The Music News

02/03/2025

02/03/2025

Also on March 2: On this day in 1917, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III was born.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAV3bOJaQuY

The son of the mayor of Santiago, Cuba, Arnaz came to America in the 1930s and by the 1940s, had starred on Broadway and went on to lead a popular Latin band. He married RKO contract player Lucille Ball in 1940, over a decade before their pioneering sitcom made television history. Though overshadowed by his top-billed wife, Desi’s pioneering contributions to television as we know it are considerable; in effect, conceiving the concept of re-runs by the use of the three-camera filming set-up before a live audience. .

There’s been a resurgence of interest in this Hollywood power couple of late; some of it more worthy of your time than the other. YMMV, but this is the project I prefer: https://youtu.be/8Ab9IshCs1s

02/03/2025

Also on March 2: On this day in 1969, John backed Yoko at a recital at Lady Mitchell Hall in Cambridge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj98tqAsuD4

This was their first musical collaboration for public consumption. As Yoko did her thing, John coaxed feedback out of his Epiphone, and this was the result. It was his first non-Beatle public performance, such as it was. (He was not billed as appearing; Yoko was.) Musician/publisher Anthony Barnett organized the event and invited Yoko, knowing that she’d already done a freeform show with jazz legend Ornette Coleman. Given that free jazz sax player John Tchicai was on the bill, Yoko’s invitation made sense - on paper.

But Barnett would later opine that John’s uninvited presence was a distraction, and furthermore: “…Lennon was trying to show off and be more avant-garde than anyone in avant-garde music.” Tchicai and percussionist John Stevens can be heard joining in at around twenty minutes in, six minutes before the track faded out when issued in May as one side of the Life With The Lions Zapple release.

02/03/2025

Happy 63rd Birthday, Jon Bon Jovi! 🎸🎤

Rock legend Jon Bon Jovi turns 63 today! As the voice behind Bon Jovi, he’s given us some of the most iconic anthems in rock history—“Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and so many more.

From dominating the ‘80s with big hooks and bigger hair to evolving into one of rock’s most enduring frontmen, Jon’s impact goes far beyond music. His dedication to philanthropy, songwriting, and keeping rock alive proves he’s still “livin’ on a prayer” and showing no signs of slowing down!

Happy 63rd Birthday Jon Bon Jovi!🎂🎶🔥

02/03/2025

Also on March 2: On this day in 1950, Karen Carpenter was born.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBFW-sIHaow

Here's the less celebrated side of her talents. It's kind of amazing that she kept up her chops, long after she didn't need to.

02/03/2025

The singer opened the ceremony with performances of 'Espresso' and 'Bed Chem'

02/03/2025

Also on March 2: On this day in 1964, "Twist and Shout" was issued as a single in the US

https://tinyurl.com/yaklwavo

It was released on Tollie, a Vee-Jay spin-off label. The song, previously available in the US on the Introducing The Beatles LP, peaked at #2 in April, blocked from the top slot by "Can't Buy Me Love.” The B-side, “There’s A Place,” would not appear in the US on any Capital release until 1980’s Rarities compilation.

02/03/2025

Also on March 2: On this day in 1956, John Cowsill was born.

https://youtu.be/Qt_yKPNORLM

He was the group’s drummer and - like his siblings (and mother), a vocalist. He was also a taskmaster: the group took a great deal of pride in the fact that what you hear on this track is their own work, meaning no augmentation from studio pros. It was John that persisted in putting his siblings through their paces until a keeper was nailed:

"I, John Cowsill, single handedly tortured my older siblings on the Hair sessions. 52 times to be exact. That is what you are hearing every time you hear it. Take 52."

Seen here is the actual TV special visual produced at the time by the family Cowsill for this song; it's cute and worth a look.

John was later a member of Tommy Tutone (he drums and sings back-up on “867-5309/Jenny” but does not appear in the video). Until 2023, he toured with the Mike Love iteration of the Beach Boys (i.e. the “official” one). He can also be heard alongside former child actor Billy Mumy and former Bangle Vicki Peterson (John’s wife) in Action Skulls:
https://youtu.be/_GN5rqMV33k?si=nL1JITDcWJYwBfKo Of late, he appears as a substitute singer in The Smithereens as well.

02/03/2025

From Almost Famous to The Last Waltz, from School of Rock to Wayne's World, these films share one thing in common – they all rock!

02/03/2025

Avec Forever, l’icône du hard FM américain Bon Jovi signe son 16e album. Ce disque fait preuve de savoir-faire.

02/03/2025

David Johansen of the New York Dolls has died aged 75.

01/03/2025

R&B and soul singer Angie Stone has died. The “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” singer was in a car accident while traveling from Alabama this morning, according to TMZ. She was 63.

01/03/2025

Also on March 1: On this day in 1969, The Doors performed a show in Miami.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5DBU1BFNXM

The venue was Dinner Key Auditorium, and the performance that ensued went down in the books as “memorable,” to say the least. Whether or not Jim Morrison actually exposed himself, as he was later charged, has long been the subject of conjecture. While at the time, the punishment for all charges was draconian, with the very real possibility of his going away for a long time, ultimately he was pardoned (in 2010) - posthumously, by outgoing governor, Charlie Crist.

This explains the incident in detail: https://tinyurl.com/2p8nffv6

01/03/2025

Up for three Brit awards this weekend including song of the year for his epic hit Stargazing, the former sociology student condemns how austerity has damaged the arts

01/03/2025

A list of the best songs from 1985.

01/03/2025

Also on March 1: On this day in 2016, Gayle McCormick passed away.

https://youtu.be/LFLKpAkvudQ

She was 67 and suffering from previously undetected cancer that had metastasized. She’s best known as the lead singer with Smith, a band that scored a top 5 hit in 1969 with their recording of “Baby It’s You,” co-penned by the late Burt Bacharach. It outsold the original (by The Shirelles, which was also covered by The Beatles of course) but was their only significant hit. The band was discovered at a club in LA by Del Shannon, who helped swing their record deal with ABC-Dunhill and also arranged their take on “Baby It’s You.” Their album, A Group Called Smith, was loaded with covers: by the Rolling Stones, The Youngbloods, The Zombies, The Clique, and Bo Diddley as well as Muddy Waters, but following an unsuccessful follow-up, the group split.

Hailing from St Louis, Gayle was a classic blue-eyed soul singer with a big voice. Her professional career began with The Klassmen. (Yes, a name destined to be misread as something far darker.) They scored a local hit in 1967 (https://youtu.be/2NpMAXupjlk ) before she went west and moved on to bigger and better with Smith. Interestingly, though she was regarded as the lead singer, a cut she didn’t sing lead on sold in the millions as a track on the Easy Rider soundtrack. When the original recording of The Band’s “The Weight.” proved too costly to license, Dunhill asked Smith to produce a soundalike cover: https://youtu.be/nMQ6QrsTPfw

After Smith dissolved, Gayle had one more hit that landed just within or just outside the Top 40, depending on which chart one references. 1971’s “It’s A Cryin’ Shame” (https://youtu.be/TRkvhoduIxI ) was issued on the first of three solo albums she produced before retiring from the business.

01/03/2025

On this day in 1975, the David Bowie single “Young Americans” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #29 (March 1)

The song from his ninth studio album of the same name, reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart but was a breakthrough in the United States, at the time becoming Bowie's second highest charting single since "1973’s “Space Oddity" on the Billboard Hot 100 at #28.

Elsewhere it went all the way to #1 in New Zealand, #13 in Ireland, #27 in Australia, #33 in Canada, and #36 in Belgium.

Always re-inventing himself, Bowie embraced R&B and Philadelphia soul in this funky track, which featured contributions from then-unknown singer Luther Vandross, who conceived the backing vocal arrangement.

Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash is a fan, and has spoken about the song's influence on him as a musician…

“Young Americans” ranked at #204 on Rolling Stone's 2021 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Click on the link below to watch:

https://youtu.be/ydLcs4VrjZQ

, , , , ,