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Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.
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For many music fans, when you say, "Detroit", the first thing that comes to mind is "Motown", and of course the pop/soul music machine did take front and center on the charts throughout the 60's and 70's. However, the city was a hotbed of many styles and genres. The MC5, Stooges, Frigid Pink, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad, all called the auto capital of the US it's home. The Bob Seger System represented more of a white soul sound along with this group, The Flaming Ember.
The group began as The Flaming Embers in 1964 and spent it's first few years recording for local Detroit labels with local success but not much more. It was a move to the Hot Wax label that began a string of singles that reached the charts. Three of the four reached the top forty beginning with, "Mind, Body, and Soul" in the fall of 1969. 1970 became the pinnacle of their success with three songs on the Hot 100. A year later the band had fallen off the charts, and they changed their name to "Mind, Body and Soul", spending the rest of the 70's on the Detroit bar circuit where they began.
If my memory serves me correct, this was the first version of "Light My Fire" to catch my ears, having come out in the summer of 1968, and the Doors' original coming out more than a year before that. Although the songwriting credits were given to the entire group it was mainly Robbie Krieger's song with Ray Manzarek's providing the iconic organ open. It not only became their first hit, but a number one which set the tone for the band's short but influential career.
At the same time, Jose Feliciano's light was beginning to shine as well. The blind from birth guitarist had recorded a group of critically acclaimed albums for RCA: "The Voice and Guitar of Jose Feliciano" and "A Bag Full of Soul", and a series of Spanish albums. He had begun to make waves in Europe and Latin America, when he went into the studio to record the album, "Feliciano!". The album broke through in the US in a big way, with the single, "Light My Fire" reaching #3 in the states ad #1 in several countries around the world. The album and single both received a Grammy in 1969.
One could argue that if for nothing else Deep Purple should receive a special award from the Hall of Fame for inspiring hundreds of thousands of guitar players to begin a musical road with those now famous power chords which open, "Smoke on the Water". However there was much more to the band, and honestly am baffled as to why it has taken so long for them to be considered.
The group started out from drummer Chris Curtis, formally of the band The Searchers ("Needles and Pins", "Love Potion No. 9) to start out a band which would revolve it's members in and out as needed. It was to be called "Roundabout", and several investors were interested in this proposition so Curtis went about to put together the first incarnation of the band.
He first turned to keyboardist Jon Lord who was followed by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. It wasn't very long that the investors in Curtis' idea were interested in Lord and Blackmore, but the drummer's behavior, always a bit erratic, had become more trouble than it was worth and was booted out of his own band. Nick Simper (Bass) was recruited, and Rod Evans (vocals) brought his drummer Ian Pace with him from their group, The Maze. Shortly after beginning to tour in the spring of 1968, the name Deep Purple was chosen over Roundabout.
Over the next couple of years, the group had success with the albums, "Shades of Deep Purple" (1968), "The Book of Taliesyn" (1968), and "Deep Purple" (1969). They also reached the heights of the top 40 twice in 1968 with a cover of Joe South's, "Hush", and Neil Diamond's, "Kentucky Woman".
All of this early work blended the classical leanings of Lord, with the increasing bold work of Blackmore's power chord riffing and laid the foundations of not only heavy metal, but along with Keith Emerson and The Nice, provided a template for "classical" style progressive rock. As the 70's dawned however, it was decided to up the ante....
Lord and Blackmore had decided to steer the band into more of a hard rock direction. Thinking that Simper and Evans were not suited for the new direction, they were replaced by vocalist Ian Gillian and bassist Roger Glover. This brought the group into what has been considered their classic years. "Deep Purple In Rock" (1970), "Fireball" (1971), "Made in Japan" (1972), and "Machine Head" (1973) set the standard for hard rock in the early 70's, and along with Black Sabbath set the blueprint for a host of heavy metal groups who would appear in the mid-80's.
The pressures of almost constant touring for several years, a management pushed album, "Who Do You Think We Are" (1973) that was sub par in comparison to the previous work, and friction with Blackmore (that was probably caused by all the above), led Gillian and Glover to quit. He was replaced by David Coverdale (vocals) and Glenn Hughes (bass). The resulting album, "Burn" (1974) was a success. After the next release ("Stormbringer" in 1975) however, Blackmore was not pleased with the direction the band was going and quit. New guitarist Tommy Bolin helped propel 1976's, "Come Taste The Band", but his drug use and subsequent behavior led the band to break up later that year.
The band reformed in 1984 and has continued to tour in various forms ever since. The line up today consists of Pace, Glover, Gilliam, Steve Morris (guitar), and Don Airey (keyboards). Blackmore joined the reformed group in 84, but left in 1993 and since 1995 has been teamed up with his then girlfriend, Candice Night to form the folk rock duo, "Blackmore's Night". (Which if you like acoustic renaissance style music...you really might want to check them out). Lord also teamed up with the reformed group and stayed until 2002, the last few of those years working on solo projects as well. He passed away July of 2012 at the age of 71.
Paul Butterfield was born and raised in Chicago and grew up studying classical flute, but discovered blues harmonica and the blues. Paul and fellow student Elvin Bishop (guitar) began hanging around the blues houses in the city, rubbing elbows with greats like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. By 1963, they had teamed with Jerome Arnold (bass) and Sam Lay (drums) to form the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
The were signed to Electra records in 1965 which also was the year of their first release. By this time they added Mike Bloomfield as a second guitarist and Mark Naftalin on the organ. It was a great album, showing the band learning the lessons taught by the Chicago masters earlier that decade. It was the 1966 release however, "East-West" that broke ground in the blues that are still being learned. It was a jazzier album, but it was the influence of Indian raga that not only set it apart, but pointed the way for a new direction for the blues.
Their next album, "The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw" (1967) lost Bloomfield, but added larger ensemble including horns (including a young David Sanborn on Alto Sax) and continued into a jazzier sound. Three more albums would come, and band members shuffling in and out before Butterfield broke the band up in 1971. The group had taken their blues base and explored eastern music, psychedelic, jazz, and soul in their 6 years together. The band also found themselves at the crossroads of the major events of the 60's musically. In 65' the several members were included in Bob Dylan's backing band at the Newport Folk Festival where the folk community had been shocked by the performance being done electric. They also were on the bill at Monterrey and at Woodstock.
Some of you may have already heard this, but here are the nominees for the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Chic
Deep Purple
Heart
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Albert King
Kraftwerk
The Marvelettes
The Meters
Randy Newman
N.W.A.
Procol Harem
Public Enemy
Rush
Donna Summer
For years now, I've heard whining that started out like this, "(fill in the blank) isn't rock and roll, why are THEY being considered". Well, if you look at it from a very narrow definition, there are probably only four on this list that would be considered "rock" music. So...isn't this watered down?
Yes, and no would be my answer. From a pure historical perspective, you could argue that none of these would fall under that title anyway. "Rock and Roll" signified a period of time which generally started in 1955 (although you could easily make the case that it began before then), and went to about the mid-60 when we entered the "modern rock" era. That might seem like semantics to you, but believe me, there is a big difference.
In including all modern popular music, those at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame made the term, "rock and roll" very generic. You might not like that, but let's face it, from a marketing standpoint, "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" sounds a lot cooler than, "Popular Music Hall of Fame". So those of you who moan and complain about the fact "it's not rock and roll" ...get over yourselves.
As to the actual nominees, we'll take a week or two to check them out and maybe to give you a bit more understanding why they are on this list anyway. If your fans of their work, you might already be thinking, "it's about time". At the same time, there are those who I believe should be on this list (or should already have been included)....I'll share those as well.
I'd love to hear your opinions about this list, or any omission that you would like to see rectified. So...send them on.
There is not a lot to add here about Bob Dylan that has not already been said. It is important to note however, that if you are under the age of 40, many of you might wonder what the fuss was really all about. After all, in all of his years he only had four songs in the top 10. His voice has been parodied to the point of exhaustion, and in interviews (like the latest one in Rolling Stone), he comes as a cross between a curmudgeon and a religious zealot.
Let me put it as succinctly as I can. There has been no one, over this enormous span of a career (now over 50 years) who writes like he can. Almost all of the songwriters in the rock era that we look to as great, has been influenced either directly or indirectly by Dylan's craft. You can take his voice or leave it (am not a great fan of his vocals overall), but you cannot challenge his way with a lyric. By the time The Beatles met him, he had already redefined folk music, written anthems that spoke to a generation, became disillusioned with folk music religiosity and with politics and had begun to turn inward.
If you hear a singer/songwriter who sings in an introspective manner, you can thank Dylan for that. John Lennon would remark years later that it was Bob's music which taught him that you could write songs that were personal. As strange as it seems, it was not conventional for songwriters to write directly about themselves. Dylan broke the mold for that.
Together, Dylan and The Beatles led music into the modern Rock era. The Beatles' music came from a fresh take on the Rhythm and Blues filtered Rock and Roll of the middle/late 50's. Dylan's rock came directly from Folk, which shocked many followers, but gained many more fans as the quality of his output never wavered.
And what an output that was! "The Freewheeling Bob Dylan" (1963), "The Times They Are A-Changing" (1964), "Another Side of Bob Dylan" (1964), "Bringing It All Back Home" (1965), "Highway 61 Revisited" (1965), "Blonde on Blonde" (1966), "John Wesley Harding" (1967), "Nashville Skyline" (1969). Most artists would give anything to have ONE album that was as good as any of these. Instead he gave us an entire decade's worth.
That is not to say that he sloughed off after that, however it is fair to say that he has had peaks and valleys over the last 40 years. For those who stopped paying attention after Nashville Skyline, it's worth noting (and listening to), his middle 70's output, including, "After the Flood" (1974), "Blood on the Tracks" (1975), and "Desire" (1976). I could list another ten albums that are essential listening after that. It's not like he's been coasting, but after a decade like the 60's...it's a hard act to follow....ask any of the Beatles.
It's probably sacrilege to some of our readers, but the Doors rarely do anything for me. As much potential as Jim Morrison had as a writer, his self destructive indulgence and total disregard for his audience rendered him for the most part an artist who's potential was unfulfilled. That isn't to say that he didn't have talent. On the contrary, his abilities and more importantly his charisma was the key to the success of the group. As opposed to poetry, where the reader gets to interact with the words as opposed to the writer, rock music is an interactive pursuit where the energy between an artist and audience can make or break a performance. There probably wasn't a group that was more of a roll of the dice in that area than The Doors. When they were "on", the performances were legendary, on the other hand, they could be dull with lead singer Jim Morrison doing little more than slurring through his set, and God knows that beyond Morrison, the music wasn't enough to keep one interested.
They were a group that could only have been a product of the 60s, where experimentation was the rule of the day. The poetry and lifestyle of the "beat" generation of the late 50's/early 60's suited Morrison to a tee, and it was that esthetic that informed much of the group's output. Looking at it over 45 years later, much of it comes across as self-indulgent yapping (admittedly, that could be said for many groups of the era) but when they were on, it ranks up there with any of the songs of it's era.
"Light My Fire" was brought to the group through guitarist Robbie Krieger with the real hook being the opening and instrumental passage by Ray Manzarek. It was their first number one hit, and the song that defined the group. It was the song which brought them infamy through the performance on the Ed Sullivan show. On September 17, 1967, they were getting ready to take the stage when told the line, "girl, you couldn't get much higher" had to be changed because of perceived drug references. They told Sullivan officials they would do it. Of course, as the show was being done live, Morrison sang the lyrics just as he had planned without changes.
The children of privilege in Britain went to the best schools and were groomed for success. The rest had to do the best they could with what they had. For many a schoolboy in the late 50's/early 60's that escape was music, especially the R&B and Soul they heard from the United States.
It seems quite fitting in a way that much of the British invasion was due to bands taking a genre that was largely discarded by the US and making it into their own. Welsh guitarist Spencer Davis had this love of the blues which he shared with a set of brothers, Steve and Muff Winwood. Muff, who played bass was only 20 at the time, but it was little brother Steve who at 14 was already gaining a reputation. His abilities on the organ and guitar was good, but his voice showed someone who was far beyond his years.
The trio began making waves on both sides of the Atlantic with, "Keep On Running" in early 66', which was a hit in the UK, but had slight success here. A couple more hits continued momentum in Britain, but it wasn't until early 1967 that they hit gold here.
The three men wrote, "Gimmie Some Lovin'" based on a riff borrowed from the Homer Banks song, "(Ain't That) A Lot Of Love". It reached #7 here in the states and became their biggest hit, although they also did very well with the follow up, "I'm A Man" later on that year.
Later that year, Muff went into the business side of things, later to do very well as a producer. Steve went on to form Traffic and then to a successful solo career. Spencer Davis lives on an island off the coast of California and works from time to time with other sessions musicians as he chooses.
David Crosby had been with The Byrds, Steven Stills from Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash from The Hollies. The first two had been known as fairly combustible personalities at their previous stops, but were itching for the next musical project. In fact, Crosby and Stills had been jamming informally.
Crosby knew Nash since 1966 when The Byrds had toured the UK, and revisited again when The Hollies toured California a couple of years later. So the night that Cass Elliot invited them all to a party at her house, there was renewed friendship. What was unusual about that evening was the sound that was birthed....
Nash had asked David and Stephen to sing a song that Stills had just written. As the two men began singing, Graham began adding a third part to it. The results were breathtaking to the folks at the party, and to the three men themselves. Nash had been looking for a creative outlet outside of The Hollies, so when it was suggested that they start writing and recording as a group, he was all in.
Troubles would ensue in short order, but not before recording a glorious album chocked full of those harmonies. "Crosby, Stills, and Nash" was released in May of 1969 to a great reception by fans and critics alike. All three brought distinct styles to the party. Crosby brought a sense of on the edge political activism, Stills brought a folk/country touch and became the mastermind of the studio, Nash had a keep pop sense. Wrapping all of this in those tight harmonies made their first few albums classic. What made this first one a bit different was the freshness and sheer excitement of creating together that was transmitted to the listener.
They had bigger hits on the singles chart, but if I never remember these guys for anything else, it would be for, "Suite, Judy Blue Eyes". Stills' relationship with Judy Collins was nearing it's end. and in sadness, he wrote a song broken into a four part suite which chronicled it's demise. In the studio it was turned into a musical tour de force which, at least for me might have been equaled by the group, but never surpassed.
I've read a book or two on CCR, and it always leaves me sad. It also leaves me wondering about the kind of childhood that Tom and John Fogerty had to cause such a rivalry later on.
For a much too brief time (if you don't count their last album, 'Marti Gras'...which wasn't very good, it was less than three years) Creedence was THE American band. Forty years later, it still defines much of what was good about late 60's/early 70's rock.
However, most of that time they were on top of the world, there was turmoil. The band originally had Tom as lead vocalist and chief songwriter. As John began singing and writing, the music not only took a different turn creatively, the hits began to pile with with a fury that could only be described as breathtaking. Fourteen hits (several of them two sided) in a 24 month period reached the top 20 from January 1969 to January 1971.
You would think this would leave the guys happy, but it seemed everything but. Tom was obviously jealous over John's success. This was compounded greatly by John's instance of leaving the others out of the writing process, and never giving them the credit they deserved for creating the "sound" of CCR if not the actual song.
They always had a chip on their shoulder about being seen as a "serious" band. They guys wanted to be seen on the same plane as the Beatles. Although some music critics at the time saw them as "just" a "singles" band, this was much more than just bubblegum. Besides the fact that no one seemed to mind the Beatles continuing to produce fantastic singles, CCR was crafting songs that could easily be seen as equal to what was being done by ANY group of the era.
Besides that, when Fogerty wanted to make a statement, he could. Listen back to back to "Fortunate Son" and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain". One would not find a pair of songs that described the war from a average kid's perspective any better than these two. There are many anti-war songs that are more direct in the wording perhaps, but there are few with as much literary (or on the case of 'Fortunate Son', sonic as well) punch.
The word "supergroup" in the music world was coined for Cream. All of these years later, we have understood that more than just ability goes into a group working together. Things like personal chemistry...which was a problem from the beginning with this group.
Cream was formed from Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, both who were feeling stifled in the groups they were with. Jack Bruce had been in the Graham Bond Organization with Baker, and man were well aware that the two really didn't get along, but Clapton and Baker both admired his talent and so he was asked to join the group.
The debut album, "Fresh Cream" was released to favorable reviews and good sales, which lead to "Disraeli Gears", produced by Felix Pappalardi in 1967. The first single off of that album, "Sunshine of Your Love" reached number 5 on the charts, and was their only gold single. The opening riff is one of those that has endured over the last 40 years and has considered one of the greats of all time. Baker's drumming is a driving force that counterbalances the guitar perfectly. The song was written by Bruce, Clapton, and Pete Brown, who was a poet who later wrote their other big hit, "White Room"
Within that year however, it would all be over after a clutch of great albums, a few classic singles, and a warning to future "supergroups" that musical prowess alone might sound good in the short term, but a lot more goes into a group that lasts over the long haul. In that short two years however they created some enduring music.
You know....it's great to have friends here who can point out the obvious. I got a note yesterday from a fan who said, "I would have never known you were on the radio by looking at your blog". Lo and behold, he was right. The actual Bus website has a place to find our affiliates, but the majority of you don't go there. So if you look on the right, just under the archive, you will find all of the places during the week you can hear the bus, and a link to their website. Am attempting to work out legalities of having a podcast put on the site as well...but that's a ways into the future. Thanks for pointing out things like that...you guys are fantastic!!
One of the often overlooked sub-genres of 1960's music is the garage band. These were the local bands that every city and town had. If a group was lucky, they would play a lot in their area and make a few bucks and garner some attention. The big groups were the ones who would make records at one of the small independent labels and get some airplay on local radio. The rarest of the rare would have a song that would break through to a larger audience.
The Castaways were one of those groups. Coming from the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, James Donna (keys), Robert Folschow and Dick Roby (guitars), Roy Hensley (bass), and Dennis Craswell (drums) had only one chart hit. "Liar, Liar" was written by Donna and Craswell featuring the distinctive falsetto of Folschow. They continue to tour today, but Donna is the only original member of the band. Check them out at http://www.thecastawaysrock.com/
Canned Heat was a blues/boogie band who's most famous years surrounded the late 60's/early 70's, but continue to tour today albeit having gone through many changes. The band formed in the 1965 around blues enthusiasts Al Hite, and Alan Wilson. Like many who saw great success in the late 60's, the group was helped tremendously by an appearance at Monterrey in 1967 where the group went into their "classic" period with Hite on vocals, Wilson on guitar, harmonica, and vocals, Henry Vestine: lead guitar, Larry Taylor: bass, and Adolfo de la Parra (is the only remaining member of this group playing today).
"Going up the Country" musically was based on Henry Thomas', "Bull Doze Blues' written and recorded in 1927. The lyrics provided by Wilson (who also sang lead), emphasized a environmental theme and hippie esthetic which fit in well with the times. As mentioned, the group was a hit at Monterrey, and also at Woodstock. The groups laid back take on the blues was well received at both festivals. Hite, Wilson, and Vestine have all passed, but the Heat continue to tour all over the world with Parra keeping things together.
By late 1965, The Byrds had two hits, one of them going to #1, and were looking for a song to release as their 3rd single. The group named, "The Jet Set" just a year before had crafted their electric mix of Beatles pop and Dylan folk into their own sound. Mixing in with this the beautiful harmonies of Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman and it looked like, at the time, a group that had staying power.
They turned to a song that had been adapted by folk singer, Pete Seeger in 1959. "Turn, Turn, Turn" was taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament of the Bible. Chapter 3, vereses 1--8 read like this:
1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time
to refrain from embracing.
6. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Seeger wrote the song in 59, but didn't record it himself until 1962, but his own recording was preceded a few months by a group called, "The Limelighters" who released their own version. A member of that group was one Jim McGuinn, who later changed his name to Roger. and brought the beauty of the song with him to The Byrds. Judy Collins would also have her own cover of the song for her third album in 1963.
It became the second number 1 of the year for The Byrds. They never reached the top 10 with a song again, and the members of the band shuffled constantly (except for McGuinn), but as opposed to hurting the group, it's focus would shift in another direction without a major loss in quality. This is why, looking over 40 years back, one could claim that The Byrds were one of a handful of 60's bands, who's influence can still be heard today not only in rock, but in folk, and country music.
It was a theme that would be echoed over the rest of the decade. Adults telling teens what to do, and feeling as if their rights were impinged upon. In this case, the residents and business owners on the Sunset Strip were becoming annoyed at the all night partying going on in their area. They encouraged the local government to incorporate a curfew. (they thought 10pm was a nice time to shut all things down)
Filers were distributed to all that a demonstration would be held on November 12, 1966. About a thousand showed up and more than a few (including a young Peter Fonda) were arrested. Three weeks later, Stephen Stills of The Buffalo Springfield (who had a gig at the Whisky a Go Go, a Sunset Strip club at the time) wrote a song that he presented to Atlantic records, "for what it's worth". That became the songs name, and not only documented a specific event, but became a musical touchstone for the many demonstrations that were to take place over the next five years.
The Springfield recorded three albums, but personality conflicts and drugs caused divisions that would prove fatal to the group. The disc, "Buffalo Springfield Again" is now considered a classic, but except for this single, they just had moderate success on the chart. The profile of the group has grown over the years because of the output of it's members after the breakup
Stephen Stills and later Neil Young would join Graham Nash and David Crosby to form CSNY. Richie Furay formed Poco with Jim Messina, who left after 3 albums to form a duo with Kenny Loggins.
They may have been influenced by him, but no doubt that artists like Alice Cooper, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, George Clinton and Marlyn Manson owe a debt to Arthur Brown.
His band, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown was made up of Vincent Crane (Keyboards), Drachen Theaker, (drums) and Nick Greenwood (bass). It was however, the onstage antics of Brown that drew the crowds. He had been kicked out of Italy for performing naked, he wore all kinds of makeup, and would wear this helmet that would lit on fire during concerts. The song, "Fire" was a #2 hit for him in the states during the fall of 1968, but in 1969 Crane and Carl Palmer (who had replaced Theaker on the drums) left to form Atomic Rooster and the Brown's band ceased to exist.
Brown was seen in and out of music and sometimes in movies during the 70's. (He played 'The Priest' in the movie, "Tommy" in 1975). In 1980 he moved to Austin TX and received his masters degree in counseling (don't be shocked...before going into music he had studied law and philosophy at the University of London) and has also followed his muse into painting and carpentry as well.
I'm starting something new for the Omnibus this year. We are a people who love to make lists, and those who love music do the same. The Billboard top 40 has been a part of the landscape as long as Elvis as been shaking his hips. Since the blog and radio show deals with the music of our past, I thought it be a cool idea to write about the albums that have influenced modern music, and the albums that should have done so. There will also be a opportunity for me to stretch out a bit beyond the confines of where the Omnibus usually goes in the way of content. Hope you like it, and if you have any suggestions...I'm all ears.
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It's easy to pick this one as the first album to write about. For someone who was not familiar with music before 1990, I'd hand them this one, because much of what happened in rock music after 1967, for better or worse came because of Sgt. Pepper. Personally, it's not my favorite (that usually flips between 'Revolver' and 'Abbey Road' depending on my mood), but it is not arguable of it's influence in it's day, and in the decades since.
There are many places where you can read the whole story of the album's conception, but the real beginning of the album came at the end of the group's last tour in 1966. Unencumbered by the rigors of touring the world, they could focus on the experimentation begun with the 'Revolver' album.
The original concept was Paul's, that the group had become pigeon-holed and that a way they go beyond what the fans expected was to create an alter ego, which would have different names which would allow them to go in whichever direction musically they wanted to go. It seems like a bit of a silly proposition now, and the other members were not crazy about the idea per se, but all were interested in pursuing a different sound in the studio. As it turned out, other than the the opening song (and it's reprise), any of songs, as John Lennon later said, "could have been on any other album".
The first song lays out that initial concept of Sgt. Pepper, and then leads into a song written especially for Ringo. "With a Little Help From My Friends" was sung in the character of Billy Shears, and looking back at it, was a perfect vehicle for the drummer. Starr rejected an original line in the song, "What you do if you sang out a tune/Would you stand and throw and throw tomatoes at me?" Ringo remembered a comment that George had made in the early days of Beatlemaina about liking jelly beans, and spending the rest of his touring days as a Beatle dodging the little missiles being throw at him from a distance. He begged the boys to change the lyrics....which they did....
I remember reading about "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" for the first time. Even as a teenager it was hard for me to believe it when Lennon said it wasn't about acid. Was it really about a picture Julian drew and brought home for his dad to see? Well....sure. I don't have a doubt that the picture was the first inspiration for his song. It also wouldn't be the first time a Beatle would write a song that had layered meaning. All of that aside, it is a great song that has had a great cover as well. Lennon provided background vocals and guitar to Elton John's cover of the song in 1974. It became the only Beatle cover to reach #1 on the charts.
The Box Tops had 7 top 40 singles in just a little over two years, and three of them made the top 20. However, for most listeners, the song that mattered was the first hit. Written by Wayne Thompson, it was the first time the Box Tops had been in a studio before. It was also producer Dan Penn's first song that he total production control over. It was led by the voice of 16 year old Alex Chilton, who's bad experiences with management, lawyers and promoters throughout this period effected his entire career. In spite of all of this, the group had a series of great singles that defined blue eyed soul.
