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		<title>LIVE: Grandmaster Flash (Brooklyn, NY)</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/live-grandmaster-flash-brooklyn-ny/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/live-grandmaster-flash-brooklyn-ny/#respond</comments>
				<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2016 04:05:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Louie Pearlman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brooklyn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grandmaster flash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hip-hop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[house of yes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[louie pearlman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the furious five]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=14669</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ll admit, being an Eighties baby, I missed the Seventies the first time around, much to my chagrin. But lately, between catching local shows by Giorgio Moroder and Nile Rodgers from Chic, I&#8217;ve felt transported back to that lush, disco-fied era. That concept was hammered home when I got to catch a Grandmaster Flash DJ [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/live-grandmaster-flash-brooklyn-ny/">LIVE: Grandmaster Flash (Brooklyn, NY)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ll admit, being an Eighties baby, I missed the Seventies the first time around, much to my chagrin. But lately, between catching local shows by <a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/live-i-feel-love-brooklyn-ny/" target="_blank">Giorgio Moroder</a> and Nile Rodgers from Chic, I&#8217;ve felt transported back to that lush, disco-fied era. That concept was hammered home when I got to catch a Grandmaster Flash DJ set at House of Yes in Brooklyn.</p>
<p>The father of modern turntablism, Grandmaster Flash is in the tricky position of being mythologized. He&#8217;s known for so much, including his work as part of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, appearing in the early hip-hop film <em>Wild Style </em>and serving as consulting producer to the Netflix series <span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;"><em><a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/tv-the-get-down-netflix/" target="_blank">The Get Down</a></em></span>.</p>
<p>Sometimes it&#8217;s difficult for someone with a mythos like Flash to live up to the hype. In this case, he succeeded because, beyond anything else, Flash is very simply a great DJ.<span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;"> </span>It&#8217;s always exciting to see one of the fathers of the hip-hop movement in the flesh doing his thing for an appreciative crowd.</p>
<p>Born Joseph Saddler, Grandmaster Flash created the backspin technique to extend a drum loop on a record to play for an infinite amount of times. He also perfected scratching and made it the art-form it is today. These techniques and more were well on display during his set in Brooklyn.</p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kk99DmV5uLk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>This particular Grandmaster Flash party served many different functions for various members of his audience. For older folks and old-school aficionados like me, it was a nostalgic trip back to the nascent hip-hop parties of burnt-out Bronx yore. It also served as a comprehensive survey of the rock, funk, and disco that built the foundations of the hip-hop movement.</p>
<p>For the average party-goer, Flash still needs to provide an entertaining and vibrant night full of hits and dancing. This show straddled the fine line of being all of those things and impressively so. I guess there&#8217;s a reason why the first part of the man&#8217;s title is &#8220;Grandmaster.&#8221;</p>
<figure id="attachment_14703" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14703" style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-14703 size-large" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_9_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414" alt="nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_9_web" srcset="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_9_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414 1024w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_9_web-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_9_web-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14703" class="wp-caption-text">Flash addresses his crowd.</figcaption></figure>
<p>What surprised me most about the set was the way Flash often stopped the flow of the music to take breaks and address the crowd. He started his set not with a song, but by telling a story about how he had been cleaning out his apartment that day, entering his music room with his trophies and current DJ gear.</p>
<p>Flash said that he felt like going back before all of the acclaims, a time before Facebook and Instagram, a time when there were just &#8220;these.&#8221; He held up two vinyl records, marked with chalk for cues and the crowd went wild.</p>
<p>Flash continued his story to use the analogy that if hip-hop were a cake, then you had to give credit to the bakers. Baz Luhrmann approached Flash to do just that, by asking him to serve as a consulting producer on <em>The Get Down</em>.</p>
<p>According to Flash, Luhrmann said to him &#8220;You guys did so much; the Seventies need some respect.&#8221; He also made sure before we started that we got the party rules: if Grandmaster Flash says you put your hands in the air, your hands are in the air!</p>
<figure id="attachment_14700" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14700" style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-14700 size-large" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_14_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414" alt="" srcset="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_14_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414 1024w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_14_web-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_14_web-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14700" class="wp-caption-text">Flash is fast, Flash is cool.</figcaption></figure>
<p>And with that, Flash was off, starting his scratching and cutting with the sublime choice of &#8220;Blame it on the Boogie&#8221; by the Jacksons. Flash then ran the gamut. He spun the disco he sampled into breakbeats (I lost it when I heard Flash mixing in &#8220;Apache&#8221; by Incredible Bongo Band &#8212; a track he discovered that was so important to early hip-hop).</p>
<p>He played a very needed and cathartic Prince set into a great David Bowie double header of &#8220;Let&#8217;s Dance&#8221; / &#8220;Under Pressure.&#8221; He linked everything together using surprising transitions. You didn&#8217;t know what was coming next from the turntable pioneer.</p>
<figure id="attachment_14698" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14698" style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-14698" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_25_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414" alt="&quot;Get your hands up!&quot;" srcset="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_25_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414 1024w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_25_web-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_25_web-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14698" class="wp-caption-text">&#8220;Get your hands up!&#8221;</figcaption></figure>
<p>Flash showcased his jovial personality, being on the mic more than I&#8217;ve seen other DJs, very often ordering us to get us our hands up, which only made the party more fun. Throughout the set, he initiated a lot of pleasurable call-and-responses. Flash&#8217;s style gave the whole night a big Seventies feel and the double-dutch jump roping and breakdance circles that preceded his set at House of Yes helped a lot, too.</p>
<p>Speaking of House of Yes, it&#8217;s a gorgeous and intimate venue to see someone like Flash play. One of the most fun clubs in Brooklyn, House of Yes has a throwback vibe to seventies opulence through a modern, recycled, and retro lens.</p>
<p>The projections of breakdancers and NYC &#8217;70s scenes playing behind Flash the entire time were immersive and transportive as well. Sometimes hipster go-go dancers appeared behind Flash while he was playing, dancing on a platform behind the stage. The entire space is quirkily decorated in a vibe that can only be described as &#8220;Circus Chic.&#8221;</p>
<figure id="attachment_14702" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14702" style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-14702" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_6_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414" alt="Breakdancing and Double Dutch galore at House of Yes." srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_6_web.jpg?resize=620%2C414 1024w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_6_web-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/nieto_dickens_grandmaster_2016_6_web-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" data-recalc-dims="1" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14702" class="wp-caption-text">Breakdancing and Double Dutch galore at House of Yes.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Members of the cast of <em>The Get Down</em> also made some surprise appearances onstage to chat with Grandmaster Flash during DJ downtime, including Mamoudou Athie, who plays a young Flash on the Netflix series. They all seemed thrilled to be there and watch the master at work.</p>
<p>As the night went on, Flash segued into playing more modern hip-hop, including the requisite Jay-Z and Reggaeton. But my mind was personally blown as Flash played a tight set of Motown including a killer Aretha Franklin singalong and then proceeded to &#8220;have some fun&#8221; by putting a beat behind the themes for both <em>The Jeffersons</em> and <em>Cheers</em>. Flash remains an innovative curator but more than that, a meticulous music geek, always looking for the next loop to sample.</p>
<p>At one point later in the night, he even played the contentious hit &#8220;The Message.&#8221; People associate Flash with this track despite the fact that he didn&#8217;t play a note on it, due to some behind-the-scenes small thinking by nascent hip-hop producers as to how to use his skills.</p>
<p>Flash never showcased his innovative pioneering DJ techniques on this, or any of the hits for the Furious Five, although he was part of the group&#8217;s whole mystique. Flash did appear properly on one Furious Five song: the track &#8220;The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash and the Wheels of Steel,&#8221; but that&#8217;s about it.</p>
<p><span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/nyregion/grandmaster-flash-netflix-series-the-get-down-brings-attention-to-the-hip-hop-pioneer.html?_r=0" target="_blank">This early version of hip-hop hucksterism has always irked Flash.</a>  </span>By playing the track, Flash shows he&#8217;s moved past the drama. With vintage footage of the Furious Five playing behind Flash while he spun &#8220;The Message,&#8221; this was an exciting moment for any fan of old school hip-hop to both see and hear<span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;">.</span></p>
<p>Flash&#8217;s final few songs took it down by playing &#8220;Can I Kick It&#8221; by Tribe Called Quest, (Lou Reed sample included). Shortly after Flash whipped the crowd back into a dance frenzy and ended with &#8220;Jump Around&#8221; by House of Pain before abruptly leaving the stage. His work was clearly done.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not even scratching (pun intended) the surface of the amount of material Grandmaster Flash got though in his over-an-hour set. His cuts were, ahem, furious (I had to do both of these, folks. Sorry.) As the Furious Five rapped decades ago, &#8220;Grandmaster cuts faster,&#8221; and that was nothing if not on display at House of Yes.</p>
<p><em>All photos by <a href="http://instagram.com/nietodickens" target="_blank">Luis Nieto Dickens</a>.</em></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/live-grandmaster-flash-brooklyn-ny/">LIVE: Grandmaster Flash (Brooklyn, NY)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>FLIPSIDE: Another &#8220;Side&#8221; of the #1 Singles of 1965</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/flipside-another-side-of-the-1-singles-of-1965/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/flipside-another-side-of-the-1-singles-of-1965/#comments</comments>
				<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2016 19:22:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Lynch]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flipside]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[#1 singles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1965]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[45s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barry mcguire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flipside]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freddie and the dreamers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gary lewis and the playboys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[herman's hermits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael lynch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[petula clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pf sloan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sonny and cher]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the beach boys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the beatles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the byrds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the dave clark five]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the four tops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the righteous brothers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the rolling stones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the supremes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the temptations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wayne fontana and the mindbenders]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=11238</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>A music fan who wasn&#8217;t alive in 1965 has heard about what an important year that was in rock and pop music history. As a means of teaching himself what that year was all about, he decides to study the year by writing about each of 1965&#8217;s #1 singles one by one chronologically. He asks his [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/flipside-another-side-of-the-1-singles-of-1965/">FLIPSIDE: Another &#8220;Side&#8221; of the #1 Singles of 1965</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A music fan who wasn&#8217;t alive in 1965 has heard about what an important year that was in rock and pop music history. As a means of teaching himself what that year was all about, he decides to study the year by writing about each of 1965&#8217;s #1 singles one by one chronologically. He asks his uncle, who was then a teenager, for assistance, and his uncle happily helps by going down to his basement, combing through his old box of 45s, and, upon finding the ones he&#8217;s looking for, coming up with a complete stack of all the 1965 chart toppers. The kind-hearted uncle then goes online to get the dates that each disc took over the top spot, and applies a small piece of masking tape to each one&#8217;s label, on which he writes the relevant date. Having done that, he puts all the records in an old 45-carrying case and gives it to his nephew.</p>
<p>Now, having everything he needs, the young(er) scribe is ready to examine and discover the wonderful musical year of 1965 and write his piece.</p>
<p>Below is the result. As readers shall see, he did a fine job of summing up an exciting time by noting the musical diversity of the year, catching on to the various styles all fighting for the coveted #1 slot, recognizing coming and going musical trends and the changes in the air. He caught onto all the essentials and did a nice job in his summation and he came to some interesting conclusions, and accurately captured the gist of 1965, simply by looking one by one at all of the year&#8217;s top sellers.</p>
<p>Well, except for one little thing&#8230;</p>
<p>With that, I&#8217;ll turn this over to his report:</p>
<p><img class=" wp-image-11257 alignleft" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Shes-a-Woman-1.jpg?resize=200%2C203" alt="She's a Woman" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Shes-a-Woman-1.jpg?resize=200%2C203 296w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Shes-a-Woman-1.jpg 388w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></p>
<p><em>The magical musical year of 1965 began on a fine note for the Beatles with a continuation of the three-week run at the top with their classic &#8220;She&#8217;s a Woman,&#8221; a bluesy rocker ultimately dislodged by the very record it had knocked out to take top honors in the first place&#8230;</em></p>
<p><em>&#8230;the Supremes&#8217; passionate &#8220;Always In My Heart,&#8221; which came back to see one more week at #1.</em></p>
<p><em>The charts remained female reigned when Diana and her friends passed the torch to Petula Clark, who grabbed the #1 spot with her million-selling &#8220;You&#8217;d Better Love Me.&#8221; But Ms. Clark, who really went to town on that song, would go down two weeks later when the amalgamation of Phil Spector&#8217;s Wall Of Sound and the trademark blue-eyed soul of the Righteous Brothers assured a first place price for their &#8220;There&#8217;s a Woman.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>But even a disc of such feeling ultimately lost to the power and muscle of Hollywood production and promotion working in cahoots, which guaranteed <a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/raver-everybody-loves-gary-lewis/" target="_blank">Gary Lewis and the Playboys</a>, led by the son of entertainment legend Jerry Lewis, a ride to the top of the charts.</em></p>
<p><em>Sure enough, in February, &#8220;Tijuana Wedding,&#8221; opening as it did with guitar feedback (an idea even the Beatles hadn&#8217;t dared use on a topside, only on a flip) became the best-selling single in America, occupying that slot for two straight weeks. Gary was shining brighter than a diamond.</em></p>
<p><em><img class="wp-image-11245 alignright" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/I-dont-Want-to-spoil-the-party.jpg?resize=200%2C200" alt="I don't Want to spoil the party" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/I-dont-Want-to-spoil-the-party.jpg?resize=200%2C200 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/I-dont-Want-to-spoil-the-party-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/I-dont-Want-to-spoil-the-party.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" data-recalc-dims="1" />But Motown, of course, never went too long in the mid &#8217;60s without having one of its acts in first place, and in early March 1965, the millions of copies sold of the Temptations&#8217; &#8220;(Talking &#8216;Bout) Nobody But My Baby&#8221; made it only the latest of the label&#8217;s long line of #1s.</em></p>
<p><em>But after only a week, Motown&#8217;s sunshine was turned into a cloudy day by &#8220;I Don&#8217;t Want To Spoil The Party&#8221; by those Liverpool lads, settling in at #1 with a song that hadn&#8217;t even been a single in their home country.</em></p>
<p><em>But two extra-long weeks later in late March, and for the second time in 1965 alone, the Supremes stopped the Beatles&#8217; party, and they were #1 again, in the name of a disc entitled &#8220;I&#8217;m In Love Again.&#8221;</em><em><br />
</em></p>
<p><em>However, being 1965, the British Invasion that began the year before still packed a lot of punch, and it would be almost two months before another American act would top the chart. In April, the clown princes of the genre, Freddie and the Dreamers rather tellingly saw their &#8220;What Have I Done To You&#8221; leap into #1, staying for a fortnight until replaced by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders&#8217; classic &#8220;Since You&#8217;ve Been Gone.&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-11303 size-full" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=483%2C215" alt="Untitled" srcset="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=483%2C215 483w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-1-300x134.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 483px) 100vw, 483px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></em></p>
<p><em>But gone it was after a week, and Wayne&#8217;s game was over when the vastly popular Herman&#8217;s Hermits no longer had to dream on about scoring a #1 in America, as the lovely &#8220;I Gotta Dream On&#8221; did just that. The record featured the haunting yet intriguing sound of a guitar played through a volume/tone pedal&#8230;</em></p>
<p><em>&#8230;as did the record that removed it from the top spot in late May, the latest Beatles #1, &#8220;Yes It Is,&#8221; which began its ride as the #1 song in America on May 22nd.</em></p>
<p><em><img class="wp-image-11253 alignleft" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Kiss-Me-Baby.jpg?resize=201%2C206" alt="Kiss Me Baby" srcset="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Kiss-Me-Baby.jpg?resize=201%2C206 293w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Kiss-Me-Baby.jpg 379w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></em></p>
<p><em>A week later on May 29th, Capitol&#8217;s other big &#8220;Bea&#8221; group, the Beach Boys, continued 1965&#8217;s great 6/8 invasion when &#8220;Kiss Me Baby,&#8221; neither the first nor the last chart-topper of the year in a waltzable time, replaced the Beatles&#8217; own 6/8 offering. The beautifully produced &#8220;Kiss Me, Baby&#8221; helped give a hint of where the amazing mind of Brian Wilson was going as a producer.</em></p>
<p><em>On June 12, the Supremes were back on top again with a bouncy new one entitled &#8220;Whisper You Love Me Boy.&#8221; Tracks like this proved that Motown showed no signs whatsoever of slowing down their high-quality output.</em></p>
<p><em>In fact, far from slowing down, Motown, on June 19th, had their first instance of knocking themselves out of #1, when the Four Tops lived up to their name and topped the charts with their gorgeously-melodic and sweeter-than-sugar ode to remnants of a failed romance, &#8220;Sad Souvenirs.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>The song held in first place for two non-consecutive weeks, temporarily turning over the honor to a new band with a new sound. From Los Angeles, the Byrds brought the world something labeled &#8220;folk-rock,&#8221; taking elements of music more traditionally associated with acoustic guitars and coffeehouses and amplifying this music with a beat sound with jingle-jangle 12-string guitar at the forefront. It brought a new approach to rock and roll, and their smash &#8220;I Knew I Want You&#8221; demonstrated this superbly. In addition to bringing folk-rock to the penthouse suite of the Top 100 on June 26th, &#8220;I Knew I Want You&#8221; also continued the 1965 wave of 6/8 ditties.</em></p>
<p><em>The Rolling Stones made their American debut in 1964, but by the first half of 1965 still hadn&#8217;t yet become a force to be reckoned with. That changed on July 10 when their latest 45, &#8220;The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man&#8221; began a four week run at #1. A faction of teens of 1965 no doubt identified with the lyrics of being trapped in a white-collar world, some lyrics of which were prone to censorship. The mammoth importance and influence of this single cannot be overstated. The Beatles may still have been in the lead, but after the release of this 45 it was clear which group proved to be their biggest threat.</em></p>
<p><em><img class="wp-image-11243 alignright" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/End-of-the-World.jpg?resize=200%2C201" alt="End of the World" srcset="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/End-of-the-World.jpg?resize=200%2C201 298w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/End-of-the-World-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/End-of-the-World.jpg 391w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></em></p>
<p><em>Still, no single can hold at the top forever, and with the power comparable to an English king of centuries ago, Herman&#8217;s Hermits conquered, reigning the charts for their second time of the year, this time with yet another 6/8 number, their soft and gentle cover of Skeeter Davis&#8217;s &#8220;The End of the World.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>But their reign ended with rain only a week later with Hollywood&#8217;s hottest new musical couple of the day, Sonny and Cher declaring &#8220;It&#8217;s Gonna Rain.&#8221; So popular was the mystique of this hip twosome &#8212; a strange-looking mop-topped guy and his Cleopatra-style singing partner &#8212; that the song stormed the charts for three consecutive weeks. This mostly one-chord song wasn&#8217;t in 6/8, but its decent flipside was.</em></p>
<p><em><img class="wp-image-11249 alignleft" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Im-Down.jpg?resize=201%2C201" alt="I'm Down" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Im-Down.jpg?resize=201%2C201 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Im-Down-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></em></p>
<p><em>There was only one group to help bring Sonny and Cher down, and of course it was the Beatles, and on September 4th their &#8220;I&#8217;m Down&#8221; went up to #1. &#8220;I&#8217;m Down&#8221; was their own personal &#8220;Long Tall Sally,&#8221; the Little Richard classic they had recorded the previous year and which had been part of their live act for years before that, and a wonderful concert closer, which it became on their American tour of that summer.</em></p>
<p><em>The times they were a-changin&#8217;, and popular songs were beginning to get a little more topical, but Barry McGuire brought it to a new level with his 1965 smash single, which was anything but a boy-girl love song. Instead, McGuire took a hard look at the state of the world and questioned its values without sugar-coating his words (actually, the words of songwriter <a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/whats-exactly-the-matter-with-p-f-sloan/">P.F. Sloan</a>.) His frankness combined with his rough growling and frustrated voice made more a real ear-opener with the immortal &#8220;What Exactly is the Matter With Me,&#8221; which caused destruction to everything else on the pop chart the week of September 25th.</em></p>
<p><em>Perhaps it was too hot for the times, because after only one week Barry&#8217;s song was replaced by a much simpler more straight-ahead pop rocker, this time from newcomers the McCoys. The quartet, led by future rock guitar notable Rick Derringer who also sang lead, managed to hang on to the top spot on October 2nd with the bouncy &#8220;I Can&#8217;t Explain It.&#8221; All the problems with the world described in Barry McGuire&#8217;s bumped disc were nowhere in sight in Rick&#8217;s declaration of being in love.</em></p>
<p><em>And yet the charts took another unexpected turn on October 9th, when the Beatles made it to the top once again, but with a song not quite like anything they&#8217;d done previously. In fact, the track was a mere album track in England, not released on 45 there, but Capitol Records in America recognized its strengths and believed in it. They were correct, because &#8220;Act Naturally,&#8221; in which the rock band took on a completely different style &#8212; straight ahead country (the song was originally recorded by Buck Owens) &#8212; stayed on top a total of four weeks, tying with &#8220;The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man&#8221; as 1965&#8217;s record with the most number of weeks at #1. Musically, it was quite a departure from their sound of yesterday, and proof of the band&#8217;s ability to take on many different styles successfully.</em></p>
<p><em><img class="wp-image-11241 alignright" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Act-Naturally.jpg?resize=200%2C197" alt="Act Naturally" srcset="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Act-Naturally.jpg?resize=200%2C197 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/Act-Naturally.jpg 413w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" data-recalc-dims="1" />The Beatles were not the only band of the day adept at tackling styles markedly different from their &#8220;standard&#8221; sound. The usually rough-rocking Rolling Stones proved this with their Autumn 1965 single. Not only was it a great song, but its title offered a ready-made catchphrase to young folk disenchanted with the modern world: &#8220;I&#8217;m Free.&#8221; Featuring a slightly-restrained instrumental track compared to their previous singles, &#8220;I&#8217;m Free&#8221; had the Stones singing about their ability to escape the clouds of rules and regulations others may try to force on them. Teens everywhere wanted to declare the title in their own life, so it was no surprise when &#8220;I&#8217;m Free&#8221; occupied the highest region of the chart for two weeks beginning November 6th, their second record of the year to rule the charts. It would take a mighty strong record to make the Stones get off of their peak position.</em></p>
<p><em>But as always, Motown was up to the task, what with their endless stream of pocket symphonies, and the Supremes were on a roll in 1965, and on November 20th they earned their fourth #1 single with &#8220;Who Could Ever Doubt My Love&#8221; which rightfully stayed in that position for two weeks.</em></p>
<p><em>Yet another band who had scored their first #1 earlier in 1965 came back for another round before the year was out. The Byrds, who had brought folk-rock into national consciousness in the summer season, got another turn at topping the chart in the autumn season. This ditty was a dandy number about the true value of time: &#8220;She Don&#8217;t Care About Time,&#8221; which featured the band&#8217;s trademark 12-string kicking off the proceedings. The track was truly a gem that fully deserved its three weeks in first place &#8212; beginning December 4th &#8212; proving that in December 1965, record buyers preferred this record to&#8230; well, everything.</em></p>
<p><em>The final single to get to the coveted #1 spot in 1965 came from a very popular British Invasion band whom had been scoring high-charting hits over and over for almost two years but had not yet gone all the way to the top in America: the Dave Clark Five. On Christmas Day they received a present of finally doing so, when &#8220;I&#8217;ll Be Yours (My Love)&#8221; finished first. Mike Smith&#8217;s soulful vocals over a plaintive but powerful beat-driven ballad helped make it a perfect song to end such a diverse year of music.</em></p>
<p>Were you able to spot this young music scholar&#8217;s mistake? Hope you all got and enjoyed the intended amusement of this piece. In a month or so, we&#8217;ll look at the flips of another year, without the fan-fiction approach.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/flipside-another-side-of-the-1-singles-of-1965/">FLIPSIDE: Another &#8220;Side&#8221; of the #1 Singles of 1965</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Early 1970s When “Jesus Rock” Ruled the Airwaves</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-early-1970s-when-jesus-rock-ruled-the-airwaves/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-early-1970s-when-jesus-rock-ruled-the-airwaves/#comments</comments>
				<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2015 19:04:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rick Simmons]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jesus music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jesus rock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rick simmons]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=10370</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>First, let me assure you that no matter what you might think from the title, this is not going to be preachy &#8212; it’s simply an observation of a phenomenon along the lines of those I made regarding the fashions of the 70s, 1974’s chart toppers, or the “two hit wonders” of the 70s. “Jesus [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-early-1970s-when-jesus-rock-ruled-the-airwaves/">The Early 1970s When “Jesus Rock” Ruled the Airwaves</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>First, let me assure you that no matter what you might think from the title, this is not going to be preachy &#8212; it’s simply an observation of a phenomenon along the lines of those I made regarding the <a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/forget-retro-the-truth-about-those-70s-fashions/">fashions of the 70s</a>, <a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/week-by-week-proof-that-1974-was-the-worst-year-in-the-history-of-modern-music/">1974’s chart toppers</a>, or the <a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-top-11-two-hit-wonders-of-the-1970s/">“two hit wonders” of the 70s</a>. “Jesus Rock,” or “Jesus Music” as it was called, was an early 70s genre of music that briefly populated the Top 40 airwaves, giving rise to the belief that music about religion could be both mainstream and cool. During the period between 1970 and 1972, iconic/seminal/classic rock performers such as Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, and Jethro Tull had trouble making the Top 40, and none of them cracked the Top 10 even once. In the meantime, now largely forgotten artists such as Pacific Gas and Electric, Murray Head, and Norman Greenbaum were ruling the charts with rock songs about Jesus. So what was this so-called Jesus Rock movement all about?</p>
<p>It would probably take a dissertation-length study to figure that out (and I’m sure there have been a few); but again, I’m not about trying to root out the cause. I’m simply trying to make a few salient observations about the fact that it just <em>was</em>. Obviously the increasingly popular Christian-themed rock operas were partly responsible, when audiences who once turned out on Broadway for the likes of<em> Hair</em> in the 1960s were now treated to <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</em> and <em>Godspell</em> instead. These musicals spawned some really good songs regardless of what they were about; and, independently of this, a number of songs about faith came out that used pop, rock, and R&amp;B rhythms rather than the traditional &#8220;church-music&#8221; sound. Suddenly it seemed everyone was singing about their relationship with God. That being said, what follows is a list of a few of the most popular songs during a period when Jesus Rock ruled the airwaves.</p>
<h2>&#8220;Jesus is a Soul Man,&#8221; Lawrence Reynolds (1969); Billboard #28</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2vJwBj1rKcM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>The first song in this survey is actually one I&#8217;d forgotten about until it started running through my head when I was writing this piece. The first version I came across was Johnny Rivers&#8217; 1970 recording, but as soon as I did I knew that wasn&#8217;t the one I remembered. I looked at little further and discovered it was this one: the original released in late 1969 by co-writer Lawrence Reynolds.</p>
<p>&#8220;Lawrence who?&#8221; That&#8217;s what I thought too. This was his only Top 40 hit, but as you&#8217;ll see from the songs that follow, a track record of successful recordings is largely an anomaly here. The song is almost painfully slow and mellow, but tries to relate to the youth of the day with &#8220;hip&#8221; language. For example, &#8220;Oh, they say that He&#8217;s a square/That Jesus, He ain&#8217;t nowhere.&#8221; I guess it worked &#8211; it went to #28 on the pop charts. This might have been the first indication that Jesus was becoming cool in popular music circles.</p>
<h2><strong>“Are You Ready?” Pacific Gas and Electric (1970); Billboard #14</strong></h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aVyAPfIA3TQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Having a positive message in a song is a great thing, but let&#8217;s face it: if it&#8217;s 1970 and you&#8217;re trying to sell tunes like &#8220;The Old Rugged Cross&#8221; and &#8220;Shall We Gather at the River&#8221; to teenagers, it ain&#8217;t gonna happen. Take these lyrics, for example:</p>
<blockquote><p>Are you ready to sit by His throne?<br />
Are you ready not to be alone?<br />
Someone&#8217;s coming to take you home<br />
And if you&#8217;re ready, then He&#8217;ll carry you home</p></blockquote>
<p>Put it to a gospel melody and it&#8217;s suitable for church but not for the Top 40. Back it with a funk/rock guitar and drum-driven tune, however, and you just might have a hit &#8212; and that&#8217;s exactly what Pacific Gas and Electric (or PG&amp;E as they came to be known) did. &#8220;Are You Ready?&#8221; was such a powerful song that they could have had lead singer Charlie Allen sing about just about anything and I think it would have charted. And it was big: it went all the way to #14.</p>
<h2><strong>“Spirit in the Sky,” Norman Greenbaum (1970); Billboard #3</strong></h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-cXrEPNvRO8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Speaking of guitar-driven, this song exemplifies that. It&#8217;s got a catchy tune, one of the all time great riffs, and in sum is a very good song. It&#8217;s a bit odd because Greenbaum was Jewish, but he didn&#8217;t let that stand in the way of scoring a Top 3 hit about Jesus.</p>
<blockquote><p>Never been a sinner, I never sinned<br />
I got a friend in Jesus<br />
So you know that when I die<br />
He&#8217;s gonna set me up with<br />
The spirit in the sky</p></blockquote>
<p>Note the dancing, frolicking hippies in the video &#8212; &#8220;Jesus Freaks&#8221; as they were called in the 70s. They really exemplify the spirit of the age.</p>
<h2><strong>“(Jesus Christ) Superstar,” Murray Head (1971); Billboard #14</strong></h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PFw7K5-MV8I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Jesus Christ Superstar </em>was a rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, which eventually became one of the most popular musicals of the 1970s. The first single, “Superstar,” reached the low end of the charts in both 1970 and 1971, never making it into the Top 40. It entered the charts for a third time in 1971, this time rising all the way to #14.</p>
<p>The song features Judas questioning Jesus&#8217;s motives, singing:</p>
<blockquote><p>Every time I look at you,<br />
I don&#8217;t understand<br />
Why you let the things you did<br />
Get so out of hand.<br />
You&#8217;d have managed better<br />
If you&#8217;d had it planned,<br />
Now why&#8217;d you choose such a backward time<br />
And such a strange land?</p></blockquote>
<p>Judas repeatedly sings &#8220;Don&#8217;t you get me wrong/I only want to know,&#8221; while the chorus sings a variety of verses, including</p>
<blockquote><p>Jesus Christ,<br />
Superstar<br />
Do you think you&#8217;re what they say you are?</p></blockquote>
<p>The film clip above features actor and singer Murray Head as Judas. Head wouldn&#8217;t have another chart single for almost fifteen years until &#8220;One Night in Bangkok&#8221; from the musical <em>Chess</em> would chart in 1985; it peaked at #3.</p>
<h2><strong>&#8220;I Don&#8217;t Know How to Love Him,” Yvonne Elliman (1971); Billboard #28</strong></h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DM3dYCp-op8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>This was the second single released from <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</em>. As I mentioned in a recent article I did <a href="http://10-hits-from-the-70s-written-by-famous-artists-for-other-artists">here in REBEAT</a>, I think Yvonne Elliman has a powerful voice, and her 1978 Bee Gees penned #1 hit, &#8220;If I Can&#8217;t Have You,&#8221; was one of the best pop songs of the decade. Long before that song made her a household name, Elliman played Mary Magdalene in <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</em> for four years, where her character sings &#8220;I Don&#8217;t Know How to Love Him&#8221; about her struggles with her more human feelings for Christ. More than any song on this list, this one &#8212; which some critics have called a torch ballad &#8212;  doesn&#8217;t seem to related to Christianity at all if taken out of the context of the film and Mary Magdalene.  I certainly had no clue it was related to either when I first heard it.</p>
<p>By the way, the scene above is from the 1973 film version of <em>Jesus Christ Supertsar</em>, and as a result is largely acapella. While this showcases Elliman&#8217;s fine voice, it sounds slightly different from the version that peaked at #28 on the pop charts in 1971.</p>
<h2><strong>&#8220;I Don&#8217;t Know How to Love Him,” Helen Reddy (1971); Billboard #13</strong></h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vJkGchRjeWo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Though on this list the Helen Reddy version of &#8220;I Don&#8217;t Know How to Love Him&#8221; comes after Elliman&#8217;s version, and although Elliman&#8217;s was recorded first, Reddy&#8217;s actually hit the charts first. The reason for that is that after the <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</em> album was recorded the title song by Murray Head was chosen for the initial single release. While it was stumbling and sputtering up the charts for two years, Reddy recorded her version of the song Elliman had performed on stage, the song generally considered the best song from the production. Reddy&#8217;s entered the charts, and Elliman&#8217;s was released shortly afterwards and tried to play catch-up. Consequently, by the time Elliman&#8217;s version came out many listeners probably didn&#8217;t hear enough difference to spend money on two recordings of the same song. Also, Reddy&#8217;s version, freed from the connection with the musical, seems to simply be a love ballad, since Jesus is never once mentioned.</p>
<p>Interestingly though, it created the rare occasion where two versions of the same song rode the charts at the same time.</p>
<h2><strong>“Put Your Hand in the Hand,” Ocean (1971); Billboard #2</strong></h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AfgocNtm9BQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p class="verse">This song was first recorded by Canadian Anne Murray as an album cut, but she didn&#8217;t release it in this country as a single. A group of fellow Canadians called Ocean came along with their version, and it obviously did quite well. While no out-and-out example of Jesus Rock ever topped the charts, &#8220;Put Your Hand in the Hand&#8221; came closest, peaking at #2.</p>
<blockquote><p>Put your hand in the hand<br />
Of the man who calmed the sea<br />
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently</p>
<p>By puttin&#8217; your hand in the hand<br />
Of the man from-a Galilee&#8230;.</p>
<p>Every time I look into the holy book<br />
I wanna tremble<br />
When I read about the part where<br />
A carpenter cleared the temple&#8230;.</p></blockquote>
<p>Oddly enough, the Jesus Rock song that charted the highest was also the most fundamentally religious and &#8220;preachiest&#8221; (for lack of a better word). I think you can get a sense from the video above that unlike some of the others on this list that came across as pop/rock songs by pop/rock performers that just happened to be about Jesus, this one sounds (and Ocean looks) like a religious group trying to do a &#8220;cool&#8221; rock song. This may have been the beginning of the end. And like several other groups and performers on this list &#8212; Pacific Gas and Electric, Norman Greenbaum, Godspell, and Lawrence Reynolds &#8212; Ocean would never have another Top 40 hit in America.</p>
<h2>“Day by Day,” The Cast of Godspell (1972); Billboard #13</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sTl79Wiv6g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sTl79Wiv6g</a></p>
<p>When you look at the clips from<em> Jesus Christ Superstar</em> and hear the music you get the sense, again, of a pretty cool rock musical that happened to also have a religious theme. Just as &#8220;Put You Hand in the Hand&#8221; may have gone a step too far, <em>Godspell</em> clearly did. The message is standard Jesus Rock fare:</p>
<blockquote><p>Day by day<br />
Day by day<br />
Oh Dear Lord<br />
Three things I pray<br />
To see thee more clearly<br />
Love thee more dearly<br />
Follow thee more nearly<br />
Day by day</p></blockquote>
<p>The singer, though uncredited, is Robin Lamont (that&#8217;s her singing in the clip). This song is performed well, and I remember thinking it was a pleasant enough song when I heard it on the radio. But the accompanying clip from the movie <em>Godspell </em>doesn&#8217;t come across as cool to me &#8211; it&#8217;s an example of the worst kind of 70s feel-good hippy-dippy movie dreck. I find it unwatchable today.</p>
<h2>“Jesus is Just Alright’,” The Doobie Brothers (1972); Billboard #35</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EQ9WHaSKlgU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Unlike the one hit wonders I listed above, and even artists such as Elliman (who had six Top 40 singles including a #1), the Doobie Brothers were a big-time act in the 1970s. That being said, this was kind of a weird song for them to do. It was preceded on the charts by &#8220;Listen to the Music&#8221;(#11), and followed by &#8220;Long Train Runnin&#8221;(#8) and then &#8220;China Grove&#8221;(#15); they&#8217;d eventually rack up 16 more Top 40 hits including two #1s.  It was originally written as a standard gospel song in 1966, then covered by the Byrds as an album cut in 1969. The Doobie Brothers version was by far the most successful.</p>
<p>By this point, perhaps the whole &#8220;Jesus Rock&#8221; trend was starting to grow tiresome. Think about it like this: what if you heard a song on the Top 40 about some serious issue such poverty, the Pope, homelessness, or whatever. Then a few months later another. Then another. And another. Throw in religious songs not necessarily about Jesus (George Harrison&#8217;s 1970 #1 hit &#8220;My Sweet Lord&#8221; is a good example) and soon you&#8217;re saturating the market. Throughout the course of Top 40 radio most songs have been about love, relationships, and partying, and serious fare about societal problems, though not unheard of, are rarer.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not surprising then that by 1973 the religious-rock bloom had started to fade.  There&#8217;d be a few more &#8211; such as Sister Janet Mead&#8217;s “The Lord’s Prayer” (1974, Billboard #4) &#8212; but by the middle of the decade the fad largely seemed to have passed. And it’s not that there’s not Christian Rock out there at present, and in fact my sense is that although I don&#8217;t think the songs are Top 40 mainstays now it’s a bigger industry than ever. But for a very brief period, almost every Top 40 chart over the course of several years had a song about Jesus moving up or down it at any given time.</p>
<p>One could be forgiven for thinking for a while there in the early 1970s that Jesus ruled heaven, earth &#8211; and the airwaves as well.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-early-1970s-when-jesus-rock-ruled-the-airwaves/">The Early 1970s When “Jesus Rock” Ruled the Airwaves</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Origins of Rap in 10 Unlikely Places</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-origins-of-rap-in-10-unlikely-places/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-origins-of-rap-in-10-unlikely-places/#comments</comments>
				<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2015 15:32:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Pamela Sosnowski]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blondie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bobby darin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cab calloway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charles trenet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[early rap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[glenn miller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hip-hop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joe hill louis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[listicles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pamela sosnowski]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phil harris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sir lord comic and his cowboys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sugar hill gang]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the fatback band]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the music man]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=7074</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>Pop quiz time: what was the first rap song? If you answered &#8220;Rapture&#8221; by Blondie or &#8220;Rapper&#8217;s Delight&#8221; by the Sugarhill Gang, you&#8217;re only partially right. Both songs were released in 1979, both charted, and both introduced the concept of rapping to a wide audience. The act of rapping itself, however, was invented neither by Deborah [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-origins-of-rap-in-10-unlikely-places/">The Origins of Rap in 10 Unlikely Places</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft  wp-image-7209" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/rapture.jpg?resize=244%2C244" alt="" srcset="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/rapture.jpg?resize=244%2C244 250w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/rapture-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px" data-recalc-dims="1" />Pop quiz time: what was the first rap song? If you answered &#8220;Rapture&#8221; by Blondie or &#8220;Rapper&#8217;s Delight&#8221; by the Sugarhill Gang, you&#8217;re only partially right. Both songs were released in 1979, both charted, and both introduced the concept of rapping to a wide audience. The act of rapping itself, however, was invented neither by Deborah Harry nor the Sugarhill Gang. Because of its close association with the hip-hop genre and culture which was formed in the &#8217;70s and rose to popularity in the 1980s, many non-fans think of rap as a fairly new form of music. In reality, its roots go back several decades.</p>
<p>Rapping by its very definition (speaking words and often rhyming them to a beat) most likely originated in West Africa, where griots (a word that means historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, or musician) used rapping when performing songs and messages. By the 1960s, Jamaican DJs were incorporating rapping between records to keep dancers on the floor. It can be heard in some African-American blues songs from the 1920s and even in some older musicals (the &#8220;Ya Got Trouble&#8221; number from <em><a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/not-how-it-seems-the-music-man/" target="_blank">The Music Man</a></em>, for example, is a loose precursor to rap&#8217;s rhythmic spoken word over a beat).</p>
<p><img class="alignright  wp-image-7210" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sugarhill.jpg?resize=244%2C244" alt="" srcset="http://i2.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sugarhill.jpg?resize=244%2C244 358w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sugarhill-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sugarhill-300x300.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px" data-recalc-dims="1" />Purists will argue that rap music didn&#8217;t begin until <a href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/book-hip-hop-family-tree-book-1-1970s-1981-by-ed-piskor/" target="_blank">the rise of hip-hop culture</a> in the late &#8217;70s and early &#8217;80s, and indeed, many of the songs listed here can&#8217;t be categorized as true rap songs. There&#8217;s no denying, though, that the art of speaking words to music existed long before the era of excess, providing the building blocks for the genre. In many ways, these artists, many of whom are now considered either traditional or timeless (or both), used spoken word over a beat to break away from the norm &#8212; a statement the hip-hop movement would embrace and encourage.</p>
<p>Hip-hop MC Del the Funky Homosapien defines rap as &#8220;trying to convince somebody&#8230;that&#8217;s what rapping is, it&#8217;s in the way that you talk.&#8221; With that definition in mind, let&#8217;s take a fun look back at some of rap&#8217;s ancestors prior to the 1980s hip-hop boom.</p>
<h2>1) “King Tim III (Personality Jock),” The Fatback Band (1979)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ojQqAnlrW_M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>King Tim III was a Harlem rapper who would perform while the Fatback Band broke down their equipment, entertaining the crowd. Some sources believe he deserves the credit for making the first true, official rap record. Considering this 1979 song was released a few months before &#8220;Rapture&#8221; and &#8220;Rapper&#8217;s Delight,&#8221; I&#8217;d say they have a pretty strong argument.</p>
<h2>2) “Me and Mr. Hohner,” Bobby Darin (1968)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vLEAuhmgCZU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Bobby Darin was a musical chameleon ahead of his time who dabbled in just about every genre of music including folk, gospel, and country, so it should hardly be surprising that he rapped his way through one of his own infectious compositions, &#8220;Me and Mr. Hohner.&#8221; Released in 1968 during his prolific hippie phase, where he ditched his &#8220;Mack the Knife&#8221; tuxedo for denim duds, it delivers a tale of discrimination against long-haired peace lovers. And who is this Mr. Hohner accompanying him throughout the song? Why, his harmonica, of course!</p>
<h2>3) “Ska-Ing West,” Sir Lord Comic and His Cowboys (1963)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yQBsc4E8VCA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Many reggae and ska music fans claim that this jaunty melody by Jamaican group Sir Lord Comic and His Cowboys was the first rap song ever made &#8212; despite the fact that it contains few lyrics.</p>
<h2>4) “Rock Island,” Cast of <em>The Music Man</em> (1962)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LI_Oe-jtgdI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>I would go as far to argue that Robert Preston&#8217;s rapid-fire delivery of &#8220;Ya Got Trouble&#8221; in the aforementioned film version of <em>The Music Man</em> qualifies as rap, at least at a purely textbook level. Songwriter Meredith Wilson considered scrapping the large piece of dialogue where con-man Harold Hill warns the parents of River City about the dangers of pool from the original play, but decided it would work if set to music&#8230; and it did.</p>
<h2>5) “Gotta Let You Go,” Joe Hill Louis (1950)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5rTMPGOoAfY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Louis&#8217; music career was short-lived &#8212; he died at the age of 35 after contracting tetanus &#8212; but the few recordings he did were a little bit ahead of their time. The spoken vocal style on &#8220;Gotta Let You Go&#8221; has been compared to more modern proto-rap and the B-side to the single, &#8220;Boogie in the Park,&#8221; has been credited with influencing early rock and later, heavy metal.</p>
<h2>6) “That&#8217;s What I Like About the South,” Phil Harris (1947)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A_dK0W0qfRo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Phil Harris was a radio personality, singer, and comedian who is perhaps best known for contributing vocals to several Disney movies, most notably the voice for Baloo in <em>The Jungle Book</em>. Growing up in Nashville, he called himself a Southerner, and the quippy, quick song &#8220;That&#8217;s What I Like About the South&#8221; became his trademark. Just call him Dixie Mixmaster Phil.</p>
<h2>7) “The Lady&#8217;s in Love With You,” Glenn Miller (1939)</h2>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwzSsJc6fq8</p>
<p>Yes, even the big band king Glenn Miller did a bit of rapping back in the day, helped along by his bandmate Tex Beneke (who almost always preceded his vocals with whistling). A rare tune in the Miller songbook, I love that it uses the phrase &#8220;killer diller&#8221; and it was actually one of two Miller songs that featured rapping&#8230;</p>
<h2>8) “The Little Man Who Wasn&#8217;t There,” Glenn Miller (1939)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WJQvqjxwWQw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Glenn and his buddy Tex repeat the rapped vocal introductory on &#8220;The Little Man Who Wasn&#8217;t There&#8221; (a great Halloween track if I ever heard one). The song is based on a poem by the same name that was published in 1899.</p>
<h2>9) “Boum!” Charles Trenet (1938)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XFu58li2KJ4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>A lighthearted song by French singer Charles Trenet about <em>joie de vivre</em> that has popped up in many movies throughout the years (<em>A Good Year</em> and <em>Something&#8217;s Gotta Give</em>, for starters). Maybe it&#8217;s a stretch to lump it in the rap category, but it certainly has that vocal rhythm.</p>
<h2>10) “Minnie the Moocher,” Cab Calloway and His Orchestra (1931)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8mq4UT4VnbE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Cab Calloway&#8217;s signature hit may have been one of the first songs to incorporate audience participation when it was performed, when Calloway would encourage attendees to repeat the refrain (&#8220;Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi&#8221;) and scat phrases. His rapid-fire delivery, seamless incorporation of vocal tricks and spoken word, along with his always effervescent stage presence all point the way to early hip hop. Could Cab Calloway be the father of modern rap? It&#8217;s quite possible.</p>
<h2>Can you think of other examples of early rap? Do you disagree with our choices? Let&#8217;s talk about it in the comments!</h2>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-origins-of-rap-in-10-unlikely-places/">The Origins of Rap in 10 Unlikely Places</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>It&#8217;s The Same Old Song: 9 Notable Cases of Music Plagiarism</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/its-the-same-old-song-9-notable-cases-of-music-plagiarism/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/its-the-same-old-song-9-notable-cases-of-music-plagiarism/#comments</comments>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2015 21:24:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Pamela Sosnowski]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beatles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chuck berry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[george harrison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gordon jenkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[huey lewis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[johnny cash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jorge ben jor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[k.d. lang]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[led zeppelin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marion sinclair ray parker jr.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muddy waters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pamela sosnowski]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plagiarism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rod stewart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the beatles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the chiffons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the rolling stones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the verve]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=4805</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>Rod Stewart has been accused of it. So was Johnny Cash. Even two of the Beatles were found guilty of doing it. We&#8217;re talking about music plagiarism &#8212; a topic that was in the news recently when Tom Petty was awarded songwriting royalties for Sam Smith&#8217;s hit &#8220;Stay With Me&#8221; because it sounded too much like [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/its-the-same-old-song-9-notable-cases-of-music-plagiarism/">It&#8217;s The Same Old Song: 9 Notable Cases of Music Plagiarism</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rod Stewart has been accused of it. So was Johnny Cash. Even two of the Beatles were found guilty of doing it. We&#8217;re talking about music plagiarism &#8212; a topic that was in the news recently when Tom Petty was awarded songwriting royalties for Sam Smith&#8217;s hit &#8220;Stay With Me&#8221; because it sounded too much like a slow-motion version of Petty&#8217;s &#8220;I Won&#8217;t Back Down.&#8221; With a finite number of notes, chords, and combinations to go around in the music world, it often seems inevitable that some songs will sound like others. But when is a composition simply inspired by another, and when is it a blatant ripoff? Here are nine music plagiarism cases that resulted in a well-known musician paying a fine. You be the judge.</p>
<h2>1) &#8220;Crescent City Blues&#8221; by Gordon Jenkins (1953) vs. &#8220;Folsom Prison Blues&#8221; by Johnny Cash (1956)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T3M3Igjnbhs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ZPToXstS8M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>There&#8217;s no denying that several of the lyrics and the rhythm of one of Johnny Cash&#8217;s biggest hits, &#8220;Folsom Prison Blues,&#8221; sounds like they were lifted straight from Gordon Jenkins&#8217; &#8220;Crescent City Blues.&#8221; When the Cash single was released and climbed up the charts, Jenkins said nothing, but when it was re-released it again on Cash&#8217;s 1968 <em>At Folsom Prison</em> album, Jenkins sued him for copyright infringement.</p>
<p>The conflict was settled out of court with Cash agreeing to pay Jenkins a sum of $75,000. Years later, he told a Canadian magazine that he hadn&#8217;t heard the Jenkins song for the first time until he served in the Air Force, and that he &#8220;wasn&#8217;t trying to rip anybody off.&#8221; Whatever the truth is, one thing&#8217;s for certain &#8212; if it hadn&#8217;t been for Johnny Cash, few people would have become aware of Jenkins&#8217; slow, unmemorable song.</p>
<h2>2) &#8220;You Can&#8217;t Catch Me&#8221; by Chuck Berry (1956) vs &#8220;Come Together&#8221; by the Beatles (1969)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hrDoy4LDDCg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwWN9Q-A1CE</p>
<p>&#8220;Come Together&#8221; actually got its start as a campaign song for Timothy Leary, who ran for governor of California in 1969 and asked John Lennon to write a song to match his campaign&#8217;s slogan, &#8220;Come together, join the party.&#8221; When he was arrested for marijuana possession his political dreams came to a halt, and Lennon reworked the &#8220;gobbledygook&#8221;as he called it with new lyrics to be included on the Beatles&#8217; album <em>Abbey Road</em>.</p>
<p>As a nod to one of his musical childhood heroes, Chuck Berry, the lyrics in &#8220;Come Together&#8221; refer to &#8220;old flat top, groovin&#8217; up slowly&#8221; &#8212; a character Berry referenced in his 1956 street racing song, &#8220;You Can&#8217;t Catch Me.&#8221; Both songs also sound musically similar &#8212; enough that Morris Levy, the owner of Big Seven Music Corporation (the publisher of &#8220;You Can&#8217;t Catch Me&#8221;) sued Lennon in 1973 for plagiarism. The case settled out of court with Lennon agreeing to record covers of three Big Seven Music Corp. songs: &#8220;You Can&#8217;t Catch Me,&#8221; &#8220;Ya Ya,&#8221; and &#8220;Angel Baby.&#8221;</p>
<p>Lennon, however, had the last laugh. When he failed to release &#8220;Angel Baby&#8221; (it was released after his death) he was sued again by Levy for breach of contract. Lennon countersued after Levy released an album of Lennon recordings without his consent and was awarded nearly $85,000.</p>
<h2>3) &#8220;Taj Mahal&#8221; by Jorge Ben Jor (1972) vs &#8220;Do Ya Think I&#8217;m Sexy?&#8221; by Rod Stewart (1978)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ILZjZ85mASk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hphwfq1wLJs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>It seems like an unlikely case of plagiarism &#8212; a rock star&#8217;s disco spoof inspired by an Indian-inspired composition by a Brazilian artist. And at first, &#8220;Taj Mahal&#8221; by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben Jor sounds nothing like Stewart&#8217;s late &#8217;70s hit&#8230; until Jor starts vocalizing with a repeating &#8220;de DER de de de de.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jor thought the similarity was too big to ignore, and he sued. The case was settled amicably, with Stewart admitting in his 2012 autobiography that he may have &#8220;unconsciously&#8221; plagiarized Jor&#8217;s song after seeing him in concert in the 1970s.</p>
<h2>4) &#8220;You Need Love&#8221; by Muddy Waters (1962) vs &#8220;Whole Lotta Love&#8221; by Led Zeppelin (1969)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pM8_HuQ0b34?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HAImD0Pxk3M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Led Zeppelin has come under scrutiny by music fans throughout the years for producing music that sounds suspiciously like that of other artists. Right now, they&#8217;re actually involved in a plagiarism case regarding their 1971 hit &#8220;Stairway to Heaven&#8221; because the guitar opening sounds similar to Spirit&#8217;s 1968 song &#8220;Taurus.&#8221; Both bands were familiar with one another, having toured together in the late &#8217;60s. But perhaps Zeppelin&#8217;s biggest controversy is the striking similarity between &#8220;Whole Lotta Love&#8221; and a tune written by Willie Dixon for Muddy Waters, &#8220;You Need Love.&#8221; Not only does the Zeppelin song sound like a heavy metal version of the Dixon composition, but the lyrics are nearly on par with one another: compare Dixon&#8217;s &#8220;baby, way down inside / woman, you need love / you got to have some love / I&#8217;m gon&#8217; give you some love&#8221; to Zeppelin&#8217;s &#8220;Way down inside / baby, you need it / I&#8217;m gonna give you my love.&#8221;</p>
<p>In 1985, Dixon sued the band. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, and Dixon donated the money to a charitable cause that helps aspiring blues musicians. Will the same fate fall on Zeppelin for &#8220;Stairway to Heaven&#8221;? Stay tuned.</p>
<h2>5) &#8220;He&#8217;s So Fine&#8221; by the Chiffons (1958) vs &#8220;My Sweet Lord&#8221; by George Harrison (1970)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rinz9Avvq6A?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0kNGnIKUdMI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>File this one under &#8220;he&#8217;s so fined.&#8221; George Harrison declared in an early &#8217;90s interview with <em>Goldmine</em> magazine that the lawsuit accusing him of plagiarizing the Chiffons&#8217; hit &#8220;He&#8217;s So Fine&#8221; would fill a book. Indeed, this was one messy case that took up a lot of Harrison&#8217;s free time in the 1970s and rendered him gun-shy about recording and releasing new material. Both songs were even dissected during the trial by music experts for each side with every note and chord progression being analyzed and compared. The gist of it is that in the end, Harrison had to cough up just over a half-million bucks to ABKCO Records, but he also secured the rights to &#8220;He&#8217;s So Fine&#8221; in the process. As a way of making fun of the whole saga and sticking up his middle finger at his accusers, he recorded the cheeky <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13BK0OT4Py0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&#8220;This Song&#8221;</a> with the music video taking place in a courtroom (and featuring a young Michael Richards for you <em>Seinfeld</em> fans).</p>
<h2>6) &#8220;Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree&#8221; by Marion Sinclair (1934) vs &#8220;Down Under&#8221; by Men at Work (1981)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l1Uq6AB_4hM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XfR9iY5y94s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Ron Burgandy would approve of the flowing flute theme throughout Men at Work&#8217;s &#8220;Down Under,&#8221; but Larrikin Music did not approve of it sounding too much like a beloved Australian nursery rhyme. Generations of Australian children grew up singing &#8220;Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree&#8221; thanks to Marion Sinclair, who wrote it in 1934. Sinclair passed away in 1988, but Larrikin Music, which still holds the rights, sued songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert from Men at Work for copyright infringement. The portion in question is the flute rift that plays throughout the song; it sounds suspiciously like the Kookaburra nursery rhyme. The band denied any wrongdoing, but in 2010, an Australian court ruled in favor of Larrikin and eventually 5% of the song&#8217;s royalties &#8212; estimated to be a six-figure sum &#8212; was awarded to the publishing company. Hay was vocal in stating his disappointment, but it could have been worse; the original asking price was for 40-60% of the song&#8217;s earnings.</p>
<h2>7) &#8220;I Want a New Drug&#8221; by Huey Lewis and the News (1984) vs &#8220;Ghostbusters&#8221; by Ray Parker, Jr. (1984)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N6uEMOeDZsA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fe93CLbHjxQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>It may be safe to say that Huey Lewis and Ray Parker, Jr. are not exactly tight friends. Huey Lewis was originally asked to compose the theme to the comedy hit <em>Ghostbusters</em>, but declined because he was working on the <em>Back to the Future</em> soundtrack. So when the movie was released, he was taken aback by the fact that the theme song &#8212; written and performed by Ray Parker, Jr. &#8212; sounded a little too much like his hit &#8220;I Want a New Drug.&#8221; Both parties reached an agreement out of court, with Columbia Pictures paying Lewis an undisclosed sum. After Lewis revealed the court&#8217;s outcome during an episode of VH1&#8217;s <em>Behind the Music</em>, Parker countersued him for breaking his confidentiality.</p>
<p>Personally, I&#8217;ve always been surprised that Huey Lewis was never sued by Electric Light Orchestra by the similar first line/melody in Lewis&#8217; &#8220;Do You Believe In Love&#8221; and ELO&#8217;s &#8220;Sweet Talking Woman&#8221; (&#8220;I was walking down a one-way street&#8221; vs &#8220;I was searching searching on a one-way street&#8230;&#8221;).</p>
<h2>8) &#8220;Constant Craving&#8221; by k.d. lang (1992) vs &#8220;Anybody Seen My Baby?&#8221; by the Rolling Stones (1997)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oXqPjx94YMg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BinwuzZVjnE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>OK, I cheated a bit here &#8212; this particular song mimicry actually did not lead to a lawsuit, due to some swift thinking on the Rolling Stones&#8217; part. As the Stones were readying for a publicity push for their <em>Bridges to Babylon</em> album release, Keith Richards&#8217; daughter noticed that &#8220;Anybody Seen My Baby?&#8221; sounded an awful lot like k.d. lang&#8217;s early &#8217;90s hit, &#8220;Constant Craving,&#8221; co-written by Ben Mink. So to avoid any friction, the Stones included songwriting credit for lang and Mink on &#8220;Anybody Seen My Baby?&#8221; and everybody was happy. Lang later remarked that she was &#8220;completely honored and flattered&#8221; by the inclusion.</p>
<h2>9) &#8220;The Last Time&#8221; by the Rolling Stones (1965) vs &#8220;Bitter Sweet Symphony&#8221; by the Verve (1997)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eM2b9CcH1KM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1lyu1KKwC74?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Then, in a twist of fate, the Stones themselves became victims of plagiarism the same year &#8220;Anybody Seen My Baby?&#8221; was released. It seems the Verve didn&#8217;t even try to hide the fact that repeating string backing in their &#8220;Bitter Sweet Symphony&#8221; was borrowed from an orchestral rendering of the Stones&#8217; &#8220;The Last Time.&#8221; To be fair, the Verve originally asked permission to use the sampling, but ended up taking more than the agreement gave them, which is what landed them in hot water. In an unusual ruling, the band actually lost all of its royalties from the song to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards &#8212; and had to add them to the songwriting credits. Richards refused to feel guilty about the verdict, saying, &#8220;If the Verve can write a better song, they can keep their money.&#8221; Ouch.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/its-the-same-old-song-9-notable-cases-of-music-plagiarism/">It&#8217;s The Same Old Song: 9 Notable Cases of Music Plagiarism</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>JUKEBOX: Radio Daze</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/jukebox-radio-daze/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/jukebox-radio-daze/#comments</comments>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2015 18:08:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gretchen Unico]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[JUKEBOX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recurrences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charlie dore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gretchen unico]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hall and oates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[harry chapin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[helen reddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joni mitchell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jukebox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[linda ronstadt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[radio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[radio month]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recurrences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reunion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the doors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the guess who]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the ramones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the selecter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the velvet underground]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=4289</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s hard to imagine rock history without the radio. Even the name &#8220;rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll&#8221; was bestowed by a DJ, Alan Freed, who played a significant role in popularizing the music when he began spinning R&#38;B records at a Cleveland station in the early &#8217;50s. From then on, the relationship between rock and radio would remain absolutely essential, and many of the classic artists we know and love &#8212; from Tommy [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/jukebox-radio-daze/">JUKEBOX: Radio Daze</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-4305 size-medium" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/radio-girl.jpg?resize=300%2C240" alt="radio-girl" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/radio-girl.jpg?resize=300%2C240 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/radio-girl.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" data-recalc-dims="1" />It&#8217;s hard to imagine rock history without the radio. Even the name &#8220;rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll&#8221; was bestowed by a DJ, Alan Freed, who played a significant role in popularizing the music when he began spinning R&amp;B records at a Cleveland station in the early &#8217;50s. From then on, the relationship between rock and radio would remain absolutely essential, and many of the classic artists we know and love &#8212; from Tommy James to <a title="RETRO: Alice Cooper, ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ (1975)" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/retro-alice-cooper-welcome-to-my-nightmare-1975/" target="_blank">Alice Cooper</a> &#8212; owe their careers to the DJs who put their songs on air. Even today in the internet age, radio play is still the highest marker of success, as you haven&#8217;t truly made it until you hear your band on a major station.</p>
<p>Considering all this, it&#8217;s not surprising that many artists have dedicated their songs to the medium they aspire to be featured on. Some praise the fun and importance of radio, some criticize the quality of its programming, and others use it as a metaphor or simply mention the device somewhere in their lyrics. But however they feel about it, radio has clearly had a big influence on many people, not only in their music, but in their daily lives as well.</p>
<p>To pay homage to the wonderful world of radio, this week&#8217;s JUKEBOX will be a list of radio-related tunes, penned and performed by some of the artists who have been lucky enough to ride the airwaves (and maybe a few who are still hoping to get there!).</p>
<h2>1) &#8220;Do You Remember Rock &#8216;n&#8217; Roll Radio?,&#8221; The Ramones (1980)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sisq6hrvsto?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>When asked to name a song about radio, this is likely the first one that comes to mind for many folks. It&#8217;s easy to see why, as the station-surfing intro instantly transports the listener back in time to the golden age of rock radio, filled with icons like &#8220;fifth Beatle&#8221; Murray the K and good old Moondog himself. These nostalgic images were intended to bemoan the state of popular music in the &#8217;70s, but today, they&#8217;re still enough to make you long for the heydey of rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll, when you could sneak a transistor radio under your pillow and tune in to one of those legendary late shows while your parents were sound asleep. Thanks to the Ramones and this great tune, rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll radio won&#8217;t be forgotten anytime soon.</p>
<h2>2) &#8220;Rock and Roll,&#8221; The Velvet Underground (1970)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4avM0qzEF5I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Yet another quintessential radio song, this one is about the joy of tuning into a rock station and hearing that fine, fine music for the very first time. Many music fans can recall the first song or band they fell in love with, and Lou Reed perfectly captures that amazing feeling in this classic number.</p>
<h2>3) &#8220;Three Minute Hero,&#8221; The Selecter (1980)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a_oaxBHxPNI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Many aspiring artists can probably relate to this one. &#8220;Three Minute Hero&#8221; is, not-surprisingly, a three-minute song about wanting to leave your mundane life behind to become a radio star. As it turned out, the song actually worked for Selecter, reaching #16 on the UK charts and remaining there for eight weeks, no doubt getting a fair share of airplay during that time. Their previous single was also a hit, called &#8220;On My Radio.&#8221; Maybe it&#8217;s just me, but there seems to be a trend here&#8230;</p>
<h2>4) &#8220;W*O*L*D*,&#8221; Harry Chapin (1974)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QVh6aOwY08g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Most radio-themed songs are concerned with the people listening to the station, but &#8220;W*O*L*D*&#8221; is actually from the perspective of a DJ. Like any other Harry Chapin song, this one&#8217;s a real downer, as it describes a man who spends his whole life drifting from station to station, ultimately realizing that he lost his only chance at true happiness when he broke up with his ex-wife years ago. Hey, nobody said the radio life was easy!</p>
<h2>5) &#8220;Clap for the Wolfman,&#8221; The Guess Who (1974)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dO8ahHedcnk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Personal confession time: when I first I saw this song listed on my <em>The Best of the Guess Who</em> CD, I assumed it was about some kind of circus freak show. To be fair though, I was only about 14 years old at the time and hadn&#8217;t yet been exposed to <em>American Graffiti</em>, aka. the movie that made me fall in love with early rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll radio. Perhaps the title was supposed to be a reference to freak shows after all, as Wolfman Jack was certainly a very freaky dude whenever he went on air. But either way, &#8220;Clap for the Wolfman&#8221; is a fun tribute to a great personality, and the snippets of the Wolfman&#8217;s chatter are a real treat for those of us who never got to hear his show in our lifetimes.</p>
<h2>6) &#8220;Pilot of the Airwaves,&#8221; Charlie Dore (1979)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SGKrgJZhpzk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&#8220;Pilot of the Airwaves&#8221; is one of those one-hit wonders that pretty much everyone has forgotten about, but it&#8217;s still a good song all the same. It&#8217;s told from the perspective of a girl who stays up late every night, listening to a particular DJ. She&#8217;s developed a fondness for him and considers him a friend, possibly because she&#8217;s lonely or sad about something and needs a companion, or maybe just because she really likes his voice. Anyway, it&#8217;s a very sweet song, thanks in large part to Dore&#8217;s light, soothing voice, and it nicely conveys the affection that a listener may have for their favorite DJ.</p>
<h2>7) &#8220;Angie Baby,&#8221; Helen Reddy (1974)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UQKyGt_I5L4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Probably the weirdest, creepiest song about a radio you&#8217;ll ever hear, &#8220;Angie Baby&#8221; is the story of a strange girl who spends all her time in her room, listening to the radio and thinking up imaginary lovers. There&#8217;s been a lot of speculation about what exactly happens at the end of the song, but according the composer, Alan O&#8217;Day, Angie actually uses some kind of mental super powers to shrink the evil boy and keep him inside of her radio as her personal slave. Yes, that&#8217;s seriously it. In my opinion, this would have made a way scarier movie than<em> Carrie.</em></p>
<h2>8) &#8220;You Turn Me On (I&#8217;m a Radio),&#8221; Joni Mitchell (1972)</h2>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTef-VeJLY8</p>
<p>Leave it to Joni Mitchell to write a great love song that uses radio as the central metaphor. As usual, Mitchell&#8217;s lyrics are wonderfully clever, with lines like, &#8220;I&#8217;m a country station/I&#8217;m a little bit corny&#8221; and &#8220;If there&#8217;s no good reception for me/Then tune me out, &#8217;cause honey/Who needs the static?&#8221; It&#8217;s an all around fabulous tune, and unlike more dated songs about telegrams and milkmen (coughHerman&#8217;sHermitscough) it&#8217;s cool to note that the metaphor still makes sense to modern ears, as radio has fortunately stayed with us into the 21st century.</p>
<h2>9) &#8220;The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat),&#8221; The Doors (1971)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PhZFhvG6OkM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>In this bluesy track, Jim Morrison quite literally tells us about Texas radio, referring to high-powered AM stations based in Mexico which, unfettered by U.S. regulations, were easily able to broadcast across the border. Wolfman Jack helmed the most famous ones, XERF and XERB, exposing listeners to plenty of blues, R&amp;B, and early rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll. As a side note, the ZZ Top song, &#8220;I Heard It On the X,&#8221; also references these Mexican stations, whose call letters always started with the letter X.</p>
<h2>10) &#8220;Portable Radio,&#8221; Hall &amp; Oates (1979)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U1zAfSP-hCI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>A single from Hall &amp; Oates&#8217; 1979 album <em>X-Static, </em>&#8220;Portable Radio&#8221; failed chart, although that&#8217;s not too surprising, since it&#8217;s not really anything special. I chose to include it, however, because the subject matter is, oddly enough, how awesome portable radios are and all the things you can do with them. Maybe this would make more sense if portable radios were a new invention at the time, but it almost sounds like it was made for an &#8217;80s Radio Shack commercial. Maybe Hall &amp; Oates simply wanted to pay homage to the medium, as we&#8217;re doing here, but whatever the reason behind the song, the music video offers zero insight and only makes it seem even stranger.</p>
<h2>11) &#8220;Mohammed&#8217;s Radio,&#8221; Linda Ronstadt (1978)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fRxIAnduy7c?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>While this is probably better known as a Warren Zevon song, Ronstadt&#8217;s cover is lovely, and in my opinion, hers sounds even more desperate and emotional than Zevon&#8217;s version. Although it&#8217;s a rather sad song, &#8220;Mohammed&#8217;s Radio&#8221; is really very optimistic and comforting, as it&#8217;s all about how music has the power to give people hope and happiness when everything else is going wrong. It really does show how radio can make a difference in the world, even if its just by playing the right song at the right time for one listener.</p>
<h2>12) &#8220;Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me),&#8221; Reunion (1974)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/16kh-AP4OCU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>I knew when I started making this list that this would be the perfect song to end it on. &#8220;Life Is a Rock&#8221; runs through the entire history of rock radio, cramming as many famous names, songs, and random words as it can into only three and a half minutes. It&#8217;s extremely fun to try (and inevitably fail) to sing along with this song, or to even to comprehend everything that&#8217;s Joey Levine is saying (fun fact:  he also sang &#8220;Chewy, Chewy&#8221; and &#8220;Yummy, Yummy, Yummy&#8221; for the Ohio Express). It  just goes to show just how much awesome music radio has brought us over the years, and here&#8217;s hoping it will bring us a lot more in the future.</p>
<p>Check out the full playlist below for even more radio-related tunes!</p>
<p><center><iframe src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:rebeatmag:playlist:1Aw39e5ZUD03UojpeZWkB3" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<h2>What other songs would you have included? Be sure to share them in the comments!</h2>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/jukebox-radio-daze/">JUKEBOX: Radio Daze</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>Fullness of Wind: 40 Years of Brian Eno&#8217;s &#8216;Discreet Music&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/fullness-of-wind-40-years-of-brian-enos-discreet-music/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/fullness-of-wind-40-years-of-brian-enos-discreet-music/#respond</comments>
				<pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2015 19:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Liam Carroll]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1970s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1975]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ambient]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ambient music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brian eno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discreet music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electronic music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[experimental]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[liam carroll]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[modern classical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robert fripp]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=4648</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>Who knew such beauty would be the result of a car crash? Forty years ago, Brian Eno found himself in the hospital, recovering from a leg injury. To lift his spirits, someone brought the former Roxy Music sideman a record of 18th-century harp music. Upon returning to his bed after struggling to put the record [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/fullness-of-wind-40-years-of-brian-enos-discreet-music/">Fullness of Wind: 40 Years of Brian Eno&#8217;s &#8216;Discreet Music&#8217;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_4650" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4650" style="width: 198px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/tumblr_n7r3laMhWT1r313cko1_1280.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4650" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/tumblr_n7r3laMhWT1r313cko1_1280.jpg?resize=198%2C300" alt="Eno sitting for a portrait in the late '70s." srcset="http://i1.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/tumblr_n7r3laMhWT1r313cko1_1280.jpg?resize=198%2C300 198w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/tumblr_n7r3laMhWT1r313cko1_1280-677x1024.jpg 677w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/tumblr_n7r3laMhWT1r313cko1_1280.jpg 1023w" sizes="(max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-4650" class="wp-caption-text">Eno sitting for a portrait in the late &#8217;70s.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Who knew such beauty would be the result of a car crash? Forty years ago, Brian Eno found himself in the hospital, recovering from a leg injury. To lift his spirits, someone brought the former Roxy Music sideman a record of 18th-century harp music. Upon returning to his bed after struggling to put the record on in his debilitated state, Eno found that the volume on his record player was turned down much too low. But he had expounded too much energy to put the record on in the first place, and so he resigned himself to listening to this celestial music in an entirely different way. Suddenly, Eno realized that he had happened upon what he said was &#8220;for me, a new way of hearing music &#8212; as part of the ambiance of the environment just as the color of the light and the sound of the rain were parts of that ambiance.&#8221; We&#8217;re still feeling the impact of that realization today.</p>
<p>Contrary to what you may have heard, Brian Eno did not invent ambient music. In fact, he was merely building upon an idea coined by the eccentric French pianist Erik Satie, which he called &#8220;furniture music,&#8221; meaning music intended to be sort of like another object in the room, to just blend into the couch or the ottoman or the coffee table. A more hip, drugged-out variety of this idea would become vogue in the 1960s thanks to composers like La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Tony Conrad, and future Velvet Underground member John Cale. Eno&#8217;s interpretation of this idea would aim to remove any trace of human objects; music stripped to its most basic essence. No lyrics, no verses, no choruses, no middle-eights, just a simple melody repeated over an extended period of time. Nor was Eno the first to utilize electronic instruments; just look at NYC duo Suicide, or one of the many German artists working with synths and electronics at the time, like Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream. But these artists still relied on human hands to craft their art. For Eno, ambient music was as much about the simplicity of the music itself as it was about removing the human process from the creation of said music, instead leaving the finished product up to chance.</p>
<figure id="attachment_4651" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4651" style="width: 215px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/122174b.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-4651" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/122174b.jpg?resize=215%2C215" alt="A diagram explaining how &quot;Discreet Music&quot; was created." srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/122174b.jpg?resize=215%2C215 300w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/122174b-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/122174b-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/122174b.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-4651" class="wp-caption-text">A diagram explaining how <em>Discreet Music</em> was created.</figcaption></figure>
<p>In 1975, Eno released <em>Discreet Music</em>. Using a technique he had been tinkering with alongside King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, Eno played two different melodic lines on a EMS Synthi AKS, which was then run through a graphic equalizer which occasionally changes the timbre of said notes, which was then run through an echo unit before being recorded to tape. From there the tape is run into a second machine, and then fed back into the first machine, creating randomly overlapping signals. The technique, which would eventually come to be called Frippertronics, was put to brilliant use on the album&#8217;s titular 30-minute centerpiece. Even today, 40 years later, it&#8217;s a stunning composition, creating the audio equivalent of watching cotton candy-colored clouds float endlessly across the evening sky. Care to guess what the photograph on the front cover depicts?</p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tLZtnadL1s0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>As if that weren&#8217;t enough, the B-side of <em>Discreet Music</em> holds even more awe-inspiring beauty, in the form of three shorter orchestral pieces which make up a suite entitled &#8220;Three Variations on the Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel.&#8221; Working with the arranger and conductor Gavin Bryars &#8212; who would go on to make his own indispensable contribution to ambient music with &#8220;The Sinking of the Titanic&#8221; &#8212; Eno selected short excerpts from the &#8220;Canon&#8221; with instructions to the musicians on how often to repeat said sections and when to alter those sections by changing the tempo or other elements. If you can make it through any of these pieces &#8212; especially the first one, &#8220;Fullness of Wind&#8221; &#8212; without crying, you just may be an android.</p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z_VluBnUns8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Eno would return to the ambient well many times throughout his restlessly experimental career. In the wake of <em>Discreet Music</em>, this idea of simplicity and repetition lead to many fantastic pieces of sound: the complex minimalism of Philip Glass and Steve Reich, the wobbly experiments of Aphex Twin&#8217;s <em>Ambient Selections Vol. 1 and 2</em>, the mournful tape decay of William Basinski&#8217;s 9/11-inspired masterpiece <em>The Disintegration Loops</em>, and the celestial compositions of Texas&#8217; Stars of the Lid, whose fans often bring blankets and pillows to concerts. For Eno, <em>Discreet Music</em> is surely just another high watermark in a lifetime full of high watermarks. Few musicians have so thoroughly altered the way we create and interact with music and reminded us in such a poignant way that we are surrounded by music everywhere we go. We don&#8217;t even have to strain to really hear it.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/fullness-of-wind-40-years-of-brian-enos-discreet-music/">Fullness of Wind: 40 Years of Brian Eno&#8217;s &#8216;Discreet Music&#8217;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>More than the Beatles: Brian Epstein&#8217;s Extraordinary Artist Roster</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/more-than-the-beatles-brian-epsteins-extraordinary-artist-roster/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/more-than-the-beatles-brian-epsteins-extraordinary-artist-roster/#respond</comments>
				<pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2015 15:36:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erika White]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[billy j. kramer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[billy j. kramer and the dakotas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brian epstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[british invasion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[british invasion tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cilla black]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erika abrams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gerry and the pacemakers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the beatles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the big three]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the cyrkle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the dakotas]]></category>

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				<description><![CDATA[<p>No one can lay more claim to fatherhood of the British Invasion than Brian Epstein. Without his unfailing belief in the Beatles and his determination that they succeed, it&#8217;s unlikely that the band would have come to the attention of London record producers, and without the Beatles, there wouldn&#8217;t have been a British Invasion as we know it. [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/more-than-the-beatles-brian-epsteins-extraordinary-artist-roster/">More than the Beatles: Brian Epstein&#8217;s Extraordinary Artist Roster</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-4632" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/brian2.jpg?resize=268%2C354" alt="" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/brian2.jpg?resize=268%2C354 600w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/brian2-227x300.jpg 227w" sizes="(max-width: 268px) 100vw, 268px" data-recalc-dims="1" />No one can lay more claim to fatherhood of the <a title="AJOBO: An Invasion of the British Kind (Heading Your Way!)" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/ajobo-an-invasion-of-the-british-kind-heading-your-way/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">British Invasion</a> than Brian Epstein. Without his unfailing belief in the Beatles and his determination that they succeed, it&#8217;s unlikely that the band would have come to the attention of London record producers, and without the Beatles, there wouldn&#8217;t have been a British Invasion as we know it.</p>
<p>Epstein&#8217;s eye for talent, his sense of stagecraft, and his industry connections &#8212; not to mention the caché that comes with managing the most sought-after band in the country &#8212; was a winning combination. Quick on the heels of the Beatles&#8217; initial success, he took the next logical step in his burgeoning management career: to find more where that came from.</p>
<p>Even though many never became household names, the artists on Epstein&#8217;s NEMS Enterprises roster were essential to the success of the British Invasion. The sheer number of groups that shared roots and history with the Beatles allowed fans to immerse themselves in the sounds and ethos that so attracted them in the first place. And artists managed by Brian Epstein had access to something almost no other band had: the Lennon/McCartney catalog. Whether a new artist recorded an existing Beatles song or a brand-new track, a Lennon/McCartney original would definitely attract attention.</p>
<p>Below are some of Epstein&#8217;s most well-known and enduring artists &#8212; just a few of the many performers on his roster. The British Invasion wouldn&#8217;t have been the same without them.</p>
<h2>1) Gerry and the Pacemakers</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-GWoV4r67h0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Gerry and the Pacemakers were one of the Beatles’ top rivals, both on the local Liverpool scene and in the Hamburg club circuit. So when Epstein wanted to follow the Beatles with a similar act, he signed them immediately, giving them the full treatment: matching suits, a lesson in stage manners, and a recording contract with Parlophone, produced by George Martin.</p>
<p>Their first single, Mitch Murray&#8217;s “How Do You Do It?” was given to them after the Beatles rejected it in favor of their own material, and Gerry and the Pacemakers took it straight to #1 in the UK. They followed that success with two more #1 hits &#8212; “I Like It” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical <em>Carousel</em>) &#8212; making them the first group whose first three singles went straight to the top.</p>
<p>Frontman Gerry Marsden composed many of their later tracks, including their signature song, &#8220;Ferry &#8216;Cross the Mersey,&#8221; a romantic look at their hometown of Liverpool. The band broke up in 1966, but Marsden continues to maintain an active touring schedule.</p>
<h2>2) Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ASwQ3pPuTgc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><a title="What Keeps Billy J. Kramer Satisfied" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/what-keeps-billy-j-kramer-satisfied/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Billy J. Kramer</a> piqued Epstein’s interest when his band, Billy Kramer and the Coasters, opened for the Beatles. While Kramer was interested in Epstein’s offer of management, the Coasters were not. So Epstein paired Kramer with the Manchester-based Dakotas (who themselves were managed under a separate contract with Epstein and recorded on their own), and added the “J” to Kramer’s name &#8212; probably to honor the upcoming birth of John Lennon&#8217;s first child, who would be called Julian. (We can only speculate that if it were a girl, she would have been named Julia after Lennon&#8217;s mother; it&#8217;s natural &#8220;J&#8221; names would have been on his mind!)</p>
<p>Kramer and the Dakotas benefited hugely from Epstein’s association with Lennon and McCartney, who wrote three songs for them: “From a Window,” “I’ll Keep You Satisfied,” and “Bad to Me.” Kramer continues to record and was a highlight of <a title="20 Images That Capture the British Invasion 50th Anniversary Tour" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/20-images-that-capture-the-british-invasion-50th-anniversary-tour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the 2014–2015 British Invasion tour</a> as well as a frequent guest at the Fest for Beatles Fans.</p>
<h2>3) The Big Three</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_B2b10KLrdA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>The Big Three was known as one of the most aggressive, loudest, and most powerful bands on the Liverpool circuit, thanks to drummer Johnny Hutchinson and the giant amps (called &#8220;coffins&#8221;) they built for themselves.</p>
<p>Though they were initially pleased to sign with Epstein, this rough group was less inclined to go along with the standard Epstein makeover. The relationship crumbled when their demo of &#8220;Some Other Guy,&#8221; recorded for their Decca audition, was released without their permission; they parted ways after little more than a year.</p>
<p>While the Big Three was not successful as a trio, Epstein was highly impressed by Johnny Hutchinson&#8217;s drumming; so impressed that he asked him to replace Pete Best in the Beatles <em>before</em> it was offered to Ringo Starr. But Hutchinson, who despised the rival band, flatly turned him down, telling Epstein, &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t join the Beatles for a gold clock.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Big Three disbanded in 1966, and Hutchinson retired from music and has refused to talk about that time, or about the Beatles, since then.</p>
<h2>4) Cilla Black</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ykd7172CUeA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Like others on the Epstein roster, Cilla Black was a staple of the Liverpool music scene. But being a woman, she wasn’t in a band of her own. So &#8220;Swinging Cilla&#8221; would often join other bands for a few numbers in their sets and eventually became a popular Cavern Club attraction.</p>
<p>She originally came to Epstein’s notice through John Lennon, who suggested he come see her sing at the Cavern. Thanks to a bad case of nerves and a song played in the wrong key, she failed her first audition dismally. But after a second look, Epstein contracted her as the first &#8212; and only &#8212; female performer on his roster.</p>
<p>Black also got the benefit of starting off by recording a Lennon/McCartney composition, “Love of the Loved,” but it was her second single, “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” that really kick-started her career. Though Black didn&#8217;t make a huge impact on American audiences, she was Epstein&#8217;s most successful client after the Beatles, with a career in both music and television that spanned more than five decades.</p>
<p>Her transition to television began with a contract arranged by Epstein in 1967, just months before his death.</p>
<h2>5) The Cyrkle</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/emx6dU7suvg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Though not actually part of the British Invasion, the Cyrkle is notable because they were the only American group to contract with NEMS, and the last band Epstein signed before his death. Originally called the Rhondells, the band was re-named &#8212; by John Lennon &#8212; and began their time with Epstein as an opening act for the Beatles during their 1965 and 1966 American tours.</p>
<p>They recorded two hit singles, &#8220;Red Rubber Ball&#8221; and &#8220;Turn-Down Day,&#8221; but disbanded shortly after Brian passed away. The band&#8217;s two frontmen, Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes, both became jingle writers after the band broke up; Dawes&#8217; biggest claim to fame may be the iconic &#8220;Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz&#8221; jingle for Alka-Seltzer.</p>
<h2>The tip of the iceburg&#8230;</h2>
<p>These five bands were only a few on the giant Epstein roster. Others included:</p>
<ul>
<li>The Fourmost</li>
<li>Tommy Quickly with the Remo Four</li>
<li>The Moody Blues</li>
<li>Michael Haslam</li>
<li>The Paramounts</li>
<li>Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers</li>
<li>Paddy, Klaus, and Gibson (&#8220;Klaus&#8221; being the Beatles&#8217; longtime Hamburg friend, Klaus Voorman)</li>
</ul>
<p>&#8230;and more.</p>
<p>By any standard, the number of bands Brian Epstein managed and the impact they had on the worldwide music scene makes for an extraordinary career. For a man with no prior artist management experience who was only in the business for six short years, his accomplishments &#8212; and those of his artists &#8212; were and are astounding.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/more-than-the-beatles-brian-epsteins-extraordinary-artist-roster/">More than the Beatles: Brian Epstein&#8217;s Extraordinary Artist Roster</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>5 Holiday Novelty Songs to Play on Repeat</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/5-holiday-novelty-songs-to-play-on-repeat/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/5-holiday-novelty-songs-to-play-on-repeat/#respond</comments>
				<pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Erika White]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alvin and the chipmunks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[david seville]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dora bryan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elmo and patsy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erika abrams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hanukkah]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday novelty tunes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lou monte]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tom lehrer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=3081</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>Sometimes you just need a break from traditional holiday music. I mean, that 1000th repeat of &#8220;Jingle Bells&#8221; or &#8220;The Christmas Song&#8221; can make you lose your enthusiasm faster than getting a lump of coal in your stocking. So in the spirit of extending your holiday cheer (which is the only thing that lets you tolerate Aunt Edna [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/5-holiday-novelty-songs-to-play-on-repeat/">5 Holiday Novelty Songs to Play on Repeat</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sometimes you just need a break from traditional holiday music. I mean, that 1000th repeat of &#8220;Jingle Bells&#8221; or &#8220;The Christmas Song&#8221; can make you lose your enthusiasm faster than getting a lump of coal in your stocking. So in the spirit of extending your holiday cheer (which is the only thing that lets you tolerate Aunt Edna for the entire family holiday party, am I right?), REBEAT offers five of the funniest and oddest novelty holiday songs that are sure to brighten your day!</p>
<h2>1) &#8220;Dominick the Donkey,&#8221; Lou Monte (1960)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ok5rOO2v2dU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Move over, Rudolph, and meet Dominick, the Italian Christmas Donkey. Dominick helps Santa “climb the hills of Italy” since the reindeer can’t navigate the terrain, he understands Italian, and brings his <em>paisans</em> presents straight from&#8230; Brooklyn! For decades, this adorable little song from Italian novelty singer Lou Monte was known mostly in Italian-American communities (and across New York City, where it&#8217;s been a staple of the Z100 morning radio show for years). But thanks to a 2011 re-release and some unexpected attention from a BBC morning show &#8212; one of the hosts just happened to be named Dominic &#8212; it became a dark horse competitor for the highly-contested title of top Christmas song in the UK (2011). It missed the top spot and came in third &#8212; not bad for an obscure novelty song released over 50 years ago &#8212; and has been slowly taking its rightful place as one of the cutest songs of the season.</p>
<h2>2) &#8220;The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t be Late),&#8221; David Seville (1958)</h2>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hAUWyp0qzs</p>
<p><em>AAAALLLLVIIINNNN!</em> The helium-voiced Chipmunks and their &#8220;dad&#8221; Dave Seville won three Grammys and made #1 on the Billboard Top 100 with this 1958 novelty classic. The adorable ode to the joys of Christmas presents, led by Dave (and interrupted by his critiques) never fails to bring smiles as the song dissolves into classic Chipmunks&#8217; bickering. Of course, the Chipmunks aren&#8217;t everyone’s cup of tea; those who think their voices are more painful than nails on a blackboard may prefer this alternative: Bob Rivers&#8217; “Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire.” (Warning: super gross.)</p>
<h2>3) &#8220;All I Want for Christmas is a Beatle,&#8221; Dora Bryan (1963)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vq0ncaMfAbs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>This particular item is still on my holiday list, though I respectfully disagree with Dora Bryan&#8217;s indifference about which one ends up under the tree (&#8220;Ringo, Paul, John, George, they&#8217;re all the same&#8221;). The one you get <em>totally matters</em>. Bryan&#8217;s Vaudeville-style song was huge hit during the UK&#8217;s 1963 holiday season, just weeks before Beatlemania spread across the world. It was played nearly continuously on the radio, earned Bryan an appearance on &#8220;Top of the Pops,&#8221; and even won her the coveted title of &#8220;Best Bad Record of 1963.&#8221; As Beatlemania became a worldwide phenomenon, the song quickly became a holiday favorite among fans. The Beatles themselves liked it, too; they even sang part of it on one of their annual Fan Club Christmas records.</p>
<h2>4) &#8220;Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,&#8221; Elmo &amp; Patsy (1979)</h2>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MgIwLeASnkw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>We now interrupt holiday fun and games for an important holiday PSA from Elmo &amp; Patsy: don&#8217;t let grandma forget her meds and drink too much eggnog again this year. Originally recorded and produced independently by the husband and wife duo on their personal label, Oink (!!), &#8220;Grandma&#8221; gained a bigger following each year and was eventually picked up by CBS Records for national release in 1984. It has been released, re-released, covered, and parodied nearly endlessly since then, and even inspired a 2010 film &#8212; which, unbelievably, is even more ridiculous than the original song.</p>
<h2>5) &#8220;Hanukkah in Santa Monica,&#8221; Tom Lehrer (1990)</h2>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSCmZU0eFJg</p>
<p>When we think of Hanukkah humor (and we should think of it more often!), the first thing that usually comes to mind is Adam Sandler’s hilarious Hanukkah song &#8212; the original <em>and</em> the two sequels. But there&#8217;s been a rise in novelty Hanukkah material in the last few decades that shouldn&#8217;t be overlooked. This one was recorded a little later than the usual REBEAT offering, but it&#8217;s worth a listen. Can&#8217;t you just see it performed by an old-time comic in a Florida resort?</p>
<h2>What&#8217;s your favorite holiday novelty tune? Let us know in the comments!</h2>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/5-holiday-novelty-songs-to-play-on-repeat/">5 Holiday Novelty Songs to Play on Repeat</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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		<title>Why David Bowie Didn&#8217;t Want to Sing with Bing Crosby</title>
		<link>http://www.rebeatmag.com/why-david-bowie-didnt-want-to-sing-with-bing-crosby/</link>
				<comments>http://www.rebeatmag.com/why-david-bowie-didnt-want-to-sing-with-bing-crosby/#respond</comments>
				<pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:50:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Pamela Sosnowski]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1970s christmas specials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bing crosby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buz kohan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[david bowie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ian fraser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[larry grossman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[little drummer boy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pam sosnowski]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peace on earth]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.rebeatmag.com/?p=3004</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[<p>It was one of music&#8217;s most unlikely and unusual pairings: the straight-laced, WWII-era crooner Bing Crosby collaborating with rock&#8217;s androgynous &#8220;thin white Duke,&#8221; David Bowie. Yet their duet of &#8220;Peace On Earth/The Little Drummer Boy&#8221; is still beloved today as a classic Christmas song. And it probably wouldn&#8217;t have happened if it weren&#8217;t for some quick thinking [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/why-david-bowie-didnt-want-to-sing-with-bing-crosby/">Why David Bowie Didn&#8217;t Want to Sing with Bing Crosby</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
]]></description>
								<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-3106" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/peace_on_earth_little_drummer_boy.jpg?resize=236%2C237" alt="" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/peace_on_earth_little_drummer_boy.jpg?resize=236%2C237 348w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/peace_on_earth_little_drummer_boy-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/peace_on_earth_little_drummer_boy-298x300.jpg 298w" sizes="(max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px" data-recalc-dims="1" />It was one of music&#8217;s most unlikely and unusual pairings: the straight-laced, WWII-era crooner Bing Crosby collaborating with rock&#8217;s androgynous &#8220;thin white Duke,&#8221; David Bowie. Yet their duet of &#8220;Peace On Earth/The Little Drummer Boy&#8221; is still beloved today as a classic Christmas song. And it probably wouldn&#8217;t have happened if it weren&#8217;t for some quick thinking on the part of a few songwriters.</p>
<p>The story of how the song came about is included in a new PBS documentary about Crosby, <em>American Masters: Bing Crosby Rediscovered</em>, airing on PBS stations on December 26 at 9pm.</p>
<p>The two musicians met and performed the song in September 1977 for Crosby&#8217;s <em>A Merrie Olde Christmas</em> special that aired later that year. As Crosby was touring at the time in Great Britain and the theme of the special was celebrating Christmas in England, the producers felt it made logical sense to ask British stars to make appearances on the show. Two of them who gladly accepted were the model Twiggy and actor Ron Moody, who was starring in <em>Oliver!</em> at the time. But Bowie was a tough sell. He admitted that he was only participating because his mother was a fan of Bing Crosby.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3105" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/bingbowie.jpg?resize=620%2C415" alt="" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/bingbowie.jpg?resize=620%2C415 620w, http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/bingbowie-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></p>
<p>The picky rock star didn&#8217;t like the show&#8217;s writers&#8217; choice of the song he was to sing with the legend &#8212; &#8220;Little Drummer Boy.&#8221; In fact, he declared that he hated it and asked if there was something else (ah, ego). Luckily, the producers/songwriters of the program &#8212; Buz Kohan, Larry Grossman, and Ian Fraser &#8212; decided that the best way to save this portion of the show would be to compose counterpart lyrics and a new bridge for Bowie to sing alongside Crosby. They found the nearest piano and banged out &#8220;Peace on Earth,&#8221; the second component of the duet, in about an hour.</p>
<p>Probably the oddest thing about the performance is the preceding setup of how the two musicians meet. Bowie rings Crosby&#8217;s door, then insults him by asking if he&#8217;s the new butler! Bowie&#8217;s idea of &#8220;older fellas&#8221; at the time is John Lennon and Harry Nilsson. I suppose the banter between the two of them is as light and humorous as humanly possible. Picture someone like Paul Anka trying to have a conversation with Marilyn Manson, and you&#8217;ll see what I mean. At least Ziggy Stardust left his makeup and costumes at home for this performance. It&#8217;s actually unclear to this day if Crosby even knew who Bowie was, although one of the song&#8217;s writers says that Crosby was no slouch when it came to modern musicians and that his children surely would&#8217;ve filled him in. After the show&#8217;s recording, Crosby spoke highly of Bowie as a &#8220;clean-cut kid and a real fine asset to the show. He sings well, has a great voice, and reads lines well.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n9kfdEyV3RQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Bowie also performed &#8220;Heroes&#8221; on the program and, for a few years, both songs were available as a bootleg single. In 1982, RCA released &#8220;Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy&#8221; as an official single &#8212; much to Bowie&#8217;s chagrin (he must <em>really</em> dislike the song!) &#8212; and it became a hit in the UK and eventually a staple on US radio stations during the holiday season.</p>
<p>To this day, the added-on lyrics never fail to give me a lump in my throat: &#8220;every child must be made aware / every child must be made to care / care enough for his fellow man / to give all the love that he can.&#8221; Sniff. Pass the tissues. Also bittersweet about the song&#8217;s legacy is that Crosby died only a month later of a heart attack. Since then, the duet has been parodied a few times, most notably in a strange manner by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJBFD-Wvc7U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell</a> who copied it including the introductory banter, word for word. I prefer the original, of course. Pretty thing, isn&#8217;t it?</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com/why-david-bowie-didnt-want-to-sing-with-bing-crosby/">Why David Bowie Didn&#8217;t Want to Sing with Bing Crosby</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rebeatmag.com">REBEAT Magazine</a>.</p>
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