Posts From Jeff Tamarkin
The Mighty Manfred Mann: From ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ to ‘Blinded By the Light’
They underwent frequent personnel changes, including several lead singers–and they were named after the keyboardist–but they kept producing hits.
Read More
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.
Read More
1968—The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums
Rock was still very intense in ’68 but it began giving way to quieter, more roots-oriented sounds. More than anything though, the music was diverse.
Read More
‘MacArthur Park’: Jimmy Webb’s 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
Read More
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
Read More
‘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.
Read More
Byrds: ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo’ @50—Concert Review
They didn’t dare bill it as a Byrds reunion, but to those fans who caught a show on one of the year’s most talked-about tours, that’s exactly what it was.
Read More
David Clayton-Thomas Interview: His Early Years With Blood, Sweat & Tears
DCT: “I had to go back to Canada to renew my visa. A couple of days later I got a call. ‘Do you want to try out for the band?’ I said, ‘You’re damn right.’”
Read More
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.
Read More
Jimmy Webb Interview: Hits & Misses
In part two of our chat with the legendary songwriter, we discuss the unpredictability of writing a hit song and how the art of songwriting has changed.
Read More