Treasured Music

Badfinger - following the Beatles at the Apple Record Label

“Badfinger originated with guitarist/keyboardist Pete Ham and a group called The Panthers formed in 1961, then The Black Velvets and The Wild Ones. Ham, Ron Griffiths (bass guitar) and David ‘Dai’ Jenkins (guitar) went on to form The Iveys, named after a street in Swansea, Wales. By March of 1965, Mike Gibbins had joined as the drummer and the band began playing locally with such groups as the Spencer Davis Group, The Who, The Moody Blues and The Yardbirds. [1] The Iveys moved their base to London in 1966, performing both for David Garrick (a local singer) and as a solo act, and reportedly opening for Pink Floyd on occasion. The following year, Jenkins was asked (more…)

Tags: apple record label, Badfinger, beatles, rock and roll

Ladies and gentlemen…The Beatles!

The indelible mark on music the Beatles left will last many, many years. There is no superlative that encapsulates the depth and breadth of their talents. As singers, song writers, actors, musicians, and activists they changed pop culture, which ultimately changes history in some form.

- They had more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one
- The Beatles were the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States
- Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Beatles #1 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time(ref)

The group consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Who was considered the “fifth Beatle”? Billy Preston? I thought so until I found there were many considered to be a candidate for the “fifth Beatle” during (more…)

Tags: rock and roll, the beatles, the beatles albums, the beatles songs

Elvis - The King of RocK & Roll

The man who needs only one name, Elvis. I saw Elvis in concert twice. His vocal power is truly not captured on film or recordings. He’s just cool, that’s all there is to say, and he drove women crazy at concerts.

Elvis Presley was born in January of 1935 in a two room house his father built. With roots in gospel, country and hillbilly, Elvis made his first recording at Sun records in 1953, some say as a gift to his mother. (ref)

With Colonel Tom Parker as his manager, Elvis scored a huge recording deal in 1955 but 1956 would be be his breakthrough year. His appearances helped record sales and the snowball started tumbling. He was drafted into the Army in 1958 and honorably discharged in 1960.

“In the 1960s, Presley made the majority of his thirty-three movies—mainly poorly reviewed musicals. In 1968, he returned to live music in a television special and thereafter performed across the U.S., notably in Las Vegas. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance (more…)

Tags: Elvis, Elvis Presley, elvis presley music, elvis presley songs, elvis presley video, king, rock and roll, tom parker