We’ve been featuring some awesome cover bands recently. Leonid & Friends, Tim Akers & The Smoking Section and The Fendertones are three good examples. Leonid’s dead on recreation of Chicago’s hits captures even the most discerning purist. Check out “25 or 6 to 4”. Tim Akers band actually improves on the tunes they cover. Check out “Uptown Funk” and “Shake It Off” to see what I mean. And the Fendertones homage to the Beach Boys, while not exactly hitting the mark, comes close enough for us to sing along. They weren’t afraid to look deep into the Beach Boy cannon to record rarities like “Monkey’s Uncle” from the Disney film of the same name. In this visual generation, watching the video production is as much fun as listening to the music.
Take a listen to the four selections in today’s Much More Music section and see parts of their performances don’t remind you of somebody else y0u know well.
Quick Takes:
Apple sets March 25 as the date for its “special event”, likely announcing streaming and news services. Via @CNBC
HBR’s take on what big consumer brands can do to compete in the digital economy.
“Do your homework then trust your gut.” How leaders at the top make big decisions. Via @jacobsmedia
Fatal distraction: Tech’s worry as D.C. bares fangs. Via @axios.
On This Date In History:
1956: Dow Jones closes above 500 for 1st time (500.24)
1965: The Beatles finished the filming of the movie Help! in the Bahamas.
1965: James Darren was a guest voice (as “Jimmy Darrock”) on the season finale of The Flintstones on ABC-TV.
1968: The Rolling Stones began recording “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” with their new producer, Jimmy Miller, at Olympic studios in London.
1972: NHL great Gordie Howe retires after 26 seasons
1973: Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In airs its final episode on NBC-TV
Released on This Date:
1965: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs – Wooly Bully
1967: The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
1973: Stevie Wonder – You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
1975: Parliament – Chocolate City
1978: Bob Dylan – Masterpieces
1979: Peaches & Herb – Reunited
1980: Billy Joel – Glass Houses
1981: The Rolling Stones – Sucking In The Seventies
1985: Kool & The Gang – Kool & The Gang At Their Best
Happy Birthday to:
(1922) Jack Kerouac (d. 1969)
(1931) Herb Kelleher (d. 2019)
(1940) Al Jarreau (d. 2017)
(1941) Barbara Feldon
(1946) Liza Minnelli
(1948) James Taylor
(1949) Mike Gibbins (d. 2005)
(1950) Jon Provost
(1957) Marlon Jackson
Much More Music:
They sound just like…
1968: “Sally Had a Party” – Flavor: This Washington, D.C. area garage rock band released three singles on Columbia Records. The firs, “Sally Had a Party” (b/w “Shop Around”), became a regional hit that scraped the national charts. It’s organ licks smack of Spenser Davis’ “Gimmie Some Lovin”. (Video)
1971: “Fresh as a Daisy” – Emitt Rhodes: His debut at LA’s famous Troubadour was concurrent with an earthquake, prompting his ABC/Dunhill Records PR team to take out an add with the tagline, “That wasn’t an earthquake, that was Emitt Rhodes opening at the Troubadour!” His sound-alike resemblance to Paul McCartney lead to a 2010 documentary entitled The One Man Beatles. (Video)
“Mustang Sally” – Andrew Strong: For years I thought that Andrew Strong WAS Wilson Pickett. Written and first recorded by Mack Rice in 1965, The ode to Ford’s innovative sports car gained greater popularity when Wilson Pickett covered it the following year. This Irish singer took his version to a whole new level in the 1991 film “The Commitments” (Video)
Today’s Quote Worth Re-quoting: “I wish my bed was as comfortable when I go to bed as it is when my alarm goes off.”
One More for the Road: Speaking of Elton John. The Edgar Winter Group, stole a bit of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” for this track from 1974’s “Shock Treatment”. “River’s Risin” peaked at #33, but in my view was worthy to be included in my personal power playlist. (Video)
