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Keith Richards Thirsts Onstage for a Cola Drink, Possibly More -- Picture Book

Gaylord Fields — 2010-10-26T18:00:00 00:00

Each week, in Picture Book, we present an iconic photo from rock 'n' roll's past or present, accompanied with insightful commentary. Whether it's a famous picture or an unearthed rarity, these striking images will serve to illustrate the visual side of music. This special mid-week edition of Picture Book is timed to commemorate the release of Keith Richards' autobiography, 'Life.'

Keith Richards Onstage With the Rolling Stones and Jack and Coors, 1972

"There were many who tried to imitate Keith Richards. Not a safe thing to do," says photographer Ethan Russell about Keef, who, judging by Russell's iconic stage photo of him staring down a bottle of Jack Daniel's and a couple of cans of Coors beer, must have requested a bar setup in his concert rider. Russell, who shot the Rolling Stones during their 1972 US tour, is part of a multi-photographer exhibition exploring the notoriously debauched Stones guitarist, titled 'Before They Make Me Run: Portraits of Keith Richards 1963-1972.' The exhibition, which coincides with the release of Richards' new autobiography, 'Life,' runs at the San Francisco Art Exchange till mid-November and can also be viewed online.

Buy Keith Richards' 'Life' Book

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'Hold On,' John Lennon: I Freakin' Love This Song

Gaylord Fields — 2010-10-08T09:30:00 00:00

Filed under: I Freakin' Love This Song

Hold On,' John Lennon
From 1970s 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'

When it comes to Beatlemania, I rank my particular strain of the syndrome as being as acute as it can manifest itself. That meant as a teen in the 1970s owning both US and British import vinyl, almost every mono and stereo variation, and enough Beatles bootleg LPs to have me looking over my shoulder in case the royalties police come a-callin'. That makes it especially odd that for years my ardor didn't extend to bothering to own any of the former Fab Four's individual efforts.

Soul Legend Sugar Pie DeSanto Promises to Shock the Ponderosa Stomp Crowd

Gaylord Fields — 2010-09-22T10:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

Nine years going, the Ponderosa Stomp festival in New Orleans has been bringing the unsung heroes of rock 'n' roll, blues, soul and several other uniquely American music forms to an appreciative audience that doesn't often see many of these older performers strut their stuff - and certainly not in one place over two nights. Among the more than 30 acts slated to shake it on down at the New Orleans House of Blues on Sept. 24 and 25 are the Trashmen, Duane Eddy, Thee Midniters, Barbara Lynn and Roy Head, as well as La La Brooks of the Crystals, Young Jessie and Lazy Lester - whose blues ditty gave the fest its name.

One scheduled performer who has all but sworn to make an indelible impression on the Ponderosa Stomp 2010 crowd is Sugar Pie DeSanto. Best known for her mid-'60s soul sides for Chess, including 'Slip-In Mules,' 'Soulful Dress' and her duets with R&B legend Etta James, 'In the Basement' and 'Do I Make Myself Clear,' the petite yet powerful-voiced blues belter has been wowing crowds since being part of the James Brown Revue as a youngster 50 years ago.

Tracey Thorn Adjusts to Her Ex-Bandmate Being Her Now-Spouse -- Exclusive Video

Gaylord Fields — 2010-07-14T18:15:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Video, Exclusive

It's tough when you break up a long-running band, as Tracey Thorn, who recently paid a visit to our New York studio for a video interview, can attest about Everything but the Girl, the duo she started in Hull, England, with Ben Watt in 1982. It's especially difficult when you still share a bed with your former bandmate, as Thorn and Watt are a longtime couple with three children (they were married in 2009). Yet that's precisely what the singer and songwriter has done in order to concentrate on her solo career, which includes her recently issued 'Love and Its Opposite.' This third release under her own name -- following the lo-fi bare-bones voice-and-guitar of 'A Distant Shore' from 1982 and 2007's more dance-pop-oriented 'Out of the Woods' -- splits the difference between the two, with minimal electronics and small-combo guitar, bass, piano and drum arrangements.

Regarding the pitfalls of reconfiguring a creative and romantic partnership into a solely domestic one, Thorn admits it's just as hard as being in a band with your beloved. "People used to say to us, 'How do you manage to keep a relationship together and be in a group?' Thorn recalls. "And the honest answer is, a lot of the time it was difficult. We managed to make it work. And we got through it all, and it was good. But I'm not sure we could have carried on doing that forever. You know, it's quite hard working and living with someone. Now we've got three kids as well, so that's an added pressure, you know? Family life is enough of a pressure sometimes. And I think sometimes going off and doing your work separately is probably healthier."

Watch the full interview after the jump.

Ringo Starr Gets a Little Help From His Friend Ben Harper for PBS Live Special

Gaylord Fields — 2010-07-09T14:30:00 00:00

Ringo Starr had quite the 70th birthday celebration on July 7, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Not only did Paul McCartney join him for an onstage reunion in playing the occasion-appropriate Beatles song 'Birthday,' more than a dozen other musical mates joined the legendary drummer for a singalong on 'With a Little Help From My Friends.'

As a consolation Ringo-related belated birthday gift to those who were unable to witness the reunion, here is a video clip of Starr performing 'With a Little Help From My Friends,' excerpted from the second-season premiere of the PBS program 'Live From the Artists Den.' Starr's set, during which he is backed by Ben Harper and his band Relentless7, along with Joan Osborne, was taped at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This session can be seen in its entirety starting this week on local PBS stations in the US.

Paul McCartney Gives Ringo Starr 'Birthday' Present Onstage in New York

Gaylord Fields — 2010-07-08T11:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

All Ringo Starr asked for as a 70th birthday_thumbnail.gift on July 7 was "peace and love" from all his fans around the world. However, he was the one who delivered a big birthday surprise to the wildly cheering attendees at his celebratory concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York when Paul McCartney joined the legendary Beatles drummer onstage, fronting Ringo's All-Starr Band for a joyous encore appropriately consisting of the Fab Four's 'Birthday.' Sir Paul, clad in a tight black suit and skinny tie right out of 1964, waggled his iconic Höfner bass in time while delivering his full-throated take on the song. Starr merrily bashed away behind him on his kit alongside his drummer son Zak Starkey, with Joe Walsh joining in to supply guitar pyrotechnics.

This feat was the once-in-a-lifetime capper to a two-hour set of Starr-sung Beatles and solo favorites that concluded with many of Starr's musical mates from the world of rock raising their voices for an equally appropriate singalong to 'With a Little Help From My Friends,' which segued into a chorus of 'Give Peace a Chance.' The helpful friends who assembled onstage included Yoko Ono, AC/DC's Angus Young, Jeff Lynne, Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and Foreigner's Mick Jones.

All Ringo Starr Wants for His 70th Birthday Is 'Peace and Love'

Gaylord Fields — 2010-07-01T17:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Spinner Interview

What sort of birthday gift is appropriate for the man who has everything? Well, if that man is Ringo Starr, who celebrates his milestone 70th on July 7, there's only one present on his list, and it's one that won't cost its givers a penny. He would simply like to have "peace and love." And all anyone has to do to_thumbnail.gift-wrap and deliver this special present to him is to say or tweet or communicate any way at all those three little words that mean a lot at the designated time of noon.

For fans who would like to celebrate with Starr in person, the legendary Beatles drummer will be reconvening his All Starr Band - featuring Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer and Gary Wright, among others - for the 11th time in order to play a series of US dates, including a gala on his actual birthday at New York's legendary Radio City Music Hall. To prep for his big day, the man born as Richard Starkey in Liverpool seven decades ago spoke to Spinner about why "peace and love" is not just a '60s concept, how he realized he was destined to be a drummer when he was a seriously ill 13-year-old and why he's not quite ready to retire almost 60 years hence.

You're clearly a man who has enough material goods, and you surely don't need more of that. You do say you want one thing for your birthday, and that's peace and love.

I do. At noon, wherever you are in the world; but in America while I'm talking to you - you're in Florida, Atlanta, L.A., anywhere - at 12 noon wherever you are, just for me, if you could put your fingers up and go, "Peace and love," that would be great. That's the world's present to me.

Suzanne Vega Talks 'Close-Up' About Being a Two-Hit Wonder -- Exclusive Video

Gaylord Fields — 2010-02-23T18:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Video, Exclusive

Suzanne Vega recently visited our New York studio for an interview in which she shared news about the release of the first volume of her four-album series, 'Suzanne Vega Close-Up.' This initial disc, 'Love Songs,' features newly recorded acoustic renditions of songs spanning her 25-year career, assembled around the theme of romance. Vega revealed that future volumes will address 'People, Places and Things,' 'States of Being' and 'Songs of Family.' These reworkings of her catalog will include new versions of her two US Top 5 singles, 'Luka' and 'Tom's Diner,' which led Spinner to include her on our list of Two-Hit Wonders.

Vega takes pride in the "two-hit" label, as she does in the pair of songs that most people think of when they hear her name. "Those two hits enabled me to go anywhere in the world, and sing," she said, "and people recognize my voice, they recognize my songs, they recognize my name, so like, what's the problem? Why would I be resentful of that? Should I be angry that it was only two, out of the hundreds of songs that I've written?... I don't really see it that way. I see it that those two songs kind of opened up the world to me, and so they've given me a good, long career. And that's how I see it. "

Watch the full two-part interview after the jump.

IFLTS: 'I Want to Hold Your Hand,' The Beatles

Gaylord Fields — 2009-09-09T11:45:00 00:00

Filed under: I Freakin' Love This Song

'I Want to Hold Your Hand,' The Beatles
1963 single

I can proudly state that I was one of the record-setting 73 million Americans who witnessed the Beatles performing 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' and three other soon-to-be-ubiquitous songs in the course of their historic debut on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' that landmark Sunday of Feb. 9, 1964.

I can also sheepishly clarify that, as I was 3 years old at the time, I can't recall a single solitary second of it.

However, just a few months later, when my 4-year-old brain started absorbing the Top 40 AM radio airwaves circa late 1964 that were being beamed at all our heads, even it could discern how special 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' is. Yet my tiny but growing blob of gray matter had scant knowledge of whence that two minutes and twenty-four seconds of perfect pop synthesis emanated.

Original Beatles Drummer Pete Best Tells His Side of the Fab Four Story

Gaylord Fields — 2009-09-03T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Spinner Interview

The received wisdom is that there are but two surviving Beatles: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Absent from the celebration of the release of the Fab Four's remastered albums and the Beatles: Rock Band video game is original drummer Pete Best, the only other person on the planet who can rightfully call himself a Beatle.

With his moody good looks marking him as the heartthrob of the early Beatles, Best was behind the drum kit from 1960 till 1962, which is when he was unceremoniously and mysteriously fired from the band just as they were on the brink of their unprecedented stardom. But now, more than 45 years later, he's telling his side of the story via a method in which he communicates best: through music. Last year, Best and his group released the album 'Haymans Green,' named after his Liverpool neighborhood, whose songs chronicle the life and times of the man who supplied the "atom beat" for the Beatles.

Though Best commonly has been portrayed as sullen and introverted during his Beatle days, he couldn't have been more affable and forthcoming as he reminisced with Spinner, without a trace of bitterness, about his time in the group. He holds forth on how the 10 tracks he played on that were included in the Beatles 'Anthology' collection vindicates his skill as a drummer (and made him financially set for life), theorizes on exactly why he was kicked out of the Beatles by his bandmates, confirms the debauchery of the Beatles' early days in Hamburg, Germany, and recalls how he occasionally found humor in being the most famous fired person in the world.

What is it about Liverpool that has inspired so many great musicians, the Beatles being just one example?

It's something I think has always been there. If you're from Liverpool, you realize its musical heritage. Even before Merseybeat, it was always a hotbed for musicians, whether it was jazz, singers, big bands -- you name it, it emanated from Liverpool. It still does. Liverpool was an industrial town, a poor town. The people fought hard for what they wanted to achieve and there was a hunger there, and that hunger has remained with the musicians. Today, it's still a hotbed for music. I think it always will be.

When you were in the Beatles, you wanted to be successful, of course. Did you think there would be big things in store for the band?

I think we knew that there were big things in store. You could call it arrogance, self-confidence, big-headedness -- we knew because of what we had done at a very early age. We'd taken Hamburg by storm. We were basically unknown, a mediocre band, but on the first night of playing the opening show at the Casbah on Dec. 10, Liverpool was our oyster. We'd conquered it. The word was on the street: "You've got to see these guys, you've got to see the Beatles." We knew if we could get a recording contract and into the English charts, that would be the start of something big. To be totally realistic, no one at that stage thought we were gonna become the icons of the music industry as the world knows them today. We were concerned with getting a No. 1 record, and we were confident enough to say we could achieve that. What happened afterwards was a total different type of dream altogether.

IFLTS: 'The Love You Save,' the Jackson 5

Gaylord Fields — 2009-06-26T15:15:00 00:00

Filed under: I Freakin' Love This Song

'The Love You Save,' the Jackson 5
From 1970's 'ABC'

As a bubblegum-chewing and -listening 9-and-a-half-year-old urban black kid in mid-1970, I was as predisposed to fall for the pop-soul sticky chicle of the Jackson 5's third Motown single (and third No. 1), 'The Love You Save' as a boy could be. Though Michael Jackson was chronologically two years older than me, in some ways he came off as younger than I am, yet in the most obvious way -- his otherworldly voice and poise -- I'm still to this day comparatively a child.

Akin to its white bubblegum counterparts, the song's lyrics entendre on a double level -- in this case as a parable about traffic safety (for us youngsters) or as a warning about sexual promiscuity (for the older set). That is, until the middle bit, in which Michael accuses the song's protagonist of making out with Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Graham Bell and Christopher Columbus in succession -- the song's first sign of musical genius. The second is the "truck driver's modulation" near the end, as the song vaults into a higher key, propelling me heavenward as well. Add some complementary vocals from J5 relief pitcher Jermaine, and you have the musical reason why, almost 40 years later, I'm still occasionally in my own Peter Pan phase.

Ben Lee Expresses a Special Affinity With Michael Jackson

Gaylord Fields — 2009-06-25T23:05:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Like Michael Jackson, Ben Lee got his start as an adolescent performer, which adds an extra layer to the Australian singer-songwriter's poignant words about Jackson's passing.

"Michael Jackson's death is a very surreal moment for people my age," Lee tells Spinner. "He was such an omnipresent figure in pop culture for as long as I can remember. It feels like I knew him, but on the other hand it seems like no one really did. His music makes me move. I guess that's what he ultimately wanted."

Artists React to Jackson's Passing

Soul Train's Don Cornelius Reminisces About Young Michael Jackson

Gaylord Fields — 2009-06-25T22:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Don Cornelius, the creator and host of the long-running TV musical institution 'Soul Train,' reminisces about when he discovered the prodigious and precocious musical talents of the late Michael Jackson.

"I met Michael Jackson at the age of 8, when his father and my new friend, Joe Jackson, first began to bring the Jackson 5 to Chicago, from their home in Gary, Indiana, for concert appearances," Cornelius tells Spinner. "The word of the Jackson 5's devastating abilities as concert artists had already begun to spread like an out-of-control forest fire to the laser-like attention of all Chicago area R&B music stars.

"The prevailing thought process among local R&B stars with respect to this very young group of entertainers known as the Jackson 5 had become, 'If Michael Jackson and his brothers were booked on an upcoming Chicagoland show, leave it alone! Don't book it! Don't go on that show and get completely blown away by young Michael and the Jackson 5!'"

In regard to the superstar that 8-year-old boy would become, Cornelius has this to say: "Michael Jackson's personal crescendo of amazing power as an entertainer was clear and unmistakable, and has never slowed to this very day! His passing will be grieved far beyond that of any other singer, composer, producer, dancer and choreographer in the history of the world. Indeed, in my very firmest personal belief, there will never, ever, be another Michael Jackson!"

Artists React to Jackson's Passing

Fonzworth Bentley Tips His Hat to Michael Jackson

Gaylord Fields — 2009-06-25T21:40:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Being one of this decade's suavest fashion mavens, 'From G's to Gents' host Fonzworth Bentley tips his hat to the late Michael Jackson, who set several style trends in his long career as a chart-topping icon.

"I grew up with Michael Jackson as my idol," Bentley tells Spinner. "It was a family affair. We would all sit around the television whenever a new Michael Jackson video would premiere. I know the feeling I had when I saw him do the moonwalk. I can only imagine the feeling they are getting in heaven seeing him walk through those gates."

Artists React to Jackson's Passing

Russell Simmons Reflects Upon Michael Jackson's Significance

Gaylord Fields — 2009-06-25T21:10:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons, who as a co-founder of Def Jam Records is well versed on world-changing musical movements, reflects upon the passing of Michael Jackson at age 50 and the cultural significance of the King of Pop.

"Michael Jackson was my generation's most iconic cultural hero," Simmons tells Spinner. "Courageous, unique and incredibly talented. He'll be missed greatly."

Artists React to Jackson's Passing

Michael Jackson Dead at 50

Gaylord Fields — 2009-06-25T17:55:00 00:00

Filed under: News, R.I.P.

Michael Jackson, who made his initial mark in the pop world as the precocious lead singer of Jackson 5, only to reach unprecedented creative and commercial heights as the pre-eminent solo performer of the late 20th century, has died in a Los Angeles hospital. Reports say that the self-styled King of Pop went into cardiac arrest in his L.A. home and was unable to be revived by paramedics. Jackson was 50.

Born in Gary, Ind., on Aug. 29, 1958, Jackson, even from an early age, possessed a once-in-a-generation combination of prodigious singing and innovative dancing talent coupled with a classic showman's knack for performance. Starting with the 1969 No. 1 smash 'I Want You Back' at age 11, and proceeding throughout the '70s, '80s and early '90s, Jackson, either with his family group or as a solo performer, was a constant presence at the top of the singles and album charts. His career high point, 1982's blockbuster 'Thriller,' spawned four Top 10 hits and has been cited as the best-selling album in the world.

The latter years of Jackson's life were beset by controversies, including multiple cosmetic surgeries, financial difficulties and accusations of improprieties with children. At the time of his death, he was in the process of mounting a series of 50 comeback perfomances at London's 02 Arena, which were to commence in July. Despite his eccentricities, it is hoped that Jackson will be remembered for the_thumbnail.gifts he shared with us rather than the troubles he had or may have caused.

Read developments in this story on PopEater.

Artists React to Jackson's Passing

Listen to All Michael Jackson on AOL Radio

Flamin' Groovies Reunite at New Orleans' Ponderosa Stomp

Gaylord Fields — 2009-05-01T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

Among the resurrected bluesmen, rockabilly cats, garage rockers and soul shouters at the eighth annual Ponderosa Stomp were various "Littles," including Little Willie Littlefield, Little Joe Washington, Lil' Buck Sinegal -- not to mention Long John Hunter and Lazy Lester. Though each of these acts that held court at the festival (held April 28 and 29 at the House of Blues in New Orleans), and several others -- including a master's class given by newly inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson -- demonstrated the breadth and width of American music, one undisputed highlight was the Wednesday reunion of the two prime forces in the Flamin' Groovies, who played a set together for the first time since 1971.

Groovies frontman Roy Loney and guitarist Cyril Jordan, who co-founded the Bay Area rock band in 1965, tore through selections from the three critically heralded LPs released before Loney's departure, with backing by Brooklyn combo the A-Bones (which featured Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan on keyboards and guitar, and, appropriately, former Flamin' Groovies Fan Club president Miriam Linna behind the drum kit). As Loney explains, "Cyril and I rehearsed in San Francisco and the A-Bones rehearsed in New York" -- yet this bicoastal convergence showed no signs of disconnect, jelling as if they were a long-estabished unit.

Four Tops Honored With Lifetime Achievement Grammy

Gaylord Fields — 2009-02-08T23:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Awards

The Four Tops have been bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 51st Grammy Awards. Sole surviving original member Abdul "Duke" Fakir accepted the accolade on behalf of the linchpin Motown group, adding one more plaudit to a long string of career highlights, including a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1990.

As Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs had passed away this past October, predeceased by bandmates Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton, Fakir took the opportunity to join a newly assembled Tops tribute group onstage during the awards broadcast. Comprising Fakir, Smokey Robinson, Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx, this cross-generational soul quartet did an able job of filling the shoes of Fakir's fallen comrades on a medley of 'Reach Out I'll Be There' and 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).'

See the full list of 2009 Grammy winners here.

Buffalo Springfield Drummer Dewey Martin Dies at 68

Gaylord Fields — 2009-02-05T18:55:00 00:00

Filed under: News, R.I.P.

Dewey Martin, a first-rate drummer who supplied the attack behind the songs of Stephen Stills and Neil Young in Buffalo Springfield, was found dead over the weekend at his home in Van Nuys, Calif. of unknown causes. It's believed he passed away on Jan. 31. He was 68.

Martin, who was born in Canada as Walter Milton Dwayne Midkiff, started off his professional career as a session drummer in Nashville in the early '60s before moving to Los Angeles, where he kept the beat for several local combos. He joined the just-formed Buffalo Springfield in 1966, remaining in the group for the entirety of its brief yet influential two-year existence.

British Singer-Songwriter John Martyn Dies at 60

Gaylord Fields — 2009-01-29T11:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, R.I.P., Jazz

John Martyn, a mainstay of the British folk boom of the late '60s and early '70s, has died in Ireland at age 60. The cause of his death is undisclosed. Martyn recently had health problems most likely related to his history of alcoholism and drug abuse, and was wheelchair-bound after a recent leg amputation.

Throughout his four-decade career, the English-born and Scottish-raised singer, songwriter and guitarist melded American jazz and blues with rock and traditional British folk to fashion a new musical tradition. His songcraft and musicianship, as found on albums such as his 1973 classic 'Solid Air,' won him comparisons to contemporaries such as Nick Drake, and the admiration of rock luminaries including Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Phil Collins, all of whom he has collaborated with. Among his other achievements and awards, Martyn just this year was named an Officer of the British Empire.