Posts From Jeff Tamarkin

Peter Noone is Still Into Something Good—A Chat With ‘Herman’

“We never thought about selling millions of records; we just wanted to get on the radio. We didn’t know about America.”–Peter Noone on the early days

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Lulu Rocks New York City—With Love: 2017 Concert Review

50 years ago a teenaged girl from Scotland had a #1 hit that is still loved today. At a NYC concert, she sounded better than ever.

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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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Pilot’s ‘Magic’ Trick: Never Believe It’s Not So

The Scottish band’s one great hit was the type that you might not hear for years, but when you do, it’s instantly familiar.

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When Lou Reed Met Metallica: Lou on ‘Lulu’

A 2011 interview with Reed on his controversial collaboration with Metallica, published in its entirety

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When the J. Geils Band Finally Broke Through

The only #1 hit for this dynamic Boston band was about a schoolboy crush later being crushed for real. We look back at an early MTV favorite.

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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 Hendrix and The Who, 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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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 & more

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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.

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