Happy Birthday TODD RUNDGREN (video)

#toddrundgren #rockfile

Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer, and the most under rated musician in history. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a pop wunderkind for both his own material and for his production of other artists, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, his career has produced a diverse and eclectic range of recordings often both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia. Rundgren has often been at the forefront as a promoter of cutting edge recording technologies.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Rundgren prolifically engineered and/or produced many notable albums for other acts, including Straight Up by Badfinger, Stage Fright by the Band, We're an American Band by Grand Funk Railroad, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf, New York Dolls by the New York Dolls, War Babies by Hall & Oates, and Skylarking by XTC. In the 1980s and 1990s his interest in video and computers led to his "Time Heals" being the eighth video played on MTV, and "Change Myself" was animated by Rundgren on commercially available Amiga computers.

His best-known songs include "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light", which have heavy rotation on classic rock radio stations, and "Bang the Drum All Day", which is featured in many sports arenas, commercials, and movie trailers. Although lesser known, "Couldn't I Just Tell You" has had a major influence on artists in the power pop musical genre.

source: wikipedia

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Remembering PRINCE on his birthday (video)

#prince #rockfile

Prince Roger Nelson (June 7, 1958 - April 21, 2016), known by his mononym Prince, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor. A major figure in popular music for over three decades, Prince is renowned as an innovator and is widely-known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence and wide vocal range. Widely regarded as the pioneer of Minneapolis sound, Prince's music combines rock, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prince developed an interest in music at an early age, writing his first song at age seven. After recording songs with his cousin's band 94 East, 19-year-old Prince recorded several unsuccessful demo tapes before releasing his debut album, For You, in 1978 under the guidance of Manager Owen Husney. His 1979 album, Prince, went platinum due to the success of the singles "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover". His next three records, Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981) and 1999 (1982), continued his success, showcasing Prince's trademark of prominently sexual lyrics and incorporation of elements of funk, dance and rock music. In 1984, he began referring to his backup band as the Revolution and released Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to his film debut of the same name.

After releasing the albums Around the World in a Day (1985) and Parade (1986), The Revolution disbanded and Prince released the critically acclaimed double album Sign "O" the Times (1987) as a solo artist. He released three more solo albums before debuting The New Power Generation band in 1991. After changing his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol, also known as the "Love Symbol", in 1993, he began releasing new albums at a faster pace to remove himself from contractual obligations to Warner Bros; he released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998. In 2000, he began referring to himself as "Prince" once again. He has released fourteen albums since then, including his latest, Art Official Age, released on September 30, 2014.

Prince has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has won seven Grammy Awards a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Rolling Stone has ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Prince died from a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57.

I would love to post more/better videos but it seems all the classics have been pulled.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday MIKE JOYCE (video)

#mikejoyce #thesmiths #rockfile

Mike Joyce (born Michael Adrian Paul Joyce, 1 June 1963) is an English drummer. He is best known as the drummer for The Smiths, an English Rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Joyce.

Michael Adrian Paul Joyce was born in Manchester to Irish parents, and attended St Gregory's Grammar School in the city.

While The Smiths provided Joyce with his first taste of success, he had previously drummed for Manchester band The Hoax and Irish punks Victim. Joyce was a member of The Smiths throughout the band's existence (1982–1987).

Immediately after the break-up of the band, Joyce and Smiths bassist Andy Rourke played with Sinéad O'Connor. They, along with Craig Gannon, also provided the rhythm section for two singles by Smiths' singer Morrissey – "Interesting Drug" and "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" and their b-sides. Work with Suede, Buzzcocks, Public Image Limited, Julian Cope, P. P. Arnold and Pete Wylie followed throughout the 1990s.

Joyce, Rourke, and Gannon reunited to work on a project with fellow Manchester musician Aziz Ibrahim (formerly of The Stone Roses and Simply Red), ex-Oasis guitarist Bonehead (as Moondog One), and Vinny Peculiar.

In 1996, Joyce sued former Smiths' colleagues Johnny Marr and Morrissey for an equal share of performance and recording royalties. Joyce won the case and was awarded damages of around one million pounds from Morrissey and Marr. He was not invited to the Manchester v Cancer benefit concert organised by Andy Rourke in January 2006 because of Johnny Marr's involvement in the event.

In July 2007, Joyce along with former bandmate Andy Rourke released Inside The Smiths, a DVD which chronicled their experiences of being in the band.

In October 2007, Joyce toured the UK playing drums for Vinny Peculiar with Bonehead on bass guitar, and in 2008 ran a successful night at The Brickhouse in Manchester called 'Alternative Therapy'.

In parallel to his music career, Joyce also works as a DJ and broadcaster, including occasional appearances on BBC 6 Music.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday SIMON GALLUP (video)

#simongallup #thecure #rockfile
Simon Jonathon Gallup (born 1 June 1960) is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.

Born in Duxhurst, Surrey, Simon is the youngest of six children born to Bob and Peg Gallup. After moving to Horley, Surrey in 1961 he attended Horley Infants and Junior Schools between 1961 and 1971, followed by Horley Balcombe Road Comprehensive from 1971-1976. Between 1976 and 1978 he worked in a plastics factory and became the bass player for local punk band Lockjaw, who later evolved into The Magazine Spies (1979–1980), also known as The Mag/Spys. Lockjaw and The Mag/Spys played regular live shows with Easy Cure and later The Cure between 1977 and 1979, and after collaborating in the studio on the Cult Hero recording sessions in October 1979, both Gallup and keyboardist Matthieu Hartley left The Mag/Spys to join The Cure. Former Mag/Spys Gallup, Hartley and Stuart Curran later performed together under the name of The Cry and later Fools Dance during Gallup’s hiatus from The Cure between 1982 and 1984.

Gallup first joined The Cure in 1979, replacing Michael Dempsey on bass guitar. He also has been credited for occasionally playing the keyboards, particularly after Matthieu Hartley's departure in 1980. He took over keyboard lines for many of the songs that Hartley played. Examples of songs he played keyboard on live include "At Night", "A Forest", "A Strange Day" and "Pornography". During "Cold" he multi-tasked playing bass guitar and bass pedals.

On the Swing Tour in 1996, he played twelve-string acoustic guitar on "This is a Lie". On the Dream Tour in 2000 he played a Fender Bass VI on "There Is No If".

Gallup is also credited with singing lead vocals for a demo for "Violin Song". Gallup first performed on The Cure albums that make up "The Dark Trilogy": Seventeen Seconds, Faith, and Pornography.

During the Pornography Tour in 1982, a series of incidents prompted Gallup to leave The Cure, including an incident on 27 May 1982 after a live performance at Hall Tivoli, Strasbourg, France when he got into a fist fight with Robert Smith at a nightclub in Strasbourg reportedly over a bar tab.

In 1984, Smith asked Gallup to return to The Cure, an offer which he accepted. Since then, the two of them have remained on good terms. Gallup also served as best man at Smith's wedding in 1988.

In late 1992, Gallup again took a brief break from the band during the Wish Tour after he had to be transported to hospital, suffering from pleurisy after being ill for several months. During this time, he was replaced on bass by former Associates and Shelleyan Orphan member Roberto Soave.

Gallup is the second-longest-serving member of The Cure, which has led to him being referred to as Robert Smith's right-hand man. He performed on every album except Three Imaginary Boys, Boys Don't Cry, Japanese Whispers, The Top, and Concert.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday ALAN WILDER (video)

#alanwilder #depechemode #rockfile

Alan Charles Wilder (born 1 June 1959) is a British musician, formerly of Depeche Mode. His current musical project is called Recoil, started as a side project to Depeche Mode. When he left the latter in 1995, it became Wilder's primary project. Wilder has also provided production and remixing services to the bands Nitzer Ebb and Curve. He is a classically trained musician and renowned contemporary music producer.

Following the departure of Vince Clarke, Depeche Mode placed an advertisement in the music magazine Melody Maker: "Keyboard player needed for established band – no time-wasters." Even though the ad was looking for someone under 21 (Wilder was 22) he lied about his age to get the job, and got away with it. He joined Depeche Mode in January 1982, initially as a tour keyboardist, and soon thereafter as a full member of the recording band.

Wilder wrote a handful of songs for Depeche Mode, including "Two Minute Warning" and "The Landscape Is Changing" (and a B-Side, "Fools") from the album Construction Time Again, and "If You Want" (and a B-Side, "In Your Memory") from the album Some Great Reward. However, Wilder's more notable contributions to Depeche Mode were as a musician, arranger, and producer.

In addition to playing synthesizer throughout his time with Depeche Mode, Wilder also played piano on the band's signature ballad "Somebody," and oboe on the band's hit anthem, "Everything Counts." In the documentary film 101, Wilder demonstrates how different synthesiser parts of a song are split and arranged across a sampling keyboard for playing them live during the concert, just one small example of Wilder's ongoing contributions to Depeche Mode during his time as a member of the group. For the recording of the album Songs of Faith and Devotion and its corresponding Devotional Tour Wilder also played live drums.

For "Enjoy the Silence" from the album Violator, Wilder is credited with taking Martin Gore's melancholy ballad-esque demo and re-envisioning the song as a percolating, melodic dance track. The resulting single went on to become one of the most commercially successful songs in Depeche Mode's history.

source: wikipedia

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