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‘I’ve Seen All Good People’: The Anti-War Anthem by Yes
“I’ve Seen All Good People” appeared on 1971’s The Yes Album. The song is in two parts. It opens with “Your Move,” released as a single in 1971 that reached №40. It closes with “All Good People.” The combination, “I’ve Seen All Good People,” was written and sung by Jon Anderson.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 232 min read


When R.E.M. Predicted 'The End of the World as We Know It'
“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” was included on R.E.M.’s 1987 album Document and reached №69. Its lyrics were written by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe in the stream-of-consciousness tradition of Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” and Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 212 min read


The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s Incendiary Shows at Fillmore East
“The God of Hellfire,” Arthur Brown, is noted for his dynamic performances in a flaming metal helmet. Brown is one of the acknowledged pioneers of theatrical rock. The frontman of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown performed his incendiary hit “Fire” at promoter Bill Graham’s Fillmore East over two nights in 1968.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 203 min read


Think You Know Rock & Roll? Take This Rock Quiz!
'Rock Quiz: 1000 Questions Classic Rock Challenge!' Book Excerpt

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 181 min read


‘The Logical Song’ Explained
Supertramp’s 1979 LP Breakfast in America featured its memorable title track and “The Logical Song,” which reached №6 and was the band’s biggest hit. The song, an indictment of the UK’s education system, was primarily written by Roger Hodgson, who told Creating the Classics that he reached back to his childhood for the lyrics.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 173 min read


Leslie West on Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix: Interview
In 2016, we spoke with Leslie West, the late singer, songwriter, and guitarist of Mountain, the supergroup he formed with bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer Corky Laing.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 165 min read


The Clash Created Pandemonium in Times Square
In May 1981, the Clash — Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and Paul Simonon — were in New York City to promote their album Sandinista! The British punk rockers were too popular for a small club like CBGB but were not yet ready to headline an arena like Shea Stadium, where they would open for The Who in 1982. Bond International Casino, which held 3,500 people, was ideal. Eight shows were originally scheduled.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 152 min read


‘A Girl Anyone Might Know’: Elvis Costello’s ‘Alison’
“Alison” is one of Elvis Costello’s most popular songs but did not chart in 1977 when released as a single from his debut album My Aim Is True. Costello explains the song’s inspiration in his 2015 autobiography Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 132 min read


Think You Know Rock & Roll? Take This Rock Quiz
1. Springsteen called it emotionally autobiographical
A. “Adam Raised a Cain”
B. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
C. “Glory Days”

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 111 min read


‘Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie’ by Jay & the Techniques Left a Sour Taste in Its Singer’s Mouth
When “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie” was released, the band’s name was changed to Jay & the Techniques without their knowledge. “I think Jerry changed it because there was Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and Martha & the Vandellas, and he just didn’t like that single-name thing,” said Proctor. “It wasn’t that I was the leader of the group, just the lead singer on the song. Then it didn’t make sense to change it back after the song was a hit.”

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 103 min read


Remembering Fillmore East Producer Bill Graham
Bill Graham, founder of the rock palaces Fillmore East and West among many accomplishments, was born January 8, 1931. In this excerpt from New York Groove: An Inside Look at the Stars, Shows & Songs That Make NYC Rock, we look back on Graham’s life.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 83 min read


The Story of ‘Vehicle’ and the Friendly Stranger in the Black Sedan
“Vehicle” was one of the biggest hits in the jazz rock era when horn bands dominated the charts. The Ides of March reached №2 in 1970 with the tune, their only hit. Singer-songwriter Jim Peterik told AXS, “We started as a British Invasion wannabe. We loved the Hollies, the Kinks, the Zombies. Our first single on Parrot, ‘You Wouldn’t Listen,’ echoed that.

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 62 min read


Who — or What — Is Sam the Sham's ‘Wooly Bully’?
Despite their robes and headdress, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs were part of the Tex-Mex musical tradition of Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. Sam is Domingo Samudio, a Dallas, Texas rocker whose first and biggest hit was 1964’s “Wooly Bully.”

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 52 min read


Ronnie Spector, the Original Bad Girl of Rock
Born Veronica Yvette Bennett, Ronnie Spector was born in Spanish Harlem, where growing up was tough for a girl with African American and Cherokee heritage. “When you don’t look like everyone else, you automatically have a problem in school,” Spector told The Guardian. “They would beat me up because I was different-looking. To be honest, I caught hell.”

edgarstreetbooks
Jan 22 min read


New Year's Eve with Jimi Hendrix at Fillmore East
In this excerpt from Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever, drummer Corky Laing of Mountain — the thunderous band with guitarist Leslie West and bassist Felix Pappalardi — recalls meeting Jimi Hendrix at Fillmore East’s 1970 New Year’s Eve show.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 31, 20252 min read


Think You Know Rock and Roll? Take This Rock Quiz
'Rock Quiz: 1000 Questions Classic Rock Challenge!' Book Excerpt

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 31, 20251 min read


Rock's 2026 New Year's Resolutions
Here are the stories behind the songs that describe characteristics - gluttony, greed, etc. - that we should be New Year's resolutions to end but probably won't

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 30, 20258 min read


New Year’s Eve 1968 at Fillmore East: 'I Got Out of It Without Getting Killed'
New Year’s Eve was always an important night for promoter and impresario Bill Graham. It was celebrated in grand style at San Francisco’s Fillmore West and New York’s Fillmore East.
In this excerpt from the book Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever, we look back at Dec. 31, 1968, when the Chambers Brothers headlined the show at the East Village hall.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 29, 20253 min read


‘That Wasn't Encore Applause’: Bill Graham's Backstage Battles at Fillmore East
Bill Graham left an indelible mark on the rock music industry with his Fillmore East and West concert halls, eclectic show lineups, and mega-sized concerts he staged until his death in 1991 in a helicopter crash.
Country Joe McDonald was a mainstay of Graham’s San Francisco and New York City venues as the leader of Country Joe & the Fish and as a solo performer. McDonald was one of the musicians chosen by Graham for the star-studded closing of Fillmore East on June 27, 1971.

edgarstreetbooks
Dec 28, 20252 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

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