I think we’re more than all in agreement here that something very, very special took place during the middle 1960’s; a magical, monumental something in the air(waves) which gave rise to an undeniable socio-artistic upheaval courtesy of bards like Dylan, bands like the Beatles, filmmakers like Kubrick and, if I may push the issue quite thinly, television the likes of Get Smart and Green Acres to boot.
I have “moved” Janis Joplin from my Women in Rock series to this one. When I started the “Women of ……” series, I felt she had a foot in both camps. However, the more I listen to Joplin the more I realize her feet were far more firmly planted in the blues as her voice alone attests. There have been comparisons over the years between Maggie Bell and Janis Joplin. They are reminiscent of each other and that starts with the hair. Scotland is steeped in the blues (just listen to the pipes and some of the Celtic music) but the seeds were planted, and the roots run to the core of the earth, in the U.S.’s “deep south”. Keep in mind, much of the southern U.S. became home to the Scots fleeing the oppressive English in the late 1700’s. Combine that with the African “slave” songs….mix with oppressive heat and stir….so, sometimes I wonder, who exactly influenced whom?
For years I have been telling you that music isn’t just music. Some of you understand, mostly musicians who spend a lot of energy and time helping out those in need. Others shrug it off because they know either that there is no good music anymore so what good would it do, or that musicians are either children avoiding growing up or are millionaires waiting for the train. Don’t tell that to the people at Sweet Relief or Musicares or any of the other charity organizations out there. There is a lot of hard work being laid down by scores of musicians and music people, aware that good fortune can turn sour at the drop of a hat.
Valentine’s Day and it’s all over Facebook, Instagram, Twitter….every nook and cranny of social media, peeking quietly out of the shadows or screaming in your face. The stores began leading up to it the second Christmas was over. For many the day is the perfect time for a celebration of each other, a reconnection and strengthening of the bonds of togetherness. A special day set aside so they can canoodle to their hearts content. For others it’s a painful reminder they are alone whether by choice or happenstance…and there are many others who simply don’t care….it’s just another “Hallmark” day.
Pat Blythe continues her series The Women of Blues with this fourth installment on a Legendary Scottish singer….
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.
Bullseye Records of Canada
