Happy Birthday NATALIE MERCHANT (video)

#nataliemerchant #rockfile

Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.

Natalie Merchant was born October 26, 1963, in Jamestown, New York, the third of four children of Anthony and Ann Merchant. Her paternal grandfather, who played the accordion, mandolin and guitar, emigrated to the United States from Sicily; his surname was "Mercante" before it was Anglicized.

When Merchant was a child, her mother listened to music (primarily Petula Clark but also the Beatles, Al Green, Aretha Franklin) and encouraged her children to study music, but she wouldn't allow TV after Natalie was 12. "I was taken to the symphony a lot because my mother loved classical music. But I was dragged to see Styx when I was 12. We had to drive 100 miles to Buffalo, New York. Someone threw up next to me and people were smoking pot. It was terrifying. I remember Styx had a white piano which rose out of the stage. It was awe-inspiring and inspirational." "She [her mother] had show tunes, she had the soundtrack from West Side Story and South Pacific. And then eventually... she'd always liked classical music and then she married a jazz musician, so that's the kind of music I was into. I never really had friends who sat around and listened to the stereo and said 'hey, listen to this one', so I'd never even heard of who Bob Dylan was until I was 18." During 1988–1989, Natalie claimed she still didn't have a TV: "I grew up in a house where no one watched the news on television and no one read the paper. I've been discovering these things as I get older, and the news has affected me more than it ever has before."

Merchant started working in a health food store at 16. She considered a career in special education after taking part in a summer program for disabled children, but in 1981 started singing for a band, Still Life, that became 10,000 Maniacs.

Her latest solo album was released May 6, 2014 on Nonesuch Records and was named Album of the Week by The Daily Telegraph. The album debuted at #20 on Billboard's Top 200 albums and #2 on Billboard's Folk Albums charts for the week of May 24, 2014. She toured from July 3, 2014, kicking off in Kingston, NY, concluding at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on July 25, 2014.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday TED TEMPLEMAN (links)

#tedtempleman #recordproducer #rockfile

Ted Templeman (born October 24, 1944, in Santa Cruz, California) is an American record producer. He began his career in the mid 1960s in the Santa Cruz area as a drummer in a band called The Tikis. At the suggestion of Lenny Waronker, the group decided to change their name. Harpers Bizarre was born in 1966, with Templeman switching to guitar and vocals. In 1967 the group released the album, Feelin' Groovy (Warner Bros.), which included some material by Randy Newman that later appeared on the songwriter's 1972 album Sail Away. Harpers Bizarre disbanded in 1970.

That same year, Templeman recorded what is now considered a cult classic. Using doubletracking, he appeared as "The Templeton Twins" backed by "Teddy Turner & his Bunsen Burners", recording contemporary hits of the time such as "Hey Jude" and "Light My Fire" in a pseudo-1920s style.

Much of his work has been done collaborating with recording engineer Donn Landee at Sunset Studios in Hollywood, California. In 1970 Templeman (at the suggestion of Waronker) began working as an Engineer for Warner Bros. Records. That year he produced the unheralded eponymous The Doobie Brothers debut album, followed the next year by the Doobies' Toulouse Street album which achieved platinum record status on the strength of the hit single "Listen to the Music". Templeman continued a long professional relationship with The Doobie Brothers, producing many more hit singles and albums for the group.

In 1973 Templeman produced another classic and eponymous album, Montrose, which was released in November of that year. The group was founded by guitarist and group leader Ronnie Montrose (who had worked with singers such as Van Morrison and Edgar Winter), and an up and coming singer, Sammy Hagar, who brought songs like 'Bad Motor Scooter' and 'Make It Last' to the guitarist.

In 1976 he produced Carly Simon's sixth studio album, Another Passenger, for which he arranged both the Doobie Brothers and Little Feat to serve as Simon's backing band. The album was not as commercially oriented as her previous work with producer Richard Perry, and its first single, a cover of the Doobies' "It Keeps You Runnin'", did not quite crack the Top 40. However, the album received critical praise and many of its songs received airplay on album-oriented FM radio stations.

In 1977 Templeman saw a performance of a relatively unknown group, Van Halen. He convinced Mo Ostin, Warner Bros. Chairman, to sign the group to the label, and Templeman produced their eponymous first album. The group utilized Templeman's production talents through their first six albums and established themselves as one of the world's biggest-selling acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is also the voice that pleads "Come on Dave, gimme a break!" in the song "Unchained", to which Dave (David Lee Roth) replies "One break, coming up!". Templeman also produced the first two solo projects of Van Halen singer David Lee Roth: Crazy from the Heat and Eat 'Em and Smile, the latter being the first album Roth recorded after he left Van Halen.

Other artists produced by Templeman include:- Van Morrison (Tupelo Honey, Saint Dominic's Preview, It's Too Late to Stop Now); Captain Beefheart (Clear Spot); Little Feat (Sailin' Shoes); Michael McDonald (If That's What It Takes); Aerosmith (Done with Mirrors); and Eric Clapton (Behind the Sun); Buddy Tyler.

Since the late 1980s Templeman has worked more sporadically. Recently he has produced two albums by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and in 2008 he worked with the Doobie Brothers again on a new album.

Instead of posting videos, here is a list of albums he worked on....go listen to them.

• The Doobie Brothers, The Doobie Brothers (1971) (co-produced with Lenny Waronker)
• Tupelo Honey, Van Morrison (1971) (co-produced with Van Morrison)
• Clear Spot, Captain Beefheart (1972) (co-produced with Don Van Vliet)
• Saint Dominic's Preview, Van Morrison (1972) (co-produced with Van Morrison)
• Toulouse Street, The Doobie Brothers (1972)
• Sailin' Shoes, Little Feat (1972)
• The Captain and Me, The Doobie Brothers (1973)
• Montrose, Montrose (band) (1973)
• Chunky, Novi & Ernie, Chunky, Novi and Ernie (1973) (co-produced with John Cale)
• What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, The Doobie Brothers (1974)
• Paper Money, Montrose (band) (1974) (co-produced with Montrose)
• It's Too Late to Stop Now, Van Morrison (1974)
• Stampede, The Doobie Brothers (1974)
• The Beau Brummels, The Beau Brummels (1975)
• Another Passenger, Carly Simon (1976)
• Takin' It to the Streets, The Doobie Brothers (1976)
• Livin' on the Fault Line, The Doobie Brothers (1977)
• Time Loves a Hero, Little Feat (1977)
• Minute by Minute, The Doobie Brothers (1978)
• Van Halen, Van Halen (1978)
• Nicolette, Nicolette Larson (1978)
• Van Halen II, Van Halen (1979)
• Everything You've Heard Is True, Tom Johnston (1979)
• In the Nick of Time, Nicolette Larson (1979)
• Live at the Roxy, Nicolette Larson (1979)
• One Step Closer, The Doobie Brothers (1980)
• Women and Children First, Van Halen (1980)
• Radioland, Nicolette Larson (1980)
• Fair Warning, Van Halen (1981)
• If That's What it Takes, Michael McDonald (1982)
• Diver Down, Van Halen (1982)
• All Dressed Up and No Place to Go, Nicolette Larson (1980) (Exec. Producer)
• Carrera, Carrera (1983)
• Road Games, Allan Holdsworth (1983) (Exec. Producer)
• 1984, Van Halen (1983)
• Farewell Tour, The Doobie Brothers (1983)
• Arcade, Patrick Simmons (1983)
• VOA (Sammy Hagar album), Sammy Hagar (1984)
• Combonation, Combonation (1984)
• Crazy from the Heat, David Lee Roth (1984)
• Behind the Sun, Eric Clapton (1985) (co produced several tracks with Lenny Waronker; other tracks produced by Phil Collins)
• Done with Mirrors, Aerosmith (1985)
• No Lookin' Back, Michael McDonald (co-produced with Michael McDonald & George Perilli)
• Eat 'Em and Smile, David Lee Roth (1986)
• Sweet Freedom, Michael McDonald (1986) (co-produced most tracks with Lenny Waronker; other producers were Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Dick Rudolph and Bruce Swedian)
• Honeymoon Suite, Honeymoon Suite (1987)
• BulletBoys, BulletBoys (1988)
• Take It to the Heart, Michael McDonald (co-produced with Michael McDonald and Don Was)
• Private Life, Private Life (1989) (co-produced with Edward Van Halen and Donn Landee)
• Atomic Playboys, Steve Stevens (1989) (Exec. Producer)

• Shadows, Private Life (1990) (co-produced with Edward Van Halen and Donn Landee)
• Freakshow, BulletBoys (1991)
• For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, Van Halen (1991) (other producer: Andy Johns)
• Lightning Rod Man, Lowell George & the Factory (1993)
• Za-Za, BulletBoys (1993)
• Seducing Down the Door: A Collection, 1970-1990, John Cale (1994)
• Woke Up With a Monster, Cheap Trick (1994)
• Muzy's Move, Royal Crown Revue (1996)
• The Contender, Royal Crown Revue (1998)
• Bathhouse Betty, Bette Midler (1998)
• The Philosopher's Stone (album), Van Morrison (1998)
• Talk To Your Daughter, Robben Ford (1998) (Exec. Producer)
• The Postman: Music From the Original Motion Picture, Various Artists (1997) (produced 'You Didn't Have to be So Nice,' by Amy Grant and Kevin Costner)
• Naked, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (2004) (other producers: Kenny Laguna, Bob Rock, Joey Levine, Joan Jett)
• Sinners, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (2006)
• World Gone Crazy, Doobie Brothers (2010)

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday GREG HAWKES (video)

#greghawkes #thecars #rockfile

Gregory A. "Greg" Hawkes (born October 22, 1952) is a musician best known as the keyboardist for the rock band The Cars.

Hawkes, a native of Fulton, Maryland, attended Atholton High School where he played in a band called Teeth. He then attended Berklee College of Music for two years, majoring in composition and flute. He left to play in various bands, including Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture, where he played flute, saxophones and clarinet. He also played in a band called Richard and The Rabbits, which included future Cars bandmates Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr. He was the last member to join The Cars.

Hawkes' most notable involvement is with The Cars. Hawkes pushed the limits of available technology and sequencing helping to forge the sound of the 1980s. While The Cars were known commercially as a rock and new wave band, he had the biggest impact on the synthpop and new wave sound of The Cars hits such as Drive. His signature sounds include the Prophet-5 "touch sync" sound heard on "Let's Go" and "Hello Again" as well as arpeggiated and syncopated synth lines such as on "Shake it Up" and "Heartbeat City".

In 2010, Hawkes reunited with the surviving original members of The Cars to record their first album in 24 years, titled Move Like This, which was released May 10, 2011.

source: wikipedia

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Remembering TOM PETTY on his birthday (video)

#tompetty #rockfile

Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty (born October 20, 1950 – October 2, 2017) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but is also known as a member and co-founder of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys (under the pseudonyms of Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. and Muddy Wilbury) and Mudcrutch.

He has recorded a number of hit singles with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist, many of which remain heavily played on adult contemporary and classic rock radio. His music has been classified as rock and roll, heartland rock and even stoner rock. His music, and notably his hits, have become popular among younger generations as he continues to host sold-out shows. Throughout his career, Petty has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

source: wikipedia

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Remembering JOHN LENNON on his birthday (video)

#johnlennon #thebeatles #rockfile

John Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980), was an English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the rock band the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. With Paul McCartney, he formed a songwriting partnership that is one of the most celebrated of the 20th century.

Born and raised in Liverpool, as a teenager Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze; his first band, the Quarrymen, evolved into the Beatles in 1960. When the group disbanded in 1970, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Working Class Hero". After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969, he changed his name to John Ono Lennon. Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to raise his infant son Sean, but re-emerged with Ono in 1980 with the new album Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release.

Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, writing, drawings, on film and in interviews. Controversial through his political and peace activism, he moved to Manhattan in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while some of his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture.

As of 2012, Lennon's solo album sales in the United States exceeded 14 million and, as writer, co-writer or performer, he is responsible for 25 number-one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth and, in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

source: wikipedia

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