In Memoriam 2014... The Great Gig in the Sky

I've not posted lately. But, I was thinking recently while watching the Grammy's memoriam segment earlier this month, to reflect on these and other great contributors to music we lost in 2014. To the great gig in the sky... 

• Joe Cocker, 12/22/2014: Known for his gritty, iconic voice, legendary British rock and soul singer Joe Cocker had a record-breaking career that spanned over 40 years. He passed away in late December at the age of 70.
• Ian McLagan, Keyboardist for the rock bands Small Faces and Faces, Ian McLagan, died of a stroke in Austin, Texas. The English musician, who also collaborated with The Rolling Stones, was 69 years old.
• Bobby Keys, 12/2/2014: Longtime Rolling Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys passed away after a battle with cirrhosis. He was 70 years old. Before his death, Keys spent 40 years with The Rolling Stones, and also recorded with the likes of John Lennon, Joe Cocker, Barbra Streisand, B.B. King, Carly Simon, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. 
• Jack Bruce, 10/25/2014: Former Cream musician Jack Bruce died at the age of 71. The Scottish bass player suffered from liver failure. Bruce released many memorable classic rock songs such as "Sunshine of Your Love," "White Room," and "SWLABR." alongside Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker as Cream, and released 14 solo albums as well. Prior to his work with Cream, Bruce performed with Charlie Watts, who went on to join The Rolling Stones.
• Paul Revere, 10/4/2014: The leader of legendary 1960s rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders died at his home in Idaho at the age of 76. Born Paul Revere Dick, he led the band  and had a number of hits in the 60s and 70s including "Hungry" and "Indian Reservation." He was fondly known as the "madman of rock 'n roll."
• Dick Wagner, 7/30/14: Dick Wagner, a guitarist for Alice Cooper and Lou Reed, has from a lung infection. The musician, who also wrote songs with KISS and Aerosmith, was 71.
• Tommy Ramone, 7/12/14: Tommy Ramone, the drummer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Ramones, has died of cancer of the bile duct. An emigre from Hungary, Ramone (who was born Erdelyi Tamas) was a recording engineer before taking up with The Ramones. Though he only played on the first three albums, he was considered seminal in the formation of the group's sound. He was 65.
• Johnny Winter, 7/16/2014: Legendary guitarist Johnny Winter died in Europe while on tour. He's known for his work on"Highway 61 Revisited," "Johnny B. Goode" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. 
• Paco de Lucía, 2/25/14: Paco de Lucía, a renowned Spanish flamenco guitar player, has died of a heart attack. He was 66.
• Franny Beecher, 2/24/14: Franny Beecher, the guitar player for Bill Haley & His Comets, has died at 92.
• Maria Franziska von Trapp, 2/18/14: Maria von Trapp, part of the musical family who escaped Nazi-occupied Austria and became the real life story behind the musical The Sound of Music, has died at 99.
• Bob Casale, 2/17/14: Bob Casale, a founding member of the band Devo, has died of heart failure. The guitar player for the cult-favorite band played on every album the band put out and was part of the band from its inception. He was 61.
• Pete Seeger, 1/27/2014 - Legendary American folk singer Pete Seeger passed away of natural causes. Seeger, whose body of work included the songs "If I Had a Hammer," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!" influenced generations of singer-songwriters, was 94 years old.
• Phil Everly, of the pop group The Everly Brothers.  passed away of lung disease on January 3. Everly is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was 74 years old.
• Casey Kasem, although he was not a pop musician, was the host of the American Top 40 Radio countdown playing all of the Billboard top pop hits through the decades. Casey passed away on June 15 at the age of 82 years old.
• and to the many others...

I was first introduced to Paco de Lucia's talent on an album titled Friday Night in San Francisco 1981 with John McLaughlin and Al DeMeola. 

 Paco de Lucia 

Yours 4 Review

I am going to review 4 specific CD's that Karen got me for my birthday. I've heard each at least twice and some really standout. First, you know I love good music. These are each great choices for me.

The albums are: 

• Chrissie Hynde, Stockholm
• Pink Floyd, The Endless River 
• Eric Clapton and Friends, The Breeze, an appreciation of J.J.Cale
• Willie Nelson, To All the Girls 

Chrissie Hynde, Stockholm

I've always thought Chrissie Hynde, of The Pretenders, has an absolutely unique, beautiful, raw, powerful, haunting voice. One of the best. This is her first solo effort. The sound is fresh and unmistakably her own. Decidedly toned down from The Pretenders raucous rock. It's still rock, make no mistake, but with some techno upgrades and years of living life thrown in the mix.

Pink Floyd, The Endless River 

This album is a posthumous tribute, of sorts, to keyboardist Richard Wright. The album is almost entirely instrumental. It is a compilation of outtakes and unused tracks from previous sessions, that include Richard Wright. It has the definitive sound of David Gilmour on lead guitar. That's always a good thing. But, for me, it tends to drone on as good background music, but nothing has really jumped out. Snippets of melody and textures from previous recognisable songs overlay to keep it interesting.

Eric Clapton and Friends, The Breeze, an appreciation of J.J.Cale

This tribute to J.J.Cale, who was a great songwriter, guitarist, and artist, features Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and more. How could it be anything but good? I love it. It's easy to give this a recommendation. If you enjoy a great smooth blues shuffle, you'll enjoy this. Nothing over the top. No big solos. No over-production. Simple perfection. These masters, paying tribute to one of their own.

Willie Nelson, To All the Girls 

To All the Girls album is duets with Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Wynonna Judd, Carrie Underwood, Loretta Lynn and 10 more! Another easy recommendation. If you like Willie, you'll like this. I really like the songs "No Mas Amor" with Alison Krauss, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" with Paula Nelson (Willie's daughter). But all the songs are easy listening, twangy Willie style. I'm sure you'll quickly find your own favorites.

Good to Know

Good to know real music is not gone, lost, dead, forgotten. It scares me when I see the rap, hip-hop, pop slop that is passed off as music. It also scares me that I am probably saying the same thing critics said about Elvis, The Beatles, Hendrix and other artists of my generation. I'll continue to search for good current music, but for now, these albums all stand as testaments to great classic rock, blues, and country and the artists behind them.

Surprising Guest Musicians

While listening to a Michael Jackson song the other day, I started thinking about this subject, and about writing again. It's been awhile since I've blogged on music. No excuses. Anyway, the idea of this subject "Surprising Guest Musicians" is geared towards artists that contribute to a song on another group or artists song without it being a duet or collaboration... just dropping in ... laying down some tracks and gettin' out. The song that got me thinking about this is: Michael Jackson's "Beat It" with Eddie Van Halen playing the lead break, which really stands out and gives the song punch.

Michael Jackson's "Beat It" with Eddie Van Halen

Next up would have to be a song by David Bowie "Let's Dance" with Stevie Ray Vaughan. The two first met at 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival and talked for hours. Bowie says he hadn't been so taken by a guitar player since Jeff Beck. And months later Bowie contacted SRV and the result is "Let's Dance".

David Bowie "Let's Dance" with Stevie Ray Vaughan

Of course, there is the story of a friend of George Harrison's that finally accepts an invite to the studio. The Beatle's were at a tough period and oddly the inclusion of this non-Beatle had them trying a little harder and being a little nicer. The result was The Beatle's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Eric Clapton playing beautiful lead guitar.

The Beatle's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Eric Clapton

Glen Campbell and Leon Russell were both members of Los Angeles' famed "Wrecking Crew". That's Leon's piano on Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash," The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron," The Marketts' "Out of Limits," Badfinger's "Day After Day" and The Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man." Glen's guitar can be heard on Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night," The Monkees' "Mary, Mary," The First Edition's "What Condition My Condition Was In," and Elvis' "Viva Las Vegas".  The Beach Boys' "Help Me Rhonda" with Glen Campbell and Leon Russell is one big hit we can say for certain they both played on.

The Beach Boys' "Help Me Rhonda" with Glen Campbell and Leon Russell

Though he was never a session man per se, Stephen Stills sat in on lots of songs over the years, mostly with friends. His biggest hits as a sideman are Ringo Starr's "It Don't Come Easy," on which he played piano, and the ultra smooth lament Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" with Stephen Stills, on which he picked the acoustic guitar (with the help of Booker T. and the MGs, no less).

Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" with Stephen Stills and Booker T. and the MGs

There are many many more. But I'll leave it at that and for now and whet your appetite.

Here's a link to a FunTrivia game if you want to try.

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