Posts From Jeff Tamarkin

Jeff Tamarkin

Jeff Tamarkin

Best Classic Bands Editor Jeff Tamarkin has been a prolific music journalist for nearly five decades. He is formerly the editor of Goldmine, CMJ and Relix magazines, has written for dozens of other publications and has authored liner notes for more than 80 CDs. Jeff has also served on the Nominating Committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and as a consultant to the Grammys. His first book was 'Got a Revolution! The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane.' He is also the co-author of 'Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc.,' with Howard Kaylan, and 'Carlos Santana: Love, Devotion, Surrender: The Illustrated Story of Santana's Musical Journey.'
FEATURES: Interviews

Herb Alpert Interview: Still Trying to Reach the Promised Land

For a while, in the mid-’60s, he was outselling the Beatles with his group the Tijuana Brass. Now in his early ’90s, he still goes to work every day.

Read More
NEWS PLUS: News

Greg Elmore, Quicksilver Messenger Service Drummer, Dies

Quicksilver Messenger Service originally formed as the backup band for singer-songwriter Dino Valenti.

Read More
NEWS PLUS: News

Dash Crofts, of Seals & Crofts Soft-Rock Duo, Dies at 85

Their hits included the ’70s radio staples “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl.”

Read More
The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

1975—The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums

Don’t let anyone tell you the mid-’70s was a dull period for music—a simple survey of what we were listening to disproves that notion.

Read More
The Scene: How the Song Came to Be

The Jaggerz’ ‘The Rapper’: You Know What He’s After

“The song was something that I wrote watching people in nightclubs. You’d see these dudes go over and start rapping to chicks,” said the band’s Donnie Iris.

Read More
The Scene: How the Song Came to Be

The Ides of March and the Story of ‘Vehicle’

They took their band name from a Shakespeare classic, their biggest hit from a real-life incident, and they drove their way up the charts in the year 1970.

Read More
The Scene: Rocking The Tube

‘One Toke Over the Line’ on ‘Lawrence Welk’—Huh?

In what has to be one of the most surreal moments on TV, the song was interpreted for viewers of a show that had no idea what a toke was.

Read More
NEWS PLUS: RIP – Rock In Perpetuity

John Hammond, Blues Singer-Guitarist, Dies at 83

His 1965 album ‘So Many Roads’ featured accompaniment by guitarist Mike Bloomfield as well as three members of Ronnie Hawkins’ group who would soon emerge as members of The Band.

Read More
FEATURES: Interviews

A Chat with ‘Leave It to Beaver’s Stephen Talbot: ‘I May Be a Dirty Rat, But I’m Not a Dumb Rat’

The filmmaker recalls the other ‘Beaver’ kids, offers his views on being a child actor, and muses on the impact of the show.

Read More
The Scene: How the Song Came to Be

‘Dancing in the Moonlight’—The Circuitous Path of the One and Only King Harvest Hit

Everybody was “Dancing in the Moonlight” in the early ’70s, but who was the band that recorded this catchy one-hit wonder? We decided to find out.

Read More