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Pop Rock Nation

Category: News

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  • Today would have been Bob Marley’s 70th birthday…

    Today would have been Bob Marley’s 70th birthday…

    Bob Marley was born on February 6th in 1945. Today would have been his 70th birthday…

    And throughout 2015, in honor of his 70th birthday, Bob Marley’s fans are going to have the opportunity to listen to some heretofore unreleased and rare material. Starting February 17th, Tuff Gong International, in partnership with Caroline, will offer the first of the previously unavailable recordings as well as deluxe editions of Marley’s best known works. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to sneak an early listen to the first commemorative release, Bob Marley & The Wailers- Easy Skanking in Boston ’78.

    Bob Marley died May 11, 1981 in Miami, Florida after a bout with metastatic skin cancer that eventually spread to his lungs and brain. He was just 36 years old at the time of his death. Despite the brevity of his life, Bob Marley made an indelible and unquestionable mark on reggae music. His music is still much beloved by generations of people around the world and has influenced and inspired countless creative people. Indeed, Bob Marley, who’s sold more than 20 million records, is considered an “ambassador” of reggae music.

    I didn’t discover Bob Marley & The Wailers until 1990, when I was a college freshman. I had a roommate for one week who liked his music and played it constantly. That roommate and I ended up being totally incompatible, but I did take away a sincere appreciation for Bob Marley and the Wailers from the otherwise unpleasant but mercifully brief experience of living with her. After I moved out of our room, I went out and bought his eponymous greatest hits album, Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers. I’ve enjoyed Bob Marley’s music in the almost 25 years since! I guess I have that failed roommate experience to thank for that, though I feel pretty certain that I would have become a fan anyway. Bob Marley’s music is everywhere and it’s infectious!

    I will take the weekend to give Easy Skanking in Boston ’78 a thorough review from start to finish. In a later post, I’ll offer my thoughts about this exciting new release. Until then, please have a look at this video, which offers more information about this upcoming release in honor of Bob Marley’s 70th birthday.

  • Variety shows are a lost art…

    Variety shows are a lost art…

    Adding a little schlock to my rock today by examining the lost art of variety shows…

    Last week, I got on a serious Olivia Newton John kick. I bought a couple of her 70s era albums and learned a couple of her songs. I reminisced about the days when I adored Olivia in all her fluffy, sweet, squeaky clean glory. Or, at least she was that way until she sang songs like “Physical”, “Tied Up”, and “Soul Kiss”. Remembering an old song she sang about divorce called “Changes”, I took to YouTube to see if I could find it. The album it came from is very hard to find these days. I did end up finding Olivia’s old song. In fact, I found that she’d used it on a variety show she did back in the 70s. Check this out.


    Here’s a video from 1976. Looks like Olivia tried to turn the song into a scripted scene from a variety show. This kind of makes me cringe and laugh at the same time.


    Here’s another 1976 era video featuring Lee Majors… and Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman!

    It’s been a very long time since I last saw an artist like Olivia Newton John host a variety show. Lynda Carter, herself a singer sometimes, also had a variety show back in the day. It’s pretty damn cringeworthy.


    I actually remember when this originally aired in the early 80s.

    The song Lynda is singing is called “You’re Moving Out Today”. It was written by Carole Bayer Sager, Bette Midler, and Bruce Roberts. It was a hit for Sager in 1977 and notable since though Sager has written a lot of songs, this one was the only one that she sang herself.


    Here, she sings “Could It Be Magic” after telling her audience an entertaining anecdote about Mozart.

    This is a song that was made famous by both Barry Manilow and Donna Summer, both of whom I’d rather hear sing it than Lynda Carter. But judging by the comments on YouTube, people were not tuning in to hear the lovely Lynda Carter sing “Could It Be Magic”. I think most of them were hormonally provoked.

    While Lynda and Olivia had the odd musical special on primetime TV, there were other variety shows that were weekly affairs. Of course, I’m thinking about Donny and Marie Osmond, who had a very big hit with their show, Donny & Marie.


    Here’s a clip of Donny and Marie Osmond introducing Roy Clark, who was on his own cornball variety show Hee Haw.

    Roy Clark is kind of near and dear to my heart, since he was born in Meherrin, Virginia, a little town very close to where I went to college. The local hospital even had a plaque in the emergency room dedicated in his honor.


    A little wholesome banjo picking on Hee Haw… I used to watch this show all the time when I was growing up. I’d watch it today, too.

    And even imaginary television families got in on the variety show action. The stars of the 70s sitcom The Brady Bunch were guests on Donny & Marie. The episode was so popular that the powers that were at ABC decided to give them their own show. It was called The Brady Bunch Hour and it was truly a weird creation.


    This show was based on a truly ridiculous premise. Apparently, Mike Brady gave up being an architect to get into show biz.

    The Brady Bunch Hour didn’t last very long, but several big name stars were embarrassed on it, including Tina Turner, who at the time had just divorced ex husband Ike Turner.


    I give her credit for being so game to entertain!

    Sonny and Cher also had a great variety show back in the day. I actually love seeing old episodes of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. They were very entertaining.


    A less country version of “Jackson” as interpreted by Sonny Bono and Cher.

    And here Cher does a Stevie Wonder number with The Osmonds… This clip never fails to crack me up. I love how the electric keyboard comes down from nowhere and Donny pretends to play it.


    Check out the dance moves on this lot… They’re pretty great, except at the end, when they finish off in a weird pose.

    I love watching this shit. At the same time, I can’t imagine how this medium could be recreated for 2015. I doubt it would be very successful. These shows are so schlocky and corny. Oh well, I guess I could always go to Branson, Missouri for an evening of wholesome variety show fun.

  • Discovering Vasco Rossi…

    Discovering Vasco Rossi…

    One of the most interesting things that happened on my recent trip to Hamburg was discovering Vasco Rossi, an Italian rock star I’d never heard of.

    Whenever I travel, I always keep my ears open for new music. Last Friday, my husband Bill and I went to Hamburg, Germany for the long weekend. Getting to Hamburg was quite an ordeal because there was a strike going on at the Stuttgart Airport. The people in charge of handling security were striking instead of processing passengers, so there was a two hour line to get through before we could board our one hour flight. When we landed in the early evening, I was pretty tired and ready to relax. We found a taxi and on our way into the city, I noticed that the driver was playing some music I liked. I peeked at his sound system and saw that he was playing the latest U2 album. But then he switched channels and started playing music by a guy named Vasco Rossi. I had never heard of Mr. Rossi before, but he’s a big star in Italy.

    Our cabbie was very Italian and was even showing us pictures of the Sicilian beachside town he came from while driving into Hamburg. Aside from showing us pictures, he was also into his music. I decided that while his driving skills were a little scary, the cabbie had pretty good taste in tunes. I liked Vasco Rossi’s raspy, sensual, dreamy sound, even if I didn’t understand much of what he was singing.


    Vasco Rossi sings for an enthusiastic audience.

    I found myself paying closer attention to the music, noting the singer’s name. Then the cab driver started telling us about Vasco Rossi and how he’s much loved in Italy. I started thinking about all the great musicians around the world who never get heard because their music doesn’t come from a place where it’s widely distributed. Think about it. People in the most obscure places on Earth have heard of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, and The Beatles. How many Americans know about singers like Vasco Rossi, who obviously enjoys much success in his homeland? Travel is a great way to discover things, especially new music. Travelers then take their discovery home, where they share it with others, just like I’m sharing my discovery with the people who read Pop Rock Nation.


    Vasco Rossi plays live in Milan.

    Some of my favorite souvenirs from my travels are musical selections I’ve found in other countries. When we go to new places, I always notice the music, whether it’s in a cab or playing in a restaurant where I’m having breakfast. I stop and listen to street music and have discovered some really gifted musicians that way. Vasco Rossi certainly doesn’t need me to “discover” him. He already has plenty of people enjoying his music. But thanks to a talkative and friendly cab driver in Hamburg, his music is now even more broadly known, if only in a micro way.


    A pensive album track by Vasco Rossi… “Sto Pensando A Te”

    Here’s something else I learned about Vasco Rossi. He’s known as a bit of a provocateur. Indeed, he’s even complained that his music doesn’t get broad representation in England and the United States. Well, now I can say I’m doing my part.

    The album I’m featuring below, Sono Innocente (I’m Innocent) was what was playing on our cab ride. It was released on November 4, 2014.