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Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Harry Nilsson Edition
Today, we pay tribute to one of the master of early ’70s pop. Harry Nilsson. He first tasted success as a songwriter, working with everyone from Little Richard to Phil Spector to The Monkees. Little Richard allegedly told Harry that he “sing good for a white boy.” In the second half of the ’60s, he signed with RCA and began releasing acclaimed records that caught the attention of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who both declared Nilsson to be a favorite. A couple of years later, he hit it big when his cover of Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’” was used in the movie Midnight Cowboy and Three Dog Night covered his tune “One”. From that point, Nilsson’s career had its ups and downs, marked by bouts of brilliance. He was just as liable to do some old rock and roll covers, but he had an ability to pen and sing wonderful soft pop classics. He battled with addictions, which ground he career to a halt, but he has become an influential figure in some circles. In honor of Harry, grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Kanye West Edition
One of the biggest artists to come out of Chicago is turning one year older today. Kanye West first made his mark as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records. He manned the boards for Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, most significantly. He eventually put out his own stuff, and all of his albums have been critically lauded and best sellers. Kanye has been behind some big hits, but deserves credit for expanding the scope of his music, whether it involves collaborating with Bon Iver or sampling King Crimson. Beyond that, he has assisted many artists and is a fixture in the gossip pages for his unfiltered comments and visible lifestyle. So let’s wish Kanye a happy birthday by hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up on your iPod or MP3 player.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Ronnie Wood Edition
He’s one of the great sidemen in rock. Ronnie Wood got his first taste of success with The Birds, who had a minor British hit with the freakbeat classic, “Those Magic Words”. He next turned up in The Jeff Beck Group, and then Faces, supporting Rod Stewart. The Faces were one of the great live bands of the ’70s, and were a great training ground for Wood’s next gig, taking the place of Mick Taylor in The Rolling Stones. While the Stones’ output hasn’t always been the best during Woody’s tenure, there’s no doubt his laid back vibe has allowed the band to keep humming along (periodically). Wood has also made some fun solo records and he has done some great session work too. Let’s pay tribute to Woody by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Tom T. Hall Edition
Tom T. Hall earned his nickname “The Storyteller”. After playing in bands, dating back to high school, he got his break in music selling songs in Nashville, penning some charting country hits in the early ’60s. Things exploded when he wrote “Harper Valley P.T.A.”, a 1968 smash for Jeanne C. Riley, which spawned movies and a television show. Not too long after that, Hall established himself as a recording artist, with tons of great story songs, mixed in with straightforward declarations like “I Like Trucks”. He carved out a niche for himself that led to 11 chart topping country hits. Let’s pay tribute to Tom by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Erik Roldan writesCHIRP + Coach House Sounds Present: Fake Limbs
Fake Limbs have joined the ranks of Chicago indie royalty – they have a Coach House Sounds session up, and they just signed to BLVD Records CHIRP chatted with them about Chicago, their feelings on living here, and the exciting summer they’ve got lined up. Check out their session, released on May 22 over at coachhousesounds.com and listen to CHIRP for some preview tracks!