The Best Music You Never Heard....Rastus!

In 1969 I met a band which would become a driving force in my life for the next two years. I have had the good fortune to work with some really fine musicians over the years but none that could compare with the tremendous power of Rastus. My problem was that I could not get them to play with the same intensity in the studio as when they were in front of an audience. Listen in as Jim Cantale and I discuss the ups and downs of a band that was on the edge of making it big but could never cross the line to real stardom.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Listen: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Guns And God!

Mr. Thomas Paine once wrote; These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

Our observation of freedom in America has been tied to wanton consumption. For many years, good jobs easily had, were the backbone of American society paying for the goods and services every American enjoyed so freely. Truly....our cups "did" runneth over.

Now, nearly all Americans are working twice as hard and twice as long in order to make ends meet. People are working for corporations with voracious appetites for more and more profit, the easy time in the sun is over and there are dark days ahead.

Fear now blasts from every audio orifice since the corporate heads found that fear increases sales to a weary public. This must be stopped!

Guns and God are two of the leading protagonists in a world being torn apart. Though weaponry and spirituality are not the only beasts thriving in this sea of fear and corruption, they are the two major conspiritors in the division of the world today. And if you don't think our beautiful world is divided....just look around. We now see a machine of wide and elaborate contrivance and as well fitted for the oppression, impoverishment and degradation of a people as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man. Divide and conquer. Muslim against Christian. Republican against Democrat and on and on.

A great man once said, "Music is the weapon of the future." Look out! The future is now.

Playlist:

1)...."The Merry Minuet"..........................The Kingston Trio
2)...."Guns And God...................................Lawrence Gowan
3)...."For What It's Worth".......................Jeffrey Osborne
4)...."Money"..............................................Barrett Strong
5)...."Smilin' Faces"...................................The Undisputed Truth
6)...."Compared To What"........................Les McCann and Eddie Harris
7)...."Troubles, Troubles, Troubles".......Clarence Henry
8)...."Livin' In The Real World"...............Bobby Barth

It's a strange show folks. I hope you enjoy it. If you do....please pass it on. It's time to make a difference.

Take back our freedom now! React!

John Rhys Eddins
BluePower.com
Please send all death threats to....blupwr@sbcglobal.net

Listen to....Guns And God!

A BluePower CD Profile....Kemp Harris', Edenton!

 In a world where most people pander their wares to buyers, there occasionally comes someone who just doesn't care about convention and delivers a product so startlingly real, the markets shy away in fear.

Kemp Harris has combined traditional blues and gospel and come up with a most chilling description of the world today.

Edenton shines as a true and authentic blues work. No pretty gloss here, just the raw, crying of a man with a desperate need to be heard. And these songs should be heard. Every radio station in America should play this album, but they won't because the music will scare them and the lyrics will shock them to the core of their mediocre hearts.

This album hearkens back to a time when the blues was a reality; when folks had to say something about the discord and privation in this, the land of the free. Back to the true blues messenger. Back to the truth.

Edenton....It's the real deal!

Here's the music:

1)...."Sometimes"....Kemp Harris
2)...."Tryin' Times"....Kemp Harris
3)...."Mother Earth"....Kemp Harris
4)...."Sweet Weepin' Jesus"....Kemp Harris
5)...."Ruthie's"....Kemp Harris
6)...."Didn't It Rain"....Kemp Harris w/Mabel Marshall & Eleanor Mapp 7)...."Edenton"....Kemp Harris

The musicians are:

Kemp Harris........Vocals & Piano
Jim Lucchese.......Drums
Josh Stoltzfus......Guitar
Brian Verrochi.....Bass

With Special Guests: The Holmes Brothers (backing vocals), Adam Oh (harp) and Lydia Harrell (backing vocals)
Produced by: Kemp Harris, Jim Lucchese and Josh Stoltzfus

Click here to listen to....Kemp Harris', Edenton!

Record company has granted BluePower the right to play the music for promotional purposes!

Bobby "Boris" Pickett....Half Dead In Hollywood!

Ever since I've known Bob, I have marveled at his elegance of manner, his ultra-quick wit and his well focused insight to character. We have recorded dozens of commercials and a whole lot of bits together. (He as talent and I as engineer) Through hours of being on the other side of the glass, I gained a great deal of respect for this talented man's work.

Forty-five years ago, a tiny record lable called GARPAX released a single (45 rpm record) to the world. The A side, written by Bob and Lenny Capeci is titled "Monster Mash" and has become synonymous with the holiday, Halloween. There are very few people in the world whom haven't heard, "They did the mash....they did the Monster Mash. It was a graveyard smash!"

And smash it was. This one song has kept Bobby "Boris" Pickett in groceries for forty-five years. and....as Bob mentions, "It's more than paid the rent."
Bob will be appearing at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey on the 27th, 28th and 29th of October at the 16th Annual Chiller Theatre Expo along with Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), the enchanting Elvira, plus Adam West and Burt Ward of Batman fame.

His book, Monster Mash, Half Dead In Hollywood is a tremendous read and tells Mr. Pickett's history from the time he was born through today. Bob tells the truth about Hollywood and the denizens that dwell there.

As Mr. Pickett says...."They drag me out for one night a year. It's my time to howl."

It's good to hear you howl again my friend.

Tonight's music is....

1)...."It's Alive"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett
2)...."Dead Man's Party"....Oingo-Boingo
3)...."Monster Mash"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett
4)...."Gallow's Pole"....Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
5)...."Werewolves Of London"....Warren Zevon
6)...."Sinister Stomp"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett
7)...."Got My Mojo Workin' "....Muddy Waters
8)...."Blood Bank Blues"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett

Incidental music composed by: Dave Roberts.

Listen to....Half Dead In Hollywood....With Guest....Bobby "Boris" Pickett!

Go to the superb website of Bobby "Boris" Pickett!

Have a safe and sane HALLOWEEN!

John Rhys-Eddins/BluePower.com

In The Beginning....Skip James!

After several months of deliberation, BluePower has come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial to develop a series which exposed the many fine artists who added so much to the rich heritage of the American folk tradition called The Blues.

In order to accomplish our goals in this regard, we needed the product necessary to assemble these pieces of business. Coming to our aid in the form of early Blues product was Mr. Alec Palao and his great company, Ace Records of London, England whom we gratefully thank for their generosity and kindness.

Our first show highlights one of the strangest and most unique Blues artists of all time....Nehemiah Curtis James who came to be known as Skip James.

Born in 1902 in Bentonia, Mississippi in 1902, Mr. James struggled all his life to find a place in the world of the Blues. It took him til nearly the end of his life before he was discovered by three, up and coming, young musicians who talked him into taking a giant step to become known.

Listen as BluePower tells a brief history of Mr. Skip James and plays some of his amazing music.

Stay Tuned....
John Rhys

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."Hard Time Killing Floor Blues....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
3)...."Careless Love"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
4)...."Devil Got My Woman"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
5)...."Crow Jane"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
6)...."I'm So Glad"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
7)...."I'm So Glad"....Cream....Fresh Cream....Atlantic Records
8)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

Click here to listen to....In The Beginning....The Birth Of The Blues....Skip James!

Click here to go to Ace Records!

Banned In Boston!

During the late 1940s and the 1950s, there were a lot of records made that were a bit past the "blue" side....in fact, these records were downright "gray". So much so, that these records were banned in Boston.

Now banned in Boston is just a term borrowed from the late twenties when there was an organization (which was housed in Boston) that literally banned books from entering public libraries and stopped these books from being sold in America.

In the instance of these recordings however, it was white owned radio during these years which banned what they called "Race" music. Race music in the late forties was merely black music. That title did not change until a young editor from Billboard Magazine came up with a catchy phrase....the rhythm and blues. That man was Jerry Wexler and he would go on to produce some of the greatest rhythm and blues music of all time.

This music spawned some of the greatest labels America has ever known. Atlantic, Atco, Chess, Checker, Argo, King (from which label many of the cuts heard tonight hail), Federal, and on and on. These records needed to be heard. Black radio stepped in to fill the gap and a whole new business was created.

One of the terms of many of these records is "rock and roll" and everyone thinks that Alan Freed coined the phrase. I personally believe that Mr. Freed loved this wild music as much as any of us did at the time and simply borrowed the term. It stuck....and American music would never be the same again.

Tune in as I play many of my favorite "dirty" songs. The songs my step-father did his best to stop me from listening. As you can hear....he failed.

Here's tonight's music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."My Big Ten Inch"....Moose Jackson....King Records
3)...."I Didn't Want To Do It"....The Spiders....Imperial Records
4)...."My Babe"....Little Walter....Checker Records
5)...."Herpes Blues"....Matt Lucas....BJCD Records
6)...."Sixty Minute Man"....The Dominoes....Federal Records
7)...."Lovin' Machine"....Wynonie Harris....King Records
8)...."Work With Me Annie"....The Midnighters....Federal Records
9)...."I'm Your Hoochie-Coochie Man"....Muddy Waters....Chess Records
10)..."It Ain't The Meat, It's The Motion"....The Swallows....King Records 11)..."Yield Not To Temptation"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records
12)..."Turn On Your Lovelight"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records
13)...."Good Mornin' Little School Girl"....Junior Wells....Chess Records
14)..."All She Wants To Do Is Rock"....Wynonie Harris....King Records
15)..."Sexy Ways"....The Midnighters....Federal Records
16)..."My Ding-A-Ling"....Dave Bartholomew....King Records
17)..."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

Thanks for listening!
John Rhys-Eddins/BluePower.com

Click here to listen to....BluePower Presents....Banned In Boston!

Bobby Womack....From Valentino To Superstar!

Bio from: AMG
Written by: Steve Huey

A veteran who paid his dues for over a decade before getting his shot at solo stardom, Bobby Womack persevered through tragedy and addiction to emerge as one of soul music's great survivors. Able to shine in the spotlight as a singer or behind the scenes as an instrumentalist and songwriter, Womack never got his due from pop audiences, but during the late '60s and much of the '70s, he was a consistent hitmaker on the R&B charts, with a high standard of quality control. His records were quintessential soul, with a bag of tricks learned from the likes of Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, and Sly Stone, all of whom Womack worked closely with at one time or another. Yet often, they also bore the stamp of Womack's own idiosyncratic personality, whether through a lengthy spoken philosophical monologue or a radical reinterpretation of a pop standard. An underrated guitarist, Womack helped pioneer a lean, minimalist approach similar to that of Curtis Mayfield, and was an early influence on the young Jimi Hendrix. Additionally, his songs have been recorded by numerous artists in the realms of both R&B and rock, and the best of them rank as all-time classics.

This perfomance was mixed by John Rhys at Master Sound Recorders in Hollywood.

We at BluePower.com wish to extend our congratulations to our dear friend on his acceptance into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. An award long overdue to one of the true contributors of American popular music.

Listen To Bobby Womack Live At The Roxy With Special Guest..Sly Stone!

Eric Gales....Back In Charge!

For years, I have known of this phenomenal player. This man, originally touted as a child prodigy, has run the gamut of life and survived. In fact, he has come through to the other side a much more complete human being and artist than before.

You may, or may not have ever heard the name Eric Gales, but be assured, you will from this point forward.

The guitar has been my life since I was 13 years old and I have struggled to play decently throughout my long life. I have therefore, assimilated and watched as many great players as possible from Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton to Les Paul and Django Reinhardt. Not forgetting Jimi Hendrix and the gamut of the 70s and 80s players. Yessiree....I've learned a lot from them all. But the other afternoon when I sat down with Eric Gales, I learned a great deal more than I anticipated. I learned that a man can go through all manner of hard times and still come out a winner and, in my book, Eric Gales is a champion. Not only as a truly gifted player but most importantly, a kind-hearted, human being.

As Eric says, "All I know is music. I need all the help I can get in every other aspect of my life." An honest man for sure.

When I asked Eric if I should mention his problems with the law, he said, "No problem. I'm not ashamed that I made a mistake and it cost me time. Now I try to encourage young folks to stay away from drugs and to build on short goals for lifetime success."

This interview gives insight to a man who won and lost a whole lot early in life. A man whose guitar style is beyond strange and because it is completely backwards, develops some of the most beautiful chord structures and melodic harmonies this reporter has ever heard.

Don't get me wrong here. This man can not only deliver pieces of sheer beauty but can shred most players I have ever heard. He is totally unique in his realm and he is now....back in charge of his life. So if you think you're hot, check out Eric Gales. Then listen and learn from a master.

John Rhys/BluePower.com


Listen to....Eric Gales....Back In Charge!

Go to....Eric Gales Website!

Bernie Pearl....A Blues Tradition!

Bernie Pearl had loved the Blues for a long, long time.But as he sat in The Ash Grove one evening, his life changed course dramatically. He realized Pop and Folk music were not where he would choose to spend his time but would learn the traditional Blues as best he could.

Bernie began spending as much time as possible with the originals; the real creators of the Blues. He  managed to learn many styles on both standard guitar and National Steel as well.

Listen in as Bernie Pearl tells it like it is....and plays it like it was. He takes us all back in time for a brief moment and plays what he learned directly from the Masters themselves.

Click here to play....Bernie Pearl....A Blues Tradition!

Click here to go directly to Bernie Pearl's website!

Bluesmen Of The 20th Century....Stevie Ray Vaughan!

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Born in Dallas, Texas on October 3rd, 1954, Stevie Ray Vaughan grew up to become one of America's finest gifts to the blues world.

After playing with several garage bands, Vaughan dropped out of high school to concentrate full time on playing music. When his original band, The Cobras broke up, Stevie formed Triple Threat in 1975. Triple Threat featured bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Chris Layton and vocalist Lou Ann Barton.

When Barton left the band in 1978, Stevie decided to continue the band and call it Double Trouble. At this point, Stevie Ray Vaughan became the the band's lead singer.

Vaughan's debut album, Texas Flood, was released in the summer of 1983 to rave reviews although much talk was stemming from Stevie's fine backup work on David Bowie's Let's Dance LP.

In the late summer of 1990, Vaughan and Double Trouble set out to do an American headline tour. On August 26th, 1990, after concluding their East Troy, Wisconsin job, Stevie boarded a helicopter bound for Chicago. Just minutes after takeoff, the helicopter crashed, killing Stevie Ray and several other passengers. Stevie was 35 years old.

And so....one of America's and the blues world's finest performers was gone in an instant. Stevie has left us with so much great recorded music. All we have to do is listen to keep his spirit alive.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin "....Red Prysock....Mercury
2)...."The House Is Rockin' "....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
3)...."Texas Flood"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
4)...."Texas Flood"....Fredrik Strand Halland....Self
5)...."Little Wing"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
6)...."Pride And Joy"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
7)...."Life Without You"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
8)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury

Click here to listen to....Influential Guitarists Featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan!
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