Rock Show (link) Track and Show Commentaries Commentary Index Shows 10 - 12 Rock Show 10 I’m starting off with Nena ,a German singer wth her own band. 99 Red Balloons was written as a protest song, the letting go of the 99 red balloons, supposedly being picked up on American and Russian radar, putting both sides on ‘red alert’. The 99 red balloons represent dreams released and at the end of the song one red balloon is found, a dream realised and come true. 99 Red Balloons was a one-hit wonder outside of Germany and featured on the soundtrack of "Not Another Teen Movie" as well as for a few seconds in the film "The Wedding Singer" being listened to by Drew Barrymore. It's a really great song with a lot of bounce and bubble to it, and its from the 1984 album 99 Luftballoons. So let's rock, and kick off with 99 Red Balloons by Nena. Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York in 1973 who are renowned for their elaborate and flamboyant live concerts. Crazy Crazy Nights is a great track from their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. So let’s have a listen to Crazy Crazy Nights and it’s by Kiss. Stiltskin is a Scottish post-grunge/rock band, who first achieved widespread popularity in the mid 1990s. Inside is the first single from their first studio album, The Mind's Eye briefly reaching the number one spot. OK we’re having Stiltskin and the track, titled Inside . INXS are an Australian rock outfit and - Miss Shapiro - You Really Got Me is a song they like to play live at gigs. You can find it on one of their lesser albums, a compilation album of theirs 1979-1982 called Stay Young but it certainly isn’t one of their lesser tracks! Moving along with INXS and Miss Shapiro - You Really Got Me. The Rolling Stones don’t need much in the way of an introduction. Start Me Up is from their 1981 album Tattoo You and is often the lead song at their concerts. It took a large number of cuts to record to their satisfaction, earlier versions having a reggae feel about them. So, The Rolling Stones and. Start Me Up . Vroom, vroom! Blink 182 are an English power pop/new wave group . They recorded a cover of Another Girl Another Planet in 2004 for a tv show, with it later appearing on their Greatest Hits album. Right we’re gonna have Blink 182 with Another Girl Another Planet . ZZ Top is an American rock band who started off as a Blues outfit, and are one of the few bands to survive for over 42 years with the same band members. "Gimme All Your Lovin'" is a song from their 1983 album Eliminator and it was released as the album's first single in 1983. Ok and it’s Gimme All Your Lovin' from ZZ Top. Shy are a British metal band formed in 1980 under the name 'Trojan', hailing from Birmingham, England. It's Only Rock 'n' Roll was released as a single by them in 1994, also appearing on their Welcome To The Madhouse album also 1994. How about . It's Only Rock 'n' Roll by Shy. Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock musician and a mighty fine guitarist at that! Miss You, Hate You is a track from his debut 2000 album A New Day Yesterday. Ok, let’s go for it with Miss You, Hate You and Joe Bonamassa. Next, I’ve another one from the American country turned rock band Perfect Stranger. Unwelcome Guest is on their 2010 album Shake the World, very nice track it is too. Perfect Stranger with Unwelcome Guest. Lenny Kravitz is a very talented all-round American singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Are You Gonna Go My Way is a single from his 1993 album of the same name. It’s on then with Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz. The Groundhogs have released around about 25, mainly rock, albums, albeit with quite a good few repeated songs. I Love You Miss Ogyny is a somewhat strange offering, from their 1972 blues-rock album Hogwash but it’s worth a listen to, for it’s unusual-ness! Right, on with I Love You Miss Ogyny and it’s by The Groundhogs. Junior, iTod & J.J Feat MissuM do DJ remixes, and one such 2010 remix of theirs is I Can Lead Your Mind. It’s digital download, that I happened upon and like! And let’s have I Can Lead Your Mind remix by Junior, iTod & J.J Feat MissuM. Not much to say about the next one, except a big huge smash hit by U2 from the 1984 album of theirs, The Unforgettable Fire which is less well known yhan when released as the extremely well-known and really most excellent single Pride (In The Name Of Love) and it's U2. Craig David is a very successful and well-liked English singer songwriter with 5 albums to his gredit already. You Don’t Miss Your Water full title You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til the Well Runs Dry) is a track from his 2002 album Slicker Than Your Average. It didn’t do wonderfully in the charts as a single, simply because by the time it was released, the album had gone double Platinum in sales! It is actually seriously a very cool track! Let’s have a listen to You Dont Miss Your Water with Craig David. Paul Weller Blink And You'll Miss It is a great rock track and it was released on his As Is Now EP in 2005, as well as appearing in the same-named album. Right gonna play Blink And You'll Miss It by Paul Weller. Another track I can’t say much about, except it’s a smash single from the 1993 album Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. It’s extremely popular and well known by the inimitable American hard rock musician (Michael Lee Aday known of course by his stage name) Meat Loaf and is I'd Do Anything For Love ( But I Won't Do That). On with Meat Loaf. UB40 is a British Reggae band who do a lot of cover versions.. And the track I’ve got for you is one such called, Just Another Girl from their 1989 covers album Labour of Love II. So, here we are UB40 with Just Another Girl . Well, I’m going to scarcely introduce the next one with very good reason! It’s from the 1971 Every Picture Tells a Story album by Rod Stewart and it’s a cover of the Tim Hardin song Reason To Believe. Let’s have the really great number Reason To Believe sung by no less a person than Rod Stewart! Another cover version, this time of 13th Floor Elevator’s You're Gonna Miss Me is from Radio Birdman’s 1977 album Radios Appear. Radio Birdman was one of Australia’s first punk bands started up in 1974. Let’s move along to You're Gonna Miss Me and this time by Radio Birdman. Ok, gonna continue with more from one of rock’s truly greats, Led Zeppelin. And Candy Store Rock is from their 1976 album Presence. Great blues-rock number Led Zeppelin with Candy Store Rock . Tupac Amaru Shakur known by his stage names 2Pac, Pac, and Makaveli, was an American rapper singer. Shakur sold over 75 million albums worldwide by 2007, making him one of the world’s best-selling music artists. Sadly he was attacked, shot and killed in Las Vegas in 1996. As a tribute, and also because it’s a great cover version of the very well known Police song, I’m playing I'll Be Missing You, for you, by Biggie Smalls ft 2Pac. One more that doesn’t need a great deal of introducing is the Mad World version by Michael Andrews ft. Gary Jules, covered by them for the soundtrack to the movie Donnie Darko in 2001 and of course a huge international hit. Let’s relax to Mad World performed by Michael Andrews ft. Gary Jules. I’ve a really lovely soft rock song as the penultimate track today. Stay (I Missed You) is a very successful; debut single by American singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb , which became her breakthrough song in 1994, and topped the charts for her, as a first by an un-signed artist. It was included on the Reality Bites soundtrack, as well as her debut album,Tails. Really beautiful song Stay (I Missed You)written and sung by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories. I’m closing for today with a country rock ballad, and it’s by the American country singer Trace Adkins. It’s called You're Gonna Miss This, from his 2007 album American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II and is his third number one hit states-side. Tremendous country ballad,You're Gonna Miss This by none other than Trace Adkins.
Rock Show 11 I haven’t a theme as such but you will find some of today’s tracks on the jazzy or funky side! Wishbone Ash formed up in Torquay here in the UK, in 1969 and achieved success in the early to mid 1970s. Ancient Remedy is a track with a bit of an Egyptian flavour, from their excellent 2002 studio album Bona Fida . OK, Here’s Ancient Remedy and Wishbone Ash Dave Allan Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with the Eurythmics. Dave A Stewart only scored a minor UK hit with this 1994 solo CD single, Heart Of Stone but it’s actually a great track. Also on his 1994 album Greetings from the Gutter. We’ll have a play of Heart Of Stone by Dave A Stewart. Bryan Adams is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter musician of well-repute! In fact he’s great! Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya? is the title track from his 1991 album Waking Up the Neighbours Let’s have Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya? with Bryan Adams. Pink Cream 69 also known as The Pinkies is a German hard rock band founded in 1987, what's more with two British members. One Step Into Paradise is from the self-named 1989 album by Pink Cream '69 and it was also released as an extended single. One Step Into Paradise, Pink Cream 69. Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye has hit the top spot on the Billboard top 100 with Somebody That I Used To Know. This is exceptional. Firstly there are now two alternative hits of his back-to-back at the top spot for the first time, and secondly, Goyte’s video went wild on YouTube with over 170 million views before hitting the charts. The 2012 number Somebody That I Used To Know and Goyte. The Only Ones are an English rock band who played initially in the late 1970s as a punk rock band straddling punk, power pop , hard rock, and psychedelic styles. The band reformed in 2007 after their biggest hit Another Girl, Another Planet was used in a 2006 ad campaign by Vodafone, and used as the intro for Irish DJ Dave Fanning's radio show . We’ll have a listen to Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones. A bit different from Blink 182’s cover version? Elvis Costello is a very successful English singer songwriter from the 1970s onwards with over 30 albums released to date. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over) is a great track from his 1991 Mighty Like A Rose album. OK, Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over) and Elvis Costello. Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group formed in 1967 that was prominent in the late 60s. Jaded Strumpet is from their 1971 album For Ladies Only and it’s a great track. Right, let’s rock with Jaded Strumpet and Steppenwolf. Most of us haven't heard of songwriter Kenny Butterill but word has started to get out that as a singer/musician he puts out some seriously very cool music. I’ve an even better one of his next week! For Now, I’ve a track from his first album No One You Know called Our Liberty and if it sounds a little bit country - he does live in the outback somewhere in California, actually in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains, but next week’s number by him is a straight rock track. So moving on to Our Liberty and it’s by Kenny Butterill, from his 2001 No One You Know album. Time next for one by Status Quo who’ve literally done as much as anyone to get the whole, whole nation rocking here in the UK! This is quite a mellow number from them, and melodic too! The track The Power Of Rock is from their 1989, 19th album Perfect Remedy which was also rereleased in 2006, with some extra tracks. Right off we go with The Power Of Rock with Status Quo Patti Loveless is a mainly country artist, so we’ll have one of her songs next. Since she came onto the country music scene in late 1986 with her first (self-titled) album, she has been one of the most popular US female country singers. Chains is taken from her 1988 Honky Tonk Angel album and was released as a single in 1989, becoming her second out of five US number one hits. Let’s listen to Chains with the great Patti Loveless singing. Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician with a career spanning more than four decades. His band is named after himself. He hit the bigtime in 1973 with his Billion Dollar Babies album and I’m playing you one from this album, called I Miss You - Billion Dollar Babies . We’ll have right next then , Alice Cooper (band) and I Miss You - Billion Dollar Babies. Ok next is a brilliant song by Journey, and it’s one of the highlights of today’s show. Like A Sunshower is a fantastic track and it’s from their 2008 album Revelation . The really, really great number Like A Sunshower by Journey. And it like a sunshower, sunshine after rain! It took more than a fair bit of sorting out, to find out about the next track, as it was on a rock compilation album with the track labelled as Rain with no artist listed! As it happens, it’s by the brilliant British singer musician Ian Hunter, who you might well have heard of as the lead singer and frontman for Mott The Hoople for part of their career, before he went solo. This is a fab track and the best mix of it I’ve found. Versions can be found on his 1981 album Short Back ‘n’ Sides and as a remastered re-release with bonus tracks in 1995, though I haven’t located the source of the mix I’m playing except on the rock compilation album by various artists! Let’s go for it with Rain - by the incredible Ian Hunter. Amy Studt that’s S t u d t is an English singer, songwriter and musician. She grew up in a musical family and recorded her first demo when she was just 14, which eventually got her signed up to Polydor. Under The Thumb is the third hit single of hers from her 2003 debut album False Smiles. Let’s have her song Under The Thumb , with the delectable Amy Studt - and it’s a very nice one too. The Plastic Cloud is the only album recorded by Canadian Psychedelic band The Plastic Cloud. Aberdare hasn’t done at all badly for a small town with over 30 rock bands, and the band started by Stuart Cable, Killing For Company is now right at the forefront of the UK alternative scene. In fact I’ve a track of theirs lined up for two shows down the road. The Stereophonics don’t need much introduction, especially here in Pen-y-waun, being just round the corner as it were from Cwmaman where they started out, and where at least one of the band ‘s members still lives, when they are not on tour! This one’s from their 2003 album You Gotta Go There to Come Back and the 2004 film Wicker Park’s soundtrack. OK, The Stereophonics with I Miss You Now . Leonard Cohen is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist of Jewish descent. Deeply moved by encounters with Israeli and Arab soldiers while out there entertaining troops, he left the Sinai Desert to write the song Lover Lover Lover. It’s personal renunciation of armed conflict, and ends with the hope the song will serve listeners powerfully as “a shield against the enemy”. It’s from his 1974 album New Skin For The Old Ceremony . So we shall please have Lover Lover Lover written and sung by Leonard Cohen. Soundgarden are an American grunge band formed in 1984. They are much smarter intellectually than their peers and instead of just extolling booze, women, and cars, they can also be stylishly bombastic, as in the next number. They are also excellent at tuneless heavy metal, though I find their track quite tuneful in places, or am I a bit tone-deaf maybe?! It’s from their 1981 album Badmotorfinger (all one word!) and called Slaves & Bulldozers. How about Slaves & Bulldozers by Soundgarden. Ok the next one is quite a bit more tuneful, and I think a lot of us think this sentiment, only too often! When Travis started to perform this song at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival, after being sunny for several hours, it began, amazingly, to rain exactly when the first line was sung. This should give you a clue as to what the track is, and if you haven’t already guessed it’s Why Does It Always Rain On Me by the Scottish band Travis, released as a huge hit single from their album, The Man Who. So hoping it isn’t raining too much outside, or on me! Why Does It Always Rain On Me by Travis. The next song coming up, Harlem Shuffle is an R&B song written and originally recorded by duo Bob & Earl in 1963, but I’m playing a cover version by The Rolling Stones from their 1986 album Dirty Work . Gonna play Harlem Shuffle by The incomparable Rolling Stones. I’ve another soft rock number with distinct psychedelic overtones. It’s I'm Set Free and it’s by the American rock band The Velvet Underground, active in the 60’s and early 70’s, and re-uniting in the 90’s,and 2000’s. I'm Set Free is from their 1969 self-titled album The Velvet Underground. So, here we are I'm Set Free The Velvet Underground. The next track is a really lovely soft rock number Miracle by the country now turned Southern rock band Perfect Stranger from their 2001 album entitled The Hits. I could do with a few miracles, as could we all. Anyway, praying for a miracle here’s Perfect Stranger with the very beautiful song Miracle. Coming up right now, Sledgehammer" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album entitled ‘So’. It has a strong Motown style, with a good touch of Reggae. About to have Peter Gabriel with the track Sledgehammer . I’m closing the show today with Do The Strand by Roxy Music. Roxy Music are a British glam and art rock group. The track is from their second album, For Your Pleasure and it was released in 1973. So, for your real listening pleasure, Do The Strand by Roxy Music. Rock Show 12 The first track today is “I Left A Woman Waiting” by Leonard Cohen. Well I didn’t actually leave any women waiting, it’s usually the other way round! It’s a very melodic soft rock number from his 1977 album Death of a Ladies' Man, to soothe us a bit after the first track, - though I’m sure anyone listening in America at least will have enjoyed the first track! So let’s get right on with I Left A Woman Waiting and it’s Leonard Cohen. After the first one, I’d better have some proper rock music! No worries there, here’s a great, real as in real, rock number! Civil Twilight are a three piece rock outfit from South Africa. Letters From The Sky is from their debut and self-titled album of 2010 Civil Twilight. Let’s Rock to Civil Twilight and Letters From The Sky . Starts off quietly then really gets going! On with the Rock! 4LYN (spelt - number 4 capital L capital Y capital N) is a rap metal band from Hamburg in Germany formed in 1995 while they were in High school. Nostalgia is a very good track from their 2008 album called Hello. So we’ve some Nostalgia and it’s by 4LYN (Fallin). I’ve played a few tracks now by the Southern, previously Country, Southern rock band Perfect Stranger. The Comeback is a great heavy rock number with a bit of Southern flavour, again from their 2010 album Shake The World. Coming up right now then, Perfect Stranger with The Comeback Next on I have a track by Nazareth. Nazareth are probably best known for their 1975 cover of Love Hurts. They are a Scottish hard rock band formed in 1968 with several hits during the early 1970s. Bad, Bad Boy, the track I am playing is from their first LP to enter the charts called Razamanaz (perhaps a word play on razzmatazz)? So for all you bad, bad boys and girls out there, here’s Nazareth playing Bad, Bad, Boy. Earth, Wind & Fire is an American black band that has created soul, jazz, R&B, funk, and rock songs. They are in fact one of the most successful and critically acclaimed bands of the twentieth century. The track I’ve chosen is called In the Name of Love, but is a completely different song and totally different tune than the U2 song. It’s taken from, and is the title track from their same-named album of 1997, subsequently re-released in 2006 with two bonus tracks. It’s a Reggae song with a Motown flavour. Here we go with Earth, Wind & Fire and their very own song In The Name Of Love. I’ve a really “rocking and rousing" song next by the American country singer Toby Keith. He may not be anywhere near the best country singer, but his album’s do contain some first rate tracks! This song is called Loaded and it’s from his excellent 2009 album American Ride. On then with Loaded and Toby Keith. ‘Man’ are a Welsh Rock band based in Swansea. They evolved out of The Bystanders, a successful close harmony pop group from Merthyr who played numerous club dos around Wales. Their style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelic, progressive rock, blues and Southern rock, and they are renowned for lengthy jam playing, often up to 25 minutes for just one rock track. They’ve had many line-up changes over the years and became very popular in Wales during the 1970s. Rainbow Eyes is a gentler track than normal for ‘Man’ band. It’s from their 1974 album Slow Motion. Let’s have a listen to Man and the lovely track Rainbow Eyes. And Man they are good! Could almost be The Beatles, that one! Can’t go far without including another big hit by The Rolling Stones, and it is a big smash hit. The Last Time was The Rolling Stones' first British single written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It was released in 1965 and was the band's third UK single to reach #1, which spent four weeks at the top of the UK charts. You can also find it on their 1965 Out Of Our Heads album. So, let’s have The Last Time by the fantastic Rolling Stones. Kenny Butterill is a mega-star in the making and he’s had airplay on over 120 radio stations worldwide. Breaking The Glass Ceiling is a very nice rock track indeed from his 1999 album No One You Know. Right, gonna play KennyButterill Breaking The Glass Ceiling . The Beastie Boys are an American hip hop group from New York, who formed up in 1981, though they’ve sadly recently lost one of their members. Intergalactic is a Grammy-winning hip hop song of theirs, released as a single from their 1998 album Hello Nasty. So we’ll go Intergalactic with The Beastie Boys. Hope it’s a smooth ride! Time now for one by The Richard Thompson Band. Richard Thompson is a British songwriter, guitarist, recording and performing musician. He is very highly regarded for both his guitar playing and song-writing. Missie How You Let Me Down is a track from his live 2003 album Ducknapped. Ok, it’s The Richard Thompson Band and Missie How You Let Me Down . Soundgarden is an American grunge band formed in 1984. They helped popularize "grunge" in the early 1990s alongside their Seattle contemporaries Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam. Rusty Cage is a great track of theirs released in 1992 as a single from their 1991 album, Badmotorfinger. The song was an instant hit and was released in several different formats. It is included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides and the 2010 compilation album Telephantasm. How aboutRusty Cage by Soundgarden. Mott The Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots who were very successful in the 1970s, producing a large amount of new material for a considerable number of quite closely spaced together albums. They also did some very great rock tracks. Here’s one I really like with a touch of the Southern blues. Wrong Side Of The River is a track from their 1971 album Wildlife, which said album didn’t do too well on it’s release; a shame, as it has some really great tracks on it. But Mott The Hoople went on to find fame the following year with the David Bowie written song All The Young Dudes. Next on we’ll have Mott The Hoople and the very hauntingly beautiful and very lovely track the Wrong Side Of The River . Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch. Change For The Better can be found on their 2008 album entitled Revelation. The album art on the Cd is amazing! Very nice track it is too, and it’s Journey with Change For The Better. UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978. They’ve had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and deservedly achieved considerable international success. I've Been Missing You is a very pleasant Reggae track from their 1997 album Guns In The Ghetto and it has a strong Jamaican flavour. Have a relax to I've Been Missing You by UB40. The John Dummer Band was a British blues band, of the 1960s and 70s who also played with some major blues artists of the time such as Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker on UK tours . Money & Fame is a lively fun track from the self-titled John Dummer Blues Band album of 1969, released as a CD entitled just John Dummer Band in 2003. Ok, we’ll have Money & Fame by the John Dummer Blues Band. I’ve another very pleasant track coming up next. The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area known for its unique and eclectic style, fusing elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for long musical improvisation in their live performances. It is said their music touches on ground other bands don’t know exists! The song Scarlet Begonias first appears on the 1974 release Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel. It’s another very lovely track this time by Grateful Dead and it’s called Scarlet Begonias! Well we’re here for some rock music and this one won’t disappoint. The Sweet were a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s on the back of their pop and glam rock numbers. Give Us a Wink is an album released by them in 1976, concentrating on the hard rock their B-sides were known for, alongside their more pop-orientated A-sides. In fact it came as something of a surprise to find they did some real hard rock alongside the more pop numbers, my mostly having heard just their A-sides. In fact they were very much a hard rock band who also as it happens made a huge commercial success out of softer rock. Yesterday's Rain is such a hard rock track from their Give Us a Wink album and I hope we’ll enjoy this one. So here we go with Yesterday's Rain performed by The Sweet. I don’t play many instrumentals, but here’s a good one. "Hocus Pocus" is a 1971 instrumental albeit with some mostly non-verbal vocal work, from the album Focus II (aka Moving Waves), the second album by Dutch rock group Focus. Next then, Focus with Hocus Pocus. Carrie Underwood is an American country singer, songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of the TV talent show American Idol, in 2005. Last Name is a very groovy and catchy hard Country rock number is a million seller single from her 2008 album, Carnival Ride. Let’s get in the groove with Last Name by the delightful and very delectable Carrie Marie Underwood. The next track is a great recent track I just happened upon, entirely by chance, as it were! Very Good fortune to find it anyway! DJ Serveny is a dub re-mixer and My Life is a song by Swedish music duo JJ that has been so remixed. It’s a great remix so let’s have a listen to JJ ‘s My Life (Dubstep DJ Serveny Remix) Canned Heat is an American blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in LA in 1965. Stone Bad Street Fighting Man is a great track from their 1982 album Kings Of The Boogie. Could almost be by The Rolling Stones! Let’s enjoy Stone Bad Street Fighting Man by Canned Heat. I’m closing today’s show with a track by The Cult. The Cult are a British rock band formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid-1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking into mainstream rock in the United States in the late 1980s, as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love Removal Machine" and "Fire Woman". The Cult’s Fire Woman is a tremendous single from their 1989 album Sonic Temple. Ok, Fire Woman and The Cult.
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