ROCK-on Worldwide

DECEMBER 21ST 1940 TO DECEMBER 4TH 1993

“Rock journalism is people who can’t write, interviewing people who can’t talk, in order to provide articles for people who can’t read.”
Frank Zappa

I thought I’d start with that quote from the great man himself to put the piece in perspective. Never short of a few words on any given subject, Rock’s most opinionated man, was not known for mincing his words. He would most certainly found it ridiculous that some sixteen years after the fact he was being commemorated on the anniversary of his death on a website dedicated to classic rock. After all this was the man who once said, “I don’t give a fuck if they remember me at all.” The pigeon holing of his music into one category would also have irritated him. Understandable, given that much of his music wasn’t even Rock, and for that matter, defied categorisation to the point that the only term it could be lumped under was “Zappa.”

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Two thirds of one of the great Prog Rock bands were born in November and two fifths of one of the world’s greatest Folk Rock bands, but we start with the man without whom there might not have been the great 1960s UK R&B revival – the legendary John Mayall.

JOHN MAYALL – 76 years old on 29th November
The line of bands from the great Delta Bluesmen to the likes of Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton is remarkably short – Alexis Korner… John Mayall… Originally based in Manchester it was Alexis Korner, the godfather of UK Blues who told Mayall he had to get to London and in 1963 he did just this and The Bluesbreakers concept was born offering a proving ground for the extraordinary outburst of talent that was London in the 60s.

Some people say that Mayall, Green, McVie, Fleetwood was the best Bluesbreakers lineup, but the never bettered, Mike Vernon produced, Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is the one for me every time.

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November’s deaths have no patterns to them, just losses from the world’s greatest band, the world’s most popular Rock singer and the drummer for the world’s greatest Rock guitarist.

GEORGE HARRISON – BORN 24TH FEBRUARY 1943 – DIED 29TH NOVEMBER 2001
I remember George Harrison describing life in the Beatles when he was interviewed alongside Ringo for a TV documentary at the time they released the Beatles 1 CD. He said that people had forgotten how good they were as a live band: “we were just so tight” and people also forget in the post Cream, post Prog Rock era of long, self indulgent, “virtuoso” guitar breaks and meandering tunes that the musicianship of the Beatles was focused on the band as the entity, not on individual members and that they perfected the 3 minute single, “She Loves You”, the LP “Revolver” and the Concept Album “Sgt Pepper” before anyone else had ever thought of it.

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I still play loud as fuck, cuss and spit and blow shit up. My balls have not shrunk but definitely grown. I know they have dropped… but that’s an age thing.”

Nikki Sixx of MotleyCrue to Journalist Mick Wall

So, I’m still very close to my parents and I’ll always be their little baby, you know? It’s just really funny. In other cities I’m just like ‘Rock & Roll!’ and fucking crazy and partying and then I come home to Boston and I’m just like ‘Mom, can you make me my favorite sandwich?’”
Hugh Ferreira of Tantric

“If you’re listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you’re a bigger moron than they are.”
Alice Cooper

“There’s nothing more boring than a rock’n'roll star. Someone who has been on the road for 10 years, expecting attention wherever he goes, drinking himself stupid, who is obnoxious, incoherent, uncreative, and has a massive ego. There’s nothing more pointless.”
Thom Yorke

Remember when you used to watch TV in the Sixties and you’d see Perry Como in a cashmere sweater? That’s what rock’n'roll is becoming. It’s your parents’ music.”
Neil Young

“I’m dealing in rock’n'roll. I’m, like, I’m not a bona fide human being.”
Phil Spector

20:30 Rock ‘N’ Raw
Episode 1: The Rock ‘n’ Raw show presents a line-up of classic rock and blues legends, performing live renditions of their biggest hits and album tracks.

BIOGRAPHY

Steve Miller was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 5, 1943. His mother was an accomplished singer, and his father, Dr. George “Sonny” Miller, was a physician by profession and an amateur recording engineer in his spare time. Many members of Steve’s family were musicians, and he received his first guitar at age 4.

Les Paul, the inventor of the electric guitar and multi-track recording, and his wife, Mary Ford, were close friends and regular visitors at the Miller house and Sonny was Les Paul’s best man at their wedding. Les and Mary taught Steve his first chords when he was five years old and he still uses some of the techniques they taught him at that time.

The Miller family moved to Dallas, Texas in 1950. Sonny continued recording various styles of music and musicians like T-Bone Walker continued to appear at the Miller house.

The Marksmen, Steve’s first band, was formed when he was only 12 years old. This rock and roll band had a solid booking the entire semester playing mostly for fraternities. Steve taught his older brother to play bass so he wouldn’t have to rely on his mother for transportation.

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Win a fabulous 22″ Flat Screen TV.
(THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED)

This Month’s featured artiste is Steve Miller. See if you can connect Steve Miller to Mick Ronson in exactly SIX steps through SIX bands.

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Best attempt as judged by an independent Rock journalist and Rock historian WINS.

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