Tired of hearing the same old same old on the radio? Between the exceedingly whiney Adele who can’t understand why her ex-boyfriend doesn’t want to still be friends to Maroon 5 serenading us with a very disturbing image of Mick Jagger’s tongue, the music coming out of the speakers can have us quickly reaching for a CD, or Pandora.
Fortunately there is a sanctuary of remarkable music for people who want to hear something other than “Sweet Home Alabama”. Say hello to Lost and Found; a nationally syndicated radio program that plays “the best music you never heard” (Lost and Found airs Sunday mornings from 8 to 11 on FM 103.7).
Lost and Found is hosted by Luke Crampton and offers a widely entertaining assortment of music from artists around the world. It’s like hanging out in a used record store with old friends exchanging new found music to check out. Crampton is a veritable wealth of knowledge who walks you through the world of undiscovered music with the ease of someone who genuinely enjoys bringing these hidden gems out of hiding for the world to hear.
Where else would you hear the smoky-voiced Nellie McKay singing a wonderfully sexy rendition of Doris Day’s “If I ever had a dream” or “Love has left the room” by Nina Persson performing under the name A Camp. How do you explain the genius of a Ross Cooperman, a wildly talented singer songwriter whose songs are in a league with John Mayer and Dave Matthews, but can’t seem to get a sniff of airplay?
Listening to Lost and Found makes you really appreciate the fine line that exists between being the rock star Nickelback sung about and that terribly talented musician who doesn’t have the luck, timing, right promotion (you fill in the blank) on what it takes to get noticed.
You need to have both hands on the wheel when listening. From The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, to Aaron Neville, to Graffiti6 and Smoove & Turrell (check out these guys if you like funk), there is no style left unturned. And yes, Campton does play Adela as well, but he digs deep into the playlist to find that rare nugget you won’t hear on the radio.
So make a pot of coffee, grab the Sunday paper and get ready to be entertained, informed and impressed by the best music you never heard.
Peter Frampton changed the business of music forever in 1976 when he released his wildly successful double live album; Frampton Comes Alive. In Wayne’s World 2, Wayne Campbell acknowledged the album’s status among rock fans when he said, “Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it”.
Three hit singles were released from the album Baby, I Love Your Way, Do You Feel Like We Do and Show Me the Way. The Do You Feel Like We Do single version was edited down from the 14 minute album version to 7 minutes and was almost twice the length of the average hit single and one of the longest ever to make the top 40.
Although the album came out 36 years ago, there is, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story. The iconic guitar (a distinctive black 1954 custom Gibson Les Paul electric guitar with three humbucking pickups as opposed to the usual two) became lost in 1980 when a cargo plane carrying Frampton’s gear crashed while flying to Panama. All of the instruments were thought to be destroyed.
While the details are still a bit murky; somehow the guitar has been found on the Dutch island of Curacao by two fans with the assistance of the Curacao Tourist Board. The Gibson Guitar Company has verified that the guitar is indeed the real deal.
“I am still in a state of shock, first off, that the guitar even exists, let alone that it has been returned to me,” Frampton said in a statement. “I know I have my guitar back, but I will never forget the lives that were lost in this crash. I am so thankful for the efforts of those who made this possible … And, now that it is back I am going insure it for 2 million dollars and it’s never going out of my sight again! It was always my #1 guitar and it will be reinstated there as soon as possible — some minor repairs are needed.”
The end of the year gives an opportunity to pause, look back and remember the people who passed away, but will always be remembered for the music they made. 2011 was no different, so in no particular order, here’s a look at some of the people who are now jamming in the greatest band ever, may they rest in peace…
Clarence Clemons
(1/42/1942-6/18/2011)
Sure, we all know that Clarence provided the expressive saxophone for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band, but he also worked with Jackson Browne (“You’re A Friend of Mine”), Nils Lofgren, The Four Tops, Todd Rundgren, Aretha Franklin (“Freeway Of Love”), Joan Armatrading, The Grateful Dead, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Ian Hunter, Twisted Sister (“Be Chrool To Your Scuel”), Alvin Lee, Joe Cocker, Roy Orbison, Gary U.S. Bonds, Janis Ian, Norman Seldin & The Joyful Noyze and Lady Gaga.
Gerry Rafferty
(4/16/1947-1/4/2011)
Rafferty, whose smooth sound set him apart from many of his contemporaries, was a member of many bands including The Mavericks, The Humblebums, Stealers Wheel (“Stuck In The Middle With You” and “Star”) and The Fifth Column. He may be best know for his solo work which included “Baker Street” and “Right Down the Line”.
Carl Gardner
(4/29/1928-6/12/2011)
He was a member of The Robins (They did, “If Teardrops Were Kisses” and “I Must Be Dreamin”) and The Coasters (They did, “Charlie Brown” and “Yakety Yak”). Gardner was also the Father of singer, Carl Gardner Jr. and he is a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee.
Amy Winehouse
(9/14/1983-7/23/2011)
Another classic example of a musician that was lost way too soon. To say that Winehouse was a singer, is a huge understatement. She had many hits including “Stronger Than Me” and “Rehab”. In addition to her solo work, Winehouse was also a member of Sweet ‘n’ Sour. Winehouse could colleberate with anyone, and she did when she worked with The Dap-Kings, Ghostface Killah, Mutya Buena and The Bolsha Band.
Phoebe Snow
(7/17/1952-4/26/2011)
A wonderfully gifted singer and guitarist, Snow recorded such hits as “Poetry Man” and “Sweet Disposition”. She also worked with some of the biggest names including Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Boz Scaggs, Cyndi Lauper, Roger Daltrey, Chaka Khan, Lou Rawls, Buddy Miles, Al Green, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Laurie Anderson, Garland Jeffreys, Jewel, Donald Fagen, Billy Joel, Queen and Jackson Browne.
Jerry Leiber
(4/25/1925-8/22/2011)
Never heard of him? Well you should. Leiber was a very busy songwriter and producer. He co-wrote, “Hound Dog” and “Stand By Me”. That alone makes him special. In addition, his songs have been recorded by The Coasters, Big Mama Thornton, The Drifters, Conway Twitty, Joni Mitchell, Count Basie, Dion, Elkie Brooks, The Robins, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown, The Monkees, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Cheers, Edith Piaf, The Clovers, Stealers Wheel, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters, The Everly Brothers, John Mellencamp, Ray Charles, John Lennon, Donald Fagen, Ben E. King, Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Peggy Lee, Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin. That kind of legacy is good enough to be both, a Songwriters Hall Of Fame Inductee and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee.
Nate Dogg
(8/19/1969-3/15/2011)
Dogg was a Hip Hop/Gospel artist who was a member of 213 (“Groupie Luv” and “So Fly”) and nominated for 4 Grammy Awards. He also worked with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and Innate Praise.
Nickolas Ashford
(5/4/1942-8/22/2011)
The soulful singer and songwriter was half of the duo, Ashford & Simpson. The recorded such hits as “Solid” and “I’ll Find You”. Ashford wrote songs with his wife Valerie Simpson that were recorded by Ray Charles, The 5th Dimension, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Teddy Pendergrass, Chaka Khan, Rufus, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. All this was good enough to be a Songwriters Hall Of Fame Inductee.
Don Kirshner
(4/17/1934-1/17/2011)
Producer and promoter extraordinaire. Kirshner co-wrote Connie Francis’s, “My First Real Love” and The Coasters’, “Wait A Minute”. He also wrote jingles with Bobby Darin – Co-founded the Aldon music publishing company, but he’s most known Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and helped the careers of Bobby Darin, Kansas, Sarah Dash, Neil Diamond and Carole King.
Johnny Dee
(1951-10/17/2011)
While not known nationally, no list coming out of Texas would be complete without acknowledging the death of Johnny Dee. Dee fronted the band Johnny Dee and the Rocket 88’s which shared the stage with Wolfman Jack, Dick Clark, James Brown, the Beach Boys, Charlie Daniels, Tanya Tucker, the Pointer Sisters, and Ricky Nelson. Their website says “They take their fun seriously, which means you’ll have serious fun with Johnny Dee & the Rocket 88’s” which rings true with anyone who saw them live. While a great showman, I’ll always think of the “Don’t Mess with Texas” public service announcement they did. Who else could have made an anti-littering campaign so cool.
It was on this day in 1971 Led Zeppelin released it’s fourth album. The 8 song album came unnamed, but soon became known as Led Zeppelin Four, ZOSO, or Zep IV.
If you were growing up in the early 70’s, the importance of this album cannot be understated. It would be hard to argue against “Stairway to Heaven” being the greatest rock song of all time. You would also be hard pressed to find an album with the plethora mix of songs. From the hard driving “Rock n’ Roll”, to the mystical “Battle of Evermore”; Led Zeppelin Four captures the brilliance and diversity of one of the all time great bands.
Did radio over play many of the songs found on the album? You bet, but don’t blame the band for that. That was more a result of radio researching songs to death and then shoving the most popular down the consumers throat. It should not diminish or take away from the greatness of what Led Zeppelin Four was and still is.
The album was released at a time when FM radio was just taking off and many stations went to the Rock Format. Imagine DJ’s picking the songs they wanted to play. What an amazing rush it must have been for DJ’s to cue up “Stairway to Heaven” for the first time.
Some records are called great because record labels market them as such, others are called great because they stand the test of time. ZOSO falls into the later category.
