Biography
Soft voiced tales of the 60's
Posten on: 2006-03-13 04:23:01
Simon and Garfunkel were among the most commercially successful artists of the 1960s. Second only to the american folk rock legend Bob Dylan they went on to eventually open the door for a flood of soft-voiced tunes.The two lived close to each other and met at the age of 16 at a high school in New York. It was then when they wrote their first song together and recorded Hey Schoolgirl together under the name Tom and Jerry. The track was very much in the fashion of the Everly Brothers. While continuing his study, Simon relentlessly wrote songs, sometimes in the inspirational company of Carole King, and he recorded, variously as Tico and the Triumphs and Jerry Landis. In the meantime Garfunkel released under the name Artie Garr a couple of singles but without any notable success.In the early 60's, the reincarnated and now fashionable folk started to have a powerful influence on Simon. In 1964 he visited England, learning old songs like Scarborough Fair from such folk stalwarts as Martin Carthy. It was during this stay in England that Simon wrote the melody Homeward Bound, while he was sitting in Widnes railway station feeling homesick!After returning to New York, Columbia Records signed Simon & Garfunkel, releasing their debut album produced by Tom Wilson, Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. It included restrained versions of folk standards like Dylan's The Times They Are a-Changin' and Simon originals such as The Sound Of Silence. In spite of that the album sold poorly and in 1965 Simon returned to England where he recorded a solo acoustic album, The Paul Simon Songbook, which included I Am A Rock and Kathy's Song. In America's mid 60's former folk icon Bob Dylan had 'gone electric' and was finding much success, along with bands like The Byrds. That was Why producer Tom Wilson decided to improve Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound Of Silence track - adding bass, drums and electric guitar. The result was powerfully evocative and the single reached No.1 in the US prompting the duo to reunite sharpish for what would become the most commercially successful period of their career. They recorded the album Sound Of Silence in 1966 - essentially an electric version of Simon's British solo album and during that year the album's tracks Homeward Bound and I Am A Rock became hit singles in the UK and US. Follow-up album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme polished up the duo's clean cut harmonies and saw Simon's songwriting developing rapidly. He tried out different styles - from cleverly splicing two traditional songs (Scarborough Fair/Canticle) to the joyful pop of The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) and the romanticism of For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her.By now Simon and Garfunkel were consciously orientating themselves to college audiences. In the summer of 1967 the duo played the Monterey Pop Festival (Simon had a major hand in organising the whole event) and headlined the first day. After the release of their semi-psychedelic single Fakin' It, the duo were signed to provide the soundtrack for Mike Nichols' cult film about disaffected youth, The Graduate. Released in 1968 the soundtrack album contained instrumental pieces by Dave Grusin, several old Simon compositions and one new song, the fizzy pop of Mrs Robinson which reached No.1 in the UK. The film's success helped to give the duo the top three slots in the US album charts in 1968.The band's next album, Bookends, is regarded by many critics as representing the peak of the duo's career. It was an ambitions set, the first side intended as a concept song cycle, leading from youth (Save The Life Of My Child) through to the evocative America - a mediation on the state of the nation, to old age with the wistful Old Friends. But even greater success was to come in 1970 when the duo created pop history by simultaneously topping the UK and US single AND album charts with Bridge Over Troubled Water. The album's title track would become its main selling point, an epic, exquisitely arranged ballad which would become the duo's signature tune. The album included some of Simon's most accomplished writing. Highlights included the celebratory Cecilia, The Boxer and the adapted Peruvian folk tune, El Condor Pasa. But Garfunkel was becoming disillusioned at Simon dominating songwriting duties and the direction the duo was taking. So, at the peak of their fame, citing the classic artistic differences, the duo split up, creating a legend in their wake. Garfunkel concentrated on acting, appearing in Catch 22 in 1970, Carnal Knowledge in 1971 and the Nic Roeg psycho-sexual drama Bad Timing in 1980. He cut a series of largely indifferent solo albums. 1978's Watermark was the most critically well received, containing a hit version of I Only Have Eyes For You. Paul Simon meanwhile embarked on a highly successful solo career almost immediately after the split. The pop-reggae stylings of Mother and Child Reunion became a Top 5 hit single in 1972 and the similarly titled album also hit the UK No.1 spot. Simon continued to experiment with an array of musical styles on follow up albums, There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973) and 1975's Grammy Award winning Still Crazy After All These Years.In 1986 Simon created headlines with his Graceland album by teaming up with South African musicians for inspiration. The result was a highly infectious exotic fusion of Simon's pop sensibilities and African rhythms on tracks like Boy In The Bubble and Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. The album won a Grammy despite the furore surrounding Simon's supposed breach of the anti-apartheid cultural boycott (through recording and touring the album in S. Africa). Four years later, he delivered The Rhythm of the Saints which did for Brazilian music what Graceland had done for South African music and was another multi-platinum seller.As a duo, Simon and Garfunkel reunited intermittently. They gave a free concert in New York in 1982 and released the album, The Concert in Central Park. More recently, in 2004 they reunited for a money spinning world tour (that took in London's Hyde Park) releasing the results on the album, Old Friends, Live On Stage.
Posted in: Biography | Simon & Garfunkel | 0 Comments
Greatest Rock n Roll Band On Earth
Posten on: 2006-03-08 05:19:28
The Rolling Stones career has been tumultuous and complicated. In the early 1960s they entered into the British music scene and eventually became a global hit. By the time they began calling themselves “The Greatest Band of all Times,” they had become the epitome of Rock ‘N Roll. Their career has been a long one; full of tragedies and conquests. Throughout it all, they have managed to define an era with their music and style.In the beginning, the band consisted of Mick Jagger (Michael Philip Jagger, 26 July 1943, vocals), Keith Richard (Keith Richards, 18 December 1943, guitar), Brian Jones (Lewis Brian Hopkin-Jones, 28 February 1943, rhythm guitar), and Ian Stewart (1938, piano). Jagger and Richard had been friends since their childhood. The two attended the Dartford Maypole County Primary School together. In 1960 Richard was attending the Sidcup Art School and Jagger was at the London School ofEconomics. The two decided to form a band when they realized they shared a mutual interests in blues music and artists such as, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Bo Didley. Initially, they asked their friend Dick Taylor (who would go on to play in the band Pretty Things) to play bass. Ian Stewart played the piano. Stewart had always been a wild-child long before joining the Stones. By the time he was sixteen, he had fathered two illegitimate children and ran away from his home in Scandinavia.Occasionally Tony Chapman played the drums. Their manager was musician Alexis Kornor. On July 12, 1962 Korner arranged for the group to have their debut concert at the prestigious Marquee Club in London. During the concert, the group was met with disappointment from the audience who felt their music was not the blues they claimed it to be.In 1962, Bill Wyman (William George Perks, 24 October 1936, bass) replaced Dick Taylor. For the next few years, drummers came and went. In 1963, Charlie Watts (Charles Robert Watts, 2 June 1941) hesitantly quit his career and joined the group. The Rolling Stones’ reputation spread as they continued to play at Giorgio Gomelsky’s Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. At one of the group’s gigs, homosexual Andrew Loog Oldham saw commercial potential in the band’s front man, Mick Jagger. After longdiscussions, he convinced the group to let him become their manager. Within weeks of this agreement, Oldham had the Rolling Stones record two official recordings at the IBC studios. Oldham also got the group signed with Decca Records. Oldham purchased thirteen of the IBC demos and selected a cover of Chuck Berry’s, “Come on Over,” to be the Stone’ first single. The debut was a minor hit at number 21 on the charts. The group promoted themselves on Britain’s prestigious pop-music program,Thank You Lucky Stars. The group wore matching jackets adorned with velvet collars. Oldam, who did not think it necessary to have a pianist in the group, fired Stewart (but he occasionally played at concerts). The group then went on package tours and played at promotional concerts. They went on the Don Arden UK tour with artists such as, the Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, and Bo Didley. Their second single, “I Wanna Be Your Man,” was a cover of the Lennon/McCartney hit. In June 1964, the single was a top ten. At that time the group went on their first tour, supported by the Ronnettes.In 1964, the Rolling Stones had their first American hit. Their cover ofthe Buddy Holly song, “Not Fade Away,” reached number 3 in Britain andnumber 48 in the US. The Stones were making a name for themselves. Theirrugged looks caused much publicity when a London newspaper’s headlinestated: “Would You Let Your Daughter Marry a Rolling Stone?” The Stoneswere perceived to be rougher and tougher than the Beatles because oftheir shaggy hair and bluesy music. The press also began a rumor thatthe group had a rivalry with the Beatles. The Stones’ self-titled albumwas also released that year. Their third single, “Not Fade Away,” didmoderately well. Their cover of Valentino’s, “It’s all Over Now,” wastheir first U.K. number 1. They embarked on their first US tour whichproved to be disappointing.The group’s EP, Five by Five help to elevate them to celebrity status.They began playing at sold-out venues. At one concert at Winter Gardensin Blackpool, a riot occurred. Nothing like this had ever been seenbefore. Fans smashed chandeliers and fifty people were hospitalized.Other concerts the group played were ended within minutes due to riots.In the USA, Ed Sullivan banned Rock music from being performed on hisshow. In November of 1964 the single, “Little Red Rooster,” rose tonumber 1 on the then new Express Chart. Oldham pushed the group. Hewanted the Stones to stop doing covers and write their own music. Hewanted Jagger/Richard to be synonymous with Lennon/McCartney. The firsttwo Stones’ originals, “It Should Have Been You” and “Will You Be MyLover Tonight” did okay but were not hits. The song, “That Girl Belongsto Yesterday,” was a hit.In 1965 the group had their first USA top ten with “Time is on my Side.”They had successfully made an international breakthrough. They also hadthree self-penned hits, “The Last Time,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,”and “Get off of My Cloud.” To date, “Satisfaction” continues to be afamous hook-line and is continuously covered by garage and club bands.Their EP, Got Live if You Want It, was also a top ten. By this time,Jagger had cemented his bad boy image. Jagger, Jones, and Wyman werearrested for urinating on a wall at an East London petrol station. Thepublic viewed the group as delinquents. The group’s fourth album,Aftermath, in 1966 was their first all-original album. The single, “Mother’sLittle Helper,” discussed Valium use in suburban America. Their single,“Under my Thumb” and “Stupid Girl” were misogynistic. Their fans sawtheir chauvinism in the single, “19th Nervous Breakdown.” The grouppromoted their album in a photo session where they were dressed in drag.Their 1967 double a-sided single, “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and “RubyTuesday,” did moderately well. The group’s most pop-oriented album,Between the Buttons, was released in 1967. This was Oldham’s finalproduction with the Stones. In 1968 he resigned and his partner, Klein,became the group’s manager. On February 12, Jagger and Richard werearrested on drug offences. Three months later, Jones’ home was raidedand he too was arrested. Both men were given heavy fines and instructedto do charity concerts. In their single, “We Love You,” slamming prisondoors can be heard in the background. The song was barely a top ten.The Stones then released the album, Their Satanic Majestic Request. Thealbum cover was 3-D. Critics felt the album was a disappointment and theStones were trying too hard to compete with the Beatles. The single, “JumpingJack Flash,” reached number three in the summer of 1968. The album,Beggars Banquet, was released in the Fall of 1968. The album had beendelayed five months due to its controversial cover of a dirty bathroomcovered in graffiti. The album was produced by Jimmy Miller. The single,“Street Fighting Man,” was political. Critics were saying that theStones were finally re-collecting themselves. As the group’s popularitygrew, Jones’ drug abuse grew as well. His drug convictions caused himnot to be available for the group’s 1968 tour. He also was becomingincreasingly jealous of Jagger’s publicity. The group’s tension grewwhen Richard impregnated Jones’ girlfriend. On June 9, 1969 Jones leftthe group. He claimed he was suffering from artistic differences betweenhimself and the band. One month later on July 3, 1969 he was found deadin his swimming pool at his home which used to belong to writer, AAMilne. The police stated it was “Death by Misadventure.” Two days afterhis death, the group played a free concert in front of 250,000 people.Jagger released hundreds of butterflies into the air. Jones was replacedby Mick Taylor from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Three days later,Jagger’s former love, Marianne Faithfull, attempted suicide. This was ahard time for the group. In the last few months of 1969, the group alsosaw triumph when their single, “Honky Tonk Woman,” reached number one inboth the UK and the US. This would be the group’s last UK chart topper.The Stones’ next album Let it Bleed, was a parody of the Beatles Let itBe. The singles were: “Gimme Shelter,” “Country Honk,” “You Can’t AlwaysGet What You Want,” and “Midnight Rambler.” Jagger debuted as an actorin the film, Ned Kelly. Jean-Luc Goddard also did a portrait of theStones in the studio in his biography, One Plus One. The group began aUS tour and called themselves “The Greatest Band of All Times.” Duringone free concert in 1969, however, tragedy struck. The boys were playinga free concert at Altamont Speedway. Listening to the Grateful Dead,they hired the Hell’s Angels as security. The show was unorganized. TheAngels murdered a young black man, Meredith Hunter. This caused muchcontroversy for the Stones. The Stones’ last album with Decca/London wasGet Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!. After that, the group created their own self-titledrecord label. Their next album, Sticky Fingers, was about sex and death.The singles were: “You Gotta Move,” “Moonlight Mile,” “Wild Horses,” “SisterMorphine.”In May of 1972, the Stones released Exile on Mainstreet. At first, thealbum was criticized, but in the late 1990s it was re-evaluated andapplauded. In 1973, the group began to diminish. Jagger was focusingmore on being a celebrity than the music and Richard was focusing moreon drugs. The group’s album, Goat’s Head Soup, became a number one in1973 with the single, “Angie.” In 1974, Mick Taylor left the band. Thenew album, Black and Blue, had strong reggae influences. By 1977, thepress was calling the Rolling Stones old men and has-beens. In 1977, thegroup released the album, Some Girl. The singles were: “Shattered,” “MissYou,” “Far Away Eyes,” “When the Whip Comes Down,” “Beast of Burden.”The album’s cover jacket had to be re-shot because it featuredunauthorized photos of Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, and Raquel Welch.During that year Keith Richard reconciled with his father and beganusing his last name, Richards, again. Jagger had a highly publicized andexpensive divorce from wife, Bianca. In 1980, the group releasedEmotional Rescue. In 1981, they released Tattoo You. This was the lasttime the Stones dominated the charts. The album featured the single, “StartMe Up.” In 1983, they released, Undercover. In 1985, Jagger releasedhis solo album, She’s the Boss. In 1986, the group released the album,Dirty Work. It was produced by Steve Lilly and it contained a cover ofBobEarl’s “Harlem Shuffle. In 1987, Jagger released his second singlealbum entitled Primitive Cool. In 1988 Richard also released a soloalbum. In 1989, the group reconvened to tour and promote their album,Steel Wheels. In the early 1990s the group had been together for thirtyyear. They embarked on their biggest tour. In 1993, Wyman resigned andwas replaced by Darryl Jones (Chicago). Wyman then released a memoirentitled Stone Alone a few years later. The group’ s album Voodoo Loungewon them their first Grammy for Best Rock Album in 19995. They alsoreleased an unplugged album entitled Stripped that same year. The groupwas criticized when Richards publicly blasted popular group REM andNirvana. Richard called REM, “wimpy cult stuff,” and Nirvana front-manKurt Cobain “Some prissy little spoiled kid.” In 1997, the groupreleased the album Bridges to Babylon. In 1998, they released the albumNo Security Live Set. In 2002 the Rolling Stones released 40 Licks andonce again embarked on a major tour.Jagger and Richards worked on a new studio album in 2004 with producer Don Was at Jagger's residences in southern France and the Caribbean. Was said that the Stones would reconvene after the Christmas holidays and that the tracks recorded so far were significantly different to anything he had worked on with The Stones before. Charlie Watts later attended the sessions and was reported to be in excellent health after being treated for throat cancer.On July 26, 2005, coinciding with Jagger's birthday, the band announced the name of their new album, A Bigger Bang, which was released September 6th to typically strong reviews, including a glowing write up in Rolling Stone magazine (often noted for its consistent support of the group). The album included perhaps the most controversial song from the Stones in years, "Sweet Neo Con", a criticism of American Neoconservatism from Jagger. The song was reportedly almost dropped from the album due to objections from Richards, who prefers to avoid music that's overtly political or topical, since he believes that such songs rarely stand the test of time.On May 10, 2005 the Stones announced plans for another world tour starting on August 21st at Fenway Park in Boston. The tour is expected to include dates throughout the USA and Canada before going to South America, Asia and Europe. Launching the tour at the Julliard School in New York, Mick Jagger told reporters that it would not necessarily be their last.In the last few years, Toronto, Ontario has been chosen as a pre-tour venue for the Rolling Stones. They have played at smaller venues such as the Palais Royale and The Phoenix prior to the full tour. In the wake of the SARS outbreak, the Stones came to Toronto to host a relief concert. Toronto has become something of a headquarters for the Stones, and they are considered there Toronto's stepchild of rock and roll.The group kicked off their Bigger Bang world tour 2005—2006 with two shows at the historic Fenway Park in Boston. The Stones' huge stage caused extensive damage to the outfield, so that approximately 40,000 square feet (4,000 m) of sod had to be brought in to repair it, and a subsequent baseball game held at the park three days later had to be pushed back an hour to give the grounds crew more time to complete the repairs.The group played during the half-time of Super Bowl XL. The show followed in the same vein as the Super Bowl XXXIX half-time show featuring Paul McCartney, with the band playing "Start Me Up," "Rough Justice," and "Satisfaction." Before performing "Satisfaction," Jagger made an uncharacteristic comment on their longevity: "We could have played this one at Super Bowl I." Jagger was asked to leave out two sexually suggestive lyrics. The audio on his microphone was lowered twice for the two requested omissions, but Jagger did sing those lyrics. [3]. Contrary to many media reports, he was not censored. The Stones had earlier taken part in promotions throughout the entire NFL season using music from A Bigger Bang and footage from their supporting world tour. At the end of 2005, it was announced by tour producer Michael Cohl that the Stones A Bigger Bang tour had made a record-shattering $162 million since the tour opening at Fenway Park in Boston on the 21st of August. This breaks the previous North American record, held by the Stones themselves for their 1994 Voodoo Lounge tour, which grossed approximately $120 million. It should, however, be noted that the North American leg of the A Bigger Bang tour is far from finished; there are still a number of confirmed shows remaining. Also, ticket prices for the tour are rather high; they average about $200.00 USD for a single seat.On February 1, 2006, the Stones played their first concert at the Baltimore Arena since 1969, possibly the smallest venue they have played or will play for the entire tour.February 18, 2006 was a historical day for Rolling Stones: they performed to the biggest audience of their career, a free concert on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, where city authorities estimated attendance at 1,200,000. While the Guinness World Book of Records states the largest free concert ever was given in the same spot in 1994 by Rod Stewart, to 3.5 million people, that figure includes everyone who was on Copacabana Beach for fireworks and New Year Eve's celebrations, not just for that concert, so the Rolling Stones could hold the title of largest rock concert of all time. For the first time in free concerts on Copacabana beach, a special overpass was constructed directly between the Copacabana Palace hotel, where they stayed, and the stage across the street, to ensure their safe passage to and from the concert. This show was recorded for exhibition on digital movie screens across the U.S. via Regal Cinemas and heard live on XM Radio. Additionally, the show was shown live on AOL Music in partnership with Network Live. Interestingly enough, U2 played in So Paulo two days later (ending one of their last songs with the words "I can't get no satisfaction").
Posted in: Biography | The Rolling Stones | 0 Comments
One Of The Most Successful Commercial Rock Bands
Posten on: 2006-03-02 06:11:13
Eagles are an American rock music group which was originally formed in Los Angeles, California during the early 1970s. Their music was a mixture of country and bluegrass instrumentation embedded in accord with the California surfer rock, producing gentle tender ballads and soft top-down country-flavored pop-rock about relationships, cars, and the rootless life. The original band included singer/songwriters Jack son Browne, J. D. Souther, and Warren Zevon. The bands early compositions were similar to the southern California country rock. But in the later albums the Eagles generated bluegrass instrumentation blended with straight-ahead rock sound. None of the band founders were born in California. Guitarist/keyboardist Glenn Frey was born on November 6, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan. Drummer Don Henley was born on July 22, 1947 in Gilmer, Texas and he majored in English literature. Guitarist/mandolinist/banjo player Bernie Leadon was born July 19, 1947, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and had great interest for country and bluegrass music. Bassist Randy Meisner was born on March 8, 1946 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and was a car and cycle buff. But he always spent his free time with family and playing bass in a rock and roll band. After the formation of Eagles in 1971, the band came out with their first album “Eagles”, consisting pure country rock. The band formed in 1971 when Linda Ronstadt's then-manager, John Boylan, extracted Frey, Leadon, and Meisner from their affiliations. They were short a drummer until Frey phoned Henley, a musician he'd met at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. The Eagles backed up Ronstadt on a two-month tour, then decided to become a band on their own. Their first album, Eagles, was filled with pure, sometimes innocent country rock; their second, Desperado, was themed on Old West outlaws and introduced the group's penchant for conceptual songwriting.To record their third album, On the Border, the group selected producer Glyn Johns, who had previously worked with Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. The band wanted to rock, but Johns tended to extract the lush side of the band's double-edged music. After completing two thirds of the album with Johns, the band turned to Bill Szymczyk to produce the rest of the album. Szymczyk brought in Don Felder (born September 21, 1948 in Topanga, California) to add slide guitar to a song called "Good Day in Hell", and the band was blown away. Two days later, Felder became the fifth Eagle. On the Border yielded a #1 Billboard single in the song "Best of My Love", which hit the top on March 1, 1975.Their next album, One of These Nights, had an aggressive, sinewy rock stance. Between the album and the subsequent tour, Bernie Leadon left the group because he was disillusioned about the direction the band's music was taking. The group replaced Leadon with Joe Walsh (born November 20, 1947), a veteran of such groups as the James Gang and Barnstorm and a solo artist in his own right. The addition of Walsh made the group's aim perfectly clear: they wanted to rock. The title track from One of These Nights hit #1 on the Billboard chart August 2, 1975. By this time, the personalities inside the band would start clashing with each other, and there were plenty of inter-band fights.After a brief hiatus and further lineup changes (the replacement of Meisner with Timothy B. Schmidt), the Eagles released The Long Run in 1979, a solid success featuring the chart-topping single "Heartache Tonight." Following ''The Long Run'' tour, in 1980, the band broke up, and all of the members had solo careers of varying degrees of success.During the early 1990s, an Eagles country tribute album ''Common Thread'' was released. Travis Tritt insisted on having the ''Long Run''-era Eagles in his video for "Take It Easy."After the "Take It Easy" video was completed in 1994 the band reunited, after years of public speculation that it would. The personnel was the five ''Long Run'' era members, supplemented by additional players on stage. The ensuing tour spawned a live album entitled ''Hell Freezes Over'' (named for Henley's statement that the group would get back together only when hell froze over), and a single, "Get Over It".Controversy followed on September 12, 1996 when the band dedicated "Peaceful Easy Feeling" to Saddam Hussein at a United States Democratic Party fundraiser held in Los Angeles. In 1998, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During the induction ceremony, all seven former members played together on stage. Several subsequent reunion tours would follow, notable for their record-setting ticket prices.The Eagles were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.In February 2001, Don Felder was fired from the group; Felder and the Eagles filed lawsuits against each other. In 2003 the Eagles released a new single, the September 11th-themed "Hole in the World". In the same year, The Eagles were again in the news when their total album sales hit a whopping 83.5 million - making them the third biggest selling band of all time, behind the Beatles and Led Zeppelin.
Posted in: Biography | The Eagles | 0 Comments
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