I’d like to give a mention to yet another forgotten musician who’s been part of some fine music once upon a time. The English drummer Barry Jenkins (1944-2024) was born 81 years ago today. He started out in The Nashville Teens, an English band who was the backing band for Jerry Lee Lewis on his legendary Live at the Star Club, Hamburg album from 1962. They also backed Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry. In addition they had a few hits in the UK and the US on their own. But in spite of all this, The Nashville Teens is more or less forgotten today.
So Barry Jenkins is arguably best known for being part of both versions of The Animals in the 1960’s. First he replaced original Animals drummer John Steel, and then followed Eric Burdon into the more psychedelic version of the band, who called themselves Eric Burdon & The Animals. When this band split late 1968, he gradually retired from recording and touring.
Although Barry Jenkins did appear on records and projects now and then in the 1970’s, his main concern has been as the owner of Luke’s Guitars, a music instrument shop in the small town Ramsgate in England. So although Barry Jenkins stepped down as an active musician, he did not quit music. Here’s one to his memory
Eric Burdon & The Animals - Montery (1967)
A little over a month ago permission was granted to turn Lukes Guitars into a three bed home. After decades in business, this is the end of a little piece of music history.
Due to the passing of guitarist Mick Abrahams five days ago, I have been relistening to some Blodwyn Pig these past days. I’d almost forgotten how good they were. So here is another one by them. They were good!
Happy Birthday to Jorma Kaukonen, who is turning 85 today. Best remembered as the guitarist in the most classic version of Jefferson Airplane. However, he is also known from Hot Tuna, along with his bandmate in Airplane, the bassist Jack Casdy. To celebrate Jorma Koukonen’s, here’s an uplifting and motivational track with some fine guitar playing. Happy Birthday
Hot Tuna - Death Don’t Have No Mercy (live, 2019)
Jorma Kaukonen is tiurning 85, but Hot Tuna is still going. There are live clips on YouTube with them recorded only two and a half weeks ago!
If you’re travelin’ in the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
If you go when the snowflakes storm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
Please, see if she has a coat so warm
To keep her from the howlin’ winds
Please, see if her hair hangs long
If it rolls and flows all down her breast
Please, see for me if her hair’s hangin’ long
'Cause that’s the way I remember her best
I’m a-wonderin’ if she remembers me at all
Many times I’ve often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day
So, if you’re travelin’ in the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
Cab Calloway & The Blues Brothers Band - Minnie the Moocher (1980)
Here’s a little music and film history. As it happens, the singer and co-songwriter of this song, Cab Calloway, was born 118 years ago today
Minnie the Moocher was first released in 1931, and became a huge success, selling over a million copies. Cab Calloway went on to be a big star as a singer, songwriter and bandleader. His most successful years were between circa 1930 and 1955, but he remained a houshold name in the entertainment industry until he passed away in 1994 at the age of 86.
Today I’d like to give a mention to Winfield Scott Moore III (1929-2016), one of the guitarists who shaped the way guitar is played in rock ‘n’ roll. He’s best known as Scotty Moore, and he played guitar on records and on tour with Elvis from 1954 to 1968. Keith Richards is quoted saying: “Everyone wanted to be Elvis. I wanted to be Scotty.”
Scotty Moore was born 86 years ago today. Here’s one to his memory
Elvis Presley - Mystery Train (1955)
While we’re at it, here’s a cool short clip from Elvis 1968 comeback, with Scotty grinning back at Elvis, while they run through one of their classics
Happy Birthday to the English guitarist Mick Jones, who is turning 81 today. He is arguably best known as co-founder of the hugely successful American band Foreigner. Prior to Foreigner, he played guitar in the excellent English band Spooky Tooth.
Since the band’s formation in 1976, Mick Jones is the only member who’s appeared on all of Foreigner’s records. Foreigner may be what he is best known for, but since yours truly is often more familiar and comfortable with British bands from the classic rock era, I’ve picked a song by Spooky Tooth to celebrate Mick Jones. Happy Birthday to him
Spooky Tooth - Cotton Growing Man (1973)
Ok, I do remember one song by Foreigner, and it’s written by Mick Jones, and it topped the charts in nine countries, incuding the US, the UK and Norway. So here we go…
Foreigner - I Wanna Know What Love Is (1984)
This rather sentimental song somehow moved me back in the day. Whether I was being dramatically self-indulgent at the time, or if it was a specific girl I was in love with, I just can’t remember. Perhaps it was a mix of the two
An icon in the entertainment industry of the 20th century has left us. Today it was announced that the French actress Brigitte Bardot passed away recently at the age of 91. She is probably best known as an actress and one of the biggest sex symbols from the latter part of the 1950’s, through the 60’s and into the 70’s.
Then again, Brigitte Bardot was actually a singer too. She released many singles from 1959 until she retired in 1973. Here’s one of them.
Brigitte Bardot - Harley Davidson (1967)
During the 60’s, she also released five albums, one of them in collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg.
Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot - Bonnie and Clyde (1968)
Brigitte Bardot wasn’t a great singer. Still, she had a decent enough voice. And her songs are cool and intersting time capsules from a bygone era. Thank you for…the music Brigitte, may you be remembered
Forgive me, I got a little carried away…again. Here’s Serge Gainsbourg’s hommage to Brigitte Bardot, from back when she was in her prime.
Althhough this is a music topic, allow me a little film history too, with a legendary cat fight between Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale.
From The Legend of Frenchie King (1971)
The Italian actress Claudia Cardinale is another film legend from the same era as Brigitte Bardot. As it happens, she passed away this year too, three months ago at the age of 87.
I’d like to give a toast to the memory of the American guitarist Matt “Guitar” Murphy, who was born 96 years ago today. He is probably best known as one of the guitarists in The Blues Brothers Band. However, his career started long before that, when he in 1948 joined Howlin’ Wolf’s band. He then went on to play with among many others Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Etta James.
Matt “Guitar” Murphy played in The Blues Brothers Band from 1980 to the early 2000’s. In 2002 he suffered a stroke. Luckily he managed to make a return to music and remained active as a musician more or less until he passed away in 2018, two months before Aretha Franklin, his “wife” in the first Blues Brothers movie.
No wonder Matt “Guitar” Murphy was an in demand musician. He was very skilled on the guitar! Just listen to Matt’s Guitar Boogie while we raise our glasses to his memory
Matt “Guitar” Murphy - Matt’s Guitar Boogie (1963)
