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Still Raving On. Power pop gods Artful Dodger are back - digitally, at least. The little American Beat label reissued their second LP, Honor Among Thieves (1976) a few years ago, and now Sony has made it available as an MP3 download. We can only hope there's more to come, especially the band's masterful swan song, Rave On (1980) - never issued on CD. [learn more] |
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Love With Legs. This year's crop of Valentine's albums is headed up by a stellar set from Hall-of-Fame hottie Tina Turner. Her Love Songs album includes such bedroom-ready ballads as "What's Love Got To Do With It" and "Why Must We Wait Until Tonight." And, don't miss the new romantic releases from Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. [mucho amor] |
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Get Ready, Here I Come. The popular, poignant Temptations TV movie (1998 ) is finally on DVD. This epic telling of one of Motown's greatest stories stretches to almost four hours, spanning roughly four decades of triumph and tragedy as the Mighty Temptations rise, fall, and survive - while making some of the most soulful music in Motown history. [learn more] [shop now] |
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The Filth and The Flautas. This website is named (sort of) after a San Antonio, Texas nightclub (learn more) that the Sex Pistols played at during their first (and last) American tour (learn more). Well, the 35th anniversary of that show is coming up, and a massive punk rock show (Sons of Hercules, Nervebreakers, Hickoids, and more) is happening on January 5 at Backstage Live in San Antonio. Never got the feeling you've been cheated? Well, now you can! [right now] |
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A Graceful Farewell. We said goodbye to Eddy Arnold recently when he passed away at age 89. A couple of years ago, Eddy has issued his 100th album, After
All These Years - his planned final recording. Read the amazing story of country music's most successful - and underappreciated - stars. [read more & listen] |
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The Beat Of Bread. When Mike Botts, drummer for 70's
superstars Bread died in December 2005, he improbably became the group's
second alumnus to join the great gig in the sky that year - bandmate James Griffin passed in
January. For more about Botts, Griffin, and Bread, click here. |
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We Were Neighbors. When the Chi-Lites' lead singer,
Eugene Record, passed away, we lost one of soul's purest voices. On songs like "Oh
Girl," "Have You Seen Her," and "A Letter To Myself," Record's pure, strong,
unadorned tenor defined loneliness for a generation. [read more & listen] |
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Hey, Bread Fans! Hot on the heels of Lost
Without Your Love, Wounded Bird Records has reissued four albums by Bread leader David Gates, including two CD debuts - Never Let Her Go (1975) and Falling In Love Again (1980). [read
more or purchase] |
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The Courtney Love Of Country Music. Lynn
Anderson's antics have made her something of spectacle recently - for all the wrong reasons. But
this powerhouse has quite a legacy and a new Greatest
Hits CD that makes it plain. Learn more on my newly expanded page. [read
more & listen] |
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A Rather Dismal Day. I was saddened to learn of the death of James Griffin, the other singer and songwriter in Bread.
Unlike his bandmate, David Gates, Griffin never graced the Top 40. Still, he had a unique talent,
and a warm voice, and he added a certain roughness to Bread's sweet sound. [read more] |
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Baby, She Lied. Deborah Allen was one of the more
distinctive voices to emerge from Nashville in the 80's - and she wasn't hard on the eyes, either.
Like many singers of that era, she succumbed to her baser instincts, striving for pop glory
rather than artistic achievement. [read
more] |
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Pledging His Love. Our Johnny Ace page has been updated
in honor of Hip-O Select's long-overdue, sterling upgrade of his Memorial Album.
This primordial R'n'B crooner is a key link between the blues and soul music. Get to know him! read
more |
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A
Benefit For Kate's Sake. Very nearly a "who's who" of Americana, To
Kate is a Christmas CD benefiting the Children's
Organ Transplant Association in honor of Kate
Kirk, a youngster in recovery after a life-saving blood transplant.
Joe Ely, Steve Earle, Raul Malo, more. purchase |
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The Perry Como Of Country Music. Eddy Arnold charted
140 country records spanning five decades, but he is best remembered for the maudlin pop sides
he waxed in the 60's. There is much more to "The Tennessee Plowboy" than that - take
a gander on my updated page. read more |
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Visit Hitsville USA! Recently, I posted
an extensive special feature on Motown Records - the history, the artists, and how
to collect all that wonderful music - and,
I'm just getting started! They called it "The Sound of Young America," and for once
the hype was right on the money. Find out why... [read
more] |
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Hey, Bread Fans! At long last, Bread's final studio
album is available on CD. Lost
Without Your Love, a 1976 reunion album that includes two David Gates hits and several strong
contributions by James Griffin, has been reissued by Wounded Bird Records. [read
more or purchase] |
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It's
Pony Time! The long-delayed boxed set Cameo
Parkway 1957-1967 has finally arrived, chronicling the history of the important Phildelphia-based
label while collecting never-on-CD gems by Chubby Checker, Bob Seger, ? & The Mysterians,
the Tymes, and the Dovells. Let's twist again! [browse
and buy] |
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The Real Johnny B. Goode. Most people don't think
so, but the music of Chuck Berry was as much about the piano as
the guitar. The man behind that piano was Johnnie Johnson, openly admired by Eric Clapton, Keith
Richards, and more. He died recently at age 80, obscure, perhaps, but loved. [read
more] |
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Still Raving On. Steve Cooper, bassist for power pop
favorites Artful Dodger, writes to say they're back - if only for one night! If you're lucky enough
to live in Cleveland, catch the band's reunion show at the famed Agora
Ballroom on December 31st. [learn more] |
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R.I.P.
Johnny Ramone. The Ramones' buzzsaw guitarist extraordinaire died recently, following singer
Joey and bassist Dee Dee to an early grave. If you don't own any music by this pioneering punk
band, I highly recommend Loud
Fast Ramones: Their Toughest Hits or Hey
Ho Let's Go! Anthology or their first four individual albums. [browse
and buy] |
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Merry
Krimble. Capitol Records has begun issuing the Beatles' albums
in their American format, beginning with a boxed set, The
Capitol Albums, Vol. 1. Some would argue that the original British configurations are superior,
but these new versions include stereo versions never issued on CD. Something new, indeed.... [browse
and buy] |
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Heart
Shaped Box. The long awaited Nirvana box, With
The Lights Out, is not a greatest hits; for that see Nirvana (2002).
Rather, it's a collector's dream of hard-to-find b-sides, live recordings, and studio demos -
81 rare or previously unreleased cuts! [browse
and buy] |
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