Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
MACARTHUR-MACARTHUR.
MACARTHUR-MACARTHUR. Having completed a tour of duty with the United States Marine Corp, Ben MacArthur returned home to Sagina, Michigan in 1977. When Ben returned home, jobs were few and far between, and it looked as if a recession was about to hit the rustbelt. It was hardly the welcome home he had envisaged. The …
THE LADIES OF TOO SLOW TO DISCO.
THE LADIES OF TOO SLOW TO DISCO. Over the last few years, there’s been a resurgence in interest in the West Coast sound. It fell from grace in the late seventies. Before that, the West Coast sound had won over the hearts and minds of record buyers, and provided the soundtrack to much of the …
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT-VINYL EDITION-RECORD STORE DAY 2016.
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT-VINYL EDITION-RECORD STORE DAY 2016. Nowadays, artists can spent years recording an album. They announce that they’re about to start work on their next album. That’s the last anyone hears of the artist for years. They’re locked away in their home studio, with only a DAW and a handful of plug-ins for company. …
NUGGETS-HALLUCINATIONS: PSYCHEDELIC POP NUGGETS FROM THE WEA VAULTS.
NUGGETS-HALLUCINATIONS: PSYCHEDELIC POP NUGGETS FROM THE WEA VAULTS. For many record collectors, Record Store Day is regarded as one of the most important days in the record collecting year. There’s a sense of anticipation about the day from weeks in advance. This begins the moment the list of Record Store Day releases is published. Record …
RED SQUARE-RARE AND LOST 70S RECORDINGS.
RED SQUARE-RARE AND LOST 70S RECORDINGS. Far too often, innovative music falls to find the audience it deserves. Instead, it’s enjoyed by a small, discerning and appreciative audience. These musical connoisseurs recognise the importance of music that could, and should, influence another generation of musicians. Sadly, all too often this doesn’t happen. To rub salt …
HARMONIA-DOCUMENTS.
HARMONIA-DOCUMENTS. By 1974, supergroups were popular on both sides of the Atlantic. This had been the case since 1966, when Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker formed Cream. Since then, several supergroups had been formed, including Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Blind Faith, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Bad Company. These supergroups enjoyed varying …
MARVIN GAYE-TROUBLE MAN-VINYL EDITION.
MARVIN GAYE-TROUBLE MAN-VINYL EDITION. When What’s Going On was released on 20th May 1971, it marked the second chapter in Marvin Gaye’s career. For many people, What’s Going On marked the start of Marvin Gaye’s career as a serious artist. Indeed, What’s Going On, was far removed from the poppy soul Marvin Gaye had previously …
JOHN MARTYN-GRACE AND DANGER-VINYL EDITION.
JOHN MARTYN-GRACE AND DANGER-VINYL EDITION. In November 1977, John Martyn released what’s was undoubtably one the finest albums of his career, One World. It was an atmospheric, experimental and genre-defying album. Everything from folk, jazz, reggae and rock melted together over eight tracks. Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, One World was hailed a classic album. …
KLAUS SCHULZE-IRRLICHT.
KLAUS SCHULZE-IRRLICHT. In 1969, Berlin’s vibrant musical scene was thriving. At the heart of Berlin’s music scene was the Zodiak Free Arts Lab. It was the cultural centre of the city. This was where some of Germany’s top bands took their tentative steps towards greatness. However, the Zodiak Free Arts Lab was also a meeting …
DALINDEO-SLAVIC SOULS.
DALINDEO-SLAVIC SOULS. The Dalindèo story started back in 2003. That’s when composer and guitarist, Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen, decided to found Dalindèo. They were no ordinary band. Instead, Dalindèo decided to recruit some of Finland’s top jazz musicians. Joining him in the rhythm section were drummer Jaska Lukkarinen and Pekka Lehti on double bass. They were …
DIETER MOEBIUS-NURTON.
DIETER MOEBIUS-NURTON. Although the late, great Dieter Moebius is best known for his groundbreaking work with Kluster, Cluster and Harmonia, he also enjoyed a successful solo career. However, Dieter Moebius’ solo career had to fit round his other musical commitments. So solo albums were sporadic. In total, Dieter Moebius released just five solo albums during …
MARIANNE FAITHFUL-NORTH COUNTRY MAID AND LOVE IN A MIST.
MARIANNE FAITHFUL-NORTH COUNTRY MAID AND LOVE IN A MIST. By March 1964, it was apparent that pop music wasn’t just a passing fad. The Beatles were a global phenomenon, and the British Invasion of the American charts had just begun. Britain was a musical powerhouse, that the world envied. Despite this, many labels weren’t resting …
HOUSE OF NOT-THE WALKABOUT OF A. NEXTER NIODE- PART TWO-SEXUS,
HOUSE OF NOT-THE WALKABOUT OF A. NEXTER NIODE- PART TWO-SEXUS, For many people, the golden age of the concept album was the seventies. It seemed that every self respecting rock band had to release a concept album. This was almost a musical rite of passage. However, rock’s royalty weren’t content to release just one concept …
MOGWAI-ATOMIC.
MOGWAI-ATOMIC. Glasgow-based post rock pioneers Mogwai, are no strangers to the world of soundtracks. They’ve previously released three soundtracks in the last ten years. The first was Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait in October 2006. Just a month later, Mogwai released the soundtrack to The Fountain in November 2006. After releasing two soundtracks in the …
QLUSTER-ECHTZEIT-VINYL EDITION.
QLUSTER-ECHTZEIT-VINYL EDITION. Back in 1969, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Dieter Moebius and Conrad Schnitzler founded Kluster, which would become one of the most important groups in the nascent Krautrock movement. Kluster went on to release two albums between 1969 and 1971, Zwei-Ostere and Klopfzeichen. However, in 1971 Conrad Schnitzler announced that he was leaving Kluster. So Hans-Joachim …
ONE TRACK MIND- MORE MOTOWN GUYS.
ONE TRACK MIND- MORE MOTOWN GUYS. For some time, Berry Gordy Jr. had ben thinking of heading out on his own. He was fed up working for other people, and decided the time had come to form his own record company. So using the royalties he received from writing songs for Jackie Wilson, and an …
JACK ASHFORD-JUST PRODUCTIONS.
JACK ASHFORD-JUST PRODUCTIONS. By 1966, Jack Ashford was a familiar face in Detroit’s music jazz scene. The Philly born musician had been a member of Marvin Gaye’s touring band before he became a Funk Brother. Through meeting the Motown musicians, Jack decided to base himself in Detroit. Soon, he became part of Motown’s legendary studio band …
LOVE HIT ME!-DECCA BEAT GIRLS 1962-1970.
LOVE HIT ME!-DECCA BEAT GIRLS 1962-1970. The post-Beatles’ pop boom of the early sixties seemed to catch some record labels unaware. They came to the party late. Some label executives thought that pop music was a passing fad, and were reluctant to commit scarce resources to it. This had disastrous consequences. By the time, these …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 