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: Stephen Bishop
Stephen Bishop: Blue Guitars
On May 28, 1996, “Foundation” label released “Blue Guitars”, the sixth Stephen Bishop studio album (album with the same title, but with different tracks was released in Japan in 1994). It was recorded 1993 – 1996, and was produced by Andrew Gold and Jeff Jones.
Personnel:
- Stephen Bishop – vocals, acoustic guitars
- Andrew Gold – keyboards, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass, drums, multi-instruments, backing vocals
- David Crosby – harmony vocals
- Carnie Wilson – backing vocals
- Wendy Wilson – backing vocals
- Pia Zadora – backing vocals
- Michael McDonald – backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks by Stephen Bishop, except where noted.
- I Go Numb – Stephen Bishop, Tom Snow, Andrew Gold
- Dive into the Pool of Love – Stephen Bishop, Tom Snom
- On Blonde Street
- When You Love Somebody
- (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet – Freddie Gorman, Bob Hamilton
- Wall Around Your Heart
- The King of Tonga
- Picasso Played a Blue Guitar
- Italian Rain
- Let Your Heart Remember – Stephen Bishop, Jeff Jones
- When Love Was Grand
- Separate Lives (acoustic version)
- R’s Theme
Stephen Bishop: Romance in Rio
On February 19, 2008, “429” label released “Romance in Rio”, the 15th Stephen Bishop album. It was recorded in 2007, and was produced by Oscar Castro-Neves and Peter Bunetta.
Personnel:
- Stephen Bishop – vocals
- Oscar Castro-Neves – guitar, keyboards
- Earl Klugh – guitar
- Eric Clapton – steel guitar
- Dave Grusin – keyboards, piano
- Brian Bromberg – bass guitar
- Alex Acuña – drums
- Kevin Ricard – percussion
- Charlotte Gibson – backing vocals
- Kenny Rankin – backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks by Stephen Bishop, except where noted.
- Under the Jamaican Moon – Stephen Bishop, Leah Kunkel
- On and On
- Hello
- Un Baile del Corazon
- Save It for a Rainy Day
- Never Letting Go
- Bish’s Hideaway
- Annalia
- Take This Empty Heart
- One More Night
- Separate Lives
- New York in the Fifties
Thomas Tedesco
On November 10, 1997, Thomas J. Tedesco died aged 67. He was a musician (guitar), part of the loose collective of Los Angeles area’s session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. As he played on hundreds studio recordings, “Guitar Player” magazine described him as “the most recorded guitarist in music history”. He recorded with the Beach Boys, Chet Baker, the Mamas & the Papas, the Everly Brothers, the Association, Bobby Darrin, Barbra Streisand, Jan and Dean, the 5th Dimension, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Ricky Nelson, Cher, Neil Diamond, Van Dyke Parks, Michael Franks, Nancy and Frank Sinatra, Richard Harris, Peggy Lee, Johnny Rivers, Al Kooper, Michael Nesmith, Paul Anka, Don Ellis, Minnie Riperton, Maria Muldaur, Leon Russell, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, J.J. Cale, Quincy Jones, Stephen Bishop, Kenny Loggins, Jack Nitzsche, Sarah Vaughan, Lalo Schifrin, Randy Newman, Hugh Masakela, and Joan Baez. Tedesco performed on soundtracks including The French Connection, Jaws, The Godfather, Field of Dreams, and The Deer Hunter. As a leader he released ten albums.
Lawrence Knechtel
On August 20, 2009, Lawrence William Knechtel died aged 69. He was a musician (keyboards, bass), a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles-based session musicians, and the band Bread. He recorded with big number of renowned artists including Elvis Presley, The Byrds, Barbra Streisand, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Cher, Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Mamas & the Papas, The Monkees, the Partridge Family, Paul Simon, Chet Baker, Jerry Garcia, Dave mason, Nancy Sinatra, Howard Roberts, Thelma Houston, Glen Campbell, Peter Allen, Barry Mann, Lalo Schifrin, Jimmy Webb, José Feliciano, Jackie DeShannon, Brian Cadd, Bobby Darin, Art Garfunkel, Stephen Bishop, David Clayton-Thomas, Billy Joel, Barry McGuire, Paul Young, Dolly Parton, Al Kooper, Johnny Rivers, John Denver, Chet Atkins, Helen Reddy, Joan Baez, Alen Roth, and Neil Diamond. Knechtel released two solo albums.
Steve Perry: For the Love of Strange Medicine
On July 19, 1994, “Columbia” label released “For the Love of Strange Medicine” the second Steve Perry studio album. It was recorded in 1993, and was produced by James “Jimbo” Barton, Steve Perry and Tim Miner.
Personnel:
- Steve Perry- vocals
- Lincoln Brewster- guitars, backing vocals
- Paul Taylor- keyboards, backing vocals
- Michael Landau- guitars
- Larry Kimpel – bass
- Mike Porcaro– bass
- Phil Brown– bass, production assistant
- Moyes Lucas – drums, backing vocals
- Tim Miner – piano, keyboards, backing vocals, bass, piano
- Dallas Symphony Orchestra- strings
- Larry Dalton – string arrangements, conductor
- Jeremy Lubbock, James Barton, Phil Brown – string arrangements
- Alexander Brown, Carmen Carter, Jean McClain – backing vocals
- James “Jimbo” Barton – recording
- Tim Kimsey – recording
- Devin Foutz, Manny Marroquin, Kyle Ross, Ulrich Wild, Rail Jon Rogut and Bill Cooper, Christopher C. Murphy – second recording engineer
- Craig Burbidge – mixing
- Niko Bolas – mixing
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Brian Lee – digital editing
Track listing:
- You Better Wait – Steve Perry, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Taylor, Moyes Lucas, John Pierce, George Hawkins
- Young Hearts Forever – Steve Perry, Clif Magness
- I Am – Steve Perry, Paul Taylor, Lincoln Brewster
- Stand Up (Before It’s Too Late) – Steve Perry, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Taylor, Moyes Lucas, Larry Kimpel
- For the Love of Strange Medicine – Steve Perry, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Taylor, Moyes Lucas
- Donna Please – Steve Perry, Paul Taylor, Stephen Bishop
- Listen to Your Heart – Steve Perry, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Taylor, Moyes Lucas
- Tuesday Heartache – Steve Perry, Clif Magness, Paul Taylor, Lincoln Brewster, Moyes Lucas
- Missing You – Steve Perry, Tim Miner
- Somewhere There’s Hope – Steve Perry, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Taylor, Moyes Lucas
- Anyway – Steve Perry
Phil Collins: …But Seriously
On November 20, 1989,”Virgin” label released “…But Seriously”, the fourth Phil Collins studio album. It was recorded April – October 1989, at “The Farm” in Chiddingfold, Surrey, UK, “A&M Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham. The album was certified 3 x Platinum in Argentina by “CAPIF”, 5 x Platinum in Australia by “ARIA”, 2 x Platinum in Austria by “IFPI Austria”, 7 x Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”, Diamond in France by “SNEP”, 6 x Platinum in Germany by “BVMI”, Platinum in Hong Kong by “IFPI Hong Kong”, 3 x Platinum in Italy by “FIMI”, Platinum in Japan by “RIAJ”, 2 x Platinum in Netherlands by “NVPI”, Platinum in New Zealand by “RMNZ”, 2 x Platinum in Portugal by “AFP”, 7 x Platinum in Spain by “PROMUSICAE”, 5 x Platinum in Switzerland by “IFPI Switzerland”, 9 x Platinum in UK by “BPI and 4 x Platinum in US by “RIAA”.
Personnel:
- Phil Collins– vocals, drums, percussion, tambourine, keyboards, mixing
- Eric Clapton– guitar
- Dominic Miller- guitar
- Daryl Stuermer– guitar
- Steve Winwood– Hammond organ
- Leland Sklar– bass guitar
- Nathan East– bass guitar
- Pino Palladino– bass guitar
- David Crosby– vocals
- Stephen Bishop– vocals
- The Phenix Horns:
- Don Myrick– saxophone
- Louis Satterfield– trombone
- Harry Kim– trumpet
- Rhamlee Michael Davis – trumpet
- Alex Brown, Marva King, Lynne Fiddmont – backing vocals
- Tom Tom 84 – horn arrangements
- Maurice Spears – music preparation
- Hugh Padgham – engineer, mixing
- Ed Goodreau, Simon Osbourne – engineer assistant
- Trevor Key– photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Phil Collins, except where noted.
- Hang in Long Enough
- That’s Just the Way It Is
- Find a Way to My Heart
- Colours
- Father to Son
- Another Day in Paradise
- All of My Life
- Something Happened on the Way to Heaven
- Do You Remember?
- I Wish It Would Rain Down
Randy Newman: Born Again
In August 1979, “Warner Bros” label released “Born Again”, the sixth Randy Newman album. It was recorded in 1979, at “Warner Brothers Recording Studios”; “A&M Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman.
Personnel:
- Randy Newman– vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes
- Waddy Wachtel, Buzzy Feiten– guitar
- Michael Boddicker– synthesizer
- David Shields, Willie Weeks– bass
- Andy Newmark– drums
- Victor Feldman– Fender Rhodes, drums, percussion
- Lenny Castro, Carlos Vega – percussion
- Chuck Findley– horns
- Tom Scott– horns
- Stephen Bishop, Valerie Carter, Arno Lucas– backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks by Randy Newman.
- It’s Money That I Love
- The Story of a Rock and Roll Band
- Pretty Boy
- Sheep
- Ghosts
- They Just Got Married
- Spies
- The Girls in My Life (Part One)
- Half a Man
- William Brown
- Pants
Art Garfunkel: Watermark
On October 25, 1977, “Columbia” label released “Watermark”, the third Art Garfunkel solo studio album. It was recorded in 1977, and was produced by Art Garfunkel and Phil Ramone. The album cover photo was taken by actress Laurie Bird, Garfunkel’s girlfriend.
Personnel:
- Art Garfunkel – vocals
- Paul Simon– vocals, acoustic guitar
- Stephen Bishop– guitar, backing vocals
- Pete Carr– guitar
- Jimmy Johnson– guitar
- Hugh McCracken– guitar
- Bob Dorough– vocals
- James Taylor– vocals
- Jimmy Webb– keyboards
- Richard Tee– electric piano
- Barry Beckett– piano
- Bill Payne– synthesizer
- Derek Bell – harmonica
- David Hood– bass
- Tony Levin– bass
- Joe Osborn– bass
- Rick Shlosser– drums
- Steve Gadd– drums
- Roger Hawkins– drums
- Tom Roady – percussion
- Ralph MacDonald– percussion
- Craig Krampf– percussion
- Thomas Latondre – percussion, handclapping
- Jack Schroer– saxophone
- Paul Desmond– alto saxophone
- Michael Tubridy– flute
- Joe Farrell– flute, English horn, oboe
- Martin Fay– fiddle
- Seán Keane– fiddle
- Paddy Moloney– uilleann pipes, tin whistle
- Tommy Vig– vibraphone, backing vocals
- Fred Farell – vocals
- Carol Flamm – vocals
- Ed Hasselbrink – vocals
- Shelley Hirsch – vocals
- Oklahoma Uni Chorale – vocals
- Alexandra Stavrou – vocals
- David Crosby– backing vocals
- Leah Kunkel– backing vocals
- David Campbell– arrangement
- Christopher Dedrick – arrangements
- Jimmie Haskell– arrangements
Track listing:
All tracks by Jimmy Webb, except where noted
- Crying in My Sleep
- Marionette
- Shine It on Me
- Watermark
- Saturday Suit
- All My Love’s Laughter
- (What a) Wonderful World – Herb Alpert, Sam Cooke, Lou Adler
- Shuck’n Jive
- Paper Chase
- She Moved Through the Fair – traditional
- Someone Else
- Wooden Planes
Art Garfunkel: Breakaway
On October 14, 1975, “Columbia” label released “Breakaway”, the second Art Garfunkel solo studio album. It was recorded in 1975, and was produced by Richard Perry, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and Phil Ramone. The album was certified Platinum in the US by “RIAA”.
Personnel:
- Art Garfunkel – vocals
- Toni Tennille– vocals
- Jay Clayton – vocal
- Graham Nash– vocals
- David Crosby– vocals
- Paul Simon– vocals, guitar
- Stephen Bishop– vocals, guitar
- Andrew Gold– vocals, guitar
- Steve Cropper– guitar
- Pete Carr– guitar
- Lon & Derrek VanEaton – guitar
- Louie Shelton– guitar
- Barry Beckett– piano
- Bruce Johnston– piano
- John Barlow Jarvis– piano
- Larry Knechtel– keyboards
- Nicky Hopkins– keyboards
- Bill Payne– keyboards
- Max Bennett– bass
- Reinie Press – bass
- Joe Osborn– bass
- David Hood– bass
- Klaus Voormann– bass
- Leland Sklar– bass
- Denny Seiwell– drums
- Rick Shlosser– drums
- Jim Keltner– drums
- John Guerin– drums
- Roger Hawkins– drums
- Russ Kunkel– drums
- Joe Clayton – percussion
- David Katz – violin, orchestra contractor
- New World Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestra
- Del Newman – conductor
- Helena Kallianiotes– cover model
Track listing:
- I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever) – Stevie Wonder, Yvonne Wright
- Rag Doll – Steve Eaton
- Break Away – Benny Gallagher, Graham Lyle
- Disney Girls – Bruce Johnston
- Waters of March – Antônio Carlos Jobim
- My Little Town – Paul Simon
- I Only Have Eyes for You – Al Dubin, Harry Warren
- Looking for the Right One – Stephen Bishop
- 99 Miles from L.A. – Albert Hammond, Hal David
- The Same Old Tears on a New Background – Stephen Bishop
musicalphabet 