Happy Birthday to Canadian drummer Laurence Gordon Laing, best known as Corky Laing, who is turning 78 today. He was the drummer in the American band Mountain, a sadly under appreciated band, who is regarded as a pioneer band in hard rock/heavy metal. They did three great albums in 1970 and 71.
After Mountain’s classic line-up split 1972, Corky Laing became a member of the supergroup West, Bruce & Laing, together with Mountain guitarist Leslie West and Jack Bruce from Cream. Then in 1981, Laing and West reunited Mountain, and this incarnation of the band kept going until 2011, although a little on and off.
After this, Corky Laing has performed as Corky Laing’s Mountain, Corky Laing & Friends or in projects named after the musicians. And he is still active! He played sevaral gigs last year, including a short tour in Europe. There are also dates scheduled for 2026. So Happy Birthday to Corky Laing
Radiohead were sued because “Creep” was too similar to the song “The Air That I Breathe”, whereupon a settlement was reached.
Lana Del Rey, on the other hand, tweeted that she was sued by Radiohead’s music publisher because of the similarity between her song “Get Free” and “Creep”. However, Radiohead’s music publisher later stated that no lawsuit had been filed and that there had only been discussions about a possible acknowledgement of similarities.
Today it’s time for some reggae, because yesterday the Jamaican drummer and producer Sly Dunbar passed away at the age of 73. He was one of the true greats in reggae. Together with bass player Robbie Shakespare (1953-2021), he was one half of the prolific rhythm section and producer duo Sly & Robbie.
Sly & Robbie played with and/or produced many of the well known reggae acts, among others Jimmy Cliff, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and Culture. In addition they became in demand in the rock and pop world too, working with Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, Joe Cocker and many more.
Sly & Robbie also made a whole load of records under their own name, both together and apart, though these were mostly local Jamaican releases. Anyway, it is a busy musician who left us yesterday, a drummer who has left his mark on the music world. So here’s a few songs in tribute to his memory. Thank you for the music Sly, may you be remembered
Sly Dunbar - When You’re Hot (1982)
Grace Jones - Private Life (1980)
Sinéad O’Connor, with Sly & Robbie - Marcus Garvey (2005)
Let me also make this post a tribute to the memory of Sinéad O’Connor and Robbie Shakespeare
Hearing Wring That Neck again reminded me of a story connected to it. Around 1969 Deep Purple were in the US and met with a band called It’s A Beautiful Day. As legend will have it. Jon Lord for a short while dated Pattie Santos, on of the singers in this American band. It’s A Beautiful Day released their self-titled debut album in 1969, and the intro to one of the songs on it sounds suspiciously like the intro to one of the biggest songs in classic rock.
It’s A Beautiful Day - Bombay Calling (1969)
It’s Beutiful Day then borrowed the theme from a Deep Puple song for the opening track on their second LP Marrying Maiden, released the year after. Guess which song
It’s A Beautiful Day - Don And Dewey (1970)
There were no lawsuits and no hard feelings. Both bands acknowleded that they had borrowed from each other. Perhaps the mindset of musicians were a little different back then. The four songs stand out well on their own anyway.
It’s Kate Wolf day again today. This most excellent singer and songwriter would have turned 84 today, if breast cancer hadn’t cut her life short in 1986. She is one of the most under appreciated songwriters ever, if not the most under appreciated!
I have a tendency to go a little berserk in this topic when it’s Kate Wolf day. And I’m about to do it again. So buckle up! Or in this case, settle down and listen close.
If you listen, and like what you hear, I urge you to check out some more Kate Wolf. There’s plenty of her to find on YouTube.
Kate Wolf - Across the Great Divide (1981)
Kate Wolf - Lay Me Down Easy (1977)
Kate Wolf - Green Eyes (live 1985)
Recorded shortly before she was diagnosed with cancer.
Kate Wolf - These Times We’re Living In (1982)
If I could I’d tell you now
There are no roads that do not bend
And the days like flowers bloom and fade
And they do not come again
Happy Birthday to Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, who is turning 82 today. Perhaps this is a little unorthodox choice to celebrate his birthday, but it is an old favourite of mine
