B-Side

55 years ago, Savoy Brown released “Street Corner Talking”. English guitarist, songwriter Kim Simmonds was only 23 when this seventh album by his blues-rock band was issued. This marked a ‘tabula rasa’ reset of the band, as the previous lineup, including vocalist Lonesome Dave Peverett, had just split to form Foghat, so Simmonds recruited three members of the band Chicken Shack plus vocalist Dave Walker (the Idle Race) to keep Savoy Brown alive. While some fans might have been thrown off and this LP ( #75 Billboard) didn’t chart as high as their previous one (“Looking In”; #39), many fans and critics feel that this was still a quality record with Simmonds still at the helm. One of their best-known songs “Tell Mama” was the single. Cover illustration by David Anstey. Review in Comments.

September 28 Birthdays: Ed Sullivan b.1901; Tuli Kupferberg (The Fugs) b.1923; Koko Taylor b.1928; John Gilmore (Sun Ra) b.1931; Victor Jara b.1932; Brigitte Bardot b.1934; Ben E. King b.1938; Jim Diamond and Norton Buffalo b.1951; Kenny Kirkland b.1955; Sean Levert (LeVert) and Trish Keenan (Broadcast) b.1968; Nick St. Nicholas (Steppenwolf) is 83; Helen Shapiro is 80; Paul Burgess (10cc) is 76; Andy Ward (Camel) is 74; George Lynch (Dokken) is 72; Bill Feeny (Appliances-SFB / Reptile Palace Orchestra) is 70; C.J. Chenier is 69; Jennifer Rush is 66; Peter Hooton (The Farm) is 64; Ginger Fish (Marilyn Manson) is 60; Moon Zappa is 59; A.J. Croce and Joseph Arthur are 55; Mandy Barnett is 51; Young Jeezy is 49; St. Vincent is 44; Hilary Duff is 39; Julia Shapiro (Chastity Belt) is 36; Wilder Deitz is 33; Sienna Spiro is 21.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

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65 years ago, 33-year-old Eric Dolphy released “Out There”. After working in Chico Hamilton’s and Charles Mingus’ bands, this was the influential post-bop / avant-garde jazz composer’s second album as band leader. He used four different instruments here: alto sax, bass clarinet, clarinet & flute. His band: George Duvivier bass; Ron Carter cello; Roy Haynes drums. Reviews are excellent. Cover art by Richard Jennings. Review in Comments.

September 27 Birthdays: Bud Powell b.1924; Hank Levy and Red Rodney b.1927; Don Cornelius (Soul Train) b.1936; Don Nix b.1941; Meat Loaf b.1947; Greg Ham (Men at Work) and Robbie Shakespeare (Sly and Robbie) b.1953; Brad Arnold (3 Doors Down) b.1978; Mike Nock is 86; Randy Bachman (BTO) is 83; Barbara Dickson is 79; Andy Moore (Winn Dixie) is 69; Shaun Cassidy is 68; Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind) and Matt Wilson are 62; Pete Selbo (The Apologists) is 61; Big Mike (Geto Boys) is 55; Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney / Wild Flag) is 52; Jon McLaughlin and Lil Wayne are 44; Avril Lavigne is 42; Alison Wonderland is 40; Austin Carlile (Of Mice & Men) is 39; Mitski is 36; Sierra Hull is 35.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

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55 years ago, 22-year-old Gil Scott-Heron released “Pieces of a Man” (our copy here). Following a 1970 spoken-word live album, this was the jazz poet’s first studio LP, and first collaboration with songwriter, keyboardist Brian Jackson (18), also deploying a jazz-funk band that included Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Burt Jones & Bernard Purdie. The album begins with Gil’s most famous track “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. Another notable track is the single “Home Is Where the Hatred Is”. This album did not get much notice for a couple years, but is now credited as highly influential on the emergence of hip hop, with Gil’s proto-rap style. Reviews are excellent. Read one in Comments.

September 26 Birthdays: George Gershwin b.1898; Marty Robbins b.1925; Julie London b.1926; Dick Heckstall-Smith (Bluesbreakers / Colosseum) b.1934; Gal Costa b.1945; Lynn Anderson b.1947; Olivia Newton-John b.1948; Darby Crash (Germs) b.1958; Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) b.1967; Gary Bartz (Miles Davis / McCoy Tyner) is 86; Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music) is 81; John Foxx (Ultravox) and Stuart Tosh (Pilot / 10cc) are 78; Dolores Keane (De Dannan) is 73; Craig Chaquico (Jefferson Starship) and Carlene Carter and César Rosas (Los Lobos) are 72; Cindy Herron (En Vogue) is 65; Al Pitrelli (Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and Tracey Thorn (Everything but the Girl) are 64; Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men) is 54; Nicholas Payton is 53; Emma Härdelin (Garmarna / Triakel) is 51; James Blake is 38; Julian Lynch (Real Estate) is ??

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

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25 years ago today, Drive-By Truckers released “Southern Rock Opera”. Co-led by songwriters Patterson Hood (37) and Mike Cooley (34), this became the Athens Georgia alt-country band’s breakthrough third studio album, a 94-minute, 20-song two-disc set. They had to launch an early version of crowd-sourced funding ($23K, with a promise of 15% interest on payback) in order to make 5K copies for fans. Critical praise for this concept album was high, leading to DBT being signed to Lost Highway Records, which reissued and nationally distributed the album ten months later. This remains perhaps the band’s most acclaimed album. It was voted 22nd Best Album of 2001 in the Village Voice critics poll. Cover art by Wes Freed. Review in Comments.

This week’s New Releases: Julia Jacklin; Protomartyr; Leon Bridges; M83; FKJ; Keo; Hermanos Gutierrez; Blondshell; Linkin Park; Dungen; Railcard; The Catburgers; Joy Oladokun; Ekep Nkwelle; King Gizzard; Kreator; Megiapa ARCHIVAL: Frank Zappa Freak Out! super deluxe box; Soul Sister Sides ‘68-’82 box; Willie Colon ‘69; Gil e Jorge ‘75; New York Noise ‘77-’82; The Go-Betweens (four titles); Alice In Chains Unplugged vinyl; Weezer ‘92; Lagwagon ‘95; Sepultura ‘96

September 25 Birthdays: Dmitri Shostakovich b.1906; Shadow Wilson b.1919; Sam Rivers b.1923; Shel Silverstein b.1930; Glenn Gould b.1932; Erik Darling and Ian Tyson (Ian & Sylvia) b.1933; Booba Barnes b.1936; Billy Mundi (The Mothers of Invention) and Dee Dee Warwick and John Taylor b.1942; John Locke (Spirit) b.1943; Bryan MacLean (Love) b.1946; Cecil Womack b.1947; Steve Mackay (The Stooges) b.1949; Jerry Penrod (Iron Butterfly) is 80; Billy Pierce is 78; Burleigh Drummond (Ambrosia) is 75; Richard Harvey (Gryphon) is 73; Zucchero and Steven Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees) are 71; Craig Handy is 64; Barbara Dennerlein is 62; The Fresh Prince is 58; Dean Ween (Ween) is 56; Richie Edwards (The Darkness) and Daniel Kessler (Interpol) are 52; Santigold is 50; T.I. is 46; Perfume Genius is 45; Childish Gambino is 43; Lucky Daye is 40.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

If you enjoy our human-written (no AI) daily posts celebrating historic albums, songs & artist birthdays, please invite your friends to follow the B-Side page, thanks

Slow Pulp killer new album! Homecoming Show in November w/ Graham Hunt + her new knife

55 years ago today, T.Rex released “Electric Warrior”. Produced by Tony Visconti and led by 23-year-old London songwriter Marc Bolan, this second T. Rex album (after four under the name Tyrannosaurus Rex) lodged at #1 for eight weeks on the UK chart ( #32 USA), boosted by its Top Ten single “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”. Its other single was “Jeepster”. Electric Warrior is considered the seminal ‘glam rock’ LP. Pitchfork later ranked it 20th Top Album of the 1970s; in 2020, Rolling Stone placed it 188th Greatest Album of All Time. Cover design by Hipgnosis. Review in Comments. Fun facts: Exactly 20 years later (9/24/1991), all these still-popular albums appeared in record stores (including ours) → Nirvana “Nevermind”; Red Hot Chili Peppers “Blood Sugar S*x Magik”; Pixies “Trompe le Monde”; A Tribe Called Quest “The Low End Theory”; John Prine “The Missing Years”.

September 24 Birthdays: Blind Lemon Jefferson b.1893; Jack Costanzo b.1919; Fats Navarro b.1923; John Carter b.1929; Anthony Newley b.1931; Mel Taylor (The Ventures) b.1933; Chick Willis b.1934; Steve Douglas (Wrecking Crew) b.1938; Wayne Henderson (The Crusaders) b.1939; Linda McCartney (Wings) b.1941; Mike Berry and Gerry Marsden (Gerry and the Pacemakers) b.1942; Carson Van Osten (Nazz) b.1945; Mark Sandman (Morphine) b.1952; Jerry Donahue (Fairport Convention / Hellecasters) is 80; Bill Connors (Return to Forever) is 77; Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney / Quasi) is 60; Clown (Slipknot) is 57; Peter Salisbury (The Verve) is 55; Liam Finn is 43; Bess Atwell is 32.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

If you enjoy our human-written (no AI) daily posts celebrating historic albums, songs & artist birthdays, please invite your friends to follow the B-Side page, thanks

45 years ago today, 15 years after his debut, 40-year-old Frank Zappa released his 34th (!) album “You Are What You Is”. Arriving just four months after two sprawling sets issued May 1981 (the all-instrumental “Shut Up and Play Your Guitar” + double-live “Tinseltown Rebellion”) fans had another 2-LP, 20-song album to try to digest, this time new studio material. As usual, Frank’s songwriting was drenched with satire, such as “Dumb All Over” + “The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing”. It reached #93 Billboard. Personnel include Steve Vai (guitar); Ray White & Ike Willis (vocals + rhythm guitars); Tommy Mars (keys); Arthur Barrow (bass); David Logeman (drums) plus returning original Mothers member Jimmy Carl Black (vocals on 6 songs) and Frank’s kids Ahmet & Moon on a few more. Review in Comments.

September 23 Birthdays: Tiny Bradshaw b.1905; Albert Ammons b.1907; Jimmy Woode and John Coltrane b.1926; Mighty Joe Young b.1927; Frank Foster b.1928; Ray Charles b.1930; Hilly Kristal (CBGB) b.1931; Little Joe Blue b.1934; Fenton Robinson and Les McCann b.1935; Roy Buchanan b.1939; Tim Rose b.1940; Walter Scott (The Whispers) b.1943; Don Grolnick b.1947; Dan Toler b.1948; Travis Nelsen (Okkervil River / Coolhand Band) b.1974; Benjamin Curtis (School of Seven Bells / Secret Machines) b.1978; Norma Winstone is 85; Steve Boone (The Lovin' Spoonful) and Wallace Scott (The Whispers) and Julio Iglesias are 83; Eric Bogle is 82; Neal Smith (Alice Cooper) and Mary Kay Place are 79; Bruce Springsteen is 77; George Garzone (The Fringe) is 76; Danielle Dax is 68; Lucia Cifarelli (KMFDM) and Ani DiFranco are 56; Sarah Bettens (K's Choice) is 54; Sarah Blasko is 50; Rachael Yamagata is 49; Matt White is 46.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

If you enjoy our human-written (no AI) daily posts celebrating historic albums, songs & artist birthdays, please invite your friends to follow the B-Side page, thanks

Tickets Giveaway! They Might Be Giants THIS SUNDAY. Win a pair of tickets to see their astounding show at The Barrymore Theatre. The Saturday show is sold out, but if you can go on Sunday, tag someone that might want to go with you, in Comments 👇
We'll select a winner at random. Don't wait for the dinner bell to do the bell thing, get on it! ding ding ding

Released in the States 45 years ago today: “Discipline” by King Crimson. Following a seven year hiatus, this eighth KC studio LP unveiled 35-year-old Robert Fripp's fourth line-up of his prog-rock band, adding an unprecedented second guitarist (Adrian Belew, 31, also lyrics / vocals). The rhythm section: Tony Levin (35, bass / Chapman Stick) + drummer Bill Bruford (32), the only member from Fripp’s previous KC incarnation. Discipline reached #45 Billboard ( #41 UK) while earning positive reviews. Pitchfork later ranked it 56th Top Album of the 1980s. Cover design by Peter Saville; knotwork by John Kyrk. Fun fact: As Fripp has retired from touring, Belew and Levin (+Vai & Bozzio) will bring their KC tribute band BEAT to Madison’s Orpheum Theater one month from today. The story of Discipline and more in Comments.

September 22 Birthdays: Ray Wetzel b.1924; Catherine Ribeiro (+ Alpes) b.1941; Marlena Shaw and Mike Patto (Spooky Tooth) b.1942; Oliver Mtukudzi b.1952; Toni Basil is 83; King Sunny Adé is 80; David Coverdale (Whitesnake) and Bobby Radcliff are 75; Richard Fairbrass (Right Said Fred) is 73; Doug Wimbish (Living Colour) and Debby Boone are 70; Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde) and Nick Cave (The Birthday Party / the Bad Seeds) are 69; Andrea Bocelli and Joan Jett (The Runaways / the Blackhearts) are 68; Ken Vandermark is 62; Andy Cairns (Therapy?) is 61; Matt Sharp (Weezer / The Rentals) is 57; Mystikal is 56; Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley / the Elected) is 53; Billie Piper is 44; Ross Jarman (The Cribs) is 42.

Notice: B-Side is OPEN Mon-Thurs 10-6 / Fri+Sat 10-7 / Sunday 11-5. Email [email protected] or message here to support our shop with any Vinyl, CD, t-shirt or gift card orders, for pickup or shipment to your home. Thank you for shopping local 🙂

If you enjoy our human-written (no AI) daily posts celebrating historic albums, songs & artist birthdays, please invite your friends to follow the B-Side page, thanks