Willie Simpson

Tag: willie simpson

  • Petula Clark, Downtown, A Sign of the Times

    Normally, when you think about the end of the baseball season, you don’t think about Petula Clark, but I do. I’m a rabid New York Mets fan, and when I was a kid, I had a VHS of “Amazin Era,” a film about the history of the New York Mets from 1962-1985. I watched that…

  • Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Up Ahead My Head, and Documentary

    Since my last post on the insanely great Sister Rosetta Tharpe, I’ve come to learn a great deal about her thanks to a wonderful hour long documentary on her produced by the BBC. The documentary tracks her sensational life and career in complete loving detail. The main thing you take away from the film is…

  • The Unparelled Sister Rosetta Tharpe

    For those who have never heard of, or seen Sister Rosetta Tharpe, welcome to your baptism by fire. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is the first superstar of gospel, known as “the original soul sister,” and ever since her life was tragically cut short at the too young age of 58, her feats and persona have never…

  • The Bobby Fuller Four, I Fought the Law

    The year was 1966.  Bobby Fuller was a 23-year-old Texas rocker, riding high off the chart topping success of “I Fought the Law.”  He had moved out to California, been experimenting with LSD like the rest of his generation, and then suddenly, he died.  How?  Why?  Nobody is really certain to this day.  He was…

  • The Bobby Fuller Four, Let Her Dance, Another Sad and Lonely Night

    Anyone lucky enough to see Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” has heard Bobby Fuller’s incredible rock and roll classic, “Let Her Dance.”  The song is just full of joy.  The ultra catchy background vocals bleat incessantly, Bobby Fuller’s lead vocal is drenched in the kind of echo you get from singing at a drive in…

  • Robert Johnson's Real Voice, Love in Vain

    I’m convinced.  Slow down his voice, and you hear the real man.  Someone on the internet put it much more eloquently than I, that it’s like meeting Robert Johnson again for the first time, and what better thing could there be?  I suppose I should explain myself, so I’ll do it as succinctly as possible. …

  • "Man on the Moon" Walter Cronkite's Broadcast

    UPDATE: Neil Armstrong passed away today at the age of 82. I posted this last August 13th, 2011, and as a tribute to his extraordinary life, I’m reposting it today in tribute to one of mankind’s greatest ambassadors for wisdom and peace. I’m a huge fan of John F. Kennedy, the 34th President of the…

  • The Beach Boys, Good Vibrations

    “Good Vibrations” was never my favorite Beach Boys song.  Its taken me years of casual indifference before I really warmed up to it, and it was only when I found the song’s proverbial sunny side.  For years I was turned off by the songs aggressive psychedelic atmosphere.  I was always slightly afraid of the dark…

  • The Beach Boys, God Only Knows

    After accidentally realizing that he was a musical genius, Brian Wilson stepped up his efforts by the mid 60s.  Looking for a more serious direction, he began collaborating with lyricist Tony Asher, who helped interpret Brian’s musical ideas into focused lyrical concepts.  The increased level of lyrical and musical sophistication also stretched the limits of…

  • The Beach Boys, Surfer Girl

    It’s hard to imagine that summer is almost over.  I’m actually on my third summer in a row.  Just when summer ended in 2011, I jetted for Sydney, and spent 5 months there just as Australia’s summer dawned, fully missing America’s cold months.  I returned home in March 2012, just in time for Spring, hence…