Bobby Rogers, The Miracles co-founder dies

Bobby Rogers, a founding member of the Motown group The Miracles along with Smokey Robinson, has died in the US aged 73.

The singer, who had been ill for several years, died at his home in Detroit on Sunday.

"Another soldier in my life has fallen. [He] was my brother and a really good friend", Robinson said in a statement.

Rogers formed The Miracles in 1956 with cousin Claudette Rogers, Pete Moore, Ronnie White and Robinson.

Their hits included The Tracks of My Tears, Shop Around, You've Really Got a Hold on Me and I Second That Emotion.

"People always commented on the tall one with the glasses," said Claudette Rogers.

"He was personable, approachable and he loved talking to the women, loved talking to the guys, loved to dance, loved to sing, loved to perform. That was the joy of his life."

Marvin Gaye

Rogers' voice can be heard on Marvin Gaye's hit What's Going On, with Rogers saying: "It's just a groovy party, man, I can dig it."

Mary Wilson of The Supremes said that captured his essence.

"If people want to remember him, they should put that record on and listen to Bobby,'' she told the Detroit Free Press newspaper. "That's who he was."

The Miracles grew out of an earlier quintet of high school performers called the Five Chimes that formed in the mid-1950s and changed its name to the Matadors after several line-up changes capped by Claudette Rogers' admission to the group.

The group went on to record Motown's first million-selling hit single, Shop Around.

One of Rogers' most notable vocal contributions with the group was his two-part harmony with Robinson on You've Really Got a Hold on Me, which was later covered by The Beatles.

He also shared song writing credits with Robinson on The Temptations' track The Way You Do The Things You Do, as well as on The Contours' First I Look At The Purse.

Robinson said: "He and I were born on the exact same day in the same hospital in Detroit. I am really going to miss him. I loved him very much.''

Rogers and The Miracles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, however he was too ill to attend the ceremony.

Source: BBC

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Tonight at The Musician: The City Acoustic Club

The City Acoustic Club
Monday 4^th March
Free open mic night

 

For up to date info and news please join The City Acoustic Club Facebook group!

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

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The Beautiful Word - new single and tour (inc. Leicester)

The Beautiful Word announce new single ‘May Not Be Love’ and UK tour

TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED;

23rd March London - Buffalo Bar

28th March Brighton - The Hope

1st April Bristol - Mr Wolfs

3rd April Manchester - The Bay Horse

4th April Leeds - The Verve

5th April Newcastle - Head Of Steam     

6th April Letham - Letham Hall

7th April Edinburgh - The Forest Cafe

8th April Glasgow - The Art School

9th April Liverpool - Schmooze bar

13th April Liverpool - Lomax

14th April Leicester - The Shed

The Sound

The infectiously happy and open nature of The Beautiful Word is a strange and beautiful spectacle. An odd couple for sure and best friends for years, front girls Emily Bryant and Megan Clifton's voices together make one singular, captivating texture. Teaming that with illuminated, vivid arrangement, the band together have created a sound they call 'Mystery Pop.'

The Album

'Particles' is their first studio record (a slot at T in the Park last summer meant the DIY group could afford it) and the band had over 30 original tracks from 5 years of playing together to choose from. Megan explains; 'We wanted external input after years of being so insulated. We looked at all kinds of producers and went with someone I'd known a while, Julian Tardo- previously one half of 'Insides' (4AD, Third Stone). We review albums for the same blog and he runs a studio round the corner from our house. He just totally got it. We recorded all the audio in just 4 days. Everything was 'absolutely' or 'no fucking way' really vibey and really quick. Loads of reverb or no reverb, massive harmony or no harmony. Thinking too hard would suck the fun out of it.' Now hunting for an understanding label to release their album, the band put 'May not be Love' out online to see what the response is and what yours will be.

The Hype

Featured on BBC Introducing and BBC6 by Phil Jackson, Kairen Kemp and Tom Robinson. Tour dates to date include venues from Paris to Dundee, festivals such as T in the Park (T Break Stage) Secret Garden, Beach Break Live and Playgroup, supports for Ellie Goulding, Marina Celeste and Greg Holden.

www.thebeautifulword.co.uk           

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Review: Brett Goldsmith – Ordinary Life

Brett Goldsmith – Ordinary Life (Independent)

Brett Goldsmith is a photographer and musician. I’ve checked out his various webpages and he’s a talented cameraman with a knack for telling stories within the confines of a still image. Music and songwriting provide other, different mediums for sharing narrative, and there are no shortage of noteworthy vignettes to be found on his tellingly titled, debut solo record, “Ordinary Life”.

Written and recorded on a farm in the Australian countryside, it’s an album of gentle, folky tunes that reflect their rural origins, but these tender melodies and Goldsmith’s comforting vocals are just a smokescreen for some gritty words. On “My Junkie Friend” he sings about letting a dependent friend go and the title track is stacked high with heartbreak and regret. This isn’t particularly new ground he’s covering, but he does it well. Love, loss and desire will always be universal themes, but he’s adept at supplying detail, the minutiae that gives a story depth and encourages empathy in the listener.

Amongst the dozen tracks on “Ordinary Life” there are plenty of highlights. Apart from the two tracks already mentioned, newcomers to the album should pay special attention to “True Romance” - it’s got a nice ‘70s singer-songwriter feel to it and is a little more downbeat than its title suggests. “Waiting for a Train” is all about escape, as all the best ‘train’ songs are, and final cut “Friends” is faultless psychedelic pop, with Goldsmith’s voice combining beautifully with a jagged (yet understated) electric guitar, and a hazy, impossible-to-pin-down arrangement.

www.brettgoldsmith.com.au

www.facebook.com/brettgoldsmithmusic

www.soundcloud.com/brett

Phil S. 

Tonight at The Musician: The Portraits (Sun. 3rd Mar.)

Forty Tenth Promotions Presents…

The Portraits

Sunday 3^rd March
£6adv £8door

plus Bellawave

www.theportraitsmusic.com

www.facebook.com/bellawave

www.fortytenthpromotions.co.uk

Launched in 2005 by Irish singer Lorraine Reilly and Bristolian pianist Jeremy Millington, The Portraits’ warm upbeat sound which mixes folk with music theatre, jazz and classical styles has secured the band a big following in the UK and France. As well as being crowned Best International Artist 2011 by US station Radio Crystal Blue, The Portraits released a song, Liberty, for Burma’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, which was presented to her in person.

From their roots playing as an acoustic duo (piano, guitar, 2 voices) the Portraits have exploded into an energetic, sparkling full band, adding violin, cello, bodhran, upright bass and third vocalist into the mix, and their live performances leave audiences moved to laughter and tears in equal measure.

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

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Saturday Night at The Musician: Dire Streets (Dire Straits Tribute)

Dire Streets (Dire Straits Tribute)

Saturday 2^nd March

£8adv £10door

www.direstreets.co.uk

Dire Streets perfectly capture the distinctive, authentic sound of one of the biggest guitar bands of all time.

Fronted by finger picking guitar ace John Brunsdon and his band of accomplished musicians, they play with an attention to detail and musicianship that marks them as the stand-out Dire Straits tribute in the UK.

Dire Streets cover tracks from early classics like Sultans of Swing and Wild West End, through to the mega-hits of the 80s and Brothers in Arms, taking in all the classic album and live versions from the legendary Alchemy, Live Aid and Mandela concerts.

Dire Streets make no attempt to look like the original so no headbands or pink suits, just brilliant songs skilfully played with the enthusiasm and respect they deserve.

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

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David Baker's Variety Lights join Pere Ubu on UK tour

VARIETY LIGHTS: UK TOUR APRIL 2013

All dates with Pere Ubu
13 April: The Haunt, Brighton, UK
14 April: Arts Centre, Colchester, UK
15 April: The Sage, Gateshead, UK
16 April: Fibbers, York, UK
17 April: Mono, Glasgow, UK
18 April: Band On The Wall, Manchester, UK
19 April: Thekla, Bristol, UK
20 April: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK
21 April: Robin 2, Bilston, UK
22 April: Eric’s, Liverpool, UK
23 April: Bush Hall, London, UK

It doesn’t matter where David Baker has been. There are rumors and whispers, hints and allegations, supposed truths far stranger than fiction. Pay them no mind. What matters is that David Baker is back. Having released the stunning debut LP Central Flow last year, Baker returns to the UK under his Variety Lights guise to tour with Pere Ubu in April 2013. Joining him for a special UK Tour version of Variety Lights, the live line-up will feature Swervedriver/Bolts of Melody guitarist Adam Franklin.

Although Variety Lights’ Central Flow signals Baker’s return to music after close to two decades out of the limelight, in some respects he’s been here all the time. His otherworldly fingerprints are smeared across an entire generation of avant-pop records channeling his sound and vision: Erase from the annals of music history Baker’s pioneering work on the first two, most formally radical Mercury Rev albums (Yerself Is Steam and Boces, respectively) or the solo effort World, credited to his Shady alias, and the widescreen ambitions of contemporary critics’ darlings like Animal Collective, Deerhunter and Tame Impala become absolutely unthinkable.

Admirers of Baker’s previous work will find much to savour on Central Flow, but don’t expect a retread. Recorded at his own Over the Trees studio, Variety Lights’ taut, post-Teutonic electronic pop fuses Baker’s spectral, multi-layered croon with burbling, buzzing analogue synthesizers, programmed rhythms and an arsenal of guitar effects. Songs like “Silent Too Long” and “You Are So Famous” expertly balance the human and the alien, juxtaposing chrome-plated melodies against Baker’s most emotionally intense and direct performances to date.

“Rock and roll is about getting something inside of you out,” Baker says. “There can be multiple things happening within any great song: You can cry, you can fall in love, you can go to another dimension. Music takes to you different places. It’s giving you something emotional, interesting or odd, and it’s not buffed out.”

While Central Flow contains multitudes, the impulses and inspirations shaping Variety Lights elude even Baker himself: This is music exploring and forged by the mysteries of life. “Irrational is part of what I do,” Baker says. “You shouldn’t leave out the accidental or the embarrassing or the emotional or the sexual. Good artists don’t always know what they did. There’s a random, unseen presence there – some kind of force that’s happening if you allow it to.”

Now that Baker’s back, the question isn’t where he’s been but where he’s going next. “I’m still trying to challenge myself,” he says. “If you say there are rules to follow, then your music starts sounding like other people. If you worry about being right, you’re going to be wrong. I’m just trying to make something necessary for me – sometimes it’s a catharsis, or sometimes it’s just problem solving. And I know that if I’m writing for me, someone else will find something meaningful to them, too.”

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Review: Strangers and Liars – Five Seat Concert Hall

Strangers and Liars – Five Seat Concert Hall (Independent)

Strangers and Liars are a four-piece American rock band from Erie, Pennsylvania, with a list of influences that include The Beatles, The Band, J.J. Cale, Warren Zevon and Tom Petty. There are definitely a few clues to their sound amongst those names, and they themselves describe what they do as ‘original electrified music in the American tradition’.

Indeed, the result is melodic guitar pop with a suspicion of twang and an abundance of hooks. All four members, Tommy Link (vocals and guitar), Justin Anderson (lead guitar and vocals), Russ Straub (bass) and Tom Hitt (drums and vocals) are recognised writers, though on “Five Seat Concert Hall” Link takes sole songwriting credits. However, it’s apparent from the off that each musician brings far more than just talent and experience to the project. It sounds too good for that.

Produced by the band, and recorded in two studios in and around their hometown, “Five Seat Concert Hall” has been imbued with a fulsome, warm sound that draws the listener in. Without sounding much like them, I’m reminded of The Jayhawks and they way they write huge, classic pop songs without forfeiting intimacy. Strangers and Liars repeat the feat, and all ten tracks make an impression.

Of course, favourites come thick and fast; “Broken Hearts” arrives on big acoustic guitars, but before long Anderson is providing delicate electric detail and the chorus ingrains itself into the subconscious. “Don’t Play With Me” ups the vitriol and borders on dark, without ever sacrificing its pop heart, and “Along for the Ride” treads similar ground to “Kick” period INXS, but with a heap more subtlety and a bucketful of feel-good charm.

www.strangersandliars.com

www.facebook.com/strangersandliarsband

www.strangersandliars.bandcamp.com/five-seat-concert-hall

Phil S.

Temptations singer Richard Street dies at 70

Motown vocalist Richard Street, a member of the Temptations for 25 years, has died aged 70.

Street's wife says he died on 27 February at a hospital in Las Vegas after a short illness.

He sang with Temptations members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin in the 1950s but didn't join the group until 1971.

As part of the group, Street had number of hits including the Grammy award-winning song, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, he was the first member of the band to be born in the city with which they became synonymous.

His death comes only 10 days after his band mate, Otis 'Damon' Harris, who died on 18 February aged 62, after a 14 year battle with prostate cancer.

Cindy Street, told CNN: "They're dancing up there in heaven, him and Damon."

He performed with the band until 1993 when he left due to alleged personal tensions with Williams.

Street went to hospital five days before he died, suffering from back pain and breathing difficulties.

Doctors found he had a clot in a lung.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.

Source: BBC

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Tonight at De Montfort Hall: Charlie Landsborough

De Montfort Hall Presents…

Charlie Landsborough

Friday 1^st March
£18.50 / £16.50 Concessions

Doors: 7pm

www.charlielandsborough.com

Charlie Landsborough is one of the good guys. Talented, funny, hard-working, good-natured...what you see is what you get. Little surprise then that he’s loved by so many. 

Multi award-winning and critically acclaimed, a unique gem in an all too desolate music landscape, Charlie takes his own inimitable brand of country/spiritual music back on the road this Spring on a major 16 date tour.

2012 also sees the release of Charlie’s 25th album - a substantial catalogue of work, especially considering that he didn’t find true success in the music industry until he was well in to his 50s.

Now in his 70th year Charlie continues to tour and work relentlessly. At a time when others might be slowing the pace Charlie is still touring pleasing crowds all over the world, even as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. Last year also saw his talent recognised by the British Country Music Hall when he was inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Although a successful recording artist, Charlie Landsborough truly comes into his own when performing live. No matter the size of the venue Charlie has the ability to make it feel as though he is singing directly at you. A truly intimate, moving and unique experience, it is also very funny  - Charlie always has a story or an anecdote to make you smile.

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.demontforthall.co.uk

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Tonight at The Musician: Cosmo Jarvis (1st Mar.)

Live In Leicester Presents…

Cosmo Jarvis

Friday 1^st March
£7adv

plus The Skunk-Boy Project and special guests

cosmojarvis.com

www.facebook.com/theskunkboyproject

www.liveinleicester.net

Cosmo Jarvis is an artist for whom one word will never really be enough. He’s a singer, a songwriter, an actor, a director, a composer, a producer and a multi-instrumentalist. He writes about topics ranging from his alienation from religion to the equal treatment of gay pirates (and he’s completed nearly three hundred songs already).

Cosmo is an extraordinarily talented twenty-three year old, and a genuine one off. When Brian Eno is singing your praises, as he did recently on 6Music - “he is a very interesting example to me of a new kind of person; a new kind of artist” - you must be doing something right.

Remember; always check with the venue before travelling:

www.themusicianpub.co.uk

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Review: Liz & Christina Woolley – Sister Summer

Liz & Christina Woolley – Sister Summer (Independent)

Siblings Liz and Christina Woolley have been singing together since they were children, and “Sister Summer”, a collection of old-timey, classic country, folk and bluegrass duets, is their debut commercial release.

Liz Woolley is a veteran of several jazz, country and bluegrass groups, she writes songs, sings, plays mandolin and a mean jazz piano. She’s toured extensively and featured on a number of recordings. Little sister Christina is a relative newcomer, and perhaps that’s the reason they bring a fresh and innovative feel to their music.

Like all the best sibling groups, the music they make and the songs they sing together sound completely and utterly natural. Their voices blend beautifully and their rootsy, family friendly material makes a perfect match. “Sister Summer” begins with the charming “Come Again Another Day”. The arrangement is upbeat and quirky, and we’re introduced to some quite captivating harmony singing.

“Combination” is equally enticing, and the composition and feel of the song might have originated over half a century ago. “The Drifter” is a song written for the Zac Efron movie "The Lucky One", and it’s a slow and understated number, but goodness, their voices sound pristine. It’s probably the finest, purest vocal performance on the record, and that’s saying something.

www.lizwoolleymusic.com

www.facebook.com/lizwoolleymusic

Simon M.