Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
A BLUES TRIBUTE TO CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL.
A BLUES TRIBUTE TO CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. The latest instalment in Cleopatra Records’ Tribute To series is A Blues Tribute To Creedence Clearwater Revival. This is third instalment in the series released during 2014. The first instalment was A Psych Tribute To The Doors, which was released in March 2014. A Psych Tribute To The …
HENRY GROSS-RELEASE/SHOW ME TO THE STAGE.
HENRY GROSS-RELEASE/SHOW ME TO THE STAGE. In 1969, Henry Gross was the youngest person to perform at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. Henry was just eighteen when he took to the stage with Sha Na Na. However, Henry Gross, whose albums Release and Show Me To The Stage were recently rereleased by Chiswick, an …
THE BLUE NILE-A WALK ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS.
THE BLUE NILE-A WALK ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS. Enigmatic, reluctant and contrarian are words that best of describe The Blue Nile’s 1984 debut album A Walk Across the Rooftops. The Blue Nile are the complete opposite of most bands. Describing the Blue Nile as publicity shy, is an understatement. Indeed, since Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and …
END OF NEIL-ONLY SURFERS KNOW.
END OF NEIL-ONLY SURFERS KNOW. Without doubt, one of the most talented Scottish singer-songwriters around today is End Of Neil. I’ve been following End Of Neil’s career for the past couple of years. Since I last touched base with him, a lot has happened to End Of Neil. Neil Stewart, the man behind End Of …
JIMMY HUGHES-STEAL AWAY.
JIMMY HUGHES-STEAL AWAY. Fifty years ago, Jimmy Hughes released what was the first album to bare the Fame Records logo, Steal Away. It was released after the title-track, Steal Away gave Jimmy Hughes the biggest single of his career. On its release, Steal Away gradually climbed the charts. Its rise wasn’t meteoric. Instead, it was …
HADDA BROOKES-QUEEN OF THE BOOGIE AND MORE.
HADDA BROOKES-QUEEN OF THE BOOGIE AND MORE. When Hadda Brookes released her debut single, Swingin’ the Boogie in 1945, she was billed as Queen Of The Boogie. This wasn’t hype. Far from it. Hadda Brookes was the real deal. That’s why she enjoyed the longevity that she did. Hadda’s career lasted over fifty years. She …
BILLY HAWKS-THE NEW GENIUS OF THE BLUES/HEAVY SOUL!
BILLY HAWKS-THE NEW GENIUS OF THE BLUES/HEAVY SOUL! When Bob Weinstock founded Prestige Records in 1949, he’d no idea that his nascent label would become one of the most important, influential and innovative labels in jazz music’s history. So much so, that nowadays, Prestige Records sits proudly beside Atlantic, Blue Note, Columbia, Impulse! and Verve …
JOHN MORALES PRESENTS CLUB MOTOWN.
JOHN MORALES PRESENTS CLUB MOTOWN. DJ and remixer John Morales, spent much of the last seven years working what he describes as his “labor or love,” John Morales Presents Club Motown. It’s a lovingly compiled double album which was recently released by UMC. John Morales Presents Club Motown features a total of twenty tracks from …
NEW YORK DOLLS-NEW YORK DOLLS.
NEW YORK DOLLS-NEW YORK DOLLS. No other group epitomises the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle like the New York Dolls. Drink, drugs and death touched the New York Dolls. Despite this, the Dolls continued to court controversy, with a disaster always just a heartbeat away. Just like a game of daring do, the egged each other to …
JENNY HVAL AND SUSANNA-MESHES OF VOICE.
JENNY HVAL AND SUSANNA-MESHES OF VOICE. Five years ago, in 2009, Jenny Hval and Susanna began writing to each other. A lot has happened to Jenny and Susanna since that initial exchange of letters. Jenny and Susanna were both singer-sonwriters. So it made sense that they collaborated. Together, they cowrote fifteen songs. They showcased these …
DANA GILLESPIE-CAT’S MEOW.
DANA GILLESPIE-CAT’S MEOW. Dana Gillespie has packed a lot of living into her sixty-five years. She’s been an actress, singer and songwriter. Her singing career began in the mid-sixties. Initially, Dana was a folk singer. Before long, Dana became a teen pop idol and released her debut album, Foolish Seasons in1967. Since then, Dana’s musical …
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE.
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE. There aren’t many artists who’ve released over forty albums. Scottish singer-songwriter Kenny Anderson has. However, many people won’t have heard of Kenny Anderson. They will have heard of King Creosote. King Creosote is just one of a number of aliases Kenny Anderson records records under. He’s been a one man …
ELECTRI CITY-ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK AUS DUSSELDORF.
ELECTRI CITY-ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK AUS DUSSELDORF. Some cities are synonymous with a musical genre. Mention Memphis, and it’s remembered as the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll and later, Southern Soul. Philadelphia is famous for Philly Soul and disco. Chicago is synonymous with blues and house music. New Orleans gave us Dixieland and R&B, Seattle grunge, Plainfield …
NANA LOVE-DISCO DOCUMENTARY FULL OF FUNK.
NANA LOVE-DISCO DOCUMENTARY FULL OF FUNK. Disco. Never has a musical genre caused so much controversy. It divided opinion back in the seventies. Even today, disco continues to divide opinion. That’s why disco has been described as Marmite music. People seem to either love or loathe disco. There seems to be no in between. Controversy even …
L.C. COOKE-THE COMPLETE SAR RECORDINGS.
L.C. COOKE-THE COMPLETE SAR RECORDINGS. Although Sam Cooke made his name as a singer and songwriter, he was also a successful producer. So much so, that Sam formed his own record label SAR Recordings. This made sense. He needed a vehicle for the various artists he was producing. They included some big names. Among them …
LEWIS-SMOKE, MIRRORS, HYPE AND HYPERBOLE?
LEWIS-SMOKE, MIRRORS, HYPE AND HYPERBOLE? One of the biggest stories in music in 2014, was the mystery surrounding the man they called Lewis. It’s become an internet phenomena. Usually, I don’t bother with sensationalist stories like this. Especially, this story. It just didn’t seem right. Far from it. There were way too many unanswered questions. …
LED ZEPPELIN-LED ZEPPELIN III.
LED ZEPPELIN-LED ZEPPELIN III. By 1970, Led Zeppelin had been crowned rock royalty. They were up there with the biggest names in rock music. No wonder. Their first two albums had sold over twenty-three million copies. The new four years would be a game-changer for Led Zeppelin. Over the next five years, Led Zeppelin would …
THE MASQUERADERS-EVERYBODY WANNA LIVE ON.
THE MASQUERADERS-EVERYBODY WANNA LIVE ON. Although The Masqueraders’ roots can be traced back to 1958, they never released their debut album until 1975. That was the Isaac Hayes’ produced Everybody Wanna Live On, which was recently rereleased by Ace Records. Everybody Wanna Live On was the result of a long journey for the five Masqueraders. …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 