Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Welcome Home Hag
Country music legend Merle Haggard has returned home to northern California to recuperate from multiple illnesses.
Haggard had been hospitalized in Macon, Ga., for about a week with double pneumonia. While there, doctors discovered three stomach ulcers and eight polyps in his colon.
The “Okie from Muskogee” singer, 74, earlier tried to check himself out of the hospital to return to Redding, Calif., by tour bus. But he returned a few hours later. MORE HERE
The Jack White Interruption
Jack White has unveiled his new solo single 'Love Interruption' online - scroll down and click below to hear it.
The ex-White Stripes man is releasing the track as a 7" single next Tuesday (February 7), ahead of the release of his debut solo album 'Blunderbuss' on April 23.
Produced by White at his own Third Man Studio in Nashville, the single comes backed with non-album B-side 'Machine Gun Silhouette' – it's available for pre-order from JackWhiteIII.com and Thirdmanrecords.com.
Love Interruption...
Global Jukebox Reality
The folklorist and ethnomusicologist was a prodigious collector of traditional music from all over the world. Long before the Internet existed, he envisioned a “global jukebox” to disseminate and analyze the material he had gathered during decades of fieldwork.
A decade after his death technology has finally caught up to Lomax’s imagination. Just as he dreamed, his vast archive — some 5,000 hours of sound recordings, 400,000 feet of film, 3,000 videotapes, 5,000 photographs and piles of manuscripts is being digitized so that the collection can be accessed online. About 17,000 music tracks will be available for free streaming by the end of February, and later some of that music may be for sale as CDs or digital downloads.MORE HERE
Many Music Tracks Available HERE
The Boss is Back
"We Take Care of Our Own" is the first of the nine brand new songs from Wrecking Ball to get officially released. The album is out March 6, 2012. MORE HERE
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Beatles Rooftop Rock
January 30, 1969, The Beatles played their lunchtime rooftop gig on top of the Apple building on Savile Row in London. Lasting for just over 40 minutes it was the last time The Beatles performed live.
Kristofferson '72
January 30, 1972, Grammy voters shower Kris Kristofferson with five nominations as a songwriter for three songs: "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Me And Bobby McGee" and "For The Good Times." Four artists are also nominated for performances of Kristofferson tunes.
Abba Abba Hey!
For the first time in 18 years, Abba is releasing a new song. The Swedish pop group will release the previously unheard track, 'From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel', recorded in 1981.
The song will be included on the forthcoming reissue of The Visitors, due on April 23, 2012. MORE HERE
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Willie Dixon July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992
Willie Dixon wrote the classic songs: ‘You Shook Me’, I Can’t Quit You Baby’, ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’, ‘Little Red Rooster.’ Dixon was a major influence on The Rolling Stones, Cream, Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.
Instrumental Mac
January 29, 1969, Fleetwood Mac had their only UK No.1 single with the instrumental 'Albatross.'
Goodtimes with Glen Campbell
January 29, 1969, "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" debuts on CBS. Guests for the first episode: Bobbie Gentry, "Gentle On My Mind" songwriter John Hartford, The Smothers Brothers and comedian Pat Paulsen.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Pigs and Sheep and Floyd...Oh, My!
January 28, 1977, Pink Floyd's tenth studio album 'Animals' entered the UK charts at #2. The sleeve concept was that of Roger Waters, who lived at the time near Clapham Common, and regularly drove past Battersea Power Station. A view of the imposing but disused former power station building was chosen for the cover image, complete with massive inflatable pig suspended between two of the towers.
Here's Pigs On The Wing (Part Two)...
The Moody Blues' Only One
January 28, 1965, The Moody Blues were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Go Now!' the group's only UK No.1.
Presley Premier
January 28, 1956, Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore and Bill Black), made his first National Television appearance on the Dorsey brother's "Stage Show". It was the first of six appearances on the show and the first of eight performances recorded and broadcast from CBS TV in New York City. After the success of their first appearance they were signed to five more in early 1956.
R.I.P.: Clare Fischer
Clare Fischer, a Grammy-winning pianist, composer and arranger who crossed freely from jazz to Latin and pop music, working with such names as Dizzy Gillespie, George Shearing and Natalie Cole as well as Paul McCartney, Prince, Michael Jackson, and Robert Palmer has died. He was 83. MORE HERE
Friday, January 27, 2012
Dury Duty
January 27, 1979, Ian Dury And The Blockheads were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick', their only UK chart topper.
Hall Chart
January 27, 1973, "(Old Dogs-Children And) Watermelon Wine" takes Tom T. Hall to #1 on the Billboard country chart
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Instant Lennon
January 26, 1970, John Lennon wrote, recorded, and mixed his new single, "Instant Karma," all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios and arriving in stores only ten days later. The single peaked at No. 3 on the US chart and No. 5 in the UK. MORE HERE
Sweet Blockbuster
January 26, 1973, Sweet were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Blockbuster'. The glam rockers only UK No.1 of 15 Top 40 hits.
The State of Jefferson Starship
First there was Jefferson Airplane, the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act that originally broke up in 1972, which gave birth to Jefferson Starship. Then there was just plain Starship, soon followed by Mickey Thomas' Starship, Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas and, I kid you not, Starship — The Next Generation. Toss in various reunions and side projects and, truly, it was hard to tell the players without a scorecard.
Along the way, Airplane/Starship created some of the greatest music in rock 'n' roll history as well as some of the most forgettable. Jefferson Starship Acoustic Explorer Review HERE
official website
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Marvelous Carpenters
January 25, 1975, The Carpenters went to No.1 on the US singles chart with their version of The Marveletts 1961 hit 'Please Mr. Postman'.
Troggs Tragic News
Reg Presley, lead singer of the British ’60s hitmakers the Troggs, has announced a retirement from music due to his being diagnosed with cancer.
Presley, age 70, has fronted the Troggs since they first appeared on the music scene in 1965 with the classic ‘Wild Thing.’ MORE HERE
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Clash Cover Crickets
January 24, 1979, The Clash released their first single in the US, 'I Fought The Law' (written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets).
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sweetness
January 23, 1971, George Harrison became the first solo Beatle to have a No.1 when 'My Sweet Lord' went to the top of the UK single charts. The song from his 'All Things Must Pass' album stayed at No.1 for five weeks. The track returned to the top of the UK charts in 2002, following his death.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Stevie Wonder's Wish
January 22, 1977, Stevie Wonder went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Wish', his 5th US No.1, it made No.5 in the UK.
here's the studio version of the classic...
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Disco Fever 1978
January 21, 1978, The soundtrack album 'Saturday Night Fever' started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.
R.I.P.: Winston Riley
Late last night (January 20, 2012) it was confirmed that a kingpin of the reggae world has passed away. Winston Riley entered the reggae scene in the '60s as a singer with The Techniques, and from there he started Techniques record label and produced some of Jamaican music's biggest hits. MORE HERE
Friday, January 20, 2012
R.I.P.: Etta James
Soul and blues legend Etta James has passed away after a battle with leukemia. She was 73.
Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, James was singing gospel in churches and on radio stations at the age of five. In the mid-50s, she launched a solo career, releasing hits like "Good Rockin' Daddy". In 1960, she signed with Arco, a subsidiary of Chess, and her partnership with the label would be long and fruitful. Working with Chess, James released her most iconic songs, including "All I Could Do Was Cry", "Trust in Me", and the eternal wedding staple "At Last".
During the 1960s, James battled heroin addiction, but she stayed productive, recording the classic 1968 LP Tell Mama with the great Muscle Shoals house band. She recorded for Chess until the mid-70s, and continued releasing albums and touring through the mid-2000s. MORE HERE
As an aside: In 1950, her mother took her to San Francisco, where James formed a group called the Peaches. Singer Johnny Otis, best known for "Willie and the Hand Jive," discovered her and had her sing a song he wrote using Ballard's tune as a model. "The Wallflower," ...Johnny Otis died earlier this week (see post below)
R.I.P.: Johnny Otis
Johnny Otis, the bandleader, talent scout and songwriter who was often called the "Godfather of R&B," died on Tuesday January 17, 2012 at his suburban Los Angeles home. He was 90. MORE HERE
Chuck D's Public Enemy?
Last Friday (January 13, 2012), LA Weekly city chronicler Dennis Romero posted a preview item about “Occupy Skid Row,” a free concert event in downtown LA organized by Public Enemy. Romero is willing to admit that his January 13 item was perhaps a tad too “negative.”
Frankly, LA Weekly's pieces as of late have been excrutiatingly bad ...poor writing, bad commentary, worse editing.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Killer Song
January 19, 1971, Tracks from The Beatles White Album (including 'Helter Skelter'), were played in the courtroom at the Sharon Tate murder trial to find out if any songs could have influenced Charles Manson and his followers to commit murder. Actress Sharon Tate who was married to film director Roman Polanski, was eight and a half months pregnant when she was murdered in her home, along with four others, by followers of Charles Manson.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Punk Rock Museum Los Angeles
L.A. scenester icon Taquila Mockingbird made a heartfelt promise three decades ago to "keep punk alive," and she's been doing it pretty much everyday of her life since. It fuels her very existence. But last weekend, the writer/singer/artist took it all to a bigger, more focused and fittingly in your face way new level, as creator of the brand new Punk Rock Museum. MORE HERE
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
UK Starr
1953, American jazz singer Kay Starr (Katherine Starks) was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Comes A Long A Love'.
The Bitch Is Backbiting
Gossip isn't something SHV strives for but this catfighting is fuuny...
There was plenty of drama at the post-awards parties for the Golden Globes. While Madonna publicly laughed it off, it’s clear Elton John and his spouse David Furnish were furious about the Material Mom beating out Sir Elton for best film song on Sunday (January 15, 2012).
Furnish posted an angry note on Facebook (“Madonna. Best Song? Fuck off!”) and the two men continued to harp at post-Globes parties about both the award and Madonna’s acceptance speech. MORE HERE
Elton started the whole thing before the show began...see HERE Madonna doesn't feel bad...see HERE Seems Mr. John has been on Ms. Madge for a while...see HERE
Los Gatos de Lennon
The website Mental Floss has put together an exhaustive list of all of John Lennon's cats, from his childhood on through his career with the Beatles and up to his final days living in Manhattan with his wife, Yoko Ono. As it turns out, Lennon totally adored felines. MORE HERE
in Spanish HERE
Monday, January 16, 2012
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2012
Kelly Clarkson covers the Patti Griffin Martin Luther King tribute song accompanied by Jeff Beck
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Del Rey Debut
Internet phenomenon Lana Del Rey had her U.S. television debut on NBC's Saturday Night Live last night (January 14, 2012).
Her performance was under high scrutiny by those who are familiar with her internet videos, and her introduction to America for those who've never heard her name. Del Rey, who had expressed her nervousness before the show, was pitchy and strangely guttural in her renditions of "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans" (above)... her voice dropping into an even lower register than she generally sings, but she settled into a groove each time and finished both songs with gusto. Many found her performance less than admirable and 'tweeted' their distain. MORE HERE
Question: Has anyone ever seen Bob Dylan live?
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sex Pistols Last Stand
January 14, 1978, The Sex Pistols played their last live gig at Winterland, San Francisco.
Diana's Supreme Finale
January 14, 1970, Diana Ross made her last appearance with The Supremes at The Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Jack White on BBC
Friday 13th is unlucky for some...but definitely not if you’re a Jack White fan or a 6 Music listener.
As 6 Music premiers a brand new documentary Red White And Black: The Jack White Story this Sunday, Now Playing thought what better way to get you in the mood than to put together a Jack White themed show?
On Friday (Jan 13) from 7pm GMT (11am PST) Now Playing will be playing out 60 minutes of Jack White related musical nuggets...BBC Radio 6 Music player HERE
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Zeppelin '69
January 12, 1969, Led Zeppelin's debut album was released in the UK. Recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London, the album took only about 36 hours of studio time to complete at a cost of just £1,782, most of the tracks being recorded 'live' in the studio with very few overdubs. The album spent a total of 71 weeks on the UK chart.
Velvet Underground Goes Bananas
The Velvet Underground have filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan federal court against the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts over the iconic banana image found on the cover of their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico. Band leaders Lou Reed and John Cale claim that the foundation has illegally licensed the image for use on various products, including iPad cases.MORE HERE
The Kills Last Goodbye
The Kills celebrate ten years of musical partnership with this poignant and playful video, directed by Oscar nominated actress Samantha Morton. MORE HERE
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Fire! Fire!
January 11, 1964, 'Ring Of Fire' by Johnny Cash became the first Country album to go to No.1 in the US album chart.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Howlin' Wolf June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976
January 10, 1976, Blues artist Howlin Wolf, (Chester Burnett), died in hospital of cancer aged 66.
We Are The 99%
Members of TV On The Radio, Liturgy, and The Notekillers have teamed up for the Occupy Wall Street anthem "We Are"
Decencies On The Frequencies
If the U.S. Supreme Court is willing to listen, rocker Steven Tyler has something to say about nudity and profanity on broadcast TV.
"There's a certain charm and passion and magic in not showing full-frontal nudity" or using constant profanity, Tyler said, as the high court prepared to take up a First Amendment case on the regulation of the airwaves. MORE HERE
Tony Iommi Diagnosed with Lymphoma
Tony Iommi, iconic guitarist of Black Sabbath, has been diagnosed with the “early stages” of lymphoma, according to a statement issued by the band’s publicist.
The news comes at a pivotal time for Sabbath. Several months ago, the original foursome announced its plans to write and produce their first new studio album in 33 years. They’ve been recording in Los Angeles, but according to Rolling Stone, they’ll move production to England to accommodate the guitarist. MORE HERE
Monday, January 9, 2012
Tasty Rosemary Clooney
January 9, 1955, Rosemary Clooney was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mambo Italiano' the singers second No.1. The song was banned by all ABC owned stations in the US because it "did not reach standards of good taste".
Sunday, January 8, 2012
R.I.P.: Tom Ardolino
Tom Ardolino, a longtime drummer for the critically loved, commercially underappreciated rock band NRBQ, died January 6, 2012 following a long illness. He was 56. MORE HERE
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Van Halen Did 'Wha?'
As news briefings go, it rocked. On Thursday night January 5, 2012 Van Halen took to the stage of the venerable Cafe Wha? on Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village, capacity 250. MORE HERE
R.I.P.: Bob Weston
Bob Weston, a guitarist who played as a member of Fleetwood Mac on their early Seventies albums Penguin and Mystery to Me, has died at the age of 64. Shown with the 'supergroup' Ashman Reynolds. MORE HERE
Friday, January 6, 2012
Flying V Anniversary
January 6, 1958, Gibson guitars launched it' 'Flying V' electric guitar. Guitarists who played a Flying V include, Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top (pictured).
CinéJerry
The late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia will be the subject of a forthcoming feature-length documentary. Filmmaker Malcolm Leo, who has previously made movies on Elvis Presley and the Beach Boys, will build the doc around a three-hour interview he conducted with Garcia in 1987. Leo and co-producer John Hartmann, who has managed bands such as the Eagles and Crosby Stills & Nash, hope to have the film ready by spring. MORE HERE
Frampton's Guitar Comes Back Alive!
Peter Frampton has been reunited with the Gibson electric guitar he played on “Frampton Comes Alive,” three decades after it was presumed destroyed in a plane crash. MORE HERE
Thursday, January 5, 2012
R.I.P.: Jennifer 'Miro' Anderson
Jennifer Anderson (AKA Jennifer Miro or Mistress Jennifer), a musician, writer, and model whose doll-like looks and seductive voice helped make a name for pioneering San Francisco punk band the Nuns, died last month in New York City of complications from cancer. She was 54.MORE HERE
R.I.P.: Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt
Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt, best known for his work with psychedelic rock act Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond, has passed away at the age of 63. MORE HERE
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Marty Music
January 4, 1960, Marty Robbins started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'El Paso'. A No.19 in the UK.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Bee Gees First One
January 3, 1967, The Bee Gees were at No.1 on the Australian singles chart with the single 'Spickes and Speckes.' ...it made number one just as they were sailing away from Australia, due to a lack of commercial success!
Guitar International's Guitarist of the Year: Joe Bonamassa
2011 was a big year for Blues-Rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa.
Though still a young 34 years of age, this guitar slinger has accomplished more than most players could imagine to achieve in a lifetime...MORE HERE
other awards:
Lifetime Achievement Award: Slash
Guitar Album of the Year: Chickenfoot III
Monday, January 2, 2012
How Cee Lo(w) Can You Go?
Cee Lo Green fucked up John Lennon's most renowned song and upset fans on Saturday night by performing a crappy version of the classic "Imagine" with the lyrics changed from "nothing to kill or die for / and no religion too" to "nothing to kill or die for / and all religion's true."
In a single blow, Green changed the entire meaning and message of the song by switching out the line. "The whole point of that lyric is that religion causes harm," someone tweeted ...MORE HERE
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Alexis Korner 19 April 1928 — 1 January 1984
January 1, 1984, Alexis Korner died of lung cancer aged 55. Know as "the Founding Father of British Blues", he was a major force behind the UK early 60's R&B scene. Formed Blues Incorporated; members at various times included Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Long John Baldry, Graham Bond and Charlie Watts. Had hits with CCS, including a version of Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' (begins at 3:05) which was used as the theme for BBC's Top Of The Pops for several years. Became a radio presenter in the 70's.
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