We spend most of our waking hours discussing, reading about and discovering/re-discovering music. This blog is our humble attempt to share what we know, and more importantly, love.
Satchmo. Strange nickname, huh? The origin of this moniker is rather interesting. Like all trumpet players, the legendary Louis Armstrong had developed a large mouth with loose sagging lips. So some of his close buddies used to call him Satchmo --- short for "Satchel Mouth"! Remember that lovely Louis Armstrong song: Hello Dolly? Here's some interesting trivia related to the song. When it was released in 1964, The Beatles had been hogging the No. 1 position on the pop charts for 14 consecutive weeks. Hello Dolly knocked The Beatles off the charts (!!!)... and occupied the No. 1 slot. The song also set another record. At 63, Armstrong became the oldest artiste to occupy the No. 1 spot on the pop charts.
A few years ago I organized a live gig with this duo with whom I have never worked earlier. They were great. The show was great and everyone was happy. But, on their way out, the artists asked me when they will get paid, in a tone that was, well, not extremely warm. I was a little surprised, but I let that slide and assured them that it will be done in a couple of days. After exactly forty eight hours, I get a message from them telling me how I did not honor my commitment and how it's not the way to treat an artist. I was taken aback, and honestly, was a little angry too. I wanted to hit back. How could they take such a uncompromising stance when the payment had not been delayed beyond a reasonable time? But instead, I took a deep breath, calmed myself and told them about all the established artists I worked with and how they were welcome to verify my integrity with them. However, I was still curious and asked them the real reason for their complete lack o...
Ever so often, the opening notes of a song become its identity. For instance, the opening of Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple). You hear the Da-Da-Da Da-Da-Da-Da Da-Da-Da Da-Da...and you immediately know what the song is. In fact, it couldn't be any other song. Here are some more songs with definitive openers: ::Black Magic Woman (Santana) Santana's scintillating guitar intro backed by the pulsating percussion and bass guitar sets the tone for this brilliant track. ::Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull) A distinctive yet deceptive beginning... the laid-back piano intro followed by a bluesy guitar piece gives no indication that the track is about to explode into a rocking song with driving drum beats. ::Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond) The organ melody is what makes a difference here, more so because Neil Diamond's songs are predominantly guitar-based. ::Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen) A lively keyboard-based intro with a ...
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