HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 132 – THE ISLEY BROTHERS

PLAY THE SHOW

The Isley Brothers certainly deserve to be included in any list of the most influential artists of all time, and yet it seems as though they continuously operated on the periphery. While the spotlight shone brightly on lesser talents, the Isley Brothers stayed relevant for five decades, without achieving superstardom. Their style was anything but consistent, but one thing that was consistent was the quality of their output. How many artists can rightfully claim to have influenced the Beatles, recorded hits for (and then quit) Motown, discovered the most influential guitarist of all time, had hits during the rock era, the funky ‘70s, the disco era, is sampled regularly by contemporary rap artists, and still has a pull on contemporary crowds? Only one group can lay claim to all of this.
Besides their music, the real appeal of the Isley Brothers lies in their independence. They never kowtowed to the music industry, and didn’t like being told what they could or should achieve. When the reins at Motown pulled too hard at the bit, the band decided to leave rather than succumb to corporate control. This incident is indicative to how the Isleys operate, and it helps explain somewhat why they have always been relevant but have never been as huge as they deserve. Instead of instant stardom, they have achieved an unrivalled longevity, and with that comes respect, recognition and an influence that has affected at least three generations.
Here’s a list of tunes covered in today’s show;
1) Shout, Parts 1 &2
2) Twist and Shout
3) Move Over and Let Me Dance
4) This Old Heart of Mine
5) Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
6) It’s Your Thing
7) That Lady (Parts 1 &2)
8) Fight the Power (Parts 1 &2)
9) Between the Sheets
10) Down Low – R. Kelly w/ the Isleys
11) What Would You Do

ALBUM TRACKS from MARCH 1967

PLAY THE SHOW

In our never-ending quest for great music, we have settled in on March of 1967 for an extended number of shows. Usually, we have trouble finding enough good music from any given season, so March 1967 is surely special, especially when speaking about popular music.
Last week, we dedicated our program to eleven singles that debuted on the top 40 in March of 1967. Imagine that - eleven classic songs debuted in the same month. What are the chances of that happening now? Judging from the dearth of talent on today’s pop charts, it is mathematically impossible. In the new millennium, we average about two great top 40 singles in a year, by my own estimate.
Today’s show focuses on four albums that debuted that same month in 1967. Each of these four albums is a classic in its own right. Some of them have survived the forty year interim without a blemish (“Buffalo Springfield”), while others have suffered a bit from age and the changing times (“Surrealistic Pillow”). Others have fell into obscurity and then bounced back out (Loretta Lynn”) while another still lingers in obscurity (“The Left Banke”). We draw today’s selections from each of these four albums. Enjoy the program!

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 7c - JELLY ROLL MORTON

PLAY THE SHOW

Today we conclude our three-part series on Jelly Roll Morton. Morton certainly deserves extensive coverage, but his importance is abetted by the value of his verbal banter with music historian John Lomax. Our show is deeply concerned with historical detail, and rarely are there better opportunities to discover “how music changed’ than to hear stories from a contemporary source. Jelly Roll Morton was there in New Orleans at the birth of Jazz – he even took credit for its invention – so his recollections are invaluable to anybody interested in America’s musical development. In a city full of characters, Jelly Roll Morton was one of the most colorful, and his stories convey his larger-than-life personality, while his music aptly conveys his enormous talent.
Today’s show features some of Morton’s best stories and some of his finest compositions, from various parts of his career. Here is a list of what is covered (unless otherwise specified, all performances are by Jelly Roll Morton);

1) Dr. Jazz
2) Tiger Rag and Interview
3) Black Bottom Stomp
4) Honky Tonk Blues/"In New Orleans Anyone Could Carry a Gun"
5) Dead Man Blues
6) Funeral Marches (Interview)
7) The Pearls
8) The Pearls/Tia Juana – Ry Cooder
9) "New Orleans Was a Free and Easy Place"
10) Winding Boy

40 YEARS AGO - MARCH 1967

PLAY THE SHOW

I know it’s a matter of personal taste, so it would be difficult if not impossible to prove, but it is very possible that the Spring of 1967 was the very best era for pop music that we have ever seen. Usually, when compiling these shows, I need to play songs from the top ten, add a “bad hit” or two, and play a few album tracks to convey what pop musi8c was like during any given era. The highlight of the program (for me) consists of ‘debut tracks’, when I pick my favorite songs that debuted in that month. If I’m lucky, I’ll find two or three to highlight the best that radio had to offer at that time.
To put things in perspective, EVERY song from today’s show is a ‘debut track’. There are so many that we can’t even talk about the top 10, and forget about ‘bad hits’ – there aren’t any. Eleven classic singles debuted in March 1967, and these are only my own personal picks! Each of these songs has achieved legendary status, so to paraphrase one of the song titles, this show is dedicated to the pop songs I love. Next week, we’ll come back for a look at some of this era’s best album tracks.
Here are the songs featured in today’s show;
1) Jimmy Mack – Martha & the Vandellas
2) I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) – Aretha Franklin
3) There’s a Kind of Hush – Herman’s Hermits
4) Bernadette – The Four Tops
5) I Think We’re Alone Now – Tommy James & the Shondells
6) A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You – The Monkees
7) Dedicated to the One I Love – The Mamas & the Papas
8) Happy Together – The Turtles
9) Somethin’ Stupid – Nancy and Frank Sinatra
10) Penny Lane – The Beatles
11) Strawberry Fields Forever – The Beatles

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 7b - JELLY ROLL MORTON

PLAY THE SHOW

Today we continue our series of ‘How Music Changed’ with a second segment on the incredibly influential Jelly Roll Morton. The best part of this episode is that, like the first episode, Jelly Roll himself tells the lion’s share of the story. Now, the book on Jelly Roll Morton was that if you let him talk long enough, he’d eventually take credit for every little thing that popped into his head. Granted, there are moments of exaggeration in his boasts, and times when it’s hard to determine (or downright doubtful) that he’s being truthful. Nevertheless, history has come full circle, and now it appears that much of what Jelly Roll claimed as rightfully his invention more often than not was his own. Call me gullible, but I love listening to Jelly Roll Morton tell his own story, and I can’t help but give such a great storyteller the benefit of the doubt, especially since it is quite apparent that nobody else in the history of music has played the piano and composed classic material quite like Jelly Roll Morton.
Here’s a list of what we cover in today’s program;
1) Jelly Roll Blues
2) Story of 'Alabama Bound" (Jelly Roll Interview)
3) Georgia Swing
4) The Story of "King Porter Stomp" (Jelly Roll Interview)
5) King Porter Stomp - JRM
6) King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman
7) When the Hot Stuff Hit - (Jelly Roll Interview)
8) Improvised Scat Tune - JRM
9) The First Hot Arrangements (Jelly Roll Interview)
10) Grandpa's Spells - Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers

50 YEARS AGO - MARCH 1957

PLAY THE SHOW

With today’s show, we go back exactly fifty years, to March of 1957. In many of these songs, you can literally hear the effect that politics had on music back then. Besides the anti-rock and roll backlash that led to the payola scandals, there is also a ‘conservative’ vibe surrounding the folk-style pop songs of the day. Television stars were solicited to sing pop songs that were hits for Country-Western artists, and people bought it in droves. In the heart of the cold war, artists did not want to attract any attention from the McCarthy era anti-communist hounds who were sniffing around for anything that appeared to be “Un-American.” Some folk artists like the Weavers would sing about civil rights and unfair labor practices, only to be ostracized, and eventually labeled as communists. This “Blacklisting” caused them to be unemployable, so the newer breed of folk singers thought it would be much safer if they stuck to simpler fare. The results are bland re-workings of traditional material. The more you familiarize yourself with music from this era, the more you will recognize the bravery of the early ‘60s folk artists who decided to challenge this country’s conservative echelon. Here’s a snapshot of what the music scene looked like in March 1957;
Top 10 Count-Up -
1) Young Love – Tab Hunter
2) Too Much – Elvis Presley
3) Don’t Forbid Me – Pat Boone
4) Young Love – Sonny James (edited – played for comparison)
5) Banana Boat Song (Day-O) – Harry Belafonte
6) Marianne – Terry Gilkyson (edited – played for comparison)
7) Teen-Age Crush – Tommy Sands
8) Marianne – The Hilltoppers
9) Moonlight Gambler – Frankie Laine
10) Blue Monday – Fats Domino

Best Debut Tracks of March 1957
11) I’m Walkin’ – Fats Domino
12) Walkin’ After Midnight – Patsy Cline

Album Tracks
13) Paralyzed – Elvis Presley
14) To Keep My Love Alive – Ella Fitzgerald
15) Don’t Like Goodbyes – Frank Sinatra

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 7a - JELLY ROLL MORTON

PLAY THE SHOW

With today’s show, we bring together all of the disparate elements of our earlier shows. If you’ll recall, each our previous shows (from the early part of the series) focused on general elements of music’s formation, from the death of European tradition, to the births of 1) an American identity, 2) the recording industry, 3) popular music, 4) jazz, and 5) the blues. All of these elements come together quite nicely in the person of Jelly Roll Morton.
Best of all, Jelly Roll himself can tell most of the story, thanks to the foresight of Alan Lomax. In 1938, when most of the world considered Morton old fashioned and lost interest in his style of music, Lomax found him playing under virtually anonymous conditions in a low rent bar near Washington D.C. Remarkably, Lomax was still in peak form, as can be attested by his playing, and his penchant for storytelling is truly fascinating. Sadly, he would pass away soon after the interview, and only then would historians begin to recognize the immense importance of his contributions. Today, his stature as one of the most innovative musicians of the early jazz years is thoroughly undeniable. Listen, then, as we hear directly from somebody who was there when the music was born and who contributed immeasurably to our identity as an American culture, and don’t forget to come back next week for part ‘7b’.
Here are the tracks featured in today’s show;
1) Maple Leaf Rag – Jelly Roll Morton
2) Maple Leaf Rag, St. Louis style vs. New Orleans style – Jelly Roll Morton
3) Jelly Roll’s Background (Interview)
4) How Jelly Roll Got His Name (Interview)
5) Shreveport Stomp – Jelly Roll Morton
6) The Story of the 1900 New Orleans Riots, part 1 (Interview)
7) The Story of the 1900 New Orleans Riots, part 2 (Interview)
8) Wolverine Blues – Jelly Roll Morton
9) The Great Buddy Bolden, Part 1 (Interview)
10) The Great Buddy Bolden, Part 2 (Interview)
11) I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say – Jelly Roll Morton

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - 2007

PLAY THE SHOW

This week, we honor a brand new batch of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite my misgivings regarding anything that ‘legitimizes’ rock and roll, I now see this organization as a means of celebration, even though, by definition, it waters down the rebellious nature of the very medium it wishes to celebrate.
This year’s nominations are among the most eclectic ever nominated, especially when listed side by side. The Ronettes are finally making the cut, almost twenty years after they initially qualified (twenty-five years need to have passed since your initial recordings). Van Halen is the first bonafide ‘metal’ act to be included, and Patti Smith joins The Ramones as representatives of New York City’s punk aristocracy. Speaking of New York, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five represent another first, being the first rap act to achieve nomination. The final inductee is R.E.M., an alternative, post-punk, do-it-yourself band that eventually became superstars in their own right.
Here’s a list of the songs we chose to represent these inductees;
1) Be My Baby – The Ronettes
2) Walking in the Rain – The Ronettes
3) Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love – Van Halen
4) Panama – Van Halen
5) Dancing Barefoot – Patti Smith
6) So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n Roll Star – Patti Smith
7) Gardening at Night – R.E.M.
8) Daysleeper – R.E.M.
9) New York New York – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
10) The Message – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five

A Conversation with Jen Chapin - Five Towns College 3/3/07

PLAY THE SHOW
(Please Note - This conversation was not recorded in a professional studio, so the audio quality is lacking)

There is a casual directness about Jen Chapin that is at once disarming and charming. In conversation, her intense dark eyes betray a serious and straightforward nature, even when she’s relaxed. She easily balances her maternal instincts with a childlike awareness; while discussing her childhood memories of growing up in Huntington, she kept an eye on her son, Maceo, and mentioned that she is actively searching for appropriate child care during her upcoming tour. In concert, it’s her magnificent voice that captivates the audience. Her material is melodic and original, with enough space between the notes to savor the emotional depth of her writing, which usually consists of personal observations. “Hurry Up Sky” laments the loss of a friend on 9/11, but instead of focusing on pain or rage, it rather remarkably conveys a message of hope and optimism. “Goodbye” was written after her mom decided to sell the Chapin family home, and in Jen’s wordless chorus you can hear a mother who is still in touch with her own ‘inner child’.
The band itself is magnificent. Jen’s husband, Stephan Crump, plays bass with a sharpshooter’s accuracy and seething intensity that somehow still allows the rhythm to breathe. Guitarist Jamie Fox has more than a few tricks up his own sleeve as well. For tonight’s show, the band was expanded to include keyboards, saxophone, and drums. Originally, Jen and I made plans for an interview on my program “American Hit Radio” (WHPC, 90.3 FM on Tuesday and Friday 5-6 PM), but she took ill, so we met on the day of her show at Five Towns College. While the band prepared the stage for that night’s performance, Jen and I sat down to discuss her music.

AHN: First of all, how are you?
JC: I’m doing better. I went to the voice doctor and he shot me in the butt with steroids. I was ready for the hard stuff! We had two rehearsals last week, and I guess I was singing too hard.
AHN: Do you perform a lot or is touring something that you want to do sporadically?
JC: It totally varies. January was pretty busy. We did maybe 6 or 7 shows, mostly in the New York area. February we were on a ten-day tour – that was seven gigs. We’re doing tonight and then starting Thursday, we’re doing a 25-day tour.
AHN: You’re touring with your family?
JC: Well, my husband Stephan, my son Maceo, who is a year-and-a-half, and my good friend Jamie Fox playing guitar.
AHN: That’s a tight family unit!
JC: Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. In the mini-van. We’ll be playing as a trio.
AHN: Are you bringing along a babysitter?
JC: No, I’m actually in the process of lining people up at every stop. It’s a combination of friends and strangers who’d say ‘I’d love to help out’ and ‘I can give you references’…
AHN: You obviously have a relationship with Long Island. Have you lived here your whole life?
JC: I was born in Rockville Centre, at Mercy Hospital, and when I was about a year and-a-half old, my family moved to Huntington. We had a house there for 33 years. I lived there for eighteen of those, and then I went to college and came back a lot for summers. It was always a great place we could go home to, this house on Long Island Sound.
AHN: Is the house still in the family?
JC: No, my Mom just sold it. Actually, I’m singing a song tonight called “Goodbye,” and that was like my ‘rite of passage,’ a cathartic songwriting experience. In January, I spent a week there and dropped off ten bags at the thrift store and ten bags at the library, and there’s still so much stuff.
AHN: Where are you living now?
JC: I’m in Brooklyn. Technically, still on Long Island. I’m a New Yorker, I’m a Brooklyn-ite and I’m a Long Islander, and Long Island has been kind to still sort of ‘claim’ me, you know?
AHN: As I understand it, your Mom lived in Point Lookout for a while?
JC: That’s where my parents first lived before they moved to Huntington.
AHN: How does politics fit into your music?
JC: Well, I try to be a well-rounded person and have a well-rounded set when I put together a group of tunes. For me, everything is political and I don’t think it’s a game. I don’t think it’s like “Here’s the right, here’s the wrong.” I’m interested in the big picture, the values that we have and the choices that we make, and a lot of that is connected to things like spirituality.
AHN: It seems like that is a Chapin trait. Your dad’s music was very much like that.
JC: Yeah, he was such a political person and he was outspoken about issues, but in his songs he would look at individual personalities and characters and stories, and that was sort of the window into his view of humanity. Even though hunger was his most important issue, he didn’t have a lot of songs about hunger. There was an amazing song that he wrote called “There Only Was One Choice” about believing in the American dream while knowing that we compromised so much.
AHN: I’d imagine that there must have been a lot of music in your house while growing up.
JC: Well, there was, but my dad would be gone more than half the time - touring, and lobbying Congress. It wasn’t like we were so surrounded by tunes. There were soccer games and dollhouses – there were issues that he and my mother cared about in the community, like the Huntington Arts Festival – those things were as much in our consciousness as the music.
AHN: Stephan, your husband, plays bass with you. Do you write together?
JC: The writing I do on my own, but he definitely helps shape and texture the music. We co-produced these last two albums and he plays a big role in arranging the music. We have a great collaboration. We each have our own space musically, but we’re very connected.
AHN: When can people see you perform?
JC: We have a big show on (Saturday) August 11 at Patchogue Theater on Main Street. I did one song there before, for the Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction.
AHN: I understand that you recorded a new version of “Cat’s in the Cradle.” According to your website, your mom, Sandy, wrote the lyrics to that song?
JC: Yeah, a little known fact. It was great to be asked to do it (again).
AHN: How can people find it?
JC: It’s at Target! You can buy it online as well. It’s on a compilation CD called “A Song for My Father” that has Salvador Santana, A.J. Croce, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Chynna Phillips, Louise Goffin, Ben Taylor, Stephen Marley… So yeah, all of us are on it doing a song. I think Salvador does “Evil Ways.”
AHN: I’ve also seen your disks at Amazon.com
JC: Yeah, and my website pretty much has all you need to know (www.jenchapin.com).

Keep August 11, 2007 open, when Jen Chapin returns to Long Island’s Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts. Tom Ryan