Posts From Jeff Tamarkin
And the Jukebox Kept on Playing…Johnny Rivers
A constant presence on the radio in the ’60s, his hits included “Secret Agent Man,” “Poor Side of Town,” “Memphis,” “Summer Rain” and many more.
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When the Chambers Brothers’ ‘Time’ Had Come
They started out as a gospel quartet, then their souls were psychedelicized. The story of the group behind “Time Has Come Today”
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1971—The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums
Bands that had only recently performed in ballrooms and college gyms now played arenas and stadiums–and sold millions of albums.
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The Jaggerz’ ‘The Rapper’ @50
“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.
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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.
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Beach Boys’ Mike Love Talks ‘Pet Sounds’ and More
He’s published his memoir, Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy, and dispels talk about Brian Wilson’s masterpiece. He tells us: “I don’t know if there are any better harmonies, from any vocal group, ever.”
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‘Smiley Smile’: The Beach Boys Album That Wasn’t Supposed to Be
Their followup to ‘Pet Sounds’ was a quick replacement for an abandoned masterpiece-to-be. Some fans didn’t love it, but in time its reputation has grown.
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That ‘Don’t Touch My Records!’ Scene in ‘Diner’
The film is a portrait of a time in America when all seemed innocent and carefree but was not: bubbling just underneath, trouble and tension.
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Barry McGuire vs. Barry Sadler: When the News Hit #1
One chart-topper listed complaints about the inequities and horrors of the day, while the other was a patriotic paean to the Army’s elite special forces.
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When Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen Were ‘Lost in the Ozone’ (Again)
There was much more to this genre-defying band than “Hot Rod Lincoln.” Here is the back story of a truly versatile and unique group.
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