The Jimi Hendrix Experience began to record their version of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” on January 21, 1968, at Olympic Studios in London. According to engineer Andy Johns, Jimi Hendrix had been given a tape of Dylan’s recording by publicist Michael Goldstein, who worked for Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman. “(Hendrix) came in with these Dylan tapes and we all heard them for the first time in the studio”, recalled Johns.
The Hood Internet presents 1992 featuring a whopping 60 songs in 3 1/2 minutes
Samples of more than 60 songs from 1992 mixed together into one 3½-minute song by The Hood Internet, featuring (takes a deeeeeeep breath) 10,000 Maniacs, 4 Non Blondes, Alice in Chains, Annie Lennox, Aphex Twin, Arrested Development, Beastie Boys, Black Crowes, Blind Melon, Charles & Eddie, The Cure, Das EFX, Def Leppard, Digable Planets, Dr. Dre, Dream Theater, En Vogue, Faith No More, Geto Boys, House of Pain, Ice Cube, INXS, Jade, King Missile, Kris Kross, L7, Mary J. Blige, Megadeth, Neil Young, Opus III, Paperboy, Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle, Pearl Jam, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Pharcyde, Positive K, Prince, R.E.M., Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, Screaming Trees, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Snap, Sophie B. Hawkins, Soul Asylum, Stereo MC’s, Stone Temple Pilots, Sublime, Sublime, Ugly Kid Joe, Us3, White Zombie, Whitney Houston, Wreckx-N-Effect, Wu-Tang Clan.
Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic” But It’s “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr.
William Maranci continues his strokes of genius by combining the Beastie Boys song “Intergalactic” with the perfectly funky “Ghostbusters” theme song by Ray Parker Jr.
Barack Obama Surprises TwinsthenewTrend While Hearing Bob Dylan For The First Time
TwinsthenewTrend listened to Bob Dylan, the 60’s counter-culture icon, after seeing his name mentioned in President Obama’s book A Promised Land. They also got to ask President Obama a few questions, and they’ll ask him even more on the December episode of BookTube only on YouTube December 16, 2020.
Video: Grover meets Deputy Secretary Tony Blinken to talk about refugees.
Sesame Street’s Grover and the then-U.S. State Department’s Deputy Secretary, now the next US secretary of state, Tony Blinken meet up at the United Nations in New York City to talk about refugees.
11-Year-Old Bjork Sings At A School Recital
Here’s Bjork, at 11-years old in 1976, singing the Tina Charles song “I Love to Love” for a school recital.
Foo Fighters Release Amazon Original EP Live On the Radio 1996
Foo Fighters have released a new Amazon Original EP, Live On the Radio 1996, available to stream and purchase only on Amazon Music. The four songs that comprise Live On the Radio 1996 were originally recorded in 1996 as part of the ROCKLINE radio show by producer Scott Weiss. Now a digital audio producer for Amazon Music, Weiss recently rediscovered the long forgotten recordings and, thanks to Bob Coburn and the ROCKLINE crew, prepared them for re-release.
The EP features acoustic versions of songs culled from the band’s eponymous debut and 1997’s The Colour and the Shape, as well as the non-LP track “How I Miss You.” The final song is a never-before-released version of “Wattershed” that features Dave Grohl replacing the song’s lyrics with the retelling of a recent trip to Canada, sung in the style of Fred Schneider of the B-52s.
“The band laughed and then dove in and started to work up the idea. The show would cut away for commercials and [Foo Fighters] would practice the new Wattershed idea,” said Weiss of the moment. “The version of Wattershed that would soon be known as ‘Water Fred’ was born.” Fans can read Weiss’ full account of the recording session here as a part of People of Rock And Roll, an ongoing project where fans share personal memories of their Foo Fighters experiences over the years.
The EP arrives as the Foo Fighters celebrate their 25 year anniversary as a band. Last week, they performed their 1999 hit “Learn To Fly” from The Troubadour in Los Angeles on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The band were scheduled to mark their quarter century milestone with The Van tour, which was canceled in August due to COVID-19. Recently, the band announced a new line of merch offerings commemorating each of their studio albums released during their career.
To listen to Live On the Radio 1996 (Amazon Original), Amazon Music listeners can simply ask, “Alexa play the Amazon Original by the Foo Fighters” in the Amazon app for iOS and Android and on Alexa-enabled devices. In addition to the Foo Fighters, Amazon Music listeners can access hundreds of Amazon Originals featuring both emerging and established artists across numerous genres, available to stream and purchase only on Amazon Music.
Rockline ‘96 tracklist:
1) How I Miss You (Amazon Original)
2) Up In Arms (Amazon Original)
3) For All the Cows (Amazon Original)
4) Wattershed (Amazon Original)
Ani Di Franco To Release Revolutionary Love January 29, 2021
Today, singer/songwriter/feminist/activist/author DIY icon Ani Di Franco announces her twenty-second album Revolutionary Love, set for release January 29, 2021 on her Righteous Babe Records label. Revolutionary Love is Di Franco’s first studio album since her acclaimed 2019 memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream. Rooted in her poetic lyricism and ever-commanding vocal work, the album unfolds in an understated yet captivating alchemy of folk and soul and lushly textured jazz-pop. The title track, a bold message of irrepressible hope, is available today, along with previously released songs “Do or Die” and “Contagious.”
Revolutionary Love (inspired by Valarie Kaur’s book See No Stranger) is a natural evolution for Di Franco, who has often seen her songs as reflections of not only her personal life but also society at large. With the current divisions and strife in our world, Di Franco sees “Revolutionary Love” as a vital next step. She says, “It’s about carrying the energy of love and compassion into the center of our social movements and making it the driving force. It’s about finding it within ourselves to stay curious about our opponents instead of shutting down.”
Di Franco wrote many of the new tracks on the road prior to returning home to New Orleans in February 2020. While the country soon encountered COVID and solitary lives, Di Franco felt the urgent need to collaborate creatively and record. With her activism at the forefront, she recalls, “I felt very strongly that I needed a horse to ride to try to help get out the vote—to get people inspired and get them believing in democracy, believing in each other and in themselves.”
Di Franco headed to Durham NC, where she teamed up with Brad Cook to record Revolutionary Love with an eclectic group of musicians. The lineup included percussionist Brevan Hampden (Hiss Golden Messenger, Milton Suggs), horn/flute player Matt Douglas (The Mountain Goats, Josh Ritter), keyboardist Phil Cook (Megafaun, Shouting Matches), drummer Yan Westerlund (Quetico, Mipso) and Di Franco’s longtime touring band Terence Higgins on percussion and Todd Sickafoose on bass. With many of the performances captured in one or two takes, Revolutionary Love reveals Di Franco’s tremendous gift for seizing the moment of performance and transforming confusion into clarity, pain into perseverance.
Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani Di Franco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds. Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince. She has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Greg Brown, Billy Bragg, Michael Franti, Chuck D., and many more. Her last studio album Binary was released in June 2017 on Righteous Babe Records. Her memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream was released in May 2019, and Di Franco released a No Walls Mixtape alongside the book, offering a new take on songs related to the memoir.
National Music Centre Announces Virtual Gala on December 4 featuring Jann Arden, Brett Kissel, Corb Lund, and more
The National Music Centre (NMC) will present its annual fundraising gala as a virtual event on December 4, sponsored by Mawer Investment Management and EY. This year’s gala is also in association with RISE UP! Calgary.
The 2020 NMC gala, RISE UP! A Celebration of Resilience, filmed from the Studio Bell Performance Hall and the King Eddy, will premiere for free at 7:00 pm MT at studiobell.ca/gala2020 and on NMC’s Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube channels, and will feature a star-studded lineup.
Hosted by CCMA Award-winning country artist Brett Kissel and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inducted broadcaster Jackie Rae Greening, the event will include performances by Jann Arden, Brett Kissel, Corb Lund, Tanika Charles, Louis-Jean Cormier, Celeigh Cardinal, Jan Lisiecki, and the Marcus Trummer Band. Amber Marshall of CBC’s long-running CBC series Heartland will also make an appearance.
“We are proud to contribute to this initiative from the NMC. We’re long-time supporters of theirs, not to mention passionate music fans ourselves.” said Craig Senyk, President and Vice Chair of Mawer Investment Management. “We applaud NMC’s innovation and ability to pivot to virtual events, as well as their continuous efforts to amplify positivity in our community through sharing music. COVID-19 has hit the performing arts sector hard; events like RISE UP! will help us get through these difficult times, together.”
“Our re-imagined virtual event will recognize and celebrate resilience and innovation as an organizational theme for 2020 and beyond,” said Andrew Mosker, NMC President and CEO. “COVID-19 has forced those who work in the music sector to adjust to ever-changing new realities. NMC has done this knowing the vital role that music has played in healing and bringing people together during the pandemic, and how music can play a critical role in the recovery of our city, province, and country after the pandemic is over.”
Since the start of the pandemic, NMC has pivoted to bring its programs online and keep audiences connected through music, launching the virtual NMC Learning at Home series that features lessons on science and sound; and its first ever online exhibit, Speak Up!, honouring 13 powerful Indigenous voices in music. The National Music Centre has also continued to find opportunities for artists to perform, bringing a wide array of musical genres into homes through livestream programs and partnerships, such as Alberta Spotlight, Stingray Classical Live from the King Eddy, and more.
“NMC is demonstrating community leadership and business resilience by providing entertainment and musical content in innovative ways—in a time when people arguably need it most,” says Jaimie Dawson, Partner at EY Canada. “We’re proud to support this year’s gala to help bring people and local artists together through the universal love of music.”
NMC has made many significant impacts on the community since opening Studio Bell in 2016. In 2019 alone, NMC welcomed nearly 183,000 guest visits to Studio Bell (up 21% from 2018), enriching the lives of visitors through music and drawing cultural tourism to the city. NMC inspired over 15,500 school students to learn through music, presented over 240 concerts and events, hosted over 40 artists for professional development programs and residencies, and launched seven exhibitions, among many other achievements.
The organization’s tireless commitment to building community locally and nationally, and supporting artists has not gone unnoticed. NMC was honoured with two Western Canadian Music Awards in 2020 for Community Excellence and Impact in Artist Development.
NMC supporters are encouraged to tune into the virtual event on December 4 at 7:00 pm MT, and to make a donation to support the future of NMC at studiobell.ca/gala2020.
NMC is a non-governmental, non-profit registered charitable organization that relies on earned revenue and donations to keep sharing and developing Canada’s national music story from our home base in Calgary, Alberta. By supporting NMC’s charitable efforts, you are helping to ensure a sustainable future for National Music Centre and its programs that bring people together through the power and spirit of music.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Main Source, and Buffy Sainte-Marie Albums Receive 2020 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize Designation
The Polaris Music Prize has announced albums from Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Main Source and Buffy Sainte-Marie have received 2020 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize designation.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s influential, Keyboard Fantasies, new age/electronic album from 1986 was chosen in the Re:Sound-supported Heritage Prize public voting category, which ran this year from October 19 to November 9. Additionally, Buffy Sainte-Marie’s 1964 debut album, It’s My Way!, and Main Source’s ground-breaking 1991 hip-hop album, Breaking Atoms, both received Heritage designation by the 10-member Polaris Heritage Prize jury owing to a tie vote.
“Congratulations to these three winning artists. You’ve created important, memorable recordings that show the vast range of Canadian musical excellence. I have tremendous appreciation for the work that has gone into making these timeless albums,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of Slaight Communications.
The winners appreciated that these albums remain so relevant with the jury and the public decades after their initial releases.
“I am deeply grateful to be the recipient of the Polaris Heritage Prize for Keyboard Fantasies in 2020,” said Glenn-Copeland. “All those years ago when I wrote this music my wish was that I might be able to sell the few copies my little company was able to press. I could not have known that 35 years later this music would be reaching people worldwide, much less receiving this award. Thank you to those now gone and those still living who helped make the recording possible. Thank you to all of you who voted for this music. Thank you to those providing me with professional music business guidance at this time. And my special thanks to my dear wife Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland, my partner in all things. Her tireless efforts over many years helped make this award possible. Blessings one and all.”
“We would like to take a moment to thank Polaris for recognizing Main Source and the album Breaking Atoms,” said Main Source’s K-Cut. “We are very humbled and honoured to have put out something that has been recognized around the world. 2021 will be 30 years of Breaking Atoms and when we made this album we never expected two Canadian kids growing up in Queens, New York would be part of hip-hop culture and history. It’s amazing to see the influence Breaking Atoms has had on hip-hop heads new and old as well as breaking the careers of artists we know today (Nas). This album allowed us to bring the Main Source production and sound to the likes of Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Shaq, A Tribe Called Quest, Ice-T, Maestro, MC Lyte, Pharoahe Monch and Common. Thanks to everyone who supported us to this day and who continue to support us.”
This year’s Heritage Prize jury had a daunting task trying to narrow down its selections.
“It’s not easy to pick one, two or three albums to be honoured with the Polaris Heritage Prize from the hundreds of brilliant, ground-breaking recordings released in Canada over the past 60 years,” said Heritage Jury foreperson Mary Dickie. “But I can’t think of any three that could represent the breadth and diversity of the talent in this country as well as these towering achievements. Congratulations to our winners!”
Heritage Prize juror, Andrea Warner, says Sainte-Marie’s debut was unique in its field.
“It’s My Way! is a powerful and peerless debut,” said Warner. “It was 1964 and while almost every other folk singer swaddled themselves in metaphor Buffy Sainte-Marie was writing incisive, compassionate calls to action. Side one begins with ‘Now That the Buffalo’s Gone’ reaches ‘Cod’ine’ and ends with ‘Universal Soldier.’ That’s just SIDE ONE. It’s My Way! is as remarkable now in 2020 as it was in 1964. It’s a collection of songs shaped by lived experience, injustice, and radical hope, and delivered as witness, survivor, and truth teller.”
The trio of new Heritage Prize-winning albums join D.O.A.’s Hardcore ‘81 and the Oscar Peterson Trio’s Night Train albums, which received their designation in 2019. Other past Heritage Prize winners include the likes of Arcade Fire, Blue Rodeo, Jean-Pierre Ferland, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Rush as well as 22 others.
“The Polaris Heritage Prize continues to showcase the exceptional talent, dynamism and diversity of Canadian music over the years,” said Lou Ragagnin, President and CEO, of Re:Sound. “We are proud to sponsor the Heritage Prize, and extend our congratulations to Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Main Source.”
Like the Polaris Music Prize, winners and nominees for the Heritage Prize are Canadian albums of the artistic distinction, without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity. This is the Polaris version of a hall of fame where we try to determine who would have been nominated or won the Prize before it began in 2006.