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Throwback Thursday: Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone”

Throwback Thursday: Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone”

This Day in Music History
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On this day in 1965, iconic American folk singer, Bob Dylan, released his most influential single “Like a Rolling Stone.” The song is a condensed version of a ten page verse Dylan had written upon returning from a tour in England that left him exhausted. The song was hailed as revolutionary due to it’s cynical stance and the repeated direct address of the question “How does it feel?” “Like a Rolling Stone” was the first song Dylan performed with an electric guitar, which shifted him from niche folk singer to mainstream rock and roller. However, this shift alienated many of his die hard, folk fans. In fact, the first time he performed the song live (a few days after it’s release) he was booed by the audience for using an electric guitar. Rolling Stone Magazine has twice placed the song at Number 1 on it’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

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Throwback Thursday: The Animals, “House of The Rising Sun.”

Throwback Thursday: The Animals, “House of The Rising Sun.”

This Day in Music History
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On this day in 1964, English blues rock band, The Animals, reached number one on the singles charts in the UK with their rendition of “House of The Rising Sun.” With it’s howling vocals and haunting organ riffs, the song is viewed by many music historians as the first mainstream, folk rock hit. Although The Animals popularized this particular ballad, musicologists have traced its theme and wordage back to a 16th century. The song was eventually brought to the US, where the location changed from England to New Orleans by Southern performers. The oldest published version of the song dates back to 1925, and the oldest known recording is by Appalachian musicians from 1933. Woody Guthrie recorded a version in 1941, and Bob Dylan followed suite 20 years later. But it wasn’t until The Animals’ 1964 version of the song that it became a mainstream hit, and eventually, a rock classic.

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Throwback Thursday: “USA for Africa”

Throwback Thursday: “USA for Africa”

This Day in Music History
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On this day in 1985, supergroup “USA for Africa” hit Number 1 on the US singles chart with their charity song, “We Are the World.” Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie (who also lent their vocals to the track), and produced by Quincy Jones, the single was arranged to raise money for African famine relief efforts. The recording of “We Are the World” brought together some of the most famous recording artists of the time, including: Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and Ray Charles. Sales of the benefit single – which exceeded over 20 million copies – combined with merchandise sales, raised over $63 million for the famine relief fund, which corresponds to $138 million today. “We Are the World” enjoyed critical success as well, receiving three Grammy Awards, including one for “Song of the Year.” A remake of the original song, “We Are the World 25 for Haiti,” was produced and recorded in 2010 after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, causing massive devastation for the country. Watch the original and the remake below.

 

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Throwback Thursday: Woody Guthrie Writes “This Land is Your Land”

Throwback Thursday: Woody Guthrie Writes “This Land is Your Land”

This Day in Music History
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Brought to you by Blackfire Research….On this day in 1940, legendary American folk singer and songwriter, Woody Guthrie, penned the lyrics to “This Land Is Your Land” in his room at the Hanover House Hotel in New York City. Since then, the song has been seen as America’s “Unofficial National Anthem” and was a major staple of the revival of folk music in the 1960s, covered by artists such as Bob Dylan, who, inspired by its political message, used it as a powerful protest song. The original lyrics to the song included a forgotten verse that was never released: “There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me. The sign was painted, said ‘Private Property.’ But on the backside, it didn’t say nothing. This land was made for you and me.”

 

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