Category: composers

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Mr. Lee Hazlewood.

The Girls in Paris
The Nights
After Six {from Lee Hazlewood-ism…}

Lee Hazlewood came to be known as a songwriter for, and vocalist with, the wonderful Nancy Sinatra. His gravelly baritone was the perfect compliment to Sinatra’s pure-as-gold pipes. But he was far, far more than that. Listening to his solo material, it’s hard not to be won over by the deadpan idiosyncrasies that pervade his songs and delivery. Wry humour, outright quirkiness, and a wistful sense of loss are Lee’s calling cards. A wonderful musician, the leading light of “Cowboy Psychedelia”. But most importantly, he’s utterly, unapologetically himself.

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Nick Cave.

The Australian-born Nick Cave delivers his poetic, visionary compositions with mind-boggling intensity and fervor. Bad Seeds Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, and others support Mr. Cave in his oft-times dark, tormented sojourn through the hinterlands. These performances are fierce, cathartic, electric.

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Nilsson.

Mr. Harry Nilsson was unquestionably one of the premier songwriters of his generation. Witty, trenchant lyrics, frequently concerning isolation, accompanied wonderful melodies. When asked who his favourite American band was, John Lennon unhesitatingly replied “Nilsson”. As did Paul McCartney, for that matter.

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The Moody Blues.

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The First Edition.

Featuring the great Kenny Rogers, and guitarist Terry Williams. Three distinctively different and inspired live performances of Just Dropped In, the Smothers Brothers appearance (w/studio version), a Reuben James video, and a lovely live Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town, coupled with a performance on Super Hit. Enjoy.

As a special addendum, we also include a gripping, masterful performance of Just Dropped In by the iconic song’s creator, Mr. Mickey Newbury.

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While My Conscience Explodes: Bob Dylan.

Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.
Things Have Changed.
Neighborhood Bully.
Visions of Johanna.

What can one say, at this point, about Mr. Dylan? This post represents but a minute handful of personal favorites composed and performed by one of the great artists of our time. His idiosyncratic, poetic, often cryptic and/or surreal lyrics changed the course of Music history; of that there is simply no doubt. The subsequent and current musical landscapes simply would not exist without him.

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composers Film Film Music Music photography Soundtracks

The Soundtracks, and Film Music.

Prime Specimen: Alexander Courage

A fistful of film composers, and their compositions. Bernard Herrmann, Eric Serra, Daniel Licht, Marvin Hamlisch, The Handsome Family, David Shire, Carter Burwell, Alexander Courage, and Ennio Morricone.

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composers hit singles Music music videos photography

Donovan.

Colours.
Season of the Witch.
Sunshine Superman.
Hurdy Gurdy Man.
Cecilia of the Seals.

Mr. Donovan Leitch, the Scottish singer/songwriter, was right in the thick of it during the heyday of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the like. And he penned and performed some of the most sublime, memorable compositions of that, or any era.

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composers hit singles Music music videos photography Songwriters

Eve of Destruction.

The extraordinary, powerful, and, upon its 1965 release, highly controversial composition Eve of Destruction is performed live by vocalist Barry McGuire on the Hullabaloo show. McGuire, after being introduced by Jerry Lewis, delivers an emotionally charged rendition that made ripples—more like tsunami—across the US.

Composer P.F. Sloan recalls a few fascinating and unlikely (as in, almost credulity-straining…yet not) details: during the studio recording session, “Barry was reading it for the first time off a piece of paper I had written the lyric on! Okay. McGuire’s record is released but ‘Eve’ is the B-side. Somewhere in the Great Midwest of America a DJ played the wrong side by mistake!”.

Banned and denounced as unpatriotic, Eve only became more and more popular, most likely benefiting from all the wild, incorrect accusations and censure. Its creator and performer were not so fortunate, however; Sloan:  “It ruined Barry’s career as an artist and in a year I would be driven out of the music business too.”.

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Beatles, The.

Tomorrow Never Knows.
Sexy Sadie {Anthology version}.
She Said, She Said.
And Your Bird Can Sing.
Doctor Robert.
I Want To Tell You
Mother Nature’s Son {Anthology version}.
Hey Jude {Anthology version.}

A sampling of some of the titanic moments created by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. As far as rapid, intense, super-concentrated evolution goes, as well as profound alteration of the musical landscape, The Beatles have only John Coltrane and Beethoven as peers.