Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods - really? Sure - why not!

Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods.   If you think their song Billy, Don't be a Hero is just wrong (it is), then try this lesser hit called Who do You Think you Are.  That song was written by Clive Scott & Des Dyer of the band Jigsaw - known for their hit Sky High.  I found this record in the fifty cent bin yesterday.  "The band was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1965 by their leader Bo Donaldson.  Harold "Corky" Pickering, a member of the group, came up with The name "The Heywoods" or "Heywood" from a Rolling Stone album, named after a man with the last name of Heywood, which was a writer of at least one of The Rolling Stone songs. "Corky" Pickering liked the ring that this name gave and thought it was appropriate, the name just suited them," according to wiki.

Cat Stevens - Mona Bone Jakon

A quick post about Cat Stevens - and his record title Mono Bone Jakon.  Not sure what that means.  This is his is the 3rd album, released in July, 1970 on Island Records and A&M in the States.  "After a meteoric start to his career, surprising even his original producer at Deram Records with the hit singles "I Love My Dog", "Matthew and Son" and "I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun", Cat's debut album, Matthew and Son began charting as well.  However, after the pressure for a repeat album of the same calibre, Stevens (considered at the time a teen sensation) was overwhelmed by this new lifestyle, as well as the demands of writing, recording, performing, publicity appearances, and touring.  In the fall of 1968, he collapsed, with the diagnosis of tuberculosis and a collapsed lung.  For over a year, while recovering, Stevens virtually disappeared from the British pop scene. Mona Bone Jakon is notable not only for his return, but for the emergence of a very different artist. The album was certified Gold for sales/shipments of more than 500,000 copies in the United States.  On the back cover it says: Produced by Paul Samwell Smith."  And how's this: "Flute - Peter Gabriel."

Gary Wright - the Dream Weaver - his love is alive

This old Dream Weaver...Gary Wright.  My pal Bry likes to rub it in that he has seen Ringo Starr and his All-star band on numerous tours.  It was a big mistake me not going to at least one of those shows.  I don't think Ringo still does that.  The accompanying video here is Gary Wright performing My Love is Alive. Check it out.  Gary Wright was in Uncle Ringo's All-star  Band lineups in 2008 and 2011.  I was reading about Mick Jones of Foreigner and that led me to Spooky Tooth, which led me to Gary Wright.  That is what I love about music and my albums.  The path.  Where the songs and players intersect.  I read that in 1967, Gary Wright joined the band Spooky Tooth as singer and keyboardist. In 1970 Wright was involved as a record producer with the Liverpool based folk music band Arrival, and he was also a member of the folk rock band Howl the Good who had played alongside Arrival at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. During this period, he also befriended George Harrison and was invited to contribute piano to Harrison's All Things Must Pass.

Uriah Heep - more great record covers by Roger Dean

This is my third take on Uriah Heep.  We talked about them during the Yes album covers post, and again with their inside album cover that is the band's history and lineup formatted like the Period Table of the Elements.  I love their song called "Stealin'"  - saw a bar band decades ago nail that, the band let the bar tender sing it - while he took orders and made drinks!  But this one is The Magician's Birthday - their fifth album.  I read that, "The story line is "based loosely on a short story" by Ken Hensley in 1972.  Even though it was recorded mere months after the preceding Demons and Wizards, the album features a notably different sound than the band's previous albums, with the aggressive hard rock toned down in favor of a cleaner appearance with more progressive elements, something which had only been hinted previously.  This change in sound would define Uriah Heep's following outputs for the next decade."

My copy is a rare issue of the the original vinyl release with gatefold sleeve, the front of which was designed by Roger Dean. The inner of the gatefold shows pictures of the band, with the LP itself housed in a liner where the lyrics are printed.  Two songs charted  - "Blind Eye" and "Sweet Lorraine."   "Spider Woman" reached #13 in Germany. The title track is notable for an extended kazoo improvisation on the melody to "Happy Birthday to You."  The Magician's Birthday is certified Gold by the RIAA, 1973.

Book Review: Music Man - the Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records story

This is the book I am just now finishing.  It is called Music Man; Ahmet Ertegun, Atlantic Records, and the Triumph of Rock 'n' Roll, by Dorothy Wade and Justine Picardie.  It's a fun read and anyone remotely interested in vinyl records will enjoy it.  Ahmet and his brother Nesuhi...came here to America, feel in love with the jazz scene in the forties, and started signing small-time jazz acts to their nascent label.  They grew it - signed acts that became huge hit-makers, added Jerry Wexler, and - well, it's a great story.  I learned that one of my favorite record producers (Allman's, Clapton, etc.) Tom Dowd started at Atlantic producing jazz records.  For instance - Dowd's  recordings for Atlantic (and Stax) exerted a major influence on the history of popular music and he made more hits than George Martin and Phil Spector combined."  (wiki).  In the other book we just finished - Hound Dog - about Leiber & Stoller - we also read here much about Ahmet's brother - Nesuhi.  The boko explains the myriad corporate M&A deals (Stax, Warner 7 Arts, etc.), Ahmet's pursuit of the Stones.   And that takes me to almost the end - am just a chapter or two from finishing it.  Then - my next book is the about the great disco band Chic, by founder Nile Rodgers.