Music Break

Since I've been running around most of today, I decided to take a break from my normal routine and put up some music.  Thus, here is a set of five songs.  First up is a number that I've recently discovered, Divine Thing by the Soup Dragons, which came out in 1992.

In 1974, Bachman-Turner Overdrive released their third album Not Fragile, which includes Rock Is My Life, And This Is My Song.  This song was written and sung by lead guitarist Randy Bachman, and includes both acoustic and electric guitars.  The album introduces new guitarist Blair Thornton, who replaced original member Tim Bachman.  The rest of the band at this time were C.F. Turner on bass and vocals and Robbie Bachman on drums and percussion.  The video shows pictures of the band, including some from live performances.

The Dutch band Golden Earring, known for the hits Radar Love and Twilight Zone, released Holy Holy Life as a single in 1971.  It was written by lead guitarist/singer George Kooymans, who passed away earlier this year.  The other band members back then were Barry Hay (lead vocals, guitar, sax and flute), Rinus Gerritsen (bass and keyboards), and Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums and percussion).

The Scottish group Average White Band released their debut album Show Your Hand in 1973, which includes Put It Where You Want It.  This video shows the band performing the song on the show Old Grey Whistle Stop.  At this time, the band included Alan Gorrie (bass and vocals), Hamish Stuart (guitar and vocals), Onnie McIntyre (lead guitar), Malcolm Duncan (sax), Roger Ball (keyboards and sax), and Robbie McIntosh (drums and percussion).  On this song, Gorrie sings lead, Stuart sings answer vocals and high harmonies, and Ball plays electric piano.  Fun fact:  Hamish Stuart was later in Paul McCartney's band, whose lead guitarist was Pretenders alumnus Robbie McIntosh.  Thus, Stuart might be the only musician to have played in bands with both Robbie McIntoshes.  Drummer McIntosh died from a heroin overdose in 1974 and was replaced by English drummer Steve Ferrone, who later was in Tom Petty and the heartbreakers.

To finish, this is a cover of the Mott the Hoople song All The Way From Memphis by the short-lived supergroup Contraband.  Its members were Richard Black (from Shark Island) on lead vocals, Michael Schenker (from Scorpions, UFO and the Michael Schenker Group) on guitars, Tracii Guns (from L.A. Guns) on guitars, Share Pedersen (from Vixen) on bass, and Bobby Blotzer (from Ratt) on drums.  Schenker, Guns, Pedersen and Blotzer all contributed backing vocals.