(Vocal/instrumental group, 1988–present) This American band formed in New York, comprising Chris Barron (vocals), Eric Schenkman (guitar), Mark White (bass) and Aaron Comess (drums). Their good-time blend of blues rock in Phish/Blues Traveler vein was pleasant without appearing to threaten the charts. Debut album Pocket Full Of Kryptonite (1991) sold steadily due to hard touring, although when MTV ...
Almost invariably with just one keyboard and a single set of strings and jacks, the spinet was essentially a smaller version of the harpsichord. Its name meant ‘little thorn’ (referring to the quill) and the mechanism for plucking the string and the resulting sound were both like those of the harpsichord. However, while the harpsichord’s strings were attached immediately ...
The spinet is known by many names and has several definitions. Perhaps the most misleading is the American usage of the term to denote a small upright piano. The most confusing is the use of the word to describe a square piano, and a more ancient confusion arises from its use as a synonym for the virginals or, indeed ...
(Vocal group, 1965–80) Originally a doo-wop group, The Detroit Spinners signed to Motown in 1965 but were overshadowed by the label’s excess of talent. Their only big hit there was the Stevie Wonder composition ‘It’s A Shame’. Switching to Atlantic in 1971 and switching lead singer G.C. Cameron for newcomer Philippe Wynne, they teamed with Philly producer ...
(Vocal group, 1993–2000, 2007–08) If Bikini Kill were one extreme of Grrrl Power then The Spice Girls were the most successful. With each girl adopting a defined image – Posh Spice (Victoria Adams), Scary Spice (Melanie Brown), Baby Spice (Emma Bunton), Sporty Spice (Melanie Chisholm) and Ginger Spice (Geri Halliwell, went solo 1998) – they were unstoppable after ...
When The Grateful Dead started attracting a large fan following on the Bay Area concert scene during the late-1960s, courtesy of free-form jams that showcased the band’s fusion of folk, rock, country and blues, it signalled that rock’n’roll was latching onto a tradition of improvization that had long been prevalent in other forms of Western music. This ...
A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who have come together to play music. In theory, an ensemble could contain any number of instruments in any combination, but in practice, certain combinations just don’t work very well, either for musical reasons or because of the sheer practicality of getting particular instruments and players ...
The term electric, or electromechanical, organ is used to describe instruments that produce sounds using a dynamo-like system of moving parts – as opposed to electronic organs that employ solid-state electronics. Laurens Hammond In the same way that ‘Hoover’ is used instead of ‘vacuum cleaner’, the very name ‘Hammond’ has become synonymous with electric organs. The Hammond organ was ...
Few would deny that the blues has played a more important role in the history of popular culture than any other musical genre. As well as being a complete art form in itself, it is a direct ancestor to the different types of current popular music we know and love today. Without the blues there would have been no Beatles ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1967–present) They were the most famous rock equivalent of a ‘brass band’ – founder member Al Kooper’s own description. With a sensational horn section always high in the mix, 1968’s Child Is Father To The Man established them a musicianly act that was to serve as role model for Colosseum and The Average White Band and the ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1968–70) When on a US tour with The Hollies, Graham Nash (vocals, guitar) had sown the seeds of a ‘supergroup’ with ex-Byrd Dave Crosby (vocals, guitar) and Stephen Stills (vocals, guitar) from Buffalo Springfield. The new combine rehearsed in London for an eponymous album that featured hippy lyricism, flawless vocal harmonies and neo-acoustic ...
Spring Pop Disaster Tour Dookie spawned a number of Green Day imitators such as Blink-182, who scored hit singles including ‘What’s My Age Again ?’. Green Day shocked everyone by co-headlining with Blink-182 on the 42-date Pop Disaster Tour in America in April and May 2002. ‘I think we’ve had a broader experience,’ Billie Joe told Alternative Press, ...
Spring The Green Day Family Grows Billie Joe and Adrienne discovered the morning after their wedding – 3 July 1994 – that she was pregnant and their first child, Joseph, was born in February 1995. A second son, Joshua, was born in September 1998. Tre Cool’s daughter was born in January 1995 and he married Lisea Lyons ...
April 924 Gilman Street ‘Isn’t it time we created a real alternative ?’ Tim Yohannan was the driving force behind local radio show and then fanzine MaximumRockNRoll and it was his determination that led to the establishment of a new music venue in Berkeley at 924 Gilman Street. Run along co-operative lines with a no drugs, no alcohol and no ...
January Billie Joe’s DUI ‘Let’s get drunk and go out driving/Let’s see how quickly we can go,’ Tre Cool’s track ‘DUI’ was supposed to be on Shenanigans but did not appear on the CD. Whether or not Billie Joe was listening to ‘DUI’ at 1am on 5 January when powering along in his BMW is unknown but he was stopped ...
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An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
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