John Lennon, that slightly famous Beatles guy, once said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. And I actually think he might’ve been taken a little out of context by reporters and fans at the time. Because I’ve checked into what he said, and it appeared to not be a statement made out of arrogance. But the way it was blown out of proportion … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: music history
Ode to Joy is a musical and spiritual alloy. Even if Ludwig didn’t mean it that way. And of course, I’m talking about Beethoven’s Symphony #9. Or at least a section of it. If you wanna give your brain a revitalizing vacation, listen to the whole symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3217H8JppI Or you can go to the Ode section here: Imagine composing an Ode to Joy when … The rest of the story…
He said he had a dream where he heard Mexican trumpets. And I guess that’s how they became such a recognizable part of his hit song, “Ring of Fire.” In fact, it went to number 1 on March 25, 1963. And it stayed there for seven weeks. Not bad for a guy whose last name was Cash but was born into a family who … The rest of the story…
Older and wiser. They should go together like sourdough bread and grass fed butter. But they don’t always. Especially in town of Ignoraville, on Mount Wealthscape, in the land of Rebelaphant. Sadly, most of the residents of Rebelephant aren’t older and wiser. But they’re richer. And that’s the most frequent cause of a lack of wisdom. And the ratio of wisdom to wealth decreases … The rest of the story…
Yacht rock. Of course, I had no idea I was listening to music from that genre. And that’s mainly because it wasn’t called yacht rock at the time. Plus, to be completely transparent on this matter (as is the odd trend these days), I never heard of that term until this morning. Yacht rock is supposed to be the “West coast” sound of the … The rest of the story…
I remember a young lady telling me about The Joshua Tree when I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico back in 1987. I was booked there for two weeks, and she and couple of other friends asked me if I’d heard of that album by the band U2. And they asked because we’d all been in a friendly conversation about Christian values and principles in … The rest of the story…
Back in my school days, there was a spunky and long song with a chorus that said, “Bye bye Miss American Pie.” It was written, performed, and recorded by Don Maclean. And lots of people thought the song was about Buddy Holly when it said, “…the day the music died.” But Mr. Maclean says maybe, maybe not. One thing’s for sure. The bye bye … The rest of the story…
Gospel: the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation – Gospel Music: of, relating to, or being religious songs of American origin associated with evangelism and popular devotion and marked by simple melody and harmony and elements of folk songs and blues – And why do I bring it up? Because of one particular gospel singer. He sold out concerts. And he … The rest of the story…
It’s so common, these days, to just get an updated phone. Or TV. Or even computer. And it only takes a fingertip to listen to music…on any or all of those devices. But imagine, if you will, a time when even radio was new. So new, in fact, that most people in America didn’t even have a way to listen to what was beamed … The rest of the story…
I just read an article on Don Gibson, a songwriter from the 50’s and 60’s. And it said he sat down one hot, summer day, in 1958, and wrote two songs. “Oh Lonesome Me” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” And would you believe it? Those two very different love songs both became hits. In fact, Ray Charles recorded a version of “I Can’t … The rest of the story…