The Electric Light Orchestra
The biggest compliment a band can get is to have another singer write a song about how much they like them, as Randy Newman did in 1979 about ELO with the release of “‘The Story of a Rock and Roll Band.” In the song he said, “I love their “Mr. Blue Sky” Almost my favorite is “Turn to Stone” And how ‘bout “Telephone Line”? I love that ELO’” (Wild 5)
The band created in 1971 by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan used cellos and violins to create a classical sound. Although Roy Wood left shortly after their first record was released. The idea came about when Jeff Lynne said to Roy Wood, “‘What if we had a band with strings- real strings?’” (Wild 9) They were in The Move at the time and decided to create a band on the side. They called this experimental band The Electric Light Orchestra. “Of the groups name Lynne remembers, ‘At the time people thought ‘ELO’ was pretty bad. It was like ‘The Electric Light what?’ The name was as wacky as the idea really.’” (Wild 9)
Jeff Lynn was one of the most important members of the band. He was born on December 30, 1947 in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Lynne was interested in music while he was still in school. When he was fifteen years his father got him a guitar. Though it was made of plastic and had only one string he practiced it all the time. (Petersdorff 3) Jeff was a big Beatles fan. “Lynne is asked if he now admits to being a Beatles fan. ‘I confess,’ Lynne says with a laugh. ‘I’m dead guilty of being a Beatles fan.’” (Wild 10)
Another founding member of the band was Bev Bevan. He was born Beverly Bevan in Birmingham, U.K. on November 25, 1945. He formed his first professional band, called Denny Lain and the Diplomats, in 1963.He retired from music to become a furniture salesman, but then joined Carl Wayne and the Vikings. He then later joined The Move and helped create ELO. (Petersdorff 4)
The third important member of ELO was Richard Tandy. Tandy was born on March 26, 1948 in Birmingham, U.K. At Moseley Grammar School he had been taught to play bass and guitar. Tandy’s first gig was at Solihull Civic Hall when he was fifteen. He was in many different bands before joining ELO.
In 1972 Richard Elfman began a band known as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo that was a new wave band when he left the band to become a filmmaker. In 1976 Danny took over the band until they retired in 1995. They were then called simply Oingo Boingo in 1979 they were a ska influenced new wave band until they changed styles again in the 80’s and became more guitar rock. They were known for their Halloween themes and sold out every Halloween concert they ever performed. One of their most popular songs that is played on several radio stations every year for Halloween is “Dead Man’s Party”.
Eddie Van Halen was born in Holland in 1955 and immigrated to Pasadena California. At the age of seven, Eddie was training as a classical pianist, although his love for Rock and Roll was developing. He started working a paper route and used the money to buy a drum set. His brother Alex, also musically inclined, bought a guitar. After months of practicing, Alex and Eddie switched instruments. Alex would spend hours on Eddie's drums and loved to play them. Eddie, a little frustrated with the drums, picked up Alex's guitar and felt at home with the instrument. Eddie would sit in his room for hours memorizing Eric Clapton guitar rifts' from "Cream". In his teenage years, Eddie and Brother Alex Van Halen played in local clubs and local parties in California. They started become a big name in the local area of Pasadena California. A police officer once commented that the parties that the Van Halen brothers played at were so big, that the police were looking for where the party was in a four-block radius. There would be almost 2,000 people attending house parties when the Van Halen brothers played. Alex and Eddie initially called there band Genesis but learned there was a much bigger group in Europe with the same name, so they changed it to Mammoth. The band had humble beginnings and the brothers could not afford a PA system for their concerts. They rented a PA system from David Lee Roth when his band was not playing. During one performance, the rented PA system broke down. A member of the local band...
I have always said the only thing I miss of a past girlfriend is her collection of Barenaked Ladies albums. After recreating her collection for myself, I learned that a new album was on the way. Maroon -- the band's sixth album is filled with 12 brand new songs with enough quirkiness and pop that will forever be the marks of the Barenaked Ladies (BNL). To my surprise Don Was, a Grammy Award winning producer whose name was also on my B-52's and Rolling Stones albums, produced this album. This pop-infused CD displays the BNL's signature of happy, jangly, tunes filled with sarcasm, irony, truth and passion embedded into every song that brings out old memories to everyone.
The Beatles are known, respectively, as the fathers of modern pop music. After their first #1 hit “Please Please Me” was released in 1963 the Beatles were set in motion to become one of the most influential groups of musicians to ever rock our world. With over forty-nine records, 37 #1’s, and thirty- four number one albums (the highest amount of any band in history), there is no denying that they made a monumental ripple in the musical world. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr surprisingly all come from humble beginnings in a town that, until their superstardom, was barely noticed on the map. Liverpool, being kn...
The members included Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Larry Van Kriedt, Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess. The people who wanted the most success out of them were Australia’s legendary roadie Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack. The two men convinced “Chequers” entertainment manager Gene Pierson to let the band play at the popular Sydney nightclub in 1973. Colin Burgess was the first member fired, and several bassists and drummers passed through the band the next year. The Young brothers decided that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group, because they felt he was more of a glam rocker. It was Gene Pierson who arranged for Bon Scott from “Fraternity” to join them as the lead singer. (Paul Sutcliffe, Pg. 34, P.2)
Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late '70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. January 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harry's previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. November 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. April 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.
Tom Petty was born in 1950 in Gainesville Florida to Kitty and Earl Petty. Petty began to find refuge in music because of his rough relationship he had with his physically and verbally abusive father. He idolized playing the guitar and singers such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. In high school, Petty began playing in his first band, the Epics, in which he played the bass (Biography.com Editors, 2017). In 1970, Petty began to see that the Epics were not serious enough about the music they were playing and he wanted to expand further than the rest of the band did (Rotondo, 2014). At age 17, he then began playing in a band named Mudcrutch, which was influenced by British Invasion, a band that came from the United Kingdom that followed The
The Beach Boys formed in 1961. The band members are; Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson who are all brothers, Al Jardine and Mike Love. All but Al Jardine lived in Los Angelas.
The New York New Music Ensemble began with a bang, literally. This ensemble has been around for twenty-three years and it is considered to be “the raising standard” in contemporary chamber music. On Thursday afternoon, I saw the ensemble perform three pieces: Trio, Nutturno, and Marxville Songbook. These three possess very similar tone color and composition.
Jerry Garcia’s life was filled with wonderful things, many of which he never expected in the first place. After an almost fatal heroin overdose in 1986, “ Garcia philosophically stated, ‘ I’m 45 years old, I’m ready for anything, I didn’t even plan on living this long so all this shit is just add-on stuff.’ ” (“Garcia”) This attitude shows why Garcia did all of the things he did and even how some of them came about. Garcia, who “functioned as the preeminent pied piper of the rock era,” led a life of great artistic ability which he used in many ways(“Grateful Dead_ Rockhall”).
(Schwartz, 1) The name of their band was actually inspired by a Muddy Waters Song, “Rollin Stone”. Their first single was “Come On”, released in 1963. Andrew Loog Oldham was the band’s first official
at age four, and then eventually he was the lead singer and front man of the family band.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Classical Music Concert Report. I attended the Los Angeles Philharmonic classical music concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday 29 November 2013. The classical concert started at 8:00pm to the enjoyment of the huge audience that had been waiting for this amazing music extravaganza. Classical music concerts always offer magnificent entertainment and the audience in this concert was expectant to derive such entertainment or more. In attendance were Christian Zacharias, who was the conductor, and Martin Chalifour, who was the LA Phil commanding Principal Concertmaster and Bach violin player.
Elton john has been claimed “the Liberace of rock and roll” (8) for his spectacular show of music, imagery, outward flamboyancy and artistic passion. Originally born Reginald (Reggie) Kenneth Dwight, Elton Hercules John started his first band at 14 (2) and has continued to set a foundation for American pop music for 53 years. Elton’s music is distinctive in its ability to draw attention of listeners with his original combination of sound (2). The songs written both by Elton and lyricist, Bernie Taupin (3) were premeditated to give both a rhythm and undertones of sentimental value. The decline of rock and roll in America allowed for Elton john to succeed.
The original band was composed of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison and called the Quarrymen. Several name changes occurred (Johnny and the Moondogs, the Moonshiners, then the Silver Beatles) eventually dropping Silver to become the Beatles (Britannica Student, 2005). With name changes also came personnel changes. Stuart Sutcliffe joined the band in 1960 as a bassist. Then Pete Best joined as drummer.