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As we start 2022, let us look back at last year and remember all the musicians (nearly 1,000) that passed away. There are so many, that we can only highlight a few famous names.
Looking at the list, I’ll talk about some of the lesser-known names and tell you why they were important to me.
The name that immediately broke my heart was seeing Margo Guryan. She was never a famous singer, having tried to release her only album Take a Picture (which was later compiled as 25 Demos)… but she was known for writing hit songs for other people. She was best known for “Sunday Mornin’”, a hit for Spanky and Our Gang and Oliver.
I first came across Guryan when I heard Claudine Longet’s Christmas song, “I Don’t Intend to Spend Christmas Without You.” The song was specifically written for Longet, and it’s brilliant. Hearing Guryan’s original demo recording vs the Longet version, you realize the demo was actually the superior version. They made some changes in Longet’s version, that I didn’t quite agreed with.
Still, it’s probably my favorite Christmas song, right next to T.Rex’s “Christmas Bop”.
Speaking of Christmas, the other name that hit me was seeing Phil Spector’s death in prison (for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson) in January 2021.
We talked about how wonderful his A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector (1963) was… the record features Darlene Love, The Ronettes, The Crystals, and many of the girl group of the 60s. Spector’s distinct “Wall of Sound” production style was felt on the record… and it influenced a decade of music. By the 70s, Spector had produced 18 of the US Top 10 singles, including Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”, The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road”, and Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord”.
A lot of musician fans don’t know (or care for) Stereo Total, but I personally have a soft spot for them. They were a French-German duo of Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring (aka Friedrich von Finsterwalde).
Françoise Cactus died in February and the music world barely noticed. She died of breast cancer at the age of 56.
I had already own a few Stereo Total (Monokini, Musique Automatique, Total Pop, and Do the Bambi) when I finally got to see the group at the Triple Rock Social Club in in 2005.
What I remembered from the show was that their name was pronounced “Stereo Tow-Tal”… I’ve always pronounced it was Stereo Total. The other funny thing about the show was when they played “Holiday Inn”, the opener grabbed the mic and put it against a non-fan in front that didn’t know the lyrics. The lyrics should have gone, “Let’s go to a Holiday Inn, and I will show you something. Let’s go to a Holiday Inn, a Holiday Inn, and I’ll show you something!”
I’ll never forget that show…. And sadly, I will never get to see them again.
Musicians who died in 2021:
965.
Looking at the list, I’ll talk about some of the lesser-known names and tell you why they were important to me.
The name that immediately broke my heart was seeing Margo Guryan. She was never a famous singer, having tried to release her only album Take a Picture (which was later compiled as 25 Demos)… but she was known for writing hit songs for other people. She was best known for “Sunday Mornin’”, a hit for Spanky and Our Gang and Oliver.
I first came across Guryan when I heard Claudine Longet’s Christmas song, “I Don’t Intend to Spend Christmas Without You.” The song was specifically written for Longet, and it’s brilliant. Hearing Guryan’s original demo recording vs the Longet version, you realize the demo was actually the superior version. They made some changes in Longet’s version, that I didn’t quite agreed with.
Still, it’s probably my favorite Christmas song, right next to T.Rex’s “Christmas Bop”.
Speaking of Christmas, the other name that hit me was seeing Phil Spector’s death in prison (for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson) in January 2021.
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A lot of musician fans don’t know (or care for) Stereo Total, but I personally have a soft spot for them. They were a French-German duo of Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring (aka Friedrich von Finsterwalde).
Françoise Cactus died in February and the music world barely noticed. She died of breast cancer at the age of 56.
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What I remembered from the show was that their name was pronounced “Stereo Tow-Tal”… I’ve always pronounced it was Stereo Total. The other funny thing about the show was when they played “Holiday Inn”, the opener grabbed the mic and put it against a non-fan in front that didn’t know the lyrics. The lyrics should have gone, “Let’s go to a Holiday Inn, and I will show you something. Let’s go to a Holiday Inn, a Holiday Inn, and I’ll show you something!”
I’ll never forget that show…. And sadly, I will never get to see them again.
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