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Post by razorbacker on May 2, 2024 17:44:21 GMT
Marv Johnson was a R&B singer, songwriter and pianist from Detroit.
It seems crazy how many times something like this has happened.
On May 14, 1993, he was performing in Sumter, South Carolina for a tribute concert to Bill Pinkney of the Drifters and collapsed, he was rushed to the hospital & died from complications of a stroke two days later at the age of 54.
He was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2015.
After releasing his 1st single for the Tamla (Motown) label, he was signed by United Artists. He released three albums and several singles for United Artists, but continued to record in Motown's studios at Hitsville USA in Detroit.
Between 1959 and 1961, he had 9 Billboard Hot 100 singles, including two Top 10s. All were written (or co-written) and produced by Berry Gordy.
This was the 8th of his 9 charting singles. It missed out on the top 40 by stalling out at #58 in 1961. His next & final charting single landed in the 60’s. He continued to release new singles all the way into 1989, but no successes followed.
Happy Days by Marv Johnson
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Post by razorbacker on May 3, 2024 11:21:34 GMT
Van Morrison was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 & The Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2003.
He was originally a member of Them. But when the band split up, he began his solo career & concentrated on writing some of the songs that would appear on his album Astral Weeks.
This was his 2nd solo effort & it was released in 1968. The album did not chart, but that may have been because it did not originally receive promotion from his record label. He was in the middle of a contract dispute with Bang Records at the time.
The album was not an immediate success with consumers or critics. But, over the years it has sold enough to be certified as a Gold record, & it was inducted into The Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1999.
This was the lead track & title song. The musicians involved include; Van Morrison – vocals, acoustic guitar, Jay Berliner – classical guitar, Richard Davis – double bass, John Payne – flute, Warren Smith, Jr. – percussion, vibraphone, & Larry Fallon – string arrangements.
John Payne, the flautist who had been working with Van, said it was the first time he had ever heard it, and that although the song may sound rehearsed it was actually captured from the only take.
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
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Post by razorbacker on May 3, 2024 17:12:38 GMT
Kris Kristofferson is a retired country singer, songwriter, and actor from Brownsville, Texas. He is still with us & will turn 88 next month.
He has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards & won 3. He won the award as a songwriter in 1970 for the Sammi Smith version of the song linked to here.
During his career he released 18 studio albums, 3 Live albums, 6 Collaboration albums & 31 singles, 1 of which hit #1.
This song comes from his debut solo album. It was called Kristofferson & was released 1970. The album landed at #42 on the Top 200 & #10 on the Country albums chart. He went on tour to support the album & one night he played at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, opening for Linda Ronstadt.
The album includde some pretty special songs. Not only did he eventually win the Grammy mentioned above, but the album also included the song Sunday Morning Coming Down which became a big hit for Johnny Cash & for which Kris won another Grammy Song Of The Year.
Other famous songs on the album included Me & Bobby McGee which became the only #1 hit for Janis Joplin. Kris did not know she had recorded the song until after her death. The first time he heard her recording of it was the day after she died.
For The Good Times was also on this album. It hit #1 on the Country Chart for Ray Price & Kris won the Academy Of Country Music Song Of The Year Award as the writer.
This song has been recorded by many folks over the years, including Sammi Smith, but since Kris wrote it, we’ll hear his version 1st.
Help Me Make It Through The Night by Kris Kristofferson
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Post by razorbacker on May 4, 2024 11:18:46 GMT
Etta James, was a gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer from Los Angeles. She died of Leukemia on January 20, 2012, at age 73. Her real name was Jamesetta Hawkins.
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, & into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2006, she received the Billboard R&B Founders Award.
She won 6 Grammy Awards & 2 of her early songs have been given Grammy Hall of Fame Awards for "qualitative or historical significance". Those two songs were her version of The Wallflower & the song linked to here.
In 2003, she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
During her career she released 30 studio albums , 3 Live albums & 58 singles. This was the title song to her debut album released in 1960.
The song was originally written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Sun Valley Serenade (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US Billboard pop music chart.
Etta took her version right into the Grammy Hall Of Fame.
At Last by Etta James
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Post by razorbacker on May 4, 2024 17:43:40 GMT
Tim Hardin was a folk and blues songwriter from Eugene, Oregon. He died of a heroin overdose on December 29, 1980. He was 39 & he had had a long history of drug addiction.
He started his music career in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, and was a performer at Woodstock.
As a songwriter, he gave us classic songs like If I Were A Carpenter, Reason To Believe, & How Can We Hang On To A Dream. His music has been covered by everybody from Sheryle Crow to Rod Stewart. From Robert Plant to Fleetwood Mac, from The Carpenters to The Nice featuring Keith Emerson.
He released 10 albums on his own & this song comes from his debut album called Tim Hardin 1. It was released in July 1966. The album included Reason To Believe which became a big hit for Rod Stewart, & How Can We Hang On To A Dream which has been covered multiple times.
Some of the songs were recorded as demos but ended up on the final album anyway. After principal recording was completed, string arrangements were overdubbed onto some of the tracks without his consent. He said he was so upset that he cried when he first heard the recordings.
There were a lot of pretty famous folks that played on this album including John Sebastian who adds harmonica to this song.
How Long by Tim Hardin
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Post by razorbacker on May 5, 2024 10:08:43 GMT
T-Connection was a funk and disco group from Nassau, Bahamas.
Their bigger chart successes came between 1976 & 1978 when they were doing pretty well on the US Dance Charts where all of their 1st 5 singles landed in the top 10, but they never did so again. They had quite a few minor singles on the R&B Charts, landing over there as late as 1984 but they really struggled on the Hot 100 charting just twice & never going higher than 53.
This song was the 5th of those singles to land on the Dance Chart. It hit #3 in 1978. It also landed at 32 on the R&B chart & was their final appearance on the Hot 100 stalling out at 53.
Group members included; Monty Brown, Theophilus "T" Coakley, Kirkwood Coakley, David Mackey, Anthony Flowers, & Berkley Van Byrd.
The song was written by David Mackey & "T" Coakley.
At Midnight by T Connection
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Post by razorbacker on May 5, 2024 17:42:49 GMT
Charley Parker led a troubled life. He was injured in a car crash when he was 16. His Dr. prescribed morphine for the pain, which led to a lifelong addiction to opiates & heroin & mental health issues. He attempted suicide twice in 1954 & landed in a mental hospital.
He died on March 12, 1955, in the suite of his friend and patron Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter at the Stanhope Hotel in New York City, while watching The Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show on television. The official causes of death were lobar pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer, but he also had advanced cirrhosis and had suffered a heart attack. The coroner who performed his autopsy mistakenly estimated his 34-year-old body to be between 50 and 60 years of age.
But during his short life he was still one of the greatest. Miles Davis once said, "You can tell the history of jazz in four words: Louis Armstrong. Charlie Parker".
He has had 4 recordings installed into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. Billie’s Bounce recorded in 1945 was installed in 2002. From 1953 Jazz At Massey Hall in 1995, Ornithology from 1946 in 1989 & Charley Parker With Strings from 1950 in 1988.
The last album mentioned above included the song linked to here. The song was written by Rodgers and Hart for the musical Too Many Girls in 1939.
It was recorded on November 30, 1949 as part of his album, Charlie Parker with Strings. Musicians include: Charlie Parker - alto saxophone; Mitch Miller - oboe; Bronislaw Gimpel, Max Hollander, Milton Lomask - violins; Frank Brieff - viola; Frank Miller - cello; Myor Rosen - harp; Stan Freeman - piano; Ray Brown - bass; Buddy Rich - drums; Jimmy Carroll - arranger and conductor.
I Didn’t Know What Time It Was by Charlie Parker
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Post by razorbacker on May 6, 2024 11:08:06 GMT
Seventeen Seconds was the 2nd studio album by English rock band the Cure. It was released on 18 April 1980. It was their 1st album to chart in the states landing on multiple Billboard Charts. It hit #186 on the Top 200, #21 on the Top Alternative Albums, #36 on the Top Rock Albums & #7 on the top Vinyl Albums charts.
This album marked the debut of Simon Gallup after the departure of original bassist Michael Dempsey. He became an official member along with keyboardist Matthieu Hartley.
At the end of the Cure's 1979 UK tour supporting Siouxsie and the Banshees, lead vocalist, guitar player & main songwriter Robert Smith spoke less and less with bassist Michael Dempsey. Dempsey did not like the new musical direction that Smith wanted to take. Smith commented: "I think the final straw came when I played Michael the demos for the next album and he hated them. He wanted us to be XTC part 2 and – if anything – I wanted us to be the Banshees part 2. So he left".
Retrospectively, Seventeen Seconds has been considered an early example of gothic rock. Its "gloomscapes" are considered to be "a sonic touchstone" for the forthcoming movement.
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
At Night by The Cure
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Post by razorbacker on May 6, 2024 17:10:07 GMT
Erroll Garner was a jazz pianist and composer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He died of cardiac arrest related to emphysema on January 2, 1977, aged 55.
He began playing piano at the age of three. He was self-taught and remained an "ear player" all his life, never learning to read music.In 2012 a film on Garner was released by Atticus Brady called No One Can Hear You Read, which Garner used to say when asked why he had never learned to read music.
His best-known composition "Misty" has become a jazz standard. He composed the song in 1954 & first recorded it in 1955 for the album Contrasts. Lyrics were later added by Johnny Burke. The song played a prominent part in the 1971 motion picture Play Misty for Me.
This song comes from his 1955 live album Concert by the Sea. It features Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums.
There was no plan to record the concert officially. The release came about because Garner's personal manager, Martha Glaser, spotted a tape recorder running backstage. The recording was being made by a recording engineer for the Armed Forces Radio Network, "a jazz fan and scholar named Will Thornbury, strictly for the enjoyment of himself and his fellow servicemen". She took the tape, put it into album form, and then played it for the head of Columbia Records' jazz division, George Avakian, who decided to release it.
The song itself was written in 1941 by Gene de Paul, and lyrics by Patricia Johnston and Don Raye. It made its debut in the 1942 Abbott and Costello comedy Ride 'Em Cowboy, being sung by Dick Foran. I’ll Remember April by Erroll Garner
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Post by razorbacker on May 7, 2024 11:18:54 GMT
Janis Ian is a singer-songwriter from Farmingdale, New York. She turned 73 just last month. He real name is Janis Eddy Fink.
Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" and "At Seventeen".
This song comes from her album Between the Lines. It was her 7th studio album & was released in 1975. The album landed at #1 & has sold almost 2 million copies. It was her highest charting album.
This song was also her biggest hit single. It got to #3 on the Hot 100, & #1 on the Adult Contemporary Charts. It was her 2nd & last Top 40 hit.
She won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song, and performed it on the first episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
The song was nominated for record of the Year (she lost out to Love Will Keep Us Together by The Captain & Tenille) and song of the year, she lost this one to Send In The Clowns by Judy Collins.
At Seventeen by Janis Ian
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Post by razorbacker on May 7, 2024 17:15:53 GMT
Built to Spill is an indie rock band that formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1992.
The band is still around & is centered on lead vocalist and guitarist Doug Martsch, the only permanent member. The other current members are Melanie Radford – bass & Teresa Esguerra – drums.
During their career the group has released 9 studio albums, 1 live album, 1 compilation album, 5 extended plays (EPs), 23 singles, and 10 music videos.
This song was included on There's Nothing Wrong With Love. It was their 2nd studio album and was released September 13, 1994. The album did not chart & they won’t have a hit album until they release their 4th album Keep It Like A Secret in 1999.
Despite the lack of chart success, the album got good reviews; Jon Dolan from Spin ranked it among the best albums of the 1990s.
At this point in their career the band consisted of Doug Martsch – lead vocals, guitar, Brett Nelson – bass & Andy Capps – drums.
They announced a thirtieth anniversary tour of the album in 2024, alongside Yo La Tengo.
In The Morning by Built To Spill
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Post by razorbacker on May 8, 2024 11:06:25 GMT
Ziggy Elman was a jazz trumpeter from Philadelphia. He died in 1968 at the age of 54. His real name was Harry Aaron Finkelman.
In 1932, he made his first recording, as a trombone player. At some point in the decade, he adopted the name "Ziggy Elman".
In 1936, he joined the Benny Goodman orchestra as a trumpeter & in 1940 he joined Tommy Dorsey & remained with the band until he was drafted into WWII.
By the 1950s big bands had declined and for a time he switched to entertainment work. In this decade he appeared in films mostly as himself. In 1956 he had a heart attack, curtailing his music career. By the end of the 1950s he was financially ruined, and went to work for a car dealership. In 1961, it was revealed at an alimony hearing that he was virtually bankrupt.
He recorded this song in 1947 & it appeared on an album from 1956 called Sentimental Trumpet, Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra.
At Sundown by Ziggy Elman
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Post by razorbacker on May 8, 2024 17:27:37 GMT
Benny Mardones was a pop/rock singer and songwriter born in Cleveland, Ohio but raised in Savage, Maryland. He died at age 73 from complications of Parkinsons disease on June 29, 2020. His full name was Ruben Armand Mardones.
After high school he joined the Navy & served in Viet Nam.
He began his career as a songwriter, writing songs for people like Brenda Lee and Chubby Checker. He demoed the songs he wrote, and Tommy Mottola suggested that he record his own songs; from that point he wrote and recorded over 100 songs.
During his career he released 12 studio albums with the last one coming in 2015. This song was included on his 2nd studio album. It was called Never Run Never Hide & it came out in 1980. The album landed at #65.
The song hit the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice, in 1980 (#11) and again in 1989 (#20). It was his biggest hit single & even though it hit the top 20 twice, it was the only times he did so. He never hit the Hot 100 with any of his other singles. He had more success on the Adult Contemporary Chart with 4 hit singles over there.
The song was certified platinum. The success of the single catapulted his career but he spiraled into substance abuse that resulted in his being dropped by his label Polydor Records. Though he eventually overcame his addiction, he produced no other hits during his career.
Into The Night by Benny Mardones
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Post by razorbacker on May 9, 2024 11:11:01 GMT
Nick Drake was an English singer-songwriter born in Rangoon, Burma.
He suffered from depression and was reluctant to perform in front of live audiences. Upon completion of his 3rd album, Pink Moon, he withdrew from both performance and recording, retreating to his parents' home in rural Warwickshire. On 25 November 1974, he was found dead at the age of 26 due to an overdose of antidepressants.
He admitted to being influenced by performers such as Bob Dylan, Donovan, Van Morrison, Josh White and Phil Ochs (he later cited Randy Newman and the Beach Boys as influences).
On the other side of the equation he has been credited as an influence on numerous artists, including Robert Smith of the Cure, Peter Buck of R.E.M., Kate Bush, Paul Weller, Aimee Mann, Beck, Robyn Hitchcock and the Black Crowes.
During his short lifetime he released just 3 studio albums & 5 singles. But he made enough of an impact that his music can be heard on 15 different movie soundtracks.
This song comes from his 2nd studio album, Bryter Layter. The music was recorded in 1970 and released on 5 March 1971. It was his last album to feature backing musicians. On his next and final studio album, Pink Moon, he performed all songs solo.
The album has been ranked on many of the “Best Of” lists.
The guitar on the album cover is owned by Nick Laird-Clowes of The Dream Academy, whose "Life in a Northern Town" was written as an elegy to Nick.
At The Chime Of A City Clock by Nick Drake
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Post by razorbacker on May 9, 2024 17:19:08 GMT
Snooky Lanson, was a pop singer from Memphis, Tennessee. He died in 1990 at age 76, the cause of death was unreported. He was nicknamed "Snooky'' at age 2 after the Irving Berlin tune "Snooky-Ookums.'' His real name was Roy Landman.
In 1940, he was hired by the Ray Noble Band. A year later, he recorded the hit record "By the Light of the Silvery Moon'' with the band.
NBC's popular show, Your Hit Parade radio programs featured Frank Sinatra, who left the series in 1950. Snooky was chosen to replace him, and he became one of America's first TV stars when the show transitioned to television in July 1950. He remained with the series through 1957.
From 1967 on he lived in Nashville, where he sang at tea dances and similar functions, had a syndicated radio show that played big-band music, and sold cars and outdoor advertising.
There have been 5 different versions of this song to land on the Hot 100. This one matched the highest charting position by landing at #20 in 1955.
It’s Almost Tomorrow by Snooky Lanson
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Post by razorbacker on May 10, 2024 11:16:02 GMT
Pablo Cruise is a pop/rock band from San Francisco, formed in 1973.
When asked what Pablo Cruise meant, the band would say that "Pablo represents an honest, real, down-to-earth individual and Cruise depicts his fun-loving and easygoing attitude towards life."
The group underwent several personnel changes but they continue to tour today with two out of the original four members present.
During their career they released 8 studio albums with the most recent one coming in 1983. They had 5 singles hit the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song linked to here was included on A Place In The Sun. It was their 3rd studio album & it came out in 1977. It charted at #19 & has been certified Platinum.
The album included the singles Whatcha Gonna Do which tied for their biggest hit ever, coming in at #6, & A Place In The Sun which just missed the top 40 but ending up at #42.
At this point, the band still included all the original members. David Jenkins - guitars, lead vocals, Cory Lerios - piano, keyboards, backing vocals (both are still involved with the current lineup of the band), Steve Price - percussion, drums, & Bud Cockrell - bass, lead vocals, he passed away of complications of diabetes in 2010 at the age of 59.
Atlanta June by Pablo Cruise
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Post by razorbacker on May 10, 2024 17:19:14 GMT
Oingo Boingo was a new wave band formed in LA by songwriter Danny Elfman in 1979.
In 1995, it was announced that they would be disbanding after 17 years. The band embarked on a farewell tour in 1995, ending with a final Halloween performance at the Universal Amphitheatre.
Following the band's dissolution, Danny Elfman continued composing for film and has been nominated for four Academy Awards for his work. He has scored the majority of Tim Burton's films since Pee-wee's Big Adventure in 1985, including Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Big Fish (2003). Other scores include Good Will Hunting (1997), Men in Black (1997) and Spider-Man (2002). He has also written themes for more than a dozen TV series, including The Simpsons, Batman: The Animated Series, Tales from the Crypt, and Desperate Housewives. He almost exclusively employs former Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek as his orchestrator.
This song comes from their 5th album. It was released in 1985 & called Dead Man's Party. The album charted at #95 & included the bands biggest hit single, Weird Science which hit #45. Danny stated that he wrote the song spontaneously in his car, after receiving a call from director John Hughes about composing a song for his upcoming film of the same name.
Other songs from the album were used in other movies:
The song linked to here was the opening theme for the 1985 film That Was Then... This Is Now. The title track appears in the 1986 film Back to School. It has also appeared in episodes of Chuck, Scorpion and Stranger Things. “No One Lives Forever" appears in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) and Down Twisted (1987). It was later used in Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997). Stay was featured in Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut (2001), as well as in Any Questions for Ben? (2012).
Just Another Day by Oingo Boingo
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Post by angelic_one2002 on May 11, 2024 0:14:44 GMT
Listening to AC/DC 'Thunderstruck'
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Post by razorbacker on May 11, 2024 11:11:42 GMT
The The is an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since getting together in London in 1979.
The group is still active but singer-songwriter Matt Johnson is the only constant band member.
During the history of the band there have been 6 studio albums with the most recent one coming in 2000. Since then, there were 5 soundtrack albums & a Live reunion special. This song comes from their 3rd studio album. It was called Mind Bomb & was released in 2001. It was the 2nd of just 3 times they charted here in the states & they peaked at #138.
They got decidedly mixed reviews. The Los Angeles Times called it "an embarrassing exercise in breast-beating," writing that "this bloated record is doubly distressing considering that it’s the work of the same man who turned out one of the most mysterious and lovely pop tunes of the ‘80s, 'Uncertain Smile'."
And then In a retrospective review, Stylus Magazine wrote that "it’s easy to let the seemingly prescient relevance of the lyrics to Mind Bomb outweigh the actual music, which would be a shame because, with or without those words, it’s still a great record."
The musicians involved at this time were, Matt Johnson – vocals, guitar, keyboards, Johnny Marr – guitar, harmonica, James Eller – bass guitar, & David Palmer – drums. There were also a lot of guests involved including Sinead O’Connor who adds backing vocals on a couple of cuts.
August & September by The The
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Post by razorbacker on May 11, 2024 17:28:33 GMT
Paul Butterfield was a blues harmonica player, singer and bandleader from Chicago. He died on May 4, 1987, at age 44. An autopsy by the county coroner concluded that he was the victim of an accidental drug overdose, with "significant levels of morphine (heroin), ... codeine, the tranquilizer Librium and a trace of alcohol."
In 1963, he formed the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which recorded several successful albums and was popular on the late-1960s concert and festival circuit, with performances at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, the Fillmore East in New York City, the Monterey Pop Festival, and Woodstock.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He and the early members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Both panels noted his harmonica skills and his contributions to bringing blues music to a younger and broader audience.
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band released 6 studio albums. Paul Butterfields Better Days released 2 & Paul as a solo artist released 3 more. There was also a long string of Live albums, & compilations.
This song comes from the self - titled debut album released in 1965. At this point in the history of the band the group consisted of Paul Butterfield – lead vocals harmonica, Mike Bloomfield – lead guitar, Elvin Bishop – rhythm guitar, Jerome Arnold – bass guitar, Sam Lay – drums, lead vocals & Mark Naftalin – organ.
Last Night by Paul Butterfield Blues Band
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Post by razorbacker on May 12, 2024 11:10:30 GMT
Where have all the years gone? Barbra Streisand turned 82 last month & I’m still 17?
With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being among the first performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).
Overall, she has won 5 Emmy Awards, 9 Grammy Awards, 2 Oscars, & 1 Tony. She was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award & a Grammy Legend Award. She has 4 performances installed into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. People was installed in 1998, Funny Girl in 2004, The Barbra Streisand Album in 2006 & The Way We Were in 2008.
She has 52 gold and 31 platinum albums. She exceeds all other female singers and all other artists other than Elvis.
This song was included on her album People. It was her 4th studio album, released in September 1964. The album got to #1 & has been certified Platinum. She won the Best Vocal Performance, Female Grammy award for this album, her 2nd in this category and her 5th overall. Grammy awards were also won for Best Accompaniment/Arrangement for Vocalist or Instrumentalist (Peter Matz); and Best Album Cover (Robert Cato and Don Bronstein)
Autumn by Barbra Streisand
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Post by razorbacker on May 12, 2024 17:26:16 GMT
Shirley & Lee were a musical duo from New Orleans. Shirley Goodman died on July 5, 2005, she was 69. Leonard Lee died of a heart attack, aged 40 in 1976.
Although they were never a couple, they became known as "the Sweethearts of the Blues" due to the romantic sagas their songs.
Still just teenagers when they found success, Goodman's grandmother chaperoned her while they toured with Big Mama Thorton as her opening act. Nightclubs often stopped serving alcohol when they performed due to their age.
This was their biggest hit single. It charted twice & hit #20 in 1956, #48 in 1960. They wrote the song themselves & it has been recorded many times over the years & even appeared in the films Apocalypse Now, Stand By Me and Manchester by the Sea.
Let The Good Times Roll by Shirley & Lee
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Post by razorbacker on May 13, 2024 11:02:38 GMT
Rosemary Clooney put out tons of albums over the years. There was a whole series of albums called Rosemay Clooney Sings which were all dedicated to her versions of songs written by some of the more famous songwriters of the era. Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin & on & on it goes.
The song linked to here comes from her 1992 studio album called Girl Singer. The album included songs written by a variety of folks. This particular song was written by Vernon Duke back in 1934 for the Broadway musical Thumbs Up. In the play the song was performed by singer J. Harold Murray.
Over the years it has become a jazz standard & has been recorded by Billie Holliday, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne & many others.
Autumn In New York by Rosemary Clooney
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Post by razorbacker on May 13, 2024 17:19:41 GMT
The Everly Brothers were a rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. They were from Knoxville, Tennessee. Phil Everly died on January 3, 2014, 16 days before his 75th birthday, of lung disease. Don died on August 21, 2021, aged 84.
Their enlistments in the Marine Corps Reserve in October 1961 took them out of the spotlight. Following their discharges from active duty, they resumed their career, but with little success in the US. Of their 27 singles from 1963 through 1970, only 3 hit the Hot 100, and none peaked higher than No. 31.
During their career they released 21 studio albums & 75 singles, 4 of them hit #1. This song was included on their 2nd studio album. It was called Songs Our Daddy Taught Us & it was released in 1958. The album didn’t chart & it appears as though there were no singles released.
In 2013, Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong and jazz singer Norah Jones recorded a remake of the album, titled Foreverly. It was released on November 25, 2013.
Long Time Gone by The Everly Brothers
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Post by razorbacker on May 14, 2024 11:08:28 GMT
Robyn Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Paddington, London. He turned 71 in March. He also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar.
Prior to beginning his solo career he had been a member of multiple bands in & around London including B.B. Blackberry and the Swelterettes, the Worst Fears, and Maureen and the Meatpackers. His next group, Dennis and the Experts, became the neo-psychedelia band The Soft Boys in 1976.
During his solo career he has released 23 studio albums. This song comes from his 1984 album called I Often Dream Of Trains. It was his 3rd album.
After recording his 1st 2 solo albums, he had an artistic slump & worked odd jobs, including a stint as a gardener and a journalist. He eventually felt compelled to return to music & this was his comeback effort. He got positive reviews all across the board with the exception of Rolling Stone which was middling at best.
I see no evidence that the album charted nor were any singles released, here in the states.
Autumn Is Your Last Chance by Robyn Hitchcock
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Post by razorbacker on May 14, 2024 20:11:45 GMT
This was the title song to the 1971 5th studio album from The Jackson 5. The album landed at #11 on the Top 200 & spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Soul Albums chart. It has sold over 3 million copies world wide but it has not been certified on any level here in the states.
The album was released after the success of "I'll Be There", most of the tracks on the album are ballads, with few dance numbers. It includes the hits "Never Can Say Goodbye" which landed at #2 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B Charts. The song was originally meant for The Supremes but it was decided to be a better fit for The Jacksons.
This was the 2nd single released & it landed at #20 on the Hot 100 & #3 on the R&B Charts. While not as financially successful as the Jackson 5's first three albums, Maybe Tomorrow contains some of the most often-sampled and covered material in the group's catalogue. This song has been covered in a reggae style by UB40 & was later sampled by Rapper Ghostface Killah on his 1996 song "All That I Got Is You".
Maybe Tomorrow by The Jackson 5
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Post by razorbacker on May 15, 2024 10:40:22 GMT
Harry James was a musician, trumpet player & band leader from Albany Georgia. He died of lymphatic cancer on July 5, 1983, at age 67. Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at his funeral.
His band was the first high-profile orchestra to feature vocalist Frank Sinatra, who signed a one-year, $75 a week contract in 1939 ($1,589 a week in 2022). Harry wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin', but the singer refused.
The orchestra succeeded Glenn Miller's on a program sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes in 1942, when Miller disbanded his orchestra to enter the Army.
He has had 2 recordings installed into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. His 1941 single You Made Me Love You was installed in 2010 & his 1942 album Trumpet Blues & Cantabile went in in 1999.
During his career he released 30 studio albums, 62 Live albums & 220 singles. This song appears on his album Trumpet After Midnight. It was released in 1954.
Autumn Leaves by Harry James
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Post by razorbacker on May 16, 2024 10:48:47 GMT
The Vibrators are a British punk rock band that formed in London in 1976. They were founded by Ian 'Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards.
It appears as though some parts of the band were active until 2022, but there has been a whole passel of members with Ian Carnochan & John Edwards still there at the end.
This was the final song on their debut album from 1977. The album was called Pure Mania. It got good reviews but none of that helped it to chart here in the states. They released as single called Baby, Baby that also did not chart here.
They went on to release 23 more studio albums with the most recent one coming in 2022.
Bad Time by The Vibrators
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Post by razorbacker on May 16, 2024 18:27:43 GMT
This song was written by John Coltrane & included on his 1958 album called Blue Train. The players are John Coltrane tenor saxophone Paul Chambers — double bass, Kenny Drew — piano, Curtis Fuller — trombone, Philly Joe Jones — drums, & Lee Morgan — trumpet.
This was his only album released on the Blue Note label. It took years to happen but the album was finally certified as Gold in 2001.
In 2000 it was voted number 339 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. He stated "Coltrane may have made more important albums, but none swung as effectively as this one.
Coltrane participated in his first recording sessions while enlisted in the Navy from August 6, 1945, to August 11, 1946. He performed eight numbers in a pickup band that were private recordings not made for official release. However, one track from the session, "Hot House", eventually appeared on the 1992 compilation The Last Giant: The John Coltrane Anthology.
He died at the age of 40, but his recording career was extensive & included 45 studio albums, 11 Live albums, 23 compilations & 19 singles.
Moments Notice by John Coltrane
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Post by razorbacker on May 17, 2024 10:53:37 GMT
Steve Allen was a television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer, writer, and actor from New York City. His full name was Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen.
On October 30, 2000, he was involved in a minor traffic crash while traveling to visit his youngest son at home in Los Angeles. A driver struck the side of his car while backing out of a driveway, causing Steve to suffer a ruptured blood vessel, among other injuries, though he apparently did not realize he was seriously hurt. After he arrived at his son's home, he took a nap and died in his sleep. At first, it was believed that he had a heart attack. However, the autopsy revealed that he actually died from hemopericardium, caused by injuries sustained in the crash. He was 78.
In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, which was the first late-night television talk show.
In 1986, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
By his own estimate, he wrote more than 8,500 songs, some of which were recorded by numerous leading singers.
He won the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition for "Gravy Waltz," for which he wrote the lyrics.
He also wrote more than 50 books, including novels, children's books, and books of opinions, including his final book, Vulgarians at the Gate: Trash TV and Raunch Radio (2001).
He recorded this song in 1955. It was 1 of 6 different versions to chart that year & 1 of 2 that hit the top 40. He got to #35.
Autumn Leaves by Steve Allen
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