Music Diary – 17th January

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 17th January!

Happy birthday to Mr. Michael Kevin „Mick“ Taylor, who was born on the 17th January 1949 in Welwyn Garden City (later raised in Hatfield, Hertfordshire – UK). Mick became very famous as the second guitarist for The Rolling Stones from 1969 until 1974. During this time the legendary milestons „Let It Bleed“ (1969), „Sticky Fingers“ (1971) and „Exile on Main St.“ (1972) were released.

Mick Taylor started playing guitar at the age of nine and as a teenager he formed various bands – one of these groups was called The Juniors and the Strangers. With this formation he had a television appearance and also a single was released. After the break-up, The Gods were founded, which featured also Ken Hensley (later memeber of Uriah Heep) and the Glascock brothers Brian (drums) and John (bass – he later joined Jethro Tull). In 1966 this very young and encouraging band did the support for the supergroup Cream at the Starlite Ballroom in Wembley. In May 1967 Mick Taylor left the band and joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, replacing guitarist Peter Green, who was going to found Fleetwood Mac.

One year later, when The Rolling Stones fired Brian Jones in June 1969, John Mayall recommended Taylor to frontman Mick Jagger. During the rehearsing sessions, Keith Richards was very impressed and Taylor became a new member of the Stones. On the 5th July 1969, at the legendary free concert in Hyde Park (London), Mick Taylor had his onstage debut – just three days after Brian Jones had died.

Mick Taylor recorded – beside the mentioned master pieces – also the other two Rolling Stones studio albums „Goats Head Soup“ (1973) and „It’s Only Rock ’n Roll“ (1974). And his outstanding playing is also featured on the live LP „Get Yer Ya-Yas Out!“ (1970).

In December 1974, Mick Taylor announced his leaving. One month before, Taylor told Nick Kent from the „NME“ magazine about the upcoming LP „It’s only Rock’n’Roll“, that he had also co-written the tracks „Till the Next Goodbye“ and „Time Waits for No One„, but there were no songwriting credits for Taylor on the sleeve noted:

„I was a bit peeved about not getting credit for a couple of songs, but that wasn’t the whole reason [I left the band]. I guess I just felt like I had enough. I decided to leave and start a group with Jack Bruce. I never really felt, and I don’t know why, but I never felt I was gonna stay with the Stones forever, even right from the beginning“, Taylor in an inteview with Gary James. Before that, there were also some discussions about song credits: „We used to fight and argue all the time. And one of the things I got angry about was that Mick had promised to give me some credit for some of the songs – and he didn’t. I believed I’d contributed enough. Let’s put it this way – without my contribution those songs would not have existed. There’s not many but enough, things like „Sway“ and „Moonlight Mile“ on Sticky Fingers and a couple of others.“ (from an interview with „Mojo“ magazine in 1997).

After he quit the Stones, Mick Taylor started his solo career and in 1979 his self titled debut was released. He also worked with other musicians and bands like Jack Bruce, Bob Dylan, Mike Oldifield, Little Feat, Grateful Dead or Eric Clapton.
Taylor also performed and recorded again with Keith Richards on his solo album „Talk is Cheap“ (1988) and The Rolling Stones. In 2013, during the „50 & Counting“ North American tour of the Stones, Mick Taylor joined the band every single night for a couple of songs.

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Music Diary – 13th January

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 13th January!

On the 13th January 1968 a historic performancy by Johnny Cash happened: The Man in Black, featuring June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three, played a very special concert at Folsom Prison (near Sacramento, California). In front of 2,000 inmates, Johnny and his band played classics. like „Folsom Prison Blues„, „25 Minutes to go„, „Jackson“ and „Cocaine Blues„.

The concert was recorded and released under the moniker „At Folsom Prison“ by Columbia Records in May 1968. The LP became one of Johnny Cash’s most famous and successful albums and it reached number one the country chart and the top 15 on the regular album chart.

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Music Diary – 29th October

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

Peter Green

On the 29th October 1946, Mr. Peter Allen Greenbaum aka Peter Green was born in Behnal Green, London, UK. The British Blues Rock guitarist and singer was the founder of the legendary Fleetwood Mac (1967). In 1970 he left the band and started later a successful solo career. Many of his songs were covered by artists like Santana, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, Judas Priest or Gary Moore, just to name a few. Also his very unique guitar style influenced a lot of other musicians all around the world.

Green’s first band was „Bobby Dennis and the Dominoes“, later he was a member of the Rhythm and Blues band „The Muskrats“, then he joined „The Tridents“ (in which he played the bass). In 1966 he was the lead guitar player in Peter Bardens‚ band „Peter B’s Looners“ where he met drummer Mick Fleetwood. In the same year, Green was asked to take Eric Clapton’s place in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and he made his recording debut with the Bluesbreakers on the album „A Hard Road„, which was released in 1967. The LP featured the two Peter Green compositions „The same Way“ and „The Supernatural“. Shortly after that, he decided to found his own band – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. The line up featured Mick Fleetwood on drums, Jeremy Spencer on guitar and Bob Brunning on bass, who only stayed for a very short time and was replaced by John McVie in September 1967. Although the first single „I believe my Time ain’t long“ didn’t chart, the debut album „Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac“ was a success. Also the second LP „Mr. Wonderful“ (1968), which was released under the shortened moniker Fleetwood Mac, was a typically Blues album. In the same year the classic „Black Magic Woman“ was released as a single. The song became a big hit for Santana (which is featured on his album „Abraxas“ in 1970). In 1969 the instrumental „Albatross“ went No. 1 on the British Singles Charts and more hits followed like „Oh Well„, „Man of the World“ (both 1969) and „The Green Manalishi“ (1970), which was later covered by the Metal Gods of Judas Priest.

After the third studio album „Then Play On„, Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac in May 1970 and did some various recording sessions, before he completeley disappeared – more or less – from the scene. In the late nineties he formed his new band Peter Green Splinter Group. The group recorded nine albums before splitting up in 2004. Five years later Peter Green began recording and touring under the moniker Peter Green and Friends.

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Music Diary – 12th September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 12th September!

Johnny Cash (26th February 1932 – 12th September 2003)

The 12th September 2003 is one of the saddest days in music history: The Man in Black,  John R. „Johnny“ Cash, died at the age of 71 years in Nashville, Tennessee.

Cash was well known as the outstanding Country musician, but he was quite more than this. He knew no borders and especially his last albums, the legendary „American Recordings„, which were produced by Rick Rubin, prove that.

Beside his many hits like „Ring of Fire“ (which was written by his later wife June Carter), „I walk the Line„, „Folsom Prison Blues“ or “ A Boy named Sue“ the two jailhouse recordings „At Folsom Prison“ (1968) and „At San Quentin“ (1969) are still classics and timeless albums.

In 2004/2005 James Mangold directed the biographical film „Walk the Line“ based on the early life and career of Johnny Cash with Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash.

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