Posts Tagged ‘Epic’
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
Listen: Justified & Ancient / The KLF Featuring Tammy Wynette KLFTammy.mp3
The last time Tammy Wynette played New York was October 25, 1994 at Town Hall. I’d scored a pair of tickets off a friend at Epic, Michael Alago came along with me. She was spectacular. Despite all the health scares, there were no physical signs of anything but beauty and strength. The voice was other worldly. We sat awestruck the entire time. She did all the hits and should’ve-been hits. Her stories were both personal and fun.
At one point, she thanked her label Epic for their loyalty and support since the 60′s and asked if anyone from the label was present, to please stand, asking the audience to give them a round of applause. No one stood. No one from Epic bothered to go. It was humilating for her and us. And this was a living legend.
Brilliant move on The KLF’s part getting her to vocal ‘Justified & Ancient’, also known as ‘Stand By The Jams’ in the UK. Rivals The Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield as top collaboration ever.
Tags: Arista, Dusty Springfield, Epic, Michael Alago, Tammy Wynette, The KLF, The Pet Shop Boys
Posted in Arista, Dusty Springfield, Epic, Michael Alago, Tammy Wynette, The KLF, The Pet Shop Boys | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
Listen: Cigarettes, Women And Wine / Chicory Tip ChicoryWinesomanyrecordssolittletime.mp3
Having scooped a UK release of ‘Son Of Your Father’ off Giorgio Moroder’s own German version, Chicory Tip ended up at #1 as a result. Not so in the US. Giorgio’s reached #48, while Chicory (as their name was shortened to for that one US single) peaked at #91. Despite the UK coup, Moroder wrote it, thereby still earning off every sale without having to schlep about in glam trousers and platforms, as the band did. In fact, Chicory Tip apparently hated their new found teen success, thus live, would deliver heavy blues rock instead. Bad career move.
Back in the studio, the Chicory Tip camp was smart enough to keep a winning formula going for a few more replicas of that lone #1, right down to having the band cover Moroder songs exclusively as A sides. A few charted, but despite heavy airplay from the influential Radio Luxembourg, BBC’s Radio 1 wouldn’t touch ‘Cigarettes, Women And Wine’, supposedly due to the cigarettes mention. Big cheat. They were a perfect mix of Glam and synth rock, and had they continued mixing the two elements, the result may have been much closer to what Manfred Mann’s Earth Band achieved, especially with Giorgio Moroder as producer.
Their sound certainly pointed to a whole musical revolution that wasn’t too many years away.
Tags: BBC Radio 1, CBS, Chicory Tip, Epic, Giorgio Moroder, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Radio Luxembourg
Posted in BBC Radio 1, CBS, Chicory Tip, Epic, Giorgio Moroder, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Radio Luxembourg | No Comments »
Friday, October 30th, 2009
Listen: The Day My Pad Went Mad / John Cooper Clarke JohnCooperClarkePad.mp3
Speaking of John Cooper Clarke (see previous post), the day a package from Howard Thompson in the UK arrived, with ‘The Day My Pad Went Mad’ inside, was the day my favorite picture sleeve list had a new entry at #1. I mean, look at this beauty.
It took me a few singles to really appreciate the genius of JCC. God, he’s so fantastic. Get as many of his records as you can. You’ll never regret it. Find him and send him money too, he deserves it. A national treasure.
Tags: Epic, Howard Thompson, John Cooper Clarke
Posted in Epic, Howard Thompson, John Cooper Clarke | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Listen: Doctor’s Orders / Sunny SunnyDoctors.mp3
Basically Sunny has loads of history. Solo artist, one half of Sue & Sunny (both of whom were also members of The Brotherhood Of Man) and background voice on many, many, many hit singles (Dusty Springfield, Elton John, The Love Affair, Lulu, Mott The Hoople, T. Rex, Tom Jones, and Joe Cocker to name but a few bigger ones). She’s probably on more records than even she can remember – let alone you or me.
Often associated with the Cook & Greenaway writer/producer team, it was their song ‘Doctor’s Order’ (co-written with Geoff Stephens, himself claim to a long list of song credits: The Applejacks, Manfred Mann, Scott Walker, Dave Berry, Frank Sinatra, The Carpenters) that became a favorite for literally months in ’74. As into rock and soul as I was in ’74, the occasional pop track would bite me hard. I was never comfortable that Sunny’s version didn’t become the US hit version, it was better and smoother than Carol Douglas’. Rest of world though, the crown went to the awesome Sunny. I want to meet her someday.
Tags: Carol Douglas, CBS, Dave Berry, Deram, Dusty Springfield, Elton John, Epic, Frank Sinatra, Geoff Stephens, Joe Cocker, Lulu, Manfred Mann, Mott The Hoople, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Scott Walker, Sue & Sunny, Sunny, T. Rex, The Applejacks, The Brotherhood Of Man, The Carpenters, The Love Affair, Tom Jones
Posted in Carol Douglas, CBS, Dave Berry, Deram, Dusty Springfield, Elton John, Epic, Frank Sinatra, Geoff Stephens, Joe Cocker, Lulu, Manfred Mann, Mott The Hoople, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Scott Walker, Sue & Sunny, Sunny, T. Rex, The Applejacks, The Brotherhood Of Man, The Carpenters, The Love Affair, Tom Jones | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Listen: Forget Me Baby / Lulu & The Luvers LuluForget.mp3
Listen: Satisfied / Lulu & The Luvers LuluSatisfied.mp3
Listen: Surprise Surprise / Lulu & The Luvers LuluSurprise.mp3
With a moniker like Lulu, it’s not too surprising if your powerful voice is overlooked. Shame. Lulu could, well still can, really sing. Does anyone honestly not love ‘The Boat That I Row’ or ‘Me, The Peaceful Heart’?
But even in ’65 the ruthless star making machinery was in aggressive full swing, preceding Clive Davis’ criminal dismantling of Big Brother & The Holding Company for a solo Janis Joplin by several years. Decca’s victims, although not as cleanly disassembled: Lulu & The Luvers or as sometimes listed, Lulu & The Luvvers. Initially known as The Gleneagles with Lulu as one of the vocalists, they played their brand of R&B regularly around Glasgow’s clubs. At 14, Lulu and band had their first hit with The Isley Brothers’ ‘Shout’, making theirs the definitive version in the UK. Pretty quickly peeling her away from a band setting began. But not before one more single as Lulu & The Luvers was released (after a few solo Lulu singles confused the process): ‘Satisfied’ / ‘Surprise Surprise’. They sounded like a hot band, even if they were part studio guys, and I wish Decca had afforded them an album before her solo career commenced. Plus the way their name alliterates off the tongue is just perfect.
Seems even Lulu forgot about the Luvvers, based on her jukebox tab below:
Tags: Big Brother & The Holding Company, Clive Davis, Decca, Epic, Janis Joplin, Jukebox Tab, Lulu, Lulu & The Luvvers, Mickie Most, Parrot, The Gleneagles, The Isley Brothers
Posted in Big Brother & The Holding Company, Clive Davis, Decca, Epic, Janis Joplin, Jukebox Tab, Lulu, Lulu & The Luvers, Lulu & The Luvvers, Mickie Most, Parrot, The Gleneagles, The Isley Brothers | No Comments »
