Showing posts with label Moody Blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moody Blues. Show all posts

Thursday, 9 May 2013

Biggest British Invasion Bands


The biggest bands that helped make the British invasion of mid-sixties the musical event of the decade.

1. The Beatles: The biggest music act of all time and the first major pop artist to come out of England. The Beatles were responsible for not only changing the musical landscape but pop culture and therefore world culture.

2. The Rolling Stones: Easily the second most successful band to emerge from England during the sixties. After the Beatles broke up in 1970 the Stones continued, earning themselves the nick name "The World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band".

3. The Who: Famous for playing their music loud and smashing their instruments, the Who peaked creatively and commercially with the albums Tommy (1969) and The Who's Next (1971).

4. The Moody Blues: This band became big combining classical music and rock especially on the album Days Of Future Past (1967).

5. The Animals: Second group, after the Beatles, to have a number one single in the U.S. (The House Of The Rising Sun).

6. The Kinks: With songs like You Really Got Me and All Day And All Of The Night, the Kinks were the forefathers of both punk and metal music.

7. The Yardbirds: This group spawned such guitarists as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, giving birth to future mega groups Cream, Derek And The Dominos, Jeff Beck Group and Led Zepplin.

8. The Hollies: The Hollies had hits all through the sixties and into the seventies. One time member Graham Nash quit in the l968 to form the super group Crosby, Stills And Nash (Later Young).

9. The Spencer Davis Group: The Spencer Davis Group had big hits with I'm A Man and Gimme Some Lovin'. Future superstar Steve Winwood was the band's keyboardist, lead singer and main songwriter.

10. Manfred Mann: This group's biggest hit during the sixties was Do Wah Diddy Diddy (Bill Murray sings this song in the movie Stripes). More than a decade later, as Manfred Mann's Earth Band, they had a number one hit with Bruce Springsteen's Blinded By The Light.

Monday, 6 May 2013

Biggest Selling Beatles Solo Albums


1. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970): George's first post Beatles solo album is this sprawling three record set released in November of 1970. It is his magnum opus, and at six million sold, it is also the biggest selling album put out by any of the ex Beatles. Many famous musicians appear on this record, including Eric Clapton, Gary Wright, Klaus Voorman, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Alan White (Yes) and Ginger Baker. Singles include: My Sweet Lord (#1), What Is Life (#10).

2. Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973): Recorded in Nigeria, this album is Paul's biggest solo album both commercially (three million copies) and critically. There were only three members of Wings at this time, Paul, his wife Linda and Denny Laine (ex Moody Blues). Ginger Baker, formally of Cream, also appears on this record. Actors James Coburn and Christopher Lee (among other celebrities) appear on the album cover. Singles include: Band On The Run (#1), Jet (#7), Helen Wheels (#10).

3. Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1980): At three million copies sold this is John Lennon's biggest solo album. Unfortunately most of these copies sold after his murder three weeks after the record's release. This was John's first recording in five years and it won a Grammy for album of the year. Singles Include: Just Like Starting Over (#1), Woman (#2), Watching The Wheels (#30).

4. McCartney - Paul McCartney (1970): Paul's first solo album and the first proper solo album by any of the Beatles. Paul plays all the instruments making it a true "solo" effort. This album sold over two million copies and features the song Maybe I'm Amazed.

5. Imagine - John Lennon (1970): Selling two million copies, this was John's biggest album during his lifetime. Phil Spector produced the record and George Harrison plays guitar on several tracks. The recording of this album was filmed and released as a movie the following year (also called Imagine, later re-titled Gimme Some Truth). The most successful single off Imagine was the title track (#3).