Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – The Jukebox Series #16 – The Beatles: “Paperback Writer” b/w “Rain” – Capitol 45 RPM Single 5651 (K2/L2) “The Jukebox Series” focuses on the 80 records that inhabit my 1963 Seeburg LPC1 jukebox. I’ve had my jukebox (or as I like to call it “the prehistoric iPod”) for a little over twelve years and in that time I’d like to think that I’ve perfected the mix of 45s within. We’ve hit ground zero for classic singles! It really doesn’t get any better than the coupling of “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” on a single slab of 45RPM vinyl. And, the single wasn’t even intended to be a double A-side, it just worked...

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Lovely Rita” by The Beatles I just heard The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the first time today! Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve been listening to this record since it was new. I guess that’s one of the big positives of having older siblings, you got to hear cool records when they came out, way before your peer group caught on to them. I’ve been reading the Howard Kaylan biography Shell Shocked which was written by Kaylan and Jeff Tamarkin. Howard Kaylan was a member of The Turtles and The Mother’s Of Invention. He was also Eddie of Flo & Eddie. So far, the book is a...

  More and more turntables are coming out of moth balls and still more are shipping to those that might not have or never had them in the past. I guess it’s no surprise that the public wants to get their hands and needles on some Beatles albums once again. They will now be able too. The Beatles’ acclaimed original studio album remasters, released on CD in 2009 and in 2010 for digital download exclusively on iTunes, will make their long-awaited stereo vinyl debut on 12th November (13th November in North America). Manufactured on 180-gram, audiophile quality vinyl with replicated artwork,  the 14 albums return to their original glory with details including the poster in The Beatles (The White...

      The 2012 Ringo Starr tour for 2012 has begun.  This is one of the strongest touring acts that he’s ever had behind him, or in front of him for that matter. As previously announced here, band members include Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey, Gregg Rolie Band), Richard Page (The Pages, Mr. Mister), Steve Lukather (Toto), Max Rivera (Bily Joel) and  Greg Bissonette. Here’s what everyone really wants to know however…. Here’s the set list. The set list Matchbox (Ringo) It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo) Wings (Ringo) Hello It’s Me (Rundgren) Evil Ways (Rolie) Rosanna (Lukather) Kyrie (Page) Don’t Pass Me By (Ringo) Bang the Drum All Day (Rundgren) Boys (Starr) Yellow Submarine (Starr) Black Magic...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#621 in the Series) is Ringo Starr, 2012 I do like this album, don’t get me wrong, but 28 minutes of music Ringo? Really? That’s the best you can do?  Maybe Barbara has been running around the house with her cave woman outfit or something. I’ll tell you what. If that’s all the effort you can come up with, then I’m only going to spend 28 minutes preparing and writing your album review. So if I don’t get to everything I want to say, it’s your fault. When time runs out, that’s it. Ringo has stated that this album is a continuation of his 1973 release titled simply, Ringo. Oh, and for...

  Ringo Starr has announced that January 31st 2012 (Jan 30th Worldwide) will be the date of release for his latest solo album titled, quite appropriately, Ringo 2012. It will be his 17th solo album, the Ringo 2012 title is a direct reference to his most succesfull solo album Ringo, released in 1973. That album featured a large number of giant guest stars including John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Harry Nilsson,T-Rex’ Marc Bolan and all five members of The Band. On 2012, the guests will include Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter, Don Was, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Van Dyke Parks, Benmont Tench and more. One of the songs from Ringo, “Step Lightly” will reappear, redone on Ringo 2012.  “Wings” from Ringo...

  Today’ Cool Album of the Day (#575 in the Series) is Ringo Starr, Ringo People sometimes forget that directly after The Beatles breakup, that you wouldn’t have been necessarily wrong if you said Ringo had the early lead on best Beatle solo career.  He really did have a nice run of hits in the early 70’s. It began with “It Don’t Come Easy” (which was just a single) which was a huge hit. It was followed up by two #1 hits from the Ringo album.  “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen” topped the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.  As an album, the Ringo album reached as high as #2 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. ‘It Don’t Come...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#477 in the Series) is the first Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band. I’ve always been a huge fan of these Ringo Starr All-Starr tours. I think they are just a fantastic idea. Besides being a fantastic drummer, Ringo’s a smart man. He knows he doesn’t have the body of work, vocally, to front a tour that will allow him access to large venues.  So he fills out his band with well-known musicians and they take the lead also during the show. Great idea, but what makes it even better is the musicians that Mr. Starkey takes on the road with hi. He always picks some really interesting people.  I don’t think...

Freebo – Something To Believe In a cluttered world that seems to thrive on excess, self-promotion, and personal and political agendas, listening to Freebo and his new album is like riding on a cumulous cloud of peaceful awareness. Freebo, in the music business since the sixties, has been part of Bonnie Raitt’s band for more than a decade and has become a sought after session musician working with the elite of Rock & Roll aristocracy including Ringo Starr, John Mayall, Crosby Stills & Nash, Maria Muldaur, The Bluesbusters as well as many others. Since embarking on his own Freebo has released four albums of his own cosmic blend of country, rock, soul, and folk, ear pleasing genre defying music....

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#418 in the Series)is George Harrison, All Things Must Pass I know I’ve mentioned the purpose of the Whale Wednesday Series. Yeah, the plan was to feature some of the bigger releases and give them some representation on the site as well.  However I meant that to mean “bigger” in regards to profile or sales etc. I didn’t intend it to mean the actual size of the recording! So here we have one that fits the term ‘Huge’ on a couple fronts. The first of those being that it was recorded by George Harrison along with some well-known friends. The second being how well this was accepted.  All Things Must Pass sold over...