According to This Day in Music, on this day in 1980 Donna Summer became the first act to sign with Geffen Records. Summer — whose real name was the much more interesting LaDonna Adrian Gaines — had a tremendous stage presence. Unfortunately, she passed away a year ago.
Of course, it’s fashionable to deride disco. Almost anything done well, however, is worth listening to and shouldn’t be dismissed. Above is “On the Radio,” which was released in 1983.
Here are some books to check out.
Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.
What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.
The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").
David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.
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