You’ve heard this before. Time waits for no one. The Rolling Stones even had a song with that title. So, that proves it’s got to be true. Right? Time waits for no one and it doesn’t teach many either. Days advance like an inspired army. Right into the open arms of each passing year. There’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t turn … The rest of the story…
Tag Archives: music history
Did you ever attend a church where “In The Sweet By and By” was part of the praise and worship time? I did. And I think, if I close my eyes and listen real close, I can almost hear my Grandmother singing it in her kitchen. In The Sweet By and By There’s a land that is fairer than day, And by faith we … The rest of the story…
Way back in 1976 there was a popular band, from Sweden, who enjoyed something most musicians might only dream about. On December 3, of that year, somewhere around three and a half million people applied to get tickets to one of their concerts. And there were only about 11 thousand tickets available. Yeah, I’d say that’s the epitome of a popular band. And I’m … The rest of the story…
I just read a short blurb about Billy Joel’s song “Uptown Girl.” And it said that song was a Number 1 hit for him on the British charts, for five weeks, back in 1983. That started on this day, November 5th. I knew it was popular. And it was even in my playlist for a while, back when I played live music for a … The rest of the story…
Back in 1974 I paid for (and enjoyed, immensely) an America holiday. Because it was an excursion into the best parts of musical imagination. And…what? You think I misspelled it? Oh, I see. You think it should have been American with the n at the end. Yeah, I get it. But no. I got it right. America Holiday. But maybe I should clear up … The rest of the story…
Bob Dylan said it. So, it must be true right? He talked about how you gotta serve somebody. In fact, in one of his songs, he sang “you’re gonna have to serve somebody” quite a few times. So, he must be pretty darn sure it’s true. And, in a way, it is. Sure, you could say you gotta serve somebody, OR… You could say you … The rest of the story…
In 1975 I worked in a disco. Just writing those words sounds crazy to me now. But it’s true. At that time, disco music was big. And if you don’t know what disco was, then you might be too young to be reading this. So, make sure your parents say it’s OK to proceed. Anyway…disco music was the thang. Just do a search for … The rest of the story…
Back when I was the praise and worship music leader for a church in the Denver metro area, I remember announcing, with a quip, a song we were about to sing. I said something like, “This next song is called My Father’s World. But I don’t think this is our Father’s world. Because it’s filled with evil and rebellious people.” That’s what any praise … The rest of the story…
What if you drove a truck for a living? And what if you went from driving a truck to singing in a band. And what if your band did so badly that you were told to go back to driving a truck? That’s probably happened more than once in America. But most of them weren’t this famous truck driver. Maybe you already know which … The rest of the story…
Income tax brackets. Now, those three words should never go together. Because when they do, they inevitably invite confusion, envy, and thievery. And even knucklehead, one-track-mind musicians can figure that out. In fact, income tax brackets influenced the name of a #1 album. That album was called “Atlantic Crossing.” And it was number one on the UK charts on this day (August 30) back … The rest of the story…
I read about a guy, named Andreas Cornelius van Kujik, who promoted the occasional medicine show, or carnival, or other cheap entertainment. One of those interesting shows was called “The Great Parker Pony Circus.” And another was called “Tom Parker and His Dancing Turkeys.” Now, that’s not just a medicine show, folks. That’s entertainment! Andreas Cornelius van Kujik was a Dutch immigrant. And if … The rest of the story…
I wasn’t even a teenager, and rock music, for the most part, wasn’t played in my Dad’s house. How’s that for an icebreaker? Well, that scenario sets up something that happened back in 1966. A band, named Cream made their live debut in Manchester, England. Just three guys. But they put out some heavy, hard-hitting music. And they had the distinction of having the … The rest of the story…
At the end of the summer, in 1972, I drove my ’65 Plymouth Fury back to Texas from Kansas. And a lot of the drive was on highways 69 and 75 through Kansas, into Oklahoma, and then from Tulsa, Oklahoma on down to Houston. It was a long, 12 to 14 hour drive. And I passed the time listening to Honky Chateau, Harvest, and … The rest of the story…
54 years ago, today, something stupid happened. And a few people made a bunch of money because of it. Yeah, apparently there were lots of people in America and England who played a part in this event. In fact, I’m sure there were plenty of them who celebrated it. And it wasn’t the only time something stupid happened like that. But I’m not gonna … The rest of the story…
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…
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…
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…
In 1981 I joined a popular trio, in Atlanta, Georgia. They added me as their drummer, and all four of us sang. So, we had some nice 4 part harmonies. And I remember how their fans enjoyed our rendition of a song called “Leader of the Band.” Because the bass player, lead guitarist, and I played recorders, and sang backup, while the rhythm guitarist … The rest of the story…