Jump back, what's that sound Here she comes, full blast and top down Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue Model citizen zero discipline Don't you know she's coming home with me? You'l lose her in the turn I'll get her!
Sounds a little suggestive doesn't it? As it turns out, "Panama", the third single off of Van Halen's1984 album was in fact written about a car, not a chick. If you remember back to the summer of 1984 this was one of the most popular songs on the radio. Van Halen was kind of basking in the success of their sixth album and it was right before David Lee Roth decided to leave in favor of being a solo artist. Between "Panama", "Jump" and "Hot For Teacher" barely an hour passed without MTV showing a VH video and truth be told they were one of the groups that you could never get enough of.
1984 was such a great year in music history and Van Halen certainly played a big part in making it so memorable. Check out "Panama" below and tell me, was it your favorite track off of the album?
I'm waiting for the right moment to come So I can thank you for all the tender love you've given to me
If you were listening to American Top 40 on your radio 30 years ago then one of the songs that you might have been waiting to record was the Force MD's "Tender Love". It was sitting in tenth place on Billboard's Hot 100 after becoming one of the best songs to come out of the Krush Groove soundtrack. Those are the details but if you were a teen then you knew this song because it was THE love song of the moment. "Tender Love" generated lots of dedications (remember when that was actually a thing?) from the left coast to the right and to this day it's easily recognized the minute it begins to play.
The Force MD's first connected in Staten Island back in 1981 and despite having some old-school hip hop roots it was their ballads that really brought them success. The band was also considered to be very early pioneers of the New Jack Swing movement that really took off in 1990. Sadly, three of the group's original members died of various causes in the late '90s. The remaining members put out their last Force MD's album in 2000.
Check out "Tender Love" below. I promise that you're going to remember it.
LET THE MUSIC PLAY DOCUMENTARY NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE
COVID-19’s Decimation of the Music Industry as Told by Those Working on the Inside
NEW YORK, NY -- DailyBOOM Media has released Let The Music Play, a documentary on COVID-19’s brutal impact on the music industry, on April 9, 2021, via YouTube (a mid-April release on Amazon Prime is also slated). This feature-length film was written by Executive Producer Cate Meighan, with Emmy Award-winning Video-Editor and Co-producer Heather Dauterive, and an original score by Award-winning Multi-instrumentalist Jack Miele.
In early 2020, the music industry was readying itself for another blockbuster year. Acts like Guns N’ Roses and Foo Fighters were gearing up for major tours, while Motley Crue announced a reunion that had sold out nationwide within minutes. Symphonic shows, festivals, Vegas residencies, and club gigs were all booked solid when Covid-19 brought everything to a screeching halt. Overnight an entire billion-dollar industry was shut down and the fact remains that it will be one of the very last industries to fully reopen.
Not everyone fortunate enough to grace the stage makes a ton of money, especially when you consider the massive amount of overhead that goes into booking even the smallest of club tours. Artists feel as though their lives are at stake because their livelihood is their life. If they cannot work, then they cannot feed their kids and they just aren’t going to make it. Right now, no one is waiting for a rock star to sign a contract or respond to an email- musicians are just as unemployed as those who would normally pay hard-earned money to see them play.
Those working behind the scenes in the industry are the hardest hit, living through a situation that snuck up on them and has then unfolded like a gradual continuation of an utter disaster. There is no money to be made, people are getting sick, and hundreds of thousands are dying. Many often do not realize just how much one venue benefits an entire community and the tourism industry. People stop for dinner before a show, they stay in a hotel, they shop, they fuel up before driving home. Everyone from parking attendants to the guy that stocks the ice behind a bar has been directly impacted by the hard-hit music business.
Let The Music Playis a feature-length documentary that gives viewers a detailed glimpse inside of this shattered and shuttered industry through the eyes of its’ hardest workers. Famous artists, indie artists on the rise, plus rock and dance acts working the club circuit on both coasts have all lent their voices to this documentary. We also believed it was crucial to hear from the National Independent Venue Association, various promoters, venue owners, and a mastermind merch guy that put together one of the most popular streaming concerts of the year. Every voice was crucial to the telling of this story and in our eyes, they also share an equal amount of importance. They speak openly about the financial hardship, deep depression of losing something that they love so much (even temporarily), and the things that they are doing to help keep their own positivity and hope alive.
Since we are dealing with Covid-19 restrictions and there is no such thing as a backstage interview, we met our interviewees exactly as they were. Some have studios at home with great cameras and others had a more normal setup. As a media team we prefer perfection of course, but these are not normal times and we needed to be authentic. This group of people has been so incredibly honest with us and we feel a responsibility to be just as honest with our viewers in how they are portrayed.
The cast of Let The Music Play includes:
Sal Abbatiello – Promoter/Manager/Venue Owner
Stacey David Blades – Crashing Wayward/ Ex-L.A. Guns
Whey Cooler – Pretty Poison
Jesse James Dupree – Jackyl
Audrey Fix Shaefer – Communications Director NIVA/Save Our Stages
Tony Hall – Dumpstaphunk/Neville Brothers/Harry Connick Jr.
Joel Hoekstra – Whitesnake/Cher
Haley Johnsen – American Idol Semi-finalist
Ron Keel – Ron Keel Band
Todd Kerns – Slash & The Conspirators
Jeffrey “Soave” Martinez – Freestyle Artist
Sabrina Nieves – The Cover Girls
Jeff Pilson – Foreigner/Ex-Dokken/Black Swan
Greg Ross – Owner of Manic Merch/Creator of Back To The Basement
Numa Saisselin – President of The Florida Theatre of Performing Arts
Jade Starling – Pretty Poison
Chris Steven- Indie Artist
Michael Sweet – Stryper
Ace Von Johnson – L.A. Guns/Faster Pussycat
Chip Z’Nuff – Enuff Z’Nuff
More information is available at www.letthemusicplay.org.
To view Let The Music Play please click the link below.
"Four in the morning Came without a warning Everybody's got a place to be I got holes in my conscience Shot with a vengeance I must have been a fool not to see
I need you bad It's hard to live without your company I need you bad, so bad I can't take it you see" In high school, I dated a guy who was mildly obsessed with Night Ranger. By the time we met "Sister Christan" had already been a smash hit on radio and MTV so I certainly knew who Night Ranger was. But in dating this dude I found myself compelled to brush up on the band. Seven Wishes was his favorite album so I bought it to catch up and have more in common with him. What I quickly realized was that I kind of loved Night Ranger too. Sure, I was mostly bouncing thru hair bands by then. The bottom of my denim hobo purse was home to cassettes by Skid Row, Ratt, Winger and more. Night Ranger found a spot with them pretty quickly. I can barely remember the boyfriend's name and I'm not sure what his favorite song was, but "Four In The Morning" quickly became mine. Oh and I love the backstory behind it. Jack Blades (Night Ranger vocalist) was having chick problems and happened to wake up at 4 in the morning singing the chorus of "I can't take any more, I can't take any more, it's such a hard time loving you." and just like that, a song was born. Still my favorite.
I fell in love with Tina Turner's music back in 1984 when she released Private Dancer. I knew nothing of her career years earlier with Ike and I knew nothing of her struggle to establish herself as a solo artist. I only knew that when the video for "What's Love Got To Do With It" started I was completely sucked in. I remember at that time my dad would buy singles' and add them to a mixtape, then I'd get to keep the 45. At the time my dad, like every other DJ on the radio was mesmerized by Tina's fishnets on the cover. I just thought she reeked of coolness.
By the time the title track, "Private Dancer" was released I was already a fan. At first, I thought that the song was a bit boring but it quickly grew on me. Now many moons later I love it AND all three of the videos that have been released for it. The one below is my very favorite. Shot during a concert at Wembley Arena, it shows just how popular Tina really was in her heyday. It's also a subtle version of a song that's kind of timeless, don't you think?
Now she's breakin' hearts in heaven Shinin' bright in the sky I still hear her voice in the wind I still think of you in the night, oh yeah Well I guess you'll never know How much I need her so
I was trying to find the perfect power ballad for this morning and this song by L.A. Guns came to mind. Back in 1989 "The Ballad of Jayne" caused many headbangers to pause for a moment and think about the lyrics. While the guys admitted that the song was originally a tribute to Hollywood icon, Jayne Mansfield, who was killed in a tragic accident, the lyrics resonated with just about everyone.
If you've ever lost anyone too soon then "The Ballad of Jayne" will hit a nerve. Phil Lewis' haunting vocal makes this one of the best ballads to come out of the 1980's. Plus it is pretty timeless. After taking a listen to "The Ballad of Jayne" for the first time in a while it occurred to me that it could have just been released yesterday.
As for L.A. Guns, well they're still around playing shows here and there. I'm pretty sure that "The Ballad of Jayne" ends up being one of the best songs in their setlist to this day.
Coming April 9th, 2021
A feature-length documentary by DailyBOOM Media on Covid-19's crushing impact on the music industry as seen through the eyes of artists, musicians, promoters, venue owners, merchandisers and Save Our Stages/NIVA ambassadors.
Featuring:
Jeff Pilson- Foreigner/Ex-Dokken
Michael Sweet- Stryper
Joel Hoekstra- Whitesnake/Cher
Haley Johnsen- American Idol/Indie artist
Sabrina Nieves- The Cover Girls
Todd "Dammit" Kerns- Slash & the Conspirators
Chip Z'Nuff- Enuff Z'Nuff
Ron Keel- Ron Keel Band
Ace Von Johnson- L.A. Guns/Faster Pussycat
Jeffrey "Soave" Martinez- Freestyle artist
Jade Starling- Pretty Poison
Stacey David Blades- Crashing Wayward
Tony Hall- Santana
and more.
Trailer music:
- "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" (Extended Orchestral Version)- Nick Van Eede/Cutting Crew (Licensed for use through Sony ATV)
- "Urgent"- Foreigner (Licensed for use through Somerset Songs Publishing)
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free You'll find a god in every golden cloister And if you're lucky then the god's a she I can feel an angel sliding up to me."
You may not remember the name Murray Head, but you'll definitely remember the one-hit-wonder that he sang on in 1985. "One Night In Bangkok" was part of the Chess musical that came out after its' concept album took off. Murray was simply a British actor that was brought in to read the lyrics and probably never anticipated the song being so well-received. Check out the video below. Of course you remember this, right?
I remember Kim Wilde's "Kids In America" being the second song on a compilation that I owned as a kid. It was sandwiched between Flock of Seagulls and The Waitresses and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't imagine likin g anything more by her until I heard "You Keep Me Hanging On", her remake of the old Supremes classic. It was one of my favorite songs of 1986.
It's funny when I think back to the 80's and how remakes of 60's classics were so normal. The girl groups of that era all loved The Supremes, who at the time seemed absolutely ancient. Now it's the equivalent of a new girl group loving En Vogue. Do the math.
How crazy is that?
Anyway, this remake of "You Keep Me Hanging On" went to number one in the states and it still is a great energized version of the classic. Check out the video below!
A feature-length documentary by DailyBOOM Media on Covid-19's crushing impact on the music industry as seen through the eyes of artists, musicians, promoters, venue owners, merchandisers and Save Our Stages/NIVA ambassadors.
Featuring:
Jeff Pilson
Michael Sweet
Joel Hoekstra
Haley Johnsen
Sabrina Nieves
Todd Kerns
Chip Z'Nuff
Ron Keel
Tony Hall
Jeffrey "Soave" Martinez
Ace Von Johnson
Jade Starling
Stacey David Blades
Sal Abbatiello
and more.
Sometimes a song seems to arrive at just the right point in time. When Martinka's "Toy Soldiers" was released it seemed to find success literally overnight. While the song was originally written to address drugs and their devastating impact on a close friend, it didn't only strike a chord in that way. The lyrics remind you how fragile we all are and it was and still is relatable to each and every one of us. The late 80's were loaded down with female ballads and so if you were going to release one then you really needed to bring something unique to the table. "Toy Soldiers" did just that and it really helped Martika to stand out from the Debbie Gibson's and the Tiffany's that seemed to rule the charts. Check it out below!
"I'm not proud, I was wrong And the truth is hard to take I felt sure we had enough But our love went overboard Lifeboat lies lost at sea I've been trying to reach your shore Waves of doubt keep drowning me All the dreams that we were building We never fulfilled them Could be better, should be better For lessons in love"
We all have those songs that, for whatever reason, we just love and "Lessons In Love" by Level 42 falls into that category for me. It wasn't the band's most successful single when it topped the charts at number 12 back in 1987 (that honor goes to "Something About You" which reached number 7 the previous year) but it has always stuck in my head. The lyrics are all about screwing up a relationship and I'm pretty sure that my 15-year-old self had done exactly the same thing at that point in time, making it pretty much "my" song.
The thing is that "Lessons In Love" could easily have been (and probably was) a lot of peoples' songs because who hasn't been there. The best lessons are those learned the hard way and Level 42 spells it out perfectly. I've always thought it was more than a little ironic that this song's melody makes me happy while the lyrics are a bit somber. Check out the video below. Do you remember this one?
"A lonely night I'm thinking of you So glad to know the things that you told me Falling in love, is the best thing to do I need you so, I want you to hold me Can't you see when the lights are low All I want, all I need Is a touch of your gentle heart When your close to me."
In the summer of 1990, freestyle and house music were almost all that I listened to. Several one-named artists popped up (definitely a Latin freestyle thing), dropped a hot club song or two, and then disappeared back into anonymity. I'm not trying to be shady here at all. I loved their songs and went well into the '90s hoping that they'd return with another hot track or two. April was one of the artists that kind of ruled the genre. Every song that she put out took off up the Billboard club charts and we just couldn't get enough. If you were lucky enough to spend some time on Dance Party USA (and I was), then you knew April's music really well.
I found this clip of her lip-synced performance on Dance Party USA. This was filmed in Ocean City, NJ in July of 1990. Enjoy it!
Step by step, oh, baby, gonna get to you, girl Step by step, oh, baby, really want you in my world Step! Hey, girl, in your eyes I see your picture of me all the time Step! And, girl, when you smile you got to know that you drive me wild Step by step, oh, baby, you're always on my mind Step by step, oh, girl, I really think it's just a matter of time.
Let's kick this week off with a great dance track by New Kids On The Block. Even if you weren't a fan of bubble gum pop there is probably one song by this iconic boy band that you did secretly like and it might have been "Step By Step". The guys first broke through in 1988 with songs like "Please Don't Go Girl" and "Hangin' Tough" which helped them to develop a rock solid screaming teen girl fan base in record time. By the time "Step By Step" was released in the spring of 1990, NKOTB were already bonafide superstars.
This song takes me back to that window of time just after high school when I was trying to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. While lost in that confusion I was a die-hard fan of USA network's Dance Party USA. The teen dance program taped about an hour away from me and on a few cool occasions my friends and I piled into an old car and drove to the studio to be guests on the show. As big as NKOTB was in my hometown, it was nothing compared to the love for the boy band that this entire group of kids felt. Maybe it was because the guys had been guests on the show quite often and that strengthened the appeal, but when you walked in you were clearly on NKOTB turf and that was fine with me.
Who was your favorite member of New Kids On The Block? Come on, we both know that you really did have one! In case you need a refresher, check out the video below and report back!
Since Covid-19 has brought gigs to a screeching halt we are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.
ICYMI-
Queensryche's latest release, "Dark Reverie", off of their forthcoming album The Verdict (out March 1) has the band's longtime fans dying to hear more. The buzz on this effort is nothing but positive and the guys are counting down the days until they get to hit the road to support their newest "baby". Steve and I had a chance to chat with Queensryche founder Michael Wilton this week and his excitement is more than a little infectious!
DailyBOOM:The last time we spoke you were finishing up work on the new Queensryche album and you were dying for everyone to hear it. You now have two singles out, "Man The Machine" and "Dark Reverie" and they are just beyond fantastic. How are you feeling now that we're actually hearing the new music?
Michael Wilton: My expectations have been flooded. The response is way more than I could have ever anticipated and it has taken off so much better than I could have ever hoped for. We knew we had something special and it becomes your baby, you just never know how people are going to actually perceive it. So it was released to the press and all of the interviews that I've done have just been filled with positive vibrations, which is just incredible. I'm just beyond words.
DailyBOOM: You said that you guys knew that you had something special, so take us back to the studio. How did this one come together differently?
MW: The whole beginning process was an arduous task because when we started pre-production with our producer Zeus there were only a couple of songs that were in demo form and near completion. Everything else was in scattered bits and pieces of riffs and everything so that in itself was a big challenge. It was also one of the most gratifying experiences that I've had since the early '80s. Going through each song, just pulling the deepest and most creative elements out of each individual and building each song with lots of thought. Getting it to the point where everybody was happy with the sound took probably the first two weeks of pre-production and then the next two weeks were spent learning the songs before finally recording the songs. It was quite a task.
Making things more challenging was the fact that Scott (Rockenfield) couldn't play on this album so we had to get a drummer. Todd LaTorre had to get the rust off his drumsticks and he had to write the album on the drums as well as the lyrics. You can imagine the organizational nightmare (laughing) but you know, we believed in it. Zeus was the guy kind of orchestrating everything and we had to get a midi drum kit into the studio so Todd could play along and learn or write the parts. It was just mind-blowing but during this whole process, the ideas and energy were fantastic. It was all of us at the top of our game just devoting so much of our own creative elements to this album. You don't realize until after you're done that these songs are turning into monsters. We're just so proud of them.
(Official Queensryche Promo Shot)
DailyBOOM: It sounds like Todd has really stepped up his musical game this time out.
MW: Yes! As a musician, he's growing like you would not even believe. He's more comfortable and it shows. Todd has definitely stepped up his game obviously because he had to write drum parts now too. He gets to really let loose (laughing). The writing process with everybody is amazing. I think the band as a whole believes in our own creativity and so we're really giving our all. It's crazy but when all is said and done we can sit back and say, 'Wow! We created that!'
DailyBOOM: Do you foresee Scott returning to the band?
MW: We don't know. He is on a different path right now and raising a child so we'll wait and see. The door is always open. People change and they want to do different things so they need some time and their privacy. Casey Grillo has been on tour with us for the last two years and he actually played drums on two of the extra songs included on our bonus cd. We did acoustic versions of "I Dream in Infrared" and "Open Road" and he did all of the percussion on both those. He's a great drummer, really well-rounded and he has a wide palette in his musical style. He's filling big shoes and he's doing a great job. The fans really love him and he is scheduled to be on the road with us again this year.
DailyBOOM: I have to say, "Dark Reverie" has us really excited. It just seems like every note is so perfectly placed and balanced.
MW: It's the same with everyone that I talk to! I've heard that the flow of the album is great and that listeners can really tell that each song has so much thought that has been put into it. So many different positive comments and it's just mind-blowing to think that we've actually accomplished exactly what we set out to capture with this. I think that on March first when The Verdict is released, it's really going to impact the fans just as it did us last year.
Check out Queensryche's official site for tickets, merch & more!
"I feel so good when I'm near you That's why I always wanna be close to you I'm so addicted, I'm so addicted To makin' love to you, baby All night long, baby, all night long, long, long, long"
H-Town's "Knockin' Da Boots" is one of my all-time favorite slow jams. The 1993 R&B classic hit Billboard's charts at the height of the New Jack Swing era and it sat near the top for several weeks in the spring of that year. Kristine Huskey, who is now a distinguished attorney and author actually appeared in the video as a dancer.
H-Town remained popular throughout much of the 90's and were putting the finishing touches on an album when lead singer Keven "Dino" Conner was killed in a car accident along with his pregnant girlfriend. The album was released nearly two years later but without Conner it didn't garner much airplay or distribution. The remaining members of H-Town, Solomon Conner and Darryl Jackson perform some of their classics from time to time.
Since Covid-19 has brought gigs to a screeching halt we are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.
Quarantine. Social distancing. Pandemic. Not exactly the terminology that any of us expected to personally identify with as we rang in the new year back in January and yet, here we are. When sheltering in place becomes a part of daily life it has a way of stripping away some of the things (career, money, etc.) that might otherwise divide people. We're all literally in the same boat and that includes rock stars like Tesla's lead singer, Jeff Keith.
The band recently put out a wonderfully crafted new live album, Five Man London Jam, and rather than celebrating on the road as expected, they are at home with their families, waiting for this initial wave of Covid-19 to be over. I caught up with Jeff the other day and while life has taken a sharp turn, his kindness and positivity remain fully intact. Check it out.
Jeff Keith on daily life while under quarantine:
"It's crazy, my wife and I are now homeschooling our nine-year-old son. He does computer work and I do all the paperwork. I'm re-learning about a lot of things like adjectives and linking verbs, I'm brushing up on all the stuff I learned so many years ago (laughing)."
Jeff on Tesla's new release, Five Man London Jam:
"We have to get a handle on the virus so we can get back out there and rock and roll. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to get out there to work this new record, Five Man London Jam. We're really excited to be able to play it for people and so hopefully we'll get the green light to go back out. We want people to listen to it now, watch the video and really enjoy it because we enjoyed recording it.
It was done at Abbey Road Studios which made it just magical. Also, in a lot of ways, it was the best sounding room that we've ever played in. The Beatles and so many other great bands have gone through there and that kind of history made it a really special experience for us. We were really fortunate that our management was able to set it up in time for the thirtieth anniversary of our Five Man Acoustical Jam. It was like a celebration for us and we were able to have it in a place that already has magic in the air."
Jeff on playing acoustic shows:
"Playing acoustically is both challenging and exciting. Songs that are like a wall of amplifiers or something normally, make us have to approach them completely different with an acoustic guitar. It's fun to take a song like "Modern Day Cowboy" and try to keep it in the same vein that it was written in, but with an acoustic spin. It's exciting to have to figure out a different approach to it.
I love doing studio records but doing anything live is my favorite, because you forget that you're recording. Everyone does because we're all just in the moment having fun and feeding off the energy of the room. So, for the room to be Abbey Road Studios, the energy was electric."
Jeff on how this acoustic show was different from previous shows for the band:
"Oh my gosh, that location was just everything. When you're in the room you really try to forget that you're recording and just live in that moment and the music of that moment. Then with it being Abbey Road Studios, you had to let go of the legacy of this room and again try to stay connected to the music. We also got to throw some songs in there that weren't a part of Five Man Acoustical Jam back in 1990, which was nice. We got to do some of the songs from our record called Shocked, that we put out last year with Phil Collen. It was exciting and both challenging and fun for us to do and we had such a great time."
Jeff on working with Phil Collen:
"Phil is such a beautiful, loving soul and he clicks really well with our band. He is such an awesome guy and Phil really is like a big brother. Def Leppard took us under their wings when we went out with them on the Hysteria tour, back in 1987-88. We spent fourteen months in the round, with the stage in the middle of the arenas, for that tour and it was fantastic. Phil working with us and producing a record for us this many years later was just as fantastic He taught us a lot of things that we weren't already familiar with and somehow still kept it all in the vein of Tesla. We were still ourselves on that record but with a little bit of a different sound. The nice thing about it was that the fans appreciated it. They knew that we were doing something a little different that still allowed us to be ourselves, just with new techniques in our writing, and they supported us doing that. If Phil would be interested in doing it, we would love to do another one with him. If we had the opportunity to work with him like that again we would jump right on it."
Jeff on Tesla's secret to longevity:
"I believe an important part of it for us is that we have always stayed true to who we are. We are a blue-collar, rock and roll, bluesy band and every record that we've ever made stays true to that, even if it wasn't the most popular thing stylistically. We made it through the grunge movement (laughing) and we've never tried to win a popularity contest. After we broke up for four years, we came back in 2004 with a record titled Into The Now, and we called it that because we felt like we had one foot back in the 80's and then the other firmly in the present. I think the fans appreciate how we've always stuck to and acknowledged our roots. One thing about Tesla is that we don't try to be something that we're not. We've always stuck to our guns even though what we're doing may not be part of the latest fad, we stick to our roots. We also love to still make records and we intend to keep making them. I think that all of those things combined keep the fans with us and we are so deeply grateful to them for sticking with us. We know who we are and we'll always be Tesla."
Jeff on adapting to life temporarily without gigs:
"I think a lot of us are just trying to figure it out as we go. Hopefully, sooner rather than later they'll find a vaccine and really learn more about how this virus works. It has just taken over everything and everything is shut down and we are hoping that they figure out how to get it under control. We can't wait to be able to get back out there and play again. We are hanging in limbo just like everyone else and we truly hope scientists figure things out so that we can all congregate again knowing that we're safe. We're dying to play live rock and roll and it's just not that simple anymore, it's not even in our hands. In order to be able to do that, the whole world really needs to come together. We need to do the right thing, which is social distancing and it really is also the toughest thing to do. Sheltering in place is so important and so is remaining hopeful that things will work out. It is going to take us all coming together as one for us to beat this thing."
What Jeff wants you to know:
"We can't wait to get back out there to play for our fans again. It's heartbreaking not to be able to do that now but once we are given the green light, Tesla will be bringing their Five Man London Jam to a city near you."
Check out Tesla's official site for updated tour dates and merch!
A feature-length documentary by DailyBOOM Media on Covid-19's crushing impact on the music industry as seen through the eyes of artists, musicians, promoters, venue owners, merchandisers and Save Our Stages/NIVA ambassadors.
Featuring:
Jeff Pilson
Michael Sweet
Joel Hoekstra
Haley Johnsen
Sabrina Nieves
Todd Kerns
Chip Z'Nuff
Ron Keel
Jeffrey "Soave" Martinez
Ace Von Johnson
Jade Starling
Stacey David Blades
Sal Abbatiello
and more.
Do you remember Jane Child? She was one of the earliest shooting stars of the 90's that seemed to have a long career ahead of her. Child's look caught attention because no other woman on the top 40 charts was rocking a shaved head, braids and a nose ring. Her first single, "Don't Wanna Fall In Love" was a total bop. It was on in the car, it was on in the grocery store, it was on in your doctor's office. It followed you everywhere and that wasn't a bad thing. We were coming off of hair bands and New Jack Swing had its' finger on just about everything else so Child was really a breath of fresh air.
Unfortunately, she's considered a one-hit wonder by most, but Child does have three albums out there so if you still love this song, then check the rest of her archive. You remember this one, right?
"We've gotta hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot. For love we'll give it a shot."
"Livin' On A Prayer" is most definitely Bon Jovi's signature song, isn't it? I mean if you could only hear them perform one song live, wouldn't that be the one? It was the second single off of the band's epic 1986 release, Slippery When Wet. It also was their second number one song in a row. Those are the facts and statistics, which are all secondary to what this song is all about.
Thirty plus years after "Livin' On A Prayer's" release it's not just about Jon Bon's hair and the story of Tommy and Gina. Instead it instantly walks so many of us back in time to when passing exams and dating the right person were the biggest concerns. It takes me back to tenth grade when I lived in my jean jacket with my Walkman shoved in the pocket. Back to when I only thought that my life was complicated.
This song also shows how timeless a great rock anthem can be. Sure Bon Jovi has made a zillion more albums, but nothing compares to the very first time that you heard "Living On A Prayer", right?
I can't understand why she would leave me this way
With nothing to say
Then I found the note on the door
It said good-bye and she don't want me no more
Bye-bye baby, bye-bye, she said in the letter
And that was all she wrote
When you first think of FireHouse "All She Wrote" probably isn't the very first song that comes to mind. The band is best known for the power ballad "Love Of A Lifetime" but they really came out of the gate back in 1989 knowing how to rock. "All She Wrote" was FireHouse's fourth single off of their self-titled debut album. It reached only as high as number 58 on Billboard's Hot 100 back in 1991 but the song got a lot of radio play, especially on rock stations across the U.S.
What sets FireHouse apart from many other bands is the fact that they have seen minimal changes to their lineup. C. J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty, drummer Michael Foster, and bassist Allen McKenzie still continue to play gigs all over the world.
"Shame, ooh My mother says you're playing a game And what you do to me is a Shame Ooh, gonna love you just the same Mama just don't understand Wrapped in your arms Is where I want to be I want to be, want to be Wrapped in your arms That's my high, my high I can't get enough, ooh baby Enough of that magic touch Love is in my heart Tearing the rules apart So, why should I be ashamed"
I make absolutely no apologies for my to-this-day love of disco. The very first 45's that I bought with my own money were Chic's "Le Freak" and Anita Ward's "Ring My Bell"- and I still love them both. I also love how when a classic disco song comes on now and everyone floods the dance floor. The appeal is still there. Evelyn Champagne King's "Shame" is a perfect example of this phenomenon. It's just a great song with a great beat and when you throw in a bit of a cautionary lyrical tale, well you've struck 40 years worth of musical gold.
Click play below and I dare you to try and stay still. You can't do it either, can you?
"Janie's got a gun Janie's got a gun Her whole world's come undone From lookin' straight at the sun What did her daddy do? What did he put you through? They said when Janie was arrested they found him underneath a train But man, he had it comin' Now that Janie's got a gun she ain't never gonna be the same."
In their 40+ year career Aerosmith has certainly cranked out a string of memorable hits, haven't they? Even if you're not an Aerosmith fan by definition there has to be a few songs in their catalog that you like. One of my very favorites is "Janie's Got A Gun" the second single off of their 1989 album, Pump. It took Steven Tyler 8 months to finish writing the lyrics to this song and it was a Newsweek article on child abuse that finally helped his process. At the time Tyler said he was furious that no one was really speaking out against incestuous abuse and he decided to use "Janie's Got A Gun" as a platform to raise awareness.
The lyrics were switched around for radio airplay but the video drives home the songs gut-wrenching message. Check it out below.
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