Another hero has left us, Taylor Hawkins, mostly known as the happy drummer in FOO FIGHTERS.
On March 25, 2022, emergency services were called to the Casa Medina hotel in Bogotá, Colombia, where Hawkins was suffering from chest pain in his hotel room. Health personnel arrived and found Hawkins unresponsive; they performed CPR, but he was declared dead at the scene. No cause of death was given.
Hawkins was scheduled to perform with the FOO FIGHTERS that night at the Estéreo Picnic Festival as part of their ongoing South American tour; the festival stage was turned into a candlelight vigil for Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins performing "Somebody to Love" at his last live perfomance along with FOO FIGHTERS, the song was written by the singer/pianist Freddie Mercury from the British rock band QUEEN. It was orginally released on the band's 1976 album "A Day at the Races". Enjoy this clip from Chile 18/03/2022. R.I.P. Taylor! Thanks for the ride!
Here a full show clip with FOO FIGHTERS - Live at Lollapalooza [March 20th, 2022] - In Loving Memory of Oliver Taylor Hawkins
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), better known as Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. His Bat Out of Hell trilogy "Bat Out of Hell", "Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell", and "Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose" have sold more than 65 million albums worldwide. More than four decades after its release, the first album still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually and stayed on the charts for over nine years, making it one of the best-selling albums in history.
In January 2020, during an interview for The Mirror, Meat Loaf announced "I'm not old. I've got songs for another record and I'm reading a script." In a February 2020 Facebook post, Meat Loaf announced his intention to record a new album containing 'four or five new tracks, including Steinman's "What Part of My Body Hurts the Most" (a song long requested by fans, but previously under contract restrictions for the Bat Out of Hell musical), along with the original 1975 demo recordings made for the Bat Out of Hell album. Meat Loaf's longtime collaborator Jim Steinman died on April 19, 2021, of kidney failure.
In a Facebook post in November of 2021, he further elaborated that he and his band would be returning to the studio in January 2022 to record seven new songs for a forthcoming album, which would also include live tracks from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
Meat Loaf himself passed away on 20 January 2022, at the age of 74, apparently without any recording having taken place. His death was announced on his official Facebook page. The statement said the musician’s wife was by his side and his friends had been with him in his final 24 hours. No immediate announcement of the cause of death was released by his family or representatives; however, a source through TMZ stated that he died from COVID-19.
Must add a little story. Have actually worked with Meat Loaf on a couple of occasions, a very nice gentleman. Remember that at one point. Must be for a 12, 15 years ago when he did a show at the Hovet (Stadium) here in Stockholm. The "Hovet" is a fairly old venue, where the loadin/loadout is kind of upstairs, a long corridor, like a hill, all things are transported down, quite steep. After tearing down all the equipment, all things go up the hill and then into the trucks for the next destination. In the middle of this swirls of things that are going out, the uncle shows up, alert as a lark and starts pulling boxes. Haha who would have thought that, he holds chats with almost everyone, very nice man indeed and very funny. Im happy to been part of that, hearing the stories in the midddle of the loadout is kinda marvelous.
Today's tune "Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)", taken from the sixth studio album "Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell" by American rock singer Meat Loaf and was written and produced by Jim Steinman. It was released in September 1993, sixteen years after Meat Loaf's first solo album "Bat Out of Hell". The video clip is from last year's "Talk and Songs at Huckabee", enjoy!
Saturday, been spinning TURBONEGRO and Hank Von Hell albums, remembering the Rock Icon Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby who sadly passed away yesterday. An important fellow in the rock n' roll business in Scandinavia, especially here in Sweden where he made a big impact with his obscure rock band TURBONEGRO and when he played the title role in Cornelis, a Swedish film from 2010 about the singer-songwriter Cornelis Vreeswijk. Hank had a bright future ahead within both music and films. Hank died on 19 November 2021, at the age of 49. No cause of death has been made public.
So today's tune is for you Hank, I hope you get some time for "Disco" up there in the sky. You will be missed, R.I.P.
Peps Persson, was a Swedish blues and reggae musician and social critic from Tjörnarp, Skåne. Throughout his career he had mostly made music in Swedish and is well known for his "Skånsk" dialect. At an earlier stage he made a few albums in English. His songs from the 1970s have become Swedish classics, including "Falsk Matematik", which was number-one on Svensktoppen for 15 weeks.
Persson was the recipient of an honorary award at the Grammis ceremony in 2007, and was inducted into the Swedish Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Persson was born on 20 December 1946 in Helsingborg and grew up in Tjörnarp. His first band, Pop Penders, was started in 1962. He later formed Peps Blues Quality together with Blues Quality. Persson's career up to 1975 was mostly inspired by the blues, and he's known for having reworked many famous blues and reggae tunes into Swedish, by such artists as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Bob Marley.
After 1975, his career turned away from the blues and focused mostly on reggae. Some of his songs, like "Falsk matematik" and "Hög standard", made a political statement, and were considered part of the progg movement.
Persson died on 27 June 2021, at the age of 74 at his home in Vittsjö. R.I.P. Peps. We will remember your music and today's tune is for you!
Today's tune "Oh Boy" is taken from the album "Spelar För Livet", released 1992 on Sonet Grammofon AB. Enjoy!
We are devastated to announce that our beloved friend Lars-Göran Petrov has left us.
Our brother, leader, vocalist, our Chief Rebel Angel went on another ride last night. It’s with the deepest sadness that we have to say that Lars-Göran Petrov has left us. He was (is!!!) an incredible friend, and a person that has touched so many people. He has changed so many lives with his voice, his music, his character and his unique personality. LG’s smile is something that we will carry forever in our hearts. You will live forever in our hearts.
R.I.P. LG Petrov.
It's with big sadness to read the news from the ENTOMBED camp that our friend has passed away on March 7th, 2021 after a long battle with bile duct cancer. LG was a wonderful guy, he always had time for one, always came over and said hello, do not know how many times I ran at him in all the strange places all over this globe. The occasions we have worked together, it has always been filled with humor and joy. The times, he has felt a bit strange after a tough night of the sign of alcohol, he has always given 100%. The times he borrowed money for cigarettes or beer, he always paid back. Although he usually got everything for free. Feel the tears just flow down my cheeks, writing this is really hard. You will be really missed, Sweden's best Death Metal singer of all time has fallen asleep. Incredibly sad. F**k Cancer!
Petrov was known for his brutal and aggressive death metal delivery, but has on occasion showcased a controlled clean baritone, such as on the tracks "Bitter Loss" from ENTOMBED's debut album, "Left Hand Path", and on "Death by Impalement" from the Firespawn album, "The Reprobate".
Today's tune "Bitter Loss", taken from the album "Left Hand Path", a tune for you my friend, R.I.P. LG. The music video created with Lucio Fulci horror "City of the Living Dead", made by finalholocaust.
"Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song. A 1966 cover by the MAMAS & THE PAPAS was a minor hit. In 1982, the rock group VAN HALEN took their cover of "Dancing In The Street" and it's their version that is today's tune. A 1985 duet cover by David Bowie and Mick Jagger charted high on the lists around the world. The song has been covered by many other artists, including THE KINKS, TAGES, GREATFUL DEAD and MYRA.
A perfect example of how to take a classic song and add your own touch. The original MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS version was a huge 1964 hit and defined the classic Motown pop sound. In the hands of Eddie and co. it becomes a different beast entirely, a surprisingly modern-sounding dance rock mash-up. Is that a sequencer we hear? Or Eddie masterfully controlling the song’s rhythmic thrust with nothing but guitar? Hard to tell, but it’s an ambitious interpretation that really hits the spot.
"Dancing in the Street" by the American hard rock band VAN HALEN is taken from the fifth studio album "Diver Down", was released on April 14, 1982. Today's covers is to honor Eddie Van Halen who passed away in throat cancer on tuesday October 6, 2020, he was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor. He was the main songwriter and lead guitarist of the American rock band VAN HALEN, which he co-founded in 1972 with his brother, drummer Alex Van Halen, bassist Mark Stone, and singer David Lee Roth. He was well known for popularizing the tapping guitar solo technique, allowing rapid arpeggios to be played with two hands on the fretboard.
Eddie struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse. He began smoking and drinking at the age of 12, and he stated that he eventually needed alcohol to function. He entered rehabilitation in 2007, and later shared in an interview that he had been sober since 2008. He also battled with tongue cancer in 2000 that he beated and got cancer-free in 2002 (He blamed the tongue cancer on his habit of holding guitar picks in his mouth). "I used metal picks – they're brass and copper – which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer. ... I mean, I was smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything. But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors say it's possible. In 2012, Eddie underwent an emergency surgery for a severe bout of diverticulitis. Recovery time required due to the surgery led to postponement of VAN HALEN tour dates scheduled in Japan. Eddie was later hospitalized in 2019 after battling throat cancer over the previous five years. He died from the illness at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California on October 6, 2020, at the age of 65.
"Rock Bottom" is a tune co-written by vocalist/lyricist Phil Mogg and then lead guitarist Michael Schenker, "Rock Bottom" was recorded initially for the third studio album "Phenomenon" in 1974, on which it runs to 6 minutes 22 seconds. It was also released as a single - a format that could not possibly do it justice - the live version from "Strangers In The Night" (hear it below) is unquestionably the definitive. This album was recorded on the band's 1978 US tour and was released on the Chrysalis Label in January the following year.
Running to 11 minutes 8 seconds, "Rock Bottom" is the high point with Schenker demonstrating awesome speed and technique, but this is more than a mere guitar solo; towards the end, Paul Raymond on keyboards provides a thrilling racing effect with the mercurial German, who, incredibly, was said to be unhappy with the recording. Others beg to differ. In 2004, Classic Rock magazine rated UFO's "Strangers In The Night" double album the #2 live rock album of all time behind only THIN LIZZY's "Live And Dangerous"; on the strength of that alone, "Rock Bottom" must surely rate as one of the top hundred if not top ten heavy metal tracks of the 1970s if not of all time.
UFO largely left their blues-based "space rock" sound behind, in part due to the presence of their new guitarist, German 19-year-old Michael Schenker. The album was produced by Leo Lyons, bass guitarist of British rock group TEN YEARS AFTER. All tracks were recorded at Morgan Studios in London. The original cover design and photos were produced by Hipgnosis.
The British heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN performed a cover of "Doctor Doctor" when Blaze Bayley was with the band as their vocalist. IRON MAIDEN's cover version is included in "Lord Of The Flies" single and also in the Eddie's Archive boxed set on the "Best Of The B-Sides" collection. Traditionally, IRON MAIDEN uses the UFO live version, played over the venue PA system, to signal the audience that they are about to take the stage.
Today's song is dedicated to the iconic bass player Pete Way founder of UFO, WAYSTED, and, latterly, The Pete Way Band has passed away on Friday the 14th. He sustained life-threatening injuries in an accident two months ago but fought hard until finally succumbing to those injuries. Pete Way was a much loved and highly regarded figure among rock fans, critics and fellow musicians alike. Best known for his work with UFO, Pete’s energetic live performances were at the heart of the band’s countless world tours. His melodic bass lines underpinned the catalogue of enduring rock classics upon which UFO’s reputation and legacy were founded. Pete’s post UFO work included collaborating with “Fast” Eddie Clarke from MOTÖRHEAD - the two putting together FASTWAY with HUMBLE PIE drummer Jerry Shirley and bassist for his long time friend, Ozzy Osbourne. He then put together his own band WAYSTED. Pete’s keen ear for song arrangements have also seen him serve as producer for popular hard rock acts such as TWISTED SISTER and the COCKNEY REJECTS. Pete had recently finished a solo album, “Walking On The Edge” with producer Mike Clink (GUNS N ROSES “Appetite For Destruction” amongst many more.) He had a biography published “A Fast Ride Out Of Here” in 2017 and an album “Amphetamine” which is currently out on Cargo Records.
"Private Sorrow" is a tune by the English rock band THE PRETTY THINGS, it's taken from the fourth and one of the first rock operas/ rock concept album "S.F. Sorrow" released in 1968. An excellent album that is a must-have in the album collection of British history in "Rock" music.
THE PRETTY THINGS was formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the United Kingdom, they later embraced other genres such as a psychedelic rock in the late 1960s (with 1968 "S.F. Sorrow" being ), hard rock in the early 1970s and new wave in the early 1980s. Despite this, they never managed to recapture the same level of commercial success of their very first releases.
Based on a short story by singer Phil May, the album is structured as a song cycle, telling the story of the main character, Sebastian F. Sorrow, from birth through love, war, tragedy, madness, and the disillusionment of old age.
Although the album is a rock opera, it has been stated by members of THE WHO that the record had no major influence on Pete Townshend and his writing of "Tommy" (1969). THE PRETTY THINGS, however, have suggested otherwise, as have some critics.
"S.F. Sorrow's" narrative is different from others in the rock opera/concept album genre: while "Tommy" and PINK FLOYDs "The Wall" relay their concept through the lyrics of their songs, THE PRETTY THINGS tell the bulk of the story through small paragraph-like chapters which were printed in the liner notes of the LP and the CD, alternating with the song’s lyrics. These explanatory notes were read aloud between song performances by Arthur Brown during THE PRETTY THINGS' first of two known live performances of the opera.
Like "Tommy", "S.F. Sorrow" opens with the birth of the story's protagonist at the turn of the 20th century. Sebastian F. Sorrow is born in a small nameless town to ordinary parents in a house called "Number Three." The town is supported by a factory of some sort, referred to as the "Misery Factory."
Like today's tune is a phase in the life of S.F.Sorrow, when he joins a light infantry ("Private Sorrow") and goes off to fight in a war, possibly World War I. Sorrow sinks into a daze, living out the entire war in a funk. Soon the sounds of gunfire and artillery become the rhythm to his life in a daydream.
Phil May, the vocalist and the founding member of THE PRETTY THINGS was one of the band's main lyricists. He was the primary lyricist for the album "S.F. Sorrow". He died on 15 May 2020, aged 75, in a hospital in King's Lynn, from complications following hip surgery after a cycling accident. R.I.P.
Enjoy today's tune "Private Sorrow", the clip is filmed on French TV 1968.
Is part of "Tutti Frutti", the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded. The song was written by Little Richard and Dorothy LaBostrie that was first recorded in 1955, becoming Little Richard's first major hit record. With its opening cry of "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom!" (a verbal rendition of a drum pattern that Little Richard had imagined) and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs but also a model for rock and roll itself. The song introduced several of rock music's most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume, powerful vocal style, and distinctive beat and rhythm.
In 2007, an eclectic panel of renowned recording artists ranked "Tutti Frutti" (Italian: "All fruits") at No. 1 on Mojo's "The Top 100 Records That Changed The World" and hailed the recording as "the sound of the birth of rock and roll".
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), better known as Little Richard, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades, he was nicknamed "The Innovator", "The Originator", and "The Architect of Rock and Roll". Penniman's most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding backbeat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. His innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to hip hop; his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations to come.
On May 9, 2020, Penniman died at the age of 87 in Tennessee. His death was from a cause related to a struggle with bone cancer. At the time of his death, he was living with his brother in Nashville, Tennessee. His brother and son were with him when he died. He has since received tributes from many artists, including Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, John Fogerty, Elton John, Lenny Kravitz, and many others who also drew primary influence from him as recording artists.
Thanks for the music Little Richard, R.I.P.
Little Richard performs "Tutti Frutti" at the 1995 Concert for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album "Just As I Am", produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arrangements were done by Booker T. Jones, and recorded in Memphis by engineer Terry Manning.
The song was released as a single in 1971, becoming a breakthrough hit for Withers, reaching number six on the U.S. R&B Chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 23 song for 1971. The song also appears on the original soundtrack album for the films When "We Were Kings" (1997) and "Notting Hill" (1999). It was also featured in "FX's" first season (2016) of the anthology limited series "American Crime Story", which focuses on the 1994 murder trial of O. J. Simpson.
The song reached the Top 40 again in 2009, sung by Kris Allen in the 8th season of American Idol.
Withers was inspired to write this song after watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. He explained, in reference to the characters played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, "They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you. It's just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I'm not aware of."
For the song's third verse, Withers had intended to write more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase "I know" 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians to leave it that way: "I was this factory worker puttering around," Withers said. "So when they said to leave it like that, I left it."
Withers, then thirty-one years old, was working at a factory making bathrooms for 747s at the time he wrote the song. When the song went gold, the record company presented Withers with a golden toilet seat, marking the start of his new career."Ain't No Sunshine" was the first of Withers' three gold records in the U.S.
Originally released as the B-side to another song called "Harlem", "Ain't No Sunshine" was preferred by disc jockeys, and it became a huge hit, Withers' first "Harlem" was subsequently covered by THE 5TH DIMENSION, which was featured on their "Soul And Inspiration" album and released as a single.
Withers performed "Ain't No Sunshine" on The Old Grey Whistle Test. It won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1972 and is ranked 285th on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Bill Withers (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. He recorded several major hits, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me" (1972), "Lean on Me" (1972), "Lovely Day" (1977), and "Just the Two of Us" (1980). His life was the subject of the 2009 documentary film Still Bill. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Withers worked as a professional musician for just 15 years, from 1970 to 1985, after which he moved on to other occupations.
Withers died in Los Angeles on March 30, 2020, from heart complications. His family announced his death on April 3, 2020, saying they were "devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father"
"I Feel Free" is a song first recorded by the British rock band CREAM. The song's lyrics were written by Pete Brown, its music by Jack Bruce. It was the first track on the U.S. issue of their debut album, "Fresh Cream" (1966), and the band's second hit single (the first being "Wrapping Paper"). As with all tracks on CREAMs U.S. debut, producer's credit went to Robert Stigwood.
"I Feel Free" showcases the band's musical diversity, effectively combining blues rock with psychedelic pop. The tune was recorded in September 1966 at Ryemuse Studios. The track was recorded on an Ampex reel-to-reel audio tape recorder by Robert Stigwood and John Timperley. Stigwood made the decision to omit the song on the British release of "Fresh Cream", and instead released it as a single.
Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce in Cream in a row boat in Central Park in November 1968 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
A bunch of covers have been made over the years, listing a few of the artists, like Belinda Carlisle, THE SECOND COMING, THE AMBOY DUKES, David Bowie KULA SHAKER, JOHNNY MAESTRO & THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, LEVEL 42, Marcella Detroit, aka Marcy Levy, covered "I Feel Free". She co-wrote "Lay Down Sally" and worked with Eric Clapton during his solo career in the 70s and 80s. This was released on her and Elton John's duet single, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", in 1994. FOO FIGHTERS included the song on their 2005 "DOA" single, and also on the Best Buy-exclusive EP, "Five Songs and a Cover". FOO FIGHTERS version features drummer Taylor Hawkins on vocals, and the usual frontman Dave Grohl on drums. Gregorian's 2006 album "Masters of Chant Chapter V" includes this song in Gregorian style.
Sadly Ginger Baker, the drummer of CREAM passed away on 6 October 2019 at the age of 80. Thank you Ginger Baker and R.I.P.
Enjoy today's tune "I Feel Free", the video is filmed at a TV-Show 1967.
More info @
Official Ginger Baker Web
Official Jack Bruce Web
Official Eric Clapton Web
Today we do it with a tear in the eye and say goodbye to "Close-Up Magazine" that announced that after 28 years of total metal magazine dominance have to face the fact that money is out and the black flame is no longer burning. The magazine has been overruled by the digital media and is no longer a vital format for the readers to consume. I have been both a subscriber and lose number buyer for many years and found that this was a great magazine too for fill my needs for new music and old stories with they have been an excellent provider of. Both musically with all the extras you got as a subscriber, all the music that you never thought exist until someone on the magazine provide it to you as a reader. All the festivals they have given truly the years, you guys will be missed. Now there is only one magazine left on the Swedish soil that will bring some musical information to own as a reader, but they have more the commercial kind of music, the more straight forward and not the underground, the small bands that waves with there hands for some recognition. Close-Up will be missed and send all my love and hugs to Robban Becirovic for all these years that you have offered all your sweat, tears, money and love for the music business.
Thank you for your constant presence, all the readable interviews with all our heroes, all the new musical findings, all the gigs, and festivals, and not least for all the inspiration that you have provided during the years.
Rest in Peace, Close-Up Magazine. I hope that you will lie well in the Metal Church. Today's tune is for you!
Today's tune "Metal Church" is tune by the American heavy metal band METAL CHURCH. They originally formed in San Francisco, California in 1980 before relocating to Aberdeen, Washington. The tune is taken from their self-titled debut album was released in 1984.
The video is filmed live at Trees in Dallas, Texas on February 23, 2014.
Another rock icon has passed away, Roky Erickson was an American singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and guitarist from Texas. He was a founding member of THE 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre. Erickson died in Austin on May 31, 2019.
Today's tune "Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)" (produced by The Sir Douglas Quintet's Doug Sahm and inspired by Vladimir Demikhov's 1950s head transplant experiments) was released as a single. This song is by Roky Erickson and the Aliens and appears on the album "Roky Erickson and the Aliens" (1980) and on the compilation Sounds of the Seventies: Punk and New Wave (1993). Enjoy this a catchy little song by Texas musical genius Roky Erickson.
"Firestarter" is a song by the British band THE PRODIGY, released on 18 March 1996. It was the first single from their third album "The Fat of the Land" (The album title comes from the old English phrase 'living off the fat of the land', which means living well or being wealthy.), and their tenth single overall. It was also the group's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying on top for three weeks, and their first big international hit, also reaching number one in Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Norway.
It showcased Flint, with punk rock-style vocals, as the group's frontman. The title and lyrics were subject of controversy in the UK because of their violent nature. The music video further boosted these controversies. In 2004, the song was covered by Gene Simmons of KISS and in 2012 by De Staat.
Along with the CHEMICAL BROTHERS and FATBOY SLIM, THE PRODIGY have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. THE PRODIGY, however, is not considered entirely representative of the genre as their production "often reflected the more intelligent edge of trip-hop, and rarely broke into the mindless arena of true big beat."THE PRODIGY are also considered alternative dance, techno, electronica, breakbeat hardcore, rave and electronic rock.
THE PRODIGY was formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by keyboardist and songwriter Liam Howlett. The first line-up of the band also included MC and vocalist Maxim, a former dancer and vocalist Keith Flint, dancer and live keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill, and dancer and vocalist Sharky.
On 4 March 2019 frontman Keith Flint was found dead at his home in Essex, just weeks after playing six live dates in Australia and New Zealand. R.I.P. Keith Flint, instantly recognizable by his fluorescent spiked hair and known for high-octane performances, I have some great memories with THE PRODIGY, a band that was huge during my childhood, started my career as a DJ at a very young age and has been playing them many times. Got problems with Tinnitus a few years before I turned 30 so I had to quit the job and do something else. Tinnitus got sorted and my love for music is still intact.
On the bands webpage the following lines can be read.
It is with deepest shock and sadness that we can confirm the death of our brother Keith Flint who sadly took his own life over the weekend. We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.
Enjoy today's tune "Firestarter", this is for you Keith.
Category five, time to see what's got played during the "Hardrock Evening" that when off at the Twelfth Night, 5th of January. 1. A Band That Should Have Been Bigger: 2. Highfaluting: 3. Best Right Now: 4. Twin Guitars: 5. Best Text Strophe:
6. It Swings:
7. After Party: 8. Bonus:
"Best Text Strophe", hmz a pretty hard category to pick tunes from, what is the "Best Textstrophe", well I put some hard thinking into this one, should I go for something heartbreaking everyday life or something important, got a bunch of tunes, but the Lirba sign inside me could't decided so it ended up with the classic "Sympathy For The Devil" with the ROLLING STONES, but to not being to mossy in my choice I decided to pick a fresher version of the tune and took GUNS N´ ROSES, a band that have done a great comeback.
Here is the lineup for "Best Text Strophe".
GHOST "Pro Memoria" - Sandström (Good tune)
RAIDER "Urge To Kill" - Chief Rebel (Another new one from Chief, great lyrics.)
HELLYEAH "War In Me" - Holm (Heavy piece)
WARREL DANE "When We Pray" - M Öbrink (Excellent lyrics)
PARADISE LOST "I Am Nothing" - Hellan (Heavy cover and bluesy piece)
SIXX AM. "Life Is Beautiful" - Eriksdotter (Excellent tune with a heartbreaking lyrics)
LIK "Dr Duschanka" - P Öbrink (Funny story behind this, don't think I would like to meet this Dr (:)
STONE SOUR "Song#3" - Jens (Beautiful choice Jens)
GUNS N´ ROSES "Sympathy For The Devil" - Stones
With a lyric like:
"The world is ruled by fools and thieves
With a flair for power and a taste for greed"
It's pretty obvious to pick "When We Pray" with the heavy metal vocalist WARREL DANE,
excellent choice by M Öbrink. The tune is taken from the debut solo album "Praises to the War Machine", released on April 25, 2008. WARREL DANE was an American musician who was the lead singer for the metal bands SANCTUARY and NEVERMORE.
"Rock På Svenska" is the postumt album by Strängen. During his career, he played guitar in HELLACOPTERS. Now one and a half years after his death, a new album with Strängen's original ideas is released.
The Story about the album.
Chips Kiesbye tells us that "Strängen" came home to him once a week, for six months. The seatings were like a mix of therapy meetings and songwriting. They reviewed each line of text and discussed what he wanted to say with the songs. They also set up their own "dogma rules". That means that all words must be true and right from the heart. No worn-out rock clichés was allowed. In December 2016 they considered having a really strong ready written album. They selected some of the songs that felt most obvious and booked the studio for a first session. It was not necessarily the strongest songs they chose first, but songs that they thought were appropriate to begin with. Unfortunately, it was only one session so they did not do everything they had imagined to do. Another things came in between.
Last year Robert "Strängen" Dahlqvist was taken away from us. He suffered from epilepsy. And just a few days after he had been in the studio together with the band, he got a strike at home in the bathtub and drowned. The producer Chips Kiesbye, known from SATOR, spoke with "Strängen" relatives. Together they decided to finish the recordings on the basis of the ideas "Strängen" and his band had been talked about during all the discussions and planning meetings. "Rock On Svenska" is the result of this work.
"Rock På Svenska" is a rocker with a great swing, in the native language he sings sensitive with very personal lyrics about his upbringing, it's real, it's honest, it's true. The album opens up with "Thriller" a real rocker, dirty AC/DC riffs, catchy chorus, the tune is about that he is scary and fragile. "Farsan Söp Ihjäl Sig" is a fast paced rocker with a real sad story about his alcoholic dad. After that, it is very appropriate to ask "E de OK", he says that he is fine, everything is OK, but "All feelings gets into tears / When the air goes out " he sings. A sensitive tune. The pace goes up a notch in the rocker "Inte Min Vän". The loving "Din Hand" is a great sunny reminder of all the things that's are nice in life. A nice melody thats accompanied by beautiful guitar riff. "Rocken É Inte Död" is a cool rocker about the radio the plays synth pop and not great rock music that his. "Bangatan" is a powerful and melody-strong rocker that was released as a single a couple of years ago. The album ends with the captivating tribute to the daughter, "Ingrid", a beautiful piece that reaches its emotional culmination.
"Rock På Svenska" is a relaxed and strong 80's embossed rockalbum that is delivered so much heart and is emotionally charged and naked that "Strängen" can remain and receive all the praise for a job well done.
Sum: This album is a beautiful and worthy monument of a talented musician who was pulled away from life too early.
Today's tune "Rocken É Inte Död" is taken from "Rock På Svenska". The video is a live recording from Record Store Day, Little §shop of records here in Stockholm April 16th 2016 Enjoy!
