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Unusual Rock Trivia?
- Thread starter Aberdumbie
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- rock
Regarding the inspiration to John Lennon writing “And Your Bird Can Sing”
In the 2007 book Can't Buy Me Love, Jonathan Gould makes the case that the song was inspired by a profile of Frank Sinatra by Gay Talese that appeared in the April 1966 issue of Esquiremagazine. "Bird," Talese wrote, "is a favorite Sinatra word. He often inquires of his cronies, 'How's your bird?'"
What brought the article to Lennon's attention was a press release sent by Sinatra's PR man that read: "If you happen to be tired of kid singers wearing mops of hair thick enough to hide a crate of melons... 'Tell me that you've heard every sound there is,' crooned the world's greatest kid singer in his enigmatic reply, 'and your bird can swing. But you can't hear me. You can't hear me.'"
There was a second theory too….
“Bird" is British slang for "Girl." One theory is that this song is a scolding by John Lennon of his buddy Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, who loved to brag about his bird - Marianne Faithfull - who was great, green (jealous/young) and could sing.
In the 2007 book Can't Buy Me Love, Jonathan Gould makes the case that the song was inspired by a profile of Frank Sinatra by Gay Talese that appeared in the April 1966 issue of Esquiremagazine. "Bird," Talese wrote, "is a favorite Sinatra word. He often inquires of his cronies, 'How's your bird?'"
What brought the article to Lennon's attention was a press release sent by Sinatra's PR man that read: "If you happen to be tired of kid singers wearing mops of hair thick enough to hide a crate of melons... 'Tell me that you've heard every sound there is,' crooned the world's greatest kid singer in his enigmatic reply, 'and your bird can swing. But you can't hear me. You can't hear me.'"
There was a second theory too….
“Bird" is British slang for "Girl." One theory is that this song is a scolding by John Lennon of his buddy Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, who loved to brag about his bird - Marianne Faithfull - who was great, green (jealous/young) and could sing.
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Jon Gould makes up a lot of stuff. I went to school with him. He has always certainly had conviction of his theories.
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William Keith Relf (22 March 1943 – 12 May 1976) was an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and harmonica player for rock band the Yardbirds.
Relf started playing in bands around the summer of 1956 as a singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. His blues harp and vocals were as key to the Yardbirds' sound and success as were the group's three superstar lead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.
Relf co-wrote many of the original Yardbirds songs ("Shapes of Things", "I Ain't Done Wrong", "Over Under Sideways Down", "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"), later showing a leaning towards acoustic/folk music as the sixties unfolded ("Only the Black Rose"). He also sang an early version of "Dazed and Confused" in live Yardbirds concerts, after hearing musician Jake Holmes perform the song, which was later recorded by the band's successor group Led Zeppelin.
Relf died in the basement of his home in 1976 at the young age of 33 from electrocution while playing an electric guitar. He had had several health problems throughout his life, including emphysema and asthma. He may have been taking the medications commonly used to treat those diseases at the time, and these may have contributed to his inability to survive the electric shock.
Relf started playing in bands around the summer of 1956 as a singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. His blues harp and vocals were as key to the Yardbirds' sound and success as were the group's three superstar lead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.
Relf co-wrote many of the original Yardbirds songs ("Shapes of Things", "I Ain't Done Wrong", "Over Under Sideways Down", "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"), later showing a leaning towards acoustic/folk music as the sixties unfolded ("Only the Black Rose"). He also sang an early version of "Dazed and Confused" in live Yardbirds concerts, after hearing musician Jake Holmes perform the song, which was later recorded by the band's successor group Led Zeppelin.
Relf died in the basement of his home in 1976 at the young age of 33 from electrocution while playing an electric guitar. He had had several health problems throughout his life, including emphysema and asthma. He may have been taking the medications commonly used to treat those diseases at the time, and these may have contributed to his inability to survive the electric shock.
Michael Earl Henderson (July 7, 1951 – July 19, 2022) was an American bass guitarist and vocalist. He was known for his work with Miles Davis in the early 1970s and on early fusion albums such as Jack Johnson, Live-Evil, and Agharta, along with a series of his own R&B/soul hits and others featuring him on vocals, particularly the Norman Connors-produced hit "You Are My Starship" in 1976 and other songs in the mid to late-1970s.
Henderson was one of the first notable bass guitarists of the fusion era as well as being one of the most influential jazz and soul musicians of the past 40 years. In addition to Miles Davis, he played and recorded with Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Dramatics, among many others.
Before working with Davis, Henderson had been touring with Stevie Wonder, whom he met at the Regal Theater in Chicago while warming up for a gig. Davis saw the young Henderson performing at the Copacabana in New York City in early 1970 and reportedly said to Wonder simply "I'm taking your f*cking bassist."
After almost seven years with Davis, Henderson focused on songwriting and singing in a solo career that produced many hit songs and albums for Buddah Records until his retirement in 1986. Although known primarily for ballads, he was an influential funk player whose riffs and songs have been widely covered. He is also known for his ballad vocalizing on several Norman Connors hit recordings, including "You Are My Starship" and "Valentine Love", performed with Jean Carn.
Michaels main bass was a Gibson Ripper, natural finish with a black pickguard in the earlier years although he had been known to play a Jazz or P bass from time to time.
He recently died from cancer on July 19, 2022, aged 71.
Henderson was one of the first notable bass guitarists of the fusion era as well as being one of the most influential jazz and soul musicians of the past 40 years. In addition to Miles Davis, he played and recorded with Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Dramatics, among many others.
Before working with Davis, Henderson had been touring with Stevie Wonder, whom he met at the Regal Theater in Chicago while warming up for a gig. Davis saw the young Henderson performing at the Copacabana in New York City in early 1970 and reportedly said to Wonder simply "I'm taking your f*cking bassist."
After almost seven years with Davis, Henderson focused on songwriting and singing in a solo career that produced many hit songs and albums for Buddah Records until his retirement in 1986. Although known primarily for ballads, he was an influential funk player whose riffs and songs have been widely covered. He is also known for his ballad vocalizing on several Norman Connors hit recordings, including "You Are My Starship" and "Valentine Love", performed with Jean Carn.
Michaels main bass was a Gibson Ripper, natural finish with a black pickguard in the earlier years although he had been known to play a Jazz or P bass from time to time.
He recently died from cancer on July 19, 2022, aged 71.
Jake Holmes (born December 28, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s.
A great original and largely ignored version of Dazed and Confused was written by the folk-rock singer Jake Holmes and released as a track in his debut album "The Above Ground Sound" Of Jake Holmes in 1967. That same year Jake Holmes opened for The Yardbirds in a show in New York where Jimmy Page heard the song.
The song was rearranged and later became one of Led Zeppelin best-known songs, the debt to Jake Holmes however went largely unacknowledged by the band until 2012.
He also composed the music to the US Army recruitment jingle "Be All That You Can Be" in the 1980s. The jingle and subsequent advertising campaign was used extensively by the US government throughout the 1980s. Holmes also wrote the "I'm A Pepper" jingle, and with Randy Newman co-wrote the "Most Original Soft Drink Ever" jingle for the Dr Pepper soft drink.
A great original and largely ignored version of Dazed and Confused was written by the folk-rock singer Jake Holmes and released as a track in his debut album "The Above Ground Sound" Of Jake Holmes in 1967. That same year Jake Holmes opened for The Yardbirds in a show in New York where Jimmy Page heard the song.
The song was rearranged and later became one of Led Zeppelin best-known songs, the debt to Jake Holmes however went largely unacknowledged by the band until 2012.
He also composed the music to the US Army recruitment jingle "Be All That You Can Be" in the 1980s. The jingle and subsequent advertising campaign was used extensively by the US government throughout the 1980s. Holmes also wrote the "I'm A Pepper" jingle, and with Randy Newman co-wrote the "Most Original Soft Drink Ever" jingle for the Dr Pepper soft drink.
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After the Yardbirds, Relf went on to become one of the founding members of Renaissance, along with his sister Jane Relf. Hard to imagine a more jarring transition from the guitar-blues-based rock of Yardbirds to the keyboard-strings-classical/prog vibe of Renaissance.
Relf and his sister left Renaissance, which then reformed with Annie Haslam on lead vocals. At the time of his death, Relf was trying to form another version of Renaissance, called Illusion. I think they managed to put out one album.
A new genus in the spider family Ctenidae has now been named after musician David Bowie. It also includes 54 new spider species that are named after Bowie's work.
Some of these new species were also named after Bowie and his works, the museum noted. This included the Bowie ziggystardust, Bowie majortom and Bowie lazarus.
The move now makes the Bowie genus the "second largest genus within the family Ctenidae, with 108 species in total including nomina dubia."
Dang I almost see Bowie's face in the spider! Ha!
Some of these new species were also named after Bowie and his works, the museum noted. This included the Bowie ziggystardust, Bowie majortom and Bowie lazarus.
The move now makes the Bowie genus the "second largest genus within the family Ctenidae, with 108 species in total including nomina dubia."
Dang I almost see Bowie's face in the spider! Ha!
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Now that's what I call "unusual rock trivia"!A new genus in the spider family Ctenidae has now been named after musician David Bowie. It also includes 54 new spider species that are named after Bowie's work.
Some of these new species were also named after Bowie and his works, the museum noted. This included the Bowie ziggystardust, Bowie majortom and Bowie lazarus.
The move now makes the Bowie genus the "second largest genus within the family Ctenidae, with 108 species in total including nomina dubia."
Dang I almost see Bowie's face in the spider! Ha!
This sign to recognize Alan Freed (Albert James "Alan" Freed) stands in Windber, PA near where I live. He was born and raised there.
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But was that original Keith&Jane version of Renaissance as classical/prog-oriented as the later Annie Haslem version? I've never heard any of the Relf version, but I've had more than one fellow Renaissance fan tell me the two versions of the band sound nothing alike.
Definitely a weird transition!
I've heard the term "rock & roll" was already a euphemism for having sex. Did Freed actually coin the term, or was he simply the first to apply the term to music?This sign to recognize Alan Freed (Albert James "Alan" Freed) stands in Windber, PA near where I live. He was born and raised there.
Keith Relf was also a member of the band Armageddon with Bobby Caldwell (previously a member of Captain Beyond), Martin Pugh (from Steamhammer) and bassist Louis Cennamo (formerly of Renaissance and Steamhammer).
Like so much of the culture attached to rock n roll and blues, it came from the Black American community.
I think Freed was the person who repeated the term in a time/place to have it heard and then become popular.
The same way Elvis was not the first to shake his hips and move the way he did, this came directly from Black Americans.
Watch old movies of Black Swing Dancing.
Elvis also attended Black-led churches when he was a child and watched people around him celebrating their religion.
I think Freed was the person who repeated the term in a time/place to have it heard and then become popular.
The same way Elvis was not the first to shake his hips and move the way he did, this came directly from Black Americans.
Watch old movies of Black Swing Dancing.
Elvis also attended Black-led churches when he was a child and watched people around him celebrating their religion.
Drummer Rod Morgenstein may be best known as a member of the bands Dixie Dregs and Winger; but, he also worked for 20 years as a professor, teaching percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
He has done many other band projects and studio session work gigs.
Morgenstein has also been awarded Modern Drummer Magazine's "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" award five years (1986-1990), "Best All-Around Drummer" (1999) and was inducted into the magazine's Honor Roll. In addition, he has also been a columnist for Modern Drummer magazine.
He has done many other band projects and studio session work gigs.
Morgenstein has also been awarded Modern Drummer Magazine's "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" award five years (1986-1990), "Best All-Around Drummer" (1999) and was inducted into the magazine's Honor Roll. In addition, he has also been a columnist for Modern Drummer magazine.
I'd like to see/hear Band of Professors, like:
Drums - Rod Morgenstein
Bass - Ed Friedland
Guitar - Guthrie Gowan
... enter your suggestions here ...
