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 Articles
Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real (1978)
2007-10-30 07:45:00 Very rarely do winning contestants on a TV talent show have a successful career. Cheryl Lynn proved to be the phenomenal exception. The Los Angeles native won top honors after singing the Billy Preston/ Bruce Fisher ballad "You Are So Beautiful" on Chuck Barris' The Gong Show, which aired afternoons on NBC. The appearance was taped in June but didn't air until September. By then, Lynn had... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Real
Don Dixon - Praying Mantis (1985)
2007-10-30 07:30:00 Best known among the key producers to emerge from the American underground's jangle pop movement of the early '80s, Don Dixon also enjoyed a cult following as a solo performer. A native of North Carolina, he dwelled in relative obscurity for well over a decade as a member of the little-known Arrogance before attracting his first significant notice around 1983 after co-producing with Mitch Easter... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
Ray Charles - Here We Go Again (1967)
2007-10-27 08:30:00 Ray Char les was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Ray Charles
The Four Seasons - Silver Star (1975)
2007-10-27 08:00:00 Although they were one of the very biggest rock & roll groups of the 1960s, the Four Seasons -- unlike, say, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, or the Byrds -- don't excite virtually automatic respect from listeners and critics. A big factor is their most distinguishing trademark, the shrill falsetto vocals of their lead singer, Frankie Valli. Many also find their material -- gently moralistic,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Silver , Star , Four Seasons
Visage - Fade To Grey (1980)
2007-10-27 07:30:00 Pioneers of the New Romantic movement, the synth-pop group Visage emerged in 1978 from the London club Billy's, a neo-glam nightspot which stood in stark contrast to the prevailing punk mentality of the moment. Spearheading Billy's ultra-chic clientele were Steve Strange, a former member of the punk band the Moors Murderers, as well as DJ Rusty Egan, onetime drummer with the Rich Kids; seeking to... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Grey , Fade
Peter Godwin - Images Of Heaven (1982)
2007-10-27 07:15:00 Peter Godwin (vocals) seemingly appeared out of nowhere when he released the single "Images of Heaven " in 1982. However, by that time he had already been recording music for more than half a decade. Unknown to many outside of Godwin's native Germany, he was a member of a group called Metro. Metro recorded its self-titled debut in 1976; originally only available in Germany, it was distributed in... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Peter , Ages
Love And Rockets - So Alive (1989)
2007-10-27 07:00:00 Love and Rockets comprised guitarist/vocalist Daniel Ash, bassist/vocalist David J, and drummer Kevin Haskins, all former members of the pioneering goth band Bauhaus. However, the group didn't sound very similar to its first incarnation. Instead, Love and Rockets emphasized the strains of psychedelia and glam rock that appeared underneath Bauhaus' gloomy drone, adding elements of pop songcraft,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Love , Alive
Elvis Presley - Anything That's Part Of You (1962)
2007-10-26 09:00:00 Elvis Presley may be the single most important figure in American 20th century popular music. Not necessarily the best, and certainly not the most consistent. But no one could argue with the fact that he was the musician most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level. Viewed in cold sales figures, his impact was phenomenal. Dozens upon dozens of international smashes from... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Elvis , Part , Elvis Presley
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - We've Got Tonite (1978)
2007-10-26 08:45:00 Originally a hard-driving rocker in the vein of fellow Michigan garage rockers the Rationals and Mitch Ryder, Bob Seger developed into one of the most popular heartland rockers over the course of the '70s. Combining the driving charge of Ryder's Detroit Wheels with Stonesy garage rock and devotion to hard-edged soul and R&B, he crafted a distinctively American sound. While he never attained the... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Band , Silver , Bullet , Silver Bullet
Bruce Springsteen - Factory (1978)
2007-10-26 08:30:00 When Bruce Springsteen finally broke through to national recognition in the fall of 1975 after a decade of trying, critics hailed him as the savior of rock & roll, the single artist who brought together all the exuberance of '50s rock and the thoughtfulness of '60s rock, molded into a '70s style. He rocked as hard as Jerry Lee Lewis, his lyrics were as complicated as Bob Dylan's, and his concerts... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Factory , Bruce Springsteen
Eagles - Last Resort (1976)
2007-10-26 08:15:00 With five number one singles and four number one albums, the Eagles were among the most successful recording artists of the 1970s; at the end of the 20th century, two of those albums, Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Hotel California, ranked among the ten best-selling albums ever, according to the certifications of the Record Industry Association of America. Though most of its members... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Resort
Chris De Burgh - Borderline (1982)
2007-10-26 07:30:00 An art rocker who occasionally writes pop-oriented material, Chris de Burgh has never been as popular in his native Britain or the United States as he was in other areas of the world. In America, he's only managed two Top 40 hits -- 1983's "Don't Pay the Ferryman" (number 34) and the number three ballad "The Lady in Red" (1986). In Britain, he's had the same number of Top 40 singles -- "The Lady... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
Little River Band - Cool Change (1979)
2007-10-26 07:00:00 When Little River Band formed in 1975, Australia immediately took notice. The key band members were already well-known to Australians. Lead singer Glenn Shorrock had made his name in mid-'60s group the Twilights, a Beatles-sounding pop group who scored a national number one record with their version of the Velvelettes' "Needle in a Haystack." When that group broke up in 1969 Shorrock became lead... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Change , Cool , Chang
The Casuals - Toy (1968)
2007-10-25 09:00:00 The Casuals, although British, spent several years honing their skills in mainland Europe, particularly Italy, where they based themselves for a while before they returned to Britain in 1967. In 1968, they were successful in Opportunity knocks, a TV talent series. Mary Hopkin was another singer that became famous that year via the same series. Following their success on Opportunity knocks, the... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...]
Don Fardon - (The Lament of the Cherokee) Indian Reservation (1968)
2007-10-25 08:30:00 One of the most overlooked bands of the British Invasion, the Sorrows offered a tough brand of R&B-infused rock that recalled the Pretty Things (though not as R&B-oriented) and the Kinks (though not as pop-oriented). Their biggest British hit, "Take a Heart," stopped just outside the U.K. Top 20; several other fine mid-'60s singles met with either slim or a total lack of success. With the rich,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Indian , Lament , Amen , Reserva
Colin Blunstone - I Want Some More (1973)
2007-10-25 08:00:00 As the lead singer of the Zombies, Blunstone was one of the greatest '60s rock vocalists, pacing the group's minor-key masterpieces with his inimitable choked and breathy vocals. After retiring from the business briefly in the late '60s (to work in the insurance industry, of all things), he went solo in the early '70s with a string of interesting pop/rock albums that were more of an extension of... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Colin , Tone , Some
The Psychedelic Furs - Heaven (1984)
2007-10-25 07:30:00 The Psychedelic Furs, whose name belies their punk-influenced music, were formed in England in 1977 by brothers Richard Butler (vocals) and Tim Butler (bass), along with saxophone player Duncan Kilburn and guitarist Roger Morris. By the time they released their self-titled debut album in 1980, the group had become a sextet, adding guitarist John Ashton and drummer Vince Ely. That album, featuring... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Heaven , Deli
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset (1967)
2007-10-21 09:00:00 Although they weren't as boldly innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who, the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion. Like most bands of their era, the Kinks began as an R&B/blues outfit. Within four years, the band had become the most staunchly English of all their contemporaries, drawing heavily from British music hall and... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Sunset , Waterloo
Alex Harvey - To Make My Life Beautiful (1971)
2007-10-21 08:31:00 American country singer born on March 10, 1947. A sometimes recording artist, songwriter Alex Harvey is responsible for penning such songs as "Delta Dawn" (by Tanya Tucker), "Reuben James" (by Kenny Rogers), and "Rings" (a country hit by the Glaser Brothers and a pop hit by Cymarron). The songs he has written have sold in excess of 50 million copies as recorded by other artists. "To Make My Life ... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: My Life , Beautiful
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Faith Healer (1973)
2007-10-21 08:30:00 Alex Harvey was a British journeyman rocker who enjoyed a brief period of widespread popularity in the mid-'70s after decades of struggle. Growing up in Scotland, he turned to music in his late teens and was in a skiffle band by 1955. By 1959, it had evolved into the Alex Harvey Big Soul Band . Harvey took the group to Hamburg, West Germany in the early '60s, there recording his first LP, Alex... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Faith , Alex , The Faith , Heal
Robert Palmer - Best of Both Worlds (1978)
2007-10-21 08:29:00 The career of blue-eyed soul singer Robe rt Palmer was a study in style versus substance. While the performer's earliest work won praise for its skillful assimilation of rock, R&B, and reggae sounds, his records typically sold poorly, and he achieved his greatest notoriety as an impeccably dressed lounge lizard. By the mid-'80s, however, Palmer became a star, although his popularity owed less to... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Worlds
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Messages (1980)
2007-10-21 08:00:00 Featuring the core members Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey, the Liverpudlian synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark formed in the late '70s. Humphreys and McCluskey began performing together in school, playing in the bands VCL XI, Hitlerz Underpantz, and the Id. After the Id split in 1978, McCluskey was with Dalek I Love You for a brief time. Once he left Dalek, he joined with... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Messages , The Dark , Mess , Ages
Lou Reed - Dirty Blvd (1989)
2007-10-21 07:00:00 The career of Lou Reed defies capsule summarization. Like David Bowie (whom Reed directly inspired in many ways), he has made over his image many times, mutating from theatrical glam rocker to scary-looking junkie to avant-garde noiseman to straight rock & roller to your average guy. A firmer grasp of rock's earthier qualities has ensured a more consistent career path than Bowie's, particularly... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Dirty , Lou Reed
The Animals - It's My Life (1965)
2007-10-20 08:30:00 One of the most important bands originating from England's R&B scene during the early '60s, the Animals were second only to the Rolling Stones in influence among R&B-based bands in the first wave of the British Invasion. The Animals had their origins in a Newcastle-based group called the Kansas City Five, whose membership included pianist Alan Price, drummer John Steel, and vocalist Eric Burdon.... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Life , My Life
Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years (1973)
2007-10-20 08:00:00 Most rock & roll bands are a tightly wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock -- with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Years
Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London (1978)
2007-10-20 07:30:00 One of the most acute and savagely satiric songwriters of his era, Warren Zevon was born in Chicago on January 24, 1947. His formative years were as colorful as the scenarios played out in his music: his father was a professional gambler, a lifestyle which forced the family to move frequently, and Zevon spent most of his formative years in California and Arizona. He learned to play piano,... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: London , Werewolves
Talk Talk - It's My Life (1984)
2007-10-20 07:00:00 With the exception of a handful of common threads -- chief among them the plaintive vocals and haunting lyrics of frontman Mark Hollis -- there is little to suggest that the five studio LPs which make up the Talk Talk oeuvre are indeed the work of the same band throughout. After beginning their career with records which virtually epitomize the new wave era which spawned them, the British group... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Life , My Life
The Four Tops - If I Were a Carpenter (1968)
2007-10-19 09:00:00 The Four Tops ' story is one of longevity and togetherness: these Motown legends teamed up in high school and spent over four decades without a single personnel change. In between, they became one of the top-tier acts on a label with no shortage of talent, ranking with the Temptations and the Supremes as Motown's most consistent hitmakers. Where many other R&B vocal groups spotlighted a... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Were
Stephen Stills - Marianne (1971)
2007-10-19 08:00:00 Famed for his work in Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash, two of pop music's most successful and enduring groups, Stephen Stills was born in Dallas, TX, on January 3, 1945. He became fascinated by music at a young age, and by the age of 15 was playing professionally. He eventually dropped out of college to move to New York City to try his hand as a folk performer before signing on as a... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Stephen Stills , Maria
The Doobie Brothers - (Music is) The Doctor (1989)
More articles from this author:2007-10-19 07:30:00 As one of the most popular Californian pop/rock bands of the '70s, the Doobie Brothers evolved from a mellow, post-hippie boogie band to a slick, soul-inflected pop band by the end of the decade. Along the way, the group racked up a string of gold and platinum albums in the U.S., along with a number of radio hits like "Listen to the Music ," "Black Water," and "China Grove." The roots of the... [Please Visit the blog for the full post...] More About: Doctor , Music I , Doobie Brothers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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