Let’s Take A Moment Day 222

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hi everyone. Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing. But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

On this day in 1936 The Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman was born in London, England. In 1973 he received a #1 record to celebrate his 37th birthday when today’s song hit the top of the US charts for one week. I wonder what he will get to commemorate his 84th?

After 31 years with the Stones, he left the band in 1993 to raise three children with his third wife. He started his own band, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, and wrote scores for television and movies. He also pursued other hobbies like photography & archeology. He is featured in the 2019 documentary, “The Quiet One” that I have yet to see but I am guessing that a film on any member of the Stones is bound to be interesting.

Today’s track is another gorgeous Stones ballad that I completely adore like “Wild Horses” (Day 103). But unlike the guitar driven medley of that song, today’s pick is led by a sublime piano performance by the band’s frequent session player, Nicky Hopkins, and an unbelievably gorgeous string arrangement. Hopkins played with other bands throughout his career including The Who, The Kinks and The Rumour, amongst others. But I think he did his best work with Wyman’s old band.

“Remember all those nights we cried
All the dreams were held so close
Seemed to all go up in smoke
Let me whisper in your ear“.

Top: The Rolling Stones circa 1967 (L-R): Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman & Brian Jones. Bottom: Richards at a 2012 Stones concert where Wyman joined the band on stage. (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

The Rolling Stones: “Angie” (1973, written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

20Oct2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 218

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

In October of 1969 Rod Stewart joined a revamped version of The Small Faces when they became known simply as The Faces. The move united him with the band’s new guitarist & songwriter, Ron Wood, who met Stewart in 1964 then played with him in The Jeff Beck Group from 1967-1969. Stewart also had a solo record deal at the time which garnered him worldwide success in 1971 with the release of “Every Picture Tells A Story”. Wood worked with him on that record as well, with both men co-writing that album’s title track. The two also wrote today’s song together. They stayed with The Faces until 1975 when Wood left to join The Rolling Stones & Stewart continued his solo career. The rest of the group officially disbanded the same year as well. Both Wood & Stewart enjoy long successful careers which continue today.

For as hard rocking as today’s track is, it surprisingly came across unbelievably well in a rousing acoustic format when Stewart performed it on his 1993 MTV Unplugged show joined by Wood, who not only played guitar, but contributed backing vocals as well. I love nearly everything Stewart has ever done, but find the combination of his vocal & Wood’s slide guitar completely exhilarating on today’s track. It is a great classic rock tune that sounds as fresh today as it did when it was a top 20 hit in 1972.

“So in the morning please don’t say you love me
‘Cause you know I’ll only kick you out the door
Yeah I’ll pay your cab fare home you can even use my best cologne
Just don’t be here in the morning when I wake up“.

Top: The Faces circa 1969 (L-R, top to bottom): Ronnie Lane (bass), Kenny Jones (drums), Ian McLagan (piano & keyboards), Rod Stewart (vocals) & Ron Wood (guitar). Bottom: Wood (L) and Stewart (R) at his 1993 MTV Unplugged show. (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

The Faces: “Stay With Me” (1971, written by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

18Oct2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 216

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Today’s song was written by singer Rick Nelson about his rather unhappy experience at an oldies show that took place in October 1971 at NYC’s acclaimed Madison Square Garden. He was on the bill along with superstars Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley & others. Ozzie & Harriet’s heartthrob son, who was 31 years old at the time & stopped going by “Ricky” since his 21st birthday in 1961, understandably “didn’t look the same” as the lyrics go. He began his set by performing two of his older hits which the crowd enjoyed. But their mood changed during his country cover of The Rolling Stones hit, “Honky Tonk Women”. Suddenly the audience started to boo, offending Nelson so much he walked off the stage and refused to return, not even for the all-star finale.

Eventually another story emerged that the crowd’s reaction was not directed at him but rather at police officers attempting to remove an over inebriated man from the arena. But the experience rattled Nelson so much he wrote about it in what became his last top ten hit ever in 1972. I grew up singing this with my mother because she adored it and played the single to death. I knew all the lyrics to the track but would not come to understand them until years later as they were basically written in code. For instance, two of The Beatles attended the show (as fans, not performers) so Nelson mentioned them with the lines “Yoko brought a Walrus” (about John Lennon and his wife Yoko) and “Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan’s shoes wearing his disguise” (about George Harrison, as Hughes was supposedly Harrison’s alias and he was rumored to be making an album of all Bob Dylan songs at that time).

As for himself, Nelson wrote, “I said hello to Mary Lou, she belongs to me” in reference to his 1961 hit song “Hello Mary Lou” which he performed that night. The next line, “But when I sang a song about a honky tonk, it was time to leave” referred to him ending his set due to the crowd’s sour reaction to his cover song. By the last verse, Nelson mentioned one of the show headliners but not by his name (Berry), but rather by using references to his most famous song: “…out stepped Johnny B. Goode, playing guitar like a-ringin’ a bell and lookin’ like he should“. The final line, “But if memories were all I sang, I’d rather drive a truck” was supposedly a reference to Elvis Presley who did just that while he was trying to get a record deal and not receiving too much recognition for either vocation. The song was Nelson’s final hit record. He died in 1985 in a plane crash at the very young age of 45, nine years before his mother.

In the years before MTV, many music artists appeared on variety shows to promote their songs. If they could not attend due to scheduling conflicts or tour dates, they would pre-tape their performance to be shown in place of a live one. I was fortunate to find the clip of Nelson singing today’s song with his band that I saw as a kid. It brought back unbelievably poignant memories. Music & YouTube are the closest things to time travel we will probably ever see in our lifetimes. 🙂

“But it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well
You see, you can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself”.

Ozzie-Nelson-Harriet-Hilliard-David-Ricky-The

Top: The Nelsons circa 1955 (L-R): Ozzie, Harriet, Ricky & David. Bottom: Rick Nelson in 1972 in a still from today’s video. (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

Rick Nelson: “Garden Party” (1972, written by Rick Nelson).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

12Oct2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 210

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

On December 11, 1968 “The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus” concert was filmed as an all-star BBC television special to promote their album, Beggars Banquet. The guests the group welcomed included fellow UK bands The Who & Jethro Tull, singer Marianne Faithful & blues musician Taj Mahal. But the really big draw in this sea of talent was a one time only performance by super group The Dirty Mac. The quartet consisted of John Lennon (from The Beatles) on rhythm guitar & vocals, Eric Clapton (from Cream) on lead guitar, Keith Richards (from The Rolling Stones) on bass & Mitch Mitchell (from The Jimi Hendrix Experience) on drums. They performed one song from The Beatles’ White Album. It was, without a doubt, an unbelievably magnificent performance.

That historic moment & the rest of the film did not make its premiere until October 12, 1996 (the album came out two days later). The reason for the nearly three decade delay? The Rolling Stones were unhappy with their playing & felt particularly upstaged by The Who. But that concert was the last time Brian Jones performed in public with the Stones, so for fans of the group that in and of itself makes the film worth its weight in gold. And the other acts are very good, too. But there is no denying the fact that the real star of the show & the movie is The Dirty Mac.

At the 1:03 mark of the video, Lennon, Clapton & Richards do a synchronized slide that is just too fabulous for words. And each individual performance is dazzling on its own: Lennon’s vocal is strong & raw, Clapton’s playing is incredible & the rhythm section holds it all together in their powerful hands. Plus, seeing three of them at the height of their fame while they were still so young (read: under 30) is like traveling back in time. Lennon looks exactly like his White Album 8×10 glossy, Clapton sans facial hair looks like a teenager you would pass in the hall of any high school in America (and sports a rarely seen onstage smile at the 2:11 mark followed by an up close glimpse of his unbelievably beautiful talented hands @ the 2:52 mark) while Richards is nearly unrecognizable in his pretty pre-drug using days. And an added bonus is that even though Lennon’s constant companion at the time, Yoko Ono, appeared on stage with the group, she quietly slipped into a black sack as “performance art” without uttering one of her infamous screams.

The concert was released 16 years ago this month on DVD and I consider it one of the most precious things I own. A “lost” film from this time period of music is an incredible gift, and one with Lennon on stage is particularly magical. To see him with a group other than The Beatles performing one of their songs before they broke up is a reminder of how much he still had to give to the world with them and on his own in the last decade of his life.

“My mother was of the sky
My father was of the earth
But I am of the universe
And you know what it’s worth”.

The Dirty Mac at their one time only performance in December 1968 (L-R): Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell & Keith Richards. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The Dirty Mac: “Yer Blues” (As performed at “The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus” concert, December 1968. Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

24Sep2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 192

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

September 23 marked the 90th birth anniversary of the man known as “The Genius”, Ray Charles. He gave us so much spectacular music throughout his career and there is nothing I can write about him that has not already been expressed. He was one of the greats, an absolute legend, a phenomenal performer and an American treasure. And one of the best singers to take another person’s song and make it his own.

One of my favorite examples of this gift is a song he included on his 1993 album, “My World” It was written by another piano man, Leon Russell. He was another multi-talented performer who had a voice similar to that of Gregg Allman and hit those keys like Charles. Russell spent nearly 60 years playing & singing with some of the best known artists of the 20th century like Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Ike & Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Joe Cocker and so many others.

Russell wrote hit songs like “This Masquerade”, “Lady Blue”, “Tightrope”, “Hummingbird”, “Delta Lady” & today’s track. It was covered by The Carpenters, Donny Hathaway, Willie Nelson, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and, of course, Charles. His version won him his third Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1994 and brought out the heart of this song unlike anyone before or after, including Russell. But they are his words that Charles brought to life so beautifully.

“I love you in a place where there’s no space or time
I love you for my life, you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singin’ my song for you“.

Ray Charles circa 1968. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Leon Russell in 1971. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Ray Charles: “A Song For You” (1993, written by Leon Russell).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

19Sep2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 187

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Today is the 80th birthday for a man who has one of the most recognizable bass baritone voices in music, Bill Medley. Born William Thomas Medley in California on September 19, 1940, he started singing in the choir of his Presbyterian church. He was influenced by his parent’s love of swing music as well as artists like Little Richard, Bobby Bland, B.B. King and Ray Charles. Medley met tenor Bobby Hatfield in the early 1960’s when they were in a group called The Paramours. Medley wrote a song that he decided to record just with Hatfield, 1962’s “Little Latin Lupe Lu” for a girl Medley briefly dated. The two men chose the name of their duo after a group of black Marines referred to the duo’s singing voices as “righteous”.

The two men soon began to garner local exposure on the west coast. By the summer of 1964 they opened for The Beatles on their first U.S. tour, made an appearance on the TV show, “Shindig” and then opened for The Rolling Stones American tour in the fall. But it was the duo’s encounter with famed produced Phil Spector at a concert that same year that would change both their careers and their lives. He made a deal with the duo’s label, Moonglow Records, to let him release music under his company, Philles Records. The first song is today’s pick and catapulted the duo to worldwide success. Other hits followed including “(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration” and two others with only Hatfield on vocals, “Unchained Melody” (which remarkably enough was a B-side to “Hung On You”) and “Ebb Tide”.

By 1966 the duo signed with a new label, Verve/MGM, leading Spector to file a lawsuit against the men that was eventually settled. By 1968 the duo broke up but reunited in 1974 and released the top ten hit “Rock & Roll Heaven”. The hits waned after that but the duo’s sound remained part of the mainstream, including Medley’s duet with Jennifer Warnes, “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” from the movie, “Dirty Dancing” and the feature of their song, “Unchained Melody”, in the 1990 film, “Ghost”. Hatfield died in 2003 and Medley recruited singer Bucky Heard to sing the duos songs with him beginning in 2016.

Medley wrote his autobiography, “The Time Of My Life: A Righteous Brother’s Memoir” in 2014.. He said in an interview that today’s song is the most played record in the history of American radio which BMI confirmed in 1999. It is also the best example of Spector’s iconic “Wall Of Sound” production technique. For me, it is simply a gorgeous track with two of the best vocals ever recorded.

“Now there’s no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you
And now you’re starting to criticize little things I do
It makes me just feel like crying
‘Cause baby, something beautiful’s dyin’“.

Bobby Hatfield (L) and Bill Medley (R) as The Righteous Brothers circa 1964 (top) and in 2003 at their induction into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (bottom). ((Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

The Righteous Brothers: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin‘” (1964, written by Barry Mann, Phil Spector & Cynthia Weil).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

19Aug2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 156

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Time for another mid-week Motown break. In 1963 Stevie Wonder scored his first #1 song with “Fingertips”. He was 13 years old. But for the next two years he could not get a record into the top 20. When he turned 15 his voice changed and the songwriters he was working with modified their process to adapt to Wonder’s new tenor voice. He wanted something with a fast tempo to match the pace of The Rolling Stones song, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” which was a huge hit at the time. The result is today’s song which went to #3 on the charts and began a streak of hit songs that would follow Wonder into the 1970’s.

“No football hero or smooth Don Juan
Got empty pockets, you see I’m a poor man’s son
Can’t give her the things that money can’t buy
But I’ll never, never make my baby cry“.

Stevie Wonder (L) and Marvin Gaye (R) in the Motown studios circa 1965. Gaye played drums for Wonder and several other Motown artists before his own successful recording career. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Stevie Wonder: “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” (1965, written by Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy and Stevie Wonder).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

17Aug2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 154

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Today in 1974 Eric Clapton’s “461 Ocean Boulevard” became the #1 album in the country and stayed there for four consecutive weeks (August 17-September 13). By September 14 the record’s single, which is today’s feature, became the #1 song in the country for one week. Surprisingly, this cover of Bob Marley’s original song is Clapton’s only #1 single and it does not contain one of his signature guitar solos. But I love it & him regardless. Let’s face it-he could stand on a stage clearing his throat while tuning his guitar and I’d swoon. But luckily he does so much more than that.

Clapton’s musical odyssey includes playing with The Rolling Stones (with them as a group and with Keith Richards and Ron Wood individually), Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy, David Sanborn, The Band, Duane Allman (most notably on the “Layla” song and album), Freddie King, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, Wynton Marsalis, Stephen Stills, Howlin’ Wolf, Dave Mason, Solomon Burke, Leon Russell, The Who (Clapton was The Preacher in the film, “Tommy”), Jeff Beck, Billy Preston, brothers Jimmy Vaughan & Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Roger Waters, J.J. Cale, Robert Cray, Derek Trucks, Mark Knopfler, Luther Allison, Otis Rush, Doyle Bramhall, Daryl Hall and The Beatles, both as a group and with each member on solo projects. Clapton was also a member of The Yardbirds, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek & The Dominos. That is one staggering resume. But even without that history behind him, I think he is one of the preeminent musicians of our time, especially live. And one of my great musical loves.

Eric Clapton circa 1990. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Eric Clapton: “I Shot The Sheriff” (1974, written by Bob Marley).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

14Aug2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 151

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

As someone who loves music I owe an immense amount of gratitude to the blues. It is the one genre of music that is the common denominator behind so many of the singers and bands I adore. Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors and others have payed homage to the old blues singers and their songs. Even Led Zeppelin considers their roots in that genre. But one of my favorite bands that always honored their blues roots was The Allman Brothers Band. They covered such classics as “Come On In My Kitchen” by Robert Johnson, “Statesboro Blues” by Blind Willie McTell and “Trouble No More” by Muddy Waters, amongst others. But today’s song is the one I love the best because despite how many other artists performed this one, the dueling guitar playing of Duane Allman & Dickey Betts is unmatched. Plus, Greg Allman made it his own from the first note he sang. I absolutely adore their version of this song.

“Lord, I’m foolish to be here in the first place
I know some man gonna walk in and take my place
Ain’t no way in the world, I’m going out that front door
‘Cause there’s a man down there, might be your man I don’t know“.

The Allman Brothers Band (L_R): Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriter), Duane Allman (lead & slide guitar), Dickey Betts (lead guitar, vocals, songwriter), Jaimoe Johanson (drums), Butch Trucks (drums) & Berry Oakley (bass) in 1971 as photographed for the cover of their second album, Idlewild South. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The Allman Brothers Band: “One Way Out” (1972, written by Elmore James, Marshall E. Sehorn and Sonny Boy Williamson)

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

10Aug2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 147

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Today Veronica “Ronnie” Spector turns 77 years young. But to anyone who remembers her vocals with her group, The Ronettes, or on Eddie Money’s 1986 song “Take Me Home Tonight”, she will always be the epitome of a girl group singer. As far as that genre goes, it is hard to get much better than The Ronettes. Their sound, their harmonies, their looks including those beehives hairdos were just the definition of cool (now you know who Amy Winehouse patterned her look after). I think if you were a girl coming of age in the 1960’s and you liked music, that group was where it was at. Hits like “Baby, I Love You”, “Walking In The Rain”, “I Can Hear music” and today’s song showcase only a percentage of their incredible vocal abilities.

Think about this: The Rolling Stones were The Ronettes opening act on their 1964 U.K. tour and the women were the only girl group who toured with The Beatles in 1966. How incredible is that?!? Ironically enough it was the success of those bands and the rest of the British Invasion that led to the decline of The Ronettes’ popularity. They only recorded one album together, 1964’s “Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica” before they broke up in 1967, relying on only hit singles for much of their success. But they had a great run and girls like me still believe in their songs and in the power of big hair.

“So won’t you say you love me
I’ll make you so proud of me
We’ll make ’em turn their heads
Every place we go“.

The Ronettes circa 1967 (l–r): Nedra Talley and her cousins, sisters Ronnie Spector f/k/a Veronica Bennett and Estelle Bennett (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The Ronettes: “Be My Baby” (1963, written by Jeff Barry, Elle Greenwich and Phil Spector).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

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Lilacs & Rust

Music & makeovers! I swoon for chippy paint, a gorgeous patina and a fabulous song!!! I love great music (read: Bruce Springsteen & Otis Redding), white lilacs, walking in freshly fallen snow, the Golden Girls, road trips and the fall!!!

Tag Archives: The Rolling Stones

Let’s Take A Moment Day 222

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Let’s Take A Moment Day 218

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Top: The Faces circa 1969 (L-R, top to bottom): Ronnie Lane (bass), Kenny Jones (drums), Ian McLagan (piano & keyboards), Rod Stewart (vocals) & Ron Wood (guitar). Bottom: Wood (L) and Stewart (R) at his 1993 MTV Unplugged show. (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 216

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Let’s Take A Moment Day 210

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The Dirty Mac at their one time only performance in December 1968 (L-R): Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell & Keith Richards. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 192

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Let’s Take A Moment Day 156

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Stevie Wonder (L) and Marvin Gaye (R) in the Motown studios circa 1965. Gaye played drums for Wonder and several other Motown artists before his own successful recording career. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 154

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Eric Clapton circa 1990. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 151

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Let’s Take A Moment Day 147

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The Ronettes circa 1967 (l–r): Nedra Talley and her cousins, sisters Ronnie Spector f/k/a Veronica Bennett and Estelle Bennett (Image found online. Original source unknown.)