by Paul Merry | Sep 21, 2020 | blogs, stories |
Let’s start with July 9th 1955. Rock ‘n’ roll’s Ground Zero. “The first time I really ever felt a tingle up my spine was when I saw Bill Haley and the Comets on the telly. ” Paul McCartney. Things are rarely as they first seem...
by Paul Merry | Sep 2, 2020 | blogs, stories |
How would you like to hire Pink Floyd for just £250 (US$334.47) a night? Back in 1969, in the UK, such a thing was possible. As you can see from this vintage price-list, Joe Cocker, the Moody Blues and Jethro Tull cost you £350 ($468) nightly; and Ten Years After,...
by Paul Merry | Aug 9, 2020 | blogs, stories |
I’ve always had a soft spot for hard rock band AC/DC since seeing one of their early gigs in Melbourne, Australia, in 1974. An unknown AC/DC were supporting a well-known Lou Reed, who we’d paid handsomely to see, but found uninspired and disappointing. AC/DC weren’t...
by Paul Merry | Apr 24, 2020 | blogs, stories |
The blues guitarists’ guitarist. If you read my last post about the Thames Delta guitar heroes, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, you’ll know which one of the three isn’t a mainstream mega-star. Of course, it’s Jeff Beck. While Jeff hasn’t sold...
by Paul Merry | Feb 19, 2020 | blogs, stories |
Blues and rock on the high seas (written before coronavirus ruined cruising for everyone) You know you’re getting on a bit when you start writing about ocean cruises. Not that I’m expecting to hit the high seas any time soon. Unfortunately, my wife has the twin fears...
by Paul Merry | Jan 5, 2020 | blogs, stories |
Three blues guitar greats born 12 miles apart. If there was one small area of earth where three of the world’s most influential blues or blues rock guitarists would be born, just a year apart, where do you think it might be? The car below is a bit of a clue, not an...
by Paul Merry | Oct 7, 2019 | blogs, stories |
You’d be amazed just how many rock stars were teachers, as Carlos Wilde still is, and has been for years now. Queen’s Brian May taught math(s) and science; Mark Knopfler taught English, as did fellow Geordie, Sting. Carlos Wilde. Still rocking, still...
by Paul Merry | Jul 12, 2019 | blogs, stories |
Top blues-inspired artwork, from a top blues-inspired artist. Check out talented blues painter, Jean-Claude Legros, left, at Blues Attic Paintings, France. Jean-Claude reminds me of the French detective, Julien Baptiste, from the UK TV series of the same name, a...
by Paul Merry | Jun 27, 2019 | Uncategorized |
Dave “I invented the big beat” Bartholomew 1918-2019. The late, great Fats Domino left with Dave Bartholomew, who died in New Orleans on Sunday, June 23rd 2019. Born Davis Bartholomew in Louisiana in 1918, Dave helped write and record some of early rock ’n’ roll’s...
by Paul Merry | May 22, 2019 | blogs, stories |
I’ve just come across an amazing discovery. Researching my new book, ‘150 Years of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, I’ve found what I think just might be the very first prototype rock ‘n’ roll record. If you ignore the first nine...
