Sunday, May 30, 2010

This Date In Music History - May 30

Birthdays:

Lenny Davidson - Dave Clark Five (1944)

Nicky 'Topper' Headon - The Clash (1955)

Marie Fredriksson - Roxette (1958)

Stephen Duffy - Duran Duran and member of Lilac Time, Me Me Me, solo (1960)

Tom Morello - Rage Against The Machine (1964)

Wynonna Judd (1964)

Sven Pipien - Black Crowes (1967)

Tim Burgess - Charlatans (1968)

Patrick Dalheimer - Live (1971)

Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway) (1974)

The Donnas’ vocalist Brett Anderson (Donna A.). 1979


They Are Missed:

Carl Radle, bass player with Derek and the Dominoes, died of kidney failure in 1980 (age 38). Also worked with Gary Lewis & the Playboys, George Harrison, Joe Cocker, Dave Mason & Delaney and Bonnie.

Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986)

Record producer Mickie Most died in 2003 (age 64). Member of The Most Brothers during late 50's, and Mickie Most and the Playboys, produced hits for The Animals, Hermans Hermits, Donovan, Kim Wilde, Lulu and Jeff Beck. Ran his own record label RAK in the 1970's, having hits with Hot Chocolate, Suzi Quatro and Mud.


History:

Elvis Presley appeared at the Fair Park Auditorium, Abilene, Texas in 1955.

On his birthday in 1962, Benny Goodman led the first American jazz band to play in the Soviet Union.

The Beatles went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1964 with "Love Me Do," the group's fourth US #1 in five months. Interestingly, the version released in America had Andy White playing drums while Ringo played the tambourine. The British single was a take on which Ringo played the drums.



The Rolling Stones played the final night of a US tour at the New York Academy of Music in 1965. During the afternoon the band recorded six songs for the Clay Pole TV show.

The Doors appeared at the Hullabaloo, West Hollywood, California in 1966.

In 1968, the Beatles began recording what became known as the 'White Album.' The double-LP whose official title was simply ‘The Beatles,’ became the first Beatles album released with the Apple label. The first track they recorded was "Revolution."



In 1969, Led Zeppelin played the first of two nights at The Fillmore East in New York City.

Ray Stevens went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1970 with "Everything Is Beautiful." The former DJ had a string of novelty hits, including "Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green & Purple Pill."

On "Midnight Special" in 1975, Joan Baez welcomed Kool & the Gang into the studio.

Led Zeppelin began recording "In Through the Out Door" in 1978.

In 1987, David Bowie kicked off his 87-date Glass Spider world tour at the Feynoord Stadium, Rotterdam, Holland.

In 1990, Midnight Oil played in front of the Exxon Building in New York to protest the corporation's global polluting.

In 1992, singer, songwriter Paul Simon married singer Edie Brickell.

The Black Crowes went to #1 on the US album chart in 1992 with 'The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion.'

Neil Young canceled his 1997 European tour because he had cut his finger while slicing a ham sandwich.

In London, a bomb threat at a Kenny Rogers concert being held at Royal Albert Hall in 1999, caused the evacuation of more than 3,000. No bomb was found and no injuries were reported.

Also in 1999 - In New Jersey, Lenny Kravitz walked off stage after 40 minutes and collapsed from heat exhaustion. He had been performing in a fur coat.

In 2005, Coldplay's new album was illegally put on the internet a week before its UK and US release. The leak took place on the day copies were sent to UK radio stations and the day before it went on sale in Japan. Security measures around the release included hosting album playbacks at Abbey Road studios for journalists instead of sending them copies of the album, any CDs that were sent out were labelled with a false name - The Fir Trees - to throw would-be pirates off the scent.

Despite efforts by the Greek Orthodox Church, Slipknot performed at the Lykavittos Theatre in Athens in 2005. The church campaigned to cancel the show because they disapproved of the band's "shocking" appearance and felt their song lyrics and concerts promoted Satanism. The devil? Naw....

In 2007, a coroner told the murder trial of music producer Phil Spector that US actress Lana Clarkson's death was a homicide. Dr Louis Pena said bruising suggested the barrel of a gun may have been forced into Ms Clarkson's mouth before she was fatally shot in 2003. Spector was accused of murdering Clarkson on 3 February 2003 at his home in California.

A leaked copy of the new White Stripes album ‘Icky Thump’ was played completely on Chicago's radio station Q101-WKQX in 2007. Jack White personally called the US radio station from Spain, where he was touring, to voice his displeasure.

In 2007, Paul McCartney used the Home Shopping Network to promote his album. A 30-minute special on "Memory Almost Full," premiered on HSN. There’s in-studio footage as McCartney discusses the recording of the album. Of course, you can buy the album through the network.

Green Day went to #1 on the US album chart in 2008 with ‘21st Century Breakdown,’ the bands eighth studio album.

In 2009, Mick Jagger offered to buy an ice cream van but was turned down by its owner - who'd promised his daughter he would drive her to her wedding in it. Guiseppe Della Camera, had spent ten years restoring the rusting van to perfection after he spotted it on a farm - being used as a chicken shed. The restoration was such a success Sir Mick offered to buy the vehicle when he saw it at a show on Wandsworth Common. Camera said, 'Jagger told me he'd really fallen in love with my van and asked me if I would consider selling it. I was stunned when he offered me £100,000.'

Ozzy Osbourne was suing the band's guitarist Tony Iommi over royalty payments in 2009. The 60-year-old had accused Iommi of falsely claiming to have sole rights to the band's name which has cost him royalties from merchandise sales. Osbourne was seeking unspecified damages, lost profits and a declaration he is a half-owner of the trademark. Iommi claims Osbourne legally relinquished rights to the band's name in the 1980s. Osbourne said he believed all four original members of the band should share Black Sabbath's name equally.

Six people were stabbed at a War concert in Mountain View California in 2009.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Music Engineers Cut Old Path With Vinyl Recordings

This great story from www.memphisdailynews.com :


Music Engineers Cut Old Path With Vinyl Recordings

JOE BOONE | Special to The Daily News



Producing vinyl records – those albums that most people 40 and older grew up with – has rapidly become a lost art as technology has sent that format the way of the 8-track tape.

But a few local music engineers are turning back the clock by refurbishing a Neumann VMS 70 lathe – a machine that is used to cut vinyl discs – that Stax founder Jim Stewart began using in 1970.

Mastering engineer Larry Nix, owner of L. Nix Mastering Inc., and Jeff Powell and John Fry of Ardent Studios are using the lathe that was used to master vinyl recordings of many classic Stax recordings.

“We literally spent days in here replacing parts and electronics,” Nix said of refurbishing the antique equipment, which sells for about $49,000. “But now it’s in like-new condition.”

The lathe had fallen out of use because of economic pressures in the changing music industry. With the industry having long ago turned to compact discs as the preferred recording, and with people now downloading music, the market for music played on a turntable has diminished.

But vinyl has been making a comeback recently. Sales of compact discs have been slumping as MP3, Windows Media files and Apple have been claiming market share.

So while CD sales have been declining over the past decade, LP sales have been up. Many current artists are releasing their discs on vinyl and a lot of older albums are being re-pressed and re-released on vinyl – or pressed for the first time.

Soundscan, a music sales tracking service, reported a 33 percent increase in sales of vinyl LPs from 2008 to 2009, with sales soaring from 1.8 million to 2.5 million.

“I would love to see everything be more purist,” Ardent engineer Powell said.

Mastering audio for vinyl is a mechanical process, and it’s exactly the kind of process that digital media was supposed to price out of the market.

And the competitive pressure posed by digital recording and mastering were only part of the problem; distribution costs also effectively disappeared in a networked world. The lathe seemed doomed.

“I pretty much shut it down,” said Nix, who was the mastering engineer at Stax from 1970 to 1975 and has worked with prominent musicians like ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Al Green and Parliament.

Nix, who with his son, Kevin, has helped define the Memphis rap aesthetic, now maintains a separate studio within Ardent. He specializes in preparing mixed audio for its final format, be that radio, CD, television or vinyl disc.

With the lathe virtually obsolete, he made arrangements for the historic piece to go to a museum.

Powell asked him to demonstrate how it worked before it got away. When arrangements with the museum fell through, one client – Super 400 from Troy, N.Y. – lobbied hard to start using the lathe again.

“They were really, really persistent,” Nix said.

It is a daunting mechanical challenge to cut tiny grooves into hard plastic, and the margin for error is minimal given the high cost relative to digital mastering.

“If one thing goes wrong, you start over,” Powell said. “Making two or three cuts can ruin your profit margin.”

The process is also done in real time, which means the engineer must seamlessly cut not only all of the songs to disc, but the lead-in, the spaces between the songs and the loop at the end.

The groove is microscopic and must be precise, so there was a refurbishing challenge. Nix is mastering about one project per week, usually in combination with a separate digital master.

While most of the work once came from labels, Nix gets most of his business from independent producers.

The City Champs are a Memphis soul powerhouse and are gaining critical praise. Their album “Safecracker” was recorded without digital technology.

Engineer Scott Bomar, owner of Electraphonic Recording, tracked the album on a Stax-era tape machine and mastered the discs straight to vinyl.

“Watching Larry Nix master vinyl is something really special to behold,” Bomar said.

Powell sees the market for better audio and is glad to have had the opportunity to work with Nix.

“It’s a blast,” he said. “He’s (Nix) the master.”


Source: www.memphisdailynews.com

Michael Fremer Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW:
Traffic (reissue)
Heaven is in Your Mind


United Artists/Sundazed LP 5316 mono LP


Produced by: Jimmy Miller
Engineered by: Eddie Kramer
Mixed by: Eddie Kramer
Mastered by: Bob Irwin (LP cut by "WG" at Nashville Record Productions)










Review by: Michael Fremer
2010-05-01

I once pissed next to Dave Mason in the Cambridge Boathouse bathroom back in 1970 something. That has nothing to do with this review except that it’s a review of a Traffic album and Dave Mason was in Traffic but you wouldn’t know that from the cover of their first American album.

Mason is missing from the cover of Heaven Is In Your Mind (United Artists UAL3651 mono /UAS6651 stereo/Sundazed LP 5316 mono), though he’s on the cover of the original UK Island Records Traffic debut called Mr.Fantasy (though the jacket just says "Traffic" (ILPS 9061) produced by Jimmy Miller and engineered by Eddie Kramer at Olympic and packaged in a gatefold jacket with a completely different cover and many different songs.

What’s more, while the original stereo American copy (UAS 6651) was originally called Heaven is in Your Mind, it was quickly changed to Mr. Fantasy with a credit box added on the back cover. Sundazed reissued using the original cover.

Even though Mason’s mug is missing from the cover, two Mason songs appear on the album and he’s credited on the back of the second issue jacket.

Was this any way for a group to make its American debut? Of course not. Not helping was that UA had picked up the record from Island, which at the time didn’t have an American presence. United Artists was not exactly a rock and roll dynamo at the time, or ever, though it had previously signed 17 year old singing sensation Stevie Winwood’s previous band The Spencer Davis Group.

What United Artists did correctly though was package the debut with the UK hit singles that were customarily left off of albums in the UK (that’s why, for instance, “Paint It Black” wasn’t on the UK Aftermath).

So this album includes the catchy, tuneful “Paper Sun,” and “Smiling Phases” (popularized by BS&T) while the UK original does not. This also has Dave Mason’s “Hole in My Shoe” that’s not on the UK original either. A track called “We’re a Fade, You Missed This” ends the album and it’s nothing more than “Paper Sun”’s fade out!

You’d think someone was high on drugs here and listening to Mason’s contributions (on this record and on ones on the UK original omitted here) and his “I’m in the group, I’m outta the group” behavior, he probably was!
This mono reissue doesn’t list the tracks on the back cover so let me do it (in addition to the aforementioned): “Dealer,” “Coloured Rain,” “Hole in My Shoe,” “No Face, No Name and No Number,” “Heaven is in Your Mind,” “House For Everyone,” “Berkshire Poppies,” “Giving to You,” “Dear Mr. Fantasy.”

The highlights are “No Face, No Number,” “Coloured Rain,” and “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” in my opinion though even the wacky Bonzo Dog Band/psychedelic Sgt. Pepper’s…” inspired tunes offer something interesting. Dave Mason was definitely fixated on George Harrison’s sitar drenched raga-rock! His psychedelic, flange-y “Hope I Never Find Me There” is a definite “sign of the times” extravaganza found only on the original UK pressing.

Sundazed’s choice to reissue the mono mix was an interesting one, particularly for hardcore fans who will hear some differences ala the mono and stereo mixes of Beatles albums. The mono is punchier, meatier and more coherent but you lose some of the spatial effects the stereo mix offers.

The team of Winwood, Mason, multi-faceted Chris Wood and drummer Jim Capaldi was one of the era’s most versatile and talented. While the next album, simply called Traffic, was more consistent and definitely more tuneful and less gimmicky, this one has plenty to offer, if just to hear Winwood’s soaring voice still in its teen years.

Heaven Is In Your Mind is one of Sundazed’s most attractive mono reissues, especially if you have a mono cartridge, or at least a “mono” button on your preamp. But even if you have neither, this one is highly recommended!

BTW: even though the original pink label Island lacks the hits, the sound is far superior to the original UA and this reissue too, though it's 100% faithful to the original UA release.


Thanks to Michael over at http://www.musicangle.com/  for the exclusive rights to reprint this material.

Copyright © 2008 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - All rights reserved Reprinted by Permission

This Date In Music History - May 28

Birthdays:

Tony Mansfield - Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas (1943)

Billy Vera (1944)

Gladys Knight (1944)

John Fogerty - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1945)



Ray Laidlan - Lindisfarne (1948)

Larry Gatlin - Gatlin Brothers (1948)

Roland Gift - Fine Young Cannibals (1962)

Chris Ballew - Presidents Of The United States Of America (1965)

Kylie Minogue (1968)

Mark Feehily - Westlife (1981)

Colbie Caillat (1985)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1910, T- Bone Walker - blues guitarist, influenced Albert Collins, BB King, Buddy Guy, Freddy King. Died on 16th March 1975.

Born today in 1917, Papa John Creech - violinist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Died in 1994 (age 76).

Born on this day in 1949, Wendy O. Williams - singer with The Plasmatics. She died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds on April 6, 1998.

Born today in 1955, John McGeoch - guitar, member of Magazine. Also worked with Siouxsie And The Banshees, Armoury Show, Public Image Ltd. Died in his sleep 5th March 2004 (age 49).

Derek Frigo guitarist from 80’s glam band Enuff Z' Nuff died of a drug overdose in 2004 (age 36).


History:

In 1955, "Billboard" reported that "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" was the most popular song in the U.S.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) was established in 1957. The NARAS is known for organizing the Grammy Awards.

Buddy Holly's draft notice arrived in 1958, but he was refused induction because of his 20/800 eyesight and a stomach ulcer.

In 1960, "Cathy’s Clown" by the Everly Brothers began a five-week run at #1 in the US.



In 1964, the BBC received over 8,000 postal applications for tickets for The Rolling Stones appearance on Juke Box Dury.

Elvis Presley's 'Tickle Me' movie opened nationally in 1965.

Produced by Phil Spector (as his crowing achievement), Ike & Tina Turner’s epic “River Deep Mountain High” was released in 1966. The song stiffs in the U.S. (though it enters the Top 5 in England) causing Spector to briefly retire from the music business. 1966

Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass went to #1 on the US album chart in 1966 with 'What Now My Love', setting a new American record with four albums in the US Top Ten. The other three were; ‘South of the Border,' ‘Going Places’ and ‘Whipped Cream and Other Delights.'

Percy Sledge started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1966 with "When A Man Loves A Woman."

All four Beatles spent the day with Bob Dylan in his room at the Mayfair hotel in London in 1966.

The Association makde their TV debut on the "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" on CBS in 1967.

Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull were arrested at their London home in 1969 and charged with possession of cannabis, they were released on $85 bail.

Bassist Ronnie Lane left The Faces in 1973 and went on to form Slim Chance.

The Allman Brothers Band broke up in 1976 after Gregg Allman testified against his personal road manager in a drug case. The band reformed in 1978.

The epic song "Barracuda" was released by Heart in 1977.



In 1977, Bruce Springsteen settled out of court with his former manager Mike Appel. The settlement allowed Springsteen to began recording again.

Also in 1977, Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers played together for the first time when they performed as part of Mike Howletts band, Strontium 90 in Paris France.

In 1982, Promoter Bill Graham staged a special Vietnam Veterans benefit concert in San Francisco starring The Jefferson Starship, The Grateful Dead and Country Joe.

Actress and singer Irene Cara started a six-week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1983 with "Flashdance...What A Feeling." Taken from the film 'Flashdance.'

In 1983, the four day US Festival '83' took place in California, featuring The Clash, U2, David Bowie, The Pretenders, Van Halen, Stray Cats, Men At Work, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Willie Nelson. INXS, Joe Walsh, Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne. Headlimers Van Halen received $1 million for their time and effort. Over 750,000 fans attended the festival.

Whitney Houston released her album "Whitney" in 1987.

George Michael started a three-week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1988 with "One More Try."

Hootie & the Blowfish started a four-week run at #1 on the US album charts in 1995 with 'Cracked Rear View.' The album went on to sell over 15m copies.

In 1998 - Elton John and Bernie Taupin won an Ivor Novello Award for their re-written version of "Candle in the Wind '97."

Britney Spears was at #1 on the US album chart in 2000 with 'Oops!... I Did It Again.'

In 2006, Beck and the members of his band are accompanied on stage by marionette puppets of themselves during their headlining performance at the Sasquatch! Festival in George (about 125 miles east of Seattle), WA.

The Police launched a North American reunion tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2007. The trek began in Vancouver, B.C.

In 2008, Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee and Rapper Ludacris headline a benefit concert in L.A. for the Griffith Park Recovery Fund.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Cartridge Passes The Test

I want to thank John over at www.audaud.com  for the permission to reprint this material. Stop by the site for the latest audio news and reviews.


Component Reviews

Benz Micro Gullwing SLR Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

If you are wondering whether there is any reason or benefit to going above the $1500 range for a cartridge the answer is: “absolutely.”

Published on May 22, 2010


Benz Micro Gullwing SLR Moving Coil Phono Cartridge
SRP: $3000


US Importer:
Musical Surroundings
5662 Shattuck Ave.
Oakland, CA 94609
510-547-5006 (voice)
510-547-5009 (fax)


http://www.musicalsurroundings.com/benz.html
 
 
 
 Basic Description

Moving coil cartridge with .34mV output; >400 ohms recommended loading; 12.2 grams; Compliance of 15; 1.8-2.0 recommended tracking force; VTA 20-22 degrees; 40 ohm internal impedance; two-year warranty against defects. Also available in SHR version (.7mV output).

Design Features

Information from Musical Surroundings: “The Gullwing is a hybrid of the LP S class, Ruby and Glider cartridges...it uses a brass frame and is Rhodium-plated for superior electrical characteristics. The generator is based on the Ruby square plate. The SLR low output is best used with phono stages offering greater than 60dB gain, loaded at 400 ohms or higher. The SHR at .7mV is ideal for tube phono stages in the 50-60dB gain range, less efficient systems, and prefers a 47k load. The open-air design is based on the Glider, but with the much heavier brass material and the very large Neodymium magnet used with the Ruby.” This means 12.2 grams weight versus 6.8 grams for the Glider. Additionally, the Gullwing uses the Micro-ridge stylus (that is on all the Benz Swiss-made cartridges). The new stylus is claimed to have “enhanced trackability, resolution and [I assume less]groove wear.” Based on the compliance of 15, recommended effective tonearm mass should be between 10 grams and 14 grams to ensure a combined resonance above 8 Hz.

Associated Equipment

Sonneteer Sedley Phono Preamplifier, Linn LP12 Turntable with Ittok LVII tonearm and Valhalla board, Clearaudio Champion Basic with RB300 tonearm, Benz Wood L2 cartridge (for comparison), Krell S-300i Integrated Amplifier, McIntosh MA6300 Integrated Amplifier, Bowers & Wilkins 804 Diamond speakers, Bowers & Wilkins CM9 speakers, Audioquest cabling, PS Audio Power Plant Premier Conditioner.

Setup

I had hoped to get a couple of cartridges to do a comparison between the Benz and other well-known brands (Lyra and Dynavector). Time, availability and my workload got in the way. Rather than sit on this review I felt it would be important to get it written, so people would know about this cartridge (as it's a new model and the one I had was a prototype).

There were two basic setups that I auditioned. One utilized a fellow audiophile's gear and included tracks using both the Benz Wood and Gullwing cartridges and burning them to a CD to audition later. Also, I spent hands-on time listening with the equipment above. After the last few reviews (of vinyl equipment), setting up the Gullwing was a snap. Even though the sample I used was a prototype and had time on it, my friend suggested it got better after he used it for hours (before he burned the recording).

Listening

With a comparison of “Big Blue Spanish Sky” from Chris Issak's Heart Shaped World the Gullwing offered better focus and more depth. This made instruments more natural and vocals more realistic. There was less record noise without any seeming reduction in high frequency and reverberation.

The difference with “Like A Rose” from Lucinda Williams' self-titled LP was even more prominent. With the lesser cartridge there was sibilance and distortion on the vocals when the level increased and although this problem was most likely record copy related, the sound with the Gullwing was an entirely different story. First, the guitar sounded more lively. The vocals improved dramatically in regards to focus and the distortion heard earlier was no longer bothersome at all. Bass went deeper and the presentation was more accurate overall. These were not small differences, but clearly audible and worthwhile improvements.

Some of the other tracks auditioned were: “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Kansas, “Eye in the Sky” by The Alan Parson's Project, “What I Am” from Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, “How Deep is Your Love” off the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack and “Tell Everybody I Know” off Keb Mo's self-titled album. I could go on and on about the sound, but in truth, this is the best sounding cartridge I've used so far. Of course, I've heard much more expensive cartridges and setups in others homes and at shows, but for me, this answered a big question which is: “Is paying $3000 for a cartridge worth it?” Read the conclusion below for the answer.

Conclusion

Simply put, the Gullwing is an outstanding phono cartridge. It presented the music in the way I felt it should. It didn't cover up musical details or smooth over rough edges, but it definitely managed to eek out what it could from a bad recording and made a quality recording shine. Since I don't have any similarly priced cartridges to compare it with I can't say it is “best-in-class,” but what I can say is that if you are wondering whether there is any reason or benefit to going above the $1500 range for a cartridge the answer is: “absolutely.” Highly recommended.

-- Brian Bloom big_brian_b@hotmail.com


Copyright © Audiophile Audition All rights Reserved  Reprinted By Permission

Music News & Notes

The Dandy Warhols Announce Of "The Capitol Years 1995-2007"

The Dandy Warhols have announced the upcoming release of "The Capitol Years 1995-2007," featuring fourteen of the band's most popular tunes from their years with the historic Capitol Records label. The compilation also features one all-new, never before heard bonus track. The Dandy Warhols' "The Capitol Years 1995-2007" is set for international release June 21st, August 24th in the United States. In support of this release, live dates for the United States and Australia, in addition their previously announced summer dates in Europe, will be announced very soon.








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

EELS Reveal Cover Art

The EELS have unveiled the cover artwork and announced the track list for the new Tomorrow Morning album, out August 24 via E Works Records.

Eels front man Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, calls the 14 track album the final installment of a trilogy that began with Hombre Lobo(June 2009) and End Times (January 2010). Tomorrow Morning is the ninth studio effort from Eels. The tour is the first since 2007’s “An Evening with Eels” tour.







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

ALLEGAEON: New Album Artwork, Track Listing Unveiled

Colorado's ALLEGAEON has unveiled the cover art for its Metal Blade Records debut, "Fragments Of Form And Function". The art was created by none other than Colin Marks, who is known for his intense artwork for the likes of SCAR SYMMETRY, NEVERMORE and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, among others.

ALLEGAEON's full-length debut, "Fragments" was produced by Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE) at Flatline Audio in January 2010.

Commented vocalist Ezra Haynes: "The concept of 'Fragments Of Form And Function' is in one way or another science related theories. Some of the topics we touch base on are cryonics, stem cell research, evolution, pharmaceutical structure and so on."




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

HELSTAR: 'Rising From The Grave' Box Set Due In July

Metal Blade Records will release the "Rising From The Grave" box set from legendary Texas metallers HELSTAR, featuring remastered versions of the "A Distant Thunder" and "Nosferatu" albums. The package will also include the brand new DVD "Twas The Night Of A Hellish Xmas".

The first authorized live video recording by HELSTAR, the DVD was recorded at the Backstage Club in Houston, Texas on December 25, 1989 and it features original HELSTAR members James Rivera on vocals along with Larry Barragan and Jerry Abarca. It was mastered by Ty Tabor (KING'S X) and James Rivera.







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

Arcade Fire release new album title and release date

Exciting and quirky indie-rockers Arcade Fire haven't been very prolific and drawn a lot of attention in the states. Despite having two best-selling albums, their lack of material has disappointed some fans, so it was fantastic news to hear that Arcade Fire's third album has a title-'The Suburbs.' Due out Aug. 2 in the UK and Aug. 3 in the U.S. and Canada, the band will release the album via Merge and the band’s own Sonovox record label and was recorded in both New York and Montreal, It will be preceded by a 12-inch single for “Month of May” and it's futurist/apocalyptic title track. The single has already been streaming in full, thanks to their pretty ingenious record player widget posted on their website, as well as play on select radio stations. Anticipation for the new album is high, sensed from the two previously heard songs, their style continues to progress in yet another, folksier, dark, and dense direction. The vinyl is out today, also digital download for the single, as well as a pre-order in vinyl, digital, or a limited, special edition package.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 24, 2010


DEAR JERRY: A couple of years ago, I visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

I was so surprised that Connie Francis and Neil Diamond were not inducted that I wrote them a letter, which they never answered.

How do you feel about this situation? Maybe you can put something in your column about it.
—Fred C. Nelson, Milwaukee


DEAR FRED: You have no idea how many times this topic has been thrashed about in this feature.

We have gotten countless letters over the years, expressing pretty much the same frustration as you, though most with a great deal more rage.

You can bet your unanswered letter to them is but one among many. It's hard to imagine what answer they could possibly come up with to justify inducting dozens of lesser qualified artists while ignoring some true superstars, such as the two you ask about.

Percy Sledge (five Top 40 hits) and Patti Smith (one Top 40 hit) inducted ahead of Connie Francis (35 Top 40 hits) and Neil Diamond (37 Top 40 hits)? Are you kidding me?

Pick any criteria: number of hit singles; albums; total sales; worldwide impact;, years performing; idol factor; etc., etc, there is still no comparison. No contest.

Since this goes far beyond ignorance it must be political, but I have given up trying to make any sense of it. Many in the industry feel the R&R Hall's credibility is nil because of such lunacy. I even hear from people who root against Cleveland's sports teams because of this issue, a tactic that strangely enough seems to be working quite well.

You will be pleased to know both Connie Francis and Neil Diamond are among the charter batch of 2007 inductees in the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, where the choices are made by votes from general public, who, in this case, are infinitely more informed than the RRHOF.

Finally, here is a note I received to one of my columns in 2004 on this touchy topic, sent by an equally mystified and frustrated Floridian:


DEAR JERRY: Thanks so much for the kind words and support in your column. I trust you got the cassette I sent of some songs for a new album.

As for the R&R Hall of Fame, I'm as much in the dark as you are.

Sincerely,
—Connie Francis, Parkland, Fla.

DEAR CONNIE: Grrrrrrrrrrrr! Just thinking about this again makes me growl. (I did get the tape, and love it. Thanks!)

We best move on to something else ... like a nice pre-Bread story:


DEAR JERRY: Readers in general, and especially the person who wrote about the early David Gates record, “Jo-Baby,” may enjoy knowing it also came out on a small Baltimore label, Rescue Records. Oddly though, it was released under the names “Jennie & Jay.”

I found it on a record hunt while working for a Washington D.C. radio station.
—Bob O'Brien, WYUU-FM, Tampa Bay, Fla.


DEAR BOB: This hyphenless “Jo Baby” (Rescue 102) came out in 1962, five years after the original Gates issue.

Made for a tiny label in Tulsa (Perspective 500), this 1957 single credits “The Accents (Vocal By David Gates).”

One year later, the same “Jo-Baby” resurfaced on a Nashville label (Robbins 1008), this time by “Dave Gates & the Accents.”

Both the Perspective and Robbins singles have “Lovin' At Night” as the flip side. David was just 16 when he recorded these two songs.

By just looking at the Rescue label, which reads “Jo Baby (David Gates), Jennie and Jay, (Arranged & Conducted by Jack Gale),” one might assume Gates is either “Jay,” or is somehow involved with this track. However, his name on the label is merely an indication that he wrote the song — for Jo Rita, his high school sweetheart whom he later married.

Also of interest, the Rescue single is not even the first recording of “Jo Baby” by Jennie and Jay. Their first single of David's beautiful ballad came out in 1959 (Town 1963), a follow-up to “Ruthie” (Jay Wing 5803). Jennie and Jay is a pseudonym for Patricia and Joe Ritter, a sister-brother duo from the Baltimore area.

As for Jack Gale, while working as a dee jay at WITH-AM, he discovered the Ritters and got them into the studio in 1958 to record “Ruthie,” then again to make “Jo Baby.”


IZ ZAT SO? Between 1957 and '60, David Gates made five records, all of which are now in the $150 to $350 range.

Except the two issues of “Jo-Baby” mentioned above, they are credited to David Gates: “Jo-Baby” (Perspective 500); “Jo-Baby” (Robbins 1008); “Walkin' and Talkin'” (East West 123); “Kiss and Tell” (Jads 301); and “You'll Be My Baby” (Mala 413).


Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column.  Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368  E-mail: jpo@olympus.net


Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com 

All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.
Copyright 2010 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission

This Date In Music History - May 26

Birthdays:

Ray Ennis - Swinging Blue Jeans (1942)

Levon Helm - The Band (1943)

Verden Allen - Mott The Hoople (1945)

Gary Peterson - Guess Who (1945)

Stevie Nicks - Fleetwood Mac (1948)



Hank Williams Jr. (1949)

Dave Robbins - Blackhawk (1959)

Wayne Hussey - Mission (1959)

Lenny Kravitz (1964)

Phillip Rhodes - Gin Blossoms (1968)

Joey Kibble - Take 6 (1971)

Alan White - Oasis (1972)

Jaheim Hoagland (aka Jaheim) (1978)

Isaac Slade - Fray (1981)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1904, George Formby, UK singing comedian and ukulele player. He made over 20 films and his best-known song is "Leaning On A Lamp Post." He was made an OBE in 1946, and died on March 6, 1961. Formby also influenced George Harrison, among others.

In 1968, blues artist Little Willie John died in prison after being convicted of manslaughter. Co-wrote and was the first to record the song "Fever" (covered by Peggy Lee in 1958). James Brown recorded a tribute album 'Thinking Of Little Willie John... And A Few Other Nice Things.'

Billy Powell, singer with The O'Jays, died of cancer in 1977. Originally known as The Triumphs, and then The Mascots, they took the name 'The O'Jays,' in tribute to radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay.

Born today in 1949, Mick Ronson, guitarist, producer, member of The Rats, then worked with David Bowie. Also worked with Mott The Hoople, Bob Dylan, Ian Hunter. Ronson died on April 28, 1993.

Peggy Lee (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002)


History:

In 1953, Elvis Presley hitchhiked to Meridian, Mississippi to perform in the first Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Talent Show (he took second place).

Acker Bilk went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1962 with "Stranger On The Shore."

Elvis Presley recorded the classic cut "(You're) The Devil In Disguise" in 1963.

In 1964, Marianne Faithful recorded the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards song "As Tears Go By," accompanied by future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass.



The Beatles recorded ‘Yellow Submarine’ at Abbey Road studios in London in 1966. Recovering from a case of food poisoning, producer George Martin missed this recording, EMI engineer Geoff Emerick worked on the session.

In 1969, John and Yoko began an eight-day 'bed in', in room 1742 of The Hotel La Reine Elizabeth, Montreal, Canada, to promote world peace. They recorded "Give Peace a Chance" in the hotel room (Petula Clark can be heard on the chorus). The song was credited to Lennon & McCartney, even though Paul had nothing to do with the record.

In 1970, George Harrison began work on what will become the album “All Things Must Pass.” Phil Spector produced the triple album set.

Don McLean recorded "American Pie" in 1971.

In 1972, at the point of the band splitting up David Bowie offered Mott The Hoople two of his new songs, "Suffragette City," which they turned down and "All The Young Dudes," which they recorded.



The Beatles '1967-1970' album went to #1 on the US chart in 1973.

The Edgar Winter Group went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1973 with "Frankenstein," the bands only US #1. The group featured ex-McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer.

Deep Purple's single "Smoke On The Water" was released in 1973.



Tragedy struck at a 1974 David Cassidy concert at London's White City when over 1,000 fans had to be treated by first aid workers due to the frenzied excitement. One fan, Bernadette Whelan, died from heart failure four days later.

Former backing singer with Stevie Wonder, Deniece Williams started a 2 week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1984 with "Let's Hear It For The Boy," taken from the film 'Footlose.'

In 1990, for the first time ever the Top five positions on the US singles chart were held by female artists: Madonna was at #1 with "Vogue," Heart were at #2, Sinead O'Connor #3, Wilson Phillips at #4 and Janet Jackson was at #5

Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley in 1994. The couple divorced in 1995.

In 1996, a fire at the home of Eric Clapton caused over one-milliondollars worth of damage. Firemen arrived on the scene to find Clapton braving the blaze to save his collection of guitars.

The Manic Street Preachers refused to play a concert in 1999 because Queen Elizabeth II was present. The group had vowed to never perform for the monarchy because they considered it an outdated institution.

In 1999, it was announced that the Backstreet Boys album 'Millennium' had sold 1.13 million units in its first week of release.

In 2000, Drummer Tommy Lee was jailed for five days for drinking alcohol. Lee appeared in front of a LA court charged with violating his probation by consuming alcohol, an act that directly contravenes the terms of his parole. Smart.....

Cam'ron, was at #1 on the US album chart in 2002 with ‘Come Home With Me.’

Rush kick off their 30th anniversary tour in Nashville in 2004.

Nine Inch Nails mastermind, Trent Reznor, pulled his band from the MTV Movie Awards in 2005 over the stage's design. "We were set to perform 'The Hand That Feeds' with an unmolested straightforward image of George W. Bush as the backdrop," says Reznor. Not wanting to get political MTV vetoes the idea. "Apparently, the image of our president is as offensive to MTV as it is to me," concludes Reznor.

In 2009, a US judge ended a bitter two-year battle over the late soul singer James Brown's estate. Judge Jack Early ruled half of his assets will go to a charitable trust, a quarter to his wife and young son, and the rest to his six adult children. Brown's family and wife Tomi Rae Hynie Brown had fought over his fortune since he died of heart failure in 2006.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

New Music Releases - May 25, 2010

Adam Kesher - Challenging Nature
All Time Low - Straight To DVD [Live CD/DVD]
Andy Bell [Erasure] - Non-Stop
Bar-Kays - Too Hot to Sleep / Flying High on Your Love
Beach Fossils - Beach Fossils
Beth Nielsen Chapman - Back to Love
Bettye LaVette - Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
Big Boi - Shutterbugg (vinyl)
Black Keys - Tighten Up/I Got Mine (vinyl)
Black Sunshine - Black Sunshine
Bobby Caldwell - Songs For Lovers Only Vol. 1
Born Ruffians - What to Say (vinyl)
Brooklyn Dreams - Brooklyn Dreams
Burton Cummings - Above the Ground (CD/DVD)
Caw! Caw! - Bummer Palace
Cheap Trick - Music of Cheap Trick (3 CDs)
Chick Corea - Solo Piano Improvisations / Children's Songs
Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight (Eu Mixes)
Common - Go!: Common Classics
Corey Dargel - Someone Will Take Care of Me
Crystal Castles - Days Difference
Cure - Disintegration (digital remastered) (digital deluxe remastered edition)
Cute Lepers - Smart Accessories (vinyl)
D.M. Stith - Heavy Ghost: Appendices
Damien Jurado - Saint Bartlett (vinyl)
Daniel Johnston - Story of An Artist (6-disc box set)
David Cross - Bigger and Blackerer
Deftones - Diamond Eyes (vinyl)
Dionne Warwick - How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye / Friends In Love
Dogg Pound - Keep On Ridin'
Elephant Stone - The Glass Box EP
Ella Fitzgerald - Performance
Ellen Allien - dust (vinyl)
Eric Clapton - Behind the Sun (2 LPs)
Evelyn Champagne King - Get Loose
Fall - Bury! (vinyl)
Far - At Night We Live
First Aid Kit - Big Black And The Blue
First Class - Beach Baby: The Best of
Foreigner - Can't Slow Down
Fyfe Dangerfield - Fly Yellow Mood
Get Up Kids - Simple Science
God Help the Gir - Baby You're Blind
Grails - Black Tar Prophecies 1, 2 & 3 (vinyl)
Grails - Black Tar Prophecies 4 (vinyl)
Greg Ashley - Requiem Mass And Other Experiments (vinyl)
Grovesnor - Soft Return
Hank Williams III - Rebel Within (vinyl & CD)
Harlan T. Bobo - Sucker (vinyl)
Heartless Bastards - All This Time (vinyl reissue)
It's Alive - Human Resources
James Holden - DJ-Kicks (vinyl)
Jamie Drake - When I Was Yours
Jeremy Jay - Splash (vinyl)
Jimmy Somerville - Suddenly Last Summer
John Prine - In Person & On Stage (Preview)
Judas Priest - British Steel: 30th Anniversary: Deluxe Edition (2 CDs/1 DVD)
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith (2 LPs)
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance (2 LPs)
Junip - The Rope and The Summit
Kansas - Music of Kansas (3 CDs)
Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks (vinyl)
Katrina & the Waves - Walking on Sunshine: 25th Anniversary (Single)
Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden - Jasmine
Keller & The Keels - Thief
Keller Williams - Thief
Kim Richey - Wreck Your Wheels
Kool & the Gang - Very Best of-Live in Concert
Kris Kristofferson - Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends: 1968-72 (vinyl)
Krokus - Hoodoo
Kurt Vile - Square Shells EP (vinyl)
Laurel Aitken - You Got Me Rockin: Best of Blue Beat Years 60-64
Lee Dorsey - New Lee Dorsey
Leela James - My Soul
Lower Dens - I Get Nervous b/w Johnssong
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire (180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl) Ltd. Edition
Manatee - Indecision (vinyl)
Marc Almond - Open All Night (reissue with bonus CD)
Marc Anthony - Iconos
Marina And The Diamonds - The Family Jewels
Masterplan - Time To Be King
Micah P. Hinson - Micah P. Hinson & the Pioneer Saboteurs
Modern English - Soundtrack
Neverever - Angelic Swells (vinyl)
Ohio Players - Angel / Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee
Otis Rush - Stand the Test of Time
Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be (vinyl)
Piebald - Volume II
Plies - Goon Affiliated
Qua - Q&A
Rebbie Jackson - Centipede / Reaction
Rick Derringer - The Three Kings of the Blues
Rihanna - Rated R: Remixed
Robin Zander - Countryside Blvd.
Rolling Stones - Boxed (14-disc box set)
Secret Chiefs 3 - Vol. 1 - Satellite Supersonic
Shlohmo - Shlohmoshun Deluxe (vinyl)
Smashing Pumpkins - Teargarden By Kaleidyscope Vol. 1: Songs For A Sailor [EP]
Soft Machine - NDR Jazz Workshop, Germany, May 17, 1973 (CD/DVD)
Solvent - Subject To Shift (vinyl)
Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots (deluxe edition) (vinyl)
Tanya Tucker - Greatest Hits
Teenage Fanclub - Baby Lee (vinyl)
This Piano Plays Itself - As The House...
Tobacco - Maniac Meat (vinyl)
Tomorrows Bad Seeds - Sacred For Sale
Trampled By Turtles - Palomino (vinyl)
Transient Songs - Cave Syndrome
Truth & Salvage Co. - Truth & Salvage Co. (vinyl)
Twin Sister - Color Your Life (vinyl)
Ty Segall - Melted (vinyl)
Various Artists (as the John Hartford String Band) - Memories Of John
Various Artists - Be Yourself: Tribute to Graham Nash's Songs for Beginners (vinyl)
Various Artists - Get Down With the Philly Sound 3
Various Artists - Rough Guide to Scottish Folk
Various Artists - Sex and the City 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Various Artists - The Bobby Sheen Anthology 1958-1975
Various Artists - The Story Of British Folk
Various Artists - True Blood: Music From The HBO Original Series Volume 2
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
Walking Sleep - Measures
Widespread Panic - Dirty Side Down (vinyl & CD)
Wild Nothing - Gemini
Will Young - Leave Right Now
Wynonna Judd - Love Heals (Cracker Barrel Exclusive)

Music News & Notes

Roots Unveil ‘How I Got Over’ Cover Art

The Roots have unveiled the cover art for their forthcoming 11th album, ‘How I Got Over‘. The band are set to release the new album on June 22.

The album is set to feature guests John Legend and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.

The album is also set to feature a sample track of Joanna Newsom’s “Book of Right-On“.








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Ryan Adams Releases "Fully-Realized Sci-Fi Metal Concept Album" ORION

Ryan Adams' "first fully-realized sci-fi metal concept album" is here, according to an email newsletter. It is a real thing called ORION that was recorded in 2006 and features artwork by Away, aka Michel Langevin from real life metal band Voivod.

You can order ORION on limited edition clear vinyl at Ryan's website right now (http://store.pax.am). It comes with a download card and a poster. This album won't be released on CD.




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Madden Lands Top Artist For Album Cover

GOOD CHARLOTTE's new album CARDIOLOGY will feature cover art from reclusive artist DANIEL MARTIN DIAZ after bassist BENJI MADDEN wrote to him and asked him to consider a commission.

The rocker was thrilled when his art idol replied - because he rarely accepts album cover jobs.

Madden says, "He's my favourite artist in the world. He does religion-based pop-surrealism. A lot of people approach him to design album covers, but he hasn't done one in over 10 years.

"I blindly emailed him... on his website. I told him that I was in a dark place during our last record, but that in the last two years I fell in love with music all over again.

"He came down and listened to some rough mixes and agreed to do it. It's my dream come true."

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LAMB OF GOD’S HOURGLASS RELEASES NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE

In anticipation of the June 1st release of the Hourglass anthologies and special packages, LAMB OF GOD and Epic Records are immediately making all of the Hourglass packages available for pre-order in 41 countries through www.lamb-of-god.com. The band is currently in the midst of a month long tour of Asia and Europe that has already visited India and Turkey, with stops still to be made in Russia, Israel, Greece and other cities in Eastern and Western Europe. The tour ends June 12th with a main stage appearance at the Download Festival in Donnington, England.

The Hourglass packages include:

Hourglass: Vol 1 – The Underground Years
13 of the most choice Lamb of God songs from their early years. Culled from their first album Burn The Priest, their debut as Lamb of God, New American Gospel, and the album that put them on the map, As The Palaces Burn.

Hourglass: Vol 2 – The Epic Years
13 of the most choice Lamb of God songs from their career on Epic Records to this point. Both Grammy nominated songs “Redneck” and “Set To Fail” are surrounded by fan favorite anthems and crushing riffs from Ashes Of The Wake to Sacrament to 2009’s #2 debut Wrath.

Hourglass: The 3 CD Anthology
The ultimate Lamb of God retrospective. 44 tracks on 3 CDs. Vol 1 and 2 join Vol 3 containing 18 rare or never heard before songs. Included are Japanese issued bonus tracks, multiple rehearsal demos, along side the 8 songs recorded prior to Burn The Priest.

Hourglass: The Vinyl Box Set
All 6 Lamb of God Studio albums for the first time on 180 Gram vinyl in a Linen-wrapped collectors box. Includes Burn The Priest, New American Gospel, As The Palaces Burn, Ashes of the Wake, Sacrament, and Wrath.

Hourglass: The USB Box Set
All 6 Lamb of God studio albums on individual USB drives in a cigarette box shaped collectors package. Includes Burn The Priest, New American Gospel, As The Palaces Burn, Ashes of the Wake, Sacrament, and Wrath.

Hourglass: The Deluxe Set
The collectors set including The 3 CD Anthology, The Vinyl Box set, The USB Box Set, and a Linen bound 144 page book of the art of Lamb of God as created by K3n Adams including designs for tour passes, albums, t-shirts, and his commentary on them.

Hourglass: The Super Deluxe Set
The limited edition definitive collectors set including The 3 CD Anthology, The Vinyl Box Set, The USB set, the Book, a Mark Morton Signature Series Jackson Dominion D2, A 4’x6’ Pure American metal Flag, an Hourglass sticker, and a signed 8×10 in a personalized Lamb of God Coffin Case.

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Rolling Stones's Exile on Main Street tops UK chart

The Rolling Stones have scored their first UK number one album for 16 years with a re-release of their classic LP Exile On Main Street.

The album, which was first released in 1972, has been reissued with previously unheard tracks. Their last number one album was 1994's Voodoo Lounge.

Exile On Main Street has been dusted off to tie in with the release of a documentary about the making of the album, which includes tracks such as Tumbling Dice and Rocks Off.

David Joseph, chairman of the Stones's label Universal Music UK, said: "It's quite a result for an album from 1972 to be back at number one. It proves the Stones's music is as powerful today as when it was created."

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The Rolling Stones 1969-1974 - The Mick Taylor Years Coming To DVD

Sometimes regarded as the period in which The Rolling Stones recorded the finest music of their career, the years during which Mick Taylor was the fifth Stone remain the band's "Golden Age." Notably, on albums "Let It Bleed," "Sticky Fingers" and "Exile On Main Street" the Stones' sound changed as they developed new ideas and were informed by a range of new influences. But crucially it was Taylor's sophisticated blues and jazz licks that gave The Rolling Stones an added dimension between 1969 and 1974 - one they lacked both before and afterward. The film "The Rolling Stones 1969-1974 - The Mick Taylor Years" tells the behind the scenes story of this hugely productive era for the group. The film will be released on DVD on July 27.

Featuring interviews with Taylor himself and further contributions from his old boss, John Mayall; author and group colleague, Robert Greenfield; Village Voice music editor, Robert Christgau; Stones session musicians, Al Perkins and Bill Plummer; highly regarded UK music critic, Barney Hoskyns and many others. The program also includes liberal performance footage of The Stones, archive footage and interviews, numerous seldom seen photographs and a host of other features.

Extras include:

•'Meet Mick' - John Mayall and music historian Alan Clayson tell the Mick Taylor story, prior to his entry into The Rolling Stones.
•Contributor Biographies
•Beyond DVD section

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Elvis Presley's Record Collection Up For Auction

Elvis Presley's first record collection will be auctioned on Thursday at the U.K.'s Fame Bureau Auction House.

The collection of vinyl records was given by Presley to his guitarist, manager and friend Scotty Moore in 1968, when Presley asked Moore to transfer the records to reel-to-reel tapes.

The 26-record collection includes classics by Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, and the Billy Vaughn Orchestra.

It also includes an authenticated letter by Moore, which states, "Elvis left me the briefcase with the records and asked me to mail the tape back to his house in Memphis. I made a safety copy for myself and kept the records and tape in my studio in Nashville. Elvis never asked for the records to be returned."

The Fame Bureau's James Wilkinson, tells the U.K.'s Mirror, "These records really were the birth of rock 'n' roll because they influenced Elvis in his very early days."

The collection is expected to earn as much as $187,500.

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Phil Spector Releases New Album From Jail Cell
It's his first in 30 years...

Music producer Phil Spector, who is serving a prison sentence for murder, has released his first new studio album since 30 years.

Spector recorded ‘Out Of My Chelle’ with his wife, Rachelle, before he was imprisoned.

The producer, famed for his pioneering Wall of Sound recording technique, said his wife was “fantastic” on the record.

‘Out Of My Chelle’ will be available from June 8 as a digital download.

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Kiss Announces U.S. Tour

Kiss has announced a summer tour of the U.S. which will include stops in 28 cities. The Hottest Show on Earth will showcase the many hits from their 37-year career along with songs from their latest album, 2009's Sonic Boom.

The tour is being produced by Live Nation and opens on July 23 in Cheyenne, WY, running through September 24 in Phoenix, AZ. Tickets for some shows go on sale on June 4 at LiveNation.com; however, Citi cardmembers can get presale tickets on June 2 through their Private Pass program. Dr. Pepper is sponsoring the tour.


Paul Stanley told Reuters that the group isn't concerned about the current state of the economy. "The bands that have to worry about the recession are the ones who don't give their money's worth to the audience. If you come to see us, your money will blind you and deafen you and pummel you."

The tour schedule:

•07/23 - Cheyenne, WY - Cheyenne Frontier Days
•07/24 - Minot, ND - North Dakota State Fair
•07/29 - Pittsburgh, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
•07/30 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
•07/31 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Park Stadium
•08/06 - Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
•08/07 - Boston, MA - Comcast Center
•08/09 - Indianapolis, IN - Indiana State Fairgrounds
•08/13 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
•08/14 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
•08/15 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion
•08/19 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
•08/20 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
•08/21 - Washington DC - Jiffy Lube Live
•08/27 - Virginia Beach, VA - Virginia Beach Amphitheater
•08/28 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
•08/29 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
•09/02 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheatre
•09/03 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
•09/04 - St. Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair
•09/10 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
•09/11 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
•09/12 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
•09/17 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
•09/18 - Dallas, TX - Pizza Hut Park
•09/19 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
•09/22 - Sandy, UT - Rio Tinto Stadium
•09/24 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion




Vinyl Sales Continue to Rise!

From the British Newspaper The Telegraph:

Sales of old-fashioned albums rose by more than five per cent last year, figures from the Official UK Charts Company showed.

CD sales have fallen by a fifth over the same period, leading to some manufacturers threatening to halt their production.

Despite accounting for less than one per cent of music purchases, American sales of vinyl topped almost three million, an increase of a million records. Music website Amazon.co.uk said it had more than 250,000 vinyl albums in stock to meet the growing demand. Internet search engine Yahoo meanwhile, has reported a 210 per cent increase in searches of the phrase "blank cassette tapes" and a 110 per cent rise in users seeking “music cassette tapes”.

The new trend is believed to have originated from New York teenagers, leading to a boom in record player and turntable sales. Most vinyl records bought over the past 10 years were by DJs and dance music fans, but recently more rock and country music albums have been sold.

Some of the most popular records include music from Florence and the Machine and The Courteeners and re-released Jimi Hendrix and The Red Hot Chili Pepper albums.

Music experts said that vinyl sales figures could be even higher because official British statistics do not include sales from smaller record shops and albums sold at concerts. British sales of seven-inch records peaked in 1979, with 89 million copies sold, but as CDs became more popular they slumped to less than 180,000 in 2001. Last year sales rose to 223,000.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Bitches Brew by Miles Davis Celebrates 40 Years

APPEARS ON ROLLING STONE's 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME LIST

NEW YORK, May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- BITCHES BREW RELEASED IN TWO SEPARATE CONFIGURATIONS:


SUPER-DELUXE 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION 12" x 12" SLIPCASE BOX SET PACKAGE CONTAINS:

•Two CDs with original 94-plus minutes of music plus six bonus tracks

•CD of previously unissued performance at Tanglewood, August 1970, with Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moreira and Gary Bartz

•DVD of previously unissued performance in Copenhagen, November 1969, with Wayne Shorter, Corea, Holland and DeJohnette

•Audiophile 180-gram vinyl double-LP gatefold replication of original album

•48-page color 12x12 book with 5,000-word liner notes essay by Greg Tate, producers' notes, and Lenny White interview by Ashley Kahn

•Plus memorabilia envelope and fold-out poster


LEGACY EDITION includes the original album and six bonus tracks on 2 CDs, plus Copenhagen DVD

Both formats released August 31, 2010, through Columbia/Legacy

Starting May 26th on MilesDavis.com, a previously unreleased video clip from Bitches Brew will be released with additional exclusive clips to follow

"Hardly said enough is that while Bitches emerged from Miles' Zeus-like head in 1969, it did so within the musical context provided by other longform genre benders of the day: Jimi's Electric Ladyland, Dylan's Blonde on Blonde, The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's and White Album, Frank Zappa's Hot Rats, Aretha Franklin's Spirit In The Dark, The Who's Tommy, James Brown's Live At The Apollo Vol. 2 and Sly and The Family Stone's Stand! – not to mention all the adventurous singles rolling out of Motown's Hitsville on a weekly basis by your Stevie Wonders, Supremes and Marvin Gayes." – from the liner notes essay by Greg Tate

"I listen to Miles all the time. The art on the Bitches Brew album cover is what first drew me to it. The music is incredible. The album itself is timeless." – Nas

Recorded at the end of a tumultuous decade (August 1969), Miles Davis' Bitches Brew reflected the chaos and beauty of a society stretched (and stressed) to its breaking point. This genre-bending, barrier-smashing double LP would become Miles' first RIAA gold album.

BITCHES BREW: 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION is a tribute to both the man who changed the course of jazz ("four or five times," as he himself once quipped), and the album that virtually single-handedly brought jazz into the commercial rock era, earning a place at #94 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. The new super-deluxe release will be available in two separate packages starting August 31st through Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. The two packages are summarized as follows:

•BITCHES BREW: 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION, a box set containing a 48-page 12" x 12" book, and:

◦Three CDs (two CDs containing the original 94-plus minutes of music with six bonus tracks), plus a third CD with a previously unissued performance by Miles' group with Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moreira and Gary Bartz at Tanglewood, August 1970);

◦DVD of a previously unissued performance by Miles' Quintet lineup with Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette in Copenhagen, November 1969;

Audiophile 180-gram vinyl double-LP gatefold replication of the original album mastered from the original 2-track analog masters for the first time in many years.


•BITCHES BREW: LEGACY EDITION, a three-disc package comprising the two album CDs (as above) and Copenhagen DVD (as above).

Released in April of 1970, Bitches Brew was informed by and reflective of the music that Miles heard being produced in the late-'60s by Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, James Brown, Santana, Marvin Gaye and others, as well as the Beatles' post-production editing pyrotechnics. The original double-LP's six tracks, as formulated in the studio by Miles and his long-time producer Teo Macero, presented a seismic breakthrough in jazz/rock/funk/R&B. The tracks comprised the 20-minute side-long "Pharaoh's Dance" (a Joe Zawinul composition), followed by four Miles compositions, the 27-minute side-long "Bitches Brew," then "Spanish Key," "John McLaughlin," and "Miles Runs the VooDoo Down," concluding with the Wayne Shorter composition, "Sanctuary."

The COLLECTOR'S EDITION takes full advantage of the LP-sized 12x12 box set format. It includes (in addition to the recordings and DVD) a lavish 48-page color book, memorabilia envelope (among the contents are a reproduction of a Miles Davis cover story originally published by Rolling Stone in 1969, and correspondences from the Teo Macero archives), and a fold-out poster of Miles in concert. The super-deluxe slipcase box set design complements the Kind Of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition released in September 2008 on Columbia/Legacy.

In 1970, the Bitches Brew double-LP gatefold introduced the memorable cover art of the late Mati Klarwein. His uniquely surreal, psychedelic motifs caught the hallucinogenic essence of Bitches Brew (and a year later in 1971, Miles' Live-Evil), as well as Santana's iconic Abraxas in 1970, the Last Poets' This Is Madness in 1971, Earth Wind & Fire's Last Days and Time in 1972, and dozens more album covers. Another example of Klarwein's painting, Zonked, is featured on the COLLECTOR'S EDITION book cover.

At the heart of the COLLECTOR'S EDITION book is a 5,000-word essay written by journalist-author-producer-musician Greg Tate, an authority on jazz, hip-hop and the rise of the Black Rock Coalition. Tate has annotated some 25 albums over the past two decades. Introductory notes to the book are written by reissue producers Richard Seidel and Michael Cuscuna. There will also be an interview with drummer Lenny White (whose recording career began at age 20 on the Bitches Brew sessions) conducted by Ashley Kahn, journalist-author-educator and Miles Davis authority. Kahn's Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece (2001) is the definitive study of that album.

As the producers' notes point out, 1998's Grammy Award®-winning 4-CD box set The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions covered all the music recorded by Miles and his group between August 1969 and February 1970, using the same general instrumentation and musicians. Starting in the summer of 1969, the core of the Miles Davis Quintet was Miles on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on soprano saxophone, Chick Corea on electric piano, Dave Holland on acoustic bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. That is the group who succeeded Miles' so-called "second great quintet": Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. They [the second great Quintet] flourished from 1965 to 1968, and recorded five seminal LPs: E.S.P. (1965), Miles Smiles (1966), Sorcerer and Nefertiti (both 1967) and Miles in the Sky (1968). With the dissolution of that quintet, as the Tony Williams Lifetime began, and Hancock founded Mwandishi, and Ron Carter became an even more active first-call bassist for New York recording sessions – Miles cast about for new players to join him and Wayne Shorter.

The new quintet lineup of Shorter, Corea, Holland, and DeJohnette solidified during the 1968-'69 recording of Filles De Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way. This is the group who performs on the Copenhagen concert DVD of November 1969. By March of 1970, they were a seasoned touring group that had accepted the challenge to go head-to-head with arena rock bands at venues like Bill Graham's Fillmore where rock audiences embraced them.

But three months earlier at Columbia Studios in New York City, at the principal sessions of August 19th ("Bitches Brew," "John McLaughlin," "Sanctuary"), 20th ("Miles Runs the VooDoo Down"), and 21st ("Pharaoh's Dance," "Spanish Key"), the ranks had swelled to a dozen musicians, and looked like this: Miles on trumpet, Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone), Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet), Joe Zawinul (electric piano - left), Chick Corea (electric piano - right), John McLaughlin (guitar), Dave Holland (acoustic bass), Harvey Brooks (electric bass), Lenny White (drums – left), Jack DeJohnette (drums - right), Don Alias (congas), and Jumma Santos (Jim Riley) - shaker. The only variation was Don Alias taking over for Lenny White on the 20th, but White was back on the 21st. The advent of multiple keyboardists, multiple bassists, and multiple percussionists and drummers is one of the defining sonic characteristics of Bitches Brew, and made a serious impression on the FM progressive rock audience.

The COLLECTOR'S EDITION adds four bonus tracks from August – alternate takes of "Spanish Key" and "John McLaughlin," and rare edits (for 45 rpm single releases) of "Miles Runs the VooDoo Down" and "Spanish Key."

Miles reconvened at Columbia Studios in New York for two days of sessions on November 19th and 28th (long after Copenhagen) with most of his group intact, except for Shorter. The lineup looked like this: Miles on trumpet), Steve Grossman (soprano saxophone), Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet), Herbie Hancock (electric piano - left), Chick Corea (electric piano - right), John McLaughlin (guitar), Ron Carter (bass), Harvey Brooks (electric bass), Khalil Balakrishna (sitar), Bihari Sharma (tambura, tabla), Billy Cobham (drums, triangle), and Airto Moreira (cuica, berimbau). The only variations were the additions of Larry Young (organ, celeste) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) on the 28th.

None of this music was used for the original Bitches Brew album (although all of it is heard on the 1998 box set). For the COLLECTOR'S EDITION, producers Seidel and Cuscuna have judiciously chosen to include two short pieces – single edits of "Great Expectations" and "Little Blue Frog" – as examples to show the evolution of Miles' sound in just three short months. "These edited 45 rpm singles," the producers explain, "bound no doubt for radio stations and juke boxes, were the only nod to traditional marketing that this album received." Although the music on this single was not included in the original double LP, the single was released in February 1970 as part of the promotional set-up for the Bitches Brew full album in April 1970.

When Wayne Shorter played his final dates with the group at the Fillmore East in March, it marked a turning point, as he went on to organize Weather Report, and Corea and Holland subsequently joined forces as Circle. Only DeJohnette stayed on with Miles (through the Jack Johnson and Live-Evil period).

Soon after the April release of Bitches Brew, while Holland and DeJohnette were still on board, Shorter was replaced by Gary Bartz on saxophone, Keith Jarrett joined as a second keyboardist (on organ, complementing Corea's electric piano), and Airto Moreira joined on percussion. "Their outstanding live Tanglewood performance from August 18, 1970, of four compositions from Bitches Brew" the producers note, "shows further development of the material due in large part to the added colors possible with the larger ensemble. In the hands of master improvisers, the constant evolution that a piece of music experiences is fascinating. The full story can only be told with the passage of time in live performance."

Greg Tate explores a world of contexts in which to understand Bitches Brew both literally and figuratively. Miles' fatherly instruction to Lenny White (some 25 years his junior) was "to literally think of all the assembling players as stewing in a big pot where they were all the bitches." Tate then places the album "forthrightly within the pantheon of the period's other goddess-muse inspired masterworks: Eric Clapton's Layla, the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street, Santana's Abraxas, James Brown's Original Funky Divas, and Funkadelic's Maggot Brain and Cosmic Slop."

After Bitches Brew, Tate concludes, "Miles didn't wait five years to radically switch up his game in the '70s – for the next half decade he will steadily release edgy, rough-angled and prophetic music that sounds as contemporary today as any front runner we care to choose – OutKast, Bjork, Radiohead, the Roots, Erykah Badu, bring 'em on – Bitches possesses all their contemporaneity and stuff beyond their grasp too, the shape of jazz to come, still."

BITCHES BREW: 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION


by MILES DAVIS (3 CDs + DVD + 180-gram double-LP)


(Columbia/Legacy 88697 70274 2)

Disc One (CD) – Selections: 1. Pharaoh's Dance * 2. Bitches Brew * 3. Spanish Key * 4. John McLaughlin.

Disc Two (CD) – Selections: 1. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down * 2. Sanctuary * Bonus tracks: 3. Spanish Key (alternate take) * 4. John McLaughlin (alternate take) * 5. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (single edit) * 6. Spanish Key (single edit) * 7. Great Expectations (single edit) * 8. Little Blue Frog (single edit).

Disc Three (CD) – Selections: 1. Bill Graham introduction * 2. Directions * 3. Bitches Brew * 4. The Mask * 5. It's About That Time * 6. Sanctuary * 7. Spanish Key/The Theme * 8. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down * 9. Bill Graham outro. (Recorded live at the Tanglewood / Berkshire Music Center, Lenox, MA, August 18, 1970. Previously unreleased.)

Disc Four (DVD) – Chapters: 1. Directions * 2. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down * 3. Bitches Brew * 4. Agitation * 5. I Fall In Love Too Easily * 6. Sanctuary * 7. It's About That Time/The Theme. (Recorded live at the Tivoli Konsertsal, Copenhagen, Denmark, November 4, 1969. Previously unreleased.)

180-gram vinyl double-LP:

LP One – Selections: Side A – 1. Pharaoh's Dance * Side B – 1. Bitches Brew.

LP Two – Selections: Side A – 1. Spanish Key * 2. John McLaughlin * Side B – 1. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down * 2. Sanctuary.

BITCHES BREW: LEGACY EDITION by MILES DAVIS (2 CDs + DVD)

(Columbia/Legacy 88697 54519 2)

Disc One (CD) – Selections: 1. Pharaoh's Dance * 2. Bitches Brew * 3. Spanish Key * 4. John McLaughlin.

Disc Two (CD) – Selections: 1. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down * 2. Sanctuary * Bonus tracks: 3. Spanish Key (alternate take) * 4. John McLaughlin (alternate take) * 5. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (single edit) * 6. Spanish Key (single edit) * 7. Great Expectations (single edit) * 8. Little Blue Frog (single edit).

Disc Three (DVD) – Chapters: 1. Directions * 2. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down * 3. Bitches Brew * 4. Agitation * 5. I Fall In Love Too Easily * 6. Sanctuary * 7. It's About That Time/The Theme. (Recorded live at the Tivoli Konsertsal, Copenhagen, Denmark, November 4, 1969. Previously unreleased.)


http://www.facebook.com/milesdavis


SOURCE Legacy Recordings


Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 05/22/2010

1. 45 - Larry Clinton "She's Wanted" / "If I Knew" Dynamo stock copy - $6766.66

2. LP - LP - Johanna Martzy "Bach: The unaccompanied Violin Sonatas" Columbia Box set UK - $4,500.00

3. 78 - Los Beatles (The Beatles) "Twist Y Gritos" (Twist And Shout) / "La Vi Parada" (I Saw Her Standing There) Odeon Pops Argentina - $3,500.00

4. 45 - Billy Byrd "Silly Kind Of Love" / "Lost In The Crowd" Scream - $3,038.99

5. 45 - The Professionals "That's Why I Love You" / "Groove City" - $2,599.02



Top 5 brought to you by: Vinyl Record Talk Tuesday 5pm ET / 8pm PT

More on this week's top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk, Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata.

http://shows.radiodentata.com/shows/accidental-nostalgia/

Preserving the spin

By Jenny Hopkins
POCATELLO — A few years ago, a father telling his teenage son or daughter that he was going to get out the turntable and listen to some 45s was probably met with a confused look and some words expressing how uncool he was.

But as Bob Dylan said, “times, they are a changin’,” and now the dad with the extensive record collection may just be the coolest one on the block.

Records, or “vinyl” as they have been nicknamed, has been considered by many to be a dead form of sound storage.

But recently, records have again begun to gain popularity, so much so that Jay Reeves, co-owner of Vinyl Perk in Pocatello, has decided to start a local chapter of the Vinyl Preservation Society of Idaho.

The society started in Boise with the intent to preserve the heritage of records by caring for and about vinyl records and to share history, knowledge and passion for them.

Reeves, a self-proclaimed vinyl “junkie,” heard about the society and immediately wanted to create a local chapter.

“I have been pleasantly surprised by how many of our customers love records. There are many, many hobbyists and enthusiasts here. It was natural to start this,” said Reeves.

The Pocatello chapter held its first gathering on May 20. Participants will gather at Vinyl Perk, 150 S. Main St. in Pocatello, from 7 to 9 p.m. each third Thursday of each month to swap, spin and talk about records. The next will be on June 17.

The gatherings may have themes, such as jazz night, where enthusiasts are encouraged to bring music of that theme.

“It is open to anyone who wants to bring their own records,” says Reeves, “It is an opportunity for people to learn about new music.”

Reeves says that extending the group to Southeast Idaho was a no-brainer.

So why, when there have been so many advancements made in digital sound, are people coming back to and staying loyal to vinyl?

Reeves says that vinyl offers things to the listener that digital music just can’t compete with.

“The sound of a record is better than anything I have ever heard digitally. Analog is a warmer, more textured sound. It’s truer to the original music,” he says.

Rich Graves, owner of Budget Tapes and Records in Pocatello, agrees.

“From the time CDs came out, there were a lot of people who said records had a better sound. It has a warmer, more natural sound,” says Graves.

Reeves says that teenagers in particular are playing a huge part in the vinyl revival.

“It’s tactile, it’s something they can hold in their hand, they can read the album liner notes, they may know the music to some of these classic rock albums, they may have downloaded them, but they have never held a record in their hands and looked at the picture of the band on the cover.”

For more information about the Pocatello chapter of the Vinyl Preservation Society of Idaho, call Jay Reeves at Vinyl Perk, 478-7375.


SOURCE: http://www.idahostatejournal.com/

This Date In Music History - May 24

Birthdays:

Robert Zimmerman (Bob Dylan) (1941)



Derek Quinn - Freddie and the Dreamers (1942)

Patti LaBelle (1944)

Priscilla Presley (1945)

Dave Peacock - Chas & Dave (1945)

Steve Upton - Wishbone Ash (1946)

Albert Bouchard - Blue Oyster Cult (1947)

Rosanne Cash (1955)

Guy Fletcher - Dire Straits, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry (1960)

Vivian Trimble (Luscious Jackson) - (1963)

Heavy D (1967)

Rich Robinson - Black Crowes (1969)

Tommy Page (1969)

Alessandro Cortini - Nine Inch Nails (1976)


They Are Missed:

Elmore James US blues guitarist, singer, died of a heart attack in 1963 (age 45). Wrote "Shake Your Money Maker," covered by Fleetwood Mac in 1968. Known as "The King of the Slide Guitar." James influenced Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Keith Richards.



Composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington, died of lung cancer and pneumonia in 1974 (age 75). Worked with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday. Awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1966. In 2009 the United States Mint launched a new coin featuring Duke Ellington on the reverse side of the coin.

Founder member of the Byrds, Gene Clark died of a heart attack in 1991 (age 49). Wrote The Byrds hits "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" and "Eight Miles High," member of McGuinn, Clark and Hillman and solo.


History:

The Beatles recorded the first of their very own BBC radio program, "Pop Go the Beatles" in 1963. The theme song for the program was a version of "Pop Goes the Weasel." The Beatles' guests for this first show were the Lorne Gibson Trio.

Captain Beefheart appeared at the Whisky a Go Go. West Hollywood, California in 1966. Supported by Buffalo Springfield and The Doors.

The Beatles with Billy Preston started a five week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1969 with "Get Back," the group's 17th US #1.

The Guess Who made their American TV debut on "American Bandstand" in 1969.

Surprisingly, the Hollywood Festival is not in L.A. The 1970 U.K. event featured Traffic, the Grateful Dead and Free. But the breakout performance comes from Black Sabbath.

Peter Green played his last gig with Fleetwood Mac when they appeared at the Bath Festival, Somerset, England in 1970.

Earth Wind and Fire went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1975 with "Shining Star," the group's first and only US #1.

 

In 1980, Genesis fans turning up at the Roxy Club box office in Los Angeles to buy tickets for a forthcoming gig were surprised to find the band members Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford selling the tickets themselves.

In Hamburg, Germany in 1980, a battle between The Clash and the audience resulted in Joe Strummer’s arrest. He had struck one audience member in the head with his guitar.

In 1982 - Jefferson Starship, the Grateful Dead, Boz Scaggs, and Country Joe McDonald played at San Francisco's Moscone Center to raise money for the Vietnam Veterans Project.

The Monkees "reunion" tour (minus Mike Nesmith) began at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills of New York in 1986.

In 1991, Guns n' Roses played the first show on their 192-date 'Use Your Illusion' world Tour at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisconsin.

In 1992, police in Montgomery were called when an impostor posing as Steve Miller left a hotel owing a $600 unpaid bill, he did however leave a $73 tip on a $8 drinks bill.

Poison lead singer Bret Michaels crashed his Ferrari into a Burbank telephone pole in 1994. He suffered multiple injuries.

Hanson started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1997 with "MMMBop," the brothers first US #1, also a #1 in the UK.

The Spice Girls went to #1 on the US album chart in 1997 with 'Spice', making them only the third all girl group to do so after The Supremes and The Go-Go's and the first ever UK girl group to do so.

In 1999, Freddie Mercury was featured on a new set of millennium stamps issued by the Royal Mail . The Queen front man who died in 1991, was featured on the 19p stamp. The singer was a keen stamp collector, and his collection was bought by the Post Office in 1993. The stamp marked his contribution to the Live Aid charity concert in 1985.

In 2000, A New York Judge told Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde that if she wanted her March arrest for protesting the sale of leather goods in a Gap store dismissed, she'd better keep her nose clean for the next six months.

Also in 2000 - Chuck D testified to the U.S. Congress about the benefits of Napster and online music distribution.

Paul McCartney made his first ever live performance in Russia in 2003 when he appeared in-front of 20,000 fans in Red Square.

In 2005, Mötley Crüe files a lawsuit against NBC for allegedly banning the group from appearing on the network after singer Vince Neil slips in an expletive during the group’s New Year’s Eve performance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Crüe claims the action violates their free speech rights. They also feel the ban hurt CD sales. "This is a discrimination issue," says bassist Nikki Sixx.

"Return To The Dark Side Of The Moon" was released in 2006. The tribute to Pink Floyd’s "Dark Side Of The Moon" featured the Doors' Robbie Krieger, Styx's Tommy Shaw, Yes' Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe and Asia/ex-King Crimson singer-bassist John Wetton.

Bob Dylan's American Journey 1956-1966 officially opened at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland in 2006. The exhibit debuts on Dylan’s 65th birthday.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End opened in 2007. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards played the father of Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp's role). (It was) just something to do," says Richards. "I don't know if I can really pull it (off) or not." Richards sees similarities between being a pirate and life in a Rock group. "Both are ways to make a good dishonest living.”

In 2007, it's the first day of the U.K. edition of Rock N' Roll Fantasy camp. Instructors for the five-day session include Bad Company's Simon Kirke, Procol Harum's Gary Brooker and Cream's Jack Bruce. Ex-Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and Bad Company guitarist Mick Ralphs are also onboard. Wyman vows to "jam on a Stones tune with every camper."

R.E.M.'s appearance on PBS’ Austin City Limits was broadcast in 2008.