Music Blogs (1,259)

Musician, singer, songwriter Christopher Cross released the song Ride Like the Wind in 1980 and it was a hit reaching #2 on the Billboard charts.

The basis of the song was about a convicted outlaw on the run from a death-by-hanging sentence. He has to 'ride like the wind' to reach the Mexican border and avoid capture by the sheriff's posse.

Great song, great lyrics. Here is the album version:




Michael McDonald does the background vocals.

... Who are looking for Mr. Right.

Guitarist Joe Bonamassa has been hoarding vintage guitars and amplifiers for more than a generation. Some of his collection comes from famous owners that were passed through friends or family. Many were modified by their previous owners. Some remained in their altered states and many Joe had restored back to their original luster.

Interviewed by Mark Agnesi of Gibson guitars, Joe is an expert to the details of his collection, literally having total recall for the history behind each and every one.

Mentioned in the video, he doesn't break up a set. So if he made a deal for a guitar that came along with an amplifier, they stay together and the story told behind his quest to get these instruments becomes part of it's history. Joe can tell the year an instrument was made, specifics to the pickups and electronics, style of the neck (thin or rounded) whether or not it had original frets or modified.

His Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to collect instruments, especially Gibson Les Paul series with sunburst finish is apparent. It's memorabilia madness and about 33 minutes into the video a significant statement "I buy the story, the instrument comes free" puts it all together.
He doesn't say, I picked up this guitar from a music store... it's more like: This one was bought from Woodies music in Chobonga, Illinois. It's a '67 with original electronics. The owner bought it for his son who played in a garage band before joining the army. They paid $157 with a case. I wasn't unable to strike a deal with Woody the first time, but passing through 6 months later, he finally accepted my offer. It comes with the original receipt. That's Joe. That's Nerdville.

Joe first did a video of his California collection calling it Nerdville. In his travels and touring, geographically it was beneficial to relocate to Nashville so his new home was appropriately titled Nerdville East.

I was surfing some guitar sites and hit a Pinterest page with mug shots of famous singers/musicians.
Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, ___, Kurt Cobain.


I didn't recognize the one before Kurt.
Link:


Original links:

Ronnie Spector co-founder of the legendary Ronettes, dead at 78.
Rest in Peace...

I've always admired the song writing skill/talent of Paul McCartney.
Having only seen him perform live once about 12 years ago when ticket prices were $250, I coughed up the money. It was the last show of his US tour and I didn't think there would be another South Florida Show after this.
I went with a friend who was a dedicated Beatle fan and the people who were behind us caught Paul's 2 previous concerts in Florida. They joked about being arrested for stalking him.
79 year old famed bassist, guitarist, pianist, singer songwriter, vegetarian, positive thinker, billionaire, grants interviews and acknowledges fans who have bought his music and followed his career for more than 4 decades.
Giving up the ghost and letting his white hair show through the dye, he's been overdue for another face lift.
In an undated interview, Paul gives out some interesting background to some of the collaborative efforts that went into Beatle and solo songs.

Have a listen...

The Mellotron is a musical instrument developed in England in 1963. It consists of a piano-style keyboard with recording tapes instead of strings. Each tape has several 'voices' so you can switch from sounds. Flute, human voice are some that I recall.
When you press a key, the play head runs along the tape and you hear the sound of that note. So if the Mellotron has 36 notes, there are 36 tapes, one for each note.
Unfortunately the tapes aren't endless. You only get 8 seconds before the tape ends. At that point, you have to lift the key a second for the tape head to retract and you can play the note again.

I recall there was an issue with Mellotrons and the musicians union as the recording studios who had Mellotrons didn't need to hire real musicians every time an artist wanted to add a track where the Mellotron had that voice on the tape. Want a violin to play a short solo? Use a Mellotron. Need 10 singers in a chorus? Use a Mellotron.

Here is a demo with explanation of the inner mechanism.

Last month, I bookmarked a YouTube video of Britain's Got Talent audition for a South African singer Belinda Davids and going through videos tonight, gave it another listen.
This MILF belted out a Whitney Houston song and hit the high notes actually cleaner than Whitney herself.
There are lots of Whitney covers but this talent show opened up a career for Belinda.

Perhaps you are in pain, having lost a loved one,
to cancer, another woman, a virus, or some punk's gun.
I know it hurts bad baby, and that's no good.
Let me ease it honey, like I know I should.

Come right on over sweetheart and I'll ease the pain.
I've got strong shoulders to lean on during storm & rain.
My muscular arms will hold you tight.
We'll sway to the music throughout the night.