January 24, 1962, wasnโt just another cold Liverpool morning. It was the day four scruffy ladsโJohn Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Bestโput their faith in a well-dressed, fast-talking record store manager named Brian Epstein. With a few strokes of a pen, they signed a management contract that would change the course of music…
Claude Lemaire thinks Led Zeppelin is so seminal to hard rock, he chooses them twice for Episode 3. King Crimson also makes the cut.
By 1973, The Rolling Stones were the epitome of rock โnโ roll excessโa band that had transformed scandal into an art form. Their music was a siren call to the rebellious, their lifestyles a middle finger to the establishment. Yet, even they couldnโt charm their way past Japanโs stringent immigration policies. In late 1972, the…
On January 3, 1969, The Lulu Show was about as far from Jimi Hendrixโs usual stomping grounds as you could get. The show was a high-profile, family-friendly TV programโclean-cut, conservative, and far removed from the chaotic energy that defined Hendrixโs live shows. The producers of The Lulu Show likely envisioned a performance that would fit…
More tips, stories, and wisdom from veteran musician Frank Doris based on his decades playing in bands. This time, it’s all about what to do if you’re stuck on a small stage.
In the early 1960s, as the world turned its gaze skyward, captivated by the dawn of the Space Age, a British instrumental piece named โTelstarโ emerged, encapsulating the eraโs spirit of innovation and exploration. Crafted by the enigmatic producer Joe Meek and performed by The Tornados, โTelstarโ not only mirrored the technological marvels of its…
On December 19, 1955, Carl Perkins stepped into Memphisโ Sun Studio with a song that would become a cornerstone of rock โnโ roll history. But like most great music moments, the creation of Blue Suede Shoes wasnโt so much a straight line as it was a tangled web of stories, late-night drives, and serendipitous inspiration.…
Imagine itโs a chilly December 1 evening in 1957. TV screens across America flicker to life with that iconic Ed Sullivan introduction: โAnd now, ladies and gentlemenโฆ Buddy Holly and the Crickets!โ For just a few minutes, Buddy Hollyโonly 21 at the timeโcommands the national stage, bringing rock โnโ roll into Americaโs living rooms like…
In this episode, writer and self-taught musicologist Claude Lemaire chooses Iron Butterfly, Jeff Beck, and even the Beatles as pioneering heavy rock influencers.