The Music of DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL

Dashboard Confessional is an American band, led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Carrabba, from Boca Raton, Florida, USA.


History
This current line-up includes Carrabba (vocals, guitar), John Lefler (guitar, vocals), Scott Shoenbeck (bass guitar) and Mike Marsh (drums, percussion). As of 2005, they have released three EPs and four full-length albums, three of which have been certified gold by the RIAA.

They won the MTV2 award at 2002's MTV Video Music Awards for their song "Screaming Infidelities".

In May of 2005, Dashboard Confessional entered the studio to record their fourth album with Daniel Lanois. Lanois has co-produced the albums So (Peter Gabriel) and The Joshua Tree (U2), and produced Bob Dylan's Grammy award winning album Time Out of Mind (Album of the Year, 1997). "Don't Wait" was the third single released from Dashboard Confessional's latest album Dusk and Summer, which was released on June 27, 2006. The album's second single was "Stolen". Following the release of Dusk and Summer, Dashboard Confessional went on a summer tour of the U.S. with special guests Say Anything and Ben Lee. They followed this with a co-headlining arena tour with alternative rock band Brand New.

Dashboard Confessional performed at the Brick Awards on April 12, 2007 as a featured musical guest, in addition to playing the final show of the mtvU Campus Invasion Tour 2007 at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia on April 29, 2007.

The band was featured on PBS' acclaimed music series Soundstage, with a performance taped at New York's Madison Square Garden debuting on the network July 12, 2007. The broadcast, repeated nationally over subsequent weeks, included "Don’t Wait," "Stolen," and "Screaming Infidelities".

Dashboard Confessional's Official website announced a fall 2007 North American solo tour with special guests Augustana and John Ralston.

Dashboard Confessional released their fifth studio album on October 2nd called The Shade of Poison Trees.

During an interview with Billboard, posted on September 11, 2007, Carrabba stated that he is 14 tracks into what would be the sixth studio album. He is also unsure about when it would be recorded, but plans to have 30 tracks to draw from. It may be a concept album: "only with the last three has it become, like, 'All right, these have a continuity and there's something going on,' so I'm excited to see where that leads." he also stated that the album would not be released for sometime since he has an obligation to promote the new album.

Listen to DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL songs.

The Music of LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY

LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY were a British duo active from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. Vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and keyboard player Paul Tucker formed the act in 1993 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK after meeting at university. Their 1995 debut album Ocean Drive sold more than 1.6 million copies in the UK alone and established them as a popular easy listening duo throughout Europe.

Although none of their singles reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, they did reach number one on the Australian Singles Chart with the song "High".

The Lighthouse Family split up in early 2003 because of what they called a "heavy promotional schedule" following the release of Whatever Gets You Through the Day in 2002. This led to both men pursuing individual projects. Baiyewu is now a solo artist, while Tucker joined a rock band, The Orange Lights.

According to their management, the band has not split up despite being inactive: "there is always the possibility of another Lighthouse Family album one day."

Both Baiyewu and Tucker were working in bars when they first met; together, they recorded demos of a number of songs Tucker had written during the late 1980s. Among these, a demo of "Ocean Drive" attracted the attention of Polydor Records A&R director Colin Barlow, who, in 1993, signed the band to a six-month development deal.

The band were funded for the recording of additional demos, and teamed with songwriters Martin Brammer (formerly of Kane Gang), Tim Kellett (formerly of Simply Red), and Tim Laws (co-writer of "Dreams" by Gabrielle). Eventually, the band was signed to record an album proper; finished in August 1994, Ocean Drive also included songs written by Shaun Ward (also of Simply Red), Junior Giscombe, and Alan Glass, and was produced by Mike Peden.

The band was managed throughout its career by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, co-founders of Newcastle-based Kitchenware Records; the label had gone on hiatus during the 1990s in order to handle the management of Lighthouse Family and other musicians.

In the wake of an economic recession in the UK, British record labels were, at the time, primarily signing artists with the goal of short-term profit. In contrast, Barlow, in The Times, expected that the band could last for "ten years or more". At the time of the launch of the first album, Polydor's investments in the band totaled ₤250000. Peden's hiring was described as a "big spend", and music videos were filmed overseas in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The lead single, "Lifted", received airplay on BBC Radio One as well as a number of BBC Local Radio stations, and The Chart Show aired its music video. Still, this did not translate to considerable single or album sales within 1995; it wasn't until "Lifted" was re-released in 1996 that it reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart, and Ocean Drive, which had been deleted, rebounded and was certified double platinum by the end of the year.

Listen to their songs.

OCEAN DRIVE ALBUM:





POSTCARD FROM HEAVEN ALBUM:




WHAT EVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE DAY ALBUM:

The Music of BOYZONE

Boyzone' are a popular Irish boy band of the 1990s. They had major success in the UK and Ireland and differing levels of success in parts of Europe and Asia with six #1 hit singles in the UK. By 2007 they had sold over 15 million records.

Boyzone was put together in 1993 by Louis Walsh who is also known for managing Johnny Logan and Westlife. Before even recording any material they made a now infamous appearance on RTÉ's The Late Late Show. Their first album Said and Done was released in 1995 and the following two studio albums in 1996 and 1998. Three compilation albums have been released, the latest being Key to My Life: The Collection in early 2006.

Band history

Boyzone was formed in 1993 by former manager Louis Walsh through an advertisement of a vocal group audition. About 300 auditionees tried it out and initially, six number comprised the group. They made their first appearance (only a day after being formed) on Ireland's top-rated Late Late Show dancing to a backing track.

The band played through 1993 and in the early parts of 1994 all over Ireland. They played in Pubs when Polygram signed them up and released the cover version of the Detroit Spinners hit "Working My Way Back To You", featuring Mikey Graham and Stephen Gately on lead vocals. It reached No. 3 in the Irish Charts.

The Osmonds hit Love me for a Reason paved the way for them to break the British Charts. It hit No. 2 in Britain and has since started their hits. "Love me for a Reason" was included in their 1995 hit debut album "Said and Done." The album reached the No. 1 spot in both UK and Ireland.

The band's second album, "A Different Beat" released in 1996, contained their first UK number one single, "Words." The album also contained the hit singles A Different Beat, Isn't it a Wonder and Picture of You, the OST of Mr. Bean, The Ultimate Disaster Movie. Ronan Keating won the Ivor Novello award for songwriting in 1997 for Picture of you.

Their third studio album Where We Belong, released in 1998 showcased boyzone's writing abilities. The album further widened their fan base due to the more matured songs. It contained the hit singles "All that I Need" (which stayed for 6 weeks in the MTV Asia charts), "Baby Can I Hold You", and "No Matter What". "No Matter What" was their best selling single and was voted Song of the Year.

Boyzone has been commemorated by the London's Rock Circus by inviting them to place their handprints on the "Walls of Hands" beside the likes of Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson. Also, Wax figures of the boyz were made beside U2 in Dublin.

Boyzone have been active supporters of Charity works. They appeared on the Childliners record The Gift Of Christmas alongside acts such as Backstreet Boys, MN8, E.Y.C., Sean Maguire, Deuce, Ultimate Kaos, Let Loose, East 17, Peter Andre, Michelle Gayle, Dannii Minogue and many more.

In 1999, their greatest hits compilation "By Request" was released and was followed by another tour. Also, during this time, due to the threat of a tabloid expose, Stephen Gately confessed that he was gay and was in love with the ex-Caught in the Act member Eloy de Jong. It was also during this year when Ronan Keating released his first solo single, When You Say nothing at all. They have all decided to take some time off the band to pursue solo projects.

The group performed together for the last time in January 2000. In the seven years that they were together (1993 - 2000), they have been dubbed the "most promising band of the year" by the British magazine Smash Hits in 1995. What initially started as a performance that followed their Late, Late Show appearance, Boyzone has gone on to sell more than 10 million copies. All sixteen of their singles reached the top five and they became the first Irish act to have four number one hits in the United Kingdom. Their 1998 tour of Ireland shattered all sales records when 35,000 tickets were sold out in four hours.

In 2001 Boyzone member Shane Lynch blamed Ronan Keating for the cancellation of the boy band's planned farewell tour."Ronan strung everyone along," said Shane

In March 2007 Ronan Keating dismissed rumours of a reunion with the other members of pop group Boyzone. According to Digital Spy, Keating said that he is currently working on a new solo album and had not signed a reunion deal. The singer said: "All that speculation in the papers that we've done a deal for millions is absolute rubbish." "I'm making a new record and I can't let anything get in the way of that," he said.However, Keating did not rule out a reunion for Boyzone in the future, saying: "If we got the right deal over a short period and if it fits in between now and my next album coming out, I'd love to do it." "I'd love to do it for the other guys as well because I know that I've been the one holding it up."

All five members of Boyzone made a comeback appearance as part of Children In Need on BBC1 in the UK on 16 November 2007, with an Irish and UK tour in June 2008. The band sold 200,000 tickets for the tour within 3 hours and sold 20,000 tickets for their concert in the RDS Dublin. Ronan assured Boyzone fans that the group are taking their comeback tour plans "very seriously".The five-piece announced last week that they will be going on tour next summer 2008, and the boys are now visiting the gym on a daily basis to get fit.Ronan told the Daily Star: "We've been taking it easy on the Guinness and been out for dinners and just a couple of drinks. We're taking the tour plans very seriously." "We're all on diets and we've been training in the gym every day. I'm probably the fittest now that I've ever been. I think we all look better now than before.""We each went to see Take That on tour at different times and started talking to each other again, but Take That were the icing on the cake that made us decide now was the time to reform."We're very aware of how good Take That are, and know we have to be on a par with them. There won't be a flat, boring stage. We're all dancing again and learning different things we've never done before to rival their pole dancing and stuff."

Band Members

* Ronan Keating
* Stephen Gately
* Mikey Graham
* Shane Lynch
* Keith Duffy


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The Music of NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen iterations over the years, including a period between from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded as The Dirt Band. Constant members since the early days are Singer-guitarist Jimmie Fadden and drummer Jeff Hanna. Multi-instrumentalist John McEuen was with the band from 1966 to 1986 and returned in 2001. Keyboardist Bob Carpenter joined the band in 1977.

The band's hits include a cover version of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles". Albums include 1972's Will the Circle Be Unbroken, featuring such traditional country artists Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Merle Travis and Jimmy Martin. A follow-up album based on the same concept, Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two was released in 1989, was certified gold and won two Grammy Awards and was named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.

History 1966-1969
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was founded around 1966 in Long Beach California by singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and washtub bass player Bruce Kunkel who performed as the New Coast Two. Trying to, in the words of the band's website, "figure out how not to have to work for a living," Hanna and Kunkel joined informal jam sessions at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Long Beach, California. There they met several multi-instrumentalists: guitarist-washboard bassist Ralph Barr, guitarist-clarinetist Les Thompson, harmonicist and jug player Jimmie Fadden and guitarist-vocalist Jackson Browne. As the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the six men started as a jug band and joined the burgeoning southern California folk rock, playing in local clubs, wearing pinstripe suits and cowboy boots.

Browne was only in the band for a few months before he left to concentrate on a solo career as a singer-songwriter. He was replaced by John McEuen on banjo, fiddle, mandolin and steel guitar. McEuen's older brother, William, was the group's manager, and he helped the band get signed with Liberty Records, which released the group's debut album, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1967. The band's first single, "Buy for Me the Rain," was a Top 40 hit, and the band gained exposure on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, as well as concerts with such disparate artists as Jack Benny and The Doors.

A second album, Ricochet was released later in the year and fared less successfully than their first. Kunkel wanted the band to "go electric", and exited the group in the dispute. He was replaced by guitarist-fiddler Chris Darrow (guitar, fiddle).

By 1968, the band went electric anyway, and added drums. The first electric album, Rare Junk, was a commercial flop, as was their next, Alive!.

The band continued to gain exposure, mainly as a novelty act, making a cameo appearance in the 1969 musical western film, Paint Your Wagon, performing, "Hand Me Down That Can o' Beans". The band also played Carnegie Hall as an opening act for Bill Cosby and played in a jam session with Dizzy Gillespie.

1969-1976
The group took a break in 1969, reforming in Aspen, Colorado with Jimmy Ibbotson replacing Chris Darrow. With William McEuen as producer and a renegotiated contract that gave the band more artistic freedom, the band recorded and released Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy, issued in 1970. Embracing a straight, traditional country and bluegrass sound, the album included the group's best-known single, a cover version of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles".

The next album, All The Good Times, released in early 1972, was similar in feel.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band next sought to solidify its reputation as a country band, heading for Nashville, Tennessee and recording the triple album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken with Nashville stalwarts Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs and Jimmy Martin, country pioneer Mother Maybelle Carter, folk-blues guitarist Doc Watson and others. The title is taken from the song, "Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye)", as adapted by A. P. Carter, and reflects the album's theme of trying to tie together two generations of musicians: long-haired boys from California and older veterans of the middle American establishment. The track, "I Saw the Light" with Acuff singing, was a hit, and the album received two nominations for Grammy Award. Veteran fiddler Vassar Clements was introduced to a wider audience by the album. The band also toured Japan.

Les Thompson left the group, making the band a foursome. The next album, Stars & Stripes Forever, was a live album that mixed old hits such as "Buy for Me the Rain" and "Mr. Bojangles" with Circle collaborations (fiddler Vassar Clements was a guest performer) and long storytelling spoken-word monologues. A studio album, Dream, was also released.

In July 1974, the band was among the headline acts at the Ozark Music Festival at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri. Some estimates have put the crowd count at 350,000 people, which would make this one of the largest music events in history. At another concert, the band opened for the rock band Aerosmith.

1976-1981: The Dirt Band
Jimmy Ibbotson left the band at the end of 1975, leaving Fadden, Hanna and McEuen. John Cable and Jackie Clark were brought in on guitar and bass. The band shortened its name around this time to The Dirt Band, and released its first greatest hits compilation, Dirt, Silver & Gold, in 1976.

The Dirt Band was the first American group allowed by the Soviet Union to tour Russia, playing concerts and a televised appearance that is estimated to hve been watched by 145 million people.

Pianist Bob Carpenter joined in 1977, and the group's sound became more pop and rock oriented. Saxophonist Al Garth, drummer Merel Bregante and bassist Richard Hathaway were also added. Jeff Hanna became the group's producer.

Albums during this period included The Dirt Band and An American Dream. The single "American Dream" with Linda Ronstadt reached No. 13 on the pop charts. The band also appeared on "Saturday Night Live", and, billed as The Toot Uncommons, provided backing for Steve Martin on his million-selling novelty tune, "King Tut."

The albums Make a Little Magic and Jealousy were released in 1980 and 1981, with the single "Make a Little Magic" featuring Nicolette Larson reaching the Top 20 on the pop chart.

1982-1989: Nitty Gritty again
The band returned to its original name and it country roots, with Jimmy Ibbotson rejoining for recording session in Nashville, Tennessee for the album Let's Go, which yielded the hit "Dance Little Jean" which was a Top 10 country hit. The next album, 1984's Plain Dirt Fashion had the band's first No. 1 hit, "Long Hard Road".

There were two more No. 1's: "Modern Day Romance" (1985) and "Fishin' in the Dark" (1987). Other successful songs were "Dance Little Jean" (1983); "I Love Only You" (1984); "High Horse" (1985); "Home Again in My Heart," "Partners, Brothers and Friends" and "Stand a Little Rain" (1986); "Fire in the Sky," "Baby's Got a Hold on Me" and "Oh What a Love" (1987); "Working Man (Nowhere to Go)" and "I've Been Lookin'" (1988); and "Down That Road Tonight" and "When it's Gone" (1989).

Performances included the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the inaugural Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois. A 20-year anniversary concert at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado featured such guests as Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, Doc Watson and John Prine.

John McEuen left the band at the end of 1986, replaced by Bernie Leadon, formerly of the Eagles. He was with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1987 and 1988. The band's 19th album, Hold On featured the No. 1 singles "Fishin' in the Dark" and "Baby's Got a Hold on Me." The band appeared on the "Today Show" and the "Tonight Show" in the same week, and toured Europe.

In 1989, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band again returned to Nashville, to record Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two. Returnees from the first Circle included Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Roy Acuff. Johnny Cash and the Carter Family, Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs joined the sessions, as did John Prine, Levon Helm, John Denver, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby and former Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. This album won two Grammy Awards and was named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards for Best Country Vocal Performance (duo or group) and the Country Music Association's Album of the Year Award in 1989.

1990-2000
As a foursome of Hanna, Fadden, Ibbotson and Carpenter, the band again toured the Soviet Union, as well as Canada, Europe, and Japan. A 25th anniversary concert was recorded on Live Two Five in Red Deer, Alberta, produced by T-Bone Burnett.

In 1992, the band collaborated with Irish folk music's The Chieftains for the Grammy Award-winning Another Country. Other efforts included the album Acoustic, spotlighting their "wooden" sound, a duet with Karla Bonoff, "You Believed in Me" for the MCA Olympic compilation, One Voice, and a cover version of Buddy Holly's "Maybe Baby" for the Decca tribute album, Not Fade Away. The Christmas Album was released in 1997, followed by Bang! Bang! Bang! in 1999.

The band briefly entered the pop culture again in April of 1992, when they were the unwitting subject of one of George H. W. Bush's malapropisms, referring to the group as the "Nitty Ditty Nitty Gritty Great Bird" at a country music awards ceremony in Nashville:

"I said to them there's another one that the Nitty Ditty Nitty Gritty Great Bird and it says if you want to see a rainbow you've got to stand a little rain."

This unusual phrasing was repeatedly used as an example of Bush's garbled syntax (notably, in Dave Barry's book Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway), which in turn led to increased visibility for the band.

Listen to their songs.

The Music of BEE GEES

The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb — that became one of the most successful musical acts of all time. They were born on the Isle of Man to English parents, lived in Manchester, England and moved to Brisbane, Australia during their childhood years, where they began their musical careers. Their worldwide success came when they returned to England and signed with producer Robert Stigwood.

The multiple Grammy Award-winning group was successful for all of its forty years of recording music, but it had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as the foremost stars of the disco music era in the late 1970s. They were best rated band in the world in 1978.

No matter the style, the Bee Gees sang tight three-part harmonies that were instantly recognizable; as brothers, their voices blended perfectly, in the same way that The Beach Boys' did. Barry sang lead on many songs, and an R&B falsetto introduced in the disco years; Robin provided the clear vibrato lead that was a hallmark of their pre-disco music; Maurice sang high and low harmonies throughout their career. The three brothers co-wrote most of their hits, and they said that they felt like they became 'one person' when they were writing. The group's name was retired after Maurice died in January 2003.

It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' record sales total more than 220 million, easily making them part of the list of best-selling music artists. Their 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame citation says "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees".

Despite popular belief, the group's name was not derived from "Brothers Gibb" or "Barry Gibb", but from the initials of Australian radio DJ Bill Gates and racetrack promoter Bill Goode (see below).

Early years
The Gibb brothers and were born in Douglas on the Isle of Man; Barry Alan Crompton Gibb on 1 September 1946, and fraternal twins Robin Hugh Gibb and Maurice Ernest Gibb on 22 December 1949.

The family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of Chorlton Hardy, Manchester, England, in the early 1950s where the boys began to sing in harmony, debuting in public on one memorable occasion at the local Gaumont cinema. The boys were going to lip sync to a record, which other children had done at the cinema in previous weeks. However, as they were running to get there, Maurice dropped the record on the street, causing it to break. As a result, the brothers got on stage and sang themselves. They got a very good response from the crowd, which convinced them that singing was what they wanted to do with their lives.

In 1958, the Gibb family, including infant brother Andy (born 5 March 1958 in Manchester, England), emigrated to Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The still very young brothers began performing where they could to raise pocket change. First called the Rattlesnakes, later Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats, they were introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who saw them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circuit). Gates renamed them the "Bee Gees" after his and Goode's initials – thus the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb".

By 1960, the Bee Gees were featured on television shows, and in the next few years began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star Col Joye for his songwriting, and Joye helped the boys get a record deal with Festival Records in 1963 under the name "Bee Gees." The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists.

A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women," led to the group's first LP The Bee Gee's Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs. By late 1966, the family decided to return to England, and seek their musical fortunes there. They were not confident, however, of success in England as Barry told a friend, Colin Stead, later of Lloyds World, that they would be back next year. While at sea in January, 1967, they heard that "Spicks and Specks", a song they had recorded in 1966, had gone to #1 in Australia.

Late 60's - First Fame
Before their departure from Australia to their native England, Hugh Gibb sent demos to Brian Epstein who managed The Beatles and was director of NEMS, a British music store and promoter. Brian Epstein had given the demo tapes to Robert Stigwood who recently joined NEMS. After an audition with Stigwood in February 1967, The Bee Gees were signed to a five-year contract where Polydor Records would be the Bee Gees' record label in the U.K. and ATCO Records would be the U.S. distributor. Work quickly began on their first international LP and Robert Stigwood launched a huge promotion to coincide with their first album.

Stigwood proclaimed that The Bee Gees were "The Most Significant New Talent Of 1967" and thus began the immediate comparison to The Beatles. Their first single, New York Mining Disaster 1941, was issued to radio station DJs with a blank white label with only the song title. Many DJs immediately assumed this was a new Beatles single and started playing the song in heavy rotation. This helped the song climb into the Top 20 in both the U.K. and the U.S. Only later did they realize that it was not The Beatles but in fact The Bee Gees, when their second single was released, To Love Somebody and again climbed into the Top 20 in the U.S. Originally written for Otis Redding, "To Love Somebody" was a soulful ballad sung by Barry, which has now become a pop standard covered by hundreds of artists such as Rod Stewart, Janis Joplin, The Animals, Nina Simone, and Michael Bolton just to name a few. Another single, Holiday was released in the U.S. and peaked at #16. The parent album, Bee Gees 1st was one of the first debut albums in the rock era entirely written by the artists themselves. Not even the Beatles, Bob Dylan or The Rolling Stones can make that claim. "Bee Gees 1st" peaked at #7 in the U.S. and #8 in the U.K.

Following the success of "Bee Gees 1st", the band, (which now consisted of Barry on rhythm guitar, Maurice on bass, Vince Melouney on lead guitar and Colin Peterson on drums) began work on their second album. Released in late 1967, Horizontal repeated the success of their first album, which contained the #1 U.K. (#11 U.S.) single Massachusetts and the #7 U.K. single World. The sound of the album "Horizontal" had a more rock sound than their previous release, though ballads like "And The Sun Will Shine" and "Really And Sincerely" are standouts. "Horizontal" made the Top 20 on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at #12 in the U.S. and #16 in the U.K. To promote the album, The Bee Gees made their first appearances in America playing live concerts and television shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and Laugh In.

Two more singles followed in early 1968, the ballad Words (#15 U.S., #8 U.K.) and the double A-sided single Jumbo b/w The Singer Sang His Song. "Jumbo" was the Bee Gees least successful single to date only reaching #57 in the U.S., but managing to climb to #25 in the U.K. The Bee Gees felt that "The Singer Sang His Song" was the stronger of the two and in fact reached #3 in The Netherlands. The year 1968 saw The Bee Gees reach the American Top Ten with the singles I've Gotta Get a Message to You (#8 U.S., #1 U.K.) and I Started A Joke (#6 U.S.) which were culled from the band's third album Idea, which was another Top 20 album in the U.S. (#17) and the U.K. (#4). Following the tour and TV special to promote "Idea", Vince Melouney left the group feeling that he wanted to play more of a blues style music than the Gibbs were writing. Melouney did achieve one feat while with the Bee Gees, as his composition "Such A Shame" (from Idea) is the only song, on any Bee Gees album, not written by a Gibb brother.

By 1969, the cracks began to show within the group as Robin began to feel that Robert Stigwood had been favoring Barry as the leader of the group. They began to record their next album, which was to be a concept album called "Masterpeace", evolved into the double-album Odessa. Most rock critics feel this is the best Bee Gees album of the 60's, with it's progressive rock feel on the title track and along side other genres on music as heard on "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", both country-flavored tunes, and signature ballads such as "Melody Fair" and First Of May, which became the only single from the album. Robin, feeling that the flipside, "Lamplight" should have been the A-Side, quit the group in mid-1969 and launching a solo career which saw brief success in Europe with the #2 hit "Saved By The Bell" and the album Robin's Reign. Barry & Maurice continued as The Bee Gees, even recruiting their sister Leslie to appear with them on stage.

The first of many Bee Gees compilations, Best of Bee Gees was released featuring the non-LP singles Words and the new single Tomorrow, Tomorrow which was a moderate hit in the U.K. reaching #23, but stalling at #54 in the U.S. The album itself sold very well and reached the Top Ten in both the U.S. and the U.K.

While Robin was off on his own, Barry, Maurice & Colin continued on as The Bee Gees recording their next album, Cucumber Castle. There was also a TV special filmed to accompany the album, which was aired on the BBC in 1971. Colin Peterson played drums on the tracks recorded for the album, but was fired from the group after filming began and his parts were edited out of the final cut of the film. The leadoff single, Don't Forget to Remember was a big hit in the U.K. reaching #2, but was a disappointment in the U.S. only reaching #73. The next 2 singles, (I.O.I.O) and (If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else) barely scraped the charts and following the release of the album, Barry and Maurice parted way and it seemed that The Bee Gees were finished. Barry recorded a solo album which never saw official release, though a single, "I'll Kiss Your Memory" was released without much interest. Maurice also recorded during this time, released the single "Railroad" and starred in West End musical "Sing A Rude Song".

Maurice's death
In 2001, they released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group, This Is Where I Came In. The album gave each member a chance to write in their own way, as well as composing songs together. For example, Maurice's compositions and leads are the "Man in the Middle" and "Walking on Air," while Robin contributed "Déjà Vu," "Promise the Earth," and "Embrace," and Barry contributed "Loose Talk Costs Lives," "Technicolour Dreams", and "Voice in the Wilderness". The other songs are collaborative in writing and vocals. The Bee Gees' last public live show together was Live by Request, a special shown on A&E.

Maurice, who had been the musical director of the Bee Gees during their final years as a group, died suddenly on January 12, 2003, from a strangulated intestine. Initially, his surviving brothers announced that they intended to carry on the name "Bee Gees" in his memory. But as time passed they decided to retire the group name, leaving it to represent the three brothers together. The same week Maurice died, Robin's solo album Magnet was released.

Although there was talk of a memorial concert featuring both surviving brothers and invited guests, nothing materialized. Since then Barry and Robin have continued to work independently and have both released recordings with other artists.

After the Bee Gees
In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia. During January 2005, Barry, Robin and several legendary rock artists recorded "Grief Never Grows Old," the official tsunami relief record for the Disasters Emergency Committee. Later that year, Barry reunited with Barbra Streisand for her top-selling album Guilty Pleasures, released as Guilty Too in the UK as a sequel album to the previous Guilty. Robin continued touring in Europe.

In February 2006 Barry and Robin reunited on stage for a Miami charity concert to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It was their first public performance since the death of brother Maurice. Barry and Robin also played at the 30th annual Prince's Trust Concert in the UK on May 20, 2006.

Listen to Bee Gees songs.

The Music of THE CARPENTERS

The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. With their brand of melodic pop, they charted a record-breaking score of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, becoming leading exponents of the soft rock and easy listening genres. The Carpenters had three #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and fifteen #1 hits on the Adult Contemporary Charts. In addition, they had twelve top 10 hits (including their #1 hits). It has been estimated that the Carpenters' album and single sales total to more than 100 million units, easily putting them high on the list of best-selling music artists.

During their fourteen year career, the Carpenters had ten albums, five of which contained top 10 singles (Close to You, Carpenters, A Song for You, Now & Then and Horizon), thirty one singles, five television specials, and one television series. They had numerous tours internationally, in countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Japan, Australia, Holland and Belgium. That was all cut short on February 4, 1983 with the passing of Karen Anne Carpenter, who succumbed to a cardiac arrest from complications of anorexia nervosa.

Their great talents combined together created a revolutionary type of music in the early 1970s. During the period when rock and roll reigned supreme, Richard and Karen seemed to develop a soft, soothing type of music. Their revolutionary music made them one of the most distinctive soft pop groups of the 1970s.

The two Carpenter siblings, Richard and Karen Carpenter, were born in New Haven, Connecticut. Richard Lynn was born on October 15, 1946, and Karen Anne was born on March 2, 1950 (d. February 4, 1983). During their childhood, Richard was seemingly quiet, while sister Karen was very outgoing and friendly. According to neighbors in various interviews, Richard always stayed inside the house and listened to records or played the piano. Even though Karen did the same, she usually played sports outside. It is noted on the TV series "This Is Your Life" that Karen occasionally played pitcher in softball.

In June of 1963, the Carpenter family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, California. The reasons mentioned for the move were because Karen and father Harold disliked the cold winters of New England and because their parents wanted Richard to be closer to the music industry. Karen had a hard time moving from New Haven because all of her close friends lived there.

Soon after the move, Richard attended college at the California State University at Long Beach, where he met future songwriting partner John Bettis and other colleagues with whom he would collaborate during the years with Spectrum and the Carpenter Trio.

Karen was just entering high school after the move, and there she found a desire for playing the drums. Even though Karen was known for being athletic, she stated that she disliked physical education. In order to circumvent the class, she asked brother Richard to discuss with some teachers and transfer her from physical education to another class. It was then agreed that Karen would take band instead of physical education. When Karen was in the band, teacher Bruce Gifford assigned Karen a glockenspiel, which Karen didn't like. Shortly after, though, friend Frankie Chavez inspired Carpenter to play the drums. They would occasionally practice the drums. "She and Frankie Chavez must have worked down the rudiments, the cadences, and the press-rolls for hours," recalls Richard. "By the time she got those drums she could knock it all off. It was no novelty."
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The Music of GARTH BROOKS

Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Successfully integrating rock elements into his recordings and live performances, Brooks soon began to dominate the country singles and country album charts and quickly crossed over into the mainstream pop arena, exposing country music to a larger audience than previously thought possible.

Brooks has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, with over 70 hit singles and 15 charted albums to his credit and over 123 million albums sold in the United States alone. Throughout the 1990s he broke records for both sales and concert attendance. In 1999, looking to expand his career boundaries, Brooks began an artistically ambitious multimedia project involving a fictitious alter ego known as Chris Gaines.

Troubled by the conflicts between career and family, in 2001 Brooks officially retired from recording and performing. During this time he has sold millions of albums through an exclusive distribution deal with Wal-Mart and has sporadically released new singles.

On November 6th, 2007, The Ultimate Hits was released. He will be playing nine consecutive nights at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri in November.

Early life and career
Garth Brooks was born February 7, 1962 the youngest of six children in Yukon, Oklahoma. His father Troyal Brooks worked as a draftsman for an oil company, while his mother Colleen Carroll was a country music singer on the Capitol Records label in the 1950s and also a regular on the Red Foley Show. Even as a child, Brooks was interested in music, often singing in casual family settings, but his primary interest was athletics. In high school he played football and baseball and ran track. After graduation from high school, he attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater on a track scholarship as a javelin thrower & defensive end. While at OSU, he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. Despite discontinuing his participation in the sport, he still graduated in 1984 with a degree in advertising.

Later that year, Brooks began his professional music career, singing and playing guitar in Oklahoma clubs and bars, particularly the Tumbleweed in Stillwater. After a failed 1985 24-hour trip to Nashville to gain a record contract, Brooks returned to Oklahoma and in 1986, married Sandy Mahl of Owasso, Oklahoma, whom he had met while working as a bouncer. The couple had three daughters: Taylor Mayne Pearl (b. 1992), August Anna (b. 1994) and Allie Colleen (b. 1996). The following year, the couple moved to Nashville, and Brooks was able to begin making contacts in the music industry.

While struggling to be noticed by industry executives, Brooks frequently recorded demo records for songwriter Kent Blazy. Blazy introduced Brooks to Trisha Yearwood, another aspiring country singer, in October 1987. The pair became friends and pledged to help each other in their careers. Brooks achieved success first, signing a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1988. Keeping his promise, in 1991, he invited Yearwood to be the opening act on his tour.

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The Music of SCORPIONS

Scorpions are a hard rock/heavy metal band from Sarstedt near Hanover, Germany, best known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and their singles "Wind of Change", "No One Like You", "Still Loving You", and "Send Me an Angel". The band has sold over 75 million albums worldwide.

Contrary to common usage, the band's name is "Scorpions" and not "The Scorpions."

History
Formation and early history (1965-1973)

Rudolf Schenker, the band's rhythm guitarist, set out to find a band in 1965. At first, the band was school-kind with beat influences and Schenker himself on vocals. Things began to come together in 1969 when Schenker's younger brother Michael and vocalist Klaus Meine joined the band. In 1972 the group recorded and released their debut album Lonesome Crow with Lothar Heimberg on bass and Wolfgang Dziony on drums. During the Lonesome Crow tour, Scorpions opened for upcoming British band UFO. At the end of the tour the members of UFO offered guitarist Michael Schenker the lead guitar job; an offer which he soon accepted. Uli Roth was then called in temporarily to finish off the tour.

The departure of Michael Schenker led to the break up of the Scorpions. In 1973, guitarist Uli Roth, a friend of the Schenker brothers, was in a band called Dawn Road. He had been offered the role as lead guitarist in Scorpions after Michael Schenker's departure but turned the band down. Rudolf decided that he wanted to work with Roth but did not want to resurrect the last Scorpions lineup.

Rudolf Schenker attended some of Dawn Road's rehearsals and ultimately decided to join the band, which consisted of Roth, Francis Buchholz (bass),Achim Kirschning (keyboards) and Jurgen Rosenthal (drums). Roth persuaded Rudolf Schenker to invite Klaus Meine to join, which he did soon after. While there were more members of Dawn Road than Scorpions in the band, they decided to use the Scorpions name because they had released an album and were known in the German hard rock scene.

Rise to popularity (1974-1978)
In 1974 the new line-up of Scorpions released Fly to the Rainbow. The album proved to be more successful than Lonesome Crow and songs such as "Speedy's Coming" and the title track began to establish the band's sound. Achim Kirschning decided to leave after the recordings but subsequently guested on keyboards for the next two albums. Soon after, Jürgen Rosenthal had to leave as he was being drafted into the army, and was replaced by a Belgian drummer, Rudy Lenners. He later joined German progressive rock band called Eloy in 1976 and recorded three albums with them. It wasn't until the following year that the band hit their stride with the release of In Trance. In Trance marked the beginning of Scorpions' long collaboration with German producer Dieter Dierks. The album was a huge step forward for Scorpions and firmly established their hard rock formula, while at the same time garnering a substantial fan base, both at home and abroad. Cuts such as "Dark Lady", "Robot Man" and the title track are still considered classics by fans today.

In 1976, Scorpions released Virgin Killer. The album's cover, which featured a fully nude prepubescent girl, brought the band considerable criticism and was ultimately pulled or replaced in several countries. In spite of the controversy - lead singer Klaus Meine even expressed shock - the album garnered significant praise from critics and fans alike. The following year, Rudy Lenners resigned due to health reasons and was replaced by Herman Rarebell.

The follow-up to Virgin Killer, Taken by Force, was the first Scorpions record to be aggressively promoted in the United States. RCA Records, the band's label, made a determined effort to promote the album in stores and on the radio. The album's single, "Steamrock Fever", was added to some of RCA's radio promotional records. RCA also supervised the album cover design avoiding any controversy by including introduction-type photographs that included the names of each member under individual photos. Roth was not happy with the label's efforts and the commercial direction the band was taking. Although he performed on the band's Japan tour, he departed to form his own band, Electric Sun prior to the release of the resultant double live album Tokyo Tapes. Tokyo Tapes was released in the US and Europe six months after its Japanese release. By that time in mid 1978, after auditioning around 140 guitarists, Scorpions recruited new guitarist Matthias Jabs.

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The Music of CAT STEVENS

Steven Demetre Georgiou, was born on 21 July 1948 in London, who was known as Cat Stevens from 1966 to 1978, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, educator, philanthropist and prominent convert to Islam.

Under the name "Cat Stevens", he has sold over 60 million albums around the world since the late 1960s. His albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat were both certified by the RIAA as having achieved Triple Platinum status in the United States (three million sales each); his album Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release and was Billboard's number-one LP for three consecutive weeks. His songwriting has also earned him two ASCAP songwriting awards (for "The First Cut Is the Deepest", which has been a hit single for four different artists.)

At the height of his fame, in 1977, Stevens converted to Islam. In 1978, he adopted the name Yusuf Islam, leaving his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. In 2006, he returned to pop music, with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup.

He has been given several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2004 Man for Peace award and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. He lives with his wife, Fauzia Mubarak Ali, and five children in Brondesbury Park, London, and spends part of each year in Dubai.

Early Life (1948-1965)
Steven Georgiou was the third child of a Greek-Cypriot father (Stavros Georgiou) and a Swedish mother (Ingrid Wickman). The family lived above Moulin Rouge, the restaurant that his parents operated on Shaftesbury Avenue, a few steps from Piccadilly Circus in the Soho area of London. His whole family worked in the restaurant.

Although his father was Greek Orthodox and his mother Baptist, Steven was sent to a Catholic school, St. Joseph Roman Catholic Primary School in Macklin Street.

When Steven was about eight years old, his parents divorced, but both continued to run the restaurant and live above it. At age 12, Steven, who already played the piano, began to play guitar and write songs. A few years later, his mother returned to Gävle, Sweden, taking Steven along, where he started developing his drawing skills, influenced by his uncle Hugo, a painter.

At age 16, he left school and was accepted by, then later dismissed from, Hammersmith Art School. Although he enjoyed art — his later record albums would feature his original artwork on the covers — Steven wanted to establish a musical career. It was during this period he was first influenced by folk music.

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The Music of JAMES TAYLOR

James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Taylor's career began in the mid-1960s, but he found his audience in the early 1970s, singing sensitive and gentle acoustic songs. He was part of a wave of singer-songwriters of the time that also included Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, Cat Stevens, Carole King, John Denver, Jim Croce, Don McLean, Jackson Browne as well as Carly Simon, whom Taylor later married.

His 1976 album Greatest Hits was certified diamond and has sold more than 11 million copies. He has retained a large audience well into the 1990s and early 2000s, when some of his best-selling and most-awarded albums were released.

Early career
Taylor is a well known classic rock artist. Taylor first learned to play the cello as a child in Carrboro (near Chapel Hill), and switched to the guitar in 1960. His style on that instrument evolved from listening to hymns, carols, and Woody Guthrie. He attended Milton Academy, a prep school in Massachusetts, and summered with his family in Martha's Vineyard, where he met Danny Kortchmar. The two began playing folk music together. After dropping out of school, he formed a band called The Fabulous Corsairs with his brother, Alex. Later, he was committed to McLean Hospital for depression. He earned a high school diploma while in the hospital, and then left and formed a band called the Flying Machine with Kortchmar and Joel O'Brien in New York City. The band was signed to Rainy Day Records and released one single, "Brighten Your Night with My Day" (B-side: "Night Owl"). The single was not a success. (A UK band with the same name emerged in 1969 with the hit song "Smile a Little Smile for Me".)

While living in New York City, Taylor became addicted to heroin. One night, after receiving a desperate phone call, his father drove to New York and "rescued" him. Taylor later wrote a song called "Jump Up Behind Me" that paid tribute to his father's help during a time of desperate need. The song also reflects on Taylor's memories of the long drive from New York City back to his home in Chapel Hill.

In 1968, Taylor moved to London. He was signed to Apple Records after sending a demo tape to Peter Asher (of Peter & Gordon) and released his debut album, James Taylor. Despite the Beatles connection, and the presence of Paul McCartney and George Harrison on one track, the album did not sell very well, and Taylor's addiction worsened. Moving back to the United States, Taylor checked into a hospital to treat his drug problem in Western Massachusetts outside of Stockbridge (where he lives today). By 1969 he was well enough to perform live, and had a six-night stand at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. On July 20, 1969 he performed at the Newport Folk Festival. Shortly thereafter he broke both hands in a motorcycle accident on Martha's Vineyard and was forced to stop playing for several months.

1970s
Once recovered, Taylor signed to Warner Bros. Records and moved to California keeping Asher as his manager and record producer. His second album, Sweet Baby James, was a massive success, buoyed by the single "Fire and Rain", a song about his experience in an asylum and the suicide of his friend, Suzanne Schnerr. The success of this single and the album piqued interest in Taylor's first album, James Taylor and propelled the album and the single, "Carolina In My Mind", back into the charts.

Taylor worked with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys on a film, Two-Lane Blacktop, but this was unsuccessful at the time. 1971 saw the release of Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, another hit album. He won a Grammy Award for his version of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend".

In 1972, Taylor returned with One Man Dog and married fellow singer-songwriter Carly Simon on November 3. His next album, 1974's Walking Man, was a disappointment but the following one, Gorilla, was a success partially because of a successful single cover version of Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)". This was followed by In the Pocket in 1976 and then a greatest hits album that included some re-recordings of Apple Records-era material. It became a huge hit and remains Taylor's best selling album.

Taylor signed with Columbia Records and released JT in 1977 winning another Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his cover version of "Handy Man". The snazzy song "Traffic Jam" from the album has since become a favorite jingle for rush-hour radio traffic reports.

After collaborating with Art Garfunkel and briefly working on Broadway, Taylor took a two-year break, reappearing in 1979 with the cover-studded album Flag featuring a Top 40 version of Gerry Goffin and Carole King's "Up On The Roof." Taylor also performed at the No Nukes concert in Madison Square Garden and appeared on the album and the film from the concert.

1980s and 1990s
In the early 1980s Taylor's career was again beset by drug problems. Additionally, Taylor's wife, Carly Simon, was unhappy with his extended absences due to touring. After an ultimatum that he spend more time with their children, Taylor responded with the 1981 album Dad Loves His Work. He and Simon divorced in 1983.

He was quoted in various interviews that he was thinking of retiring after fulfilling his last contractual obligation, the Rock In Rio in 1985. However, he was surprised by the reception of the audience on Saturday, January 12 (there were 250,000 people, the biggest attendance of the 10-day festival), when he performed right before George Benson. Two days later, they were scheduled to perform in the same order, but because Taylor's extended performance had caused a delay to Benson's on Saturday, Benson proposed that they switch the order. Taylor ended up the finale in this second performance. Buoyed by the audience's reception, he decided to take back his life and his career. (Sixteen years later, on January 12, 2001, he played the very same site, at the opening night of the third Rock in Rio, whose organizer, Roberto Medina, described Taylor to the Brazilian press then as "his good luck charm".) The song "Only a Dream in Rio" was written in tribute to that night, with verses like "I was there that very day and my heart came back alive". The album, That's Why I'm Here, from which that song came, started a series of studio recordings that, while spaced further apart than his previous records, showed a more consistent level of quality and fewer covers.

In 1985, Taylor married his second wife, actress Kathryn Walker, who helped him through recovery of his substance addictions. According to Taylor, he remains clean and sober to this day.

In 1988 he released Never Die Young. He began touring regularly especially in amphitheaters on the oldies circuit. His later concerts feature songs from throughout his career and are marked by the musicianship of his band and backup singers. The 1993 two-disc (LIVE) album captures this well, with a highlight being Arnold McCuller's descants in the codas of "Shower the People" and "I Will Follow."

Taylor's two albums of original material from the 1990s were notably successful. His thirteenth album, New Moon Shine, went platinum in 1991 and he won the Grammy for Best Pop Album in 1998 for Hourglass.

2000s
In 2001 Taylor wed for the third time, marrying Caroline ("Kim") Smedvig. Part of their relationship was worked into the album October Road, on the song "On the 4th of July". The couple has twin boys, Rufus and Henry, born in 2001 to a surrogate mother via in vitro fertilization.

Flanked by two greatest hit releases, October Road appeared in 2002 to a receptive audience. It featured a number of quiet instrumental accompaniments and passages. The album appeared in two versions, a single-disc version and a "limited edition" two-disc version which contained three extra songs including a duet with Mark Knopfler, "Sailing to Philadelphia", which also appeared on Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia album. Also in 2002, Taylor teamed with bluegrass musician Alison Krauss in singing "The Boxer" at the Kennedy Center Honors Tribute to Paul Simon. They later recorded the Louvin Brothers duet, "How's the World Treating You?"

In 2004, after his Columbia/Sony record contract was not renewed, he released James Taylor: A Christmas Album with distribution through Hallmark Cards.

Always visibly active in environmental and progressive causes, in October 2004 Taylor joined the "Vote for Change" tour playing a series of concerts in American swing states. These concerts were organized by MoveOn.org with the goal of mobilizing people to vote for John Kerry and against George W. Bush in that year's Presidential campaign. Taylor's appearances were joint performances with the Dixie Chicks.

In December 2004, Taylor appeared as himself in an episode of The West Wing entitled "A Change Is Gonna Come". He sang Sam Cooke's classic "A Change Is Gonna Come" at an event honoring an artist played by Taylor's wife Caroline. Taylor's rendition was then released over the Internet.

In 2006, Taylor performed Randy Newman's song "Our Town" for the Disney animated film Cars. The song was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for the best Original Song.

On January 1, 2007, Taylor headlined the inaugural concert at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, honoring newly sworn in Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer.

It was recently announced that Taylor's next album, issued in cd and dvd, "One man band" will be released in November on Starbucks' Hear Music Label, where he will join Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell.

Taylor performed the National Anthem at Game 2 of the World Series in Boston, Mass. on October 25, 2007.

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The Music of MICHAEL FRANKS

Michael Franks (born 18 September 1944) is a smooth jazz singer and songwriter from the United States. He has recorded with a Who's Who of artists, such as Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, Art Garfunkel, and David Sanborn. His songs have been recorded by The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Labelle, Carmen McRae, Diana Krall, and The Carpenters.

Biography Michael Franks was born on 18 September 1944 in La Jolla, California.

In high school, he began singing folk-rock, accompanying himself on guitar. He never studied music in college or later, earned an M.A. from UCLA in Comparative Literature, and a PhD from the University of Oregon.

He was on records with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and recorded an eponymous album (later reissued as Previously Unavailable) before landing a contract with Warner Brothers Music in 1973. Since then, Franks has recorded over 15 more albums.

His best known works include "Popsicle Toes", "Monkey See, Monkey Do", "The Lady Wants to Know", "When the Cookie Jar is Empty", "Tiger in the Rain", "Rainy Night in Tokyo", and "Tell Me All About It". His biggest hit came in 1983 with "When Sly Calls (Don't Touch That Phone)", from the album Passionfruit. Radio hits include "Your Secret's Safe With Me" from the 1985 album Skin Dive, and "Island Life" from 1987's The Camera Never Lies.

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The Music of KENNY RANKIN

Kenny Rankin is an American pop and jazz singer and songwriter from the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, New York.

Rankin appeared on The Tonight Show more than twenty times. Host Johnny Carson was so impressed by him that he wrote the liner notes to Rankin's 1967 debut album Mind Dusters.

When Paul McCartney and John Lennon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, McCartney asked Rankin to represent them at the ceremony based on the strength of his 1975 versions of McCartney's songs Blackbird and Penny Lane.

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The Music of KENNY LOGGINS

Kenny Loggins (born Kenneth Clark Loggins on January 7, 1948 in Everett, Washington) is an American singer and songwriter best known for a number of soft rock and adult contemporary hit singles beginning in the 1970s. Originally a part of the duo Loggins and Messina, he has also recorded as solo artist and written hit songs for other artists.

Biography
Loggins was born in Everett, Washington and raised in Alhambra, California. The early 70s found him in the band "Gator Creek" with Mike Deasy. An early version of "Danny's Song" (later recorded by Loggins and Messina) was included on this effort on Mercury Records. Two covers are featured as well, Jackson Browne's "These Days" and "Don't Try to Lay no Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" which was made famous by Long John Baldry.

Loggins continued his career in the 1970s. After attracting the attention of fellow singer-songwriter Jim Messina, the two began a duo career as Loggins and Messina. It lasted until 1976. In 1977, Loggins went on to produce his first solo album, Celebrate Me Home, which included the hit "I Believe In Love". Nightwatch, a popular album released in 1978, included the hit "Whenever I Call You Friend", a duet with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. He followed this in 1979 with Keep the Fire, whose "This Is It" would be sampled by hip hop rapper Papoose for his 2005 track "Sharades." In 1982 he recorded the album "High Adventure" where he collaborated with Michael McDonald on "Heart to Heart" and also with Journey lead singer Steve Perry to record "Don't Fight It", both Billboard Top 20 hits that year.

Loggins also wrote the song "What a Fool Believes" with Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers. Furthermore, he penned "Danny's Song" and "A Love Song" for Anne Murray in the early 70's.

Over the next decade, Loggins recorded many hit songs for movie soundtracks. This began with "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack. Hits followed with "Footloose" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" from Footloose, "Meet Me Halfway" from Over the Top, "Danger Zone" and "Playin' With The Boys", from Top Gun. He also performed as a member of USA for Africa on the famine-relief fundraising single We Are the World.

In the 1990s, Loggins continued his album career, including the popular 1994 children's album, Return to Pooh Corner, which included the title single, a reworking of "House at Pooh Corner", his top 40 hit from 1969 with an added verse and backing vocals by Amy Grant. Some people criticized Loggins for changing the song, but it was well received by the public. Loggins also produced a song called "Forever", which would become an internationally recognized piece, translated into several languages. With the Sherman Brothers he also eventually wrote and then solo performed "Your Heart Will Lead You Home," a popular song for The Tigger Movie - part of the Winnie-the-Pooh series - in 2000.

In 1991, Loggins recorded and produced Leap of Faith, an important album in his career featuring the hit "Conviction of the Heart." Former Vice-President Al Gore billed this song as "the unofficial anthem of the environmental movement." On Earth Day in 1995, Loggins performed at The National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a live audience of 500,000.

Loggins was married to Julia Cooper in 1992 but they were divorced in 2004. They had two children together. Previously, Loggins had been married to Eva Ein (1978-1990) with whom he had three children.

In recent years, Loggins has continued to record and produce within the Adult Contemporary genre, and scored a #1 single on Billboard's AC chart in 1997 with "For The First Time."

In 2005, Loggins reconnected with Jim Messina. The two decided to hit the road again; the result was a successful nationwide tour that resulted in the CD and DVD, "Loggins and Messina Sittin' In Again".

After a gap of nearly four years, 2007 saw Loggins join start-up label 180 Music for the release of his "How About Now" album. It also saw him inducted into Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard RockWalk.

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The Music of DANNY FOSTER

Danny Foster (b. May 3, 1979, London) was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the talent show Popstars. After the split of the band, Foster took a break from the public eye, and suffered from alcohol and drug problems.

Danny Foster appeared on Channel 4's programme The Games (2005), after which he sought help and went into recovery. Danny has since appeared on channel Five's, Trust Me - I'm A Beauty Therapist in October 2006.

Sir Elton John famously compared Foster to the cartoon ogre Shrek; "He's a dead ringer", claimed Elton John.

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The Music of EARL KLUGH

Earl Klugh (pronounced "Clue") (born September 16, 1953 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American smooth jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and composer. Klugh normally finger picks a nylon string classical guitar.

At the age of 13, Klugh was captivated by the guitar playing of Chet Atkins when he made an appearance on the Perry Como Show. He has since been a guest on several Atkins albums. Atkins, reciprocating as well, joined Earl on his Magic In Your Eyes album. Klugh was also influenced by Bob James, Ray Parker Jr, Wes Montgomery and Laurindo Almeida. His sound is a blend of these jazz, pop and rhythm and blues influences, forming a potpourri of sweet contemporary music original to only him.

Klugh became a guitar instructor at the young age of 15, and was eventually discovered by Yuseff Lateef. His career rapidly progressed to working with the likes of George Benson, George Shearing, Chick Corea, and many others. Like several other Detroit-bred entertainers, Klugh attended Mumford High School (Michigan).

For their album One on One, Klugh and Bob James received a Grammy award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1981. He has since received 13 Grammy nods, millions of record and CD sales, and continues touring worldwide to this day.

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The Music of CHUCK MANGIONE

Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione (born November 29, 1940) is a flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good" (1978) featuring guitarist Grant Geissman. Mangione has released more than 30 albums from the early 1960s to today. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Mangione and his pianist brother Gap led the Jazz Brothers group which recorded three albums for Riverside Records. He attended the Eastman School of Music from 1958 to 1963, and afterwards joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for which he filled the trumpet seat, previously held by greats such as Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham, Bill Hardman, and Lee Morgan. Mangione served as director of the Eastman jazz ensemble from 1968 until 1972 and in 1970 he returned to recording with the album Friends and Love, recorded in concert with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and numerous guest performers. His quartet with saxophonist Gerry Niewood was a popular concert and recording act during the early 1970s. Mangione's "Chase the Clouds Away" was used in the 1976 Olympic Games and "Give It All You Got" was the theme to the Winter Olympic Games of 1980, held in Lake Placid, New York. He performed live at the closing ceremonies, which were televised globally. A 1980 issue of Current Biography called "Feels So Good" the most recognized tune since "Michelle" by The Beatles. Recently, smooth jazz stations throughout the United States have recognized Mangione's "Feels So Good" as their all-time number one song. He raised over $50,000 for St. John's Nursing Home at his 60th Birthday Bash Concert, held at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester.
In addition to music Chuck Mangione has had a recurring voice-acting role on the animated television series King of the Hill. In it he portrays himself as a celebrity spokesman for Mega Lo Mart. The first episode of King of the Hill featuring Mangione originally aired on Valentine's Day, 1997. The episode featured an original score specifically recorded for the occasion. He continued to appear in episodes until 2003. Chuck Mangione the character is also in a later episode entitled Lucky's Wedding Suit.

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The Music of STEELY DAN

Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American jazz rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The band's peak of popularity was in the 1970s, when it released six albums that blended together elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Their music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies, literate but sometimes obscure or ambiguous lyrics filled with dark sarcasm, and their adroit musicianship and studio perfectionism. The group toured from 1972 to 1974, but in 1975 became a purely studio-based act. They disbanded in 1981, but have since reunited. They had two reunion tours in the summers of 1993 and 1994 and new studio releases in 2000 Two Against Nature and follow-up, 2003's Everything Must Go, with accompanying tours. In the upcoming November issue of Guitar World, Walter Becker states that Steely Dan are recording once again.

Early years
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York in 1967 and began playing in local groups (one of these, The Bad Rock Group, included future comedy star Chevy Chase on drums).

After Fagen graduated in 1969, the two moved to Brooklyn and tried to peddle their tunes in the Brill Building in midtown Manhattan. Kenny Vance, a member of the pop group Jay and the Americans, who had a production office in the building, took an interest in their material that led to work on the soundtrack of the low-budget Richard Pryor film You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat (1971) and jobs with the band's rhythm section. A series of demos made (supposedly) between 1968 and 1971 while under contract to Vance have been available on unofficial CDs and on various Steely Dan fan sites for some time. This collection features approximately twenty-five tracks, and are unique for two reasons. First, the stripped down production and decidedly "lo-fi" nature of these tracks (many songs are just Fagen and his piano) is completely contrary to known Steely Dan works. Second, although some of these songs (Caves of Altamira, Brooklyn, Barrytown, and a few others) eventually were recorded on a mass-produced album, the majority were never released formally.

Although they had a few notable successes—Barbra Streisand recorded their song "I Mean To Shine" on her 1971 "Barbra Joan Streisand" album—they made little significant headway until one of Vance's cronies, Gary Katz, moved to Los Angeles to become a staff producer for ABC Records. He hired Becker and Fagen as staff songwriters and they flew to Los Angeles. Katz would produce all their 1970s albums with a collaboration with engineer Roger Nichols.

After realizing their songs were too complex for other ABC artists, at Katz's suggestion they formed their own band with guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder and singer David Palmer, and Katz signed the band to ABC as recording artists. Being fans of Beat Generation literature, Fagen and Becker named the band for a dildo in the William Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. The addition of Palmer as a second lead vocalist was due to a combination of Fagen's resistance to singing in front of an audience and the label's feeling that his voice was not "commercial" enough. Fagen lacked confidence in his voice and was known to have suffered from occasional bouts of stage fright. Ironically, it would soon become obvious that Fagen's voice was ideally suited to their material.

In 1972, ABC sent out promotional copies of Steely Dan's first single, "Dallas" backed with "Sail the Waterway." It is unclear if "stock" copies were ever released to the general public, and if they were, the single sold so poorly that promotional copies are more abundant today (whereas the reverse is true for most releases). Neither song has ever been included on a compilation or album of any kind, or re-released in any form, with few exceptions: a 12" European EP titled "Plus Fours." - this 1978 EP features "Dallas," "Sail the Waterway," "Do It Again" and "Haitian Divorce." "The Probe Family Sampler" - released by Music for Pleasure in the UK - included "Dallas".

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The Music of NOEL POINTER

Violinist Noel Pointer, was born on 26th of December 1954 at Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. He studied classical violin before he signed with Blue Note as a jazz musician in the early '70s.

His releases of light instrumental pop and fusion also included guest stints by vocalists. Pointer moved to United Artists in 1978, and his Hold On LP had Patti Austin as the featured singer. He later included contributions from the Jones Girls and Patrice Rushen on future releases for UA, and then moved to Liberty in 1981. Pointer recorded with Norman Connors and did sessions for several other artists. He resurfaced in 1993 on a Shanachie date Never Lose Your Heart. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

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