Oakland, California’s PARENTZ recently released a brand new single on Popgang Records which is imaginatively entitled “Single”. I wonder if their album will be called ‘Album’? Let’s hope not as Public Image Limited got there first with that one. Anyway “Single” is a shimmering slice of electro pop with great earworm potential. At times it flows across your senses like you would imagine a chill out album from New Order might. Also a big thank you to those delightful folks over at Noisy Ghost PR for giving me the opportunity to hear about the rather splendid PARENTZ. Also if you want to hear more from PARENTZ click here to check them out on Soundcloud.
Becca Richardson, originally from Ohio, has recently released a new single, “Wanted”. It is a chilled number with a backing that is underpinned by a drilling yet subdued bass and a melody that suggests a yearning urgency. It bodes very well for her new album which is currently lined up for release later this year. The album will be called ‘We Are Gathered Here’. She is currently finishing the recording in Nashville. Click here to check out some other Becca’s other excellent songs on Soundcloud. A big thank you to those nice people at Noisy Ghost PR for giving me the chance to hear this fab track.
In 1996, Ringo Starr appeared in a Japanese advertisement for apple sauce, why was that? Well in Japanese “Ringo” means an apple offering or peace be with you. Is that where Mr Starkey got his infamous “peace and love, peace and love, peace and love” comment from in his speech a few years back about giving up on autographs?
Allegedly according to producer George Martin, the 60’s Batman TV theme tune inspired George Harrison of the Beatles, to write the hit song “Taxman”. Now there’s a thought for a brand new super hero team up; Taxman and Robbing! I guess it’s also fair to say that the Jam ripped off “Taxman” with start and Weller’s band also recorded a version of the Batman theme!
You often hear of stars, fossils, rare insects and such like being named after everyone from David Bowie to Frank Zappa. But how about a singer having a bus named after them? Well Leo Sayer had a bus named after him in Brighton, although it is no longer in service. So much for the show must go on right? Perhaps the driver was moonlighting?
Anyway why did Leo have a bus named after him in Brighton? Well that is where he was first discovered in 1970. The man who discovered him, Adam Faith also had a bus named after him. I would be interested to hear of any other musicians and singers that have had buses, coaches, cars, bikes, trains, boats, planes or rockets named after them.
How are Roxy Music connected to Krautrock? Well the two scantily clad ladies on the cover of Roxy’s 1974 album ‘Country Life’ are the cousin and then girlfriend of Michael Karoli off of Krautrock pioneers Can. Their names are Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald respectively
The album cover was far too steamy for retailers in the US, Spain and the Netherlands. They either covered up the expanse of flesh or changed the cover.
A couple of my recent posts have mentioned session players, notably Carol Kaye and Glen Campbell. But did you know that Billy Joel also played on a few sessions in his early years. The stand outs were two Shangri-Las hits; “Leader Of The Pack” and “Remember (Walking In The Sand)”. Although it was most probably demo versions.
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!
I know I am a little late with this as I am sure that you are all aware of the sad passing of music legend Glen Campbell earlier this week. But I couldn’t miss a chance to say something of the great man. For me growing up meant that it wasn’t cool to like anything that was in my Mum and Dad’s record collection. But they had two Glen Campbell albums, one of which was a best of compilation. I snuck that into my room a few times while my parents were away. Those songs and that voice were simply magical. On top of that Glen Campbell was a talented guitar player and session man. The world will be a lesser place without him but we will always have his music. So enjoy some of that now as the Rhinestone Cowboy rides out on his horse one last time. RIP Glen Campbell.
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.
