Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
MANCHESTER-A CITY UNITED IN MUSIC.
Manchester-A City United In Music. Label: Ace Records. Mention Manchester, and most people think of two things music and soccer, and specifically God’s own team Manchester City who for too long, were perceived as the city’s second team. That wasn’t always the case and isn’t the case any more. Between 1966 and 1975, Manchester City …
CYCLONE! GALLIC GUITARS A-GO-GO 1962-66.
Cyclone! Gallic Guitars A-Go-Go 1962-66. Label: Ace Records. In the early sixties, rock ’n ’roll arrived in France, and was immediately embraced by a new generation of French musicians with an intensity. Among the first wave of French rock groups were Les Chats Sauvages and Les Chaussettes Noires, who nowadays, are regarded as having set …
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ALICE CLARK?
Whatever Happened To Alice Clark? 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 a world populated by A&R …
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE BETA BAND
The Life and Times Of The Beta Band. The Beta Band was formed in Edinburgh in 1996, and a year later, in July 1997 released their Champion Versions EP, which was the first of a trio of innovative EP’s the folktronica pioneers released. In March 1998 The Beta Band released their sophomore EP The Patty Patty Sound, with Los Amigos …
THE CHARLATANS-THE MUSICAL MAVERICKS AND DANDIES WHO HAD IT ALL.
The Charlatans-The Musical Mavericks and Dandies Who Had It All. Between 1964 and 1969, The Charlatans’ star shawn brightly, and the larger than life musical mavericks dressed like ‘19th’ Century outlaws, and embraced the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. L.S.D. and pot were part of The Charlatans’ diet. It fuelled The Charlatans as they took San Francisco by storm, and commercial …
HALLELUJAH-THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN.
Hallelujah-The Songs Of Leonard Cohen. Label: Ace Records. On the ‘21st’ of October 2016, Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist and poet Leonard Cohen released what was to be his swan-song You Want It Darker to widespread critical acclaim. Sadly, just seventeen days later Leonard Cohen passed away on the ‘7th’ of November 2016, aged eighty-two. That day, music lost …
THE THREE YEAR STORY OF SWEENEY’S MEN.
The Three Year Story Of Sweeney’s Men. One of the bands that emerged from the mid-sixties Irish roots revival was Sweeney’s Men, who were formed in Dublin in May 1966, by Andy Irvine, “Galway Joe” Dolan and Johnny Moynihan. Sweeney’s Men were together for just three years, and released two albums which feature one of the …
THE JOHNSTONS-A STORY OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
The Johnstons-A Story Of What Might Have Been? During the mid-sixties, folk music on both sides of the Atlantic was growing in popularity, in America and Britain. It was a similar case in Ireland, where a number of folk bands were founded, including The Johnstons in Slane, County Meath, whose original lineup featured Adrienne Johnston, her …
COCTEAU TWINS-FOUR CALENDAR CAFE AND MILK AND KISSES VINYL.
Cocteau Twins-Four-Calendar Café and Milk and Kisses Vinyl. Label: UMC It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for 4AD President Ivo Watts-Russell when the Cocteau Twins released their sixth studio album Heaven Or Las Vegas on the ’17th’ of September 1990. He watched as the critically acclaimed album of dream reached …
ON THE DETROIT BEAT! MOTOR CITY SOUL-UK STYLE 1963-1967.
On The Detroit Beat! Motor City Soul-UK Style 1963-67. Label: Ace Records. As 1959 unfolded, Detroit based songwriter, producer and future musical impresario Berry Gordy Jr had already discovered The Miracles and started to build a successful portfolio of recording artists. There was only one problem, what would Berry Gordy Jr do with these talented …
GORDON JACKSON-A STORY OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Gordon Jackson-A Story Of What Might Have Been, Over the past to fifty years, there are many artists in Britain and America who could’ve and should’ve enjoyed long and successful careers. Some of these artists even recorded albums that should’ve launched or kickstarted their solo careers . Sadly, the fickle finger of fate decided otherwise and …
DR JOHN-THE ATCO YEARS 1968-1974.
Dr John-The Atco Years 1968-1974. Gris Gris. When a copy of Dr John’s debut album Gris Gris was sent to Atlantic Records’ founder Ahmet Ertegun he disliked the album so much, that he was reluctant to even release the album and said: “how can we market this boogaloo crap?” This wasn’t the response that Dr …
WHERE THE GIRLS ARE VOLUME 10.
Where The Girls Are Volume 10. Ace Records. Thirty-five years ago, in 1984, Mick Patrick and Ady Croasdell compiled the first volume of Where The Girls Are, which was released on vinyl. This was just before the emergence of the CD, which within a few years, replaced vinyl in many people’s music collection and affections. …
CANNED HEAT’S LIBERTY RECORDS’ YEARS.
Canned Heat’s Liberty Records Records’ Years. ‘8th’ of March 1973 marked the end of an era for Canned Heat who had just released their ninth album, The New Age. It was their swan-song for Liberty Records. After six years and nine studio albums, Canned Heat were about leave Liberty Records. They had managed to negotiate their release from …
MIKE HARRISON-FROM THE V.I.P.s TO HIS SOLO YEARS.
Mike Harrison-From The V.I.P.s To His Solo Years. For Carlisle born Mike Harrison, the period between 1963 and 1975, proved the most prolific of a six decade career. During that period, Mike Harrison was the lead singer of The V.I.P.s and Art. They would later become known as Spooky Tooth, who signed to Island Records in 1968. Three years later, and with the …
MOGOLLAR’S CAREER OF TWO PARTS.
Moğollar’s Career Of Two Parts. By 1976, Anatolian rockers Moğollar had been together for the best part of a decade, and were now one of Turkey’s most successful bands. Everything seemed to have been going well for Moğollar until they lost their latest vocalist. This was nothing new, and was a problem that had haunted the group over the years. Vocalists had been Moğollar’s …
MAJA S.K. RATKJE-SULT
Maja S. K. Ratkje-Sult. Rune Grammofon. By the time Maja S. K. Ratkje graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2000, the twenty-seven year old had already won one of the most prestigious awards in Norwegian music, an Edvardprisen. This came in 1999, when Waves 11b won an Edvardprisen in the contemporary music minor …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 