New Vinyl Releases- May 20th:
Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention - Liege & Leaf
Led Zeppelin - Mothership (4-Discs)
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same (4-Discs)
Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground
Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground and Nico
Friday, May 23, 2008
This Date In Music History- May 23
Birthdays:
"General" Norman Johnson, lead singer of the Chairmen of the Board ("Give Me Just A Little More Time") turns 65.
Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher was born in 1968.
Irish folk singer Luka Bloom was born in Newbridge, Ireland in 1955. He's actually called Barry Moore, but took his stage name from the Suzanne Vega song and a character in James Joyce's Ulysses.
The late Rosemary Clooney ("Come On-A My House") was born in 1928.
Misty Morgan ("Tennessee Bird Walk" with husband Jack Blanchard) is 63.
History:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their first major arena tour in Buffalo, New York in 1978. It ended seven months and 109 cities later in Cleveland on January 1, 1979.
Paul Revere & the Raiders signed with Columbia Records in 1963.
The Who film "The Kids Are Alright" premiered in New York City in 1979.
Elvis Presley's "Follow That Dream" movie opened nationally in 1962.
Today in 1960, the song "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks. The duo had also accomplished this feat 1958 when "All I Have To Do Is Dream" also spent over a month at the top position.
1970- The Beatles' "Let It Be" LP reportedly sets a record for advance sales as 3.7 million advance orders are made for the farewell album. But the New Musical Express described the album as a "cardboard tombstone."
Also in 1970, the Grateful Dead performed outside the U.S. for the first time. Their gig at England's Hollywood Rock Festival went on for four hours. The Dead's set was preceded by a performance by Mungo Jerry, who played their big hit "In the Summertime.”
Ella Fitzgerald's cover of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" hit #34 in the U.K. in 1964. She was the first artist to chart in the U.K. with a Beatles cover.
In 1971, Iron Butterfly disbanded one month after “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” fell off the Album Chart, following a 138 week run.
In 1964, The Beach Boys released "I Get Around," which will go on to become the group's first #1 hit, topping the US chart for 2 weeks.
In 1973, Clive Davis was fired as president of Columbia Records. He was allegedly using company funds for private use, including $53,700 worth of alterations to his apartment and $20,000 for his son's bar mitzvah.
Jefferson Airplane were barred from giving a free concert at Golden Gate Park in 1977, when San Francisco authorities passed a resolution banning electronic instruments. The group later wrote "We Built this City" about the ban.
Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" went platinum in 1979. The album's title track, a #2 hit, is the rallying call for baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, who will go on to win the 1979 World Series in October.
In 1975, Peter Gabriel played his final show with Genesis before going solo. It’s in St. Etienne, France.
Though issued in the U.K. nearly five years earlier, AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” peaks at #3 on the U.S. album chart in 1981.
"General" Norman Johnson, lead singer of the Chairmen of the Board ("Give Me Just A Little More Time") turns 65.
Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher was born in 1968.
Irish folk singer Luka Bloom was born in Newbridge, Ireland in 1955. He's actually called Barry Moore, but took his stage name from the Suzanne Vega song and a character in James Joyce's Ulysses.
The late Rosemary Clooney ("Come On-A My House") was born in 1928.
Misty Morgan ("Tennessee Bird Walk" with husband Jack Blanchard) is 63.
History:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their first major arena tour in Buffalo, New York in 1978. It ended seven months and 109 cities later in Cleveland on January 1, 1979.
Paul Revere & the Raiders signed with Columbia Records in 1963.
The Who film "The Kids Are Alright" premiered in New York City in 1979.
Elvis Presley's "Follow That Dream" movie opened nationally in 1962.
Today in 1960, the song "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks. The duo had also accomplished this feat 1958 when "All I Have To Do Is Dream" also spent over a month at the top position.
1970- The Beatles' "Let It Be" LP reportedly sets a record for advance sales as 3.7 million advance orders are made for the farewell album. But the New Musical Express described the album as a "cardboard tombstone."
Also in 1970, the Grateful Dead performed outside the U.S. for the first time. Their gig at England's Hollywood Rock Festival went on for four hours. The Dead's set was preceded by a performance by Mungo Jerry, who played their big hit "In the Summertime.”
Ella Fitzgerald's cover of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" hit #34 in the U.K. in 1964. She was the first artist to chart in the U.K. with a Beatles cover.
In 1971, Iron Butterfly disbanded one month after “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” fell off the Album Chart, following a 138 week run.
In 1964, The Beach Boys released "I Get Around," which will go on to become the group's first #1 hit, topping the US chart for 2 weeks.
In 1973, Clive Davis was fired as president of Columbia Records. He was allegedly using company funds for private use, including $53,700 worth of alterations to his apartment and $20,000 for his son's bar mitzvah.
Jefferson Airplane were barred from giving a free concert at Golden Gate Park in 1977, when San Francisco authorities passed a resolution banning electronic instruments. The group later wrote "We Built this City" about the ban.
Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" went platinum in 1979. The album's title track, a #2 hit, is the rallying call for baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, who will go on to win the 1979 World Series in October.
In 1975, Peter Gabriel played his final show with Genesis before going solo. It’s in St. Etienne, France.
Though issued in the U.K. nearly five years earlier, AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” peaks at #3 on the U.S. album chart in 1981.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
This Date In Music History- May 21
Birthdays Today:
Chicago's William "Bill" Bradford Champlin (keyboards, guitar and vocals)-1947.
Hilton Valentine, guitarist for the Animals- 1943.
Marcie Blane ("Bobby's Girl") is 64.
Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers ("Shout") is 67.
Leo Sayer ("When I Need You") is 60.
History:
Elton John became the first western act to tour the U.S.S.R. in 1979.
"Little" Stevie Wonder recorded "Fingertips" live at Chicago's Regal Theatre in 1962.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono began a ten-day "bed-in" in Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel in 1969.
The Drifters recorded "Under The Boardwalk" (Johnny Moore is forced to sing lead after Rudy Lewis' death the night before) in 1964.
"Sir Duke," Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Jazz great Duke Ellington, is the #1 song in the U.S. in 1977.
Notorious record exec Morris Levy died in 1990. He owned the Birdland club, copyrighted the phrase "rock & roll" after making friends with Alan Freed, and even sued John Lennon because he thought "Come Together" sounded too much like a Chuck Berry song.
In 1981, Bob Marley was given a state funeral in Jamaica and buried at Nine Miles in St. Ann’s Parish, beside the house in which he was born.
'Call Me,' the quintessential Al Green album, was released in 1973. It yielded three hits: “You Ought to Be With Me” (#1 R&B, #3 pop), “Call Me (Come Back Home)” (#2 R&B, #10 pop), “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” (#2 R&B, #10 pop).
In 1966, the Byrd's "Eight Miles High" was banned by some radio stations because of the lyrics' alleged drug references.
In 1955, Chuck Berry recorded "Maybellene" – an up-tempo rewrite of the country-flavored "Ida Red" – with pianist Johnnie Johnson, bass player Willie Dixon and drummer Jasper Thomas. It is the first of Berry's many hits for Chess Records.
Brenda Lee signed with Decca Records in 1956.
In 1980, Joe Strummer (Clash) was arrested at a Hamburg, West Germany, show after smashing his guitar over the head of an audience member.
Marvin Gaye's "Dream of a Lifetime" was released in 1985. It was his last album.
16 year-old Paul Anka recorded "Diana" at the ABC-Paramount studios in New York in 1957. The song would reach #1 in the US the following September and became the first of his 33 US Top 40 hits.
The Mamas And The Papas ("California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday") went to #1 on the Billboard album chart in 1966 with the classic LP,"If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears.” Its 105-week tenure on the album chart surpasses that of any Beatles album save “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
Paul McCartney released "Ram" in 1971, which, unlike his first solo LP, is not a one-man show. His wife Linda is on vocals and he enlists session men David Spinozza, Hugh McCracken on guitar and bass along with drummer Denny Seiwell.
In 1980, a thief broke into Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the recording studio built by Jimi Hendrix and stole five Hendrix gold records. They are for the albums "Are You Experienced?", "Axis: Bold as Love", "Cry of Love", "Rainbow Bridge" and "Live at Monterey".
Chicago's William "Bill" Bradford Champlin (keyboards, guitar and vocals)-1947.
Hilton Valentine, guitarist for the Animals- 1943.
Marcie Blane ("Bobby's Girl") is 64.
Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers ("Shout") is 67.
Leo Sayer ("When I Need You") is 60.
History:
Elton John became the first western act to tour the U.S.S.R. in 1979.
"Little" Stevie Wonder recorded "Fingertips" live at Chicago's Regal Theatre in 1962.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono began a ten-day "bed-in" in Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel in 1969.
The Drifters recorded "Under The Boardwalk" (Johnny Moore is forced to sing lead after Rudy Lewis' death the night before) in 1964.
"Sir Duke," Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Jazz great Duke Ellington, is the #1 song in the U.S. in 1977.
Notorious record exec Morris Levy died in 1990. He owned the Birdland club, copyrighted the phrase "rock & roll" after making friends with Alan Freed, and even sued John Lennon because he thought "Come Together" sounded too much like a Chuck Berry song.
In 1981, Bob Marley was given a state funeral in Jamaica and buried at Nine Miles in St. Ann’s Parish, beside the house in which he was born.
'Call Me,' the quintessential Al Green album, was released in 1973. It yielded three hits: “You Ought to Be With Me” (#1 R&B, #3 pop), “Call Me (Come Back Home)” (#2 R&B, #10 pop), “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” (#2 R&B, #10 pop).
In 1966, the Byrd's "Eight Miles High" was banned by some radio stations because of the lyrics' alleged drug references.
In 1955, Chuck Berry recorded "Maybellene" – an up-tempo rewrite of the country-flavored "Ida Red" – with pianist Johnnie Johnson, bass player Willie Dixon and drummer Jasper Thomas. It is the first of Berry's many hits for Chess Records.
Brenda Lee signed with Decca Records in 1956.
In 1980, Joe Strummer (Clash) was arrested at a Hamburg, West Germany, show after smashing his guitar over the head of an audience member.
Marvin Gaye's "Dream of a Lifetime" was released in 1985. It was his last album.
16 year-old Paul Anka recorded "Diana" at the ABC-Paramount studios in New York in 1957. The song would reach #1 in the US the following September and became the first of his 33 US Top 40 hits.
The Mamas And The Papas ("California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday") went to #1 on the Billboard album chart in 1966 with the classic LP,"If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears.” Its 105-week tenure on the album chart surpasses that of any Beatles album save “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
Paul McCartney released "Ram" in 1971, which, unlike his first solo LP, is not a one-man show. His wife Linda is on vocals and he enlists session men David Spinozza, Hugh McCracken on guitar and bass along with drummer Denny Seiwell.
In 1980, a thief broke into Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the recording studio built by Jimi Hendrix and stole five Hendrix gold records. They are for the albums "Are You Experienced?", "Axis: Bold as Love", "Cry of Love", "Rainbow Bridge" and "Live at Monterey".
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Brian Wilson returns to Capitol Records/EMI, his original label home
New studio album, "That Lucky Old Sun," to be released on September 2 on CD, deluxe CD/DVD, limited edition vinyl and digitally
“You don’t have to climb the Capitol tower, or play the Hollywood Bowl, if there’s a roll in your heart, and a rock in your soul…” (lyrics from That Lucky Old Sun’s California Role)
Hollywood, California – May 19, 2008 - He is one of popular music’s most deeply revered figures, a legendary writer, producer, arranger and performer of some of the most cherished music in rock history. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to call Brian Wilson one of the most gifted and influential pop composers of the last 50 years. Today, Wilson announces his return to Capitol Records/EMI, his original label home. Wilson’s new studio recording, That Lucky Old Sun, will be released by Capitol/EMI on CD, CD/DVD, limited edition vinyl and digitally on September 2 (September 1 internationally).
Brian Wilson’s return to Capitol Records/EMI, where The Beach Boys caught their first hit wave with the 1962 classic, Surfin’ Safari/409, is a triumphant homecoming for one of the world’s most gifted and beloved musical talents.
“I’m thrilled to be back home with Capitol, and I’m looking forward to sharing That Lucky Old Sun with everyone,” says Brian Wilson. “This music is really special to me.”
"We are delighted to be working with Brian Wilson for his new album, That Lucky Old Sun,” says Guy Hands, Executive Chairman of EMI Music. “We all remember the feeling we got when we first heard The Beach Boys’ music. My particular favorite classic is Surfer Girl. It always reminds me of driving an open top car down the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Barbara to Malibu. Brian Wilson is an iconic talent with enormous musical influence all over the world and we are very proud to be representing him.”
A musical love letter from Southern California, That Lucky Old Sun shimmers with sun-dappled choruses and arrangements that swell and swirl as if carried by the Pacific tides. One of the songs, Midnight’s Another Day, has been described by MOJO magazine as “glorious.” The album is narrated in transitional interludes spoken by Wilson as That Lucky Old Sun, the storyteller. The narratives, cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles, propel the album’s musical story.
Last summer, Wilson found himself singing the 1949 classic song, That Lucky Old Sun, which became the inspiration for a unique approach to what would become his next studio release. He bought Louis Armstrong’s version of the track and was inspired to collaborate lyrically with his band mate Scott Bennett, and with Van Dyke Parks, his old ‘sidekick,’ to create vibrant spoken narratives. Wilson debuted That Lucky Old Sun at London’s Royal Festival Hall in September 2007 in a series of six sold-out and critically-acclaimed concert performances celebrating the theatre’s restoration.
Wilson describes That Lucky Old Sun as an “interwoven series of ‘rounds’ with interspersed spoken word,” and as an autobiographical travelogue of sorts. The new studio album is produced by Wilson and was created with his acclaimed band at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where he first recorded in 1962.
The new release is the dawning of a new California morning for Brian Wilson, continuing the awe-inspiring concept album journey that he first began four decades ago. Wilson’s songwriting, arranging and producing talents came together in harmonious glory for The Beach Boys’ 1966 classic, Pet Sounds, and have continued to evolve during his solo career, highlighted by his 2004 critically acclaimed Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE. Lyrically and in Wilson’s incomparably lush, evocative arrangements, That Lucky Old Sun adds a new chapter to Wilson’s conceptual presentations, reaching ever higher with his vibrant and moving autobiographical storytelling and intricate harmonies.
Following numerous nominations, Wilson won a well-deserved Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance (2004) for Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow and he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Last December, he was feted as a leading cultural icon by The Kennedy Center Honors alongside Diana Ross, Martin Scorsese, Steve Martin and Leon Fleisher.
Brian Wilson and his band will perform a number of his classic hits and compositions at select North American and UK concerts this summer.
Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun
1. That Lucky Old Sun
2. Morning Beat
3. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
4. Good Kind Of Love
5. Forever My Surfer Girl
6. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
7. Live Let Live
8. Mexican Girl
9. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
10. California Role
11. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
12. Oxygen
13. Can’t Wait Too Long (vocal excerpt)
14. Midnight’s Another Day
15. Going Home
16. Southern California
Brian Wilson: Confirmed Concert Dates
June 28 London (UK) English Heritage Picnic Concerts
June 29 Ipswich (UK) Regent Theatre
July 1 London (UK) Royal Albert Hall
July 8 Niagara Falls, ON Niagara Fallsview Casino (Avalon Ballroom)
July 9 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues Fest
July 12 Highmount, NY Belleayre Mountain Ski Center
July 13 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Sept. 12/13/14 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
* * *
Source: http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2008/press59.htm
“You don’t have to climb the Capitol tower, or play the Hollywood Bowl, if there’s a roll in your heart, and a rock in your soul…” (lyrics from That Lucky Old Sun’s California Role)
Hollywood, California – May 19, 2008 - He is one of popular music’s most deeply revered figures, a legendary writer, producer, arranger and performer of some of the most cherished music in rock history. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to call Brian Wilson one of the most gifted and influential pop composers of the last 50 years. Today, Wilson announces his return to Capitol Records/EMI, his original label home. Wilson’s new studio recording, That Lucky Old Sun, will be released by Capitol/EMI on CD, CD/DVD, limited edition vinyl and digitally on September 2 (September 1 internationally).
Brian Wilson’s return to Capitol Records/EMI, where The Beach Boys caught their first hit wave with the 1962 classic, Surfin’ Safari/409, is a triumphant homecoming for one of the world’s most gifted and beloved musical talents.
“I’m thrilled to be back home with Capitol, and I’m looking forward to sharing That Lucky Old Sun with everyone,” says Brian Wilson. “This music is really special to me.”
"We are delighted to be working with Brian Wilson for his new album, That Lucky Old Sun,” says Guy Hands, Executive Chairman of EMI Music. “We all remember the feeling we got when we first heard The Beach Boys’ music. My particular favorite classic is Surfer Girl. It always reminds me of driving an open top car down the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Barbara to Malibu. Brian Wilson is an iconic talent with enormous musical influence all over the world and we are very proud to be representing him.”
A musical love letter from Southern California, That Lucky Old Sun shimmers with sun-dappled choruses and arrangements that swell and swirl as if carried by the Pacific tides. One of the songs, Midnight’s Another Day, has been described by MOJO magazine as “glorious.” The album is narrated in transitional interludes spoken by Wilson as That Lucky Old Sun, the storyteller. The narratives, cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles, propel the album’s musical story.
Last summer, Wilson found himself singing the 1949 classic song, That Lucky Old Sun, which became the inspiration for a unique approach to what would become his next studio release. He bought Louis Armstrong’s version of the track and was inspired to collaborate lyrically with his band mate Scott Bennett, and with Van Dyke Parks, his old ‘sidekick,’ to create vibrant spoken narratives. Wilson debuted That Lucky Old Sun at London’s Royal Festival Hall in September 2007 in a series of six sold-out and critically-acclaimed concert performances celebrating the theatre’s restoration.
Wilson describes That Lucky Old Sun as an “interwoven series of ‘rounds’ with interspersed spoken word,” and as an autobiographical travelogue of sorts. The new studio album is produced by Wilson and was created with his acclaimed band at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where he first recorded in 1962.
The new release is the dawning of a new California morning for Brian Wilson, continuing the awe-inspiring concept album journey that he first began four decades ago. Wilson’s songwriting, arranging and producing talents came together in harmonious glory for The Beach Boys’ 1966 classic, Pet Sounds, and have continued to evolve during his solo career, highlighted by his 2004 critically acclaimed Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE. Lyrically and in Wilson’s incomparably lush, evocative arrangements, That Lucky Old Sun adds a new chapter to Wilson’s conceptual presentations, reaching ever higher with his vibrant and moving autobiographical storytelling and intricate harmonies.
Following numerous nominations, Wilson won a well-deserved Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance (2004) for Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow and he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Last December, he was feted as a leading cultural icon by The Kennedy Center Honors alongside Diana Ross, Martin Scorsese, Steve Martin and Leon Fleisher.
Brian Wilson and his band will perform a number of his classic hits and compositions at select North American and UK concerts this summer.
Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun
1. That Lucky Old Sun
2. Morning Beat
3. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
4. Good Kind Of Love
5. Forever My Surfer Girl
6. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
7. Live Let Live
8. Mexican Girl
9. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
10. California Role
11. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
12. Oxygen
13. Can’t Wait Too Long (vocal excerpt)
14. Midnight’s Another Day
15. Going Home
16. Southern California
Brian Wilson: Confirmed Concert Dates
June 28 London (UK) English Heritage Picnic Concerts
June 29 Ipswich (UK) Regent Theatre
July 1 London (UK) Royal Albert Hall
July 8 Niagara Falls, ON Niagara Fallsview Casino (Avalon Ballroom)
July 9 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues Fest
July 12 Highmount, NY Belleayre Mountain Ski Center
July 13 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Sept. 12/13/14 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
* * *
Source: http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2008/press59.htm
Blondie album reissued with extras
Blondie breakthrough album reissued with extras
By Gary Graff
DETROIT (Billboard) - A super-sized reissue of Blondie's breakthrough album "Parallel Lines" to coincide with its 30th anniversary was not the band's idea, singer Debbie Harry says.
"It's really sort of traditional EMI behavior," she told Billboard.com with a laugh. "None of us really were counting the hours and the days or whatever."
The reissue will come out on June 24; Blondie will be on the road by then with a tour that begins June 5 in Baltimore.
The group -- which still includes founding members guitarist Chris Stein and drummer Clem Burke -- plans to play the album in its entirety.
"Parallel Lines," Blondie's third album, peaked at No. 6 during a 103-week run on the Billboard 200. The single "Heart of Glass," which Harry says she and guitarist Chris Stein wrote several years earlier, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "One Way or Another" made it to No. 24.
The album has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, but Harry was most pleased about its impact in the States.
"We'd had hits all over the world -- in Europe, in the U.K., in Australia," she says. "But having a hit at home after three years of being on the road was really, really important to us."
The reissue includes the 7-inch single version of "Heart of Glass," the French version of "Sunday Girl" and some remixes, as well as a DVD with promo videos and TV performances.
Reuters/Billboard
By Gary Graff
DETROIT (Billboard) - A super-sized reissue of Blondie's breakthrough album "Parallel Lines" to coincide with its 30th anniversary was not the band's idea, singer Debbie Harry says.
"It's really sort of traditional EMI behavior," she told Billboard.com with a laugh. "None of us really were counting the hours and the days or whatever."
The reissue will come out on June 24; Blondie will be on the road by then with a tour that begins June 5 in Baltimore.
The group -- which still includes founding members guitarist Chris Stein and drummer Clem Burke -- plans to play the album in its entirety.
"Parallel Lines," Blondie's third album, peaked at No. 6 during a 103-week run on the Billboard 200. The single "Heart of Glass," which Harry says she and guitarist Chris Stein wrote several years earlier, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "One Way or Another" made it to No. 24.
The album has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, but Harry was most pleased about its impact in the States.
"We'd had hits all over the world -- in Europe, in the U.K., in Australia," she says. "But having a hit at home after three years of being on the road was really, really important to us."
The reissue includes the 7-inch single version of "Heart of Glass," the French version of "Sunday Girl" and some remixes, as well as a DVD with promo videos and TV performances.
Reuters/Billboard
Green Day Issues Album As Foxboro Hot Tubs
By: Don Kaye
Green Day releases its new album on Tuesday (May 20th), except, of course, it's not under the name Green Day. Stop Drop and Roll arrives in stores as the debut disc from the Foxboro Hot Tubs, with the five-piece act consisting of the three core members of Green Day and two musician friends who have played on the punk trio's previous records. After months of rumors and the success of the unofficial single "Mother Mary," Green Day finally confirmed that they were the Hot Tubs last month, writing in an email to MTV, "We think that the only similarity (between the Hot Tubs and Green Day) is that we are the same band. That is basically the only similarity."
Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt plays in the Hot Tubs under his real name, Michael Pritchard, while drummer Tre Cool also uses his real name, Frank Edwin Wright III. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is calling himself the Reverend Strychnine Twitch.
"The Pedestrian" is the latest single off Stop Drop and Roll. A vinyl version of the disc is scheduled for release on June 24th.
Green Day pulled this kind of stunt once before, releasing an album called Money Money 2020 in late 2003 under the name the Network.
There is no word on when Green Day will release the follow-up to its last official album, 2004's massively successful American Idiot.
The Foxboro Hot Tubs are currently on a brief tour that brings them to New Orleans on Tuesday night and finishes up on May 28th in Long Beach, California. The band is playing the entire new album live, along with some covers and a rare cut or two from Green Day and the Network.
Source: http://www.kbsradio.ca/news/music/87/721720
Green Day releases its new album on Tuesday (May 20th), except, of course, it's not under the name Green Day. Stop Drop and Roll arrives in stores as the debut disc from the Foxboro Hot Tubs, with the five-piece act consisting of the three core members of Green Day and two musician friends who have played on the punk trio's previous records. After months of rumors and the success of the unofficial single "Mother Mary," Green Day finally confirmed that they were the Hot Tubs last month, writing in an email to MTV, "We think that the only similarity (between the Hot Tubs and Green Day) is that we are the same band. That is basically the only similarity."
Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt plays in the Hot Tubs under his real name, Michael Pritchard, while drummer Tre Cool also uses his real name, Frank Edwin Wright III. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is calling himself the Reverend Strychnine Twitch.
"The Pedestrian" is the latest single off Stop Drop and Roll. A vinyl version of the disc is scheduled for release on June 24th.
Green Day pulled this kind of stunt once before, releasing an album called Money Money 2020 in late 2003 under the name the Network.
There is no word on when Green Day will release the follow-up to its last official album, 2004's massively successful American Idiot.
The Foxboro Hot Tubs are currently on a brief tour that brings them to New Orleans on Tuesday night and finishes up on May 28th in Long Beach, California. The band is playing the entire new album live, along with some covers and a rare cut or two from Green Day and the Network.
Source: http://www.kbsradio.ca/news/music/87/721720
Monday, May 19, 2008
This Date In Music History- May 19
Pete Townshend of the Who ("Won't Get Fooled Again") turns 63.
Freddie Garrity of Freddie & the Dreamers("I'm Telling You Now") died in 2006.
Odia Coates (sang "You're Having My Baby" and other songs with Paul Anka) died of cancer in 1991.
The Everly Brothers formed their Calliope Records label (its first release is Don performing "Pomp And Circumstance" as "Adrian Kimberley") in 1961.
Peggy Lee recorded "Fever" in 1958.
Today in 1973, the song "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
Pete Seeger was born in 1919.
On this day in 1984, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon had been on the American charts for 10 years solid.
In 1965, in their efforts to determine the true significance of the lyrics to "Louie Louie," FBI agents visit the offices of Wand Records, which distributed the Kingsmen's hit record. They would eventually release a statement that said that it was impossible to exactly decipher the lyrics from "the unintelligible rendition as performed by The Kingsmen."
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1954.
She's a slave to the rhythm. And she was born today in Kingston, Jamaica in 1952. She is Grace Jones.
Joey Ramone was born today in Forest Hills, N.Y. in 1952
In 1979, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr performed together for the first time since the breakup of the Beatles at the wedding reception for Harrison's friend Eric Clapton and Harrison's ex-wife Patti Boyd.
In an indication of the mania to come, three girls were arrested in 1963 after trying to use a ladder to gain entry to the Beatles' dressing room. The band was performing with Roy Orbison in Hanley, England. The trio were released after the Beatles gave them autographs.
Dusty Hill of ZZ Top was born in Dallas in 1949.
In 1958, Bobby Darin’s single, "Splish Splash," was released as the first eight-track master recording pressed to a plastic 45-RPM disc.
Also in 1958- Ritchie Valens recorded the self-penned "Come On, Let's Go" for Del-Fi Records in Los Angeles. The song would peak at #42 on the Billboard singles chart the following October.
In 1960, Deejay Alan Freed was indicted along with seven others for accepting $30,650 in payola from six record companies. Two years later, he was convicted and received a suspended sentence and a $300 fine.
Ron Wilson, The Surfaris' drummer who recorded one of Rock and Roll's most influential drum solo’s, "Wipe Out", died of a brain aneurysm on May 19th, 1989 at the age of 49.
The Grateful Dead debuted at San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom in 1966.
Supertramp’s "Breakfast In America," with "Goodbye Stranger" and "Take The Long Way Home," was the #1 album in the U.S. in 1979.
The Beatles single “Get Back” went gold in 1969. It shows that despite the feuding, the group can still hit #1 on the pop charts.
Freddie Garrity of Freddie & the Dreamers("I'm Telling You Now") died in 2006.
Odia Coates (sang "You're Having My Baby" and other songs with Paul Anka) died of cancer in 1991.
The Everly Brothers formed their Calliope Records label (its first release is Don performing "Pomp And Circumstance" as "Adrian Kimberley") in 1961.
Peggy Lee recorded "Fever" in 1958.
Today in 1973, the song "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
Pete Seeger was born in 1919.
On this day in 1984, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon had been on the American charts for 10 years solid.
In 1965, in their efforts to determine the true significance of the lyrics to "Louie Louie," FBI agents visit the offices of Wand Records, which distributed the Kingsmen's hit record. They would eventually release a statement that said that it was impossible to exactly decipher the lyrics from "the unintelligible rendition as performed by The Kingsmen."
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1954.
She's a slave to the rhythm. And she was born today in Kingston, Jamaica in 1952. She is Grace Jones.
Joey Ramone was born today in Forest Hills, N.Y. in 1952
In 1979, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr performed together for the first time since the breakup of the Beatles at the wedding reception for Harrison's friend Eric Clapton and Harrison's ex-wife Patti Boyd.
In an indication of the mania to come, three girls were arrested in 1963 after trying to use a ladder to gain entry to the Beatles' dressing room. The band was performing with Roy Orbison in Hanley, England. The trio were released after the Beatles gave them autographs.
Dusty Hill of ZZ Top was born in Dallas in 1949.
In 1958, Bobby Darin’s single, "Splish Splash," was released as the first eight-track master recording pressed to a plastic 45-RPM disc.
Also in 1958- Ritchie Valens recorded the self-penned "Come On, Let's Go" for Del-Fi Records in Los Angeles. The song would peak at #42 on the Billboard singles chart the following October.
In 1960, Deejay Alan Freed was indicted along with seven others for accepting $30,650 in payola from six record companies. Two years later, he was convicted and received a suspended sentence and a $300 fine.
Ron Wilson, The Surfaris' drummer who recorded one of Rock and Roll's most influential drum solo’s, "Wipe Out", died of a brain aneurysm on May 19th, 1989 at the age of 49.
The Grateful Dead debuted at San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom in 1966.
Supertramp’s "Breakfast In America," with "Goodbye Stranger" and "Take The Long Way Home," was the #1 album in the U.S. in 1979.
The Beatles single “Get Back” went gold in 1969. It shows that despite the feuding, the group can still hit #1 on the pop charts.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
This Date In Music History- May 17
Bob Dylan and the Hawks (a.k.a. The Band) performed at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England in 1966. Dylan was booed by folk purists who object to his appearing with an electric band. This widely bootlegged concert, often misidentified as having been performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall, was officially released 22 years later as 'Live 1966.'
The Grateful Dead’s self-titled first album, a potpourri of blues, bluegrass and psychedelic rock, was released on Warner Bros. Records in 1967.
In 1970, Rock artists such as Pink Floyd, the Who, and Yes incorporate synthesizers into their work.
Elton John picked up a platinum disc for Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy in 1975. The album was the first to sell a million copies on its first day of release.
Kraftwerk formed in 1971.
The Traveling Wilburys – a low-key supergroup comprising Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison – came together to record their first album, which was released in October of 1988.
Lawrence Welk, legendary TV bandleader, died in Santa Monica, Calif., of pneumonia in 1992. He was 89.
In 1995, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard appeared together for the first time onstage, in Sheffield, England.
The Donna Summer/Village People movie, "Thank God It's Friday" debuts in Los Angeles in 1978. Sadly, I wasn’t there.
Jean Knight recorded "Mr. Big Stuff" and King Floyd cuts "Groove Me" at the same Jackson, Mississippi recording session in 1970.
Today in 1986, the song "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.
Red Smiley, no relation to Sesame Street's Guy Smiley, was born in Asheville, N.C. in 1925. With Dan Reno, he formed the Tennessee Cut-Ups, a famed bluegrass combo.
Folk/bluesman Taj Mahal, who has played almost every kind of African-American style of music there is, was born today in New York in 1942.
Prog-rock drummer Bill Bruford was born in Sevenoaks, England in 1948. He was a founding member of Yes and later joined King Crimson.
Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor was born today in Mercer, PA in 1965.
In 1969, Chicago released their double debut album, Chicago Transit Authority. The real C.T.A. sued.
In 1980, drummer Peter Criss left KISS after Gene Simmons' then girlfriend Diana Ross tells him he is too talented to be in the band.
In 1996, Blues guitarist Johnny "Guitar" Watson died while touring Japan.
Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, The Weavers and Peter, Paul and Mary were the featured acts at the very first Monterey Folk Festival in Monterey, California in 1963.
Rock producer (Aerosmith, Van Halen, AC/DC), Bruce Fairbairn, died in his Vancouver home in 1999.
Songwriter Sharon Sheeley died on May 17th 2002, in a Los Angeles hospital from complications following a cerebral hemorrhage. She was 62. Sheeley wrote "Poor Little Fool" for Ricky Nelson as well as "Dum Dum", a hit for Brenda Lee. Sharon was the girlfriend of Eddie Cochran and was in the London car accident that took Eddie's life on April 17th, 1960.
The Grateful Dead’s self-titled first album, a potpourri of blues, bluegrass and psychedelic rock, was released on Warner Bros. Records in 1967.
In 1970, Rock artists such as Pink Floyd, the Who, and Yes incorporate synthesizers into their work.
Elton John picked up a platinum disc for Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy in 1975. The album was the first to sell a million copies on its first day of release.
Kraftwerk formed in 1971.
The Traveling Wilburys – a low-key supergroup comprising Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison – came together to record their first album, which was released in October of 1988.
Lawrence Welk, legendary TV bandleader, died in Santa Monica, Calif., of pneumonia in 1992. He was 89.
In 1995, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard appeared together for the first time onstage, in Sheffield, England.
The Donna Summer/Village People movie, "Thank God It's Friday" debuts in Los Angeles in 1978. Sadly, I wasn’t there.
Jean Knight recorded "Mr. Big Stuff" and King Floyd cuts "Groove Me" at the same Jackson, Mississippi recording session in 1970.
Today in 1986, the song "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.
Red Smiley, no relation to Sesame Street's Guy Smiley, was born in Asheville, N.C. in 1925. With Dan Reno, he formed the Tennessee Cut-Ups, a famed bluegrass combo.
Folk/bluesman Taj Mahal, who has played almost every kind of African-American style of music there is, was born today in New York in 1942.
Prog-rock drummer Bill Bruford was born in Sevenoaks, England in 1948. He was a founding member of Yes and later joined King Crimson.
Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor was born today in Mercer, PA in 1965.
In 1969, Chicago released their double debut album, Chicago Transit Authority. The real C.T.A. sued.
In 1980, drummer Peter Criss left KISS after Gene Simmons' then girlfriend Diana Ross tells him he is too talented to be in the band.
In 1996, Blues guitarist Johnny "Guitar" Watson died while touring Japan.
Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, The Weavers and Peter, Paul and Mary were the featured acts at the very first Monterey Folk Festival in Monterey, California in 1963.
Rock producer (Aerosmith, Van Halen, AC/DC), Bruce Fairbairn, died in his Vancouver home in 1999.
Songwriter Sharon Sheeley died on May 17th 2002, in a Los Angeles hospital from complications following a cerebral hemorrhage. She was 62. Sheeley wrote "Poor Little Fool" for Ricky Nelson as well as "Dum Dum", a hit for Brenda Lee. Sharon was the girlfriend of Eddie Cochran and was in the London car accident that took Eddie's life on April 17th, 1960.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
This Date In Music History- May 15
In 1970, The Mothers of Invention performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta. Frank Zappa cues the esteemed conductor with the command, "Hit it, Zuben!"
In 1983, "Let's Dance", featuring Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar, is David Bowie's first #1 hit in both the US and UK.
Lenny Welch ("Since I Fell For You") is 69.
Trini Lopez ("If I Had A Hammer") turns 71.
Mike Oldfield ("Tubular Bells") is 55.
June Carter Cash ("Jackson" with husband Johnny Cash) died of complications from heart surgery the previous week in 2003.
In 1957, Elvis Presley inhaled the cap from one of his teeth and is taken to a Los Angeles hospital to have it removed from his lung.
Paul McCartney first met Linda Eastman at a Georgie Fame concert in London in 1967 (they marry two years later).
The Rolling Stones signed with Decca Records in London (who had turned down the Beatles the year before), in 1963.
Today in 1976, the song "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
In 1997, rockers everywhere wince as the Muzak company announced it will turn four Kiss songs into elevator-friendly instrumentals.
Fleetwood Mac debut their new lineup in El Paso, Texas in 1975. It's the first incarnation of the band that includes Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and John and Christine McVie.
In 1970, a Pink Floyd concert at London's Crystal Palace is so loud it kills fish in a nearby lake.
Also in 1970- The Carpenters released their breakthrough album Close to You. The fish survive this.
Eddy Arnold, known as the Tennessee Plowboy, was born in Henderson, Texas in 1918. The guitarist had a staggering 28 No. 1 country singles.
Brian Eno, the great rock experimentalist who was part of Roxy Music and produced U2, was born in Woodbridge, England in 1948.
In 1965, The Byrds debut on the pop charts with their electric cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The single’s success prompts Dylan to go electric.
After cracking the Billboard Top 40 in 1980 with "Angel Say No", the four man Rock group from San Francisco called Tommy Tutone reached #5 in 1982 with a song called "867-5309 / Jenny". Lead singer Tommy Heath said that he really does know a girl named Jenny whose parent's phone number was 867-5309. Many folks with that phone number had it changed to avoid prank calls.
44 year old Barbara Lee Jones of The Chiffons, ("He's So Fine") died of a heart attack on May 15th 1992.
In 1996, Independent Television in Britain broadcast the earliest known footage of the Beatles, shot in February 1961. That was three years before the group became world-famous. The film, which had no soundtrack, was found in a drawer in a house in Liverpool.
In 1983, "Let's Dance", featuring Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar, is David Bowie's first #1 hit in both the US and UK.
Lenny Welch ("Since I Fell For You") is 69.
Trini Lopez ("If I Had A Hammer") turns 71.
Mike Oldfield ("Tubular Bells") is 55.
June Carter Cash ("Jackson" with husband Johnny Cash) died of complications from heart surgery the previous week in 2003.
In 1957, Elvis Presley inhaled the cap from one of his teeth and is taken to a Los Angeles hospital to have it removed from his lung.
Paul McCartney first met Linda Eastman at a Georgie Fame concert in London in 1967 (they marry two years later).
The Rolling Stones signed with Decca Records in London (who had turned down the Beatles the year before), in 1963.
Today in 1976, the song "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
In 1997, rockers everywhere wince as the Muzak company announced it will turn four Kiss songs into elevator-friendly instrumentals.
Fleetwood Mac debut their new lineup in El Paso, Texas in 1975. It's the first incarnation of the band that includes Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and John and Christine McVie.
In 1970, a Pink Floyd concert at London's Crystal Palace is so loud it kills fish in a nearby lake.
Also in 1970- The Carpenters released their breakthrough album Close to You. The fish survive this.
Eddy Arnold, known as the Tennessee Plowboy, was born in Henderson, Texas in 1918. The guitarist had a staggering 28 No. 1 country singles.
Brian Eno, the great rock experimentalist who was part of Roxy Music and produced U2, was born in Woodbridge, England in 1948.
In 1965, The Byrds debut on the pop charts with their electric cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The single’s success prompts Dylan to go electric.
After cracking the Billboard Top 40 in 1980 with "Angel Say No", the four man Rock group from San Francisco called Tommy Tutone reached #5 in 1982 with a song called "867-5309 / Jenny". Lead singer Tommy Heath said that he really does know a girl named Jenny whose parent's phone number was 867-5309. Many folks with that phone number had it changed to avoid prank calls.
44 year old Barbara Lee Jones of The Chiffons, ("He's So Fine") died of a heart attack on May 15th 1992.
In 1996, Independent Television in Britain broadcast the earliest known footage of the Beatles, shot in February 1961. That was three years before the group became world-famous. The film, which had no soundtrack, was found in a drawer in a house in Liverpool.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Vinyl Sales Up
Various numbers from the music industry:
Music is really long tail - in 2007, 450,344 of the 570,000 albums sold were purchased less than 100 times. 1,000 albums accounted for 50% of all album sales.
The music industry had its biggest sales week since they started keeping records, with 58 million units sold in the last week of 2007. The previous record was 47 million during the last week of 2006.
13% of all album sales come from American Idol and the Disney franchises.
CD sales are down 31% since 2004, but digital music sales are up 490%.
Surprisingly, Vinyl sales are coming back - they grew 15% in 2007 and are up 70% in the first 3 months of this year. Mostly in indie vinyl.
1 out of 4 albums are purchased in a non-traditional retail store (i.e. internet, or at a concert).
80,000 albums were released in 2007
844 million digital tracks sold in 2007, 1% of all digital tracks accounted for 80% of all track sales.
Music is really long tail - in 2007, 450,344 of the 570,000 albums sold were purchased less than 100 times. 1,000 albums accounted for 50% of all album sales.
The music industry had its biggest sales week since they started keeping records, with 58 million units sold in the last week of 2007. The previous record was 47 million during the last week of 2006.
13% of all album sales come from American Idol and the Disney franchises.
CD sales are down 31% since 2004, but digital music sales are up 490%.
Surprisingly, Vinyl sales are coming back - they grew 15% in 2007 and are up 70% in the first 3 months of this year. Mostly in indie vinyl.
1 out of 4 albums are purchased in a non-traditional retail store (i.e. internet, or at a concert).
80,000 albums were released in 2007
844 million digital tracks sold in 2007, 1% of all digital tracks accounted for 80% of all track sales.
This Date In Music History- May 13
Richard Steven Valenzuela, better known as Ritchie Valens, was born in Los Angeles in 1941.
'Rastaman Vibration,' by Bob Marley and the Wailers – and featuring an American, Don Kinsey, on lead guitar – was released in 1976. It becomes Marley’s highest-charting album, reaching #8 in the U.S. and #15 in the U.K.
Young Steveland Morris was born today in Saginaw, Michigan. He is best known to the world as Stevie Wonder, unleashing a masterful series of hits that included "Superstition," "I Wish," and "Sir Duke."
The late Mary Wells was born in 1943. Her 1964 No. 1 hit, the Smokey Robinson-penned "My Guy,” helped launched Motown Records.
The late Nervous Norvus ("Transfusion"-- nee James Drake) was born in 1912.
Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong pled guilty to selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet in 2003. Surprise!
In 1975, a radio station in Jacksonville, Florida knocked out the city's phone service giving away tickets to Elvis Presley's concert.
The Beatles' "Let It Be" film opened in New York City in 1970.
In 1979, Donny & Marie Osmond's "A Little Bit Of Country, A Little Bit Of Rock 'n' Roll" special on ABC-TV included guests Chuck Berry and Chubby Checker.
Elvis Presley's "Tickle Me" movie premiered in Hollywood (it opens nationally two weeks later) in 1965.
Today in 1967, the song "Somethin' Stupid" by Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.
In 1975, Bob Wills, the biggest star in the western swing firmament, died in a nursing home at age 70. He had been in a coma since suffering a stroke in 1973. With the Texas Playboys, he had scored six country No. 1's.
Danny Kirwan, guitarist and vocalist in early incarnations of Fleetwood Mac, was born in 1950.
In 1957, Elvis Presley began shooting one of his better movies, Jailhouse Rock.
The Rolling Stones released “Paint It Black” in 1966, with sitar by Brian Jones and brilliant drumming from Charlie Watts.
“The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl” was released in 1977. The album is a compilation of two shows – one in 1964 and the other in 1965. There’s a lot of screaming but it shows what The Beatles could do live.
Appearing on sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s TV show in 1986, Ted Nugent demurely states, “Life is one big female safari.” Wango Tango!
In 1955, Elvis Presley's performance in Jacksonville, Florida is the first Presley show at which a riot ensues. After Elvis tells the audience, "Girls, I'll see you backstage,” he has some of his clothes ripped off, but escapes unharmed.
The Bee Gees entered the UK Pop chart for the first time in 1967 with "New York Mining Disaster 1941.”
After singing background vocals for Eric Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1974, Yvonne Elliman had a US number one hit of her own with "If I Can't Have You” in 1978. The song reached #4 in the UK.
'Rastaman Vibration,' by Bob Marley and the Wailers – and featuring an American, Don Kinsey, on lead guitar – was released in 1976. It becomes Marley’s highest-charting album, reaching #8 in the U.S. and #15 in the U.K.
Young Steveland Morris was born today in Saginaw, Michigan. He is best known to the world as Stevie Wonder, unleashing a masterful series of hits that included "Superstition," "I Wish," and "Sir Duke."
The late Mary Wells was born in 1943. Her 1964 No. 1 hit, the Smokey Robinson-penned "My Guy,” helped launched Motown Records.
The late Nervous Norvus ("Transfusion"-- nee James Drake) was born in 1912.
Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong pled guilty to selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet in 2003. Surprise!
In 1975, a radio station in Jacksonville, Florida knocked out the city's phone service giving away tickets to Elvis Presley's concert.
The Beatles' "Let It Be" film opened in New York City in 1970.
In 1979, Donny & Marie Osmond's "A Little Bit Of Country, A Little Bit Of Rock 'n' Roll" special on ABC-TV included guests Chuck Berry and Chubby Checker.
Elvis Presley's "Tickle Me" movie premiered in Hollywood (it opens nationally two weeks later) in 1965.
Today in 1967, the song "Somethin' Stupid" by Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.
In 1975, Bob Wills, the biggest star in the western swing firmament, died in a nursing home at age 70. He had been in a coma since suffering a stroke in 1973. With the Texas Playboys, he had scored six country No. 1's.
Danny Kirwan, guitarist and vocalist in early incarnations of Fleetwood Mac, was born in 1950.
In 1957, Elvis Presley began shooting one of his better movies, Jailhouse Rock.
The Rolling Stones released “Paint It Black” in 1966, with sitar by Brian Jones and brilliant drumming from Charlie Watts.
“The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl” was released in 1977. The album is a compilation of two shows – one in 1964 and the other in 1965. There’s a lot of screaming but it shows what The Beatles could do live.
Appearing on sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s TV show in 1986, Ted Nugent demurely states, “Life is one big female safari.” Wango Tango!
In 1955, Elvis Presley's performance in Jacksonville, Florida is the first Presley show at which a riot ensues. After Elvis tells the audience, "Girls, I'll see you backstage,” he has some of his clothes ripped off, but escapes unharmed.
The Bee Gees entered the UK Pop chart for the first time in 1967 with "New York Mining Disaster 1941.”
After singing background vocals for Eric Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1974, Yvonne Elliman had a US number one hit of her own with "If I Can't Have You” in 1978. The song reached #4 in the UK.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day!
I hope everyone (especially Mothers!) enjoyed a Happy Mother's Day. I found an interesting article at http://www.knoxnews.com/ and thought I would share it:
Vinyl is still the mother of music
Written By Wayne Bledsoe
It occurs to me this Mother's Day that CDs were designed to be the trophy wives of music lovers. Think about it: Those old vinyl albums introduced us to hot tracks from Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Parliament /Funkadelic. They endured the indignity of disco and the misery of Air Supply and helped us give birth to our best times and most hairbrained schemes. But we got to know all vinyl albums' moves and as time went on, we took them for granted. Then someone came along and said "Hey, look at this shiny new disc! It's lighter, portable and (imagine Barry White's voice here) so sexxxxxy! Why that heavy old vinyl thing has grit in her grooves! This new model is smooth and light with a figure of 0110- 0101-1010! It'll impress your friends!"
We bought it. We divorced ourselves from vinyl for shiny new CDs . The heartless music bearers sucked up all our money and still wanted more. And, CDs didn't do the job that dowdy old vinyl did. Their sound lacked vinyl's warmth. When it got a little better we replaced those CDs with the better ones, but it was still an empty experience.
Now, CDs themselves are passe. Digital downloads offer immediate gratification. No fiddling around with CD trays and knob adjustments to get them in the mood. Oh baby. You make me feel so young!
Yet, nothing still sounds as good as good old vinyl. It's a real, physical preservation of sound. CDs are sagging, but vinyl album sales are up and the quality is better than it was in the 1970s (hey, looks like somebody's been to the gym!). Cool kids are tracking down turntables and searching out vintage albums. And, artists are making sure to press vinyl discs and often include a code where a listener can download a digital version as well. Two music artists I've spoken with in the past months predicted the death of the CD, but the resurgence of vinyl.
And, sales of turntables (many featuring USB connections so you can plug directly into your computer) are up, too. They're such popular items you can buy them at Target.
The USB turntables both allow you to listen to your vinyl albums through your computer (although it would really sound much better though a nice amp and speakers) and convert your albums to a digital format and take out some of the pops and scratches if you so desire. (But remember: "Never Mind the Bollocks" by the Sex Pistols sounds better with the grit!)
Among the companies offering the turntables are Ion (with several models around $100) and Numark, Stanton and Audio-Technia. The Crosley Memory Master CD Recorder ($449) allows you to record the vinyl directly to CD if you want, but it looks like a record player named "grandma."
Those teenagers and 20-somethings discovering the joys of vinyl are both sick of the poor quality sound of digital and want something tactile with their music experiences. They ask how could we have ever put these sweet vinyl albums out to pasture?
Some record companies are back and asking for forgiveness, but others are insisting that they made the right choice.
By the looks of things, they'll be old and broke and out of business in a few years.
Happy Mother's Day vinyl.
Vinyl is still the mother of music
Written By Wayne Bledsoe
It occurs to me this Mother's Day that CDs were designed to be the trophy wives of music lovers. Think about it: Those old vinyl albums introduced us to hot tracks from Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Parliament /Funkadelic. They endured the indignity of disco and the misery of Air Supply and helped us give birth to our best times and most hairbrained schemes. But we got to know all vinyl albums' moves and as time went on, we took them for granted. Then someone came along and said "Hey, look at this shiny new disc! It's lighter, portable and (imagine Barry White's voice here) so sexxxxxy! Why that heavy old vinyl thing has grit in her grooves! This new model is smooth and light with a figure of 0110- 0101-1010! It'll impress your friends!"
We bought it. We divorced ourselves from vinyl for shiny new CDs . The heartless music bearers sucked up all our money and still wanted more. And, CDs didn't do the job that dowdy old vinyl did. Their sound lacked vinyl's warmth. When it got a little better we replaced those CDs with the better ones, but it was still an empty experience.
Now, CDs themselves are passe. Digital downloads offer immediate gratification. No fiddling around with CD trays and knob adjustments to get them in the mood. Oh baby. You make me feel so young!
Yet, nothing still sounds as good as good old vinyl. It's a real, physical preservation of sound. CDs are sagging, but vinyl album sales are up and the quality is better than it was in the 1970s (hey, looks like somebody's been to the gym!). Cool kids are tracking down turntables and searching out vintage albums. And, artists are making sure to press vinyl discs and often include a code where a listener can download a digital version as well. Two music artists I've spoken with in the past months predicted the death of the CD, but the resurgence of vinyl.
And, sales of turntables (many featuring USB connections so you can plug directly into your computer) are up, too. They're such popular items you can buy them at Target.
The USB turntables both allow you to listen to your vinyl albums through your computer (although it would really sound much better though a nice amp and speakers) and convert your albums to a digital format and take out some of the pops and scratches if you so desire. (But remember: "Never Mind the Bollocks" by the Sex Pistols sounds better with the grit!)
Among the companies offering the turntables are Ion (with several models around $100) and Numark, Stanton and Audio-Technia. The Crosley Memory Master CD Recorder ($449) allows you to record the vinyl directly to CD if you want, but it looks like a record player named "grandma."
Those teenagers and 20-somethings discovering the joys of vinyl are both sick of the poor quality sound of digital and want something tactile with their music experiences. They ask how could we have ever put these sweet vinyl albums out to pasture?
Some record companies are back and asking for forgiveness, but others are insisting that they made the right choice.
By the looks of things, they'll be old and broke and out of business in a few years.
Happy Mother's Day vinyl.
This Date In Music History- May 11
In 2003, rock musician Noel Redding, best known for his stint as the bassist of the "Jimi Hendrix Experience," was found dead at his home in Ireland of unknown causes. He is 57.
In 1995, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray played a tribute concert to Stevie Ray Vaughan in his hometown of Austin, Texas. All five had played with Vaughan at his last show on August 26, 1990, before he was killed in a helicopter crash.
Bob Marley, the uncontested King of Reggae, died of a brain tumor on May 11, 1981 at the age of 36. Seven months earlier, he had collapsed on stage during a concert in the US. He was given a state funeral and buried near his birthplace in St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica.
Eric Burdon ("Spill The Wine" and leader of the Animals) turns 67. Burdon is one of the most recognizable voices from the British Invasion.
In 1974, Led Zeppelin met with Elvis Presley after the King's concert at the Los Angeles Forum (Robert Plant and Elvis launch into an impromptu rendition of "Love Me").
In 1959, Dave "Baby" Cortez reached the top spot on the Billboard chart with "The Happy Organ.” The song was originally recorded under the name "The Dog and the Cat,” with a vocal track that didn't work out. Cortez then added an organ solo and changed the title.
The Everly Brothers performed for the first time at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in 1957.
Also in 1957, Buddy Holly & the Crickets auditioned for "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" TV program, but were rejected.
In 1988, Irving Berlin was serenaded by a crowd singing his songs outside his apartment as he turned 100. New York's Carnegie Hall also paid the composer a gala tribute.
John Lennon appeared on the "Dick Cavett" TV show in 1972 and said that the FBI was tapping his phone as part of a plan to have him deported from the U.S. Imagine, twenty years later, when it’s discovered that was exactly what the government was doing. The Nixon Administration felt Lennon was a dangerous subversive that had to go.
The Byrds made their TV debut in 1965, singing "Mr. Tambourine Man" on NBC's "Hullabaloo.”
In 1968, the Monkees entered the albums chart with “The Birds, the Bees and the Monkees.” Although the album debuts at a disappointing # 80, the next week it would leap to #3.
The soundtrack for the movie "Woodstock" was released in 1970. The album would go gold within two weeks.
Bluegrass great Lester Flatt died in Nashville in 1979. With Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, the guitarist turned bluegrass music into a worldwide phenomenon.
The Beatles cut "Baby You're a Rich Man" at Olympia Studios in 1967. It marked the first time they've ever recorded outside of Abbey Road.
In 1964, the Rolling Stones were refused lunch at a hotel in Bristol, England, because they were not wearing jackets and ties. Bad boys!
In 1963, the Beatles' debut album, “Please Please Me,” topped the English albums chart. Eight of the 12 tracks were written by Lennon and McCartney, setting a new precedent in rock music for artists writing their own material.
In 1995, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray played a tribute concert to Stevie Ray Vaughan in his hometown of Austin, Texas. All five had played with Vaughan at his last show on August 26, 1990, before he was killed in a helicopter crash.
Bob Marley, the uncontested King of Reggae, died of a brain tumor on May 11, 1981 at the age of 36. Seven months earlier, he had collapsed on stage during a concert in the US. He was given a state funeral and buried near his birthplace in St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica.
Eric Burdon ("Spill The Wine" and leader of the Animals) turns 67. Burdon is one of the most recognizable voices from the British Invasion.
In 1974, Led Zeppelin met with Elvis Presley after the King's concert at the Los Angeles Forum (Robert Plant and Elvis launch into an impromptu rendition of "Love Me").
In 1959, Dave "Baby" Cortez reached the top spot on the Billboard chart with "The Happy Organ.” The song was originally recorded under the name "The Dog and the Cat,” with a vocal track that didn't work out. Cortez then added an organ solo and changed the title.
The Everly Brothers performed for the first time at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in 1957.
Also in 1957, Buddy Holly & the Crickets auditioned for "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" TV program, but were rejected.
In 1988, Irving Berlin was serenaded by a crowd singing his songs outside his apartment as he turned 100. New York's Carnegie Hall also paid the composer a gala tribute.
John Lennon appeared on the "Dick Cavett" TV show in 1972 and said that the FBI was tapping his phone as part of a plan to have him deported from the U.S. Imagine, twenty years later, when it’s discovered that was exactly what the government was doing. The Nixon Administration felt Lennon was a dangerous subversive that had to go.
The Byrds made their TV debut in 1965, singing "Mr. Tambourine Man" on NBC's "Hullabaloo.”
In 1968, the Monkees entered the albums chart with “The Birds, the Bees and the Monkees.” Although the album debuts at a disappointing # 80, the next week it would leap to #3.
The soundtrack for the movie "Woodstock" was released in 1970. The album would go gold within two weeks.
Bluegrass great Lester Flatt died in Nashville in 1979. With Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, the guitarist turned bluegrass music into a worldwide phenomenon.
The Beatles cut "Baby You're a Rich Man" at Olympia Studios in 1967. It marked the first time they've ever recorded outside of Abbey Road.
In 1964, the Rolling Stones were refused lunch at a hotel in Bristol, England, because they were not wearing jackets and ties. Bad boys!
In 1963, the Beatles' debut album, “Please Please Me,” topped the English albums chart. Eight of the 12 tracks were written by Lennon and McCartney, setting a new precedent in rock music for artists writing their own material.
New Record Label Launched
Forest Life Records Celebrates Inaugural Release
Forest Life Records, a young label from the midwest specializing in vinyl, has issued it's first release: a 7 inch vinyl of recent No Sleep Records signees La Dispute. This is the band's final independent release before their upcoming full length, "Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair," out on No Sleep Records November 11, 2008.
Also slated for summer release are a 12 inch vinyl from Valparaiso, Indiana indie band Native and a 7 inch vinyl from Grand Rapids, Michigan's Victor! Fix the Sun (Friction Records). The two bands will be touring the midwest and east coast in support of their respective records in July.
For more information about this exciting new record label, visit:
http://www.myspace.com/forestlife
Forest Life Records, a young label from the midwest specializing in vinyl, has issued it's first release: a 7 inch vinyl of recent No Sleep Records signees La Dispute. This is the band's final independent release before their upcoming full length, "Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair," out on No Sleep Records November 11, 2008.
Also slated for summer release are a 12 inch vinyl from Valparaiso, Indiana indie band Native and a 7 inch vinyl from Grand Rapids, Michigan's Victor! Fix the Sun (Friction Records). The two bands will be touring the midwest and east coast in support of their respective records in July.
For more information about this exciting new record label, visit:
http://www.myspace.com/forestlife
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Vintage Vinyl Sale Set For Annual Spin
It's that time again when record collectors' hearts start to beat a little faster.
The annual Vintage Vinyl Record Sale, which features thousands of used records, tapes, CDs and used stereo equipment, is fast approaching. The sale takes place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17 at Lincoln Square Village in Urbana, Illinois. However, an admission fee of $5 will be charged from 8 to 11 a.m., with free admission from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale closes for one hour then is open from 4 to 6 p.m. with everything at half price.
Like last year's sale, this year's Vintage Vinyl benefits WILL's Illinois Radio Reader, a service that provides news and information to blind and print-handicapped audiences in East Central Illinois.
According to Deane Geiken, director of Illinois Radio Reader, vinyl fans who know what they want will be able to get a jump on the crowds by paying the entrance fee.
"We started with all new stuff this year. None of this was left from last year's sale," he says in a news release.
This year's sale includes a collection of hundreds of 45 rpm records dating from the late '50s to early '70s from a local disc jockey; a collection of Decca 45s, including Louis Armstrong and Count Basie; and a number of Decca 78 rpm records in the blues and jazz genres, according to Matt Kessler, a record collector who is pricing special items for the sale.
Kessler says the sale includes the infamous Leonard Nimoy album, "Outer Space/Inner Mind," almost every Beatles album, most of the Rolling Stones' albums and lots of Jimi Hendrix albums.
"And there's a spoken-word album autographed by the punk singer Jello Biafra," he adds. "It was an amazing thing to find. He's one of the top three American punk singers."
In addition, John Frayne, who is sorting classical records for the sale and is a music reviewer for The News-Gazette, said the classical selection is excellent this year.
"There's a complete French LP pressing of the Patrice Chereau-directed, Pierre Boulez-conducted Wagner Ring set from Bayreuth," Frayne says. "Another gem is a seven-LP set of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau singing Hug Wolf Lieder. It's in mint condition on German Electrola pressings."
WILL is no longer accepting used records or other donated items for the sale.
"Save them for next year," Geiken says.
Source: The News-Gazette http://www.news-gazette.com/
The annual Vintage Vinyl Record Sale, which features thousands of used records, tapes, CDs and used stereo equipment, is fast approaching. The sale takes place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17 at Lincoln Square Village in Urbana, Illinois. However, an admission fee of $5 will be charged from 8 to 11 a.m., with free admission from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale closes for one hour then is open from 4 to 6 p.m. with everything at half price.
Like last year's sale, this year's Vintage Vinyl benefits WILL's Illinois Radio Reader, a service that provides news and information to blind and print-handicapped audiences in East Central Illinois.
According to Deane Geiken, director of Illinois Radio Reader, vinyl fans who know what they want will be able to get a jump on the crowds by paying the entrance fee.
"We started with all new stuff this year. None of this was left from last year's sale," he says in a news release.
This year's sale includes a collection of hundreds of 45 rpm records dating from the late '50s to early '70s from a local disc jockey; a collection of Decca 45s, including Louis Armstrong and Count Basie; and a number of Decca 78 rpm records in the blues and jazz genres, according to Matt Kessler, a record collector who is pricing special items for the sale.
Kessler says the sale includes the infamous Leonard Nimoy album, "Outer Space/Inner Mind," almost every Beatles album, most of the Rolling Stones' albums and lots of Jimi Hendrix albums.
"And there's a spoken-word album autographed by the punk singer Jello Biafra," he adds. "It was an amazing thing to find. He's one of the top three American punk singers."
In addition, John Frayne, who is sorting classical records for the sale and is a music reviewer for The News-Gazette, said the classical selection is excellent this year.
"There's a complete French LP pressing of the Patrice Chereau-directed, Pierre Boulez-conducted Wagner Ring set from Bayreuth," Frayne says. "Another gem is a seven-LP set of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau singing Hug Wolf Lieder. It's in mint condition on German Electrola pressings."
WILL is no longer accepting used records or other donated items for the sale.
"Save them for next year," Geiken says.
Source: The News-Gazette http://www.news-gazette.com/
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