OBITUARIES

ROCK AND ROLL LOSSES IN 2021...SO FAR.

Halfway through the year then and, in lieu of my usual round of live gig reviews that - depending on current restrictions - may or may not return, I have decided to take some time out to pay tribute to a host of fallen heroes and heroines who over the decades have lit up this crazy little rock and roll universe of ours. The past 6 months or so have seen a huge swathe of sad losses, some of whom have lived long and fruitful lives whereas some, tragically, left us way too soon. I doff my cap to them all here and wish them fare thee well and implore you to raise a glass in their honour as they wend their way up to that great gig in the sky. Rest in power, legends.

Liverpudlian singer Gerry Marsden was the leader and principal driving force behind the 1960's beat combo Gerry And The Pacemakers who made history in 1963 when their first three singles - 'How Do You Do It?', 'I Like It' and 'You'll Never Walk Alone' all topped the UK charts, which was a feat that not even Marsden's close pals The Beatles had been able to pull off a year earlier. There were further hits over the next few years such as the peerless 'Ferry Across The Mersey' before Marsden disbanded the group and embarked on a fitfully successful solo career.
  He drifted into television presenting - including a stint on the wildly popular 'The Sooty Show' - before reuniting with various members of The Pacemakers over the last couple of decades. He was made an MBE in 2003 for his services to charity - re-recordings of  'You'll Never Walk Alone' and 'Ferry...' both made Number One in the late 80's in response to the Bradford Football Club Fire and the Hillsborough disaster respectively - and he passed away in January at the age of 78. Universally loved and respected by rock and roll fans across the globe, Marsden is especially revered in Liverpool of course thanks to the constant use of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' on the terraces of The Kop at Anfield Stadium. 

We also lost the marvellously monikered Hilton Valentine in late January at the age of 77 after a short illness. Born and raised in Northumberland, Valentine was the original guitarist in the blues-infused UK group The Animals who achieved world-wide success in the mid-60's with tunes like 'The House Of The Rising Sun', 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place' and 'See See Rider'. After a tumultuous and slightly acrimonious end to his former band's career, Valentine drifted into the odd solo venture before the inevitable Animals reunion tours. He later moved to Connecticut with his family.

Scottish born Les McKeown was the lead singer in the 1970's glam-rock sensation, The Bay City Rollers who - at one point in 1974 - had four singles inside the Top Ten. Drafted in as a replacement for the original vocalist, McKeown arrived just as the band underwent a radical overhaul of sound and image - all stomping, handclap driven choruses and half-mast tartan trousers. Astonishingly, this extraordinarily parochial look made the band - for a short period - superstars across the globe, even in America. There were two massive Number One singles in 'Bye Bye Baby' and 'Give A Little Love' before the Rollers career was stymied by punk rock, inter-band arguments and McKeown's conviction for dangerous driving after he accidentally killed an elderly neighbour whilst driving under the influence. He later spiralled into alcoholism before revealing that the BCR manager, Tam Paton, had abused him and other band members during their heyday. Stints in rehab followed where he was finally able to get sober. He sadly died in April at the age of 65.

Other notable losses this year include New York's premier hardcore Gangsta Rap icon DMX, who suffered a massive heart attack in April at the age of 50 as well as his contemporary Shock G from the Florida rap collective Digital Underground - most famous for their magnificent 1990 anthem 'The Humpty Dance' - who left us at the age of 57 after an accidental overdose. We also bade a sad goodbye to reggae legends Bunny Wailer and U-Roy who passed in March and February at the ages of 73 and 78 respectively. Both hailing from Jamaica, Wailer was - of course - one third of the magisterial The Wailers, along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, who did so much in the mid-70's to bring reggae music to the masses in the UK and beyond. Indeed, the band's early tours of the UK in 1974 are still talked of in hushed tones by those lucky enough to attend. Wailer and Tosh both left Marley in 1974 however and retreated back to Jamaica and continued on their own path. After Tosh was murdered in 1987, Wailer focused on more spiritual matters as well as helping to preserve Jamaican reggae music and assisting with his country's government on cultural affairs. He also worked with his friend U-Roy on a number of occasions, both musically and non-musically. Wailer died from complications brought about by a series of strokes while U-Roy - highly regarded among reggae enthusiasts as one of the finest exponents of the 'toasting' style of Jamaican vocals - passed away after years of ill-health.

There were also final farewells from legendary American jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist Chick Corea who died of cancer in February at the age of 79; Finnish death metal troupe Children Of Bodom's lead vocalist and guitarist Alexi Laiho who tragically succumbed to alcohol-related health issues at the terribly young age of 41; long-time Nick Cave collaborator - and one-time girlfriend - Anita Lane who, although she was once a fully-paid up member of both The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds, was never really able to kick on successfully from her early productive period and passed away quietly back home in Australia in April at the age of 61; US rockabilly guitarist Dan Sartain who released a fine clutch of albums over the last ten years or so, as well as collaborating with the likes of Jack White and The Hives, before leaving us at the tender age of 39; and the legendary funk bass guitarist B.B. Dickerson who has passed at 71 after a lengthy illness and was best known for his work with the mighty 70's combo War - in particular the monumental jams 'Low Rider', 'The Cisco Kid', 'Me And Baby Brother' and 'The World Is A Ghetto' on which he provided the lead vocal.

 We also said goodbye to one third of the utterly glorious Motown vocal group The Supremes - the unsung Queen of Detroit Soul, Mary Wilson - who passed away in February at the age of 76. Unfairly cast as "just" a backing singer for Diana Ross during The Supreme's 60's peak, Wilson eventually took control of the group after Ross departed in 1970. The new Supremes continued to have hits, including the gorgeous 'Floy Joy' before disbanding for good in 1977. Wilson re-routed her singing career toward the Vegas circuit and remained a hugely enjoyable presence on the inevitable Motown Reunion tours of recent years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIwdyIpmg-I

The second-to-last original New York Doll standing - NYC's magnificent Sylvain Sylvain - left us in January, one month short of his 70th birthday, after a short battle with cancer. America's first real glam rock band, the Dolls were unfairly maligned over here in the UK - Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris famously snorted the words "mock rock" after their debut TV performance - but were eventually given the credence their sprightly blend of art-rock, early punk and thrillingly exciting heads-down rock and roll deserved. Lead singer David Johansen is now the only Doll remaining and gave this tribute to his old sparring partner: 

"My best friend for so many years, I can still remember the first time I saw him bop into the rehearsal space with his carpet bag and guitar straight from the plane after having been deported from Amsterdam. I instantly loved him. I'm gonna miss ya, old pal."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbd-BcuPvLA

London pop-punk quartet Senseless Things got together in the late 80's before honing their sound and incorporating the grunge-flecked alt-rock scene of 1991 into their songs and hitting big in the indie charts with their album 'The First Of Too Many' and, in particular, the brace of Top 30 singles from 1992 - 'Easy To Smile' and the euphorically exuberant 'Hold It Down'. Like a lot of bands from that time, later releases got lost among the Britpop craziness of the mid-90's and the band disbanded in 1996. Lead vocalist and principal songwriter Mark Keds went on to form the bands Jolt and Deadcuts, as well as co-writing the very best song The Libertines ever released in 'Can't Stand Me Now'. Sadly, Keds was never able to extricate himself from years of alcohol and substance abuse and tragically succumbed to his addictions in January at the age of 50. I was a huge fan of the Senseless Things back in the day and was lucky enough to see them live on a few occasions and Keds was always a vibrant and engaging frontman with a quick wit and a cracking guitar style. Sleep well, mate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_NMRSw9Je8

Finally, we raise the red lantern and roll out the barrel for the one and only Jim Steinman - a man for whom the phrase "Too much is never enough" was surely invented for. Most well known of course for his song-writing and production on the monumentally mammoth 'Bat Out Of Hell' album by his long-standing compadre Meat Loaf, Steinman also produced the likes of Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart and 'Holding Out For A Hero' as well as epically huge tunes for acts as disparate as Celine Dion, Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, Billy Squier, Boyzone, The Sisters Of Mercy (who recorded the monstrous likes of 'This Corrosion' and 'More' under Steinman's hand) - and, magnificently, Hulk Hogan. Steinman started out in theatre and carried that sense of show and grandeur into his music production, turning everything up to 11 and throwing all but the kitchen sink at his songs to see what would stick. Teaming up with Meat Loaf for the 'Bat Out Of Hell' project, the duo were rejected by every record company under the sun for being "too overblown and stupid" before signing with the little known Cleveland International. For some inexplicable reason, the album's mix of hammy storylines, Broadway pomp, hormone-engorged melodies and utterly over the top craziness resonated with the record-buying public and sold upwards of 40 million copies. The album still sells thousands every week to this day. I can't stand it myself but you have to give Steinman kudos for sensing a musical hole that needed filling. After an acrimonious spat with his mate Meat, Steinman tried the rock star thing himself - with even more ludicrous results. His 1981 opus 'Bad For Good' was a vainglorious stab at Meat Loaf style rock posturing and string-laden power ballad territory but fell flat on it's face due to Steinman's total lack of singing ability. It also contains one of the most utterly bat-shit songs you're ever likely to clap ears on in the shape of the gonzoid genius of 'Love And Death And An American Guitar'. Insane.

After that album's failure to set the world alight, Steinman went back to the producer's chair before reuniting with Meat Loaf in 1993 for the inevitable 'Bat Out Of Hell 2: Back Into Hell' which was, if possible, even more bonkers than it's predecessor containing, as it did, the over-inflated and tremendously ridiculous worldwide Number One smash 'I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That). It was diminishing returns for both Loaf and Steinman after that, with the third 'Bat...' album - 2006's 'The Monster Is Loose' - failing to tear up many trees. Steinman retreated into musical retirement in recent years and, after suffering a series of strokes over the last decade, passed away in April at the age of 73. He was, far and away, the mad genius of rock music - a Wagnerian maverick who did everything his own way and shrugged his shoulders dismissively at the hordes who didn't understand. Meat Loaf paid a short but hugely moving tribute to his great friend by simply stating:

"My brother Jimmy, Fly Jimmy, fly."

The last word though, must go to Steinman himself: 

"It's always struck me as weird that a lot of people in rock and roll think my stuff is ridiculous. I think that so much stuff in rock is confessional - it's like black and white film. That's what a lot of people think rock and roll should be - whereas I just see it like fantasy, hallucinations, operatic...stuff like that. I kinda think rock music is silly, in the best way. The silly things are kinda the things that are alright."

Amen to that, Jim. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BURM7l6_pvg