Author: beatmarcheson.co.uk

13: A Stupid With A Flare Gun, An Iconic Guitar Riff, And Smoke On The Water

Duh, duh, duh. Duh, duh da-duh. It’s one of the most famous guitar riffs ever created. Along with Polly Wolly doodle it’s the first song learnt by a new guitarist.  A song that made a concert venue and a person famous after a peculiar incident. This week the Beat Marches On to 4th December 1971… Continue reading 13: A Stupid With A Flare Gun, An Iconic Guitar Riff, And Smoke On The Water

12: The Beano, Launching Many Careers, and The Blues

There’s a myth in Hollywood that there are six degrees of separation between Kevin Bacon and anyone in the film industry. For example, there are only two degrees between Bacon and the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Bacon was in the film JFK with Edward Asner who also appeared in a film with… Continue reading 12: The Beano, Launching Many Careers, and The Blues

11: A Mini Rock Opera, A Farm, and Putting Your Eggs In One Basket

It’s a bittersweet week for Queen fans this week. There’s something to celebrate with their pinnacle song Bohemian Rhapsody reached number one on the 23rd November and then the next day almost 16 years to the day of that feat we lost the maestro of that song Freddie Mercury. As there has been a lot… Continue reading 11: A Mini Rock Opera, A Farm, and Putting Your Eggs In One Basket

10: The Hit Factory, The Motor City, and Creating Your Own Genre

Detroit at the end of the 1950s was a booming city. It was likely that anyone who bought a car in the US had it likely that it was built in the city. It earned the nickname “motor city” which is effectively what it was. It motored the country to the freeway. If you lived… Continue reading 10: The Hit Factory, The Motor City, and Creating Your Own Genre

9: Politics, Shock Rock, and Monster Raving Loons

Music and politics have always been linked together. As noticed by the latest US election with rapper Kanye West running and getting some votes. There are countless lawsuits between politicians and musical artists about the use of their music and political leanings. Kanye wasn’t the first musician to run for office and he probably won’t… Continue reading 9: Politics, Shock Rock, and Monster Raving Loons

7: A Lawsuit, A Countersuit, and Rock and Roll

What is there not to say about the Beatles? The Fab Four broke so many boundaries in the 1960s that they rewrote the whole pop song experience. The influence is heard to this day. I believe that the band have done more for music than anyone else in music history. Even the influencers have influences.… Continue reading 7: A Lawsuit, A Countersuit, and Rock and Roll

6: A Former Child Star, A Reinvention, and a Jagged Little Pill

Some albums have moderate success. Some albums get multi-million selling success. But there is an album that comes along once in a generation that is a monster. Everyone has a copy, and the singles are always playing on the radio, you cannot get away from them. This happened to a young then-unknown pop star called… Continue reading 6: A Former Child Star, A Reinvention, and a Jagged Little Pill

5: The Killer, The King, and a Gun Obsession

Jerry Lee Lewis has never been away from controversy. All the different stories about him could be a blog itself. For instance, upon arriving in the UK for his first tour he brought along his 13-year-old cousin, who happened to be his wife. Or the fact he’s been married SEVEN times. He has been accused… Continue reading 5: The Killer, The King, and a Gun Obsession

4:Homesickness, Nirvana, and Serendipity

Sometimes fate intervenes in music which is beyond anybody’s control. Paul McCartney met John Lennon at a church fete. Mick Jagger met Keith Richards at a train station. There are hundreds of stories like this where a chance meeting or event happens. Just think about it if McCartney decided not to go to the fete… Continue reading 4:Homesickness, Nirvana, and Serendipity