On This Day – Black Sabbath in London
Mar 9, 2010 On This Day
On This Day in 1970 The band formerly Known as Polka Tulk performed at The Roundhouse in North London under their new name, Black Sabbath.
Polka Tulk comprised Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Where the name really came from is a matter of debate some say it was named after a clothing sgop in Birmingham (Pulka Tulk Trading coompnay) or a brand of talcum powder. Personally I like the idea of the softest stuff on earth giving us the name of what would become the hardest (and loudest) band on earth.
Polka Tulk became Earth and was a blues rock band, as were so many bands at the time, at least in the UK. The band was playing the usual set list of blues covers but was keen to expand their repertoire. So Geezer began writing some original songs. Again, the truth is shrouded in the mists of time (in other words I have not tracked down a direct quote) but it seems that Geezer was reading a lot of books by Denis Wheatley. Wheatley wrote about magic and the occult (as well as thrillers in which he displayed his pro-monachy, empire, and class sysyem bias. But on the positive side his books, like him, were verhemently anti Nazi). It was the Occult series that gripped Geezer.
He wrote a song called Black Sabbath and, apparently, as soon as they played it live on stage for the first time they knew that they were onto something. The crowd went wild.
The lyrics, the loudness, the fact that Ozzy could not sing all made record companies wary of them. However, they toured and toured. They built up a great live reputation but, in what might have been a mistake, they did not play any London venues. This would appear to be because London venue owners did not realise that music existed outside the capital and Liverpool. This also meant that the music critics, all based in London, did not see much of them and gave them a hard time in print.
However, the truth was that they were building a large and growing following. The gig at the Roundhouse and the record deal were ininevitable and hugely succesful. The eponymous first album was released on 13th February 1970 on Vertigo.
(I still do not understand how anyone could have been intimidated by BS in those days, have you seen the pictures? Ozzy is no more than a pimply, overweight, idiot – or that a recent photo?)
Say what you like about Sabbath, and I do, Sabbath were an influencial band. They helped define Metal. They were voted the Greatest Metal Band of all time by MTV came second to led Zep in VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. Paranoid, the second album sold 4 million copies in the US (still with little air play) total sales in the Us are more than 15 million. Their first 5 albums all top ten hits and all sold in the millions.
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On This Day – Stagger Lee (Yet Again)
Feb 9, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1959 Lloyd Price reached number one in the States with “Stagger Lee”.
“Stagger Lee” has been recorded many times under many names by many people.
The song has been Bowderized, revised, chewed up and spat out by too many people to mention. Some of whom should have known better and some of whom had no idea of the history of the song and what it was about.
The definitive recordedversion was by the wonderful Mississippi John Hurt in 1928 although the song had been sung ever sinc ethe original crime in 1895.
Just why this particular crime became immortalised is not known (at least to me). The facts of the case m’lud, as the say, are quite simple. Stagger Lee Shelton was pimp and taxi driver in St. Louis. Not just any pimp along with a number of other pimps collectively known as “The Macks” they seemed to love the attention they got. Stagger was friends with Billy Lyons. One night they were drinking and began to talk politics, that developed into an arguement. Billy took Stagger’s hat from his head. Stagger demanded it back, Billy refused and Stagger shot him.
Killed over a hat.
Stagger and Billy became subject of a song that has mutated and survived during the following 100 years and shows no sign of being forgotten 115 years after the crime.
Alternative titles have included; “Stagolee”, “Stackerlee”, “Stack O’Lee”, “Stack-a-Lee”, “Stack Shot Billy”, and other variants that owe a lot to the original like The Clash’s “Wrong ‘Em Boyo”.
Among the artists that have sung and recorded the song are; Mississippi John Hurt, Leadbelly, Sidney Bechet, Beck, Pat Boone, James Brown, Cephas & Wiggins, Neil Diamond, Johnny Dodds, Fats Domino, Dr. John, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Woody Guthrie, Bill Haley & His Comets, The Isley Brothers, Taj Mahal, Memphis Slim, Modern Life is War, Wilson Pickett, Professor Longhair, Sam the Sham, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Ma Rainey, Tom Rush, Ike and Tina Turner, Dave Van Ronk, Doc Watson, George Thorogood, Muddy waters, Billie Holiday, Nick cave
Anyway you get the idea virtually evryone who is someone has recorded a version of the song.
The interesting thing about Lloyd Price’s version? It removed any referrence to the murder and Stagger and Billy just shouted at each other and made up the next day…..
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On This Day – Teen Angel Tops
Feb 8, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1960 Mark Dinning hit number 1 in the States with his ode to careful parking “Teen Angel”. This is a song about parking a car on a railway crossing and the inherent perils that poses.
Not the first teenage death song there have been many tragic pop songs. Notable songs on the list include the classics; “Endless Sleep” (1958 – Jody Reynolds), “Tell Laura I love Her” (1960 – Ray Peterson), and – of course – “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro (Although that song is tragic on so many levels…..)
I rather think that song titles should warn you about the content which is why I have a soft spot for the Smith’s “Girlfriend in a Coma”. I also think that if people hit on a winning formula it is sometimes a mistake to follow it slavishly. After all The Shangri-Las had a lot going for them but they are now remembered for just 3 songs. “I Can never Go Home Anymore”, “Give Us Your Blessing”, and the one that started this path of despair, “Leader of the Pack”.
It would seem that “Leader of the Pack” also inspired Jim Steinman to write “Bat Out of Hell”, which you may or may not think is a good thing.
Songs about tradgedies are nothing new but we tend to forget some of the older ones. Billi Holiday’s Strange Fruit remains as powerful and disturbing as the day it was recorded.
On the other hand her version of “Gloomy Sunday” is a classic way of changing the direction of a tragic song. In the original version the narrator commits suicide. In Holiday’s version she wakes up and it has all been a dream…….
Another song that has been tweaked is “Season’s in the Sun”. The song is the narrator’s dieing farewell to his wife, friends and family. The original refers to the wife’s infidelity while the popular English versions refer instead to a young and innocent daughter.
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On This Day – A Squid Eats Down Into a Polyethelene Bag
Jan 15, 2010 On This Day, arrivals
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 – Max Sued
Jan 7, 2010 Uncategorized
On this day in 1970 Max Yasgur who owned the farm where Woodstock was sued by neighbours for damages caused by the rampaging hippies. The suits either totaled $25,000 0r $35,000. Eventually, they were settled. The finances of ‘Woodstock Ventures’ are a bit murky but it seems that although it was planned as a profit making venture (it only became a free concert after so many people turned up) but the some 80 lawsuits filed against them were paid from the profits of the film. The film also helped to settle their $1.4m debts.
The people who didn’t play Woodstock?
The Beatles, some say because the organisers would not also book
the Yoko Ono Band, some because Lennon could not get into the states because of visa difficulties.
The Doors because they thought it would not be worthy of them ‘a second class Monteray’.
Led Zepp ‘cos they did not want to be just another band on the bill.
Dylan was negotiating but his son became ill.
The Moody Blues decided to play a gig in Paris instead. That was either a really bad decision or an inspired one. Bad because of the loss of exposure good because more than most they relied on a good sound system when playing live and the sound at Woodstock was bad, very bad.
Missed opportunity?
Keef Hartley played Woodstock but did not make the film because their manager refused to give the rights away. Shame ‘cos KH was ‘my’ band in the 60’s and they deserved much better recognition.
Best way to experience Woodstock? Watch the film turn up the volume, sit in a tub of mud, and smoke your little smoke, drink your little drink, while I dance the night away…….(No FZ wasn’t there either)
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Tags: beatles, bob dylan, classic rock music, doors, john lennon, Keef Hartley, live music, moody blues, On This Day, rock and blues
On This Day – Bowie Makes it to US TV!
Nov 9, 2009 On This Day
It seems strange now to think that it was not until this day in 1975 that Bowie made it to national US TV. He appeared on The Cher Show singing ‘Fame’.
Looking back it is easy for us to think that Bowie’s rise to fame was easy and virtually instant but that is far from the truth. He started his first band in 1962, the Konrads. He then played in various bands and as a solo artist (using his real name of Davie Jones) until 1966 when he changed his stage name. Incredibly now, he was worried that sharing his name with one of the Monkees would harm his career. There were also at least 7 singles released under his name or with bands like The Lower Third that all sank like a stone until he released ‘The laughing Gnome’. Some kind people call this a novelty song, the rest of us call it crap.
In spite of this single, or because of it – it did reach number 6 in the UK, Bowie was signed by Deram and released a self titled album in 1967. It did not chart. Two years later he released the album ‘Space Oddity’ which reached number 16 in the US. This was to be a higher rating album in the US than The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, and Pinups. It was not until 1974’s Diamond Dogs that Bowie broke the US market.
So an instant and trouble free rise to mega-stardom? Nah, but cream always rises to the top in the end.
The first performance on US national TV.
This is from national UK TV 2 years earlier;
And this is supposed to be his first TV appearance (it isn’t) but I just love the flares – not even Bowie could make pink flares cool.
Tags: bowie, classic rock music, On This Day, rock and blues
On This Day – Dylan Storms New York, Nearly.
Nov 4, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1962 Dylan headlined his first concert in New York at Carnegie Chapter Hall. Tickets cost $2 each and the box office was not over run. Just 53 tickets were sold, apparently. Most of those watching his Bobness’s debut in New York were friends and he was paid $20.
There is a bootleg of this concert doing the rounds and a quick search should find it. This is the track listing that I have seen.
1. Pretty Peggy-O
2. In The Pines
3. Gospel Plow
4. 1913 Massacre
5. Backwater Blues
6. Young But Daily Growing
7. Fixin\\\’ To Die
8. Talkin\\\’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
9. Man On The Street
10. This Land Is Your Land
11. Talking Merchant Marine
12. Black Cross
13. Freight Train Blues
14. Song To Woody
15. Talkin\\\’ New York on the
There was a bootleg that came out years ago with just the first 7 tracks and I can say that the quality on that was pretty good. This version of “This Land is Your Land” appears on the “No Direction Home” soundtrack but that sounds pretty clean given the source.
In many ways I now find the early Dylan stuff the most interesting. I dislike old time folk and the journey he took from that tradition is fascinating. I have also found that I now have a new respect for the folk tradition that influenced Dylan.
Tags: bob dylan, classic rock music, On This Day, real rock and blues, rock and blues
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
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 – What a Week For Elvis!
Oct 19, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1956 Elvis was involved in a fist fight. He had stopped at a petrol station in Memphis to get some petrol and was mobbed by teenagers. The petrol station manager wanted him to go away so that he could start selling petrol again. Tempers became frayed and the owner, Ed Hopper, hit Elvis on the head (You should not mess with a rock star’s hair!). Elvis, in turn, hit him in the eye. Hopper’s assistant, Aubrey Brown, went to help his boss and got much the same.
Ed Hopper brought charges but they were thrown out of court 4 days later as all the fans confirmed that Elvis did not start the fight. Hopper and his 6′4″ assistant were fined, and promptly sacked by the petrol station owner.
Three days after the petrol station episode Elvis went to the movies. Surprise, surprise, he was mobbed, again. This time the only damage was to Elvis’ car.
Perhaps Elvis should have realised that he could not just go out in public without attracting a crowd…. Only a month later Elvis was attacked again. This time by Louis Balint. His beef with Elvis was that his wife carried a photo of Elvis in her purse. Balint was fined for assault but as he was destitute he was sent to jail instead.
All in all, quite an eventful week for Elvis. Towards the end of the week Elvis got a his first letter from the draft board……………
Tags: classic rock music, elvis fighting, elvis presley, love rock music, On This Day, rock and blues
