The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Tribute Bands – Reimagined

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Having been fortunate enough to have seen most of the bands I wanted to see which were around when I was able to see them, the idea of a tribute band is a slightly strange concept to me. If you are in a band playing other people’s songs then why restrict yourself to songs by a single artist? Tribute bands are getting more and more popular, to such an extent that the original bands sometimes turn into their own tribute band with classic album or greatest hits tours. Friends who regularly see tribute bands tell me that what they want from a tribute band is as close an imitation as possible.

Give the people what they want, fair enough, but not everybody wants the obvious or predictable. London’s recently reopened Jazz Café have spotted this hole in the market and have been very successful in presenting familiar music in an unexpected way.

Examples include The African Gospel Choir Presents Graceland which sold out 3 nights, Transatlantic Choral Ensemble Performs Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, a celebration of William Onyeabor with African funk band Yaaba Funk. and last night I saw the first of 4 sold out nights of London Astrobeat Orchestra » Continue Reading.

Bert Berns – who?

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Think of Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl, think of Baby Please Don’t Go or Here Comes The Night by Them featuring Jimmy Page, Piece Of My Heart, or Under The Boardwalk by the Drifters and the name of New York songwriter, producer and record company exec Bert Berns probably won’t spring to mind, but he had a hand in every one of them and many many more.His impact on music was extraordinary and widely unknown.

I first came across his name in a Radio 2 programme about producers presented by Charlie Gillett, a man with impeccable taste in r’n’b, soul and reggae.Any album he recommended was a risk free purchase, it would be great. I duly purchased The Heart and Soul of Bert Berns and the only thing less than perfect about it was the sub 30 minute running time. It includes the Isley Brothers Twist and Shout ad Solomon Burke’s Cry To Me, covered by the Beatles and the Stones respectively.

He worked with songwriters Goffin and King. And co-wrote with Lieber and Stoller I’d be interested to read the book Ivylander mentioned in the Carole King thread to find out more. In Lieber and Stollers auotobiography Hound Dog » Continue Reading.