Category Archives: The Stones

ON THE TURNTABLE: Beggar’s Banquet/ Let It Bleed

12 Sunday Aug 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, The Stones, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Beggars Banquet :The Best Album of 1969

Even though it was released in December of 1968, BEGGAR’S BANQUET was my most played album of 1969. I got that record the moment it was released and it very rarely left my turntable for one full year. Side 1, Side 2, back to Side 1, and on and on. There are very few albums I can said that about, very few albums I listen to in its entirety without getting bored by a clunker or two. I was enamored by this collection of Stones tunes. The slick printed cover (American version which was completely different from the British cover), the photo spread inside, and the music. These songs were individually and collectively a great relief, a wonderful change in direction from the ROLLING STONES ’67 set of THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST, which I owned but never played all the way through. The only tunes I liked on TSMR were 2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME and SHE’S A RAINBOW. The rest were rubbish.

Before SATANIC MAJESTIES I was stuck on BETWEEN THE BUTTONS(1967) (US version), especially side 1 which we played endlessly at my buddy George’s house.TSMR is/was nothing like BUTTONS. But then, BEGGAR’S BANQUET is released and with that a new STONES approach to the blues.The BB album was the real deal, and foreshadowed what would become of the STONES over the next few years and releases.  To my ears Beggar’s Banquet was a Keith album as Brian Jones due to “personal reasons” is limited here to slide guitar on NO EXPECTATIONS, a harmonica on PARACHUTE WOMAN, DEAR DOCTOR and PRODIGAL SON. It was the last ROLLING STONES album to be released during Brian Jones’ life.

Side One Track 1, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, just listen to the title before you put the needle down, WHAT? Sympathy for whom? Are you kidding me? Conga, screams, maracas, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and THE WORDS…PLEASE TO MEET YOU, seriously this is not Satanic Majesties at all. WOW.Then the voices, Get down,hit it, guitar riffs…six minutes plus of sheer ecstasy . I danced around my room so many times shaking imaginary maracas.

Track 2:NO EXPECTATIONS, Keith on acoustic, Brian in a semi-sober moment plays slide. Bill with a few bass thuds,I still play this tune on my guitar, “never in my sweet short life have I felt like this before”.

Track 3: DEAR DOCTOR, humorous to say the least..”Help me please Doctor I’m damaged”…“preserve it right there in that jar”. Sang this tune with like minded folks, very poor off keyed singers after a few cocktails.

Track 4:PARACHUTE WOMAN: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, some echo added to vocals, and Charlie beating it down, “join me for a ride”.

Track 5: JIGSAW PUZZLE: The drum beat is awesome, I played it thousands of time, Charlie was the man. “Me, I waiting so patiently, lying on the floor”.

SIDE TWO Track 1 STREET FIGHTING MAN: The guitar intro and then the drums…this was the tune revolutionaries were using as their theme song, well, pseudo- revolutionaries. Hey, it was a sign of the times.

Track 2: PRODIGAL SON: Not a Stones tune but a remake that they called their own.Charlie’s high hat work is exceptional, Mick’s vocals is a take on a blues man.

Track 3: STRAY CAT BLUES: This was sex, straight out.”I bet your mama don’t know you can scream like that”…

Track 4: FACTORY GIRL: I first thought this was the same riff from 2000 light years, but no. As I was working in a factory at the time this tune made so much sense.”Waiting for a factory girl…”

Track 5: SALT OF THE EARTH: This is the one that did it for me. Aren’t we all salt of the earth? and when the drums kick in….”Let’s drink to the uncounted heads”…these words made so much sense to me…and then the mention….  “A choice of cancer or polio”.

Salt Of The Earth

The Rolling Stones

Let’s drink to the hard working people

Let’s drink to the lowly of birth

Raise your glass to the good and the evil

Let’s drink to the salt of the earth

Say a prayer for the common foot soldier

Spare a thought for his back breaking work

Say a prayer for his wife and his children

Who burn the fires and who still till the earth

And when I search a faceless crowd

A swirling mass of gray and

Black and white

They don’t look real to me

In fact, they look so strange

Raise your glass to the hard working people

Let’s drink to the uncounted heads

Let’s think of the wavering millions

Who need leaders but get gamblers instead

Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter

His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows

And a parade of the gray suited grafters

A choice of cancer or polio

And when I look in the faceless crowd

A swirling mass of grays and

Black and white

They don’t look real to me

Or don’t they look so strange

Let’s drink to the hard working people

Let’s think of the lowly of birth

Spare a thought for the rag taggy people

Let’s drink to the salt of the earth

Let’s drink to the hard working people

Let’s drink to the salt of the earth

Let’s drink to the two thousand million

Let’s think of the humble of birth

So, I’m stuck on the STONES, not really shouting it out but I do like their most recent stuff (1968) more than the Beatles or anyone else at this time. Then, LET IT BLEED is released …

LET IT BLEED December 1969, I have it before Christmas and bought another copy to give my girlfriend as part of her Christmas gift package.

SIDE ONE: Track 1; GIMME SHELTER, Merry Clayton, just a shout away.  Charlie hitting the cymbals, harp playing. fade out, nicely done.

Track 2: LOVE IN VAIN: another stolen tune, but one that everyone, including me plays.I saw FACES do this one night and after they finished Rod Stewart said, “I gave it a try but Mick owns it”.

Track 3:COUNTRY HONK: Didn’t make sense until you put it in perspective of HONKY TONK WOMAN. I really like this tune. Thanks Graham, I know this was you.

Track 4:LIVE WITH ME: Charlie lays it down, Bill bass lines are straight on, …“Don’t you think there is a place for you between the sheets”. What a great line but don’t try to use it. Bobby Keys nails this solo on sax, and I actually tried at the time of release to find out who this guy was.

SIDE 2: Track 1:LET IT BLEED:”There will always be a space in my parking lot”…No longer is music “I Wanna Hold your hand” we are now in a dirty, filthy basement, yeah man.

Track 2:MIDNIGHT RAMBLER: I had no idea what to make of this song, played it hundreds of times, trying to decipher what it was. THEN, I saw it live. My Lord. Now I knew. And about that moment I saw it live the ROLLING STONES became one of my all time favorite live bands.

Track 3:YOU GOT THE SILVER:It’s KEITH, say no more.The future of THE STONES.Brian is in there somewhere, so they say, but I don’t hear him.

Track 4:MONKEY MAN: A bit of Satantic Majesties kick off but then “all my friends are junkies” we are going down fast…I’m glad you are a monkey woman ,too”. Nicely, done.The guitars are intense.

Track 5: YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT: No words describe what I heard as a 17 year old male. The chorus, the horn, the acoustic guitar, Mick’s intro, “ but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need”….are they talking to me?

It’s the STONES I played all of 1969, saw a few others bands, but 1969 was…THE STONES and I saw them.

TICKETS TORN IN HALF July 26, 1972 The Rolling Stones/ Stevie Wonder “THE STP TOUR” @Madison Square Garden

26 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in Madison Square Garden, Rock music, The British Invasion (1964-1966), The Stones, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records

≈ 3 Comments

TICKETS TORN IN HALF July 26, 1972 The Rolling Stones/ Stevie Wonder “THE STP TOUR” @Madison Square Garden

This courtesy of The Selvedge Yard:

The Rolling Stones embarked on their 1972 American tour to support the release of Exile on Main Street— which in and of itself was a push into new territory for the band, both musically and commercially. What followed rewrote the game for The Stones and the music industry, and basically set the stage for a decade of big, balls-out tours that went from being simple promotional vehicles to pop culture events. Nothing like this had been done in Rock ‘n’ Roll prior and all subsequent tours would follow the ’72 tour blueprint for scale, attempted musicality, logistics, legal entanglements, drugs, women, hilarity, hangers-on, and general debauchery. (me)The Stones did not disappoint.

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD: Chapter 17-BIGGER THAN JESUS

06 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by in ColumbiaRecordClub, Jefferson Airplane, MOTOWN, Rock music, rock music trivia, The Beatles, The British Invasion (1964-1966), The KinKs, The Stones, Vinyl Records

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

John Lennon’s statement that The Beatles were “bigger than Jesus” caused quite an uproar with some radio stations refusing to play Beatles records. Living in liberal New York the noise of Anti-Beatledom was minimal, basically non-existent. As liberal as the politics of my home state might be, the radio stations were quite conservative, only playing the “hits” that had been tested in the minor markets. NY Radio would wait until others lesser known band’s song became a hit across the country before giving it a shot on the air. But not with The Fab 4 who seemed bigger than ever. The Beatles still had the instant hits.

REVOLVER was my most played album of 1966, and TAXMAN was a favorite song of mine from that collection, what a great opening tune. Years later I found that that song written as such still needed a hook during the recording process. Someone suggested, after watching an episode of the TV program BATMAN, that THE BEATLES replicate the BATMAN theme chant into TAX MAN. Hence, BATMAN became TAXMAN.

While the political innuendo of TAXMAN was not missed by me, ELENOR RIGBY did nothing for me. I later learned that not one Beatle played an instrument on that tune so that reason alone might subconsciously be why I didn’t care for it one bit. REVOLVER was the last album issued by Capitol with an altered playing order, that is one different from it’s UK counter part. In January of 1967 THE BEATLES had a new contract, one which specified Capitol records could no longer alter the tracks or the running order or remove tracks from Beatle approved albums. Just in time too, as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band could have been quite different if Capitol Records USA had still had control over songs, sequence, etc.

The fashion of 1966 was basically CARNABY STREET and with that style came the introduction of the “mini skirt”. Imagine being a 14 year old boy in high school at a time where girls were required to wear skirts in school. Then the mini skirt arrives. “Thank you, Lord” our prayers were answered. Keeping ’66 in mind, that same year Pampers were introduced and the Dow Jones year end average was 785. And of course October of 66, THE MONKEES debuted on TV, an ersatz Beatle-esk band, which caught on with the teeny boppers, as we were then referred as.

 

To recap the year, January 1, 1966 started off with the New York City Transit Strike, a 12 day event pairing a fiery Mike Quill the NYTA union leader against the newly installed Mayor John Lindsey. Lindsey was no match for the tough Irish union leader. The Transit workers received a 15% raise and The TAYLOR LAW was enacted the next year.

In July, MUHAMMED ALI once known as CASSIUS CLAY declares himself a CO, a “Conscientious Objector”. This brought more attention to the VIETNAM War and to the opposition to this “undeclared” war. I started to pay more attention to radio news reports. According to FCC regulations at the time, each radio station MUST present the news “on the hour” with updates “on the half hour”. The 6 PM and 11PM television evening news were quite visual in its coverage of the carnage in Vietnam, actually upsettingly so. In September the long running whitbread television program THE ADVENTURES OF OZZIE AND HARRIET ended.

NEWSWEEK had a featured article in its December edition about BE-INS, as in Human “Be-ings”,  that were  called “happenings” in major cities, San Francisco being one such city. The author referenced the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE as “the most popular of groups”. This was duly noted in my brain.

The USA had 500,000 troops in Vietnam, NASA’s Gemini 10 left “Earth for 3 days in space”, cigarettes were required to carry a health warning on the side package, and Richard Speck killed 8 nurses in Chicago which the news of this scared the bejesus out of me. Speck was outdone a few months later by Charles Wittman who killed 14 and injured 31 by shooting from a tower at the University of Texas to the crowd below. Mass murders, Vietnam, all too much bloodshed on the news and in print.

We had sit-ins, be-ins, teach-ins and the popular films were THUNDERBOLT, DR. ZHIVAGO, and A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. I was 14 closing in on 15 and my world was changing around me, rapidly.

For me in 1966 The LOVIN’ SPOONFUL was a band I most desired to see, I even bought a vest and a yellow shirt because I saw John Sebastian wearing one on an album cover. At one point I almost wished my eye sight would fade a bit so if I needed glasses I could get a pair like Sebastian’s.

Those big band albums from Columbia record club that my dad had, and the little kid 45’ records that my brother and I had soon met their shelf mates including: 96 Tears, Summer In The City, Good Lovin’, Paperback Writer, 19th Nervous Breakdown and Gloria (Shadows of Night). The album collection expanded as well adding Revolver, Pet Sounds, Blonde on Blonde, High Tides and Green Grass: Big Hits, Fresh Cream, Love, Animalism, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Buffalo Springfield and of course the debut by The Monkees. That Monkees  phenomena was a story unto itself.

And then there was the beginning of rock music on FM radio in NY, WOR-FM, August of 66. I needed, I wanted an AM/FM radio.

See you next time….Chapter18: AND THE JUKEBOX KEPT ON PLAYING… . Comments? jazzbus@gmail.com

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD: Chapter 15-THE FUZZ BOX and TECHNO THINGS 

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in DYLAN, Garrick Theatre, Jimi Hendrix, LES PAUL, Rock music, rock music trivia, Stevie Ray Vaughn, THE MOTHERS of INVENTION, The Stones, Zappa

≈ Leave a comment

Funny how we take things for granted, things that are common place, unnoticeable until something brings it to our attention. Example: THE FUZZ BOX. Most folks don’t know what a FUZZ BOX is let alone its significance to rock music. The Stomp Box, aka FUZZ, was in the news with the death of a 96 year old, GLENN SNODDY. Mr. Snoddy was a Nashville recording engineer who stumbled upon a unique sound when recording MARTY ROBBINS’ “Don’t Worry” in 1961. According to various reports, the console used to record the bass tracks malfunctioned causing a “rumbling” fuzz sound. Against the producer’s request for a retake the recording was issued as is, and history begins.

Mr. Snoddy went about developing a device which could recreate the unique sound on demand.The FUZZ BOX is actually a(stomp) foot controlled preamp device which changes the tone of the guitar sound from “clean to dirty”. Listen to Keith Richards’ buzzing guitar riffs during, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” or select songs by CREAM, JIMI HENDRIX and basically every garage band during the late 60’s and you will hear the FUZZ tone.

 

THE WAH WAH PEDAL:  A mid range boost switch developed by DICK DENNEY at VOX UK was the prototype for THE WAH WAH PEDAL . An American guitarist DELTON KASHER aka DEL CASHER took that device to another level. Previously, at age 21 CASHER “invented” a tape delay system. In subsequent years he was working as a performer with his band THE THREE SUNS, also as a featured guitarist on THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW, as a guest performer on THE GENE AUTRY SHOW and could be found jamming with the legendary MOTHERS OF INVENTION in Los Angeles. Pretty impressive credentials.

CASHER took the VOX UK mid range booster and further developed it using transistors making it a variable switch so that the mid range boost could be controlled. He further experimented using a VOX organ pedal as the controller. First envisioned for usage by horns,when it didn’t catch on  CASHER used one for his guitar. Soon he was receiving recording dates as the first seat guitarist all due to him having the WAH- WAH sound. Others guitarist paid it no never mind, it was a hard sell. CASHER called his buddy FRANK ZAPPA who took one to NEW YORK when THE MOTHERS were at their GARRICK residency. JIMI HENDRIX experienced it there and requested one (VOODOO CHILE- SLIGHT RETURN) for himself. BINGO.

John W. Troutman, curator of American music at the Smithsonian Institution’s division of culture and the arts stated “Over the last 50 years, only a handful of innovations have truly revolutionized the sound of the electric guitar, The wah-wah is one of them. It radically transformed the instrument’s voice in a slew of genres, and Del Casher stood at the pedal’s ground zero. 

THE WHAMMY BAR aka the fluctuating volume and pitch control arm is a guitar attachment which enables the player to temporarily change the pitch of the strings. Without going into the science behind the device or its invention as there are many different types I’ll focus on the sound by naming artists which will bring its unique sound to the forefront: CHET ATKINS, DUANE EDDY, THE VENTURES, DICK DALE, JIMI HENDRIX, JEFF BECK,FRANK ZAPPA, EDDIE VanHALEN, and of course STEVIE RAY VAUGHN.

LES PAUL:THE KING OF THEM ALL: It was always a great pleasure to head over to THE IRIDIUM for “Monday Nights featuring THE LES PAUL TRIO”. To see the maestro himself in the flesh with his surgically positioned right arm playing one of the legendary guitars that he designed and is named in his honor. But, the LES PAUL solid body guitar is NOT the only thing he invented and without his inspired forward thinking our recorded/ performing music would not be as it is today.

So here’s to LESTER POLSFUSS aka LES PAUL.

As a youngster in WISCONSIN Les played guitar and harmonica. Deciding he wanted to play both simultaneously young RED as he was called, took a coat hanger and fashioned a harmonica holder. BOB DYLAN and NEIL YOUNG as well as other singer- songwriters, guitar- harmonica folks can be seen using it still today.

Next up, LES experimented with multi-track recording (1946) and with AMPEX Corporation (1956) developed an “eight-track recorder” allowing sound on sound recording sessions.  To that he added tape delays and phasing techniques.

THE GUITAR:

Young LES was told by a member of the audience that his acoustic guitar could not be heard so…coil and magnets later and LES invents the guitar pick-up. To that he continues to experiment with the sound of his guitar and tones produced by it. Finally, THE LOG is developed, a 4×4 with strings which creates a “different” sound then the hollow body guitars do. AND that becomes the first “solid body” guitar.

See you next time….Chapter16-BIGGER THAN JESUS …Comments? jazzbus@gmail.com

ON THE SHELF-1965: The Most Revolutionary Year In Music by Andrew Grant Jackson

23 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by in 1965, books, Rock music, rock music trivia, Sam Cooke, The British Invasion (1964-1966), The radio, The Stones, The Who, The Yardbirds, Vinyl Records

≈ Leave a comment

1965: The Most Revolutionary Year In Music by Andrew Grant Jackson

What a cover! The psychedelic colors, the swirling letters, the flowers, all immediately caught my eye. And the reviews weren’t too shabby either. So I purchased a copy for my Kindle Fire and away I go on a journey back to 1965. The author, Andrew Grant Jackson, makes a bold hypothesis’ surmising that 1965 IS the “most revolutionary year in music”. Debatable, to say the least but interesting as hell.

Jackson starts off with a 1965 “SELECTED” TIME LINE (the quotation marks are mine), one which helped to pique my interest and excitement about how the author will prove his theory. He then sections his book off to four seasons (not the singing group fronted by Frankie Valli); Winter , Spring, Summer, and the better choice than fall, Autumn. Each section title tends to lead the reader to believe the author will offer a chronological approach as a proof. While filling each section’s subsequent chapters with anecdotal information, Billboard like charting data, followed by a political climate overview of that time, the author offered his proof thematically, using a musician(s) as the anchor to each chapter. This model of presentation sometimes confused me,as I then needed to “post-reference” his said reference  AKA I needed to backtrack too many times.

The overall reading experience DID spark some nostalgia in me, having me traveling back in time to that ever present AM radio and/or the small screened black and white television the kind that needed time to warm up) circa 1965. However, Andrew Grant Jackson’s thesis that 1965 was the “most revolutionary” year in music, while exciting and interesting, was not proven to me.

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD: CHAPTER 13: A CHANGE IS GONNA COME (1965)

22 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Brill Building, DYLAN, LBJ, Sam Cooke, Space Race, The Beatles, The Great Society, The KinKs, The radio, The Stones

≈ Leave a comment

It’s now 1965 and A CHANGE IS GONNA COME not only as a song but as a way of life in America, but first the song. Sam Cooke’s hit from that year inspired Bob Dylan to begin writing a more personal selection of tunes. Bob Dylan recorded BRING IT ALL BACK HOME over a two day period with one 8 hour session recording side one (the electric side), followed by the second day recording side 2 the acoustic side. When released this landmark album set the bar higher for all other artists. This his fifth LP was his first Top Ten (#6 BILLBOARD) album. The sheer audacity of Dylan to release an album without “fillers” was unique. Dylan challenged his past (folk) while confronting his future (electric). Other artists upon hearing this album were inspired and challenged at the very least to experiment more with their music.

NOTE: Sam Cooke’s debuted the song A CHANGE IS GONNA COME on THE TONIGHT SHOW, February 7, 1964. Received well that performance’s review was unfortunately lost in the press as The Beatles debuted on Ed Sullivan two nights later.

For me the memorable songs of 1965 including the entire Motown mega-roster of hits, the Rolling Stones HEART OF STONE (a “re-make of Otis Redding’s PAIN MY HEART) and of course the “most played single of all time” The Righteous Brothers YOU’VE LOST THAT  LOVING FEELING, a Phil Spector WALL OF SOUND song written by Brill Building’s team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Rumor has it that this tune(YLTLF) is a response to the heartaches expressed in The Four Tops BABY I NEED YOUR LOVIN. This Spector (label) record capitalized on a phrase “something beautiful is dying”. The actual recording clocks in at a whopping 3:45 but is falsely listed on the label as 3:05 in hopes of capturing the program directors attention of being only a “3 minute” song, the standard for the day.

My philosophy about listening to music has been to “listen eagerly, to sit in the stillness, the quietness of the space, so that you can hear only the music; that is the melody and the words. Simply rest in the presence of the music”. From the time of the white AM radio in the kitchen to the transistor I received for Christmas that is what I attempted to do.

In the beginning of the year prior to his inaugural address LBJ delivered the “State of the Union” thus declaring our time as” the great Society” . A few months later Grace Slick, her husband, and her brother-in-law would form a rock band in San Francisco using that same name. But were we truly a Great Society?

Our neighbors to the north, Canada, had recently changed their flag losing the Union Jack and adopting the Maple Leaf, a smack at the imperialistic past associated with Great Britain.

Promised as it was, the USA was running neck and neck with the USSR in the”space race”, the ultimate prize being to successfully land a man on the moon. To this end the USA purposely”crashed” Ranger B on the moon’s surface while it was photographing possible lunar landing sites.

In the far east the U.S. started bombing North Vietnam (Rolling Thunder), a deed that will continue for 3+ years. 3500 additional ground troops were sent, followed by doubling the draft quota from 17,000 to 35,000 soldiers per month. At home men started to burn their draft cards, later an act which would be classified as illegal. Civil rights activists clashed in Selma, Alabama leading LBJ to announce the basis for the Voting Rights Act of 65. The SDS (Students For A Democratic Society) marched  on Washington as “teach-ins” were being held at major universities.

The movie HELP is released featuring the song of the same name which  authored by John Lennon was meant as a true cry out for help. SATISFACTION by The Rolling Stones is Number One on the charts as Bob Dylan stuns the crowd at the Newport Folk Festival by plugging it. His 1965 release HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED yields the hit LIKE A ROLLING STONE.

The War on Poverty, another LBJ initiative a.k.a. the Social Security Act of 1965, offers Medicare and Medicaid, meanwhile the streets of Watts are burning.  The Beatles play SHEA STADIUM, the very first stadium show, to 55,600 screaming fans as TV audiences are preparing to view one of the worst programs ever made, MY MOTHER THE CAR. Not to be outdone by the Beatles, Pope Paul VI holds mass at Yankee Stadium. A few weeks later, a 25-year-old Catholic Worker Movement  member sets himself on fire at the United Nations.

RUBBER SOUL is released in December, for a total of four BEATLE albums in 1965.

November brought the GREAT BLACKOUT to the Northeast and Canada. We, The Great Society as proclaimed only a few months before by LBJ, yet I’m not too sure.

See you next time….Chapter14: SWEET SOUL MUSIC .Comments? jazzbus@gmail.com

AT THE MOVIES: THE T.A.M.I. SHOW

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by in 1965, Chuck Berry, ElvisPresley, James Brown, Leslie Gore, Rock music, rock music trivia, THE BEACH BOYS, The British Invasion (1964-1966), The Miracles, The Stones, The TAMI SHOW

≈ Leave a comment

AT THE MOVIES: THE T.A.M.I. SHOW

I guess television was not enough to brainwash the youth of AMERICA ( and other points of interest) with that sinful Rock N Roll so now the movies will be utilized. Sure, movies offered ELVIS and SINATRA in plenty of starring roles, with a few tunes thrown, but this one, this time, The TAMI SHOW was meant for us, the teens to experience a live concert setting in all its grandeur. The screaming girls (and guys), the bands hitting the stage one after the other while giving the audience their hits, as well as their movements. Oh, yes, the movements; the hip shaking, the choreography, the microphone tricks, the guitars, the drums, all of it which you can’t experience (see) on vinyl. So here it is. I just turned 13, saw the ad for the movie playing in the next town and NEEDED to go, not just wanted to go, I truly NEEDED to go. My friends were not as interested as I was so I walked alone with my 35 cent admission to experience THE T.A.M.I Show. What a line up of acts, a lineup that so many years later I truly enjoy more.These were the “heavies” of their day at their moment in time. Jan and Dean were the”hosts” as well as guests. Chuck Berry hits the stage playing his guitar “like ringing a bell”, Gerry and The Pacemakers serenade us,LESLIE GORE- truly a gem- a feminist before her time,The BEACH BOYS with their stripped shirt ensemble, Marvin Gaye- a bit nervous but soulful, THE MIRACLES-what moves, THE BARBARIANS- almost bought their album “Are You A Boy Or A Girl?”, JAMES BROWN- move upon move like no other, especially “Please, Please, Please” with the cape, and finally The Rolling Stones-oh my. THE STONES with Brian on teardrop guitar and KEITH killing it on his solos, they THE ROLLING STONES made the whole afternoon for me. Again, I wanted, no I needed more live music.

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD: Chapter 11- THE BLUES IN BRITAIN

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by in Big Bill Broonzy, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Lead Belly, Mersey Beat, R&B, Rock music, rock music trivia, The Animals, The Beatles, The British Invasion (1964-1966), The Stones, The Yardbirds, Vinyl Records, Willie Dixon

≈ Leave a comment

From February 1964-66 The British ruled the US airwaves. The movie  A HARD DAYS NIGHT made LONDON appear cool while Carnaby Street fashions sold like hotcakes in The States. The Mersey Beat sound, as well as the (American) blues influenced London groups, were TOP OF THE POPS in the colonies as well as the Motherland. In the UK THE BEATLES were the most successful artists with 17 singles hitting #1, on top of the UK charts for 69 weeks during the 1960’s with SHE LOVES YOU being the best selling UK single for the entire decade.

The Beatles started as THE QUARRY MEN SKIFFLE BAND in 1957. SKIFFLE style music (guitar, washboard, tea chest bass) was popularized in England by LONNIE DONEGAN who was influenced by American HUDDIE LEDBETTER  better known as Lead Belly who had a hit with ROCK ISLAND LINE in1956) . BIG BILL BROONZY, another American artist was also an icon in England.

BIG BILL BROONZY aka Lee Conley Bradley was a true mystery man, a story teller to the Nth degree. He fabricated many a monologue using each as introductions to his tunes. Usually his “tales” were at best an amalgam of stories told to him by others. But according to most who saw him, BIG BILL was  a great story teller and performer nonetheless. A farm hand born to slaves he played violin and fiddle, later as an itinerant preacher he became Bill Broonzy for unknown reasons. He moved to Chicago in the 1920’s learned guitar and started recording as BIG BILL in 1927.

(broonzy.com)On 23 December, 1938, Big Bill was one of the principal solo performers in the first “From Spirituals to Swing” concert held at the Carnegie Hall in New York City. In the programme for that performance, Broonzy was identified in the programme only as “Big Bill” (he did not become known as Big Bill Broonzy until much later in his career) and as Willie Broonzy. He was described as:”…the best-selling blues singer on Vocalion’s ‘race’ records, which is the musical trade designation for American Negro music that is so good that only the Negro people can be expected to buy it.” The programme recorded that the Carnegie Hall concert “will be his first appearance before a white audience”.

In the fifties, folk blues (acoustic blues) gained popularity in England as Big Bill Bronzy toured the countryside. He was followed a few years later by the electric blues of MUDDY WATERS, SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON, JOHN LEE HOOKER, SISTER ROSETTA THARPE, BLIND GARY DAVIS, SONNY TERRY, and OTIS SPAN. In 1963 MELODY MAKER declared London “the NEW CHICAGO”. American Black artists felt a bit more comfortable touring Europe than they did in the USA.

Also in June of 1963 The STONES release their first single which is a remake of CHUCK BERRY’S 1961 tune “Come On”. Chuck’s original did not chart in the US yet The Stones hit #21 in the Mother Country. The Stones B-side was a remake of WILLIE DIXON’S “I Want To Be Loved”.

CHUCK BERRY was a pioneer of American rock n roll. A singer, songwriter, and guitarist of some renown to say the least. Berry developed a unique guitar sound with a few moves stolen from T-BONE WALKER and together with the addition of the amazing pianist JOHNNIE JOHNSON the two wrote some of the greatest rock songs: “Maybellene” (1955), “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “Rock and Roll Music” (1957) and “Johnny B. Goode” (1958).

In 1964, a tune written and recorded by JOHN LEE HOOKER’s (“DIMPLES”) was released in England as a single and stays on the UK charts for 10 weeks peaking at #23. Immediately THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP adds the tune to their set and recorded their version which charts. The Animals also add it to their set. Next HOWLIN WOLF’S “Smokestack Lightning” charts at #42 but more importantly THE YARDBIRDS, MANFRED MANN, THE ANIMALS and THE WHO add that song to their set lists.

The most significant UK single was a WILLIE DIXON (1961) penned tune “Little Red Rooster” originally recorded by HOWLIN’ WOLF, reworked ever so slightly and released in 1964 by THE ROLLING STONES. Their interpretation charts as #1, the first blues record to top the British charts. London Records THE STONES US record company refused to release the 45 in the states.

Within short order THE ANIMALS release LED BELLY’S “House of the Rising Sun”, THE MOODY BLUES record BESSIE BANKS “Go Now”, THE YARDBIRDS do the same with SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON’S  “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”, and THE ANIMALS “steal” NINA SIMONE’S “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”. And ALL becoming huge hits in England and as well as in the States where the naive record buying public assumed these were original songs for the recording artist.

See you next time….Chapter12-POST WWII- THE BRITS and THE U.S. Comments?  jazzbus@gmail.com

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD: Chapter 10-The British Are Coming, The British Are Coming (1964-1966)

11 Monday Jun 2018

Posted by in Mersey Beat, R&B, Rock music, rock music trivia, The Back Beat, The Beatles, The Beatles on Sullivan, The British Invasion (1964-1966), The KinKs, The Stones, Vinyl Records

≈ Leave a comment

Today, we experience “musicians” (notice the quotations) who write their own songs, play their own instruments and produce their own material. Some have total control over the entire process, some just “sample” , but I digress again. However, writing, playing and producing your own stuff was not always the case. So in the early 1960’s when a group of four LIVERPOOL lads made records where they actually played their own instruments, wrote most of their own songs,….Hey,that was unique.

When THE BEATLES hit our shores we started to hear about The MERSEY BEAT.  The Mersey is the river running through LIVERPOOL which is a port city in Western England. From that quaint little city a group of four lads became highly famous after charting their first UK single in late 62.Soon the “talent scouts” hovered.

These 4 lads as well as other Brits were influenced by American music, specifically the stylings of Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Richard, Eddie Cochrane, Buddy Holly,John Lee Hooker, Smokey Robinson, and a host of others. Emulating their American heroes they formed groups named THE ROLLING STONES,THE YARDBIRDS, THE ANIMALS,THE KINKS, THE WHO, THE PRETTY THINGS, THE DAVE CLARK FIVE.

THE ROLLING STONES formed in 1962 and according to legend BRIAN JONES named the band after seeing the song title ROLLING STONE on a MUDDY WATERS album. Originally this band played Chicago styled blues influenced by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin’ Wolf (check out The Rocking Chair lp to see where the Stones earliest guitar licks came from) and Bo Diddley. Through their incarnations, today THE ROLLING STONES have taken the moniker of THE WORLD’S GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND. I venture to say they are correct.

Formerly known as THE BLUES SOUND this band changed their name in 1963 to a reference of Charlie “YARDBIRD” Parker. The YARDBIRDS followed THE ROLLING STONES residency at CRAWDADDY CLUB, a prestigious London gig where their repertoire drew from the Chicago blues of HOWLIN’ WOLF, MUDDY WATERS, SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON, ELMORE JAMES AND BO DIDDLEY. Their sets included: GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOLGIRL, GOT LOVE IF YOU WANT IT, I’M A MAN. and SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING. Their first album, a must to have (FIVE LIVE YARDBIRDS) was recorded LIVE after touring and backing up SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON (II).

THE ANIMALS began in 1962  as THE ALAN PRICE RHYTHM AND BLUES COMBO covering songs by JIMMY REED, JOHN LEE HOOKER (Boom Boom) and NINA SIMONE(Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood).

THE DAVE CLARK 5 formed in 1957,had the privilege and  the pressure of being the second  BRITISH INVASION group to appear on Ed Sullivan after the Beatles. Their single GLAD ALL OVER  was #6 (US) in April 64. Funny how this ensemble was more popular in the US than their homeland. Their distinction for me was they prominently displayed a saxophone.

GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS, another Liverpudlian group, became the second act signed by Beatles manager BRIAN EPSTEIN. These lads were produced by George Martin which is probably a reason they had 3 consecutive #1 records with their first 3 UK outings (late 62)…”How Do You Do It?“, “I Like It” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone  (in UK 1963/ US 64) and finally with FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY (US early  65).

Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, Billy the lead singer was a handsome dude also managed by Brian Epstein and with George Martin they produced DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET (Beatles tune) to # 2 in UK. They followed that success up with additional LENNON/McCARTNEY tunes gaining gold records (UK) and  appearances on US TV.

The Searchers were a skiffle band primarily doing  remakes of American music: THE DRIFTERS (61) “Sweets For My Sweet”, JACKIE DeSHANNON’S “Needles and Pins” (charted US March 64), a fav of mine “When You Walk In The Room” and THE CLOVERS’ “Love Potion #9”.

The KinKs formed in 64 were very briefly part of  THE BRITISH Invasion. Their exposure on our shores was curtailed by an American touring ban issued in 1965. Yet, their early material as well as their subsequent recordings are amazing. ….I could write for days on this band so I’ll save it for a later date. GOD BLESS THE KINKS.

The ZOMBIES like many other British invasion groups, were sent to The United States to tour behind their new hit single “She’s Not There”. Among their early US gigs was the Murray the K’s Christmas Shows at the Brooklyn Fox Theater, where the band played seven performances a day. On January 12, 1965 the band made its first in- person appearance on US television on the very first episode of NBC’s HULLABALOO. They played “She’s Not There” and their latest single “Tell Her No”. Recently, I had  the pleasure of seeing The Zombies during the 50th anniversary “Odessey and Oracle” tour. Trust me folks this is no oldies band as these guys are for real. After performing O and O as promised the band played some new stuff. One song in particular entitled “New York”  touch on their experience at the Brooklyn Fox as well naming the American heroes that influenced their sound.

New York

I walked into the Brooklyn Fox

That snowy Christmas Day

And Patty and the Blue Bells

Simply stole my heart away

She took me to Aretha Franklin

Showed me so much soul

And helped us join the party

With our English Rock and Roll

And I came to love you New York

Your energy your honesty every time

City of a million dreams

You gave one up to me

New York

Now I played so many times

Since nineteen sixty four

In cities all across the land

From shore to distant shore

And I loved the way the people

Always opened up their hearts

But I never will forget the things

The magic world I still embrace

The place I never could replace

That gave us such a start

And I’ve come to love you New York

Your energy your honesty every time

City of a million dreams

You gave one up to me

New York

FYI:

RECORDING: DECCA STUDIOS, LONDON, JANUARY 1, 1962

The Beatles’ Decca audition saw them run through some 15 songs, all of which were recorded on tape for the benefit of A&R man, Dick Rowe. The audition set is worth looking at, since it reveals the type of material the group were performing, as well as their reticence when it came to pushing their own original songs:

• Like Dreamers Do (Lennon-McCartney)

•Money (That’s What I Want)

•Till There Was You

•The Sheik Of Araby

•To Know Her Is To Love Her

•Take Good Care Of My Baby

•Memphis Tennessee

•Sure To Fall (In Love With You)

• Hello Little Girl (Lennon-McCartney)

•Three Cool Cats

•Crying, Waiting, Hoping

• Love Of The Loved (Lennon-McCartney)

•September In The Rain

•Besame Mucho

•Searchin’

See you next time….Chapter11-The Blues In Britain 1960-1966 . Comments? jazzbus@gmail.com

TICKET STUB MAN

09 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by in Chuck Berry, CSNY, Delaney,Bonnie and Friends, Eric Clapton, Fillmore East, Jefferson Airplane, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Rock music, rock music trivia, Rod Stewart, The KinKs, The Stones, The Who, Ticket Stubs

≈ Leave a comment

Ticket Stub Man:

According to my friends and family my obsession with music extends to an extreme level. It is not just the music that I love but LIVE music especially that I enjoy the most.Sitting at home listening to a recording or traveling in a car with the radio on will do once in awhile. But it is the excitement of a live show that hits the spot for me.Over the years and in the process of attending literally hundreds of shows I have accumulated many items of  minor importance but tokens of remembrance of a time well spent…ticket stubs, programs, badges, bumper stickers, and the like. A few years back I decided that a few blokes on e-bay may enjoy one or two of my items more than the old mayonnaise jar which I used for storage of stubs found in my closet or records in my basement. So I experimented. And within a few weeks surprisingly I had more than $1000.00 (US) in my e-bay account. Flamin’ Groovies records, a poster, a flexi-disc and magazine went for about $75.00. A Grateful Dead 45 Compilation sold, A Cramps Picture Disc gone, DEVO 45,Johnny Thunders 45, a few CDs,Elvis Costello, Stiff Little Fingers,Raunch Hands, Raybeats, all gone. Easy money for the taking. With things going this smoothly on recorded things I ventured out with a few ticket stubs and concert programs and for sheer joy of my new endeavor I watched the final bidding develop on my screen. Fillmore East ticket stubs sold: THE WHO (6/6/69) $10.60; LED ZEPPELIN( 5/30/69)$ 61.77; DELANEY BONNIE AND FRIENDS w/ ERIC CLAPTON (2/7/70) $10.70 CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL $15.50. To a collector this may be cheap prices but to me, I didn’t pay more than $5.50 for any of those shows and I only sold a TICKET STUB for a nice profit. Hence, my buddy Joe dubbed me THE TICKET STUB MAN.

One morning I arrived at my desk to see my name plate removed and this one taking it’s place.

Then in another short burst of e-Bay activity I sold a few more items mostly ticket stubs and programs, etc…. and…Whew, my rent is paid. A Cat Stevens ticket, Blind Faith, Twisted Sister, The Clash, Led Zep, Springsteen, all sold in the next few weeks and sometimes the bidding was fierce. But then one morning I get an e-mail from a certain gentle men who owned a memorabilia shop in NYC across from Electric Lady Studios. The cat knows I have a certain item he needs for “his ” collection. A full size ticket, not  a stub, for The Randall’s Island Pop Festival, Sunday Night , a festival in which Jimi Hendrix performed. He started the bidding at “a hundred” and when I said,  “let’s see where it goes”,  he determinedly stated “$250.00 Cash delivered to your office in the morning Fed Ex”. BINGO, SOLD.

The next morning my secretary told me a Fed Ex guy was here and he entered my office with a FED EX envelop in which I found five brand new $50.00 bills and a return FED EX envelop insured and addressed to him. The exchange was made and again THE TICKET STUB man made some quick cash. jazzbus@gmail.com

The Doors 1/24/69 MSG                                         $122.50

Led Zep May 1969                                                  $61.77

THE WHO June 1969                                             $10

Blind Faith July 1969                                              $51.75

Creedence Clearwater Revival July 69                   $15.50

Led Zep 8/30/69 originally at Singer(on LZwebsite)  $15.00

Delaney Bonnie Friends w/ Clapton Feb 1970       $10.50

Grateful Dead Program 5/15/70                              $31.00

CSNY 6/6/70                                                           $15.50

Ten Years After 6/25/70                                         $8.90

Byrds Sept 12, 1970                                                $6.00

Derek and Dominoes October 24, 1970                 $15.00(program)/$44.00(stub)

Fillmore Auction                                                    $21.00 Stub

Fillmore Auction                                                    $24.00 Program

TYA MSG 11/13/70 Buddy Miles Express           $5.00

Jefferson Airplane Nov 1970                                 $12.05

Derek and Dominoes Suffolk CC                          $20.00

Grand Funk RR/Humble Pie  MSG 12/18/70        $8.25

Hot Tuna Jan 71                                                     $5.00

Faces/Black Sabbath Feb 1971                              $29.99Program/$19.99Stub

Allman Brothers March 13/71                               $29.99

Elton John 4/8/71                                                   $100.00(package4 Elton tixs)

Last Show (Allmans)                                             $175.00

THE WHO at Forest Hills  Who’s Next                 $15.50

Led Zep MSG    Sept                                              $28.50

Dr John/ Weather Report October 1971 Beacon    $5.00

Led Zep 6/15/72 Nassau Coliseum                          $74.00

Cat Stevens 11/6/72 Philharmonic Hall NYC        $18.50

Dylan and The Band 1/30/74 MSG                         $37.00

Rolling Stones MSG 6/25/75                                  $15.00

Kingfish (Program) Capitol Jersey 12/5/75            $14.00

Linda Ronstadt Capitol Jersey               12/6/75     $6.60

Fleetwood Mac MSG 6/30/77                                 $8.27

Frank Zappa Palladium Tix Stb 10/29/77               $7.00

Patti Smith Richard Hell CBGB Theatre                $6.00

Ramones Runaways 3/24/78 Calderone                 $5.50

THE WHO MSG 9/13/79                                      $15.00

The Clash BONDS INTN’L 5/29/81                     $41.00

John Entwistle 1/30/96 at TRAMPS NYC           $5.00

Randalls Island Festival                                          $250.00