E Street Band sax player Clarence Clemons dies
NEW YORK — Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player for the E Street Band who was one of the key influences in Bruce Springsteen's life and music through four decades, has died. He was 69.
Clemons died Saturday night after being hospitalized about a week ago following a stroke at his home in Singer Island, Fla.
Springsteen acknowledged the dire situation earlier this week, but said then he was hopeful. He called the loss "immeasurable."
"We are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly 40 years," Springsteen said on his website. "He was my great friend, my partner and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."
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rr.com
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love the first pick!
Sugarland's Bush starts record club
Sugarland's Kristian Bush is going back in time musically. He announced Wednesday he was starting the Day off Record Club in an attempt to educate his fans about his favorite music.
"It consists of me scouring through my collection of vinyl and discovering (or rediscovering) music in its complete album form," Bush said in a press release. "Scratches, record sleeve, liner notes, album cover front and back, side one, side two... all of it. I want to get lost again in music."
"This idea started on Saturdays when I would show my kids what a vinyl album was and let them pick one to put on the record player. We would listen, and they would dance or draw or color while I drank coffee. They started asking questions about the music and looking at the record covers. They got interested in what they could hold in their hand."
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countrystandardtime.com
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interesting look from behind the lens:
Who Shot Rock & Roll: Birmingham Museum of Art reveals revolution in words, images
By Michael Huebner -- The Birmingham News
Picture Elvis' on-stage writhings from 1950s photographs, and "Hound Dog" starts playing in your internal ear.
The sonic energy of Little Richard is palpable in a concert photo with his thick locks of hair and beads of sweat.
From the 1950s to the present, photographic imagery of rock 'n' roll has been able to create floods of sound and ambiance in the mind. No speakers necessary.
"The flip side of that is, when you're listening to music, you can see the image in your head," said Ron Platt, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Birmingham Museum of Art. "It really talks to the synergy between music and photography."
Read the rest at
log.al.com
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i love this type of cover art!
Arkona - Album Cover Artwork Unveiled
Russian pagan folk metal band Arkona has revealed the cover art of their upcoming new album Slovo. Once again, the cover art and the booklet are signed by the hand of Kris Wervimp.
Slovo will be released in late August through Napalm Records.
According to the band's opinion this album is the most extraordinary and the most diverse in all of Arkona's history. For the first time in their history, the band worked with a professional choir and orchestra.
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interesting story from new hampshire cuaght my eye:
MONADNOCK PROFILE: There’s always another tune to spin
By Abby Spegman Sentinel Staff
The first record Mitchell T. Mendys ever bought was “Let’s Get Together” by Hayley Mills with the B-side “Cobbler, Cobbler.” At this mention he breaks into song: “Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe/I’ve been dancing the whole night through.”
Fifty years later, Mendys still can’t get enough.
“Dig that smell,” he said, opening the door to veritable hall of records at the WKNH 91.3 station offices — shelf after shelf of aged albums. “I grew up on albums. I love the cardboard smell.”
Mendys has been on the air at WKNH, the Keene State College radio station, for nearly 20 years as host of “Planetary Prismatic Sonics” on Saturday mornings. The station is open to everyone, and in the summer is mostly run by community volunteers, longtime hosts like Mendys who are in it for the music.
Student hosts and station managers cycle in and out, but like Peter Pan in Neverland, Mendys, 63, never grows up. That makes the station offices his Lost Boys’ tree house, with its black walls splattered with neon paint and curling posters.
Read the rest of the story at
sentinelsource.com
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MEGADETH Re-Teams With Artist JOHN LORENZI For New Album Cover
MEGADETH has once again tapped artist John Lorenzi to create the artwork for the band's forthcoming album, tentatively due this fall via Roadrunner Records. The CD is being recorded at MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California with producer Johnny K (full name: John Karkazis), who has previously worked with DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, MACHINE HEAD and STAIND, among others.
Lorenzi was responsible for the artwork on the last two MEGADETH studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame", as well as the band's 2007 box set, "Warchest".
Read more at
Blabbermouth.com
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and in music history for today:
In 1961, Ben E. King enjoys his biggest hit as "Stand By Me" reaches #4 on the Billboard singles chart. The same song would re-appear on the Hot 100 in 1986, reaching #9, after it was featured as the title track in a film starring River Phoenix.
In 1965, the Four Tops had their first US number one record with "I Can't Help Myself". Lead singer Levi Stubbs had not been satisfied with the recording session and was promised that he could do it again the following day, but no other session ever took place. The track that became a hit was just the second take of the song.
In 1971, Carole King's double sided hit single "It's Too Late" / "I Feel The Earth Move" went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1973, 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' opens at a London theater with Tim Curry and, in his stage debut, Meat Loaf.
In 1984, tickets for a ten-night stand by Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band at the Meadowlands in New Jersey go on sale with 202,000 seats sold in 24 hours.
In 1997, Bobby Helms, best known for his perennial Christmas hit, "Jingle Bell Rock", died of emphysema at his home in Martinsville, Indiana. He was 63.
In 1988, over 3,000 East Germans gathered at the Berlin Wall to hear Michael Jackson who was performing on the West Berlin side.
In 2006, Duane Roland, a founding member of the Southern Rock band Molly Hatchet died of natural causes at the age of 53.
birthdays today include Ann Wilson (Heart) (61), Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio) (48) and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (Spanky & Our Gang) (69), just to name a few.
