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The Rocket Record Company
The Rocket Record Company was a record label founded by Elton John, along with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon, Steve Brown and others, in 1973. The company was named after the hit song " Rocket Man". The label was originally distributed in the UK by Island and in the US by MCA Records, both of which Elton John was also signed to (after 1976). History The first artists who signed to the label were the group Stackridge, who completed two albums for The Rocket Record Company after moving from MCA. It also became the home of Cliff Richard, Neil Sedaka (whose three most successful U.S. mid-1970s albums were on Rocket), Colin Blunstone, the Hudson Brothers, Blue, Kiki Dee, Judie Tzuke, The Lambrettas, Junior Campbell, Brian & Brenda Russell, and the Dutch band Solution. John offered to sign Iggy Pop & The Stooges to the label, but they declined. After John left his British label, DJM, in 1976, his records were also released by The Rocket Record Company on both sides of the Atlanti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rocket Man (song)
"Rocket Man" (officially titled "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)") is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on 17 April 1972 in the US, as the lead single to John's album ''Honky Château''. The song first charted in the UK on 22 April, rising to 2 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 6 in the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming a major hit single for John. On 21 January 2022, the song was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams of 1,200,000 digital downloads and streaming equivalent sales. With sales of 3 million in the US the song was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). ''Rolling Stone'' lists it at No. 149 of its 500 greatest songs of all time. The song has been covered by many artists, most notably by Kate Bush in 1991 with a reggae-tinged version, and by Portuguese si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solution (band)
Solution were a Dutch progressive rock band that existed from 1970 to 1983, during which time they released six studio albums and one live album. They incorporated jazz, rock, pop and soul influences, becoming more commercial on their fifth and sixth albums. History Their first eponymous LP comprised mainly instrumental pieces, complex yet repetitive in structure, with bassist Peter van der Sande singing on one track. He was succeeded by Guus Willemse around the time of its release, and immediately the band began recording more vocal songs; three of the tracks on second album ''Divergence'' featured lyrics. The third album '' Cordon Bleu'' (1975) was released on Elton John's own label named The Rocket Record Company, as was its follow-up ''Fully Interlocking'' (1977). Both albums were produced by John's producer Gus Dudgeon, and featured a crisper sound and more concise songwriting. Despite some criticism for a more commercial direction, the next two albums, ''It's Only Just Be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brenda Russell
Brenda Russell (née Gordon; born April 8, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and keyboardist. Russell has a diverse musical range which encompasses R&B, pop, soul, dance, and jazz. She has received five Grammy nominations. Life and background Brenda Gordon was born to musician parents, with her mother being a singer/songwriter and her father Gus Gordon (1926-2019), a one-time member of the Ink Spots. She spent her early years in Canada after moving to Hamilton, Ontario, at the age of 12. As a teenager she began performing in local bands and was recruited to sing in a Toronto-based girl group called The Tiaras alongside Jackie Richardson, Arlene Trotman, and Colina Phillips. The group's only single, "Where Does All The Time Go", was released on Barry Records in 1968 but was unsuccessful. Career 1960s to 1970s When Russell was 14 years of age she met the group Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury and The Soul Searchers. She would later open for them. In her late teens, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Junior Campbell
Junior Campbell (born William Campbell Jnr, 31 May 1947) is a Scottish composer, songwriter and musician. He was a founding member, lead guitarist, piano player, and singer with the Scottish band Marmalade and co-wrote and produced some of their biggest successes, including "Reflections of My Life", " I See the Rain" and "Rainbow". "Reflections of My Life" has produced sales of over two million units. In 1998 Campbell and co-writer Dean Ford (Thomas McAleese) were awarded a Special Citation of Achievement by the Broadcast Music, Inc., BMI for attaining radio broadcast performances in excess of one million in the US alone. He also wrote and produced his own solo hit record, hits, Hallelujah Freedom and Sweet Illusion and "Carolina Days". Campbell is also known for composing music for film and television drama, and as an arranger and producer for many musicians including Barbara Dickson. He is also known for co-composing the music and co-writing the lyrics for 182 episodes an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Lambrettas
The Lambrettas are an English mod revival band, first active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Named after the iconic Italian Lambretta scooter brand popular among Mods, the band was formed in Brighton, England. Their original line-up consisted of Jez Bird (singer/guitarist), Doug Sanders (guitarist/vocalist), Mark Ellis (bassist) and Paul Wincer (drummer). Their biggest hit was in 1980, with a cover version of the 1950s Leiber and Stoller song, " Poison Ivy", which reached No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart. They scored a No. 12 hit with the follow-up, "Da-a-a-nce". In the same year, they released the album ''Beat Boys in the Jet Age'', which reached No. 28 on the UK Albums Chart, and scored another minor hit single, "Another Day (Another Girl)" (hastily renamed from "Page 3" after complaints from '' The Sun'' newspaper). After the mod revival faded, subsequent singles, which included a 1982 cover of Jefferson Airplane's " Somebody to Love", and a second album, 1981's ''Ambienc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Judie Tzuke
Judie Tzuke ( ; born Judie Myers, 3 April 1956) is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1979 hit " Stay with Me till Dawn", which reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. Life and career Early life Tzuke's family relocated from Poland to England in the 1920s, and changed their surname from Tzuke to Myers, like other Jewish families from Eastern Europe. Her mother, Jean Silverside, was a television actress, and her father, Sefton Myers, was a successful property developer who also managed artists and singers—most notably Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice during the writing of ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. Tzuke preferred the original family name, started using it at school and so, when Tzuke embarked on her singing career, she used it as her stage name. Educated in the visual arts, performing arts, and music, Tzuke performed in folk clubs from the age of 15. Her meeting with Mike Paxman in 1975 was a turning point and they began to collaborate. Under the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kiki Dee
Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known for her 1973 hit "Amoureuse", her 1974 hit "I've Got the Music in Me" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", her 1976 duet with Elton John, which went to number 1 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Her 1981 single "Star" became the theme song for the talent show '' Opportunity Knocks'' when it was revived by the BBC in 1987. In 1993, she performed another duet with John for his ''Duets'' album, a cover version of Cole Porter's " True Love", which reached number 2 in the UK. During her career, she has released 40 singles, three EPs and 12 albums. Early life Dee was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. At the age of 10 she won a local talent contest, and at 16 she had her first paid job in show busin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue (Scottish Band)
Blue are a Scottish pop rock band, formed in Glasgow in 1973. The band currently consists of Hughie Nicholson, Ian MacMillan and David Nicholson. Career Formed and fronted by ex-Marmalade guitarist Hughie Nicholson, Blue signed to RSO Records and released their eponymous debut album the same year. Nicholson was a member of Marmalade between 1971 and 1973, writing fifteen songs to fulfil their Decca recording contract, including the hits, "Cousin Norman", "Back On the Road", and "Radancer" before he left to form Blue. He wrote the majority of Blue's material, including their most recognised number, "Gonna Capture Your Heart". Earlier in his life, he had been a member of the 1960s Scottish rock outfit, The Poets. Blue's debut single "Little Jody" failed to chart. The original album version was recorded before Jimmy McCulloch joined the band, although the single release featured Jimmy. The single version of "Little Jody" appeared on a compilation album, ''20'' in 2002. They ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hudson Brothers
The Hudson Brothers were an American musical group formed in Portland, Oregon, consisting of brothers Bill Hudson, Brett Hudson and Mark Hudson. They were discovered by a record producer while recording music at a local studio, and offered a recording contract. After releasing several garage rock singles in the late 1960s as The New Yorkers, the group began releasing material under the names Everyday Hudson, and Hudson. They garnered fame as teen idols in the 1970s after their primetime series debuted as a Summer replacement for The ''Sonny & Cher'' Comedy Hour in 1974. The resulting popularity led to their Saturday-morning half-hour sketch comedy series for CBS, ''The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show'', which ran from 1974 to 1975. They also released numerous hit singles during this time for producer Bernie Taupin, including "So You Are a Star" (1974), "Rendezvous" (1975), "Lonely School Year" (1975), and "Help Wanted" (1976). History 1965–1972: Formation and early singles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colin Blunstone
Colin Edward Michael Blunstone (born 24 June 1945) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Blunstone came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the English rock band the Zombies, which released four singles that entered the Top 75 charts in the United States during the 1960s, including "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", " She's Coming Home", and "Time of the Season". Blunstone began his solo career in 1969, releasing three singles under a pseudonym of Neil MacArthur. Since then, he has released ten studio albums under his real name. He appears on several albums with the Alan Parsons Project and sang " Old and Wise". In 2019, Blunstone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of The Zombies. Early years Colin Edward Michael Blunstone was born on 24 June 1945, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, only son of Arthur Blunstone, an aeronautical engineer at the De Havilland factory at Hatfield who later ran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard Greenfield, Howard "Howie" Greenfield and Phil Cody. After a short-lived tenure as a founding member of the doo-wop group the Tokens, Sedaka achieved a string of hit singles over the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Oh! Carol" (1959), "Calendar Girl (song), Calendar Girl" (1960), "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" (1961) and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (1962). His popularity declined by the mid-1960s, but was revived in the mid-1970s, solidified by the 1975 US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood (Neil Sedaka song), Bad Blood". Sedaka maintained a successful career as a songwriter, penning hits for other artists including "Stupid Cupid" (Connie Fran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
