On December 3, 2025, Steven Lee Cropper died aged 84. He was musician, songwriter, record producer and actor, known as “The Colonel”. He was the guitarist of the “Stax Records” house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor. He was also member of the Blues Brothers Band, and recorded and performed with many other artists including Alabama, Jimmy Barnes, William Bell, Barbi Benton, Big Star, Stephen Bishop, Frank Black, Bobby and the Midnites, Booker T. & MG.’s, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Burnette, Brian Cadd, Cate Brothers, Chicago, David Clayton Thomas, A. J. Croce, Patti Dahlstrom, Delaney & Bonnie, Ned Doheny, Yvonne Elliman, Jose Feliziano, Eddie Floyd, Peter Frampton, Richie Furay, Art Garfunkel, Cyndi Grecco, Levon Helm, Chris Hillman, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Etta James, Wynonna Judd, Albert King, B.B. King, Al Kooper, John Lennon, Ann Margret, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Craig Morgan, Aaron Neville, Wayne Newton, Harry Nilsson, John Oates, Nigel Olsson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Wilson Pickett, Michel Polnareff, John Prine, Otis Redding, Bruce Roberts, Leon Russell, Sanford & Townsend, Leo Sayer, Poncho Sanchez, Guy Sebastian, Neil Sedaka, Paul Shaffer, Paul Simon, Percy Sledge, Broderick Smith, The Soul Children, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staple, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Livingston Taylor, Carla Thomas, Mickey Thomas, Wendy Waldman, Tower of Power, The Manhattan Transfer, Dale Watson and Jerry Lynn Williams. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked him 36th on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists”. Cropper won two “Grammy Awards”, and as leader or co-leader Cropper released 13 albums.
Tag Archives: Big Star
Big Star: #1 Record
On April 24, 1972, “Ardent” label released “#1 Record”, the debut Big Star studio album. It was recorded May 1971 – February 1972, at “Ardent Studios” in Memphis, and was produced by John Fry.
Personnel:
- Chris Bell – vocals, guitar
- Alex Chilton – vocals, guitar
- Andy Hummel – vocals, bass guitar
- Jody Stephens – drums
Track listing:
All tracks by Chris Bell and Alex Chilton, except where noted.
- Feel
- The Ballad of El Goodo
- In the Street
- Thirteen
- Don’t Lie to Me
- The India Song – Andy Hummel
- When My Baby’s Beside Me
- My Life Is Right – Chris Bell, Tom Eubanks
- Give Me Another Chance
- Try Again
- Watch the Sunrise
- ST 100/6
Lorde: Solar Power
On August 20, 2021, “Universal Music New Zealand” label released “Solar Power”, the third Lorde studio album. It was recorded 2019 – 2021, at “Electric Lady” in New York City, “Conway” in Los Angeles, “Roundhead” in Auckland, “Rough Customer” in Brooklyn, and was produced by Lorde, Malay and Jack Antonoff.
Personnel:
- Lorde (Ella Yelich-O’Connor) – vocals
- Jack Antonoff – acoustic and electric guitars, string acoustic guitar, bass, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, keyboards, Mellotron, Farfisa, drums, percussion, programming, mixing
- Malay – bass, acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards, programming
- Matt Chamberlain – drums, percussion, programming
- Evan Smith – flute, saxophone, keyboards
- Cole Kamen-Green – trumpet
- Bobby Hawk – violin
- Robyn – vocals
- Clairo – backing vocals
- Lawrence Arabia – backing vocals
- Marlon Williams – backing vocals
- Phoebe Bridgers – backing vocal
- Mark “Spike” Stent – mixing
- Laura Sisk – mixing
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Will Quinnell – mastering assistant
- Matt Wolach – mixing assistant
Track listing:
- The Path – Ella Yelich-O’Connor
- Solar Power – Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- California – Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- Stoned at the Nail Salon – Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- Fallen Fruit – Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- Secrets from a Girl (Who See It All) – lyrics by Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff, Robin Carlsson, music by Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- The Man with the Axe – lyrics by Ella Yelich-O’Connor, music by Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Malay
- Dominoes – Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- Big Star – Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- Leader of a New Regime – lyrics by Ella Yelich-O’Connor, music by Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Malay
- Mood Ring – Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jack Antonoff
- Oceanic Feeling – Ella Yelich-O’Connor
The Jayhawks: Sound Of Lies
On April 22, 1997, “American” label released “Sound of Lies”, the fifth Jayhawks (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1996, and was produced by Brian Paulson, Gary Louris. Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg, Tim O’ Reagan, Kraig Johnson and Jessy Greene.
Personnel:
- Gary Louris – vocals, guitar
- Kraig Johnson – guitar, E-Bow
- Karen Grotberg – vocals, organ, piano, keyboards, Wurlitzer
- Jessy Greene – violin, viola, cello
- Marc Perlman – vocals, bass, guitar
- Tim O’ Reagan – vocals, drums
- Matthew Sweet – vocals
- Pauli Ryan – percussion
- Mark Haines – engineer
- Victor Janacua – engineer
- Brian Jenkins – engineer
- Brian Paulson – mixing
- George Drakoulias – mixing
- Jim Scott – mixing
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Allen Sanderson – engineer assistant, mixing assistant
- Mike Scotella – engineer assistant, mixing assistant
- Joe Zook – engineer assistant
- Dan Corrigan – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Gary Louris, except where noted.
- The Man Who Loved Life
- Think About It – Gary Louris, Marc Perlman
- Trouble – Marc Perlman, Gary Louris
- It’s Up to You
- Stick in the Mud
- Big Star
- Poor Little Fish
- Sixteen Down
- Haywire
- Dying on the Vine – Gary Louris, Marc Perlman
- Bottomless Cup – Tim O’ Reagan
- Sound of Lies
Christopher Bell
On December 27, 1978, Christopher Branford Bell died aged 27. He was songwriter and musician (guitar, singer), best known as founding member, guitarist and singer of the band Big Star. His work has inspired, and his songs were covered by many musicians and bands including R.E.M., Wilco, Teenage Fanclub, Primal Scream, Afghan Whigs, Pete Yorn, Beck The Posies, and The Replacements. In 2013, “Magnolia Pictures” released documentary “Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me”, which documented his life and work. In 2018, the book “There Was a Light: The Cosmic History of Chris Bell and the Rise of Big Star”, was published, also dealing with his life and music. Bell’s album “I Am the Cosmos” was posthumously released in 1992.
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