70s Archives - Vinyl Stories

The Pips – At Last…The Pips (1977)

November 30, 2024

Would you rather be Gladys Knight, or would you rather be a Pip? Despite being remembered first and foremost as the backup group for “the Empress of Soul,” in 1977, due to a contractual dispute, The Pips stepped out in front to record a pair of solo albums for Casablanca Records. with mixed results. We look at the lives of each individual Pip in our quest to discover “Who are The Pips?” WHOO WOO!

Gladys Knight and the Pips – The Greatest Hits of Gladys Knight and the Pips (1981)

November 22, 2024

One of the greatest soul groups in the history of American Music, Gladys Knight and the Pips have had 22 hit singles on the Billboard top 20 between 1961 and 1989.. However, while Gladys Knight rose to the front as “The Empress of Soul,” The Pips were far more than just a back up vocal group. We explore the questions “What is a Pip” with a look at the origins and early struggles of the group, and how a crooked producer tried to steal the profits from their first number one single, “Every Beat of My Heart” which led The Pips to officially change their name to Gladys Knight and the Pips.

Jimmy Hart – Outrageous Conduct (1986)

October 3, 2024

In the 1980’s the WWF joined forces with MTV to form what has become kown as “The Rock n’ Wrestling Connection” by wrestling historians. But for Memphis musician Jimmy Hart, he had been living the real life rock n’ wrestling connection for at least a decade earlier. A look at how Jimmy “the Mouth of the South” Hart merged music and wrestling with succuessful yet unusual results. Bonus: Jerry “the King” Lawler sings!

Lou Reed – Street Hassle (1978)

July 1, 2024

One of Lou Reed’s most potent songs, “Street Hassle,” from the 1977 album of the same name, is also one of his most personal. An 11 minute opus about sex, death, drugs and passion, “Street Hassle” could be the ultimate Lou Reed composition. A look at the lives of Eric Emerson and Rachel Humphreys – the two people who inspired “Street Hassle.” Extra: How Bruce Springsteen got on a Lou Reed album.

Vinyl Stories Interview – Killing Us Softly with His Songs: A Conversation with Charles Fox

April 2, 2024

In conjunction with the new documentary “Killing Us Softly with His Songs,” Sam Tweedle talks with composer Charles Fox about his unique life in music. Although he has worked in the fields of jazz, classical, opera, film scores and pop music, Charles Fox has made his unique mark on pop culture by co-writing some of the most iconic television theme songs of all time. From the streets of the Bronx to the conservatories of Paris, the Hollywood Hills to the music halls of Cuba, Charles Fox discusses some of the music which has become an important part of our lives.

The First Class – The First Class (1974)

March 11, 2024

A bittersweet memory of a fantasy girl from the past opens up a look at British one hit wonder The First Class and their 1974 hit “Beach Baby.” But just who was The First Class anyway? The answer is a bit more abstract than you might imagine. Bonus: How The Counting Crows’ 1996 song “A Long December” became an unlikely companion song to “Beach Baby.”

The Partridge Family – Sound Magazine (1971)

February 25, 2024

In 2015 Sam Tweedle found long lost fan letter to teen idol David Cassidy from a young girl named Monica. Offering an insight into the real anxieties and thoughts of a young teen fan, Sam shares the letter over fifty years after it was originally written. Bonus: Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine’s battle over David Cassidy coverage, David’s best friend Sam Hyman, that time Laurie got braces, and how YOU can win one of David’s puppies!

The Partridge Family – Up to Date (1971)

February 15, 2024

A confession of a Partridge Family fan. Sam Tweedle tells the story of how he discovered the music of The Partridge Family and the profound effect which it had on him as a lonely girl crazy tween via the Partridge’s biggest selling album, “Up to Date” Extra: What Partridge Family song did David Cassidy openly hate, only to have it enter the pop culture zeitgeist forever?

The Partridge Family – The Partridge Family Album (1970)

February 1, 2024

Everybody remembers David Cassidy as the lead singer of The Partridge Family, but who were the other members of the group? A deep dive into The Ron Hicklin Singers – the most famous uncredited singing group of all time. From Gary Lewis and the Playboys to The Monkees and far beyond, the Ron Hicklin Singers created a sound of an entire generation through television, film, radio and commercials, defining the signature sound of the 1960’s and 1970’s pop industry.

Melanie – Candles in the Rain (1970)

January 24, 2024

This week we said goodbye to the Little Sister of the Sun, Melanie Safka. Sam Tweedle revisits his 2012 interview as Melanie talks about the events that inspired her first Billboard hit “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).” From her unlikely debut on the Woodstock stage, the collaboration with the Edwin Hawkins Singers that nearly didn’t happen, and the night that the song saved a platoon of men in Viet Nam, Melanie tells the story of “Lay Down” in her own words.

Bobby Sherman – Christmas Album (1970)

December 25, 2023

On a sad Christmas morning in 2013, 1970’s teen idol heart throb Bobby Sherman saved Christmas. A look at “Christmas Album” and why we could use a little less Mariah Carey, and a little more Bobby Sherman. Bonus: Bobby Sherman’s “Christmas Album’s” unlikely connection to The Rolling Stones and The Velvet Underground.

The DeFranco Family – Hearbeat, It’s a Love Beat (1973)

November 21, 2023

Celebrate 50 years of Canadian pop sensations The DeFranco Family’s hit “Heartbeat, It’s a Love Beat” as Sam Tweedle revisits his 2008 interview with Tony DeFranco. Half a century later it’s still a good vibration.

Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac (1975)

October 23, 2023

Is Stevie Nicks a witch? Since her first commercial breakout on 1975’s “Fleetwood Mac,” rumors that the pop icon has a connection with old world magik have continued to be a part of her mythos. But, while she has denied being involved in witchcraft on many occasions, she leans into it in her lyrics, aesthetics and lifestyle. A look at her 1976 hit “Rhiannon” and an exploration into the spell that Stevie Nicks has her fans under.

Paul Williams – Phantom of the Paradise Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1974)

October 19, 2023

In this world there are “Rocky Horror” people, and there are “Phantom of the Paradise” people. “Rocky Horror” fans seem, for the most part, to be ignorantly unaware of “Phantom of the Paradise,” while “Phantom of the Paradise” fans just simply know which film is better. A loving look at Paul Williams’ phantastic soundtrack to the 1974 cult film “Phantom of the Paradise.”

Disneyland Records – The Thrilling Chilling Sounds of the Haunted House (1974)

October 12, 2023

Every kid remembers the album, but what do you know about Disneyland Record’s “Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House”? How Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion inspired the best selling sound effects album of all time, and created a cult favorite.

Brook Benton – Brook Benton Today (1970)

September 25, 2023

Sometimes songs trigger a memory, but often they trigger “non memories.” A personal story of how Brook Benton helps conjure up an obscure memory of a place, a moment, a girl and the bagels, and how “Rainy Night in Georgia” helped revive his career.

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