Tag Archives: rock music

RIP Little “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom!” Richard (1932 – 2020)

Little Richard was an American composer and singer best-known for shouting “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom!” at the beginning of the song “Tutti Frutti” (1955).

Without Little Richard, no Prince.

And without Little Richard no “Be-Bop-A-Lula”, “Diddy Wah Diddy”, “Da Doo Ron Ron” and ” Do Wah Diddy Diddy”.

But without “Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay”, no Little Richard.

The boom comes first. The cycle continues.

Over at Tumblr I posted the Paladin 1969 edition of Nick Cohn’s book Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom.

RIP David Roback (1958 – 2020)

“Fade into You” (1994)

David Roback was an American guitarist, best-known for co-writing “Fade into You” (1994). That was a song by Mazzy Star and it featured the vocals of Hope Sandoval.

Listening to this, I can’t help but think that Lana Del Rey has a very similar sound and voice. Not surprisingly, both Mazzy Star and Lana Del Rey are considered dream pop.

RIP Andy ‘gang of four’ Gill (1956 – 2020)

Andy Gill was a British musician famous for his work with Gang of Four.

“Damaged Goods” (1978)

Compositions of note are “I Love A Man In A Uniform” (1982) featured on the compilation Various – 80’s Underground Clubbing and “Damaged Goods” (1978) featured on the compilation How to Kill the DJ part 2.

Needless to say, these compilations are more interesting than the full albums of Gang of Four.

Trivia: the opening sequence of the track “What We All Want” (1981) is reminiscent of “Play That Funky Music (1976).”

RIP Nick Tosches (1949 – 2019)

Nick Tosches  was an American writer, music critic, biographer, a jack of all trades.

I admit that although he had had an entry on my encyclopedia since 2008, I didn’t really know Nick Tosches.

He seems to have been a bit of a drug head, as Burroughs had been before him.

He was into country music and rock, a bit of a rockist it would appear.

He died relatively young.

I give you “Erebos” [above], a spoken word track from Fuck The Living Fuck The Dead (2004).

RIP Dick Dale (1937 – 2019)

Dick Dale was an American guitarist best-known for his 1962 arrangement of the Eastern Mediterranean classic “Misirlou“, the use of which in the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction gained him a new audience.

“Miserlou” was originally a hit for Jan August in 1946 …

… but is believed to be first recorded in 1927.