One of the most important figures in twentieth century American music, here’s Charles Mingus in his New York loft, playing with his daughter, and bringing out some piano and bass.
Isaac Hayes being Honored with New Retrospective ‘The Spirit Of Memphis (1962-1976)’
Craft Recordings is proud to announce the forthcoming release of The Spirit of Memphis (1962-1976), chronicling the ascension of one of the most influential creative talents in music history, Isaac Hayes, who would have turned 75 this year. Due out September 22nd, the four-cd collection examines the various avenues of Hayes’ prolific career; each disc offering an in-depth look at his distinct musical contributions to both Memphis-based Stax Records and to the world at large: from his foundational presence as a songwriter and producer at Stax, to his artistic metamorphosis and subsequent rise to stardom. The set also includes a wide range of previously-unreleased material, as well as a replica 7″ vinyl single of the artist’s first commercially-released recordings. Housed in a 60-page hardcover book, the retrospective incorporates a wealth of archival photos and ephemera, as well as an essay by author Robert Gordon (Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion) which includes new interviews with Stax luminaries Deanie Parker and Jim Stewart. Contributions from Floyd Newman, Mickey Gregory, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), and compilation producer Joe McEwen round out the package. Track listing below.
From his humble beginnings as an orphaned sharecropper to his rise as a session musician, house songwriter, and producer for Stax Records, to his arrival as a star in his own right, Isaac Hayes (1942-2008) became a symbol of what was possible for Black America. Dubbed “Black Moses” during the height of his popularity, Hayes revolutionized soul music, leading it out of the era of the three-minute single and into new territory: that of the fully-orchestrated concept album, complete with extended cuts that, in some cases, spanned nearly the entire side of an LP. The artist also broke barriers in the film industry, scoring the 1971 film Shaft. The soundtrack became Hayes’ fourth consecutive platinum LP, and also earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Song (“Theme From Shaft”). The musician became the first African American to win the Oscar in a non-acting category, and was also the first recipient of the Best Original Song category to both write and perform the winning track. Hayes’ success opened the door for other artists and composers, like Curtis Mayfield and Norman Whitfield, to score music for the screen.
Each disc of The Spirit of Memphis (1962-1976) examines a different facet of Hayes’ career. Disc one covers his early work as a songwriter and producer at Stax, including many of his legendary collaborations with David Porter, such as Carla Thomas’ “B-A-B-Y” recently featured in the hit film Baby Driver, and Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” which celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year.
Disc two spotlights Isaac Hayes as a solo artist, featuring his singles recorded for the Volt and Enterprise imprints; from his breakthrough track “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” off Hot Buttered Soul, to his subsequent chartbusters, including “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “Do Your Thing” and the iconic, ubiquitous chart-topping hit, “Theme from Shaft.”
The third disc, aptly titled “Cover Man,” examines Isaac’s uncanny ability to transform tunes by songwriting greats such as Burt Bacharach and Hal David and make them entirely his own. This disc also includes previously unreleased material, including a studio version of “Windows of the World” and live covers of “Stormy Monday,” “I Stand Accused,” and “The Ten Commandments of Love,” all recorded at a 1972 concert in Chicago.
The final disc, entitled “Jam Master,” offers fans a seat in the studio with Isaac Hayes, showcasing extended jams from his classic LPs, including a full, 33-minute freeform psychedelic Bar-Kays jam on “Do Your Thing.” This disc also includes unreleased work-in-progress versions of “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” the Bill Withers-penned classic “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and a never-before-heard composition from the Shaft soundtrack entitled “Black Militant’s Place.”
This collection marks a cornerstone in a year-long initiative celebrating Stax Records’ 60th anniversary and comes on the heels of a recent digital release of Hayes’ Enterprise albums re-mastered from the original analog tapes by renowned engineer Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters earlier this year. LP reissues cut from these new masters, including the best-selling Hot Buttered Soul, Black Moses, and Shaft will be available later this year.
The cross-label collaboration between Concord Music Group and Rhino Entertainment has highlighted the hits, deep cuts and rare tracks from the Memphis label’s heyday of the ’60s and ’70s. Indeed, Isaac Hayes was an integral part of “The Memphis Sound,” and helped to not only shape the sound of a genre, but also helped it explode into mainstream pop culture. 75 years after Hayes’ birth, and nearly a decade after his passing, his music, style and influence still live on today. Many of the most recognizable Hip-Hop beats and drops have been born from Hayes’ original tracks and a collaboration with WhoSampled.com launching in connection with the release of the box set will showcase his lasting effect on popular music.
“The Spirit of Memphis (1962-1976) is an attempt to frame a career that doesn’t always fit neatly together. This box set is a little idiosyncratic, like its subject and the desire is to tell a story, put together in chapters,” writes box set producer Joe McEwen in his Producer’s Note, “hopefully to give context to a visionary talent who came of age in Memphis, Tennessee among a generational eruption of musicians that moved mountains…”
Pre-order The Spirit of Memphis (1962-1976) on Amazon.
TRACK LISTING:
*Denotes previously unreleased material
DISC ONE
Soul Songwriter, Soul Producer
1. Floyd Newman – Sassy
2. David Porter – Can’t See You When I Want To
3. Carla Thomas – How Do You Quit (Someone You Love)
4. Booker T and the MGs – Boot-leg
5. The Astors – Candy
6. Danny White – Can’t Do Nothing Without You
7. Johnnie Taylor – I Had A Dream
8. Sam & Dave – Hold On! I’m A Comin’
9. Ruby Johnson – I’ll Run Your Hurt Away
10. Carla Thomas – Let Me Be Good To You
11. Mable John – Your Good Thing (Is About To End)
12. Homer Banks – Fighting To Win
13. Carla Thomas – B-A-B-Y
14. William Bell – Never Like This Before
15. The Mad Lads – Patch My Heart
16. Johnnie Taylor – Little Bluebird
17. Charlie Rich – When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
18. Charlie Rich – Love Is After Me
19. Judy Clay – You Can’t Run Away From Your Heart
20. Sam & Dave – Soul Man
21. The Charmels – As Long As I’ve Got You
22. Sam & Dave – I Thank You
23. The Soul Children – The Sweeter He Is (Parts I & II)
24. Billy Eckstine – Stormy
25. David Porter – Can’t See You When I Want To
26. The Emotions – Show Me How
DISC TWO
Volt & Enterprise Singles
1. Sir Isaac and The Do-Dads – The Big Dipper
2. Sir Isaac and The Do-Dads – Blue Groove
3. Isaac Hayes – Precious, Precious
4. Isaac Hayes – By The Time I Get To Phoenix
5. Isaac Hayes – The Mistletoe & Me
6. Isaac Hayes – Winter Snow
7. Isaac Hayes – I Stand Accused
8. Isaac Hayes – The Look Of Love
9. Isaac Hayes – Never Can Say Goodbye
10. Isaac Hayes – Theme From “Shaft”
11. Isaac Hayes – Do Your Thing
12. Isaac Hayes – Let’s Stay Together
13. Isaac Hayes and David Porter – Ain’t That Loving You
(For More Reasons Than One)
14. Isaac Hayes and David Porter – Baby I’m-A Want You
15. Isaac Hayes – Theme From “The Men”
16. Isaac Hayes – Rolling Down A Mountainside
17. Isaac Hayes – Joy (Part 1)
18. Isaac Hayes – Wonderful
19. Isaac Hayes – Someone Made You For Me
20. Isaac Hayes – Title Theme (From “Three Tough Guys”)
21. Radio Spot – “You Gotta Have It To Really Be In”
22. Radio Spot – “The Rapper Is Back”
DISC THREE
Cover Man
1. Isaac Hayes – When I Fall In Love
2. Isaac Hayes – Walk On By
3. Isaac Hayes – I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself
4. Isaac Hayes – Man’s Temptation
5. Isaac Hayes – Never Gonna Give You Up
6. Isaac Hayes – Windows Of The World*
Recorded Live at Operation PUSH Black Expo,
International Amphitheatre, Chicago, IL – October 1, 1972:
7. Isaac Hayes – The Ten Commandments of Love*
8. Isaac Hayes – Just Want To Make Love To You / Rock Me Baby*
9. Isaac Hayes – Stormy Monday*
10. Isaac Hayes – I Stand Accused*
11. Isaac Hayes – If Loving You Is Wrong
12. Isaac Hayes – His Eye Is On The Sparrow
DISC FOUR
Jam Master
1. Isaac Hayes – Ike’s Mood I
2. Isaac Hayes – You’ve Made Me So Very Happy*
3. Isaac Hayes – Black Militant’s Place*
4. Isaac Hayes – Ain’t No Sunshine*
5. Isaac Hayes – Hung Up On My Baby* (Extended Jam)
6. Isaac Hayes – Groove-A-Thon* (Extended Jam)
7. Isaac Hayes – Do Your Thing (Extended Jam)
7″ Single
SIDE A
Laura, We’re On Our Last Go-Round
SIDE B
C.C. Rider
Lunch & Learn 01: Starting & Running an Independent Music Business
Looking to start your own indie music business? Unsure where to begin and how to navigate the business world? Join our group of successful panelists as they discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the ever-changing music industry, as well as key advice on what it takes to follow in their footsteps. From music management, indie labels, and professional musicians, we’ll cover all perspectives in this casual info session.
This panel is part of a wider workshop series of Lunch & Learns, where six key topics will be discussed over monthly sessions. Keep an eye out for more info on the upcoming events.
Bonus – lunch is included!
Panelists:
Diane Davy – Executive Director, WorkInCulture (Moderator)
Beverly Moore – Managing Director, More Music Management
Lara Solnicki – Vocalist, Poet, Composer
Tim Potocic – Co-Owner, Sonic Unyon Records
Get your tickets now to reserve your spot!
When: Tuesday, September 19th 2017
Where: Artscape Youngplace (180 Shaw Street, Toronto, ON)
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Price: FREE for CIMA, MusicOntario & other MIA members with discount code; $10 for non-members
ALA.NI: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
The moment you get a look at ALA.NI behind the Tiny Desk, you’ll notice it in the foreground: The singer asked us to record her set using her vintage RCA Ribbon microphone, which she carries around in a small briefcase between shows. It’s a security blanket, a bit of visual branding, a statement of stylistic intent — and, not for nothing, a big reason ALA.NI’s voice carries with such warmth and intimacy.
The microphone isn’t the only element of ALA.NI’s sound that seems to have been transported from another era. The London-born, Paris-based singer draws inspiration from her uncle, a British ’20s and ’30s cabaret star by the name of Leslie “Hutch” Hutchinson, and writes her own songs in the style of the standards he sang. You & I, her debut album, reverberates from the same spirit: It captures and conveys a reverent love of early-20th-century music, while injecting those sounds with charisma and charm well suited for any era. Here, she performs four songs from You & I, before closing her set with a heartwarming, crowd-aided “Happy Birthday” to her accompanist, Marvin Dolly.
Foo Fighters Release New Video And Constellation Viewer
Following the overwhelmingly massive reception to the MTV Video Music Award-nominated, Mainstream Rock #1 track “Run,” Foo Fighters have delivered a second consecutive contender for rock anthem of 2017 in the form of “The Sky Is A Neighborhood.” Described by Grohl as “the biggest thing sonically that we’ve ever done,” “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” is also the piece de resistance that effectively completed Foo Fighters’ forthcoming ninth album, Concrete and Gold.
“One night I was lying out looking up at stars,” Grohl recalls. “Just imagining all of these stars as places that have life on them as well, and I decided that the sky is a neighborhood, that we need to keep our shit together in order to survive in this universe full of life. But I had no music yet. I just had the title. So everyday I would walk around, kind of humming this thing in my head.”
The melody of the song came to Grohl without even touching a guitar,so it follows that “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” would come just as naturally to the band: the song was recorded in a single afternoon by Grohl and fellow Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee. “And once we were finished,” Grohl says. “I thought ‘OK now we have an album. This is it and we’re done’… as we were mixing, I realized that we’d actually done what we set out do: to make this gigantic Foo Fighters record but with Greg Kurstin’s sense of jazz and melody and arrangement, something that we’d never done before.”
Of course “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” deserved an equally ambitious visual representation, and together with director of photography Brandon Trost and with production by Therapy Studios, director Grohl, Foo Fighters—and family—have more than delivered: “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” is a kaleidoscopic sci-fi mini-epic as massive as the slow burning rock anthem that gave it life. Hypnotic swirls of color of extraterrestrial origin, glowing eyes, levitating children and more combine to create an otherworldly cinematic palette equal parts beautiful and creepy—the result being arguably the most striking video in the Foo Fighters’ multiple award-winning canon.
Simultaneously, Foo Fighters are launching a constellation viewer, enabling every FF fan to transform to their phone into a tool for exploring the sky in their neighborhood: Go to https://sky.foofighters.com/ from your phone to configure a realistic constellation map in the viewer’s 3D sphere, then let it identify the constellations in your night sky—all while tiny Foo Fighters soundtrack your explorations at the bottom of the screen.
“The Sky Is A Neighborhood” is the second song to be unveiled from Concrete and Gold, following the June 1 surprise release of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart-topping, MTV Video Music Award-nominated “Run.” With more than 2 million YouTube views in its first 24 hours, “Run” smashed into the top 5 of the iTunes video chart and the top of the 15 iTunes singles chart—quickly amassing the highest first-day numbers of any single in the Foo Fighters’ career. Both songs were performed during Foo Fighters’ epic 3.5 hour 32-song marathon Lollapalooza aftershow August 4 at Chicago’s Metro club, and are sure to be live staples of the coming Foo Fighters U.S. tour. That tour kicks off October 7 with the band’s Cal Jam 17 festival at Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, CA: a non-stop 100% live 12-hour rock n roll extravaganza featuring Queens Of The Stone Age, Cage The Elephant, Liam Gallagher, The Kills, Royal Blood, Japandroids, Wolf Alice, Bob Mould, The Struts, Bully, Circa Waves, Babes in Toyland, Adia Victoria, Fireball Ministry, The Obsessed, Pinky Pinky, Starcrawler, White Reaper… as well as camping, carnival rides, a water park, attractions, a mobile recording studio & so much more. On Friday night, October 6, campers will also experience the world’s best Go-Go band Big Tony & Trouble Funk, an outdoor movie theater and many other surprises.
Stream 35 Hours of Classic Blues, Jazz, Folk, & Bluegrass Recordings from Smithsonian Folkways
Folkways Records was founded in 1948. Led by Moses Asch (1905-1986), Folkways sought to document the entire world of sound. The 2,168 titles Asch released on Folkways include traditional and contemporary music from around the world, spoken word in many languages, and documentary recordings of individuals, communities, and current events. Folkways grew to be one of the largest and most influential record companies in the world. Folkways Records and the label’s business papers and files were acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987. Every recording is kept in print.
And in the age of music streaming, leave it up to the fans to create massive playlists, including this one – 35 hours of the label. That’s 837 Tracks Featuring Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, and more.
Billy Corgan’s New Album Is Set For October 13 And He’s Announced A North American Tour
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, now going by William Patrick Corgan, has announced that his new solo album, Ogilala, will be hitting stores on October 13th. The album is produced by legendary Rick Rubin, and the first new single for the record, “Aeronaut,” can be heard below.
The vocalist states, “For as long as I can remember the delineation point between songs I wrote for myself and songs I’d pen for whatever band was something I couldn’t explain. And it remains so, for they all feel quite personal to me, no matter their time orera. The lone difference on songs for Ogilala is that they seemed to want little in the way of adornment.
“Having written the songs for voice and guitar, I put myself in Rick’s hands to take the music wherever he’d like. Normally I would have done more, and tinkered more on production, but rather Rick put the onus on me to deliver at a molecular level via live takes. The rest was simply a reaction.”
William Patrick Corgan, Ogilala Tracklist:
01. Mandarynne
02. Antietam
03. Amarinthe
04. Half-Life of an Autodidact
05. The Long Goodbye
06. Aeronaut
07. The Spaniards
08. Processional
William Patrick Corgan Tour Dates
Oct. 14 – Brooklyn, N.Y @ Murmrr Theatre
Oct. 15 – Brooklyn, N.Y @ Murmrr Theatre
Oct. 18 – Wilmington, Del. @ Grand Opera House
Oct. 20 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Oct. 24 – Chicago, Ill. @ Athenaeum Theatre
Oct. 25 – Chicago, Ill. @ Athenaeum Theatre
Oct. 27 – Nashville, Tenn. @ CMA Theater
Oct. 29 – Boulder, Colo. @ Boulder Theater
Nov. 01 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Herbst Theatre
Nov. 02 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Herbst Theatre
Nov. 09 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Masonic Lodge At Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Nov. 10 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Masonic Lodge At Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Nov. 11 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Masonic Lodge At Hollywood Forever Cemetery
I’ll Be Moderating Where the $$$$ is My Money?! Panel For Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency
In May 2017, the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) announced its acquisition by a behemoth American counterpart, SoundExchange. Last year, Re:Sound and Connect Music Licensing streamlined their businesses, and SOCAN is also shaking things up with recent acquisitions to stay ahead of the modern curve.
How does it all affect indie companies, artists, creators and copyright holders in general? What channels are your royalties going through now, and how does this changing landscape affect your livelihood when it comes to various streams of royalty collection?
Prep your questions and get the nitty-gritty from the organizations that make your rights their business!
This crucially important session will be streamed for our colleagues around the country who may not be able to attend in person. Details to come!
Panelists:
CAROLINE RIOUX – President, CMRRA
IAN MACKAY – President, Re:Sound
JEFF KING – COO, SOCAN
ERIC ALPER – Publicist, Eric Alper PR (Moderator)
Register now: Where the $$$$ is My Money?!
Sept 6th 2017 | 3:00pm – 4:30pm | FREE
When: Wednesday, September 6th 2017
Where: Artscape Youngplace (180 Shaw Street, Toronto, ON)
https://cimasept62017.eventbrite.ca
You Can Buy Eleanor Rugby’s Grave. Oh, And The Beatles’ Sheet Music, Too
The original handwritten score for the Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby” is to be sold at auction, alongside the deeds of the grave of the woman said to have been immortalised by the Fab Four.
“Each item is fantastic, unique and of significant historical importance in itself, so to have both come up at the same time is an incredible coincidence,” said Paul Fairweather from Omega Auctions, which is selling the items.
As for how and why this is a thing, The Guardian explains that the law usually gives people or families an “exclusive right of burial” for a period of 99 years when they buy a specific grave space, with Eleanor Rigby’s grandmother apparently purchasing the spot in 1915. However, nobody new can be buried in that same spot until they buy the rights and wait until 75 years have passed since the last person was buried in it. According to the records, the last person placed in this grave was buried in 1949, so as The Guardian says, “whoever buys the deeds could be buried alongside the Rigby family in seven years’ time.”
“I expect there to be fierce bidding from across the globe,” he said.
The score, expected to fetch £20,000 ($26,000, 22,000 euros), is written in pencil by the Beatles’s late producer George Martin and signed by both Martin and Paul McCartney. It also includes notes specifying that it was to be recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studio number two and that four violins, two violas and two cellos were to be used. “Eleanor Rigby” was released in 1966 as the B-side to “Yellow Submarine”, and depicts its heroine as “wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door”.
McCartney previously said the name Eleanor was inspired by actress Eleanor Bron, who starred in the Beatles film “Help!” in 1965, and that Rigby came from the name of a wine merchant. It emerged in the 1980s that the name is inscribed on a headstone in St Peter’s churchyard in Woolton, Liverpool, where McCartney met John Lennon at a party in 1957. The two Beatles also revealed that they used to take short cuts through the church grounds.
According to the grave, Eleanor Rigby died in 1939 at the age of 44. But McCartney has stayed true to his story, saying in 2008 that “Eleanor Rigby is a totally fictitious character that I made up. If someone wants to spend money buying a document to prove a fictitious character exists, that’s fine with me,” McCartney said at the time.
The deeds of the grave will be sold in a lot that includes a miniature Bible, dated 1899, with the name Elenor Rigby handwritten inside, and are expected to sell for £5,000.
The Beatles Memorabilia Auction will be held in Warrington, near Liverpool, on September 11.
The Different Screams Of Metal Vocalists
This video describes the different kinds of scream heavy metal vocalists do, and how they’re made, too, using your throat and past as a devil worshipper. Ha! Just kidding on the last part. I don’t know where this school is, but I’d give him an A+ all around.