Steamhammer - Junior’s Wailing (1969)
Forgotten band from the classic rock era, but still as classic as it gets!
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Here’s one to George Martin, perhaps the best known record producer ever. He was born 100 years ago today. Of course best remembered for being the fifth Beatle, he produced a lot of other artists and bands too, both prior to and after The Beatles. He also did a few records on his own with more classical oriented music, often with orchestral versions of Beatles songs. And a few times he even included his own compositions, like Friends and Lovers.
George Martin - Friends and Lovers/In My Life (1998)
Yes, the voice on In My Life is Sean Connery. Now, to further celebrate the memory of George Martin, a Beatles song would probably be obvious. However, I’ve opted for songs by others produced by him. Apart from solo albums bu Paul and Ringo, among the best known names he’s produced are America, Gary Brooker, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Elton John. And also two James Bond title songs.
Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger (1964)
George Martin ventured out of his usual musical zone once, when he produced the English hard rock/metal band UFO’s eight album No Place To Run.
UFO - Lettin’ Go (1980)
Here’s a big toast to the memory of George Martin 
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It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, so I might as well do another song rundown. And this is going to be a long one, you have been warned! So buckle up…
The song for today is Hey Joe, popularized by Jimi Hendrix in 1966. Minor spoiler, his version will not be included here. First of all, it has alreedy been posted more than once in this topic, and secondly, Hey Joe has been recorded and/or performed live by hundreds upon hundreds of artists, so there’s enough to choose from. So get ready for a few of the more untraditional versions of the song.
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Hey Joe
In 2013 the French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg recorded a slow, haunting and atmospheric version of Hey Joe for the soundtrack to the movie Nymphomaniac.
Black Uhuru - Hey Joe
The Jamaican band Black Uhuru recorded their version of the song on the album Now from 1990. Yes, Hey Joe Works as reggae too!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Hey Joe
The theme in Hey Joe is pretty dark. And one of the darkest versions of the song was recorded by Nick Cave for his 1986 album Kicking Against the Pricks.
Johnny Hallyday - Hey Joe
Now back to France. In 1967 the singer and actor Johnny Hallyday released his version of Hey Joe. Johnny Hallyday sang in French and is for the most part unknown outside the French speaking world. In France however, he was huge! When he was at the peak of his career, he was basically Elvis for the French.
So back to the question I posed in the beginning of this post. Who wrote Hey Joe? On Jimi Hendrix’ Version it’s credited as traditional arranged by Hendrix. American folk singer Tim Rose and Johnny Hallyday also credited the song as traditional. Black Uhuru on the other hand, actually credited Hey Joe to Hendrix. Then on what is generally considered to be the first recorded version of Hey Joe, by the American garage rock band The Leaves in 1965, the song is credited to a guy called Dino Valenti. Same goes for The Byrds and Love, two well known bands who recorded the song in the mid 1960’s.
If we move forward to 2013, Charlotte Cainsbourg’s version is credited to a certain Billy Roberts, a struggling folk singer on the 1960’s folk scene, who is mostly forgotten today. However, in 1962 Billy Roberts actually registred the copyright for Hey Joe in America. Billy Roberts knew Dino Valenti, and there were also others involved. Still, today it is a general consensus that Billy Roberts at least is the man behind the adaption of Hey Joe we know today.
As mentioned, Billy Roberts never really made it in the music world. His only album was released in 1975 on a small label, and Hey Joe was not on it. Still. there exists a recording of him singing the song. It’s on a home demo recording from around 1962. So this may be the first ever recording of Hey Joe.
Billy Roberts - Hey Joe
So we finally got down to the writer of Hey Joe. Or did we…?
For a while in the latter part of the 1950’s Billy Roberts had a girlfriend named Niela Miller. She was also an aspiring singer and songwriter, and one time she played him a song she had written called Baby Don’t Go Downtown, which sounds awfully familiar. Pete Seeger even offered to back her up if she wanted to sue Billy Roberts for plagiarism, which didn’t happen, mostly for financial reasons. Niela Miller never got to make a record. She did some demo recordings around 1962, which was released on CD in 2009. So we can actually listen to what at least may be called a blueprint for Hey Joe. Judge for yourself…
Niela Miller - Baby Don’t Go Downtown
To anyone who got through all of this, you are my friend 
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Guy Clark - The Cape (1995)
The late great Guy Clark, one of the finest storytellers to ever grace us songs.
He’s one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath
Always trust your cape
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Belle and Sebastian - A Century Of Fakers
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Today it is 80 years since Syd Barrett was born. In 1965 he co-founded the band Pink Floyd, along with his childhood friend Roger Waters, and two art school friends Richard Wright and Nick Mason. In 1966 the band released their debut single Arnold Layne, which peaked at number 6 in the UK charts and also charted the Netherlands.
Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne
In the 1960’s London was “The Swinging London”. It was fashion and posing. It was the Beatles and the Stones and all the others. And it was psychedelia, with LSD and other substances. Unfortunately this was going to be Syd Barrett’s downfall. His frail psyche could not take it, and during 1967 he became more and more unstable. Towards the end of the year another of Syd’s friends, guitarist David Gilmour, was added to the line-up. So for a short while Pink Floyd were a five piece.
Syd Barrett drifted even more away, and in January 1968 the four others simply “forgot” to pick him up for a gig they had. So that was the end for him in Pink Floyd. David Gilmour tried to help out, and produced the two records Syd released in 1970. Both records are decent, but patchy. Still, they showcase the immense and creative talent he had for songwriting, and are well worth checking out if you like early Pink Floyd.
Syd Barrett - Waving My Arms in the Air
David Gilmour’s efforts did not help, and the rest is history. Pink Floyd went on to become the behemoths they are in rock today, while Syd Barrett faded into obscurity. He lived quietly in Cambridge, the town he was born, until he passed away 2006 at the age of 60.
The memory of Syd Barrett haunts the other members of Pink Floyd to this day. He was their friend! Nick Mason recalls his first time meeting Syd: “In a period when everyone was being cool in a very adolescent, self-conscious way, Syd was unfashionably outgoing; my enduring memory of our first encounter is the fact that he bothered to come up and introduce himself to me”
I lift my glass high to Syd Barrett’s memory
Shine on you crazy diamond 
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in 1975 Syd came to the studio where PF was recording their Wish You Were Here album.
They did not recognize him because he was overweighted , bald and eyebrow shaved( same as Bob Geldof as Pink in The Wall movie)
But without Syd Pink Floyd would never been the band it has become
RIP Syd
Pink Floyd - Bob Geldof in The Wall - In The Flesh - Run Like Hell - Waiting For The Worms
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I see it’s been shared before, so here’s the live version.
It’s relevant because a certain dictator in North America has also launched a blitzkrieg in Venezuela, just like his great example did in Poland in 1939.
The additional threat to Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Canada, Greenland, and NATO is such that it poses a threat to world peace.
Stay awake!
Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
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Donovan
Universal Soldier
The War Drags On
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I was thinking about writing something like this yesterday, but I forgot it at the end. Thanks for setting it straight
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Gabriela Gunčíková and others - mix/medley
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Just for fun
Gabriela Gunčíková - Metallica VS. Miley - Who Are You?
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Tell that to the patriotic Americans who put him where he is.
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happy birthday in musical heaven to David Robert Jones (Bowie)
he would have turned 79 today
David Bowie - Starman
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The Doors usually credited their songs to all four band members. Although Jim Morrison did most (if not all) of the lyrics and the melodies, the band swapped ideas and arranged the songs together. However, guitarist Robby Krieger is considered to be the main man behind the chord progressions and melody on several Doors songs, among them the hits Light My Fire, Love Me Two Times and Touch Me.
I figure that’s a fitting intro to celebrate Robby Krieger’s birthday. He is turning 80 today!
Happy Birthday to Robby
The Doors - Love Me Two Times
Just a little add on, if any of you want to pick up a guitar and try the song, here’s a guitar lesson from our birthday boy himself 
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