As comeback albums go, you can’t do much better than EB ’84, a return to recording greatness for Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Don and Phil Everly.
One of early rock’s most reliable acts, the Everly Brothers had watched their career go into reverse following the British Invasion. In a case of poetic justice, several prominent Brits would help power this totally satisfying album.
The Everly Brothers had been in show business their entire lives, starting as part of the Everly Family country music act. They moved into rock & roll while still in high school, recording some of the best remembered songs of that era: “Bye Bye Love,” “Bird Dog,” “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Crying in the Rain,” “Cathy’s Clown,” and so many more.
But as the sixties wore on, the hits became less frequent. “Bowling Green” in 1967 would be their last chart hit for quite some time.
You would think that as rock moved towards country sounds as the sixties became the seventies the Everlys could have ridden that wave to a career rebirth. That was not the case. Not even serving as the summer replacement for Johnny Cash’s TV show helped sustain their career.
The strain of working together since childhood, fueled now by unhealthy doses of amphetamines and other controlled substances, finally led to one of the most famous break-ups in rock history.
In the middle of a performance at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1973, Phil Everly smashed his guitar and stormed off stage, leaving brother Don to finish the show by himself. The Everly Brothers were no more.
Or so it seemed for the next decade. But by 1983, tempers had cooled and a reunion was underway. The official return of the Everly Brothers occurred on the stage of London’s Royal Albert Hall in September of 1983. Fortunately, that event has been captured on an outstanding video.
The success of the reunion show and subsequent tour led to their new album in a decade, EB ’84.
Recorded for Mercury Records, the album features outstanding contributions by three British pop stars. Paul McCartney contributed the song “On the Wings of a Nightingale,” which returned the Everly Brothers to the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the Top 10 on the publication’s Adult Contemporary chart. Jeff Lynne (ELO, Traveling Wilburys) wrote “The Story of Us” for the Everlys, while Dave Edmunds produced the entire album.
EB ’84 wasn’t just a great comeback album. It remains one of the best albums in the duo’s extensive catalog. There’s not a bad track on it. While out of print for a bit, it's now available again on CD on downloadbale as MP3 files.
The Everly Brothers went on to record two more albums, Some Hearts and Born Yesterday, before the old tensions resurfaced and the boys split up again. Both of them are quite good, but a notch below EB ’84.
If you’re a fan of their earlier stuff (and who isn’t?), do yourself a favor and check out these later Everly Brothers albums.
It is with sadness that we share the news that Eric Carman has passed away at the age of 74. Born in Cleveland, Eric was a musical prodigy who dreamed of a career as a concert pianist. That dream changed radically when the Beatles hit the scene in the early 60s and Eric decided he’d rather be a rock star instead.
Eric rose to fame as leader of the group the Raspberries. They scored a number of hits in the 1970s, beginning with “Go All the Way.” Carmen went on to even greater success as a solo artist with such hits as “All by Myself,” “Hungry Eyes,” and “Make Me Lose Control.”
Here is a recent photo of two rock & roll legends, who hadn't met until now. Do you recognize them? Here they are just a few short years ago - Tommy James and Connie Francis!
We are currently involved in a project, trying to commit to digital files the entire run of the Beatles official British fan magazine, Beatle Book Monthly. This magazine was never distributed in America, so most of these pictures and articles have never been seen in the States. The magazine ran from August, 1963 (6 months before Beatlemania broke out in the States) until the band's break-up in 1970.
Take a look at the center spread from the magazine's very first issue. Notice anything different about Ringo's bass drum?
BTW - If you'd be interested in obtaining a copy of these magazines once we have finished converting them to digital copies, contact us!
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dick Pillar and His Polka Posse have had to cancel this year's Polkabration. Refunds available where you bought your tickets.
Annette Kleinbard was the female vocalist in The Teddy Bears, who, along with Phil Spector and Marshall Leib, had a 1958 hit called "To Know Him Is To Love Him". She later changed her name to Carol Connors and went on to co-write The Ripchords' 1964 hit "Hey Little Cobra", "Gonna Fly Now" (The Theme From Rocky), as well as the 1980 Billy Preston / Syreeta Wright duet "With You I'm Born Again".
An article from the official magazine of the Beatles Fan Club in the UK - Issue #11 June, 1964:
Have your own living room rave with Sheboygan's newest hitmakers!
It finally happened! After more than 30 years, the members of ABBA staged an impromptu reunion on stage in Stockholm.
The occasion was a private celebration to honor ABBA’s songwriting duo, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, held tin 2016 at Berns Salonger to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first meeting.
In attendance were their former spouses, the female side of ABBA, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstadon, Before anyone knew what was happening the quartet were on stage singing “Me and I.” The effort marked their first public performance as a quartet since January of 1986.
You can find the full story here.
The band has promised a tour with holograms in the next year or so and yes, it will feature a few new songs as well as the ABBA classics.
Here's a little known band from the east cost that called themselves the Hassles. Despite being snappy dressers, they never made it. Well, all excpet for their keybaord player. 2nd from the left, a scrappy young kid named Billy Joel.
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