Pat Blythe – The Women of Rock Redux Part 4 – The Queen of Rock……and music

During the Rock era, there were many women who attempted to build a life in the music business. Few actually survived. Those who did…..faith, determination and a boatload of talent got them through. They were not without their struggles, putdowns and letdowns (both personal and professional). With international sold out performances and millions of albums sold worldwide, these ladies who did survive were front and centre….unforgettable, never taking no for an answer, believing in themselves and not putting up with the shit. If they didn’t tell you how they felt to your face, they told you through their music and performances.

Even though these “Women of Rock” columns are part of a former series, further updates and research have expanded them. I’m not much for leaving stones unturned. Next week, Ann and Nancy Wilson get their update and their column. This week, may I present the undisputed Queen of Rock….a force to be reckoned with!

GARY PIG GOLD with TEN YOU MAY HAVE MISSED In 2018

Lindsey Buckingham got kicked out of Fleetwood Mac (again), The Monkees made their first-ever Christmas album (!), and I am still waiting for that big Turtles Battle of the Bands Commemorative Special Anniversary Collectors Edition. In the meantime though, I remained happily pigging along beneath headphones to (in strictly Alphabetical order)…

Peter Posts Prodigious (Moving) Pictures….

Last week’s column was the first of several on my olde office, for after all, when one works for nearly 20 years in the same place, it’s more like a marriage than a fling!

Pat Blythe – Meanings & Stories Behind the Songs – Part One

Jeez…..there’s nothing more challenging than following the venerable Mr. Vickers. The wizard of words, the lord of linguistics, the man who requires most of us to have a dictionary, any dictionary, in extremely close proximity, preferably at one’s fingertips (or at least within stretching distance), and has us laughing two sentences in. If you missed it, you’ll find his discourse (or diatribe) here Highly recommended reading!

Doug Thompson: ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE MISSES THE MARK…..AGAIN!

Rolling Stone Magazine recently released their latest ‘list’, “The 100 Greatest Songwriters” rollingstone.com).  Let me repeat that title, “The 100 Greatest Songwriters”.  Their descriptive line states “From Brill Building tunesmiths to Punk poets, from Woody Guthrie to Max Martin, the visionaries who defined music history.”

Pat Blythe: The Women of Rock – Part 3

March 2 was the 10th anniversary of Hunter S. Thompson’s death and a picture of one of his quotes was making the rounds in Facebook. I found the subject matter rather timely! Many of us will find both the truth and the irony in what he had to say.

Doug Thompson: HAL BLAINE – DANCE TO THE DRUMMER MAN!

My last blog on January 26^th on “The Wrecking Crew” documentary went through the roof in terms of readership, so Boss Segarini tells me.  I think that’s mainly because Denny Tedesco, the Director of the documentary about the session musicians of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, re-posted it to his list of contacts.

Doug Thompson: DON’T MESS WITH THE WRECKING CREW!

So, what project in your life has taken you the longest to complete?  Has anything you’ve really wanted to do ever taken you 18 years?  Most likely not, but that’s how long it took director Denny Tedesco to complete his documentary on a small group of musicians in Los Angeles who, from the late 1950’s through to the 1970’s, supplied the rhythm section (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, saxophone) for hundreds, if not thousands of hit records.

Doug Thompson – DOUG’S COOL YULE – MY “12 SONGS OF CHRISTMAS” LIST

Hard to miss that’s it’s the Christmas season.  Department, drug and clothing stores have all been playing Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”, Bobby Helm’s “Jingle Bell Rock”, Wham’s “Last Christmas” and The Beach Boys “Little Saint Nick”, along with newer Christmas ditties from the likes of Neil Diamond, Taylor Swift, Michael Buble and the omnipresent “White Christmas” from der Bingle (aka Bing Crosby) for what seems like months already.

Roxanne Tellier: The Forgotten Man

Imagine, if you will … writing not one, not two … but literally dozens of top ten hits, for groups as diverse as The Beatles, Solomon Burke,  Edwin Starr, the Rolling Stones, Janis  Joplin and Barbara Lewis. Yeah, that’s lightning, baby …