Not the band, THE ALBUM!
Then again, it was the band.
The cognoscenti tell you it's all about the first, with "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and those songs other people covered, like "Heaven Is In Your Mind" and "Coloured Rain." But I've always maintained the follow-up was the definitive statement. Then again, "John Barleycorn" was quite a comeback.
Yes, the band broke up and then got back together, when musicians followed their muse, back before recording was free and you could do your side project and play to the disinterested at will.
And despite being seen as Steve Winwood's band, "Traffic"'s breakout star is Dave Mason, who promptly went on to record one of the greatest solo debuts of all time and has spent the rest of his life trying to follow it up.
On this day in 1970, Grateful Dead performed at "The Hollywood Rock Music Festival" in England, their first outside of US gig. Watch the slideshow video of their performance below. Don't forget to catch their latest release May 1977. Learn more about it here.
On this day in 1960, "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers started a five week run at #1 on the US singles chart. The single ran for another 2 weeks, becoming their biggest and final hit single. Here they are performing "Cathy's Clown":
Every Tuesday and Thursday, former Warner Bros. Records executive and industry insider Stan Cornyn ruminates on the past, present, and future of the music business.
7 Arts’ executive in charge of deals – Eliot Hyman -- having met with the heads of Warner Bros. Records, left his first meeting at the record label feeling his next step in making money out of this, was more of this “records” business, if such a step made sense. In a meeting at the label, Hyman had asked Mike Maitland if 7Arts buying a company like Atlantic Records, for instance, would that be “a good buy.” Maitland just had to say “yes,” because recently Atlantic looked like it was burning up the charts.
Hyman had also heard “yes, good idea,” from Frank Sinatra’s money man, Mickey Rudin.
With “yes” twice, feeling cozy, Hyman flew back to New York, to once again meet with Ertegun-Wexler-Ertegun about making a buy out, so he’d have two hot labels to offer in his next move: which was to sell his whole stake in Warner-Seven, including its labels, to...who knows?
Wishing a happy birthday to Jewel! Here is her video for "Foolish Games," you can also find the remastered track on her latest GREATEST HITS release here.
Happy 53rd birthday to Morrissey! A couple of months back the singer played an intimate gig at Hollywood High School. We didn't make it in (but fortunately someone with a camera did), and Morrissey performed a few Smiths songs, including “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.”
