Sunday, April 1, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Vinyl Record News & Music Notes
45rpm Record Turns Sixty-Three Today
written by Robert Benson
Happy Birthday to an old friend, the 45 rpm record officially turns 63 years old today!The 45rpm record was initially introduced in 1949 by RCA Records as a smaller, more durable replacement for the heavy 78 shellac-based records of the time. The 45 was created by RCA as a competitive move against one their rival record companies, Columbia, which had just introduced the new microgroove 33 1/3 rpm LP. The number 45 came from taking 78 and subtracting Columbia's new 33 to equal the 45. Record companies and consumers alike faced an uncertain future as to which format would survive the 78rpm or the 45rpm; in what was known as the “War of the Speeds.” In 1949 Capitol and Decca started issuing the new LP format and RCA relented and issued its first LP in January 1950. But the 45 rpm was gaining in popularity and Columbia issued its first 45s in February 1951. Soon other record companies saw the mass consumer appeal the new format allowed and by 1954 more than 200 million 45s had been sold.
So On March 31, 1949, RCA Victor released "Texarkana Baby" b/w "Bouquet of Roses" by Eddy Arnold. The first 45 to hit the Billboard charts was "A -- You're Adorable" by Perry Como, listed on the charts on May 7, 1949. The next week, the year's biggest hit appeared on the Billboard charts -- "Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend)” by Vaughn Monroe. The first 45rpm records were monaural and as stereo sound became more prevalent and popular in the 1960s, almost all 45rpm records were manufactured in stereo.
The historical and commercial significance of the 45rpm record has varied over time, the technological developments in recorded music and according to the audience of the particular artists and musical genres. In general, 45 records were more important to the music acts who sold music to the younger audiences (mostly teenagers) who tend to have limited financial resources and shorter attention spans. That said, the golden age for the 45 was in the 1950s and 1960s in early development of rock music. They were affordable and allowed artists the freedom of releasing a single song as opposed to a whole LP. Conversely, some singles helped to launch the sales of the albums that the musicians were promoting.
The length of the songs also evolved. In the 1950s, it was common for songs to be anywhere from two to two and a half minutes long and in the 1960s; the three minute single became the norm. This length was very convenient and fit the AM radio format very well. Millions of demo records were sent out to radio stations with specific instructions as to which song was supposed to be the ‘hit single,’ although there were some DJs that played the ‘B’ sides and those songs became hits. Elvis Presley was one of the first artists to release the ‘double-sided single’, meaning that both songs would ultimately end up on the charts. The Beatles followed suit and were also one of the first recording artists to push the envelope, so to speak and commonly had songs over the three-minute norm. In fact, there are some singles that had to be edited by radio stations and shortened to fit their particular formats. Don McLean’s 1972 hit “American Pie” is an example, the single was split up into two parts on the 45. The Beatles broke new ground in 1968 with their over seven minute epic “Hey Jude.”
The sales of the 45s were recorded on the record charts in most countries in a Top 40 format and these charts were often published in magazines (Billboard), television shows (American Bandstand) and radio programs often had the Top 40 countdown shows (Casey Casem). However, the 45 rpm record can never duplicate the sales figures from when the format was in its heyday because when the 45 was at its peak, it was the way to get music to the music consumer. Today there are too many other formats competing for the music dollar.
Nowadays, they still manufacture 45 rpm records, but on a much smaller scale than decades ago. Indie bands, r&b artists and punk bands love the format; it makes the music affordable for their target audience and, after all these years, 45 rpm records are still highly sought after by record collectors. Happy Birthday to an old friend, here’s for many more!
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a few vinyl record reviews from our friends at audaud.com
Sarah Vaughan – Snowbound – Roulette R 52091/PurePleasure – vinyl
Sarah Vaughan matched with dreamy strings.
Published on March 25, 2012
Sarah Vaughan – Snowbound – Roulette R 52091/ PurePleasure PPAN R52091 (1962) 180gm audiophile stereo vinyl ****:
(Sarah Vaughan, vocals; unknown string section, woodwinds, and rhythm section; Strings arranged and conducted by Don Costa; Originally produced by Teddy Reig; re-mastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studio)
PurePleasure Records, from England, should be commended for re-issuing relatively ignored jazz issues from the 1950s and 1960s, and giving them the benefit of remastering in upgraded sound on 180gm vinyl.
Snowbound was issued during Vaughan’s years with Roulette Records which lasted from approximately 1960 to 1964. Most of Roulette’s issues were produced by Teddy Reig, an inimitable character, who was known for giving his label artists free rein to work their magic. That worked particularly well with the Count Basie Band.
For Snowbound, Sarah was matched with Don Costa, who did the arrangements and conducted the strings and woodwinds. For the eleven tracks on the album, largely ballad standards were chosen, such as “Stella by Starlight,” “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” and “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most.”
Sarah’s gorgeous alto and vibrato are put to good use and she does not coast, simply content to earn an easy paycheck. For this ballad collection, Vaughan’s only rival would have been Ella Fitzgerald. Both could have sung from a phone book as their voices were so glorious.
Sassy has her fun with the Gershwin’s “Blah, Blah, Blah,” one of the overlooked compositions of the two brothers. The strings and woodwinds are unobtrusive and give Vaughan the minimal support she needs. They are there for mood setting, and that they do.
On “I Remember You” Sarah shows her ability to bend a vocal or extend with vibrato, a vocal phrase. Her voice was in her prime, and it is a joy today to hear her make each song her own. The remastering by Sean Magee, done at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, is firstrate. The strings and woodwinds are mixed perfectly for listening as they are perfectly set on the sound stage leaving Vaughan upfront, but neither overwhelming, nor so distant as to be irrelevant.
For fans of Ms. Vaughan, Snowbound would be a welcome addition to their collection of this jazz vocalist supreme.
TrackList:
Side 1: Snowbound, I Hadn’t Anyone ‘til You; What’s Good about Goodbye; Stella By Starlight; Look to Your Heart; Oh, You Crazy Moon
Side 2: Blah, Blah, Blah; I Remember You; I Fall in Love Too Easily; Glad to be Unhappy; Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
—Jeff Krow
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Cassandra Wilson – Blue Light ‘Til Dawn – Blue Note/ PurePleasure (2 vinyl discs)Cassandra Wilson’s Blue Note debut in stunning audiophile clarity.
Published on March 25, 2012
Cassandra Wilson – Blue Light ‘Til Dawn – Blue Note/ PurePleasure PPAN 81357 – 180gm (2 discs) vinyl (1993) ****½:
(Cassandra Wilson, vocals; Brandon Ross, guitars; Charlie Burnham, violin & mandocello; Kenny Davis, bass; Tony Cedras, accordion; Lance Carter, drums & percussion; Olu Dara, cornet; Kevin Johnson, percussion; Vinx, percussion; Don Byron, clarinet; Bill McClellan, drums & percussion; Jeff Haynes and Cyro Baptista, percussion; Gib Wharton, pedal steel guitar; Lonnie Plaxico, bass; Chris Whitley, National resophonic guitar)
Cassandra Wilson’s debut for Blue Note Records, Blue Light ‘Til Dawn, recorded in 1993, was the breakout recording for Ms. Wilson. She had recorded for Brooklyn’s experimental M-Base collective and was finding her voice as a jazz singer when Blue Light was released. It became a hit and Wilson’s career really took off.
Blue Light was blues-oriented and covered an eclectic range of material ranging from legendary bluesman, Robert Johnson to compositions from Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell, while also paying homage to Ann Peebles’ soul classic, “I Can’t Stand the Rain.”
The British audiophile label Pure Pleasure has given Wilson’s album the royal audiophile LP treatment with re-mastering by Blue Note’s Ron McMaster, done at Capitol Studios. The CD release has been languorously stretched out over two LPs with none of the sides exceeding fifteen minutes.
Right off with the Side A initial track, “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” you immediately hear the improvement in acoustics. Cassandra’s smoky, sultry phrasing matched to the steel string guitar’s tone, and Charlie Burnham’s violin set a mood that grabs your attention and tells you something special is happening here. Wilson’s delivery is impeccable and heartfelt. The soundstage is wide and crystal clear.
Percussion, accordion, and various guitars contribute to the down home Robert Johnson classic, “Come On in My Kitchen.” Hand drums and percussion over the trap set add to the intimate feel. Philly soul gets a different treatment on Thom Bell’s “Children of the Night,” as Brandon Ross’ classical guitar is mixed with three percussionists into a heady mix of voodoo rhythms that Wilson’s vocals dart in and out matching the mood being set. Robert Johnson reappears on “Hellhound On My Trail.” Ross’ steel string guitar is mated with Olu Dara’s cornet, and you can sense the escapee just one step ahead of the hounds hot on his trail. Joni Mitchell’s “Black Crow” has more scene-setting as all six percussionists stir the pot while Don Byron’s clarinet provides fills. Wilson’s sultry voice captivates.
“Sankofa,” with an African theme, is a solo for Wilson, and her vocal mix tracks are sublime. Cyro Baptista’s percussion laden, “Estrellas” is ear candy for fans of drum rhythms. Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey” has additional lyrics from “Angel” by Jimi Hendrix. A personal favorite of mine, Cassandra does Van straight ahead. Her vocal range and warm phrasing is so inviting, and Charlie Burnham’s violin solo is a nice touch.
Side D is closed with the title track, and “I Can’t Stand the Rain.” The former benefits from more percussion and Wilson tells the story of a passionate meeting between lovers. The pedal steel guitar of Gib Wharton and violin of Charlie Burnham contribute to the relaxed and potentially memorable late night meeting. Chris Whitley’s National resophonic guitar is the sole instrument Cassandra uses to interpret the latter soul classic. It is given an acoustic deep South blues reading and you can sense it being played in a juke joint at 2 AM.
If you want the “definitive” version of Blue Night ‘Til Dawn, wait no longer. PurePleasure Records’ double-LP issue is sonic bliss.
[Another testament to the superiority of carefully remastered vinyl. Perhaps the highest-res stereo digital has the capability of being closer to the original recording—whatever it is—but the aural artifacts of the best vinyl remain the most pleasing to most ears...Ed.]
TrackList:
Side A: You Don’t Know What Love Is, Come On in to My Kitchen, Tell Me You’ll Wait for Me
Side B: Children of the Night, Hellhound on My Trail, Black Crow
Side C: Sankofa, Estrellas, Redbone, Tupelo Honey
Side D: Blue Light ‘Til Dawn, I Can’t Stand the Rain
—Jeff Krow
BUY AT AMAZON
Duster Bennett – Smiling Like I’m Happy – Blue Horizon/ Pure Pleasure Records (vinyl)Duster possessed an uncanny ability to play harmonica, guitar and bass drum simultaneously.
Published on March 30, 2012
Duster Bennett – Smiling Like I’m Happy – Blue Horizon (1968)/ Pure Pleasure Records (2011) 7-63208 180-gram stereo audiophile vinyl, 40:35 ***:
(Duster Bennett – harmonica, guitar, bass drum, high-hat cymbal; Stella Sutton – vocals; Peter Green – guitar; John McVie – bass; Mick Fleetwood – drums; Ham Richmond – piano)
The British blues scene thrived in the sixties. Popular rock groups like The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Animals and Led Zeppelin rebranded American blues and in some ways reintroduced it to their American fan base. However, there was a more traditional blues scene with the likes of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Long John Baldry and Fleetwood Mac. These bands thrived on the more austere parameters of this genre, without the guarantee of commercial success.
Among this hardcore blues establishment was a modern day one-man-band named Duster Bennett (not a bad moniker at that). He possessed an uncanny ability to play harmonica, guitar (a 1952 Les Paul Goldtop given to him by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green) and bass drum simultaneously. Green and Top Topham performed with him on mostly original “Jimmy Reed” inspired material. Additionally he was a session player, recording with John Peel (Top Gear) and received some notoriety as an opening act and band member of Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1970. His career stalled in the seventies, but he remained popular on the local blues club circuit. Unfortunately in 1976 after performing with Memphis Slim, he died in a tragic car accident.
Pure Pleasure Records has re-mastered his 1968 Blue Horizon debut, Smiling Like I’m Happy to state-of-the-art 180-gram audiophile vinyl. Twelve concise tracks (40 minutes) of predominately original material is performed by the solitary blues band that is Duster Bennett. He is an energetic harp player as indicated by the opening track, “Worried Mind” and is credible as a singer. The format of bass drum-guitar-harmonica shifts between up tempo and slower numbers. However, this concept is hit-or-miss, occasionally affected by repetition. However, “Trying To Paint It In The Sky” is more nuanced with its slower groove, and “Country Jam” reinvigorates the record with frenetic play, while “Got A Tongue In Your Head” is effective driving, electric blues. “Life Is A Dirty Deal” attempts a “down and dirty” statement, but falls short.
Occasional piano runs by Bennett (under the alias, Ham Richmond) add some coloration, but not enough. On “Times Like These” he elicits a two-part harmony from girlfriend Stella Sutton which adds a touch of rootsy charm. The indisputable highlight is the track with Fleetwood Mac, “My Love Is Your Love” Mick Fleetwood and John McVie have always been one of the tightest rhythm sections to ever play and this anchors the tune. Peter Green’s crashing, searing guitar licks are noteworthy. Bennett executes some rolling barrelhouse piano chords and there is significant chemistry. More of this dynamic would have elevated the project.
Though uneven, Smiling Like I’m Happy” is an interesting glimpse of a peripheral contributor to British blues. Pure Pleasure Records has reproduced this album with excellent stereo separation and instrument tone (especially on the harmonica). The liner notes (from 1968) include a humorous description of how to play this stereo record on mono “reproducers”. [That’s strange—since the stereodisc came out in 1958...Ed.]
TrackList:
Side One: Worried Mind; Life Is A Dirty Deal; Country Jam; Trying To Paint It In The Sky; Times Like These; My Lucky Day
Side Two: Got a Tongue In Your Head; Jumping At Shadows; 40 Minutes From Town; Shame, Shame, Shame; My Love Is Your Love; Shady Little Baby
—Robbie Gerson
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Nina Simone – Nina Live At The Village Gate – Colpix (1962)/ Pure Pleasure Records (vinyl)The legendary jazz performer’s 1961 Village Gate set is brilliant.
Published on March 29, 2012
Nina Simone – Nina Live At The Village Gate – Colpix (1962)/ Pure Pleasure Records (2011) PPAN SCP 421 180gr audiophile stereo vinyl, 39:45 ****1/2:
(Nina Simone – piano, vocals; Al Schackman – guitar; Chris White – bass; Bob Hamilton – drums)
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (a.k.a. Nina Simone) did not seem destined to be the next great jazz/blues vocalist. She was a classical piano student, who did not get into Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music (an incident which sparked her predilection toward civil rights), but ended up at Juilliard in New York. Her lifetime appreciation of classical composers like Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven and Schubert provided a formal background that made her comfortable with jazz, r&b, gospel and popular music of the day.
As the story goes, a demo led to a deal with Bethlehem Records. The stunning debut included a memorable version of “I Loves You Porgy” from the Gershwin musical. Later recordings of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “I Put A Spell On You” and “Wild Is The Wind” enhanced her reputation as a versatile and daring performer. Simone’s albums have been released continuously, long after her passage. She is revered among musicians in numerous genres.
Nina Live At The Village Gate is an unusual live set that showcases the vocal and instrumental talent of this performer. The opening track “Just In Time” (from the Broadway play, Bells Are Ringing) sets the tone for this unpredictable artist. With her vibrato-alto, Simone removes the song from its popular origins and reinvents it with an edgy interpretation. Unlike her peers, she is an adept musician, combining rhythmic chords and individual notation with forceful technique. Her timing is never interrupted by having to sing and play concurrently. The piano accompaniment of “He Was Good To Me” reflects the classical training as it complements the jazzy nuanced vocals. Simone expresses heartbreak with wistful agony. On the sole instrumental, “Bye Bye Blackbird”, the virtuosity is displayed with transitions from harmonic piano runs to syncopated Monk riffs. Her ability to blend with the rhythm section or lead the group is impressive. There is no doubt that the audience is enthralled by her.
More than stylized covers of standards, the album unleashes some unexpected gems. “House Of The Rising Sun” reverts to 3/4 time as a folk song. Guitarist Al Schackman offers a nimble solo that is contrasted by the ethereal arrangement. Subsequent renditions by Bob Dylan (who allegedly based his 1961 version on this one) and The Animals (with their organ-laden 1964 hit) followed her lead and brought the Appalachian standard into modern context. Known for her dedication to civil rights, a topical bluesy “Brown Baby” features gospel styling and “voice effects”.
Embracing the jazz culture’s awareness of African culture, “Zunga” is revelatory. A chant-based work song from West Africa, Simone pieces together a lighthearted piano intro before morphing into the steady pulse of the number. It is difficult to compare this singer with others. She is truly unique, like a “singing method actor”. Her spirituality is always on display, especially on tracks like “If He Changed My Name” and “Children Go Where I Send You”.
Nina Live At The Village Gate exudes a raw energy—partly due to the live, in-person vinyl sonics—that brings a definitive spotlight to a jazz pioneer.
TrackList:
Side 1: Just In Time; He Was Good To Me; House Of The Rising Sun; Bye Bye Blackbird
Side 2: Brown Baby; Zungo; If He Changed My Name; Children Go Where I Send You
—Robbie Gerson
BUY AT AMAZON
Special thanks to John at http://www.audaud.com for the exclusive rights to reprint this material.
AUDIOPHILE AUDITION focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors, with an accent on surround sound for music, and on all hi-res disc formats. Over 100 SACD, DVD Video/Audio and standard CD reviews are published during each month, and our archives go back to January 2001.
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and in music history for march 31st:
In 1949, after nine years of development, RCA Victor introduced the first 45 rpm record, a 7-inch wonder promising better sound and easier playability than the current standard, the 10" 78 rpm record. It was also designed to compete with the Long Playing record introduced by Columbia a year earlier.
In 1956, eleven-year-old Brenda Lee made her television debut on ABC's "Ozark Jamboree," singing the Hank Williams song, "Jambalaya."
In 1957, billed as "the nation's only atomic-powered singer," Elvis Presley played two shows at Olympia Stadium in Detroit.
Also in 1957, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Sun labelmates Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins began their only tour together.
In 1958, Chuck Berry released the single "Johnny B. Goode." The original lyrics referred to Johnny as a "colored boy," but, as Berry later explained, he changed it to "country boy" to ensure radio play. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at #1 on their list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time."
In 1960, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters recorded "Finger Poppin' Time."
In 1962, the Shirelles released the single "Soldier Boy." i found a 45 rpm record on youtube!
In 1964, the Beatles set a recording industry record that may never be equaled. They held the top 5 positions on the US singles chart with "Can't Buy Me Love" at number 1, "Twist and Shout" at number 2, "She Loves You" at number 3, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" at number 4 and "Please Please Me" at number 5. In Canada, they had nine of the Top 10 singles, while the Australian charts saw them occupying the first six places.
In 1966, the Elvis Presley film "Frankie and Johnny," co-starring Donna Douglas, Harry Morgan, Sue Ane Langdon, and Nancy Kovack, opened in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters.Inj 1967, at the Finsbury Park Astoria Theatre in North London, Jimi Hendrix played his first UK concert on a bill with the Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens, and Englebert Humperdinck. It was also the first time Hendrix set fire to his guitar on stage. He had to be taken to the hospital because of resulting burns to his hands.
In 1967, the final installment of "Where the Action Is," a weekday spin-off of "American Bandstand," aired on ABC-TV.
In 1969, John Lennon and his new wife Yoko Ono left their "bed-in" at the Amsterdam Hilton to make a quick trip to Vienna for the premiere of Yoko's new film "Rape," a trip detailed in the next Beatles single, "The Ballad Of John And Yoko."
In 1972, the official Beatles Fan Club disbanded. The Beatles Monthly magazine had ceased three years previously.
Television appeared at CBGB’s in New York City in 1974.
In 1977, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during the intermission of Elvis Presley's concert, he became too ill to return to the stage. The show was cancelled and Elvis was admitted to Baptist Hospital in Memphis the following day, suffering from fatigue and intestinal flu.
In 1978, Wings released their 'London Town' album.In 1982, the Doobie Brothers announced their break-up after 12 years of performing together.
In 1984, Kenny Loggins started a three-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Footloose” – the theme from the film with the same name, a #6 hit in the UK.
In 1986, O'Kelly Isley of The Isley Brothers died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 48. As a trio, the Isleys started as a Gospel group in the early 1950s, switching to R&B in the latter half of the decade. Their first big hit was "Shout" in 1959, followed in 1962 by the original version of "Twist and Shout", later covered by the Beatles. The Isley Brothers' biggest hit came in 1969 with the million-selling "It's Your Thing."
In 1987, Prince released his "Sign O' The Times" album.In 1989, the World's Largest Twist Party took place when 2,248 twisters joined singer Chubby Checker at Disneyland as part of their "Blast to the Past" celebration.
In 1990, at the Starplex Amphitheater in Dallas, Cher began her 55-date Heart of Stone World Tour, which grossed more than $70 million.
In 1992, Def Leppard released 'Adrenalize,' their fifth studio album and the first since the 1991 death of guitarist Steve Clark.In 1994, Madonna made a memorable visit to "The Late Show With David Letterman" on CBS-TV. The network had to delete 13 offending words from the audio track before the show aired. She also handed Letterman a pair of her panties. Robin Williams later described the segment as a "battle of wits with an unarmed woman."
In 1995, the singer Selena was killed at age 23 by the president of her fan club, Yolanda SaldÃvar. In 1997, Warner Brothers made a film based on Selena's life starring Jennifer Lopez.
In 1995, a member of the audience rushed the stage at a Jimmy Page/Robert Plant concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit, with intent to stab guitarist Page "to end his Satanic music." Two security guards who apprehended the would-be assassin were stabbed instead, but they recovered from their injuries.
In 2006, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry announced that digital music sales almost tripled around the world in 2005, reaching $1.1 billion in value.
In 2007, a new world record for the longest non-stop concert was set by hundreds of musicians in Japan. The performance began on the evening of March 23 in the city of Omi, with musicians between the ages of six and 96 taking turns with more than 2,000 tunes being performed over 182 hours. Organizers praised the musicians, one of whom carried on despite a major earthquake during her piano piece. The previous world record was set in Canada in 2001 with 181 hours. why?....
birthdays today include: Mick Ralphs, guitar, Mott the Hoople, Bad Company (1944), trumpeter Herb Alpert (1935) and Angus Young of AC/DC (1955)DSM-5: A Little Mix Up
Proposals in the upcoming DSM-5 psychiatric manual for diagnosing "mixed" mood states may be muddled, according to a new paper.
The mixed state - the name alluding to a mix between depression and mania - has traditionally been viewed (more or less) as combining the dysphoria of depression with the energy of mania. Anger, agitation, restlessness and so forth.
I've been depressed and I know only too well the difference between that "active" depression and the "inactive" kind; if I had to choose, I'd always go for the latter, because at least you're in less danger of doing or saying something you later regret.
However, in the proposals for DSM-5, "mixed" episodes as such will be abolished. Instead, a depressive episode will have "mixed features" if it is associated with at least 3 of 7 symptoms normally seen in (hypo)mania. But - and here's the key novelty - those 7 are only the "good" symptoms of mania. Not things like anger, irritability, insomnia or 'aimless' hyperactivity. (Edit: There are also separate criteria for "mixed" manic and hypomanic episodes).
What will this mean? In a new paper, psychiatrists Perlis, Cusin, and Fava tried to find out. The large STAR*D antidepressant trial recruited people with depression, but it gave everyone the Psychiatric Diagnosis Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ), amongst many other measures. This helpfully included six items on "mania symptoms", which correspond pretty closely to the DSM-V proposed "mixed" features.
Perlis et al found that depressed patients who reported experiencing these "mixed" items had a better response to antidepressant treatment. The more mixed symptoms, the more likely they were to get better on the common SSRI citalopram, even adjusting for other variables.
That's the exact opposite of what you'd expect from a measure of "mixed states", as these are thought to be less responsive to antidepressants - maybe even caused by them. There was no placebo group, so it's unclear why they got better, but either way, it's unexpected; the authors declare themselves "surprised". Hmm. What a mystery...
Or maybe not. These manic symptoms are all things that you're not when you're depressed. The 6 items actually make a good summary of what depression, even agitated depression (except maybe #6) isn't.
So, one interpretation of these results is that people who endorsed these items just weren't depressed, at some point in the 6 months prior to doing the PDSQ. Assuming they were depressed at other points that means their mood was variable over time.
People whose depression is variable might well be more likely to recover than the ones whose depression was unrelenting.
Now Perlis et al do consider this -
Maybe I'm wrong, and these people did feel that, but the problem is, we can't tell, because no-one actually sat down and asked these people what was going on, or heard their account of what they meant by ticking both the "depressed" and "manic" boxes.
Did they experience a strange mixed emotional state in which they simultaneously depressed and happy? Did their mood see-saw from one day to the next? Or weekly, monthly? Were they depressed in the day and happier in the evening? Were they depressed, then back to normal, leading them to see the normal as a 'high', by comparison with the lows? Were they depressed when sober and happy when drunk? Vice versa? Are they experiencing normal ups and downs and interpreting them as 'mood swings' because they've become convinced, for whatever reason, that they have a mood disorder? Did they just have a poor command of English and weren't really trying to say what the highly-educated investigators assume they were?
Who knows? No-one, because no-one asked. Rely on questionnaire 'measures' (as if emotions can be measured) as a replacement for understanding, and you'll end up where this paper does - with a 'result' that's impossible to understand.
Don't seek, and ye shan't find.
It's not great news for the DSM-5 proposals, either way, although defenders could hold out hope that the differences between those criteria and the PDSQ measure might mean the DSM-5 will perform better...
Perlis, R., Cusin, C., and Fava, M. (2012). Proposed DSM-5 mixed features are associated with greater likelihood of remission in out-patients with major depressive disorder Psychological Medicine, 1-7 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291712000281
The mixed state - the name alluding to a mix between depression and mania - has traditionally been viewed (more or less) as combining the dysphoria of depression with the energy of mania. Anger, agitation, restlessness and so forth.
I've been depressed and I know only too well the difference between that "active" depression and the "inactive" kind; if I had to choose, I'd always go for the latter, because at least you're in less danger of doing or saying something you later regret.
However, in the proposals for DSM-5, "mixed" episodes as such will be abolished. Instead, a depressive episode will have "mixed features" if it is associated with at least 3 of 7 symptoms normally seen in (hypo)mania. But - and here's the key novelty - those 7 are only the "good" symptoms of mania. Not things like anger, irritability, insomnia or 'aimless' hyperactivity. (Edit: There are also separate criteria for "mixed" manic and hypomanic episodes).
What will this mean? In a new paper, psychiatrists Perlis, Cusin, and Fava tried to find out. The large STAR*D antidepressant trial recruited people with depression, but it gave everyone the Psychiatric Diagnosis Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ), amongst many other measures. This helpfully included six items on "mania symptoms", which correspond pretty closely to the DSM-V proposed "mixed" features.
Perlis et al found that depressed patients who reported experiencing these "mixed" items had a better response to antidepressant treatment. The more mixed symptoms, the more likely they were to get better on the common SSRI citalopram, even adjusting for other variables.
That's the exact opposite of what you'd expect from a measure of "mixed states", as these are thought to be less responsive to antidepressants - maybe even caused by them. There was no placebo group, so it's unclear why they got better, but either way, it's unexpected; the authors declare themselves "surprised". Hmm. What a mystery...
Or maybe not. These manic symptoms are all things that you're not when you're depressed. The 6 items actually make a good summary of what depression, even agitated depression (except maybe #6) isn't.
So, one interpretation of these results is that people who endorsed these items just weren't depressed, at some point in the 6 months prior to doing the PDSQ. Assuming they were depressed at other points that means their mood was variable over time.
People whose depression is variable might well be more likely to recover than the ones whose depression was unrelenting.
Now Perlis et al do consider this -
further models were fit incorporating the IDS-C30 pleasure and reactivity items; results were essentially unchanged indicating that they are unlikely to be confounded by mood variability per se...But this assumes that the IDS-C30 questionnaire is a good measure of mood variability in this sample. Maybe it's not, and these data are telling us so. I'd have said that's more likely than the idea that these people were actually both cheerful and depressed at the same time, which seems like a contradiction in terms.
Maybe I'm wrong, and these people did feel that, but the problem is, we can't tell, because no-one actually sat down and asked these people what was going on, or heard their account of what they meant by ticking both the "depressed" and "manic" boxes.
Did they experience a strange mixed emotional state in which they simultaneously depressed and happy? Did their mood see-saw from one day to the next? Or weekly, monthly? Were they depressed in the day and happier in the evening? Were they depressed, then back to normal, leading them to see the normal as a 'high', by comparison with the lows? Were they depressed when sober and happy when drunk? Vice versa? Are they experiencing normal ups and downs and interpreting them as 'mood swings' because they've become convinced, for whatever reason, that they have a mood disorder? Did they just have a poor command of English and weren't really trying to say what the highly-educated investigators assume they were?
Who knows? No-one, because no-one asked. Rely on questionnaire 'measures' (as if emotions can be measured) as a replacement for understanding, and you'll end up where this paper does - with a 'result' that's impossible to understand.
Don't seek, and ye shan't find.
It's not great news for the DSM-5 proposals, either way, although defenders could hold out hope that the differences between those criteria and the PDSQ measure might mean the DSM-5 will perform better...
Perlis, R., Cusin, C., and Fava, M. (2012). Proposed DSM-5 mixed features are associated with greater likelihood of remission in out-patients with major depressive disorder Psychological Medicine, 1-7 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291712000281
Friday, March 30, 2012
Vinyl Record News & Music Notes
Mega Millions jackpot increases to $640 million
MARGERY A. BECK, Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Lottery ticket lines swelled Friday as players drawn by a record $640 million Mega Millions jackpot cast aside concerns about odds to take a chance at becoming an overnight millionaire.
From Arizona, where a café worker reported selling $2,600 worth of tickets to one buyer, to Wisconsin, where a retired soldier doubled his regular weekly ticket spending to $55, people have been willing to test their luck for a shot at instantaneous wealth.
"I feel like a fool throwing that kind of money away," said Jesse Carter, whose two tickets purchased Friday at a Milwaukee grocery store brought his spending to $55 for the drawing. "But it's a chance you take in life, with anything you do."
Read the rest (and your odds of winning) HERE
=============
ran into this story about a man and a record label:
Four Men With Beards: Rescuing Classic Out-of-Print Releases From the Archives
By Sam Lefebvre
Categories: Label Sampler
Filippo Salvadori of 4 Men With Beards
Many local labels are offering obscure reissues and innovative new releases on all conceivable formats. Label Sampler will profile a different Bay Area record company every other week.
Name: 4 Men With Beards
Owner: Filippo Salvadori
Founded: 2001
Headquarters: San Rafael
Creation story: 4 Men With Beards is a vinyl-only reissue imprint under the banner of Runt Distribution, which Salvadori founded in Italy in the mid-90's. Runt -- named not for its size nor Salvadori's ambitions, but rather the Todd Rundgren LP of the same title -- is the parent company of DBK Works and Water and Plain Recordings, amongst others. But we chose to focus on 4 Men With Beards, which Salvadori established in 2001 with the sole intent of reissuing of favorite LPs that were often stagnating intolerably in the archives of major labels.
Read the rest at blogs.sfweekly.com
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intriguing album cover art.......
Banda de la Muerte Album Cover Art & Limited Edition Vinyl
Banda de la Muerte has recently released its second album called 'Pulso de una Mente Maldita.' The record will also be released as a limited edition of 500 12” black vinyl copies and will be available for fans in Europe and North America via Clear Spot on April 20th and in South America via Zonda Records in May. =============
i never liked clowns......
U.D.O.: 'Celebrator' Cover Artwork Unveiled
U.D.O., the German metal band led by former ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider, will release a "rare-tracks" album with some very special gems for the fans. Entitled "Celebrator", the effort will be made available on May 4 via AFM Records. The full track listing will be announced next week. Read the rest at out friends at Blabbermouth
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FEAR FACTORY Reveal Album Art And Track Listing
Bell notes, “the protagonist (The Industrialist) is the incarnation of all industries in the form of an automaton. The mechanical, technological, and scientific advances through the industrial age led to the creation of The Industrialist. In the story, the automaton becomes sentient as it collects memories with each passing day. Through observation and learning, it gains the will to exist. What was meant to help man, will eventually be man’s demise.”
Read the rest and see the tracklist at thegauntlet.com
=============
amazing interview from classicrockmagazine.com about album cover art and the artist.....
Derek Riggs: Iron Maiden Album Cover Artist Interviewed
gbarton
“I never got very much feedback from Iron Maiden about what was going on. I just spent my time at home painting pictures.” Come inside for an interview with the legendary Derek Riggs, the artist behind Maiden’s The Number Of The Beast album cover artwork – and a whole lot more besides.Generally when it came to artwork for Iron Maiden, were you given free reign to do what you wanted, or did the band give you any sort of steer?
I have ideas that work the way I see them; they have a song. Usually I just got the song title and some idea of what it was about, I very seldom got any lyrics, usually lyrics are not very helpful anyway. The pictures and the songs have to come together in some way, so the pictures have to be slanted so that they fit in with the song title. Sometimes that means changing it a lot, sometimes surprisingly little.
Read the interview at classicrockmagazine.com
=============
Louis Armstrong's Final Recorded Trumpet Performance To Be Released to Public for First Time
WASHINGTON, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- What if your favorite musician could return from the great beyond and play one last set that would, for a moment, make his music live again? And what if the music were new – something you have never heard before? It would be a moment to savor.
Well for those of you who are waiting for Elvis or John Lennon to return, you might have to keep waiting. But for those of you who long to hear the music of the greatest trumpeter of all time, Louis Armstrong, just one more time your dreams may be answered. And you should come to the National Press Club on April 27 for what is sure to be a memorable and historic occasion. On that day there will be a news conference followed by a panel discussion followed by a reception. Details will be released as the date gets closer.
Officials from the National Press Club, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and the Louis Armstrong Foundation will announce their agreement to release a recording made on January 29, 1971 in the Ballroom of the National Press Club. The live recording is one of the last times Armstrong played his trumpet in public and is believed to be his last recorded trumpet performance. The recording was made into a limited edition record with only 300 copies most of which have vanished into attics. For several years a determined group of Press Club members have been working with their partners at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to bring the music to the public. Now, with the help of the Louis Armstrong Foundation, the moment has arrived.
On April 24, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the nonprofit record label of the national museum, will release "Satchmo at the National Press Club: Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours" on CD and digital download via www.folkways.si.edu and retailers including iTunes and Amazon as well as the streaming services. The album release is part of the Smithsonian Institution's celebration of the 11th annual Jazz Appreciation Month.
Armstrong agreed to perform at the 1971 inaugural party of incoming National Press Club President Vernon Louviere who was a Washington correspondent but a native of Louisiana. At the time he was booked, Mr. Armstrong's health was poor. He had not played trumpet for much of 1970 and his shows were mostly 10 minutes of singing. So the Press Club crowd expected to hear Louis sing a couple of songs. But Armstrong packed his horn when he traveled to Washington. He was feeling better and ready to play.
January 29, 1971 was a gala evening at the Press Club. The master of ceremonies for the event was the British Journalist David Frost. The crowd of journalists, dressed in black tie, had a real sense that they were about to witness history. Louis responded to the crowd's enthusiasm with more than 30 minutes of spirited singing, scat and to everyone's great surprise, trumpet. His trumpet was only to be recorded two other times: during a taped television show with David Frost; and on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson before a studio audience. It is believed that neither was turned into a recording offered to the public.
SOURCE National Press Club
=============
CINDERELLA Announce Tour Dates
Philadelphia-based rockers CINDERELLA have announced a few live dates for this summer:
June
21 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
22 - River Roar - Bay City, MI
26 - Bergen PAC - Englewood, NJ
27 - Turning Stone - Verona, NY
29 - Hampton Beach Casino - Hampton, NH
July
1 - Penns Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA
=============
Alice Cooper Archive Burglary
Alice Cooper is asking his fans to help find priceless items of memorabilia which were stolen from his this past Tuesday. "The storage facility in Los Angeles which houses the Alice Cooper Archives was broken into on March 27, along with three other storage units. A police report has been filed... With multiple units broken into, we don't believe Alice's Archives was specifically targeted."
"If anyone sees anything suspicious or hears anything about these stolen items - especially on the internet or in Los Angeles - please let us know...
"The jacket in question is in fact the John Richmond jacket, better known as the one worn in Wayne's World. It's one of a kind, and is unmistakable. If you see anyone selling it, please write to us immediately!"
i say catch the idiots!
=============
from our friends at vinylcollective.com
Isis – The Red Sea Vinyl Repress
Comes complete with the 1999 RED SEA ep tracks on side one and 4 tracks from a 1998 demo as the B-side. LIMITED Record Store Day REPRESS ON translucent RED or White/Black VINYL!
Order your copy at ShopRadioCast
=============
this from our friends at burningshed.com
Rush - ABC 1974 (double vinyl preorder)
A recording taken from a WMMS radio broadcast of a Rush performance in Cleveland in 1974.Recorded during the first ever Rush tour of the US in 1974, the tour was also the first with the band's enigmatic drummer/lyricist, Neal Peart.
ABC 1974 is a 180gm double black vinyl release, with gatefold packaging, featuring tracks from the band's debut and the then unreleased Fly By Night, as well as three previously unavailable pieces (Fancy Dancer, Garden Road and a cover of Larry Williams' Bad Boy).
A fascinating glimpse into the early work of a Progressive institution.
Pre-order now for 16th April release date
Side 1:
1. Finding My Way
2. The Best I Can
3. Need Some Love
4. In The End
Side 2:
5. Fancy Dancer
6. In The Mood
7. Bad Boy
8. Here Again
Side 3:
9. Working Man
10. Drum Solo
11. What Youre Doing
Side 4:
12. Garden Road
13. Anthem
14. Beneath, Between & Behind
15. Fly By Night
Preorder from the BurningShed
=============
and in music history for march 30th:
In 1957, Buddy Knox became the first artist in the Rock 'n' Roll era to write his own number one hit when "Party Doll" topped the Billboard chart. Buddy would go on to place four more songs in the Top 40 between 1957 and 1961.
In 1958, Little Richard had his final US Top 10 hit with "Good Golly Miss Molly". The song was from his last recording sessions for Specialty Records, after which he recorded a series of Gospel songs.In 1962, the Russian newspaper Pravda warns communist youths about the dangers of dancing the Twist.
In 1963, 16 year-old Lesley Gore records her breakthrough hit, "It's My Party". Producer Quincy Jones hurried Gore into the studio when he found out that Phil Spector was going to cut the song with The Crystals. The single would reach #1 in the US and #9 in the UK.
Also in 1963, the Chiffons enjoy the first of their five Billboard Top 40 hits when "He's So Fine" climbs to #1. In the UK, it reached #16.
In 1967, during an appearance by Jimi Hendrix on 'Top Of The Pops', a technician put on the backing track of Alan Price's 'Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear', to which Hendrix responded 'I don't know the words to this one man.'
In 1967, Cindy Birdsong, formerly of Patti LaBelle's Bluebelles, was asked to fill in for Florence Ballard of The Supremes after Ballard missed a number of shows in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Montreal. Birdsong became a permanent member a few months later.
In 1967, the photo session took place at Chelsea Manor studios in London with Michael Cooper for the cover of The Beatles 'Sgt Pepper's' album. After the shoot The Beatles resumed work at Abbey Road studios on ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ adding guitars, bass, tambourine, and backing vocals. The session began at 11:00 pm and ends at 7:30 am. In 1969, after having two giant hits with "The Letter" (#1) and "Cry Like A Baby" (#2), The Box Tops' "Sweet Cream Ladies" tops out at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. They would reach #18 later in the year with "Soul Deep", their final Top 40 entry.
In 1970, Led Zeppelin stoped a show in Pittsburgh, saying they won't continue until the police stop harassing the audience.
In 1971, six months after his death, Jimi Hendrix's album, 'The Cry of Love' is certified Gold.
In 1974, nine weeks after entering the Hot 100, John Denver's "Sunshine On My Shoulders" goes to #1. John would later say that he wrote the song on a day that it was pouring rain.
In 1985, Phil Collins started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "One More Night", his second US chart topper. The song reached #4 in the UK.
In 1989, Gladys Knight performs without the Pips for the first time since grammar school at a show at Bally's in Las Vegas.
In 1992, the soundtrack to 'Wayne's World' was the number 1 album in the US. It featured the return to the charts of Queen's, "Bohemian Rhapsody", actually making the song a bigger hit the second time around. Tracks by Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, as well as a new version of "Dream Weaver" from Gary Wright, were also included on the LP. In 1991, Gloria Estefan started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Coming Out Of The Dark," a #25 hit in the UK.
Also in 1991, the Eurythmics started a nine-week run at #1 on the UK album chart with their 'Greatest Hits' LP.
In 1992, R.E.M. started recording sessions for their 'Automatic For The People' album at Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, New York. In 1994, Pink Floyd played their first concert in more than five years, opening a North American tour before more than 55,000 fans in Miami.
In 1996, The Beatles had the #1 album on the UK chart with "Anthology 2".
In 1999, Kiss cancels three shows in Russia due to growing anti-American sentiments due to the bombing of Yugoslavia.
In 2000, Castle music was sold to the Sanctuary Music group for £40 million. Castle owned the rights to all The Kinks back catalogue.
In 2004, Timi Yuro passed away at the age of 62. She began singing in her family's restaurant when she was a child and signed with Liberty Records when she turned 18. During the next five years, Timi reached the US charts nine times, including "Hurt", which climbed to #4 in the US in 1961, as well as "Make The World Go Away" and "What's A Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You)". She was troubled by throat problems throughout her career and retired from performing in the 1970s. In 1981, "Hurt" resurfaced in the Netherlands and went to #1, prompting Timi to return to the stage where she played to sold out audiences across Europe. In 2002 she was diagnosed with throat cancer and an inoperable brain tumor. She died in her sleep at her Las Vegas home.
Vinyl Art by Daniel Edlen
In 2004, at a restaurant near Lake Tahoe, the jazz trio house band was shocked when Paul McCartney stepped onstage to join them for a rendition of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore."In 2007, a man was arrested after trying to force his way into Paul McCartney's mansion, screaming: "I must get to him." The man, driving at high speeds, burst through security patrols and drove across fields and gardens until he was finally halted by trees and a fence just yards from Sir Paul's six-bedroom home at Peasmarsh. The man fled as teams of police arrived, but gave himself up after a three-mile chase. He was later detained under the Mental Health Act and did not face any criminal charges.
In 2010, sixteen-year-old Justin Bieber's "My World 2.0" debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, making him the youngest solo male artist to reach the top of the chart since 1963 when 13-year-old Stevie Wonder was at #1 with his album, "Little Stevie Wonder/The 12 Year Old Genius."
In 2011, the Australian band Men at Work lost a Federal Court appeal of a ruling which found their 1983 hit single "Down Under" was partly copied from a Folk song called "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree". The decision cleared the way for copyright owners Larrikin Music to claim millions of dollars in unpaid royalties from "Down Under" writers Colin Hay and Ron Strykert.
birthdays today include (among others): Graeme Edge (Moody Blues) (71), Eric Clapton (67), James "Jim Dandy" Mangrum (Black Oak Arkansas) (64), Dave Ball (Procol Harum) (62), David Ball (Soft Cell) (53), MC Hammer (born Stanley Burrell) (50), Tracy Chapman (48), Joey Castillo (Queens of the Stone Age) (46), Celine Dion (44), Mark McClelland (Snow Patrol) (36) and Norah Jones (33)
The Geography of Faces
How much can you tell about where someone comes from, just from their face?
The other day I was in London and came across a group of young people in Muslim attire who were waving (or in some cases wearing) a particular flag. I thought it was the Iranian flag, but, I thought, they didn't look Iranian. They looked more like Somalis, but it certainly wasn't the blue and white Somali flag. I decided that maybe they were some kind of pro-Iranian demonstrators, but I later worked out that it was the flag of the unrecognised state of Somaliland.
This got me thinking about how reliable these "they look they're from..." judgements are.
Clearly on a basic level, we can usually tell which continent someone's ancestors were from, in terms of the familiar "races" of Europeans, Africans, East Asians etc. But what about shorter distances?
Could you tell, just from looking at them (and setting aside dress, hairstyle, jewellery etc.) whether someone was from Spain as opposed to France? Korea or Japan? Russia or Germany?
I can only speak for England, but there's certainly a vague but widespread belief that every part of Europe has a distinct 'look'. In the past, people were very fond of talking about that kind of thing; today, we're rather embarrassed by the idea but the belief lives on.
I don't know, but I'd be very surprised if there weren't analogous beliefs in other countries.
But how accurate are these folk beliefs, really?
Supposing you were the world expert on human faces - or suppose you were a supercomputer with face-recognition software and access to Facebook's entire dataset. How accurately could you place someone's origins on the map, on average? To within 1000 km? 100? With what degree of accuracy? In an ideal world, could the ultimate face-placer judge someone as French vs German 75% of the time? 90%? Or only slightly better than chance?
I suspect that if you researched this, you'd find that a supercomputer could do very well, in most parts of the world, but that the majority of actual people are less accurate than they think they are.
This got me thinking about how reliable these "they look they're from..." judgements are.
Clearly on a basic level, we can usually tell which continent someone's ancestors were from, in terms of the familiar "races" of Europeans, Africans, East Asians etc. But what about shorter distances?
Could you tell, just from looking at them (and setting aside dress, hairstyle, jewellery etc.) whether someone was from Spain as opposed to France? Korea or Japan? Russia or Germany?
I can only speak for England, but there's certainly a vague but widespread belief that every part of Europe has a distinct 'look'. In the past, people were very fond of talking about that kind of thing; today, we're rather embarrassed by the idea but the belief lives on.
I don't know, but I'd be very surprised if there weren't analogous beliefs in other countries.
But how accurate are these folk beliefs, really?
Supposing you were the world expert on human faces - or suppose you were a supercomputer with face-recognition software and access to Facebook's entire dataset. How accurately could you place someone's origins on the map, on average? To within 1000 km? 100? With what degree of accuracy? In an ideal world, could the ultimate face-placer judge someone as French vs German 75% of the time? 90%? Or only slightly better than chance?
I suspect that if you researched this, you'd find that a supercomputer could do very well, in most parts of the world, but that the majority of actual people are less accurate than they think they are.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne
FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 26, 2012
DEAR JERRY: Last year, in your detailed history of the first 101 long-playing records, I noticed not a one of them was a various artists compilation.
How long after this introductory batch, from Columbia in 1948, did it take for someone to come up with an LP of hits by several different artists?
My first exposure to this format came in 1959, when a high school classmate brought “Oldies But Goodies” to school and was showing it around.
I was instantly hooked. You got 12 great songs for the price of three singles.
Also, what was the first rock or R&B compilation?
—Ronald Gersdorf, Terre Haute, Ind.
DEAR RONALD: Once Columbia introduced the long-play format, the task was not coming up with records featuring more than just one performer. The labels had been doing that since the mid-'40s, creating multi-disc sets of 78 rpms.
Rather, all they had to do was select which of their previously-issued shellac sets they wanted to reissue on 10-inch vinyl records. Columbia also opened this door in 1948, with “Theme Songs,” their 16th “Long-Playing Microgroove” (CL-6016) album. In what could be dubbed the first ever concept LP, this is a collection of the theme songs of eight of Columbia's big band leaders: Frankie Carle (“Sunrise Serenade”); Claude Thornhill (“Snowfall”); Xavier Cugat (“My Shawl”); Elliot Lawrence (“Heart to Heart”); Gene Krupa (“Starburst”); Les Brown (“Leap Frog”); Dick Jurgens (“Day Dreams Come True at Night”); and Ray Noble (“The Very Thought of You”). And of course it is one of the first 101.
In 1949, Columbia issued their first compilation to include pop vocalists, “Popular Favorites” (CL-6057). Here the featured performers are: Frank Sinatra; Dinah Shore; Doris Day; Arthur Godfrey; Dorothy Shay; and Les Brown.
Columbia must have been quite pleased with this entry's sales, because over the next five years they cranked out nine more volumes in the “Popular Favorites” series. Having 10 volumes (80 tracks) gave Columbia the chance to include most of the big name acts in their stable at the time.
Not one of the “Popular Favorites” series, but also from Columbia in 1949, is “Everybody Polka” (CL-6116), on which everybody does exactly that.
Meanwhile, over at Mercury Records, the first of 15 volumes of Norman Granz' “Jazz at the Philharmonic” went on sale. Newer volumes were later added, but in the 12-inch format.
In 1950, both Capitol (“History of Jazz”) and Decca (“Gems of Jazz”) jumped in with four-volume jazz comps. Two years later, Capitol put together a 10-volume series, “Today's Top Hits by Today's Top Artists,” as did RCA Victor in 1954, “Honor Roll of Hits (1926-1945).”
Among other labels with early 10-inch various artists compilations, and the year of their first, are: (1949) Folkways; Stinson; (1950) Brunswick; MGM; (1951) Modern; Savoy; (1952) Jazztone (1953); Blue Note; Blue Ribbon; Dial; Elektra; and Norgran.
The first 10-inch vinyl R&B comp is a 1951 release, appropriately titled “Rhythm and Blues” (Savoy 15008), and features Paul Williams; Big Jay McNeeley; Bill Moore; Hal Singer; and Milton Buckner.
Unlike most of the others referenced above, generally valued at less than $100, “Rhythm and Blues” can fetch over $200.
The earliest R&R and R&B compilation is “Rock 'n Roll with Rhythm and Blues” (Aladdin LP-710). This 1955 collection, Aladdin's first long-play in the 12-inch format, includes: Charles Brown; Gene & Eunice; Lynn Hope; Helen Humes; Richard Lewis; Amos Milburn; Peppermint Harris; Shirley & Lee; and the Five Keys.
Obviously collectible for multiple reasons, this legendary LP can sell for $600 to $800.
IZ ZAT SO? Art Laboe's first five “Oldies But Goodies” albums all made the Top 20, further ensuring that “oldies but goodies” could signify any memorable tune of the past.
The first various artists compilation to reach No. 1, where it remained for nine weeks in 1961, is in fact a catalog sampler.
Titled “Stars for a Summer Night” (Columbia PM-1), its original intent was to drive non-rock music lovers to record retailers to purchase any of 26 recent Columbia LPs, 13 pop or easy listening, and 13 classical.
Fueled by a low price — $1.98 for two discs in mono, $2.98 in stereo — sales went through the roof. After only 10 weeks, Columbia reported sales of over 500,000 units.
DEAR JERRY: Last year, in your detailed history of the first 101 long-playing records, I noticed not a one of them was a various artists compilation.
How long after this introductory batch, from Columbia in 1948, did it take for someone to come up with an LP of hits by several different artists?
My first exposure to this format came in 1959, when a high school classmate brought “Oldies But Goodies” to school and was showing it around.
I was instantly hooked. You got 12 great songs for the price of three singles.
Also, what was the first rock or R&B compilation?
—Ronald Gersdorf, Terre Haute, Ind.
DEAR RONALD: Once Columbia introduced the long-play format, the task was not coming up with records featuring more than just one performer. The labels had been doing that since the mid-'40s, creating multi-disc sets of 78 rpms.Rather, all they had to do was select which of their previously-issued shellac sets they wanted to reissue on 10-inch vinyl records. Columbia also opened this door in 1948, with “Theme Songs,” their 16th “Long-Playing Microgroove” (CL-6016) album. In what could be dubbed the first ever concept LP, this is a collection of the theme songs of eight of Columbia's big band leaders: Frankie Carle (“Sunrise Serenade”); Claude Thornhill (“Snowfall”); Xavier Cugat (“My Shawl”); Elliot Lawrence (“Heart to Heart”); Gene Krupa (“Starburst”); Les Brown (“Leap Frog”); Dick Jurgens (“Day Dreams Come True at Night”); and Ray Noble (“The Very Thought of You”). And of course it is one of the first 101.
In 1949, Columbia issued their first compilation to include pop vocalists, “Popular Favorites” (CL-6057). Here the featured performers are: Frank Sinatra; Dinah Shore; Doris Day; Arthur Godfrey; Dorothy Shay; and Les Brown.
Columbia must have been quite pleased with this entry's sales, because over the next five years they cranked out nine more volumes in the “Popular Favorites” series. Having 10 volumes (80 tracks) gave Columbia the chance to include most of the big name acts in their stable at the time.
Not one of the “Popular Favorites” series, but also from Columbia in 1949, is “Everybody Polka” (CL-6116), on which everybody does exactly that.
Meanwhile, over at Mercury Records, the first of 15 volumes of Norman Granz' “Jazz at the Philharmonic” went on sale. Newer volumes were later added, but in the 12-inch format.
In 1950, both Capitol (“History of Jazz”) and Decca (“Gems of Jazz”) jumped in with four-volume jazz comps. Two years later, Capitol put together a 10-volume series, “Today's Top Hits by Today's Top Artists,” as did RCA Victor in 1954, “Honor Roll of Hits (1926-1945).”
Among other labels with early 10-inch various artists compilations, and the year of their first, are: (1949) Folkways; Stinson; (1950) Brunswick; MGM; (1951) Modern; Savoy; (1952) Jazztone (1953); Blue Note; Blue Ribbon; Dial; Elektra; and Norgran.
The first 10-inch vinyl R&B comp is a 1951 release, appropriately titled “Rhythm and Blues” (Savoy 15008), and features Paul Williams; Big Jay McNeeley; Bill Moore; Hal Singer; and Milton Buckner.
Unlike most of the others referenced above, generally valued at less than $100, “Rhythm and Blues” can fetch over $200.
The earliest R&R and R&B compilation is “Rock 'n Roll with Rhythm and Blues” (Aladdin LP-710). This 1955 collection, Aladdin's first long-play in the 12-inch format, includes: Charles Brown; Gene & Eunice; Lynn Hope; Helen Humes; Richard Lewis; Amos Milburn; Peppermint Harris; Shirley & Lee; and the Five Keys.
Obviously collectible for multiple reasons, this legendary LP can sell for $600 to $800.
IZ ZAT SO? Art Laboe's first five “Oldies But Goodies” albums all made the Top 20, further ensuring that “oldies but goodies” could signify any memorable tune of the past.
The first various artists compilation to reach No. 1, where it remained for nine weeks in 1961, is in fact a catalog sampler.
Titled “Stars for a Summer Night” (Columbia PM-1), its original intent was to drive non-rock music lovers to record retailers to purchase any of 26 recent Columbia LPs, 13 pop or easy listening, and 13 classical.
Fueled by a low price — $1.98 for two discs in mono, $2.98 in stereo — sales went through the roof. After only 10 weeks, Columbia reported sales of over 500,000 units.
Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368 E-mail: jpo@olympus.net Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com
All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.
Copyright 2012 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission
Vinyl Record News & Music Notes
not much happening today, although jack white is up to his tricks at ThirdManRecords with in my opinion, a silly release, an unplayable record....and in my never ending search for awesome album cover art, i have found a couple of gems.....
Jack White Releases 3 RPM Record Pitchfork article
i am also posting a new feature on the CVR blog called The Vinyl Pulse, a weekly snapshot of what is selling on the big vinyl machine called eBay. This is a great way to keep your eyes peeled for a specific record and what you might have to pay for it to obtain it.
The Vinyl Pulse
CollectorsFrenzy lists the top 25 real time ended auctions and the selling price for the collectible vinyl and is updated daily.
Top 10 Items for 03/28/2012
1. Beatles PLEASE PLEASE ME 1963 UK 1ST ISSUE BLACK & GOLD PARLOPHONE MONO LP. Sold Price:$2474.89 USD End Time:03/28/2012
2. Beatles:PLEASE PLEASE ME 1st UK BLACK/GOLD MONO**1G 1G**MOTHERS!! EX/EX
Sold Price:$2187.48 USD End Time:03/28/2012
3. Rolling Stones Promotional Album 1969 U.S. London - Beautiful NM - MEGA RARE
Sold Price:$1895.00 USD End Time:03/28/2012
4. Queen"45t vinyle"Bohemian Rhapsody"Original Promo Radio France SP-621 Ultra Rare
Sold Price:$1405.47 USD End Time:03/28/2012
5. LP ITALIAN PROG QUELLA VECCHIA LOCANDA - IL TEMPO DELLA TEMPO GIOIA - ORIGINALE
Sold Price:$1218.96 USD End Time:03/28/2012
6. JUTTA HIPP~BLUE NOTE 5056~FIRST ALBUM~INSANELY RARE ORIG 1954 10-INCH LP~NR MINT
Sold Price:$1125.00 USD End Time:03/28/2012
7. THE ROULETTES STAKES AND CHIPS LP ORIG UK 1965 N.MINT MONO Y/B PARLOPHONE
Sold Price:$1106.51 USD End Time:03/28/2012
8. THE END INTROSPECTION LP ORIG UK 1969 N.MINT MONO DECCA KILLER PSYCH PROG
Sold Price:$1099.41 USD End Time:03/28/2012
9. ZARATHUSTRA SAME LP ORIG 1972 MINT KRAUTROCK PROG MONSTER
Sold Price:$1053.82 USD End Time:03/28/2012
10. SOUL DYNAMICS Stay in the Groove 45 rpm Original Promo - Mega Rare!
Sold Price:$860.00 USD End Time:03/28/2012
this site MusicPriceGuide lists the Top Ten per dollar sold for, an interesting site with all the bells and whistles
1. SEX PISTOLS.GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.ORIGINAL A&M ams7284.100%genuine.
USD 11.710,08 2012-01-03
2. Elvis Presley Compact 33 Single "Good Luck Charm/Anything That's Part of You" NM
USD 4.995,00 2012-01-02
3. HANK MOBLEY-BLP-1568-ORIG-BLUE NOTE- MONO D.G (LP) - NM!
USD 4.600,00 2012-01-09
4. ASD 429 W/G UK GIOCONDA DE VITO - BACH & MOZART VIOLIN CONCERTOS
USD 4.050,00 2012-01-03
5. RARE* Beatles Brute Force king of Fuh on the APPLE Label
USD 3.536,14 2011-12-29
6. JOHN HEARTSMAN & CIRCLES Music Of My Heart ORIGINAL 2-LP
USD 3.250,00 2011-12-29
7. RARE NORTHERN 45-JIMMY BURNS-I REALLY LOVE YOU-ERICA
USD 3.107,57 2012-01-08
8. HOLY GRAIL ULTRA RARE R&B SOUL 45 RECORD The PEACHEROOS on EXCELLO VINTAGE
USD 3.000,00 2012-01-03
9. U2 Special Collection 1980 -1987 CD Mega Rare Promo Japan TOP RARITY
USD 2.999,99 2012-01-05
10. TY KARIM- ROMARK-113- YOU JUST DON'T KNOW/ALL IN VAIN- NORTHERN SOUL (RARE)
USD 2.749,99 2012-01-03
look for this feature every thursday !!
=============
AEROSMITH: More New Album Details Revealed
Four members of AEROSMITH (everyone but guitarist Brad Whitford who was on the road with the "Experience Hendrix" tour) took part in a press conference at The Grove in Los Angeles on March 28 to announce their new album and upcoming tour. Introduced by Jimmy Kimmel, the musicians — including singer Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton and guitarist Joe Perry — spoke to the media about their upcoming "The Global Warming" tour with CHEAP TRICK and their long-awaited new studio album, which is due this summer.
"We've been underground for four months, doing what we do the best. We've been known to set the world on fire," Steven said. "We haven't been played any music for the last couple years, at least, so we decided to do 'The Global Warming' tour and come out from under the hood, so to speak. We've got a new album, we've got a new tour."
Read much more at our friends at Blabbermouth
=============
SMILE EMPTY SOUL: New Album Track Listing, Cover Artwork Revealed
Los Angeles-based rock trio SMILE EMPTY SOUL has revealed the album cover and track listing for its upcoming album, "3's", due on May 22 via eOne Music.
Read the rest at Blabbermouth
=============
Cadaveric Crematorium Reveals Cover Art New LP
Italian grindcore oufit Cadaveric Crematorium have revealed the album cover art for their newest effort called 'One of Them,' which is scheduled for a summer release.
Tracklist:
1. Smiling And Farting ("Alfa")
2. Sun Supercharged ("Alfa")
3. The Protected ("Beta")
4. WWIII ("Gamma")
5. The Mutant ("Gamma")
6. Genetic Corruption ("Gamma")
7. They Back ("Delta")
8. That's Enough ("Delta")
9. Infected Scientist ("Delta")
10. Zombies Will Dominate ("Epsilon")
=============
Earl Scruggs (1924 - 2012)
Country and bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs has passed away in a Nashville hospital at the age of 88.
Scruggs was born in Shelby, NC and started playing the banjo at the age of four, an instrument that would fill his days during the depression and after his father died. Originally, he played using two fingers but, by the age of ten, he had evolved to a three-finger style that would eventually revolutionize bluegrass music and become known as "Scruggs Style Picking."
Please read the rest at our friends at VintageVinylNews
=============
and in music history for march 29th:
In 1958, Connie Francis enjoys her first chart success as "Who's Sorry Now?" reached Billboard's #4 spot. Over the next ten years she will place 55 more songs on the Billboard hit parade.
In 1962, Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl" was certified Gold.
In 1966, Mick Jagger was injured when a fan threw a chair on the stage during a show in Marseilles.
In 1966, two members of the Walker Brothers were given concussions when fans mobbed them in Cheshire, U.K.
"With a Little Help From My Friends" was recorded by the Beatles in 1967. The band started recording the song the day before they posed for the Sgt. Pepper album cover (29 March 1967), wrapping up the session at 5:45 in the morning.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Black Sabbath, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Curved Air, J.J. Jackson’s Dilemma, Shy Limbs, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Sunflower Brass Band and Toe Fat all appeared at the London Free Easter Festival in Bethnal Green, London, England.
In 1973, Dr. Hook got its wish and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. The group's recording, "The Cover of Rolling Stone," reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to members of the group, they really did buy five copies for their mothers, just like the song said.
In 1975, Led Zeppelin had all six of their albums in the US Top 100.
In 1980, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon had its 303rd week on the Billboard Albums, pushing it past Carole King's Tapestry for the longest run on the chart.
Also in 1980, Ronald Selle, a Chicago antique dealer and part-time musician and songwriter files suit against The Bee Gees, Paramount Pictures and Polygram Records. Selle alleged The Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love" plagiarized two sections of a song he wrote called "Let it End". Selle won the case even though the Bee Gees claim they never heard Selle's song and the whole thing was a coincidence. The group would successfully appeal the decision in 1983.
In 1982, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney released their duet single "Ebony and Ivory."
In 1985, Dominican nun/singer (Dominique) Jeanine Deckers, who had a recording career as the Singing Nun, committed suicide at age 51 after the center for autistic children in Belgium that she helped to found closed due to lack of funds. She was unaware that on the day of her suicide, the Belgian association that collects royalties for songwriters awarded her $300,000.
In 1986, Austrian singer Falco started a three-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Rock Me Amadeus,” also a #1 in the UK. Falco became the first German-speaking artist to achieve a #1 on the US charts.
In 1986, the Beatles albums become officially available for the first time in Russia.
In 1996, Carol Connors and Marshall Lieb, former members of the Teddy Bears, sued third member Phil Spector and a number of labels saying they had not received royalties for the record To Know Him Is to Love Him.
In 2000, 'N Sync's album 'No Strings Attached' set a new all-time record for first-week sales with 2.4 million copies.
In 2001, a three-hour show honoring Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson was held at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. There were vocal tributes by Paul Simon (Surfer Girl), Elton John (God Only Knows), and Billy Joel (Don't Worry Baby). Wilson himself performed "Barbara Ann," "Fun, Fun, Fun," and "Surfin' U.S.A." Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, the Go-Go's, David Crosby, Carly Simon, Wilson Phillips, Aimee Mann, and songwriter Jimmy Webb also appeared.
In 2001, jazz pianist/composer John Lewis, who spent 45 years as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, died of prostate cancer at age 80.
In 2001, Brian Wilson was honored at New York's Radio City Music Hall by Billy Joe, Paul Simon, The Go-Gos, Carly Simon, David Crosby, Jimmy Webb, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Elton John and Aimee Mann.
In 2005, Neil Young was treated for a brain aneurysm at a hospital in New York. Doctors expected the 59-year-old to make a full recovery. The aneurysm was discovered when Young’s vision became blurred after the induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the previous month.
In 2007, U2 singer Bono accepted an honorary knighthood at a ceremony in Dublin. Fellow band members The Edge and Adam Clayton joined the frontman’s wife and four children at the British ambassador David Reddaway’s official residence. The rock star and campaigner, 46, was not entitled to be called “Sir” because he is not a British citizen. The U2 singer’s new title is Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE).
In 2011, Robbie Robertson released 'How to Become Clairvoyant,"'his first CD in 13 years. Eric Clapton co-wrote three of the tracks and played on seven of them.
birthdays today include (among others): Chad Allan (born Allan Kowbel) (Guess Who) (69), Terry Jacks (68), Bobby Kimball (Toto) (65), Barry Goudreau (Boston) (61), Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction, Porno For Pyros) (53) and John Popper (Blues Traveler) (45)
Jack White Releases 3 RPM Record Pitchfork article
i am also posting a new feature on the CVR blog called The Vinyl Pulse, a weekly snapshot of what is selling on the big vinyl machine called eBay. This is a great way to keep your eyes peeled for a specific record and what you might have to pay for it to obtain it.
CollectorsFrenzy lists the top 25 real time ended auctions and the selling price for the collectible vinyl and is updated daily.
Top 10 Items for 03/28/2012
2. Beatles:PLEASE PLEASE ME 1st UK BLACK/GOLD MONO**1G 1G**MOTHERS!! EX/EX
Sold Price:$2187.48 USD End Time:03/28/2012
3. Rolling Stones Promotional Album 1969 U.S. London - Beautiful NM - MEGA RARE
Sold Price:$1895.00 USD End Time:03/28/2012
4. Queen"45t vinyle"Bohemian Rhapsody"Original Promo Radio France SP-621 Ultra Rare
Sold Price:$1405.47 USD End Time:03/28/2012
5. LP ITALIAN PROG QUELLA VECCHIA LOCANDA - IL TEMPO DELLA TEMPO GIOIA - ORIGINALE
Sold Price:$1218.96 USD End Time:03/28/2012
6. JUTTA HIPP~BLUE NOTE 5056~FIRST ALBUM~INSANELY RARE ORIG 1954 10-INCH LP~NR MINT
Sold Price:$1125.00 USD End Time:03/28/2012
7. THE ROULETTES STAKES AND CHIPS LP ORIG UK 1965 N.MINT MONO Y/B PARLOPHONE
Sold Price:$1106.51 USD End Time:03/28/2012
8. THE END INTROSPECTION LP ORIG UK 1969 N.MINT MONO DECCA KILLER PSYCH PROG
Sold Price:$1099.41 USD End Time:03/28/2012
9. ZARATHUSTRA SAME LP ORIG 1972 MINT KRAUTROCK PROG MONSTER
Sold Price:$1053.82 USD End Time:03/28/2012
10. SOUL DYNAMICS Stay in the Groove 45 rpm Original Promo - Mega Rare!
Sold Price:$860.00 USD End Time:03/28/2012
1. SEX PISTOLS.GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.ORIGINAL A&M ams7284.100%genuine.
USD 11.710,08 2012-01-03
2. Elvis Presley Compact 33 Single "Good Luck Charm/Anything That's Part of You" NM
USD 4.995,00 2012-01-02
3. HANK MOBLEY-BLP-1568-ORIG-BLUE NOTE- MONO D.G (LP) - NM!
USD 4.600,00 2012-01-09
4. ASD 429 W/G UK GIOCONDA DE VITO - BACH & MOZART VIOLIN CONCERTOS
USD 4.050,00 2012-01-03
5. RARE* Beatles Brute Force king of Fuh on the APPLE Label
USD 3.536,14 2011-12-29
6. JOHN HEARTSMAN & CIRCLES Music Of My Heart ORIGINAL 2-LP
USD 3.250,00 2011-12-29
7. RARE NORTHERN 45-JIMMY BURNS-I REALLY LOVE YOU-ERICA
USD 3.107,57 2012-01-08
8. HOLY GRAIL ULTRA RARE R&B SOUL 45 RECORD The PEACHEROOS on EXCELLO VINTAGE
USD 3.000,00 2012-01-03
9. U2 Special Collection 1980 -1987 CD Mega Rare Promo Japan TOP RARITY
USD 2.999,99 2012-01-05
10. TY KARIM- ROMARK-113- YOU JUST DON'T KNOW/ALL IN VAIN- NORTHERN SOUL (RARE)
USD 2.749,99 2012-01-03
look for this feature every thursday !!
=============
AEROSMITH: More New Album Details Revealed
"We've been underground for four months, doing what we do the best. We've been known to set the world on fire," Steven said. "We haven't been played any music for the last couple years, at least, so we decided to do 'The Global Warming' tour and come out from under the hood, so to speak. We've got a new album, we've got a new tour."
Read much more at our friends at Blabbermouth
=============
SMILE EMPTY SOUL: New Album Track Listing, Cover Artwork Revealed
Read the rest at Blabbermouth
=============
Cadaveric Crematorium Reveals Cover Art New LP
Italian grindcore oufit Cadaveric Crematorium have revealed the album cover art for their newest effort called 'One of Them,' which is scheduled for a summer release. Tracklist:
1. Smiling And Farting ("Alfa")
2. Sun Supercharged ("Alfa")
3. The Protected ("Beta")
4. WWIII ("Gamma")
5. The Mutant ("Gamma")
6. Genetic Corruption ("Gamma")
7. They Back ("Delta")
8. That's Enough ("Delta")
9. Infected Scientist ("Delta")
10. Zombies Will Dominate ("Epsilon")
=============
Earl Scruggs (1924 - 2012)
Country and bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs has passed away in a Nashville hospital at the age of 88.
Scruggs was born in Shelby, NC and started playing the banjo at the age of four, an instrument that would fill his days during the depression and after his father died. Originally, he played using two fingers but, by the age of ten, he had evolved to a three-finger style that would eventually revolutionize bluegrass music and become known as "Scruggs Style Picking."
Please read the rest at our friends at VintageVinylNews
=============
and in music history for march 29th:
In 1958, Connie Francis enjoys her first chart success as "Who's Sorry Now?" reached Billboard's #4 spot. Over the next ten years she will place 55 more songs on the Billboard hit parade.
In 1962, Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl" was certified Gold.
In 1966, Mick Jagger was injured when a fan threw a chair on the stage during a show in Marseilles.
In 1966, two members of the Walker Brothers were given concussions when fans mobbed them in Cheshire, U.K.
"With a Little Help From My Friends" was recorded by the Beatles in 1967. The band started recording the song the day before they posed for the Sgt. Pepper album cover (29 March 1967), wrapping up the session at 5:45 in the morning.In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Black Sabbath, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Curved Air, J.J. Jackson’s Dilemma, Shy Limbs, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Sunflower Brass Band and Toe Fat all appeared at the London Free Easter Festival in Bethnal Green, London, England.
In 1975, Led Zeppelin had all six of their albums in the US Top 100.
In 1980, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon had its 303rd week on the Billboard Albums, pushing it past Carole King's Tapestry for the longest run on the chart.
Also in 1980, Ronald Selle, a Chicago antique dealer and part-time musician and songwriter files suit against The Bee Gees, Paramount Pictures and Polygram Records. Selle alleged The Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love" plagiarized two sections of a song he wrote called "Let it End". Selle won the case even though the Bee Gees claim they never heard Selle's song and the whole thing was a coincidence. The group would successfully appeal the decision in 1983.
In 1982, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney released their duet single "Ebony and Ivory."In 1985, Dominican nun/singer (Dominique) Jeanine Deckers, who had a recording career as the Singing Nun, committed suicide at age 51 after the center for autistic children in Belgium that she helped to found closed due to lack of funds. She was unaware that on the day of her suicide, the Belgian association that collects royalties for songwriters awarded her $300,000.
In 1986, Austrian singer Falco started a three-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Rock Me Amadeus,” also a #1 in the UK. Falco became the first German-speaking artist to achieve a #1 on the US charts.
In 1986, the Beatles albums become officially available for the first time in Russia.
In 1996, Carol Connors and Marshall Lieb, former members of the Teddy Bears, sued third member Phil Spector and a number of labels saying they had not received royalties for the record To Know Him Is to Love Him.
In 2000, 'N Sync's album 'No Strings Attached' set a new all-time record for first-week sales with 2.4 million copies. In 2001, a three-hour show honoring Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson was held at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. There were vocal tributes by Paul Simon (Surfer Girl), Elton John (God Only Knows), and Billy Joel (Don't Worry Baby). Wilson himself performed "Barbara Ann," "Fun, Fun, Fun," and "Surfin' U.S.A." Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, the Go-Go's, David Crosby, Carly Simon, Wilson Phillips, Aimee Mann, and songwriter Jimmy Webb also appeared.
In 2001, jazz pianist/composer John Lewis, who spent 45 years as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, died of prostate cancer at age 80.
In 2001, Brian Wilson was honored at New York's Radio City Music Hall by Billy Joe, Paul Simon, The Go-Gos, Carly Simon, David Crosby, Jimmy Webb, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Elton John and Aimee Mann.
In 2005, Neil Young was treated for a brain aneurysm at a hospital in New York. Doctors expected the 59-year-old to make a full recovery. The aneurysm was discovered when Young’s vision became blurred after the induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the previous month.In 2007, U2 singer Bono accepted an honorary knighthood at a ceremony in Dublin. Fellow band members The Edge and Adam Clayton joined the frontman’s wife and four children at the British ambassador David Reddaway’s official residence. The rock star and campaigner, 46, was not entitled to be called “Sir” because he is not a British citizen. The U2 singer’s new title is Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE).
In 2011, Robbie Robertson released 'How to Become Clairvoyant,"'his first CD in 13 years. Eric Clapton co-wrote three of the tracks and played on seven of them.birthdays today include (among others): Chad Allan (born Allan Kowbel) (Guess Who) (69), Terry Jacks (68), Bobby Kimball (Toto) (65), Barry Goudreau (Boston) (61), Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction, Porno For Pyros) (53) and John Popper (Blues Traveler) (45)
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