Tom Dowd

On October 24, 2002, Thomas John “Tom” Dowd died aged 77. He was recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multi-track recording method. Tom Dowd recorded albums for number of famous artists including: Eric Clapton, Derek and the Dominos, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, The Drifters, Cream, Lulu, Chicago, The Allman Brothers Band, The J. Geils Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, Sonny & Cher, The Rascals, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Kenny Loggins, Dusty Springfield and Otis Redding.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hey Joe

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

On October 23, 1966, “The Jimi Hendrix Experience” recorded their first single “Hey Joe”, at “De Lane Lea” studios in London. “Hey Joe” is an American popular song from the 1960’s (some sources give credits to Billy Roberts as the song author) that has become a rock standard and as such has been performed in different musical styles by number of different artists since it was first written. The earliest known commercial recording of the song is the 1965 single by the Los Angeles garage band “The Leaves”. “The Jimi Hendrix Experience” included “Hey Joe” on their 1967 album “Are you experienced”.

Janis Joplin

On October 4, 1970, Janis Joplin died aged 27. She was singer, songwriter, arranger, painter and dancer, started the career in the late 60s as the lead singer of the band Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist with her own backing bands The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band. Her successful performance at the “Monterey Pop Festival”; brought her talent to a wider audience, but she became worldwide popular after the performance on “Woodstock Festival.Her extraordinary voice possibilities and electric live performances brought her nick names “The Queen of Psychedelic Soul” and “Pearl”. In 2004, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Joplin number 46 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” and in 2008, number 28 on the list of “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. In 1995, Joplin was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. In her short career she sold more than 15 million albums in USA only and left a legacy of songs that includes: “Piece of My Heart”; “Ball ‘n’ Chain”; “Maybe”; “To Love Somebody”; “Kozmic Blues”; “Work Me, Lord”; “Cry Baby”; “Mercedes Benz”; “Me and Bobby McGee”, “Down on Me” and “Summertime”.

John Bonham

On September 25, 1980, John Henry Bonham died aged 32. He was musician (drums) and songwriter, best known as Led Zeppelin member and drummer.  in 2016, “Rolling Stone” magazine  ranked Bonham the greatest drummer of all time in a list of “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time”.

George Harrison: The Apple Years 1968 – 1975

George Harrison

On September 23, 2014, “Universal Music Group” label released “George Harrison – The Apple Years 1968-1975”,  a seven CD box with  some of the most popular George Harrison solo albums. The seven CD’s plus an 40-minute DVD box contains the following albums:

“Wonderwall Music”

“Electronic Sound”

“All Things Must Pass”

“Living in the Material World”

“Dark Horse”

“Extra Texture

The DVD contains a short music movie named “The Apple Years” and videos and short documentaries about Harrison’s albums featured in the CD box. Dhani Harrison (George Harrison’s son) is the executive producer and together with  the engineer Paul Hicks have remastered the sound from the original analogue tapes.

Earl Palmer

On September 19, 2008, Earl Palmer died aged 84. He was musician (drums),  in his long career has worked with The Beach Boys, Little Richard, Frank Sinatra, Ike And Tina Turner,The Monkees, Fats Domino, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, The Righteous Brothers, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Tim Buckley, Little Feat and Elvis Costello.

Gram Parsons

On September 19, 1973, Gram Parsons died aged 26. He was musician (guitar, piano, organ), singer and songwriter, worked with The International Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds.  He popularized what he called “Cosmic American Music”, a hybrid of country, rhythm and blues, soul, folk, and rock

musicalphabet