Music Diary – 30th September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 30th September!

Marc Bolan (30th September 1947 – 16th September 1977)

On the 30th September 1947 Mr. Mark Feld, better known as Marc Bolan, was born in Hackney, East London (UK). He was a singer, guitarist, poet and frontman of the legandary Glam Rock band T. Rex. On the 16th September 1977 Bolan died in a car crash at the age of only 30 years.

Mark Feld get his first guitar at the age of nine and started playing in a Skiffle band. During his school time he was the guitarist in the group „Susie and the Hula Hoops“. The twelve year old girl Helen Shapiro was the singer in this band – Shapiro started also a career as a musician and topped the UK charts in the Sixties with the two songs „You Don’t Know“ and „Walkin‘ Back to Happiness„.

After expelled from school due to bad behaviour, Mark Felt worked for a modelling agency. In 1964 he started his career as singer and recorded a cover of „All at Once“. The name changing to Marc Bolan followed and he signed to the Decca label in August 1965 and the debut single „The Wizard“ was released.

In 1967 Marc Boland formed his group Tyrannosaurus Rex and recorded the four albums „My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows„, „Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages“ (both in 1968), „Unicorn“ (1969) and „A Beard of Stars“ (1970).

In 1970 the name was changed into T. Rex. Until 1977 Bolan record eight albums with the group. Especially in the early Seventies T. Rex was a very successful Glam Rock group and the songs „Jeepster„, „Get It On„, „Ride a White Swan„, „Solid Gold Easy Action„, „Children of the Revolution„, „Hot Love„, „Telegram Sam„, „20th Century Boy“ and „Metal Guru“ charted the UK charts. In 1971 the album „Electric Warrior“ hit the top of the album charts.

Many changes happened then:
Bill Legend left the band in 1973 and Mickey Finn said goodbye to T. Rex in 1975. Bolan’s marriage came to an end and with his new affairr Gloria Jones (backing singer) he started a new life. His son Rolan was born on 26th September 1975. Two years later, Bolan had a new band togehter and the album „Dandy in the Underworld“ was released in March 1977.

On the 16th September 1977, two weeks before his 30th birthday, Marc Bolan died in a car accident. Driver Gloria Jones get injured (a broken arm and broken jaw) and spent time in hospital. She learned of Bolan’s death only on the day of his funeral.

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Music Diary – 29th September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 29th September!

Jerry Lee Lewis

On the 29th September 1935 Mr. Jerry Lee Lewis aka „The Killer“ was born in the town of Ferriday, Louisiana (USA). The singer and pianist is considered as one of the greatest Rock’n’Roll musicians in history. At the age of 21, Jerry Lee Lewis traveled for an audition to the legendary Sun Records studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Jack Clement recorded the cover version of „Crazy Arms“ (formerly recorded by Ray Price) and Lewis‘ own composition „End of the Road“. One month later, in December 1956, Lewis started his solo career and became also a sessions musician for Sun Records. His unique piano playing can be heard on many recordings for artits like Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

On the 4th December 1956 the historic jam session featuring Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins,  Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis happened. Label owner Sam Phillips recorded it. 25 year later is was available titled as „Million Dollar Quartet„.

In 1957 Lewis recorded his first hit „Whole Lotta Shakin‘ Going On„. And more chartbreaker followed like „Great Balls of Fire„, „Breathless“ and „High School Confidential„. After his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra in the same year, his popularity was quickly gone due to this scandal. He still recorded all over the years and especially his wild live performances in the sixties became legendary. The live album „Live at the Star Club, Hamburg“ (1964) proves this: „‚Live at the Star Club‘ is extraordinary, the purest, hardest rock & roll ever committed to record“, so music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine (Allmusic).

In 1989 the biographical movie „Great Balls of Fire!“ directed by Jim McBride with Dennis Quaid starring as „The Killer“ and Winona Ryder as Myra was released. For the soundtrack Jerry Lee Lewis re-recorded his songs.

After the induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), Lewis toured again in 1998 with the two Rock’n’Roll legends Chuck Berry and Little Richard. In 2006 the album „Last Man Standing “ was released. Three years later the record „Mean Old Man“ hit the stores. For the 18 new songs he worked together with people like Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, John Fogerty, Mick Jagger, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Keith Richards, Kid Rock, Slash, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson and Ronnie Wood – just to name a few.

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Music Diary – 28th September

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Paul Burgess (2010)

On the 28th September 1950 the drummer Paul Burgess was born in Manchester, England. He worked mainly for the band 10cc in the seventies. Their biggest hit was „I’m not in Love“ – the single went No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in the US (1975).

Burgess played with 10cc from 1973 until 1980 and joined again in 1983. In the same year the band called it a day. In 1982 Paul Burgess was a briefly member of Jethro Tull. He replaced Gerry Conway for the „Broadsword and the Beast“ tour from August 1982 until October 1982 (UK and USA).

After that Burgess became a member of Camel until the breakup in 1985 and then he worked as a session musician for different groups (Magna Carta, The Icicle Works). In 1985 he returned to Jethro Tull for the orchestral album „A Classic Case„. And his drumming can also be heard on the CD „Spirit Flying Free“ (1997) by John Carter and longtime Tull guitarist Martin Barre. In 2013 Paul Burgess joined the Midnite Johnny Band.

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Music Diary – 27th September

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Clifford Lee Burton (10th February 1962 – 27th September 1986)

On the 27th September 1986 Metallica’s bass player Cliff Burton was killed in a tragic accident. The tour bus crashed due to black ice during the Scandinavia tour between Stockholm and Copenhagen. Burton was thrown through the window and the bus fell on him. The musician died at the age of only 24 years.

Burton joined Metallica in 1982 and he contributed his bass lines for the first three studio albums „Kill ‚Em All“ (1983), „Ride the Lightning“ (1984) and „Master of Puppets„(1986). And for the song „To live is to die“, which is on the fourth album „…And Justice For All“ (1986), he received the poshumous writing credits. On the 4th April 2009 Burton was also inducted posthumously with Metallica into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Also he was selected as the 9th greatest bass player of all time in an online poll by the Rolling Stone magazine in 2001.

Jason Newsted, who played for Flotsam and Jetsam, replaced Burton in 1986. After 15 years with Metallica, Newsted left the band in January 2001 and Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Ozzy Osbourne) became the new bassist two years later.

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Music Diary – 26th September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 26th September!

On the 26th September 1995 the 12th AC/DC album „Ballbreaker“ was released. It was the first time that the band worked with star producer Rick Rubin together, who already produced the single „Big Gun“ for the soundtrack to the Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster „Last Action Hero“ in 1993. And for longtime drummer Phil Rudd was this the celebration of his comeback (he retired in 1983 and was replaced by Simon Wright in 1983 – 1989 and Chris Slade in 1989 – 1993).

During the „Ballbreaker“ tour the following new songs were on the setlist: „Hard as a Rock„, „Boogie Man“, „Cover you in Oil„, „Hail Caesar„, and the title track „Ballbreaker“.

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Music Diary – 25th September

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John Henry Bonham (31st May 1948 – 25th September 1980)

Back in 1980 another great musician passed away far too early: Led Zeppelin drummer John „Bonzo“ Bonham died after a heavy drinking session at the age of 32. The British musician is still considered as one of the best drummers in Rock history.

John Henry Bonham was born on the 31st May 1948 in the Redditch, Worcestershire, UK. It was obvious that Bonham should become an outstanding drummer: At the age of five he built his own drum kit of containers, cans and tins. Ten years later he get his first proper drum kit. Shortly after that the drummer joined in 1964 his first group called „Terry Webb and the Spiders“. In 1966 Bonham was a member of „A Way Of Life“ and his next stop was at the Blues band „Crawling King Snakes“, where he met Robert Plant for the first time. The singer formed afterwards his group Band Of Joy with Bonham on the drums again. Shortly after that this band called it a day.

In 1968 Jimmy Page was searching for a new line up after the break-up of The Yardbirds. After recruiting Robert Plant also John Bonham became a member of the new band. Due to contract issues it was called firstly The New Yardbirds. Then John Paul Jones completed the line up and after a mini tour in Scandinavia the band changed the name into Led Zeppelin.

With John Bonham on the drums, Led Zeppelin recorded the legendary studio albums „Led Zeppelin“ (1969), „Led Zeppelin II“ (1969), „Led Zeppelin III“ (1970), „Led Zeppelin IV„(1971), „Houses of the Holy“ (1973), „Physical Graffiti“ (1975), „Presence“ (1976) and „In Through the Out Door“ (1979). In 1976 the live double LP set „The Song Remains the Same“ was released and in 1982 „Coda“ (a collection of unreleased tracks from 1969 until 1978) hit the record shops.

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Music Diary – 24th September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 24th September!

On the 24th September 1991 an album was released in the USA, which became a big milestone in Rock and Grunge history: Nirvana’s „Nevermind„. The chart entering was anything but suprising – after the first week the LP was on position No. 144. But this changed, when the Single „Smells Like Teen Spirit“ was played all over the world. So in January 1992 „Nevermind“ peaked the No. 1 place and until now over 30 millions copies were sold world wide.

The three further outtakes „Come as You Are„, „Lithium„, and „In Bloom“ charted also in the whole world.

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Music Diary – 23rd September

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Bruce „The Boss“ Springsteen (born 23rd September 1949)

Today in the year 1949 Mr. Bruce  Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. Later nicknamed as „The Boss“, Springsteen started his musical career in the late sixties with the band Earth. After that, Bruce Springsteen was from 1969 until 1971 member of Steel Mill. In this group were also Danny Federici, Vini Lopez, Vinnie Roslin and  Steve Van Zandt – all these people became later musicians of Springsteen’s The E Street Band.

In 1972 Bruce Springsteen signed with Columbia Records and his debut album „Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.“ was released in January 1973. A few months later, the follow up „The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle“ hit the stores in September.

His first breakthrough marked his third LP, called „Born to Run“ (1975), which reached No. 3 on the US charts. Especially the title track became a classic in the Springsteen discography. With the following albums „Darkness on the Edge of Town“ (1978), „The River“ (1980) and „Nebraska“ (1982) the fanbase get bigger and with the legendary record „Born in the U.S.A.“ (1984) Bruce Springsteen topped almost worldwide the album charts. From the twelve songs seven were released as singles and almost all of them went Top Ten all over the world.

Over the last decades Bruce Springsteen released more outstanding albums like „The Ghost of Tom Joad“ (1995), „The Rising“ (2002) and „Devils & Dust“ (2005). Remarkable for „The Boss“ is his open minded musical attitutude: So his last release „High Hopes“ (2014) features Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave) on eight tracks.

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Music Diary – 22nd September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 22nd September!

Elvis Presley (1958)

On the 22nd September 1958, Elvis Presley gave a press conference at the Military Ocean Terminal in Brooklyn, before joining the 3rd Armored Division on the USS Genereal Randall in Bremerhaven, Germany. The „King of Rock’n’Roll“ answered questions about his army duty, music and family. After the press conference Elvis boarded the U.S.S. Randall.

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A few months before that press conference, Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army on 24th March 1958. During his stay in Germany (Friedberg), Elvis met the 14 years old teenager Priscilla Beaulieu during a party at Elvis‘ home in Bad Neuheim. On the 1st May 1967 the couple get married. Only five years later Elvis and Priscilla seperated on 23rd February 1973. Their only child, Lisa Marie, was born exactly nine months after their wedding, on 1st February 1968.

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Music Diary – 21st September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 21st September!

Leonard Cohen (born 21st September 1934)

On the 21st September 1934 Mr. Leonard Norman Cohen was born in Montreal, Canada. Before Cohen became one of the most outstanding singer/songwriters in music history, he started as an author and wrote poetry in the first line. In 1956 his first book „Let Us Compare Mythologies“ was edited. Five years later his second book of poems „The Spice-Box of Earth“ hit the stores and Cohen became also well known outside Canada. He moved to Greece on the island Hydra and worked further on his career as an author. The novels „The Favourite Game“ (1963), the poems „Flowers for Hitler“ (1964) and more novels titled „Beautiful Losers“ (1966) were released.

In 1967 Leonard Cohen moved to New York and started his career as a musician. On the 27th December 1967 his debut album „Songs of Leonard Cohen“ was released followed by the legendary LPs „Songs from a Room“ (1969) and „Songs of Love and Hate“ (1971). Especially these three albums are still considered as milestones in singer/songwriter history. Over the years he released several albums and in 1994 the writer and musician  retreated to the Mt. Baldy Zen Center near Los Angeles. There Cohen was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and took the Dharma name Jikan, which stands for „silence“.

2001 marks Cohen’s comeback as a musician: The album „Ten New Songs“ was released. „Dear Heather“ (2004) and „Old Ideas“ (2012) followed. And in time of his 80th birthday the album „Popular Problems“ will be released on the 22nd September 2014.

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