Eric Clapton - There's one in every crowd

Eric Clapton - There's one in every crowd.  This is his follow-up to 461OB.  So there no avoiding comparing it to that masterpiece.  I find that when playing a record and reviewing the liner notes and the entire record jacket and album cover is to note where the record was made, and what studio.  This one was made in Jamiaca, at Dynamic Sound Studios, in Kingston.  Some of the Stones' Goast Head Soup was recorded there too.  I also found out that Dynamic Sounds Studio has it's roots firmly set in Jamaica's history. It was the first state of the art studio there and Bob Marley chose to record the bulk of his seminal 'Catch A Fire' album there and many others have tried to catch some of that reggae magic and emulate that sound.  Back this record, TOIEC, Eric reassembles George Terry, Jamie Oldaker, Dickie Sims, his favorite bass player Carl Radle, and Yvonne and Marcy on vocals.  This record is one of Eric's best solo effors, with it's understated lines and pacing, apparently, everyone was pretty high while making it.  Ironically that is the name of my favorite songs on the record: side two, track 4.

Wedding Reception - Fantasy Lineup of Bands

I already married my fairy princess, but here is what I would do.  For the afternoon, during  canapes, tea, and quails' eggs with celery salt, Ragstone goats' cheese with caramelized walnuts and Parmesan crisps and confit duck-leg terrine with smoked duck and pear chutney, plus mini roast beefs and Yorkshire pudd and maybe even bubble and squeak confits.  With all the yapping, some music please:  Elton of course would lead a tasty afternoon combo including Sir Paul and Eric, and Jeff Lynn from ELO, Ray Cooper, and Bryan Ferry, with Zach Starkey on drums and Dhani Harrison, Joe Cocker singing, Steve Winwood on organ, plus Graham Nash on rhythm guitar.  All in various smaller units, playing a bright uplifting afternoon set, oh - toss in Ravi Shankar and his daughter Norah Jones.  Transitioning from the  afternoon, Glaswegian Jim Kerr and his mates from Simple Minds would move things into modern rock.  Instead of Bono representing Ireland, I'd go with Van the Man, and also Pete (mind your manners), for a couple songs.  Then at around 11 pm - supporting Def Leppard would be Mick, Tina, Bowie, Brian May, and Jimmy Page taking things into the late night.  Afterglow would be a full-on Genesis reunion concert.  I think even those in these fantasy groupings would like how I have them sorted.

The Edgar Winter Group

The Edgar Winter Group.  You have heard the song many times on FM AOR stations.  It is called Frankenstein.  It is an iconic instrumental. The EWG is Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose (whom I just read about in Sammy Hagar's new book), and Chuck Ruff.  This record was produced by Rick Derringer.  In 1972, with that lineup above, EW came out with this record called They Only Come Out at Night.  The album contains the instrumental hit Frankenstein,  which, in video clips I've seen, shows Edgar playing a synthesizer strapped over his neck like a guitar.  Edgar's brother is Johnny Winter - who I saw play last summer at Eric Claption tri-annual outdoor dust-up called The Crossroads Guitar Festival.  And you will remember Frankenstein, because it got to number one in the U.S. in May 1973.

Barry White - The Man

Barry White - Can't Get Enough.  Damn right, can't get enough.  I can't get enough of this dude's records.  I have five of them now.  I bought this one last weekend at my new secret store for just fifty cents.  The newspaper I read at lunch on weekdays costs me .75 cents.  Do the math.  This one has a great cover - but that day, I also scored another Barry White record, called simply, The Man.  That record jacket is styled after a party or wedding invitation, with a wax seal and a fold-over envelope.  But besides that it's plain.  Barry White - arranger, producer, and engineer.  Can't Get Enough is Barry's third record, out in 1974.  In 2003, the album was ranked a whopping no. 281 on Rolling Stone magazin's list of the top 500 albums of all time.  We lost Barry in July 2003.

Les Paul - The Sound of Rock and Roll

My record collection has neared a new level.  Of course it will can never be truly complete noe will it stop growing, but I finally scored a Les Paul record.  It did not come with a record cover.  So it's just pure, unadulterated vinyl.  As you can see from the photo, it is on Capitol Records, "The Star Line."  Les Paul, an inventor who's name is synonymous with one of the finest guitars ever made.  He is an immortal icon, he's got to be one of the cornerstones of rock and roll.  Lester William Polsfuss (1915 – 2009), he was not only a premiere guitarist, he is most well known for designing a prototype solid body electric (SG) guitar, which became and will foreever be known for producing the defining signature DNA strand of the sound of rock and roll.  Make sure to watch the Youtube clip here.  He is one of just a very small group (Sam Phillips) of pioneering artists who have a permanent, stand-alone exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Doc Severinsen - at Olympic Studios

Doc Severinsen at Olympic Studios.  Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio, at 117 Church Road, in
southwest London.  In Hammer of the Gods - the Led Zeppelin Saga, author Stephen Davis informs us that the band of whom he writes, referred to this facility as their "London laboratory."  It should be noted for the sheer massive number of great records made there, from the late 1960s onward.  Too many to list here, but next time you look at a record and see that it was made here - this album cover gives you an idea.  The building which housed the studio was built as a theatre.  In 1965 it was purchased by Olympic Sound Studios.  Olympic's sound mixing desks were a creation of the maintenance staff, built specially for the studios. They became famous and known as Olympic desks.  Music Week Magazine named the facility Best Recording Studio, five times.  After forty years of renowned recording history and a succession of owners, the studio facilities were closed down by The Man - aka the newly merged EMI and and Virgin Group in 2009.  UK Rock critic Nick Coleman ranks his Five Greatest Albums made at Olympic Studios:

• Small Faces, Lazy Sunday, 1967.  Small Faces spent nearly a year working on 'Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake' at Pye and Trident as well as Olympic. 'Lazy Sunday' became their second biggest hit in April 1968 but the group broke up the following year.
• The Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil, 1968.  The Rolling Stones were ensconced within the warm cocoon of Olympic Studios and recorded the dark 'Sympathy For The Devil' under 'Nouvelle Vague' director Jean-Luc Godard.
• The Eagles, Best of My Love, 1974.  The epitome of Californian soft rock, the Eagles recorded their eponymous debut album at Olympic in 1972 with Glyn Johns, who also produced the follow-up 'Desperado'.  However, Johns produced only two tracks on their third album, 'On The Border'.
• The Who, Who Are You, 1977.   Who vocalist Roger Daltrey chinned producer Glyn Johns, a veteran of sessions for The Who's 'Next' and 'Who By Numbers', during the recording of the 'Who Are You' album issued the following year.  Pete Townshend's brother-in-law Jon Astley took over and the group moved to Ramport and RAK studios.
• Eric clapton, Wonderful Tonight, 1977.  Having already penned 'Layla' about Pattie Boyd, Eric Clapton (left) was now living with the estranged wife of George Harrison. He wrote 'Wonderful Tonight' while waiting for her to get ready to go out.  He did nine takes at Olympic before he was happy with the result.