WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS

Iommi is another one of the lads from Birmingham, who seemed to be everywhere in the music industry back then.

Names such as Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, Noddy Holder, in bands such as Wizzard, ELO, The Moody Blues, Judas Priest, Black Sabb, Traffic, Spencer Davis, Slade.

Birmingham had an amazing rock scene during the late 60's, early 70's.

I was impressed with the professionalism of many of them, particularly the Moody Blues. Some online research seems to say that they had no more formal musical training than anyone else. For an excellent musical interlude, got to youtube and type "Moody Blues, Paris, 1970." It's an hour long television broadcast. Here's an excellent example of that television program, with Justin Hayward playing lead.

Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 -- April 14, 1995) was an American actor, writer, and folk music singer. Pearly Shells (Pupu A `O `Ewa) is an old Hawaiian song. The English lyrics were written by Webley Edwards and Leon Pober. Several people have performed it, including Burl Ives.

Folk Guitar.
Pearly Shells - Burl Ives

The Guess Who, from Winnipeg, Manitoba were one of the biggest all-time Canadian rock groups. This song became their trademark. The lead guitarist is Randy Bachman (pronounced "Backman," not "Bockman.")

Before Guantanamo was a dirty word, the Girl from Guantanamo by Jose .

Guantanamera - Jose Feliciano

The Guess Who track was from a reunion show, obviously. Randy Bachman left the Guess Who in 1970, and for a few years, tried to get another band off the ground. He eventually got together with Fred Turner, who played guitar and sang, and with his two brothers, Tim and Robbie Bachman, to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, who made their breakthrough in 1973. BTO is, in terms of sales and world-wide popularity, one of the greatest rock bands in history, not just Canadian history. The group sold over 30 million albums world-wide, and their songs still get airtime on classic rock stations. This 1974 track has a double lead by Randy and Fred Turner.

Rush is the great Canadian three man power band, from Toronto. Although Geddy Lee, the lead vocalist sometimes played guitar, Alex Lifeson was their lead guitarist. This song is one of their most popular.

The Lovin' Spoonful was formed in New York in 1964 or -65, and enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1960s. The lead guitar player, Zal Yanovsky, left a group which contained one half of what would become The Mamas and the Papas, to join John Sebastian in his new project. The 1967 song "Creeque Alley" by The Mamas and the Papas is about the formation of the Lovin' Spoonful. This was their first hit song. (Of no interest to anyone, i suspect--i won a copy of this record in a dance contest in the summer of 1965, when the aloof, untouchable Sally agreed to dance with me.)

Thanks Set, just watched/listened to it, and am now inspired to dig out the old vinyl albums and take them round to my neighbour, who has one of those new fangled decks that record it all onto memory stick.
Been meaning to sort through that pile for ages.

In return I shall now post a non picture link to a documentary about the Birmingham Beat story, part of the magnificent 'Rock Family Tree' series from the beeb.
Within three minutes, you will hear from the horses mouth just how The Moody Blues came up with their name. It all revolves around a local Brewery......


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mH5FC0i9-Zk


OK, end of distraction......back to the Guitar greats.

Never heard of this guy but seems to be playing a guitar .

Guitar Man - Elvis Presley

There were many "Beat" groups who started up in the early sixties, following the rise of Merseybeat, and two who immediately spring to mind are the Dave Clarke Five and The Honeycombs.

The Honeycombs were the first group that I was aware of who really went with the loud, stamping beat and even louder lead guitar.

I have no idea whether this was a hit in the US, but it made quite a stir in the UK.

Lead guitarist is Denis D'ell, who is now probably a retired postman nowadays, as not a lot more was heard from them after their initial success.

The other thing that was different about The Honeycombs was that they had a female drummer. A sister to one of the guitarists, if I remember.

Have I The Right - The Honeycombs.

One of the great classics of early rock ...performed by two of the greats on stage

Johnny B Good - Chuck Berry & John Lennon

"Another Brick in the Wall" is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera, The Wall, subtitled Part 1 (working title "Reminiscing"), Part 2 (working title "Education"), and Part 3 (working title "Drugs"). All parts were written by Pink Floyd's lead vocalist and bassist, Roger Waters. Part II is a protest song against rigid schooling in general and boarding schools in the UK in particular. The single, as well as the album The Wall, were banned in South Africa in 1980 after the song was adopted by supporters of a nationwide school boycott protesting racial inequities in education under the apartheid regime.

Roger Waters - lead vocals, bass guitar
David Gilmour - guitars, harmony vocals

Just Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd

Big Bill Morganfield is the son of Muddy Waters.

When I played Marty Robbins El Paso, I neglected to mention that the great guitar work on it was by Grady Martin

Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith

The Sputniks, aka "The Beatles of the East" were a famous beat-band in the GDR. Founded in 1963, suspended in 1966. (Since 1996 touring again.)

Free - At the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970?

Lead Guitarist is Paul Kossoff, who was 20 years old at the time. He died in 1976, aged just 26.





This song contained one of my very first misheard lyrics.

I honestly thought, and I thought it for a good period of time, that he sang "Let's move before they raise the f**king rent"

I did wonder how it got past the BBC Censors of the day.

A mate of mine thought this was, 'Five minutes with your Uncle Fred.'

Ha! Shades of Saville.