The Wolfman Howls Again - Mephisto's Rock Gems The Wolfman Howls Again - Mephisto's Rock Gems 50 years of Rock and Roll, laced with heavily intoxicating doses of Soul and Rythm and Blues. Blender mixed with Pop from 5 decades from all 5 continents. Some people call it the 
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Middle of the Road - Soley Soley (1971)
2008-01-09 08:30:00 Middle of the Road had three major hits in the UK Singles Chart, all of them bubblegum pop classics: "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" (Number 1), "Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum" (Number 2) and "Soley Soley" (Number 5), all in 1971. But in other European countries, their success continued well into 1972 and 1973, with songs like "Sacramento (A Wonderful Town)", "Samson and Delilah", "Bottom's Up" and "The... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Middle , The Road
Wax - Right Between The Eyes (1986)
2008-01-09 08:00:00 Wax UK was the union of veteran musicians Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman, which produced several albums in the 1980s. Gold, the son of Academy Award-winning composer Ernest Gold and Marni Nixon (who had handled the singing for, among others, Natalie Wood in West Side Story), had been a member of Linda Ronstadt's band and found success as a solo artist and songwriter in the '70s. Gouldman had... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Eyes
INXS - Suicide Blonde (1990)
2008-01-09 07:00:00 INXS hailed from the pubs of Australia, which is part of the reason they never comfortably fit in with new wave. Even when the band branched out into synth pop on its early recordings, they were underpinned by a hard, Stonesy beat and lead singer Michael Hutchence's Jagger-esque strut. Ultimately, these were the very things that made INXS into international superstars in the late '80s. By that... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Suicide , Blonde
Wilson Pickett - Funky Broadway (1967)
2008-01-08 09:00:00 Of the major '60s soul stars, Wilson Pickett was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broad way ." Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than more versatile talents like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, he is often a preferred alternative... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
Gino Vannelli - People Gotta Move (1974)
2008-01-08 08:30:00 Gino Vannelli learned to play the drums early in life and studied music theory at McGill University. He formed an R&B band with two brothers, but later began recording solo material for RCA in 1970. He became popular four years later when A&M released his hit single "People Gotta Move ," from the Powerful People album (re-titled People Gotta Move). Many albums followed, including Storm at Sunup... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
The Smiths - How Soon Is Now (1984)
2008-01-08 08:00:00 The Smiths were the definitive British indie rock band of the '80s, marking the end of synth-driven new wave and the beginning of the guitar rock that dominated English rock into the '90s. Sonically, the group was indebted to the British Invasion, crafting ringing, melodic three-minute pop singles, even for their album tracks. But their scope was far broader than that of a revivalist band. The... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: The Smiths
Hootie & The Blowfish - Only Wanna Be With You (1994)
2008-01-08 07:30:00 Hootie & the Blowfish's mainstream pop variation of blues-rock brought the band to the top of the charts in 1995. Formed at the University of South Carolina, the group features lead vocalist/guitarist Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld; the name refers to two friends of the band, not Rucker and the group itself. Cracked Rear View, the group's first album, was released... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
The Troggs - With A Girl Like You (1966)
2008-01-07 09:00:00 Remembered chiefly as proto-punkers who reached the top of the charts with the "caveman rock" of "Wild Thing" (1966 ), the Troggs were also adept at crafting power pop and ballads. Hearkening back to a somewhat simpler, more basic British Invasion approach as psychedelia began to explode in the late '60s, the group also reached the Top Five with their flower-power ballad "Love Is All Around" in... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Girl
Nick Lowe - I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass (1978)
2008-01-07 08:30:00 As the leader of the seminal pub rockers Brinsley Schwarz, a producer, and a solo artist, Nick Lowe held considerable influence over the development of punk rock. With the Brinsleys, Lowe began a back-to-basics movement that flowered into punk rock in the late '70s. As the house producer for Stiff, he recorded many seminal records by the likes of the Damned, Elvis Costello, and the Pretenders.... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Love , Sound , Glass , Breaking
Marillion - Kayleigh (1985)
2008-01-07 08:00:00 Marillion emerged from the short-lived progressive rock revival of the early '80s to become one of the most enduring cult acts of the era. The group formed in Aylesbury, England, in 1979, and adopted its original name, Silmarillion, from the title of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel. Initially, Marillion were comprised of guitarist Steve Rothery, bassist Doug Irvine, keyboardist Brian Jelliman, and drummer... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
Tracy Chapman - Give Me One Reason (1996)
2008-01-07 07:00:00 Tracy Chapman helped restore singer/songwriters to the spotlight in the '80s. The multi-platinum success of Chapman's eponymous 1988 debut was unexpected, and it had lasting impact. Although Chapman was working from the same confessional singer/songwriter foundation that had been popularized in the '70s, her songs were fresh and powerful, driven by simple melodies and affecting lyrics. At the... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Reason , Give , Tracy Chapman , Tracy
The Equals - Hold Me Closer (1967)
2008-01-06 09:00:00 An energetic East London combo, the Equals balanced maximum R&B with plenty of pop, plus a few nods to vocalist Eddy Grant's West Indian background. Grant, born in British Guyana, moved to England with his family at the age of 12, and settled in a council estate named Hornsey Rise in northeast London. Four years later, he formed the Equals with schoolmates Lincoln Gordon (guitar), his twin... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Closer , Hold , Hold Me
David Bowie - Sound And Vision (1977)
2008-01-06 08:30:00 The cliché about David Bowie says he's a musical chameleon, adapting himself according to fashion and trends. While such a criticism is too glib, there's no denying that Bowie demonstrated remarkable skill for perceiving musical trends at his peak in the '70s. After spending several years in the late '60s as a mod and as an all-around music-hall entertainer, Bowie reinvented himself as a hippie... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Sound , David Bowie , Vision
Joan Armatrading - I'm Lucky (1981)
2008-01-06 08:00:00 Born on the island of St. Kitts, British singer/songwriter Joan Arma trading was her country's first black woman to make commercial inroads into her chosen genre, spicing her take on folk with bits of soul and reggae, and has had a remarkably long, consistent career. Emigrating to England in 1958, Armatrading met lyricist Pam Nestor in a touring production of Hair, and the two began collaborating... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Lucky
Electric Light Orchestra - The Way Life's Meant To Be (1982)
2008-01-06 07:30:00 The Electric Light Orchestra's ambitious yet irresistible fusion of Beatlesque pop, classical arrangements, and futuristic iconography rocketed the group to massive commercial success throughout the 1970s. ELO was formed in Birmingham, England in the autumn of 1970 from the ashes of the eccentric art-pop combo the Move, reuniting frontman Roy Wood with guitarist/composer Jeff Lynne, bassist Rick... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
Mariah Carey - Can't Let Go (1991)
2008-01-06 07:00:00 The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Maria h Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who moved easily from glossy ballads to hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, she earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, but did them both one better by composing all of her own material. Born in Long Island, NY, on March 27,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
Recommendation : The Mood Indicator's Dutch Top 2000 singles
2008-01-05 09:30:00 In Holland, every year a top 2000 singles list is being made of all classic tunes ever published. The Mood Indicator will publish the yearlist of the year 2000 completely online for you to enjoy. The whole Dutch Top 2000 series can also be found by using the Top 2000 label on the categories menu. Posted so far numbers: 2000 - 1960. 1960 Jim Gilstrap - Swing Your Daddy.mp3 1961 Johnny Nash -... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Singles , Recommendation , Cato
Junior Walker & The All Stars - Pucker Up Buttercup (1967)
2008-01-05 09:00:00 Motown's skilled but mostly anonymous instrumentalists very rarely stepped out on their own. The lone exception to the rule was tenor saxman Junior Walker , whose rough-and-ready, old-school R&B was a marked contrast with the label's typically smooth, polished product. Walker's squealing gutbucket style was inspired by jump blues and early R&B, particularly players like Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Stars , All-Stars
Ace - How Long (1974)
2008-01-05 08:30:00 Ace were one of the few pub rock groups to enjoy success on the pop charts, largely due to the warm, soulful vocals of Paul Carrack. While Carrack's voice certainly had crossover appeal -- as he would later prove with his own records, as well as his work with Squeeze and Roxy Music -- the band was also less devoted to the three-chord boogie and country-rock that marked most pub rock bands,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Long
The Fixx - Stand Or Fall (1982)
2008-01-05 08:00:00 A London-based new wave group that managed to sustain a successful career in America for several years in the mid-'80s, the Fixx always flirted with the mainstream with their catchy, keyboard-driven pop. Formed by college friends vocalist/keyboardist Cy Curnin and drummer Adam Woods in the early '80s, the pair advertised in the music press for additional members; the remaining members of the... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Fall , Stand
Heather Nova - Walk This World (1995)
2008-01-05 06:59:00 The sweetness of Heather Nova consumed the indie rock market throughout the 1990s, and into the new millennium she was a rising star across the globe. Born to a Canadian mother and a father from Bermuda, Heather Frith used singing and music as a means of entertainment during her childhood. She was born in her father's native land on July 6, 1967, and spent the next 16 years of her life aboard a... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: World , Walk
The Rolling Stones - The Last Time (1965)
2008-01-04 09:01:00 By the time the Rolling Stones began calling themselves the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the late '60s, they had already staked out an impressive claim on the title. As the self-consciously dangerous alternative to the bouncy Merseybeat of the Beatles in the British Invasion, the Stones had pioneered the gritty, hard-driving blues-based rock & roll that came to define hard rock. With his... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: The Rolling Stones , Time
The Monkees - Last Train To Clarksville (1966)
2008-01-04 09:00:00 Formed primarily for the purpose of starring in a television series, the Monkees were on one hand a cynically manufactured group, devised to cash in on the early Beatles' success by applying the most superficial aspects of the British Invasion formula to capture a preteen audience. On the other hand, they weren't devoid of musical talent, and at their best managed to craft some enduring pop/rock... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Train , 1966 , Clar
Motels - Total Control (1979)
2008-01-04 08:25:00 Led by the charismatic Martha Davis, the Motels were one of the most successful and acclaimed bands to emerge from the fertile Los Angeles new wave scene, reaching the Top Ten in 1982 with their biggest hit, "Only the Lonely." Davis formed the group in 1972 while living in Berkeley, CA, recruiting guitarist Dean Chamberlain and bassist Richard d'Andrea; originally dubbed the Warfield Foxes, they... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Control , Total
Terence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well (1987)
2008-01-04 08:00:00 Terence Trent d'Arby emerged in 1987 amid a storm of publicity. Claiming his debut record was the best since Sgt. Pepper, his brash arrogance captured headlines throughout the U.K., eventually winding their way back to America -- which, ironically, is the exact opposite of how d'Arby conducted his career. During the early '80s, d'Arby was a soldier for the United States Army. While posted in... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Wishing well , Wishing
Def Leppard - Two Steps Behind (1993)
2008-01-04 07:00:00 Def Leppard, in many ways, was the definitive hard rock band of the '80s. There were many bands that rocked harder, and were more dangerous, than the Sheffield quintet, but few others captured the spirit of the times quite as well. Emerging in the late '70s as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the group actually owed more to the glam rock and metal of the early '70s -- their sound was... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Def Leppard , Steps
Arthur Alexander - Anna (Go To Him) (1962)
2008-01-03 09:00:00 Although his songs were covered by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley, country-soul pioneer Arthur Alexander remains largely unknown to the general listening audience -- nevertheless, his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries. Born May 10, 1940, in Florence, AL, Alexander was the son of a bottleneck... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Anna
Medicine Head - Rising Sun (1973)
2008-01-03 08:30:00 Formed in Stafford, England in 1968, the British blues duo Medicine Head comprised vocalist/multi-instrumentalist John Fiddler and Peter Hope-Evans, who played the harmonica and jew's harp. Upon their formation at art college, Medicine Head became a staple of the local club circuit, eventually recording a demo which found its way to influential BBC radio personality John Peel, who began... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Rising Sun
Poco - Rose Of Cimarron (1976)
2008-01-03 08:20:00 One of the first and longest-lasting country-rock groups, Poco had their roots in the dying embers of Buffalo Springfield. After Neil Young and Stephen Stills, the co-founders of that group, exited in the spring of 1968, only guitarist/singer Richie Furay and bassist Jim Messina remained to complete the group's swan song, Last Time Around. The final Springfield track, "Kind Woman," included only... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Rose
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Brand New Friend (1985)
More articles from this author:2008-01-03 08:00:00 Through both his lauded work fronting the Commotions and his more eclectic solo efforts, Lloyd Cole established himself as one of the most articulate and acute songwriters of the post-punk era. Born January 31, 1961, in Buxton, England, Cole formed the Commotions in 1982 while studying philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Originally a large soul band, the group eventually trimmed itself down... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Friend , Brand 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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