Author Archive: dereksmusicblog

HITLIST 2-MORE HOT 100 CHARTBUSTERS OF THE 70S.

HITLIST 2-MORE HOT 100 CHARTBUSTERS OF THE 70S. For many baby boomers, the early to early to mid-seventies was a golden age for music. They had just graduated from university, and were making their way in the world. Many had well paid jobs, no commitments and often, a high disposable income.  By then, the  baby …

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PAUL McCARTNEY-PURE McCARTNEY-DELUXE BOX SET.

PAUL McCARTNEY-PURE McCARTNEY-DELUXE BOX SET. It was on the 10th of April 1970, that Paul McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles. A week later, he released his debut studio album McCartney. Since then, Paul McCartney has released another sixteen solo albums and seven albums with Wings. That is not forgetting eight live albums, various …

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THE MAGNETIC NORTH-PROSPECT OF SKELMERSDALE.

THE MAGNETIC NORTH-PROSPECT OF SKELMERSDALE. Four years ago, The Magnetic North announced their arrival when they released their debut album Orkney: Symphony Of The Magnetic North in May 2012. It was released to widespread critical acclaim, and immediately was hailed one of the best albums of 2012. However, the inspiration for the critically acclaimed Orkney: Symphony …

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THE DAMNED-MACHINE GUN ETIQUETTE.

THE DAMNED-MACHINE GUN ETIQUETTE. Not many bands get to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. Especially punk bands. They were mostly short-lived affairs, who released one or two singles, before calling it a day. However, one band are still going strong after forty years, The Damned. Their third album Machine Gun Etiquette has just been reissued on …

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STEIN URHEIM-STRANDEBARM.

STEIN URHEIM-STRANDEBARM. Stein Urheim is unlike most musicians. He’s a talented multi-instrumentalist, who refuses to be constrained by musical norms. Instead, his approach to music is that anything is possible. That has been the case on his first two solo albums, where Stein Urheim has pushed boundaries to their limits, and sometimes beyond. This approach …

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GEORGE HARRISON-THE APPLE YEARS.

GEORGE HARRISON-THE APPLE YEARS. On the 10th April 1970, Paul McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles. A week later, he released his debut album McCartney. Meanwhile, The Beatles were in the process of releasing their swan-song, Let It Be. Just a month later, the Phil Spector produced Let It Be, and the single The …

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DONNIE AND JOE EMERSON- STILL DREAMING?

DONNIE AND JOE EMERSON-STILL DREAMING? All parents want the best for their children. That has been the case since time immemorial. Parents want their children to have what they never had. So when children are young, they lavish them with the best in clothes and toys. As the children get that bit older, they’re given the best bikes, game’s consoles and sport’s …

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BUILDING INSTRUMENT-KEM SOM KAN Å LEVE.

BUILDING INSTRUMENT-KEM SOM KAN Å LEVE. Just over two years have passed since Norwegian trio Building Instrument released their eponymous debut album in March 2014. The album was released to widespread critical acclaim, and great things were forecast for Building Instrument. Since then, Building Instrument have been working on their much  anticipated sophomore album, Kem …

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ARTHUR BLYTHE-LENNOX AVENUE BREAKDOWN, IN THE TRADITION, ILLUSIONS AND BLYTHE SPIRIT.

ARTHUR BLYTHE-LENNOX AVENUE BREAKDOWN, IN THE TRADITION, ILLUSIONS AND BLYTHE SPIRIT. Prodigy is an often overused word. It’s used to describe young children who show a modicum of talent in sport and music. Sadly, and all too often, those that are described as a prodigy never fulfil their supposed potential. The young ball player ends …

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BOB LIND-MAGELLAN WAS WRONG.

BOB LIND-MAGELLAN WAS WRONG. It was in 1966, when Bob Lind released his critically acclaimed debut album Don’t Be Concerned, on World Pacific Records. One of the songs on Don’t Be Concerned, was the song that launched Bob Lind’s career, Elusive Butterfly.  It was released as Bob Lind’s debut single in 1965, not long he …

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SIMPLE MINDS-NEW GOLD DREAM (81-82-83-84) DELUXE EDITION.

SIMPLE MINDS-NEW GOLD DREAM (81-82-83-84) DELUXE EDITION. Simple Minds weren’t an overnight success. Very few bands are. It took five years and five albums before commercial success and critical acclaim came Simple Minds’ way. The album that transformed Simple Minds’ career was New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84).  Suddenly, Simple Minds were one of the most successful bands …

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JEANETTE JONES-DREAMS ALL COME TRUE.

JEANETTE JONES-DREAMS ALL COME TRUE. The history of soul music is littered with artists who could’ve and should’ve gone on to greater things, but for whatever reason, commercial success and critical acclaim passed them by. That, sadly, was the case with Jeanette Jones. She had talent in abundance, and a voice that was a mixture …

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TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, THE STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN STORY.

TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, THE STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN STORY. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s career is a story of triumph and tragedy. He spent eleven years struggling to make a breakthrough. During that period, Stevie Ray Vaughan spent six years as a sideman. This was akin to a musical  apprenticeship for Stevie Ray Vaughan. Having  served his apprenticeship, …

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THE SHORT-LIVED STORY OF FOTHERINGAY.

THE SHORT-LIVED STORY OF FOTHERINGAY. When Sandy Denny left Fairport Convention in December 1969, the reason she gave, was that the wanted to hone her skills as a songwriter. However, less than a year after her departure from Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny formed a new group, Fotheringay. Although Fotheringay were a short lived band, they certainly …

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RHYTHM ’N’ BLUESIN’ BY THE BAYOU-NIGHTS OF SIN, DIRTY DEALS AND LOVE SICK SOULS.

RHYTHM ’N’ BLUESIN’ BY THE BAYOU-NIGHTS OF SIN, DIRTY DEALS AND LOVE SICK SOULS. The state of Louisiana means different things to different people. For some, it’s the state’s rich literary heritage. One of its most famous writers was Tennessee Williams, the author of A Street Car Named Desire. Then there’s Anna Rice the nineteenth …

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CELESTIAL BLUES-COSMIC, POLITICAL AND SPIRITUAL JAZZ 1970 TO 1974.

CELESTIAL BLUES-COSMIC, POLITICAL AND SPIRITUAL JAZZ 1970 TO 1974.  Sometimes, music has been compared to fashion. Both industries are cyclical, with music and clothes both falling in and out of popularity. One minute a genre is popular, the next, it’s fallen from grace. That has been the case since the birth of rock ’n’ roll. …

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TRASHCAN SINATRAS-WILD PENDULUM.

TRASHCAN SINATRAS-WILD PENDULUM. Not many bands formed in 1986 are still together today. That includes some of the most successful eighties bands. Many of these bands spilt-up in the late-eighties. Some made it as far as the nineties before calling it a day. By then, music had changed, while many of these bands had stood …

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THE BETTYE SWANN STORY.

THE BETTYE SWANN STORY. The Bettye Swann story is a case of what might might have been. She could’ve and should’ve been one of the biggest names in sou 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 Swann was …

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CHARLEY PRIDE-AMAZING LOVE, COUNTRY FEELIN’, PRIDE OF AMERICA AND CHARLEY.

CHARLEY PRIDE-AMAZING LOVE, COUNTRY FEELIN’, PRIDE OF AMERICA AND CHARLEY. By the time Charley Pride released Amazing Love in October 1973, he was one of the biggest names in country music. Eleven of Charley’s albums had been certified gold, and his last thirteen albums had reached the top ten in the US Country charts. Seven …

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VAN HALEN-THE DAVID LEE ROTH YEARS AND BEYOND.

VAN HALEN-THE DAVID LEE ROTH YEARS AND BEYOND. For any successful band, losing their lead singer can prove disastrous. Suddenly, the very future of the band is at risk.The band has two options, to and find a replacement or call it quits. However, this isn’t really an option for a band whose first six albums …

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