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Post by razorbacker on Apr 17, 2024 11:21:08 GMT
Gary Lewis & the Playboys were a pop and rock group, fronted by musician Gary Lewis, the son of comedian Jerry Lewis. The band was active between 1964-1970.
Gary started the band with four friends of his when he was 18. Joking at the lateness of his bandmates to practice, he referred to them as "playboys", and the name stuck.
The band auditioned for a job at Disneyland without telling Disneyland employees about Garys' celebrity father. They were hired on the spot, audiences at Disneyland quickly accepted them, and the Playboys were soon playing to a full house every night.
The group was one of only two acts during the 1960s whose first seven singles hit the top 10 on the Hot 100, (The Lovin' Spoonful was the other). Those 7 songs were, This Diamond Ring #1, Count Me In #2, Save Your Heart For Me #2, Everybody Loves A Clown #4, She’s Just My Style #3, Sure Gonna Miss Her #9 & Green Grass #8.
In all, the group had 8 gold singles, 12 Top 40 hits out of only 15 entries, and 4 gold albums.
This is one of those songs that seems to have not been released as a single, to not have been included on an album, but for some reason is a part of a greatest hits album called Hits Again, released in 1966. The album landed at #47.
Autumn by Gary Lewis & The Playboys
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 17, 2024 17:07:06 GMT
Ani DiFranco is a singer-songwriter from Buffalo, New York. She turned 53 last September. Her full name is Angela Maria DiFranco.
Her music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influences from punk, funk, hip hop and jazz.
She has released more than 20 albums, all on her own record label, Righteous Babe. She cites her anti-corporate ethos for the main reason she decided to start her own label. This has allowed her a considerable degree of creative freedom over the years, including, for example, providing all instrumentals and vocals and recording herself at her home on an analog 8-track reel to reel.
Despite her lack of major label support, she has been able to chart multiple albums beginning with Dilate in 1996 & continuing through Binary in 2017.
This song comes from Out Of Range, it was her 5th studio album & was released in 1994. It was still early enough in her career that even though she got great reviews, there was no chart support.
The recording begins with an acoustic piano solo of more than two minutes. Writer and occasional music journalist Nick Hornby featured the song in his work 31 Songs (also known as Songbook), in which he discussed his thoughts on a number of his favorite songs. He attributes the two-minute solo to a depiction of the creative process behind the song. Hornby also suggests that "You Had Time" is an example of a song that, while it may not read as poetry on paper, nevertheless makes for a beautiful song."
You Had Time by Ani DiFranco
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 18, 2024 11:11:47 GMT
As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader Stan Kenton led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. He was also a pioneer in the field of jazz education, creating the Stan Kenton Jazz Camp in 1959 at Indiana University.
His orchestra won the Award for Band of The Year from Down Beat Magazine every year between 1946 & 1955 with the only exception being 1949. Then he won the Jazz Artist of the Year from Playboy Magazine every year from 1957-1960.
He won 2 Grammy Awards in 1963 for his album Adventures In Jazz & his 1943 recording of Artistry In Rhythm was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1985.
This song was included on his 1953 album called Portraits On Standards.
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow noted "While most of Stan Kenton's recordings in the 1950s tend to be complex and sometimes bombastic, his versions of standards could often be sentimental and very melodic" and said the music "alternates between ballads and boppish romps, mostly featuring the 1953–1954 orchestra, a band that could often swing hard".
Stan plays piano & conducts, there are multiple trumpet players in the band, so its difficult to deduct who shines here.
Autumn In New York by Stan Kenton
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 18, 2024 17:29:31 GMT
Wynton Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, and music instructor from New Orleans. He turned 62 last October.
While sitting at a table with trumpeters Al Hirt, Miles Davis, and Clark Terry, his father jokingly suggested that he might as well get Wynton a trumpet, too. Hirt volunteered to give him one, so at the age of six he received his first trumpet.
Wynton is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young audiences.
He has won 9 Grammy Awards, and his oratorio Blood on the Fields was the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He is the only musician to have won a Grammy Award in both jazz and classical categories in the same year.
This comes from Marsalis Standard Time - Volume I, it was released in 1987. It landed at #153 on the Top 200 & #2 on the Jazz Albums charts.
The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group in 1988.
Wynton plays trumpet & the other players are Drums: Jeff "Tain" Watts, Piano: Marcus Roberts, & Bass: Robert Leslie Hurst III.
Autumn Leaves by Wynton Marsalis
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 19, 2024 11:15:17 GMT
James Last was a German composer and leader of the James Last Orchestra. He was from from Bremen Germany. He died in 2015 at the age of 86, details were never disclosed.
He is reported to have sold an estimated 200 million records worldwide in his lifetime. His album This Is James Last was a UK best-seller for 48 weeks, and his song "Games That Lovers Play" has been covered over a hundred times.
Turns out he was the victim of scammers, long before the advent of the internet:
Despite being the "most commercially successful bandleader" of the second half of the 20th century, his extravagant spending and "incompetent" financial advice led him at one stage to the "brink of ruin." He did not make as big a fortune as his immense record sales would suggest & he fell victim to a number of investment fraudsters, starting with his tax advisor. He bought oil rigs, wineries and cotton fields in the US as depreciation assets. When he wanted to visit his wineries in 1985, it turned out that none of the projects existed. As a result, the tax breaks ceased and there were large additional claims. Last was barely prevented from selling his publishing rights. He took out a loan from the Hamburger Sparkasse and was not financially debt-free again until shortly before his 70th birthday.
This guy released so any albums, the list could go on for pages. But this song comes from his Instrumentals Forever album released in 1966. It was 1 of 7 albums he released in that year alone.
April In Portugal by James Last
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 19, 2024 19:58:05 GMT
Badfinger was a Welsh rock band formed in 1961 in Swansea. The band was initially known as the Iveys, but they renamed themselves Badfinger, after the working title for The Beatles' 1967 song "With a Little Help from My Friends" ("Bad Finger Boogie").
They released 1 album in 1969 as The Iveys & 9 other albums as Badfinger. This song was included on their 3rd overall album, but their 2nd as Badfinger. It was called No Dice & came out in 1970. It was also their 1st to include guitarist Joey Molland. The album peaked at #28 & included the #8 chart hit No Matter What.
At the time of this album the lineup of the band was Pete Ham – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, piano, tack piano on "Midnight Caller", Fender Rhodes electric piano on "Without You", Tom Evans – vocals, bass guitar, Joey Molland – vocals, rhythm and lead guitars, & Mike Gibbins – drums, backing vocals on "It Had To Be", lead vocals on "Loving You".
This band had many tragic endings.
Pete Ham hung himself on 24 April 1975, he was 3 days shy of his 28th birthday, so he is a member of the ill fated club 27.
Tom Evans hanged himself on 19 November 1983, he was 36.
Mike Gibbins died from a brain aneurysm on 4 October 2005 at the age of 56.
Joey Molland is actually still alive, & in 2019 he toured with Todd Rundgren, Jason Scheff, Micky Dolenz and Christopher Cross in celebration of the Beatles' self-titled double album, under the banner "It Was Fifty Years Ago Today – A Tribute to the Beatles' White Album". He is now 76.
Tom Evans & Joey Molland wrote this song.
Better Days by Badfinger
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 20, 2024 11:30:06 GMT
The Pat Metheny Group was a jazz band founded in 1977 by guitarist and composer Pat Metheny, along with his core collaborating member, keyboardist and composer Lyle Mays. Both of those guys are still involved with the song & album linked to below, but over the years there have been many different musicians playing with the band.
At this time the group included Pat Metheny: guitars Lyle Mays: piano and synthesizer Mark Egan: electric bass Dan Gottlieb: drums.
Pat is still with us & will turn 70 in August. Lyle Mays passed away in 2020, he was 66. Mark Egan turned 73 in January. Dan Gottleib celebrated his 70th birthday just 2 days ago.
The group won 11 Grammy Awards in the Jazz categories over the years beginning in 1983 & going up to 2006.
This was from their 1978 self titled debut album. The album charted at 123 on the top 200 & #5 on the Jazz albums chart. April Joy by Pat Metheny
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Post by Kao on Apr 20, 2024 12:34:25 GMT
There's some interesting acts coming out of Canada lately. I'm currently obsessed with this man and his voice because he looks like he works in IT, yet the Prince and Old School RnB rolled out of his mouth? He has an EP out but I want a whole album!
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 20, 2024 17:11:54 GMT
It’s kind of crazy that after all this time & all these songs, there has never been one to roll to the top of the playlist by John Lennon. That changes today.
It still disturbs me that he died like he did. If he had passed away on the exact same day at the same exact time of a heart attack or a stroke, I think it would have been more acceptable, but to have some moron shoot him?!
This song comes from Milk and Honey. It was his 6th and final studio album & was released in January 1984, three years after his murder. It was recorded in the last months of his life during and following the sessions for his 1980 album Double Fantasy.
The album landed at #11 in the US & hit the top 10 in many other countries. It has been certified Gold. It included the #5 hit singles Nobody Told Me, & I’m Stepping Out which stalled out at #55. The song linked to here was the 2nd single released but it did not chart at all.
An attempt was made to record the song during the Double Fantasy sessions on 6 August 1980. It was the second song attempted, with John telling the band to think of The Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout" and "Spanish Twist". As he was somewhat frustrated that the band could not quite catch the reggae feel, he decided to set the song aside. A horn overdub was planned, but never recorded. The song was later released incomplete and obviously posthumously.
Borrowed Time by John Lennon
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 21, 2024 11:05:45 GMT
Pat Boone is a singer, actor and composer from Jacksonville, Florida. He will turn 90 on June, 1.
According to Billboard, Pat was the second-biggest-charting artist of the late 1950s, behind only Elvis, and was ranked at No. 9 in its listing of the Top 100 Top 40 Artists 1955–1995.
As an actor he was in multiple movies beginning in 1955 & he appeared in The Mulligan from 2022.
During his career he released 78 studio albums, was included on 78 compilation albums, 3 Soundtrack albums & 63 singles. He had 25 singles hit the top 20, including the #1 hits "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), "I Almost Lost My Mind" (1956), "Don't Forbid Me" (1957), "Love Letters in the Sand" (1957), "April Love" (1957), and "Moody River" (1961).
This was the title song to the 1957 movie in which he co starred with Shirley Jones. The single hit #1 & the song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song but lost out to “All the Way”. The soundtrack album charted at #12, the movie was a hit at the box office.
At the beginning of the shoot in Kentucky, he was in a car accident while filming a scene. He was a passenger in a car which was to be overtaken by a car driven by two local girls; the cars collided but he was uninjured. Pat did not kiss Shirley Jones on screen for fear of upsetting his wife.
April Love by Pat Boone
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 21, 2024 17:10:14 GMT
The Stylistics are a Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, but there is a version of the group currently on tour. Airrion Love & Herb Murrell are the two original members still with the group.
During the early 1970s, they had 12 consecutive R&B top ten hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New", which earned them 5 gold singles and 3 gold albums.
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
During their career they released 23 studio albums, & 50 singles. They had 13 top 10 hits & have been certified for 13 Platinum or Gold records.
This song comes from their 2nd studio album. It was called Round 2 & it came out in 1972. The album charted at #32 on the top 200 & #3 on the R&B albums charts. It has been certified Gold.
The album included the hit singles, Stoned In Love With You #10 on the Hot 100 & #4 on R&B, Break Up To Make Up #5 on both charts, & You’ll Never Get To Heaven #23 & #8. All 3 of those songs also landed on the Adult Contemporary charts.
Children Of The Night by The Stylistics
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 22, 2024 10:58:39 GMT
Dragon is a New Zealand rock band which was formed in Auckland in January 1972, and, from 1975, based in Sydney, Australia. After many restarts & resets, evidently, they are still together, with a very different lineup.
They took their name from a consultation of I Ching cards by founder vocalist Graeme Collins.
This band has quite the notorious side. They have had three band members die from drug-related causes. In 1976, drummer Neil Storey died of a heroin overdose. The following decade, in 1985, Paul Hewson died from a drug overdose. Marc Hunter died from smoking-related throat cancer in 1998. Several members of the group including Hewson and Marc Hunter were heavy heroin users during the band's heyday and the Stewart Royal Commission (1980–1983) which investigated the Mr. Asia drug syndicate obtained evidence that Dragon members were clients. Two members were involved in a serious car crash in 1977, when Paul Hewson's neck was in a brace as well as having a broken arm and Robert Taylor needed plastic surgery, and Hewson also suffered from debilitating scoliosis and arthritis, the pain of which reportedly contributed to his heroin use.
The band also undertook a disastrous 1978 tour of the US, supporting Johnny Winter, which ended when Marc Hunter abused a Texas audience as "faggots" and the band were pelted off stage, while Winter's band was said to have taken bets about how long it would be before Hunter was shot. Perhaps that was why they never had any success here.
Other than that, all was well!
During their career they have released 16 studio albums with the most recent one coming in 2018. They have had 33 singles but charted just once here in the states with a song called Rain, it landed at #88 in 1983.
This song comes from their 4th studio album. It was called Running Free & came out in 1977. The album charted at #6 in Australia & #16 in New Zealand. They have never charted an album here. The album has been certified as 3 time Platinum in Australia with sales over 150,000 units.
April Sun In Cuba by Dragon
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 22, 2024 16:48:36 GMT
Bing Crosby was a singer, actor, television producer, television and radio personality and businessman from Tacoma, Washington. On October 13, 1977, he had just finished a round of golf & said to his playing partners, "That was a great game of golf, fellas. Let's go have a Coca-Cola." Those were his last words. About 20 yards from the clubhouse, he collapsed and died instantly from a massive heart attack, he was 74. His full name was Harry Lillis Crosby.
Bing was the first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a leader in record sales, network radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1926 to 1977. He was one of the first global cultural icons. During his life he made over 70 feature films and recorded more than 1,600 songs.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Going My Way (1944) and was nominated for its sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), becoming the first of six actors to be nominated twice for playing the same character.
4 of his recordings have been installed into the Grammy Hall of Fame. His 1942 recording of White Christmas was inducted in 1974. Swinging On A Star from 1944 inducted in 2002. From 1936, Pennies From Heaven installed in 2004 & his 1944 version of Don’t Fence Me in added in 1998.
He had his 1st hit single way back in 1927 as a vocalist for the Paul Whitman Orchestra when Muddy Water landed at #11.
The song linked to here was written for the 1931 musical revue “The Band Wagon & recorded by Bing that same year. He had a #3 hit single with it. It was his 6th of 14 straight Top 10 hits.
Dancing In The Dark by Bing Crosby
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 23, 2024 11:17:48 GMT
Mink DeVille was a rock band founded in 1974, in San Francisco. Willy DeVille was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2009. During the treatment doctors discovered pancreatic cancer. He died in New York City in the late hours of August 6, 2009, three weeks shy of his 59th birthday.
The band was originally called Billy de Sade and the Marquis. In 1975, the band changed its name to Mink DeVille; lead singer Billy Borsay took the name Willy DeVille said, "We were sitting around talking of names, and some of them were really rude, and I was saying, guys we can't do that. Then one of the guys said how about Mink DeVille? There can't be anything cooler than a fur-lined Cadillac can there?
The recording career of the band & Willy as a solo artist, consists of 14 studio albums, 3 live albums, 15 compilation albums, 22 singles, and 1 extended play.
This song comes from the 5th studio album from the band. It was called Where Angels Fear To Tread & came out in 1983. The album was the 1st one from them to not chart here in the states, but they would never do so again. They did however, chart in multiple other countries.
By the time of this album they had effectively ceased to exist as a band; only lead singer Willy DeVille remained from the original lineup.
Are You Lonely Tonight by Mink DeVille
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 23, 2024 17:13:11 GMT
Godspell is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew.
It all began as a project by drama students at Carnegie Mellon University and then moved to the off-off-Broadway theater La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan. The show was rescored for an off-Broadway production, which opened on May 17, 1971, and became a long-running success. Many productions have followed worldwide, including a 2011 Broadway revival.
There was also a movie directed by David Greene with stars Victor Garber (in his film debut) as Jesus and David Haskell as Judas/John the Baptist. The film is set in contemporary New York City. Many of the stars of the movie had performed in one, or more, of the original 1970 Carnegie Mellon creation or the earliest commercial productions: 1971 Off-Broadway, 1971 Melbourne, and 1972 Toronto.
Several cast albums have been released over the years. This version of the song, Day By Day, comes from the original cast album. It reached #13 on the Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1972. Robin Lamont was the lead singer, uncredited. She was also in the original 1971 Off Broadway production & then returned for the 1976 Broadway edition.
Day By Day from Godspell
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 24, 2024 11:28:51 GMT
Something Else, was the 5th studio album by the Kinks. It was released on 15 September 1967.
The album marked the final involvement of American producer Shel Talmy. Ray Davies would produce the group's recordings from here on. Many of the songs on the album include Nicky Hopkins on piano and Ray's wife Rasa on backing vocals.
Despite the singles Waterloo Sunset & Death Of A Clown which both charted in the top 10 almost everywhere except the US where neither one charted, the album became the Kinks' lowest-charting album, landing at #153 on the top 200.
The album still included the original 4 members including: Ray Davies – lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards; Mellotron; producer (uncredited) He will turn 80 in June. Dave Davies – backing vocals, electric guitars; lead vocals. He turned 77 in February. Mick Avory – drums; tambourine. He turned 80 in February. Pete Quaife – backing vocals, bass guitar. He had been receiving kidney dialysis for more than ten years, before he passed on 23 June 2010, aged 66.
Autumn Almanac by The Kinks
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 24, 2024 18:57:41 GMT
Tony Bennett was a jazz and traditional pop singer from New York City. He died on July 21, 2023, following a seven-year battle with Alzheimer's, he was 96. His full name was Anthony Dominick Benedetto.
During his career he won 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree and founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.
He was also a pretty famous artist & exhibited his work in numerous galleries around the world. He was the official artist for the 2001 Kentucky Derby, and was commissioned by the United Nations to do two paintings.
He also holds a couple of Guiness Book Of Records. He is "oldest person to reach No.1 on the US Album Chart with a newly recorded album", at the age of 88 years 69 days, for Cheek to Cheek (with Lady Gaga). And he holds the record for "the longest time between the release of an original recording and a re-recording of the same single by the same artist" for re-recording "Fascinating Rhythm" 68 years and 342 days after the original recording.
He released 61 studio albums, 33 compilation albums & 83 singles. This song was included on The Movie Song Album, it was released 1966. The album landed at #18 which was the highest he had charted since 1963 & he won’t get this high again until 2006 when he begins to release a series of Duets albums. All of them hit the top 20 & rejuvenated his career. Days Of Wine & Roses by Tony Bennett
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 26, 2024 9:36:38 GMT
Where Are You was the 13th studio album by Frank Sinatra. It was released in 1957.
This was his 1st album recorded without at Capitol Records producer Nelson Riddle. It was also his 1st album recorded in stereo.
The stereo release had only 11 tracks while a mono version had 12 tracks. The stereo edition may have been missing "I Cover The Waterfront" because it was only recorded in mono. The album charted at #3.
The song itself was recorded on April, 10, 1957 along with "The Night We Called It a Day", "Where Is the One?", "There's No You".
This album was produced by Gordon Jenkins, but when the album came out on CD in later years there were 4 Bonus Tracks that were all produced by Nelson Riddle. Those 4 songs were recorded between April 1953 & May, 1954.
Autumn Leaves by Frank Sinatra
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 27, 2024 10:52:20 GMT
This song goes way back. It was written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926. It was recorded several times in 1927, with multiple successful versions released.
Elvis recorded his version in 1960 after returning from his 2 year stint in the Army. He recorded the song at the suggestion of manager Colonel Tom Parker; the song was Parker's wife's, favorite song. Its release was delayed by RCA Victor executives, who thought the song did not fit Elvis's new style. When they finally released it in November 1960, it was an immediate success in the U.S., topping Billboard's Pop Singles chart and reaching number three on the R&B chart.
It was certified 2 X Platinum in 1992.
They started recording the single as 4 am on April 4 accompanied by acoustic guitar, drums, bass, and the Jordanires. He asked everyone else in the studio to leave, told Chet Atkins to turn the lights out, and performed the song with the spoken bridge. After the second take, he told producer Steve Sholes, "Throw that tune out; I can't do it justice". Sholes told engineer Bill Porter to ignore the order and asked Elvis to do a new take, explaining that the Jordanaires had bumped into their microphone stand while recording in the dark. As a result, he performed the song once more, and that take became the master for the single.
Are You Lonesome Tonight by Elvis Presley
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 27, 2024 17:31:35 GMT
Lowell Fulson was a blues guitarist and songwriter. He born on a Choctaw reservation in Atoka, Oklahoma. He died on March 7, 1999, at the age of 77 of complications from kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure.
He was at the forefront of the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom.
In the early 1940’s he moved to California, where he formed a band which would include a young Ray Charles and saxophone player Stanley Turrentine.
He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993.
This is another song that goes way back. It was first recorded July 28, 1935 by Pinetop Perkins with Henry Townsend on guitar. Four different versions of the song have reached the Top Ten of the Billboard R&B chart and two—one by the Count Basie Orchestra with Joe Williams and one by B.B. King—have received Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 2019, the latter version was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame as a "Classic of Blues Recording".
Lowell released his version as his 3rd overall single. It got to #3 on the R&B chart in 1950. He didn’t release an album until 1959.
Every Day I Have The Blues by Lowell Fulson
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 28, 2024 10:59:17 GMT
Paul Simon is a singer-songwriter from Newark, New Jersey. Paul turned 82 last October.
He has won multiple Grammy Awards as a duet partner with Art Garfunkel but also as a solo artist.
This song comes from his self - titled 2nd album. It was released in 1972, two years after he split up Art. His first solo album was recorded in England in 1965 but remained unreleased in the U.S. (except for a brief period in 1969) until 1981.
The album charted at #4 in the US & the top 5 in multiple countries. It has been certified Platinum. It included the singles, Mother & Child Reunion, his 1st solo top 10 hit landing at #4, Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard #22 & Duncan #52.The album has been rated high on many All Time Greatest lists & got stellar reviews, with the exception of this.
There’s always that one guy:
Noel Coppage, in Stereo Review, called it "undistinguished" and added, "I gather...this album is merely Simon's way of keeping his hand in while Garfunkel makes movies....I'm now wondering if Garfunkel's arranging work doesn't include sending Simon back to rewrite some of his songs before recording them."
Armistice Day by Paul Simon
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 28, 2024 17:05:41 GMT
Roland Kirk, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist from Columbus, Ohio. He died from a second stroke in 1977, he was just 42. His real name was Ronald Theodore Kirk, but he was known in his later life as Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
He played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. He was known for his onstage ability to play several instruments simultaneously.
He preferred to lead his own bands and rarely performed as a sideman, but he did record with arranger Quincy Jones, drummer Roy Haynes and worked with bassist Charles Mingus. One of his best-known recorded performances is the lead flute and solo on Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova", a 1964 hit song which was repopularized in the Austin Powers films.
This song comes from his album called The Inflated Tear. It was released in 1968. It got to #19 on the US Jazz Albums charts & Pitchfork placed it at number 170 on its list of the "200 Best Albums of the 1960s".
The players on the record include, Trombone: Dick Griffith, Drums: Jimmy Hopps: Clarinet, Flute, Horn, Tenor Saxophone: Roland Kirk & Piano: Ron Burton.
Fly By Night by Roland Kirk
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 29, 2024 10:54:41 GMT
John Wesley Harding was the 8th studio album by Bob Dylan. It was released on December 27, 1967.
The album marked Dylan's return to semi-acoustic instrumentation and folk-influenced songwriting after three albums of blues rock music.
The album landed at #2 & has been certified Platinum. It included the singles Drifters Escape which did not chart but over the years it has been recorded by other artists including Joan Baez & Jimi Hendrix.
Then he released All Along The Watchtower which also didn’t chart but became a big hit when Jimi Hendrix released his version 6 months later. The song received a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001, and was ranked 48th in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
This song is about a man who offers a hand to a woman in chains, but realizes that she wants more than he is offering, and that "she meant to do [him] harm." A character identified as Tom Paine then appears, "command her to yield," and apologizes to the narrator for the woman's actions. Evidently he has performed the song live only once, in 1974.
The musicians on the album were: Bob Dylan – acoustic guitar, harmonica, piano, vocals, Kenneth A. Buttrey – drums, Pete Drake – pedal steel guitar on "Down Along the Cove" and "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", & Charlie McCoy – bass guitar.
As I Went Out One Morning by Bob Dylan
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Post by Kao on Apr 29, 2024 13:42:59 GMT
Willow Smith's sound has really evolved with time, and I really think she should be given more credit as an artist. I'm obsessed with her new song and looking forward to her new album.
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 29, 2024 17:11:36 GMT
Shania Twain is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Windsor, Ontario. She will be 59 in August. Her full name is Eilleen Regina Twain.
She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time and the best-selling female artist in country music history.
Shania has won 5 Grammy Awards, 2 World Music Awards, & 39 BMI Songwriter Awards. She has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. According to the RIAA, she is the only female artist in history to have three (consecutive) albums certified Diamond and is the 7th best-selling female artist in the United States.
In 2004, after releasing her Greatest Hits album, she entered a hiatus, revealing years later that diagnoses with Lyme disease and dysphonia led to a severely weakened singing voice.
During her career she has released 6 studio albums, 3 compilation albums, 3 remix albums, 1 box set, 2 live albums, & 45 singles.
This song comes from Come On Over. It was her 3rd studio album & was released it on November 4, 1997. The album landed at #1 in multiple countries including the Country Albums chart here in the US. It also got to #2 on the Top 200 albums charts. It has been certified as a Double Diamond release with sales over 15 million in the US alone.
There were 16 songs on the album & 12 of them were released as singles including the one linked to here. It was recorded as a duet with Bryan White. It hit #4 on the Hot 100, #6 on the Country chart & #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It has been certified as a Gold record.
From This Moment On by Shania Twain
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 30, 2024 11:16:04 GMT
Gary Moore was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast. He died on 6 February 2011, of a heart attack in his sleep at the age of 58.
He began his career in the late 1960s when he joined Skid Row. After he left that group he joined Thin Lizzy. He began his solo career in the 1970s.
Gary was voted as one of the greatest guitarists of all time on respective lists by Total Guitar and Louder. Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof said that "without question, [Moore] was one of the great Irish bluesmen".
During his career he released albums with Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, Colosseum & Greg Lake. He also released 18 solo studio albums, 9 Live albums & 53 singles.
This song comes from his 1990 album Still Got The Blues. The album charted at #83 on the Top 200 but hit the top 10 in many other countries. It has been certified Gold here in the states.
The song itself was written by Peppermint Harris for Fenton Robinson, who first recorded it in 1959. It is credited to have been written by 'Deadric Malone' (a pseudonym of Don Robey), owner of Duke Records, he was well known for stealing the writers credits & not paying his artists their royalties.
The folks playing on the song linked to here are : Gary Moore – guitar, vocals, Frank Mead – tenor saxophones, Nick Payn – baritone saxophone, Don Airey – Hammond organ, Nicky Hopkins – piano, Bob Daisley – bass, & Brian Downey – drums.
As The Years Go Passing By by Gary Moore
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Post by razorbacker on Apr 30, 2024 17:18:01 GMT
Johnny Tillotson is a singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, Florida. He is still with us & turned 86 just last week.
He had his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top 10 hits on the pop, country, and adult contemporary charts.
He was inducted into America's Pop Music Hall of Fame in 2014, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2011 & the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2008.
This song comes from his 1962 album called It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin'. The album got to #8 on the Top 200 & included multiple hit singles. The title song got to #3 on the Hot 100, #6 on the R&B chart, & #4 on Country. Send Me The Pillow That You Dream on went to 17 on the Hot 100 & 4 on Country. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry #89 on the Hot 100, & I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You #24 on the Hot 100.
The song linked to here landed at #50 on the Hot 100 & #16 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1963.
Willie Nelson wrote the song & this is 1 of 5 different versions to land on the Hot 100 charts.
Funny How Time Slips Away by Johnny Tillotson
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Post by razorbacker on May 1, 2024 11:12:22 GMT
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night was the 9th studio album from Harry Nilsson. It came out in 1973.
It was a group of classic 20th-century standard songs & was arranged by Frank Sinatra's arranger Gordon Jenkins, and produced by Derek Taylor. This album came out a decade before such works started to become popular again.
It landed as #46 on the top 200 & got some really sad reviews. Including from his former producer:
The album came about from a game Nilsson and Taylor would play, challenging each other to identify the composers of obscure songs. Richard Perry, producer of Nilsson's two previous projects (Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson), was unenthusiastic about the singer's plans for a traditional pop album, especially given the critical and commercial underperformance of the latter compared to the success of the former. He recalled years later: "The timing couldn't have been worse for him to do a god-damned standards album...[it] was career suicide. He had the rest of his life to do an album like that, when it would have been more meaningful."
Richard Perry may have had a point. Harry never charted this high in the US again, & never landed another album at all in the UK.
The album was dedicated to Frank Wills, the security guard who discovered the Watergate break-in.
As Time Goes By by Nilsson
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Post by razorbacker on May 1, 2024 19:27:49 GMT
Roy Brown was a blues singer from Kinder, Louisianna. He died of a heart attack on May 25, 1981, he was 59.
He as posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981.
A lot of folks have recorded this song including Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Joe Ely, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, James Brown, the Doors, and the rock group Montrose. But Roy wrote it.
He originally released this song as his very 1st single back in 1947. It landed at #13 on the R&B charts, but did not hit the Pop charts. He released the song again in 1949 under the title Rockin At Midnight, that time he got to #2 on the R&B chart, but again failed to land on the pop side. He had multiple top 10 R&B hits into the 1950’s before he ever landed a song on the pop charts in 1957.
Some folks argue that Brown's or Wynonie Harris' version (depending on the source), is one of the contenders for the title of "first rock'n'roll record".
In 2022, Roy's recording was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in the 'Classics of Blues Recording – Singles' category.
Good Rockin Tonight by Roy Brown
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Post by razorbacker on May 2, 2024 11:14:53 GMT
Laughing Stock was the 5th & last album from the band Talk Talk. It was released in 1991.
Bassist Paul Webb had left the group after their previous album, which reduced the band to the duo of singer/multi-instrumentalist Mark Hollis and drummer Lee Harris.
The recording sessions for the album were marked by Hollis' perfectionist tendencies and desire to create a suitable recording atmosphere. Engineer Phill Brown stated that the album, like its predecessor, was "recorded by chance, accident, and hours of trying every possible overdub idea." The band split up following its release.
The album got positive reviews all around but that did not translate to chart success. It didn’t land here in the states at all & ended low down the charts in other countries.
In March 2020, a documentary about Talk Talk was screened for the first time at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival. Entitled In a Silent Way, filmed before Mark Hollis' death (he passed in 2019 at the age of 64), and without the participation of the main band members, it pays tribute to the musical journey and integrity of Talk Talk. In September 2021, the film won the prize for best music documentary awarded by the jury of the Musical Ecran festival in France.
Ascension Day by Talk Talk
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