Rock & Roll Historical Perspective

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Rolling Stone Issue 54

Dated March 19, 1970. Sly & the Family Stone on the cover.

Sly’s first recording was called On the Battlefield for my Lord & it was recorded before he was 5 years old. By the age of 5 he was already proficient on drums & guitar. The Family Stone was formed in 1967 & by that time he could play over a dozen different instruments & had full grasp of how to work the recording studio boards. Sly’s manager is a guy named David Kapralik who discovered & signed the band to Columbia records, but he was also responsible for finding & signing a lady named Barbra Streisand. By the time this article was written The Family Stone had already achieved chart success with their first hit Dance to the Music, followed by their next single & first #1 hit Everyday People, Stand which would peak at #22, Hot Fun in the Summertime made it all the way to #2, & their current hit Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) is on the rise & would become their second chart topper.

Random Notes

Blood Sweat & Tears just broke a record previously held by Frank Sinatra when they were nominated for 10 Grammy Awards. Spinning Wheel, You’ve Made Me So Very Happy, Variations on a Theme by Eric Satie have all been nominated in one song category or another & the BS&T Album is up for album of the year.

Little known blues guitarist, Slim Harpo has died of a heart attack at the age of 45.

Timothy Leary is being held in jail without bail after an arrest & conviction for possession of marijuana, (allegedly two roaches). This stems from being pulled over in his car on Dec. 26th 1968. His wife & son were in the car, & were also convicted but let go on their own recognizance.

Finally the name of the next Beatles album has been changed to Let it Be & is scheduled for release sometime in April. The single is set for release on March 2.

After all the trials & tribulations & excursions into other groups, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood & Jim Capaldi are reforming as Traffic. No word yet on the status of Dave Mason. A new album is just a couple of months off.

The NY Post has put together an expose that states that The Beatles music may have indeed played a part in the murder of Sharon Tate & others. They make reference to the lyrics in the songs Piggies, Blackbird, Helter Skelter, Revolution 9, & Sexy Sadie, & then try to tie all the loose ends together.

In another reformation of a previously defunct group, The Jimi Hendrix Experience with Jimi, Mitch Mitchell & Noel Redding are back together & set to record again. No hard feelings all around. Hendrix is denying the rumors of him becoming more closely associated with the Black Panthers saying he found out about it himself in the pages of The Rolling Stone.

Rumor is that the next single by The Stones will be called Wild Horses. The tape is now in the hands of Chris Hillman & Sneaky Pete of The Flying Burrito Brothers, so they can add some steel guitar & backup vocals.

Also being rumored is that Paul McCartney is working on a solo album to be released after the next Beatles album, Let It Be.

Ads for groups or albums this issue:

James Taylor - Sweet Baby James…his first for Warner Brothers

Joan Baez - One Day at a Time on Vanguard

Ronnie Hawkins - The legend continues on Cotillion Records & Tapes

The Guess Who - American Woman on RCA Records & Tapes

The Doors - Morrison Hotel on Elektra

Mountain - Climbing on Windfall Records

Frijid Pink - Their first album on the Parrot label featuring their hit House of the Rising Sun.

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water on Columbia Records

Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica on Straight/Reprise

The Chambers Brothers - Love Peace & Happiness


Album Reviews:

Van Morrison - Moondance
Moondance is an album of musical invention & lyrical confidence. The strong moods of Into the Mystic & the fine, epic brilliance of Caravan will carry it past many good records we’ll forget in the next few years. Van Morrison plays on….Lester Bangs

The Rascals - See
This album contains, predictably, a pair of dynamic Top 40 songs (See & Carry Me Back are the songs referenced & they would peak at 27 & 26 respectively & would in effect be the last we heard of the band) , & then proceeds to space them among 10 other songs than can’t be called so much bad as forgettable. The Rascals have always had a tendency towards the bland & in a sense SEE shows that they haven’t outgrown this….Lenny Kaye

Other albums reviewed:

Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky
Trivia Time…back in 1966 there was a band called Dr. West’s Medicine Show. They were out of Chicago & had a regional hit with a song called The Eggplant that Ate Chicago, it reached # 52 on the Billboard charts before it fizzled out. The band also fizzled, but the leader of them was none other than Norman Greenbaum.

The Shocking Blue-
More Trivia…This was a one hit wonder band out of Holland whose single Venus went all the way to #1, spent a week there & they were never heard from again.

Dion - Sit Down Old Friend

Eubie Blake - The 86 years of Eubie Blake

The Insect Thrust - Hoboken Saturday Night

Link Davis - Cajun Crawdaddy

Johnny Ace - Again, Johnny Sings

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Rolling Stone Issue 55

Dated April 2, 1970. Abbie Hoffman on the cover.

This article about Abbie Hoffman includes a long, longer, longest, retelling of all the trials of the Chicago 7 after the Democratic Convention melee….I didn’t take the time to read it…it went on & on. Probably interesting for those that are into that, maybe I’ll get to it later.

Random Notes

Anybody that bought the Live album by Delaney/Bonnie/ Clapton, knows that the cover shows a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud out in the middle of the desert. Sticking out of the window are two feet. Now it can be told, those feet belong to Bob Dylan. He’s sort of on the cover, but definitely not on the album.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience or Hendrix’s Band of Gypsies? Back & forth they go & now it seems as though the next album will be from the Band of Gypsies as a fulfillment of contract obligations.

CBS/Columbia Records had a banner year in 1969 when for the first time they passed the $ Billion revenue mark.

Joe Cocker is looking to form a new band. The members of The Grease Band have split from him as Alan Spenner & Henry McCulloch have departed to join Spooky Tooth.

The reunited Traffic is hitting the road for a 10 night, four venue, tour of England.

Warren Entner, lead guitar player for The Grass Roots, while getting particularly frenetic on a lead solo during a live performance in Danbury Ct., turned his arm the wrong direction & broke his elbow.

Anti obscenity clauses are being written into performance contracts that require the artists to post a bond that they forfeit if there are any instances of “illegal, indecent, obscene, lewd or immoral” exhibitions while they are onstage. First to be fined was Jefferson Airplane when they used the word “bulls**t” in Oklahoma City to describe the announcement when the police took the microphone & told the crowd that the concert was over because it was late & the band had to get up early the next morning. Of course the genesis of all this is the Jim Morrison “exposure” incident in Miami.

Warner Brothers Records is on a artist signing binge, getting artists to move away from their old labels & join up with Warners. They are offering large upfronts as well as larger that normal percentages. They have recently inked, The Beach Boys, The Youngbloods, John Sebastian & James Taylor, all signed away from their previous labels.

Aretha Franklin has just completed her next album to be released in June. It was finished in the unheard of time of 8 days. The album is produced by Jerry Wexler & reportedly includes My Way, & The Thrill is Gone.

The husband of Joan Baez has been transferred from Safford Prison in Arizona to the La Tuna Federal correctional institute in Texas as a result of his leading a hunger strike in Az. He is still serving time for refusing military induction.

Charles Manson is in prison charged with the murder of Sharon Tate & others. To help pay for his defense he has released an album called LIE. Manson wrote all 14 songs & the album is being sold for $4.50 through a mail order house.

Felix Pappalardi, Leslie West, Corky Lang & Steve Knight, also known as Mountain, are touring behind the release of their first album called Mountain Climbing. Bill Grahman says that these guys could easily go from a good band to a complete knockout.

Ads for groups or albums this issue:

GTO’S (Girls Together Outrageously) - Permanent Damage - The most outrageous album of 1970 On Straight Records

Nina Simone - Black Gold on RCA

John B Sebastian - His first solo album on Reprise Records


Argent - The first offering from former Zombie Rod Argent & former Zombie Bass player but now producer Chris White is available on Epic Records.

6 Brand new albums from Polydor are advertised together.
1) Stone the Crows
2) John Mayalls second Polydor album Empty Rooms
3) The Amboy Dukes Marriage on the Rocks featuring the hard driving guitar of Ted Nugent
4) Charlie Brown - Up From Georgia
5) Manfred Mann - Chapter Three
6) T. Bone Walker - Good Feelin

The Reverend Jesse Jackson - I Am Somebody on Respect Records

Alice Cooper - Easy Action on Straight Records

Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon including the single Circle Game on Warners.

Randy Newman - 12 songs, his second album, on Reprise.

The Illinois Speed Press - on Columbia Records…this band included Paul Cotton who would go on to bigger fame as a member of Poco.

The Byrds - The Ballad of Easy Rider on Columbia Records & Tapes. This album included the Dylan song It’s All Over Now Baby Blue & a song that would be a bigger hit for the Doobie Brothers a few years later called Jesus Is Just Alright.

Album Reviews:

Lord Sutch & His Heavy Friends
He’s terrible, absolutely terrible. The album is even more regrettable because his “heavy Friends” (Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Noel Redding, Nicky Hopkins, & Jon Bonham) try to get it together with their own brand of heavy sounds, but with the restriction of Lord Sutch’s talent, the big boys end up straining on each track & come off like a parody of themselves…..J.R. Young I hate to say I told you so...but well... I told you so!!!


Other albums reviewed:

Ronnie Hawkins

Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Greatest Hits

Rick Nelson - In Concert

Singles being reviewed this issue:

Didn’t I Blow Your Mind - The Delfonics

Keep on doin what You’re doin - The Isley Brothers

I’m Just a Prisoner - Candi Staton

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Rolling Stone Issue 56

Dated April 16, 1970. Dennis Hopper on the cover.

Random Notes

The Beatles have just been awarded the Order of the British Empire medals by the Queen in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. They were so nervous about meeting the Queen that they smoked a joint in the bathroom before the ceremony.

In other Beatles news, Ringo has just completed his first solo album to be called Sentimental Journey. He is backed on the album by George, Paul, Klaus Voorman & Maurice Gibb. The first single is called It Don’t Come Easy, no release date has been set. The single would eventually peak at # 4 on May 8th, & backing vocals were provided by Badfinger.

How’s this for a concert pairing? Reports are that a Mothers Day concert will be held at UCLA’S Pauley Pavillion & it will star Zubin Mehta & Frank Zappa.

CCR is off to Europe for their first tour outside the states.

Led Zepplin is headed to the US for a 26 date tour. They are reportedly getting paid $25,000 per night against 60% of the box office. This means a payday of around $650,000 for the band.

Can anyone tell me who Jim Osterberg is? Well, you may know him by the name of Iggy Stooge…or you may not.

Ex Steve Miller Band guitarist & vocalist Boz Scaggs is setting attendance records around the Bay Area as he is now gigging on his own with his own backing band & drawing rave reviews.

At the request of president Richard Nixon, Johnny Cash will make an exclusive concert appearance in the East wing of the White House. He is being asked to sing Okie From Muskogee, A Boy Named Sue & Welfare Cadillac. Only the White House in their press release have dropped the Welfare part of the title, because in their words “They know nothing about welfare.”

Tammi Terrell, best known as the duet partner for Marvin Gaye, has died at the age of 24, after battling a brain tumor for the past 3 years. She had had 6 brain operations over the past 18 months. The origin of the tumor is still unknown, but rumors have long circulated that it was caused by injusries inflicted by an unknown male.

Levi Stubbs, the lead singer of The Four Tops has been arrested in London on charges of possessing cocaine. The bust went down in his hotel room. Levi claims the stuff was planted in his jacket pocket where it was found. He has been released on $2,400 bail.

Peter Green, lead guitarist for Fleetwood Mac, has declared that he will be giving away most of his money, because “Why should I have more than anyone else.” His Dad & his publicists are denying it.

Country Joe MacDonald has been convicted & fined $500 for obscenity in Worcester Mass. Due to the fish cheer…You remember that one Give me an F..etc. etc.


Everybody, I’m sure, remembers Wavy Gravy? Well, he has entered a hospital in NY for back surgery. Born under the normal name of Hugh Romney, Wavy first came to prominence when he stood onstage at Woodstock and announced to the crowd " What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000!". Wavy is still alive, now 73, & can now be had as a Ice Cream flavor from Ben & Jerry.


Keith Emerson, organist for The Nice, has had his first encounter with the Moog Synthesizer. He paid $8,000 for one & the band is the first English band to put the instrument into use on stage. Keith thinks it will allow him to “ go further than musical notation & get into noises & electronic musical effects.” He believes he will eventually be able to master the machine.

Joe South has been busted in Ga. For possession of marijuana & driving under the influence. He was released on a $4600 bond. No court date has been set.

Spencer Dryden, the drummer for Jefferson Airplane, has left the band. He’s tired of all the touring. He has been replaced by Joey Covington who comes over from Hot Tuna.


Ads for groups or albums this issue:

Free - On A&M Records

Delaney Bonnie & Friends on Tour - On ATCO Records & Tapes

Family - They play together on the Reprise label.

Tim Buckley - Blue Afternoon Straight Records

Dion - Sit Down Old Friend his first for Warner Brothers

Pentangle - Basket Of Light on Reprise Records & Tapes

Willie Dixon - I Am The Blues on Columbia

Flying Burrito Brothers - Burrito Deluxe on A&M Records

Ten Years After - Cricklewood Green

Album Reviews:

Leon Russell - Leon Russell
Leon’s first album out on his own is a “fine & funky” set. Backed by such stalwart names as Harrison,& Starr, Wyman & Watts, Clapton & Voorman, there is no sense of heavy handed helping or high minded seriousness. Every cut still maintains a felling of late night, good time get together…..Ed Leimbacher

John B. Sebastian - John B. Sebastian
David Crosby, Steven Stills & Dallas Taylor all join in on the fun in this album. It’s a good album, mostly, & in places really exciting. But it could have been a lot better, & hopefully the enormous popularity this one will have won’t see Sebastian resting on his laurels the next time he enters the studio…Greil Marcus


Other albums reviewed:

Randy Newman - 12 Songs
His first album, released in 1968, was praised by critics & fellow musicians like Paul McCartney, yet it still hasn’t sold even 4,500 copies.

Redbone - Redbone
The first Indian Rock Band.

The GTO’s - Permanent Damage


Rejects, avoid them if you can:

Rock & Roll Revival - Bill Haley & The Comets

1970 Rock & Roll Revolution

Ceremony, an Electronic Mass - Spooky Tooth

Easy Action - Alice Cooper

[myrosiedog]

Love Leon Russell and was grooving to him on the drive home from Atlanta last night.

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As luck & happenstance would have it, today is John Sebastian's Birthday. He is 65...my my my, where has the time gone.

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Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Love Leon Russell and was grooving to him on the drive home from Atlanta last night.

I just heard something on XM 40 that I wasn't aware of. Remember Gary Lewis & The Playboys? Remember their version of Everybody Loves a Clown? Remember the piano in the background? Yep! Leon Russell!!!

[norealityhere]

Originally Posted by razorbacker

I just heard something on XM 40 that I wasn't aware of. Remember Gary Lewis & The Playboys? Remember their version of Everybody Loves a Clown? Remember the piano in the background? Yep! Leon Russell!!!

My understanding was that he co wrote the song and did the arranging, along with Gary. Had not heard he played the piano on it.

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Originally Posted by norealityhere

My understanding was that he co wrote the song and did the arranging, along with Gary. Had not heard he played the piano on it.

See, I didn't even know he wrote the song. According to the Billboard Hot 100 book that I have, Leon & Gary co wrote the song with someone named Leslie Thomas. It hit #5 in Nov. 1965 & was the 55th biggest song of the year.

[norealityhere]

The writers were Snuff Garrett, Leon Russell and Gary.
It actually rose to #4 on the charts.
It was written for Gary's father, Jerry Lewis.

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Originally Posted by norealityhere

The writers were Snuff Garrett, Leon Russell and Gary.
It actually rose to #4 on the charts.
It was written for Gary's father, Jerry Lewis.

Actually you are correct. I misread the Billboard Chart Book I was looking at. The song did hit #4, but it was the lowest #4 rated song of the year, which placed it right at the 4-5 cutoff line. Anyway, it doesn't reference Snuff Garret at all, but it may be because they had room for only 3 writers so they listed Gary, Leon, & Leslie Thomas.