JONKOPING MUSIC FESTIVAL

As translated by Google on Festival's web page:
As a guest, you will take part in a festival day and evening that you will soon forget,

(You may not want to go...)

RIP: PERCY SLEDGE

1941 - April 14,2015: Best known for his song "When A Man Loves A Woman". I remember hearing this as a teenager, and thought it was a great song even then, when it was not my usual listening fare.
Years later, in the early 2000s, saw him perform it at Cypress Gardens Florida. Same incredible voice, same incredible song. Michael Bolton(Bolotin) should just stop singing it.
Rest In Peace Percy, and know your song will live forever...

RIP: BOB BURNS

November 4, 1950 – April 3,  2015

First drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, he left the band after recording the 

second album due to stress. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall 

of Fame in 2006 with the rest of the band, and would appear on stage 

on special occasions.

He died on April 3 after sustaining injuries from a car accident.

Now you too are a free bird and can play with Ronnie and the rest...

RIP: JOHN RENBOURN

At the age of 70 in his home in Scotland. A talented guitarist, he helped create English electric folk-rock music when he founded the band Pentangle with Bert Jansch. Though never well known in the US, he will be sorely missed by those who loved his music.

CHAMBERS BROTHERS - TIME HAS COME TODAY (LIVE)

Saw them do this live in '72; really cool with the strobe lights. (then my buddy Larry got beat up.)

RIP: RAY FALL

 Thanks for starting it all, Ray.

Ray McFall outside the Cavern Club

The Cavern Club’s legendary owner Ray McFall who first booked the Beatles has died.

Mr McFall, a legend of the British music scene, first bought the club in October 1959 from Alan Sytner and set about transforming it from a jazz club to the mecca of British rock and roll.

Buying the Cavern for the tidy sum of £2,750, Mr McFall owned and operated theMathew Street venue throughout the 60s- booking a young Ringo Star in his first band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

VIEW GALLERY

 

Under Mr McFall, many more legends from the Who to the Kinks performed at the Cavern, and he first booked the Beatles for a lunch-hour appearance on February 21, 1961.

The Beatles’ first evening appearance followed a month later, the beginning of 292 Cavern Club dates by August 3, 1963, earning roughly 25 shillings per performance.

(With thanks to the Liverpool Echo)

RIP: JOE COCKER

And only 70! Sorry to see him go, and way too young..let's just leave you with a performance from Woodstock...

CHICAGO LIVE IN '75

A/K/A XXXIV: June 24-26, 1975 Capital Centre Largo, Maryland.

Bought this because I’m a big fan of early Chicago, mostly I – V, and never got a chance to see them live back then, though Phyllis and I did make a harrowing trip to Jersey City to unsuccessfully buy tickets for the actual tour this CD was recorded from. Opening act was the Beach Boys, as is mentioned at the beginning of the CD. Also on the CD is a cover of the Beatles Got To Get You Into My Life which was unexpected since I hadn’t read the track listing!

The interesting thing about this 2 disc CD (120min) is how much it sounds like a live album, which Chicago IV (Carnegie Hall) never did. While I like the Carnegie Hall album (4 records (which I own) on 3 CDs (which I also own) the songs sound almost note perfect to the original studio recordings. This recording sounds more like you were really there in MD enjoying the show.

As an aside, I remember when the original Chicago Transit Authority album came out in 1969 when I was working at Caldor Department Store (#4, Norwalk CT) I’d never heard of the band, but couldn’t resist a double album for $4.99, which was the price of a single album! So bought it and thought it was incredible, horns & guitars & keyboards…who’d a thunk it? And of course II came out the next year with a shortened name but still 2 discs for the price of one.

If you’re a fan of Chicago, especially the original line-up, find yourself this CD released through Rhino Handmade and take a toke, lay back and rock out to the sounds of Chicago (before they got too mellow).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

To Joan Jett, still rockin’ it out at 56.

Saw her once in the 90s opening for Aerosmith;

looking cool in her white leather.

Great performance – luv ya Joan!

IRONIC, ISN'T IT...

 'A pine tree planted in 2004 in a Los Angeles park in memory of former Beatle George Harrison has died after being infested by ...beetles.'
(From BBCOnline)

RIP: JOHNNY WINTER

1944 – July 16, 2014:

One of America's top

 blues guitarists, gone

from us at the age of 70.

 Never got a chance to

see him, though he was

 scheduled for a show at

Ruth Eckerd Hall in

 August, which I was

thinking of going to since

 it had him, brother

Edgar, Kim Simmonds 

and others.

But I do own some 

excellent live albums, old and new to listen to.

 Rock on, Johnny, rock on...

SOME THOUGHTS

On the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony 2014:

 Watched it on HBO last night and a few things stuck in my mind. Glenn Frey inducted Linda Ronstadt, and he’s looking a bit rough. First thing that popped in my mind; “He may be an Eagle, but he looks like a Beagle.”

 Got to say, though I don’t listen to country music, Carrie Underwood did an incredible version of Linda Ronstadt’sStone Poneys song ‘Different Drum’ (which I own the 45 of and is the only Linda Ronstadt music I own).

 Yusuf Islam, the ex-Cat Stevens did a few songs, seems his voice is the same as it used to be.

 Daryl Hall & John Oates – the first song didn’t sound good, but they improved as they sang more…but John Oates sure is short, he could almost be Tyrion Lannister’s stand-in(for you Game of Thrones watchers)! Never realized that before, must be why they stand on different sides of the stage.

 Was good to see the original E-Street Band members Vini Lopez & David Sancious playing a few numbers with the current band. Not sure why Patty Scialfa rated into the Hall, she was pretty much a back-up singer until she married the Boss.

 Thought Joan Jett (why isn’t she in!!!) did an awesome job on Nirvana’s ‘Teen Spirit’ & St Vincent(Annie Clark) was terrific doing ‘Lithium’ and Lorde did an incredible ‘All Apologies’. Kim Gordon, however, shouldn’t be allowed to sing in public.

 And of course Kiss managed to bury the hatchet (in each other’s backs judging by the dagger-eyes being flung back and forth) long enough to accept the awards and not perform. I’ve heard the story behind it, but wonder why the old and new members of the E-Street Band were allowed to play together, but the old & new members of Kiss weren’t.

 So, that’s my take, if you saw the show or were there, leave me a comment on your opinion. Rock on!

AN OLD COLLEGE STORY

So when I went to UConn back in 71-72 (oh,  it was a fun year – all one of it!) a guy I knew went down to Willimantic with me, don’t remember why, probably because it was the ’largest’ town in the area.

Driving back in the evening up SR195 we saw a plastic baby doll on the side of the road at the same time Alice Cooper’s Dead Babies played on the radio – rather a strange coincidence, especially since that was the same year Alice played in Jorgenson Center (though I’m not sure that’s what it was called it back then).

Remembering going to see the show, don’t remember much except the decapitation part and some guy climbing down from the balcony to get closer to the stage!

Anyway, I thought of this while sitting at work today listening to a bootleg of a 1972 Alice Cooper show from 1972, which was probably a close set to what I heard (including Dead Babies).

RIP: H.R.GIGER

February 5, 1940 - May 12, 2014

Best known for creating the Alien for the film of the same name, H.R. Giger also made a considerable contribution to pop music as well. Among others, he created album covers for Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's 'Brain Salad Surgery' album & Debbie Harry's 'Koo Koo'. 
He leaves behind a lot of creeped out people(us) and a cool museum in Gruyeres, Switzerland.

TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN

“Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST.” 

Frank Zappa

THAT'S HEAVY(METAL)

The English rock band Black Sabbath released their eponymous debut album, which is recognised as the first major album to be credited with the development of the heavy metal genre.

BELIEVE IT OR DON'T

A Canadian rock band (Skinny Puppy) has sent a bill to the US military after being told its music was used to torment prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, a member says.  (From BBCOnline)

IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO TODAY...

 The Beatles showed the kids how to play.

And the rest is history...

MUSIC AND MORE MUSIC

  Received a package from The Artist Shop in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio with some CDs I ordered. Gary has an incredible selection of music he sell, including his clearance items (some of which come from his personal collection). 

 So I got a CD from The Guess Who – Let’s Go - which is a collection of originals & cover songs from a Canadian TV music show on which they were house band. Even the few originals are versions from before they were recorded on their albums. And it was autographed by Randy Bachman, so an added bonus!

Other CDs I got include a Long John Baldry 2-disc compilation of 2 albums + bonus tracks; Arcade Fire’sFuneral cd, have seen them on TV a number of times, but this is first CD of theirs I’ve bought; The Brain SurgeonsTrepanation which is Albert Bouchard’s old band (Al was founding drummer for Blue Oyster Cult); StrawbsConcert Classics album; and Richie Havens (R.I.P.) Grace Of the Sun.

So hours of listening pleasure to ensue; and don’t forget, if you’re still into music on CDs, check out The Artist Shop at the following link:

                                                            Cool Music Here

RIP: RICHARD COUGHLAN

 Richard Coughlan September 2, 1947 - December 1, 2013
 Richard Coughlan was an English drummer who spent almost his entire career as the drummer for influential Canterbury scene prog rock band, Caravan.