Today: Merle Haggard was born in 1937, 76 years ago

April 6, 2013 Hallgeir

“By the time you get close to the answers, it’s nearly all over.”
– Merle Haggard

The first time we met is a favorite memory of mine.
They say time changes all it pertains to
But your memory is stronger than time.
I guess everything does change except what you choose to recall.

Wikipedia:
Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American country music song writer, singer, guitarist, fiddler, and instrumentalist. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster and the unique mix with the traditional country steel guitar sound, new vocal harmony styles in which the words are minimal, and a rough edge not heard on the more polished Nashville Sound recordings of the same era.

My Favorite Memory:

By the 1970s, Haggard was aligned with the growing outlaw country movement, and has continued to release successful albums through the 1990s and into the 2000s.

Haggard’s guitar playing and voice gives his country a hard-edged, blues-like style in many cuts.

Merle Haggard is one of country music’s most versatile artists. His compositions ranges wide: ballads , autobiographical reflections, political commentaries and funny drinking songs. Easy dance songs and more serious stuff.

But first of all it’s the voice, man! That voice!

Todays album is the great , Big City. It’s Merle Haggard’s masterpiece and one of my all-time favorite country records:

Big City, both the cut and the album, revisits the seemingly eternal themes in Haggard’s best work — the plight of the honest, decent working man amid the squalor, complication, and contradiction of urban life. Besides the title cut, there are bona fide Haggard classics here — and some that aren’t but should be.
(Allmusic)

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Blues, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters

Video of the day: Bob Dylan plays Muddy Waters

April 4, 2013 Hallgeir 6 Comments

Dylan_waters___blues

Muddy Waters was born 101 years ago today, we celebrate this on JV today by dedicating todays video to Muddy Waters.

Here is Bob Dylan singing the famous Hoochie Coochie Man (written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters):

“Hoochie Coochie Man” (sometimes referred to as “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man“) is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954 in Chicago. The song was a major hit upon its release, reaching #8 on Billboard magazine’s Black Singles chart. The intro and verse to Muddy Water’s version feature stop-time while the chorus features a refrain. According to an account by Dave Van Ronk, Muddy Waters stated that the song is supposed to have a comic effect. (Wikipedia)

Waters Dylan

– Hallgeir

Blues, Muddy Waters

Today: Muddy Waters was born 100 years ago

April 4, 2013 Hallgeir 1 Comment

Muddy Waters, blues legend, was born 100 years ago today!

“Man, you don’t know how I felt that afternoon when I heard that voice
and it was my own voice.” – Muddy Waters

Wikipedia (Read more):

McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983), known as Muddy Waters is generally considered the “father of modern Chicago blues”. He was a major inspiration for the British blues explosion in the 1960s, and was ranked #17 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In his later years Muddy usually said that he was born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, in 1915, he was actually born at Jug’s Corner in neighboring Issaquena County, Mississippi, in 1913.

One of the greatest and most influential blues artists of all times.

Got my Mojo workin, 1976:

His grandmother Della Grant raised him after his mother died shortly after his birth. His fondness for playing in mud earned him the nickname “Muddy” at an early age. He then changed it to “Muddy Water” and finally “Muddy Waters”.
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Music Calendar, The Band

Today: The late Richard Manuel was born in 1943 – 70 years ago

April 3, 2013 Egil

I play patterns. I’ll make up a pattern and just play it.
~Richard Manuel

“Well, let’s see: I started [in music] at nine and quit. Then got back to it when I was twelve. Then I became a party star. In fact, I became a party!”
~Richard Manuel

For me he was the true light of the Band. The other guys were fantastic talents, of course, but there was something of the holy madman about Richard. He was raw. When he sang in that high falsetto the hair on my neck would stand on end. Not many people can do that.
~Eric Clapton

A nice tribute video – I’m just a country boy:

I Shall Be Released (The Band)

Gonna dedicate this song to Mr. Richard Manuel, who does it so well
~Bob Dylan (Introducing “I Shall Be Released” December 8, 1975)

Birth name	Richard George Manuel
Born	April 3, 1943 Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Died	March 4, 1986 (aged 42) Winter Park, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Country rock, R&B, rock and roll, americana
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, drums, keyboard,lap slide guitar, harmonica, clavinet, marimba, conga
Years active	1957–1986

Richard George Manuel (April 3, 1943 – March 4, 1986) was a Canadian composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his contributions to and membership in The Band.

Here is the wonderful “Georgia On My Mind” from The Last Waltz concert:

“Richard Manuel was a whole show unto himself. He was hot. He was about the best singer I’d ever heard; most people said he reminded them of Ray Charles. He’d do those ballads, and the ladies would swoon. To me that became the highlight of our show.”
~Levon Helm

The Band was a Canadian-American roots rock group that originally consisted of Rick Danko (bass guitar, double bass, fiddle, trombone, vocals), Levon Helm (drums, mandolin, guitar, vocals), Garth Hudson (keyboard instruments, saxophones, trumpet), Richard Manuel (piano, drums, baritone saxophone, vocals) and Robbie Robertson (guitar, vocals). The members of the Band first came together as they joined rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins’s backing group, The Hawks, one by one between 1958 and 1963.

You Dont Know Me – Tokyo 1983

“He brought a lot of powers and strengths to the group. He brought in gospel music from his church upbringing. Plus, he loved to play and just come up with new things. It was like having a force of nature in the band.”
~Rick Danko

Posthumous recognition

In 1994, Richard Manuel was inducted, posthumously, into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Band.
In 2003, Japan’s Dreamsville Records released Whispering Pines: Live at the Getaway, which contains selections from a solo concert recorded in Saugerties, New York in October 1985.
Former bandmate Robbie Robertson‘s song “Fallen Angel” (1987) and The Band‘s song “Too Soon Gone” (1993) are each tributes to Manuel.
On Forbes.com, Allen St. John wrote a tribute article about Richard Manuel and Rick Danko on April 19, 2012.
Eric Clapton’s 1986 album, August, features his tribute to Richard Manuel entitled “Holy Mother”.
San Francisco-area group, The Call, who had collaborated with former Band members Hudson and Robertson, dedicated the video for their 1986 single, “Everywhere I Go” to Manuel.
Counting Crows recorded the song “If I Could Give All My Love -or- Richard Manuel Is Dead”, released on their 2002 album Hard Candy.
The Drive-By Truckers’ song “Danko/Manuel” was released on their album The Dirty South in 2004.

Wikipedia, http://theband.hiof.no, +

Playlist of the day

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Music Calendar

Today: The late Ronnie Lane was born in 1946 – 67 years ago

April 1, 2013 Egil 1 Comment

As the former bassist for the Small Faces, and later the Faces, Ronnie Lane left both bands when he felt the spirit of the group had died, gaining him the reputation of an uncompromising artist, and allowing him the opportunity to release some fine solo material in the ’70s.
~Steve Kurutz (allmusic.com)

Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones Talk The Faces on Hall of Fame Induction:

Ronnie Lane – Ooh La La (live 1974):

Birth name	Ronald Frederick Lane
Also known as	Plonk, Three-Piece
Born	1 April 1946 Plaistow, London, England
Died	4 June 1997 (aged 51) Trinidad, Colorado, USA
Genres	Rock, rhythm and blues, psychedelic rock, folk rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Bass, guitar, vocals
Years active	1965–1992
Labels	A&M, Atlantic, Immediate, Island
Associated acts	Faces, Small Faces, Slim Chance, Ronnie Lane and the 7 Samurai, Pete Townshend, Ron Wood

Ronald Frederick “Ronnie” Lane (1 April 1946 – 4 June 1997) was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed “Plonk”, (1965–69) – and, after losing the band’s frontman, Faces, with two new members added to the line up, (from The Jeff Beck Group), who dubbed him “Three-Piece” (1969–73). It was for his work in both the Small Faces and the Faces that Lane was inducted posthumously into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012.

Subsequently Lane collaborated with other musicians, leading his own bands as well as pursuing a solo career while remaining close to his former bandmates. In the late 1970s he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, despite charity projects and financial support from friends, former bandmates and fans, Lane, after suffering from the disease for 21 years, died at 51.

The Small Faces were Lane on bass guitar, Marriott as guitarist and lead vocalist, Kenney Jones as drummer, and Winston on keyboards, They made their debut in 1965, Ian McLagan replacing Winston in November 1965. Lane and Marriott began writing hit songs consistently, including “Itchycoo Park” and “All or Nothing”. At least a dozen successful songs credit Lane, and the 1968 concept album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake features songs co-written by Lane with one exception. The album made it to #1 on the UK Albums Chartfor six weeks. The band disbanded in 1969 as Marriott left the group. The group reformed during the late 1970s but Lane did not join them.

The Small Faces – Itchycoo Park:

Lane formed The Faces with McLagan, Jones, Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart in 1969. He shared primary songwriting duties in Faces with Rod Stewart, composing, or co-composing, many of their best-loved pieces and taking a central role during the recording of their fourth and final album, Ooh La La, particularly, as the band’s front man, Rod Stewart focused on his own solo career. Unhappy due to poor reviews of the album and Stewart’s lack of commitment, Lane quit in 1973, making his last appearance at the Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, London on 4 June. He was replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi but the group split in 1975.

The Faces – ‘Stay With Me‘, BBC Theatre. 1971:

“Solo”

After leaving the Faces Lane formed his own band Slim Chance, who recorded the hit singles “How Come” (UK No. 11) and “The Poacher” (UK No. 36) and the album Anymore for Anymore, showcasing a blend of British rock music, folk and country music.

After initial success he commenced a tour called “The Passing Show”, touring the UK as a carnival complete with tents and barkers. Viv Stanshall, from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, was a short-lived ringmaster (of sorts). Lane moved to Island Records and issued Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance and One for the Road. …. His ensuing album with Pete Townshend, Rough Mix, produced by Glyn Johns, which was released in 1977, was lauded as contender for best album of the year by many critics, but the label did not promote it and sales were lacklustre.

Wikipedia

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