Before “The Boy In The Bubble” and “Graceland”…before “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” and “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard”…and before “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Sound Of Silence,” there was “Hey Schoolgirl” and a multitude of early recordings by the likes of Tom & Jerry, Jerry Landis, […]
Song Of The Day – “Jungle Strut” by Gene Ammons
Song Of The Day – “Jungle Strut” by Gene Ammons He was the son of boogie woogie pianist Albert Ammons, but Gene Ammons or “Jug” as he was affectionately nicknamed was known more for his full round tone on the tenor. He got the name “Jug” from Billy Eckstine, after not fitting into the hats […]
Today in Rock History – October 11
1962, The Beatles made their first appearance on the UK singles chart with “Love Me Do,” which peaked at number four. 1964, The Who performed at Wolsey Hall, Cheshunt, England. 1967, The Doors appeared at Danbury High School, Danbury, Connecticut. Before the group came on stage, an announcer told the audience not to leave their […]
Song Of The Day – “Willkommen” by Joel Grey from the film “Cabaret”
A funny thing happened to the Broadway Musical Cabaret during its adaptation to the big screen. It lost ten out of its original fifteen songs. Many of the original Broadway songs were in the play to express the emotions of the characters and move the plot line forward, something that the medium of film was […]
Song Of The Day – “The Shelter Of Your Arms” by Clyde McPhatter
Singles and albums that came out of the Brill Building during the early 1960s have a distinct sound of their own. It’s not just down to the great songs that were written by the best songwriters New York City had to offer, or the now-legendary musicians who played on the sessions, but it also came […]
Song Of The Day – “Work Song” by Nina Simone
Here’s one that was released the year I was born, yet it sounds as hip and current as, well, I am. OK, it is hipper and more current than I am, but it goes to show just how timeless Nina Simone’s recordings really were. Simone’s interpretive talents as a singer and piano player earned her […]
Song Of The Day – “Only A Lonely Man Would Know” by Marvin Gaye
The Marvin Gaye albums What’s Going On, Let’s Get It On and Here, My Dear are considered to be his finest by fans and critics alike, and it would be hard to argue the contrary with what’s in the grooves. But it mystifies me that the critics fail to mention the album M.P.G. in the […]
Song Of The Day – “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by The Animals
A full set of classic Animals from the 1965 NME Poll Winners Concert, as “Song Of The Day by Eric Berman” looks at a terrific “grey area” CD release! The New Musical Express is a weekly British newspaper that has focused solely on the music scene for nearly 50 years. For several years during the 1960s, […]
Song Of the Day – “The Alley Cat” by Bent Fabric
Dance crazes come and go, but they are never forgotten. Today there’s Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” wreaking havoc across dance floors all over the world. In the 1990s, there was “The Macarena.” In the 1980s, country line dancing and “The Lambada” had their day in the sun, and the ‘70s gave us “The Electric Slide.” But […]
Song Of The Day – “I’m Telling You Now” by Freddie & The Dreamers
I’m writing this on the 49th anniversary of The Beatles historic first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and while I have a vague memory of The Beatles playing on Sullivan, I don’t think it was their very first performance. Well, heck, I must have only been four or five years old. But even then, […]
