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Who the hell was Mars Bonfire? He was Dennis Edmonton, a guitarist and composer of “Born To Be Wild,” which was recorded by Steppenwolf. “Born To Be Wild” was a seminal song. Originally written as a ballad it is often considered the first “Heavy Metal song.” Released in 1968, “Born To Be Wild” encapsulated the…
Def Leppard played their first gig in ’78 and were recording the following year. While doing passably well in their native U.K., they didn’t have much impact elsewhere and found themselves stuck in the “opening act” slot. Enter Robert John “Mutt” Lange who had built a reputation as a highly successful producer. His main function…
Formed in Akron, OH, the one-time bowling capital of America, Blues-Rock duo The Black Keys (Dan Auerbach – guitar/vocals and Pat Carney – drums) were part of the early ‘00’s lo-fi movement (stripping away all the technical enhancements to get to a more organic sound). Oddly, they didn’t acquire their name from a piano (the…
Eric Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times… as a member of the Yardbirds, Cream, and as a solo performer. Clapton’s guitar work was also a focal point in John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (where he acquired the nickname “Slowhand” and fans were writing “Clapton Is God” everywhere),…
Like many groups, San Francisco’s Third Eye Blind got going in fits and starts. The original incarnation fractured leaving only guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Stephen Jenkins and bassist/vocalist Arion Salazar. They hooked up with guitarists Kevin Cadogan and Tony Fredianelli. In ’94 Fredianelli left but the group was able to find drummer Brad Hargreaves. Barely surviving the local…
INXS started with the Farris Brothers (guitarist Tim, keyboardist Andrew and drummer Jon) in ’79. School friends, bassist Gary Beers, guitarist/sax player Kirk Pengilly and vocalist Michael Hutchence soon came on board. Interestingly, this line-up remained intact through the band’s lengthy history (’79 to ’97). Honing their act, INXS (in excess) set out on a…
Where does this story begin? For most, any awareness of Courtney Love or Hole probably began with Kurt Cobain. Kurt and Courtney, the John and Yoko of the ‘90s, living in the pop culture spotlight – married with child. “Oh, she’s just riding on his fame,” was often heard. Love had founded Hole, along with…
An appearance on the “FM” soundtrack (“Breakdown”) helped establish Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. “Refuge,” “Don’t Do Me Like That,” “The Waiting,” and “You Got Lucky” followed. Solo, Petty came up with “I Won’t Back Down” and “Running Down A Dream,” which gave a nod to the late Del Shannon, whose career Petty had worked…
Taking Old School Hip-Hop, Classic Rock and electronic elements into the mix, Linkin Park burst out of the So. Cal music scene. Their debut, “Hybrid Theory” was released in late ’00. Interestingly, the CD’s title was the group’s original name. The aggressive Rap/Rocker “One Step Closer” led the way with Joseph Hahn’s scratching and Brad…
When you get kicked out of a group called Snakepit Banana Farm you might want to reconsider your career options. And what could be going through your mind when you start a ’60s cover band called Trash? You might also have second thoughts about the music business when the guy who got you signed to…