Joe Cocker. Joe Cocker, what a voice. The news has come through that the soul singer – one of the most distinctive soul / R&B singers England ever produced – has died aged 70 of lung cancer. I never saw him live but everyone who did during his regular visits to New Zealand always raved…
Category: Music
When The Bee Gees Performed The Greatest Live Medley In Brit Awards History
Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb, 1979. Today, December 22nd, would’ve been the 65th birthday for Bee Gee twins Robin and Maurice Gibb. I was with friends playing backyard cricket on a New Zealand summer’s evening, January 12th 2003, when I got a phone-call saying Maurice had died. Fast-forward nearly a decade and it was under…
Lindsey Buckingham’s Finest Solo Song
Lindsey Buckingham. Soul Drifter – Lindsey Buckingham (1992) I’m a soul drifter And I’m out of this town Ain’t no use hangin’ ’round You see My heart was broken My part was spoken Now the ground has opened All around me I’m a soul lifter And it’s out of my hands So it’s off to…
The Missed Opportunity Of Band Aid 30
Band Aid 30 recording Do They Know It’s Christmas. I think it’s great – indeed vital – that good folks like Bob Geldof are galvanizing some of the biggest names in music to raise funds in the fight against Ebola. It just bums me out that given it’s 20 years since a new Christmas song…
25 Years Since The Fall Of The Berlin Wall – David Bowie’s Heroes
Marking 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9, 1989), here’s David Bowie’s Heroes, a song I’ve often thought of as the greatest song U2 never wrote. This is in large part due to the soundscape created by producer Brian Eno who years later would go on to work with U2, but…
The Buried Treasure Of Robin Gibb – 5 Essential, Overlooked Robin-led Bee Gees Songs
Robin Gibb. *DECEMBER 2014 UPDATE: See below for thoughts on the new album. With Bee Gee Robin Gibb’s posthumous album 50 St Catherine’s Drive to be released this month, here’s a look back at five essential, too-often neglected, Robin-heavy Bee Gees songs. 1: Don’t Fall In Love With Me (1981) – I’ve written before about the…
U2’s Free Album: Is It Worth The Backlash? The 3 Best Tracks From ‘Songs Of Innocence’
The question could’ve been, is it worth the hype? But a couple of weeks after U2 surprised many with the release of their 13th LP Songs Of Innocence as a free iTunes download, the backlash is in full-swing. “More hated than Nickelback!” yelped one blogger’s headline while making a fact-ignoring case for U2’s downfall being…
Reissued Bee Gees LP “To Whom It May Concern” – Pop-up Bee Gees!
Bee Gees, early 70s. A couple of months back Warners in Japan asked me to help transcribe some lyrics for five Bee Gees albums they’re re-releasing and yesterday the CDs arrived in the mail. Which coincidentally times pretty perfectly with my birthday tomorrow so a big thank you to Warners and in particular, Minako Yoshida….
Is Queen + Adam Lambert A Tribute Or Triumph? Auckland Concert Review, Plus Analysis Of “Under Pressure”
Brian May, Adam Lambert. I read on Facebook today somebody likening Queen + Adam Lambert to the Pink Floyd tribute show that possibly too frequently plays the 1,200 capacity Founders Theatre in Hamilton. Well two sold out nights of 9,000 (18,000 total) in Auckland capping off a sold out world tour (including New York’s Madison Square…
In Defence Of Cliff Richard – His 20 Best Deep Cuts
The LP that began the renaissance of Cliff Richard’s career, I’m Nearly Famous from 1976. I didn’t realise disturbing rumours have been swirling online for some time about British pop star Cliff Richard. I also didn’t realise until a couple of days ago that police made no attempt to contact him until at least a…
Robin Williams Dies Aged 63 – His Emotional 1998 Oscar Acceptance Speech
Robin Williams from Good Morning Vietnam. *AUGUST 13 UPDATE: See below for links to comments from Robin Williams’ children, plus Russell Brand’s typically outstanding essay about the man he regarded as a genius. A man I’m sure Brand can relate to in more ways than one. Robin Williams, one of the most brilliantly gifted actors…
How The Band Chicago Scored 20 Top 10 Hits But Still Slipped Through The Cracks: 5 Overlooked Gems From The 70s
There was a brief moment in the mid-90s when the band Chicago only took a backseat to my perennial favourites the Bee Gees. That was before I really discovered artists like U2, the Commodores, Hall & Oates, Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Coldplay, Sheryl Crow, the Temptations etc and before rediscovering childhood heroes like Bruce…
