Booker T and the MG's--Green Onions (1962)

    The void left as the pillars of Rock and Roll went by the wayside (1960-64) was filled by various different genres. It was the rise of the girl groups, and male singers who were mostly looks a little talent. Folk music rose up to fill the void as did Jazz. Just like in the early/mid 70's, the Billboard charts were full of different kinds of music, and it's in this environment that Booker T and the MG's not only found success, but helped laid the foundations for Memphis soul.       The original group...

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Bon Jovi--Living on a Prayer (1986)

    Arguably, Bon Jovi is the only hair metal group to come out of the 80's with it's artistic and personal dignity in tact.        For almost 30 years, they have continued their winning musical formula combined with the good looks of Ritchie and Jon to give them prolonged success. One of the reasons for this is a somewhat businesslike approach to the Bon Jovi brand and do this without looking like total sellouts to the dollar (like KISS does). For instance, if they feel it's time for a break...they take...

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Michael Bolton--Soul Provider (1989)

     For several years in the middle and late 70's, Michael Bolotin (his real name), spent much of his time singing hard rock as a solo artist and as frontman of the group, Blackjack who at one time toured with Ozzy Osbourne.       The early and mid-80's saw a name change, and more of a focus on songwriting with his first hit being, "How am I Supposed to Live Without You" for Laura Branigan in 1983. Much of the decade was spent writing for artists as diverse as Cher, Kenny G, Night Ranger and KISS. Finally...

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The Blues Magoos--(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet (1966)

Ah...the power of a riff. There are some riffs that are known for decades. Try to find a guitar student (ANY guitar student) who has been playing more than a few minutes and you will hear a variation of Deep Purple's, "Smoke on the Water". Musicians have been "borrowing" riffs for as long as there has been men and women writing music. Which brings us to The Blues Magoos.... The group began as "The Trenchcoats" in 1964 with a change to "The Bloos Magoos" and then "The Blues Magoos" by 1966. Along with it came a change to a Psychedelic sound, and...

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Blues Image--Ride Captain Ride (1970)

A short break is good at times....and thanks for continuing to read while I was on a holiday.... Blues Image was a band out of Florida in the late 60's. They got their start in Tampa in 1966, then moved to Miami in 68 where their success took them to LA and a recording contract in 1969. The 1970 album, "Open" contained the big hit, "Ride Captain Ride" which reached #4 in the spring of that year. The group recorded one more album in 1970 before breaking up. Singer-guitarist Mike Pinera went to Iron Butterfly and later to Alice Cooper,  keyboardist...

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The Blues Brothers--Soul Man (1978)

     The Blues Brothers had it's genesis in a 1976  Saturday Night Live sketch. In it, "Howard and his All-Bee Band" played the song, "I'm a King Bee" with John Belushi singing and Dan Aykroyd on harmonica. They were dressed in the costumes they wore for their "Killer Bees" sketch.      The actual development for the duo (and the movie) was done at the Holland Tunnel Blues bar where the SNL crew would go for the after show party on Saturday nights. Aykroyd had a love for the blues and soon Belushi found...

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Blue Oyster Cult--(Don't Fear) The Reaper (1976)

     In 1967, the group was known as Soft White Underbelly and was playing most of their gigs around Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. Music critic, road manager, and songwriter Sandy Pearlman led them through some stormy waters as the band shuffled members and band names before becoming, Blue Oyster Cult in 1971. Pearlman had designs on BOC to become the American answer to Black Sabbath. At least to my ears they reached beyond Sabbath as their lyrics were much witter and the music wasn't near as heavy handed....

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Blue Magic--Sideshow (1974)

     Blue Magic was formed when the WMOT production company put together the distinctive voice of singer/songwriter Ted Mills with the group, Shades of Love. The group sounded good, but lack a true lead singer. Later that year of 1972, they signed with Atco Records and had a nice run of hits on the R&B charts throughout the mid'70s. The song, "Sideshow" was by far the biggest hit for them on the pop charts in 197...

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Sunday Morning Vault: Marcie Blane--Bobby's Girl (1962)

    Am bringing back the Sunday Morning Vault by popular demand...well, not really, just had this stack of songs that fit the mold...      When one thinks of the gigging, recording, scraping, begging and pleading that most musicians have to do just to get heard by an audience of any size, the idea of just walking into a small studio and making a demo seems beyond belief. However, in the 50's and early 60's, more than a few stars found their way just like that. Remember Elvis? He was discovered while a truck driver...

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Blood, Sweat, and Tears--Spinning Wheel (1969)

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Blondie--Heart of Glass (1979)

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Black Sabbath--Iron Man (1972)

     Over the years there has been a lot of misconceptions about Black Sabbath, most of them false. They did not invent what is known as "heavy metal", but they took a form already there, and popularized it beyond anyone's imaginings. That is usually the way it goes in music, someone develops the style, and one person or group brings it to the public in a form that makes it easy to say they "invented" it.      Nor are they an "occult" band. They would take occult themes at times and put them into the music, but...

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Black Oak Arkansas--Jim Dandy (1973)

     If you head east of Jonesboro Arkansas, out past Lake City at the intersection of Highway 18 and 158, you will find the village of Black Oak. Depending on where you are looking they have between 250 and 300 residents.      Back in the mid-60's a group of guys calling themselves, "The Knowbody Else" were charged with larceny for stealing their first PA system. Although the initial 26 year sentence to a prison farm was commuted, they moved to a place in the northeast Arkansas hills. This gave them an opportunity...

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The Blackbyrds--Walking in Rhythm (1975)

     Trumpet player Donald Byrd had spent well over 20 years playing in bands. The jazz leader had a undergraduate degree from Wayne State , and then a master's degree from Manhattan School of Music. From that point on he played in various groups, and as a sideman for many of the best in the business; Coltrane, Monk, Rollins, Herbie Hancock, and Art Blakley.       He also loved to teach, and it was during his stint at Howard University that he came up with the idea of putting together his own group,...

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Stephen Bishop--It Might Be You (1983)

   A few days ago, we featured a song that used in the movie, "Top Gun", and mentioned how that in the 80's, music and movies were blended together in way never done before. The best known example of an artist who took full advantage of this was Kenny Loggins. One that was successful in writing songs used for movies that flew under the radar was Stephen Bishop.     Bishop's, "On and On" was a top 20 hit in 1977, but in the 80's was best known for writing music for Animal House, Roadie, The China Syndrome, Unfaithfully...

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Elvin Bishop--Fooled Around and Fell in Love (1976)

     Elvin Bishop was born in California, but moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma at the age of ten. He was noted in his early years not for his guitar playing, but his academics which got him a full scholarship to the University of Chicago as a National Merit Scholar finalist where he studied Physics.      It was while in Chicago that he met Paul Butterfield and joined his band which is where he remained for the next 5 years. He went solo in 1968, and began touring the country playing with many of the best blues artists...

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Big Country--In a Big Country (1983)

     Sometimes the term "one-hit wonder" is used in music as as somewhat derogatory, when in fact some of them have provided us with the best music of a certain decade, as in this one.       Big Country had three chart singles in the US, although their popularity in the UK continued well into the 1990's. The only song that most anyone remembers stateside is, "In a Big Country" where the use of a MXR Pitch Transposer gave the guitars the sound of bagpipes. This, like many hits from the early 80's, was...

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Big Brother & the Holding Company--Piece of my Heart (1968)

     Most people see Big Brother & the Holding Company as the group that launched Janis Joplin, but to do that would be limit the influence that the group had in the San Fransisco music scene...      The band, formed in 1965 had become, along with the Grateful Dead, and Quicksilver Messenger Service, one of the top bands in the area. For all of these groups, that was all that mattered. The idea of someone being popular outside the bay area just wasn't part of the esthetic. It was the Monterrey Pop Festival...

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The B-52's--Love Shack (1989)/Roam (1989)/Deadbeat Club (1990)

     The B-52's have to be one of the quirkiest (and best) party bands ever. Taking the best elements of a 60's dance party esthetic (in sound and style), new wave (which in my opinion was a direct result of the 60's as well) and 80's style oddness that was always danceable has allowed them to continue to be popular over 20 years after the last hit.       That shouldn't be surprising considering for the 10 years previous to these songs they held that mantle of "party band"as well. What was interesting...

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Dobie Gray--Drift Away (1973)

     Was getting ready to write today's blog, when I got the word that Dobie Gray passed yesterday.....so we reflect on his career today...      He was born Lawrence Brown in 1940 and has had what one would call the career of a music lifer. He had two major hits, "The 'In' Crowd" in 1965, and "Drift Away" in 1973, he recorded on many small labels as well. Gray helped provide vocals on soundtracks and spent two and half years working in the Los Angeles production of "Hair". Dobie's last charting song was...

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Berlin--Take My Breath Away (1986)

     Am not an expert on movies, but if I recall, the 80's became the first decade where the lines between popular music and film were blurred. Much of the emphasis in the decade has been on MTV and it's influence on music, but there was a great impact on movies as well. The cross pollination between the two is not unusual, as Elvis made a career of it in the 60s, but the movie was the usually the vehicle for selling the music. In the 80's, with the advent of the mini (and inexpensive) movie ads that were videos being pumped...

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Brook Benton--Rainy Night in Georgia (1970)

     Brook Benton was earning a good living as a songwriter and producer in the mid-50's for artists such as Clyde McPhatter, and Nat King Cole. He was also beginning to record some himself with so-so results until 1959, when his, "It's Just a Matter of Time" reached #3 on the charts. This continues a four year period where he records a LOT of singles, and 15 of them made the top 20.      The British invasion years were not kind to him, but he made a major comeback on the charts in 1970 after a move to Atlantic...

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George Benson--On Broadway (1978)

Happy Saturday to you! Since 1964, George Benson has been playing his brand of jazz with that distinctive guitar and smooth vocals. He started out playing straight Bebop and as time went on began to play more in a crossover of Jazz and pop. Beginning with the album, “Breezin”, Benson went on a period where he was hitting the jazz and Billboard 100 charts.  "On Broadway" was a cover of a hit by The Coasters from 1963, but here adds his own urgency that totally links up with the lyrics. This was not his biggest hit, but certainly one that...

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Pat Benatar--I Need A Lover (1979)

    By the time of Pat Benatar's first album in 1979, she was still a relative newcomer to rock. She grew up studying classical music and theater with the initial goal of going to Jullard. Instead, she married and worked as a bank teller for several years. Seeing Liza Minnelli in concert inspired her to give music another try, and over the next several years sang and performed at different venues in Virgina, then in New York after her husband's discharge (he was in the army). She never starting singing in a rock style until 1975...

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The Bellamy Brothers--Let Your Love Flow (1976)

      David and Howard Bellamy had moved back to their home base of San Antonio, Florida after tiring of doing the bar circuit in Atlanta in the early 70’s. Their music however had caught the attention of a friend of singer/comedian Jim Stafford who recorded David's, "Spiders and Snakes" which became a top 5 hit. The money he made allowed them to move to LA to pursue their own music career, and in 1976 had a number 1 hit on the hot 100. They were one of country music's top acts during the 80's.  ...

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Archie Bell & The Drells--Tighten Up (1968)

     Archie Bell was from a family of high achievers. His brother Jerry was a karate champion and lead singer of the the Dazz Band. Another brother, Ricky played in the NFL with Tampa Bay and San Diego.      In 1967, the T.S.U. Tornadoes had developed a cool instrumental riff, but nothing else beyond that. Skipper Lee Frazer, a Houston disc jockey who worked with T.S.U. and the Drells suggested they get together and build a song around that riff. Thus was born, "Tighten Up".      Shortly...

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The Beau Brummels--Laugh, Laugh (1965)

     The Beau Brummels was a group out of San Francisco who had a couple of hits in 1965. The group should have done better, but a combination of internal strife, the attempt on the part of their management to position them as a Beatles-like group, and some plain back luck (like poor distribution on some singles) kept undermining their potential. As it was the group stayed together until 68, broke up, reformed for a couple of years in the mid-70's then finally called it a day...

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Fontella Bass--Rescue Me (1965)

    Every once in awhile I have nothing to say about a song, but it sounds great and want to share it with you. Fontella Bass is from St. Louis which gives her an advantage in my book (being a St. Louis boy myself), and in the mid-60's this song was all over the airwaves. Bass had a couple of hits in 1965, but soon faded from view and retired in the early 70's to raise her family. She has made a few appearances on PBS specials and the like....have a great Sunday.....

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Toni Basil--Mickey (1982)

     By 1980, Antonia Basilotta, better known as Toni Basil, had enjoyed a successful career as a   choreographer and actress. Her work could be seen on film (The T.A.MI. show, 1964), on television (Shindig 1966) and then later doing work on tours for David Bowie and Bette Midler among others.  Much of work was on B-films in the late 60's and 70's, but can be seen in the movies, "Easy Rider", and "Five Easy Pieces"      She recorded her first single in 1966, "Breakaway", but had not recorded since...

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Len Barry--- 1-2-3 (1965)

    Len Barry wanted to be a baseball player after his graduation from high school. Instead, he went into the service for a stint, and found himself singing a little with the Army bands. The response he received encouraged him to do more of it, and then upon discharge chose to pursue music.      He returned to his home in Philadelphia and became the lead singer of the Dovells. For a three years stretch, they reached the top 40 five times, including top 5 hits, "Bristol Stomp" (it was not his voice on the record,...

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The Bangels--Manic Monday (1986)

     The Bangels started out as a power pop band that had a fixation on British rock from the 60's. Their first album, "All Over the Place" is still (in my opinion) by far the best album they have ever done. It was that recording that caught the ear of Prince who had a song that was originally intended for the group "Apollonia 6" and their debut album. At the last minute, he pulled the song and had done nothing with it since.          The girls were flattered, but did not record the song with the...

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Bananarama--Venus (1986)

     Whenever I want to listen to catchy, fun, 80's style dance music, this song, along with ,"I Heard a Rumor" are two that make the top of the list. Childhood friends  Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin along with Siobhan Fahey, who they met in art school, already had a number of successful hits in the UK. 1983's, "Cruel Summer" broke through to the top ten in America, but they had encountered a bit of a slump and had hooked up with the production team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman which breathed new life into their career.  ...

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Anita Baker--Giving you the Best I Got (1988)

     In the late 80's, Anita Baker and Luther Vandross ruled what was known as "Quiet Storm". It was basically R&B's version of soft rock, and had been around since the mid-70's and both singers re-energized the genre. Baker's voice wrapped around you like a warm blanket on a cold day and after breaking through in 1987 was on a roll. 'Giving You the Best I Got" was her most successful song on the Billboard top 100. It's a damp cool day here in Nashville....and after being outside in the rain, could use warm and cozy.....hope...

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Joan Baez--Diamonds and Rust (1975)

     Joan Baez is a treasure in the music world that should never be forgotten. Her beauty and distinctive vocal talents was accompanied with a passion for social justice that has never wavered in the over 50 years since her first album in 1960. However, it seems as if she had been overshadowed musically (at least in the decades since the 60's) by Bob Dylan, and then by other artists such as Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins.        In fact, it was Baez who, in covering one of Dylan/s songs brought him...

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Bad Company---Can't Get Enough (1974)

     You don't hear the word, "supergroup" thrown about much anymore, but at one time it was thought to be a hope that if you bring guys from successful groups and put them together that it will automatically produce great music (or even less likely good chemistry...i.e. see Blind Faith). Most put together like that don't last for long for lack of a spark. Which just goes to show that what makes up a  good group is more than just good musicians. There are a few exceptions to the rule, and Bad Company is one of those.     ...

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The Babys--Isn't It Time (1977)

     There are certain groups in rock history that are known by their songs, but are not terribly identifiable. The Babys came along at a time when the ground of popular music was undergoing seismic shifts due to the growing popularity of disco and the influence of punk. The group's lineup at it's height, vocalist/bassist John Waite, drummer Tony Brock, keyboardist/guitarist Michael Corby, and guitarist Wally Stocker, all went on (except for Corby) to successful careers elsewhere.      Listening now, the...

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Patti Austin w/James Ingram--Baby Come to Me (1982)

     In the modern history of music, there can be many variables that can make a song a hit. The news of the day can effect it, as can the mood of the population. At times, cross pollination (i.e television, You Tube...etc.) will push a song up the charts. The story of this song was an example of this.      Patti Austin already had a solid career singing backup on other people's music, and doing jingles. Although only 22 at the time of this recording, she had a lot of experience, with her first time on stage...

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