Category Archives: Blues
DANA GILLESPIE-CAT’S MEOW.
DANA GILLESPIE-CAT’S MEOW. Dana Gillespie has packed a lot of living into her sixty-five years. She’s been an actress, singer and songwriter. Her singing career began in the mid-sixties. Initially, Dana was a folk singer. Before long, Dana became a teen pop idol and released her debut album, Foolish Seasons in1967. Since then, Dana’s musical …
L.C. COOKE-THE COMPLETE SAR RECORDINGS.
L.C. COOKE-THE COMPLETE SAR RECORDINGS. Although Sam Cooke made his name as a singer and songwriter, he was also a successful producer. So much so, that Sam formed his own record label SAR Recordings. This made sense. He needed a vehicle for the various artists he was producing. They included some big names. Among them …
BLUESIN’ BY THE BAYOU-ROUGH ’N’ TOUGH.
BLUESIN’ BY THE BAYOU-ROUGH ’N’ TOUGH. Usually, when a compilation reaches its eighth instalment, the quality starts to suffer. Not the Bayou series. Just like a good wine, it appears to mature with age. That’s apparent from listening to the eighth instalment, Bluesin’ By The Bayou-Rough ’N’ Tough, which was recently released by Ace Records. …
JOHN HIATT-TERMS OF MY SURRENDER.
JOHN HIATT-TERMS OF MY SURRENDER. Recently, some of music’s elder statesmen have made a welcome return. During the last couple of weeks, Eric Clapton, Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. That’s not all. Another musical veteran on the comeback trail is John Hiatt. John’s new album Terms Of My Surrender, …
LED ZEPPELIN-LED ZEPPELIN II.
LED ZEPPELIN-LED ZEPPELIN II. On 12th January 1969, the lives of the four members of Led Zeppelin were transformed. Their debut album Led Zeppelin reached number ten in the US Billboard 200 and number six in the UK. Led Zeppelin was certified platinum in the US eight times over. In the UK and Australia, Led …
LED ZEPPELIN-LED ZEPPELIN.
LED ZEPPELIN-LED ZEPPELIN. Music critics don’t always get it right. Sometimes, they fawn over third-rate albums, just because of who recorded the album. That’s often the case with ageing artists. I could quote numerous examples where critics had their head turned by sentiment. This is nothing new. Thirty-five years ago, on 12th January 1969, Led Zeppelin …
PEE WEE CRAYTON-TEXAS BLUES JUMPIN’ IN LOS ANGELES.
PEE WEE CRAYTON-TEXAS BLUES JUMPIN’ IN LOS ANGELES. Musically, Pee Wee Crayton was a late developer. He only started playing the guitar seriously in 1935, when he was twenty-one. That just so happened to coincide with Pee Wee Crayton moving to Los Angeles. He’d moved to Los Angeles from Rockdale, Texas. That had been home …
THE DOORS-WEIRD SCENES INSIDE THE GOLD MINE.
THE DOORS-WEIRD SCENES INSIDE THE GOLD MINE. By 1972, The Doors were history. Their charismatic frontman Jim Morrison had died on the 3rd July 1971. The Lizard King became the latest entrant into the twenty-seven club, where he joined Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Alan Wilson and Jimi Hendrix. This meant that The Doors’ career ended …
CATFISH HODGE-DIFFERENT STROKES-THE COMPLETE EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND RECORDINGS.
CATFISH HODGE-DIFFERENT STROKES-THE COMPLETE EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND RECORDINGS. Great things were expected of Bob “Catfish” Hodge. He was born into a musical family in Detroit, and began playing in clubs when he was still in high school. Before long, he was a regular in Detroit’s clubs. Despite not being able to read music, music came …
IMARHAN TIMBUKTU-AKAL WARLED.
IMARHAN TIMBUKTU-AKAL WARLED. Over the last ten years, Imarhan Timbuktu have been providing the soundtrack at dance clubs and private parties in Northern Mali. Imarhan Timbuktu have starred at the famous Festival au Desert. Gradually, word began to spread about Imarhan Timbuktu. Recently, Imarhan Timbuktu’s music has been heard further afield. This includes in Europe …
BEVERLEY MARTYN-THE PHOENIX AND THE FUTURE.
BEVERLEY MARTYN-THE PHOENIX AND THE FUTURE. It’s nearly fifty years ago since Beverley Martyn made her recording debut. This was as a member of The Levee Breakers. They were a jug band which featured Mac McGann, Johnny Joyce and Beverley. Their debut single was Babe, I’m Leaving You, which they released on Parlophone in 1965. …
THE COMPLETE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 1-1964-1967.
THE COMPLETE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 1-1964-1967. Mention Southern Soul, and certain labels spring to mind. Among them are Stax, Hi Records and Fame Records. These three labels are synonymous with Southern Soul. Together, they released some of the greatest music in the history of Southern Soul. Indeed, the artists who walked through the doors of …
JOE TURNER-THE REAL BOSS OF THE BLUES.
JOE TURNER-THE REAL BOSS OF THE BLUES. After enjoying a renaissance in its popularity during the early sixties, blues music was in doldrums. Soul had replaced the blues in popularity. However, many of the new breed of rock bands had been inspired by the blues. This included Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Yardbirds, The Animals and …
WITHERED HAND-NEW GODS.
WITHERED HAND-NEW GODS. Five long years have passed since Withered Hand recorded their debut album Good News. It was released to critical acclaim and praised for its stark honesty. There was a reason for this. The man behind Withered Hand, Dan Willson was a latecomer to music. He was already thirty when he wrote his …
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