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Artists of the 70's
Out Now
An MMHC Blast From The Past
Here are some of the bands that played the soundtrack of our lives in the fabulous 70's
HEAR THEM AGAIN...
Click On Their Photos
You can check out their bios and music again right here.
Catalog
ARTISTS OF THE 70'S
FAIRCHILD
From Shadowland
This track is celebrating its 30 Year Anniversary in 2012. I think its pretty damn good. And as far as I can tell this is the only song on Youtube as of right now. So enjoy a piece of Minnesota rock music heritage. I think its a rare gem. You can hear the vinyl scratching, awesome! -Clay
Fairchild band member Tom Riopelle, also played with Lipps, Inc. and recorded the hit song Funkytown:
This track is celebrating its 30 Year Anniversary in 2012. I think its pretty damn good. And as far as I can tell this is the only song on Youtube as of right now. So enjoy a piece of Minnesota rock music heritage. I think its a rare gem. You can hear the vinyl scratching, awesome! -Clay
Fairchild band member Tom Riopelle, also played with Lipps, Inc. and recorded the hit song Funkytown:
MICHAEL JOHNSON
Michael Johnson gained recognition in the 1970s and 1980s for his soft, melodic songs and smooth voice. Some of his most well-known songs include:
"Bluer Than Blue" - Released in 1978, this song became one of his biggest hits and reached the top of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
"This Night Won't Last Forever" - Another popular single released in 1979, which also performed well on the charts.
"Give Me Wings" - This song, released in 1986, became another significant hit for Michael Johnson.
Throughout his career, Michael Johnson released numerous albums and singles, showcasing his talent as a singer and songwriter. His music was characterized by its easy-listening style and heartfelt lyrics.
His contributions to the world of folk and pop music have left a lasting legacy.
"Bluer Than Blue" - Released in 1978, this song became one of his biggest hits and reached the top of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
"This Night Won't Last Forever" - Another popular single released in 1979, which also performed well on the charts.
"Give Me Wings" - This song, released in 1986, became another significant hit for Michael Johnson.
Throughout his career, Michael Johnson released numerous albums and singles, showcasing his talent as a singer and songwriter. His music was characterized by its easy-listening style and heartfelt lyrics.
His contributions to the world of folk and pop music have left a lasting legacy.
BOB DYLAN
In the early 1970s, critics charged that Dylan's output was varied and unpredictable. Rolling Stone writer Greil Marcus asked, "What is this shit?" on first listening to Self Portrait, released in June 1970.
It was a double LP including few original songs and was poorly received.[
In October 1970, Dylan released New Morning, considered a return to form.[
This album included "Day of the Locusts", a song in which Dylan gave an account of receiving an honorary degree from Princeton University on June 9, 1970.[ In November 1968, Dylan had co-written "I'd Have You Anytime" with George Harrison;[
Harrison recorded "I'd Have You Anytime" and Dylan's "If Not for You" for his 1970 solo triple album All Things Must Pass. Dylan's surprise appearance at Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh attracted media coverage, live appearances had become rare.
It was a double LP including few original songs and was poorly received.[
In October 1970, Dylan released New Morning, considered a return to form.[
This album included "Day of the Locusts", a song in which Dylan gave an account of receiving an honorary degree from Princeton University on June 9, 1970.[ In November 1968, Dylan had co-written "I'd Have You Anytime" with George Harrison;[
Harrison recorded "I'd Have You Anytime" and Dylan's "If Not for You" for his 1970 solo triple album All Things Must Pass. Dylan's surprise appearance at Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh attracted media coverage, live appearances had become rare.
JOHN DENVER
BY THE EARLY 70'S-The rocky mountains were calling John to leave his Edina home and move west.
Here is a movie on the story of his life.
Here is a movie on the story of his life.
THIS ONENESS
Originally Olivia Newton John's backup band,
They left and produced some of the finest fusion Jazz you have ever heard.
They left and produced some of the finest fusion Jazz you have ever heard.
FIRST AVENUE
A possibly true story of the legendary Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue. Prince may have made the club famous, but many others have toiled backstage to keep this landmark standing. From the days of Woodstock, through disco, punk, and hip-hop this "pirate ship that goes nowhere" has weathered the storm - just barely.
BLOOD ON THE TRACKS BAND
In September 1974, Bob Dylan recorded the tracks for his album “Blood on the Tracks” in New York. During a visit home to Minneapolis, he was convinced that some of them needed to be redone, so his brother David assembled a group of local musicians.
Those musicians were:
Bill Berg – Drums
Gregg Inhofer – Piano and organ
Kevin Odegard – Guitar
Peter Ostroushko – Mandolin
Billy Peterson – Bass
Chris Weber – Guitar
Those musicians were:
Bill Berg – Drums
Gregg Inhofer – Piano and organ
Kevin Odegard – Guitar
Peter Ostroushko – Mandolin
Billy Peterson – Bass
Chris Weber – Guitar
WILLIE WEEKS
Willie Weeks has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. His career started in Minneapolis with The Amazers and The Mystics.
CAIN
CAIN was one of the heaviest bands out of the Midwest in the mid-'70s, and they created quite a stir nationally with their two albums, "A Pound Of Flesh" and "Stinger". Out of print until reissued by Monster Records (now Rockadrome) in 2003, "A Pound Of Flesh" is one of the most beloved and collectable cult metal/hard rock albums from the '70s. Their legend has only grown throughout the years, and notable metal critics such as Martin Popoff have long heaped praise upon their albums
HAZE
In 1974 Minneapolis R&B outfit, Haze, released their debut self-titled album. The lead single, “I Do Love My Lady” became a regional smash hit reaching number 38 on the Billboard R&B Chart in early ‘75. It’s been hailed by local music critics as one of the best of a long list of lost and forgotten pre-Prince Minneapolis R&B hits. Later that year, frustrated with the poor distribution of their LP by ASI Records, they traveled to L.A. where they scraped together some money and funded the recording of 6 songs in the RCA studio. On their way out of the building, they were stopped by a man claiming to be an A&R rep who was interested in their sound. He took them out to lunch to talk business. Eventually he excused himself from the table to use the restroom. After he was gone for ten minutes, the band realized he had snuck out the back door through the kitchen and taken their master tapes with him. To date there has been no indication of the recordings ever surfacing. Later that year the band was offered a recording contract with Factors, Etc. and moved to Delaware to record a new album. There was a dispute with the owner of the label, the band was sent home and all the members went their separate ways. The album was never completed.
CROW
Minneapolis blues-rock quintet Crow was formed in 1967 by frontman Dave Wagner, guitarist Dick Weigand, his bassist brother Larry, and keyboardist Kink Middlemist. Originally dubbed South 40, they added former Castaways drummer Denny Craswell to the lineup prior to recording their 1969 debut LP, Crow Music, for the Amaret label; the single "Evil Woman (Don't You Play Your Games with Me)" cracked the U.S. Top 20, even though its distinctive horn arrangement was overdubbed against the band's wishes. Crow by Crow followed in 1970, although the single "Cottage Cheese" failed to attract much attention. In the wake of 1971's Mosaic, Crow disbanded, although Wagner resurfaced in 1973 with a solo LP, David Wagner D/B/A Crow..
GWEN MATTHEWS
Although born in Chicago and living in Los Angeles for eleven years, Gwen claims Minneapolis as home. Upon returning from L.A. in 1987, she recorded her European hit “Keep On Pushing”. In the 70's Gwen was one of the back up singers with Crow and after Dave Wagner left the group she took over as co lead singer along with Mickey Stanhope for a short period before the IRS shut the band down because their manager took off with their earnings an failed to pay taxes on it, Here is a previously
unreleased track from an album they were working on.
unreleased track from an album they were working on.
BILL LORDAN
STARTED WITH THE AMAZERS.-This top notch drummer went on to play with The Mystics , Gypsy, SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE and ROBYN TROWER
GARRISON KEILOR
Garrison Keillor’s celebrated radio broadcast A Prairie Home Companion ran for forty years. He wrote the comedy sketches and more, and he invented a “little town that time forgot and the decades could not improve.” These days, his shows are packed with humor and song, plus the audience-favorite News from Lake Wobegon. He has written dozens of books — recently, Boom Town (a Lake Wobegon novel), That Time of Year (a memoir), a book of limericks, and Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80 (reflections on why you should keep on getting older). Garrison and his wife, Jenny Lind Nilsson, live in New York City.
Trained as a jazz singer at the New England Conservatory of Music, Heather Masse is equally versed in a variety of traditions — folk, pop, bluegrass, and more. As member of Billboard-charting group The Wailin’ Jennys, she has performed at hundreds of venues across the world. She was a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion, both solo and with The Jennys. One reviewer rightly lauded her “lush velvety vocals, capable of melting butter in a Siberian winte
Trained as a jazz singer at the New England Conservatory of Music, Heather Masse is equally versed in a variety of traditions — folk, pop, bluegrass, and more. As member of Billboard-charting group The Wailin’ Jennys, she has performed at hundreds of venues across the world. She was a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion, both solo and with The Jennys. One reviewer rightly lauded her “lush velvety vocals, capable of melting butter in a Siberian winte
LAMONT CRANSTON
"STARTED IN 1969 -BUT GAINED A LOT OF STEAM THROUGHOUT THE 70'S-Excuse Moi, Mon Cheri," written by Larry Hayes, was recorded by the Blues Brothers and released as the B-side of their single "Soul Man".
In 1981, the band broke into the Billboard charts with their biggest hit "Upper Mississippi Shakedown", The song appears often on Classic Rock and Album Oriented Rock radio stations worldwide.
The band has played with some notable musicians, such as Muddy Waters, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, Kansas, Yes and the Blues Brothers. In 1981, they opened for the Rolling Stones on a leg of their North American tour.[
Pat Hayes played guest harmonica on a track on Percy Strother's second album, The Highway Is My Home (1995). It was a reworking of Little Walter's tune, "One Of These Mornings.
In 1981, the band broke into the Billboard charts with their biggest hit "Upper Mississippi Shakedown", The song appears often on Classic Rock and Album Oriented Rock radio stations worldwide.
The band has played with some notable musicians, such as Muddy Waters, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, Kansas, Yes and the Blues Brothers. In 1981, they opened for the Rolling Stones on a leg of their North American tour.[
Pat Hayes played guest harmonica on a track on Percy Strother's second album, The Highway Is My Home (1995). It was a reworking of Little Walter's tune, "One Of These Mornings.
GYPSY
Gypsy signed with Metromedia records and released their first album in 1970. It was a double album containing thirteen songs, with several of them running between six to eleven minutes in length. It was rare for groups to release a double album, especially as their first album, in the early seventies. (Only one group prior to them - Chicago - had released a double album as their first album.) Also, with most of their songs longer than three to four minutes, Gypsy was not going to get a lot of airplay on Top 40 radio. But, according to James Walsh, there were two songs from this album released as singles - "Gypsy Queen (Part 1)" and "Dead and Gone". "Gypsy Queen" did make it into the Billboard Top 100 for a brief period of time. "Dead and Gone" was edited heavily from its eleven minute length on the album and received limited airplay on Top 40 stations. The other songs on the album did receive some airplay on progressive "underground" FM radio stations like KSHE95. The songs were filled with great keyboard and guitar work. The vocals were also tight and in perfect harmony. To this day, this album is a favorite among the group's fans.
SOUND 80 STUDIOS
Sound 80 is a recording studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States founded by engineer Tom Jung and composer/musician Herb Pilhofer in 1969. Largely involved with local artists, the studio is best known for recording portions of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks in 1974 and Cat Stevens' Izitso in 1977, as well as demo tapes for Prince's first album For You in 1977.[1][2]
In 1978, Sound 80 made the first digital audio recording to win a Grammy Award—The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's recording of Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and "Short Symphony," and Charles Ives' "Symphony No. 3
In 1978, Sound 80 made the first digital audio recording to win a Grammy Award—The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's recording of Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and "Short Symphony," and Charles Ives' "Symphony No. 3
BRAXTON BRAGG
A Country Rock and Alternative Rock Musical Group-Douglas Noble-Original member of Transport, Cloud, And Founder of The Original Braxton Bragg Songwriting Team
Currently working on a Musical Journey Through Minnesota History called "Gangsters Heroes And Legends" Douglas Noble
Original member of Transport, Cloud, And Founder of The Original Braxton Bragg Songwriting Team
Currently working on a Musical Journey Through Minnesota History called "Gangsters Heroes And Legends"
Currently working on a Musical Journey Through Minnesota History called "Gangsters Heroes And Legends" Douglas Noble
Original member of Transport, Cloud, And Founder of The Original Braxton Bragg Songwriting Team
Currently working on a Musical Journey Through Minnesota History called "Gangsters Heroes And Legends"
ALYSYN FLYER
This band was kind of reminiscent of Gypsy Lots of fancy funky breaks that came out of nowhere.Jerry Schmidt was the astounding keyboardist on this track,Pete Doctor was the amazing Guitarist, and Studio /touring drummer David Huba Bassist was Fred Anderson. Dennis Libby doubled on keys and they had outstanding 5 part harmony.
CHUCK SENRICK
The Minnesotan singer/songwriter Chuck Senrick released his only long player Dreamin’ in 1976 and privately pressed only 200 copies! His recordings, mainly created in friend’s apartments, feature Fender Rhodes and a Doncamatic rhythm machine. The beautifully obscure jazzy and soulful songs are a musical journey through the life of the 21 year old Chuck Senrick. Dreamin’ has similarities to Shuggie Otis’ „Inspiration Information“ and is a must for fans of Michael Franks or Bob Dorrough. The LP features the soulful pearl “Don’t Be So Nice”. An album with an irresistible pure and minimalistic jazzy sound that needs more listeners now and in the future.
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