Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 17th March!
On the 17th March (Saint Patrick’s Day) 1978, the Irish Rock band U2 won a talent contest in Limerick and received £500 ($850). Two months later, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. recorded their first demo at Keystone Studios in Dublin, following by the release of the Ireland-only EP „Three„, which hit the stores on the 1st September 1979.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 25th January!
Etta James (25th January 1938 – 20th January 2012)
Happy birthday to Jamesetta Hawkins aka Etta James, who was born on the 25th January 1938 in Los Angeles, Callifornia (USA)!
At the age of five years, Jamesetta received her first vocal training from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir, at the St. Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Turned 14, she founded the girl group called „The Creolettes“ and shortly after that, the talented and young singer met musician Johnny Otis, who took her under his wings. Otis changed the band name into „The Peaches“ and Jamesetta into the stage name Etta James. In early 1955 the single „Dance with Me, Henry“ was released, which reached number one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Tracks chart. Due to this success, The Peaches got an opening spot on Little Richard’s national tour.
After leaving the band, Etta was signed by the legendary label Chess Records. With male singer Harvey Fuqua she recorded the singles“If I Can’t Have You“ and „Spoonful„. With „All I Could Do Was Cry“ (1960), Etta had her first solo hit. In the same year her album debut „At Last!“ was released, which offered a varied choice of Jazz standards, Blues tunes, Doo-Wop elements and Rhythm & Blues. Especially James‘ interpretations of the title song, „I Just Want to Make Love to You“ and „A Sunday Kind of Love“ became classics. In 1961 her second LP „The Second Time Around“ featuring the two hits „Fool That I Am“ and „Don’t Cry Baby“. Etta James expanded her style with more Gospel elements – this can be heard on the two recordings „Something’s Got a Hold on Me“ and „Stop the Wedding“. In 1967, the LP „Tell Mama“ hit the stores. The title track and also the tracks „Security“ and „I’d Rather Go Blind“ became further hits.
In the seventies, Etta James continued recording and more albums were released, although she had no big hits anymore. In 1978 she was the opening act for The Rolling Stones and also performed at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Then she left Chess Records, stopped working and began struggeling with drug addiction and alcoholism. In 1989 Etta signed with Island Records and her albums „Seven Year Itch“ and „Stickin‘ to My Guns“ were released. Three years later, the LP „The Right Time“ (on Elektra Records) followed and in 1992 Etta James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
With her tribute album to Billie Holiday called „Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday“ (1993), Etta James won her first Grammy Award in the category „Best Jazz Vocal Performance“ and ten years later, she was honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. And she picked her next Grammy (in the category „Best Contemporary Blues Album„) for „Let’s Roll“ in 2005.
Etta became seriously sick and suffered from dementia and leukemia. In November 2011 her last album „The Dreamer“ was released. On the 20th January 2012, Etta James died at the Riverside Communiy Hospital in Riverside (California) – just five days before her 74th birthday and only three days after the passing of Johnny Otis, who discovered her in the fifties.
Get your Etta James stuff here (for Austrian customer):
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 1st September!
Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., Bono, The Edge
In 1979 the EP „Three“ (also known as „U2-3“) from U2 was released – it was their very first record and strictly limited to 1,000 numbered copies.
Two of the tracks were re-recorded for the U2 debut album „Boy“ (1980). All three songs were finalley also re-released for the remastered deluxe edition of „Boy“ (2-CD-Set), which was edited on 21st July, 2008.
Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 13th March!
Happy birthday to Mr. Adam Charles Clayton, who was born on 13th March 1960 in Chinnor, Oxfordshire (UK)!
In 1965, Adam’s family moved to Ireland where they became friends with the Evans family and their sons Dik and Dave („The Edge“), who were also very interested in music. Little Adam took piano lessons and at the age of ten he started listening to rock operas, classical and popular music. Three years later he bought his first acoustic guitar and when Adam was fifteen years old, his parents gave him a bass as a present. Clayton changed to Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, where he crossed paths with singer Paul „Bono“ Hewson, drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. and also with his boyhood friend Dave „The Edge“ Evans, who became a guitarist. In 1976 the quartet founded with Edge’s brother Dik, Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin the band „Feedback“. Shortly after that, Martin and McCormick left the group and in 1977 the name was changed into „The Hype“. In March 1978, Dik Evans quit and the new band U2 was born.
After winning a talent show, the group recorded their first demo tape. One year later, in September 1979, the Ireland-only EP „Three“ was released and in February 1980 the single „Another Day“ hit the Irish market. U2 were signed by Island Records one month later and in May the international single „11 O’Clock Tick Tock“ was released.The debut album „Boy“ followed in October and the outtake „I Will Follow“ became a hit in the USA. In 1981 the second LP „October“ and in February 1983 the third album „War„, featuring the hits „New Year’s Day“ and „Sunday Bloody Sunday„, hit the stores. The LP went No. 1 in the UK and the fanbase became bigger and bigger. In 1984, „The Unforgettable Fire“ charted in the UK and USA and songs like „Bad“ and „Pride (In the Name of Love)“ became further hits. With the legandary album „The Joshua Tree“ (1987), U2 became superstars. The first two singles „With or Without You“ and „I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For“ charted worldwide.
Until now, U2 have realeased 13 studio albums, selling more than 150 million records worldwide. And they won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band.
Welcome back to another site in my music diary – today for the 23rd July!
So – I will take you back in the year 2000 when I added another Jethro Tull vinyl single to my collection. This one is from 1968 and it’s the UK release of „Love Story“ with „A Christmas Song“ on the flipside. There is also a different and misprinted version on which Ian Anderson is miscredited as „Ian Henderson“ as the composer.
Melomane Blog 