Ace Frehley--New York Groove (1978)

     It's one of those questions that 35 years later makes one scratch their head. Why would the group KISS, at the top of popularity, decide for all of it's members to record a solo album? As we see now, even early on, the business firm of Simmons & Stanley were all about marketing the group as best they could. Of course, there was nothing wrong with that, but one could see now that although the albums sold well to the faithful, dumping four solo albums into the market at the same time might not have been the best idea.
      Of the four, Gene Simmons' album sold the best, but all these years later, it was evident that the most solid album (in my not so humble opinion) belonged to Ace Frehley. Part of my reasoning for this had to do with the fact that the best of Simmons' or Stanley's work could be found on the KISS albums themselves. Peter Criss and Ace Frehley were not only holding their best ideas musically, but they also had a lot more to prove. This is why I believe both of their solo albums were superior.    Certainly when it came to singles off said albums, Frehley did best with New York Groove" reaching the top 20.
     Paul Daniel Frehley was born into a family of musicians and given his first guitar at the age of 13. He played in a series of bands during his teenaged years (it was also where he got the name 'Ace'), but was after High School that he answered an ad in the Village Voice for a guitar player. The name of the group was 'Wicked Lester' and after an audition, members Simmons, Stanley, and Criss invited him to be a part of the band.
     Shortly after this, they changed the name to KISS with Ace coming up with the lightning bolt logo that has become so famous. By 1974 they had released their first album and within the next four years they had risen to becoming the top band in the US Interestingly enough, after the four solo albums, their popularity began a slow decline in the states while at the same time becoming a world wide phenomenon.
     Because of creative differences, Ace left the band in 1981 as he embarked on a solo career. His group, "Frehley's Comet" had some moments in the mid-80's, but perhaps the six years between recording with KISS and their first album with the Comet greatly slowed his momentum. They broke up before the end of the decade, but reformed again to release 2009's, "Anomaly".

  
  

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Foghat--Slow Ride (1975)

     From the dawn of Rock and Roll, from first base to home, sex has been a lyrical topic. In it's infancy, artists had to shroud the intent from the prying ears of the government (via the FCC) and parents. As the music became more daring in the late 60's the envelope was pushed as lyrics played more explicitly with double entendres. In the song "Slow Ride" we have not only lyrical examples of this, but musical ones as well.
    The group Foghat was formed from three members of Savoy Brown who broke away to form their own band in 1970. "Lonesome" Dave Peverett (vocals & guitar), Tony Stevens (bass), and Roger Earl (drums) were joined by Rod Price (guitar/slide guitar) late that year and the foursome began to tour and work on their first album. Their first album, "Foghat", released in 1972 failed to chart in the states, but it's follow-up, "Rock and Roll" (1973) reached the top 100 and 74's "Engergized" began a streak of seven albums in the top 40
     The blues-based band was a staple of FM-radio throughout the 70's, but "Slow Ride" was the only song to reach the top 20 on the singles charts as well. The album version clocks in at over 8 minutes, but the was shortened to just under four for AM-radio consumption.
     They fell off the chart radar quickly into the 80's, but never stopped touring or releasing albums, Roger Earl is the only one of the original band left. Their latest album, "Last Train Home" was released in 2010 and it's website can be found here: http://www.foghat.net/

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John Fogerty/Blue Ridge Rangers--Jambalya (1972/3)

     John Fogerty ranks easily as one of great songwriters/singers of the early days of modern rock. Having said that, it seems like much of his career has been spent fighting for his own self significance. Some of the fights, like with Fantasy records were wholly justified, others, like with his brothers and band-mates left one scratching their head and wondering what the fuss was really about.
     Without going too deep into it here, John's brother Tom had already left the band, over wanting more control in the band along with the remaining members, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford. They made it clear they didn't want total control, but they desired to work more as a cooperative then "John Fogerty and his band". Instead of working with the others to craft songs, an ultimatum was for each to take a third of the album and write their own music or else the band would be dissolved.
     The result, "Marti Gras" was a disaster (at least by CCR standards) and the band broke up in early 1972. With Fogerty feuding with Fantasy and his musical family, he retired into the studio to make an album of just songs that influenced him. No one else was involved in it as John played all of the parts, and produced it as well. To continue to separate himself from his own legacy, there was no picture of him on the cover of the album, and he took the name, "Blue Ridge Rangers" instead of promoting his own name. Of course, with that distinctive vocal sound, it was not hard to know who was doing the singing. The Hank Williams Sr. classic, "Jambalya" was chosen as the first single (released in late 1972)  off the album and reached the bottom part of the top 20 early in 1973.

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Focus--Hocus Pocus (1973)

     With it's odd blend of classical, jazz, and avant-garde, progressive rock in the early 70's struck an odd pose compared to much of what was going on around it. Every so often however some of this music broke through to a wider audience. One of those songs was "Hocus Pocus", with it's yodeling, whistling set on top of a hard rock base.
     What is somewhat unfortunate is that a majority of those who remember that song is unaware of the Dutch group's background in improvisational-jazz style progressive rock. The band began with keyboardist/flutist Thijs van Leer, guitarist Jan Akkerman, bassist Martin Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver. This was the group who recorded the 1970 album, "In and Out of Focus" which wasn't heard much outside The Netherlands. Akkerman left to form his own group with bassist Cyril Havermans and drummer Pierre van der Linden. van Leer soon joined and Bert Ruiter replaced Havermans. This became the classic lineup of the band for much of the 70's.
     The song, "Hocus Pocus" came from the second album.  ("Focus 2" in Europe, "Moving Waves" in the states) It was released stateside in 1973 where it reached the top 10. Although it the only hit they would have on the US charts, several songs were used quite a bit as background music for sports shows ("House of the King", "Sylvia") and their albums sold quite well to the progressive rock crowd during this time. They never received the attention due them, but if you want to dig a bit deeper than the hit, you might find yourself listening to a bit more of this band.

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Five Man Electrical Band--Signs (1971)

     The Five Man Electrical Band began their existence as The Staccatos in 1963. The Ottawa, Canada-based band began charting in their home country by 1965. They were frequently in the Canadian top 20 over the next few years except for 1967's, "Half Past Midnight" which crept into the top 10. There was never a hit followup, and by the end of 1968 the group was seeking a new direction musically. With that change to a more rock sound, came a new name. the Five Man Electrical Band.
     Even with a new name, the band continued their struggles and in early 1970 they left Capitol records and signed with MGM. Nothing much of not initially happened there either until the release of the single, "Hello Melinda, Goodbye". The A side did nothing, however, some DJ's in Canada and the US began to play the B side, "Signs". It immediately caught fire and before long became the #2 hit in the US. It's follow up, "Absolutely Right" cracked the top 40 here and did even better than "Signs" in their home country.
     There some minor chart action here in the states, but their success continued until running out of steam in 1975....

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Firefall--You Are The Woman (1976)

     The beginnings of Firefall came about through the meeting of singer Rick Roberts and guitarist Jock Barkley. Barkley was playing in Gram Parsons backing band "The Fallen Angels", and met the singer when they were playing the same venue. Rick was impressed by the guitarist's style and after jamming a bit inquired about the possibility of forming a new group. They contacted bassist Mark Andes who had played with Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and Larry Burnett and shortly afterward took on the name "Firefall" in 1974. Roberts, who had previously been a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, called on another former member, Michael Clarke about taking over as drummer. During late 74 and early 75, the group played in and around Boulder and Aspen Colorado. It was also during this period they cut a few demos produced by Chris Hillman.
     The demos initially went nowhere, but Hillman was impressed enough to ask Andes, Bartley, and Roberts to join his band. It was at one of these gigs in New York City in June of 1975 that Hillman took ill, and was sick enough that he was unable to finish the tour. Burnett and Clarke were flown to finish the commitments. There were a&r men from Atlantic Records (who had heard those demos) at the NYC concert, and were impressed enough from what they heard to sign them to a multi-album deal. Just before the recording of their first album in late 1975, multi-instrumentalist David Muse was brought in.
     The first single off the album, "Livin' Ain't Livin" stalled just short of the top 40, but it was the second song, "You Are The Woman" which cracked the top 10 in 1976 and set the group up for success for the rest of the decade.
     Roberts left the group in 1981, and you can find his website here: http://www.rickrobertsmusic.com/. Barkley is still with the group and their site is here: http://www.firefall.com/

    
    

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Fleetwood Mac--Tusk (1979)

     Tracing the history of Fleetwood Mac, one might be surprised at the musical twists and turns they've taken. Starting out as a straight blues band, they slowly morphed into a blues/rock/pop sound then dropping all pretensions of the blues as Bob Welch and Christine McVie directed them into California rock. As Welch left the band to be joined by Lindsay Buckingham and his girl friend Stephanie (Stevie) Nicks, the freshness brought to be band was felt and heard immediately on the album "Fleetwood Mac" (1975). That album and it's massive follow-up "Rumors" (1977) defined the late 70's California sound, and also set the template for a generation of musicians in pop, rock and country (any question about the latter...check out any CD by Little Big Town).
     The huge success of Rumors allowed the group to go into the studio with a blank check on creating the follow-up. Buckingham, who had provided not only songwriting and production skills, also brought an energy to the group that spread to all of it's members. However, by 1978, all in the group were physically and emotionally spent. Most who are fans of the Mac are well aware of all of the relationship disasters and drugs that went into the making of the most successful album of it's era. So when it came time to go back into the studio, no one was particularly interested. It's with this back story that frames the album that was to become "Tusk". Buckingham had inspired the group before, at this point, at least for this album, he takes over.
     The result was a double album that was nothing like anything done by the group before or after. The guitarist, who was admittedly a disciple of Brian Wilson's adventuresome nature in the studio, created an album that was brilliant in it's fractured nature as "Rumors" was in it's cohesiveness. That album was a picture of a group that was cracking, "Tusk" was a snapshot of a group that was broken. It's centerpiece was the title track. The major theme of the song was based on a riff that was used during sound checks before a show, and Mick Fleetwood suggested that a song be built around it. Buckingham took it and added lyrics, and an overall sound that perfectly mirrored the cocaine fueled paranoia that still pervaded the band.
     The sound, provided by the USC Band added a quirkiness that became a hallmark of a lot of Buckingham's solo work in the 80's. The album sold close to 4 million copies, but compared to it's predecessor it was considered a failure. Three decades on, it is considered as brilliant in it's own way as "Rumors". By the way...on the video...you'll notice that John McVie was represented by a cardboard cut out carried around by Fleetwood. Turns out that the bassist was pissed at Buckingham over something and refused to take part....

 

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Jay Ferguson--Thunder Island (1978)

     Jay Ferguson had his first and only hit with this song in 1977, but had been a long respected vocalist/keyboardist in rock circles for quite a long time  before then.
      Born in California, he grew up having taken piano and banjo, and in fact was in a bluegrass duo with his brother Tom (fiddle), called, The Oak Hill Stompers. Along with others however, he was inspired by the Beatles, and along with Randy California, Mark Andes, and Ed Cassidy formed The Red Roosters in 1965, but broke up later that year as Cassidy and California (who was still a young teen at the time). A couple of years later, both men were back on the west coast and ran into Ferguson and invited him to join a new band called, "Spirits Rebellious", later shortened to "Spirit". He became their lead vocalist and percussionist.
     They released a series of albums which, although not very successful commercially, were critically acclaimed and their mix of rock with jazz leanings has held up very well over the years. This failure to make it in a commercial way (and some band in-fighting) led Ferguson to leave the band in 1971 and form Jo Jo Gunne, taking Andes along with him. The group's self titled album in 1972 produced a top 40 hit, "Run Run Run", but spent the next few years spinning their wheels before breaking up in 1975. Andes went on to join Firefall and then Heart in later years.
     Ferguson's debut album, "All Along in the End Zone" had a heavy contribution from Joe Walsh, but showed the singer moving away from the straight ahead rock of Jo Jo Gunne and into a more Southern California pop/rock vein. It was a couple of years later that he hit big with the top 5 single, "Thunder Island". He had a successful follow-up with, "Shakedown Cruse" in 1979, but by the early 80's began to gravitate towards film and television music. His credits can be found in many places over the last 30 years as he continues to work in this field today.

    

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Fanny--Butter Boy (1975)

     It has been said that the all female rock band, Fanny was the first group of it's kind to be signed to a major label. This isn't quite true with the first two being UK's, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, and Detroit's The Pleasure Seekers (featuring very young sisters Suzi and Patti Quatro). However it IS true that Fanny was the first to release an album on a major label.
     The group began as a duo. June and Jean Millington were born in the Philippines to an American Naval officer and his native wife. They moved to California in 1961 and to help relieve their homesickness began playing music together. In high school they formed a band with June on guitar, Jean on bass, and Brie Brandt (later replaced by Alice de Buhr) called The Svelts. When this group disbanded de Buhr formed a group called Wild Honey in which the Millington sisters joined.
     They moved to LA to try to make it there but after the constant struggle to get past the many barriers in a male-dominated scene, they decided to pack it in after a last open mic night at the Troubadour Club in 1969.
     It just happened that evening that producer Richard Perry was in the crowd and liked what he heard. He was looking for a female rock band to promote and produce and this filled the bill. Before going into the studio however, keyboardist Nicky Barclay was recruited and the name changed from Wild Honey to Fanny.
     Over the course of the next five years, the band released six albums and four charting singles. They band never broke through in a big way, but they were a constant presence on the charts. They did world tours opening for Slade, Jethro Tull, and Humble Pie gaining a greater popularity in the UK than at home.
    Ironically enough, the highest charting single for the band was happening as they were in the process of breaking up. "Butter Boy" was also a lot less rocking than earlier material. The remaining members of the group has continued to influence as studio musicians and producers. The real ground work for women who rock today can be found here.....

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Heart--Stairway to Heaven (2012)

     Last week the Kennedy Honors program was on CBS. It had been taped on the first week in December and this years honorees included Led Zeppelin. Normally, this kind of event does nothing for me, as I usually find them quite boring. It's not that they, or any other artist deserves/doesn't deserve such honors, but watching musicians do others' famous material isn't my idea of a good time. It's a bias of mine that I try to escape now and then, but honestly, unless a cover is done in a way that brings new or renewed life to a song, I'm generally not interested. This doesn't mean that covers are bad, but in the context of honoring someone else's music, one doesn't generally stray from the original material...which usually equals dull.
     Having said all of this, a friend of mine sent along this video from the proceedings, and was totally blown away. In fact, watching it brought tears to my eyes the first dozen or so times I viewed it. Looking back, I'm not quite sure what exactly it was that brought me to such a state. Watching Robert Plant attempting to keep his composure during a song which had long ago lost it's meaning for him? Seeing Jason Bonham channel his Dad's spirit behind the drums? Seeing the choir with their bowler hats (in honor of the deceased Zeppelin drummer? Hearing Ann Wilson absolutely nail the song with a conviction that made you think that she had been dreaming of a night like this all of her life? Perhaps all of those things, because just like the group was the definition of rock excess in every imaginable way during the 70's, the performance piled on layer after layer. As every piece of the musical cake had been performed to perfection, the choir appeared with the literal cherry on top. You could see it in the, "Oh my" uttered by Plant while Page and Jones looked on with smiles that showed total joy in watching the work performed in this way.
     Those who know the group Heart at all know that covering Zeppelin is not a shock. (listening to them perform 'The Battle of Evermore' should be on your list as well) Watching them play this however is equal to them in a PhD. interview with the head schoolmasters. The Wilson sisters have earned their entrance to the Hall of Fame on their own merits, however for one night, the woman who in her younger years wanted to BE Robert Plant, got her wish.   

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominee--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

     Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are nominees, and like almost all of others, can be debated on the merits of it's recorded output. What is not debatable is mentioning Jett without first talking about The Runaways.
     The Runaways were brought together with the help of Kim Fowley who managed the group and also promoted their jailbait image which unfortunately kept the group from having a real shot at long term success. The core of the the group at the beginning was drummer Sandy West, and Joan Jett (real name: Joan Larkin) and was soon joined by bassist Micki Steele who left soon after the addition of guitarist Lita Ford. Steele would make her own mark on rock later in the 80's with The Bangles. Cherie Currie (vocals) and Jackie Fox (guitar) rounded out the group.
     By the time of the release of their first album in 1976, it was obvious that Cherie Currie was considered the visual centerpiece with her lingerie endorsed bad girl looks. What propelled the band however was a combination of Lita Ford's straight ahead rock hooks, which were already well developed at the age of 17, and Joan Jett's glam influenced power chords. All of this was wrapped up with an urgency which was more than fueled by the punk movement (at least the LA version). What hurt the group overall was Fowley's almost total control over the band which, with a group of teenaged girls came across as exploitative (even in mid-70's west coast). Another problem was the content. Rock in the 70's was fueled by male dominated groups singing about sex, drugs and rock and roll. However, a hearing a group of under aged girls sing about it seemed very uncomfortable for American tastes.
     Currie lasted two albums with the band before leaving with Jett taking the lead role for two albums. However, the musical divide between Jett and Ford was becoming more obvious and with Fowley having left as well, the decision was made to break the band up in 1979. Ford had success in heavy metal during the 80's, but it was Jett who continued to develop the strong glam and punk elements started by The Runaways as she formed The Blackhearts.  (by the way...if you are wanting to see a great film about the group...don't bother with the big budget "The Runaways" (2010), but seek out "Edgeplay: A Film About The Runaways" (2005) which was filmed by bassist Vicki Blue)

     Jett recorded a solo album in 1980, and was re-released as "Bad Reputation" and it was here that she began to garner critical and popular acclaim.  The album showed the blueprint for later albums, classic rock and roll with a touch of glam, along with a punk rock ascetic which comes across in attitude as much as the music itself.   The album did fairly well for a debut on the charts (#51), but it's influence on a generation of women rockers was vast. During this time she formed the Blackhearts. The group included Ricky Byrd (guitar), Gary Ryan (bass), and Lee Crystal (drums). The group's first album together, "I Love Rock-n-Roll" (1982) has become a rock classic in an era where the top 40 was dominated by new wave-ish acts. The lead single and it's follow up, a cover of Tommy James', "Crimson and Clover" reach the top 10 and not only expanded her fan base, but cause many more to re-discover her first album, and work with The Runaways.
     The next release, called, "Album" (1983) is arguably her most solid album although it's two singles didn't do as well on the charts. From a chart standpoint she continued the decade on a steady path which was highlighted with the top 10 single, "Hate Myself For Loving You" (1988). However, with each release she continued to cultivate her influence on many of the hard rock groups led by women.

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominee--Heart

     The band Heart revolved around sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, although the genesis of the band began before the Beatles hit American shores...

     Bassist Steve Fossen, along with brothers Roger and Mike Fischer began a group called The Army back in 1963. The group went through several names before settling on Heart in the early 70's. This is also the time that Ann Wilson was brought in on vocals.
     Wilson had lived in Southern California and Taiwan before her dad's retirement from the Marines, where they settled in Seattle. She auditioned for the spot in the band in 1970. Mike, who had fled to Vancouver to escape the draft came down to see the band perform and began a romantic relationship with Ann. She persuaded the rest of the band to rejoin Mike in Canada, which they did. The city became home base for them for much of the rest of the decade.
      Nancy, who is four years younger, finished high school then began college. She quit and joined the band in 1974. Soon afterward she began a relationship with Roger. It was shortly after becoming a member that Mike quit to work behind the scenes. John Hannah (keys) and Brian Johnstone (drums) were brought in to fill out the sound.
     By 1975, the group had a healthy following in and around Vancouver. A demo had been made with the help of producer Mike Flicker, who eventually would produce their first five albums, and keyboardist Howard Leese who would become a full member of the band as Hannah and Johnstone had left the group. Michael Derosier became the drummer. 
     The resulting album, "Dreamboat Annie" would be picked up by Mushroom Records in 1976.  After quickly selling 30,000 units in Canada, it was released in the US, where the singles, "Crazy on You" and "Magic Man" both reached the top 40 and the group was on it's way. From early on, it was obvious that the girls had a musical vision of their own, but it was just as obvious that Robert Plant was a large influence on Ann. The album mixed hard hitting rock, with folk ballads (which was also a staple of middle Led Zep influence as well).
     From 1976 to 1980, the band released a series of top flight albums, "Little Queen" (1977), and "Dog and Butterfly" (1978) completed the trio of albums that are essential for anyone who is wanting to get into the groups output. The end of this period ended on a bit of a sour note as the romantic relationship between the Fischer brother and Wilson sisters ended, and a couple of months later the guys left the band. Roger's guitar work would especially be missed as they entered a period that was a bit unfocused. None of the albums, "Bebe le Strange" (1980), "Private Audition" (1982), or "Passionworks" (1983), were bad, just not up to the standards of the late 70's. Denny Carmassi (drums) and Mark Andes (bass) where brought in before the recording of "Passionworks" which would begin to show the new direction the band was taking and which would come to full fruition in 1985.
     1985 brought them to Capitol records from Epic and with that a change in direction. The songs on "Heart" (1985), "Bad Animals" (1987), and "Brigade" (1990),  had the band turn up the amps and head straight into arena rock territory. This along with a renewed focus on the sister's sexuality in time to take advantage of MTV propelled them to a comeback of sorts which would take them to the end of the decade.
     The singles would pretty much peter out after 1990, however their album output has been strong especially over the last 10 years with top notch albums, "Jupiters Darling" (2004), "Red Velvet Car" (2010), and "Fanatic" (2012). We finish up with two songs from the past, and one from the present.

      
   
    
    

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominee--Deep Purple

  
     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.

    
       

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Version 2013

     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.

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The Eagles--Take It Easy (1972)

    In the spring of 1971, singer Linda Ronstadt was preparing for a summer/fall tour and her manager, John Boylan was looking to put together a backing band. Glenn Frey was from Detroit and had moved to LA back in 69, Don Henley had come to the city from Texas the next year. Both were recruited for the band. A few months later a couple of relative veterans came into the fold. Bernie Leadon had just finished a stint with the Flying Burrito Brothers after recording a couple of albums with the group. Randy Meisner had begun doing session work on a full time basis again after spending some time with Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band.
     The four actually only played one gig with Ronstadt together, but quickly began to work among themselves on material written by Frey and Henley. By the end of the summer, their work with her had finished, and their work as the Eagles had begun.
     Although much of the first album was written in house, it was a friendship that Frey had with Jackson Browne that produced their first big hit. According to Browne, he had a bit of the song written and was in the studio fooling with it a bit, Frey asked about it and Jackson had replied that it wasn't ready yet. Glenn then suggested that it be completed there in the studio because he liked it. When Browne declined to do so, Frey then suggested that he help complete the song. "...after a couple of times when I declined to have him finish my song, I said, 'alright.' I finally thought, 'this is ridiculous. Go ahead and finish it. Do it.' And he finished it in spectacular fashion. And, what's more, arranged it in a way that was far superior to what I had written." (Taken from 'The Jackson Browne Fan Page')
     The result was a great song which became their first release, and first hit in the Spring in 1972 going to number 12. The debut album in which Browne was working on became a hit as well, with the debut single, "Doctor My Eyes" reaching the top ten.

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The Doobie Brothers--Listen to the Music (1972)

     The beginning of the group came about as drummer John Hartman arrived in California to work with former Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape artist Skip Spence. Things didn't work out musically between the two, but Spence introduced Hartman to singer/guitarist Tom Johnston. The duo began working together with a rotating crew of musicians under the name, "Pud" for about a year until teaming up with bassist Dave Shogren and Patrick Simmons. They changed their name to "The Doobie Brothers" and began to tour through Northern California, being especially popular with the Hell's Angels.
     They were signed to Warner Brothers and released their first album in 1971. "The Doobie Brothers" didn't make a dent on the charts, but from a listen you could see all of the elements that would come to fruition just a year later. Shogren was replaced with Tiran Porter and added a second drummer, Michael Hossack.  The addition of Porter's voice completed a three part harmony which became vital to the Doobie's sound. Pianist Bill Payne (from the group, Little Feet) contributed on the follow up recording as well.
     "Toulouse Street" added a glossier production, but not so much that it would be considered slick and that suited the sound of the band perfectly. It is a classic album of the early 70's California sound much like the Eagles, but with more jazz and r&b underpinnings. The first single, "Listen to the Music" became their first top 20 hit and would lay the foundation for the Doobie's sound for the next three years. 

     
     

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Sunday Morning Vault: Delaney & Bonnie--Only You Know and I Know (1970)

     Delaney and Bonnie were not around a long time, but they made quite a splash as the predominant white soul duo of not only the late 60's/early 70's, but of all time.
      Delaney Bramlett was born in Mississippi and moved to California to try to make it as a guitar player. His break came as a member of the house band, "The Shindogs" for the ABC music series, "Shindig" from 1964-66. It's was through this band that he met and befriended Leon Russell, who would figured in his career.
     Bonnie O'Farrell was born in Alton Illinois and migrated to LA where she met Delaney at a bowling alley where The Shindogs were playing. Within a week they were married and decided to record together. They became the first white artists signed to Stax records to a one album contract.
     That album, "Home" and it's follow up "Accept No Substitute" on Elektra, didn't make much of a splash on the charts, but the talent of the duo spread among the major artists around the world who clamored to work with them. George Harrison, who learned to play slide guitar from Bramlett in turn introduced him to Eric Clapton who invited the couple to open for his group, Blind Faith in 1969.
    Clapton, who was still searching for the group setting that he could feel comfortable with, felt so much at home with the couple, the he would come on stage with them and play during the opening set. Eric would later say that Delaney taught him everything he knew about singing. That might be overstating a bit, but there is no doubt that his music took on a more soulful turn after his association with the Bramlett's.
     They went on tour as Delaney, Bonnie and Friends in 1970 which contained Eric Clapton and a rotating group of friends who love the couple and the music that they were making. George Harrison, Bobby Whitlock, Dave Mason (who wrote, 'Only You Know and I Know'), Leon Russell, Duane & Gregg Allman, Rita Coolidge, and King Curtis all would be found jamming on any given night.
     The tour was documented on the album, "On Tour with Eric Clapton" which did what none of the studio albums could, to capture at least in part the magic of Delaney & Bonnie.

   
     

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Deep Purple--Smoke On The Water (1973)

     It seems as if since 1973, every boy or girl who picked up a guitar is drawn to that riff as if they have no choice. I can't vouch for the reason why, but just like playing "Chopsticks" seems to be natural for a young piano player, the opening guitar line to, "Smoke On The Water" is to young axe players. Whereas it sounds cute coming from a 9 year old, the same riff becomes menacing in the hands of Ritchie Blackmore.  (might have something to do with the Marshall amps being turned up to 11 as well..) Along with "Stairway to Heaven", the song became one of the icons for 70's hard rock.
     The story behind the song came from an incident on December 4th of 1971. The Rolling Stones had invested in a mobile recording truck which could be driven to the artist rather than the artist to the studio. The truck was driven to Switzerland to meet the band at the Montreux Casino to begin recording a new album.
     Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were playing in the ballroom of the casino that night, when someone with a flaregun shot a flare into the ceiling. It quickly caught fire, as did the entire casino complex. The words "Smoke on the Water" came from bass player, Roger Glover as an apt description of that scene on the banks of Lake Geneva. With the place they were going to record destroyed, they spent the next couple of weeks unsuccessfully looking for a place to record. They finally found the Montreux Grand Hotel, which they rent a part of, converted  it into a studio and recorded their most successful album, "Machine Head".
     This recording was from California Jam in the spring of 1974.... 

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Kiki Dee--I've Got The Music in Me (1974)

     Kiki Dee (born Pauline Matthews), is best known for her duet with Elton John in 1976. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was a massive number 1 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. However she only hit the charts one more time in the when she paired again with John with the Cole Porter classic, "True Love" in 1993. I suppose it's fitting that way, since her biggest successes occurred when linked with Elton.
     Dee had been one of the top backup/session singers from the mid-60 through the early 70's. She had recorded several singles on Fontana Records, with none of them hitting the charts. For a brief time, she had a contract in the US with Motown, making her the first white woman from Britain to do so. It wasn't until being signed by Elton in 1973 to his new Rocket Records that she began to achieve some chart action.
     She hit the top 20 in America with, "I've Got the Music In Me", which perhaps rocks harder than anything else in her catalog. It reached number 12 here in the states in 1974 and was by far her biggest hit before her collaboration with Elton.  She has a powerhouse voice, and is shown off here to full effect. In fact, like many a top session vocalist, Dee is also very versatile, which that inability to find a niche genre might have hurt her in the long run.
     She continues to tour and record today.

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Charlie Daniels Band--Uneasy Rider (1973)

     Charlie Daniels had been performing since the 1950's, and spent much of the 60's as a Nashville session musician and songwriter, being mostly known for co-writing the song, "It Hurts Me" which Elvis recorded. As his name started to grow outside of the country genre, he was featured as a bass player on recordings by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohan.
      As he began to explore his musical options, he began not only to perform with his own band, but help mentor other southern rock groups, most notably the Marshall Tucker Band. Being in his late 30's when the album, "Honey in the Rock" was released with it's single, "Uneasy Rider", his spot in the genre was one of a father type figure.
     "Uneasy Rider" told a universal story of cultures clashing. In this case, it was the 60's hippie culture meeting the 'good old boys' from the deep south. As exaggerated as the song was, anyone who lived south of the Mason-Dixon line could relate to elements of the song (or better or worse), as could those who were a part of the 60's culture.
      As opposed to his more political strident and mawkish stance later in his career, he was at his best during the 70's showing off his fiddling prowess and telling stories through his songs, it's apex being in 1979 with, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"

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