Hey readers!
I've just discovered some really rare soundbites on YouTube of Hendrix playing with John McLaughlin! Get a load of this:
Video #1: From the McLaughlin Sessions - thanks to dizwaltney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yGd2Rf5688
Video #2: A Jam Between Jimi Hendrix and John McLaughlin; Intro and comment by John Mclaughlin. Recorded 25th March, 1969 at the Record Plant, NYC. Thanks to ferrymuskitta:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THpkTLLu4FQ
Video #3: Jimi Hendrix and John McLaughlin performing "Drivin South" jam; (in studio 1968). Thanks to MaitreShintod:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0q4hg88xPs
This stuff just blew me away! Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
OPINION: The 5 Best 1970s Rock Bands
By Patricia Fields
This is a really tough list to narrow down. The 1970s were my favorite era of rock and roll, and some truly great bands emerged and thrived during this decade. 1970s rock bands were wild, glamourous, and all about the music. There were also plenty of long songs with great guitar solos, and you'd be hard pressed to find many mainstream songs these days that follow a similar structure. Anyway, here are my top 5.
5. Pink Floyd. Their trippy sound was unique and it paved the way for many bands who followed in their footsteps. Dark Side of the Moon was a truly great album, as were many of their others.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd. The quintessential Southern rock band, this was a classic rock band in the purest form. Aside from their well known songs Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird, they produced many other great pieces of music.
3. Electric Light Orchestra. Known as ELO, Jeff Lynne and company produced so many great songs and albums. The 1970s were a prolific decade for this band and their space rock meets symphony orchestra sound was very unique.
2. The Band. They formed in the 1960s, but went strong all through the 1970s before finally splitting up in the early 1980s. This was a great band and possibly one of the most underrated out there.
1. Led Zeppelin. Perhaps the greatest rock and roll band of all time, depending on who you ask. The epic hits are too long to list.
If you have a kid between the ages of 2 and 5, you might want to look into the Little Tikes country kitchen, a great toy for all young children and one of the most popular forms of Little Tikes kitchen.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Fields
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-5-Best-1970s-Rock-Bands&id=3094007
This is a really tough list to narrow down. The 1970s were my favorite era of rock and roll, and some truly great bands emerged and thrived during this decade. 1970s rock bands were wild, glamourous, and all about the music. There were also plenty of long songs with great guitar solos, and you'd be hard pressed to find many mainstream songs these days that follow a similar structure. Anyway, here are my top 5.
5. Pink Floyd. Their trippy sound was unique and it paved the way for many bands who followed in their footsteps. Dark Side of the Moon was a truly great album, as were many of their others.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd. The quintessential Southern rock band, this was a classic rock band in the purest form. Aside from their well known songs Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird, they produced many other great pieces of music.
3. Electric Light Orchestra. Known as ELO, Jeff Lynne and company produced so many great songs and albums. The 1970s were a prolific decade for this band and their space rock meets symphony orchestra sound was very unique.
2. The Band. They formed in the 1960s, but went strong all through the 1970s before finally splitting up in the early 1980s. This was a great band and possibly one of the most underrated out there.
1. Led Zeppelin. Perhaps the greatest rock and roll band of all time, depending on who you ask. The epic hits are too long to list.
If you have a kid between the ages of 2 and 5, you might want to look into the Little Tikes country kitchen, a great toy for all young children and one of the most popular forms of Little Tikes kitchen.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Fields
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-5-Best-1970s-Rock-Bands&id=3094007
Songs on the Beatle's Revolver That Are Better in Mono - "Taxman" & "Eleanor Rigby"
By Jackson Weinheimer
There are some mono lovers who will say that every song on Revolver sounds better in mono! And of course there are some who can't stand listening to music in mono and will prefer the stereo mixes even when they are mixed in a very strange way (which is the case with the songs I am highlighting in this article).
Personally I take it on a song by song basis. Some Beatles songs sound better in stereo and some of them sound better in mono. I believe these songs on The Beatles 1966 classic album Revolver do, indeed, sound better in mono (of course the original mono mix of Revolver has been made available on CD for the very first time as a part the Beatles In Mono Box Set).
"Taxman" - The panning on this song is totally off the mark. I wonder what they were thinking? They put almost everything in the left (the guitar, the bass, and the drums!) and the vocals are in the center which leaves the right channel almost totally empty. This sounds really unsettling when listening to the song on headphones.
Usually the one good thing about such extreme panning is how clear each individual part is, but because they put everything over on the left, that's not really the case with this track. Sure we can hear the percussion (which is about the only thing on the right for most of the song!) really clearly, but that doesn't make up for everything else being smushed together on the left! Not by a long shot.
In mono everything is up the center which works pretty well for a heavy rocker like this. The mono mix is much "punchier" than the stereo mix.
"Eleanor Rigby" - The stereo mix on Revolver of this song is nuts. On the verses the strings are in the center and the vocals are completely to the right and there's nothing over on the left at all. This is not good. The mono mix works very nicely on this song because there aren't very many elements (just vocals and the strings) so there's not much to get buried (which is my biggest complaint with mono mixes, usually).
Click Here for a complete track by track look at Revolver (mono vs. stereo).
Remastered Box Sets Price Comparison. A look at where's the best place to buy The Beatles remastered box sets (stereo and mono).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Songs-on-the-Beatles-Revolver-That-Are-Better-in-Mono---Taxman-and-Eleanor-Rigby&id=3090712
There are some mono lovers who will say that every song on Revolver sounds better in mono! And of course there are some who can't stand listening to music in mono and will prefer the stereo mixes even when they are mixed in a very strange way (which is the case with the songs I am highlighting in this article).
Personally I take it on a song by song basis. Some Beatles songs sound better in stereo and some of them sound better in mono. I believe these songs on The Beatles 1966 classic album Revolver do, indeed, sound better in mono (of course the original mono mix of Revolver has been made available on CD for the very first time as a part the Beatles In Mono Box Set).
"Taxman" - The panning on this song is totally off the mark. I wonder what they were thinking? They put almost everything in the left (the guitar, the bass, and the drums!) and the vocals are in the center which leaves the right channel almost totally empty. This sounds really unsettling when listening to the song on headphones.
Usually the one good thing about such extreme panning is how clear each individual part is, but because they put everything over on the left, that's not really the case with this track. Sure we can hear the percussion (which is about the only thing on the right for most of the song!) really clearly, but that doesn't make up for everything else being smushed together on the left! Not by a long shot.
In mono everything is up the center which works pretty well for a heavy rocker like this. The mono mix is much "punchier" than the stereo mix.
"Eleanor Rigby" - The stereo mix on Revolver of this song is nuts. On the verses the strings are in the center and the vocals are completely to the right and there's nothing over on the left at all. This is not good. The mono mix works very nicely on this song because there aren't very many elements (just vocals and the strings) so there's not much to get buried (which is my biggest complaint with mono mixes, usually).
Click Here for a complete track by track look at Revolver (mono vs. stereo).
Remastered Box Sets Price Comparison. A look at where's the best place to buy The Beatles remastered box sets (stereo and mono).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Songs-on-the-Beatles-Revolver-That-Are-Better-in-Mono---Taxman-and-Eleanor-Rigby&id=3090712
Ska: An Unusual Genre
By Trisha Regan
A music genre which originated from Jamaica during the late 1950s is called ska. It is a predecessor to reggae and rocksteady. This genre is a combination of the constituents of Caribbean calypso and mento with American jazz and tempo. Ska is identified by a rhythmic bass line.
During the 1960s, ska became an official music genre and became really popular with the British mod. It then became very popular among skinheads. The history of ska can be divided into three periods: the original Jamaican scene of the 1960s (First Wave), the English 2 Tone ska revival of the late 1970s (Second Wave) and the third wave ska movement, which started in the 1980s.
There are many theories regarding the origin of the word ska. It was said by Ernest Ranglin that it was coined by musicians according to the sound of a guitar strum. Another theory is that during a recording session in 1959 by Coxsone Dodd, double bassist Cluett Johnson told Ranglin "play like ska, ska, ska." The other theory is that ska originated from Johnson's "skavoovie", this was his greeting for his friends. It was insisted by Jackie Mittoo to call the rhythm Staya Staya. Then finally Byron Lee presented the word ska.
There is another story about the origin of ska, it is about Prince Buster made it during the inaugural recording for his latest label Wild Bells. The guitarist started to accentuate the second and fourth beats in the bar. The drum beat was inspired from the traditional drumming and marching styles of Jamaica.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trisha_Regan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Like-Ska?&id=3069402
A music genre which originated from Jamaica during the late 1950s is called ska. It is a predecessor to reggae and rocksteady. This genre is a combination of the constituents of Caribbean calypso and mento with American jazz and tempo. Ska is identified by a rhythmic bass line.
During the 1960s, ska became an official music genre and became really popular with the British mod. It then became very popular among skinheads. The history of ska can be divided into three periods: the original Jamaican scene of the 1960s (First Wave), the English 2 Tone ska revival of the late 1970s (Second Wave) and the third wave ska movement, which started in the 1980s.
There are many theories regarding the origin of the word ska. It was said by Ernest Ranglin that it was coined by musicians according to the sound of a guitar strum. Another theory is that during a recording session in 1959 by Coxsone Dodd, double bassist Cluett Johnson told Ranglin "play like ska, ska, ska." The other theory is that ska originated from Johnson's "skavoovie", this was his greeting for his friends. It was insisted by Jackie Mittoo to call the rhythm Staya Staya. Then finally Byron Lee presented the word ska.
There is another story about the origin of ska, it is about Prince Buster made it during the inaugural recording for his latest label Wild Bells. The guitarist started to accentuate the second and fourth beats in the bar. The drum beat was inspired from the traditional drumming and marching styles of Jamaica.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trisha_Regan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Like-Ska?&id=3069402
The Fall Out After the Murder of Lord Lucan's Nanny
By William Coles
When Lord Lucan planned the murder of his wife Veronica, he could have had no idea of the immense amount of fall-out. At the time in 1974, Lucan presumably thought that the only loser in the whole affair was going to be his estranged wife Veronica, whose dead body was going to end up being dumped in the Channel.
But as it turned out, the events of that night were to have a quite catastrophic effect on a number of people. For a start, Lucan killed the wrong woman: it was his children's nanny, 29-year-old Sandra Rivett, who was mistakenly bludgeoned to death.
This blunder has come to cast such an extraordinary shadow over the lives of Lucan's family and his friends. For his poor wife Veronica, she is now estranged from all three of her children. His son George could, if he wanted, take the title and become the 8th Earl of Lucan. But the truth is that Lord Lucan has turned his title into a standing joke and George is unlikely ever to use it. Can you imagine how it would be go down if George were to book a restaurant table under the name Lord Lucan? It would be even worse if he were pulled over by the police.
But outside his family, Lucan's murder was also the direct cause of the suicide of one of his friends, Dominic Elwes. It sparked one of the longest libel actions in British history. And, incredibly, it also prompted the arrest of Britain's one-time Postmaster General. It is this last arrest which is so utterly bizarre as to be almost farcical.
In the autumn of 1974, a Labour MP, John Stonehouse, had drowned in the sea off Miami. It was to be Stonehouse's misfortune that a few weeks later, Lucan was to murder Sandra Rivett. The whole world was on the look-out for this British aristocrat on the run. Soon afterward in Australia, a bank teller spots a rather diffident Englishman. The Englishman looks rich and is very nervous; he wants to take out a large sum of money.
The police are immediately called in. Minutes later the tall Englishman is under arrest - only for the detectives to discover that they've caught not Lord Lucan, but the hapless British MP John Stonehouse, who'd faked his own death to set up home in Australia with his secretary. How very irksome for Stonehouse: arrested and dragged back to jail in Britain merely because he bore a passing resemblance to Lord Lucan.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Fall-Out-After-the-Murder-of-Lord-Lucans-Nanny&id=3022753
When Lord Lucan planned the murder of his wife Veronica, he could have had no idea of the immense amount of fall-out. At the time in 1974, Lucan presumably thought that the only loser in the whole affair was going to be his estranged wife Veronica, whose dead body was going to end up being dumped in the Channel.
But as it turned out, the events of that night were to have a quite catastrophic effect on a number of people. For a start, Lucan killed the wrong woman: it was his children's nanny, 29-year-old Sandra Rivett, who was mistakenly bludgeoned to death.
This blunder has come to cast such an extraordinary shadow over the lives of Lucan's family and his friends. For his poor wife Veronica, she is now estranged from all three of her children. His son George could, if he wanted, take the title and become the 8th Earl of Lucan. But the truth is that Lord Lucan has turned his title into a standing joke and George is unlikely ever to use it. Can you imagine how it would be go down if George were to book a restaurant table under the name Lord Lucan? It would be even worse if he were pulled over by the police.
But outside his family, Lucan's murder was also the direct cause of the suicide of one of his friends, Dominic Elwes. It sparked one of the longest libel actions in British history. And, incredibly, it also prompted the arrest of Britain's one-time Postmaster General. It is this last arrest which is so utterly bizarre as to be almost farcical.
In the autumn of 1974, a Labour MP, John Stonehouse, had drowned in the sea off Miami. It was to be Stonehouse's misfortune that a few weeks later, Lucan was to murder Sandra Rivett. The whole world was on the look-out for this British aristocrat on the run. Soon afterward in Australia, a bank teller spots a rather diffident Englishman. The Englishman looks rich and is very nervous; he wants to take out a large sum of money.
The police are immediately called in. Minutes later the tall Englishman is under arrest - only for the detectives to discover that they've caught not Lord Lucan, but the hapless British MP John Stonehouse, who'd faked his own death to set up home in Australia with his secretary. How very irksome for Stonehouse: arrested and dragged back to jail in Britain merely because he bore a passing resemblance to Lord Lucan.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Fall-Out-After-the-Murder-of-Lord-Lucans-Nanny&id=3022753
Lord Lucan Failed As a Cool Hand in His First Real Crisis
By William Coles
For a man who fancied himself as a cool hand, Lord Lucan did turn out to be the most abject failure when he faced his first genuine crisis. Although, no-one can be sure about the exact turn of events, it seems likely that the 39-year-old Lucan had been planning Veronica's murder for about a year. Deep in debt and with his wife obtaining sole custody of their three children, murder must have seemed like the ultimate solution to Lucan's problems.
He must have felt like Alexander slashing at the Gordian knot: rather than continuing to lead his mind-numbingly pedestrian life in London, Lucan would have done with it all by killing his wife. With one bound he would be free. A few week's before the night of the planned murder, Lucan borrowed a friend's Ford Corsair. It was in this car that he planned to transport Veronica's body to Newhaven, before dumping it in the Solent.
He had also prepared not one, but two bludgeons - two 18-inch pieces of lead piping, with white taping wrapped round the end for a better grip. He'd planned the murder for a bleak night in November when the children's nanny, 29-year-old Sandra Rivett, had her day off. Veronica would be home alone with the children. But as it turned out, Sandra changed her night off - and Lucan ended up killing the wrong woman. A few minutes later, he fought with Veronica on the stairs of the one-time marital home in Belgravia - and this was another disaster.
Veronica bested Lucan, kneeing him in the groin before fleeing the house. She ran screaming down the street to the nearby Plumber's Arms. But Lucan's final blunder was the one that would inextricably link him to the murder. Lucan drove through the night to Newhaven, where he dumped the Ford Corsair.
There was no point trying to clean the car up: it was covered with his finger-prints and splashes of blood. But as Lucan raced away from the car, he forgot one crucial piece of evidence. He left the spare bludgeon in the boot. This piece of lead piping was near identical to the actual murder weapon that had been left at the scene of the crime. And it was this, more than anything else, which would prove beyond doubt that Lucan was up to his neck in the murder.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?Lord-Lucan-Failed-As-a-Cool-Hand-in-His-First-Real-Crisis&id=3022732
For a man who fancied himself as a cool hand, Lord Lucan did turn out to be the most abject failure when he faced his first genuine crisis. Although, no-one can be sure about the exact turn of events, it seems likely that the 39-year-old Lucan had been planning Veronica's murder for about a year. Deep in debt and with his wife obtaining sole custody of their three children, murder must have seemed like the ultimate solution to Lucan's problems.
He must have felt like Alexander slashing at the Gordian knot: rather than continuing to lead his mind-numbingly pedestrian life in London, Lucan would have done with it all by killing his wife. With one bound he would be free. A few week's before the night of the planned murder, Lucan borrowed a friend's Ford Corsair. It was in this car that he planned to transport Veronica's body to Newhaven, before dumping it in the Solent.
He had also prepared not one, but two bludgeons - two 18-inch pieces of lead piping, with white taping wrapped round the end for a better grip. He'd planned the murder for a bleak night in November when the children's nanny, 29-year-old Sandra Rivett, had her day off. Veronica would be home alone with the children. But as it turned out, Sandra changed her night off - and Lucan ended up killing the wrong woman. A few minutes later, he fought with Veronica on the stairs of the one-time marital home in Belgravia - and this was another disaster.
Veronica bested Lucan, kneeing him in the groin before fleeing the house. She ran screaming down the street to the nearby Plumber's Arms. But Lucan's final blunder was the one that would inextricably link him to the murder. Lucan drove through the night to Newhaven, where he dumped the Ford Corsair.
There was no point trying to clean the car up: it was covered with his finger-prints and splashes of blood. But as Lucan raced away from the car, he forgot one crucial piece of evidence. He left the spare bludgeon in the boot. This piece of lead piping was near identical to the actual murder weapon that had been left at the scene of the crime. And it was this, more than anything else, which would prove beyond doubt that Lucan was up to his neck in the murder.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?Lord-Lucan-Failed-As-a-Cool-Hand-in-His-First-Real-Crisis&id=3022732
ALBUM REVIEW: Songs From the Road by Jeff Healey
By E. F Nesta
The posthumous release Jeff Healey - Songs from the Road is an eclectic set of covers that captures the energy and musicianship that became synonymous with a Jeff Healey performance.
Songs from the Road: I Think I Love You Too Much; I'm Ready; Stop Breaking Down; Angel Eyes; Come Together; Hoochie Coochie Man; White Room; While My Guitar Gently Weeps; Whipping Post; Teach Your Children Well; Santa, Bring My Baby Back [To Me].
Personnel: Jeff Healey: Guitar, Vocals; Dan Noordermeer: Guitar, Vocals; Dave Murphy: Keyboards, Vocals, Lead Vocals on Whipping Post; Alec Fraser: Bass, Vocals, Lead Vocals on White Room; Al Webster: Drums; Randy Bachman: Guitar on Hoochie Coochie Man
Jeff Healey - Songs from the Road, produced by Alec Fraser and released on the Ruf Records label, is a posthumous release of Jeff Healey's live performances. Jeff Healey was a multi-talented musician whose life was taken all too young, but through the dedication of long time friend, producer, and band mate, Alec Fraser, the release Songs from the Road was born. Songs from the Road is a collection of covers that Jeff and his band performed during live performances in London, at the Notodden Festival in Norway, and in his hometown of Toronto.
Songs from the Road opens with the Mark Knopfler song I Think I Love You Too Much, which shows Jeff's ability to retain the original song's fluid arrangement while laying down his own "version" with scintillating guitar work and emotional vocals against a backdrop of an exhilarating audience. The track I'm Ready is one of two covers from the legendary Willie Dixon and this blues rendition brings out elements of Jeff that only a live performance provides. He digs deep into his blues background emphasizing every note as though it was his last while the band performs a blazing complement to Jeff's guitar and vocals.
Stop Breaking Down (Robert Leroy Johnson) is down and dirty and the band gets funky as Jeff drives his guitar and vocals through this rousing cover. Angel Eyes, though not a Jeff Healey original, has been identified with Jeff Healey and each time I hear this track it takes on a new meaning and feeling. Sliced in the middle of an eclectic set of music, Angel Eyes holds its own as a tribute to a remarkable musician.
Jeff was a lover of all things musical with an extensive collection of jazz and other genres, so when he turns his attention to the psychedelic era with the Beatles tracks Come Together and While My Guitar Gently Weeps he knows how to emphasize the raw elements that cut through each chord, which was an important component of psychedelic music. The band's blues roots project new layers onto these classics creating refreshing and stimulating renditions.
Jeff, with the help of fellow Canadian and guitarist Randy Bachman, deliver a blistering track for Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) and the band cuts a deep groove as they ride the Jeff and Randy wave.
Looking at his rock-n-roll roots he covers the classic White Room (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown) with a vigor and fervor that conjures up the members of Cream and the electrifying guitar work of Eric Clapton. Whipping Post (Greg Allman) leans in a different direction with a mix of blues, rock-n-roll, and Jeff Healey, as the band casts a new light on this classic while staying true to the original arrangement's swagger. The track Teach Your Children Well is carried by Jeff's slide guitar work, while the harmonies, though not of the legendary work of CS&N, are pure and hold to the pacing of the original song.
The last track on the release is the rockabilly track Santa, Bring My Baby Back [To Me] with the band having some fun and showing that life on the road is where they are in their element, but it is family that keeps them moving forward. The release closes with an all too apropos phrase from Jeff "That was fun, and that's what it's all about."
Websites where you can procure Jeff Healey - Songs from the Road are Amazon, CD Warehouse, Ruf Records, and CD Universe.
E.F Nesta is the owner, contributing writer, and Publisher of Luxury Experience Magazine (http://www.LuxuryExperience.com).
Luxury Experience Magazine is a monthly on-line publication, which is read in over 80 countries with a reach of over 100,000.
Luxury Experience Magazine features experiential articles on luxury products and services; we do not book reservations or sell products on-line.
Luxury Experience Magazine's mission is to provide experiential editorial exposure on luxury products and services, and introduce brands and products to an audience across 80+ countries.
Luxury Experience Magazine is a team of high-energy professionals who bring a broad and extensive international background to their writing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E._F_Nesta
http://EzineArticles.com/?Jeff-Healey---Songs-From-the-Road&id=3053626
The posthumous release Jeff Healey - Songs from the Road is an eclectic set of covers that captures the energy and musicianship that became synonymous with a Jeff Healey performance.
Songs from the Road: I Think I Love You Too Much; I'm Ready; Stop Breaking Down; Angel Eyes; Come Together; Hoochie Coochie Man; White Room; While My Guitar Gently Weeps; Whipping Post; Teach Your Children Well; Santa, Bring My Baby Back [To Me].
Personnel: Jeff Healey: Guitar, Vocals; Dan Noordermeer: Guitar, Vocals; Dave Murphy: Keyboards, Vocals, Lead Vocals on Whipping Post; Alec Fraser: Bass, Vocals, Lead Vocals on White Room; Al Webster: Drums; Randy Bachman: Guitar on Hoochie Coochie Man
Jeff Healey - Songs from the Road, produced by Alec Fraser and released on the Ruf Records label, is a posthumous release of Jeff Healey's live performances. Jeff Healey was a multi-talented musician whose life was taken all too young, but through the dedication of long time friend, producer, and band mate, Alec Fraser, the release Songs from the Road was born. Songs from the Road is a collection of covers that Jeff and his band performed during live performances in London, at the Notodden Festival in Norway, and in his hometown of Toronto.
Songs from the Road opens with the Mark Knopfler song I Think I Love You Too Much, which shows Jeff's ability to retain the original song's fluid arrangement while laying down his own "version" with scintillating guitar work and emotional vocals against a backdrop of an exhilarating audience. The track I'm Ready is one of two covers from the legendary Willie Dixon and this blues rendition brings out elements of Jeff that only a live performance provides. He digs deep into his blues background emphasizing every note as though it was his last while the band performs a blazing complement to Jeff's guitar and vocals.
Stop Breaking Down (Robert Leroy Johnson) is down and dirty and the band gets funky as Jeff drives his guitar and vocals through this rousing cover. Angel Eyes, though not a Jeff Healey original, has been identified with Jeff Healey and each time I hear this track it takes on a new meaning and feeling. Sliced in the middle of an eclectic set of music, Angel Eyes holds its own as a tribute to a remarkable musician.
Jeff was a lover of all things musical with an extensive collection of jazz and other genres, so when he turns his attention to the psychedelic era with the Beatles tracks Come Together and While My Guitar Gently Weeps he knows how to emphasize the raw elements that cut through each chord, which was an important component of psychedelic music. The band's blues roots project new layers onto these classics creating refreshing and stimulating renditions.
Jeff, with the help of fellow Canadian and guitarist Randy Bachman, deliver a blistering track for Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) and the band cuts a deep groove as they ride the Jeff and Randy wave.
Looking at his rock-n-roll roots he covers the classic White Room (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown) with a vigor and fervor that conjures up the members of Cream and the electrifying guitar work of Eric Clapton. Whipping Post (Greg Allman) leans in a different direction with a mix of blues, rock-n-roll, and Jeff Healey, as the band casts a new light on this classic while staying true to the original arrangement's swagger. The track Teach Your Children Well is carried by Jeff's slide guitar work, while the harmonies, though not of the legendary work of CS&N, are pure and hold to the pacing of the original song.
The last track on the release is the rockabilly track Santa, Bring My Baby Back [To Me] with the band having some fun and showing that life on the road is where they are in their element, but it is family that keeps them moving forward. The release closes with an all too apropos phrase from Jeff "That was fun, and that's what it's all about."
Websites where you can procure Jeff Healey - Songs from the Road are Amazon, CD Warehouse, Ruf Records, and CD Universe.
E.F Nesta is the owner, contributing writer, and Publisher of Luxury Experience Magazine (http://www.LuxuryExperience.com).
Luxury Experience Magazine is a monthly on-line publication, which is read in over 80 countries with a reach of over 100,000.
Luxury Experience Magazine features experiential articles on luxury products and services; we do not book reservations or sell products on-line.
Luxury Experience Magazine's mission is to provide experiential editorial exposure on luxury products and services, and introduce brands and products to an audience across 80+ countries.
Luxury Experience Magazine is a team of high-energy professionals who bring a broad and extensive international background to their writing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E._F_Nesta
http://EzineArticles.com/?Jeff-Healey---Songs-From-the-Road&id=3053626
The Isle of Wight Festival 1969
By Tom Sangers
The 1969 opening of the Isle of Wight Festival was held at Wootton on August 30th and 31. It was extremely popular, having attracted approximately 150,000 people. They flocked to the festival in order to see Bob Dylan, The Who and Free. This was the second of three legendary festivals held on this island and they were all held between the years of 1968 and 1970.
The 1969 festival was considered to be well managed and comparatively trouble free, the 1970 event was anything but. Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, The Doors, The Who, Joan Baez and Free played to a crowd of up to 800,000 people that year. In 1970, the opposition to the festival was much better organized than they had been in previous years.
The Isle of Wight has always been a favorite retirement destination for those that were well to do. It has been a paradise for the yachting set. These well heeled, more traditional minded residents resented the invasion of the hippies and freaks. Renting a few acres in order to hold the music festival had been easy in the earlier years, however in 1970, the festival location was subject to a council/committee approval and the residents lobbied hard against it. This resulted in the festival not gaining entry to their preferred location and setting for East Afton Farm, Afton Down. It seemed that this location was deliberately selected for its inadequacy for the purpose.
One thing that happened was that the location made it possible for a large number of people to camp out on a hill that overlooked the festival, they got to view the whole thing for free. The Isle of Wight Festivals had already amassed a strong reputation in 1968 and 1969, greats such as Jefferson Airplane, T. Rex, The Move, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan and Pretty Things had already performed there. The Who was in their foundation phase when they took the stage at the festival.
The organizers of the festival, Fiery Creations, were determined that the 1970 event would be legendary and even under adversity, the festival definitely reached epic proportions. If you consider the fact that the island resident population is approximately 100,000, it's quite a feat to pull in over a 150,000 in 1969 and then up to 800,000 in 1970. The 1970 festival marked the end of the life span of the festival on the Isle of Wight for thirty-two years.
The artists that performed at this festival were astounding, they were very popular, very 'in demand' artists and they drew crowds strongly. With Bob Dylan at the microphone for the 1969 festival, there were members of the audience that were as notable as the performers on the stage. Among the 150,000 people were John Lennon with Yoko Ono. Ringo Star, and George Harrison were also present. The Rolling Stones were in the audience along with Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Jane Fonda. With the legends of music on stage and off, who wouldn't want to have attended such an event?
This article was written by Tom Sangers for Garden Isle, a provider of Isle of Wight Holidays and accommodation in the Isle of Wight.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Sangers
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Isle-of-Wight-Festival-1969&id=3123042
The 1969 opening of the Isle of Wight Festival was held at Wootton on August 30th and 31. It was extremely popular, having attracted approximately 150,000 people. They flocked to the festival in order to see Bob Dylan, The Who and Free. This was the second of three legendary festivals held on this island and they were all held between the years of 1968 and 1970.
The 1969 festival was considered to be well managed and comparatively trouble free, the 1970 event was anything but. Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, The Doors, The Who, Joan Baez and Free played to a crowd of up to 800,000 people that year. In 1970, the opposition to the festival was much better organized than they had been in previous years.
The Isle of Wight has always been a favorite retirement destination for those that were well to do. It has been a paradise for the yachting set. These well heeled, more traditional minded residents resented the invasion of the hippies and freaks. Renting a few acres in order to hold the music festival had been easy in the earlier years, however in 1970, the festival location was subject to a council/committee approval and the residents lobbied hard against it. This resulted in the festival not gaining entry to their preferred location and setting for East Afton Farm, Afton Down. It seemed that this location was deliberately selected for its inadequacy for the purpose.
One thing that happened was that the location made it possible for a large number of people to camp out on a hill that overlooked the festival, they got to view the whole thing for free. The Isle of Wight Festivals had already amassed a strong reputation in 1968 and 1969, greats such as Jefferson Airplane, T. Rex, The Move, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan and Pretty Things had already performed there. The Who was in their foundation phase when they took the stage at the festival.
The organizers of the festival, Fiery Creations, were determined that the 1970 event would be legendary and even under adversity, the festival definitely reached epic proportions. If you consider the fact that the island resident population is approximately 100,000, it's quite a feat to pull in over a 150,000 in 1969 and then up to 800,000 in 1970. The 1970 festival marked the end of the life span of the festival on the Isle of Wight for thirty-two years.
The artists that performed at this festival were astounding, they were very popular, very 'in demand' artists and they drew crowds strongly. With Bob Dylan at the microphone for the 1969 festival, there were members of the audience that were as notable as the performers on the stage. Among the 150,000 people were John Lennon with Yoko Ono. Ringo Star, and George Harrison were also present. The Rolling Stones were in the audience along with Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Jane Fonda. With the legends of music on stage and off, who wouldn't want to have attended such an event?
This article was written by Tom Sangers for Garden Isle, a provider of Isle of Wight Holidays and accommodation in the Isle of Wight.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Sangers
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Isle-of-Wight-Festival-1969&id=3123042
The Magic of Nick Drake
By Robert Kirby
"I never felt magic crazy as this." - Northern Sky, Nick Drake (1970)
There aren't many artists in the world who can successfully create perfect art with every attempt. And there are even fewer who's art becomes new again each and every time you hear or see it. Nick Drake was one of those artists. Not only has his music transcended over forty years of change, but with each of those years it becomes more and more prevalent.
Five Leaves Left (1969): With his first album in 1969, Five Leaves Left, Drake creates an atmosphere of sadness and hope, combining his deep vocals with an acoustic guitar and string accompaniment. It was ranked number 283 on Rolling Stones' 250 greatest albums of all time. Songs such as "Cello Song" show his mature grasp of sensitivity at such a young age (he was only 20 at the time of it's release).
Bryter Layter (1970): Nick's second album, Bryter Layter, recorded in 1970, is said by many to be not only his greatest work, but his most accessible album as a majority of the songs are heavily accompanied by bass and drums. It was ranked number 245 on Rolling Stones' 250 greatest albums of all time. Songs like "Northern Sky" have a more mainstream sound to them compared with those on Five Leaves Left and could be attributed to his leaving Cambridge and moving to London after recording his first album.
Pink Moon (1971): Drake's third and final album, Pink Moon, is his greatest departure from his previous two albums. It was recorded in two 2-hour night-time sessions in 1971. It was ranked number 320 on Rolling Stones' 250 greatest albums of all time. All of the tracks are solo, just Nick and his guitar, except for one, the title track "Pink Moon," to where Nick lends a piano riff.
His Death: On the night of November 24th, 1974, Nick died of an overdose of a prescribed antidepressant. When asked to speculate on whether or not he did it purposely, his sister Gabrielle said she would prefer that he committed suicide, "in the sense that I'd rather he died because he wanted to end it than it to be the result of some tragic mistake. That would seem to me to be terrible..."
Popularity: In early 1999, BBC2 aired a 40-minute documentary called A Stranger Among Us - In Search of Nick Drake. The next year, a live documentary was made entitled A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake. In, 2000, "Pink Moon" was used in a car commercial for Volkswagen, and within 30 days, Nick Drake had sold more records than he had in the previous 30 years.
Robert Kirby has been writing articles about musicians like Nick Drake for years. He currently writes for online entertainment site Altered Eagle.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Kirby
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Magic-of-Nick-Drake&id=3074781
"I never felt magic crazy as this." - Northern Sky, Nick Drake (1970)
There aren't many artists in the world who can successfully create perfect art with every attempt. And there are even fewer who's art becomes new again each and every time you hear or see it. Nick Drake was one of those artists. Not only has his music transcended over forty years of change, but with each of those years it becomes more and more prevalent.
Five Leaves Left (1969): With his first album in 1969, Five Leaves Left, Drake creates an atmosphere of sadness and hope, combining his deep vocals with an acoustic guitar and string accompaniment. It was ranked number 283 on Rolling Stones' 250 greatest albums of all time. Songs such as "Cello Song" show his mature grasp of sensitivity at such a young age (he was only 20 at the time of it's release).
Bryter Layter (1970): Nick's second album, Bryter Layter, recorded in 1970, is said by many to be not only his greatest work, but his most accessible album as a majority of the songs are heavily accompanied by bass and drums. It was ranked number 245 on Rolling Stones' 250 greatest albums of all time. Songs like "Northern Sky" have a more mainstream sound to them compared with those on Five Leaves Left and could be attributed to his leaving Cambridge and moving to London after recording his first album.
Pink Moon (1971): Drake's third and final album, Pink Moon, is his greatest departure from his previous two albums. It was recorded in two 2-hour night-time sessions in 1971. It was ranked number 320 on Rolling Stones' 250 greatest albums of all time. All of the tracks are solo, just Nick and his guitar, except for one, the title track "Pink Moon," to where Nick lends a piano riff.
His Death: On the night of November 24th, 1974, Nick died of an overdose of a prescribed antidepressant. When asked to speculate on whether or not he did it purposely, his sister Gabrielle said she would prefer that he committed suicide, "in the sense that I'd rather he died because he wanted to end it than it to be the result of some tragic mistake. That would seem to me to be terrible..."
Popularity: In early 1999, BBC2 aired a 40-minute documentary called A Stranger Among Us - In Search of Nick Drake. The next year, a live documentary was made entitled A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake. In, 2000, "Pink Moon" was used in a car commercial for Volkswagen, and within 30 days, Nick Drake had sold more records than he had in the previous 30 years.
Robert Kirby has been writing articles about musicians like Nick Drake for years. He currently writes for online entertainment site Altered Eagle.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Kirby
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Magic-of-Nick-Drake&id=3074781
Two Underrated Classic Rock Bands
By Patricia Fields
There have been many great rock bands over the course of the last 50 years. What started out as a music revolution in the 1950s has turned into a staple in the music world, and rock music is enjoyed the world over, with many different styles having emerged over the years.
One of my favorite styles of rock is the classic rock movement that permeated the 1960s and the 1970s. I think that some of the best music has resulted from this era, and I've always loved the epic anthems particularly. While bands like Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and others all get their due, here are two bands that I feel deserve a little more respect than they get.
1. ELO. Standing for Electric Light Orchestra, this band, led by brilliant songwriter Jeff Lynne, churned out hits through the course of the 1970s. Some of these are songs that you already know and hear frequently, though you might not realize that the songs were by them. Their unique brand of space rock combined with symphonic orchestral elements was one of a kind.
2. The Band. This was a great band, and that was actually their name. Originally performing as Bob Dylan's backup band, they eventually found their way, emerging on their own. This Canadian band was one of the most talented collections of musicians we've ever seen, and their Americana is some of the best to ever hit the music world.
Listen to these two bands if you're in need of some good new music, I think you'll enjoy them.
Patricia Fields also writes about Truvia at http://truvia.org.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Fields
http://EzineArticles.com/?Two-Underrated-Classic-Rock-Bands&id=3112971
There have been many great rock bands over the course of the last 50 years. What started out as a music revolution in the 1950s has turned into a staple in the music world, and rock music is enjoyed the world over, with many different styles having emerged over the years.
One of my favorite styles of rock is the classic rock movement that permeated the 1960s and the 1970s. I think that some of the best music has resulted from this era, and I've always loved the epic anthems particularly. While bands like Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and others all get their due, here are two bands that I feel deserve a little more respect than they get.
1. ELO. Standing for Electric Light Orchestra, this band, led by brilliant songwriter Jeff Lynne, churned out hits through the course of the 1970s. Some of these are songs that you already know and hear frequently, though you might not realize that the songs were by them. Their unique brand of space rock combined with symphonic orchestral elements was one of a kind.
2. The Band. This was a great band, and that was actually their name. Originally performing as Bob Dylan's backup band, they eventually found their way, emerging on their own. This Canadian band was one of the most talented collections of musicians we've ever seen, and their Americana is some of the best to ever hit the music world.
Listen to these two bands if you're in need of some good new music, I think you'll enjoy them.
Patricia Fields also writes about Truvia at http://truvia.org.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Fields
http://EzineArticles.com/?Two-Underrated-Classic-Rock-Bands&id=3112971
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A Tribute to Bob Dylan
By James W Morley
Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, artist, bard and, more recently, disc jockey, who has been a foremost character in fashionable music for five decades. Much of his largely celebrated handiwork dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social instability. A quantity of his songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'," became anthems for both the civil rights and the anti-war movements.
If Bob Dylan is the very definition of a composition legend, you have to allot his fans acclaim for being pretty legendary themselves.
From the very start, Dylan fans have been a breed apart. They analyze his lyrics line by line, dig through his garbage to unearth them, and sign up for fully accredited college courses to understand them. On the Internet, the conversation - and dissection - of Dylan is no less intense, as his devotees pour over every trace of his life and music .
Dylan has always been, and will probably for eternity be, an enigma. He has produced as many impudent flops (Self Portrait, Knocked Out Loaded, and the majority of his work in the Eighties and Nineties spring at once to mind) as he has masterpieces like Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, and Blood On The Tracks. He's written American classics like "Blowin' In The Wind," "Like A Rolling Stone," and "Just Like A Woman," as well as average fair like "Man Gave Names To All The Animals."
But the single thing Dylan has forever done is reinvent himself. The voice of remonstration for a generation in the Sixties and the born again believer of the Seventies, most recently Dylan has once again stunned the globe with a brilliant series of albums including Time Out Of Mind, Love and Theft, and Modern Times.
'He has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008 a Bob Dylan Pathway was opened in the singer's honor in his origin of Duluth, Minnesota. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for what they called his profound impression on popular music and American culture, "marked by poetic compositions of extraordinary poetic power".
Beyond all else, Dylan is arguably America's supreme songwriter and a national treasure.
Check out http://www.bobdylanshirts.info. Its well worth a look.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_W_Morley
http://EzineArticles.com/?Bob-Dylan-Shirts&id=2997662
Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, artist, bard and, more recently, disc jockey, who has been a foremost character in fashionable music for five decades. Much of his largely celebrated handiwork dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social instability. A quantity of his songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'," became anthems for both the civil rights and the anti-war movements.
If Bob Dylan is the very definition of a composition legend, you have to allot his fans acclaim for being pretty legendary themselves.
From the very start, Dylan fans have been a breed apart. They analyze his lyrics line by line, dig through his garbage to unearth them, and sign up for fully accredited college courses to understand them. On the Internet, the conversation - and dissection - of Dylan is no less intense, as his devotees pour over every trace of his life and music .
Dylan has always been, and will probably for eternity be, an enigma. He has produced as many impudent flops (Self Portrait, Knocked Out Loaded, and the majority of his work in the Eighties and Nineties spring at once to mind) as he has masterpieces like Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, and Blood On The Tracks. He's written American classics like "Blowin' In The Wind," "Like A Rolling Stone," and "Just Like A Woman," as well as average fair like "Man Gave Names To All The Animals."
But the single thing Dylan has forever done is reinvent himself. The voice of remonstration for a generation in the Sixties and the born again believer of the Seventies, most recently Dylan has once again stunned the globe with a brilliant series of albums including Time Out Of Mind, Love and Theft, and Modern Times.
'He has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008 a Bob Dylan Pathway was opened in the singer's honor in his origin of Duluth, Minnesota. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for what they called his profound impression on popular music and American culture, "marked by poetic compositions of extraordinary poetic power".
Beyond all else, Dylan is arguably America's supreme songwriter and a national treasure.
Check out http://www.bobdylanshirts.info. Its well worth a look.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_W_Morley
http://EzineArticles.com/?Bob-Dylan-Shirts&id=2997662
The Formation of the Beatles
By Bobby A. Spider
The Beatles were a musical band that became a worldwide phenomenon during the 1960's. The hysteria they generated became known as "Beatlemania". Formed in Liverpool, the group included John Lennon on rhythm guitar, Paul McCartney on bass guitar, George Harrison on lead guitar, and Ringo Starr on drums. Depending on the song, each member sang in the group.
In March 1957 John Lennon formed a "skiffle group" that he called "The Quarrymen." Paul McCartney saw him perform at a church function, and when John realized that he could tune his own guitar, he asked him to join the group. Paul joined in July, 1957. In March of the next year, Paul's friend George was invited to see the group perform, and he soon joined as the group's lead guitarist. Finding a drummer for the group was to become quite the challenge. After much turmoil, Ringo Starr joined the group in the early 60s.
In the early years the group perfected their craft in the clubs that dominated the nightlife of Hamburg, Germany. Long hours of performing were the norm, and this lead to the development of some very talented musicians. When back in Liverpool, they perfected their chops at the Cavern Club, and their popularity continued to grow.
If there was ever a "Fifth Beatle", as Paul McCartney was to later say, "It was Brian Epstein". Brian started watching the Beatles when they performed at the Cavern Club, and by January 1962, the Beatles signed him as their manager. Brian opened the door to see George Martin, a producer at EMI, and the rest "as they say" is history.
The Beatles first entry into the UK record charts was their song "Love Me Do". Their single, "Please, Please Me" was more popular still. By the time "From Me To You" came along, they were well on their way to dominating the record charts for years to come.
Dominating the United States market was not immediate or a certainty. Entrance into this race was delayed for various reasons, but in December 1963, Capitol Records released "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and the Beatles domination of the US market was on it's way as well.
After dominating the UK and the US, the next stop was the world. In the years to come the Beatles either toured or did concerts in Hong Kong, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the list goes on ...
As time went on, cracks started to appear in the group. They recorded their final album, "Abbey Road", in the summer of 1969. Recording the song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" was the last time all four Beatles were together in the recording studio.
On September 20, 1969 John announced his departure to the group, but this was not made public until legal
matters were resolved. Paul filed for a dissolution of the band on December 31 1971, and this finally took effect in 1975. The final "nail in the coffin", as they say, had been set.
Bobby A. Spider writes for the blog: http://www.BeatlesLetItBeNow.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_A._Spider
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Formation-of-the-Beatles&id=3066737
The Beatles were a musical band that became a worldwide phenomenon during the 1960's. The hysteria they generated became known as "Beatlemania". Formed in Liverpool, the group included John Lennon on rhythm guitar, Paul McCartney on bass guitar, George Harrison on lead guitar, and Ringo Starr on drums. Depending on the song, each member sang in the group.
In March 1957 John Lennon formed a "skiffle group" that he called "The Quarrymen." Paul McCartney saw him perform at a church function, and when John realized that he could tune his own guitar, he asked him to join the group. Paul joined in July, 1957. In March of the next year, Paul's friend George was invited to see the group perform, and he soon joined as the group's lead guitarist. Finding a drummer for the group was to become quite the challenge. After much turmoil, Ringo Starr joined the group in the early 60s.
In the early years the group perfected their craft in the clubs that dominated the nightlife of Hamburg, Germany. Long hours of performing were the norm, and this lead to the development of some very talented musicians. When back in Liverpool, they perfected their chops at the Cavern Club, and their popularity continued to grow.
If there was ever a "Fifth Beatle", as Paul McCartney was to later say, "It was Brian Epstein". Brian started watching the Beatles when they performed at the Cavern Club, and by January 1962, the Beatles signed him as their manager. Brian opened the door to see George Martin, a producer at EMI, and the rest "as they say" is history.
The Beatles first entry into the UK record charts was their song "Love Me Do". Their single, "Please, Please Me" was more popular still. By the time "From Me To You" came along, they were well on their way to dominating the record charts for years to come.
Dominating the United States market was not immediate or a certainty. Entrance into this race was delayed for various reasons, but in December 1963, Capitol Records released "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and the Beatles domination of the US market was on it's way as well.
After dominating the UK and the US, the next stop was the world. In the years to come the Beatles either toured or did concerts in Hong Kong, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the list goes on ...
As time went on, cracks started to appear in the group. They recorded their final album, "Abbey Road", in the summer of 1969. Recording the song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" was the last time all four Beatles were together in the recording studio.
On September 20, 1969 John announced his departure to the group, but this was not made public until legal
matters were resolved. Paul filed for a dissolution of the band on December 31 1971, and this finally took effect in 1975. The final "nail in the coffin", as they say, had been set.
Bobby A. Spider writes for the blog: http://www.BeatlesLetItBeNow.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_A._Spider
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Formation-of-the-Beatles&id=3066737
OPINION: 5 Great Rock and Roll Bands
By Felicia Cranston
Here are five of my favorite rock and roll bands.
The Grateful Dead - Known for their fans called "Dead Heads," this band took it's grass roots upbringing and put out a ton of hits during an era where hippies loved listening to their music.
Pink Floyd - At times, they came off a little weird. They took chances, and for the most part succeeded in doing that. They were the most successful experimental band of all-time. One of their main highlights, "Dark Side of the Moon," solidifying their spot on the chart.
The Velvet Underground - Who? Yes, I am serious with this. Although not having commercial success, they were decades before their time and inspired countless people to start a band themselves. Their lack of success in sales made them a cult classic.
Eagles - A great band who had a lot of success for a long time. They, along with The Grateful Dead, were able to give rock and roll and country, a folk edge to it. Hotel California and Desperado remain two of the most successful classic rock songs of all-time, still receiving great airplay daily.
The Doors - Almost the opposite of The Eagles, this band didn't last that long but made a lasting impression on the world. Their 6 years as a true band (leader Jim Morrison died in 1971) allowed them to show off their originality and inspire countless others.
So there you have it. These are easily five of my favorite rock and roll bands of all-time.
Enhance your music experience by taking advantage of the cheap car stereos out there. Where it's cheap car CD players or something a little more high end, there's plenty of good stuff out there right now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felicia_Cranston
http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Great-Rock-and-Roll-Bands&id=3019135
Here are five of my favorite rock and roll bands.
The Grateful Dead - Known for their fans called "Dead Heads," this band took it's grass roots upbringing and put out a ton of hits during an era where hippies loved listening to their music.
Pink Floyd - At times, they came off a little weird. They took chances, and for the most part succeeded in doing that. They were the most successful experimental band of all-time. One of their main highlights, "Dark Side of the Moon," solidifying their spot on the chart.
The Velvet Underground - Who? Yes, I am serious with this. Although not having commercial success, they were decades before their time and inspired countless people to start a band themselves. Their lack of success in sales made them a cult classic.
Eagles - A great band who had a lot of success for a long time. They, along with The Grateful Dead, were able to give rock and roll and country, a folk edge to it. Hotel California and Desperado remain two of the most successful classic rock songs of all-time, still receiving great airplay daily.
The Doors - Almost the opposite of The Eagles, this band didn't last that long but made a lasting impression on the world. Their 6 years as a true band (leader Jim Morrison died in 1971) allowed them to show off their originality and inspire countless others.
So there you have it. These are easily five of my favorite rock and roll bands of all-time.
Enhance your music experience by taking advantage of the cheap car stereos out there. Where it's cheap car CD players or something a little more high end, there's plenty of good stuff out there right now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felicia_Cranston
http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Great-Rock-and-Roll-Bands&id=3019135
OPINION: The Top 5 Rock and Roll Bands of All Time
By Felicia Cranston
I know this is a daunting task, and I am fully prepared to have people disagree with me. I tried to take any bias out of this, so without any more wasting of time, here it is.
1. The Beatles - Really about the only number most should be able to agree on. They inspired countless bands in the future and were pioneers when they became big. After they broke up, they all went on to have solid solo careers as well.
2. The Rolling Stones - This band has stayed together forever, and have also put out a bluesy taste of Rock and Roll. The past few years have been a little shaky, but they are sill solid. Songs like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" have lived on as classics.
3. The Who - Part of being a great band is presentation, and no-one did it better at the time than The Who. Also, their 9/11 appearance easily stole the show and gave people some idea that The Who still had it.
4. Led Zeppelin - Ushered in the post-Beatles era by dominating headlines with a great collection of songs. They played a ton of advanced songs during that time, and even took themed music to a new level.
5. U2 - Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the band. That should not keep them from being this high on the list though. The group personified the 1980s, led by Bono. They ushered in the post-punk era.
There are the first five. Look for 6-10 to come.
There's nothing like some good music blasting in your car. You'd be surprised to see the deals out there on dvd car audio these days. Head over to http://cheapcarstereos.net to learn more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felicia_Cranston
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Top-5-Rock-and-Roll-Bands-of-All-Time&id=3019072
I know this is a daunting task, and I am fully prepared to have people disagree with me. I tried to take any bias out of this, so without any more wasting of time, here it is.
1. The Beatles - Really about the only number most should be able to agree on. They inspired countless bands in the future and were pioneers when they became big. After they broke up, they all went on to have solid solo careers as well.
2. The Rolling Stones - This band has stayed together forever, and have also put out a bluesy taste of Rock and Roll. The past few years have been a little shaky, but they are sill solid. Songs like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" have lived on as classics.
3. The Who - Part of being a great band is presentation, and no-one did it better at the time than The Who. Also, their 9/11 appearance easily stole the show and gave people some idea that The Who still had it.
4. Led Zeppelin - Ushered in the post-Beatles era by dominating headlines with a great collection of songs. They played a ton of advanced songs during that time, and even took themed music to a new level.
5. U2 - Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the band. That should not keep them from being this high on the list though. The group personified the 1980s, led by Bono. They ushered in the post-punk era.
There are the first five. Look for 6-10 to come.
There's nothing like some good music blasting in your car. You'd be surprised to see the deals out there on dvd car audio these days. Head over to http://cheapcarstereos.net to learn more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felicia_Cranston
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Top-5-Rock-and-Roll-Bands-of-All-Time&id=3019072
OPINION: The Beatles - Were They Really That Good?
By Steve Taite
Now that they have finally released the remastered Beatles albums, it seems a good time to reopen the classic argument. The Beatles - the best group of all time or just a matter of timing? Since 09/09/09 I've been listening to the fab four round the clock until I couldn't bear it any more, with mixed emotions (to quote Mick Jagger). As a whole there are a lot of good songs, several great songs and then quite a bit of rubbish some of it downright embarrassing, and I'm not just talking about Revolution 9.
Let's start from the very beginning (a very good place ... but enough of the kitch, I'll leave that for Paul).
Please Please Me - definitely one of their purer efforts, pure rock and roll, simple lyrics, but that was what was expected of them then. A good start and still good today.Of the fourteen tracks six were covers of other artists including songs written by Carol King and Burt Bacharach. Now remastered the harmonies and simple music renditions make it feel even more alive. A-.
With the Beatles - released only four months later. Another great raw album. You don't change a winning combination. Finally Ringo gets to play drums - not the best drummer in the world by far. Again six of the fourteen tracks are covers. A-
A Hard Days Night - down to 13 tracks, this album was entirely self written. Another strong production A-
Beatles for Sale. - the Beatles are by now tired and pressed for time and a bit fed up - thus the title. Between a concert tour in the U.S. and one in the U.K. they had all of five weeks to put together and record this album. Luckily they could lean heavily on succesful covers they sang on stage in their Hamburg days. Much due to this fact, the album is almost flawless and great fun to listen to, especially after being remasted. It has a very live, gritty feeling to it, something that was actually missing from their actual concerts (see my blog). A-
Help! - The soundtrack from their second film. Who could dare fault an album including Yesterday, Ticket to Ride and and the beautiful You've got to Hide your Love away. A
Up till this point definitely a great group. Not a rock group or a revolutionary force but still great enough to be worthy of all the hype.
Rubber Soul - the first hint that the Beatles wanted a change. There is a candid attempt to add hidden meaning to the songs. Here the Beatles try to go beyond the boy/girl lovey/dovey lyrics and attempt to make a statement. Hints at drug use are abundant as is the influence of Dylan and the Byrds. Ambiguity is the name of the game; Norwegian Wood, Drive my Car, Looking Through You. Though it has it's great moments, the album is uneven. There are initial signs of the banal McCartney love songs to emerge in future years - Michelle Ma Belle!!!. Gone are the rhythmic, exciting numbers that got all the girls screaming - the Beatles concert years are behind them. B
Revolver - Electric Rock has replaced the folk rock of the previous album and once again the vitality is back: Got to get You into my Life, Taxman, And your bird can Sing. Several songs, notably Tomorrow Never Knows, offer a shift to the East with the use of the sitar. At the time many critics hailed Revolver as one of the greatest albums of all time. In retrospect their praise seems overrated. The songs are strong but the mixture of different styles make it more a unconnected collection of songs than a concept album. B
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Often voted the best and most revolutionary album of the twentieth century, the real question is does it hold up to the test of time. In my opinion no. Marketed as a concept album it falls flat after the second song and leaves us with a batch of psychedelically touched pieces that are unlikely to get you excited today. On the one hand there's With a little help from my friends (Joe Cocker's half stoned version sounds far superior), A day in the Life (actually two songs knitted together) and When I'm 64 but how many times are you willing today to listen to Getting Better, McCartney's Lovely Rita (Wings are on the way) or Mr Kite (more of a joke than a song really). A great album cover but not my favourite album or even my favourite Beatles album by far. B-
Magical Mystery Tour - not really worth mentioning. A failing BBC TV special with no script, turned into a disasterous EP set and then reshuffled to make an album. Eleven songs in all, luckily including Fool on the Hill, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane, otherwise worthless. Can you really listen to All you need is Love or Flying without throwing up? C-
The White Double Album - The Beatles didn't even bother themselves with a name or cover. Not really a group album at all. This album has enough good songs to fill a short, single album but it as a double album it is full of garbage. High marks for Back in the USSR, Dear Prudence and While my Guitar Gently Weeps, but new lows for Revolution 9, Why don't We do it in the Road and Happiness is a Warm Gun, not to mention Paul's idiotic Rocky Raccoon, and Mother Natures Son. Even George and Ringo got in the act with Piggies and Goodnight. Did they really believe they they could sell anything? A real embarassment. C- (and I'm being nice).
Yellow Submarine - Don't even get me started. Just let me give them an E and leave it at that.
Abbey Road - After three previous no shows, no one really saw this coming. True it's as much a George Martin album as a Beatles one, but finally it all comes together. My favourite Beatles album by far. The Beatles finally get it together again. A masterpiece A+
Let it Be - I wish they had. The title song is more gospel than Beatles. Then there's The Long and Winding Road - George Martin and Paul really went overboard there. Apart from Get Back and The One after 909, which returned them to their rock and roll era, the album isn't worth mentioning. D-
So there you have it. Six great albums, three not so great and four pretty awful ones. So were they really that great? As a rock and roll group they could even get your grandmother up and dancing. As rock psychedelic revolutionists they were out of their league.
Steve Taite - The Taite Gallery Blog
http://taitegallery.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Taite
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles---Were-They-Really-That-Good?&id=3012687
Now that they have finally released the remastered Beatles albums, it seems a good time to reopen the classic argument. The Beatles - the best group of all time or just a matter of timing? Since 09/09/09 I've been listening to the fab four round the clock until I couldn't bear it any more, with mixed emotions (to quote Mick Jagger). As a whole there are a lot of good songs, several great songs and then quite a bit of rubbish some of it downright embarrassing, and I'm not just talking about Revolution 9.
Let's start from the very beginning (a very good place ... but enough of the kitch, I'll leave that for Paul).
Please Please Me - definitely one of their purer efforts, pure rock and roll, simple lyrics, but that was what was expected of them then. A good start and still good today.Of the fourteen tracks six were covers of other artists including songs written by Carol King and Burt Bacharach. Now remastered the harmonies and simple music renditions make it feel even more alive. A-.
With the Beatles - released only four months later. Another great raw album. You don't change a winning combination. Finally Ringo gets to play drums - not the best drummer in the world by far. Again six of the fourteen tracks are covers. A-
A Hard Days Night - down to 13 tracks, this album was entirely self written. Another strong production A-
Beatles for Sale. - the Beatles are by now tired and pressed for time and a bit fed up - thus the title. Between a concert tour in the U.S. and one in the U.K. they had all of five weeks to put together and record this album. Luckily they could lean heavily on succesful covers they sang on stage in their Hamburg days. Much due to this fact, the album is almost flawless and great fun to listen to, especially after being remasted. It has a very live, gritty feeling to it, something that was actually missing from their actual concerts (see my blog). A-
Help! - The soundtrack from their second film. Who could dare fault an album including Yesterday, Ticket to Ride and and the beautiful You've got to Hide your Love away. A
Up till this point definitely a great group. Not a rock group or a revolutionary force but still great enough to be worthy of all the hype.
Rubber Soul - the first hint that the Beatles wanted a change. There is a candid attempt to add hidden meaning to the songs. Here the Beatles try to go beyond the boy/girl lovey/dovey lyrics and attempt to make a statement. Hints at drug use are abundant as is the influence of Dylan and the Byrds. Ambiguity is the name of the game; Norwegian Wood, Drive my Car, Looking Through You. Though it has it's great moments, the album is uneven. There are initial signs of the banal McCartney love songs to emerge in future years - Michelle Ma Belle!!!. Gone are the rhythmic, exciting numbers that got all the girls screaming - the Beatles concert years are behind them. B
Revolver - Electric Rock has replaced the folk rock of the previous album and once again the vitality is back: Got to get You into my Life, Taxman, And your bird can Sing. Several songs, notably Tomorrow Never Knows, offer a shift to the East with the use of the sitar. At the time many critics hailed Revolver as one of the greatest albums of all time. In retrospect their praise seems overrated. The songs are strong but the mixture of different styles make it more a unconnected collection of songs than a concept album. B
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Often voted the best and most revolutionary album of the twentieth century, the real question is does it hold up to the test of time. In my opinion no. Marketed as a concept album it falls flat after the second song and leaves us with a batch of psychedelically touched pieces that are unlikely to get you excited today. On the one hand there's With a little help from my friends (Joe Cocker's half stoned version sounds far superior), A day in the Life (actually two songs knitted together) and When I'm 64 but how many times are you willing today to listen to Getting Better, McCartney's Lovely Rita (Wings are on the way) or Mr Kite (more of a joke than a song really). A great album cover but not my favourite album or even my favourite Beatles album by far. B-
Magical Mystery Tour - not really worth mentioning. A failing BBC TV special with no script, turned into a disasterous EP set and then reshuffled to make an album. Eleven songs in all, luckily including Fool on the Hill, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane, otherwise worthless. Can you really listen to All you need is Love or Flying without throwing up? C-
The White Double Album - The Beatles didn't even bother themselves with a name or cover. Not really a group album at all. This album has enough good songs to fill a short, single album but it as a double album it is full of garbage. High marks for Back in the USSR, Dear Prudence and While my Guitar Gently Weeps, but new lows for Revolution 9, Why don't We do it in the Road and Happiness is a Warm Gun, not to mention Paul's idiotic Rocky Raccoon, and Mother Natures Son. Even George and Ringo got in the act with Piggies and Goodnight. Did they really believe they they could sell anything? A real embarassment. C- (and I'm being nice).
Yellow Submarine - Don't even get me started. Just let me give them an E and leave it at that.
Abbey Road - After three previous no shows, no one really saw this coming. True it's as much a George Martin album as a Beatles one, but finally it all comes together. My favourite Beatles album by far. The Beatles finally get it together again. A masterpiece A+
Let it Be - I wish they had. The title song is more gospel than Beatles. Then there's The Long and Winding Road - George Martin and Paul really went overboard there. Apart from Get Back and The One after 909, which returned them to their rock and roll era, the album isn't worth mentioning. D-
So there you have it. Six great albums, three not so great and four pretty awful ones. So were they really that great? As a rock and roll group they could even get your grandmother up and dancing. As rock psychedelic revolutionists they were out of their league.
Steve Taite - The Taite Gallery Blog
http://taitegallery.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Taite
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles---Were-They-Really-That-Good?&id=3012687
Biography of Bob Marley
By Pauline Go
Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945. At birth, he was christened Robert Nesta Marley. He is the most well known reggae musician of all times, and has been credited of popularizing this style of music outside of Jamaica. Most of his songs deal with how the poor and the weak of society have to struggle through life.
Marley was married to Rita Anderson, having 4 children together, including David Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley. The two sons are still continuing with Marley's legacy through their band The Melody Makers.
Marley's mother was Cedella Booker, who was black, while his father was a Caucasian named Norval Marley. However, Marley never really got to know his father as Jamaican society did not approve of his relationship with his mother.
Initially Marley was into ska, but soon moved towards reggae as it grew. Marley formed the Wailers, and many believed that his best work was with the group.
Marley was a devout Rastafarian, and he worked as the unofficial missionary of the faith through his actions and music. He was instrumental in taking the faith to different corners of the world. In addition, he was all for peace and brotherhood. However, towards the end of his life, Marley joined the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and was baptized as Berhane Selassie.
In 1976, Marley was shot inside his home. It is believed that he was shot because of politics as the political scene in Jamaica was very violent at that point. He was supposed to give a concert that was seen to support the liberal and progressive Michael Manley, the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Marley's fans and supporters believe that the conservative party, the Jamaica Labor Party, was responsible for this. However, it was never proven who was responsible for the shooting. Both Marley and his wife were injured but they survived.
In July 1977, Marley was diagnosed with cancer in the toe. However, based on his Rastafarian beliefs, he refused to undergo amputation which was suggested by the doctor to save his life, although, he did have surgery to remove the cancerous cells from the toe.
However, the cancer metastasized to his lungs and brain. In 1980, Marley collapsed while giving a show at Madison Square Garden after which he consulted a cancer specialist named Josef Issels. But by then it was too late for any treatment.
Marley wanted to spend his last days in Jamaica but was too ill to fly. On May 11, 1981, Marley passed away at the Cedar of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, Florida. His funeral was held in Jamaica, and was a blend of Rastafarian and Ethiopian Orthodoxy. He was buried at Nine Miles, close to the place where he was born.
In 2001, he was conferred with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the education industry. She also offers top quality articles like:
Famous Artist List, and Leonardo da Vinci Timeline
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Go
http://EzineArticles.com/?Biography-of-Bob-Marley&id=3074287
Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945. At birth, he was christened Robert Nesta Marley. He is the most well known reggae musician of all times, and has been credited of popularizing this style of music outside of Jamaica. Most of his songs deal with how the poor and the weak of society have to struggle through life.
Marley was married to Rita Anderson, having 4 children together, including David Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley. The two sons are still continuing with Marley's legacy through their band The Melody Makers.
Marley's mother was Cedella Booker, who was black, while his father was a Caucasian named Norval Marley. However, Marley never really got to know his father as Jamaican society did not approve of his relationship with his mother.
Initially Marley was into ska, but soon moved towards reggae as it grew. Marley formed the Wailers, and many believed that his best work was with the group.
Marley was a devout Rastafarian, and he worked as the unofficial missionary of the faith through his actions and music. He was instrumental in taking the faith to different corners of the world. In addition, he was all for peace and brotherhood. However, towards the end of his life, Marley joined the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and was baptized as Berhane Selassie.
In 1976, Marley was shot inside his home. It is believed that he was shot because of politics as the political scene in Jamaica was very violent at that point. He was supposed to give a concert that was seen to support the liberal and progressive Michael Manley, the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Marley's fans and supporters believe that the conservative party, the Jamaica Labor Party, was responsible for this. However, it was never proven who was responsible for the shooting. Both Marley and his wife were injured but they survived.
In July 1977, Marley was diagnosed with cancer in the toe. However, based on his Rastafarian beliefs, he refused to undergo amputation which was suggested by the doctor to save his life, although, he did have surgery to remove the cancerous cells from the toe.
However, the cancer metastasized to his lungs and brain. In 1980, Marley collapsed while giving a show at Madison Square Garden after which he consulted a cancer specialist named Josef Issels. But by then it was too late for any treatment.
Marley wanted to spend his last days in Jamaica but was too ill to fly. On May 11, 1981, Marley passed away at the Cedar of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, Florida. His funeral was held in Jamaica, and was a blend of Rastafarian and Ethiopian Orthodoxy. He was buried at Nine Miles, close to the place where he was born.
In 2001, he was conferred with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the education industry. She also offers top quality articles like:
Famous Artist List, and Leonardo da Vinci Timeline
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Go
http://EzineArticles.com/?Biography-of-Bob-Marley&id=3074287
Guitarists, Why Do They Name Their Guitars, But Pianists Don't Name Their Pianos?
By James Mckenna
Is there some strange mystical bond between the guitarist and his or her instrument, or are they just slightly mad? Does this peculiar funny connection somehow animate and colour their art?
From Eric Clapton's blackie, S.R.V.'s wives or even B.B. Kings Lucille, guitarists have often had this jealous bond with their favourite axe. Some won't even let the rabble touch their well handled, scratched, six stringed romance. Watching a master like Steve Via in action an alien may even wonder who's playing who.
Something precious that needs to be guarded in music is the emotional connection. If a singers voice is over produced, pitch corrected, compressed, layered, delayed etc in the end, apart from losing their own unique tone and nuance, they also lose the emotive ability to move and communicate with their listeners.
Enter the guitarist. Unlike his poor keyboard cousins, who are removed via hammers and levers from the centre of the action. His hard worn fingers are there at the scene of the crime. Bending and caressing, the very steel, or nylon fashioning the sound. The neck of his guitar is not quite like any other. The strings are the ones that she just loves. The action is perfect for just his style of music. She can smell the wood mixed with sweat of hours of practice, playing, a bit like a conversation with an old mate. The keyboard guy he just doesn't get it.
A young guitarist goes in the guitar shop to look dream and touch; they all just feel so good. You can almost hear the music they can play before you pick them up; no two are ever quite the same. And if you are lucky enough to own more than one chances are you will pick up one before the others, (hard to explain ... strange).
So what are you waiting for could be the start of something cool check it out.
Or go to http://muzoflight.info.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Mckenna
http://EzineArticles.com/?Guitarists,-Why-Do-They-Name-Their-Guitars,-But-Pianists-Dont-Name-Their-Pianos?&id=3065676
Is there some strange mystical bond between the guitarist and his or her instrument, or are they just slightly mad? Does this peculiar funny connection somehow animate and colour their art?
From Eric Clapton's blackie, S.R.V.'s wives or even B.B. Kings Lucille, guitarists have often had this jealous bond with their favourite axe. Some won't even let the rabble touch their well handled, scratched, six stringed romance. Watching a master like Steve Via in action an alien may even wonder who's playing who.
Something precious that needs to be guarded in music is the emotional connection. If a singers voice is over produced, pitch corrected, compressed, layered, delayed etc in the end, apart from losing their own unique tone and nuance, they also lose the emotive ability to move and communicate with their listeners.
Enter the guitarist. Unlike his poor keyboard cousins, who are removed via hammers and levers from the centre of the action. His hard worn fingers are there at the scene of the crime. Bending and caressing, the very steel, or nylon fashioning the sound. The neck of his guitar is not quite like any other. The strings are the ones that she just loves. The action is perfect for just his style of music. She can smell the wood mixed with sweat of hours of practice, playing, a bit like a conversation with an old mate. The keyboard guy he just doesn't get it.
A young guitarist goes in the guitar shop to look dream and touch; they all just feel so good. You can almost hear the music they can play before you pick them up; no two are ever quite the same. And if you are lucky enough to own more than one chances are you will pick up one before the others, (hard to explain ... strange).
So what are you waiting for could be the start of something cool check it out.
Or go to http://muzoflight.info.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Mckenna
http://EzineArticles.com/?Guitarists,-Why-Do-They-Name-Their-Guitars,-But-Pianists-Dont-Name-Their-Pianos?&id=3065676
The Beatles - Were They Just a Band That Made it Big?
By Daniel Dunne
"We were 4 guys. I met Paul and said do you want to join me band? Then George joined and then Ringo joined. We were just a band that made it very, very big that's all" - John Lennon.
We were just a band that made it very, very big? That is like saying Michelangelo was just a painter/sculptor, or that Shakespeare was just a guy who wrote plays.
The Beatles did in fact have phenomenal commercial success. The band still has the most number one singles (20) and most number one albums (19) in America. The Beatles also currently have 3 albums in the top 20 on a list of the world's best-selling albums (excluding movie soundtracks and stage productions).
But the Beatles of course were more than a band that made it very, very big. Along with being commercially successful, the Beatles have won much deserved critical acclaim over the years. For example in 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine proclaimed that the Beatles have 4 of the top 10 greatest albums of all time (1) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 3) Revolver, 5) Rubber Soul, 10) The Beatles- "The White Album"), and in 2004 rated the Beatles the number one group of all time.
Moreover, the popularity of the Beatles is not waning. In fact it has been almost 40 years since the band broke up and their music is more popular than ever. Each year that passes brings more and more Beatles fans. Consider that the Beatles digitally remastered collection sold more than 2.25 million units in Japan, North America, and the United Kingdom in just 5 days after it was released on 9/9/09. Furthermore, Viacom announced that it sold 25% of the Beatles Rock Band game inventory in one week.
What is the reason for their continued popularity? Ringo Starr recently was quoted as saying "The music stands up. It's not the silly haircuts or the shoes or the suits. New generations of musicians and fans are still talking about the music."
One could go further in stating that the music that the Beatles made is still relevant among recording artists. Over the years, Beatle songs have been performed and covered by countless musicians. The most notable among the bunch is the song 'Yesterday' which was written by Paul McCartney when he was a Beatle. The Guinness Book of Records listed the song 'Yesterday' as having the most cover versions (over 3000) of any song ever written.
The Beatles were not just a band that made it very, very big - they made music that mattered. Their music has stood the test of time and it will still be relevant 40 years from now.
Dan Dunne
http://rockthathouse.com/Articles_and_Reviews.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Dunne
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles---Were-They-Just-a-Band-That-Made-it-Big?&id=3023737
"We were 4 guys. I met Paul and said do you want to join me band? Then George joined and then Ringo joined. We were just a band that made it very, very big that's all" - John Lennon.
We were just a band that made it very, very big? That is like saying Michelangelo was just a painter/sculptor, or that Shakespeare was just a guy who wrote plays.
The Beatles did in fact have phenomenal commercial success. The band still has the most number one singles (20) and most number one albums (19) in America. The Beatles also currently have 3 albums in the top 20 on a list of the world's best-selling albums (excluding movie soundtracks and stage productions).
But the Beatles of course were more than a band that made it very, very big. Along with being commercially successful, the Beatles have won much deserved critical acclaim over the years. For example in 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine proclaimed that the Beatles have 4 of the top 10 greatest albums of all time (1) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 3) Revolver, 5) Rubber Soul, 10) The Beatles- "The White Album"), and in 2004 rated the Beatles the number one group of all time.
Moreover, the popularity of the Beatles is not waning. In fact it has been almost 40 years since the band broke up and their music is more popular than ever. Each year that passes brings more and more Beatles fans. Consider that the Beatles digitally remastered collection sold more than 2.25 million units in Japan, North America, and the United Kingdom in just 5 days after it was released on 9/9/09. Furthermore, Viacom announced that it sold 25% of the Beatles Rock Band game inventory in one week.
What is the reason for their continued popularity? Ringo Starr recently was quoted as saying "The music stands up. It's not the silly haircuts or the shoes or the suits. New generations of musicians and fans are still talking about the music."
One could go further in stating that the music that the Beatles made is still relevant among recording artists. Over the years, Beatle songs have been performed and covered by countless musicians. The most notable among the bunch is the song 'Yesterday' which was written by Paul McCartney when he was a Beatle. The Guinness Book of Records listed the song 'Yesterday' as having the most cover versions (over 3000) of any song ever written.
The Beatles were not just a band that made it very, very big - they made music that mattered. Their music has stood the test of time and it will still be relevant 40 years from now.
Dan Dunne
http://rockthathouse.com/Articles_and_Reviews.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Dunne
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles---Were-They-Just-a-Band-That-Made-it-Big?&id=3023737
Blues Guitar Lessons - Play the Blues Like Clapton
By John Tuggle
Today I want to give you a few tips on how to play the blues guitar like Eric Clapton. He is often cited as one of the world's most known blues guitarists of this generation. He has played with all the greats and been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame 3 times.
These three things will get your playing more close to this blues guitar master.
To learn more about playing blues guitar like Eric Clapton, sign up for my FREE 5 part Blues Guitar Lessons mini-course here http://www.learningguitarnow.com.
I've taught thousands of students of the past 15 years and I want to help you achieve that Eric Clapton sound.
John W. Tuggle
Gibson recommended Blues Guitar Teacher
http://www.learningguitarnow.com Let's Learn the Blues
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Tuggle
http://EzineArticles.com/?Blues-Guitar-Lessons---Play-the-Blues-Like-Clapton&id=2920411
Today I want to give you a few tips on how to play the blues guitar like Eric Clapton. He is often cited as one of the world's most known blues guitarists of this generation. He has played with all the greats and been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame 3 times.
These three things will get your playing more close to this blues guitar master.
- Using triplets in your playing - This is where you count 3 notes per beat, and is often played over a 6/8 time signature, but 4/4 will work as well. Eric uses triplets all the time and you should too to sound more like ol' Slowhand.
- Develop a strong vibrato - Vibrato is one of the most recognizable traits of a guitarist. You can usually tell how skilled a player is by the sound of his vibrato. If your vibrato is very uneven and shaky sounding, then you will have a hard time sounding like Clapton. His vibrato is very relaxed and natural. You will have to develop this to sound like the blues Master.
- Don't overplay - A sign of a mature blues guitar player is the ability of restraint. You don't have to always play fast, and loud to play the blues. Often times it will be better to play some simple phrases to build up the drama of your playing.
To learn more about playing blues guitar like Eric Clapton, sign up for my FREE 5 part Blues Guitar Lessons mini-course here http://www.learningguitarnow.com.
I've taught thousands of students of the past 15 years and I want to help you achieve that Eric Clapton sound.
John W. Tuggle
Gibson recommended Blues Guitar Teacher
http://www.learningguitarnow.com Let's Learn the Blues
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Tuggle
http://EzineArticles.com/?Blues-Guitar-Lessons---Play-the-Blues-Like-Clapton&id=2920411
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Will Lord Lucan's Disappearance Remain a Mystery Forever?
By William Coles
One of the reasons that the Lord Lucan mystery exerts such a peculiar fascination is that, for many people, there is something very enticing about the idea of ... disappearing off the face of the earth. Men, in particular, seem to love the dog of abandoning their wives, children, jobs, mortgages and all the other bits of paraphernalia that we acquire in our lives. And with one single slash, we can be done with this great Gordian knot of mundane boredom that binds us to our middle-class lives.
Of course we can, if we want to, get a divorce and leave our jobs and abandon our children ... yet the actual practicalities are always going to be rather difficult. Going to take a few months to get shot of your commitments, and in that time - well, your resolve might start to falter. You might start to see your wife in a slightly better light; children might not be such a pain; even the job might not seem so bad. Life, in short, might be a bit boring, but not worth abandoning completely. However, there remains that little bit in all of us which thinks, just for the briefest of seconds, "Wouldn't it be great to have done with it all?"
Lucan didn't just manage to disappear, he did it from a standing start. One moment he's booked in to have dinner with three friends at the Clermont Club; the next, he's on the run and never to reappear. No time for him to change his clothes; get a passport; grab some money. Lucan, quite literally, fled in the clothes he stood up in. Is there a family man on earth, married with children, who hasn't at some stage fantasized about just that. Why else was Britain so in awe of John Darwin, the famous Port Seton canoeist who faked his own death.
We wanted to know all of the details - though I must admit, the whole story did rather turn to farce when it became apparent that he'd been spent at least a year skulking in a secret apartment. For a few short seconds though, we all of us were living the dream. We were the man who'd faked his own death and gone on to carve out a new life in Panama. John Darwin, of course, was caught. Lucan, however, is of a quite different category altogether. Because there's quite a sporting chance that Lucan is in fact living the dream: that not only did he cut loose, but that he made it out to the other side.
And, part of the proof of his success is that, even 35 years on, none of us have a clue what happened to him. I wonder if, in the next 50-odd years, some new clue will turn up. Or will Lord Lucan become like the Marie Celeste and remain a mystery for all time?
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?Will-Lord-Lucans-Disappearance-Remain-a-Mystery-Forever?&id=2954132
One of the reasons that the Lord Lucan mystery exerts such a peculiar fascination is that, for many people, there is something very enticing about the idea of ... disappearing off the face of the earth. Men, in particular, seem to love the dog of abandoning their wives, children, jobs, mortgages and all the other bits of paraphernalia that we acquire in our lives. And with one single slash, we can be done with this great Gordian knot of mundane boredom that binds us to our middle-class lives.
Of course we can, if we want to, get a divorce and leave our jobs and abandon our children ... yet the actual practicalities are always going to be rather difficult. Going to take a few months to get shot of your commitments, and in that time - well, your resolve might start to falter. You might start to see your wife in a slightly better light; children might not be such a pain; even the job might not seem so bad. Life, in short, might be a bit boring, but not worth abandoning completely. However, there remains that little bit in all of us which thinks, just for the briefest of seconds, "Wouldn't it be great to have done with it all?"
Lucan didn't just manage to disappear, he did it from a standing start. One moment he's booked in to have dinner with three friends at the Clermont Club; the next, he's on the run and never to reappear. No time for him to change his clothes; get a passport; grab some money. Lucan, quite literally, fled in the clothes he stood up in. Is there a family man on earth, married with children, who hasn't at some stage fantasized about just that. Why else was Britain so in awe of John Darwin, the famous Port Seton canoeist who faked his own death.
We wanted to know all of the details - though I must admit, the whole story did rather turn to farce when it became apparent that he'd been spent at least a year skulking in a secret apartment. For a few short seconds though, we all of us were living the dream. We were the man who'd faked his own death and gone on to carve out a new life in Panama. John Darwin, of course, was caught. Lucan, however, is of a quite different category altogether. Because there's quite a sporting chance that Lucan is in fact living the dream: that not only did he cut loose, but that he made it out to the other side.
And, part of the proof of his success is that, even 35 years on, none of us have a clue what happened to him. I wonder if, in the next 50-odd years, some new clue will turn up. Or will Lord Lucan become like the Marie Celeste and remain a mystery for all time?
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?Will-Lord-Lucans-Disappearance-Remain-a-Mystery-Forever?&id=2954132
What Happened to Lord Lucan?
By William Coles
I would hazard that hardly anyone, over the age of 35, in Britain today has not at some stage wondered what happened to Lord Lucan. And the sheer beauty of this conundrum is that no-one has the first clue what happened. There are so few facts to go on, that you can surmise anything you like - he could be dead; ekeing out his life as a vagabond in South America; or even living like a sultan in some Asian palace. Who knows?
All we know for certain is that his nanny, Sandra Rivett, was murdered in November 1974 - though by Lucan's hand or someone else's, no-one has any idea. We know that Lucan made a few phone calls, wrote a few letters, dropped in on a friend, and then ... disappeared off the face of the earth.
Despite his thoroughly pedestrian life before then, Lucan has become one of the most extraordinary legends in British history. How different it would have been if, a few weeks after the murder, Lucan's body had been discovered. It would have been a great scandal for a few months - but within a year or two, Lucan himself would have been forgotten.
No, what makes it so interesting is that we all of us revel in this delightful mystery. The murder itself is now forgotten, and few people can even remember the name of the nanny. Instead, all that we are left with is this intoxicating tale of a very handsome British Earl becoming a fugitive.
Anyone else, of course, wouldn't have stood a chance of getting away from the country. A mere English citizen would have been caught within a few weeks, because without help and money, it would have been quite impossible to have stay hidden.
But Lucan was quite, quite different. He had contacts the like of which we can only dream of. Not only were they rich, but fabulously rich. The likes of Sir James Goldsmith and John Aspinall didn't just have the means to help Lucan out; they'd have loved to have helped out their old mate. They wouldn't have minded in the least at helping out a mate who was a murderer. Breaking the law of the land? No problem at all - at least not to help out a friend. This, then, is what makes the Lucan story so enticing. Not only is it possible that the fugitive Lucan managed to escape from Britain, it's highly probable.
But did they do it? Could they have done it? Both of them had a well of low-life contacts who could easily have spirited Lucan out of England. Aspinall, in particular, was thick in with several London gangsters; the actual mechanics of making Lucan disappear were not going to be a problem.
And, the sheer beauty of this mystery is that both Aspinall and Goldsmith did their old one last big favour - by taking his secret to their graves. They both of them died without revealing a single word about Lucan's whereabouts. In fact, the very contrary: right to the end, they both maintained that Lucan had killed himself.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Happened-to-Lord-Lucan?&id=2954122
I would hazard that hardly anyone, over the age of 35, in Britain today has not at some stage wondered what happened to Lord Lucan. And the sheer beauty of this conundrum is that no-one has the first clue what happened. There are so few facts to go on, that you can surmise anything you like - he could be dead; ekeing out his life as a vagabond in South America; or even living like a sultan in some Asian palace. Who knows?
All we know for certain is that his nanny, Sandra Rivett, was murdered in November 1974 - though by Lucan's hand or someone else's, no-one has any idea. We know that Lucan made a few phone calls, wrote a few letters, dropped in on a friend, and then ... disappeared off the face of the earth.
Despite his thoroughly pedestrian life before then, Lucan has become one of the most extraordinary legends in British history. How different it would have been if, a few weeks after the murder, Lucan's body had been discovered. It would have been a great scandal for a few months - but within a year or two, Lucan himself would have been forgotten.
No, what makes it so interesting is that we all of us revel in this delightful mystery. The murder itself is now forgotten, and few people can even remember the name of the nanny. Instead, all that we are left with is this intoxicating tale of a very handsome British Earl becoming a fugitive.
Anyone else, of course, wouldn't have stood a chance of getting away from the country. A mere English citizen would have been caught within a few weeks, because without help and money, it would have been quite impossible to have stay hidden.
But Lucan was quite, quite different. He had contacts the like of which we can only dream of. Not only were they rich, but fabulously rich. The likes of Sir James Goldsmith and John Aspinall didn't just have the means to help Lucan out; they'd have loved to have helped out their old mate. They wouldn't have minded in the least at helping out a mate who was a murderer. Breaking the law of the land? No problem at all - at least not to help out a friend. This, then, is what makes the Lucan story so enticing. Not only is it possible that the fugitive Lucan managed to escape from Britain, it's highly probable.
But did they do it? Could they have done it? Both of them had a well of low-life contacts who could easily have spirited Lucan out of England. Aspinall, in particular, was thick in with several London gangsters; the actual mechanics of making Lucan disappear were not going to be a problem.
And, the sheer beauty of this mystery is that both Aspinall and Goldsmith did their old one last big favour - by taking his secret to their graves. They both of them died without revealing a single word about Lucan's whereabouts. In fact, the very contrary: right to the end, they both maintained that Lucan had killed himself.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Happened-to-Lord-Lucan?&id=2954122
How Motown Changed the American Sound
By Christina Pomoni
When thinking of Motown, the legendary record label of Detroit that characterized an entire era, a few names come to mind triggering wonderful memories. Diana Ross and The Supremes, the epitome of glamor and glitz; Marvin Gaye with his irresistible sensuality; Stevie Wonder, the essential one-band man; Smokey Robinson with his easiness to belt out hits; and, of course, Berry Gordy Jr., the bona fide leader.
Before Motown' birth, black music was seen as a minority taste, as a product of migration of many black people from the agricultural South to the industrial North during World War I. This population shift created a new demographic group, which developed R&B music in the late 1940s. In the mid-50s, black music found its expression in Soul music as a result of the confluence of R&B, gospel and doo-wop. At that moment in history, Soul got associated with the black civil rights movement through the transformation of black music into a type of funky affirmation.
Besides, before Motown, in the late 40s and early 50s, Detroit had a prominent jazz scene of white musicians such as Frank Morelli, Leo Osebold and Red Ray. The postwar economic boom had favored Detroit by creating a variety of challenging jobs for jazz musicians, shaping an audience with an interest in supporting jazz and creating a network of business people with an interest in catering to that audience. The advanced instrumental techniques of white musicians and the secrets of improvisation seemed to leave no room for the black artists to enter the magic world of jazz, soul and music industry at a large.
The founding of Motown in 1959 signified a paradigm shift of cultural preferences towards the integration of black music into the white society. Although black auto workers in Detroit were experiencing extreme racial discrimination and racism, their black music found its way to millions of white American households and crossed the color line in an unprecedented way.
Furthermore, the music per se changed. Featuring catchy grooves, hand-clapping, impulsive body moves, improvisational embellishments, and regular interplay between the soloist and the chorus, Motown capitalized on the dynamic roster of local jazz talent, thriving nightclubs and hall venues and competing independent labels, making Gordy's vision of Motown to change the course of music in America and around the globe, a musical entity to be deemed throughout the 60's well into the 80's.
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles were among Motown's first artists that topped the charts with their 1960 release 'Shop Around', which also became the label's first million-selling album. Besides, the extraordinary talent of Robinson to identify tunes that could become smash hits and his contribution to other Motown artists such as The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, The Contours, The Marvelettes and others, made him practically an architect of black music.
Decade by decade, Motown created a blueprint that would be worshiped for generations to come. Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson Five, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Commodores, The Marvelettes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, all worked passionately and eagerly to bring to the world a new sound and make history. Today, after all these years of musical influences and experimentation, of the emergence of a variety of different, yet confluent music genres, the Motown Sound remains fresh. In reality, Motown shook up the music industry with a stream of back-to-back hits forging the road for continued dominance of modern R&B music.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Motown-Changed-the-American-Sound&id=2988668
When thinking of Motown, the legendary record label of Detroit that characterized an entire era, a few names come to mind triggering wonderful memories. Diana Ross and The Supremes, the epitome of glamor and glitz; Marvin Gaye with his irresistible sensuality; Stevie Wonder, the essential one-band man; Smokey Robinson with his easiness to belt out hits; and, of course, Berry Gordy Jr., the bona fide leader.
Before Motown' birth, black music was seen as a minority taste, as a product of migration of many black people from the agricultural South to the industrial North during World War I. This population shift created a new demographic group, which developed R&B music in the late 1940s. In the mid-50s, black music found its expression in Soul music as a result of the confluence of R&B, gospel and doo-wop. At that moment in history, Soul got associated with the black civil rights movement through the transformation of black music into a type of funky affirmation.
Besides, before Motown, in the late 40s and early 50s, Detroit had a prominent jazz scene of white musicians such as Frank Morelli, Leo Osebold and Red Ray. The postwar economic boom had favored Detroit by creating a variety of challenging jobs for jazz musicians, shaping an audience with an interest in supporting jazz and creating a network of business people with an interest in catering to that audience. The advanced instrumental techniques of white musicians and the secrets of improvisation seemed to leave no room for the black artists to enter the magic world of jazz, soul and music industry at a large.
The founding of Motown in 1959 signified a paradigm shift of cultural preferences towards the integration of black music into the white society. Although black auto workers in Detroit were experiencing extreme racial discrimination and racism, their black music found its way to millions of white American households and crossed the color line in an unprecedented way.
Furthermore, the music per se changed. Featuring catchy grooves, hand-clapping, impulsive body moves, improvisational embellishments, and regular interplay between the soloist and the chorus, Motown capitalized on the dynamic roster of local jazz talent, thriving nightclubs and hall venues and competing independent labels, making Gordy's vision of Motown to change the course of music in America and around the globe, a musical entity to be deemed throughout the 60's well into the 80's.
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles were among Motown's first artists that topped the charts with their 1960 release 'Shop Around', which also became the label's first million-selling album. Besides, the extraordinary talent of Robinson to identify tunes that could become smash hits and his contribution to other Motown artists such as The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, The Contours, The Marvelettes and others, made him practically an architect of black music.
Decade by decade, Motown created a blueprint that would be worshiped for generations to come. Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson Five, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Commodores, The Marvelettes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, all worked passionately and eagerly to bring to the world a new sound and make history. Today, after all these years of musical influences and experimentation, of the emergence of a variety of different, yet confluent music genres, the Motown Sound remains fresh. In reality, Motown shook up the music industry with a stream of back-to-back hits forging the road for continued dominance of modern R&B music.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Motown-Changed-the-American-Sound&id=2988668
The Social Impact of Motown Music on American Culture
By Christina Pomoni
Music echoes social change and as such it bears the weight of the expression of the people. In the 1950s, in the fear of racial segregation, black communities were still fighting for their right to social freedom. The founding of Motown Records in Detroit in 1959 joined the ardent opposition of the civil rights movement to racial, social, economical and political discrimination and individual, police and mass violence against black people. By assembling an impressive roster of talented artists, Motown managed to break down the social and racial barriers and become the most important independent record label of the early 1960s in the history of pop music.
Racism was extremely present in the lives and careers of American black artists and musicians in the 1950s. However, even before Motown, there had been examples of successful black musicians such as Jackie Wilson, who had topped the Billboard Top 40 chart countless times between 1958 and 1963, and Ruth Brown, who had sold more albums than any other artist in the 1950s with Atlantic Records. But, Motown managed to bring all available talent together, under one record label, and at the same time, to associate its birth and success with the broader socio-political setting of its era.
Echoing the frustration of black people in the turbulent setting of the mid-1950s in the United States, Motown associated music with black civil rights struggle by being the first record label owned by an African-American. Under the leadership of Berry Gordy Jr., who aspired to bridge the gap of racial discrimination by producing music that could appeal to all people, regardless of the color of their skin, Motown became a vehicle of black pride and self-expression. Besides, the broad appeal of Motown integrated the political and cultural aspects of the broader socio-political environment and associated music and the right of black communities to social equality.
Through the creation of a distinctive soul sound with obvious elements of pop influence, Motown produced unique dance music featuring artists such as The Jackson Five, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and many others. What became known as The Motown Sound was much more than great music full of energy and emotion. The tambourines that enhanced the back beat; the melodic bass guitar slides that anchored the gospel vocals; the chord and horn sections; all orchestrated in innovative pop production techniques was the way of black community to artistic expression and financial freedom.
Motown's recording of Martin Luther King's 'I have a Dream' speech, delivered on August 28, 1963 in Detroit on 'The Great March for Freedom' is considered the most important contribution of Motown to the civil rights struggle. King declared the March as 'the largest and greatest demonstration for freedom ever held in the United States' and Gordy realized the historical importance of that March before taking its historical place with the American Revolution.
That recording was made so that every American child, black or white, could listen to history. Although, until then, Motown was not really involved in political issues, in the altering political climate it released 'Down To Earth' by Stevie Wonder (1966), 'Love Child' by The Supremes (1968), 'War', by Edwin Starr (1969), and 'What's Going On?' by Marvin Gaye (1971), beginning a trend for message songs.
The 1967 Detroit riots led Motown to the production of music that could evoke radical sentiments and drastic action. However, because the city upheavals had rather a class than racial character, which undermined to a certain extent Motown's aspiration of being a vehicle of improvement for the black community, they actually marked the end of an incredible era. The decline of Detroit and the auto industry as a result of the struggle of the poor against the rich was bound up with the decreasing energy of the people who produced the Motown Sound. Marvin Gaye's surprise 'With the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?' echoed the reality of an era, full of social problems and contradiction that were evolving with explosive energy.
In reality, Motown created the grounds on which broader cultural integration would follow in the 1970s with the emergence of hip-hop as a massive cultural phenomenon. Through the mixing of astonishing percussion riffs and rhythmic drum breaks of funk and disco elements, hip-hop expressed political speech and opposition to social inequality and discrimination against African-Americans. For many, Motown has emphasized on race relations and community life as a means to create an impact on popular music and social structure.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Social-Impact-of-Motown-Music-in-American-Culture&id=2988658
Music echoes social change and as such it bears the weight of the expression of the people. In the 1950s, in the fear of racial segregation, black communities were still fighting for their right to social freedom. The founding of Motown Records in Detroit in 1959 joined the ardent opposition of the civil rights movement to racial, social, economical and political discrimination and individual, police and mass violence against black people. By assembling an impressive roster of talented artists, Motown managed to break down the social and racial barriers and become the most important independent record label of the early 1960s in the history of pop music.
Racism was extremely present in the lives and careers of American black artists and musicians in the 1950s. However, even before Motown, there had been examples of successful black musicians such as Jackie Wilson, who had topped the Billboard Top 40 chart countless times between 1958 and 1963, and Ruth Brown, who had sold more albums than any other artist in the 1950s with Atlantic Records. But, Motown managed to bring all available talent together, under one record label, and at the same time, to associate its birth and success with the broader socio-political setting of its era.
Echoing the frustration of black people in the turbulent setting of the mid-1950s in the United States, Motown associated music with black civil rights struggle by being the first record label owned by an African-American. Under the leadership of Berry Gordy Jr., who aspired to bridge the gap of racial discrimination by producing music that could appeal to all people, regardless of the color of their skin, Motown became a vehicle of black pride and self-expression. Besides, the broad appeal of Motown integrated the political and cultural aspects of the broader socio-political environment and associated music and the right of black communities to social equality.
Through the creation of a distinctive soul sound with obvious elements of pop influence, Motown produced unique dance music featuring artists such as The Jackson Five, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and many others. What became known as The Motown Sound was much more than great music full of energy and emotion. The tambourines that enhanced the back beat; the melodic bass guitar slides that anchored the gospel vocals; the chord and horn sections; all orchestrated in innovative pop production techniques was the way of black community to artistic expression and financial freedom.
Motown's recording of Martin Luther King's 'I have a Dream' speech, delivered on August 28, 1963 in Detroit on 'The Great March for Freedom' is considered the most important contribution of Motown to the civil rights struggle. King declared the March as 'the largest and greatest demonstration for freedom ever held in the United States' and Gordy realized the historical importance of that March before taking its historical place with the American Revolution.
That recording was made so that every American child, black or white, could listen to history. Although, until then, Motown was not really involved in political issues, in the altering political climate it released 'Down To Earth' by Stevie Wonder (1966), 'Love Child' by The Supremes (1968), 'War', by Edwin Starr (1969), and 'What's Going On?' by Marvin Gaye (1971), beginning a trend for message songs.
The 1967 Detroit riots led Motown to the production of music that could evoke radical sentiments and drastic action. However, because the city upheavals had rather a class than racial character, which undermined to a certain extent Motown's aspiration of being a vehicle of improvement for the black community, they actually marked the end of an incredible era. The decline of Detroit and the auto industry as a result of the struggle of the poor against the rich was bound up with the decreasing energy of the people who produced the Motown Sound. Marvin Gaye's surprise 'With the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?' echoed the reality of an era, full of social problems and contradiction that were evolving with explosive energy.
In reality, Motown created the grounds on which broader cultural integration would follow in the 1970s with the emergence of hip-hop as a massive cultural phenomenon. Through the mixing of astonishing percussion riffs and rhythmic drum breaks of funk and disco elements, hip-hop expressed political speech and opposition to social inequality and discrimination against African-Americans. For many, Motown has emphasized on race relations and community life as a means to create an impact on popular music and social structure.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Social-Impact-of-Motown-Music-in-American-Culture&id=2988658
Beatles' Revolver and Rubber Soul Are the Band's Best Two Albums
By Rachel Morgans
The Beatles put out a ton of great albums, but some time in between when the Beatles were doing a lot of pop and before they got to the end of their career, they put out the best two albums of their career. Revolver and Rubber Soul, which could technically be considered a double album, marks the best time to be a Beatles fan.
Songs like "She Loves You" were fun, but looking back, they lacked originality and complexity. The Beatles were busy touring and making a name for themselves, which hurt their creativeness.
Soon after they decided to stop touring, a pair of albums were launched with new complexity. Rubber Soul and Revolver had stuff never tried before by musicians, and became must-have albums.
I personally became a pretty big fan of these two albums because it was during a transition period. They were signifying things to come, while still holding on to their past. The climax of their career if you would.
Later, they would begin to get a little too experimental and become lost on some people. Don't get me wrong, the Beatles' worst song is better than most band's best, but none show the variety one can find on these albums.
Songs like "The Word," "Michelle," "Run for Your Life","Taxman" and "Good Day Sunshine" are just some of the songs that show off the way they changed for the better spending more time in the studio.
After all, can you find two more different songs than "Yellow Submarine" and "Tomorrow Never Knows?"
Since we're on the subject of music, I'd recommend taking a look at cheap car stereos. Prices have dropped like a rock, and with technologies out there like DVD car audio, you can get some great deals for yourself.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Morgans
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beatles-Revolver-and-Rubber-Soul-Are-Bands-Best-Two-Albums&id=3015585
The Beatles put out a ton of great albums, but some time in between when the Beatles were doing a lot of pop and before they got to the end of their career, they put out the best two albums of their career. Revolver and Rubber Soul, which could technically be considered a double album, marks the best time to be a Beatles fan.
Songs like "She Loves You" were fun, but looking back, they lacked originality and complexity. The Beatles were busy touring and making a name for themselves, which hurt their creativeness.
Soon after they decided to stop touring, a pair of albums were launched with new complexity. Rubber Soul and Revolver had stuff never tried before by musicians, and became must-have albums.
I personally became a pretty big fan of these two albums because it was during a transition period. They were signifying things to come, while still holding on to their past. The climax of their career if you would.
Later, they would begin to get a little too experimental and become lost on some people. Don't get me wrong, the Beatles' worst song is better than most band's best, but none show the variety one can find on these albums.
Songs like "The Word," "Michelle," "Run for Your Life","Taxman" and "Good Day Sunshine" are just some of the songs that show off the way they changed for the better spending more time in the studio.
After all, can you find two more different songs than "Yellow Submarine" and "Tomorrow Never Knows?"
Since we're on the subject of music, I'd recommend taking a look at cheap car stereos. Prices have dropped like a rock, and with technologies out there like DVD car audio, you can get some great deals for yourself.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Morgans
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beatles-Revolver-and-Rubber-Soul-Are-Bands-Best-Two-Albums&id=3015585
The Amazing Life of Berry Gordy
By Christina Pomoni
Motown is a symbol of African-American pride; an example of how a self-assured young man with an aspiration to bridge the gap of racial discrimination and social divide managed to bring together black and white audiences by assembling an abundance of talented black artists and producing distinctive sound. With a dream to make Motown synonymous to excellence and a family loan of $800, Berry Gordy established the most successful independent record label of the 1960s.
Born in Detroit in 1929, Gordy grew up in a supportive family environment with strong morals. Being a high-school dropout in the eleventh grade, he used to divide his time between composing songs on the piano and training for professional boxing under champion trainer Eddie Futch at a local Detroit gym until he became 19 years old.
In 1950, he was drafted by the US Army for the Korean War from where he returned in 1953 and got married to Thelma Coleman. Gordy made an effort to open his own record store, 3-D Record Mart, featuring jazz music, but his endeavors were quite unsuccessful. With the help of his family, Gordy met the singer Jackie Wilson at the Flame Show Bar, with whom he co-wrote some smash hits including 'Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet)' (1957), 'To Be Loved' (1958) and 'Lonely Teardrops' (1958), which all ranked in the top-ten of the R&B charts.
In 1957, Berry Gordy discovered The Miracles (at that time known as The Matadors) and under the urging of their leader and songwriter, Smokey Robinson, he began building a portfolio of talented artists. On January 12, 1959, with a family loan of $800, Gordy founded Tamla Records, an R&B label and produced 'Come To Me' by Mary Johnson that ranked #6 on the R&B charts.
In the same year, he purchased a modest two-floor building that used to be a photographer's studio at 2648 West Grand Blvd, which he converted into Motown's administrative building and mixing, mastering, recording and rehearsal studio to become the famous Hitsville U.S.A. studio. On April 14, 1960, Motown Records was incorporated with Tamla Records into Motown Record Corporation.
'Shop Around' by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (1960) topped nationally at #1 on the R&B charts and at #2 on the Billboard pop charts; 'Please Mr. Postman' by The Marvelettes ranked #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and on the R&B charts. Soon Motown and Tamla Records were joined by various subsidiaries such as Workshop Jazz for jazz, Mel-o-dy for country, Rare Earth for rock, Gordy, Soul, and V.I.P., all together gave birth to the 'Sound of Young America' that thoroughly took the nation by storm.
From 1961 to 1971, Hitsville became one of the hottest hot-factories in the United States. A remarkable roster of artists, musicians, composers and songwriters appeared under the Motown label including huge names such as Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Jackson Five, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Commodores, The Marvelettes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and many more.
Keeping the studio open 24/7 at its zenith, Berry Gordy and his artists were practically living there, working passionately and enthusiastically, feeling like home, recording new songs, experimenting with new sounds and making history. One of the most impressive statistics demonstrating the huge success of Motown was the hit singles to single releases ratio that reached 75 percent throughout 1960s. In a way, because of one determined young man, black music would never be ignored again as a minority taste and black communities would find their vehicle to financial and artistic freedom.
In 1972, Gordy decided to move Motown to Los Angeles, and although the label continued to flourish, the move marked the end of an incredible era. Today, the Motown Sound still sounds fresh and vital and many of Motown's artists of that era such as Diana Ross or Stevie Wonder are still selling millions of records worldwide. After all these years of wonderful music, there is no doubt that, if it hadn't been for Berry Gordy, the world would have never had the chance to enjoy such an innovative sound. What started as a modest two-floor building has grown to become a global influence because of the extraordinary vision of a determined young man.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Amazing-Life-of-Berry-Gordy&id=2988754
Motown is a symbol of African-American pride; an example of how a self-assured young man with an aspiration to bridge the gap of racial discrimination and social divide managed to bring together black and white audiences by assembling an abundance of talented black artists and producing distinctive sound. With a dream to make Motown synonymous to excellence and a family loan of $800, Berry Gordy established the most successful independent record label of the 1960s.
Born in Detroit in 1929, Gordy grew up in a supportive family environment with strong morals. Being a high-school dropout in the eleventh grade, he used to divide his time between composing songs on the piano and training for professional boxing under champion trainer Eddie Futch at a local Detroit gym until he became 19 years old.
In 1950, he was drafted by the US Army for the Korean War from where he returned in 1953 and got married to Thelma Coleman. Gordy made an effort to open his own record store, 3-D Record Mart, featuring jazz music, but his endeavors were quite unsuccessful. With the help of his family, Gordy met the singer Jackie Wilson at the Flame Show Bar, with whom he co-wrote some smash hits including 'Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet)' (1957), 'To Be Loved' (1958) and 'Lonely Teardrops' (1958), which all ranked in the top-ten of the R&B charts.
In 1957, Berry Gordy discovered The Miracles (at that time known as The Matadors) and under the urging of their leader and songwriter, Smokey Robinson, he began building a portfolio of talented artists. On January 12, 1959, with a family loan of $800, Gordy founded Tamla Records, an R&B label and produced 'Come To Me' by Mary Johnson that ranked #6 on the R&B charts.
In the same year, he purchased a modest two-floor building that used to be a photographer's studio at 2648 West Grand Blvd, which he converted into Motown's administrative building and mixing, mastering, recording and rehearsal studio to become the famous Hitsville U.S.A. studio. On April 14, 1960, Motown Records was incorporated with Tamla Records into Motown Record Corporation.
'Shop Around' by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (1960) topped nationally at #1 on the R&B charts and at #2 on the Billboard pop charts; 'Please Mr. Postman' by The Marvelettes ranked #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and on the R&B charts. Soon Motown and Tamla Records were joined by various subsidiaries such as Workshop Jazz for jazz, Mel-o-dy for country, Rare Earth for rock, Gordy, Soul, and V.I.P., all together gave birth to the 'Sound of Young America' that thoroughly took the nation by storm.
From 1961 to 1971, Hitsville became one of the hottest hot-factories in the United States. A remarkable roster of artists, musicians, composers and songwriters appeared under the Motown label including huge names such as Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Jackson Five, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Commodores, The Marvelettes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and many more.
Keeping the studio open 24/7 at its zenith, Berry Gordy and his artists were practically living there, working passionately and enthusiastically, feeling like home, recording new songs, experimenting with new sounds and making history. One of the most impressive statistics demonstrating the huge success of Motown was the hit singles to single releases ratio that reached 75 percent throughout 1960s. In a way, because of one determined young man, black music would never be ignored again as a minority taste and black communities would find their vehicle to financial and artistic freedom.
In 1972, Gordy decided to move Motown to Los Angeles, and although the label continued to flourish, the move marked the end of an incredible era. Today, the Motown Sound still sounds fresh and vital and many of Motown's artists of that era such as Diana Ross or Stevie Wonder are still selling millions of records worldwide. After all these years of wonderful music, there is no doubt that, if it hadn't been for Berry Gordy, the world would have never had the chance to enjoy such an innovative sound. What started as a modest two-floor building has grown to become a global influence because of the extraordinary vision of a determined young man.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Amazing-Life-of-Berry-Gordy&id=2988754
How Stevie Wonder Got His Start at Motown
By Christina Pomoni
Stevie Wonder is an acclaimed American icon and an irrefutable genius not only of R&B, but of popular music at large. Blind almost since birth, Wonder's sharp awareness of sound helped him produce energetic, colorful music full of life and ambition. Nearly all his recordings reflect his bright, cheerful positivity. Regardless if it is about racial, social, and spiritual issues or romantic uncertainty, he always finds a way to echo an underlying sense of brightness.
Born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950, Stevland Hardaway Judkins was born premature and it was likely an excess of oxygen that worsened a visual condition known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) that caused his permanent blindness. However, he never allowed this as an obstacle or a handicap to his extraordinary career. His moving to Detroit in 1954 was the beginning of his exciting journey to music prominence.
His involvement in his church's choir allowed him to develop his talent in piano, harmonica and drums, which he all mastered by the age of nine. He also learned to play the bass during his early years. Eventually, in 1961, Ronnie White of The Miracles discovered Stevie while he was singing for some of his friends outside a street corner and arranged an audition with Motown's CEO Berry Gordy. Fascinated by the young musician's talent, Gordy signed Wonder to Tamla label under the name Little Stevie Wonder.
His first minor hit, 'I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call It the Blues' was released in 1961, followed by Wonder's first two albums 'The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie Wonder' (1962) an orchestral jazz album highlighting his instrumental skills on piano, harmonica, and assorted percussion and 'Tribute to Uncle Ray' (1962) that featured covers of Wonder's inspiration, Ray Charles.
In 1963, Wonder released 'Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius', which featured 'Fingertips, Part 2'- the extended version of the harmonica instrumental 'Fingertips'. The track topped #1 of both the Billboard Pop Singles and R&B Singles charts, while the album became Motown's first chart-topping LP. Over the following years, Wonder studied classical piano at the Michigan School for the Blind, putting his career on hold for a while. He also dropped the 'Little' part from his name in 1964 and he released 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' in 1965 that topped #1 Billboard Hot R&B Singles for five consecutive weeks. The magnificent journey of Stevie Wonder in music had just started.
Much like his idol, Ray Charles, Wonder had an avid enthusiasm for many different kinds of music, and did not confine himself to a sole sound or music style. He managed to master Motown's distinctive blend of soul, funk and pop by composing unique music, an idiosyncratic fusion of R&B and Tin Pan Alley chord, anchored with reggae, jazz and African grooves.
Wonder took it all and crafted it into his own artistic expression alongside his elastic voice with the unequaled melodic facility. Besides, his groundbreaking use of synthesizers during the '70s altered the setting of R&B. By employing a broad range of contrasting textures and voices, Wonder became an essential one-band man and brought R&B into the album age by producing his records as unified, unfailing statements with masterpieces that often took time to make their point.
1971 was a turning point in Wonder's career as his contract with Motown expired. He released his first self-produced album, 'Where I'm Coming From', which also marked his debut ion writing or co-writing every sing of the LP. Freed from the dictates of Motown and owner of his publishing company, Black Bull Music, Wonder began following a more personal and distinctive muse. Since then, he has been consistent in his output, even with some excesses of sentimentality, which however have not lessened the respect in which he's long been held.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Stevie-Wonder-Got-His-Start-at-Motown&id=2988748
Stevie Wonder is an acclaimed American icon and an irrefutable genius not only of R&B, but of popular music at large. Blind almost since birth, Wonder's sharp awareness of sound helped him produce energetic, colorful music full of life and ambition. Nearly all his recordings reflect his bright, cheerful positivity. Regardless if it is about racial, social, and spiritual issues or romantic uncertainty, he always finds a way to echo an underlying sense of brightness.
Born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950, Stevland Hardaway Judkins was born premature and it was likely an excess of oxygen that worsened a visual condition known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) that caused his permanent blindness. However, he never allowed this as an obstacle or a handicap to his extraordinary career. His moving to Detroit in 1954 was the beginning of his exciting journey to music prominence.
His involvement in his church's choir allowed him to develop his talent in piano, harmonica and drums, which he all mastered by the age of nine. He also learned to play the bass during his early years. Eventually, in 1961, Ronnie White of The Miracles discovered Stevie while he was singing for some of his friends outside a street corner and arranged an audition with Motown's CEO Berry Gordy. Fascinated by the young musician's talent, Gordy signed Wonder to Tamla label under the name Little Stevie Wonder.
His first minor hit, 'I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call It the Blues' was released in 1961, followed by Wonder's first two albums 'The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie Wonder' (1962) an orchestral jazz album highlighting his instrumental skills on piano, harmonica, and assorted percussion and 'Tribute to Uncle Ray' (1962) that featured covers of Wonder's inspiration, Ray Charles.
In 1963, Wonder released 'Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius', which featured 'Fingertips, Part 2'- the extended version of the harmonica instrumental 'Fingertips'. The track topped #1 of both the Billboard Pop Singles and R&B Singles charts, while the album became Motown's first chart-topping LP. Over the following years, Wonder studied classical piano at the Michigan School for the Blind, putting his career on hold for a while. He also dropped the 'Little' part from his name in 1964 and he released 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' in 1965 that topped #1 Billboard Hot R&B Singles for five consecutive weeks. The magnificent journey of Stevie Wonder in music had just started.
Much like his idol, Ray Charles, Wonder had an avid enthusiasm for many different kinds of music, and did not confine himself to a sole sound or music style. He managed to master Motown's distinctive blend of soul, funk and pop by composing unique music, an idiosyncratic fusion of R&B and Tin Pan Alley chord, anchored with reggae, jazz and African grooves.
Wonder took it all and crafted it into his own artistic expression alongside his elastic voice with the unequaled melodic facility. Besides, his groundbreaking use of synthesizers during the '70s altered the setting of R&B. By employing a broad range of contrasting textures and voices, Wonder became an essential one-band man and brought R&B into the album age by producing his records as unified, unfailing statements with masterpieces that often took time to make their point.
1971 was a turning point in Wonder's career as his contract with Motown expired. He released his first self-produced album, 'Where I'm Coming From', which also marked his debut ion writing or co-writing every sing of the LP. Freed from the dictates of Motown and owner of his publishing company, Black Bull Music, Wonder began following a more personal and distinctive muse. Since then, he has been consistent in his output, even with some excesses of sentimentality, which however have not lessened the respect in which he's long been held.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Stevie-Wonder-Got-His-Start-at-Motown&id=2988748
The History of Motown Records
By Christina Pomoni
Motown Records has been, admittedly, one of the largest and most successful independent record labels in the history of music. Founded by Berry Gordy Jr., an inspirational and insightful leader, who assembled a diligent group of musicians, producers, songwriters, and artists, Motown has changed the sound of music in the 1960s, not only in the United States, but also around the globe.
Founded in 1959 in Detroit, Motown was the equivalent of the Big Three in automobile industry. Being, in effect, a manufacturer of pop music, Motown has gathered the soul and pop classics that altered America. Although it was owned by an African-American and focused on the social problems of the black communities, it gave white America a wonderful, romantic, grooving, moving, and exuberating music.
Unlike other successful labels of that time such as Island Records, Warner Bros Records, or Epic Records, Motown associated music with black civil rights movement and managed to bridge the gap of racial discrimination by producing music that appealed to all people, regardless of the color of their skin.
Berry Gordy Jr., a former professional boxer, Korean War veteran and automobile worker was a promising songwriter when he took the decision to establish Motown Records. Under the urging of Smokey Robinson, a prominent songwriter and producer and founding member of the Miracles (at that time known as The Matadors), Gordy began building a portfolio of talented artists.
On January 12, 1959, he founded Tamla Records, an R&B label with an $800 family loan. In the same year, he purchased the property that would become Hitsville U.S.A. studio at 2648 West Grand Blvd. Originally being a photographer's studio, the property was converted into Motown's administrative building and mixing, mastering, recording and rehearsal studio. On April 14, 1960, Motown Records was launched and was incorporated with Tamla Records into Motown Record Corporation.
Over the next decade, a great number of chart-topping artists produced by Motown captured the audience and the critics. Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, The Commodores, all became part of what would become known as the Motown Sound. Featuring great melodies, unique soul sounds, chord and percussion sections, tambourines, hand-clapping, bass lines, horn grooves, foot-slapping drums, all orchestrated in revolutionary pop production techniques, the Motown Sound became recognizable and memorable.
Between 1961 and 1971, Motown had 110 top-ten hits. The Motown Corporation operated several labels that featured releases in other genres such as Workshop Jazz for jazz, Mel-o-dy for country and R&B, and Rare Earth for rock aiming to enjoy widespread popularity among black and white audiences alike.
It is believed that Gordy modelled Motown after the Detroit car assembly line with which he was so familiar. He manufactured a good end-product, and then he made something similar really quickly with the valuable assistance of the golden trio of songwriters Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland, widely known as Holland-Dozier, Holland, or H-D-H. Besides, Smokey Robinson was the basic songwriter of The Temptations, while he contributed to some of the greatest hits by The Marvelettes ('Please Mr. Postman', 1961), Brenda Holloway ('When I'm Gone', 1965), Marvin Gaye ('Ain't That Peculiar', 1965), The Contours ('First I Look at the Purse', 1965) and The Four Tops ('Still Water (Love)', 1970).
Throughout the 1960s, Motown produced a barrage of unparalleled songs.
'Where Did Our Love Go' (1964), 'Baby Love' (1964), 'Stop! In the Name of Love' (1965), 'You Can't Hurry Love' (1966), 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' (1966), and 'Love Is Here and Now You're Gone' (1967) by Diana Ross and The Supremes.
'Shop Around' (1960), 'You've Really Got a Hold on Me' (1962), 'Tracks Of My Tears' (1965), 'Baby, Baby Don't Cry' (1968) and 'The Tears of a Clown' (1970) by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.
'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (1967), 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)' (1971), 'What's Going On' (1971), 'Trouble Man' (1972), and 'Sexual Healing' (1982) by Marvin Gaye.
'Fingertips - Part 2' (1963), 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' (1965), 'For Once In My Life' (1967), 'I Was Made To Love Her' (1967), 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours' (1970), 'Higher Ground' (1973), 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life' (1973), 'Boogie On Reggae Woman' (1974), 'Sir Duke' (1977), 'Ebony and Ivory' (1982) and 'Part Time Lover' (1985) by Stevie Wonder.
'The Way You Do The Things You Do' (1964), 'My Girl' (1965), 'Get Ready' (1966), 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966), 'All I Need' (1967), 'I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)' (1968), 'I Can't Get Next To You' (1969), 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)' (1971), and 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' (1972) by The Temptations.
'Baby I Need Your Loving' (1964), 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' (1965), '(Reach Out) I'll Be There' (1966), 'Standing In The Shadows Of Love' (1966) and 'Bernadette' (1967) by The Four Tops.
'I Want You Back' (1969), 'ABC' (1970), 'The Love You Save' (1970), and 'I'll Be There' (1970) by The Jackson Five.
'Fancy Dancer' (1976), 'Brick House' (1977), 'Easy' (1977), 'Say Yeah' (1978), and 'Three Times A Lady' (1978) by The Commodores and the list goes on.
Simple, straightforward love songs that told simple stories in a happy or a heartbreaking way; yet they all focused on the pride of Detroit and the pride of African-Americans echoing the 'Sound of Young America', the usual stamp on the label's vinyl.
In 1967, Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown over royalty payment disputes. Under the production on Norman Whitfield, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Marvin Gaye had some major hits, while Gordy established a television subsidiary, the Motown Productions for the produciton of TV specials for the Motown artists. In 1971, Motown released Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On', the album that changed the setting of R&B scene by featuring a social view about racism, war, drug addiction, police brutality, environmentalism and urban disintegration in America.
In 1972, Gordy decided to leave Detroit for Los Angeles. The main objective of Motown's relocation was to expand into the motion picture industry. To that end, Motown Productions released two films starring Diana Ross: the Billie Holliday biographical film 'Lady Sings the Blues' (1972), and 'Mahogany' (1975).
Because Motown was losing money, in 1988, Berry Gordy Jr. sold Motown Records to Music Corporation of America (MCA) for $61 million. In 1989, Motown Productions was sold to Motown executive Suzanne de Passe who renamed it to de Passe Entertainment and runs it until today. In 1994, Motown Records was purchased by PolyGram and in 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram leaving Motown Records officially to Universal Music Group, the current owner.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-Motown-Records&id=2988741
Motown Records has been, admittedly, one of the largest and most successful independent record labels in the history of music. Founded by Berry Gordy Jr., an inspirational and insightful leader, who assembled a diligent group of musicians, producers, songwriters, and artists, Motown has changed the sound of music in the 1960s, not only in the United States, but also around the globe.
Founded in 1959 in Detroit, Motown was the equivalent of the Big Three in automobile industry. Being, in effect, a manufacturer of pop music, Motown has gathered the soul and pop classics that altered America. Although it was owned by an African-American and focused on the social problems of the black communities, it gave white America a wonderful, romantic, grooving, moving, and exuberating music.
Unlike other successful labels of that time such as Island Records, Warner Bros Records, or Epic Records, Motown associated music with black civil rights movement and managed to bridge the gap of racial discrimination by producing music that appealed to all people, regardless of the color of their skin.
Berry Gordy Jr., a former professional boxer, Korean War veteran and automobile worker was a promising songwriter when he took the decision to establish Motown Records. Under the urging of Smokey Robinson, a prominent songwriter and producer and founding member of the Miracles (at that time known as The Matadors), Gordy began building a portfolio of talented artists.
On January 12, 1959, he founded Tamla Records, an R&B label with an $800 family loan. In the same year, he purchased the property that would become Hitsville U.S.A. studio at 2648 West Grand Blvd. Originally being a photographer's studio, the property was converted into Motown's administrative building and mixing, mastering, recording and rehearsal studio. On April 14, 1960, Motown Records was launched and was incorporated with Tamla Records into Motown Record Corporation.
Over the next decade, a great number of chart-topping artists produced by Motown captured the audience and the critics. Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, The Commodores, all became part of what would become known as the Motown Sound. Featuring great melodies, unique soul sounds, chord and percussion sections, tambourines, hand-clapping, bass lines, horn grooves, foot-slapping drums, all orchestrated in revolutionary pop production techniques, the Motown Sound became recognizable and memorable.
Between 1961 and 1971, Motown had 110 top-ten hits. The Motown Corporation operated several labels that featured releases in other genres such as Workshop Jazz for jazz, Mel-o-dy for country and R&B, and Rare Earth for rock aiming to enjoy widespread popularity among black and white audiences alike.
It is believed that Gordy modelled Motown after the Detroit car assembly line with which he was so familiar. He manufactured a good end-product, and then he made something similar really quickly with the valuable assistance of the golden trio of songwriters Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland, widely known as Holland-Dozier, Holland, or H-D-H. Besides, Smokey Robinson was the basic songwriter of The Temptations, while he contributed to some of the greatest hits by The Marvelettes ('Please Mr. Postman', 1961), Brenda Holloway ('When I'm Gone', 1965), Marvin Gaye ('Ain't That Peculiar', 1965), The Contours ('First I Look at the Purse', 1965) and The Four Tops ('Still Water (Love)', 1970).
Throughout the 1960s, Motown produced a barrage of unparalleled songs.
'Where Did Our Love Go' (1964), 'Baby Love' (1964), 'Stop! In the Name of Love' (1965), 'You Can't Hurry Love' (1966), 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' (1966), and 'Love Is Here and Now You're Gone' (1967) by Diana Ross and The Supremes.
'Shop Around' (1960), 'You've Really Got a Hold on Me' (1962), 'Tracks Of My Tears' (1965), 'Baby, Baby Don't Cry' (1968) and 'The Tears of a Clown' (1970) by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.
'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (1967), 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)' (1971), 'What's Going On' (1971), 'Trouble Man' (1972), and 'Sexual Healing' (1982) by Marvin Gaye.
'Fingertips - Part 2' (1963), 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' (1965), 'For Once In My Life' (1967), 'I Was Made To Love Her' (1967), 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours' (1970), 'Higher Ground' (1973), 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life' (1973), 'Boogie On Reggae Woman' (1974), 'Sir Duke' (1977), 'Ebony and Ivory' (1982) and 'Part Time Lover' (1985) by Stevie Wonder.
'The Way You Do The Things You Do' (1964), 'My Girl' (1965), 'Get Ready' (1966), 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966), 'All I Need' (1967), 'I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)' (1968), 'I Can't Get Next To You' (1969), 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)' (1971), and 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' (1972) by The Temptations.
'Baby I Need Your Loving' (1964), 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' (1965), '(Reach Out) I'll Be There' (1966), 'Standing In The Shadows Of Love' (1966) and 'Bernadette' (1967) by The Four Tops.
'I Want You Back' (1969), 'ABC' (1970), 'The Love You Save' (1970), and 'I'll Be There' (1970) by The Jackson Five.
'Fancy Dancer' (1976), 'Brick House' (1977), 'Easy' (1977), 'Say Yeah' (1978), and 'Three Times A Lady' (1978) by The Commodores and the list goes on.
Simple, straightforward love songs that told simple stories in a happy or a heartbreaking way; yet they all focused on the pride of Detroit and the pride of African-Americans echoing the 'Sound of Young America', the usual stamp on the label's vinyl.
In 1967, Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown over royalty payment disputes. Under the production on Norman Whitfield, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Marvin Gaye had some major hits, while Gordy established a television subsidiary, the Motown Productions for the produciton of TV specials for the Motown artists. In 1971, Motown released Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On', the album that changed the setting of R&B scene by featuring a social view about racism, war, drug addiction, police brutality, environmentalism and urban disintegration in America.
In 1972, Gordy decided to leave Detroit for Los Angeles. The main objective of Motown's relocation was to expand into the motion picture industry. To that end, Motown Productions released two films starring Diana Ross: the Billie Holliday biographical film 'Lady Sings the Blues' (1972), and 'Mahogany' (1975).
Because Motown was losing money, in 1988, Berry Gordy Jr. sold Motown Records to Music Corporation of America (MCA) for $61 million. In 1989, Motown Productions was sold to Motown executive Suzanne de Passe who renamed it to de Passe Entertainment and runs it until today. In 1994, Motown Records was purchased by PolyGram and in 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram leaving Motown Records officially to Universal Music Group, the current owner.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-Motown-Records&id=2988741
Motown's Legacy to American Music
By Christina Pomoni
Berry Gordy's renowned Motown Records emerged in the 1960s as an overwhelming force of social and cultural change making its mark not only on the music industry, but on society at large. Featuring a distinctive soul sound, full of energy and emotion, Motown has become one of the most important musical undertakings and spectacular success stories of the 20th century.
Explaining the Motown Sound like any musical phenomenon is an intricate task, for the most part, because it can hardly be taken as accidental. Motown emerged at the heart of American industry, where, for the first time, a generation of young black people were prosperous enough and had the leisure time to go along with it. Besides, it emerged at a time when the mass struggle for civil rights and social and racial equality had a profound impact on youth.
Besides, Motown was the product of the glory days of independent record labels. In the 1950s, Capitol Records and Columbia Records almost disregarded the emerging sounds of rock and roll. But Motown focused on R&B, blues, and rock and roll and produced a blend of upbeat music that seemed to eliminate color lines with its colorless culture.
Motown's historical value stands for more than its outstanding music. The label and its incredible legacy is a manifestation of the hard work of dedicated individuals overcoming implausible obstacles to achieve great success. On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy Jr., an African-American songwriter, former professional boxer, Korean War veteran and automobile worker, founded Tamla Records with a family loan of $800 marking the birth of the Motown Records Corporation. A visionary and talented individual, an insightful leader and a determined entrepreneur, Berry Gordy assembled a group of remarkable African-American artists, musicians, composers and songwriters and gave to the world a brand new sound.
Motown's phenomenal success is a tribute to all that Berry Gordy symbolizes and all the talent that he brought out in others. His efficiency in the mass-production of smash hits is often compared to Ford Wayne's Assembly Plant production methods. As the plant cars started out as frames and transformed into sparkling, brand new cars, unknown kids walked in the Motown's door and came out as recording artists. Under his leadership and guidance, and through willpower and support of the Motown family of artists, Gordy shaped new grounds for minorities and made the "Motown Sound" a global phenomenon dearly-loved by millions.
Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Commodores, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, their music communicated and united a racially divided nation and isolated society, around the world, having a huge appeal on all people of all ages and race. No other record label in the history of music has put forth such a massive influence on both the style and essence of popular music and culture. Besides, with more than 180 number one hits worldwide, Motown's influence is still being felt today around the globe.
Motown became a state of mind, a lifestyle, the 'Sound of Young America'. The unique, upbeat music, a blend of soul and pop, black and white, old and young, ignored any racial or social background and became the heartbeat of American pop music. Gordy broke down barriers by having pop radio promote Motown artists, booking his artists on popular TV shows and fascinating national audiences with repeat performances. Besides, Diana Ross and The Supremes was the first R&B group to play on 'Copacabana', New York's most prestigious night club, an event that opened the way for other R&B groups into the top cabaret circuits worldwide.
Today, Motown remains a symbol of unity for the black communities. Gordy bridged the gap of racial discrimination and integrated the black culture into white society by producing music that touched all people, regardless of the color of their skin, making Motown a vehicle of black pride and self-expression. After Motown, black music has never been regarded as a minority taste. Instead, it has been unequaled and relentless. And this is, admittedly, Motown's greatest legacy for the black people and for our world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motowns-Legacy-to-American-Music&id=2988731
Berry Gordy's renowned Motown Records emerged in the 1960s as an overwhelming force of social and cultural change making its mark not only on the music industry, but on society at large. Featuring a distinctive soul sound, full of energy and emotion, Motown has become one of the most important musical undertakings and spectacular success stories of the 20th century.
Explaining the Motown Sound like any musical phenomenon is an intricate task, for the most part, because it can hardly be taken as accidental. Motown emerged at the heart of American industry, where, for the first time, a generation of young black people were prosperous enough and had the leisure time to go along with it. Besides, it emerged at a time when the mass struggle for civil rights and social and racial equality had a profound impact on youth.
Besides, Motown was the product of the glory days of independent record labels. In the 1950s, Capitol Records and Columbia Records almost disregarded the emerging sounds of rock and roll. But Motown focused on R&B, blues, and rock and roll and produced a blend of upbeat music that seemed to eliminate color lines with its colorless culture.
Motown's historical value stands for more than its outstanding music. The label and its incredible legacy is a manifestation of the hard work of dedicated individuals overcoming implausible obstacles to achieve great success. On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy Jr., an African-American songwriter, former professional boxer, Korean War veteran and automobile worker, founded Tamla Records with a family loan of $800 marking the birth of the Motown Records Corporation. A visionary and talented individual, an insightful leader and a determined entrepreneur, Berry Gordy assembled a group of remarkable African-American artists, musicians, composers and songwriters and gave to the world a brand new sound.
Motown's phenomenal success is a tribute to all that Berry Gordy symbolizes and all the talent that he brought out in others. His efficiency in the mass-production of smash hits is often compared to Ford Wayne's Assembly Plant production methods. As the plant cars started out as frames and transformed into sparkling, brand new cars, unknown kids walked in the Motown's door and came out as recording artists. Under his leadership and guidance, and through willpower and support of the Motown family of artists, Gordy shaped new grounds for minorities and made the "Motown Sound" a global phenomenon dearly-loved by millions.
Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Commodores, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, their music communicated and united a racially divided nation and isolated society, around the world, having a huge appeal on all people of all ages and race. No other record label in the history of music has put forth such a massive influence on both the style and essence of popular music and culture. Besides, with more than 180 number one hits worldwide, Motown's influence is still being felt today around the globe.
Motown became a state of mind, a lifestyle, the 'Sound of Young America'. The unique, upbeat music, a blend of soul and pop, black and white, old and young, ignored any racial or social background and became the heartbeat of American pop music. Gordy broke down barriers by having pop radio promote Motown artists, booking his artists on popular TV shows and fascinating national audiences with repeat performances. Besides, Diana Ross and The Supremes was the first R&B group to play on 'Copacabana', New York's most prestigious night club, an event that opened the way for other R&B groups into the top cabaret circuits worldwide.
Today, Motown remains a symbol of unity for the black communities. Gordy bridged the gap of racial discrimination and integrated the black culture into white society by producing music that touched all people, regardless of the color of their skin, making Motown a vehicle of black pride and self-expression. After Motown, black music has never been regarded as a minority taste. Instead, it has been unequaled and relentless. And this is, admittedly, Motown's greatest legacy for the black people and for our world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motowns-Legacy-to-American-Music&id=2988731
Motown's Role in Helping Integrate American Life
By Christina Pomoni
One of the elements that made Motown so popular, apart from its music, is that it was born in the middle of an unfavorable socio-political setting for the black communities. In the 1960s, the racial discrimination that welcomed migrating black auto workers in Detroit was extreme. Besides, America had just elected John F. Kennedy as a symbol of hope for the nation and minority groups, but it had also entered the Vietnam War.
Social revolution and unrest were integral parts of an angry society that demanded fair treatment of black citizens. Amid all this, Motown emerged as an oasis that seemed to wipe out color lines with its upbeat music and colorless culture.
Motown managed to conquer the white market in times of a cataclysmic social and racial mayhem. The newly born black music style took over a great part of the white music industry and managed, not only to reach the white audiences, but also to have a great impact on the civil rights movement. Berry Gordy Jr., Motown's founder, apparently did what many people of his time thought could never be done: by bringing black music into millions of white households, he helped black artists, musicians, composers and songwriters to gain acceptance and he opened the doors for the black culture to be widely integrated into white society.
Besides, the diligent determination of black communities, whose ambitions were underwritten by social cohesion, was expressed by the spirit of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X within the broader context of cultural and civil-rights struggle. Detroit's 1967 riots were the result of extremist positions from both sides of the color line overriding moderate, peace-making factions, leading the city toward a turmoil that permanently divided the region's black and white communities.
Motown's response to the era of social division was the release of great hits in 1967 such as 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin; 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye; 'You're My Everything' by The Temptations; 'Love Is Here and Now You're Gone' by Diana Ross and The Supremes; 'I Was Made To Love Her' by Stevie Wonder, among others.
The Motown Sound was not as raw or edgy as that of Chess or Stax Records, but managed to include some of the most ever-lasting, popular and legendary songs that were ever written and produced. Gordy recognized the immense talent of influential artists like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson and introduced them to the world. Besides the miraculous solo artists, Motown featured The Supremes, The Four Tops and The Temptations as some of the best vocal groups that ever existed. Even today, so many years after Motown's numerous corporate changes, Gordy's outstanding contribution established Motown as synonymous to excellence.
From all perspectives, Motown's historical legacy involves exceptional contributions to the history of popular music and to the history of civil rights movement and race relations. If it weren't for the insightful leadership of Berry Gordy Jr., and the unique talent of all Motown's miraculous artists, black music would have never been so popular and white audiences would have lost a great opportunity to a magnificent upbeat groove.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motowns-Role-in-Helping-Integrate-American-Life&id=2988718
One of the elements that made Motown so popular, apart from its music, is that it was born in the middle of an unfavorable socio-political setting for the black communities. In the 1960s, the racial discrimination that welcomed migrating black auto workers in Detroit was extreme. Besides, America had just elected John F. Kennedy as a symbol of hope for the nation and minority groups, but it had also entered the Vietnam War.
Social revolution and unrest were integral parts of an angry society that demanded fair treatment of black citizens. Amid all this, Motown emerged as an oasis that seemed to wipe out color lines with its upbeat music and colorless culture.
Motown managed to conquer the white market in times of a cataclysmic social and racial mayhem. The newly born black music style took over a great part of the white music industry and managed, not only to reach the white audiences, but also to have a great impact on the civil rights movement. Berry Gordy Jr., Motown's founder, apparently did what many people of his time thought could never be done: by bringing black music into millions of white households, he helped black artists, musicians, composers and songwriters to gain acceptance and he opened the doors for the black culture to be widely integrated into white society.
Besides, the diligent determination of black communities, whose ambitions were underwritten by social cohesion, was expressed by the spirit of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X within the broader context of cultural and civil-rights struggle. Detroit's 1967 riots were the result of extremist positions from both sides of the color line overriding moderate, peace-making factions, leading the city toward a turmoil that permanently divided the region's black and white communities.
Motown's response to the era of social division was the release of great hits in 1967 such as 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin; 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye; 'You're My Everything' by The Temptations; 'Love Is Here and Now You're Gone' by Diana Ross and The Supremes; 'I Was Made To Love Her' by Stevie Wonder, among others.
The Motown Sound was not as raw or edgy as that of Chess or Stax Records, but managed to include some of the most ever-lasting, popular and legendary songs that were ever written and produced. Gordy recognized the immense talent of influential artists like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson and introduced them to the world. Besides the miraculous solo artists, Motown featured The Supremes, The Four Tops and The Temptations as some of the best vocal groups that ever existed. Even today, so many years after Motown's numerous corporate changes, Gordy's outstanding contribution established Motown as synonymous to excellence.
From all perspectives, Motown's historical legacy involves exceptional contributions to the history of popular music and to the history of civil rights movement and race relations. If it weren't for the insightful leadership of Berry Gordy Jr., and the unique talent of all Motown's miraculous artists, black music would have never been so popular and white audiences would have lost a great opportunity to a magnificent upbeat groove.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motowns-Role-in-Helping-Integrate-American-Life&id=2988718
Motown's Greatest Artists
By Christina Pomoni
Motown has changed the course of music by being the first African-American label to capture a huge audience and the critics thanks to a brilliant group of extremely talented African-American artists, who produced unforgettable smash hits. Featuring a distinctive soul sound, full of energy and emotion, chord and percussion sections, melodic bass guitar slides and horn grooves, all orchestrated in groundbreaking pop production techniques, Motown gave birth to what became known as the Motown Sound.
The Supremes (Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard) is, admittedly, Motown's best-selling female group. Featuring an innovative, refreshing sound, a flawless look, and a compelling vibe that reached any household in the 1960s, The Supremes developed practically a love affair with their audience around the globe. The group was actually the female response to the avalanche of male-dominated scene and it featured a completely feminine image.
Diana Ross's calm, high-pitched voice, the vocal harmony among the group's members, the simple, yet appealing choreography, the detailed, yet plain make-up onstage, their high-fashion gowns and wigs, and graceful movements created an image of absolute feminism that had a huge impact on the audience along with their excellent performance. 'Where Did Our Love Go' (1964), 'Baby Love' (1964), 'Stop! In the Name of Love' (1965), 'You Can't Hurry Love' (1966), 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' (1966), and 'Love Is Here and Now You're Gone' (1967) are some of the smash hits of The Supremes under the Motown label.
Diana Ross left The Supremes in 1970 to pursue a solo career in Motown. Her first huge success was 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' (1970) that topped #1 in the US Billboard Hot 100. Since then, she released a barrage of great songs that reached a huge audience worldwide such as 'Remember Me' (1970), 'Touch Me In The Morning' (1973), 'You Are Everything' (with Marvin Gaye) (1974), 'Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)' (1975), 'Love Hangover' (1975), 'Upside Down' (1980), 'Endless Love' (with Lionel Richie) (1981), 'Chain Reaction' (1986), 'When You Tell Me That You Love Me' (1991), 'One Shining Moment (1992), and 'Not Over You Yet' (1999).
Smokey Robinson is broadly recognized as the 'King of Motown' and one of the greatest contributors to the label. Being the founding member of the Miracles (Smokey Robinson, Claudette Rogers Robinson, Ronald White, Pete Moore, and Bobby Rogers) and one of the leading figures in Motown since 1960, Robinson was a songwriter and producer and he was involved in every aspect of Motown's operations. He was also auditioning many of the scores of young talent artists who were fascinated by Motown's growing reputation and he was promoting the label effectively.
Some of Robinson's smash hits with the Miracles are 'Shop Around' (1960), 'You've Really Got a Hold on Me' (1962), 'Tracks Of My Tears' (1965), 'Baby, Baby Don't Cry' (1968) and 'The Tears of a Clown' (1970). Besides his success with The Miracles, Robinson was the writer and producer of numerous successful singles of other Motown artists. He served as the major songwriter of The Temptations producing 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' (1964), 'My Girl' (1965), 'Since I Lost My Baby' (1965), and 'Get Ready' (1966).
Other famous songs written and produced by Robinson are, among others, Brenda Holloway's 'When I'm Gone' (1965), Marvin Gaye's 'Ain't That Peculiar' (1965), 'First I Look at the Purse' (1965) by The Contours, 'My Baby Must Be a Magician' (1967) by The Marvelettes and 'Still Water (Love)' (1970) by The Four Tops.
After having originally performed as a session drummer for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Marvelettes, The Contours and Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye signed to Motown in 1960 to become one of the most successful Motown artists. Changing his musical style in a variety of ways during his career, Gaye featured jazz covers, doo-wop and blues sections and an innovative blend of R&B, pop and rock-based grooves in his songs.
In 1971, Gaye released 'What's Going On', the album that is considered the highlight of his career. With 'What's Going On' Gaye changed the setting of R&B scene in the 1970s, but mostly he featured a social view about racism, war, drug addiction, police brutality, environmentalism and urban disintegration in the United States. Some of Gaye's smash hits are 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (1967), 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)' (1971), 'What's Going On' (1971), 'Trouble Man' (1972), and 'Sexual Healing' (1982).
Stevie Wonder signed to Motown in 1961, at the age of eleven. His extraordinary musical talent and tremendous musical potential made him one of Motown's hot shot selling artists, in spite of his retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) condition. Having produced excellent music with a deeply developed sense of harmony and having featured the sound of the clavinet keyboard in his best-selling hit 'Superstition' (1972), Stevie Wonder has influenced popular artists and culture to a great extent.
Some of his best-selling hits are 'Fingertips - Part 2' (1963), 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' (1965), 'For Once In My Life' (1967), 'I Was Made To Love Her' (1967), 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours' (1970), 'Higher Ground' (1973), 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life' (1973), 'Boogie On Reggae Woman' (1974), 'Sir Duke' (1977), 'Ebony and Ivory' (1982) and 'Part Time Lover' (1985), among others.
The Temptations (Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eldridge Bryant and Otis Williams) are considered the most successful male group in the history of African-American music. Originally formed in 1961 as The Elgins, the quintet was renamed to The Temptations by Berry Gordy Jr. and signed to Motown the same year. Their influential funk, soul, R&B, disco and doo-wop sounds, distinct harmonies and recognizable choreographies are believed to have had a huge impact on soul music.
Being the Motown's best-selling male group of the '60s, The Temptations released numerous smash hits such as 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' (1964), 'My Girl' (1965), 'Get Ready' (1966), 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966), 'All I Need' (1967), 'I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)' (1968), 'I Can't Get Next To You' (1969), 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)' (1971), and 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' (1972).
The Four Tops (Levi Stubbs, Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Lawrence Peyton and Abdul 'Duke' Fakir) signed to Workshop, Motown's jazz subsidiary, in 1963. Their consistency in producing great hits and their homogeneity as a team made The Four Tops inseparable without a single change of personnel for more than 40 years (1953-1997). By featuring a variety of sounds that mixed elements of soul, disco, R&B, jazz, and inspirational doo-wop and jazz vocals, The Four Tops had a huge appeal with 'Baby I Need Your Loving' (1964) - their first million-selling hit - 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' (1965), '(Reach Out) I'll Be There' (1966), 'Standing In The Shadows Of Love' (1966) and 'Bernadette' (1967) among others.
The Jackson Five (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael) signed to Motown in 1969. Being originally talented and musically comprehensive, The Jackson Five had immediately a universal appeal with their superb vocal harmony, teenage lyrics, energetic sound, and Michael's charismatic persona. By 1970, they had become a pan-American sensation, while Motown, capitalizing on their huge success, licensed Jackson Five album stickers, posters, and patches. Besides, the 'Jacksonmania' was supported with teen magazines focusing on the Jackson Five, TV cartoons and own TV specials. The Jackson Five's smash hits are 'I Want You Back' (1969), 'ABC' (1970), 'The Love You Save' (1970), and 'I'll Be There' (1970).
Formed in 1967 as the Mystics and performing as the opening act of The Jackson Five on their European tour, The Commodores (Lionel Richie, William King, Thomas McClary, Milan Williams, Ronald LaPread, and Walter "Clyde" Orange) signed with Motown in 1972. Their funky dance floor sounds, with horn sections and pop orchestration such as 'Fancy Dancer' (1976), 'Brick House' (1977), 'Say Yeah' (1978), and 'Too Hot Ta Trot' (1979) made The Commodores one of Motown's best-selling male group of the '70s with over 75 million copies around the globe.
However, the group had a huge success with the ballads 'Easy' (1977), which topped #1 on Billboard R&B chart and #4 on Billboard Hot 100 and 'Three Times A Lady' (1978) which was the first hit to become #1 on Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for two weeks. Besides, 'Machine Gun', the instrumental title track from the debut album of The Commodores in 1974, is widely used at American sporting events having practically become a staple.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motowns-Greatest-Artists&id=2988708
Motown has changed the course of music by being the first African-American label to capture a huge audience and the critics thanks to a brilliant group of extremely talented African-American artists, who produced unforgettable smash hits. Featuring a distinctive soul sound, full of energy and emotion, chord and percussion sections, melodic bass guitar slides and horn grooves, all orchestrated in groundbreaking pop production techniques, Motown gave birth to what became known as the Motown Sound.
The Supremes (Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard) is, admittedly, Motown's best-selling female group. Featuring an innovative, refreshing sound, a flawless look, and a compelling vibe that reached any household in the 1960s, The Supremes developed practically a love affair with their audience around the globe. The group was actually the female response to the avalanche of male-dominated scene and it featured a completely feminine image.
Diana Ross's calm, high-pitched voice, the vocal harmony among the group's members, the simple, yet appealing choreography, the detailed, yet plain make-up onstage, their high-fashion gowns and wigs, and graceful movements created an image of absolute feminism that had a huge impact on the audience along with their excellent performance. 'Where Did Our Love Go' (1964), 'Baby Love' (1964), 'Stop! In the Name of Love' (1965), 'You Can't Hurry Love' (1966), 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' (1966), and 'Love Is Here and Now You're Gone' (1967) are some of the smash hits of The Supremes under the Motown label.
Diana Ross left The Supremes in 1970 to pursue a solo career in Motown. Her first huge success was 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' (1970) that topped #1 in the US Billboard Hot 100. Since then, she released a barrage of great songs that reached a huge audience worldwide such as 'Remember Me' (1970), 'Touch Me In The Morning' (1973), 'You Are Everything' (with Marvin Gaye) (1974), 'Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)' (1975), 'Love Hangover' (1975), 'Upside Down' (1980), 'Endless Love' (with Lionel Richie) (1981), 'Chain Reaction' (1986), 'When You Tell Me That You Love Me' (1991), 'One Shining Moment (1992), and 'Not Over You Yet' (1999).
Smokey Robinson is broadly recognized as the 'King of Motown' and one of the greatest contributors to the label. Being the founding member of the Miracles (Smokey Robinson, Claudette Rogers Robinson, Ronald White, Pete Moore, and Bobby Rogers) and one of the leading figures in Motown since 1960, Robinson was a songwriter and producer and he was involved in every aspect of Motown's operations. He was also auditioning many of the scores of young talent artists who were fascinated by Motown's growing reputation and he was promoting the label effectively.
Some of Robinson's smash hits with the Miracles are 'Shop Around' (1960), 'You've Really Got a Hold on Me' (1962), 'Tracks Of My Tears' (1965), 'Baby, Baby Don't Cry' (1968) and 'The Tears of a Clown' (1970). Besides his success with The Miracles, Robinson was the writer and producer of numerous successful singles of other Motown artists. He served as the major songwriter of The Temptations producing 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' (1964), 'My Girl' (1965), 'Since I Lost My Baby' (1965), and 'Get Ready' (1966).
Other famous songs written and produced by Robinson are, among others, Brenda Holloway's 'When I'm Gone' (1965), Marvin Gaye's 'Ain't That Peculiar' (1965), 'First I Look at the Purse' (1965) by The Contours, 'My Baby Must Be a Magician' (1967) by The Marvelettes and 'Still Water (Love)' (1970) by The Four Tops.
After having originally performed as a session drummer for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Marvelettes, The Contours and Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye signed to Motown in 1960 to become one of the most successful Motown artists. Changing his musical style in a variety of ways during his career, Gaye featured jazz covers, doo-wop and blues sections and an innovative blend of R&B, pop and rock-based grooves in his songs.
In 1971, Gaye released 'What's Going On', the album that is considered the highlight of his career. With 'What's Going On' Gaye changed the setting of R&B scene in the 1970s, but mostly he featured a social view about racism, war, drug addiction, police brutality, environmentalism and urban disintegration in the United States. Some of Gaye's smash hits are 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (1967), 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)' (1971), 'What's Going On' (1971), 'Trouble Man' (1972), and 'Sexual Healing' (1982).
Stevie Wonder signed to Motown in 1961, at the age of eleven. His extraordinary musical talent and tremendous musical potential made him one of Motown's hot shot selling artists, in spite of his retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) condition. Having produced excellent music with a deeply developed sense of harmony and having featured the sound of the clavinet keyboard in his best-selling hit 'Superstition' (1972), Stevie Wonder has influenced popular artists and culture to a great extent.
Some of his best-selling hits are 'Fingertips - Part 2' (1963), 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' (1965), 'For Once In My Life' (1967), 'I Was Made To Love Her' (1967), 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours' (1970), 'Higher Ground' (1973), 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life' (1973), 'Boogie On Reggae Woman' (1974), 'Sir Duke' (1977), 'Ebony and Ivory' (1982) and 'Part Time Lover' (1985), among others.
The Temptations (Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eldridge Bryant and Otis Williams) are considered the most successful male group in the history of African-American music. Originally formed in 1961 as The Elgins, the quintet was renamed to The Temptations by Berry Gordy Jr. and signed to Motown the same year. Their influential funk, soul, R&B, disco and doo-wop sounds, distinct harmonies and recognizable choreographies are believed to have had a huge impact on soul music.
Being the Motown's best-selling male group of the '60s, The Temptations released numerous smash hits such as 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' (1964), 'My Girl' (1965), 'Get Ready' (1966), 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966), 'All I Need' (1967), 'I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)' (1968), 'I Can't Get Next To You' (1969), 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)' (1971), and 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' (1972).
The Four Tops (Levi Stubbs, Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Lawrence Peyton and Abdul 'Duke' Fakir) signed to Workshop, Motown's jazz subsidiary, in 1963. Their consistency in producing great hits and their homogeneity as a team made The Four Tops inseparable without a single change of personnel for more than 40 years (1953-1997). By featuring a variety of sounds that mixed elements of soul, disco, R&B, jazz, and inspirational doo-wop and jazz vocals, The Four Tops had a huge appeal with 'Baby I Need Your Loving' (1964) - their first million-selling hit - 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' (1965), '(Reach Out) I'll Be There' (1966), 'Standing In The Shadows Of Love' (1966) and 'Bernadette' (1967) among others.
The Jackson Five (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael) signed to Motown in 1969. Being originally talented and musically comprehensive, The Jackson Five had immediately a universal appeal with their superb vocal harmony, teenage lyrics, energetic sound, and Michael's charismatic persona. By 1970, they had become a pan-American sensation, while Motown, capitalizing on their huge success, licensed Jackson Five album stickers, posters, and patches. Besides, the 'Jacksonmania' was supported with teen magazines focusing on the Jackson Five, TV cartoons and own TV specials. The Jackson Five's smash hits are 'I Want You Back' (1969), 'ABC' (1970), 'The Love You Save' (1970), and 'I'll Be There' (1970).
Formed in 1967 as the Mystics and performing as the opening act of The Jackson Five on their European tour, The Commodores (Lionel Richie, William King, Thomas McClary, Milan Williams, Ronald LaPread, and Walter "Clyde" Orange) signed with Motown in 1972. Their funky dance floor sounds, with horn sections and pop orchestration such as 'Fancy Dancer' (1976), 'Brick House' (1977), 'Say Yeah' (1978), and 'Too Hot Ta Trot' (1979) made The Commodores one of Motown's best-selling male group of the '70s with over 75 million copies around the globe.
However, the group had a huge success with the ballads 'Easy' (1977), which topped #1 on Billboard R&B chart and #4 on Billboard Hot 100 and 'Three Times A Lady' (1978) which was the first hit to become #1 on Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for two weeks. Besides, 'Machine Gun', the instrumental title track from the debut album of The Commodores in 1974, is widely used at American sporting events having practically become a staple.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motowns-Greatest-Artists&id=2988708
How Did Motown Discover Some of Their Amazing Artists?
By Christina Pomoni
Berry Gordy was not only exceptional in his insightful leadership that brought great music to the world, but also in his way of approaching and discovering his artists. From a broad range of talented and remarkable musicians, who remained, for the most part unnoticed and ignored, living in poor areas and having no means of promoting themselves, Gordy and his Motown associates discovered little treasures hidden in the black hoods of Detroit.
With the exception of Stevie Wonder, who was discovered by Ronnie White of The Miracles while performing outside a street corner for his friends and The Jackson Five, who caught Gladys Knight's attention and were brought to Motown by Bobby Taylor of The Vancouvers and Motown's executive Suzanne de Passe, most of the Motown's hit-makers were discovered in the high schools.
Indeed, the high schools were a primary part of Motown's supply system because this is where all those young artists met. This is where they practiced their music, sang their songs and performed their dances. This is where their social lives were built around. Unlike what people normally think that black music came out of gospels and spirituals, although in a large part it did, Motown's young artists did not meet in churches. Besides, they didn't all belong to the same choirs.
Furthermore, Motown could not have produced its remarkable sound without a comprehensive public school music education program. Detroit's black high schools had well-designed music programs that balanced theory and practice and were taught by prominent teachers. In effect, all Motown artists have taken music courses at school and had been both influenced and motivated by their teachers to pursue a career in music.
The fact that schools played such a key role in Motown's birth and success was also an important social aspect because it demonstrated the prosperity of a part of black communities that had been affluent enough to send and keep their children in school. Nearly all Motown artists had graduated from high school. When Diana Ross and The Supremes first auditioned with Motown, Gordy thought they were too young and encouraged them to sign a contract upon graduating from high school. The fact that Gordy didn't want his artists to quit school is a significant sociological remark that should be given credence.
In addition to the schools, artists learned to perform at small black businesses, such as record shops, nightclubs and charm schools. In reality, there was a whole system supporting Motown's success, a system that was not visible, but was contributing immensely through a well-established infrastructure in the black community during the 1950s. In a way, black urban life in northern cities like Detroit had arrived at a certain point of integration to be able to support Motown. When Motown was founded, black kids in Detroit were interested in music and had a background to understand music and be involved with it.
Gordy had always a team of skilful people around him, who could be of great assistance in his endeavours to discover his amazing artists. An important member of Tamla Records was Raynoma Liles, the founder of The Rayber Voices and a back vocal singer on many of Motown's early hits. Raynoma discovered the property at 2648 West Grand Boulevard hat became Motown's famous Hitsville U.S.A. studio. Gordy and Raynoma Liles would marry in 1960 and later divorce, but she remained a significant member of the Motown team.
Another important Motown member was Mickey Stevenson, the label's A&R director. Being responsible for discovering new, talented artists that would match Motown's repertoire, Stevenson discovered Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. Besides, by being a prominent songwriter and producer, he also contributed in 'Dancing In The Street', (1964) by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas and in 'Pride And Joy' (1963) by Marvin Gaye.
Gordy had also the valuable help of Barney Ales, who, unlike the majority of Motown's team, was not an African-American. Ales was a knowledgeable and antagonistic individual, responsible for putting together a team that would place Motown's records with distributors, get airplay and coordinate marketing and advertising. When Motown became of the most successful record labels, Ales became one of the highest paid Motown members.
After all these years that Motown has shaped the music industry, there is little doubt that it was a record label that made music by young artists and marketed it to young people. Before Motown's birth, most of the black artists who recorded R&B music such as Sam Cooke, The Dominoes, The Platters, Little Richard and many others, were older. But with the emergence of Motown, young black people felt that they had their music, their label, and their artists. Besides, all Motown singers were very young. Stevie Wonder signed to Motown at the age of eleven. The Temptations, The Supremes and Smokey Robinson had just finished high school when they began recording for Motown. Motown was the 'Sound of young America.'
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Did-Motown-Discover-Some-of-Their-Amazing-Artists?&id=2988685
Berry Gordy was not only exceptional in his insightful leadership that brought great music to the world, but also in his way of approaching and discovering his artists. From a broad range of talented and remarkable musicians, who remained, for the most part unnoticed and ignored, living in poor areas and having no means of promoting themselves, Gordy and his Motown associates discovered little treasures hidden in the black hoods of Detroit.
With the exception of Stevie Wonder, who was discovered by Ronnie White of The Miracles while performing outside a street corner for his friends and The Jackson Five, who caught Gladys Knight's attention and were brought to Motown by Bobby Taylor of The Vancouvers and Motown's executive Suzanne de Passe, most of the Motown's hit-makers were discovered in the high schools.
Indeed, the high schools were a primary part of Motown's supply system because this is where all those young artists met. This is where they practiced their music, sang their songs and performed their dances. This is where their social lives were built around. Unlike what people normally think that black music came out of gospels and spirituals, although in a large part it did, Motown's young artists did not meet in churches. Besides, they didn't all belong to the same choirs.
Furthermore, Motown could not have produced its remarkable sound without a comprehensive public school music education program. Detroit's black high schools had well-designed music programs that balanced theory and practice and were taught by prominent teachers. In effect, all Motown artists have taken music courses at school and had been both influenced and motivated by their teachers to pursue a career in music.
The fact that schools played such a key role in Motown's birth and success was also an important social aspect because it demonstrated the prosperity of a part of black communities that had been affluent enough to send and keep their children in school. Nearly all Motown artists had graduated from high school. When Diana Ross and The Supremes first auditioned with Motown, Gordy thought they were too young and encouraged them to sign a contract upon graduating from high school. The fact that Gordy didn't want his artists to quit school is a significant sociological remark that should be given credence.
In addition to the schools, artists learned to perform at small black businesses, such as record shops, nightclubs and charm schools. In reality, there was a whole system supporting Motown's success, a system that was not visible, but was contributing immensely through a well-established infrastructure in the black community during the 1950s. In a way, black urban life in northern cities like Detroit had arrived at a certain point of integration to be able to support Motown. When Motown was founded, black kids in Detroit were interested in music and had a background to understand music and be involved with it.
Gordy had always a team of skilful people around him, who could be of great assistance in his endeavours to discover his amazing artists. An important member of Tamla Records was Raynoma Liles, the founder of The Rayber Voices and a back vocal singer on many of Motown's early hits. Raynoma discovered the property at 2648 West Grand Boulevard hat became Motown's famous Hitsville U.S.A. studio. Gordy and Raynoma Liles would marry in 1960 and later divorce, but she remained a significant member of the Motown team.
Another important Motown member was Mickey Stevenson, the label's A&R director. Being responsible for discovering new, talented artists that would match Motown's repertoire, Stevenson discovered Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. Besides, by being a prominent songwriter and producer, he also contributed in 'Dancing In The Street', (1964) by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas and in 'Pride And Joy' (1963) by Marvin Gaye.
Gordy had also the valuable help of Barney Ales, who, unlike the majority of Motown's team, was not an African-American. Ales was a knowledgeable and antagonistic individual, responsible for putting together a team that would place Motown's records with distributors, get airplay and coordinate marketing and advertising. When Motown became of the most successful record labels, Ales became one of the highest paid Motown members.
After all these years that Motown has shaped the music industry, there is little doubt that it was a record label that made music by young artists and marketed it to young people. Before Motown's birth, most of the black artists who recorded R&B music such as Sam Cooke, The Dominoes, The Platters, Little Richard and many others, were older. But with the emergence of Motown, young black people felt that they had their music, their label, and their artists. Besides, all Motown singers were very young. Stevie Wonder signed to Motown at the age of eleven. The Temptations, The Supremes and Smokey Robinson had just finished high school when they began recording for Motown. Motown was the 'Sound of young America.'
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Did-Motown-Discover-Some-of-Their-Amazing-Artists?&id=2988685
The History of Soul Music
By Christina Pomoni
Soul music is the creation of altering social conditions and diverse musical influences. Tracing its roots into the traditional folk songs of the African slaves that were brought at Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, soul music was originally the 'African Spirituals' of the period between 1825 and 1850. These spirituals had significant harmonious and metrical relationships with West African songs and were often used by black slaves as a means of secret communication. By the end of the 19th century, they were replaced by gospel songs.
Black gospel music had developed out of a blend of earlier hymns, elements from the spirituals and black performance styles. The singing often reflected ecstatic dance and was accompanied by a piano or an organ, anchored with tambourines, electric guitar and hand-clapping.
During World War I, many black people migrated from the agricultural South to the industrial North. This population shift altered the setting and created a new demographic group which developed a new music genre known as R&B. In the late 1940s, R&B had become a massive phenomenon in the north with black R&B artists being promoted by black owned radio stations. Besides, white radio station owners, in the fear that the newly invented TV would make radio old-fashioned promoted and distributed R&B in an unprecedented way. At the same time, the South experienced the evolvement of jazz, which also traced its roots in the musical traditions of African slaves. Performed by piano soloists and small marching bands, jazz music featured spirituals, blues and hymns.
Soul music did not evolve until the mid-50s with the resurgence of gospel and doo-wop and the commercial blast of music for African-Americans. Tracing its roots in rhythm & blues and gospel, soul music was associated with the black civil rights movement through the metamorphosis of black music into a form of funky confirmation.
Besides, the dominant trend of the 1960s towards cultural integration enabled the development of soul as a means to integrate black and white America. By featuring catchy grooves, hand-clapping, spontaneous body moves, improvisational add-ons, and constant interplay between the soloist and the chorus, the soul genre made white America more open to the idea that African-American culture was not demeaning or corrupting, simply different. In a way, the sociopolitical inroads made by jazz popularized black music within the white audiences. The soul genre was also, rather indirectly, assisted by rock music, mostly because rock made white pop music sound old-fashioned. Without offering an alternative to the obsolete sounds of white pop music, rock music, in effect, legitimized black pop music.
As the black civil rights movement moved forward increasing African-American pride, soul music gained credit in the hearts of African-Americans as a means of expression and artistic freedom. Soul music became the flag of unity for the black communities and although never truly political in nature, for many, its instant rise in the pop charts was representative of the first successes of the civil rights movement.
Ray Charles is widely regarded as the pioneer of soul music with his 1954 release 'I Got A Woman'. After that release, a number of successful artists followed taking soul music to its apogee in the 60s and the 70s. The geographical dispersion of soul music and its associations to the racial discrimination against the African-Americans popularized soul massively as a fundamental psychological element of the black struggle. From Florence and Memphis to Chicago and Detroit soul music reflected idealism and how life should not be accepted as it comes, but it should be made worth living.
The magnificent recordings of Sam Cooke ('You Send Me', 1957 and 'Twistin' the Night Away', 1961) Arthur Alexander ('You Better Move On', 1961), Otis Redding ('I've Been Loving You Too Long', 1965), Wilson Pickett ('In the Midnight Hour', 1965), Percy Sledge ('When a Man Loves a Woman', 1966), Aretha Franklin ('Respect', 1967 and 'I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)', 1967), and Sam and Dave ('Soul Man', 1967) were some of the Southern soul releases of Florence and Memphis throughout the 60s.
Northern soul has been developed in Detroit and Chicago. Motown Records practically swept the charts with top-selling artists that established the Motown Sound featured smash hits such as 'Where Did Our Love Go' by Diana Ross and The Supremes in 1964, 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' by The Temptations in 1964, 'Tracks Of My Tears' by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles in 1965, 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye in 1967, 'I Want You Back' by The Jackson 5 in 1969, Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' in 1972 and many others. Chicago became known for the sweet soul featured by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, who introduced a call and response style of group singing as derived from gospel.
Even James Brown and Little Richard, who were both into R&B music featuring a variety of deep backbeat, funky saxophone grooves, moans, screams and emotive inflections with boogie-woogie sounds, embodied in their music soul elements in their most commercially successful productions.
During the 1970s, the emergence of hip-hop culture and disco influenced the soul genre greatly, while in the 1980s the use of synths and other electronic equipment featured house and techno music over soul. Although its popularity has declined over the years, the impact and the influence of soul music is evident in many music genres such as funk, pop and neo-soul.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-Soul-Music&id=2988677
Soul music is the creation of altering social conditions and diverse musical influences. Tracing its roots into the traditional folk songs of the African slaves that were brought at Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, soul music was originally the 'African Spirituals' of the period between 1825 and 1850. These spirituals had significant harmonious and metrical relationships with West African songs and were often used by black slaves as a means of secret communication. By the end of the 19th century, they were replaced by gospel songs.
Black gospel music had developed out of a blend of earlier hymns, elements from the spirituals and black performance styles. The singing often reflected ecstatic dance and was accompanied by a piano or an organ, anchored with tambourines, electric guitar and hand-clapping.
During World War I, many black people migrated from the agricultural South to the industrial North. This population shift altered the setting and created a new demographic group which developed a new music genre known as R&B. In the late 1940s, R&B had become a massive phenomenon in the north with black R&B artists being promoted by black owned radio stations. Besides, white radio station owners, in the fear that the newly invented TV would make radio old-fashioned promoted and distributed R&B in an unprecedented way. At the same time, the South experienced the evolvement of jazz, which also traced its roots in the musical traditions of African slaves. Performed by piano soloists and small marching bands, jazz music featured spirituals, blues and hymns.
Soul music did not evolve until the mid-50s with the resurgence of gospel and doo-wop and the commercial blast of music for African-Americans. Tracing its roots in rhythm & blues and gospel, soul music was associated with the black civil rights movement through the metamorphosis of black music into a form of funky confirmation.
Besides, the dominant trend of the 1960s towards cultural integration enabled the development of soul as a means to integrate black and white America. By featuring catchy grooves, hand-clapping, spontaneous body moves, improvisational add-ons, and constant interplay between the soloist and the chorus, the soul genre made white America more open to the idea that African-American culture was not demeaning or corrupting, simply different. In a way, the sociopolitical inroads made by jazz popularized black music within the white audiences. The soul genre was also, rather indirectly, assisted by rock music, mostly because rock made white pop music sound old-fashioned. Without offering an alternative to the obsolete sounds of white pop music, rock music, in effect, legitimized black pop music.
As the black civil rights movement moved forward increasing African-American pride, soul music gained credit in the hearts of African-Americans as a means of expression and artistic freedom. Soul music became the flag of unity for the black communities and although never truly political in nature, for many, its instant rise in the pop charts was representative of the first successes of the civil rights movement.
Ray Charles is widely regarded as the pioneer of soul music with his 1954 release 'I Got A Woman'. After that release, a number of successful artists followed taking soul music to its apogee in the 60s and the 70s. The geographical dispersion of soul music and its associations to the racial discrimination against the African-Americans popularized soul massively as a fundamental psychological element of the black struggle. From Florence and Memphis to Chicago and Detroit soul music reflected idealism and how life should not be accepted as it comes, but it should be made worth living.
The magnificent recordings of Sam Cooke ('You Send Me', 1957 and 'Twistin' the Night Away', 1961) Arthur Alexander ('You Better Move On', 1961), Otis Redding ('I've Been Loving You Too Long', 1965), Wilson Pickett ('In the Midnight Hour', 1965), Percy Sledge ('When a Man Loves a Woman', 1966), Aretha Franklin ('Respect', 1967 and 'I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)', 1967), and Sam and Dave ('Soul Man', 1967) were some of the Southern soul releases of Florence and Memphis throughout the 60s.
Northern soul has been developed in Detroit and Chicago. Motown Records practically swept the charts with top-selling artists that established the Motown Sound featured smash hits such as 'Where Did Our Love Go' by Diana Ross and The Supremes in 1964, 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' by The Temptations in 1964, 'Tracks Of My Tears' by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles in 1965, 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye in 1967, 'I Want You Back' by The Jackson 5 in 1969, Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' in 1972 and many others. Chicago became known for the sweet soul featured by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, who introduced a call and response style of group singing as derived from gospel.
Even James Brown and Little Richard, who were both into R&B music featuring a variety of deep backbeat, funky saxophone grooves, moans, screams and emotive inflections with boogie-woogie sounds, embodied in their music soul elements in their most commercially successful productions.
During the 1970s, the emergence of hip-hop culture and disco influenced the soul genre greatly, while in the 1980s the use of synths and other electronic equipment featured house and techno music over soul. Although its popularity has declined over the years, the impact and the influence of soul music is evident in many music genres such as funk, pop and neo-soul.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Pomoni
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-Soul-Music&id=2988677
The Beatles in Mono Box Set
By Jackson Weinheimer
Original Mono Mixes
In the 1960s mono was "king" as far as pop/rock music was concerned. Stereo was mostly the interest of "audiophiles" who were mostly listening to jazz and classical recordings. Because of this situation (and because it was what they grew up with themselves), The Beatles spent almost all of their time and energy on the mono mixes of their albums up through about 1968 when stereo began to overtake mono as the principle way that pop/rock fans listened to music.
1987 CDs
When The Beatles albums were first put on CD in 1987, they were mostly released in stereo (although the first four albums were released in mono). This means that the mono mixes of albums like Revolver, Rubber Soul, and Sgt. Pepper have been extremely difficult for Beatles fans to hear during the CD era.
The Beatles In Mono
Finally with The Beatles In Mono Box Set (released on 9/9/9 on the same day that The Beatles In Stereo Box Set was released) the original mono mixes are available on CD.
This box set includes every single original mono mix The Beatles released in the 1960s and even four mono mixes that were never before released ("Hey Bulldog," "It's All Too Much," "Only a Northern Song," and "All Together Now" on the Mono Masters double disc non-album tracks compilation).
It does not include Abbey Road, Let It Be, or Yellow Submarine (although as you can see above, the actual Beatles songs on the album are included as a part of the Mono Masters set). Why not? Because those three albums were never mixed in mono in the first place!
Beatles Mono Box Set Review. Where to buy The Beatles In Mono 24/7/365.
Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-in-Mono-Box-Set&id=3024345
Original Mono Mixes
In the 1960s mono was "king" as far as pop/rock music was concerned. Stereo was mostly the interest of "audiophiles" who were mostly listening to jazz and classical recordings. Because of this situation (and because it was what they grew up with themselves), The Beatles spent almost all of their time and energy on the mono mixes of their albums up through about 1968 when stereo began to overtake mono as the principle way that pop/rock fans listened to music.
1987 CDs
When The Beatles albums were first put on CD in 1987, they were mostly released in stereo (although the first four albums were released in mono). This means that the mono mixes of albums like Revolver, Rubber Soul, and Sgt. Pepper have been extremely difficult for Beatles fans to hear during the CD era.
The Beatles In Mono
Finally with The Beatles In Mono Box Set (released on 9/9/9 on the same day that The Beatles In Stereo Box Set was released) the original mono mixes are available on CD.
This box set includes every single original mono mix The Beatles released in the 1960s and even four mono mixes that were never before released ("Hey Bulldog," "It's All Too Much," "Only a Northern Song," and "All Together Now" on the Mono Masters double disc non-album tracks compilation).
It does not include Abbey Road, Let It Be, or Yellow Submarine (although as you can see above, the actual Beatles songs on the album are included as a part of the Mono Masters set). Why not? Because those three albums were never mixed in mono in the first place!
Beatles Mono Box Set Review. Where to buy The Beatles In Mono 24/7/365.
Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-in-Mono-Box-Set&id=3024345
The Beatles in Stereo Box Set
By Jackson Weinheimer
Every Song The Beatles Released From 1962 Through 1970
My second favorite thing about The Beatles In Stereo Box Set is that it's really a "one stop" way of building a comprehensive Beatles collection as it includes every single song that The Beates recorded and released from 1962 (when they released their debut single, "Love Me Do," and album, Please Please Me) and 1970 (when they released Let It Be).
It includes all 13 official Beatles studio album (which means the original 12 UK LPs along with the American version of Magical Mystery Tour which was released in the UK in 1976 and has since become a part of their "official" catalog). And it also includes the "Past Masters" double CD compilation which features all of their songs that were released in other ways (on singles or EPs) which were never a part of any of those 13 albums.
Superior Remastered Stereo Sound
If it's "completeness" is my second favorite thing about this box set, what's my favorite thing? That's easy; the way it sounds.
The remastering job done on these CDs is fantastic. Compared to the old CDs, they sound clearer and more "warm." They allow for more definition in the music yet they also sound more "organic." This is because the old Beatles CDs (first released in 1987) were mastered with what is today archaic digital technology. The technology has improved significantly since then and allows for a better transfer of the original analog tapes to CD (these new CDs were remastered from the original analog tapes).
The Beatles In Mono Box Set
What about The Beatles other box set? The Beatles In Mono Box Set? I think it's awesome too. It's great to be able to hear the original mono mixes of these songs as the band originally intended them to be heard! And in quite a few cases the mono mixes are clearly superior to the stereo mixes. I definitely recommend both box sets to every serious Beatles fan.
The Beatles In Stereo Box. Buy it online 24/7/365.
The Beatles In Mono Box. Learn more about the mono mixes and why they are essential listening!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-in-Stereo-Box-Set&id=3023716
Every Song The Beatles Released From 1962 Through 1970
My second favorite thing about The Beatles In Stereo Box Set is that it's really a "one stop" way of building a comprehensive Beatles collection as it includes every single song that The Beates recorded and released from 1962 (when they released their debut single, "Love Me Do," and album, Please Please Me) and 1970 (when they released Let It Be).
It includes all 13 official Beatles studio album (which means the original 12 UK LPs along with the American version of Magical Mystery Tour which was released in the UK in 1976 and has since become a part of their "official" catalog). And it also includes the "Past Masters" double CD compilation which features all of their songs that were released in other ways (on singles or EPs) which were never a part of any of those 13 albums.
Superior Remastered Stereo Sound
If it's "completeness" is my second favorite thing about this box set, what's my favorite thing? That's easy; the way it sounds.
The remastering job done on these CDs is fantastic. Compared to the old CDs, they sound clearer and more "warm." They allow for more definition in the music yet they also sound more "organic." This is because the old Beatles CDs (first released in 1987) were mastered with what is today archaic digital technology. The technology has improved significantly since then and allows for a better transfer of the original analog tapes to CD (these new CDs were remastered from the original analog tapes).
The Beatles In Mono Box Set
What about The Beatles other box set? The Beatles In Mono Box Set? I think it's awesome too. It's great to be able to hear the original mono mixes of these songs as the band originally intended them to be heard! And in quite a few cases the mono mixes are clearly superior to the stereo mixes. I definitely recommend both box sets to every serious Beatles fan.
The Beatles In Stereo Box. Buy it online 24/7/365.
The Beatles In Mono Box. Learn more about the mono mixes and why they are essential listening!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-in-Stereo-Box-Set&id=3023716
OPINION: How to Find the Best 60's Songs
By Martin Sejas
If you are looking to find and download 60s songs straight to your computer, then you are going to need some assistance. And if you don't know the best songs from this era, then such a task is only made more difficult. This article hopes to present some tips as to how you can locate the best 60s songs to download and listen to.
I remember when I began my own journey of self-discovery of this classic yet bygone era and the one thing I can recall was not knowing where to start. I hope to use my experience to assist you so that you don't have to go through the same difficulties I went through.
The best indication of a good song is its commercial success. This refers to songs that were popular enough to reach high positions on music charts. So, the best starting point is to find out all the number 1 songs from each year in the 1960s. The best source for this information is by far Wikipedia. Just type in "Billboard charts" to go to the article on the US music charts and then click on the relevant link to go to the list of number 1 songs from the 1960s. More often than not, those songs that reached number 1 are very good and worth listening to.
Another way to find the best songs is by finding which ones were one-hit wonders during that period. A lot of these were hits without reaching number 1 and are worth having a listen. Once again, the best resource for this information is Wikipedia. Just type in "one-hit wonders" and find the article relevant to the one-hit wonders in the USA during the 1960s.
Keep in mind that you are not restricted to the US charts and can always choose to access other countries' charts such as the UK or Japan. If you want to download 60s songs that sound great, then following the tips above can make it so much easier for you.
Martin Sejas is the owner and main writer of All Time Classic Songs, a website where you can download 60s songs and music from other musical eras.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Sejas
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Find-the-Best-60s-Songs&id=3021543
If you are looking to find and download 60s songs straight to your computer, then you are going to need some assistance. And if you don't know the best songs from this era, then such a task is only made more difficult. This article hopes to present some tips as to how you can locate the best 60s songs to download and listen to.
I remember when I began my own journey of self-discovery of this classic yet bygone era and the one thing I can recall was not knowing where to start. I hope to use my experience to assist you so that you don't have to go through the same difficulties I went through.
The best indication of a good song is its commercial success. This refers to songs that were popular enough to reach high positions on music charts. So, the best starting point is to find out all the number 1 songs from each year in the 1960s. The best source for this information is by far Wikipedia. Just type in "Billboard charts" to go to the article on the US music charts and then click on the relevant link to go to the list of number 1 songs from the 1960s. More often than not, those songs that reached number 1 are very good and worth listening to.
Another way to find the best songs is by finding which ones were one-hit wonders during that period. A lot of these were hits without reaching number 1 and are worth having a listen. Once again, the best resource for this information is Wikipedia. Just type in "one-hit wonders" and find the article relevant to the one-hit wonders in the USA during the 1960s.
Keep in mind that you are not restricted to the US charts and can always choose to access other countries' charts such as the UK or Japan. If you want to download 60s songs that sound great, then following the tips above can make it so much easier for you.
Martin Sejas is the owner and main writer of All Time Classic Songs, a website where you can download 60s songs and music from other musical eras.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Sejas
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Find-the-Best-60s-Songs&id=3021543
Remembering the Monkees
By Martin Sejas
If you grew up in the 1960s, then you would have heard of The Monkees and their distinctive music and style. If you didn't grow up in that era, then there is still a good chance that you have heard some of their hit songs either on TV, movies or another medium. Whatever the case, The Monkees' impact on music and the record industry was profound and the ripples are still being felt today.
One of the unique aspects of the Monkees was how the band originated. It wasn't like most bands from the 1960s who at one time or another met up to eventually form a group. Instead, the Monkees originated from an idea to create fictional band for a TV show. Two American filmmakers were inspired by the Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night to move ahead and make the concept a reality. As a result, they put an advertisement in a newspaper to attract people to the audition. Eventually, they chose 4 people to become members of a fictional band called the Monkees.
The new group then got assistance and training from songwriters and musicians to learn to function as a band before the first show would get underway. Their first single "Last Train To Clarksville" and their first album titled simply The Monkees shot to number 1 on the charts. Soon enough, the success of the TV show and the music meant that there was pressure for them to develop as a live act and go touring. Eventually as they toured, Monkeemania developed (a variation of the word Beatlemania) into a frenzy and because of that, the band members wanted to take more creative control over their music.
This led to a bitter separation from their musical coordinator who did not let them play their own instruments or use their own material. Nevertheless, the group continued to have big hits such as "I'm A Believer" and "Daydream Believer" in 1967 and which can still be heard on radio stations around the world. In total, the first four albums from the group went straight to number 1, a feat which has never been emulated since.
Despite their enormous success in such a short period of time, the popularity of the Monkees started to dip in 1968 and by 1969, they were cancelling shows due to poor ticket sales. By 1970, the group has disbanded and the end of the Monkees was confirmed.
Overall, The Monkees represented the first case of TV manufacturing a pop group and which has intensified in the 21st century. However, their outstanding success also demonstrated that they were more than just a TV band and that their music would live on.
Martin Sejas is the owner and chief writer of All Time Classic Songs, a website dedicated to showing the greatest songs ever written in the history of music. You can legally download The Monkees as well as other artists from the website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Sejas
http://EzineArticles.com/?Remembering-the-Monkees&id=3036633
If you grew up in the 1960s, then you would have heard of The Monkees and their distinctive music and style. If you didn't grow up in that era, then there is still a good chance that you have heard some of their hit songs either on TV, movies or another medium. Whatever the case, The Monkees' impact on music and the record industry was profound and the ripples are still being felt today.
One of the unique aspects of the Monkees was how the band originated. It wasn't like most bands from the 1960s who at one time or another met up to eventually form a group. Instead, the Monkees originated from an idea to create fictional band for a TV show. Two American filmmakers were inspired by the Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night to move ahead and make the concept a reality. As a result, they put an advertisement in a newspaper to attract people to the audition. Eventually, they chose 4 people to become members of a fictional band called the Monkees.
The new group then got assistance and training from songwriters and musicians to learn to function as a band before the first show would get underway. Their first single "Last Train To Clarksville" and their first album titled simply The Monkees shot to number 1 on the charts. Soon enough, the success of the TV show and the music meant that there was pressure for them to develop as a live act and go touring. Eventually as they toured, Monkeemania developed (a variation of the word Beatlemania) into a frenzy and because of that, the band members wanted to take more creative control over their music.
This led to a bitter separation from their musical coordinator who did not let them play their own instruments or use their own material. Nevertheless, the group continued to have big hits such as "I'm A Believer" and "Daydream Believer" in 1967 and which can still be heard on radio stations around the world. In total, the first four albums from the group went straight to number 1, a feat which has never been emulated since.
Despite their enormous success in such a short period of time, the popularity of the Monkees started to dip in 1968 and by 1969, they were cancelling shows due to poor ticket sales. By 1970, the group has disbanded and the end of the Monkees was confirmed.
Overall, The Monkees represented the first case of TV manufacturing a pop group and which has intensified in the 21st century. However, their outstanding success also demonstrated that they were more than just a TV band and that their music would live on.
Martin Sejas is the owner and chief writer of All Time Classic Songs, a website dedicated to showing the greatest songs ever written in the history of music. You can legally download The Monkees as well as other artists from the website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Sejas
http://EzineArticles.com/?Remembering-the-Monkees&id=3036633
Lennon & McCartney - Common Misconceptions
By Johnny Moon
(#1) Paul McCartney wrote the music, John Lennon wrote the lyrics.
This was very rarely the case. "In My Life" was probably (although there is some contradiction on this) Paul's melody and John's lyrics. And certainly sometimes John would add lyrical ideas to Paul's songs (such as "It couldn't get much worse" on "Getting Better") and Paul would add musical ideas to John's songs (Paul's consistently awesome bass parts are the most obvious examples). But in general Paul and John wrote both the music and the lyrics for their own songs.
(#2) John Lennon was The Beatles, the rest of the guys were just his back-up band.
As someone who really loves The Beatles, this particular misconception really annoys me. I guess it's not surprising considering the tragic end to John's life that this completely baseless idea has grown since his death, but it still must be corrected.
The fact is that by most reasonable accounts McCartney was just as important to The Beatles music as was Lennon. In many ways he was even more important (McCartney was easily the most skilled musician of the band and the most knowledgable about advanced musical compositional theories).
Many of The Beatles most famous songs were McCartney's including "Hey Jude," "Let It Be," "Yesterday," "Get Back," "When I'm 64," "Eleanor Rigby," "Yellow Submarine," and "Back In The USSR."
(#3) Lennon was the "avante-garde" Beatle, the others "played it safe."
While "I Am The Walrus," "Strawberry Fields Forever," and "Revolution #9" (and "What's The New Mary Jane?" on Anthology 3) do make the case for this idea pretty strongly, one should consider that it was actually McCartney who was most into avante-garde music originally (his "Carnival of Light" was recorded before "Revolution #9" but it has never been released).
It was also McCartney who brought the tape loops to "Tomorrow Never Knows" and that was a big part of what gave that song it's unique sound.
One should also consider that it was Paul who wrote "Helter Skelter" which definitely pushed the envelope as far as "heavy music" was concerned.
Abbey Road: Lennon Vs. McCartney. A track by track breakdown of The Beatles last album that answers the question of who contributed more to it; John or Paul?
The Beatles White Album. Find out who (John or Paul?) wrote more songs on The Beatles 1968 double album.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Moon
http://EzineArticles.com/?Lennon-and-McCartney---Common-Misconceptions&id=3036591
(#1) Paul McCartney wrote the music, John Lennon wrote the lyrics.
This was very rarely the case. "In My Life" was probably (although there is some contradiction on this) Paul's melody and John's lyrics. And certainly sometimes John would add lyrical ideas to Paul's songs (such as "It couldn't get much worse" on "Getting Better") and Paul would add musical ideas to John's songs (Paul's consistently awesome bass parts are the most obvious examples). But in general Paul and John wrote both the music and the lyrics for their own songs.
(#2) John Lennon was The Beatles, the rest of the guys were just his back-up band.
As someone who really loves The Beatles, this particular misconception really annoys me. I guess it's not surprising considering the tragic end to John's life that this completely baseless idea has grown since his death, but it still must be corrected.
The fact is that by most reasonable accounts McCartney was just as important to The Beatles music as was Lennon. In many ways he was even more important (McCartney was easily the most skilled musician of the band and the most knowledgable about advanced musical compositional theories).
Many of The Beatles most famous songs were McCartney's including "Hey Jude," "Let It Be," "Yesterday," "Get Back," "When I'm 64," "Eleanor Rigby," "Yellow Submarine," and "Back In The USSR."
(#3) Lennon was the "avante-garde" Beatle, the others "played it safe."
While "I Am The Walrus," "Strawberry Fields Forever," and "Revolution #9" (and "What's The New Mary Jane?" on Anthology 3) do make the case for this idea pretty strongly, one should consider that it was actually McCartney who was most into avante-garde music originally (his "Carnival of Light" was recorded before "Revolution #9" but it has never been released).
It was also McCartney who brought the tape loops to "Tomorrow Never Knows" and that was a big part of what gave that song it's unique sound.
One should also consider that it was Paul who wrote "Helter Skelter" which definitely pushed the envelope as far as "heavy music" was concerned.
Abbey Road: Lennon Vs. McCartney. A track by track breakdown of The Beatles last album that answers the question of who contributed more to it; John or Paul?
The Beatles White Album. Find out who (John or Paul?) wrote more songs on The Beatles 1968 double album.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Moon
http://EzineArticles.com/?Lennon-and-McCartney---Common-Misconceptions&id=3036591
Bruce Springsteen - The Boss to Close Giants Stadium
by Brent Warnken
New Jersey's Giants Stadium will be demolished at the close of this year's football season, and it's only fitting that the most famous musician to hail from the Garden State, Bruce Springsteen, bid the venue farewell.
The Boss and his E Street Band performed a five-night stand at the East Rutherford, New Jersey stadium, devoting each historic show to playing an album from their extensive back catalog in its entirety. Springsteen previously performed his classic album Born to Run from beginning to end during a show at Chicago's Soldier Field while stopping in the Windy City on his current Working on a Dream tour and subsequently decided to close down Giants Stadium due to the enthusiastic response he got from fans.
Billboard online obtained a statement made by Bruce's manager, Jon Landau, in which he revealed, "Chicago convinced us that this was really worth doing. The audience was so supportive of the concept that it convinced us to go ahead with this at Giants Stadium."
The Boss kicked off his Giants Stadium stretch on September 30, playing Born to Run in its entirety. For his second show at Giants Stadium, on October 2, Springsteen delivered Darkness on the Edge of Town from front to back followed by Born in the U.S.A. all the way through on October 3. For the final two shows at the East Rutherford stadium, Bruce delivered full versions of Born to Run (October 8) and Born in the U.S.A. (October 9), respectively.
Following his five-night stretch at Giants Stadium, Springsteen and his E Street Band continue to perform dates on their fall tour, which comes to an end in Buffalo, New York on November 22. Among the highlights of the Boss' fall road trip is an October 29 show at New York's Madison Square Garden as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary concert. The band plans of taking a hiatus after the tour so check online for Bruce Springsteen tickets to see the Boss and the E Street Band live.
Bruce Springsteen may have begun his career in rock 'n' roll in 1973, releasing the aptly-titled Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. via Columbia, but it was 1975's Born to Run that really made him an icon. After releasing the follow-up to Born to Run, Springsteen's E Street Band lineup firmed up to include saxophone player Clarence Clemons, organist Danny Federici, pianist Roy Bittan, bassist Gary Tallent, second guitarist Steve Van Zandt and drummer Max Weinberg. After the Boss' fourth album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, secured his status as the voice of the working class, he garnered more success with 1980's The River thanks to the infectious single "Hungry Heart."
Springsteen's popularity began to waver with his next few releases, but then Born in the U.S.A. arrived in 1984 and became an instant American rock 'n' roll classic, selling over 10 million copies and spawning seven hit singles. Springsteen parted ways with the E Street Band in after the release on 1987's Tunnel of Love after 15 years together, much to the dismay of the Boss' fans.
Springsteen managed to secure success without the E Street Band, recording Grammy winner "Streets of Philadelphia" for the soundtrack to Philadelphia as well a handful of chart-topping albums, but nonetheless reassembled the band for a greatest hits compilation in 1995. By the time Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, the Boss and the E Street Band were back together for good and have remained that way ever since.
This article is sponsored by StubHub. StubHub.com is a leader in the business of selling http://www.stubhub.com/bruce-springsteen-tickets/, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
New Jersey's Giants Stadium will be demolished at the close of this year's football season, and it's only fitting that the most famous musician to hail from the Garden State, Bruce Springsteen, bid the venue farewell.
The Boss and his E Street Band performed a five-night stand at the East Rutherford, New Jersey stadium, devoting each historic show to playing an album from their extensive back catalog in its entirety. Springsteen previously performed his classic album Born to Run from beginning to end during a show at Chicago's Soldier Field while stopping in the Windy City on his current Working on a Dream tour and subsequently decided to close down Giants Stadium due to the enthusiastic response he got from fans.
Billboard online obtained a statement made by Bruce's manager, Jon Landau, in which he revealed, "Chicago convinced us that this was really worth doing. The audience was so supportive of the concept that it convinced us to go ahead with this at Giants Stadium."
The Boss kicked off his Giants Stadium stretch on September 30, playing Born to Run in its entirety. For his second show at Giants Stadium, on October 2, Springsteen delivered Darkness on the Edge of Town from front to back followed by Born in the U.S.A. all the way through on October 3. For the final two shows at the East Rutherford stadium, Bruce delivered full versions of Born to Run (October 8) and Born in the U.S.A. (October 9), respectively.
Following his five-night stretch at Giants Stadium, Springsteen and his E Street Band continue to perform dates on their fall tour, which comes to an end in Buffalo, New York on November 22. Among the highlights of the Boss' fall road trip is an October 29 show at New York's Madison Square Garden as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary concert. The band plans of taking a hiatus after the tour so check online for Bruce Springsteen tickets to see the Boss and the E Street Band live.
Bruce Springsteen may have begun his career in rock 'n' roll in 1973, releasing the aptly-titled Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. via Columbia, but it was 1975's Born to Run that really made him an icon. After releasing the follow-up to Born to Run, Springsteen's E Street Band lineup firmed up to include saxophone player Clarence Clemons, organist Danny Federici, pianist Roy Bittan, bassist Gary Tallent, second guitarist Steve Van Zandt and drummer Max Weinberg. After the Boss' fourth album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, secured his status as the voice of the working class, he garnered more success with 1980's The River thanks to the infectious single "Hungry Heart."
Springsteen's popularity began to waver with his next few releases, but then Born in the U.S.A. arrived in 1984 and became an instant American rock 'n' roll classic, selling over 10 million copies and spawning seven hit singles. Springsteen parted ways with the E Street Band in after the release on 1987's Tunnel of Love after 15 years together, much to the dismay of the Boss' fans.
Springsteen managed to secure success without the E Street Band, recording Grammy winner "Streets of Philadelphia" for the soundtrack to Philadelphia as well a handful of chart-topping albums, but nonetheless reassembled the band for a greatest hits compilation in 1995. By the time Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, the Boss and the E Street Band were back together for good and have remained that way ever since.
This article is sponsored by StubHub. StubHub.com is a leader in the business of selling http://www.stubhub.com/bruce-springsteen-tickets/, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Beatles Past Masters Non Album Songs Compilation
by Jake Topp
The Past Masters double disc set includes all of The Beatles songs that were released from 1962 through 1970 that were never included on a proper album. These two CDs basically tie up all of the loose ends so that The Beatles entire 1960s discography is easy to collect (and obviously it's very easy to collect now with The Beatles In Stereo Box Set).
The first reaction a lot of people may have is that if these songs were not good enough to make it onto The Beatles albums, why bother with them now? These are just the "b-sides" right? Wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Throughout most of their career The Beatles considered their singles and their albums to be entirely separate entities. They hated including singles on their albums because they felt that was "cheating their fans" (who had already bought the singles.) Because of this, many of their singles never made it onto their albums and some of their albums (five of them) didn't include any singles!
It's because of this that the Past Masters compilation (and the Mono Masters version of it included in The Beatles In Mono Box Set) is so essential. It's not just a collection of rarities that only hardcore fans will really want to listen to more than once. It includes many of The Beatles greatest and most well known songs such as "From Me To You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "We Can Work It Out," "Day Tripper," "Hey Jude," "I Feel Fine," "Paperback Writer," "Lady Madonna," and the fast version of "Revolution."
The compilation also includes a number of really great B-Sides such as "Rain," "This Boy," "Don't Let Me Down," and "Old Brown Shoe."
That being said, there definitely are some tracks on the compilation that are mostly for "collectors" and real Beatles freaks such as "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" and the German language versions of "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
Today it's often hard for people to understand how The Beatles approached putting out singles and albums as two totally separate things. A good example of this approach is how on December 3, 1965 The Beatles released both the Rubber Soul album and the "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper" single. What's most amazing about that to me is that Rubber Soul already sounds like it's filled to the brim with "singles" (songs that could have been hits as singles) such as "In My Life," "Drive My Car," "Michelle," and "Nowhere Man" (which was actually released in the US as a single, without the band's consent. None of the songs on the album were released as singles in the UK).
So The Beatles released both a classic album and a classic single on the same day and there was no overlap between the two. Now with the Past Masters set all of the classic singles that The Beatles released are available in one place. It's an essential part of any Beatles collection.
Jake Topp recommends http://www.GoPSPDownloads.com for PSP owners who are interested in playing music (like The Beatles) on their portables (and not just games).
The Past Masters double disc set includes all of The Beatles songs that were released from 1962 through 1970 that were never included on a proper album. These two CDs basically tie up all of the loose ends so that The Beatles entire 1960s discography is easy to collect (and obviously it's very easy to collect now with The Beatles In Stereo Box Set).
The first reaction a lot of people may have is that if these songs were not good enough to make it onto The Beatles albums, why bother with them now? These are just the "b-sides" right? Wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Throughout most of their career The Beatles considered their singles and their albums to be entirely separate entities. They hated including singles on their albums because they felt that was "cheating their fans" (who had already bought the singles.) Because of this, many of their singles never made it onto their albums and some of their albums (five of them) didn't include any singles!
It's because of this that the Past Masters compilation (and the Mono Masters version of it included in The Beatles In Mono Box Set) is so essential. It's not just a collection of rarities that only hardcore fans will really want to listen to more than once. It includes many of The Beatles greatest and most well known songs such as "From Me To You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "We Can Work It Out," "Day Tripper," "Hey Jude," "I Feel Fine," "Paperback Writer," "Lady Madonna," and the fast version of "Revolution."
The compilation also includes a number of really great B-Sides such as "Rain," "This Boy," "Don't Let Me Down," and "Old Brown Shoe."
That being said, there definitely are some tracks on the compilation that are mostly for "collectors" and real Beatles freaks such as "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" and the German language versions of "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
Today it's often hard for people to understand how The Beatles approached putting out singles and albums as two totally separate things. A good example of this approach is how on December 3, 1965 The Beatles released both the Rubber Soul album and the "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper" single. What's most amazing about that to me is that Rubber Soul already sounds like it's filled to the brim with "singles" (songs that could have been hits as singles) such as "In My Life," "Drive My Car," "Michelle," and "Nowhere Man" (which was actually released in the US as a single, without the band's consent. None of the songs on the album were released as singles in the UK).
So The Beatles released both a classic album and a classic single on the same day and there was no overlap between the two. Now with the Past Masters set all of the classic singles that The Beatles released are available in one place. It's an essential part of any Beatles collection.
Jake Topp recommends http://www.GoPSPDownloads.com for PSP owners who are interested in playing music (like The Beatles) on their portables (and not just games).
The Beatles Mono Albums on CD
By Jackson Weinheimer
19 Beatles Mono Albums
With the release of The Beatles in Mono box set on September 9, 2009 there are now a total of 19 Beatles albums (10 original UK, and 8 cut-up American versions, and the Mono Masters compilation of non-album tracks mixed in mono) available in mono but none of them are available for individual purchase, only as a part of these box sets.
Three Albums Only In Stereo
The only three Beatles albums that are not available in mono now are Abbey Road, Let It Be, and Yellow Submarine. Why are they holding back on these three you may be asking? Well they're not. The reason they are not included is quite simple: They were never mixed in mono in the first place! By 1969 mono had been completely phased out in favor of stereo mixes.
American Albums In Mono
Capitol Albums Vol. 1 includes their first four Americanized albums in both stereo and mono. Meet the Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, Something New, and Beatles '65 are included.
Capitol Albums Vol. 2 picks up where the first set leaves off with their next (and last) four Americanized albums in stereo and mono. The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, the Help! (US soundtrack version) and Rubber Soul (US version) are included.
UK Albums In Mono
While the American versions may be of interest to collectors and to people who want to hear their early albums in historical context (how the American audiences first heard them back in '64 and '65) it should be made clear that the band never approved of those cut-up versions of their albums.
It was their original UK albums that they considered to be the "real" versions and they are considered the official albums today. The Beatles in Mono box set includes Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale, Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, and The White Album in mono. It also includes the double disc Mono Masters compilation set which includes all of their non-album tracks mixed in mono.
Magical Mystery Tour
This is a bit of a strange situation in The Beatles discography as this album was originally released as an EP in the UK and it's actually the "Americanized" LP version that has become the official version. The US LP version was so popular that it was being imported into the UK until they decided to release the US version in the UK in 1976.
When The Beatles albums were first put on CD in 1987, the US LP became an official part of The Beatles catalog although it was not originally released as such. This is a point of some debate among "purists" who always say that this album isn't really an album at all!
Buy The Beatles In Mono box set online 24/7/365.
The Beatles Mono Box Set is what all Beatles "purists" have been waiting for.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-Mono-Albums-on-CD&id=2979134
19 Beatles Mono Albums
With the release of The Beatles in Mono box set on September 9, 2009 there are now a total of 19 Beatles albums (10 original UK, and 8 cut-up American versions, and the Mono Masters compilation of non-album tracks mixed in mono) available in mono but none of them are available for individual purchase, only as a part of these box sets.
Three Albums Only In Stereo
The only three Beatles albums that are not available in mono now are Abbey Road, Let It Be, and Yellow Submarine. Why are they holding back on these three you may be asking? Well they're not. The reason they are not included is quite simple: They were never mixed in mono in the first place! By 1969 mono had been completely phased out in favor of stereo mixes.
American Albums In Mono
Capitol Albums Vol. 1 includes their first four Americanized albums in both stereo and mono. Meet the Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, Something New, and Beatles '65 are included.
Capitol Albums Vol. 2 picks up where the first set leaves off with their next (and last) four Americanized albums in stereo and mono. The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, the Help! (US soundtrack version) and Rubber Soul (US version) are included.
UK Albums In Mono
While the American versions may be of interest to collectors and to people who want to hear their early albums in historical context (how the American audiences first heard them back in '64 and '65) it should be made clear that the band never approved of those cut-up versions of their albums.
It was their original UK albums that they considered to be the "real" versions and they are considered the official albums today. The Beatles in Mono box set includes Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale, Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, and The White Album in mono. It also includes the double disc Mono Masters compilation set which includes all of their non-album tracks mixed in mono.
Magical Mystery Tour
This is a bit of a strange situation in The Beatles discography as this album was originally released as an EP in the UK and it's actually the "Americanized" LP version that has become the official version. The US LP version was so popular that it was being imported into the UK until they decided to release the US version in the UK in 1976.
When The Beatles albums were first put on CD in 1987, the US LP became an official part of The Beatles catalog although it was not originally released as such. This is a point of some debate among "purists" who always say that this album isn't really an album at all!
Buy The Beatles In Mono box set online 24/7/365.
The Beatles Mono Box Set is what all Beatles "purists" have been waiting for.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-Mono-Albums-on-CD&id=2979134
Oldies Hits From the Beatles
By Jeff Bachmeier
The oldies are classified as music from the time period of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Most oldies music is classified under the genres of pop, rock and R&B. There were a lot of progressive musical movements including Motown, the British Invasion, and doo wop which inspired fashion styles, community, and a way of life.
An oldies band that never went out of style was the Beatles. Their music has inspired the world for years and started the hype with the British Invasion. The British Invasion was a group of bands from Great Britain whose music became popular in the United States. Just recently, Rock Band video game came out with a Beatles edition. Rock band allows users to act as if they are in the band and play music on game controls such as a guitar, bass guitar, or drum set. The Beatles edition for rock band is a compilation all of their greatest hits.
The Beatles fame lasted for a span of ten years from the 1960s until the 1970s. The band originated in Liverpool and consisted of members John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. They were dubbed with the nickname, "The fab four from Liverpool." Not only were they a success in England, but their fame and fortune reached the United States.
The RIAA, Recording Industry Association of America, states that they have sold more albums than any other band or solo artist in the United States (http://www.riaa.com). The Beatles produced number ones hits that are still popular today and can be heard on internet radio and traditional radio.
From 1962 until 1976 they had 42 number one hit singles. A list of all the number one singles can be found on The Beatles Number One Hits singles website (http://www.bopped.com). Their first hit in 1962 was called, "Love Me Do." This song first became popular in England and didn't top the number one charts in the United States until 1964.
In 1963, they had 5 chart topping hits. One of the more memorable hits during that year was "Twist and Shout." Not only was it a great song, but there were also fun dance moves to accompany it. They almost doubled the amounts of number one hit singles in 1964 with nine songs. A memorable song during that year which most people know and can hear on oldies radio station is "A Hard Day's Night."
They continued to dominate the charts with eight singles in 1965. After that the amount of singles started to taper off. Between 1966 and 1969 they only produced four number one hits per year. Success for the Beatles started to slow down in the 70s when they only had two hits in 1970 and one in 1976.
Jeff Bachmeier is owner of 977music, an online music and online radio station network providing live streaming Internet Radio channels with music from the 50's thru Today. Users can also choose to create their own customized on demand playlist through their own social media profile. For more information please visit http://www.977music.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Bachmeier
http://EzineArticles.com/?Oldies-Hits-From-the-Beatles&id=2922864
The oldies are classified as music from the time period of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Most oldies music is classified under the genres of pop, rock and R&B. There were a lot of progressive musical movements including Motown, the British Invasion, and doo wop which inspired fashion styles, community, and a way of life.
An oldies band that never went out of style was the Beatles. Their music has inspired the world for years and started the hype with the British Invasion. The British Invasion was a group of bands from Great Britain whose music became popular in the United States. Just recently, Rock Band video game came out with a Beatles edition. Rock band allows users to act as if they are in the band and play music on game controls such as a guitar, bass guitar, or drum set. The Beatles edition for rock band is a compilation all of their greatest hits.
The Beatles fame lasted for a span of ten years from the 1960s until the 1970s. The band originated in Liverpool and consisted of members John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. They were dubbed with the nickname, "The fab four from Liverpool." Not only were they a success in England, but their fame and fortune reached the United States.
The RIAA, Recording Industry Association of America, states that they have sold more albums than any other band or solo artist in the United States (http://www.riaa.com). The Beatles produced number ones hits that are still popular today and can be heard on internet radio and traditional radio.
From 1962 until 1976 they had 42 number one hit singles. A list of all the number one singles can be found on The Beatles Number One Hits singles website (http://www.bopped.com). Their first hit in 1962 was called, "Love Me Do." This song first became popular in England and didn't top the number one charts in the United States until 1964.
In 1963, they had 5 chart topping hits. One of the more memorable hits during that year was "Twist and Shout." Not only was it a great song, but there were also fun dance moves to accompany it. They almost doubled the amounts of number one hit singles in 1964 with nine songs. A memorable song during that year which most people know and can hear on oldies radio station is "A Hard Day's Night."
They continued to dominate the charts with eight singles in 1965. After that the amount of singles started to taper off. Between 1966 and 1969 they only produced four number one hits per year. Success for the Beatles started to slow down in the 70s when they only had two hits in 1970 and one in 1976.
Jeff Bachmeier is owner of 977music, an online music and online radio station network providing live streaming Internet Radio channels with music from the 50's thru Today. Users can also choose to create their own customized on demand playlist through their own social media profile. For more information please visit http://www.977music.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Bachmeier
http://EzineArticles.com/?Oldies-Hits-From-the-Beatles&id=2922864
The "Prince of Soul" - Marvin Gaye
By Shawna S. Ruppert
Marvin Gaye trivia should begin with the fact that like many performers he always performed under a stage name, although his was quite close to his original name of Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. A Marvin Gaye quiz might ask you about some of his nicknames, which were extremely praising of the singer who is considered among the best soul singers of all time. Called "The Prince of Soul" and "The Prince of Motown", it was clear what both his peers and his public thought of him.
People might be aware of his most famous hits, such as songs like, "How Sweet It Is", "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", and "Let's Get It On", but people should also know that in addition to leaving a legacy of great music, he also left a legacy in the way that music and hits were made, something that is an important part of Marvin Gaye trivia.
The largest part of this has to do with how he worked with Motown Records, a company who was notorious for separating the artists from the songwriting and the producing processes at times. Gaye wanted more creative control and broke away from the lack of it which was emphasized at Motown. This move would inspire future generations of important artists to do the same. When one realizes that without Gaye's moves within the world of music that it might have been impossible for Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson to make the music they wanted to, in the way they wanted to, it becomes clear just how deep his influences ran even beyond his music itself.
A Marvin Gaye quiz might also bring up points about the themes of Gaye's music. In addition to singing with a political awareness that was uncommon for his style of music of the time, he would become a pioneer for creating albums that were created around erotic and sensual themes judged by many to be taboo. Entire generations of later artists including greats like Prince and Janet Jackson have clearly been inspired and allowed to make their music because of the boundaries broken by Marvin Gaye.
Marvin Gaye died in 1984 when he was shot and killed during an argument with his father. He was living with his parents at the time and tried to break up an argument that had erupted between his mother and father, when his father shot him with a gun that had been a gift from his son several months earlier.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Prince-of-Soul---Marvin-Gaye&id=3000381
Marvin Gaye trivia should begin with the fact that like many performers he always performed under a stage name, although his was quite close to his original name of Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. A Marvin Gaye quiz might ask you about some of his nicknames, which were extremely praising of the singer who is considered among the best soul singers of all time. Called "The Prince of Soul" and "The Prince of Motown", it was clear what both his peers and his public thought of him.
People might be aware of his most famous hits, such as songs like, "How Sweet It Is", "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", and "Let's Get It On", but people should also know that in addition to leaving a legacy of great music, he also left a legacy in the way that music and hits were made, something that is an important part of Marvin Gaye trivia.
The largest part of this has to do with how he worked with Motown Records, a company who was notorious for separating the artists from the songwriting and the producing processes at times. Gaye wanted more creative control and broke away from the lack of it which was emphasized at Motown. This move would inspire future generations of important artists to do the same. When one realizes that without Gaye's moves within the world of music that it might have been impossible for Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson to make the music they wanted to, in the way they wanted to, it becomes clear just how deep his influences ran even beyond his music itself.
A Marvin Gaye quiz might also bring up points about the themes of Gaye's music. In addition to singing with a political awareness that was uncommon for his style of music of the time, he would become a pioneer for creating albums that were created around erotic and sensual themes judged by many to be taboo. Entire generations of later artists including greats like Prince and Janet Jackson have clearly been inspired and allowed to make their music because of the boundaries broken by Marvin Gaye.
Marvin Gaye died in 1984 when he was shot and killed during an argument with his father. He was living with his parents at the time and tried to break up an argument that had erupted between his mother and father, when his father shot him with a gun that had been a gift from his son several months earlier.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Prince-of-Soul---Marvin-Gaye&id=3000381
Rock and Roll Guitarist - Eric Clapton
By Shawna S. Ruppert
Eric Clapton trivia should be synonymous with rock and roll trivia, as Clapton has been a major shaping force on the world of music since his emergence onto the scene. He is thought of by most as being one of the most important guitarists of all time, and is often referred to by his nickname "slowhand". Clapton hasn't only been important as a solo artist, but also as an important member of many of the rock and blues rock bands which have been important over the last several decades.
He has also played guitar on tracks not recorded by him or his bands which are also among the list of some of rocks most legendary songs, and has worked with some of the best in the business. An interesting point for any Eric Clapton quiz is that his contributions have been so varied and important that he is the only person to be inducted three separate times into the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He has been inducted as a solo artist, but also as a member of Cream and of the Yardbirds.
It was with the Yardbirds that Clapton's career began in 1963, and where he began to be noticed as one of the hottest emerging musicians on the British music scene. He left the Yardbirds when they began to move away form blues music, and became a member of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.
The next progression of his career would be the formation of the band Cream, which would break Clapton out to the mainstream audience in North America with songs like "Sunshine of Your Love" "Crossroads" and "White Room". He would also spend time as a member of Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos before starting his solo career, but it was during the Derek and the Dominos days that he would record (with Duane Allman) what has become one of his most recognized signature songs, Layla.
In addition to all of the music he has created, an Eric Clapton quiz should mention that he also has played on some of the other most important recordings of all time, even if he was uncredited due to contractual legalities. He was a close friend of George Harrison, and played guitar on The Beatles' White Album, as well as playing with artists like Dire Straits, Bob Marley, Frank Zappa, Elton John and Sting.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?Rock-and-Roll-Guitarist---Eric-Clapton&id=2991176
Eric Clapton trivia should be synonymous with rock and roll trivia, as Clapton has been a major shaping force on the world of music since his emergence onto the scene. He is thought of by most as being one of the most important guitarists of all time, and is often referred to by his nickname "slowhand". Clapton hasn't only been important as a solo artist, but also as an important member of many of the rock and blues rock bands which have been important over the last several decades.
He has also played guitar on tracks not recorded by him or his bands which are also among the list of some of rocks most legendary songs, and has worked with some of the best in the business. An interesting point for any Eric Clapton quiz is that his contributions have been so varied and important that he is the only person to be inducted three separate times into the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He has been inducted as a solo artist, but also as a member of Cream and of the Yardbirds.
It was with the Yardbirds that Clapton's career began in 1963, and where he began to be noticed as one of the hottest emerging musicians on the British music scene. He left the Yardbirds when they began to move away form blues music, and became a member of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.
The next progression of his career would be the formation of the band Cream, which would break Clapton out to the mainstream audience in North America with songs like "Sunshine of Your Love" "Crossroads" and "White Room". He would also spend time as a member of Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos before starting his solo career, but it was during the Derek and the Dominos days that he would record (with Duane Allman) what has become one of his most recognized signature songs, Layla.
In addition to all of the music he has created, an Eric Clapton quiz should mention that he also has played on some of the other most important recordings of all time, even if he was uncredited due to contractual legalities. He was a close friend of George Harrison, and played guitar on The Beatles' White Album, as well as playing with artists like Dire Straits, Bob Marley, Frank Zappa, Elton John and Sting.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?Rock-and-Roll-Guitarist---Eric-Clapton&id=2991176
Paco De Lucia - Flamenco Guitar Player
By Ricky Sharples
Paco de Lucia was born in 1947 began studying the guitar as a child, and started his career as a professional guitar player at the age of thirteen with Jose Greco's flamenco dance company. Paco spent much of his time locked in his room practicing on his guitar.
The most obvious result to friends and family of Paco's devotion to his music was the emergence of a blindingly fast picado technique. Picado is the name for the rest stroke used by flamenco guitar players to play scale passages. This fast picking was heavily featured in Paco de Lucia's early flamenco guitar records and concerts. Paco also began making use of his interest in jazz to bring some new sounds to flamenco guitar solos.
For many years Flamenco guitar solo playing was dominated by Sabicas who drew heavily on the works of Spanish classical music composers for his falsetas - the themes used to make up flamenco guitar solos and instrumental breaks in flamenco ensemble performances. Paco de Lucia made a break from the influence of Sabicas, sparking a new interest in flamenco guitar playing from a generation of young Spanish men who had been more interested in American music than flamenco.
Paco de Lucia spent the years 1969 to 1977 playing and recording with the legendary flamenco singer Cameron de la Isla. The whole of Spain fell under the spell of Cameron's unique singing style and Paco's time with him produced a collection of unforgettable records and videos.
In 1979 Paco de Lucia toured with jazz guitarists John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell. The power of Paco's guitar playing in his performances with these jazz greats is recorded in a video called Meeting Of The Spirits. Paco is on record telling of his struggles to learn how to improvise in order to keep up with his fellow guitarists.
This trio of guitar virtuosos was finalized when Al Dimeola replaced Larry Coryell and they have continued to perform together. Paco also performs with his own jazz influenced group, the Paco De Lucia Sextet. The wider audience of music lovers was exposed to the beauty of Paco De Lucia's flamenco guitar playing in 1995 when he played on Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? by Bryan Adams.
In the early nineteen seventies Paco recorded a double album of the works of Spanish composer Manuel De Falla. This was not particularly well received but his 1991 performance of Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez gave Paco some street cred with classical guitar fans.
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricky_Sharples
http://EzineArticles.com/?Paco-De-Lucia---Flamenco-Guitar-Player&id=2988119
Paco de Lucia was born in 1947 began studying the guitar as a child, and started his career as a professional guitar player at the age of thirteen with Jose Greco's flamenco dance company. Paco spent much of his time locked in his room practicing on his guitar.
The most obvious result to friends and family of Paco's devotion to his music was the emergence of a blindingly fast picado technique. Picado is the name for the rest stroke used by flamenco guitar players to play scale passages. This fast picking was heavily featured in Paco de Lucia's early flamenco guitar records and concerts. Paco also began making use of his interest in jazz to bring some new sounds to flamenco guitar solos.
For many years Flamenco guitar solo playing was dominated by Sabicas who drew heavily on the works of Spanish classical music composers for his falsetas - the themes used to make up flamenco guitar solos and instrumental breaks in flamenco ensemble performances. Paco de Lucia made a break from the influence of Sabicas, sparking a new interest in flamenco guitar playing from a generation of young Spanish men who had been more interested in American music than flamenco.
Paco de Lucia spent the years 1969 to 1977 playing and recording with the legendary flamenco singer Cameron de la Isla. The whole of Spain fell under the spell of Cameron's unique singing style and Paco's time with him produced a collection of unforgettable records and videos.
In 1979 Paco de Lucia toured with jazz guitarists John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell. The power of Paco's guitar playing in his performances with these jazz greats is recorded in a video called Meeting Of The Spirits. Paco is on record telling of his struggles to learn how to improvise in order to keep up with his fellow guitarists.
This trio of guitar virtuosos was finalized when Al Dimeola replaced Larry Coryell and they have continued to perform together. Paco also performs with his own jazz influenced group, the Paco De Lucia Sextet. The wider audience of music lovers was exposed to the beauty of Paco De Lucia's flamenco guitar playing in 1995 when he played on Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? by Bryan Adams.
In the early nineteen seventies Paco recorded a double album of the works of Spanish composer Manuel De Falla. This was not particularly well received but his 1991 performance of Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez gave Paco some street cred with classical guitar fans.
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricky_Sharples
http://EzineArticles.com/?Paco-De-Lucia---Flamenco-Guitar-Player&id=2988119
The Beatles Remastered Stereo CD White Album Review
By Jackson Weinheimer
My Favorite Beatles Album
The Beatles self titled in 1968 double album that is most commonly known as The White Album has been my favorite Beatles album for a very long time and not just because it's the longest! I just think it's filled with absolutely brilliant songs and I love the variety of musical styles that it includes.
Remastered
Like many Beatles fans my age (I'm in my early 30s) I grew to love The Beatles based on the CD versions of their albums that were first released in 1987. These are the CD versions that people have been saying were vastly inferior to their vinyl counterparts. These are the CD versions that were finally improved upon with the new remastered versions that were released on September 9th.
So what's my point? My point is this was already my favorite Beatles album (actually my favorite album by anyone) so how much better could it get?
As it turns out, it could get a lot better even still! As people have said: "It's like seeing your favorite movie in high definition for the first time." I'm hearing things in the music that I never knew were even there. For all of the great layers in The Beatles music, there are now even more such layers revealed by the much higher sound quailty of the new remasters.
"Long Long Long"
The best example of how much better new remastered stereo version of The White Album sounds is "Long Long Long" (A George Harrison song on the second disc). Why? Because that was always a song that you had to kind of strain to properly hear on the old CD. Now it's revealed in it's full glory and while I've always liked the song, now I truly love it.
CLICK HERE to find out how you can Buy The Beatles Stereo Box right now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-Remastered-Stereo-CD-White-Album-Review&id=2910059
My Favorite Beatles Album
The Beatles self titled in 1968 double album that is most commonly known as The White Album has been my favorite Beatles album for a very long time and not just because it's the longest! I just think it's filled with absolutely brilliant songs and I love the variety of musical styles that it includes.
Remastered
Like many Beatles fans my age (I'm in my early 30s) I grew to love The Beatles based on the CD versions of their albums that were first released in 1987. These are the CD versions that people have been saying were vastly inferior to their vinyl counterparts. These are the CD versions that were finally improved upon with the new remastered versions that were released on September 9th.
So what's my point? My point is this was already my favorite Beatles album (actually my favorite album by anyone) so how much better could it get?
As it turns out, it could get a lot better even still! As people have said: "It's like seeing your favorite movie in high definition for the first time." I'm hearing things in the music that I never knew were even there. For all of the great layers in The Beatles music, there are now even more such layers revealed by the much higher sound quailty of the new remasters.
"Long Long Long"
The best example of how much better new remastered stereo version of The White Album sounds is "Long Long Long" (A George Harrison song on the second disc). Why? Because that was always a song that you had to kind of strain to properly hear on the old CD. Now it's revealed in it's full glory and while I've always liked the song, now I truly love it.
CLICK HERE to find out how you can Buy The Beatles Stereo Box right now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-Remastered-Stereo-CD-White-Album-Review&id=2910059
How Muhammad Ali Replaced Malcolm X and Ushered in a New Era For America
By Derek Lavelle
Muhammad Ali looked to Malcolm X as his older spiritual brother. Ali began attending Muslim rallies and meetings after winning the Olympics in Rome in 1960, and after he won the coveted heavyweight boxing title in 1964.
At that time Malcolm X was the most outspoken and famous Islam member in America. His speeches and his debates on Face the Nation or Meet the Press made him known throughout America as a civil rights leader speaking against the unjust system of segregation.
Malcolm X also was known as the angriest black man in America. In 1964 Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam and started a new organization to rival the Nation of Islam. Then in 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated in New York.
In 1967 Muhammad Ali now a Nation of Islam minister, refused induction into the U.S. Army on religious grounds. This was huge news because America was split over a war in Southeast Asia called Vietnam. The Vietnam War would divide America. College kids on college campuses all over America were marching against the draft that required all men of age 18 or older become registered to go to war. Ali's refusal to become inducted into the United States Army endeared him to millions of young white and black Americans that shared the same disdain for the war as he did. This began a new era in Civil Rights.
Whites and Blacks crossed racial lines and came together on a common cause for a common reason: to stand against an unjust war in Southeast Asia. Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title because of his refusal to join the Army, but he became even bigger without his title. He became the "people's champion" and his face became the most recognizable face in the world. And while standing up against the war, Muhammad Ali also got in a few jabs against racism in America on behalf of the Nation of Islam.
The angry, finger pointing "white devil" image that Malcolm X represented was now replaced by a handsome, charismatic, fun-loving, Howard Cosell teasing Muhammad Ali that became the new image of the Nation of Islam. And America became a better country because of Muhammad Ali.
Derek Lavelle once a promising boxer learned the Nation of Islam story while in a boxing camp named after Muhammad Ali called M.A.P.S (Muhammad Ali Professional Sports). At MAPS in 1981 that Derek met older, original Nation of Islam men that had remained loyal to Elijah Muhammad during Malcolm's exodus.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_Lavelle
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Muhammad-Ali-Replaced-Malcolm-X-and-Ushered-in-a-New-Era-For-America&id=2945740
Muhammad Ali looked to Malcolm X as his older spiritual brother. Ali began attending Muslim rallies and meetings after winning the Olympics in Rome in 1960, and after he won the coveted heavyweight boxing title in 1964.
At that time Malcolm X was the most outspoken and famous Islam member in America. His speeches and his debates on Face the Nation or Meet the Press made him known throughout America as a civil rights leader speaking against the unjust system of segregation.
Malcolm X also was known as the angriest black man in America. In 1964 Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam and started a new organization to rival the Nation of Islam. Then in 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated in New York.
In 1967 Muhammad Ali now a Nation of Islam minister, refused induction into the U.S. Army on religious grounds. This was huge news because America was split over a war in Southeast Asia called Vietnam. The Vietnam War would divide America. College kids on college campuses all over America were marching against the draft that required all men of age 18 or older become registered to go to war. Ali's refusal to become inducted into the United States Army endeared him to millions of young white and black Americans that shared the same disdain for the war as he did. This began a new era in Civil Rights.
Whites and Blacks crossed racial lines and came together on a common cause for a common reason: to stand against an unjust war in Southeast Asia. Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title because of his refusal to join the Army, but he became even bigger without his title. He became the "people's champion" and his face became the most recognizable face in the world. And while standing up against the war, Muhammad Ali also got in a few jabs against racism in America on behalf of the Nation of Islam.
The angry, finger pointing "white devil" image that Malcolm X represented was now replaced by a handsome, charismatic, fun-loving, Howard Cosell teasing Muhammad Ali that became the new image of the Nation of Islam. And America became a better country because of Muhammad Ali.
Derek Lavelle once a promising boxer learned the Nation of Islam story while in a boxing camp named after Muhammad Ali called M.A.P.S (Muhammad Ali Professional Sports). At MAPS in 1981 that Derek met older, original Nation of Islam men that had remained loyal to Elijah Muhammad during Malcolm's exodus.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_Lavelle
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Muhammad-Ali-Replaced-Malcolm-X-and-Ushered-in-a-New-Era-For-America&id=2945740
Abbey Road - The Beatles Best Sounding Album Sounds Even Better in Remastered Stereo
By Jackson Weinheimer
The Beatles Final Album
While Let It Be was the last studio album the band released, the last album the band recorded was actually Abbey Road. I won't get into why, as most Beatles fans already know and if you don't you can easily look it up and find out!
What's remarkable to me is that today Abbey Road is The Beatles biggest selling album. How many bands go out on a peak like that? How many bands end their career with their most popular album (and in the Beatles case, that is certainly an awesome feat considering the competition of their other albums!).
Most Modern Sounding Album
I've always thought that Abbey Road was their most "modern" sounding album as it was recorded on a new mixing board what was, at the time, a big move forward technologically from what they had been using. That's why the album has a certain "clean" sound to it that differentiates it from their more "warm" earlier albums.
I also think that since the band was focused entirely on the stereo mixes now (since mono was officially dead at this point, Abbey Road was never mixed in mono) the album has much better stereo mixes than their earlier albums which were often really haphazard by modern standards (vocals on one side, drums on the other!).
Remastered (The Beatles In Stereo Box Set)
Like all of The Beatles other albums, Abbey Road is included in newly remastered format as a part of The Beatles In Stereo Box Set. While I always thought this was probably their best sounding album anyway, it's impressive how much better it sounds with it's new remastering.
The bass is deeper. The drums are clearer. The vocals are more "separated" (so that you can hear each individual vocal in the harmonies more easily).
Certainly anyone that loves this album (and of course, The Beatles in general) should buy the new Stereo Box Set (when they can find it in stock somewhere!) because it's a truly remarkable improvement in sound quality. Abbey Road has never sounded this good before.
CLICK HERE for more information on The Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set (including how you can purchase it online 24/7/365.)
Abbey Road: John Vs. Paul - A comparison of who contributed what to The Beatles biggest selling album (in the United States, Sgt. Pepper is the biggest seller in the UK).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Abbey-Road---The-Beatles-Best-Sounding-Album-Sounds-Even-Better-in-Remastered-Stereo&id=3004732
The Beatles Final Album
While Let It Be was the last studio album the band released, the last album the band recorded was actually Abbey Road. I won't get into why, as most Beatles fans already know and if you don't you can easily look it up and find out!
What's remarkable to me is that today Abbey Road is The Beatles biggest selling album. How many bands go out on a peak like that? How many bands end their career with their most popular album (and in the Beatles case, that is certainly an awesome feat considering the competition of their other albums!).
Most Modern Sounding Album
I've always thought that Abbey Road was their most "modern" sounding album as it was recorded on a new mixing board what was, at the time, a big move forward technologically from what they had been using. That's why the album has a certain "clean" sound to it that differentiates it from their more "warm" earlier albums.
I also think that since the band was focused entirely on the stereo mixes now (since mono was officially dead at this point, Abbey Road was never mixed in mono) the album has much better stereo mixes than their earlier albums which were often really haphazard by modern standards (vocals on one side, drums on the other!).
Remastered (The Beatles In Stereo Box Set)
Like all of The Beatles other albums, Abbey Road is included in newly remastered format as a part of The Beatles In Stereo Box Set. While I always thought this was probably their best sounding album anyway, it's impressive how much better it sounds with it's new remastering.
The bass is deeper. The drums are clearer. The vocals are more "separated" (so that you can hear each individual vocal in the harmonies more easily).
Certainly anyone that loves this album (and of course, The Beatles in general) should buy the new Stereo Box Set (when they can find it in stock somewhere!) because it's a truly remarkable improvement in sound quality. Abbey Road has never sounded this good before.
CLICK HERE for more information on The Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set (including how you can purchase it online 24/7/365.)
Abbey Road: John Vs. Paul - A comparison of who contributed what to The Beatles biggest selling album (in the United States, Sgt. Pepper is the biggest seller in the UK).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Abbey-Road---The-Beatles-Best-Sounding-Album-Sounds-Even-Better-in-Remastered-Stereo&id=3004732
The "King of Soul" - Otis Redding
By Shawna S. Ruppert
Although his life was extremely short, Otis Redding is incredibly important in the history of Soul and Rock and Roll, as he was one of the key figures that managed to successfully blend elements of many different musical genres into the new sounds that would define future generations. Any Otis Redding quiz would start by asking about his nickname. He is often referred to as the "King of Soul" which fully encompasses just how important his brief contribution to the music industry was.
One part of Otis Redding trivia is that his biggest hit was released actually a month after his death, something which is actually quite common, especially among singers and artists who die young in their career. That hit was (Sittin on) The Dock of the Bay, and was easily his largest commercial success, although the importance of Redding to the musical movements of the time as a whole go far beyond one commercially successful single. Redding took the influences he was given, including artists like Little Richard and Sam Cooke, and turned it into something new, and something different which would give birth to hundreds of musical artists that would follow him.
One of the things which set Otis Redding apart from many of his contemporaries is an important Otis Redding quiz point to learn, and this is the fact that he wrote much of his own music. Many of the touring musicians who were popular at the time would rely on playing tested material penned by proven song writers, and while Redding would certainly play those songs as well, he was also extremely passionate about writing his own songs.
Otis Redding trivia must usually unfortunately include the facts of his untimely death. He had been playing in Cleveland with his band, and after leaving the show the plane he was aboard crashed into Lake Monona, Madison WI. Redding, the pilot, four members of his back up band and his manager all died in the crash, and only one person aboard the plane would survive the crash - Ben Cauley who had been a member of the Bar Kays, Otis Redding's backup band.
Redding continues to be recognized since his death as an important figure in music, including receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Grammy's, being honoured by the Songwriters and Rock and Roll hall of fame, and by Rolling Stone magazine as one of their hundred greatest artists of all time.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-King-of-Soul---Otis-Redding&id=3004326
Although his life was extremely short, Otis Redding is incredibly important in the history of Soul and Rock and Roll, as he was one of the key figures that managed to successfully blend elements of many different musical genres into the new sounds that would define future generations. Any Otis Redding quiz would start by asking about his nickname. He is often referred to as the "King of Soul" which fully encompasses just how important his brief contribution to the music industry was.
One part of Otis Redding trivia is that his biggest hit was released actually a month after his death, something which is actually quite common, especially among singers and artists who die young in their career. That hit was (Sittin on) The Dock of the Bay, and was easily his largest commercial success, although the importance of Redding to the musical movements of the time as a whole go far beyond one commercially successful single. Redding took the influences he was given, including artists like Little Richard and Sam Cooke, and turned it into something new, and something different which would give birth to hundreds of musical artists that would follow him.
One of the things which set Otis Redding apart from many of his contemporaries is an important Otis Redding quiz point to learn, and this is the fact that he wrote much of his own music. Many of the touring musicians who were popular at the time would rely on playing tested material penned by proven song writers, and while Redding would certainly play those songs as well, he was also extremely passionate about writing his own songs.
Otis Redding trivia must usually unfortunately include the facts of his untimely death. He had been playing in Cleveland with his band, and after leaving the show the plane he was aboard crashed into Lake Monona, Madison WI. Redding, the pilot, four members of his back up band and his manager all died in the crash, and only one person aboard the plane would survive the crash - Ben Cauley who had been a member of the Bar Kays, Otis Redding's backup band.
Redding continues to be recognized since his death as an important figure in music, including receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Grammy's, being honoured by the Songwriters and Rock and Roll hall of fame, and by Rolling Stone magazine as one of their hundred greatest artists of all time.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-King-of-Soul---Otis-Redding&id=3004326
The Beatles Mono Masters Review - Why the Mono Masters Compilation is a "Must Hear" Set
By Jackson Weinheimer
Non Album Tracks?
These days bands tend to put all of their best songs on their albums so when you hear about the non-album compilations for The Beatles (Past Masters in stereo and Mono Masters in mono respectively) you may think that it's just a collection of underwhelming B-Sides that weren't good enough to make it on the band's classic albums such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road.
But in actuality, nothing could be further from the truth! Many of the band's most famous songs were never included on their albums. The Beatles actually liked to keep their singles and their albums as seperate as possible so songs like "Day Tripper" and "Hey Jude" were never included on an album and likewise albums like The White Album and Sgt. Pepper's had no songs released as singles.
Mono?
The Mono Masters double CD compilation includes the original mono mixes of all of The Beatles non-album tracks (and the four new Beatles songs on Yellow Submarine, more on that below).
But why should you care about mono mixes? Well back then stereo wasn't seen as nearly as important as the mono mixes because most people listened back on mono record players at the time. So The Beatles actually spent a lot more time perfecting their mono mixes than they did the stereo. Because of this many people consider the mono versions of their songs to be definitive.
The Beatles Mono Box Set (which is the only way to get the Mono Masters compilation as it is not sold seperately) features The Beatles albums in mono on CD for the very first time.
Previously Unreleased Mixes (Yellow Submarine)
Because the original Yellow Submarine album (1969) was released only in stereo (their first album released only in stereo) the mono mixes that were made for the four new mono mixes included on the album were shelved until now.
This means that the Mono Masters set includes the very first release (in any format) of "Hey Bulldog," "All Together Now," "It's All Too Much," and "Only A Northern Song" in mono.
They were included on the "non-album" set because the entire Yellow Submarine album could not be included because the instrumentals that make up most of the album were never mixed in mono, thus it made more sense to include these four tracks on the Mono Masters set.
The Beatles In Mono Box is the only way to buy this Mono Masters Non Album Compilation as it's not available for individual purchase.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-Mono-Masters-Review---Why-the-Mono-Masters-Compilation-is-a-Must-Hear-Set&id=2998539
Non Album Tracks?
These days bands tend to put all of their best songs on their albums so when you hear about the non-album compilations for The Beatles (Past Masters in stereo and Mono Masters in mono respectively) you may think that it's just a collection of underwhelming B-Sides that weren't good enough to make it on the band's classic albums such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road.
But in actuality, nothing could be further from the truth! Many of the band's most famous songs were never included on their albums. The Beatles actually liked to keep their singles and their albums as seperate as possible so songs like "Day Tripper" and "Hey Jude" were never included on an album and likewise albums like The White Album and Sgt. Pepper's had no songs released as singles.
Mono?
The Mono Masters double CD compilation includes the original mono mixes of all of The Beatles non-album tracks (and the four new Beatles songs on Yellow Submarine, more on that below).
But why should you care about mono mixes? Well back then stereo wasn't seen as nearly as important as the mono mixes because most people listened back on mono record players at the time. So The Beatles actually spent a lot more time perfecting their mono mixes than they did the stereo. Because of this many people consider the mono versions of their songs to be definitive.
The Beatles Mono Box Set (which is the only way to get the Mono Masters compilation as it is not sold seperately) features The Beatles albums in mono on CD for the very first time.
Previously Unreleased Mixes (Yellow Submarine)
Because the original Yellow Submarine album (1969) was released only in stereo (their first album released only in stereo) the mono mixes that were made for the four new mono mixes included on the album were shelved until now.
This means that the Mono Masters set includes the very first release (in any format) of "Hey Bulldog," "All Together Now," "It's All Too Much," and "Only A Northern Song" in mono.
They were included on the "non-album" set because the entire Yellow Submarine album could not be included because the instrumentals that make up most of the album were never mixed in mono, thus it made more sense to include these four tracks on the Mono Masters set.
The Beatles In Mono Box is the only way to buy this Mono Masters Non Album Compilation as it's not available for individual purchase.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Weinheimer
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Beatles-Mono-Masters-Review---Why-the-Mono-Masters-Compilation-is-a-Must-Hear-Set&id=2998539
Rock and Roll Artist - Jimi Hendrix
By Shawna S. Ruppert
Although he had very few years to enjoy at the top, if you asked any rock and roll guitarist living who they thought the greatest electric guitar player of all time was, most of them would quickly answer with a single word: Hendrix.
Jimi Hendrix trivia will show that he literally exploded onto the music scene, and as word of his playing prowess spread even the most established stars of the time would flock to his shows to take in his virtuosity on the electric guitar. A Jimi Hendrix quiz will show that he was born Johnny Allen Hendrix in 1942. He got his first guitar when he was fifteen years old, and quickly began spending all his waking moments practicing the instrument.
Hendrix would play in a few small bands in various places around the country as he stayed on the move trying to find a way to make a living playing guitar. He would start to become noticed when he began playing on a Little Richard tour. He would be fired from the tour, and after more touring and making a name for himself would eventually form "The Jimi Hendrix Experience". Songs like his version of "Hey Joe" and "Purple Haze" would be released in the mid sixties, and remain the defining Jimi Hendrix songs today.
Jimi Hendrix trivia will show that there are many things about how he played the guitar which are just as remembered as the songs he played. For instance, he was known for playing a right handed guitar left handed, rather than actually playing a left handed guitar because he had been unable to afford one while learning the instrument. In addition, he greatly popularized the use of the wah-wah pedal, something he originally picked up from meeting Frank Zappa. His use of the pedal would be most famously captured in "Voodoo Child".
One of the most famous performances that will be mentioned on a Jimi Hendrix quiz will be the legendary performance that he and his new band played at Woodstock. They played the longest set that Hendrix ever played near the end of the festival, and it culminated in one of the most well known pieces of guitar music from the sixties, the Jimi Hendrix rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner". Hendrix would die in London in 1970, although the exact circumstances surrounding his death have been muddy for decades, with no one conclusively creating a picture of his final hours.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?Rock-and-Roll-Artist---Jimi-Hendrix&id=2991319
Although he had very few years to enjoy at the top, if you asked any rock and roll guitarist living who they thought the greatest electric guitar player of all time was, most of them would quickly answer with a single word: Hendrix.
Jimi Hendrix trivia will show that he literally exploded onto the music scene, and as word of his playing prowess spread even the most established stars of the time would flock to his shows to take in his virtuosity on the electric guitar. A Jimi Hendrix quiz will show that he was born Johnny Allen Hendrix in 1942. He got his first guitar when he was fifteen years old, and quickly began spending all his waking moments practicing the instrument.
Hendrix would play in a few small bands in various places around the country as he stayed on the move trying to find a way to make a living playing guitar. He would start to become noticed when he began playing on a Little Richard tour. He would be fired from the tour, and after more touring and making a name for himself would eventually form "The Jimi Hendrix Experience". Songs like his version of "Hey Joe" and "Purple Haze" would be released in the mid sixties, and remain the defining Jimi Hendrix songs today.
Jimi Hendrix trivia will show that there are many things about how he played the guitar which are just as remembered as the songs he played. For instance, he was known for playing a right handed guitar left handed, rather than actually playing a left handed guitar because he had been unable to afford one while learning the instrument. In addition, he greatly popularized the use of the wah-wah pedal, something he originally picked up from meeting Frank Zappa. His use of the pedal would be most famously captured in "Voodoo Child".
One of the most famous performances that will be mentioned on a Jimi Hendrix quiz will be the legendary performance that he and his new band played at Woodstock. They played the longest set that Hendrix ever played near the end of the festival, and it culminated in one of the most well known pieces of guitar music from the sixties, the Jimi Hendrix rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner". Hendrix would die in London in 1970, although the exact circumstances surrounding his death have been muddy for decades, with no one conclusively creating a picture of his final hours.
Masters of Trivia is a website dedicated to trivia games and quizzes that cover several different areas of interest. The various trivia questions available on the site can be easily accessed and played by going to http://www.mastersoftrivia.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_S._Ruppert
http://EzineArticles.com/?Rock-and-Roll-Artist---Jimi-Hendrix&id=2991319
OPINION: Who is Your Pick For the Best Guitarist Ever?
By Mike Faulk
Since music is such a subjective and personal experience, there is really no way to make any sort of meaningful determination of who is the best at anything. But we all have our favorites.
Those of us that love the guitar and the incredible sounds that come from it usually have our favorites as well. There are those two or three players that just move us. Their playing speaks to us. We can feel the emotion coming off of the strings as surely as if they were sitting down one on one with us and pouring out their hearts. It's almost as if we become part of the music.
A great portion of what passes for talent today is sad, really. Kids don't have that much to lock on to, at least stuff that will still be heard when they are old guys like me. I'm really happy that my sons, 11 and 15, both really like "my music".
I like a lot of musical styles; rock, country, some jazz ... but what really gets to me is the blues. A really strong, slow blues guitar will take me away from all my worries, all my cares. There are and have been a lot of really great blues guitar players over the years, as well as great players in other genres. Without going through the list of greats, there are a couple I'd like to mention.
My favorite current guitarist of any genre is Eric Clapton. There are those who say he's too commercialized, but I disagree. Popular and successful - without question. But I think the reason for that is because he is so amazingly good at what he does. He truly feels the blues when he plays. I've seen him live only once and it was incredible. His live performance of "River of Tears" on the "One More Car One More Rider" album is maybe the best pure playing I've ever heard.
Right there with Clapton is my other favorite - Duanne Allman. It was truly a loss to the musical world when he died so young; we can only imagine what might have come if he had continued. What he accomplished in his short time with us has stood the test of time. I believe him to be the greatest slide guitarist ever.
By the way, my favorite band of all time is the Allman Brothers Band. I don't know of any band who has ever has the consistent collection of pure musical talent on the stage at the same time. If you have never seen them - go. Just go. While you still can. The current lineup with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks is just as good as any they have ever had. Strong words from a true fan I know, especially in the company of Duanne and Dicky Betts - but they are that good. Both Haynes and Trucks earn very, very high ratings in my book. When I saw Clapton live Derek Trucks was with him. Incredible.
I don't want to ramble on, but I can't end this part of what I hope will be a discussion without talking about Robert Johnson. His writing, creativity and playing are beyond description. But the truly amazing part about him is the greats he influenced, and how readily they all give credit to him.
Anyway, there is my two cents worth. There are many greats I'm intentionally leaving out, because I want to hear about them from you. I'd really like to hear the thoughts and opinions of others. What do you think?
http://commonconservativesense.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Faulk
http://EzineArticles.com/?Who-is-Your-Pick-For-the-Best-Guitarist-Ever?&id=2949004
Since music is such a subjective and personal experience, there is really no way to make any sort of meaningful determination of who is the best at anything. But we all have our favorites.
Those of us that love the guitar and the incredible sounds that come from it usually have our favorites as well. There are those two or three players that just move us. Their playing speaks to us. We can feel the emotion coming off of the strings as surely as if they were sitting down one on one with us and pouring out their hearts. It's almost as if we become part of the music.
A great portion of what passes for talent today is sad, really. Kids don't have that much to lock on to, at least stuff that will still be heard when they are old guys like me. I'm really happy that my sons, 11 and 15, both really like "my music".
I like a lot of musical styles; rock, country, some jazz ... but what really gets to me is the blues. A really strong, slow blues guitar will take me away from all my worries, all my cares. There are and have been a lot of really great blues guitar players over the years, as well as great players in other genres. Without going through the list of greats, there are a couple I'd like to mention.
My favorite current guitarist of any genre is Eric Clapton. There are those who say he's too commercialized, but I disagree. Popular and successful - without question. But I think the reason for that is because he is so amazingly good at what he does. He truly feels the blues when he plays. I've seen him live only once and it was incredible. His live performance of "River of Tears" on the "One More Car One More Rider" album is maybe the best pure playing I've ever heard.
Right there with Clapton is my other favorite - Duanne Allman. It was truly a loss to the musical world when he died so young; we can only imagine what might have come if he had continued. What he accomplished in his short time with us has stood the test of time. I believe him to be the greatest slide guitarist ever.
By the way, my favorite band of all time is the Allman Brothers Band. I don't know of any band who has ever has the consistent collection of pure musical talent on the stage at the same time. If you have never seen them - go. Just go. While you still can. The current lineup with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks is just as good as any they have ever had. Strong words from a true fan I know, especially in the company of Duanne and Dicky Betts - but they are that good. Both Haynes and Trucks earn very, very high ratings in my book. When I saw Clapton live Derek Trucks was with him. Incredible.
I don't want to ramble on, but I can't end this part of what I hope will be a discussion without talking about Robert Johnson. His writing, creativity and playing are beyond description. But the truly amazing part about him is the greats he influenced, and how readily they all give credit to him.
Anyway, there is my two cents worth. There are many greats I'm intentionally leaving out, because I want to hear about them from you. I'd really like to hear the thoughts and opinions of others. What do you think?
http://commonconservativesense.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Faulk
http://EzineArticles.com/?Who-is-Your-Pick-For-the-Best-Guitarist-Ever?&id=2949004
The Origins and Scope of the Rolling Stones' Music
By Nathan Stallings
The Rolling Stones were like many other British acts of the 1960s as they were heavily influenced by American rock 'n' roll and R&B. They were at the leading edge of the so-called British Invasion of the mid-1960s, as the Stones and contemporaries such as the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Kinks, the Animals, the Yardbirds, the Who, Herman's Hermits and the Hollies all made at least a significant showing on the charts, both in America and at home in Britain. Out of all of those groups, the Beatles, in spite of breaking up in 1970, became and still remain the most successful act in music history in terms of sales and influence.
The Rolling Stones became a constant presence that is still active today. In addition to their longevity, the Stones have had significant success on the charts in America, Britain, and around the world. There is little doubt that any act since the Beatles fails to meet the Beatles' standards, however there are few acts that meet the standards of the Stones either. For the most part, comparing the Beatles to the Stones is like comparing apples to oranges as they have different styles, with the Beatles being more influenced by early rock 'n' roll while the Stones were not only influenced by early rock 'n' roll but also by American Blues.
As noted above, the Stones and their British contemporaries were indeed influenced by early American rock 'n' roll artists such as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly the Everly Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis, and therefore had a foundation deeply rooted in rock 'n' roll.
Once again, what made the Stones stand out from the Beatles and all of their other contemporaries, save for maybe the Yardbirds, was the fact that they were also heavily influenced by American Blues and R&B artists such as Muddy Waters, Rev. Gary Davis, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf and Arthur Alexander.
A significant majority of the Stones' recordings from their first three years (1963-1965) showcased both their rock 'n' roll influences and their blues influences. As a matter of fact a great deal of their recordings from this period would be cover songs of the American Blues and R&B artists mentioned above.
As the years went on however, the Stones added and incorporated more genres into their blues and rock 'n' roll foundation such as country, folk, baroque pop, psychedelia, adult contemporary, reggae, dub, new wave, punk and disco too name a few. It is this characteristic of the band which has made them very successful over the years as their ability to incorporate these other genres into their repertoire has enabled them to build upon their original foundation and consequently build an enormously successful career.
Artists that influenced the Stones to incorporate news genres into their sound include George Jones, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Otis Redding. Hits and popular songs over the years such as "Ruby Tuesday," "Angie," "Wild Horses," 'Tumbling Dice," "Miss You," "Paint It Black," "Sympathy For The Devil," "Start Me Up" and "Honky Tonk Women" are all indicative of their musical diversity.
"Ruby Tuesday" is baroque pop; "Angie" is a 70s-style adult contemporary ballad; "Miss You" is a disco-rock fusion; "Wild Horses" and "Honky Tonk Women" have a strong country influence; "Tumbling Dice" is inflicted with gospel and soul; "Paint It Black" is eastern-tinged psychedelia; "Sympathy For The Devil" has a tribal meets rock 'n' roll sound, while "Start Me Up," although sounding like a straight-forward rocker, is in fact a reggae based track. Even their biggest hit, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," is an example of the Stones building upon their foundation as it features a much harder edge than their early cover songs.
The sound of the Stones would help lay the groundwork for a diverse array of rock artists which followed them such as Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, The Doors, The Stooges, Thin Lizzy, Oasis, Blur, The Stone Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, T. Rex, The Ramones, AC/DC, Creedence Clearwater Revival, New York Dolls, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Earle, Neil Young, Elton John, The Sex Pistols, Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam - and that is just the first generation.
One must consider the number of artists that the Stones-influenced artists have influenced themselves. The only thing that is as long-lasting as the Rolling Stones themselves is without a doubt the legacy they have left and will continue to leave even after the band calls it a day. When that day comes, it will be long after most of their British Invasion contemporaries have hung it up, most of them retiring back in the '60s and '70s. As rock music has changed, and even faltered over the years, the Rolling Stones remain one of the few constants as an excellent source of entertainment.
My name is Nathan Stallings and my interests are both popular music and music history. Some of my favorite artists are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Smiths, David Bowie, The Kinks, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, R.E.M., Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Muddy Waters, The Cars, Miles Davis, Smashing Pumpkins, Merle Haggard and The Cure too name a few. You can visit my Rolling Stones website at: http://www.rollingstonesuniverse.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Stallings
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Origins-and-Scope-of-the-Rolling-Stones-Music&id=2947729
The Rolling Stones were like many other British acts of the 1960s as they were heavily influenced by American rock 'n' roll and R&B. They were at the leading edge of the so-called British Invasion of the mid-1960s, as the Stones and contemporaries such as the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Kinks, the Animals, the Yardbirds, the Who, Herman's Hermits and the Hollies all made at least a significant showing on the charts, both in America and at home in Britain. Out of all of those groups, the Beatles, in spite of breaking up in 1970, became and still remain the most successful act in music history in terms of sales and influence.
The Rolling Stones became a constant presence that is still active today. In addition to their longevity, the Stones have had significant success on the charts in America, Britain, and around the world. There is little doubt that any act since the Beatles fails to meet the Beatles' standards, however there are few acts that meet the standards of the Stones either. For the most part, comparing the Beatles to the Stones is like comparing apples to oranges as they have different styles, with the Beatles being more influenced by early rock 'n' roll while the Stones were not only influenced by early rock 'n' roll but also by American Blues.
As noted above, the Stones and their British contemporaries were indeed influenced by early American rock 'n' roll artists such as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly the Everly Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis, and therefore had a foundation deeply rooted in rock 'n' roll.
Once again, what made the Stones stand out from the Beatles and all of their other contemporaries, save for maybe the Yardbirds, was the fact that they were also heavily influenced by American Blues and R&B artists such as Muddy Waters, Rev. Gary Davis, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf and Arthur Alexander.
A significant majority of the Stones' recordings from their first three years (1963-1965) showcased both their rock 'n' roll influences and their blues influences. As a matter of fact a great deal of their recordings from this period would be cover songs of the American Blues and R&B artists mentioned above.
As the years went on however, the Stones added and incorporated more genres into their blues and rock 'n' roll foundation such as country, folk, baroque pop, psychedelia, adult contemporary, reggae, dub, new wave, punk and disco too name a few. It is this characteristic of the band which has made them very successful over the years as their ability to incorporate these other genres into their repertoire has enabled them to build upon their original foundation and consequently build an enormously successful career.
Artists that influenced the Stones to incorporate news genres into their sound include George Jones, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Otis Redding. Hits and popular songs over the years such as "Ruby Tuesday," "Angie," "Wild Horses," 'Tumbling Dice," "Miss You," "Paint It Black," "Sympathy For The Devil," "Start Me Up" and "Honky Tonk Women" are all indicative of their musical diversity.
"Ruby Tuesday" is baroque pop; "Angie" is a 70s-style adult contemporary ballad; "Miss You" is a disco-rock fusion; "Wild Horses" and "Honky Tonk Women" have a strong country influence; "Tumbling Dice" is inflicted with gospel and soul; "Paint It Black" is eastern-tinged psychedelia; "Sympathy For The Devil" has a tribal meets rock 'n' roll sound, while "Start Me Up," although sounding like a straight-forward rocker, is in fact a reggae based track. Even their biggest hit, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," is an example of the Stones building upon their foundation as it features a much harder edge than their early cover songs.
The sound of the Stones would help lay the groundwork for a diverse array of rock artists which followed them such as Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, The Doors, The Stooges, Thin Lizzy, Oasis, Blur, The Stone Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, T. Rex, The Ramones, AC/DC, Creedence Clearwater Revival, New York Dolls, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Earle, Neil Young, Elton John, The Sex Pistols, Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam - and that is just the first generation.
One must consider the number of artists that the Stones-influenced artists have influenced themselves. The only thing that is as long-lasting as the Rolling Stones themselves is without a doubt the legacy they have left and will continue to leave even after the band calls it a day. When that day comes, it will be long after most of their British Invasion contemporaries have hung it up, most of them retiring back in the '60s and '70s. As rock music has changed, and even faltered over the years, the Rolling Stones remain one of the few constants as an excellent source of entertainment.
My name is Nathan Stallings and my interests are both popular music and music history. Some of my favorite artists are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Smiths, David Bowie, The Kinks, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, R.E.M., Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Muddy Waters, The Cars, Miles Davis, Smashing Pumpkins, Merle Haggard and The Cure too name a few. You can visit my Rolling Stones website at: http://www.rollingstonesuniverse.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Stallings
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Origins-and-Scope-of-the-Rolling-Stones-Music&id=2947729
OPINION: Would I Have Liked Lord Lucan?
By William Coles
A number of people have asked me what Lord Lucan was actually like; would I have liked him? Well I used to think that I would have got on with quite well. But the devil, as always, is in the detail.
From all the stories, and the books about him, not to mention the pictures, the 7th Earl of Lucan looks like a bit of a rake. Very cool and aloof, puffing away on his cigarettes; certainly a man who was aware of his position in society. Going a bit to seed as well, and even though he was only 39 when he disappeared, looking a bit flabby. And, without a doubt, he was a man's man. He loved the company of men, I suppose because he understood them much better than he did women, who were always something of a mystery to him.
He loved his wine and his food, his motorboats and his winter-sports - and, of course, his games. So, if he felt that you were smart enough to be admitted into his exclusive circle of friendship, then Lucan would have been cordial enough. Not, I daresay, exactly riveting company, but perfectly amenable.
And yet ... how does this all square with his fascination with shoe-laces - or his extraordinary diet?
On the matter of shoe-laces, Lord Lucan was quite clear. A man's laces had to be done up army-style, that is running parallel straight across. He could not abide shoe-laces that criss-crossed diagonally, and any man who wore his shoes in such a manner was, in Lord Lucan's light, contemptible.
The second rather odd little fact about Lord Lucan is that, most days of the week, he had lunch at his gambling club, the Clermont. He didn't need to look at the menu - because every day, without exception, he had exactly the same luncheon: Smoked salmon, followed by lamb cutlets.
Two tiny little stories, just a small fraction of a man's life. And yet they reveal so much about Lord Lucan.
Perhaps, on second thoughts, I don't think I'd have liked Lord Lucan very much at all.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?Would-I-Have-Liked-Lord-Lucan?&id=2954058
A number of people have asked me what Lord Lucan was actually like; would I have liked him? Well I used to think that I would have got on with quite well. But the devil, as always, is in the detail.
From all the stories, and the books about him, not to mention the pictures, the 7th Earl of Lucan looks like a bit of a rake. Very cool and aloof, puffing away on his cigarettes; certainly a man who was aware of his position in society. Going a bit to seed as well, and even though he was only 39 when he disappeared, looking a bit flabby. And, without a doubt, he was a man's man. He loved the company of men, I suppose because he understood them much better than he did women, who were always something of a mystery to him.
He loved his wine and his food, his motorboats and his winter-sports - and, of course, his games. So, if he felt that you were smart enough to be admitted into his exclusive circle of friendship, then Lucan would have been cordial enough. Not, I daresay, exactly riveting company, but perfectly amenable.
And yet ... how does this all square with his fascination with shoe-laces - or his extraordinary diet?
On the matter of shoe-laces, Lord Lucan was quite clear. A man's laces had to be done up army-style, that is running parallel straight across. He could not abide shoe-laces that criss-crossed diagonally, and any man who wore his shoes in such a manner was, in Lord Lucan's light, contemptible.
The second rather odd little fact about Lord Lucan is that, most days of the week, he had lunch at his gambling club, the Clermont. He didn't need to look at the menu - because every day, without exception, he had exactly the same luncheon: Smoked salmon, followed by lamb cutlets.
Two tiny little stories, just a small fraction of a man's life. And yet they reveal so much about Lord Lucan.
Perhaps, on second thoughts, I don't think I'd have liked Lord Lucan very much at all.
William Coles is the talented English editor of Lord Lucan My Story. He is also the author of a moving novel, Prelude, which was published in the UK under the title The Well Tempered Clavier.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Coles
http://EzineArticles.com/?Would-I-Have-Liked-Lord-Lucan?&id=2954058
ALBUM REVIEW: The Rolling Stones - Some Girls (1978)
By Nathan Stallings
Following the release of 1976's Black and Blue, the 1970s musical landscape changed dramatically as artists like the Rolling Stones would be sideswiped by punk and disco. Instead of rolling over and fading into oblivion, the Stones roared back with one of their best releases, Some Girls. This is not to take away from Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, or Black and Blue, as they were great, but a new way was in order.
Instead of incorporating genres such as disco into their sound, the Stones challenged disco on its turf with the opening track and international #1 hit "Miss You," not to mention punk with songs such as "Lies" and "Shattered." The subject matter is quite controversial this time around with the homosexual imagery of "When the Whip Comes Down," and interracial relationships described (and satirized) in the title track.
As exemplified in Exile On Main Street and even before, the band (especially Jagger and Richards) have had a fascination with country music and this was brought to light in the country parody "Far Away Eyes." Ballads of course are always in order as "Beast Of Burden" was one of their biggest ballads, charting at #8 in the U.S. while the band's version of the Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" shows that they can still deliver one hell of a cover.
The Chuck Berry-style rocker "Respectable" takes a swipe at their image a-la It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, while Keith Richards' "Before They Make Me Run" is a kind of "f___ you" to the authority figures who tried to bring him down for his drug use and lifestyle in general. And that brings us one of the main reasons Some Girls was a success.
Keith Richards barely escaped a potentially long sentence for drug trafficking in connection with an arrest in Canada, so this is the sound of the Stones emerging from their (Richards') mid-'70s haze and it sounds wonderful. Having guitarist Ron Wood fully incorporated into the band helps too as Some Girls would not only become their biggest seller ever but one of the grestest rock albums of the late 1970s, if not the past thirty or thirty-five years.
My name is Nathan Stallings and my interests are both popular music and music history. Some of my favorite artists are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Smiths, David Bowie, The Kinks, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, R.E.M., Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Muddy Waters, The Cars, Miles Davis, Smashing Pumpkins, Merle Haggard and The Cure too name a few. You can visit my Rolling Stones website at: http://www.rollingstonesuniverse.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Stallings
http://EzineArticles.com/?Album-Review---The-Rolling-Stones,-Some-Girls-(1978)&id=2968480
Following the release of 1976's Black and Blue, the 1970s musical landscape changed dramatically as artists like the Rolling Stones would be sideswiped by punk and disco. Instead of rolling over and fading into oblivion, the Stones roared back with one of their best releases, Some Girls. This is not to take away from Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, or Black and Blue, as they were great, but a new way was in order.
Instead of incorporating genres such as disco into their sound, the Stones challenged disco on its turf with the opening track and international #1 hit "Miss You," not to mention punk with songs such as "Lies" and "Shattered." The subject matter is quite controversial this time around with the homosexual imagery of "When the Whip Comes Down," and interracial relationships described (and satirized) in the title track.
As exemplified in Exile On Main Street and even before, the band (especially Jagger and Richards) have had a fascination with country music and this was brought to light in the country parody "Far Away Eyes." Ballads of course are always in order as "Beast Of Burden" was one of their biggest ballads, charting at #8 in the U.S. while the band's version of the Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" shows that they can still deliver one hell of a cover.
The Chuck Berry-style rocker "Respectable" takes a swipe at their image a-la It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, while Keith Richards' "Before They Make Me Run" is a kind of "f___ you" to the authority figures who tried to bring him down for his drug use and lifestyle in general. And that brings us one of the main reasons Some Girls was a success.
Keith Richards barely escaped a potentially long sentence for drug trafficking in connection with an arrest in Canada, so this is the sound of the Stones emerging from their (Richards') mid-'70s haze and it sounds wonderful. Having guitarist Ron Wood fully incorporated into the band helps too as Some Girls would not only become their biggest seller ever but one of the grestest rock albums of the late 1970s, if not the past thirty or thirty-five years.
My name is Nathan Stallings and my interests are both popular music and music history. Some of my favorite artists are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Smiths, David Bowie, The Kinks, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, R.E.M., Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Muddy Waters, The Cars, Miles Davis, Smashing Pumpkins, Merle Haggard and The Cure too name a few. You can visit my Rolling Stones website at: http://www.rollingstonesuniverse.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Stallings
http://EzineArticles.com/?Album-Review---The-Rolling-Stones,-Some-Girls-(1978)&id=2968480
ALBUM REVIEW: The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (1974)
By Nathan Stallings
What a dark album. From the get-go, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll shows its true colors with the first track "If You Can't Rock Me" and its lyric "if you can't rock with me, somebody will." It's Only Rock 'n' Roll is somewhat of a parody of the Rolling Stones and their so-called "rock n' roll lifestyle" by the band themselves.
The cynical title track exemplifies this with the lyrics "if I could stick a knife in my heart and spill it all over the stage, would it satisfy you, would it slide on by you, would you think the boy's insane, he's insa-a-a-ane." The reggae-influenced "Luxury" deals with the struggle to keep satisfied those that feed off of the band's rock n' roll lifestyle (namely significant others and groupies) while "Short And Curlies" boldly proclaims "she's got you by the balls," and "Dance Little Sister" drives home this point home with its incessant chorus.
This underlying cynicism is even present in the album's two so-called ballads, "If You Really Want To Be My Friend" and "Till The Next Goodbye," as the titles somewhat suggest. The haunting "Time Waits For No One" drives these points home most effectively with lyrics such as "as we're sated in leisure, we watch it (time) fly," as the rock n' roll lifestyle, which at the time was Mick Jagger's growing A-list celebrity status and Keith Richard's growing junkie status, is consuming their lives.
Then there's the final track "Fingerprint File" with its worn backing vocals by Richards and it's paranoid lyrics about "some little girl at the FBI keeping papers on me six feet high." On the bright side there is a reprieve from all the paranoid cynicism with the band's cover of the Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," which also became a Top 20 hit. This is the sound of a band where a decade of fame has finally caught up with them and they are just sick of everything and everyone.
My name is Nathan Stallings and my interests are both popular music and music history. Some of my favorite artists are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Smiths, David Bowie, The Kinks, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, R.E.M., Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Muddy Waters, The Cars, Miles Davis, Smashing Pumpkins, Merle Haggard and The Cure too name a few. You can visit my Rolling Stones website at: http://www.rollingstonesuniverse.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Stallings
http://EzineArticles.com/?Album-Review---The-Rolling-Stones,-Its-Only-Rock-n-Roll-(1974)&id=2968439
What a dark album. From the get-go, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll shows its true colors with the first track "If You Can't Rock Me" and its lyric "if you can't rock with me, somebody will." It's Only Rock 'n' Roll is somewhat of a parody of the Rolling Stones and their so-called "rock n' roll lifestyle" by the band themselves.
The cynical title track exemplifies this with the lyrics "if I could stick a knife in my heart and spill it all over the stage, would it satisfy you, would it slide on by you, would you think the boy's insane, he's insa-a-a-ane." The reggae-influenced "Luxury" deals with the struggle to keep satisfied those that feed off of the band's rock n' roll lifestyle (namely significant others and groupies) while "Short And Curlies" boldly proclaims "she's got you by the balls," and "Dance Little Sister" drives home this point home with its incessant chorus.
This underlying cynicism is even present in the album's two so-called ballads, "If You Really Want To Be My Friend" and "Till The Next Goodbye," as the titles somewhat suggest. The haunting "Time Waits For No One" drives these points home most effectively with lyrics such as "as we're sated in leisure, we watch it (time) fly," as the rock n' roll lifestyle, which at the time was Mick Jagger's growing A-list celebrity status and Keith Richard's growing junkie status, is consuming their lives.
Then there's the final track "Fingerprint File" with its worn backing vocals by Richards and it's paranoid lyrics about "some little girl at the FBI keeping papers on me six feet high." On the bright side there is a reprieve from all the paranoid cynicism with the band's cover of the Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," which also became a Top 20 hit. This is the sound of a band where a decade of fame has finally caught up with them and they are just sick of everything and everyone.
My name is Nathan Stallings and my interests are both popular music and music history. Some of my favorite artists are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Smiths, David Bowie, The Kinks, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, R.E.M., Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Muddy Waters, The Cars, Miles Davis, Smashing Pumpkins, Merle Haggard and The Cure too name a few. You can visit my Rolling Stones website at: http://www.rollingstonesuniverse.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Stallings
http://EzineArticles.com/?Album-Review---The-Rolling-Stones,-Its-Only-Rock-n-Roll-(1974)&id=2968439
One After Nine O Nine O Nine - Memories From the Beatles Christmas Show
By Steve Taite
As a clever marketing gimmick the newly remastered and packaged Beatles catalog was released on 09-09-09. This should come as no surprise to anyone as from the early days the group was heavily marketed, often to the fab fours great displeasure. One needs only to look at the original EP boxed set of the Magical Mystery Tour, the Yellow Submarine soundtrack or the Let it Be box to see what I mean.
It was with similar thoughts in mind that Brian Epstein organized the infamous Beatles Christmas Shows. I was at one of these concerts in 1964 that I had the rare opportunity of seeing the Beatles live in concert. I put the emphasis on seeing as hearing their music wasn't actually part of the deal, but more about that later.
My first encounter with the Beatles was a year earlier in the summer of '63. I was a smallish eleven year old being shipped off the summer school in Hastings. Because of a freak accident caused by the fact that the driver of the double decker bus we were on misjudged the height of the bridge he tried to drive under, we made an unscheduled stop along the way. The roofless bus was forced to park outside a neighbourhood pub and us kids had no choice but to invade the adjacent record store.
"Have you heard the new Beatles single?" asked the cute blond eleven year old in pigtails standing beside me. "Of course I have, I think it's terrific" was the only answer I could come up with and proceeded to the cashiers to make my historic purchase of "She Loves You".
In December 1964 my mother surprised me with the news that she was crazy enough to agree to take me and my cousin Barbara to see JPGR at the Hammersmith Odeon. Now a word of explanation. For those of you envisioning a 2 1/2 hour rock concert with huge speakers, strobe lighting and hippies, let me put you straight. Rock music hadn't been invented yet, neither had the venues to house it and the Beatles cute haircuts were the trend. The Hammersmith Odeon was a cinema and what the audience got was a variety show of the kind popular at the time including pantomime, quaint scenery and stupid sketches. The show was compered by Top of the Pop's Jimmy Savile.
Jimmy began by introducing, one by one all the acts due to perform. Freddy and the Dreamers walked on, the crowd screamed "we want the Beatles", then the Yardbirds with the young Eric Clapton, more screams from the audience with shouting matches between hysterical Paul and John fans. When I say fans you must understand that the majority of the audience was made up of 13 year old girls, and of course all of these screamers were accompanied by their screaming mothers.
When Jummy Savile had finished introducing the rest of the acts it was time. "And last but not least John, Paul, George and Ringo - the Beatles. Nothing happened. Again he announced them, again nothing. Now we are talking about hysterical twelve and thirteen year olds ready to die for a glimpse of their heroes. The situation could easily turn into a bloodbath. Then from above the stage a Beatles filled cage slowly descended and all hell broke loose. My hearing has never been the same.
And so the evening continued. After the Yardbirds played their set the Beatles returned, dressed as Antarctic explorers, in a sketch about searching for the Abominable Snowman. The only one on stage who had any acting ability was of course Ringo, so it was him that the snowman chased after accompanied by yet more hysterical screams fom the audience.
After a few more acts and a lot of corny jokes, the Beatles finally returned to the stage and actually got to do what they were good at, playing music. Their entire set comprised of a mere eleven songs - thirty minutes tops. The opened with Twist and Shout, then I'm a Loser, Baby's in Black, Everybody's Trying to be my Baby, Can't Buy me Love, Honey Don't, I Feel Fine, She's a Woman, A Hard Day's Night, Rock and Roll Music and finally Long Tall Sally. Not the best selection and unfortunately no She Loves You.
I was one of the only boys in the audience, and as such was under the illusion that I had actually come to hear some music, unfortunately the deafening screams surrounding me wouldn't Let it Be.
Steve Taite - The Taite Gallery Blog: http://taitegallery.blogspot.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Taite
http://EzineArticles.com/?One-After-Nine-O-Nine-O-Nine---Memories-From-the-Beatles-Christmas-Show&id=2959657
As a clever marketing gimmick the newly remastered and packaged Beatles catalog was released on 09-09-09. This should come as no surprise to anyone as from the early days the group was heavily marketed, often to the fab fours great displeasure. One needs only to look at the original EP boxed set of the Magical Mystery Tour, the Yellow Submarine soundtrack or the Let it Be box to see what I mean.
It was with similar thoughts in mind that Brian Epstein organized the infamous Beatles Christmas Shows. I was at one of these concerts in 1964 that I had the rare opportunity of seeing the Beatles live in concert. I put the emphasis on seeing as hearing their music wasn't actually part of the deal, but more about that later.
My first encounter with the Beatles was a year earlier in the summer of '63. I was a smallish eleven year old being shipped off the summer school in Hastings. Because of a freak accident caused by the fact that the driver of the double decker bus we were on misjudged the height of the bridge he tried to drive under, we made an unscheduled stop along the way. The roofless bus was forced to park outside a neighbourhood pub and us kids had no choice but to invade the adjacent record store.
"Have you heard the new Beatles single?" asked the cute blond eleven year old in pigtails standing beside me. "Of course I have, I think it's terrific" was the only answer I could come up with and proceeded to the cashiers to make my historic purchase of "She Loves You".
In December 1964 my mother surprised me with the news that she was crazy enough to agree to take me and my cousin Barbara to see JPGR at the Hammersmith Odeon. Now a word of explanation. For those of you envisioning a 2 1/2 hour rock concert with huge speakers, strobe lighting and hippies, let me put you straight. Rock music hadn't been invented yet, neither had the venues to house it and the Beatles cute haircuts were the trend. The Hammersmith Odeon was a cinema and what the audience got was a variety show of the kind popular at the time including pantomime, quaint scenery and stupid sketches. The show was compered by Top of the Pop's Jimmy Savile.
Jimmy began by introducing, one by one all the acts due to perform. Freddy and the Dreamers walked on, the crowd screamed "we want the Beatles", then the Yardbirds with the young Eric Clapton, more screams from the audience with shouting matches between hysterical Paul and John fans. When I say fans you must understand that the majority of the audience was made up of 13 year old girls, and of course all of these screamers were accompanied by their screaming mothers.
When Jummy Savile had finished introducing the rest of the acts it was time. "And last but not least John, Paul, George and Ringo - the Beatles. Nothing happened. Again he announced them, again nothing. Now we are talking about hysterical twelve and thirteen year olds ready to die for a glimpse of their heroes. The situation could easily turn into a bloodbath. Then from above the stage a Beatles filled cage slowly descended and all hell broke loose. My hearing has never been the same.
And so the evening continued. After the Yardbirds played their set the Beatles returned, dressed as Antarctic explorers, in a sketch about searching for the Abominable Snowman. The only one on stage who had any acting ability was of course Ringo, so it was him that the snowman chased after accompanied by yet more hysterical screams fom the audience.
After a few more acts and a lot of corny jokes, the Beatles finally returned to the stage and actually got to do what they were good at, playing music. Their entire set comprised of a mere eleven songs - thirty minutes tops. The opened with Twist and Shout, then I'm a Loser, Baby's in Black, Everybody's Trying to be my Baby, Can't Buy me Love, Honey Don't, I Feel Fine, She's a Woman, A Hard Day's Night, Rock and Roll Music and finally Long Tall Sally. Not the best selection and unfortunately no She Loves You.
I was one of the only boys in the audience, and as such was under the illusion that I had actually come to hear some music, unfortunately the deafening screams surrounding me wouldn't Let it Be.
Steve Taite - The Taite Gallery Blog: http://taitegallery.blogspot.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Taite
http://EzineArticles.com/?One-After-Nine-O-Nine-O-Nine---Memories-From-the-Beatles-Christmas-Show&id=2959657
Beatles Box Sets - Remastered
By Ted J Brown
Beatles fans rejoice! Remastered Beatles CD's are here.
If you have previously owned a remastered Beatles CD, you probably had the "first generation" technology that was done back in the 80s. This early technology was good at the time, but junk compared to the digital remastering that can be accomplished today. Just as the rest of technology has improved over the last 25 years, so too has remastering technology.
If you love the Beatles, you are going to love this box set. All thirteen original UK albums have been remastered. Also, as a bonus, the "Past Masters" collection is also being remastered. If you remember, the past masters is a compilation of Beatles songs recorded in the 1960s but not included on any of their studio albums. Songs such as "Hey Jude" and a spicier version of "Revolution" which can be found as a single but not part of an album.
Two types of Box sets
If you are a Beatles purest, you may want to choose the "Mono" version of the box set which is a collection of the 10 albums recorded in mono. This set also included the "past masters" mono version as well. If you want to hear Beatles music with all of the best remastering and balancing today's technology can create, then you should definitely choose the stereo box set. You will get all thirteen albums, digitally remastered, as well as the past masters, and other bonus material such as a DVD documentary about the making of each album. A must have for true Beatles fans.
For some killer deals on Dolce and Gabbana merchandise, check out dolce and gabbana sunglasses, and Dolce and Gabbana Watches.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_J_Brown
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beatles-Box-Sets---Remastered&id=2979776
Beatles fans rejoice! Remastered Beatles CD's are here.
If you have previously owned a remastered Beatles CD, you probably had the "first generation" technology that was done back in the 80s. This early technology was good at the time, but junk compared to the digital remastering that can be accomplished today. Just as the rest of technology has improved over the last 25 years, so too has remastering technology.
If you love the Beatles, you are going to love this box set. All thirteen original UK albums have been remastered. Also, as a bonus, the "Past Masters" collection is also being remastered. If you remember, the past masters is a compilation of Beatles songs recorded in the 1960s but not included on any of their studio albums. Songs such as "Hey Jude" and a spicier version of "Revolution" which can be found as a single but not part of an album.
Two types of Box sets
If you are a Beatles purest, you may want to choose the "Mono" version of the box set which is a collection of the 10 albums recorded in mono. This set also included the "past masters" mono version as well. If you want to hear Beatles music with all of the best remastering and balancing today's technology can create, then you should definitely choose the stereo box set. You will get all thirteen albums, digitally remastered, as well as the past masters, and other bonus material such as a DVD documentary about the making of each album. A must have for true Beatles fans.
For some killer deals on Dolce and Gabbana merchandise, check out dolce and gabbana sunglasses, and Dolce and Gabbana Watches.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_J_Brown
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beatles-Box-Sets---Remastered&id=2979776
Christmas Shopping For Beatles Fans Has Never Been Easier
by Jake Topp
On 9/9/9 three really cool new Beatles products were released; The Beatles in Stereo Box Set, The Beatles in Mono Box Set, and The Beatles Rock Band Video Game. These three new great gift possibilities has made Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) shopping for a fan of the greatest band of all time easier than ever before.
These box sets are excellent gifts for any fan. In fact, I think they are such great gifts that many fans wouldn't even mind having a second copy (particularly of the mono box as it's likely to become a collectible) even if they already own one! The video game is a great gift for anyone who already has an XBox 360, PS3, or Wii gaming system. Of course if they don't already have such a system then you would have to buy them a gaming system too because the game is no use without the system to play it on!
The stereo box set includes every UK album the band released from 1962 through '70 in remastered stereo. What does remastered mean? Well it doesn't mean remixed so don't expect new mixes, instead it just means that the mixes you are probably already used to (on the old CDs) have been remastered so that they sound much better. That may not seem like a big deal but it is. It's a big deal precisely because the old CDs were actually mastered very poorly so there was a lot of room for improvement. Most fans have been blown away by how much better the new mixes sound.
They are "warmer" with more of the original analog tape sound because they were were mastered with much greater clarity directly from the original tapes. They also don't take part in the "loudness wars" which have ruined so many modern CDs. These remastered stereo CDs sound excellent in every way and it's amazing how many new details can be heard in the music because of the new clarity. The drums and the bass in particular sound far better!
The mono box set includes all of their official UK albums (including Magical Mystery Tour although it was originally released as an EP) except for Let It Be, Abbey Road, and Yellow Submarine in their original mono mixes. Those three were left off because they were never mixed in stereo.
These mono mixes are of huge interest to "purists" who want to hear their music as it was "intended to be heard" because The Beatles themselves worked very hard on getting the mono mixes just right while basically ignoring the stereo mixes (because stereo wasn't seen as very important at the time.)
Jake Topp recommends the http://www.MusicByDay.com music blog for all lovers of The Beatles music.
On 9/9/9 three really cool new Beatles products were released; The Beatles in Stereo Box Set, The Beatles in Mono Box Set, and The Beatles Rock Band Video Game. These three new great gift possibilities has made Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) shopping for a fan of the greatest band of all time easier than ever before.
These box sets are excellent gifts for any fan. In fact, I think they are such great gifts that many fans wouldn't even mind having a second copy (particularly of the mono box as it's likely to become a collectible) even if they already own one! The video game is a great gift for anyone who already has an XBox 360, PS3, or Wii gaming system. Of course if they don't already have such a system then you would have to buy them a gaming system too because the game is no use without the system to play it on!
The stereo box set includes every UK album the band released from 1962 through '70 in remastered stereo. What does remastered mean? Well it doesn't mean remixed so don't expect new mixes, instead it just means that the mixes you are probably already used to (on the old CDs) have been remastered so that they sound much better. That may not seem like a big deal but it is. It's a big deal precisely because the old CDs were actually mastered very poorly so there was a lot of room for improvement. Most fans have been blown away by how much better the new mixes sound.
They are "warmer" with more of the original analog tape sound because they were were mastered with much greater clarity directly from the original tapes. They also don't take part in the "loudness wars" which have ruined so many modern CDs. These remastered stereo CDs sound excellent in every way and it's amazing how many new details can be heard in the music because of the new clarity. The drums and the bass in particular sound far better!
The mono box set includes all of their official UK albums (including Magical Mystery Tour although it was originally released as an EP) except for Let It Be, Abbey Road, and Yellow Submarine in their original mono mixes. Those three were left off because they were never mixed in stereo.
These mono mixes are of huge interest to "purists" who want to hear their music as it was "intended to be heard" because The Beatles themselves worked very hard on getting the mono mixes just right while basically ignoring the stereo mixes (because stereo wasn't seen as very important at the time.)
Jake Topp recommends the http://www.MusicByDay.com music blog for all lovers of The Beatles music.
Bonnie Raitt - She's Still Got Something to Talk About
by Brent Warnken
The BonTaj Roulet Tour is in full bluesy swing, as veteran musicians enjoy every minute of their summer tour turned fall stint throughout the States. She is touring with Taj Mahal through September before she heads out on her own (with openers The Randall Bramblett Band).
There are rescheduled dates for her March cancellations, websites will keep selling Bonnie Raitt tickets, so don't miss out on this show of the century!
While each outfit has their own album to support, following full individual sets on stage the two acts will come together for a collaborative effort that includes Raitt's backing band and Mahal's six piece Phantom Blues Band.
"There's gonna be a lot of fireworks, because it's so fresh," she says in a press release. "I think about it before I go to sleep, toying with the possibilities, and it feels like having an extra slice of piece, getting both of these bands to play together like this. There's so much potential to what we can do."
Equally socially conscious artists, their once in a lifetime event will raise cash for the BonTaj Collection Action Fund, pledging $1 per ticket on the North American tour. The event is even interactive for fans, as the tour's website gives them a chance to vote for which charity their portion can be donated toward. Following the co-headlining act, Raitt will stop through North Carolina, Tennessee and six more spots in mid October as replacement dates from March that had to be rescheduled due to a family medical emergency.
A political and social activist from an early age, growing up a Quaker in Los Angeles, Raitt admits to the Santa Barbara Independent that "my own desire to work with the AFSC [American Friends Service Committee] came out of that connection. Growing up, I idolized Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and that made me want to do music, but I also thought I should change the world. So very early on, the idea of marrying music and activism, and exposure to that whole period of Sing Out! Magazine and Pete Seeger - that was really what made me pick up the guitar. I loved the power of music to bring people together to have a good time, but I also knew that you could use music to raise money and get press attention for a good cause."
The result of this passion has been a plethora of causes - from campaigning to stop the war in Central America to participation in the Sun City anti-apartheid project, co-founding Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) and working for environmental protection and rights of women and Native Americans.
With nine Grammy's and a dedicated following that has been with her since her debut, 1971's Bonnie Raitt, through her tenth and commercial debut Nick of Time, the latter certified quintuple platinum, among others, Raitt has seen her dreams come true.
Following a degree in Social Relations and African Studies at Harvard/Radcliffe, Raitt's east coast tour had just begun. "I couldn't wait to get back to where there were folkies and the antiwar and civil rights movements," she says. "There were so many great music and political scenes going on in the late '60s in Cambridge," an era which eventually streamlined her music to the point where in today's era it still resonates.
This article is sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com/. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling http://www.stubhub.com/bonnie-raitt-tickets/, as well as sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
The BonTaj Roulet Tour is in full bluesy swing, as veteran musicians enjoy every minute of their summer tour turned fall stint throughout the States. She is touring with Taj Mahal through September before she heads out on her own (with openers The Randall Bramblett Band).
There are rescheduled dates for her March cancellations, websites will keep selling Bonnie Raitt tickets, so don't miss out on this show of the century!
While each outfit has their own album to support, following full individual sets on stage the two acts will come together for a collaborative effort that includes Raitt's backing band and Mahal's six piece Phantom Blues Band.
"There's gonna be a lot of fireworks, because it's so fresh," she says in a press release. "I think about it before I go to sleep, toying with the possibilities, and it feels like having an extra slice of piece, getting both of these bands to play together like this. There's so much potential to what we can do."
Equally socially conscious artists, their once in a lifetime event will raise cash for the BonTaj Collection Action Fund, pledging $1 per ticket on the North American tour. The event is even interactive for fans, as the tour's website gives them a chance to vote for which charity their portion can be donated toward. Following the co-headlining act, Raitt will stop through North Carolina, Tennessee and six more spots in mid October as replacement dates from March that had to be rescheduled due to a family medical emergency.
A political and social activist from an early age, growing up a Quaker in Los Angeles, Raitt admits to the Santa Barbara Independent that "my own desire to work with the AFSC [American Friends Service Committee] came out of that connection. Growing up, I idolized Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and that made me want to do music, but I also thought I should change the world. So very early on, the idea of marrying music and activism, and exposure to that whole period of Sing Out! Magazine and Pete Seeger - that was really what made me pick up the guitar. I loved the power of music to bring people together to have a good time, but I also knew that you could use music to raise money and get press attention for a good cause."
The result of this passion has been a plethora of causes - from campaigning to stop the war in Central America to participation in the Sun City anti-apartheid project, co-founding Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) and working for environmental protection and rights of women and Native Americans.
With nine Grammy's and a dedicated following that has been with her since her debut, 1971's Bonnie Raitt, through her tenth and commercial debut Nick of Time, the latter certified quintuple platinum, among others, Raitt has seen her dreams come true.
Following a degree in Social Relations and African Studies at Harvard/Radcliffe, Raitt's east coast tour had just begun. "I couldn't wait to get back to where there were folkies and the antiwar and civil rights movements," she says. "There were so many great music and political scenes going on in the late '60s in Cambridge," an era which eventually streamlined her music to the point where in today's era it still resonates.
This article is sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com/. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling http://www.stubhub.com/bonnie-raitt-tickets/, as well as sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Revisiting Old Territory
by Brent Warnken
For the first time in years, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are taking a break. The group has performed together for 35 years and only recently confirmed that following their late November performances throughout North America they will take an undefined hiatus.
"We are going to take a break," says E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt during a press conference. "I don't know how long, one year, year and a half, two years off. This is a good time to see us. We may not be as pretty, [but] we seem to be getting better in funny ways. You never know. This could be the last tour. We do every show like it's our last show anyway."
The group is pushing its current tour, which as luck has it still has Bruce Springsteen tickets available for its final concerts at Giants Stadium, Wachovia Spectrum, Scottrade Center, Sprint Center, Palace of Auburn Hills, Wuicken Loans Arena, Bradley Center, Sommet Center and HSBC Arena.
It has been a three year roller coaster for the group, though confirmations about a split are not all that surprising, following a European interview earlier this year when Springsteen noted his next project would be without the E Street gang.
"As far as I know, we'll wrap up at Thanksgiving and that'll be it for the time being," guitarist Nils Lofgren said. "For 25 years since I joined up, my experience is that ... at the end of the tour - for instance, the "Born in the USA" Tour - that was it, no future plans. I got back to my solo thing ... writing my next batch of songs and just go on with my musical life. And if there's another call and project, I'm honored to be a part of it."
Though the air is filled with indistinctness, the E Streeters aren't holding back on their own plans. Saxophonist Clarence Clemons, reports Billboard, is publishing a memoir Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales, co-written by Don Reo with a foreword by Springsteen, while keyboardist Roy Bittan hopes to finish his solo album Out of the Box.
The backing band has been with the Bob Dylan prodigy since 1974, the year after his failed The Wild, the Innocent 7 the E Street Shuffle appeared. Though it was deemed a 'revision,' the group saw a head-to-toe makeover as saxophonist Clemons, Van Zandt, organist Danny Federici, Bittan, bassist Garry Tallent and drummer Max Weinberg were added, now all personal staples in Springsteen's efforts and a pin-point to his return to success.
The Boss found success following court battles after August 1975's Born to Run album and his return to the spotlight shot to the mainstream the second time around as his semi-underground genre had made it to the top of the charts, just in time for his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town.
The albums kept on coming as his tunes were inspiring interpreters everywhere, until he parted with the E Street Band (for the first time) in 1992 to pursue a solely solo stint. Following his win at the Academy Awards for Best Song for his work on the film Philadelphia, Springsteen reunited with the E Street Band and began touring the world once again like no time had separated the group. Since, the two acts have remained inseparable ... until now.
This article is sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com/. StubHub.com is a leader in the business of selling http://www.stubhub.com/bruce-springsteen-tickets/, as well as sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
For the first time in years, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are taking a break. The group has performed together for 35 years and only recently confirmed that following their late November performances throughout North America they will take an undefined hiatus.
"We are going to take a break," says E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt during a press conference. "I don't know how long, one year, year and a half, two years off. This is a good time to see us. We may not be as pretty, [but] we seem to be getting better in funny ways. You never know. This could be the last tour. We do every show like it's our last show anyway."
The group is pushing its current tour, which as luck has it still has Bruce Springsteen tickets available for its final concerts at Giants Stadium, Wachovia Spectrum, Scottrade Center, Sprint Center, Palace of Auburn Hills, Wuicken Loans Arena, Bradley Center, Sommet Center and HSBC Arena.
It has been a three year roller coaster for the group, though confirmations about a split are not all that surprising, following a European interview earlier this year when Springsteen noted his next project would be without the E Street gang.
"As far as I know, we'll wrap up at Thanksgiving and that'll be it for the time being," guitarist Nils Lofgren said. "For 25 years since I joined up, my experience is that ... at the end of the tour - for instance, the "Born in the USA" Tour - that was it, no future plans. I got back to my solo thing ... writing my next batch of songs and just go on with my musical life. And if there's another call and project, I'm honored to be a part of it."
Though the air is filled with indistinctness, the E Streeters aren't holding back on their own plans. Saxophonist Clarence Clemons, reports Billboard, is publishing a memoir Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales, co-written by Don Reo with a foreword by Springsteen, while keyboardist Roy Bittan hopes to finish his solo album Out of the Box.
The backing band has been with the Bob Dylan prodigy since 1974, the year after his failed The Wild, the Innocent 7 the E Street Shuffle appeared. Though it was deemed a 'revision,' the group saw a head-to-toe makeover as saxophonist Clemons, Van Zandt, organist Danny Federici, Bittan, bassist Garry Tallent and drummer Max Weinberg were added, now all personal staples in Springsteen's efforts and a pin-point to his return to success.
The Boss found success following court battles after August 1975's Born to Run album and his return to the spotlight shot to the mainstream the second time around as his semi-underground genre had made it to the top of the charts, just in time for his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town.
The albums kept on coming as his tunes were inspiring interpreters everywhere, until he parted with the E Street Band (for the first time) in 1992 to pursue a solely solo stint. Following his win at the Academy Awards for Best Song for his work on the film Philadelphia, Springsteen reunited with the E Street Band and began touring the world once again like no time had separated the group. Since, the two acts have remained inseparable ... until now.
This article is sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com/. StubHub.com is a leader in the business of selling http://www.stubhub.com/bruce-springsteen-tickets/, as well as sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Paul McCartney's Seven Best Post Beatles Albums
by Jake Topp
Too often people dismiss Paul McCartney's entire career after The Beatles. It's become such "conventional wisdom" that McCartney was no good after The Beatles that a lot of people don't even question it.
But really the whole idea makes no sense. The guy who wrote so many of The Beatles greatest songs, the guy who was behind many of The Beatles greatest ideas, the guy who wrote such amazing bass lines with The Beatles, this guy is suddenly no good at making music because he's on his own? It makes no sense, and it's not true.
McCartney recorded a lot of great music after The Beatles both as a solo artist, with his band Wings, and as a part of the experimental duo (with the producer Youth) The Fireman. In this article I feature the seven best post-Beatles McCartney albums that I recommend you check out. They are listed in chronological order.
McCartney (1970) - Paul's debut solo album is also among my favorites. I love the home studio "do it yourself" vibe to it. At the time a lot of people just looked at it as lazy or as unfocused (in comparison to the Abbey Road suite that McCartney had largely been responsible for, I can understand that). But I think it looks a lot better now, looking back at it. It was really a very "indie" sounding album. It's just a singer-songwriter being creative and recording interesting music because he enjoys doing it. Plus it features what is arguably his best solo song "Maybe I'm Amazed."
Ram (1971) - I think this may be my favorite solo Paul album. It's just such imaginative music. Are the lyrics silly? Yes. So what? Paul's best music was never about the lyrics even when he was with The Beatles. Unfortunately the music critics at the time didn't get Ram and I think the criticism stung Paul pretty badly and that made him go into other directions. I personally wish he would have continued down this path a bit farther.
Band on the Run (1973) - His third album with Wings and his 5th post-Beatles album. This is his best known post-Beatles album and it was the first one to really get a lot of good critical reviews. It's definitely Paul in his "Abbey Road mode" where he's really trying to create a "perfect album." And while it's not as good as Abbey Road, it is a really strong album with a lot of good songs. Unfortunately I think it was his last really good album for quite some time.
Flaming Pie (1997) - Perhaps it was The Beatles Anthology project that got Paul back in gear but he seems to have found his muse again beginning with this album (interestingly enough, I think this is about the same time Bob Dylan got it together again too after a similarly long period of sub-par releases). Now, I'd probably rank this about 7th out of these seven as it does have some not so great tracks on it, but it also has a number of songs that I do think are really inspired, "Calico Skies" probably being my most favorite.
Rushes (1998) - This is an ambient electronic music album he released under the name The Fireman. I have listened to this album many times, I find it to be really entrancing. For anyone who questions Paul's "experimental edge" I beg of them to listen to this album and 2000's Liverpool Sound Collage (which didn't make this list, but I do think is very interesting too).
Chaos and Creation ... (2005) - This one was produced by Nigel Godrich (the producer for Radiohead and Beck among others) and it has a sense of purpose to it that is often missing from McCartney's solo material. It may be his most consistently good solo album.
Electric Arguments (2008) - This album was also released under the name The Fireman (with the producer Youth being his collaborator on the project). The Fireman project had been about very experimental electronic music, but with this album he marries that experimental approach with more pop/rock oriented songs and this very interesting album is the result. At times it's slightly too new age or something for my tastes, but on many of it's tracks this album is really exciting as it sounds like Paul at his most creative and vital since his days with The Beatles.
Jake Topp recommends http://www.The-Great-Mall.com as a great website to buy Beatles related stuff.
Too often people dismiss Paul McCartney's entire career after The Beatles. It's become such "conventional wisdom" that McCartney was no good after The Beatles that a lot of people don't even question it.
But really the whole idea makes no sense. The guy who wrote so many of The Beatles greatest songs, the guy who was behind many of The Beatles greatest ideas, the guy who wrote such amazing bass lines with The Beatles, this guy is suddenly no good at making music because he's on his own? It makes no sense, and it's not true.
McCartney recorded a lot of great music after The Beatles both as a solo artist, with his band Wings, and as a part of the experimental duo (with the producer Youth) The Fireman. In this article I feature the seven best post-Beatles McCartney albums that I recommend you check out. They are listed in chronological order.
McCartney (1970) - Paul's debut solo album is also among my favorites. I love the home studio "do it yourself" vibe to it. At the time a lot of people just looked at it as lazy or as unfocused (in comparison to the Abbey Road suite that McCartney had largely been responsible for, I can understand that). But I think it looks a lot better now, looking back at it. It was really a very "indie" sounding album. It's just a singer-songwriter being creative and recording interesting music because he enjoys doing it. Plus it features what is arguably his best solo song "Maybe I'm Amazed."
Ram (1971) - I think this may be my favorite solo Paul album. It's just such imaginative music. Are the lyrics silly? Yes. So what? Paul's best music was never about the lyrics even when he was with The Beatles. Unfortunately the music critics at the time didn't get Ram and I think the criticism stung Paul pretty badly and that made him go into other directions. I personally wish he would have continued down this path a bit farther.
Band on the Run (1973) - His third album with Wings and his 5th post-Beatles album. This is his best known post-Beatles album and it was the first one to really get a lot of good critical reviews. It's definitely Paul in his "Abbey Road mode" where he's really trying to create a "perfect album." And while it's not as good as Abbey Road, it is a really strong album with a lot of good songs. Unfortunately I think it was his last really good album for quite some time.
Flaming Pie (1997) - Perhaps it was The Beatles Anthology project that got Paul back in gear but he seems to have found his muse again beginning with this album (interestingly enough, I think this is about the same time Bob Dylan got it together again too after a similarly long period of sub-par releases). Now, I'd probably rank this about 7th out of these seven as it does have some not so great tracks on it, but it also has a number of songs that I do think are really inspired, "Calico Skies" probably being my most favorite.
Rushes (1998) - This is an ambient electronic music album he released under the name The Fireman. I have listened to this album many times, I find it to be really entrancing. For anyone who questions Paul's "experimental edge" I beg of them to listen to this album and 2000's Liverpool Sound Collage (which didn't make this list, but I do think is very interesting too).
Chaos and Creation ... (2005) - This one was produced by Nigel Godrich (the producer for Radiohead and Beck among others) and it has a sense of purpose to it that is often missing from McCartney's solo material. It may be his most consistently good solo album.
Electric Arguments (2008) - This album was also released under the name The Fireman (with the producer Youth being his collaborator on the project). The Fireman project had been about very experimental electronic music, but with this album he marries that experimental approach with more pop/rock oriented songs and this very interesting album is the result. At times it's slightly too new age or something for my tastes, but on many of it's tracks this album is really exciting as it sounds like Paul at his most creative and vital since his days with The Beatles.
Jake Topp recommends http://www.The-Great-Mall.com as a great website to buy Beatles related stuff.
Seven Great Solo Songs By George Harrison
by Jake Topp
Up until the end of The Beatles career many people dismissed George Harrison's contributions to the band because he was overshadowed by the greatness of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
He had written a lot of songs while he was in The Beatles that he wasn't able to get onto their albums (due to being pushed out by John and Paul's songs). Because of this, he had a huge amount of songs saved up and ready to go when he recorded his debut solo album which was 1970's All Things Must Pass which ended up being a triple album (although the 3rd LP of the album was instrumental jams rather than proper songs).
In this article I highlight seven of George's best post-Beatles songs (many of which appear on that first album which is truly excellent). This list is not in any particular order and I don't claim they are necessarily the seven best, just seven solo Harrison songs that I think are worth a listen.
"My Sweet Lord" - This is probably Harrison's most well known solo song so it's likely you have already heard it. If not, you should seek it out. It's track two on the first LP of All Things Must Pass. It's definitely a "Beatles quality" song that would have been at home on an album like Abbey Road.
"What Is Life" - This another very well known solo George song that you've likely already heard. It's track #5 on the first All Things Must Pass LP. Like "My Sweet Lord," it's a very uplifting song that is absolutely brimming with life.
"All Things Must Pass" - The final track on the first All Things Must Pass LP. I think this song is truly beautiful, perhaps my favorite solo George song. Although, I think I actually prefer the very basic version heard on The Beatles Anthology 3 (yes, he had already written this great song while he was with The Beatles and couldn't get it onto one of their albums).
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" - The lead track on his 1973 album Living in a Material World. It was a #1 hit in '73 although it doesn't seem as well known today as "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life", still it's reasonably well known. It's a really sweet catchy little tune. And it's got a lovely message too, doesn't it?
"I Live for You" - This is a really great little tune that I only recently became familiar with. It was originally recorded for All Things Must Pass in 1970 but Harrison decided the recording wasn't good enough to include on the album. It was remastered and included on the 2001 version of All Things Must Pass as a bonus track.
"Beware of Darkness" - Another All Things Must Pass track. I feel a bit bad for mostly ignoring Harrison's later work on this list as I don't think it's terrible. It's just that his early '70s stuff (particularly this album) is just so good.
"I'd Have You Anytime" - This song was co-written with Bob Dylan. I love it's dark mood. This was actually the very first song on his debut solo album (which I've already mentioned the name of about 74 times in this article so I'm refraining from naming it this last time) and what a great way to begin his solo career!
Jake Topp recommends http://www.MusicByDay.com as it's a great music blog for people interested in both older and new music.
Up until the end of The Beatles career many people dismissed George Harrison's contributions to the band because he was overshadowed by the greatness of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
He had written a lot of songs while he was in The Beatles that he wasn't able to get onto their albums (due to being pushed out by John and Paul's songs). Because of this, he had a huge amount of songs saved up and ready to go when he recorded his debut solo album which was 1970's All Things Must Pass which ended up being a triple album (although the 3rd LP of the album was instrumental jams rather than proper songs).
In this article I highlight seven of George's best post-Beatles songs (many of which appear on that first album which is truly excellent). This list is not in any particular order and I don't claim they are necessarily the seven best, just seven solo Harrison songs that I think are worth a listen.
"My Sweet Lord" - This is probably Harrison's most well known solo song so it's likely you have already heard it. If not, you should seek it out. It's track two on the first LP of All Things Must Pass. It's definitely a "Beatles quality" song that would have been at home on an album like Abbey Road.
"What Is Life" - This another very well known solo George song that you've likely already heard. It's track #5 on the first All Things Must Pass LP. Like "My Sweet Lord," it's a very uplifting song that is absolutely brimming with life.
"All Things Must Pass" - The final track on the first All Things Must Pass LP. I think this song is truly beautiful, perhaps my favorite solo George song. Although, I think I actually prefer the very basic version heard on The Beatles Anthology 3 (yes, he had already written this great song while he was with The Beatles and couldn't get it onto one of their albums).
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" - The lead track on his 1973 album Living in a Material World. It was a #1 hit in '73 although it doesn't seem as well known today as "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life", still it's reasonably well known. It's a really sweet catchy little tune. And it's got a lovely message too, doesn't it?
"I Live for You" - This is a really great little tune that I only recently became familiar with. It was originally recorded for All Things Must Pass in 1970 but Harrison decided the recording wasn't good enough to include on the album. It was remastered and included on the 2001 version of All Things Must Pass as a bonus track.
"Beware of Darkness" - Another All Things Must Pass track. I feel a bit bad for mostly ignoring Harrison's later work on this list as I don't think it's terrible. It's just that his early '70s stuff (particularly this album) is just so good.
"I'd Have You Anytime" - This song was co-written with Bob Dylan. I love it's dark mood. This was actually the very first song on his debut solo album (which I've already mentioned the name of about 74 times in this article so I'm refraining from naming it this last time) and what a great way to begin his solo career!
Jake Topp recommends http://www.MusicByDay.com as it's a great music blog for people interested in both older and new music.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
John Lennon's Five Best Solo Albums
by Jake Topp
Sadly John Lennon's solo career wasn't nearly as long as that of his former songwriting partner (Paul McCartney) because Lennon was killed by a lunatic when he was only 40 years old.
But during his 10 year solo career Lennon did release a number of very good solo albums and it's those albums that I'm featuring in this article. There are five solo Lennon albums that I think are particularly worthy of a listen.
Plastic Ono Band (1970) - In my opinion, Lennon's first solo album was also his best. From the opening bells of "Mother" this is a dark emotionally stark album that leaves the often fantastical world of The Beatles far behind. "Mother" is about his mother's death and his father leaving him as a child. Yeah, this is heavy stuff. The song ends with "primal screams" where it sounds like you can hear his voice being ripped apart by some sort of wild beast. Then there's the heavy rock of "I Found Out" and the lyrics of "Working Class Hero." This is Lennon at his most powerful.
Imagine (1971) - While Plastic Ono Band seemed to be Lennon leaving the sound of The Beatles far behind, with Imagine he sort of returned to it with a much more commercially palatable album. It's also a really good album that's probably his most consistent as far as song quality. If I were to give someone one album to get them into Lennon's solo career, it would be this one. Everyone knows the title track but there's also a lot of other great songs such as "Crippled Inside" and "Jealous Guy."
Mind Game (1973) - I think this album and the next one (Walls and Bridges) are too often overlooked. Are they as good as his first two albums? No, I don't think so. But they are still really good albums that don't deserve to be dismissed. This is actually a pretty fun upbeat album, even though it has a lot of serious political themes.
Walls and Bridges (1974) - The most well known songs on the album are probably "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" and "#9 Dream" but they actually aren't very good representatives of the album as a whole. My favorite track on the album is definitely "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out").
Double Fantasy (1980) - His final album was released not long before his death and it contained some really great songs like "Watching The Wheels" and "Beautiful Boy" which makes one wonder what kind of great music he could have made during the rest of the 1980s if his life wasn't cut short by a madman.
Jake Topp is a big fan of the http://www.HomeStudioEssentials.com blog because it helps him with learning how to record his own John Lennon covers.
Sadly John Lennon's solo career wasn't nearly as long as that of his former songwriting partner (Paul McCartney) because Lennon was killed by a lunatic when he was only 40 years old.
But during his 10 year solo career Lennon did release a number of very good solo albums and it's those albums that I'm featuring in this article. There are five solo Lennon albums that I think are particularly worthy of a listen.
Plastic Ono Band (1970) - In my opinion, Lennon's first solo album was also his best. From the opening bells of "Mother" this is a dark emotionally stark album that leaves the often fantastical world of The Beatles far behind. "Mother" is about his mother's death and his father leaving him as a child. Yeah, this is heavy stuff. The song ends with "primal screams" where it sounds like you can hear his voice being ripped apart by some sort of wild beast. Then there's the heavy rock of "I Found Out" and the lyrics of "Working Class Hero." This is Lennon at his most powerful.
Imagine (1971) - While Plastic Ono Band seemed to be Lennon leaving the sound of The Beatles far behind, with Imagine he sort of returned to it with a much more commercially palatable album. It's also a really good album that's probably his most consistent as far as song quality. If I were to give someone one album to get them into Lennon's solo career, it would be this one. Everyone knows the title track but there's also a lot of other great songs such as "Crippled Inside" and "Jealous Guy."
Mind Game (1973) - I think this album and the next one (Walls and Bridges) are too often overlooked. Are they as good as his first two albums? No, I don't think so. But they are still really good albums that don't deserve to be dismissed. This is actually a pretty fun upbeat album, even though it has a lot of serious political themes.
Walls and Bridges (1974) - The most well known songs on the album are probably "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" and "#9 Dream" but they actually aren't very good representatives of the album as a whole. My favorite track on the album is definitely "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out").
Double Fantasy (1980) - His final album was released not long before his death and it contained some really great songs like "Watching The Wheels" and "Beautiful Boy" which makes one wonder what kind of great music he could have made during the rest of the 1980s if his life wasn't cut short by a madman.
Jake Topp is a big fan of the http://www.HomeStudioEssentials.com blog because it helps him with learning how to record his own John Lennon covers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
