40 Year Itch : The Death of Mama Cass

Cass Elliot : California Earthquake[Purchase]   On July 29, 1974, "Mama" Cass Elliot was found dead in Harry Nilsson's London flat. She was 32. As a member of the Mamas and the Papas, she sold 40 million albums and sang on such hits as"California Dreamin'" , "Monday Monday" and "Creeque Alley". Cass was the first member of the group to release a solo album, 1968's Dream a Little Dream.When the group broke up for good, Cass also tried...

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40 Year Itch: You Can Pee On Me!

Funkadelic: Standing on the Verge of Getting It On[Purchase]  Standing On the Verge of Getting It On, released in July of 1974, captures Funkadelic at maximum sustained-funk. In many ways it is the ultimate Funkadelic album. Guitar phenom Eddie Hazel, who has barely been present for the last two albums, comes back strong here, co-writing all of the songs on the album with George Clinton. The epic closer, "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts" will remind...

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40 Year Itch: The Boy is Strange!

On July 26, 1974 The Rolling Stones released the single "It's Only Rock 'n'Roll (But I Like It)" which featured the immortal lyrics : If I could stick my pen in my heart, And spill it all over the stage; Would it satisfy ya, would it slide on by ya, Would you think the boy is strange? Ain't he strange?    While songwriting credits for the song are credited to Mick and Keef, the song was actually written by...

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40 Year Itch : Can I Sit Next To You, Girl

AC/DC : Can I Sit Next To You Girl[Purchase]    Out of the gates, AC/DC came across as a down under Glam rock band with a preening lead vocalist who liked to wear scarves. Like Elvis.  Dave Evans stuck around for one single, "Can I Sit Next To You, Girl" and one promotional video. On October 24, 1974, 28-year old Bon Scott, despite still recovering from a motorcycle accident,  replaced Evans. In 1975, AC/DC re-recorded the song...

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40 Year Itch : Partly Fish, Partly Porpoise

Robert Wyatt: Alifib[Purchase]    July of 1974 saw three major albums from artists who were, to use the Eyewitness News phrase, "lucky to be alive". Fulfillingess' First Finale was Stevie Wonder's first album since a car accident that put him into a coma. 461 Ocean Boulevard was Clapton's comeback album after years in which he had disappeared into his heroin addiction. And then there is Rock Bottom, released July 26, 1974, by Robert Wyatt...

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40 Year Itch: Brighter Days Ahead

[Purchase]        For Stevie Wonder, the 1973 car accident that nearly killed him ended Chapter One of his life. Fulfillingess' First Finale, released July 22, 1974, wraps up the story so far. The album cover features images of Little Stevie, JFK, MLK, The Motortown Review bus, his high school graduation and multiple Grammy Awards. Musically, this mostly somber, personal album retains the synth masters of TONTO's Expanding...

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40 Year Itch: Back on the Stompin' Ground

Rory Gallagher : Walk on Hot Coals[Purchase]God bless any rock and roll act that followed Rory Gallagher and his band's blistering tour of his troubled homeland. On the double-live album Irish Tour, released on July 21, 1974,  Rory, long-haired drummer Rod de'Ath, shaggy bassist Gerry McAvoy and keyboardist Lou Marin sound united by ESP or at least a mission to give the Irish a 70-minute break from the Troubles.    A day...

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