share. I want to thank the kind folks at http://temple-news.com and specifically the author Kevin Brosky for allowing me to reprint this story:


by Kevin Brosky

City record stores are in agreement: Vinyl is still in high demand. In fact, it may just be keeping those stores in business during a recession.

Before iPods and MP3 players, there was a time when far less portable vinyl records were king. It would make sense if these relics from the past were now obsolete – only, they’re not.

In fact, the city’s record store owners seem to be in agreement: Not only are people still buying vinyl, but records are in high demand, particularly because they’re becoming more and more difficult to find.

“We used to throw vinyl out,” said Bernie Carville, who works at Rustic Music at 13th and Pine streets. “Now, we don’t throw anything out.”

Rustic Music began as a used guitar store, but it quickly became clear that there was a demand for selling music as well, and it eventually became half a music store.

“We just had a couple records sitting around, and we put them out the one day,” Carville said. “People were buying them. Instead of spending more for a CD, people can buy a good copy on vinyl for cheap.”

Rustic Music’s ever-popular $2 bins are sure to contain a hidden gem or lucky find. All across Philadelphia, on any given day, avid music listeners scour local record stores like Rustic Music, AKA Music, Repo Records and the Philadelphia Record Exchange looking for cheap vinyl.

In a city that has seen a handful of record stores wilt and die over the past decade, these four seem to be doing fine. And they all carry vinyl. Even superstore f.y.e. has jumped onboard the vinyl bandwagon, offering new copies of albums in vinyl from bands that have also noted the high demand for the vintage format.

“It might be bigger than ever with young people,” Carville said. “Bands are pressing new vinyl, even though it’s expensive to do so. And it’s still easy to find turntables, even though people think it’s not.”
Along with used guitars and instruments, Rustic Music sells used turntables. Carville noted that “there were always the collectors,” but there are still plenty of people buying records to play them.

Jacy Webster opened the Philadelphia Record Exchange in 1985 and has been doing pretty much the same thing ever since. Apart from gradually adding a few racks of used CDs over time, Webster said vinyl is practically all he sells at his store on Fifth Street, a half block from South Street.

“We really wanted to never stop selling records,” he said. “Other stores were switching over to CDs, and we kept selling records. People kept buying them.”

Webster acknowledges that the draw of vinyl often stems from its authentic appeal.

“I see people come in here and hold up a classic record for the person they’re with to see,” he said. “It’s like they’re excited to be able to say, ‘This is the real thing.’”

Because MP3s and other digital formats of music are so compressed, music purists like Webster appreciate the impressive sound quality of a fresh, vinyl record. It’s impossible to ignore the scowl on the record store veteran’s face when a customer mentions digital music. A record, to him, is a product.

“You can hold it in your hand. It’s a physical object,” he said passionately, adding one final bit of rationale.

“Those records still sound freaking good.”


Source: http://temple-news.com

Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary Loses Her Fight With Cancer

Written By Robert Benson


Folk music legend Mary Travers passed away on September 16, 2009 from complications related to leukemia. She was 72. Along with her singing partners Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, the trio were perhaps the most influential folk music trio in American history and together they performed some of the most enduring folk anthems of the 1960s. In fact, the group's first album came out in 1962 and immediately scored hits with their versions of "If I Had a Hammer" and "Lemon Tree," a song which won them Grammys for best folk recording and best performance by a vocal group.

Mary Travers was born in Louisville, Kentucky and in 1938 the family moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, New York. She attended the Little Red School House in New York City, but left in the eleventh grade to pursue her singing career. While in high school, she joined the Song Swappers, a folk group that sang backup for folk icon Pete Seeger. The folk group, Peter, Paul and Mary, began with Mary and “the boys,” as she called them, in Noel Paul’s East Village apartment singing “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” After seven months of rehearsals, the group Peter, Paul and Mary made their debut in 1961 and the aforementioned self-titled debut album made them stars.

In 1963, the group famously performed Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “If I Had a Hammer” at the March on Washington, the latter appearing on their second LP Moving, which also boasted Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” and the playful cut “Puff (The Magic Dragon).”

The trio's third album, In the Wind, featured three songs by the 22-year-old Bob Dylan. “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right” and “Blowin' in the Wind” reached the top 10, bringing Dylan's material to a massive audience with “Blowin’ In The Wind” shipping more than 300,000 copies during one two-week period. At one point in 1963, three of their albums were in the top six Billboard best-selling LPs as they became the biggest stars of the folk revival movement.


Peter, Paul and Mary became famous for their ability to convey powerful personal and political messages through a repertoire of songs and impeccable harmonies that became, for millions of Americans, an introduction to political awareness and activism in the movements born in the 60’s; movements for freedom, justice and social equity. With her stoic, yet playful stature, and her long, flowing blonde hair and signature bangs, and her arresting and passionate vocal delivery, Mary Travers became an irresistible force in Peter, Paul and Mary’s performances and legacy.

They sang together over a span of almost 50 years during their career. Together, they won five Grammy Awards, produced thirteen Top 40 hits, six of them reaching into the Top 10 - as well as eight gold and five platinum records. The trio split up to work on solo projects in 1970, and Travers released five albums between 1971 and 1978. The group re-formed in 1978, toured extensively and issued many new albums. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.

Both Yarrow and Stookey released statements about the passing of their singing partner and friend:

Statement by Peter Yarrow:

“Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of my relationship with Mary Travers over the last, almost, 50 years, is how open and honest we were with each other, and I include Noel Paul Stookey in this equation. Such honesty comes with a price, but when you get past the hurt and shock of realizing that you're faulted and frequently wrong, you also realize that you are really loved and respected for who you are, and you become a better person. The trio's growth, our creativity, our ability to emerge over the years completely accepting of one another, warts and all, was a miracle. This gift existed, I believe, because of the music itself, which elicited from each of us the best of who we were. When we performed together, we gave our best to each other and to the audiences who came to hear us.”

“I have no idea what it will be like to have no Mary in my world, in my life, or on stage to sing with. But I do know there will always be a hole in my heart, a place where she will always exist that will never be filled by any other person. However painful her passing is, I am forever grateful for Mary and her place in my life.”

Statement by Noel Paul Stookey:

"as a partner...she could be vexing and vulnerable in the same breath. as a friend she shared her concerns freely and without reservation. as an activist, she was brave, outspoken and inspiring - especially in her defense of the defenseless. and, as a performer, her charisma was a barely contained nervous energy - occasionally (and then only privately) revealed as stage fright.”

"i am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without mary travers and honored beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career."

On a personal note, I took my parents to see Peter, Paul and Mary perform at the State Fair in Wisconsin in the late 80’s. I remember it vividly, it was a cool August day and it had rained all day and continued to rain as we found our seats. As we were being seated, I saw Mary Travers in the crowd and I got close enough to brush by her, I remember how elated she was to see so many people brave the elements to hear them sing. She alluded to that as she and her partners put on a show for the ages. Her face lit up with glee with every spot on note she delivered. I will miss her, as millions of other fans will as well.

Classic Album Cover Art - Van Halen Balance

Van Halen: 'Balance' "Balance" was the tenth studio album by the hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 and, to date, is the final Van Halen album featuring lead singer Sammy Hagar.

Van Halen is a hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. They enjoyed success from the release of their self titled debut album in 1978. As of 2007 Van Halen has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide and have had the most number one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. During the 1980's they also had more Billboard Hot 100 hits than any other hard rock, heavy metal band of the decade. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Van Halen is the 19th best selling band/artist of all time with sales of over 56 million albums in the USA and is one of five rock bands that have had two albums sell more than 10 million copies in the USA.

The cover was the brainchild of American photographer Glen Wexler whose first album cover commission was to photograph The Brothers Johnson (“Blam!” 1978), for Quincy Jones Productions and A&M Records. It was censored in Japan.

Other album cover projects include, Van Halen, “Balance”, Black Sabbath, “Reunion”, Rush “Hold Your Fire”, ZZ Top, “Greatest Hits”, Missing Persons “Spring Session M”, Slaughter's “Stick It to Ya”, and Chaka Kahn, “Naughty”. Wexler also created images for Michael Jackson, KISS, Yes, Kansas, Whitesnake, Black Crows, Boston, Steve Miller Band, Peter Frampton, Bob Weir, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and many others.

Notes:

Wexler created a fantasy album cover for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum exhibition “The Greatest Album Covers That Never Were,” which toured nationally 2003-2006. Wexler was invited to lecture about album cover work at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum along with designer John Van Hamersveld in June 2003.

In the fall of 2006, Wexler’s album cover artwork was featured at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' (NARAS) “The Art Of Music” event in Los Angeles.

The instrumental "Strung Out" was actually recorded in 1983, prior to the recording of 1984. The actual recording is Eddie "playing" the strings of a Grand Piano with various objects including ping pong balls, D-cell batteries, knives and forks.

Rock/Pop Tidbits

When Alice Cooper and his band mates auditioned for musician Frank Zappa, he put his hands over his ears and screamed: “Alright, alright I’ll sign you! I’ll sign you! Just stop playing!” He wanted the band to become a comedy act called Alice’s Cookies.

Alice Cooper’s band invited a prospective manager to attend on of their gigs and soon after the group started playing, the crowd of more than 3,000 people got up and left. This actually impressed the manager, he stated, “Do you know how hard it is to get three thousand people to do anything all at once!”

David Bowie proposed to his first wife Angie with the words: “Can you handle the fact that I don’t love you?”

Rocker John Mellencamp was born with spina bifida, a potentially crippling neural tube defect that required surgery and a lengthy hospitalization.

Despite having a long list of hit records to her credit, there were two more that Cher could have had. In 1973 she was offered "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia,” but turned it down. Vicki Lawrence took it to number one. She also had first crack at "Angie Baby" in 1974, but again felt it wasn't her kind of song. Helen Reddy's version would top the US chart.

The Strawberry Alarm Clock had a 1967, number one hit with "Incense and Peppermints.” As a part of their live act, drummer Randy Seol played the bongos with his hands on fire.

Apparently playing guitar for Fleetwood Mac drove musicians crazy. Guitarist Peter Green would cry while watching the TV news, wore white robes onstage and fought very hard to give all the band’s money away to charity. In fact, when the band’s manager tried to present Green with a royalty check, Green attached him with an air rifle and was sent away to a mental hospital.

Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer was a bit eccentric. He traveled with a tiny bible sewn into the lining of his coat and he filled condoms with milk and would hang them from the pegs of his guitar. In Hawaii, he left the hotel where they were staying, stating: “I’ll be right back.” However, he changed his name to Jonathan and joined a religious cult known as the “Children of God.”

In 1972, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan got so stressed out that five minutes before a gig, he vanished into a bathroom, bashed his head against the all, smashed his guitar, and stated: “I’m not going on.” He wound up watching the gig from the soundboard and was later admitted to a mental institution.

Before Neil Young joined Crosby, Stills and Nash, the original trio had already asked George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood to become the fourth member of their group.

Paul Simon took the title of his song "Mother and Child Reunion" from the name of a chicken-and-egg dish he saw on a Chinese restaurant's menu.

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch nails really disliked Axl Rose. According to Reznor, the Guns N’ Roses front man was surrounded by people who said things like: “Yes, Mr. Rose, that does smell good, can I flush it for you?”

If you listen carefully to Marvin Gaye's 1971 smash "What's Going On,” you can hear former Detroit Lions Mel Farr and Lem Barney talking and singing in the background.

During the recording of Ted Nugent's 1976 album "Free For All,” singer/guitarist Derek St. Holmes left the band for personal reasons. A singer named Marvin Aday, who would one day be known as Meat Loaf, replaced him on five songs.



After Nino Tempo and April Stevens hastily recorded a song called "Deep Purple", the master tape was sent to Atlantic Records producer Ahmet Ertegun, who said that the effort was not only embarrassing, but the worst thing Nino and April had ever done. After some pressure from Nino, Ertegun gave in and released the song as a single. It quickly soared to #1 on the Billboard Pop chart and enjoyed a twelve week run. The following year it won a Grammy Award for the Best Rock and Roll Recording of 1963.

Although she is mostly remembered for her hit "Stand By Your Man,” country singer Tammy Wynette has been married five times.

In the fall of 1958, Neil Diamond entered New York University on a fencing scholarship.

Brothers Ray and Dave Davies of the Kinks took sibling rivalry to new heights. Dining in a Manhattan establishment in 1971, Dave tried to steal one of Ray’s french fries and was promptly stabbed in the chest with a fork by Ray.

Music News & Notes

Smashing Pumpkins New LP

Billy Corgan posted on the Smashing Pumpkins’ official Website yesterday and revealed that the barely recognizable band has begun work on a massive new 44-song album called "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope." You’d figure it’d be a while between now and when you’ll hear the fruits of the Pumpkins’ labors, but Corgan also revealed on an innovative release plan that’ll allow fans to freely download the songs as the band finishes them.

“My desire is to release a song at a time beginning around Halloween of this year, with each new release coming shortly after until all 44 are out. Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached,” Corgan writes. “Free will mean free, which means you won’t have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.”

Corgan knows his audience and fans and he realizes that there are thousands of fans eager to purchase one or all eleven of the limited-edition four song EPs he planned to carve out of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. When the album is completely finished, all 44 songs will be packed into a single Kaleidyscope box set. For those plotting to skip the EP process and wait for the complete set, Corgan foils that plan by writing “the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces.”

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Break For Bruce & E Street Band

You may not see Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band touring for at least one to two years once their current shows are done in November. Not that anyone could really deny them the chance to rest a bit after this marathon run of performances over the last couple of years.

Steven Van Zandt, guitarist for the band, told reporters "We are going to take a break. I don't know how long, one year, year-and-a-half, two years off. This is a good time to see us. We may not be as pretty, [but] we seem to be getting better in funny ways.

"You never know. This could be be the last tour. We do every show like it's our last show anyway."

The group has been touring on a regular basis since the rehearsals started for the Magic tour back in September of 2007. Since then, they've played every month except for January and February 2008 and September 2008 to late-March 2009 when they started the Working on a Dream rehearsals and tour. There are still 31 shows left in the current run.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces Full Lineups
For 25th Anniversary Shows


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have announced the full lineups for their 25th Anniversary shows, to be held on October 29 and 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

A previous announcement was made with the main performers while Wednesday added the special guests that will join the others for special collaborations.



October 29

•Main Performers
•Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band
•Stevie Wonder
•Simon & Garfunkel
•Paul Simon
•Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends
•Special Guests
•Jackson Browne
•James Taylor
•Sting
•Smokey Robinson
•Bonnie Raitt
•Little Richard

October 30
•Main Performers
•U2
•Aretha Franklin
•Eric Clapton
•Metallica
•Special Guests
•Jeff Beck
•Van Morrison
•Jerry Lee Lewis

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Pavement Confirm Plans To Reform For 2010 World Tour


Alternative giant Pavement has confirmed that they are to reform in 2010 for a series of shows around the world.

The band, who have been widely rumoured to get back together, will consist of Mark Ibold, Scott Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West.

Their first confirmed show will take place at Rumsey Playfield in New York's Central Park on September 21, 2010.

Pavement, who formed in 1989, developed a significant cult following following the release of their 1992 debut 'Slanted and Enchanted'.

The group played their last gig together at Brixton Academy in London in November 1999.

In a statement, their record label Domino said “the band would like it to be known that the tour does not constitute a full on permanent reformation”.

This Date in Music History-September 17

Birthdays:

Guitar legend B.B. King (1925)



Lamonte McLemore - 5th Dimension (1939)

Lol Creme - 10cc (1947)

Kenney Jones – Faces/Who (1948)

Fee Waybill - The Tubes (1950)

Rapper Doug E. Fresh (1966)

John Penney - Neds Atomic Dustbin (1968)

Keith Flint – Prodigy (1969)

Vinnie - Naughty By Nature (1970)

Anastacia (1973)

Flo Rida (1979)

Jonathan Jacob Walker - Panic at the Disco (1985)


They Are Missed:

Marc Bolan of T. Rex died in 1977 at the age of 29.

Born on this day in 1947, Jim Hodder, drums, Steely Dan. Hodder drowned at his home swimming pool on June 5, 1990.

The late Bill Black (bass player for Elvis Presley) was born in 1926.

Born today in 1923 Hank Williams, one of the biggest country stars ever. He scored 36 Top 10 Country hits including, “Your Cheating Heart” and “Hey Good Lookin.” Williams died in the backseat of a Cadillac on January 1, 1953 on the way to a gig.

Born in 1933, Jeanine Deckers, The Singing Nun, (1963 US #1 & UK #7 single “Dominique”). Deckers died on March 29, 1985 of an overdose of sleeping pills in a suicide pact with a friend.

Rob Tyner lead singer with the American hard rock band MC5 died in 1991 after he suffered a heart attack in the seat of his parked car in his hometown of Berkley, Michigan. MC5, (shortened from the Motor City Five), formed in Detroit, in 1965, they released their first album, ‘Kick Out the Jams’ in 1969.

In 1999, English singer Frankie Vaughan died of heart failure (age 71). During the 1950's he scored twenty UK Top 30 singles including the UK #2 “Green Door.” He was awarded an OBE in 1965 and a CBE in 1996.


History:

In 1931, the first 33 1/3 record players were launched by RCA victor at the Savoy Plaza Hotel in New York.

"Tennessee" Ernie Ford recorded "16 Tons" in 1955.

In 1955, Capitol Records released "Magic Melody, Part Two.” The song consisted only of the last two notes of the musical phrase, "Shave and a haircut, two bits." It was the shortest song to ever to be released.

"She Loves You" backed by "I'll Get You" by the Beatles was released by Swan Records in the US in 1963. However, "She Loves You" doesn't do anything until 1964 when it finally goes to #1.

In 1964, during a US tour, the Beatles appeared at the Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. The Beatles were paid $150,000 for the show, which was more than any other act had ever been paid for a live show. Tickets cost $4.50.

"Shindig!" premiered on ABC-TV in 1964. It was inspired by the success of British Invasion groups on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The show featured both British and American performers plus a cast of go-go dancers and a house band. Within a few months NBC has an imitation, "Hullabaloo."

In 1967, the Doors were banned from The Ed Sullivan Show after Jim Morrison broke his agreement with the show’s producers. Morrison said before the performance that he wouldn’t sing the words, “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher,” from 'Light My Fire' but did anyway. The Doors also performed their new single “People Are Strange.”



Also in 1967, on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, in one of the greatest rock TV moments ever, Keith Moon rigged his drum set to explode at the end of the Who's performance of "My Generation." The resulting detonation cuts Moon's leg, singes Pete Townshend's hair, and does some serious damage to his hearing.

Jimi Hendrix' debut LP, “Are You Experienced?” entered the album charts in 1967.

Also in 1970, Hendrix made his final public appearance, jamming with Eric Burdon and War at Ronnie Scott's club in London.

In 1969, media on both sides of the Atlantic were running stories that said Paul McCartney was dead. He was supposedly killed in a car accident in Scotland on November 9th, 1966 and that a double had been taking his place for public appearances. In fact, Paul and his girlfriend Jane Asher were on vacation in Kenya at the time.

Billy Joel began recording "Piano Man" in 1973.

In 1978, the Grateful Dead play a concert before the pyramids of Egypt. The concert was recorded, but has yet to be released on record.

In 1979, Rap makes it onto vinyl with the release of the Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight." Sylvia Robinson (formerly of Mickey & Sylvia) formed the company to produce rap records despite industry warnings that rap had no commercial appeal. "Rappers Delight" was recorded over the instrumental break from Chic's "Good Times." The single becomes a disco smash, selling over two million copies in the US.

In 1991, Guns ‘N’ Roses released “Use Your Illusion I & II” at midnight. It’s either two single albums or a double album that can be bought separately. Their label shipped 4.2 million copies (the largest shipment to date).

In 1996, a bomb was found at a South London sorting office addressed to Icelandic singer Bjork. Police in Miami had alerted the post office after finding the body of Ricardo Lopez who had made a video of himself making the bomb and then killing himself.

Eminem had a $10 million lawsuit filed against him in 1999. The suit, brought by his mother, claimed that he had made defamatory remarks in several interviews.

Kelly Clarkson's first single "Before Your Love/A Moment Like This" was released in 2002.

Moving more than 490,000 copies in less than a week in 2008, Metallica's "Death Magnetic" debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. Metallica is the first band ever to have five albums debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 (U2, The Beatles and Dave Matthews Band each have four).

Vinyl Record Sound Quality Thrives At US Plant

Written By Robert Benson

Our music is sounding better than ever because we can hear it on vinyl again. Millions of music lovers all over the world are discovering and rediscovering why vinyl is the best sound reproduction format. Along with the growth of this historic sound medium is a renewed interest in record companies and manufacturers who produce the vinyl records that the music community is buying. Let’s explore a company dedicated to the quality of their vinyl products and most importantly, the sound of the music.

I spoke with Eric Astor, CEO and Manish Naik, COO of Furnace MFG (www.furnacecd.com) and although the company offers a multitude of sound and promotional services, we will focus on the vinyl record aspects of the company. The company has secured exclusive North American partnerships with two of the best audiophile quality pressing plants in Europe and as we will learn, it is all about producing the best sounding vinyl that can be manufactured. Let’s learn more about them:

Who are you and what does your company do?

“Furnace MFG is located in the Washington, DC metro area and we are a one-stop source for CD, DVD and vinyl manufacturing. Furnace MFG has been hard at work pressing CDs and DVDs for the independent music community since 1996. We have made exclusive agreements with two of the best pressing plants in the world to provide the best sounding records on the planet,” explained Eric.

“Many people ask why our prices are more expensive than pressing plants in the US. The answer is simple: we offer the best quality sound and physical product on the planet and it costs a bit more to produce this kind of quality. Vinyl pressing is a refined art - unlike a modern CD plant. It takes decades of experience to produce consistent quality records and by teaming up with our partners we have over 120 years of knowhow in the pressing business. We also work with our partners overseas to press and package sleeved vinyl that is then shipped to Furnace MFG in Fairfax, Virginia. The meticulous staff at Furnace MFG inspects each record for quality and consistency. It is then assembled, packaged, boxed and shipped right from our state of the art packaging facility on to your location. We are your one stop source for vinyl, jackets, inserts, posters, dropcards, mastering, cutting or anything else vinyl related.”

Why is the vinyl record making a resurgence?

“We think there are two main reasons that vinyl is making a resurgence. The first is that consumers are re-discovering (or discovering for the first time) that listening to a vinyl record is completely different than listening to a CD or a downloaded song. The quality of sound is clearly better with richer tones since a vinyl record plays exactly how an artist recorded the song with no loss of translation to a digital format. There is also an entire experience of listening to a record which is missing from CDs and MP3’s. Selecting the record, taking it out of the sleeve, putting it on the turntable, looking over the jacket and liner notes; these actions combine to create an actual ‘experience’ of listening. Listening to a record is in and of itself, the activity. Listening to an MP3 is generally done while doing something else and is more often than not, a background activity,” said Manish.

“The second reason for the resurgence in vinyl records is that artists and labels are once again embracing the format. Artists love the sound of vinyl and feel it’s a truer representation of their music. Labels are realizing that although the raw sales of vinyl are low compared to CDs, the margins are much higher and are paying attention to this new revenue source in the face of decreasing CD sales and increasing digital downloads.”

“The combination of consumer interest and interest from the labels is what is fueling this growth. One couldn’t exist without the other and we feel that this trend will continue for years. Vinyl will never overtake CD sales but there will continue to be a core group of consumers interested in this format,” continued Manish.

“One thing that the music industry must take into consideration though is that vinyl will only grow and expand if the quality is there. If a buyer’s first experience with vinyl is a negative one, they will not be coming back to the format. There are a lot of poorly pressed records out there that do not enrich the listening experience. If this is what buyers come to expect, they will stop buying vinyl and go back to buying CDs or sharing files. This is where we think Furnace provides the most help in the marketplace – ensuring that each and every record we produce is amongst the best pressed in the world and something that a band or label can stand behind and be proud of.”

Is the PVC made in America and then shipped to the pressing plants?

“Each plant that Furnace has a formed an exclusive partnership with source their own PVC. They are the experts in understanding which products work best with their pressing machines and which products produce the best sounds,” explained Manish. “Both Pallas (Germany) and Record Industry (The Netherlands) have their own PVC formula that is made specifically for their plant.”

“All vinyl is pressed in Europe and then shipped on pallets via airplane to our facility in northern Virginia (just outside Washington DC) where we assemble the final product and finish for retail distribution. Vinyl is usually from the plant to our dock in less than 24 hours which preserves the quality of the product and allows us to offer industry leading lead times.”

What are the costs associated with releasing a vinyl record?

“There are various costs associated with vinyl records. Some of these are mastering/cutting, test pressings, actual vinyl production, jacket & insert printing, assembly costs, and final finishing costs,” said Eric. “The costs varies greatly depending on the weight of the record (120 g, 140g, or 180g), the turnaround time desired (either 4 weeks or 8 weeks), and the complexity of the assembly and finishing. For someone just getting into vinyl production, here’s a helpful list of the production steps (post recording), all of which Furnace offers to our clients:

-EQ / Leveling / Audio Mastering
-Lacquer or DMM Cutting
-Galvanics / Metalwork (father, mother and stamper creation)
-Producing Test Pressings for customer approval
-Label design and printing
-Jacket, insert and marketing sticker design and printing
-Vinyl Pressing
-Assembly, wrapping/bagging, boxing and shipping

You tell me the vinyl is pressed in different countries, can you elaborate, why ship the work overseas?

“As we entered the business of vinyl manufacturing, we knew that there was really only one plant in the US that has the quality that the audiophile market craves,” explained Eric. “There are other domestic options but the quality produced in these plants was less than we were willing to put our name on. We signed exclusive relationships with two of Europe’s best vinyl plants (Pallas Group, and Record Industry). These plants have a long tradition in the vinyl business and the craftsmanship of their employees is amazing. To give you an example, the mother plate inspector at Pallas worked as an apprentice for 10 years before taking over that job. At Record Industry, they have produced some of the world’s best selling releases on vinyl including “Dark Side of the Moon” and various Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam and Beatles titles. Record Industry’s main cutting engineer has cut all of the aforementioned records during his 33 year career with a variety of labels and plants. We are confident that any record produced by our partners will be of very high quality and consistency – because that’s what our customers and record buyers demand.”

What is the difference between ‘regular’ vinyl and the ‘audiophile’ releases that are becoming more popular these days?

“It’s all about the sound quality. If you take two plants and give them lacquers cut from the finest cutting studio in the world and ask them to press up some records – you will often times get two completely different products. The PVC material used, the galvanics process and the pressing formulas at our two facilities are the secret weapon to creating some of the best records in the world. If a plant does not put the care and expense into creating superior metal parts, you will hear it in the vinyl. If a plant treats each record the same and doesn’t factor in the cut and the other 9,000 things you need to consider when pressing vinyl records, you can have problems there as well. You will get non-fill, poor tracking, etc when inexperienced people are running the equipment. Both of our plants have been around for decades and the experience on the floor is not something you can buy or learn overnight,” explained Manish.

“Most of the records that are marketed as Audiophile releases are pressed on heavyweight vinyl. 180g records, for example, are less prone to warp or dish. When pressed correctly, you will get a superior and long lasting product from a heavyweight record.”

Tell me about the picture discs manufacturing process.

“These are really old-school in that they are all made on hand presses, unlike our regular vinyl products that are pressed on automatic presses. The actual playable surface is a laminate similar to the flexi records of yesteryear. These make for great collector items that sell well as novelties. Although they are great for business, they are extremely inefficient and difficult to make and the sound quality leaves much to be desired,” said Eric.

What attracts you to records?

“We are consumers of records much like all other consumers. For us, records enable us to connect with the music in ways that CDs and digital music just won’t allow. We all have MP3 players and love them for the storage capacity and flexibility but there are times when putting on a record is an unbeatable experience. Also, some records I have owned for 25 years plus and I remember the money I saved to buy them, the smell of the record when I opened it and the store I bought it from. Each time I put on one of those records it brings me back to a place and time of my life – most of the time it’s a positive memory.”

Discuss the clear vinyl vs. black vinyl debate, does it matter?

Eric explains: “There is a debate in the audiophile market on whether the carbon in black vinyl creates a magnetic resonance that can be heard in playback. Some labels have gone so far as to start pressing their releases on clear vinyl to sidestep this perceived issue. We have talked to many in the industry about this and feel that with anything audiophile, this is up to each person’s personal experience. From a pressing plant’s perspective, we know for a fact that the sound quality and consistency of pressing with black PVC is night and day difference over any colored vinyl including clear. Considering there is equipment that will help you rid yourself of such carbon created audio atrocities, we feel black vinyl will always be the best choice for the audiophile client.”

What is the best way to clean records, what do you use?

“There are many different ways to clean records from simple soap and water to super expensive cleaning machines and formulas,” said Naik. “At the end of the day, the important thing is to take care of your records, not store them in fluctuating temperatures and handle them with care. Simple things can make records last a lifetime! Internally, we use a VPI cleaning machine because we clean a lot of records, it does a great job and it’s FAST. If you can afford one, they are a huge convenience and do a fantastic job. For normal cleaning we just use a static free brush to get all of the dust off the surface prior to play. That one two combo works really well.”

Do you or can you do the cover art ‘in house’?

“Most of our major label clients (i.e. Warner, Universal) have art directors in house who will prepare all the artwork files and send us the final, print ready files. But for the thousands of other clients we have serviced over the last 13 years, we have a full, in-house creative and production design staff who create unique designs for anyone who asks. Our rates are competitive and we have worked within the entertainment industry for a long time so we’re known for our creative side as much as our mechanics.”

Tell us about some of your clients:

“We have a wide variety of clients from major music labels like Warner Music and Universal to independent labels as well. We also work with licensed reissue labels that focus on high quality vinyl such as Mobile Fidelity, Acoustic Sounds and Original Recordings Group. These guys produce ultra high quality records and packaging that are amongst the leaders in the field – going as far as flying out the original tapes to the cutting studio or going through 3 and 4 sets of lacquers until they have the perfect cut.

“We also work with a wealth of independent labels and bands. This is where we are put to the test. Everyone is looking to do something different and unique and everyone is on a budget. We have enough experience to work with people to collect their wants and desires, talk budget and then match them up with a package that most closely meets their needs. Since most of our customers are either new to vinyl or new to getting back to vinyl, we act as a consultant sometimes as much as we do a pressing plant.”

Tell us more about the Quentin Tarantino/Inglourious Basterds project and what has been released.

“Warner Bros. approached us with this project based on our long standing relationship with them and the fact that we could put a rush on this project,” detailed Manish. “The film was widely released in the US in August and the desire was to have the soundtrack available when the film released. We were able to turn this project around in three weeks which is far shorter than the average turn around times in the industry which can range from 4-8 weeks. We also produced a promotional 7” and jacket that they used in stores and elsewhere to promote the LP release. I believe it is now available in stores and online. Warner has all of their vinyl on their own site at www.becausesoundmatters.com. Warner USA is VERY serious about their vinyl releases. They are very meticulous with their quality control and demand the VERY best in terms of vinyl, sound and packaging quality. I think that’s why they have the respect in the industry and why their vinyl sells the best – people know they are going to get the very best when they buy a Warner release.”

Where do you see the record industry in 5 years, is this just a fad or will vinyl continue to be in demand?

“We expect the record industry to continue its growth for the next few years eventually flattening out in about 5 years," explained Eric. "We do not think the resurgence in vinyl is a fad but rather a new/old format that more and more people will continue to discover. As long as labels are willing to put out a high quality record for their bands, fans will be there to buy them. Vinyl never died. The customer never rejected the format. The labels, seeing higher profit margins, inflated MSRPs for the Compact Disc and shoved vinyl aside and told record stores to make way for CDs and liquidate their vinyl. Indie stores and mail-order houses/websites always sold vinyl and they always will. Let’s hope the labels and bands keep running with it and keep the customer base happy.”

It’s amazing to learn that a company actually cares about the most important element of the vinyl record, the quality of the sound. It’s why many mainstream artists and indie bands are returning to this glorious recording format and why the music consumers are clamoring for more vinyl record releases. It’s all about the sound, which is why we love our music in the first place and why so many musical acts are seeking the services of Furnace MFG.