top of page


When Steve Martin’s ‘A Wild and Crazy Guy’ Became a Comedy Icon
Steve Martin’s second album, 1978’s A Wild and Crazy Guy, cemented his position as a comedian who had attained rock star status.
It reached №2 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, only kept off the top spot by the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It includes the hit novelty single “King Tut” and won the Grammy Award in 1979 for Best Comedy Album.

edgarstreetbooks
14 hours ago3 min read


'It Was the Forbidden Record': Cheech & Chong's Big Bambu
Big Bambu is Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong’s 1972 album that features a cover designed to look like a giant rolling paper package. Vinyl copies contained a large rolling paper with the record. Big Bambu was nominated for Best Comedy Recording by the Grammy Awards.

edgarstreetbooks
7 days ago2 min read


'Back in Black' Is AC/DC's Tribute to Singer Bon Scott
“Back in Black” is the title cut of AC/DC’s 1980 album, one of the best-selling LPs in history. “Back in Black” is a tribute to lead singer Bon Scott, who died suddenly in February 1980 at age 33. The song was primarily written by Brian Johnson, Scott’s replacement, and credited to co-writers Angus and Malcolm Young. In 1981, “Back in Black” reached №37.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 27, 20252 min read


How the Beatles’ Shortest Song Accidently Ended Up on ‘Abbey Road’
At 23 seconds long, “Her Majesty” is the shortest tune in the Beatles catalog. Written by Paul McCartney, the song was intended to fit between “Mean Mr. Mustard” and “Polythene Pam” in the Abbey Road medley.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 26, 20252 min read


Groucho Marx Triumphs in ‘An Evening With Groucho’ at Carnegie Hall
An Evening with Groucho compiles performances by Groucho Marx at Carnegie Hall in New York, Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University in Ames, and Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. Equal parts comedy and music, the 1972 double album featured anecdotes about Groucho’s family and highlights of his career on stage, film, and TV.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 20, 20253 min read


The Traveling Wilburys: How the Journey Began
Some groups work together for years, honing and refining their sound until they develop a formula that yields a hit record.
Then there are the Traveling Wilburys, a happy accident that brought together five superstars in April 1988: George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. The Wilburys produced two albums; the first, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, led off with their biggest hit, “Handle with Care.”

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 17, 20253 min read


When a Ladies’ Room Attendant Inspired Donna Summer’s ‘She Works Hard for the Money’
“She Works Hard for the Money” is the title track of Donna Summer’s 1983 album. Released as the lead single, it was a №1 R&B hit that year. Summer wrote the song with producer Michael Omartian. Its inspiration came after the February 1983 Grammy Awards ceremony when Summer attended a party at Chasen’s restaurant in West Hollywood. Summer and manager Susan Muneo encountered an exhausted restroom attendant named Onetta Johnson.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 16, 20252 min read


Immortalized on ‘Seinfeld’: Bleecker Bob’s Records
Bleecker Bob’s was much more than an oldies record shop. Plotnik recognized new trends in music and it was the source of hard-to-find punk rock releases in the genre’s early days. Thousands of albums and singles were stacked in countertop compartments and posters and memorabilia covered the walls.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 6, 20252 min read


Albert Brooks Will Do Anything for Success in ‘A Star Is Bought’
A Star Is Bought was written and produced by Brooks and Harry Shearer. Brooks, according to the album’s scenario, wants to become a crossover recording star, appealing to as many different music fans as possible.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 6, 20252 min read

bottom of page