Music Bender

Sometimes, even the stars of another genre can make a big difference …

For example, country legend Dolly Parton has teamed up with the United Way of America to double the number of books their program provides at the moment.

Dolly started the Imagination Library in 1996 as part of her Dollywood Foundation, and you’ll find it in 566 counties across 36 Smerican states, as well as in Canada and the UK.

It all came from a simple idea: build an organization that sends one book per month to children from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten.

The Tennessee songbird states, “This program is one of the most important ways I know to improve the educational opportunities for children. When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books, and the seeds you plant in your community can grow across the world.”

The new partnership has set a goal of providing free books to one million children each month by 2014.

Interested in getting involved? Find out more about the program here.

WOW! Check this out: There’s a new charity auction going on that’s … well, unbelievable! If you enter a bid, look at what some of the goodies are that you could win:

A chance to meet Oprah Winfrey
Actual swimming lessons from Michael Phelps
Get fashion Talk politics with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi … or Senator John McCain
Meet heart-throb Richard Gere (with VIP tickets during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 2010 trip to NYC!)
Ride in a pace car at the Indy 500 and party with track chairman, Mari George.

Supporters of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights have put together these experiences and much more for their Annual Online Auction.
The online auction will raise funds supporting the RFK Center’s human rights work. It’s open right now and runs ’til May 25th — and they say new lots are gonna be added each day!

Huh?? Ya want more?? Okay ….
How about a one-hour singing lesson with the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin?
Or have lunch (at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills) with Warren Beatty?
Or watch a taping of The Rachael Ray Show and go backstage to meet her?
How about visiting the set of the hit series HOUSE and meet the cast, including star Hugh Laurie?
How’d you like dinner with Bill Cosby at “Bouley” in NYC and take home signed copies of his recent book and 4 bottles of wine from his private collection?
Would you like to meet singing star Jennifer Hudson and watch her concert in Nashville? Or hang out with David Foster and friends such as Andrea Bocelli, Katherine Jenkins and Michael Buble in his recording studio?

All you’ve gotta do to have your shot at these is to click on the RFK Center/Charity Buzz auction site and place your bid!

COMPLEMENTING THE AREA

There’s always one way to add beauty to any floor — and that’s with an area rug that’ll complement the decor of the room you choose!
Not only are they sturdy and feel oh-so-good on your tired feet, but they also insulate against the cold, protect your hardwood floors and add a bit of a “down-home”, relaxed feeling to your home!
Now, you can go to just about any department store and find these IF you like limited selections, hard-to-find salespeople, uncertain quality and high prices …
OR …
you can just click on the link I’m about to give you and see the best selection anywhere, at prices anyone can afford, with great customer services, no processing fees, a great “BillMeLater” plan*(*on approved credit, of course) — even some great reading about how to select the right rug for your home!!
Interested?? Of course you are!! So, to learn more about all of these (and a lot more), just click on this link for the best in area rugs. Your home (as well as your wallet, your feet, your visitors) will thank you for it!

I think everybody’s heard of Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America at some time — maybe even knowing someone who benefited from it.
If you don’t, then look no further than the five-time Grammy award-winning soul artist, Usher — who’s unveiled a new billboard with his childhood picture and a bold call-to-action: BE ICONIC.

He joins 25 other well-known alumni in a campaign to make people more aware about the positive impact of Clubs. They include Academy award-winning actor (and BGCA national spokesperson) Denzel Washington, Muhammad Ali, Ashanti, Swin Cash, Gen. Wesley Clark, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Queen Latifah, Mario Lopez, John Mellencamp, Edward James Olmos, Shaquille O’Neal, Smokey Robinson, Martin Sheen, John Singleton, Ruben Studdard, Courtney B. Vance, Mark Wahlberg and Kerry Washington.

“Growing up in the Club, I had the chance to experience a lot of positive things; it helped reinforce the values I learned at home including good character, leadership and giving back to my community, my country and my world,” Usher says. “It’s where I developed my love of singing and performing, received help with my homework, and it’s where I found a safe place to go after school.”

He’ll work with the BGCA and other alumni to urge all political and business leaders to make the young people of America a priority and encourage every citizen to make a difference by supporting organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs — ensuring that every child has a safe, supervised and structured environment during the critical after-school hours.

A very worthwhile purpose …

See ya on the flip side!

A lot has been written about the 1960’s hit folk-rock band, The Byrds. Led by Jim (later, Roger, when he was told that a first name starting with the letter “R” was “blessed”) McGuinn, they became as iconic as Simon and Garfunkel and were admired by Bob Dylan.

But, by 1970, the band, who hit #1 five years earlier with “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” had become seasoned veterans of internal battles that resulted in a lot of personnel changes: Gene Clark quit the group in 1966, and David Crosby and Michael Clarke were fired in 1967; then Gene rejoined the band but quit again three weeks later. At that point, The Byrds were a duo consisting of McGuinn and Chris Hillman.

Two new members (Kevin Kelley and Gram Parsons) joined up in 1968 to fill out the band, but Parsons resigned from the band less than five months later. He was replaced with Clarence White, while Kelley stayed for awhile — but he was eventually fired in favor of Gene Parsons.
The new line-up lasted only a month before Chris Hillman (the last original member other than McGuinn) left as well.

Hillman’s replacement, John York, stayed with the band for the most part of 1969 before he was given his walking papers. (By now, do ya get the feelin’ that Jim wasn’t the easiest leader to get along with??)

When guitarist Skip Battin rounded out the “new” Byrds in late ‘69, McGuinn believed he had finally gotten a solid lineup for his band. (incidentally, this version of the band lasted two and half years, longer than any other) And they decided to find a name for their first album together that reflected the new and revitalized Byrds. Though they came up with titles like “Phoenix” and “the first Byrds album”, their double-album only bore the odd title of (Untitled) when it hit the shelves.

Why? Actually, it was just an accident.

As (now) Roger McGuinn explained in an ad for the album, “Somebody from Columbia called up our manager and asked him what [the title] was. He told them it was ‘as yet untitled,’ so they went ahead and printed that.”
But the band’s producer/manager, Terry Melcher, claimed that he’d written ‘Untitled’ on the official label copy sheet sent to the record company because the group hadn’t settled on a name for the album yet — and, before anyone realized what was happening, the albums had been pressed as (Untitled).

Here in 2009, rock fans hold the band in reverence … not due to the (Untitled) debacle or the many changes in lineup but because of their overall contributions:
They were the first mainstream U.S. rock band to successfully fuserock and folk music.
McGuinn did more to popularize the 12-string Rickenbacker than anyone other than John Lennon.
They even backed The Monkees on their country-rock hit, What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (though the “PreFab Four” played their own instruments on it as well!)

Of the originals: today, Roger is still performing in oldies-reunion and folk shows around the country. Gene Clark passed away of a heart attack, and Michael Clarke died of complications from cirrhosis. Chris Hillman has semi-retired from performing — but David Crosby??

Look for the reunion tour of Crosby, Stills and Nash coming up soon … along with a brand-new album!!

SuperRocker Sir Paul McCartney is putting the pressure on the European Parliament to ban the sale of all seal products.

The former Beatle has added his famous name to The Humane Society and Respect For Animals petition urging the Members of European Parliament (MEPs) to make the trading of goods made from seals illegal The goal is to stop hunters from brutally beating these amazing mammals for their meat and skin.

“The fate of millions of seal pups is in the hands of elected members of the European Parliament,” he said recently. “In the next few weeks, they will have a historic opportunity to stop the cruel trade in seal products throughout the European Union. I’ve signed the petition to ask MEPs to seize this momentous opportunity to end, once and for all, this trade in animal cruelty. Please, make your voice heard too — join me in signing this important petition today.”

Sir Paul has been a supporter of the seal protection campaign for a long time and even visited the harp seal nursery on Canada’s east coast in 2006.

I’m in full agreement, having already signed petitions in the U.S. The brutality is very real … and sickening. Read what the Humane Society has to say, and see if you don’t get a funny feeling in your gut:
“This year’s Canadian seal kill — the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth — has just taken place off the country’s east coast. The 2009 quota was set at 280,000 animals — and more than ONE MILLION seal pups have been clubbed or shot to death over the last four years.”

To add your name to the petition, just click here.

INSURING YOUR FUTURE

You’ve seen the ads on TV, heard them on the radio and maybe have even gotten mail from various life insurance companies. And, while we realize the need to protect our families in the event of our passing, but how do we know we’d be getting the best coverage for our premium dollar? The “hype” doesn’t always match the “truth”!
Well, there’s one site that’ll help you find the right company — with coverage that’s not only right for you, but won’t tear a hole in your wallet!
These people study the 168 companies that offer the insurance, then pick out the best 25 — and match your requests and needs to get the best quotes for you!
You’ll also find some fantastic and informative articles, a Life Insurance Calculator and more!
All you have to do is click on the following link to find affordable life insurance … for the safety and security of your loved ones!

Before we begin, lemme remind ya that The Fore are up for the #1 position on the Unsigned Charts Radio with their song, Little Louisa. But they can’t get there without your help in the voting process.
So if you’ll click on this link, then include the name of the song (Little Louisa), the band (The Fore) and then, unless you’re a member, your e-mail address in the space provided, and finish it off by clicking the “send” button, the band will be back at #1 in no time flat!
And, on behalf of the lads (as well as myself) … thanks!

THE DEAD HAVE NO CD …

At least that’s what the note said that David Letterman’s stage manager handed him prior to The Dead’s appearance!

They came on last (musical acts normally wrap up the evening’s show) and sounded, for all the world, every bit as good as they did when Garcia was with them!
Throughout the performance, you couldn’t help noticing that everyone’s eyes were on Bob Weir and singer Warren Haynes. Perhaps it was because, for some time, these two were at each other’s throats, figuratively speaking.

IT TOOK ONE MAN TO CHANGE IT …

When the band was invited by President Obama to meet with him in the Oval Office (yes, that Oval Office!) before their April 13 Washington gig, they were said to have been in awe of the President’s “CCC” nature (cool, calm and collected) as well as his neatness.
But perhaps what really got to them was the fact that, outside the Office, Barack had some Scarlet Begonias set in a vase. Of course, that was a tear-jerker that was one of Jerry Garcia’s most famous songs.
Another was that they’d finally seen the fruition of their (and millions of others’) work; the man who actually influenced them to come together on his behalf during the campaign was not only in the White House; he’s an actual fan of the band!

And, as you and I both know, it’s always good to “have a friend in high places,” right??

Okay … I’m gonna get away from this keyboard for a few hours, but stay tuned … there’s gonna be more in less than 24!

So I’ll see ya on the flip side!

AC/DC NOT APPEARING BECAUSE …

they never said they would! Actually, the legendary hard-rockers have accused Romanian promoters of “falsely advertising” them as headlining the Bucharest Rock Arena festival, which runs on 30-31 May. Now, this must’ve been a pretty convincing scam, because you could buy tickets online as well as at different retail outlets in the country’s capital.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only time it’s happened to a band. Y’see, the fact is that, somewhere along the gig route, someone “representing xxx band” is gonna contact a promoter and strike a deal for that “band” to appear.
Then, once a partial is paid to this “rep”, he/she takes off for the vast unknown, leaving the promoter with “egg on his/her face” when the real band doesn’t show.
By showtime, the fake “reps” will be long gone … and it takes a ton of paperwork as well as some crafty detective work to find them. Sadly, all too often, the courts give ‘em a “slap-on-the-wrist” when they’re found.

IS THE BEEBS REALLY PRO BONO?

Seems that the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is under fire again, thanks to their allegiance to the Irish rock band, U2.

Not only have they given over a million pounds’ worth of free publicity to the band (whose latest album, No Line On The Horizon, entered the charts at #1) and apparently beginning to edit on-air remarks that question the band’s sincerity.
Apparently, Bono and the boys have moved their company to The Netherlands, thus giving them a big tax break … even while they’re pushing the Irish government to increase its aid budget!

Now, the BBC did pretty much the same thing, publicity-wise, for The Beatles, and there wasn’t much flak at the time. As far as editing goes: The Beebs seems to have forgotten a cardinal rule that governs today’s shows: If it’s not obscene and doesn’t promote hatred or racial prejudice, run with it; it could be a ratings boost!

QUICK UPDATE: Check out my new website at Doc Rock Online for news, views and more!

Okay … that’s it for this go’round. Until tomorrow, remember: Keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

After the death of founding member and saxophonist LeRoi Moore, the legendary Dave Matthews Band put on an understandably emotional show the night of his death … and continued plans for a new album.

Well, the CD’s complete, and Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King, and is due in stores on June 2.
They’ve made the lead single from the album, Funny The Way It Is available for free download here, and also released a pretty emotional video trailer talking about the record, and what it’s like moving on after a death in their rock “family”.

If this is the last album that I make, it’s the only album I hope people listen to, Dave says.

Moore died unexpectedly on Tuesday, August 19, 2008, in Los Angeles from complications an ATV accident that occurred two months earlier on his farm in Virginia. He’d returned to his L.A. home to begin an intensive physical rehab program.
You can read more about it behind this link.

People, I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice, and I’ll say it until the book closes:
Some of the GREATEST stories of resilience and triumph are found in the lives of our ROCK STARS, whether privately or as acts, individually or collectively!

“Such as …??” Well, off the top of this bald head are: “Moulty” Moulton (of the legendary Barbarians), Ringo Starr (he was with some group lol), James Hetfield (and Metallica as a whole), Peter Dintino, Rick Allen (of Def Leppard fame), Eric Clapton, Jennifer Hudson … and the list just keeps on growing!

Got more examples?  Please … send ‘em on in via the “comments” page!  I wanna do a series exploring these amazing heroes!  If you’ll submit your star (whether local or world-renowned), I’ll give ya credit as co-writer of his/her article!

Well, that’s all for now … so, until later this evening, see ya on the flip side! 

THE FORE

FIRST, THIS MESSAGE:

For you who missed The Fore interview on ArtistFirst World Radio on April 11, here’s your chance:
Just click here for the full interview hosted by the amazing Scott Z:  a Q&A with the lads … and some fab selections from their album, Run and Hide!

WE NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULARLY-SCHEDULED YAK:

Remember back-in-the-day, when baby-boomers were talkin’ about gettin’ one of our own to be Prez someday (sheesh … you’d think that, since Bush was a baby-boomer, we’d … naaaah; didn’t know him then)?

The buzz was for Morrison, Jimi or (especially) Zappa to take the plunge! ‘Course, we couldn’t do it ’cause the law says ya gotta be over 35 (and we didn’t trust anyone but record execs over that age, right?).

Well, I got an email asking what the Relic would do if he were President. Geez … let … me …. think (reflective music as screen gets blurry):

Jimi Hendrix

First, the National Anthem would be rendered ala Jimi Hendrix. Nobody could paint a musical picture better than his “Woodstock” version of the tune …
We’d close up the chapters in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring our military home — sending a Tuppperware lady, a Chippendale dancer, a televangelist and Richard Simmons over to totally confuse the enemy until all troops are withdrawn.

He’d make “idnit” and “dudnit” legal words (examples of usage: “That ol’ car’s ’bout wore out, idnit?” “Looks silly with that bald guy drivin’ it, dudnit?”). Hey — I’m in Kentucky. I’m entitled …

He’d vindicate old cars with bald guys driving them.  But not the drivers themselves. Unless they’re Relics and have Oldies 97-FM pumpin’ from the speakers … (I said pumpin’!)

People would be promoted heavily. Life would be revived. Time would be extended. All other magazines would have to stand on their own …

He would commission scientists to study the Rolling Stones to determine the cause of their longevity. By doing so, we may be able to extend life by 120 years …

(He’d find a use for this space, considering he lost part of his script)

There’d be a national ban on “Microsoft Explorer needs to close” messages.

His running mate wouldn’t know how to fire a gun …

The national food would be peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. Toasted. With bananas.

He would ban Maalox, because there is no FemalOx. Ever.

A new form of power for cars would involve zucchinis and lubricant, followed by a Congressional hearing on the lawsuit filed by the porn industry. If impeachment doesn’t occur within the first two months, we’re safe …

Maybe it woulda been better with Zap after all … or at least Morrison. These dudes were intelligent, insightful, talented … and coulda provided one helluva ride for this USA!

Well, it’s short but sweet (I’m in the midst of a coupla rockprojects as-we-sorta-speak), but stay tuned … we’ll have more rock comin’ your way tomorrow !
Until then, remember to keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side …

Former guitarist for the Eagles, Don Felder, played a special concert for staff and sufferers of brain injuries at the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured (ARBI) in Alberta, Canada, this pastweek.

The music legend played hits from the Eagles songbook, including Hotel California, Tequila Sunrise, and Take It Easy.

“It’s really becoming quite evident how strongly linked our brain is to music,” musical therapist Jennifer Buchanan told the Calgary Sun. “It’s completely tuned in. What we often see is improved speech and gross motor movement through music. It motivates them, inspires and excites people, enabling them to do all sorts of things they otherwise can’t do.”

The concert was held at the Jack Singer Concert Hall on Monday night (23 March), and was the first in a series of similar concerts across Canada to benefit the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund. The fund supports a number of issues, from ARBI to children with autism, and people in palliative care units.

“I’d like to do a series of these types of shows across the country to try to raise the consciousness and bring attention to this worthy cause,” Don said, “I think I’ve been doing music therapy since I started playing. It seems like the joy that people get through music really breaks through all language barriers, whether it’s just someone sitting in the audience or someone sitting in a hospital like the people here today. Music can reach people on a level that language and medication and physical therapy can’t.”

Now, I put this in here, not only because it’s about Don, but, more importantly, to give you a “heads-up”, people.  Orgs like this one really need your help, too!  So re-read, then Google the org, and see what YOU can do or give to contribute!

A rejuvenated lineup of the popular Australian band Wolfmother has a brand new track available — and you can find it only through their website, wolfmother.com.

Singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale is the only original member of the band, but now he’s joined by guitarist Aidan Nemeth, bassist/keyboardist Ian Peres and drummer Dave Atkins.

Your first look at new material from the band is a song called Back Round, and it’s being made available as a free download from the bands site!

Although the song is really free, Stockdale is asking fans to be kind and make a donation to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal at redcross.org.au.

Listen — it’s a very worthwhile cause — and God knows how many people you’ll help out (remember that devastating brush fire about a month-and-some ago? Imagine how you’d feel, losing everything you’d worked for but the shirt off your back!).

The group is now on its way back to LA to put the finishing touches to their as-yet-untitled new album.

So, for fantastic rock and to help our friends Down-Under to recover from these brush fires, check out their site, okay?

And I’ll see ya on the flip side!

The musical group Liyana has completed its U.S. tour but it’s a bit wary of returning to its native Zimbabwe.
Their great Afro-fusion melody comes from an unlikely source — the small, wheelchair-ridden body of Prudence Mabhena, a woman from Zimbabwe who has overcome her physical disabilities and the hurdles of daily life in her home country.
“Some people don’t even get you and take you as a person,” Mabhena said. “And with us singing right now, we’re not giving up — we’re pushing up.”
Mabhena is the lead singer of Liyana — a group of eight musicians who are all physically disabled and from Zimbabwe.
Their message of hope has been drowned out in their home country, which is suffering from an economic collapse, a cholera outbreak, and a political power struggle that has erupted into violence.

Mabhena was born with arthrogryphosis, a muscle and joint disorder, and had to have parts of her arms and legs amputated as a result. She said her mother was told to kill her rather than have her face life as a physically disabled woman in Zimbabwe!
Zimbabwe was once a center for disability rights after it gained independence in 1980, according to recent report on Public Radio International. It was one of the first countries to recognize the rights of the disabled, who are sometimes shunned by communities in rural Africa who fear they are touched by witchcraft.
But the gains for the disabled in Zimbabwe have been erased by the country’s current crisis, according to Dr. Raymond Lang of the London-based Cheshire Center for Conflict Recovery.

Mabhena said the group is apprehensive about returning to Zimbabwe after its U.S. tour, which wrapped up this month. But none of the members of Liyana dwells on the despair.
“‘Never give up’ – it’s one of our biggest and strongest mottos,” said singer Tapiwa Nyenger, explaining one of the band’s song titles. “We have the capability to go on stage and at the end of the day make people smile. It’s a good feeling.”

All eight band members, who are between the ages of 17 and 23, met at the King George VI school for disabled children in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The band describes their music as a fusion between “myriad geographic, cultural, and musical genres including gospel, reggae, and traditional Zimbabwean Shona music.”
Liyana means “rain” – a Shona term for good luck.
“Music makes you think of something positive,” Nyenger said. “For me, music is rehabilitation.” Mabhena has said her voice is a gift from god.

The band’s U.S. tour coincided with President Barack Obama’s inauguration, which has also been a source of inspiration for a new song, “Obama.”
“When we heard Obama was going to be the American president, the first black American president, we were so excited,” Mabhena said. “Through that joy that we had, there came a song.”
Liyana is also the subject of a new documentary, iThemba — My Hope – which is scheduled to be released worldwide later this year. The band’s singers perform in seven languages — Shona, Ndebele, English, Dutch, German, Hebrew, and Spanish – allowing them to reach a wider audience.
“We want to leave a message to everyone in the world that no matter what circumstance you are in, you can make it,” singer Marvelous Meulo said.

FOR SAFETY’S SAKE

No matter where we work, there’s a need for safety, right?  Whether it’s fire extinguishers, respirators, safety gloves, fall protection or whatever, it’s vital that we have the tools necessary to keep us safe in our workplace!
Now, the link I’m about to share with you will take you to the business that offers these tools (and many others!) with the lowest quantity pricing anywhere on the internet. It also offers free shipping on purchases over $125 and provides same day shipping on their most popular items.
Since they have warehouses around the nation, it means faster delivery to you as well.  You can also contact them by phone, email — and even by chat!
You can have all this just by clicking this link to the best in safety equipment on the market!  So do it now and feel more secure about your company’s safety!

A coupla posts ago, we talked about how hip-hop music has gotten a bad rap with some preconceived notions about its sound, purpose and performers.
I got some really tough response from a few readers by Rockmail, so I’ll give ya some more 411. But before we do that, let’s review:

Though many baby-boomers think of it as noise that’s turning our nation’s kids into juvies, our folks (note this is an understood collective pronoun; I’m referring to the general boomer population, and not to just one or two people!) thought the same thing about The Beatles.
If you especially listen to the song Gitarzan, you’ll hear the same basic lyric pattern as used in a rap/hip-hop song — only with the wonderful silliness that became Ray Stevens’ trademark.

The musical instrumentation —  from turntables to synthetic loop – is still valid in most hip-hop arrangements, and found in artists as diverse as 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Beyonce and Ludacris.
The lyrics, at times, may seem harsh to some critics, but even those are being toned down and given a more universal slant in recent actions taken by many of the genre’s producers.

One thing that has to be remembered: Before passing judgement on the hip-hop phenomenon, consider that only a fraction of the hip-hop artists today advocate any kind of violence. The lion’s share of them, while letting their emotions play through their rap, are only venting what all of us feel at one time or another.

Yeah, the profanity should be cut back, if not removed completely. Any great performer is proficient at conveying his/her emotions (including anger) without ‘em – and still go gold with their products. And, listen: Don’t judge the brand by the loudness you hear from car stereos! Sure, it’s noise pollution, but it’s up to the listener to turn the volume down, not the artists!
In fact, if you were to take the same CD that’s blaring out of some heavy-bass-speakered car and listen to it at a sensible volume, then actually study the lyrics, storylines and emotions (beyond any profanity you hear), you’ll see that this is, in fact, music!

Now, the next thing to do is take in a live show. From concept of song to writing, rehearsing, laying tracks, more rehearsing, practicing dance/prance moves, mic arrangements, booking, promotion, travel, roadie set-ups and soundchecks, it takes a lot of time and skill to make a really good one.
On the show itself, you’ll see a lot of excitable movement across the stage, occasional audience interaction, and pure energy in each set. These make for great shows (acts like The Who, The Rolling Stones and others did the same in our day  – and still do!). Nothing more; no hidden agenda or riot incitement or anything.

To close this look into the hip-hop world, remember: If you want to know something a little better, you’ve gotta study, understand and compare it before you pass judgement! The rap/hip-hop genre is here to stay – and (after almost forty years in music, including studying, teaching, performing, DJing, performing, writing and recording) I can tell you it is an indelible part of our musical heritage!

Now … that being said, Keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side.

Hip-hop. Rap. To many, the sound conjures up images of street thugs, crime and illicit drugs.
But what, exactly, is this phenomenon all about?
It’s the new “bonga-bonga” music that sends parents into a frenzy, thinking that their kids are going to be “infected” by it and turn into juvenile delinquents.

Ummm … pardon me, but … didn’t we hear something like that from our parents, so many years ago?

A group of rowdy, musical kids calling themselves beetles or something was going to be the ruination of us all! Our folks had surely lost us to the grasp of the devil himself!

But wait a minute:

Is “rap” really something all that new?? I mean, back-in-the-day, we had guys like Ray Stevens rapping in something called Gitarzan, and, before that, there was Sheb Wooley’s That’s My Pa.
Okay, maybe it was pretty much a country thing — this “spoken-word song” — for awhile, but, as far as the style goes, it’s not so new after all.

So let’s move on to the turntable mix. Simple, yes … but, then again, some kids in Liverpool took simple items like washboards, tea chests (they made basses from them), guitars and kazoos to play something called skiffle. CCR has the best description of that “Down On The Corner” music of any song.

And as far as the synthetic loops used to make the background: it comes from the day when they didn’t have the money to pay for big backup, so they had to turn to what was available … and economic.
Our generation would’ve done the same, had it been handy back then. (However, I believe it has been overdone a bit — especially with stars who now can afford more …)

Now … the lyrics.

Of course, this is the sore point for most parents. When you look at what many of these singers had to go through as they were growing up (poverty, prejudice, domestic violence), you can see they needed an outlet for their emotions. Since actual thugging (criminal behavior) had serious legal consequences, they put it all in their music.

People, we can’t say it ain’t true. What’d we do in the late Sixties, with the ‘Nam, race riots, and inequality? We took it to the streets, and the Establishment would haul us into cells.
So guys like Country Joe and the Fish, Electric Flag and others put this angst in their music.
Of course, like in our time, there are some that let that anger out in a hostile way beyond the stage and studios.
That, however, is the exception, when you look at the performers in the genre as a whole.

More on this in the next blog … scheduled for about 24 from now. Until then, remember:
Keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

Former Bee Gee Robin Gibb has announced that he will headline the Heritage Foundation’s annual Awards and Summer Ball in June.

The singer will perform with Bill Wyman and The Rhythm Kings at the event, to be held at the Millenium Hotel in London on June 20.

Robin’s a longtime supporter of the Heritage Foundation, an organization that combines paying tribute to all the UK talent that’s thrilled millions through their performances (or technical skills) with raising funds for good causes.
He’s also the 2009 president of the organization — a position that in the past has been held by John Inman (”Are You Being Served?”> and Phil Collins (”Genesis”).

As part of his duties, Gibb attended a special plaque unveiling yesterday (Sunday), to honor legendary The Who drummer Keith Moon. Keith’s former bandmates Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were there for the unveiling.

Tickets to the Summer Ball in June cost £110. More information can be found at the Heritage Foundation website (see above link for more).

GOIN’ PHISHIN’

Phish heads headed for Hampton, Virginia for the band’s first show since their breakup in 2004.
Guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, keyboardist Page McConnell and drummer Jon Fishman played three dynamite shows at the Hampton Coliseum starting this past Friday.

When the reunion concerts were announced last fall, the band’s intensely devoted fans (some liken them to the Deadheads, who followed The Grateful Dead for years) snapped up tickets immediately, and seats for the opening show were being resold for as high as $1,000 the day before the show. The summer tour dates have also sold out.

“For me it’s the willingness of the band to essentially play without a script; it’s an improvisational show,” fan Jason Bishop said. “No two shows are the same. You could have a song, but no two versions of a song are the same.”

Phish’s four-hour Saturday set was dappled with killer stretched-out jams, including a soaring “Reba,” an amped-up “Birds of a Feather” and lots of rarities (”It’s Ice,” “Hayley’s Comet” and “Gumbo”).

Details on their summer tour comin’ up soon … so stay tuned …
and I’ll see ya on the flip side.