Singer, songwriter and pianist Ray Charles passed away on this day in 2004 from liver failure, aged 73 (June 10)
Blind from about age 5 due to glaucoma, Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded, and contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s.
Ray Charles has had countless hits, and has won 17 Grammy Awards, including 5 posthumously.
He was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Rolling Stone ranked Charles #10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and #2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
A true legend of music…
Here he is with the Blues Brothers in 1980…
This week in 1985, the Uncanny X-Men LP “‘Cos Life Hurts” debuted on the Australian charts (June 10)
It was the debut album for Brian Mannix and the boys, after two EP releases, “SaliveOne!” in late 1982, and “Beach Party” in mid-1984.
It was one of the must-have Aussie rock band LPs of the era, and went on to peak at #3 on the National charts.
At the Countdown Australian Music Awards of 1985, which were held in April 1986, Uncanny X-Men were nominated for Most Popular Australian Group and Mannix for Most Popular Male Performer.
Click on the link below to watch “Everybody Wants to Work”, which also appeared on the “Beach Party” EP:
On this day in 1979, The Angels song “Shadow Boxer” debuted on the Australian charts at #59 (June 11)
The Brewster/Neeson/Brewster track from the classic “No Exit” LP only peaked at #25, but became an absolute Angels crowd favourite…
Don’t go walking out late at night…
Bolt your door, lock your windows tight….
On this day in 1982, Joe Jackson released the single “Real Men” (June 11)
Joe Jackson challenges and questions what makes the 1982 version of a “real man” in this track that had only minor chart success in his native UK, but was a hit in Australia peaking at #6.
It also charted at #15 in the Netherlands.
With the hype of the “Look Sharp” LP in the rear vision mirror, Jackson showed he was still capable of churning out some classic songs from his new record “Night and Day”, while turning his introspective sociological musical microscope on us all....
Click on the link below to watch:
Exactly forty years ago, on this day in 1983, the Elton John LP “Too Low For Zero” debuted on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #160 (June 11)
For the first time since the LP “Blue Moves” in 1976, all lyrics on this one were written by Bernie Taupin, and Elton also reunited with the core of his backing band of the early 1970s: Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone as well as Ray Cooper, Kiki Dee and Skaila Kanga.
It proved a recipe for success, because after some lean years commercially, “Too Low For Zero” became Elton’s second best selling album of the 1980s, and produced several hit songs, including “I’m Still Standing”, “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”, and “Kiss the Bride”.
Click on the link below to watch “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” live in Miami:
On this day in 1966, The Beatles single “Paperback Writer” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #28 (June 11)
It was their 10th consecutive #1 in the UK, and also topped singles charts in the US, Ireland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway.
Paul McCartney wrote this after helping some friends, including John Dunbar, set up the Indica Bookshop (in the basement was the Indica Gallery, where John Lennon eventually met Yoko Ono), in January of 1966.
Paul was the first customer of the shop.
McCartney said in 1966: "Years ago, my Auntie Lil said to me, 'Why do you always write songs about love all the time?
Can't you ever write about a horse or the summit conference or something interesting?'
So, I thought, 'All right, Auntie Lil.'"
McCarney then went ahead and penned the Beatles first #1 song that was NOT about love!
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1982, The Clash released the single “Rock The Casbah” (June 11)
Taken from the “Combat Rock” LP, “Rock The Casbah” gave The Clash their only US top 10 hit peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and charted highest in Australia where it got to #3, and #4 in New Zealand.
The music was written by drummer Topper Headon who also played drums, piano and bass on the track.
Headon also wrote the original lyrics to the song, which weren’t actually used in the recording.
After hearing Headon's music in the studio, Strummer went into the studio's toilets and wrote lyrics to match the song's melody.
In an interview, singer Joe Strummer claimed that "the real genius of 'Rock The Casbah' is Topper. He banged down the drum track. Then ran over to the piano and then the bass."
The sad irony about the song is that Headon wrote it musically, but had been fired from the group because of drug problems by the time the song became an enormous hit in the US.
Indeed, in the music video for the song, its original Clash drummer Terry Chimes at the kit (he had returned to replace Headon temporarily).
Click on the link below to watch:
Blind from about age 5 due to glaucoma, Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded, and contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s.
Ray Charles has had countless hits, and has won 17 Grammy Awards, including 5 posthumously.
He was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Rolling Stone ranked Charles #10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and #2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
A true legend of music…
Here he is with the Blues Brothers in 1980…
This week in 1985, the Uncanny X-Men LP “‘Cos Life Hurts” debuted on the Australian charts (June 10)
It was the debut album for Brian Mannix and the boys, after two EP releases, “SaliveOne!” in late 1982, and “Beach Party” in mid-1984.
It was one of the must-have Aussie rock band LPs of the era, and went on to peak at #3 on the National charts.
At the Countdown Australian Music Awards of 1985, which were held in April 1986, Uncanny X-Men were nominated for Most Popular Australian Group and Mannix for Most Popular Male Performer.
Click on the link below to watch “Everybody Wants to Work”, which also appeared on the “Beach Party” EP:
On this day in 1979, The Angels song “Shadow Boxer” debuted on the Australian charts at #59 (June 11)
The Brewster/Neeson/Brewster track from the classic “No Exit” LP only peaked at #25, but became an absolute Angels crowd favourite…
Don’t go walking out late at night…
Bolt your door, lock your windows tight….
On this day in 1982, Joe Jackson released the single “Real Men” (June 11)
Joe Jackson challenges and questions what makes the 1982 version of a “real man” in this track that had only minor chart success in his native UK, but was a hit in Australia peaking at #6.
It also charted at #15 in the Netherlands.
With the hype of the “Look Sharp” LP in the rear vision mirror, Jackson showed he was still capable of churning out some classic songs from his new record “Night and Day”, while turning his introspective sociological musical microscope on us all....
Click on the link below to watch:
Exactly forty years ago, on this day in 1983, the Elton John LP “Too Low For Zero” debuted on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #160 (June 11)
For the first time since the LP “Blue Moves” in 1976, all lyrics on this one were written by Bernie Taupin, and Elton also reunited with the core of his backing band of the early 1970s: Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone as well as Ray Cooper, Kiki Dee and Skaila Kanga.
It proved a recipe for success, because after some lean years commercially, “Too Low For Zero” became Elton’s second best selling album of the 1980s, and produced several hit songs, including “I’m Still Standing”, “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”, and “Kiss the Bride”.
Click on the link below to watch “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” live in Miami:
On this day in 1966, The Beatles single “Paperback Writer” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #28 (June 11)
It was their 10th consecutive #1 in the UK, and also topped singles charts in the US, Ireland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway.
Paul McCartney wrote this after helping some friends, including John Dunbar, set up the Indica Bookshop (in the basement was the Indica Gallery, where John Lennon eventually met Yoko Ono), in January of 1966.
Paul was the first customer of the shop.
McCartney said in 1966: "Years ago, my Auntie Lil said to me, 'Why do you always write songs about love all the time?
Can't you ever write about a horse or the summit conference or something interesting?'
So, I thought, 'All right, Auntie Lil.'"
McCarney then went ahead and penned the Beatles first #1 song that was NOT about love!
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1982, The Clash released the single “Rock The Casbah” (June 11)
Taken from the “Combat Rock” LP, “Rock The Casbah” gave The Clash their only US top 10 hit peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and charted highest in Australia where it got to #3, and #4 in New Zealand.
The music was written by drummer Topper Headon who also played drums, piano and bass on the track.
Headon also wrote the original lyrics to the song, which weren’t actually used in the recording.
After hearing Headon's music in the studio, Strummer went into the studio's toilets and wrote lyrics to match the song's melody.
In an interview, singer Joe Strummer claimed that "the real genius of 'Rock The Casbah' is Topper. He banged down the drum track. Then ran over to the piano and then the bass."
The sad irony about the song is that Headon wrote it musically, but had been fired from the group because of drug problems by the time the song became an enormous hit in the US.
Indeed, in the music video for the song, its original Clash drummer Terry Chimes at the kit (he had returned to replace Headon temporarily).
Click on the link below to watch:
