Category Archives: music business

The Guitar Bob Dylan Played At Newport Sells for $965,000

money, Music, music business, news, streaming music, Video, , , , , , , , , ,
Photo of Dylan and the pricey guitar via Rolling Stone.

The sunburst Fender Stratocaster that Bob Dylan played when he went electric at 1965’s Newport Folk Festival and angered fans with a three song rock set that began with a noisy “Maggie’s Farm,” was auctioned at Christie’s on Friday for $965,000, according to the auction house’s website.

The  buyer actually had to pay $985,000, which includes what’s called a “buyer’s premium,” in this case $20,000 that goes to the auctioneer — not the seller — to cover administrative expenses.

In total the buyer paid $985,000 to own the guitar once played by Bob Dylan.

For background on the guitar and how it came to be auctioned, head to Rolling Stone or this Associated Press story or this one at The Guardian.

“Maggie’s Farm” at the Newport Folk Festival, Sunday July 25, 1965:


Bob Dylan & Mike Bloomfield -Maggie's Farm… by Tushratta

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-

 

Best Of 2013 Dept.: NME Picks Year’s Best Albums

best of, Music, music business, news, , , , ,

Here’s NME’s Top 26 albums of 2013. For the rest, head to NME.

1. Arctic Monkeys – ‘AM’
2. Kanye West – ‘Yeezus’
3. Queens of the Stone Age – ‘…Like Clockwork’
4. Foals – ‘Holy Fire’
5. Savages – ‘Silence Yourself’
6. Daft Punk – ‘Random Access Memories’
7. Arcade Fire – ‘Reflektor’
8. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – ‘Push The Sky Away’
9. Laura Marling – ‘Once I Was An Eagle’
10. David Bowie – ‘The Next Day’
11. Jon Hopkins – ‘Immunity’
12. MIA – ‘Matangi’
13. Drenge – ‘Drenge’
14. Vampire Weekend – ‘Modern Vampires Of The City’
15. Peace – ‘In Love’
16. Jagwar Ma – ‘Howlin’’
17. Waxahatchee – ‘Cerulean Salt’
18. Hookworms – ‘Pearl Mystic’
19. Disclosure – ‘Settle’
20. The National – ‘Trouble Will Find Me’
21. Iceage – ‘You’re Nothing’
22. Deerhunter – ‘Monomania’
23. Chvrches – ‘The Bones Of What You Believe’
24. Parquet Courts – ‘Light Up Gold’
25. Haim – ‘Days Are Gone’
26. Factory Floor – ‘Factory Floor’

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

“Inside Llewyn Davis”: Who Wrote That Song?

copyright, Film, Music, music business, news, streaming music, Video, , , , , , , ,

In “Inside Llewyn Davis” there’s a scene where Llewyn Davis records a novelty song, “Please Mr. Kennedy (Don’t Send Me Into Outer Space).”

Today The Hollywood Reporter published a fascinating piece about that song, asking the question: who really wrote it?

Here’s some of the story:

[T Bone] Burnett’s rep explains that the music maestro and the Coens adapted their song, “Please Mr. Kennedy,” from another novelty song of the same name that came out on the 1962 album Here They Are by The Goldcoast Singers. That tune depicts a comical draft-board scenario where some shaggy rock & rollers beg President John F. Kennedy not to induct them into the army. Since these lyrics were modified for the film, the new songwriting credit shows original writers Ed Rush and Ed Cromarty now accompanied by T Bone Burnett, The Coens, and Timberlake.

That’s interesting, because before that song there was a 45 single release of “Please Mr. Kennedy (I Don’t Want To Go)” by Mickey Woods in December 1961 on the Tamla-Motown label, and you can easily hear the similarity between that war-phobic plea and the Coen creation. Credits for that particular tune actually list Berry Gordy, Loucye Wakefield and Ronald Wakefield as the song’s composers — no trace of Messrs. Rush or Cromarty here.

Read the entire story here.

Please Mr. Kennedy from The Goldcoast Singers on Myspace.

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

John Fogerty Drops $8,950,000 on New House

money, Music, music business, news, , , , , , ,

Rock legend John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame, has purchased a 20-plus acre estate in Thousand Oaks, California, for $8.9 million, the Real Estalker reports.

Fogerty apparently bought the Hidden Valley estate in May 2013 under the name of a trust that also owns his Beverly Hills mansion, a property that he was reportedly trying to sell this summer for $23.5 million.

His new home has huge irrigated fields and a 22,000 gallon cistern. The main residence is 13,053 square feet, and there’s a swimming pool, spa, 12-car garage and a private water well.

More details and photos here.

“Fortunate Son”

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

Black Flag Singer Ron Reyes Fired: “You’re done, party’s over get off…”

Music, music business, news, , , , ,
Photo via Pitchfork.

In a Facebook post reprinted below, Ron Reyes, an early Black Flag singer (he’s on the “Jealous Again” EP) who was brought back by Greg Ginn for the latest incarnation of the pivotal American hardcore punk combo, recounts how he was fired from the group last Saturday night.

Reyes writes that skateboarder Mike Vallely, who sang with the band at a 2003 reunion show “comes on stage stares me down, takes my mic and says ‘You’re done, party’s over get off it’s over…’

“The writing was on the wall,” Reyes continues, “since before we played our first show. So many things went wrong from the start. I was into things like having a good drummer, rehearsing and spending time on things like beginnings and endings of songs, being a little less distracted with tour life and a little more on the ball. You know things that would make our efforts worthy of the name Black Flag…”

Read Reyes Facebook rant here.

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

RIP: Jazz Great Chico Hamilton Dead at 92

jazz, Music, music business, news, obit, streaming music, Video, , , , , , ,

The drummer and bandleader Chico Hamilton, a cornerstone of the modern West Coast jazz scene of the 1950s, died yesterday (Monday, November 25, 2013) in Manhattan.

“Hamilton had a subtle and melodic approach that made him ideally suited for the refined, understated style that came to be known as cool jazz, of which his hometown, Los Angeles, was the epicenter,” jazz expert Peter Keepnews wrote in the New York Times today.

“He was a charter member of the baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan’s quartet,” Keepnews wrote, “which helped lay the groundwork for the cool movement. His own quintet, which he formed shortly after leaving the Mulligan group, came to be regarded as the quintessence of cool. With its quiet intensity, its intricate arrangements and its uniquely pastel instrumentation of flute, guitar, cello, bass and drums — the flutist, Buddy Collette, also played alto saxophone — the Chico Hamilton Quintet became one of the most popular groups in jazz.”

Musicians who passed through Hamilton’s group included bassist Ron Carter, the saxophonists Eric Dolphy and Charles Lloyd and the guitarists Jim Hall, Gabor Szabo and Larry Coryell.

For more, check out the obits in the New York Times and the L.A. Times.

“The Wind,” 1956

Buddy Collette (alto sax)
Fred Katz (cello)
Jim Hall (guitar)
Carson Smith (bass)
Chico Hamilton (drums)

“Blue Sands,” 1955

Bass – Carson Smith
Cello – Fred Katz
Drums – Chico Hamilton
Guitar – Jim Hall
Reeds – Buddy Collette

“Lady Gabor, 1962

Chico Hamilton: drums
Charles Lloyd : tenor sax and flute
George Bohanon : trombone
Gabor Szabo : guitar
Albert Stinson : bass

“The Dealer,” 1966

Arnie Lawrence : alto saxophone
Larry Coryell : guitar
Richard Davis : bass
Chico Hamilton : drums , percussion
Jimmy Cheatham : arranger

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

Really Bad Taste Dept.: Shepard Fairey & Dennis Morris Celebrate Sid Vicious

Art, Music, music business, news, , , ,

sid-Flyer-design-Web-Flyer-FINAL-CLEON-04_zpsda2c1ad3

Artist Shepard Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris are putting on an exhibit/event called “SID: Superman Is Dead” that seems to be celebrating Sid Vicious.

They’ll have posters, paintings, prints and paintings of Sid for sale. And there will be performances of “1977 Era Classics by former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, Billy Idol, Blondie drummer Clem Burke & Bow Wow Wow guitarist Leigh Gorman. The exhibit is being held at Subliminal Projects in Los Angeles. The opening night reception is on Friday December 13, 2013.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

Sid has been immortalized in countless posthumous recordings, films, T-shirts, action figures etc. SID: Superman Is Dead is possibly the ultimate of these tributes, its centerpiece being a recreation of a hotel room trashed by Sid in a fit of intoxication, rage and depression during the infamous S.P.O.T.S. (Sex Pistols On Tour Secretly) tour of 1977, during which the Pistols were forced to play every date under pseudonyms to avoid cancellation.

I was around during the life and and death of the Sex Pistols. I saw the group at Winterland when they played their final show before breaking up. I don’t understand why Fairey and Morris are doing this show.

Sid Vicious was a no talent. He was an addict and a creep.

There were amazing talents during the punk years: Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell, David Byrne, John Lydon, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Poly Styrene and many more.

But Sid Vicious. Give me a fucking break.

Here’s what Shepard Fairey says about Sid Vicious:

The Sex Pistols changed my life when I discovered them as a teenager. Their music alone made my arm hairs stand up, but their image and attitude were just as important and powerful. The member of the Sex Pistols who I was drawn to and most epitomized the punk image for me was Sid Vicious, with his spiked hair, leather jacket, lock necklace, and reckless behavior. At 14 I was mesmerized by Sid and I made my first home-made tee shirt of him snarling his lip defiantly. As I was rebelling, looking for any way to irritate my parents, and before I knew better, Sid was my Superman. Sid self-destructed young, and with punk’s slogans like “No Future” and “live fast, die young” , Sid was everything the Superman, anti-hero, or cliche, of a nihilistic movement called for. Sid didn’t really do much to shape punk music… he only actually played on two songs on Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols. However, Sid’s surly vocals kick ass on C’mon Everybody, Somethin’ Else, and My Way. Sid remains one of punk’s most enduring icons even if he is a classic example of style over substance. I was a sucker for Sid’s image as a teenager, and I still am, even though I see him as less “cool” and more tragic and cautionary these days. I have made many images of Sid over the years, and I thought I had retired him as a subject, until Dennis Morris, the photographer of the most intimate and iconic shots of Sid approached me about a collaboration. Dennis’s archive provided an amazing treasure trove of Sid images to work from in creating the paintings and prints in the “Superman Is Dead” show. I’m so glad I got to do Dennis’s Sid images “My Way”! I can now retire Sid as a subject. I’ve worked with the best, I can skip the rest.

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

Daft Punk, Vampire Weekend Head Amazon’s Best Albums of 2013 List

awards, Music, music business, news, , , , , , , , , ,

Amazon has posted Best Albums of 2013 list. At thier website they explain how there came up with the list.

The 2013 best-of lists were voted on by the Amazon music and MP3 teams, which includes not only the editors, but everyone else behind the scenes, too. It was a very democratic process. These are strictly our favorite albums; sales information did not factor into our choices at all.

Here’s the list:

1. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
2. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
3. Chvrches – Bones of What You Believe
4. Jason Isbell – Southeastern
5. Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob
6. Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
7. Lorde – Pure Heroine
8. Bastille – Bad Blood
9. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
10. Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park
11. Drake – Nothing Was The Same
12. Arcade Fire – Reflektor
13. Haim – Days Are Gone
14. The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars
15. Neko Case – The Worse Things Get…
16. Deafheaven – Sunbather
17. Foals – Holy Fire
18. Miley Cyrus – Bangerz
19. Fitz & The Tantrums – More THan Just A Dream
20. Icona Pop – This Is… Icona Pop

Big Bucks Dept.: Madonna Tops List of Highest-Paid Musicians of 2013

Music, music business, news, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Lady Gaga banked $80 million.

Though the year is not quite over, Forbes has put together a list of the best-paid musicians of 2013 and the Material Girl tops the list, netting $125 million thanks mostly to her MDNA Tour, which grossed $305 million.

Lady Gaga comes in second, netting $80 million, mostly from touring, where she grossed $168 million.

There’s an overview piece at Forbes

Check out the rest of the list:

1. Madonna – $125 million
2. Lady Gaga – $80 million
3. Bon Jovi – $79 million
4. Toby Keith – $65 million
5. Coldplay – $64 million
6. Justin Bieber – $58 million
7. Taylor Swift – $55 million
8. Elton John – $54 million
9. Beyonce – $53 million
9. Kenny Chesney – $53 million
11. Diddy – $50 million
12. Paul McCartney – $47 million
13. Calvin Harris – $46 million
14. Jennifer Lopez – $45 million
15. Roger Waters – $44 million
16. Muse – $43 million
16. Rihanna – $43 million
18. Jay Z – $42 million
18. One Direction – $42 million
20. Dr. Dre – $40 million
20. Red Hot Chili Peppers – $40 million
22. The Rolling Stones – $39 million
22. Katy Perry – $39 million
24. Tim McGraw – $33 million
25. Pink – $32 million
25. Tiësto – $32 million

Listen: Mystery Man William Onyeabor Remains an Enigma, But Man is He Funky

Music, music business, news, Review, streaming music, , , , , , , ,
Cover of the new compilation album on Luaka Bop

William Onyeabor is a mystery man, even to the folks at Luaka Bop, who have just released World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who is William Onyeabor?, which collects tracts from the eight albums released by the Nigerian Igbo singer/songwriter between 1977 and 1985.

Onyeabor doesn’t do interviews or tour, and even his record company can’t get any information about him.

Mystery man.

Based on the tracks below, William Onyeabor makes a strange, infectious funk and has a compelling voice that doesn’t really remind me of anyone

THere’s a fascinating story about William Onyeabor in today’s New York Times.

And there’s a review of the album at Pitchfork.

William Onyeabor, “Good Name”

William Onyeabor, “Better Change Your Mind”

Cool promo video from Luaka Bop: