Happy Birthday Brian!

BRIAN'S HERE LUV!!!

Born February 28, 1942, today would have been BRIAN JONES' 64th birthday.

The 1965 ED RUDY interview LP included this great five-minute interview segment with Brian, where he discusses such things as rhythm 'n blues, Nanker Phelge, and how he resents being called "dirty". He also says he wants to show people that "we're not thick..."

And note that the segment begins by stating that Brian was born February 22, 1944 - I guess he didn't want the fans to know that he was an old man of 23 at the time!

BRIAN JONES INTERVIEW

Ringo and the LSO

In 1972, RINGO STARR sang the "Uncle Ernie" role for the LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA's version of "Tommy". Must have been what got him the "Mr. Conductor" gig on "Shining Time Station"!

I'm told that the LP was actually issued twice on CD over the years, with both versions now being out-of-print and much sought after. Here are the two Ringo tracks, from a vinyl copy:

FIDDLE ABOUT

TOMMY'S HOLIDAY CAMP

The Music Time Machine

Looking for some rare and out-of-print music downloads? This should keep you busy for a while. Maybe a long while......

THE MUSIC TIME MACHINE

Happy Birthday George!

In honor of what would have been GEORGE HARRISON's 63rd birthday, here are a few rare tracks.

George's 1970 acoustic demo of "Cosmic Empire", a song which has not been officially released in any form. Features some very nice acoustic guitar work from George.

Then there's his 1974 acoustic demo for "Dark Horse", which is somewhat of a revelation after decades of hearing the rather murky over-production of the commercial version.

Finally, we have the live version of "For You Blue" from 1974. This gets posted a lot around the internet, but its such a fun track it really deserves all the exposure, so here it is again. WILLIE WEEKS was George's bass player on this tour, not long after RON WOOD's "Ive Got My Own Album To Do" sessions. In this version George sings "I loved Willie Weeks from the moment I saw him / He played that bass, that's all he had to do". Silly Beatle!

COSMIC EMPIRE

DARK HORSE (ACOUSTIC)

FOR YOU BLUE (LIVE 1974)

Billy and Paul Sing George

Here's BILLY PRESTON and PAUL MCCARTNEY each singing a GEORGE HARRISON song.


Billy's version of "My Sweet Lord" is from 1970, co-produced by George, and released as an Apple single shortly after George's own version.



Paul's version of "All Things Must Pass" is from a live show in Rome in 2003.


MY SWEET LORD (BILLY PRESTON)

ALL THINGS MUST PASS (PAUL MCCARTNEY)

George Sings John, Paul, and Ringo

Here's the first of at least a couple of posts for GEORGE HARRISON's upcoming birthday (February 25th). Let's have a listen as George sings a song each by his BEATLE pals.

First we have George singing a RINGO STARR song, "It Don't Come Easy". This was from early 1970, about a year before Ringo's single came out, and was probably meant for Ringo to use as a guide vocal.

Next we have PAUL MCCARTNEY's "Get Back", also recorded by George in 1970 as a demo for his arrangement of DORIS TROY's version which would be a B-side of one of her Apple singles.

And last, we have George's interesting live version of JOHN LENNON's "In My Life", from his 1974 Dark Horse tour.

IT DON'T COME EASY

GET BACK

IN MY LIFE

VU: Squeeze

This may be the most undeservedly-maligned album in history. After LOU REED quit the VELVET UNDERGROUND in 1970, late-comer DOUG YULE became the de facto frontman for the soon-to-be-legendary band. With MAUREEN TUCKER and STERLING MORRISON gone, DOUG and infamous manager STEVE SESNICK kept the "Velvet Underground" name, and with new members toured extensively and recorded this LP, which was released in 1973 and has never been released on CD. Its a fun enough album, full of Doug Yule songs. So maybe they're pale imitations of Lou songs, and certainly not on the level of a real Velvet Underground LP, but its perfectly fine in an early-70s pop-rock kind of way. It seems like a lot of VU purists are offended by its very existence. For an interview with Doug, click here.

I downloaded these MP3s several years ago, so there's most likely upgrades available by now, but here they are:

LITTLE JACK
CRASH
CAROLINE
MEAN OLD MAN
DOPEY JOE
WORDLESS
SHE'LL MAKE YOU CRY
FRIENDS
SEND NO LETTER
JACK AND JANE
LOUISE

Magazine of the Week #8

Ah yes, the Summer of '79, when THE NEW BARBARIANS took America by storm......

Well okay, maybe not "by storm", but it sure was a fun time. And so for our 8th Magazine of the Week we proudly present the August 1979 issue of CREEM. Its got a nice cover story on our boys (by ROBERT DUNCAN) and some nice photos too.

As always, click on the images to enlarge.

Also in this issue, a couple of WHO movies, the CREEM Guide To Beer, a review of LOU REED's "The Bells". And WOODY's "Gimme Some Neck" rates a "B-" from Lou's buddy ROBERT CHRISTGAU.

The Funny Pages, part 2

Okay, so this one is neither funny nor actually from "the funny pages" - it was on the editorial page on March 10, 1983. Looks like its by MIKE PETERS for the Dayton Daily News.

You can click the image to enlarge, but it still won't be any funnier.

Mash-ups, part 2

Here are two more great Beatle mash-ups, this time from The Mash-up Artist Known As "CCC". (Sorry, that's all the info I have on these!)

The first one mashes "I Am The Walrus" with "Ball Of Confusion", and the second mashes THE JACKSON FIVE's "I Want You Back" with GEORGE HARRISON's "Isn't It A Pity". Amazing how well these things fit together. And listen to young JACKO's incredible vocal on "I Want Pity" - just beautiful!

WALRUS CONFUSION

I WANT PITY

Happy Birthday Yoko

Born February 18, 1933, today is YOKO ONO's 73rd birthday. She's doing a birthday gig with son SEAN tonight in Paris.

Here's a vocal booth recording from the 1980 "Walking On Thin Ice" sessions, where we get to hear some interesting banter (and sniping!) with JOHN. Fun stuff!

WALKING ON THIN ICE - VOCAL BOOTH RECORDING

Faces at the Fillmore East

35 years ago today - February 17, 1971, FACES played at the Fillmore East in New York.

Here's the set-list:

Sweet Lady Mary
You're My Girl
I Want To Be Loved
Maybe I'm Amazed
It's All Over Now
I'm Losing You
Love In Vain
Around The Plynth
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down
Gasoline Alley
Around The Plynth
Three Button Hand Me Down
Country Comfort

And here's the show, an audience recording (not the best quality), just under an hour, as a single wma file, about 16 MB (that's the way I got it, so that's the way I'm posting it!):

FACES 2/17/71

Mash-ups, part 1

The "mash-up" craze started a few years ago, and here are a couple of the earlier ones, which I still think are two of the best. These have been posted in various places the past couple of years, but I think they originated from "Go Home Productions".

"Paperback Believer" is a mash-up of the vocals from THE BEATLES' "Paperback Writer" with the music from THE MONKEES' "I'm A Believer". The other is "Crazy Little Fool", which uses vocals from "Fool On The Hill" with the music from QUEEN's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (and throws in a little of "Dear Prudence", too).

There are plenty of different mash-ups out there making the rounds, and I have a bunch of Beatle-related ones, but I have not heard a single ROLLING STONES mash-up. Maybe now that there are finally some 5.1 extractions of Stones recordings out there, someone will get to work mashin'. And please, if anyone knows of any, let me know!

PAPERBACK BELIEVER

CRAZY LITTLE FOOL

The Funny Pages, part 1

Every once in a while a syndicated comic strip will feature a reference to either MICK or THE STONES. I haven't been real good about clipping them - I know I missed a "Get Fuzzy" recently that mentioned KEITH RICHARDS. But I do have some older strips that I've saved, so here's a couple from the early 1980s.

The first one is an "Elwood" from September 14, 1983. I don't know if "Elwood" is still around - I haven't seen it in a long time.








Next is a "Funky Winkerbean" from January 3, 1984.







And remember, I'm not claiming that these strips were actually funny, only that they appeared in "The Funny Pages" in my local paper!

And be sure to click the images to enlarge.

More to come.....

Magazine of the Week #7

"Mick Jagger bares his breast!" in the June 1980 issue of HIGH TIMES.

Mick chats with LIZ DERRINGER, RICK's wife. It is an entertaining interview, and Mick makes a few very un-PC statements that are pretty funny, taken in context. And of course they talk about drugs.
And apparently this interview and photos were done immediately after shaving his beard.

Elsewhere in the issue is a photo of a bearded Jagger roller-skating, which, according to the caption, was taken at KEITH RICHARDS' birthday party at the Roxy Roller Rink in New York. Is that for real???

February 13, 1979

27 years ago today PETER TOSH played at the University of Colorado, Boulder, in the "Glen Miller Ballroom". Here's "Don't Look Back":

DON'T LOOK BACK 2/13/79

Telephone Call With Mick Jagger

Here's an MP3 of "Telephone Call With Mick Jagger, Part 1", taken from a 7" flexi-disc boot on "Glimmer Twins Records" called "The Mick Jagger Interview Vol. 1". I don't know if there was ever a Part 2 or Vol 2.

According to the record, the phone call "was made the 24th, October 1980 - and broadcasted in Norway on the 26th...".

TELEPHONE CALL WITH MICK JAGGER PART 1

Everything's Surreal

The "Everything's Surreal" blog has the album "Would You Believe" by ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM protege BILLY NICHOLLS from 1968. Billy also hooked up with PETE TOWNSHEND and Pete put Billy's "Forever's No Time At All" on his 1972 "Who Came First" LP.

Here's the page:

EVERYTHING'S SURREAL - BILLY NICHOLLS

9 NOITULOVER

Here's another one that I've had for a while and don't remember where I got it. This is for all of you "Paul-Is-Dead"-fans - "Revolution 9" backwards. Now you can easily hear all of those "turn me on dead man"s and other hidden messages to help you determine whether or not Paul is really dead without ruining your turntable.

And I really hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes by posting this - I know that someone went to the trouble of creating and posting this, and if anyone can tell me where it originated I'd be glad to give credit and post a link. (Nice work, whoever you are!)

It starts off with the normal "can you take me back" bit, and then goes to the backward "Revolution 9", from the end to the beginning:

REVOLUTION 9 (BACKWARDS)

Magazine of the Week #6

While magazines like CREEM and CIRCUS were great for photos, fun, and lots of nonsense, there was really nothing like the interviews found in mags like GUITAR PLAYER and MUSICIAN.

So this weeks's pick is the December 1978 issue of GUITAR PLAYER, featuring a BILL WYMAN cover and interview. Bill discusses music, recording, basses, guitars, equipment, and what its like to play with CHARLIE and KEITH. Pretty interesting stuff.

Also in this issue is "Guitar Player Magazine's 1978 Poll Winners", but Bill did not win for "Best Bass Guitarist" - that honor went to STANLEY CLARKE, who would soon join up with THE NEW BARBARIANS. To win the poll, Stanley beat out CHRIS SQUIRE, JACO PASTORIUS, and PAUL MCCARTNEY. (EDDIE VAN HALEN won for "Best New Talent").

Some good reading, and there's also this full-page ad with PETE TOWNSHEND for Mesa/Boogie amplifiers.

Adventures in Advertising, part 6: Promotional Rescue

Here's an MP3 of a 1980 radio ad for "Emotional Rescue":

EMOTIONAL RESCUE COMMERCIAL

The picture here is of a promotional sticker that was given away, at least at my local store, with the 12-inch single.

(And how come there was no extended remix???)

Chris Jagger Preview

Here's a little preview, approved for "personal use", from the forthcoming CHRIS JAGGER CD "Act of Faith". This short clip features DAVID GILMOUR on guitar:

CHRIS JAGGER PREVIEW

Bob's Birthday

Today is the 61st anniversary of the birth of BOB MARLEY. To commemorate, here's THE STONES doing "Get Up Stand Up" in Philadelphia on October 10, 2005:

GET UP STAND UP

You prob'ly think this song is about you, part 2

THE WISHNIAKS were one of the most exciting Philadelphia bands of the 1980s. In 1988 they released a 12-inch EP called "Nauseous and Cranky", which included this fun little song called "Marianne Faithfull":

MARIANNE FAITHFULL (THE WISHNIAKS)

Adventures in Advertising, part 5

In October 1963, THE STONES recorded a jingle for Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal. Lyrics by Kellogg man J W THOMPSON, with music by BRIAN JONES. This picture is of an acetate that was auctioned on eBay in December 2005.

And here's the jingle:

KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES

Ruby Tuesday

By request, here's "Ruby Tuesday", live in 1967, featuring BRIAN on recorder:

RUBY TUESDAY (LIVE 1967)

Mick Jagger Speaks

The 1972 LP "CURRENT AUDIO MAGAZINE" featured 13 tracks covering a variety of current affairs. MICK JAGGER, ED "Fugs" SANDERS on CHARLES MANSON, ROBERT KLEIN, TED KENNEDY, ANGELA "Sweet Black Angel"DAVIS, MONTY PYTHON's "Spam", ELVIS, BELA ABZUG, RALPH NADER................whew! This was "Vol. 1 No. 1" - I wonder if there was ever a No. 2.

Distributed by Buddah Records, and according to the label, "Not Licensed For Public Broadcasting".

The lead-off track, the "cover story" as it were, is "Mick Jagger Speaks", where, as it says on the cover, "Mick Jagger Talks About Mick Jagger":

MICK JAGGER SPEAKS

Blotto's Next

Just a quick mention, for those who enjoyed MR. BLOTTO's performance of the "Some Girls" LP, here's a link to them doing the entire "Who's Next" LP:

MR. BLOTTO - "WHO'S NEXT"

Act Of Faith

CHRIS JAGGER's new CD, "Act of Faith", is due out on March 6th, and features DAVID GILMOUR on two tracks. You can read more about it at NEPTUNE PINK FLOYD.

Magazine of the Week #5

The October 1980 issue of HIT PARADER featured exclusive interviews with MICK and KEITH by the ever-amusing LISA ROBINSON.

Looking at the issue now, I have to say the most surprising thing about it is that it has not 1, but 2, photos of JONATHAN RICHMAN, in different places in the magazine. First, on page 4, a nice big color shot, with a bit about his solo show in New York's Irving Plaza. They call him "brilliant, eccentric, and beloved". He pops up again on page 24 with a smaller black and white photo under the heading "Rock Action".

Then there's this page with photos from MCCARTNEY's "Coming Up" video.

Also ELTON and BERNIE's reunion, LED ZEPPELIN's European tour (the mag is dated October, and BONHAM died in September), plus BOWIE, THE CLASH, KEVIN AYERS (!), and a DAVID LEE ROTH centerfold!