Alphabet Beats #102: O is for....Over the Rhine

O is for....

Over the Rhine is an American, Ohio-based folk music band, the core of which is the husband-and-wife team of pianist/guitarist/bassist Linford Detweiler and vocalist/guitarist Karin Bergquist. The band began as a quartet with guitarist Ric Hordinski and drummer Brian Kelley. Hordinski left the band in December 1996, and Kelley continued to play into 1997 before departing. The original foursome reunited in December 2008 at The Taft Theatre (in Cincinnati) to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the formation of the band, and again in the summer of 2010 at Ric's studio, "the Monastery", to play the album "Good Dog Bad Dog" live, in its entirety.

The band's namesake and place of origin is the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood Over-the-Rhine. Karin attended school in Barnesville, Ohio and graduated from Barnesville High School in 1984. She then went to Malone College, located in Canton, Ohio, where she met Linford. Karin and Linford were married in the fall of 1996 in Cincinnati and several years ago relocated to a pre-Civil War farm outside of town.

Over the Rhine is now primarily Bergquist (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano) and Detweiler (keyboards, electric bass, vocals) accompanied by complementary musicians on albums and tours. Over the years, they have toured and recorded in many variations. They have shared the stage with Bob Dylan, John Prine, Adrian Belew, Squeeze, Ani DiFranco, My Morning Jacket, Hem, and toured as "adjunct" members of Cowboy Junkies.

Click on the links to enjoy the soothing sounds of Over the Rhine.

The Music
    1991 - Till We Have Faces (Scampering Songs)*
    1992 - Patience (Scampering Songs).
    1994 - Eve (I.R.S./EMI Records)
    1995 - Till We Have Faces (I.R.S./EMI Records re-issue; different track listing)
    1996 - Good Dog Bad Dog: The Home Recordings (Imaginary Records)
    1996 - The Darkest Night of the Year (Imaginary Records; holiday album)*
    2001 - Films For Radio (Back Porch/Narada/Virgin/EMI Records)
    2003 - Ohio (Back Porch/Narada/Virgin/EMI Records; double album)
    2005 - Drunkard's Prayer (Back Porch/Narada/Virgin/EMI Records)*
    2006 - Snow Angels (Great Speckled Dog, holiday album)
    2007 - The Trumpet Child (Great Speckled Dog)
    2011 - The Long Surrender (Great Speckled Dog)
    2013 - Meet Me at the Edge of the World (Great Speckled Dog)
    2014 - Blood Oranges in the Snow (Great Speckled Dog, holiday album).

* Incomplete 

Live Over the Rhine

The Laugh of Recognition (2010)

Let It Fall (2014)

Born (2009)

If I'm Drowning (1992)

Meet Me at the Edge of the World (2013)

I'd Want You (2014)

Sea and Sky (1993)

Infamous Love Song (2012)

Called Home (2013) 

Orphan Girl (2009)

The Trumpet Child (2008)

The King Knows How (2011)

If We Make It Through December (2014)

Gonna Let My Soul Catch My Body (2013)

 

Happy Birthday Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks)

Born on this day in 1955

Pete Shelley

Guitarist/Vocalist of Buzzcocks

    Another Music in a Different Kitchen (1978)
    Love Bites (1978)
    A Different Kind of Tension (1979)
    Trade Test Transmissions (1993)
    All Set (1996)
    Modern (1999)*
    Buzzcocks (2003)
    Flat-Pack Philosophy (2006)
    The Way (2014)*

*Incomplete 

Live Albums

Entertaining Friends (1992)

Encore Du Pain (1995)

Buzzcocks 30 (2008)

Compilations

Singles Going Steady (1979)

Times Up (2000)

Alphabet Beats #101: O is for.... The Big O

O is for...

Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), also known by his nickname The Big O, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his trademark sunglasses, distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country and western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis. His greatest success came with Monument Records between 1960 and 1964, when 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top 40, including "Only the Lonely", "Crying", and "Oh, Pretty Woman". His career stagnated through the 1970s, but was revived by several covers of his songs and the use of "In Dreams" in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet (1986).

In 1988, he joined the Traveling Wilburys supergroup with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne and also released a new solo album. He died of a heart attack in December that year, at the zenith of his resurgence. His life was marred by tragedy, including the death of his first wife and his two eldest sons in separate accidents.

Orbison's vocal instrument bridged the gap between baritone and tenor, and music scholars have suggested that he had a three- or four-octave range. The combination of Orbison's powerful, impassioned voice and complex musical arrangements led many critics to refer to his music as operatic, giving him the sobriquet "the Caruso of Rock". Elvis Presley as well as Petty and Dylan, have stated his voice was, respectively, the greatest and most distinctive they had ever heard. While most male performers in rock and roll in the 1950s and 60s projected a defiant masculinity, many of Orbison's songs instead conveyed a quiet, desperate vulnerability. He was known for performing while standing still and solitary and for wearing black clothes and dark sunglasses, which lent an air of mystery to his persona.

Orbison was initiated into the second class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by longtime admirer Bruce Springsteen. The same year he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame two years later. Rolling Stone placed Orbison at number 37 on their list of The Greatest Artists of All Time, and number 13 on their list of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2002, Billboard magazine listed Orbison at number 74 in the Top 600 recording artists. In 2014, Orbison was elected to America's Pop Music Hall of Fame.  

Of all the artists that have been featured and will be featured in Alphabet Beats Roy Orbison is one of the artists that I have been waiting with great expectation to spotlight. When I was a kid there were two Men in Black who musically held a place of honour, one of course was Johnny Cash and the other was Roy Orbison, both were connected with each other from way back in the early days of Sun Records.

His recorded output contains 23 studio albums, 4 live albums and a whopping 92 singles! There are also more than 20 Compilation Albums as well.

I do hope that anyone reading this will take the time to discover or even rediscover one of the most distinctive voices ever in the world of music. Here's just a small selection of his music. If you want to discover more then click here for all the albums that have been uploaded to You Tube. Click on the links to enjoy the sound of The Big O.

The Music

Most of the links are to complete albums except those marked *

Roy Orbison at The Rock House (1961)

Crying (1962)

In Dreams (1963)

The Orbison Way (1966)

Sings Don Gibson (1967)*

The Fastest Guitar Alive Soundtrack (1967)*

Cry Softly Lonely One (1967)

Hank Williams The Orbison Way (1970)

Memphis (1972)*

Regeneration (1977)*

Laminer Flow (1979)

Class of '55 (with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash) (1985)

Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988)

Mystery Girl (1989)

The Last Concert (2010)

Important Compilations

The Sun Years 1956-58.

The Loneliest Man 1956-61.

The Monument Singles A-Sides 1960-64 (2011) 

The S4L Top Ten

Roy Orbison

10. Crying (With K.D. Lang).

09. You've Got It.

08. She's A Mystery To Me.

07. Working For The Man.

06. I Drove All Night.

05. Running Scared.

04. Trying To Get To You (with The Teen Kings).

03. Dream Baby.

02. Only The Lonely.

01. Oh, Pretty Woman.

Alphabet Beats #100: O is for.... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

O is for....

Especially for Alyson W. still one of the biggest OMD fans that I have ever met!

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English new wave/synthpop group formed in 1978, whose founding members, Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals), are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, North West England. While steadily eschewing pop star status, the band cultivated a fanbase in the United Kingdom from 1978–1980. They gained popularity throughout Europe with the 1980 single "Enola Gay", and achieved broader recognition via album Architecture and Morality (1981) and its singles. OMD also garnered acclaim for their experimental recordings.

Although retrospectively lauded, their album Dazzle Ships (1983) eroded European consumer interest during the mid 1980s; Junk Culture (1984) marked a shift toward more pop-oriented songwriting. Concurrently, OMD reached their peak in the United States and had a major hit with 1986's "If You Leave", written for the film Pretty in Pink. Humphreys departed in 1989 with Martin Cooper (various instruments) and Malcolm Holmes (drums) to form The Listening Pool, leaving McCluskey to lead the outfit; Sugar Tax (1991) and its initial singles were sizeable hits in Europe. By the mid 1990s, however, synthpop had become unfashionable amid the guitar oriented musical climate, and McCluskey dissolved the band in 1996, months after their last successful single, "Walking on the Milky Way". He founded pop group Atomic Kitten in 1998.

The band reformed in 2006 and began releasing new material in 2009. Their European fanbase remained steadfast: History of Modern (2010) became the group's biggest hit on the German chart; English Electric (2013) their largest in the UK since Sugar Tax. The group have sold over 40 million records. Despite limited mainstream support for their works, OMD have carved a unique legacy within popular music, being regarded by critics as the synthpop counterpart of The Beatles, and a pioneering and highly influential act. The Quietus magazine editor John Doran once remarked: "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are not one of the best synth bands ever: they are one of the best bands ever."

 The Music
    Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980)
    Organisation (1980)
    Architecture and Morality (1981)
    Dazzle Ships (1983)
    Junk Culture (1984)
    Crush (1985)
    The Pacific Age (1986)
    Sugar Tax (1991)
    Liberator (1993)
    Universal (1996)

The OMD Singles (1998)

Peel Sessions 1979-83 (2000)

Navigation: The OMD B-Sides (2001)

Messages: The Greatest Hits (2008)

OMD Live: Architecture and Morality and More (2008)
    History of Modern (2010)

Live in Berlin (2011)

So80s Present OMD - Curated by Blank and Jones (2011)
    English Electric (2013)

S4L Presents: The Best Debut Albums #14 - The Stranglers

Rattus Norvegicus (alternative title The Stranglers IV) is the debut studio album by The Stranglers, released on 15 April 1977.The album was originally to be entitled Dead on Arrival but was changed at the last minute. It was one of the highest-selling albums of the punk era in Britain, eventually achieving platinum record sales.

The album's title is the taxonomic name for the common Brown Rat. It was produced in one week by Martin Rushent, and was a snapshot of the band's live set at the time.

The first 10,000 copies of the original vinyl release included a free 7" single, containing "Peasant in the Big Shitty (live)" and "Choosey Susie". Two singles were taken from the album: "Grip" (released as a double A-side with album track "London Lady", and "Peaches" (released as a double A-side with the non-album track "Go Buddy Go"), which gave the band their first major hit single, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. A remastered version of the album was reissued on CD in 2001, including these three additional tracks. The album launch party was held in Chelsea's Water Rat pub, in the World's End of the King's Road.

The album peaked at No. 4 in the UK Albums Chart, eventually spending 34 weeks on the chart.

NME ranked it at number 196 in its 2014 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

I possess all the albums by The Stranglers and whilst there are a few that I'm not overly keen on I have to say that the first three releases are my favourites ('No More Heroes' and 'Black and White' being the other two alongside 'Rattus'). Those three albums were released within the space of 13 months!

In concert they were one of the best back in 1977 as this BBC In Concert recording demonstrates. They were way more gifted musically than a lot of the Punk bands as Brunel had been a classical guitarist, Black had been a Jazz Drummer, Cornwell a Blues musician (even playing with Richard Thompson prior to The Stranglers) and Greenfield had played in Prog-Rock bands. Despite this they somehow found themselves at the heart and centre of Punk opening for Patti Smith and The Ramones back in 1976.

 I stumbled onto their debut single 'Grip' / 'London Lady' at a newsagent in Forest Hill who used to sell Singles for 20p and snapped it up because the band had been getting good write ups in the Music Press.

Their debut album of course is now considered a classic and rightly so.

Alphabet Beats #099: O is for.... O'Connor as in Sinéad

O is for....

Last year when posting about her latest album I said, "There's a terrible tendency when it comes to Sinéad O’Connor to write her off with one stroke of the pen because she's a woman who is complicated and obviously has issues and seems to carry so much baggage that surely she can't be up to much good. We all have baggage though, and unlike Sinéad O’Connor, our baggage seems to stay private. But in writing her off so easily you actually miss out on so much. There's a depth to her writing that is quite uncommon among female artists (Natalie Merchant for me is probably the only other one who manages to capture such emotion and lay it bare in a song)" and I still stand by those words today.

2014: I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss

The Albums
    1987: The Lion and the Cobra
    1990: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
    1992: Am I Not Your Girl?
    1994: Universal Mother
    2000: Faith and Courage
    2002: Sean-Nós Nua
    2005: Throw Down Your Arms
    2007: Theology
    2012: How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?

  

The S4L Top Ten

Sinéad O'Connor

10. Mandinka.

09. Fire On Babylon.

08. All Apologies.

07. V.I.P.

06. 4th and Vine.

05. Jackie.

04. Jump in the River.

03. 8 Good Reasons.

02. The Emperors New Clothes.

01. I Believe In You (Dylan Cover)  

Live
Sinéad O'Connor

Live in Spain 1997.

The Value of Ignorance 1989.

The Year of the Horse 1991.

PinkPop Festival 1988 (Audio Only).

Glastonbury 1995 (Audio Only).

Acoustic Tent Glastonbury 2013.

Percy Sledge: 25th November 1941 - 14th April 2015 The Forgotten One

When you talk about soul singers the usual suspects are listed as being among the greats: Otis Redding, James Carr, Wilson Picket, Solomon Burke, Clarence Carter, Ben E. King, Arthur Conely, Eddie Floyd, and not to forget Sam and Dave. Way down on the list would a man who sadly has been defined by one song, 'When A Man Loves A Woman', that man of course is Percy Sledge. Of course Sledge recorded more than the one song and here I am going to spotlight some of his music that others might not be aware of. Click on the links to enjoy the soulful sound of a departed legend.

News broke this afternoon that Percy Sledge, aged 73 had died as a result of Liver Cancer. He had surgery with regard to it in January 2014 and was back touring again soon after. He was playing up to a hundred shows a year in the USA, Africa and Europe.

He was born in Leighton, Alabama and grew up taking agricultural jobs in the fields of his hometown before getting a job as a hospital orderly in Sheffield, Alabama. During the mid-sixties he was touring as part of The Esquires Combo at the weekends and it was via a former patient and friend that he met record producer Quin Ivy who owned a Record Store and a Recording Studio and was a songwriter for the FAME Recording Studios alongside producer Rick Hall. Passing an audition for Ivy Sledge was offered a recording contract. 'When A Man Loves A Woman' was his first recording under the new contract and what an inspired choice for your first single that also became Atlantic Records' first Gold Disc and also it was also the first ever number one out of the whole Muscle Shoals Scene.

Several more hits followed but none of them as big as his first but they should not be discounted as less superior: 'Warm and Tender Love' (1966), 'It Tears Me Up' (1966), 'Baby, Help Me' (1967), 'Out of Left Field' (1967), 'Love Me Tender' (1967), 'Just Out Of Reach (of My Two Empty Arms)' (1967), 'Cover Me' (1967), 'Take Time To Know Her' (1968), 'Sudden Stop' (1968), 'I'll Be Your Everything' (1974), and loads of singles that didn't make the chart at all between 1969-73.

He also recorded more than a dozen albums and of course there are endless compilations available of his work. Here's a few links to spotlight some of his album work that are worth investigating further.

When A Man Loves A Woman. (1966 Atlantic Records)

Warm and Tender Soul (1966 Atlantic Records).

The Percy Sledge Way (1967 Atlantic Records).

Take Time To Know Her (1968 Atlantic Records).

My Special Prayer (1969 Atlantic Records).

Percy Sledge in South Africa (1970 Atlantic Records).

Sings Country (2008 Gusto Records)

Alphabet Beats #098: O is for....of Verona

O is for....

of Verona is an indie rock group that formed in Los Angeles in 2010. Their debut album The White Apple was released on 10 July 2012 and the Deluxe Editon with extra tracks in 2013.

Click on the links to enjoy the music of of Verona.

 The White Apple - Deluxe Version (2013)

1. Intro to Revelations.

2. Castles (Lyric Video). 
   3. Match (Promo).
4. The Enemy. 
5. Dark In My Imagination (Promo Video).
6. Take Me (Lyric Video).
7. Centipede.
8. The White Apple.
 9. Unique In Its Madness.
10. Paint The Pictures.
11. We Are Not Alone Here.
12.Raining.
13.They Will Fall Like Roses.

14. This is What It Sounds Like.

15.  Keep the Faith (It's Only You and Me).

16. Zero Gravity (Lyric Video). 

17. Who Do You Love (Promo). 

18. Breathe (Lyric Video).

 

of Verona are:
Mandi Perkins – lead vocals, lyrics, vocal production.   

Dillon Pace – guitars, keyboard, programming, production, mixing.
    Jeff Sojka – drums, percussion, mixing. 

More of Verona

Better With You.

Stay Gold (Promo).

Stay Gold (Lyric Video).

Creep/Everybody Knows (Live on KZOK).

Joga (Bjork Cover) - Live in Manchester.

Zero Gravity (B-Front Remix).

Castles (The Broken Unicorn Mix).

Hurt (Nine Inch Nails Cover).

Centipede (100 Club, London).

Castles (Live Hollywood 2011).

Enemy (Live Hollywood 2011).

Dark In My Imagination (Live in London 2012).

Dreams (Fleetwood Mac Cover) - Live.

Mandi Perkins Interview.

   Bonus Brand New Song
from
of Verona
Oblivion.
 
   

Alphabet Beats #097: N is for....New York Dolls

N is for....

 

 

When the story of Punk is written the timeline always goes back to the early 1970's and a band that combined the glam of Alice Cooper and the sound of scuzzy rock 'n' roll and whilst they officially only released two albums at the time, their sound was the template for many that rose up later in the decade.

 

The New York Dolls returned to the business back in 2004 playing at the Royal Festival Hall, London as part of Meltdown currated that year by Morrissey. New music followed as did tragedy. Original NY Dolls Billy Murcia died in 1972, Johnny Thunders died in 1991, Jerry Nolan died in 1992, and Arthur "Killer" Kane sadly passed away 22 days after the Reunion show in London. David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain have continued to work together and add musicians for touring etc, past members have included Sam Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks), Frank Infante (Blondie), Gary Powell (The Libertines), and Steve Conte (Michael Monroe Band) to name but a few.

 

Click on the links to get the full flavour of the New York Dolls.

 

 

The Music

 New York Dolls (1973)
Too Much Too Soon (1974)

Rock 'n' Roll (1994)

Live in Paris 1974 (1998)
One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (2006)
Cause I Sez So (2009)

Vive Le Trash '74 (2009)
Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011)

Live Dolls

Live at The Matrix San Francisco (1973)

 Live at Waldorf Asoria Hotel (1973)

Siren Festival, Colney Island (2007)

More Dolls

Personality Crisis.

Jet Boy (Old Grey Whistle Test).

Pills/Trash (Musikladen).

Bad Girl/Stranded In The Jungle (Musikladen).

Jet Boy/Pills (CBGB's 2006).

On Jonathan Ross 2006.

Chatterbox (Don Kirshner 1974).

You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory/Lonely Planet Boy (Royal Festival Hall).

Coz I Sez So (Later with Jools Holland 2009).

All Dolled Up: A New York Story.

New York Dolls Documentary.

 

Alphabet Beats #096: N is for....Norman as in Larry

N is for....

Upon This Rock (1969)

 

Larry Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He was considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian Rock music,and released more than 100 albums. Below are just a selection, click on the links to explore further the music of Larry Norman.

 Selected Albums

Street Level (1970)

Bootleg (1972)

Only Visiting This Planet (1972)

So Long In The Garden (1973)

Live In Fort Wayne (1974)

In Another Land (1976)

Streams of White Light (1977)

The Israel Tapes (1980)

Roll Away The Stone (1980)

Larry Norman and His Friends On Tour (1981)

Something New Under The Son (1981)

The Story of The Tune (1983) 

Come As A Child (1983)

bArchaeology (1984)

Stop This Flight (1985)

Back To America (1985)

Rehearsal For Reality (1986)

Down Under (But Not Out) (1986)

Live At Flevo (1989)

Home At Last (1989) 

White Blossoms From Black Roots (1989)

Stranded In Babylon (1991)

Children of Sorrow (1994)

Totally Unplugged (a)Live and Kicking (1994)

A Moment In Time (1994)

Footprints In The Sand (1994)

Omega Europa (1994)

Remixing This Planet (1996)

Gathered Moments (1998)

Breathe In Breathe Out (1998)

Shouting In The Storm (1998)

RoughStreetLoveLetter (1999)

Torniquet (2001)

Live at the Seaside (2007)

The S4L Top 20

Larry Norman

20. Born To Be Unlucky.

19. No More LSD For Me.

18. Sweet Song of Salvation.

17. My Feet Are On The Rock.

16. Here Comes The King.

15. Sitting In My Kitchen.

14. Rock The Flock.

13. Shot Down.

12. Six Sixty Six.

11. UFO.

10. Righteous Rocker.

09. God Part III.

08. Let The Rain Fall Down.

07. I Hope I'll See You In Heaven.

06. The Rock That Doesn't Roll.

05. Why Don't You Look Into Jesus.

04. Dark Passage.

03. The Great American Novel.

02. The Outlaw.

01. Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music.

LIVE BITS

Let The Tape Keep Rolling - Greenbelt (1979)

Live in Trenton NJ (1984)

Live at Flevo with Q-Stone (1989)

Cornerstone Festival (2000)

Six Sixty Six/Small Circle of Friends - Hattem, Netherlands.

Readers Digest.

The Great American Novel (Netherlands).