America and ABBA

Going through my records, I often think - hey, that album cover looks familiar; it looks like another record cover, but from a different band. I did that a few weeks ago with Herb Alpert and Bryan Ferry. These two records are History - America's Greatest Hits, released in 1974 (hey - produced by Sir George Martin, CBE) and the other one is ABBA - The Album (1977). The white background, amount of white space, the two guys with beards, the colors - uncanny isn't it? By the way, CBE stands for Commander of the British Empire. America's Greatist Hits has gone 4X platinum.

The Ventures - Bob Bogle - Mosrite Guitars

Sadly, founding member of The Ventures, Bob Bogle, passed away last month. The Ventures are/were a seminal instrumental band formed in the late '50's by Bogle and Don Wilson. Bogle was the lead guitarist and later, the band's bassist. The Ventures are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This record, on the Dolton label, (Liberty) is in "visual sound STEREO." I thought these guys played nothnig but Fender guitars (Strat, P bass), but the back album cover states, "The Ventures play the Mosrite Guitar exclusviely." I had no idea. That is what I love about this blog - I learn something new with each post.

Duke Ellington

Ellington NJF "At Newport" is of course a live album by jazz giant Duke Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) and his band, recording their historic performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. This record was in my dad’s collection, who even saw a live concert of Duke’s – at his college senior prom! That was in the ‘40’s. Many of the era's big bands had folded by the mid-1950s, but Duke kept this smalller group working, doing small venue shows in ice-skating rinks, etc. IN the mid '50's, the Newport Jazz Festival and others like it were a fairly new phenonmemnon, as Mr. Wiki tells us. The first few songs on this live record were played without some of the band's members - since they were unable to be found at the start of the show. Things then got started with with "Take the 'A' Train", and then by a new song arranged by Billy Strayhorn (whom my dad considered a musical genious), called "Festival Junction" and then on to "Blues to Be There" and the final movement was named "Newport Up." When I saw the Rolling Stones in 1983, the recorded song that was playing on the PA as they took the stage was Duke’s Take the A Train, which led into Under my Thumb.

The Marshall Tucker Band

One of my all-time favorite bands, even outside of my favorite genre: Southern Rock, the Tucker Boys were cookin' down in Caroline. I’ve seen them 4 or 5 times and was lucky to see them while founding member and lead guitarist Toy Caldwell (1947–1993) was still alive. That was on the main stage at BerwynFest (IL), summer of 1992, for my bachelor’s party with my pals. From Spartanburg, SC, they played classic songs like Can’t You See and 24 Hours at a Time live as precursors of what would later be called a jam band. Live, those songs often approached the 15 minute mark. This record, A New Life, contains my favorite songs: Blue Ridge Mountain Sky, You Ain't Foolin' Me, and 24 Hours at a Time. If you love this band, try their live CD (not on vinyl) called Stompin’ Room Only (released in 2003 - but the recordings are from European concerts recorded from 1974 to 1976. Touring today with only Doug Gray as the lone original founding member. They first recorded on one of my favorite labels - Capricorn Records.

Bob Welch's French Kiss

I pal Mike from down the street where I grew up had this record. Los Angeles-born musician and former member of Fleetwood Mac, Bob Welch joined that band when it lost some of its founding/frontline members: Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer. He had a successful solo career in the late 1970’s. In the mid 70's - Welch formed a band with guys from Jethro Tull and Todd Rundgren's band. French Kiss was released in the fall of 1977, is his first solo album. Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie play on it. It sold over two million copies, and contains hits like a revised version of "Sentimental Lady" and "Ebony Eyes." For you sound techies - Bob states on his own website that he made the song demos for "French Kiss" using a TASCAM 3340 quarter-inch reel-to-reel tape machine. It was an especially bulky and clunky English "import" version he had bought in London (tape info from Wiki).