Mike Pell's Blog (1,447)

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.8

More of my Remembrances of the 45th Anniversary of 1967 & The Summer Of Love.

This time a visit to the West Coast and a return to the East Coast, in pursuit of experimental and progressive Rock.

All with the assistance of a couple of, at varying times, very very popular bands!

Simple as that.

No need to write much on a hot, humid August night in New York City.

In fact the humidity is 10 points higher…

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Added by Mike Pell on August 16, 2012 at 2:03am — 6 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.7

I will continue our celebration of a year, 1967, as we go back in time with the help of Mr. Fantasy.

Two title tracks from 1967 albums to begin.

Then I'll talk about something you know or didn't know.

Back in the 60's, albums in England were ordinarily released with 14 tracks on them.

Here in the U.S. it was the custom to have only 12 songs!

So what would happen- for example to Beatle albums- is that the American…

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Added by Mike Pell on August 14, 2012 at 3:54am — 16 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE 113TH HOBOS CONVENTION PT.2 END

Yes, there really is a Hobos Convention, held each year on the second weekend in August in Britt, Iowa- been doing it since 1900.

And I am commemorating it, celebrating these free spirits!

Guess there's a bit of the non-comformist in me...you think,…

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Added by Mike Pell on August 9, 2012 at 1:37am — 15 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE 113TH HOBOS CONVENTION PT.1

"Movin' on, movin' on, movin' on...the steam engines beckoned as they built up momentum heading towards a new horizon, towards an adventure.

Many a man heard that call, when the rules become too hard to take.

This man, born to dream not conform, that man without a job and out of luck - they heard the call, movin' on...movin' on.

Hobos they're called, a word with as many possible origins as there are…

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Added by Mike Pell on August 6, 2012 at 11:40pm — 12 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF...PT.4 END

In this final chapter, I will examine the”supergroup” West, Bruce & Laing.

Jack Bruce coming in from the legendary Cream.

Just 3 years removed from that other “super” teaming of Blind Faith, let’s take a close listen to West, Bruce & Laing, shall we?

I’ll start off with the title track of the LP Why Dontcha?

From a review, “Jack Bruce mixes the blues…

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Added by Mike Pell on August 2, 2012 at 1:08am — 7 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF...PT.3

As we open Part 3, I will dip back into that solo Leslie West album from 1969, back when there was no group called Mountain.

His version of a Bob Dylan song made famous by the Band, and also by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & Trinity as the theme to the British comedy Absolutely Fabulous.

In an attempt to avoid being compared to Cream, the group added a keyboardist.

So we will return to Mountain proper, for a series of…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 31, 2012 at 2:54am — 6 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF...PT.2

Looking at that picture, I confess that these shows were originally called Making A Mountain Out Of A Fat Guy, a rather coarse play on the expression about making one out of a molehill.

That long, unwieldy and insulting title has been shortened.

Guess I have…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 26, 2012 at 12:10am — 17 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF...PT.1

We’ll begin a multi-part exploration of the music of Leslie West and Mountain.

If you are a fan of guitar playing wizardry, you should enjoy this.

Though not having anything on the charts in years, Mountain remains popular in this section of the East Coast.

And to his credit, Mr. West has lost considerable weight in the years since his heyday!

Mountain played hard rock, and were forerunners of Heavy Metal Music.

In the beginning there was no…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 24, 2012 at 2:08am — 18 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.6

Continuing with this year's Summer Series, 1967 AND The Summer Of Love.

And this time out I will go very FM.

I have spoken before about FM Turntable Hits- songs that got a lot of airplay on the Underground Stations but not much in the way of…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 19, 2012 at 2:41am — 22 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.5

Just where did this whole Summer Of Love phenomenon begin back in 1967?

Most people would point to the city I will celebrate in song.

After that, a musical look at what the Soul singers were putting out for our listening…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 17, 2012 at 12:21am — 12 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.4 - MY LAST SHOW AT WLSO

I MUST RELUCTANTLY INFORM YOU THAT THIS IS MY FINAL SHOW AT WLSO.FM!

Moving along with our look at 1967 and The Summer Of Love, not to mention a long look at that cute blonde pictured here, lol!

One of many musical lessons I learned that year was that songs could be Poetry.

They could bring an economical use of words to paint pictures in your…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 12, 2012 at 3:50am — 8 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.3

Two weeks ago, I opened the show with a song about 1967 and The Summer Of Love.

This time I will open with a song about 1967 and The Summer Of Love.

There are quite a few of them.

Last time by a guy named John, this time by a guy named John!

After that, I will pretty much be playing HITS...you read me?...HITS...ME, lol!

Songs that were popular on both the AM and FM sides of the Radio Dial in 1967.

Catch it…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 10, 2012 at 3:55am — 12 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE 4TH OF JULY 2012 PT.2 END

I normally wait a day before putting up the next chapter, but it is now officially the 4th Of July so I thought I'd hurry this one out.

Here's another moment of insight into this Rockollections thing- I had a working idea of how I was going to handle this second half of the show, starting with Schooner Fare and their song, We The People...those being the opening words of the U.S. Constitution.

They mention the Declaration Of…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 4, 2012 at 1:48am — 8 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE 4TH OF JULY 2012 PT.1

I have long had this idea for an opening set for a 4th Of July show, and this year I am finally going to do it!

As you well know, it was July 4, 1776 when we declared our independence from Great Britain.

Much had taken place here in the Colonies since…

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Added by Mike Pell on July 3, 2012 at 2:56am — 6 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.2

I started this 2nd half of the show with a song I thought of because of the weather.

Hint: It was 98 degrees out, lol!

With the always comforting Temperature Humidity Index stat, it was well over 100!…

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Added by Mike Pell on June 28, 2012 at 12:56am — 8 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: 1967 AND THE SUMMER OF LOVE PT.1

If pressed on it, I am sure everyone has a favorite year.

Mine is 1967...and I am calling the series 1967 AND The Summer Of Love so as not to limit myself to only songs that were out in that Summer, but anything released throughout that year.

It is my favorite year because I was just the right impressionable age, and I had not a care in the world...my parents did, lol!

The Music was changing, no…

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Added by Mike Pell on June 26, 2012 at 1:02am — 6 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL PT.4 FINAL

We’ll open up with some more about that groundbreaking sound system developed for the concert.

Then it is off to Janis!

I can still remember the first time I heard Ms. Joplin.

I had never heard a woman…I had never heard ANYONE sing like that!

That VOICE! It was amazing, and I totally flipped over it!

From the album Cheap Thrills with Big Brother & The Holding Company, we’ll hear the classic Ball And Chain.…

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Added by Mike Pell on June 21, 2012 at 2:22am — 7 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL PT.3

Heading back out west for the Monterey Pop Festival in the Summer Of Love 1967, let’s have some Buffalo Springfield.

The best way to have your buffalo!

Monterey was full of firsts. The first multi-cultural concert, with both established and new acts.

It was Jimi Hendrix’s first exposure here, and the first racially mixed, primarily white, audience for Otis Redding- who became a Pop Sensation as a result.

But most…

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Added by Mike Pell on June 18, 2012 at 10:53pm — 12 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL PT.2

I remind you, these shows are from 2007, so every time I say 40 years just think 45!

We continue our travel back to Monterey, California in the year 1967.

The Monterey Pop Festival was the model for all future festivals- and in terms of pure innocence none came close.

And it was a BENEFIT concert, with all proceeds STILL all these years later being contributed to the recipients.

This time, I’ve got some Canned Heat (who I…

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Added by Mike Pell on June 14, 2012 at 1:50am — 9 Comments

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL PT.1

I should point out that these shows are from 2007, so every time I say 40 years just think 45, lol!

The idea for this series was inspired by Uncle Shag of the Longtown Sound Podcast, when he just happened to send me some music from the Festival I had never heard before.

It turns out that this weekend marks the anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival, held June 16-18, 1967.

Now to give you some perspective, this was the…

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Added by Mike Pell on June 12, 2012 at 1:48pm — 6 Comments