Sam Phillips Dies 30 July 2003
Jul 30, 2009 Blues, Departures, On This Day, rock and blues
Sam Phillips did more than most to shape popular music in the 50s and 60s.
As Owner and leading light of the mighty Sun Records he discovered or developed Presley, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty, Jerry Lee Lewis and more.
Inpite of this roll call of talent it is easy to forget that the path that Sun Records trod was not always easy. He had to sell Elvis’ contract to RCA to raise enough cash for the label to continue in 1955.
The legacy left by Sun Records is great and glorious.
Tags: blues music, classic rock music, love rock music, On This Day, real rock and blues, rock and blues, sam phillips, sun records
On This Day – John Denver Dumped
Jul 30, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1986 RCA dumped John Denver, his crime? Recording a song called “What Are We Making Weapons For?”
You may know that I have absolutely no love for John Denver and others of his ilk. However, they did not dump him because of crimes against music – which would have been fair enough. NO, they dumped him because RCA was owned by General Electric and GE was one of the biggest US ‘defense contractors’ i.e. makers of weapons of mass destruction.
One of the companies helping to make the USA safe against the forces of Communism was so scared of one, not very good, piddling little song that they dumped the singer!
Had JD any sense, he would have waited 2 months to release the record, as GE had sold RCA by then…………
Tags: classic rock music, john denver, On This Day, real rock and blues
On This Day – Bob Crashes
Jul 29, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1966 Bob Dylan crashed his motorbike. Apparently he suffered serious neck injuries although their extent have never been fully confirmed. After the accident an ambulance was not called ands taken home in a car by his then wife Sara.
The crash, the circumstances of which were not fully explained, did have side benefits. Dylan was under a lot of pressure. The proofs for his book Tarantula were due for delivery, but not complete. He had been paid for a television special but it had not been recorded and after just finishing one tour another was already being planned.
After the crash his Bobness had time to analyze his direction, both personal and musically. He withdrew and did not tour again for 8 years.
Oops! Wrong video!
If you want more Bob Dylan choices why not visit my shop?
Tags: bob dylan, classic rock music, love rock music, On This Day, real rock and blues
On This day – Be Bob a Lula
Jul 28, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1956 Sweet Gene Vincent made his first TV appearance on the Perry Como Show. He performed Be-Bop-a-Lula which was still climbing the charts.
Be-Bop-A-Lula was written by Vincent, or his manager Sheriff Tex Davies, or Donald Graves (You pays yer money and takes yer choice) in 1955. He sang it on a radio show in Norfolk Virginia in 1956 and recorded a demo version, it came to the attention of Capitol Records who were looking for someone to rival Elvis. Rival Elvis ? Surpassed him I would have thought.
Tags: classic rock music, gene vincent, On This Day, rock and blues, rock and roll
Michael Jackson – Worth More Dead than Alive?
Jul 27, 2009 Uncategorized
So what is going on with the Michael Jackson estate and debts?
Well, it seems that some of the legal suits against him could be dropped, at least those that depended on MJ’s testimony. Those based on non payment of written contracts will continue.
However, it would seem that the money making side of Jackson Enterprises is growing by leaps and bounds. Business for the Jackson family must be good La Toya (Who?) is out spending again. After days, well, minutes of grief it seems that this recently bankrupted, talentless Jackson is out and about buying loads, and I mean LOADS of clothes. All pretty unseemly. Even more unseemly is the reports that if the paparazzi lose her they receive discreet phone calls telling them where she is………………
Meanwhile there are rumours of a deal to film a fly on the wall £10 million reality programme.
Also underway is the reworking of the rehearsal takes fora proposed ‘live’ album. The family also look set to come to London next month for a concert to celebrate what would have been Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday.
Add to that a world tour for the Jackson 5 next year and it looks like the money machine is beginning to pick up pace……
Michael Michael Jackson – Why Wait Till He’s Dead ? (part 3)
Jul 26, 2009 About and things
I never thought when I started this blog that Michael Jackson would provide the first serial post, but then he was such a sad person perhaps I should have.
I said in the last post about Michael Jackson that we should expect lots of litigation. I am reminded by James (thanks James) that only in May of this year Ola Ray started proceedings against MJ. Ray played the girlfriend in the Thriller video. According to James she is an ex-playmate, but I do not know about that. She says that she is due a 2.5% of the revenues from the video plus SAG and AFTRA royalties (What are they?).
Another bit of litigation associated with Thriller was launched in January by John Landis, who directed the video. He claimed that he was owed 50% of “Thriller” video and documentary revenue.
So, Ray wants 2.5% Landis 50%, just how much would have been left for Jacko? Especially after he fought the litigation using one of his 13 (yes, 13) high profile and expensive lawyers. 2 things occur to me. First, in the late 50s (I think) there was a British film about an author who kept selling 10% of his successful play, he was a bit of an idiot, until his outgoings to agents, representatives etc. totaled 110% of the play’s takings.
The second thing that occurs to me is that you have no idea of the pressure that MJ must have been under. Financial, legal and personal. If it is true that his health was failing as badly as some are saying then undertaking such a large run of comeback shows must have been very daunting, and a desperate throw of the dice. If I was in that situation I think that I would want a sympathetic doctor as well………..
Tags: classic rock music, michael Jackson, michael jackson litigation, rock and blues
On This Day – Folkies Go Wild!!
Jul 25, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1965 the beards and sandals brigade at the Newport Folk Festival were very upset when Bob Dylan turned up backed by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band with his new electric sound. He was heckled and booed, eventually leaving the stage. Later he returned to the stage to play a couple of songs acoustically, ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ and ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’.
One of the reasons that I positively hate the folk scene in the area of Northern England where I live is this holier than thou attitude that the beards and sandals have. The songs have to be treated as if they are national icons they can not be changed or played with. Given that they play in pubs and bars they have the nerve to come in start playing and then to ’sush’ the paying punters who were there before they arrived!
I also have a problem with middle class English school teachers singing songs about working down the mine with all the passion of a vicar singing about fornication.
Tags: bob dylan, classic rock music, On This Day, rock and blues
On This Day – Ayatollah agrees with Little Richard!
Jul 23, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1979, just a day after Little Richard spoke out against the evils of rock ‘n’ roll The Ayatollah Khomenini echoed his warning. He banned all forms of rock ‘n’ roll in Iran after saying that it was a corrupting influence.
On This Day – Frank You’re a Star, Well a Rock!
Jul 23, 2009 On This Day
Classic Rock Music
The Scientific Stuff,
Beyond Mars but before you get to Jupiter there should be another planet, but there isn’t. What there is a a pile of debris. Some of this debris is small and some the size of small planets. These are called asteroids and there are some 7,000 of them. The biggest is called Ceres and it is over 900 km in diameter. There are loads of them, loads.
Czech astronomer L Brozek discover asteroid number 3834 in 1980 and is classified as a minor planet. All respect to Zappa fan John Scialli who embarked a on a quest to have an asteroid named after Frank. He found a supporter in the IAU and 3834 became Zappafrank.
(You can have a star named after yourself, of course, but that has no official standing. Essentially you would be buying the right to call a star after you from someone with no rights to name stars). The naming of asteroids by the IAU is real.
If want more Zappa (and who doesn’t) look no further than my store!
Tags: classic rock music, frank zappa, love rock music, On This Day
On This Day – Reverend Richard Perriman Speaks Out!
Jul 22, 2009 On This Day, Uncategorized
Classic Rock Music
Tags: classic rock music, little richard, On This Day, real rock and blues
