Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band: Concert Review!

Last Sunday night, I was overwhelmed by peace and love. That's because I saw Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band live at the Met in Philadelphia. I was originally going to see the group back in June, but the concert got postponed due to Covid. And so, last Sunday was quite the crazy day. I was trying desperately to keep up with the Giants game as I entered Philadelphia. I witnessed their insane comeback and last-second win, to the point where I saw the very end of the game right as I was entering the venue! It was really hard to hide my excitement! But, I knew there would be plenty more to be excited for. Here's what I thought of the concert.

Ringo still fairly energetic as an 82-year old

You wonder how much an aged rock star has still "got it". To me, Ringo still (mostly) has it. Now, he had his share of senior moments. He messed up the lyrics on "Boys", but perhaps that's because he had to hearken back to 1963 Ringo for that one. And he left the stage midway through the concert for about 15 minutes, calling it a "musical magical moment". But really, it was probably just that he needed a break. But the truth is, he was great behind the kit, great on vocals, and very engaged with the audience. He even did jumping jacks at the end of the show, making me question whether this was truly an 82-year old man I was witnessing! But the truth of the matter is, Ringo is kept young at heart by his healthy vegetarian diet, and his mantra of peace and love.

Ringo being Ringo.

Edgar Winter: Keyboard Wizard

Despite my love for Ringo, we all know he was the least talented member of The Beatles. Well, despite his legendary status, the "least talented" label may still be true when comparing him to his All-Star bandmates! With his long white hair and raspy voice, Edgar Winter certainly did a lot to steal the show. He was absolutely killing it on the keyboard, as his fingers moved rapidly up and down the instrument. He played his #1 hit "Frankenstein", which was taken from the top position of the charts by "My Love" in 1973. "Frankenstein" was quite the neat instrumental. Winter also played some saxophone and did some singing, though it was his keyboard playing that was truly excellent.

Edgar "Keyboard Jesus" Winter in his natural state.

Toto Was in the House

The most famous non-Beatles song that was played that night was undoubtedly "Africa" by Toto. The song was a #1 hit in the US in 1983. Steve Lukather, the band's lead guitarist, was rocking the house when he was playing this famous song. In fact, he introduced "Africa" by saying, "You probably know this song". And when the audience heard those opening notes, they confirmed his assumption! Other famous songs by the group that were on the setlist included "Rosanna" and "Hold The Line". Needless to say, it was refreshing to hear some classic songs that I recognized from 99.9 The Hawk.

Steve Lukather, guitarist for Ringo and Toto.

An Awesome Drum Solo... But not from Ringo!

There needed to be a man behind the kit when Ringo took center stage and sang. That honor belonged to Gregg Bissonette. But Bissonette had quite the interesting solo midway through the concert. This was the part of the show when Ringo left to create a "magical musical moment", and perhaps this was the most magical moment during Ringo's absence! That's because Gregg Bissonette put together an incredible medley of various famous drumming parts. That of course included many drum parts from Beatles songs, including "Ticket to Ride", "Tomorrow Never Knows", and "Come Together". Would it have been cooler if Ringo played it? Sure. But Bissonette is a spring chicken compared to Ringo at just 63 years old, and his juice behind the kit was noticeable.

Greg Bissonette, the second-most famous drummer in Ringo's band.

The Best Singer: Definitely Colin Hay

Representing the band Men at Work, Colin Hay stole the show as the best singer in this supergroup. Hay was born in Scotland, but his band formed in Australia. He was definitely not the most notably Scottish person on the stage, as that honor belonged to Hamish Stuart (you can tell by the name, can't you?). But anyway, Colin Hay put in some work singing "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now". Interestingly, "Down Under" was a #1 hit in 1983 right before "Africa" was. Ringo has quite the all-star cast from 39 years ago! And with "Who Can It Be Now", Edgar Winter did a great job playing the iconic sax line.

Colin Hay, the second-most Scottish man on stage.

Okay, so what songs did Ringo do?

Well, I left the key question until the end. What songs did Ringo do from his time with The Beatles? Well, most of them! He opened with "Matchbox", an underrated Carl Perkins cover from his Beatles days that Robert and I really wanted to see. He introduced "What Goes On" as the only "Lennon-McCartney-Starr" song, and it's true... Ringo actually has a songwriting credit on that one! He did my favorite Ringo Beatles song, "Octopus's Garden". I was lucky to see it, as apparently Ringo didn't have it in his setlist until this year! And while I'm usually opposed to having phones out to record at a concert, I had to capture some of that moment to look back on. He of course did his most famous Beatles song, "Yellow Submarine". The audience was singing along quite excitedly to that simple but great tune. 

Ringo with his Yellow Submarine sidekick.

And the 82-year old man still had some of that playboy attitude about him, that's for sure! He was calling women in the audience "baby", which I suppose you get away with when you're Ringo.  I suppose you get away with it when you have random people shouting out "We love you Ringo!" after each song. Not only that, Ringo had quite the interesting dedication for one of his early and lesser known Beatles song. He said, "This is for all the young girls out in the audience... it's called I Wanna Be Your Man." And while "I Wanna Be Your Man" was decidedly missing Paul and John backing Ringo on vocals, it was still a spirited performance. Two of Ringo's famous solo songs got the audience going, "It Don't Come Easy", as well as "Photograph". Though, I was surprised Ringo didn't dedicated "Photograph" to the recently deceased Queen. Especially considering he did that for George Harrison after he died. The grand finale for the show was a medley of "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Give Peace a Chance". He put up a double peace sign, and at the very end he had the audience chanting "Peace and love! Peace and love!". Quite a moving experience. And overall, quite a great concert.

There's the current lineup. Past members include Levon Helm and Billy Preston, both of whom I would have loved to see.

Send Me Some Lovin! Looking at 5 Different Versions of the Same Song

A few weeks back, I looked at The Chirpin' Crickets album, and gave it a very positive review. One song I noted on there was "Send Me Some Lovin", as I said that John Lennon tried to impersonate Holly when he made his cover version. But after further research, I think Lennon was probably more trying to impersonate Little Richard. Because as it turns out, Little Richard was the first one to record this song! And he was far from the only person, as this song has been recorded by Brenda Lee, Dean Martin, Stevie Wonder, Hank Williams Jr, Otis Redding, and Gene Vincent. And we're not even looking at any of their versions today! Instead, we'll look at the Little Richard original, as well as four from some of my other favorite artists. I was surprised by how many truly great artists recorded this song. 

Version #1: Little Richard, 1957

It's certainly a slower tempo song for Little Richard, and the same can be said for the song's A-side, "Lucille". It's still not exactly a slow-jam though, as the saxophone still keeps a steady, rockin' beat. And though Little Richard doesn't start out in his usual fortissimo vocals, he's still in mezzo forte mode. There's just no way that man could sing at any level of quiet! And rest assured, he goes straight into the screaming when the song goes to "Can't you send me your kisses, I still feel their touch!" It's this chorus that puts the distinctive Little Richard stamp on this song. So does the saxophone. I think I've found a competitor for "Keep a Knockin" when it comes to my favorite song from this flamboyant man.

Little Richard, in his natural state.

Version #2: Buddy Holly, 1957

A more mellowed out version of this song can be found from Buddy Holly, the man who I suppose has inspired 2 out of the last 3 articles on this blog. He is joined by call and response vocals from his backing group, The Picks. Now I know what you're thinking, his backing group was the Crickets. Well, as it turned out, he had a separate backing group for vocals! And I must say, The Picks add quite the sentimental value to this song. Much like Little Richard, Buddy puts extra emphasis on the feel during the chorus, though he does so with Texas twang and maybe not as much raw passion. Whereas Little Richard's version felt like a pure rock 'n roll song, Buddy's definitely had elements of rockabilly (of course) but also a bit of doo wop.

The Picks weren't credited for their work until 1987. I'm not even sure that's a legit picture of them in the top right corner.

Version 3: Sam Cooke, 1963

Here we have by far the most lush version of the song so far. It goes straight for the Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You" route, with orchestration and a backing chorus. Sam doesn't start the song, his backing chorus actually does. Undoubtedly, this song is pretty, but it's lacking some of the guts that Little Richard and Buddy Holly's versions did. I'm just not sure if the posh arrangement is the best way for this song to be done. Still, Sam's vocals make the version worth listening to. He adds his new spin and style on the song compared to the ones we've reviewed so far. For example, he sings "send it, I-I-I-I pray", adding extra emphasis there! And that's a technique we're going to see copied by the next artist on the list.

This comes from Sam's Mr. Soul album, which I am not too familiar with.

Version #4: The Persuasions, 1973

There's some gold that's worth digging for, even if you can't find it on Spotify. My music-streaming service of choice has nearly all the Persuasions albums I want, but for some reason... it still ain't got no band! Yes, The Persuasions 1973 album "We Still Ain't Got No Band" is one I've only recently listened to in full. I am impressed by many of the songs, including "Love You Most Of All" (a Sam Cooke song), "Dance With Me", and one I already knew... "Good Old Acapella". But what drew me to this album? Well, it was "Send Me Some Lovin" of course! I showed my Dad the Buddy Holly version, and he said, "You know who sings this song... The Peruasions!". So, we found it on YouTube, and there you go. As I noted, Jerry's vocals are based somewhat on the Sam Cooke version. But instead of the over-produced orchestra, we get The Persuasions awesome backing vocals. Unfortunately, all the versions of this song on YouTube are on crackled records. Spotify, I expect a clean version of this song soon!

I was amazed there was prime Persuasions songs out there that I hadn't listened to yet!

Version #5: John Lennon, 1975

Our final version comes from a man I have hailed as my favorite vocalist of all time. By the way, all five of these artists made my "Musical Mount Rushmore" article, too. So they're all kinda a big deal! Anyway,  in this case "Send Me Some Lovin" was part of a medley with "Bring It On Home To Me". There we go brining up Sam Cooke again! As a matter of fact, Lennon's version suffers from the same problem that Sam Cooke's version does. It's overproduced... so yeah, it only makes sense that Phil Spector was behind this one. Like Little Richard, it has the saxophone blasting in the back, but the arrangement for Little Richard's original was much more bare-bones. And I like it that way. Still, like Sam Cooke, John Lennon redeems this song with a tremendous vocal performance. After all, even before Buddy Holly, this is where I first heard this song!

If it wasn't for Phil Spector's complex arrangements, this might be my favorite John Lennon album. 

So, this rock 'n roll classic, co-written by John S. Marascalso and and Leo Price, went on to be covered by so many of my favorite artists. And I didn't even know it until a few days ago. Do you have a favorite version of this song? Let me know in the comments. And before I go, let's quick do a power ranking, rating these versions from my least favorite to favorite. Though please do note, I like all 5 of them.

#5: Sam Cooke

#4: John Lennon

#3: Little Richard

#2: Buddy Holly

#1: The Persuasions

My 15 Favorite Doo Wop Groups: In Honor of the 40th Lead East!

Lead East in Parsippany, New Jersey is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. I'm going there this Saturday to enjoy some classic cars and good 'ol doo wop music. So, I thought it would only be fitting for today's blog to be about some of the very best doo wop groups from that 50s/60s era. In no particular order, here are 15 of my very favorite doo wop groups.

The Ink Spots

I think it's fair to say there's no doo wop without The Ink Spots. I know I just said at the beginning that this list would be about groups from the 50s/60s era, but The Ink Spots were the original masters of the craft in the 30s/40s. Bill Kenny's beautiful tenor vocals took them to great heights on songs like "If I Didn't Care" and "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". Meanwhile, bassman Hoppy Jones would often sing/talk the bridge, pleading with a certain "honey child". You can argue they don't belong on this list, maybe because they start every song with the exact same guitar riff, or maybe because they're only proto-doo wop. But I argue their place in doo wop history is unquestionable.

Here is the group in 1936. True doo wop OGs.

The Drifters

When I put them on the list, I talk mostly of the Clyde McPhatter-era Drifters. He was with the Drifters for one turbulent year, though the group that formed in 1953 is still technically around today. "Save The Last Dance For Me" and "Under The Boardwalk" are oldies classics, but neither are comparable to "Money Honey". Still, Clyde was with the group for such a short time, that his sound-a-like replacement Johnny Moore doesn't get enough credit. He actually sang songs like "Ruby Baby", "Adorable", and "Fools Fall In Love". I'll be honest, I thought Clyde recorded many of these songs before I did my research. Still, I know he was on the legendary recording of "White Christmas" that featured bassman Bill Pinkney.

The '53 Drifters, with Clyde McPhatter front and center.

The Rivieras

If you look up "The Rivieras" on Google, you get some little known surf rock band that was from South Bend, Indiana of all places. That's not the group that's on this list! Instead, The Rivieras I'm focusing on are an underrated doo wop quartet that featured Homer Dunn on lead vocals. The group had a unique blend of street-corner harmony and classy pop orchestration. This is clearly seen on their rendition of the classic song "Moonlight Cocktails", one of their very best. They also do quite the cover of "Count Every Star". And if you're looking for an unheralded uptempo song, "Refrigerator" is a good bet. Brrrrrr!!!

These guys should not be forgotten.

The Five Satins

When I was about eight years old, I fantasized about marrying my first crush. And I knew the perfect wedding song, which was "To The Aisle" by The Five Satins. It's one of doo wop's most beautiful gems, with Fred Paris singing so tenderly on lead vocals. Almost as great as "To The Aisle" is "Wonderful Girl". But in popular lore, both of these songs get overshadowed by perhaps doo wop's most famous song, "In The Still of the Night". But the truth is, that song is simply not the best this group has to offer. Another song better than that famous classic would be "Shadows".

Respect to the guy in the group wearing the cool glasses.

Little Anthony and the Imperials

Much like The Drifters, this group are bona fide Rock 'N Roll Hall of Famers. They were one of the only doo wop groups that was still successful in the mid 60s, with songs like "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad". Though, those songs are arguably more soul than doo wop, as the group pivoted to a more popular style. So if you want true doo wop songs from the Imperials, you could go with the 1958 classic "Tears on My Pillow". But for me, their two truly underrated gems are the uptempo "Traveling Stranger", and the beautiful slow jam "Wishful Thinking". Just don't listen to "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop".

Also worth checking out is "Those Fires Burn No More", when Little Anthony was with The Chesters.

The Five Discs

Of all the groups on this list, The Five Discs are probably the most unapologetically street corner. And that's why you gotta love 'em! "Never Let You Go" is their most notable record in my opinion, as with its goofy bass and shrieking falsetto to open the song, it's sure to be a song you won't forget. But you know what else is memorable? Probably their song "My Chinese Girl", which is definitely not meant for a 2022 audience. I've heard my share of racist old records, but that one might take the cake for most politically incorrect. And we also can't forget "I Remember", a song that uses "mmm bat" to create its harmony.

"My Chinese Girl" is not for the faint of heart.

The Marcels

In 1961, The Marcels brought doo wop to #1 on the pop charts with their cover of the standard "Blue Moon". Of the overplayed doo wop songs, I gotta say this is still one of my favorites and not one I get sick of. But we can't overlook Blue Moon's B-side, the beautiful "Goodbye To Love". Still, I think uptempo songs were more the Marcels' speciality. "Heartaches", a song that charted at #7 is proof of that. Bass singer Fred Johnson had quite the memorable performance there, needless to say. But my favorite song from this  group will probably always be "Flower Pot", how could it not be?

The white members of the group left after touring in the Deep South, as the group encountered problems given that they were multiracial.

The Platters

If the Five Discs went to the extreme with street corner sound, The Platters did just the opposite, blending pop and doo wop together in a more polished sound. Perhaps doo wop fans aren't the biggest fans of this, seeing that only 3 of their songs made UGHA's Top 500 doo wop songs list (despite the group's enormous popularity). But The Platters' sound was doo wop enough in my opinion, with fantastic songs like "The Great Pretender" and "My Prayer". Tony Williams was a virtuoso as a lead vocalist, and his backing vocalists certainly let him be the star of the show. In any case, these guys (and girl) are a worthy group in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame.

The last note in "My Prayer" is an otherworldly experience.

The Crests

We go from one group with a virtuoso lead singer to another. In fact, he was not just a virtuous, he was a maestro. Yes, Johnny Mastrangelo (later Johnny Maestro) is one of doo wop's greatest singers. He is most well-known beyond the doo wop sphere for "16 Candles". But this interracial group had much more than that, with songs like "My Juanita" and "Six Nights a Week" being major favorites at Lead East (and deservedly so). My favorite Crests song is probably "Step by Step", an uptempo and exciting song about "finding the perfect plan for love". 

The group was composed of two African-Americans, one Puerto Rican, and an Italian (you can probably guess who that is).

Norman Fox and the Rob Roys

We've talked a fair bit about interracial groups so far, but this Bronx group that formed in 1956 was one of the earliest. With three white and two black singers, this group wasn't just progressive, they were really good. "Tell Me Why" is a fantastic uptempo song. A decent cover was made by The Belmonts later on and it was more successful on the charts, but don't kid yourselves... the original is better. "Pizza Pie" is a nostalgic classic for me, it reminds me of getting pizza from Sicily's as a kid. But perhaps the Rob Roys' best song is their slow jam "Dream Girl", one of the most underrated doo wop songs in my opinion.

I have seen Norman Fox (here at the bottom) at Lead East before.

The Coasters

These guys were the true goofballs of the doo wop world, and as a result, they haven't earned much respect in doo wop circles. If The Platters were too polished, The Coasters weren't serious enough, as they got zero songs on UGHA's Top 500 list. Despite this, I will stick by many of their fun novelty songs, including "Down in Mexico" and "Along Came Jones". Back when the Coasters were The Robins, they recorded "Smokey Joe's Cafe", which is absolutely one of my favorites. And "Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart" disproves the notion that The Coasters were just clowns, as bassman Dub Jones sings a beautiful slow jam on that record.

They were inducted in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame before The Beatles. Look it up.

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

Here's another Rock HOF group, with their greatest hit undoubtedly being "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". It's absolutely iconic, and no, I don't get tired of it. But my favorite song from this group is "I Want You To Be My Girl"... in any case, both songs are also notable for their killer sax solos. And of course, they are notable for the youthful energy that Frankie Lymon carried. Lymon was unfortunately quite the troubled rock 'n roll star, and later died at the young age of 25. But while they were still around, this group made an undeniable impact on the doo wop and rock 'n roll world (they were a favorite of Alan Freed).

"The ABCs of Love" is also great.

The Paragons

This street corner group was blessed with quite the lead singer in Julius McMichael. His distinctive falsetto can be found on a trio of classics that are quite popular in doo wop circles, "Florence", "Let's Start All Over Again", and "Twilight". All three of these songs are fantastic, and part of why I will be playing The Paragons Meet The Jesters album on my upcoming Awesome Albums show. But McMichael wasn't the group's lead singer for very long, and they have solid songs without him. The most notable of those is "So You Will Know", an unheralded gem that is beloved by true doo wop aficionados.

If you search up The Paragons, you get a group from Kingston, Jamaica. Not these guys!

The Moonglows

Harvey Fuqua was absolutely smooth on lead vocals. And Prentiss Barnes was an awesome bass, notable for his call and response in "The Ten Commandments of Love". The Moonglows are in the Rock and Roll HOF, and for good reason. "Sincerely" is their greatest hit commercially, later famously covered by The McGuire Sisters. "When I'm With You" is another beautiful slow jam, but their best song is "Most Of All". "Most Of All" is a Top-10 all time doo wop song, a true masterpiece. They dabbled in uptempto stuff with "See Saw" and "Hey Santa Claus", but slower songs were their speciality.

I assumed Harvey was front and center, but it's actually Billy Johnson rocking the guitar and epic glasses... Harvey is on the far right.

 

The Harptones

I've raved about them plenty on this blog, but that's because they were truly the best. They had all the ingredients of a great doo wop group. They had a virtuoso lead in Willie Winfield, a tremendous bass in Billy Brown, and super tight backing vocalists. But perhaps the greatest key to their great sound was Raoul Cita, piano player, songwriter, and arranger. It was he who penned songs like "Life Is But a Dream" and "My Memories Of You", songs that are indeed quite memorable! I still contend "A Sunday Kind of Love", their original recording, is their greatest. In any case, Cita may have been one of the first doo wop arrangers, and knew how to make Winfield shine. 

The GOATs.

Well, that's my opinion, which doo wop groups would make your all time favorite list? Just because I love so many, there has to be a few honorable mentions to conclude this post:

-Dion and the Belmonts

-The Ravens

-The Jesters

-Lee Andrews and the Hearts

-The Court Jesters

Album Review: Buddy Holly's "Chirping" Crickets

As I've had some time to settle down the last week and a half, I've listened to more LPs in contention for my upcoming "Awesome Albums" show. Some had great harmonies, like 1960's "It's Everly Time" or 1970s's "Close to You". Willie Nelson's 1978 album of pop standards, "Stardust", truly makes you feel at ease. You can tell Willie was stoned the whole time he was recording it. And The Temptations' "Cloud Nine" had some powerful and timely psychedelic soul music in 1969. But, for the album that has impressed me the most as of late... you'd have to go back to 1957, when the LP format was in its infancy. You'd have to go to Buddy Holly, a true rock 'n roll legend. Because in my opinion, The "Chirping" Crickets deserves its status as one of the first truly great albums. So let's talk about it.

Already starts with an awesome album cover.

The album opens with arguably its strongest track, "Oh Boy!". Buddy grabs you right away with "All of my love, all of my kissing, you don't know what you've been missing!". His vocals are pure balls for the entire two minutes. The charisma he has is reminiscent of The Beatles, and I don't say that lightly. But, The Beatles were truly influenced by The Crickets. In fact, every band that came after The Crickets was influenced by the two guitars, one bass, and one drummer format. "Oh Boy!" and the following track "Not Fade Away" feature the Crickets backing Buddy up with some vocal harmonies. On "Not Fade Away", we hear them chirp in with "bop, bop, bop, bop". It's ridiculously simple, yet very effective and catchy.

With his fabulous curls, this is probably Buddy's most famous picture.

Then we get into the Buddy tracks I hadn't heard of before, and I was honestly surprised by the lack of filler. The tracks that come after the famous ones... they're still good! "You've Got Love" again shows the swag that Buddy had as a lead singer, for lack of a better word. He sings the line, "You've got me in a spin, I like the spin I'm in". And he delivers it with a cheekiness that honestly reminds me of Bon Scott. The guitar sound on the song, again, is reminiscent of those early British invasion bands. Then we get to another earworm song in "Maybe Baby". This one is a little more famous because it was in "The Buddy Holly Story". In any case, the album opens up with four short but very strong songs.

Buddy looks like a certain someone in this picture.

Then we have a weaker track in "It's Too Late". It's a slower ballad type that uses the doo wop progression, but this wasn't Buddy's wheelhouse. He mentions in the song how hurt he is by his woman, but how "it's a weak man that cries". Needless to say, this 50s view of masculinity hasn't aged well in my opinion. Our first filler song, but it's not terrible. Buddy gets back to his wheelhouse with track #6 in "Tell Me How". The whole pleading and begging with a woman reminds me of Beatles' songs like "Ask Me Why" or "Tell Me Why". It's a strong track for the Crickets' backing band, as Jerry Allison has a neat drum break in the middle of the song. By the way, Allison is the only surviving original Cricket, and is now 82 years old.

Here is Jerry Allison, The Crickets' drummer.

Then we flip the album over to side two, and it's another Buddy classic in "That'll Be The Day". There's actually two versions of this record that get played a lot. The first comes from Buddy's time at Decca, where he recorded a high-pitched version of the song, as he truly pushed his upper register. That was the first version of the song I heard, until I listened to Andrew Hickey's podcast "A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs". He played me the other version of "That'll Be The Day", wherein Buddy's voice is much lower. I didn't like it as much at first, but now I recognize that it sounds better without him straining his voice. In any case, both versions of the song are great, as "That'll Be The Day" is a true rock 'n roll classic. I mean, it has to be when it's the very first song The Beatles recorded! Next up is "I'm Looking For Someone To Love", an upbeat little ditty, but nothing too memorable there.

The Crickets look particularly dapper here.

Okay, so I stand by upbeat songs being more Buddy's strength. But that being said, "An Empty Cup (And A Broken Date)" is a pretty memorable track. The name alone captures your attention. Buddy talks of having his heart broke at a drive-in, and all he has to show for it is an empty coke bottle. "Just like this coke, my love is gone", he says. And The Crickets chirp in, following most lines in the song with perfect call and response precision. And they sound exactly like you'd imagine the backing singers in a sad 50s song to sound like. Next up is "Send Me Some Lovin", another slowish song with some doo wop vibes. It's a song that builds up in intensity, as Buddy really hammers home the feel in "Send me your kisses, I can feel their touch". Consequently, John Lennon did the exact same thing when he covered the song for his 1975 Rock 'N Roll album.

Buddy has underrated songs as well as famous hits on this album.

"Last Night" is yet another slow jam, as this album tended to follow the traditional format of more slow songs being on the flip side. There was 3 slow songs on side 2, compared to just 1 on side 1. In any case, "Last Night" is just okay. But the finale, "Rock Me My Baby", is quite exciting. It's a short and rollicking song that features such genius lyrics as "rock-a-like-a-hickory-dickory-dock, rock-a-bye my baby". And if you think me calling that "genius" is tongue-in-cheek, just listen to the song and tell me you don't enjoy it. You can't. So concludes the fantastic debut album from Buddy Holly, and the only album ever credited to just "The Crickets" during Buddy's lifetime.

It wasn't just Buddy... the Crickets were quite the influential band.

As you know, Buddy Holly died tragically young. He was 22 years old, 2 years older than me, just married, and had his whole life ahead of him. He could easily still be alive today, but died one fateful day in 1959. Rock 'n roll music is full of tragic tales, but maybe none as tragic as Holly's. Imagine what he could've contributed as rock 'n roll shifted to rock music. And yet, despite his short life, he still contributed so much. He recorded around 90 songs. His backing band, The Crickets, went on to influence all the rock artists that came after them. While Buddy is obviously the star of the show, I shouldn't ignore bassist Joe B. Maudin, rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan, and the aforementioned drummer Jerry Allison. Together, they created something special in 1957. They created what will probably be the earliest album I play on "Graeme's Awesome Albums".

10 Most Overplayed Songs on Classic Rock Radio

Ah yes, a somewhat controversial topic for this week's blog... what songs on the radio are overplayed? Well, I'm attempting to answer this question from the perspective of a 99.9 The Hawk listener. They have roughly 100 songs that are in constant rotation. As you know with my radio show, I try to add a little more variety than that. Most of the songs they overplay are indeed good, so this article isn't about me hating on these songs. Rather, it's me hating on hearing them all the damn time. So, it isn't about overrated classic rock music, it's about overplayed classic rock (though the two can overlap). Also, though I mostly am gathering this list from listening to one station, I'm sure you may have similar experiences. So without further ado, here are the 10 most overplayed songs on classic rock radio.

Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses

With its iconic opening guitar riff, this 1988 hard rock song has now become synonymous with classic rock stations. The stations like "Welcome to the Jungle", sure, but this is certainly their favorite hit from Appetite for Destruction. I personally prefer "Welcome to the Jungle", as Slash's riffs can kinda get repetitive with this song. Like most other songs on the list, I must clarify that I do indeed like this song. But hearing that opening riff a million times has conditioned me to like it a little less.

99.9 The Hawk has an appetite for overplayed songs.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Again, this is no act of blasphemy, I do indeed like this song! It's a fantastic song. But especially after the movie, wasn't this song maybe just a little... overplayed? It's a fair question to ask. When I was younger, they used to play one of my favorite Queen songs, "Fat Bottomed Girls" a lot. Now, I hardly ever hear it... because they're playing Bohemian Rhapsody! I've discussed the genius of this song before on this blog, a true multi-sectional masterpiece. But there are simply other Queen songs I enjoy more than this one.

It's become iconic... maybe too iconic?

Piano Man by Billy Joel

If you're a classic rock station, you either overplay "Piano Man", or the cheesy 80s Billy Joel stuff. I already covered why mid-late 70s Billy Joel is his peak, as they don't play that material nearly enough! "Piano Man" is a lovely tune, and it surely has me singing along every time. It's probably one of the songs on this list that I least mind being overplayed, especially being the 70s Billy Joel fan that I am. But c'mon, can't they mix in "The Stranger" or "New York State of Mind" every now and then?

It's '9 o clock on a Saturday...

You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC

Now this one I certainly don't like being overplayed on classic rock stations. In a previous article, I expressed disgust at how this was chosen as the only AC/DC song for RS's Top 500 songs list. It's not even the best song on that album! Play "Shoot to Thrill" or "Hells Bells" more often, how about that? And while we're at it, let's address the lack of Bon Scott AC/DC (you know, when they had their best lead singer). Sure, they'll play "T.N.T." or "Highway to Hell". But they never have the balls to play "Big Balls".

They need to play more pure Bon Scott AC/DC.

Come Together by The Beatles

Of course as a Beatles fan I like this song. But the reason I'm upset at my local classic rock station is, well... this seems to be the only Beatles song they play! Sure, it's a classic that starts off the amazing Abbey Road album. And it's also Ringo's favorite Beatles song, for what that's worth. But this is the only Beatles song you play? Look, I know 99.9 the Hawk fashions itself as a 70s and 80s station, but don't be afraid to go back to "Twist and Shout" if you need to. There's so many great Beatles songs, and this is literally the only one they play. Oh, and if they're not playing The Beatles' version... they're playing the Aerosmith version, which is worse.

And let's be real, there's plenty of better songs on this album.

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison

This song isn't as drastically overplayed as it was when I was younger, and I think I have an explanation. As classic rock pivots more towards 70s and 80s music, this 1967 soft rock classic loses favor. But, that certainly doesn't mean you don't hear it anymore. Van Morrison made one hell of a career out of this song, as I can't exactly tell you another song by him. It's certainly a sweet song that evokes youthful nostalgia. But it's also a song I'm glad to hear be less overplayed, however slow that process may be.

Van Morrison is part of the Del Shannon club in the Rock HOF (got in on one song).

Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie

This collaboration of rock 'n roll legends is amazing... -ly over played. Look, I get the love for this song, but it's in peak overplay mode right now. With the somewhat recent Queen movie and somewhat recent death of David Bowie, the love for these artists has never been stronger. As a result, I heard "Under Pressure" on 99.9 the Hawk twice in one day last week. There's no way that should be happening...that little variety in one day? Again, plenty of other Queen or David Bowie songs you could play instead.

I can't deny this song is great... I also can't deny that there's other songs besides it.

Dream On by Aerosmith

Of all the overplayed songs on my list, this one may be my favorite. I love the insane high notes that Steven Tyler hits at the end of it. It's a solid classic rock anthem, no doubt about it. But much like with other songs on this list, it makes me wonder if hearing it played all the time makes me like it less. Sure, the station likes "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Walk this Way" just fine. But if it were up to them, they'd just rotate between "Dream On" and "Under Pressure" constantly and call it a day.

Steven Tyler proved that unlike today, talent mattered more than looks back then.

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

I saved the last two for the truly overplayed and overrated territory. How this 8-minute song that mostly rambles on became Led Zeppelin's signature tune, I'll never know. Yes, the hard rock section at the end is awesome, but it takes forever to build up to that. They could've spared me the many minutes of sleepy boredom. So I've made it clear with this opinion that I'm not the hugest Led Zeppelin fan, but I do really like "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll", and "When the Levee Breaks" from this album. I'd say to play those songs the next time you want to play "Stairway to Heaven".

Seriously, "When the Levee Breaks" should be played, I never hear it on the radio.

Free Fallin' by Tom Petty

Tom Petty is another one of those artists that I think has seen a boost in his airplay since his passing. And now, the classic rock stations just won't back down. But anyway, "Free Fallin" seems to be the one they like the most. One simply hears it all the time. Listen, I just don't think Tom Petty was that talented of a singer. He comes in on the Traveling Wilburys' song "Handle With Care", and you can just hear how he isn't George Harrison or Roy Orbison. I hate to break the heart of any Tom Petty fans with this take.

Tom Petty (left) is a Traveling Wilbury in this picture.

So, as a conclusion to this article, I offer you the 10 most underplayed songs on classic rock radio. Y'know, songs we should be hearing more often, but don't!

-The Weight by The Band

-Revolution by The Beatles

-Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin

-All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

-Turn Turn Turn by The Byrds (there's no 60s love anymore)

-Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel

-Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey by Paul McCartney

-Princes of the Universe by Queen

-Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

-And... Anything by The Beach Boys

7 Great YouTube Channels For Beatles Fans

We're well into the 21st century, and Beatlemania lives on. And no, it doesn't just live on because of my cultish devotion. Rather, it's the devotion of millions of fans around the world, many of whom have started fantastic YouTube channels. Of the 7 channels I'm about to show you, all 7 have content that focuses a good deal, or almost exclusively on The Beatles. And for various reasons, all 7 of them have made an impact on me, The Beatles fan and viewer. So if you want some good channels to bolster your Beatles fandom, you've come to the right place. Without further ado, let's get started!

David Bennett Piano

As his YouTube name suggests, David Bennett is a full-fledged musician and piano player. His music theory knowledge far exceeds mine, as he gives detailed explanations of exactly why we like the music that we do. He has videos detailing famous chord progressions that are often repeated in Western pop music, including the famous 50s doo wop progression. But as for his Beatles content, how about recreating "I am the Walrus" entirely from scratch? If you know anything about the Shakespeare section in that song, you will really appreciate what Bennett did with his recreation. He has some Beatles videos that aren't easily accessible to people who don't know music theory, such as his complex "7 levels of reharmonizing Eleanor Rigby". But, he can appeal to a more popular audience as well, as he recently answered Beatles questions while touring Liverpool. 

If you want to know the "science" behind The Beatles, this Brit knows his stuff.

The Beatles Vocal Harmony

This Italian YouTuber is named Galeazzo Frudua, and he has a special talent for recreating Beatles songs. In particular, he recreates the mysteries behind their beautiful harmonies. If you've ever wanted to hear the individual harmony parts of a Beatles song, this is the right place. You can hear exactly what those Paul high notes were on a song, or the mysterious harmonies George sang that added depth to so many of their songs. A prime example of a song he does this on is "Anna (Go to Him)", an underrated gem from the Beatles' debut album. Frudua emphasizes vocal technique, and teaches how to sing the songs in his videos as well. Despite being somewhat of a singer myself, I don't try to recreate Frudua's tracks in the way he does, as hearing him sing these songs almost perfectly is quite humbling. And if you're more into the instrumental side of things, Frudua has you covered, too. He uploaded a video on how the seemingly simple strumming pattern in "Mull of Kintyre" is more complicated than you think.

Frudua is the most talented Beatles cover artist I've heard on YouTube

Canadian Studmuffin

Let's be honest, we're all into Top 10 lists. Well, our man Larry Graves has us covered there. As his YouTube name suggests, Graves is Canadian. And he's not afraid to tell us all aboot his Beatles opinions, going as far as ranking every Beatles song from worst to best in one of his videos. He has also talked about each individual album, ranking each song from worst to best there. Here's an example of that for "Revolver". He also now collaborates with his girlfriend Molly, and the couple is quite cute together. The 64-year old is a true classic rocker, and reviews plenty of other artists on his channel besides The Beatles. One other interesting thing about Graves is his almost-whispery voice that he does each video in, it's almost soothing in a Bob Ross way. So I guess it only makes sense that he has an ASMR channel.

He is also quite a goofball.

Call Me Caroline

Much like David Bennett, Caroline is also a piano player and musician. She goes by the stage name Cazza, and has a beautiful voice. But it's the Aussie's upbeat personality that truly shines on her Beatles videos. The great thing about Caroline's Beatles videos is, we get to see someone give a genuine reaction to the magic of the group. That's because she went on a journey of listening and reacting to every Beatles album for the first time. She had heard of some of the famous tracks before, but hadn't dived deep into the discography. Well, despite hearing many of the songs for only the first time, she actually enlightened me with some of the things she noticed! Her background musical knowledge, combined with her excitement for each song, made her reactions much more interesting than the typical YouTube reaction video. Check out her reaction to Abbey Road. You can also see her trying to learn the guitar to Norwegian Wood... needless to say, she has more of a natural gift for singing. 

I've been told she looks like a female version of me.

posturex1

We're going from a young, recently converted Beatles fan, back to another old guy. Posturex1 (real name unknown) is another expert at Beatles covers, much like Frudua. He plays all the instruments and does all the vocals. With a beer gut proudly hanging out, this man sings with the attitude of John Lennon. Seriously, listen to his cover of "I Call Your Name". In all his covers, you can see him playing the different instruments in separate video windows. While he's not quite the vocal talent Frudua is, he is a true one-man band, doing a great job of covering many different Beatles songs. And that's not all there is on his channel, as he's covered plenty of other artists, including 43 different Beach Boys songs.

Here's what one of his videos typically looks like.

Kristine Summer

Kristine is a young woman with quite the impressive Beatles memorabilia collection. She puts all the posters and merch in my bedroom to shame! The Kentuckian felt like a bit of an outcast listening to The Beatles growing up, but she's more than learned to embrace her love for the group. Unfortunately, it seems most of the videos from her channel have disappeared for some reason. However, there is still a video on The Beatles' official channel that shows off her fantastic collection. And that gets me to the last and most important channel on this list.

Here is Kristine showing off her epic collection.

The Beatles

The Beatles' official YouTube channel is simply called "The Beatles", and has a music note next to it to signify its "official" status. All of the important albums and singles are on this channel, and practically nowhere else on YouTube because of copyright ninjas. So if you want to listen to The Beatles without ponying up for Spotify, there's no better place than The Beatles' official page. You can also see how The Beatles were music video pioneers on this channel, with such epic videos as "Revolution", "Paperback Writer", and "Rain". You can even see the music video for "I Feel Fine", where poor Ringo is reduced to riding an exercise bike! But again, music videos as early as 1964 shows just how revolutionary The Beatles' were. And if you want to stay up to date on Beatles' news, like when it's Paul or Ringo's birthday, this channel has you covered. 

There's no better Beatles channel than... The Beatles.

Well, I hope I've proved that The Beatles still have quite the passionate fanbase to this day. And it's not just old people, either! In my opinion, people young and old will appreciate The Beatles for decades, even centuries to come. These YouTube channels show that the passion for the group is still strong, and I highly recommend you check them all out.