Deeper Digs

A timely bonus episode of Deeper Digs in Rock! Christian sits down with Ryan Sheeler, lecturer in the music department at Iowa State University where he teaches the History of American Rock ‘n’ Roll. He has a new book out from Hal Leonard Press called ‘Ritchie Valens: His Guitars and Music’.

On February 3rd, 1959, Valens, along with the Big Bopper and Winter Dance Party tour headliner Buddy Holly, climbed into Roger Peterson’s Beechcraft Bonanza for what should have been a short flight from Clearlake Iowa to Moorhead City, Minnesota. As most rockers know, the plane crashed shortly after takeoff in poor weather, killing all on board. The infamous “Day the Music Died”.

Ryan's quick read book is less biography and more detailed on the 1950’s vintage equipment Valens used in his very, very short career (less than one year). He also provides transcriptions (tablature and notation) on the song La Bamba, both as originally recorded and covered by Los Lobos for the biopic released in 1987.

https://www.ryansheeler.com

http://www.centerstream-usa.com/music-books-catalog.php?searchfor=00292570

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It’s a Rock N Roll Archaeological Dig as Christian sits down with the hot new band out of the Mongolian Steppes, The HU! 

Meeting just a few minutes before their Oakland California show in December, the four primary members, who play the traditional instruments and perform the incredible throat singing, Gala, Temka, Jaya and Enkush tell us all about Hunnu culture and how it is infused in all their music, what they like about touring the States and how they are being received in the Western world.  Conducted with their translator Tuga backstage at the New Parish.

The HU is a band from Mongolia that blends heavy metal and traditional Mongolian throat singing.  Their first two videos (“Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem”) immediately went viral garnering the band over 30 million views.  The explosive reaction to The HU resulted in a number of features about the band in international media such as NPR, ET India Times, Playboy Mexico, Jack Canal+Fr, Hong Kong 01, DW News Germany and others. 

If you are a video gamer or Star Wars fan and played the recent Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game, you would hear a song early on called "Black Thunder" and it's by The HU. The fact that their music is featured in a Star Wars video game is huge - no other real-world music has ever existed in the universe. And since Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is confirmed Star Wars canon, that means that The HU rock band is now also Star Wars canon.

The band’s name The HU, is the Mongolian root word for human being.  They call their style “Hunnu Rock”…inspired by the Hunnu, an ancient Mongolian empire, known as The Huns in western culture. Some of the band’s lyrics include old Mongolian war cries and poetry. 

Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by their producer Dashka, along with the members Gala, Jaya, Temka, and Enkush. The HU combines Rock Music with traditional Mongolian instrumentation like the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumur Khuur (jaw harp), guttural throating singing and the bombastic bass and drums of rock.  All four members have earned Bachelor’s or higher degrees in music and have several years of touring experience throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim.  

Since the formation of the band, they’ve been working on their first album, The Gereg, out now.  The word "Gereg" was used as the first Diplomatic “Passport” by the Mongol empire during the time of Genghis Khan.

The album contains nine songs including viral hits “Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem”, and was released on September 13, 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. 

https://www.thehuofficial.com

https://open.spotify.com/embed/artist/0b2B3PwcYzQAhuJacmcYgc

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It’s 2020! We begin the new year with a newer artist! Ed Sheeran is the subject of famed U.K. celebrity biographer Sean Smith who we sit down and discuss in detail his latest book, simply called, “Ed Sheeran”.

Ed Sheeran is a true inspiration. His moving and uplifting songs forge a lasting connection with the millions of people around the world who love him and his music.He was the thirteen-year-old guitarist in a school rock band when he decided to become a singer-songwriter, even though he could barely hold a tune and had never written a song. Within a year, he had recorded an album in his bedroom.Bestselling biographer Sean Smith traces the astonishing journey of the shy little boy with a stammer who, avoiding flashy showmanship, grew up to be a global phenomenon.Through compelling new research and interviews, he tells the story of Ed's remarkable mum and dad who gave their son the courage to pursue his dream, the friends and mentors who encouraged him and the lovers who inspired his most famous songs.Smith describes the setbacks Ed faced before his fortunes were transformed by Elton John's management company, a record deal and a song that changed everything - with a little help from Taylor Swift.Ed found it difficult to cope with the world at his feet, but a new relationship with a girl from his home town has brought him happiness and a fresh purpose in life.Now he is the most successful solo star on the planet, earning £83 million last year. Yet in the middle of his record-breaking 2018 UK tour, he played for just 400 people at a charity night to raise money for the homeless.As this captivating book reveals, there's no one quite like Ed.

Sean Smith is the UK's leading celebrity biographer and the author of five Sunday Times best sellers including Cheryl, the definitive biography of Cheryl Cole.

His books about the most famous people of our times have been translated throughout the world. His subjects include Robbie Williams, Kate Middleton, Tulisa, Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Alesha Dixon,Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston and J. K. Rowling. The film Magic Beyond Words: The J. K. Rowling Story was based on his biography of the Harry Potter author.

Described by the Independent as a 'fearless chronicler', he specializes in meticulous research, going 'on the road' to find the real person behind the star image.

www.seansmithceleb.com

https://www.amazon.com/Ed-Sheeran-Sean-Smith-author/dp/0008267510/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sean+smith+ed+sheeran&qid=1579044354&sr=8-1

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It’s the Holiday Deeper Dig!  Christian gets in deep with Allan Clarke, one of the founders of an original British Invasion band, The Hollies! The Hollies are a British rock group best known for their pioneering and distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. The Hollies became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s (231 weeks on the UK singles charts during the 1960s, the 9th highest of any artist of the decade) and into the mid 1970s. The band was formed by Allan Clarke and Graham Nash in 1962 as a Merseybeat-type music group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north in East Lancashire. Graham Nash left the group in 1968 to form the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash.

They enjoyed considerable popularity in many countries (at least 60 singles or EPs and 26 albums charting somewhere in the world, spanning over five decades), although they did not achieve major US chart success until 1966 with "Bus Stop". The Hollies had over 30 charting singles on the UK Singles Chart, and 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, with major hits on both sides of the Atlantic that included "Just One Look", "Look Through Any Window", "I Can't Let Go", "Bus Stop", "Stop Stop Stop", "On a Carousel", "Carrie Anne", "Jennifer Eccles", and later "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress", and "The Air That I Breathe".

The Hollies are one of the few UK groups of the early 1960s, along with the Rolling Stones, that have never disbanded and continue to record and perform. In recognition of their achievements, the Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Harold Allan Clarke is an English pop rock singer, who was one of the founding members and the original lead singer of The Hollies and as inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 . He retired from performing in 1999, due in part to ongoing medical problems with his vocal cords, while at the same time his wife since 1964, Jennifer Bowstead Clarke experienced a recurrence of Cancer. 

In the autumn of 2019 Allan returned with a new album on BMG, appropriately titled ‘Resurgence’.

https://www.allan-clarke.co.uk

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The Rock N Roll Archaeologist gets a much needed lesson in Emo music! Christian has the immense pleasure of interviewing Taylor Markarian, who has just written her first book, ‘From the Basement: The History of Emo Music and How it Changed Society’.

Though songs can be timeless, music is often a result of the era in which it was created. The 2000s in music gave rise to indie, emo, and punk rock, carrying an emotional tone that has resonated with listeners ever since. Originally appealing to a small selection of music lovers, this music era now holds a significant place in the history of rock.

The relationship between music and mental health. Music leaves its mark on the world by touching the hearts and minds of its creators and listeners. This book explores that connection and takes a look at what emo, alternative, and indie music did for the mental health of musicians and listeners.

Inside stories from the music legends themselves. The voices of the rock musicians who contributed to these genres of music are just as important now as they were then. Author Taylor Markarian includes both her own interviews with bands and those from outside sources to provide an oral history and offer an authentic portrayal of these underground arts.

Markarian’s book offers a comprehensive look into genres of music that have been simultaneously mocked and admired. Discover in From the Basement:

If books such as Please Kill Me, American Hardcore, Meet Me in the Bathroom, and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs have rocked your world, then From the Basement: A History of Emo Music and How It Changed Society should be your next read.

Taylor Markarian experienced the music wave of the early 2000s firsthand as a teenage fan. While struggling with mental health issues as well as the typical growing pains of adolescence, she found a home in indie, emo, screamo, and eventually heavier genres like metal and hardcore. Markarian followed her passion for writing and music by attending Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2014, she lived in L.A. where she interned at punk icon Brett Gurewitz’s (Bad Religion) record label, Epitaph Records. She graduated with honors from Emerson College in 2015 with a B.A. in Writing, Literature & Publishing and a minor in Music Appreciation. She has written for many print and online publications including Alternative Press, Kerrang!, Revolver, Loudwire, and Reader’s Digest. Markarian was born in New York City. She was raised and currently resides in New Jersey.

https://www.amazon.com/Basement-History-Music-Changed-Society/dp/164250114X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=taylor+markarian&qid=1576618772&sr=8-1

https://tkmarkarian.journoportfolio.com/

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The Rock N Roll Archaeologist digs back into the visual arts with iconic rock n roll photographer Bob Gruen! 

Bob is one of the most famous rock-and-roll photographers of all time. For almost 50 years his images have appeared worldwide in every form—from T-shirts to postage stamps. He is the author of John Lennon: The New York Years, Rock Seen, and New York Dolls. He lives in New York City.

It’s been 25 years since the breakthrough album Dookie put punk rock pioneers Green Day on the musical map, and renowned photographer Bob Gruen has been taking photos of the band ever since. Green Day includes behind-the-scenes photos as well as concert images from their international tours, many of which are previously unpublished—along with photographs from their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2015 and in the recording studio. The book has the full support of the band, with quotes and commentary from Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool, and Mike Dirnt throughout

.https://www.amazon.com/Green-Day-Photographs-Bob-Gruen/dp/1419734806/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bob+gruen&qid=1575912881&s=books&sr=1-1

http://www.bobgruen.com/

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Big time rock n roll author and biographer, Holly George-Warren comes into the studio to break down her new book Janis: Her Life and Music. She tells the Rock N Roll Archaeologist new documents provided by Joplin’s family serve as inspiration and detail beyond the five years when she was riding her rocket to fame. Add new interviews and telling details and George-Warren comes up with the most complete picture of “Little Girl Blue” so far available.

This blazingly intimate biography of Janis Joplin establishes the Queen of Rock & Roll as the rule-breaking musical trailblazer and complicated, gender-bending rebel she was.

Janis Joplin’s first transgressive act was to be a white girl who gained an early sense of the power of the blues, music you could only find on obscure records and in roadhouses along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. But even before that, she stood out in her conservative oil town. She was a tomboy who was also intellectually curious and artistic. By the time she reached high school, she had drawn the scorn of her peers for her embrace of the Beats and her racially progressive views. Her parents doted on her in many ways, but were ultimately put off by her repeated acts of defiance.

Janis Joplin has passed into legend as a brash, impassioned soul doomed by the pain that produced one of the most extraordinary voices in rock history. But in these pages, Holly George-Warren provides a revelatory and deeply satisfying portrait of a woman who wasn’t all about suffering. Janis was a perfectionist: a passionate, erudite musician who was born with talent but also worked exceptionally hard to develop it. She was a woman who pushed the boundaries of gender and sexuality long before it was socially acceptable. She was a sensitive seeker who wanted to marry and settle down—but couldn’t, or wouldn’t. She was a Texan who yearned to flee Texas but could never quite get away—even after becoming a countercultural icon in San Francisco.

Written by one of the most highly regarded chroniclers of American music history, and based on unprecedented access to Janis Joplin’s family, friends, band mates, archives, and long-lost interviews, Janis is a complex, rewarding portrait of a remarkable artist finally getting her due.

Holly George-Warren is an award-winning writer, editor, producer, and music consultant. She has contributed to more than two dozen books about rock and roll, including The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock, and The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. She's also written for the New York Times, the Village Voice, the Journal of Country Music, and Rolling Stone. Ms. George-Warren lives in upstate New York with her family.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5GD3SZ?ref=knfdg_R_$1.57_hard_pew

http://www.hollygeorgewarren.com/index.htm

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Happy Thanksgiving Diggers! This week we are serving up not a Byrd, but a Monkee!

Michael Nesmith sits down with the Rock N Roll Archaeologist to discuss much more than the Prefab Four! They delve into his Texas upbringing, his entrepreneurial streak and quite a bit about the highly influential First National Band, that helped usher in the Americana sound. They also devote a lot of our talk to Nez’s musical partner in crime, “Red” Rhodes, the sublime pedal steel guitarist who worked with Nez until he passed on in 1995.

See Nez went on a little rock n roll archaeology himself when a tape was discovered of the two “Cosmic Partners” playing a live show from McCabe’s guitar shop in 1973. After a lot of clean up work by producers Ed Heffelfinger and Nez’s son, Christian Nesmith, it is now out and available to purchase. Perfect for the holiday season!

Live archive release including 24 page booklet. Recorded at McCabe's in Santa Monica, CA, on August 18th, 1973, Cosmic Partners - The McCabe's Tapes is a rare and previously unreleased concert recording featuring Nesmith and a small coterie of fellow musicians, including long time recording partner and pedal steel player Red Rhodes. This recording is from a mini concert tour that was in support of what was to be Nesmith's final record on the RCA label, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. The dates would reunite him with the remnant players from Nesmith's Countryside label, under Elektra. Consisting of a rhythm section featuring Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, and the legendary O.J. "Red" Rhodes on pedal steel, this would be the last performance of it's kind and the beginning of an almost Homeric journey for Nesmith.

https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Partners-MICHAEL-RHODES-NESMITH/dp/B07Y4KVKSG/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=cosmic+partners&qid=1574707663&sr=8-1

https://www.videoranch3d.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Category_code=100&Product_code=300-CPV

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This week Christian has the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Grateful Dead historian, Dennis McNally. This one is special for the Rock N Roll Archaeologist because Dennis is an actual historian with a PhD in U.S. History and because one of the inspirations for the entire rock n roll archaeology project was the 2002 McNally book, “A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead”.  He is a real life rock n roll archaeologist!

Dennis McNally received his Ph.D. in American History from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1977 for a biography of Jack Kerouac which was published by Random House in 1979 under the title Desolate Angel: Jack Kerouac, the Beat Generation, and America. He became the Grateful Dead’s authorized biographer in 1980 and the band’s publicist in 1984. In 2002, he published A Long Strange Trip/The Inside History of the Grateful Dead with Broadway Books, a division of Random House. It made the New York Times best seller list.

https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ADennis+McNally&s=relevancerank&text=Dennis+McNally&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1

https://www.dennismcnally.com/

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Christian heads to Toronto, Canada to sit down with creator and host of The Band: A History podcast, Ty Lisson. Ty is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the highly influential Canadian-American roots rock group, The Band.

The podcast was created to introduce new people to the richness of The Band's music. Monthly, Ty explores The Band from their inception through their disbandment. The Band: A History provides a balanced look at their history, their albums, their concerts, their relationships with fellow musicians and the groups brotherhood through success and failure. 

Meet the members of The Band: Rick Danko (bass guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (keyboards, drums, vocals), Robbie Robertson (guitar, vocals), and Levon Helm (drums, vocals, mandolin, guitar). Starting off, they were originally formed as The Hawks, a backing band for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins.

To hear more stories and history of this amazing, often over-looked group head over to The Band: A History .

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