11/29/2013

Chuck Berry and John Lennon - Johny B Goode


"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song is one of Berry's most famous recordings, has been covered by many artists, and has received several honors and accolades. It is also considered to be one of the most recognizable songs in music history.


11/22/2013

Little Richard - Hound Dog

"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known version; it is his version that is No. 19 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

11/20/2013

John Lennon - Hound Dog

"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known version; it is his version that is No. 19 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

11/15/2013

Transatlantic - Duel with the Devil

Transatlantic is a progressive rock supergroup consisting of Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas of Marillion, Mike Portnoy formerly of Dream Theater and Neal Morse formerly of Spock's Beard. They formed in 1999 as a side project to their full time bands until 2002. They have reunited in 2009.

Transatlantic Official Site


11/13/2013

Let It Be - Ray Charles

Let It Be is a song by The Beatles, released in March 6th 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. Although credited to Lennon/McCartney it is generally accepted to be a Paul McCartney composition. The single reached #1 in the U.S., Australia, Italy, Norway and Switzerland and #2 in the UK. It was the final single released by the Beatles while the band was still active.

Here, an amazing version by Ray Charles. And seriously, I do believe no other comment is required.

Just Let It Be!


11/10/2013

Transatlantic - We All Need Some Light

Transatlantic is a progressive rock supergroup consisting of Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas of Marillion, Mike Portnoy formerly of Dream Theater and Neal Morse formerly of Spock's Beard. They formed in 1999 as a side project to their full time bands until 2002. They have reunited in 2009.

Transatlantic Official Site


11/08/2013

Transatlantic - Mystery Train

Transatlantic is a progressive rock supergroup consisting of Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas of Marillion, Mike Portnoy formerly of Dream Theater and Neal Morse formerly of Spock's Beard. They formed in 1999 as a side project to their full time bands until 2002. They have reunited in 2009.

Transatlantic Official Site


11/06/2013

Transatlantic - My New World

Transatlantic is a progressive rock supergroup consisting of Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas of Marillion, Mike Portnoy formerly of Dream Theater and Neal Morse formerly of Spock's Beard. They formed in 1999 as a side project to their full time bands until 2002. They have reunited in 2009.

Transatlantic Official Site


11/01/2013

Wilson Pickett - 634-5789

"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" is a soul song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. It was first recorded by Wilson Pickett on his 1966 Atlantic Records album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. The single reached #1 on the "Black Singles" chart and #13 on the "Pop Singles" chart. The song has been covered by performers including Otis Redding, Ry Cooder, and Tower of Power.
Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, and Jonny Lang appeared in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000 and performed "634-5789". Floyd and Pickett played the proprietors of "Ed's Love Exchange," which according to the storyline in the movie can be reached at 1-900-634-5789.

Wilson Pickett brought the gruff, throaty power of his gospel-trained voice to bear on some of the most incendiary soul music of the Sixties. Some of his best work, including “In the Midnight Hour” and “634-5789,” was cut in the mid-Sixties at Stax studios in Memphis and released on Atlantic Records. Pickett also connected with the crew of house musicians at Muscle Shoals, where, beginning in 1966, he cut such memorable soul smashes as “Land of 1,000 Dances,” “Mustang Sally” and “Funky Broadway.” Pickett enjoyed a steady run of hits on Atlantic, leaving behind a legacy of some of the deepest, funkiest soul music ever to emerge from the South.

Wilson Pickett was born on March 18, 1941, in Prattville, Alabama. He sang in the town’s Baptist church as a boy. Then, in 1955, his family moved to Detroit. He began singing in a local gospel-harmony group, the Violinaires. Then, around 1959, he crossed over into secular music, joining the Falcons. In addition to Pickett, the Falcons included future soul stars Eddie Floyd and Sir Mack Rice. The Falcons’ gospel-influenced R&B style gave shape to the Detroit soul scene of the early Sixties, and their biggest hit, “I Found a Love,” spent 16 weeks on the R&B chart, peaking at Number Six. The success of that record eventually led to Pickett’s signing to Atlantic Records.

Nicknamed “the Wicked Pickett” for his boasting, uninhibited style, the talented singer came into his own during his 1965 sessions at Stax, arranged by Atlantic’s Jerry Wexler. Pickett collaborated with Booker T. and the M.G.’s guitarist Steve Cropper on “In the Midnight Hour,” one of the most enduring soul classics of all time. The song was a Number One R&B smash and Pickett’s first Top 40 pop hit. Its success signaled a new era of soul, in which the focus shifted to the looser, funkier sounds of the South. It also launched a string of raucous hits by Pickett, including “Don’t Fight It,” “Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do)” and “634-5789.”

When he began recording at Muscle Shoals, Pickett continued to score hits. “He reminded me of a black leopard – you know, look but don’t touch, he might bite your hand,” Muscle Shoals engineer Rick Hall said. Pickett’s gleeful swagger and raw sexuality- - qualities particularly evident on 1968’s “I’m a Midnight Mover,” one of his biggest pop/R&B hits -- anticipated the boasting persona adopted by rappers in subsequent decades.

In the early Seventies, Pickett collaborated with the Philadelphia-based production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. He cut the album In Philadelphia (1970) and scored such sizable hits as “Engine Number 9” and “Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You” in the emerging Philly-soul style, which would become a cornerstone sound of that decade. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Pickett remained a viable hitmaker well into the Seventies. His 1971 album, Don’t Knock My Love, yielded four charting singles, including the title track, a Number One R&B hit. Subsequently, Pickett recorded for other companies, including RCA and Motown, and even founded his own Wicked label in the mid-Seventies.

Pickett remained active on the touring and recording fronts into the 21st Century. In 1993, he received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, and in 2003, he starred in the D.A. Pennebaker-directed documentary Only the Strong Survive. Then, in 2004, Pickett began to suffer from various ailments and slowed down his career activity.

Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack on January 19, 2006, in Virginia. He was 64 years old.

Wilson Pickett Official Web Site