#rolling stone top 500

[girlreviews]

Review #146: Parallel Lines, Blondie

Man oh man oh man. I love Blondie so much. I found this record in the Windsor Oxfam. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I remember what boyfriend was with me so that puts me between 15 and 18. Yeah, same guy. I actually don’t remember if he ended up getting his hands on this record or not. I think I still have it. Will rifle through my collection later to check.

Blondie was in the “being cool” wilderness for some absolutely crazy reason at that point, and nobody really gave a shit about them anymore. When I was 17 or 18 they were playing the Reading Hexagon which is honestly still just such an unbelievable insult I’m still annoyed about it. I’ll circle back to that.

Parallel Lines epitomizes the complete and total coolness and badassery of Debbie Harry. I have never wanted to be someone more than I wanted to be her. So much confidence. Such incredible cheekbones. Such commitment to art. No apologies. The voice of an angel one moment and snarling whimsical warnings, like, hey you, don’t fuck with me, the next. Always standing in front of all of those completely non-descript nobody dudes. Yeah they’re playing the music, but who cares, who are they? It’s all her. She is Blondie.

Can I pick a favorite? It opens with Hanging on the Telephone, in which she is really threatening to rip the phone clean off the wall. It might be that one. But we’ve also got the classic One Way Or Another, which needs no comment, and one of my actual favorites of all time, Heart of Glass which never fails to fuck me up, but like, it’s a god damn disco track? Like sure, yeah, let’s boogie away our heart break. And I did. And I have. And I will. And these are all SINGLES. We aren’t even discussing the actual album tracks yet. Just listen to it. Honorable mention goes to Sunday Girl, which I always really loved. It’s cute and it’s kind of sweet in a very teenage girl kind of way that worked for me since I was in fact, a teenage girl. Also, not on the official album release, but there was a version of that track where the latter half was sung entirely in French and I always really dug it.

Okay so circling back to the Hexagon. This is a weird story and I’m still not sure how I feel about it, to this day. As I said, Blondie were playing a show at the Hexagon. I was absolutely obsessed with them, and Debbie Harry. I was also 17 or 18 and spent every penny I had on going to shows, but those pennies were pretty limited. I worked as a waitress at the pub that was two doors down from my house. It was full of characters. One such character was a regular, he was in his late 40s, was very wealthy, didn’t drive, was single, and spent literally every bit of his spare time in that pub. Think on that. He paid a lot of attention to the various young women that worked there. Was he creepy? No not exactly. But did it make you uncomfortable? Yes it did. Because you never knew when he might make it weird. Everyone liked him well enough. One day out of the blue this guy presented me with five tickets to the Blondie show. I didn’t know what in the hell to say or whether to accept them. Or what it meant. Whether there were expectations attached to them. Whether it was okay to take them. I was uncomfortable. I was 17.

Here’s what happened. My Mom, who sort of knew him too, since he was always there, decided it was fine, because she wanted to go. But for it to be okay, she decided he also had to come. So we went, he came, and a few friends too. The thing is though, she never knew him like I did. I saw him every day. I saw him with the other girls that worked at the pub. I saw him drunk off his ass. I don’t know that I ever would have taken the tickets. Or if I did, I’m not sure I ever would have invited him. I feel a bit queasy about it to this day. I think in the end something really off-base happened one night between him and someone on staff and he got barred. That was usually the way it went with regulars who were there that often.

The other thing to note is that Blondie ended because Debbie Harry was with Chris Stein, who was literally dying of some rare autoimmune disease throughout their last tour. There were other factors at play, but essentially, they broke up because he was too sick and she stayed at his side and became his full-time carer. When he was well, he left her. They are, remarkably, still close friends to this day and still perform together. Just never forget that men are dogs, and that Blondie is and always will be Debbie Harry. I love her. To this day she looks better than I do in a mini skirt and I love that for her.

ETA: I checked and in fact, I do not still have Parallel Lines in my record collection, but I am quite confident it got lost when I moved back to the US. Also, I’m not 100% certain that show was at the Reading Hexagon. I just know it was a shitty venue not worthy of Blondie. This was 18 years ago. You get the idea.

[musical-shenanigans]

Show #43

Title: Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire

Show Release Date: April 12, 2023

Hello everyone, and this will be the first time a blog is posted at the same time as a show.  So, it may require editing, updates, or just some good old fashioned fixing at a later date.

The good news, is that the editing is still fresh in my mind as I have just completed it and made my notes to what I want to say here.  There are more references and uses of songs that need to be addressed, and a lot has changed since the third show that I last posted about on this site.  But, follow us on Twitter and you will find out when I post about the older shows.

So, this is possibly the 43rd show we have recorded, and that includes any of our holiday specials or any other odd thing we did.  By the time I update the shows betwixt the third and this one, I should have the counts straight, so we will say 43 just to get through this post.

Unlike previous posts, I am going to drop references as they come up, so this may look a little different.  Much like the show, this site needs some tweaking on format and will absolutely change around as we go.

First, you might be wondering about the title of the show, even after you've heard the show, you may still be wondering about it.  Well, it is a lyric from the song "The Plains in Spain" from "My Fair Lady".  There is another hidden meaning, but I will come back to that at the end of this season, as all the titles have a running theme - which you may or may not have guessed.  The main reason for this lyric is that Scott makes a rather astute parallel of Amy Winehouse to Eliza Doolittle.  Absolutely fantastic.  So, I really wanted to use that bit.

Our first round matchup is between Carole King and Lauryn Hill (Tapestry #25, and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill #10).  We start with Carole an the many songs she has written for other artists in the Brill Building.  The Brill Building was discussed in Show #10: Frank Sinatra: The Tenth Wonder of the World  when we discussed Laura Nyro. And take a look at the Wikipedia page showing all of the songs that Carole King has written and the artists that made them popular - she was even sampled by the friend to the podcast, Kanye. 

In our discussion, we referenced the Rocky Horror Picture Show and its executive producer Lou Adler.  Lou is responsible for bringing the stage version to Los Angeles, giving us the cult classic film, and unfortunately he also gave its sequel that should have never been made.  But in case you are curious, the entire movie can be seen here on YouTube.  You were warned, so send your complaints elsewhere.

There follows a short spot for the podcast Fancy Bread Miami - go check them out.  They are really great guys and their show is well done.

Next up is Lauryn Hill.  Dave brings up the lawsuit with musicians that played on the album that were not given and credit.  This article came out in August of 2018 discussing the lawsuit that took place.  We also make fun of how I totally mispronounced the OutKast's album title "Aquemini" in episode #16 (or possibly 17): Podcasting in the Name of. 

There is a joke about how many songs Michael McDonald is featured on, and my estimate is way off.  Check out this page to see all of his contributions.  Also take a look at James Taylor and Joe Walsh.

The middle quiz game will get its own blog page.  Please watch this space for it.

The second round begins with Amy Winehouse and the brilliant reference to Eliza Doolitle - watch this clip from the movie and it will all make sense.  And you have not heard Amy Winehouse speak, watch this.

There is a documentary film about Amy Winehouse, and I highly, highly recommend it.  It is tragic, but it is done very well.  It is called "Amy". 

We move onto Aretha and I mention the movie that goes along with this album is fantastic.  I could not find a clip of everything her father, but if you see the movie, you will hear his phenomenal, oratory voice and the love he has for his daughter.  Also, "The Old Landmark" was in the Blues Brothers film and the song is led by James Brown, and you can watch it here - I promise you, the best six minutes of your day!

Note: for our next show, I say that we are going to cover Eric Church.  And, he was voted off the island before the next show was recorded, and we failed to address it.

Thanks for coming out!

Songs used:

Title: Entitled "Comedy Theme" by user Hagfilms at freesound.org

Carole King - "It's Too Late"

Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop That Thing"

Amy Winehouse - "Me & Mr. Jones"

Aretha Franklin - "The Old Landmark"

Outro - "Touch Me There" - a silly piano bit I made

[ego-sum-id-quod-cantum-ludere]

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DAVID B-OW-IE MENTION LET'S GOOOOO

[johnkatsmc5]

N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" 1988 US Hip Hop (Top 100 Hip Hop Albums of the 1980's) (500 Greatest Albums Of All Time Rolling Stone)

full spotify

The debut album by N.W.A, "Straight Outta Compton" is now best remembered as the pioneering record of gangsta rap; with its ever-present profanity and violent lyrics, it helped to give birth to this then-new sub-genre of hip hop. It has been considered groundbreaking by music writers and has had an enormous impact on the evolution of West Coast hip hop. "Straight Outta Compton" redefined the direction of hip hop, which resulted in lyricism concerning the gangsta lifestyle becoming the driving force in sales figures. It also helped to shift the power to the West Coast from the East Coast, which had enjoyed a period of prominence in hip hop for most of the 1980s. Despite not being a success at first and the lack of airplay, "Straight Outta Compton" sold over three million copies, thanks to the hits "Straight Outta Compton", "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Express Yourself". The album itself reached number 37 in the Billboard Top 200 in the spring of 1989, while it reached number 9 on Billboard's Top Soul LPs. The original version of "Compton's N The House" was only to be found on the Eazy-Duz-It / Ruthless Villain / Radio cassette single; it was not pressed on the 12" vinyl version of the single....~ “You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.” And so begins one of the most influential Hip Hop records of all time. N.W.A., aka Niggaz Wit Attitudes, was led by Eazy-E, but features the iconic producers, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella and Arabian Prince, and lyricists Ice Cube and MC Ren. Self-styled as “the world’s most dangerous group,” ‘Straight Outta Compton’ not only depicts the violence, brutality and racism experienced by those living in the L.A. suburb of Compton, but it threatened to incite it. N.W.A. took the bourgeoning subgenre of Gangsta Rap and made it their own. The production is groundbreaking and the flow of the music is astounding. In a retrospective review, Rolling Stone said that it’s a "bombastic, cacophonous car ride through Los Angeles' burnt-out and ignored hoods," and I couldn’t have said it better myself. Incidentally, upon its release, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ was the first rap album ever to receive a 5-star review from Rolling Stone. Smashing through the gates with the title track, it’s a take-no-prisoners affair, before being smashed in the face with one of the great modern-day protest songs ever, ‘Fuck tha Police.’ The song protests police brutality and racial profiling, and unfortunately it’s still relevant to say, especially in the US. My favourite story about this song is upon its release, triple j had been playing it regularly (swearing is allowed on the station). A senator protested the song, which led to the ABC banning the station from playing it. In protest, the station went on strike and played third single from the record, ‘Express Yourself,’ on repeat for 24 hours. But the biggest middle finger from triple j in all this was that they sampled the scratching from the song and used it in their news jingle effectively playing a part of ‘Fuck The Police’ on air multiple times a day. Highlights of the record include the aforementioned ‘FTP’ and ‘Express Yourself,’ as well as ‘8 Ball,’ ‘Parental Discretion Iz Advised,’ ‘Gangsta Gangsta’ and ‘If It Ain’t Ruff.’ It was the first platinum-certified Gangsta Rap record, and would eventually go on to sell 3x Platinum, helped along by the biopic in 2015. It was the first Rap record to be inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame and it has also been included in the National Recording Registry by the Library Of Congress.....Rolling Stone......~

N.W.A.

Eazy-E – rapping (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 9, 11–13), spoken word (tracks 1–3, 10 and 12) co-producer (track 6), executive producer Ice Cube – rapping (tracks 1–3, 5, 10 & 11), spoken word (tracks 2 and 8) MC Ren – rapping (tracks 1–5, 7, 9, 12), spoken word (tracks 2, 3, 7 and 9) Dr. Dre – rapping (tracks 5, 7–9, 11 & 13), spoken word (tracks 1–3, 7, 8 and 9) keyboards and drum programming (all tracks) DJ Yella – sampling, turntables and drum programming (all tracks) Arabian Prince – rapping (track 13), keyboards & drum programming (1,2, 3, 7, 9 and 13)

Additional musicians The D.O.C. – rapping (track 5), spoken word (track 2), lyrics (tracks 1, 2 & 5) Krazy Dee – spoken word (tracks 2, 3 &11)

Studio Personnel Big Bass Brian – mastering Donovan Sound – engineer Eric Poppleton – photography Helane Freeman – art direction Tracklist Straight Outta Compton 4:18 _ _ _ _ Tha Police (Fill In The Blanks) 5:46 Gangsta Gangsta 5:36 If It Ain't Ruff 3:34 Parental Discretion Iz Advised 5:15 Express Yourself 4:25 Compton's N The House (Remix) 5:20 I Ain't Tha 1 4:54 Dopeman (Remix) 5:20 Quiet On Tha Set 3:59

N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" 1988 US Hip Hop (Top 100 Hip Hop Albums of the 1980's) (500 Greatest Albums Of All Time Rolling Stone)

[radlymona]

That apple top 100 albums list being obvious engagement bait that like 80% of Twitter is falling for is so fucking funny

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus 1989

"Personal Jesus" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released in 1989 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990). Prior to its release, advertisements were placed in the personal columns of regional newspapers in the UK with the words "Your own personal Jesus", and included a phone number one could dial to hear the song. The ensuing controversy helped propel the single to number 13 on the UK charts, becoming one of Depeche Mode's biggest sellers. It reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single was their first to enter the US top 40 since 1984's "People Are People" and was their first gold-certified single in the US. In Germany, "Personal Jesus" is one of the band's longest-charting songs, staying on the West German Singles Chart for 23 weeks.

In 2004, "Personal Jesus" was ranked number 368 in Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and in September 2006 it was voted as one of the "100 Greatest Songs Ever" in Q magazine. "Personal Jesus" was re-released as a single on 30 May 2011 for the Depeche Mode remix album Remixes 2: 81–11. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Johnny Cash, Marilyn Manson, Def Leppard, and Iggy Pop.

"Personal Jesus" received a total of 88,7% yes votes! Previous Depeche Mode polls: #101 "It's No Good".

[transit-fag]

The Rolling Stone 500 best songs of all time is interesting because like here are the top 20:

20. Dancing On My Own by Robyn

19. Imagine by John Lennon

18. Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution

17. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

16. Crazy in Love by Beyonce Ft. Jay-Z

15. I want to hold your hand by the Beatles

14. Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks

13. Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones

12. Superstition by Stevie Wonder

11. God Only Knows by the Beach Boys

10. Hey Ya by Outkast

9. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

8. Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliot

7. Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles

6. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye

5. Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

4. Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

3. A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke

2. Fight the Power by Public Enemy

1. Respect by Aretha Franklin

[ladykailitha]

King of the Day!

Hello and welcome to my Christmas AUvent Calendar! Every day from now until the 24th I will be posting a ficlet that is 500-1500 from an AU I've done over the years.

All stories will be marked with the tag #12 aus of christmas so you can follow along as I will only be tagging my permanent list for this (it would get too confusing otherwise).

The last one on our list is: Steve is Tattoo Artist verse. You can read the story here. All links will be to the first chapter, but the chapter itself will have links to the rest of the story.

The title comes from the European tradition of if the [insert object here] in the cake you were king for the day (I learned about it in my French three decades ago so if I got wrong sorry!).

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11

~

Steve was facing the dilemma of topping Eddie’s Christmas from last year. Where his band Corroded Coffin got their first gold record, which had gone platinum earlier this year. But if everything went right and Gareth didn’t forget his present to Eddie then he might just win.

But as it was right at that moment it was a disaster.

“What do you mean you lost my order?” Steve asked through gritted teeth. “I called confirmed it only yesterday and every week for the last three weeks!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure you’re spelling ‘Buckley’ correctly? It’s B-U-C-K-L-E-Y. Yes with an E. Thank you!”

“No ma’am, I’m not saying that you’re dumb or anything of the sort,” he continued dryly. “I just wanted to make sure it was going to be here on time. It’s already out for delivery. Thank you!”

He set the receiver gently in its cradle and then picked it back up again. Once he heard the dial tone he slammed it several times for good measure.

“You do know that I’ve done this for the last five years,” Robin snarked from the entrance to tattoo shop, “as my job. I don’t know why you won’t let me do it for this.” She walked into the shop and leaned against the counter. “You’re just stressing yourself out over nothing.”

Steve laid his head on the desk with a sigh, letting the cool surface calm his rage. “I just wanted to make tonight special.”

She scooped up his hands in hers. “It will be special because he loves you. Now, let’s see it.”

He reached into his pocket and handed her a small red velvet box. She opened it and smiled fondly. It was perfect. It was white gold with ruby in the middle and framed by four black spinel gemstones, two large close to the ruby and two smaller stones on the outside.

Then she slipped it into her pocket. “I’ll just hold on to this for safe keeping. So what is the other thing you’re getting Eddie for Christmas? Because I know this is for after the gift giving.”

“Gareth is bringing it,” Steve said with a sigh. “Eddie is like a little kid looking for presents all the time and knows all my hiding spots.”

Robin laughed, because yeah. Steve’s boyfriend was like a kid when it came with presents, something Wayne had to warn him for when his birthday came up.

“I’ve been texting him nonstop reminding him to bring it,” he continued and then he handed her his phone. “Then he sent me this.”

It was a picture of Gareth in his car, a stack of presents in the passenger seat, and he’s giving the camera the middle finger. The caption read underneath, “I’ve got it! Quit your bitching!”

“Am I supposed to guess which one is yours to Eddie?” she asked rolling her eyes as she handed it back to him.

Steve rolled his eyes and jerk his head forward, holding his hands out like it was obvious. “Like the one wrapped differently then all the others?”

“Oh.”

~

The party was in full swing. Everyone was having fun, the booze was flowing, the food flying off the table and into happy mouths.

“I can’t believe you got me the entire new edition of the D&D manuals,” Eddie huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Like how am I supposed to compete with that?”

Steve kissed his cheek. “It’s not a competition, love. Despite what you and Gareth think.”

“Bah!” Eddie said. Then he got shy. “You did like your present, right?”

Steve tilted his to the side. Eddie had gotten him a custom apron that said, “King of this Castle” for him to wear while he was tattooing. “Of course I did. I loved it, baby. Chrissy is already trying to convince Robin and Vickie to get her and Argyle similar ones.”

Eddie shoved his hair in front of his face. “Yeah?”

Steve gently took the strand from him and tucked it behind his ear. “Yeah, sunshine. I promise.”

Robin gave him a pat on his shoulder as she passed by them.

It was time.

He took a deep breath and then grabbed his hand. “There’s one more present for you.”

Eddie cocked his head to the side and then his eyes went wide. “Oh!”

“Last year when I gave you my grandfather’s ring,” Steve said, cupping Eddie’s cheek, “I promised that I would get you a ring that was all your own.” He lifted his left hand. “There is only room for one more.” He tapped the ring finger.

“Stevie...” he breathed.

Suddenly he was aware that everyone was watching them as Steve got down on one knee.

“Would you do the honor of being my husband?” He pulled out the red velvet box Robin had slipped him when she passed.

Eddie held his hands mouth, too overjoyed to speak and nodded. Steve slipped the ring on his finger. It fit perfectly and perfectly fit the rest of Eddie’s rings as Steve intended.

“I love you.”

Eddie pulled him to his feet and kissed him senseless. “Merry Christmas, Stevie.”

A cheer went up as Steve blushed and pressed their foreheads together. “Merry Christmas, Eds.”

“Does this make me the royal consort?” Eddie asked with a grin.

Steve threw his head back and laughed. He loved this man so deeply. “Yeah, babe. You absolute drama queen!”

Everyone laughed.

~

Tag List: CLOSED

1- @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @cryptid-system @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006

5- @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon @fearieshadow @thesecondfate

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

[girlreviews]

Review #172: Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel have always been hilarious to me. They are such massive goobers. Goobers with huge egos that dated/married/divorced beautiful women. Both insufferable in their individual specific ways. But also they make the most precious and beautiful music together. They know how good they are but lack self-awareness about literally anything else (like that they’re goobers). Everyone likes it though. You want to not like it because your Mom likes it, but you cannot deny its pull. You like it. It’s good. Have you met anyone that hates Simon & Garfunkel? I haven’t.

It really is good. It opens with the title track, which is a big, gorgeous vocal performance that keeps getting bigger. The accompanying music gets bigger too, without drowning out the vocals. The sentiment of the song is just so lovely too: I’m here for you, you’re my friend. It’s nice not to have an entire album of love songs.

Cecilia could be a love song, I suppose, but it’s really about a man who is desperate to reconcile with a cheating partner who sounds pretty toxic. I’d love to hear Cecilia’s side of the story. I really would. I think about this all the time. Especially because they are both such GOOBERS. It’s a really fun song though. When they do upbeat, they really go for it. See also: Keep The Customer Satisfied, Baby Driver (it has a sax solo, c’mon!).

These Goobers know how to put together a damn fine arrangement that makes some of their songs feel deeper: El Condor Pasa has a really Spanish feel to it with the guitar (duh) and some flutes. It’s a whole vibe, that matches the lyrics. Would I rather be a sparrow or a snail? A forest or a street? A hammer or a nail? These are the big unanswered questions in life, right? No, but it feels like it in this song because it’s mysterious and philosophical. This whole vibe thing is also successful in The Only Living Boy in New York. It sounds like what it’s about, and it’s so beautiful. But totally different to Bridge Over Troubled Water and El Condor Pasa. The slower more ballad-y songs on this album sound like a damn Bob Ross painting.

The Boxer is maybe (???) the most well-known song on this album, but that’s based in absolutely no fact whatsoever on my part. I have no idea. It just seems like most people know that one. Like it got more radio play or something. I like it a lot, but there’s low registering repetitive sound running through it that has always just sort of bugged me. Possibly because I just cannot identify what the instrument is? What is that sound? It could be a cello/double-bass, or some kind of horn, or honestly even a percussion type thing. But I don’t know what it is. Honestly it kind of sounds like a duck to me. I’ve even wondered if it’s a kazoo. I haven’t looked it up, but I could. But will I? I’ll just forget about it until the next time I hear it: Sometimes (often) the duck kazoo is all I can focus on instead of the rest of the song which is pretty fucking pretty.

For a really soft, folky, gentle record made by two goobers, I would also definitively state that it’s somehow full of straight bangers. I could elaborate further on that but I’d suggest you listen to it yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

ETA: it’s a damn BASS HARMONICA. I honestly wasn’t that far off with the kazoo. Also, The Boxer took over 100 hours to record. This blew my mind.

[moveslikekeithrichards]

soy sauce places number 12 in rolling stones Top 500 Things To Get All Over The Place

[ttexed]

Larry Williams - She Said Yeah

‘Larry Williams (May 10, 1935  January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fannie", "Bad Boy", "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" and "She Said Yeah," which were later covered by British Invasion groups and other artists. John Lennon, in particular, was a fan of Williams, recording several of his songs over the course of his career. "Bony Maronie" is listed as one of the Top 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll. 

Williams lived a life mixed with tremendous success and violence-fueled drug addiction. He was a long-time friend of Little Richard. As a child in New Orleans, Williams learned how to play piano. When he was a teenager, he and his family moved to Oakland, California, where he joined a local R&B group called the Lemon Drops. In 1954, when he was 19 years old, Williams went back to New Orleans for a visit. He began work as Lloyd Price's valet and developed a friendship with Little Richard Penniman, who was recording at the time in New Orleans. Price and Penniman were both recording for Specialty Records at the time. Williams was introduced to Specialty's house producer, Robert Blackwell, and was signed to record. 

 In 1957, Little Richard was Specialty's biggest star, but bolted from Rock and Roll to pursue the ministry. Williams was quickly groomed by Blackwell to try to replicate his success. Using the same raw, shouting vocals and piano-driven intensity, Williams scored with a number of hit singles. Williams' three biggest successes were "Short Fat Fannie", which was his first hit, reaching #5 in Billboard's pop chart, "High School Dance", which also made #5, and "Bony Moronie", which peaked at #14. Both "Short Fat Fanny" and "Bony Moronie" sold over one million copies, gaining gold discs. Several of his songs achieved later success as revivals by The Beatles ("Bad Boy", "Slow Down", and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"); The Rolling Stones ("She Said Yeah"); and John Lennon's versions of "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy". 

 Williams had been involved with underworld activity since his early teens, and had reputedly been a pimp before he ever recorded music. After 1957 Williams did not have much success selling records. He recorded a number of songs in 1958 and 1959, including "Heebie Jeebies", with band members such as Plas Johnson on tenor sax and Alvin "Red" Tyler on baritone, Barney Kessel on guitar, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Williams himself on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums. He was convicted of dealing narcotics in 1960 and served a jail term, setting back his career considerably. 

 Williams made a comeback in the mid-1960s with a funky soul band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, which paired him musically with Little Richard who had been lured back into secular music. He produced two Little Richard albums for Okeh Records in 1966 and 1967, which returned Little Richard to the Billboard album chart for the first time in ten years and spawned the hit single Poor Dog. He also acted as the music director for the Little Richard's live performances at the Okeh Club. Bookings for Little Richard during this period skyrocketed. Williams also recorded and released material of his own and with Watson, with some moderate chart success. This period may have garnered few hits but produced some of his best and most original work.  

Williams also began acting in the 1960s, appearing on film in Just for the Hell of It (1968), The Klansman (1974), and Drum (1976). 

 In the 1970s, there was also a brief dalliance with disco, but Williams' wild lifestyle continued. By the middle of the decade, the drug abuse and violence was taking its toll. In 1977, Williams pulled a gun on and threatened to kill his long-time friend, Little Richard, over a drug debt. They were both living in Los Angeles and addicted to cocaine. Little Richard bought drugs from him, arranged to pay him later, but did not show up because he was high. Williams was furious. He hunted him down but ended up showing compassion on his long-time friend after Little Richard repaid the debt. This, along with other factors, led to Little Richard's return to born again Christianity and the ministry, but Williams would not escape LA's seedy underworld.'

 SOURCE: Wikipedia 

[angelicguy]

these being the two top songs of the rolling stone top 500 songs of all time list in 2004 is pretty funny.

[thisisyourdriverspeaking]

Well, this took me a lot of online digging & a lot of patience but this is the top songs in the charts/most popular songs for each of the winners of the Indy 500. I hope you guys enjoy the effort 😂

30th May 1911 - Ray Harroun - Arthur Collins - Steamboat Bill

30th May 1912 - Joe Dawson - Enrico Caruso - Dreams Of Long Ago

30th May 1913 - Jules Goux - Harry Lauder - It's Nicer To Be In Bed

30th May 1914 - Rene Thomas - Heidelberg Quintet - By The Beautiful Sea

31st May 1915 - Ralph DePalma - Alma Gluck - Carry Me Back To Old Viginity

30th May 1916 - Dario Resta - John McCormack - The Sunshine Of Your Smile

31st May 1919 - Howdy Wilcox - Henry Burr & Albert Campbell - i'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

31st May 1920 - Gaston Chevrolet - Al Jolson - Swanee

30th May 1921 - Tommy Milton - Marion Harris - Look For The Silver Lining

30th May 1922 - Jimmy Murphy - Al Jolson - Angel Child

30th May 1923 - Tommy Milton - Carl Fenton - Love Sends A Little Gift Of Roses

30th May 1924 - Lora L Corum & Joe Boyer - Al Jolson - California Here I Come

30th May 1925 - Pete DePaolo - Ted Lewis - O! Katharina

31st May 1926 - Frank Lockhart - Gene Austin - Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue

30th May 1927 - George Soulders - Ben Bernie - Ain't She Sweet?

30th May 1928 - Louis Meyer - Gene Austin - Ramona

30th May 1929 - Ray Keech - Rudy Vallee - Honey

30th May 1930 - Billy Arnold - Rudy Vallee - Stein Song (University Of Maine)

30th May 1931 - Louis Schneider - Bing Crosby - Out Of Nowhere

30th May 1932 - Fred Frame - Louis Armstrong - All Of Me

30th May 1933 - Louis Meyer - Leo Reisman ft Harold Arlen - Stormy Weather

30th May 1934 - Bill Cummings - Duke Ellington - Cocktails For Two

30th May 1935 - Kelly Petillo - Guy Lombardo - What's The Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You)

30th May 1936 - Louis Meyer - Benny Goodman - The Glory Of Love

31st May 1937 - Wilbur Shaw - Teddy Wilson ft Billie Holiday - Carelessly

30th May 1938 - Floyd Roberts - Shep Fields - Cathedral In The Pines

30th May 1939 - Wilbur Shaw - Benny Goodman - And The Angels Sing

30th May 1940 - Wilbur Shaw - Bing Crosby - If I Had My Way

30th May 1941 - Floyd David & Mauri Rose - Deanna Durbin - Waltzing In The Clouds

30th May 1946 - George Robson - Denny Dennis & The Skyrockets - Mary Lou

30th May 1947 - Mauri Rose - Bing Crosby - Among My Souvenirs

31st May 1948 - Mauri Rose - Bing Crosby - Galway Bay

30th May 1949 - Bill Holland - Burl Ives - Lavender Blue

30th May 1950 - Johnnie Parsons - Billy Eckstine - My Foolish Heart

30th May 1951 - Lee Wallard - Les Paul & Mary Ford - Mockin' Bird Hill

30th May 1952 - Troy Ruttman - Jo Stafford - A-Round The Corner

30th May 1953 - Bill Vukovich - Frankie Laine - I Believe

31st May 1954 - Bill Vukovich - Doris Day - Secret Love

30th May 1955 - Bob Sweikert - Eddie Calvert - Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White

30th May 1956 - Pat Flaherty - Ronnie Hilton - No Other Love

30th May 1957 - Sam Hanks - Andy Williams - Butterfly

30th May 1958 - Jimmy Bryan - Connie Francis - Who's Sorry Now

30th May 1959 - Rodger Ward - Elvis Presley - A Fool Such As I

30th May 1960 - Jim Rathmann - The Everly Brothers - Cathy's Clown

30th May 1961 - AJ Foyt - Temperance Seven - You're Driving Me Crazy

30th May 1962 - Rodger Ward - Elvis Presley - Good Luck Charm

30th May 1963 - Parnelli Jones - The Beatles - From Me To You

30th May 1964 - AJ Foyt - Cilla Black - You're My World

31st May 1965 - Jim Clark - Sandie Shaw - Long Live Love

30th May 1966 - Graham Hill - The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black

31st May 1967 - AJ Foyt - The Tremeloes - Silence Is Golden

30th May 1968 - Bobby Unser - Union Gap - Young Girl

30th May 1969 - Mario Andretti - The Beatles with Billy Preston - Get Back

30th May 1970 - Al Unser - England World Cup Squad - Back Home

29th May 1971 - Al Unser - Dawn - Knock Three Times

27th May 1972 - Mark Donohue - T.Rex - Metal Guru

30th May 1973 - Gordon Johncock - Wizzard - See My Baby Jive

26th May 1974 - Johnny Rutherford - Rubettes - Sugar Baby Love

25th May 1975 - Bobby Unser - Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man

30th May 1976 - Johnny Rutherford - J.J Barrie - No Charge

29th May 1977 - A.J Foyt - Rod Stewart - I Don't Want To Talk About It

28th May 1978 - Al Unser - Boney M - Rivers Of Babylon

27th May 1979 - Rick Mears - Blondie - Sunday Girl

25th May 1980 - Johnny Rutherford - Hot Chocolate - No Doubt About It

24th May 1981 - Bobby Unser - Adam & The Ants - Stand & Deliver

30th May 1982 - Gordon Johncock - Madness - House of Fun

29th May 1983 - Tom Sneva - The Police - Every Breath You Take

27th May 1984 - Rick Mears - Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

26th May 1985 - Danny Sullivan - Paul Hardcastle - 19

31st May 1986 - Bobby Rahal - Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer

24th May 1987 - Al Unser - Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

29th May 1988 - Rick Mears - Wet Wet Wet - With A Little Help From My Friends

28th May 1989 - Emerson Fittipaldi - Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson & The Christians - Ferry Cross The Mersey

27th May 1990 - Arie Luyendyk - Adamski - Killer

26th May 1991 - Rick Mears - Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song

24th May 1992 - Al Unser JR - KWS - Please Don't Go

30th May 1993 - Emerson Fittipaldi - Ace Of Base - All That She Wants

29th May 1994 - Al Unser JR - Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around

28th May 1995 - Jacques Villeneuve - Robson & Jerome - Unchained Melody

26th May 1996 - Buddy Lazier - Buddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seed - Three Lions

27th May 1997 - Arie Luyendyk - Eternal ft Bebe Winans - I Wanna Be The Only One

24th May 1998 - Eddie Cheever - Tamperer ft Maya - Feel It

30th May 1999 - Kenny Brack - Shanks & Bigfoot - Sweet Like Chocolate

28th May 2000 - Juan Pablo Montoya - Sonique - It Feels So Good

27th May 2001 - Helio Castroneves - DJ Pied Piper - Do You Really Like It?

26th May 2002 - Helio Castroneves - Eminem - Without Me

25th May 2003 - Gil De Ferran - Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body

30th May 2004 - Buddy Rice - Frankee - F.U.R.B (F U Right Back)

29th May 2005 - Dan Wheldon - Akon - Lonely

28th May 2006 - Sam Hornish JR - Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

27th May 2007 - Dario Franchitti - Rihanna ft Jay-Z - Umbrella

25th May 2008 - Scott Dixon - Rihanna - Take A Bow

24th May 2009 - Helio Castroneves - Dizzee Rascal & Van Helden - Bonkers

30th May 2010 - Dario Franchitti - Dizzee Rascal - Dirtee Disco

29th May 2011 - Dan Wheldon - Pitbull ft Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer - Give Me Everything

27th May 2012 - Dario Franchitti - Fun ft Janelle Monae - We Are Young

26th May 2013 - Tony Kanaan - Naughty Boy ft Sam Smith - La La La

25th May 2014 - Ryan Hunter-Reay - Sam Smith - Stay With Me

24th May 2015 - Juan Pablo Montoya - OMI - Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)

29th May 2016 - Alexander Rossi - Drake ft Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance

28th May 2017 - Takuma Sato - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber - Despacito

27th May 2018 - Will Power - Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa - One Kiss

26th May 2019 - Simon Pagenaud - Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber - I Don't Care

23rd August 2020 - Takuma Sato - Joel Corry ft MNEK - Head & Heart

30th May 2021 - Helio Castroneves - Olivia Rodrigo - Good 4 U

29th May 2022 - Marcus Ericsson - Harry Styles - As It Was

28th May 2023 - Josef Newgarden - Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding - Miracle

26th May 2024 - Josef Newgarden - Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

And yes, this wouldn't be a post from me if I didn't create a playlist 😂

[allthedesiredusernamesaretaken]

... listen to music ...

55 years ago today the Rolling Stones released their Let It Bleed, with the classic tracks "Gimme Shelter" and "Midnight Rambler."

Released shortly after the band's 1969 American Tour, it is the follow-up to 1968's Beggars Banquet, and like that album is a return to the group's more blues-oriented approach that was prominent in the pre-Aftermath (1966) period of their career. Additional sounds on the album draw influence from gospel, country blues and country rock. In 2005, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and is on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Robert Brownjohn designed the cover, which displays a surreal sculpture. The image consists of the Let It Bleed record being played by the tone-arm of an antique phonograph, and a record-changer spindle supporting several items stacked on a plate in place of a stack of records: a film canister labelled Stones – Let It Bleed, a clock dial, a pizza, a bicycle tyre and a cake with elaborate icing topped by figurines representing the band. The cake parts of the construction were prepared by then-unknown cookery writer Delia Smith. The reverse of the LP sleeve shows the same "record-stack" melange in a state of disarray. The artwork was inspired by the working title of the album, which was Automatic Changer.

[justforbooks]

Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive with songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957), and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958). Writing lyrics that focused on teen life and consumerism, and developing a music style that included guitar solos and showmanship, Berry was a major influence on subsequent rock music.

Born into a middle-class black family in St. Louis, Berry had an interest in music from an early age and gave his first public performance at Sumner High School. While still a high school student, he was convicted of armed robbery and was sent to a reformatory, where he was held from 1944 to 1947. After his release, Berry settled into married life and worked at an automobile assembly plant. By early 1953, influenced by the guitar riffs and showmanship techniques of the blues musician T-Bone Walker, Berry began performing with the Johnnie Johnson Trio. His break came when he traveled to Chicago in May 1955 and met Muddy Waters, who suggested he contact Leonard Chess, of Chess Records. With Chess, he recorded "Maybellene"—Berry's adaptation of the country song "Ida Red"—which sold over a million copies, reaching number one on Billboard magazine's rhythm and blues chart.

By the end of the 1950s, Berry was an established star, with several hit records and film appearances and a lucrative touring career. He had also established his own St. Louis nightclub, Berry's Club Bandstand. He was sentenced to three years in prison in January 1962 for offenses under the Mann Act—he had transported a 14-year-old girl across state lines for the purpose of having sexual intercourse. After his release in 1963, Berry had several more successful songs, including "No Particular Place to Go", "You Never Can Tell", and "Nadine". However, these did not achieve the same success or lasting impact of his 1950s songs, and by the 1970s he was more in demand as a nostalgia performer, playing his past material with local backup bands of variable quality. In 1972, he reached a new level of achievement when a rendition of "My Ding-a-Ling" became his only record to top the charts. His insistence on being paid in cash led in 1979 to a four-month jail sentence and community service, for tax evasion.

Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986; he was cited for having "laid the groundwork for not only a rock and roll sound but a rock and roll stance." Berry is included in several of Rolling Stone magazine's "greatest of all time" lists; he was ranked fifth on its 2004 and 2011 lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 2nd greatest guitarist of all time in 2023. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll includes three of Berry's: "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybellene", and "Rock and Roll Music". "Johnny B. Goode" is the only rock-and-roll song included on the Voyager Golden Record.

On March 18, 2017, Berry was found unresponsive at his home near Wentzville, Missouri. Emergency workers called to the scene were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead by his personal physician. TMZ posted an audio recording on its website in which a 911 operator can be heard responding to a reported cardiac arrest at Berry's home.

Berry's funeral was held on April 9, 2017, at The Pageant, in Berry's home town of St. Louis. He was remembered with a public viewing by family, friends, and fans in The Pageant. He was viewed with his cherry-red Gibson ES-335 guitar bolted to the inside lid of the coffin and with flower arrangements that included one sent by the Rolling Stones in the shape of a guitar. Afterwards a private service was held in the club celebrating Berry's life and musical career, with the Berry family inviting 300 members of the public into the service. Gene Simmons of Kiss gave an impromptu, unadvertised eulogy at the service, while Little Richard was scheduled to lead the funeral procession but was unable to attend due to an illness. The night before, many St. Louis area bars held a mass toast at 10 pm in Berry's honor.

One of Berry's attorneys estimated that his estate was worth $50 million, including $17 million in music rights. Berry's music publishing accounted for $13 million of the estate's value. The Berry estate owned roughly half of his songwriting credits (mostly from his later career), while BMG Rights Management controlled the other half; most of Berry's recordings are currently owned by Universal Music Group. In September 2017, Dualtone, the label which released Berry's final album, Chuck, agreed to publish all his compositions in the United States.

Berry is interred in a mausoleum in Bellerive Gardens Cemetery in St. Louis.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[kay-elle-cee]

@jilymicrofics July Prompt 8: Hazy || 500 Words || NSFW || Canon Divergent MICROFIC MASTERLIST

Note: Look. I was going to try and wait until tomorrow, (especially since I dropped a oneshot today) but it's tomorrow somewhere, and Taylor (and specifically I Can See You, a Jily song if I've EVER heard one) has absolutely invaded my brain.

Smut below the cut.

Red hair falls in waves down her back, collarbone exposed to the warm summer air as his lips descend on the smooth pale skin, kissing each freckle in a trail down the slope of her breasts, hands moving up to gently work them until a soft moan escapes from between swollen lips.

Feet fumble as they blindly make their way back, back, back against the stone exterior of the cottage, lips traveling up her neck to meet her own, mouths parting and breath mingling, sharp little gasps escaping her as his fingers roll over piqued pink peaks.

The scene swims and suddenly the garden, the gentle sunlight is gone. Instead there’s a storm raging outside and the power is out in that Order safe house they shared in Portsmouth. A handful of candles light the room and she’s on top of him, flushed skin aglow in the candlelight, head thrown back in ecstasy as her hips move faster and faster, his glasses skewed on his face as he looks up with awe, hands gripped so tightly into her hips his fingers will surely leave marks.

A groan rips out as he rolls her until her back is against the mattress, red halo hair strewn over the pillows, and he continues her pace, leaning over and capturing her lips hungrily as she shudders around him with a delicious cry.

Another change, this time on a couch he vaguely recognizes as hers. There’s a warm glow from the lamps, and judging from the kitchen window it’s around dusk. They’re upright, arms slung around on another, knees and thighs touching, lips lazily moving together as hands move from hair to face to chest to arms—lightly touching, tentatively exploring their fully-clothed bodies. His lips trail to where her neck and shoulder meet and she lets out a breathy sigh of his name, “James…”

Something about that, about his name in her mouth like that sends him reeling back and he blinks rapidly as the library of the Order’s Headquarters comes into focus, a flushed and fuming Lily Evans sitting before him.

“Have your fun?” She bites, her voice strained.

“I don’t—Evans—what?” His mind has trouble focusing, hazy thoughts of gardens and candlelight and swollen lips and the way she bloody sounded crying out in that safe house scrambling his mind and affecting all of his senses. He’s confused. “Those…weren’t memories…”

She glares, and James notices the heaviness of her breathing. “No. Seems like you dug a little further.”

”Further?”

“Dreams, Potter.” She tears her eyes away, crossing her arms and muttering, "Fucking Moody’s fucking Legilimency practice."

“Dreams?” James breathes, and the blood in his veins hums. “You have drea—those kind of dreams? About me?”

Her simmering gaze flickers back to him, and he’s not sure if he imagines the way it briefly drops to his lips or if it’s just the memories of her dreams playing tricks on him.

“You’ve seen for yourself.” She breathes. “Happy, Potter? Or would you like to see more?”

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