All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: All That Remains with Lacuna Coil, Bad Omens and Uncured at Toronto’s Opera House
Whitney Houston’s Isolated Vocals For “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) rightfully won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 30th Grammy Awards. The single was a commercial success, topping the charts in 13 countries including Australia, Italy, Germany and the UK. In the US, it became her fourth consecutive number one single and sold over one million copies, making it her first platinum single in the US; and her biggest hit in that country at the time.
And yes, she deserves going into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl’s Isolated Vocals For Nirvana’s “In Bloom”
A vibrant testament to not only Kurt Cobain’s vocal shredding, but Dave Grohl’s amazing backup turns in Nirvana’s In Bloom, just one of the many creative and commercial peaks of their career.
Heart’s Isolated Vocals For “Alone”
“Alone” is a song composed by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who recorded it under the name i-Ten on their 1983 album Taking a Cold Look. It was later recorded by Valerie Stevenson and John Stamos, in their roles as Lisa Copley and Gino Minelli, on the original soundtrack of the CBS sitcom Dreams in 1984. American rock band Heart covered it on their 1987 album Bad Animals, and this version reached number one in the US and Canada. These are the isolated vocals for that one, and Goord Lord, Ann Wilson can sing.
Photo Gallery: Ruben Young with Shay Lia at Toronto’s Ones To Watch
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas Is Coming To Hamilton, But Not To Sing…
Join McMaster University Library for a conversation with Henry Giroux, McMaster University Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest, and Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes, on Thursday, October 24 as they discuss Giroux’s newly released book, The Terror of the Unforeseen, which features a forward written by Casablancas.
The discussion happens at The Westdale Theatre, 1014 King St. West, Hamilton and will focus on what they call the resurgence of fascist politics in the age of Donald Trump’s presidency, including the underlying causes that have produced the reactionary white nationalist regime of Trump, and how the language of hate, nativism, and racism coupled with an attack on dissent, equality, and the social contract has produced a culture of fear, ultra-nationalism, white supremacy, state terrorism, and a politics of disposability. The event is free and you can get more details here.
They will also argue that in this “age of disposability” and white supremacy, Trump’s rhetoric eschews reason and democratic principles in favour of fascist politics that is at war with any viable notion of democracy. They will argue that it is crucial to make education central to politics, and that in a time of increasing tyranny it is necessary through protests, strikes, and education to develop a massive social movement that joins together various modes of resistance to illuminate and further a systemic fight for a radical democracy.
Frank Zappa’s Legendary 1969 First Solo Album, “Hot Rats,” Celebrated With Massive 50th Anniversary Six-Disc Collection
Fifty years ago today, Frank Zappa’s inimitable, groundbreaking first solo album, Hot Rats, was released, putting the songwriter and musician on the map as a virtuosic guitarist and changing the course of music forever with its conceptual, compositional and technological innovations. Self-described as a “movie for your ears,” the mostly instrumental 1969 album was a new musical avenue for Zappa following the dissolution of his band The Mothers Of Invention as he melded the sophistication of jazz with the attitude of rock and roll to create a highly influential masterpiece widely hailed today as a pioneering album of jazz-rock fusion.
On December 20, just one day before what would have been Frank Zappa’s 79th birthday, Zappa Records and UMe will celebrate Hot Rats and the legendary composer’s highly prolific 1969 period with a mammoth six-disc boxed set titled, The Hot Rats Sessions. This expansive new collection documents and compiles every composition recorded during several days in July 1969 when Zappa recorded Hot Rats and a wealth of other material that ended up being used throughout multiple releases during his lifetime. Filled with an abundance of rare and unedited mixes, work mixes, relevant Vault nuggets and complete basic tracks mixed from the original multi-track master tapes by Craig Parker Adams and mastered by Bob Ludwig in 2019, the collection provides a fascinating look into the making of this classic album, and includes essentially every musical entity that was recorded during these iconic sessions.
Overseen by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister, Joe Travers, The Hot Rats Sessions will be available in a 6CD boxed set and digitally, including Apple Digital Master. This creatively fertile time in Zappa’s career is visually brought to life through a beautiful 28-page booklet featuring striking never-before-seen images of the recording sessions by Bill Gubbins, photographs of the master tapes and tape boxes, and stunning outtakes from original Hot Rats cover photographer, Andee Nathanson’s shoot with Miss Christine. Nathanson provides the collection’s new cover image and several unreleased photos, all from the same photo shoot, captured on Infrared film which gave the original album its otherworldly look. The photographer vividly details the shoot in the liner notes which also includes essays by Zappa collaborator Ian Underwood and Vaultmeister Travers and an appreciation from “The Simpsons” creator and lifelong Zappa fan, Matt Groening, who recounts his first time listening to Hot Rats as a teenager: “From the opening moments of that unforgettable drum fill, I was transported. The kaleidoscopic, calliopean, dare-I-say-callipygian, mini-masterpiece ‘Peaches En Regalia’ elevated my scrawny body into the air, spun me around like a propeller beanie, and melted my brain.”
The Hot Rats Sessions also includes a one-of-a-kind “Zappa Land” board game where fans are tasked with helping Frank get back to the studio to finish Hot Rats. All boxes preordered via Zappa.com will come with an instant grat download of the unreleased outtake, “It Must Be A Camel” (1969 Mix Outtake). Listen to the track and preorder The Hot Rats Sessions now: https://UMe.lnk.to/HotRats50thPR
Two exciting new vinyl releases will also be issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary: the original Hot Rats album will be pressed on limited edition translucent hot pink 180-gram vinyl featuring the 1969 mix mastered from the original analog master tapes by Bernie Grundman in 2008 and pressed at Pallas in Germany, and a limited edition 10″ picture disc Peaches En Regalia EP will be released in conjunction with Record Store Day’s Black Friday on November 29. The EP has rare mono mixes on Side A of “Peaches En Regalia” and “Little Umbrellas,” intended in 1969 as a promotional single, and the 1969 unreleased rhythm track mixes from the forthcoming boxed set on the flipside.
Hot Rats was composed, arranged, and produced by Zappa who played guitar on all tracks and delivered extraordinary solos throughout. One of the best-selling albums of his career, the six-song record is made up of five instrumentals, including one of his most beloved works, “Peaches En Regalia.” Frequent Zappa collaborator Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart provides his unmistakable vocals to lone non-instrumental, the skronky blues-rock number, “Willie The Pimp.” Star musicians on these sessions include multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood, violinists Don “Sugarcane” Harris and Jean Luc Ponty, bassist Max Bennett, drummers Jon Guerin (Max and Jon played together in the famed fusion outfit L.A. Express), Paul Humphrey and Ron Selico, R&B pioneer Johnny Otis and his 15-year-old son, Shuggie Otis who lays down some astounding, ahead of his time bass lines on “Peaches En Regalia” and several other tracks.
The Hot Rats Sessions offers a riveting and revealing fly-on-the-wall experience by showcasing the genesis and evolution of the Hot Rats songs as well as tracks that would be featured on Zappa’s acclaimed albums, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Studio Tan and Chunga’s Revenge. Hot Rats was the first record to be recorded on a prototype 16-track tape machine and this new technology, along with Zappa’s overdub techniques, further inspired him to create and innovate. The first three and a half discs of the set are dedicated to the basic track recording sessions recorded at T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood, California on July 18, 28, 29 and 30th, and allows listeners the opportunity to experience what it would be like to be in the studio as Zappa perfected these compositions. His intense work ethic is on full display and a newfound respect is gained for the choices he made when creating the final masterwork.
The fifth and sixth discs of the set presents the original Hot Rats album with Zappa’s 1987 digital re-mix along with an assortment of extras such as vintage promotional audio ads for the album, the mono singles of “Peaches En Regalia” and “Little Umbrellas” and rare mixes of more than a dozen tracks. The Hot Rats Sessions is rife with unreleased session material and also includes the first-ever official release of “Bognor Regis,” and several unedited masters of songs like “Peaches En Regalia,” “Twenty Small Cigars,” “Toads Of The Short Forest,” “Lil’ Clanton Shuffle” and “Directly From My Heart To You.”
The Hot Rats Sessions provides an awe-inspiring snapshot of an especially productive time for Zappa, who in the year 1969 alone, outside of his own projects, produced Captain Beefheart’s outsider classic, Trout Mask Replica and the one and only album for The GTO’s, toured and had his second child. With this new, exciting deep dive, fans can explore one of Zappa’s most revered records like never before and experience how it coalesced to become one of the greatest albums of all time.
This month, just in time for Halloween, Zappa’s two complete Halloween shows recorded on October 31, 1973 in Chicago will be released on October 25 via Zappa Records/UMe. These completely unreleased live recordings total more than four and a half hours and feature songs from across his prolific catalog. Continuing the Halloween series that the Zappa Trust began in 2017 with the acclaimed Halloween 77 releases, Halloween 73 will be released as a specially designed, limited run four-disc costume box complete with a FRANKenZAPPA mask and gloves, housed in a display worthy box.
THE HOT RATS SESSIONS
CD1
- Piano Music (Section 1)
- Piano Music (Section 3)
- Peaches En Regalia (Prototype)
- Peaches En Regalia (Section 1, In Session)
- Peaches En Regalia (Section 1, Master Take)
- Peaches Jam – Part 1
- Peaches Jam – Part 2
- Peaches En Regalia (Section 3, In Session)
- Peaches En Regalia (Section 3, Master Take)
- Arabesque (In Session)
- Arabesque (Master Take)
- Dame Margret’s Son To Be A Bride (In Session)
CD2
- It Must Be A Camel (Part 1, In Session)
- It Must Be a Camel (Part 1, Master Take)
- It Must Be a Camel (Intercut, In Session)
- It Must Be a Camel (Intercut, Master Take)
- Natasha (In Session)
- Natasha (Master Take)
- Bognor Regis (Unedited Master)
- Willie The Pimp (In Session)
- Willie The Pimp (Unedited Master Take)
- Willie The Pimp (Guitar OD 1)
- Willie The Pimp (Guitar OD 2)
CD3
- Transition (Section 1, In Session)
- Transition (Section 1, Master Take)
- Transition (Section 2, Intercut, In Session)
- Transition (Section 2, Intercut, Master Take)
- Transition (Section 3, Intercut, In Session)
- Transition (Section 3, Intercut, Master Take)
- Lil’ Clanton Shuffle (Unedited Master)
- Directly From My Heart To You (Unedited Master)
- Another Waltz (Unedited Master)
CD4
- Dame Margret’s Son To Be A Bride (Remake)
- Son Of Mr. Green Genes (Take 1)
- Son Of Mr. Green Genes (Master Take)
- Big Legs (Unedited Master Take)
- It Must Be a Camel (Percussion Tracks)
- Arabesque (Guitar OD Mix)
- Transition (Full Version)
- Piano Music (Section 3, OD Version)
CD5
- Peaches En Regalia (1987 Digital Re-Mix)
- Willie The Pimp (1987 Digital Re-Mix)
- Son Of Mr. Green Genes (1987 Digital Re-Mix)
- Little Umbrellas (1987 Digital Re-Mix)
- The Gumbo Variations (1987 Digital Re-Mix)
- It Must Be A Camel (1987 Digital Re-Mix)
- The Origin Of Hot Rats
- Hot Rats Vintage Promotion Ad #1
- Peaches En Regalia (1969 Mono Single Master)
- Hot Rats Vintage Promotion Ad #2
- Little Umbrellas (1969 Mono Single Master)
- Lil’ Clanton Shuffle (1972 Whitney Studios Mix)
CD6
- Little Umbrellas (Cucamonga Version)
- Little Umbrellas (1969 Mix Outtake)
- It Must Be A Camel (1969 Mix Outtake)
- Son Of Mr. Green Genes (1969 Mix Outtake)
- More Of The Story Of Willie The Pimp
- Willie The Pimp (Vocal Tracks)
- Willie The Pimp (1969 Quick Mix)
- Dame Margret’s Son To Be A Bride (1969 Quick Mix)
- Hot Rats Vintage Promotion Ad #3
- Bognor Regis (1970 Record Plant Mix)
- Peaches En Regalia (1969 Rhythm Track Mix)
- Son Of Mr. Green Genes (1969 Rhythm Track Mix)
- Little Umbrellas (1969 Rhythm Track Mix)
- Arabesque (Guitar Tracks)
- Hot Rats Vintage Promotion Ad #4
HOT RATS (TRANSLUCENT HOT PINK VINYL) TRACK LISTING
Side A
1. Peaches En Regalia
2. Willie The Pimp
3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes
Side B
1. Little Umbrellas
2. The Gumbo Variations
3. It Must Be A Camel
Steven Van Zandt to Be Honored At the First Annual Rock and Roll Forever Foundation Gala For His Commitment To Arts Education, Teachers, and Students
Steven Van Zandt, a multi-platinum artist, producer, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and founder of the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, will be honored for his longstanding commitment to supporting arts education, teachers, and students everywhere at the First Annual Rock and Roll Forever Foundation Gala on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at Hard Rock Cafe in New York City.
Steven Van Zandt is a multi-platinum artist, producer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. A founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, he is also an original cast member of HBO’s The Sopranos and starred in the original Netflix series Lilyhammer. Since 2002, Van Zandt has hosted “Little Steven’s Underground Garage,” an internationally syndicated radio show. In addition to his musical career, Van Zandt spent the 1980’s immersed in international politics as a fierce advocate of human rights. He has been twice honored by the United Nations for his human rights achievements and received the International Documentary Association Award for his film, The Making of Sun City. Van Zandt acted as Executive Producer and Music Supervisor for David Chase’s feature, Not Fade Away, and most recently produced Darlene Love’s Introducing Darlene Love released on Wicked Cool Records. For more information visit www.littlesteven.com.
The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation is a 501(c)(3) established by Steven Van Zandt along with founding board members Jackson Browne, Martin Scorsese, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen. Proceeds from the gala will benefit TeachRock, the Foundation’s national K-12 curriculum initiative. TeachRock provides free, interdisciplinary, arts-driven curriculum designed to keep students engaged and in school to educators of all age groups and subject areas. TeachRock lesson plans are used by more than 20,000 registered teachers in all 50 states. More information can be found at www.teachrock.org.
The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation Gala will be hosted by actor and comedian Drew Carey with musical performances by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes along with special surprise guests. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will present Steven Van Zandt with an award for his dedication and groundbreaking contribution to arts education.
“Music will forever be humanity’s most effective and consistent source of inspiration and motivation, and, we have learned, music turns out to be our most solid common ground for establishing communication between teachers and students, which is where education begins,” said Steven Van Zandt.
Lamont Dozier, Multi Award Winning Songwriter with Legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland, To Release His Memoir, ‘How Sweet It Is: A Songwriter’s Reflections on Music, Motown and the Mystery of the Muse’
Lamont Dozier is one of the top songwriters in history, recognized by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, BMI, the Grammys and Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.” He’s written over 100 Top 10 hits and is a legend among songwriting legends. Now Lamont Dozier is sharing his memories and his songwriting insights in How Sweet It Is: A Songwriter’s Reflections on Music, Motown and the Mystery of the Muse (BMG Books).
As part of Motown’s legendary songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Lamont Dozier is responsible for classics including “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Heat Wave,” “Baby Love,” “It’s the Same Old Song,” “Nowhere to Run,” “You Keep Me Hanging On,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” “Bernadette” and many more. After leaving Motown, he has continued to make his mark as an influential songwriter, artist, and producer with hits such as “Give Me Just a Little More Time” and “Band of Gold,” as well as “Two Hearts,” the chart-topping hit for Phil Collins that earned the pair a Golden Globe, Academy Award nomination and a Grammy win.
In How Sweet It Is, Lamont takes us behind the scenes of the Motown machine and its history, sharing personal stories of such icons as Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, and Berry Gordy. From his flirtatious grandfather chatting up women coming up the sidewalk, to his own experience getting caught in a “no-tell motel,” Lamont shares the moments that inspired some of his timeless songs—and pulls back the curtain on the studio secrets that helped him and his colleagues change the face of music forever.
From his early years of struggle growing up in Detroit, to the triumphs and tragedies that have marked his personal and professional path for many decades, Lamont’s story reveals the heart, soul, ethic and passion of a true songwriter. Having pursued the mystery of the songwriting muse for many years, his stories are interwoven with invaluable insights and wisdom on the art and craft of songwriting that will inspire the creative spark in each of us. Not only are Lamont’s tips highlighted in boldface throughout the narrative, they are listed independently in the back of the book for easy reference. This book is not only a delightful memoir of one man and his relationships with his awe-inspiring peers, it is an important insight into the music business and its history and the amazing songwriter’s guideposts.
The hardback edition can be pre-ordered via Amazon and will be available in bookstores everywhere on November 26.
Beck To Release “Hyperspace” Album On November 14
Electric life will be in all our brains November 22, when Capitol Records releases Hyperspace: new colors, next phase and the brand new 14th album from seven-time GRAMMY-winning cultural chameleon BECK.
Hyperspace’s new dimensions in sound are the result of Beck’s most collaborative efforts to date. Seven of the album’s 11 tracks—including single “Uneventful Days” and “Saw Lightning” (as featured in the Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats Pro campaign and also included with pre-orders)—feature co-writing and co-production from Pharrell Williams. Elsewhere in Hyperspace, “See Through” is co-written/co-produced by frequent Beck collaborator Greg Kurstin, “Star” is co-written/co-produced by Paul Epworth, “Stratosphere” features back-up from Chris Martin, the album’s title track features guest vocals from Terrell Hines, and “Die Waiting” is co-written/co-produced by Cole M.G.N. with backing vocals from Sky Ferreira. Longtime Beck bandmates Jason Falkner, Smokey Hormel and Roger Manning Jr. feature on much of the album as well.
The complete track listing for Hyperspace is:
1. Hyperlife
2. Uneventful Days
3. Saw Lightning
4. Die Waiting
5. Chemical
6. See Through
7. Hyperspace
8. Stratosphere
9. Dark Places
10. Star
11. Everlasting Nothing
Hyperspace will be Beck’s first album since 2017’s Colors, which won Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical at the 61st GRAMMY Awards earlier this year. Beck’s prolific post-Colors/pre-Hyperspace output has included “Tarantula” from Music Inspired by ROMA, “Super Cool” (featuring Robyn & The Lonely Island) from The LEGO Movie 2, and his feature appearance on Cage The Elephant’s “Night Running”—not to mention roadwork ranging from this summer’s co-headlining amphitheater tour with Cage The Elephant to his 2018 debut headline at Madison Square Garden to a stint as special guest on U2’s The Joshua Tree 2017 Tour.