THIS MONTH IN ROCK N ROLL HISTORY - UFO: STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT IS RELEASED, BY SCOTT CARR

January 26, 2015 Scott Carr

January, 1979 - UFO: Strangers In The Night is released.

No other decade has produced more iconic live albums than the 1970's: KISS ALIVE!, Cheap Trick At Budokan, Frampton Comes Alive, Aerosmith Live Bootleg, Thin Lizzy Live and Dangerous, AC/DC If You Want Blood, You've Got It, The Kinks One For The Road and the list goes on and on. The live album was looked at as a souvenir of a band's current tour and were often a better representation of a band's sound than their studio albums, even though in most cases live albums were not completely live. Live albums really connected with the fans and were big business in the 1970's. Live albums were also a quick way for a band to buy some time in between studio albums. Most bands were releasing a new studio record every six months, so a live album kept the bands name in the public eye while they worked on their next studio record.

When compiling a list of the greatest live albums of the 1970's, UFO's "Strangers In The Night" always makes the cut and is often considered the best of the bunch. Like most live albums of the era "Strangers In The Night" has it's share of studio trickery and blending of different shows but that does not take away from it's overall impact. The sounds coming from the grooves of this record are full of energy and deliver a perfect document of UFO in 1978.

By the time "Strangers In The Night" was released in 1979, UFO had been making albums for almost a decade. Their self titled debut album came out in 1970 and it's follow up - "Flying" - came a year later. At this point UFO went through a transitional period that would eventually lead to the addition of German guitarist Michael Schenker, formerly of The Scorpions. With 19-year old Schenker in the line up the band began moving away from their "Space Rock" style to a straight-forward rock sound beginning with 1974's "Phenomenon." A string of studio albums would follow, including "Force It," "Lights Out" and 1978's "Obsession." With an endless cycle touring and releasing five studio albums from May 1974 to June of 1978, UFO had increased their popularity with American audiences and became a big concert draw. UFO were one of the hardest-working rock bands in the business and the time was right for a live record.

"Strangers In The Night" is a tour de force of classic UFO songs and captures the band at their commercial peak. "Doctor, Doctor," "Only You Can Rock Me," Too Hot To Handle," "Lights Out," "Mother Mary," "Shoot Shoot," and "Rock Bottom" are all here, along with another half-dozen songs recorded at shows in Chicago, Illinois and Louisville, Kentucky during their 1978 American tour. Chicago had become a mainstay for UFO and they would often headline there in front of 15,000 fans. The bulk of the albums songs are taken from the Chicago show and all of the crowd noise comes from the Chicago show as well. The band recorded six shows in six days beginning with Chicago on October 13th and ending with the Louisville show on the 18th. A show in Columbus, Ohio was recorded on the 17th but there has been no material released from that show. Two tracks from the album - "Mother Mary" and "This Kids" - are studio recordings recorded at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California with crowd noise from the Chicago show added. Guitarist Michael Schenker left UFO during this tour and refused to do any guitar overdubs for the record, not that any were needed, but Schenker has expressed disappointment in the takes that were picked for the final track listing and felt there were better performances. Schenker and vocalist Phil Mogg were at odds due to Schenker's alcohol abuse and erratic behavior on the road. After this tour UFO would officially split with Schenker and "Strangers In The Night" would serve as the swan song for the classic line up of UFO. Guitarist Paul Chapman was brought in as a permanent replacement for Schenker and the band would carry on recording several more albums. A reunion with Schenker in the early 90's was short-lived, the band was unable to recapture the magic they had in the 70's and once again went their separate ways. .

In 1998 "Strangers In The Night" was remastered and expanded to include two additional tracks from shows recorded in Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio. The track listing was also revamped to represent the actual running order from the bands 1978 tour.

"Strangers In The Night" is not only considered UFO's crowning achievement, but one of the greatest live albums of the 1970's and beyond.

UFO continue to tour and make new records with guitarist Vinnie Moore, who has been with the band since 2003. Their latest album "A Conspiracy Of Stars" is set for release on February 23rd, 2015.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

My favourite live album of all time, as I like to call it, Schenker In The Night.

UFO LIghts Out

Uploaded by Kiat Mac on 2013-12-29.

Remember the time "The Killer" tried to kill Elvis?

January 25, 2015 Colin Gawel

Sure you do. Turns out it was all some wacky misunderstanding. Sort of like a Three's Company episode with champaign and handguns. The Killer will explain. See you at the Watershed Tour stop next week in Memphis. -Colin

Watershed Drinking Tour Stop in Memphis January 31st / February 1st.

January 23, 2015 Colin Gawel

For immediate release: Watershed has announced a two-stop Mississippi Delta tour for the weekend of January 31st in Memphis, Tennessee. Fans of the book Hitless Wonder are familiar with the groundbreaking "Drinking Tour" concept first pioneered by the band in 2012. The "Drinking Tour" allows fans to interact with the band without all the hassle and noise of an actual performance. If you would like to actually see the band live, click here for a pro shot full concert. on Youtube.

Saturday January 31st Watershed guitarist Colin Gawel, along with legendary road manager Mike "Biggie" McDermott, will be making a 7 pm appearance at Sam's Town Casino in Tunica, Mississippi. The exact location is TBA, but expect them to be at a bar near the River Palace Entertainment Complex where later that same evening they will be attending a performance by Jerry Lee Lewis. Click here for details on the show.

Sunday February 1st Biggie and Colin will be joined by roadie extraordinaire and rock historian Ricki C. at the fabulous Buccaneer Lounge (1368 Monroe Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 Click here for more info). The event is scheduled to begin at 5 pm or whenever they finish touring Graceland earlier that day.

Conversation topics expected to be covered over the weekend include: Sun Studio, Dewey Phillips, Stax Records, Big Star, Cheap Trick, Elvis, Jerry Lee crashing into Graceland, Watershed crashing into Dash Rip Rock's van in Memphis, BBQ, Mike Conely is a bad ass, Cheap Trick again, the Memphis Yellow Fever epidemic, where are we going to watch the Super Bowl?, Biggie's under-inflated balls and much more.

Admission to both events is free though fans are encouraged to buy drinks and/or chocolate milk (Ricki) for band members. They will be happy to sign any Watershed-related records, CD's, or books.

If you missed September's Watershed drinking tour stop in St. Paul, Minnesota, you missed a great time with Joe Oestreich and Mike "Biggie" McDermott. Don't miss this one. See you on historic Beale Street.

details at watershedcentral.com or follow @colingawel on Twitter.

Pete Vogel Talks About His Columbus Music Movie "Indie" - by Colin G.

January 15, 2015 Colin Gawel

On Sunday, January 18th, King Ave 5 will be screening the movie "Indie" at 4 pm. Admission is FREE. "Indie" tells the story of a handful of Columbus, Ohio musicians and their passion to succeed. Director and accomplished musician himself, Pete Vogel was kind enough to answer some questions concerning the movie. Click here for Facebook event link

Colin G. - You always have a ton going on, but making movie is a monumental task: How long had the idea for "Indie" been kicking around in your brain?

Pete Vogel: I was asked to join Matt Monta and The Hot Coal band in December 2009 and had been away from the scene for a few years. After playing a few gigs with them - all shared between other acts - I realized what an original and diverse scene Columbus had evolved into during my absence. The ideas came almost immediately...hearing these new bands and talking to these new artists, it just seemed like a good fit for me to put a storyline to this discovery.

C.G. - I always love asking, what was the moment when you knew this crazy idea had to become a reality? Did something inspire you to take that last huge step?

P.V. - I had just purchased the Canon 60-D camera which shot real good low-light video and all I really wanted to do was make some good, high-quality video for some of my friends. I was so happy with the outcome that I started making vignettes of some artists I admired...including montage clips and interview clips of some of my favorite artists. Over time I had compiled enough material to put a full-fledged film together....it simply evolved out of my video work.

C.G. - Did you know exactly where you wanted this movie to go or did it take some twists and turns you weren't expecting along the way?

P.V.- The movie kind of "wrote itself" as I was putting it together. Performances and/or interviews took on their own life and before you knew it, the story was written and all the pieces came together. It was actually kind of miraculous because I didn't really write a story board or plan too much. It slowly evolved over a six-month period of watching people perform and asking for interviews.

C.G. - Being an accomplished musician yourself, how did you choose the musicians to be featured in the movie? What qualities as a story teller did you find interesting?

P.V. - I actually had my "short list" of performers I wanted in the flick and some of them panned out and some didn't. For instance, I really wanted the perspective of Columbus through the eyes of Willie Phoenix, but it never crystallized. I also wanted to focus on a band called "The Songbirds" but they had gone on hiatus due to the fact that both women were pregnant. Some of the artists were referred by their fans - such as Joey Hebdo - and some were bands I had seen and thought were worthy of being documented.

C.G. - Just for the hell of it, who are some of your favorite local musicians? Who just blows you away?

P.V. - I have several favorite musicians, all for different reasons. I think Matt Monta is one of the most original lyricists, and he paints a beautiful picture with his words. The Shaw Brothers are talented, interesting & beautiful to listen to, and I'm a big fan of their stuff. I like the country sensibilities of Angela Perley and the Howlin' Moons, especially when Angela was on dobro. And lastly, I think the best songwriter in town is Joey Hebdo. What he can do with his voice is truly inspiring.

C.G. - Is there a scene or two that you think really captures the spirit of the movie best? Something people should give a little extra attention to?

P.V. - My favorite scene in the movie is when I caught video of a jazz acoustic guitarist named Shohei Toyoda. He's originally from Japan and had been teaching at a music store in Worthington. He was at Woodlands Open Mic and went up and performed an original composition that floored me. Of course, there were only about 15 people there...go figure.

Also, I think my interview with Donna Mogavero captures the spirit very well. She's an iconic Columbus musician...she's been a big supporter of local music as well, and capturing her essence on film was intriguing, to say the least.

C.G. - If people are interested in sharing this movie with friends, what is the best way for them to do so, if they cannot make a screening?

P.V. - If they can't make the screening, they can contact me about a private screening. Or if they want to purchase a DVD I'm selling them for the low, low price of $10. They can contact me via e-mail: petevogel@yahoo.com

C.G. - Can you give us a quick update on upcoming gigs and projects you have cooking?

P.V. - Right now I'm playing drums with a fantastic cover band called Stadium11. We're a bunch of dudes who really dig the arena sound from our childhood, so we've been together for six years and love playing the quintessential "stadium gig." If you like Boston, Styx, Journey, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc., you'll love our band. Check us out: www.stadium11.com

C.G. - Final question, you get to play drums for one song with any band in history: What band and what song?

P.V. - I'm still waiting for Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey to call me and ask me to join their next tour. I'm pretty sure they have my phone number. I'll continue to wait.

THIS WEEK IN ROCK N ROLL HISTORY - HEAR 'N AID CELEBRATES 29TH ANNIVERSARY, BY SCOTT CARR

January 6, 2015 Scott Carr

When talking about charity songs from the 1980's, Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and USA For Africa's "We Are The World" generally come to mind first. Both singles brought together some of the biggest pop music stars of the 80's to help raise money for famine relief throughout the world. Band Aid was made up of mainly British and Irish performers while USA For Africa was predominately American artists. These songs were very successful, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" went to the No. 1 position in the British Charts while "We Are The World" took the top spot on the Billboard singles chart in America. While both projects proved to be a hit, there was no real involvement from anyone outside the pop music genre.......and it left a void that felt like the rock world had been left out.

In 1985 the heavy metal/hard rock music community came together to create their own anthem to help in the world's fight against hunger. The project was called Hear 'N Aid and the song they delivered was "Stars." The initial idea was brought to the table by DIO band members Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell. Jimmy felt that representation from the hard rock/heavy metal community was light in regards to the fight against famine and thought it was time for hard rock/heavy metal artists to step up and do their part to help and be heard. Jimmy and Vivian talked to Ronnie James Dio about their idea to create a charity single, Ronnie liked the idea and the three wrote the song "Stars."

The song was recorded in 1985 over two days at A&M studios in Hollywood, California. The project featured contributions from members of Dio, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot, Dokken, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Queensrÿche, Blue Öyster Cult, Vanilla Fudge, Y&T, Rough Cutt, Giuffria, Journey, W.A.S.P., Night Ranger and even parody band Spinal Tap was involved. Lead vocal duties for the track were shared between Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, Kevin DuBrow, Eric Bloom, Geoff Tate, Dave Meniketti, Don Dokken and Paul Shortino. A lengthy guitar solo was recorded for the mid-section of the song and included blazing riffs from the likes of Vivian Campbell, Carlos Cavazo, Buck Dharma, Brad Gillis, Craig Goldy, George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Ojeda, Neal Schon, Ted Nugent plus Iron Maiden's Dave Murray and Adrian Smith supplied a nice harmony guitar part.

Ronnie James Dio had intended for the single to be released shortly after it was recorded but due to legal issues with some of the artists involved it did not get released until January 1st, 1986. Dio felt that the delay in releasing the single may have hurt the impact it made. "Stars" was released as a single and there was also a documentary called "Hear 'N Aid - The Sessions" released at the same time. A compilation album was released featuring "Stars" as the lead track and included live tracks from some artists that were unable to participate to the recording of the single, including Kiss, Accept, Motorhead, Rush and others. Hear 'N Aid was originally only available on vinyl and cassette. In 1994 it was released on CD for the first time, but only in Japan. Ronnie James Dio's widow Wendy Dio has said that there will be a reissue of the project on CD & DVD at some point and that there are plenty of outtakes that will be included. No info on when this may happen.

The project was reported to have raised 1 million dollars in its first year.

I have included a couple links below, one is the documentary on the making of "Stars." The section featuring the recording of the lead vocals is worth the price of admission alone. Check it out....good stuff.

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Merry Christmas & Happy Rock & Roll Holidays from Pencilstorm

December 24, 2014 Ricki C.

Family-man and small-business owner that he is - meaning he's INSANELY busy at this time of year, Colin has delegated me - Ricki C. - to choose and upload our Top Five Rock & Roll Christmas Tunes for your listening pleasure on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

From all of us here at Pencilstorm: Have a very Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

The videos are - just to be fair - in alphabetical order by artist/rocker.......

Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry

The Kinks (Ray Davies) on German TV in 1977 "father Christmas"....Father Christmas, give us some money Don't mess around with those silly toys.

The Pogues 30 Years Boxset is out 16th Dec - Order here - http://po.st/Pogues30 The perfect Xmas gift for any Pogues fan! Download the track from iTunes here: http://po.st/FairytaleNY Official video for the The Pogues Featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York. Arguably the greatest Christmas song of all time!

Readers, feel free to make known your favorite rock & roll Christmas tunes in the Comments section, and we can all buzz around on YouTube to check 'em out.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, from everybody here at Pencilstorm.......

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