Soul singer Betty Wright passed away today at the age of 66. Wright technically started her singing career before she turned three. She was a member of Echoes of Joy, a group that featured her whole family, in Miami in 1956. It wasn't until ten years later, at the age of 13, that she recorded … Continue reading Rest in peace, Betty Wright: “Clean Up Woman” (1971)
1971
Grand Rapids charts: The WZZM-FM Hot 40, October 22, 1971
(Above: It's a cool layout with a clumsy slogan.) I don't believe we've ever done an FM playlist on the blog, so let's fix that today. I just happen to have, in a pile of surveys I file under "research" in my office, the playlist from WZZM-FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan from October 22, 1971. … Continue reading Grand Rapids charts: The WZZM-FM Hot 40, October 22, 1971
Ten Albums: The Who, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (1971)
Ordinarily. I wouldn't allow a Greatest Hits compilation on a list like this. This isn't an ordinary LP, though, nor is the story of how it got here. #5. The Who - Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (1971) There were several groups that I'd call myself "late to the party" in discovering. Led Zeppelin was … Continue reading Ten Albums: The Who, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (1971)
Rest in peace, David Cassidy: The Partridge Family, “Doesn’t Somebody Want to Be Wanted” (1971)
(Above: The 45 picture sleeve, which - depending on your preference - you saved either for David Cassidy or Susan Dey.) The news of the passing of David Cassidy this week at the age of 67 wasn't entirely a surprise. Earlier this year, he had shared that he was suffering from dementia, and earlier this … Continue reading Rest in peace, David Cassidy: The Partridge Family, “Doesn’t Somebody Want to Be Wanted” (1971)
Rest in peace, Skip Haynes: Aliotta, Haynes, and Jeremiah, “Lake Shore Drive” (1971)
(Above: AHJ around the time of LSD) As if the music world hadn't suffered enough this week, the Chicago music scene took a specific hit as word spread that Skip Haynes passed away in Los Angeles on October 5 at the age of 71 after a long bout with cancer. Skip was the Haynes in … Continue reading Rest in peace, Skip Haynes: Aliotta, Haynes, and Jeremiah, “Lake Shore Drive” (1971)
As I board my plane: The Ides of March, “L.A. Goodbye” (1971)
23 years ago this week I came back from my first trip to New Zealand to find myself unemployed, and at the same time caught up in a battle to obtain a visa as an immigrant worker that was rejected. Some context is required. At the end of 1993 two things happened. One was that … Continue reading As I board my plane: The Ides of March, “L.A. Goodbye” (1971)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 