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Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Cracked Rear View,” released in ’94, was the #3 best-selling debut album of all time, behind Whitney Houston’s self-titled effort and Meatloaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell.” Second and third albums, “Fairweather Johnson” (pictured) and “Musical Chairs,” while not reaching their debut’s rarified heights, still did exceptionally well. Like “Cracked Rear…
Key Tracks: I Believe In A Thing Called Love Love Is Only A Feeling One Way Ticket Rock And Roll Deserves To Die It’s funny how a seemingly meaningless performance can change a career. Justin and Dan Hawkins were struggling guitarists from Suffolk who’d rolled through a number of bands, together and separately, with little…
After being dumped Blush Response, a synth-pop outfit, over whether or not to relocate to L.A., keyboardist Brandon Flowers attended a ‘02 Oasis concert and decided next time around he’d like to be in a more guitar-oriented band. An ad in a local music paper, referencing Oasis as an influence, led Flowers to hook up…
At the beginning of ’77, ex-schoolteacher Gordon Sumner a.k.a. Sting (so named for his fondness for a black and yellow stripped jersey he constantly wore) and Stewart Copeland began The Police with guitarist Henri Padovani. By mid-year The Police were producing demos and playing shows. It was during a club gig that it was suggested…
Loading their songs with rapid-fire chord changes (“Roundabout“), key changes (playing in one key is just too restrictive) and time changes (they weren’t content with 4/4), Yes set out to be groundbreakers. Jon Anderson’s airy vocals battled with guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman for attention. No band could pull off what Yes attempted…
According to the BBC a “Houses Of The Holy” album sleeve signed by the members of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham) has sold for £15,000 ($18.000 U.S.) at auction in the U.K. Zep’s fifth album, containing “Dancing Days” and “The Ocean,” was released in ’73. The cardboard sleeve…
Gary Wright has died at the age of 80 at his Palos Verdes, CA estate. Wright is best known for his ’70s hits “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive.” He had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia several years and was surrounded by loved ones in his final moments. Born in ’43,…
Puddle Of Mudd has issued the single “Cash & Cobain,” a track from the just released “Ubiquitous” album. “I totally dig the song,” stated frontman Wes Scantlin. “The song covers a lot of different genres, which I think is pretty cool. It’s like we took all these genres, mixed and matched until they meshed…
Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of Smash Mouth, died at his home in Boise, ID (on 9/4) “surrounded by family and friends.” Harwell, a co-founder of Smash Mouth, was in hospice care for final stage chronic liver failure. He was 56. Smash Mouth has sold over10-million albums worldwide-wide, scored two major pop and Rock chart…
One day after former president Donald Trump was booked in Georgia’s Fulton County jail (in Atlanta), Green Day delivers a limited-edition piece of merchandise (available for 72 hours) featuring the first mugshot of a former American president. “The Ultimate Nimrod” t-shirt features Trump’s booking photo taken after he was arrested on felony charges for allegedly…