Talk about Look! Or don’t. Talk about anything GRAMMY related or not.
Feb 082007
Feb 082007
To set the tone, Townswoman Crystal puts the spotlight on GRAMMYS acceptance speeches. This is just one of many keys we will offer to enable you to experience maximum enjoyment of this otherwise obligatory event.
“Wu Tang is for the Children,” ODB once said as he interrupted Shawn Colvin’s “Sonny Came Home” acceptance speech. It was probably the most exciting thing said during the 1998 GRAMMYS. In doing research for the exciting GRAMMY speech, they all tend to be the same. It’s about God or their Mom. There are tons of tears and “Oh, I didn’t except this.” There is little mention on the web of speeches pre-1987. I guess artists weren’t allowed to talk or there are no transcripts. I’m dying to get a hold of one for Barbara Streisand’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Feb 082007
In 15 minutes of extensive research on the subject of GRAMMY Awards won by the greatest of rock’s greats, I was reminded that The Beatles won a GRAMMY as recently as 1996, for “Free As a Bird”, a patched together completion of a mid-70s John Lennon home demo, as envisioned by Jeff Lynne and John’s surviving bandmates. Unlike most of rock’s undeniable greats, at least The Beatles had been honored for work they – and history – can take pride in, including “A Hard Day’s Night” (Best Performance By A Vocal Group), an Album of the Year for Sgt. Pepper’s…, and an extremely rare, well-deserved Best New Artist in 1964.
Success would continue for the solo Beatles, except for poor Ringo.
- Along with a Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for “Band on the Run”, Paul McCartney and Wings won a Best Instrumental GRAMMY for the legendary “Rockestra Theme”.
- In 1981, John Lennon would have to settle for splitting an award with Yoko Ono for Double Fantasy.
- George Harrison took home Album of the Year for The Concert for Bangla Desh and also won an instrumental award for a track from his last album. Always the great collaborator of the Fabs, he also took home a piece of GRAMMY love for his work on the first Travelin’ Wilburys album.
Not even a stinking technical award for The Beach Boys, The Who, Led Zeppelin…
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Feb 082007
We’ve gotten a lot of interest in the KISS Army Reunion planned for next Thursday, February 15! It should be hot! Regulars as well as some notable visitors to the Halls of Rock will be in attendance. Reports are also mounting of a counter-reunion in the parking lot. If all goes well, this could start out lovely and then get ugly!
Don’t forget, tomorrow begins Rock Town Hall’s weekend-long GRAMMYS Bash. Quick: Did KISS ever win a GRAMMY?
Feb 072007
Feb 072007
Let’s play Rock ‘n Roll General Manager, shall we? You are the GM of a band that has just lost its lead singer to mental breakdown/rehab (think Shane McGowan suddenly leaving The Pogues). The style of this band is whatever you want it to be. The band is in need of a veteran lead singer with optional songwriting skills to quickly fill the gap in time for recording a new album and going on tour.
Long-term, it’s possible that the original lead singer will come to his or her senses and rejoin the band, or another established member of the band may step forward and pick up the reins, but today the band needs a new frontman who will fit your band’s chemistry.
This year the free agent pool of vocalists is especially rich in “second-option” singers, that is, those singers of 2 to 3 songs per their band’s album – the singers you wish, in your deepest rock ‘n roll fantasies would take over the lead vocal role from their regular band’s once-cool, now-cocky or cheesy singer. So, you’ve got the pick of the following litter at the specified point in their career. Who would you pick, and by what criteria would you base your choice? If none of these choices fits your criteria, please list another second-option singer you might look to pry loose via trade.
- Mick Jones (Clash version, circa London Calling)
- Pete Townshend circa Who’s Next
- Keith Richards, hot off Exile
- Art Garfunkel, hot off “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
- George Harrison, circa All Things Must Pass
- Ronnie Lane, circa Faces’ Long Player
- Joe Jack Talcum, circa “Punk Rock Girl”
- Ron Wood, circa interrupted New Barbarians’ tour
- Colin Moulding or Colin Newman
I look forward to your responses.
Feb 072007
Indeed.
