Real Rock and Blues » arrivals

Born on This day – Tina Weymouth

Phil — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:23:05 +0000

Yes Tina ‘The Burp’ from Talking Heads was born on this day in 1950 (does not seem possible that she is older than me…..).

A fine bass player who always exhibited the typical burp that many bass players display as they play. She has produced the Happy Mondays, worked with The Gorillaz and others. Her style that combined minimalist proto art punk with a funk feel contributed to no little extent to Talking Heads’ signature sound.

I often think that people overlook the importance of bass players. I can not think of a great band that did not have a great bass player. The rythm section of a band is its bed rock. You can be the flashiest guitarist in the world, you can have a voice that make angels weep but without a rythm section holding it together you are on a road to nowhere.

Talking about bass players who exhibit The Burp brings me to (the sadly missed) Gary Thain who played with ‘my’ band, The Keef Hartley Band from the 60s. I LOVED that band, followed them all over the place. Blessed with a supreme singer/guitarist in Miller Anderson their sound was based on one of the best rythm sections in the 60s. They had Keef on drums and Gary on bass.

I need little excuse to add a clip of the mighty Keef Hartley Band………

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Arrivals 31 October

Phil — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:53:25 +0000

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)

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Arrivals – 30 October

Phil — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:47:18 +0000

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)

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Arrival on This Day – Helen Shapiro

Phil — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 07:28:00 +0000

Helen Shapiro was born on this day in 1946.

Helen was a very popular young singer in the early 60s (she was only 14 when she had her first number one in the UK). The Beatles’ first UK tour was as a support act for her. When she was 14 she had her first number one single in 1961. In fact her first 4 singles (‘61 & ‘62) all made the UK’s top 3.

By the time she was 18 her popularity was on the wane (may have been something to do with her beehive hairstyle being seen as old fashioned). Her last single was ‘Fever’ released in 1964. After quitting pop music she returned to jazz and began a career as a stage performer. In 1987 she became a born again Christian and has devoted her talents to spreading the word since that time.

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Born Today

Phil — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:28:08 +0000

Madeline Bell (Excellent singer)

Blair Thornton (Bachman Turner Overated)

Phil Stutt (Self opinionated oaf)

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On This Day – Sonny Boy Arrives, For The First Time

Phil — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:18:40 +0000

On this day in 1914 Sonny Boy Williamson was born.

Sonny Boy was a hugely influential blues harmonica player. Arguably all the present blues harmonica players have been influenced to a greater or lesser extent. None more so than Sonny Boy Williamson.

In fact Sonny Boy Williamson was so influential that Sonny Boy Williamson copied Sonny Boy Williamson.

Confused? Don’t worry many avid blues fans have been, and still are, confused by just who is playing when they listen to Sonny Boy Williamson.

Let me explain. The Sonny Boy Williamson born today in 1914 was the original and his birth name was John Lee Curtis Williamson in Jackson Tennessee. He died on 1st June 1948 after being mugged in Chicago. In between he forged a harmonica style that has changed the world of music. He also wrote performed some of the seminal blues songs of the 20th century. His biggest selling song was a massive race record hit (remember, before the 60s in the States the blues and rhythm and blues were thought not to be fit for white people) was “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”

Good Morning Little Schoolgirl has been recorded by John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters, Doctor Ross, The Grateful Dead, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter, Yardbirds, Rolling Stones among many, many more.

Back to the point of this blog…….

So, Sonny Boy was hugely popular and living and recording in Chicago. Over in Arkansas There was harmonica player called Rice Miller (although he may have been born as Aleck Ford, or Rice Ford, or Aleck Miller, no one is really sure and as to his date of birth just don’t get me started….) Rice Miller appeared on the radio and played in a similar style to Sonny Boy. The radio shows sponsors was King Biscuits.

Arkansas is quite a way away from Chicago and though Sonny Boy’s recoreds were popular there was little chance that he would come to Arkansas to play. To King Biscuit it seemed obvious, call Rice Miller Sonny Boy Williamson and pretend (or least not deny) that it was the real Sonny Boy on their radio show! Strangely, it worked. Sonny Boy never sued over the hijacking of his name (but then Rice Miller did not record as Sonny Boy while Sonny Boy was alive – if you see what I mean). They both just got on with it. After Sonny Boy died Rice Miller recorded as Sonny Boy Williamson II. The trouble is that there are still compilations out there that get the 2 mixed up.

Look on the bright side, they were both great harmonica players, just enjoy the music!

People are still getting them mixed up. This is Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) with the song thatgave a great band its name.

With Muddy Waters “Got My Mojo Working”

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On This Day – A Squid Eats Down Into a Polyethelene Bag

Phil — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:23:25 +0000

Yes, that’s right the Maskara Snake, on this day in 1941 the world of music saw the birth of a stone cold genius.

The ZigZag Wanderer himself, Don Van Vliet, made his appearance in Glendale California. The old fart was playing and the mothership was flying when, 28, years later the best album ever made hit our shelves (and has rarely been off my turntable or out of my CD player ever since).

Trout Mask Replica is unconditionaly guaranteed to amaze and delight you in your blue jeans under the moonbeams while the doc at the radar station watches a black bird eating ice cream and a man in a hat picks up his easel says goodbye and then walks down his yellow brick road. Its the same ol’ blues, again. Ella Guru sheds a tin teardrop and says that he was the one red rose that she meant.

Just Throwing This One In a Captain Tribute Band – And they ain’t Bad!

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On This Day – The Great Slim Harpo

Phil — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:37:12 +0000

On this day in 1924 one of the best blues performers ever was born.

Slim Harpo was born James Moore in Lobdel, Louisiana and was the eldest in an orphaned family. He worked as a longshoreman and builder during the 30s. He began performing in Baton Rouge as Harmonica Slim. Later he backed his brother in Law Lightnin’ Hopkins (another blues great).

he was given the name Slim Harpo by his producer Jay Miller, a reference to his mastery of the harmonica. His solo debut was amazing coupling “I’m a King Bee” with “I Got Love if You Want It”. A string of hits followed. His songs were covered by many in the British Blues boom of the 60s including The Stones, Yardbirds, Them, Pretty Things – infact, almost anyone playing in British clubs at the time.

His lazy delivery cooupled with understated but effective electric backing ensured his place in the pantheon of blues greats.

The Sons of The Delta with King Bee

Slim’s Original

The Immortal Muddy’s Version (turn this one up)

Stone’s version 1966

2 for the Price of One! The Wonderful Bonnie Raitt Singing ‘Coming Home’ and Steve Tyler with King Bee!

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Arrivals – 16th November

Phil — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:38:22 +0000

Born on this day, any more?

1938 Troy Seals (James Brown’s backing band)
1938 Toni Brown (Joy of Cooking)
1949 Patti Santos (It’s a Beautiful Day)
1962 Mani (The Stone Roses)

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Arrivals – 9 November

Phil — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:23:17 +0000

Born this day, any more?

1941 Tom Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revivial)
1943 Lee Graziano (American Breed)
1948 Joe Bauchard (Blue Oyster Cult)
1944 Phil May (Pretty Things)
1969 Pepa (Salt and Pepa)

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