Author Archive: dereksmusicblog

THE LIFE AND CAREER OF KAREN DALTON.

The Life and Career Of Karen Dalton. Karen Dalton could’ve, and should’ve, been one of the most successful singers of her generation. She certainly had the talent. Her peers agreed. Bob Dylan described Karen Dalton as his favourite singer in his autobiography. He compared Karen’s voice to Billie Holliday, and her guitar playing to Jimmy …

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THE RISE AND DEMISE OF THE ANIMALS.

The Rise and Demise Of The Animals. A lot can happen to a band in just five year, and The Animals were proof of this. They released their eponymous debut album in September 1964, and over the next few years, became one of the biggest British Invasion bands. However, by 1969, The Animals’ story was over. …

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PAT THOMAS- “THE GOLDEN VOICE OF AFRICA AND “GHANIAN HIGHLIFE MASTER.”

Pat Thomas- “The Golden Voice Of Africa”  and Ghanaian Highlife Master. All Pat Thomas ever wanted to do was sing highlife, and he’s been doing that since his career began in 1966. Since then, Pat Thomas has reinvented himself musically several times. He’s recorded everything from big band highlife in the late sixties, right through to the burger …

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LINK WRAY-1958-1973:THE FIFTEEN YEARS BETWEEN RUMBLE AND THE 3-TRACK SHACK

Link Wray-1958-1973: The Fifteen Years Between Rumble and The 3-Track Shack. It’s no exaggeration to say that Link Wray was one of the most important, innovative and influential guitarist in the history of modern music. Link Wray influenced Jimmy Page, Neil Young, Iggy Pop, Phil Everly, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who and the Rolling Stones, while his 1958 instrumental hit …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RADKA TONEFF.

The Life and Times Of Radka Toneff,  One of the most overused word in tRadka Tonefhe English language is classic, with critics often hailing the latest book, play or album a “classic.” More often than not, this is hyperbole, and it’s only much later, that the same critics realise that they were rather fulsome in their praise …

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THE MUSIC OF MICHAEL ROTHER KOMISCHE PIONEER.

The Music Of Michael Rother Kosmische Pioneer. During the early seventies, the German music scene was thriving, and  was one of the most vibrant in Europe. Some of the most influential and innovative music was being recorded and released by German bands. This included the holy trinity of Can, Kraftwerk and Neu!. Along with Amon Düül II, Ashra, …

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THE SEVENTIES: THE HEYDAY OF THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA.

The Seventies: The Heyday of The Electric Light Orchestra. In 1970, Birmingham based songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood decided to form a new band with drummer Bev Bevan. This new group they christened the Electric Light Orchestra.  At first, the Electric Light Orchestra was regarded as an offshoot of The Move, which Jeff …

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BIG STAR-PIONEERS OF POWER POP.

Big Star-Pioneers Of Power Pop. Sadly, in music, talent doesn’t guarantee commercial success. If it did, Big Star would’ve been one of the biggest bands in musical history. Alas, 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,  Big Star …

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THE LIFE AND TIME OF BRITISH BLUESMAN MICK CLARKE.

The Life and Time Of British Bluesman Mick Clarke. Mick Clarke can remember the day that his life was changed was forevermore. He was fifteen years old,  and living in London, England. That was when he heard Eric Clapton for the first time. It was a life changing experience for Mick Clarke. Since that day, …

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THE STORY OF ZEPHYR: ONE OF THE BEST BANDS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD.

The Story Of Zephyr: One Of The Best Bands You’ve Never Heard. Like many bands who don’t reach the heights that their music deserves, the story of Zephyr is one of what might have been. They released a trio of albums between 1969 and 1972, which nowadays, have a cult following including Zephyr, Back To Colorado and …

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LIGHTHOUSE-THE RISE OF LIGHTHOUSE 1969-1974.

Lighthouse-The Rise Of Lighthouse-1969 1974. In 1968, Skip Prokop the former drummer and vocalist with the Canadian psychedelic rock band The Paupers, met Brooklyn born keyboardist Paul Hoffert in a New York nightclub. The men bonded over their mutual love of music. However, when they parted company at the end of the evening, they never …

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THE RISE AND DEMISE OF STEVE AND THE BOARD.

The Rise and Demise Of Steve and The Board. Although Steve and The Board were formed in Brisbane, Australia, in 1965, the story began 9,000 miles away in 1950. That was when  Steve Kipner, the founder of Steve and The Board was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, Steve Kipner didn’t spend much of his young life …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDY HENSKE.

The Life and Times Of Judy Henske. It was in 1962, when Judy Henske was living in Los Angeles, that the Queen of the Beatniks first came to the attention of Elektra Records’ founder Jac Holzman. He had just setup A&R and marketing operation in LA and was on looking for new artists to add …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MUSICAL MAVERICK HOLGER CZUKAY.

The Life and Times Of Musical Maverick Holger Czukay. Although the word innovator is one of the most overused words in the English language nowadays, it perfectly describes  Holger Czukay who cofounded Can in 1968. This was the start of a near fifty year career where Holger Czukay continued to make groundbreaking music, and push musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes way …

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THE RISE AND FALL OF SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE.

The Rise and Fall Of Sly and the Family Stone. Between 1966 and 1976, psychedelic soul pioneers Sly and The Family Stone released eight studio albums and their first Greatest Hits album. These albums showcased Sly and the Family Stone’s genre-melting music, which took as a starting point psychedelic soul and added funk and rock to this heady musical brew. …

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DIETER MOEBIUS-LIFE AFTER CLUSTER: THE SOLO YEARS.

Dieter Moebius-Life After Cluster: The Solo Years. Ten years after Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius formed Cluster in 1971, the first chapter in the Cluster story drew to a close 1981, after the release of their seventh studio album, Curiosum. Hans-Joachim Roedelius said: “Cluster had run its course. We decided to concentrate on other projects. …

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ERIC GALE-9 IN 10, THE SOLO YEARS 1973-1983.

Eric Gale-9 In 10, The Solo Years 1973-1983 Jazz guitarist Eric Gale was born in Brooklyn, New York on September the ‘20th’ 1938, and by the time he was eleven, had already discovered music. Fittingly, it was guitarist Les Paul that piqued Eric Gale’s interest in music. When he heard Les Paul and his wife Mary Ford …

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STEVE YOUNG-THE STORY OF A MUSICAL PIONEER AND FREE SPIRIT.

Steve Young-The Story Of A Musical Pioneer and Free Spirit.  Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll,  there have been countless examples of  truly talented and gifted artists music whose music  failed to find the audience it deserved during their lifetime. This ranges from Nick Drake and Gram Parsons and to some extent, Tim Buckley. It’s only in death …

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SPAIN’S FIRST LADY OF MUSIC-SUSANA ESTRADA.

Spain’s First Lady Of Music-Susana Estrada. Ever since 1939, the brutal Francoist regime had ruled Spain with an iron fist. This came to an end with the death of dictator Francisco Franco on ’20th’ November 1975. After Franco’s death, control of Spain passed to King Juan Carlos. By then, Spain was in a state of …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BETTYE SWANN.

The Life and Times Of Bettye Swann. The Bettye Swann story is a case of what might have been. She could’ve and should’ve been one of the biggest names in soul music. That looked like being the case when Bettye Swann released her debut single Don’t Wait To Long in 1964. Three years later, in 1967, Betty …

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