Classic Rock Rewind

Classic Rock Rewind with–> Lynyrd Skynyrd

I can’t think of another band that has had more heartache shoved in the laps of the band members, their fans, friends, and family than the band “Lynyrd Skynyrd” has had.  But on the same note, the band has enjoyed a cruise of success along that bumpy ride.

High school friends Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, and Allen Collins, formed a band in 1964 that would eventually become Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band broke into the limelight in 1973 with the release of their first album pronounced ‘lĕh-’nérd ’skin-’nérd which featured their first big hit “Free Bird”, a song still loved by many, including myself. Skynyrd opened for “The Who” on their “Quadrophenia” tour in the U.S. helping to explode their fan base. It has been said that most every band that ever opened for “The Who” were eventually booed to make way for the headline act, accept Lynyrd Skynyrd who was actually cheered for an encore.

In 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd released their second album titled Second Helping which featured another big hit called “ Sweet Home Alabama”, a response to “Neil Young” songs “Alabama” and “Southern Man”. Many fans considered them as enemies but in reality were good friends.

In 1975 their third album titled “Nuthin’ Fancy“ was released which featured the debut of drummer “Artimus Pyle”. This album wasn’t quite as popular as the first two but did include the songs “Saturday Night Special” and one of my favorites “On The Hunt”.

In 1976 their fourth album was released titled “Gimme Back My Bullets“. This was when the female backup singers called “The Honkettes” were introduced. Leslie Hawkins, Cassie Gaines, and JoJo Billingsey were added to the band that year. This same year both Allen Collins and Gary Rossington each had serious car accidents which slowed the progress of the band. The bands only live album featuring the original band members in concert was also released that year called “One More From the Road” .

1977 was a tragic year for the band. The album “Street Survivors“ was released that year which featured the addition of guitarist “Steve Gaines” who was the younger brother of Cassie Gaines. Then tragedy struck the band and shocked the world. Three days after the release of the album, the band was headed to LSU for a concert date when their jet ran out of fuel in Mississippi and crashed. Killed were singer Ronnie Van Zant, new guitarist Steve Gaines, and his sister Cassie Gaines. The remaining band members survived but suffered serious injuries.

The band reunited in 1987 with a reunion tour featuring Ronnies brother Johnny Van Zant as the new front man. Returning members Ed King, Artimus Pyle, Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, and Leon Wilkeson, joined together for the tour. This long awaited return of the band was highly welcomed by the distraught fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The tour was a big hit and fueled the return of the band.

Sadness and heartache would still be present though as different band members continued to suffer and were eventually lost. Among those were Allen Collins who died in 1990, Leon Wilkeson who died in 2001, Hughie Thomasson died in 2007, Billy Powell died in January of 2009, and former bassist Ean Evans died in May of 2009. Ed King is still alive but cannot tour with the band due to chronic heart problems. Artimus Pyle is still playing with his own band The APB. Gary Rossington is the lone survivor and only original member of the band and is still playing today with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

 Below are several videos of Lynyrd Skynyrd performing through the years.

The first video here is a classic as Lynyrd Skynyrd performs Cry For The Bad Man in 1975.

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The second video features Lynyrd Skynyrd still in the early years doing one of my favorites live called I Aint The One in 1977.

This next video is also in 1977 with the performance of That Smell.

This next video is a vintage classic of the true original members of the band including Ed King as they perform Don’t Ask Me no Questions.

This next one is more for your listening pleasure as Lynyrd Skynyrd plays a very well done version of Crossroads in 1976.

The next video is a slightly more recent version of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1997 performing Saturday Night Special.

This next one is from a concert in Nashville in 2007 featuring their big hit Sweet Home Alabama.

And we will finish up here with a partial video of Lynyrd Skynyrd performing the rock anthem Free Bird in 2009.

Thanks for taking the time take a ride back in time with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Music OverDrive. Hope you enjoyed the trip and I hope to see you next time.

Classic Rock Rewind with–> CCR

This weeks “Rewind” features one of my all time favorite bands, “Creedence Clearwater Revival”. These boys had it together, I just wish they could have kept it together. If I had to pick one band that every song they ever did was a good one, these guys would be my choice. That is saying a lot because that is a rare event for one band to produce that many songs and every last one of them was worth listening to from start to finish.

There is something about their music that draws you into it and hangs on to you. Or it does me anyway. I grew up listening to them and I have no problem whatsoever in cranking up the volume for a round of CCR now either. 

John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook were all born in 1945 and all three were friends in high school. Early in 1960 they began playing together under the name “The Blue Velvets”. John’s older brother Tom Fogerty was soon added  and a new name for the band was sought. The name CCR was agreed upon by all members. It’s origin came about this way: Tom had a friend named Creedence Nuball, Clear Water came from an Olympia beer commercial, and Revival was due to them all reuniting as a band.

In 1968 they released their self titled debut album “Creedence Clearwater Revival” and their second album called “Bayou Country”, along with their third and fourth albums titled “Green River” and “Willy and the Poor Boys” all came in 1969. Then in 1970 they released their fifth and sixth albums titled “Cosmos Factory” and “Pendulum”. Their seventh album came in 1972 called “Mardi Gras” and was done without Tom Fogerty who had left the band never to return.

Increasingly strained relations between the band members forced the breakup of the band in October of 1972. Doug Clifford and Stu Cook continued playing under the name of Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

It is truly a shame that this band had to bust up because they had a unique sound, along with John Fogerty’s voice that was unmatched throughout the history of Rock Music. Below are some audio and video clips of CCR doing some of their best songs.

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Below are some audio links to some of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s best songs.

Well, that’s going to do it for this weeks trip back in time with Creedence Clearwater Revival here on Music OverDrive.

Don’t forget to cast your votes in the Classic Rock Battle Of The Bands Here On Music OverDrive.

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Classic Rock Rewind with ZZ Top

*This weeks Classic Rock Rewind features that little ole band from Texas. ZZ Top formed around 1969 and still have the original three members 40 years later. That is amazing. They are amazing!

If you were to slap a set of headphones on a person that didn’t know anything about ZZ Top and crank up La Grange they would never believe that was coming from a band with only three members. Billy Gibbons is one of the most underrated guitar players of all time. The man is awesome. When you add Dusty Hill on bass and Frank Beard on drums and percussion and you have one small band with one mighty big sound.

Another amazing feat would be all the albums they have produced. Their first album came out in 1971. From there they had 1 in 1972, 1 in 1973, 1 in 1975, 2 in 1977,  1 in 1979, 1 in 1981, 1 in 1983, and 1 in 1985. Then after a break in the action they came back with 1 in 1990, 1 in 1992, 2 in 1994, 1 in 1996, 1 in 1999, 2 in 2003, 1 in 2004, and one that is scheduled for release in 2009.

Here is a video clip of ZZ Top performing live at the Ultimate Chop motorcycle shindig in 2006, doing the song “Waitin For The (Bike) Bus”, from the album Tres Hombres.

Waitin´for my Bike 2006

Below is a video clip of ZZ Top live in concert doing Waitin For The Bus.

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Here is a clip of one of my favorite ZZ tunes called La Grange also off the Tres Hombres album.

This video clip below was from the Jay Leno show with ZZ Top doing La Grange.

Switching over to audio clips from here on down with some of ZZ Top’s best.

Just Got Paid 

Mexican Blackbird

Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers

That’s gonna do it for this week’s Rewind. I hope you enjoyed your ride back in time with ZZ Top.  Be sure and check back to see who is up next at Music OverDrive.

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