Tag Archives: John Lennon

Steve Cropper

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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.

Ringo Starr: Ringo

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On November 2, 1973, “Apple” label released “Ringo”, the third Ringo Starr studio album. It was recorded March – July 1973, at “Apple” and “EMI” in London, “Sunset Sound”, “A&M”, “Burbank”, “Sound Lab”, “Producers Workshop” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Richard Perry.

Personnel:

  • Ringo Starr – lead vocals, drums, percussion
  • George Harrison – acoustic and electric guitar, backing vocals
  • Vini Poncia – acoustic and electric guitar, percussion, backing vocals
  • Jimmy Calvert – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Steve Cropper – electric guitar
  • Robbie Robertson – electric guitar
  • Marc Bolan – guitar
  • Levon Helm – mandolin
  • David Bromberg – banjo, fiddle
  • James Booker – piano
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Tom Hensley – piano
  • Paul McCartney – “kazoo” vocal solo, piano, synthesizer, backing vocals, flute and strings arrangements
  • John Lennon – piano, backing vocals
  • Billy Preston – organ, piano
  • Garth Hudson – accordion
  • Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
  • Rick Danko – fiddle
  • Jim Keltner – drums
  • Milt Holland – percussion, marimba
  • Lon & Derrek Van Eaton – percussion
  • Tom Scott – horns, arrangements
  • Chuck Findley – horns
  • Bobby Keys – saxophone
  • Linda McCartney – backing vocals
  • Harry Nilsson – backing vocals
  • Martha Reeves – backing vocals
  • Merry Clayton – backing vocals
  • Richard Perry – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. I’m the Greatest – John Lennon
  2. Have You Seen My Baby – Randy Newman
  3. Photograph – Richard Starkey, George Harrison
  4. Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond) – George Harrison
  5. You’re Sixteen – Bob Sherman, Dick Sherman
  6. Oh My My – Richard Starkey, Vini Poncia
  7. Step Lightly – Graham Starkey
  8. Six O’Clock – Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
  9. Devil Woman – Graham Starkey, Vini Poncia
  10. You and Me (Babe) – George Harrison, Mal Evans

John Lennon: Mind Games

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On October 29, 1973, “Apple” label released “Mind Games”, the third John Lennon studio album. It was recorded in 1973, at “Record Plant Studios” in New York, and was produced by John Lennon.

Personnel:

  • John Lennon – lead, harmony and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, slide guitar, clavinet, mellotron, electric piano, conga, tambourine, maracas, güiro, handclaps
  • David Spinozza – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar
  • Ken Ascher – piano, organ, reed organ, electric piano, mellotron
  • Gordon Edwards – bass guitar
  • Jim Keltner – drums, cowbell
  • Rick Marotta – drums, bongos
  • Michael Brecker – saxophone
  • Something Different (Christine Wiltshire, Jocelyn Brown, Kathy Mull, Angel Coakley) – backing vocals
  • Roy Cicala, Dan Barbiero – engineer
  • Tom Rabstanek – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by John Lennon.

  1. Mind Games
  2. Tight A$
  3. Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)
  4. One Day (At a Time)
  5. Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)
  6. Nutopian International Anthem
  7. Intuition
  8. Out the Blue
  9. Only People
  10. I Know (I Know)
  11. You Are Here
  12. Meat City

Pat Metheny: MoonDial

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On July 26, 2024, “BMG” and “Modern” labels released “MoonDial”, the 55th Pat Metheny album. It was recorded in 2024, at “High Rocks”, and was produced by Pat Metheny:

Personnel:

  • Pat Metheny – custom built baritone guitar

Track listing:

All tracks by Pat Metheny, except where noted.

  1. MoonDial
  2. La Crosse
  3. You’re Everything – lyrics by Neville Potter, music by Chick Corea
  4. Here, There and Everywhere – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  5. We Can’t See It, But It’s There
  6. Falcon Love
  7. Everything Happens to Me / Somewhere – lyrics by Tom Adair, Stephen Sondheim, music by Matt Dennis, Leonard Bernstein
  8. Londonderry Air – traditional
  9. This Belongs to You
  10. Shōga
  11. My Love and I – lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by David Raskin
  12. Angel Eyes – lyrics by Earl K. Brent, Matt Dennis
  13. MoonDial – epilogue

The Buddy Rich Orchestra: Big Swing Face

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In June 1967, “Pacific Jazz” label released “Big Swing Face”, live album by the Buddy Rich Big Band (the 21st Buddy Rich album overall). It was recorded February – March 1967, at “Chez Club” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Richard Bock.

Personnel:

  • Buddy Rich – drums
  • Quinn Davis – alto saxophone
  • Ernie Watts – alto saxophone, flute
  • Jay Corre, Robert Keller – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Marty Flax – baritone saxophone
  • Bobby Shew, Yoshito Murakami, Charles Findley, John Scottile – trumpet
  • Jim Trimble, John Boice – trombone
  • Bill Wimberly – bass trombone
  • Richie Resnicoff – guitar
  • Ray Starling – piano
  • James Gannon – double bass
  • Cathy Rich – vocals
  • Shorty Rogers – arrangement

Track listing:

  1. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  2. Big Swing Face – Bill Potts
  3. Monitor Theme – Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye
  4. Wack Wack – Isaac “Redd” Holt, Donald Storball, Hysear Don Walker, Jimmy Young
  5. Love for Sale – Cole Porter
  6. Mexicali Nose – Harry Betts
  7. Willowcrest – Bob Florence
  8. The Beat Goes On – Sonny Bono
  9. Bugle Call Rag – Billy Meyers, Jack Pettis, Elmer Schoebel

Aretha Franklin: Live At Fillmore West

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On May 19, 1971, “Atlantic” label released “Aretha Live at Fillmore West”, the third Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded in March 1971, at “Filmore West Concert Hall”, in San Francsico, and was produced by Jerry Wexler.

Personnel:

  • Aretha Franklin – vocals, Fender Rhodes
  • Cornell Dupree – guitar
  • Truman Thomas – piano
  • Ray Charles – piano
  • Billy Preston – organ
  • Jerry Jemmott – bass
  • Bernard Purdie – drums
  • Pancho Morales – congas
  • King Curtis – saxophone, orchestra leader
  • Memphis Horns – horns
  • Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, Pat Smith – backing vocals
  • Arif Mardin – horn arrangements
  • Larry Wilcox – horn arrangements
  • Tom Dowd – horn arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Respect – Otis Redding
  2. Love the One Youy’re With – Stephen Stills
  3. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Paul Simon
  4. Eleanor Rigby – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  5. Make It with You – David Gates
  6. Don’t Play That Song – Ahmet Ertegun, Betty Nelson
  7. Dr. Feelgood – Aretha Franklin
  8. Spirit in the Dark – Aretha Franklin
  9. Spirit in the Dark (reprise with Ray Charles) – Aretha Franklin
  10. Reach Out and Touch – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson

The Black Keys: The Big Come Up

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May 14, 2002, “Alive” label released “The Big Come Up”, the debut Black Keys (The) studio album. It was recorded January – March 2002, at “Synth Etiquette Analog Sound” in Akron, Ohio, and was produced by Patrick Carney.

Personnel:

  • Dan Auerbach – vocals, electric and slide guitar, 12 string guitar, bass
  • Patrick Carney – drums, tambourine, maracas, beats, sampler
  • Gabe Fulvimar – Moog bass 
  • Dave Schultz – mastering
  • Patrick Boissel – design
  • Michael Carney – design, photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, except where noted.

  1. Busted – R. I. Burnside
  2. Do the Rump – Junior Kimbrough
  3. I’ll Be Your Man
  4. Countdown
  5. The Breaks
  6. Run Me Down
  7. Leavin’ Trunk – traditional
  8. Heavy Soul
  9. She Said, She Said – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  10. Them Eyes
  11. Yearnin’
  12. Brooklyn Bound
  13. 240 Years Before Your Time

The Beatles: Live At The Hollywood Bowl

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On May 4, 1977, “Capitol” label released “The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl”, live album by the Beatles. It was recorded in August 1964, August 1965, at “Hollywood Bowl” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Voyle Gilmore.

Personnel:

  • John Lennon – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
  • George Harrison – lead and backing vocals, lead guitar
  • Ringo Starr – lead vocal, drums
  • George Martin – sequencing, mixing

Track listing:

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

  1. Twist and Shout – Phil Medley, Bert Russell
  2. She’s a Woman
  3. Dizzy Miss Lizzy – Larry Williams
  4. Ticket to Ride
  5. Can’t Buy Me Love
  6. Things We Said Today
  7. Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry
  8. Boys – Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell
  9. A Hard Day’s Night
  10. Help!
  11. All My Loving
  12. She Loves You
  13. Long Tall Sally – Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman, Robert Blackwell

Sarah Vaughn: Songs Of The Beatles

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On April 9, 1981, “Atlantic” label released “Songs of the Beatles”, the 45th Sarah Vaughan album. It was recorded in 1977, and was produced by Marty Paich and David Paich.

Personnel:

  • Sarah Vaughan – vocals
  • Lee Ritenour, Dean Parks, Louie Shelton – guitar
  • Michael Lang – keyboards
  • Marty Paich, David Paich – keyboards, arranger
  • Steve Porcaro – synthesizer
  • Toots Thielemans – harmonica
  • David Hungate – bass guitar
  • Bob Magnusson – string bass
  • Jeff Porcaro – percussion, drums
  • Bobbye Hall, Joe Porcaro, Steve Forman – percussion
  • Jon Smith – tenor saxophone
  • Marcos Valle – vocals
  • Bill Thedford, Perry Morgan, Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals

Track listing:

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

  1. Get Back
  2. And I Love Her
  3. Eleanor Rigby
  4. The Fool on the Hill
  5. You Never Give Me Your Money
  6. Come Together
  7. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
  8. Blackbird
  9. Something – George Harrison
  10. Here, There and Everywhere
  11. The Long and Winding Road
  12. Yesterday
  13. Hey Jude