Arrivals 31 October
Oct 31, 2009 arrivals
Born on this day, anymore?
1937 Tom Paxton (US folk singer)
1944 Kinky Freidman (country singer/bandleader)
1961 Larry Mullen (U2)
1963 Johnny Marr (Smiths)
1965 Annabella Luin (Bow Wow Wow)
1966 Ad Rock (Adam Horowitze – Beastie Boys)
1968 Alistair McErlaine (Texas)
1970 Linn Berggren (Ace Of Base)
Tags: Ad Rock, Alistair McErlaine, Annabella Luin, born on this day, Johnny Marr, Kinky Freidman, Larry Mullen, Linn Berggren, Tom Paxton
On This Day – Bread Today But No Jam Tomorrow
Oct 30, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1982 The Jam announced to the NME that they were splitting, musical differences, as always, being blamed.
Although they emerged at the same time as Punk was making waves The jam were part of the mod revival. Paul Weller, apparently becoming interested in mods after discovering ‘My Generation’ and The Who in general. As a publicity thing it obviously worked as the suit and Lambretta thing set them apart from their contemporaries. The mod ethic also allowed Weller to develop his voice and position his lyrics.
Unlike other bands of the time they also adopted an overtly Conservative political stance. Announcing their intention to vote for the Conservative and Unionist Party (The Tories) in the 1979 general election. (Does that mean that I can hold Weller personally responsible for Thatcher?)
Their pop sensibilities were displayed in a string of 20 hits (almost 20 consecutive top 40s, not too shabby at all). They also released 9 albums including the critically acclaimed and popular ‘Setting Sons’ and ‘This is The Modern World’.
Post Jam, Weller was a member of the Style Council and then a successful solo career.
Tags: On This Day, paul weller, rock and blues, the jam
Arrivals – 30 October
Oct 30, 2009 arrivals
Born on this day, anymore?
1937 Frank Ifield (I Remember You)
1939 Eddie Holland (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
1939 Grace Slick
1945 Henry Winkler (’The Fonz’)
1947 Tim Schmit (Poco)
1960 Byron Burke (Ten City)
1967 Gavin Rossdale (Bush)
Tags: Byron Burke, Eddie Holland, Frank Ifield, Gavin Rossdale, Grace Slick, Henry Winkler, Tim Schmit
Arrivals – 29 October
Oct 29, 2009 arrivals
Born on this day were the following, anymore?
1944 Denny Laine (Moody Blues/Wings)
1946 Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac)
1954 Stephen Luscombe (Blancmange)
1955 Roger O’Donnell (The Cure)
1961 Randy Jackson (Jacksons)
1962 Einar Orn Benediktsson (The Sugarcubes)
1965 Pete Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)
Tags: Denny Laine, Einar Orn Benediktsson, Pete Timmins, peter green, Randy Jackson, Roger O'Donnell, Stephen Luscombe
Review – Really a ‘Must Have’ Reissue – REALLY
Oct 29, 2009 Reviews
We have all read the publicity blurbs about this or that ‘must have ‘ reissue. Generally they are for second rate didn’t-make-it-first-time-may-make-it-this-time-anyway-it-was-gathering-dust-on-the-shelf albums. It is good, very good, to find one reissue of a real my-life-would-not-be-complete-without-it album.
The Feelies were great. They came from New jersey and were called the best underground band in New York by the Village Voice in 1976. The reissue is of their first album released on Stiff Records (always a good sign) in 1980 it is called ‘Crazy Rhythms’. With smart lyrics drawing comparisons with the Velvets and a real rock attitude and energy they were an amalgam of what went before but with their own stamp.
The influences are all there to see. The vocal delivery owes a lot to Lou and the Velvets,as does the uncomplicated drumming, there is something of Patti in there and Iggy. Comparisons to early REM – they were contemporaries after all. I am not saying that they were clones of The Velvet Underground (mind you I have included a great version of ‘What Goes on’ at the end of this review), The Stooges, or a poor man’s REM. They were 100% Feelies.
perhaps oddly REM have quoted The Feelies as a major influence. perhaps if the Feelies released more than one album every 6 years they would be better known…….
This album has been unavailable for over 10 years and so this is a real reissue, not a repackaged ‘remastered’ reissue. One of the essential albums for any collection.
1. Boy With Perpetual Nervousness, The
2. Fa Ce’-La
3. Loveless Love
4. Forces At Work
5. Original Love
6. Everybody’s Got Soemthing To Hide (Except Me And My Monkey)
7. Moscow Nights
8. Raised Eyebrows
9. Crazy Rhythms
Tags: classic rock music, lou reed, new wave, patti smith, rem, review, rock and blues, the feelies, velvet underground
Derek Acorah, Michael Jackson, Nothing New Under The Sun
Oct 28, 2009 Rants
Derek Acorah filming a seance and trying to contact Michael Jackson is not the first time programmes for TV have been made in which mediums have tried to reach the departed famous. (my original post here)
In 2006 a pay to view TV seance programme was made in which the object was to contact John Lennon. The show – which cost $9.95 (£5.60) to watch – was made without the consent of Lennon’s estate or his widow Yoko Ono. The result? John came through and had a message for us all. It was, “peace… the message is peace”
No surprise there then. Look, all of us could have predicted the result, does that make us all mediums, or psychics, or whatever?
I note with interest that the makers of the Lennon seance programme made one with Lady Dianna as the objective in 2003. The result of that on? She was having fun, again no surprise there either.
I am somewhat surprised to find that the subscription for Dianna’s seance was more than for Lennon’s. Actually, perhaps I am not. There does seem to be a constituency for stories about Dianna (who died in 1997) The Daily Mail (a national ‘newspaper’ in the UK) had yet another front page lead about here just last week…….
If you can not wait until December for the seance with Michael then there is some hope for you. It seems that there will be a seance on Twitter on 30th October. Called a “Tweance” it will be available on Twitter from 10 a.m (GMT). I am not sure of the format, if you can ask questions or whatever, so if you are interested give it a go just search for @tweance on Twitter.
The Psychic is Jane Wallce part of the ‘Psychic Sisters’ who provide consultations in Selfridges (London) and have appeared in the world renowned Psychic TV cannel….
If you have been trying to tweet Michael Jackson over the last few weeks without even a squeak of success, might I sing you a song of hope? A remarkably forward-thinking psychic has decided to hold a seance on Twitter. A “Tweance,” if you will. According tothe Sun newspaper , Jayne Wallace, who claims to have been a psychic since she was (at least) 7 years old, will be available to every member of the world’s tweeting population on October 30, between 10 a.m. and noon British Miserable Autumn Time (that’s 3 a.m.
Tags: derek acorah, jane wallace, john lennon, lady diana, lady diana seance, michael Jackson, rock and blues, tweance
On This Day – Let the Hype Begin!
Oct 27, 2009 Uncategorized
On this day in 1975 Bruce Springsteen is featured on the cover of both Time and Newsweek. There follows much hype and adulation.
Undoubtedly a great performer and writer was the Boss’s hype really justified? Is any of the hype we are subjected to by the publicity departments ever justified?
One of the best bits of underground promotions was the ‘Clapton is God’ graffiti on the underground at Islington. I no longer know if I believe it was an official piece of promotion (often denied) or really was the out pouring of a fan (often claimed). Anyway, it worked.
The whole hype thing reminds me of a story about Mick Jagger. There was this queen of the groupies in L.A. She would sleep with all the big star’s and comment later “He was good, but he ain’t no Mick Jagger. One night she gets to go with Jagger. In the morning her comment? “He’s good, but he ain’t no Mick Jagger”.
On This Day – Zeppelin’s Debut, Probably.
Oct 25, 2009 On This Day, rock and blues
On this day in 1968 led Zeppelin played their first gig, probably. There is some confusion due to the short time that the band called themselves ‘The New Yardbirds’. Also, some internet sources quote the 15th October 1968 as being the first Zepp gig, but that appears to be an error. Jimmy himself presented a plaque to the University of Surrey to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the first gig – on 25th October.
Having completed a short Scandinavian tour as the New Yardbirds the band played a gig at The Marquee in London on 18th October and at Liverpool University on the 19th.
On the 25th the Jimmy’s band, now called Led Zeppelin made their live debut at Surrey University. The admission was an amazing 37.5p. Details of the set list are a bit shakey but given previous gigs it is likely that the set list included some Yardbird favourites such as Train Kept a Rollin’, Dazed and Confused, White Summer and likely For Your Love. New Led Zepp tunes were also played and would probably included Communication Breakdown, I Can’t Quit You Baby, You Shook Me, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, and How Many More Times.
dazed and confused from 1969 before they became the world devouring mega band that ruled the world………..
By the way, this is a rare recording of the Yardbirds (with Jimmy) playing the ’same’ song. I know which has my vote….
And finally, Zepp just a few months after the first clip. What a band! That voice, Jimmy doing his stuff perfectly complimented by that bass and drums. Perfect!
The first magnificent album.
And the ‘difficult’ second album….
Tags: jimmy page, led zepp, led zepplin, love rock music, On This Day, rock and blues, surrey university, zepplin
On This Day – I’m Not Dead, Honest.
Oct 22, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1969 Paul McCartney said officially that he was not dead, unless the statement was issued by William Campbell after the surgery.
There had been persistent rumours that Paul had died in a car accident and that he had been replaced with a look-a-like called William Campbell.
The story begins on 9th November 1966 while the Beatles were working on Sgt. Pepper’s but things were not going well. In frustration Paul left the Abbey Road studios and jumped in his car. While driving he picked up a woman hitch hiker (called Rita). She became hysterical when she realised who he was and in the fracas that ensued he crashed the car. She was able to get out of the now burning car but Paul, sadly, died.
What happened then was a massive cover up. Local papers bribed, as were the police and ambulance services. In desperation to keep the Beatles’ brand alive Brian Epstein found William Campbell who had won a Paul Look-a-like competition. He was flown from Canada where he was living, given elocution lessons, plastic surgery, and taught to be left handed rather than right. Simple!
There followed years of lies and deceit. However there were clues. The Sgt. Pepper cover is full of clues; crashed cars, Shiva the destroyer pointing towards Paul, the wreath spelling out ‘Paul’, the open palm sign. In the gatefold Paul is wearing a badge that says ‘OPD’ which stands for ‘Officially Pronounced Dead’. It is all so obvious.
Look at ‘Revolver’. Who is the only Beatle not looking straight out of the cover? You’ve guessed it, Paul. Could that mean that the others are looking towards the future and Paul isn’t (’cos he’s dead)? The open palm death symbol is there again.
Look at ‘Magical Mystery Tour’. On the back cover, how many band members do you see? (By the woman with the red dress one third of the way down) Five. Is the fifth, who looks like Paul, really William Campbell?
There is more. Remember that Paul was left handed and often said that there was nothing he could do about it, he could not ‘cure’ himself of being a lefty, and he had tried.
So, page 4 of the Magical Mystery Tour booklet with which hand is ‘Paul’ holding his wand? The right. During MMT film, the beginning of the ‘Fool on the Hill’ bit is smoking, using his right hand. During the same film the cast are on the bus, drunk and singing. In which hand does ‘Paul’ hold his beer bottle? His right.
‘Nuff said.
Tags: beatles, classic rock music, is paul dead, officially pronounced dead, On This Day, paul mccartney, rock and blues
On This Day – The High Numbers Turned Down By EMI!
Oct 21, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1964 The High Numbers auditioned for EMI the UK record company, and were turned down. One of the reasons they were turned down was that the record company wanted them to write more of their own material.
Like many of the beat groups of the time the various members had been in other bands before coming together. A couple had played in a trad jazz band with the eventual bass player of the High Numbers playing French Horn… They also went through a few names before becoming The High Numbers released their only single “I’m the face/Zoot Suit” which failed to chart. One of the names that the band had before being The High Numbers was The Who. The new name did not suit and so they changed it, after the failure of the single and being turned down by EMI, back to The Who and signed to Orbit Music.
1965 saw the band moving forward, a number singles that all made the top 20 including ‘I Can’t Explain’ and ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’. They also appeared in a number of TV and radio spots including what must have been the highest accolade a radio appearance on ‘The Joe Loss Pop Show’ (those of you not of a certain age or not from the UK will not recognise the incongruity of Joe Loss presenting a pop show).
It is only speculation, but if you can not speculate about music what can you, what would have happened to The High Numbers if EMI had accepted them in 1964? With no pressure to write their own stuff and evolve would they have remained that gigging pub band? How many guitars would have been saved from what became their ritualistic destruction on stage? Would ‘I Can See For Miles’ and ‘My Generation’ (notably, and wondefully covered by the great and glorious Patti Smith) have seen the light of day?
No doubt some executive in EMI was roasted by his bosses for turning them down but perhaps we all owe him a great debt of gratitude.
The Great and Glorious Patti, the best version of this song, ever!
Tags: my generation, On This Day, patti smith, rock and blues, the high numbers, the who
