About.com Classic Rock

The Day The Doors Died

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:55:56 +0000

Classic Rock Almanac - July 3

• 1969 - Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones drowns in his swimming pool at the age of 27
• 1971 - Jim Morrison (The Doors) dies of a heart attack believed to have been caused by a drug overdose, at age 27
•1973 - David Bowie retires his Ziggy Stardust character
• 1975 - Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night) is arrested in his hotel room and charged with cocaine possession on the opening night of a tour
• 2008 - Colin Cooper (Climax Blues Band) dies of cancer at age 69

Happy July 3 Birthday(s):
Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson - Canned Heat - 1943
Jeremy Spencer - Fleetwood Mac - 1948
John Waite - The Babys, Bad English - 1951

Reflections on Jim Morrison

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:32 +0000

Here's a sobering thought. It has been 38 years since Jim Morrison died. If he was alive today, he would be 65 years old.

But fate decreed that Morrison, who died on July 3, 1971 at the age of 27, would remain forever young -- in memories, in still and moving images, and in a short but rich discography of poetry set to music.

Let's pretend. Let's say that Morrison hadn't died, and that he and The Doors had continued to record and perform.

"I have a recurring dream in which Jim has just returned from France [where he died] and has accomplished what he went there for in the first place � to rest, get clean, change his rock star lifestyle," Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek told me in a 2008 interview.

"We talk about where he�s been and what he�s been doing. I ask him if he�s been working on any new material, and just before he answers, I wake up. When I first told Robbie [Krieger, Doors guitarist] about it, he said, 'Yeah, me too!' He had had the same dream.

"As for the direction our music might have taken, I think it would probably have been more along the lines of the album [An American Prayer] we did after Jim died that concentrated on the words, the poetry."

Manzarek spins a convincing story, and given Morrison's well known fascination with the occult, who knows? Maybe he did find a way to communicate with his surviving band mates from the other side.

As for speculating what might have been, I've long since resigned myself to remembering the forever young Morrison. The Lizard King. Mr. Mojo Risin'. The ill-fated, self-destructive artist. The guy who haunted us both before and after The End.

In memory of James Douglas Morrison 12/8/43 - 7/3/71

^{Photo courtesy Elektra Records}

Olive Drab Haze

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:44:17 +0000

Classic Rock Almanac - July 2

• 1962 - A broken ankle in a parachute jump gets Jimi Hendrix an honorable discharge from the Army
• 1973 - Brian Eno quits Roxy Music over a spat with lead singer Bryan Ferry
• 1980 - Mickey Hart and Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) are arrested and charged with inciting a riot at San Diego Sports Arena to break up a drug bust

July 2 Birthday Greetings To:
Roy "The Professor" Brittan - E Street Band - 1949
Johnny Colla - Huey Lewis & The News - 1952
Pete Briquette - Boomtown Rats - 1954

Thin Lizzy is Getting Thinner

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:42:46 +0000

John Sykes, who joined Thin Lizzy as a guitarist in 1983, and became lead vocalist when he re-formed the band in 1996, wakes up this morning as a former band member.

A brief announcement on the band's MySpace blog isn't clear on whether the decision was the band's or Sykes' or both. What is clear is that Lizzy have canceled or postponed confirmed shows until further notice.

As of this morning (7/2) Sykes' website still has prominent Thin Lizzy links on the home page, and his last MySpace blog entry, dated June 23, mentions only the shows canceled due to drummer Tommy Aldridge's broken collar bone.

After the 1983 death of Phil Lynotte -- founding member, bassist, lead vocalist and chief songwriter from the band's beginning in 1969 -- band members went their separate ways until 1996 when Sykes convinced Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton to reunite, as a tribute to Lynotte. Except for a hiatus between 2001 and 2004, they have worked steadily since.

Thin Lizzy, one of VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock are best known for songs like "Jailbreak, "Whiskey In The Jar" and "The Boys Are Back In Town."

Stay tuned to find out what happens next in the band's long and colorful life story.

^{Photo by Jo Hale / Getty Images}

Once and Future Hits

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:07:49 +0000

Classic Rock Almanac - July 1

• 1963 - In studio: The Beatles, recording "She Loves You"
• 1967 - "White Rabbit" (Jefferson Airplane) enters the Billboard singles chart
• 1971 - Aqualung (Jethro Tull) is certified gold
• 1973 - Jesus Christ Superstar closes after its 720th Broadway performance
• 1981 - Bassist Rushton Moreve (Steppenwolf) dies in a car crash at age 32
• 1995 - Wolfman Jack dies of a heart attack at age 56
• 2008 - Guitarist Mel Galley (Whitesnake) dies of cancer at age 60

Introduced to the world on July 1:
Delaney Bramlett - Delaney & Bonnie - 1939
Debbie Harry - Blondie - 1945
John Ford - The Strawbs - 1948
Fred Schneider - B-52's - 1951

Glastonbury: 21st Century Woodstock?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:45:06 +0000

What do England's Glastonbury festival and Woodstock 1969 have in common? Outdoor festival, six figure attendance, heavy rain, sea of mud, city of tents and sleeping bags, Crosby Stills & Nash, Neil Young. Take a look at images of Glasto 2009.

Super-Duo: Neil Young & Paul McCartney

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:48:55 +0000

London's Hyde Park rates considerably more than passing mention in classic rock history. In 1964, the cover of the Beatles For Sale album was shot there. In 1969, it was the scene of the first live concert performance by the short-lived super-group Blind Faith. It was the venue for London's Live 8 performances in 2005.

Last weekend (6/27) classic rock fans were treated to yet another Hyde Park happening. There was Neil Young, on stage performing one of the scheduled gigs on his current European tour. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Paul McCartney appears on the stage for a surprise Young-McCartney duet on "A Day In The Life."

Pretty heady stuff. A fan's camera was rolling, so you can see it for yourself.

KISS Comics

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:21:11 +0000

Classic Rock Almanac - June 30

• 1973 - George vs. Paul: Harrison's "Give Me Love" dislodges McCartney's "My Love" from the #1 spot on the U.S. singles charts
• 1975 - Wedding day: Gregg Allman and Cher - it lasts almost two weeks
• 1977 - New comic book is launched, based on those zany characters in KISS

June 30 Birthdays:
Glenn Shorrock - Little River Band - 1944
Andy Scott - Sweet - 1949
Hal Lindes - Dire Straits - 1953
Adrian Wright - Human League - 1956

Stones In Stir

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:40:20 +0000

Classic Rock Almanac - June 29

• 1963 - A Lennon-McCartney song charts in the U.S. for the first time - Del Shannon's version of "From Me To You"
• 1967 - Entering Brixton prison today: Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, to serve time for drug possession
• 1973 - As Deep Purple's tour of Japan ends, Ian Gillan announces he's leaving the band
• 1979 - Lowell George (Little Feat) dies of a heart attack at age 34
• 2007 - George McCorkle (Marshall Tucker Band) dies of cancer at age 60

June 29 Birth Announcements:
Roger Spear - Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - 1943
Ian Paice - Deep Purple, Whitesnake - 1948

Rock and Rolie

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:07:28 +0000

Gregg Rolie was still a teenager when he became a charter member of Carlos Santana's band as lead vocalist and keyboardist back in 1966. He was there when Santana played Woodstock in 1969. A few years later (1973) he accepted an invitation from former Santana guitarist Neal Schon to become one the first members of another startup, this one called Journey.

Rolie started releasing solo albums after he left Journey in 1980. His latest, Rain Dance was recorded during a live Gregg Rolie Band performance at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles in October 2008. The 12 tracks range from Santana standards to songs from Rolie's 2001 album, Roots.

Rain Dance is currently available as a digital download from Amazon.

^{Album art courtesy Here's Another Production Company}