From DownloadSquad.com by Erez Zukerman (RSS feed) May 30th 2010 at 11:00AM
We all have the need for music and rhythm is one of the most basic human needs; and as we evlolve, so evolve our ways of hunting and gathering this precious commodity.
In this post, I've gathered 10 great places to expand your musical horizons: free, legal ways to discover music online, which work everywhere (not only in the US or in Europe)!
Not all of the sites below actually let you listen to music – they are not all players; but they can all help you find the next big thing, or just a tune to groove to.
Let's get started!
Uvumi
Uvumi is one of my favorite players in this space. You probably won't find much music you already know there; it's a community for budding artists, which lets them put their music online, be discovered and get direct feedback from their listeners.
I've covered Uvumi in detail, but if I had to sum it up in brief, I'd have to say that what impressed me most about the site is how well-managed it is. Marshall (the guy behind the site) seems to be taking both the listeners and the artists really seriously, and there's a true sense of community once you get into it.
YouTube Disco
When was the last time you listened to some music on YouTube? Probably sometime today or yesterday, right? It's something most of us do on a routine basis, and there's a whole cottage industry of mashups which use YouTube as a music repository and dish out recommendations.
And then there's Youtube's own Music Discovery Project. It's pretty much what you would expect, and it's certainly worth knowing about.
To see eight other ways to find and listen to music online (and a bonus mention!), keep on reading after the fold.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp seems to be geared more towards the artists than the listeners, but it's still awesome. It is meant to be used as a "band homepage", and lets artists showcase their work and sell (or give away) their music using a very slick, sophisticated interface.
One recent addition to Bandcamp is the tags page, which lets you browse music by genre or physical location (in case you'd like to see the band live).
The Hype Machine
The blogosphere remains one of the most prodigious sources for music recommendations. After all, people like talking about music. There seems to be an endless amount of music blogs, both large and small, and some also embed single tracks along with their reviews.
The Hype Machine takes a large chunk of this teeming community and aggregates it into its own interface, letting you see who's talking about what, and most importantly you can listen to audio tracks right on the site.
Grooveshark
Grooveshark is my go-to service when I just want to find one song and check it out with minimum fuss. When someone mentions a track which sounds interesting, I just fire up Grooveshark, search for it, and hit Play. Of course, that's just one way to use this incredible service.
Deezer
We've somehow never covered Deezer before, which really should be remedied. Deezer is based in France, but the interface is available in English, Italian, German and Spanish as well. It's similar to Grooveshark in that it is a Flash application which lets you quickly find the music you're interested in, and they also have a Radio feature.
Selection seems to be smaller than Grooveshark, though; in searching for some Ben Folds tracks, all I found was weird karaoke mixes and some MIDI files (!).
Musicovery
Musicovery presents an interesting tradeoff. The interface is really nice, but the sound quality is horrible (at least for the free service). While they claim paid subscribers get to enjoy "Hi-Fi" quality, I was unable to test this. What I could test was an interesting, if somewhat crippled way, to discover music using a canvas of associations, and an intuitive way to specify what you're looking for.
You dial in a genre, and then specify how upbeat or mellow you want your tunes to be, and Musicovery then dishes out surprisngly accurate results. But if you're serious about using this service, you should really go for the Pro option – their free service is kind of bare-bones.
Mufin
Mufin is actually one of the most amazing services on this list; I just discovered it now myself while researching for this feature, and it is simply awesome.
While the web service seems a tad generic (how unique can you be in this space, after all?), their desktop player is amazing. I'm strictly a Foobar2000 guy, for years now, but this player is good enough to make me think of switching.
It takes your music library and neatly catalogs, and lets you easily find similar tracks and email tracks (or actually, links to those tracks on Mufin's site) to your friends. It's an incredible memory hog (271MB on my system, holy cow!) but it's simple, fast and responsive.
They also have a Pro version which seems quite interesting. It has a feature which displays your entire music library as an animated cloud of tracks, which you slice and dice on-the-fly to find just the music you want. There's no trial available for the Pro version, but I have contacted Mufin to see if they'd be interested in a review. If they are, we might just do a giveaway, too.
... this is definitely one to wait for!
Allmusic
It seems like Allmusic has been around forever. This is actually one of the first music discovery services I have ever found online, and it's been going strong for years.
Allmusic features a mind-boggling mass of detailed artist and album reviews, painstakingly cataloged by mood, genre, style, theme, running time, and more. The reviews are long and comprehensive.
While you won't find full tracks on Allmusic, you can listen to short snippets. It's mainly a great way to discover artists somehow related or similar to artists you already know, so you could then go and hunt down their music via other means (or buy it on Amazon via Allmusic).
Muxtape
Remember Muxtape? Back when the service started, it was about free-for-all playlist sharing. Of course, the big labels would have none of that, and gave the service quite a thrashing.
Muxtape then went on hiatus, and came back as a service aimed at indie musicians and smaller bands who wish to share their music with the world. It's kind of like Bandcamp with an added dose of hipster-juice. Muxtape's player remains one of the most innovative and simple online players I've ever seen.
Bonus: ExtensionFM
Now that you've found all of this music online, you may want a nice way to catalog it. ExtensionFM may just be that way. While it won't work with all of the services above, it's a great match for The Hype Machine, and might also work with Bandcamp (tell me in the comments if it does). I recommend you read Lee's detailed review, but in a nutshell I can tell you it's a Chrome add-on which automatically collects and catalogs all of the music you find online, and does it very nicely.
p.s – in case you're wondering why I never mentioned Last.fm, it's because just about everybody knows about it, and because it's just not that good anymore now that it's so restricted (in my opinion).
Got another site or tool you use to discover awesome, new music online? Let's hear about it in the comments!
Mary Hopkin turned 60 last month and as a tribute here is info on her wonderful single from 1968, Those Were The Days.
"Those Were the Days" is a song credited to Gene Raskin, who put English lyrics to the Russian song "Dorogoi dlinnoyu" ("Дорогой длинною", lit. "By the long road"), written by Boris Fomin (1900-1948) with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevskii. It deals with reminiscence upon youth and romantic idealism. The Georgian Tamara Tsereteli (1900-1968) in 1925[1] and Alexander Vertinsky in 1926[2] made what were probably the earliest recordings of the song. However, it is best remembered for Mary Hopkin's 1968 recording, which was a top-ten hit in both the U.S. and the U.K.
You can listen to the song below:
Once upon a Time There Was a Tavern
Where We Used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And dreamed of all the great things we would of
Those Were The Days My Friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
We Were Young and is sure to Have our way.
La la la la ...
Those Were The Days, oh yes Those Were The Days
Then the busy years Went rushing by us
We Lost Our starry notions on the way
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
We'd smile at one another and we'd say
Those Were The Days My Friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
We Were Young and is sure to Have our way.
La la la la ...
Those Were The Days, oh yes Those Were The Days
Just tonight I Stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it Used to Be
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
Was That lonely woman really me
Those Were The Days My Friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
We Were Young and is sure to Have our way.
La la la la ...
Those Were The Days, oh yes Those Were The Days
Through the door there cam familiar laughter
I saw your face and Heard You Call My Name
Oh my friend we're older But the wiser
For In Our hearts the dreams are still the Same
Those Were The Days My Friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
We Were Young and is sure to Have our way.
La la la la ...
Those Were The Days, oh yes Those Were The Days
Mary Hopkin and the Beatles
Background
It was the British supermodel Twiggy who alerted Paul McCartney to the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin when Apple Records was looking for talent in 1968. The waifish soprano scored a huge, worldwide smash with her first Apple single, the melancholy but rabble-rousing ballad 'Those Were the Days,' in late 1968; it actually knocked the Beatles' own 'Hey Jude' out of the number one position in the U.K. Paul McCartney lent Hopkin a further hand by producing her first album and writing her second single, 'Goodbye,' which was also a hit. Besides 'Days', the highlights on Post Card, her debut Lp, are Donovan's 'Lord of the Reedy River' and 'The Honeymoon Song,'which McCartney himself had sung with the Beatles way back in 1963 on the BBC. Also on board is a rather nice composition, 'The Game,' by Beatles producer George Martin, who contributed some piano and orchestra conducting to the album. The reissue included here contains George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin's'Someone to Watch Over Me', as well as 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' and versions of 'Those Were the Days' that Hopkin sang inItalian and Spanish. More folk-oriented than her first effort, on her beautiful second album Earth Song, Ocean Song, Mary Hopkin's lilting voice soothes the listener like hot tea with honey.
Included in this set, which was produced by Tony Visconti, are her interpretations of Ralph McTell's 'Streets of London,' Cat Stevens' 'The Wind,' and Gallagher & Lyle's 'International.' In my opinion this one is undoubtedly her best album ever. Ms Hopkin is allowed to do what she does best and to perform material that's far better suited to her. It's a beautifully simple and acoustic affair - guitars, strings, harmonium, flutes, etc. - which comes over in the emotion and love that's clear in her voice. Also here is Caneuon Cynnar, a collection of ten songs
Mary recorded circa 1965, when she was just fifteen. Although all sung in Welsh, you will recognise some of the tunes, as they are covers of songs already made famous by others. With Mary's distinctive high soprano and sparse musical backing, they sound different from usual, but fresh. The English titles of the songs covered include 'Turn Turn Turn', 'Tammy', 'Morning of My Life', 'Something Stupid' and 'Can't Help Falling in Love'. There are also covers of 'Plaisir d'Amour' and 'Guantanamera', so it's not only English language songs that were translated into Welsh for Mary to sing. Finally, I added a Bonus Tracks folder which is, more or less, the 1995 Those Were the Days compilation (without the duplicated files and with some more I added). It contains many of Mary's best known songs, precisely those which weren't originally included in her two Apple albums, such as 'Temma Harbour', 'Goodbye', 'Think About Your Children', 'Knock Knock, Who's There', 'Jefferson', 'The Fields of St. Etienne', 'Que Sera Sera', 'Heritage', 'For All My Days' and 'Sparrow'. All in all, you got here 57 Mary Hopkin's songs to enjoy!! http://www.amazon.co.uk/, http://www.allmusic.com/ BTW: you'll find all the cover arts you need here.
The single Goodbye, released on 28 March 1969; it reached #2 in the UK singles chart:
History
Gene Raskin frequented the White Horse Tavern in New York's Greenwich Village the 1960s and the song lamented the passing of the golden folk days of Dylan, Paxton, Ochs, and The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem.
Although the song was popularized in the early 1960s by The Limeliters, Welsh singer Mary Hopkin did the best known recording. It was released on 30 August 1968, shortly after Hopkin was signed to the Beatles' newly created Apple label. Hopkin's recording was produced by Paul McCartney and became a #1 hit in the UK singles chart, and reached #2 in the US. The tune topped the Billboard Easy Listening survey.
Paul McCartney, who produced the session, also recorded Hopkin singing "Those Were The Days" in four other languages for release in their respective countries:
In Spain, Que Tiempo Tan Feliz
In West Germany, An jenem Tag
In Italy, Quelli Erano Giorni
In France, Le temps des fleurs
The UK and the USA had the B-side, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" which was written by Pete Seeger (but largely taken from the book of Ecclesiastes), which had been a U.S. #1 hit for The Byrds in 1965.
"Those Were the Days" was catalogue number Apple 2 (APPLE 1 designation had been intended for the Beatles single "Hey Jude").
Hopkin's version was released on the back of her success on the television show Opportunity Knocks and around the time of its release popular singer Sandie Shaw was also asked to record the song by her management, feeling that it should be done by a "real" singer. Shaw's version was released as a single but did not beat the success of Hopkin's version.
In the mid 1970s, after Hopkin's contract with Apple ended, "Those Were the Days" and "Goodbye" were re-recorded with producer Tony Visconti. Only these re-recorded versions can be found on music compilation discs because Apple never allows its original recordings to be used.
In 2005, Dolly Parton released a cover of "Those Were the Days," which featured backing vocals by Mary Hopkin. That year, the song became the title track of Dolly Parton's album with the same name.
Other cover versions
1962 - The Limeliters
1967 - Engelbert Humperdinck covers the song on the B-side of his 1967 album "The Last Waltz".
1968 - The French version of the song, "Le temps des fleurs," was popularized by the international recording star, Dalida. She also recorded the song in Italian and German.
1968 - The international recording star Vicky Leandros recorded the French version "Le temps des fleurs" and had a huge hit in Japan, Canada, and Greece with this song.
1968 - Halina Kunicka - To były piękne dni (" Those were a beautiful days " in Polish)
1968 - Violetta Villas - Znowu Ciebie mam (in Polish). Her version caused controversy in Poland as Villas used lyrics she ordered from a songwriter and has re-written them without permission for the recording. As she wasn't happy with this song she wrote new lyrics herself in the 70s and performed this song under a new title "Miłością znów żyję" to this day.
Mary Hopkin and Sandie Shaw also sang the song in French, as well as in Italian, Spanish and German. Both Shaw's and Hopkin's versions were released roughly around the same time, as a sort of competition between the two, to see whose single would fare better with the public. When Hopkin's album, Postcard, was re-released on CD, the Spanish and Italian versions of the songs appeared as bonus tracks. Sandie Shaw has had all of her versions re-released on separate CDs, split up by language.
1968 - Gigliola Cinquetti covered the song in Italian ("Quelli erano i giorni", with Italian lyrics by Claudo Daiano) and Spanish.
1968 - Päivi Paunu covered the song in Finnish. Followed by eight other covers in 1968-1991, before the Leningrad Cowboys.
1969-Mexican version by Los Rockin Devils band, entitled "Esos Fueron Los Dias."
1968-1969 - Olle Bergman lyrics in Swedish, "Ja, det var då", reached Svensktoppen wirh recordings by both Lena Hansson (3 weeks) and Anita Lindblom (7 weeks).
1969 - Margareta Paslaru recorded the Romanian version of Hopkin's song - "Azi vreau sa rad din nou"(Today I want to laugh again)
1968 - Mira Gubik - "Rég elmúlt víg napok" (Hungarian version)
1969 - The 5th Dimension covered the song in their album The Age of Aquarius.
1969 - Teréz Harangozó (Hungarian version: "Azok a szép napok").
1969 - Ivan Rebroff made a Russian version of the song, called "Такие дни, мой друг" (Takiyeh dni, moj drug). The song was a one-by-one-translation of the first two verses and the chorus of "Those were the days" without any rhythm and rhymes. It was found as a single and on the "Live" album Russische Party from the same year.
1969 - Shuli Natan recorded a Hebrew version - "כאלה היו הימים" (ka'ele hayou hayamim), to lyrics translated by Mickey Hartby. Later on, Avi Toledano made another Hebrew cover of the song.
1969 - Ryoko Moriyama and Akemi Hirokawa sung Japanese version of the song, called "Kanashiki Tenshi (悲しき天使)."
196? - Nani Bregvadze (Russian, Original Text, USSR)
1969 - Alexandra (Germany)
1970 - Teresa Teng (Taiwan) sung Traditional Chinese version of the song, called "往日的時光."
197? - Irena Kohont, slovenian singer, made a Slovenian version of the song, named "To so bili dnevi". In the same year, the music video was created for this version.
197? - Ahmad Zahir, Afghan singer, made a Dari version of the song, called "Zeba Negaram"
1976 - Zoi Kouroukli made popular the Greek version of the song, called "Χαμένα Όνειρα (Khamena Oneira)", literally meaning "Lost Dreams", although the Greek version, under the above title, was first performed by Leo Leandros in 1968. The Greek lyrics were by Thanasis Tsongas in 1968.
1989 - Hungarian band Dolly Roll covered the song in Hungarian with different lyrics from the version of Teréz Harangozó. ("Ábrándos szép napok")
1990 - Demon Kogure covered "Those Were the Days" on his first solo album "Koshoku yorozu goe otoko".
1990 - Flamenco duo Azúcar Moreno covered the song in Spanish as "Cuando El Amor Se Va" on their international breakthrough album Bandido.
1991 - Leningrad Cowboys covered "Those Were the Days" for the Aki Kaurismäki short film of the same name. The song was later released on their 1992 album We Cum From Brooklyn.
1992 — Leningrad Cowboys and the Alexandrov Ensemble covered the song in the 1992 Total Balalaika Show and the performance was released on the live album Total Balalaika Show - Helsinki Concert later the same year.
1994 - Cara Jones covered "Those Were the Days" on her debut album Different Skies. Also, Ground Zero covered "Those Were the Days" on their album Plays Standards.
1994 - The Croatian group Vatrogasci (Firefighters) made a parody of this song, translating it into Croatian (naming it "Ajnc, cvaj draj") and making it in turbofolk arrangement.
1995 - The Irish folk group The Clancy Brothers & Robbie O'Connell recorded this song on their album "Older but No Wiser". The title of the album comes from the last verse of the song.
1998 - The German version of the song, "An jenem Tag", was popularized by the international top star Karel Gott on his best of triple album Einmal um die ganze Welt.
2000 - Brings covered "Superjeile Zick"
2001 - Turisas covered "Those Were the Days" on their EP "The Heart of Turisas."
2004 - Dayna Kurtz covered "Those Were the Days" on her album Beautiful Yesterday. Also, New York cabaret artists Kiki & Herb included the song in their Carnegie Hall debut concert Kiki & Herb Will Die for You.
2005- Folk singer, Susan Lainey, covered "Those Were The Days" in her self titled album. The song would later be selected in October 2006 by the internationally aired #1 television show "Nip/Tuck"; for a scene in Season 3 Episode 4.
2005 - Although not exactly a cover, 50 Cent used an electric guitar version of the melody of "Those Were the Days" in his "When It Rains, It Pours". Also, 2005 was the year Dolly Parton covered "Those Were the Days". Parton's recording featured guest vocals by Hopkin.
2005 - The Hungarian violinist Jozsef Lendvay covered this song on his Echo Klassik CD Lendvay & Friends.
2006 - Il Folklorista covered "Those Were the Days". Il Folklorista is a project by Gigi D'Agostino and Luca Noise.
2006 - "Those Were the Days" was converted to a chant by Carsi,a supporter group of Besiktas JK, Istanbul. It is named as "Opera for Fener" and teases with Fenerbahce, another Istanbul team. The video of chant broadcasts on Youtube and has been watched more than one million times. It is observed that even Fenerbahce supporters can not stop themselves joining the cheer when it is song by a group around. This phenomena could not be explained by sociologists yet and some substantial research is being conducted in different institutes.
2007 - Slovenian singer Manca Izmajlova covered the original Russian version of the song on her album Slovanska duša (Slavic Soul).
2007 - Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou covered the French version of the song, "Le temps des fleurs", which was released on her CD-single "Fos" and was featured on the bonus CD on her Yparhi Logos: Platinum Edition album.
2007 - Jamaican Dancehall-Artist Shaggy covers the refrain of "Those Were the Days" in his album Intoxication.
2007 - Vietnamese Singer Ngoc Ha spelade in en cover på the new Vietnamese version in Asia DVD 49 as "Nhu la thu vang".
2008 - Bad Boys Blue "Heart & Soul"; Words by Gene Raskin. Music by Boris Fomin. Arranged & produced by Johann Perrier. Co-produced by Antoine Blanc.
2009 - The German band RotFront covered the song in "Red Mercedes" on their album "Emigrantski Raggamuffin"
Trivia
Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2008)
The melody of the song is instantly recognizable to tens of millions of Brazilians, although most of them are probably wholly unaware of its origins or original lyrics and title; it was used for years by Brazilian TV host Silvio Santos in his Show de Calouros, a Gong Show-like talent show, with the lyrics changed to introduce the judges and host of the show.
On Christmas 1975, the President of Equatorial Guinea, Francisco Macías Nguema, had 150 alleged coup plotters executed to the sound of a band playing Mary Hopkin's tune Those Were the Days in a national stadium.
"Those Were the Days" has been adopted by supporters of UK football league club Huddersfield Town FC, as their unofficial club song. The words are modified to "Those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end - We won the league three times in row - we won the FA cup, and now we're going up - we are the Town - Oh yes we are the Town!"
The song also appeared in a documentary on American intellectual Norman Finkelstein entitled American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein.
Goodbye is a song written by Paul McCartney (but credited to Lennon-McCartney) and performed by Mary Hopkin. It was released on March 28, 1969 and it reached #2 in the UK singles chart, prevented from reaching the top position by the Beatles' single "Get Back".
The song was produced by Paul McCartney and arranged by Richard Hewson.
You can listen to the song "Goodbye" by Mary Hopkin here:
Paul McCartney Recording
The song was never officially released by the Beatles, although there are bootleg recordings of Paul McCartney singing the song.
Up, Up and Away (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Up, Up and Away" redirects here. For other uses, see Up, up, and away.
"Up, Up and Away"
Song by The 5th Dimension
from the album Up, Up and Away (album)
Released May, 1967
Format Vinyl
Recorded April 1966-March 11, 1967
Language English
Label Soul City
Writer Jimmy Webb
Producer Marc Gordon,
Willie Hutch,
Johnny Rivers,
Rob Santos
Cover versions
You can listen to the song below:
The Fifth Dimension - Up, Up And Away Lyrics
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
We could float among the stars together, you and I
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
Suspended under a twilight canopy
We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us
If by some chance you find yourself loving me
We'll find a cloud to hide us
We'll keep the moon beside us
Love is waiting there in my beautiful balloon
Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon
If you'll hold my hand we'll chase your dream across the sky
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
Balloon...
Up, up, and away.....
Also recorded by Nancy Sinatra, The Johnny Mann Singers, Mrs. Miller, The Impressions and others.
Up, Up and Away (album) track listing
1. "Up, Up and Away" (Jimmy Webb) – 2:45
2. "Another Day, Another Heartache" (Steve Barri, P.F. Sloan) – 2:37
3. "Which Way to Nowhere" (Webb) – 3:08
4. "California My Way" (Willie Hutch) – 2:56
5. "Misty Roses" (Tim Hardin) – 2:46
6. "Go Where You Wanna Go" (John Phillips) – 2:22
7. "Never Gonna Be the Same" (Webb) – 2:26
8. "Pattern People" (Webb) – 3:02
9. "Rosecrans Blvd." (Webb) – 2:54
10. "Learn How to Fly" (Hutch) – 3:01
11. "Poor Side of Town" (Lou Adler, Johnny Rivers) – 3:21
12. "I'll Be Loving You Forever" (W.M. Hutchinson) – 3:11
13. "Train Keep on Movin'" (Hutch) – 2:47
14. "Too Poor to Die" (Marc Gordon, Hutchinson) – 1:53
Up, Up and Away (album) track listing
"Up, Up and Away"
(1) Another Day, Another Heartache
(2)
Background
"Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension, that became a major pop hit, reaching #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and sold well in Canada. The single peaked at #9 on Billboard's Easy Listening Top 40.
A canonical example of sunshine pop, themed around images of hot air ballooning, it cleaned up at the Grammy Awards of 1968, winning for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Other Pop/Rock&Roll/ Contemporary Awards or Instrumental, and the big prizes of Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Al Casey was the guitarist on this recording, as was fellow "Wrecking Crew" drummer Hal Blaine.
In the United Kingdom, it was the Johnny Mann Singers' cover version that became the Top 10 hit, reaching No. 6 in August 1967. This version hit the US "Bubbling Under The Top 100" survey, as well as the Easy Listening chart.
Diana Ross & The Supremes recorded a version of the song in 1967 for their album Reflections.
The Impressions released their version on their 1968 album We're a Winner.
Mrs. Miller sang a cover version in 1968 on her LP record Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing. She has been known for her renditions of popular songs and singing out of tune.
Another cover version can be found on Kidsongs video and DVD called "Cars, Boats, Trains and Planes".
[edit] Cultural references
Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (March 2009)
* The 5th Dimension recording was used in the film Born on the Fourth of July.
* Fred Norris of The Howard Stern Show uses a sitar-only cover of this song when discussing or introducing a guest of South Asian heritage.
* In various forms, this song was used as an advertising jingle by two defunct airlines: Trans World Airlines in the U.S., and Trans Australia Airlines.
* Brian W. Aldiss refers to the song in his short science-fiction story "Near Earth Object".
* Is used in the episode "9 Lives" of the television show Psych.
* This song is used as Alan Harper's ringtone on Two and a Half Men.
* Homer Simpson sings a parody of this song in an episode of The Simpsons where Homer thinks he has won a free motor boat from the Springfield police.
* Lyrics of this song occur in The Prodigy's song, Hotride
* A version of the song is sung by Madge in Series 3 Episode 4 of Benidorm, when Madge is spiked with drugs and joins the Karaoke competition. It ends with her jumping off the stage whilst singing the line "Up Up and Away".
* Dr. Octagon refers to the lyrics in the song "Blue Flowers Revisited" on the album Dr. Octagonecologyst.
About the Group: The 5th Dimension
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the band. For other uses, see Fifth Dimension (disambiguation).
This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)
The 5th Dimension
Origin Los Angeles, California
Genres R&B, pop, soul, Sunshine pop
Years active 1966–present
(until 1975 in original incarnation)
Labels Soul City, Imperial, Bell Records, Arista, ABC Records, Motown
Former members
Marilyn McCoo
Billy Davis, Jr.
Florence LaRue
Lamonte McLemore
Ron Townson
See: Membership section for detailed listing
The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire also includes pop, R&B, soul, and jazz.
The 5th Dimension was best-known during the late 1960s and early 1970s for popularizing the hits "Up, Up and Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "One Less Bell to Answer", "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All", and "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", as well as the eponymous 5th Dimension and The Magic Garden LP recordings.
The five original members were Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore, and Ron Townson. They have recorded for several different labels over their long careers. Their first work appeared on the Soul City label, which was started by Imperial Records/United Artists Records recording artist Johnny Rivers. The group would later record for Bell/Arista Records, ABC Records, and Motown Records.
Some of the songwriters popularized by The 5th Dimension later went on to careers of their own, especially Ashford & Simpson, who wrote "California Soul". The group is also notable for having more success with the songs of Laura Nyro than Nyro did herself, particularly in the cases of "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", and "Save the Country". The group also covered music by well known songwriters such as the song "One Less Bell to Answer", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. And perhaps best of all, they became great interpreters of the songs and music of Jimmy Webb, who penned their original mega-hit "Up, Up, and Away", including an entire recording of memorable Webb songs called The Magic Garden.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Career
* 2 Membership
* 3 Discography
o 3.1 Singles
o 3.2 Albums
o 3.3 DVD
* 4 References
* 5 External links
Career
In the early 1960s, Lamonte McLemore and Marilyn McCoo, a former beauty pageant winner, got together with two other friends from Los Angeles, Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, to form a group called the Hi-Fis. In 1963, they sang at local clubs while taking lessons from a vocal coach. In 1964, they came to the attention of Ray Charles, who took them on tour with him the following year. He produced a single by the group, "Lonesome Mood", a jazz-type song that gained local attention. However, internal disagreements caused Butler and Elston to go their own way, eventually leading to their organizing the Friends of Distinction.
Lamonte sought to form another group and started looking for members to join him and McCoo. One was Florence LaRue, who had received training as a youngster in singing, dancing, and violin, and who also won the talent portion, as McCoo had the year prior, at Miss Bronze California. About the same time she was approached to join the group, Lamonte recruited an old friend of his, Ron Townson, who at age six had started singing in choirs and gospel groups in his hometown of St. Louis. His grandmother fostered his career by arranging for private voice and acting lessons as he grew up. In his teens, he toured with Dorothy Dandridge and Nat King Cole, joined the Wings Over Jordan Gospel Singers for a while, and also played a small part in the film Porgy and Bess. He demonstrated his considerable skill as a classical artist by placing third in the Metropolitan Opera auditions held in St. Louis. After finishing high school, he worked his way through Lincoln University by conducting the school and church choir. After graduating, he organized his own 25-member gospel choir.
Lamonte's cousin, Billy Davis, Jr., started singing in gospel choirs at an early age. He later saved enough money to buy a cocktail lounge in St. Louis, which he used as a base for experimenting with various musical groups. When he was asked to join his cousin's new group, he immediately said yes.
The members began rehearsing in early 1966 and took the name of the Versatiles. They auditioned for Marc Gordon, who headed Motown's Los Angeles office. Although their demo tape was rejected by Motown, he agreed to manage them and brought them to the attention of Johnny Rivers, who had just started his own label, Soul City Records. Their first Soul City single, "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever", was a flop, but a cover of the Mamas & the Papas' "Go Where You Wanna Go" climbed into the top 20 on both R&B and pop stations.
Budding young songwriter Jimmy Webb supplied the group with their breakthrough hit, "Up, Up and Away", a top 10 hit in mid-1967, which won five Grammy Awards. The following year, the group scored major hit singles with Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" (U.S. #3) and "Sweet Blindness" (U.S. #13) and received a gold record for their album Stoned Soul Picnic, which also included the Ashford & Simpson-written "California Soul". In 1969, they had two number one singles: "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" from the musical Hair and the Nyro composition "Wedding Bell Blues", with a U.S. #20 cover of Neil Sedaka's "Workin' On A Groovy Thing" in-between. Later hits included "One Less Bell to Answer" (U.S. #2) (1970), "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" (U.S. #19), "Never My Love" (U.S. #12) (1971), "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" (U.S. #8), and "If I Could Reach You" (U.S. #10) (1972).
In 1975, McCoo and Davis, who married in 1969, left the group to do both collective and individual projects. They went on to have success singing as a duo after leaving the group in 1975, including "Your Love" and the chart topper "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)". McCoo also served a stint as the host of the TV show Solid Gold. The remaining trio carried on with new members, and nearly had a hit in 1976 with the LaRue-sung "Love Hangover"; however, Motown issued Diana Ross' own version shortly after the 5th Dimension's hit the charts, and hers soared to the top of the charts. Strangely enough, the group signed with Motown not long after, releasing two albums in 1978. R&B singer Lou Courtney was in the group briefly between 1978 and 1979, Joyce Wright joined in 1979, and Phyllis Battle joined in 1988. The original quintet reunited in 1990 for a tour. Townson briefly left the group to try a solo career, but soon returned, as the group resigned itself to the nostalgia circuit. In 1995, the quintet of LaRue, Townson, McLemore, Battle, and Greg Walker recorded a new album, In the House, for Click Records. In 1998, Willie Williams replaced Townson, who died in 2001 due to diabetes-related kidney failure. Battle departed in 2002, to be replaced by Van Jewell. McLemore retired from the group in March 2006. McCoo and Davis continue to tour separately as their own act.
As of April 2009[update], the group is actively touring as "Florence LaRue & The 5th Dimension", led by LaRue with Willie Williams, Leonard Tucker, Patrice Morris, and Floyd Smith.[1]
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.[2] The group also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame, inducted on March 18, 2010.[3]
[edit] Membership
* Marilyn McCoo (born 30 September 1943, Jersey City, New Jersey)
* Florence LaRue (born 4 February 1944, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
* Billy Davis, Jr. (born 26 June 1938, St. Louis, Missouri)
* Lamonte McLemore (born 17 September 1939, St. Louis, Missouri [1])
* Ronald L. "Ron" Townson (born 20 January 1933, St. Louis, Missouri - died 2 August 2001, of kidney failure, Las Vegas, Nevada)
McCoo and Davis left the group in November 1975. Since then, other members have included:
* Eloise Laws (Marilyn replacement) 1975–1975,
* Danny Beard (Billy replacement) 1975–1978,
* Marjorie Barnes (Marilyn replacement) 1976–1977,
* Terri Bryant (Marilyn replacement) 1978–1979,
* Mic Bell (Ron replacement) 1978–1979,
* Lou Courtney (Billy replacement) 1978–1979,
* Pat Bass (Marilyn replacement) 1979,
* Tanya Boyd (Marilyn replacement) 1979,
* Joyce Wright Pierce (Marilyn replacement) 1979–1986 and 1987,
* Michael Procter (Billy replacement) 1979–1988,
* Estrelita (Marilyn replacement) 1986,
* Phyllis Battle (Marilyn replacement) 1988–2001,
* Eugene Barry-Hill (Billy replacement) 1989–1992,
* Greg Walker (Billy replacement) 1993–2006,
* Willie Williams (Ron replacement) 1998–present,
* Van Jewell (Marilyn replacement) 2002,2005,
* Julie Delgado (Marilyn replacement) 2002–2005,
* Jamila Ajibade (Marilyn replacement) 2005–2006 and 2007–2008
* Leonard Tucker (Billy replacement) 2006–present,
* Valerie Davis (Marilyn replacement) 2006–2007,
* Jennifer Leigh Warren (Marilyn replacement) 2007,
* Gwyn Foxx (Marilyn replacement) December 2007,
* Michael Mishaw (Lamonte replacement) 2006–2008,
* Patrice Morris (Marilyn replacement) 2008–present,
* Floyd Smith (Lamonte replacement) 2009–present
Discography
Singles
US charts are from Billboard magazine. Canadian charts are taken from the weekly surveys of CHUM in Toronto.
Year Song US US AC US R&B CAN UK B-side Album
1966 "Go Where You Wanna Go" 16 - - 9 - "Too Poor to Die" Up, Up and Away
1967 "Another Day, Another Heartache" 45 - - - - "Rosecrans Blvd."
"Up, Up and Away" 7 9 - 18 - "Which Way to Nowhere"
"Paper Cup" 34 - - 17 - "Poor Side of Town" The Magic Garden
1968 "Carpet Man" 29 - - 3 - "The Magic Garden"
"Stoned Soul Picnic" 3 - 2 5 - "The Sailboat Song" Stoned Soul Picnic
"Sweet Blindness" 13 - 45 15 - "Bobbie's Blues (Who Do You Think Of?)"
"California Soul" 25 - 49 - - "It'll Never Be the Same Again"
1969 "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" 1 1 6 1 11 "Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' to Ya?" The Age of Aquarius
"Workin' On a Groovy Thing" 20 9 15 17 - "Broken Wing Bird"
"Wedding Bell Blues" 1 1 23 3 16 "Lovin' Stew"
"Blowing Away" 21 7 - 24 - "Skinny Man"
1970 "A Change is Gonna Come/People Got to Be Free" 60 - - - - "The Declaration" Portrait
"The Declaration" 64 35 - - - B-side of above
"The Girls' Song" 43 6 - - - "It'll Never Be the Same Again" The Magic Garden
"Puppet Man" 24 31 - - - "A Love Like Ours" Portrait
"Save the Country" 27 10 - 24 - "Dimension 5"
"On the Beach (In the Summertime)" 54 12 - - - "This Is Your Life"
"One Less Bell to Answer" 2 1 4 3 - "Feelin' Alright?" Portrait
1971 "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" 19 6 - 28 - "The Singer" Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes
"Light Sings" 44 12 - - - "Viva! (Viva Tirado)"
"Never My Love" (live) 12 1 45 21 - "A Love Like Ours" Live!!
"Together Let's Find Love" (live) 37 8 22 - - "I Just Wanta Be Your Friend"
1972 "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" 8 2 28 5 - "The River Witch" Individually & Collectively
"If I Could Reach You" 10 1 - 13 - "Tomorrow Belongs to the Children"
1973 "Living Together, Growing Together" 32 5 - - - "What Do I Need to Be Me" Living Together, Growing Together
"Everything's Been Changed" 70 18 - - - "There Never Was a Day" Living Together, Growing Together
"Ashes to Ashes" 52 7 54 - - "The Singer" Living Together, Growing Together
"Flashback" 82 30 75 - - "Diggin' for a Livin'"
1975 "No Love In the Room" 105 11 - - - "I Don't Know How to Look for Love" Soul & Inspiration
1976 "Love Hangover" 80 - 39 - - "Will You Be There"
Albums
* Up, Up and Away (1967) - US #8
* The Magic Garden (1967) - US #105
* Stoned Soul Picnic (1968) - US #21
* The Age of Aquarius (1969) - US #2
* Portrait (1970) - US #20
* The 5th Dimension/Greatest Hits (1970) - US #5
* The July 5th Album (1970) - US #63
* Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes (1971) - US #17
* Reflections (1971) - US #112
* The 5th Dimension/Live!! (1971) - US #32
* Individually & Collectively (1972) - US #58
* Greatest Hits On Earth (1972) - US #14
* Living Together, Growing Together (1973) - US #108
* Soul & Inspiration (1974)
* Earthbound (1975) - US #136
* Star Dancing (1978)
* High On Sunshine (1978)
* The Very Best Of 5th Dimension (1982)
* In the House (1995)
* Live! Plus Rare Studio Recordings (2001) - Original title was Home Cookin (1976)
* Fantasy (2004) - Original title was The 5th Dimension Now (1984)
DVD
* 2003: The 5th Dimension Travelling Sunshine Show with Dionne Warwick, Merle Haggard, and The Carpenters[4]
References
1. ^ "Florence LaRue & The 5th Dimension A Brief Biography". http://thefifthdimension.org/biography.pdf. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
2. ^ "The 5th Dimension - Inductees - The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation". Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation. http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/fifth_dimension.html. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
3. ^ "St. Louis Walk of Fame - The 5th Dimension". St. Louis Walk of Fame. http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/The5thDimension.html. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
4. ^ VIEW DVD Listing
* Current Official Site
* Album Review of The Magic Garden
* The 5th Dimension at Allmusic
* The 5th Dimension Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
* The 5th Dimension at Wenig-LaMonica Associates
* Ultimate Band List page
* The 5th Dimension Traveling Sunshine Show (1971)
Songfacts:
Len Barry (credited by his real name: Leonard Borisoff) wrote this with the Philadelphia songwriting/production team of John Madara and David White, who also wrote the hits "You Don't Own Me" and "At The Hop." In an interview with Forgotten Hits, Madara explained: "In 1965, with '1-2-3' being the #1 record in the country, we were sued by Motown during the period when Berry Gordy was suing anyone whose records sounded like a Motown record. We were sued, saying that '1-2-3' was taken from a B-Side of a Supremes record called 'Ask Any Girl.' The only similarity between the two songs are the first three notes where the Supremes sang 'Ask Any Girl' and Lenny sang '1-2-3.' After that, there were no similarities, but their lawsuit said that our goal was to copy the Motown sound. Well, needless to say, Motown kept us in court, tying up all of our writers' royalties, production royalties and publishing royalties, and threatened to sue us on the follow-up to '1-2-3,' which was 'Like A Baby.' So after battling with them for two years and having a ton of legal bills, we made a settlement with Motown, giving them 15% of the writers' and publishers' share.
We never heard 'Ask Any Girl.' The only influence for making '1-2-3' was to make a ballad with a beat. And the sound of '1-2-3' was definitely the sound of the era. Listen to 'The In-Crowd' - that's not the Motown Sound, that's the sound of the era - and '1-2-3' definitely had a beat! Motown was suing a lot of people at the time."
Barry was a member of the successful vocal group The Dovells before starting a solo career. In the liner notes to his Greatest Hits CD, Barry wrote: "It was the second take. We did it live in the booth. There were no overdubs, no punches. It was great! It had never sounded like that - ever! I said to myself, 'The Man upstairs is hearing me.' If you listen to '1, 2, 3', I have sung better, but I have never communicated with the public like that, ever. Because on that song, the vocal is total desperation. I was saying to the public, 'Look, I'm 22, let's get serious because I don't know what I'm gonna do if you don't buy this record.' That desperation was in the performance."
Madara explained to Forgotten Hits: "We were set to have a writing session at the office for Lenny's recording session, and I walked in with the melody and a title of '1, 2, and 3.' Lenny said, 'Let's make it 1-2-3.' So we sat and wrote the song."
Lyrics:
1-2-3, oh, that's how elementary it's gonna be
C'mon, let's fall in love, it's easy (it's so easy)
Like takin' candy (like takin' candy) from a baby
A-B-C (A-B-C) fallin' in love with you was easy for me (easy for me)
And you can do it, too, it's easy (it's so easy)
Like takin' candy (like takin' candy) from a baby
Baby, there's nothin' hard about love
Basically, it's as easy as pie
The hard part is livin' without love
Without your love, baby, I would die
It's easy (it's so easy)
Like takin' candy (like takin' candy) from a baby, yay
One and one are two (one and one are two)
I know you love me and oh,oh, how I love you (how I love you)
Don't try to fight it 'cause it's easy (it's so easy)
Like takin' candy (like takin' candy) from a baby, yay
1-2-3 (1-2-3) oh, that's how elementary it's gonna be (it's gonna be)
C'mon, let's fall in love, it's easy (1-2-3)
FADE
Oh, that's how elementary
About: Len Barry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Len Barry
Background information
Birth name Leonard Borisoff
Born June 12, 1942 (1942-06-12) (age 67)
West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres Pop, Blue-eyed soul
Occupations Singer, songwriter
Years active 1958–1982
Labels Brunswick, RCA, Decca
Associated acts The Dovells
Len Barry (born Leonard Borisoff, June 12, 1942, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States)[1] is a retired American vocalist, songwriter and record producer.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Career
* 2 Legacy
* 3 Discography
o 3.1 Singles
+ 3.1.1 The Dovells (as lead singer)
+ 3.1.2 Solo
o 3.2 Albums
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 Additional sources
* 7 External links
Career
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Barry had little thought of a show business career while still in school. Instead, he aspired to become a professional baseball player upon his graduation. It was not until he entered military service and had occasion to sing with the Army bands, and was so encouraged by the response of his soldier audiences, that he decided to make music a career.[citation needed]
Upon his discharge from military service, Barry returned home to Philadelphia and joined The Dovells as their lead singer. His is the lead voice on their best selling records "Bristol Stomp", "Hully Gully Baby" and "You Can't Sit Down", among others. "Bristol Stomp" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[2] Barry also made film appearances with The Dovells in films such as Don't Knock the Twist, as well as guest appearances on US television on The Dick Clark Show, Shindig, and Hullabaloo. Soon after leaving the group, Barry recorded his first solo single "Lip Sync".[2]
As a predominately blue-eyed soul singer, he recorded two hits in 1965 for Decca Records in the US and released by Brunswick Records in the UK: "1-2-3", and "Like a Baby", both of which made the Top Ten of the UK Singles Chart.[3] Those songs also peaked at #2 and #27 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart respectively. "1-2-3" sold over one and three quarter million copies, and gave Barry his second gold disc.[2] Both "1-2-3" and "Like a Baby" were composed by Barry, John Madara and Dave White, one of the original Juniors from Danny & the Juniors. Barry also covered "Treat Her Right" by another blue-eyed soul act, Roy Head and the Traits.
In 1969 Barry and Madara co-produced The Original Version: Journey To The Moon LP for Buddah Records. According to Madara, "Neil Bogart wanted to be the first record company out with authentic conversations with the astronauts and others, including President Nixon, using original music that we composed."[4] Barry used Madara's studio band (including Daryl Hall of future Hall & Oates fame) that would become Gulliver: (Tim Moore (guitar), Tom Sellers (bass), Daryl Hall (keyboards), Jim Helmer (drums) and named them the 'Sound of Genesis' for this album. Sellers arranged it and it was billed as being recorded live on Earth, in Space and on the Moon. According to Madara, this album "was approved by NASA, who sent in the tapes every day to us of the moon flight, which we used on the LP."[4]
Barry, obsessed with Indian culture, then went on to write and produce "Keem-O-Sabe" (which his longtime friend, sometime manager, and America's first club DJ Alan White called the first disco hit record), and was later instrumental in the creation of the Philadelphia disco sound.[5] Again, Sellers arranged it and the future Gulliver performed it (this time as The Electric Indian) in conjunction with two musicians, Bobby Eli (guitar) and Vince Montana (vibraphone), who would go on to fame with MFSB and the Salsoul Orchestra. "Broad Street", the single's B-side, also written and produced by Barry and never issued on an LP, was an instrumental.
Even after his period of hit records ended, Barry continued performing his entertaining stage act, and later moved into songwriting and production work with WMOT Productions.[6]
In May 2008, Barry reinvented himself as a writer with the publication of the semi-biographical novel, Black-Like-Me. The storyline involved a pair of Caucasian siblings growing up in a largely African-American neighborhood, accepted by some, rejected by others; in a sort of reverse-perspective morality tale.[7]
[edit] Legacy
* The song "1-2-3" was featured on the soundtrack for the film, Mr. Holland's Opus.
* "1-2-3" was one of the songs that appeared in John Lennon's jukebox.
* Motown Records sued the songwriters, Len Barry and Dave White, claiming that "1-2-3" was a reworked copy of Holland-Dozier-Holland song "Ask Any Girl". The songwriters did admit to taking the composition and the lawsuit led to Holland-Dozier-Holland getting equal credit for writing "1-2-3" as noted on the Billboard Top 10 official album.[citation needed]
* In December 2005, Welsh singer-songwriter Cerys Matthews recorded a new version of "1-2-3" in Nashville, Tennessee.[8]
* In 1994, Scottish star, Edwyn Collins, sampled "1-2-3" for part of his hit "A Girl Like You".
Discography Singles
The Dovells (as lead singer)
* "Bristol Stomp" (1961) - #2 US Billboard Hot 100
* "The Continental" (1962) - #37 US Billboard Hot 100
* "Bristol Twisting Annie" (1962) - #27 US Billboard Hot 100
* "Hully Gully Baby" (1962) - #25 US Billboard Hot 100
* "You Can't Sit Down" (1963) - #3 US Billboard Hot 100
The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main St reissue reviewed track-by-track
Remastered and boasting unreleased tracks, this Stones masterpiece is MusicRadar's Classic Album Of The Month, Joe Bosso, Fri 7 May 2010, 4:10 pm BST
You can listen to Tumbling Dice from this album below:
Exile On Main St reissue: intro
The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main St reissue will be released 17 May 2010 (18 May in the US) Welcome to MusicRadar's new Classic Album Of The Month feature. Every month, we'll put an important release back in the spotlight, breaking the album down track-by-track and looking in depth at technique, gear and production. Think DVD-style commentary but for musicians! To kick us off, a stone-cold classic from 1972 gets expanded and dusted down for 2010…
Although hard to comprehend now, upon its release in May 1972, Exile On Main St, The Rolling Stones’ grand, sprawling double LP, confounded most critics and fans.
A staggering, encyclopedic examination of American roots music - gospel, folk, country, soul, R&B, boogie-woogie rock ’n’ roll, it's all there - Exile marked the end of the Stones’ four-album hot streak, one which included Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers. (OK, we can call it five if you throw in the live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out.)
The reason for all of the head-scratching was simple: During most of their early career, The Rolling Stones were known as the greatest ’singles’ band in the world. But as they came to equal The Beatles and embraced the album as a true art form, with Exile they reached their creative peak while pulling off the ultimate irony: They released a two-record set with nary a hit single to be found. (Tumbling Dice came the closest, peaking at number five in the UK and number seven in the US - this from a band that routinely racked up number ones.)
Produced by Jimmy Miller and recorded mostly in the basement of Keith Richards' rented French Riviera villa Nellcôte (the band were forced to flee England at the time to avoid paying enormous taxes, thus the ’Exile’ part of the title), with additional tracking and overdubs in Los Angeles, the album reflected, in sound and spirit, the ’elegantly wasted’ state of the group and the various friends, hangers-on and dope dealers that partied from dusk till dawn.
The decades have been kind to Exile On Main St. The voluminous, panoramic work that tested the patience of most listeners in 1972 is now regarded as one of rock’s unqualified masterpieces.
On 17 May 2010 (18 May in the US), Exile On Main St will be reissued in remastered form with a bonus CD featuring 10 previously unreleased tracks from that album’s sessions (some of which have been recently ’sweetened' by the Stones' current boardsman Don Was, with brand-new vocals, guitar overdubs and background singers).
MusicRadar gives you the track-by-track lowdown of this essential desert island disc(s). More importantly, we answer the question: Are 'polished' Stones better than their dirty and dusty originals?
Exile on Main St.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to:navigation, search
Exile on Main St.
Studio album by The Rolling Stones
Released 12 May 1972
Recorded July 1971 – March 1972
Genre Rock, blues-rock, country rock, folk, soul, gospel, Boogie-woogie
Length 67:17
Language English
Label Rolling Stones/Atlantic
Producer Jimmy Miller
The Rolling Stones chronology
Sticky Fingers
(1971) Exile on Main St.
(1972) Goats Head Soup
(1973)
Singles from Exile on Main St.
1. "Tumbling Dice"/"Sweet Black Angel"
Released: 14 April 1972
2. "Happy"/"All Down the Line"
Released: 15 July 1972
3. "Plundered My Soul"/"All Down the Line (Alternate take)"
Released: 17 April 2010
Exile on Main St. is the tenth studio album by The Rolling Stones. Released as a double LP in May 1972, it draws on many genres including rock & roll, blues, country and soul and calypso. Exile on Main St. was initially greeted by reviewers with condemnation or high praise, but it has since become almost universally regarded as a masterpiece.[1]
A remastered version of the album was released in Europe on May 17, 2010 and in the United States on May 18, 2010, featuring 10 new tracks, including "Plundered My Soul", "Dancing in the Light", "Following the River" and "Pass the Wine" as well as alternate versions of "Soul Survivor" and "Loving Cup".[2]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Recording
o 1.1 Nellcôte
o 1.2 Los Angeles
* 2 Release and reception
* 3 Legacy
o 3.1 Band appraisal
o 3.2 Re-release
o 3.3 Accolades and cultural references
* 4 Album cover and layout design
* 5 Track listing
* 6 Personnel
* 7 Sales chart performance
* 8 Sales certifications
* 9 References
* 10 External links
Recording
Exile on Main St. is an album composed of songs written and recorded between 1968 and 1972. Of the earlier songs, the band's singer Mick Jagger said in 2003, "...After we got out of our contract with Allen Klein, we didn't want to give him [those earlier tracks]," as they were forced to do with the songs "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses" from Sticky Fingers. Most were recorded between 1969 and 1971 at Olympic Studios and Jagger's Stargroves country house in England during sessions for Sticky Fingers.[3]
By the spring of 1971, the Rolling Stones, who owed more taxes than they could pay, left England before the government would seize their assets. Mick Jagger settled in Paris with his new bride Bianca, and guitarist Keith Richards rented a luxurious villa, Nellcôte, in Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice. The other members settled in various places in the south of France. After unsucessfully looking for a recording studio in France that would be suitable for the next Rolling Stones album, it was decided they would record at Nellcôte using the band's remote recording truck brought in from England.
[edit] Nellcôte
Recording began in earnest sometime near the middle of June. The bassist Bill Wyman recalls the band working all night, every night, from eight in the evening until three the following morning for the rest of the month. Wyman said of that period, "...not everyone turned up every night. This was, for me, one of the major frustrations of this whole period. For our previous two albums we had worked well and listened to producer Jimmy Miller. At Nellcôte things were very different and it took me a while to understand why..." By this time Richards had begun a daily habit of using heroin. Thousands of dollars of heroin flowed through the mansion each week in addition to a contingent of visitors that included William S. Burroughs, Terry Southern, Gram Parsons and Marshall Chess (who was running the Rolling Stones' new label).[4] Parsons was asked to leave Nellcôte in early July, 1971, the result of his obnoxious behaviour and an attempt by Richards to clean the house of drug users as the result of pressure from the French police.
Richards' substance abuse prevented him from attending the sessions that continued in his basement, while Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman were often unable to attend sessions for other reasons. This often left the band in the position of having to record in altered forms. A notable instance was the recording of one of Richards' most famous songs, "Happy". Recorded in the basement, Richards said in 1982, "'Happy' was something I did because I was for one time EARLY for a session. There was Bobby Keys and Jimmy Miller... We had nothing to do and had suddenly picked up the guitar and played this riff. So we cut it and it's the record, it's the same. We cut the original track with a baritone sax, a guitar and Jimmy Miller on drums. And the rest of it is built up over that track. It was just an afternoon jam that everybody said, 'Wow, yeah, work on it'".
The basic band for the Nellcôte sessions consisted of Richards, Bobby Keys, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts, Miller (a skilled drummer in his own right who covered for the absent Watts on the aforementioned "Happy" and "Shine a Light"),[3] and Jagger when he was available. Wyman did not like the ambience of Richards' villa and sat out many of the French sessions. As Wyman appeared on only eight songs of the released album, the other bass parts were played by Taylor, Richards and on four tracks, the upright bassist Bill Plummer. Wyman noted in his memoir Stone Alone that there was a dichotomy between the band members who freely indulged in drugs (Richards, Miller, Keys, Taylor, the engineer Andy Johns) and those who abstained to varying degrees (Wyman, Watts and Jagger).[4]
[edit] Los Angeles
Additional basic tracks (probably only "Rip this Joint", "Shake Your Hips", "Casino Boogie", "Happy", "Rocks Off", "Turd on the Run" and "Ventilator Blues")[3] were begun in the basement of Nellcôte and taken to Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles where numerous overdubs (all piano and keyboard parts, all lead and backing vocals, all guitar and bass overdubs) were added during sessions that meandered from December 1971 until May 1972. Some tracks (such as "Torn and Frayed" and "Loving Cup") were freshly recorded in Los Angeles.[3] Although Jagger (who had recently wed Bianca Jagger) was frequently missing from Nellcôte,[4] he took charge during the second stage of recording in Los Angeles, arranging for the keyboardists Billy Preston and Dr John and the cream of the city's session backup vocalists to record layers of overdubs.[3] The final gospel-inflected arrangements of "Tumbling Dice", "Loving Cup", "Let It Loose" and "Shine a Light" were inspired by Jagger and Preston's visit to a local evangelical church.[3]
The extended recording sessions and differing methods on the part of Jagger and Richards reflected the growing disparity in their personal lives.[4] During the making of the album, Jagger had married which was followed by the birth of their only child, Jade in October 1971. Richards was firmly attached to his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg, yet both were in the throes of heroin addiction,[4] which Richards would not overcome until the turn of the decade. Even though the album is often described as being Richards' finest moment, as Exile is often thought to reflect his vision for a raw, rootsy rock sound, Jagger was already expressing his boredom with rock and roll in several interviews at the time of the album's release.[4] With Richards' effectiveness seriously undermined by his dependence on heroin, the group's subsequent 1970s releases—directed largely by Jagger—would experiment in varying degrees with other musical genres, moving away from the roots-based sound of Exile on Main St.[4]
Preceded by the UK and US Top 10 hit "Tumbling Dice", Exile on Main St. was released in May 1972. It was an immediate commercial success, reaching #1 worldwide just as the band embarked on their celebrated 1972 American Tour. Their first American tour in three years, it featured many songs from the new album. "Happy", sung by Richards, would be a Top 30 US hit later that summer.
Many critics judged Exile on Main St. to be a ragged and impenetrable record at the time of its release. Lenny Kaye, writing in Rolling Stone magazine, was typical of contemporary critics who did not consider the album as anything special.[13] According to Kaye, "[t]here are songs that are better, there are songs that are worse,...and others you'll probably lift the needle for when the time is due." Kaye concludes by assuring his readers that "the great Stones album of their mature period is yet to come".
On the initial critical and commercial reaction, Richards said, "When [Exile] came out it didn't sell particularly well at the beginning, and it was also pretty much universally panned. But within a few years the people who had written the reviews saying it was a piece of crap were extolling it as the best frigging album in the world."[14]
Other critics praised the album's rawness and different styles, from blues to country to soul. The music critic Robert Christgau concluded in 1972: "Incontrovertibly the year’s best, this fagged-out masterpiece is the summum of Rock ’72...Exile explores new depths of record-studio murk, burying Mick’s voice under layers of cynicism, angst, and ennui..."[3]
In 1994 Exile on Main St. was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records.
The original double album contained 12 black-and-white postcards featuring the Rolling Stones in the company of two unidentified women.
The album was reissued again on May 17, 2010 in the United Kingdom, and on May 18, 2010 in the United States by The Rolling Stones' new distributor, Universal Music Enterprises.[15]
Legacy
Band appraisal
At the time of Exile's release, Jagger said, "This new album is fucking mad. There's so many different tracks. It's very rock & roll, you know. I didn't want it to be like that. I'm the more experimental person in the group, you see I like to experiment. Not go over the same thing over and over. Since I've left England, I've had this thing I've wanted to do. I'm not against rock & roll, but I really want to experiment... The new album's very rock & roll and it's good. I think rock & roll is getting a bit... I mean, I'm very bored with rock & roll. The revival. Everyone knows what their roots are, but you've got to explore everywhere. You've got to explore the sky too."[3]
In 2003, Jagger said, "Exile... is not one of my favourite albums, although I think the record does have a particular feeling. I'm not too sure how great the songs are, but put together it's a nice piece. However, when I listen to Exile it has some of the worst mixes I've ever heard. I'd love to remix the record, not just because of the vocals, but because generally I think it sounds lousy. At the time Jimmy Miller was not functioning properly. I had to finish the whole record myself, because otherwise there were just these drunks and junkies... Of course I'm ultimately responsible for it, but it's really not good and there's no concerted effort or intention."[14] Jagger also stated he didn't understand the praise amongst Rolling Stones' fans because the album did not yield very many "hits".[According to the Rolling Stones, the Rolling Stones, Chronicle Books, October 2003.]
Of the album, Richards said, "Exile was a double album. And because it's a double album you're going to be hitting different areas, including 'D for Down', and the Stones really felt like exiles. We didn't start off intending to make a double album; we just went down to the south of France to make an album and by the time we'd finished we said, 'We want to put it all out'... The point is that the Stones had reached a point where we no longer had to do what we were told to do. Around the time Andrew Oldham left us, we'd done our time, things were changing and I was no longer interested in hitting Number One in the charts every time. What I want to do is good shit — if it's good they'll get it some time down the road."[14]
[edit] Re-release
Universal Music, which remastered and re-released the rest of the post-1971 Rolling Stones catalogue in 2009,[16] issued a new remastering of Exile on Main St. in a deluxe package in May 2010.[17] New tracks include 'Plundered My Soul', 'Dancing in the Light', 'Following the River' and 'Pass the Wine'.[17] The package also includes new versions of 'Soul Survivor' and 'Loving Cup'.[17] On the selection of tracks, Richards said, "Well, basically it's the record and a few tracks we found when we were plundering the vaults. Listening back to everything we said, 'Well, this would be an interesting addition.'"[18]
Most of the tracks were left as originally recorded at the time, with Richards continuing, "There wasn't much to be done and I really didn't want to get in the way of what was there. It was missing a bit of body here and there, and I stroked something on acoustic here and there. But otherwise, I really wanted to leave them pretty much as they were. Mick wanted to sort of fix some vocal things, but otherwise, basically they are as we left them 39 years ago. Mick did need to sing an actual vocal on Plundered My Soul because there wasn't one and Mick Taylor also recorded lead & rhythm guitar in London.""[18] The rest of the songs were, however, only completed in the studio for this release, with lyrics written and both lead and backing vocals newly recorded. [19]
Jimmy Fallon announced on his show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, that he would mark the re-release of the album with a week's worth of musicians performing songs from the album.[20] Phish, who had played the album in its entirety live in concert before, were the first confirmed act to join the salute.
[edit] Accolades and cultural references
In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Exile on Main St. the 42nd greatest album of all time,[21] while in 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 3 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.[22] In 1987 it was ranked #3 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the greatest 100 albums of the period 1967-1987.[23] In 1993, Entertainment Weekly named it #1 on their list of "100 Greatest CDs".[24] In 2003, Pitchfork Media ranked it number eleven on their Top 100 Albums of the 1970s.[25] In 2001, the TV network VH1 placed it at number 22 on their best albums survey.[26] The album was ranked number 19 on the October 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine's list of the greatest 100 guitar albums of all time[citation needed].In 2007, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame placed the album #6 on the "Definitive 200" list of albums that "every music lover should own."[citation needed]
The album and its title has frequently been referenced by other bands in their own album titles. For example, the British acid house group Alabama 3 titled its debut album Exile on Coldharbour Lane. Perhaps the most notable reference comes from indie singer/songwriter Liz Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville. Phair herself claims the album to be a direct song-by-song "response" of sorts to Exile on Main St. Confrontational garage-trash noise-rock band Pussy Galore released a complete cover of the album that reflected their own personal and musical interpretations of the songs, as opposed to paying tribute to the original sound. Post-grunge band Matchbox Twenty paid homage to this album by titling their 2007 retrospective Exile on Mainstream. Industrial Rock band Chemlab named the leading track from their album East Side Militia, "Exile on Mainline", in reference to the Rolling Stones album.
On October 31, 2009, American rock band Phish covered Exile on Main St. in its entirety as the "musical costume" for their Halloween show in Indio, California. A parody/homage of the album features as the main theme of the website X-File On Main St.
The Departed, a 2006 film by Martin Scorsese, features a scene in which Bill Costigan mails Madelyn Madden an Exile on Main St. jewel case containing an incriminating recording of Colin Sullivan conspiring with crime boss Frank Costello.
In a Season 6, Part 2 episode of The Sopranos titled The Blue Comet, Tony and his sister Janice are discussing their Uncle Junior, and Tony shouts, "...and as for your husband [Bobby], Janice, Exile on Main Street!"
[edit] Album cover and layout design
Exile on Main St. featured a gatefold cover and included a series of 12 perforated postcards with a sequence of images inserts, all of which were shot by photographer Robert Frank.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Jagger/Richards, except where noted.
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Rocks Off" 4:31
2. "Rip This Joint" 2:22
3. "Shake Your Hips" (Slim Harpo) 2:59
4. "Casino Boogie" 3:33
5. "Tumbling Dice" 3:45
Side two
No. Title Length
6. "Sweet Virginia" 4:25
7. "Torn and Frayed" 4:17
8. "Sweet Black Angel" 2:54
9. "Loving Cup" 4:25
Side three
No. Title Length
10. "Happy" 3:04
11. "Turd on the Run" 2:36
12. "Ventilator Blues" (Jagger/Richards/Taylor) 3:24
13. "I Just Want to See His Face" 2:52
14. "Let It Loose" 5:16
Side four
No. Title Length
15. "All Down the Line" 3:49
16. "Stop Breaking Down" (Robert Johnson) 4:34
17. "Shine a Light" 4:14
18. "Soul Survivor" 3:49
2010 bonus CD tracks
No. Title Length
1. "Pass the Wine (Sophia Loren)" 4:54
2. "Plundered My Soul" 3:59
3. "I'm Not Signifying" 3:55
4. "Following the River" 4:52
5. "Dancing in the Light" 4:21
6. "So Divine (Aladdin Story)" 4:32
7. "Loving Cup" (Alternate take) 5:26
8. "Soul Survivor" (Alternate take) 3:59
9. "Good Time Women" 3:21
10. "Title 5" 1:47
Personnel
The Rolling Stones
* Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica, guitar, percussion, tambourine, and maracas
* Keith Richards – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals, and piano
* Mick Taylor – guitar, slide guitar, bass guitar and backing vocals
* Charlie Watts – drums
* Bill Wyman – bass guitar and upright bass
Additional musicians
* Venetta Fields – backing vocals
* Shirley Goodman – backing vocals
* Joe Green – backing vocals
* Nicky Hopkins – piano
* Bobby Keys – saxophone and percussion
* Clydie King – backing vocals
* Jerry Kirkland – backing vocals
* Tami Lynn – backing vocals
* Kathi McDonald – backing vocals
* Lisa Fischer – backing vocals
* Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals
* Jimmy Miller – drums, percussion, and maracas
* Al Perkins – pedal steel guitar
* Bill Plummer – upright bass
* Billy Preston – piano and organ
* Jim Price – trumpet, trombone, and organ
* Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) – backing vocals and piano
* Ian Stewart – piano
* Richard Washington – marimba
* David Campbell – strings arrangement
Production
* Robert Frank – photography
* Jeremy Gee – engineer
* Andy Johns – engineer
* Glyn Johns – engineer
* Norman Seeff – photography of postcard inserts
* Nick Watterton – engineer
* John Van Hamersveld – design
* Joe Zaganno – engineer
Sales chart performance
Album
Year Chart Position
1972 UK Top 50 Albums 1
1972 Billboard Pop Albums 1
Singles
Year Song Chart Position
1972 "Tumbling Dice" UK Top 50 Singles 5
1972 "Tumbling Dice" Billboard Hot 100 7
1972 "Happy" Billboard Hot 100 22
2010 "Plundered My Soul" UK Top 200 Singles 200
2010 "Plundered My Soul" Billboard Singles Sales 2
2010 "Plundered My Soul" Billboard Triple A 16
2010 "Plundered My Soul" Billboard Heritage Rock 15
2010 "Plundered My Soul" Billboard Rock Digital Songs 31
2010 "Plundered My Soul" Billboard Rock Songs 44
[edit] Sales certifications
Organization Level Date
RIAA – USA Gold[27] 30 May 1972
RIAA – USA Platinum[27] 31 May 2000
[edit] References
1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Exile on Main St.". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A4kq4g40ttv6z. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
2. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (26 February 2010). "Seen Much Better Days: Rolling Stones Return to ‘Main Street'". The New York Times. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/seen-much-better-days-rolling-stones-return-to-main-street/. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Exile on Main St.". timeisonourside.com. http://timeisonourside.com/lpExile.html. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
4. ^ a b c d e f g Greenfield, Robert. "Making Their Masterpiece: Exile on Main St.". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/therollingstones/articles/story/11569598/the_rolling_stones_making_their_masterpiece_exile_on_main_street. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
5. ^ PopMatters Review
6. ^ Blender Review
7. ^ (07/09/1994)
8. ^ Allmusic Review
9. ^ Robert Christgau Review
10. ^ Rolling Stone Review
11. ^ BBC Review
12. ^ One Thirty BPM Review
13. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/therollingstones/albums/album/236885/review/5940372/exile_on_main_st
14. ^ a b c Loewenstein, Dora; Philip Dodd (2003). According to the Rolling Stones. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 0-8118-4060-3.
15. ^ http://blog.newsok.com/television/2010/03/17/9332/
16. ^ Cavanagh, David. "ALBUM REVIEWS: THE ROLLING STONES REISSUES". Uncut. IPC Media. http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/the_rolling_stones/reviews/13146. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
17. ^ a b c "ROLLING STONES REISSUE 'EXILE ON MAIN STREET'". Uncut. IPC Media. http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/the_rolling_stones/news/13967. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
18. ^ a b Greene, Andy. "The Secrets Behind the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" Reissue". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/32635178/the_secrets_behind_the_rolling_stones_exile_on_main_street_reissue/3. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
19. ^ Cashmere, Paul. "Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street Not As Genuine As We Thought". Undercover.com.au. http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=10930. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
20. ^ Collis, Chris. "Phish to appear on Jimmy Fallon's Exile on Main St. tribute week". Entertainment Weekly. http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/03/30/phish-to-appear-on-jimmy-fallons-exile-on-main-street-tribute-week-what-should-they-play-who-else-should-perform/. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
21. ^ "Q Readers All Time Top 100 Albums". Q. February, 1998 (accessed 8 July 2007).
22. ^ Greatest British Albums "100 Greatest British Albums". Q. June, 2000 (accessed 8 July 2007).
23. ^ "TOP 100 ALBUMS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS ". Rolling Stone. September, 1987 (accessed 8 July 2007).
24. ^ "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S 100 Greatest CDs". Entertainment Weekly. 1993 (accessed 16 May 2010).
25. ^ "Top 100 Albums of the 1970s". Pitchfork. 23 June 2004 (accessed 8 July 2007).
26. ^ "Greatest Albums of Rock and Roll". VH1. 23 June 2001 (accessed 8 July 2007).
27. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
External links
* Exile on Main St. on RollingStones.com
* Rolling Stone magazine's original 1972 review
* Separated at Birth? Exile on Main St. & Physical Graffiti
