30 years ago today Nirvana released the album 'Nevermind'.
It opened with the song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' - which we have featured on a 'Great Intros of our time' last year. [reminder here] 

'Nevermind' was the first Nirvana LP with Dave Grohl on drums, joining founding members Krist Novoselic on bass and frontman Kurt Cobain. An unexpected critical and commercial success, by January 1992 the record reached number one on the US Billboard 200.
Here's the second single released off the album called "Come As You Are" - with the line "No, I don't have a gun" - ironically:

(On 8th April 1994 Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle at the age of 27; police concluded he had died on April 5th from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head).

  

While searching for appropriate music for our bike ride back in July I came across various suggested cycling playlists, many of which were far too high a tempo. One track however I made a note of was 'Celebrity Skin' by Hole, simply because I really liked what I heard.
The title song from a 1998 album (Never heard of it ? Me neither), yet the LP was named the 265th greatest album of all time in a 2013 poll by NME magazine and was featured in the book '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'.
Alternative rock band Hole were fronted by Courtney Love, self appointed 'wild child' born to counterculture parents in San Francisco in the 60s. 'Celebrity Skin' featured instrumental contributions from several musicians outside the band, primarily Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, and featured a stark power pop sound more commercially appealing than the bands earlier punk influences.
'Celebrity Skin' - the track and video >

On my YouTube page feed this track is followed by 'Malibu' (off the same album) - well worth a listen to.

While those of you in the know will have been aware Courtney Love was married to Kurt Cobain at the time of his death in 1994, this week's Star Track sets up next week's music spot...

 

QUOTE : Yahoo Entertainment - January 2021

"It's become a cliche, even for post-Baby Boomers, to look back wistfully on the early 70s as some kind of golden age for popular music. But when you survey all the best albums it's hard not to trust that instinct".

1971: The very best year in rock music ? 

Who says ? Well David Hepworth in his book "1971 - Never A Dull Moment: Rock's Golden Year" reveals his belief that this was the case - in 336 pages! [see review] 

On reflection (and obviously being there has helped) his point is certainly valid. The list of great LPs released in that year is extensive, so join me in a 50 year old trip to the back of your memory and the corners of your record collection.

We have already travelled back to 1971 on the FMS (Hobbits Garden etc). There's plenty more nostalgia where that came from. Examining my record collection reveals a lot of LPs purchased from that one year. However looking at all the top releases indicates many more I didn't buy, so the list grows longer. 

I could easily fill up the rest of this year with 1971 Star Tracks, however I will revisit the subject periodically over the coming months before, Boys and Girls, Santa comes around to ask for your Christmas list.  

If I told you the best selling UK single from 1971 was "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep' by Middle of the Road, you will know that David Hepworth and myself are not concerning ourselves with the single charts but very much the albums released during that year. 

By this time in September 1971, we had already seen the release of some classic albums and listened to :- Tapestry - Carol King / The Yes Album - Yes / Aqualung - Jethro Tull / 4 Way Street - CSNY / LA Woman - The Doors / Sticky Fingers - Rolling Stones / What's Going On - Marvin Gaye / Every Picture Tells a Story - Rod Stewart / Blue - Joni Mitchell / Live at the Fillmore - the Allman Bros. and Imagine - John Lennon. And there were more to follow...

I personally had just purchased the 'Who's Next' LP and it was hardly off the turntable at this time. An album book-ended by the incredible 'Baba O'Riley' & 'Won't Get Fooled Again' yet sandwiched in between are some classics, less often played. 
Developed from the aborted Lifehouse project, a multi-media rock opera, many of the songs from that story ended up on 'Who's Next'. "The Song is Over" is a ballad which was supposedly the final song on Lifehouse. Aside from lead vocals by Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, it also features piano work by English musician Nicky Hopkins and some dynamic drumming by Keith Moon. 

The song is over 

 Excepting one note, pure and easy

'Pure and Easy' was the central axis of the Lifehouse project that never happened (now a snippet of "Pure and Easy" became the coda to "The Song is Over".)

Here's that song that didn't make it on to 'Who's Next' - fyi  
 

  

-   R E M E M B E R I N G   -

Charlie Watts: Reluctant Pop Star and the man at the back of the Rolling Stones for nearly 60 years, was always stoic about his success with the band - which he once described in the 80s as "five years of work and 20 years of hanging around".

But Watts' contribution to the band was vital. His jazz-inflected swing gave the Stones' songs their swagger, pushing and pulling at the groove, and creating room for Jagger's lascivious drawl.
"As much as Mick's voice and Keith's guitar, Charlie Watts's snare sound is the Rolling Stones". Bruce Springsteen once wrote. "When Mick sings, 'It's only rock 'n' roll but I like it,' Charlie's in the back showing you why!" 

A couple of years back I featured this song 'Time Waits For No One' (post link) - the video needs updating so click FMS#170 - to listen again. 

Don Everly: One half of the Everly Brothers (Phil having died in 2014) also passed away on August 21st. Here's a track to remember them by, a favourite from 1964, called 'Gone, Gone, Gone'. (A song covered by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in 2007).

Picture quality is not great but the original recording sounds fine

While doing the YouTube shuffle/search I came across other versions of some interest:

1) A not great TV version with dancing girls and backing singers making a bit of a mess of the original, matched by the bad picture quality - is here 
- or there's
2) Which is back to the 1964 original but the video has the dance troupe Pan's People performing to the song. It says 1964, however Cherry Gillespie is dancing and she didn't join Pan's People until 1972, so along with the colour pictures this footage is more likely from then and not 1964 ! - see this link

  

Another 'old' film that came on TV recently was 'Almost Famous' from 2000. I can only conclude that I'd not seen it since it's release because I couldn't remember most of it. While the soundtrack from the early 70s was extraordinary and far more familiar.

Except for this track which the film's writer and director Cameron Crowe has said is his favourite song by The Beach Boys.

'Feel Flows' features twice during the movie and is from the album released in 1971* called 'Surf's Up' - if you'd asked me I'd have thought they'd already used that title during the 60s.

Beautifully psychedelic track from the Very Famous - Beach Boys 

There's a brand new Box Set (out today) called 'Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions'. It includes remastered editions of those two albums alongside unreleased tracks.

 

* This leads to a future Friday Music Spot - coming soon 

  

One of my favourite films of the last 20 years recently came on TV and although I only caught half of it the memory and enjoyment of (We don't need no education) - 'School of Rock' was fully intact.

The track played in the Battle of the Bands contest is simply called 'School of Rock' (Rock Got No Reason) and in the film is attributed to lead guitarist Zack.

I have a video for you that combines the original film footage with a 10 Year School reunion from 2013 and an after-party performance of that song. To see the kids 'all grown up' is amazing and surprising. I know you're going to like this >

To remind you of the cast on stage:

• Jack Black as Dewey Finn (lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar)
• Joey Gaydos Jr. as Zack "Zack-Attack" Mooneyham (lead guitar)
• Kevin Clark as Freddy "Spazzy McGee" Jones (drums)
• Rivkah Reyes as Katie "Posh Spice" (bass)
• Robert Tsai as Lawrence "Mr. Cool" (keyboards)
• Maryam Hassan as Tomika (lead and backing vocals)
• Aleisha Allen as Alicia (lead and backing vocals)
• Caitlin Hale as Marta (lead and backing vocals)
• Miranda Cosgrove as Summer

 

  

This coming Saturday I'm finally going to a football match again, first time in nearly 18 month. Which has had me thinking about the very first time I went to a Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge in 1964. The team would always run out to an unusual song that apparently the players had heard while on a Caribbean Tour that Summer, liked it and ask if it could be played as they ran on to the pitch during that season.
The song was called 'Sammy Dead', while a bit of an odd title, the song was typical Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, a Jamacian ska, calypso and Soca band (strangely appropriate).

Amazingly there's some old 'live' footage from the time. Not surprisingly it's not great quality. Amazed I even found it...

Lead vocal is attributed to Eric 'Monty' Morris > 

The song is fairly short, so here's the original release, which is a slightly different version and must have been the actual single played in 1964. 'Sammy Dead'   

 

I first heard this song at the end of the London 2012 Olympics on the BBC as a closing summary full of highlight memories - [playout sequence clip] to jog your memory.
The song is a unique collaboration between Thea Gilmore & Sandy Denny. In late 2010 Thea Gilmore was commissioned by Sandy Denny’s estate, in conjunction with Island Records, to write melodies for unfinished manuscripts, lyrics without music, and works in progress (that had come to light in 1989) to finally bring some of Sandy Denny’s last works to the world. Of course this song is not about the Olympics but just being away from home.

The 2012 Olympic playout was just an edit, this is the full track called > 'London' 

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary. Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out ! Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

Whether it was the Drones in the sky display or the Pictograms performance that caught your eye during the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony, you must have wondered at the music during the Japanese Kabuki dance-drama section featuring the artist Hiromi. Playing piano in a flamboyant style, much like her 'anime' hair, her improvisation and mix of jazz, classical and rock reminded me of Keith Emerson's much loved meanderings and indulgent show-off-manship while hitting the ivories with everything available.

Her actual performance from the ceremony is not available on the web, though a short picture sequence is [FYI here].
The full piece called 'Spectrum' is available to experience > Hiromi

 

There are many other videos worth a look, those with her trio especially. 

Last week in the YouTube comments column someone had remarked the Obi track reminded them of Nick Drake's 'From the Morning'. This in turn triggered my memory of when Margaret, unfamiliar with his music, asked Alexa to play songs by Nick Drake.
The resulting playlist that followed included a veritable who's who of classic singer/songwriters:- Tom Waits, John Martyn, Gordon Lightfoot, CSNY, America, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Donavan, Cat Stevens, Tracy Chapman & Sandy Denny - all came up...
Explore your own playlist, starting with 'From the Morning' by Nick Drake > 

"Now we rise / And we are everywhere"

I noticed another comment on YouTube that said:- 

"I like the fact that the final song on the last album recorded in Nick Drake's lifetime was actually a song of hope and inspiration! "