In the past several months, three great soul musicians left this ugly world. We say goodbye to Levi Stubbs, Isaac Hayes and Norman Whitfield. Levi Stubbs was an unforgettable baritone in The Four Tops. Desperate drama of The Four Tops classics Reach Out, Standing In The Shadows Of Love would be impossible without his strong interpretation. The Four Tops formula of success was created when Stubbs forces his natural baritone into higher ranges, creating a sense of urgency and drama. The best example is perhaps Bernadette, which is now considered one of the artistic heights of the entire Motown catalog. Another Motown giant, Norman Whitfield also left us earlier this fall. He is best known for his work with The Temptations. In his hands, Temptations achieved psychedelic artistic heights when Whitfield penned amazing hit Papa Was A Rolling Stone. But Whitfield’s best known song is perhaps I Heard It Through The Grapevine, a classic he wrote originally for Gladys Knight, but Marvin Gaye’s version is the one that you’d probably think of first. Isaac Hayes, the black Moses from Memphis started as a songwriter in the sixties. He wrote such soul staples as Soul Man and Hold On, I’m Coming for Sam and Dave. In the late sixties, Hayes launched an acclaimed interpretative career, recording lps such as Hot Buttered Soul and earning an Oscar for his soundtrack for Shaft. Rock’n’roll will be forever in debt to this golden trio!
The Four Tops – Baby I Need Your Loving;
Sam & Dave – Soul Man;
Edwin Starr – War;
The Four Tops – Bernadette;
The Four Tops – Reach Out (I’ll Be There);
Creedence Clearwater Revival – I Heard It Through The Grapevine;
Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine;
The Slits – I Heard It Through the Grapevine;
Isaac Hayes – Theme From Shaft;
Isaac Hayes – By the Time I Get to Phoenix;
The Four Tops – Standing in the Shadows of Love;
The Rolling Stones – Ain’t Too Proud To Beg;
Temptations – Ain’t to Proud to Beg;
Sam & Dave – Hold On, I’m Comin’;
Sam & Dave – You Don’t Know Like I Know;
The Undisputed Truth – Smiling Faces Sometimes;
The Four Tops – 7-Rooms of Gloom;
The Four Tops – Walk Away Renee.
Bo Diddley’s gone. He died at the age of 79 at his home in Florida. He was battling heart disease for quite some time and he knew it was coming. The news reports say that his entire extended family was at his house at the moment of his departure from this ugly world. Apparently, he died while the choir of family members were singing gospel tunes. Grand exit for a grand rocker. His signature rhythmic groove that he invented back in the eighties will stay a foundation of rock’n’roll forever. Paired with that goes his unprecedented, wonderfully ego-centric lyrics, which defined what takes to be a rock personality once and for all. So in today’s Little Lighthouse we celebrate Bo Diddley and his legacy. I prepared a two hour tribute with Bo Diddley tunes interleaved with covers by other great rock’n’rollers who were deeply influenced by Diddley. We will miss you, Mr. McDaniel!
The Animals – The Story Of Bo Diddley;
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley;
Bo Diddley – Hey Bo Diddley;
Bo Diddley – The Story Of Bo Diddley;
Bo Diddley – Bo Didley 1969;
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers – You Don’t Love Me;
Bo Diddley – You Don’t Love Me;
Bo Diddley – Road Runner;
Thin White Rope – Road Runner;
Oblivians – Road Runner;
The Pretty Things – She’s Fine She’s Mine;
Bo Diddley – she’s fine she’s mine;
Bo Diddley – Diddy Wah Diddy;
Lydia Lunch – Diddy Wah Diddy;
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Before You Accuse Me;
Bo Diddley – Before You Accuse Me;
Bo Diddley – Pills;
The New York Dolls – Pills.
Bo Diddley – Crackin’ Up;
Cheater Slicks – Crackin’ Up;
Bo Diddley – I Can Tell;
Dr. Feelgood – I Can Tell;
Bo Diddley – Who Do You Love;
Thee Headcoats – Who Do You Love;
The Yardbirds – Who Do You Love;
The Woolies – Who Do You Love;
Bo Diddley – Mona (I Need You Baby);
Rolling Stones – Mona;
The Rolling Stones – Diddley Daddy;
The Rolling Stones – 19th Nervous Breakdown;
Bo Diddley – Diddley Daddy;
Bo Diddley – Gun Slinger;
The Meters – Bo Diddley;
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley’s Dog;
Bo Diddley – Diddling;
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley Is A Lover;
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley Is Loose;
Bo Diddley – Bo’s Blues.
Drazen Vrdoljak wore the most recognizable moustache on Yugoslav TV, he had the strangest accent on the entire radio scene, but those are all just small funky things about him that don’t really matter at this point in time… The news comes to me that he had passed away recently at the age of 57, leaving a great legacy of rock journalism and rock enthusiasm that is rarely seen anywhere. He started off in the late sixties/early seventies by publishing eloquent and analytic music press texts raising a bar in that branch on the local scene. He moved on to television, but his most important influence lied in his close and friendly ties with musicians. Here is the list of five greatest Drazen’s contributions that made the Yugoslav rock scene the better place:
1) His participation at Buldozer’s 1975 LP Pljuni istini u oci. This LP was by far the most unexpected, the most outrageous LP recorded in Yugoslavia before the new wave. The band was greatly influenced by US avant-garde groups such as The Fugs or Mothers of Invention. Conceptually, it was designed as a tabloid newspaper and each song was one bizarre “article” in it. The LP also caused quite a stir with a controversial cover-art. Drazen helped coming up with the ideas for it.
2) Drazen organized and announced new wave concerts at the height of the Yugoslav new wave. Two greatest live albums ever recorded in Yugoslavia, Film’s Uzivo u Kulusicu and Elektricni Orgazam’s Braco i sestre open with his unforgettable announcements.
3) Drazen made country music cool back home in several ways, he wore publicly western outfits and cowboy boots in the middle of Zagreb, Croatia, he played the coolest country acts in his shows and encouraged formation of local country bands in Zagreb.
4) He helped Haustor record one the greatest new wave singles ever recorded in Yugoslavia Moja prva ljubav and
5) He interviewed Frank Zappa on Yugoslav television back in the early seventies as if he was a regular pop star.
Every local scene needs people like Drazen!
Podcasting from Cleveland, Ohio. Broadcasting on Radio Kragujevac, every Sunday from 4-5pm (Central European Time). Streaming on Rock XS every Thursday at Midnight (Eastern European Time).
In the past several months, three great soul musicians left this ugly world. We say goodbye to Levi Stubbs, Isaac Hayes and Norman Whitfield. Levi Stubbs was an unforgettable baritone in The Four Tops. Desperate drama of The Four Tops classics Reach Out, Standing In The Shadows Of Love would be impossible without his strong interpretation. The Four Tops formula of success was created when Stubbs forces his natural baritone into higher ranges, creating a sense of urgency and drama. The best example is perhaps Bernadette, which is now considered one of the artistic heights of the entire Motown catalog. Another Motown giant, Norman Whitfield also left us earlier this fall. He is best known for his work with The Temptations. In his hands, Temptations achieved psychedelic artistic heights when Whitfield penned amazing hit Papa Was A Rolling Stone. But Whitfield’s best known song is perhaps I Heard It Through The Grapevine, a classic he wrote originally for Gladys Knight, but Marvin Gaye’s version is the one that you’d probably think of first. Isaac Hayes, the black Moses from Memphis started as a songwriter in the sixties. He wrote such soul staples as Soul Man and Hold On, I’m Coming for Sam and Dave. In the late sixties, Hayes launched an acclaimed interpretative career, recording lps such as Hot Buttered Soul and earning an Oscar for his soundtrack for Shaft. Rock’n’roll will be forever in debt to this golden trio!
Drazen Vrdoljak wore the most recognizable moustache on Yugoslav TV, he had the strangest accent on the entire radio scene, but those are all just small funky things about him that don’t really matter at this point in time… The news comes to me that he had passed away recently at the age of 57, leaving a great legacy of rock journalism and rock enthusiasm that is rarely seen anywhere. He started off in the late sixties/early seventies by publishing eloquent and analytic music press texts raising a bar in that branch on the local scene. He moved on to television, but his most important influence lied in his close and friendly ties with musicians. Here is the list of five greatest Drazen’s contributions that made the Yugoslav rock scene the better place: