mentions:
Ernest Borgnine ~ Marty
Van Morrison ~ Hard Nose the Highway
date & photographer unknown
Showing posts with label Van Morrison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Van Morrison. Show all posts
January 24, 2022
May 8, 2020
20,000 vinyl LPs 221: Crossroads ~ Robert Johnson
~
Robert Leroy Johnson was born on May 8, 1911, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. He was an American blues
singer, songwriter and musician. Johnson's
poorly documented life and death have given rise to much legend. The one
most closely associated with his life is that he sold his soul to the devil at a local crossroads to achieve musical success. The film, Crossroads, was based on this ledgend.
The recordings by Johnson in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. He is recognized as a master of the blues, particularly the Delta blues style. In September of 1998, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum paid tribute to Robert Johnson even though Johnson only recorded 29 songs before dying in August of 1938.
The recordings by Johnson in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. He is recognized as a master of the blues, particularly the Delta blues style. In September of 1998, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum paid tribute to Robert Johnson even though Johnson only recorded 29 songs before dying in August of 1938.
Robert Johnson, Memphis - circa 1935
photo by the Hooks Bros
Hellhound on My Trail
is the reason Johnson had such an influence on the Delta Blues
form of music. It is his most famous song out of the 29
songs recorded before his early death. The song is rated as one of the
100 greatest musical works of the 20th century by National Public Radio
and as the best blues poetry by music historian Samuel Charters. Johnson is a legendary figure who allegedly sold his soul to
the devil in return for his musical talent. The song is meaningless if
detached from his persona as his early death is believed to be related
to the song—he had a hellhound after him because of his bargain with the
devil. It is entwined with his mystique.
"The
Crossroads", where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the Devil
in exchange for mastery of the blues, according to the legend, is the
intersection of U.S. Routes 61 and 49, at Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States.
Clarksdale, MS Crossroads
photo by
The 1986 film, Crossroads, directed by Walter Hill and starring Ralph Macchio, was based on this Johnson legend. I think this is the best film Macchio has appeared in; he did not actually play the guitar but he does an amazing job of going through the motions of doing it.
Crossroads
movie poster
The film featured a score written by Ry Cooder, which was performed by Arlen Roth, Steve Vai and Cooder on guitars and Sonny Terry along with Frank Frost on harmonicas.
photo by Susan Titelman
Crossroads original soundtrack
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
Ry Cooder is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer and record
producer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music
from the United States, and his collaborations with traditional
musicians from many countries, so, he was a perfect choice to score the
music for the film.
He has played with John Lee Hooker, Captain Beefheart, Gordon Lightfoot, Ali Farka Touré, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Randy Newman, Linda Ronstadt, David Lindley, The Chieftains, The Doobie Brothers, and Carla Olson & the Textones (on record and film). He formed the band Little Village. He also produced the Buena Vista Social Club album (1997), which became a worldwide hit. Wim Wenders directed the documentary film of the same name (1999), which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000.
Cooder was ranked eighth on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" (David Fricke's Picks). A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at number 32.
Crossroads original soundtrack
photo of album back cover by Styrous®
Arlen Roth is an American guitarist, teacher, and author. From 1982–1992, he was a columnist for Guitar Player magazine. Those ten years of columns became a book, Hot Guitar.
He has performed and recorded with the Bee Gees, Rory Block, Cindy Cashdollar, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan, Duane Eddy, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, John Entwistle, Art Garfunkel, Danny Gatton, Vince Gill, Levon Helm, Bill Kirchen, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, David Lindley, Don McLean, Steve Morse, Phil Ochs, Brad Paisley, John Prine, John Sebastian, Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Phoebe Snow, James Taylor, Kate Taylor, Livingston Taylor, Rick Wakeman, Joe Louis Walker, and Steve Wariner.
Crossroads original soundtrack
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
Steve Vai is an American guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, producer and three-time Grammy Award winner. He has worked with Frank Zappa and played in Zappa's band from 1980 to 1983. He has recorded and toured with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake, as well as recording with artists such as Public Image Ltd, Mary J. Blige, Spinal Tap and Ozzy Osbourne.
Crossroads original soundtrack
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
My favorite cut on the album is Viola Lee Blues. It has a dixieland, funeral procession feeling to it but a little more upbeat and opens with a great mandolin played by Cooder. It features Walt
Sereth who plays soprano sax, George
Bohannon on baritone horn with a vocal by Cooder (link below).
Crossroads original soundtrack
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
Sonny Terry was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician,
who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently
included vocal whoops and hollers and occasionally imitations of trains
and fox hunts. In 1938 Terry was invited to play at Carnegie Hall for the first From Spirituals to Swing concert, and later that year he recorded for the Library of Congress.
Terry was also in the 1947 original cast of the Broadway musical comedy Finian's Rainbow. He also appeared in the film The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg. He appeared in the 1979 Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. Terry collaborated with Ry Cooder on Walkin' Away Blues. He performed the cover of Crossroad Blues by Robert Johnson for the film Crossroads.
Side 1:
A1 - Crossroads, Backing Vocals – Bobby King, Terry Evans, Willie Green, Bass – Nathan East, Drums – Jim Keltner, Guitar, Vocals – Ry Cooder, Harmonica – Sonny Terry, Piano – Jim Dickinson - 4:23
A2 - Down In Mississippi, Bass – Jorge Calderon, Drums – Jim Keltner, Guitar, Mandolin – Ry Cooder, Percussion – Miguel Cruz, Piano – Jim Dickinson, Vocals – Bobby King, Terry Evans, Willie Green* - 4:26
A3 - Cotton Needs Pickin’, Bass – Richard "Shubby" Holmes, Drums – John Price, Guitar – Otis Taylor, Ry Cooder, Organ – Jim Dickinson, Vocals, Harmonica – Frank Frost - 2:58
A4 - Viola Lee Blues, Bass – Jorge Calderon, Drums – Jim Keltner, Horn [Baritone] – George Bohannon, Piano, Guitar – Jim Dickinson, Saxophone [Soprano] – Walt Sereth, Vocals, Mandolin – Ry Cooder - 3:11
A5 - See You In Hell, Blind Boy, Arranged By [Strings] – Kirby Johnson, Piano – Van Dyke Parks, Synthesizer – Alan Pasqua, 2:12
Side 2:
B1 - Nitty Gritty Mississippi, Backing Vocals – Bobby King, Terry Evans, Willie Green, Bass – Nathan East, Drums – Jim Keltner, Guitar – Ry Cooder, Vocals, Piano – Jim Dickinson - 2:57
B2 - He Made A Woman Out Of Me, Bass – Nathan East, Drums – Jim Keltner, Guitar – Ry Cooder, Organ – William "Smitty" Smith, Piano – Jim Dickinson, Vocals – Amy Madigan - 4:12
B3 - Feelin' Bad Blues, Guitar – Ry Cooder, Keyboards [Dolceola] – Jim Dickinson - 4:17
B4 - Somebody's Callin' My Name, Arranged By, Guitar – Ry Cooder, Vocals – Arnold McCuller, Bobby King, Sam King, Willie Green - 1:45
B5 - Willie Brown Blues, Bass – Nathan East, Drums – John Price, Guitar – Ry Cooder, Harmonica – Frank Frost, John "Juke" Logan, Piano – Jim Dickinson, Vocals – Joe Seneca - 3:46
B6 - Walkin' Away Blues, Guitar – Ry Cooder, Harmonica – Sonny Terry - 3:40
Companies, etc.
Pressed By – Specialty Records Corporation
Credits:
Engineer [Second] – David Ahlert, Judy Last, Tony Chiappa
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Recorded By – Mark Ettel
Remix – George Massenburg
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode (text): 0 7599-25399-1
Matrix / Runout (Variant 1: Side A, etched except SRC[logo] stamped): 1-25399-A-SR1 SRC[logo]
Matrix / Runout (Variant 1: Side B, etched except SRC[logo] stamped): 1-25399-B-SR2 SRC[logo]
Matrix / Runout (Variant 2: Side A, etched except SRC[logo] stamped): 1-25399-A-SR3 SRC[logo]
Matrix / Runout (Variant 2: Side B, etched except SRC[logo] stamped): 1-25399-B-SR2 SRC[logo]
Matrix / Runout (Variant 3: Side A, etched except [SRC logo]): 1-25399-A-SR3 1-1 [SRC logo]
Matrix / Runout (Variant 3: Side B, etched except [SRC logo]): 1-25399-B-SR3 [SRC logo] 1-
Ry Cooder – Crossroads - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 1 - 25399
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Blues, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Delta Blues
Viewfinder links:
Bee Gees
Captain Beefheart
Eric Clapton
Bob Dylan
Duane Eddy
John Lee Hooker
Steve Martin
Van Morrison
Phil Ochs
Ozzy Osbourne
Public Image Ltd (PiL)
The Rolling Stones
John Sebastian
Simon & Garfunkel
Spinal Tap
Sonny Terry
Rick Wakeman
Whitesnake
Neil Young
Frank Zappa
Net links:
Cast
Film's music chronology
Plot
Reference sites:
choose901 ~ Hooks Brothers Photography Documented Black Memphis
eltastate.edu ~
Hooks Brothers: Portrait of 20th Century African-American Life in Memphis
Mississippi Blues Travelers ~ Hooks Brothers Photography Studio
NPR ~ Robert Johnson At 100, Still Dispelling Myths
Robert Johnson Blues Foundation ~ Robert Johnson
udiscovermusic ~ The Devil’s Music: The Life And Legacy Of Robert Johnson
YouTube links:
Crossroads ~
Crossroads - Ry Cooder (Studio Version)
Down In Mississippi
Cotten Needs Pickin'
Viola Lee Blues
See You in Hell, Blind Boy
He Made a Woman Out of Me
Feelin' Bad Blues
Somebody's Callin' My Name
Willie Brown Blues
Walkin' Away Blues
Steve Vai vs Ralph Macchio Epic Guitar Battle
Crossroads guitar duel (extended version) (9 min., 30 sec.)
Styrous® ~ Friday, May 8, 2019
May 7, 2020
Van Morrison articles/mentions
Hard Nose the Highway
Saint Dominic's Preview
mentions:
Crossroads ~ Robert Johnson
Van Morrison - March 28, 1967, New York City
photo: PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
December 20, 2018
David Gahr ~ music world photographer
~
Joan Baez
Johnny Cash
Judy Collins
Salvador Dalí
Miles Davis
Janis Joplin
John Lennon
Pete Seeger
The United States postal music stamps ~ the "Forevers" Pt 3
David Gahr photography studio and archives
David Gahr - 1964
photo by John Byrne Cooke
David Gahr (born September 18, 1922) was an American photographer. He was one of the pre-eminent photographers of American folk, blues, jazz and rock musicians of the 1960s.
His photographic output includes more than five decades of musicians like Phil Spector, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, Sonny Terry, John Lennon and Pete Seeger, among others. His book, The Face of Folk Music (Citadel Press, 1968) with writer Robert Shelton captured the exploding American Folk music scene, with hundreds of images including Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Odetta, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Mary Travers and Johnny Cash, among others.
The iconic photo by Gahr of Miles Davis playing his trumpet in his undershirt was used on the Davis 1971 reissue album, A Tribute To Jack Johnson, the soundtrack for the Bill Cayton documentary, on the life of boxer Jack Johnson. The photo was also used by the United States Postal Service for one of their music "Forever" stamps (link below).
He did not limit himself to music and musicians; he shot assignments for Time and Life magazines. He photographed Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, Salvador Dalí, Willem de Kooning and Georgia O’Keeffe. He took book-jacket photos of John Cheever and Arthur Miller.
He did not limit himself to music and musicians; he shot assignments for Time and Life magazines. He photographed Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, Salvador Dalí, Willem de Kooning and Georgia O’Keeffe. He took book-jacket photos of John Cheever and Arthur Miller.
Gahr died in Brooklyn, New York on May 25, 2008; he was 85 years old.
His daughter, Carla Gahr, also a
photographer, managed the David Gahr archives.
Viewfinder links:
Johnny Cash
Judy Collins
Salvador Dalí
Miles Davis
Janis Joplin
John Lennon
Pete Seeger
The United States postal music stamps ~ the "Forevers" Pt 3
Net links:
Morrison Hotel Gallery ~ David Gahr
Styrous® ~ Thursday, December 20, 2018
March 24, 2018
September 5, 2017
20,000 Vinyl LPs 107: Al Stewart - Past, Present and Future
vinyl LP album cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Today, September 5, is the birthday of Al Stewart who was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1945. Stewart produced some excellent albums but, of course, I have a favorite. That album is, Past, Present and Future. What a fantastic album it is! The songs are based on historical events some of which never happened.
Of course, I have favorite songs from it; two of which are Old Admirals and Nostradamus. Old Admirals is a slow and nostalgic musing on the fact that the knowledge of the Admiral's years of experience is for naught; he is from a world whose time has come and gone, rendered irrelevant by the progress of technologies. But still, there is the lingering hope that he will be useful again one day.
Terminal Eyes has a Beatles, I am the Walrus, feeling to it; syncopated and bouncy it moves along with a relentless determination. The lyrics are just as mystifying as Walrus.
vinyl LP album cover
photo by Styrous®
vinyl LP album back cover
photo by Styrous®
Of course, I have favorite songs from it; two of which are Old Admirals and Nostradamus. Old Admirals is a slow and nostalgic musing on the fact that the knowledge of the Admiral's years of experience is for naught; he is from a world whose time has come and gone, rendered irrelevant by the progress of technologies. But still, there is the lingering hope that he will be useful again one day.
Old Admirals who feel the wind but never put to sea.
(link to lyrics below)
vinyl LP record sleeve w/lyrics
photo by Styrous®
vinyl LP record sleeve detail w/lyrics
detail photo by Styrous®
Nostradamus
is a tour de force; at almost ten minutes it has plenty of time to wander around with gay abandon. After a mellow guitar and vocal duet intro (2 minutes) it goes into a joyous exposition of the predictions of the Seer. The instrumental sections are wonderful and the vocal backup at the end by Krysia Kocjan is totally
sublime.
Man, man, your time is sand, your ways are leaves upon the sea
I am the eyes of Nostradamus, all your ways are known to me
I am the eyes of Nostradamus, all your ways are known to me
(link to lyrics below)
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Roads To Moscow has a slow, quiet guitar and balalaika intro that goes into a mellow waltz with a beautiful female chorus backing that speeds up and gets dramatic. The story is of a German soldier taken prisoner and transported to a damp transit camp during World War II.
And I wonder when I'll be home again and the morning answers
"Never"
And the evening sighs and the steely Russian skies go on forever
"Never"
And the evening sighs and the steely Russian skies go on forever
(link to lyrics below)
Cut glass porcupine sailing on the Serpentine
Fingers on the skyline pulling down the black blinds
Terminal eyes at the edge of the night
Fingers on the skyline pulling down the black blinds
Terminal eyes at the edge of the night
(link to lyrics below)
My copy of this album is a promotional recording meant to be distributed to broadcasters, such as music radio and television stations, and to DJs and music journalists, in advance of the release of commercial editions.
vinyl LP album cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
vinyl LP album cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Stewart is best known for his 1976 hit single Year of the Cat, the title song from the platinum album of the same name. Though Year of the Cat and its 1978 platinum follow-up Time Passages brought Stewart his biggest worldwide commercial successes, earlier albums such as Past, Present and Future from 1973 are often seen as better examples of his intimate brand of historical folk-rock.
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Stewart was a key figure in British music and he appears throughout the musical folklore of the revivalist era. He played at the first-ever Glastonbury Festival in 1970, knew Yoko Ono before she met John Lennon, shared a London flat with a young Paul Simon,
Stewart has worked with Peter White, Alan Parsons, Jimmy Page, Richard Thompson, Rick Wakeman, Francis Monkman, Tori Amos, Tim Renwick, Dave Nachmanoff and former Wings lead-guitarist Laurence Juber.
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Stewart grew up in the town of Wimborne, Dorset, England, after moving from Scotland with his mother, Joan Underwood. His father, Alastair MacKichan Stewart, who served as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force volunteer reserve, died in a plane crash during a 1945 training exercise before Stewart was born. After that, as he sings in the song Post World War II Blues (from Past, Present and Future): "I came up to London when I was 19 with a corduroy jacket and a head full of dreams." (link below)
photographer & date unknown
Al Stewart - February 13, 2010
vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
vinyl LP, Side 1
photos by Styrous®
vinyl LP, side 2
photos by Styrous®
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - Old Admirals - 5:54
A2 - Warren Harding - 2:39
A3 - Soho (Needless To Say) - 3:55
A4 - The Last Day Of June 1934 - 4:45
A5 - Post World War Two Blues - 4:17
Side 2:
B1 - Roads To Moscow - 8:00
B2 - Terminal Eyes - 3:22
B3 - Nostradamus - 9:46
Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Arista Records, Inc.
Published By – Dick James Music
Produced For – Kinetic Productions Ltd.
Mastered At – Allen Zentz Mastering
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Arista Records, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Gwyneth Music Ltd.
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar – Peter Berryman*
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Spanish] – Isaac Guillory
Artwork [Graphics] – George Hardie
Backing Vocals – John Donelly, Kevin Powers, Krysia Kocjan, Mick Welton
Bass – Brian Odgers, Bruce Thomas
Concertina [English] – Alistair Anderson
Design [Cover], Photography By – Hipgnosis (2)
Drums – John Wilson*
Electric Guitar – Tim Renwick
Engineer – Mike Stone
Harmonica – Graham Smith
Keyboards – Bob Andrews, Bob Sargeant, Rick Wakeman, Tim Hinkley
Keyboards, Accordion [Piano] – Peter Woods*
Mandolin – Dave Swarbrick, Haim Romano
Percussion – Frank Ricotti, Roger Meddows Taylor*
Performer [Steel Band] – Lennox James, Luciano Bravo, Michael Oliver (4)
Photography By [Back] – Jill Furmanovski*
Producer – John Anthony
Remastered By – Chris Bellman
Steel Guitar – B.J. Cole*
Synthesizer [Moog] – Francis Monkman
Written-By, Acoustic Guitar – Al Stewart
Notes:
Lyrics printed on the inner sleeve.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): AL 9524 SA
Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): AL 9524 SB
Matrix / Runout (Etched Side A): AL-9524 SA P
Matrix / Runout (Etched Side B): AL-9524-SB
Matrix / Runout (Stamped Both Side): MASTERED AT ALLEN ZENTZ L.A.,CALIF.
Rights Society: BMI
Al Stewart – Past, Present And Future
Label: Arista – AL 9524
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock
Net links:
Al Stewart Discography
Old Admirals lyrics
Nostradamus lyrics
Road To Moscow lyrics
Terminal Eyes lyrics
YouTube links:
Old Admirals (with lyrics)
Nostradamus (with lyrics)
Post World War II Blues (with lyrics)
Roads To Moscow (with lyrics)
Terminal Eyes
Love Chronicles (18 minutes)
The Beatles - I Am The Walrus
Happy birthday, Al, may your sailing be smooth!
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, September 5, 2017
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