All Articles – Page 144

AC/DC

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-APRIL 1, 2019…ON APRIL 1ST 1980, AC/DC MADE IT OFFICIAL AND ANNOUNCED BRIAN JOHNSON WOULD BE THE GROUP’S NEW SINGER REPLACING THE LATE BON SCOTT. SCOTT HAD TRAGICALLY PASSED AWAY ON FEB 19, 1980 AFTER A DRINKING BINGE.

ANGUS AND BROTHER MALCOLM YOUNG WERE FACED WITH A CRUCIAL DECISION ON WHO WOULD FRONT THE GROUP AFTER SCOTT’S DEATH.

JOHNSON WAS ASKED TO AUDITION FOR THE BAND IN LONDON, ALONG WITH A LIST OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES WHICH INCLUDED SLADE’S NODDY HOLDER, BUZZ SHEARMAN OF CANADA’S MOXY, AND THE LATE ALAN FRYER FROM THE AUSTRALIAN ROCK GROUP HEAVEN.

LEGEND HAS IT THAT JOHNSON GOT SO DISTRACTED SHOOTING POOL WITH THE ROADIES WAITING FOR HIS CHANCE TO SING, THEY HAD TO FETCH HIM TO BELT OUT ‘WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE’ AND A FEW OTHER JAMS.

THE BAND FOUND THEIR MAN, AND WERE REWARDED WITH ‘BACK IN BLACK’ THE ALBUM THAT SAVED THE BAND. ‘BACK IN BLACK’ IS THE SECOND BIGGEST ALBUM OF ALL-TIME IN WORLDWIDE SALES, SELLING OVER 50 MILLION COPIES.

HERE’S BRIAN JOHNSON’S DEBUT WITH AC/DC

Ed Vill

KIRK HAMMETT’S METALLICA ANNIVERSARY

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-APRIL 1, 2019…IT WAS 1983 AND METALLICA WAS REPLACING THEIR GUITARIST DAVE MUSTAINE. IT WAS ON THIS DATE THEY ANNOUNCED KIRK HAMMETT AS THE GROUP’S NEWEST MEMBER.

KIRK LATER TOLD “MUSICRADAR” WHILE THE CALL TO JOIN METALLICA CAME AS A SURPRISE, HE ALREADY KNEW THE GUYS IN THE BAND.

KIRK WAS A MEMBER OF THE BAY AREA BAND ‘EXODUS’ AND HAD PLAYED ON THE SAME BILL AS METALLICA BEFORE SO HE KNEW ALL OF THEIR SONGS. ACCORDING TO HAMMETT:

“I had the No Life ‘Til Leather demo and listened to it quite a bit. It was what everyone in the San Francisco underground metal scene was listening to in 1982.” During his Exodus tenure, Hammett spent time on a personal level with Metallica singer-guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and recalled memorable experiences with both men: Hetfield as “a really cool guy, really clever” who just happened to like wrestling when he got drunk, and Ulrich as someone whose post-show routine included casually disrobing during their first conversation.

“They had just finished their set and as I was talking to him, he started taking his stage clothes off, and before I knew it he was completely naked in front of me. I was just shocked,” Hammett admitted. “I said to myself, ‘Oh, he’s European. Europeans do stuff like this.’ But my eyes never left his eyes.”

SO HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIRK TO A GREAT 36 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF METALLICA.

HERE’S A GREAT VERSION OF ‘ENTER SANDMAN’ FROM A CONCERT 3 WEEKS AGO IN KENTUCKY

photo thanks-Alberto Cabello

THE FIRST TIME HENDRIX SET HIS GUITAR ON FIRE

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 31, 2019…FIFTY TWO YEARS AGO FANS IN LONDON ENGLAND WERE STUNNED WHEN JIMI HENDRIX SET HIS GUITAR ON FIRE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THEN SMASHED IT TO PIECES.

HENDRIX WAS ADDED TO A CROWDED TOUR WHICH INCLUDED THE WALKER BROTHERS, ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK, AND CAT STEVENS (BOY THAT BILL RAN THE GAMUT)! TO GET ATTENTION SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULD BE COOL IF HE COULD ACTUALLY PLAY WITH FIRE WHEN PLAYING HIS SONG ‘FIRE’. A ROADIE WAS SENT TO GET SOME LIGHTER FLUID AND WHEN THE EXPERIENCE WAS ALMOST NEAR THE END OF THE SONG, HENDRIX PUT THE GUITAR DOWN ON STAGE IN FRONT OF THE AMPLIFIERS AND WALKED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STAGE WHILE THE BAND CONTINUED TO JAM.

WHILE HENDRIX WAS DISTRACTING THE CROWD, THE BAND’S MANAGER

DOUSED THE GUITAR IN LIGHTER FLUID. HENDRIX THEN CAME BACK TO THE GUITAR, KNELT BESIDE IT AND THREW SOME MATCHES ON IT. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF FLUID ON THE GUITAR, THE FLAME SHOT 4 FEET INTO THE AIR AND ENDED UP BURNING HENDRIX’S HANDS. HE FINISHED THE FINAL SONG ON ANOTHER GUITAR AND THEN WENT TO THE HOSPITAL WERE HE WAS TREATED FOR HIS BURNS.

HENDRIX OF COURSE PERFECTED THE STUNT AND PERFORMED IT MANY OTHER TIMES. HERE’S VIDEO OF HENDRIX TORCHING THE GUITAR AT THE MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL (AND DAMN THAT GUITAR IS A GREAT QUALITY AX, IT DOESN’T WANT TO BREAK !!)

https://photo credit-youtube

ANGUS ANGUS ANGUS !!!!

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 31, 2019…HAPPY 64TH BIRTHDAY TO AC/DC’S ANGUS YOUNG. ANGUS IS THE GROUP’S LEAD GUITARIST, MAIN SONGWRITER, AND THE ONLY ORIGINAL MEMBER STANDING OF AC/DC.

HERE’S SOME ANGUS TRIVIA:

-JUST LIKE HIS OLDER BROTHER MALCOLM, ANGUS DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL WHEN HE WAS 14 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS OLD (WHICH WAS THE EARLIEST AGE HE WAS LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DO SO).

-HIS FIRST JOB OUT OF SCHOOL WAS A PRINTER FOR A SOFT PORN MAGAZINE

-ANGUS STARTED PLAYING GUITAR AT THE AGE 11, PLAYING AROUND WITH MALCOLM’S COLLECTION BEFORE HIS MOTHER BOUGHT HIM A CHEAP ACOUSTIC

-HE IS SELF TAUGHT, AND NEVER TOOK GUITAR LESSONS

-ANGUS IS 5’2”

-WHEN PLAYING WITH HIS PRE-AC/DC BAND THINGS WERE GOING BAD AND ANGUS TRIPPED WHILE WALKING ACROSS THE FLOOR, AND COVERED IT UP BY RUNNING AROUND AND FLOPPING ALL OVER WHILE PLAYING THE SOLO. IT WAS THE ONLY APPLAUSE THE GROUP GOT ALL NIGHT. HE INCORPORATED IT INTO HIS ACT

-HIS PATENTED DUCK WALK WAS DEVELOPED AS A HANDY ATTENTION GETTING DEVICE WHILE PLAYING FOR DRUNKEN BARROOM CROWDS.

ANGUS FORMED AC/DC WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER MALCOLM IN 1973.

HERE’S A VERY YOUNG ANGUS, WITH AC/DC’S OFFICIAL VERSION OF ‘LET THERE BE ROCK’

photo thanks-Francesco

FRAMPTON

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 30, 2019…FORTY FOUR YEARS AGO PETER FRAMPTON RELEASED HIS FOURTH ALBUM, THE SELF TITLED ‘PETER FRAMPTON’. THIS ALBUM IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT WAS THE RECORD HE RELEASED JUST BEFORE HE WENT ON TOUR AND RECORDED ‘FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE’

THE ALBUM CONTAINED TWO SINGLES ‘SHOW ME THE WAY’ AND ‘BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY’ THAT WENT NOWHERE ON THE CHARTS. HOWEVER WHEN RELEASED AS LIVE TRACKS FROM ‘FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE’, THEY WERE MEGA HITS.

NOW, I’VE SAID IT BEFORE, AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN, I’M A FREAKIN’ SUCKER FOR ANY SONG WITH A TALK BOX. I REMEMBER SEEING FRAMPTON PERFORMING ON “THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL” AND SAYING TO MY BROTHER “WTF IS HE PLAYING AND DOING WITH THAT TUBE IN HIS MOUTH, MAKING HIS GUITAR SOUND SO COOL ?!!?!”

HERE’S FRAMPTON FROM 1975 ON “THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL” PERFORMING HIS BIGGEST HIT ‘SHOW ME THE WAY’….TALK BOX BABY !!!

OLD SLOWHAND’S BIRTHDAY

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 30, 2019…HAPPY 74TH BIRTHDAY TO ERIC

CLAPTON. CLAPTON’S STORY IS FASCINATING. CLAPTON WAS RAISED BY HIS MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS, JACK AND ROSE CLAPP, BELIEVING HIS MOTHER WAS HIS SISTER (WHAT WHAT WHAT!).

HIS FATHER WAS EDWARD WALTER FRYER, A CANADIAN SOLDIER STATIONED IN ENGLAND FOR WORLD WAR II. HIS MOTHER WAS 16 YEAR OLD PATRICIA MOLLY CLAPP. FRYER RETURNED TO HIS WIFE IN CANADA BEFORE CLAPTON WAS BORN. ERIC’S LAST NAME COMES FROM ROSE’S

(GRANDMOTHER) FIRST HUSBAND AND PATRICIA’S BIOLOGICAL FATHER

REGINALD CLAPTON.

YOU CAN’T TELL THE PLAYER’S WITHOUT A PROGRAM.

CLAPTON’S NICKNAME IS “SLOWHAND” ALTHOUGH HE PLAYS VERY FAST. HIS MANAGER STARTED CALLING HIM THAT WHEN HE STARTED TOURING WITH THE YARDBIRDS IN 1964. CLAPTON WAS FAMOUS FOR BREAKING STRINGS BECAUSE OF HIS RIDICULOUS BENDS. WHEN HE WOULD GO BACKSTAGE TO CHANGE STRINGS THE AUDIENCE WOULD START A SLOW HAND CLAP UNTIL HE RETURNED. “CLAP-MAN” WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE BUT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL TO HIS LOVE LIFE

photo-Aaron Warren

GUITAR HERO:METALLICA

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 29, 2019…TEN YEARS AGO THE HOTTEST VIDEO GAME ON THE PLANET “GUITAR HERO:METALLICA” WAS RELEASED.

THE GAME FEATURED 28 MASTER RECORDINGS SPANNING METALLICA’S CAREER AND AN ADDITIONAL 21 SONGS SELECTED BY MEMBERS OF THE BAND. THE GAME ALSO FEATURED A TON OF ‘EXTRAS’ LIKE BEHIND THE SCENE VIDEOS, TOUR AND CONCERT VIDEOS OF METALLICA, AND POP-UP VIDEO FACTS FOR MANY OF THE SONGS ON THE GAME.

HERE’S A 100% SCORE ON ‘ENTER SANDMAN’

BLOW BY BLOW

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 29, 2019…IF YOU LIKE INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR WORK, THIS IS YOUR ALBUM. ON THIS DATE IN 1975, JEFF BECK

RELEASED THE ALBUM ‘BLOW BY BLOW’. THIS ALBUM WAS HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM.

JEFF BECK MADE HIS NAME PLAYING GUITAR FOR THE YARDBIRDS, REPLACING ERIC CLAPTON. WHEN HE LEFT THE YARDBIRDS, (HE WAS REPLACED BY JIMMY PAGE) HE WENT ON TO FORM THE JEFF BECK GROUP, WHICH INCLUDED ROD STEWART AND RON WOOD. HIS NEXT PROJECT BECK, BOGART, & APPICE FOLLOWED AND AFTER DISBANDING THIS POWER TRIO HE AUDITIONED FOR THE OPEN GUITAR SLOT IN THE ROLLING STONES. REALIZING THAT HE AND THE STONES WERE NOT A GREAT FIT, HE RELEASED ‘BLOW BY BLOW’. TO THIS DAY IT’S HIS HIGHEST CHARTING ALBUM.

FROM ‘BLOW BY BLOW’ HERE’S JEFF BECK WITH A LIVE VERSION OF ‘FREEWAY JAM’

FORTY YEARS AGO SUPERTRAMP SERVED UP ‘BREAKFAST’

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 29, 2019…OKAY IF YOU CAN GRADE ALBUMS AS MONSTER ALBUMS FOR BANDS, ‘BREAKFAST IN AMERICA’ WOULD BE THE MONSTER ALBUM FOR SUPERTRAMP. RELEASED ON THIS DAY IN 1979, THE RECORD WENT ON TO SELL MORE THAN 9 MILLION COPIES. IT WAS FUELED BY FOUR HIT SINGLES ‘THE LOGICAL SONG’ GOODBYE STRANGER’ ‘TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME’ AND THE TITLE

TRACK ‘BREAKFAST IN AMERICA’.

HERE’S SUPERTRAMP IN CONCERT CIRCA 1979 PERFORMING A SONG ABOUT ONE NIGHT STANDS ! HERE’S A LIVE VERSION OF ‘GOODBYE STRANGER’

WOODSTOCK

LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MARCH 28, 2019… FORTY NINE YEARS AGO TODAY CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG RELEASED A COVER VERSION OF THE SONG ‘WOODSTOCK’.

THE SONG IS ABOUT THE FAMOUS MUSIC FESTIVAL WOODSTOCK THAT WAS HELD IN 1969. THE SONG WAS WRITTEN BY JONI MITCHELL WHO WAS SCHEDULED TO PERFORM, BUT BACKED OUT ON THE ADVICE OF HER MANAGER WHO WAS CONCERNED THAT SHE WOULD MISS AN APPEARANCE ON THE DICK CAVETT SHOW. CROSBY, STILLS NASH AND YOUNG DID APPEAR.

IT MAY SEEM ODD THAT THE GREATEST SONG ABOUT WOODSTOCK WAS WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WHO WASN’T THERE, BUT JONI MITCHELL HAS A DIFFERENT TAKE. WHEN JONI MITCHELL APPEARED ON ‘THE NATIONAL’

A NEWS PROGRAM ON THE CANADIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK (THE CBC) SHE SAID:

“I was one of the many who were thwarted, that was the place every kid wanted to be. I got to the airport with CSN and our agent, David Geffen, and our manager, Elliott, on a Sunday night. It was a catastrophe. I had to do The Dick Cavett Show the following day, and it was Geffen who decided we can’t get Joni out in time. So he took me back to his suite where he lived, and we watched it on TV. I was the deprived kid who couldn’t go, so I wrote it from the point of view of a kid going. If I had been there in the back room with all the egomaniacal crap that goes on backstage, I would not have had that perspective.”

The ‘C,S,N & Y’ VERSION IS FROM THE ALBUM ‘DEJA VU’. IT PLACED AT # 11 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS. A DIFFERENT VERSION OF THE SONG FROM ‘C,S,N & Y’ WAS USED ON THE CLOSING CREDITS ON THE 1970 WOODSTOCK DOCUMENTARY

HERE’S ‘WOODSTOCK’ FROM CROSBY, STILLS,NASH & YOUNG