VIDEOS: Pink Floyd With Syd Barrett - Interstellar Overdrive - London, 1966, Parts 1 and 2

Hi everyone,

Here is a rare treat - early Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett from 1966. This is really early psychedelic Floyd. Some great authentic footage as well. Enjoy!

Part 1

Part 2

TRIBUTE: Jerry Garcia’s 70th Birthday

Jerry Garcia in 1969 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Stewart Sallo, Boulder Weekly: www.boulderweekly.com

If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together ... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart ... I’ll always be with you - Christopher Robin, “Pooh’s Grand Adventure”.

Every life is a story. And every story requires a soundtrack. For life is a sensual experience, and among the senses, the sounds - and, particularly, the music - that accompany life’s experiences provide a context that enriches and completes them.

Music has the unique power to evoke the thoughts and feelings that were present in an experience, even many years after the fact. And in the infinite and enigmatic wisdom that we, as humans, possess, we create musical soundtracks on a continual basis for every moment of our life, should we ever have the need to remember, truly remember, one or more of the experiences that comprise our life.

The music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead has been the soundtrack of my life for almost 40 years. And on the occasion of Jerry’s 70th birthday, Aug. 1, 2012, I feel compelled to pay tribute to the man who provided a marvelous musical context for millions that has endured for more than 50 years, including the last 17 years following his untimely, but hardly shocking, death.

The Grateful Dead was hardly the first and certainly not the only musical soundtrack of my life. In my early childhood years I came under the spell of the ancient music of my Jewish heritage - the joyful blessings over the Chanukah candles, the haunting melodies of the liturgy in the synagogue, the celebratory Klezmer tunes from Eastern Europe. 

The first records I played on the turntable in my boyhood room were classical - Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Schubert come to mind. Within a short period I was listening to 45s of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, The Monkeys and countless others. Then came my marching band years, with ultra-patriotic military band melodies such as John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

All of that set the stage for the summer of my 20th year, when I first began listening to the Grateful Dead’s “Skull and Roses” album. There was a spirit and joy in the music, particularly the melodious and innovative lead guitar parts played by Jerry Garcia, that moved me in a way that I had never been moved before. 

And when I relocated to the Bay Area in central California and became steeped in the “hippie” culture that was still very much thriving there in the mid-70s, I became fully immersed in the music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead and adopted it thematically as the predominant soundtrack of my life.

Exactly what it is about Jerry Garcia that has moved so many is a subject that has filled countless pages. But as the 70th birthday of this legendary figure has grown imminent, I have given the matter some thought. 

Indeed, Jerry and his enigmatic and enduring legacy were on my mind recently as I was listening to “Scarlet/Fire” (an often-played medley of the otherwise unrelated Grateful Dead tunes “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain”) from the famous May 8, 1977, Ithaca show, while enjoying a classic ride from Boulder to Jamestown and back. 

What came to me is the talent that Jerry had for creating an elegant balance of non-conformity and community building - a seemingly oxymoronic notion.

To read further, go to: http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-9310-jerry-garciarss-70th.html

VIDEO: Catfish Blues by Jimi Hendrix

How 'bout some Catfish Blues by Jimi the man!



Uploaded on YouTube by Shabbyroadstudios23

OPINION: The Top 3 Best Jimi Hendrix Songs Of All Time - And Why

Jimi Hendrix NEW (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hi everyone,

Here's an opinion on the best 3 Hendrix tracks - what do you think? Opinions welcome!

by Anthony J Smith

Without a doubt, Jimi Hendrix is one of the greatest guitarist of all time. His guitar playing has influenced millions of guitarists. His approach to the guitar paved the way for a new and ever lasting way to play!

In other words Jimi Hendrix single-handedly changed the way rock guitar would be played forever! His aggressive blues riffs with the previously unheard of sounds he produced back then, really set him on a higher plane than everybody else.

Not to mention his live performances where he would set his guitar on fire, play with his teeth and then put his guitar behind his head and play!

To pick the top 3 best Jimi Hendrix songs of all time is very difficult. Fact is, Jimi has so many hit songs its hard to choose. So I picked 3 of my favorites.

1. "The Wind Cry's Mary"

I like this song not only for Jimi's awesome guitar playing but also because of his lyrical writing skills and because of his very clean natural "no-effects" guitar playing! This song shows another strong side of Jimi's song-writing skills, combined with his evolutionary and innovative musicianship on his guitar!

2. "Little Wing"

I love this one again for Jimi's poetic lyric's combined with his beautiful guitar chords! The way he improvises with the chords is just brilliant! I like it when Jimi gets that thick clean and dirty sound (Live in Paris), then he uses the whammy bar on this one! Jimi was and still remains the most influential guitarist ever!

3. "Hey Joe"

This song talks about a 'probably' drunken guy named Joe who is so upset with his old lady he's going to shoot her! Jimi sees him and asks Joe, "where you going with that gun in your hand?" This song really sticks in my head because I could actually picture this guy Joe with a gun in his hand about to make the biggest mistake of his life! Needless to say, Jimi's guitar playing speaks for itself! Need I say more?

This man was so far ahead of his time it's scary! I can just imagine how Eric Clapton and every other guitar player felt when they first heard Hendrix! Remember, this was back in the 60's when Jimi was playing the guitar with his teeth, behind his head, setting the guitar on fire, plus singing!

Man, I'm willing to bet everything, that if Jimi were still alive today he would still be on top! Whether you agree with my picks for the best Hendrix songs of all time or not, there is no disputing that Jimi Hendrix is one of the best guitarists we've ever had!

If you like Jimi Hendrix, then you might also check out http://Tonysmithbassplayer.com. Tony's music is a lot different than Hendrix, but I think you might like it. http://www.tonysmithbassplayer.com to download a copy of his latest single for free.

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VIDEO: Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum

Hi everyone,

How do you like this for a golden oldie?

Norman Greenbaum gettin' all spiritual. This was the number one song in the UK, Canada, and Australia in 1970. This song was number one for five weeks in Australia, two weeks in the UK and one week in Canada. Uploaded by numberonesongs222

VIDEO: Cream - 1968 From Royal Albert Hall Farewell Concert

Hi readers,

Here's a treat! I had never heard this before this morning, but it has some great stuff on it, and Jack's bass is just awesome on this recording, despite the poor sound quality and the strange camera-work. There are also some interesting interviews, so enjoy this one!

 

Published by AYNILD

01:25 "Sunshine of Your Love"
05:40 "Interview Jack Bruce"
11:15 "Politician"
16:25 "Interview Eric Clapton"
21:20 "White Room"
25:10 "Spoonful"
33:40 "Interview Ginger Baker"
39:13 "Toad"
45:44 "Jack Bruce - Farewell"
48:38 "I'm So Glad"

Lineup:

Jack Bruce - bass, harmonica, vocals
Eric Clapton - guitars, vocals
Ginger Baker - drums

Farewell Concert is a documentation of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker's final concert performance together as Cream at the Royal Albert Hall on November 26, 1968. It was originally broadcast by the BBC in January of 1969. The film was directed by pioneering rockumentarian Tony Palmer.

Farewell Concert was always regarded as a bit shoddy due to the muddy sound, herky-jerky camera movement and the often out-of-sync editing, to say nothing of the annoying voiceover and the fact that the whole thing consists of tight close-ups.

But, nevertheless, it is Cream!

VIDEO: The Story of Abbie Hoffman

Hi Readers,

Here is a fascinating video about one of the most influential revolutionaries of the 1960s hippie movement - Abbie Hoffman. Enjoy!

Part 1

 

Part 2

 

Abbie Hoffman is featured in this 30 minute documentary that explores a firebrand of the 1960s. Abbie used humour and outrageousness in his pursuit of the American promise of equality and fairness.

Rabbi Norman Mendell said in his eulogy that Mr. Hoffman's long history of protest, antics though much of it had been, was 'in the Jewish prophetic tradition, which is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.' Part 1 is 8 minutes long. Part 2 is 7 minutes long. Uploaded by avildsen1221 on Jan 21, 2009.

Brian Jones: The Forgotten Stone

Cover of Brian Jones

By Robert R Richardson

Brian Jones is not mentioned much after his death by drowning (some say murder) in 1969, at his estate in Sussex, England. However, he, more than anyone else, is responsible for the creation of the most famous rock-n-roll group in history.

Born February 28, 1942 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, Brian Jones learned to play piano, clarinet, saxophone and guitar at any early age with help from his musically inclined parents. Hostile to all authority figures in his youth, young Jones had several children out-of-wedlock which ultimately led to his leaving home with his guitar on his back and eventually ending up in London.

In the spring of 1962, he founded and named The Rolling Stones with pianist Ian Stewart, singer Mick Jagger and his friend Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts would soon join the band.

By all accounts, Brian was the band's leader and most important musical force by far. Brian Jones' love and mastery of performing blues-based rock-n-roll and, over time, of other forms of music remains as an integral part of the initial formation of the band now known the world over.

His bad boy image and womanizing ways along with his mod-dress attire with his highly photogenic nature made him more than any of the others in the group the one to give the Stones commercial viability.

His musical genius was evident on tracks with the sitar on "Paint it Black", the recorder on "Ruby Tuesday", the marimba on "Under My Thumb", the piano on "Let's Spend the Night Together", the dulcimer on "Lady Jane", and gave the Rolling Stones music the pop appeal they desperately needed to compete in the mid-60's.

Brian actually managed the band in the early years until the group hired Andrew Loog Oldham as manager, which marked the beginning of Brian's gradual estrangement from the band. His excessive use of drugs and alcohol and subsequent arrests further alienated him.

Jones was highly intelligent (135 I.Q.) and was gifted musically but had a paranoia regarding song-writing. He did contribute on some early tracks but was generally not credited with any songs of substance.

Oldham recognized the financial benefits very quickly of the group writing their own music; the Jagger-Richards songwriting duo added to the growing isolation from Brian and the growth of the other members.

In June of 1969 it is said that the Rolling Stones released their founding father and allowed him to explain it to the public however he desired. It is reported that Jones had contacted Ian Stewart and some others and was actually in the initial stages of putting another band together.

On July 2-3, 1969 Jones was found in his backyard pool and his death was officially ruled "Death by Misadventure". However, his girlfriend who was present at the time, Anna Wolhin, published a book describing how Brian and his contractor, Frank Thorogood had been at odds with each other and basically believes Thorogood held him underwater until he drowned.

We may never know the truth. What we do know is that Brian Jones started the "27 club" which later included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and Jim Morrison. We also know that without the forgotten Stone, Brian Jones, the Rolling Stones would have never existed.

This website has the best and up to date information for music and musicians. Click here now to go to our site http://www.musicbandtourscds.com

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VIDEO: Jesse Harper - Midnight Sun [edit] 1969

Hi Readers,

Thanks to Franz Landl for uploading this great video of the fantastic New Zealand psychedelic band led by Jesse Harper. Turn it up loud and enjoy this one!

 

Uploaded by Rich at http://aftersabbath.blogspot.com the blog for 60s-70s heavy obscurities.

During the mid sixties in New Zealand, the leading bands all included strong lead guitarists. Human Instinct had Billy TK, Ticket had Eddie Hansen, the Underdogs had Harvey Mann and the Brew had Doug Jerebine.

Harvey Mann had learned much of his technique and style from Doug Jerebine. The Underdogs and Human Instinct were good competition for each other, both fighting for the ultimate cult following.

When the Brew folded, Doug went to England and began writing and recording under the name Jessie Harper. When the Human Instinct made a brief visit to England, they met up with Jessie and he provided them with a number of his songs. In fact seven of the songs on the Human Instinct's first two albums were written by Jessie Harper.

While in England Jessie Harper recorded an album full of original material, and this music was finally released in 1992 by Kissing Spell. The album was called "Guitar Absolution In The Shadow Of The Midnight Sun". The cover image is "The Agony In The Garden, Studio Of El Greco, 16th Century".

The first album by underground New Zealand band THE HUMAN INSTINCT included four numbers written by JESSE HARPER who released one solo album of his own.

Rumour has it that JIMI HENDRIX, on hearing the Jesse Harper album back at the start of the 70's, offered Harper a place in his band with Hendrix offering to play bass so that Harper could take over the lead guitar role.

How true this story might be is now a big unknown. Harper quit the music scene to join the Hare Krishna movement but not before leaving a musical legacy that New Zealand's Human Instinct turned into a piece of underground history.

VIDEO: Santana - Song Of The Wind from the Album "Caravanserai" (1972)

Hi all,

Here is a great track from outside of the 1960s to celebrate the birthday of Carlos Santana!

By the way, if you haven't heard it, "Caravanserai" may possibly rate as Santana's best album (along with Lotus - Live in Japan, of course).

VIDEO: Magic Potion by Open Mind

Uploaded by marmalade75 on YouTube

 

The Open Mind, a British Freakbeat/Psych band from London are probably most noted for the now legendary track Magic Potion which appeared as a single and later on their much sought after debut album on Philips in 1969.

Fortunately this album was re-released on Antar (ANTAR 2) in 1986 and this has made this classic piece of 60s Freakbeat much more accessible to collectors of 60s psychedelia.

VIDEO: Legends of the Canyon: Classic Artists - Official Trailer

Uploaded by ImageEntertainment to Youtube

Hi readers, Here's an interesting movie release about the music and the characters that emerged from Laurel Canyon. Enjoy!



LEGENDS OF THE CANYON delivers the story of the advent of rock music spawned in the garden of the Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon. Many of rock music's legendary artists of the late 1960's brought to life the anthems of a generation in these hills, in a commune-like setting. Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Mamas and the Papas, Joni Mitchell, America, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds and many others ...

Now on DVD and Digital Download! More info at http://www.Image-Entertainment.com

VIDEOS: A History of Psychedelic Rock

Hey everyone,

Here's a terrific TV documentary on the History of Psychedelic Rock. It's in 7 parts on Youtube, although EMI has blocked Part 2. Anyway, I'm posting the other 6 episodes here. Below the videos is a great blurb about psychedelic rock. Enjoy!













Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among garage and folk rock bands in Britain and the United States.

Psychedelic rock is a bridge from early blues-based rock to progressive rock and heavy metal, but it also drew on non-Western sources such as Indian music's rāgas and sitars.

While the first contemporary musicians to be influenced by psychedelic drugs were in the jazz and folk scenes, the first use of the term "psychedelic" in popular music was by the "acid-folk" group The Holy Modal Rounders in 1964, with the song "Hesitation Blues."

The first use of the word "psychedelic" in a rock music context is usually credited to The Deep, and the earliest known appearance of this usage of the word in print is in the title of their 1966 album The Psychedelic Moods of the Deep. Roky Erickson, lead singer of The 13th Floor Elevators, coined the term 'psychedelic rock' in a 1966 interview.

In 1962, British rock embarked on a frenetic race of ideas that spread back to the U.S. with the British Invasion. The folk music scene also experimented with outside influences. In the tradition of Jazz and blues many musicians began to take drugs, and include drug references in their songs.

Beat Generation writers like William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and especially the new exponents of consciousness expansion such as Timothy Leary, Alan Watts and Aldous Huxley profoundly influenced the thinking of the new generation.

In late 1965, The Beatles unveiled their brand of psychedelia on the Rubber Soul album, which featured John Lennon's first paean to universal love ("The Word") and a sitar-laden tale of attempted hippy hedonism ("Norwegian Wood", written by John Lennon).

The British rock act The Yardbirds recorded the single "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" in 1966, another track frequently cited as the first psychedelic song, this one due to its frantic evocation of drug-induced paranoia.

Psychedelia began in the United States' folk scene with New York City's Holy Modal Rounders introducing the term in 1964. A similar band called Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions from San Francisco were influenced by The Byrds and the Beatles to switch from acoustic music to electric music in 1965.

Renaming themselves the Warlocks, they fell in with Ken Kesey's LSD-fueled Merry Pranksters in November 1965, and changed their name to the Grateful Dead the following month. The Dead played to light shows at the Pranksters' "Acid Tests", with pulsing images being projected over the group in what became a widespread practice.

VIDEO: Captain Beefheart Full Documentary

Hi readers,

Here is another great documentary: the artist formerly known as Captain Beefheart - John Peel.

 

Uploaded by abrahamisagreatman on May 28, 2011

VIDEO: The American Dreamer (1971 Dennis Hopper documentary)

Hi readers,

Here's a very special documentary about actor/director and 1960s icon Dennis Hopper (1936-2010), showing him at his home and studio putting together his film "The Last Movie."

Directed by L.M. Kit Carson and Lawrence Schiller. Enjoy!

NEWS: Bruce Springsteen Banned From Britain

by Frank Lake, Weekly World News: http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/49981/bruce-springsteen-banned-from-britain/

Bruce Springsteen’s concert in London’s Hyde Park ended in controversy after The Boss’ microphone was cut off.  He has now been banned from England.

Springsteen performed 29 songs, playing for more than three hours with several special guests as part of the Hard Rock Calling concert series.

The set was already 30 minutes past its 10:30 p.m. curfew when Springsteen began the Beatles hit “Twist and Shout” with Paul McCartney. Before the song ended, the microphones had already been turned off.

Steven Van Zandt, the lead guitarist for Springsteen’s E Street Band, vented on Twitter after the concert ended. “One of the great gigs ever in my opinion. But seriously, when did England become a police state?” he tweeted.

That was a bit much for British authorities. On Sunday, British Parliament voted to ban Bruce Springsteen from England - forever. "We will not tolerate anyone, and I mean anyone, breaking our curfew. We live in dangerous times now and we must be vigilant. Mr. Springsteen had complete and utter disregard for our curfew and the safety of British citizens,” a top member of Parliament told WWN.

London Mayor Boris Johnson supported the decision, saying at first that the musicians should have been allowed to “jam in the name of the Lord.” But he reportedly later said that he agreed with the government that Bruce and the E Street Band should never return to England.

Miami Steve was arrested for his Twitter comments, but was released early Sunday morning. In addition to the E Street Band being forbidden from ever playing in England again, Miami Steve is banned, personally, from ever returning to the country. ”These Jersey boys think they can come to the Motherland and insult us, we’ll that’s not going to happen. Our country will be a lot better off without the likes of Mr. Van Zandt,” said a source inside Parliament.

One of the last songs he ever played in England:

Robert Johnson - The Original "27 Club" Member

American blues singer and guitarist Robert Leroy Johnson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Peter Vaughan Jones

Legend has it that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in order to become the greatest blues singer and guitarist of his time.

Whether the said Faustian deal actually occurred or not is unknown, but one thing's for certain, despite meeting his untimely death at 27, Robert Johnson was, and still is, one of the most influential American musicians of all time.

Many great rock and blues acts have recorded his material, and the purported deal with the Devil only adds to the mystique.

It isn't quite clear when Robert Johnson was born, but the most probable date would have been May 8, 1911, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. As was the case with most African-Americans at the time, Johnson grew up poor in a segregated society.

He would remain poor in the years to come, living the life of an "itinerant bluesman", traveling from city to city, playing his songs wherever and whenever he could, mostly at bars, juke joints and even on street corners.

Some of these songs include "Terraplane Blues", "Cross Road Blues", "(I Believe I'll) Dust My Broom" and "Me and the Devil Blues." These songs, and many others, were recorded between 1934 and 1938 at several inexpensive, crude studios in Texas.

Accounts vary when it comes to Johnson's supposed deal with the Devil. Most of them, particularly that of fellow blues legend Son House, used it to validate Johnson's rapid improvement as a guitar player.

Yet there are others who believe there was no such deal that had taken place. While Johnson did write quite a few songs that mentioned the Devil by name, most of his contemporaries attest that he had never spoken of such a pact.

In fact, the song most associated with the legend ("Cross Road Blues") sounds more like an ode to the life of an itinerant bluesman than a song about meeting up with Satan at an intersection.

The exact circumstances of Johnson's death are a mystery even to this day. Most accounts pin the blame on a tainted bottle of whiskey, which resulted in Johnson suffering for three days in extreme pain, and finally dying on August 16, 1938.

Some have said that Johnson was poisoned with strychnine, but this has been disputed by contemporaries and researchers alike. There are even some who believe that Johnson's pact with the Man Downstairs, if true, resulted in Johnson becoming so powerful that it took him a good three days to expire - a lesser man would have died nearly instantly.

It's little wonder why "(I Believe I'll) Dust My Broom" became a garage band standard in the '60s, or why the likes of Cream and Led Zeppelin made latter-day classics out of, or based on, Johnson's recordings.

In the 1930s, he was influencing present and future generations of bluesmen with his innovative guitar-playing and emotive blues-wailing. And unbeknownst to him, he was helping lay down the foundation of rock 'n' roll music at a time when many of the genre's greatest performers weren't even born yet.

Robert Johnson may or may not have sold his soul at the crossroads, but the soul of his music lives on.

If you'd like to learn how to play blues solos and blues licks just like your heroes, you can - please visit my website http://www.TheBluesGuitarPlayer.com and click the Blues Guitar Lessons category Tag, and you'll find a selection of the finest blues guitar lessons available.

For details of highly recommended blues guitar lessons, videos of the greats, and blues guitar resources, please come and visit me at http://www.TheBluesGuitarPlayer.com

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The 3 Best Paul Simon Songs of All Time

The Essential Paul Simon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Justin Jude Carroll

Paul Simon is in a class by himself.

It's not easy to shift from a successful folk duo to a lasting songwriter career that has reinvented itself at least a couple of times.

Simon's breadth of styles and subject matter are as far-ranging as any songwriter I can think of.

I was listening to the Paul Simon album "Graceland" and posed myself a tough question: What are the Best Paul Simon Songs of All Time?

Impossible, I thought. But I like a good challenge. Here's what I came up with:

1. The Boxer

This story of a young man who moves to the city to seek his fortune is a heartbreaker every time I hear it. The melody does what melodies do in the best songs - convey the same emotions that the lyrics do.

In this case, the loneliness and hopelessness of the singer's situation are brought home by the rising and falling melody notes. He's tried his best and it isn't enough, but while he may be surrendering like a beaten boxer, and leaving, "the fighter still remains."

Some of the most heart-wrenching lyrics in American pop music are: "Asking only workman's wages / I come looking for a job / But I get no offers / Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue / I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome / I took some comfort there."

2. Graceland

It's fairly amazing that this song caught on at the time it did. Its African-inspired rhythm and meandering bass and guitar aren't exactly traditional pop. But something about the sweetness of the lyrics connected with listeners, and of course our national fascination with Elvis played a role.

I appreciate this song because it uses chord changes you don't expect. And it tells a story of pilgrimage to one of our "holy sites" without being heavy-handed or trying to teach a lesson about the perils of American celebrity (Elvis). It's just sweet, thoughtful, intricate. It's one of a kind.

3. Father and Daughter

OK, I'm biased. I played this song at my daughter's baby naming ceremony. But for my money, there are few songs that express the feeling a parent has for a child without getting maudlin or silly.

Every father knows the powerful truth of the lyric, "There will never be a father / loves his daughter more than I love you." Yet the song stays playful with a hopping rhythm and the cascading guitar lines, West African in flavor, that serve as the song's hook. It's a song that never gets old.

Whether you agree with my list of the best Paul Simon songs or not, there's no disputing he's in a genre of his own, and still making great music.

If you like Paul Simon songs, then you might also check out Justin Jude, an artist with great storytelling skill and beautiful songs. Click here to download a copy of his latest single for free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Jude_Carroll
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-3-Best-Paul-Simon-Songs-of-All-Time&id=7138141

Michael Allman: It Is What It Is ...

by Retro:Kimmer: http://www.retrokimmer.com/2012/07/michael-allman-is-on-tour-in-michigan.html

Michael Sean Allman

Michael Allman is the first son of Southern Rock Legend Gregg Allman. 

Michael grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. His mother went to high school with Duane and Gregg in Daytona. They were very young and The Allman Brothers Band was just taking off.

So like many other children of rock n roll legends Michael grew up with a father that lived on the road.

Michael led the “Michael Allman Band” throughout most of the 1990's before he traded it in for the serenity of domestic life.

Had a really nice chat today with Michael Allman. Michael is the oldest son of Gregg Allman of the Legendary Allman Brothers Band. 

He is in town for a gig tonight at the Green Door in Lansing Michigan. Friday Michael is performing at Udetroit Cafe this Friday October 14 on air at 3pm.

Spent a lot of time listening to Michael's music and I love it. It is great to know that Michael can carry on the family traditions. Yes he does sound a bit like his pop but he has his own unique Allman signature vocal. There is no mistaking the voice Michael possesses ...

Asked Michael today who his favorite musician was and without missing a beat he told me, "My DAD!" That was fresh considering most children of rock stars shun the family connections and want to carve their own career. I just loved the fact that Michael really respects his father's music and career.

Last week I wrote a story about the album "Laid Back" by Gregg Allman. When this story was mentioned Michael told me that album was the soundtrack of his life. He was about 9 years old when that LP came out and he listened to it and believed his father was speaking directly to him through those songs. 

What a beautiful thought ... and as Michael says "It is What it Is" Stay tuned for more on Michael later this week ...

Poor Elijah Foundation

Michael is affiliated with the Poor Elijah Foundation along with Michelle Bramlett daughter of Delany Bramlett (RIP).

Poor Elijah Foundation is dedicated to assisting musicians in need develop strong business ethics within the music industry.

Through mentoring, workshops and seminars, PEF will take the working musician and educate them in various aspects of the music industry, e.g. engineering, management, publishing, money management, contract negotiations, and musical education to elevate the art of the artist fostering skills to become more proficient in their craft. PEF also provides financial relief to the working musician.

***NEW***

New T-Shirt is now on Sale on Michael's Website under the "Store" tab. Michael's music is available everywhere ... Itunes, Amazon, CDBaby, etc ...

The Life and Death of Duane Allman ...

by Retro:Kimmer: http://www.retrokimmer.com/2011/07/life-and-death-of-duane-allman.html

3 questions with Duane Allman

One of the most tragic losses the rock music industry experienced was the death of Duane Allman in 1971.

He barely got started and was taken in a freak motorcycle accident after leaving a birthday party for Linda Oakley.

Duane hit the back of a big truck with his Harley Davidson Sportster ... the bike landed on top of him and they both skidded across the road.

Duane Allman invented his own style of slide guitar by using a glass medicine bottle over his ring finger while playing. A lot of musicians adopted Duane's technique ...

Lucky for me I happened to be living in Columbus GA 1969-1971. My friends and I hopped a bus and went to the Atlanta Underground on Peachtree St. just to hang out. We would pick up copies of The Great Speckled Bird - an underground newspaper that we sold to kids at school.

On one trip we happened to walk by a club that had the most incredible music coming out of it in the afternoon. We snuck into the building which was pitch dark. We took seats way in the back and we watched Moby Grape and The Allman Brothers Band rehearse!!

We knew Moby Grape but we had never heard the Allmans before. We certainly had never heard Duane Allman or Dicky Betts before ... what a trip ... we still talk about that day as Duane didn't live much longer. The Allman's carried on without Duane but man you should have seen them with him!

HERE is a great biography and photos of Duane Allman's grave ....



Duane Allman was a much in demand studio guitarist too. He played with Clapton on Layla and with many many other famous soul musicians too like Clarence Carter, BB King, and Aretha Franklin. Duane was so ahead of his time ...

Birth: Nov. 20, 1946
Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA
Death: Oct. 29, 1971
Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, USA

Gregg and Duane Allman's father died tragically in a murder ... the Allman family was living near Norfolk, Virgina, when Army Sergeant Willis Allman was murdered on the day after Christmas, 1949. His widow, Geraldine, took her sons Gregg, two, and Duane, three, to live in Daytona Beach, Florida.



News about Gregg Allman, his liver transplant, new tour and new cd

VIDEO: Nick Gravenites and Mike Bloomfield - It's About Time

by artdrummer30 on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/artdrummer30?feature=watch

Hi everyone, here's a beautiful bit o' funk from 1969 from Nick Gravenites and the great Mike Bloomfield. Enjoy!

 

Nick Gravenites and Mike Bloomfield - "It's About Time" from the "My Labors" album (1969).

Written by Nick Gravenites.

Tracks recorded at Bill Graham's Fillmore West, San Francisco, January and February 1969.

Nick Gravenites - vocal
Michael Bloomfield - guitar
Mark Naftalin - piano
Ira Kamin - organ
John Kahn - bass
Bob Jones - drums
Dino Andino - conga
Noel Jewkis - tenor sax
Gerald Oshita - baritone sax
Snooky Flowers - baritone sax
John Wilmeth - trumpet

The Story Behind the Dylan Song "Like A Rolling Stone"

Portrait of Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan by Elsa Dorfman (1975) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Emilio Basa

I just shot a video for Bob Dylan's song, Like a Rolling Stone.

I normally don't perform cover songs, but I want to start reaching out to a new audience and start connecting with people on YouTube or whoever will hear me.

So I'm hoping that I meet some new people online through this video and I thought why not give a history of the song so people can understand more about it. I did some research on this amazing song and here is what I found.

Coming back home from his tour in England in '65, Dylan didn't like what the public expected of him. He also didn't like where his career was headed. He had a strong desire to quit the music business altogether. In 1966, Dylan talked about his issue with this troubling perception that people had of him.

"Last spring, I guess I was going to quit singing. I was very drained and the way things were going, it was a very draggy situation ... But 'Like a Rolling Stone' changed it all. I mean it was something that I myself could dig. It's very tiring having other people tell you how much they dig you if you yourself don't dig you."

The premise of the song started from a piece that Dylan wrote. He described the beginnings of this song as the following:

"It was ten pages long. It wasn't called anything, just a rhythm thing on paper all about my steady hatred directed at some point that was honest. In the end it wasn't hatred, it was telling someone something they didn't know, telling them they were lucky. Revenge, that's a better word. I had never thought of it as a song, until one day I was at the piano, and on the paper it was singing, 'How does it feel?' in a slow motion pace, in the utmost of slow motion."

So when Columbia Records first heard Like a Rolling Stone, they were unhappy with the song. What a big surprise! lol. They didn't like the length of the song, which is over six minutes, and they also didn't like the heavy electric sound.

They didn't want to release the song at first, but somehow a copy of the song was leaked out and many influential DJ's started playing the song. Many of the stations were hesitant to play a track that long, but it was able to reach the #2 in the US charts and become a hit worldwide.

Dylan referred to this song as a "breakthrough" in his career and he explains that it changed how he saw where his career was going. He describes it as writing a "long piece of vomit, 20 pages long, and out of it I took "Like a Rolling Stone' and made it as a single. And I'd never written anything like that before and it suddenly came to me that was what I should do ... After writing that I wasn't interested in writing a novel, or a play. I just had too much, I want to write songs."

When I read the story of how this song started as a 10 page verse of ramblings that Dylan didn't even like that was very inspirational to me. When I first started writing I didn't have that strumming and singing coordination on the guitar. It's when you can the strum the chords on guitar, but when you start singing it all goes to crap. So I used to write.

Sometimes they would rhyme and other times they wouldn't. It was just a healthy way to unload my thoughts on to paper. It's the ultimate truth that you reveal about yourself. You find things about yourself that you might not have known before or sometimes you say things that you normally wouldn't say. Its a great release and you don't need to be musically inclined to do it. You just have to have something to say.

People call this song revolutionary because of the different musical elements and the cynical sound in Dylan's voice. I personally just like this song. No need to dive into the specifics. For instance, I love art. Whenever I see a beautiful piece of art I say to myself "I like that. I don't know why, but I just do". This song is a song that just hit a chord with me and I'm glad that I got a chance to cover it.

Emilio Basa is an independent singer songwriter. His unique style is a blend of folk, pop and soul. To download a free mp3 of his latest single, Poor Boy, click HERE. Basa is also the creator of musicians-journey.com, a blog offering tips and advice for musicians at all levels.

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