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.
Melvin Benn
Thanks to those nice people at the Hype Media I was lucky enough to attend the Leeds Festival Press Day earlier. Click here to read my write up for the Hype Media.
I would love to know what you think of it.
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.
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 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!
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
My first exposure to the mega talented Stanley Clarke was via his 1981 collaboration with George Duke on the “Sweet Baby” single. My music taste has always been eclectic and I was very much into Jazz funk in the late 70s and early 80s in addition to my love of punk, reggae and many other forms of this wonderful thing called music. I had listened to Stanley Clarke on and off since then and watched a few live videos of him on YouTube and I honestly hadn’t thought about going to see him play. But then I chanced upon a flyer for the gig at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds.
Once I had booked my ticket I started to get a tad excited about seeing the jazzmeister and he did not disappoint. There was an issue at the venue which meant the show started late, but that dampened no one’s enthusiasm. The band around Mr. Clarke consists of two keyboard players; Cameron Graves, aged 30, Beka Gochiashvili aged 21 and a powerfully talented drummer called Mike Mitchell also aged 21 and who I believe is known by the nickname Blaque Dynamite. I think that having a young band around him really seems to inspire Clarke. He was generous in his praise of the band throughout the show.
Admittedly I was surprised that there was neither guitarist nor brass in the lineup and I thought that might diminish the overall sound but it didn’t. Stanley plays the bass like no one else I have ever seen. He brings out melodies and tunes from an instrument that for many bands is just a sometimes perfunctory part of the rhythm section. He is a clearly a true genius and on top of that the crowd love him. In fact this is perhaps the biggest crowd that I have been a part of at this fabulous venue too. Stanley is as adept on the electric bass as he is on the double bass, the latter of which he plays by hand or with a bow. Given the array of guitars and bass guitars that many musicians carry with them Clarke used the same bass guitar throughout, well obviously apart from the double bass excursions.
I am not a true jazz aficionado so I can’t really tell you much about the set list. However one stand out moment for me was the beautiful arrangement of the Charlie Mingus jazz standard “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”. I would definitely see Stanley Clarke play live again after this, I left the venue on a proper high with a smile on my face that stayed with me until I fell asleep that night and maybe even it remained during said sleep, who knows?
Public service announcement, all the pictures were sourced via Google and all the videos discovered on YouTube. I am happy to provide credit to the posters
