In 1967, BernieTaupin and a young Reggie Dwight both responded to an ad that Ray Williams of Liberty Records placed in the New Musical Express seeking new talent. Williams put Bernie and Elton together and their first song collaboration was through the mail without ever meeting each other in person. Bernie decided to go […]

“Respect” is the signature song of the Aretha Franklin, and when she spells out the word “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” you know she means business. “Respect” was written and originally cut by Otis Redding in 1965. The two versions of the song had very different effects, though. Redding seemed to asking for his woman’s respect, which wasn’t a […]

Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A. in June, 1984. The album sold 15 million copies in the U.S. and became one of the best-selling albums of all time, with a highly successful world tour that followed the album’s release. The Boss had seven hit singles from this album, with “Dancing in the Dark” becoming […]

After World War II, the 33 was introduced by Columbia and by the early 40s they were experimenting with higher-fidelity recordings. In 1948 Columbia introduced the Long Playing microgroove (LP) record as well as longer masters, which were well-suited to classical music’s long pieces. Columbia, Decca and RCA Victor specialized in albums devoted primarily to […]

Influencing the Direction of Rock ‘N Roll, Ray Charles Ray Charles, was a pioneering American pianist and soul musician who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues. “What’d I Say reached no. 1 on the R&B list and became his first top ten single on the pop charts, peaking at number 6. Here’s Ray Charles […]

December 3, 1968 was a high point of the King’s career and a milestone of televised musical performances. This 4 hour special was taped and broadcast in 1968 after Elvis had seemingly abandoned live performing in favor of a movie career. The ‘68 Comeback Special was a remarkably intimate show. Elvis sang his old songs […]

Radio Free Europe, REM’s first single on their debut album “Murmur” in 1983 was actually a re-make of the song. They had done it originally two years earlier on a single. MTV wanted a video and I.R.S. Records complied, hiring director Arthur Pierson to make it. If you can’t understand the words to the song, […]

Perry Farrell originally conceived the festival in 1990 as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction. The word–originally meaning “remarkable or wonderful person or thing”, dates from the American idiom of the early twentieth-century. The festival attempted to encapsulate American youth culture for the 1990s much as Woodstock did for the 1960s. In addition, it was […]

Black Sabbath began playing blues rock in Birmingham, England in 1968. Their lyrics became increasingly fixated on the macabre through bassist Geezer Butler, an occult devotee who composed early song “Black Sabbath”, the source of their striking name. While rehearsing adjacent to a theater showing horror films, guitarist Tony Iommi was amused by the absurdity […]

Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions was the third of five consecutive albums hailed as his creative peak, along with Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Fulfillingness’ First Finale and Songs in the Key of Life. Widely considered his masterpiece among such impressive company, Innervisions was originally released on Motown’s Tamla label on August 3, 1973. As with […]