Owner: The Wolfman Howls Again - Mephisto's Rock Gems URL:http://rockgems.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:30:32 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: 50 years of Rock and Roll, laced with heavily intoxicating doses of Soul and Rythm and Blues. Blender mixed with Pop from 5 decades from all 5 continents. Some people call it the "Rock and Roll High School"...visit and find out why... Site statistics:Click here
Little Walter - My Babe (1955) 2007-04-10 16:28:00 Who's the king of all postwar blues harpists, Chicago division or otherwise? Why, the virtuosic Little Walter
, without a solitary doubt. The fiery harmonica wizard took the humble mouth organ in dazzling amplified directions that were unimaginable prior to his ascendancy. His daring instrumental innovations were so fresh, startling, and ahead of their time that they sometimes sported a jazz sensibility, soaring and swooping in front of snarling guitars and swinging rhythms perfectly suited to Walter's pioneering flights of fancy.Marion Walter Jacobs was by most accounts an unruly but vastly talented youth who abandoned his rural Louisiana home for the bright lights of New Orleans at age 12. Walter gradually journeyed north from there, pausing in Helena (where he hung out with the wizened Sonny Boy Williamson), Memphis, and St. Louis before arriving in Chicago in 1946.The thriving Maxwell Street strip offered a spot for the still-teenaged phenom to hawk his wares. He fell in with loca
Garnet Mimms - Cry Baby (1963) 2007-04-10 16:13:00 Best known for his original rendition of "Cry Baby," later a major item in Janis Joplin's repertoire, Garnet
Mimms' pleading, gospel-derived intensity made him one of the earliest true soul singers. His legacy remains criminally underappreciated, since for some reason he never scored another hit on the level of "Cry Baby," but his output from the early to mid-'60s -- a blend of uptown sophistication and earthy, impassioned vocals -- has earned comparisons to Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson from hardcore soul aficionados. Mimms was actually born Garrett Mimms in Ashland, WV, on November 26, 1933. He was mostly raised in Philadelphia, and began singing in church as a boy; during his teen years, he performed with several area gospel groups, including the Evening Stars, the Harmonizing Four, and the Norfolk Four, with whom he cut his first record in 1953.Mimms subsequently served several years in the military, and upon his release, he returned to Philadelphia in 1958 and formed a doo wop qu
Sniff 'n' The Tears - Driver's Seat (1978) 2007-04-10 14:50:00 Best remembered for their 1978 hit "Driver
's Seat," London-based New Wave combo Sniff
'n' the Tears
emerged from the remnants of the little-known Ashes of Moon, which disbanded in 1974 after failing to stir up much label interest. The individual members of the band scattered during the mid-1970s, with frontman Paul Roberts turning his attention to painting; however, following the ascendance of the New Wave, drummer Luigi Salvoni convinced Roberts to reform the group with guitarists Mick Dyche and Laurence Netto, bassist Nick South and keyboardist Keith Miller, and in 1978 the newly-christened Sniff 'n' the Tears began shopping its demo. Chiswick signed the band and issued its debut album Fickle Heart that summer, with the single "Driver's Seat" becoming a major hit in the U.S. The Game's Up appeared in 1980, but failed to make much of a commercial impact; when 1981's Love Action and the following year's Ride Blue Divide met a similar fate, Sniff 'n' the Tears disbanded. (Rea
Altered Images - Don't Talk To Me About Love (1984) 2007-04-10 14:45:00 Scottish new wavers AlteredImages
formed in early 1979, consisting of vocalist Clare Grogan, guitarist Tony McDaid, drummer Tich Anderson, and bassist Johnny McElhone. The teenagers cut a demo and sent it to Siouxsie and the Banshees, who were impressed enough to have the band open for them for several dates in support of their Kaleidoscope record. Two impressive BBC Peel Sessions helped the band land a contract with Epic. The Banshees' Steve Severin took them under his wing, producing their first two singles. Though both didn't do well, "Dead Pop Stars" gained controversy for its release shortly after the assassination of John Lennon. (The song was recorded prior to his death.) Both singles were striking for their dark post-punk leanings, which oddly went well with Grogan's youthful, chirpy voice. (See Cranes for another example of this juxtaposition.) Severin continued to help the band with their first full-length, but the label brought in Martin Rushent, who would help the band
Big Danny Oliver - Sapphire (1958) 2007-04-09 07:18:00 'Sapphire
' is without a doubt one of the very best Little Richard-sounding rockers ever cut - on a par with those created by Harold Burrage, Big Al Downing or Rockin' Bradley for instance.Written by Jack Hammer (of 'Great Balls Of Fire' fame) and released on Trend (# T 30.012), a subsidiary label for Kapp Records in New-York, it was sung by Big DannyOliver
, one of the many great unknowns whose contribution to Rock'n'Roll is fascinating. Big Danny's vocal can safely be described as wild !! As for the backing, it is very tight and consists of piano, guitar, electric bass and drums. No saxes. Of course, the swooping piano part is as essential a feature of the song as Big Danny's voice. There's always been much speculation over who played that piano but, according to Rob Finnis's notes to the 'Rockin' From Coast To Coast-Vol. 1' CD (Ace CHD 496, 1996), it's now almost certain that it was David Clowney - who would later switch to organ and score big instrumental hits as 'Da
Mitch Ryder - Devil With A Blue Dress On - Good Golly Miss Molly (1966) 2007-04-09 06:57:00 The unsung heart and soul of the Motor City rock & roll scene, MitchRyder
& the Detroit Wheels' blue-eyed R&B attack boasted a gritty passion and incendiary energy matched by few artists on either side of the color line. Born William Levise, Jr. in Hamtramck, MI on February 26, 1945, as a teen Ryder sang with a local black quartet dubbed the Peps but suffered so much racial harassment that he soon left the group to form his own combo, Billy Lee and the Rivieras. While opening for the Dave Clark Five during a 1965 date, the Rivieras came to the notice of producer Bob Crewe, who immediately signed the group and, according to legend, rechristened the singer Mitch Ryder after randomly selecting the name from a phone book. Backed by the peerless Detroit Wheels -- originally guitarists James McCarty and Joseph Cubert, bassist Earl Elliot, and drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek -- Ryder reached the Top Ten in early '66 with "Jenny Take a Ride"; the single, a frenzied combination of Little Richa Read more:Devil
, Golly
, Molly
The Equals - Soul Brother Clifford (1970) 2007-04-08 15:38:00 An energetic East London combo, the Equals
balanced maximum R&B with plenty of pop, plus a few nods to vocalist Eddy Grant's West Indian background. Grant, born in British Guyana, moved to England with his family at the age of 12, and settled in a council estate named Hornsey Rise in northeast London. Four years later, he formed the Equals with schoolmates Lincoln Gordon (guitar), his twin brother Dervin Gordon (originally the vocalist), Pat Lloyd (guitar, then bass), and drummer John Hall. The band began gigging around London, amazing audiences with their apparently limitless energy and a distinct style fusing pop, blues, and R&B plus elements of ska and bluebeat.By 1965, the Equals began doing dates in Europe as well, and released their first single on President Records. Though "Hold Me Closer" didn't perform on the charts, DJs began playing the flip side and by 1967 "Baby, Come Back" had hit the top of the charts in Germany and the Netherlands. One year later, the single hit numbe Read more:Brother
, Clifford
The Motels - Whose Problem (1980) 2007-04-08 15:21:00 Led by the charismatic Martha Davis, the Motels were one of the most successful and acclaimed bands to emerge from the fertile Los Angeles new wave scene, reaching the Top Ten in 1982 with their biggest hit, "Only the Lonely." Davis formed the group in 1972 while living in Berkeley, CA, recruiting guitarist Dean Chamberlain and bassist Richard D'Andrea; originally dubbed the Warfield Foxes, they became the Motels upon relocating to L.A., but despite interest from a number of record labels the group suffered through endless lineup changes, finally disbanding in 1976. Davis soon formed a new Motels roster with guitarist Jeff Jourard, his saxophonist/keyboardist brother Marty, bassist Michael Goodroe, and drummer Brian Glascock; signing to Capitol, in 1979 the group issued their self-titled debut LP, scoring a minor hit with the ballad "Total Control." Guitarist Tim McGovern, formerly of the Pop!, replaced Jeff Jourard prior to the release of the 1980 sophomore effort Careful. After Capi Read more:Problem
Morphine - Early To Bed (1997) 2007-04-08 14:43:00 Morphine is a rarity -- bluesy, bare-bones rock & roll without any guitars. Instead of guitar riffs, the trio relies on sliding two-string basslines, raucous saxophones, and wry, ironically detached vocals. During the mid-'90s, Morphine gained a sizable cult following in America, primarily due to good word of mouth, heavy college airplay, and positive reviews. Morphine was formed in 1990 by bassist/vocalist Mark Sandman, who had previously played with the bluesy alternative rock band Treat Her Right, and Dana Colley (tenor and baritone saxophone), a former member of the local Boston group Three Colors. Sandman and Colley added drummer Jerome Dupree to complete the lineup. The group released its debut album, Good, on the independent Accurate/Distortion label in 1991; it was reissued on Rykodisc Records in 1992. Good received substantial airplay on American college radio stations, as well as favorable reviews in alternative publications across the country. After the release of Good, Dup Read more:Early
Johnny Otis & Marci Lee - Telephone Baby (1958) 2007-04-07 13:55:00 Johnny Otis (born Ioannis (Yannis) Veliotes on December 28, 1921 in Vallejo, California) is an American blues and rhythm and blues pianist, vibraphonist, drummer, singer, bandleader, and impresario. Johnny Otis was the most prominent white figure in the history of black R&B. After playing in swing orchestras he founded his own band in 1945 and had one of the most enduring hits of the big band era, "Harlem Nocturne". This band played with Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown. In 1947 he and Bardu Ali opened the Barrelhouse Club in the Watts district of Los Angeles. He reduced the size of his band and hired singers Mel Walker, Little Esther Phillips and the Robins (who later became the Coasters). He discovered the teenaged Phillips when she won one of the Barrelhouse Club's talent shows. With this band, which toured extensively throughout the United States as the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, he had a long string of rhythm and blues hits through 1952.In the late 1940s he discovered B Read more:Johnny
UFO - Back Into My Life (1982) 2007-04-07 13:23:00 Vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way, and drummer Andy Parker formed the British space metal outfit UFO in 1969. Originally known as Hocus Pocus, the group, which took the name UFO in honor of a London club, debuted in 1971 with UFO 1. Both the album and its follow-up, the same year's Flying, found great success in Japan, France, and Germany, but went barely noticed in the band's native country; as a result, their third effort, 1972's Live, was released only in Japan.In 1974, Bolton left the group; after brief trial runs with ex-Pink Fairies guitarist Larry Wallis and future Whitesnake member Bernie Marsden, former Scorpion Michael Schenker stepped in as a permanent replacement in time to record 1974's Phenomenon, which sported a harder-edged guitar sound. After 1975's Force It and 1976's No Heavy Petting brought UFO increased visibility with American audiences, keyboardist Paul Raymond joined for 1977's Lights Out. However, after 1978's Obsession, Schenk
Johnnie Ray - Yes Tonight Josephine (1957) 2007-04-06 17:18:00 John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927–February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist.He was one of the most popular American singers of his day, and is considered by many people to be the forerunner of what would become rock 'n' roll.Ray was born in Hopewell (near Dallas), Oregon, and spent part of his childhood on a farm, eventually moving to Portland, Oregon. He is often correctly said to be of American Indian origin, due to the claims of a publicity agent. His great-grandmother was full blooded Indian & his great-grandfather was George Kirby Gay of Berkley, Gloucestershire, England. He became deaf in his right ear at age 12 due to an accident as a Boy Scout involving a blanket toss, when he fell on the ground hitting his ear, and would often perform wearing a mauve hearing aid. A later operation left him almost completely deaf in both ears.Ray first attracted attention while performing at the Flame Showbar in Detroit, an R&B nightclub where he was the only white pe Read more:Johnnie
, Josephine
, Tonight
Atlanta Rhythm Section - So Into You (1976) 2007-04-06 17:01:00 Often described as a more radio-friendly version of Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Brothers, the AtlantaRhythmSection
was one of many Southern rock bands to hit the upper reaches of the charts during the late '70s. Hailing from the small town of Doraville, Georgia, the beginning of the Atlanta Rhythm Section can be traced back to 1970. It was then that a local recording studio was opened, Studio One, and the remnants of two groups (the Candymen and the Classics Four), became the studio's house band. One of the facility's head figures, Buddy Buie, soon began assembling the session band -- singer Rodney Justo, guitarist Barry Bailey, bassist Paul Goddard, keyboardist Dean Daughtry, and drummer Robert Nix. After playing on several artists' recordings, it was decided to take the band a step further and make the group of players a real band, leading to the formation of the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Buie soon became an invisible fifth member of the fledgling band; he served as their manage
Alphabetical Index 2006-10-28 02:03:00 Everything older than one month will be added to this page... probably on a weekly or monthly basis or whenever I have the time to.... now up to date until Saturday, March 3, 2007Remember: File deletions have started April 1st. All files from December are gone, files from January will be gone by April 14th, files from February will be deleted by April 21st. From end of April on files will only be online for maximum 1 month. Visit regularly or even better use the RSS feed for your daily update.use the "older posts" link on the regular pages for everything later than update date above... that is for everything posted AFTER the update date above ;)How to use this A-Z?If you're looking for Tom Petty, look under the last name, which is Petty, therefore, look under P. Bruce Springsteen is under S.For group/band names and combinations of names always use the first letter.If you're looking for "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers" you should look under the first letter of the entire name, which is Read more:Index
Dale Hawkins - Susie-Q (1957) 2007-04-12 18:22:00 After returning from a stint in the service in the mid-1950’s, Dale Hawkins
was working in Stan Lewis’ record shop in Shreveport, LA and fronting his own band. In 1956, he bought some time for an off-hours recording session at KWKH’s broadcast studio in Shreveport and recorded his earliest sides. Lewis, who also distributed records and later owned the Jewel and Paula labels, got Leonard Chess to release some of those songs; and, when “Susie
-Q” hit, further sessions resulted in an album and more singles. Although long associated with the rockabilly style, Hawkins’ blues and R&B influences are evident on “Susie-Q”. Bill Millar’s excellent notes to the Ace (UK) CD comp, Rock ‘N’ Roll Tornado, reveal that the burning Telecaster solos and the low-down, swampy, classic central riff by 15 year-old lead guitarist James Burton were influenced by the blues chops of such greats as Hubert Sumlin of Howlin’ Wolf’s band and Gatemouth Brown, among others. Prior to gigging wi
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