Category Archives: Music of the 60s

Music et al, Music of the 60s

February 6 Music et al

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February 6 Music et al

George Harrison

February 6 Music et alFebruary 6, 1958: George Harrison joined The Quarrymen. The group, named after Lennon’s school, featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.. George Harrison (recalling those early days): “I was very impressed by John, probably more than Paul, or I showed it more. I suppose I was impressed by all the Art College crowd. John was very sarcastic, always trying to put you down, but I either took no notice or gave him the same back, and it worked.” (see July 15)

February 6 Music et al

All Those Years Ago

February 6 Music et alExactly 33 years later (and 60 days after John Lennon’s murder) on February 6, 1981, George Harrison completed the recording of All Those Years Ago, Harrison’s musical tribute to Lennon.

Ringo Starr had worked with Harrison on the song in November 1981 intending to use it on his own album, but decided not to. After lennon’s assassination,  Harrison changed the lyrics and invited Paul McCartney to join on the vocals. 

It was the first time that the three former band mates had appeared on the same recording since “I Me Mine” in 1970. 

The song’s personnel are:

  • George Harrison – vocals, electric guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Al Kooper – electric piano
  • Herbie Flowers – bass
  • Ringo Starr – drums
  • Ray Cooper – tambourine
  • Paul McCartney – backing vocals
  • Linda McCartney – backing vocals
  • Denny Laine – backing vocals

Harrison’s Dark Horse label released the song in the United States on May 11, 1981. The song went to #2 in the United States.  (2017 K-SHE’95 article) (see Feb 19)

I’m shouting all about love
While they treated you like a dog
When you were the one who had made it so clear
All those years agoI’m talking all about how to give
They don’t act with much honesty
But you point the way to the truth when you say
All you need is loveLiving with good and bad
I always looked up to you
Now we’re left cold and sad
By someone the devil’s best friend
Someone who offended allWe’re living in a bad dream
They’ve forgotten all about mankind
And you were the one they backed up to the wall
All those years ago
You were the one who imagined it all		 All those years ago
All those years agoDeep in the darkest night
I send out a prayer to you
Now in the world of light
Where the spirit free of lies
And all else that we despisedThey’ve forgotten all about God
He’s the only reason we exist
Yet you were the one that they said was so weird
All those years ago
You said it all though not many had ears
All those years ago
You had control of our smiles and our tears
All those years agoAll those years ago
All those years ago

February 6 Music et al

Billboard #1

February 6 Music et alFebruary 6 – 19, 1965: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” by the Righteous Brothers #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1999, BMI listed the song as the one most often played on American radio and television in the 20th century, with some 8 million plays. That total includes all versions of the song, not just The Righteous Brothers’.

The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote the song. For inspiration, the team used  the idea of Four Tops’ big hit, “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Phil Spector also receives writing credit, although he did not contribute to it. As a powerful producer, he, like others, claimed inspiration and perspiration as sufficient.

The opening line, “You never close your eyes any more when I kiss your lips,” was inspired by the Paris Sisters song “I Love How You Love Me,” which begins, “I love how your eyes close whenever you kiss me.”

The song was the first Righteous Brothers release on Philles Records, and it gave both the duo and the songwriting team their first #1 hit. (see Righteous for more)

February 6 Music et al

The Road to the Woodstock Festival

February 6 Music et alFebruary 6, 1969: Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld met John Roberts and Joel Rosenman for the first time. Lang and Kornfeld propose a music studio retreat in Woodstock, NY that would be an ideal place for musicians to make music in a relaxed atmosphere in an area where many other young musicians live. (see Road for expanded story)

February 6 Music et al

Music et al, Music of the 60s

January 30 Music et al

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January 30 Music et al

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

January 30 – February 12, 1961: “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by the Shirelles #1 Billboard Hot 100. Carole King and Jerry Goffin’s first #1 hit. Also, the first song to reach #1 by an all-girl group.

And did you know that Bertell Dache, a demo singer for the Brill Building songwriters, recorded an answer song entitled “Not just Tomorrow, But Always.”

The Satintones also recorded an answer song

 

January 30 Music et al

White Light/White Heat

January 30, 1968: Velvet Underground released White Light/White Heat album.  One of the album’s songs, “Sister Ray,” concerns drug use, violence, homosexuality and transvestism. Reed said of the lyrics: “‘Sister Ray’ was done as a joke—no, not as a joke—but it has eight characters in it and this guy gets killed and nobody does anything. It was built around this story that I wrote about this scene of total debauchery and decay. I like to think of ‘Sister Ray’ as a transvestite smack dealer. The situation is a bunch of drag queens taking some sailors home with them, shooting up on smack and having this orgy when the police appear.“

The recording engineer is famously rumored to have walked out while recording the song. Lou Reed recalled: “The engineer said, ‘I don’t have to listen to this. I’ll put it in Record, and then I’m leaving. When you’re done, come get me.‘”

Duck and Sally inside
They’re cooking for the down five
Who’re staring at Miss Rayon
Who’s busy licking up her pig pen
I’m searching for my mainline
I said I couldn’t hit it sideways
I said I couldn’t hit it sideways
Oh, just like Sister Ray said
Live it onRosey and Miss Rayon
They’re busy waiting for her booster
Who just got back from Carolina
She said she didn’t like the weather
They’re busy waiting for her sailor
Who says he’s just as big as ever
He says he’s from Alabama
He wants to know a way to earn a dollar
I’m searching for my mainline
I said I couldn’t hit it sideways
I couldn’t hit it sideways
Oh, just like Sister Ray said
Play onCecil’s got his new piece
He cocks and shoots between three and four
He aims it at the sailor
Shoots him down dead on the floor
Oh, you shouldn’t do that
Don’t you know, you’ll stain the carpet?
Now don’t you know you’ll stain the carpet
And by the way, have you got a dollar
Oh, no, man, I haven’t got the time time		  Too busy sucking on a ding-dong
She’s busy sucking on my ding-dong
Oh, she does just like Sister Ray said
I’m searching for my mainline
I said I couldn’t hit it sideways
Oh, couldn’t, couldn’t hit it sideways
Oh it, it just, just all over the floor, the floor

 

Now, who’s that knocking
Who’s that knocking on my chamber door
Now could it be the police
They come to take me for a ride ride
Oh, but I haven’t got the time time
Hey, hey, hey she’s busy sucking on my ding-dong
She’s too busy sucking on my ding-dong
Oh, now, just like Sister Ray said
I’m searching for my mainline
I couldn’t hit it sideways
I couldn’t hit it sideways
Oh, just like
And, just like
And, just like, yea, Sister Ray said, do it!

Duck and Sally inside
They’re cooking for the down five
Who’re staring at Miss Rayon
Who’s busy licking up her pig pen
I’m searching for my mainline
I said I couldn’t hit it sideways
I said I couldn’t hit it sideways
Oh, just like
Now, just like
I said oh, just like
Am-ph-ph-ph-ph-ph-ph-phetamines!

January 30 Music et al

More!

As if those 17 minutes aren’t enough amazing rock and roll for you, here’s a 37-minute live version for you. More than twice as amazing. Really!

January 30 Music et al

The Beatles

January 30 Music et al

January 30, 1969: The Beatles (w Billy Preston) gave their final live performance atop the Apple building at 3 Savile Row, London, in what became the climax of their Let It Be film.  George Harrison later said, “We went on the roof in order to resolve the live concert idea, because it was much simpler than going anywhere else; also nobody had ever done that, so it would be interesting to see what happened when we started playing up there. It was a nice little social study. We set up a camera in the Apple reception area, behind a window so nobody could see it, and we filmed people coming in. The police and everybody came in saying, ‘You can’t do that! You’ve got to stop.’

It was a cold day, and a bitter wind was blowing on the rooftop by midday. To cope with the weather, John Lennon borrowed Yoko Ono’s fur coat, and Ringo Starr wore his wife Maureen Starkey’s red mac. The 42-minute show was recorded onto two eight-track machines in the basement of Apple, by George Martin, engineer Glyn Johns and tape operator Alan Parsons.

From a Rolling Stone magazine article, Here are little-known facts about the Beatles’ famed 1969 rooftop concert,

January 30 Music et al

Music et al, Music of the 60s

Bobby Blue Bland

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Bobby Blue Bland 

“Two Steps From The Blues”
Remembering and appreciating Bobby Blue Bland
January 27, 1930 — June 23, 2013

Early life

Robert Calvin Brooks was born in Barretville, Tennessee. His stepfather, Leroy Bridgeforth was also called Leroy Bland and that became Bobby’s last name.

In his late teens, Bland started singing with gospel groups in Memphis where he lived with his mother. Memphis is, of course, the home of Beale Street and Bland gravitated there and found other young struggling musicians such as B.B. King, Rosco Gordon, Junior Parker, and Johnny Ace.

His early attempts at recording were not only unsuccessful, but interrupted by a stint in the Army.  He returned to Memphis and signed a contract with Duke Records. Unfortunately, the contract gave Bland a half cent per record sold, not the usual two cents. Bland signed such a contract because he had quit school and could not read.

Bobby Blue Bland 

Success “Farther On Up the Road”

bobby blue Bland

Bland slowly gained experience and in 1957 had an R & B #1 hit with “Farther  Up the Road” which also reached #43 on the (mainly white) Billboard Hot 100.

It should sound familiar to many of you!

 

Bobby Blue Bland 

Two Steps from the Blues

Bobby Blue Bland

It was on January 1, 1961 that Duke Records released Bland Two Steps from the Blues album, which like most albums of the time was mainly a collection of previously released singles. But what a collection it is!

AllMusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine says that “Two Steps from the Blues is the definitive Bobby “Blue” Bland album and one of the great records in electric blues and soul-blues. In fact, it’s one of the key albums in modern blues, marking a turning point when juke joint blues were seamlessly blended with gospel and Southern soul, creating a distinctly Southern sound where all of these styles blended so thoroughly it was impossible to tell where one began and one ended.”

Tracks:
Side One

  1. “Two Steps from the Blues” (Don D. Robey, John Riley Brown) 
  2. “Cry Cry Cry” (Don D. Robey) 
  3. “I’m Not Ashamed” (Don Robey, Joseph Scott)
  4. “Don’t Cry No More” (Don Robey)
  5. “Lead Me On” (Don D. Robey)
  6. “I Pity the Fool” (Deadric Malone)
 Side Two

  1. “I’ve Just Got to Forget You” (Don D. Robey)
  2. “Little Boy Blue” (Charles Harper)
  3. “St. James Infirmary” (folk song; credited to Joe Primrose) 
  4. “I’ll Take Care of You”
  5. “I Don’t Want No Woman” (Don Robey)
  6. “I’ve Been Wrong So Long” (Don D. Robey, Ray Agee)
Bobby Blue Bland 

One of the Greatest

Bland’s greatest financial success was during the early 60s, but he continued to perform the rest of his long life despite substance and health challenges.

He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992,  the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012…

Bobby Blue Bland