Rock Show (link) Track and Show Commentaries Commentary Index Shows 64 - 66 Rock Show 64 The opener for today’s show "All the Way from Memphis" is a 1972 UK top ten hit single by Mott the Hoople. It's the lead track on their 1973 album Mott. The song is about a rock n' roller whose guitar is shipped to Oriole, Kentucky instead of Memphis. The musician gets half-way to Memphis before realizing his guitar is missing and it takes him a month to track it down; whence a stranger scolds him for not taking more care of it! All The Way From Memphis Mott The Hoople.
Ok, I own up, five on the show today aren’t from the seventies. The Byrds did a track in 1990 with the same title as the next one’s album title, Psychodrama, by French post-punk/shoegaze Indie/Alternative rock group A Second Of June band. And the lead track is Etching by A Second Of June. Can’t say too much more about it, except it’s a great track and it’s quite a bit AOR in style.
"I'm Your Witchdoctor" is a 1965 single by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers composed by Mayall himself and produced by Jimmy Page. Unusually the exact date and recording location haven't been determined, but best guess is August 1965 and very likely at IBC Studios, also given Eric Clapton is playing alongside John Mayall. Ok, I´m Your Witchdoctor with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers.
Next one is the last track on English rock group Barclay James Harvest’s 1975 album Time Honoured Ghosts. In 2003 a remastered version was released which included as a bonus track "Child Of The Universe" Very nice track coming up. Up there with the best! Gotta be one of the rock classics! One Night and Barclay James Harvest.
"Same Old Song and Dance" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith written by lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. It was released in 1974 as the lead single from their second album, Get Your Wings. It has stayed since as a staple on most rock radio stations and in the band's onstage setlist! Same Old Song And Dance by Aerosmith.
The Sweet known usually just as Sweet were a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as a prominent glam rock act. You'll probably remember them for their 1972 hit wig wag bam. The track I've got, Burning bit of a job to track down, was the B-side on their 1973 single #2 hit single Hell-Raiser and can be found on an Australia/New Zealand only 1975 Singles album by them and as a bonus track on some later CD album releases. Sweet and the track Burning . . . Sweet!!
Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965. Since the band's inception, their musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal. They are very much one of the world's top rock bands as well as Germany's top band. In Trance is their 1975 and third album. The album's music is a complete departure from the progressive Krautrock of their two previous albums, in favor of a heavy metal sound of shorter and tighter arrangements with which the band would go on to achieve their later global success and fame. And the track is Evening Wind by Scorpions.
Written by guitarist Brian May, "Keep Yourself Alive" is the opening track on the band's 1973 debut album Queen . Released as Queen's first single, "Keep Yourself Alive" was largely ignored on its release and failed to chart on either side of the Atlantic, despite a promotional version issued for radio station play. In 2008, Rolling Stone rated the song thirty-first on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Ok, Keep Yourself Alive and Queen.
The Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after lead singer /guitarist Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie. This wasn't a bad thing, as they were then joined by Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood both from the Jeff beck Group. I've a 1973 single that did manage to reach the UK top ten, and is on their 1999 now remastered The Best Of Faces: Good Boys When They're Asleep album. Right, Pool Hall Richard with The Faces.
Tomorrow Belongs To Me is the 1975 fifth album by Scottish blues/rock musician Alex Harvey's glam rock group The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The album was released separately on a hard to find CD, but is widely available on a 2 in 1 album, alongside The Impossible Dream. And the track, Look out! , it’s 'Snake Bite' by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
Hair of the Dog is the sixth studio album by the really excellent Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released in 1975 and it's their best selling album. I quote some of the very famous lyrics from Changin' Times, off the album, which I'm sure many of you will recall! 'When I was young I used to understand / That when you're with a girl, you gotta act like a man / ' . . . which went on 'Mama told me that's the way it should be!' Changin' Times and it’s by Nazareth.
Really hard one to find the next one, as the excellent USA Colorado band Alpha Centauri only did one EP and one now very scarce 1977 LP, and moved from the USA to Canada. I’ll be playing more of them in coming weeks’ shows. It’s a Hard Life with Alpha Centauri.
"Lay Down" by English rock band Strawbs featured on their 1973 album Bursting at the Seams. Their first hit single, it peaked at No. 12 in the UK late the previous year. The lyrics are loosely based on the Old Testament's 23rd Psalm and the song is widely considered to be writer Dave Cousins's most commercial and radio-friendly offering. Indeed, some aficionado fans later accused Cousins and the band of "selling out", especially as the band were to appear on Top of the Pops wearing make-up, and dressed in glittery "glam rock" outfits. Lay Down by Strawbs.
Ride A Rock Horse ,a play of course on ‘Ride A Cock Horse To Banbury Fair’, is The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey’s 1975 second solo album. Songs for the album were recorded during Daltrey's filming commitments for Ken Russell's film Lisztomania. The albums cover is known remarkably for depicting the singer as a 'rampant' centaur. Here’s Proud from the album with Roger Daltrey.
"Someone Like You" was the B side of Eric Clapton's famous 1975 single "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". The song isn’t on any of Eric's studio albums except for his 1988 Crossroads compilations Box Set. Ok, for Someone Like You and Eric Clapton.
"Doctor Doctor" is a 1974 single by British hard rock band UFO, written by the band's, at the time, new guitarist, Michael Schenker and original singer Phil Mogg. It's taken from their album Phenomenon, and though not charting at the time, it did in 1979, as a live version from their live album Strangers in the Night becoming their first hit single. It remains a staple in every UFO concert and of the Michael Schenker Group and has also been covered by heavy metal bands, notably by Iron Maiden, who use the song as the last one being played over the PA just before the show starts, on recent tours. Ok, here’s UFO with Doctor Doctor .
Kimono My House is the third album by American rock band Sparks. The album was released in May 1974 and is considered to be their commercial breakthrough album. Its title is a pun on the song "Come On-A My House," made famous by Rosemary Clooney. If you don’t remember this song’s title, you’ll probably remember the track, for its syncopated style. Ok, ‘only girl for me’, it’s Hasta Manana Monsieur by Sparks.
Time and Tide is the fourth studio album of the British progressive rock band Greenslade, released in 1975. I quite like this one, titled Newsworth with a syncopated beat this time, style. Very modern for it’s time in 1975, could easily be mistaken for a track from the 90s or 2000s, if you didn't know it’s from the 70s. Greenslade and the very news worthy Newsworth!
Return to Fantasy is a song by British Hard Rock/Progressive rock band Uriah Heep from their somewhat otherwise rather bland eighth studio album "Return to Fantasy" in 1975. One of the band members says about the album 'I must admit, I don't listen to this anymore. It's actually not a bad record, there are a couple good tunes & solid performances throughout, but we rushed into it & it doesn't have any cohesiveness to it. Nor does it contain a hit single! In those days, we were really strugglng internally as a band , & we needed to slow down & re-group a bit'. Well, it does have some good tracks on it and . . . Ok return to or is that from? Return To Fantasy and Uriah Heep.
If I say Alice Cooper, need I say more? "Teenage Lament '74" meaning of 1974 is a song written by the inimitable Alice Cooper himself and Neal Smith, performed by the Alice Cooper band. It was released in 1973 from their 1973 album, Muscle of Love, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart. Were times looking to be hard for teenagers then? Ok Teenage Lament '74 or is that lament number 74?, by Alice Cooper.
Killing words for a relationship, ‘It’s Over’ aren’t they. I had to plead after just a year myself on that one, but my plea worked , thankfully for the children, if not sure for myself. Bernie Marsden left Whitesnake after (or during, depending on who you believe) the Saints & Sinners album. That band were never the same again, but neither was Bernie to work in a top flight band again, somewhat sadly for us all. Marsden is undoubtedly one of Britains best exponents of the blues-based rock writers. He did join the less-than-well-known hard rock band Alaska for a while, with just two albums released including their 1984 Heart Of The Storm. Let's enjoy their glam AOR Don't Say It's Over and Alaska band.
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the 1974 sixth studio album by British singer /songwriter Elton John, I don’t have many of his tracks on my show as a rule, but he was prolific in writing songs even by the 70s and shows remarkable stamina as a writer and showbiz performer to this day. Many of course being pop rather than rock. Anyway the great 1975 track High Flying Bird with Elton John.
"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" is a 1975 song by Ian Hunter, from his self-titled debut solo album Ian Hunter, Ian of course being frontman of Mott The Hoople fame, which reached No. 14 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also to be covered in 1989 by the American hard rock group Great White on their fourth album ... ... .... Twice Shy. Ok, I get the message!, Once Bitten, Twice Shy Ian Hunter (accompanied as it happens on this one by Mott The Hoople!).
Are you ready to rock? Yeah! Ace Frehley is a 1978 solo album from Ace Frehley, lead guitarist and vocalist of American hard rock band Kiss. It’s one of four solo albums released by members of Kiss in 1978. He himself released a number of solo albums or with his own band Frehley’s Comet while continuing of course to work with Kiss. OK, let’s rip, Rip It Out with Ace Frehley.
‘Stretch’ were a 1970s British rock band that grew from the collaboration between Elmer Gantry (real name Dave Terry) and Kirby (real name Graham Gregory). Gantry was previously the frontman of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera and Kirby previously a member of Curved Air. So why did they leave two good bands to branch out on their own? Guess for the musical freedom it gave them! They didn’t become as well-known but did a total of nine albums and are still about. Interesting story of how they came about. Fleetwood Mac was unable to do some contractual obligations in 1974, so Fleetwood’s manager got their drummer and these two to cover for them and out of this came the band Stretch! This is a 1975 single from their Elastique album of the same year to close today’s show with. Why Did You Do It? and Stretch. Rock Show 65 I’m starting today’s show with a song by American rock band Warrant, from their 2011 album Rockaholic. Their track titled Life's A Song was released as a single from the album and as a music video. Let’s hope . . . Life's A Song . . . and it’s by Warrant band!
Crowsaw are a Heavy Blues rock band from South Wales, UK. Mix a bit of Led Zepp, Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix and Cream and you might come up with something like the next number! Can hardly believe such a good band is local, well, the Welsh borders!! They’ve four tracks out on Reverbnation for a free listen to and a debut album scheduled for March 2014! Ok, Bitch Blues and Crowsaw.
The next track, by South Wales Cat Southall and her band Sal, was entered into the competition for the next James Bond film theme song. As it's one of the top four tracks, it might well become the next Bond song. If chosen, it’ll most probably be performed by a high profile singer like Lana Del Rey. It got by far the most public support of the four, and is the theme song for the book . . . If it does make it to the film, remember you heard it here first! Devil May Care by Cat Southall and Sal.
MTV calls US Carolyn Malachi “one of five R&B artists to obsess over” and her 2013 latest album titled Gold, has had some rave reviews. You could almost say it went Gold on release! You can hear it for free on Soundcloud or Spotify courtesy of Argo tea, along with an EP of hers as well on Spotify. The track is titled 'All Right' with Carolyn Malachi.
Swedish hardcore punk band 'Refused', as well as being vegans, also don't drink, smoke or take drugs. Not sure about their stance with women, but going by their music, they could do with some variety in their lives! However, their 1996 album "Songs to Fan the Flames of the Discontent" quickly sold out and got them some rave reviews, and like much of their work the lead track is a protest number, in this case against oppression. It's titled I'd Rather Be Dead, meaning than be oppressed, by the band Refused.
Treasure is the 1984 third album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was the band's first UK Top 40 album, and is one of the band's most critically successful releases, much to the band’s dismay, as they themselves don’t consider it one of their better albums! Be that as it may, it has some great tracks on it, so from the album here’s the track Amelia by the Cocteau Twins.
Raging Heart is a new classic rock band with in their words iconic riffs and melodic music, from Newport South Wales, UK. I was lucky enough to download their latest track while it was available but you can listen to some other tracks of theirs on ReverbNation and SoundCloud! The one I’ve got today is a really really great track, Black River with Raging Heart band.
Heaven & Hell were a super-group made up for touring consisting entirely of the members of Black Sabbath minus Ozzy Osbourne. That being so we might indeed think great things of them, and though their second album release, the 2010 recorded Live, Neon Nights: 30 Years of Heaven & Hell was the least successful of their three albums, only spending a week in the charts, it was posthumously released in tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio. It has some tremendous tunes, including the track Children Of The Sea by Heaven & Hell band.
"Limelight" is a hit song by Canadian progressive rock band Rush. It's on their 1981 album Moving Pictures and is one of Rush's most successful singles. . The song's lyrics for "Limelight" express Peart's discomfort with Rush's success and the resulting attention from the public. The song paraphrases the opening lines of the "All the world's a stage" speech from William Shakespeare's play As You Like It; the band having previously used the title for its 1976 live album. Ok, Limelight and it’s by Rush
Just once in a while I have as in have to play a big smash hit. Surprised me when I realised this next one is actually ten years since it smashed its way into the charts. It’s the fourth most popular song of the decade the 2000s too. And so it should be! It’s on her 2003 album Thank You and it’s Superstar with British R&B singer Jamelia.
Not too often having two different songs with the same title in one show! This one is in fact a most excellent cover of a Joni Mitchell number whereas the earlier one titled Amelia was an original. This one can be found on the year 2000 All-Star Tribute To Joni Mitchell album. This Joni Mitchell cover is an amazingly beautiful rendering, Amelia - Shawn Colvin & Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Well sometimes I’m in the Blues, and the next one is a classic blues rendering by none other than American blues artist Walter Trout, who has performed with some of the world’s top guitarists including John Mayall, Coco Montoya, and Joe Bonamassa, amongst others. And it’s on his 1995 tribute to Jeff Beck, Jeffology album. Really into the blues with Blues Deluxe and Walter Trout.
We’d all like to change things if we could. "I'd Love to Change the World" by British blues-rock band Ten Years After was written by Alvin Lee, and it's the lead single from the band's 1971 A Space in Time album. It’s the band's most famous and popular song, and their only US Top 40 hit, just peeking in at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100! With lyrics like "Tax the rich, feed the poor/ till there are no rich no more,” here’s I'd Love to Change the World by Ten Years After. Wouldn’t we all!
Can’t quite think why I haven’t had the next one on the show before, probably just that it’s so familiar to me. Melissa by Greg Allman in the Allman Brothers band was recorded in 1968, but not released until 1972 on their Eat A Peach album. It wasn’t however written for a woman named Melissa. Greg was in a check-out queue and heard a mother calling her young daughter and liked the name! Very much one of their sweeter offerings, with some extremely beautiful guitar work, Melissa and The Allman Brothers Band.
I had a quite sweet track musically last but one show ago by the Legendary Pink Dots; this week’s offering from them is something entirely different. They are a remarkably versatile band known to their fans warmly just as The Pink Dots who have 40 albums to their credit. Psychedelic Goth? This one is from their 2011 album The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse, which incidentally has fantastic cover artwork, and it’s called The Pleasure Palace with The Legendary Pink Dots.
And talking about Apocalypse, that’s the title of the next track I’m playing by South Wales UK metal band Mantikore. So look out for some blast beats, epic guitars and extreme vocals. They’ve a few tracks on Reverbnation and this one is also on the Save The Dapper album Metal For Dapper - Thursday Night Rocks available for purchase on BandCamp. Ok, Apocalypse and Mantikore band.
For some reason unnaccountable reason when I was younger, until I found out differently, I’d always incorrectly assumed Pink Floyd were American! Oops! "Comfortably Numb" by English rock band Pink Floyd, appears on their 1979 double album, The Wall. It was also released as a single in 1980 and while being written was titled the Doctor, which explains the mark-up to Comfortably Numb! The song is one of Pink Floyd's most famous, renowned especially for its quite remarkable guitar solos. Right then let’s get Comfortably Numb and it’s by Pink Floyd.
"I'm the Only One" is a US singer Melissa Etheridge song that appears on her 1993 Yes I Am album. The single itself was released in 1993 too, and hit number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts in January 1995. This being one of her biggest hits to date. The song despite its title considers non-monogamous relationships. I'm The Only One - Melissa Etheridge.
Graham Bonnet is an English rock vocalist and songwriter who has recorded and performed both as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands, including Rainbow, the Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri. From one of his solo albums, the 1981 Line Up album, here’s the evocative Night Games and Graham Bonnett.
What If... is the 2011and seventh full-length studio album by American rock band Mr. Big. It was the band's first album since their 2009 reunion, and their first album in 10 years since 2001's Actual Size and their first album with the original line-up featuring guitarist Paul Gilbert since 1996's Hey Man. The first single from the album, "Undertow", was released prior to the album in 2010 and features in a music video on a DVD version of the album. Let’s hope we don’t get dragged down or under, Undertow by Mr Big.
English heavy metal band Black Sabbath’s self titled 1970 debut album has some great art work and some really great tunes. It reached #8 in the UK album charts and is the first album ever to be labelled heavy metal, so starting this very particular genre of heavy rock music! And from the album, hope you’re not feeling too sleepy, here’s Behind The Wall Of Sleep of course by Black Sabbath!
Irish rockers Dirty Diamonds are due to announce dates for a lengthy tour in support of their debut album Let’s Get Loud out just this November. And while many Irish bands are not up to all that much in the rock scene, Dirty Diamond are well out and on their way to mighty deserved big-time! Let’s have the tremendous track Crash & Burn from the album by Dirty Diamond band!
There have been several bands called Bandit, but for today’s show here’s a track by a US heavy metal outfit from their four-star rated 1975 one and only album, self-titled Bandit. It really is an excellent album, a real steal LOL, shame they didn’t do more. I’ll certainly be playing more from the album! The track is Keep On Laughin' with US band Bandit!
Heaven in This Hell is the 2013, third studio album by Australian singer and guitarist Orianthi. Orianthi cites modern country and blues as the main inspirations for the album's sound style. Five of the songs of the album were already previously released in Orianthi's first EP Fire, released in 2011. A deluxe version with three extra tracks was released later in 2013. Here’s her title track Heaven In This Hell and . . . Orianthi !
To close today’s show, I’ve the song track "Whole Lotta Rosie" by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It’s a 1978 single from their 1977 album Let There Be Rock, a sentiment I really have to, have to agree with! Ok, let there be a whole lot of rock and here’s a Whole Lotta Rosie in more ways than one, by none other than AC/DC! Rock Show 66 Some rocks are diamonds, so I’ve some jewels of rock tracks this year, and rock also means to dance or sway strongly, so there’s rock to shake, shake shake and shake! And must remember the Jazz, Blues Country and R&B influences as well!
Concept albums are theme based, like a rock opera as it were, where all musical or lyrical ideas contribute to a single overall theme or unified story. This is unlike normal albums which have mostly unconnected songs, or collections for instance of love songs. So the themes need to be outside of music themes. Proper themed albums have been around since 1940 and Woody Guthroe's Dust Bowl Ballads. More famously we've had The Beatle's 1967 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the same year, The Moody Blues Days Of Future Passed (not pissed!). The first story-based concept album which we all know very well, is by The Who, their Tommy rock-opera album of 1969.
A bit of a wild card to start the show and 2014 off with, from a band renowned for their very high quality concept albums (though not, very surprisingly, listed in most rock encyclopaedias) and if you haven’t heard their 1987 Abigail album, I have to ask, and why not? Anyway, Abigail is desperately evil and she must not be reborn! The band is King Diamond and it’s a real quality album, dark in places, but musically stupendous! And the track is A Mansion In Darkness by King Diamond. And do give the album a listen or another listen! One of the very best concept albums out there!
Next we go to one by American Stoner Rock band Red Fang, who formed up in 2009, from their 2011 album 'Murder The Mountains'. Red Fang were one of the opening band’s for Mastodon’s 2011 and 2012 USA and Europe tours and performed in Australia as sideshows with legendary stoner rock bands Kyuss Lives and Orange Goblin in 2013. Ok, cleaning up after 2013 here’s Dirt Wizard and Red Fang band.
Well I said we’d go a bit wild in 2014, and the song Helter Skelter written by Paul McCartney, has had a considerable number of cover versions released. One of the best is by a band Vow Wow, who started off as Bow Wow in Japan and moved renamed to the UK in 1987. No doubt Bow Wow didn’t mean dog in Japan! Better than this, they named their 1989 album after this track and, . . . is Helter Skelter a belter, you bet it is, and it’s by Vow Wow, . . . Wow Wow!
"Rainbow in the Dark" is a song by heavy metal band Dio, found on their 1983 album, Holy Diver. Orianthi Panagaris known as Orianthi, is the Australian musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for being Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for his ill-fated 'This Is It' concert series, and as the lead guitarist in Alice Cooper's live band. She's made three solo albums, but she recorded Rainbow In The Dark with "American Idol" finalist James Durbin at a live 2012 concert. Rainbow In The Dark Orianthi ft James Durbin.
Sometimes bands lose out big-time when for instance as with this one their album title has already been ‘usurped’ by a major film. So it is with USA Colorado hard rock band Seven Days Lost and their 2013 album Good Day To Die. It might work with some initial publicity, but then Google searches get totally wiped out, Hard! And they might well have named the track for today from a major hard rock compilation album from 1999 titled End Of Days. The lyrics are abrasive, death metal style, but the music is absolutely mind-blowing. Ok End of Days with Seven Days Lost band.
Much as some of us might like, we can’t go through a tea-time rock show with only heavy metal, so time to lighten up a bit, having had a wild fling heavy metal-wise! And yes, I’ve got plenty more hard rocks during the show! You mightn’t think this is lighter, from the 2011 compilation album title, A Gothic Tribute to Cocteau Twins nor the duo artists title Faith & Disease, until I say they are a Seattle based ethereal wave music project formed in 1991. Ok the track is a trance ambient number Amelia by duo Faith And Disease.
Next we’ve a track by a chap Boxcar Willie who you might think made it out of the 1930s, but in fact his "old-time hobo" music style, complete with dirty face, overalls, and a floppy hat is right out of the latter part of the 20th Century. The song itself is a bit earlier, a 1963 American song written by Earl Green and Carl Montgomery, made famous by country music singer Dave Dudley. Six Days on the Road here also from 1991 by Boxcar Willie from his album with the same title.
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a Bob Dylan song from his 1965 Bringing It All Back Home album. English rock vocalist and songwriter Graham Bonnet covered it in 1977 as a single and on his self-titled album of the same year. Bonnet has himself been a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, the Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri. Let’s have It's All Over Now Baby Blue here with Graham Bonnet.
There’ve been three bands called Bandit, one from the UK, one from Australia, and the best of the three from Pacific Northwest USA, whose self-tiled 1975 album is a really most excellent album. Here from the album is USA’s band Bandit and the track Rocky Road.
Ok, rather a long intro on the next one, before it really kicks off, beautiful melody when it does! It’s another one off the 2011 compilation album, A Gothic Tribute to Cocteau Twins. Ok, Treasure Hiding with Oneiroid Psychosis an American darkwave musical duo consisting of brothers Lars and Leif Hansen & FT Kristy Venrick.
Amelia Earhart was a pioneering female aviator who was the first female aviator to fly solo, in 1928, across the Atlantic. She unfortunately disappeared in 1937 over the Central Pacific Ocean while in flight trying to circumnavigate the globe. Bachman Turner Overdrive pay a moving tribute to her in a song from their 1979 Rock n' Roll Nights album. Amelia Earhart and Bachman Turner Overdrive.
Fast Lane Addiction is American blues-rock guitarist/singer Shannon Curfman's second full-length, 2007 album. She came to prominence in 1999, at the age of 14, with the release of her first album, Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions, which she recorded astonishingly a year earlier. Early in 2010 she joined Kid Rock's band the Twisted Brown Truckers as a singer/guitarist. She is currently on a world-wide tour with them as a permanent member of Kid Rock. Here then the title track Fast Lane Addiction by Shannon Curfman and boy does she rock!
Next one is well reminiscent of David Bowie, at least in its vocal style. Fun Boy Three were a short-lived but successful English New Wave pop band, active from 1981 to 1983. They got two albums out that did well in the UK top 20 albums chart, and the track I’m playing from their 1983 second album entitled Waiting just made it into the UK top ten as their second most successful single. You might remember them best for their #4 UK hit with Bananarama "It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" Ok it's Tunnel of Love and Fun Boy Three.
Ok, a more eclectic psychedelic one next by The Legendary Pink Dots from their 1990 album Crushed Velvet Apocalypse with lyrics like “ weeping like the ghost of winter, we watch our tears kiss ash and turn to steam” Probably only have time for some of this as it’s a slightly longer track. Nice Track! Just a Lifetime Legendary Pink Dots.
I’ve thrown the next one in to lighten things up a bit and because I like it! "See It in a Boy's Eyes" was the fourth single from British R&B singer Jamelia's second and 2004 album, Thank You, becoming her third in a row top five hit in the UK. The music video was shot in Cuba featuring Jamelia 'in the army' acting as one of the soldiers. OK, See It In A Boy's Eyes with Jamelia.
The next one seems to struggle for a bar or two with the lead guitar intro, then suddenly the whole band join in, and it really, as in really rocks! American rock band Eagles of Death Metal's 2008 and third album is titled Heart On. The band's lead singer describes the album as 'the latest fabulous weapon, a top-secret music missile, a sonic warhead'; which comment continues though in a manner not suitable for a tea-time show! It’s by Eagles of Death Metal going for Cheap Thrills in a big way.
I don’t often play folk-rock, but this one with more than a touch of Goth is well too good to give it a miss. The two members of Demons & Wizards band are from the bands Blind Guardian and Iced Earth and they’ve so far made two albums, one being a self-named year 2000 album. From this album here’s Fiddler On The Green by Demons & Wizards.
Some storming rock next. One to really make us smile! All too brief, but what a fling! Vintage Trouble,a multi-racial American blues rock band has made one album so far the 2012 The Bomb Shelter Sessions. The limited edition with bonus tracks has as one of its tracks the very upbeat Love With Me (Recorded Live at Harvelle's Blues Club) throwing R & B and Rock ‘n Roll right in together. It’s Love With Me and Vintage Trouble!
Royal Hunt is a prog metal band based in Denmark, founded in 1989. They made a huge success during the mid-90s their classic albums Moving Target and Paradox mainly in Japan and Europe and they’ve made a string of albums, 12 in fact. From Their 2005 Paper Blood album, here’s Seven Days by Royal Hunt band.
Ok, sometimes cover versions are every bit as good, in fact sometimes better than the original songs. Here’s one to prove the point! In 1982, US heavy metal band Americade recorded a remake of Grand Funk's 1973 classic, "We're An American Band" for their debut album American Metal. The song became a favourite closer for their sold-out shows. OK We're An American Band (Grand Funk Railroad Cover) with Americade.
Next a complete wild-card from the rock point of view, but it’s got a good beat and a melody to absolutely die for. If we all don’t swoon our way through it, it’s a 1994 Grammy Award-winning song/single by Melissa Etheridge from her 1993 album Yes I Am. Titled Come To My Window and Melissa Etheridge. Absolutely gorgeous song!
Another female vocalist with a tremendous voice is Carolyn Malachi. And the song is about education. Released last year as a single and also found on her 2013 Gold album, an album you could listen to all day long, I’ve Free Your Mind and it’s by Carolyn Malachi.
The next one is a particular derivative of BJH ‘John Lees' Barclay James Harvest’ pertinent from 1998 on. There’s also the incarnation ‘Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd’ from 2002, and both bands are very popular, with sell-out shows worldwide. And the track is from JL:BJH’s 2002 Nexus album. Sitting Upon A Shelf with John Lee’s Barclay James Harvest.
British heavy metal band Black Sabbath released the song N.I.B. originally on their self-named 1970 debut album. "The song is about the devil falling in love and totally changing, becoming a good person." Well, . . as if! I’ve a 2010 Live version N.I.B. (Live) by Black Sabbath
I’m closing today’s show with the title track from Young, Wild and Free the 1986 first full length album by Canadian glam metal band, Brighton Rock, who did three albums during the 80s and 90s, before splitting up and then re-uniting for a 2002 Live album . They released two Canadian hit singles from their first album, surprisingly not this track, Young, Wild And Free and it’s by Brighton Rock.
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