Cover Songs and Tribute Albums

The saying, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" could be applied to cover songs. People like to sing or hum along to a good tune. Usually musicians and artists start by singing and playing already famous songs. Advice from more recent reality shows like "The Voice" or "American Idol" always offer "make it your own". Sometimes the cover actually becomes more famous than the original. I do really enjoy a good cover, to hear another interpretation of a song. Following are just a few covers that may be more famous than the origianl, or at least as popular in their own way, some that never should have been recorded and a few complete albums of covers or tributes. What are some of your favorite covers?

"With a Little Help From My Friends"
by Joe Cocker
ORIGINAL ARTIST: The Beatles

"Walk Don't Run"
by The Ventures
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Johnny Smith
Walk Don't Run by Johnny Smith


"Summertime"
"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The song is recognized as one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music, with more than 33,000 covers by groups and solo performers.
by Billie Holiday, Billy Stewart, Janis Joplin

 Summertime by Billy Stewart 

"Spoonful"
by Etta James, Cream
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Howlin' Wolf

"Black Magic Woman"
by Santana
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Fleetwood Mac
 Black Magic Woman by Fleetwood Mac

"Little Wing"
by Derek and the Dominos, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Corrs
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Jimi Hendrix

"La Bamba"
by Los Lobos
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Richie Valens

"Hazy Shade of Winter"
by The Bangles
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Simon and Garfunkel

"Twist and Shout"
by The Beatles
ORIGINAL ARTIST:  The Isley Brothers

"I Shot The Sheriff"
by Eric Clapton
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Bob Marley

"Just A Gigolo"
by David Lee Roth
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Louie Prima
 Just a Gigolo by Louis Prima

"Respect"
by Aretha Franklin
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Otis Redding

And the worst

Miley Cyrus - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
William Shatner - "Rocket Man" by Elton John
Celine Dion - "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC

... we'll just leave it at that...

Tribute Albums 

various artists on each

Must have...

• "I Am Sam" soundtrack (all Beatles songs)
• A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan [Live]
• Us And Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd (does this count as a cover?)

So so...

• Encomium: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin
• Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix
• Working Class Hero: A Tribute To John Lennon
• Butchering The Beatles
• Crossfire: A Salute To Stevie Ray

And one of my favorite cover stories, if you've made it this far....
"Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band"-In 1967, Jimi Hendrix played the song live at the Saville Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, which was leased by Brian Epstein, only three days after it had been released on record, with McCartney and George Harrison in the audience

The MIM: The most incredible museum you'll ever hear ♪♫

We recently spent another afternoon at The MIM. This very unusual museum is located in Scottsdale, AZ and is "The Musical Instrument Museum". I think this was our fourth visit and I still am in awe. This is a global collection of all types of instruments, simply astounding. The presentation is excellent wireless proximity sound system that ties into each display for personal enjoyment. If you live in or visit the greater Phoenix area, you must go. The MIM website is comprehensive and will help to explain The MIM experience (link at end of this blog).

The MIM experience is simply overwhelming. But I would like to focus on just a few of the more unusual instruments...

The theremin is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the thereminist (performer). The instrument's controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas which sense the relative position of the thereminist's hands and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other. The theremin was originally the product of Russian government-sponsored research into proximity sensors.

Leon Theremin

There is a whole section just on harmonicas and some of the more unusual were this 6 sided version. There was also a short 1" long version and large 2 foot long version. There were harmonicas with horns like a trumpet.

Beethoven's 5th: Harmonicas

There are many harp guitars and similar type instruments with some fretted strings and some strings that are open and are plucked or resonate in harmony with the chords being played.

Harp guitar

There is an exhibit about instruments built from landfill trash. Absolutely beautiful story. Additionally in other exhibits are electric guitars made from old gallon oil cans or cigar boxes as the body. Certainly we're all familiar with the steel drums made from old 50 gallon drums. "Music is the language of the soul" is written all over the MIM, literally and figuratively.

Landfill Harmonic

 The MIM homepage : details, directions, costs, pictures, sounds, events...

Beatlemania 50th

Beatlemania hit the U.S. shores 50 years ago when The Beatles gave their first live USA performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964. “Whether you were alive to witness it on television that night, or you’ve just known about it all your life, that first television appearance by the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show is historic”.

The Beatles played 5 songs that night: “All My Loving”, “Till There Was You” and “She Loves You”  were the first set, followed by a magician. Other acts that evening were an impressionist, acrobats, a comedy team and a Broadway cast of "Oliver" including a fellow named Davy Jones (later of The Monkees!). The Beatles final set that night was two songs, “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.


Watch for specials to air on or near this date. I've found reference to:

50th Anniversary

• The two surviving Beatles could show up on David Letterman’s late-night show during his network’s week-long celebration of the Fab Four.

• CBS is also airing the Grammy special on Feb. 9, ‘The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles’. The two-hour program will include performances by modern-day artists covering the same songs the Beatles played on that night in 1964. The show will also feature covers of other Beatles songs spanning their entire career, as well clips from the original Sullivan broadcast.

So much has been written about the The Beatles, I won't even try to cover all that but here are a few trivia points perhaps you didn't know.

The Ed Sullivan Show

• The Fab Four were 21-23 years old on that US debut show.

• The Beatles made 9 appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show" during their career. They had four appearances in 1964, one in 1965, one in 1966, two in 1967 and one in 1970.

• They were paid $10,000 for those first 3 shows. Total, not each.

• Only the first appearance was actually live at The Ed Sullivan Theater.

• Their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show actually wasn't the first time the Beatles had been seen on American television. The CBS Evening News (hosted by Walter Cronkite) ran a story about their popularity in England, and a film clip of them performing aired on The Jack Paar Program one month before their US live debut. Sullivan gave them their first live TV appearance in America, after personally contacting Cronkite to ask about them.

Albums

• In February 1963, the Beatles recorded ten songs during a single marathon studio session for their debut LP, "Please Please Me" (UK release). The album was supplemented by the four tracks already released on their first two singles.

• "Introducing... The Beatles" is the first Beatles album released in the United States. Originally scheduled for a July 1963 release, the LP came out on 10 January 1964, on Vee-Jay Records, ten days before Capitol's "Meet the Beatles!".

• By contrast, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967), estimates are that the entire album took 700 hours to complete over a period of 129 days. It was the first album to feature printed lyrics of all songs on its sleeve.

• "Abbey Road" was the last album the Beatles recorded together, but it was released in the fall of 1969, several months before the "Let It Be" album was issued in May, 1970.

• "The End" is a song by the Beatles composed by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) for the album Abbey Road. It was the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles, and is the final song of the medley that comprises the majority of side two of the LP version of the album.

• They released 13 original albums, but other albums were released later. Please Please Me (1963) With The Beatles (1963) A Hard Day's Night (1964) Beatles For Sale (1964) Help! (1965) Rubber Soul (1965) Revolver (1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Magical Mystery Tour (1967) The Beatles White Album (1968) Yellow Submarine (1969) Abbey Road (1969) Let It Be (1970)

In The Beginning

In July of 1957, in Liverpool, Paul McCartney met John Lennon. Both were teenagers. Paul impressed John with his mastery of acoustic guitar, and was invited to join Lennon's group, The Quarrymen. George Harrison joined them in February of 1958. In 1959 they played regular gigs at a club called The Casbah. They were joined by vocalist Stuart Sutcliffe, and by drummer Peter Best, whose mother owned The Casbah club. Early incarnations of the band included The Quarrymen, Johnny & the Moon Dogs, and The Silver Beetles. John Lennon dreamed up the band's final name, The Beatles, a mix of beat with beetle. In 1960 The Beatles toured in Hamburg, Germany. There they were joined by Ringo Starr, who previously played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. In Hamburg, The Beatles made their first studio work as a backing band for singer Tony Sheridan's recordings for the German Polydor label, however, in the credits the band's name was changed to The Beat Brothers. From February 1961 to August 1963, The Beatles played a regular gig at the Cavern. They were paid five pounds for their first show, rising to three hundred pounds per show in 1963. In two and a half years The Beatles gave 262 shows at the Cavern in Liverpool.

Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act and producer George Martin enhanced their musical potential. They gained popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. They acquired the nickname the "Fab Four" as Beatlemania grew in Britain over the following year, and by early 1964 they had become international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market.



 I Want To Hold Your Hand (original sampler)


If you still need more, Beatles Bible and IMDB BIO

In Memoriam 2013... When the Music's Over

As we come to end of the year, I'd like to reflect on some of the musical talent we've lost in 2013. The up and coming artists of today have some big shoes to fill.

• Lou Reed, founding member of rock band The Velvet Underground, hits include  "Sweet Jane" and "Walk On the Wild Side". He was 71.
• J.J. Cale, a singer and songwriter who penned such classic songs as Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" and "After Midnight" as well as having a successful career of his own, has died of a heart attack. He was 74.
• Johnny Smith, a jazz guitarist and songwriter whose hits included "Walk, Don't Run", has died of natural cause. He was 90.
• Marshall Lytle, a bass player with Bill Haley & His Comets and a 2012 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has died of lung cancer. He was 79.
• Mack Emerman, the founder of Criteria Recording Studios, has died of complications from pneumonia. Classic songs such as Eric Clapton's "Layla" as well as parts of legendary albums Hotel California and Rumours were recorded at Criteria. He was 89.
• Trevor Bolder, longtime bassist for Uriah Heep and David Bowie, has died of cancer. Bolder was 62.
• Ray Manzarek, founding member of legendary rock band The Doors, has died after a long fight with bile duct cancer. He was 74.
• Richie Havens, the singer/guitar player who opened the 1969 Woodstock Festival with a three-hour performance, has died at 72.
• Andy Johns, a record producer for such groups as Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, has died at 62.
• Phil Ramone, a record producer who worked with Frank Sintara, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and Barbra Streisand among others, has died at 79.
• Peter Banks, the original guitar player for the band Yes, has died of heart failure. He was 65.
• Alvin Lee, the frontman of Ten Years After and an accomplished solo artist, has died of complications related to routine surgery. He was 68.
• Van Cliburn, the "rock star" classical pianist who won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, has died of bone cancer. He was 78.
• Dan Toler, a guitar player and member of the Allman Brothers Band, has died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was 64.
• Rick Huxley, bass player for the British Invasion pop-rock band Dave Clark Five, has died at age 72.
• Reg Presley, the singer of the British band The Troggs, died of lung cancer. He was 71.

One of my very favorite classical tunes Claire de Lune by Debussey as played by a master, Van Cliburn

 Van Cliburn: Claire de Lune

$pecial $ongs

It's that time of year again, one month to Christmas. We get so saturated with commercialism during the holiday season, it almost works exactly the opposite of the intentions, for me at least. To put in musical terms, we hear the same ol' stuff in the stores, parking lots, radio ads, TV ads... until we're about ready to scream. And it's a pretty good bet that your favorite artist has created their own album of holiday music, because it's a very lucrative thing to do. So, of course, I've purchased even more holiday music so I can make my own selections. And there is some really good stuff, and some... errrr...  not so much. Some new renditions of old classics, and some new songs altogether.

Some of my old favorites from rock/pop artists include:

• John Lennon, 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)'
• The Beach Boys, 'Little Saint Nick'
• David Bowie & Bing Crosby, 'Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy'
• Elvis Presley, 'Blue Christmas'
• Jose Feliciano, 'Feliz Navidad'

Being a "guitar guy" I must include some of my other favorites including the great guitar work of The Brian Setzer Orchestra, 'Boogie Woogie Christmas' and 'Dig That Crazy Christmas' or Gary Hoey, 'Ho Ho Hoey'. There is the more traditional albums by Gloria Estefan, 'Christmas Through Your Eyes' and Jewel, 'Joy, A Holiday Collection'. Los Lonely Boys, Sugarland, and others have also made some worthwhile contributions. I do really enjoy the new age styling of Mannheim Steamroller and the symphonic rock of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you haven't heard these last two you really need to look them up.

I'm working on this year's video, meanwhile here is a link to the past four years.

 TunaToons Christmas

Tap Tap Tapping at My Chamber Door

I've read a few articles lately on guitars with more than 6 strings. A 12-string is fairly common, that has 2 strings very close to each other for each of the guitar's 6 strings, and it's played the same as a standard guitar (although it does take some extra finger strength and stamina). That's all good, others have an extra string, or two, on the bottom end for extra bass for the guitarist. Interesting stuff but... it makes me think of a completely different instrument I first saw at an art fair years ago. A beautiful sound was floating over the noise of the crowd. I worked my way towards the notes. And finally stood mesmerized by Leo Gosselin tapping on a "Chapman stick". It's kinda like a guitar but with 10 to 12 strings, 5-6 for bass and 5-6 for melody. It's played with each hand tapping on the string(s) and not plucked at all. Bass, melody, chords, rhythm, percussion are all combined to a fantastic brew. It sounds like it's been over-dubbed and there are multiple tracks when it's all a single live amazing performance. There are many talented artists of the Chapman stick, including Blue Man Group, Mike Oldfield, Alphonso johnson, Dream Theatre and more. There are other more "polished" samples out there, but this YouTube below is close to what originally drew me to the sound.

 Take Five: Leo Gosselin

What's Old is New

Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Glen Campbell, Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills Nash and Young... if any of these names sounds familiar then you have some history with folk music and story tellers. The broad category of folk is making a rebound. After the 60's went electric kool-aid and we explored new dimensions of amplification and distortion... after the disco of the 70's... and the metal of the 80's... after the hip-hop rap of the 90's... and (hopefully) after the manufactured electronic dance music of the 00's... there seems to be some level of influence of getting back to the real roots of music and instruments. Artists like Mumford and Sons with acoustic guitar, mandolin, resonator guitar, accordian have brought us back full circle. It's good to hear. Some that I've also been listening to are Of Monsters and Men, Bon Iver, The Lumineers, and The Civil Wars. I still love that 60-80's sound but this trend is refreshing. It gives hope that "real music" will survive. Is there a favorite of yours currently playing "indie folk".

 Of Monsters and Men