Music & More

Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, 1978 Gems From the Record Room: This week's 70s Top Forty Countdown on SiriusXM was from the last week of July, 1978. I often think of the 70s as being divided between the first half of the decade, which was dominated by great songs and classic artists that got plenty of airplay on both FM and AM, and the second half of the decade when it seemed that the singles charts were dominated by disco. As such, it was a bit surprising to tune in to this week's countdown and hear a string of tunes that had more in common with the first half of the decade. The American Top 40 from Billboard Magazine for the week ending July 29, 1978 TW - LW TITLE Artist (Label) - Weeks on Chart (Peak Position) 1 - 1       SHADOW DANCING • Andy Gibb (RSO) - 16 (7 weeks at #1) (1) 2 - 2      BAKER STREET • Gerry Rafferty (United Artists) - 15 (2) 3 - 3      MISS YOU • Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones) - 10 (3) 4 - 5   ...

The Beach Boys rehearsal for a concert in Honolulu, 1967 [Photos courtesy of The Beach Boys unless otherwise specified] 1967: Sunshine Tomorrow by The Beach Boys has been eagerly awaited by Beach Boys fans. This 2-disc set opens with the Wild Honey album, for the first time mixed in true stereo (tracks 1-11). Then it's Christmas in July as The Beach Boys offer 54 essentially bonus tracks of previously unreleased studio and live recordings. Sunshine Tomorrow brings you back into the control room as you hear 1967 recording sessions. The Wild Honey sessions are first after the album. Hearing early versions, alternate versions, vocal arrangements, etc., it's just fascinating to me. Then we get five live Wild Honey tracks, four from '67 and one from '70. Following that, one song of session vocal highlights from "Mama Says" closes Disc 1. Disc 2 opens with ten tracks of sessions from Smiley Smile , also fascinating. I must admit here that my love fo...

Photo courtesy of Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers and her band gave a phenomenal performance, Wednesday night July 5th, at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live; they flew in the night before from Sydney, Australia to resume the American leg of her Dragonfly tour. "I was glad that they let us in to your country" [audience laughter]. Dragonfly is Chambers' newest album, available since March Down Under, it was only just released here. Dragonfly is a double album with one disc produced by Kasey's brother Nash (her long time producer) and featuring her road band. The other disc was produced by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and features numerous guest appearances such as Ed Sheeran, Keith Urban, Paul Kelly, Foy Vance and more. There were three generations of Chambers this time. Kasey's dad, Bill Chambers, plays guitar in her band as he's done for the past nineteen years since she first went solo. Kasey also had one of her three children with her; her ...

Photos: Compass Records “There is something for every roots-loving, singer-songwriting fan in these dozen tracks. . . it ought to move Shannon McNally to the forefront of Americana artists, where she clearly belongs.” - Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter When I was checking out the new releases on Friday, June 16th, the one that was immediately the most impressive to me was Black Irish by Shannon McNally. The next morning I gave it a thorough listen and I was knocked out by the quality of the record. McNally's vocal gifts have been a given for some time. Even though the songwriting of the originals was so strong and the covers so impeccably chosen, I think that the thing that impressed me most were the performances and the production. I was more familiar with Rodney Crowell as a recording artist and singer-songwriter, but on this album he completely knocks it out of the park as a producer. I absolutely love the sound of Black Irish . Right in track one, the band sounds surp...