Bruford’s book is simply marvelous. His writing skills are just as amazing as his playing skills.
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Unusual Rock Trivia?
- Thread starter Aberdumbie
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Bruford’s book is simply marvelous. His writing skills are just as amazing as his playing skills.
Those guys sliced and diced a lot of songs back then! It was an art and a talent. The difference between an Album and single was in the hands of the blade master.
Check out this fabulous vocal:
“Get It While You Can” 1966 was a keystone in the career of a brilliant, obscure singer whose life became one of the Greatest Soul Music Stories Never told.
Janis Joplin, B.B. King, and Jimi Hendrix all covered his songs. Otis Redding declared it “the bible of soul.” But Howard Tate’s “Get It While You Can” remains a cry in the dark — and the best R&B record you probably never heard.
He toured with Aretha Franklin as her recording of “Respect” climbed the charts in 1967.
But he eventually walked away from his career, disillusioned that he was not receiving the royalties he thought he deserved.
“I got rid of my own records, and I didn’t listen to other people’s records because I didn’t want to flash back,” he told The Associated Press in 2003.
Then, he later recalled, tragedy struck. His daughter died in a fire. His marriage fell apart. He began drinking heavily, then became addicted to crack and ended up homeless in Camden, N.J.
By the mid-1990s Tate had cleaned up in rehab and began preaching in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. A Jersey City disc jockey found the ex-singer in 2001, by which time Tate had become a bit of a mysterious legend by music fans. Voice intact, he recorded a few more albums, including “Rediscovered” (2003) and “A Portrait of Howard” (2006), which included covers of songs by Lou Reed and Randy Newman.
"I was so thrilled and happy when God set me free from being a drug addict, and I wanted to share that with those that are out there suffering," he said. "But they need to know there's hope, and the hope lies in God. So that's why I decided to come back."
“Get It While You Can” 1966 was a keystone in the career of a brilliant, obscure singer whose life became one of the Greatest Soul Music Stories Never told.
Janis Joplin, B.B. King, and Jimi Hendrix all covered his songs. Otis Redding declared it “the bible of soul.” But Howard Tate’s “Get It While You Can” remains a cry in the dark — and the best R&B record you probably never heard.
He toured with Aretha Franklin as her recording of “Respect” climbed the charts in 1967.
But he eventually walked away from his career, disillusioned that he was not receiving the royalties he thought he deserved.
“I got rid of my own records, and I didn’t listen to other people’s records because I didn’t want to flash back,” he told The Associated Press in 2003.
Then, he later recalled, tragedy struck. His daughter died in a fire. His marriage fell apart. He began drinking heavily, then became addicted to crack and ended up homeless in Camden, N.J.
By the mid-1990s Tate had cleaned up in rehab and began preaching in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. A Jersey City disc jockey found the ex-singer in 2001, by which time Tate had become a bit of a mysterious legend by music fans. Voice intact, he recorded a few more albums, including “Rediscovered” (2003) and “A Portrait of Howard” (2006), which included covers of songs by Lou Reed and Randy Newman.
"I was so thrilled and happy when God set me free from being a drug addict, and I wanted to share that with those that are out there suffering," he said. "But they need to know there's hope, and the hope lies in God. So that's why I decided to come back."
Jon Sykes, bass player for The Pineapple Thief worked in an engineering capacity with NASA on the James Webb Space Telescope.
Sorry for so long a post, but it’s such a cool story…
Although he played many different guitars over the years, Jimmy Page was famous for playing Les Pauls – his “Number One” and “Number Two” were both 1959 Bursts (although Number One might have been an early 1960), but his first Les Paul was actually a 1960 Black Beauty – a three-pickup Les Paul Custom. This was years before Led Zeppelin. Page bought the guitar when he was 18 from a shop in London for £185 via a layaway plan in 1962. He opted for the three-pickup combination to give him more sonic range as he was doing a lot of session work back then. He didn’t bring the Black Beauty on tour with Led Zeppelin until the band’s 1970 US Tour.
The guitar was used during the band’s performance at The Met in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 12, 1970. When the band landed in Montreal, Canada for their next gig, the guitar was gone. Page was devastated. He took out ads in various music magazines offering a reward for the return of his guitar. The guitar stayed hidden for over 20 years until, in 1993, the guitar was purchased by a vintage guitar shop in Minneapolis, Willie’s American Guitars, for $5000. The woman selling the guitar told the story that her husband, who had worked as a baggage handler at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, had stolen the guitar and that the guitar had belonged to Jimmy Page.
The owner of Willie’s American Guitars, Nate Westgor, sent photos of the guitar to Page’s people who stated that the guitar was not his as it didn’t have the two holes for the extra toggle switches and the Bigsby tailpiece that Page had added.
Nate sold the guitar to an employee for $5,500, who owned it, and gigged with the guitar for the next several years. However, when the employee brought the guitar into the shop for repairs, in 2014, Nate, put the guitar under a blacklight – the lacquer had settled over time, revealing the holes for Page’s two extra toggle switches that had been removed and covered up. In addition, the 12th fret block inlay was unique – it had, what is characterized as “lightning with three stars to the left” this detail, as seen in old photographs of the guitar, was used to confirm that this was, indeed Page’s long-lost guitar.
The employee who owned the guitar was in need of money to pay some medical bills. It would have been an easy option for him to have the guitar authenticated with the newly unearthed proof and sold for a massive sum. But he and Nate decided to do the right thing and return the guitar to Page. Page exchanged the guitar for a ’59 Les Paul Custom, which was valued at about $45,000 – a decent return for a $5,000 investment, although if the Black Beauty had hit the auction block, it would have fetched well over that sum.
Although he played many different guitars over the years, Jimmy Page was famous for playing Les Pauls – his “Number One” and “Number Two” were both 1959 Bursts (although Number One might have been an early 1960), but his first Les Paul was actually a 1960 Black Beauty – a three-pickup Les Paul Custom. This was years before Led Zeppelin. Page bought the guitar when he was 18 from a shop in London for £185 via a layaway plan in 1962. He opted for the three-pickup combination to give him more sonic range as he was doing a lot of session work back then. He didn’t bring the Black Beauty on tour with Led Zeppelin until the band’s 1970 US Tour.
The guitar was used during the band’s performance at The Met in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 12, 1970. When the band landed in Montreal, Canada for their next gig, the guitar was gone. Page was devastated. He took out ads in various music magazines offering a reward for the return of his guitar. The guitar stayed hidden for over 20 years until, in 1993, the guitar was purchased by a vintage guitar shop in Minneapolis, Willie’s American Guitars, for $5000. The woman selling the guitar told the story that her husband, who had worked as a baggage handler at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, had stolen the guitar and that the guitar had belonged to Jimmy Page.
The owner of Willie’s American Guitars, Nate Westgor, sent photos of the guitar to Page’s people who stated that the guitar was not his as it didn’t have the two holes for the extra toggle switches and the Bigsby tailpiece that Page had added.
Nate sold the guitar to an employee for $5,500, who owned it, and gigged with the guitar for the next several years. However, when the employee brought the guitar into the shop for repairs, in 2014, Nate, put the guitar under a blacklight – the lacquer had settled over time, revealing the holes for Page’s two extra toggle switches that had been removed and covered up. In addition, the 12th fret block inlay was unique – it had, what is characterized as “lightning with three stars to the left” this detail, as seen in old photographs of the guitar, was used to confirm that this was, indeed Page’s long-lost guitar.
The employee who owned the guitar was in need of money to pay some medical bills. It would have been an easy option for him to have the guitar authenticated with the newly unearthed proof and sold for a massive sum. But he and Nate decided to do the right thing and return the guitar to Page. Page exchanged the guitar for a ’59 Les Paul Custom, which was valued at about $45,000 – a decent return for a $5,000 investment, although if the Black Beauty had hit the auction block, it would have fetched well over that sum.
IMMusicRulz
Commercial User
Yes drummer Alan White was actually the best man at Yes vocalist Jon Anderson’s 2nd wedding in 1997.
According to Alice Cooper, the song "Billion Dollar Babies" was written around a drum beat. The track is a duet between Alice Cooper and Donovan, who provides the falsetto and high harmony vocals.
After the Alice Cooper Band dissolved, band members Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith, along with Bob Dolin, Stu Daye, and Mike Marconi, adopted the song name as their new band name and recorded as Billion Dollar Babies. The band Billion Dollar Babies released only one album, 1977's Battle Axe, before disbanding.
After the Alice Cooper Band dissolved, band members Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith, along with Bob Dolin, Stu Daye, and Mike Marconi, adopted the song name as their new band name and recorded as Billion Dollar Babies. The band Billion Dollar Babies released only one album, 1977's Battle Axe, before disbanding.
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The Choir was a garage rock band largely active in the greater Cleveland area from the mid-1960s into the early 1970s. Originally called The Mods, their largest commercial success came with the release of their first single "It's Cold Outside" in December 1966.
The song, considered to be a classic of the garage rock era, was featured on Pebbles, Volume 2, one of the earlier garage rock compilation LPs (issued in 1979). The Choir is well known for containing three of the four original members of the Raspberries.
The Raspberries were another American pop rock band formed in 1970 from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their pop rock sound, which AllMusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their clean-cut public image, with short-hair and matching suits helping create Power Pop which was an extension of the British Invasion.
The group drew influence from the British Invasion era—especially The Beatles, The Who, The Hollies, and Small Faces—and its mod sensibility. In both the US and the UK, the Raspberries helped pioneer the power pop music style that took off after the group disbanded. They also have had a following among professional musicians such as Jack Bruce, Ringo Starr, and Courtney Love.
The group's "classic" lineup consisted of Eric Carmen (vocalist/guitarist/bassist/pianist), Wally Bryson (guitarist), Jim Bonfanti (drummer), and Dave Smalley (guitarist/bassist). Their best known songs include "Go All the Way", "Let's Pretend", "I Wanna Be with You", "Tonight", and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)".
Producer Jimmy Ienner was responsible for all four of the Raspberries' albums in the 1970s. The group disbanded in 1975 after a five-year run, and Eric Carmen proceeded to a successful career as a solo artist. His big hit was “All by Myself”
Wally Bryson went on to form the Band Fotomaker with the power pop song “Where have you been All my Life”.
A lot of talent and great songs for a band from Cleveland, Ohio.
The song, considered to be a classic of the garage rock era, was featured on Pebbles, Volume 2, one of the earlier garage rock compilation LPs (issued in 1979). The Choir is well known for containing three of the four original members of the Raspberries.
The Raspberries were another American pop rock band formed in 1970 from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their pop rock sound, which AllMusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their clean-cut public image, with short-hair and matching suits helping create Power Pop which was an extension of the British Invasion.
The group drew influence from the British Invasion era—especially The Beatles, The Who, The Hollies, and Small Faces—and its mod sensibility. In both the US and the UK, the Raspberries helped pioneer the power pop music style that took off after the group disbanded. They also have had a following among professional musicians such as Jack Bruce, Ringo Starr, and Courtney Love.
The group's "classic" lineup consisted of Eric Carmen (vocalist/guitarist/bassist/pianist), Wally Bryson (guitarist), Jim Bonfanti (drummer), and Dave Smalley (guitarist/bassist). Their best known songs include "Go All the Way", "Let's Pretend", "I Wanna Be with You", "Tonight", and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)".
Producer Jimmy Ienner was responsible for all four of the Raspberries' albums in the 1970s. The group disbanded in 1975 after a five-year run, and Eric Carmen proceeded to a successful career as a solo artist. His big hit was “All by Myself”
Wally Bryson went on to form the Band Fotomaker with the power pop song “Where have you been All my Life”.
A lot of talent and great songs for a band from Cleveland, Ohio.
The Stax Headquarters Were in an Old Movie Theatre
In 1960 owner Jim Stewart moved Stax Records back to Memphis and into an old movie theatre, the former Capitol Theatre, at 926 East McLemore Avenue in South Memphis.
The coveted theatre contributed in part to creating the signature Stax sound. The floors were sloped to allow for auditorium style seating, which created a distinct acoustic environment for recording.
In 1960 owner Jim Stewart moved Stax Records back to Memphis and into an old movie theatre, the former Capitol Theatre, at 926 East McLemore Avenue in South Memphis.
The coveted theatre contributed in part to creating the signature Stax sound. The floors were sloped to allow for auditorium style seating, which created a distinct acoustic environment for recording.
IMMusicRulz
Commercial User
The Journey song "Wheel In The Sky" was actually composed with the group's original vocalist, Robert Fleischmann, who quit before Infinity was actually released.
Wheel In The Sky was also based off of a poem that Journey bassist Ross Valory's then wife, Diane Valory, had composed.
Wheel In The Sky was also based off of a poem that Journey bassist Ross Valory's then wife, Diane Valory, had composed.
Regarding Rick Wakemans first departure from Yes.
During the UK leg of the 1974 tour, Wakeman announced his decision to leave the band at its conclusion. His boredom and frustration from playing the whole of Tales from Topographic Oceans culminated during a show in Manchester where his keyboard technician brought him a curry, which he proceeded to eat on stage. Anderson felt he had pushed Wakeman too far, as he was unsatisfied with one of his keyboard solos in the set and had constantly asked him to get it right. When the tour finished, Wakeman declined to attend rehearsals for their next album and confirmed his exit on 18 May 1974, his twenty-fifth birthday; later that day, he found out his solo album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, had entered the UK chart at number one. Wakeman was replaced by Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz.
During the UK leg of the 1974 tour, Wakeman announced his decision to leave the band at its conclusion. His boredom and frustration from playing the whole of Tales from Topographic Oceans culminated during a show in Manchester where his keyboard technician brought him a curry, which he proceeded to eat on stage. Anderson felt he had pushed Wakeman too far, as he was unsatisfied with one of his keyboard solos in the set and had constantly asked him to get it right. When the tour finished, Wakeman declined to attend rehearsals for their next album and confirmed his exit on 18 May 1974, his twenty-fifth birthday; later that day, he found out his solo album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, had entered the UK chart at number one. Wakeman was replaced by Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz.
Before "The Motown Sound" became a household term, it started from rather humble beginnings. After an unsuccessful venture called The 3-D Record Mart (which sold jazz records and 3-D glasses), music entrepreneur Berry Gordy purchased a house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan, and set up shop there in 1959, turning the first floor into a studio and living on the second floor. The house would become Motown's main base of operations, even as the company bought up six more houses nearby for their administrative and publishing operations.
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Key to the sound of countless Motown hits was the iconic reverb of Hitsville's makeshift echo chamber located in the attic of the house. Hitsville's attic chamber was crude and not at all designed with acoustical perfection in mind, but its ambience had a certain character that came to shape the iconic Motown sound. Hitsville's echo graced many hits over the years, and it can be heard clearly on the foot-stomps in the intro to "Where Did Our Love Go" by The Supremes.
Fun fact: after Hitsville was converted into a museum in 1985, a hole was cut in the ceiling leading to the attic, allowing visitors to hear the famous Motown echo by standing under the hole and clapping their hands or singing.
Motown Drum Room where all of those iconic songs were recorded
Link Removed
Key to the sound of countless Motown hits was the iconic reverb of Hitsville's makeshift echo chamber located in the attic of the house. Hitsville's attic chamber was crude and not at all designed with acoustical perfection in mind, but its ambience had a certain character that came to shape the iconic Motown sound. Hitsville's echo graced many hits over the years, and it can be heard clearly on the foot-stomps in the intro to "Where Did Our Love Go" by The Supremes.
Fun fact: after Hitsville was converted into a museum in 1985, a hole was cut in the ceiling leading to the attic, allowing visitors to hear the famous Motown echo by standing under the hole and clapping their hands or singing.
Motown Drum Room where all of those iconic songs were recorded
An unfortunate anniversary. This happened a few blocks from my office at the time.
Cave Puppy
"Humph Bo, he's wond!" - John Lennon
I have visited there many times. I always get emotional, too. The Ford Motor Company is actually donating millions to build up the museum. It is an amazing and magical place.
Regarding Donovan’s tune Sunshine Superman.
Donovan was good friends with The Beatles, and they were both making very innovative and trippy music at the time. Donovan's producer Mickie Most told him not to play the Sunshine Superman album to Paul McCartney under any circumstances, because he knew McCartney would be tempted to do something similar.
Donovan recalled to Uncut magazine: "My arse was being sued by Pye Records after Sunshine Superman so , my masterwork, sat on the shelves for seven months. If you date it, it was at least a year and a half before Sgt Pepper and I remember Mickie saying to me, 'Don't play it to McCartney' but of course everybody was sharing with everyone else and nicking from each other."
"I played it to McCartney anyway," he continued. "But they were already there, anyway, and George Martin was doing something similar with The Beatles, working out arrangements from ideas they had in their heads. George Martin was The Beatles' guy and John Cameron was my guy and they both had an appreciation of jazz which was key."
Originally, the "Sunshine Superman" single was subtitled "For John And Paul," a reference to Lennon and McCartney.
Btw: Jimmy Page also played lead guitar on this tune too.
Donovan was good friends with The Beatles, and they were both making very innovative and trippy music at the time. Donovan's producer Mickie Most told him not to play the Sunshine Superman album to Paul McCartney under any circumstances, because he knew McCartney would be tempted to do something similar.
Donovan recalled to Uncut magazine: "My arse was being sued by Pye Records after Sunshine Superman so , my masterwork, sat on the shelves for seven months. If you date it, it was at least a year and a half before Sgt Pepper and I remember Mickie saying to me, 'Don't play it to McCartney' but of course everybody was sharing with everyone else and nicking from each other."
"I played it to McCartney anyway," he continued. "But they were already there, anyway, and George Martin was doing something similar with The Beatles, working out arrangements from ideas they had in their heads. George Martin was The Beatles' guy and John Cameron was my guy and they both had an appreciation of jazz which was key."
Originally, the "Sunshine Superman" single was subtitled "For John And Paul," a reference to Lennon and McCartney.
Btw: Jimmy Page also played lead guitar on this tune too.
Also Donavan taught John Lennon a finger-picking guitar style in 1968 that Lennon employed in "Dear Prudence", "Julia", "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", and other songs. Donavans backing musicians included the Jeff Beck Group, and John Bonham, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, who later rose to fame as members of Led Zeppelin.
Edgar Winter bassist and songwriter Dan Hartman designed this $5000 silver “Bass Suit” in 1974. The controls are on the sleeve attached to an aluminum plate. The guitar neck ends in a Crescent Moon and the suit itself has moons on it.
Let’s hear Hartman talk about it in an old interview:
“The bass suit was actually one of the first cordless guitars in existence, and I invented it. It was built right into this silver bodysuit so it looked as though the bass was coming out of my body, and the volume and tone knobs were on the sleeve.”
“When it worked it was great, but the tunings were a little strange, plus I can’t tell you how many times I got shocked. It wound up being just one more thing that we had to worry about on tour: ‘Well, I wonder if this will work tonight.’ After a while I couldn’t stand wearing it anymore so I gave it up.”
Let’s hear Hartman talk about it in an old interview:
“The bass suit was actually one of the first cordless guitars in existence, and I invented it. It was built right into this silver bodysuit so it looked as though the bass was coming out of my body, and the volume and tone knobs were on the sleeve.”
“When it worked it was great, but the tunings were a little strange, plus I can’t tell you how many times I got shocked. It wound up being just one more thing that we had to worry about on tour: ‘Well, I wonder if this will work tonight.’ After a while I couldn’t stand wearing it anymore so I gave it up.”
The Choir and The Raspberries drummer, Jim Bonfanti, was born in Windber, PA and raised in Beaverdale, PA, a short distance from my house. I was in Windber yesterday. I know people who went to school with him.
Windber, PA is also where Alan Freed was born and raised and Johnny Weismuller lived there as a child.
