Big Brother And The Holding Company: Cheap Thrills

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Cheapthrills

On August 12, 1968, “Columbia” label released “Cheap Thrills”, the second Big Brother and the Holding Company studio album (first one with Janis Joplin as lead singer). It was recorded March-May 1968 and was produced by John Simon, who incorporated recordings of crowd noise to give the impression of a live album, but only the last song, band’s cover of “Ball and Chain”, had been recorded live at “The Fillmore” in San Francisco.  “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Cheap Thrills” at number 338 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Janis Joplin– vocals
  • Sam Andrew– vocals, lead guitar, bass
  • James Gurley– guitar
  • Peter Albin – bass, guitar
  • Dave Getz – drums

Track listing:

  1. Combination of the Two – Sam Andrew
  2. I need a Man to Love – Sam Andrew, Janis Joplin
  3. Summertime – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
  4. Piece of My Heart – Bert Berns, Jerry Ragovy
  5. Turtle Blues – Janis Joplin
  6. Oh, Sweet Mary – Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin
  7. Ball and Chain – Big Mama Thorton

The Mothers Of Invention: Weasels Ripped My Flesh

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On August 10, 1970, “Bizarre” label released “Weasels Ripped My Flesh”, the seventh Mothers of Invention (The) album. It was recorded December 1967 – August 1969 at various locations and was produced by Frank Zappa. This is the second Mothers of Invention (The) album released after the band disbanded in 1969 (first one was Burnt Weeny Sandwich).

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa– vocals, lead guitar
  • Ray Collins– vocals
  • Lowell George– vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Don Preston– organ, electronic effects
  • Roy Estrada – vocals, bass
  • Art Tripp– drums
  • Jimmy Carl Black– drums
  • Ian Underwood– alto saxophone
  • Motorhead Sherwood– baritone saxophone, snorks
  • Bunk Gardner– tenor saxophone
  • Buzz Gardner– trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Don “Sugarcane” Harris– vocals, electric violin
  • Neon Park – cover art

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

  1. Didja Get Any Onya
  2. Directly from My Heart to You – Richard Wayne Penniman
  3. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask
  4. Toads of the Short Forest
  5. Get a Little
  6. Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue
  7. Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula
  8. My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
  9. Oh No
  10. The Orange County Lumber Truck
  11. Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Cannonball Adderley

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On August 8, 1975, Julian Edwin “Cannonball” Adderley died aged 46. He was musician (alto saxophonist), active at the hard bop era of the 50s and 60s, has performed and recorded with some of the most important names of jazz music, including: Kenny Clarke, Nat Adderley, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Louis Smith, Gil Evans, John Benson Brooks, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Heath. Sam Jones, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, Joe Williams, Gene Ammons, David Axelrod and Raul de Souza. Adderley achieved success with 1966 single “Mercy Mercy Mercy”, a crossover hit on the pop charts and was member of the “dream team” on the Miles Davis essential album Kind of Blue.

The Beatles: Help

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Help

On August 6, 1965, “Parlaphone” label released “Help!”, the fifth Beatles (The) studio album and the soundtrack from their movie with the same title. It was recorded February – June 1965, at “EMI Studios” in London, and was produced by George Martin. Seven from the total fourteen album songs, including “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride”, appeared in the movie. and took up the first side of the vinyl album. The album also included “Yesterday”, the most-covered song in the history of popular music. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 331 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • John Lennon– lead, harmony and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, electric piano
  • Paul McCartney– lead, harmony, and backing vocals, lead and bass guitars, acoustic and electric pianos, güiro
  • George Harrison– lead, harmony and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
  • Ringo Starr– lead vocals, drums, miscellaneous percussion
  • George Martin– piano
  • John Scott– tenor and alto flutes
  • Sidney Sax – violin
  • Tony Gilbert – violin
  • Kenneth Essex – viola
  • Francisco Gabarro – cello
  • String quartet on “Yesterday”, arranged by George Martin and Paul McCartney
  • Robert Freeman – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.

  1. Help!
  2. The Night Before
  3. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
  4. I Need You
  5. Another Girl
  6. You’re Going To Lose That Girl
  7. Ticket To Ride
  8. Act Naturally
  9. It’s Only Love
  10. You Like Me Too Much
  11. Tell Me What You See
  12. I’ve Just Seen A Face
  13. Yesterday
  14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy

The Beatles: Revolver

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Revolver

On August 5, 1966, “Parlaphone” released “Revolver” the seventh Beatles (The) album. It was recorded April – June 1966, at “EMI Studios” in London, and was produced by George Martin. The album was recognized by critics as having redefined the parameters of popular music. The album’s Grammy Award-winning cover design was created by Klaus Voormann, old band’s friend from their early years in Hamburg. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Revolver” at number three on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel

  • John Lennon– lead, harmony and backing vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitars; piano, Hammond organ, harmonium; tape loops, sound effects; cowbell, tambourine, maracas, handclaps, finger snaps
  • Paul McCartney– lead, harmony and backing vocals, bass, acoustic and lead guitars; piano, clavichord; tape loops, sound effects; handclaps, finger snaps
  • George Harrison– lead, harmony and backing vocals, lead, acoustic, rhythm and bass guitars; sitar, tambura; tape loops, sound effects; maracas, tambourine, handclaps, finger snaps
  • Ringo Starr– lead vocals, drums; tambourine, maracas, handclaps, finger snaps; tape loops
  • Mal Evans– bass drum, backing vocals
  • Anil Bhagwat – tabla
  • Peter Coe, Alan Branscombe– tenor saxophone
  • Eddie Thornton, Ian Hammer, Les Condon – trumpet
  • Alan Civil– French horn
  • Geoff Emerick- tape loops of the marching band
  • George Martin– piano, Hammond organ, tape loops of the marching band
  • Tony Gilbert, Sidney Sax, John Sharpe, Jurgen Hess
  • Stephen Shingles, John Underwood – viola
  • Derek Simpson, Norman Jones – cello
  • Brian Jones – backing vocals
  • Donovan– backing vocals
  • Marianne Faithfull– backing vocals
  • Neil Aspinall– backing vocals
  • Pattie Boyd– backing vocals

Track listing

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.

  1. Taxman – George Harrison
  2. Eleanor Rigby
  3. I’m Only Sleeping
  4. Love You To – George Harrison
  5. Here, There and Everywhere
  6. Yellow Submarine
  7. She Said She Said
  8. Good Day Sunshine
  9. And Your Bird Can Sing
  10. For No One
  11. Doctor Robert
  12. I Want To Tell You – George Harrison
  13. Got To Get You Into My Life
  14. Tomorrow Never Knows

Idris Muhammad

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On July 29, 2014, Leo Morris aka Idris Muhammad died aged 73. He was musician (drums, percussion), whose drumming crossed over several musical styles including funk, jazz, and rhythm and blues and has performed and recorded extensively with number of musicians, including  Pharoah Sanders, Gene Ammons, Fats Domino, Roberta Flack, Grover Washington, Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, Lou Donaldson, Bob James, Randy Weston, Bobbi Humphrey, Andrew Hill, Bob Stewart, Sonny Stitt, Ahmad Jamal, John Scofield, George Coleman, Paul Desmond, Grant Green, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Lovano, Tisziji Munoz, Roots, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Reuben Wilson and Leon Spencer.

J. J. Cale

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On July 26, 2015, John Weldon Cale aka J.J. Cale, died aged 74. He was  musician (guitar), singer and songwriter, regarded as one of the originators of the “Tulsa Sound”, a style based on blues, country, rockabilly, and jazz. His unique singing and guitar playing style influenced big number of music artists including Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton who described him as “one of the most important artists in the history of rock”. Songs composed by Cale have been recorded by many famous artists including Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Bobby Bare, Jerry Garcia, Waylon Jennings, Dr. Hook, Captain Beefheart, Freddie King, Beck, Lucinda Williams, Iron and Wine, Ben Bridwell, and Asha Puthli.

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