Michael Jackson Fans Hold Tribute At London's O2 Arena

The gloved-one's fans have held a tribute at the O2 Arena, on the day the star was due to make his comeback at the London venue. Hundreds of fans made the journey to the east of the city after the unofficial event was advertised on social networking websites. Word is, MJ will not be there....

Many chose to add messages to the venue’s tribute wall, while other shared their Jackson memories with each other. Some fans who have tickets to the now canceled shows still made the journey to the UK to remember the star.

Jackson was scheduled to play 50 shows at the O2 Arena, starting tonight (July 13) and running into March 2010.

Get a life people......

Vinyl Record Architect

I made a new contact today, a new vinyl record blog and Paul has some very interesting features and posts. Here's one from a recent trip to Holland, I have not seen this cover before, I though I'd share his post:


Nederbeat - for collectors only: Modern Records 110 891 L


I've already written about how much I like collections - especially when they're as good as 'for collectors only...' Released in 1967, this Modern Records compendium of Dutch garage, proto-punk, and early psychedelia includes the music of several classic Dutch bands such as De Maskers and Golden Earring - like you haven't heard them before. The song titles are covers and originals including one Dylan cover ('Masters of War' by De Maskers) and Gene Vincent's 'Baby Blue.'

I found this on the floor of a little record store in Leiden, Holland. The records on the floor - and there were thousands - were Two Euros each. So, I got this little treasure for less than four bucks! Not in the best shape, granted, but eminently playable. The front cover has but a single small tear, the back inscribed by a former owner with the word 'Blues' in large red ballpoint - ironic or accidental? - and in smaller blue ballpoint letters 'Revolutie.' Helpfully, this same former owner has labeled the photos so I know which band is which. Making the record less valuable to a serious collector perhaps, but full of charm for me!

One of my favorite cuts is the second one on the second side, 'That's Your Problem,' by the Outsiders. Unlike some of their contemporaries like Tee Set - also on this record - and Shocking Blue, The Outsiders never hit it even somewhat big in the States and their music is known best by garage band and 'Nederbeat' fans. Nederbeat, Holland's uniquely raw and direct British Invasion-inspired interpretation of Rock 'n' Roll, is definately worth a listen. The Outsiders are known to be one of the best Nederbeat bands and Kurt Cobainis said to have been a fan who unsuccessfully tried to meet Wally Tax, the Outsiders' lead singer.

You can find them on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIVAFcVpnf8

Another highlight is Golden Earring's 'Daddy buy me a girl.' The video - Golden Earring's first - features the band playing the song while riding elephants - there is even a go-go girl on elephant, the English dancer, Felicity. Really, what's not to like! You can find them on YouTube, too:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThommyCortina.

See members.ziggo.nl/casper.roos/story60.html for the whole story.

The song was also included in Nuggets II. Reviewer George Starostin gave the song an A+ and called it 'pop perfection.' He continued:

'These Dutch lads (later simply 'Golden Earring') werechart darlings in Europe for quite a long time, and if this song is a goodindication, they're well worth investigating. The liner notes justly indicatethe non-trivial lyrical subject (rich boy suffers because all the girlsonly love him for his dough), but as good as the lyrics are, it's the melodythat deserves the most accolades - a terrific exercise in Brit-pop, drivenby the obligatory harpsichord, of course, but with chord changes and vocalmodulation all its own, and an insanely catchy verse melody as wellas middle-eight. Plus, Krassenburg's lead vocals just ring withclassic Sixties' "radio freshness", and at the same time conveyjust the right tinge of sadness and moodiness. I can't help but admireevery second of this thing.'

Well, finally, there is the matter of the album cover. Hard to overlook. At one time, depicting body-painted female nudes on record albums seemed to have been the rage. Now, it just seems more than vaguely wrong. But this was released in another era and free love and nudity were part of the revolution, political and sexual.

And, after all, it was 'for collectors only...'


Content from Vinyl Record Architect Blog

Reprinted By Permission

Classic Rock Videos

The Cars - Moving In Stereo (Live In Houston 1984)

Most Valuable Records

The following list is an attempt to list some of the most valuable recordings. Data is sourced from Record Collector magazine, eBay, Popsike, Good Rockin' Tonight and other sources.

1. John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Double Fantasy (Geffen US Album, 1980) Autographed by Lennon five hours before Mark David Chapman murdered him. $525,000 asking price, unsold.

2. The Quarrymen – "That'll Be the Day"/"In Spite Of All The Danger" (UK 78 RPM, Acetate in plain sleeve, 1958) Only one copy made. Copy always owned by Paul McCartney and never offered for sale. Record Collector magazine lists guide price at $180,000.

3. The Beatles – Yesterday and Today (Capitol, US Album in ‘butcher’ sleeve, 1966) $40,000 for mint "first state" stereo copies. [2] Other pressings/states are also available, in both mono and stereo with prices ranging from $150–$10,000

4. Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (CBS, US album, stereo 1963 featuring 4 tracks deleted from subsequent releases) $35,000

5. Long Cleve Reed & Little Harvey Hull – "Original Stack O’Lee Blues" (Black Patti, US 78 RPM in plain sleeve, 1927) $30,000 offered to Joe Bussard.

6. Frank Wilson – "Do I Love You?" (SOUL#35019, US 7” 45 RPM in plain sleeve, 1966) $30,000

7. Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground & Nico (US Album Acetate, in plain sleeve, 1966 with alternate versions of tracks from official release) Estimate $40,000+ Sold on eBay, December 9, 2006 for $155,401. However bids were fake and record was relisted. Final selling price was $25,200.

8. Elvis Presley - "Stay Away, Joe" (US, RCA Victor UNRM-9408, 1967) Single- sided promotional album of which only one well-publicized copy is known to exist, and it came directly from Presley's personal collection.

9. The Five Sharps - "Stormy Weather" (US, Jubilee 5104, 78 RPM, 1953) $25,000 offered to David Hall of Good Rockin' Tonight

10. The Hornets - "I Can't Believe" (US, States 127, 78 RPM, 1953) $25,000

11. Sex Pistols – "God Save the Queen" (UK A&M 7” 45 RPM with mailer, 1977) $22,000

12. Bach, Cello Suites, Andre Levy, French Lumen 3.447-449, signed by Levy on all three records, $20,000.

13. Blind Joe Reynolds – "99 Blues" (Paramount, 78 RPM 192?) $20,000

14. The Quarrymen – "That’ll Be The Day"/"In Spite Of All The Danger" (UK 10” 78 RPM and 7” 45 RPM, in reproduction Parlophone sleeve, 1981 reissue, 25 copies of each) $18,000

15. The Beatles – The Beatles (Parlophone UK album, 1968, numbered below 000010, black inner with poster and four colour prints) $18,000 [2] A copy numberd 000005 sold on e-bay for 19,200 British pounds sterling (over US$27,000.

16. Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (As #4 but mono version) $16,500

17. Billy Ward & His Dominoes (Federal, 295-94, US 10” album, 1954) $12,000

18. Charlie Patton – "Screamin’ and Hollerin’" (US 78 RPM) $11,550

19. Judy Garland - Two unreleased acetates from March 1935, $22,500 bid for the pair, failed to meet reserve.

20. Elvis Presley - "That's All Right" (Sun#209 Records, US 7", 45 RPM, 1954)

21. Mozart á Paris (Conducted Fernand Oudabrous) – (Pathe France, 7 Album box set, 1956) $11,300 (eBay, April 3, 2007)

22. John’s Children – "Midsummer Night Scene" (Track, UK 7” 45RPM, 1967) $11,000

23. Willie Brown - "Future Blues" (US, 78 RPM, 1930) $10,200

24. The Beatles - The Beatles (Decca, 1968 Contract export pressing) $9,800

25. Basco Vs The Electroliners – ""The Beat Is Over" (Sm:)e US 10” red vinyl 45RPM, 1996) $9,400

Music News & Notes

Nas preps 10th solo album

Nas is clearly not looking to take a break anytime soon. The Queensbridge rapper who is currently readying the release of his collaborative album with reggae artist/producer Damian "Jr Gong" Marley has given hint to releasing a 10th solo album following the release of Distant Relatives.

Distant Relatives is due for release in August of this year and Nas is already prepared to hit the studio booth to record new tracks for a solo project before Distant Relatives is even released.

Nas' 10th album will be a follow up to his 2008 controversial release Untitled.

=======================

Michael Jackson #1 in UK Since Death

Michael Jackson is number one in the UK album chart for the third week in a row.

The late star's greatest hits album 'The Essential' has been at the top spot for two weeks, while previously 'Number Ones' topped the chart for a week.

The King of Pop has now sold an impressive 1.5 million albums and singles in Britain since his death on June 25.

African music is making another comeback in the U.S. and Europe

By CARY DARLING / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Every decade or so, it happens. African music, usually exiled by the pop mainstream into the land of world-music exotica, threatens to make a broader incursion into American consciousness.

The '60s: South Africans Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba scored breakthroughs while the New York group the Tokens went to No. 1 with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," their take on a Zulu song written in 1939.

The '70s: Cameroon's Manu Dibango comes up with a global hit in 1972, the sweaty, sax-drenched instrumental "Soul Makossa," considered by some to be the first disco track.

The '80s: Explicitly African influences could be found on albums by Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and the Talking Heads. "Afro-beat" became music-industry shorthand for a variety of acts. They ranged from the fiery soul-jazz-funk of Fela Kuti and the breezy, lyrical melodicism of King Sunny Adé, both from Nigeria, to the Afro-folk rock of Juluka and hushed harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, both South African.

The '90s: A wave of musicians, from Senegal (Baaba Maal, Youssou N'Dour), Mali (Salif Keita, Ali Farka Touré) and Cape Verde (Césaria Évora), became regular visitors to the U.S. and Europe.

But it's at the tail end of the current decade that a new, more blues- and rock-oriented African sound is arousing American interest. Mali's Festival in the Desert, a gathering of often nomadic, guitar-toting musicians, has attracted such high-profile visitors as Robert Plant and Jimmy Buffett.

Read the rest here:
http://www.dallasnews.com

This Date In Music History-July 13

Birthdays:

Roger McGuinn – Byrds (1942)

Stephen Jo Bladd - J Geils Band (1942)

R&B vocalist Gerald Levert (1966)

Cheech Marin of Cheech & Chong turns 63.


They Are Missed:

In 2004, New York Doll`s bassist Arthur Kane passed away after checking himself in to a Los Angeles emergency room, complaining of fatigue. He was quickly diagnosed with leukemia, and died within two hours. He was 55. The influential American band formed in 1972 and made just two albums, the 1973 “New York Dolls” and 1974 “Too Much Too Soon.” "Kane`s bass playing and presence were the heart and soul of the New York Dolls and the secret ingredient of our sound,” said Dolls frontman David Johansen.

Philippe Wynne, a former lead singer of the Spinners, died of a heart attack in 1984 while on stage in Oakland, CA.


History:

In 1959, "I've Only Got Eyes for You," the Flamingos' biggest hit (#3 R&B, #11 pop), entered the charts. It is among the most sublime performances of the doo-wop era.

Today in 1959, the song "Lonely Boy" by Paul Anka topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.

The Shirelles' "Dedicated To The One I Love" was released in 1959.

The Animals went to #1 on the UK singles chart in 1964 with “The House Of The Rising Sun.” Recorded in one take, this was the first UK #1 to have a playing time of more than four minutes.

Steppenwolf released the epic cut “Born To Be Wild” in 1968.



In 1969, over 100 US radio stations banned the Beatles new single “The Balled Of John and Yoko” due to the line ‘Christ, you know it ain't easy,’ calling it offensive.

In 1968, Black Sabbath played their first gig at a small backstreet Blues club in Birmingham, England.

Queen released their self-titled debut album in 1973.

George McCrae started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1974 with “Rock Your Baby,” his only US #1 (also #1 in the UK). Regarded by some as the first Disco #1.

Eric Clapton released his hit version of "I Shot the Sheriff" in 1974.

In 1978, the BBC announced a ban on The Sex Pistols' latest single “No One Is Innocent,” which featured vocals by Ronnie Biggs, the British criminal notorious for his part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. At the time of the recording, Biggs was living in Brazil, and was still wanted by the British authorities, but immune from extradition.

In 1985, the Live-Aid concerts took place in Philadelphia, PA, and London, England.

Duran Duran’s “View To A Kill,” from the James Bond movie of the same name, began a two-week stay at #1 on the U.S. singles chart in 1985.

Tears For Fears went to #1 on the US album chart in 1985 with “Songs From The Big Chair.”

In 1987, representatives of fifty of America's largest record retailers were guests at Michael Jackson's home in Encino, California to preview his new album, “Bad.” The LP would go on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide.

In 1994, Elton John and Billy Joel teamed up for a joint tour for the first time. The union of two piano-playing rock and roll superstars virtually guarantees sellouts.

In 1996, over 2,000 guitar players, including Chet Atkins and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, set a new world record for the largest jam session ever when they played “Heartbreak Hotel” for 75 minutes at Nashville's Riverfront Park. The previous record was set in Vancouver, Canada on May 7th, 1994, when Randy Bachman led 1,322 amateur guitarists in a performance that lasted 68 minutes.