Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
SYLVIE-EN ANGLAIS…ET EN AMERICAIN.
SYLVIE-EN ANGLAIS…ET EN AMERICAIN. Sylvie Vartan was just seventeen when she embarked upon a career as a ye-ye singer. Little did she realise that this was the start of a five decade career, where Sylvie would be crowed queen of French pop. By then, she was one of the most successful of the new generation …
SPACE ROCK: AN INTERSTELLAR TRAVELLER’S GUIDE.
SPACE ROCK: AN INTERSTELLAR TRAVELLER’S GUIDE. Music like fashion is cyclical. One minute a musical genre is hugely popular, the next it falls from grace. That usually, isn’t the end of the story. There’s usually always a resurgence in popularity of that musical genre at a later date. This has been the case with countless …
MOTORPSYCHO-ANGELS AND DAEMONS AT PLAY.
MOTORPSYCHO-ANGELS AND DAEMONS AT PLAY. Nowadays, not many bands stay together twenty-seven years. Longevity seems to be a thing of the past in the music business. Sadly, so is releasing an average of an album a year. That was common in the sixties and seventies. Not any more. Very few bands come close to releasing …
LINDA JONES-PRECIOUS: THE ANTHOLOGY 1963-1976.
LINDA JONES-PRECIOUS: THE ANTHOLOGY 1963-1976. The story of Linda Jones is one of triumph and tragedy. Growing up, Linda Jones was diagnosed with diabetes. Despite this, Linda Jones went on to forge a successful career as a soul singer. Her breakthrough single, was Hypnotised, which reached twenty-one in the US Billboard 100 and number four …
CONRAD SCHNITZLER-FILMMUSIK 1.
CONRAD SCHNITZLER-FILMMUSIK 1. Conrad Schnitzler was, without doubt, one of the most important and influential figures in German music. Having studied under Joseph Beuys, he cofounded the legendary Zodiak Free Arts Lab in Berlin with Hans-Joachim Roedelius. For next the two years, the Zodiak Free Arts Lab became one of Berlin’s cultural hubs. Artists and …
TIM MAIA 1970.
TIM MAIA 1970. For many musicians, choosing the title for an album can prove problematic. Especially, for a debut album. As a result, many of new artists and bands have gone done this route. This includes everyone from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band to Art In America and Ash Ra Tempel. Then there’s Cluster, Dire …
CANNED HEAT-THE LIBERTY RECORDS YEARS.
CANNED HEAT-THE LIBERTY RECORDS YEARS. 8th of March 1973 marked the end of an era for Canned Heat. They 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 …
RHYTHM ON THE RADIO: OVAL RECORDS-SINGLES 1974-1987.
RHYTHM ON THE RADIO: OVAL RECORDS-SINGLES 1974-1987. By 1972, Charlie Gillette was a successful journalist, based in London. He wrote for various publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including Creem, NME and Let It Rock. Occasionally, Charlie presented the BBC TV music program The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was a program that suited Charlie’s …
TERRY ALLEN- JUAREZ AND LUBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING).
TERRY ALLEN- JUAREZ AND LUBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING). Terry Allen’s career began back in 1966, when he was just twenty-three. Since then, his various careers have blossomed, and he’s now a successful country singer, conceptual artist, sculptor and painter. Given his many talents, nowadays, Terry Allen means different things to different people. Some people know Terry …
KOLLECTION 06: CLUSTER 1971-1981-COMPILED BY JOHN McENTIRE.
KOLLECTiON 06: CLUSTER 1971-1981-COMPILED BY JOHN McENTIRE. One of the most important, influential and innovative bands in the history of German music were Cluster. Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius formed Cluster in 1971. Previously they had both been members of Kluster since 1969. However, Conrad Schnitzler, the third member of Kluster, left the band in mid-1971. …
TIM BUCKLEY- LADY, GIVE ME YOUR KEY: THE UNISSUED 1967 SESSIONS.
TIM BUCKLEY- LADY, GIVE ME YOUR KEY: THE UNISSUED 1967 SESSIONS. Having released his eponymous debut album in 1966, Tim Buckley was told by Elektra wanted to record a followup album. Before that, Elektra’s founder Jac Holzman told Tim Buckley he wanted him to record a single. Then the album would follow. This made sense. …
CHARTBUSTERS USA-SPECIAL COUNTRY EDITION.
CHARTBUSTERS USA-SPECIAL COUNTRY EDITION. It was back in June 1999 that Ace Records released Chartbusters USA Vol.1. Little did they realise that this occasional series would still be going strong over seventeen years later. That’s quite a feat in the increasingly competitive compilation market. What has been crucial to the continued success of Chartbusters USA …
ROGER WATERS-SOLO YEARS.
ROGER WATERS-SOLO YEARS. Following the departure of Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd, bassist Roger Waters became the group’s creative force. This was the case from Pink Floyd’s third album, Ummagumma, which was released in 1969, right through to 1983s The Final Cut. After the release of The Final Cut, Roger Waters left Pink Floyd. It …
THE CAN STORY 1968-1979.
THE CAN STORY 1968-1979. After eleven years and eleven studio albums, Can called time on their career in 1979. By then, Can were rightly regarded as one of the most innovative bands of the Krautrock era. They had enjoyed an almost unrivalled longevity. Can were formed in 1968, by Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt. Both …
NEW ORLEANS FUNK VOLUME 4-VOODOO FIRE IN NEW ORLEANS 1951-77.
NEW ORLEANS FUNK VOLUME 4-VOODOO FIRE IN NEW ORLEANS 1951-77. New Orleans has a rich musical history. That has been the case for the past hundred years. It still is today. Especially when late February comes around. Each year, the people of New Orleans celebrate Marid Gras. For this famous Festival, the Big Easy, and …
FEEL LIKE GOING HOME-THE SONGS OF CHARLE RICH.
FEEL LIKE GOING HOME-THE SONGS OF CHARLE RICH. When Sam Phillips first encountered Charlie Rich, he was singing demos for Sun Records, in Memphis. On hearing the demos, Sam Phillips thought Charlie Rich’s music wasn’t commercial. It was also: “too jazzy.” Sam Phillips then picked up a pile of Jerry Lee Lewis records and handed …
MIKI YUI-OSCILLA.
MIKI YUI-OSCILLA. There aren’t many people who successfully juggle several different careers. Instead, most people tend to specialise in one thing. Especially when it comes to art. That however, isn’t the case with Japanese artist Miki Yui. She has successfully combined and cultivated several different careers since her career began in 1998. Since then, the multitalented Miki Yui’s …
FORASTERO-EL SUBMARINISTA EN EL TEJADO.
FORASTERO-EL SUBMARINISTA EN EL TEJADO. For the last few years, Forastero have been familiar faces on Madrid’s underground jazz scene. It offers alternative venues to the ones that are regularly frequented by the city’s more conservative jazz fans. They’re not quite ready for Forastero’s jazz-punk sound The six members of Forastero take to the stage with …
SUN RA- SINGLES THE DEFINITIVE 45s COLLECTION.
SUN RA- SINGLES THE DEFINITIVE 45s COLLECTION. Ever since his death in 1993, interest in Sun Ra’s music has grown. That comes as no surprise. He was a fascinating figure, and one of most enigmatic and innovative musicians in the history of music. The man that many referred to as Mr. Mystery is nowadays regarded …
MIKE HARRISON-FROM THE V.I.P.s TO THE SOLO YEARS: 1963-1975.
MIKE HARRISON-FROM THE V.I.P.s TO THE SOLO YEARS: 1963-1975. 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 …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 