Feb 172013
Tomorrow’s NBA All-Star Game marks the 30th anniversary of Marvin Gaye‘s spine-tingling take on our national anthem. Here’s a great little piece on that performance (and a 1968 version by Jose Feliciano) from Grantland. Enjoy.
In the spirit of the No-D NBA All-Star Game, feel free to use this space to get your jam on—and check out Gaye’s earlier takes on “The Star-Spangled Banner”…after the jump!
1979
1974
1968
I’m moving this recently posted note from Bobby Bittman to the newest All-Star Jam: Shadow Morton is dead.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/16/arts/music/shadow-morton-songwriter-and-producer-dies-at-71.html?ref=obituaries
For some reason this reminded me to FINALLY see if I could find Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising on YouTube. I’d never seen a lick of a Kenneth Anger film, as far as I could remember, but Andyr and I had a teacher/mentor back in our high school (and before then lower school) days who must have told me a hundred times how much he loved that film and how much we would like it. Well, I can see why he recommended it all those years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NClSa-Z3kzs
I did not know the full story of how “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” came about. That’s incredible.
Do tell!
I refer you to the Shadow Morton obit linked above. I suppose the story might be a little exaggerated for dramatic purposes (like his early songs)…
Another RIP. In the photo, he looks a bit like Rhett Miller to me.
Tandyn Almer, enigmatic composer of ‘Along Comes Mary,’ dies at 70
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2013/02/16/76d3ebba-5f44-11e2-a389-ee565c81c565_story_2.html
Greetings from London, RTH. I’m here visiting family. I wish I’d gotten it together to do a post in the manner of HVB’s travelogue of musical sites around London (from a few years before) but that hasn’t happened. What I can say is that I’ve been surprised by the lack of music around me. I’ve been staying in Clerkenwell, which seems a pretty hip, non touristy part of the city, but the musical presence appears to be mostly classic jazz vocalists every restaurant and wine bar we go. And mostly Americn ones. I was happy to stop in at The Crown for a pint and finally heard some different sorts of music, which I would categorize as Classic British Invasion, waves 1-3: Bowie, Portishead, Verve, Specials.
I’m headed to the Midlands next to visit more family; perhaps the pubs and cafs will offer a greater array of music. My family is near Nottingham and I recall the Uni there used to have a good student radio station.
Cheers, LMKR
RIP Shadow Morton. Shagrilas one of the many girl groups of the erly sixties. You know, the Chiffons, The Crystals, the Saphires, the group I think that started it all, the Chantels from 57. BTW I think the Shangrilas did a really neat version of the Isley’s brothers “Shout” I remember when Janis Ian appeared back in the day at the Appell Farm, Elmer NJ.
I saw a couple of headlines about a country singer named Mindy McCready dying in some horrible way. I kept wondering if that was the woman I’d first heard about during Roger Clemens’ steroid allegations. I finally read a story about her suicide. There was no mention of Clemens, but no wonder. Her final months on this earth seemed to far surpass the weirdness and sadness that was we may gather was part of her time spent as Clemens’ “family friend.” Sad.
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/roger-clemens-presents-family-friend-min
It also happens to be London Fashion Week here. This just in in today’s Guardian:
“The breakout trend at London Fashion Week? The 90’s – at least as far as the shows’ soundtracks were concerned.” These included Nirvana, a cover of Blur’s “Boys and Girls,” Saint Etienne, Suzanne Vega, Beats International, and The Stone Roses.
Mod, I predict that 90’s fashion trends and music will be hitting our shops in about a year or so. Just when you thougth it was safe to move on from your hated 80’s, there is indeed a dawning of a new era.
Funny, just yesterday my 11 year old asked me why he keeps hearing about the ’90s. It’s the dawning of a new retro era!
Kevin Ayers is rarely mentioned in the Hall, probably only by me. I had him on one of my Hear Factor comps (the theme was eccentric Brits I like). Well he has passed on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/feb/20/kevin-ayers-dies-aged-68
That’s too bad. That was a good comp, Al. I’ve got about a dozen Ayers songs compiled on CDs and my hard drive, but I never bought a full album. I like most of the songs I bought.
I’ve really only heard him on Soft Machine’s debut, but that’s enough for me to give his solo stuff a listen. Thanx for heads-up, even if’n it’s a sad one.