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The Rolling Stones released "Let It Bleed" album in the USA on November 28th 1969.
Produced by Jimmy Miller
Recorded at Olympics Studios, London, from november 1968 to july 1969.
Overdubs and mixing at Elektra Studios, Los Angeles, october-november 1969.
Merry Clayton...vocals on "Gimme Shelter"
Byron Berlin...fiddle on "Country Honk"
Bobby Keys....saxophone on "Live With Me"
Nicky Hopkins....piano
Ian Stewart ....keyboards
Ry Cooder...mandolin
Brian Jones was "fired" during the Let It Bleed sessions in early june 1969,
he died a mysterious death, one month later on July 3rd 1969....
The Rolling Stones were in the studio that day, recording a cover of Stevie Wonder's
"I Don't Know Why" ....Mick Jagger and Keith Richards did not attend his funeral.
Mick Taylor was brought in to play on "Honky Tonk Women", they then asked him
to join the group. Honky Tonk Women was released in July as a single and shot uo to number 1.
It was not included on the album, instead, they recorded a country blues version called
"Country Honk".
The first song recorded was "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in november 1968, Brian Jones was present at the session but did not play on it...he just spent the day reading a comic book. Charlie Watts had trouble getting the right drumming groove, so their producer (and pro drummer) Jimmy Miller did the drumming.
Then Mick and Keith went on an extended vacation to South America on Richards birthday, December 18th 1968....it was while on this trip that a british couple spotted them and asked what they were up to..."come on just give us a glimmer..." ...and that is where the term "The Glimmer Twins" was coined for Mick and Keith.
After returning in mid january 1969 ...Mick and Keith then took off for a vacation
from their vacation in Italy.....that is where they wrote "Monkey Man" , which includes the line "cold italian pizza"....
The main sessions finally commenced in february 1969....Brian Jones did attend most of them...but contributed very little....he played auto harp on "You Got the Silver" and some percussion on "Midnight Rambler".
"You Got the Silver" is one of my fave Stones songs ...it features Keith on lead vocals,he technically does not have a good singing voice but I love his unique tone....the song ended up being used in the 1970 movie "Zabriskie Point" (along with some Pink Floyd music).
"Monkey Man" is also one of my fave songs of all time...until recently, I assumed it was in open turning, but it is actually in standard tuning with a CAPO on the second fret...I love those "dirty" riffs that riff master Keith pulls off on this tune...great slide playing too....Keith Richards plays almost all the
guitars heard in the album....Mick Taylor only playing on two songs.
Nicky Hopkins plays his usual brilliant piano playing on "Monkey Man"...wow!
"Live With Me" ....another great song...it set the blue print for the Stones 70s sound....including a great sax solo by Bobby Keys...who would tour with the Stones on their 70s tours.
"Gimme Shelter"....if any song gives me goose bumps ...it is this song....wow....what a spooky intro...
this time Keith is playing the intro riff in open tuning....the other guitars in standard tuning ....ordinarily I'm not impressed by a three chord song but this song and "All Along the Watchtower" are the exception...
both are in the similar key too...C#.....to B to A (Watchtower is in C#m)
Keith Richards wrote it sitting in his car (his Bentley "Lena") in late september 1968, while waiting for his girlfriend, Anita Palinberg, to finish her acting scenes in "Performance" with Mick Jagger...rumor has it that the sex scenes between Jagger and Palinberg were "real" and upsetting for Richards.
A year later ...Merry Clayton got a phone call asking her to go to Elektra Studios to do some vocal work, she almost didn't go...the phone call was around midnight and she was in bed ...pregnant and tired....
when she showed up she was surprised to see the Rolling Stones...Mick told her they wanted a lot of passion in her vocals ...did a run through and her voice "cracked" ...it sent chills down the spine and you can hear faintly Jagger's reaction in the background! They didn't need another take...it was a keeper....
The album was released during the Rolling Stones big North American 1969 Tour....their first tour of the US since the summer of 1966...this time they had a modern PA system and were given 10 Ampeg SVT
amplifiers to use (SVT's had just come out that year...350 watt all tube monsters...they became the standard professional go to bass amp of the 1970s).
The album cover is weird (in a good way) ...it features a stramge cake with plastic figures of the Stoneswith an old fashioned gramaphone tone arm...which sort of makes sense as the working album title
was "Automatic Changer" ....
November 29, 2001 - Beatles guitarist George Harrison died in Los Angeles of lung cancer aged 58. Following the breakup of The Beatles Harrison had a successful career as a solo artist and later as part of the Traveling Wilburys. The youngest member of The Beatles, (aged 16 when he joined), his compositions include ‘Taxman’, ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Something’, and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Harrison released the acclaimed triple album, All Things Must Pass, in 1970, from which came the worldwide No.1 single 'My Sweet Lord.'
December 29, 1980 - John and Yoko's Double Fantasy album was released. Though initially poorly received, the album is notable for its association with Lennon's murder three weeks after its release, whereupon it became a worldwide commercial success, and went on to win the 1981 Album of the Year at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards.
Michael Jackson released his best album....."THRILLER"
Released 40 years ago today....on November 30th 1982....on Epic Records.
if that doesn't make you feel old, I don't know what does...40 years ago already, yikes.
Produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson
Recorded between april and november 1982 at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles.
Thriller album spent 37 weeks at number 1 on the charts....
helped by releasing 7 singles spread out over more than a year....
all 7 singles from the album reaching the Top Ten.
Thriller sold over 70 million copies....the most for any album!
The first single released was "This Girl Is Mine"...a duet with Sir Paul McCartney!
The iconic video for the song "Thriller" was released a year after the album on december 2nd 1983...
it had the biggest budget of any music video ...almost $1 million dollars...it was shot on 35mm film...
as a 14 minute "mini movie" ....directed by John Landis.
The song "Beat It" features Eddie Van Halen...playing a scorching hot guitar solo....
I have the single and also have Weird Al Yankovic's parody single "Eat It"....
"Billie Jean"...."Wanna Be Starting Something" ..."P.Y.T." ....were also huge hits...
Michael Jackson then had the problem of creating a follow up album....
he knew it would be tough to top "Thriller"....and he took almost five years to complete
his next album "Bad"....so long...some wondered if he would ever make another album.
Black Sabbath released the album "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
Released on Decembrr 1$t 1973 on Warner Brothers Records and Tapes.
Produced by Black Sabbath
Recorded at Morgan Studios, England in September 1973.
The first Sabbath record to feature synthesizer and also a "guest musician"...
Rick Wakeman of Yes, playing keyboards/synth.
Their 5th album.....or as I like to say "their classic five"...their next album, "Sabotage"
is good but the song quality is slipping.
My best friend is a huge Black Sabbath fan and has played in tribute band,
his fave Sabbath album is "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"...he considers it to be their "Sgt. Pepper".
I like the album but I prefer Vol. 4....
Speaking of Vol. 4....Black Sabbath flew to Los Angles ...staying at the same rented Bel Air mansion,
booking recording time at the Record Plant ....just like they did the previous year for Vol. 4....
but this time they were exhausted...and had no new material to record....
they then took some time off ...Tony Iommi came up with the title track riff and new songs developed
from there....included "Who Are You" written by Ozzy on his newly acquired synth...
either a Moog or ARP 2600...
The question is ...did Tony Iommi actually come up with the riff to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ....or
was is stolen from a Brazilian singer, Vanusa's 1973 song "What To Do"....listening to it, I do hear
similarities....Tony maybe dodged a bullet....
Any it is a very powerful and very heavy sounding tune...especially Geezer's fuzz bass ....wow...
"Killing Yourself To Live" ...always liked this tune ...the chord progression ....the lyrics....
aparently inspired by Geezer's hospital stay due to heavy alcohol consumption...
"Looking For Today" ....super strong chorus....love this one too...
"Spiral Architect" ....amazing song....progressive Sabbath...even has orchestral strings....
Ozzy's outstanding vocals....interesting thoughful lyrics ...love this song.
Jimi Hendrix Experience released "Axis:Bold as Love" on december 1st 1967 in the UK....
released a few months later in North America.
Produced by Chas Chandler (Hendrix manager and ex-Animals bassist)
Engineer: the legendary Eddie Kramer
Recorded at Olympic Studios, London...fall 1967.
Recorded only a few months after their debut LP "Are You Experienced?"
Hendrix wanted to go for a different sound ...briefly switching to Sound City L-100 amplifiers, the same amps Pete Townshend was using in late 67... a bit too "clean" for Jimi ...he switched back to Marshall's in 1968...
and using studio "flanging" effects on guitars, drums, even vocals....
"flanging" was the "in" effect of 1967-68 ...used by the Small Faces onn"Itchycoo Park"...
also by UK group "Nirvana" (not to confused famous grunge Nirvana) on their biggest hit "Rainbow Chaser"...
and by The Byrds on "Wasn't Born to Follow".
The title song "Bold as Love" features the best use of flanging, really sounds cool. Also one of the strongest tracks on the album (and longest).
"If 6 was 9" ...another great, funky, groovy tune...it was later featured in the movie "Easy Rider".
"Little Wing" ...a sweet ballad with the nicest Strat tones I've ever heard...very nice.
I always get confused by the two songs on this album with similar titles....
"Castles Made of Sand" and "Spanish Castle Magic"....I even think they sound similar...
I think Jimi liked "Spanish Castle Magic" more as he played it live quite often ...even at later gigs
in 1969-1970.
I also like You Got Me Floatin'...has a nice energy ...through the backing vocals sound a bit rough...
All in all not a bad album but a bit disappointing ...something Hendrix would remedy with his
next album, "Electric Ladyland".
December 6th....three great albums released on this day.....
The Rolling Stones released ...."Beggars Banquet"
Released on December 6th 1968
Produced by Jimmy Miller
Recorded at Olympic Studios, London between March and June 1968
Originally scheduled for a September release...it was delayed as the record company (Decca/London)
rejected the cover artwork depicting a toilet with the song name scrawled in graffiti.
The Stones eventually relented and new, somewhat bland cover artwork was created.
The Stones realized they needed a producer after producing their last album,
"Their Satanic Majesties Request" to mixed reviews.
Dave Mason of Traffic recommended a producer they used, an american Jimmy Miller.
Miller was the right person at the right time as the Rolling Stones were going back to their blues rock roots, with a bit of country mixed in.
The first songs recorded were"Jumping Jack Flash" and "Child of the Moon"....
however it was decided to put them out as a single and not be included on the album, Beggars Banquet is a very good album but would be their best album if "Dear Doctor" and "Prodigal Son" were replaced by "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Child of the Moon"...
however, they due sound a bit different as they feature organ, not heard on any other tracks.
"Sympathy for the Devil"....a real Stones classic....french film maker, Jean Luc Goddard, filmed the group in the studio where Sympathy for the Devil morphed from subdued early version to a mad samba, complete with Nicky Hopkins piano ...Rock Dzidzornu's congas...and "woo woo" backing vocals
by the entire group and Anita Pallenberg with Marianne Faithfull.
Keith Richards was hanging out with Ry Cooder and Gram Parsons ...they turned him onto open tunings and slide guitar....both of which are featured on the album.
"No Expectations"....fantastic song ...crazy good slide guitar by Brian Jones...unfortunately, Brian Jones was in bad shape and did not contribute much to the album, but when he did, it was brilliant as usual.
"Parachute Woman" ...cool ambience ...Keith's playing really shines.
"Jigsaw Puzzle"....really like Wyman's bass on this one...sounding more like a 1967 song...
"Street Fighting Man" ...wow...love this song....was released as a single in late august 1968....with No Expectations as the B Side....features Dave Mason on a weird instrument "shehnai"...
It was originally recorded on a cassette recorded which gave it over loaded slightly distorted sound..with Charlie Watts playing a 1920s "toy drum set" that somehow sounds huge...no electric instruments...
except bass (Keith Richards played the bass directly into the studio console).
The single didn't chart that high due to some radio stations refusing to play it due to lyrics as the "Chicago Riots" of august 68 had just taken place ....the song itself was inspired by the May 1968 student riots in Paris (as compared to "sleepy" London).
"Straycat Blues"....this could be my fave Stones song of all time...it is so good....
those deliciously screechy guitars (similar to the Velvet Unground's song Heroin)...
the controversial lyrics sung as only Jagger can psing them...eerie piano by Hopkins ...fantastic drumming from Charlie Watts ...all adds up to the Stones at their best.
"Salt of the Earth" ....Richards and Jagger trade vocals on this one ...the lyrics mention the 2000 million people on the earth (back in 1968) ...now a staggering 8000 million people ....yikes
The Rolling Stones celebrated the release of the album at a doentown London Hotel, with the press invited, which soon became a mad pie/food throwing frenzy...with Brian Jones receiving the worst of it....and a few days later ....The Rolling Stones Rock 'n Roll Circus was filmed featuring Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal, and John & Yoko.
On the same day...December 6th 1968 ...another album was released....
James Taylor's debut album ....on Apple Records.
Recorded between July and October 1968 at Trident Studios, London.
The album features some help from George Harrison and Paul McCartney...
with McCartney playing bass and George providing backing vocals on the album's best song..."Carolina In My Mind" ....as good a song as James Taylor would ever write....
unfortunately, both the album and single did not do well on the charts...not helpedby Apple's poor (non existent) promo/marketing ...and James Taylor abruptly leaving England
and returning to the US ...checking himself into a drug rehab facility.
Another strong song on the album is "Something in the Way She Moves"....in fact George Harrison liked it so much he used it as the first lyric line for his song "Something"...
Peter Asher (of Peter and Gordon fame) was Apple A & R director and big James Taylor fan....
he quit Apple and went to the US to find Jams Taylor and become his manager....
he tracked him down and got him a new recording contract with Warner Brothers/Seven Arts...
recording his second album in late 1969 in California....it featured a surprise big hit ....
"Fire and Rain" ...and the rest, as they say, is history...though Taylor continued to struggle with heroin addiction issues for a number of years.
The Bryds released their second album...."Turn! Turn! Turn!"
Released on December 6th 1965 on Columbia Records.
Produced by Terry Melcher (Doris Day's son ...he later got involved with infamous Charles Mason)
It follow their previous album "Mr Tambourine Man" blue print ...folk rock with some Dylan covers....
this time hinting at future country rock and proto psyche music.
The last album with Gene Clark, who had a ton of talent, and was writing some of his best songs...
like "Set You Free This Time" and my fave song on the album..."If You're Gone"...it features a humming drone through the entire song ...very cool ...a hint of 1966 early psychedelia).
There are some very strong songs ...some of their best...but also some misfires too....
"It Won't Be Wrong"....great stuff ...like it ....
"The World Turns All Around Her" .....love it...
"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" ...very good Dylan cover ...the Byrds were usually very good at doing Bob Dylan songs but had a rare misfire covering "The Times They Are a Changing"....yikes...what were they thinking? ....not good...
Also bad is their version of an oldie "Oh! Susannah" ....not good....
"He Was a Friend of Mine" ...a tribute to John F Jennedy....nice simple folk tune.
Five notable albums were released on this day....december 8th....
Hotel California.....released on december 8th 1976 on Asylum Records
It was The Eagles biggest selling album....over 30 million copies...
It was recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami and The Record Plant, Los Angeles
Producer was Bill Szymczyk
Album cover is The Beverly Hills Hotel at sunset....
Bernie Leadon quit The Eagles in 1975 ...replaced by rocker Joe Walsh (ex-James Gang)
...Leadon was their main "country guy" ...with him gone and Joe Walsh ...The Eagles moved away from country rock , they were moving away anyway during "One of These Nights"...probably one of reasons why Leadon quit.
I used to have a copy of the album on vinyl....I rarely played the album...for me there are only three great tracks ..."Hotel California" ..."The New Kid In Town" ..."Life in the Fast Lane"....the other songs I did not really listen to....
"Hotel California" is a great song...the acoustic 12 string on it is CAPO on the 7th fret ....same as The Beatles "Here Comes the Sun"...love the lyrics...the dark side of the SoCal lifestyle...the chord progression too....best for me is the outro extended guitar solo....wow....harmonized too!
"The New Kid In Town" ....whenever I hear it takes me right back to the first time hearing on the radio...it was a monster hit ...seemed to be on the radio constantly ...love it.
"Life In the Fast Lane"....tough rocker with great riff from Joe Walsh...again SoCal dark side lyrics...
"Their Satanic Majesties Request" album released on december 8th 1967 by The Rolling Stones
Produced by the Rolling Stones (Andrew Loog-Oldham quit part way during the sessions)
Recorded at Olympic Studios, London between february and november 1967
The recording took so long because three of the Stones were arrested for drug possesion...Mick and Keith ...and later Brian Jones.
When the album was released it was dismissed as a poor copy of The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper"
Even the album cover seems heavily influenced by Pepper ...they even used the same photographer, Michael Cooper....this time the cover photo was shot in 3D ...The Stones flew to the US in mid september to do the cover shoot as the special camera was located there.
The 3D cover photo was "glued" onto the cover ...making the album expensive to produce so it was eventually replaced by a non 3D version...I remember seeing the 3D cover but by the time I bought
my copy it had been replaced. 3D album cover was definitely very cool to see.
The album title is a play on British passports "Her Britannic Majesty Requests and Requires...."
As for the songs...yeah, they are weird...the most un-Stones like album for sure...but I really like most of them ...
"Citadel"...love the guitars on this one ...also the mellotron...the lyrics too...inspired by their drug bust,
also refering to Andy Warhol's Factory regulars "Candy and Taffy".
"She's a Rainbow"....a very unique song in the Stones catalog...strings arranged by John Paul Jones of later Led Zeppelin fame...
"2000 Light Years from Home" ...the spookiest song they ever did...again eerie mellotron...love the bass too.
"The Lantern" ....another spooky song on this strange album...with hints of their next albums sound...
"2000 Man"....the most conventional song on the album...really solid rocker...
"Another Land" ...Bill Wyman!!!....he wrote it ...lead vocals too (don't quit your day job)...
the lyrics a very good...Wyman did not take part in the 1967 drug scene at all...to him his bandmates were in "another land" ...could barely relate to them ...sometimes they wouldn't show up to a scheduled recording session...and that's how this song came about....Jagger and Richards didn't show up and
Wyman recorded this ditty with the help of Steve Marriott of The Small Faces...who was recording at Olympic Studios at the time....it was even released as a Bill Wyman solo single!
"For Once In My Life"...released on december 8th 1968 by Stevie Wonder on the Tamla label.
Still only 18 at the time this album features a lot of great catchy tunes....
The title track "For Once In My Life" was a big hit ...reaching # 2 on Billboards Hot 100...
kept out of the top spot by heavyweights like Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"...Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People" ...The Doors "Touch Me" ....and Tommy James and the Shondells
"Crimson and Clover"....all released in late 1968, all reaching #1.
"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day"....weird song title but a very catchy pop song...topping out at #9
"You Met Your Match"....another very strong tune should have been a bigger hit ..only reaching #35.
"I Don't Know Why"...my fave Stevie Wonder song of all time...Stevie builds up tension in his vocals like no other song I can think of ....also is his first to feature clavinet...in the 70s the Hohner Clavinet was his signature instrument...just listen to his 1972 hit "Superstition" ....the main riff is on clavinet.
"I'd be a Fool Right Now" ....a very strong album cut.
"Mr Fantasy"...released on december 8th 1967 ...by Traffic
Traffic were a band of amazing potential...with all members multi instrument musicians...
Jim Capaldi...Dave Mason....Chris Wood ...and the amazing Steve Winwood....
The album was recorded at Olympic Studios, London...April-November 1967
Producer ....Jimmy Miller
Released on Island Records
Some really good songs ....classics...like...
"Dear Mr Fantasy"
"Coloured Rain"
"No Face No Name No Number"
"Heaven Is In Your Mind"
The US version of the album was released in early 1968
with the title "Heaven Is In Your Mind" but quickly switched to the UK title "Mr Fantasy".
The US version deleted a couple of Dave Mason tracks (he had quit the band)
and replaced them with "Paper Sun" and "Hole in My Shoe"...A side and B side of their UK single.
"Highway"...released on december 8th 1970 by Free
Free were riding high in 1970...they had a big hit single with "All Right Now"
and a big selling album..."Fire and Water".
The band were a hit on stage too at The Isle of Wight Festival in late august 1970....they decided to record another album quickly to sustain the momentum.
The results were a pretty solid album but did not translate into big sales...
not selling nearly as well as 'Fire and Water" ....the songs were more subdued...
reflecting the bands feelings at the time....subdue album cover didn't help either.
Their great guitarist, Paul Kossoff, took the death of Jimi Hendrix particulary hard, he eventually fell into heroin addiction (dying in 1976).
Some of the songs were as good as any they recorded...
"Be My Friend"....really like one...one if their best
"The Stealer" ...another strong song
"Ride on a Pony" ....really good live
The band were really disappointed by the poor sales of the album...
drifted apart ...came back together a couple of years later but
were never the same.
Two Free members, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, eventually found much bigger fame in mid 70s supergroup "Bad Company" ...which, in way, was really "Free" Part II....
On this day 42 years ago John Lennon was murdered at about 10:50 pm local time
in front of the Dakota Apartments where he lived, December 8th 1980.
I remember it was shocking at the time and still is to this day.
He had just released an album, "Double Fantasy", after over 5 years of being a recluse.
Shocking indeed....in our lives second only to the JFK assassination in that respect. I wasn't watching Monday Night Football that night, so didn't see Howard's report broadcast during the game. Found out when I turned on the early morning news next morning. All somber sad faces while playing In My Life.
For 17 years, The Beatles had meant so much to so many. A monumental tragic loss to the world.
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