November 2010 – Yesteryear Revisited

November 28, 2010

Badfinger

Badfinger firstly recorded, without notable success, under its original name, The Iveys, in the late 1960s. The Beatles signed Badfinger to its record label, Apple, and was responsible for producing some of the group’s early records. However, it was the band’s leader, Pete Ham, who wrote “No Matter What”, one of the quartet’s initial hits. Its first, “Come And Get It”, had been written by Paul McCartney. Ham also wrote the third single to enter the charts, “Day After Day”, as well as the fourth, and last prominent entry, “Baby Blue”; written for a girl he had met when the band toured the United States, in 1971.

It was Badfinger, via Pete Ham and fellow member, Tom Evans, who composed the classic, “Without You”. American singer/songwriter, Harry Nilsson, just so happened to be visiting Britain and heard the band performing it on one of its albums. Whilst the song has been, in turn, covered since, most notably, in 1993, by Mariah Carey, Nilsson’s cover remains the definitive version.

The original members of Badfinger were: Pete Ham on guitar, keyboards and vocals; Joey Molland: guitar, keyboards and vocals; Tom Evans: bass, guitar and vocals, and Mike Gibbins: drums. Peter Ham committed suicide, in 1975, at the age of twenty-seven.

November 28, 2010November 28, 2010

The Sensations

The Sensations was a doo wop group from Philadelphia. Its only major success came with the recording of “Let Me In” in 1961. Yvonne Mills Baker,bassist Alphonso Howell, tenor Richard Curtain and baritone Sam Armstrong comprised the group at the time of this success.

November 28, 2010

The Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes was a quartet, from Los Angeles, that experienced success in its recording of psychedelic pop. Although the group released its first single, “Ain’t It Hard”/”Little Olive”, in 1966, it was in the following year that “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)” brought it international recognition. However, the follow-up, “Get Me To The World On Time”, was to achieve only moderate success by comparison and with the charts of the time so awash with talent of such a diverse and extraordinary magnitude, the band quickly faded from prominence.

The Electric Prunes was comprised of singer, James Lowe; bassist, Mark Tulin; guitarist, Ken Williams and drummer, Michael Weakley.

November 28, 2010November 28, 2010

The Guess Who

The Guess Who evolved through a number of groups dating back to the early 1960s. Although it is best known internationally for its No.1 hit of 1970, “American Woman” — decades later revived so lacklustrely by Lenny Kravitz — it had actually tasted success on the charts in its native Canada as far back as 1965, when it had covered the British hit of 1960, by Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, “Shakin’ All Over”. Following this initial success, singer and keyboardist, Burton Cummings, was recruited to join the band which already contained the guitarist, singer and songwriter, Randy Bachman; who would eventually leave the group and, in 1972, form Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

A promised tour to England failed to materialise but The Guess Who was installed as the house band on the television show, “Let’s Go”, which showcased the pop music of the time. Also in its home city of Winnipeg, the group was hired to compose and record jingles for the sale of Coca-Cola. These jingles became a vehicle to the band recording its first album, “Wheatfield Soul”, in 1968, in New York. The poignant, “These Eyes”, was lifted off this album and gave the group the exposure to the American market it had so desperately been seeking.

Refer to the suggested playlists

November 21, 2010November 21, 2010

The Animals

The Animals was one of the more talented of the groups whose style and distinct sound spread globally during the middle part of the 1960s and quickly became dubbed the British Invasion.

The group formed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a seaport in the north-east of England, where they played in pubs and clubs.

Eric Burdon, on leading vocals, and organist, Alan Price, were the principal members within the group. Both continued to have success as recording artists following their respective departures from the band. Eric, by 1970, had teamed with the American group, War, to record the hit, “Spill The Wine”. By 1966, Alan had formed The Alan Price Set, with himself as its leading vocalist. Within two years it had had three hits enter the Top 10 on the British singles’ chart. After the disbandment of The Alan Price Set, Alan Price formed the duo, Fame and Price Together, with British singer and pianist, Georgie Fame, and in 1971 the pair had success with the single, “Rosetta”. Alan combined a solo singing career with acting, well into the 1970s. Eric Burdon’s autobiography, “I Used To Be An Animal But I’m All Right Now”, was published in 1986.

Some of the band’s recordings were early blues standards — “House Of The Rising Sun”, “Dimples” and “Boom Boom”; the latter two written and originally recorded by the legendary John Lee Hooker — to which the group was able to give totally different treatments.

Conclusion – Refer to the suggested playlists