Monthly Archives: April, 2014
HEDVIG MOLLESTAD-TRIO ENFANT TERRIBLE.
HEDVIG MOLLESTAD-TRIO ENFANT TERRIBLE. Norwegian guitar virtuoso Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen first picked up a guitar when she was just ten. It was her mother’s much loved nylon strung acoustic guitar. This was the start of a lifelong love affair with the guitar. Now twenty years later, Hedvig is now one of Europe’s finest guitarists. Hedvig’s …
SPACE MONKEY-THE KARMAN LINE.
SPACE MONKEY-THE KARMAN LINE. Over the last few years, Gard Nilssen has gained a reputation as one of Norway’s top drummers. He also deserves to be described as an innovator. Anyone whose heard Gard’s work with Astro Sonic, Puma, The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Susanne Sunfor’s band will realise realise this. Then there’s the six …
BEVERLEY MARTYN-THE PHOENIX AND THE FUTURE.
BEVERLEY MARTYN-THE PHOENIX AND THE FUTURE. It’s nearly fifty years ago since Beverley Martyn made her recording debut. This was as a member of The Levee Breakers. They were a jug band which featured Mac McGann, Johnny Joyce and Beverley. Their debut single was Babe, I’m Leaving You, which they released on Parlophone in 1965. …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH. The Salsoul Orchestra were formed in 1974 by members of Philadelphia International Records’ legendary studio band M.F.S.B. They left Philadelphia International Records after a dispute with Gamble and Huff over finances. Gamble and Huff’s loss would prove to be Salsoul’s gain. It’s fair to say that between their formation in 1974 …
GYPSY RHUMBA-THE ORIGINAL RHYTHM OF GYPSY RHUMBA IN SPAIN 1965-1974.
GYPSY RHUMBA-THE ORIGINAL RHYTHM OF GYPSY RHUMBA IN SPAIN 1965-1974. It was in 1963 that a new musical genre was born in Barcelona, Spain. This was the Catalan Rhumba. This was a fusion of flamenco, rock ’n’ roll and Caribbean music. Catalan Rhumba had been evolving over a period of years. However, it was in …
BLACK SABBATH-MASTER OF REALITY.
BLACK SABBATH-MASTER OF REALITY. 1970 had been a year that defined Black Sabbath’s career. They’d released two hugely successful albums. This includes their debut album Black Sabbath, which was released in February 1970. It reached number eight in the UK and number twenty-three in the US Billboard 200 charts. This resulted in Black Sabbath being …
EMMYLOU HARRIS-WRECKING BALL.
EMMYLOU HARRIS-WRECKING BALL. In 1995, Emmylou Harris was thirty-eight, and about to release the sixteenth album of her career Wrecking Ball. Emmylou hoped that Wrecking Ball would be the album that would transform her fortunes. Having enjoyed commercial success and critical acclaim between 1975 and 1981, Emmylou’s career had stalled. The problem was, she was no …
THE WAR ON DRUGS-LOST IN THE DREAM.
THE WAR ON DRUGS-LOST IN THE DREAM. Philadelphia. Musically what does Philly mean to you? For many people, it’s Philly Soul. Back in the seventies, jump-suited groups like The O’Jays, The Detroit Spinners and Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes flew the flag for Philly. However, there’ more to Philly than Philly Soul. Much more. …
THE COMPLETE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 1-1964-1967.
THE COMPLETE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 1-1964-1967. Mention Southern Soul, and certain labels spring to mind. Among them are Stax, Hi Records and Fame Records. These three labels are synonymous with Southern Soul. Together, they released some of the greatest music in the history of Southern Soul. Indeed, the artists who walked through the doors of …
THE IMPRESSIONS-ABOUT TIME.
THE IMPRESSIONS-ABOUT TIME. For any group, losing their lead singer can derail their fortunes. In some cases, this can prove fatal. It’s a body blow that the group never recovers from. Especially when the lead singer happens to have written many of the group’s biggest hits. This was the case with The Impressions. Since 1960, …
THE DETROIT SPINNERS-MIGHTY LOVE.
THE DETROIT SPINNERS-MIGHTY LOVE. When The Detroit Spinners signed for Atlantic Records and hooked up with producer Thom Bell there was a huge turnaround in their fortunes. Their first two albums, 1967s The Original Spinners and 2nd Time Around in 1970, hadn’t been commercial a success. Only 2nd Time Around had charted, reaching number 199 …
THE REBEL KIND: GIRLS WITH GUITARS.
THE REBEL KIND: GIRLS WITH GUITARS. It was back in 2004 that Ace Records released Girls With Guitars. Featuring twenty-four tracks, Girls With Guitars it brought back memories of the golden age of the girl group. Record buyers were reminded of the sound of The Angels, The Beattle-Ettes, The Tomboys, The Daughters Of Eve and …
ROBBIE BASHO-THE VOICE OF AN EAGLE.
ROBBIE BASHO-THE VOICE OF AN EAGLE. There are some artists who follow trends, while others are trendsetters. Trendsetter describes Robbie Basho perfectly. His love and appreciation of various cultures, especially Indian culture, resulted in a series of albums of genre-defying music. Robbie’s raison d’être seemed to be broaden the minds of music lovers. He wanted …
BROTHERS AND SISTERS-DYLAN’S GOSPEL.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS-DYLAN’S GOSPEL. For too long, backing singers have been the forgotten heroes of music. That’s been the case since the sixties. Mostly, they were largely anonymous figures. Their raison d’être was to make the stars sound good. Backing singers, like session musicians, were hired guns. Every day, the found themselves working with different …
JOE TURNER-THE REAL BOSS OF THE BLUES.
JOE TURNER-THE REAL BOSS OF THE BLUES. After enjoying a renaissance in its popularity during the early sixties, blues music was in doldrums. Soul had replaced the blues in popularity. However, many of the new breed of rock bands had been inspired by the blues. This included Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Yardbirds, The Animals and …
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY.
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY. For a member of a successful group, it’s always a risk to leave and embark upon a solo career. Often, the success they’ve enjoyed becomes a distant memory. Conversely, the success they’ve enjoyed is often surpassed upon embarking on a solo career. Everyone will have examples when an artists decision to embark …
WILSON PICKETT IN PHILADELPHIA.
WILSON PICKETT IN PHILADELPHIA. By 1970, when Wilson Pickett released Wilson Pickett In Philadelphia, his recording career was eight years old. He’d released his debut single If You Need Me in 1962, and since then, had enjoyed four number one US R&B singles. The first of these was his 1965 classic In The Midnight Hour, …
LET THE MUSIC PLAY: BLACK AMERICA DOES BACHARACH AND DAVID.
LET THE MUSIC PLAY: BLACK AMERICA DOES BACHARACH AND DAVID. It was in the Brill Building in 1957, that Burt Bacharach and Hal David first met. They were both aspiring songwriters. Burt was a twenty-nine year old music graduate from Kansas. Hal was the older of the two. He was a thirty-six year old New …
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