I've never listened to them !

[jamesperrett]

Big Yellow Taxi, Haitian Divorce, Ricky Dont Lose That Number, FM No Static, Do It Again, Woodstock, I Believe In Father Xmas, You've Got A Friend, How Sweet It Is, have all been regular radio play and even TV ad material over the years in UK. You couldnt really miss them.

There have been plenty of times when someone has tried to introduce me to a new artist, only to find that I actually knew the songs but never realised who was singing them. "Come Together" by The Beatles was one case in point - I had always assumed that it was by some mid 70s American band until I bought a copy of Abbey Road. It really sounded like it was recorded 5 years later than it was. Steely Dan was similar - I had heard the songs on the radio but the band name had never clicked with me.

These are all the sort of songs that never made it onto Top Of The Pops and the OGWT was well past my bedtime.

 

[grimtraveller]

hints of click bait

Well, everybody's got Click Bait's 3rd album "Hints of Click Bait" !

Seriously brother if you have not immersed yourself in any of your aforementioned bands in this thread it almost hints of click bait it's so hard to believe

Seriously though, click bait would make no sense here. I thought it might make for an interesting topic.

So yeah I can see how you might have not gotten the memo that Steely Dan, James Taylor, Buffalo Springfield or Crosby, Stills, Nash AND YOUNG are all kick ass acts

My very first sentence specified that the artists were revered and my last one followed up by saying that I'd read books on them, watch documentaries, read interviews etc. For 40 years or more.
I'd never argue that any of the artists I mentioned {and loads of others I could mention} aren't kick~ass. I'm well aware of their reputation and their actual place in the history of music. I've just not been particularly interested in checking them out and their music hasn't crossed my path.
Ironically, where Buffalo Springfield and CSNY are concerned, I love the Hollies, the Byrds, Poco and some Neil Young. And I'd listen to Steven Stills talk all day.

What about Alice Cooper, J.Geils, The Alman Brothers, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Blue Oyster Cult, Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Heart, Credence Clearwater, Sly and the Family Stone...Oh man Jim Croce, Lynard Skynard, Santana, Arlo Guthrie... Holy Moly what a Cheap Day Return

Alice, yes. I was aware of them way, way back, many centuries ago. In fact, it is a minor irritation when people refer to the lead singer as Alice Cooper as opposed to the actual original band who were called the Nazz until Nazz released their debut album.
J Geils Band, I have a song by them and I've seen them live. Only because I had to !
The Allman Brothers and Atlanta Rhythm Section, naw. I've heard the Allmans in documentaries though.
BÖC, their "On your feet or on your knees" album has been a treasured listen for 42 years, as has half of "Spectres."
Chicago ¬> I have a song by them but if I never heard it again, I wouldn't pine for it.
The Doobie Brothers ¬> Not as far as I know. I mainly remember them because Parliament take the piss out of them in their song "Make my funk the P-funk" or whatever it's called.
ZZ Top ¬> I adore "Tres Hombres." Another 42-year love affair. I fight for their honour, purely on the strength of that album.
Heart ¬> Naw. Never interested me. I'm confident they're brilliant.
Credence Clearwater ¬> Very important band for me in my musical evolution. Love "Willie & the Poor Boys" and other specific songs. Didn't realize for close to 45 years that "Travellin' Band" was by them. My sisters and I used to create havoc with that song when I was about 7, taking the piss out of an excitable uncle of ours.
Sly and the Family Stone¬> I sort of recognize bits of their songs but I never particularly liked them and certainly never listened with both ears. But I have a great {and damned sad} biography on them { I remember reading it on holiday in Malta in 2000} and I saw a brilliant documentary on them a couple of months ago.
Jim Croce ¬> His face I can see in my mind's eye. His music, I don't think I've ever heard any of it.
Lynard Skynard ¬> I'll probably get shot for this, but this is one band I've never had any inkling to check out. I might've heard "Freebird" but if I had, I wasn't paying attention. Now, if you said the Outlaws.....
Santana ¬> Love their first 2 albums. I was curious about them for a while before I eventually got around to hearing them back in '81.
Arlo Guthrie ¬> I have a couple of his albums. I wouldn't have been interested ordinarily, but when I became a Christian I read that he'd undergone a rebirth too and I was curious what he sounded like. I dig the stuff of his that I have {"Outlasting the blues" and "Power of Love"}.

I think GT may be having a leg pull.

Nope, I'm perfectly serious.

Big Yellow Taxi

I like the Amy Grant version. It used to play so much on the radio in a place I worked. It must have snuck in by osmosis !

Haitian Divorce, Ricky Dont Lose That Number, FM No Static, Do It Again, Woodstock

If I've heard any of them, I'm not aware of it. I may well have and just don't know the titles. But I can say for sure that none of them would be songs I'd pull out to listen to.

I Believe In Father Xmas

I've loved that song since I first heard it when Greg lake first released it, I think around late '75. I seem to recall hearing it just before I got my first cassette player.
It's one of the greatest 4 Christmas songs I have heard.

You've Got A Friend

The only one I know is by the Brand New Heavies ~ and I do like that one.

How Sweet It Is....have all been regular radio play and even TV ad material over the years in UK. You couldnt really miss them

You'd be surprised. I stopped watching live TV in the 1980s. Anything I watched for decades, I used to record, partly because I like to watch at my leisure and rewind, or wind past the adverts, partly because I got tired of whatever I might be watching getting interrupted. I once missed all but the first 15 minutes of "Rosemary's Baby" because a friend in need called me up. I saw it but obviously without the volume on which was pointless. After that, anything I wanted to watch, I recorded !

And apart from a couple of months in '82 and '84, I haven't listened to music radio since 1976. I wasn't interested in relying on some DJ, once I'd discovered the world of albums and music books/magazines. From '76 through till 2009, I was on an endless round of discovery.

As far as I know, I've never heard a song by:

Kanye
Tupac
Or most of the big name rappers from the past 30 years (save for Eminem and maybe a few others)

Drake
A bunch of others on the Billboard 100 I've never even heard of.

I don't think I've heard anything by Tupac, other than in some documentary. I bought a biography of him for my little brother a few years ago, but I never read it myself. I've only heard Kanye because my older son liked some of his stuff. But it didn't interest me. I heard Drake only because the teacher of the class I was a TA in back in 2017/18 used to play one of his songs incessantly.

 

[grimtraveller]

I don't know any of the new $hit.

I barely know any of the new stuff. But I don't look for it so anything I might like comes to me by chance. I'd hear bits and pieces, but to be honest, I stopped looking for new music around 15 or so years ago. And by new, I mean current and old stuff that would be new to me.

Wow thats unreal

I've long made a point of not being amazed if someone hasn't listened to an artist I have, or hasn't seen a film I have or hasn't read a book I have etc. In truth, why should they have ?
I listen to literally tons of obscure artists and I never get to talk about them with people because they just don't get talked about ! I mean, few people are up for talking about Amalgam or After the Fire or Unity or Joachim Kuhn or Kaleidoscope {the British or American one}....

Lordy, Grim. Have you been living under a rock for the past 50 years?

Yeah, a rock. And a jazz. And a pop. And a funk. And a reggae.....
To be honest, I just thought it might make for an interesting topic for people to talk about who they haven't really listened to or gotten familiar with over the last 60 or so years, that were important players.

 

[Ed Fones]

I've long made a point of not being amazed if someone hasn't listened to an artist I have, or hasn't seen a film I have or hasn't read a book I have etc. In truth, why should they have ?
I listen to literally tons of obscure artists and I never get to talk about them with people because they just don't get talked about ! I mean, few people are up for talking about Amalgam or After the Fire or Unity or Joachim Kuhn or Kaleidoscope {the British or American one}....

Yeah my apologies GT. I suppose I just imagine everybody hears the same as me. Being almost same age and growing up in UK you would think we hear the same stuff, but not so.

I remember Big yellow taxi because it was about the environment stuff and there was a few songs back then on same. That was because the world was going to end in environmental disaster back then 50 years ago. So they claimed.

Steely Dan stuff I loved mid 70's because it was all guitar based and I was well into it.

Greg Lake you are correct, xmas 75 and forever after that as all the good ones are.

Woodstock was by a band called Southern Comfort I think and a great story I thought and Southern Comfort, Britvic orange, lemonade and ice is a great hot day drink.

You mention being a Christian, do you remember a band called The Christians late 1980's? They had some great hits for a few years. Covers mostly I think.

I suppose music is very much linked to memories we have? Hear a song and those times are recalled.

 

[Slouching Raymond]

A lot of it is down to where you live.
America has different tastes to England. I had no interest in Simon And Garfunkel, so haven't listened to them.
'School's Out' was a hit here, and got attention for Alice Cooper.
Yes, OK, I Believe In Father Christmas is blasted at us every year, but my ears auto-shut for xmas garbage.
ELP formed in Manchester, I believe, but Greg Lake came from my home town - Bournemouth.
Greg Lake is a great singer, and musician.
I once bought a pile of vynal LPs about 2 feet thick from a junk shop, mostly from other countries.
Some american stuff in there, Stanky Brown Group, and one LP with a track called 'Matress On The Roof' by ?, an LP called 'The Shape of Fins To Come' obviously from a Finland band, and a cool LP with a title or band name Johny Yen Bang.

 

[Ed Fones]

Yes, OK, I Believe In Father Christmas is blasted at us every year, but my ears auto-shut for xmas garbage.
ELP formed in Manchester, I believe, but Greg Lake came from my home town - Bournemouth.
Greg Lake is a great singer, and musician.

Greg's been gone for exactly 6 years Raymond. Typo.

 

[Slouching Raymond]

I previously accused Neil Sedaka of being dead. I thought I'd give Greg the benefit of the doubt.

 

[TAE]

Having a younger crew and front of house people makes you feel old. We've had many tribute music shows through the theatre. Queen, Abba, Beatles, Rolling stones, Four Seasons, Drifters, Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, ELO, Steely Dan, Frankie Valley, Elvis.

They had never heard of Beatles, Rolling stones, Four Seasons, Drifters, Beach Boys, ELO, Steely Dan or Frankie Valley. They did, however, knos some of the songs - just not the bands. All 22 and younger.

Well age certainly has a lot to do with it. I am sure my parents knew and enjoyed a lot of artist growing up that I would not have a clue of.

In Grims case he is a unicorn. Not watching TV or listening to radio for the last 40 years and depending strictly on what he finds and or stumbles upon at a music store or on the internets is definitely going to sway your swing. Not judging it's cool and grims a cool cat.

Yeah this thread is an eye opener for assumers like myself. I know better but I still do it ALL THE FRICKIN TIME ya know the ol adage, ( or maybe you don't I don't want to assume ) Never Assume because you can make an Ass out of U and Me.

So Grim first off Alice cooper was never in The Nazz... He's a Merican kid from Arizona and his Pops was a preacher...VIncent Fournier was his real name. He got hooked up with some lads from high school came to LA and got his band going..,Zappa picked him up, took him into the studio and the rest is history. Pretty's for you mister....I heard him on a public radio station for the first time in 1971 when Love it death was released ..I was still playing drums and heard Black Ju Ju for the first time OMFG! Who is this. MY buddy and keyboard player I was drumming for went to the local store and grabbed that Album...BLOWN AWAY is to minimize how baffled and intrigued we were. Definitely a paradign shift in what we had been listening to. I'm 18 was on that album. Mind you I was listening to this about 6 months prior to it making it on to the regular radio stations..18 became the anthem of all 18 year olds in 1971 of which I was one. So not wanting to harsh your mellow...don't feel obligated but as time goes on in this epic thread you have started I am going to offerup certain songs of the bands I mentioned to you that I Personally think are awesome for you to check out or not.

Today it is Alice ...I'll start with the song that lured me in...and then the album it was on...

Remember I was a drummer playing keys for an amazing hammond player...just a duo killing it as best we could.....so you can see why it sucked me in...



Here's the Wiki on the album

Definitely one of the greatest rock albums of 1971 here in Merica 18 of course, Still got a long way to go...and if you wnat to take a walk down a strange and dark street Ballad of Dwight Fly will leave you scratching your head...great piano part in it... Hope you do take a listen and hopefully you'll dig it.

 

[grimtraveller]

Yeah my apologies GT. I suppose I just imagine everybody hears the same as me. Being almost same age and growing up in UK you would think we hear the same stuff, but not so

No need to apologize. There will often be an overlap between people growing up in the same time in the same place or of similar ages. For what seems like most of my life, I've grown used to ploughing my own musical furrow and being into music that many people I know aren't. At the same time, there's lots of stuff that I share with loads of people.

Woodstock was by a band called Southern Comfort

Interesting connection ¬> I've been aware of them since about 1983. In my naughty days, someone I was helping to escape from an abusive partner and I and a friend, as we were leaving their flat in Clapham busted the electric meter and made off with all the 50p pieces that were in it. We divided it up and I had £42. After we'd gotten her to safety, I headed straight to the Virgin megastore where I bought biographies of Ted Nugent, the Byrds, Black Sabbath and others. One of them was on Fairport Convention and Ian Matthews was in the book as one of the original members of the band. He left before they hit the heights. I think the band he formed was originally called Matthews Southern Comfort.

You mention being a Christian, do you remember a band called The Christians late 1980's?

I remember them. I never listened to any of their stuff, but I recall seeing pictures of them and if memory serves me well, one of them was bald.

I suppose music is very much linked to memories we have? Hear a song and those times are recalled.

Absolutely. There are so many times and places I recall where I first heard a particular song or album.

 

[BroKen_H]

I used to listen to music when I studied. Genre to subject. Metal for math, pop for science, instrumental for English, prog for history, etc. So I listened to a lot of stuff. I'd go to take a test and start playing the music in my head and the information would just fill in. Had a 4.0 in high school until I had encephalitis the second time (first was at 3yo) and lost 8 weeks of school. Still graduated with a 3.49... I'd have done well if I could have had ear buds back then. I can still bring up trig equations by bringing up Mississippi Queen in my head.

 

[grimtraveller]

Not watching TV or listening to radio for the last 40 years

Well, I stopped watching live TV, other than the news.

and depending strictly on what he finds and or stumbles upon at a music store or on the internets is definitely going to sway your swing

When I went through my Irish folk and my jazz/fusion phase, I'd head down to record shops and look at the back covers of the albums and I'd select stuff on the basis of the instrumental line-ups. I came across many interesting albums that way. Many would hit, some would be atrocious but the hits outweighed the misses.

Alice cooper was never in The Nazz...

I didn't explain it very well. At one point, the band was called the Spiders and Dennis Dunaway was very much the leader of the band and Vince was just Vince, the singer. Anyway, before they changed the name to Alice Cooper, they were called the Nazz. They would have carried on with the name but Todd Rundgren's group, Nazz, came out with their first album "Nazz", so they had to look for something else.
Would you believe, there was a band called the Rolling Stones, beforethe Stones adopted that name ! There was also a 60s band called Nirvana that recorded one of the first concept albums. I've never heard that album either !

 

[grimtraveller]

I've long had a soft spot for Alice Cooper, the band. At one point, I was going to name any band I formed Agatha Boot & Friends, which has a definite Alice leaning to it.

 

[CrowsofFritz]

Haven’t given Taylor Swift a fair spin. Especially since she’s recently changed styles. It’s like I’m close to liking her but not quite there.

This isn’t to say I haven’t heard a Taylor Swift song. That’s pretty much impossible. She’s everywhere. But I haven’t really sat down and listened.

 

[TAE]

Haven’t given Taylor Swift a fair spin. Especially since she’s recently changed styles. It’s like I’m close to liking her but not quite there.

This isn’t to say I haven’t heard a Taylor Swift song. That’s pretty much impossible. She’s everywhere. But I haven’t really sat down and listened.

Taylor is now a mega star ...but she was perfectly awesome as a 16 year old when she launched her career with her song about Tim Mcgraw...But DAMN listen to this one that she wrote at 12 and sang here at 16....she was already destined for stardom at 12. My wife is not a fan but I am a big one ..Ford's n Chevy's I tell ya! On this one maybe because I am a songwriter, singer , musician I have a different perspective of how amazing this treasure is

 

[TAE]

J Geils Band, I have a song by them and I've seen them live. Only because I had to !

Their later stuff was not as great as when they were raw and fresh and Peter Wolf was on his game ...

FULL HOUSE BABY Man we rocked to this album....

So Whammer Jammer was always the go to ....
Hard drivin man great rock song...
But the creme de la creme of his story telling fun way of bringing a song to ya is this one..he was rapping before any one was rapping.

My wife's nick name is Raputa because of this song...She had long blonde hair back in the day...let me climb up the ladder of your love....

 

[TalismanRich]

Taylor is now a mega star ...but she was perfectly awesome as a 16 year old when she launched her career with her song about Tim Mcgraw...But DAMN listen to this one that she wrote at 12 and sang here at 16....she was already destined for stardom at 12. My wife is not a fan but I am a big one ..Ford's n Chevy's I tell ya! On this one maybe because I am a songwriter, singer , musician I have a different perspective of how amazing this treasure is

You can also hear how her voice has matured over the passing years. In that video Taylor sounds like a decent 16yr old singer. She's a much better singer now than she was then. Her voice is clear and strong when it needs to be, and she's still writing good songs.

It reminds me of when I first saw Joe Bonamassa. He had this "hissy" kind of delivery, lots of breath sound. Now his vocals are strong and confident. Clapton was somewhat the same way. He didn't really push as a singer until Delaney Bramlett threw him to the wolves and told him to belt it out.

 

[TAE]

You can also hear how her voice has matured over the passing years. In that video Taylor sounds like a decent 16yr old singer. She's a much better singer now than she was then. Her voice is clear and strong when it needs to be, and she's still writing good songs.

It reminds me of when I first saw Joe Bonamassa. He had this "hissy" kind of delivery, lots of breath sound. Now his vocals are strong and confident. Clapton was somewhat the same way. He didn't really push as a singer until Delaney Bramlett threw him to the wolves and told him to belt it out.

For sure she has matured and polished her vocal and stage presence skills. She is also not having her friend from high school back her up on guitar. But that God given gift was there the day she was born. She's very blessed in the raw talent department.

 

[Smithers XKR]

For sure she has matured and polished her vocal and stage presence skills. She is also not having her friend from high school back her up on guitar. But that God given gift was there the day she was born. She's very blessed in the raw talent department.

Ok I was wrong about Billie and I was wrong about Gaga, so I will give the Taylor album a listen before I make any further pre judged opinion. I thought her voice was very weak as a kid, but I will listen to her now.

 

[CrowsofFritz]

Ok I was wrong about Billie and I was wrong about Gaga, so I will give the Taylor album a listen before I make any further pre judged opinion. I thought her voice was very weak as a kid, but I will listen to her now.

Yeah, she definitely sounds like an adult now. There she sounds like any other decent teenager singing a good song.

 

[Smithers XKR]

Yeah, she definitely sounds like an adult now. There she sounds like any other decent teenager singing a good song.

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TBO only thing I have ever heard by her, really. That was 15 years ago. I just thought it was a cynical ploy by a record company to pair up a rising star with a fading rock band. She is gorgeous but weak young voice compared with Joe Elliots power, I just thought mmm another pretty bimbo. So not a good example of how I should judge. I will listen to Taylors new album