Music News & Notes

Ronnie Milsap releases 1st gospel album

Country music legend Ronnie Milsap recently released his first gospel album, Then Sings My Soul, which includes 24 of his favorite hymns and spirituals in a two-CD set.

I’m not one to listen to gospel music, but when I decided to review this new CD I found myself really enjoying the peaceful sounds of recognizable gospel greats like “I’ll Fly Away,” “Amazing Grace,” “Up To Zion” and secular treasures like “Stand By Me” and “People Get Ready.”

The album is being hailed as a personal life journey for Milsap, who was born in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. His family brought him to many church revivals, hoping that a divine intervention would cure his blindness. According to his bio, a young Milsap left those revivals defeated, as his family presumed his own lack of faith prevented the miracle cure from happening. Throughout this, Milsap’s faith was unwavering.

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Foreigner signs with Wal-Mart

Mick Jones has watched classic rock bands like the Eagles, AC/DC and Journey reach new levels of popularity thanks to Wal-Mart; now he wants to get his band, Foreigner, in on the action.

Foreigner is releasing a three-disc set of new and classic material in Wal-Mart stores on Sept. 29. "Can't Slow Down" will include a CD of new material, another of remixed versions of Foreigner hits and another live DVD of performance footage, all for $12.

Jones says the Wal-Mart exclusive deal is the perfect way for the band -- best known for hits such as "Hot Blooded," "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "Urgent" -- to reestablish itself.

"As we've been off the album scene for some time. We need a lot of support to get the word out," Jones said in an interview. "Although we've played a tremendous amount of shows, a lot of the public doesn't realize that we're back."

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'Whiter Shade' organist wins

He didn't skip the light fandango, but Procol Harum's former keyboardist said he was delighted Thursday after Britain's top court ruled he was entitled to a share of royalties from the band's hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale."

Judges in the House of Lords said Matthew Fisher, who played the track's distinctive Hammond organ intro, should get a portion of future royalties from the song.

Renowned for its mystifying lyrics (beginning "We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels cross the floor"), the song was one of the signature hits of 1967's Summer of Love. It topped the British singles chart for five weeks and was a Top 10 hit in the U.S.

Fisher, 62, now a computer programmer, left the British band in 1969 but 35 years later began a legal battle for a share in the song's copyright.

Procol Harum singer Gary Brooker argued that it was his idea to use the Bach-inspired theme that Fisher played on the track. Brooker, who still tours with the band, said he and lyricist Keith Reid wrote the song before Fisher joined in March 1967.

Fisher said he was delighted by the victory, which was "never about money."

"There will not be a lot of that anyway," he said. "But this was about making sure everyone knew about my part in the authorship. A win without money was never going to be recognized as a win at all."

Oh, yeah, it was never about the money- I have a bridge to sell you in NY.......

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Skeletonwitch Unveils New Album, "Breathing the Fire," Cover Art

Athens, Ohio’s SKELETONWITCH has unveiled the cover art of their new full length, "Breathing the Fire," due out October 13th on Prosthetic Records. The cover, designed by Andrei Bouzikov, who has previously done art for Municipal Waste and many others, can be viewed below.

Scott Hedrick, the band's guitarist, commented on the cover, “The art really sums up the new album and what drew me to heavy metal in the first place: it’s brutal, evil, and in a sadistic way, it’s fucking fun! Breathing the Fire is meaner, faster, and far more sickening than Beyond the Permafrost, and the art reflects that. We went for the jugular, and so does Andrei’s art. He did an amazing job. It’s fucking killer when the artist and band share a similar approach: organic. Blood and sweat, ink and paint, tubes in amps, and non-triggered drums. A set of balls. Not gym shorts, sterile computer generated art, effects pedals and redundant arpeggios."

The band will be touring with Black Dahlia Murder in support of Children of Bodom in September and October.

Sacramentan buys old vinyl 45s, finds out they were his mom's

Found this story fascinating, and wanted to share it. Amazing stuff, these records!

By Gina Kim

The lick-on label was unmistakable. Paul Campfield was reading his mother's name and the address of his childhood San Lorenzo home.

And it meant the old records he picked up for $2 at a Sutter Creek antique shop had once belonged to her, although she died in Redding in 1979.

What are the chances?

The 68-year-old Sacramento man never knew what came of his record collection owned by his mother, May O. Rainey. He simply remembered how they fit into slots in a compartment beneath the oak RCA Victor console with the automatic turntable.

"It's just a thrill, a genuine thrill," said Campfield, a retired engineering technician. "I think my mother is still with me."

It was just the two of them – a mom and 4-year-old son who left Redding for an Alameda housing project in 1944 when his mother got a job as a secretary for a naval officer.

Campfield remembers when she brought home his soon-to-be stepfather, Fred Rainey, a World War II veteran with a penchant for double-breasted suits whom she'd met at a church dance.

"Mom introduced us and he put out his hand and my hand was swallowed up in his," Campfield recalled.

Read The Rest Here:


SOURCE: www.sacbee.com

Classic Rock Videos

The Ramones - Pinhead

Music News & Notes

DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA to release new album in September

Ascendance Records is gearing up for the release of the second album from DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA entitled ‘SING ALONG SONGS FOR THE DAMNED AND DELIRIOUS’

The unique genre-hopping Swedish sextet has already garnered an ever-growing army of fans on the strength of their self-released debut ‘The Butcher's Ballroom’ (later licensed to Candlelight Records in Europe and Sonic Cathedral in the US) and their European festival perfomances including MFVF and Summer Breeze.

The album was recorded at In Flames studio in Gothenburg under the supervision of producer Roberto Laghi who, besides his work on the latest In Flames effort, has also worked with the likes of Sonic Syndicate, Mustasch and Hardcore Superstar.

The band say that fans of “The Butcher Ballroom” will recognize the DSO sound but it has developed into something even more playful and at times far more aggressive than before.

A "very special" edition will be available directly from Ascendance by mail order only, with an individually numbered band logo Dog Tag pendant, a set of postcards and a vinyl sticker included with the CD/DVD version. This will be strictly limited to 300 copies.

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Neil Finn, Wilco, Radiohead, and KT Tunstall collaborate for charity

The first 7 Worlds Collide album, a collection of amazing musical talents from across the globe in aid of Médecins Sans Frontières, was a unique live performance experience, fusing the varied talents of a stellar cast across a range of cover versions to create a series of shows that culminated in the live album of the same name. Seven years after that project, instigator Neil Finn has upped the ante with the new 7 Worlds Collide project, The Sun Came Out, a double album of original songs created and recorded by many of the original cast alongside notable new additions in an intense three weeks in his native New Zealand. This time the beneficiaries of this album will be Oxfam, as well as music lovers worldwide.

Familiar faces from the original album abound, Johnny Marr, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway of Radiohead but this album, first and foremost presents the listener with new songs rather than interpretations of old favourites. The Sun Came Out also features a whole host of new guest talents such as KT Tunstall and Wilco and heart stopping firsts, including Phil Selway's songwriting and vocal debut as well as dream collaborations such as those between Johnny Marr and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy; and KT Tunstall and Neil Finn.

At the heart of the record is Neil Finn. His enthusiasm and drive persuaded the likes of celebrated producer Jim Scott, Lisa Germano, Johnny Marr and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Pat Sansone, John Stirratt and Glenn Kotche (amongst others) to spend their Christmas holiday in New Zealand and even interrupted KT Tunstall's honeymoon in the process.

With families welcome, the studio became a constant whirl of creativity and energy throughout the three weeks allocated to create the record. Johnny Marr returned from a run on the beach with the basis of 'Too Blue', where Jeff Tweedy was waiting to add his talents; KT Tunstall stopped Neil retiring to his bed to complete 'Hazel Black'; a wandering Johnny Marr added a chorus melody to Liam Finn's 'Red Wine Bottle'; Ed O'Brien fashioned 'Bodhisattva Blues' from a Tibetan chant. In this atmosphere, anything was possible and Neil's wife Sharon found herself laying down her debut vocal on 'Little By Little' whilst Phil Selway also took his vocal bow and unveiled a hitherto unknown songwriting talent with his solo turn 'The Ties That Bind Us' in one take.

From Neil's original doubts over the idea, "I thought, what is this? Is it just an ego thing," came a double album of astounding collaborations for the listener and amazing memories for all those concerned in the recording. At the center of it all stands Neil Finn, too humble to take the glory himself, it is left to KT Tunstall to give the credit due to the man who made this happen: "It's Neil. It all comes from him. There's something about him that made everyone open up creatively."

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Green Day, Pink to perform at MTV Video Music Awards

Green Day and Pink are scheduled to return to the MTV Video Music Awards this year, both scheduled to perform songs from their recent releases at the Sept. 13 New York City event.

Pink, who at last year's VMA's sang a live rendition of "So What" from her October release "Funhouse," will select another track from the multi-platinum album to perform at Radio City Music Hall.

Green Day, slated to appear for the first time since 2005, will perform a song from the alt-rockers' new album, "21st Century Breakdown." Three tracks from the record--"21 Guns," "East Jesus Nowhere" and "Know Your Enemy"--are now available for download for use in the "Rock Band" video game.

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DARK FOREST: 'Defender' EP Due Next Month


England's DARK FOREST will release the CD version of its new EP, "Defender", at the Reanimator Night concert in Wolverhampton on August 22. The vinyl edition will follow a couple of weeks later. According to the group, "There will be a special deal for those who buy both the CD and the vinyl: you'll only have to pay postage for the vinyl, the CD will be shipped for free, as soon as it's available. This way you can listen to the great new tunes right away without having to wait for the vinyl version to arrive. We'll also add some nice little extras to your package if you order both."

Formed in 2002 in the West Midlands, DARK FOREST "combin[es] the great legacy of classic NWOBHM acts like TYRANT, ELIXIR, MAIDEN or TREDEGAR with the pounding glory of epic metal bands like ISEN TORR and the beautiful mythic harmonies of Anglo-Saxon folk music," according to a press release. "DARK FOREST deliver an absolutely unique brand of classic, no-bollocks heavy metal. Galloping rhythms, insanely beautiful twin guitar harmonies and unbelievable vocal lines — everything British metal was famous and loved for in the early '80s is there."

DARK FOREST's second album is tentatively due in 2010 via Iron Kodex.

Keeping the Album Alive

by Sean Highkin

You hear people say it all the time: the MP3 killed the album. And to an extent, it is true. The advent of iTunes has made it easier to pick and choose songs, and even if you do choose to buy the album, it’s really just files on a hard drive in a certain order. Obtaining new music has essentially lost any physical or personal value. I can’t even remember the last time I looked forward to an album’s release date so I could go to the store, buy it, and go home and put it on for the first time. Even on the rare occasions when I do buy music these days, I will have downloaded it two weeks before its release date, and at that point it becomes more like going through the motions of buying the physical product to put on the shelf. If it’s been a long time since I’ve bought an album without listening to it first, it’s been even longer since I’ve sat down with the artwork and lyric book for an album I own and truly immersed myself in it. Nowadays, you have to form a tweet-sized opinion so quickly that you don’t have time to first decide how you actually feel about the album, and then you move on to the next one.

So in that sense, yes, file-sharing has robbed us of the rituals associated with hearing a new album for the first time. However, I am not ready to believe that it has completely taken away the meaning of a certain collection of songs put out by an artist at one time in a specific order. You see the album’s continued relevance in the recent resurgence in vinyl sales. Granted, even a doubling market for LPs is still a tiny niche market at best, but it makes sense that those purists of the physical product would opt for the version with the bigger artwork and analog sound. After all, hasn’t the entire appeal of the CD, the increased portability, now been completely replaced by iPods?

But more than the renewed popularity of vinyl, there is another reason why I believe the “album” as a form of expression is not dead: with the supposed demise of the album in the digital age has come, oddly enough, the increased popularity among bands new and old of the live show built around a start-to-finish performance of one album. This concept is nothing new, of course—Pink Floyd and Yes used to do it all the time in the ‘70s, and the Who have repeatedly hauled Tommy and Quadrophenia out on tour. It’s something that seems logical if you’re pushing the “concept album” angle. The Decemberists are devoting the first hour of their latest shows to a full presentation of their newest literary epic, The Hazards of Love. Prog metallers Mastodon tore up Coachella in April with a front-to-back reading of Crack the Skye. If Green Day had any clue what they were doing, they would give the same treatment to 21st Century Breakdown on their latest arena tour.

What I find interesting is the amount of bands that are now doing this for albums that don’t necessarily need to be heard in order the way a concept piece would. Sonic Youth, for instance, garnered rave reviews when they performed Daydream Nation in its entirety at a handful of festivals last year. Similar shows by everyone from Slint (doing Spiderland) to Public Enemy (It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back) have found wide acclaim from both fans and critics. The Pixies just announced a Fall tour commemorating the 20th anniversary of Doolittle, and these shows will feature a complete performance of that album. Even classic-rock dinosaurs are getting in on the action: Aerosmith have been performing their 1975 classic Toys in the Attic in full on their summer amphitheater tour with ZZ Top, and Metallica has recently treated fans to 1986’s Master of Puppets.

However, sometimes when older bands with large bodies try to do this with newer or lesser-known albums, it doesn’t go over as well. Iron Maiden tried it in 2006 with A Matter of Life and Death, and was met with mixed reactions from fans who undoubtedly went to the show to hear the band’s classic ‘80s material. To Maiden’s credit, they didn’t backpedal, although they also have recently done tours covering only specific periods of their past. The Cure also faced backlash when they opted to perform their self-titled 2004 album on tour. It would seem that the live show isn’t the way to get acquainted with a new album from start to finish, which is why most bands that have tried it have stuck to replicating their most well-known works.

It’s a fascinating trend given the evidence of the endangerment of the album on almost every other medium, but in a way it makes sense. The instant access to music allowed by MP3s comes at the expense of much of the emotional connection tied to the full-album experience, and many fans want to be able to preserve that somehow. So why not through the live show? You’re there with the band, hearing the songs in the order they intended. I’m sure every fan can name a few albums they’d love their favorite band to present live in this fashion. Radiohead would be amazing at this, but I feel like Thom Yorke probably disdains the concept of being in a rock band too much to ever consider it. Bob Dylan’s live shows haven’t been relevant for years—how many fans wouldn’t love for him to revitalize himself as a touring act by devoting an evening to Highway 61 Revisited or Blood on the Tracks? Wouldn’t a Neil Young show featuring After the Gold Rush or Tonight’s the Night be infinitely preferable to a show based around his new concept album about electric cars? The possibilities are endless.

Here are a few albums that aren’t necessarily concept albums that I’d love to hear performed live:

My Bloody Valentine, Loveless – MBV already perform most of the songs on this 1991 masterpiece in concert anyway. Doing them in order and closing with their usual 20-minute feedback frenzy of “You Made Me Realize” would add up to roughly the length of one of their festival setlists, and adding “Performing Loveless in its Entirety!” to the poster would make the shows feel like a once-in-a-lifetime event.

U2, Achtung Baby – Debate all you want about the merits of the giant PopMart lemon, the Elevation heart, or this new claw thing U2 have been erecting in stadiums this summer. While all of these are landmarks in the field of spectacle, the fact remains that the best tour Bono and co. have ever done was 1992’s ZooTV tour, for one reason: these shows featured 9 or 10 songs a night from their finest album, Achtung Baby. Bringing this album back in full works on so many levels: as a perennial set-closer, “One” has become a groan-inducing chore to endure, building a reputation mainly as the song where Bono tells everybody to get out their cell phones and donate money to Africa despite the fact that they have just paid $150 to see the band’s show. Moving it back to its third spot on the album, where it would be surrounded either side with “Even Better Than the Real Thing” and “Until the End of the World,” could breathe new life into it. It would mean that every show would be guaranteed “The Fly” and “Mysterious Ways,” two songs no U2 concert should be without. And “Acrobat” and “So Cruel” have never been performed live, so it would be a great opportunity to please die-hards by pulling out two long-neglected gems. The rest of the material has rotated in and out of their sets over the past two decades, so it wouldn’t be impossible to pull off.

The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers – If there’s any touring juggernaut whose live shows could use the boost of energy that Toys in the Attic has given Aerosmith, it’s the Stones. Exile on Main Street is the critical favorite, but it’s probably too long to pull off and still leave room for all the other classics the Stones would need to play. Sticky Fingers is perfect: it’s universally recognized as one of their best albums, they already play “Brown Sugar,” “Wild Horses,” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” every night anyway, and album cuts like “Sway” and “Sister Morphine” would be a treat to hear again.

The Smashing Pumpkins, Adore – Yes, I know. It’s not really the Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan has zero credibility in 2009, for a variety of reasons that I’ll save for another column. But this could work. Corgan has always been obsessed with being a very ‘70s kind of rock star, and the “full album performance” thing that the Who and Pink Floyd used to specialize in is not something he got around to doing while he was relevant. So why Adore over Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie? For one, Adore is the band’s most underappreciated album, so giving it time in the spotlight would almost—almost—justify Corgan in keeping the Pumpkins name when there are no other original members left. Plus, given that it’s the only original Pumpkins album that drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, the last member to leave earlier this year, didn’t play on, it would seem to be the clear choice of an album that Corgan could credibly present under the band’s moniker while functioning as a solo act.

SOURCE: http://onethirtybpm.com

This Date In Music History-July 31

Birthdays:

Will Champion – Coldplay (1978)

John Lowery - Marilyn Manson (1971)

Jim Corr - The Corrs (1964)

Robert Townsend - Pop Will Eat Itself (1964)

Norman Cook – Housemartins (1963)

Malcolm Ross - Aztec Camera (1960)

Bill Berry – R.E.M. (1958)

Daniel Ash – Bauhaus (1957)

Karl Green - Herman's Hermits (1947)

Gary Lewis (1946)

Bob Welch (Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974), was born in Los Angeles in 1946.

Lobo (real name Kent Lavoie) turns 66.


They Are Missed:

The late Ahmet Ertegun (founder of Atlantic Records) was born in 1923. Along with his brother Nesuhi, he helped create and hone the Atlantic Records jazz, R&B, and pop empire in the '50s and '60s. The Ertegun brothers arrived in America from Turkey and forged a company to record, distribute and publicize the sounds of Black America, which at that time were largely going ignored.

Country singer Jim Reeves was killed in a plane crash in 1964.

One of the first major stars of R&B, Bull Moose Jackson (real name Benjamin Clarence Jackson), died in Cleveland of cancer in 1989 (age 70). Jackson was at his peak in the late 1940's, and became the first R&B artist to receive a gold record, for his 1947 recording of "I Love You, Yes I Do."

BBC producer John Walters died in 2001 (age 63). Walters produced and worked with Radio 1 DJ John Peel. Peel teamed up with Walters to broadcast some of the most groundbreaking music of an era.


History:

In 1966, in Birmingham, Ala., a Beatles record-burning session was held to protest John Lennon's "bigger than Jesus" remark.

In 1969, Elvis Presley kicked off a four-week run at the Las Vegas International Hotel, (his first live show since 1961). He reportedly netted $1.5m for the shows.

Also in 1969 - A Moscow police chief reported that thousands of Moscow telephone booths had been made inoperable by thieves who had stolen phone parts in order to convert their acoustic guitars to electric.

In 1970, after Decca Records demands a final single from the Rolling Stones to make them fulfill their contract, Richards and Jagger delivered the unreleasable "Cocksucker Blues." The single becomes the title of a Stones documentary that the band decides is also unreleasable.

The documentary Gimme Shelter premiered in 1971 at London's Rialto cinema. The film includes footage from the infamous concert at Altamont.

The second night of the Who's first of two 1971 US tours was marked with tragedy when a 22 year old security guard was stabbed at New York's Forest Hills Stadium.

James Taylor went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1971 with the Carole King song “You Got A Friend.” The song would go on to win the 1971 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

George Benson started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1976 with “Breezin.”

Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper" was released in 1976.



In 1991, Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson was given six months probation for spitting on a customer in a 7/11 store in Denver. When the woman said she didn't know who the Black Crowes were, Robinson told her she would know if she didn't eat so many Twinkies. The woman claimed Robinson then spat on her. Hey, I love Twinkies….

Selena's "Dreaming of You" debuted at # 1 on the Billboard chart in 1995. It was her first English album. Selena became the first Latin artist to debut at #1.

Christina Aguilera scored her first US #1 single in 1999 with “Genie In A Bottle,” also #1 in the UK. The song spent 5 weeks at #1 on the US chart and won Aguilera the Best New Artist Grammy for the year.

Pearl Jam Album Cover Art Game

Pearl Jam recently announced the release of their much anticipated new album, Backspacer (produced by Brendan O'Brien) on September 21, plus a handful of UK tour dates in support of the record.

For Backspacer's imagery, the band enlisted the creative genius of their friend and renowned political cartoonist Tom Tomorrow. Here's one image from Backspacer below - click on it to discover more.... or visit more on Pearl Jam's site here: www.pearljam.com


Cover Game

Classic Rock Videos

Ramones, Baby I love you!

Top Ten Most Valuable Records

I did a post last week and after searching the Internet for the world’s Top Ten Most Valuable vinyl records, one can be sure that the lists can be subjective, vary from country to country and will fluctuate over time. For instance, the copy of John Lennon & Yoko Ono “Double Fantasy” LP, the one that he signed for Mark David Chapman just a few hours before he was shot to death, is at the top of a common list.

However, the record remains unsold, so the asking price may not be exactly what the record is worth. With the recent death of Michael Jackson, copies of “Thriller” were selling at more than three times what the record price guides listed and Jackson’s rare vinyl has also skyrocketed. Although the prices for his more common records will even out, one can assume his rare vinyl will remain at high prices.

In all actuality, a record is worth what someone will pay for it; which is true of most collectibles. Many variables will effect the price, such as demand, the death of an artist, the condition of the vinyl itself, just to name a few. However, in the case of vinyl records, there are some recording artists that always show up on the ‘top ten’ lists, including the Beatles and the Sex Pistols. My guess is that there will always be a demand for the Fab Four and the Sex Pistols, hence the prices for their records and the rare ones will always be on the high end of any list. Also, the lists include acetates, which are another rare form of a record release.

If we take a look at the three lists below we see that the early Beatles work done as the Quarrymen show up on both the Wikipedia list and the list from the Telegraph in the UK. Also, the Beatles show up as the one that command the most money at www.popsike.com (according to their database).

Most Valuable Records Lists

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.

Source: wikipedia


1) John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Double Fantasy (Geffen US Album, 1980) Note: Autographed by Lennon five hours before Mark David Chapman assassinated him. Value: $525,000

2) The Quarrymen – “That’ll Be the Day”/”In Spite Of All The Danger” (UK 78 RPM, Acetate in plain sleeve, 1958) Note: Only one copy made. Value: $180,000

3) The Beatles – Yesterday and Today (Capitol, US Album in ‘butcher’ sleeve, 1966) Value: $38,500, though more typically prices range from $150-$7500

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

5) Long Cleve Reed & Little Harvey Hull – “Original Stack O’Lee Blues” (Black Patti, US 78 RPM in plain sleeve, 1927) Value: $30,000

6) Frank Wilson – “Do I Love You?” (Tamla Motown, US 7” 45 RPM in plain sleeve, 1965) Value: $30,000

7) Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground and Nico (US Album Acetate, in plain sleeve, 1966 with alternate versions of tracks from official release) Value: estimate $25,200.

8) Elvis Presley - Stay Away, Joe (US, RCA Victor UNRM-9408, 1967) Note: One side promotional album.

9) The Five Sharps - “Stormy Weather” (US, Jubilee 5104, 78 RPM, 1953) Value: $25,000

10) The Hornets - “I Can’t Believe” (US, States 127, 78 RPM, 1953) Value: $25,000



Here is a list from the UK (note they do list several acetates, which are different from vinyl, these are very rare indeed!) and the two lists certainly are different and the estimates of worth vary.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk


1. THE QUARRYMEN: That'll Be The Day/ In Spite Of All The Danger (1958): £100,000 ($165,000)

2. SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen (1977) Value: £7,000 ($11,500)

3. SEX PISTOLS: Anarchy In The UK (1976) Value: £6,000 (double-sided acetate) ($9,900)

4. QUEEN: Bohemian Rhapsody (1978) Value: £5,000 ($8,250)

5. JOHN'S CHILDREN: Midsummer's Night Scene (1967) Value: £4,000 ($6,600)

6. TOBY TYLER: The Road I'm On (Gloria) (1964) Value: £3,000 (acetate) ($4,950)

7. DAVID BOWIE: Space Oddity (1969) Value: £3,000 ($4,950)

8. JOHN LENNON WITH THE PLASTIC ONO BAND: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (1969) Value: £3,000 ($4,950)

9. XTC: Science Friction (1977) Value: £2,500 ($4,125)

10. JACKIE LEE COCHRAN: Ruby Pearl (1957) Value: £2,500 ($4,125)



Now let’s explore the Top Ten Vinyl Records that have been documented as sold by www.popsike.com (although this does not include private sales between record collectors)

Source: www.popsike.com

1. Beatles - White Album UK 1968 Mono LP Cover No.0000005 2008-11-23 ($31,700)

2. VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO 1966 Acetate LP ANDY WARHOL 2006-12-21 ($25,200)

3. SEX PISTOLS - God Save the Queen - GENUINE A&M AMS7284! 2006-03-02 ($20,900)

4. SEX PISTOLS God Save The Queen PUNK PRE A&M 2006-04-02 ($17,750)

5. SEX PISTOLS - God Save the Queen - GENUINE A&M AMS7284! 2006-06-30 ($16,500)

6. THE ROLLING STONES US 7" ST FIGHTING MAN PICTURE SLEEVE 2007-04-24 ($15,200)

7. SCARCE Northern Soul 45 Junior McCants KING RARE PROMO 2008-10-05 ($15,099)

8. Sex Pistols- Jamie Reid Complete Set LTD Edition Signed 2007-12-12 ($15,000)

9. THE MISFITS- PLAN 9 1009- HORROR BUSINESS ULTRA RARE 2008-01-26 ($14,301)

10. PINK FLOYD Meddle BLUE VINYL Colombia ULTRA RARE UNSEEN 2009-01-17 ($12,000)

Bird And Animal Names In Rock And Roll History- part twenty-three

Let’s continue our series about “bird” and “animal” group names in rock and roll history:

Based out of Los Angles hails the rock band led by Grant Lee Phillips called Grant Lee Buffalo. Playing alternative pop rock, the group released five albums, "Fuzzy" (1993), "Mighty Joe Moon" (1994), "Copperopolis" (1996) and "Jubilee" (1998) as well as the LP called “Storm Hymnal-Gems From The Vault Of” in 2001; which is a compilation of singles, album tracks and rarities.

Often sounding like their influences (David Bowie, John Lennon, R.E.M. among many others), Phillips’ songwriting received prominent critical acclaim as he gracefully tackled political and social issues with his lyrics. Musically, the band is equally adept at hard rock and roll, folk rock or haunting ballads.

The group was a popular live attraction, opening up for some of the major players at the time including R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins. However, as popular as the band was with their fans and critics alike, they could not break through into the mainstream music arena, despite the strong musicianship and original styles of the band. The group gave up their efforts in 1999 and Phillips launched a solo career, issuing the intimate album "Ladies Love Oracle" on the Internet in 2000. His first full-length LP, "Mobilize," was released to enormous critical acclaim in 2001. He has continued to work in the business, guesting on albums by Eels, Neil Finn, Harvey Danger (among others) and releasing several solo efforts.


Before going solo, Linda Ronstadt fronted a band called the Stone Poneys that cracked the Billboard Top 40 with a Michael Nesmith (of the Monkees fame) written tune called “Different Drum.” The band’s debut album did not contain this hit song (it was on the second album), but provided listeners with strong original folk material from the band’s guitarists, Bob Kimmel and Ken Edwards. The Stone Poneys broke up during the recording of their third release, leaving Ronstadt to finish it up with various session men and is a great LP, including songs written by Mike Nesmith, Laura Nyro and three Tim Buckley originals. While the album served up some classic California folk rock and was well produced, it was the last of the Stone Poneys. But with this springboard, Linda Ronstadt went on to mega-stardom and recorded the number one song “You’re No Good” as well as many other Top 40 Billboard hits.

Although the popular California psychedelic band Country Joe & the Fish may be best remembered for their legendary performance at Woodstock with a version of the song “Fixin’-To-Die” and the obscene “Fish Cheer,” the band actually capitalized on the psychedelic era with their raunchy guitars and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, free love preaching and political protest ideals.

The first release, an EP with a folk version of “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die-Rag,” along with a second EP release were combined with other songs by the band for their debut album, “Electric Music For The Mind And Body” and the album fit in perfectly with the times. Subsequent releases captured audiences with more heavily a distorted guitar, organ heavy psychedelia and Country Joe’s good-time lyrics and stage antics.

But the band’s main claim to fame and one of the decades most famous war protest songs “Fixin’-To-Die” could never be duplicated, although Country Joe fronted several versions of the band after the group’s third release, “Together,” which featured a classic country Joe and The Fish tune called “Rock and Soul Music.”

Mallard was a short-lived experimental rock outfit that featured several former members of Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band, including: guitarist Bill Harkleroad (aka Zoot Horn Rollo), bassist Mark Boston (aka Rockette Morton), and percussionist/drummer Art Tripp (aka Ed Marimba), the latter of which also played in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention for several albums, as well. Boston and Harkeford played with Beefheart for 1968 through 1974, but they had a falling out over their unhappiness with the album “Unconditionally Guaranteed.”

So the unhappy musicians recruited Art Tripp and were joined by a host of others including John “Rabbit” Bundrick, singer Sam Galpin and percussionist Barry Morgan for the release of Mallard’s 1975 self-titled LP. The record was financed by Beefheart fan Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull; however the LP was only available in the US as an import. Mallard’s next LP “In A Different Climate” was released in 1976 but in spite of the musical talents of these veteran musicians and support from the British press, Mallard never achieved commercial success. In 1994, both albums were re-released on CD by Virgin Records in the UK and in the US.


Grant Lee Buffalo Tidbits:

Grant Lee Buffalo was - Grant-Lee Phillips (vocals and guitar), Paul Kimble (bass) and Joey Peters (drums). All three were previously members of another Los Angeles band, Shiva Burlesque.

Grant Lee Buffalo had an Americana tinged sound, clearly influenced by the likes of Neil Young and elements of old-fashioned country music.

In 1995, Phillips was voted best male vocalist by Rolling Stone Magazine.


Stone Poneys Tidbits:

The band was discovered by a couple of music industry executives while rehearsing at a soul food restaurant called Olivia's which was located in Ocean Park, a community between Venice Beach and Santa Monica that was famous for its food and clientele, including The Doors.

In 1970, the Pickwick record label licensed nine Stone Poneys tracks from their Capitol albums and released Stoney End under the name Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys. The album featured "Different Drum", "One for One" and "Some of Shelly's Blues,” as well as their recording of the 1960's classic "Let's Get Together.”

Their misspelled name came from Delta Blues singer Charlie Patton's 1929 song "The Stone Pony Blues" (also known as "Pony Blues."


Country Joe & the Fish Tidbits:

Country Joe and The Fish were regulars at Fillmore West and East and Chet Helms' Avalon Ballroom. They were billed with such groups as Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Led Zeppelin, and Iron Butterfly.

They played at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. In 1971 the band appeared in a Western film starring Don Johnson as an outlaw gang called the Crackers.

The group's name is derived from leftist politics; "Country Joe" was a popular name for Joseph Stalin in the 1940s, while "the fish" refers to Mao Tse-Tung's statement that the true revolutionary "moves through the peasantry as the fish does through water."

Country Joe's anti-war activity led to his being called as a witness at the Chicago Seven conspiracy trial in 1969.

Music News & Notes

Echo And The Bunnymen Plan New Album And Tour

Liverpool veterans Echo and the Bunnymen have confirmed details of their next album, which is set to be released on October 12.

'The Fountain' will be preceded by a single, 'I Think I Need To Know' on 28th September.

The forthcoming album, which will be their first since the release of 'Siberia' in 2005, will be followed by a five date UK tour.

Last year the band marked their 30th anniversary by playing an acclaimed show at the Liverpool Echo Arena that saw them perform their classic 'Ocean Rain' album in full.

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Anita Baker, Snoop Dogg to Collaborate on New Album

Revered R&B singer Anita Baker is releasing an album with some surprising guest artists next year, according to reports.

The record will feature a combination of live performances and new music Baker wrote for other singers, as well as collaborations with contemporary artists, including the unlikely pairing of eight-time Grammy winner Baker and rapper Snoop Dogg.

The Ohio-born soul singer was quick to explain that, although she's working with rappers and more contemporary singers, the music will not be a major departure from her sound. "It will be an Anita Baker record, but it will have a lot of surprising elements in it," Baker told Billboard. "We'll take a lot of our contemporaries and bring them into my project where they may fit."

Baker's upcoming album (her seventh studio record) will be distributed by legendary jazz label Blue Note records, and is scheduled for release next spring.

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Sea Wolf Sails Into Expansive New Territory On Sophomore LP

An expansive collection of modern mythology and lush orchestration, Sea Wolf's sophomore LP, "White Water, White Bloom," will be released September 22nd on Dangerbird Records. Akin to Sea Wolf's debut LP, "Leaves in the River," the latest was penned solely by Alex Brown Church but was this time recorded with a full band, which expanded the sonic palette. These new compositions were injected with a raw, dynamic energy that the band developed through extensive touring together, and will be unveiled on a cross-country six-week tour beginning in September. The album can be pre-ordered via Dangerbird. Fans have the choice of a 180-gram vinyl package that comes with two vinyl-only bonus tracks and a digital download card or a standard CD digipak with fold-out poster.

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Fogelberg Release

Before he passed away, Dan Fogelberg put the finishing touches on some new tracks and a few that had been lingering on tape for a number of years. The results are Love in Time, his final album of new material which will be released on August 13 via the digital services by Universal Music Group. A CD version of the album will be out at a future date after Universal has a chance to finalize production and advertising.

The family pushed for the August 13 release, even if only digitally, as it would have been Fogelberg's 58th birthday. He passed away on December 16, 2007 after a battle with prostate cancer.

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Detente Reveals New Album, "Decline," Cover Artwork

LA metal band, DÉTENTE, has revealed the cover artwork for their upcoming record, "Decline." The art for "Decline" was painted by Michael Leone with additional graphic work performed by Christopher Leone. DÉTENTE's "Decline" is tentatively scheduled for a December release.

I nominate it for heavy meatl cover art of the year....

Classic Rock Videos

Ramones - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (1980)

Mr. Music ~ Jerry Osborne

I am continuing our new feature: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.


FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 27, 2009


DEAR JERRY: During my pre-teen and teenage years in the late '70s and early '80s, I was a huge fan of ABBA. I loved ABBA and I still do, and think of myself as an ABBA expert who has forgotten more than most people knew, especially in the U.S.

On their “Voulez-Vous” LP, that I bought in the summer of 1979, I distinctly remember one of the tracks being “Summer Night City.”

Now I'm starting to wonder if I'm losing it because every source I've checked makes no mention of that track on “Voulez-Vous.”

Still, it does make sense since “Fernando” wasn't originally on the first (1976) “Greatest Hits” LP. It was added to later pressings after it became a big hit single.

Can you please clear this up for me? I'm going nuts here.
—William Simmons, Evansville, Ind.


DEAR WILLIAM: So I hear. It's not easy to keep this kind of thing secret.

I must side with the rest of the world, which says there are but 10 tracks on the original “Voulez-Vous” album:

(Side A): “As Good As New”; “Voulez-Vous”; “I Have a Dream”; “Angeleyes”; “The King Has Lost His Crown.”

(Side B): “Does Your Mother Know”; “If It Wasn't for the Nights”; “Chiquitita”; “Lovers (Live a Little Longer)”; “Kisses of Fire.”

I also examined “Voulez-Vous” albums from such diverse areas as Mexico, Germany, Russia, and Korea, all of which have the same 10 tracks. I even checked cassettes, 8-tracks, and reel-to-reel tapes. Same story.

Since the ABBA album after “Voulez-Vous” is “Greatest Hits, Vol. 2” (December 1979), and it includes “Summer Night City,” we must, however unlikely, consider the possibility your memory has transposed these two releases.

As you know, the 2001 Remastered Limited Edition “Voulez-Vous” compact disc adds three “bonus tracks not found on the original LP”: “Summer Night City”; “Lovelight”; and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).” I'd say they got it right.


DEAR JERRY: At a yard sale I noticed tiny record, about two inches in diameter, in an equally tiny picture sleeve. Appropriately, the manufacturer is named Mighty Tiny Records.

Though a gorgeous blonde is the only person pictured, the sleeve credits a group called the Harmonettes, and gives the title as “Honey Tones.”

Have you ever heard of such a thing? Are there others like this one? Did they ever make a mighty tiny record player?
—Drew Davidson, Detroit, Mich.


DEAR DREW: Yes, yes, and yes.


Created in Cincinnati by Ohio Art/Poynter Products, Inc., this short-lived example of failed technology came and went in 1967.

The records, all of which are by people you've never heard of, were sold in themed four-packs. The two sealed packs I have seen are “Rock'n Roll & Popular” (Harmonettes; Musical Squares; Amy Wilson and Her Guitar), and “Foreign Music” (German Folk Polka; Italiano Strings; Arab Desert Dance; and African Drums).

They made a few others, all labeled “Mighty Tiny Records for the World's Smallest Record Player,” which answers your last question.

In fact, they made two players: a Mighty Tiny hand-held portable, which looks like a Star Trek communicator, and a table-top console called a Stereoper. Buyers of either player also received a starter kit of three records.

The biggest complaints about the battery-powered Mighty Tiny system are its inability to maintain a consistent playing speed, and the dreadful — albeit varied — selection of music.


IZ ZAT SO? Widely known is ABBA's phenomenal success that began in the United States in the summer of '74 with the release of “Waterloo.”

Not nearly as well known is what happened in the two years before Björn Ulvaeus; Benny Andersson; Agnetha Fältskog; and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (a.k.a. Frida) became ABBA and met their “Waterloo.”

This foursome's first single, “People Need Love” (Polar 1156), was already a hit in Sweden, credited to Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid.

In July '72, Hugh Hefner's fledging Playboy label picked up “People Need Love” for distribution in the U.S.

Inexplicably, Playboy shortened the artist credit line to “Björn & Benny (with Svenska Flicka).”

Whether they erroneously thought “Agnetha & Anni-Frid” to be just one person we don't know, but the credit on this single (Playboy 10018) translates as “Björn & Benny (with Swedish Girl).”

Another possibility is they may have simply disregarded the Norwegian-born Frida, and not used the plural “Svenska Flickor” (Swedish Girls).

“People Need Love” made a bit of a blip on the national level so Playboy followed with a couple more Björn & Benny singles in late 1973 and early '74. These are two separate releases of “Another Town, Another Train” (Playboy 100023 and 10025), and neither clicked with stateside dee jays.

Then came the name change, “Waterloo,” and an endless series of trains and towns for ABBA.


Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission

This Date In Music History - July 29

Birthdays:

Randy Sparks - New Christy Minstrels (1933)

Neal Doughty - REO Speedwagon (1946)

Simon Kirk - Bad Company (1949)

Geddy Lee - Rush (1953)

Patti Sciafa - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (1953)

John Sykes - Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake (1959)

Martin McCarrick - Therapy (1962)

Miles Hunt - The Wonder Stuff (1966)

Simon Jones - The Verve (1972)

Wanya Morris - Boyz II Men (1973)


They Are Missed:

Mama Cass Elliot, a one-time member of the Mama's & Papa's, died in London in 1974. She was staying at Harry Nilson's London flat when she died. A postmortem the following day shows she died as a result of choking on a sandwich and from inhaling her own vomit. It's later revealed that she suffered a heart attack. She was 32.

American record producer and pedal steel guitar player Pete Drake died of lung disease in 1988. Worked with Elvis Presley, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Keyboard player Huby Heard died from heart problems in 2004. Member of Billy Preston's, The God Squad.


History:

The Isley Brothers recorded the classic "Shout" in 1959.



Dick Clark premiered his summer stage show, the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars, at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City in 1961.

After a four year hiatus, the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island reopened in 1963. Those getting thumbs-up from the crowd included Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan.

Peter, Paul and Mary's "Blowin' In The Wind" was released in 1963.

In 1965, the Beatles film "Help!" debuts at London's Pavillion Theatre. Another sell-out crowd attended while critics were bemused.

In 1966, Bob Dylan suffered a broken neck vertebra when he crashed his Triumph 55 motorbike near his home in Woodstock, New York.

Also in 1966, Datebook published Maureen Cleave’s interview with John Lennon in which he said ‘We’re bigger than Jesus now.” American Christian’s reacted with outrage, organizing ‘Beatle bonfires’ burning the group's records.

Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker made their live debut as Cream at The Twisted Wheel, Manchester, England in 1966.

The Doors started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1967 with “Light My Fire.”

The first recording session of The Beatles seven-minute epic “Hey Jude” took place at Abbey Road studios London in 1968.



The Byrds left on their tour of South Africa in 1968 without member Gram Parsons. He refused to set foot in a country where apartheid was official policy.

The Rolling Stones' contract with Decca Records expired in 1970 and they talked about starting their own label. They did.

Gilbert O'Sullivan started a five week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1972 with “Alone Again, (Naturally).” The follow up “Clair” peaked at #2.

In 1973, while Led Zeppelin, were in the middle of a very successful U.S. tour, they were the victims of one of the largest cash thefts in New York City. $180,000 was taken from the band's deposit box at the Drake Hotel. The money was mostly cash receipts from the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden.

In 1978, Prince appeared on the US charts for the first time with “Soft and Wet.”

The film soundtrack to Grease featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John went to #1 on the US album chart in 1978.

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream introduced their "Cherry Garcia" flavor (named after the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia) in 1987.

In 2003, the chairman of the Professional Association of Teachers Jim O'Neill warned that children were being put under pressure to grow up too soon by pop stars who use a sexy image. "Kylie Minogue might be a great singer but in many of these things you can see more of her bottom than you hear of her voice," said Mr O'Neill. Dirty old man….

Founding member Jeff Hanna talks about the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

By FIELDING BUCK
The Press-Release


Here are excerpts from an interview with Jeff Hanna, founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

On the band's origins:

"'66 is when we started playing together and getting paid. We were a jug band, which is a really rootsy concoction, music that was mostly written in the '30s or before. A lot of blues and skiffle and country elements. Old-timey country music. Mountainy stuff. And then we went through a growing phase when some of the guys left and a couple of other guys joined in '69, and retooled as a country rock band. At that point there were three or four groups really playing that kind of music, the Burritos (Flying Burrito Brothers) and Poco. The Band, of course, was a huge influence on us. There's was a melding of Americana, which as a musical phrase didn't exist before ... and rock 'n' roll

"That kind of morphed into what later on became a career in country music, too, because the music we started playing in 1969 really fit country radio in 1984 ... It wasn't quite as pop music-oriented as country music is today."

Read the rest here:

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band