Legacy Categories - The Hip Quotient

Marianne Faithfull’s Tears Gone By

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Brits Beyond The Beatles & Stones Eclectic Ladyland Writers on the Storm: Books, Authors, Poets
Post comments:6 Comments
Post published:December 29, 2015

"I slept with three of them and then decided the lead singer was the best bet." That was burgeoning pop singer Marianne Faithfull in 1964, telling "New Musical Express" magazine that the quickest route to success would be to snag a Rolling Stone -- most strategically, Mick Jagger. What a cocky thing to say, I thought when I first heard this quote as a kid. I'd always wanted to use the British term strumpet, and now was my chance. Why all the fuss about Marianne Faithfull, anyway? Sure, she was blonde, sexy and had a hit song. Big deal. So, it was with much skepticism that I decided to read her 1994 memoir "Faithfull." And by the time I finished it, I found her to be one of the most intelligent and independent women in rock -- a talented singer, songwriter, muse, actress, diarist, and survivor. Today is her 68th birthday.

Steve Miller in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Go On, Take the Honor and Run.

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:American Bands and Artists Guitarists: The Axemen Cometh
Post comments:2 Comments
Post published:December 22, 2015

Most columnists have had to squeeze one out now and then, so to speak. You have a tight deadline, you rack your brain for a topic that doesn’t require a lot of research or thoughtful analysis, and you dribble out a little essay that you pray won’t be perceived as lightweight or desperate. Yes, a deadline can serve as a…

Altamont: Go Easy with Your Cold Fanged Anger

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Rolling Stones
Post comments:2 Comments
Post published:December 6, 2015

"Cold fanged anger." That's one of many disturbing lyrics from the Rolling Stones' classic "Midnight Rambler." It's a song about a black-caped killer -- a knife-sharpening hit-and-run raper who'll smash your windows, put his fist through your door, and stick his knife right down your throat. That character sprang from the mind of Mick Jagger. And on December 6, 1969, the monster turned on its maker, turning a day of free music into a night of chaos and killing. This is the story of the murder at Altamont.

The Sex Pistols: Cocked, Loaded, and Firing F Bombs on British Telly

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Brits Beyond The Beatles & Stones Film, TV, Stage, Media Glam & Punk Rock: All the Young Dudes
Post comments:3 Comments
Post published:December 1, 2015

It all started because Queen frontman Freddie Mercury had to go to the dentist, and his band was forced to cancel a scheduled TV appearance at the last minute. That bit of serendipity gave the U.K. public its first taste of the menace known as the Sex Pistols. On December 1, 1976, the punk rock band was summoned to the studios of Thames Television's "Today" program, an early evening live talk show hosted by Bill Grundy. The program's producers offered its substitute guests the customary assortment of alcoholic treats as they waited in the green room prior to air time. Big mistake. The drunk punks unleashed a torrent of expletives - infuriating scores of TV viewers. The 3-minute interview from hell ended Grundy’s career and catapulted the band to international notoriety overnight.

Whatever Gets You to the Heights, S’Alright

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Beatles John Lennon: One Spinal Cracker
Post comments:1 Comment
Post published:November 28, 2015

Imagine there's no Billboard To measure record sales. No song's the winner, No song ever fails. Imagine all releases Treasured equally…. Imagine the most defining song of John Lennon's career NOT reaching the number one spot on the Billboard charts when it was released in October 1971. Surprisingly, John's iconic peace anthem, "Imagine," actually peaked at number three, which just goes to prove that chart position does not a legendary song make. John's only single to hit the number one spot during his lifetime was "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," which topped the U.S. charts in November 1974.