Category Archives: Pop
STEPHANIE MILLS-I’VE GOT THE CURE.
STEPHANIE MILLS-I’VE GOT THE CURE. By 1984, Stephanie Mills was about to release her ninth album, I’ve Got The Cure. This was her final album on Casablanca Records, and featured Stephanie’s number one single Medicine Song. However, success hadn’t come overnight for Stephanie. Neither Stephanie’s 1974 debut album For The First Time, nor her 1975 …
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD-A BRAND NEW ME.
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD-A BRAND NEW ME. For Dusty Springfield, her 1970 album A Brand New Me proved to a hugely significant album for three reasons. A Brand New Me was the followup to what is seen as Dusty’s finest album Dusty In Memphis, released in 1969. Another reason was that A Brand New Me featured what …
DICK JENSEN-DICK JENSEN.
DICK JENSEN-DICK JENSEN. When most people think of Philadelphia International Records, they think of The O’Jays, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Billy Paul, The Three Degrees and Teddy Pendergrass. However, there’s much, much more to Philadelphia International Records than just these artists. Granted they were among Philadelphia International Records’ most successful artists, but they …
THE BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2012-PART 3.
THE BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2012-PART 3. By now, we’re at the third part in The Best New Albums of 2012. The five albums I’ve chosen cover the period between July and September 2012. This includes albums from labels based in Japan, Belgium and the UK. Each of these labels art independent labels, who are …
GREAT BRITISH ALBUMS.
GREAT BRITISH ALBUMS. Usually, in the run-up to Christmas, record companies find any excuse to release compilations, best of’s and box set galore. Wander through you’re local record shop, and you’ll find the umpteenth album of greatest hits from the usual suspects, including rock stars of yesteryear topping up their pension plans. Often, a similar …
MARY WELLS-THE COMPLETE 20TH CENTURY COLLECTION.
MARY WELLS-THE COMPLETE 20TH CENTURY COLLECTION. After four hit laden years at Motown, Mary Wells dropped a bombshell, when she announced she was leaving Motown. Mary couldn’t have chosen a better time to leave Motown. She was holding all the cards, and had just enjoyed the equivalent of a Royal Flush. My Guy had just …
JOE MCALINDEN-BLEACHED HIGHLIGHTS.
JOE MCALINDEN-BLEACHED HIGHLIGHTS. In the past few years, the way people buy music has changed beyond all recognition. Long gone are the days when buying new music involved a trip to your local record store. Now record stores are disappearing on an almost daily basis, with even the large chains vanishing from high streets. Replacing …
DIONNE WARWICK-DIONNE.
DIONNE WARWICK-DIONNE. Before Dionne Warwick signed for Clive Davis’ Arista Records in 1978, her career was at a musical crossroads. After leaving Warner Bros after the release of 1977s Love At First Sight, Dionne found herself without a record company. It seemed the seventies had been a tumultuous decade for era for her. The seventies …
LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE-LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE.
LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE-LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE. After signing to Columbia Records, the three members of Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Lisa Velez, Alex Panador and Mike Hughes would embark upon the most successful period of their career. During the four year period between 1985 and 1989, …
TEMMA TEJE-MIDGET LAMPS IN THE DARK.
TEMMA TEJE-MIDGET LAMPS IN THE DARK. Although TEMMA-Teje is just twenty-one, he’s packed a lot into his nascent musical career, so far. Starting at just aged thirteen, he was writing songs for his band. By sixteen, his band were playing twice a week at various venues. He was guitarist and vocalist. Then his career progressed …
CASHMERE-LET THE MUSIC TURN YOU ON.
CASHMERE-LET THE MUSIC TURN YOU ON. Back in 1983, Cashmere released their debut album Let the Music Turn You On, on Philly Groove Records. The album went on to become a boogie classic, featuring the singles Do It Anyway You Wanna and Try Your Lovin.’ Featuring lead vocalist Dwight Dukes whose voice has an uncanny …
TALK TALK-SPIRIT OF EDEN.
TALK TALK-SPIRIT OF EDEN. Sometimes, an artist or group’s music changes and matures over the course of their career. This is certainly the case for the band this article is about. In their early years, their music was similar to many of the New Romantic groups popular back then. Their first two albums were very …
KATE BUSH-LIONHEART.
KATE BUSH-LIONHEART. In this article, I’m going to write about one of the most remarkable singer-songwriters of the past forty years. She was discovered aged sixteen, by Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd. He recommended her to EMI, who promptly gave her a record contract. Aged nineteen, her first solo album The Kick Inside, was released. …
RUMER-SEASONS OF MY SOUL.
RUMER-SEASONS OF MY SOUL. One thing that makes me laugh in the music industry, is when someone is referred to as an “overnight sensation.” This usually, is so far removed from the truth. Hardly any artist ever becomes a “star” overnight. Usually, they’ve fruitless spent years trying to make a breakthrough. Sometimes, this can mean …
AMY WINEHOUSE-BACK TO BLACK.
AMY WINEHOUSE-BACK TO BLACK. Neil Young once sang “it’s better to burn out than fade away.” It’s nothing more than a good lyric. Nobody should take this lyric seriously. Sadly, some singers seem to take this lyric seriously, witness Kurt Cobain and Sid Vicious. The way they led their lives, it was almost inevitable that …
AZTEC CAMERA-LOVE.
AZTEC CAMERA-LOVE. Back in 1988, I went to a music festival, and one of the bands that I saw that day, were Aztec Camera. I’d been invited along to this festival by a good friend of mine. The idea, was that we’d make a weekend of it. So on the Friday night, we decamped to …
SUEDE-A NEW MORNING.
SUEDE-A NEW MORNING. Sometimes towards the end of a band’s natural lifetime, they release an album that at the time, is underrated, and it’s only some time afterwards, that its quality is recognized. This is true of the band I’m going to write about today. They were formed in 1989, and by the time they …
HORSE-GOD’S HOME MOVIE.
HORSE-GOD’S HOME MOVIE. Previously, I’ve written articles about various Scottish artists. Some many people will be familiar with, others that are new to them. Today, I’m going to write about an artist many people may not have heard about. However, she has had several hits in various European countries, released eight albums and toured with …
dereksmusicblog
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