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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Jul 25, 2014 14:32:54 GMT -5
For today, we have a black man dancing by himself. Here's "Lonely Boy" from the Black Keys. Enjoy.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Jul 26, 2014 9:25:36 GMT -5
For today, here's a song about jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. What a nice topic for a song. Here's Sleater-Kinney's "Jumpers." Enjoy.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Jul 27, 2014 8:10:37 GMT -5
For today, we have the Smashing Pumpkins. And, I just woke up. So, that's all I got for an intro. Better than most days though. Anyway, here is "Tonight, Tonight." Enjoy.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Jul 28, 2014 8:05:22 GMT -5
For today, Alice Cooper sings about when he was a teenage frankenstein. Sounds about right. Here is "Teenage Frankenstein." Enjoy.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Jul 29, 2014 10:24:41 GMT -5
Well, the video I was gonna post today is no longer on YouTube. So, here's a replacement: Joe Jackson's "It's Different For Girls." Enjoy.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Jul 30, 2014 7:43:31 GMT -5
For today, we have Pink Floyd. And, I can't think of a good into. So, here is "Welcome To The Machine." Enjoy.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Jul 31, 2014 19:07:48 GMT -5
I got a theme month planned, starting tomorrow. So, today's video is a hint. Here is The Knack's "My Sharona." Enjoy.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 1, 2014 18:05:29 GMT -5
It’s time for another theme month. And, this month’s theme is one I’ve done before. Last year, I did a whole month spotlighting the careers of one hit wonders. And, I liked it so much that I’m doing it again! It’s More Than Just… 2 Month. And, we start with a famous one: A Flock Of Seagulls, famously known for their big hit “I Ran.” A Flock of Seagulls was started by Michael Score and his brother Ali in 1979 in Liverpool. The band’s name was taken from The Stranglers song "Toiler on the Sea", according to Score. Mike, who was previously a hairdresser, played keyboards, guitar, and vocals; Ali played drums; and their friend, Francis Maudsley, played bass. Original guitarist Willie Woo left and was replaced with Paul Reynolds from the band Cindysbeentrippin. After practising above Score's hair salon, the band started playing clubs and eventually got a recording contract. Eventually, under the management of Tommy Crossan and Mick Rossi (Checkmount Limited), they began to release singles through Jive Records. The group released an EP, Telecommunication, and two singles, "It's Not Me Talking" and "Telecommunication" (both produced by Nelson), on Bill Nelson's Cocteau label. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VQQgPrbjP0 The success of the latter single, which became a club hit, got them a contract with a major label. In 1982 the group's third single, "I Ran (So Far Away)" became a worldwide hit, reaching number 1 in Australia and the top 10 in the US and New Zealand. The parent album A Flock of Seagulls and another single, "Space Age Love Song," were also successful. www.youtube.com/watch?v=21JwyfGH3wE In late 1982 the band found major success in their home country with "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)", the first single from their next album, Listen, which reached the top 10. Later, the band was praised for having broken the ground for other musical acts during the advent of the video music area, but as it turned out, 1982 was the peak year of their commercial and critical success. www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4l7zO7fe3I Three more singles were released from Listen in 1983, but they were only minor successes in the UK and abroad. Faced with disappointment the group produced a third album in 1984, The Story of a Young Heart, with "The More You Live, the More You Love" as the lead single. It was moderately successful, but the album's other two singles, "Never Again (The Dancer)" and "Remember David," did not make any headway. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMXH4al6VQwww.youtube.com/watch?v=qcXTIDEB1s4Faced with sliding sales and a loss of direction, the group relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, minus Paul Reynolds. In 1986, the band released a new album, Dream Come True, which was panned by the critics and flopped commercially. To promote Dream Come True two videos (for "Who's That Girl" and "Heartbeat Like a Drum") were filmed in quick succession, the last time the three remaining members were together in a recording or performance capacity until 2003. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNgn3UH0u94For the next eighteen years, Mike Score worked with various musicians under the A Flock of Seagulls banner, playing live gigs and occasionally issuing new recordings. In 1989, the group released a single called "Magic" which did not chart. The follow-up album (The Light at the End of the World) which included the single did not appear until 1996, and similarly did not chart. In 1999, the band re-recorded the Madonna song "This Used to Be My Playground" for the 2000 Madonna tribute album The World's Greatest 80s Tribute to Madonna. In November 2003, the original line-up (Mike and Ali Score, Paul Reynolds and Frank Maudsley) reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series, Bands Reunited. In September 2004, they reformed again and played a few shows in the United States, but broke up immediately afterward. Mike Score continues to tour with Joe Rodriguez (1999), Pando (2003) & Michael Brahm (2003) as A Flock of Seagulls. On 4 February 2013, Score indicated via his YouTube account that he was pursuing his solo career. He released the singles "All I Wanna Do" in February 2013, and "Somebody Like You" in January 2014. On 1 March 2014, Score released a solo album, Zeebratta. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJDeewSNIE
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 2, 2014 8:17:49 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. Today, we’re looking at a heavy metal group who’s big has gone up in popularity several years after it was released, thanks to two very different pop culture items: the TV show Arrested Development and pro wrestler Bryan Danielson. It’s Europe’s “The Final Countdown.” The first incarnation of Europe was called Force and came together in 1979, in Upplands Väsby, Stockholm, and was integrated by vocalist and keyboardist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno. The band sent several demos to record companies but were told that in order to be published they had to cut their hair and sing in Swedish. Two years later, Olsson left the band and was replaced by John Levén. Just a couple of months later, Levén joined Yngwie Malmsteen's band Rising Force, and Malmsteen's former bassist, Marcel Jacob, joined Force. This only lasted for three months, though. Levén apparently had issues with Malmsteen, so he and Jacob traded places again. In 1982, Tempest's girlfriend entered Force in the Swedish rock talent contest Rock-SM. Just before the contest, Force changed their name to Europe. Competing against 4000 bands, they won the contest thanks to two songs, "In the Future to Come" and "The King Will Return." Tempest won the individual award for Best Lead Singer, and Norum won the award for Best Guitarist. The reward was a record deal with Hot Records. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nObKsYuyUI www.youtube.com/watch?v=B85Nxzeu9Yc The band’s self-titled debut album was released the following year, and sold well both in Sweden and Japan. The album charted at number 8 in the band's home country and the single "Seven Doors Hotel" became a Top 10 hit in Japan. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP3W3QmCQeU The second album Wings of Tomorrow was released one year later and the single "Open Your Heart" got interest from CBS Records who offered them an international contract in 1985. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX4LC1HBmag Keyboardist Mic Michaeli was soon recruited to play in live concerts, and became an official member of the band shortly after. At the same time, Tony Reno was fired because of his lack of motivation and alleged slacking off on rehearsals. He was replaced with Ian Haugland. In 1985 Europe recorded the soundtrack for the film On the Loose, which gave them the hit "Rock the Night." www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELtpTBf-pMU Several months later Joey Tempest was asked to write a song for the charity project Swedish Metal Aid. He wrote "Give a Helping Hand," which would feature the biggest stars of Swedish rock and metal. The income from the sales of the single, which was produced by Easy Action guitarist Kee Marcello, was donated to the starving people of Ethiopia. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBZ2NdNR-JM In September 1985, Europe was approached by an executive from Epic Records. They helped Europe start the recording of its next album with Journey producer Kevin Elson. The result was The Final Countdown. Released on May 26, 1986, the album gave the band its international breakthrough, was certified Triple Platinum in the USA and reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart. The title track, which was based on a keyboard riff composed by Tempest as early as 1981-82, was released as the first single and became a worldwide success, peaking at number 1 in 25 countries, such as the UK, France, Spain, and Germany. The power ballad "Carrie", which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Cherokee" and a re-recorded "Rock the Night" were other hits from the album. Though, over time, “The Final Countdown” is the one song that has proven to stand the test of time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmWE9UBFwtYwww.youtube.com/watch?v=lCbUZqN8JZ0 Not satisfied with the album's keyboard-dominated production nor the band's commercialized image, John Norum decided to leave Europe in November 1986 to pursue a solo career. Kee Marcello was asked to replace him, and after some consideration, he decided to join the band. The follow-up to The Final Countdown was entitled Out of This World and was released in 1988. The biggest hit from the album was "Superstitious" which peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. "Superstitious" would be the last Europe song to chart in the USA. The album was certified platinum in the States and peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart. More touring followed, including an American tour with Def Leppard and a festival gig at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, England with Bon Jovi, Skid Row and Vixen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gU5Vg2JokU In 1991, the album Prisoners in Paradise was released, but received limited media attention due to the "boom" of the grunge movement, started by Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. Although the sales were low compared to previous albums, the single "I'll Cry for You" managed to hit number 28 on the UK charts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoeYA4TmAcc After ten years of living, recording, and touring together, Europe decided to take a break at the end of the 1992 tour. In that time, Tempest and Marcello released solo albums whilst the other members participated in several different projects and bands. In return, Europe was dropped from Epic Records. The band members started to discuss the possibility of a Europe reunion in 1998. For the 2000 millennium celebrations, Europe was asked to do a concert in Stockholm on New Year's Eve 1999. That would be Europe's first, and to date only, concert with both of their lead guitarists, since both John Norum and Kee Marcello had accepted the offer to play that evening with the rest of the group. They played "Rock the Night" and "The Final Countdown." Over the years, there were several reunion rumors, and on October 2, 2003 it was made official: Europe announced plans for a new album and world tour. The band then switched back to the Final Countdown line-up, with John Norum as the only lead guitarist. Kee Marcello claimed that he was too busy with his own projects. The songwriting for a new album, Start from the Dark, began early in 2003. The album was released on September 22, 2004, the same day that John Norum became a father. Start from the Dark featured a more modern sound compared to Europe's previous albums. Eventually, the album sold in excess of 600,000 copies worldwide. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQHQZO3xKlMEurope released its seventh album, Secret Society on October 26, 2006. On January 26, 2008 Europe did a semi-acoustic live concert at Nalen in Stockholm, calling the event Almost Unplugged. The band was accompanied by a string quartet and played reworked versions of its own songs, as well as cover versions of songs by bands that have influenced Europe's sound throughout the years – Pink Floyd, UFO, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy. The show was broadcast live over the Internet on Europe's official website. It was released on CD on September 17, 2008, and on DVD on August 19, 2009. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBv303jBNOc Europe's eighth studio album, Last Look at Eden, was released on September 9, 2009. The title track was released as a single in June. The second single, "New Love in Town", was released as a digital download on September 3, 2009. www.youtube.com/watch?v=y48PTClxPVwwww.youtube.com/watch?v=Syupu49U9Qk On July 12, 2011, Europe confirmed that Kevin Shirley would produce their ninth studio album. The recording sessions started on October 3, 2011. On January 24, 2012 the band announced the album title, Bag of Bones. The album was released on April 18, 2012 in Japan by Victor Entertainment and on April 25 in Sweden by Gain Music Entertainment. Bag of Bones debuted at number 2 on the Swedish album chart on May 4, 2012, and was certified Gold in Sweden on July 12, 2012. The band played at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2013, with their performance recorded for a 30th anniversary double CD, DVD and blu-ray disc, which was released in October 2013. www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6y4J7EJWfM
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 3, 2014 7:15:45 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. And, today we are getting Extreme! Extreme with a power ballad! It’s Extreme’s “More Than Words.” Extreme was formed in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1985. Vocalist Gary Cherone and drummer Paul Geary were in a band called "The Dream," which is where the more famous name comes from: "Extreme" is a derivation of Cherone and Geary's former band "The Dream", meaning "Ex-Dream." Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was in a band called "Sinful," and bassist Pat Badger was playing with a Berklee-based outfit called "In The Pink." Following an altercation between the rival groups over communal dressing rooms, the four decided to form a new band together. Cherone and Bettencourt began writing songs together and the band played numerous shows in the Boston area. They gradually developed a strong local following, and were named "Outstanding Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Act" at the Boston Music Awards in 1986 and 1987. The band had accumulated several original songs by the time A&R director Bryan Huttenhower signed them to A&M Records (which was soon sold to PolyGram) in 1988. The band then recorded their self-titled debut album, which was issued in 1989. The first single was "Kid Ego", a song that Cherone would later admit made him cringe. The final track on the album, "Play With Me", was used as the "mall chase" song in the film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWgQCJemN_swww.youtube.com/watch?v=475g0fZNywU Sales of Extreme's first record were sufficient to support a second release. Michael Wagener, who had previously worked with Dokken and White Lion, was hired to produce the band's Extreme II: Pornograffitti album in 1990. The record, which showcased Bettencourt's guitar-playing, was a mixture of funk, pop and Glam metal sounds. "Decadence Dance" and "Get the Funk Out" were released as singles. "Get the Funk Out" reached number 19 in the UK charts in June 1991. Neither single was successful in the United States, however, and the album had fallen off the charts when A&M sent the third single to a number of radio stations in Arizona. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoKJpcROgJkwww.youtube.com/watch?v=IqP76XWHQI0 However, there was one song that did well. The acoustic ballad "More Than Words" entered the Hot 100 on March 23, 1991, at Number 81. It later became a huge smash, hitting Number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the United States. The subsequent single, "Hole Hearted", another acoustic track, was also successful, rising to Number 4 on the same popular music chart. Though, “More Than Words” is the one that’s had any staying power. www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-h4A7bF8wQ The band began recording their third album in 1992. Their appearance at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992 interrupted the recording sessions, but it gave the band considerable exposure beyond the heavy metal fraternity. By playing a medley at the tribute, as well as "Love of My Life" and "More Than Words" acoustically, Extreme gained a considerable amount of fans along with the Queen fan base. At the introductory speech before they played, Brian May noted that they "possibly more than any other group on this planet, knew what Queen was about all these years, and what Freddie was about all these years". III Sides to Every Story was released on September 22, 1992. The first single from the album, "Rest in Peace", had an accompanying video clip inspired by a film short by the National Film Board of Canada called Neighbours. The band was sued for plagiarism, but they quickly settled out of court, later releasing a new version of the clip. The album contained noticeable religious themes, presumably put there by Cherone, who noted in interviews being interested in evangelical preachers. The album was generally favored by music critics and fans, but it failed to sell as well as Pornograffitti. www.youtube.com/watch?v=odz3c68JE1cPrior to the band's appearance at Donington's Monsters of Rock festival in the summer of 1994, Mike Mangini replaced Paul Geary on drums, who left the band to pursue a career on the business side of the music industry, managing successful acts such as Godsmack. Waiting for the Punchline, the first record to feature Mangini (on 3 tracks, Paul Geary still played on the rest of the album), was released on February 7, 1995. The singles "Hip Today", "Unconditionally", and "Cynical" were released, but the album sold even less than III Sides to Every Story. Extreme disbanded after the tour in 1996, on amicable terms, when Nuno decided to leave to pursue a solo career. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mx9unWgn60www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2-53DmO390www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxhAptpgcrIOn the recommendation of former Extreme manager Ray Danniels, in 1996, Gary Cherone joined one of the world's most successful rock acts: Van Halen. For those who don’t remember: During 1996, Van Halen's fan-base weathered the acrimonious departures of two of rock's most successful lead singers. You see, the band had decided to let go Sammy Hagar, the lead singer since 1985, and replace him with David Lee Roth, the band's original frontman. However, the band eventually decided to get rid of Roth as well. Into this fractious, and very public situation entered Cherone, whom guitarist Eddie Van Halen later called a "musical soulmate." In 1998, the Cherone-fronted Van Halen released Van Halen III. Van Halen III was a departure for the band—experimental, sometimes acoustic, and socially conscious, lyrically. It bore little resemblance to the band's earlier, riff-driven classic rock. Longtime Van Halen fans drew negative comparisons between Cherone's socially-conscious lyrics and those of iconically tongue-in-cheek lyricist, David Lee Roth. Also, Cherone's sometimes complex lyrics were perceived to lack the 'everyman' quality that Sammy Hagar's possessed. Additionally, on tour, Gary's stage presence was criticized. Van Halen III reached No. 4 on the Billboard 100 album charts, and sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone; however, by Van Halen's standards, it was a failure. All 12 of their previous albums had all sold over 2,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone, with 2 selling over 10,000,000 in the U.S. alone—and the previous five studio albums had all reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts. Van Halen's tour was successful; however, not as successful as in previous years. In late 1999, after Van Halen's 2nd album with Cherone was 'sent back' by Warner Bros. Records, Cherone left the band. He later formed Tribe of Judah, which released an album called Exit Elvis in 2002. In 2005, Cherone released a four song sampler CD, entitled Need I Say More. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM5Rh2KW4Zc In 1997, Nuno Bettencourt released his first solo album titled Schizophonic. In 1998 he formed a group called Mourning Widows who released a self-titled album that year and a follow-up album, Furnished Souls For Rent, in 2000. Following the breakup of that band, he released another solo album under the project name of Population 1 in 2002. Acquiring new members for the tour, he decided to keep the name Population 1 and the first release as a band was a five-song E.P. entitled "Sessions from Room 4" in 2004. They then changed the band's name to Dramagods and created a follow-up CD entitled Love in 2005. Nuno along with bandmates Kevin Figueiredo and Steve Ferlazzo then went on to collaborate with Perry Farrell's project Satellite Party. www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpqMPpX_KJ8Extreme reformed for a short tour in 2004 playing in the Azores (August), in their hometown of Boston at the WAAF anniversary (Sept.19) as well as a few concerts in Japan (January 2005). After a hiatus during 2005, the band returned in 2006 with the "classic" Pornograffitti line-up to do a small, three-show reunion tour through New England. In July 2007, Bettencourt quit Satellite Party for the definite Extreme reunion with Gary Cherone and Pat Badger. On November 26, 2007, the band announced plans for a world tour in the summer of 2008 with King's X as well as a release date for their new album, Saudades de Rock, produced by Bettencourt. Kevin Figueiredo, who played with Bettencourt in DramaGods and Satellite Party, took over drum duties for the band. Original drummer Paul Geary would still remain involved with the band, albeit in a management position. Singles from the album have been available on MySpace including "Star". The album was released on July 28, 2008 in France, August 4, 2008 in Europe, and August 12, 2008 in the United States. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQn3OVXhs9E According to a December 2010 interview with singer Gary Cherone, Extreme had been writing new material for a new album, which they planned, at the time, to release in 2011. Asked in the same interview if the band will produce the new album by themselves or get an outside producer, Cherone replied, "There's talk of a few people. It would be great to get an A-list name. I don't know if that happens. My dream producer would probably be Rick Rubin. Here's a guy that's done Johnny Cash, the Chili Peppers and you know, Neil Diamond." But due to conflicting schedules with Nuno Bettencourt supporting popstar Rihanna on her tour during 2011, plans to go into the studio were postponed to 2012.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 4, 2014 9:11:41 GMT -5
More Than Just…2 Month continues. Today, we’re looking at another heavy metal band who’s big hit was a ballad. It’s Mr. Big, with their big hit, “To Be With You.” Mr. Big came about in 1988 after bass player Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's backing band. He began piecing together a new band with the help of Mike Varney from Shrapnel Records, a label specialized in the shredding genre. He recruited Eric Martin, of the rock-oriented Eric Martin Band and also soul-leaning solo artist, and soon thereafter added guitarist Paul Gilbert and drummer Pat Torpey. Gilbert was already a well-respected guitarist who had released two albums with his Los Angeles-based band Racer X. Torpey came to California from Arizona, and had previously recorded and toured with a number of high-profile artists, including Impellitteri, Stan Bush, Belinda Carlisle, Ted Nugent, The Knack and Jeff Paris, who would later collaborate with Mr. Big in a songwriting capacity. The newly formed band hired Herbie Herbert, the former manager of Journey, Europe, and Santana, to be their manager. By 1989, they signed with Atlantic Records and released their self-titled debut the same year. The record did not gain the band a mainstream rock audience stateside but was a success in Japan. In June 1990, the group toured in America opening for Rush. In August 1990, two songs, "Strike Like Lightning" and "Shadows", performed by Mr. Big were exclusively released on the soundtrack album of the action film Navy SEALs. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXEn3VTn2Qwww.youtube.com/watch?v=QOROYzNinE8 Mr. Big's second album, 1991's Lean Into It, was a major commercial breakthrough, especially two ballads, "To Be with You" (Number 1 song in fifteen countries) and "Just Take My Heart," as well as the song "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind." Though, much like many groups who have been labeled “one-hit wonders,” only one has had any staying power: “To Be With You.” They toured the UK in April and May 1991 and again in 1992, releasing a live album, Mr. Big Live, in 1992. For three nights, they opened for Aerosmith at London's Wembley Arena. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4gsveUHgw8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1IgFEoVxKk In 1993, another ballad, a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" from their third album, Bump Ahead, peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although it is said that the band also contributed the soundtrack to the Sega Mega-CD release of The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin, the songs actually featured Eric Martin with musicians hired by Sega. www.youtube.com/watch?v=31k_DB8KVQM The band released their fourth album, Hey Man, in 1996. The song "Take Cover" was included on the soundtrack to the cartoon series Mega Man. And, that’s about the only notable thing about that album. Basically, Mr. Big was one of the many heavy metal bands that became a victim of grunge sweeping through the land and wiping them off the map. Though they were still around two years after Kurt Cobain had killed himself and tried to get with the times, their better days were very far behind them. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwqxKtMNrA At least, they were in America. Although the band never replicated its earlier success in the US market, their popularity continued to soar in Japan and in much of Asia. They continued to sell out tours in the Asian market, resulting in a number of live releases for the Japanese market. Live At Budokan was one of those live releases intended for the Japanese market only. By the time that album appeared the group had been put on ice, as the individual band members became more engrossed in other projects; the band temporarily broke up in 1997. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRdmQpfeLAg Gilbert left the band in 1997, and eventually reformed Racer X. Richie Kotzen, another Shrapnel artist and former guitarist for Poison, was brought in as a guitar player. Two studio albums were released by this lineup: Get Over It in 2000, and Actual Size in 2001. Get Over It was released on September 1999, in Japan, and yielded "Superfantastic," to lukewarm audience response. Mr. Big performed a twenty-date tour of Japan followed by a New Year's Eve 1999 show with Aerosmith at the Osaka Dome in Osaka. Get Over It was released in the US in March 2000, followed by a short club stint at "Roxy", California. By the way, I have to say that Mr. Big’s popularity in Japan may be the weirdest thing about Japan. I just wanted to add that to the proceedings. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZVswBLs8Dc In 2001, Mr. Big released Actual Size in Asia. The CD sat on the charts in the number three spot and "Shine", the first single, was Number 1. However, tensions had developed between Billy Sheehan and the other members when Billy began touring with Steve Vai. Eric Martin, Richie Kotzen, and Pat Torpey decided to write songs without Billy, and Billy was only given credit for two songs on Actual Size. Eric Martin and the others were also upset with Billy Sheehan's attitude during the recording of the Shine music video. This was when Eric Martin and the others decided the only way to keep moving forward was to fire Billy Sheehan. Without Sheehan and Gilbert Mr. Big's fan base shrank dramatically forcing Eric Martin and the others to ask Billy Sheehan if he would like to rejoin the band. Sheehan agreed to rejoin the band, however only for the farewell tour. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AClxnJa4J-Q A near Mr. Big "one-off" reunion took place on May 13, 2008, in Los Angeles at the House Of Blues when Paul Gilbert was joined on stage by Pat Torpey, Richie Kotzen, and Billy Sheehan for renditions of Humble Pie's “30 Days In The Hole” and original Mr. Big composition “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy.” Reportedly, the three had such an amazing time that they decided to contact Eric Martin a few days later, and a reunion of the four original members (Paul, Eric, Pat, and Billy) was put into motion. On February 1, 2009, a radio announcement for "Koh Sakai’s Burrn Presents: Heavy Metal Syndicate" contained a short message from Mr. Big, announcing the reunion of the original Mr. Big line-up to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their début album. A press conference in Japan in February generated much excitement, and a tour of the country starting in June was announced, with shows in ten locations (including the Budokan). They held their first reunion concert outside Japan at Rock Cafe in Tallinn, Estonia on September 2009 continuing their tour. Warner Music Japan released remastered copies of their four studio albums, as well as a greatest hits CD and DVD. There are two bonus studio songs on the album, new track "Next Time Around", and a cover of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up." www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm9S-5QpO-k In September 2010, Mr. Big recorded a seventh album with producer Kevin Shirley at a Los Angeles-area studio. The album was released in Japan on December 15, 2010, in Europe on January 21, 2011 and in the US in February 2011. What If... was their first album of new material in nearly 10 years. As part of the album release, the group created a music video for the song "Undertow." www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHGv5FCS2j8 Since then, Mr. Big has been touring. On May 10, 2011, Mr. Big performed at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines. The band performed most of the songs from Lean Into It, and introduced a couple of songs from What If. Additionally, the group toured the UK and Europe, with both Gilbert and Sheehan performing solos at the majority of shows. On June 25, 2014, Mr. Big announced through the band's Facebook page the forthcoming release of their new album "The Stories We Could Tell" by September 2014 via Frontiers Records. So, they’re still together making music. Who would have ever thought?
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 5, 2014 9:45:23 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. Let’s take a little break from the metal. Here is ‘Til Tuesday with their big hit, “Voices Carry.” The band was formed in Boston in 1982. Its original lineup included bassist/vocalist Aimee Mann, guitarist/vocalist Robert Holmes, keyboardist Joey Pesce, and drummer Michael Hausman. 'Til Tuesday first gained fame six months after its formation when it won Boston's WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble in 1983. Their original composition "Love in a Vacuum" (credited to all members of the group) received a fair amount of airplay on the station, and the group was eventually signed to Epic Records. www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6eeURFNmxI "Love in a Vacuum" was re-recorded for the Epic debut album, 1985's Voices Carry. However, the breakthrough song turned out to be the title track. "Voices Carry" peaked at Number 8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and is said to have been inspired by an argument between Mann and Hausman, who had broken off a relationship before the album's release. According to producer Mike Thorne in his Stereo Society web site, "the title track was originally written and sung by Aimee as if to a woman.... The record company was predictably unhappy with such lyrics." Rolling Stone magazine would later report that Epic Records labelmate Cyndi Lauper was interested in recording "Voices Carry" with the original lyric, but only if the band didn't put it on their own release. The band declined. The band became an early MTV staple with the "Voices Carry" video, which depicts an oppressive boyfriend trying to convert Mann to his upper-class lifestyle; she finally lashes out at him during a concert at Carnegie Hall, though filmed at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester Massachusetts, standing up from her seat in the audience and belting the lyrics, "He said, shut up! He said, shut up! Oh God, can't you keep it down...?" as she removes her cap to reveal her signature spiky, rat-tailed hair. As a result, the group won that year's MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist. After the success of “Voices Carry,” a third single, “Looking Over My Shoulder” was released. It peaked at Number 61. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bs3h87eeFU By the 1986 follow-up Welcome Home, Mann was beginning to write more of the songs herself and the band was moving away from the slick new wave sound of their debut. But while critical reaction was generally strong, the #26 placing for the lead single, "What About Love", was a commercial disappointment, especially after the top-ten success of "Voices Carry." The album’s second single, “Coming Up Close,” was also a letdown, only reaching 59 on the charts. Even more problematic, the album just barely sneaked into the U.S. top 50, also a letdown after the #19 placing for their debut. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHPRtPZwSNI www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtOgwFzhlyw After the album's release, Pesce left the band and was replaced by Michael Montes. Guitarists Jon Brion and Clayton Scoble also joined the group, although not as permanent members. At about the same time, Mann's two-year relationship with singer-songwriter Jules Shear, whom she had been dating since the release of the Voices Carry album, came to an end. This breakup somewhat informed the band's final album, 1988's Everything's Different Now, particularly in the song "J for Jules", though Mann insisted that not every song on the LP was about the relationship. Shear collaborated with Matthew Sweet on the album's title track; it also featured "The Other End (of the Telescope)", a collaboration between Mann and Elvis Costello on which Costello provides a guest vocal. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qtLYNtXyq4 www.youtube.com/watch?v=zznoDllvTRs While critical praise continued to flow, Everything's Different Now was a commercial dud. The album peaked at No. 124, while the lead single "(Believed You Were) Lucky" (co-written with Shear) crawled to number 95. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3gxPjh5YY 'Til Tuesday essentially broke up after the release of Everything's Different Now. However, Mann toured under the 'Til Tuesday name with various session players, while legal problems with the band's label Epic prevented her from beginning work on a solo record for several years. Mann's solo career officially began in 1992, and Hausman became Mann's manager, a position he holds to this day. As for Mann’s solo career, it’s still going strong today. Though, she has had the success of “Voices Carry,” she did return to the spotlight in 1999. That year, Mann recorded original material for the soundtrack to the Paul Thomas Anderson film “Magnolia,” which earned both Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations for the song "Save Me." And, one of the films most memorable scenes involves most of the movie’s characters singing Mann’s song “Wise Up.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNbTC6xLVg0www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNmKghTvj0E She also appeared on an episode of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. So, she has that going for her.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 6, 2014 8:35:17 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. For today, we have another lady. It’s Neneh Cherry, famous for her big hit, “Buffalo Stance.” Neneh Cherry grew up in a very musical family. Even though she was born the daughter of Monica "Moki" Karlsson, a Swedish painter and textile artist, and Ahmadu Jah, a Sierra Leonean drummer, her mother later married Don Cherry, an American jazz musician, who helped raise her since birth. She even took her stepfather's surname. Neneh has a half-sister, singer Titiyo, and half-brother, record producer Cherno Jah, from her father Ahmadu Jah's marriage to Maylen Jah (née Bergström). Neneh also has a half-brother, musician Eagle-Eye Cherry (who also became known as a one-hit wonder), a stepsister, violinist Jan Cherry, and a stepbrother, jazz musician David Ornette Cherry from stepfather Don Cherry's side. After Neneh’s family moved around from Sweden to America, Neneh decided to drop out of school at 14 and moved to London at the tail end of the punk era. Cherry had met Tessa, Viv and Ari from The Slits earlier as her stepdad, Don Cherry, was touring with them and brought the 15-year-old Neneh along. She and Ari lived in a squat in Battersea. She felt really at home, after ending up there because The Slits invited her stepfather, Don Cherry, to go on tour with them with Prince Hammer and Creation Rebel. In London, Cherry joined the punk rock band The Cherries. She moved through several bands, including The Slits, New Age Steppers, Rip Rig + Panic, and Float Up CP. She also deejayed, playing early rap music on the reggae pirate Dread Broadcasting Corporation. However, her solo career began with "Stop the War", a protest song about the Falkland Islands. Though, it would be several years before her debut album, Raw Like Sushi (which maybe the coolest name for an album ever) came out. She worked with Jonny Dollar, The The and musician Cameron McVey (a.k.a. Booga Bear), who co-wrote most of her 1989 debut album Raw Like Sushi, and whom she would eventually marry. She was intimately involved in the Bristol Urban Culture scene, working as an arranger on Massive Attack's Blue Lines album, through which she met Dollar. Both Robert Del Naja and Andrew Vowles of Massive Attack contributed to Raw Like Sushi. The single "Buffalo Stance" was an international blockbuster, eventually peaking at Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, and the US Billboard Hot 100, and Number 1 on the US Dance chart. More singles released between 1988 and 1990 included "Manchild," "Kisses on the Wind," "Heart," and "Inna City Mama." www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ9VBMBS3qEwww.youtube.com/watch?v=MVdy0CaB2Ukwww.youtube.com/watch?v=5G0MLuPJIuUwww.youtube.com/watch?v=aZknyDAqPPE She also found success with "I've Got You Under My Skin" (produced by Morris Temple of The Guards fame), a reworking of the Cole Porter song, which appeared on the Red Hot + Blue AIDS fundraising album. The single reached number 25 in the UK. Cherry was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 in the Best New Artist Category; she lost out to Milli Vanilli, who later had their Grammy revoked when it was discovered that they had not performed on their recording. She won a Brit Award in 1990 for Raw Like Sushi. www.youtube.com/watch?v=29J2B2FIgt0 Cherry caused a press furore when she performed "Buffalo Stance" on Top of the Pops while pregnant with her second child, Tyson. Cherry said: "I remember some doctor saying that what Neneh Cherry's doing could cause her child harm, that sort of bollocks. But I feel really proud of having done that. I didn't feel being pregnant took anything away from my sexuality, who I am, the woman. It felt like a positive thing to celebrate it." Cherry's second album was 1992's Homebrew. Homebrew was not as commercially successful as its predecessor. The album had some success on the dance charts with songs "Buddy X" and "Trout." "Buddy X" was a bigger hit years later in a remix by Dreem Teem and on college radio the "Trout" duet with Michael Stipe was popular. Homebrew included the work of Geoff Barrow (on "Somedays"), who would later become part of Portishead. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9MHz58La0Uwww.youtube.com/watch?v=kq8hQ_lyMBs 1996's Man is a solo record produced by McVey, Jonny Dollar and Christian Falk. The lead track is "Woman", her take on James Brown's 1966 track "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." It featured the worldwide hit single, "7 Seconds", featuring Youssou N'Dour; and "Trouble Man" a cover of a Marvin Gaye track. "7 Seconds" remained at Number 1 in France for a record 17 weeks in 1994. Another track, "Together Now", featured Tricky. Cherry received her second Grammy nomination in 1994 for "7 Seconds". In the MTV Europe Music Awards in 1994, "7 Seconds" won the Best Song title. www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0W212af1ukwww.youtube.com/watch?v=wqCpjFMvz-k www.youtube.com/watch?v=PufNx9X-lscMan would be Cherry’s last solo album for a good while. But, she kept on making music. In 2006, Cherry announced the formation of a new band, cirKus. In addition to Cherry, cirKus members are Cameron McVey, Lolita Moon (Neneh and Cameron's daughter Tyson) plus Karmil. CirKus has toured Europe, with a single North American performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival in July 2006 plus a few dates in Brazil in 2008. The band's first album, Laylow, was released in France in 2006. A remixed/recorded version was released in 2007. A second CirKus album, Medicine, was released in France in March 2009. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oQN1hYLlBc In March 2011, Cherry collaborated with the experimental jazz group The Thing, a Norwegian/Swedish jazz trio, consisting of Mats Gustafsson (saxophones), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (double bass), and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums), to release the record The Cherry Thing. The album The Cherry Thing was released in June 2012 and was recorded at Harder Sound Studios in London, England and Atlantis Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jovsxh8FeYo Also during this time, Cherry did some TV work, most notably hosing a cooking show with her friend Andrea Oliver called Neneh and Andi – Dish it Up in 2007. Eventually, Cherry would return to making solo albums. Blank Project was written by Cherry and her husband McVey. The record was deeply influenced by the death of her mother in 2009. It would eventually be released this year in February. On doing a solo record after such a long time: "I’ve always been doing stuff, being creative. But I got to the point where I starting to feel this longing, craving, itchy feeling—which was the first sign that it was time. I've made a few attempts to make other solo records, but when I've looked back at the body of work I've always felt like I was never quite there. But now I feel like I’m inside these songs—they embody the place that I’m living in right now." www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JFZxjDoUEY
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 7, 2014 8:12:43 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. Yesterday, when I was talking about Neneh Cherry, I mentioned that she had a half brother, Eagle Eye Cherry, who was also a one hit wonder. So, let’s look at his career. First up, here is his big hit, “Save Tonight.” Eagle Eye was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of jazz artist Don Cherry and Swedish painter/textile artist Monika "Moki" Cherry (née Karlsson). As I mentioned earlier, he is half-brother of singer Neneh Cherry, his mother's daughter, and is stepbrother to singer Titiyo. As children, Eagle-Eye and Neneh travelled a lot with their father. At the age of 12, Cherry was sent to school in New York, where he stayed on to work as an actor and a drummer in various bands. In 1988, he was credited as "teenager" in the film Arthur 2: On the Rocks. In 1993 he starred on the short-lived NBC action/adventure television show South Beach. A year after his father died in 1995, Cherry moved back to Stockholm to focus on his music over the acting career that had taken precedence in his professional life. He began writing and recording his debut album, Desireless, in his bedroom studio on an acoustic guitar. According to manager Tommy Manzi, Cherry's perfectionism made him keep the recordings under wraps until the album was virtually complete. The album became a commercial success throughout the world during 1998 and 1999. Desireless sold four million copies worldwide and was certified platinum in the United States. The album’s big hit was “Save Tonight,” but the other big single from it, “Falling In Love Again,” was a minor hit. The album’s other notable song is the title track, a cover of one of his dad’s songs. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEnxSvbsRQ8www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk2FpODNJR4 Cherry co-wrote and sang on "Wishing It Was" on Santana's 1999 album Supernatural, as well as in films such as Wim Wenders' The Soul of a Man, Y tu mamá también, The Love of the Game, GO, Best Laid Plans, Holes, Billy Elliot and Over Her Dead Body. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpLYSUlcN6k Eagle Eye’s second album, Living In The Present Future, came out in 2000. It wasn’t as big of a seller as his debut. The album’s notable tracks are "Are You Still Having Fun" and "Long Way Around," which featured his sister Neneh. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBSuSLmOGSQ www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOkYLWdKjC8 Three years later, Eagle Eye released another album, Sub Rosa. Again, it failed to reproduce the success of “Save Tonight.” This albums notable tracks were "Skull Tattoo," "Don't Give Up," and “Feels So Right.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC5mgkaZNag www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziDG8bBqp38www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWf4ZlVKWlQ It would be another 9 years before Eagle Eye released another album. His fourth album, Can’t Get Enough, came out in October of 2012. Eagle Eye also currently owns a farm in up-state New York where he is reportedly "happy." So, he’s got that going for him. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvHNQd8qiS4
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 8, 2014 8:23:29 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. For today, let’s continue with this cherry kick. Here’s Wild Cherry and their big hit, “Play That Funky Music.” Wild Cherry is a band with no member related in any way, shape, or form to the Cherry family. The main man behind the band is Rob Pariss (lead vocals & guitar). He was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968 and formed the band Wild Cherry two years later in Steubenville, Ohio. The band's name "Wild Cherry" was taken from a box of cough drops while Rob was recuperating from a brief hospital stay. The original lineup included: Ben Difabbio (drums and vocals), Louie Osso (guitar, lead and background vocals), Larry Brown (bass, lead and background vocals), and Larry Mader (keyboards, lead and background vocals). Over time, the band members changed, with Osso, Brown, and Mader leaving the band, replaced by Rob's cousin, Coogie Stoddart (guitar, lead and background vocals) and Joe Buchmelter (bass). Buchmelter was soon replaced by Buckie Lusk. Several records before "Play That Funky Music" were released under their own label during the early 1970s, including "You Can Be High (But Lay Low)," date unknown, and "Something Special On Your Mind," in 1971. The music at this stage was pure rock music, not funk. Wild Cherry eventually gained a record contract with Brown Bag Records, owned and operated by the late Terry Knight of Terry Knight And The Pack fame, who later on without Terry became Grand Funk Railroad, who Terry also produced at the time for Capitol records. Several demos and singles on Knight's Brown Bag label distributed by United Artists were produced including "Get Down" (1973) and "Show Me Your Badge" (1973). www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxgQ9DSHIR4The band broke up when a disillusioned Parissi left the music scene to become the manager of a local steakhouse. R ob quickly realized that the steakhouse gig was not going to cut it. As his enthusiasm for the music eventually returned, Rob decided to give the business one last shot. Parissi re-formed the band with new musicians. The new lineup consisted of Bryan Bassett (guitar/vocals), Ron Beitle (drums) and Allen Wentz (bass guitar/synthesizer/vocals. As the quartet began to perform non-stop and build a huge, devoted following in the Pittsburgh area, they were repeatedly asked by listeners to play more dance music. Disco was beginning its rule on the radio and the dance floor. At the 2001 Club in Pittsburgh, a table full of black fans kept coming to the stage and teasing: "Are you white boys gonna play some funky music?" One night during a break between sets, drummer Ron Beitle, in a group meeting in the dressing room, uttered the phrase: "Play That Funky Music, White Boy." On the way back to the stage to play the next set, Rob Parissi was immediately inspired to write a song around the phrase, on a drink order pad with a pen borrowed from the bartender. The song took a total of 5 minutes to write. When the band went into the studio to record the song, studio engineer Ken Hamann was blown away by the potential hit and brought the band to the attention of Sweet City Records, distributed by Epic/CBS, which then immediately signed the group. Parissi had intended to record the song as the B-side to a cover version of the Commodores' "I Feel Sanctified," but the label suggested it as the A-side. During the recording of the first album, Mark Avsec was hired as a session keyboardist on two of the album's tracks, "Nowhere To Run" and "The Lady Wants Your Money," and was asked to join the band after the album was released and the group was about to embark on its first tour. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvGQLHhxA4cwww.youtube.com/watch?v=P0O993LkGco "Play That Funky Music" became a huge hit when released in 1976, peaking at Number 1 on both the Billboard R&B and pop charts. Both the single and Wild Cherry's self-titled debut album went platinum. "Play That Funky Music" was No. 1 on the Billboard charts for 3 weeks. The band was named Best Pop Group of the Year by Billboard, and received an American Music Award for Top R&B Single of the Year, as well as a pair of Grammy nominations for Best New Vocal Group and Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo that year, adding to their success. Parissi did not attend the AMA awards and radio personality Wolfman Jack accepted the award on the band's behalf. With that much success, the band had a difficult task ahead in order to keep up that momentum. Unfortunately, they couldn’t. Their 1977 album, Electrified Funk and 1978 album I Love My Music did not produce any top 20 hits, while their 1979 album Only the Wild Survive didn't produce a top 100 single. "Hot to Trot" was a minor follow-up hit in some non-U.S. markets, and Electrified Funk’s main single, “Baby Don’t You Know,” was also a minor hit, but it failed to live up “Play That Funky Music.” A main reason for this was the fact that it was pretty a slightly slowed down retread of “Play That Funky Music.” It appeared that people felt no need for two “Play That Funky Music”’s. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_eMoRO_qGU www.youtube.com/watch?v=yca7JFE31rk Although it was never a chart hit, the song "1 2 3 Kind Of Love" had the right feel for the beach music clubs along the North and South Carolina coasts; it continues to be popular there today, and the song is included in the beach music anthology series by Ripete Records. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp3JhANansw One musician who played with the band during their latter days was guitarist/vocalist Donnie Iris (ex-the Jaggerz). Donnie was credited on their fourth and final album. Mark Avsec partnered up with Donnie following the demise of Wild Cherry to form Donnie Iris and The Cruisers, who had a successful career of their own. Early bandmember Coogie Stoddart returned to perform with Wild Cherry beginning with the tour to support Electrified Funk. Coogie recorded the third album, I Love My Music, with the band. On that album is recorded one of Coogie's original songs, "If You Want My Love," on which Coogie shares lead vocals with Rob Parissi. (The album jacket for I Love My Music incorrectly states that all songs were written by Rob Parissi; the album's label is correct.) Coogie Stoddart toured with the group in support of I Love My Music, but left before the follow-up album, Only the Wild Survive was recorded. www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-qHvroa5r4 The band’s last album, 1979’s Only The Wild Survive, were their last attempt to recreate the success of “Play That Funky Music.” The album’s big single was “Try A Piece Of My Love.” And, it failed to chart. So, as I mentioned above, the band split up and went on to other projects. www.youtube.com/watch?v=luHCVCH_rlw In addition to becoming the keyboardist for newly formed Donnie Iris and the Cruisers at the beginning of the 1980s, Mark Avsec immersed himself in writing and producing for other bands. One of his compositions, "She Don't Know Me," originally written for the band, La Flavour (who later evolved into "Fair Warning"), would become one of the first hits for the then-fledgling band, Bon Jovi. Avsec would later team up with fellow Cruiser Kevin Valentine to record under the moniker Cellarful of Noise in 1985, releasing two albums with this project. In addition to continuing his musical pursuits, Avsec has since become a copyright lawyer. Allen Wentz moved to NYC after leaving the band and became a session synthesist, playing on many records and jingles. He has produced a number of indie projects over the years, scored a few indie films, and has had some song placements. He still composes and records under different aliases, as well as under his own name. Over the years he has worked with artists ranging from Luther Vandross and Roberta Flack, to Cyndi Lauper. Guitarist Bryan Bassett went on to a successful producing/engineering career at King Snake Studio in Sanford, FL working with many great blues artists. His guitar playing easily earned him a spot with Foghat and Molly Hatchet in the '90s. He continues to tour with Foghat and work in his studio as a freelance engineer/producer. Bryan Bassett has also served as a Board Governor and Board Advisor for the Florida Chapter of NARAS. Rob Parissi moved to Miami in 1979 after Wild Cherry disbanded, met Bobby Caldwell there, and they worked together forming a band for Caldwell to tour Japan and the United States. In 1980, Parissi moved to New York City, met members of Billy Squier's band and did recording sessions with them and at the same time, also met Ellie Greenwich and together with Jeff Kent, they wrote songs, one of which was recorded by Ellen Foley ("Boys In The Attic") and became a hit in England and other parts of Europe. He also was a co-producer along with Gary U.S. Bonds and Bruce Springsteen on Gary's Dedication album in 1980/81 that produced the hit, "This Little Girl (Is Mine)," selling over 500,000 copies for which Rob was awarded another gold album. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTKtcsUjVMc In early 1982, Rob moved back to his home town of Mingo Junction, Ohio to be close to his family and in the late 1980s while living in that area, went into radio becoming a program director and morning air personality briefly at Z-107, which changed formats while there, and switched to Eagle 107. During the 1980s ,Rob played at several venues in the Steubenville-Pittsburgh area. He now resides between homes in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida, and is currently writing and recording in the Smooth Jazz genre, as well as vocal projects. His last CD is The Real Deal, which is an all-vocal set. Last August 11, 2013, the people of his home town in Mingo Junction, Ohio, renamed the longest street there as Rob Parissi Boulevard, and declared August 11 every year afterward, as Rob Parissi day. He and his wife Ilona established a scholarship endowment for his former consolidated high school, now named Indian Creek high school, and he returns every year around August 11 to do a charity fundraiser for that scholarship endowment, along with many other musicians from the area contributing their generous time and efforts to that worthy cause. Drummer Ron Beitle went on to join and perform with several other rock bands following the dissolution of Wild Cherry. He continues to be active in the music industry and currently plays drums for the Nied's Hotel Band in Lawrenceville, PA.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 9, 2014 16:21:03 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. Today, we’re looking at one of the most famous categories of the one-hit wonder: the actor who tried to have a singing career and got one hit song out of it. And, today’s actor is Vicki Lawrence, famous for starring on The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family. As for her one big hit, here is “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.” As a singer, Lawrence got her start as one of the scores of hopefuls on the syndicated Johnny Mann's Stand Up And Cheer program. She also had to singles released before her big hit came out: “And I’ll Go,” release in 1969, and “No, No,” released in 1970. www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-GdbFgnpZwHowever, neither one charted. In the mean time, her fame rose thanks to her gig on The Carol Burnett Show. And, she never stopped with her singing career. Eventually, she would have success with her #1 hit, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", a song written by her first husband Bobby Russell, which was released on Bell Records in November 1972. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in April 1973. Though, the song almost never became hers. Cher was offered the song first, but, unbeknownst to her, her then-husband Sonny Bono had turned it down. Because of that, Lawrence was able to record it. Her first LP, also called The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, was issued soon after the single went gold in April, 1973. "He Did With Me," Lawrence's follow-up single, reached #75 in the United States, although it became her biggest hit in Australia, peaking at #1 there in November 1973. She followed it up there with "Ships in the Night" in 1974. A year later, in the fall of 1975, Lawrence managed one last minor US chart entry on the Private Stock label with "The Other Woman," which reached #81. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQzVTuF5I98www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFPRkJaMgXQ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa81iMFEo4Y In 1974, she recorded her second LP for Bell Records, Ships in the Night. The label was in the process of being bought out by ARISTA, and the LP was not released in the US. It was, however, released in Australia where she continued to have chart success. She also released a disco album entitled Newborn Woman late in 1979. The album produced the minor disco hit "Don't Stop the Music." Lawrence also release several songs as singles only, such as "The Other Man I've Been Slipping Around With," “Old Home Movies,” and “Hollywood Seven.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQhEOpxsjLw However, after the failure of Newborn Woman, Lawrence’s music career pretty much came to an end. She went on to focus on her acting career, starring on Mama’s Family from 1983 to 1986. Though, she is still singing. For many years, she’s been touring the country with her "two-woman" show “Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-Woman Show,” with the first half as herself and the second half done as her Mama’s Family character, Thelma "Mama" Harper.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 10, 2014 17:22:12 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. Today, we’re looking at a guy whose one big hit was a song from a musical about chess. Yeah, this may be the weirdest hit song of the 1980s. It’s Murray Head, with “One Night In Bangkok.” Murray Head was born in London to Seafield Laurence Stewart Murray Head, a documentary filmmaker and a founder of Variety Films, and Helen Shingler, an actress. His younger brother is Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Anthony Stewart Head. Head began writing songs as a child, and by the mid-1960s he had a London-based recording contract. He had limited success, until asked by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber to play Judas Iscariot on the original concept album version of Jesus Christ Superstar, which, with the Trinidad Singers, yielded the song "Superstar" which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1971. Yes, Murray is actually a two-hit wonder, and both hits are from musicals. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfKDYiF1jTw He made his film debut in The Family Way (1966), which featured Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett and John Mills in the leading roles. Head won a leading role in the Oscar-nominated film Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), alongside Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson. Despite these successes, he received little public attention in the 1970s except for three albums: 1972’s Nigel Lived, 1975’s Say It Ain’t So, Joe, and 1979’s Between Us. His single release, 1975’s "Say It Ain't So, Joe,” wasn’t a hit but has been covered by The Who's lead vocalist, Roger Daltrey, among others, including The Hollies. Other singles released during this time included “Never Even Thought,” “Mademoiselle,” and “Los Angeles.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW9tq9ImRTg www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkpox6gZMHswww.youtube.com/watch?v=de5AfVC_U5k www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb7vi7Yn1B4 When the 1980s came, Head continued making music despite much success. He released two albums in 1981: Voices and Find The Crowd, neither of had any singles released. His 1983 album, Shade, did have two singles: "Corporation Corridors" and "Maman." However, success was about to come Head’s way again. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B7AtqHk-tEwww.youtube.com/watch?v=5QinZQQJcLE Head reappeared in the spotlight in 1984 as the American on the concept album for the musical Chess. The song "One Night in Bangkok" featured Head on lead vocal. It became the last significant Broadway/West End number to be a hit on American and German radio up until "No Matter What" by Boyzone in 1996. "One Night in Bangkok" was a successful in both Europe and North America. Head performed the role of world chess champion Frederick "Freddie" Trumper in the London West End stage production of Chess that premiered on 14 May 1986. The show ran in London until 8 April 1989; during its run, Head departed with vocal strain. Soon after “Bangkok’s” success, Head tried to capitalize with the album Reckless. It featured the single “When You’re In Love,” which failed to chart. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QinZQQJcLE After that, Head had little recording success in the UK or the United States. His next album, Sooner Or Later, would feature two more singles that failed to chart: “Picking Up The Pieces” and “Some People.” Though, he’s kept on making music despite the failure to replicate “One Night In Bangkok”’s success. Fluent in French, he has released a number of albums in that language. The song "Une femme un homme", a duet with Marie Carmen, released in 1993 became a radio hit in French-speaking Canada. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUCaabiKndkwww.youtube.com/watch?v=j6sciCqrTDo www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyYHZx-Q_ow
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 11, 2014 8:08:36 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. For today, we’re looking at Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In The Heart.” I didn’t really have a good intro for that. The band began as a duo with Lady Kier and Super DJ Dmitry, and it became a trio when Towa Tei jointed the group in 1988. Tei had just moved to the U.S. from Japan only a year beforehand, intending at first to study graphic design. Dmitry as well had previously emigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine. Success quickly came to the group as their first album, World Clique, was a huge hit in 1990. The main reason for that: “Groove Is In The Heart.” With vocals from Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest as well as bass guitar and vocals by Bootsy Collins, the song became a huge hit for the band. “Groove Is In The Heart” was a top-five success on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart as well as a Number 1 hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Three subsequent singles also hit the top ten on the U.S. dance chart, including "Power of Love,” “Build That Bridge," and "Good Beat", which also hit Number 1. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOdh430r9kEwww.youtube.com/watch?v=neMRSo_KchUwww.youtube.com/watch?v=WECCRdNQZP4 Part of Deee-Lite’s charm was the dance/party vibe their music gave off. However, for their second album, 1992’s Infinity Within, the band decided to go in a different direction. They wanted to be the politically conscious dance group, with outspoken tracks encouraging the protection of the environment ("I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer"), sexual liberation through safe sex ("Rubber Lover"), the failure of the judicial system ("Fuddy Duddy Judge") and the importance of voting ("Vote, Baby, Vote"). Yes, they made a dance song about voting. It is a real thing that happened. However, the only song from the album that had any success was "Runaway", the lead single from the album and Deee-Lite's fourth single to top the Billboard dance chart. www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1XEYZEU0Tgwww.youtube.com/watch?v=OBKYZ3J6Gtwwww.youtube.com/watch?v=99wd7M1vHb0www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZoclr7yxRYwww.youtube.com/watch?v=XiSLXxSNKkI Infinity Within failed to recreate the success of “Groove Is In The Heart.” To make matters worse, prior to the release of the group's third album, 1994’s Dewdrops in the Garden, Tei left the band (appearing only on the track "Call Me") to do some work on Japanese pop star Nokko's album and his own debut solo album Future Listening! He was replaced with DJ Ani. Even with a roster change and minimal record label support, Deee-Lite still managed to tour for a year after the release of Dewdrops in the Garden. Consequently, Dewdrops in the Garden sold more records than Deee-Lite's second release, Infinity Within. I have a feeling this had something to do with the band’s decision to move away from the political content. The songs "Bring Me Your Love" and "Call Me" became their last two Number 1 hits on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJdg1GMoOUk www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvBAZ07WP6A Dewdrops In The Garden ended up being the band’s last album. There was talk of doing a fourth album with Tei back in the line-up, but that came to be. The band ended up going their separate ways instead. Since his exit from the group, Tei has recorded several albums as a solo artist, and since Deee-Lite's disbanding, Kier, Dmitry and Ani have maintained successful club DJ careers. In a 2011 interview, Tei dismissed the chances of Deee-Lite reforming, citing the creative and personal differences that prompted him to depart.
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 12, 2014 7:20:11 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. Today, we look at another popular category of one hit wonders: the novelty song. Apparently, singing about disco ducks and convoys is not very good for sustaining a successful music career. One such man who learned that is Carl Douglas, the singer of the novelty classic, “Kung Fu Fighting.” Carlton George Douglas was born on May 10, 1942 in Kingston, Jamaica. Douglas' career was based in the United Kingdom, where his single "Kung Fu Fighting" ranked Number 1 in both the U.K. Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The single sold 11 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. A big reason for this has to do with the kung fu craze of the 1970s, when martial arts movies suddenly became popular in the West. However, “Kung Fu Fighting” was never meant to be Douglas’s first single. The song was originally meant to be a B-side to "I Want to Give You My Everything," written by Brooklyn songwriter Larry Weiss, and sung by Carl Douglas. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK0ib44r9_Y The producer Biddu Appiah originally hired Douglas to sing "I Want to Give You My Everything" but needed something to record for the B-side, and asked Douglas if he had any lyrics they could use. Douglas showed several, out of which Biddu chose the one that would later be called "Kung Fu Fighting" and worked out a melody for it without taking it too seriously. After having spent over two hours recording the A-side and then taking a break, "Kung Fu Fighting" was recorded quickly in the last ten minutes of studio time, in only two takes, due to a three-hour time constraint for the entire session. According to Biddu, "Kung Fu Fighting was the B-side so I went over the top on the 'huhs' and the 'hahs' and the chopping sounds. It was a B-side: who was going to listen?" After hearing both songs, Robin Blanchflower of Pye Records insisted that "Kung Fu Fighting" be the A-side instead. His decision was justified when “Kung Fu Fighting” became such a big hit. It’s funny how that always works out, with the song people work really hard on in hopes of making a hit getting overshadowed by the supposed filler song. Needless to say, Douglas’s homage to martial arts films has overshadowed the rest of his career, resulting in his appearance on cover versions of the single. In the United States, Douglas is considered a one-hit wonder since "Kung Fu Fighting" is his best known song. Heck, his first album is titled Kung Fu Fighting And Other Great Love Songs. That should tell you what people were expecting from him. However, in the United Kingdom, he has two other singles that made it into the Top 40. The first was "Dance the Kung Fu," Douglas’s attempt to replicate the success of his first single by giving fans more of the same. It peaked at Number 35 in the U.K. charts. His other U.K. hit was "Run Back," his attempt at something different, which peaked at Number 25. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V8_JLIfXcE www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ds5IMZfCfs After the success of “Kung Fu Fighting,” Douglas tried to keep it up with two more albums. Love, Peace, And Happiness came out in 1977, and Keep Pleasing Me came out in 1978. Neither one was a hit. Which isn’t surprising. At first, Douglas tried to keep on making songs like “Kung Fu Fighting.” But, after he decided to go in a different direction, it was too late. He got stuck with the Kung Fu label. Songs like his second album’s title track, “I’ll Keep Loving You,” and “Back Street City Lights” weren’t gonna changed that. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUG2k2tZrVY www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPLYdzaGvyUwww.youtube.com/watch?v=6AQptRUViIM After that, Douglas left the spotlight for a while. In 1998, a re-recording of "Kung Fu Fighting", billed as "Bus Stop" which featured Douglas himself, peaked at Number 8 in the "UK Singles Chart." The song has also been covered by many artists, such as Robyn Hitchcock and Cee-Lo Green and Jack Black. It’s also been in many movies and TV shows, like The Simpsons, Kung Fu Panda, Scrubs, etc. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri3kU7nZN-g
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Post by Hulkshi Tanahashi on Aug 13, 2014 8:26:20 GMT -5
More Than Just… 2 Month continues. Today, we’re looking at another category of one hit wonders: the foreign band that has a lot of hits in their own country but had only one hit in the U.S. And, the band being spotlighted today is Nena, known for their hit song “99 Luftballons.” Nena is not only the band that made the hit but also the name of the group’s lead singer, like Alice Cooper. The singer was born Gabriele Susanne Kerner on March 24, 1960 in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany, while her family lived in the nearby town of Breckerfeld. She spent the earliest part of her childhood in Breckerfeld and later lived in Hagen. She acquired her nickname, based on the Spanish word "nena" (colloquial for "niña"), or "little girl", the age of three, while on a vacation to Spain with her parents. In 1977, she left high school before graduation, and in the three following years, she was trained as a goldsmith. Her musical career began in the summer of 1979 when guitarist Rainer Kitzmann offered her a position as the lead singer in his band The Stripes. The group had a minor hit with the song "Ecstasy," but never achieved mainstream success and soon disbanded. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r33NFMYN8g In 1981, Nena and her then-boyfriend Rolf Brendel moved to West Berlin, where they met future band members guitarist Carlo Karges, keyboard player Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, and bass player Jürgen Dehmel. Together, they formed the band Nena. In 1982 "Nena" released their first single, "Nur Geträumt" (German for "Only Dreamt"), which became an instant hit in Germany after the band appeared on the German television show Musikladen. The single reportedly sold 40,000 copies the day after the song appeared on the show and reached Number 2 in the German charts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImZZQx9SlBY In 1983, the band released its first album Nena, which contained the singles "Leuchtturm" ("Lighthouse") and "99 Luftballons." "99 Luftballons" became a Number 1 hit in West Germany in 1983 and went on to major international chart success the following year, with an English version hitting Number 1 in the UK and the original German version hitting Number 2 in the United States, behind Van Halen's Jump. In 1984, Casey Kasem's radio show "American Top 40" introduced a "mixed" version of the song, "splicing" the German and American versions together. It was also a huge hit in many other countries, and to this day it is one of the best-known German rock songs in many parts of the world. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXK5zrF7w50 www.youtube.com/watch?v=14IRDDnEPR4 Although "99 Luftballons" was Nena's only hit in the English-speaking world, the band continued to enjoy success in several European countries in the following years. The second album, ?, came out in 1984. The album had three singles released: the title track, "Rette mich," and "Lass mich dein Pirat sein." ? did well in several European countries, but it came out just a few months before the band's first international album 99 Luftballons (1984), a compilation which contains songs from their debut album Nena (1983) and this album, some of them re-recorded with English lyrics. Of course, “99 Luftballons” was on that album, and it’s success overshadow ? www.youtube.com/watch?v=itqTWqu7pLAwww.youtube.com/watch?v=xvkHETr4jQc Nena's next international single "Just a Dream" (an English language re-issue of "Nur geträumt") reached Number 70 in the UK charts in 1984, it had "Indianer" on the B-side. A dance version of "Just a Dream" was released in the 90s to a new audience and became a club anthem. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qijZX0PZpNY In 1985, the band release their third album, Feuer und Flamme. Prompted by the success of 99 Luftballons, which included English-language versions of songs from the band's first two albums, Nena recreated Feuer und Flamme in English as It's All in the Game, with lyrics by Canadian singer Lisa Dalbello. The experiment failed commercially and was not repeated with the band's next album. However, the original German album went to Number 2 in the band’s home country, and the single "Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann" was a hit in Europe. That song proved to be a popular one for Nena, so much so that she later recorded a new bilingual German-English version of it, called "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime," with Kim Wilde in 2002. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJuV8yAmy2g www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8hRQTJJum8 In 1986, Nena released their fourth album, Eisbrecher, which would be their last. The band split in 1987, and Nena went solo thereafter. In 1988, she released her first solo album, Wunder gescheh'n. The title track, "Du bist überall," and "Im Rausch der Liebe" were released as singles and had moderate success. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XPICvnf0lA www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQsrpyBJgnc www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wl-igCQ_lsIn 1992, her second solo album, Bongo Girl, came out. It returned to the pop rock style that made Nena famous, but with a more mature sound. The most successful singles released from the album were "Manchmal ist ein Tag ein ganzes Leben" ("Sometimes a Day Is an Entire Life") and the title track "Bongo Girl." www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP7G_Gckx2Iwww.youtube.com/watch?v=hnr78TBN3Mg In 1994, her third album, Und Alles Dreht Sich came out. It had moderate success in Germany. "Hol' mich zurück," "Viel zuviel Glück," and "Ich halt' dich fest" were released as singles. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGn_JISHj80www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBfQi--pWRQwww.youtube.com/watch?v=xaFB1v97rAY Nena released two more albums in the 1990s: 1997’s Jamma nich' and 1998’s Wenn alles richtig ist, dann stimmt was nicht. After that she took a bit of a hiatus until 2001. In that year, she made the album Chokmah. It received mixed reviews, the majority being positive. It spawned one very successful single "Carpe Diem", and foreshadowed the comeback Nena achieved with her next album, Nena feat. Nena. www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-aD043AwwI In 2002, Nena celebrated her 20th anniversary on stage with the album Nena feat. Nena, a disc consisting of newly arranged recordings of her hits from the 1980s. This album marked a "comeback" for Nena, and spawned a number of successful chart entries. The remake of "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" as an English-German duet with Kim Wilde was a hit in various European countries, reaching the Number 1 spot in the Netherlands and Austria, and Number 3 in Germany, in 2003. A DVD followed the 2005 album Willst du mit mir gehn ("Do You Wanna Go with Me?"), which quickly achieved platinum status. The first single from the album, "Liebe ist" ("Love Is"), reached Number 1 on the German charts in early 2005, and was the theme song for a German telenovela, Verliebt in Berlin. Nena's 2005 tour in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in November and December 2005 had several sold-out concerts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LohcPzkEQMU In 2004, Nena took the stage during the Howard Jones 20th Anniversary concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. Nena sang "99 Luftballons", with both German and English lyrics. In 2004, Nena went on stage at the Mayday Music Festival, in Dortmund, accompagned by the techno duo Toktok. She sang the song "Bang Bang", and was later joined on stage by DJ Westbam to sing the song "Oldschool Baby." www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVv4EdhHNbgwww.youtube.com/watch?v=xNfjaL-8GU4 In October 2007, Nena released a new album entitled Cover Me, made up entirely of cover songs. David Bowie, Rolling Stones and Rammstein are three of the bands covered. She also released the single, "Ich Kann nix Dafür" ("It's not my Fault") in April 2007 for the film, Vollidiot (Complete Idiot). Nena also released a single for her cover of "She's a Rainbow" by the Rolling Stones. It was released in the US and the UK and made No. 42 in the British Charts. Nena also recorded and released a new version of her hit song "99 Luftballons" in 2009, which more closely follows the 1980s original, in contrast to her 2002 version. This song was first performed in Germany on September 6, 2009. Some parts of the new version are in French. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy7aS6JBQmswww.youtube.com/watch?v=3aAPLEeC2qwwww.youtube.com/watch?v=TZwhzf8NC4o Nena released a new single on September 4 2009, called "Wir sind wahr," and a new album on the 23rd: Made in Germany. She has developed an interest in the teachings of Indian mystic Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) in recent years, and practises his meditation methods, an impression of which is featured in the "Wir sind wahr" video. Most recently, she collaborated with the popular techno-rap artists Die Atzen to produce a new single, "Strobo Pop." In 2011, she contributed vocals to the track "Let Go Tonight" by Kevin Costner and Modern West. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZFl5a9KjIEwww.youtube.com/watch?v=-u0qqmuCv2owww.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyf3-y-3ecc
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