“Why don’t you just play it the same way each time?” Paul McCartney asked Brian Ray why he performed a Beatles song like this. Here’s what he said

25 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: , ,

(via Guitar Player) by Joe Bosso

When Brian Ray joined Paul McCartney’s band in 2002, he was tasked with learning more than 40 songs — in one week.

“Fortunately, I listened to the Beatles nonstop throughout my life, so I already knew most of them,” he says. “Of course, it’s much different when you’re playing in a band that, oh yeah, is led by Paul McCartney himself. Needless to say, I immersed myself in the material.”

But Ray quickly discovered that there’s a difference between how the Beatles recorded the songs and how they need to be played onstage,

“It’s one thing to listen to these songs and appreciate them as a fan, as we’ve all done,” he says. “But when you start digging into them and analyzing them, you’re just astounded by the creativity and depth. Even stuff that sounds simple isn’t simple at all. I’m constantly amazed at the brilliance in these songs, and that feeling grows stronger all the time.”

Given his rarified position, Ray has some unique insights for guitar (and bass) players looking to incorporate Fab Four material into their repertoire.

“It’s important to have respect for the Beatles’ records,” he says. “On the other hand, you don’t want to sound like karaoke. And if you’re like me and you grew up on these records, they’re part of your DNA. You’ve memorized every upstroke and downstroke…

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/why-don-t-you-just-play-it-the-same-way-each-time-paul-mccartney-asked-brian-ray-why-he-performed-a-beatles-song-like-this-here-s-what-he-said/ar-AA1rHLTw?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=f1e24aea004e4470866f0bcbedc6f11d&ei=35

Amazon Keeps Sending Clay Aiken’s Christmas Album to Man Who is Trying to Order Hardcore Punk Album

18 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

Image by Ed Cyphers

‘Jesus Is a Friend of Mine’ by Sonseed. Admit It. You Love This Song.

11 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

Sonseed’s 1982 local TV appearance.

This is essentially the same as the video that has over 15 million views, but this version with improved audio was posted by songwriter Sal Polichetti.

Sal Polichetti discussing “Jesus is a Friend of Mine” and what a long, strange trip it’s been.

A dead-on parody of the TV performance, posted on YouTube by Craig Colson, can be seen here. It prompted the following comment from Polichetti:

“Absolutely loved it! You even nailed the way I looked at the wrong camera in the last verse. The guitar solo was cool also; it was mixed so low on the original recording you can barely hear it. There’s a live version of us playing the song floating around on YouTube (from 1983) if you want to hear what it really was supposed to sound like. Again, well done!”

And here is that live version, from Sonseed’s 1983 farewell concert. “Jesus is a Friend of Mine” followed by the sublime “Wake My Slumbering Soul”.

Oh, and here’s that Glee video Sal mentioned:

Her dead father left her 10,000 records. Sharing them online helped her grieve – and get to know him

11 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

Jula with her dad’s record collection. Photograph: Jula

Jula began sampling albums from her father’s extensive collection on Instagram. Her ‘listening parties’ connected her with people who shared his passion

(via The Guardian) by Alaina Demopoulos

When Jula’s father died, he left her his vinyl collection – close to 10,000 records that included everything from opera to 60s psych to prog rock to new wave. At first, it felt overwhelming to look at shelves and shelves of records. But this summer, Jula, who is 24 and lives in Canada, decided to “sample” a few records. A friend suggested she post the process on Instagram. “She said, ‘There are people who are your father’s age who would recognize the records, and maybe you could find a small community of people who you can connect to, to keep that alive,’” Jula said.

Jula with Lou Reed’s 1984 album New Sensations. Photograph: Instagram user @soundwavesoffwax

She started randomly pulling records, recording her reactions, thoughts and commentary for albums beloved by boomers from artists like Harry Nilsson, the Moody Blues, Santana and the Beach Boys. Since first posting in September, Jula, who prefers not to give her last name, has amassed more than 322,000 followers on her account, @soundwavesoffwax.

Jula grew up in a house full of sound. Her father, Richard, was a lifelong music lover who played multiple instruments and wrote songs. “He told me that when he was five years old, he would do little chores for his grandfather, and use the allowance to buy records,” Jula said. She remembers him spinning the Archies, the Monkees and Frank Sinatra when she was a child. (Jula now makes her own music under the moniker Juli.Jeli, which she describes as “experimental electronic”.)

When Richard died a few years ago, those records became the only physical thing Jula had left of her father. “It’s like the last thing we have left of him, so even though they take up a lot of space, I knew I didn’t want to get rid of any.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/21/father-vinyl-records-instagram

See also: https://www.discogs.com/digs/features/a-daughters-journey-through-her-late-fathers-record-collection/

20 Acts Whose Biggest Hit Was a Cover Song

03 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts

(via Loudwire) by Graham Hartmann

Whether they turned a good song into a great song or just reinvigorated an old classic, these 20 acts secured the biggest hit of their career (so far) with a cover song.

Elvis Presley’s most successful song was a cover of Big Mama Thornton. The crown jewel of Elvis’ untouchable body of work, “Hound Dog,” sold over 10 million copies globally and topped the U.S. pop chart for 11 weeks, cementing a record that stood for a staggering 36 years.

Fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett created one of music’s most illustrious solo careers after leaving the Runaways. However, her only No. 1 hit is “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” a cover of an Arrows song from the ‘70s. Most people don’t even know Jett’s mega-hit is a cover, proving how synonymous the song is with rock’s leather-clad queen.

Tesla’s “Signs” is instantly recognizable, but it was the second time the song was a huge hit. Five Man Electrical Band popularized the cut in 1971, selling half a million copies of the single. When Tesla made their version of “Signs,” it peaked all the way at No. 8, besting the original, which only hit No. 24. Thanks to “Signs,” Tesla sold a million copies of their 1990 album, Five Man Acoustical Jam.

Read More: 20 Acts Whose Biggest Hit Was a Cover Song | https://loudwire.com/biggest-hit-cover-song/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

How ELO Conquered the Planet with Mini Symphonies and Giant Spaceships

28 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: , ,

(Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

(via Classic Rock) by Harry Doherty

UFOs, violins and killer songs – this the epic story of Electric Light Orchestra

Way back in the 60s, The Move were part of a peculiar pop dynasty, huge and respected in the UK while never having quite made it in the USA. By the mid-70s this most English of bands had morphed into one of the few genuinely huge bands in the world – the Electric Light Orchestra.

By 1978 ELO were selling out eight nights on the trot at Wembley Arena during a memorable global tour. When their star shone it was with a dazzling brilliance. I was lucky enough to be hanging onto their coat-tails through the 70s as they went into overdrive and into orbit, knocking out a string of exceptional hit singles and albums.

Back to The Move. Led by eccentric pop genius Roy Wood, their single Flowers In The Rain was the first ever track played on Radio 1 when the station was launched at 7am on September 30, 1967. They were Birmingham’s Beatles.

At that time, Wood was The Move: a massively inventive pop writer, a great singer and a consummate showman. He came to dislike the limitations The Move imposed upon his creative ambitions. His canvas was bigger, more colourful, a grand, kaleidoscopic, wide-screen pop-o-rama.

Read more: https://www.loudersound.com/features/electric-light-orchestra-band-history

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