Posts From Jeff Tamarkin
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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‘Super Session’: When Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills Got Into a Jam
“The first real rock ’n’ roll jam session,” the gold-selling album featured members of some of the hottest bands of the late ’60s.
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Jerry Miller, Moby Grape Guitarist, Dies at 81
Jerry Miller, lead guitarist in the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, has died. The band was championed but fell victim to legal troubles.
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