On December 10, 2019, Götz Gustav Ksinski aka Gershon Kingsley died aged 97. He was composer, a pioneer of the Moog synthesizer, and electronic music. He composed music for film and TV shows, classical chamber works, conducted and arranged the music for Broadway musicals (“The Entertainer”, “La Plume de Ma Tante”, “Vintage ’60”, “Josephine Baker”, “Cafe Crown”, “I’m Solomon”). He was part of the electronic duo Perrey and Kingsley, founded the “First Moog Quartet”, but got world recognition and fame with his 1969 track “Popcorn”. This track was covered by Hot Butter, Aphex Twin, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Jean Michelle Jarre, Marsheaux, Muse, Crazy Frog and The Muppets. Kingsley received “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the “Bob Moog Foundation”.
Ghost: Lama Rabi Rabi
On December 10, 1996, “Drag City” label released “Lama Rabi Rabi”, the fourth Ghost album. It was recorded in 1996, and was produced by Taishi Takizawa.
Personnel:
- Masaki Batoh – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Michio Kurihara – guitars
- Kazuo Ogino – piano, electronics
- Taishi Takizawa – teremin, flute, saxophone
- Junichi Yamamoto – drums, percussion
- Iwao Yamazaki – vocal, drums
Track listing:
- Masttillah
- RabiRabi
- Into the Alley
- Marrakech
- Who Found a Lost Rose in the Warship?
- Mex Square Blue
- My Hump is a Shell
- Bad Bone
- Abyssinia
- Agate Scape
- Summer’s Ashen Fable
Apoptygma Berzerk: Soli Deo Gloria
On December 10, 1993, “Metropolis” label released “Soli Deo Gloria”, the debut Apoptygma Berzerk studio album. It was recorded in 1993, at “Wintergarden Studio” in Fredrikstad, Norway, “Apoptygma Sound Lab”, and was produced by Erik Wøllo, and Stephan Grotheks.
- Stephan Grotheks – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, samples, programming, engineer
- Per Aksel Lundgreen – keyboards
- Anders Olden – guitar
- Jimmy Bergsten – vocals
- Erik Wøllo – arranger
- Christian Bloom – Apoptygma logo
- Albrecht Dürer – artwork
- Subtopia – design, photography
- Malin Syversen – Bellybutton photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Stephan Grotheks, except where noted.
- Like Blood from the Beloved, Part 1
- Bitch
- Burnin’ Heretic
- Stitch
- Walk With Me
- Backdraft
- Arp (808 Edit)
- Spiritual Reality
- Skyscraping (Schizophreniac)
- All Tomorrow’s Parties – Lou Reed
- Ashes to Ashes 93
- Like Blood from the Beloved, Part 2
James Moody
On December 9, 2010, James Moody died aged 85. He was musician (saxophone, flute) and singer, best known for his work in bebop and hard bop Jazz. He recorded and performed with some of the biggest names in Jazz music including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Farmer, Kenny Barron, Jon Faddis, Eddie Jefferson, Johnny Coles, Todd Coolman, Rufus Reid, Gil Fuller, Milt Jackson, Dexter Gordon, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Lalo Schifrin, Bobby Thimons, Cedar Walton, Tubby Hayes, and Roberta Gambarini. In 2011, Moody posthumously won “Grammy Award” for “Best Jazz Instrumental album”, for his album “Moody 4B”. The “New Jersey Performing Arts Center” hosts the “James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival”. As a leader Moody released 44 albums.
Harold Budd
On December 7, 2010, Harold Montgomory Budd died aged 84. He was musician (piano, keyboards, guitar), composer, professor, and poet, noted for his work in the avant-garde minimalist scene in the USA in the 60’. His work in avant-garde, jazz, minimalism, ambient, and neoclassical music brought him world recognition, especially through his collaboration with Brian Eno and Robin Guthrie. He also collaborated with Andy Partridge, John Foxx, Graham Haynes, Simon Raymonde, Elizabeth Fraser, Eralso Bernocchi, Bill Nelson, Clive Wright, Jaki Liebezeit, Ruben Garcia, Daniel Lentz, Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble.
Hoobastank: Reason
On December 9, 2003, “Island” label released “Reason”, the second Hoobastank studio album. It was recorded March – August 2003, at “Bay 7 Studios”, “Valley Village Studios”, “Sparky Dog Studios” in Calabasas, California, and was produced by Howard Benson. The album was certified Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”, 2 x Platinum in the USA by “RIAA”.
Personnel:
- Doug Robb – lead and backing vocals
- Dan Estrin – acoustic and electric guitar
- Markku Lappalainen – bass guitar
- Chris Hesse – drums
- Michael Valerio – upright bass
- Howard Benson – keyboards
- Mark Robertson – violin, string contractor
- Sam Fisher – violin
- Rene Mandel – violin
- Simon Oswell – viola
- Shanti Randall – viola
- Evan Wilson – viola
- Victor Lawrence – cello
- David Low – cello
- David Mergen – cello
- Deborah Lurie – string arrangements
- Jamie Oliver – group vocals
- Ian Watkins – group vocals
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
- Mike Plotnikoff – mixing
- Louis Marino – art direction, design, illustrations
- Danny Clinch – band photography
- RJ Muna – cover photography
Track listing:
All lyrics by Doug Robb; all music by Daniel Estrin.
- Same Direction
- Out of Control
- What Happened to Us
- Escape
- Just One
- Lucky
- From the Heart
- The Reason
- Let It Out
- Unaffected
- Never There
- Disappear
Yello: The Eye
On October 9, 2003, “Motor Music” label released “The Eye”, the eleventh Yello studio album. It was recorded in 2003, and was produced by Boris Blank and Dieter Meier.
Personnel:
- Boris Blank – arranger, engineer
- Dieter Meier – vocals
- Christoph Stickel – mastering
- Martin Wanner – design
- Beat Pfändler – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Boris Blank.
- Planet Dada
- Nervous
- Don Turbulento
- Soul On Ice
- Junior B
- Tiger Dust
- Distant Solution
- Hipster’s Delay
- Time Palace
- Indigo Bay
- Unreal
- Bougainville
- Star Breath
- Goober Sadoodoo Snowflake Safanny
- Planet Dada (Flamboyant)
Verve Pipe: Pop Smear
On December 9, 1993, “Landspeed” label released “Pop Smear”, the debut Verve Pipe studio album. It was recorded in 1993, at “Station C Studios” in Grand Rapids, MI, and was produced by Jon Frazer, A.J. Dunning, Donny Brown, and Brian Vander Ark.
Personnel:
- Brian Vander Ark – lead vocals, electric guitar, rbass, percussion, art direction, arranger
- A.J. Dunning – vocals, lead, acoustic and slide guitar, keyboards, mandolin, arranger
- Donny Brown – vocals, drums, arranger
- Brad Vander Ark – acoustic guitar
- Randy Sly- keyboards
- Donny Brown, Doug Corella – percussion
- Leslie E. Rose – violin
- Albin Rose – viola
- Kathryn Dykema – cello
- Mark Byerly – trumpet
- Robert Engelsman – trombone
- Patty Brower – art direction
- Jon Frazer – engineer, mixing, photography
- John Bruey – engineer
- Fred Baker – editing, sequencing
Track listing:
All tracks by Brian Vander Ark, except where noted.
- Pretty for You
- Spoonful of Sugar – Brian Vander Ark, Sid Herring
- Victoria
- Honest – Brian Vander Ark, Donny Brown
- The River
- Sleepy Town
- Bullies on Vacation
- What You Wanted
- Wanna Be – Brian Vander Ark, Donny Brown
- Out Like a Lamb
- Senator Speak
- Is It Worth It? – Donny Brown
Big Walter Horton
On December 8, 1981, Walter Horton aka Big Walter Horton or Walter “Shakey” Horton died aged 60. He was musician (harmonica), regarded as one of the best harmonica players in the blues history. Willie Dixon said about Horton “the best harmonica player I ever heard”, and Robert Palmer named him as “one of the three great harmonica soloists of modern blues”. In 1982, Horton was posthumously inducted into the “Blues Hall of Fame”.
By Divine Right: Mutant Message
On December 8, 2009, “Hand Drawn Dracula” label released “Mutant Message”, the ninth By Divine Right album. It was recorded in 2009, at “Operation Northwoods” in Mono, Ontario, Canada, “Hallamusic” in Toronto, Canada, “The Barn” in Collingwood, Canada, and was produced by José Miguel Contreras.
Personnel:
- José Miguel Contreras – vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, noises, tumbling dices, recording, mixing
- Stewart Heyduk – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, recording
- Michael Milosh – bass
- Darcy Rego – drums
- Randy Lee – violin
- Alex McMaster – cello
- Jason Nunes – vocals
- Lily Frost – vocals
- Darryl Neudorf – cell phone
- Darryl Neudorf – recording
- Joao Carvalho – mastering
- James Mejia – artwork, design
Track listing:
All tracks by José Miguel Contreras.
- I Love a Girl
- Que Paso
- Wings too Big
- Cupid in Oilskins
- Figure Me Out
- Kiss My Chakras
- Pisco Sour
- 2002-2003
- Help Me Find a Place to Land
- I Will Hook You Up
