Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
THE LIFE AND CAREER OF GREGORY CARROLL.
The Life and Career Of Gregory Carroll. John Wayne Carroll a.k.a. Gregory Carroll was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on 19th December 1929. He was one of six children born to Upsher and Sally Carroll. By the time he was a teenager at Frederick Douglass High School, he formed the vocal group, The Metronomes. They would …
THE LIFE AND CAREER OF GRAHAM NASH.
The Life and Career Of Graham Nash. Singer, songwriter and musician Graham William Nash, was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. His mother was evacuated from her hometown of Salford, at the outbreak of World War II. Later, though, the Nash family returned to Salford. That was where Nash met Allan Clarke. They started singing together, …
THE LIFE AND CAREER OF LANGSTON HUGHES.
The Life and Career Of Langston Hughes. Multitalented is the word that describes James Mercer Langston Hughes. He was a novelist, newspaper columnist, poet, playwright, social activist and songwriter. Hughes is also credited as being one of the founding fathers of jazz poetry. It’s almost an understatement to say he was a remarkable man. Hughes was …
THE LIFE AND CAREER OF ERIC GALE .
The Life and Career Of Eric Gale. Jazz guitarist, sideman, songwriter and producer Eric Gale was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, on September 20th, 1938. His grandfather was English and he also had relatives in Venezuela and Barbados. During the holidays, Gale spent time in Britain visiting family. This gave him a different worldview. …
THE LIFE AND CAREER OF SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER RON MILLER.
The Life and Career Of Songwriter and Producer Ron Miller. Ronald Norman Gould was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October, 5th, 1932, the only son of Sue and Harry. He lived with mother and two sisters. His parents had divorced when he was young, and life was tough for the Goulds who lived in poverty, …
MAKE MINE MONDO! 2.
Make Mine Mondo! 2. Label: Ace. Release Date: 28th November 2024 Format: CD. Usually, record labels spend a considerable part of their budget promoting their latest releases. However, that isn’t always the case. Many independent labels, both big and small have a rather chaotic approach to promoting an album. Some smaller independent labels have no budget …
HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE.
Here, There and Everywhere. Label: Ace. Format: CD. Released: 29th November 2024. Over the years, there’s been many compilations of cover versions of songs by The Beatles. They’ve been a mixed bag, with the quality varying. They’re best described as the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Some are nothing more than exploitative cash-ins …
ONE IN A ROW: THE WILLIE NELSON SONGBOOK.
One In A Row: The Willie Nelson Songbook. Label: Ace. Format: CD. Willie Nelson is, without doubt, a giant of country music, and a leading light in the outlaw country subgenre. Nelson is also a prolific songwriter whose songwriting career began in the early fifties. He’s written countless classics, and many of his songs have …
ISAAC HAYES-HOT BUTTERED SINGLES 1969-1972.
Isaac Hayes-Hot Buttered Singles 1969-1972. Label: Stax. Format: CD. Release Date: 25th October 2024. Isaac Lee Hayes Jr was born on 20th, August 1942 in Covington, Tennessee. He was the second child of Eula and Isaac Lee Hayes Sr. However, tragedy struck when Hayes’ mother died when he was young. The situation got even worse …
NEW JILL SWING 1988-94.
New Jill Swing 1988-94. Ace. Release Date: 27th, September 2024. Format: CD. In the mid-eighties, a new genre of music was born, new jack swing or swingbeat. It was a fusion of jazz, funk, rap and R&B and incorporated the production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop. Producers who pioneered this new musical movement included …
RODION G.A.-FROM THE ARCHIVES 1981-2017.
Rodion G.A. From The Archives 1981-2017. Label: Ace Format: CD and 2LP. In April 2022, I pitched the idea of a new Rodion G.A. compilation to Ace. This was a just over a year after the death of Rodion-Ladislau Rosca, the cofounder of Rodion G.A. By then, four years had passed since the release of the …
ALICE CLARK-ALICE CLARK.
Alice Clark-Alice Clark. Label: Solid Japan Release Date: Format: CD. Sadly, all too often, hype and image has triumphed over talent, while commercial success and critical acclaim eludes truly talented artists. Chastened by the experience, many of these artists turn their back on the music industry. They’re content to return to civvy street, free from …
WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN-THE PAUL WILLIAMS SONGBOOK.
We’ve Only Just Begun-The Paul Williams Songbook. Label: Ace. Format: CD. Release Date: 26th July 2024. The latest instalment in Ace’s Songwriter Series is ‘We’ve Only Just Begun-The Paul Williams Songbook,’ which will be released on 26th July 2024. It features twenty-two tracks penned by a man who originally, was an accidental songwriter. Paul Hamilton …
THE BLUE NILE-HIGH.
The Blue Nile-High. Label: Confetti Records. Format: CD. Enigmatic, reluctant and contrarian are words that best of describe The Blue Nile. They’re the complete opposite of most bands. The Blue Nile have been described as publicity shy. That’ is an understatement. Ever since Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and Paul Joseph Moore formed The Blue Nile, …
THOM BELL-DIDN’T I BLOW YOUR MIND? THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA 1969-1983.
Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983. Label: Kent. Format: CD. During the late-sixties and seventies, Thom Bell was one of the architects of Philly Soul, and worked with everyone from The Delfonics, The Stylistics and The Spinners to M.F.S.B., The O’Jays, Three Degrees and New York City. Artists came …
ATLANTA: HOTBED OF 70s SOUL.
Atlanta: Hotbed Of 70s Soul. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. During the fifties and sixties, the Atlanta’s black music scene was thriving. One of the most important figures during the sixties was Bill Haney. He was a a producer, songwriter and owner of Down South Productions, which was responsible for some of the finest Southern …
JOHN SAVAGE’S SECRET PUBLIC-HOW THE LGBTQ+ AESTHETIC SHAPED POP CULTURE 1955-1979.
Jon Savage’s The Secret Public-How The LGBTQ+ Aesthetic Shaped Pop Culture 1955-1979. Label: Ace. Format: CD. Release Date: 31st May 2024. Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll, homosexuality has been part of popular music. However, in the fifties, it wasn’t talked about openly. That was the case right through to the sixties, where …
TOMORROW’S FASHIONS – LIBRARY ELECTRONICA 1972-1987.
Tomorrow’s Fashions – Library Electronica 1972-1987. Label: Ace. Format: CD. Release Date: 28th June 2024. Over the last few years, there’s been a resurgence of interest in library music, with British and European record labels releasing lovingly curated compilations that are welcomed by a coterie of musical connoisseurs who have a passion for library music. …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 