THE RETURN OF DANCE MUSIC

There is no doubt that 2020 was a very challenging year. But thankfully we had music to help soothe us throughout these turbulent last twelve months. One of the highlights was the resurgence of dance music which has always brought joy and comfort during difficult times. This music was certainly important during the AIDS crisis and it's not surprising that dance is the direction that people gravitated towards this year, even though you couldn't get anywhere near a dance floor.

There were several great albums released; Lady Gaga's "Chromatica", Jessie Ware's "What's Your Pleasure", Dua Lipa's "Future Nostalgia", Charli XCX's quarantine-created album, "how i’m feeling now" and Kylie Minogue's aptly titled, "Disco" to name just a few that unabashedly made dance a central part of their sound. 

Vulture has assembled twenty-one of the best dance songs from 2020 that looked back on classic disco for inspiration and delivered fresh, reflective sounds that briefly assisted in helping us forget about all of the troubles happening in the world.

Click below to read the article:

The Best Dance and Disco Songs of 2020

50 BEST CHRISTMAS SONGS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS

Whether you like them or not, 'tis the season for Christmas songs to be played on an endless, relentless loop. You will hear the same songs involving 'ole Saint Nick, a deformed reindeer, a jolly, talking snowman and chestnuts roasting over an open fire many times over from a wide variety of musicians covering these tunes. Some of these versions are certainly better than others but it's really the songs themselves that take us back to memories of the childhood excitement on Christmas morning and the family coming together to celebrate the holiday.

The Christmas Songbook, which are now cherished classics, where largely written throughout the 1940's, '50's and '60's. There are more recent songs that have become Christmas standards like "Wonderful Christmastime" from Paul McCartney, Wham!'s "Last Christmas", The Carpenters', "Merry Christmas, Darling" and of course, Mariah Carey's '90's holiday earworm, "All I Want For Christmas". The Los Angeles Times has complied a list of what they consider to be the best songs of Christmas over the last fifty years. It is a diverse collection made up of songs, old and new, covering various genres of music. Some of these songs I am very familiar with while others I had never heard before but they are all great songs to help celebrate the holiday.

Click below to read the article:

50 Best Christmas Songs of the Last 50 Years

And here are a few of my favorites from this list with some that might be far lesser known:

39. Pet Shop Boys - "It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas" (1997)



28. Tracey Thorn - "Maybe This Christmas" (2012)



23. The Jackson 5 - "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (1970)



13. The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping" (1981)



5. Joni Mitchell - "River" (1971)

CHARLEY PRIDE (1934 - 2020)

Charley Pride, one of the very few African-American artists to find great success in country music, passed away on December 12th. The eighty-six year old singer died from complications of COVID-19 and he had recently made his last appearance performing during this year's Country Music Awards on November 11th where he was finally honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pride was born in Sledge, Mississippi, one of eleven children to poor sharecroppers. When he was fourteen, Pride was given his first guitar by his mother and self-taught himself how to play. And while he loved music, baseball was his first passion. Following his older brother, Mack, Pride played in the Negro American League as a pitcher. After being drafted in to the US Army in 1956, he tried to return to baseball but an injury that occurred while he served prevented him from pitching at his best.

Pride soon turned to music, performing country music around the Memphis area when his demos got in the hands of musician, Chet Atkins. He helped get Pride signed to RCA Records in 1966. His first few singles failed to chart but he finally hit with the song, "Just Between You and Me", which reached the top-ten on the Billboard Hot Country chart in 1967. His race certainly created some initial resistance by some audience members at the time but eventually his talent won them over.

Pride would become the second African-American singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, following founding member, DeFord Bailey who last appeared in 1941. During his career, Pride went on to have fifty-two Billboard top-ten country hits with thirty reaching the top spot. Some of his hits include "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me", "I'd Rather Love You", "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone", "Wonder Could I Live There Anymore", "I'm Just Me", and "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" with this number one song in 1971 has since become his signature tune.

Pride is survived by his wife, Rozene who he married in 1956. They had two sons, Kraig and Dion, and a daughter, Angela.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After spending time making holiday music, mentoring aspiring singers on "The Voice" and dabbling in country-pop with her fiancé, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani is returning to her musical roots with the sounds of her band, No Doubt. The singer has just dropped a new song called, "Let Me Reintroduce Myself". This self-referential track, set to a ska beat, announces that this is not a comeback for Stefani but simply about reminding people she's still around. And while it's a clever idea, I don't think the song is strong enough to get Stefani comfortably back on the charts. But perhaps it still might introduce her to a new generation of fans. Check it out and judge for yourself:

Aluna Francis is one half of the British electronic duo, AlunaGeorge with George Reid who burst on to the scene in the US with a remix by DJ Snake of the single, "You Know You Like It" in 2014. After working with Reid for over ten years, Francis decided to take a break and create music on her own. Aluna has released her debut solo album, "Renaissance" and this collection dives deeper in to the roots of dance music, reaching back to African rhythms, funk, early 80's house and garage music. Aluna explores the history and contributions of Black artists in the genre and how dance is much more than EDM. It's an interesting album, filled with unexpected beats and sounds working very well together.





Here are a few new Christmas videos for your holiday enjoyment:







And finally in the category of "If It ain't broke, remake it", Todrick Hall has reworked his hit COVID-inspired tune and video, "Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs" in to a holiday-themed new version entitled, "Bells, Bows, Gifts, Trees". Sure, it's a little lazy but still quite fun and clever. And the video will put you in a good mood and deliver a some much needed Christmas spirit.

AMERICA'S MOST BELOVED DIVAS

In the latest issue of New York Times' magazine, T, they celebrate three of the most iconic women in music; Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and Patti LaBelle. They started their journey in to the business around the same time but each would find fame and success at different points of their careers.

Streisand would first be noticed on the theatrical stage before conquering pop music and film. Parton began under the guidance of musician, Porter Wagoner before striking out on her own and becoming a major player in country music. And LaBelle was part of a girl-group, finding brief success before venturing off as a solo artist and reaching incredible heights as one of the greatest voices in r&b.

Each of these gifted and talented performers have remained greatly admired musicians, with the magazine offering profiles on these women that examines their lives, careers and continued influence on audiences.

Click below to read the articles:

NYT magazine: Celebrating Three of America’s Most Beloved Divas

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM . . .

DOLLY PARTON 

It's been over thirty years since country music legend, Dolly Parton has released a Christmas album and her latest collection features the cute title,  "A Very Dolly Christmas". The singer had actually began working on the project back in 2009 when she released the single, "Comin' Home for Christmas" but I guess it took some time before the busy Parton was able to complete the album. "A Very Dolly Christmas" features mostly original songs by Parton and there are several guests on board which includes Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bublé, Willie Nelson and "Tonight Show" host, Jimmy Fallon on a cover of Mariah Carey's now-holiday classic, "All I Want For Christmas". Enjoy a couple of fun songs from the album:





LIL NAS X 

Lil Nas X  seems to be in the holiday spirit and has dropped a new song in celebration. The twenty-one year old hip-hop performer born Montero Hill has released "Holiday" but it's really more about his incredible, rapid success with his country-rap hybrid, "Old Town Road" and his fame  than about Santa Claus. I find it unlikely that the song itself will become a holiday classic but it's really the music video for the track which implies a Christmas theme. This clip is a visual wonder (directed by Gibson Hazard and Nas X) and features Lil Nas X in a futuristic setting taking over as ole Saint Nick.

CARLY RAE JEPSEN 

The Canadian pop singer, Carly Rae Jepsen has taken a different approach to the holidays with her recently released single, "It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries". Jepsen, who co-wrote the song with Benjamin Romans, CJ Baran and James Flannigan, examines the rarely discussed difficulties with family dysfunction during Christmas that can almost ruin the festivities. Despite the dark subject matter, this ditty is cute and playful, humorously showing another side of the celebration that most people try to forget about.

2020 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

When the Grammy Awards made the decision to make all categories gender-neutral in 2011, I was very concerned about the idea. With our society long being male-dominated, I was afraid that would be reflected in the nominations for music's highest honor. Initially, the nominations were fairly equal (much to my surprise) yet as time went on there began a shift with men gradually receiving far more recognition. This culminated in 2018 with women being barely acknowledged and receiving only seventeen awards out of eighty-six categories. And when this was called out, the then-President of the Recording Academy essentially told women that if they wanted to be a part of the industry they needed to "step up".

But with the recent announcement of the Grammy Award nominations for 2020, there was a notable shift in who received recognition. Women dominated this year in all categories and made historical firsts in the nominations. Beyoncé leads the pack with nine nominations which includes the single that celebrated Black culture and activism, "Black Parade" while Dua Lipa (for her dance-pop collection, "Future Nostalgia") and Taylor Swift (for the indie-rock album, "Folklore" created during quarantine) both followed with six each. In addition to Swift and Lipa, Jhené Aiko, with her alt-soul collection, "Chilombo" and the sister trio, Haim for their pop-rock album, "Women in Music Pt. III" also received nominations for Album of the Year. Other women who did well include alt-rocker, Brittany Howard with five for her debut solo album, "Jamie" along with Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eilish and one of the hottest artists of the year, hip-hop performer, Megan Thee Stallion who all received four. And in the Best New Artist category, six of the eight performers nominated are women and in a major first, there are only females recognized for Best Rock Performance and the Best Country Album category has only female-led acts. 

Men weren't ignored entirely with Post Malone for his album, "Hollywood's Bleeding", alt-rockers, Coldplay's "Everyday Life", psychedelic soul act, Black Pumas and their self-titled debut album and (a bit of a head-scratcher), Jacob Collier, the twenty-six year old, British multi-instrumentalist and his jazz-pop collection, "Djesse Vol. 3" round out the Album of The Year category. Roddy Ricch, with his breakout hip-hop track, "The Box", received six nominations while Justin Bieber and DaBaby follow with four each. 

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards will be held on January 31, 2021  March 14, 2021 under COVID-19 restrictions. The comedian, Trevor Noah will serve as host for the first time. 
 

Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards: 

Album of the Year:

"Chilombo" - Jhene Aiko
"Black Pumas (Deluxe)" - Black Pumas
"Everyday Life" - Coldplay
"Djesse Vol. 3" - Jacob Collier
"Women in Music Pt. III" - Haim
"Future Nostalgia" - Dua Lipa
"Hollywood’s Bleeding" - Post Malone
"Folklore" - Taylor Swift

Record of the Year:

"Black Parade" - Beyoncé
"Colors" - Black Pumas
"Rockstar" - DaBaby and Roddy Ricch
"Say So" -Doja Cat
"Everything I Wanted" - Billie Eilish
"Don’t Start Now" - Dua Lipa
"Circles" - Post Malone
"Savage" - Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé

Song of the Year:

"Black Parade" - Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice (Beyoncé)
"The Box" - Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore (Roddy Ricch)
"Cardigan" - Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift)
"Circles" - Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh (Post Malone)
"Don’t Start Now" - Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren (Dua Lipa)
"Everything I Wanted" - Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell (Billie Eilish)
"I Can’t Breathe" - Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas (H.E.R.)
"If the World Was Ending" - Julia Michaels & JP Saxe (JP Saxe & Julia Michaels)

Best New Artist:

Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Yummy" - Justin Bieber
"Say So" - Doja Cat
"Everything I Wanted" - Billie Eilish
"Don’t Start Now" - Dua Lipa
"Watermelon Sugar" - Harry Styles
"Cardigan" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Un Día (One Day)" - J. Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy
"Intentions,” Justin Bieber and Quavo
"Dynamite" - BTS
"Rain On Me" Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
"Exile" -Taylor Swift and Bon Iver

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Changes" - Justin Bieber
"Chromatica" - Lady Gaga
"Future Nostalgia" - Dua Lipa
"Fine Line" - Harry Styles
"Folklore" - Taylor Swift

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Blue Umbrella" - Burt Bacharach and Daniel Tashain
"True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter" - Harry Connick Jr.
"American Standard" - James Taylor
"Unfollow the Rules" - Rufus Wainwright
"Judy" - Renee Zellweger

Best Rock Performance:

"Shameika" - Fiona Apple
"Not" - Big Thief
"Kyoto" - Phoebe Bridgers
"The Steps" - Haim
"Stay High" - Brittany Howard
"Daylight" - Grace Potter

Best Rock Song:

"Kyoto" - Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler and Mashall Vore (Phoebe Bridgers)
"Lost In Yesterday" - Kevin Parker (Tame Impala)
"Not" - Adrianne Lenker (Big Thief)
"Shameika" - Fiona Apple (Fiona Apple)
"Stay High" - Brittany Howard (Brittany Howard)

Best Rock Album:

"A Hero’s Death" - Fontaines D.C.
"Kiwanuka" - Michael Kiwanuka
"Daylight" - Grace Potter
"Sound & Fury" - Sturgill Simpson
"The New Abnormal" - The Strokes

Best Alternative Album:

"Hyperspace" - Beck
"Fetch the Bolt Cutters" - Fiona Apple
"Punisher" - Phoebe Bridgers
"Jaime" - Brittany Howard
"The Slow Rush" - Tame Impala

Best Dance Recording:

"On My Mind,” Diplo & Sidepiece
"My High" - Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai
"The Difference" - Flume featuring Toro y Moi
"Both Of Us" - Jayda D
"10%" - Kaytranada featuring Kali Uchis

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

"Kick I" - Arca
"Planet’s Mad" - Baauer
"Energy" - Disclosure
"Bubb" - Kaytranada
"Good Faith" - Madeon

Best R&B Performance:

"Lightning and Thunder,” Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend
"Black Parade" - Beyoncé
"All I Need" - Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign
"Goat Head" - Brittany Howard
"See Me" - Emily King

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

"Sit On Down" - The Baylor Project Featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor
"Wonder What She Thinks of Me" - Chloe X Halle
"Let Me Go" - Mykal Kilgore
"Anything For You" - Ledisi
"Distance" - Yebba

Best R&B Song:

"Better Than I Imagine" - Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R and Meshell Ndegeocello)
"Black Parade" - Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice (Beyoncé)
"Collide" - Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi (Tiana & EARTHGANG)
"Do It" - Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende (Chloe X Halle)
"Slow Down" - Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson (Skip Marley & H.E.R.)

Best Progressive R&B Album:

"Chilombo" - Jhene Aiko
"Ungodly Hour" - Chloe X Halle
"Free Nationals" - Free Nationals
"F*** Yo Feelings" - Robert Glasper
"It Is What It Is" - Thundercat

Best R&B Album:

"Happy 2 Be Here" - Any Clemons
"Take Time" - Giveon
"To Feel Loved" - Luke James
"Bigger Love" - John Legend
"All Rise" - Gregory Porter

Best Rap Performance:

"Deep Reverence" - Big Sean featuring Nipsey Hustle
"Bop" - Da Baby
"What’s Poppin" - Jack Harlow
"The Bigger Picture" - Lil Baby
"Savage" - Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
"Dior" - Pop Smoke

Best Melodic Rap Performance:

"Rockstar" - Da Baby feat. Roddy Ricch
"Laugh Now, Cry Later" _ Drake feat. Lil Durk
"Lockdown" - Anderson.Paak
"The Box" - Roddy Ricch
"HIGHEST IN THE ROOM" - Travis Scott

Best Rap Album:

"Black Habits" - D Smoke
"Alfredo" - Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
"A Written Testimony" - Jay Electronica
"King’s Disease" - Nas
"The Allegory" - Royce Da 5’9”

Best Rap Song:

"The Bigger Picture" - Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams (Lil Baby)
"The Box" - Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore (Roddy Ricch)
"Laugh Now, Cry Later" - Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour & Ryan Martinez (Drake featuring Lil Durk)
"Rockstar" - Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore (Da Baby featuring Roddy Ricch)
"Savage" - Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White (Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé)

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Stick That In Your Country Song" - Eric Church
"Who You Thought I Was" - Brandy Clark
"When My Amy Prays" - Vince Gill
"Black Like Me" - Mickey Guyton
"Bluebird" - Miranda Lambert

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

"All Night" - Brothers Osbourne
"10,000 Hours" - Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
"Ocean" - Lady A
"Sugar Coat" - Little Big Town
"Some People Do" - Old Dominion

Best Country Song:

"Bluebird" - Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert (Miranda Lambert)
"The Bones" - Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz (Maren Morris)
"Crowded Table" - Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna (The Highwomen)
"More Hearts Than Mine" - Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland (Ingrid Andress)
"Some People Do" - Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)

Best Country Album:

"Lady Like" - Ingrid Andress
"Your Life is a Record" - Brandy Clark
"Wildcard" - Miranda Lambert
"Nightfall" - Little Big Town
"Never Will" - Ashley McBryde

Best Americana Album:

"Old Flowers" - Courtney Marie Andrews
"Terms Of Surrender" - Hiss Golden Messenger
"World On The Ground" - Sarah Jarosz
"El Dorado" - Marcus King
"Good Souls Better Angels" - Lucinda Williams

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"Ona" - Thana Alexa
"Secrets Are The Best Stories" - Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez
"Modern Ancestors" - Carmen Lundy
"Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper" - Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band
"What’s The Hurry" - Kenny Washington

Best Latin Jazz Album:

"Tradiciones" - Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra
"Four Questions" - Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
"City of Dreams" - Chico Pinheiro
"Viento y Tiempo: Live at Blue Note Tokyo" - Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola
"Trane’s Delight" - Poncho Sanchez

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" - Various Artists
"Bill & Ted Face the Music" - Various Artists
"Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" - Various Artists
"Frozen 2" - Various Artists
"JoJo Rabbit" - Various Artists

Best Music Video:

"Brown Skin Girl" - Beyoncé
"Life Is Good" - Future Featuring Drake
"Lockdown" - Anderson.Paak
"Adore You" - Harry Styles
"Goliath" - Woodkid

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):

Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Dave Cobb
Flying Lotus
Andrew Watt

WHAT CONDITION MY RENDITION WAS IN

Sharon Jones with her band, the Dap-Kings successfully recreated the sounds of classic r&b for modern audiences beginning in the mid-1990's. Although we sadly lost her in 2016 to pancreatic cancer, Jones has remained an unforgettable force in the soul revival movement. To honor the band's artistry and showcase her extraordinary gift for song interpretation, a new compilation album has been released with the clever title, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In)". This record features many of the covers Jones and the Dap-Kings had made over the years that were given a funky polish.

We have the band's robust versions of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done For Me Lately", Prince's "Take Me With You" and what is probably one of their best known songs, "This Land Is My Land", written and originally recorded by Woody Guthrie.

I have to admit there were some songs I hadn't heard the original versions before like the Marvelettes' "Here I Am Baby", Dusty Springfield's "Little By Little", "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis and the title track from Mickey Newbury, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)". Yet all of these covers are given smooth and soulful new life by one of the most dynamic vocalists in music. You will not be able to keep still while listening to the powerful voice of the one and only Miss Sharon Jones along with the swinging grooves of the Dap-Kings. Here are a few selections of my favorite covers from the album:

BLACK WOMEN IN COUNTRY MUSIC

When Maren Morris picked up her third CMA Award of the evening for Female Vocalist of the Year, the singer startled the audience by giving a shout-out to the African-American women in country music in her acceptance speech. Morris may have warmly praised these performers and their contributions to the genre however country radio has never put much effort in to touching their music. It's not like female country music artists have been getting the amount of airplay that they deserve but Black vocalists are not even seriously being considered for exposure on the format.

I think the resistance is very similiar to white performers who try to enter hip-hop and r&b. This viewpoint tends to come from people being irrationally suspect of any apparent outsider. And while that might be somewhat understandable, I know that most would agree that if the performer is heartfelt and talented in any musical genre, regardless of race or gender, they should be welcomed with open arms.

While I had heard of a few of the artists that Morris mentioned (Yola, Rissi Palmer, Rhiannon Giddens), most of them were new to me like Mickey Guyton, Brittney Spencer and Linda Martell. That made me think that a spotlight should be placed on some of these gifted performers and so here it is:

RISSI PALMER

Rissi Palmer came on the scene in 2007 with the aptly titled single, "Country Girl" which was the first song by an African-American female performer to chart on the Hot Country Songs chart in twenty years (which was Dona Mason with Danny Davis on a 1987 cover of "Green Eyes (Cryin’ Those Blue Tears)"). Palmer grew up being a fan of country and r&b before later deciding she wanted to pursue becoming a country performer. The road was definitely bumpy for the young singer but her first opportunity came from producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who wanted to sign the-then nineteen year old to a recording contract. However, Palmer turned it down since they wanted to mold her into a r&b singer and she knew that wasn't the direction she wanted to go.

Palmer finally got a record deal on her own terms, releasing a self-titled debut which featured the charting songs, "Country Girl" and "Hold On to Me". She also charted with a country cover of Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown's hit, "No Air" in 2008. Despite this promising success, Palmer still struggled to make her follow-up and released a children's album, "Best Day Ever" in 2013 that featured inspiring country-soul songs that kids and adults could enjoy. Palmer's last album to date was "Revival" in 2019, a critically acclaimed collection that features some of her most personal work, involving songs on love, racial tensions and self-acceptance.



MICKEY GUYTON

Born Candace Mycale Guyton in Arlington, Texas, she was inspired to become a country singer after watching a teenage LeAnn Rimes sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a baseball game. Mickey Guyton signed with Capitol Nashville in 2011 but has only released three EPs to date with "Unbreakable" in 2014, a self-titled record the following year and "Bridges" that came out in September. Guyton received attention for the song, "Black Like Me" which went viral during the Black Lives Matter protests earlier this year and she became the first African-American country artist to perform solo on this year's Academy of Country Music Awards with another single from the EP, "What Are You Gonna Tell Her? ".



LINDA MARTELL

Linda Martell was an early African-American pioneer in country music who had a brief yet extremely complicated moment of success in the genre. She was born Thelma Bynem in Leesville, SC, raised on gospel music and began her career singing R&B. Martell drifted towards country which lead to her meeting Shelby Singleton, a very successful music producer, and signed to his offensively named label, Plantation Records in 1969. She would release her debut album, "Color Me Country" the following year which featured the charting songs, "Color Him Father", "Bad Case of the Blues" and "Before The Next Teardrop Falls". This success would lead to appearances on the popular television show, "Hee Haw" and make Martell the first black woman to appear on the Grand Ole Opry.

But Martell had to endure hateful, racist taunts from audiences when she performed. She had sought advice from Charley Pride, the only other African-American performer in country at the time, and all he could recommend was to develop a thick skin and just focus on singing. This proved too much for her to bear and Martell would leave her music career behind. She became a school bus driver and a teacher for children with learning disabilities. Over the years, Martell would try from time to time to attempt a comeback but Singleton had effectively blackballed her in country music.

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY

NUMBER ONE FLASHBACK

Tiffany, the teenage shopping mall pop star, with her cover of Tommy James and the Shondells' 1967 hit, "I Think We're Alone Now" was the number one song on the US pop chart during this week, twenty years later from when that band originally charted with the song. 

Tiffany Darwish was born and raised in Norwalk, CA, and began singing at the age of four. By ten, she was performing in country music venues. And it was during this time Tiffany was discovered by singer, Hoyt Axton who took her to Nashville where she began to sing professionally. This lead to an appearance on the early talent competition program, "Star Search" in 1985 where Tiffany placed second. She would met George Tobin, a record producer, who signed the teenager to a recording contract and became her manager. 

Tiffany's self-titled debut was released in 1987 and the first single, "Danny" failed to chart. Tobin came up with a publicity stunt as a way to appeal to young fans. Tiffany would embark on a concert tour at shopping malls across the country. And the plan worked with Tiffany's second single reaching the top of the pop chart at the age of sixteen. With the ballad, "Could've Been" (which also reached number one on the chart) and another hit cover with a reworking of the Beatles' "I Saw Him Standing There", Tiffany's album sold over four million copies and made the teenager a star.

But in the middle of all of this success, Tiffany was drawn in to a legal battle between Tobin and her parents over her career and earnings. This would be resolved and Tiffany released her follow-up album, "Hold an Old Friend's Hand" in 1988. Despite another top-ten hit, "All This Time", the album was a disappointment and Tiffany's career began to cool down. 

Her subsequent albums failed to chart but she has kept busy over the years, appearing in film and reality television. Tiffany still records and tours, releasing a country album in 2011 and last year, the now forty-nine year old performer updated her first hit with a rock & roll arrangement. Here is Tiffany's original video and the 2019 version of "I Think We're Alone Now":

2020 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

The musical artists inducted in to this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., and T. Rex. In order to be considered, at least twenty-five years must have passed since the musician’s first recordings were released in order to ensure that their contribution to music has stood the test of time. Jon Landau, a producer/manager and manager, Irving Azoff will be receiving the Hall’s Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors industry professionals who have made a significant influence in the world of music.

The induction dinner and ceremony was going to be held live for the very first time back in May but COVID-19 put an end to that idea. So the socially-distanced event will be broadcast on HBO on November 7th.

DEPECHE MODE 

There is really only one band who changed our ideas on the possibilities of electronic music while making the sound commercially viable and that is Depeche Mode. This British band began in 1977 with schoolmates, Vince Clarke and Andy Fletcher who played together in a rock band. Martin Gore later joined them in a band called Composition of Sound and they moved towards electronic music, which was beginning to emerge in 1980, and learned to play synthesizers. Clarke invited Dave Gahan to join as their lead vocalist and they changed the name of the band to Depeche Mode. Not long after the release of their debut album, "Speak & Spell" in 1981, Clarke became disillusioned with the direction of Depeche Mode and left (where he would later form the bands, Yazoo and Erasure). Alan Wilder would replace Clarke in the band and Gore would step in as the lead songwriter. He would begin to incorporate themes involving sex, religion and politics in to their music. And this would help expand their fanbase and Depeche Mode went on to sell over 100 million records across the globe. Wilder would leave the band in 1995 and Depeche Mode has remained a trio with their last album to date was "Spirit" in 2016.

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

The Doobie Brothers are a rock band from San Jose, CA. that blended folk, country and r&b to create their unique sound. They began with Tom Johnston (on guitar and lead vocals), Patrick Simmons (on guitar), Dave Shogren (on bass) and John Hartman (on drums) in 1970 and the band's name was only supposed to be temporary until they came up with something better (which never happened). After playing all over Northern California, they were signed to Warner Bros. Records and released their self-titled debut the following year. But their breakthrough came with their next album, "Toulouse Street" which featured the hits, "Listen To The Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright".  More hits followed with "Long Train Runnin'", "China Grove", "Black Water", and a cover of "Take Me In Your Arms" until health issues forced Johnston out of the band in 1975. Michael McDonald would replace him and took the band in to a different direction with more of a soft rock and blue-eyed soul sound. This helped the Doobie Brothers find a new audience and become even more popular with the songs, "Takin' It To The Streets", "It Keeps You Runnin'" and "What a Fool Believes" which went to number one on the US pop chart in 1978. After a brief break-up in 1982, the Doobies reunited (including Johnston) five years later and have been playing together ever since. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the band and they had planned on going on tour to celebrate but will have to postpone until hopefully next year.



WHITNEY HOUSTON

It was not really surprising that Whitney Houston would become a singer with her cousin being Dionne Warwick and her mother was Cissy Houston, a revered vocalist and part of the group, Sweet Inspirations. But no one could have imagined to what heights she would reach as a performer. With the guidance of music executive, Clive Davis, Houston would find major international success immediately with the release of her self-titled debut in 1985 and would continue to grow until she became a true pop superstar. Houston would make her acting debut in "The Bodyguard" and not only would that movie become a monster hit but the soundtrack was even bigger, selling over 45 million copies worldwide and winning the 1992 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. But the pressures of fame took it's toll and the gifted vocalist fell deep in to drug addiction for a number of years. Houston seemed to recover by 2009 and released an album, "I Look To You" which brought her back to the charts. Yet sadly, Houston had difficulty maintaining sobriety and died in 2012 from an accidental drowning in a bathtub. Whitney Houston is considered to be one of the greatest voices in popular music and what she could do with a song was absolutely breathtaking.

THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G

The Brooklyn rapper, Christopher Wallace, who was known to the world as the Notorious B.I.G., was a central figure in the East Coast rap scene and is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace (who went by "Biggie Smalls" early in his career but changed it due to someone else using that name) signed to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records in 1993. He began to attract attention after he make brief appearances on other artist's records before his debut album, "Ready To Die" dropped in 1994. With the singles, "Juicy" and "Big Poppa", Biggie became an instant sensation. Wallace was a skillful storyteller with his raps being playful and funny yet also displaying emotional honesty. He used some of his experiences of childhood hardships and involvement in crime to express himself musically. At the height of his fame in 1997, Biggie was in a car in Los Angeles following an appearance at the Soul Train Music Awards when it was fired upon by an unidentified assailant. Wallace would tragically die later of his injuries at the age of only twenty-four. The Notorious B.I.G. managed to have made a deep impact on hip-hop and rap during his brief time and remains an influential artist in the genre.

NINE INCH NAILS

The industrial alt-rock band, Nine Inch Nails has always been essentially multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and songwriter, Trent Reznor. While he would utilize a variety of different musicians over the years to help back him up on tours, Reznor was the only creative force during all recordings. But musician, Atticus Ross, a frequent collaborator with Reznor on several film scores (including "The Social Network" which won the team Oscars in 2010), became an official member of Nine Inch Nails in 2016. Reznor began playing with several synth-pop bands in his youth but eventually decided to work alone as he had difficulty finding other musicians to help create what he wanted. With the debut Nine Inch Nails album, "Pretty Hate Machine" in 1989, Reznor played all the instruments (except the drums) and the record was met with rapturous praise and created a rabid fanbase. However, Reznor became unhappy with his label, TVT Records who were pressuring him for a follow-up and trying to take creative control. After refusing to record for them, TVT sold his contract to Interscope Records, who wisely left him alone do his work. Nine Inch Nails would go on to release the critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, "The Downward Spiral" and "The Fragile" which went on to further create a bigger audience for industrial metal. Reznor has has sold over 20 million records and has been nominated for thirteen Grammy Awards, winning two for the songs, "Wish" in 1992 and "Happiness in Slavery" in 1996.

T. REX

T.Rex was a British band formed by singer, songwriter and guitarist, Marc Bolan. The band began under the full name of Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four notable albums of psychedelic folk beginning in 1967. But by 1969, Bolan shortened the band's name and embraced what would be called glam rock. Despite a number of musicians who came and went, T. Rex found great success and popularity with such songs as "Ride a White Swan", "Hot Love", "20th Century Boy" and "Bang a Gong (Get It On)". In 1977, shortly before the release of the band's twelfth studio album, "Dandy in the Underworld", Bolan died in a car crash which sadly brought an end to T. Rex. But the band has remained highly influential and their music would help spark indie pop and the punk movement.

NEW SOUNDS

KELLY ROWLAND

Kelly Rowland is really on fire right now after releasing another smoking hot single. The former Destiny's Child member and expectant mother has dropped the song, "Crazy", a dance-floor banger about someone who is insanely in love with their significant other.  And while there are moments that brings to mind the musical delivery of Rowland's ex-bandmate, this disco-flavored track is solid and will continue to help take Miss Kelly to the next level. After this and the sensual "Coffee" from earlier this year, I can't wait to hear more.



H.E.R.

Gabriella Wilson or as she is best known professionally as H.E.R. has returned with new music. The Vallejo, CA. born and raised singer has helped make classic r&b popular again with her own style of contemporary soul. The music of H.E.R. has been critically acclaimed, winning the singer Grammy Awards in 2019 for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album, and found chart success with the singles, "Focus", "Best Part" (with Daniel Caesar) and "Slow Down" (with Skip Marley). Her latest single is "Damage" (that is driven by a distinctive sample from Herb Alpert's 1987 song, "Making Love In The Rain"),  a soulful ballad on the harm that can happen when your lover takes you for granted. No word on when there will be a new record but with several compilations and EPs since 2016, H.E.R. has not officially released a debut album.



LITTLE MIX

Little Mix is one of the best-selling girl groups of all time and while this British quartet has managed to conquer much of the world, they still haven't been able to reach the US. But they might change with their latest single, "Sweet Melody" which is getting some attention here in the States. The song is the third release from their upcoming sixth album, "Confetti" which is due out in November. I don't think "Sweet Melody" is necessarily a major standout from this pop group but you never know what could potentially help Little Mix crossover to this side of the world.

ROISIN MACHINE

With the recent release of her fifth solo album, "Róisín Machine", I am surprised I had not previously put a spotlight on Róisín Murphy, the Irish-born, British-based vocalist. She is a dance floor vet, having been around since the mid-1990's, first as a part of the trip-hop act, Moloko with her former partner, Mark Brydon. They were best known for a dance remix of "Sing It Back" that became an international smash back in 1999. After her romance with Brydon ended in 2003, so did the band but Murphy went on to continue creating music on her own.

Since her debut album, "Ruby Blue" in 2005, Murphy has further experimented with sounds, incorporating avant-pop, bossa nova, jazz and soul styles and samples of odd noises to her dance music. With "Róisín Machine", the forty-seven year old singer has brought dramatic theatricality to her new music, clashing together nu-disco, alt-r&b, electro-pop to create beautifully strange, club-ready tracks. Murphy has always been a true innovator who has never settled, always looking to push the boundaries of what is possible in dance. Here are a few of my favorite songs from the album:

IN MEMORIAM

This continues to be a very sad year as we have lost two more gifted musicians; rock guitarist, Eddie van Halen of the heavy-metal band, Van Halen and pop singer, Johnny Nash. 

Van Halen, who passed away on October 6th at the age of sixty-five after battling throat cancer for the last few years, was considered one of the greatest guitarists in rock, popularizing a technique called tapping which he used both hands on the guitar neck. It is his dynamic guitar solo you hear on Michael Jackson's smash 1982 rock-driven hit, "Beat It" and helped it become one of best-selling singles of all time. Van Halen is most associated with the Frankenstrat, a custom guitar he built from parts and even received patents on ideas related to his guitar inventions.

He was born on January 26, 1955 in Amsterdam, Netherlands to an Indonesian mother and Dutch father who was a jazz musician. The family moved to the US in 1962 and settled in Pasadena, CA. Van Halen, along with his older brother, Alex, were taught to play the piano when they were very young with the hope they would become classical pianists. However, Eddie and Alex gravitated toward rock & roll. Alex went with the drums while Eddie settled on the electric guitar. The boys, who had formed several bands since they were elementary school, decided to become professional musicians during college. 

The van Halen boys met bass guitarist, Michael Anthony and the wildly flamboyant front man, David Lee Roth and they first formed a hard band called, Mammoth. But after another band claimed that name, they agreed to become "Van Halen". They played all along the Sunset strip for a few years before Van Halen was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1977. The following year, their self-titled debut was released and brought them attention, scoring hits with "Runnin' With The Devil" and their version of the Kinks, "You Really Got Me".  The band would enjoy even greater success and popularity with their subsequent albums until Roth abruptly left Van Halen during the height of their fame in 1985 due to creative differences with Eddie van Halen. But he was replaced with Sammy Hagar and Van Halen would continue to enjoy success, ultimately selling over eighty million albums worldwide.

He met actress Valerie Bertinelli, a star of the popular sitcom, "One Day at a Time", at a Van Halen concert in 1980, married a year later and had a son, Wolfgang, who later followed in his father's footsteps as a musician, even joining Van Halen to replace bass guitarist, Anthony in 2006. The couple separated in 2001 before divorcing in 2007. Van Halen would marry actress, Janie Liszewski in 2009.

Best known for the 1972 pop hit, "I Can See Clearly Now", Johnny Nash passed away on October 6th at the age of eighty. The Houston, TX born and raised performer died in his hometown after a period of failing health. He was born on August 19, 1940 and sang in the choir of his Baptist church as a child. Nash began performing professionally in 1953 on a local TV variety show and then later on Arthur Godfrey's radio and television programs. 

Nash was signed to ABC Records and was groomed to rival pop idol, Johnny Mathis. His first charting success was a cover of "A Very Special Love" (a song that Doris Day originally made popular) in 1958. He would achieve some popularity, appearing in films and charting in the top-five of the r&b chart with the ballad, "Let's Move and Groove Together" in 1965. Later that year, Nash moved to Jamaica, embracing the island country and the music. After meeting Bob Marley and members of his band, the Wailing Wailers, Nash decided to try to bring the rocksteady sound to America. He succeeded with the singles, "Hold Me Tight" and a cover of Marley's "Stir It Up" charting in the US and the UK. 

Nash's biggest hit song, "I Can See Clearly Now", which he wrote, featured a reggae-influenced beat. This single reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, sold over a million copies and has been covered countless times by a variety of artists. Following this success, Nash would continue to perform over the years with his biggest follow-up hit was the single, "Tears On My Pillow" (not a cover of the Little Anthony and the Imperials hit 1958 song) reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in 1975.

MAC DAVIS (1942 - 2020)

It was a little surprising that the country-pop musician, Mac Davis passed away on the same day as Helen Reddy, who both enjoyed popularity throughout the 1970's, and at the exact same age of seventy-eight. The other connections these two singers had was the very first record Reddy released was a version of Davis' "I Believe In Music" and both had an eponymous variety show on television during the height of their fame. Davis died due to complications from heart surgery on September 29th.

He was born Morris Mac Davis on January 21, 1942 in Lubbock, TX and grew up with his sister and father who was divorced from their mother. Davis described him as "very strict and very religious". After he finished high school, Davis moved to Atlanta where his mother lived, largely to get out of Lubbock. It was here that he began to pursue music and formed a rock band called the Zots. They recorded a couple of singles that didn't get much attention.

Davis then got a job as a regional manager at Vee Jay Records, home to soul, jazz and blues artists. He later went to Liberty Records where he would begin songwriting and became a session player, most notably for Nancy Sinatra. Some of the songs Davis wrote were recorded by several artists and include "Memories", "Don't Cry Daddy", "Watching Scotty Grow", "Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife" and two that became big hits for Elvis Presley, "A Little Less Conversation" and "In the Ghetto".

He soon decided to pursue a country music career as a performer and record his own material. After signing with Columbia Records in 1970, Davis released two albums before the title track of his third, "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" became a breakthrough and crossover hit in 1972, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Davis would enjoy further success in music, with several charting songs and winning the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year award in 1974, In addition to his variety show, Davis appeared on several television specials and series. He made his film debut in the football comedy-drama, "North Dallas Forty" with Nick Nolte in 1979 and also appeared in "Cheaper To Keep Her" and "The Sting II", an ill-advised sequel to the popular film.

Davis was married three times; He first married Fran Cook when he was twenty-one in 1963. They had a son, Joel a year later and the couple separated in 1968. Davis met Sarah Barg when she was sixteen and they waited two years before getting married in 1971. She left Davis for fellow musician, Glen Campbell in 1976 but left him shortly before giving birth to his child. Davis married twenty-four year old nurse, Lise Gerard in 1982 and they had two children, Noah and Cody.

HELEN REDDY (1941 - 2020)

Helen Reddy, who is best known for her pop anthem of female empowerment, "I Am Woman", has passed away on September 29th at the age of seventy-eight. The Australian singer (who retired from performing in 2002 but briefly reappeared in 2012) had been struggling with dementia over the last few years.

Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Reddy, at the age of four, was a part of a show-business family. She would sing on radio and television which lead to her winning a talent contest on a television program in 1966. The prize was a ticket to New York City and a chance to audition for a recording contract. Unfortunately, Reddy did not win over the label executives at the time but decided to stay in the States to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer.

With the lack of a work permit and trying to care for her three-year old daughter, Traci from her brief marriage to musician, Kenneth Weate, Reddy struggled to get singing gigs. But she met and fell for Jeff Wald and they married three days later which solved her ability to perform legally. After the family moved to Los Angeles, Wald would become manager of several musical acts but neglected the career of his own wife, who still couldn't get signed to a label. Reddy gave him an ultimatum to help her or the marriage was over.

Wald went to work and eventually got Capitol Records to give her a one record opportunity in 1971. Reddy recorded two songs; "I Believe in Music" (written by Mac Davis) which was the A-side of the record and a cover of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from the popular Broadway musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar" on the back. The single wasn't getting much attention until a DJ in Canada flipped over the record and played it on air. This would become Reddy's first hit song, reaching number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She quickly put together her debut album (also called "I Don't Know How to Love Him") and the follow-up single would make her a pop music sensation. 

"I Am Woman" (which Reddy co-wrote with fellow Australian musician, Ray Burton) originally appeared on Reddy's debut album but after it was used in the closing credits for the 1972 film, "Stand Up and Be Counted", it generated some attention. A new version was recorded and released as a single later that year. It took some time but "I Am Woman" eventually reached the top of the US pop chart and would help Reddy win a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (becoming the first Australian to win the prize). The timing of this song couldn't be more perfect as the Equal Rights Amendment was gaining traction in this country and "I Am Woman" would be embraced as a rallying cry for the movement.

More hits followed for Reddy including "Peaceful", "Angie Baby", "Delta Dawn", "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady", "Keep on Singing" and "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)". She would go on to sell over eighty million records worldwide over her career. 

Reddy also made many appearances on talk shows, television series and variety programs; became the semi-regular host of the late night music variety show, "The Midnight Special" from 1973 until 1975 and even had her own summer replacement series, "The Helen Reddy Show" in 1973. She also appeared in several films (including the 1977 Disney feature, "Pete's Dragon" and the disaster flick, "Airport '75") and theatrical productions ("Anything Goes", "Call Me Madam", "Blood Brothers" and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood") in the 1980's and 1990's.

Reddy wrote her memoir, "The Woman I Am" in 2006 and her life story was given the bio-pic treatment with a 2019 feature film, "I Am Woman" from filmmaker, Unjoo Moon. Reddy is survived by her daughter, Traci and son, Jordan from her marriage to Wald. She was married to Wald from 1968 until 1983 and then married Milton Ruth, a drummer in her band, that year before the couple divorced in 1995.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

The latest single from Lady Gaga's "Chromatica" is "911". The song deals with mental health issues and the medication, olanzapine to help them cope which the singer has to taken. The music video for the track (directed by filmmaker, Tarsem Singh) perfectly merges her love of offbeat imagery and elaborate, quirky costumes with acting performance which she has put on display successfully in the movie remake of "A Star Is Born".



It's hard to believe but the Welsh soul singer, Tom Jones turned eighty a few months ago in June. Since his breakout hit, "It's Not Unusual" in 1965, Jones has enjoyed worldwide success and acclaim with many popular songs like "What's New Pussycat", "Delilah" and "She's a Lady". And he's still quite active, serving as a coach on the British version of "The Voice" and making concert appearances. To celebrate this legendary singer, here is a very unusual live appearance I found of Jones performing his hit tune, "It's Not Unusual" amongst dancers in a cheesy, wild animal setting:

Marianne Faithfull, the British vocalist, has been in the news recently due to the disclosure that she has recovered from COVID-19. This is the latest of many health issues the seventy-three year old performer has suffered throughout her life. But one thing is certain; Faithfull is tough and a survivor. She began singing professionally in 1964 as a folk music performer in coffeehouses in London. Her first opportunity came when she met Andrew Loog Oldham, the manager of the Rolling Stones at a party for the band. He produced Faithfull's first hit record, "As Tears Go By" that he co-wrote with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Even though she was married and had a baby, she would leave her husband for Jagger. Faithfull would enjoy a successful music career, make a few films and experimented with drugs.

By the time her relationship with Jagger ended in 1970, she was a heroin addict and lost custody of her son. Faithfull lived on the streets for a couple of years before friends helped get her in to rehab. She would return to music but her voice, once sweet and melodic, was now weathered and raspy. She released "Broken English" in 1979, a collection of punk and new-wave songs, that became a welcome comeback and now considered a classic recording. Listen to the title track and watch Faithfull in action:

 And to close this out, I will give you the quarantine version of the Go-Go's performing their classic hit, "We Got The Beat" live on the "Today" show on September 15th. These ladies still got it, rocking out together while isolated at home, and it's pure magic. Also be sure to check out their documentary, "The Go-Go's" on Showtime from filmmaker, Alison Ellwood which gives a balanced account of their wild and crazy times as the most successful all-female rock band of all time: