The Hollies: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction (parts 3 and 4 of 4)

I'm including the YouTube links because at least one them has non-embedding, so I'm just being consistent: 

part 3 

part 4 

The Hollies: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction (parts 1 and 2 of 4)

Now to turn my attention to The Hollies. 

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. I recall the time my older brother brought home two new record albums: Raspberries Best and The Hollies' Greatest Hits (or was that The Greatest of the Guess Who?). Anyway... 

After those purchases, I became familiar with more than these groups' hits that were on the radio. The Hollies' induction is well deserved. 

part 1

part 2 

Big Star: ST 100/6; I'm In Love With a Girl

Here are the final cuts of each of their first two albums: 



They are both short songs, so I'm putting both. 



This film clip is from Charlie Chaplin's, "City Lights." 

Big Star: Watch the Sunrise

This exhilarating song is hidden towards the end of their first album, #1 Record: 

Big Star: Try Again

This understated song reminds me of others that came subsequently but I'm not sure which ones!

Bing Crosby and David Bowie: Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy

Happy Holidays, everyone! 



Their voices blend surprisingly well together. 

Big Star: Give Me Another Chance

A song that deserves a much wider audience: 



Love the harmonies in the chorus. 

Big Star: My Life Is Right

Judging by the comments left on YouTube for this video, Chris Bell sings the lead vocals on this song:

Big Star: The Ballad of El Goodo

One of their classics: 

Big Star: Thirteen; Garbage: Thirteen

This is one of their sweetest songs, as well as one of their most well-known: 






It has even been covered by Garbage (I just can't seem to stay away from Garbage these days): 

Big Star: In the Street (live)

Here is a performance from way back in 1994, before That '70s Show even existed! Almost 20 years ago; look how young Jay Leno looked. 




This performance includes Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies, & Jody Stephens and the late Alex Chilton, original members of Big Star.

Big Star: September Gurls, and The Bangles: September Gurls

First up is the recorded version by Big Star from their album Radio City: 



Next is the reunited lineup with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow augmenting Jody Stephens (drums) and the late Alex Chilton (standing at far right singing lead vocals): 



and finally, the first version I ever heard of this song was by The Bangles from their album Different Light: 



That's Michael Steele, the bass player, singing lead vocals. In the recorded version, they changed the lyrics slightly, but here they are like the Big Star version. 

This is from a concert at the House of Blues in Los Angeles in 2000. 

The Posies & Friends: September Gurls

Here's another find on YouTube: 

September Gurls - 2013 Todos Santos Music Festival 2013

September Gurls is my favorite song by Big Star and probably the best known, if you don't count television show themes(!). 

Besides Jon and Ken of the Posies, the only other musician that I recognize is Peter Buck of R.E.M. 

The Posies: Black Night / I Am the Cosmos

Not quite sure how I want to segue from The Posies to Big Star, but here's one way to get started: 



That's Black Night by Deep Purple at the beginning, then I Am the Cosmos by Chris Bell, a founding member of Big Star. Tragically he died in the late '70s in a single car accident, and only recorded as a member of Big Star for their 1st album, #1 Record. 

I Am the Cosmos came after he had left the band and was a solo recording. 

The Posies: You're the Beautiful One

Here's a fantastic discovery I made recently: a live performance from 2000 on Dutch TV! 

You're the Beautiful One 

This is the kind of "unplugged" performance I appreciate the most. Jon and Ken sure look different here though - must be the short hair. Assuming it is them (ha!), I was hoping the song would never end.

The performance starts at 1:15. 

The Posies: King Midas In Reverse; The Hollies: King Midas In Reverse

I asked on a post earlier this month if you had decided which '60s band The Posies reminded you of - one good answer would have been The Hollies. Their vocal harmonies sound uncannily similar. 

On their album, The Best of the Posies - Dream All Day, they do a cover of the Hollies song King Midas In Reverse. 

Here they are performing it live at Criminal Records: 





And here is the recorded version by The Hollies: 





What do you think? 

The Posies: Coming Right Along

The final song on their album, Frosting On the Beater: 



Much like the final song on Dear 23, a magnum opus! 

The Posies: Definite Door and Burn & Shine (live)

Here is a great video that was posted on YouTube just a few days ago!!! 

Definite Door and Burn & Shine (live)
From a performance this year in Spain.

The Posies: Love Letter Boxes

Another gem from Frosting On the Beater: 

The Posies: Flavor of the Month

One of my absolute favorite songs by them: 

The Posies: Solar Sister

An absolute gem of a live acoustic performance by Auer and Stringfellow: 



Listen for the title of their album, Frosting On the Beater. 

The Posies: Dream All Day

On to their next album after Dear 23, Frosting on the Beater: 



This says it all for me: I could dream all day. 

The Posies: Flood of Sunshine

The magnum opus of Dear 23: 

The Posies: Everyone Moves Away

One of the loveliest songs on the album, at least melodically: 



Someone made the comment on YouTube that Jon Auer wrote this song for his brother. 

The Posies: Suddenly Mary

Another gem from Dear 23: 




This is a live performance from 3 years ago (to the day!) at the
McNairs Theatre in Petaluma, CA. 

So glad somebody posted this... it's my favorite song on the album. 

The Posies: You Avoid Parties

I saw these guys perform live in San Francisco a long time ago. It was perfect: the people I went with and I all sat up in the balcony right behind the metal rail in front... a perfect view! It was a small club so we weren't so far back that it was difficult to see the band. 



Perfect for me since I'm not total involvement and full of energy - I'd rather just observe and memorize. 

But the crowd that night was also a bit subdued, at least too subdued for the band's liking. For instance, Jon Auer was shredding a fantastic guitar solo and got little back from the crowd. I saw him act a little frustrated because of this, putting his arms up a bit and gesturing as if to say: "What more can I do?" 

This reading of his gesture was substantiated when after the song, Ken Stringfellow said into his microphone: "Ah, a finger-snapping crowd!" 

It was funny. 

The Posies: Any Other Way

Another great song from Dear 23: 



That's Ken Stringfellow on the left, and Jonathan Auer on the right. 

The Posies: Apology

Have you decided which '60s band The Posies remind you of yet? Vocal-wise, I mean? 



As in timbre... 

The Posies: Golden Blunders

Ahhh... The Posies! 

They came out of Seattle at the around the same time that grunge took off, but the Posies were not grunge... they were power pop. 

I didn't follow them much after their seminal album Dear 23, and also Frosting on the Beater. 



Ringo Starr covered this song. 

Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow are the two mainstays in the band, and were part and parcel in Big Star reforming some years ago. Stringfellow also performed with R.E.M. for awhile. 

Charlatons UK: The Only One I Know

A chance to see what these guys look like: 



In snippets, flashes and quick glances anyway. 

Charlatons UK: White Shirt

The 2nd track from their debut album, Some Friendly: 



I find their music to be more groove-oriented as opposed to the Stone Roses' more melodic-oriented music. 

Charlatons UK: You're Not Very Well

Another band out of Manchester and the "Madchester" music scene. Aside from the Stone Roses, this is the only other band from that scene whose album I have. 



Other bands that you might have heard of from that time and place are: Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, and James.

The Stone Roses: Sally Cinnamon

If you saw the documentary I posted on Saturday, you'll have seen something about this song:

Sally Cinnamon

The video includes lots of early photographs of the band, back when the lineup was different, plus lyrics. 

The Stone Roses: This Is the One [Live in Coachella, 2013]

A performance from their reunion. 

This Is the One, 2013

There is a lack of sync between the sound and the visual, but I couldn't find any posting that was better. 

The Stone Roses: Blood On the Turntable

A revelatory documentary about the group:

Blood On the Turntable 

Wow... who knew? This documentary centers around the band's tumultuous relationship with its manager. As happens so often, the manager believes that he should worry about the money, and the band should worry about the music. 

That isn't going to work out very good, is it? Who ends up with the money?

The Stone Roses: Press conference

I didn't know about a Stone Roses reunion until I discovered it recently on YouTube: 

link to Press Conference

This is the classic lineup (from left to right): Mani (bass player), Reni (drummer), Ian Brown (singer), and John Squire (guitarist). 

They sure look different, but since they're all roughly the same age as me... 

The Stone Roses: Ten Storey Love Song

From their second album, Second Coming: 



This is the first time I've heard a track from this album! 

The Stone Roses: Fool's Gold

The final cut on their debut album: 



Top of the Pops, 1989. There's every reason to believe that this isn't being performed live, but that's okay! 

The Stone Roses: I Am the Resurrection

Over 8 minutes of musical bliss (if you don't pay attention to the lyrics, that is): 

The Stone Roses: This Is the One

The favorite Stone Roses track for some: 



This sounds slightly different than the version on the album... very slightly. 

Stone Roses: Shoot You Down

Great song: 



And nice video made up of excellent photos of band. 

The Stone Roses: Made of Stone

One of the first singles off their debut album: 



The Stone Roses were a major part of the "Madchester" (Manchester, England) music scene of the late 1980's and early 1990's.

The Stone Roses: Bye Bye Badman

Another great melodic song from their debut album: 



The cover painting above is by John Squire, the guitarist. 

The Stone Roses: Waterfall

Here's a much better lit performance from 1989: 

on 'Other Side of Midnight.' 

The Stone Roses: Elephant Stone

The 3rd track with a video that shows the band lit so darkly, it's hard to make out what they look like. 



They look really young here. 

 

The Stone Roses: She Bangs the Drums

Continuing on with their debut album, here is the 2nd song: 



The picture above, by the way, is the cover of the album. 

The Stone Roses: I Wanna Be Adored

A blast from the not-so-distant past; to me, the '80s weren't all that long ago.





All I have from this band is their amazing debut album. They didn't record all that much after that. If you like melodic songs, then this is for you.

Garbage: Cherry Lips

Another link to another widescreen video: 

Cherry Lips 

Shirley looks almost unrecognizable here; I wonder when she walked around with this look if people saw her and knew it was Shirley Manson but with different looking hair, or if they didn't know who she was. 

I think she looks a bit like Pink in this video. 

Garbage: MTV World Stage - Monterrey, Mexico 2012

Here's Garbage live in concert:

MTV World Stage - Monterrey, Mexico 2012

I'm giving you the link to the video on YouTube because it's in widescreen and if I embedded the video here, you'd get cut off on the right side. I've posted enough videos that have been cut-off on this blog already! 

AND, you might have to scroll back to the beginning of the video with your cursor; don't know why it's been starting somewhere else lately.

Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie: Blacker Than Black (live)

I hope you recognized Shirley playing keyboards in yesterday's video. Here's the band she was in at the time, Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie, playing live. 



She's already stealing the show. Tomorrow I'll post a concert of Garbage from 2012 where she commands the entire stadium with the magnetism she's developed over the years. 

Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie: The Rattler

Recognize anyone? 


From 1986... a budding star! 

Garbage: Only Happy When It Rains

Here's their awesome official music video for this song: 



"I only smile in the dark..." 

Garbage: Bleed Like Me

I posted a video of this song in a post several months ago: 

obsessed wth Garbage

It was of a terrific live performance that I found on YouTube. 

Here is the just as terrific official video for it: 



Great acting not just by Shirley but from the guys too! They look perfectly natural in white lab coats, like they could really be doctors (don't you think?).

Garbage: Only Happy When It Rains (live)

I've been listening to a bunch of Garbage lately... 

... isn't that the greatest name for a band? 

Almost 20 years after they formed and here I am getting such a kick out of their name. 

I imagine saddling up to a hot girl at a bar and saying: 

"Do you like Garbage? I love Garbage! Are you into Garbage?" 

As she recoils in disgust, I can follow up with: 

"The band Garbage. What did you think I was talking about?" 

Or else, I can go up to a cute redhead and say:

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like Garbage? Looking at you reminds me of Garbage." 

Again, she frowns at me and starts getting mad when I say, "Yeah, you remind me of Shirley Manson, the lead singer of Garbage." 

Ha! 

Okay, anyway, if I were to introduce someone who has never heard of Garbage to their music, I might start them off with this performance: 



I can't take my eyes off of Shirley from the time she shields her eyes from the sun and then smiles as the song starts to the very end. 

Bettie Serveert: Under the Surface

Another great song from Palomine: 



Live at the Pinkpop Festival, 1993

Bettie Serveert: Tom Boy

One of my favorite songs on the album: 



You'll get color around the 2:25 mark, in case you tire of the black and white. 

Bettie Serveert: Brain-Tag

I don't really understand the stats I get from Blogger, but it seems yesterday's post of Kid's Alright was really popular, especially compared to the other Bettie Serveert songs... curious. 

Anyway, here is Brain-Tag, the 4th song from Palomine: 



This is a slow one, so watch out! 

Bettie Serveert: Kid's Alright

The 3rd song off their debut album, Palomine: 



Pinkpop Festival, June 6, 1995 (Landgraaf, Netherlands)

Bettie Serveert: Palomine

Title track: 



Pinkpop Festival, May 31, 1993 (Landgraaf, Netherlands)

Bettie Serveert: Leg

Bettie Serveert is a Dutch band and they got their name from the book that Dutch tennis player Betty Stove wrote called Bettie Serves. 

I don't even remember what compelled me to see them in concert (San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall with another group called Buffalo Tom) because I hardly knew any of their music, but upon first listen, in concert no less, I felt instantly connected. 




This is the opening track to their debut album Palomine, from 1992.

Better Than Ezra: Rosealia

A spirited performance: 



from Late Night With Conan O'Brien, 1994 

Better Than Ezra: Southern Girl

Listening to this song makes me want a Southern girl! 



Another great song from Deluxe. 

Better Than Ezra: Good

Continuing on with the first several songs on their album Deluxe is this gem: 



Is this the New Orleans sound? 

Better Than Ezra: In the Blood

This is from one of those rare albums that appeals right from the start - none of that "it takes several listens to really get into it" kind of records.



From the album Deluxe. 

Anna Nalick: Home

This is my other favorite song by Anna, one that's a little harder to find. 





As it turns out, I just learned of a concert she'll be playing next month by following her on Facebook: 

Wednesday November 20

Doors: 7:00 PM
Show: 8:00 PM (ends at 11:00 PM)

$15

 
Harlow's Restaurant and Nightclub 
2708 "J" Street
Sacramento, CA 

Anna Nalick: Breathe (2 am)

I actually wrote a post about Anna and this song back a few years ago: breathe, just breathe. 

And here is a video compiled for this song that I just discovered: 



Since I wrote that post I really haven't heard much about her like I thought I would. 

Chris Whitley: Living With the Law

Love this song: 



Another artist who passed before his time. 

The Stranglers: Golden Brown

Many years ago, my brother gave me a couple of albums (they were vinyl records) of a couple of bands that I wasn't familiar with in order to broaden my collection. One was by The Teardrop Explodes, and the other by The Stranglers. 



Golden Brown is on The Stranglers' album La Folie. 

Michael Penn: No Myth

Today, this fantastic hit by Michael Penn: 



He comes from a family of famous actors, but we'll let Michael stand alone here. 

Seals & Crofts: Get Closer

Another fantastic song: 



Funny, I was reading a comment that somebody left with this video, and they wrote that they had for years gotten Seals & Crofts mixed up, thinking that one was the other... now I'm wondering if I have it right! 

Seals & Crofts: Ruby Jean and Billie Lee

This is one of my favorites by Seals & Crofts, one that I don't recall ever hearing on the radio. I know of it only from their Greatest Hits album. 



In this song, you get the opportunity to hear their voices separately: Jim Seals sings about Ruby Jean, and Dash Crofts sings about Billie Lee. 

Seals & Crofts: I'll Play For You

I noticed in the newspaper that it is Jim Seals' birthday today... so it's time to get back to sharing Seals & Crofts' music:



Here is the album cover I grew up with: 

Three Dog Night: Try a Little Tenderness

A groovy performance: 



This one features Cory Wells as the solo vocalist. 

Three Dog Night: Family of Man

Another favorite, but again with the embedding disabled by request. Here's the link: 

Family of Man

It's nice to see each of them singing lead for a verse. 

Three Dog Night: I'd Be So Happy

Here's a gem of a performance that I just found - it's not the most famous of their songs, but I remember loving it from one of their albums that I grew up with. The video isn't the sharpest or clearest, but the sound is fine:



The information with the video says it's from 1974. 

Three Dog Night: The Show Must Go On

Another great song from the same performance: 



By the way, that is Chuck Negron singing lead on this one, Cory Wells playing tambourine, and Danny Hutton. And although Three Dog Night wanted to be known as a complete band and not just the three vocalists (as I mentioned in an earlier post), the three singers are the only ones I can name! 

Three Dog Night: Old-Fashioned Love Song

Here's one written by Paul Williams (remember him?): 

Old-Fashioned Love Song
~ this is the first video that I've encountered Embedding disabled by request. Anyway, it's from the same concert as yesterday's post. 

Starting yesterday, I started to realize how weird Danny Hutton was when he was performing. He's the one on the far left, facing the stage, with the red and white striped right sleeve (in this performance; in yesterday's video, he was on the far right).

Three Dog Night: Shambala

Now this is the kind of concert venue I would most enjoy just about any performance - not too crowded, everybody has a good view, and no pyrotechnics... just great music. 



There was a time when Three Dog Night was just about the most popular group going. 

Three Dog Night: Joy to the World

This one reminds me of a funny story that my ex-brother-in-law told me years ago. 

He was recalling when he was growing up, he told a schoolmate what his favorite song was: Joy to the World. And his schoolmate asked incredulously: "The Christmas song?" 



Actually, that must have happened a lot. 

Harry Nilsson, and Three Dog Night: One

Perhaps the biggest hit song that was written by Harry Nilsson and made famous by another performer: 





I've read that although the three vocalists of Three Dog Night were the most identifiable part of the group, Three Dog Night wanted to be known as a complete band. It didn't help though: "three" dog night and "three" vocalists. 

Harry Nilsson: Put the Lime in the Coconut

I think it's a safe bet that most of you have not heard this song in a long, long time - if you've heard it at all: 



Difficult to believe this is from the same man who sang Without You. 

Harry Nilsson: Me and My Arrow

Here's another song I knew first from something other than Harry Nilsson - a Plymouth Arrow car commercial. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any video of the commercial online, so you'll have to take my word. Unless you happen to remember it too! 



Reading through some of the comments on YouTube, it seems this song was also used on an episode of The Simpsons. 

 
 

Harry Nilsson: Girlfriend; theme from 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father'

The Courtship of Eddie's Father is a show from my childhood; it's actually one that doesn't usually come to mind when I reflect on old TV shows. But any mention of it and I'm taken back to Eddie, his father (played by Bill Bixby), and Mrs. Livingston. 

And its theme song: 





It wasn't until I picked up an anthology of Harry Nilsson's music did I realize that the theme was based on one of his songs, with the lyrics changed to fit the show. 





I had to look up the name of Bill Bixby's character: Tom Corbett 

Harry Nilsson: Everybody's Talkin'

From the film "Midnight Cowboy" starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. 



One of these days, I'm going to have to watch this great film. Love the song though. 

Badfinger & Harry Nilsson: Without You

I thought I was so smart when people mistakenly thought that Without You was a Mariah Carey song. I said to myself, "C'mon people... it's a Harry Nilsson song!" 

Even when Heart did a version of it, I knew to myself that it was originally done by Harry Nilsson. 

Well, I was wrong. 



Although since I grew up listening to the Nilsson version of Without You, I still think he did the definitive take on it. 



What do you think? 

Badfinger: Come and Get It

This song brings back memories! 



Interesting staging of this performance (or is it the camera angles?). 

Badfinger: No Matter What

Another great performance garnered from The Midnight Special: 



Badfinger (Badfinger Wikipedia article) was such a promising band, but like too many others, were beset with hardship and tragedy. 

Badfinger: Day After Day

My favorite Badfinger song: 



with a really nice video of the band meandering around. 

Badfinger: Baby Blue

Okay, I'm going to interrupt my Seals & Crofts homage for a bit here and switch over to Badfinger, seeing that I just learned today that the final episode, if not scene, of Breaking Bad featured this excellent song. 




Different styles of music, but of the same era! 

Seals & Crofts: Diamond Girl

Their other most defining hit song: 



There are a lot of fantastic performances on The Midnight Special. Here, I'm not used to seeing Dash Crofts (the one on the left) without a beard! 

Seals & Crofts: Summer Breeze

My favorite song by Seals & Crofts: 



What a find this video clip is; the footage seems of the time, highly saturated and such, and suits the song perfectly. 

England Dan & John Ford Coley: Nights Are Forever Without You

Hadn't heard this one in a long time: 



Nice video with lyrics. 

England Dan & John Ford Coley: We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again

Another blast from the past: 



with a visual of a 45 vinyl single being played, complete with the sound a phonograph needle makes that some of us remember! 

England Dan & John Ford Coley: I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

Another obvious segue here, isn't it? 



Finding this live performance reminds me of seeing England Dan & John Ford Coley in concert. I went with one of my sisters to the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos to see them perform. The stage rotated throughout, so slowly that there was a chance that you'd miss an entire favorite song while facing the back or sides of the stage. 

England Dan, by the way, is the one playing guitar and singing lead; John Ford Coley is playing piano and singing harmonies.

Todd Rundgren, England Dan & John Ford Coley: Love Is The Answer

Until just recently, I only knew this song as being done by England Dan & John Ford Coley; that's happened for me with quite a few songs involving different artists. 

First, here is Todd's version of his song:



and here's the one I "grew up" with: 



I actually wrote about this bit of trivia in a long ago post, but the late England Dan (Seals), who had a later career as a solo country artist, was the younger brother of Jim Seals of Seals and Crofts. 

Todd Rundgren: Can We Still Be Friends?

Not as familiar but another great song: 



Listening to songs like this reminds me of how happy I am to have been born at the time I was. So much of today's music, and entertainment in general, comes in soundbites and with a sense of urgency. There's little opportunity nowadays to just kick back and relish the nuances of songs as we did in the past. 

Can the younger generation even imagine a time when people would listen to an entire album without having to constantly check some sort of mobile communication device? They didn't exist back then, kids, and that's a good thing. 

Todd Rundgren: I Saw the Light

Another great Rundgren song: 



Reminds me of something I thought of years ago, what would have had to be the feel good concert of all-time: Utopia, XTC, and Nirvana. 

What other bands with similar names would you add to that ticket? 

Todd Rundgren: Hello It's Me

Why Todd Rundgren after XTC? There is a reason: he produced their album Skylarking - so I thought I'd segue to Todd. 

Over the years, I've gradually realized that there are a lot of songs that are familiar to me that turned out to be his. Here, however, is the one I've always known was by him: 



I once heard John Legend say that this is his favorite song. It was just that one time, and I'm sure he's got many more favorites... but this is a good choice!

XTC: In concert (Rockpalast) - February 10, 1982

Since it's the weekend, here's a concert I found that's over an hour long. I'm not familiar with "Rockpalast" but I imagine it's something similar to "The Old Grey Whistle Test" which is another concert series I discovered here on YouTube.



Musicians amaze me, especially when performing live like this. They're so talented - and the fitness levels of drummers are off the charts. 

I took note of when my favorite songs appear in case you like them as much as I do.

Senses Working Overtime: 42:25 

Generals and Majors: 57:25 

XTC: Love On A Farmboy's Wages

Another pastoral song from "Mummer" with lead vocals by Andy Partridge: 



There's a nice write-up on XTC in Wikipedia. Ah, the memories but also the information that's new to me. Looking back, I've really got quite a few of their albums - none of which I've listened to for many years since I haven't made use of my turntable for that long. 

I didn't quite realize that both R.E.M.'s album "Murmur" and XTC's "Mummer" were released in 1983. Both great albums. 

XTC: Wonderland

This is a song with lead vocals by Colin Moulding, from the album "Mummer." 



This video has elements of Alice In Wonderland, and a girl dancing and wandering around. I'd never seen it before now. 

XTC: Mayor of Simpleton (UK version)

I've got several albums by XTC, from back when there were vinyl records. I don't know when I realized that both Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding sang lead vocals, but as I mentioned before, for awhile I thought Andy sang all the leads. Now that I'm getting to see these videos, I'm starting to hear the distinction between their voices. 

Here, Andy sings lead. 



I don't have the album which this song came off of, but I'm familiar with this song nonetheless. 

XTC: Generals and Majors

Here is one where bassist Colin Moulding sings lead vocals. 



If one of the diners looks familiar, yes, it is a certain billionaire business magnate and the founder of Virgin Group. 

XTC: Senses Working Overtime

Alright, why don't we skip up to the '80s? (Okay, okay, XTC began in the '70s).

XTC first won me over with this song and this video. First impressions being as strong as they are, for awhile I thought that Andy Partridge was the lead singer all the time and always wore a hat! At least that's what I pictured whenever I listened to their songs. 



I still think that he and Colin Moulding's voices sound a lot alike; Colin is the bass player who sings lead much of the time too. 

I remember asking for XTC's English Settlement album as a gift at the time, and probably their English import since that is what I got. It is a double album as opposed to a single album which was the American release. The album's graphics are like the bass drum in this video.

Al Stewart: Time Passages

Here's the other hit of Al Stewart's that I am familiar with: 



This video I just discovered; its images are quite eclectic. 

Al Stewart: Year of the Cat

Staying in the 1970's, here's another big favorite: 



It's my favorite live version of this song that I've found so far. It's one of those songs where I find myself asking, "Why doesn't anyone write songs like this anymore?" 

I'm sure I'm not the only one. 

Harry Chapin: Taxi

Here is a nice live version of this song: 



I just looked up how young he was when he died (in a car accident): he was only 38 years old. 

Harry Chapin: Cat's In the Cradle

I don't know if everybody has a song that makes them cry, but for me, this is the song. Every time I hear it, I tear up. 

You see, my father passed away when I was 11 years old the year this song came out. So the lyric that in particular does it for me is: 

When you coming home dad, I don't know when, but we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then. 




From what I understand, it was Harry's wife who came up with the lyrics. 

The Mitchell Trio: Leaving On A Jet Plane

Staying with the John Denver theme, John joined The Mitchell Trio (nee The Chad Mitchell Trio) around the time that Chad Mitchell left the group. 

John penned this hit made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary: 



Just as Harry Chapin was the first person to open my eyes to world hunger so many years ago, it was probably John Denver who was the first I heard that expressed such appreciation and wonder for the environment, although it took some decades for the subject to become dear to my heart. 

John Denver & Olivia Newton-John: Fly Away

I was sitting here waiting to see what song popped into my mind, and this is it! 



This is the performance that I had pictured in my mind with Olivia sitting apart from John while singing her part. 

White Plains: My Baby Loves Lovin'; Edison Lighthouse: Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

Here are two great songs from the early '70s with something in common. 







They both have the same lead vocalist, Tony Burrows. 

Shannon: Abergavenny; Kim Wlde: Kids in America

Bear with me, these two songs really do have something to do with each other! 

Going way back to when I was growing up and had access to the bounty of albums and 45's that my siblings owned, was one whose cover still stands out in my mind. It's here in this video: 



Easy to imagine being seared in one's mind, right? This is one of the 45's in case you couldn't guess. 

Besides the song, of course, it's really the pinkish illustration of a Scottie looking dog and the name of the song that made an impression on me. That's how I was able to dust the cobwebs from my memory and find this.

In finding this on YouTube though, I learned other bits of information, such as the more common stage name of Shannon was... Marty Wilde. 

Ahhh, now we're starting to solve the mystery of why I paired these two videos together. 

 

Yes, Kim Wilde (real name Kim Smith) is one of the children of Marty Wilde (real name Reginald Leonard Smith), his eldest child, according to Wikipedia. I just discovered this bit of trivia last night when I was thinking about tonight's post.

And just for fun, here's another video with her looking at an old clip of him performing. Can you see the resemblance? 



Bonus points to any of you that recognize both of these songs! 

Walter Egan: Magnet and Steel

Guess I'm going to go a bit random here for a little while... I've got a LOT of favorite songs and I'll be posting them as they strike my fancy. 

Here's a song that has been going through my head lately. 
 



From my reading, Stevie Nicks inspired the writing of this song: "I was smitten by the kitten" said Walter Egan, and Ms. Nicks sings some of the background vocals for it. It was also co-produced by Lindsay Buckingham. 

Tazmanian Devils: Highway 101

Here's a song I don't recognize from any recordings. The description that goes with this video says: 

Demo recorded at Family Light School of Music in Sausalito. Engineered by Richi Ray Harris. Lead Vocals - Dennis Hogan; Lead Guitar - Dave Carlson; Keyboards and Vocals - Pat Craig; Bass and Vocals - Duane Van Dieman; Drums - Barry Lowenthal 

Additionally from the title of the video, the song is from 1979-1980



This was posted on YouTube by Patrick E. Craig, I assume one and the same as the keyboardist Pat Craig. 

Here is a link to a website for the band today:
http://www.tazmaniandevils.net/about.html 

Pat is the only one no longer playing with them. 

Back in the day, I recall the Tazmanian Devils garnering the Best Bay Area Club Band award at least once, maybe twice from the readers of BAM (Bay Area Music) magazine. 

Tazmanian Devils: Dirty Bop Party

Here's one of the most popular songs from their 2nd album.



I have a faint memory of going to see the Tazmanian Devils play at a venue in nearby Orinda. In a theater, not a music club. Guitarist Greg Douglass opened for them. Douglass later played guitar in the Greg Kihn Band. I don't think I'm imagining it, although I can't find anyone to corroborate this. 

Tazmanian Devils: Pressure

I sure wish I could find some live filmed performances from back in the day. Some years ago, I was able to locate fairly recent footage from a hand-held camera here on YouTube, but I don't know where it is anymore. 



There's one particular song of theirs that I'd like to find more than any other: West Coast. Just off the top of my head, I can recite part of the lyrics (I'm not cheating here): 

Pills, cocaine, pot, speed, booze, smack, LSD, L. Ron Hubbard, EST, Sun Myung Moon, group therapy, hookers, homos, ball, sex for sale, we've got it all, shrinks and shysters selling peace of mind, put your cards on the table, put your money on the line. 

On the coast, 
on the coast, on the coast, 
on the West Coast, on the West Coast. 
 

Tazmanian Devils: Feel Alright/Laura/Don't Hold Back

Another of the Bay Area bands that I loved back in my college days was the Tazmanian Devils. It seems that there is a modern band of the same name, which I don't know much about. They even use a "z" instead of an "s" in their spelling. 

No matter, here is the one I liked. They were from Fairfax in Marin County. I really wish there was as much available of them online as there is of the Rubinoos. 



It was during college that I for some reason had two copies of their first album and I decided to donate one of them to my college's radio station. Unfortunately the time I dropped by, there were two ingrates sitting there. They gave some crazy droll attitude... I left the album and left. 

It wasn't until I happened to be driving back up to the Bay Area one day that I heard an appreciative DJ expressing joy and surprise at finding my donated album there. I was leaving town (San Luis Obispo) and headed up the steep climb of Cuesta Grade with my car's radio tuned to KCPR when I heard him talk about them.

I was just getting out of hearing distance (not a strong enough radio signal to overcome the grade) when he started playing a song off the album. At least someone there liked my contribution to the station! 

One neat thing I've read about the Taz is lead singer Dennis Hogan went on to become a math teacher. The band still gets together occasionally to perform and his students get a kick out of seeing him up on stage. 

 

The Rubinoos: 40th Anniversary Documentary

Now this is a find, a discovery! It's a 24-minute documentary showing the history of the Rubinoos from the very beginning. Before I go further, have I yet mentioned Tommy Dunbar's name in my Rubinoos posts? He is the guitarist-extraordinaire and co-vocalist of the band. He also was the co-writer of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" and was part of the suit I mentioned in an earlier post.

And the bassist for the first two albums is Royse Ader, prior to Al Chan joining the band.



There is a lot here that I didn't know before. It matches what I'm seeing in their Wikipedia article. They've had quite a history, what with appearances on American Bandstand and The Old Grey Whistle Test, plus much more. 

The Rubinoos: Must Be A Word

Funny how some band members will always be known as the "new guy." One example would be the Doobie Brothers. There's a guy that's been with them for over 30 years, John McFee, who took over for Jeff "Skunk" Baxter back in 1979. 

Likewise, Al Chan (no relation) assumed bass playing for the Rubinoos way back in 1980. That's him playing bass in my post for "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" and he's also in this next clip singing lead. 



As best as I can recall, Al has also sung one of my favorite songs by the Grass Roots "Temptation Eyes" in concert. I was unable to find a performance of that on YouTube however. 

Geez, you spend over 30 years playing with a band (not that said band has been continuously performing that entire time, but still...) and at least one person out there still thinks of you as the "new guy." 

The Rubinoos: Peek-A-Boo

Another find from YouTube: 



Featuring Donn Spindt, the drummer, singing lead (although I'm sure it's being lip-synced) - from Dutch TV, 1978. Lots of fun for Rubinoos fans! 

The Rubinoos: Hold Me (live)

Here's one I discovered tonight! 



The description for the video says:
The Rubinoos playing Hold Me live in England in the late '70s.

The Rubinoos: Leave My Heart Alone

I chose this song because it's one of the ones on YouTube that was posted with a picture of the Rubinoos' first album cover. 

The Rubinoos: I Think We're Alone Now

After our brief detour, back to the Rubinoos. I really did play a cassette of this band over and over again my year in the dorms. 

I never was familiar of this song by Tommy James and the Shondells when they recorded it; I thought it might as well have been written by the Rubinoos themselves. Then there was a version by Tiffany, but we won't get into that. 



Thanks to YouTube again - I am quite surprised to have found this video of an early, early concert performance of this song. It's the original lineup, bass player and all. 

How do you think they have aged? (earlier post of the Rubinoos) 

The Left Banke: Walk Away Renee

Okay, here is The Left Banke's other big hit - probably a bit more familiar to folks of that time period. This is the only version I ever knew, but many, many other artists did covers of this song, including the Four Tops. 

The story behind the song I found very interesting to read. Believe it or not, this song was written by a teenager! Songwriter and keyboard player Michael Brown became infatuated by a striking woman who was the girlfriend of his bandmate, bassist Tom Finn, and wrote several songs about her, including Pretty Ballerina...

and this song. 



This style of music was known as "baroque-rock."

The Left Banke: Pretty Ballerina

My memory is going; I don't remember if I've posted about The Left Banke already. But hey, why not write about them again; that is, if I've already written about them, maybe some of you are new to this blog and so this is new to you.

I knew of one of their hits from the late '60s, Walk Away Renee, and was barely familiar with today's song, which caught my ear one day (last year, I'm guessing) on the Music Choice channel on television. 

So I researched and read about them and found things on YouTube, I was so impressed. There are only the two bigger hit songs that I care to listen to, this one and Renee, though I really, really like them. 

One interesting tidbit I found out during my research was how a singer named Steven Tallarico contributed backing vocals to some later tracks recorded by The Left Banke. This singer eventually became better known under a different name, as the lead singer for some band named Aerosmith. You may know him as Steven Tyler! 





The Left Banke held so much promise, but fell victim to problems and "creative differences." 

Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys; Michael Nesmith: Different Drum

Today I learned the horrible news that the wonderful singer Linda Ronstadt is suffering from Parkinson's Disease and is therefore unable to sing. 

I wanted to feature a video of a favorite song from my childhood, Different Drum. The lyrics for this song are so sweet, and the arrangement and vocals are exceptional. 



It wasn't until much later that I found out that it was composed my Mike Nesmith of Monkees fame. This is his performance of the song. 



I discovered this video not too long ago. It really gets me wondering about song demos and what artists hear before they bring their own touches and arrangements to songs. 

The Rubinoos: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend; Avril Lavigne: Girlfriend

Keeping on with artists from the Beserkley record label, today I present the Rubinoos, so named after lead singer Jon Rubin (the guy standing in the middle of the stage in the clip). This clip is a very recent concert by The Rubinoos who still perform together occasionally after all these years.

I used to play my cassette tape of the Rubinoos so much in my dorm room that it drove my roommate crazy! Sorry, Mike. 

Who could ever have foreseen that a certain Canadian rocker grrrl (and I believe I spelled "grrrl" correctly) would years later be sued by the songwriters of the Rubinoos' popular song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" for her song "Girlfriend" because they claimed it sounded too similar?





I'll let you decide. 



Apparently, in defense, the claim was made that the Rubinoos song itself sounded a bit too much like "Get Off of My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones. Or that both songs sounded like the Stones' song. 

The case was settled. 

Greg Kihn Band: The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)

It was only after this first big hit of the Greg Kihn Band's that I really came to start liking them, and then seeing them in concert. And of course, by then, so did everybody else it seemed. The line to get into the venue was around the block, and I was hearing from my brother and his friends how different it was for one of their concerts to be that crowded. That's what a hit song will do for a band. 



I remember going back through their older albums and listening to them before seeing them perform live, the ones that my brother had. And I had had it set in mind that there were four of them. Well, the flyers that were posted on telephone poles and the like showed five of them. 

With that and the line around the block, I felt like a latecomer.