From Idol’s “Whiplash Smile” album released in 1986, the single peaked at #20 on the Hot 100 and at #26 on the rock charts. Happy Birthday Sweetie.
Eighty-five more posts until "Reading Between the Grooves" retires.
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Billy Idol: Sweet Sixteen
I am going to deviate from our normal Thursday feature today to honor the 16th birthday of my youngest daughter. “Sweet Sixteen” is a special birthday and although the lyrics of Billy Idol’s 1987 hit don’t correlate with a father’s love, “I’d do anything for my Sweet Sixteen.”
From Idol’s “Whiplash Smile” album released in 1986, the single peaked at #20 on the Hot 100 and at #26 on the rock charts. Happy Birthday Sweetie.
Eighty-five more posts until "Reading Between the Grooves" retires.
From Idol’s “Whiplash Smile” album released in 1986, the single peaked at #20 on the Hot 100 and at #26 on the rock charts. Happy Birthday Sweetie.
Eighty-five more posts until "Reading Between the Grooves" retires.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Flogging Molly: Black Friday Rule
Well – it’s Black Friday in America – a term that has become a double entendre. Being the busiest shopping day, it can mean that a retailer that has been in the “red” during the fourth quarter can be in the “black.”
Because so many are flooding the stores and clogging the highways, it has taken on ominous connotations as well. Since this is a day that is loved by some for the deals that occur and hated by so many because of the madness, I have suspended my usual Friday feature for a little Celtic angst.
That angst is represented by the clash [note: this is a pun] of two diverse musical cultures – traditional Celtic music and punk rock. The result is Celtic Punk and has been firmly established by groups such as the Pogues, the Dropkick Murphys, and today’s feature Flogging Molly. From Los Angeles, Flogging Molly was co-founded by Fastway guitarist Dave King in 1993.
Fitting with the spirit of the day, our feature tune is “Black Friday Rule.” It is not a style that everyone will like and with most punk influenced bands, I find the vocals a little less to my liking, but it is music that is full of energy.
Because so many are flooding the stores and clogging the highways, it has taken on ominous connotations as well. Since this is a day that is loved by some for the deals that occur and hated by so many because of the madness, I have suspended my usual Friday feature for a little Celtic angst.
That angst is represented by the clash [note: this is a pun] of two diverse musical cultures – traditional Celtic music and punk rock. The result is Celtic Punk and has been firmly established by groups such as the Pogues, the Dropkick Murphys, and today’s feature Flogging Molly. From Los Angeles, Flogging Molly was co-founded by Fastway guitarist Dave King in 1993.
Fitting with the spirit of the day, our feature tune is “Black Friday Rule.” It is not a style that everyone will like and with most punk influenced bands, I find the vocals a little less to my liking, but it is music that is full of energy.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Trio of Power Trios - Part One
Anything Goes on Wednesday and today is no different as we provide a trio of tunes from a trio of “power trios.” A “power trio” consisted of guitar, bass, and drums. Various bands handled the vocal chores differently. Another characteristic of the “power trio” was to play live at high volumes to compensate for the lack of a second guitar or keyboards.
When I think of “power trios,” I imagine Marshall stacks, an abundance of distortion, the creative use of feedback, and long monotonous drum solos. In the recording studio, however, other instrumentation was added for increased commercial appeal. On the road, the bands performed as is and did so very creatively with only three musicians. Today’s trio of “power trios” comes from the British Isles.
Written by Pete Brown and Jack Bruce, “I Feel Free” was Cream’s first single in the US and second in the UK following the lackluster “Wrapping Paper.” In the US, “I Feel Free” was included on the American “Fresh Cream” LP in place of “Spoonful,” which was released by ATCO as a single with part 1 on the A side and part 2 on the B side. The British version, the one I own, eliminates “I Feel Free” and had a slightly different cover.
The first video of this song is a stereo mix of the song that features bassist Jack Bruce on lead vocals and guitarist Eric Clapton on harmony lead. Of course, Ginger Baker is holding down the beat. There is no truth in the rumor that the outfits worn by Cream in the following video were the inspiration for the Snuggie.
The second version is a pseudo-live version of the tune for television. The interesting aspect of this song is that Jack Bruce is playing a Fender Bass VI, which was similar to the baritone guitar that Danelectro manufactured. There was one critical difference, the baritone guitar was tuned a fourth lower than a standard 6-string electric (B-E-A-D-F#-B) while a Bass VI was tuned a full octave lower than a guitar.
Although the low four strings on Bass VI were tuned to the same pitch as a standard bass guitar, the scale length of 30 inches, which was shorter than the 34 inch scale of the Fender Jazz and Precision Bass, required thinner strings. In later videos, Bruce is seen playing a cherry finish Gibson EB-3.
Virtually unknown in the US, the Irish “power trio” featured the guitar and vocals of Rory Gallagher, bass of Richard McCracken, and the drums of John Wilson. “Blister on the Moon” was the band’s first single from their self-titled first album. In 1969, the band toured North America in support of Blind Faith, which featured ex-Cream members Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton.
The Gun (or simply Gun as they were titled on their first LP) consisted of brothers Paul and Adrian Curtis/Gurvitz (on bass and guitar respectfully) and drummer Louie Farrell. The Gurvitz brothers had performed under the pseudonym Curtis until 1970 when they returned to their birth surname.
“Race with the Devil” was a top-10 hit in the UK, but largely was ignored in the US. I bought their debut album back in the early 70s because Roger Dean had done the cover art. Dean was known for his artistic contributions for several Yes albums during that decade.
A second version is a pseudo-live version from British television, which gives you an idea of their onstage presence. The Gurvitz brothers later joined with ex-Cream/Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker to form another power trio known as the Baker-Gurvitz Army.
When I think of “power trios,” I imagine Marshall stacks, an abundance of distortion, the creative use of feedback, and long monotonous drum solos. In the recording studio, however, other instrumentation was added for increased commercial appeal. On the road, the bands performed as is and did so very creatively with only three musicians. Today’s trio of “power trios” comes from the British Isles.
Cream: I Feel Free
Written by Pete Brown and Jack Bruce, “I Feel Free” was Cream’s first single in the US and second in the UK following the lackluster “Wrapping Paper.” In the US, “I Feel Free” was included on the American “Fresh Cream” LP in place of “Spoonful,” which was released by ATCO as a single with part 1 on the A side and part 2 on the B side. The British version, the one I own, eliminates “I Feel Free” and had a slightly different cover.
The first video of this song is a stereo mix of the song that features bassist Jack Bruce on lead vocals and guitarist Eric Clapton on harmony lead. Of course, Ginger Baker is holding down the beat. There is no truth in the rumor that the outfits worn by Cream in the following video were the inspiration for the Snuggie.
The second version is a pseudo-live version of the tune for television. The interesting aspect of this song is that Jack Bruce is playing a Fender Bass VI, which was similar to the baritone guitar that Danelectro manufactured. There was one critical difference, the baritone guitar was tuned a fourth lower than a standard 6-string electric (B-E-A-D-F#-B) while a Bass VI was tuned a full octave lower than a guitar.
The Fender Bass VI
Although the low four strings on Bass VI were tuned to the same pitch as a standard bass guitar, the scale length of 30 inches, which was shorter than the 34 inch scale of the Fender Jazz and Precision Bass, required thinner strings. In later videos, Bruce is seen playing a cherry finish Gibson EB-3.
Taste: Blister on the Moon
Virtually unknown in the US, the Irish “power trio” featured the guitar and vocals of Rory Gallagher, bass of Richard McCracken, and the drums of John Wilson. “Blister on the Moon” was the band’s first single from their self-titled first album. In 1969, the band toured North America in support of Blind Faith, which featured ex-Cream members Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton.
The Gun: Race with the Devil
The Gun (or simply Gun as they were titled on their first LP) consisted of brothers Paul and Adrian Curtis/Gurvitz (on bass and guitar respectfully) and drummer Louie Farrell. The Gurvitz brothers had performed under the pseudonym Curtis until 1970 when they returned to their birth surname.
“Race with the Devil” was a top-10 hit in the UK, but largely was ignored in the US. I bought their debut album back in the early 70s because Roger Dean had done the cover art. Dean was known for his artistic contributions for several Yes albums during that decade.
A second version is a pseudo-live version from British television, which gives you an idea of their onstage presence. The Gurvitz brothers later joined with ex-Cream/Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker to form another power trio known as the Baker-Gurvitz Army.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Jean Michel Jarre: Rendezvous II
French composer and multi-instrumentalist Jean Michel Jarre has been wowing live audiences for over 35 years by combining sight and sound. Using an array of electronic instruments, Jarre often performs while being backed by a full orchestra and choir. In addition, light shows and media projection behind Jarre set the stage for the music he is performing.
It is also not uncommon for this classically trained and influenced musician to have fireworks occurring during his concerts. I imagine the crowd responses of awe are not unlike the crowds that witnessed Tchaikovsky’s first performance in 1882 of the “1812 Overture” with actual cannon fire.
The highlight of “Rendezvous II” comes at 3:52 in the video when Jarre plays the laser harp. This invention, which is Jarre’s signature instrument, combines sight and sound. The individual notes are programmable via a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) as each light stream represents an individual pitch that is controlled by breaking the beam of light. Other aspects such as vibrato can be added and controlled by the varying the point of where the break occurs in the beam.
He also uses analog cymbals which may be either miked or set as triggers to an electronic percussion device. The round object in the foreground is a Roland HandSonic Electronic Hand Percussion instrument that can be programmed for a number of sounds to the various areas on the instrument. Roland makes various models of the HandSonic that differ in the number of available trigger pads.
The HandSonic also has a light beam as well that allows the percussionist to mimic sounds that are variable like mallets on a ride cymbal. I had a chance to fool with one of these two years ago thanks to Ron Keller who backs Beth Patterson. It is a great little instrument. I’d love to have one and a laser harp – but don’t know where I would use either one these days.
It is also not uncommon for this classically trained and influenced musician to have fireworks occurring during his concerts. I imagine the crowd responses of awe are not unlike the crowds that witnessed Tchaikovsky’s first performance in 1882 of the “1812 Overture” with actual cannon fire.
The highlight of “Rendezvous II” comes at 3:52 in the video when Jarre plays the laser harp. This invention, which is Jarre’s signature instrument, combines sight and sound. The individual notes are programmable via a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) as each light stream represents an individual pitch that is controlled by breaking the beam of light. Other aspects such as vibrato can be added and controlled by the varying the point of where the break occurs in the beam.
He also uses analog cymbals which may be either miked or set as triggers to an electronic percussion device. The round object in the foreground is a Roland HandSonic Electronic Hand Percussion instrument that can be programmed for a number of sounds to the various areas on the instrument. Roland makes various models of the HandSonic that differ in the number of available trigger pads.
The HandSonic also has a light beam as well that allows the percussionist to mimic sounds that are variable like mallets on a ride cymbal. I had a chance to fool with one of these two years ago thanks to Ron Keller who backs Beth Patterson. It is a great little instrument. I’d love to have one and a laser harp – but don’t know where I would use either one these days.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Slide Guitar Through A Leslie Rotating Speaker
If there was any time since 1994 that I missed being in radio it was this morning. As I was planning today’s post, I was uncertain of what to do until I stumbled upon Todd Rundgren’s “Something / Anything” LP and remembered his 1971 hit “I Saw the Light.”
Todd’s slide guitar part sounded surprisingly like George Harrison’s tonality, as the guitar was being amplified through a Leslie rotating speaker. Rundgren plays all of the instruments, does all the vocals, and recorded the entire double album in his living room studio.
This in turn reminded me of Sheryl Crow’s 2005 song “Light in Your Eyes,” which always sounded to me like a Todd Rundgren/George Harrison ripoff. They lyrics are similar to both “I Saw the Light” and “My Sweet Lord” and the guitar was obviously influenced by the quiet Beatle as Crow herself has admitted.
I believe John Shanks plays slide on this cut, but the album’s liner notes are not clear on this. Neither is it clear that he or whomever is using a Leslie. Since the seventies, chorus effects have all but replaced the bulky, low wattage, and mechanically problematic Leslie rotating speaker; however, there is nothing like the sound of the real thing.
Next , it was obvious that George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” from 1970 would be the logical choice to follow “Light in Your Eyes.” The ending chord on Crow’s “Light in Your Eyes” is a Bm and the beginning chord on “My Sweet Lord” is a F#m. It makes a nice mix if you can start the second song as the first ends as the two together create a Bm9.
To round out the set, I included Badfinger’s “Day After Day” at the beginning. This 1972 classic features George Harrison and Pete Ham simultaneously playing the slide leads through a Leslie speaker. Incidentally, part of Badfinger’s “Straight Up” LP was produced by George Harrison (as was this cut) and part of it was produced by Todd Rundgren. Everything is relative.
What about the connection to radio? Over the years, I typically dedicated an hour or two a week to a thematic oldies show. Much like Pandora.com pulls up songs of a similar vein, I would often play songs that either had a similar lyrical theme or had something in common musically – much like today’s post. I decided on stringing the songs together.
In fact, when I played the songs in the intended order and tightly segued the songs together, they worked well as four song unit. Unfortunately with a YouTube playlist, this is lost with the dead air between cuts. For those that want to hear these tunes in order, I have included the four as part playlist.
Badfinger: “Day After Day”
Todd Rundgren: “I Saw the Light”
Sheryl Crow: “The Light In Your Eyes”
George Harrison: “My Sweet Lord”
Todd’s slide guitar part sounded surprisingly like George Harrison’s tonality, as the guitar was being amplified through a Leslie rotating speaker. Rundgren plays all of the instruments, does all the vocals, and recorded the entire double album in his living room studio.
This in turn reminded me of Sheryl Crow’s 2005 song “Light in Your Eyes,” which always sounded to me like a Todd Rundgren/George Harrison ripoff. They lyrics are similar to both “I Saw the Light” and “My Sweet Lord” and the guitar was obviously influenced by the quiet Beatle as Crow herself has admitted.
I believe John Shanks plays slide on this cut, but the album’s liner notes are not clear on this. Neither is it clear that he or whomever is using a Leslie. Since the seventies, chorus effects have all but replaced the bulky, low wattage, and mechanically problematic Leslie rotating speaker; however, there is nothing like the sound of the real thing.
Next , it was obvious that George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” from 1970 would be the logical choice to follow “Light in Your Eyes.” The ending chord on Crow’s “Light in Your Eyes” is a Bm and the beginning chord on “My Sweet Lord” is a F#m. It makes a nice mix if you can start the second song as the first ends as the two together create a Bm9.
To round out the set, I included Badfinger’s “Day After Day” at the beginning. This 1972 classic features George Harrison and Pete Ham simultaneously playing the slide leads through a Leslie speaker. Incidentally, part of Badfinger’s “Straight Up” LP was produced by George Harrison (as was this cut) and part of it was produced by Todd Rundgren. Everything is relative.
What about the connection to radio? Over the years, I typically dedicated an hour or two a week to a thematic oldies show. Much like Pandora.com pulls up songs of a similar vein, I would often play songs that either had a similar lyrical theme or had something in common musically – much like today’s post. I decided on stringing the songs together.
In fact, when I played the songs in the intended order and tightly segued the songs together, they worked well as four song unit. Unfortunately with a YouTube playlist, this is lost with the dead air between cuts. For those that want to hear these tunes in order, I have included the four as part playlist.
Badfinger: “Day After Day”
Todd Rundgren: “I Saw the Light”
Sheryl Crow: “The Light In Your Eyes”
George Harrison: “My Sweet Lord”
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Three by Paul Carrack
As I continue our look at Paul Carrack, today I’m featuring three songs by our feature artist across his career.
Paul Carrack joined Squeeze in 1981 replacing Jools Holland on keyboards. While the song failed to chart on any nation’s top 40 charts, it is regarded as one of the band’s best known recordings. It was the second single from their LP “East Side Story.” The song peaked at #41 in the U.K., at #45 in Canada, and at #49 in the U.S.
Despite the low chart success, “Tempted” was a frequent played video on MTV during 1981. Carrack handles lead vocals and can be seen in the video playing a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 polyphonic synthesizer. Carrack left the band after his only LP appearance on “East Side Story.”
This is the highest charting song that features Paul Carrack’s vocals. It was a song written by Mike Rutherford and Scottish composer B.A. Robertson about the deaths of their respective fathers. Carrack, who lost his own father at age 11, was a natural to sing lead on this emotional song. Although Mike + the Mechanics was Genesis’ guitarist Mike Rutherford’s side project, the band achieved three top 10 U.S. singles: “Silent Running” at 6, “All I Need is a Miracle” at 5, and “The Living Years” at #1.
Carrack’s highest charting solo single in the U.S. was his 1987 release of “Don’t Shed a Tear.” While the song only peaked at #60 in the UK, it failed to deliver high chart numbers anywhere in the world with the exception of the States where it landed at the #9 position in February 1988.
Squeeze: Tempted
Paul Carrack joined Squeeze in 1981 replacing Jools Holland on keyboards. While the song failed to chart on any nation’s top 40 charts, it is regarded as one of the band’s best known recordings. It was the second single from their LP “East Side Story.” The song peaked at #41 in the U.K., at #45 in Canada, and at #49 in the U.S.
Despite the low chart success, “Tempted” was a frequent played video on MTV during 1981. Carrack handles lead vocals and can be seen in the video playing a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 polyphonic synthesizer. Carrack left the band after his only LP appearance on “East Side Story.”
Mike + the Mechanics: The Living Years
This is the highest charting song that features Paul Carrack’s vocals. It was a song written by Mike Rutherford and Scottish composer B.A. Robertson about the deaths of their respective fathers. Carrack, who lost his own father at age 11, was a natural to sing lead on this emotional song. Although Mike + the Mechanics was Genesis’ guitarist Mike Rutherford’s side project, the band achieved three top 10 U.S. singles: “Silent Running” at 6, “All I Need is a Miracle” at 5, and “The Living Years” at #1.
Don’t Shed A Tear
Carrack’s highest charting solo single in the U.S. was his 1987 release of “Don’t Shed a Tear.” While the song only peaked at #60 in the UK, it failed to deliver high chart numbers anywhere in the world with the exception of the States where it landed at the #9 position in February 1988.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Bill Aucoin: RIP & KISS
Monday, Joey Kinsley, my one and only bass guitar student (he's much better than I'll ever be), sent me an article about Bill Aucoin’s death which occurred in Aventura, Florida. While many may not recognize his name, you will recognize his handiwork: KISS, Billy Idol, and Billy Squire. Although he was the manager of all three, he probably is best known for his work with rock legends KISS.
According to his official biography, “Combining his directorial background, music sagacity and his shrewd marketing ability, William "Bill" Aucoin discovered, developed and propelled a New York band named KISS, into internationally recognized superstars that generated commercial revenues of $119,000,000 during the 1978 fiscal year alone.”
From their 1974 debut LP, Paul Stanley’s “Black Diamond” is one of my favorite KISS tunes. Although Stanley sings lead on the songs intro, drummer Peter Criss is the primary vocalist throughout the remainder of the song.
It is said that since there was no money for a tour to support the “KISS” LP, Bill Aucoin personally financed their debut tour by using his American Express card. So impressed with the band, he felt that his investment would exponentially return to him – he was right.
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley co-wrote “Rock and Roll All Nite,” their 1975 hit single was released twice by Casablanca Records during that year. The first version featured a studio cut from the LP “Dressed to Kill” and immediately tanked at #68. When the LP “Alive” was released later that year, the song was re-released with the live version on the A side and the studio version on the B side. It was KISS’ first top 20 hit and peaked at #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
In 1976, KISS released their highest charting single – a double sided hit – with “Detroit Rock City” on the Plug side, while the ballad, “Beth” graced the flip. A flip they did, DJs all across the US who had moderate success with “Detroit Rock City” began playing the B side. The ballad captured the hearts of Americans everywhere and it became the best known song for the band. Here’s the lesser of the two hits that charted at #7.
Although KISS and Aucoin parted ways in 1982, he set the stage for their successes throughout their career including their second most popular single. “Forever,” originally released on 1990s “Hot in the Shade” LP topped the Hot 100 at #8. The following recording with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is from the “KISS Sympony: Alive IV” CD & DVD. The orchestra and conductor join the KISS army by wearing KISS makeup for the performance.
Thanks Bill Aucoin for bringing KISS as well as Billy Idol and Billy Squire to the forefront. May you rest in peace.
Bill Aucoin with one of KISS' gold record awards
According to his official biography, “Combining his directorial background, music sagacity and his shrewd marketing ability, William "Bill" Aucoin discovered, developed and propelled a New York band named KISS, into internationally recognized superstars that generated commercial revenues of $119,000,000 during the 1978 fiscal year alone.”
Black Diamond
From their 1974 debut LP, Paul Stanley’s “Black Diamond” is one of my favorite KISS tunes. Although Stanley sings lead on the songs intro, drummer Peter Criss is the primary vocalist throughout the remainder of the song.
It is said that since there was no money for a tour to support the “KISS” LP, Bill Aucoin personally financed their debut tour by using his American Express card. So impressed with the band, he felt that his investment would exponentially return to him – he was right.
Rock and Roll All Nite
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley co-wrote “Rock and Roll All Nite,” their 1975 hit single was released twice by Casablanca Records during that year. The first version featured a studio cut from the LP “Dressed to Kill” and immediately tanked at #68. When the LP “Alive” was released later that year, the song was re-released with the live version on the A side and the studio version on the B side. It was KISS’ first top 20 hit and peaked at #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Detroit Rock City
In 1976, KISS released their highest charting single – a double sided hit – with “Detroit Rock City” on the Plug side, while the ballad, “Beth” graced the flip. A flip they did, DJs all across the US who had moderate success with “Detroit Rock City” began playing the B side. The ballad captured the hearts of Americans everywhere and it became the best known song for the band. Here’s the lesser of the two hits that charted at #7.
Forever
Although KISS and Aucoin parted ways in 1982, he set the stage for their successes throughout their career including their second most popular single. “Forever,” originally released on 1990s “Hot in the Shade” LP topped the Hot 100 at #8. The following recording with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is from the “KISS Sympony: Alive IV” CD & DVD. The orchestra and conductor join the KISS army by wearing KISS makeup for the performance.
Thanks Bill Aucoin for bringing KISS as well as Billy Idol and Billy Squire to the forefront. May you rest in peace.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sequel Songs Part One
What do “Star Wars,” “Alien,” “The Godfather,” “Toy Story,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Rocky,” and “Die Hard” have in common? They were all popular movies that were later followed up by sequels. In most cases, the first movie could stand alone and there would not need to be a sequel. Today’s “Anything Goes” Wednesday looks at three sets of songs that had sequels – thus, today’s selection is called Part One. There will be more to come in the future.
In each case the original song stood alone and the follow-up was due to the success of the first. In most cases, the original artists did the sequel, but not always. I am not including answer songs as these are a separate genre that I’ll address at a later date.
The original tune recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets was written by Holly, drummer Jerry Allison, and producer Norman Petty. "Peggy Sue" topped the charts at #3 in 1957 and was Holly's second most popular tune. The first being "That'll be the Day."
The song's original working title was Cindy Lou named after Holly’s niece; however, the title was changed to Peggy Sue in deference to Allison’s girlfriend with whom he had a recent break-up. The song was a colossal hit and is listed as #194 on Rolling Stones’ Greatest Songs of All Time. One of the features of the song is the paradiddles played by Allison on the drums.
In December 1958, Buddy Holly had written and recorded a follow-up to his 1957 hit titled “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Recorded only with an acoustic guitar, the demo recording was found after Holly’s untimely death in February 1959.
Three versions of the song were released. Version one featured the demo augmented additional instrumentation and backing vocals by the Ray Charles Singers. This version was released on a single in 1959 and on “The Buddy Holly Story Volume 2.” While the single was a top 15 hit in the UK, it failed to chart in the US. Jack Hansen produced this recording.
A second version of the song was released in 1964 by producer Norman Petty with the Fireballs providing the backing instrumentation to Holly's demo. There are no backing vocals on Petty's production.
Finally in 1979, the original demo version was issued on the six disc collection released by MCA called “The Complete Buddy Holly.”
In 1972, Harry Chapin released his debut album “Taxi” – the title cut dealing with a cabby named Harry and a rich socialite named Sue. The song is somewhat autobiographical as it is based on a chance meeting of Harry and an old girlfriend while he was a cabby in New York, and not San Francisco as in the song. The song charted at #24 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
In 1980, Chapin recorded his sequel to his hit from eight years earlier and appropriately titled “Sequel.” Ironically, “Sequel” charted slightly higher at #23 than the original release; however, it doesn’t hold up as well as “Taxi.” Both songs featured here are from a live performances; the second occurring 11 months prior Chapin’s death on July 16, 1981.
The next two selections written by Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues are not so evident from the lyrics that they are two chapters of the same story. During the MTV age, the videos that accompanied the releases tied the story of love lost and love found – well, sort of found. While Chapin lyrically presented flashbacks, it is the videos that accomplish this visually for these two songs. “Your Wildest Dreams” was the first single from the 1986 LP “The Other Side of Life” and charted in the US at #9 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.
“I Know You’re out there Somewhere,” the follow-up to “Your Wildest Dreams,” was issued as the debut single from the album “Sur La Mer” in 1988. This sequel didn’t fare as well as the initial tune charting at #30 on the Hot 100 and at #9 on the AC charts.
More sequel songs will be forthcoming at a later date.
In each case the original song stood alone and the follow-up was due to the success of the first. In most cases, the original artists did the sequel, but not always. I am not including answer songs as these are a separate genre that I’ll address at a later date.
Peggy Sue / Peggy Sue Got Married
The original tune recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets was written by Holly, drummer Jerry Allison, and producer Norman Petty. "Peggy Sue" topped the charts at #3 in 1957 and was Holly's second most popular tune. The first being "That'll be the Day."
The song's original working title was Cindy Lou named after Holly’s niece; however, the title was changed to Peggy Sue in deference to Allison’s girlfriend with whom he had a recent break-up. The song was a colossal hit and is listed as #194 on Rolling Stones’ Greatest Songs of All Time. One of the features of the song is the paradiddles played by Allison on the drums.
In December 1958, Buddy Holly had written and recorded a follow-up to his 1957 hit titled “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Recorded only with an acoustic guitar, the demo recording was found after Holly’s untimely death in February 1959.
Three versions of the song were released. Version one featured the demo augmented additional instrumentation and backing vocals by the Ray Charles Singers. This version was released on a single in 1959 and on “The Buddy Holly Story Volume 2.” While the single was a top 15 hit in the UK, it failed to chart in the US. Jack Hansen produced this recording.
A second version of the song was released in 1964 by producer Norman Petty with the Fireballs providing the backing instrumentation to Holly's demo. There are no backing vocals on Petty's production.
Finally in 1979, the original demo version was issued on the six disc collection released by MCA called “The Complete Buddy Holly.”
Taxi / Sequel
In 1972, Harry Chapin released his debut album “Taxi” – the title cut dealing with a cabby named Harry and a rich socialite named Sue. The song is somewhat autobiographical as it is based on a chance meeting of Harry and an old girlfriend while he was a cabby in New York, and not San Francisco as in the song. The song charted at #24 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
In 1980, Chapin recorded his sequel to his hit from eight years earlier and appropriately titled “Sequel.” Ironically, “Sequel” charted slightly higher at #23 than the original release; however, it doesn’t hold up as well as “Taxi.” Both songs featured here are from a live performances; the second occurring 11 months prior Chapin’s death on July 16, 1981.
Your Wildest Dreams / I Know You’re Out There Somewhere
The next two selections written by Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues are not so evident from the lyrics that they are two chapters of the same story. During the MTV age, the videos that accompanied the releases tied the story of love lost and love found – well, sort of found. While Chapin lyrically presented flashbacks, it is the videos that accomplish this visually for these two songs. “Your Wildest Dreams” was the first single from the 1986 LP “The Other Side of Life” and charted in the US at #9 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.
“I Know You’re out there Somewhere,” the follow-up to “Your Wildest Dreams,” was issued as the debut single from the album “Sur La Mer” in 1988. This sequel didn’t fare as well as the initial tune charting at #30 on the Hot 100 and at #9 on the AC charts.
More sequel songs will be forthcoming at a later date.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Deep Purple Before Smoke On The Water
During the summer of 1973, Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” single and “Machine Head” LP brought the band into mainstream popularity. While they had several hit records, many of their earlier recordings were unknown to mainstream audiences. Some of this music was excellent and gives a picture of the band when the main instrument appears to be Jon Lord’s organ rather than Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar. “Smoke on the Water” adjusted this balance.
Since I typically feature LPs on Saturday, I am doing a pre-“Smoke on the Water” feature with a song from all of the albums and some non album singles from before the release of “Machine Head. ” There is one notable exception; I will not be featuring anything from their fourth LP: “Concerto for Group and Orchestra” with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
My first Purple album was “Fireball” that I purchased at a flea market in 1972. Later, I was able to find the first two US LPs and some early singles on the original Tetragrammaton Records label when they were eventually released from warehouses to the cutout bins in the early 1970s. This was after Tetragrammaton’s bankruptcy proceedings were concluded. At the same time, Warner Brothers reissued the albums as two double album sets. Tetreagrammaton Records was owned by the Campbell, Silver, and Cosby Corporation with comedian Bill Cosby being the third partner in the endeavor.
The Tetragrammaton name came from the term for the Hebrew designation of God’s identity from the Old Testament. Literally, Tetragrammaton in Greek means four letters; and prior to the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew bible when vowels were added, the name of God was represented by four Hebrew consonants יהוה – which in English is represented by YHWH or JHVH, This name, translated as "I Am" is pronounced as Yahweh or Jehovah. Up to the time of the Masorites, Hebrew writing contained no written vowels as their inclusion was implied by context, but not formally recorded.
“The Book of Taliesyn” T-107 – charted in the US at #54
“Deep Purple” T-119 – charted in the US at #162
“Concerto for Group and Orchestra” T-131 (Later released as WB-1860) – never charted in the US.
“Kentucky Woman”/”Hard Road” (AKA “Wring that Neck”) #1508 – charted in the US at #38
“River Deep/Mountain High” / “Listen, Read, Learn On” #1514 – charted in the US at #53
“Emmaretta”/”Bird has Flown” #1519 – charted in the US at #128
“Hallelujah (I am the Preacher)”/ “April (Part 1)” #1539 – charted in the US at #108
“In Rock” – WB-1877 charted in the US at #143
“Fireball” – BS-2564 charted in the US at #32
“Child in Time (Part 1)” / “Child in Time (Part 2)” Promo release only – never charted in the US
“Strange Kind of Woman” / “I’m Alone” WB7493 – never charted in the US
“Fireball” / “Anyone’s Daughter” WB7528 – never charted in the US
Having been familiar with Skip James’ classic “I’m So Glad” from “Goodbye Cream,” I’ve always preferred Deep Purple’s version. The two times I performed with the band “City Chicken,” I sang this tune and played acoustic/electric guitar. It is one of my favorite songs of all time – no matter which version. The original lead vocalist Rod Evans is handling the vocals.
While the song has been compared to the first King Crimson LP, I beg to differ pointing to similarities with the Nice and the classical workings of Keith Emerson. Ritchie Blackmore has an interesting solo – which is an indication of some of later work in Blackmore's Night.
The song was released between the LPs “The Book of Taliesyn” and “Deep Purple.”
Lalena, written by Donovan P. Leitch, is my favorite song from the LP as well as my favorite cut by Donovan. The album did poorly in the US partially blamed on the choice of using the third panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Reportedly, US audiences unfamiliar with Bosch’s style tended view this section of the painting as being Satanic and thus many stores refused to stock the album. Despite this misinterpretation of the meaning and source of the cover, their third album is truly one of their best early recordings.
I have a copy of the original Tetragrammaton release of this single and it has always been a favorite of mine. The video is a pseudo-live recording of the tune. This was first recording to feature Ian Gillan and Roger Glover.
The opening guitar riff reminds me of the Blues Magoos’ “(We ain’t got) Nothing Yet.” Ritchie Blackmore said that he borrowed the lick from Ricky Nelson's interpretation of "Summertime." Blackmore's work is featured on this cut along with Ian Gillan, the band’s new vocalist. The song was the highest charting single for the band in the UK peaking at #2.
While this single was commercially released elsewhere, I believe that Warner Brothers only released it as a radio station promo copy only. I cannot seem to find any mention on a US commercial release. It is just as well, as the single chopped the song into two parts. According to the liner notes, the song was "the story of a loser - it could be you."
On the live LP, “Deep Purple in Concert,” Ian Gillan introduced the song, “It was about a friend of ours who got mixed up with a very evil woman and it was a sad story. They got married in the end. And a few days after they got married, the lady died.” Very strange kind of woman – eh?
Since I typically feature LPs on Saturday, I am doing a pre-“Smoke on the Water” feature with a song from all of the albums and some non album singles from before the release of “Machine Head. ” There is one notable exception; I will not be featuring anything from their fourth LP: “Concerto for Group and Orchestra” with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
My first Purple album was “Fireball” that I purchased at a flea market in 1972. Later, I was able to find the first two US LPs and some early singles on the original Tetragrammaton Records label when they were eventually released from warehouses to the cutout bins in the early 1970s. This was after Tetragrammaton’s bankruptcy proceedings were concluded. At the same time, Warner Brothers reissued the albums as two double album sets. Tetreagrammaton Records was owned by the Campbell, Silver, and Cosby Corporation with comedian Bill Cosby being the third partner in the endeavor.
The Tetragrammaton name came from the term for the Hebrew designation of God’s identity from the Old Testament. Literally, Tetragrammaton in Greek means four letters; and prior to the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew bible when vowels were added, the name of God was represented by four Hebrew consonants יהוה – which in English is represented by YHWH or JHVH, This name, translated as "I Am" is pronounced as Yahweh or Jehovah. Up to the time of the Masorites, Hebrew writing contained no written vowels as their inclusion was implied by context, but not formally recorded.
Early Deep Purple Tetragrammaton Releases
Albums:
“Shades of Deep Purple” T-102 – charted in the US at #24“The Book of Taliesyn” T-107 – charted in the US at #54
“Deep Purple” T-119 – charted in the US at #162
“Concerto for Group and Orchestra” T-131 (Later released as WB-1860) – never charted in the US.
Singles:
“Hush” / “One More Rainy Day” #1503 – charted in the US at #4“Kentucky Woman”/”Hard Road” (AKA “Wring that Neck”) #1508 – charted in the US at #38
“River Deep/Mountain High” / “Listen, Read, Learn On” #1514 – charted in the US at #53
“Emmaretta”/”Bird has Flown” #1519 – charted in the US at #128
“Hallelujah (I am the Preacher)”/ “April (Part 1)” #1539 – charted in the US at #108
Early Deep Purple Warner Brothers Releases
Albums
“Concerto for Group and Orchestra” WB-1860 (Originally released as T-131) – never charted in the US.“In Rock” – WB-1877 charted in the US at #143
“Fireball” – BS-2564 charted in the US at #32
Singles:
“Black Night” / “Speed King” WB7405 – never charted in the US“Child in Time (Part 1)” / “Child in Time (Part 2)” Promo release only – never charted in the US
“Strange Kind of Woman” / “I’m Alone” WB7493 – never charted in the US
“Fireball” / “Anyone’s Daughter” WB7528 – never charted in the US
Prelude: Happiness / I’m So Glad
Since I’ve already featured the top 5 single “Hush” in a former post, I decided to use my favorite cut from Deep Purple’s debut LP “Shades of Deep Purple.”
Having been familiar with Skip James’ classic “I’m So Glad” from “Goodbye Cream,” I’ve always preferred Deep Purple’s version. The two times I performed with the band “City Chicken,” I sang this tune and played acoustic/electric guitar. It is one of my favorite songs of all time – no matter which version. The original lead vocalist Rod Evans is handling the vocals.
Anthem
The band’s second LP, “Book of Taliesyn” is my least favorite album of their early works - well, second least favorite - "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" would probably rank as my least favorite. One of the first cuts to be recorded for the second LP features a classical interlude showing the influence of Jon Lord’s musical tastes rising to the top.
While the song has been compared to the first King Crimson LP, I beg to differ pointing to similarities with the Nice and the classical workings of Keith Emerson. Ritchie Blackmore has an interesting solo – which is an indication of some of later work in Blackmore's Night.
Emmeratta
Originally available only as a non-LP single, “Emmeratta” was a Purple classic sung in concert for many years.
The song was released between the LPs “The Book of Taliesyn” and “Deep Purple.”
Lalena
I debated on whether I should do a feature of the third eponymous LP “Deep Purple,” as it is my favorite early album by the band. I will do the album feature in the future as I really like the idea of featuring some of the early Purple recordings in toto. I couldn't find the American release of this LP in 1973, so I got the UK import on Harvest. It was a little more expensive, but well worth it.
Lalena, written by Donovan P. Leitch, is my favorite song from the LP as well as my favorite cut by Donovan. The album did poorly in the US partially blamed on the choice of using the third panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Reportedly, US audiences unfamiliar with Bosch’s style tended view this section of the painting as being Satanic and thus many stores refused to stock the album. Despite this misinterpretation of the meaning and source of the cover, their third album is truly one of their best early recordings.
>
Hallelujah (I am the Preacher)
Another non-LP single for Deep Purple, “Hallelujah (I am the Preacher)” was released simultaneously with the “Deep Purple” album. Although the full length version of the flip side, “April (Part 1)” appeared on the album, “Hallelujah (I am the Preacher)” was not as fortunate.I have a copy of the original Tetragrammaton release of this single and it has always been a favorite of mine. The video is a pseudo-live recording of the tune. This was first recording to feature Ian Gillan and Roger Glover.
Black Night
Another single only issue, “Black Night” was slated to be released by Tetragrammaton, but was lost in the shuffle in the label’s bankruptcy proceedings. Warners released the song as their first Deep Purple single nearly a year after the rest of the world.
The opening guitar riff reminds me of the Blues Magoos’ “(We ain’t got) Nothing Yet.” Ritchie Blackmore said that he borrowed the lick from Ricky Nelson's interpretation of "Summertime." Blackmore's work is featured on this cut along with Ian Gillan, the band’s new vocalist. The song was the highest charting single for the band in the UK peaking at #2.
Child in Time
Warner Brothers began heavily promoting Deep Purple with the release of "In Rock" and album radio began a love affair with the band that exists to this day.
While this single was commercially released elsewhere, I believe that Warner Brothers only released it as a radio station promo copy only. I cannot seem to find any mention on a US commercial release. It is just as well, as the single chopped the song into two parts. According to the liner notes, the song was "the story of a loser - it could be you."
Strange Kind of Woman
As I mentioned earlier, “Fireball” was my first Deep Purple album. This tune only appeared on the US and Japanese releases of the album – elsewhere “Demon’s Eye” appeared in its place.
On the live LP, “Deep Purple in Concert,” Ian Gillan introduced the song, “It was about a friend of ours who got mixed up with a very evil woman and it was a sad story. They got married in the end. And a few days after they got married, the lady died.” Very strange kind of woman – eh?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Beatles Lawsuit Songs
Considered the greatest rock band of all time, the Beatles ushered in the British Invasion in 1964; however, like some of their contemporaries, their members were guilty of musical plagiarism on least three tunes. One of these was a sin of omission, while two others were sins of commission.
It is possible that even with the two sins of commission, the plagiarism that occurred may have happened unintentionally and subconsciously. Be that as it may, there are at least three tunes that required either legal action or the threat thereof.
This recording from “Beatles for Sale” and “Beatles VI” was the sin of omission, as the original pressings of these albums neglected to credit Richard Penniman (AKA Little Richard) with the song “Hey, Hey, Hey,” as part of this medley with “Kansas City.” Why this occurred is not known because this particular medley of "Kansas City" and "Hey, Hey, Hey" was learned from Little Richard – wooo! (Sorry, I just had to do that).
As it originally appeared, “Kansas City,” was credited to songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller – and presumably, they received the entire songwriting royalties. When the album was released, attorneys for Little Richard’s publisher Venice Music contacted EMI and later pressings of these albums were corrected and the appropriate mechanical royalties were distributed to both the writer and the publisher.
The opening cut of the “Abbey Road” album and double sided single (with “Something”) was also embroiled in controversy being similar (but slower) to Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me.” The crux of the lawsuit was the opening line of “Here comes old flattop, he come groovin’ up slowly” was admittedly lifted from Berry’s song where he sang, “Here comes a flattop, he was movin’ up with me.”
Five years after its release, Morris Levy of Big Seven Music sued John Lennon for copyright infringement. Lennon settled out of court and as part of the settlement promised to record three songs owned by Levy’s company: “You Can’t Catch Me,” “Ya Ya,” and “Angel Baby.” Although all three were recorded, Lennon released “You Can’t Catch Me” and “Ya Ya” for his “Rock ‘N Roll” LP. When the release of “Angel Baby” was not forthcoming, Levy sued Lennon for breach of contract and collected a judgment of nearly $7,000. “Angel Baby” was later released after Lennon’s death.
Written in 1968 for Billy Preston, George Harrison finally got around to recording his own composition for his monumental “All Things Must Pass” triple album set. The single, released in January 1971, was a phenomenal success in both the UK and the US topping charts in both countries. By that spring, allegations began appearing in the press that Harrison had lifted the melody for "My Sweet Lord" from the 1963 Chiffon’s hit “He’s So Fine.” Ronnie Mack was the author of "He's So Fine." Harrison denied that he plagiarized the former hit stating that it was the Edwin Hawkins’ Singers version of “Oh Happy Day” that inspired him to write the song.
When the allegations surfaced, Harrison’s royalty payments were suspended and Bright Tunes Music sued George Harrison’s publishing concern Harrisongs Music. It was determined that Harrison subconsciously copied the former top five hit and that he owed Bright Tunes Music the lion’s share of the royalties of “My Sweet Lord” as well as the mechanical royalties associated with the song’s appearance on “All Things Must Pass.”
Complications arose when former Beatles' manager Allen Klein purchased Bright Tunes Music, which delayed the trial even further. Ironically, during the first phase of litigation Klein had served as an adviser to Harrison. With Klein now as the plaintiff, the settlement included Harrison's purchasing Bright Tunes Music from Klein for $578,000 and thus securing his rights to “My Sweet Lord.”
It is possible that even with the two sins of commission, the plagiarism that occurred may have happened unintentionally and subconsciously. Be that as it may, there are at least three tunes that required either legal action or the threat thereof.
Kansas City / Hey, Hey, Hey
This recording from “Beatles for Sale” and “Beatles VI” was the sin of omission, as the original pressings of these albums neglected to credit Richard Penniman (AKA Little Richard) with the song “Hey, Hey, Hey,” as part of this medley with “Kansas City.” Why this occurred is not known because this particular medley of "Kansas City" and "Hey, Hey, Hey" was learned from Little Richard – wooo! (Sorry, I just had to do that).
As it originally appeared, “Kansas City,” was credited to songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller – and presumably, they received the entire songwriting royalties. When the album was released, attorneys for Little Richard’s publisher Venice Music contacted EMI and later pressings of these albums were corrected and the appropriate mechanical royalties were distributed to both the writer and the publisher.
Come Together / You Can’t Catch Me
The opening cut of the “Abbey Road” album and double sided single (with “Something”) was also embroiled in controversy being similar (but slower) to Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me.” The crux of the lawsuit was the opening line of “Here comes old flattop, he come groovin’ up slowly” was admittedly lifted from Berry’s song where he sang, “Here comes a flattop, he was movin’ up with me.”
Five years after its release, Morris Levy of Big Seven Music sued John Lennon for copyright infringement. Lennon settled out of court and as part of the settlement promised to record three songs owned by Levy’s company: “You Can’t Catch Me,” “Ya Ya,” and “Angel Baby.” Although all three were recorded, Lennon released “You Can’t Catch Me” and “Ya Ya” for his “Rock ‘N Roll” LP. When the release of “Angel Baby” was not forthcoming, Levy sued Lennon for breach of contract and collected a judgment of nearly $7,000. “Angel Baby” was later released after Lennon’s death.
My Sweet Lord / He’s So Fine
Written in 1968 for Billy Preston, George Harrison finally got around to recording his own composition for his monumental “All Things Must Pass” triple album set. The single, released in January 1971, was a phenomenal success in both the UK and the US topping charts in both countries. By that spring, allegations began appearing in the press that Harrison had lifted the melody for "My Sweet Lord" from the 1963 Chiffon’s hit “He’s So Fine.” Ronnie Mack was the author of "He's So Fine." Harrison denied that he plagiarized the former hit stating that it was the Edwin Hawkins’ Singers version of “Oh Happy Day” that inspired him to write the song.
When the allegations surfaced, Harrison’s royalty payments were suspended and Bright Tunes Music sued George Harrison’s publishing concern Harrisongs Music. It was determined that Harrison subconsciously copied the former top five hit and that he owed Bright Tunes Music the lion’s share of the royalties of “My Sweet Lord” as well as the mechanical royalties associated with the song’s appearance on “All Things Must Pass.”
Complications arose when former Beatles' manager Allen Klein purchased Bright Tunes Music, which delayed the trial even further. Ironically, during the first phase of litigation Klein had served as an adviser to Harrison. With Klein now as the plaintiff, the settlement included Harrison's purchasing Bright Tunes Music from Klein for $578,000 and thus securing his rights to “My Sweet Lord.”
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010) Chronological Compendium
The world lost a rock ‘n roll legend on Sunday when Ronnie James Dio succumbed to the stomach cancer that was detected six months earlier in November 2009. He was almost 68 years old. I had not followed Dio, but as I prepared to write this, I remembered his music and have grown to appreciate his vocal talents through an extensive study of his varied career.
As you would expect anyone who was born in the 1940s and aspired to be a rock ‘n roll singer in the 1950s, he would sing the type of music that was popular during the latter half of that decade. Ronnie and the Red Caps started as the Vegas Kings in 1957, changed their name to Ronnie and the Rumblers, and in 1958 were known as Ronnie and the Red Caps. The band recorded a number of sides including “An Angel is Missing.”
In 1961, Ronnie and the Red Caps were further rebranded as Ronnie and the Prophets. Following their cues from popular bands of the era, Dio and company did a number of popular styles of the day – vocal music and straight ahead rock ‘n roll. The following example is a medium tempo ballad that showcases how expressive Dio’s voice was.
When Ronnie and the Prophets disbanded in 1967, guitarist Nick Pantas and vocalist Ronnie James Dio formed The Electric Elves and again followed the trends of the day and recorded one psychedelic single for MGM: “Hey, Look Me Over” backed with “It Pays to Advertise.” In my opinion, the B side, featured here, is the stronger of the two.
By 1969, The Electric Elves shortened their moniker to simply The Elves and recorded a pair of singles for the American Decca label. The second single “Amber Velvet” was backed with a song composed by keyboardist Doug Thaler titled “West Virginia.” This 1970 single was produced by veteran songwriter, vocalist, and producer Scott English.
By 1972, The Elves evolved into Elf – the band that would bring Ronnie James Dio into the attention of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore as the band frequently opened for Deep Purple during the 1970s. The band was influenced by Rod Stewart, Jethro Tull, and straight ahead blues as evidenced from their recordings. From their debut LP “Elf,” Ronnie sings “Sit Down Honey.”
While Ritchie Blackmore was still working with Deep Purple, he formed his band Rainbow with all of the former members of Elf with the exception of guitarist Steve Edwards. Dio would be the only one that survived the first LP and recorded three albums with Rainbow.
While between gigs, Dio recorded two songs for Kansas’ keyboardist/guitarist Kerry Livgren’s first solo album: “Seeds of Change.” I feel that this is one of Dio’s best vocal performances and the song reminds me of “In this Place” from Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs.”
When Ozzy Osbourne left Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio was asked to be his replacement and stayed with the band to record two LPs: “Heaven and Hell” and “Mob Rules.” From his second LP with the band, here’s “Sign of the Southern Cross.”
When Dio left Sabbath in 1982, he did so to form his own band that bore his stage surname of Dio. The title cut of their debut album, “Holy Diver” was also Dio’s first single release and first MTV video. The single charted at #40 in the US and features the excellent guitar work of Viv Campbell.
In 2000, Ronnie James Dio was asked to do some guest appearances with his old friends in Deep Purple. The band Dio’s recording of “Rainbow in the Dark” was the highest charting single in Ronnie James Dio’s career peaking in the US at #14 in 1983. The band is the classic lineup of Deep Purple sans Ritchie Blackmore with Steve Morse handling the guitar chores. This is one of my favorite songs of RJD.
From 2005 until this year, the band Heaven and Hell, a reincarnation of the Black Sabbath, of Ronnie James Dio’s days (1980-1982 and 1991-1992) took to the stage. Besides Dio on vocals, the band featured Tommy Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Vinny Appice on drums. “Die Young” originally from the Sabbath LP “Heaven & Hell” showcases the guitar wizardry of Tommi Iommi on his Gibson SG guitar.
Rest in peace Ronnie.
Ronnie and the Red Caps: An Angel is Missing
As you would expect anyone who was born in the 1940s and aspired to be a rock ‘n roll singer in the 1950s, he would sing the type of music that was popular during the latter half of that decade. Ronnie and the Red Caps started as the Vegas Kings in 1957, changed their name to Ronnie and the Rumblers, and in 1958 were known as Ronnie and the Red Caps. The band recorded a number of sides including “An Angel is Missing.”
Ronnie and the Prophets: Don’t Take your Love from Me
In 1961, Ronnie and the Red Caps were further rebranded as Ronnie and the Prophets. Following their cues from popular bands of the era, Dio and company did a number of popular styles of the day – vocal music and straight ahead rock ‘n roll. The following example is a medium tempo ballad that showcases how expressive Dio’s voice was.
The Electric Elves: It Pays to Advertise
When Ronnie and the Prophets disbanded in 1967, guitarist Nick Pantas and vocalist Ronnie James Dio formed The Electric Elves and again followed the trends of the day and recorded one psychedelic single for MGM: “Hey, Look Me Over” backed with “It Pays to Advertise.” In my opinion, the B side, featured here, is the stronger of the two.
The Elves: West Virginia
By 1969, The Electric Elves shortened their moniker to simply The Elves and recorded a pair of singles for the American Decca label. The second single “Amber Velvet” was backed with a song composed by keyboardist Doug Thaler titled “West Virginia.” This 1970 single was produced by veteran songwriter, vocalist, and producer Scott English.
Elf: Sit Down Honey
By 1972, The Elves evolved into Elf – the band that would bring Ronnie James Dio into the attention of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore as the band frequently opened for Deep Purple during the 1970s. The band was influenced by Rod Stewart, Jethro Tull, and straight ahead blues as evidenced from their recordings. From their debut LP “Elf,” Ronnie sings “Sit Down Honey.”
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow: Man on the Silver Mountain
While Ritchie Blackmore was still working with Deep Purple, he formed his band Rainbow with all of the former members of Elf with the exception of guitarist Steve Edwards. Dio would be the only one that survived the first LP and recorded three albums with Rainbow.
Kerry Livgren (with Ronnie James Dio): To Live for the King
While between gigs, Dio recorded two songs for Kansas’ keyboardist/guitarist Kerry Livgren’s first solo album: “Seeds of Change.” I feel that this is one of Dio’s best vocal performances and the song reminds me of “In this Place” from Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs.”
Black Sabbath: Sign of the Southern Cross
When Ozzy Osbourne left Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio was asked to be his replacement and stayed with the band to record two LPs: “Heaven and Hell” and “Mob Rules.” From his second LP with the band, here’s “Sign of the Southern Cross.”
Dio: Holy Diver
When Dio left Sabbath in 1982, he did so to form his own band that bore his stage surname of Dio. The title cut of their debut album, “Holy Diver” was also Dio’s first single release and first MTV video. The single charted at #40 in the US and features the excellent guitar work of Viv Campbell.
Deep Purple (with Ronnie James Dio): Rainbow in the Dark
In 2000, Ronnie James Dio was asked to do some guest appearances with his old friends in Deep Purple. The band Dio’s recording of “Rainbow in the Dark” was the highest charting single in Ronnie James Dio’s career peaking in the US at #14 in 1983. The band is the classic lineup of Deep Purple sans Ritchie Blackmore with Steve Morse handling the guitar chores. This is one of my favorite songs of RJD.
Heaven and Hell: Die Young
From 2005 until this year, the band Heaven and Hell, a reincarnation of the Black Sabbath, of Ronnie James Dio’s days (1980-1982 and 1991-1992) took to the stage. Besides Dio on vocals, the band featured Tommy Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Vinny Appice on drums. “Die Young” originally from the Sabbath LP “Heaven & Hell” showcases the guitar wizardry of Tommi Iommi on his Gibson SG guitar.
Rest in peace Ronnie.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Old School Abbey: Protect You
While typically I feature an album on Saturdays, I am going to deviate from this practice today to feature a song by local band that I recently discovered via a number of sources. Part of this deviation is based upon today being the 76th commencement for my current employer Mountain State University (nee – Beckley College 1933-1991 and The College of West Virginia 1991-2001). Yesterday during graduation practice, I was reminded of the group Old School Abbey and their song “Protect You” when I saw the video that will be used in today’s ceremony. The video is structured around the lyrics to this song.
I first heard this cut several months ago when my youngest daughter, who controls the radio in my car, were coming home from somewhere and heard this tune on WCIR-FM, a former employer of mine from 1981-1983. Not knowing it was local band at the time, both my daughter and I were impressed with this song – the instrumental and vocal performance, its lyrical content, and production. Several days later, one the jocks back sold the song and provided the information that they were from Beckley, WV – my residence for almost thirty years. Having been out of the local music scene for almost two decades, I was unaware of this band and how good they are.
A few days later, I called a friend of mine John Sellards – and told him I had seen something in the local paper about one of his relatives and John thought I was referring to Nick Durm – a cousin of his in Old School Abbey – I was not, but John told me about his connection to Nick and how their band was doing quite well with their new CD release. It was during this conversation that I realized that the band of which he spoke and the one I had heard on the radio were one in the same. I agreed that there was something about this song that had hit potential written all over it.
Prior to MSU’s graduate hooding ceremony yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet Nick Durm – the man behind the song and the vocals of “Protect You.” I was really impressed with this man’s talent. John, who introduced us, made the comment that no one could write a song hook like Nick. From what I have heard from their album “Only a Dream” and being that I respect John's opinions on music (as he has one of the best ears of anyone I know), I wholeheartedly concur.
We had a brief chat about song writing and the music industry from which I learned that John had been bragging on my own career and specifically how I received a platinum album for the first Men At Work LP and a platinum single for Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” We discussed the anomaly of this song and how it became a hit and broke out of West Virginia – with three stations in the country playing this single first – WKEE in Huntington, WCIR in Beckley, and WVSR in Charleston.
I spoke about going to the Bobby Poe Radio and Records Convention in Atlanta telling other programmers to just put this song on the radio one time to see the response. We did at the suggestion of my friend Gary “Music” Miller at KEE in Huntington and the phones went crazy. I also admitted, while I was not terribly fond of this song or its writer/producer Jim Steinman, it was a definite hit. Not many singles are certified platinum – so that should say something.
Meanwhile back to Nick and Old School Abbey, “Only a Dream” is their second LP and was recorded at Mission Bells in San Francisco with David Simon-Baker as the album’s producer. Simon-Baker’s talent is evident on these recordings as mix is one of the cleanest I’ve heard in a long time. When you listen to “Protect You,” you can hear everything in the context of the song. My favorite instrument in the whole song is the organ – it is tastefully done; however, it is Nick’s vocals that make this tune.
According to the group’s bio, “Their sound is described as ‘the way rock should-unpolished and bustling with energy...’ Tinges of Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, Keller Williams, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, and a whole host of acoustic solo rockers drip all over the music of OSA, with a delightful electric twist that adds a new get-up-and-go!” I couldn’t agree more. It is only a matter of time until Old School Abbey breaks into the big time – let’s hope that is sooner than later.
Old School Abbey
A few days later, I called a friend of mine John Sellards – and told him I had seen something in the local paper about one of his relatives and John thought I was referring to Nick Durm – a cousin of his in Old School Abbey – I was not, but John told me about his connection to Nick and how their band was doing quite well with their new CD release. It was during this conversation that I realized that the band of which he spoke and the one I had heard on the radio were one in the same. I agreed that there was something about this song that had hit potential written all over it.
Prior to MSU’s graduate hooding ceremony yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet Nick Durm – the man behind the song and the vocals of “Protect You.” I was really impressed with this man’s talent. John, who introduced us, made the comment that no one could write a song hook like Nick. From what I have heard from their album “Only a Dream” and being that I respect John's opinions on music (as he has one of the best ears of anyone I know), I wholeheartedly concur.
Nick Durm of Old School Abbey
We had a brief chat about song writing and the music industry from which I learned that John had been bragging on my own career and specifically how I received a platinum album for the first Men At Work LP and a platinum single for Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” We discussed the anomaly of this song and how it became a hit and broke out of West Virginia – with three stations in the country playing this single first – WKEE in Huntington, WCIR in Beckley, and WVSR in Charleston.
I spoke about going to the Bobby Poe Radio and Records Convention in Atlanta telling other programmers to just put this song on the radio one time to see the response. We did at the suggestion of my friend Gary “Music” Miller at KEE in Huntington and the phones went crazy. I also admitted, while I was not terribly fond of this song or its writer/producer Jim Steinman, it was a definite hit. Not many singles are certified platinum – so that should say something.
Meanwhile back to Nick and Old School Abbey, “Only a Dream” is their second LP and was recorded at Mission Bells in San Francisco with David Simon-Baker as the album’s producer. Simon-Baker’s talent is evident on these recordings as mix is one of the cleanest I’ve heard in a long time. When you listen to “Protect You,” you can hear everything in the context of the song. My favorite instrument in the whole song is the organ – it is tastefully done; however, it is Nick’s vocals that make this tune.
According to the group’s bio, “Their sound is described as ‘the way rock should-unpolished and bustling with energy...’ Tinges of Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, Keller Williams, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, and a whole host of acoustic solo rockers drip all over the music of OSA, with a delightful electric twist that adds a new get-up-and-go!” I couldn’t agree more. It is only a matter of time until Old School Abbey breaks into the big time – let’s hope that is sooner than later.
MSU Graduation Video - Make Your Move
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Frank Frazetta 1928-2010: Rest In Peace
The world lost a great artist Monday when Frank Frazetta passed away at the age of 82. I’ve been a fan of his artwork since the early seventies when I got my first paperbacks of the Robert E. Howard (and L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter) fantasy character Conan. My first two books in the series were “Conan the Conqueror” and “Conan of Cimmeria” and the art from both covers would later surface on record albums – Molly Hatchet’s “Beatin’ the Odds” and Dust’s “Hard Attack.” Characteristic of Frazetta's art - the men were invincible and the women beautiful.
While Frazetta’s cover art would attract heavier bands from the 70s onward, he also produced a number of covers for soundtracks one of which brought his name to the forefront. His first soundtrack cover was an adaptation of the poster he designed for the movie “What’s New Pussycat.” The opportunity to do that poster and album cover came when executives at United Artists saw Frazetta’s parody in Mad Magazine of a Breck Shampoo ad. The ad for Blecch featured Frazetta’s depiction of Ringo Starr and ad copy reminiscent of Breck ads. Frazetta admitted that doing the poster earned him more in one day than he earned in the entire previous year.
His second LP was comedian Earl Doud’s “Welcome to the LBJ Ranch” which was followed up by “Both Sides of Herman’s Hermits.” Other movie soundtracks where his art graced the LP covers included “Hotel Paradiso”; “Fitzwilly”; “The Fastest Guitar Alive”; “The Night they Raided Minsky’s”; “Yours, Mine, and Ours”; and “The Gauntlet.” While he produced a number of soundtrack covers, the reuse of his existing art for album covers introduced his talents to a younger generation.
Dust, an early heavy metal band from New York, only produced two albums in their short career. The band’s second LP incorporated Frazetta’s “The Snow Giants” which had previously appeared on the cover of “Conan of Cimmeria.”
Released in 1972, this was my first Frazetta LP cover and I’m featuring “Walk in the Soft Rain.”
In 1977, Scottish rockers Nazareth released their ninth studio album “Expect No Mercy” that adapted Frazetta’s “the Brain” for its cover.
Here’s “All the King’s Horses”:
Molly Hatchet, a southern rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, probably did more to raise awareness of Frazetta’s art than anyone else as their first three album covers featured his work.
“The Death Dealer” was the basis of the cover of the first album.
“Flirtin’ with Disaster” utilized the painting “Dark Kingdom.”
Album three, “Beatin’ the Odds,” featured the Frazetta work “Berserker.”
The most popular Molly Hatchet song was the title cut from their second LP “Flirtin’ with Disaster.”
Last night, I remembered Frank Frazetta by listening to these classic rock tunes while thumbing through my copies of the three volume set, “The Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta.” Rest in Peace Frank.
While Frazetta’s cover art would attract heavier bands from the 70s onward, he also produced a number of covers for soundtracks one of which brought his name to the forefront. His first soundtrack cover was an adaptation of the poster he designed for the movie “What’s New Pussycat.” The opportunity to do that poster and album cover came when executives at United Artists saw Frazetta’s parody in Mad Magazine of a Breck Shampoo ad. The ad for Blecch featured Frazetta’s depiction of Ringo Starr and ad copy reminiscent of Breck ads. Frazetta admitted that doing the poster earned him more in one day than he earned in the entire previous year.
His second LP was comedian Earl Doud’s “Welcome to the LBJ Ranch” which was followed up by “Both Sides of Herman’s Hermits.” Other movie soundtracks where his art graced the LP covers included “Hotel Paradiso”; “Fitzwilly”; “The Fastest Guitar Alive”; “The Night they Raided Minsky’s”; “Yours, Mine, and Ours”; and “The Gauntlet.” While he produced a number of soundtrack covers, the reuse of his existing art for album covers introduced his talents to a younger generation.
Dust: Hard Attack
Dust, an early heavy metal band from New York, only produced two albums in their short career. The band’s second LP incorporated Frazetta’s “The Snow Giants” which had previously appeared on the cover of “Conan of Cimmeria.”
Released in 1972, this was my first Frazetta LP cover and I’m featuring “Walk in the Soft Rain.”
Nazareth: Expect No Mercy
In 1977, Scottish rockers Nazareth released their ninth studio album “Expect No Mercy” that adapted Frazetta’s “the Brain” for its cover.
Here’s “All the King’s Horses”:
Three by Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet, a southern rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, probably did more to raise awareness of Frazetta’s art than anyone else as their first three album covers featured his work.
“The Death Dealer” was the basis of the cover of the first album.
“Flirtin’ with Disaster” utilized the painting “Dark Kingdom.”
Album three, “Beatin’ the Odds,” featured the Frazetta work “Berserker.”
The most popular Molly Hatchet song was the title cut from their second LP “Flirtin’ with Disaster.”
Last night, I remembered Frank Frazetta by listening to these classic rock tunes while thumbing through my copies of the three volume set, “The Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta.” Rest in Peace Frank.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Poco: Good Feeling To Know
Poco was started in 1968 as an offshoot of Buffalo Springfield by Jim Messina (later of Loggins and Messina) and Richie Furay (later of Souther, Hillman, & Furay) and is still active today. I’ve picked “Good Feeling to Know” from the 1972 album of the same name as it was the song that was receiving the most airplay when I saw them in concert in August 1973. This was my very first concert.
The Poco lineup at that time included Richie Furay, Paul Cotton, Timothy B. Schmidt, Rusty Young, and George Grantham. My brother Chuck took me to see this show as a going away to college gift. There were to be two warm-up acts: Ian Lloyd and Stories (“Brother Louie”) and Joe Walsh and Barnstorm. Unfortunately due to illnesses in both acts, neither showed that night. A newly signed Asylum Records artist - folksinger David Blue was the substitute opening act. He appeared along with Don Felder who provided electric guitar accompaniment to Blue’s acoustic guitar.
When Poco came on, they were extremely high energy. Much of what I remember of that show were the performances of steel guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young. At various times during the concert he played an unusual Frankenstein of a guitar. He called it “The Bear,” but the official name of the instrument was the “Melobar.”
It basically was a lap steel guitar neck affixed to a solid guitar body. The neck was aligned at approximately a 75 degree angle. This provided the artist the opportunity to play lap steel without needing a lap or a console to house the instrument. Pretty cool, huh? The name “The Bear” was given to it by the band because of the effects Rusty was running it through as it often sounded like a growling bear when he performed low-end slides.
Additionally towards the end of the show, Rusty did some wild things with his pedal steel guitar. At one point, he picked up his chair which had a round tubular bottom and used it as his slide. He also knocked the pedal steel on its side and played it with the necks facing the audience. What a showman.
To top it off, we saw the show at Pittsburgh’s then Syria Mosque – which was the home of the local Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Our father had been a member of the Syria Shrine. The Syria Mosque was a great hall for concerts due to its size. There was not a bad seat in the house, and although we sat on the very back row of the first level, we saw everything clearly. The Syria Mosque was an ornate and elaborate facility that sadly is no more. In the 1980s, the University of Pittsburgh purchased the property that adjoined their campus and leveled it to make way for a parking lot. Ah, progress.
As for Poco, the band released one more album (“Crazy Eyes”) with lead singer Richie Furay before exiting the group to join John David Souther and Chris Hillman in the Souther, Hillman, Furay Band. He would later rejoin the group as did most of its former members over time. Furay is currently the minister of Calvary Chapel Church of Bloomfield, Colorado. He has continued to tour to support both his Christian recordings and his secular music in reconstituted versions of Buffalo Springfield and Poco.
The Poco lineup at that time included Richie Furay, Paul Cotton, Timothy B. Schmidt, Rusty Young, and George Grantham. My brother Chuck took me to see this show as a going away to college gift. There were to be two warm-up acts: Ian Lloyd and Stories (“Brother Louie”) and Joe Walsh and Barnstorm. Unfortunately due to illnesses in both acts, neither showed that night. A newly signed Asylum Records artist - folksinger David Blue was the substitute opening act. He appeared along with Don Felder who provided electric guitar accompaniment to Blue’s acoustic guitar.
When Poco came on, they were extremely high energy. Much of what I remember of that show were the performances of steel guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young. At various times during the concert he played an unusual Frankenstein of a guitar. He called it “The Bear,” but the official name of the instrument was the “Melobar.”
Melobar by Moserite Guitars
It basically was a lap steel guitar neck affixed to a solid guitar body. The neck was aligned at approximately a 75 degree angle. This provided the artist the opportunity to play lap steel without needing a lap or a console to house the instrument. Pretty cool, huh? The name “The Bear” was given to it by the band because of the effects Rusty was running it through as it often sounded like a growling bear when he performed low-end slides.
Additionally towards the end of the show, Rusty did some wild things with his pedal steel guitar. At one point, he picked up his chair which had a round tubular bottom and used it as his slide. He also knocked the pedal steel on its side and played it with the necks facing the audience. What a showman.
To top it off, we saw the show at Pittsburgh’s then Syria Mosque – which was the home of the local Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Our father had been a member of the Syria Shrine. The Syria Mosque was a great hall for concerts due to its size. There was not a bad seat in the house, and although we sat on the very back row of the first level, we saw everything clearly. The Syria Mosque was an ornate and elaborate facility that sadly is no more. In the 1980s, the University of Pittsburgh purchased the property that adjoined their campus and leveled it to make way for a parking lot. Ah, progress.
One of the two sphinx at the entrance of Pittsburgh's Syria Mosque
As for Poco, the band released one more album (“Crazy Eyes”) with lead singer Richie Furay before exiting the group to join John David Souther and Chris Hillman in the Souther, Hillman, Furay Band. He would later rejoin the group as did most of its former members over time. Furay is currently the minister of Calvary Chapel Church of Bloomfield, Colorado. He has continued to tour to support both his Christian recordings and his secular music in reconstituted versions of Buffalo Springfield and Poco.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Roberta Flack: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
I was considering another song today, but the more I thought about it, there are very few songs that I consider haunting. One in particular was Roberta Flack’s “The First Time I’ve Ever Saw Your Face” is one. This particular song was not so much because of its performance, but rather for the circumstance surrounding my hearing the tune and finally attending to its message.
When I was a sophomore in college, one Friday evening I wasn’t feeling well, so I opted on staying in while it appeared that everyone else in the dorm either was on a date, had left for the weekend, or had attended the home basketball game. I thought I was alone, but I was wrong. Some other poor, miserable, and wretched soul was also alone and confine to the dorm on a Friday's eve. As I lay in my bed, I could hear this song being played by another one of the dorm's residents – probably from the floor above me. Whoever he was, he repeated this track over and over.
Its haunting feel was accentuated by the tomb-like ambiance of the dorm - concrete and devoid of life. The song played ever so faintly in the background, but it was loud enough to discern every word. It was especially poignant with the reprise, “your face, your face, your face . . . your face.” Prior to that moment, I hadn’t given much thought to this song, although I had heard it many times before.
The song originated in 1957 as a folk ballad written by Ewan MacColl for his future wife Peggy Seeger. The song became a giant hit in 1972 for Roberta Flack after it was featured the previous year in Clint Eastwood's movie, “Play Misty for Me.” It was a number one song on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts and the single was certified gold. One source admitted that Ewan MacColl hated this and every version of his handicraft, and he especially despised Elvis’ rendition. It is said that he referred to these covers as his own “chambers of horrors.” I'm sure he cashed the royalty checks just the same.
When I was a sophomore in college, one Friday evening I wasn’t feeling well, so I opted on staying in while it appeared that everyone else in the dorm either was on a date, had left for the weekend, or had attended the home basketball game. I thought I was alone, but I was wrong. Some other poor, miserable, and wretched soul was also alone and confine to the dorm on a Friday's eve. As I lay in my bed, I could hear this song being played by another one of the dorm's residents – probably from the floor above me. Whoever he was, he repeated this track over and over.
Its haunting feel was accentuated by the tomb-like ambiance of the dorm - concrete and devoid of life. The song played ever so faintly in the background, but it was loud enough to discern every word. It was especially poignant with the reprise, “your face, your face, your face . . . your face.” Prior to that moment, I hadn’t given much thought to this song, although I had heard it many times before.
The song originated in 1957 as a folk ballad written by Ewan MacColl for his future wife Peggy Seeger. The song became a giant hit in 1972 for Roberta Flack after it was featured the previous year in Clint Eastwood's movie, “Play Misty for Me.” It was a number one song on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts and the single was certified gold. One source admitted that Ewan MacColl hated this and every version of his handicraft, and he especially despised Elvis’ rendition. It is said that he referred to these covers as his own “chambers of horrors.” I'm sure he cashed the royalty checks just the same.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Magic of Tape Flanging
While it can be done electronically today, a studio technique that was occasionally used on rock ‘n roll records in the 60s and 70s was called tape flanging. Used as an effect on several hit records, flanging is often described as being "jet like" or like a whooshing sound. One of the landmark recordings that used tape flanging was Small Faces’ “Itchycoo Park” – their only American hit.
The song features flanging during guitarist Steve Marriott’s vocals on the bridge where he sings:
The song is our third in our series of recordings this week featuring Ronnie Lane. “Itchycoo Park” was co-written by Lane and Marriott; on the recording, Ronnie plays bass and provides backing vocals. It is also is an example of an absent or obscured title that is not part of the song’s hook. In this case, the chorus is “It’s all too beautiful.” Since “Itchycoo Park” is found once in the song, it is an obscured title. Songs like Robert Plant’s “Big Log” and Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women Numbers 12 and 35” have absent titles as they never appear in the song’s lyrics.
“Itchycoo Park,” which got its name from the stinging nettles found in a park in Ilford where the band had hung out, was a number one record in Canada. It charted at 3 in the UK and was a top 20 record (#16) in the US. The main attraction to the song was the use of tape flanging, which provided a psychedelic feel to this 1967 hit. Similar to phase shifting and chorus effects, which generally process two signals electronically; flanging differs because the delay in those signals is much longer – usually between 40 and 50 milliseconds.
Phase shifting allows one signal (the wet signal) to be processed in and out of phase in intervals that can be controlled with the speed of the effect. The dry or untouched signal interacts with the wet signal to perform a Doppler or circular effect. Mechanically, early phase shifting was accomplished by using a Leslie rotating speaker. Most often used in conjunction with Hammond Organs, George Harrison often played slide guitar through a Leslie speaker.
Chorus effects have a shorter delay at about 10-30 milliseconds and the wet signal is delayed from the dry signal and can provide a fatter sound. When used on a single instrument, a chorus delay gives the appearance that one of the signals is out of tune. On a piano the effect creates a honky-tonk piano sound. At one point in time, I was using both a chorus and phase shifter simultaneously on my Prophet 5’s strings settings to make the sound much fuller. It worked in giving the string sound more presence in a live context.
For completeness sake, I should mention three other related effects: reverb, delay, and echo which can be performed mechanically or electronically. Reverb is a repeat of a signal with a short delay but a long decay of the sound. The effect can be generated digitally, through magnetic tape (as a feedback of the dry signal), or as in amplifiers - the wet signal is sent along a spring. The delay effect which can be produced digitally or via a tape transport is a longer delay of the wet signal than flanging and echo is even longer yet. In all three, the wet signal does not (typically) match or compete with the dry signal. It is used to enhance the dry signal and not to change the overall sound as in phase shifting, chorus, or flanging effects.
Tape flanging, the subject of today's post, is quite unique in its presentation and how it is generated. Flanging is accomplished by having two reel-to-reel tape decks of the song play simultaneously while the two signals are mixed down to a third record deck. The delay caused the jet like whoosh was accomplished by the engineer touching the edge (flange) of the take up reel on one machine to slow down the speed of one deck to create a delay and then he repeated the process on the second deck to return the machines to being in sync. The process of going out and back into sync created the distinctive sound.
It is said that the name flanging originated with Beatles producer, George Martin. Since the engineer touched the flange, George began using the term “flanging” for the process. Apparently, John Lennon popularized its usage outside of the Beatles’ circle of influence, and the rest they say is history.
While there are competing earlier incidents of the effect being used, it is generally thought that Miss Toni Fisher’s #3 recording of “The Big Hurt” was the first use of flanging on a popular recording. David S. Gold and Stan Ross, owners of Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, acknowledge this claim and it is often cited in various books on studio recording.
The engineers at the session were attempting to create a stereo mix by combining two mono signals of the same recording. The original intention was to mix each deck’s signal down to separate tracks by placing one of the decks out of phase; however, the engineer summed the signals and voila – instant flanging. The whooshing sound which occurs throughout the song can be attributed to minor fluctuations in the speeds of the two master decks. No hand manipulation was used on this recording.
Generally considered a Vietnam War protest song, Eric Burdon’s song about military chaplains is not overtly anti-war, but it is not pro-war either. The flanging effect is more like “The Big Hurt” than “Itchycoo Park,” as the effect is throughout the entire song and not controlled. “Sky Pilot” charted in the US at #14 in 1968. Back home in the UK, the song just barely hit the top 40.
From The Doobie Brother’s second LP “Toulouse Street,” “Listen to the Music” was their first top-40 single charting at #11 in 1972. What’s not to like about this song. It’s positive, upbeat, has a banjo, and features tape flanging. Although uncredited, the banjo was played by Patrick Simmons. The flanging effect here mimics the usage by Small Faces as it is only used on the song’s bridge.
Be careful of sites on the Internet that purport to have listings of songs with flanging effects. As I listened to many of these songs, I discovered that flanging wasn't being used - as it has a unique sound. For example, the Lemon Pipers' "Green Tambourine" is a song found among many of these lists - the effect used on that recording was tape reverb and not flanging.
When you spend 20 years in radio, you learn how to do interesting things such as this and I guess my first experience with flanging happened at WAMX in Ashland, KY in 1979. One night, the fellow who worked the graveyard shift (and went by the name of "The Mole") showed me how to do this with two records. So when I wanted to play around with it, I would put copies of the same recording on both turntables and let them whoosh. In the 21st century, flanging can be emulated digitally through filters and the whooshing sound can be synthesized; however, nothing beats good old-fashioned, mechanically produced tape flanging.
The song features flanging during guitarist Steve Marriott’s vocals on the bridge where he sings:
“I feel inclined to blow my mind; get hung up; feed the ducks with a bun.The effect continues into Kenney Jones’ drum fills. It returns during the ending choruses as well. The song's flanging is accentuated in a stereo recording, as illustrated below.
They all come out to groove about – Be nice and have fun in the sun.”
The song is our third in our series of recordings this week featuring Ronnie Lane. “Itchycoo Park” was co-written by Lane and Marriott; on the recording, Ronnie plays bass and provides backing vocals. It is also is an example of an absent or obscured title that is not part of the song’s hook. In this case, the chorus is “It’s all too beautiful.” Since “Itchycoo Park” is found once in the song, it is an obscured title. Songs like Robert Plant’s “Big Log” and Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women Numbers 12 and 35” have absent titles as they never appear in the song’s lyrics.
“Itchycoo Park,” which got its name from the stinging nettles found in a park in Ilford where the band had hung out, was a number one record in Canada. It charted at 3 in the UK and was a top 20 record (#16) in the US. The main attraction to the song was the use of tape flanging, which provided a psychedelic feel to this 1967 hit. Similar to phase shifting and chorus effects, which generally process two signals electronically; flanging differs because the delay in those signals is much longer – usually between 40 and 50 milliseconds.
Phase shifting allows one signal (the wet signal) to be processed in and out of phase in intervals that can be controlled with the speed of the effect. The dry or untouched signal interacts with the wet signal to perform a Doppler or circular effect. Mechanically, early phase shifting was accomplished by using a Leslie rotating speaker. Most often used in conjunction with Hammond Organs, George Harrison often played slide guitar through a Leslie speaker.
Chorus effects have a shorter delay at about 10-30 milliseconds and the wet signal is delayed from the dry signal and can provide a fatter sound. When used on a single instrument, a chorus delay gives the appearance that one of the signals is out of tune. On a piano the effect creates a honky-tonk piano sound. At one point in time, I was using both a chorus and phase shifter simultaneously on my Prophet 5’s strings settings to make the sound much fuller. It worked in giving the string sound more presence in a live context.
For completeness sake, I should mention three other related effects: reverb, delay, and echo which can be performed mechanically or electronically. Reverb is a repeat of a signal with a short delay but a long decay of the sound. The effect can be generated digitally, through magnetic tape (as a feedback of the dry signal), or as in amplifiers - the wet signal is sent along a spring. The delay effect which can be produced digitally or via a tape transport is a longer delay of the wet signal than flanging and echo is even longer yet. In all three, the wet signal does not (typically) match or compete with the dry signal. It is used to enhance the dry signal and not to change the overall sound as in phase shifting, chorus, or flanging effects.
Tape flanging, the subject of today's post, is quite unique in its presentation and how it is generated. Flanging is accomplished by having two reel-to-reel tape decks of the song play simultaneously while the two signals are mixed down to a third record deck. The delay caused the jet like whoosh was accomplished by the engineer touching the edge (flange) of the take up reel on one machine to slow down the speed of one deck to create a delay and then he repeated the process on the second deck to return the machines to being in sync. The process of going out and back into sync created the distinctive sound.
It is said that the name flanging originated with Beatles producer, George Martin. Since the engineer touched the flange, George began using the term “flanging” for the process. Apparently, John Lennon popularized its usage outside of the Beatles’ circle of influence, and the rest they say is history.
Miss Toni Fisher: The Big Hurt
While there are competing earlier incidents of the effect being used, it is generally thought that Miss Toni Fisher’s #3 recording of “The Big Hurt” was the first use of flanging on a popular recording. David S. Gold and Stan Ross, owners of Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, acknowledge this claim and it is often cited in various books on studio recording.
The engineers at the session were attempting to create a stereo mix by combining two mono signals of the same recording. The original intention was to mix each deck’s signal down to separate tracks by placing one of the decks out of phase; however, the engineer summed the signals and voila – instant flanging. The whooshing sound which occurs throughout the song can be attributed to minor fluctuations in the speeds of the two master decks. No hand manipulation was used on this recording.
Eric Burdon and the Animals: Sky Pilot
Generally considered a Vietnam War protest song, Eric Burdon’s song about military chaplains is not overtly anti-war, but it is not pro-war either. The flanging effect is more like “The Big Hurt” than “Itchycoo Park,” as the effect is throughout the entire song and not controlled. “Sky Pilot” charted in the US at #14 in 1968. Back home in the UK, the song just barely hit the top 40.
The Doobie Brothers: Listen to the Music
From The Doobie Brother’s second LP “Toulouse Street,” “Listen to the Music” was their first top-40 single charting at #11 in 1972. What’s not to like about this song. It’s positive, upbeat, has a banjo, and features tape flanging. Although uncredited, the banjo was played by Patrick Simmons. The flanging effect here mimics the usage by Small Faces as it is only used on the song’s bridge.
Be careful of sites on the Internet that purport to have listings of songs with flanging effects. As I listened to many of these songs, I discovered that flanging wasn't being used - as it has a unique sound. For example, the Lemon Pipers' "Green Tambourine" is a song found among many of these lists - the effect used on that recording was tape reverb and not flanging.
When you spend 20 years in radio, you learn how to do interesting things such as this and I guess my first experience with flanging happened at WAMX in Ashland, KY in 1979. One night, the fellow who worked the graveyard shift (and went by the name of "The Mole") showed me how to do this with two records. So when I wanted to play around with it, I would put copies of the same recording on both turntables and let them whoosh. In the 21st century, flanging can be emulated digitally through filters and the whooshing sound can be synthesized; however, nothing beats good old-fashioned, mechanically produced tape flanging.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
