quinta-feira, 11 de dezembro de 2025
George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road 1969
Djavan - Djavan 1978
Djavan is a Brazilian composer, singer, and the owner of a respectable discography. His international success has taken him to the highest-ranking venues worldwide and his songs have been recorded by Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae, the Manhattan Transfer, and, in Brazil by Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Leila Pinheiro, Chico César, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi, Rosa Passos, Lenine, Elba Ramalho, João Bosco, Zélia Duncan, Leny Andrade, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Beth Carvalho, João Donato, Joyce, Johnny Alf, and other artists.
Djavan had early contact with music through his mother. From the environment, he took the rich northeastern folklore as influences. But he only began to play at 16, when he took the violão as a self-taught instrument. Abandoning his studies, he had to work small jobs. Still in his hometown, he formed the group LSD (Luz, Som, Dimensão), which covered the Beatles' repertory, playing in every venue for pocket money. Moving to Rio in 1973, he became acquainted with Edson Mauro, a fellow statesman who was Rádio Globo's sports speaker, and presented Djavan to Adelzon Alves, who introduced him to Som Livre's producer João Mello. A month later, he was hired by Som Livre as a singer for soap opera soundtracks. In this capacity, he would record the songs "Qual é" (Marcos and Paulo Sérgio Valle) for the soap opera Ossos do Barão, "Presunçosa" (Antônio Carlos and Jocafi) for Super Manuela, "Calmaria e Vendaval" (Toquinho and Vinicius) for Fogo sobre terra, and "Alegre Menina" (Dori Caymmi and Jorge Amado) for Gabriela. He also participated in several hit-parade records, recording other composers' songs. Meanwhile, to fatten his meager budget, he worked as a crooner for four years at Number One and 706 nightclubs, before his breakthrough as a composer. Participating in TV Globo's festival Abertura (1975), he won second place with his song "Abertura." His first single came four months later with the songs "E que Deus Ajude," "Um Dia," "Rei do Mar," and "Fato Consumado." One year after, he recorded his first LP, (A Voz, o Violão e a Arte de Djavan, Som Livre), which had "Fato Consumando," "E que Deus Ajude," "Pára Raio," "Maria Mercedes," "Na Boca do Beco," "Ventos do Norte," "Magia," "Muito Obrigado," "Maçã do Rosto," "Embola Bola," "Quantas Voltas dá o Mundo," and "Flor de Lis," the latter scoring a big hit which endures even today. A while later, he did a solo show at the 706 nightclub for three months. He recorded a single arranged by João Donato with songs "É hora" and "Romeiros" and left Som Livre for Odeon. He then recorded Djavan (1979), Alumbramento (1980), and Seduzir (1981). In 1982, he signed with CBS, recorded Luz in the U.S. (produced by Ronnie Foster), where he made contacts with Quincy Jones, who acquired the publishing rights of many of his songs through Djavan's own publishing Luanda. Stevie Wonder was a guest star on that album. In 1984, he recorded Lilás with production help from Eric Bulling, whose international sound can be heard on that album. In the same year, he worked in the film Para Viver um Grande Amor (Miguel Faria, Jr.). He also recorded Brazilian Knights and a Lady (1985), Meu Lado (1986), Não é Azul mas é Mar (1987), and Bird of Paradise (1988). In 1989, he did Djavan, accompanied by flamenco guitar player Paco de Lucia on the track "Oceano," included in a major soap opera. He followed with Puzzle of Hearts (1990), Coisa de acender (1991, with a partnership with Caetano Veloso on "Linha do Equador"), and Novena (1994). In 1996, he recorded Malásia, which had Tom Jobim's "Correnteza" included on a prime time soap opera and, in 1998, Bicho Solto -- o 13o. In 1999, he recorded Ao Vivo in two volumes, which sold 1.2 million copies and garnered him his first Diamond Record. He was awarded with three Multishow prizes: Best CD, Best Show, and Best Singer (popular election by vote of the cable channel spectators). He was paid tribute in the series Talento Brasileiro and with three Lumiar Songbooks, having his songs performed by Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Cláudio Zolli, Ângela Ro Ro, Leila Pinheiro, Garganta Profunda, Chico César, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi, Rosa Passos, Rosana, Orlando Morais, Lenine, Paulinho Moska, Elba Ramalho, João Bosco, Zélia Duncan, Cidade Negra, Sandra de Sá, Leny Andrade, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Zé Ricardo, Personagens, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Beth Carvalho, João Donato, Daúde, Joyce, Johnny Alf, Eduardo Dusek, Be Happy, Fátima Guedes, and Clara Sandroni. The following year, Djavan won a Grammy for Best Brazilian Song for "Acelerou" at the first Latin Grammy Awards. AMG.
listen hereSui Generis - Vida 1972
Salamander - The Ten Commandments 1971
Richard Last Group - Get Ready 1972
With just an LP and a single, both issued by Car Juke Box and very rare, this group was surrounded by mystery for many years, even for the absolute lack of information on the record covers; only through the recollections of some musicians it was possible to rebuild their story. The group Duu Duu had been formed in 1969 in Milan, playing in that area and Valtellina. In 1971 singer Maurizio Calò asked the five musicians to play with him, first as Maurizio Jr. e i Duu Duu, then as Maurizio Jr. e l'Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno, then using the name Richard Last Group after his choice of the nom de plume Richard Coley.
Calò wanted to release the album as a solo artist, but given the popularity of rock groups at the time, the record company insisted to have it credited to the Richard Last Group. The 12-track album Get ready included mainly covers (by the likes of Jethro Tull and Donovan) along with three originals, all sung in English, showing good technical qualities but little creativity. Towards the end of the recording sessions there was a line-up change, with bassist Dal Toso leaving for his military duties and the entrance of second giutarist Mario Volanti and later the new bass player Fulvio Massi. This seven-piece line-up appeared on the LP and single cover pictures. Volanti only played on the three original compositions of the LP (Confusion, He has gone away and Naple in rock) along with a guest bass player coming from the group La Luce.
The group broke up in September 1972 but Calò/Coley recruited new musicians and created a new group with Rosario Brunetti (guitar), Enzo Menunni (bass) and Massimo Dinoia (drums), that played for some years with the name Richard Coley and the Last Group Show. In 1977 Coley released with his name a remake of Get ready entitled Dedicated... containing the same twelve tracks as the previous one and was issued by his label, Alexandra. After another line-up change Calò started using his real name and with Dinoia and guitar/bass player Flavio Scansani recorded some tracks with jazz and funky influences for a new album that was never issued, although two of them appeared on a single in 1979, Folle evasione. Coley/Calò had a part of his musical career in France, and he was involved in many commercial productions after this brief period in the rock music scene.
listen hereAl Kooper - New York City (You're a Woman) 1971
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - One Size Fits All 1975
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn 1975
Andromeda - Andromeda 1970
German band Andromeda rose out of obscurity to record a single, eponymous album in 1970 before falling right back into obscurity and splitting up that year. When the band is mentioned, it is sometimes compared to British band Andromeda (who also released their single, eponymous album in 1969), but this has more to do with the fact that both outfits share a name. Musically, German Andromeda leaves behind most of the fuzz of psychedelic rock of the late 60s, and grounds its sound in heavy organ rock layered with jazzy flourishes and a sense of humor that sounds more like the madcap ravings of Colosseum than the steady hand of Atomic Rooster.
This sound was no doubt influenced by drummer Gunter Steinborn and keyboardist Peter Schild, who composed most of the songs. Rounding them out were Gerry Fleming on bass and Tony Hendrik on guitar, who also produced their only record. That album never strays far from the keyboards, but also never manages to stay with a single style, jumping from chugging organ rock to fast piano jazz to classically influenced prog and even some last gasps of psychedelic pop. In the end, Andromeda's sound is familiar, but never quite like anyone else's, and it is perhaps a pity that they never recorded a second, mhttps://www.imagenetz.de/kNgEKore refined, record. ProgArchives.
listen hereHerbie Hancock - Thrust 1974
U.K. - U.K. 1978
Joe Tex - Soul Country 1968
Joe Tex made the first Southern soul record that also hit on the pop charts ("Hold What You've Got," 1965, number five Billboard). His raspy-voiced, jackleg preacher style also laid some of the most important parts of rap's foundation. He is, arguably, the most underrated of all the '60s soul performers associated with Atlantic Records, although his records were more likely than those of most soul stars to become crossover hits. Tex was born Joseph Arrington in Rogers, Texas, in 1935, and displayed his vocal talent early on, first in gospel, then in R&B. By 1954, he'd won a local talent contest and come to New York, where he recorded a variety of derivative (and endlessly repackaged) singles for King, some as a ballad singer, some as a Little Richard-style rocker.
Tex's career didn't take off until he began his association with Nashville song publisher Buddy Killen after Tex wrote James Brown's 1961 song "Baby You're Right." In 1965, Killen took him to Muscle Shoals, not yet a fashionable recording center, and they came up with "Hold What You've Got," which is about as close to a straight R&B ballad as Tex ever came. It was followed by many more, most of which made the R&B charts, a few cracking the pop Top 40. Tex made his mark by preaching over tough hard soul tracks, clowning at some points, swooping into a croon at others. He was perhaps the most rustic and back-country of the soul stars, a role he played to the hilt by using turns of phrase that might have been heard on any ghetto street corner, "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" the prototype. In 1966, his "I Believe I'm Gonna Make It," an imaginary letter home from Vietnam, became the first big hit directly associated with that war. His biggest hit was "Skinny Legs and All," from a 1967 live album, his rapping pure hokum over deeply funky riffs. "Skinny Legs" might have served as a template for all the raucous, ribald hip-hop hits of pop's future.
After "Skinny Legs," Tex had nothing but minor hits for five years until "I Gotcha" took off, a grittier twist on the funk that was becoming disco. He was too down-home for the slickness of the disco era, or so it would have seemed, yet in 1977, he adapted a dance craze, the Bump, and came up with the hilarious "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)," his last Top Ten R&B hit, which also crossed over to number 12 on the pop chart. In the early '70s, Tex converted to Islam and in 1972 changed his offstage name to Joseph Hazziez. He spent much of the time after "Ain't Gonna Bump" on his Texas farm, although he did join with Wilson Pickett, Ben E. King, and Don Covay for a re-formed version of the Soul Clan in 1980. He died of a heart attack in 1982, only 49 years old. Killen, King, Covay, Pickett, and the great songwriter Percy Mayfield served as pallbearers. AMG.
listen heresábado, 29 de novembro de 2025
Dickey Betts & Great Southern - Dickey Betts & Great Southern 1977
Al Wilson - Show and Tell 1973
Billy Joe Shaver - Old Five and Dimers Like Me 1973
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