Here’s my take on the new “McCartney 3-2-1” series running on Hulu …
First of all, I was wrong … each of the six episodes only runs about 30 minutes … so it’s more like a THREE hour documentary than a six hour one as promoted by me about a week ago.
Second of all, the entire thing looks like it was all done at one lengthy sitting / session. Shot completely in black and white, McCartney and host Rick Rubin (who honestly asked VERY little questions throughout the entire three hour exchange) primarily discuss technique and inspiration. (Honestly, I’m not sure Rubin adds that much to the mix … he may try to lead McCartney down a particular path, but this is McCartney’s story and HE’S the one to tell it … and he assumes proper control in this manner as the series moves on.)
I will say this about McCartney … he has told so many of these stories now so many times that they’re no longer anecdotes. They’ve just become part of the story that everyone who has followed McCartney’s career for the past 40 years is already familiar with. (Here again, the best Rick Rubin can do is look a little surprised when he hears these revelations, giving the impression that he really didn't know all that much about the subject matter or interview subject as well as he probably should have.) I will say this, however … it was nice to hear Paul finally tell some stories about GEORGE since nearly all of his reminisces these past several decades have been about John. The idea of two Beatles sitting along the side of the road warming up a quick lunch in the midst of hitch-hiking, for example, made me smile. That's one I HADN'T heard before.
Overall, Paul was very complimentary to
all three of his former bandmates (and was even able to work Stu Sutcliffe and
Pete Best into part of the conversation.)
The idea that someone would have to pick up the bass guitar once Stu
left the band … and the fact that that duty fell squarely on Paul because John
and George both said “Well, I’m not doing it” said a lot … because the truth of
the matter is Paul took to the instrument in a way no others did. (He even admitted ... or alluded to the fact that he typically assumed the role of "taskmaster" during the sessions to guide the others in a particular direction or to keep them on point. While one could argue that it's nice to see, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, McCartney may now see the error of his ways, it was the very fact that he DID assume this responsibility that The Beatles continued to grow and evolve as a band ... and this point becomes all the more obvious as Paul and Rick Rubin start to dissect some of these recordings.)
The stripped down sessions
isolating specific instruments shows the various techniques that McCartney used
to achieve some pretty incredible and unique sounds … little things I’d never
really noticed before such as the tuba sound he achieved on “Maxwell’s Silver
Hammer” as a means to DELIBERATELY create that sound ... it was exactly the way he heard the tune in his head.
Paul mentions at some point that he always fancied himself as a lead guitarist but then choked under pressure the one time he was supposed to take the lead on stage during a live performance … deciding then and there that it was best to leave those duties to George Harrison (despite the fact that Paul would go on to play lead on several Beatles recordings over the years, including a couple of George's … often pissing George off enough in the process for Harrison to simply say … after receiving more unsolicited direction from Macca on how to play a specific interlude … “Well then, YOU play it!” Which of course he did.)
What Paul did was he played the bass much like a lead guitar … often going in several different directions, straying from the song’s predominant melody to create a counter melody all on its own … many times working in conjunction with his own vocal part to compliment the two. In these areas, I found the film to be fascinating … and I will never listen to some of these recordings the same way again, despite having already listened to them literally THOUSANDS of times before.
Perhaps the most fascinating example of The Beatles working together in unison to create the most unique sound possible was on “And Your Bird Can Sing,” a song that appeared on the “Revolver” album in the UK but first premiered here in The States on “Yesterday And Today.”
I have ALWAYS loved this song … and remember hearing it for the very first time during those old Saturday Morning ABC Beatles cartoons. This is the song they played during the show’s closing credits. (Kinda like “For Pete’s Sake” on The Monkees’ TV series.)
It comes up during the final
episode of the series and is worth the price of admission alone. When you hear the various parts separated in all their glory, you simply cannot deny the genius that went into the recording of this track.
All in all, a VERY watchable three hours … and I know I’ll watch it again. The sound is really quite incredible and the way they showcase special segments and features from some of the songs by way of isolated tracks is really quite amazing. (There are also classic Beatles film clips sprinkled throughout all six episodes that make the viewing process that much more enjoyable.)
Knowing that The Beatles CREATED this material with many of these thoughts in mind … with this much foresight AND enough creative curiosity to experiment in the studio to achieve a new level or recording is really quite fascinating. But then who would dare deny them? As the #1 Recording Act on the planet, The Beatles had carte blanche when it came to use and access in the studio. Oh, John Moog is upstairs? Bring him down. Yes, we'll need a 40 piece orchestra for this one. And yet, as Paul himself states in the special, some of the coolest things to get on record were the little mistakes they made along the way … and then decided to leave in.
Even for the Paul McCartney know-it-all fanatic like me, I found enough new information in this special to stay totally transfixed and entertained. I can only imagine how much more the casual McCartney fan will discover when HE watches it!
Highly recommended. (kk)
I have watched only two of the new Hulu six-part series of interviews with Paul McCartney and so far, I have to say they are just FABULOUS!
I’m suprised that in Episode 1, Paul talks about Sgt Pepper and the LP cover, but does not link the fact that when he shows Hendrix performing the "Sgt Peppers" song on the third day after release … because in just three days he had already learned the song and was up there performing it … and I’m thinking one reason he could do it so soon was because he had the LYRICS on the back cover. He did not need to figure them out because he HAD them -- we ALL had them! Hendrix had to figure out the music but not the lyrics. This was the first time I ever saw lyrics included in an LP.
The shows so far are just wonderful. I’ve watched two of them. A few of the stories I knew, but he added some insight to those and often his musical ability and how they CREATED a song from bits and pieces of past performers stuff was great.
Anyway, this IS must see TV! If you can get these viewed, they are WORTH your while!
Clark Besch
Sirius / XM has a new specialty channel running through the end of the month that counts down The Top 500 Summer Songs based on their actual chart performance on Billboard’s Hot 100 Top Pop Singles Chart, 1958 – 2000.
The good news is: You get a WIDE variety of tunes from the past
five decades, making for a fun and interesting listening experience without any repeats.
The bad news is: Naturally (as with all things Billboard
lately) the list is heavily weighted by the new chart compiling criteria that
makes comparing the hits of the ‘50’s, ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s with the hits of
today a complete impossibility.
Even worse news: Because once again Billboard has decided that essential pop music didn’t begin until August of 1958 when they launched their Hot 100 Chart, some of the Greatest Songs of Summer aren’t eligible for this list.
For example:
The grand-daddy summer song of all time … “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets ... isn't on the list. This one dominated the music scene in 1955 and single-handedly launched The Rock Era … yet it is nowhere to be found on this list because, coming out in 1955, it’s just too “ancient” to qualify.
The Summer of ’56 gave us “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis, neither of which qualifies for the new Billboard Chart … and the Top Three Songs of Summer, 1957, “Love Letters In The Sand” by Pat Boone, “Bye Bye Love” by The Everly Brothers and “Teddy Bear,” also by Elvis, are nowhere to be found.
The new series, running 24/7 and doing nothing but counting down The Top 500 on a continuous loop, will run thru July 30th on Channel 104 on Sirius / XM (which is really nice because the new summer Beach Boys Channel is 105, which makes it REAL easy to flip back and forth between the two when one of the stations is playing crap that you don't really care about!)
It will continue to run on
the Sirius/XM app until August 14th (on demand) and then, in their
issue dated August 16th, Billboard will publish the complete Top 500
List. (The list will also appear on Billboard.com.)
Remember, this list is based on actual chart performance ONLY … so our Forgotten Hits link provided below should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect in the 1958 – 1980 category. But again, you'll find that many of the newer tunes dominate this list because of their extended longevity on the charts.
Of course you can see ALL of the Biggest Hits of Summer … which are also based on their overall chart performance during the months of June, July and August for each year between 1955 and 1980 ... as well as the most recent list of Your Top 200 All-Time Summer Favorites on the site: http://forgottenhits.com/ … and, just for the record, “Summer In The City” placed at #96 on the official Top 500 Chart compiled by Billboard Magazine. (kk)
Did you get up early this morning in order to listen to Bob Sirott’s replay of the seven songs that made the WLS Survey on July 14th, 1967?
Well, if you missed it, all you have to do is scroll back to Saturday’s Weekend Comments Page and listen to it there.
Meanwhile, a few more comments from some other folks on the list who enjoyed this very special look back at a very special time here in Chicago …
Awesome, Kent -
Lots of great memories from my days behind the ‘LS mike “Spinning” those Hits - and of the great people and talented Chicago area musicians whose creative music we played. None of us - DJ’s, musicians and those thousands of listeners and fans - ever dreamed such a legacy was being built that decade and that we’d still be talking about it and listening to the music so many years later.
Thank you for helping keep that exciting era alive.
Cheers!!!
Ron Riley
WLS 1963 to 1969
Always appreciate hearing these great posts, Kent …
It makes my day and the Colony’s as well.
Thanks so much.
Ronnie Rice
My son and his family just came for a visit and brought these amazing Father's Day gifts. Do be Colony!
Walt Kemp
It’s a VERY fun piece to watch that holds up exceptionally well. The music is outstanding and all of the guys are just so enthusiastic and appreciative of the fans who’ve stuck with them all these years. (And damn, doesn’t everybody look so YOUNG there!!! Lol)
Like Ron Riley says above, nobody could have ever dreamed that this music would STILL be bringing us so much joy all these 50-something years later. A half hour well spent! (kk)
Hi Kent -
I heard Bob Sirott mention YOU and Forgotten Hits on the radio last week!
Very Well Deserved!
I enjoyed reading Saturday's comments mentioning some of the names of the record labels that were popular in the day. Most young artists got their starts recording on those independent labels!
Do you know anything about the record company that recorded the hit record in the 60's "Posicles, Icicles" by "The Murmaids"?
I have the record with a dark pink label with the name Chatahoocie Records.
When in doubt ask the master ...
Carolyn
Well, let's see ... where to begin ...
DIDJAKNOW?-1: The Murmaids’ Top Three Hit (it went all the way to #1 in Music Vendor!) was written by David Gates, a good six years before he hit the big time on his own with Bread? (In between, he would hit pay dirt again when The Monkees recorded his song “Saturday’s Child” for their first album, which sold MILLIONS!)
The Murmaids were a One Hit Wonder out of Los Angeles. Incredibly, their big hit single was released with FOUR different B-Sides! (Depending on when and where you bought it, your flip side could have been either "Bunny Stomp," "Huntington Flats," "Comedy and Tragedy" or "Blue Dress." All were released with the catalog number Chattahoochee 628!)
It was a very unique looking record label and staff producer Kim Fowley produced The Murmaids’ only hit. (The record company was owned by Ruth Conte Yardum and, quite honestly, there’s not a whole lot of information to be found online about them! I do know that Chattahoochie Records also released the single “Whittier Blvd.,” which only managed to bubble under in the trades but was a Top 20 Hit here in Chicago in 1965. Thee Midniters also charted with their version of “Land Of A Thousand Dances” that year.) kk
DIDJAKNOW?-2: Know what the record was that knocked “Popsicles, Icicles” out of the #1 spot in Music Vendor Magazine in January of 1964??? It was a little ditty called “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by a brand new, unknown act called The Beatles.
UPDATE: I asked Harvey Kubernik, who has covered the California scene in such great detail over the years, if he could share any information on the Chattahoochee label … and boy, did he come thru on this one!!!
(See, when I don’t know … I know where to go! Lol)
Here’s what he sent me …
People need to know about this label. I touted and extolled the landmark Chattahoochie Records in my book "Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972."
I interviewed Kim Fowley and Little Willie G. of Thee Midniters who both helped create unique, popular and influential multi-cultural sounds from the City of the Angels.
In fact, just yesterday Little Willie G., the front man of Thee Midniters, called me. I'll be interviewing him sometime in August. He told me he ran into Kim and Jackie DeShannon at Gold Star and around Hollywood and Los Angeles. Willie also said in 1966 he talked to Dewey Martin of Buffalo Springfield around their Gold Star sessions one day.
Kim Fowley: In 1963, I was hitchhiking, and a budding songwriter, before he was with Screen Gems Music, David Gates, picked me up and gave me a ride. We talked; he mentioned he was a songwriter. He had a bass guitar in the back seat. “Are you a musician or a songwriter?” He wrote songs. I told him who I was. He knew about “Alley-Oop” and “Nutrocker.” We went into my house and he played me “Popsicles and Icicles,” and I said, “Hit record!” I found a group to do it — the Murmaids. Stan Ross was the engineer at Gold Star Recording Studios. In 1964, the Beatles knocked it out of the number-one slot in Cash Box with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
[Editor’s Note: It was actually #1 in Music Vendor, the precursor to Record World. “Popsicles, Icicles” peaked at #3 in both Billboard and Cash Box. – kk]
I remember years ago Kim telling us that the drummer on "Popsicles and Icicles" was Ronnie Selico. He had played on the road with Lloyd Price and later did some work with Frank Zappa. Kim, especially during 1960-1965, regularly employed Black, Chicano and transplanted New Orleans musicians in his record productions. He hired members of The Hollywood Flames and the genius arranger Rene Hall. In fact, Rene's wife Sugar was Kim's office manager in the early sixties. Both Kim and Little Willie were always architects of diversity in musical journeys.
KIM FOWLEY: At Gold Star Studios, one day I ran into Brian Wilson and he asked me who the Murmaids were. I asked him, “What is the basis of your songwriting?” And he said, “Well, school is nine months a year and the summer holidays are three months, and you write about that and getting in trouble with your parents.”
The Chattahoochie label was also the home to the legendary group Thee Midniters. They did some recording at Gold Star as well. The band cut a version of "Land Of A 1000 Dances" for the label and had a big hit instrumental single "Whittier Blvd." A monumental endeavor that to this day still packs a dance floor and a treasured audio item.
You of all people would be please to know that during his 1965 year shift on KRLA, Dick Biondi had a couple of their records, including "Whittier Blvd." in rotation.
[Editor’s Note: “Whittier Blvd.” was a Top 20 Hit here in Chicago, too! Kind of surprising in that it only managed to bubble under in all three of the major trades! – kk]
Little Willie G.: The group recorded in Hollywood on Melrose Avenue, at Studio Masters with Bruce Morgan, who was a godsend. He had worked with the Beach Boys there and was just an incredible guy. “What do you guys want to sound like?” We told him, “We want to sound the way we sound live, when we are playing on a stage or in a backyard.” There’s an energy, vibe, and cohesion with a unity that comes across.
We recorded over twenty-five singles. It was right across the street from Paramount Pictures. Studio Masters was right next door to Lucy’s El Adobe Café. It was not unusual to go into Lucy’s El Adobe and see Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner come in wearing full makeup during their lunch break from filming the Star Trek television series.
After “Land of a Thousand Dances,” the British Invasion happened in 1964 and 1965. At rehearsal, one of our warm-up songs was “2120 South Michigan Avenue” by the Rolling Stones, from their 12 X 5 LP. We needed a follow-up record for Chattahoochee Records. Sammy Phillip [later known as Hirth Martinez] wrote a song, “Evil Love.” We went in and did it. Then Bruce Morgan said, “Okay, what’s the B-side?” And we looked at each other. We didn’t even think of that.
We also knew the value of instrumentals. Like, there were surf music instrumentals. The instrumental is not a novelty in East L.A. We were following James Brown. “Night Train,” those type of things. “Harlem Nocturne.”
The street Whittier Boulevard became a cruising mecca. They started coming from Orange County and the San Fernando Valley, and from the beach cities. Our audience was everybody. They’d come from San Pedro, Hermosa, Manhattan Beach, Van Nuys, Pacoima. They would come to Whittier Boulevard partly because of our song, but we also had three things in common: music, cars, and girls. You could find all that on Whittier Boulevard.
Thee Midniters had strong support from the local DJs. Art Laboe, Huggy Boy, [and] Godfrey, as well as Sam Riddle on KHJ and Casey Kasem and Dave Hull from KRLA, took us to the air force bases. We were Casey’s favorite band to book. He was an advocate of what we did, and then Dave Hull, and then Sam Riddle. They hired us for their private events and the dances they sponsored.
We were not stuck in a doo-wop bag, either. We were total entertainers. We played a lot of backyard, family-oriented parties. The older folks wanted to hear boleros; they wanted to hear corridos. Then you had the second generation that wanted to hear Duke Ellington and big band stuff — Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby stuff. We learned all that stuff. Because music really transcends borders and colors. I think our band was indicative of that. If you saw the band, you left as a fan.
We played everywhere. We were able to go to Thousand Oaks and to Hawthorne for the Drop. We performed at the Rendezvous Ballroom on Balboa Island with Dick Dale. We toured a short season with Paul Revere and the Raiders in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Thanks, Harvey!
Joel Whitburn describes Thee Midniters as a Mexican-American rock band from Los Angeles, California … Willie Garcia (Little Willie G), vocals; Roy Marquez, guitar; George Dominguez, guitar; Ronnie Figueroa, organ; Romeo Prado, trombone; Larry Rendon, sax; Jimmy Espinoza, bass and George Salazar, drums.
As for The Murmaids, Whitburn says that they were a teen “girl group” from Los Angeles, California, consisting of sisters Carol and Terry Fischer and their friend, Sally Gordon.
For a complete discography of Chattahoochie Records, you can check out this link:
http://www.globaldogproductions.info/c/chattahoochie.html
There’s a great interview in “Chicago Now” with Bill Cunningham of The Box Tops, talking about the good old days as well as their upcoming show at The City Winery next week. (Wednesday, July 21st.) In fact, The Box Tops play Chicago TWICE over the next few months, stopping back in December to open for Tommy James and the Shondells at The Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. (kk)
Bill Cunningham Looks Back On 'The Letter' As Box Tops Head To City Winery
Our interview with The Box Tops, circa 2018:
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2018/04/forgotten-hits-interviews-box-tops.html
Upcoming Tour Dates: https://boxtops.com/tour-list/
THE BOX TOPS HIT LIST:
(and what an impressive list it is!)
1967 – The Letter (#1, 4 weeks, USA / #1, 6 weeks. Chicago)
1967 – Neon Rainbow (#16, USA / #8, Chi)
1968 – Cry Like A Baby (#2, USA / #2, Chi)
1968 – Choo Choo Train (#17, USA / #23, Chi)
1968 – I Met Her In Church (#29, USA / #23, Chi)
1969 – Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March (#22, USA / xx, Chi)
1969 – I Shall Be Released (#67, USA / xx, Chi)
1969 – Soul Deep (#11, USA / #3, Chi)
1969 – Turn On A Dream (#31, USA / #23, Chi)
1970 – You Keep Tightening Up On Me (#70, USA / xx, Chi)
Nearly ALL of The Box Tops’ national peaks were higher in the trade publications OTHER than Billboard, where they typically placed as many as 7 – 22 places lower for some reason. It just didn’t seem to make sense as some of these tracks are absolute classics. (kk)
Don't know if I missed it, but Richard Marx has put out a new book, "Stories to Tell: A Memoir" (Simon & Schuster).
Here's some info:
Richard Marx story
Marx talks about his book in a recent concert.
“Right Here Waiting” 30th anniversary retrospective video of Marx’s career.
Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide over the course of his career. He is the only male artist whose first seven singles reached the Top 5 on the Billboard charts, and he has written on a number one single in each of the last four decades — an accolade previously only reached by Michael Jackson.
He won a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy and has scored fourteen number-one singles, both as a performer and as a songwriter / producer. He is also a committed philanthropist, supporting charitable causes such as the American Cancer Society and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Mercy For Animals, ASPCA, Humane Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the charity closest to his heart, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife, Daisy Fuentes.
Richard Marx is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters in the history of popular music. His self-titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist (and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston) to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard Hot 100. His follow-up, 1989’s Repeat Offender, was an even bigger smash, going quadruple platinum and landing two singles at number one. He has written fourteen number one songs in total, shared a Song of the Year Grammy with Luther Vandross, and collaborated with a variety of artists including NSYNC, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, and Keith Urban. Lately, he’s also become a Twitter celebrity thanks to his outspokenness on social issues and his ability to out-troll his trolls.
In Stories to Tell, Marx uses this same engaging, straight-talking style to look back on his life and career. He writes of how Kenny Rogers changed a single line of a song he’d written for him then asked for a 50% cut — which inspired Marx to write one of his biggest hits. He tells the uncanny story of how he wound up curled up on the couch of Olivia Newton-John, his childhood crush, watching Xanadu. He shares the tribulations of working with the all-female hair metal band Vixen and appearing in their video. Yet amid these entertaining celebrity encounters, Marx offers a more sobering assessment of the music business as he’s experienced it over four decades — the challenges of navigating greedy executives and grueling tour schedules, and the rewards of connecting with thousands of fans at sold-out shows that make all the drama worthwhile. He also provides an illuminating look at his songwriting process and talks honestly about how his personal life has inspired his work, including finding love with wife Daisy Fuentes and the mystery illness that recently struck him — and that doctors haven’t been able to solve.
Ken Voss
When I first heard about Richard Marx’s book, I immediately put it on by birthday present wish list … really looking forward to reading it. (I was not aware of the suffering he’s been going thru these past several years. We’ve seen him in concert a few times now and it’s always been an amazing show.)
Others interested in catching up on Richard’s career can order a copy thru Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Tell-Memoir-Richard-Marx-ebook/dp/B08LDWKLSL/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=richard+marx&qid=1626564956&s=books&sr=1-1
Hi Kent,
Only in Forgotten Hits –
Just saw you calling attention to Glass Bottle's "I Ain't Got Time Anymore" -- great song! Just like the song by the Rose Garden, "Next Plane To London," both One Hit Wonders, both keepers!
Hope one day in Forgotten Hits to be seeing interviews with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. and also Frankie Valli. "Sherry" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons was a hit 59 years ago -- and Frankie is still out there singin' his hits -- remarkable! As with all of his songs, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is timeless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J36z7AnhvOM
Best To Ya,
Tim Kiley
>>>"Hill Where The Lord Hides" by Chuck Mangione (#82 to #72) and "He's Gonna Step On You Again" by John Kongos (#89 to #73) ... does ANYBODY out there remember EITHER of these last two?!?!? (kk)
"Hill Where The Lord Hides" was a big hit in Buffalo and Rochester, NY (#1 there). I heard it on WKBW in Buffalo, which I was able to pick up after dark from New Jersey. I was in college at the time and I got reviewer passes to see Mangione at Madison Square Garden. It was a great show (and of course I gave it a great review.) As for John Kongos, I remember hearing that record at the time, and I have it on a CD compilation, and have it in a folder of possible songs to play on the 70s Double Play feature on my Top Shelf Oldies program.
– Randy Price
Both are new ones on me. (Nationally, they peaked at #61 and #64 respectively … but never made a dent here in Chicago.) kk
kk …
When Cousin Brucie came back to WABC 77 AM, I said it was only the beginning of more changes to come.
We now have Tony Orlando following Cousin Brucie on Saturday Night Oldies.
And then on Sunday’s (debuting tonight at 8:00 pm) it’s Joe Piscopo's Sinatra Show ... followed by "THE DEANA MARTIN SHOW," coming on at 9:00 pm. (And probably featuring a lot of Dino stories)
FB
TUFF GONG and MERCURY STUDIOS ANNOUNCE GLOBAL RELEASE OF BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS - THE CAPITOL SESSION ’73
RESTORED AND AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME -- OUT ON DVD+CD, CD, COLORED 2LP, AND DIGITAL FORMATS ~SEPTEMBER 3, 2021~
VIEW "STIR IT UP" VIDEO HERE
WATCH THE TRAILER ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
PRE-ORDER HERE
The scene is Hollywood ... October, 1973.
International reggae pioneers Bob Marley and The Wailers were filmed in a closed door session at The Capitol Records Tower on October 24 by famed producer Denny Cordell, who received the blessing from Marley to capture the band recording 12 songs. Shooting with four cameras and mixing “on the fly” to a colorized tape, this footage, has been painstakingly restored, resulting in an incredible presentation of this unseen live session.
On September 3, Tuff Gong and Mercury Studios are proud to present this concert (almost 50 years after it was recorded): Bob Marley And The Wailers: The Capitol Session ‘73 on DVD+CD, standalone CD, 2LP pressed on green marble vinyl, 2LP pressed on Rasta swirl vinyl (red, yellow and green – available exclusively at Sound of Vinyl), and digital formats. A track from the set — “Stir It Up” — is available to view here on Youtube.
This session at Capitol Studios represented a unique moment in the band’s career. Filmed 10 years after their formation, Bob Marley and the Wailers already had several established hits through the ska and rocksteady eras. Gaining recognition stateside, including a few shows with Bruce Springsteen at Max’s Kansas City in NYC, they then went on to tour with Sly and the Family Stone, before they had been unceremoniously dumped from the tour. This led to the band (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Joe Higgs, Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett, Earl “Wya” Lindo) making their way to Hollywood to do this session.
The footage from this session was considered lost until a freelance researcher uncovered a few frames. For over 20 years, archives and storage units from New York and London to San Diego were tracked down and searched to retrieve fragments of the film, until it was fully unearthed, restored, and remastered.
Evolving into a politically and socially charged unit after being inspired by the US Civil Rights movement, various African liberation efforts, and Rastafari, which Bob Marley and the Wailers studied from Rasta elders, their music reflected the soul and struggles of the era. Making poignant statements about life, liberty, and social justice, the sentiments are imbued in the songs, which are beautifully brought to life via Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Capitol Session ‘73.
TRACK LISTING:
1. You Can't Blame The Youth
2. Slave Driver
3. Burnin' And Lootin'
4. Rastaman Chant
5. Duppy Conqueror
6. Midnight Raver
7. Put It On
8. Stop That Train
9. Kinky Reggae
10. Stir It Up
11. No More Trouble
12. Get Up Stand Up
DVD Bonus tracks:
Duppy Conqueror
Rastaman Chant
I know we’ve run these photos before …
But on the anniversary, it only seemed right to run them again! (kk)
I found this in the AZ Republic today. It is some musical history that dates back to 1882.
Today in history:
On this date in 1882, Johnny Ringo was found shot to death in Turkey Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains.
It pertains to the subject of the mid-'60's Lorne Green not-rock song, "Ringo." Actually, it wasn't a song, it was a narrative. Contrary to the song, the subject met his demise in a beautiful setting in a remote section of southeast Arizona. Rumor has it that his death was actually a suicide and not a gun fight as he was found propped up sitting on a tree branch. My wife and I stumbled on this site while camping in the mountains in 1974. As in the recently posted Burton Cummings article, we were also driving a ‘68 GTO with a black vinyl top and there was a case of beer in the trunk. In January of 2019, we were able to locate and visit the site again, although this took a little bit of work.
Robert Campbell
