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Fear + Whiskey
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MAY 6
Are you feeling confused about which web site
to read? Confused as to which Views page will be updated today and which
one tomorrow? Well, you are not alone. I understand now why gbv.com
simply went dead and became a static archive after Guided By Voices went kaput.
It's just too hard trying to keep two different band sites up to date
simultaneously. I thought I could do it, but I can't. So what I'm
probably going to have to end up doing is using the Fire +Whiskey page as a
conduit through which all current musical news will eventually have to flow,
even if it's about Book Of Kills stuff (which admittedly won't be all that
often.) So, I guess in the next couple days we will say goodbye to
BOOKOFKILLS.COM as an active web page. Don't be sad...it's all for the
best.
Having said that, I do intend to set up a fairly elaborate picture page (similar
to the way it was on bookofkills.com three or four years ago) which features
dozens (maybe hundreds) of photographs from the late '80s through the final BOK
show. When? Who knows. Perhaps not until the regular school
year's over.
MAY 4
Gene Vincent finished "Be Bop A Lula" with his band the Blue Caps
on this day in 1956, just three days after he'd written the song.
On this day in 1970, four students at Kent University were killed and eleven
wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the
escalation of the Vietnam War. The incident inspired Neil Young to compose
'Ohio' which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
Paul Butterfield, a big favorite of my brother's, died on this day in 1987 at
the age of 44.
Mike Dirnt was born on this day in 1972.
MAY 2
Elvis Presley recorded "Jailhouse Rock", one of the greatest rock'n'roll tracks
of any era, on this day in 1957.
The Beatles had their first song reach number one on this day in 1963.
(This was in Britain. They would not get a number one in the U.S. until
1964.) Know what song it was?
Joy Division played their final gig on this day in 1980 (in Birmingham,
England). Lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide two weeks later.
Nirvana started recording Nevermind on this day in 1991.
APRIL 30
Wayne Kramer was born on this day in 1948.
Lester Bangs died on this day in 1982.
Blues great Muddy Waters died on this day in his sleep in 1983. I was
fortunate enough to see the great man in concert back in the '70s.
Also in 1983 on this day, Michael Jackson's "Beat It" went to number one.
On this day in 1991, Nirvana signed a recording contract with Geffen Records.
APRIL 29
Andrew Loog Oldham signed a management deal with the Rolling
Stones on this day back in 1963. Oldham now has a great show on Little
Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius/XM Radio. That station alone is good
enough to justify subscribing to Sirius/XM.
On this day in 1969, the Beatles were working on "Octopus's Garden"...not one of
my fave Beatles's tracks, but a fun song.
Mick Ronson died on this day in 1993.
Born on this day...
Duke Ellington (1899), the underrated Lonnie Donegan (1931), Klaus Voorman
(1942), and Tommy James (1947).
APRIL 28
On this day in 2001, BOK played a gig with Disenfranchised Youth
at the Little Grill. I don't remember a whole lot about the show, but I do
remember someone telling us that we and DF had to play at least three hours, so
we ended up doing twenty-two songs, which is a long set.
APRIL 25
You have to persist, and out of the sheer frustration of what
you've been doing or haven't been doing, you just come out the other side.
Of course, when you come to the other side, you find that there's an even bigger
hill to climb than the last one.
- Allan Holdsworth
My chops were not as fast, but I just learned more on what was in
my mind than what was in my chops. I learned a long time ago that one note
can go a long way if it's the right one, and it will probably whip the guy with
twenty notes.
- Les Paul
Approach [your instrument] intelligently, and
if there are limits, don't deny them. Work within your restrictions. Some
things you can do better than others, some things you can't do as well. So
accentuate the positive.
- Chet Atkins
APRIL 24
On this day in 1992, I needed one more song to completely fill
out a thirty minute cassette (which back then was what I was releasing albums
on), so I wrote "I Was Born With A Razor In My Hand" and recorded it immediately
afterwards. It was literally filler, but people seemed to like it anyway.
Voila! Don't Stop The Scream was done!
"As long as the songs are strong, I think you
can express yourself in any style and have it be soulful and have it be your own
voice."
- Ben Harper
APRIL 21
On this day in 1992, I re-mixed "Religion is that I love you",
one of the tracks from Don't Stop The Scream. I'd written and
recorded it the day before. Not too long afterward, when I released 8
From The Attic, I recall that I re-recorded a line or two of the vocals in
the first verse. I was really on a roll by this point, writing and
recording songs almost whenever I felt like it.
"To be what you want to be, you must give up being what you are."
- Cat Stevens
APRIL 20
"Without art, without communicating, we wouldn`t live beyond 30
because we`d be too sad and depressed."
- Wayne Coyne
APRIL 19
I forgot to say anything about the Flaming Lips show I saw last
Thursday in Charlottesville with Rob Christensen. If you haven't seen the
Lips, you ought to check them out. They've been around a long time.
Who knows how much longer they'll tour? Suffice it to say that the show
was amazing and certainly ranks as one of the best concerts I've seen in many
years of concert going...and I've seen some freakin' awesome live shows in my
time. The thing that struck me more than anything else, however, was the
existential positive-ness of the performance...most of which emanated from Wayne
Coyne. I liked so many things about the performance that I don't have the
space here (or I should say the inclination) to explain.
"Music is amazing. There's some metaphysical
comfort where it allows you to be isolated and alone while telling you that you
are not alone... truly, the only cure for sadness is to share it with someone
else."
- Wayne Coyne
APRIL 18
On this day in 1984, Michael Jackson underwent surgery to repair
damage done to his scalp after his hair caught fire while he was filming a Pepsi
commercial. I've read that this was the beginning of end for Michael, for
various reasons I've no need to repeat here.
The supremely troubled Skip Spence (most likely way way too much high quality
acid and not the baby aspirin stuff of today) was born on this day in 1946.
He died just two days shy of his 54th birthday. You'll remember a while back
that I had him mixed up, for some reason, with Spencer Dryden. Both of
them were members of the Jefferson Airplane. Both were drummers for JA.
However, only Skip Spence could've come up with the stone cold classic album,
Oar, one of rock's greatest solo efforts.
APRIL 15
The legendary Buffalo Springfield made their live debut on this
day in 1966. It's a shame there are almost no recordings of this band in
concert, innit?
Joey Ramone passed away on this date in 2001. He was just 49.
Lots of famous people born on this day, including Bessie Smith (1894) and Dave
Edmunds (1944).
APRIL 14
BOK played a private party on this date way back in 1995. I
remember it as one of the more execrable shows I was ever a part of.
Everyone played awful that night. I think we all knew the band was quickly
disintegrating and no one much cared anymore. I couldn't wait to finish
and go home. I have fortunately been part of very few bad shows, but that
was definitely one of them.
"A
good performer jumps on stage, looks out at the audience, and thinks, 'Here I
am!' A great performer jumps on stage, looks out at the audience, and
thinks, 'There you are!'"
- Steve Rapson
APRIL 13
One of my very favorite Beatles songs, "Help", was recorded on
this day in 1965.
The Rolling Stones released "Brown Sugar" on this day in 1971. Later that
would be one of the first songs I performed in front of a living, breathing
group of onlookers.
It has already been a year since boy genius Phil Spector was convicted of
murder. He was 68 at the time.
Stupid dead super talented heroin addict Lowell George was born on this day in
1945.
On this day in 2002, Book Of Kills played two shows down at Ferrum College.
The first was an unmitigated disaster. The second was truly legendary.
People even got arrested after we played. The set list for the second
show:
If You Want It Take It, Accidentally
Naked, Running, Style-->Bad Person, Money, Face, To Dream A New Dream, Don't
Stop The Scream, Killing Time Again, Why Won't You?, Sweet, Abandoned, Cave In,
Rain, I Hang Heavy-->Up In Flames-->Can't Stand It Anymore, Jesco White,
To Dream A New Dream (again)
APRIL 11
Little Bobby Zimmerman played his first gig in New York City on
this date in 1961 as the opening act for John Lee Hooker.
The Beatles had fourteen singles in the U.S. top 100 on this day in 1964.
Get a load of the line-up of pop acts performing at the New Musical Express
poll winners concert on this day in 1965, at London's Wembley Empire Pool,
England: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, Freddie and the
Dreamers, The Animals, The Kinks, Herman's Hermits, Moody Blues, Them, Cilla
Black, The Seekers and Donovan.
APRIL 9
"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks
and discomforts."
- Arnold Bennett
"If you don't create change, change will create you."
- Anonymous
"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely."
- Proverb
"When you've finished changing, you've finished living."
- Bejamin Franklin
"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy because what we
leave behind is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter
another."
- Anatole France
APRIL 8
Malcolm Mclaren has died from cancer. He was 64. Say
what you will about the man; the truth is he changed rock and roll forever and,
at least for a moment in time, for the better. God bless, Malcolm.
And rest in peace.
APRIL 7
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met under-appreciated near-genius
Brian Jones on this day in 1962.
Kit Lambert died of a cerebral hemorrhage after tumbling down the stairs at his
mum's home in London, England on this day in 1981.
Billie Holiday (whose real name was Elinore Harris) was born on this day in
1915.
Spencer Dryden was born on this day in 1938.
Bill "The Drummer" Kreutzman was born on this day in 1946.
Have I mentioned that Rob Christensen and I are going to see the Flaming Lips in
Charlottesville next Thursday? No? Well, we are! My first time
to see the Lips! Shoulda gone to see them when they hit C-ville last
spring, but didn't. Thank goodness they decided to come back!
APRIL 6
The Beatles started work on one of my most favorite albums,
Revolver, on this day in 1966.
Pink Floyd announced that Syd Barrett had "left" the band on this day in 1968.
The under-appreciated Wendy O. Williams died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound
on this day in 1998. The brilliant Tammy Wynette also died on this day in
'98.
Merle Haggard was born on this day in 1937 and he's still going strong.
Frank Black entered this plane of existence on this day in 1965. How
appropriate, given my love for both Frank and the year.
APRIL 4
"Music should go right through you, leave some of itself inside
you, and take some of you with it when it leaves."
- Henry Threadgill
APRIL 2
The Beach Boys recorded "I Get Around" on this day in 1964.
One of the best drummers to ever walk the earth, Buddy Rich, died on this day in
1987.
Marvin Gaye was born on this daye in 1939.
Hard to believe, but Emmylou Harris is 63 today.
"The most popular form of transportation in the music business is the
bandwagon."
- David Hooper
MARCH 31
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
-Beverly Sills
According to Wikipedia: "[On this day in] 1949, RCA Victor
introduced the 45rpm single record, which had been in development since 1940.
The 7-inch disc was designed to compete with the Long Playing record introduced
by Columbia a year earlier. Both formats offered better fidelity and longer
playing time than the 78rpm record that was currently in use. Advertisements for
new record players boasted that with 45rpm records, the listener could hear up
to ten records with speedy, silent, hardly noticeable changes."
Angus Young was born on this day in 1959.
MARCH 29
On this day in 1997, the Brock, Dave and Brian-era BOK gave
its final show at The Little Grill. (Well, not really the last...we did
re-unite for a charity event in 1998 but that was a one-off thing.) This
was the set list: Before and Ever
After, She's the Kind of Girl, Because Because, Placebo, Get My Gun Allison,
March of the Lima Beans, Don't Stop the Scream, Heaven, Cara Anne, My World
Turned to Black, I Start to Fall, Killing Time Again, Fade, I Hang Heavy,
Paperback Writer, Abandoned, Wonder Twin, Lost, and Fade (again). Good set
list!
Also on this day in 2001, BOK played just its second show with Bill Bird on bass
(replacing Lisa Van Fossen) at "The Loft" in Waynesboro, VA. The set-list:
If You Want It Take It, Cave In, Why Won't You, Gimme Some Money, I Hang
Heavy-->Up In Flames-->I Can't Stand It Anymore, Gemini, Rain, Killing Time
Again, Beat On The Brat, Don't Stop The Scream. Cool set list, too, with
four cover songs...a relative rarity.
Zeppelin-mania? On this day in 1975, Led Zep had all six of their albums
in the Billboard Top 100 album chart.
On this day in 1976, Neil Young began a famous three night stand at London's
Hammersmith-Odeon. Tickets were $1.70. Also on this day in 2005,
Neil was successfully treated for a life-threatening brain aneurysm.
Patty Donahue was born on this day in 1956.
MARCH 27
I've been considering buying a new guitar now for at
least a couple months, but just can't seem to make a decision...or I guess it
might be closer to the truth to say I just can't seem to part with the $800-1000
that a new axe will cost me. I've got two choices: a Telecaster
Slimline semi-hollowbody or an American Standard Stratocaster. I did check
out a lot of other brands, from Gibson to PRS to Schecter to Epiphone, but I
always come back to Fender. I think I'm leaning towards the Strat.
I've never had one and they are easier to play than a Telecaster. The '09
edition is on sale right now for $1000, too. If you've ever owned an
American Standard Strat, I'd love to hear your
thoughts.
"Play the music, not the instrument."
- old proverb
MARCH 25
The most important thing I look for in a musician is
whether or not he knows how to listen.
- Duke Ellington
The act of listening is in fact an act of composing.
- John Cage
MARCH 24
The great Harold Melvin died on this day in 1997.
"The rest of the band will follow me down any dark alley. Sometimes there's a
light at the end of the alley, and sometimes there's a black hole. You
don't get an adventure in music unless you're willing to take chances."
- Jerry Garcia
MARCH 22
Have you ever seen The Rutles' "All You Need Is Cash"?
It's pretty dang funny. It was broadcast (on network television no less!)
for the first time on this day in 1978.
Keith Relf was born on this day in 1943. Keith died of an electric shock
received at his home while he was playing his guitar in 1976.
There are 284 days remaining in this year. What are you going to do with
them?
MARCH 20
John and Yoko got married on this day in 1969 in
Gibraltar.
MARCH 18
"If you're writing anything
decent, it's in you, it's your spirit coming out. If it's not an expression of
how a person genuinely feels, then it's not a good song done with any
conviction."
- Alex Chilton
"Good sense travels on the
well-worn paths; genius, never. And that is why the crowd, not altogether
without reason, is so ready to treat great men as lunatics."
- Cesare Lombroso
This is a massive downer for me. I truly loved Alex Chilton's work with both
the
Box Tops (whom I saw many years ago) and Big Star (one of the very greatest
"unknown" bands ever)...
Singer and guitarist Alex Chilton dies;
known for influential
work with Box Tops and Big Star
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Singer and guitarist Alex
Chilton, who topped the charts as a teen with "The Letter" and later became
a cult hero with
Big Star, died Wednesday. He was 59.
Chilton died at a hospital in New Orleans after experiencing what appeared
to be heart problems, said his longtime friend John Fry.
Chilton was the gravel-voiced teenage singer for the pop-soul outfit the Box
Tops, whose 1967 hit "The Letter" opened with the line "Gimme a ticket for
an aeroplane ..." Their other hits were "Soul Deep" and "Cry Like a Baby."
Chilton grew up in
Memphis, Tenn., and formed the band with friends from school.
"Alex was an amazingly talented person, not just as a musician and vocalist
and a songwriter, but he was intelligent and well read and interested in a
wide number of music genres," said Fry, the owner of Memphis-based Ardent
Studios.
Chilton's short run with Big Star brought less mainstream success but made
him a cult hero to other rock musicians, as evidenced by the title of the
1987 Replacements song, "Alex Chilton." Big Star's three 1970s albums all
earned spots on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest.
Chilton said in a 1987 interview with The Associated Press that he didn't
mind flying under the radar with Big Star and later as a solo artist.
"What would be ideal would be to make a ton of money and have nobody know
about you," he said. "Fame has a lot of baggage to carry around. I wouldn't
want to be like
Bruce Springsteen. I don't need that much money and wouldn't want to
have 20 bodyguards following me."
"If I did become really popular, the critics probably wouldn't like me all
that much," he said. "They like to root for the underdog."
Chilton had been scheduled to perform with Big Star on Saturday at the South
by Southwest music festival in Austin,
Texas.
"Alex Chilton always messed with your head, charming and amazing you while
doing so. His gift for melody was second to none, yet he frequently seemed
in disdain of that gift," the festival's creative director, Brent Gulke,
said in an e-mail.
MARCH 17
"Don't be a blueprint. Be an original."
- Roy Acuff
"We do what we want. We don't care
what anyone else thinks."
- Cliff Burton
"I am a greedy, selfish bastard. I want the fact that I existed to mean
something."
- Harry Chapin
MARCH 16
"Punk rock should mean freedom, liking
and accepting everything you like and playing anything you want, as sloppy as
you want...as long as it's good and has passion."
- Kurt Cobain
MARCH 15
Not a very momentous day in music history. KISS
did release Destroyer on this day in 1976.
"I'm just honored that people still
like us and people are still nice to me."
- Johnny Ramone
MARCH 13
"Eight Days A Week" hit number one on the U.S. charts
on this day in 1965. Also, on this same day in '65, Eric Clapton left the
Yardbirds. He would soon join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. After
that, it was pretty much downhill for Eric with a couple of exceptions, most
notably Derek and the Dominoes. You know, 1965 might well be the greatest
year in the history of rock and roll...
MARCH 10
Jeff Ament was born on this day in 1963. For
those of you who went to American schools (just kidding...but, hey, everyone
else is bustin' on teachers these days), that means he's 47. Man, even my
nephew's rock heroes are getting old.
MARCH 8
"I try never to wear my own
clothes. I pretend I'm someone else."
- David Byrne
I remember once someone who didn't know any better told me something
to the effect that The Beatles had had their success "handed" to them virtually
overnight. I was astounded at his (innocent) ignorance because I
understood that few bands in rock and roll ever worked harder at being
successful than did The Beatles. Their overnight success actually took
about six years of constant work in relative to complete obscurity to achieve.
An example: On this day in 1961, The Beatles
played the Cavern Club in Liverpool at lunchtime. That night they performed
twice more, at Aintree Institute, Aintree, Liverpool, and at Hambleton Hall,
Huyton, Liverpool.
Exactly one year later, The Beatles made their radio debut on the BBC's
Teenagers Turn, (Here We Go), singing Roy Orbison's 'Dream Baby'.
Bob Dylan recorded "Just Like A Woman" on this day in 1966.
I recall mentioning this on this page a year ago today...Ron McKernan (Pigpen)
died on this day in 1973.
MARCH 6
"I think my fans will follow me
into our combined old age. Real musicians and real fans stay together for a
long, long time."
- Bonnie Raitt
MARCH 5
The great Patsy Cline perished on this day in 1963 in an airplane
crash just as she was becoming a true pop superstar. Reports have it that
over 25,000 people attended her funeral.
(In the meanwhile, The Beatles recorded "From Me To You" at EMI.)
John Belushi died on this day in 1982 of a heroin overdose. How strange to
think that he has been dead 28 years!
The venerable and irascible Mark E Smith of the Fall entered sneering on this
day in 1957. Now there's a band that has never truly gotten its
due. 'Course there are lots of those kind of bands, eh?
John Frusciante was born on this day in 1970.
MARCH 4
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from
mediocre minds."
- Albert Einstein
MARCH 3
Neil Young, Steven Stills and Richie Furay formed the Buffalo
Springfield on this day in 1966.
Norman Smith passed away on this day in 2008.
"I do tend to take lines from other lines I
like, and then write around them."
- Syd Barrett
MARCH 1
Sam Philips started Sun Records on this day in 1951 by releasing
the label's first single, "Drivin' Slow" by Johnny London. No...I've never
heard of him either.
Gene Clark left the Byrds on this day in 1966 and the band was never the same.
The Beatles started recording "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" on this day in
1967.
Jim Morrison of The Doors was charged with lewd and lascivious
behavior after supposedly flashing his thingie to the audience during a show in
Miami. To this day there are apparently no photos showing Morrison
flashing his afore-mentioned thingie...which seems odd to me, considering all
the teenybopper girls in the audience with their Kodaks.
On this day in 1994, Nirvana played their last ever concert when they appeared
at The Terminal Einz in Munich, Germany. The venue was a small airport hanger.
The power went off during the show so they played an impromptu acoustic set
including a version of The Cars' "My Best Friend's Girl."
FEBRUARY 26
Man! I am glad the weekend's here! Let's see what
happened on this day in rock and roll history...
Ya wanna know how ridiculous the Grammy's are? On this day in 1997, at the
39th annual Grammy Awards held in New York, surprising wins include The Beatles
won for Best Pop Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocal for the song “Free As
A Bird,” Best Music Video, Short Form for the video to “Free As A Bird,” and
Best Music Video, Long Form for “The Beatles Anthology.” Hey, I don't mean
to alluva sudden be hatin' on the Grammy's but what awards ceremony could be
more out of touch with the subject it rewards than the Grammy's? (Is it
the Grammies? I don't know. Somebody look it up.)
More Beatles stuff...on this day in 1987, EMI finally released the first four of
the Fab Four's albums on compact disc. All of the original compact disc
releases were, as you probably know, roundly criticized far and wide for
deficient, strangely mixed sound, though I never thought they were nearly as bad
as people made them out to be.
On this day in 1983, Thriller started a 37 week stay atop the album
charts. I always thought that record was a little over-rated.
Bukka White died on this day in 1977.
FEBRUARY 25
Okay...there appears to be some disagreement over George
Harrison's birth date. But apparently most folks agree that George was
actually born on this day in 1943. I don't care much when he was born; I'm
just damn glad he was born.
Buddy Holly recorded "That'll Be The Day" on this day in 1957.
The stupid frickin' Grammy's (should be known as the Grannies) awarded John
Lennon a Lifetime Achievement Award on this day in 1992. John, being dead,
refused to accept the award.
FEBRUARY 24
Sadly, Kurt and Courtney got married on this day in 1992 in
Hawaii, wherever that is.
My favorite rock and roll pianist, Nicky Hopkins, was born on this day in 1944.
But most importantly, George Harrison was delivered into the material world on
this day in 1943.
"The Beatles saved the world from boredom."
- George Harrison
FEBRUARY 23
Another boring day in rock and roll
history...
Alice in Chains announced they were reforming on this day back in 2006.
Howie Epstein died on this day in 2003.
Plastic People Of The Universe played their first U.S. date ever on this day in
1999. Probably the best thing that happened on this day ever, at least in
rock and roll history...
...except BOK played on this day in 2001 at some place we referred to as The
Loft in Waynesboro, Virginia. I remember that we played a long time and
that it was a pretty good show.
"I really haven't had that exciting of a life. There are a lot of things I wish
I would have done, instead of just sitting around and complaining about having a
boring life. So I pretty much like to make it up. I'd rather tell a story about
somebody else."
- Kurt Cobain
FEBRUARY 22
Random Quotation Day...
"I never could get over the fact that The Pixies formed, worked and separated
without America taking them to its heart or even recognizing their existence for
the most part."
- David Bowie
"You can't just play the same thing, over and over again."
- Neko Case
"You've got to know your limitations. I found out what mine were when I was
twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did things my
way."
- Johnny Cash
"You can play a shoestring if you're sincere."
- John Coltrane
"I've been lucky to have
listened to lots of different types of music."
- Elvis Costello
"I think the worst thing you
can do about a situation is nothing."
- Ice Cube
FEBRUARY 21
"I don't think anyone has exhausted the range
of sound possible in a conventional rock band, but people do become slaves to
their own easiest techniques."
- Steve Albini
FEBRUARY 19
Smoky Robinson was born on this day in 1940.
Janis Joplin made her singing debut with Big Brother & The Holding Company on
this day back in 1966.
The late, lamented Bon Scott died on this day in 1980.
Don't know if you missed this or not...
"(AP) The National Trust could buy and preserve
the Abbey Road studios where the Beatles recorded many of their classics after
an outpouring of public concern over its possible demolition, the British
heritage-protection charity said Thursday. Anxious not to see it fall into
private hands, many people have contacted the National Trust asking that it buy
the London landmark, the charity said. It has been put up for sale by
cash-strapped record company EMI.
There had already been an 'astonishing
outpouring' of public support for the idea and it is possible the agency may
intervene if it is clear the public wants more Beatles sites protected, trust
spokesman John Hewitt said.
'It's not often that the public spontaneously
suggests that we should acquire a famous building,' Hewitt said. 'However, Abbey
Road recording studios appear to be very dear to the nation's heart.'
The campaign to save Abbey Road studios — which
could be sold and turned into upscale housing in the St. John's Wood
neighborhood in North London — was spurred by former Beatle Paul McCartney and
prominent disc jockey Chris Evans.
McCartney, who has long had a house near the
studios, said on a national news broadcast earlier this week that he would be
delighted if the building could be saved.
He said some people long associated with the
studio were considering an effort to preserve it.
McCartney did not, however, offer to put up the
cash himself — the studios are thought to be worth between 10 million pounds
($16 million) and 30 million pounds ($48 million).
The National Trust already owns the boyhood
homes of McCartney and his songwriting partner, John Lennon, which have become
major tourist attractions in Liverpool, the port city where the band met.
Abbey Road has become an important part of
Beatles lore, in part because of the 1969 album named after the recording
studio. The crosswalk in front of the building was immortalized on the album
cover, and many fans visit the site each year.
Since The Beatles' heyday, Abbey Road has been
one of the world's most famous rock music studios, used by artists like Pink
Floyd, McCartney, George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Radiohead, and others.
But EMI has been unable to find a buyer for the
studio, in part because recording technology now permits many artists to conduct
their own sessions at home using personal computers."
FEBRUARY 18
Randy Bachman was born on this day in 1953. That's
important because Randy's fellow Canadian, Neil Young, claims that Bachman was
probably the single most important influence on his own guitar style.
Makes sense when you listen to Bachman's playing.
Dr. Dre was born on this day in 1965.
On this day in 1968, David Gilmour joined Pink
Floyd. Gilmour's hiring was the writing on the wall that Syd Barrett's
days in the band were numbered.
FEBRUARY 17
Slow day in rock and roll history...
Gene Pitney was born on this day in 1941.
Elvis Presley received his first gold record on this day in 1960 for his album
Elvis.
Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash recorded "Girl From The North Country" on this day in
1969. As some of you probably know, that ragged track showed up on
Nashville Skyline not too long afterwards.
Billie Joe Armstrong was born on this day in 1972.
FEBRUARY 16
I forgot about this yesterday, but on February 15, back in
1995, BOK gave one of its greatest performances at the infamous James Madison
University's TKE House. I can't even begin to communicate the strangeness
of that evening, but we played twenty-two songs to a quite appreciative audience
and had a great time. We even got paid but I just ended up giving my share
to Brian and Dustin 'cause they needed it a lot more than I did. Frat
houses were great to play back then because everybody loved Nirvana/Pearl Jam
type hard rock. God knows what they listen to nowadays, though I do
believe Billy Brett of Buck Gooter told me that some frat houses were actually
still pretty cool places to play and paid rather handsomely.
"Back then people closed their eyes and
listened to music. Today there's a lot of images that go with the music. A lot
of music is crap and it's all commercial and the images are all trying to sell
the record."
- Neil Young
FEBRUARY 15
The Beatles scored their first number one album in the
U.S. on this date in 1964, not too long of course after playing the Ed
Sullivan Show.
Nat King Cole died on this day of lung cancer in 1965. The smooth voiced,
hard-smoking Cole was the first black American to host a variety show on network
TV back in 1956.
Little Walter died of injuries sustained from a fight on this day in 1968.
Little Walter was the first harp player to amplify his harmonica.
John Lennon and George Harrison arrived in India on this day in 1968 to study
meditation with the Maharishi. Paul and Ringo would arrive a few days
later. It was during this trip that John, Paul and George wrote most of
the material that would show up in the winter of '68 on the famous White Album.
Glenn Matlock was fired from the Sex Pistols on this day in 1977 and replaced by
the talent-deprived Syd Vicious.
Glyn Johns was born on this day in 1942.
Mick Avery did the same in 1944.
FEBRUARY 12
Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were both born on this
day in 1809...couple of semi-important blokes, eh? Reportedly, Abe was
quite a fan of heavy metal and even invited Pantera to the White House to
play at his inauguration, though they (understandably) declined due to prior
commitments. From what I've read on the internet, street-savvy Charles was
hooked on hip hop and would even break out a few rhymes of his own at weekend
dinner parties he and his wife would host on occasion.
The talented Ray Manzarek was born on this day in 1935. Damn. He's
freaking 75???
Sal Mineo was murdered on this day in 1976.
The Ramones' most excellent Leave Home broke into the Billboard Top 200
Albums chart at number 148 on this day in 1977 and pretty much dropped like a
stone from there, though it did miraculously languish near the bottom of the
charts for ten weeks. Just no accounting for the tastes of the American
consumer, is there?
FEBRUARY 11
On this day in 2001, thanks in large part to poverty
stricken Metallica, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Napster
must stop its users from trading
songs without the permission of their copyright owners. According to Metallica,
“The court’s decision…confirms that Napster was wrong in exploiting music by
artists who do not want to be a part of the Napster system.” I guess I'm
sort of on the fence about the whole peer-to-peer free music thing. I like
the idea of music being free, but on the other hand forcing artists to give away
their work is sort of like my demanding that you mow my lawn free, isn't it?
Of course, the upshot of all this is that eventually bands realized that they
couldn't stop the free exchange of their music, so they simply charged
incredibly inflated prices for seats to their shows whenever they went on tour.
As you probably know, it's not unheard of nowadays to have to pay $100 or more
for a good seat at a major act's show.
The King Of Pop's song "Thriller" debuted on this day way way back in 1984.
On this day in 1964, The Beatles performed their first American concert at
Washington, D.C.'s Washington Coliseum.
On this day a year earlier, The Fab Four recorded their entire first album
from 10:00 a.m. till 11:00 p.m. at Abbey Road Studios. They finished the
session with John's blistering immortal take of "Twist And Shout".
Gene Vincent was born on this day in 1935 in Norfolk, Virginia.
FEBRUARY 10
"It isn't where you've been; it's where you're goin' that
counts."
- Ella Fitzgerald
FEBRUARY 9
Everything changed on this day in 1964...The Beatles played their first show on
The Ed Sullivan Show. Read about my own experience of that night
here.
The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on this day in
1967. I traveled to London for two months in the summer of 1969. I
remember that songs from Sgt. Pepper's were still being regularly played
on the BBC and Radio Caroline at that time even though the band had released
Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine and The Beatles since
'67.
Jethro Tull released their classic album Aqualung on this day in 1971.
I saw Jethro Tull play that whole album not long after it was released some time
in the spring of '71 at the College Of William and Mary. One of the very
greatest shows I've ever seen.
Bill Haley died on this day in 1981.
FEBRUARY 6
The brilliant Frank Sinatra made his singing debut on this
day in 1943 on the radio show Your Hit Parade.
The reggae genius Bob Marley was born on this day in 1945.
George Harrison met the Quarrey Men for the first time on this day in 1958.
Axl Rose was born on this day in 1962. Hard to believe that Axl is 48
years old.
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" was number one in America on this day in 1964.
It is probably the single most important song in my life in the sense that it
was the first song by The Beatles that I ever heard. Too bad that nowadays
folks are simply too jaded to appreciate what a brilliant track it is.
Here's a spot-on review of the song by
All Music.
The Plastic Ono Band released "Instant Karma" on this day in 1970.
FEBRUARY 5
BOK played a really good show on this date in 2009 at the
Blue Nile.
FEBRUARY 4
Shockingly, Lux Interior died on this day last year at the
age of 62.
Liberace died of AIDS on this day in 1987.
The late, lamented Karen Carpenter died of a heart attack brought on by anorexia
nervosa on this day in 1983. She was a classy, talented pop artist.
I actually liked The Carpenters. But, you know, I like pretty much any
kind of music if it's well done.
The incredible Alex Harvey died on this day in 1982. Jeez...what a dismal
day in rock and roll history.
Something a little more positive...The Beatles recorded one of my fave Beatles
songs, "Across The Universe", on this day in 1968.
Paul McCartney invited some fans who
were hanging around on the stairs outside at Abbey Road Studios to contribute
harmonies, which was the only time the Beatles used fans on one of their
recordings
Alice Cooper was born on this day in 1948. I was a big fan of the band
Alice Cooper from their first record up through School's Out. But I
think they lost it after that record, even though I know lots of people worship
Billion Dollar Babies.
FEBRUARY 2
It's weird because it seems like just yesterday when I
was posting a brief entry about the anniversary of Buddy Holly's death on this
very page along with a picture of the plane crash and then Billy Brett was
emailing me a link to some really interesting stuff about Holly (mainly an
amusing recording Holly had made of a phone call to a record executive) and BOK
was getting ready for a show at The Blue Nile. Anyway, today on this date
in 1959 Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper performed their last shows
ever. The venue was the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. All
three, of course, would perish the next day.
The Beatles performed their first professional gig outside of Liverpool on this
day in 1962 at the Oasis Club in Manchester. Their lead-off song?
"Hippy Hippy Shake"...which they did quite well. The Swinging Bluejeans
had a big hit in England with that song, by the way, largely copying The
Beatles' arrangement.
In 1979, Syd Vicious died on this day of a heroin overdose.
Anybody remember seeing Janet Jackson's boob at the Super Bowl halftime
celebrations back in 2004? I remember being at a big party and somehow
being the only person in the whole house who saw Justin Timberlake
"accidentally" pull off her top. Boy...Janet's career really soared
afterwards, didn't it? Well, today is the day after that happened
in '04 and ABC or NBC or whatever freakin' network it was had to apologize.
They shoulda apologized for having Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake as the
halftime entertainment.
FEBRUARY 1
On this day in 2003, BOK played what was
probably the most important show in the band's 20+ year history at Alston's Pub
in Harrisonburg, VA. I gotta go to work, so I don't have time to explain,
but you can read about it here.
Hey...it's just the rinky dink history of some rinky dink little local band in
some rinky dink little town, but that's why you love BOK...right? Huh?
Don Everly was born on this day in 1937.
On this day in 1963, a seventeen year old Neil Young made his professional debut
at a Winnipeg country club.
On this day in 1964, the governor of Indiana declared the Kingsmen's version of
"Louie Louie" pornographic. He asked radio stations in the state to
refrain from playing the song. Most ignored his request. Later he
died and no one remembers his name. Many people still remember "Louie
Louie".
The Cars broke up on this day in 1988. Too bad. I liked them.