Today in rock history: on this date in 1970, George Harrison released his first solo album after the dissolution of The Beatles: the 3-LP masterwork, All Things Must Pass. Free to express himself musically and lyrically as a solo artist (something he was rarely able to do while with The Beatles), Harrison revealed a treasure trove of songs he’d been storing on this fantastic package and the results were astonishing. Produced by “wall of sound” producer Phil Spector, the record revealed how deep Harrison’s talents ran and resulted in substantial record sales. Singles from the set included “My Sweet Lord” and “What Is Life,” and the album went straight to the No. 1 spot on sales charts all around the world. All Things Must Pass sold over 6 million copies in the U.S. alone and was nominated for two Grammy awards (Album of the Year and Record of the Year), and is often referred to as the best solo album from any ex-Beatle. Listen to the album at the bottom of this post.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1942, Johnny Allen Hendrix, better known by his stage name James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix, was born in Seattle, Washington. Rising to fame as a solo artist after relocating to England in the midst of the swinging 60s, Hendrix, arguably the greatest and most influential guitarist of the rock era, had already paid his dues. Hendrix had played in backing bands for luminaries like Little Richard and The Isley Brothers before becoming one of the most dynamic artists to shape the musical landscape on his own in the 1960s. Backed by bands The Experience and The Band of Gypsys, Hendrix released some of the most important and groundbreaking albums of the era before his untimely death at age 27 in 1970. The feeling, the vibe, the mystique and the power of Jimi Hendrix is still felt today through his enduring music and his undeniable legacy. Read more about the time Hendrix played Tampa's Curtis Hixon Hall by visiting our recent Music Issue.
Today in rock history: on this date in 1981, the debut album from one of Britain’s most daring and evocative synth-pop duos, Soft Cell, was released. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret was a dance-oriented pop record that bordered on the raunchy side, but became a massive hit nonetheless. Songs like “Sex Dwarf,” “Seedy Films” and “Entertain Me” appeared on the album, but the real draw was the group’s take on the 1964 Gloria Jones recorded northern soul classic, “Tainted Love.” The electro-pop version by Soft Cell became one of the best-selling singles of 1981 and spent nearly the entire year bouncing around the American Billboard singles chart. The album, featuring the shimmering, haunting voice of singer Marc Almond and musical accompaniment by multi-instrumentalist David Ball paved the way for a large number of synth-pop acts who’d follow in Soft Cell’s wake, resulting in an onslaught of British synthesizer based music that would dominate U.K. sales charts throughout the 1980’s. Two other singles — “Bedistter” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” — from the album were released in Britain, and both charted well alongside “Tainted Love."
Today in rock history: on this date in 1990, as the “Madchester” movement was in full swing, British purveyors of the sound and style Happy Mondays released the record that served as the defining soundtrack for the era, their third full-length release, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches. “Madchester” was a term that was concocted to encapsulate bands who hailed from Manchester, England whose looks and sounds personified the music, the culture and the scene that was happening in that part of the world at the time. Alongside Happy Mondays, bands like Inspiral Carpets, Stone Roses, The Charlatans and 808 State became known for mixing their own blend of alternative music with acid house culture and psychedelia which resulted in a sound and a club scene that had a lot in common with rave culture and recreational drug use. This album was definitely one of the more popular of the era and its singles, “Kinky Afro,” “Step On” and “Loose Fit” were huge hits within the club scene of the time and helped kick start the “baggy” movement, referring to a rock sub-genre of British danceable rock music. Released on the Factory Records label (the label whose roster included Joy Division and New Order), the record was co-produced by Paul Oakenfold who’d soon become known on his own as one of the most popular trance DJs in the world. The album is considered a landmark and a prime document of the British dance club scene of the early 1990s.
This article appears in Nov 23-30, 2017.