ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 29, 1988 By Steve Newton If you were in a rockin', blues-based guitar band and wanted to cover a song from the Beatles' White Album, you'd probably pick one of the heavier Lennon/McCartney tunes like "Yer Blues" or "Savoy Truffle" or "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me … Continue reading Georgia Satellites’ Rick Richards on covering the Beatles, meeting the Faces, and thanking Jack Daniels
Tag: Michael Jackson
Album review: Paul McCartney, All the Best (1987)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 12, 1988 By Steve Newton Die-hard McCartney fans whose record collections aren't already jammed with his solo and Wings projects may want to consider this two-album set featuring the biggest hits (but not necessarily best songs) of the "cutest" Beatle. When McCartney is in prime songwriting form he can still … Continue reading Album review: Paul McCartney, All the Best (1987)
Album review: Stanley Jordan, Magic Touch (1985)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 4, 1985 By Steve Newton On the back cover of the debut album by 25-year-old guitar genius Stanley Jordan is a "WARNING: do not be deceived. Despite what your ears might tell you, there is only one guitarist on this album. And there are no guitar overdubs whatsoever." After hearing … Continue reading Album review: Stanley Jordan, Magic Touch (1985)
David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour helps Frampton come alive again
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 21, 1987 By Steve Newton Old rockers never die, they just play guitar for David Bowie. At least, that's what Peter Frampton was doing at B.C. Place last Saturday. But Frampton and Bowie actually go back a long way--all the way back to the art school they used to attend in … Continue reading David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour helps Frampton come alive again
Eddie Murphy plays Vancouver, so I party with his entourage till 5 a.m.
On May 11, 1985, Eddie Murphy played the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. This was exactly 12 days before he released "Party All the Time", which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is clearly one of the worst songs ever recorded. What bugs me most about this video--besides the music--is the shirt-button-challenged "rock" … Continue reading Eddie Murphy plays Vancouver, so I party with his entourage till 5 a.m.
Jennifer Batten calls Jeff Beck “the greatest guitar player who ever lived”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 13, 2002 By Steve Newton Any guitar freaks lucky enough to have seen Jeff Beck at the Commodore last year will rave about his top-hatted blond accompanist, whose mastery of the guitar-synth almost stole the show from the British rock legend. The waiflike lady was Jennifer Batten, who … Continue reading Jennifer Batten calls Jeff Beck “the greatest guitar player who ever lived”
Michael Jackson moonwalks into Vancouver on the Jacksons’ Victory Tour of 1984
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 23, 1984 By Steve Newton The biggest show in the history of pop music came to Vancouver last week (November 16), in the form of the Jacksons' Victory Tour. It was a dazzling display of lights and lasers, mechanized staging and slick choreography, available to anyone who wanted … Continue reading Michael Jackson moonwalks into Vancouver on the Jacksons’ Victory Tour of 1984
Steve Stevens on covering Sweet, working with Ted Templeman, and becoming an Atomic Playboy
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 6, 1989 By Steve Newton You might have seen the movie Fame--or the TV series that followed it--which traced the exploits of young students at Manhattan's renowned High School of the Performing Arts. With all the dancing in the streets that went on, you'd figure anyone enrolled in the institution was having … Continue reading Steve Stevens on covering Sweet, working with Ted Templeman, and becoming an Atomic Playboy
Chicago bluesman Morris Holt, aka “Magic Slim”, dies at 75
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 21, 2013 The blues world lost one of its elder statesmen yesterday when Morris Holt--aka "Magic Slim"--passed away at the age of 75 at a hospital in Philadelphia. He had been under medical care since late last month, when breathing problems caused him to suspend a tour with his … Continue reading Chicago bluesman Morris Holt, aka “Magic Slim”, dies at 75