Reading between the Grooves

[...] the second week of the month and for the next seven days I’ll be featuring music that uses the tenor guitar. A four string instrument that was devised probably in the 1920s, the tenor guitar was [...]

[...] from the album, this 1982 Top 10 hit utilized our feature instrument – the tenor guitar. From listening to the studio version, you might not realize that a tenor [...]

[...] It was during the Thanksgiving break of 2005 that I decided that I’d restring my tenor guitar and fool with it some. I hadn’t had it out of the case in years and it was time to get [...]

[...] For our second installment regarding the tenor guitar we turn to George Harrison’s son Dhani and his rendition of his father’s composition from The [...]

[...] Founded in 1955, Liberty Records began as an independent record label originally focusing originally on film, standards, and [...]

[...] lot more than I paid for it nearly 40 years ago. Enjoy this Wordless Wednesday selection from Liberty Records. [...]

[...] ’s iconic record about summer break is appropriate, as it was a Top 10 hit for Liberty Records – our feature label during this month of December. Released initially as a “B” side, [...]

[...] Joe Cocker’s version of “Cry me a River” last night, I thought I might divert my Liberty Records’ selection today to the original recording. I hadn’t planned on any Julie London [...]

[...] I don’t know how I missed it, but somehow I didn’t see the report that Jack Bruce died from liver failure on October 25. He was 71. While today’s audiences may not recognize the [...]

[...] post Procol Harum solo albums. In this incarnation of his musical genius, Trower was joined by Jack Bruce on bass, keyboards, and vocals and former Sly and the Family Stone drummer, Bill Lordan. [...]

[...] For a short time, Jack Bruce was a member of John Mayall’s legendary Blues Breakers, but like his tenure in Manfred Mann, it [...]

[...] As we study the musical history of Jack Bruce, he appears to be a man that was destined to play in super groups and today’s selection is no [...]

[...] and finally as Iain Matthews. I took the name of this week’s special in honor of his band Plainsong’s LP “In Search of [...]

[...] Day Three in our search for Iain Matthews who is our Second Week of the Month feature. In today’s episode, we feature a duet between [...]

[...] Iain Matthews only had two American Top 40 hits in his career. His biggest release came in 1979 with his [...]

[...] It’s day six of our search for Iain Matthews and I continue with my favorite cut from Fairport Convention’s debut album. In addition to its [...]

[...] to chart in the US. It is the original studio version that I am using for our final look at Chrysalis Records.  By the way, former Ten Years After bassist Leo Lyons produced this cut. [...]

[...] ’s the fourth week of the month, I typically feature a record label and this month it’s Chrysalis Records. Founded in the UK in 1969, the label’s name was twofold. Chrysalis referenced the [...]

[...] Day Two of our look at Chrysalis Records takes us back to 1984 with Billy Idol’s first Top 10 hit in the US. Co-written by Idol and [...]

[...] Protheroe’s near hit from 1974, “Pinball.” The song also inspired me to look at Chrysalis Records as my Fourth Week Label feature. I categorized this as a near hit, as while it [...]

[...] Originally focusing on folk music, Elektra Records’ first issue was released in 1951. Started in the previous year by Jac Holzman and Paul [...]

[...] The inspiration for using Elektra Records as this month’s feature was inspired by today’s song by They Might Be Giants. In early [...]

[...] of ghosts, goons, and goblins. Since I’m also in the midst of our Fourth Week feature on Elektra Records, the pickings are slim. After much searching for an Elektra recording that fits the mood of [...]

[...] his Hammond organ. As done with many albums marketed in the US, their American label (Elektra Records) chose a different cover. The original British version on B&C Records had William [...]

[...] Vee-Jay Records was founded in 1953 in the Chicago suburb of Gary, Indiana by the husband and wife team of [...]

[...] of regional singles, the boys from Jersey had immediate success when they signed to Vee-Jay Records in 1962. Their first release on the label, “Sherry,” was also their first #1 record. [...]

[...] Happy Thanksgiving and today’s selection is the reason I picked Vee-Jay Records as our fourth week label feature. “Thank You Girl,” which was originally titled “Thank You [...]

When I think of John Lee Hooker’s 1961 recording of “Boom Boom,” the movie “The Blues Brothers” comes to mind, as Hooker appears singing the [...]

[...] change of pace in the midst of guitar based recordings of the mid 1960s. Their first hit on Smash Records, “Walk Away Renée,” was written by keyboardist, Michael Brown along with help from Tony [...]

[...] got older I grew to appreciate Roger Miller’s turn of phrase on his fifth single with Smash Records. And a smash record it was. It was a double crossover in 1965. Not only did it peak on [...]

[...] label, King Records, Smash was more than delighted to become his label of choice. Smash Records released several Brown vocals in 1964 – “Caledonia” – charting at #95, “The Things [...]

Our fourth week label feature remembers Mercury Records’ subsidiary Smash, which was formed in 1961. While numerous country artists recorded for the [...]

You may not know eden ahbez’s name, but if you heard Nat King Cole’s recording of “Nature Boy,” you’ve heard one of his compositions. Consid [...]

A few weeks ago, I heard our feature artist on Mountain Stage doing a number of songs including today’s selection, “The Devil or Jesse James.” I [...]

Occasionally, when I’ve looked at specific labels, I discover that a single song was released a number of times by different artists. Such is the ca [...]

Like yesterday’s post, today’s selection was released twice on the Smash label; however, only one was issued as a single. Not be confused with the [...]