Music Bender

Ahhh, yes … memories …

This is probably the biggest difference between classic and oldies rock. Here’s why:

Most of us can name at least three hit songs (and possibly recite part of the lyrics) and the lineup of Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones or The Beatles. We can tell (without lookin’ at a book or web article) the story of Janis Joplin (and name a few of her hits) as well as Tina Turner.

Now … can we do the same with Hoobastank? Alice In Chains? Smashing Pumpkins? How about Pink? Fergie?

See my point? As great as these acts are (and I’m particularly fond of AIC and Black-Eyed Peas), they just don’t have the intergenerational impact that these others did.
Awww, it’s not that they haven’t had as much time in the trenches. It’s that, most importantly, they don’t reach deep enough to hit the soul of the listeners! They get onstage, play some great stuff — but how much of it do they really feel … and get across to their fans?
Yardbirds, that’s the main difference! You can remember your favorite teacher because he/she makes/made an impact on your life — boosted your spirit, touched your soul somehow. It’s the same way with classic sounds …

Now, some bands can be “average”, but have a singer or instrumentalist who eventually becomes a classic in his or her own right.

For example, Tico and the Triumphs had an excellent guitarist/singer (in fact, he was Tico himself!) who, later on, became one of America’s top songwriters/poets/singers.
But first …
he joined up with another great vocalist and, together, they made an indelible mark on modern folk/rock. His partner? Art Garfunkel!
So … who was the guy known as Tico? Of course: It’s Paul Simon!!

Jeremiah Was A … WHAT??

We all know the words, right? “JER-E-MI-AH WAZZZ uh BULL-frawgggg …” When those words left Chuck Negron’s (Three Dog Night) mouth, we knew we were ready to PARRRR-DEEEE with “Joy To The World”!!

But … who in the heck was “Jeremiah,” really? I mean, outside the cat in the Good Book. Who was Three Dog Night singin’ about? Was it an old, skid-row chum when they “helped him drink his wine”? Mebbe some foreign dude, considering they “couldn’t understand a single word he said”?

Actually, Rockaholics, “Jeremiah” was … a throwaway! Y’see, when Hoyt Axton first penned Joy To The World, he couldn’t come up with an intro line to immediately juice the song. Soooo, he just wrote the first thing that came into his head!

He’d intended to change it to something that had some relation to the song itself, but, when he gave the song to TDN, he’d forgotten to do it! He rushed to the threesome before they were to lay trax for it, hoping they’d give him a chance to change it, but … they dug it just like it was! So, now, ya know …

That bein’ said, I’m gonna cut it short here and see ya in less than24 … on the flip side …