The group initially performed under several names before settling on “The Yardbirds,” reportedly inspired by the writings of author Jack Kerouac, who used the slang term “yardbird” to describe a drifter or someone living on the margins of society.
The Yardbirds emerged from the vibrant rhythm and blues scene that flourished in London during the early 1960s, becoming one of the most influential British bands of the decade. Although they would later gain worldwide recognition for helping launch the careers of three legendary guitarists—Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page—
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite Keyboard players.
In Part One I chose; Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Eumir Deodato, Gershon Kingsley, Jon Lord, and Elton John. I’ll keep it going here with some more excellent ticklers of the ivories!
By early 1973, the classic quartet was in place, adopting the name Kiss and developing the now-iconic makeup and stage personas that would become central to their identity.
The band Kiss emerged from the fertile and competitive New York rock scene of the early 1970s, built on a combination of musical ambition, theatrical instinct, and a keen sense of branding that would soon set them apart from virtually every other act of the era. The origins of the group trace back primarily to the partnership between Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley,
With a few red lights, a few old beds
We made a place to sweat
No matter what, we get out of this
I know, I know we’ll never forget
Deep Purple emerged in 1968 as one of the pioneering forces of what would soon be labeled hard rock and heavy metal, although their earliest recordings reflected a far broader and more experimental musical identity. The band was formed in Hertford under the initial name Roundabout,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Aleister Crowley was born Edward Alexander Crowley on October 12, 1875, in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, into a wealthy and intensely religious Plymouth Brethren family. His father, Edward Crowley, was a successful brewer turned lay preacher whose death in 1887 profoundly affected the young Crowley, fostering both a lifelong rebellion against evangelical Christianity and an obsessive engagement with religion in transformed, esoteric forms.
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite songs about criminals. See if you agree with any of these!
“30 Days in the Hole” is a gritty hard-rock and blues-rock anthem written by Steve Marriott and first released in late 1972 by the English band Humble Pie as a single from their fifth album Smokin’ and later embraced as an album-oriented and classic rock staple despite failing to chart when originally issued; Marriott’s raw, soulful vocals
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite songs with screams. See if you agree with any of these!
“Child in Time” is a monumental song by Deep Purple, written by all five members of the Mark II lineup—Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice—and first released on the 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock; inspired in part by “Bombay Calling” by It’s a Beautiful Day, the band transformed it into a 10-minute anti-war epic that showcases
Title songs, not on the album.
Most of the songs, that an album is named for, will be on that very album. What about album title songs that became , somehow, misplaced and appeared on another of that groups albums somewhere. I’ll try to locate a few here to talk about.
Several more have passed this summer of 2025.
These individuals have been in Delaney & Bonnie and co-founded Derek & the Dominos; played Dee in What’s Happening!! (1976–1979); was nicknamed “Superlungs”, and turned down lead singer for Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple; and was a pioneering musician in the realm of Contemporary Christian Music.
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite Guitar Players. See if you agree with any of these!
Jimmy Page, born James Patrick Page on January 9, 1944, in Heston, Middlesex, England, is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative guitarists in rock history. Rising to prominence as a prolific session musician in the 1960s, he played on recordings by artists such as The Who, Donovan, and The Kinks before joining The Yardbirds in 1966. After their dissolution, he founded Led Zeppelin in 1968,
