With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

“Here I am a million miles away from home” August 11, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 9:37 pm
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How many Trekkies are there among my readers? How many of you are music lovers?. If you are a Trekkie and you love music you probably know this already, but a number of pop and rock stars have made appearances on Star Trek at some time. If you know of any that I have missed from this post please let me know. Iggy Pop played the Vorta overseer working for the Dominion in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode The Magnificent Ferengi.

Iggy Pop contemplates the Captain’s Log

Tom Morello off of Rage Against The Machine played  Son’a Officer / Crewman Mitchell in the 1998 movie Insurrection, and later in the Voyager episode Good Shepherd respectively.

Tom Morello – Trekking In The Name Of

Jane Wiedlin off of 80s girl band the Go-Go’s, played Trillya in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

One time Miss America and later very successful singer and actress Vanessa Williams played Arandis in the 1996 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Let He Who Is Without Sin…

Vanessa Williams – looks a bit alien for a Miss America

David Soul played Makora in the Original Series episode The Apple in 1967, which was only his third television role and before his big break in Starsky and Hutch.

David Soul – looking for his Silver Lady (btw that is him on the left)

Fleetwood Mac’s drummer and huge Star Trek fan, appeared as the Antedian Dignitary in the The New Generation episode Manhunt. You could be forgiven for not recognising him in it though!

The Rumours are true, Mick Fleetwood is an alien

 

“In the bars, with the men who play guitars” August 10, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 10:45 pm
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Led Zeppelin were never a singles band in the UK during their hey day. But they did drop their standards elsewhere in the world, particularly in the USA. In fact the B Side to the 7″ single release of “Immigrant Song” featured the bands only non-album release when it hit the shops in 1970. It was called “Hey Hey What Can I Do”, and it has seen the light of day on a number of reissues, notably the expanded ‘Coda’.

The band did eventually reach the UK singles chart in 1997 with a reissue of “Whole Lotta Love”. In total, worldwide Zep released 15 singles, the majority of which charted somewhere in the world. The original single release of “Whole Lotta Love” in 1969 made it to number one in both the Australian and German charts. “Immigrant Song” was a top ten hit in Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and on the US Cash Box charts.

 

“The Life I Love Is Makin’ Music With My Friends” August 9, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 10:06 pm
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Apparently the harmonica is the world’s best-selling music instrument. Who would have thought that such a small humble tool would be that successful? How many of you own a harmonica? Of those who do own one then how many of you can actually play it? While you’re thinking about that take a listen to ten of my favourite harmonica featuring tunes.

 

“You keep playing where you shouldn’t be playing” August 7, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 10:27 pm
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Carol-Kaye-opener

Who is the bass session player that has played on more sessions than any other bass player? Well according to the Berklee College of Music in Boston it is Carol Kaye who has played on more than 10,000 sessions over four decades.

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She contributed to the Beach Boys classic album ‘Pet Sounds’, songs by Simon & Garfunkel, the Monkees, Ray Charles, Love, Glen Campbell, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, Ike & Tina Turner, Nancy Sinatra and Johnny Mathis to name but a few. She also played on many Phil Spector productions as well as a number of film soundtracks from the likes of Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifrin. In addition to bass guitar she also plays guitar and banjo. The now 82 year old Carol Kaye is without doubt one hell of a talented lady. Now enjoy just a small selection of the hits that she played on.

 

“I’m seeing shapes behind the curtain” August 6, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 10:28 pm
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reading--1990-main-stage-ad

I am sure that many of you reading this know that Noel Gallagher was once a guitar tech/ roadie for the Inspiral Carpets. But did you know that when the band headlined the Reading Festival in 1990 and they brought a pantomime cow on stage that one half of that creature was Noel? I am not sure which half though and I was there!

panto cow

inspiralscow

 

“Keep Quiet, Big Boys Don’t Cry”

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 7:29 am
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Do you remember that haunting ‘big boys don’t cry’ refrain on 10cc’s massive 1975 hit “I’m Not In Love”? Well whatever happened to that session singer? Maybe the question is what session singer as that vocal was recorded by the then Strawberry Studios Receptionist Kathy Redfern (although some internet sites have her surname as Warren).

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The song went to number one in the UK, Canada and Ireland and was taken from their 1975 top 5 album ‘The Original Soundtrack’. It was the second of the band’s three UK number ones. The others were “Rubber Bullets” in 1973 and “Dreadlock Holiday” in 1978.

OK Kathy if by some wild stretch of the imagination you, or someone who knows you, is reading this post I would love to interview you for this blog.

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“With new bones in your closet” August 3, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 7:00 am
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Back in January 2002, Aaliyah‘s “More Than A Woman” was replaced by George Harrison‘s “My Sweet Lord” at number one in the UK singles chart. This remains the only time that a deceased artist has taken over from another deceased artist at number 1.

 

“Disappointment haunted all of my dreams” August 2, 2017

Filed under: Joke,Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 8:16 pm
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My wife said that she would leave me if I couldn’t stop my obsession with the Monkees. I thought that she was joking, and then I saw her face……

Anyway although the Monkees were effectively a manufactured band I thought that they were pretty good, how about you? Did you know that over 400 musicians auditioned to be in the band, including Stephen Stills, Harry Nilsson, John Sebastian, Paul Williams, Danny Hutton (of Three Dog Night) and allegedly Charles Manson. Although some reports state that Manson was in prison at the time of the auditions.

 

“Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings” July 31, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 9:58 pm
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By all accounts Frank Zappa was not a great fan of rock groups, well maybe not much of a fan of anyone else’s music some would say. He was often disparaging of rock behemoths like Led Zeppelin and referred to lead singer Robert Plant as Robert Planet and Robert Plant-It. It was also Zappa he first raised the story of the mud-shark and the groupie incident, but that is another story altogether.

However maybe he did secretly like Led Zeppelin. In rehearsals for his 1988 tour he tried a few covers; “Shapes Of Things” by the Yardbirds and “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles. But most of these were never played live, particularly “Stairway To Heaven” a song which Frank claimed never to have heard from start to finish. But he recognised that a Zappa cover of the song, including sound effects, might actually blow the minds of his audience. I have listened to a few live recordings of Zappa doing “Stairway To Heaven” and it is both faithful and fanciful, a truly mental take on a true rock classic. Apparently the song took a slightly different road each night of that tour, even taking on some reggae vibes occasionally. Personally I love Zappa does Zep. What do you think? Here are a few takes from Zappa and the Led Zeppelin original.

 

“Somebody better put you back into your place” July 30, 2017

Filed under: Trivia — justwilliam1959 @ 2:53 pm
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When Queen recorded “We Will Rock You” back in 1977 at Wessex Sound Studios in Highbury North London they and Producer Roy Thomas- Baker wanted to get a full and powerful stomp to back it up. Everyone in the studio was rounded up to provide that now familiar stomping and clapping refrain, essentially everyone stamped their feet twice and clapped their hands on the offbeat. Now not only was everyone in the studio involved but so was Betty the Tea Lady. No one remembers much about her other than her name was Betty, she made the tea at Wessex Sound Studios and that she lived next door to the studio.

So in my opinion Betty is one of the many unsung and uncredited people in rock’s grand history. Now I know it’s a long shot but if Betty or one of her friends or relatives is reading this I would love to talk to you to get a bigger profile on line for Betty! Yes I know it’s 40 years ago, but I really would love to pull this off!