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 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 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 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 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. […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor Television - a device that allows a variety of entertainment into one's living room day after day after night after night. What a concept! From the earliest days of family entertainment up through cable and the countless streaming services and 'plus' programming, there is a lot to pick […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor I've been listening to music probably every day since 1967. From transistor AM radio all the way to streaming audio, it's been a long strange trip of sounds to say the least. Countless 45's, albums and cds obtained over the decades, a laundry list of concerts attended, promoted […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor "Yes, I'm going to be a pop star. Oh mama, mama see me, mama, mama see me I'm a pop star" - Cat Stevens 1970 Pop stardom, that fickle mistress of temptation for youngsters, and record companies, never subsides. It may mutate over time, take slightly different shapes and […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor As we wander and stumble through 2023, one can't help but think back to 'simpler' times now and again. Those of, or over, a certain age will remember times free of irony, a plague of the 21st century. Things could stand or fall as they were, no hidden […]
Read MoreBy Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor People are always full of bright ideas, aren't they? Especially those in the business of distracting the general public from reality. From ‘Cop Rock’ to ‘New Coke,’ the roads are littered with questionable decisions. One large blunder took place on July 28, 1978 with the release of the […]
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