Michael Bennett writes
For whatever reason, The Animals seem to have been shunted aside when talking about the British Invasion, relegated to a couple of songs on the oldies stations. But The Animals were much more than that. Perhaps they didn’t have one legendary album, but they had many great singles and were one of the bluesiest bands of the era. And keying the band was the old soul of Eric Burdon. To be in his early-20s and still unleash the anguished vocal on the band’s classic take of “House of the Rising Sun” is pretty darned amazing, and that’s just one of his great vocal performances. Burdon progressed as time went on, exploring psychedelia with a later edition of the band, and then teaming up with War, jump starting their career, and waxing the classic “Spill The Wine”. Let’s pay birthday tribute to Burdon by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
There’s More…
Michael Bennett writes
Let’s give a shout out to a soul shouter who is at the forefront of reviving classic R & B sounds. Sharon Jones was far from an overnight success, doing backing vocals on records in the ’70s, while keeping people and things safe, as a security guard for an armored car company and a corrections officer as the notorious Rikers Island. It wasn’t until she the late ’90s that she began to grab some attention, and in the new century, she released the first album on the Daptone Records label, with, of course, The Dap-Tones. Jones’s story is a testament to both her talent and perseverance. And she is still making great records and playing great shows. Let’s pay tribute to Sharon by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
There’s More…
Michael Bennett writes
She is half of one of the great vocal duos in rock history. She has duetted with Iggy Pop, backed up R.E.M. and worn some of the bitchingest thrift store threads ever. And Kate Pierson has been a major attraction of one of the ultimate party bands, The B-52’s. No one could have predicted that a group playing parties in Athens, Georgia would not just come up with an indelible dance rock classic in “Rock Lobster” but would eventually conquer the charts with “Roam”. No matter where their music has taken them on record, they have never failed to get people dancing at their concerts. Let’s pay tribute to the great Kate by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
There’s More…
Michael Bennett writes
Today, let’s pay tribute to a legend who got his start right here in Chicago. Lionel Hampton was born in Louisville 104 years ago, but moved to Chicago as a youngster, where he quickly picked up the xylophone and drums, and started playing in the Chicago Defender Newsboys’ band in his teens. As a young adult, he played vibes with Louis Armstrong in California, and a career was born. Hampton then worked with swing great Benny Goodman before forming his own orchestra, and working with many of the other great players of his time. His music sometimes crossed into R & B. Although his popularity on the charts waned after the ’50s, he kept playing until 1991, for a six decade plus career of excellence. Let’s celebrate Hamp’s birthday by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
There’s More…
Michael Bennett writes
Very few sounds in pop music are as insinuating as the classic sides Al Green recorded for Hi Records back in the early ’70s. Interestingly enough, Green initially tried to follow the soul shouter path of singers like Otis Redding. Thankfully, producer Willie Mitchell instructed Green to dial things down, and with those classic rhythms, Green embarked on making some of the sexiest and most romantic music ever made. From there, Green turned to God, and produced some fine Christian music (like 1978’s The Belle Album), but never lost his soul prowess, as more recent comeback records have shown. Let’s pay tribute to the Reverend Green by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
There’s More…
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