70s Archives - Vinyl Stories

Rodriguez – Cold Fact (1970) and Rodriguez – Coming From Reality (1971)

August 10, 2023

This week we said goodbye to The Sugar Man. In 2012 Detroit based singer/songwriter Sixto Rodriguez inspired struggling musicians and music fans world wide via the Oscar winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.” The lessons I learnt from Rodriguez, how his story changed the way I thought and wrote about music, and a loving tribute to his songs and legacy.

Jean-Pierre Mirouze – Le Mariage Collectif Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2012)

August 7, 2023

A forgotten soundtrack to an obscure French exploitation film, Jean-Pierre Mirouze’s exciting and exotic soundtrack to “Le Mariage Collectif” went ignored and undistributed when test printings were made in 1971. Nearly lost forever it wasn’t until a discarded acetate containing the music was pulled out of a Parisian garbage dump in 2010 that the world finally had the chance to hear the best film score you’ve never heard before, which gained a cult following amongst audiophiles and music hipsters.

The Velvet Underground – Squeeze (1973)

July 7, 2023

When is a Velvet Underground album not a Velvet Underground album? When it’s “Squeeze” A look at the Velvet’s junior member Doug Yule, and how recording a Velvet Undergound album without any members of the Velvet Undertround got him erased from the VU’s legacy,

Sonny and Cher – The Wondrous World of Sonny and Cher (1966)

June 23, 2023

After getting thrown out of a Hollywood restaurant in 1965, a fed up Sono Bono wrote an emotional manifesto titled “Laugh at Me,” which became his only hit record, A look at “Laugh at Me,” Sonny’s fight for respect, and why he allowed the laughter to continue through the 1970’s and beyond. Extra: The lasting legacy of Sonny and Cher, and Chaz Bono’s attempt to reinvent “Laugh at Me” as a transgender anthem.

Tanya Tucker – Delta Dawn (1972), Bette Midler – The Devine Miss M (1972) and Helen Reddy – Long Hard Climb (1973)

June 19, 2023

The tragic real life story behind the country classic “Delta Dawn,” and how it hit the Billboard charts three times in two years with recordings by three iconic women – Tanya Tucker, Bette Midler and Helen Reddy. Extra: Who passed on “Delta Dawn,” and why?

Billy Jack Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1971) and Coven – Coven (1971)

June 14, 2023

“On the bloody morning after, One Tin Soldier rides away.” How Coven’s Jinx Dawson went from singing about witchcraft to having a hit with “One Tin Soldier” and how the film “Billy Jack” made it one of the most accessalbe anthems of peace ever recorded.

The Original Caste – One Tin Soldier (1969)

June 12, 2023

Before “Billy Jack,” Canadian pop-folk band The Original Caste introduced the world to “One Tin Soldier.” A look at the band, and the origins behind the song that would become one of the most famous anthems of peace.

Black Widow – Sacrifice (1970)

June 9, 2023

Some bands sing about black magik, but Black Widow took it to a whole other level. The story of how prog-rock band Black Widow shocked the Church of England in the summer of 1970 with their ritualistic stage show combining magik, demonology and Satanisim.

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)

June 5, 2023

Just who or what was the girl on the front cover of Black Sabbath’s 1970 debut album? The myths, and the truth, behind one of rock n’ roll’s most iconic images.

The Mike Curb Congregation – Sweet Gingerbread Man (1970) and Sammy Davis Jr – Portrait of Sammy Davis Jr. (1972)

May 29, 2023

A look at the early career of ultra-conservative record mogul Mike Curb, his Congregation, and the defining moment Sammy Davis Jr. ran out of “cool.” Extra: Why Eric Burdon went to war with Mike Curb.

Various Artists – Nadia’s Theme (The Young and the Restless) (1976)

May 19, 2023

Whether you know it as the theme song to “The Young and the Restless,” “Nadia’s Theme” or “Cotton’s Dream,” Perry Botkin Jr and Barry De Vorsan’s composition has become one of the most recognizable instrumentals of the 20th Century. A deep dive into the song’s many incarnations and lives from “Bless the Beasts and the Children,” to the 1978 Olympics to….David Hasselhoff?? Extra: Who were The Sounds of Sunshine, and why did they successfully sue The Dead Kennedys?

Mashmakhan – Mashmakhan (1970)

May 15, 2023

If Jethro Tull and The Doors had a love child, it’d be Mashmakhan. Montreal based prog-rockers Mashmakhan had a massive hit in Canada and Japan with “As Years Go By” but the less commerical psychadelic infused tracks that made up the remainder of their 1970 debut album confused radio programmers and record buyers, making them a “one hit wonder.” An appreciation of one of the best underappreciated Canadian albums ever recorded.

Mark Lindsay – Arizona (1969)

May 5, 2023

Sometimes it pays to meet your idols. The time Sam Tweedle had a chance backstage meeting with Paul Revere and the Raiders’ front man Mark Lindsay!

Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown (1974)

May 2, 2023

As one of Canada’s most cherished singer-songwriters, Gordon Lightfoot helped define the nation’s identity with his unique voice and poetic lyrics. A childhood memory in honor of Canada’s beloved troubadour.

Bobbie Gentry – The Girl From Chickasaw County (2022)

April 21, 2023

40 years after her self exile from the music industry, singer/songwriter Bobbie Gentry has finally found appreciation amongst modern music fans. Too honky tonk for rock fans and too progressive for country fans, Bobbie was perhaps too ahead of her time in the 60’s and 70’s, but is finally gaining a modern cult following for her swampy blues-country originals and genre spanning crossover masterpieces. However, while the world finally listens, Bobbie doesn’t want to be found.

Vinyl Stories

Category: 70s