August 13: Lynyrd Skynyrd released Pronounced ‘Lĕh-’nérd ‘Skin-’nérd in 1973 (read more)
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| Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009) —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz, country and blues guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was the inventor of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations. Although he was not the first to use the technique, his early experiments with overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention.His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day. He recorded with his wife Mary Ford in the 1950s, and they sold millions of records. |  |
August 13: Joe Tex passed away in 1982 – 32 years ago (read more)
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| Bossanova is the third album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released August 13, 1990 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. All of Bossanova‘s original material was written by the band’s frontman Black Francis; it marked the point where his artistic control over the band became absolute. The album’s sound, inspired by surf and space rock, complements its lyrical focus on outer space, which references subjects such as aliens and unidentified flying objects. |  |
August 13: Eels released beautiful freak in 1996 (read more)
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| Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. He was adopted, alongside with his adopted sister, Josephine Ousley Allen. They both grew up in Texas, together. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. Adept at tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, he was best known for his distinctive riffs and solos such as on “Yakety Yak”, which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolph’s “Yakety Sax” and his own “Memphis Soul Stew”. |  |
Spotify Playlist – August 13 |
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Tag Archives: Joe Tex
August 13: Joe Tex passed away in 1982 – 32 years ago
He is, arguably, the most underrated of all the ’60s soul performers associated with Atlantic Records, although his records were more likely than those of most soul stars to become crossover hits.
~Dave Marsh..Before and after he became a Black Muslim minister, this East Texas moralist-jokester mixed such timeless trifles as “Skinny Legs and All” (God, don’t you even remember that one?) and “Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)” (a lucky last gasp occasioning a luckier album that came out for “sissies”) with a good-humored country wisdom that rivaled Smokey’s urban variant for pith and empathy.
~Robert ChristgauAlthough they are often viewed as diametric opposites, soul and country music are really flip sides of the same coin, and the two genres have greatly influenced one another. With his hillbilly name and trademark ten-gallon Stetson hat, Joe Tex was perhaps the most conspicuous musician to blur this generic and racial boundary. Like many soul singers (Al Green, Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes, to name a few) Tex was a fan of Hank Williams and wanted to be a country singer. Despite the fact that many country artists were taught by black musicians, Tex was unable to cross the country’s colour barrier, and he became a soul singer instead.
~The Rough Guide to Soul & R&B
Hold On What You’ve Got (the fantastic original version):
| Tex recorded his first hit, “Hold On To What You’ve Got”, in November 1964 at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Tex was not convinced the song would be a hit and advised Killen not to release it. However, Killen felt otherwise and released the song in early 1965. By the time Tex got wind of its release, the song had already sold 200,000 copies. The song eventually peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Tex’s first number-one hit on the R&B charts, staying on the charts for 11 weeks and selling over a million copies by 1966. (wikipedia) |
Continue reading August 13: Joe Tex passed away in 1982 – 32 years ago
August 8 in music history
August 8: Bob Dylan: Another Side Of Bob Dylan (album) (read more)
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| August 8: Neil Young released “Like A Hurricane” in 1977 (read more)This brilliant song (one of his best) was recorded on November 29, 1975 @ Broken Arrow Ranch, Woodside CA. It was released as a single on August 8, 1977 & included on the album American Stars ‘n Bars (1977).- Neil Young – Lead guitar and lead vocals Frank “Poncho” Sampedro – Stringman synthesizer and background vocals Billy Talbot – Bass guitar and background vocals Ralph Molina – Drums and background vocals Produce by Neil Young, David Briggs & Tim Mulligan. |
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August 08: Webb Pierce was born in 1921 (read more)
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Joseph Arrington, Jr. (August 8, 1935 – August 13, 1982), better known as Joe Tex, was an American musician who gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the styles of country, gospel and rhythm and blues. Born in Rogers, Texas, and raised in Baytown, Tex’s career started after he was signed to King Records in 1955 following four wins at the Apollo Theater. Between that year and 1964, however, Tex struggled to find hits and by the time he finally recorded his first hit, “Hold What You’ve Got”, in 1964, he had recorded thirty prior singles that were deemed failures on the charts. Tex went on to have four million-selling hits, “Hold What You’ve Got” (1965), “Skinny Legs and All” (1967), “I Gotcha” (1972), and “Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)” (1977). Tex’s style of speaking over the background of his music helped to make him one of the predecessors of the modern style of rap music. |
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| David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), more widely known by his stage name The Edge (or just Edge), is an Irish musician, songwriter and singer best known as the guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist of the rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band as well as one solo record. As a guitarist, The Edge has crafted a minimalistic and textural style of playing. His use of a rhythmic delay effect yields a distinctive ambient, chiming sound that has become a signature of U2’s music. |  |
Spotify Playlist – August 08 |
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Today: Joe Tex passed away in 1982 – 30 years ago
From Wikipedia:
| Birth name | Joseph Arrington, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Yusuf Hazziez |
| Born | August 8, 1935 Rogers, Texas, United States |
| Origin | Baytown, Texas, United States |
| Died | August 13, 1982 (aged 47) Navasota, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Rock’n’roll, R&B, soul, southern soul, deep soul, country soul,funk, disco, rap |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1955-1982 |
| Labels | King Records, Ace Records,Dial Records, Atlantic Records,Mercury Records, Epic Records |
Joseph Arrington, Jr. (August 8, 1935– August 13, 1982), better known as “Joe Tex“, was an American musician who gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the styles of country, gospel and rhythm and blues.
Born in Rogers, Texas, and raised in Baytown, Tex’s career started after he was signed to King Records in 1955 following four wins at the Apollo Theater. Between that year and 1964, however, Tex struggled to find hits and by the time he finally recorded his first hit, “Hold What You’ve Got“, in 1965, he had recorded thirty prior singles that were deemed failures on the charts. Tex went on to have three million-selling hits, “Hold What You’ve Got” (1965), “Skinny Legs and All” (1967) and “I Gotcha” (1972).
Tex’s style of speaking over the background of his music helped to make him one of the predecessors of the modern style of rap music.
From allmusic (Dave Marsh):
Joe Tex made the first Southern soul record that also hit on the pop charts (“Hold What You’ve Got,” in 1965, made number five in Billboard). His raspy-voiced, jackleg preacher style also laid some of the most important parts of rap’s foundation. He is, arguably, the most underrated of all the ’60s soul performers associated with Atlantic Records, although his records were more likely than those of most soul stars to become crossover hits.
Read more here – allmusic.com
Hold On What You’ve Got @ Shindig in 1965:
I Gotcha:
Album of the day:
Other August-13:
Continue reading Today: Joe Tex passed away in 1982 – 30 years ago