Tag: Bob Dylan

Happy New Year From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/1/2021

Well, here we are coming up on another fun year in Empire. Of course, that’s propaganda, but I can promise you one thing: It’ll be a fun year here in The Mermaid Lounge.

The Fab Four are big on January 1.

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 1, 1940: NBC begins regular FM transmission from New York’s Empire State Building on W2XDG. Edwin Armstrong, the inventor of FM (Frequency Modulation), first demonstrated the technology to RCA’s executives and engineers in 1933.

January 1, 1953: Hank Williams, only 29-years-old, died of heart failure, brought on by the abuse of pills and alcohol, on the way to a show in Canton, Ohio. Incredibly enough, Williams had the #1 song on the Country chart at the time. It was called I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.

January 1, 1956: RCA released Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel. In 1999, the song would be certified multi-platinum for a second time.

January 1, 1957: The Cavern Club in Liverpool opened its doors for the first time. It will forever be remembered as the place where The Beatles got their start.

January 1, 1960: Johnny Cash gave the first of many performances at San Quentin Prison. In the audience on this day was 19-year-old Merle Haggard who was serving 15 years for grand theft auto and armed robbery (he actually served just under three years).

January 1, 1961: Shop Around by The Miracles (soon to be Smokey Robinson & The Miracles) was #1 on the R & B chart.

January 1, 1962: The Beatles attend a New Year’s day audition for Decca Records where they record 15 songs. Decca would eventually reject the Beatles, telling Brian Epstein that guitar bands are “out.” Yeah. Kanye West is still saying that shit. Tell that to Eric Clapton, Mike Campbell, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, for starters.

January 1, 1964: The Beatles played two shows at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. They also received word from the U.S. that their first single, I Want To Hold Your Hand, was selling 10,000 copies an hour in New York City alone. The rest, as they say, is history.

Also on this day, The Dave Clark Five (another great British invasion band) had the #1 single in the UK with Glad All Over.

And, as if all of this wasn’t enough, The British show Top of The Pops debuted with The Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield, and the Dave Clark Five.

January 1, 1965: The Beatles had three albums in the Top 10 on this day: Beatles ’65 at #1, A Hard Day’s Night at #6, and The Beatles Story peaking at #7.

January 1, 1966: Simon & Garfunkel hit #1 with Sounds of Silence.

January 1, 1967: The Rolling Stones release the great song, Ruby Tuesday.

January 1, 1969: Put this on the list of shows I wish I’d been at: Creedence Clearwater Revival and early Fleetwood Mac (before Nicks & Buckingham) at The Fillmore West in San Francisco.

January 1, 1971: George Harrison had the #1 album with All Things Must Pass and the #1 song with My Sweet Lord on this day.

Meanwhile, Radio Luxembourg aired over seven straight hours of continuous Beatles music (as a band and solo) in celebration of their 10th year in music.

January 1, 1972: Three Dog Night becomes the first rock band to appear on a Tournament of Roses Parade float.

January 1, 1975: Paul McCartney & Wings arrive in New Orleans to record the album Venus & Mars.

January 1, 1988: George Harrison hits #1 with the song Got My Mind Set On You.

January 1, 1997: Singer-songwriter, tortured poet, Townes Van Zandt dies at the age of 52. His music has been covered by Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, and many others. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard both covered his amazing Pancho & Lefty and had #1’s. But hands down, the most beautiful version of that song was done by Emmylou Harris.

January 1, 2019: The Renton Highlands Post Office in Seattle, Washington, is renamed the James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix Post Office. (I love this shit. I wish I lived there.)

Born on This Day

January 1, 1937: Bob Bogle, guitarist with The Ventures, was born in Wagoner, Oklahoma.

And that is all, my friends!

Greetings & Salutations From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/30/2020

Good Morning, Music Trivia Buffs! We’re getting a jump on the day because it’s an “opening” shift this morning on Truck Day. Here’s everything you need to know to impress your friends.

Tom Petty said of Bo Diddley: “Remember, Elvis is King, but Diddley is Daddy.”

Here’s today’s lesson:

December 30, 1957: Sam Cooke’s You Send Me finished the year as the #1 R & B song where it spent the previous six weeks.

December 30, 1961: This year it was the Marvelettes finishing up a seventh week at #1 on the R & B chart with Please Mr. Postman.

December 30, 1962: The Chiffons released the single He’s So Fine.

December 30, 1965: The Who, The Hollies, The Kinks, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Manfred Mann, and Georgie Fame performed on the popular TV show, Shindig.

December 30, 1967: The Beatles were still tearing up the charts. Their new album release, Magical Mystery Tour, climed from #157 to #4 in one week.

As if that wasn’t enough, The Beatles also had their 51st hit, their 25th Top 10 song in four years, and 15th #1 with the song Hello Goodbye.

December 30, 1968: The Turtles released the single You Showed Me.

December 30, 1969: Santana released the single Evil Ways.

December 30, 1972: Seventh Sojurn by the Moody Blues remained at the #1 position on the Album chart for a fourth week.

Also on this day, Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina cracked the Top 10 with Your Mama Don’t Dance.

December 30, 1974: Bob Dylan recorded Tangled Up in Blue (a personal all-time favorite), Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, and If You See Her, Say Hello.

December 30, 1979: Emerson, Lake & Palmer announced their break up.

Born On This Day

December 30, 1928: R & B and Rock n’ Roll icon Bo Diddley (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter) was born Ellas Otha Bates (add McDaniels at the end from his adoptive family) in McComb, Mississippi. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago where he and his friends sang on street corners. Rumor has it that his nickname, Bo Diddley came from the diddley bow, a one-stringed African guitar popular in the Mississippi Delta region.

December 30, 1931: Country singer Skeeter Davis was born Mary Frances Penick in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. She is actually best known for her crossover hit, The End Of The World.

December 30, 1934: Del Shannon (Runaway) was born Charles Weedon Westover in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

December 30, 1937: Bluegrass, folk, and country multi-instrumentalist and singer John Hartford was born in New York City.

December 30, 1937: Folk singer-songwriter Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary) was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

December 30, 1939: R & B singer Kim Weston was born Agatha Nathalia Weston in Detroit, Michigan. She would sign with Motown in 1961.

December 30, 1939: Felix Pappalardi, bassist and vocalist for Mountain, was born in The Bronx, New York.

December 30, 1940: Punk rock queen Patti Smith was born in Chicago.

And that, my friends, is it from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!

Happy Tuesday Bluesday From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/29/2020

Good Morning, Students! Yes. It’s true I return to retail hell today. I must say I enjoyed the five solid days in the DJ chair. If this job paid, I’d take it.

Antoine “Fats” Domino. Was anybody playing rock n’ roll before him?

Here’s your lesson for today:

December 29, 1956: Fats Domino spends his 11th week at the top of the R & B chart with his song Blueberry Hill.

December 29, 1958: Lonely Teardrops by Jackie Wilson was #1 on the R & B chart.

December 29, 1962: Bob Dylan played the Troubadour folk club in London.

December 29, 1964: The Liverpool Youth Employment Services announced that some applicants were having difficulties getting jobs because their Beatle haircuts and clothing was unacceptable to employers. Oh, puhleeeze.

December 29, 1966: The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their TV debut on the UK show Top of the Pops where they performed Hey Joe.

Also on this day, The Beatles began recording Penny Lane.

December 29, 1967: Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Mason leaves the popular and successful band Traffic for a solo career. Rumor had it that he did not enjoy sharing co-writing duties with Steve Winwood.

December 29, 1969: Sly & The Family Stone release the single Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again).

December 29, 1970: Norman Greenbaum (native of Malden, Massachusetts) released the great song Spirit in The Sky, a sixties anthem if there ever really was one.

December 29, 1971: America released it’s self-titled first album.

December 29, 1973: Jim Croce’s Time in a Bottle tops the Hot 100, the second of three posthumous hits for the late singer/songwriter.

Also on this day, Elton John’s fine album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was #1 on the Album chart for a third week.

December 29, 1980: Singer-Songwriter Tim Hardin was found dead in his apartment of a heroin overdose at the age of 39. He is best known for If I Were A Carpenter (a hit for Bobby Darin in 1966; the Four Tops in 1968), as well as Reason To Believe (a hit for Rod Stewart in 1971).

Born On This Day

December 29, 1941: Ray Thomas, singer, composer and flautist for The Moody Blues was born on Stourport-on-Severn, England.

December 29, 1942: Rick Danko, co-lead singer and bassist for The Band was born in Green’s Corner, Ontario, Canada.

December 29, 1946: Marianne Faithful was born in Hamsted, London.

And that is your lesson from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge for today!

It’s Sunday Here in The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/27/2020

Good Morning, Musicologists! Here we are with today’s lesson from the college, where nobody ever really sleeps much these days.

Bob Dylan. ‘Nuff said.

Here’s today’s lesson from The Lounge:

December 27, 1958: Buddy Holly makes his first appearance in his home town of Lubbock, Texas, since becoming a major star.

December 27, 1960: The Beatles played to a welcome home crowd at the Litherland Town Hall in Liverpool, after completing a residency in Hamburg, Germany. They played with a sit-in drummer, as Pete Best remained in Germany and would, actually, never return to the group. As a result of the crowd’s reaction to their performance at this event, the Beatles finally believed in themselves. The rest, as they say, is fucking history, people.

December 27, 1963: The Animals performed for the first time on a BBC radio broadcast called Saturday Club. This would lead to a contract with Columbia.

December 27, 1964: The Supremes make their first of 16 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

December 27, 1967: Bob Dylay released the album John Wesley Harding.

December 27, 1969: The Supremes’ final release with Diana Ross, Someday We’ll Be Together, becomes the final #1 hit of the sixties.

Also on this day, Led Zeppelin II, goes to #1 on the Album charts, replacing Abbey Road after eight weeks.

December 27, 1974: Bob Dylan recorded Idiot Wind and You’re a Big Girl Now on this day.

December 27, 1975: Faces announced their break-up (unfortunately). Rod Stewart focuses on his solo career (I have a love-hate with this guy) and Ron Wood joins the Stones.

December 27, 1980: Weeks after his murder, John Lennon’s Just Like Starting Over goes to #1 in both the US and the UK. It was chosen as the release not because Lennon considered it the best song on the album, but because he thought it was appropriate after a five-year hiatus from recording. It was his only #1 solo release.

Born On This Day

December 27, 1944: Mick Jones, great guitarist and songwriter with Spooky Tooth and co-founder of Foreigner, was born in Somerton, Somerset, England.

December 27, 1948: Larry Byrom, guitarist for Steppenwolf, was born in Huntsville, Alabama.

December 27, 1951: Karla Bonoff, singer-songwriter, solo artist, and back-up vocalist for Linda Ronstadt was born in Santa Monica, California. She wrote several songs for Ronstadt’s Hasten Down The Wind album, and also wrote All My Life, the Linda Ronstadt-Aaron Neville duet which won a 1991 Grammy.

And that is it for today, my friends. We will be back with the line-up shortly.

Our Antidote To Christmas Music: Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Band and MOONDOG MATINEE, and Later It’s That Sweet Soul Sound, Thursday, December 24, 2020

Good Morning, Musicologists! Here we are on holiday, and we’ve got the perfect antidote to that bad Christmas music that I know is playing in ACE Hardware today. Luckily, I’m here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Dylan and Petty. Does it get any better? Not from where I’m sitting.

Here’s your Christmas Eve day programming!

11:00 a.m. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live in Sacramento, June 12, 1986

One day, Bob Dylan asked Tom Petty to go on tour with him. There’s a reason why all these guys wanted The Heartbreakers around. You’re about to find out just exactly why. In return, all of the members of The Heartbreakers credit Dylan with teaching them the importance of adjusting plans, songs, and being more spontaneous on stage. It was a marriage made in music heaven.

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Moondog Matinee by The Band

I could go on and on about The Band, undoubtedly one of the great treasures in American popular music. They may have started as Dylan’s back-up band, but they carved their own very real place in music history.

7:00 p.m. That Sweet Soul Sound: Various Artists EXPANDED AND UPDATED!

This is a great playlist to close out today’s programming. We’ve added some new music, so we’ve added some new songs to the playlist. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Mary Wells, James Brown, Rare Earth, The Box Tops, The Marvelettes, Jackie Wilson, The Temptations, Ann Peebles, Bill Withers and many more!

It’s Christmas. Time to pack it in. Be done with the pursuit of capitalism, and tune in to a radio station with no ulterior money-making motives. We don’t ask you to subscribe. We don’t ask for your credit card. We don’t ask for personal information because we don’t intend to sell you anything. We’re here for the music, believe it or not. If you choose not to believe, then all I can say is that you have no idea what you are missing.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Getting a Jump On The Day At The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/23/2020

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas. The shorter the time gets, the nastier the shoppers get. The pressure’s on to make sure they buy enough, or just the right thing, or whatever the fuck. Give it up.

The first transistor radios. Undoubtedly, man’s finest invention.

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

December 23, 1947: Three scientists from Bell Labs in New Jersey demonstrate the transistor, which leads to the invention of small, portable transistor radios. They would win the Nobel Prize for their work in 1956.

December 23, 1957: A new act called Tom & Jerry appear on the chart for the first time with their new song Hey Schoolgirl. They were just sixteen years old. Today, we know them as Simon & Garfunkel, and they have sold 105 million albums.

December 23, 1961: The Marvelettes spent their sixth week at #1 on the R & B chart with Please Mr. Postman.

Also on December 23, the Beach Boys make their live debut, performing two songs during intermission of surf guitarist Dick Dale’s concert at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California.

December 23, 1962: Bob Dylan did a show at the King and Queen Pub in London.

December 23, 1963: Lesley Gore released the single, You Don’t Own Me.

December 23, 1964: Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys suffered a breakdown on a flight from LA to Houston. As a result, he decided to retire from performing live, in spite of the fact that their Beach Boys Concert was #1 at the time. Glen Campbell was a temporary replacement for Wilson, until Bruce Johnston joined the group.

December 23, 1966: London’s premier psychedelic hangout, The UFO Club, opens on Tottenham Court, with Pink Floyd as the house band.

December 23, 1969: Elton John met with Bernie Taupin for the first time, along with arranger Paul Buckmaster, and producer Gus Didgeon, to begin work on his first (and best, in my opinion) album.

December 23, 1970: Joni Mitchell earned her first Gold with her third album, Ladies of The Canyon.

December 23, 1972: The Moody Blues had another big album with Seventh Sojurn, which spent a third week at #1.

Born On This Day

December 23, 1940: Jorma Kaukonen, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, was born in Washington, D.C.

December 23, 1941: Folk musician Tim Hardin, who wrote If I Were A Carpenter, was born in Eugene, Oregon.

December 23, 1946: Ariel Bender, guitarist for Mott The Hoople, was born in Evesham, Worcestershire, England.

December 23, 1964: Eddie Vedder, lead singer, guiarist, and songwriter of Pearl Jam, was born in Evanston, Illinois.

And that’s it for today’s lesson!

Here’s Your Tuesday (Bluesday) Lesson From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/22/2020!

Yes, it’s Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge, and the lesson is lighter than usual today. Seems it’s not a very eventful day in music history, unless you’re talking about shit we don’t play.

The Beatles Live at The Empire Theatre, Liverpool, December 22, 1963.

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

December 22, 1956: Elvis Presley finished the year with 17 hit songs, a record that would stand until the year 1964 — when The Beatles had 30. (Yes, I said 30.)

December 22, 1962: Bob Dylan played at the Singer’s Club Christmas Party in London.

Also on this day, one of the greatest instrumental songs ever recorded, Telstar by the Tornadoes, went to #1. And yes it was a tribute to the satellite.

December 22, 1963: The Beatles performed at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool.

December 22, 1972: Led Zeppelin performed at Alexandra Palace in London.

December 22, 1973: Elton John moved to #1 on the UK Album chart with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

December 22, 1978: Kenney Jones, formerly of Faces, was chosen as the new drummer for The Who. He replaced Keith Moon, who had passed away a couple of months earlier.

December 22, 1979: The Pretenders performed at the Marquee Club in London.

December 22, 1980: Linda Ronstadt debuted on Broadway in the Gilbert & Sullivan production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Uris Theatre.

Also on this date, Pat Benatar’s first hit — Heartbreaker — debuted on the charts.

Born On This Day

December 22, 1939: James Gurley, guitarist for Big Brother & The Holding Company, was born in Detroit.

December 22, 1944: Barry Jenkins, drummer for The Animals, was born in Leicester, England.

And that signals the end of today’s lesson. We’ll be back with the Tuesday Bluesday line-up in just a bit.

It’s Monday With Joni Mitchell, A New Episode of ‘The Shadow’ and Bob Dylan Live in ’75, December 21, 2020

Good Morning, Music Lovers of the Universe! I hope that your Monday can be made brighter by our programmng selections (call me dramatic).

Joni Mitchell performs on stage at The Wall Concert, Berlin, 21st July 1990. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)

Here’s today’s killer line-up:

11:00 a.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado, July 30, 1983

Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s career has spanned four decades. Mitchell’s talents embrace various musical styles, including folk, pop, rock and jazz. I had the opportunity to see her at Boston’s Music Hall with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express on her tour supporting the release of her album, Court & Spark. She was amazing.

3:00 p.m. The Shadow: 04 Death Under The Chapel NEW!

An insane professor is dropped from the faculty after causing the suicide of one of his students. You can imagine that he might have revenge in mind.

7:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live in ’75: The Rolling Thunder Revue

Bob Dylan on his Rolling Thunder Review tour, along with his loosely-assembled back-up band called Guam, which included Ronee Blakeley, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, T Bone Burnett, Mick Ronson and Scarlet Rivera, among others. The tour was unorthodox and almost spontaneous, and it took place just prior to the release of his fantastic Desire LP.

There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be listening to us. We’re free. We do not run advertising. And we don’t make a dime from what we’re doing. There is no need to provide a credit card, buy a subscription, or give us your personal information. So, what are you waiting for?

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Today in Music History From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/10/2020

Well, children, here we are again in The Mermaid Lounge, home of The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge where we work hard to impart our special brand of education.

Antoine “Fats” Domino, a musical monster. There is no denying his contribution to rock n’ roll.

Here is your curriculum for today:

December 10, 1927: The Grand Ole Opry made its first radio broadcast ever from Nashville, Tennessee.

December 10, 1949: Fats Domino recorded eight tracks during his first recording session at Cosimo Matassa’s J & M Studios, including his first single, Detroit City Blues backed by The Fat Man. The B-side became the hit, and it was one of many for Fats Domino.

December 10, 1965: The Grateful Dead played their first concert, and only their second overall, at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.

December 10, 1966: The Rolling Stones released the album Got Live If You Want It in the US.

And also on this day, Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys hits #1.

December 10, 1967: Otis Redding, just 26 years old, is killed when the plane he is touring in crashes into a Wisconsin lake. His touring band, The Bar-Kays, also perish except for trumpet player Ben Cauley, the sole survivor. One month later, (Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay is released, becoming the first #1 song released after the artist’s death.

Also on this day, The Steve Miller Blues Band signs its first contract with Capitol Records for $759,000. The band immediately dropped “Blues” from their name.

December 10, 1976: The album Wings Over America was released on this day.

Also on December 10, Queen released A Day At The Races in the UK (it is released in the US on December 18). LIke their previous album, A Night at The Opera, the title is taken from a Marx Brothers movie. The Queen single Somebody To Love is also released on this day.

December 10, 2016: Bob Dylan accepts The Nobel Prize for Literature.

Born On This Day

December 10, 1941: Chad Stuart of Chad & Jeremy, was born David Stewart Chadwick in Windermere, Cumbria, England.

December 10, 1946: Ace Kefford, bass guitarist for The Move, was born in Moseley, Birmingham, England. The lead singer of the Move? That was Jeff Lynne, before ELO and The Traveling Wilburys.

December 10, 1948: Jessica Cleaves, lead singer for Friends of Distinction (great, little-known band), was born in Los Angeles.

There you have today’s lesson, my friends! Use your knowledge wisely!

Our New “Between Heaven & Hell” Playlist Debuts, We Hear From The Beatles, and Irma Thomas in In The Spotlight, Monday, November 30, 2020

Good Morning, Music Lovers. We’ve got some really good stuff going on today, particularly with our new playlist kicking it all off at noon.

This is what we’re taught. Personally, I think we’re already in hell.

Here’s today’s line-up!

12:00 p.m. Between Heaven & Hell: Various Artists NEW!

We’ve got some real interesting songs in this one. Some stuff I know I’ve never put in a playlist before. Includes songs from Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, ZZ Top, Lucinda Williams, Roberta Flack, and others! it’s a good one.

Take this with a grain of salt, but the playlist should be up before the stream begins. Go to the Playlist tab and scroll to the bottom to see if I make good on my attempt.

4:00 p.m. The Beatles: The Early Years

We certainly don’t play enough of our co-House Band here. But all of this stuff I research has made me understand that sometimes we forget just how fucking good they were. But Bob Dylan? He knew:

“We were driving through Colorado, we had the radio on, and eight of the Top 10 songs were Beatles songs…’I Wanna Hold Your Hand,’ all those early ones. They were doing things nobody was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous, and their harmonies made it all valid… I knew they were pointing the direction of where music had to go.”

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Irma Thomas

Somehow, there are those great singers who fall through the cracks when they should be much bigger. Irma Thomas is such a singer. She is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin, and she is known as The Soul Queen of New Orleans.

It’s Monday. It’s going to be rainy here with 50-mph winds. I’m turning it up and hunkering down. You should too.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio