Never Was a Cloudy Day: The History of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September”
It’s the 21st night of September, so ba-dee-ya, let’s groove to this look into Earth, Wind & Fire’s glorious “September.”
Music
More Than Four Fab Facts About the Fab Four
It’s Beatlemania all over again around here, both in this article filled with little-known facts about the Beatles, and in our publishing sibling Thunder Bay Press’s new book, The Beatles: Illustrated Lyrics,So get back, come together, drag a comb across your head, and get ready to love eight days worth of facts. The Beatles’ “White […]
The K-Pop Lingo Guide
Are your kids super into BTS, and other K-pop singing groups? Here’s a little primer so you can figure out what they’re talking about. K-pop. Korean pop music, generally sung by medium-to-large groups of telegenic singers while performing complicated choreography. Bagel. It’s a portmanteau to describe pop stars who are both baby-faced and glamorous. Bias. A good bias — favoritism or […]
Get Ready to Scream: Here’s an Article About BTS
Sure, plenty of boy bands and multi-member singing groups preceded the existence of present-day pop sensations BTS, but this musical collective is special and different (and that’s according to more than just the hysterical teenage fan in your life). WHO ARE THESE GUYS? The Beatles were the Fab Four, and most late ‘90s and early […]
Making Music, Making Drinks
There’s a long association between beverages and songs — there are a lot of old country tunes about drinkin’, and Jimmy Buffett’s entire career is based on liking margaritas. Here are some times when musicians told the people what to drink…and they obliged. “The Piña Colada Song” popularized the piña colada The piña colada, a […]
From TV Commercials to the Top of the Pops
Some of the most memorable songs ever written are commercial jingles — that catchy tune about Folgers being the “best part of waking up” certainly helped move product. Some ad songs were so well done that they became hit songs in their own right…and we all forgot that they were originally made to sell things. […]
By the Time They Got to Woodstock
Fifty years ago, more than half a million people descended on upstate New York for the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. A lot of famous people were there, and we’re not just talking about the bands and singers on stage. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith Legendary American rock band Aerosmith played Woodstock…the 25th-anniversary […]
They Really Died Out There
“Dying” is comedian and musician slang for giving a terrible performance that the audience hated. But these performers literally died on stage, making for some of history’s weirdest deaths. Awkward Guest American publisher and writer Jerome I. Rodale, who advocated organic foods and healthy living, was a guest on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971 […]
Hello, Dolly!
Is there a person alive who doesn’t like Dolly Parton? Here are some interesting facts about her. Just Dolly The name Dolly is often a nickname or “diminutive” of a more formal first name, particularly Dorothy or Dolores. Not for Dolly Parton. Her real first name is Dolly. First acting roles After a successful career […]
Fun Facts About Elvis
The Sound Most of the King’s biographers attribute his singing style to black gospel and country music. But Elvis wanted to reach a wider audience, so he based his early vocal stylings on pop crooner Dean Martin. (For evidence, listen to Elvis’s first recording of “Love Me Tender.”) The Hit Elvis Presley’s biggest hit (and […]
Directed by Your Favorite Singer
Lots of musicians have given acting a try, like Cher and Eminem. A few have taken an even larger jump—from singing and writing songs…to directing movies. It hasn’t always gone very well. MADONNA After more than two decades of lacing her songs and videos with provocative themes and adults-only imagery, respectively, Madonna took the reins […]
The Weird Hits Just Keep on Coming
What do an obscure ‘90s grunge tune and a repetitive song for toddlers have in common? They were both major pop hits…in 2019. Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water Most record buyers (and downloaders) are adults, and adults generally don’t listen to children’s music. That’s part of why […]
The Curse of Drake
As one of the world’s most popular musicians right now, everything Drake touches turns to gold. Musically, that is. In the world of sports, an endorsement from the “Started From the Bottom” rapper-singer can seemingly doom an athlete. Anthony Joshua Cursed! On June 1, 2019, boxer Anthony Joshua fought Andy Ruiz, Jr. in a defense […]
Diva Demands
Celebrities are constantly on the road and making appearances. Of course, they want to do this in style and comfort. Here are some request that may go too far. Beyoncé It’s been reported that the only thing Beyoncé will drink from while on tour are titanium straws that cost $900 each. Kylie Jenner Kylie Jenner […]
The World’s Weirdest Radio Stations
Every town in America offers more or less the same radio stations: pop, country, classic rock, and talk. Some stations like to offer something a little bit (or a whole lot) different, and so do broadcasters who pipe out music from the wild west of the internet. THE FIX IS IN Broadcasting in London, Fix […]
Albums They Didn’t Want to Make
Musicians record and release albums because they need to share with the world the music they wrote from their heart and soul. Or, they make records because they’ve been forced to do so by powerful entities. Contract Breaking Sessions Legendary singer-songwriter Van Morrison signed a deal with Bang Records in 1967, and it’s through that […]
It’s Just (Not) An Honor To Be Nominated
How tremendous and validating it must be to do art for a long time and to be recognized for it, in the form of a major award nomination, like a Pulitzer Prize or Academy Award. A lot of people would feel that way, but apparently not these people who said “thanks, but no thanks” to […]
They Went Disco, Oh No!
In the late 1970s, disco so dominated the musical landscape that a lot of major bands and singers thought that it was here to stay…and that they best get on board or get left in the dust. Here are some of those wild (and mostly forgotten) attempts to go disco. Paul McCartney As one of […]
