When the Drifters Were Reborn at the Apollo Theater
The Drifters (Charlie Thomas at right).Photo byRhino Records. It is sad to note the passing in January 2023 of Charlie Thomas at the age of 85. Thomas was the last surviving member of the second generation of the Drifters, the soul and R&B vocal group that scored many hits in the 1960s.
Read full storyThe Long Journey of the Beatles' 'Across the Universe'
It is remarkable that John Lennon’s composition “Across the Universe” was once considered not good enough for inclusion on a Beatles studio album.“Nobody was interested in doing the tune originally,” Lennon recalled in Lennon: The Definitive Biography.
Read full storyThe Peppermint Lounge: 'Where the Peppermint Twisters Meet'
The Beatles, Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn, Sinatra — and John Wayne — Twisted at the Trendy Discotheque: New York Groove Book Excerpt. High Society discovered rock and roll at the Peppermint Lounge, 128 West 45th Street, one rainy night in 1961. Joey Dee & the Starliters were on stage and the young, raucous crowd was doing the Twist, the dance craze popularized by Chubby Checker’s 1960 number one hit.
Read full storyEric Burdon: What 'Spill the Wine' Is Really About
By 1969, Eric Burdon had split with the Animals and was living in San Francisco when he joined California funk rock band War. As Eric Burdon & War, the group scored its biggest hit in 1970 with “Spill the Wine." More than five decades later, fans still debate what the lyrics mean.
Read full storyRemembering The Bottom Line, Where Bruce Springsteen ‘Owned the Stage’
Bruce Springsteen, Live at the Bottom Line NYC, August 15th 1975 albumPhoto byWax Radio. The Bottom Line was an intimate Greenwich Village club at 15 West 4th Street that hosted major rock, jazz, and blues artists. The 400-seat club was a launchpad for young musicians like Bruce Springsteen, who appeared in 1975. Lou Reed, Johnny Winter, Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, and Van Morrison performed here.
Read full storyInside the Outsiders’ ‘Time Won’t Let Me’
The Horn Band Hit Was 'Like Merseybeat Meets Motown’. In 1965, the ground was shifting under the feet of the Starfires, a Cleveland bar band formed in 1958 by 15-year-old guitarist Tom King. The Starfires largely played R&B instrumentals; sometimes King provided vocals. The band occasionally added a horn section to its guitar lineup.
Read full storyWho or What Is 'Wooly Bully'?
Unraveling the Story Behind the Sam the Sham Classic. Despite the robes and headdress, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs were part of the Tex-Mex musical tradition of Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. Sam is Domingo Samudio, a Dallas, Texas rocker whose first and biggest hit was 1964’s “Wooly Bully.”
Read full storyThe Trashmen's 'Surfin' Bird'
The Band’s Founding Members Recall the Classic That Influenced Punk Rock. On November 13, 1963 the Trashmen released the surf rock classic “Surfin’ Bird.” Despite its sound, the band recorded the song 2,000 miles away from the sun, sand and surf of Southern California.
Read full story‘Expressway to Your Heart’ and the Birth of the Sound of Philadelphia
The Soul Survivors’ Charlie Ingui and DJ Jerry Blavat Recall the Speed Bumps Along the Way. In the 1960s, the movers and shakers of the Philadelphia music scene would gather one night a month at the home of Jerry Blavat, the top-rated disc jockey and host of TV’s The Discophonic Scene. Famous as “The Geator with the Heator” and “The Boss With the Hot Sauce,” Blavat hosted a group called the Mother’s Club. Music industry heavyweights like Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler and record promoters and songwriters shot pool, ate steak sandwiches from Geno’s and played blackjack at The Geator’s home.
Read full storyHow 'Time of the Season' Resurrected the Zombies
When the Zombies arrived at London’s Abbey Road studios in August 1967, their creativity was high but success was in the past. The British Invasion band had two innovative hits, 1964’s “She’s Not There,” followed the next year by “Tell Her No.”
Read full storyAndy Warhol Presents the Velvet Underground at The Dom
The Velvet Underground albumPhoto byUniversal Music Group. In this excerpt from New York Groove: An Inside Look at the Stars, Shows, and Songs That Make NYC Rock, the Velvet Underground begins its short but influential career that would influence rock, punk and new wave bands for decades.
Read full story'Are You an Entertainer?' Comedian Pat Cooper on TV's 'Seinfeld'
Pat Cooper is one of the most underappreciated comedians of our time. Cooper is a pioneer, one of the first standup comedians to highlight—and poke fun at—his Italian-American roots on stage.
Read full storyThe Art of Sneaking Backstage at Fillmore East
Richard Lloyd of Television on Conniving His Way Into the Iconic Hall: Book Excerpt. Jimi Hendrix at Fillmore EastPhoto by©Frank Mastropolo. As a budding musician, Richard Lloyd, the former guitarist, singer and songwriter of the band Television, attended many Fillmore East shows without buying a ticket. In this excerpt from the book Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever, Lloyd recalls his ploys to get the best seat in the house: backstage at Fillmore East.
Read full story'Man, Dig That Crazy Chick!'
The Royal Teens’ Co-Founder Tom Austin on Their Hit ‘Short Shorts’. It was 1956. Drummer Tom Austin and keyboardist Bob Gaudio were talented New Jersey teenagers who recruited guitarist Billy Dalton and saxophonist Billy Crandall to form a band, the Royals.
Read full storyThe 'Evolution' of the Blues Project: Steve Katz on the Blues-Rock Band's New Album
When the original Blues Project formed in 1965 in New York’s Greenwich Village, its lineup was singer Tommy Flanders, guitarists Danny Kalb and Steve Katz, keyboardist Al Kooper, bassist Andy Kulberg and drummer Roy Blumenfeld. Flanders left during the recording of their debut album, Live at the Café au Go Go.
Read full storyThe Night David Bowie and Friends Jammed at China Club
Iggy Pop, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood and Bowie Revisit Their Hits in NYC: Book Excerpt. In this excerpt from the book New York Groove: An Inside Look at the Stars, Shows, and Songs That Make NYC Rock, David Bowie takes a break from recording and pulls together an all-star lineup of rockers to jam at China Club.
Read full storyThe Crazy World of Arthur Brown's Incendiary Shows at Fillmore East
Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever Book Excerpt. “The God of Hellfire,” Arthur Brown, is noted for his dynamic performances in a flaming metal helmet. Brown is one of the acknowledged pioneers of theatrical rock. The frontman of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown performed his incendiary hit “Fire” at promoter Bill Graham’s Fillmore East over two nights in 1968.
Read full storyThe Long, Strange Viaggio of 'Let's Live for Today'
The Grass Roots was a band created by producers P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. The two Los Angeles songwriters were first to record as the Grass Roots; when they began to receive some notice, they had to quickly assemble a touring group.
Read full storySeinfeld's Coffee Shop Inspired This Hit Record
New York Groove: An Inside Look at the Stars, Shows, and Songs That Make NYC Rock Book Excerpt. Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega recorded “Tom’s Diner” for her 1987 album Solitude Standing. Vega wrote in the New York Times that the song’s title refers to a New York coffee shop better known for its use as the exterior of Monk’s Diner on the sitcom Seinfeld.
Read full storyThe Real-Life Story of Lloyd Price's 'Stagger Lee'
In 1952, Lloyd Price was a teen enjoying huge success on the rhythm & blues charts with “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.” But two years later Uncle Sam called and Price was drafted into the Army. Because of his musical talent, he was transferred to the Special Service Division in Korea, where he entertained officers.
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