Showing posts with label The Beatles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Beatles. Show all posts
Beatles Covers #11: The Rad Four
During the sixties and seventies, you could hardly find an album without a Beatles cover on it. But by the 1980s, it became increasingly rare to find one. I guess it was due to more expensive royalties and the fact that Beatlemania was far, far in the rear-view mirror. It also wasn't helped by the Bee Gees' miserable Beatles cover abomination, Sgt. Pepper. It's amazing that anyone ever tried to cover a Beatles song again after that train wreck.
Most cover songs in the eighties tended to be woefully ironic (i.e. Devo's "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and The Flying Lizards' "Money (That's What I Want)") rather than serious adaptations. Here's a few sincere Fab Four covers from that era, some good and some bad. I believe The Jam's cover may have been released in the late seventies, and PM Dawn's in the early nineties, but who cares. Enjoy.
PM Dawn - "Norwegian Wood"
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Salt-N-Peppa - "Twist and Shout"
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Mission UK - "Tomorrow Never Knows"
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Robert Palmer - "Not a Second Time"
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Red Kross - "It Won't Be Long"
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The Jam - "And Your Bird Can Sing"
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Siouxie and the Banshees - "Dear Prudence"
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Beatles Covers #10: Ticket to Ride
Ian McCulloch of Echo & the Bunnymen once said he'd been trying his entire music career to recreate "Ticket to Ride"; of which he called the greatest pop song of all time. I can honestly say that it would be impossible for me to judge this song given that I have heard it thousands of times over the course of 40 plus years. It has gone beyond being simply "overplayed" for me; it has reached a certain level of physical integration where I cannot view it without absolute bias.
Probably the most famous cover of the song is The Carpenters' melancholy version; however, there's been covers o'plenty over the years - some good, some godawful. Here's a compilation of "Ticket to Ride" covers for your listening pleasure...
(and here's a couple samples from the track list)
Cyril Stapleton & His Orchestra - "Ticket To Ride"
Track List
"Ticket to Ride" by...
Cyril Stapleton & His Orchestra
John Keating
Bee Gees
Brian Bennett
Alma Cogan
Mal Evans Memorial Band [song title: Vrijkaart voor twee (Ticket to ride)]
Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra
Brazilian Tropical Orchestra
The Fifth Dimension
RRSO Symphony Orchestra
The Carpenters
Vanilla Fudge
Beach Boys
Beatles Covers #9: A Mix Tape for Your Listening Pleasure
I used to shake my head in disgust whenever I'd hear a fab four cover. I remember wondering why Elton did Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - what was the point? It was like remaking Gone with the Wind or repainting the Mona Lisa. It's already been done perfectly, what exactly do you hope to prove by covering it?
Fortunately, I'm not as jaded and protective of the Beatles as I once was. In fact, I've learned to see Beatles covers as a genre of music unto itself. It's interesting to listen to the infinite variations each artist brings to the table. Sure, they're horrible 99 times out of a 100; but, like a B-movie, you learn to appreciate its awfulness (if that makes sense).
Of course there's a limit to my tolerance. I put one track on this mix tape that crosses the line - Bananarama's version of "Help". Whereas Shatner's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is wonderfully bad, this 80s synth cover is beyond bad. I literally have a physical reaction to this song; my hands become sweaty and clammy, my heart palpitates, and my left eye twitches uncontrollably... I had to shut it off for fear of a stroke.
That being said, there are some good ones on here. My personal faves are Junior Parker's desolate version of "Tomorrow Never Knows" and Nilsson's medley, "You Can't Do That".
The Truth - Girl
Sparks - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Bee Gees, Peter Frampton - Getting Better
Peter Sellers - A Hard Day's Night
The Hollies - If I Needed Someone
William Shatner - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
Cilla Black - For No One
The Gods - Hey Bulldog
Harry Nilsson - You Can't Do That
Wilson Pickett - Hey Jude - Wilson Pickett
David & Jonathan - Michelle
August - Eleanor Rigby
Grady Tate - And I Love Her
Barracudas - All My Lovin'
Hans Staymer Band - Come Together
Tom Newman - She Said She Said
George Benson - Golden Slumbers / You Never Give Me Your Money
Junior Parker - Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow - Strawberry Fields Forever
The Ramsey Lewis Trio - A Hard Day's Night
St. Louis Union - Girl
Bananarama - Help
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Beatles Covers #8: Peter Sellers
The greatest television comedies come from the UK (i.e. The Office, The IT Crowd, Fawlty Towers), but some of the strangest shit I've ever seen also comes from there (i.e. Little Britain, Peep Show, The Mighty Boosh); not that it's bad - perhaps just too farcical for me to fathom.
Anyway, I say all this to introduce you to another example of a UK comedic oddity, namely Peter Sellers' spoken word renditions of Beatles songs. I'd brush it off as a lapse in judgement, but the album was fairly well received in England... and actually re-entered the UK charts in the early nineties! Apparently, Sellers reciting "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help" like Sir Lawrence Olivier reciting Richard III keeps the Brits in stitches.
Oh, well. Keeping in mind the fact that the U.S. produced both Gallagher and Carrot Top, we Americans should be the last to point fingers. So, on with the tracks - make your own judgement.
"A Hard Day's Night"
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"Help!"
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Beatles Covers #7: The Kasenetz Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
I'll refrain from relaying the history of 60s bubblegum pop, but, suffice it to say, the producers Kasenetz and Katz had a lineup of radio-friendly bubblegum acts which they brought together for this album. The Kasenetz Katz Singing Orchestral Circus was like Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in that it was purely fictitious. In this case, it was a mixture of Ohio Express, Music Explosion, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, and several others. It was a gimmick meant to capitalize on Sgt. Peppers that didn't quite work.
But don't take my word for it. Listen to what Neil Bogart (general manager of Kama Sutra and Buddha Records) says about it on the gatefold sleeve:
Some things go together - like peaches and cream, love and mariage, salt and pepper.Damn. Judging by this review, you'd think it was describing Woodstock or The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Nope. Not even close.
When frighteningly talented producers Jerrry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz conjured up their confection of 46 rock and roll musicians playing together as one massive orchestra, peaches, cream, love, marriage, salt and pepper all merged into the fantastically exciting idea.
The excitement reached fever pitch on June 7 when the Kasenetz Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, 46 strong, stepped on stage at Carnegie Hall to the wild applause of over 3,000. Some were screaming kids in dungarees and torn shirts; some were dignified oldsters dressed in tuxedos, their expressions quizzical but contained; and some were musical directors and DJ's from all over the country.
The Messrs. Kasenetz and Katz lifted their batons; then lowered the boom. And it happened! Eight of the nation's most exciting groups... colossal! Stupendous! mind-blowing!...exploded into an unreal, riotous extravaganza of sight and sound.
History was made. And history repeats itself in this sound-bursting album. But Kasenetz and Katz aren't surprised. Making history is old hat to them. History and togetherness - like coffee and cake, black and white... like Kasenetz Katz Singing Orchestral Circus and you.
Here's their cover of The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out". It's kind of a bizarre rendition, but it wouldn't be half bad without the awful "Awwwww" chant overlapping the vocals. You'll have to wade through the intro, which sounds a lot like Paul introducing us to Billy Shears. Take a listen.
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inside gatefold: click to enlarge
Beatles Covers #4: Paul Muriat and Life Before IMDb and Wikipedia
Remember the song "Love Is Blue"? A beautiful song, and a number one hit for Paul Mauriat in 1967. For me it was a source of pain and frustration for the first ten years of my marriage. You see, my wife and I could hum the tune, but couldn't for the life of us remember the song's name. Sure, I could've gone to the library or asked every person I knew till someone recognized it, but it wasn't that important. Just something that would periodically piss me off.
Can you even imagine a scenario like this happening today? Now I'd simply type in Google: "instrumental hits of the 1960's" and I'd listen to a few free sound clips and BINGO, question answered in less than five minutes. Or, if the song came on the radio, hold my iPhone up to it and it will identify the tune instantly.Even better, I can, within a few minutes, learn everything there is to know about the song through Wikipedia, blogs, fan sites, etc. On Pandora I can listen to a selection of songs that are scientifically calculated to be similar.
I mean, crap, is it even possible to just be bugged by not knowing something anymore? When was the last time you said, "I don't know" and just left it? When was the last time you saw an actor in a movie, but just couldn't recall his name and did NOT look it up on IMDb?
I think the fact that there's no "not knowing" anymore really sunk in for me when I was talking with a friend about The Incredible Hulk TV show. In the show's intro, David Banner's wife is shown in a burning car. I wondered if this woman was somebody famous. Within 30 seconds I was told by my friend at the computer that it was Lara Parker from Dark Shadows.... and that her husband played Tommy Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life! Damn. This is just ridiculous.
What does all this have to do with Beatle's cover songs? Precious little. I thought about all this when I was listening to Mauriat's Blooming Hits today. I'd planned on writing about "Penny Lane" but got distracted by this thought. Don't blame me - blame my ADD.
It's a pretty blah piece of muzak. The only thing exciting about this recording is its album cover. This spooky chick has always caught my attention since I was a little kid. I wonder who she is. Man, that's going to bug me. How long do you think it will take me to find out?
Damn! I just spent ten minutes looking and turned up empty! I guess there are a few things still obscure enough to keep someone stumped.
Actors on Record #2: Sissy Spacek Disgusted by Nude Beatle
Sissy Spacek started out as a country music singer under the name Rainbo'. In 1968 she recorded a song called "John, You Went Too Far This Time" which dealt with her outrage over the cover of the John Lennon & Yoko Ono album Two Virgins, which pictured the two totally naked.
Now I gaze in awe before that picture
My mind retires to the place it was before you came
I love the things you showed me up til now, John
But since that picture, I don't think my love will be the same
I find Spacek's outrage a bit strange, considering she would be completely naked herself in the movie Carrie (1976)! I'll be the first to admit that the cover for the Two Virgins album isn't among my favorites. I'm not particularly fond of looking at John's twig and berries, and Yoko's not exactly a "looker". However, I'm not recording a song about how I'm disgusted by it and then following it up by stripping butt naked in a Brian DePalma movie.
I guess, everyone's got the right to change their mind about things. Anyway, here's the song...
| Rainbo - John, You Went Too Far This Time .mp3 | ||
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 | Found at bee mp3 search engine |  |
Beatles Covers #2: Norwegian Wood by The Folkswingers
The Folkswingers album Raga Rock (1966) basically capitalizes on the popularity of psychedelic sitar sounds of the day like Ravi Shankar (an artist from this same label). The cover of "Norwegian Wood" isn't actually half bad IMHO.The Folkswingers were actually less a band than a studio project. Their most famous member (from their 1963 lineup) was Glen Campbell. However, they are most famous and significant for their indirect role in the birth of folk rock.
As a show of appreciation for the producer's (Jim Dickson) good work on the Folkswingers LP 12 String Guitar!, the company allowed him extra studio time with his other band, The Byrds. This extra studio time has been directly linked to The Byrds' being able to refine their "electric folk rock" sound that would take the world by storm.
As another point of interest, several members of The Folkswingers were members of the Dillards, a highly respected and influential bluegrass group who were regulars on The Andy Griffith Show (as The Darling Boys).
A thanks to Chocoreve for the song. I recommend this site for more on The Dillards.
Beatles Covers #1: Yesterday by Xavier Cugat
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No, that's not Xavier Cugat on the album cover above. All those easy-listening bachelor pad albums back then had cheesecake covers. On this LP we find a cover of the Beatles' "Yesterday", one of the most covered songs in history.Xavier Cugat, a.k.a. the Rhumba King, was an accomplished musician largely responsible for popularizing Latin music in the U.S. - you can thank Cugat for the conga, mamba and cha-cha becoming popular here.
Xavier discovered Desi Arnaz, performed at the opening of the Waldorf Astoria, sold millions of records, and had some knockout beautiful wives. He was married to Charo (cuchi-cuchi!) and Abbe Lane (that's her on the album cover below).
Lane was called "the swingingest sexpot in show business" and was famous for quotes like "Jayne Mansfield may turn boys into men, but I take them from there". Wow!Well, that's it for the first of, hopefully, many Beatles cover posts, but I should mention one last thing: Ever wander aimlessly around the internet only to stumble upon a goldmine? That's precisely what happened to me upon finding The Franklin Mint Blog. There I found an incredible list Beatles covers I'd never even heard of, and just had to give the blog a shout out and a big thanks.
Obscure Grooves #1: "In The First Place" by The Remo Four
In 1967, director Joe Massot went looking for a band to compose the soundtrack to his new film Wonderwall, starring Jane Birkin. The Bee Gees and Graham Nash wanted the opportunity, but fate put Massot at the grand opening of the Beatles' Apple Boutique where he found just the man for the job - George Harrison.George was the only Beatle at this point who hadn't worked independently on a film. Paul had scored Haley Mills' The Family Way, John had acted in How I Won the War, and Ringo was appearing in both Candy and The Magic Christian. Naturally, George was very receptive to Massot's request.
George commissioned a band called The Remo Four to be his studio musicians. Sadly enough, the band was on the verge of breaking up and had been dropped by two labels. However, they were known as good studio musicians, were managed by Brian Epstein, and one member, Colin Manley, was a former schoolmate of Paul McCartney at the Liverpool Institute for Boys. The group fit the bill perfectly. Eric Clapton was also called in to augment the group, although his work on the album is uncredited.
The movie premiered on November 1, 1968. It was an incredibly stylized, surreal psychedelic work and never gained much mass appeal - it was never released in the States either. George's soundtrack was purely instrumental and contained heavy Indian influences. It was the first release on the newly formed Apple label, and the first official solo album by a Beatle; but, wasn't much of a commercial success. It wasn't long before both the movie and its soundtrack were completely forgotten.Thirty years later, Massot took a look at the old Wonderwall tapes and discovered that there was a beautiful piece of psychedelic pop called "In the First Place" that had not been included in the film score, since it contained vocals! Massot quickly contacted George Harrison to get the OK to include it on the re-release of Wonderwall. George agreed, but only on the condition that The Remo Four be given credit.
What a great find this is. "In the First Place" sounds like it would fit in perfectly with the rest of the tracks on the Magical Mystery Tour LP. If you like "Blue Jay Way", "Only a Northern Song", "It's All Too Much" and "Within and Without You", this may be right up your alley. I, for one, am thankful Massot rescued this near perfected psychedelic gem.
Source: The Story of "In the First Place" by Martin Lewis
The Top 10 Golden Throats of the 60s and 70s
1. I was listening to the Temptations recently when I was overwhelmed by the fact that David Ruffin has undoubtedly the greatest voice in pop music history. I'll hear no dissension on the matter. His voice is a mixture of pure joy and pain in perfect equilibrium. These two elements were given a polished shine by the Temptations, the most precise vocal group ever. But don't take my word for it, Daryl Hall will tell you the same thing.2. Dusty Springfield's voice had an ethereal quality. No vocal gymnastics and overdone melisma here - just a sound that is pure auditory ambrosia.
3. Most people probably know Sandy Denny from Led Zeppelin's haunting mandolin song "The Battle of Evermore", but anyone who's listened to Fairport Convention knows she possessed one the best voices you are likely to ever hear.
4. Not many would argue that Paul McCartney is among the greatest songwriters, but he isn't generally regarded as one of the greatest vocalists. Yet look at how perfectly his voice goes from the melodic ("All My Loving"), to the commanding("Lady Madonna"), to the bellicose ("Helter Skelter"); McCartney's voice always seems to fit perfectly. His voice harmonized brilliantly with Lennon's and could jump from soft to grandiose in an instant (i.e. "Maybe I'm Amazed"). Perhaps a guy like Clay Aiken (eegad!) can do more with his voice, but there's a lot to be said for just creating the right sound to fit the song.
And the rest...
5. Roberta Flack
6. Colin Blunstone (The Zombies)
7. Peter Cetera (Chicago)
8. Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night)
9. Toni Tennille
10. Tina Turner
Of course, you don't necessarily need great singing - guys like Joe Walsh may not be Pavarotti, but anyone else's vocals behind "Rocky Mountain Way" just wouldn't sound right. And it also depends on what mood your in - Barry White for that lovin' mood and Waylon Jennings for when it's time to drink yourself into a coma.Worst voice? Robin Gibb sounds like a drowning chicken alone, but his voice harmonizes perfectly with Barry and Maurice. So, I guess he's okay.
Rolling Stone magazine's list of the top 100 vocalists can be found here. Although, I wasn't that impressed - it seems a bit predictable and off the mark.
BTW: The original golden throats, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, and Bing Crosby certainly sang with perfection, but they hit their peak before the 60s/70s.
And if you're wondering why octave showboaters like Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey aren't mentioned, you may want to read Reflections on Contemporary Music (and Why It Sucks) Part 2
Album Covers #7: Favorite Censored Album Covers
1. The Beatles - Yesterday and Today
What do you have to be smoking for this to sound like a good idea for an album cover? This from the same band that gave us perhaps the best album covers of all time: the revolutionary Sgt. Pepper cover, the iconic Meet the Beatles and Abbey Road covers, and the beautifully artistic Revolver... this same group decides to cover themselves with butchered babies. Go figure.
Here's a couple facts that may help us comprehend it better:
(A) When it was photographed, the photos were not intended for an album cover. They were just clowning around and being "experimental". Evidently, their dark humor showed through.
(B) Afterwards, it was only Paul who pushed for the butcher pictures to be used for the cover - as a statement against the war. Quite a bold move for the most popular band on earth.
Not surprisingly, the records were instantly recalled and a newer blander cover was pasted over the butcher cover.
Personally, I don't mind the cover. I mean, you can readily tell it's not real babies. The Beatles album cover that should have been censored and recalled is The Magical Mystery Tour - damn, that cover is dreadful!
2. The Mama's and the Papa's - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
For this one, the toilet was declared to be indecent and the record was recalled. The new album cover had the toilet obscured by a list of songs on the LP.
I could understand the censorship if there was a big log in the bowl. That would be a bit much. But c'mon, it's obvious they're in a bathroom - bathrooms have toilets. What's the big deal?
3. Buddy Cole - Have Organ, Will Swing
Anyone even moderately familiar with vintage album covers knows that organ albums were the most heavy handed with the cheesecake. They rarely featured the actual musician on the cover - instead, there was always an anonymous female in various states of undress. Geared toward the swingin' hep cat of the 60's, the vinyl babes were quite successful in boosting sales. Unfortunately, Buddy Cole took it a little too far with this one (known henceforth as the "beaver cover") and it was recalled after one week in stores. (image source)
See related post: Sex Sells: Cheesecake Album Covers of Yesteryear
What do you have to be smoking for this to sound like a good idea for an album cover? This from the same band that gave us perhaps the best album covers of all time: the revolutionary Sgt. Pepper cover, the iconic Meet the Beatles and Abbey Road covers, and the beautifully artistic Revolver... this same group decides to cover themselves with butchered babies. Go figure.Here's a couple facts that may help us comprehend it better:
(A) When it was photographed, the photos were not intended for an album cover. They were just clowning around and being "experimental". Evidently, their dark humor showed through.
(B) Afterwards, it was only Paul who pushed for the butcher pictures to be used for the cover - as a statement against the war. Quite a bold move for the most popular band on earth.
Not surprisingly, the records were instantly recalled and a newer blander cover was pasted over the butcher cover.
Personally, I don't mind the cover. I mean, you can readily tell it's not real babies. The Beatles album cover that should have been censored and recalled is The Magical Mystery Tour - damn, that cover is dreadful!
2. The Mama's and the Papa's - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
For this one, the toilet was declared to be indecent and the record was recalled. The new album cover had the toilet obscured by a list of songs on the LP.I could understand the censorship if there was a big log in the bowl. That would be a bit much. But c'mon, it's obvious they're in a bathroom - bathrooms have toilets. What's the big deal?
3. Buddy Cole - Have Organ, Will Swing
Anyone even moderately familiar with vintage album covers knows that organ albums were the most heavy handed with the cheesecake. They rarely featured the actual musician on the cover - instead, there was always an anonymous female in various states of undress. Geared toward the swingin' hep cat of the 60's, the vinyl babes were quite successful in boosting sales. Unfortunately, Buddy Cole took it a little too far with this one (known henceforth as the "beaver cover") and it was recalled after one week in stores. (image source)See related post: Sex Sells: Cheesecake Album Covers of Yesteryear
Fads #3: When Musicians Got Hairy
I love to look at pictures of bands from the mid-sixties -they looked like such clean cut gentlemen. Then something happened around the end of the decade. By 1970, these bands became almost unrecognizable from their former fresh faces. These dapper young men all of a sudden became greasy hippies!
The perfect examples are the famous 1963 and 1969 pictures of the Beatles taken in a stairwell at EMI. The two images were wonderfully merged as shown above. (found here) It's striking to think that it was just a matter of six years between the two photos.
Another example is The Young Rascals, who changed their name to The Rascals and two of them got a whole lot hairier. They also mercifully ditched their Little Lord Fauntleroy outfits!
Another striking transformation was the psychedelic group, Marmalade. Look at one of my previous posts and see their metamorphosis from clean cut lads to unshaven stoners. Thankfully, they decided to no longer go by the name of The Gaylords!
Well, who are these fine young men trimming the Christmas tree? Why, it's the Beach Boys all dappered up in sweaters and slacks for the holidays!
Surely, such an upstanding group of gentlemen would never become a bunch of hippies. Right?
Wrong.
By 1979 Dennis Wilson was looking more like Charles Manson than Charles Manson!
Look here at an earlier post to see jazz flutist Herbie Mann go from mild-mannered nerd to oily sex machine.
The perfect examples are the famous 1963 and 1969 pictures of the Beatles taken in a stairwell at EMI. The two images were wonderfully merged as shown above. (found here) It's striking to think that it was just a matter of six years between the two photos.
Another example is The Young Rascals, who changed their name to The Rascals and two of them got a whole lot hairier. They also mercifully ditched their Little Lord Fauntleroy outfits!
Another striking transformation was the psychedelic group, Marmalade. Look at one of my previous posts and see their metamorphosis from clean cut lads to unshaven stoners. Thankfully, they decided to no longer go by the name of The Gaylords!
Well, who are these fine young men trimming the Christmas tree? Why, it's the Beach Boys all dappered up in sweaters and slacks for the holidays!
Surely, such an upstanding group of gentlemen would never become a bunch of hippies. Right?
Wrong.
By 1979 Dennis Wilson was looking more like Charles Manson than Charles Manson!
Look here at an earlier post to see jazz flutist Herbie Mann go from mild-mannered nerd to oily sex machine.My favorite hairy metamorphosis would have to be the Bee-Gees. From dapper gents to jive-talkin' kings of the chest hair. It's a wonder what a decade will do!
Daughters of Pop Music
In 1962, perhaps the biggest mistake in the history of popular music was made by the record company, Decca Records. They made the decision to go with The Tremeloes (pictured above) instead of another band called The Beatles. Not that The Tremeloes aren't good, but ouch!
“We don’t like their sound, and ‘guitar music’ is on the way out” was the quote from Decca executive Dick Rowe of The Beatles". Certain songs from The Decca Audition are included on The Beatles Anthology.
Brian Poole of the Tremeloes has a daughter who went on to a somewhat successful recording career as half of a duo called Alicia's Attic. I listened to a few of their songs on YouTube and hated it... different strokes for different folks, I guess. This got me trying to think of other famous daughters with musician fathers. Here's some more I thought of. If you can remember others that I left out, let me know.
Mike d'Abo was the lead singer of Manfred Mann who sang "Mighty Quinn" and composed "Handbags and Gladrags" which became the opening to the BBC series "The Office". His daughter is Olivia d'Abo, who played Karen, the sister of Fred Savage on "The Wonder Years". Damn, I wish they'd stop bickering over song royalties and get this incredible show out on DVD!
Ione Skye (Say Anything..) is the daughter of Scottish musician, Donovan.
Liv Tyler is, of course, the daughter of Steven Tyler (Aerosmith). However, for the majority of her childhood, she thought she was the daughter of Todd Rundtgren.
Jenna Elfman is NOT the daughter of Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo.
Ami Dolenz, daughter of Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) had a shorlived acting career in such movies as She's Out of Control (pictured below with Matthew Perry), Witchboard, and Mr. Mom.
Here's a picture of Marty Wilde with Julie Andrews. He was a pretty big teen idol in England for awhile along with Cliff Richard. Who was his daughter?
You guessed it, Kim Wilde. Marty actually wrote her hit "Kids in America".
Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks is the daughter of accomplished country musician Lloyd Maines, and Natalie Cole is the daughter of the legendary Nat King Cole.
My favorite daughter of a musician would have to be none other than Nancy Sinatra. See an earlier post I did on "Some Velvet Morning" for more on Frank's little girl. Here she is singing "Sugar Town" after arriving via hot air balloon.
And finally, Shirley Manson. Her mother was a big band singer (Muriel Manson), but not necessarily famous. Her father wasn't a famous musician either, but he is a respected geneticist. Since I also work in the field of genetics, I thought I'd give him a shout out.
(Note: another daughter of a famous scientist is Markie Post; although, he is not in the field of genetics but rather physics).
Again, please comment if you can think of any others - unless your going to remind me of Ozzy's girl or Wilson-Phillips.
Great Psychedelic Songs: Part 2
As I mentioned in my previous post on psychedelic songs, there was a creative explosion in popular music in the mid to late 60's. Bands like Pink Floyd and The Beatles took music to previously undreamed of heights (often with a little chemical assistance). However, by the early 1970's, the over-the-top fantastical compositions of the psychedelic era were relegated to fringe prog rock bands and a back-to-basics approach, a la James Taylor, became the next big thing. It was short lived, but a brilliant phase nonetheless. Amid all the musical masterpieces produced in 1967, what album did the Beatles consider their favorite? Harry Nilsson's Pandemonium Shadow Show.
Here are few more recommendations for your next psychedelic playlist:
"She's Like a Rainbow" by The Rolling Stones
Their Satantic Magesties Request was supposed to be The Stones' answer to Sgt. Pepper. Instead, it was a wake up call to Keith and Mick to quickly change their style and get back to their roots - "Strawberry Fields" was definitely not their shtick. However, several songs on the album shine through, and this is one of them.
"Daily Nightly" by The Monkees
If they hadn't had the stigma of being a bubblegum TV band, they could've blended right in with the best of 'em. Mike Nesmith was a damn good songwriter and Mickey was an excellent vocalist. The Beatles actually were fans (unlike The Byrds who ridiculed them). The Monkees recorded several innovative songs and were one of the first to utilize a new instrument called a moog (Mickey owned one of the first models) which can be heard in this song.
Well, I'm going to stop here because I am experimenting with the best way to insert audio into my posts. In the previous psychedelic songs post I embedded a Quicktime player which seemed to work well, but it became a royal pain. I had to upload my files to another location and it was a pain in the ass to compose the post because it kept trying to play while I was composing, and I had to constantly save, etc., etc... I'll spare you my sob story. If you have a better way to post audio let me know (I'd really appreciate it).
Here are few more recommendations for your next psychedelic playlist:
"She's Like a Rainbow" by The Rolling Stones
Their Satantic Magesties Request was supposed to be The Stones' answer to Sgt. Pepper. Instead, it was a wake up call to Keith and Mick to quickly change their style and get back to their roots - "Strawberry Fields" was definitely not their shtick. However, several songs on the album shine through, and this is one of them.
"Daily Nightly" by The Monkees
If they hadn't had the stigma of being a bubblegum TV band, they could've blended right in with the best of 'em. Mike Nesmith was a damn good songwriter and Mickey was an excellent vocalist. The Beatles actually were fans (unlike The Byrds who ridiculed them). The Monkees recorded several innovative songs and were one of the first to utilize a new instrument called a moog (Mickey owned one of the first models) which can be heard in this song.
Well, I'm going to stop here because I am experimenting with the best way to insert audio into my posts. In the previous psychedelic songs post I embedded a Quicktime player which seemed to work well, but it became a royal pain. I had to upload my files to another location and it was a pain in the ass to compose the post because it kept trying to play while I was composing, and I had to constantly save, etc., etc... I'll spare you my sob story. If you have a better way to post audio let me know (I'd really appreciate it).
2 Songs About Something (#1): Dogs
1. "Shannon" by Henry Gross
Henry Gross was a founding member of Sha-Na-Na, a 50's revival group who performed at Woodstock and had their own variety show. Gross went solo and became popular enough to warrant a reference from Spidey!
Henry Gross was a founding member of Sha-Na-Na, a 50's revival group who performed at Woodstock and had their own variety show. Gross went solo and became popular enough to warrant a reference from Spidey!
"Shannon" was written about Beach Boy Carl Wilson's dog who had died. The tune may be sappy, but the refrain was beautiful and it struck a nerve with audiences in the mid 70's. Only the most hardened individuals who've ever lost a pet can listen to this without being a little choked up.
Shannon is gone,
I hope she's drifting out to sea,
She always loved to swim away,
Maybe she'll find an island with a shady tree,
Just like the one in our backyard.
I hope she's drifting out to sea,
She always loved to swim away,
Maybe she'll find an island with a shady tree,
Just like the one in our backyard.
2. "Martha My Dear" by The Beatles
The song is named after and dedicated to McCartney's Old English Sheepdog. I've also heard that it relates to Paul McCartney's one-time girlfriend Jane Asher.
I know there's a bunch more good "dog" songs (i.e. "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" and "Hound Dog"), but these were dedicated to an actual dog. And there's a bunch more really bad dog songs ("Who Let the Dogs Out"), but we must never, never forget...
Sgt. Pepper's Loney Hearts Club Train Wreck
The Beatles' LP Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is perhaps the high water mark in the history of popular music. There are only two types of people who would not include it in their top ten albums of all time: (1) those that would put Fergie or Beyonce in their top ten, and are thus on a completely different musical plane and likely will never read this post and (2) rock snobs who would put an album by Gentle Giant or Captain Beefheart on their list just to show you how musically superior they are.
Anyway, only a couple of musicians have gotten away with covering any of Sgt. Pepper's songs. Elton John scored a hit with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and Joe Cocker did a wonderful (if not spasmodic) rendition of "With a Little Help from My Friends". But who would dare to cover the entire album (and even a little Abbey Road as well)? Who would be so bold and pretentious? The Bee-Gees, that's who.... and, boy did they learn to regret it.
(Dynamite cover courtesy of a Blogfoot post) The Bee-Gees vs. The Beatles? My God, what was going on in 1978? Well, for one, the Bee-Gees had an absolute stranglehold on the charts in a similar way The Beatles had about a decade earlier. Everything they touched turned to gold -from Saturday Night Fever, Spirits Having Flown, Grease, a live album, songs for Andy Gibb - they had the Midas touch... that is, until Sgt. Pepper.
Granted, it didn't ruin their career (although, Peter Frampton insists it killed his, and it destroyed the RSO record label) - the disco backlash in 1981 was what ultimately drove the brothers Gibb into hiding. Consequences aside, the titanic train wreck of a film is fun to watch.
A highlight of the film has to be George Burns' rendition of "Fixing a Hole".
Of course, there's been other rather sad attempts at Sgt. Pepper that make the Bee-Gees version look good. The Bill Cosby rendition comes instantly to mind.
For years, the Bee Gees 2 disc LP could be found in bargain racks at record stores across the country. I wonder if the cheesy poster inside the sleeve was ever hung on anyone's wall.
The soundtrack's high point: Aerosmith's version of "Come Together". Low point: Steve Martin's rendition of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". Oh well, sometimes you win and sometimes you... destroy an entire record lable.
Great Psychedelic Songs
There can be no doubt that there was a creative explosion in the world of popular music in the mid to late 1960's. The Revolver LP by The Beatles took music to uncharted realms of sonic imagination and experimentation. For a while psychedelic masterpieces like "I Am the Walrus" and "Incense and Peppermint" flooded the airwaves, and then in an instant were gone. By 1970, The Beatles were gone and artists like James Taylor became the new thing with a much more stripped-down and back to the basics style.
Fortunately, this brief moment in time has not been forgotten here at retrospace. I have listed below some of the best psychedelic songs to come out of the 1960's - some of them are well remembered, but most have been lost to the passage of time. There's no particular order to the list, and I'm sure I'm leaving some out - if so, please let me know.
- Happiness Stan by The Small Faces: Sure it takes up the entire side of an album (Ogden's Nut Gone Flake) and is interspersed with surrealistic babbling by Stanley Unwin, but it's an absolute masterpiece nonetheless. Any fan of psychedelic music can surely appreciate the sheer talent bursting at the seams of this record. This isn't road trip music (it ain't no Foghat), this is a psychedelic journey of the mind, baby. Groovy.
- 2000 Light Years from Home by The Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request was an effort by The Rolling Stones to create another Sgt. Pepper, but it just didn't pan out. Mick and Keith vowed to never do this again, and their next album was a huge departure from this psychedelic stuff, and more akin to their sound throughout the 70's and 80's. However, with "2000 Light Years from Home" they seem to have achieved what they were looking for.
Incense and Peppermint by The Strawberry Alarm Clock: I know, the song is almost too obvious a choice, but it's so damn good! Plus, it's been featured in numerous groovy 1960's films like Psyche-Out (starring Jack Nicholson) and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.- Porpoise Song (Theme from Head) by The Monkees: The last album for the Monkees was the soundtrack to the movie Head. It was actually co-scripted by Jack Nicholson who is rumored to have wanted to do a sequel just so he could use as the tag line: "From the people who gave you Head !" Couple that strangeness with the fact that Carole King wrote "The Porpoise Song" and both Jack Nicholson and Frank Zappa were involved in the recording, and you've got yourself a very interesting little song here.
- The Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan: The debate rages on as to whether Jimmy Page played guitar on this track. Regardless, it's still about the most mind bending trip of a song you're likely to find. After all, Donovan was the first British star to be busted for drugs.
Plus, this songs earns points just for using a tambura and having a verse written by George Harrison. - Microbes by George Harrison: Oasis was obviously referring the soundtrack and not this awful film in their song "Wonderwall". Over and over again audiences are treated to a horny scientist peeping through a brick wall into an apartment that looks surprisingly like Austin Powers' shagadelic bachelor pad. No plot ever develops.
Horrible film aside, the album was the first solo release for a Beatle, put out right before their White Album. Wonderwall as a whole may be a bit monotonous with lots of sitar and very little vocals, but a few songs stand out as great examples of a lost era. - Lucifer Sam by Pink Floyd: Syd Barrett was apparently was popping LSD like Tic-Tacs at this time, and was on the cusp of his infamous mental breakdown. All this amounts to a monumental piece of creativity exploding at the seams. "Arnold Lane", "See Emily Play" and "Matilda's Mother" are other fantastic examples of psychedelic music done right.
- White Bicycle by Tomorrow
- The Red Telephone by Love: There's nothing better than an album made by a band right before their total and complete implosion. Frontman Arthur Lee would soon self destruct in a way that would make Syd Barrett proud, and other bandmembers dropped out of the scene due to heroine addiction. Years later, Lee would spend 12 years in a California prison, while two of his former bandmates died. Forever Changes was literally their last gasp.
White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane: Somebody explain to me how you can go from "White Rabbit", a counterculture anthem and one of the most creative and forceful songs to come out of the 1960s, to "We Built this City" (1985), easily the tritest song ever recorded. - Fire by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown: I think it is fitting, in a way, that the next wave of rock music (the stripped down singer-songwriter acoustic style) would begin at the home of one of the most outlandish psychedelic musicians of all time - indeed, "A Horse with No Name" was initially recorded at Arthur "God of Hellfire" Brown's house.
Go to Great Psychedelic Songs Part 2
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