by Robert Wilkinson
Today’s early show is a tribute to three great musical talents who all had a birthday on November 5. We have the pioneering country sound of Graham Parsons, Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, and a truly legendary angelic voice, Art Garfunkel!
We’ll begin with Graham Parsons (born Ingram Cecil Connor III November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), country-rock pioneer who played with The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Hanging with the Stones, he died way too young of drugs. While he was around he gave us some great licks, so here’s the work of the amazing Graham Parsons!
First, both written by Bob Dylan, two Byrds tunes featuring Graham on organ! “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and “Nothing Was Delivered”
Also from Sweetheart of the Rodeo, featuring Graham on piano, “Hickory Wind” and “Blue Canadian Rockies”
From May 1968 in Rome, the Byrds live at the Piper Club giving up , “Hickory Wind”
Here’s the whole album! Sweetheart of the Rodeo
He was the main driver with Chris Hillman in the original Flying Burrito Brothers! Most of these were written by Graham and Chris. From their first album The Gilded Palace of Sin some awesome live footage!
Here's the entire album! The Gilded Palace of Sin
From the Burrito Deluxe album, Graham’s rocker “Lazy Days”
This year I found a score! From the legendary “Festival Express,” here are the Flying Burrito Brothers at their live peak! Sneaky Pete Kleinow is front and center, so please enjoy this classic video of “Lazy Days”
From the same album, “High Fashion Queen” and a tune obviously influenced by the Stones, “Older Guys”
Too bad you took yourself out of the game so young, Graham, but you flew high and crashed into the sea. Thanks for the country-rock!
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We now celebrate the birthday of Canadian rocker Bryan Adams! (5 November 1959) is a Canadian singer, guitarist, songwriter, photographer, and activist. He’s won more awards than I can list, and is internationally known and respected for his humanitarian philanthropy. So let’s dance!
First, his biggest! “The Summer of ‘69”
Old time rock ballad!
Live in ’85 with Tina Turner, a duet of “It’s Only Love”
From MSG with Sir Elton, a live performance of “Sad Songs Say So Much”
From 1993, Bryan, Sting, and Rod Stewart doing the #1 hit “All For Love”
We’ll finish with four big ones delivered live at Wembley in 1996! We’ll begin with the movie power ballad “Heaven,” move into “Everything I Do,” serve up his smash hit from 1996 "18 Till I Die" and finish with the song that brought us here to begin with, delivered live in the Summer of '96, “Summer of ‘69”
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We finish with the amazing voice of Art Garfunkel (November 5, 1941). One half of one of the greatest vocal duos ever to hit the stage, Simon and Garfunkel made some of the most thoughtful and beautiful music in history. Because Paul’s birthday was October 13, the links at his birthday celebration were good as of just a few days ago. So rather than reinvent the wheel, if you want to hear Simon and Garfunkel, please go to the October 21 post titled “Saturday Night Attitude Dancing at the 2023 Birthday of the Incomparable Paul Simon.”
Besides his work with Paul Simon, he was also a successful actor in the early 70s, and released numerous albums after he and Paul split up for a while. Today we’ll mainly focus on his work in the 70s.
I believe Angel Clare, his first solo album released in 1973, is still one of the most beautiful albums ever done. For your enjoyment, Angel Clare (the link takes you to the incredibly beautiful 1st tune on the album, “Down In The Willow Garden,” featuring Jerry Garcia and some of the Wrecking Crew, and the rest will autoplay from there.)
From 1975, his second album Breakaway
From that album, we have the hit he had with Paul, My Little Town” as well as two others, “Breakaway” and “I Only Have Eyes for You”
From 1978, his third album Watermark
From that album, we have the hits “Crying In My Sleep” and “Wonderful World”
Here’s a great live show! From 1996, here’s Art giving us the beautiful Jimmy Webb number, "All I Know” From that same set at Ellis Island, a S&G hit, “Kathy’s Song,” which we’ll follow with “A Heart in New York” and “Bright Eyes.” We’ll close our tribute with another S&G tune “April Come She Will.”
For our closer, live in 2009 in Oz, Simon and Garfunkel doing their post S&G era #1 Adult Contemporary, #9 Hot 100 mega hit! “My Little Town”
Our first encore is a short set from 1968. Live on The Kraft Music Hall when they were at their peak, here are Simon and Garfunkel with a beautiful set of “A Poem on the Underground Wall,” “For Emily Whenever I May Find Her,” “Overs,” “Anji,” “Patterns,” “The Sound of Silence,” and “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”
Our second encore seems fitting for this historic day in American history. From MSG in 2003, Paul and Art’s beautiful offering of the iconic “American Tune”
Thanks for all the great tunes, guys!
© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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