#Bob Diddley

[thebookworm-lebouquineur]

Amougies Festival 1969 : 4h00 du matin, mardi 5ème jour

55 /  Amougies Festival 1969 : 4h00 du matin, mardi 5ème jour

« Il est 4 heures du matin et on est mardi : une journée qui commence par la fin de l’autre. Etrange, pense Fred. »

— Normal ! aurait dit son pote (compère) volant.

Sauf qu’il n’a pas dormi.

Les Pretty Things le groupe beatnik par excellence – rock mâtiné de  solos  à l’orientale attaque « Alexander » avec son lick particulier décalqué sur un plan de basse. Le batteur remonté sur scène, a repris sa place que le bassiste avait assurée en partie sur « Blow your mind ».

         — C’est un groupe que je voulais voir. J’ai toujours en mémoire ces photos de S.LC. de groupes anglais dont les Pretty Things qui posaient avec une dégaine pas possible tel des clochards dans une rue pourrie de ville british industrielle sous les poutrelles métalliques du métro aérien, avec les cheveux hyper longs affichant le look volontairement sale et dangereux. Ça tombe bien que le batteur nous ait réveillés.

         — Moi aussi ! C’était les concurrents des Rolling Stones ; d’ailleurs le guitariste Dick Taylor (qui n’était pas là mais remplacé par un musicien qui joue comme lui – assez étrange d’ailleurs) a tenu la basse chez les pré-Stones puis l’a quitté à cause de Brian Jones qu’il lui avait pris la place à la “six cordes“.

         — Ça je ne le savais pas. Par contre, j’ai lu que le nom du groupe vient d’une chanson de Willie Dixon interprétée par Bob Diddley « Pretty thing » à la rythmique très syncopée en étouffant les cordes puis en appuyant sur les notes par intermittence. A ce propos il suffit d’écouter qu’effectivement ils développent un phrasé musical qui s’en inspire beaucoup. Ce n’est pas spectaculaire ; ça fait un peu pub dancing mais c’est carré. Peut-être que cette démarche leur a coûté un certain succès et ont été obligés pour leur alimentaire de faire des films ou une production pour un fils de milliardaire.

         — Sûrement ! Mais il parait que les Stones les empêchaient de passer à la TV notamment dans l’émission « Ready Steady Go ! »… Bob Diddley, c’est celui qui avait une guitare rectangulaire comme les cigar-box ?

         — Exact ! Son nom de scène vient d’un instrument primaire des joueurs de blues avant la guitare électrique : le Diddley Bow consiste à tendre une corde de guitare un la, un sol ou un ré, sur une planche en mettant une bouteille dessous pour tendre la corde faisant office de chevalet et un boulon avec écrous de l’autre côté pour le sillet et ça se joue avec un bottle-neck. C’est l’invention du slide où l’on retrouve la pentatonique suffisant pour jouer le blues.

         — Génial ! Certainement, leurs morceaux ne sont pas très originaux mais puissants – carrés comme tu dis.

         — Ça vient du rythme qui s’appelle d’ailleurs le Bob Diddley Beat provenant du Mambo et du Hambone.

         — Quésacko ?

         — Je ne joue pas au musicologue ; je l’ai lu parce que je m’intéressais aux « Pretty Things » et j’ai découvert que le Hambone consiste aux chanteurs et chanteuses de blues de s’accompagner de percussions en se tapant sur les cuisses, les jambes et les genoux ainsi que sur les joues.

         — J’ai déjà vu ça.  Ça me dit quelquechose. Effectivement les rythmes sont proches. Ça peut être l’explication.

— Ceci dit ils ont fait 3 titres et ça fait une heure. C’est certainement l’habitude des pros dans les pubs.

— Toi qui semble les connaître. Les solos du guitariste sont très spéciaux et courts.

— Je dirais que c’est plutôt des licks qui découlent de cette musique syncopée. Mais si tu écoutes Bob Diddley ; il fait des licks identiques. La différence c’est que le lead-guitar des “Pretty” joue des accords barrés etc., en standard alors que Diddley est accordé en open.

— C’est-à-dire des licks ? Et Accordé en open ?

— Lick, lécher ! Des coups de langues mot à mot mais on comprend ce que cela veut dire : Des courtes séries de notes utilisées dans les solos et les mélodies. Le riff c’est la même chose mais grosso modo avec les accords. En standard, on fait les accords que tu connais. En open, les accords sont différents certes mais tu as la particularité d’avoir à vide un accord sans mettre les doigts ou le bottleneck  dans la clé dans laquelle tu t’es accordée. C’est-à-dire si tu es en Sol Majeur et bien tu joues toutes les cordes et ainsi de suite ? Tu as donc le La à la 2ème case et par conséquent, toute la gamme pentatonique  en simple barré,

en slide ou avec le doigt (l’index).

— C’est vraiment particulier la guitare ; c’est un instrument qui n’est pas figé qui peut évoluer tout le temps.

— C’est pour ça qu’il est moderne et que des millions et des millions de jeunes veulent en jouer.

— Pour revenir au groupe évidemment le look du groupe de sales gosses interpellent mais en dehors de ça il y a l’influence américaine du blues très particulier d’ailleurs et leur manière de jouer pratiquement tout en accord à part quelques petits solos ça et là – dû parait-il à leur façon au début de jouer du “Rhythm & Blues trash“ et à leurs explorations psychédéliques dixit Phil May le chanteur.

Puis ils ont fait SF Sorrow l’un des premiers opéra rock en 1968 ; qui raconte la vie de Sebastian F. Sorrow enfant né dans l’Angleterre pauvre, l’usine, premiers émois sexuels, la guerre, la dépression, le désenchantement et la vieillesse.

Et il y a une autre chose qui me plaît chez Dick Taylor c’est son choix de guitares : Gibson 335, Hutchins copie Harmony H78 ou encore une Höfner verithin – un son trash tel une guitare bas de gamme fabriquée en Asie, guttural dans les basses et carillon dans les aigus comme dit l’autre.

— Bien vu ! Complètement d’accord !

Dave Burrell / le grand nettoyage sonore et le recyclage du verre / le lavage des scories et écouvillons du cerveau / plus de force de concentration pour écouter seulement submergé  par les vagues ardentes…

Surman /  Fatigue /  Froid /  Humidité  /  leitmotiv qui revient sur les lèvres des veilleurs / “Grandes vagues souples“, segments mélodiques explorés puis accélération… puis l’aube blanche à travers la toile de tente.

         Fred & Marc se lèvent et plient grosso modo leurs duvets puis jettent un œil sur la scène où le Gong s’est installé sur l’autre plateau pendant que les autres jouaient. Ils en écoutent un peu puis un musico’s prend un tambour “napoléonien“ ; et là c’est le trop-plein assommés comme ils le sont – et même si Daevid Allen ex-Soft Machine mérite leurs écoutes. Ils battent retraite.

         Les gardiens avaient ouvert en grand la porte d’entrée du chapiteau ; la (l’odeur de la) campagne s’invitait dans la tente, diaphane et calme. Le brouillard s’était dissipé et la pluie disparue ; un grand soleil était venu les remplacer. Cet éblouissement d’un ciel sans bruit pesait tel un grand manteau blanc en hiver sur des âmes épuisées.

         Peu de dialogues dans le chemin de terre boueux vers la tente (du – le - gîte) des couchages. Tout à chacun semblait noyé dans ses rêves, les sens encore (labourés) torturés par la rage sonore électrifiée. Mystifiés, transis par l’accumulation massive de concepts musicaux inédits, savants, ou inconnus…  

Dés l’entrée, ils assistent à une scène hyperréaliste de hippies telles les peintures du même nom – l’herbe du pré qui commençait à jaunir en touffes accueillait à même le sol des festivaliers assis sur le bord d’un plancher saisis dans leurs vêtements de sortie (d’apparat hip), écrasés par le sommeil.

A leurs têtes des détritus de toutes sortes mais aussi aux pieds de celles et ceux qui ne voulaient pas se coucher dans la “fange“ et restaient stoïques, assis sur le bord des praticables (modules) de la piste de salle de bal avant de sombrer la tête sur leurs genoux. Ils faisaient un peu 16ème comme celles et ceux qu’ils croisaient au Golf. Ils portaient des habits sans aucune froissure ? Tous leurs vêtements réfléchissaient une palette de couleurs chatoyantes.

D’autres étaient avachis sur les planches les bottes de cow-boy (en l’air) à l’air libre se reposant sur les coudes. Certain(e)s arboraient des tee-shirts car la tente était chauffée et de plus elle était quasiment remplie de spectateurs qui se reposaient. Fred & Marc durent se faufiler entre les corps affalés ou assis pour trouver une place.

Les coiffures avec les cheveux longs des types blonds, noirs, bouclés…etc, et celles des filles autrement plus sophistiquées dans le relâchement, laissait souffler un esprit de liberté (aurait dit Dylan) mais pas communautaire – chacun(e)s restaient dans son pré carré. Des chapeaux s’affichaient ça & là.

Des gens paradaient debout en discutant attifés avec des fripes des Puces de Clignancourt ou des vestes léopards du Carreau du Temple. Cela leur permettaient d’exercer une vigie dialoguée socio-musico-analytique en survolant du regard la masse informe des sacs de couchages à leurs pieds – évidement les cheveux (étaient) bouclés, crêpés et jetés nonchalamment  sur

les épaules.

Arrivés dans le milieu de la tente, ils trouvèrent de la place pour étendre leurs  duvets  puis Fred retira sa parka se retrouvant avec sa chemise à fleurs bleues et violettes époque d’Antoine en sur-chemise dont il remonta les manches sur un pull noir. Puis ils s’engouffrèrent dans leurs sacs en se couvrant le visage pour atténuer la lumière et recharger leurs batteries neuroniques.

[lisamarie-vee]

[odk-2]

I Want Candy

1):

The Strangeloves - I Want Candy (1965) Bert Berns / Bob Feldman / Jerry Goldstein / Richard Gottehrer from: "I Want Candy" / "It's About My Baby" (single)

Bo Diddley Beat | Rock and Roll

JukehHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: The Strangeloves: Vocals Bob Feldman Richard Gottehrer Jerry Goldstein

Session Musicians: Eric Gale: Guitar Richie Lauro: Saxophone John Shine: Bass Herb Lovelle: Drums

Produced by Bob Feldman | Richard Gottehrer | Jerry Goldstein

Bang Records

2):

Brian Poole and The Tremeloes - I Want Candy (1965) Bert Berns / Bob Feldman / Jerry Goldstein / Richard Gottehrer from: "I Want Candy" / "Love Me Baby” (single)

Strangeloves Cover

UK Beat Band | Bo Diddley Beat | British Invasion

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: Brian Poole: Lead Vocals Rick Westwood: Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals Alan Blakley: Keyboards / Rhythm Guitar / Backing Vocals Alan Howard: Bass / Backing Vocals Dave Munden: Drums

3):

Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy (1982) Bert Berns / Bob Feldman / Jerry Goldstein / Richard Gottehrer from: “The Last of the Mohicans” (EP)

Strangeloves Cover

New Wave | Bo Diddley Beat

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: Annabella Lwin: Lead Vocals Matthew Ashman: Guitar Leigh Gorman: Bass David Barbarossa: Drums

Produced by Kenny Laguna

Recorded: @ The Criteria Studios during 1982 in Miami, Florida USA

RCA Records

[moms-music]

Bo Diddley Medley (Live In Detroit/1975)

[julio-viernes]

En 1965, Feldman, Gottehrer y Goldstein crearon el grupo The Strangeloves. La portada de su único LP en 1965 es africana y muy significativa, esto no es garaje de guitarras, el énfasis está puesto en los instrumentos de percusión, un elepé heredero directo del titán Bo Diddley y de cosas como "Willie and The Hand Jive" de Johnny Otis. Hay que escuchar como suena el latigazo de batería en ese "New Orleans" de Gary US. Bonds. Amores extraños, y uno de los discos más festivos, rítmicos y personales de la era del garaje que incluía "Nigh Time", recuperada por Lenny Kaye en su glo-rio-so "Nuggets" de 1972, y sus éxitos "I Want Candy" y "Cara-Lin". De "Candy" me quedo con la versión inmediata de Brian Poole and The Tremeloes, antes que con la de Bishops o la de Bow Wow Wow.

[billboard-hotties-tourney]

The Round Two Contenders

Hello, all! As we go into round two, I'll be accepting propaganda for only the following nominees:

Sting

Glenn Gould

Link Wray

Curtis Mayfield

Bob Seger

Oscar Peterson

Eric Stewart

Klaus Voormann

Paul McCartney

Gene Autry

Rod Argent

Fang

Freddie Mercury

John Paul Jones

Sly Stone

Tom Scholz

Justin Hayward

Roger Hodgson

Bo Diddley

Rick Wright

Gram Parsons

Geddy Lee

Ray Manzarek

Sam Cooke

Jimi Hendrix

David Gilmour

Noel Redding

Fats Domino

Eric Burdon

Jim Morrison

Bjorn Ulvaeus

Smokey Robinson

Nat King Cole

Dave Davies

Ray Brown

Ron Mael

Ian Curtis

Arlo Guthrie

Micky Dolenz

Syd Barrett

Chuck Berry

Renato Zero

Bruce Springsteen

Al Green

Miles Davis

Bill Bruford

Charles Brown

Mickey Finn

Bob Marley

Eric Dolphy

Neil Peart

Alan Parsons

Brian May

Neil Diamond

Mick Taylor

Robin Zander

Billy Preston

Mik Kaminski

Tony Bennett

Mick Ronson

Steve Miller

Tony Levin

Johnny Cash

Stevie Wonder

Gordon Lightfoot

Frank Zappa

Ernie Ford

David Coverdale

Marvin Gaye

Buddy Holly

Marc Bolan

Rory Gallagher

Todd Rundgren

Willie Dixon

Joe Strummer

Carl Palmer

David Bowie

Alvin Lee

Rick Danko

Clyde McPhatter

Cab Calloway

John Oates

Kenny Loggins

Roy Orbison

John Fogerty

Richie Havens

Ricky Nelson

Denny Laine

Otis Redding

Dave Vanian

John Coltrane

Elton John

BB King

Dean Martin

Rob Grill

Don Henley

Russell Mael

Jimmy Page

Cat Stevens

Tommy Shaw

Robbie Robertson

Phil Ochs

David Byrne

Steve Winwood

Donald Fagen

Carlos Santana

Peter Hammill

Tom Jones

Bev Bevan

Clarence Clemons

Sammy Davis Jr

Robert Lamm

Bobby Darin

Johnny Mathis

Tony Banks

Robert Plant

Brian Eno

Benny Andersson

Barry Gibb

John Deacon

Pete Seeger

Phil Lynott

Andy Gibb

George Harrison

Mickey Hart

Prince

Jack Bruce

Keith Moon

Those in bold have lots of propaganda already, so they're low priority. Rules for submitting propaganda are in the FAQ. If there are multiple people in the photo, please tell me which one the propaganda's for. Good luck to the round two musicians!

[rhapsodynew]

Syd Barrett with a hand-painted painting, 1964

"THE BEE KING" AND SID'S LETTER

In December 1964, 18-year-old Barrett wrote an illustrated letter to his girlfriend Jenny Spires, telling about the first sound session of the future Floyd's. The demo recordings were made in a small London studio with an eye to signing a contract with a major record label. At that moment, the band was influenced by the "rolling stones" and Bo Diddley, this can be heard both in their own stuff and in the cover version of I'm a King Bee, which Sid mentions in the letter.

Six tracks recorded between December 1964 and January 1965 were included in the mini-album 1965: Their First Recordings, officially released in 2015. And later they were included in the box set The Early Years 1965-1972. Floydomans are well aware of this. Since that time (especially in connection with the release of the mini-album), there have been a lot of posts with playlists on social networks.

Offers a translation of the letter, which is published in Barrett's book. The definitive visual companion to the life of Syd Barrett (2011), which also includes Barrett's artwork, photographs, and other letters. It was first unveiled at the Cambridge Gallery in an exhibition dedicated to it in 2008.

Perhaps Sid is naive in this letter, and there is nothing of the great poet's rhetoric in the text, as, indeed, in his other epistolary archives. But in such modest sketches there is a breath of time and the magic of the authentic background of a single human everyday life, unadorned by historians and biographers. In addition, the epistolary syllable of Sid retains a share of stylistic melodiousness, and this also makes the written sample interesting. After all, Barrett's characteristic feature as a composer is that he "paints" a song with intonation, sounds, and syllables, as already mentioned in posts dedicated to Lucifer Sam and Arnold Layne.

It can also be mentioned that Sid illustrated himself, Mason, Waters and Bob Close, who was the lead guitarist of the band at that time. Sid signed his letters and paintings with his real name "Roger".

"Dear Jen, you are just lovely.

I'll tell you what happened during the recording. We dragged all the equipment into the studio, which was illuminated by a terrible white light and entangled with wires and microphones. Roger's amplifier was positioned behind a sound-absorbing screen, and Nicky was also "shielded". After a short conversation, we checked everything on the balance and wrote down five numbers more or less at once. However, only guitars and drums. We're going to add vocals, piano, etc. next Wednesday. The tracks sound awesome so far, especially King Bee.

When I sing, I have to stand in the middle of the studio with headphones on, and everyone else is watching from another room. I can't see them at all, but they can all see me. Also, I can only hear what I sing myself.

I hope you got home well, Jen, and had a good time. You couldn't have come to the recording. And anyway, it all lasted until midnight and it would have been a terrible burden for you.

How pleasant all these tra-la-la are (don't worry about distracting).

Do whatever you want, Jen. I love you very much and I want to hear from you, and you are very beautiful.

I'm a little tired of everything today, and I want to be in Cambridge or Greece, but not in London, where all I do is spend money and go back and forth. But the sun is still shining.

With love. Roger."

In case someone missed the Floyd's mini-album with those demo songs mentioned in the post, you can listen to it, for example (there is a song layout in the description, and to watch it, you need to go directly to the channel):

[3rdeyeblaque]

On May 8th, we also venerate Ancestor Robert Johnson on his 112th birthday 🎉

A renowned ICON of Hoodoo History, Culture, & Folklore, and a Delta Blue's legend, Robert Johnson's storied yet brief success has cemented him at the crossroads of Hoodoo Folklore & American History. He is known for his exceptionally eerie singing & masterful guitar play amid living a hard and fast life; after having struck a deal with the Devil to become one of the greatest Blue's musicians of all time.

According to Hoodoo Folklore, it was a cool October night when Robert Johnson walked alone with his guitar down a dark road in the Mississippi River Delta on a full moon night to the crossroads at Highways 49 & 61 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. As he walks he thinks about his sorrow. He thinks about the jeers & shouts for him to get off stage. In his misery, he cries out into the night. For his weakness, jealousy, fear, & the anguish of failure. But he’s not alone. Here, he meets the Devil. The Devil heard his cry & appeared, offering to fashion him a talent so he could play unlike any other in exchange for his soul. Thus Robert Johnson rose to fame as the King of the Delta Blues.

Robert Johnson was the eleventh child of his mother's children & born out of wedlock. He was born and grew up with his mother in Hazlehurst, Mississippi until he left to stay with his father for a time in Memphis,TN. His childhood is largely a mystery. Those that knew of him, claimed that he took up the diddley bow (a wire attached to nails sticking out of houses), as music was his life long interest.

As a teen, Robert Johnson met fellow Blue's legend Son House and Willie Brown. They became his musical mentors as they played in small towns throughout the Mississippi Delta. Thus began his showmanship & his iconic fusion of singing, guitar-playing, & songwriting. From then on he lived the life he sang about, the life a mysterious traveling musician. Though as the old folks of the era would say,  “The Blues was never meant to be taken seriously or reflectively. It was simply a force, expressing the deepest roots of their lives”. That there are only 3 known photos of him in existence only adds to his mystery.

By 1931 he was a popular name in bars and nightclubs throughout the region. While passing through Jackson, Mississippi in 1936, Robert Johnson caught the eye of a talent scout who'd go on to arranged his first recording session, which went on to selling 5,000 copies throughout the region. This was the very 1st time that  Robert Johnson's singing voice & guitar play was recorded. Despite his short life & career, he became a major influence on Blue's & Rock N Roll in the '60s & '70s. He'd go on to influence the likes of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, and Eric Clapton. In 1961 Columbia Records released, King of Delta Blues, which was a compilation of his early recordings; spanning just 29 cut between 1936-1938.

In 1938, a music producer at Columbia Records learned about his recordings & sought him out to perform at Carnegie Hall in NYC in front of an all-Black crowd. Unfortunately, Robert Johnson passed away the night before the show was set.

To this day, the cause of his death remains in dispute. Some say he was shot dead by the man of a paramour he'd messed around with. Others say it was a poison that killed him. His death certificate, however, officially states that his cause of death was Syphilis. Still, whether literally or figuratively, there are those who believe that the Devil did in fact collect his due.

At the time of his death, his grave remained unmarked thus no exumation effort could ever conclude with 100% certainty that the uncovered remains are his. Today, what has long-since been presumed to be his remains, is buried in Little Zion Baptist Church's cemetary, in Greenwood, Mississippi. 

"I pray that my redeemer will come and take me from my grave" - Robert Johnson’s final words

We pour libations & give him💐 today as we celebrate him for his legendary contributions to the art, history, and lore of Blue's & Black Culture. May we elevate him in light & healing.

Offering suggestions: listen to/share his music, play Mississippi Delta Blue's , & menthol cigarettes paired with dark liquor

*Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.

[countryhixes]

Bob Wills' Ranch House

(later called The Longhorn Ballroom)

"The Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Texas (USA) has been called, Texas' Most Historic Music Venue and since its inception has had a colorful set of proprietors. Originally built by O.L. Nelms, an eccentric Dallas millionaire, for his close friend, western swing bandleader Bob Wills, the venue opened in 1950 as Bob Wills' Ranch House. When Wills left In the early 50s Nelms leased the sprawling venue to notorious nightclub owner turned assassin Jack Ruby. Mr. Ruby eventually had a nervous breakdown and lost the lease, but he is credited with hosting some of the best black entertainers of the day including Count Basie, Ruth Brown, and Nat King Cole. The Nat King Cole show took place in 1954 in the racially segregated Jim Crow South, where an affluent black audience sat in front, in the premium seats, while the white patrons stood in the back to listen to the legend.

In 1957, the venue was divided into two separate performance areas by a single wall.  One area, named the “Guthrey Club” featured Rhythm and Blues artists such as Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, and Roy Orbison, while the bigger ballroom focused on Country Music.

In 1958, O.L. Nelms sold the business and in 1967 sold the property to his close friend and business partner Dewey Groom who renamed the venue The Longhorn Ballroom.  Groom, who was also a recording artist, and record label owner, successfully ran the ballroom for more than 25 years, adding the iconic Longhorn Ballroom marquee..."

[zaphffayrkunialofphinsfable]

my fictional band JFKFC's biggest influences

(they are ranked from biggest to smallest but the ones at the bottom are still very important)

Bob Dylan

The Beatles

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Aretha Franklin

Chuck Berry

Buddy Holly

Elvis Presley

Led Zeppelin

Carl Perkins

Little Richard

Fats Domino

Gene Vincent

Lonnie Donegan

Phil Spector

Ravi Shankar

Roy Orbison

The Isley Brothers

The Everly Brothers

Arthur Alexander

Eddie Cochran

Smokey Robinson

Larry Williams

The Shirelles

The Supremes

Little Willie John

The Marvelettes

The Shadows

Bill Haley

Buck Owens

Jerry Lee Lewis

Johnny Kidd & The Pirates

Bo Diddley

The Band

King Curtis

Carole King

Slim Whitman

Billie Holiday

Clara Ward

Dinah Washington

Mahalia Jackson

Ruth Brown

Sam Cooke

Sarah Vaughan

Big Maybelle

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Willie Mae Ford Smith

Wynona Carr

Bessie Smith

Dorothy Love Coates

Ella Fitzgerald

Esther Phillips

James Cleveland

Johnny Ace

LaVern Baker

Ma Rainey

Nat King Cole

Nina Simone

Arizona Dranes

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Dave Van Ronk

Hank Williams

Rev. Gary Davis

Woody Guthrie

Allen Ginsberg

Bill Monroe

Blind Willie McTell

Cisco Houston

Hary Smith

Jimmie Rodgers

Leadbelly

Johnny Cash

Little Richard

Mississippi John Hurt

Odessa

Pete Seeger

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

Bascom Lamar Lunsford

Clarence Ashley

Dock Boggs

Jesse Fuller

Robert Johnson

John Jacob Niles

Lefty Frizzell

The Carter Family

Victoria Spivey

Alan Lomax

Doc Primus

Doc Watson

Mississippi Sheiks

The Weavers

Roscoe Holcomb

George Gershwin

Percy Mayfield

Blind Boy Fuller

Josephine Baker

Frank Hutchison

Ewan MacColl

Billy Lee Riley

B.B. King

John Coltrane

The Yardbirds

Little Richard

Howlin’ Wolf

Muddy Waters

Cream

T-Bone Walker

The Impressions

Buddy Guy

Elmore James

Freddie King

Hubert Sumlin

Little Walter

Jimmy Reed

Lonnie Mack

Albert Collins

Bobby Womack

Curtis Mayfield

Earl Hooker

Esquerita

Johnny “Guitar” Watson

Ike Turner

Charley Patton

James Brown

Johnny Jenkins

Randy Hansen

Charlie Christian

Moby Grape

Fairport Convention

Otis Rush

Sonny Boy Williamson II

Willie Dixon

Anne Briggs

Bert Jansch

John Renbourn

The Creation

The Rolling Stones

Blind Willie Johnson

Davy Graham

Fleetwood Mac

James Cotton

Johnny Burnette

Memphis Minnie

Small Faces

Jake Holmes

Spirit

Tim Rose

Vanilla Fudge

[one-album-wonders]

The Greatest American Rock Star Tournament

A lot of new people have discovered the March Madness of American Rock Bands in the past couple of days and are reblogging and commenting on polls that closed some time ago.  I appreciate the energy, but unfortunately there’s also a lot of anger and threats directed at bands and the people who voted for them.  I propose redirecting that energy to our follow-up tournament for The Greatest American Rock Star!  Follow this blog and reblog this post so we can get as many voters as possible for the next tournament and hopefully avoid people being angry about it after the fact.

Here's the plan:

I’m making a list of solo rock performers from the United States (including artists who were born, naturalized, or just lived in the US for a long time).  The list is below the cut and currently has 312 artists.  I’m still accepting submissions but will cap it 320.

We're using the broadest definition of rock for the artists participating in this tournament. Genres and sub-genres will included acid rock, alternative rock, art rock, blues rock, country rock, dance music, doo-wop, electronic music, folk rock, funk, glam rock, grunge, heavy metal, hip hop, indie rock, industrial, new wave, pop, power pop, punk, rap, reggae, r&b, rock and roll, rockabilly, singer/songwriter, ska, soft rock, soul, surf music, yacht rock, and more! If you think an artist is "not rock" then the best thing you can do is not vote for them. Nobody wants to see your comments about how you think [artists name] is "not rock" and if you're too obnoxious about it you might get blocked.

For the first stage of the competition, artists will be in groups of 4 with other artists from the same decade.  Since many artists have multi-decade careers, I’m placing them in the decade when they first emerged as a popular recording artist, which is deliberately vague, and I may shift some artists around a bit to balance the groups.

Schedule:

April 3-10: Group Stage

Every day I will post 9 to 10 polls of groups of 4.  These polls will be open 7 days to allow them to get the most possible attention from Tumblr users.  Campaigning for favorite artists is encouraged. Vitriol directed at artists and especially at Tumblr users who vote for them is not, and may get you blocked.

April 17-20: The Winnowing

Artists who advanced from the group stage will be seeded for head to head, one day polls against other artists who participated in groups whose polls started on the same day.

April 27-May 10: Bracket

All surviving artists will be placed into a bracket for head-to-head matchups lasting one day each.

"Weird Al" Yankovic

50 Cent

Aaron Neville

Afrika Bambaataa

Akon

Al Green

Al Jarreau

Albert King

Alice Cooper

Alicia Keys

Angel Olsen

Aretha Franklin

Ariana Grande

B.B. King

Bad Bunny

Barry White

Beck

Belinda Carlisle

Ben E. King

Bernie Worrell

Bette Midler

Beyonce

Big Daddy Kane

Big Joe Turner

Big Mama Thornton

Bill Haley

Bill Withers

Bille Joe Armstrong

Billie Eilish

Billy Joel

Billy Preston

Bo Diddley

Bob Dylan

Bob Mould

Bob Seger

Bobbie Gentry

Bobby "Blue" Bland

Bobby Darrin

Bobby Womack

Bonnie Raitt

Bootsy Collins

Brandi Carlile

Brenda Lee

Brian Wilson

Brittany Howard

Bruce Springsteen

Bruno Mars

Buddy Guy

Buddy Holly

Busta Rhymes

Cardi B

Carl Perkins

Carlos Santana

Carly Simon

Carole King

Cat Power

Chaka Khan

Chance the Rapper

Cher

Chris Cornell

Chris Isaak

Chuck Berry

Chuck Willis

Clyde McPhatter

Common

Conway Twitty

Coolio

Curtis Mayfield

Cyndi Lauper

DaBaby

D'Angelo

Danger Mouse

Darlene Love

David Byrne

David Crosby

David Lee Roth

Debbie Harry

Del Shannon

Diana Ross

Dick Dale

Dion

Dionne Warwick

DMX

Dolly Parton

Don Henley

Donna Summer

Dr. Dre

Dr. John

Duane Eddy

Eddie Cochran

Eddie Money

Elvis Presley

Eminem

Erykah Badu

Esther Phillips

Etta James

Everlast

Fats Domino

Fetty Wap

Fiona Apple

Flo Rida

Frank Ocean

Frank Zappa

Future

Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Puckett

Gene Pitney

Gene Vincent

George Clinton

Ghostface Killah

Glen Frey

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Gaynor

Gram Parsons

Gregg Allman

Gwen Stefani

Halsey

Hank Ballard

Harry Nilsson

Howlin' Wolf

Ice Cube

Ice-T

Iggy Pop

Ike Turner

Irma Thomas

Isaac Hayes

J Dilla

J. Cole

Jack White

Jackie Wilson

Jackson Browne

Jadakiss

James Brown

James Ingram

James Taylor

Jane Wiedlin

Janelle Monae

Janet Jackson

Janis Joplin

Jason Derulo

Jason Mraz

Jay-Z

Jeff Buckley

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Lopez

Jenny Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jill Sobule

Jim Croce

Jimi Hendrix

Jimmy Reed

Joan Baez

Joe Tex

Joe Walsh

John Fogerty

John Lee Hooker

John Legend

John Mellencamp

John Prine

John Sebastian

Johnny Ace

Johnny Cash

Johnny Winter

Jon Bon Jovi

Joni Mitchell

Josh Groban

Juice WRLD

Juliana Hatfield

Justin Timberlake

Kanye West

Katy Perry

Kelly Clarkson

Kendrick Lamar

Kenny Loggins

Kesha

Kid Rock

Kim Carnes

Kurtis Blow

Lady Gaga

Lana Del Rey

Laura Nyro

Lauryn Hill

Lavern Baker

Lenny Kravitz

Levon Helm

Lil Baby

Lil Kim

Lil Nas X

Lil Wayne

Linda Rondstadt

Lindsey Buckingham

Link Wray

Lionel Richie

Lisa Loeb

Little Richard

Little Willie John

Liz Phair

Lizzo

LL Cool J

Lloyd Price

Lorraine Ellison

Lou Reed

Lucinda Williams

Ludacris

Luke Bryan

Madlib

Madonna

Mariah Carey

Marvin Gaye

Mary J. Blige

Mary Wells

MC Lyte

Meat Loaf

Meg Myers

Megan Thee Stallion

Meghan Trainor

Melissa Etheridge

Meredith Brooks

Method Man

MF Doom

Michael Jackson

Michael McDonald

Miles Davis

Miley Cyrus

Missy Eliot

Mitski

Moby

Muddy Waters

Nancy Sinatra

Nas

Neil Diamond

Neko Case

Nina Simone

Otis Redding

P!nk

Pat Benatar

Patti Smith

Paul Simon

Paul Westerberg

Paula Cole

Percy Sledge

Pharrell Williams

Phil Ochs

Philp Bailey

Phoebe Bridgers

Pitbull

Post Malone

Prince

Queen Latifah

Randy Newman

Ray Charles

Richie Havens

Rick Derringer

Rick Springfield

Ricky Nelson

Ritchie Valens

Rob Zombie

Roger McGuinn

Ronnie Spector

Roy Orbison

Ruth Brown

Ryan Adams

Sam Cooke

Sammy Hagar

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Selena Gomez

Sharon Van Etten

Shawn Colvin

Sheb Wooley

Sheila E.

Sheryl Crow

Sly Stone

Smokey Robinson

Snoop Dogg

Solomon Burke

St. Vincent

Stephen Stills

Steve Earle

Steve Miller

Steve Perry

Steve Van Zandt

Stevie Nicks

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Stevie Wonder

Sufjan Stevens

Suzanne Vega

Taylor Swift

The Big Bopper

The Notorious B.I.G.

The Weeknd

Timbaland

Tina Turner

Todd Rundgren

Tom Petty

Tom Waits

Tori Amos

Townes Van Zandt

T-Pain

Tracy Bonham

Tracy Chapman

Travis Scott

Tupac Shakur

Usher

Wanda Jackson

Warren Zevon

Waylon Jennings

Whitney Houston

Willie Nelson

Wilson Picket

Wiz Khalifa

Wyclef Jean

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)

[scary-ivy]

Elvis Costello dresses like he wants to look like Bob Dylan and John Lennon and Jerry Garcia and Elvis Presley and Bo Diddley and a country & western star and a mod and a blues brother and then got confused in the middle of all that and the end result is some of the worst fits ever

[djmossback]

Spacebar Thrd Spc Sat 16 Sept 2023

THE SETLIST

Let The Music Play, Shannon (lp cut)

Bad Life, PiL (12" 45 RPM)

Give Me Some Slack, Cars (lp cut)

Every 1’s A Winner, Hot Chocolate (lp cut)

Ms. Fat Booty, Mos Def (12" explicit)

Jive Talkin’, Bee Gees (7" 45)

Oh Sheila, Ready For The World (7" 45)

Rock The Casbah, The Clash (7" 45)

Back & Forth, Cameo (12" 33 1/3 )

Roxanne, Police (7" 45)

I Thank You, ZZ Top (lp cut)

Ex’s & Oh’s, Elle King (lp cut)

Walk This Way, RUN D.M.C. (12" 33 1/3 )

2200 hrs

Metal Gods, Judas Priest (lp cut)

You Dropped A Bomb On Me, Gap Band (lp cut)

Sex Shooter, Apollonia 6 (12" 45 RPM)

Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, Bob Seger System (lp cut)

Let’s Dance, David Bowie (12" 33 1/3 )

Pick Up The Pieces, Average White Band (lp cut)

Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn (7" 45)

Couldn’t Get It Right, Climax Blues Band (7" 45)

Love Action, Human League (lp cut)

Love Plus One, Haircut One Hundred (7" 45)

Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart (12" 33 1/3 )

Boogie Oogie Oogie, Taste Of Honey (lp cut)

No Scrubs, TLC (12" 33 1/3 )

Declaration Of Rights, Abyssinians (lp cut)

2300 hrs

Clint Eastwood, Gorillaz (12" 33 1/3 )

She’s Crafty, Beastie Boys (lp cut)

Boys Are Back In Town, Thin Lizzy (lp cut)

The Futures So Bright, Timbuk 3 (lp cut)

Do The Du, A Certain Ratio (12" 45 RPM)

Black Sap Scriptures, Plague Vendor (lp cut)

Hair Of The Dog, Nazareth (lp cut)

Dirty Rat, Orbital (lp cut)

Pressure, Ari Lennox (lp cut)

Keep On Movin, Soul II Soul (12" 33 1/3 )

YAH, Kendrick Lamar (lp cut)

Joan Of Arc, OMD (12" 45 RPM)

West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys (12" 33 1/3 )

Mama Used To Say, Junior (12" 33 1/3 )

Nothing Left To Lose, Everything But The Girl (lp cut)

Midnight

Original Sin, INXS (lp cut, Dance Music comp)(Pictured!)

Rock With You, Michael Jackson (7" 45)

Maneater, Hall & Oates (12" 33 1/3 )

Rise, Herb Alpert (12" 33 1/3 )

Money (Dollar Bill Y’all), Jimmy Spicer (lp cut, hits comp)(Pictured!)

Funk You Up, The Sequence (12" 33 1/3 )

Chameleon, Herbie Hancock (lp cut)

Open The Iron Gate, Max Romeo (lp cut)

Who Do You Love, Bo Diddley (lp cut, mono, hits comp)

Seven Nights To Rock, Moon Mullican (lp cut)

blue bones (deathwish), Billy Nomates (lp cut)

Remembering Me, Cate le Bon (lp cut)

The Meaning Of Love, Depeche Mode (12" 45 RPM)

Little Fluffy Clouds, The Orb (12" 45 RPM Drum & Bass mix by Youth)

Love my Spacebar people.

TASTING NOTES

I was kind of prepared. Lots of new records. New old records, too: a wealth of vintage mid-70s funk and disco 12” records came into my possession. But, none of those made it into the crate; I had plenty of other acquisitions to integrate into the flow. I am constantly on the search for the familiar unexpected, and the unfamiliar unexpected, without falling prey to the obvious. And I did what I set out to do. Some of the best segues I have ever done happened tonight... often followed up with the most ham-handed and poor transitions in the history of Third Space Saturday. I’m just happy DJ IGA was not there to witness it, and scowl at my transgressions!

It probably didn’t sound like anything in the house, but your audience or listeners aren’t concerned with the details or technicalities. They want to play Centipede, or get nice with someone.

Cyberjewel gave herself the night off, which probably lent itself to me getting stuck in the elevator, and getting to the booth at 2058, for a start time of 2100 hrs. I wanted to get there early to set up, because there was a live event the night before. Luckily, except for the house sound, things were largely in order. I struggled with volume in the house, problems that weren’t solved until Jules showed up unexpectedly halfway through. Within 5 minutes, the PA was set properly, and I had an Athletic NA in a glass. 

Will was in the house, stationed at the print shop bar. It was great to play for the man who is piloting the spaceship. “She’s Crafty” was played for him. He was excited to get to “hear a Mossback set.” He set up my backgrounds on the TVs you can see on the video and busied himself breaking down the stage setup in the performance area. He works hard. I’m so happy I get to contribute to this thing he made happen. And I will stay as long as they want me. 

The crowds, as usual, were several waves of different people rolling through. At first there were normals. And that’s when the two “request” inquiries happened. Lately I’ve been engaging with people to help read the room, without actually playing what they request. Tonight, I was just trying to get situated. So, I politely declined. But the third person that came up asked about the Shannon track that I opened with, so I was pumped for that! I loved seeing the early 20s kids dancing around to “Maneater” by Hall & Oates, too. The kids are alright. The ones that come through the bar during my sets are game for anything. Well, not the guy who came up and asked for Drake. No bueno. 

I worry that my approach to things is too laid back, like part of the atmosphere. Perhaps my lack of self promotion, and my “let the music be the program” attitude, doesn’t lend itself to making Mossback sets an “event.” Maybe I need to get on the mike and relentlessly exhort people to wave their hands in the air, and relentlessly name check “MOSSSSS-BAAAAAACK!” ad nauseum. I am going to get some coasters made, maybe that will help.

There were some slack periods, unusual for a Saturday night. It made set construction challenging. The energy from the people in the bar contributes to your set in subtle ways, and it was challenging to play without it. But I found my footing, and learned to play without it. I made choices I might not have made with a crowd there. 

The Shannon track I started with was from an LP, but it was a 12” dance mix. It’s a “dance”-oriented compilation from Atlantic Records that also has INXS (which I played) and Phil Collins (which I didn’t play but may in the future). “Sususudio” kicks! The comp is set up in a good way, three songs per side. It almost feels like cheating, but there is a lot of useful stuff on there and it doesn’t take up a ton of space in the crate. And the three-songs-per-side format sounds good, lots of low end. For what I’m doing, it works out fine. 

Compilations can be too loaded with material to be useful in this setting, too many songs crammed onto a side, bad remastering, no thump or presence. So I’m sparing in my use of them. But I carry several around with me just for fun, like Soul Jazz comps and the Trojan Records Toots and the Maytals collection.

Will loved the Jimmy Spicer track I played from the Ace Records subsidiary BGP collection chronicling the first decade of hip-hop called “Dollar Bill Y’All.” It consists of records released by the Spring label, which was run by an industry lifer Bill Curtis, who was also a member of the band Fatback. Dude heard the potential in the hip-hop sound early, and the Spring offshoot Posse had early work from Ice-T, Afrika Islam, Marley Marl and artists promoted by Russell Simmons, like Jimmy Spicer. I followed that up with a Sugar Hill Records group, The Sequence. I like the old hip-hop sound. It still sounds good in the club. Will also dug the Herb Alpert “Rise” mix I have. It was so much fun to see him and the crew dancing around to it. 

I ended right at 0100 hours. Funny how that worked out. I just didn’t feel like going any longer. Maybe I got too much rest that day. I usually like to go until close, just because I like it there, but tonight it wasn’t right, so I bugged out and got home at a decent hour.

Next Third Space is 21 October, 2023. 9PM to 1AM, unless I get inspired to stay.

[playlistjunkie]

Mick Fleetwood - iTunes Celebrity Playlist - 3/17/09

• Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly

• Let There Be Drums - Sandy Nelson

• Wipe Out - The Safaris

• Honest I Do - Jimmy Reed

• Sweet 16 - B.B. King

• Hey! Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley

• Rags and Old Iron - Nina Simone

• The Lark Ascending (composed musical work) - Ralph Vaughan Williams

• Jealous Guy - John Lennon

• All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

• What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

• It's Man's Man's World - James Brown

• The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan

• Love That Burns - Fleetwood Mac

• Man of the World - Fleetwood Mac

• Dust My Broom - Elmore James

• Back Door Man - HOWLIN' WOLF

[moms-music]

Bob Seger - Bo Diddley

[sgt-celestial]

tagged by @ninetimesbluedemo to list 5 songs i cant stop listening to ummm

Guantanamera - Joan Baez

One Too Many Mornings - Bob Dylan

You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover - Bo Diddley

Cerca del Mar - Los Dandys

Sea Change - Peter Tork