Smashing Pumpkins leader William “Don’t Call Me Billy” Corgan bleated something about loss of innocence at the end of the 1970s with the band’s only true Pop song called “1979” in the apex of the 1990s version of a counter-culture movement (c/f Grunge, Cobain, Seattle, et al).
Music’s a funny thing; sometimes a song will hide in the grooves of an album, unloved and unwanted, until someone uncovers the gem and makes it their own. A struggling songwriter may dream of the day that a megastar covers their work; in the right hands, a number one hit can make the writer a fortune in publishing.
Once again we find ourselves at the end of the alphabet. Some Z songs for you at the end of the article.
After the fun reunion with Slaughter who knew my next major show would be Black Sabbath. I received a text from my rock’n’roll brother Stephane Drolet asking me if I would be interested in going to the show with him. Steph was coming in from Montreal as the band was not going to be performing there. Of course there is a Slaughter/Ozzy connection as Slaughter’s Dana Strum is the man who hooked Ozzy up with Randy Rhoads.
Last week the musical world mourned the loss of a legend. Donald “Duck” Dunn, often heard, sometimes seen, passed away on May 13th in Tokyo. He was 70 years old. And he was an amazing bass player.
“I tried the guitar but it had two strings too many. It was just too complicated, man!” I heard this quote on the radio when they announced Dunn’s passing, and they just really stuck with me. Guitar players were everywhere, and there was no shortage of talent, according to Dunn. “I grew up with Steve Cropper. There were so many good guitar players, another one wasn’t needed. What was needed was a bass.”
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 