(Bass, vocals, b. 1951) Formerly the bassist in James Brown’s backing group the J.B.s of which his driving, rhythmic playing was a prominent feature, Collins joined George Clinton’s musical collective in 1972, supplying bass and songwriting for Funkadelic. An outrageous showman, he founded Bootsy’s Rubber Band, whose first three albums, Stretchin’ ...
(Guitar, vocals, 1932–93) Collins’s highly original and bold, chiselled tone – achieved through an idiosyncratic tuning and high volume – earned the Texan his nickname ‘The Iceman’. The moniker was abetted by a string of chilly-themed, early 1960s instrumental hits that incorporated R&B rhythms, including the million-selling ‘Frosty’, ‘Sno Cone’ and ‘Thaw Out’. Although his cousin ...
(Vocals, guitar, songwriter, 1930–2000) One of the earliest pioneers of the Bakersfield Sound, Oklahoma City-born Tommy Collins (Leonard Raymond Sipes) began activities on the West Coast thanks to the encouragement of dj Ferlin Husky. Securing deals with Cliffie Stone’s Central Songs and Capitol Records, he began putting Bakersfield on the map with nationwide humorous hits like ...
(Vocals, b. 1951) The London-born drummer and vocalist from Genesis established himself as an unlikely pop star in the early 1980s, alternating between atmospheric ballads such as ‘In The Air Tonight’ and ‘One More Night’, and up-tempo, soul-based numbers and covers, including ‘Easy Lover’, ‘Sussidio’ and ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’. Enormous selling albums Face Value (1981), No ...
‘A Girl Like You’, 1995 When ‘A Girl Like You’ became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, not many remembered that Edwyn Collins used to be part of the talented Scottish pop group Orange Juice. The song was Collins’ biggest hit since Orange Juice’s ‘Rip It Up’ in 1983, and it is a standout pop tune that ...
(Vocal group, 1973–78) Led by singer Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel’s first line-up was Jean-Paul Crocker (violin), Paul Jeffreys (bass), Milton Reame-James (keyboards) and Stuart Elliot (drums). Debut album The Human Menagerie (1973) was unusual for the absence of lead guitar. Harley sacked all except Elliot after The Psychomodo (1974). Rebel mark II emerged with the 1975 UK No. 1 ...
‘Groove Is In The Heart’, 1990 With the legendary P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins on bass, the equally legendary Maceo Parker (of James Brown fame – as, incidentally, so was Bootsy) on saxophone, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip as a guest vocalist, all the elements were in place for a modern funk anthem. ‘Groove Is In ...
Like many early soul stars James Brown (born in South Carolina on 3 May 1933) came to music through the singing of his local church. He had his first success as frontman of The Famous Flames with the gospel R&B hit ‘Please, Please, Please’ in 1956. When 1958’s ‘Try Me’ hit the R&B No. 1 spot the floodgates opened ...
By the 1970s, the new sound of funk dominated Afro-American music. Jazzers such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock scored their biggest commercial successes by incorporating its hip-grinding rhythms into what became known as fusion or jazz funk, while soul acts enjoyed a second wave of popularity as funk provided the bridge between the soul and disco eras. Fuelled ...
The drum kit is a collection of drums and cymbals played in all styles of rock, pop, jazz and blues. It is also widely used in urban music across the world, such as Afrobeat and reggae. Drum-Kit Construction A typical drum kit comprises a bass drum and hi-hat cymbal played with foot pedals, a snare drum, ...
The most commercially successful pop band of the 1970s, ABBA rose again in the 1990s when ABBA Gold (1992) revived their peerless singles’ legacy, which has carried on ever since. ABBA were formed in 1973 in Stockholm, Sweden, by Benny Andersson (born Goran Bror Benny Andersson, 16 December 1946), Bjorn Ulvaeus (born 25 April 1945) and ...
(Vocals, b. 1945) This raw-edged songstress emerged from the same Austin, Texas scene that yielded Stevie Ray Vaughan, with her 1986 debut Stranger Blues. Strehli, who was born in Lubbock, perfected her slow phrasing and dynamic attack at the famed Antone’s nightclub, learning from visiting artists Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Albert Collins and ...
(Banjo, pedal steel guitar, b. 1939) Keith grew up in Boston, but he fell in love with bluegrass and mastered the Scruggs roll so well that he could play fast, fluid fiddle tunes on the banjo. He founded a duo with college roommate Jim Rooney (vocals, guitar, b. 1938) and in 1963 joined Bill Monroe. ...
(Vocals, songwriter, 1885–1957) The Rev. Andrew Jenkins, a blind Georgia minister, made numerous records in the 1920s, both solo and with family members, but his importance lies chiefly in his huge folio of songs, particularly topical pieces like ‘The Death Of Floyd Collins’ and ‘Ben Dewberry’s Final Run’ (recorded by Jimmie Rodgers), and gospel ...
Next to The Beatles, Bob Dylan was the most influential artist of his generation, writing and performing songs whose poetic, sometimes-abstract, often-philosophical lyrics of astute commentary and therapeutic introspection spoke to the masses during an era of social unrest, political upheaval and radical change. While cross-pollinating folk and country with electric rock, Dylan elevated the ...
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David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
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