Tag: music videos

Hoople! {Mott The}

Mr. Ian Hunter, the lead vocalist and braintrust of Mott the Hoople {so named after a 1966 novel by Willard Manus}, realized early on in his life, that, at least in terms of music, he quite simply was *not* like the others. It affected him much, much more powerfully.

Hunter joined a band called Silence, which was then renamed on a whim by the Svengali-like Guy Stevens, noted impresario and bon vivant. Mott enjoyed some success, but was nearing the end of its tether, when one David Bowie offered them a song. All The Young Dudes became, of course, a huge hit, an anthem, the sound of an era.

Ian continued with Mott until December, 1974, then led a somewhat less hectic and more varied lifestyle. He worked briefly with the great Mick Ronson; the final track we here offer is an almost impossibly beautiful, wistful piece of music, and it is enhanced by Ronson’s mandolin. Mott the Hoople leave a unique legacy; a band beloved well beyond what their fame/fortune would indicate…yet they are really not a “cult” band, either. How dare they.

Tags All the Young Dudes, David Bowie, Ian Hunter, Mott The Hoople, music, music videos

Brian May Freddie Mercury Music music videos Queen Singers videos vocalists

Bryan May, Freddie Mercury, and Queen. {And The Richard Burton}

Post author By ml22
Post date August 4, 2019
No Comments on Bryan May, Freddie Mercury, and Queen. {And The Richard Burton}

https://youtu.be/wBrb0jIR2_8

Queen, featuring vocalist Freddie Mercury, and guitarist Brian May, with a live You’re My Best Friend, performed in December of 1979 at the Hammersmith Odeon. This shows Mercury in top form vocally; a true maestro at work.

Another shining exemplar of Queen’s formidable power is this iteration of the remarkable hit single Killer Queen. Recorded June 7, 1977 at Earl’s Court, this rendition is quite canonical. The synergy between Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May is really working, and both are in magnificent form. Speaking of Mercury, Roger Daltrey once stated that he was “the best virtuoso rock ‘n’ roll singer of all time”, and well known soprano Montserrat Caballé felt that “his technique was astonishing; he sang with an incisive sense of rhythm; he also had a great musicality, and he was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance for each word”. An extraordinary, charismatic performer, Mr. Mercury was described by guitarist Brian May as being so magnetic “he could make the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium feel that he was connected”. The British vocalist also was unafraid to rank 58th in a poll of 100 Greatest Britons, finishing just behind Alexander Graham Bell. And The Cliff Richard (??). George Harrison was also bettered; however, and in the most controversial decision, legendary Welsh actor Richard Burton came-a-cropper, finishing behind—by a significant margin—the great vocalist. Observers reported the Welshman appeared visibly shaken, ashen-faced, and extremely bitter during the ceremony. Some claim he wiped away tears, as he abruptly stormed off to whereabouts unknown.

“Burton later claimed ill health, but those near him were positive the Welshman wept openly, clenched his fists in impotent rage, and frequently muttered uncomplimentary remarks whilst shaking with hysteria, losing his balance more than once.” -Thrustus Simmonds, noted author of “Titans of Britondom, and Such”.

Tags 100 Greatest Britons, Brian May, embittered Welshmen, Freddie Mercury, live performances, music, music videos, Queen, visibly shaken Welshmen

Bruce Springsteen Charisma epoch-defining hit singles music videos performers photography Poetry Singers videos vocalists

Springsteen.

Titanic moments of ecstasy, pathos, and catharsis are the norm for this great man, in his legendary live performances.

Tags Badlands, Bruce Springsteen, Charisma, charismatic figures, composers, live performances, music, music videos, performers, photography, Something in the Night, transcendent figures, vocalists

Andy Partridge Geniuses Music music videos performers photography Singers videos vocalists XTC

XTC, featuring Andy Partridge.

Post author By ml22
Post date July 31, 2019
1 Comment on XTC, featuring Andy Partridge.

Few bands can match XTC’s accomplishments as far as writing/performing memorably quirky, intellectual, and, yes, catchy songs. Lead vocalist Andy Partridge provides the oddball genius charisma to generate a potent cocktail of aural nirvana.

Most of these are live performances, with the Rockpalast “Senses” being fairly rare.

Partridge experiences auditory synesthesia, which he uses in his songwriting process. In later interviews, he stated he believes himself to be on the autistic spectrum, saying in a 2022 interview with The Guardian: “I think I’m on the spectrum, yes, but it’s all helped me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He has also had obsessive–compulsive disorder since childhood. At the age of 12, he was professionally diagnosed with ADHD (known at the time as simply “hyperactivity”) and prescribed Valium. He later formed a dependency on the drug that was exacerbated by the pressures of his music career. After disposing of the drug in 1981, he experienced severe withdrawal effects that led to XTC’s withdrawal from touring. But persevere he nonetheless did.

Tags Andy Partridge, composers, Helicopter, music, music videos, new wave, pure pop wonderment, Senses Working Overtime, vocalists, XTC

Allan Clarke Music music videos performers Singers The Hollies videos vocalists

The Hollies.

https://youtu.be/XTVu-UkXSYo

The Hollies, a superb three-part harmony group {primarily}, fronted by the amazing Allan Clarke, had many a monster hit, including the Albert Hammond-penned The Air That I Breathe; these are four of their finest.

Tags Allan Clarke, hit singles, music, music videos, The Hollies, vocalists, vocalists of wonder

Audio Geniuses Lene Lovich Music music videos performers photography Singers videos vocalists

The Lene Lovich.

Lene Lovich: Inscrutable SemaphoreDownload

Lili-Marlene Premilovich, later known as Lene Lovich, preternaturally idiosyncratic—and gifted—songstress, happens to play saxophone, is an animal rights activist, and initially wore her hair in braids to keep the locks from the clay, when in art school, studying sculpture. And, damn, she can deliver a tune. With octaves to spare {hear: Momentary Breakdown}.

Tags idiosyncratic, Lene Lovich, Lucky Number, Momentary Breakdown, music, music videos, New Toy, new wave, octaves, range, Singers, vocalists, vocalists of wonder

Country Music Dwight Yoakam Geniuses Music music videos performers Singers Townes Van Zandt vocalists Willie Nelson

The Country Musics.

Shade Tree Fix-It Man

High On A Hilltop

Titans of music abound in this post. From the preternatural pipes of Mr. Yoakam, to the not-in-need-of-rocking-chairs legend George Jones, to guitar legend Junior Brown, to the inimitable Hoyt Axton, to the Lanois-ing Willie Nelson…then the hugely underappreciated Dick Curless, the mighty Johnny Paycheck, the irresistible Lucinda Williams, to Dan Auerbach and his mesmerizing ways, Buck Owens in his prime with Don Rich, the great Merle Haggard, the Silver Fox…B.J. Thomas…and we conclude with Dwight once more, with Eddy Shaver. Damn Right. And Townes Van Zandt.

Tags Buck Owens, Charlie Rich, Country Music, Dan Auerbach, Dick Curless, Don Rich, Dwight Yoakam, Eddy Shaver, George Jones, Hoyt Axton, live performances, Lucinda Williams, Merle Haggard, music, music videos, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson

Frankie Lymon Music music videos Singers videos vocalists

𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐋𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐧.

Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers perform their monster hit Why Do Fools Fall In Love live on the Frankie Laine Show in 1956. The 13 year old Lymon simply sizzles and electrifies the Nation with this performance; the prodigy already has a fully formed vocal delivery many talents never attain. Words have a different sound, and even meaning, coming from his mouth. Note the maestro-ism in his approach: rather than hitting the same nail with the selfsame hammer, he eschews the falsetto moments for a more Joe Williams-esque way forward. His stage presence is magnetic yet composed, and, oh, Lymon is a brilliant dancer, too. Other than that, well….but wait! He gives a calm, charming interview (of sorts) with host Laine. I suppose all that’s good enough. Good enough to massively influence generations of musicians, most conspicuously a certain One-Glovèd individual. To MJ‘s credit, he was quite open about this. That said, a wide swath was cut, and a vast-ish net was cast: heck, The Beach Boys have noted him as an inspiration.

https://vimeo.com/351022149

Now, to give a bit of context to this groundbreaking performance. Frankie Lymon met and quickly joined a doo-wop ensemble featuring the doddering, shambling Methuselean figure Herman Santiago, checking in at a full 1 1/2 years older than Frankie L. He was 15 when all appeared on the Laine program. A tenor vocalist and the human being most likely to have actually composed Why Do Fools Fall In Love (it has been disputed for 2.3 epochs at last count…), Santiago functioned as the ensemble’s frontman until something became crystal clear: Lymon was The One. Santiago was the one (small case) scheduled to sing lead on Why during recording sessions until, for reasons which are different depending upon who(m) is asked (late arrival to session, sore throat, missing merkin collection and intensive, time-consuming search required to retrieve same…) (said collection remains at large to this very day), he was unable to do so. Lymon unhesitatingly filled the void, in the session, in our lives, and in human history. I have grown fatigued/verklempt.

Tags Frankie Lymon, music videos, prodigies, vocalists of wonder

Eric Carmen Music music videos Singers videos vocalists

The Eric Carmen.

The great vocalist/pianist/composer performs both solo and with his group Raspberries. The range and breadth of Mr. Carmen’s talent has really never been fully appreciated. And his voice is truly a thing of wonder.