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Ritchie Blackmore...born today's date .....on April 14, 1945
He is one of the best rock guitarists of all time.
Ferocious intense solos, usually playing either a Fender Strat or Gibson ES-335.
His amp set up back in his Deep Purple was a stack of 200 watt Marshall Majors ...
he also used an Akai reel to reel tape deck as a preamp...not sure how that worked...
he would crank those big Marshalls to get his huge overdriven sound, he did not use pedals.
Deep Purple were loud ...in the Guiness book of records as the loudess rock band
until "The Who" surpassed them in 1976 at a concert, Pontiac, Michigan Silverdome.
Ritchie married three times...his first marriage was 1964-1969 to german Margrit Volkmar,
their child, Jurgen Blackmore, was born on october 7, 1964 and looks like his famous dad,
and get this....plays heavy metal guitar too...a chip off the old block.
Most of his guitar solos were improvised ....Blackmore hated to play the same thing twice,
but his iconic solo on "Highway Star" was carefully crafted...and was not just "blues" based
but encorporated classical elements which became very influential on a lot of younger players,
future guitar greats of the 1980s.
Also on this date, 40 years ago, April 14th, 1982... Van Halen released the oft-maligned "Diver Down". (This was today's edition of "Vaughn's Vault, a local classic rock station plays a rarity or anniversary-driven song each afternoon, and "Full Bug" was played.) 5 of the 12 songs were covers, and of that, EVH said "I'd rather have a bomb with one of my own songs than a hit with someone else's." Several were hits, including Marvin Gaye's "Dancing In the Street", Ray Davies' "Where have All the Good Times Gone?" and this one, which was initially banned by MTV as the result of complaints that it made fun of "an almost theological figure" the Samurai warrior (Michael Anthony in the video) and also because two little people appeared to molest a woman (actually a Los Angeles area transvestite performer). Roy Orbison didn't include the intro, "Intruder" in his original version.
April 18, 1970: Norman Greenbaum peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with “Spirit in the Sky”. This would be Greenbaum’s first and only Top Ten single.
April 18, 1970: Norman Greenbaum peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with “Spirit in the Sky”. This would be Greenbaum’s first and only Top Ten single.
A real classic....first released on his 1969 album entitled "Spirit in the Sky"...
then released as a single in january 1970....so it took 4 months to reach it's peak
chart position.
Norman Greenbaum...is still around, still playing...he turns 80 later this year.
A real classic....first released on his 1969 album entitled "Spirit in the Sky"...
then released as a single in january 1970....so it took 4 months to reach it's peak
chart position.
Norman Greenbaum...is still around, still playing...he turns 80 later this year.
I definitely did not know that. Cool to know. Thanks. I have always liked that song though. It came out a few months before I was born
April 19,1965: Having already released it in the UK, The Beatles released the single "Ticket to Ride" on Capitol records in the US. The single's label stated that the song was from the upcoming movie "Eight Arms to Hold You", which was still the working title for the movie "Help!"
April 19,1965: Having already released it in the UK, The Beatles released the single "Ticket to Ride" on Capitol records in the US. The single's label stated that the song was from the upcoming movie "Eight Arms to Hold You", which was still the working title for the movie "Help!"
I have that single....and yes it states on the label from the upcoming movie,
"Eight Arms to Hold You"....
By the time that "Ticket to Ride" was released John Lennon had written
"Help!" (it was recorded on April 13th)
...voila they had the perfect title for the movie that they were still filming,
which wasn't completed until May 12th.
I play electric guitar and have played "Ticket to Ride" at various gigs....loved playing it,
if you try to play to the record you have to slightly tune down ...approx a semi tone,
the famous (and simple to play) main riff is played in A ...but it actually is almost A flat...
probably the first song that they deliberately altered the tape speed...by the Revolver
sessions on almost every song the speed was altered...good example is the song "Rain",
by slowing down Ticket To Ride ...it made the song heavier...more hazy sounding...
the Beatles were potheads by this time and wanted to convey a sluggish hazy sound,
it worked....also the unique drum pattern...Paul McCartney showed Ringo how to play it
and it is fantastic...it works perfectly for the song.
Chord progression is ....A riff to Bm to E...then a real cool chorus
F#m to D ...F#m to G ...F#m to E ...bridge D to E twice ending with Paul's lead bit.
Who writes chord progressions like that...no one these days!
The Beatles played it "live" to video tape on august 12th 1965,
for the Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast a month later (last episode in black and white),
you can see Ringo drumming...he misses the tom a couple times and hits the rim.
In the studio Paul McCartney played the cool "mini" lead solos on his Epiphone Casino,
John and George were impressed by Paul's guitar sound, they bought Epiphone Casinos
(purchased by Mal Evans on January 5th 1966)....the song also features a "mini" song
on the ending, the "my baby don't care" bit, with some nice string bending guitar by Paul.
I have that single....and yes it states on the label from the upcoming movie,
"Eight Arms to Hold You"....
By the time that "Ticket to Ride" was released John Lennon had written
"Help!" (it was recorded on April 13th)
...voila they had the perfect title for the movie that they were still filming,
which wasn't completed until May 12th.
I play electric guitar and have played "Ticket to Ride" at various gigs....loved playing it,
if you try to play to the record you have to slightly tune down ...approx a semi tone,...
Thanks for writing everything that followed tis. I admit I did not understand much of it, but I enjoyed reading it, LOL. "Ticket To Ride" is one of my favorite Beatle songs. I love Ringo's drumming on it. I need to dig out the book I have on every Beatles song. I remember this one has an interesting history. I just don't remember what exactly, LOL. Middle age issues.
"Rain" is another one of my favorites. The era between the early mop top Beatles and the LSD-influenced "Sgt. Pepper" era is my favorite, I think.
4.20.68 -- American singer/songwriter James Taylor, introduced to the Beatles by Peter Asher, was the first non-British act to be signed to their Apple music label; his debut album would be released on Apple in December 1968.
Taylor's debut single, "Carolina in My Mind" was recorded at London's Trident Studios during the July to October 1968 period, and was produced by Asher. The song's lyric "holy host of others standing around me" makes reference to the Beatles, who were recording "The Beatles" album in the same studio where Taylor was recording his album. "Carolina in My Mind" includes a credited appearance by Paul McCartney on bass guitar and an uncredited one by George Harrison on backing vocals.
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