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the "B" side (Free subscription) | 12/28/2009
SOME PEOPLE WE'LL MISS... Luther Dixon 1931-2009 The Prophet Luther Dixon came up singing doo-wop on the streets of New York, but soon realized that the real money was being made by the songwriters and publishers that populated The Brill Building and 1650 Broadway, just north of Times Square. He became a fixture at both places, and by 1959 his songs had been recorded by people like Pat Boone, Perry...
Explore : Bobby Darin,
Burt Bacharach,
Carole King,
Elvis Presley,
Gerry Goffin,
Hal David,
Jackie Wilson,
Luther Head,
Music,
Pat Boone,
The Beatles,
The Shirelles
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Pasadena Events Calendar (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
Erica Ash, Paulette Ivory, Berlando Drake and Crystal Starr Knighton Wrapped in the sensational songs of the 60s, Baby It’s You! is the new musical about the groundbreaking girl group, The Shirelles and Florence Greenberg, the New Jersey housewife who discovered them. With the help of African-American songwriter, producer Luther Dixon, who became her lover, Florence [...]
Explore : Burt Bacharach,
Funk,
Garage Rock,
Gene Chandler,
Jessica Simpson,
Music,
Soul,
The Gap Band,
The Isley Brothers,
The Kingsmen,
The Shirelles
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The Vinyl Word (Free subscription) | 10/29/2009
Luther Dixon, who produced and wrote many of the Shirelles' greatest recondings, has died aged 78. Luther wrote Sixteen Candles for the Crests and his other writing credits included Big Boss Man, A Hundred Pounds of Clay and Soul Serenade. But he is best remembered for his work with the Scepter and Wand labels and his song writing and production with the Shirelles, Chuck Jackson and Tommy Hunt. He...
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The Vinyl Word (Free subscription) | 10/14/2009
In this, my 400th post would you believe, I'm tackling the sixties and listing the 75 great soul men of the decade. There are many to choose from but these, in my humble opinion, are the creme de la creme. So here goes, starting with my top ten, and then moving on to others of note: 1. Sam Cooke (who else at number one?), 2. Otis Redding, 3. James Carr, 4. Wilson Pickett, 5. O V Wright, 6. Al Green,...
Explore : Aaron Neville,
Al Green,
Al Green,
Arthur Alexander,
Arthur Conley,
Ben E. King,
Bill Withers,
Billy Stewart,
Blues,
Bobby Womack,
Brook Benton,
Clarence Carter,
Curtis Mayfield,
Darrell Banks,
Dee Clark,
Deon Jackson,
Don Covay,
Eddie Floyd,
Eddie Holland,
Eddie Holman,
Edwin Starr,
Freddie Scott,
Frederick Knight,
Garnet Mimms,
Gene Chandler,
Howard Tate,
Jackie Wilson,
James Brown,
James Brown,
James Carr,
Jerry Butler,
Jimmy Hughes,
Jimmy Ruffin,
Joe Tex,
Johnny Adams,
King Floyd,
Little Milton,
Louis Williams,
Louis Williams,
Lou Rawls,
Major Lance,
Marvin Gaye,
Marv Johnson,
Music,
Otis Clay,
Otis Redding,
Percy Sledge,
Politics,
Ray Charles,
Rufus Thomas,
Sam Cooke,
Shorty Long,
Solomon Burke,
Soul,
Sports,
Stevie Wonder,
Swamp Dogg,
Syl Johnson,
Ted Taylor,
The House,
Tyrone Davis,
Walter Jackson,
Wilson Pickett
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The Vinyl Word (Free subscription) | 10/08/2009
My reader (maybe the only one!) Private Beech suggested that I add a Great Duos to the recent blogs listing Great Female Singers and Great Girl Groups. Sounds like a good idea to me, so here is a list of the great duos of the 1950s and 1960s. I've included some duet pairings by established singers, but only where they made a real impact via one or two albums, not just one offs. To kick off, here are...
Explore : Betty Everett,
Blues,
Brook Benton,
Brownie McGhee,
Buddy Guy,
Carla Thomas,
Chubby Checker,
Dinah Washington,
Don Gardner,
James and Bobby Purify,
Jazz,
Jerry Butler,
Judy Clay,
Junior Wells,
Keely Smith,
Kim Weston,
Lee Hazlewood,
Marvin Gaye,
Mary Wells,
Maxine Brown,
Music,
Nancy Sinatra,
Sam and Dave,
Sonny and Cher,
Soul,
Tammi Terrell,
The Sims,
Tina Turner,
Video Games
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The Daily Swarm - Headlines (Free subscription) | 08/18/2009
Along with the “What’s Going On” album, he arranged Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” album, as well as the songs “Still Waters (Run Deep)” by the Four Tops, “Ball of Confusion” and “Psychedelic Shack” by the Temptations, “Darling Dear” by the Jackson 5, “I Hear the Bells” by the Originals, “Keep on...
Explore : David Ruffin,
Funk,
Funkadelic,
George Clinton,
Gladys Knight,
Jazz,
Martha and the Vandellas,
Millie Jackson,
Music,
Paul Anka,
Soul,
Stanley Turrentine,
Stevie Wonder,
The Four Tops,
The Jackson 5
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A Pack A Day (Free subscription) | 08/12/2009
Here's the finale. Let's see who takes home the goods. Pete Rose Dick Williams Vince Coleman - So. Much. Speed. Barry Lyons - This is what passes for an action shot in '88 Topps. Chris James Ed Hearn - Return of Chalksmoke Dale Sveum (Richmond, CA) Ryne Sandberg - Only the best 2B ever. Okay, maybe not quite, but still in the Hall. Steve Bedrosian - Bedrock was the foundation of my roto relief corps...
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Damn Fine Day (Free subscription) | 07/15/2009
One of the unsung heroes of Stax Records throughout the 1960s and into the next decade, William Bell’s assured, eminently soulful pipes could charm the birds right out of the trees and knocked many a lady off her feet. The doo-wop-trained Memphis native waxed one of the label’s seminal early releases with his spine-chilling original [...]
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Band Weblogs (Free subscription) | 07/01/2009
In January - February 1969, after 13 years of recording studio albums and movie soundtracks in Nashville and Hollywood, the time was right for Elvis Presley (1935-1977) to set foot once again in a Memphis studio ...
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The Daily Swarm (Free subscription) | 06/17/2009
The Velvet Underground & Nico—colloquially known to the ages as “the banana album,” in honor of its distinctive Andy Warhol-designed cover—is today recognized as one of the greatest and most seminal rock albums of all time. Until relatively recently, however, the contributions of one of the figures most responsible for arranging and running the April 1966 sessions yielding...
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The Tangled Neuron (Free subscription) | 04/28/2009
The Alzheimer's Project, a new four part documentary on Alzheimer's, will air on HBO May 10-12. My friend Chuck Jackson will be featured in The Memory Loss Tapes segment on people with Alzheimer's. There is also a segment on caregivers,...
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Snowflakes in Hell (Free subscription) | 03/31/2009
It’s a great relief that when the anti-gun folks actually do show a little grass roots, they are just as self-destructive as we can be. State Representative Eddie Washington, in Illinois, took a walk on an important gun control measure, because he thought it gave too much to the gun rights community. Their reaction? With a [...]
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GamoTorrentDD (Free subscription) | 03/10/2009
1. Leon Ware - What's your world 2. Al Wilson - You do the right things 3. Syreeta - I don't know 4. El Debarge - Heart, mind & soul 5. Chuck Jackson - No tricks 6. Rockie Robbins - Point of view 7. Norman Connors - Everywhere inside of me 8. Shadow - I can't keep holding back (my love) 9. Bobby Womack - Trust your heart (12" Extended Mix) 10. Melissa Manchester - Almost everything 11. Donny...