There’s an adage ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ which is not just used in music but is used in just about everything. Whether it’s a job promotion or moving house knowing a friend with a connection is always helpful more than a hindrance. So, when a member of the world’s most famous band… Continue reading 43: Beatles, Bangladesh, and Benefit Concerts
Category: Music
42: Sweden, Maps, and Comebacks
Max Martin is one of the biggest producers in the world right now. He is the third all-time hitmaker on the Billboard Hot 100 only behind pop royalty such as Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It hasn’t always been singing and dancing for the producer as in the mid-2000s he hit a lull in hitmaking… Continue reading 42: Sweden, Maps, and Comebacks
41: Telstar, Production Wizardry, and Tragedy.
The third of February is usually known as the day that music died. The plane that crashed while carrying Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper J.P. Richardson was one of the first big music tragedies in the modern era. There is another tragedy that occurred on the same day a few years… Continue reading 41: Telstar, Production Wizardry, and Tragedy.
39: Barbados, Crack, and Bankruptcy
Before Britpop of the mid-1990s, there was a scene in Manchester that captured the country. A fresh new sound infused the 60s Psychedelic sound and the Acid House of the late 1980s which was described by the press as Madchester. The name stuck with its fans, and it soon spread throughout the UK. One of… Continue reading 39: Barbados, Crack, and Bankruptcy
40: Arnold Layne, LSD, and Crazy Diamonds
When you think of the band Pink Floyd, most people think of Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall but before they were record-breaking superstars, they were a psychedelic rock band with a different eccentric guitarist and singer. He wasn’t a virtuoso on the guitar like Jimi Hendrix or, the most talented songwriter like… Continue reading 40: Arnold Layne, LSD, and Crazy Diamonds
38: Cops, Corruption, and Simolina Pilchard.
During one of our many lockdowns, the country was gripped by the series Line of Duty. The series was all about catching bent coppers. I mention this series because this week’s story is about a real-life aoften accused bent copper. During the 1960s Norman Pilcher leader of Scotland Yard’s drug squad wreaked havoc on the… Continue reading 38: Cops, Corruption, and Simolina Pilchard.
37: Miss Misery, Suicide, and Mysterious Circumstances
In the late nineties, there was a singer who became a huge influence for most modern indie rock bands. A troubled soul from a young age who managed to release material that struck a chord with fans all over the world. Although this singer had suffered from depression throughout his life his death may not… Continue reading 37: Miss Misery, Suicide, and Mysterious Circumstances
36: Immortality, Heartbreak, and Mr. Brightside.
How many chart-topping songs do you remember from 2004? How about five years ago? Last year? Six months ago? It’s difficult to remember. The charts have such a massive turnaround in tracks from week to week it can be confusing to remember who sings what. With the high turnaround of singles in the charts, songs… Continue reading 36: Immortality, Heartbreak, and Mr. Brightside.
35: Rivalries, Award Shows, and The Tabloids
There have always been rivalries in music. The Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones, East Coast Rappers vs. West Coast rappers, and The Backstreet Boys vs. *NSYNC the list goes on throughout the ages since music notes started to play. Although rivalries aren’t anything new in music it’s rare to see them spill out at awards… Continue reading 35: Rivalries, Award Shows, and The Tabloids
34: Reading, Mud, and Tampons
The 1992 Reading music festival is remembered mostly for the headline performance by Nirvana. With rumours of singer Kurt Cobain being ill and may not being able to perform there was genuine worry that the band was going to be a no-show. However, the rumours turned out to be bogus and the band played a… Continue reading 34: Reading, Mud, and Tampons