Name: Adrian Pride was a pseudonym for Bernie Schwartz (not to be confused with actor Tony Curtis who was born Bernard Schwartz) that was created by producer (at the time) Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers. Apparently, people do not like the name Bernie Schwartz.
History:
Like I said above, Adrian Pride was the false name of Bernie Schwartz, a West Coast musician with Psychedelic Pop aspirations. And while Adrian Pride does sound like an awesome, but corny superhero, Schwartz only recorded under the name once. Yes, once. He used Pride for his dreamy meditation “Her Name is Melody,” an apt title for a song that attempts to lure listeners into its constant rhythm, eastern guitar and melodic vocals. This example of psychedelic pop is from 1966 and was produced by The Everly Brothers. Well all you have to do is dream, dream, dream. Right? I couldn’t help it.
Unfortunately, “Her Name is Melody” (and its B-side “I Go To Sleep” – Kinks cover) did not chart and fell off into the realm of psychedelic nuggets of the late 60s. It was picked up by a compilation CD and you can still hear it today if you search for rare psychedelic gems.
After his Adrian Pride phase, Schwartz became one of the vocalists for late 60s band Comfortable Chair, yet another obscure West Coast psychedelic sunshine band. And while The Everly Brothers originally produced Schwartz’s music, Jim Morrison of the Doors found Comfortable Chair and Doors’ drummer John Densmore and Doors’ guitarist Robbie Kreiger happened to produce Comfortable Chair’s first album in 1969. The album went nowhere and the band found no success outside of the sinking late 60’s psychedelic scene.
Adrian Pride, Bernie Schwartz, Comfortable Chair. Schwartz represents a large group of unheard 60’s musicians who were lost in the crowded sea of popular musicians. But you can still hear his music if you search. Here is “Her Name is Melody.”
Thank you to everyone who participated in last Friday’s first edition of Music Trivia. We received a good amount of answers. Unfortunately, only one participant posted a comment with his answers. So before I get to the answers, I can officially crown Anthony Zampardi winner of the first edition of Music Trivia. Anthony got one answer correct. Did you do better than Anthony and feel disrespected because you are not being recognized? Well, remember, during each Music Trivia you answer the questions in the poll format and then post your answers (a,b,c,d,a – for example) in a comment with your name. You can discuss the questions in the comment section as well. Comments can be accessed by pressing the quote button with the number next to the post’s title. On to the answers!
1.) “Hey Jude” is arguably the Beatles‘ best and most emotional song. When Paul McCartney first played the track for bandmate John Lennon, Paul stopped after a line and told John he was meaning to change the particular lyric. Lennon said that he wouldn’t and it was the best line in the song. What is that line? Answer – C.) “The movement you need is on your shoulder”
Yes, the answer choice that garnered the least attention is the correct answer. I admit, this was a difficult first question. It is a small piece of Beatles’ trivia. This line gathered 10 percent of the vote. The answer choice that gained the most clicks at 40 percent was “For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool.” I guess we know what line Music Court readers think is dumb!
In all of their Mugwumps splendor
2.) The Mamas & The Papas is still considered one of the best folk/vocal groups ever. Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty were truly the vocal superstars of the band. Before they joined The Mamas & The Papas they were both members of an unsuccesful New York band called The Mugwumps in the mid-60′s. The other two members of that band went on to form a famous American band after the break-up. What band did they form?
Most fared better on this question. The Lovin’ Spoonful gained 40 percent of the votes. Even if you did not know the answer to the question, process of elimination could have helped formulate an educated guess. The Byrds were formed in California in 1964, The Turtles in California in 1965, and Jefferson Airplane in San Francisco in 1965. John B. Sebastian and Zal Yanovksky were both based in Greenwich Village at the time of the Mugwump’s formation. The Mugwumps were not successful, but this was in partly because they were such a short-lived group. If they stuck it out, perhaps they would have even usurped the future popularity of the Lovin’ Spoonful and The Mamas and The Papas. Who knows.
3.) Soul Asylum released “Runaway Train,” a song about runaways, with a corresponding video that featured pictures and names of missing children. Because of the song’s popularity many children featured in the video were actually returned to their homes. The song was pretty good too. It took home the Grammy for Best Rock Song in what year?
Answer: A.) 1994
Who expected a 90’s music question? I told you, no genre/time period discrimination. I actually thought of this question while at the gym. The music video for the song started playing on VH1 and I started talking to a trainer about when the song was released. I swore it was mid-late 90s, but he said it was when he was a teenager (early 90s). I looked it up and he was right. The song was released in 1993 (answer choice D and the choice that received 33.3 percent of the vote – tied with 1991). But if you look carefully the question is what year did the song receive the Grammy for Best Rock Song and that was 1994. Congrats to the 22.2 percent of you that got this trick question correct.
4.) In Canned Heat‘s “On The Road Again” what instrument helps create the buzzing sound that follows the song like a swarm of bees.
Answer: C.) Tambura
For those not fluent in the rich tradition of Indian instrumentation, I cannot blame you for getting this wrong. A tambura is a sitar-like instrument with a long neck. It distinguishes itself from a sitar because it has no frets. Its open strings are plucked in a regular pattern in order to create a resonating sound. You can use the instrument for drone music and this is exactly what Canned Heat does with “On The Road Again.” Alan Wilson added the tambura to give the song a hypnotic feel. He definitely accomplished his goal.
5.) The Dirty Mac was a one-time supergroup formed exclusively for the TV Special “The Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus” in 1968. The band featured John Lennon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Keith Richards on bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell (drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience) on drums and what famous lead guitarist?
Answer: B.) Eric Clapton
I am often asked who my favorite supergroup is. Okay, maybe it is not a constant question but I have been asked it more than once. Without fail, despite my allegiance to King Crimson, I target the one-time performers The Dirty Mac as my favorite supergroup. Yes, their only performance was at The Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus, but the group consisted of John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton (the answer to the question). The band didn’t just ooze talent, it flat-out blew it out like an active volcano. Their performance of “Yer Blues” is mind-altering. 57.14 percent of you got this one correct, so great job. Until next time, here is”Yer Blues” by The Dirty Mac.
Nick Drake and Jim Morrison share a similar face and long hair. They also share two other unfortunate attributes. Depression and untimely death. Morrison died in 1971 and Nick Drake in 1974. Two great talents eradicated. But Jim Morrison is a well-known superstar. His brief work with the Doors made him more of a mysterious idol in his death. Nick Drake, on the other hand, remains practically anonymous, his tranquil compositions often falling into obfuscation.
Luckily, his work has been posthumously praised and while not many listen to Drake’s harmonious tunes, many critics rightfully consider his work to be that of a depressed genius whose sheer confidence in his talents was often overshadowed by his misanthropic attitude. After releasing his third album he fell back home with his parents and took his own life two years later by way of an overdose on a prescribed antidepressant. He was 26 years old.
I would like to travel back to 1969 and feature the last track on his first album Five Leaves Left. The album demonstrated an unheralded mastery of folk/rock from the 21-year-old Drake. It did not receive much admiration at the time, but years later it garners tremendous praise. The last song “Saturday Sun” is a melancholic track, slow, sensual and constant, like delicate waves lightly touching a sun-drenched shoreline. The piano’s bluesy sentiment provides a strong opening. Drake’s mellow and gentle voice is indescribable. There is a sad beauty to it. You can almost hear his inner torture. The song leaves any listener stung by its calmness and full beauty.
Welcome to the first installment of Music Trivia! Music Trivia, the game where you all get the chance to prove that you are the ultimate Musicaire (a made up term that means absolutely nothing). Seriously, Music Trivia gives you the opportunity to answer music trivia questions, both tough and easy. This is a game for everyone. There are no categories and no genre/time period discrimination. Questions can range from the guitar proficiency of Robert Johnson to Eve 6‘s drummers name. But I’m probably not going to ask about Tony Fagenson. I find that there is a lack of challenging music trivia on the web and I want to change that with this bi-weekly post. Here is how it is going to work. Today I will post five random questions (themed posts are possible in the future). The questions will be multiple choice. After answering all five questions, post your answers in a comment. On Tuesday, I will post up the answers and who did that best. Remember, it is easy to cheat at this game, but why would you do that? No Google and no listening to songs for answers. Answer the questions like you are taking a test in a classroom. Cheating makes this stupid. If Music Trivia garners a good amount of participants (10 or more), I will make the posting more frequent and will start giving out prizes to winners. Yes, that’s right, prizes. But it is your responsibility to play the game, have fun, and tell your friends. How tough is that, right? So good luck and I hope you enjoy the first ever Music Trivia game on The Music Court.
1.) “Hey Jude” is arguably the Beatles‘ best and most emotional song. When Paul McCartney first played the track for bandmate John Lennon, Paul stopped after a line and told John he was meaning to change the particular lyric. Lennon said that he wouldn’t and it was the best line in the song. What is that line?
2.) The Mamas & The Papas is still considered one of the best folk/vocal groups ever. Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty were truly the vocal superstars of the band. Before they joined The Mamas & The Papas they were both members of an unsuccesful New York band called The Mugwumps in the mid-60’s. The other two members of that band went on to form a famous American band after the break-up. What band did they form?
3.) Soul Asylum released “Runaway Train,” a song about runaways, with a corresponding video that featured pictures and names of missing children. Because of the song’s popularity many children featured in the video were actually returned to their homes. The song was pretty good too. It took home the Grammy for Best Rock Song in what year?
4.) In Canned Heat‘s “On The Road Again” what instrument helps create the buzzing sound that follows the song like a swarm of bees. (Video Clue)
5.) The Dirty Mac was a one-time supergroup formed exclusively for the TV Special “The Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus” in 1968. The band featured John Lennon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Keith Richards on bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell (drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience) on drums and what famous lead guitarist?
NBC’s new singing show has been quietly successful in its inchoate format. It is not an American Idol spin-off and has put an interesting twist on the singing competition genre of television shows. The Voice features Maroon 5 lead vocalist Adam Levine, vocal superstar Christina Aguilera, eccentric pop musician Cee Lo Green and country singer Blake Shelton. In past episodes, each artist picked eight emerging musicians for their teams and then pinned team members against each other in a vocal battle format, narrowing the teams down to four artists each. The 16 artists will now perform for the privilege to stay on the show with voting now up to viewers. They will fight for the grand prize of a recording contract and their team leaders will look to become the artist who found “The Voice.”
The Voice is an appealing singing competition that brings a fresh look to singing competitions. The talent, though, has been somewhat sub-par, besides a few artists. Listening to the performers on each team, I believe that Adam Levine’s four are the most talented. I also think that the winner of the competition is on his team. Javier Colon’s haunting performance of “Time After Time” during the blind auditions propelled him into the early favorite spot. Check it out:
Rolling Stone ‘s David Fricke has been providing excellent music reviews for the better part of 20 years and his review of Buffalo Springfield’s reunion tour is no different. The Springfield tour is exciting and the combination of original members Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay provides a true nostalgic folk/rock punch.
That speck of snot is worth more than your comments
Liam Gallagher what are we going to do with you? You just cannot keep yourself from making insipid comments, can you? Plus, it gets even more embarrassing when your doltish comments are completely contradictory. Let’s take a peek at your recent statements.
When asked about performers from the 1960s and 70s still making comebacks today he said, “All those f*ckers playing their greatest hits are sh*tbags.” First off, why are you so angry? Why do old-school rockers performing better music than you can ever play piss you off? Well, I may have just answered my own question, but do such feelings really warrant a contentious response. No, especially since they are utterly contradictory. Paul McCartney has been playing his greatest hits for over the past 20 years. McCartney, the former Beatle, was (and still is) Gallagher’s muse. Gallagher’s band Oasis were practically the Beatles of the 90s. Seriously, Gallagher flat-out copied McCartney’s material. So him saying that musicians who play their greatest hits are sh*tbags is basically saying that McCartney is a sh*tbag which would then (if you follow my logic) would be saying that Gallagher himself is a sh*tbag, which he is.
Also, he called Bob Dylan a miserable c*nt. I’m not kidding.
The Music Court 