Posts From 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.'

When Jefferson Airplane Sang From a NYC Rooftop

When the French filmmaker Godard needed a band for his new film on radical culture in 1968, he invited San Francisco’s finest. They responded by waking up New York City.

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17 #1 Hits Worse Than ‘We Built This City’

That mid-’80s Starship hit perennially tops lists of the worst chart-toppers ever. It’s bad, we agree, but we’ve found others that are even worse.

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When Neil Young Found a Neil Young Bootleg

What happened way back in 1971 when a rock star went record shopping and found a bootleg of his own music? It wasn’t pretty, but it’s fascinating.

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17 Must-Reads For Every Hippie’s Bookshelf

If you were a hippie, or still are, we’re betting you are familiar with most of these classics, including several novels, guides, poetry books and more.

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Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Grateful Dead Singer During the 1970s, Dies

The only female member of the storied San Francisco band, Godchaux-MacKay, who was 78, died in Nashville, Tenn., following a long battle with cancer.

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‘Ringo’: His 1973 Solo Breakthrough, With a Little Help From You Know Who

Although he’d had a couple of solo hits post-Beatles, the albums just weren’t happening. Then he reached into his phone book and made a few calls.

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The Gentrys’ ‘Keep on Dancing’: Behind the ’60s Garage Classic

The Memphis septet took an obscure R&B tune and turned it into a top 5 rocker in 1965. The story behind the recording—and the band—is fascinating.

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Willie Nelson: A New Book Analyzes His Massive Album Catalog

This handsome new hardcover book is stocked with factual details on every album, along with analyses of the music within.

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Leslie West on Playing With Jimi and The Who

The Mountain man recalls his solo years and jam sessions sitting in with fellow rock giants, and much more.

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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.

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