The History Book Club discussion
MUSIC
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R&B
Agreed. The creative process, so interesting, inspiration can come form anywhere and translate into a variety of forms.
I loved Joe Cocker. I will never forget his renditions of "Guilty" and "You Are So Beautiful To Me." Raw emotion.
Joe Cocker.......I absolutely loved him. I think I have most of his music on albums and CDs. I saw him in concert more years ago than I care to admit....he had a fifth of Jack Daniels in one hand and the other one was waving around in that spastic way he had of delivering a song. I was in heaven. I have to admit that his voice and style of delivery was an acquired taste for many and I can understand that.......but he was my acquired taste and I loved some of the work he did with Leon Russell. Like this one:Cry Me A River by Joe Cocker and Leon Russell from the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKNJj...
Jill,Great to hear from another Cocker fan. "Cry Me a River" was one of his absolute best.
Interesting about the Jack Daniels.:-) I wish I'd seen him in concert. You were lucky.
One of my personal favorites:You Can Leave Your Hat On http://youtu.be/4b04jq7NB1s
This one didn't make much of a commercial splash but I love it:
Unchain My Heart
http://youtu.be/ni6m8pDaVkg
Jill, must have been great to see him live. What a hoot!
He was drunker than a skunk and at one point forgot the lyrics to "You Are So Beautiful"...but he soldiered on and the concert was fantastic, regardless of his lack of sobriety. You just kind of expected it.But he got clean in his later years and I saw an interview with him where he gave his wife all the credit for setting him on the right track.
Happy New Year! Dialed into Tina Turner Live in Hungary while channel surfing and had to share this. Wowza! Proud Mary
http://youtu.be/EmH4YlNdWAg
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited Jan 02, 2015 01:18AM)
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Alisa, a great show. Fine dancers!
Tina was always amazing when she got to do her thing.
This version has a great piano player:
Tina Turner
Proud Mary (live):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqIpk...
and there's of course this one, still with Ike - and a better band/more focus on the musicians:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UyCb...
The hair! The outfits! Those legs OMG those legs!! And of course the voice, like no other. She is awesome at any age. Great selections, Andre. Can you imagine how hard those backup dancers work? You cannot be a slacker in that line.
message 112:
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited Jan 03, 2015 04:59AM)
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Tina is one of those very special people who pull you in instantly. The second she gets on stage the place is cookin'. She was like that from the start and still is. Her live shows are among the best ever. Always will be.
Personally I prefer her time with Ike musically because I like those songs much better and the band was more creative. Private Dancer, the album was o.k. but what came after that... I'm not even going into whatever you'd wanna call it what she puts out today.
But as soon as she gets on stage she's back with all her energy and her unique presence. One of the very best.
Here is some more nice stuff:
Tina live:
with Ike and the Band on Playboy after Dark 1969 (with a real nice version of Proud Mary around 7:30):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1xmv...
in the TV studio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoD4M...
Live in Paris:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5pdf...
a few lines from an interview. Nice to hear her talk about what she's really like and also to see what face Ike is pulling when he hears that...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbWz...
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited Jan 08, 2015 10:39AM)
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Frostie the Parrot doing the Shake A Tail Feather dance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bt9x...
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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/art...
Ike and Tina Turner
Fool In Love / Work Out Fine (co-written by Rose Marie McCoy) medley:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI1EN...
Rose Marie McCoy
Dippin' In My Business (+ Down Here (bad sound quality):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-6Du...
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It's Better To Have And Don't Need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmafT...
Mercy Mercy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWioa...
I Was Checking Out She Was Checking In:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOu1T...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/art...
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Anytime, Bentley. I hope you have fun reading!
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I hope you will find the time to do more of your own reading.
One of the greats of r&b, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters had some great hits in the mid-century.Hank Ballard
by Jesse Russell (no photo)Synopsis:
Hank Ballard (November 18, 1927 - March 2, 2003), born John Henry Kendricks, was a rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and one of the first proto-rock 'n' roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an integral part in the development of rock music, releasing the hit singles "Work With Me, Annie" and answer songs "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie" with his Midnighters. He later wrote and recorded "The Twist" and invented the dance, which was notably covered by Chubby Checker. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
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The autobiography of possibly the greatest of r&b music producers.Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music
by Jerry Wexler (no photo)Synopsis:
Atlantic Records partner and producer, Wexler presided over the evolution of the modern music business and made prodigious contributions through to our cultural history. Wexler has worked with the entire range of American genius: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and others. 75 photographs.
message 125:
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited Apr 14, 2015 08:15AM)
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When A Man Loves A Woman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lp7F...
same, live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOaDg...
Take Time To Know Her:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFxnU...
Dark End Of The Street:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj3Ud...
RIP to one of the greats. Thanks for the memories, Percy.
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B.B. King is reportedly receiving hospice care at his home in Las Vegas. A few favorites:The Thrill Is Gone
https://youtu.be/4fk2prKnYnI
Let The Good Times Roll
https://youtu.be/DYB5vLzEHvI
Sweet Sixteen
https://youtu.be/eKMLIcJJFTI
Nobody Loves Me But My Mother
https://youtu.be/OIW4ARVbhrw
Lucille
https://youtu.be/-Y8QxOjuYHg
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Always love the tempo change, how BB transmits "his" new found freedom. Love it.
A nice version of the Thrill - but it's cut. BB gets back on stage plays a bit more - and introduces the band (nice solos and little dance steps)...
The Thrill Is Gone (live in Montreux):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aEws...
So many great renditions of that tune he has played over the years. I saw him in concert a couple times, always a treat.
Thanks guys for the updates. BB is a giant and I hate to hear that his health is failing badly.
message 132:
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited May 03, 2015 11:41PM)
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Sure is, Alisa.
One of the seminal figures in rhythm and blues as well as an early proponent for racial equality.Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Story
by George Lipsitz(no photo)Synopsis:>
Considered by many to be the godfather of R&B, Johnny Otis—musician, producer, artist, entrepreneur, pastor, disc jockey, writer, and tireless fighter for racial equality—has had a remarkable life by any measure. In this first biography of Otis, George Lipsitz tells the largely unknown story of a towering figure in the history of African American music and culture who was, by his own description, “black by persuasion.” Born to Greek immigrant parents in Vallejo, California, in 1921, Otis grew up in an integrated neighborhood and identified deeply with black music and culture from an early age. He moved to Los Angeles as a young man and submerged himself in the city’s vibrant African American cultural life, centered on Central Avenue and its thriving music scene. Otis began his six-decade career in music playing drums in territory swing bands in the 1930s. He went on to lead his own band in the 1940s and open the Barrelhouse nightclub in Watts. His R&B band had seventeen Top 40 hits between 1950 and 1969, including “Willie and the Hand Jive.” As a producer and A&R man, Otis discovered such legends as Etta James, Jackie Wilson, and Big Mama Thornton. Otis also wrote a column for the Sentinel, one of L.A.’s leading black newspapers, became pastor of his own interracial church, hosted popular radio and television shows that introduced millions to music by African American artists, and was lauded as businessman of the year in a 1951 cover story in Negro Achievements magazine. Throughout his career Otis’s driving passion has been his fearless and unyielding opposition to racial injustice, whether protesting on the front lines, exposing racism and championing the accomplishments of black Americans, or promoting African American musicians.
Midnight at the Barrelhouse is a chronicle of a life rich in both incident and inspiration, as well as an exploration of the complicated nature of race relations in twentieth-century America. Otis’s total commitment to black culture and transcendence of racial boundaries, Lipsitz shows, teach important lessons about identity, race, and power while encapsulating the contradictions of racism in American society.
One of the great talents and a particular favorite of mine.Jackie Wilson: Lonely Teardrops
by Tony Douglas(no photo)Synopsis:
To his many fans, he was known simply as "Mr. Excitement," a singer whose music and stage presence influenced generations of performers, from Elvis Presley to Michael Jackson. Jackie Wilson: Lonely Teardrops looks at the life and career of this deeply troubled artist. Published briefly in a limited edition in the United Kingdom, this Routledge edition makes available this definitive biography for Wilson's legions of fans. Also includes two 8-page photo inserts.
message 135:
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited Jun 29, 2015 11:45AM)
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Thinking of "Here She Goes", what was that song again, ... here she comes, walking down the street...
Gary US Bonds (with Springsteen who I believe wrote the song)
This Little Girl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP7m_...
LOL........BTW, this little girl is 5'9!!!!. And whatever happened to Gary US Bonds?
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Still hopping around, with 76! Just noticed we share birthdays, though I'm not 76...
message 138:
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited Aug 22, 2015 11:49AM)
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That Lady (Soul Train TV Show):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsuLA...
Harvest For The World:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz_Os...
Life In The City (Pt. 1 + 2):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC_ml...
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Always fun Andre when you post and do the lively exchanges with Jill and Alisa.
André wrote: "Isley BrothersThat Lady (Soul Train TV Show):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsuLA...
Harvest For The World:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz_Os...
Life In The City (Pt. 1 + 2):
https:..."
You know I love the Isley Brothers! I have a greatest hits CD in my car that is in frequent rotation. Their funk is great but one of my all time faves is this one:
For The Love of You:
http://youtu.be/WMdBs7uTLHw
André wrote: "Here she goes, Jill being busy...Thinking of "Here She Goes", what was that song again, ... here she comes, walking down the street...
Gary US Bonds (with Springsteen who I believe wrote the son..."
Andre where do you dig these up? Gary US Bonds and Bruce! Awesome. I think Bruce is getting better with age!
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I never learned to count past 10 so when folks told me that one's long gone I gave up trying to figure things out.
message 145:
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André, Honorary Contributor - EMERITUS - Music
(last edited Aug 23, 2015 02:54AM)
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Sony Legacy just released a box of all their classic RCA and T-Neck albums, remastered from the original tapes. Yummy!!!!!
Though sadly they did not include Different Drummer which has 8th Wonder and Once In A Lifetime Lady(for whatever reason - maybe since that one's Isley, Jasper, Isley or Epic/CBS?)
Isley Brothers
Different Drummer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=subAB...
8th Wonder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usFma...
Insatiable Woman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUQXm...
On my list to buy. Every time you join us, Andre, it is costing me money!!!! Looks like a great collection.
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Definitely worth it, Jill.
I'm just listening to certain tracks I really know by heart.
I used to be quite disappointed with the CD quality but with these recent remasters - from the original tapes - there's much more detail.
I don't have the original vinyls anymore but I remember why I liked certain songs and arrangements back when I still had them.
Most CD pressings felt flat. Not anymore.
A great set!!!!
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T.S.O.P.(The Sound Of Philadelphia):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ligIq...
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The queen!!!American Legends: The Life of Etta James
by Charles River EditorsSynopsis:
Etta James, the legendary jazz, gospel, rhythm & blues, and soul singer, was perfectly positioned to reign as the supreme artist in the emerging soul genre of the ‘40s and ‘50s in America. No one ever doubted her talent, the highly distinctive and versatile nature of her voice, or her drive to succeed, and yet, she has been “woefully overlooked” in the history of indigenous rock and blues music in the United States. She is famous and recognized for several iconic hits with which she is eternally associated, such as “I’d Rather Go Blind” and “At Last,” but her place in the pantheon of great soul artists is unsteady and not always instantly recognizable by those outside of a knowledgeable group of devotees. For the rest of soul music’s listeners, mention of her name will result in a hasty inclusion into the inner circle of leading artists, as though James had been momentarily forgotten. Once the object of focus, however, she is revered as one of the titans of the genre, and those who had allowed her to slip from their minds are immediately reawakened to her powerful vocal and interpretive gifts.
Such a vague position within the history of the form is partly due to a difficulty James experienced in crossing over to the white audience when others of the same genre were succeeding brilliantly at garnering a new, mixed race fan base. Further, her own abilities may have contributed to the phenomenon; Etta James excelled at almost everything she touched, from gospel and blues, to soul and pop. She could wound the listener with a ballad yet in the same evening “rock a house” . In her various vocal incarnations, she triumphed as “a rhythm and blues belter, a blues crooner, and a rock-and-roll screamer” who could tailor her voice and her stage persona to seduce or abuse the listener.
James’ larger than life and highly forceful personality may have had a downside as well, as she searched for cross-over acceptance by doing everything that her colleagues were doing to make it happen but would not step far enough into the common ground where the entire spectrum of listeners could experience a sufficient level of comfort. Some of her colleagues, however, had been accused, at one time or another, of creating hybrids of themselves in order to be perceived as either partly or almost entirely white in their musical and stage craft, but outside of the prevailing musical habits of Fifties pop music, there was a line passed that James would not, and probably could not budge. In addition, she would not admit to being weak in any musical area and moved between the genres easily and often, with the strong blues roots always at the ready for an underpinning. The steamy aspects of her personal life were followed with great interest by a fascinated public, and she was not at all subtle about traversing between the most primal and spiritualistic aspects minutes apart in any one appearance.
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life (other topics)Big Mama Thornton: The Life and Music (other topics)
Who Did It First?: Great Rhythm and Blues Cover Songs and Their Original Artists (other topics)
American Legends: The Life of Etta James (other topics)
Jackie Wilson (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
William Finnegan (other topics)Michael Spörke (other topics)
Bob Leszczak (other topics)
Maurice White (other topics)
Charles River Editors (other topics)
More...
So true, Alisa, although I'd include all the arts, not "just" music. As to where it's coming from, that might differ from person to person and what they are open to or believe in. Some stare at the sea, others at a pretty woman and yet others take part in demonstrations or religious services...
That said, did you hear the Pope today, he's really rattling the Vatican.