Motown Great, Nick Ashford (1942-2011)

The sad news reached my ears this morning.  Nick Ashford has lost his battle with throat cancer and died in a New York City hospital.  He was 69.

He was born in South Carolina and migrated to New York where he met his wife, Valerie Simpson.  The duo of Ashford & Simpson went on to make a great mark among Motown artists.  During their career, 36 of their singles charted, the first in 1964 being credited simply to “Valerie & Nick.”  Their best known hit was probably Solid, released in 1984.

This would be great career for any musical artist, but there is more.  As well-known as they were, they were probably better known for the great hit songs they wrote for other artists.  These greats include Ain’t no Mountain High Enough, recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (later by Diana Ross) and I’m Every Woman by Chaka Kahn, to name a couple.  Other great names they have written for include Ray Charles, Amy Winehouse, the 5^th Dimension, Gladys Knight, Teddy Pendergrass and Smokey Robinson, to name but a  few.

Ashford & Simpson were also owners of Sugar Bar in New York City.  This restaurant featured new, up and coming, talent.  In 2007, they accompanied Oprah Winfrey to South Africa for the opening of her Leadership Academy for Girls.

Nick Ashford is survived by his wife Valerie Simpson, their daughters Nicole and Asia, and two brothers of significance in the music industry.  His brother, Ray, sang with the Village People and his brother, Jimmy, was producer for the group, GQ.

During my show tomorrow, I’ll pay tribute to this Motown great with the following Mini Set…

Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (1968)

I’m Every Woman, Chaka Kahn (1978)

Solid, Ashrford & Simpson (1984)

Tears Dry on Their Own, Amy Winehouse (2006)

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Diana Ross (1970)

Jani Lane of Warrant (1964 - 2011)

The Music World is saddened today to learn about the death of Jani Lane.  He achieved fame in the late 1980s as the lead singer for the glam metal band, Warrant.  Lane was found dead in his hotel room in Los Angeles this morning and no cause of death has been released.

Lane, a native of Ohio, started as a drummer at a young age.  By age 11, he was already playing live gigs in clubs.  He was a talented athlete and excelled as a football quarterback.  He actually turned several college football scholarships to pursue his musical career.

Warrant was formed in Los Angeles in 1984.  It wasn’t until two years later that Jani Lane joined as lead vocalist, replacing Adam Shore.  They became very successful in the club scene in the L.A. area.  In 1988, they signed with Columbia records and their first album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, was released later that year.  The album produced three top 40 hits, Heaven, Down Boys and Sometimes She Cries.  Jani Lane wrote every song on that stellar debut album, still considered a staple among glam metal fans.

During the 1990s, Warrant had success but also hit some bumps.  In 1992 Lane actually left the band for a period but returned.  In 1994, Lane left Warrant one more time and, except for a couple reunion shows in 2008, would not be a part of Warrant again.

Today I will pay tribute to Jani Lane during my set.  I will play the following 4 songs; all sung by Lane and, except for We Will Rock You, all written by Lane.

Cherry Pie, 1990

Heaven, 1988
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1990
We Will Rock You, 1992

What Does Sue Listen to: Pt. 1 Farfisa and Fuzz

Today I’m doing a set in the afternoon of nothing but Madonna dance mixes.  In the past I have done complete two hour sets of Hip Hop, Trance and many other types of music.  I think most people have figured out that I’m really a classic rock girl at heart but the question has come up more than once in private conversation… Sue, what music do you really like?  What does DJ Sue listen to on her iPod when she is alone?  In other words, what are my true musical tastes?  I hope that this series will help you to get to know me better.  I will bare my musical soul to you in hopes that I can find others like myself that have an appreciation for the psychedelic.

My greatest musical love, and what I listen to 75% of the time on my iPod, is late 60s psychedelic music.  This type of music typically comes from 1966 to 1970 and is defined by certain elements.  I am calling this first installment, “Farfisa and Fuzz,” because those are two of the elements that I feel define this genre of music.

The Farfisa Combo was an Italian made portable organ that became quite popular in the mid-60s.  A good example of it can be found on Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love) by the Swingin’ Medallions from 1966.  It doesn’t have to be a Farfisa; Vox, Continental, and others soon came out with their versions, but the high pitched electric organ sound begun by Farfisa is an important element in creating the sound.  Songs like Light My Fire by the Doors (1967) and Incense and Peppermints by the Strawberry Alarm Clock (1967) are great examples of the sound and showcase the organ prominently.

“Fuzz” describes a certain type of guitar distortion that was popular in the late 60s.  A great example of this sound is the guitar on the Rolling Stone’s hit (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.  Like most guitar effects, the musician plugged his guitar into a box on the floor, which in turn got plugged into the amplifier.  When he wanted to turn the effect on, he pressed the button on the box with his foot.  (See the photo below.)

Another important element in this sound is reverb.  Reverb is echo, but the kind of echo you get in a high school gymnasium.  It helps give this music its other worldly sound.  There is a story about a young engineer at International Artists Records a few years back.  I’m not sure how true it is, but he decided to clean up all the distortion he found in the master tapes of a band from the late 1960s, the 13^th Floor Elevators.  After much effort, he managed to remove ALL of the reverb from the master recordings.  In essence, he ruined precious master tapes by not understanding a musical genre from before he was born.

The final element I will discuss today is the outrageous names.  There is no denying that this form of music is heavily associated with drugs, especially LSD.  Many of the lyrics and song titles more than suggest this.  The band names are very often psychedelic gems in themselves, like the following..

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy

The Chocolate Watchband
The Electric Prunes
The 13^th Floor Elevators
The Strawberry Alarm Clock
Kaleidoscope
Iron Butterfly
The Orange Wedge
Frijid Pink

This is just scratching the surface.  I’m not sure why this music sings to my soul above all other types.  That is a question I have been pondering for decades.  Here are some songs that both touch my soul and are good examples of the elements I have outlined above.  They are among my favorites.  I will present them as a mini set during my show tomorrow (Monday) night.  So put on those headphones and place that little paper square on your tongue.  I’m going to take you on a journey through a few of my psychedelic favorites.  Some may wonder what I see in this music.  Others may find this a nostalgic trip back to a forgotten era.  But I’m hoping that a few of you will see what I see and maybe share this great love of mine.

Strawberry Tuesday, the Sidewalk Skipper Band (1968)

I’m Not Like Everybody Else, the Chocolate Watchband (1967)

She’s Coming Home, the Blues Magoos (1966)

Sleep Like a Child, Andromeda (1969)

Incense and Peppermints, the Strawberry Alarm Clock (1967)

Lose Your Mind, the Third Bardo (1967)

Please Note: My Monday set was dedicated to Rocky Horror and I lost track of that when I posted this.  This Mini Set will be played on Wednesday, August 3.

Gene McDaniels Passes at Age 76

I have yet another death to report.  Gene McDaniels passed peacefully in his sleep last night.  He was 76.

He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Omaha, Nebraska.  He had 5 top 40 hits during his career including Tower of Strength, which hit #5, and a Hundred Pounds of Clay, which reached #3.  He wrote Feel Like Makin’ Love for Roberta Flack, which hit #1 in 1974, and earned him a Grammy.  Later in life he moved to Maine and lived a reclusive life.  However, last year he began posting YouTube videos including recent renditions of some of his old classics.  You can find his YouTube page here.

During my set tomorrow, I’ll play a three song tribute to Gene…

Tower of Strength, 1961

Feel Like Makin’ Love, Roberta Flack, 1974 (written by McDaniels)

A Hundred Pounds of Clay, 1961

Dan Peek of America (1950 - 2011)

We awoke to the sad news this morning that Dan Peek of America passed away this past weekend.  No details surrounding his death have been released.  He was 60 years old.

Dan was born in Panama City, Florida but moved to the UK as a kid with his family when his father was station at a US Air Force Base near London in the UK.  It was at school that he met two other sons of American fathers stationed there, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell.  Together, they formed a band, America, named for their native country, despite the fact that they hardly knew it.  Their first album, America, was released in 1971 and spent five weeks at #1 on the US charts.  A Horse with no name, a single from that album, also hit #1 in the US and #3 in the UK.

Dan Peek would remain with America for a total of seven albums (eight if you include History: America’s Greatest Hits).  All of these albums charted in the top 40 and five charted in the top 10.  Peek wrote such memorable tunes as Don’t Cross the River, Today’s the Day and Lonely People (hit #5 on the charts).  He collaborated on such hits as a Horse with No Name, Sister Golden Hair, Ventura Highway and Tin Man.

In 1977, Dan Peek left America having found a renewed faith in God.  He left what he saw as a negative lifestyle of drugs.  He continued with a solo career quite successfully as a Christian musician.  A single from his first solo album, All Things are possible, not only hit #1 in the Contemporary Christian music charts, it crossed over and became a hit in the Billboard Singles and Adult Contemporary charts as well.  Though he had no more crossover hits, he continued with a successful Christian music career until retiring in the 1990s.

America continued on without Dan, releasing 20 more albums, including both live and compilation collections but including much new studio material too.  They never recaptured the success they had with Dan, but they never stopped.  In fact, their latest album, Back Pages, was released YESTERDAY!  Through the years there had been many rumors of a reunion, but none ever came to pass.  It should be noted that a Rolling Stone publication in the 1990’s did report the fact that they had reunited for a concert but this was just not true, yet it is repeated by many as a fact to this day.

During my show tonight, I will do a mini set tribute to Dan Peek.  I usually keep these to four or five songs, but I just can’t do that in this case.  I need to do a few more.  My set will consist of…

Lonely People, America (Holiday, 1974), written by Dan Peek

Don’t Cross the River, America (Homecoming, 1972), written by Dan Peek
Sister Golden Hair, America (Hearts, 1975)
Tin Man, America (Holiday, 1974)
Horse with no Name, America (America, 1971)
All Things are Possible, Dan Peek (All Things are Possible, 1979)
On the Way Home, America (Back Pages, 2011), without Dan Peek, Released YESTERDAY

If there’s a Rock and Roll Heaven, well you know they have a hell of a band.

The Electric Light Orchestra

What do the British rock bands, the Beatles, Black Sabbath and the Move all have in common?  If you are reading this and saw the title, you know it must be the Electric Light Orchestra, or as they are commonly referred to, ELO.  Today my set will consist entirely of ELO music so let’s take a look at this great and fascinating band.

Let us start with the Move.  This band was started in the Birmingham area in 1965 in the UK.  Although they had little success in the United States, they were greatly successful in the UK with 12 singles charting in the top 40.  In 1970, Roy Wood, the Move's guitarist, had a plan for a band that would include violins and cellos.  He wanted to explore bringing Baroque and Classical arrangements to rock music.  He had previously tried taking the Move in this direction but it was now apparent that a new band was needed.  The basics of ELO were now there, but it was still nothing more than a side project by Move members, Roy Wood, Jeff Lynn and Bev Bevan (guitar, guitar and drums respectively).

The new fledgling project attracted other musicians and the three, Wood, Lynn and Bevan, continued to record with the Move and work with the new project at the same time.  Those three became the Move in these final years and released two final albums under that moniker to pay their bills and fund their new project, the Electric Light Orchestra.  The Move released their last album in 1971 and disbanded after releasing a couple of more singles in 1972, including Do Ya, a song that would be reworked by ELO in years to come and become a big hit for them. 

In 1971, before the Move disbanded, ELO released their first album.  It was supposed to be a self-titled album, but an error was made and it was released with a different title in the United States.  The decision to call the album the “Electric Light Orchestra,” was made in the UK.  In the States, a record executive forgot the time difference and called the office in London after they were already closed.  He responded to the note requesting the title of the album by simply writing “No Answer,” which is how it was released.

ELO used the same manager as the Move, Don Arden.  Arden also managed Black Sabbath and the two often toured together.  Arden would soon give control of this band to his daughter at a new label, Jet Records.  It was Sharon Arden who managed ELO to greatness and through their most successful albums of the 1970s.  By the way, you probably know Sharon by a different name.  She would marry Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath and is the Sharon Osbourne of reality TV fame.

For their fourth album, ELO released Eldorado, a concept album that made it to #13 in the US charts.  The Beatles had perfected the idea of the concept album with their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  It has been observed that ELO had formed in the days following the breakup of the Beatles.  The Beatles had taken rock music in many different directions, but there was still one direction that they had not explored, classical music.  Years after the breakup, John Lennon was asked if the Beatles had survived what would they sound like today.  Without hesitation, he said they would probably sound a lot like ELO.  That is a strong endorsement if there ever was one.

Also telling was the fact that Jeff Lynn, now front man for ELO after Wood’s departure in 1972, would be asked to produce solo projects by all four Beatles.  It has been said that a torch was past from the Beatles to ELO.  This is evident in the music, but also in the trust that the Beatles would put in Jeff Lynn in the years to follow.  It may have been the one thing that all four agreed upon.

The name “Electric Light Orchestra” is actually a pun.  It can be taken two ways.  The more obvious of the two is as a band/orchestra named the concept of electric lights.  Their first album cover depicted a large light bulb, which embraced this meaning.   The other meaning is that they were a light orchestra composed of just a couple of cellos and violins.  The word “electric” in this case showing that this light orchestra makes electric music.

ELO would come out with 12 albums before disbanding in the late 1980s.  They had more top 40 hits in the US and UK from 1972 to 1986 than any other band.  They had a #1 in the States in 1979 with their album, Discovery, or “Disco Very” as it is sometimes called by both fans and critics.  When we remember ELO today, we remember the flamboyance of the colorfully lacquered violins and cellos.  We recall the amazing light shows and the spaceships.  ELO was all of those things and they gave us music unlike anything we had ever heard before or since.  An interesting observation is that the Move was very successful in their native UK, but had no real success in the United States.  ELO turned that around.  While ELO was successful in the UK, it wasn’t near the success that they had in the US and the rest of the world.

In 1983 Bev Bevan, drummer for ELO and the Move from the beginning in 1965, left to be the drummer for Black Sabbath. The band fell apart and broke up after the release of their final album in 1986.  Jeff Lyn went on to other projects, including the Traveling Wilburys with former Beatle, George Harrison.  Others in the Wilburys read as a Who’s Who for whom Lynn had produced records or worked closely with on other projects, including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison.  In 2000 Jeff Lyn reformed ELO and recorded an album in 2001, Zoom, with appearances by former Beatles, Ringo Starr and George Harrison.  Ticket sales for the supporting concert tour were so disappointing that it was cancelled and the Electric Light Orchestra officially came to an end.

New Member of the 27 Club... Amy Winehouse (1983 - 2011)

I have another death to report.  Amy Winehouse was found dead in her flat in London today and her death has been called “unexplained" by Police.  She was 27 years old and the latest member of the 27 Club that I wrote about last month.  Her troubles with drugs and alcohol were well documented but there is no word as to whether they played any part in her death.

Winehouse was a native of the UK and came out with her first album in 2003.  It was her second and final album that rocked the music industry.  She released Back to Black in 2006.  It peaked at #1 on the British charts and #7 in the USA.  Five singles from that album charted and she won three Grammys, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  Lady Gaga has credited Winehouse for paving the way for her own success.

I will do a Mini Set in tribute to Amy today.  Here are the songs I intend to play…

You Know I’m no Good

Valerie (w/Mark Ronson)

Back to Black

Fuck Me Pumps

Rehab