Posted May 24, 2011 at 2:47 pm | No comments
Not only was “Get Up, Stand Up” the song that Bob Marley used to end most of his concerts, it was also the last song that he ever played live in Pittsburg, 1980. The song was also famous for the many cover versions that have been released over the years, including by each of the three Wailers on their individual, solo albums. As well, a famous version was recorded by Peter Tosh, and one night he took the stage with Marley to sing along with the great Reggae star, and a young Ben Harper was in the crowd, an experience that effected his life greatly.
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Posted May 23, 2011 at 8:39 am | No comments
As early as 1987, Guns n Roses began playing Bob Dylan’s iconic folk-rock song “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Dorr” in their live shows. The song first appeared as the B-side to the Maxi single of their mega-hit song “Welcome to the Jungle.” They later recorded it for the Days of Thunder soundtrack in 1990, but the version that most fans know is the version from Use Your Illusion II, which was released a year later in 1991. The band performed the song at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, and it has since become one of their biggest hits, even though it’s a softer song than many of their harder, metal hits.
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Posted May 22, 2011 at 2:47 pm | One comment
Although Bob Dylan wrote and originally recorded “Like a Rolling Stone,” for guitarists there is only one recording of this iconic song that by left-handed guitar master Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix choose to record the song not only because he was a fan of Dylan’s writing, but also because he felt that the song made him realize that he wasn’t the only person who had ever felt that low. In Hendrix’s version, he skipped the third verse, jumping from the second to the fourth. This was memorialized during his classic performance at the Monterey Pop Festival where Hendrix announced the lyric change to the audience.
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Posted May 21, 2011 at 9:47 am | No comments
Playing bass and guitar on the track, because regular bassist Noel Redding had become upset with the recording session that day and left the studio, Jimi Hendrix landed a massive hit with his cover version of the Bob Dylan classic “All Along the Watchtower.” Bob Dylan loved Hendrix’s version, so much so that he has said that whenever he sings it he feels like he’s paying tribute to the left-handed guitar genius with the song. The solo on “Watchtower” has become engrained in the public consciousness and is considered one of Hendrix’s best recorded solos, and a must learn for any guitarist.
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Posted May 20, 2011 at 2:47 pm | No comments
Released on their fifth album, the self-titled record Blur, “Song 2” became the band’s biggest hit on this side of the Atlantic, as well as one of their most recognizable songs in the U.K. The second song on the album, and being two minutes and two seconds long, “Song 2” was originally give the name as a working title, officially announced on stage in Dublin, but after fans dug the title and the album was ready to be released, the name stuck. The song was written to parody American grunge music, but ironically was given heavy airtime by the same radio stations the band was poking fun at.
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Posted May 19, 2011 at 2:47 pm | No comments
Peaking at number 6 on the Billboard charts, “All the Small Things” was a huge hit for the band Blink 182, and has since become the band’s signature song. Written for lead singer Tom DeLonge’s then girlfriend, the song would not only top the charts, but would expose the band to a whole new audience. According to DeLonge, he wanted to write a song with “na-na’s” in it because he loved the Ramones and wanted to pay tribute to the kings of New York Punk. Though it was released in the year 2000, the song remains a staple of the band’s live set until this day.
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Posted May 18, 2011 at 8:29 am | No comments
Written by Steve Winwood, and recorded by the band Blind Faith, “Can’t Find My Way Home” was not only a big hit for the band, but it became highly controversial for the album’s cover that it was featured on. Featured a young, topless teenage looking woman holding an airplane, which some people thought was phallic shaped. The album had to be released with an alternate cover, featuring a picture of the band, in the U.S. since the original cover was deemed unfit for the American public. The original model for the cover was 14 years old, but when she was deemed too old for the artist’s concept, her 11 year old sister was used for the photo shoot.
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Posted May 17, 2011 at 8:28 am | No comments
Written as a protest song against the Vietnam War, Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” was released on the band’s best-selling record Paranoid, as well as on every live album except Cross Purposes Live. The song is also known for its long ending, which was so distinct from the original track that it was given its own name, “Luke’s Wall.” The ending was named after two Black Sabbath roadies at the time, Geoff Lucas and Spock Wall, who were a two-man road crew at the time of the album’s recording. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the song was put on Clear Channel’s list of songs that it deemed inappropriate for airplay in the U.S.
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Posted May 16, 2011 at 3:45 pm | No comments
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Black Sabbath Paranoid
Black Sabbath Paranoid
Released on Black Sabbath’s second album, of the same name, “Paranoid” would not only be a big hit for the band back in 1970, it would also become one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock history. The song has since become closely associated with both Black Sabbath and their former, then current, and depending on when you read this maybe former again, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne. After Ozzy left Black Sabbath, he continued to perform “Paranoid” live and has released several famous versions including one with Randy Rhoads from the Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads Tribute album.
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Posted May 15, 2011 at 3:45 pm | No comments
Influenced by the writing style of Bob Dylan, “It’s just basically John doing Dylan” as Paul McCartney said, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” was recorded and released on the Beatles’ 1965 album Help. The song was also the first Beatles’ song that featured an outside musician sitting in with the band, in this case it was John Scott on Tenor and Alto Flutes. The lyrics of the song have been linked to the band’s manager Brian Epstein, who was a closeted homosexual and homosexuality was a criminal offense in Britain at the time.
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