Today: The late Nick Drake was born in 1948 – 65 years ago

From Wikipedia:

Nicholas Rodney “Nick” Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician who was known for his sombre guitar-based songs. He failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime but his work has gradually achieved wider notice and recognition. Drake signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old and released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, in 1969. By 1972, he had recorded two more albums—Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. Neither sold more than 5,000 copies on initial release. Drake’s reluctance to perform live, or be interviewed, contributed to his lack of commercial success.

Drake suffered from depression and insomnia throughout his life and these topics were often reflected in his lyrics. On completion of his third album, 1972′s Pink Moon, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, retreating to his parents’ home in rural Warwickshire. There is no known footage of the adult Drake; he was only ever captured in still photographs and in home footage from his childhood. On 25 November 1974, Drake died from an overdose of amitriptyline, a prescribed antidepressant; he was 26 years old.

On 20 June 1998 BBC Radio 2 broadcast a documentary entitled Fruit Tree: The Nick Drake Story, featuring interviews with Joe Boyd, John Wood, Gabrielle and Molly Drake, Paul Wheeler, Robert Kirby and Ashley Hutchings, and narrated by Danny Thompson.

To tie in with the release of the compilation album Made to Love Magic, an updated version of the documentary was broadcast on 22 May 2004 on Radio 2, retitled Lost Boy: In Search of Nick Drake and featuring the same interview clips but with Thompson’s narration replaced by that of Brad Pitt, a self-confessed Nick Drake fan.

In early 1999, BBC2 aired a 40-minute documentary, A Stranger Among Us—In Search of Nick Drake. The following year, Dutch director Jeroen Berkvens released the documentary A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake, featuring interviews with Boyd, Gabrielle Drake, Wood and Kirby.

Later that year,The Guardian placed Bryter Layter at number 1 in its “Alternative top 100 albums ever” list.

Day is Done:

Pink Moon:

 

Album of the day:

 

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Today: Paul McCartney is 71

paul mccartney

“I think people who create and write, it actually does flow – just flows from into their head, into their hand, and they right it down. It’s simple.”
― Paul McCartney

“What I have to say is all in the music. If I want to say anything, I write a song.”
― Paul McCartney

Neil Young inducts Paul McCartney into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999:

Hey Jude:

From Wikipedia:

Birth name James Paul McCartney
Born 18 June 1942 (age 71)
Liverpool, England
Genres Rock, pop, classical, electronica
Occupations Musician, singer, songwriter, music and film producer, businessman
Instruments Vocals, bass guitar, guitar,keyboards, drums
Years active 1957–present
Labels Apple, Capitol, Columbia, Decca,Hear Music, Parlophone, Polydor,Swan, Vee-Jay
Associated acts The Quarrymen, the Beatles, Wings, the Fireman
Website www.paulmccartney.com

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM (born 18 June 1942) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame as a member of the Beatles, and with Lennon formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. Following the band’s break-up, he began a solo career and later formed the group Wings with his first wife Linda Eastman, and singer-songwriter Denny Laine.

McCartney has been described by Guinness World Records as the “most successful composer and recording artist of all time”, with 60 gold discs and sales of over 100 million albums and 100 million singles, and “the most successful songwriter” in UK chart history. His Beatles song “Yesterday” has been covered by over 2,200 artists—more than any other song in the history of recorded music. Wings’ 1977 release “Mull of Kintyre”, co-written with Laine, was one of the best-selling singles ever in the UK. He has written or co-written thirty-one songs that have reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2012 he has sold over 15.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States.


Let It Be:

.. by nature drawn to music’s formal aspects yet wholly untutored … [he] produced technically ‘finished’ work almost entirely by instinct, his harmonic judgement based mainly on perfect pitch and an acute pair of ears … [A] natural melodist—a creator of tunes capable of existing apart from their harmony
~Ian MacDonald

I prefer to think of my approach to music as … rather like the primitive cave artists, who drew without training
~Paul McCartney

Back Seat of My Car:

 

Album of the day:

Paul-McCartney-Ram-album-cover

 

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Bergenfest 2013: The Fourth Day – A Soulful Saturday

bergenfest 2013 Naomi Shelton-4

Naomi Shelton And The Gospel Queens
 She took us to church, she shook us and she held us, we were taken care of, what a fantastic woman, what a great gospel revue! It was funky and it was hot, we really thought Charles Bradley would be the highlight of the day but Naomi stole the show!     Highlights:  Am I asking too much, Reach out and touch, A Change is Gonna Come   -Hallgeir
 Agree with Hallgeir…. Best concert this Saturday. A highly energizing experience & CB guesting for “Am I asking too much” (and a Happy Birthday).  Highlights: Am I asking too much & A Change is Gonna Come    -Egil

 

bergenfest 2013 Naomi Shelton-3 bergenfest 2013 Naomi Shelton-2 bergenfest 2013 Naomi Shelton-1

20:30 – Magic Mirrors:

bergenfest 2013 John Murry-2

John Murry
 «This will probably want to make you kill yourselves» John Murry is an angry motherfucker. His passive agression knows few boundaries. This night it was directed at The Ukulele Orchestra of Britain(?), and with good reason. The Ukulele people did it hard for Mr. Murry to get started on time and his set was cut short because of them. It is rude to do what they did on a tight festival schedule. That said…John Murry was great! …and very funny in all his built up and kept in agression.   Highlights: Little Coloured Balloons, The Ballad of The Pyjama Kid and Southern Sky- Hallgeir
 He stressed quite a bit preparing for the concert… (ref the Ukulele band), but did a solid job when he got going. Very naked & dark stuff…   Highlights: Southern Sky & Things We Lost In the Fire  -Egil

 

bergenfest 2013 John Murry-1

15:15 – Plenen:

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Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
 This was my fourth Charles Bradley show, and it was nice to see that he has embraced the 70s style soul/funk. Love is still the main theme but now its delivered in a streetwise manner. Great start of the day.    Highlight:   Confusion – Hallgeir

 

bergenfest 2013 Charles Bradley-1

-Hallgeir & Egil

Today: Elvis Presley released From Elvis In Memphis in 1969 – 44 years ago

 

“Suddenly, Elvis had to be taken seriously because, suddenly, Elvis was taking the music seriously again. He was expressing his soul, which was plenty deep.”
~Robert Gordon

From Wikipedia:

From Elvis in Memphis is the thirty-fifth album by American rock and roll icon Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records LSP 4155, in June 1969. Recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, between January 13–16 and 20–23, and February 17–22, 1969. The recording of the album was a consequence of the success of Elvis Presley’s 1968 Christmas television special and its soundtrack, and marked the definite return of Presley to non-soundtrack albums, after finishing his movie contract with Paramount Pictures. Motivated by his early influences in country, rhythm and blues, gospel and soul, the latest music trend in Memphis, Presley chose to record his next songs at the American Sound Studio, directed by music producer Chips Moman.

Released June 17, 1969
Recorded January–February 1969 at American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee
Genre Blue-eyed soul, country, rhythm and blues, pop
Length 36:42
Label RCA Victor
Producer Chips MomanFelton Jarvis

Nearly half of the recordings from the sessions were not released on this album, but were instead released on the double album From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis in October of the same year.

Elvis Presley @ American Studios 1969

The album peaked at #13 on the Billboard 200 and #1 in United Kingdom, and has been certified Gold on 1/28/1970 by the R.I.A.A.. In 2003, the album was ranked number 190 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

After a 14-year absence from Memphis, Elvis Presley returned to cut what was certainly his greatest album. .. The result was one of the greatest white soul albums (and one of the greatest soul albums) ever cut, with brief but considerable forays into country, pop, and blues as well. Presley sounds rejuvenated artistically throughout the dozen cuts off the original album, and he’s supported by the best playing and backup singing of his entire recording history.
~Bruce Eder (allmusic.com)

Here are some real gems:

Elvis – American Sound Studio, 1969. Rehearsal. – part1

Elvis – American Sound Studio, 1969. Rehearsal. – part2

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