Rock and Roll

Black Ice features 15 new tracks from brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, along with Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd. The album was produced by Brendan O’Brien and mixed by Mike Fraser at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, BC. This limited edition hardcover deluxe package features a 30-page expanded booklet with exclusive new illustrations, studio and live photographs of AC/DC.

Stiff Upper Lip is the 17th album from a group that many would call the world’s greatest rock band. The 12-song disc finds AC/DC as unflappable as ever, a vibrant, vital rock band at the top of their game.

Anchored by one of rock’s most rhythmic duos - brothers Angus and Malcolm - and buoyed by the infamous throaty drawl of singer Brian Johnson, Stiff Upper Lip not only serves up the kind of carnal shards that fans have come to expect, (it’s their first studio album in five years) but also tips its hat to the blues-rock-roots of AC/DC and brother/producer George Young - who returns to the work the boards for the first time since 1978’s classic Powerage. "Malcolm and I were sitting around going over possible producers one day," recalls Angus. "We started talking about records and stuff and the idea of using George again just snapped into our heads at the same time. Obviously he knows what AC/DC is all about. For us there has always been that subtle blues element in what we do. All good rock has that foundation of the blues in it somewhere."

From Angus’ scorching intro on the album’s title song, "Stiff Upper Lip," to the bluesy stomp of "Meltdown," right through the clipped bursts of thunderous guitar on the rousing "Can’t Hold Me Back," it’s evident that the boys’ camaraderie set the tone. "It was fun to make this record," says Angus. "We never like to be under pressure, and no band should make an album like it’s some sort of a chore. George likes to capture the character of the people in the studio and I think we did that. He doesn’t care so much about what’s technologically correct, as long as it sounds like AC/DC."

Vocalist Brian Johnson says he has another barometer when making an AC/DC record.

"This one was a 135,000 cigarette album," he laughs. "I can always tell if we’re making a good one, when the smokes are going before, during, and after a take."

Angus agrees: "We’re a bit like the old army when we go into record. Don’t forget that the number one staple in World War I and II was tobacco." A proper metaphor for a band that has never looked over their shoulder.

"We know who we are," says Angus. "We trust each other and rely on that. A lot of music you hear starts getting that fast food mentality - just put it out. We’ve never been about that." Brian says the process of give and take is important, as well. He points out that "Stiff Upper Lip" was a song that captured the band’s playful approach. "When the boys first played me that riff I just started going off in what I like to call my ‘Satchmo’ voice," laughs Brian. "I was like ‘is this too much?’ But the boys were ‘no, no that’s perfect.’ We had such a great vibe making this record. I think all the brothers had such simpatico going with the guitar exchanges and riffs – the whole thing was just a refreshing ball."

Other standouts fans will be flocking to are the blistering "Satellite Blues" and the slippery ride of "Can’t Stand Still." "I love that one," says Brian. "When I listen to that song it reminds me of everything that’s fun and alive about rock n’ roll. I sang it through in one take and if you listen at the end you can even hear the boys applauding. That’s the kind of atmosphere we had throughout the making of this album."

No wonder. George Young has produced some of AC/DC’s most classic albums, including their 1974 debut High Voltage, 1977’s Let There Be Rock, 1978’s If You Want Blood (You Got It), and Powerage. Says Brian: "I think the album has a wonderful feel – almost pre-Back In Black (produced by Mutt Lange) – which was the AC/DC era where George’s hand was felt the most. He really makes recording exciting. He makes it feel like everyone is contributing their best all of the time."

Back In Black, of course, is also a bittersweet demarcation line in AC/DC folklore. The band’s original singer, the legendary Bon Scott, died tragically before the making of what some consider AC/DC’s milestone work. Brian Johnson was chosen in April of 1980, and quickly stepped up to record the album the following month. Fans embraced the disc like no other AC/DC album. It would go on to make history for AC/DC, breaking dozens of sales records, and landing them sold out concerts across the globe, forever cementing their reputation as hard rock’s preeminent troubadours.

From their very first gig in the early ‘70’s in Sydney, Australia at a place called the Chequers Club (artists such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra performed there) the AC/DC legend grew in direct proportion to the band’s take-no-prisoners philosophy. "We’d play anywhere anytime, and not always to adoring fans," laughs Angus. "But we never stopped playing – mostly in fear of what would happen when we did." The group earned their stripes as one of rockdom’s most dedicated live bands, with Angus’ schoolboy attire becoming one of the most famous trademarks in rock history.

Throughout the years, AC/DC has managed to create that rarest of bond between their fans. Whether it was the classic Let There Be Rock of 1977, the anthem laced Highway To Hell of 1979, or the pseudo-best of collection, Who Made Who of 1986, the soundtrack for Stephen King’s movie Maximum Overdrive (He’s one of the group’s most vocal fans) AC/DC has never given in to the crass commercialism or shameless self-promotion that have scarred other bands’ careers.

Their most recent release, the 1997 Bonfire box set, a 5-CD collection crafted by the band as a tribute to Bon, was done with the usual AC/DC understatement. "That project wasn’t ever about nostalgia," says Angus. "It was about his spirit. We even called on fans to help us track things down."

Angus has said that one of the keys of AC/DC’s longevity has always been the ability of their audience to relate to them. "We always stop and say ‘what would our fans think?’" says Angus. "Sometimes it’s like we’re on a first name basis with ‘em. We’ve learned never to pay too much attention to the trends, or to what the experts are telling you is the next big thing. Our fans know what to expect from us. And that’s how we approach making a record. I always say sometimes it’s the guy digging the ditch that can tell you more about building the road then all the engineers put together."
AND THERE NEW CD BLACK ICE IS NOW ON THE SHELVES....ROCK ON

"He's our kind of guy." -- Frank Beard to Billy Gibbons after Beard introduced himself to Dusty Hill in a bar. Hill passed out drunk before returning Beard's greeting.--1969
Best known for: Classic rock trio known for its Texas heritage, bearded, haggard look, reclusive mystique, hard-nosed business tactics, and blues-rock sound.

Born: ZZ Top (aka, That Little ol' Band from Texas): 1969; Billy F. Gibbons (guitar): Houston, September 16, 1949; Dusty Hill (bass): Dallas, May 19, 1949; Frank Beard (drums): Dallas, June 11, 1949; Bill Mack Ham (manager): Waxahachie, 1937.

Family: Billy Gibbons, the son of a financially well-off family living in the Tanglewood suburb of Houston, never married. Dusty Hill is divorced with a college-age daughter. Frank Beard is married and has two twin boys and a daughter who reportedly goes to college in Houston and will be part of the University class of 2001.

Education: While growing up in suburban Houston, Gibbons learned about R&B music from his family's maid, who was African-American.

Career: Guitarist Billy Gibbons met his future manager, Waxahachie native Bill Mack Ham, backstage at a Doors concert in Houston in 1967. Gibbons' band at the time, the Moving Sidewalks, had a local hit with the song "99th Floor." They soon opened on the Doors' Texas tour. After later opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Hendrix named Gibbons his favorite guitar player during an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson." The Sidewalks broke up and Gibbons and Ham contracted to form a new band.

After a few false starts with other musicians, the Gibbons-Hill-Beard version of ZZ Top was founded in 1969. According to Gibbons, the name came from one or more of the following: the two brands of rolling-paper, Zig-Zag and Top, a tribute to blues legend Z.Z. Hill, and/or Gibbons seeing the two words running together on a dilapidated bill board. Hill and Beard had been members of a Dallas band called American Blues.

The trio spent its first few years playing mostly regional concerts. Ham's bosses, Houston record producer Pappy Daily and family, cut a deal with him to finance "ZZ Top's First Album" (1970). Five other records followed on the London Records label. The third album, "Tres Hombres" (1973), brought them national attention. Its hit song "La Grange," about a whorehouse, was allegedly based on John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen." It is still the band's signature riff tune. Also included was "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers," the would-be anthem.

In an event that tried to be a rock-style Willie Nelson Picnic, the group was the featured headliner in the "Rompin' and Stompin' Barndance and Barbecue," held in Austin on Labor Day, September 1, 1974. Appearing with them before a crowd of 80,000 was San Francisco legend Bill Graham, Santana, Joe Cocker and Bad Company making its U.S. debut. This was ZZ Top's first concert in which they were seen as more than just a Texas act. It was the biggest concert in Austin's history, and the last to be held in Memorial Stadium on the University of Texas Campus for another twenty years. The stadium had been trashed by concert-goers, who had suffered from the heat and lack of food, water and toilets.

The year-and-a-half-long Worldwide Texas Tour, with stage props like haystacks, ranch tools and Longhorn cattle, began in 1975. It featured songs from "Tres Hombres" and "Fandango," their fourth album. Although their concert earnings were now in the tens of millions, by the end of the tour the group was exhausted. They took a break that ended up lasting three years. Manager Bill Ham stayed busy, however, shrewdly negotiating a lucrative recording contract with Warner Brothers that is still talked about in the music business. Their next two albums, "Deguello" and "El Loco," were well received with hits like "Cheap Sunglasses" and "Tube Snake Boogie."

The next album, "Eliminator," featuring musically controversial electronic instruments, debuted ZZ Tops biggest hits, "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed man." The synthesizers and drum machines caused controversy in other ways as well. According to former roadie David Blayney in his book, "Sharp Dressed Men," sound engineer Linden Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album as a live-in high-tech music teacher to Beard and Gibbons. Hudson claims that in addition to not getting songwriting credit, Ham worked to cover up his contributions to the album. Despite continued denials by the band, it settled a five-year legal battle with Hudson, paying him $600,000 after he allegedly proved he held the copyright on the song "Thug." Another copyright suit was brought by a co-writer of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen," the alleged basis of "La Grange." That case was settled and sealed. The group's eighth album, "Afterburner," with its continued use of synthesizers, became a worldwide smash hit.

Until MTV came along in the '80s, ZZ Top had declined all offers for TV appearances. Their first video, "Gimme All Your Lovin'," set the style for follow-ups "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed man." The addition of videos took the band's famous mystique and popularity to an all-time high.

In 1981, ZZ Top joined a diverse group, organized by art patron and civic leader Marilyn Lubetkin and including such philanthropists as Dominique de Menil, to donate money to purchase J.D. McKissack's Orange Show from his heir. The Orange Show, an open-air, multimedia sculptural installation dedicated to the orange, is Texas' leading example of an art form called "folk art environment." For their support of the blues and an art form, the band was given a piece of wood from Muddy Waters' shack in Clarksdale, Mississippi. They had it made into a guitar, named it the "Muddywood," and sent it on a tour to raise funds for the Delta Blues Museum.

By 1990, the band had sold 50 million records. Tragedy struck in 1991 when Ham's wife, Cecile, was murdered. A 23-year-old man on parole with three prior convictions strangled her for her car so he wouldn't have to walk to his halfway house. In spite of hard times personally, ZZ Top's 1996 album, "Rythmeen" was considered one of their best. Gibbons called it the "first pure trio record of our career," because only the three of them played on it. That return to an earlier sound, made more pure and raw, continued on their 1999 album, "XXX," which celebrates the band's thirtieth anniversary. At the turn of the century, ZZ Top was the only rock group with its original members after three decades. Amazing !!!!

MARY WELLS
One Of My Favorites From The "Day"

Born on May 13, 1943, in Detroit, MI; died on July 26, 1992; married Herman Griffin, early 1960s (later divorced); married Cecil Womack, 1966 (later divorced); children: Stacy, Cecil Jr., Harry, and Sugar.

The first star to bring consistent sales and recognition to Detroit's Motown label in the 1960s, Mary Wells was also the first of many Motown stars to break away from that label acrimoniously. Her signature hit, "My Guy," is known to virtually all Americans who came of age in the 1960s, and she notched a string of other hits in collaboration with Motown's prolific songwriter and producer, William "Smokey" Robinson. Yet her career floundered until her tragic death in 1992.

Mary Esther Wells was born in Detroit on May 13, 1943. When she was three years old, she contracted spinal meningitis and had to remain in bed for two years. Wells also suffered from tuberculosis as a young woman. Her family was poor, and at the age of 12 she began to help her mother with housecleaning work. "Daywork they called it," Wells was quoted as saying in Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music. "And it was damn cold on hallway linoleum. Misery is Detroit linoleum in January--with a half-froze bucket of Spic-and-Span."

Nevertheless, Wells found time to perform solos with the choir at Detroit's Northwestern High School, from which she graduated when she was 17. Shaken by the illnesses she had survived, she thought about trying to become a scientist. But the new Motown Records studio was not far from where she lived, and music seized her imagination. "I could sing, and all the entertainers looked so glamorous and wonderful, so I started writing songs," she was quoted as saying in People. When she was 16, she met an assistant to Motown owner Berry Gordy Jr., and wangled an appointment to pitch one of her songs to Gordy in person.

Signed to Motown Label

Wells had composed the song, "Bye Bye Baby," with R&B vocalist Jackie Wilson in mind, but Gordy quickly brought Wells herself into the studio to record it. It required 22 takes to coax a usable rendition from the nervous young vocalist, but Gordy's judgment was vindicated when "Bye Bye Baby" rose to the R&B top ten and even cracked the pop top 50 in 1960. Wells signed a contract with Motown, and as she gained experience, the label began to put its top creative people behind her career. The most important of these was Smokey Robinson, who wrote many of her songs and produced her recordings between 1962 and 1964.

Her voice, gentle and coy and subtly playful at unexpected moments, was the perfect foil for Robinson's songwriting, and the combination yielded for Wells and for Motown a consistent string of hits. In 1962, "You Beat Me to the Punch" and "Two Lovers" both topped R&B charts, with both of those songs and "The One Who Really Loves You" making it into the pop top ten. "Laughing Boy," "Your Old Stand By," and "What's Easy for Two Is So Hard for One" all reached upper chart levels the following year, and by 1964, "Mary Wells was our first big, big star," former Motown sales executive Lucy Gordy Wakefield told the New York Times. Her personal appearances with the touring Motown Revue confirmed her popularity.

Opened for Beatles on Tour

Wells's high-water mark as a chart-topper came in 1964 with "My Guy," which topped the pop charts for two weeks in May at the height of the "British invasion." The song even did well in Britain, and Wells became the first Motown artist to appear across the Atlantic when she opened for the Beatles on a 1964 British tour. Despite the chart competition between them, Wells got along well with the mop-topped British sensations and always maintained a friendly relationship with them.

When she turned 21 in 1964, however, Wells left Motown, spurred on by promises of greater riches to come by her husband, backup vocalist Herman Griffin. Already having undergone two abortions at Griffin's behest, she signed a $500,000 deal with the Twentieth-Century Fox label in Hollywood that included promises of starring film roles. Motown took her to court, but Wells and her lawyers maintained that she had been deceived by the contract she had signed when she was just 17. Gordy angled to prevent other labels from signing Wells, but she eventually prevailed.

Wells would be succeeded by a long line of other Motown vocalists, predominantly female, who would tangle with the label in court. Some would move on to stardom with other labels, but Wells proved to be dependent upon the synergy between her own talents and those of Robinson and the rest of the Motown assembly line. Except for the forgettable Catalina Caper (1967), Wells's film career came to nought, and her recordings for Fox fared little better. Moving to the Atco label in 1965 she notched a few top ten R&B hits, but her days at the top of the charts were essentially over. She later recorded for Epic, Reprise, Warner Brothers, and a host of smaller labels, all without notable success. Her marriage to Griffin ended in divorce.

Appeared on Motown Television Special

Wells married R&B vocalist Cecil Womack; she had three children with him and one, after the couple's 1977 divorce, with his brother Curtis. For a time in the 1970s, she dropped out of the music business altogether to concentrate on raising her children, but as nostalgia for the golden age of Motown grew among baby-boom music lovers, Wells returned to the road. She became a fixture of Motown retrospectives, such as the 1983 television special mounted on the occasion of the company's 25th anniversary. Around that time, possibilities surfaced that she might return to the label, but a deal was never struck.

The last chapters of Wells's life were tragic ones. A heavy smoker who also battled heroin addiction for a time, Wells was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1990. Like many other musicians, she had no health insurance, and the illness wiped her out financially. Through the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, established partly to assist musicians who encountered financial problems in later life, various entertainment figures, including Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, and fellow Motown star Diana Ross, donated money for Wells's medical treatment. Her life might have been saved by removal of her larynx, but that would have meant that she would never sing or talk again. Instead Wells chose dangerous and painful option of radiation therapy, but it did not save her life. She died in Los Angeles on July 26, 1992, at age 49.



Mary Wells's Career
Signed to Motown label, 1960; debut single released, "Bye Bye Baby," 1960; recorded and released signature single "My Guy," 1964; signed to 20th Century label, 1964, precipitating court battle with Motown; signed to Atco label, 1966; recorded for Jubilee and Epic labels, 1970s and 1980s; appeared on Motown 25th anniversary television special, 1983; toured with Motown revues, 1980s.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Bye Bye Baby, I Don't Want to Take a Chance Motown, 1961.
The One Who Really Loves You Motown, 1962.
Two Lovers and Other Great Hits Motown, 1963.
Recorded Live on Stage Motown, 1963.
Second Time Around Motown, 1963.
Together (with Marvin Gaye), Motown, 1964.
Mary Wells Sings My Guy Motown, 1964.
Greatest Hits Motown, 1964.
Mary Wells 20th Century, 1965.
Mary Wells Sings Love Songs to the Beatles 20th Century, 1965.
The Two Sides of Mary Wells Atco, 1966.
Servin' Up Some Soul Jubilee, 1968.
In and Out of Love Epic, 1981.