All the Revelations in the New We Are the World Doc, from Waylon Jennings’ Exit to the Prince Solo That Never Was

31 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

(via People) by Rachel DeSantis

The new Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, featuring interviews with Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen and more, is streaming now

Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and co. had one night only to nail their recording of “We Are the World” — and nail it they did, with the charity single becoming one of the most successful hits of all time.

On Jan. 28, 1985, A&M Studios in Los Angeles was a who’s who of music’s biggest stars, all of whom were gathered to record a song in support of African famine relief, specifically in Ethiopia.

Richie and Jackson wrote the track together, and it was produced by Quincy Jones, with everyone from Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Bette Midler lending their vocals to bring it to life…

Read more: https://people.com/we-are-the-world-documentary-revelations-from-waylon-jennings-exit-to-diana-ross-fangirling-over-daryl-hall-8548314

Video of the Week: How John Lennon Abused Judy Garland

30 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Video of the Week Tags: ,

Video of the Week: Roy Smeck Shreds on the Ukulele

29 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Video of the Week Tags:

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2022/12/11/roy-smeck-an-appreciation/

Quora: What Beatles Song Can Compete with Stairway to Heaven?

29 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts, On a Lighter Note

(answered by Steve Rapaport)

You should know by now that the Beatles did everything first.

The Beatles originally wrote Stairway to Heaven in 1964 and recorded it, but never released it. They gave it away to Robert Plant for his new band a few years later.

Here’s the original:

Quora: What is the “Norwegian Wood” Lyric Referring to in the Beatles Song of the Same Name?

29 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

(Answered by Ely Matawaran)

John Lennon, who was the main writer of the song with McCartney as co-writer, said to Playboy in 1980 that it was about an affair he was having:

“I always had some kind of affair going, so I was trying to be sophisticated in writing in such a smoke-screen way that you couldn’t tell.”

When asked about the title itself, he answered:

“I don’t know how the hell I got to ‘Norwegian Wood'”

Sir Paul McCartney:

“John told Playboy Magazine that he hadn’t the faintest idea where the title came from but I do.

“Peter Asher (of Peter and Gordon, brother of Jane Asher and roommate of McCartney in their house) had his room done out in a wood, a lot of people were then decorating their places in wood, Norwegian wood.

“It was pine really, cheap pine. But it’s not as good a title, “Cheap Pine, Baby”…

“So she makes him sleep in the bath and then finally in the last verse I had this idea to set the Norwegian wood on fire as revenge, so we did it very tongue in cheek.

“She led him on, then said, ‘You better sleep in the bath’.

“In our world, the guy had to have some sort of revenge. It could have meant I lit a fire to keep myself warm, and wasn’t the decor of her house wonderful?

“But it didn’t, it meant I burned the fucking place down as an act of revenge, and then we left it from there and went into the instrumental.”

NOTE: Norwegian Wood was a landmark recording being one of the first Western pop songs to feature the sitar, an Indian instrument played by George Harrison, which would soon become an integral part of psychedelic sound.

Quora: Which Artists/Bands Showed No Progression from Album to Album?

28 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: , , ,

(answered by Don Stuart)

AC/DC is the poster child of no progression. 40 years, 17 albums. Nada.

There’s a reason: Malcolm and Angus, the two guitarists in AC/DC, had an older brother named George Young who was in a 60’s band called The Easybeats.

George and his friend Harry Vanda (both were guitarists too) wrote an international hit with that band called “Friday On My Mind.” It was one of the cooler songs of 1966–67. The Easybeats didn’t get big outside of Australia (where they were huge) but they eventually became underground rock legends.

George and Harry were helping young Malcolm get AC/DC rolling in the early 70’s. They produced most of their 70’s albums, and they remembered what worked for The Easybeats. Only this time there was Angus Young, their “baby brother” guitar prodigy.

They also remembered how The Easybeats got whipsawed chasing the fickle trends of 60’s rock.

As soon as AC/DC had the slightest success in Australia, it was “Nope.” George made them stick to the formula and refine it. The only time they deviated (slightly) was when they signed with gigantic Atlantic Records. The label made them dump George and Harry and brought in Mutt Lange to produce the album Highway to Hell. A little more polish, a little more success.

Then came the monster Back in Black album and the formula was perfected. Malcolm, the undisputed leader, booted Lange after one more album and never let the band change. With George minding the shop — it was always a family business.

Angus likes to joke that he’s been flogging the same guitar solo for 40 years. All the way to the bank, mate.

Postscript: Mutt Lange remembered the formula, too. Compare the boom-crack beat and quasi-rap in “Back in Black” with Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” — Lange’s next monster — and then “Any Man of Mine,” the breakout hit for Shania Twain — Lange’s ex-wife, and the best-selling woman in country music history.

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