Here's Gladys Knight's new single "Just A Little," out today. It's great to hear someone staying true to their "old school" soul roots with an ACTUAL horn section! Unfortunately, Billboard reports that we're going to have to wait until next year for the whole album, but until then, enjoy this marvelous tune here:
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BERRA'S LAW: You can observe a lot just by watching. "I knew exactly where it was, I just couldn't find it." "We have deep depth." "Anyone who is popular is bound to be disliked."
This week marks the 35th anniversary of Queen hitting the height of their success in the US as its album The Game topped the album chart for the first of 5 weeks. It would eventually sell 4 million copies on the strength of four hit singles: "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (#1 in Feb. 1980), "Play the Game" (#42 in July), "Another One Bites the Dust" (#1 in October) and "Need Your Loving Tonight" (#44 in December). The album - the only chart-topping album the group ever achieved in the US - was a musical departure for the band which mostly abandoned the operatic vocals of its past in favor of synthesizers, an element the band had previously shunned. That was changed by the album being recorded in Munich with a different producer, Mack. The band was inspired by the disco scene in the German city, and bassist John Deacon was stimulated to write "Dust" after hanging out with Chic in NYC on the night they recorded the bass line to their chart-topper "Good Times." (Ironically, "Dust" would knock Diana Ross' "Upside Down," which was produced and written by Chic's Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, off the #1 spot.) Interesting side note: "Dust" was released as a single at the recommendation of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury's friend Michael Jackson, and the song would go on to hit #2 on the R&B chart. "Crazy Little" also has an interesting story behind it. Mercury was inspired to write the song while sitting in the bathtub, and while it has a definite American rockabilly feel to it, the band's record company did not want the song released in the US. DJs in the US got hold of import UK copies, and the song went to #1 while the band was still recording The Game, which wouldn't be released until June. Personally, The Game is tied with News of the World as my favorite Queen album, so permit me the indulgence of highlighting more than the usual 3 tracks as my favorites: "Another One Bites the Dust" "Play the Game" "Need Your Loving Tonight" "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "Rock It (Prime Jive)" If you're still interested in learning more about Queen in the 1980s, there's a chapter devoted to them in my book Cannibals and Vixens on the River Styx.
REO Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath died Sunday at 65. No cause of death was given. Richrath wrote the band's hits "Take It On the Run" and "In Your Letter" in addition to my REO favorites "I'll Follow You," "Shakin' It Loose" and "Follow My Heart." In tribute, here's "I'll Follow You" and a demo of "Follow My Heart."
While listening to Beach Boys' 1963 album Surfer Girl yesterday it dawned on me that The Beach Boys, those straight outta Hawthorne, CA, squeaky-clean (at least at the time) white boys, were the original gangstas, more than 15 years before the first African-American rap record hit the charts. What, you don't believe me? Here's the proof, and it's all on this one album: Evidence #1: Dissin' haters on the pro-surfing "Catch a Wave" with lyrics like "They said it wouldn't last too long/They'll eat their words with a fork and spoon" and "Everybody tries it once/Those who don't just have to put it down." Evidence #2: Gang initiation rites detailed in "Our Car Club" ! Evidence #3: Most of all, the Beach Boys launched the West Coast vs. East Coast feud by taking on those Jersey Boys themselves The Four Seasons at the end of "Surfers Rule."
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Walburgh's BlogMostly retro, mainly music, but generally whatever's on my mind. Archives
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