There has always been a conspiracy surrounding the age of 27, and the odd death of many performers to die at that age. Yes, Janis, Jimmy, and many others did in fact die at the age of 27. We don’t think however about the soul singers who died so early in their lives. Rock and […]
Rock and Roll is a tough game, filled with ups and downs, tragedies and unexpected moments in time. You may have heard that Steve Miller recently ripped into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at his induction ceremony, shushing an attendant trying to get him off stage while he spoke his mind. Steve was […]
Stephen Stills was one of the driving forces behind the 60s and 70s super group ‘Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. It’s doubtful CSNY will ever get back together for a reunion tour given the mean words being bantered about recently, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t capture their vibe. A Stephen Stills concert might […]
It’s been said that it’s always better to be above ground rather than below it. Believe it or not, the following rockers are turning 70 this year, or have been 70 for a few years. Debbie Harry is 70. No way! Stephen Stills, Rod Stewart, Mickey Dolenz (formally of the Monkees), Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore […]
When you hear someone say the ‘B’ side of a song, it refers to the single that was sent to the radio stations for airplay – having an ‘A’ side and a ‘B’ side. The executives decided the ‘A’ side was the hit, yet the label needed to press another song on the other side […]
Peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and marshmallows, ham and eggs. These are great teams. Okay, the song “Soul Finger” by the Bar Kays does have a few lyrics in it, but it’s considered a powerful instrumental from 1967. The Bar Kays were Otis Redding’s backup band from Memphis who died in the tragic plane crash […]
John and Paul, Bernie and Elton, Rogers and Hammerstien – it takes a team to write a hit song doesn’t it? Well, sometimes you only need the tune, no words. Let’s check out more of our favorite instrumentals… “Love is Blue” by Frenchman Paul Mauriat was an instrumental song that hit number one, right smack […]
It’s hard to write a hit song because you not only need a music hook, you got to have a great line or memorable lyrics. Or do you? Here are more of our favorite instrumentals… “Vehicle” by the Ides of March became the fastest selling single of the Warner Brothers label at that time in […]
Tragedy has struck singer Tom Jones as news of his wife Linda’s death hit the news wires this week. Tom was on the road in the Philippines when he heard of his wife’s passing, rushing home to be with family and friends. Linda had a brief battle with cancer, losing her life at the age […]
What makes a great song? The beat for sure and definitely the hook right? The other critical component of a hit song is the words. Or is it? In the 60s and 70s there was an abundance of instrumental songs that were very popular, but had no words to speak of. Here is a list […]