Hi everyone, this week we’re kicking off a month long look at some of the best soul artists of the sixties. This week we’ll be checking out the music of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding & Wilson Pickett.
Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
Aretha Franklin:
Take A Look: The Complete Columbia:
Singer, pianist and Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame member Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25, 1942, the daughter of the Reverend Clarence Franklin and his wife Barbara. Aretha grew up singing Gospel and honing an incredible voice! She released her first album, The Gospel Soul of Aretha Franklin, in 1956. She released 18 albums in the sixties, mainly for Columbia and Atlantic Records. This boxed set features the eight full length albums she recorded for Columbia Records in the sixties: Aretha Franklin With The Ray Bryant Combo, The Electrifying Aretha Franklin, The Tender, The Moving, The Swinging Aretha Franklin, Laughing On The Outside,Tiny Sparrow: The Bobby Scott Sessions, Unforgettable: A Tribute To Dinah Washington, Take A Look: The Clyde Otis Sessions, Runnin’ Out Of Fools, A Bit Of Soul, Yeah!!! & The Queen In Waiting.
Aretha’s top forty hits of the sixties include: Rock-A-Bye-Your-Baby, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, Respect, Baby I Love You, A Natural Woman, Chain of Fools, Since You’ve Been Gone, Think & I Say A Little Prayer.
The Take A Look collection features some of those songs and many other great songs– more than 100 songs in all.
Stream it for free!
Here’s a link to stream the Take A Look collection:
I’ve Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding from the album Iconic Performances from the Monterey International Pop Festival
Otis Redding was born September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia. He grew up in Macon, Georgia and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1960 to pursue a music career. He had an energetic performance style and an emotionally charged way of singing. And his career was just shifting into high gear when he was killed in a plane crash in 1967. His posthumous hit Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay hit number 1 on the Billboard chart in 1968.
Despite the fact that Otis Redding’s career was cut tragically short, he still managed to record ten albums in the sixties and they are: Pain in My Heart, The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, The Soul Album, Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul, King & Queen, Live in Europe, The Dock of the Bay, In Person at the Whiskey a Go Go & Love This Man.
Otis Reddings top forty hits include: I’ve Been Loving You Too Long, Respect, Satisfaction, Try A Little Tenderness, Tramp, Knock On Wood, (Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay & The Happy Song.
Unfortunately, The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any of Otis Reddings studio recordings.
However, there is a cool collection put out by the Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation and titled, appropriately enough, Iconic Performances from the Monterey International Pop Festival, which features Otis singing one of his greatest hits – I’ve Been Loving You Too Long. The album also features spirited performances by Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Grateful Dead, Simon & Garfunkel, Laura Nyro, Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience & Hugh Masakela
Here’s a link to stream the album IconicPerformances from the Monterey International Pop Festival:
Wilson Pickett was born on March 18, 1941 in Prattville, Alabama. Wilson grew up in a family of eleven children and like both Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding he sang Gospel as a youth. He began his music career singing with the Falcons who had a chart hit in 1962 with the song You’re So Fine before leaving to launch a solo career in 1963. Pickett released eight albums in the sixties: It’s Too Late, In The Midnight Hour, The Wicked Pickett, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, The Midnight Mover, I’m in Love & Hey Jude.
I’m going to recommend you give a listen to his Pickett’s 1963 debut LP It’s Too Late. This album is a classic soul LP and a a great Wilson Pickett album to boot! The LP features the following songs: If You Need Me, I’m Gonna Love You, Baby Don’t You Weep, Peacebreaker, I’m Down To My Last Heartbreak, R.B. Special, I Can’t Stop, It’ll Never Be The Same, Baby Call On Me, Give Your Lovin’ Right Now & It’s Too Late.
This 1967 LP is one of Aretha’s finest albums. It includes the following songs: Respect, Drown in My Own Tears, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Soul Serenade, Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream,Baby, Baby, Baby, Dr. Feelgood [Love Is a Serious Business] , Good Times, Do Right Woman – Do Right Man, Save Me & A Change Is Gonna Come.
Here’s a link to request the CD version of I’ve Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You:
This five-disc set collects five of Redding’s Atco albums in one package, including 1964’s Pain in My Heart, 1965’s The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads, and 1966’s Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, The Soul Album, and Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul.”
This Otis Redding set isn’t quite ready to circulate yet; however, it will appear in our New Items section on on StarCat shortly.
Wilson Pickett:
In The Midnight Hour & The Exciting Wilson Pickett
Two of Wilson Pickett’s classic sixties albums released in 1965 & 1966 respectively, In the Midnight Hour and The Exciting Wilson Pickett are, and excuse the humorous license, exciting!
Songs in this two album collection include: In The Midnight Hour, Teardrops Will Fall, Take A Little Love, I Found A Love, Don’t Fight It, Land of 1000 Dances & Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do).
This double album set too will be available for circulation shortly – keep a look out for it in StarCat and our New Items section.
Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups
Aretha Franklin
Respect
I Say A Little Prayer
You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman
Otis Redding:
Satisfaction
Try A Little Tenderness
Shake
Wilson Pickett:
In The Midnight Hour
Land of 1000 Dances
Mustang Sally
References:
Print References:
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)
Online References:
Seeing Aretha Franklin Sing For The Last Time by Marc Silver. From NPR. August 1, 2017.
Wilson Pickett, 64, Soul Singer of Great Passion, Dies By JEFF LEEDS. JAN. 20, 2006. New York Times.
Have a great day
Linda, SSCL
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713
*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Hi everyone, we’re on the final week of our month long look at the music of the second British Invasion of the Sixties, which ran from June of 1967 through the end of the sixties.
Next week we’ll start a month long look and listen to some of the best soul artists of the sixties.
For this final week of July, we’ll be taking a listen to the music of Procol Harum, King Crimson & The Small Faces. And on a beginning note, just in case anyone isn’t familiar with the music of these three bands two of them, Procol Harum and King Crimson, produced music that is more down the experimental progressive path and the third, Small Faces features music that is more of the straight ahead rock n roll variety.
I. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
Procal Harum: Procol Harum formed in the U.K. in the mid-sixites. The original line-up included singer and keyboardist Gary Brooker, lyricist Keith Reid, Ray Royer on guitar, Matthew Fisher on organ, Dave Knights on bass and Bobby Harrison on drums. Also of note, the band’s lead guitarist from 1968-1971 was Robin Trower who received greater acclaim in the 1970s as a solo artist.
Procol Harum’s best known songs include: A Whiter Shade of Pale, A Salty Dog, Beyond the Pale, Ceredes, Grand Hotel and Conquistador.
In the sixties the group released three LPs:
Procol Harum (1967)
Shine on Brightly (1968)
&
A Salty Dog (1969)
The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any albums by Procol Harum but they do offer several by guitarist Robin Trower including one he did with Cream bassist, songwriter and singer Jack Bruce titled Songs From The Road – which is a great album, although it does hearken more to the heavier guitar music played in the seventies than what we expect to hear from musicians and bands of the sixties – which is fair as the album was recorded in 2009!
Songs From The Road
The album was recorded live and features the songs Distance Places of the Heart, Sunshine of Your Love, So Far Yesterday, Just Another Day, White Room and Politician.
Also in the Freegal Music Catalog is the Robin Trower solo album Living Out of Time Live which features the songs Sweet Angel, What’s Your Name & Rise Up Like The Sun.
King Crimson: King Crimson wasn’t a singles band. Instead during the late sixties, when psychedelic music was in vogue, they produced music that blended rock, jazz and classical elements. The group was together only five years and had a shifting line-up; however, the key players in the group during that time included experimental guitarist Robert Fripp, lyricists Peter Sinefield, multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald later of Foreigner, Greg Lake later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, bassist Peter Giles and drummer Mike Giles.
Some of King Crimson’s best known songs include: 21st Century Schizoid Man, Dinosaur, Easy Money, Fracture, I Talk To The Wind & Elephant Talk.
The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t contain any King Crimson albums; however, the do feature a full-length spoken album by Robert Fripp. And when I say “spoken” what I mean is that this LP features a live non-musical recording Robert Fripp made before an audience – it is an interesting album if you’d like to know more about Robert Fripp, his humor and his recording career – check it out!
For those that would prefer to stream music by King Crimson – here’s a link to YouTube to stream their song Moonchild from their first LP In the Court of the Crimson King:
Small Faces: The AllMusic biography of the Small Faces notes that they “were the best English band never to hit it big in America. Outside Europe, all anybody remembers them for is their sole hit, “Itchycoo Park,” which was hardly representative of their psychedelic sound, much less their full musical range — but in England, Small Faces were one of the most extraordinary and successful bands of the mid-’60s, serious competitors to the Who and potential rivals to the Rolling Stones.” And I think that assessment is spot on accurate! Small Faces were a great classic rock band whose original line-up consisted of Steve Marriott on guitar and vocals, Ronnie Lane on bass and backing vocals, Jimmy Winston on organ and future Who member Kenney Jones on drums.
Some of their best known songs include: Shake, What’cha Gonna Do About It, Itchycoo Park, Afterglow, Rene, Lazy Sunday and My Way of Giving.
The group released four albums in the sixties:
Small Faces (Decca Records, 1966)
Small Faces (Immediate Records, 1966)
Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake (1968)
There Are But Four Small Faces (1969)
In 1970 Steve Marriott left the band to form Humble Pie and the group was Ron Wood and Rod Stewart join the band for the album First Steps. The original band’s name came about due to the fact that Marriott, Lane, Winston and Wood were all of short stature – Ron Wood and Rod Stewart, on the other hand, are tall – so after they joined the group the band dropped the small from their name and simply became the Faces.
I’m going to recommend two albums by the Small Faces, their 1966 Immediate label self-titled album Small Faces and Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake from 1967.
Small Faces (Immediate Records)
This album features mono and stereo recordings and includes the songs: (Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me? Something I Want To Tell You, Feeling Lonely, Happy Boys Happy. Things Are Going To Get Better and more:
This is the group’s debut album. It contains the songs: A Whiter Shade of Pale, Conquistador, Salad Days, She Wandered Through the Garden Fence and Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of).
Here’s a link to request the CD version of the LP:
In the Court of the Crimson King – 30th Anniv. Ed.
That a group has a 30th anniversary special edition of an album tells us that the album is worth a listen to! This first King Crimson album contains the following songs: 21st Century Schizoid Man (Including Mirrors, I Talk To The Wind, Epitaph (Including March For No Reason/Tomorrow And Tomorrow, Moonchild (Including The Dream/The Illusion)& The Court Of The Crimson Song (Including The Return Of The Fire Witch/The Dance Of The Puppets)
Here’s the link to request the CD version of the album:
As I mentioned when I recommended this album as streaming favorite – it is a great LP that was obviously very influences by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – but this one has a more playful nature to it. If you haven’t heard it – I highly recommend it!
21st Century Schizoid Man (Live at Hyde Park 1969)
Cat Food-Top Of The Pops March 1970
Small Faces:
Itchycoo Park
Lazy Sunday Afternoon
IV. References:
Print:
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)
Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)
Online References:
All artist/group biographical information is from the AllMusic site except as noted. The AllMusic site is found at: http://www.allmusic.com/
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713
*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Hi everyone, this is week 3 of our month long look at the music of the second British Invasion of the Sixties which ran from June of 1967 through the end of the sixties.
This week we’ll be taking a listen to the music of The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull and Joe Cocker.
I. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
The Moody Blues: The Moody Blues started out as an R&B group and through the sixties transitioned into a group that featured rich orchestrations as a background for their musical story telling. The band formed in Birmingham in 1964 and originally consisted of Denny Laine on guitar and vocals, Mike Pinder on keyboards and vocals, Ray Thomas on harmonica and vocals, Clint Warwick on bass and Graeme Edge on drums. This line-up had one hit – 1964’s Go Now. After the release of their first single Laine and Warwick left the group and John Lodge (bass) and Justin Heyward (guitar/vocals) joined the band – and thus their classic line up was in place.
The Moody Blues released six albums in the sixties:
The Magnificent Moodies (1965)
Go Now (1965)
Days of Future Passed (1967)
On the Threshold of a Dream (1968)
To Our Children’s Children’s Children (1969)
Freegal Moody Blues Streaming Suggestion:
Lovely To See You…Live
The Freegal Music catalog doesn’t feature any studio albums by the Moody Blues. However, they do have a greatest hits live LP from 2005 which features many of the band’s classic sixties songs and some from the seventies and eighties too.
Here’s the song list for Lovely to See You Live:
1. Lovely to See You, 2. Tuesday Afternoon, 3. Lean on Me (Tonight), 4. The Actor, 5. Steppin’ in a Slide Zone , 6. The Voice, 7. Talking Out of Turn, 8. I Know You’re Out There Somewhere, 9. The Story In Your Eyes, 10. Forever Autumn, 11. Your Wildest Dreams, 12. Isn’t Life Strange, 13. The Other Side of Life, 14. December Snow, 15. Higher and Higher, 16. Are You Sitting Comfortably?, 17. I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock & Roll Band), 18. Nights in White Satin, 19. Question, 20. Ride My See-Saw
Jethro Tull: Jethro Tull formed in England in the mid-sixties and its classic sixties line-up consisted of multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson on vocals, Glenn Cornick on bass, Mick Abrahams on guitar and Clive Bunker on drums.
I think Bruce Elder well sums up the appeal of Jethro Tull’s music in his AllMusic bio of the band when he says “Jethro Tull were a unique phenomenon in popular music history. Their mix of hard rock, folk melodies, blues licks, surreal, impossibly dense lyrics, and overall profundity defied easy analysis, but that didn’t dissuade fans from giving them 11 gold and five platinum albums.” I agree with that assessment! Jethro Tull produces music that blends a number of musical styles, more than the average rock band by far, and as a result offers a great listening experience.
Jethro Tull’s released two LPs in the Sixties:
This Was (1968)
& Stand Up(1969)
And although their sixties albums sound great, I can’t help but mention that they produced some really great albums in the seventies too – of particular note are Aqualung (1971), Thick As A Brick (1972) and Minstrel in the Gallery (1975) all three of which are requestable in StarCat
Freegal Jethro Tull Streaming Suggestion:
Aqualung Live:
The Freegal Catalog features a few studio albums by Jethro Tull and even a Christmas album; but none of the studio albums they released in the sixties or seventies.
However, the Catalog does feature the Aqualung Live album recorded in 2005 – it sounds slightly mellower than the original to my ears but is well worth a listen here’s the link:
Joe Cocker: British R&B singer Joe Cocker hit number 1 in the U.K. with his cover of The Beatles With A Little Help From My Friends in 1968. The following year he appeared at Woodstock and his energized performance has gone down in rock history.
Cocker’s first three albums, With A Little Help From My Friends (1968), Joe Cocker! (1969) and the double live Mad Dogs & Englishmen (1970) cemented his reputation as one of the greatest classic rock singers. His vintage sixties songs include the aforementioned With A Little Help From My Friends, Delta Lady, Cry Me A River, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, High Time We Went and The Letter.
Also of note, after the sixties he had two huge hits; the ballad You Are So Beautiful in 1975 and a number 1 duet with Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong in 1982.
The Freegal Music Catalog does feature several of Joe Cocker’s studio albums; however, they are all from the 1990s. You can check out his With A Little Help From My Friends album on CD – for more information check out the CD Recommendations Section below.
Joe Cocker Freegal Streaming Suggestion:
Have A Little Faith
If you’d like to stream one of Joe Cocker’s albums to get a musical taste of the waters, as it were, you can stream a solid album of his from 1994 called Have a Little Faith. The album features the following songs: Let the Healing Begin, Have a Little Faith In Me, The Simple Things, Summer In the City, Soul Time and Angeline.
Days of Future Passed:
This 1967 album was a watermark album for the group because it ventured beyond the classic rock format offering a concept album that told the story of a day and had the band backed by the London Festival Orchestra.
Here is the song list for the LP:
1. The Day Begins
2. Dawn: Dawn is A Feeling
3. The Morning: Another Morning
4. Lunch Break: Peek Hour
5. The Afternoon: Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)/Time to Get Away
6. Evening: The Sun Set/Twilight Time
7. The Night: Nights in White Satin
And here’s a link to request a CD version of Days of Future Passed:
The band’s first three albums, This Was, Stand Up & Benefit are available in one multi-disc collection.
Here is the song list for the CD set:
Disc: 1 (This Was)
1. My Sunday Feeling (2001 Remastered Version)
2. Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine for You (2001 Remastered Version)
3. Beggar’s Farm (2001 Remastered Version)
4. Move on Alone (2001 Remastered Version)
5. Serenade to a Cuckoo (2001 Remastered Version)
6. Dharma for One (2001 Remastered Version)
7. It’s Breaking Me Up (2001 Remastered Version)
8. Cat’s Squirrel (2001 Remastered Version)
9. A Song for Jeffrey (2001 Remastered Version)
10. Round (2001 Remastered Version)
Disc: 2 (Stand Up)
1. A New Day Yesterday (2001 Remastered Version)
2. Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square (2001 Remastered Version)
3. Bouree (2001 Remastered Version)
4. Back to the Family (2001 Remastered Version)
5. Look Into the Sun (2001 Remastered Version)
6. Nothing Is Easy (2001 Remastered Version)
7. Fat Man (2001 Remastered Version)
8. We Used to Know (2001 Remastered Version)
9. Reason for Waiting (2001 Remastered Version)
10. For a Thousand Mothers (2001 Remastered Version)
Disc: 3 (Benefit)
1. With You There to Help Me
2. Nothing to Say
3. Alive and Well and Living in
4. Son
5. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me
6. To Cry You a Song
7. A Time for Everything
8. Inside
9. Play in Time
10. Sossity You’re a Woman
This is Joe Cocker’s second album and features twelve classic songs: Feelin’ Alright, Bye Bye Blackbird, Change In Louise, Marjorine, Just Like A Woman, Do I Still Figure In Your Life?, Sandpaper Cadillac, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, With A Little Help From My Friends, I Shall Be Released, The New Age Of Lily & Something’s Coming On.
Woodstock: The 40th Anniversary Edition:This DVD features the entire performance of every artist filmed at Woodstock. This footage has been archived since that history-making weekend and has only recently been re-discovered. Never before has the complete performance been shown. And Joe Cocker’s career making performance is including in this set.
(And yes, I’m fudging it a bit to recommend this song/video as it is from the 80s — but it is still a fun song & video!)
Jethro Tull:
A Song For Jeffrey & My Sunday Feeling
Aqualung
A New Day Yesterday
Joe Cocker:
With A Little Help From My Friends
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Feelin’ Alright
IV. Print References:
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)
Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)
Online References:
All artist/group biographical information is from the AllMusic site except as noted. The AllMusic site is found at: http://www.allmusic.com/
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713
*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.
Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:
Man on the Run by Carl Weber:
New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber delivers a riveting, action-packed drama full of the twists and turns for which he’s become known.
It was the night before his wedding, fifteen years ago, that the nightmare began for Jay Crawford—locked up for a crime he never committed. Now, he’s escaped prison and wants nothing more than to clear his name and protect his family. To get justice, he’ll need the help of the three best friends who have always had his back—Wil, Kyle and Allan. But a man on the run requires absolute trust…and Jay may just be setting himself up for the ultimate betrayal.
Here’s a link to the checkout page in the Digital Catalog:
Murder between the Lines (Kitty Weeks Mystery) by Radha Vatsal:
Intrepid journalist Kitty Weeks returns in the second book in this acclaimed WW1-era historical mystery series to investigate the death of a boarding school student.
When Kitty’s latest assignment for the New York Sentinel Ladies’ Page takes her to Westfield Hall, she expects to find an orderly establishment teaching French and dancing-but there’s more going on at the school than initially meets the eye.
Tragedy strikes when a student named Elspeth is found frozen to death in Central Park. The doctor’s proclaim that the girl’s sleepwalking was the cause, but Kitty isn’t so sure.
Determined to uncover the truth, Kitty must investigate a more chilling scenario-a murder that may involve Elspeth’s scientist father and a new invention by a man named Thomas Edison.
For fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Rhys Bowen, Murder Between the Lines combines true historical events with a thrilling mystery.
Here’s a link to the StarCat request page for the book:
You can also requests books simply by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
Online Catalog Links:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
Freegal Music Service: This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
About Library Apps:
You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.
Speaking of music…There are all sorts of books in the library’s collection! Books on cats, books on architecture, books on how to do many things including cooking, writing a book, gardening, how to repair a bike and evening…insert drum roll here for dramatic effect, how to make a guitar from scratch!
So if you’re a tinkerer and have some spare time on your hands this summer you might just check out this book and try your hand a making your own guitar! Come to think of it, a homemade guitar might just make an excellent holiday gift too!
Click here to request the book Build Your Own Electric Guitar:
And if you like guitars you might just want to browse through the books in that section! The Dewey Decimal System number for the book Build Your Own Guitar is: 787.8719 BAL and you’ll find books of similar scope in that section.
And once you’ve built your very own guitar, you might just want to find a cool vintage amplifier to play it through. And we’ve got a book that subject too! A blue book for guitar amps!
The Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers, Dewey number: 787.8719 BLU, is currently checked out but you can place a request for it via StarCat:
Hi everyone, this is week 2 of our month long look at the music of the second British Invasion of the Sixties, which encompasses music of British bands released between June 1967 and the end of the Sixties.
This week we’ll be taking a look at the music of Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd & Traffic.
I. Links to AllMusic Biographies of the Artists/Groups of the Week:
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
Jeff Beck: Jeff Beck, is one of the guitarists of the Sixties that you can truly describe as a guitarist’s guitarist in the same way you might say a writer is a writer’s writer – meaning of course, that he has great skill in the way he plays the guitar. Like many of his contemporaries Beck went to art school before launching a music career. He replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds before forming the Jeff Beck Group in 1967 with future Faces and solo artist Rod Stewart on vocals, future Faces and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood on bass and Mickey Waller on drums. This line-up released two albums which to my ears hold up well. Beck has always been a great guitarist and he seems to care much more for playing his guitar than making commercial records, as is illustrated by his releasing a number of all instrumental albums over the years, so in many ways these first two albums he made with the classic Jeff Beck Group line-up, and including a great vocalist, are the most accessible to rock fans.
So here are links to stream those first two LPs and a greatest hits collection titled Beckology:
Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd formed in London in 1965 and the original line-up of the band included Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, Nick Mason on drums and Richard Wright on keyboards. Barrett was the main songwriter for the band’s first two LPs, Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Saucerful of Secrets. Longtime Pink Floyd member David Gilmore join the band on guitar after the recording of their first LP. After Barrett’s departure in 1968, Waters took over as the group’s main songwriter. And of course, the band went on to release one of the most successful albums of all time with their 1973 masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon.
And notably, streaming-wise, the Freegal Music Catalog is full of Pink Floyd albums!
Traffic: Traffic formed in 1967 and featured the then 19-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, Dave Mason on guitar and vocals, Chris Wood on flute and other reed instruments and Jim Capaldi on drums and vocals.
Traffic released four albums in the sixties: Mr. Fantasy (1967), Heaven Is in Your Mind (1967), Traffic (1968) & Last Exit (1969).
Unfortunately, The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any albums by Traffic. However, they do offer a version of The Blind Faith classic Can’t Find My Way Home by the songwriter himself – Steve Window – recorded live in concert and from from the forthcoming album Winwood’s Greatest Hits Live which is being released September 1.
And coming soon the band’s excellent third album the self-titled Traffic which has a record in StarCat but isn’t quite ready to circulate yet — here’s the link to use once the CD’s status changes to available:
I’ve included this DVD set as the 1981 Amnesty International benefit ball, The Secret Policemen’s Other Ball, features some wonderful guitar playing by both Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. And I recall being in the old Record Town down at the Arnot Mall in Big Flats, NY, in the early eighties, and hearing the album and asking where they had copies to purchase — only to be told the album they were playing, with that great guitar music, belonged to a staff member and they didn’t have any copies in the store to sell!
The Secret Policeman shows featured both comedy acts and music – here’s a review from Amazon that offers more information on the set: Imagine Saturday Night Live, in its heyday, but as a live series of hot-ticket events, with the best stand-up comics, sketch actors, and rockers of the time, held to benefit a good cause–all with a decidedly British accent. That comes close to describing the magic mayhem of The Secret Policeman’s Ball performances held as fund-raisers for Amnesty International from the late ’70s through the late ‘80s. This boxed set is a pop culture fan’s dream; included are all the members of Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie (pre-House and pre-Black Adder), Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, Jennifer Saunders, and the Beyond the Fringe troupe–and that’s just the comics. Musicians include Sting, Pete Townshend, Phil Collins, Lou Reed, Joan Armatrading, and duets between Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins. And a very baby-faced Bob Geldof, who admits in an interview that these Balls spawned the idea for Live Aid and other events for charity. The best gem of all–and the best place to start to appreciate the depth and breadth of the series–is a 2004 documentary featuring interviews with some of the original shows’ principals, looking back on their younger selves and the current of the times. John Cleese, the true ringmaster of the events, recalls making the original phone calls and arranging for a West End theater to be available after its regular production ended. The programs became so popular that they made stars of the youngsters (Laurie, Stephen Fry, Atkinson), and brought worldwide attention for the first time to Amnesty International. Some bits are beloved and done here again–including the Pythons’ “Lumberjack Song” and “The Dead Parrot.” Cleese recalls, and the filmmakers oblige by including, a speech Margaret Thatcher later gave in the ‘80s where she repeated the “Dead Parrot” bit line for line about a piece of legislation–and bringing the audience to its knees. A young Barry Humphreys (Dame Edna, as a brunette) and a bushy-haired Billy Connolly are also delightful. The music acts are delicious, including Townshend’s acoustic duet with the American classical guitarist John Williams, and Phil Collins appearing onstage at a piano solo for the first time ever. Equal parts silly and inspiring, this boxed set will be in heavy rotation for the comedy and music fan. –A.T. Hurley, Amazon.com
Additionally, the shows feature historic unplugged performances by Pete Townshend, Sting, Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Peter Gabriel, Donovan, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading. Also featured are rare duets from guitar legends Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler & Chet Atkins.
The Balls:
Pleasure At Her Majesty’s (1976)
The Secret Policeman’s Ball (1979)
The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball (1981)
The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball (1987)
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball (1989)
And here’s a link to request the entire Secret Policeman’s collection via StarCat:
Dear Mr. Fantasy recorded live in Santa Monica, California in 1972
Bonus Videos:
Jeff Beck & Eric Clapton playing Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers from The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball — the intro by the concert organizer is interesting but if you want to skip that and just listen to the music — fast forward to about 2 minuets into the clip.
Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck playing Shake Your Money Maker from the 2010 Crossroads Concert:
V. Print References:
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)
Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)
Online References:
Jeff Beck’s AllMusic Discography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://goo.gl/F8yrsU
A Guitar Hero Won’t Play the Game by Larry Rohter published in The New York Times – February 12, 2010: https://goo.gl/GbtD
Jeff Beck Talks Seeing Jimi Hendrix, Topical New LP https://goo.gl/G0gnqh
Pink Floyd’s All Music Discography by Richie Unterberger by Richie Unterberger https://goo.gl/cWDcyM
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713.
*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Hi everyone, this week we’re kicking off a month long look at what author Robert Santelli, Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide, deems The Second British Invasion – this is the music British artists and bands put out between June 1967 and the end of the sixties.
You can think of the rock music of the sixties as having a musical call and response pattern. British musicians and bands who became popular in the early sixties were influenced by traditional American Rock and R&B artists of the fifties — artists including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Little Richard. And and you can hear that influence in their music – in the sounds of British Invasion bands like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five and The Hollies. Those bands in turn, influenced the playing of American bands including The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Young Rascals etc.
Then in the aftermath of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in June 1967, you get that sort of call and response pattern again – although it starts to spread out like pebbles thrown in water as Sgt. Pepper’s was a colossally influential album, and is arguably, the greatest rock album ever released. The music on Sgt. Pepper’s influenced all rock musicians and bands on both sides of the pond for the rest of the sixties, into the seventies and beyond. Certainly, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band sounded more experimental than any rock album released before it; and its release heralded a new more progressive and experimental era in Rock history.
In the aftermath of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s you hear albums that are more innovative and that start seriously taking Rock Music past its youth focused beginnings; albums like The Rolling Stone’s Beggar’s Banquet, The Who’s The Who Sell Out, Traffic’s Dear Mr. Fantasy, Days of Future Passed by the Moody Blues, Piper At The Gates of Dawn by Syd Barret era Pink Floyd and the classic Small Face’s LP Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake.
But enough musical pondering, on to the bands of the week!
So to kick this month long look at the British Invasion music of the late sixties, we’ll start off listening to the music of the three biggest bands of the era: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & The Who and the albums they released between 1967 and 1969.
And as a reminder, our weekly music postings feature the following sections:
I. Links to AllMusic Biographies of the Artists/Groups of the Week
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music)
III. CD Music Recommendations Of The Week
IV. Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups
V. References (for those who’d like to know a bit more about the artists of the week).
I. Links to AllMusic Biographies of the Artists/Groups of the Week:
The Beatles AllMusic Biography by Richie Unterberger:
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
Unfortunately, The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t contain any studio albums by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones or The Who. So for the artists specific LP recommendations skip down to the next section – CD Music Recommendations Of The Week.
And for the Freegal streaming suggestions of the week – here are some albums perfect for your summer listening pleasure!
Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor (1972) by Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor
This band’s music contains a great mix of acoustic guitars, traditional rock vibes and a few country threads thrown in for good measure. I’d never heard of this album or band before I stumbled across it in the Freegal Catalog. I don’t know who the Gorgoni and Martin of the group are/were but I was able to discover that the Taylor of the title is the classic rock songwriter Chip Taylor, who interestingly was born John Wesley Voigt and is the brother of the actor Jon Voigt. Chip Taylor is best known as a songwriter although he has also put out his own albums which range from 1971’s Gasoline to 2017’s A Song I Can Live With. Some of his songs that have been made popular by other artists include: I Can’t Let Go recorded by The Hollies, Make Me Belong To You recorded by Barbara Lewis, I Can Make It With You recorded by Jackie DeShannon, Step Out Of Your Mind recorded by The American Bread, Angel of the Morning originally recorded by Merrilee Rush and later by Juice Newton, and the classic rock anthem Wild Thing recorded by The Troggs and many other bands over the years. Getting back to the Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor album, the songs on the LP include: Fuzzy, Choo Choo Sharoo, You Crazy Girl and the Beatlesque Something About The Sunshine.
Here’s a link to stream the Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor LP: https://goo.gl/jrBcZo
Angel of the Morning by Marilee Rush:
Speaking of Marilee Rush, the singer who originally recorded the Taylor song Angel of the Morning, The Freegal Music Catalog features her Angel of The Morning album – which has a light, breezy 1970s country-folk feel to it. The album includes the title track, Taylor’s It’s All Worth It, Sandcastles, San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair), What The World Needs Now and a version of Hush which is quite interesting as it is much lighter in style than the better known Deep Purple version.
And at this point I’ll admit, I got a bit carried away with gathering listening suggestions for this week! The Freegal Music Catalog has some really fantastic musical gems to listen to; if you just have the time to hunt a little bit! And if you don’t have that time – you can just check out our weekly music postings! For the sake of trying to keep this posting semi-short, which admittedly is hard for me, for the rest of this week’s Freegal suggested listens I’m going to list the genres, albums/artists, a list of a few of the songs on each LP and the links to stream them – check them out!
Pop/Rock/Surf Music:
Classic Rock/Pop/Folk & Country: Jukebox Oldies Rockin’ Summer Vol. 1 – Great Rock, Surf, And Soul Songs of the 50s, 60s, And 70s with the Beach Boys, Link Wray, Sam & Dave, The Byrds, Little Richard, And More!
This 16 song set, with the massively long title, contains the following songs: Soul Man by Sam & Dave, Poison Ivy by The Coasters, Rumble by Link Wray, Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin, Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds, Surfin’ Safari by The Beach Boys, Pipeline by The Chantays an Surf City by Jan and Dean.
Guitar Legend: The Very Best Of Dick by Dick Dale:
This 15 song greatest hits collection by the the legendary Surf guitarist, contains the following songs: Miserlou, Let’s Go Trippin’, Hava Nagila, Riders In The Sky, Night Rider and Surf Buggy.
This is the 1965 debut album by the Lovin’ Spoonful. The album features twelve songs including: Do You Believe In Magic, Blues In The Bottle, Did You Every Have To Make Up Your Mind?, The Otherside Of This Life, Alley Oop & On The Road Again.
Here’s the link to the Do You Believe In Magicalbum:
And since no summer would be complete without hearing the Lovin’ Spoonful’s Summer In The City at least once, here’s a link to the album Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful which contains that song and 16 other classic pop/rock tunes:
The Complete Recordings (1964-1968) by Ronnie & The Daytonas:
More fun Surf music! Songs include: G.T.O., Hot Rod Baby, California Bound, The Little Stingray That I Could, Surfin’ In The Summertime, When The Stars Shine Bright and more – 48 songs in all.
Here’s the link to stream the Ronnie & The Daytonas collection:
Skeeter Davis is sometimes classified as a country artist; to my ears though, her music sounds like classic pop music. This neat album features the songs: Under The Boardwalk, That Warm Summer Night, Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand), Sunglasses, That Summer Sunset and a vocal version of the classic Theme to a Summer Place.
Here’s a link to stream the Singin’ In the SummerLP:
This album really is just a great folk album and it is a stretch to classify it a “summer album,” because it only contains one summer themed song – Summer Days Alone. Even so it is a fun record that includes the songs: Frogg No. 2, The Tavern Song, Lady Greensleeves, Ole Smokey &Tarrytown.
Also available by The Brothers Four is a more in-depth collection titled Greenfields and Other Folk Music Greats – First Five Albums which contains, just what it says it does — their first five albums recorded in 1960 & 1961:
This is an entertaining orchestral pop album and contains the following songs: Mr. Lucky (Goes Latin), Rain Drops In Rio, The Dancing Cat, Cow Bells and Coffee Beans & Tango Americano.
Theme From A Summer Place And Other Great Themes by Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra:
This is another cool orchestral album prefect for listening to while relaxing by the pool or reading near the air conditioner. The album includes the songs Theme From A Summer Place, Tammy, Fascination, Some Enchanted Evening & All The Way.
This various artists collection contains 32 songs including: Papa Loves Mambo by Perry Como, Put On A Happy Face by Tony Bennett, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life by Liza Minnelli, A Steel Guitar And A Glass of Wine by Paul Anka, Green, Green Grass of Home by Elvis Presley, Wonderful! Wonderful! by Johnny Mathis, Day-O by Harry Belafonte, Italian Mambo by Rosemary Clooney and many others – this is a great classic easy listening collection.
Summer Solstice 2 by Various Artists (A Windham Hill Collection):
This LP contains what used to be called New Age Music – and is what Windham Hill fans will expect – generally light, smooth and atmospheric songs including: Birds In Flight by George Winston, Cruisin’ Negril by W. G. “Snuffy” Walden, No Na Mamo by Taj Mahal and A Child’s Song by Will Ackerman.
Jazz:THE MUSIC OF AMERICA: Inventing Jazz – Dave Brubeck by Dave Brubeck
Songs in the set include: The Duke, Ode To A Cowboy, Dialogues for Jazz Combo and Orchestra (with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra), The Golden Horn, Kathy’s Waltz & Non-Sectarian Blues.
This album, by Singer Jackie Cain and Singer-Pianist Roy Kral, includes the songs: Day By Day, Lazy Afternoon, Summer Song/Summertime, We Could Be Flying and more.
A fun collection for kids, this singalong set includes the songs: Barefootin’, Catch A Wave, In The Gold Old Summertime, Yes!We Have No Bananas, Bicycle Built For Two, On Top of Spaghetti &The Hokey Pokey.
Here’s the link to stream the 50 Best Summer Songs LP:
This musical is based upon the composer Antonin Dvorak’s visit to Iowa. And I was surprised to stumble across a classic musical whilst browsing through the Freegal Music Catalog! Songs include: Just Around The Corner,Once A Year Is Not Long Enough, Murphy’s Pig & Sing Me A Song.
All the albums released by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & The Who between 1967 and 1970 are worthy of a listen; so I’m going to start out by listing the albums each group released during that pivotal three year period and then suggest several albums that are in the library’s collection.
The Beatles Albums Released Between 1967 – 1970:
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Magical Mystery Tour Soundtrack (1968)
The Beatles (aka The White Album) (1968)
Yellow Submarine (1969)
Abbey Road (1969)
Let It Be (1970)
The Rolling Stone’s Albums Released Between 1967 – 1970:
Between the Buttons (1967)
Flowers (1967)
Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) (And yes, they really did title an album “Their Satanic Majesties Request” – they were playing their bad-boy-anti-Beatles alternative band persona to the hilt)
Beggars Banquet (1968)
Let It Bleed (1969)
Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out (1970)
The Who’s Albums Released Between 1967 – 1971:
And I know that is really a baker’s dozen three years! However, I just couldn’t leave out the classic album Who’s Next which was released in 1971.
The Who Sell Out (1967)
Tommy (1969)
Live At Leeds (1970)
Who’s Next (1971)
The Beatles:
If you’re new to listening to Beatles albums, and I’m sure there are few people out there that have heard their songs on the radio but never listen to their albums, I’d recommend you start with their masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as it is recognized by most music fans and critics to be their best album. If you’re game to listen to a second full-length album by the band I’d recommend the one that is my personal favorite – Abbey Road. All The Beatles albums are available for request through StarCat.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Song List:
1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With a Little Help from My Friends
3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing a Hole
6. She’s Leaving Home
7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
8. Within You Without You
9. When I’m Sixty-Four
10. Lovely Rita
11. Good Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
13. A Day in the Life
Here’s a link to request the CD version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band:
Between The Buttons, Flowers & Beggars Banquet will be available for request in StarCat soon.
In the meantime, the greatest hits collection Hot Rocks 1964-71is available for request. This two disc set contains 21 songs including: Time Is On My Side, Play With Fire, Satisfaction, Ruby Tuesday, Street Fighting Man and Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for today.
Our digital suggestion for today is the downloadable audio book:
The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters:
A late spring in 1142 brings dismay to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, for there may be no roses by June the twenty-second. On that day the young widow Perle must receive one white rose as rent for the house she has given to benefit the abbey or the contract is void. When nature finally complies, a pious monk is sent to pay the rent, but discovers that the rose bush has been destroyed and he is then found murdered inside it. The abbey’s wise herbalist, Brother Cadfael, follows the trail of bloodied petals. He knows the lovely widow’s dowry is far greater with her house included, and she will likely wed again. But before Cadfael can ponder if a greedy suitor has done this dreadful deed, another crime is committed. Now the good monk must thread his way through a tangle more torturous than the widow’s thorns.
Here’s a link to the checkout/request page in the Digital Catalog:
Perfect for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan’s The Engagement or Graeme Simpson’s The Rosie Project, The Reminders follows what happens when a girl who can’t forget befriends a man who’s desperate to remember.
Grief-stricken over his partner Sydney’s death, Gavin sets fire to every reminder in the couple’s home before fleeing Los Angeles for New Jersey, where he hopes to find peace with the family of an old friend. Instead, he finds Joan.
Joan, the family’s ten-year-old daughter, was born Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, or HSAM: the rare ability to recall every day of her life in cinematic detail. Joan has never met Gavin until now, but she did know his partner, and waiting inside her uncanny mind are startlingly vivid memories to prove it.
Gavin strikes a deal with Joan: in return for sharing her memories of Sydney, Gavin will help her win a songwriting contest she’s convinced will make her unforgettable. The unlikely duo set off on their quest until Joan reveals unexpected details about Sydney’s final months, forcing Gavin to question not only the purity of his past with Sydney but the course of his own immediate future.
Told in the alternating voices of these two irresistible characters, The Reminders is a hilarious and tender exploration of loss, memory, friendship, and renewal.
P.S. The library is closed today in observance of the July 4th holiday. We’ll be open our regular hours on Wednesday – 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Online Catalog Links:
StarCat: The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc. http://starcat.stls.org/
The Digital Catalog: The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos: https://stls.overdrive.com/
Freegal Music Service: This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/
Zinio: Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available: https://www.rbdigital.com/stlschemungcony
About Library Apps:
You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.
This week I’m going to recommend the following three Non-Fiction DVDs for your weekend viewing pleasure: Chasing UFOs, Apollo 11: A Night To Remember & The 1930s.
1. Chasing UFOs (Nat Geo)
This two disc set takes a look at UFO sightings and, unlike many UFO related “documentaries,” this one is put out by National Geographic!
The Dewey number for this DVD is 001.942 CHA
And in Library Land the books on the paranormal can be found in the zeros! So if you’d like to browse through the books on UFOs, haunted places, Big Foot and the supernatural in general — this is your section!
Here’s a link to the StarCat request page for National Geographic’sChasing UFOs:
Our second non-fiction DVD for this week is put out by the BBC and titled Apollo 11: A Night To Remember and contains rare news footage chronicling the journey of the Apollo 11 crew from the moment their ship left the planet, through the first lunar landing and on to their triumphant return to Earth in July of 1969.
The call number for this set is 629.454 APO
And on a Dewey note, if you’re looking for books on space flights check out the Dewey Decimal Section 629.454!
This five disc PBS documentary offers a glimpse into the lost world of the 1930s. This set offers a look at how regular Americans lived in the 1930s and what the big concerns and topics of interest were. Episodes include: Surviving The Dust Bowl, Sea Biscuit, The Crash of 1929, The Civilian Conservation Corps and Hoover Dam.
The call number for this set is: 973.917 NIN.
And if you’re looking for books on American history, you should check out the Dewey Decimal section 973 — as there is where you will find them!
Here’s are links to request the two cases in the set (which contain 5 DVDs between them):
P.S. The library is open on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. so while you’re out and about on Saturday — drop in and check out some books and DVDs to enjoy over the weekend!
P.S.S. The library is also open, our regular hours of 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., on Monday, July 3. So if you’ve got the day off drop in and pick out some books & DVDs!
Hi everyone, this week we’re concluding our cliff notes look and listen at the music of the American rock bands that came to prominence just after the Beatles appearances on the Ed Sullivan Shown in 1964 .
This week our three groups are: The Bobby Fuller Four, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels and Tommy James & The Shondells.
And just as reminder, each weekly recommended music posting features the following sections:
I. Links To AllMusic Biographies Of The Weekly Artists/Groups
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music)
III. Compact Discs Of The Artists/Groups Of The Week
IV. Videos Of The Artists/Groups Of The Week
V. Books Related To The Artists/Groups of The Week
VI. References (for those who’d like to know a bit more about the artists of the week).
I. Links To AllMusic Biographies Of The Weekly Artists/Groups:
The Freegal Music Catalog homepage will display — it looks like this:
The Freegal Music app can be found in your app store and it looks like this:
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
The Bobby Fuller Four: Bobby Fuller was born on October 22, 1942 in Baytown, Texas. Fuller was a huge fan of both Buddy Holly and British Invasion rock and you can hear those influences in the The Fuller Four’s playing – they played enthusiastically up-tempo classic rock. In addition to singer-songwriter and guitarist Bobby Fuller, the Fuller Four band included Bobby’s brother Randy Fuller on bass, Jim Reese on guitar and DeWayne Quirico on drums.
The group recorded two albums in the mid-sixties, KRLA King of the Wheels & I Fought the Law and had a huge hit with the title track from their second main stream album, I Fought The Law. But sadly, their success was short lived; as Bobby Fuller was mysteriously found dead in his car in Hollywood, California on July 18, 1966.
The band’s most notable songs include: I Fought The Law, California Sun, Another Sad and Lonely Night, Never To Be Forgotten and The Magic Touch.
You’ll have noted that I said, two paragraphs above, the I Fought The Law album was the second “main stream” album released by the Bobby Fuller Four…I used that terminology because the group recorded dozens of songs during the period 1960-1964 while still living in their home state of Texas, and before they moved to Los Angeles and broke into the big time with their first major label release the LP KRLA Kings of the Wheels.
The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature either the KRLA LP nor the I Fought The Law LP; however, what it does features is cooler still — a collection of early recordings made by the band before the moved to L.A. including original versions of songs that later became hits for them including their top ten smash I Fought The Law. The collection is titled El Paso Rock: Early Recordings Volume 3, and features 26 songs including the previously mentioned I Fought The Law, You Made Me Cry, Summertime Blues, She’s My Girl and California Sun.
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels: Mitch Ryder, the driving force behind the group, pun intended, was born William Levise Jr. on February 26, 1945 in Hamtramk, Michigan. Ryder was a huge Rhythm & Blues fan and you can hear that influence in the gritty sound of his music. In the sixties he put together a backing band, The Detroit Wheels, that consisted of Jim McCarty and Joe Cubert on guitars, Early Elliott on bass and John Badanjek on drums. The group recorded for only a year and half before Ryder split from his back-up band and went solo but in that time they recorded four classic albums: Take A Ride (1964), Breakout…!!! (1966), What Now My Love (1967) and Sock It To Me (1967) and had several hits including: Jenny Takes A Ride!, Little Latin Lupe Lu, Devil With A Blue Dress On & Good Golly Miss Molly (medley), Sock It To Me-Baby and What Now My Love.
The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any of the original albums by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels; however, it does contain a Best of Mitch Ryder album that features an older Ryder singing his classic hits in a more mature, deeply felt style. The Best of LP features all the previously mentioned hits by Mitch and the Detroit Wheels sans the song What Now My Love.
Tommy James & The Shondells: Singer-songwriter and guitarist Tommy James was born Thomas Jackson on April 29, 1947 in Dayton, Ohio. His sixties back-up band, the Shondells, featured Eddie Grey on guitar, Ronnie Rosman on organ, Mike Vale on bass and Pete Lucia on drums. The group released eight albums between 1966 and 1969 and then James went solo.
The band’s hits include: Hanky Panky, Say I Am, I Think We’re Alone Now, Mirage, I Like The Way, Mony Mony, Crimson And Clover, Sweet Cherry Wine and Crystal Blue Persuasion.
The Freegal Music Catalog features a great live LP of Tommy James singing all his hits – the aptly titled Tommy James Greatest Hits Live:
III. Compact Discs Of The Artists/Groups Of The Week:
The Bobby Fuller Four:
KRLA King of the Wheels & I Fought The Law Double LP Set:
This 24 song set features the two break out albums recorded by The Bobby Fuller Four in Los Angeles. The LPs contain all their hits, some re-recorded in L.A. Songs in the set include: Fool of Love, Never to Be Forgotten, Another Sad and Lonely Night, Let Her Dance, I Fought The Law, Julie and Thunder Reef.
Here’s a link to request the double Bobby Fuller Four CD in StarCat: https://goo.gl/65dNo5
Mitch Ryder:
Rev Up: The Best of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels:
This greatest hits collection, released by the great Rhino Records, features all of the best known songs released by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels including: Jenny Takes A Ride,You Get Your Kicks, Snake A Tail Feather, Devil With The Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly & Sock It To Me, Baby!
The Original Album Collection by Tommy James & The Shondells:
This set contains five of the first six classic LPs released by Tommy James & The Shonells: Hanky Panky, I Think We’re Alone Now, Mony Mony, Crimson & Clover and Cellophone Symphony. And those albums feature great classic rock songs including: Hanky Panky, Don’t Throw Our Love Away, I Think We’re Alone Now, California Sun, Gone Gone Gone and Mony Mony.
Here’s a link to StarCat to request the Original Album Collection: https://goo.gl/q4yqE5
IV. Videos Of The Artists/Groups Of The Week:
Bobby Fuller Four:
Let Her Dance & Another Sad & Lonely Night from the Shivaree! TV Show
I Fought The Law
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels:
C.C. Rider
Devil With A Blue Dress On
Tommy James & The Shondells:
Mony Mony
Crimson And Clover
V. Books Related To The Artists/Groups of The Week:
Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells by Tommy James and Martin Fitzpatrick https://goo.gl/ZN9wWY
VI. References
Artists Specific References:
Bobby Fuller References:
Bobby Fuller AllMusic Biography by Richie Unterberger https://goo.gl/EcziVg
Tommy James & the Shondells AllMusic Discography by Bruce Eder https://goo.gl/xGTi8Q
General References:
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)
Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)
Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713.
*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
Tech & Book Talk at SSCL 