The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner‘s first band was called the Boba Fett Experience. Presumably this was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
“I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about half past dead”
Apparently Aretha Franklin’s excellent cover of the Band’s equally excellent song “The Weight” featured Duane Allman on slide guitar. The song was recorded at the world-famous Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama. But what I found most interesting is that Duane played slide using an empty bottle of decongestant pills. Personally I thought he was hooked to harder stuff than that!
Is that Vicks that Duane is rubbing in?
I also feel that a major pharmaceutical marketing opportunity has been passed by. I think rock songs could be used to advertise prescription and over-the-counter products. Imagine that folks, rock music involved with the promotion of drugs! No one will believe that will they? Anyway I thought I’d kick things off with a request for Department S to reform and re-record their big hit “Is Vic There?” as “Is Vicks There?” Or maybe the Belle Stars could record “Sign Of The Times” as “Sinex Of The Times”. What do you think? I would love to hear your ideas for pharmaceutical promotion.
“She’s the sweetest queen I’ve ever seen” October 7, 2013
Many of you will recognise the two iconic 70s album covers pictured below. First Roxy Music‘s eponymously titled first album from 1972 and ‘The Hoople‘ from 1974 by Mott The Hoople. However did you know that the model on the cover of both albums is the same person? It is Kari-Ann Muller and she has yet another music link in that she went on to marry Mick Jagger‘s brother Chris.
In a strange twist of fate the model on another Roxy Music cover was Jerry Hall. She met Bryan Ferry at the photo shoot and began a relationship with him and then ultimately left him for Mick Jagger. So it is clear I think that the Jagger boys certainly like Roxy Music album covers! Incidentally Keri-Ann was paid just 20 pounds for the Roxy cover shoot. She also appeared in a James Bond film and is now a Yoga Teacher.
“I lose myself in the beat of the drum” September 22, 2013
According to an interview with diva extraordinaire Cher in the UK’s Observer newspaper today she was the first woman to show her navel on US TV. This monumental event took place on the Sonny and Cher Show in the early 70s. Given the amount of plastic surgery Cher is alleged to have had I wonder whether she still has the same navel/ What do you think?
“In fact here’s just another ordinary day” September 16, 2013
Apologies in advance, but this came to me via amail earlier today and I couldn’t resist passing it on 🙂
Stevie Wonder is playing his first gig in Tokyo and the place is absolutely packed to the rafters. In a bid to break the ice with his new audience, He asks if anyone would like him to play a request. A little old Japanese man jumps out of his seat in the first row and shouts at the top of his voice “Play a Jazz chord! Play a jazz chord!” Amazed that this guy knows about the jazz influences in Stevie’s varied career, the blind impresario starts to play an E minor scale and then goes into a difficult jazz melody for about 10 minutes. When he finishes the whole place goes wild. The little old man jumps up again and shouts “No, no, play a Jazz chord, play a Jazz chord”. A bit irritated by this, Stevie, being the professional that he is, dives straight into a jazz improvisation with his band around the B flat minor chord and really tears! the place apart. The crowd goes wild with this impromptu show of his technical expertise. The little old man jumps up again. “No, no. Play a Jazz chord, play a jazz chord”. Well now truly irritated that this little guy doesn’t seem to appreciate his playing ability. Stevie says to him from the stage “OK jerk. You get up here and do it!” The little old man climbs up onto the stage, takes hold of the mike and starts to sing….. “A jazz chord to say I ruv you…
“I think it went oh, oh, oh, I think it went yeah, yeah, yeah” September 9, 2013
I don’t often issue public health warnings on this blog, in fact this may be the first one that I have ever done. I need to make you aware that something which could severely damage your ears and your hearing will be happening in November. Those with little taste will be most susceptible to damage and there will be millions who are already beyond help. It is with great regret that I announce the release date of the new Wand Erection album. It will be called ‘Midnight Memories’; if only the band were just memories. It will be followed with a stadium tour in 2014 including 5 dates in the UK.
In other 1D news Aston Villa and England’s Gabby Agbonlahor has received death threats via Twitter from a number of One Direction fans. What dastardly deed did Gabby undertake? He tackled 1D’s Louis Tomlinson in a charity football match and injured the poor little lamb. It shouldn’t have surprised Tomlinson too much, he is after all actually on the books of a UK football club. He is a development player allocated squad number 28 for Doncaster Rovers in the 2013/ 14 season.
Given that some pathetic internet trolls have previously targeted members of the band with vile and abusive posts I find it somewhat unsavoury and sadly ironic that many of One Direction’s less intelligent fans are resorting to exactly the same bullying kind of language. My advice to those poor deluded souls is to chill out and laugh it off. Gabby has already apologised for upsetting poor little Louis. There are far, far worse things going on in the world. I wish no harm to the members of Wand Erection, although as a music fan I do hope that their career doesn’t last too much longer. Oops…… maybe I just made myself a target! :-0
Of course don’t forget that the One Direction film is now showing at cinemas. It’s called ‘This Is Us’, which is an anagram of ‘Us Is Shit’!
“I don’t dream about anyone, except myself” September 7, 2013
I love the Smiths‘ song “William It Was Really Nothing” because it is so good and maybe because my ego loves the fact that it uses my name. Did you know that the song was written about the late, great Billy MacKenzie off of the Associates? One-time Smiths member Craig Gannon has previously said that Morrissey wrote the song about his brief friendship with Billy.
MacKenzie responded with “Stephen You’re Really Something”. There really aren’t enough response songs these days are there? Maybe that will have to be the subject of a future post!
“Lately I’ve been thinking if you wanna get tough, then let’s play rough” September 5, 2013
British dance duo Disclosure chose their name by selecting a random word on a car insurance form. The band is made up of brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence who were born in 1991 and 1994 respectively. They come from a musical family. Their dad was in a covers band and their Mum sang on cruise ships and provided the vocal for a number of TV advert jingles. Most notably for ‘Shake ‘n’ Vac‘. So there is a tenuous link with Elvis Costello was the writer and voice for the R White’s Lemonade Secret Lemonade Drinker campaign.
The band’s debut album ‘Settle’ was released earlier this year and has so far spawned four UK top 20 singles, the biggest of which was “White Noise” a collaboration with the magnificent Alunageorge whiched reached number 2 earlier this year. The other singles from the album were “Latch” which features Sam Smith, “You And Me” which features Eliza Doolittle and “F For You” Sadly I missed Disclosure at the Reading Festival last month, but I did get to see Alunageorge perform “White Noise” live. If you haven’t done it already I reckon you ought to check out Disclosure’s album ‘Settle’ along with Alunageorge’s ‘Body Music’.
“You say it’s easy just a natural thing, like playing music but you never sing”
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils 1975 hit “Jackie Blue” reached number 3 in the US chart but failed to chart in the UK. However I do recall it being played a lot on UK radio; which is how I came to know and love the song. The song was originally written about a friend of the band who used to go clubbing in search of women. He always carried a large wad of cash and a plentiful supply of cocaine. Their label loved the song and said they really did feel that the band had written a big hit. However the suits then said that the lyrics needed changing so that the song was about a Jackie who was female. So the lyrics were rewritten and the rest as they say is history. The song was covered by the Smashing Pumpkins in the early 90s. How many of my UK readers are fans of this classic song from the Ozark Mountain Daredevils?
“I’ll wait in the shower thinking of you” September 1, 2013
It has long been alleged that King George V’s last words before his death included the phrase ‘bugger Bognor‘. Having holidayed there as a child I think that is not undeserved! Anyway how about some famous last words of a British pop star? Apparently the last words of Adam Faith before his death in March 2003 were; ‘Channel 5’s all shit isn’t it?’. Again that could be quite true. What are your favourite famous last words?
