Barry Gibb at the Grand Ole Opry, 2012. Two years ago in July of 2012, Bee Gee Barry Gibb walked onto the most hallowed turf in country music, Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. Casual fans and non-believers may’ve been surprised at the fit, but those with a wider knowledge of the Gibb back-catalogue knew it was…
Category: Music
Maroon 5 & Needless Swearing In Pop Music
With Maroon 5 scoring their ninth US top 10 hit in Maps (from their upcoming fifth LP V), I thought it was about time to address my three main feelings about this band: #1: Adam Levine should stop needlessly swearing in songs that sound like sing-alongs for the kids i.e. Payphone (“one more stupid /…
Being Labelled A “Radical Lefty” + What Supertramp’s ‘The Logical Song’ Is All About
Supertramp’s biggest selling LP, 1979’s Breakfast In America. Last week on Newstalk ZB I faced the usual election-season accusations via email and text from a handful of listeners claiming I’m a “radical lefty” spouting my “liberal agenda” with “lefty buzzwords” like “inequality.” Do you laugh or cry? There are actually people on this planet who believe…
The Last Great Soul Man – Bobby Womack – Dies Aged 70: His 5 Most Essential Songs
Bobby Womack. The self-described “last great soul man” is no more – Bobby Womack has died at the age of 70 having suffered from diabetes, colon cancer and the early stages of alzheimer’s in recent years. From his early days in the church, to leading the gospel group The Valentinos, to being Sam Cooke’s guitarist,…
Lionel Richie Review – ‘All The Hits, All Night Long’, Anaheim 2014 + Lionel & Nicole At The Piano
The view from the 5th row at the Honda Centre, Anaheim, June 3rd. It wasn’t just Barry Gibb I was lucky enough to see live in LA a couple of weeks ago, it was also Lionel Richie. Between the two of them, these genius pop songwriters have written 25 US#1 hits (16 for Barry, nine…
50 Years Since The Beatles In New Zealand: My All-Time Favourite Beatles Song
Yesterday (Sunday, June 22) marked 50 years since the Beatles played their first ever New Zealand concert at the Wellington Town Hall. For the cultural impact of the tour on little conservative old NZ, check out my colleague Andrew Dickens’ piece in the latest Metro magazine. In the meantime, here’s my all-time favourite Beatles song….
LA 2014: Top 50 Photos, Including Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood, Downtown, Beverly Hills, The Getty Center And Santa Monica
From behind the Hollywood sign in the Hollywood Hills. Hard to believe it’s already a week since me and my ankles arrived back from LA. Lesson learned, just because as a Kiwi you can save a bit of money flying via Australia instead of direct to California and back doesn’t mean you should. Am I…
Barry Gibb At The Hollywood Bowl: How The Mythology Tour Was Always A Homecoming
Barry Gibb. Almost two weeks on from the Hollywood Bowl and countless five-star reviews later, it’s time for at least one more splurge of praise from that Seger-less Hollywood Night. Barry Gibb; Barry Effin’ Gibb (not his real middle name*). Who knows, maybe Bob Seger was there? We know A-listers like Jimmy Connors, Barry Manilow, Bill…
So Long Frank Lloyd Pam! – Pam Corkery Leaves Newstalk ZB’s ‘The Two’
Not the finest headline, but it has a decent ring to it. On a flight to LA a couple of weeks ago I was in a bit of daze thinking about the sudden departure of my dear friend and co-host Pam Corkery from radio for a return to politics. I’d found out midday Friday that…
Where Bruce Springsteen And The Bee Gees Meet
Bruce Springsteen, Barry Gibb. Writing this while waiting for my cab to take me to Auckland airport en-route to LA, here are some thoughts solidifying the links between the Bee Gees and Bruce Springsteen. At the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday I’ll be seeing the final date of Barry Gibb’s acclaimed Mythology tour – a two…
Gladys Knight’s 70th Birthday – 3 Songs Just As Good As ‘Midnight Train To Georgia’.
Gladys Knight & The Pips. Gladys Knight is 70 today and while Midnight Train To Georgia is justifiably her most famous song, here are a trio of other Gladys Knight & The Pips tracks to mark her birthday. Didn’t You Know You’d Have To Cry Sometime, Letter Full Of Tears and Make Me The Woman You…
The Eagles Are Coming Back To NZ! Their Finest Ever Song Lyrically
The Eagles as they were in 1977. With news out today the Eagles are returning to New Zealand in 2015 for the first time in 20 years, here’s a song I rate alongside Lyin’ Eyes, Hotel California and The Last Resort as being amongst the band’s greatest epics. The only difference is Waiting In The…
