Posts From Jeff Tamarkin

Jefferson Airplane Recall Woodstock: A New Dawn

Grace Slick addressed the sea of humans, “You have seen the heavy groups. Now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah, it’s a new dawn.”

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Jimmy Webb Interview on Songwriting (and That Cake)

The consummate pop songwriter, whose credits include “MacArthur Park,” “Wichita Lineman” and so many more, in conversation.

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Joni Mitchell’s ‘Woodstock’: Behind the Song

The composer of one of the greatest countercultural anthems never made it to the festival that served as the song’s subject.

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Melanie Interview: Playing Woodstock at 22

She was a relative unknown when she walked onto the stage at Yasgur’s Farm and sang for half a million people. By the end of her set, she was a star

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Status Quo: ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ and You

In their homeland, the U.K., they’ve had more than 60 hit singles and 30+ albums. In the U.S., they’re a one-hit wonder. Here’s the story of that one hit.

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BS&T’s David Clayton-Thomas on Woodstock & More

DC-T on Woodstock: “The road manager told us, ‘I don’t think the show tonight’s going to happen. All the traffic is jammed. Nothing is moving.'”

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Leslie West Interview: Mountain, Woodstock, and More

When the history of heavy rock is traced today, it invariably points to him as one of the origin points—it was no accident that he called his band Mountain.

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What is the Greatest Record Ever Made? A New Book Offers 145 Answers

What is the greatest record ever made? Is that a question that can ever be answered definitively? We spoke to the author of a 2024 book on that subject

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Seatrain: 1 Band, 2 Spellings, 5 Lineups, 4 LPs in 4 Years on 3 Labels, 1 Legendary Producer, 13 Questions

Talk about a convoluted history: Few bands went through as many changes in as brief a period.

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John Mayall Interview: A Chat With the British Blues Legend

For 50+ years he’s been the king of British blues. “[Blues and jazz] have always been part of the same thing. It’s all black American music, basically”

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