All Blog Posts (1,465)

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE CYCLE OF LIFE PT.1

As the New Year approaches and another one ticks away, for many it is a time of looking ahead and looking back on Life.

Things we did right, things we did wrong, and things we will change and improve on.

This Series will be a larger endeavor, covering the Cycle Of Life.

From before we are born, to after we die- plus all that comes in between.

And all with Our Music as a Message!

The obvious way to start is to ask…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 29, 2014 at 1:21am — 9 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: CHRISTMAS PARTY 2014 PT.4 END

Proving the Party is all-inclusive, I'll open this final episode with a song for Hanukkah.

Then Songs Of Joy, and some Carols that we don't get to hear.

It seems the British are the ones keeping these songs from prior Centuries alive.

To end the set, a contemporary telling of the Reason For The Season.

I always attempt to bring you an Uncommon Collection of Christmas songs that haven't been overplayed by commercial…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 24, 2014 at 10:56am — 2 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: CHRISTMAS PARTY 2014 PT.3

It's getting more and more Christmasey as Time and the Party roll on.

Is Christmasey a word?

Not sure, but it's the name of a song.

Been tough getting around the city with all the hustle and bustle of the Shoppers, as well as the influx of Tourists.

The Theme Within A Theme in this Chapter is Christmas In New York, as I attempt to use Music to share the experience with you wherever you are.

And while I myself couldn't understand the…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 21, 2014 at 11:52pm — 2 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: CHRISTMAS PARTY 2014 PT.2

The Annual Two-Week Christmas Party continues!

And I see now we can pop Hanukkah in there too.

This time I'll continue a tradition started a long time ago.

I'll play the Beatles Christmas Message of 1964- since it is 2014, keeping that close distance of 50 years!

These are the little plexidiscs they would send to their Fan Club Members- but 50 years...do you believe that, oh man, lol?

Also I'll do something I've…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 17, 2014 at 12:35pm — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: CHRISTMAS PARTY 2014 PT.1

Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane...well, you'll get it!

The Annual Two-Week, All-Inclusive, Everyone Is Invited, Don't Tell Me What You Believe Or Don't Believe Because I Don't Care Christmas Party begins, lol!

And I'll have Christmas and Non-Christmas Music to get things going.

It's the usual Songs you know and Songs you don't that you should expect by…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 14, 2014 at 11:14pm — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: BACK TO THE RAT RACE PT.2

Using the Rat Race to make Money for Christmas Gifts, etc. for this Holiday Season.

A friend wrote me a while back with a suggestion for a song to end the Series with.

Two things- first, I think I have a better pick to end it with, as is so often the case, the ending came to me first when I started the Series!

Second, the Series isn't ending with this show.

But I thought I'd play in this Chapter what was really a…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 10, 2014 at 12:13am — 12 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: BACK TO THE RAT RACE PT.1

You know, I never did end the Rat Race Series.

So after months of flippant diversion and neglect on my part, we go back to the Rat Race to earn some money for Christmas Gifts and all the other things that go with the Holidays.

It's all about Working For Wages and the Working Man this time out.

I made some interesting selections for both halves of this show.

Included in this opening half, a couple of undisputed…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 8, 2014 at 2:17pm — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: GEORGE AND JOHN ON THE BBC PT.2 END

Again I remind you this was originally broadcast in 2010, that's why the Math is off.

Moving on to John Lennon in our remembrance of the lives of two men who were a part of something that probably will never happen again, the phenomenon that was the Beatles.

Dec. 8th is the anniversary of John's death.

I'll cherry pick some more from those delightful 1963 BBC Sessions, highlighting John, from Pop Go The…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 2, 2014 at 11:58pm — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: GEORGE AND JOHN ON THE BBC PT.1

This was originally broadcast in 2010, that's why the Math is off.

I don't know why it took me so long to listen to the Beatles BBC Sessions.

Looking for a new approach for this remembrance of the deaths of George Harrison and John Lennon, I finally gave the BBC tapes a shot.

And these selections from 1963 are a JOY, a REVELATION!

Full of humor, they play so many both known and obscure old American Rock & Roll…

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Added by Mike Pell on December 1, 2014 at 12:06am — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: HOME FOR THANKSGIVING 2014 PT.2 END

These Thanksgiving and the Christmas shows are the most fun for me each year.

I like Turkey a lot, and while I don't know what brand the best tasting Turkey is, I am sure you'll agree with me on the best NAMED!

And that will be the first song, having in fact nothing at all to do with Turkey, lol!

More deep cuts in here.

I'll read…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 25, 2014 at 11:28pm — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: HOME FOR THANKSGIVING 2014 PT.1

There are songs I love that are a perfect fit for Thanksgiving, and I could play them every year.

But I don't like to repeat Songs, there are too many that never get played.

So I went deep into the Music Library this year, let's see how that goes.

Once again, I remind you that Thanksgiving is the most heavily traveled time in the U.S.

But that doesn't mean we can't leave the country for Dinner.

Oh, and listen…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 23, 2014 at 11:37pm — 5 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: SONGS THE BEATLES GAVE AWAY PT.2 END

It's another large portion of Songs The Beatles Gave Away.

Played in order of release, and this time from where we left off in 1964 thru 1969.

In those early days, this was done with the encouragement of the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, as they supplied some of their songs to artists also managed by Epstein.

And usually they were friends with John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Artists began clamoring to secure…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 19, 2014 at 12:20am — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: SONGS THE BEATLES GAVE AWAY PT.1

John Lennon and Paul McCartney started writing songs together in the late 1950s and by 1963 were prolific composers.

There were primarily three categories of Beatle Songs that were written but not released by the Beatles:

Recordings by the Beatles that the group tried but ultimately decided not to release.

Lennon–McCartney songs that the Beatles deemed unsuitable for the group at the outset and did not even attempt to…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 17, 2014 at 12:08am — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: INXS PT.2 END

This Encore show from 2006 continues with INXS, a band that featured three brothers- not unusual in Rock & Roll.

They had a nice fusion of Rock and Dance music.

Unfortunately, a series of serious missteps led to the band's downward spiral.

Michael Hutchence was found dead in his Sydney hotel room, the victim of an apparent hanging.

A few others were recruited as Lead Singer, and in 2005 they came up with…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 11, 2014 at 7:59pm — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: INXS PT.1

Another busy week doing voiceovers.

So it's another Encore from 2006.

It's fun and humbling to find and listen to these old shows.

This time Engineer Ken Stanley and I played the Music of the Australian Pub-Rock Band INXS.

If anything, this show is most notable for my inability to say Lead Singer Michael Hutchence's name correctly, lol!

In fact, it was an all-around rough go throughout- sometimes you have…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 10, 2014 at 12:34am — 9 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: DESPERADO PT.2 FINISH

Finishing up the second half of the Eagles' Desperado album, all through this episode Engineer Ken Stanley and I will try to point out a lot of the similarities between the Outlaw and the Rock Star.

Far more than you might expect!

Take a listen to Outlaw Man, and the regrets of Saturday Night.…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 5, 2014 at 4:51pm — 6 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: DESPERADO PT.1

After a very busy week, I had no time for a new show.

I did some digging and found this one that was originally broadcast November 6, 2006.

The Best Concept Album You Probably Haven't Heard!

Years before, Engineer Ken Stanley had told me the Eagles' Desperado LP was a concept album.

I hadn't noticed.

It is a terrific, smart piece of work, and we finally got around to it.

Armed with my own endearing…

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Added by Mike Pell on November 3, 2014 at 12:20am — 4 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: HALLOWEEN 2014 PT.2 END

I did Voodoo, now let's have some Hoodoo!

And again, with all those spells, curses, etc. that we've been concerned with, I must warn you to watch out for Potions.

Do I believe in this stuff?

NO!!!

But the mind is a funny thing!

Trick Or Treat and Happy Halloween everybody!

…

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Added by Mike Pell on October 29, 2014 at 3:58pm — 8 Comments

AFTER THE BASEBALL SERIES, LOL!

Added by Mike Pell on October 28, 2014 at 12:31am — 2 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: HALLOWEEN 2014 PT.1

It’s that scary time of the year again, Halloween.

And time for a Rockollections Theme within a Theme.

Voodoo!

With all the casting spells, curses, dances and everything else that goes with Voodoo.

Always for a good reason of course, lol!

I will bounce through Decades and Genres for the Music in here.

Please join me!

I don't want to be alone,…

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Added by Mike Pell on October 26, 2014 at 11:44pm — 4 Comments