It may be late, but it is still June 24 and as long as it remains this date some important musicians are celebrating their birthdays. The expansive list includes Mick Fleetwood, Jeff Beck, Arthur Brown and the often overlooked Colin Blunstone of the 60’s pop/psychedelic group The Zombies.
Colin Blunstone turned 65 today and I want to use this opportunity to wish him a very happy birthday. His soft voice was instrumental in giving The Zombies’ iconic hit “Time of the Season” the whispering, almost spooky, sound that has become synonymous with the psychedelic late 60s. The song, written by Rod Argent, was the last track on Odessey & Oracle which was released in April of 1968. “Time of the Season” only made it on the record because of the urging of Al Kooper (who is best known for bringing Blood, Sweat & Tears together), and it hit the big time over a year after the band broke up. Very strange story. So, in honor of Mr. Blunstone, let me take you back to the summer of love.
Genre: Raw power rock with a hint of classic rock blues
Members:
Jared Mullins: Vocals, Guitar
Joe Brooks: Bass
Dan Kurtz: Drums
Band Description:
Bill Miller of the Rock And Roll Report said of Heavy Glow’s brand of rock, “I don’t think I have heard any other band capture the classic sound of 60s/70s guitar rock…This trio rocks it like it’s 1969.”
Quite a compliment. Reading this, I had to look into the band Heavy Glow and see what this comment was all about. And, classic rock fans look here, there are certainly elements of late 60’s hard rock bands like Blue Cheer in Heavy Glow’s original take of an old genre, where one can easily fall into the category of “It’s all been done before.” Isn’t that an exciting treat. It is always fun to come across bands who are keeping such a rockin’ sound alive.
Joe Brooks, Jared Mullins, Dan Kurtz (center)
Heavy Glow was formed by Joe Brooks and Jared Mullins in August of 2008 (Kurtz joined in 2009). They are based in San Diego, California, where their fresh music matches well with the unpolluted sea air. Their self-titled EP was released in February of 2009, and contained six raw releases, stripped of any unnecessary filler. After adding Kurtz in 2009, the band went back to work and released their most recent EP The Filth and the Fury in January of this year.
Favorite Song:
Out of the five songs on the new EP I must say that the second track, “Love Ghost” is the most catchy and wonderfully bluesy. It is this harder blues that hits you with a strong beat and distorted guitar that thumps inside of you. Mullins has stated that Heavy Glow attempts for, “hard-hitting, gritty, infectious and melodic rhythms to create a sound that is both informed by the past and undeniably modern.” This is put quite well, as it describes what their music accomplishes. They are an up and coming band and all I can say is watch out for the Heavy Glow.
I’m sure that if you are even slightly familiar with the hip-hop scene you have heard of Nicki Minaj. The Queens native has collaborated with the likes of Mariah Carey, Usher and Diddy, often featured alongside staple counterparts Drake and Lil’ Wayne.
Nicki "Barbie" Minaj
She’s been the focus of attention as of late, partially because of the summer release of a solo album and a hyped-semi feud with rapper Lil’ Kim (Kim maintains that Minaj has not paid enough respect and “homage” to her position as an artist).
Currently Minaj, a self declared modern day Barbie, is thought by many to have taken the place of Lil’ Kim in the rap scene. Fresh blood and new perspective has lent the up and coming artist waves of attention. With her ultra decadent music video Massive Attack, Minaj seems to affirm a permanent position in the music biz.
But with the supposed beef between Minaj and Kim, one must wonder is there only one spot for a female in hip-hop? What is the source of competition and animosity?
Rap music has such a reputation as hard edged, fueled by the tough grit of masculine energy. I think that Minaj’s flair of aggressive confidence and feminine eccentricity is a perfect complement to the scene. I don’t, however, believe that only one woman should merit the spotlight. Minaj is a fascinating artist, but should not be the only “token” girl rapper on a track.
Minaj and Drake
Yes, there has been others (Eve, Remy Ma, and as aforementioned, Lil’ Kim, to name a few) to make there names known. But as of now, Minaj seems to be taking the lead. But, before asking Barbie to contribute to another song, maybe a few artists should look into other female talent out there.
Time for another instalment of the song/word of the day.
Today’s Word: Heliolatry
Oh...Now the post title makes sense
Heliolatry (noun): Worship of the sun.
Musical Example:
For those who reside in the Northern Hemisphere the concept of heliolatry was quite prevalent yesterday. Summer solstice, the longest day of the year, occurred yesterday and with it brought sunshine, warm weather (at least on Long Island, NY) and the welcomed beginning of summer. Trust me, I would know. I was out yesterday reporting on how people were spending their solstices around Long Island.
And, to help welcome in summer, I could not think of a better song than “Here Comes the Sun.” I wonder if there will ever be a word like Beatlolatry. The worship of the Beatles (in case you did not realize what I was getting at). I may suffer from a taste of this. Luckily, Beatlolatry won’t lead to eventual skin cancer. Though it may lead to a serious case of Beatles’ lyricitis (a condition which provokes constant singing of Beatles’ songs). Anyway, moving away from my stupid comments, here is what you all came here for. Quality George Harrison (who wrote “Here Comes the Sun” on one of Eric Clapton’s guitars, by the way) playing “Here Comes the Sun” with some other talented musicians.
There is something about Paul McCartney and John Lennon that makes them music magnets. Could it be that they were members of the greatest band to ever release an album, take the stage, talk, walk, sing and eat? Maybe. Or, could it be that Paul’s infectious personality intertwines with his limitless musical talents and John’s magical aura that surrounds his memory still provides listeners with a sense of attachment? Whatever this fascination may be caused by is pretty much unimportant. What is essential is that McCartney and Lennon still remain a tremendous force in the music world today, and this is most definitely reflected in today’s Court Links.
Paul McCartney often finds his way on Music Court’s links posts. The 68-year-old superstar (who celebrated his birthday on June 18) is not just a shoe-in because of the lore that surrounds his name. McCartney finds his way onto these posts because he is constantly diversifying and honing his trade (even at 68) and these endeavors are most definitely news worthy.
Recently, McCartney was asked to write music for a ballet (nothing is known about the ballet or who commissioned McCartney to do it) and, in typical McCartney fashion, he agreed.
“I’m interested in doing things I haven’t done before. That offer came up and I love writing music, the two went together and I said, ‘Yeah,’ so I just accept things before I even know what I’m doing,” McCartney said. “I don’t really know that much about it yet. I’m just writing music for it, but it’s a switch!”
I think this is just wonderful. It is exciting to see McCartney, sharp as ever, still producing various types of music. He seemed to have accomplished everything a musician can dream to accomplish (and more). And, who knows, maybe Paul McCartney can become like the Beatles of ballet writing. Oh wait!
The Holy Grail of lyrical efforts (Photo: De Souza/AFP/Getty)
In other news, John Lennon handwritten lyrics to “A Day in the Life,” which is often regarded to as the best overall Beatles’ piece ever, sold on June 18 at Sotheby’s in New York. The price tag. A modest $1.2 million. Frighteningly, this does not beat the record for highest-priced Beatles’ sheet music. That crown belongs to the hand-written lyrics to “All You Need is Love,” which went for $1.25 million.
The sheet originally belonged to Beatles road manager, Mal Evans, and they represent the song as a work in progress. Yes, surprisingly John Lennon did make initial writing errors. His work was not innately inerrant. Shocker! I am not surprised the work went for that much. Wait, yes I am; that is $1.2 million. Oh my goodness. What a price. Well, I guess in some skewed way it is totally worth it. I think I will stick to listening to the song on my vinyl player
Colin Blunstone turned 65 today and I want to use this opportunity to wish him a very happy birthday. His soft voice was instrumental in giving The Zombies’ iconic hit “Time of the Season” the whispering, almost spooky, sound that has become synonymous with the psychedelic late 60s. The song, written by Rod Argent, was the last track on Odessey & Oracle which was released in April of 1968. “Time of the Season” only made it on the record because of the urging of Al Kooper (who is best known for bringing Blood, Sweat & Tears together), and it hit the big time over a year after the band broke up. Very strange story. So, in honor of Mr. Blunstone, let me take you back to the summer of love.
The Music Court 