Posts From Jeff Tamarkin

1973: The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums

We looked back at hundreds of albums released in 1973 and whittled the list down to the 50 that we think represent the cream of the year’s crop.

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‘MacArthur Park’: The Jimmy Webb Recipe for a Hit

“Someone left the cake out in the rain/I don’t think that I can take it ’cause it took too long to bake it.” Love it or hate it, here’s the story.

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Randy Bachman of the Guess Who & BTO: Interview

In our extensive conversation, the Canadian rock great tells the story of his biggest hits with two legendary classic rock bands.

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Sonny Curtis, Member of Buddy Holly’s Crickets & ‘I Fought the Law’ Writer, Dies

He also wrote ‘Love Is All Around,’ the theme from ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’

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Bobby Hart, Co-Writer of Monkees Hits, Dies at 86

Among his songs with Tommy Boyce were “Last Train to Clarksville” and “(Theme From) The Monkees.”

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The Glory of ‘Gloria’: Behind the Resilient Van Morrison Rock ’n’ Roll Anthem

One of the most beloved and oft-covered songs in the garage-rock canon started life as a single’s B-side. We take a look at the wonders of ‘G-L-O-R-I-A.’

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13 Bands That Changed Their Lead Singers

You can’t imagine the Stones without Jagger or Zeppelin without Plant. But these 13 bands all switched vocalists and lived to tell the tale.

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When Motown Went to ‘War’—The Edwin Starr #1 Hit

When Motown’s chief was reluctant to release an antiwar song by the Temptations as a single, another singer stepped in to re-record it. It went to #1.

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The Beatles’ Forgotten Top 20 Hit: A ‘Sweet’ Story

A top 20 hit in the U.S., yet it has received virtually no radio airplay in decades and is almost never mentioned in accounts of the band’s early days.

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Woodstock Performers: Where Are They Now?

Many are still creating brilliant music. Here is a brief guide to the status of most of the artists who performed at the legendary 1969 festival.

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