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.'
The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

Remembering Marty Balin, Jefferson Airplane/Starship Singer

The singer, who co-founded the Airplane in 1965, and later joined the offshoot band Jefferson Starship and went on to a solo career, died in 2018 at 76.

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

Spencer Davis Group’s ‘I’m a Man’: Admit It, You Don’t Know the Lyrics

The teenaged singer of this British band, Steve Winwood, had a voice like no other. But what exactly was he singing in this hit?

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

72 Classic Rock Albums From 1972

What a year for classic rock music! We listened to dozens of new albums that would still sound great decades later. Here are the best.

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REVIEWS: Album Rewinds

The Masterful, Underrated Debut Album From Argent: From Z to A

Out of the ashes of the Zombies came their keyboardist’s new band. Their debut LP is one of rock’s most underrated of all time.

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The Scene: How the Song Came to Be

Gerry Rafferty, ‘Baker Street,’ and That Sax Solo!

The smash hit was written while its author was hanging out in a flat in London, trying to escape from frustrating legal proceedings.

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NEWS PLUS: RIP – Rock In Perpetuity

Brenton Wood, ’60s Soul Star of ‘Gimme Little Sign’ Fame, Dead at 83

He never sings the words “Gimme little sign” in the song of that name.

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

Harp On It: 20 Great Rock Songs Featuring Harmonica

The harmonica has long been used—particularly by lead singers—to inject a bit of bluesy, earthy authenticity into a song. We look at some of the best.

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FEATURES: Interviews

Dave Clark Is Still Glad All Over—An Interview With the British Invasion Legend

“Ed Sullivan contacted us, but I’d never heard of him so I turned it down. Then, I found out he was huge. I said to the guys, “Quit your jobs.”

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FEATURES: Spotlight Feature

1969’s Ill-Fated Altamont Festival: One of Rock’s Darkest Days

December 6, 1969, marked one of rock’s bleakest days. The free concert known as Altamont was an unmitigated disaster as everything that could possibly go wrong did.

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

1967: The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums

It was the year that the rock album came of age, with timeless releases from the Beatles, Dylan & Stones alongside newcomers Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and more.

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