The recent death of Terry O'Neill, the photographer of so many film, pop and rock 'n' roll stars, provides an unexpected intro to this week's music spot. Check out a gallery of stars on this link to a Guardian newspaper article from last Sunday. Capturing a past, in images that live forever:

January 1963 - O’Neill later recalled: “I was asked to go down to Abbey Road Studios and take a few portraits of this new band. I didn’t know how to work with a group, but because I was a musician myself and the youngest on staff by a decade, I was always the one they’d ask. I took the four young lads outside for better light. That portrait ran in the papers the next day and the paper sold out. That band became the biggest band in the world, the Beatles” 

You may subsequently and undoubtedly have heard of this (now not so young) lad, on a track from 1984 and on the soundtrack to his film 'Give My Regards To Broad Street' this is 'No More Lonely Nights' by Paul McCartney.

Lots of beautiful scenic images in this video, plus the lyrics. But who is playing those guitar solos ?

The answer will be revealed next week if you don't recognise the distinctive style and sound. No peeking (or googling), now...

Ever noticed how many great songs there are with 'Rain' in the title. I have a list that has tracks by Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Creedence, Counting Crows & Buddy Holly just for starters. And one of the very best is 'November Rain' by Guns N' Roses.
With some wonderful guitar by Slash (Mr Saul Hudson) the track was released in 1992 as a single, having appeared on the previous year's LP 'Use Your Illusion'. According to various stories 'November Rain' had been in the making for some 8 years. 
Here it's pouring down again. 

If you thought this video was mad or just plain silly, then so did this guy: Link to Funny or Die.

Did you guess correct ?
Yep it's Lynyrd Skynyrd 'Sweet Home Alabama' on this 1974 black & white promo video, with the original line up and three lead guitarists. Ed King take the solo on this one.

I also found this new 2015 'live in their home town' video (they've still got it) - but what with hair extensions and the passing of years I'm not sure how many originals remain. Gary Rossington is there I think. >>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0njSOZ5M3w

–   T O P   2 0   G U I T A R   I N T R O S  –

Rick Beato (musician, teacher, writer/producer with various bands in the rock and country genres) walks and picks his way through his selection of Top 20 Electric Guitar Intros. Fascinating stuff at 15 minutes long. He even adds in 11 extras, just to show how difficult he found it to keep it to a Top 20.

>>> Now which one of his Top 20 have I selected for this week's Star Track ? Can you guess, you've a 20-1 chance... Answer coming up this Friday. 

A short smug story …
The other week at our local pub quiz, as normal, there was a music round.
The link for all the 10 songs in this round was that the song's title doesn't appear in the song's lyrics. One point awarded for the artist and one for the song title. 
The first three tracks played our team recognised, though we got the name of the Led Zeppelin track wrong. The next two were a complete mystery, even when they read the answers out later. The remaining 5 songs played included a song I recognised as being Blink 182. 'One of the kid's songs' I said when all our team looked at me in surprise. And then out of nowhere came the title 'Adam's Song'. At the time I thought 'where did that come from…' ➤  –  but it felt right. And it was ! 2 more points for our team. 
➤ It came from me selecting tracks I liked, off my kids playlists, that I then compiled on to various CDs, I called 'Bill's Kids'. And on BK3 there are, amongst Green Day, Sum 41, Foo Fighters & Creed, to name just four, three tracks by Blink 182 and right there is 'Adam's Song'.
Thank goodness for our subconscious….

> An unusually dark song off the album 'Enema of the State' considered one of the Greatest Pop Punk Albums Ever, check out the amusing and iconic record cover. 

Here's a song I've always loved: The Cure 'Friday I'm In Love', but what kind of love is this? Cure songs are never as simple as they seem and I've never been quite sure, plus there's so many interpretations of it's meaning on the internet, it's whatever you want it to be. 
One thing is for sure it's an upbeat song while this official video won the 'Best Music Video (European Viewers Choice)' at the 1992 MTV Awards. Love those chiming guitars > it's Friday...

"Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin"
Once upon a time in a land of make believe when the guitar players sat down, the drummer sang backing vocals and the lead singer told fanciful stories, this was the beginning of Genesis, and a revelation.
I discovered the band rather by chance and have numerous tales I could tell (but not for here, though if you'd like me to bore you rigid anytime, I'd happily oblige).
This is more about a recent PROG magazine poll taken by 40,000 readers to vote for their favourite Genesis songs. The magazine then compiled a Top 40 list.
Having discovered the band in 1971, with the 'Nursery Cryme' LP, I bought their earlier album 'Trespass' and all their subsequent releases up to the 1977 "...and then there were three". While Peter Gabriel leaving the band was less of a problem, this slightly disappointing album suffered due to the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett. I didn't buy any Genesis LPs after this ! So I was especially interesting to hear tracks in this Top 40 selected from 'Duke' in 1980 and beyond.
Now I know I try not to repeat a band or artist on the FMS and students out there will have spotted that this has not been set in stone. Pink Floyd, Joe Bonamassa, Rod Stewart have all appeared more than once and though we have had a Genesis track: 'Firth of Fifth' - this was in fact the Steve Hackett Band while Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel were solo releases. (links highlighted) we haven't actually had Genesis on ! Clever reasoning right?
In reviewing those later songs I found this excellent Special Edit travelogue video spanning the years to 2007: A scary looking Phil Collins and sticking with the drum theme of the last few weeks, some brilliant duel drumming from Phil and Chester Thompson.
Take it away Genesis - 'Duke's Travels/End 'live'.

"Alexa: play Fleetwood Mac"... and this never comes up ? (I only heard it for the first time earlier this year). Despite it appearing in the 'Rolling Stone' 50 Best Fleetwood Mac tracks and is on a 2009 release 'The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac' CD.
"What Makes You Think You're the One" is a Lindsey Buckingham song from the 'Tusk' LP released on 12th October 1979.
This is the best sound version on YouTube (no video, I'm afraid) so you can clearly hear Mick Fleetwood killing it on the drums

>>> From one 1960s drummer to another. Scroll down or click link for a tribute to Ginger Baker.

–   A    T  R  I  B  U  T  E   –

to Ginger Baker who sadly died last Sunday, 6th October 

"Peter Edward 'Ginger' Baker was a paradox: a gamechanging rock drummer who insisted that he “never played rock,” a forefather of heavy metal who couldn't stand the genre, and a Londoner who thoroughly assimilated African drumming styles."

I couldn't really find a video that showed that much of the drumming of Ginger Baker, so here's a bio with whole lot you may not know about him... (and some great old black and white footage).

⏯ Video is for the 2007 Zildjan Drummers Achievement Awards when Ginger Baker received a lifetime award.

I first heard this a few months ago and ear marked it for around this time.
This is Ben Folds singing 'Still Fighting'. When you see the video and hear the lyrics 'Good Morning Son' 'You're so much like me' 'And one day you'll fly away from me' - you will know why I selected it now, the day before my son's 29th birthday.
One person's experience is never exactly the same as yours, but this rings enough bells. A personal Star Track Spot this week...