Sing Sing Sing Benny Goodman

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Kneeknee

Sing Sing Sing Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman

About Benny Goodman

His passion was music and his big band sound quickened the pulse of a generation ready to shrug off the Depression and dance. With clarinet in hand, Benny Goodman was transformed from a child in Chicago’s impoverished Jewish ghetto into the king of swing, greeted with near pandemonium wherever his band played. Goodman led jazz into the commercial mainstream and brought with him an extraordinary group of gifted and original musicians. Band members Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton were some of the first to break the big band color barrier. Held together by the force of Goodman’s personality and a willingness to put their music above all else, the Benny Goodman Band created a kingdom of swing with enthusiastic fans from coast to coast.

It could have been a far different life, had destiny not intervened. Struggling to raise a family of eleven on sweatshop wages, Benny Goodman’s father believed music might be a ticket out of poverty for his eldest sons. He enrolled them in free music classes at a local synagogue when Benny was just ten. His older brothers were given a tuba and a trombone, but Benny, the smallest, got a clarinet. From the outset, he was a prodigy of unmistakable talent. As a youth, he had frequented the jazz halls on the south side of Chicago, soaking in some of the greatest musicianship in the world. By the time he was fifteen, Goodman had dropped out of school and already established himself as a professional musician. It was then that the Ben Pollack Orchestra asked him to move to California and join the band.

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The Eagles – Sad Cafe

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Kneeknee

The Eagles – Sad Cafe

The Eagles Sad Cafe
Eagles is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.

With seven number-one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and Hotel California, ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the U.S. according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Hotel California is ranked 37th in Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the band was ranked No. 75 on the magazine’s 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

They have sold 150 million records worldwide—100 million in the U.S. alone—including 42 million copies of Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975). They are the fifth-highest-selling music act and highest-selling American band in U.S. history. No American band sold more records than the Eagles during the 1970s.

The Eagles released their self-titled debut album in 1972, which spawned three Top 40 singles: “Take It Easy“, “Witchy Woman“, and “Peaceful Easy Feeling“. Their next album, Desperado (1973), was less successful than the first, reaching only No. 41 on the charts; neither of its singles reached the Top 40. However, the album contained two of the band’s most popular tracks: “Desperado” and “Tequila Sunrise“. They released On the Border in 1974, adding guitarist Don Feldermidway through the recording of the album. The album generated two Top 40 singles: “Already Gone” and their first Number One, “Best of My Love“.

It was not until 1975’s One of These Nights that the Eagles became America’s biggest band. The album included three Top 10 singles: “One of These Nights“, “Lyin’ Eyes“, and “Take It to the Limit“. They continued that success in late 1976 with the release of Hotel California, which would go on to sell over 16 million copies in the U.S. alone. The album yielded three Top 20 singles, “New Kid in Town“, “Hotel California“, and “Life in the Fast Lane“. They released their last studio album for nearly 28 years in 1979 with The Long Run, which spawned three Top 10 singles: “Heartache Tonight“, “The Long Run“, and “I Can’t Tell You Why“.

The Eagles disbanded in July 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the album Hell Freezes Over, a mix of live and new studio tracks. They have toured intermittently since then and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2007, the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden, their first full studio album in 28 years. The album would top the album charts, release five singles to the Adult Contemporary Charts, and win the band two Grammys. The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album. The band members have discussed the possibility of making another album.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagles_(band)

Picture source: http://www.100xr.com/artists/E/Eagles.htm

The Eagles – Desperado

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Kneeknee

The Eagles – Desperado

The Eagles Desperado
The Eagles began when Linda Ronstadt and then-manager John Boylan recruited session musicians Glenn Frey and Don Henley in the spring of 1971. Henley had moved to Los Angeles from Texas with his band Shiloh (produced by Kenny Rogers), and Frey had come from Michigan and formed Longbranch Pennywhistle; they had met in 1970 at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and became acquainted through their mutual record label, Amos Records. Randy Meisner, who had been working with Ricky Nelson‘s backing band, and Bernie Leadon, a veteran of The Flying Burrito Brothers, joined Ronstadt’s group of performers for her summer tour.

The original Eagles played live together only once, backing Ronstadt for a July concert at Disneyland, but all four appeared on her eponymous album. After the gig with Ronstadt, Henley and Frey asked Leadon and Meisner to form a band, and they soon signed with Asylum Records, the new label started by David Geffen. The name of the band was first suggested by Leadon during a peyote and tequila-influenced group outing in the Mohave Desert, when he recalled reading about the Hopi‘s reverence for the eagle Steve Martin, a friend of the band from their early days at The Troubadour, recounts in his autobiography that he suggested that they should be referred to as “the Eagles,” but Frey insists that the group’s name is simply “Eagles”. Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts initially managed the band; they were later replaced by Irving Azoff.

Eagles (1972)

The group’s eponymous debut album was recorded in England in February 1972 with producer Glyn Johns. Released on June 26, 1972, Eagles was a breakthrough success, yielding three Top 40 singles. The first single and lead track, “Take It Easy“, was a song written by Frey with his neighbor and fellow country-folk rocker Jackson Browne. Browne had written the majority of the song, up until the line “I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see”, where he got stalled. Frey added the next line, and Browne carried on to finish the song. The song reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled the Eagles to stardom. The single was followed by the bluesy “Witchy Woman” and the soft country rock ballad “Peaceful Easy Feeling“, charting at No. 9 and No. 22 respectively.

Desperado (1973)

Their second album, Desperado, took Old West outlaws for its theme, drawing comparisons between their lifestyles and modern rock stars. This album was the first to showcase the group’s penchant for conceptual song writing. It was during these recording sessions Henley and Frey first began writing together. They co-wrote eight of the album’s eleven songs, including “Tequila Sunrise” and “Desperado“, two of the group’s most popular songs. The bluegrass songs “Twenty-One,” “Doolin-Dalton“, and the ballad “Saturday Night” showcase guitarist Bernie Leadon’s abilities on the banjo, guitar, and mandolin.

The story of the notorious Wild West “Doolin-Dalton” gang is the main thematic focus of the album, as seen in the songs “Doolin-Dalton,” “Desperado”, “Certain Kind of Fool“, Outlaw Man“, and “Bitter Creek”. The album was less successful than the group’s first, reaching only No. 41 on the US pop album charts, and yielding two singles, “Tequila Sunrise”, which reached No. 61 on the Billboard charts, and “Outlaw Man”, which peaked at No. 59.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagles_(band)

10cc – Dreadlock Holiday

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Kneeknee

10cc – Dreadlock Holiday

10cc Dreadlock Holiday
10cc Graham Gouldman – Kevin Godley – Eric Stewart – Lol Creme
“Dreadlock Holiday” is a reggae song by 10cc. It was written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman and was the lead single from the band’s 1978 album, Bloody Tourists. Lead vocals were performed by Graham Gouldman.

The lyrics, about a white man lost in Jamaica, and being confronted by an unpleasant dreadlocked man looking for money, were based on a true event that happened to Moody Blues vocalist Justin Hayward and Eric Stewart in Barbados. The reference to cricket in the first chorus, reggae in the second, and Jamaica in the third, reflects finding common ground with the antagonist.

It became the act’s third and final number one single in the UK, and final top 10 hit, spending a single week at the top in September 1978. The single peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. The song was later covered by Boney M on their 1985 album, Eye Dance, by Top Deck (in 1987) and by Polish singer Reni Jusis (in 1999).

10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians—Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme—who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the “10cc” name in 1972.

For the most part, 10cc featured two strong songwriting teams, one ‘commercial’ and one ‘artistic’, but both teams injected sharp wit into lyrically dextrous and musically varied songs. Stewart and Gouldman were predominantly pop-song-writers, who created most of the band’s accessible songs. By way of contrast, Godley and Creme were the predominantly experimental half of 10cc, featuring an Art School sensibility and cinematic inspired writing. Every member was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer and producer. Most of the band’s albums were recorded at their own Strawberry Studios (North) in Stockport and Strawberry Studios (South) in Dorking, with most of those engineered by Stewart. Read more…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadlock_Holiday

Picture Source: http://www.cathedralstone.net/Pages/10cc.htm

Never Let Her Slip Away – Andrew Gold – A Song For Stephanie

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Kneeknee

Never Let Her Slip Away – Andrew Gold – A Song For Stephanie

Andrew Gold obituary

Singer-songwriter famed for the 1970s chart hit Lonely Boy

Best known for his 1970s solo hits Never Let Her Slip Away and Lonely Boy, Andrew Gold, who has died of a heart attack aged 59, was an accomplished all-round musician, composer and arranger. His skills in the recording studio helped to propel Linda Ronstadt to stardom, and he worked with a long list of top-flight artists from the Eagles and Jackson Browne to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Cher and Celine Dion.

A musical career seemed almost inevitable from the moment he was born, in Burbank, California. His parents were Marni Nixon, the singer who dubbed the musical performances of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Deborah Kerr in The King And I and Natalie Wood in West Side Story, and the composer Ernest Gold, who scored the movie Exodus. Andrew recalled living in Laurel Canyon as a teenager: “My father had this little studio with a piano and all his awards. When he was working on a movie he’d go up there and compose. I’d wake up to this piano music over and over. I was always going to be a musician, and my parents encouraged me.”

He first met Ronstadt as a high school student in the 1960s, when he saw her perform with her band the Stone Poneys (“My girlfriend was pissed off at me cos I kept checking out Linda’s legs,” he confessed.) When the group split up in 1967, Gold teamed up with their guitarist Kenny Edwards and singer-songwriters Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff to form Bryndle (the “y” in the name was in homage to The Byrds). The group secured a recording deal and made an album, though it was not released.

Never Let Her Slip Away Andrew Gold A Song For Stephanie

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jun/06/andrew-gold-obituary

The Stranglers – Golden Brown – A song for Daniel

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Kneeknee

The Stranglers – Golden Brown – A song for Daniel

The Stranglers are an English punk rock music group.

“Golden Brown” is a song by the English rock band The Stranglers. It was released as a 7″ single in December 1981 in the United States and in January 1982 in the UK, on Liberty. It was the second single released from the band’s sixth album La Folie.

The video for “Golden Brown”, directed by Lindsey Clennell, depicts the band members both as explorers in an Arabian country (sequences include images of the Pyramids as well as the explorers studying a map of Egypt) in the 1920s and performers for a fictional “Radio Cairo”. In addition to the Pyramids, the video is intercut with stock footage of a madrassa in Uzbekistan, the Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran and Great Sphinx, Feluccas sailing, Bedouins riding and camel racing in the United Arab Emirates. The performance scenes were filmed in the Leighton House Museum in Holland Park, London.

Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning four decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most “continuously successful” band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s. Beginning life as the Guildford Stranglers on 11 September 1974 in Guildford, Surrey, they originally built a following within the mid-1970s pub rock scene. While their aggressive, no-compromise attitude identified them as one of the instigators of the UK punk rock scene that followed, their idiosyncratic approach rarely followed any single musical genre and the group went on to explore a variety of musical styles, from New Wave, art rock and gothic rock through to the sophisticated pop of some of their 1980s output.

They had major mainstream success with their single “Golden Brown“. Their other hits include “No More Heroes“, “Peaches“, “Always the Sun” and “Skin Deep“.

The Stranglers’ early sound was driven by Jean-Jacques Burnel‘s melodic bass, but also gave prominence to Dave Greenfield‘s keyboards at a time when the instrument was seen as unfashionable. Their early music was also characterised by the growling vocals and sometimes misanthropic lyrics of both Jean-Jacques Burnel and Hugh Cornwell. Over time, their output gradually grew more refined and sophisticated. Summing up their contribution to popular music, critic Dave Thompson later wrote: “From bad-mannered yobs to purveyors of supreme pop delicacies, the group was responsible for music that may have been ugly and might have been crude – but it was never, ever boring.”

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stranglers

The Stranglers Golden Brown - A song for Daniel

Picture Source: http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/Stranglerspersonalview.htm

Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man Unorthodox Jukebox

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Kneeknee

Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man Unorthodox Jukebox

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man Unorthodox Jukebox

Peter Gene Hernández (born October 8, 1985), known by his stage name Bruno Mars is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age and performed in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. Mars produced songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons.

Mars had an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, but then signed with Atlantic Records in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs “Nothin’ on You” by B.o.B, and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the hits “Right Round” by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha, and “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Anchored by the worldwide number-one singles “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade“, the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. Mars was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Just the Way You Are”. His second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox, was released on December 11, 2012.

Mars’ music is noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, and contains elements of many musical genres. He has worked with an assortment of artists from various genres. As a child, he was highly influenced by artists such as Little, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into his work. Worldwide, Mars became the best-selling digital artist in 2011. He had three singles in the top ten, including first place with “Just the Way You Are,” which sold 12.5 million copies. Mars won Best International Male Solo Artist at the 2012 BRIT Awards. Bruno Mars has sold 6 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide.

2012–present: Unorthodox Jukebox Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man

Mars has confirmed on Twitter that his work on his second album has begun. On March 22, 2012, it was announced that Mars had signed a worldwide publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis US. Mars told Billboard that his second album will be called Unorthodox Jukebox and that it will be released on December 11, 2012. Mars also announced that the lead single would be called “Locked Out of Heaven“, which was released on October 1st, 2012. Along with announcing the album title and lead single, Mars announced 9 songs that are supposed to be on the album. They are “Young Girls”, “Gorilla”, “When I Was Your Man”, “Natalie”, “Treasure”, “Moonshine”, “Money Makes Her Smile”, “Show Me”, and “If I Knew”. He notes that the album will be more musically varied and refuses to “pick a lane”, explaining that “I listen to a lot of music, and I want to have the freedom and luxury to walk into a studio and say, ‘Today I want to do a hip-hop, R&B, soul or rock record.'”

Mars hosted and was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live October 20, 2012. His performance as the host received positive reactions from critics and the public.

Unorthodox Jukebox debuted at #2 on the charts selling 187,000 copies.

Source…..en.wikipedia.org

Picture source…..plus.google.com

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Kneeknee

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses

Sweet Child O' Mine Guns N' Roses

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” is a power ballad by American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart becoming the band’s first and only number-one single in the U.S. It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart, when re-released in 1989.
Lead guitarist Slash has been quoted as having a disdain for the song due to its roots as simply a “string skipping” exercise and a joke at the time In a VH1 special, it was stated that Slash played the riff in a jam session as a joke. Drummer Steven Adler and Slash were warming up and Slash began to play a “circus” melody while making faces at Steven. Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin asked Slash to play it again. Meanwhile lead singer Axl Rose was upstairs in his room and heard the ‘jam session’ going on downstairs and couldn’t help but write lyrics. He based it on his girlfriend Erin Everly. With Steven’s added drum part, Izzy’s chords and Duff McKagan‘s bass line the harmony became the core of the song. Originally, there was a third verse to the song. However, this verse was later cut from recording as the band’s producer, Mike Clink, felt the song would carry on for too long. The final dramatic breakdown was not added until Clink suggested the band add one. They agreed, but weren’t sure what to do. Axl started saying to himself, “Where do we go? Where do we go now?” Clink suggested that he sing that, and “Sweet Child o’ Mine” was born.

Picture Source: http://teacherweb.ftl.pinecrest.edu/snyderd/APHG/projects/Tour.htm

Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Kneeknee

Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band’s 1975 album A Night at the Opera. The song has no chorus, instead consisting of four main parts: a ballad segment ending with a guitar solo, an operatic passage, and a hard rock section. At the time, it was the most expensive single ever made and remains one of the most elaborate recordings in popular music history. When it was released as a single, “Bohemian Rhapsody” became a commercial success, staying at the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and selling more than a million copies by the end of January 1976. It reached number one again in 1991 for five weeks following Mercury’s death, eventually becoming the UK’s third best-selling single of all time. It topped the charts in several other markets as well, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and The Netherlands, later becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. In the United States the song originally peaked at number nine in 1976; however, it returned to the chart at number two in 1992 following its appearance in the film Wayne’s World which revived its American popularity.

Although critical reaction was initially mixed, “Bohemian Rhapsody” remains one of Queen’s most popular songs. Rolling Stone ranked it as number 163 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time“. “Bohemian Rhapsody” topped the list on an ITV nationwide poll to find ‘The Nation’s Favourite Number One’ over 60 years of music, with the TV programme airing on 15 July 2012. The poll was voted for by the British public and beat records such as Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean” (No.2), Adele‘s, “Someone like You” (No.3) and Oasis‘, “Don’t Look Back in Anger” (No.4). The single was accompanied by a promotional video, which many scholars consider ground-breaking.

Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Kneeknee

Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana

Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana

“Dirty Diana” is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson featuring guitarist Steve Stevens. It is the ninth track from Jackson’s seventh studio album, Bad. The song was released by Epic Records on April 18, 1988 as the fifth single from the album. The song presented a harder rock sound similar to that of “Thriller. “Dirty Diana” was written and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. The song’s lyrics pertain to groupies. “Dirty Diana” has a moderate tempo and is played in the key of G minor.
“Dirty Diana” was generally well received by contemporary music critics. The song was also a commercial success worldwide in 1988, charting at number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted within the top ten in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy and New Zealand. “Dirty Diana” was the fifth and final number-one single on the Hot 100 from Bad. In 2009, after Jackson’s death in June, the song re-entered charts, mainly due to digital download sales. A music video for “Dirty Diana” was filmed in front of a live audience and was released in 1988.

“Dirty Diana” was written and co-produced by Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. It appeared on Jackson’s seventh studio album, Bad. The song was released by Epic Records on April 18, 1988 as the fifth single from Bad. After “Beat It“, “Dirty Diana” was the second hard rock song of his solo career, more specifically a hard rock ballad, with lyrics about a persistent groupie. Jackson hired Billy Idol‘s guitarist Steve Stevens to back him on the track. Initial reports at the time suggested the song was a poke at his close friend Diana Ross, however this was later denied. In fact, Ross started using the song as an overture at her concerts shortly before she appears on stage. In an interview from the special edition of Bad, Jones later confirmed that the song’s lyrics were about groupies. Jackson also confirmed this during an interview with Barbara Walters, adding that it was not about Diana, Princess of Wales, though he was told personally by the Princess that it was her favourite among his songs.

Bio source…..wikipedia.org

Picture source…..www.michaeljackson-7.com

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