Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Welcome to another journey to well-known, long-forgotten and classic songs from the last 40 years.

1967: Pink Floyd

1978: Jackson Browne

1963: The Kingsmen

1971: Bill Withers

1971: The Who

1976: Blondie

1978: The Clash

1971: Rolling Stones

1970: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

1970: The Knack

1984: Nick Cave

1973: David Bowie

1989: The B-52's

1975: Elton John

1989: Indigo Girls

My Mum Was Nico's Driver

 

A few days ago a song by a band I've never heard before came to my ears and never let me go since. HANN is a Manchester based indie-pop band and derived by the singers first name Hannah. I don't know if the story of the song is true but it is clever using name dropping in a good pop song. Of course nothing new and exciting but just another good song for the upcoming summer.

The brilliance of the song's lyrics is that I remembered Nico once again. Born in Germany as Christa Päffgen before the war she became a model and moved to New York where Andy Warhol got aware of her. He also was the one who introduced her to Velvet Underground where she got a member of. Although she couldn't sing her voice fitted together perfectly with the Velvet's sound. In 1967 she released her first solo album Chelsea Girl a little masterpiece by her. With the help of her bandmates Reed and Cale and Jackson Browne she created probably the blueprint of doom and gothic sounds that should became decades later famous. On 18 July 1988 Nico swings on her bike; dressed in black leather trousers and other heavy clothes, her emaciated body collapses in the shade at 40 degrees in Ibiza. The woman, who turned the head of many of the most desirable men of the 60s and also became an icon musically, leaves her life on a roadside in the bright sun of Spain. 

Nico - These Days

Covers Three

I featured Dirk Darmstaedter a few times at this before during the last years. And yes I really enjoy listening to him. He was the head of Jeremy Days a German rock band that was popular at the end of the 80's and well known for their chart success with Brand New Toy. After the split of the band he started a solo career under the stage name Me And Cassity but never reached the charts any more. During the last years he released podcasts and albums with his favorite songs. It is almost the same Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet doing for several years and I like the way he covers the songs. To cover great songs is not an easy job because everyone compares to the originals. If you can forget them you can feel well with his versions. It is always a superb collection and he makes these songs some kind of his own - not only because he has one of the best voices in German music.
 

Does Anyone Remember Terry Reid?

It was decades back when Terry Reid appeared on the scene as a fantastic guitar player. He started his career at the age of 14 and impressed many popular musicians in the early 60's. Jimmy Page wanted him as a guitar player and singer after he left The Yardbirds to form another band. Sadly he denied this offer and Robert Plant got the job singing for Led Zeppelin. It was not the only fault in his career. He also signed a contract with Mickie Most who wanted to make him a balladeer. He didn't got out of his contract and had to earn his money as a side musician for many artists like Jackson Browne, UFO or Bonnie Raitt. Sadly his name is forgotten because many other artist that made hit records while he was trying to find his own way in music. I remembered him while I was sorting my albums during the last weeks and it is great to listen to him once again. One more forgotten giant of blues influenced rock music.

Terry Reid - Stay With Me Baby
Terry Reid - Seasons Of The Witch
Terry Reid - Bang Bang

And as a bonus 11 minutes of playing live in German TV back in 1969