Today's Vinyl Spin: George Michael - Faith

Gotta have faith, faith, faith.... yes, this was the title track to George Michael's first solo album in 1987 after he broke up with Andrew Ridgeley and the duo known as Wham. The album came out on Columbia Records and yielded several top 10 hits including the number one records "Faith," "One More Try," "Monkey" and "Father Figure". 

Faith is a good album if you like cutting edge pop music with a beat that is typically 1980s. Michael at the time was regarded as a teen idol (especially when he was a part of Wham) as his videos were extensively played on MTV and other music channels of the time.

George Michael tried to break out of that mold with subsequent album releases that proved to be mostly successful.

This particular record was not played very often and is in very good condition. The album jacket is still shrink wrapped showing the original $5.00 price that I paid for it at Froggies Books and Records back in the day. I also owned the album on cassette but never got around to getting it on compact disc.

George Michael passed away on December 25, 2016 allegedly from heart failure. He was 53.

"Father Figure" was one of the #1 singles from Faith.

Today's Vinyl Spin - The Beatles "Let It Be"

I revive this blog with a new feature called "Today's Vinyl Spin" in which I highlight any one of my many LPs and 45s collected through the years. I'll try to post at least an album a day, but can't always guarantee that. 

For our first entry it is none other than The Beatles, which I and many others the world over consider the best rock band of all time. John, Paul, George & Ringo made a huge impact on the music scene when they became popular in the early 1960s and carried on as a group until announcing their dissolution in 1970. They released many memorable albums and singles through their all too short career as "The Fab Four".

For today's showcase, I am featuring the last released album of "new music" by The Beatles. It is the Phil Spector meddled recompilation of the "Get Back" sessions that became Let It Be.

On my iTunes this is the 2nd most played Beatles record I have other than the all digital "#1's" from 2004.  What do I like about Let It Be?

Well, all of the songs. The title track is a harder version than the single track, and "Get Back" is captured in its live recorded glory before it was fixed up for single release. Three #1 songs came off this album which included the title "Let It Be", "Get Back" and the group ending single "Long And Winding Road".

The album is perfectly packaged with individual photos on the front and back, track list and a gatefold inside. A red Apple label was issued for this release instead of the standard green one. Nice.

My favorite tracks are "Get Back", "Let It Be", "For You Blue," "Two of Us", "Across the Universe" and "I Me Mine". I always wondered why "Dig It" was so short. Come to find out there is a longer version but it was never officially issued.

My LP is in good, playable condition even though the cover is kind of worn. I also have it on CD and ripped to digital.

Vinyl-Disc - Vinyl & CD combined

Well here is something weird from the tech front. A vinyl CD. Imagine that. Thankfully this format never caught on because the vinyl side of the recording doesn't play very well on most turntables. The CD side is typical of any other standard CD.

According to the video's author the format was a gimmick. It was introduced in 2007 but never lasted very long. Check out the video above.

Classic Hits Night with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band

The Beatles are an endangered species. Only 2 members of the Fab Four survive today. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only two members of the band who actively perform their own hits as well as those they made as a member of The Beatles.

After being a Beatles fan for more than 50 years, I finally got to see one of them perform live. Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band, consisting of a roster of highly talented musicians entertained an appreciative crowd at the Blaisdell Center Arena in Honolulu on November 8, 2016.

Ringo and his band ground through 25 classic rock and pop hits that spanned the decades of the 1960s to the 80s. Band members Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather (of Toto), Greg Rolie (of Santana & Journey), Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Warren Ham and Greg Bisonnette shared the spotlight with Ringo as they performed individual hits.

Cover songs like "Black Magic Woman," "Hold the Line", "Bang the Drum All Day" and "Kyrie" were one of many audience favorites that for the most part were just about dead on accurate to their original hit records.

Of course no one can deny Ringo, who belted several of his Beatles and solo hits including "Matchbox", "It Don't Come Easy," "What Goes On," and "Boys" to name a few. Audience members sang along with "Yellow Submarine" and appreciated Ringo's two #1 hits, "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen."

The rousing "Back of Boogaloo", "Don't Pass Me By" from The Beatles White Album and Buck Owens' country hit, "Act Naturally" were highly appreciated. Ringo took turns singing his vocal set stage front as well as behind the drum kit on several hits. He is the world's most famous drummer and he did well on the skins covering the hit songs by his touring bandmates.

Second drummer Greg Bisonnette filled in on sets where Ringo was stage front as well as delivering solid sets with guitarists Rundgren, Lukathar and Page. Rolie was extremely competent with the keyboards.

Overall it was a great night for classic rock with every song being an audience favorite.







More Concert Photos from Mel's Flickr Page

RINGO STARR & HIS ALL STAR BAND
November 8, 2016
Concert Set List - Neil S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, HI.

1. Matchbox
(Carl Perkins cover / The Beatles) - Ringo on vocals, drums

2. It Don't Come Easy
(Ringo Starr song) - Ringo's Top 10 hit from 1971.

3. What Goes On
(The Beatles cover) - From the Beatles album "Rubber Soul".

4. I Saw the Light
(Todd Rundgren cover) - 1972 Top 40 hit

5. Evil Ways
(Willie Bobo / Santana cover) - Greg Rollie

6. Rosanna
(Toto cover) - 1982 hit

7. Kyrie
(Mr. Mister cover)

8. Bang the Drum All Day
(Utopia cover) - Todd Rundgren

9. Boys
(The Shirelles / The Beatles cover) -Ringo

10. Don't Pass Me By
(The Beatles cover) - Ringo

11. Yellow Submarine
(The Beatles cover) - Ringo

12. Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
(Santana cover; originally by Fleetwood Mac / Peter Green)

13. You're Sixteen
(Johnny Burnette cover) - Ringo #1 hit 1974

14. Back Off Boogaloo
(Ringo Starr song) - Ringo

15. You Are Mine
(Richard Page cover)

16. Africa
(Toto cover) - 1982 Top 10 hit

17. Oye como va
(Tito Puente / Santana hit cover) - Greg Rollie

18. I Wanna Be Your Man
(The Beatles cover)

19. Love Is the Answer
(Utopia cover / England Dan & John Ford Coley hit) - Todd Rundgren

20. Broken Wings
(Mr. Mister cover)

21. Hold the Line
(Toto cover) - 1978 hit

22. Photograph
(Ringo Starr song / #1 hit in 1973)

23. Act Naturally
(Buck Owens cover / Beatles B Side to "Yesterday")

24. With a Little Help From My Friends
(The Beatles cover)

25. Give Peace a Chance
(Plastic Ono Band cover)

Thanks to Daniel for the ticket.

Review in StarAdvertiser.com

Mel's Weekly Top 20 - July 21, 2016.

Mel's Weekly Top 20
Updated July 21, 2016.

Rank - Song Title - Artist - P.R.

1. Spirits - The Strumbellas - 1
2. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - Adele - 4
3. Handclap - Fitz & the Tantrums - 2
4. Treat You Better - Shawn Mendes - 5
5. Me Too - Meghan Trainor - 6
6. All We Ever Knew - The Head And The Heart - 7
7. Can't Stop The Feeling - Justin Timberlake - 3
8. Must Be Summertime - Kate Voegele - 10
9. Brazil - Declan McKenna - 9
10. You Bring the Summer - The Monkees - 8
11. Gentleman - Will Jay - 11
12. Radar - AudioDamn! - 12
13. Work From Home - Fifth Harmony - 14
14. So Alive - Goo Goo Dolls - 16
15. Good Girls - Elle King - 17
16. Shell (Find a Better Way) - Gregory Darling - 19
17. Lemonade (featuring Mike Posner) - Adam Friedman - 20
18. Ophelia - The Lumineers - 13
19. Rise - Katy Perry - new
20. Anyone Who Knows Me - Eric Hutchinson - new

Mel's Weekly Top 20 Webpage
http://macpro.freeshell.org/music/WTop20.html

Mel's Internet Universe Music Blog
http://macprohawaii-music.blogspot.com/

Radio M.I.U. - Whatever Goes!
https://8tracks.com/macpro