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James Last – Voodoo-Party (1971)

James Last born Hans Last; 17 April 1929 – 9 June 2015), also known as Hansi, was a German composer and big band leader of the James Last Orchestra. Initially a jazz bassist (Last won the award for “best bassist” in Germany in each of the years 1950–1952), his trademark “happy music” made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom, with 65 of his albums reaching the charts in the UK alone. His composition “Happy Heart” became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark.

Last is reported to have sold an estimated 200 million albums worldwide in his lifetime (figures vary widely, for example British Hit Singles & Albums (2006) reports 100 million at that time), of which 80 million were sold by 1973 – and won numerous awards including 200 gold and 14 platinum discs in Germany, the International MIDEM Prize at MIDEM in 1969, and West Germany’s highest civilian award, the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) in 1978.

His album This Is James Last remained a UK best-seller for 48 weeks, and his song “Games That Lovers Play” has been covered over a hundred times. Last undertook his final tour months before his death at age 86, upon discovering in September 2014 that an illness (the exact illness was never disclosed) had worsened. His final UK performance was his 90th at London’s Royal Albert Hall, more than any other performer except Eric Clapton.

Last’s trademark sound employed big band arrangements of well-known tunes with a jaunty dance beat, often heavy on bass and brass. Despite at times being derided by critics and purists as the “king of elevator music” or “acoustic porridge”, his style and music were popular in numerous countries and cultures, including Japan, South Korea, the former Soviet Union, the US and UK, and his native Germany, where it became “the archetypal soundtrack of any German cellar bar party”,[8] and made him the “most commercially successful bandleader” of the second half of the 20th century. Last’s composition Jägerlatein is also widely celebrated in Ireland as “The Sound of Summer” due to use as the theme tune to The Sunday Game, a live sporting show which follows GAA hurling and Gaelic football All Ireland Championships since 1979. (wikipedia)

And here´s another “party album” by James Last:

“A long time ago a cult of  very special kind developed beneath the burning sun of western Africa. In othe equatorial ares mime, gestures, dances, rhythms, taboos and other characteristics blended into one another to form a new facet in music.

At the beginning of the Colonial era negro slaves took the Voodoo-cult over to the American continent. Voodoo spread in the new world just as fast as the number of the coloured population, and then slowly vanished in those areas where it frist started.

Today the Voodoo-cult is only to be found on the Antilles, expecially on the islabd of Tahiti and as “Macumba” in Brazil.

Most Europeans will never get a chance to experience Voodoo in the place of its origin. But listening to this record will make up for this loss. Accept James Last´s invitation to his Voodoo-party.

Among the beating rhyths of congas, bongos, rattles and drums you will experience the magic of Voodoo” (taken from the original liner notes)

And we hear some “Santana” tunes .. usually not the music James Lanst played otherwise.

Enjoy this very special party album !

Personnel:
James Last & Band

Alternate frontcovers:

Tracklist:
01. 01. Se A Cabo (Chepito/Areas) 3.33
02. Sing A Simple Song (Stewart) 4.29
03, Heyah Masse-Ga (Traditional) 2.20
04.  Mamy Blue (Giraud/Trim) 4.31
05. Jin-Go-Lo-Ba (Olatunji) 3.52
06. Mr. Giant Man (Reeves/Last/Bendorff) 4.13
07. Everybody’s Everything (Santana/Brown/Moss)
08. Everyday People (Stewart) 3.17
09. U-Humbah (Traditional) 2.44
10. Inner City Blues (Gaye) 3.07
11. Babalu (Lecuona) 3.39
12. Voodoo Ladys Love (Reeves/Last/Bendorff) 3.23

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More from James Last:

The Rolling Stones – Liver Than You’ll Ever Be (1969)

The Rolling Stones: No introduction necessary.

Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be is a bootleg recording of the Rolling Stones’ concert in Oakland, California, from 9 November 1969. It was one of the first live rock music bootlegs and was made notorious as a document of their 1969 tour of the United States. The popularity of the bootleg forced the Stones’ label Decca Records to release the live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert in 1970. Live’r is also one of the earliest commercial bootleg recordings in rock history, released in December 1969, just two months after the Beatles’ Kum Back and five months after Bob Dylan’s Great White Wonder. Like the two earlier records, Live’r’s outer sleeve is plain white, with its name stamped on in ink.


The Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena was built three years prior to the recordings featured on Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be and has continued to host sports games, concerts, and other events since.

Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be was recorded by “Dub” Taylor from Trademark of Quality using a Sennheiser shotgun microphone and a Uher “Report 4000” reel-to-reel tape recorder. It was the first audience-recorded rock bootleg to be mastered and distributed;[3] some sources consider it the first live bootleg. Though the sound is not nearly as clear as the official release of Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!, the recording is considered to be very strong for an audience recording, especially one of that era. The Rolling Stones performed two sets that night and it is the second concert that was more heavily bootlegged and has sharper sound. Bootleggers had collaborated to record Stones shows across the United States, recording them on two-track Sony recorders for months prior to the release of the album. At least one source claims that the recordings initially came from rock promoter Bill Graham’s staff, who used the tapes for broadcast on KSAN and released their edit on Lurch Records in early 1970.

Alternate frontcovers (1):

The recording was made available about one month after the concert, and it became popular enough to spur speculation that the Stones released Ya-Ya’s as a response to the bootleg[7] and the quality was high enough that it was rumoured that the band had even released the bootleg themselves.[8] The recording has been released through several bootleg labels, including the original release by Lurch and shortly thereafter Trademark of Quality (catalogue number 71002), the Swingin’ Pig Records, and Sister Morphine, usually documenting only the second set. The Swingin’ Pig release even replaced performances of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Under My Thumb” with different recordings from the band’s 10 November performance in San Diego and their two-night stint in New York City[9] and attempted to enhance the sound quality by using de-clicking technology—both changes have drawn criticism in comparison to the original Lurch Records release.[10]

Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be was favourably reviewed by Greil Marcus in the 7 February 1970 issue of Rolling Stone. He praised its sound and speculated that it may have been recorded from the stage. The album also received praise as a more authentic example of the Stones on stage because Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! was heavily overdubbed in many places. Richie Unterberger has noted that the recording is inferior to the sound quality of Ya-Ya’s, but displays a spontaneity that the official recording lacks and this helps to explain its long-lasting appeal to fans. Reviewing the album in 1970, Wim Wenders called it “the best Rolling Stones record.” (wikipedia)

Alternate frontcovers (2):

The recording and distribution of “LIVEr Than You’ll Ever Be” is a landmark historical achievement for many reasons. The recording itself is a high quality audience source. The equipment and method used to produce this piece of Rock ‘n Roll history is well documented in the book “Bootleg” by Clinton Heylin, 1994:

“What I used was a Senheiser 805 ‘shotgun’ microphone and a Uher 4000 reel-to-reel tape recorder, which was real small, 7 1/2 inch per second 5″ reels”

The LP was released in December 1969 just over a month after its November 9th, 1969 (2nd show) recording. Although original issues were put out on the Lurch label the recording was actually produced and manufactured by a label that would become known as Trade Mark of Quality (TMoQ). TMoQ was the pioneer record label in the rock ‘n roll bootleg business. They put out many LP’s from artists ranging from Joni Mitchell to Jethro Tull. They were also responsible for the first unauthorized rock bootleg “Great White Wonder” which consisted of the Dylan “basement tapes” among other things.

“LIVEr Than You’ll Ever Be” is not only significant because of its place in the bootleg history, but also because of the mood and feel that it captured as the Rolling Stones returned to live performances for the first time in over three years with new guitarist Mick Taylor. Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, and The Cream had all happened since the last tour through the States. Guitar heroes and songs with great solos were the talk of the day. There was a stark difference between the screaming crowds that marked the close of their last US tour in Hawaii July 28, 1966, and the audiences they were now facing who were sitting down during the shows and listening to the music. The Oakland performances were early in the tour and the band was still getting acquainted with itself in a live setting with sound systems that could be heard in the far reaches of the stadiums they were playing in. The recording is primal in it’s musical depth compared to the well known “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!” commercial release from the 1969 tour. There are no vocal or instrumental overdubs on LIVEr which enables the listener to compare the band early in the tour to the slicker overdubbed recording that would represent a band that had musically evolved very quickly during the course of the tour. It has been written that “Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out!” was released to counter sales of this record. There is a tremendous amount of folklore around LIVEr, most of which was promoted by the press that reviewed and wrote about the recording at the time of its release. The following excerpt from a “Rolling Stone” magazine review by Greil Marcus dated February 7, 1970:

“How it was recorded is more interesting, because the sound quality is superb, full of presence, picking up drums, bass, both guitars and the vocals beautifully. The LP is in stereo; while it doesn’t seem to be mixed, the balance is excellent. One of the bootleggers says the recording was done on an eight-track machine… So these may in fact be tapes that were made on the stage by someone involved in setting up the Stones’ own sound system”

Alternate frontcovers (3):

Reviews like this were amusing for the guys at TMoQ, but not for record companies or the recording industry. ABKCO followed-up with a press release stating that Baltimore and New York shows were taped by the band for future release, but that no West Coast shows were taped. This isn’t completely true as footage from LIVEr show in Oakland was used in the “Gimme Shelter” movie. It’s the part where Jagger says: “You really dressed-up tonight…”. Trade Mark of Quality takes full credit for the searches for tape recorders before shows as a result of their work in recording West Coast shows of the Rolling Stones in 1969. This would only be the tip of an iceberg with ensuing iterations of copyright law and royalty claims that artists and record companies would mount against the emerging underground recording industry. (rollingstonesnet.com)

Enjoy this rarity !

Recorded live at the The Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, California, 9 November 1969
excellent audience recording

Personnel:
Mick Jagger (vocals, harmonica)
Keith Richards (guitar, background vocals)
Mick Taylor (guitar)
Charlie Watts (drums)
Bill Wyman (bass)

Tracklist:
01. Carol (Berry) 3.45
02. Gimme Shelter (Jagger/Richards) 4.20
03. Sympathy For The Devil (Jagger/Richards) 6.24
04. I’m Free (Jagger/Richards) 5.08
05. Live With Me (Jagger/Richards) 3.35
06. Love In Vain (Robertson) 5.26
07. Midnight Rambler (Jagger/Richards) 7.42
08. Little Queenie (Berry) 4.15
09. Honky Tonk Women (Jagger/Richards) 4.05
10. Street Fighting Man (Jagger/Richards) 4.11
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11. You Gotta Move (McDowell) 3.14
12. Prodigal Son (Wilkins) 4.00
13. Under My Thumb (Jagger/Richards) 3.24
14. Stray Cat Blues (Jagger/Richards) 4.14
15. Jumping Jack Flash (Jagger/Richards) 4.06
16. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Jagger/Richards) 6.06

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More from The Rolling Stones:

Boston – Walk On (1994)

Boston is an American rock band from namesake Boston, Massachusetts, that had its most notable successes during the 1970s and 80s. The band’s core members on their most popular recordings included multi-instrumentalist founder and leader Tom Scholz, who played the majority of instruments on the debut album, and lead vocalist Brad Delp, among a number of other musicians who varied from album to album. Boston’s best-known songs include “More Than a Feeling”, “Peace of Mind”, “Foreplay/Long Time”, “Rock and Roll Band”, “Smokin'”, “Don’t Look Back”, “A Man I’ll Never Be”, and “Amanda”. The band has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including 31 million albums in the United States, of which 17 million were from its self-titled debut album and seven million were for its second album, Don’t Look Back, making the group one of the world’s best-selling artists. Altogether, the band has released six studio albums over a career spanning over 46 years. Boston was ranked the 63rd best hard rock artist by VH1.

After Delp’s death in 2007, a number of other vocalists have taken the stage; currently the lead singer is Tommy DeCarlo. Other current[when?] members of the band include multi-instrumentalist and singer Beth Cohen, guitarist Gary Pihl, bassist Tracy Ferrie, drummer Jeff Neal and percussionist Curly Smith.

Walk On is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Boston, released on June 7, 1994 by MCA Records. It is the first album not to feature vocalist Brad Delp, though he did assist in the writing. Vocal duties were handled by Fran Cosmo, making this his first appearance on a Boston album. Delp and Cosmo shared leads during the album’s supporting tour and the album’s follow-up Corporate America.

After the success of their 1986 album Third Stage, the band began planning a follow-up and writing for Walk On, which began in 1988. However, due to the increased friction and disagreements between guitarist/bandleader Tom Scholz and singer Brad Delp, the latter left the band in 1989 to join original Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau in forming a new band, named RTZ. Soon after, Fran Cosmo was hired and introduced as the new lead singer. Delp returned to Boston to assist in the writing, and shared lead vocals on the subsequent Walk On Tour, though he did not sing on the album. Delp and Cosmo also shared leads on Boston’s next album Corporate America.

After its release, Walk On peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and yielded the hit “I Need Your Love.” It was certified platinum by the RIAA on September 8, 1994.

The final eight pages of the album’s booklet were titled “Walk On — Against Violence and Cruelty”, and dedicated to preventing domestic abuse and animal cruelty, providing contact information of numerous organizations, including the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Humane Society. It was noted that Delp himself was a contributor to these causes. (wikipedia)

Boston’s long-awaited fourth album, Walk On, which this time took Tom Scholz a full seven years to complete, failed to capture the attention of most AOR fans and became the group’s first record to not spawn a hit single. Perhaps the reason was AOR and classic rock stations began losing their audiences in 1992; more likely, it was because Scholz’s legendary perfectionism didn’t yield the same results it did in the past. Although the production is certainly state of the art and is overflowing with detail, there aren’t any memorable songs or hooks to justify such extravagance. On the surface, the record sounds fine, but there is no substance beneath the layers of gloss. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Boston 4. Not a bad lp, actually very listenable but the 1st Boston lp without Brad Delp. Replacing Brad would be like replacing Robert Plant in that other group. Besides missing Brad’s vocals, the songs here are not memorable as in the 1st 3 lps but most of the Boston sound is intact. (by Art Moy)

I cannot agree with these reviews. The singer did a really good job and we hear that perfect Boston sound as created by Tom Scholz.

Personnel:
Fran Cosmo (vocals)
Doug Huffman (drums)
Gary Pihl (guitar, clapping)
Tom Scholz (guitar, keyboards, clainet, bass on 01, 02., 08. – 10., drums on 01. + 08., clapping)
David Sikes (bass, background vocals)
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Matt Belyea (clapping)
Bob Cedro (guitar, special effects, clapping)
Tommy Funderburk (background vocals)
Sean Olsen (clapping, guitar, flute)

Tracklist:
01. I Need Your Love (Scholz/Sampson) 5.34
02. Surrender To Me (Scholz/Sikes/Laquidara) 5.33
03. Livin’ For You (Scholz) 4.58
04. Walkin’ At Night (instrumental) (Scholz) 2.02
05. Walk On (Scholz/Delp/Sikes) 2.58
06. Get Organ-ized / Get Reorgan-ized (instrumental) (Scholz) 4.28
07. Walk On (Some More) (Scholz/Delp/Sikes) 2.54
08. What’s Your Name (Scholz) 4.28
09. Magdalene (Sikes/Foulke) 5.57
10. We Can Make It (Scholz/Sikes/Cedro) 5.30

Tracks 4, 5, 6 and 7 are all part of one long song (“Walk On Medley”), but were indexed separately on the CD.
On the LP release, “Get Organ-ized” was split across the two sides of the record, with the portion on Side Two named “Get Reorgan-ized”.
“Magdalene” was originally written by the Pennsylvania band Hybrid Ice.

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More from Boston:

The official website:

The Doobie Brothers – Minute By Minute (1978)

The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band from San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, the group’s current lineup consists of founding members Tom Johnston (guitars, vocals) and Patrick Simmons (guitars, vocals), alongside Michael McDonald (keyboards, vocals) and John McFee (guitars, pedal steel, violin, backing vocals), and touring musicians including John Cowan (bass, vocals), Bill Payne (keyboards), Marc Russo (saxophones), Ed Toth (drums), and Marc Quiñones (percussion). Other long-serving members of the band include guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (1972–1979), bassist Tiran Porter (1972–1980, 1987–1992) and drummers John Hartman (1970–1979, 1987–1992), Michael Hossack (1971–1973, 1987–2012), and Keith Knudsen (1973–1982, 1993–2005).

Johnston provided the lead vocals for the band from 1970 to 1975, when they featured a mainstream rock sound with elements of folk, country and R&B. Michael McDonald joined the band in 1975 as a keyboard player and second lead vocalist, to give some relief to Johnston, who was suffering health problems at the time. McDonald’s interest in soul music introduced a new sound to the band. Johnston and McDonald performed together as co-lead vocalists for one album, Takin’ It to the Streets, before Johnston retired fully in 1977. Frequent lineup changes followed through the rest of the 1970s, and the band broke up in 1982 with Simmons being the only constant member having appeared on all of their albums. In 1987, the Doobie Brothers reformed with Johnston back in the fold; McDonald, who had previously made several guest appearances since their reformation, returned to the band full-time in 2019 for their 50th anniversary tour.

The group’s fourteen studio albums include six top-ten appearances on the Billboard 200 album chart, including 1978’s Minute by Minute, which reached number one for five weeks, and won the band a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, while the single “What A Fool Believes” from the album won three Grammys itself. The band has released six live albums, and numerous greatest hits compilations, including 1976’s Best of The Doobies, which was certified diamond by the RIAA for reaching album sales of ten million copies, the band’s best selling album. The band’s sixteen Billboard Hot 100 top-40 hits include “Listen to the Music”, “Jesus is Just Alright”, “Long Train Runnin'”, “China Grove”, “Black Water” (#1 in 1974), “Takin’ It to the Streets”, “What A Fool Believes” (#1 in 1979), and “The Doctor”, all of which remain in heavy rotation on classic rock radio.

The Doobie Brothers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on November 7, 2020. The group has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

Minute by Minute is the eighth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released on December 1, 1978, by Warner Bros. Records. It was their last album to include members John Hartman (until Cycles) and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter.

The album spent 87 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and spent two weeks at number one. In the spring of 1979 Minute by Minute was the best-selling album in the U.S. for five non-consecutive weeks. It was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA.

The song “What a Fool Believes” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1979 and became the band’s biggest hit. The title track and “Depending on You” were also released as singles and reached the top 30.

Minute by Minute made The Doobie Brothers one of the big winners at the 22nd Grammy Awards. The album got the trophy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and received a nomination for Album of the Year; the single “What a Fool Believes” earned them three Grammys, including Song and Record of the Year. (wikipedia)

With Tom Johnston gone from the lineup because of health problems, this is where the “new” Doobie Brothers really make their debut, with a richly soulful sound throughout and emphasis on horns and Michael McDonald’s piano more than on Patrick Simmons’ or Jeff Baxter’s guitars. Not that they were absent entirely, or weren’t sometimes right up front in the mix, as the rocking, slashing “Don’t Stop to Watch the Wheels” and the bluegrass-influenced “Steamer Lane Breakdown” demonstrate. But given the keyboards, the funky rhythms, and McDonald’s soaring tenor (showcased best on “What a Fool Believes”), it’s almost difficult to believe that this is the hippie bar band that came out of California in 1970. There’s less virtuosity here than on the group’s first half-dozen albums, but overall a more commercial sound steeped in white funk. It’s still all pretty compelling even if its appeal couldn’t be more different from the group’s earlier work (i.e., The Captain and Me, etc.). The public loved it, buying something like three million copies, and the recording establishment gave Minute by Minute four Grammy Awards, propelling the group to its biggest success ever. (by Bruce Eder)

Personnel:
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (guitar)
John Hartman (drums, percussion)
Keith Knudsen (drums, percussion, background vocals)
Michael McDonald (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals)
Tiran Porter (bass, background vocals)
Patrick Simmons (guitars, vocals)
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Lester Abrams (piano on 10.)
Byron Berline (fiddle on 08.)
Norton Buffalo (harmonica on 05. + 08.)
Rosemary Butler (background  vocals on 01. + 04.)
Ben Cauley (trumpet on 01., 04. + 10.)
Tom Johnston (background vocals on 05.)
Bobby LaKind (percussion, background vocals)
Nicolette Larson (vocals on 07,  background vocals on 04.)
Andrew Love (saxophone on 01., 04. + 10.)
Sumner Mering (guitar on 06.)
Novi Novog (synthesizer on 06.)
Bill Payne (synthesizer on 02. + 03.)
Herb Pedersen (banjo on 08.)
Ted Templeman (drums on 02.)

Tracklist:
01. Here To Love You (McDonald) 4.03
02. What A Fool Believes (McDonald/Loggins) 3.46
03. Minute By Minute (McDonald/Abrams) 3.29
04. Dependin’ On You (McDonald/Simmons) 3.47
05. Don’t Stop To Watch The Wheels (Simmons/Baxter/Ebert) 3.29
06. Open Your Eyes (McDonald/Abrams/Henderson) 3.20
07. Sweet Feelin’ (Simmons/Templeman) 2.44
08. Steamer Lane Breakdown (Simmons) 3:24
09. You Never Change (Simmons/McDonald) 3.30
10. How Do The Fools Survive? (McDonald/Sager) 5.17

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More from The Doobie Brothers:

David Bowie – Changesbowie (1990)

David Robert Jones OAL (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, Bowie is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music.

Bowie developed an interest in music as a child. He studied art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. “Space Oddity”, released in 1969, was his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of Bowie’s single “Starman” and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie’s style shifted towards a sound he characterised as “plastic soul”, initially alienating many of his UK fans but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single “Fame” and the album Young Americans.

In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. In 1977, he further confounded expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the “Berlin Trilogy”. “Heroes” (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.

After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had three number-one hits: the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes”, its album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure” (a 1981 collaboration with Queen). He reached his peak commercial success in 1983 with Let’s Dance: its title track topped both the UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting: his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until his death from liver cancer at his home in New York City. He died two days after both his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).

During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum, eleven gold and eight silver album certifications, and released 11 number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone named him among the greatest artists in history and – after his death – the “greatest rock star ever”.

Changesbowie is a compilation album by English rock musician David Bowie, released by Rykodisc in the US and by EMI in the UK in 1990. The compilation was part of Rykodisc’s remastered Bowie reissue series, replacing the deleted RCA Records compilations Changesonebowie and Changestwobowie.

While the cover artwork was dismissed by author David Buckley as “a sixth-form cut ‘n’ paste collage”, the collection gave Bowie his first UK chart-topping album since Tonight in 1984. The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums noted that Changesbowie was “his seventh album to enter the chart at number one. Nobody else had debuted at the top as often.” (wikipedia)

Changesbowie is a CD greatest-hits collection that revamps the original Changesonebowie by adding selections from David Bowie’s late-’70s and early-’80s albums. Consequently, it functions as a definitive single-disc introduction to Bowie, featuring all of his major hits from “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” “Ziggy Stardust,” “Jean Genie,” and “Rebel Rebel” to “Heroes,” “Ashes to Ashes,” “Let’s Dance,” “Modern Love,” and “Blue Jean.” One complaint: It wasn’t necessary to substitute the “Fame ’90” remix for the original to hook completists, since it is inferior and was already issued as a separate single. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Personnel:
David Bowie with many, many studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. Space Oddity (Bowie) (“David Bowie”;1969) 5.16
02. John, I’m Only Dancing (Bowie) (non-album single; 1972) 2.49
03. Changes (Bowie) (“Hunky Dory”; 1971) 3.36
04. Ziggy Stardust (Bowie) (“The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars”, 1972) 3.13
05. Suffragette City (Bowie) (“The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars; 1972) 3.28
06. The Jean Genie (“Aladdin Sane”; 1973) 4.09
07. Diamond Dogs (Bowie) (“Diamond Dogs”; 1974) 6.06
08. Rebel Rebel (Bowie) (“Diamond Dogs”; 1974) 4.31
09. Young Americans (Bowie) (” Young Americans”;1975) 5.13
10. Fame ’90 (Gass mix) (Bowie/Alomar/Lennon) (Fame ’90 CD single; 1990) 3.41
11. Golden Years (Bowie) (“Station To Station”; 1976) 4.01
12. Heroes (Bowie/Eno) (single version; 1977) 3.38
13. Ashes To Ashes (Bowie) (“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)”; 1980) 4.25
14. Fashion (Bowie) (“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)”; 1980) 4.49
15. Let’s Dance (single version; 1983) 4.10
16. China Girl (Bowie/Pop) (single version; 1977) 4.17
17. Modern Love (Bowie) (single version; 1983) 3.59
18. Blue Jean (Bowie) (“Tonight”; 1984) 3.11

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More from David Bowie:

Little River Band – Get Lucky (1990)

Little River Band (LRB) is a rock band originally formed in Melbourne, Australia in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums reached the top 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart including Diamantina Cocktail (May 1977) and First Under the Wire (July 1979), which both peaked at No. 2. Nine singles appeared in the top 20 on the related singles chart, with “Help Is on Its Way” (1977) as their only number-one hit. Ten singles reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Reminiscing” their highest, peaking at No. 3.

Little River Band have received many music awards in Australia. The 1976 line-up of Beeb Birtles, David Briggs, Graeham Goble, Glenn Shorrock, George McArdle and Derek Pellicci, were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame at the 18th Annual ARIA Music Awards of 2004. Most of the group’s 1970s and 1980s material was written by Goble and/or Shorrock, Birtles and Briggs. In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, named “Cool Change”, written by Shorrock, as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. “Reminiscing”, written by Goble, received a 5-Million Broadcast Citation from BMI in 2020.

The group have undergone numerous personnel changes, with over 30 members since their formation, including John Farnham as lead singer after Shorrock first departed in 1982. None of the musicians now performing as Little River Band are original members, nor members in the 1970s. In the 1980s, members included Farnham, Wayne Nelson, Stephen Housden, David Hirschfelder and Steve Prestwich. As from October 2020 the line-up is Nelson, Rich Herring, Chris Marion, Ryan Ricks and Colin Whinnery – none of whom are Australian. Various legal disputes over the band’s name occurred in the 2000s, with Housden filing suit against Birtles, Goble and Shorrock.

Get Lucky is the eleventh studio album by Australian group, Little River Band, released in April 1990, the album peaked at number 54 on the Australian ARIA Charts.(wikipedia)

This album was recorded in 1990 and features three of the original and best members of a band with many lineup changes over the years.They now tour and record with no original members and their lead vocalist is Wayne Nelson who joined in 1980 at the tail end of their most successful period.The rights to the name `Little River Band’ belong to guitarist `Steve Housden’ who joined in 1981 and hasn’t toured with them since 2006 and he forbids the original singers and writers to use the name when they tour.Shame they can’t come to some amicable arrangement.

This is a good but not essential LRB album.Apart from a couple of not so great ballads at the end the songs are catchy and the trademark harmonies are there.The production is very glossy which I found off-putting in some songs making the band sound like another version of Foreigner and the like.

All up a worthwhile purchase and the last time you’ll hear original lead vocalist `Glen Shorrock’ sing on a `Little River Band’ album. (R.Angel)

Personnel:
Graham Goble (guitar, background vocals)
Stephen Housden (lead guitar)
Wayne Nelson (bass, background vocals, vocals on 07. + 09.)
Derek Pellicci (drums)
Glenn Shorrock (vocals)
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Claude Gaudette (keyboards, programming)
Dennis Lambert (keyboards, programming)
Jamie Paddle (keyboards, programming)
John Robinson (drums)

Tracklist:
01. If I Get Lucky (Chapman) 4.15
02. There’s Not Another You (Goble) 3.50
03. Second Wind (Lambert/Reswick/Werfel) 4.15
04. Every Time I Turn Around (Beckett/Lambert) 4.38
05. I Dream Alone (Pellicci/Shorrock) 4.51
06. Time And Eternity (Goble) 4.09
07. Two Emotions (Goble) 4.29
08. As Long As I’m Alive (Goble/M.Nelson/G.Nelson) 4.36
09. The One That Got Away (Lambert/W.Nelson/Gaudette) 3.57
10. Listen To Your Heart (Kelly/Steinberg) 4.52

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A road sign to Little River, on a trip by the fledgling band from Melbourne to Geelong, inspired Glenn Shorrock to suggest the band name:

The official website:

Canned Heat – Blues Band (1997)

Canned Heat is an American blues and rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts Alan Wilson and Bob Hite, who took the name from Tommy Johnson’s 1928 “Canned Heat Blues”, a song about an alcoholic who had desperately turned to drinking Sterno, generically called “canned heat”, from the original 1914 product name Sterno Canned Heat, After appearances at the Monterey and Woodstock festivals at the end of the 1960s, the band acquired worldwide fame with a lineup consisting of Hite (vocals), Wilson (guitar, harmonica and vocals), Henry Vestine and later Harvey Mandel (lead guitar), Larry Taylor (bass), and Adolfo de la Parra (drums).

The music and attitude of Canned Heat attracted a large following and established the band as one of the popular acts of the hippie era. Canned Heat appeared at most major musical events at the end of the 1960s, performing blues standards along with their own material and occasionally indulging in lengthy ‘psychedelic’ solos. Two of their songs — “Going Up the Country” and “On the Road Again” — became international hits. “Going Up the Country” was a remake of the Henry Thomas song “Bull Doze Blues”, recorded in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1927. “On the Road Again” was a remake of the 1953 Floyd Jones song of the same name, which is reportedly based on the Tommy Johnson song “Big Road Blues”, recorded in 1928.

Since the early 1970s, numerous personnel changes have occurred. For much of the 1990s and 2000s and following Larry Taylor’s death in 2019, de la Parra has been the only member from the band’s 1960s lineup. He wrote a book about the band’s career, titled Living the Blues. Mandel, Walter Trout and Junior Watson are among the guitarists who gained fame for playing in later editions of the band.

And here´s another pretty good Canned Heat album:

A little tear came to my eye when the editor brought me a stack of CDs. There at the top was Canned Heat – the boogie band that peaked my interest in R&B, gulp, 30 years ago.

“Could this be the same band? I mean, aren’t they all dead?” I asked him. He shook his head, told me three of the original members are on the album and to have fun. And I did.

Singer Bob Hite, guitarists Alan Wilson and, recently, Henry Vestine, have gone to their reward, but the rhythm section of drummer Fito de la Parra and acoustic bassist Larry Taylor remains. And that’s one fine engine to have in your band and it boogies better than ever. The new Heat has slide guitarist/harp player Robert Lucas on vocals, Greg Kage on electric bass and lead guitarist Junior Watson has been a Canned Heat-er for a while now. Vestine, who died in December of ’97, made this his last work, playing on every cut and his sound remained distinctive to the end.

The Canned Heat of the late ’90s is pretty good and so’s the album, if you can look at them with a fresh eye and not with 1968-vision. The band that played Woodstock was magic and unique in their time. The new Heat isn’t magic, but it is a better-than-average blues band doing a good job of keeping the franchise boogying.

Lucas adds some energy with his slide playing, singing and original songs, but to be honest, the originals are only average at best. A version of Elmore James “Stranger” is excellent and a great opener for the CD, but I winced when I saw they had re-done Canned Heat classics “Going Up the Country” acoustically, “Boogie Music” and “One Kind Favor” here. But darned if they didn’t pull em off and in the process, saved the album.
I don’t know what the plans are for this band. They’ll probably stay together in some form or fashion forever. They remain popular in Europe and still have their fans stateside.
Give this one a listen. They brought a smile to my face and revived some great memories. I want to hear more from them. (Jack Clifford)

An outfit with deep blues/rock roots is Canned Heat Blues Band. Three members who date back to the 1960s version of the band, drummer Fito de la Parra, lead guitarist Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine, and bassist Larry “The Mole” Taylor, are on this latest self-titled disc on Ruf Records. They’re joined by Robert Lucas on guitar, harmonica, and vocals, Junior Watson on lead guitar, and Greg Kage on electric bass. This CD contains no big surprises, and is kind of what you’d expect from Canned Heat. If you miss the 60s, then take a listen to “Boogie Music,” which has a real feel of that wacky decade to it. The band also does an acoustic version of the Alan Wilson/Canned Heat standard “Going Up The Country”, with good slide guitar and raspy vocals from Lucas. By the way, this session constituted the last recordings by Vestine, who died in Paris late last 1997. (Bill Mitchell)

Personnel:
Robert Lucas (slide guitar, vocals,harmonica)
Gregg Kage (bass on 01., 03., 05., 07., 10. + 11.)
Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra (drums)
Larry “The Mole” Taylor (bass on 02., 04., 06., 08. + 09.)
Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine (guitar)
Junior Watson (guitar)
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Brenda Burnes (vocals on 07.)
Juke Logan (organ on 04.)
Tracklist:
01. Stranger (James/Robinson) 5.06
02. Quiet Woman (Lucas) 4.33
03. Iron Horse (Lucas) 5.12
04. Jr.’s Shuffle (Parra/Watson) 4.14
05. Creole Queen (Lucas) 3.45
06. Keep It to Yourself (Williamson II) 4.17
07. Boogie Music (Talman) 4.33
08. Going Up The Country (Wilson) 3.19
09. See These Tears (Lucas) 2.29
10. One Kind Favor (Talman) 4.25
11. Oh Baby (Lucas/Parra) 4.31
12. Gorgo Boogie (Lucas/Parra) 3.44

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More from Canned Heat:

Pat Travers – Radio Active (1981)

Pat Travers (born Patrick Henry Travers on April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career with Polydor Records in the mid-1970s. Many noted musicians have been members of the Pat Travers Band over the years.

While most bluesy hard rock acts of the ’70s and ’80s hailed from the United States (the south, to be exact), there were several exceptions to the rule, such as Canadian singer/guitarist Pat Travers. Born in Toronto on April 12, 1954, Travers first picked up the guitar just prior to entering his teens, after witnessing a local performance by the great Jimi Hendrix. It wasn’t long before Travers was studying the other top rock guitarists of the day (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, etc.), and paying his dues by playing in bar bands in the Quebec area.

His first true touring gig came his way when he hooked up with ’50s rock n’ roll vet Ronnie Hawkins (best known for performing with a backing cast that would eventually transform into The Band). But Travers’ main love was hard rock, so after a year, he packed up his belongings and headed to London. Shortly after touchdown in the U.K., Travers recorded a demo that would land him a recording deal with Polydor and result in the release of his debut, Pat Travers, during the spring of 1976. A performance at England’s annual Reading Festival the same year only peaked interest, which resulted in two more releases in 1977, Makin’ Magic and Putting It Straight (both of which featured a pre-Iron Maiden Nicko McBrain on drums), before Travers returned to North America and set his sights on the U.S. rock market.

Hooking up with a fine backing band comprised of drummer Tommy Aldridge, guitarist Pat Thrall, and bassist Mars Cowling, the new Travers band lineup premiered on 1979’s Heat in the Street. This led to Travers’ most commercially successful period, resulting in a pair of Top 30 releases, 1979’s Live! Go For What You Know (considered by many Travers fans to be his finest hour) and 1980’s Crash and Burn. But soon after the dawn of the ’80s, bluesy hard rock seemed to quickly fall out of favor amongst the U.S. record buying public, in favor of slickly produced arena rock, and later, MTV-approved bands. As a result, each subsequent Travers release sold less, as his last albums to appear on the U.S. album charts included 1981’s Radio Active, 1982’s Black Pearl, and 1984’s Hot Shot.

Unhappy with Polydor, Travers opted to take a break from releasing albums for the remainder of the decade, but continued to tour. Travers’ 1990 comeback album, School of Hard Knocks, failed to re-spark interest on the charts, although he continued to issue new studio albums (Blues Tracks, Just a Touch, Blues Magnet, etc.) and archival live sets (King Biscuit Flower Hour, BBC Radio One Live in Concert) throughout the decade.

Travers continues to tour and record regularly (playing alongside the likes of Night Ranger’s Jeff Watson, Cinderella’s Tom Keifer, and Rick Derringer), and in 2001, performed as part of the ‘Voices of Classic Rock’ tour. Travers emerged from the recording studio once more in 2003, with P.T. Power Trio, a recording that featured covers by the likes of Cream (“White Room”), Robin Trower (“Day of the Eagle”), and ZZ Top (“Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings”), among others. (Greg Prato)

Radio Active is a music album released by Pat Travers on Polydor Records in 1981. Radio Active was Pat Travers’ first release after the highly successful Crash and Burn. However, Pat Thrall and Tommy Aldridge had already left the band. Travers and Cowling forged on with former Blackjack drummer Sandy Gennaro, but the album barely made it into the Top 40.[which?] It was quite different from Travers’ previous work, with more emphasis on keyboards than heavy guitars. Disappointed with the lack of sales, Polygram dropped Travers from their roster. Travers’ successfully sued Polydor for breach of contract which he won which allowed him to record two future albums on the label.

Radio Active was recorded at Bee Jay Recording Studios in Orlando, Florida from October 1980 to February 1981. (wikipedia)

Guitar legend Pat Travers is known for holding court with numerous A-list players who have moved through the ranks of his band over the Toronto native’s storied career. In 1981, RADIO ACTIVE found Travers on the cusp of a crossroads in developing a new sound. The result was this bluesy collection of hard rock in which Travis finally focused his considerable virtuosity for a set of concise tunes. (by Doug Odell)

Personnel:
Peter “Mars” Cowling (bass)
Sandy Gennaro (drums)
Michael Shrieve (percussion)
Pat Travers (guitar, vocals, keyboards)
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Tommy Aldridge (drums)
Pat Thrall (guitar)

Tracklist:
01. New Age Music 5.07
02. My Life Is On The Line 3.44
03. (I Just Wanna) Live It My Way 5.32
04. I Don’t Wanna Be Awake 3.56
05. I Can Love You 2.26
06. Untitled 3.26
07. Feelin’ In Love 3.32
08. Play It Like You See It 5.08
09. Electric Detective 3.08

All songs written by Pat Travers
except 01., written by Roger Lewis, Ian Lewis, Jacob Miller, Bernard Harvey

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More from Pat Travers:

The official website:

Various Artists – Good Morning, Vietnam (OST) (1987)

Good Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 American war comedy film written by Mitch Markowitz and directed by Barry Levinson. Set in Saigon in 1965, during the Vietnam War, the film stars Robin Williams as a radio DJ on Armed Forces Radio Service, who proves hugely popular with the troops, but infuriates his superiors with what they call his “irreverent tendency”. The story is loosely based on the experiences of AFRS radio DJ Adrian Cronauer.

Most of Williams’ performances that portrayed Cronauer’s radio broadcasts were improvisations. The film was released by Buena Vista Pictures (under its Touchstone Pictures banner) to critical and commercial success; for his work in the film, Williams won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The film is number 100 on the list of the “American Film Institute’s 100 Funniest American Movies”.

Movie poster:

In 1965, Airman Second Class Adrian Cronauer arrives in Saigon to work as a DJ for Armed Forces Radio Service. He is met at the airport by Private Edward Garlick who drives him to the radio station, where his attitude and demeanor contrast sharply with those of many staff members. His show consists of reading strictly censored news and irreverent humor segments mixed with rock and roll music, which is frowned upon by his superiors, Second Lieutenant Steven Hauk and Sergeant Major Phillip Dickerson. Hauk adheres to strict Army guidelines in terms of humor and music programming while Dickerson, humorless and by-the-book, is generally abusive to all enlisted men. However, Brigadier General Taylor and the other DJs immediately take to Cronauer and his irreverent brand of comedy.

Cronauer follows Trinh, a Vietnamese girl, to an English class; after bribing the instructor to let him take over, Cronauer instructs the students in American slang and profanity. Once class is dismissed, he tries to talk to Trinh but is stopped by her brother Tuan; realizing the futility of pursuing her, Cronauer instead befriends Tuan and takes him to Jimmy Wah’s, a local GI bar. Two racist soldiers, angered at Tuan’s presence, initiate a confrontation that escalates into a brawl.

Dickerson reprimands Cronauer for the incident. While relaxing in Jimmy Wah’s one afternoon, he is rushed outside by Tuan, saying that Trinh wants to see him. A minute later, the building explodes, killing two soldiers and leaving Cronauer shaken. The cause of the explosion is determined to be a bomb; when Cronauer attempts to broadcast news of the explosion, Dickerson pronounces it as unofficial news, but Cronauer locks himself in the studio and reports it anyway. Dickerson is outraged and orders the broadcast cut off. Later, Dickerson and Hauk convince General Taylor to suspend Cronauer, much to their delight. Hauk takes over Cronauer’s broadcast, but his poor attempts at humor and programming of polka music lead to a flood of hate mail and phone calls demanding that Cronauer be reinstated.

Demoralized, Cronauer spends his time drinking and pursuing Trinh, only to be repeatedly rebuffed. At the radio station, General Taylor orders Hauk to reinstate Cronauer; Garlick delivers the news to Cronauer that he is back on the air, but Cronauer, still dejected, refuses to resume his broadcasts. Shortly afterward, Garlick is driving Cronauer and Tuan to their English class when their jeep is stopped on a congested street by a convoy of soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division heading for Nha Trang. Garlick introduces Cronauer to the troops who persuade him to do an impromptu “broadcast” before they go off to fight. Cronauer is moved by the soldiers’ appreciation and is reminded why his broadcasts are important; he returns to work.

Dickerson seizes an opportunity to permanently rid himself of Cronauer by approving his request to interview soldiers in the field and deliberately routing him through the hazardous Viet Cong-controlled highway to An Lộc. Cronauer and Garlick’s Jeep hits a mine, and they are forced to hide in the jungle from VC patrols. Back in Saigon, Tuan is alarmed when Cronauer fails to show up for English class and learns from DJ Marty Dreiwitz that Cronauer also didn’t turn up for his broadcast that morning. Tuan steals a van to search for Cronauer and Garlick. After Tuan finds them, the van breaks down and they flag down a Marine helicopter to fly them back to the city.

Back at the base, Dickerson tells Cronauer that he is off the air permanently. Tuan is revealed to be a VC operative known as “Phan Duc To” and is responsible for the bombing of Jimmy Wah’s; Dickerson has arranged for Cronauer’s honorable discharge. General Taylor regrettably informs Cronauer that he cannot help him this time since Cronauer’s friendship with Tuan would damage the reputation of the US Army. After Cronauer leaves, Taylor informs Dickerson that he is transferring him to Guam, citing Dickerson’s vindictive attitude toward Cronauer as the reason.

Cronauer searches for Tuan, decrying his actions against American soldiers. Emerging from the shadows, Tuan bitterly retorts that the US army devastated his family, thereby making the United States his enemy, before disappearing again. On his way to the Tan Son Nhat Airport with Garlick, under MP escort, Cronauer sets up a quick softball game for the students from his English class and says goodbye to a tearful Trinh. He gives Garlick a taped farewell message for the troops and boards the plane; Garlick – taking Cronauer’s place as DJ – plays the tape on the air the next morning, it begins with Cronauer saying “Goodbye, Vietnam!”.

UK frontcover:

The soundtrack album was certified platinum in the US. Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” was released as a single because of the film and reached #32 on the US Top 40, 20 years after its original release. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1989. (wikipedia)

Good Morning Vietnam as a comedy drama starring Robin Williams as an American Army DJ in Vietnam. Appropriately, the soundtrack is filled with oldies — from Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” and Martha & the Vandellas’ “Nowhere to Run” to the Rivieras’ “California Sun” and James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good)” — punctuated by Williams’ manic comic routines. Some listeners will find the routines a bit tedious, but it’s a thoroughly entertaining and well-paced collection of oldies that manages to evoke the mid-’60s quite well. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Tracklist:
01. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas: Nowhere To Run (Holland/Dozier/Holland) 2.55
02. The Beach Boys: I Get Around (Wilson) 2.09
03. Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders: Game Of Love (Ballard Jr.) 2.05
04. The Searchers: Sugar & Spice (Nightingale) 2.14
05. The Castaways: Liar, Liar (Donna) 1.52
06. The Beach Boys: The Warmth Of The Sun (Wilson/Love) 2.48
07. James Brown: I Got You (I Feel Good) (Brown) 2.45
08. Them: Baby Please Don’t Go (Williams) 2.40
09. The Marvelettes: Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead (Paul/Hunter/Stevenson) 2.29
10. The Vogues: Five O’Clock World (Reynolds) 2.19
11. The Rivieras: California Sun (Glover/Levy) 2.22
12. Louis Armstrong: What A Wonderful World (Thiele/Weiss) 2.17

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