*This mellow song about an impending revolution was a surprise hit in the UK, where it was #1 for three weeks in the summer of 1969. The track was written by the band's drummer who got to know Pete Townshend of The Who through session work and then actually wrote a song for them that appeared on their 1967 album, The Who Sell Out in 1967. Townshend took an interest in the artist's songwriting abilities and actually assembled a band around him...one such member, jazz pianist, Andy Newman. Andy's nickname actually became part of the name of the band. Name the band and extra credit for the song we'll share...
*A track we'll play from 1993 got lyrics assistance from some quite old literature...John Keats' 1884 poem, Ode To A Nightingale and a 1934 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The title of this track from a great artist released in 1993, was lifted from the aforementioned literary classics...a song about the wonders of love. The title when combined with 'When you hold your baby tight" lends itself to a kind of doo-wop sort of reference. Name the artist and extra credit for the name of the song... *We'll head back to 1966 to grab a song from this Northern Ohio band, the first of their 4 charting songs. The band's lead singer was also the lead singer for the band, Climax (Precious and Few) while the drummer on their first album, later formed The James Gang with Joe Walsh. Name the band, and extra credit for the name of the lead singer and drummer. Deep credit for the name of the track we'll play... *When this artist released his first solo album, he had a bunch of help from other famous artists with whom he played together before and after the album. The song urges the subject to quit pining for his Ex and have fun in the moment. Joining him on this song...David Crosby, Graham Nash, John Sebastion, Rita Cooledge and Priscilla Jones. Name the artist and the track in question... Battle Of The Bands! Peace Train by Cat Stevens vs Help Me by Joni Mitchell Answers: 1. Thunderclap Newman, Something in The Air 2. Jackson Browne, Tender is the Night 3. The Outsiders, Sonny Geraci, Jimmy Fox, Time Won’t Let Me 4. Stephen Stills, Love The One You’re With Joni Mitchell was the winner by a single vote
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*We'll play a track about a guy who will only dance to rock and roll. It's one of several of this artist's songs where he expresses fealty to the genre, which he helped create. The distinctive guitar riff he came up with on the track influenced many subsequent rock tracks. The Beatles recorded a version of it as well. Name the artist and extra credit for the song originally released in 1957...
*The guitarist in this great band wrote this song about his Native Canadian girlfriend...he married her in 1973 and they divorced 2 years later. This song represented the first time he sang lead on one of this band's songs. The couple also had a daughter for whom he wrote another song...a year after her birth. Name the artist, the band and extra credit for the name of the track... *This song was inspired by Somerset Street in Belmont, Massachusetts, a wooded road running adjacent to the land owned by McLean Hospital...a place where this artist was committed to receive treatment for depression. A friend of the artist said this song is about the road that leads away from his ensnaring family. Randy Meisner, later of the Eagles, played bass on the track. Name the artist and the song... *In 1987 this artist released her first major-label album, causing considerable controversy with the traditional world of country music. Her overall approach, appearance and edgy, rock-influenced music left many observers questioning just what to make of her music. One thing never questioned was her considerable vocal talents. She eventually abandoned country music for some torchy adult contemporary pop in the early 90's. Name the artist... Battle Of The Bands! The Bitch is Back by Elton John vs Jumpin’ Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones Answers: 1. Chuck Berry, Rock and Roll Music 2. Dicky Betts, Jessica 3. James Taylor, Country Road 4. K. D. Lang The Rolling Stones were the winners with 58% of votes *From blue-eyed soul to pop, R&B and Jazz standards, this singer/songwriter could do it all. He has the ability to entertain at any venue, for fans of all ages. Interestingly enough, he is popular in the U.S., but has superstar status in Japan and throughout Asia. Born in Manhattan, but raised in Miami, he was raised in a show business family, as both Mother and Father sang and were the host of one of the first musical variety programs on television, Suppertime. Name the artist...
*This artist was part of a great band that was a trio when he wasn't with them, but he made them a quartet during 3 different times. The band made some incredible music from 1968 to 1970 and it was during that time, he also released another album with his other band. The album sold exceptionally well due to the success he was enjoying with his exposure as a member of the 4-man group. He would go on to enjoy two other time periods with the 4-man group. Name the band the individual artist... *This performer's sister enjoyed incredible success over numerous decades. Part of that success came with her and another sister contributing backing vocals through those years. But this lesser-known sister managed to record quite the nice musical catalog of songs and records herself...but for some reason her career was scuttled by label fiascoes. Her sporadic career throughout the 60's produced a great song, one that Janis Joplin would make her signature song with a different arrangement. Name the original artist, her famous sister and her most famous song that we will play later today... *The many voices that come out of the ether on this artist's album in 2002 have 2 things in common. #1...they are writing from the other side, from the day after 9/11/2001, the day when life began anew, more uncertain than ever before. The other...these voices share a determination that life, however fraught with tragedy and confusion, is precious and should be lived as such. There are 15 tracks, 15 meditations if you will on this album...trying to make sense of the senseless...something we all are attempting to do even now. Name the artist and the album... Battle Of The Bands! Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young vs Stand By Me by John Lennon Answers: 1. Bobby Caldwell 2. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Neil Young 3. Erma Franklin, Aretha Franklin, (Take A Little) Piece Of My Heart 4. Bruce Springsteen, The Rising You can now listen to the highly entertaining and educational live shows dedicated to a single artist. The shows can be accessed on demand with the usual controls. Currently there are 2 shows that have been uploaded, Craig Looney's Steve Winwood and Shiraz Alikhan's Stephen Stills shows in their entirety. Simply go to our website and click on the "More" tab at the far right header and select the show to listen.
We plan to add more artist shows as the files are prepared. Enjoy! *We'll play a song early on from a group originally named Thee Sixpence that evolved into a three word name that better suited their psychedelic look. The band's original keyboard player came up with the name, He borrowed the first word from a Beatles song (a fruity name) and completed it with a noisy two-word object that was in his bedroom of the guest house where the band rehearsed. The song ended up going to #1 in the U.S. with lead vocals sung by a 16 year old they brought in for just this track. Name the band and extra credit for the name of the song that reached #1...
*Back in 1971, this great song from an even greater album, reflected on how friends can be just as important as family...when someone is in need. The track was inspired by the song, Fire and Rain by the great James Taylor, who also recorded the song himself. A very special female artist provided backing vocals on both recordings of the song. Name the original artist, the song and backing vocals artist on both versions... *When this singer/songwriter/guitarist began to get widespread attention, he didn't fit the mold of the stereotypical blues artist. He was young, trim and didn't seem to carry the world-weary, almost down-and-out aura that so many of the genre's performers possess. His inspirations/idols if you will were all over the place...Sam Cooke, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Howlin' Wolf and Ray Charles. Another great one, Otis Redding inspired him to create a sound that included the great Memphis Horns. Name the artist... *The origin of one of the final tracks we'll share this evening...The artist penned this song as a prayer to see him through the period when a debilitating cocaine addiction had him flirting with fascism and black magic. He saw the signals of distress and it was his call for help. The year was 1976 and this great British artist went on to quite the career. Name the artist...extra credit for the name of the song... Battle Of The Bands! Tired of Waiting for You by The Kinks vs You Showed Me by The Turtles Answers: 1. Strawberry Alarm Clock, Incense and Peppermints 2. Carole King, You’ve Got A Friend, Joni Mitchell 3. Robert Cray 4. David Bowie, Word On A Wing The Kinks were the winners with 53% of votes *Django Reinhardt was a 1930's Jazz musician that lost 2 fingers in a fire...ouch. A huge fan of his was in a great southern band in the early 70's who composed a song in his honor...one that could be played on the guitar with 2 fingers in honor of Reinhardt's style. The track is an instrumental...because some songs simply don't need lyrics when the lead guitar does all the talking and singing...strong enough to stand on its own. Tough one here maybe...but name the band, the band member composer and extra credit for the name of the song...
*This iconic song is the first track on this artist's fateful album which sold 4,000,000 copies and hit #1 on the charts, all tragically after the artist had passed away. The year was 1971, but the artist gave us a sneak preview of this most excellent song while appearing on the Dick Cavett Show in September of 1970. The album would go on to hit Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest albums of all time...at #122. Name the artist, the album...extra credit for the name of the song... *We'll play a song from 1968 that was generally about how everyone is essentially the same, regardless of race or background. This band came by the song and that claim honestly with their mash-up of musical styles, band members of different genders and ethnic backgrounds. The song also takes some inspiration from Mother Goose, adding a twist to the traditional nursery rhyme "rub-a-dub-dub/" You remember the 3 men in the tub....don't ya? Name the band and extra credit for the name of the track... *Sometimes a song strikes you from the very first time you ever heard it...this one qualifies. This song was co-written by 2 members of a supergroup back in the late 60's and one of those writers just knew it would be a big hit. He played it for both Booker T. Jones and Otis Redding at Atlantic Studios and they both readily agreed. A timeless classic that perhaps was overplayed (Yes, that is possible), but when you hear it...simply go back to when you heard it for the very first time. That opportunity would have been in 1967. You'll enjoy it so very much more. Name the band, the co-writers and the name of the track... Battle Of The Bands! Roadhouse Blues by The Doors vs The Weight by The Band Answers: 1. Allman Brothers, Dicky Betts, Jessica 2. Janis Joplin, Pearl, Move Over 3. Sly & the Family Stone, Everyday People 4. Cream, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton, Sunshine Of Your Love The Band were the winners with a whopping 60% of votes * Perhaps a lesser known fact about this artist is that he has been flying for over 30 years now. His love for it started when a friend of his in college (at Southern Mississippi) introduced him to it. Of course, money can be tight in one's college days and flying is not cheap. But money became an 'non-issue' and he became a pilot on top of his musical exploits. Name the artist...
*Many artists deal in 'hypotheticals' in their lyrics. Take John Lennon's Imagine as one of the most notable of our lifetime. The artist that we'll play ponders what it would be like with no wars, no armies and children smiling with unlimited happiness. What if tomorrow, everyone was your friend? Name the artist who longs for such utopian situations and oh...extra credit for the name of the track. If not..we'll share it this evening... *Peter Tosh was a co-writer of a song playing later today. He and his co-writer wrote this song, very much influenced by their upbringing in Jamaica, a place they had to fight for respect and acceptance. The music is based on the song, 'Slippin Into Darkness' by War. Name the other co-writer and extra credit for the name of the track from 1973,,, *This artist got the idea for a song from a road sign he saw just north of Phoenix, Arizona. The road in question intersects 1-17 and leads to a small community north of Phoenix. There is also a woman in the song who was the artist's girlfriend when he was a mere 22 years of age. Her name was Ann. Name the artist, and extra credit for the name of the track... Battle Of The Bands! Not Alone Anymore by Traveling Wilburys vs Wrong Number by Doobie Brothers Answers: 1. Jimmy Buffett 2. John Fogerty, Don’t You Wish It Was True 3. Bob Marley, Get Up, Stand Up 4. Gordon Lightfoot, Carefree Highway Doobie Brothers were the winners with a single vote margin *They say that dogs can hear sounds that humans cannot. The prolific songwriter for this band was always reaching for something, some aural effect, that was imperceptible to all but him. Considered a musical genius, he wrote a song in 1966 that had a title change prior to its release because the artist was skittish about invoking the divine. He was convinced to do it regardless of his initial feelings. He replaced the name 'Fred' with 'God'. Name the band, the songwriter and the song...
*Dave Loggins wrote a ballad that became a top 20 hit for this band back in 1972. Loggins was the first one to record the song, but this band's version was by far, the most successful of the two recordings. Two of the band's members left the recording location in London prior to the completion of the album and this was one of two tracks that did not feature all three of the band's vocalists. Name the band and extra credit for the song title... *We'll play a track from a great artist who appeared on some of the most acclaimed recordings in music history, including The Spencer Davis Group's, Gimme Some Lovin', George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album, The Rolling Stone's, 'Street Fighting Man and Jimi Hendrix's classic, 'All Along The Watchtower'. We'll play this artist's first charting single from 1970, a song that was also recorded by Delaney & Bonnie a year later. Name the artist and the name of the song... *Back in 1969, this band carried a name contrary to the entire anti-Vietnam movement. But the band's mission was to spread a message of brotherhood and harmony. Their weapons were their instruments and voices. The title track from their 4th studio album would become their first single and first gold hit. Name the band and extra credit for the song title... Battle Of The Bands! Running on Empty by Jackson Browne vs In The City by Joe Walsh (Eagles) Answers: 1. Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, God Only Knows 2. Three Dog Night, Pieces Of April 3. Dave Mason, Only You Know And I Know 4. War, All Day Music Joe Walsh was the winner with a solid 55% of votes *Sheryl Goddard is a dancer who was born in 1957, a profession she remains active in even today. She has also been married to an artist for over 40 years. That artist, Vincent Damon Furnier, is better known by his stage name.
He'll be singing the cover of a great song...a kind of tribute to his wife. Name the artist and extra credit for the name of the song... *We'll enjoy a track first recorded by a R&B group in 1967 by the name of Soul Brothers Six. The version we'll enjoy comes from a band from the Midwest that listened to a station (call letters WAMM) that played R&B, gospel and soul music, primarily from black artists. The drummer of this band (a great 70's kind of band) got the rest of the band pumped up to record it after hearing it on WAMM. It kind of became the group's go-to sing along song whenever they'd take long car rides. They made it a huge hit. Name the band that recorded it in 1975 and extra credit for the name of the track... *A great artist who was born in 1938, passed away in 2013. His style was a loose, cross-genre mix of blues, rockabilly, country and jazz influences. By the year 1970, he was very frustrated with the music business as he had not caught a break, but along comes this great British artist who recorded a great track that was written by the man who would become his great friend and future collaborator. The recording of one of the artist's songs was the break he needed to sustain a very comfortable musical career going forward. So much to guess here. Name the artist, the musician who recorded the song that put him on the map and extra credit for the name of the song. While we won't be playing that particular song...we'll play a collaboration between the two...most excellent... *We'll play a song by a band that had major success and considerable problems that led to a shakeup of personnel. A great album in 1977 clearly had the group on a roll, but the success was met with an ultimate downside. The band's founder and leader took a break from the band's next album in 1979 to start performing solo gigs and it was during that period he had a fatal heart attack. The band reeling...disbanded. We'll go to a track from the re-formed band. Name the band and the fallen member... Battle Of The Bands! Old Man by Neil Young vs No Time by Guess Who Answers: 1. Alice Cooper, Pretty Ballerina (cover of Left Banke song) 2. Grand Funk Railroad, Some Kind of Wonderful 3. J. J. Cale, Eric Clapton, After Midnight, played River Runs Deep 4. Little Feat, Lowell George Guess Who was the winner with a solid 55% of votes *The first all-white pop act signed to Motown Records complemented the company's effort to change with the times. It wasn't just about appealing to a broader white audience, but to get songs on FM radio. Motown's use of studio musicians with most of their previous artists did not go well with this group...a full band. But they got through that and we'll play the band's most celebrated hit from 1971. Name the band and extra credit for the song name...
*We'll play an artist hailing from Hamtramck, MI who is known for his gruff, wailing singing style, much influenced by Little Richard and his dynamic stage performances, influenced by James Brown. This artist's first band he fronted for was Billy Lee & The Rivieras, but that name was short-lived when their label quickly changed it in the mid-60's. The hits started to roll. Name the artist and the name of the band... *This artist wrote this song about his girlfriend (who later became his wife) who broke off their relationship for a spell. The reason was she was just coming off a broken relationship with Rolling Stones founding member, Brian Jones, and did not want to fall into a similar kind of situation. The song must have brought her back to the artist who was close friends with The Beatles at the time. In fact, the artist's producer cautioned him not to play the album and the song to Paul McCartney, for fear of him trying to do something similar. Pretty cool story. Name the artist and extra credit for the name of the song. *A couple members of this legendary rock band wrote a song drawing inspiration from Joni Mitchell, specifically after one of her great tracks. Mitchell, as most know, lived in the musically fertile, but earthquake prone, Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. Her song recalls her adventures on a trip to Europe while very much looking forward to a return home. The guy in the song is looking for a girl just like Joni. Lots of opportunities here. Name the Joni Mitchell track, the band who wrote the song inspired by it...and extra credit for the name of that song... Battle Of The Bands! If I Ever Lose My Faith In You by Sting vs Graceland by Paul Simon Answers: 1. Rare Earth, I Just Want to Celebrate 2. Mitch Ryder, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels 3. Donovan, Sunshine Superman, The girlfriend was Linda Lawrence 4. California, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant for Led Zeppelin, Going To California Sting was the winner by a single vote |
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