PINK FLOYD - "Is There Anybody Out There?" (1979)

 

Is there anybody out there? 

I'm talkin' to you! 

It's been 47 years since "The Wall" came out, and we know even less than we did in 1979.

If we had listened to Pink Floyd, would the world be a better place today? 

I sure as Hell don't know.

PINK FLOYD - "Is There Anybody Out There?" 

THE PENTANGLE - "Sweet Child" (1968)

In 1968 the British folk group known as The Pentangle came out with this album called "Sweet Child."

Unique in every way possible, it's a keeper! 

The abundant talent of Jacqui McShee: vocals
John Renbourn: vocals, guitar
Bert Jansch: vocals, guitar
Danny Thompson: double bass, 

and
Terry Cox: drums

is more than obvious! 

THE PENTANGLE - "Sweet Child" 

THE HOLLIES - ROCKAPELLA - "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress"

 

 The Hollies had a lot of great hits over the years, but my favorite will always be this one because it's just an all around great song, and probably one of my favorite rock songs of all time.

THE HOLLIES - "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" 

 

For somebody to be good enough twenty-one years later to do a version that's just damn near as good is pretty amazing, but that's what Rockapella managed to do.

I think you will agree! 

ROCKAPELLA - "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress"

ANDREW DORFF - "Hint Of Mess" (1997)

 

Discogs refers to Andrew Dorff as "an American country music singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee."

He did write some country hits for other people, but if this is country music, I'd sure be listening to a lot more of it .

Seems like Andrew's life was an enigma, and he died mysteriously at the age of 40 in 2016 while on vacation in Turks and Caicos. 

Ten years have passed, and to this day, nobody seems to know what happened other than he drowned. 

This album of his titled "Hint Of Mess" came out in 1997, and on it was this terrific song with a great title!

ANDREW DORFF - "Insecuriosity"

Four Essential Hammond Organ Songs of the Psychedelic Era

 

Rich here to talk about how an affordable church organ became an essential instrument for rock bands once the music started getting Heavy. But, first, some background: Back in the mid-1930's the Hammond Organ Co. began making an alternative for churches that could neither house nor afford the large pipe organs found in gigantic cathedral-like churches. It was a successful venture.

 

After Hammond Organs became particularly popular in small Black churches, many gospel-influenced Black jazz, soul, and R&B groups of the '60s made the Hammond Organ a central part of their instrumentation. Meanwhile, with a few exceptions, most White rock bands of the time were using easy-to-transport "Combo organs." They were popular, but their thin, skating-rink quality sounded somewhat cheesy. (For example, listen to "96 Tears.")

 

In 1967, rock music was getting heavier. The bass and drums were louder, and the guitars were fuzzed and distorted, and some bands began replacing their tinny-sounding combo organs with the fuller-and-deeper-sounding Hammond Organ. When played through a Leslie amplification cabinet with a rotating speaker that gave the organ a whirling sound, the Hammond Organ was perfect for the dreamy, slowed-down psychedelic music of the time.

 

And the sound caught on. Procol Harum had a hit record in 1967 that featured a Hammond Organ front and center, playing a quasi-classical counter-theme against the song's bluesy melody. Shortly afterwards, many bands interested in being taken seriously ditched their combo organs and invested in a Hammond Organ. 

 

The following are four Hammond Organ-centric records from 1967-1968 that I consider essential, including the Procol Harum record I believe initiated the trend.

 

PROCOL HARUM  - "A Whiter Shade Of Pale

 

VANILLA FUDGE -"You Keep Me Hanging On"

 

DEEP PURPLE - "Hush"

 

THREE DOG NIGHT - "Chest Fever" 

E-IN-BRINO - "Indianapolis" (1981)

 

 "Red Snerts - The Sound Of Gilcher"

 From 1981, this record is a wild and krazy compilation of different bands from Indiana, and well worth a listen if you can get your hands on a copy. If not, you can find most of it on YouTube,

We have holidays for everything else in the world, I think it's time we start celebrating "Red Snerts"Day!

E-IN-BRINO - "Indianapolis" 

THE THOUGHT - "Every Single Day" (1985)

 

This doesn't happen often but the song I wanted to use from this 1985 self-titled album by The Thought was actually not available on YouTube, but it's okay, this song is almost as good! 

 I don't know why, but I thought that The Thought was from L.A., but they are really from from Broek op Langedijk, Noord-Holland.

It's all starting to make sense now. 

THE THOUGHT - "Every Single Day"