By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor As the old proverb goes, all it takes is “three chords and the truth" for a good song. File under "less is more," "don't overthink it," and "keep it simple, stupid!" While I do love music of a more involved or complex fabric, I am always more than […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor "Rock 'n' roll's a loser's game. It mesmerizes and I can't explain." A rather profound observation made by Ian Hunter circa 1973 in the song 'Ballad Of Mott The Hoople.' The once vital obsession to find and connect to "real" rock and roll was the pastime of many […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Seemingly every youth culture movement has its moment in the spotlight, its day in the sun. Sometimes it a fleeting flash, while other times it’s a slow burn that ends up lingering beyond sell date. When the 'punk' movement hit the press in, for sake of argument, 1977, […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor When the Steve Miller Band hit the music scene in 1968 with their debut album, 'Children Of The Future,' they were one of many bands from the San Fransisco Bay area vying for people's attention. Their mixture of blues, soul and rock and roll would prove a winning […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor For three dates in February of 1963, Sam Cooke gathered up a group of musicians and held some late night recording sessions to make a record he really wanted to make. Recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, Cooke, brought in pianist Ray Johnson, lead guitarist Barney Kessel, bassists […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor After parting ways with Genesis in 1975, vocalist Peter Gabriel anxiously set off on his own path. Many critics, and some fans, assumed the band would fail without Gabriel, but for most fans there wa a sense of excitement wondering what each camp would come up with. While […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor The Sex Pistols were a shooting star -- a momentary flash of lightning -- however you wish to analogize them. They appeared, exploded, imploded, and were gone. Obviously, the aftershocks have been felt ever since to varying degrees. Despite any cliché’s the band were wrapped in (assembled by […]
Read MoreBy Brad Savage - Summit FM Program Director Our program "Cruisin' The Decades - 100 Years of Music" is truly a labour of love. It forces me to do a deep dive into music history and appreciation, every week. I have discovered so much amazing music from this program. I am incredibly tickled that it […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Americana is certainly a crowded field. It has come to represent everything from Alt. Country, to folk, to blues, to throwback rock and roll and seemingly every hybrid in between. At the core, however, is the song and the emotion. Those who can deliver that one-two punch of […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor After several years of haunting the clubs of the world and issuing a variety of albums, in September of 1983, Tom Waits found his true voice with the release of his eighth album, 'Swordfishtrombones.' He began his professional musical journey in as the '60s wove into the '70s. […]
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