By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

To have your debut album not only garner vast critical acclaim, but to also connect with a huge audience is truly something special. The 1989 debut from Tracy Chapman not only brought in rave reviews, three Grammy wins, and four other nominations, but hit #1 in nine countries, and No. 2 in four others, ultimately selling multi-platinum across the world. Not bad for this Cleveland, Ohio born singer/songwriter, who was a mere 24 years old at the time.

In 1989, in the midst of a shallow and sparkly world of pop and metal, Tracy Chapman's debut album seemed like an artifact from a different planet, let alone a different time. Her mixture of folk, reggae, blues, and soul, within the pop format, made Chapman stand out even more. It was because of this distance from the mainstream that people noticed in a big way.

The song that initially got attention focused on her by the record companies was 'Talkin' About A Revolution,' but as we know, it was 'Fast Car,' that when released as the album's first single, would shine the spotlight firmly upon her. The entire album is filled with such mini classics, gems that transcend the time and place they were made, catchy enough to grab an ear, but substantial enough to hold attention. For many, the thought was Tracy was the new social and political voice on the streets, but she saw it differently. "People refer to me as being a protest singer, being revolutionary and all," she told NPR in 1988, "I know the kind of music I do is different than popular music on the radio today, and it’s not new for a black person. Black people have a history of folk music."

Because of, or perhaps in spite of, this take, it certainly helped Chapman gain ground. Songs like 'Mountains O' Things,' and 'Behind The Wall' tackled topics and turned heads lyrically, while the sparse and sometimes haunting musical approach held it all in place. Singing about homelessness, domestic violence, the political stance of America, and a hopeful call for change, may have clashed with the 'nothing but a good time' party going on elsewhere, but it stood tall on its own.

"I think many of the songs I've written, there's an element of hope in there," Chapman told MTV back in 1988. "In a sense I guess it's a double edged sword, let's look at all the things that might be unpleasant, but we have to look at them if we’re going to come up with solutions to these problems, and to do that, you have to hope that things can get better."

The album was produced by the highly respected David Kershenbaum, who was behind many significant records by artists such as Duran Duran, Joe Jackson, Bryan Adams, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Elkie Brooks, and Tori Amos. In speaking with Rolling Stone at the time of release, Kershenbaum said, "I wanted to make sure that she was in front, vocally and thematically, and that everything was built around her." He was betting that there were enough music fans craving something of more substance and less glitz.

"There was a set of ideas that we wanted to communicate, and we felt if we were truthful and loyal to those ideas, then people would pick up on the emotion and the lyrical content that was there." Kershenbaum's instincts were correct, as the album turned out to be the right album at the right moment.

She definitely touched a nerve with the public on that first album, which lead to a solid twenty year career, mostly dormant since her last album in 2008. Only recently, with the chart topping cover of 'Fast Car,' by current country sensation Luke Combs, is she back in the spotlight. His version hitting #1 caused her to become the first Black woman to score a country number one with a solo composition, while at the 57^th Annual CMA's in 2023, she also became the first Black woman to ever take home a CMA Award, winning ‘Song of the Year’ for 'Fast Car.' She later made a public re-emergence when she appeared on the 66^th Annual Grammy Awards, earlier this year, to join Combs on 'Fast Car.'

“It’s hard to be a commentator on your own work, and try to analyze what you’ve written, when sometimes you don’t even know what you’ve done,” she told Spin. “That’s why I write songs and I don’t write books. People always want to know about the person that writes, and the easiest thing to do is assume that they write about themselves, and that you can gain insight into what the writer thinks and feels. But that’s not necessarily true. In songs, you take on different personas and different characters, and try and put yourself in their place. Plus, I think that if you go about explaining everything about a song, it’s gone.”

Even though Tracy Chapman has had a healthy career in music, her self-titled debut remains the cornerstone of her catalog for many, and it’s easy to see why it remains essential.

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Graham Parker has lived a life of music. From his teenage years, following a beat group dream, and on through to gracing the world stage with his own brand of rock and roll, which he merged with soul, folk, and a smart pop sensibility. Parker hit the ground running with his debut LP, 'Howlin' Wind,' in 1976. Produced by Nick Lowe, 'Howlin Wind' was a perfect introduction to the world of Parker and his songs. 'Nothing's Gonna Pull Us Apart,' 'Back To Schooldays,' and 'Don't Ask Me Questions,' to name a few, made people take notice there was a new force to be heard.

Soulful yet savage, Parker was the first kid in line, before Costello, Jackson, and the rest. Melding a bit of Van Morrison with Bob Dylan and his own personal venom, he quickly developed his trademark sound. He would follow that with the slightly more polished, Mutt Lange produced, 'Heat Treatment,' a mere few months later. Two landmark albums under his belt by the end of 1976, and the 'revolution' that was punk rock/new wave had yet to get into gear. Not that GP was 'punk rock,' but like many of the era, that had little to do with the grandiose candelabras and conceptual works of the day, he shared a back to basics sensibility. Graham called Nick Lowe back for album three, 'Stick To Me,' followed by the gritty live album, 'The Parkerilla.'

By 1979, the lay of the land was different in the few years since Parker wandered into the landscape, meaning, the world was catching up with the style GP was laying down, which should have made 1979 the year of Mr. Parker. In some ways, it was. The release of 'Squeezing Out Sparks,' in March of 1979, was perfectly timed. Chock full of classics delivered with a crash, bang, and wallop simply made for the era, Parker was suddenly in the spotlight.

It's not a stretch to claim that it is a perfect album. From the first chord of 'Discovering Japan,' to the final note of 'Don't Get Excited,' the album had everything going for it. The sharp production, by the legendary Jack Nitzsche, was a perfect fit for the first rate songs within. With backing by his loyal, and very rocking band, The Rumour, it honestly didn't get much better. 'Local Girls' was the hit that never was, while 'Nobody Hurts You,' 'Saturday Nite Is Dead,' ‘Passion Is No Ordinary Word,' and 'Love Gets You Twisted,' are all classics that prove Mr. Parker should be on that elusive Mount Rushmore of unsung heroes of rock and roll!

A modest hit in the UK, hitting number 18, 'Squeezing Out Sparks' actually hit the U.S. Top 40, making it, along with the follow-up 'The Up Escalator,' his highest charting U.S. albums. While it never made him a household name, it certainly gained him many new fans, and could easily be held up as Essential! Now, go turn it up and enjoy!

By Matt Anthony - Summit FM Digital Media Specialist

“So, you’re the guy who never responded to any of the tapes I sent to you!?”

We both howled in laughter. It was the first time that I had met Garrett Hart. I was getting a tour of the Ott Building with Jim Chenot, and Garrett came bouncing out of a studio and was immediately called over by Jim.

Not only did Garrett and I share a common bond of grappling in the ‘radio wars’ after long careers, but we were also able to compare notes on a city a couple of hours to the southeast: Pittsburgh. Garrett was a native of the Steel City, and I worked in the ‘Burgh with KDKA radio, from 2001 until 2006. I could detect the recognizable southwest Pennsylvania cadence in his speech.

Leaving the Ott Building after my tour, we also shared an additional chuckle as Garrett easily slid into ‘Pittsburgh-ese,’ comically mocking me as I departed with a ‘Yinz be careful ‘aht there with that winter weather ‘n ‘at. It could be slippy!”

How do we define a ‘body of work?’ What is my body of work? What is yours? It takes no time at all to pore over the massive body of work of, say, The Rolling Stones, or Stephen King, or Martin Scorcese. It’s also easier to access that work. A library gives it to us at a moment’s notice. (and now, naturally, Netflix, Audible, or Spotify!)

Coincidentally, I had been re-arranging some of my things in my home-studio when I heard that Garrett Hart was retiring after 50 years in broadcasting. I sat motionless trying to imagine being involved in something for a half-century. I thought about a person’s body of work, and what it might mean in the scheme of things.

To my right sat an oblong box full of cassette tapes. They included composites and recordings I had saved of past on-air performances, promos that I had voiced, and countless commercials that I had written and produced over the years. Sprinkled around the box were a few CD’s, as well as a couple of rogue DAT tapes, at the time the so-called ‘future’ of audio-archiving. I realized that inside this make-shift modern studio that a cassette player was nowhere to be found. Ha! I couldn’t possibly access this ‘body of work’, even if I wanted to!

I also knew that, unlike Stephen King and Martin Scorcese, my body of work would, more than likely, never be heard again. Nobody would demand a copy of the PM Drive show I did in 1994 at Arrow 94.7, in Washington, D.C. Nobody would ask to read a promo I had written for Opening Day. between the Red Sox and Orioles, for WEEI-FM in Boston. It was as if those decades of work, archived for posterity on those cassettes, served no purpose other than to fill up a box and be left in a dark closet.

But after having the chance to work with Garrett, to be a teammate of his, and to witness his attention to detail and long-time commitment to The Summit FM, I began to understand that a person’s work-life isn’t just a static thing meant to be archived and admired from a distance. It’s a living, breathing thing. It lives on in the people that we touch and the impact that we make.

Garrett’s contribution to broadcasting is immense. While his on-air performances may not be catalogued in a wing of a museum, they honor, in real time, the importance of broadcasting as a medium of expression. The information, humor, and knowledge that he has imparted over this half decade…to listeners, co-workers, employees, members, and underwriters…matters way more than whether it can be accessed on You Tube or in the public library.

The markets where he has worked. The people that benefitted from his knowledge. The companies that profited from his expertise. Heck, just his contributions to KidKam! Radio and Rock and Recovery, alone! All of these hallmarks of an illustrious career are things that everyone can point to when honoring this titan of a broadcaster.

More importantly, though, he understood the role and the mission of this noncommercial public radio entity…AND…he’s just a good guy. Sure, I would have loved to work at WDVE-FM, in Pittsburgh, earlier in my career. I joked with him several times that, as the Program Director of WDVE, he probably erased all those demo-cassettes I had sent him, and re-used them! But I’m grateful that I had a chance to work with this radio broadcasting legend. His body of work is intact, and it’s appreciated and respected.

By Andrew Popp - Attorney

Charitable Giving is something that many of us do, at least in moderation, to support the things we care about. While some of the benefits of donating are obvious, such as supporting the non-profits or charities that you care about, others are more difficult to discover. Additionally, HOW you donate plays a huge role in the way your donation is treated. In this article, we will be giving a brief overview of some of the most common ways to donate as well as the benefits of each. The information contained is for general informational purposes only. You should consult with an attorney or tax professional in making decisions regarding financial matters as these rules change frequently.

Gifting Rules

Before we delve into the realm of Charitable Giving, I think it will be helpful to briefly review the IRS’ regulations about gifting generally. This area of law is seldom understood and, in my presentation, “When Good Gifts Go Bad,” we review some of the common pitfalls people fall into.

Annual Gifts. Every person has the ability to gift a certain amount of money to any other person, charity, or entity of their choosing without tax consequences. This limit is adjusted for inflation periodically and was increased to $18,000.00 in 2024. Note that as a married couple, you can double that figure as you each have that amount to gift. If you go over the annual limit you will likely want to complete a 709 Gift Tax Return with the IRS.  This form petitions the IRS to treat the overage as an early inheritance and while it reduces the amount you can eventually pass on to your heirs by the amount of the overage, it means no gift tax is due and payable.  Since gift taxes are quite large, and the personal exemptions for inheritances is currently also very high (13.61 million per person).

Straight donation

An outright donation to a charity is probably the most common way in which people give to organizations they care about. While any donations to qualified organizations can be used to reduce your taxable income, other means to donate will allow you to maximize tax benefits while providing flexibility in the long term.

Generally speaking, each individual can subtract charitable donations up to 60 percent of their adjusted gross income when itemizing their income tax deductions. This benefit is a good start, but many families will not donate a large enough amount in order to make itemized deductions worth it when compared to your standard deductions. This option also may leave money on the table and you likely have better options.

Charitable remainder trust.

A Charitable Remainder Trust (“CRT”) is one of the more common ways to support a qualified organization that you care about. As you will see, the numerous benefits of a Charitable Remainder Trust make it clear why.

What is a Charitable Remainder Trust? A Charitable Remainder Trust (“CRT”) can be set up either as a stand-alone Trust, or a sub-trust within a family Trust. It is an irrevocable trust designed to receive funds or assets that will benefit both chosen beneficiaries (such as children) and qualified organizations. A CRT holds those assets and the Trustee manages them. The CRT pays an income to the beneficiaries you choose for up to 20 years. When the time frame for payments has run, any assets left in the CRT are paid to the qualified non-profit or charity of your choosing.

Now for the good part. CRTs are tax-free. What does that mean? In short, CRTs do not pay capital gains or income tax. A common strategy used is to transfer highly appreciated assets into a CRT before they are sold. Where an individual would have to pay tax based on the appreciated value of an asset, a CRT does not. If the assets in the CRT earn an income, again, there is no tax. This has the added benefit of removing assets from your taxable estate at a lesser value.

Keep in mind, however, that when the beneficiary named gets the periodic income payment, that income is taxable and is added to his or her annual income tax return. Even still, this can be a powerful tool in reducing capital gains tax.

In addition to the above, you, as the donor get to claim a charitable deduction, as with a straight donation, in the year in which you create and fund the CRT. (subject to the same limitations above).

Once the payment to the CRT is made it is out of your taxable estate. If the funds grow or appreciate, you would not be taxed on the increased value if your estate would otherwise be subject to gift or inheritance taxes.

Asset Protection. Another benefit of a CRT is that it is beyond the reach of litigants, creditors, or others. (In most cases). That means you can gift an amount to a CRT, receive an income back from the Trust for 20 years and the principal amount cannot be touched by anyone else.

IRA/401K and the SECURE Act.

Additionally, a relatively new benefit of CRTs has come about due to the SECURE ACT. The SECURE ACT went into effect in the year 2020 (SECURE 2.0 at the end of 2022). While this law changed many things, we will be focusing on changes related to IRAs and 401ks. Some changes, like not being required to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) until you are 73 are relatively innocuous, the changes to inherited IRA’s were quite significant.

Elimination of the Stretch IRA

The stretch IRA is a term used to describe payments out of an IRA when it is inherited by a named beneficiary. It works like this, if a beneficiary inherits an IRA from another person, that beneficiary needs to start taking out RMDs regardless of his or her age. The amount of the RMD is typically calculated by looking at the value of the account and the life expectancy of the beneficiary. That beneficiary then can stretch out payments from that IRA over, often times, several decades.

While the stretch is still available to a surviving spouse, or in other very limited circumstances, for most people it is gone. Under the SECURE Act, an inherited IRA now must all be taken out within 10 years, period. In short, that means that larger distributions are required which not only increases taxes on the distributions, but can increase the beneficiary’s tax bracket for income tax.

How does a CRT help? One of the few ways around the required 10 year payout is through a CRT. With a CRT you retain the ability to make payments to a chosen beneficiary for 20 years. This doubles the time for payments and can significantly reduce the tax burdens on the beneficiaries you choose. Additionally, it can serve to extend the protections of the assets in the IRA from any issues your beneficiaries may run into.

Charitable Lead Trust

A Charitable Lead Trust (“CLT”) is similar to a CRT but operates in reverse, and loses some of the tax benefits of a CRT. Unlike a CRT, a CLT pays the income to the charity or qualified non-profit over a term of years. When the time frame for payments has lapsed, any amounts remaining in the trust are paid out to a beneficiary of your choosing (even yourself).

You, as the donor of the CLT, can often receive the same income tax deductions as with an outright donation, or through a CRT. A CLT is not tax-free like a CRT, however.  That means income tax and capital gains tax would still need to be paid out of the trust. Taxes on CLTs can be very complicated and a qualified tax professional should be consulted before taking action.

Distributions directly from your IRA/401K

Another option that is often overlooked is the ability to roll over portions of your IRA/401k directly to the qualified non-profit or charity of your choosing. The IRS permits people who have reached the age for RMDs (seventy-three in 2024), to roll over up to $105,000 ($100,00 indexed for inflation), from his or her IRA to such an organization without that donation being counted as taxable income. Even better, that withdrawal, while not counted as taxable income, it DOES count towards your RMDs for the year. That means that if you have a year in which you would be in a higher tax bracket, you can use this technique to satisfy your RMD requirement with the tax consequences you normally see.

Preserving Flexibility in your Charitable Giving

A common concern shared by those who do any type of long-term giving, or those that leave gifts in their Will or Trust, is “What happens if the non-profit or charity goes under?” In short, there are a couple of legal principles that come to the rescue.

The first is a term called cy pres. In non-lawyer speak, cy pres means “as close as possible,” and comes into play for almost any type of charitable gift. If the non-profit or charity you named dissolves the doctrine of cy pres allows the person making the gift to direct those funds to another organization that has a purpose as close to the original organization as possible. This is done to preserve the intent of the original gift giver.

Another option we see used is something called a Donor Advised Fund. A Donor Advised Fund (“DAF”) is a fund established as a public charity. (A section 501(c)(3) organization). A DAF allows you to make a charitable contribution to the Fund and receive that same immediate income tax deduction as we see above. However, the ultimate organization that the donation is given to is not set in stone. The donor retains advisory privileges regarding the distribution of funds. In short, that means you can change the organization that is donated to every year. Moreover, all the funds do not need to be distributed at once. As a charitable organization, if the assets in the Fund grow, they are not taxed. In recent years, Donor Advised Funds have been used as tax shelters by those seeking to avoid properly payable taxes. As such, the IRS is considering additional rules regarding these organizations. Overall, the flexibility and tax benefits should largely be preserved, but the nuances of the law may be subject to change in the future.

Conclusion In sum, charitable giving is a great way to give back and support the community in which we live. However, like many things in law and with taxes, doing it the right way can yield even greater benefits to you. Should we contribute to local non-profits or charities? Absolutely, just make sure you speak with a qualified professional to discuss what best serves you, your family, and even the organization you want to support.

By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director

What's everyone been listening to out there? There's been an AVALANCHE of great new songs coming at us to start the new year, as per usual, with STILL more to come! Easily the most exciting time of the year in our world of music, that I get to sort through and play them for you on the radio. So much new music coming at us, so little time...however, these songs that might fly under the radar to most are what I've been diggin' most especially these past few weeks!

Like what you hear? Please email me at chad@thesummit.fm and let me know what you think!

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

One thing for certain about Canadian rock music, it's all over the map! And that's a good thing! If there is a 'Canadian sound,' it would have to slot somewhere in between Neil Young, Rush, Nick Gilder, the Guess Who, Voivod, Nash The Slash, Thundermug, and, well, you get the idea. None of those bands sound alike, and there is no Canadian sound, which in turn, makes perfect sense that Barenaked Ladies are among Canada's favorite sons.

Formed in 1988, just outside of Toronto, BNL rose up from the underground in a highly unprecedented manner. After recording a handful of demo tapes, the band's reputation had grown to the point where demand for fans to get their hands on those demo recordings went sky high. This led to the band self-releasing their official unofficial debut, self-titled though known as 'The Yellow Tape.' The songs on this recording were made to coincide with the band's appearance at SXSW, but fans kept buying the demo tape, which then made history as the first independent release to go Gold in Canada.

With all this in their favor, it wasn’t long before the big labels came calling. The band eventually signed with Sire/Reprise Records, in the States, who issued their proper debut album, 'Gordon,' in 1992. The band re-recorded the songs from 'The Yellow Tape,' most of which are still among their most well-known. 'Be My Yoko Ono,' 'Brian Wilson' and 'If I Had $1,000,000,' make up 3 of the album's 16 tracks.

Barenaked Ladies, with a name that came from a list of imaginary bands the guys had compiled, immediately found a home in the alternative rock landscape, which included just about anything under the sun at that point, so why not some clever, catchy, smart pop music from these Canadian rabble rousers. The songs are colored with just about every instrument within reach, making it even more difficult to categorize their quirky brand of folk/pop.

Clever lyrics with humor often at the center, the band was an admitted product of its upbringing, surrounded by pop culture. "Some much of what we grew up in was pop culture in the 70s and 80s,” said vocalist Stephen Page, in a 1992 interview with the CBC. "That's the atmosphere we grew up in. A lot of our music comes from knowing about those things. We make fun of a lot of stuff."

Guitarist Ed Robinson concurs, "Like the song 'Be My Yoko Ono’ is just a love song in the disguise of a quirky little pop culture joke. We thought it was just a joke, but people kept saying 'that's a great, really sweet love song."

Yet, for every goofy pun or silly reference, there is often much more lurking under the surface in their songs. The New York Times called that point upfront in their initial review, "It's not easy to be hyperactive, brooding, and whimsical all at once, but the Barenaked Ladies do just that." ‘Gordon' hit the number one spot in their Canadian homeland, and sold well in the U.S., paving the way for a long running, happy fan base here in America, and eventually, two years later, turning Gold here as well.

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

New York. London. Paris, and of course, Munich. Everybody, go on now, talk about Pop Music! What is Pop Music? Certainly, one would think pop, being short for popular…however, so much amazing pop music had nothing to do with popularity contests. It was meant to define music in a popular idiom for mass consumption, however, the craft so often involved in what makes truly great pop music, could never be tolerated by the masses. What then, makes a great pop song?  Hooks, melodic invention, dynamics, and so on, all add up. Could be something as sweet and innocent as 'Sugar Sugar,' by the Archies, or something as dynamic and gravity defying as '21st Century Schizoid Man,' by King Crimson. Coincidentally, both those records were released in 1969, worlds apart, and yet closer than one might think in the large scheme of things.

Roxy Music were, by definition, a 'Pop' group, however, the definition of pop had been remade and remodeled in the post-Sgt. Pepper world. It was the golden age of anything goes Pop music. By 1973, Roxy Music had released their stunning debut, and equally stunning follow-up, 'For Your Pleasure.' It's at this point in the game that sound craftsman, special effects coordinator, and visual flashpoint, Brian Eno decides to leave the band, to begin his most interesting odyssey as a solo artist.

Released in early 1974, 'Here Come The Warm Jets' was Pop Music, ENO style. Direct links to pop's golden past collided head on with futuristic bravado to create not only one of the most interesting debut albums ever, but one of the most art driven, fully realized Pop albums of all time. Kicking into high gear with track one, 'Needles In The Camel's Eye,' things are off to a grand start. With a two chord Velvets style groove at its root, it is awash in the Glam-era colors, with a simple Kinks-ian melody. In other words, it's a perfect pop song, co-written by Eno and Roxy guitarist Phil Manzanera, who lends his guitar prowess to the mix as well. 'The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch' follows, with some prime Eno nob twiddling for the solo, welcoming the future a few years early.

By track three we are settled in but hardly prepared for the attack that is 'Baby's On Fire.' A deceptively simple song that is, even 50 years on, still a house rattling good time. Guitar overload courtesy of one Mr. Robert Fripp who provides, dare I say it, one of the top recorded guitar solos in history. If this doesn't rattle your windows, and your soul, at full volume, check your pulse.

'Cindy Tells Me' is about as pure pop as ENO gets, again using a Velvet style template, but in sweeter tone, which helps prepare for the side one closer, 'Driving Me Backwards,' which somehow combines a Kurt Weill-esque backdrop, with some Lennon ‘White Album’ tones, all the while predicting and predating post punk. Side two runs the gamut from the lush and sophisticated 'On Some Faraway Beach,' to the pre-punk ramblings of 'Blank Frank,' to the Kinks-meets-avant-garde of 'Dead Finks Don't Talk,' and the exotica futurism on 'Some Of Them Are Old,' before washing away with the glorious title track, which rides us off into the sunset.

ENO would make another stunning LP, 'Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy,' by the end of year. 1975 would find him off on new sonic adventures like the varied ‘Another Green World,' and 'Discreet Music,' his first real dive into ambient music, a genre he in many ways is the father of, not forgetting the pair of albums made with Robert Fripp, 'No Pussyfooting,' and 'Evening Star,' both sonic landscapes of guitar tones and tape loops, unlike anything else attempted by rock or pop stars. 1977 would see the last of his pop albums for a while, the also wonderful 'Before And After Science.' For many years, he would follow the ambient muse as an artist, while his role as producer grew and grew. In fact, he is likely better known for his producer tag, in the large scheme of things, but we must not forget his insanely great contributions as a pop artist.

'Here Come The Warm Jets' is Pop Music as Pop Art. It fills that role as much as the Beatles 'Revolver,' the Kinks' 'Face To Face,' and the Who 'Sell Out,' to name a few. And ok, yeah, I admit, it is one of my all-time favorite albums! I vividly remember first hearing it back in 1975, and feeling like I had connected to some other frequency out in the cosmos. It was so modern sounding. It was the sound of the future, yet of that specific moment in time as well. It has worn incredibly well over the years, and still sounds like it's being beamed in via some distant signal from some faraway place. The whole album still gives a chill and a thrill. Thank you ENO! On behalf of The Summit FM, I am more than happy to call ‘Here Come The Warm Jets’ essential!

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

As ‘National Women’s Month’ continues, I would like to take a page here to talk about one of my favorite artists ever, male or female.

Of all the amazing female artists in the history of rock and roll music, there are few quite as intriguing, captivating, or simply beautiful, as Marianne Faithfull. She has long been a tower of strength, and her journey has been a long and interesting trek through a variety of musical and human adventures. To many, she is instantly remembered as this striking young woman who won the heart of a young Mick Jagger, and became half of one of rock and roll's most celebrated couples in the mid-1960s. While her recording career ran side by side to that of The Rolling Stones, and her first hit, 'As Tears Go By,' was a Jagger/Richards composition, Faithfull was always her own musical soul in search of her own expression.

Initially discovered by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who thought he could make her a pop star, she signed to the Decca/London label, and between 1965 and 1967, issued a total of seven albums and ten singles, four of which cracked the Top 10. Over the course of those records, she tried her hand at pure pop, folk, a more sophisticated style of pop, and a tinge of psychedelia. Her voice was pure and honest throughout, despite a slight lack of identity at times. During this time frame as well, her life took a major turn, as she became romantically involved with Jagger, a relationship that would both benefit and damage her.

Covering songs by Jackie DeShannon, Bacharach/David, Jagger/Richards, and Tony Hatch, her 1965 debut was classic British pop, but by her second offering, 'Come My Way,' she was off on a musical adventure of her own. With songwriter Jon Mark, the duo reworked an album's worth of traditional folk songs. This approach would follow on her third LP, 'North Country Maid,' which also included compositions from Donovan and Bert Jansch. Her fourth and final album of the '60s, 'Love In A Mist,' would draw from both pop and folk influences.

By 1968, she had somewhat backed away from her music career, though it was a 1969 single that would forever change the way people viewed and understood Faithfull in musical terms. Decca issued a single, 'Something Better,' written by Brill Building mainstays Barry Mann and Gerry Goffin, to promote a best of album, 'The World Of Marianne Faithfull.' It was, however, the B-side that caught attention. 'Sister Morphine,' co-written by Faithfull with Jagger and Richards, made its first appearance on her solo single, with her vocal, nearly two years before The Rolling Stones would issue their version on 'Sticky Fingers.' The record biz, being the cruel and questionable place it was (is), failed to give her credit for the song upon the U.S. release. This issue was not rectified until the early 1990s!

For the next decade, Faithfull only recorded two albums. 'Dreamin’ My Dreams,' in 1976 (later reissued as 'Faithless’) and 'Rich Kid Blues,' recorded in 1971, with songs by Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Phil Ochs, Cat Stevens, and others. A phenomenal album that, for legal reasons, remained unreleased until 1985.

It was, however, in 1979 when Faithfull found her true voice with the release of the legendary 'Broken English' album. Combining elements of new wave, reggae, and electronic music, it helped put her music in clubs around the world, while it earned the most glowing reviews of her recording career. "As bracingly full of venom and spite as anything her punk admirers could muster,“ and “from a sweet pop star to a legitimate rock songstress who is both mature and empowering, while the album itself being a masterpiece."

The musically adventurous album is also a no holds barred lyrical trip, with zero censorship. I mean, zero! The lyrics to the LP's final track, 'Why'd You Do It?' were so explicit in its description of an affair, that workers at the EMI plant walked out, refusing to press the album. The song still resonates, and shocks, today. It is possibly the most vicious flip off song ever recorded. You think Taylor Swift, Beyonce, or any of these other prancing little pop stars have attitude? You have no idea!

Released 45 years ago this year, 'Broken English' was a definite turning point in her development as an artist. “I made a decision to really, completely give my heart to the whole thing, and that’s what happened," she told the Guardian. "I was quite smart enough to realize that I had a lot to learn. You know, I didn’t go to Oxford, but I went to Olympic Studios and watched the Rolling Stones record, and I watched the Beatles record as well. I watched the best people working and how they worked and, because of Mick, I guess, I watched people writing, too – a brilliant artist at the top of his game. I watched how he wrote and I learned a lot, and I will always be grateful.” The title track became a club hit and critical triumph.

She would remain musically active and adventurous through the 80s and 90s, performing with everything from a jazz combo to a rock band to an orchestra. She would hit a genuine gold streak in the 2000s with albums like 'Before The Poison,' 'Horses And High Heels,' 'Give My Love To London,' and 'Negative Capability,' many of which she teamed up with members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who proved to be perfect musical companions to where Marianne was at. The world weariness of her voice went to suit the songs, and her performances, better with age.

Throughout her life, she has battled everything thrown at her, from being berated by the press in the UK, to dealing with the male rock and roll ego, and the complications of the music industry, not to mention a serious heroin addiction that left her homeless at one point. There was also a battle in later years with cancer, Hepatitis C, a broken hip, depression, and lastly, a serious battle with Covid, which, sadly, left damage to her lungs and, therefore, making singing a difficult task at this point. Her most recent album, 'She Walks In Beauty,' from 2021, featured her own reading of some of her favorite poems, with musical accompaniment from Warren Ellis, of the Bad Seeds. Marianne Faithfull was and still is a tower of strength, with battle scars and a vast catalog of music to prove it. An eternally interesting songstress and human being, her story is one of strength, survival, and sonic adventure. "I don’t know why I believe in miracles. I just do," she surmised. "Maybe I have to, the journey I’ve been on, the things that I’ve put myself through, that I’ve got through so far and I’m OK.” One of a kind and just as cool, if not cooler, than her male counterparts and companions, Marianne Faithfull shines on.