Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
DOM LA NENA-ELA.
DOM LA NENA-ELA. Not many people are willing to devote their life to music. No. It takes a very special person to make the sacrifices that are needed to master an instrument. Most people are unwilling to make the commitment that’s required. This wasn’t the case for Dom La Nena. From the moment the Brazilian …
MODERNISTS-A DECADE OF RYHTHM AND SOUL DEDICATION.
MODERNISTS-A DECADE OF RYHTHM AND SOUL DEDICATION. Since the birth of rock ’n’ roll, youth cults have come and gone. Some have proved to be nothing more than passing fads. Others however, have lasted longer. However, none of the youth cults of the past fifty years have enjoyed the same longevity as the modernists. The …
HUNG ON YOU-MORE FROM THE GERRY GOFFIN AND CAROLE KING SONGBOOK.
HUNG ON YOU-MORE FROM THE GERRY GOFFIN AND CAROLE KING SONGBOOK. Two heads are better than one. So, the saying says. That’s certainly the case with songwriting. Some of the best, and most successful songs in the history of popular music have been written by songwriting teams. That’s been the case throughout the history of …
RICK WAKEMAN-THE MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE.
RICK WAKEMAN-THE MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. In January 1973, Rick Wakeman released his sophomore album The Six Wives Of Henry VIII. It was a groundbreaking album, one that would forever change prog rock. The Six Wives Of Henry VIII was the album that legitimised synths in …
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-WINDOW.
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-WINDOW. Michael Chapman never set out to be a make a living as a musician and originally, he was a teacher. By day, Michael Chapman taught art and photography and music was something he did in his spare time. However, there was a sense of inevitability that one day soon, Michael Chapman would leave the …
DALINDEO-KALLIO.
DALINDEO-KALLIO. It was back in 2003, that Dalindèo, the Finnish jazz-sextet were founded by composer and guitarist Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen. Since then, Dalindèo have released a trio of albums. Dalindèo released their debut album Open Scenes in 2007. Then after a gap of three years, Dalindèo returned with Soundtrack For The Sound Eye. By then, Dalindèo’s …
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND-THE VELVET UNDERGROUND.
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND-THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. Following disagreements about The Velvet Underground’s future musical direction, John Cale left the group. This was almost inevitable. For some time, John Cale and Lou Reed views about The Velvet Underground’s future differed. John Cale wanted The Velvet Underground to continue to innovate and create experimental music like White Light/White …
DEKE LEONARD-ICEBERG.
DEKE LEONARD-ICEBERG. Four years after founding Man in 1968, Deke Leonard was on a sabbatical from the Welsh rockers. Deke left Man for the first time in May 1972. This allowed Deke to do something he’d always wanted, record his debut solo album. Over the next twenty months, Deke with a few of his musical friends, …
MAN-REANIMATED MEMORIES.
MAN-REANIMATED MEMORIES. There aren’t many bands whose recording career spans six decades. That’s the case with Man. Founded in 1968, Man released their debut album Revelation, a year later in 1969. Since then, the Welsh rockers have enjoyed a long, prolific and sometimes, controversial career. Since their 1969 debut, Man have released over twenty albums …
JERRY LEE LEWIS-WHO’S GONNA PLAY THIS OLD PIANO…THINK ABOUT IT DARLIN’ AND SOMETIMES A MEMORY AIN’T ENOUGH.
JERRY LEE LEWIS-WHO’S GONNA PLAY THIS OLD PIANO…THINK ABOUT IT DARLIN’ AND SOMETIMES A MEMORY AIN’T ENOUGH. As 1972 drew to a close, Jerry Lee Lewis was back where he belonged, at the top. It had taken four years since he began his latest comeback. However, Jerry Lee Lewis had been here before. In 1964, …
CHRIS REA-WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BENNY SANTINI?
CHRIS REA-WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BENNY SANTINI? Musically, Chris Rea was something of a late developer. Chris only bought his first guitar when he was twenty-two. This seemed to give Chris a sense of purpose. Before this he was drifting. Chris, who was born Middlesborough, England in March 1951, had drifted between jobs. He’d worked as …
TOM RUSH-TOM RUSH.
TOM RUSH-TOM RUSH. For many people, Tom Rush was a trailblazer. He was the first of the singer-songwriters. His career began in 1961, when Tom, who was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire began singing in clubs. Back then, Tom was still a student at Harvard University, where he studied English literature. A year later, in …
BIG STAR-KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY.
BIG STAR-KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY. Sadly, in music, talent doesn’t equate to commercial success. If it did, Big Star would’ve been the biggest bands in musical history. That wasn’t the case. Lady luck failed to smile on Big Star when they released a trio of albums between 1972 and 1978. Despite this, nowadays, …
ETTA JAMES-AT LAST!
ETTA JAMES-AT LAST! Etta James had one of the most recognizable, charismatic and soulful voices you’ll ever have privilege of hearing. From her 1960 debut album At Last, until her final album The Dreamer,which was released in November 2011, Miss Peaches’ music touched the hearts of millions of people. That was throughout a career that …
LED ZEPPELIN-PHYSICAL GRAFFITI-DELUXE EDITION BOX SET.
LED ZEPPELIN-PHYSICAL GRAFFITI-DELUXE EDITION BOX SET. February 24th 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of what was Led Zeppelin’s most ambitious and eclectic album, Physical Graffiti. This was Led Zeppelin’s sixth album since their 1969 eponymous debut. However, Physical Graffiti was a first for Led Zeppelin. Physical Graffiti the first double album that Led Zeppelin had …
CAMERA OBSCURA-BIGGEST BLUEST HI-FI.
CAMERA OBSCURA-BIGGEST BLUEST HI-FI. Ever since they formed in 1996, Camera Obscura have been doing things their way. It’s paid off though. Nineteen years later, and Camera Obscura have established a reputation as one of finest purveyors of hook heavy, perfect pop. During that period, Camera Obscura released five albums. Their debut album was 2001s …
THE SOUL STIRRERS-JOY IN MY SOUL-THE COMPLETE S.A.R. RECORDINGS.
THE SOUL STIRRERS-JOY IN MY SOUL-THE COMPLETE S.A.R. RECORDINGS. The loss of a lead singer can prove fatal to even the most successful groups. Not The Soul Stirrers though. Despite the loss of Sam Cooke in 1957, it was business as usual for The Soul Stirrers. Johnnie Taylor was drafted in to replace Sam Cooke, …
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