On April 29, 1983, Michael “Mick” Ronson died aged 47. He was musician (guitar, piano, violin, cello), songwriter, arranger and producer, best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of the Spiders from Mars. Ronson also have worked with Ian Hunter. Morrissey, Van Morrison, Slaughter & The Dogs, The Wildhearts, The Rich Kids, Elton John, Johnny Cougar and T-Bone Burnett. Ronson also co-produced Lou Reed’s album “Transformer” and released several solo albums, “Slaughter on 10th Avenue” is his best known and most successful solo project. In 2003 he was named the 64th greatest guitarist of all time by “Rolling Stone” and 41st in 2012 by the same magazine.
Tag Archives: Rolling Stone
T-Bone Walker
On March 16, 1975, Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone” Walker died aged 64. He was musician (guitar, various instruments), singer and songwriter, an influential pioneer and innovator of the jump blues and electric blues sound. In 2011 “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked him at number 67 on the list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.
Velvet Underground: & Nico
On March 12, 1967, “Verve” label released “Velvet Underground & Nico”, the debut Velvet Underground album. It was recorded in 1966 during Andy Warhol’s “Exploding Plastic Inevitable Multimedia” event tour, and was produced by Andy Warhol and Tom Wilson. Thanks to inventing experimental performances sensibility in the music and controversial subjects in the songs lyrics including drug abuse, prostitution, sadism, masochism and sexual deviancy, the album gained status of one of the most influential and critically acclaimed albums in history in the modern music. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number 13 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”.
Personnel
- Lou Reed– lead and backing vocals, lead and ostrich guitar
- Sterling Morrison– rhythm and lead guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
- John Cale– electric viola, piano, bass guitar, celesta, hissing, sound effects, backing vocals
- Maureen Tucker– percussion , drums, tambourine, bass drum
- Nico – chanteuse, backing vocals
Track listing
All tracks by Lou Reed, except where noted.
- Sunday Morning – Lou Reed, John Cale
- I’m Waiting for the Man
- Femme Fatale
- Venus in Furs
- Run Run Run
- All Tomorrow’s Parties
- Heroin
- There She Goes Again
- I’ll be Your Mirror
- The Black Angel’s Death Song
- European Son
U2: The Joshua Tree
On March 9, 1987, “Island” label released “The Joshua Tree”, the fifth U2 studio album . It was recorded January 1986 – January 1987, at “STS Studios”, “Danesmoate House”, “Windmill Lane Studios”, and was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. In 1988, “The Joshua Tree” won “Grammy Awards” for “Album of the Year” and “Best Rock Performance” by a “Duo or Group with Vocal”. It is U2 best sold album with more than 25 million copies sold worldwide. In 1995, the album was certified 10× Platinum in US by “RIAA”, and album subsequently received the “Diamond” certificate. In Canada it was certified Diamond by “Canadian Recording Industry Association”, In UK it was certified 8 x Platinum by “BPI”, with an additional silver certification for the 20th anniversary edition. In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number 27 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.
Personnel:
- Bono– lead vocals, harmonica, guitars
- The Edge– guitars, piano, backing vocals
- Adam Clayton– bass guitar
- Larry Mullen, Jr.– drums, percussion
- Brian Eno– keyboards, DX7 programming, backing vocals
- Daniel Lanois– tambourine, Omnichord, additional guitar, backing vocals
- The Armin Family – strings
- The Arklow Silver Band – brass
Track listing:
All lyrics by Bono, all music by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen.
- Where the Streets Have No Name
- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
- With or Without You
- Bullet the Blue Sky
- Running to Stand Still
- Red Hill Mining Town
- In God’s Country
- Trip Through Your Wires
- One Tree Hill
- Exit
- Mothers of the Disappeared
Ray Charles: What’d I Say
On February 18, 1959, Ray Charles recorded the song “What’d I Say”. The recording was made in the late evening improvisation when Charles, his orchestra and backup singers had played their entire set list at a show. “Atlantic” label released the 7” single in July 1959 and it divided the song in two parts (A side and B side) with total length of 6:30 minutes. The song was produced by Jerry Wax. This was Ray Charles first gold record and it is one of the most influential songs in the history of modern music. In 2002 “What’d I say” was added to the “National Recording Registry” and ranked at number 10 in Rolling Stone ’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of all Time”.
Mike Bloomfield
On February 15, 1981, Michael Bernard “Mike” Bloomfield died aged 38. He was musician (guitar) and songwriter, member of the “Paul Butterfield Band” and “Electric Flag” and played on Dylan’s album “Highway 61 revisited: In 2003 he was ranked at number 22 on “Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”
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Donny Hathaway
On January 13, 1979, Donny Edward Hathaway died aged 34. He was musician (piano, keyboards), singer and songwriter, started successful career after signing contract with “Atlantic Records” in 1969 and after releasing his first single for the “Atco” label, “The Ghetto, Part I”. The “Rolling Stone” magazine “marked him as a major new force in soul music” in 1970 and his collaboration with Roberta Flack won him the “Grammy Award” for “Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals” for the duet, “Where Is the Love” in 1973. On January 13, 1979, Hathaway’s body was found outside the luxury hotel “Essex House” in New York City; his death was ruled a suicide.
The 10 Greatest Double Albums of All Time
On January 9, 2014, magazine “Rolling Stone” published the Readers Poll ”The 10 Greatest Double Albums of All Time”. The top 5 albums were:
No.5. Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti
No.4. Bruce Springsteen: The River
No.3. The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street
No.2. Pink Floyd: The Wall
No.1 The Beatles: White Album
Rolling Stone Magazine First Number
On November 9, 1967, the first issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine was published in San Francisco. The name of the magazine have been created from three sources: the Muddy Waters song, the first rock ‘n’ roll record by Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. The magazine was founded by Jann Wenner, who is still the magazine’s editor-in-chief, and music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine became popular for its musical coverage and for political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. The first issue cover featured a photo of John Lennon, dressed in army fatigues from his recent movie “How I Won the War”.
The Who: My Generation
On October 29, 1965, “Brunswick” label released “My Generation”, single by The Who. It was placed at number 11, on the “Rolling Stone” magazine list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
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