This Week’s Theme: In Memoriam 2021 (Part One)

Hundreds of musicians, songwriters, producers, and recording artists died in 2021. Some of them were legends while others were best known from the work of others. There is no way to include all of these artists in one Faux Show, but I can at least go with a two-part Faux Show that includes as many as possible. The popularity of the artist was not taken into account when creating these shows, although this first part includes many of the more well-known artists, while the second show includes a larger percentage of the lesser-known artists.

In Memoriam

Sylvain Sylvain died on January 13, 2021. Sylvain was the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the New York Dolls. Although he didn’t write most of the New York Dolls songs, those he did write were often the ones with the best riffs and are classics, such as “Frankenstein” and “Trash.” Along with Ron Asheton of The Stooges, the rhythm playing of Sylvain laid the foundation for punk rock in the ’70s. Interesting sidenote: Brothers David and Stephen Batt took their stage names from Sylvain Sylvain and David Johansen of the New York Dolls and became David Sylvian and Steve Jansen when they formed their new-romantic band Japan. Song selection: New York Dolls “Personality Crisis”

Chick Corea died on February 9, 2021. Corea was one of the original jazz fusion artists. His work with Miles Davis in the late ’60s and with his own band, Return to Forever, are foundational recordings in the fusion genre. Along with McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, and Keith Jarrett, he was one of the essential jazz pianists of the last fifty years. Song selection: Chick Corea and Return to Forever “Spain (Composite Alternative Take)

Bunny Wailer died on March 2, 2021. Wailer was a founding member of the Wailing Wailers, the band that became The Wailers and then Bob Marley and The Wailers. He was a Jamaican hero and one of the four remaining living reggae inventors, along with Toots Hibbert, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Jimmy Cliff. Hibbert died in 2020 and Perry died this year, leaving only Cliff to carry the flag of ’60s reggae that exploded internationally in the early ’70s. Song selection: The Wailers “Pass It On”

Alan Cartwright died on March 4. Cartwright joined Procol Harum in 1972 as bassist, and although he wasn’t a member of the original band that recorded their most popular song, “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” and their popular album A Salty Dog, he was bassist on their great trio of albums Grand Hotel, Exotic Birds and Fruit, and Procol’s Ninth. These three albums are the reason that I started listening to the band five years ago. Although they don’t sound like their ’60s material, and the guitar wizardry of Robin Trower is no longer present, these three records are great ’70s rock albums that were ignored after their release. Song selection: Procol Harum “Strong as Samson”

Malcolm Cecil died on March 28, 2021. Cecil was a bassist, producer, engineer, and electronic music innovator. He began his music career as an influential member of the British jazz and blues scene of the late ’50s and early ’60s. In the late ’60s, Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff formed an electronic duo called Tonto’s Expanding Head Band. They only produced two albums in the early ’70s but the goal of their recordings was to advertise their new invention. The Original New Timbral Orchestra, or TONTO, was influential on the sound of music in the ’70s. It was used by a slew of artists but, most importantly, it was used on almost all of Stevie Wonders’ classic ’70s albums. Wonder is famous for producing his albums and performing all of the music himself, but for these albums Margouleff and Cecil are both listed as Associate Producers, Engineers, and Programmers. They both won an Engineering Grammy for Innervisions. Song selection: Stevie Wonder “Visions” (featuring Cecil on upright bass)

Lloyd Price died on May 3, 2021. Price was one of a handful of artists who invented the rock and roll sound of the ’50s. In 1952 he recorded his first hit, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.” It features Fats Domino on piano and is one of the first true rock and roll songs. In 1954 he was drafted into the Korean War and when he came back Little Richard had replaced him on his label’s list of artists. Even so, Price got back to it and in the late ’50s he released two of the biggest hits of the period, “Stagger Lee” and “Personality.” Although he didn’t record any more classics, he continued his success in other ways. He co-founded Double L Records, the label that released Wilson Pickett’s debut album. In the ’70s he formed LPG Records with boxing promoter Don King and helped promote the Rumble in the Jungle match between Ali and Foreman along with the accompanying concert featuring James Brown and B. B. King. Song selection: Lloyd Price “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”

Morris “B.B.” Dickerson died on April 2, 2021. Dickerson was an original member and bassist for the band War. He was one of the greatest funk bassists of the ’70s. Song selection: War “Me and Baby Brother”

Roger Hawkins died on May 20, 2021. Hawkins was one of the original members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, aka The Swampers, and served as the main drummer for the group through the entirety of their over 20-year existence. Hawkins laid down the groove for over 500 songs. His credits as a session drummer include some of the most well-known and influential songs ever recorded, and he worked on many genre-defining albums by some of the most important artists of the ’60s and ’70s. He was a master of many styles. His influence was vast simply because the songs he recorded are the songs that define the sound of almost all popular music that came after. Song selection: Wilson Pickett “Mustang Sally”

B.J. Thomas died on May 29, 2021. Thomas was an extremely popular recording artist in the late ’60s and ’70s. His biggest hits include “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” lives on forever due to its use in a montage scene during the Redford/Newman film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Song selection: B.J. Thomas “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”

Dusty Hill died on July 28, 2021. Hill was the bassist and co-founder of ZZ Top. His bass playing was never flashy and he rarely (if ever) played a solo, but his distorted tone is prevalent throughout all of the band’s songs if you listen closely. Plus, he had that beard and without a second bearded member guitarist Billy Gibbons would have just looked silly. Song selection: ZZ Top “Waitin’ For The Bus”

Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas died on August 7, 2021. Thomas was a founding member of Kool & The Gang and played alto sax and flute. He played in the band from their inception as The Jazziacs through all of their different periods, from their run of influential ‘70s funk albums to their ‘80s pop albums and up until his death. In addition to his fantastic horn playing, Thomas was the group’s stylist and the unofficial emcee of their live shows. Song selection: Kool & The Gang “Jungle Jazz” (featuring flute by Dee Tee Thomas)  

Joey Ambrose died on August 9, 2021. Ambrose was the saxophonist for all of the classic Bill Haley & His Comets recordings, including the iconic sax solo on “Rock Around the Clock.” He is a member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was the last surviving member of The Comets. Song selection: Bill Haley & His Comets “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”

Mike Finnigan died on August 11, 2021. Finnigan was a session keyboardist who excelled on the Hammond B-3. He toured and recorded with many legends, including Jimi Hendrix, Taj Mahal, Joe Cocker, Etta James, and dozens of others. Song selection: Jimi Hendrix Experience “Rainy Day, Dream Away”

Tom T. Hall died on August 20, 2021. Hall was a country music songwriter who recorded twenty-six Top Ten hits, including twelve Number One hits. His most famous songs are “I Love,” which was a crossover pop hit, and “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” which was turned into a movie and a television series. He also wrote the American bar sing-a-long classic “I Like Beer.” He is a member of many Halls of Fame, including The Songwriters Hall of Fame. Song selection: Tom T. Hall “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died”

Brian Travers died on August 22, 2021. Travers was a founding member of the British reggae band UB40 and was their saxophone player until his death. UB40 are the most successful reggae band in British pop history. Travers can be heard on almost all of their recordings, most especially the sax solo on their international hit “Red Red Wine.” Song selection: UB40 “King”

Charlie Watts died on August 24, 2021. Watts was a founding member and drummer of The Rolling Stones until his death. Watts could easily be the theme for an entire Faux Show, so I’ll keep it simple. He loved jazz and would most likely have been happy playing jazz in local London clubs for his entire life, but he somehow ended up joining Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, and Bill Wyman to form The Rolling Stones. I am not someone who believes that the Stones invented rock and roll and I prefer the music of many of their contemporaries, but I have always thought that Watts was possibly the greatest drummer in rock history. He was not flashy like Pert or as powerful as Bonham, but he was the epitome of a drummer that every band would want. Watts kept it steady and gave the rest of the band a foundation to experiment in whatever way they wanted. Sometimes when I listen to the songs on Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main St. I find myself focused on what Watts is doing and suddenly realize that I am listening to a master drummer and ignoring the rest of the band. That is the true sign of an iconic drummer. Song selection: The Danish Radio Big Band with Charlie Watts “(Satis) Faction”

Lee “Scratch” Perry died on August 29, 2021. Perry was a reggae and dub producer and was a pioneer in the production of the sounds now considered essential to reggae recording. Like Charlie Watts, Perry could easily be the theme for an entire Faux Show so I’ll keep it simple. He invented the production techniques that are now called dub. He started his own label, Black Ark, in order to gain total creative freedom. His band The Upsetters gave him an avenue for showcasing his production genius, and he used his newfound international success in the early ‘70s to jumpstart a career that lasted fifty more years. He produced hundreds of recordings, worked with dozens of artists, and is singularly responsible for spawning the sounds that can be heard in an incalculable amount of music being made today. Song selection: The Upsetters “Black Vest”

Michael Chapman died on September 10, 2021. Chapman was a singer/songwriter and virtuoso guitarist who released over fifty albums during his fifty-year career. Although not very well-known in the U.S., Chapman was a prolific recording and touring artist in the U.K. and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity at the turn of the 21st century when many modern British bands named him as an influence. Song selection: Michael Chapman “Champion”

Don Maddox died on September 12, 2021. Maddox was the last surviving member of his family’s band Maddox Brothers and Rose. This band was influential in the merging of country music and rhythm and blues into what became rock and roll. Song selection: Maddox Brothers and Rose “Wild Wild Young Men”

Sarah Dash died on September 20, 2021. Dash was a founding member of the group The Blue Belles, which later became Pattie LaBelle and the Bluebelles and finally Labelle. After a decade of success, the group split up and Dash went on to a very successful career as a solo artist and session vocalist for The Rolling Stones. Song selection: LaBelle “Take The Night Off”

Pee Wee Ellis died on September 23, 2021. Ellis was a member of James Browns’ band from 1965 to 1969. By 1967 he was the band’s musical director and he co-wrote 26 songs with Brown, including “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.” He enjoyed a second career as a recording and touring musician for Van Morrison, appearing on all of Morrison’s albums from 1979 to 1999, including working side-by-side with Morrison on the production of all tracks of his ridiculously under-rated 1979 album Into the Music. Song selection: James Brown “Cold Sweat”

Alan Lancaster died on September 26, 2021. Lancaster was a founding member and bassist of the British band Status Quo. Although they are a one-hit wonder in the U.S. for their song “Pictures of Matchstick Men,” the band were extremely popular in England and charted dozens of hits during their twenty-plus year career. After leaving Status Quo in 1985, Lancaster continued recording and touring with multiple bands until his death. Song selection: Status Quo “Pictures of Matchstick Men”

Lonnie Smith died on September 28, 2021. He was a jazz keyboardist who primarily played the Hammond B-3 organ. He performed with George Benson in the ’60s before branching out into a solo career. He was one of the best B-3 players of his generation and received nine “best organist” awards during his prime. Song selection: Lonnie Smith “Can’t You Just Feel It”

Everett Morton died on October 8, 2021. Morton was the original drummer for The Beat and performed on all of their classic albums and singles. He was from the West Indies, a master reggae drummer, and one of the most talented drummers of the ’80s new wave era. Song selection: The English Beat “Mirror in the Bathroom”

Ron Tutt died on October 16, 2021. Tutt was a prolific session drummer in the ’70s, recording for artists such as The Carpenters, Neil Diamond, Jerry Garcia, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, and Billy Joel. Most notably, was the original drummer for Elvis’ TCB band and remained with them until Elvis’ death. After the TCB band disbanded, Tutt was Neil Diamond’s touring and recording drummer for decades. Song selection: Elvis Presley “Way Down” (the last hit recorded by Elvis)

Ronnie Wilson died on November 2, 2021. Wilson was one of the three Wilson brothers who founded the Gap Band. He was a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and occasional songwriter for the band. Song selection: The Gap Band “Shake”

Astro died on November 6, 2021. Astro was an original member of UB40. He was the bands emcee and also their “toaster,” adding rhythmic spoken parts to their songs. As such, he was responsible for much of the band’s success as the most popular reggae band in British pop history. His toast on “Red Red Wine” is most likely the most well-known toast in recorded music history. Song selection: UB40 “King” 

Graeme Edge died on November 11, 2021. Edge was the drummer and co-founder of the Moody Blues. After the band’s initial success as a blues-based pop band, the lead vocalist left the band and two new songwriters named Justin Hayward and John Lodge were recruited. This was not only important for the future success of the band, but it also allowed Edge to realize a sound that was always his original goal. Their first record with Hayward and Lodge, “Days of Future Passed,” utilized the London Festival Orchestra along with spoken-word poetry written by Edge. Edge provided poems for many Moody Blues albums, occasionally reciting them himself, and composed several instrumental arrangements throughout their career. As with many of the great rock band drummers, Moody Blues are mostly associated with vocalists Hayward and Lodge and not Edge, but in many ways Edge was the heart of the band. Plus, he provided one of the greatest “door-knock drum riffs” ever recorded, heard on their classic song “Question.” Song selection: The Moody Blues “Question”

Stephen Sondheim died on November 26, 2021. Sondheim re-invented American musical theatre. He started his career by writing the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy in the late ’50s and then went on to write the music and lyrics for many of the greatest musicals of the 20th century. His musicals include A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Company, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, and many others. He won Tony Awards, Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize. There is no way to do justice to Sondheim in a one-paragraph blurb – you can devote your entire life to the study of his work. All I will say is that I am not a fan of most modern-day musicals and I despise the work of Andrew Lloyd Weber, but I have never seen or heard a Sondheim musical that I did not like. He was a once-in-a-lifetime musical genius. Song selection: Stephen Sondheim, Patti LuPone, and Michael Cerveris “The Worst Pies In London”

Melvin Parker died on December 3, 2021. Parker was the cousin of Maceo Parker, THE “Maceo” of James Brown fame, and was an influential part of Brown’s move toward funk in the mid-60s. Although his work with Brown was brief compared to most of the members of the James Brown Band and The JB’s, Parker was the drummer on “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good),” and just that fact makes him an important part of the history of funk music. Song selection: James Brown “I Got You (I Feel Good)”

Robbie Shakespeare died on December 8, 2021. Shakespeare was one half of the famed reggae recording and production duo Sly and Robbie. He invented reggae bass technique and was also influential in the use of electronic effects in reggae. He worked with almost every important reggae artist of the ’70s and ’80s, and also worked in other genres with artists such as Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Cyndi Lauper, and many others. It is undeniable that the international success of reggae music is largely due to the work of Robbie Shakespeare. Song selection: Black Uhuru “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner”

Ralph Tavares died on December 8, 2021. Tavares and his brothers formed the R&B group Chubby & The Turnpikes in 1959 and had over ten year’s of success with that group before changing their name to Tavares in 1973. They had many R&B hits in the ’70s, including eight Billboard crossover hits. They hit Number One on the R&B charts with their version of “She’s Gone” by Hall and Oates. They also hit Number One with their Top Ten crossover hit “It Only Takes A Minute.” Most famously, they covered the Bee Gees song “More Than A Woman” and won a Grammy Award when the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever was named Album of the Year. This album is still one of the best-selling albums of all time and has solidified Tavares in the hearts of music fans forever. Song selection: Tavares “She’s Gone”

Mike Nesmith died on December 10, 2021. Nesmith was a member of The Monkees. After almost sixty years, it appears that critics will never stop arguing the merits of this band, so I will just say that I love the music of The Monkees and think they are one of the most important bands of the ’60s. I doubt I’ll ever listen to another song by over-rated (in my opinion) artists like Jefferson Airplane or The Doors, but I will always listen to The Monkees. One of the main reasons for this is the songwriting of Mike Nesmith. His original compositions “Sweet Young Thing,” “Mary, Mary,” “You Just May Be The One,” “Tapioca Tundra,” “Circle Sky,” and “Listen To The Band” were treated as album filler at the time, but all Monkees fans know that these are some of the best songs the band ever recorded and are classics of ’60s pop music. After leaving The Monkees in 1970, Nesmith had a successful career with his group First National Band and as a solo artist. Most importantly, he founded Pacific Arts in 1974, a multimedia/production company that pioneered the music video medium. He created one of the first music video television shows, PopClips, in 1980 and was asked to help create and produce MTV. He had to pass on that request, but his hour-long music video movie Elephant Parts won the first Music Video Grammy Award in 1982, and the work of Nesmith was largely responsible for the Grammy Awards creating the new award at all. Nesmith was also executive producer of two of the best films of the ’80s – the 1984 teenage angst classic Repo Man and the incredibly under-rated comedy classic about the music video industry Tapeheads. One final fact about Mike Nesmith, in case you didn’t know, is that his iconic wool cap from The Monkees television show was actually his – he wore it to his interview for casting and they told him to keep wearing it. Song selection: The Monkees “Tapioca Tundra”

Highlights from this week’s selections

The afterworld gained an incredible rhythm section in 2021. These drummers, bassists, and pianists will be able to lay down a solid groove for any style of music that the rulers of the next realm demand. Plus, the horn section additions are pretty good too!

Artist of the Week: All of Them

Anyone who dies deserves to be Artist of the Week.

3 Chunks of Funk x 2 = 6 Chunks of Funk

Thanks for listening (and reading)!

Track List

Track	Artist	Song Title
1	Stephen Sondheim, Patti LuPone, and Michael Cerveris	The Worst Pies In London
2	New York Dolls	Personality Crisis
3	Maddox Brothers and Rose	Wild Wild Young Men
4	Lloyd Price	Lawdy Miss Clawdy
5	Bill Haley & His Comets	Shake, Rattle, and Roll
6	Wilson Pickett	Mustang Sally
7	ZZ Top	Waitin’ For The Bus
8	The Gap Band	Shake
9	Kool and the Gang	Jungle Jazz
10	James Brown	I Got You (I Feel Good)
11	James Brown	Cold Sweat
12	War	Me and Baby Brother
13	Lonnie Smith	Can’t You Just Feel It
14	The English Beat	Mirror In The Bathroom
15	UB40	King
16	The Wailers	Pass It On
17	The Upsetters	Black Vest
18	Black Uhuru	Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
19	Tavares	She’s Gone
20	LaBelle	Take The Night Off
21	Stevie Wonder	Visions
22	Chick Corea	Spain (Composite Alternative Take)
23	The Danish Radio Big Band featuring Charlie Watts	(Satis) Faction
24	Elvis Presley	Way Down
25	The Moody Blues	Question
26	Procol Harum	As Strong As Samson
27	The Monkees	Tapioca Tundra
28	The Jimi Hendrix Experience	Rainy Day, Dream Away
29	Status Quo	Pictures of Matchstick Men
30	Michael Chapman	Champion
31	Tom T. Hall	The Year That Clayton Delaney Died
32	B.J. Thomas	Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

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