Sept. 3: Al Jardine, founding member of the Beach Boys and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is 68 today.

Jardine was born in Lima, Ohio but spent his teen years in Southern California. In high school, he jammed with fellow student, Brian Wilson. He played stand up bass on The Beach Boys' first recording, "Surfin'," in 1961. He left the group in 1962 for a "real job," but returned a little over a year later at Brian Wilson's request.

All told, Jardine had been a Beach Boy for 35 years. His main roles were playing rhythm guitarist and singing backup harmonies, but also sang lead on a number of songs including "Help Me, Rhonda," "Then I Kissed Her," "Lady Lynda," "Cotton Fields," and "Come Go With Me."


Jardine also wrote or co-wrote a number of songs for the band, the most notable of which is probably "California Saga: California" from the Holland album, which charted in early 1973. Jardine's song "Lady Lynda" was one of the band's biggest hits overseas. After Jardine's divorce from his wife, the song was re-written and re-titled "Lady Liberty" in honor of the centennial of the Statue Of Liberty in 1986. During the Pet Sounds sessions, he was the one that suggested to Brian Wilson that the group record "Sloop John B."


Jardine left the touring version of the Beach Boys in 1998 after Carl Wilson died of lung cancer, but remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation Brother Records. He tours with his Endless Summer Band, containing many of the stage musicians who toured with The Beach Boys, including Billy Hinsche of Dino, Desi and Billy, Ed Carter, Bobby Figueroa, and Jardine's son Matt Jardine, who sang with the Beach Boys during much of their later career.

(Continued below video and Amazon portals ...)

Here's another Beach Boys tune on You Tube:

-- "Lady Lynda"

(Press album cover for direct link to the entire Amazon Website):

-----

In the fall of 2006, Jardine joined the band of Brian Wilson for a short tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds.


He became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
####

Sept. 2: William "Liam" Clancy with The Clancy Brothers was born on this day in 1935...

....He died in December 2009. at the age of 74 from pulmonary fibrosis.

Liam, known as William or Willie when he was a child was born in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland. One of 11 children, he was the youngest and last surviving member of the group, considered by many as Ireland's first pop stars. Liam was regarded as the group's most powerful vocalist, and Bob Dylan once called him the greatest ballad singer ever. He also played guitar and concertina.

The Clancy Brothers recorded 55 albums, and appeared in front of sold-out audiences at Carnegie Hall, New York and the Royal Albert Hall, London. They were best known for their work with Tommy Makem, recording dozens of albums together as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. They were a primary influence on a young Bob Dylan and on many other emerging artists.

Press links below to view You Tube videos:-- "The Irish Rover" (with Robbie O'Connell)
-- "Whistling Gypsy Rover" (with Tommy Makem)
-- "Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile" (with Tommy Makem)
 

Sept. 2: Orchestra leader and composer Hugo Montenegro was born on this day in 1925...

... he died in February 1981 at the age of 85 from emphysema.

Hugo best known work are the soundtracks for the so-called Spaghetti Westerns, especially main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly which reached # 2 on the Pop Charts.  He also composed the musical score for the 1969 western Charro! which starred Elvis Presley.

Montenegro began scoring motion pictures with the instrumental music for Advance to the Rear in 1964. Following the success of his albums, he wrote the scores for and two Matt Helm spy movies and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. theme.


He also wrote the theme for the second season of I Dream of Jeannie. During the mid 60s he started producing innovative work from the "space age pop" era, featuring electronics and rock in albums such as Moog Power and Mammy Blue. Montenegro's electronic works were cutting edge, and had a profound influence on future generations of electronic musicians, helping to popularize the Moog synthesizer.

Press links below to view You Tube videos:-- Them from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra)
 -- "The Greatest Love"
-- "I Dream of Jeannie"

Sept. 2: Sam Gooden of The Soul nd R&B group, Impressions is 71 today.

Sam Gooden, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was an original member of The Roosters in the 1950s. The group changed their name to The Impressions and moved to Chicago.

The Impressions have been elected to both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Impressions are best known for their 1960s string of hits, many of which were heavily influenced by gospel music and served as inspirational anthems for the Civil Rights Movement. Former members included Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield who went on to become stars in their own right.


Their 1965 hit song, "People Get Ready", has also been chosen as one of the Top 10 Best Songs Of All Time by a panel of 20 top industry songwriters and producers, including Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson and Hal David.


The Impressions - including Sam Gooden - are still performing.

Press links below to view You Tube videos:
-- "Movin' On Up"
-- "People Get Ready"
-- "It's All Right"

Sept. 2: Salma Hayek is 44 today if you can believe it!

Mexican actress, director producer, sometimes singer - and sensuous tango dancer- Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez-Pinault is one of the most prominent Mexican figures in Hollywood, and the second Mexican national to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Frida.

Born in born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico Hayek has been credited as a song performer in three movies. The first was Desperado for the song "Quedate Aquí." In Frida, she performed with band Los Vega the Mexican folk song "La Bruja." She also recorded "Siente mi amor," which played during the end credits of Once Upon a Time in Mexico. She also contributed to "Happiness is a Warm Gun" in Across the Universe as one of the singing nurses. Then there's the tango in "Frida" with Ashley Judd...

At the age of 23, Hayek landed the title role in Teresa (1989), a successful Mexican telenovela that made her a star in Mexico. In 1994, Hayek starred in the film El Callejón de los Milagros (Miracle Alley), which has won more awards than any other movie in the history of Mexican cinema. For her performance, Hayek was nominated for an Ariel Award ( Mexico's version of the Academy Awards.)

She moved to Los Angeles in 1991 with little ability to speak English.


-- Hayek was an executive producer on the hit TV show, Ugly Betty.
-- Recipient of Glamour magazine Woman of the Year Award in October 2001.
-- Recipient of Producers Guild of America Celebration of Diversity Award in 2003.
-- Recipient of Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year Award in February 2006.
-- Recipient of Time magazine 25 Most Influential Hispanics in 2005.

Press links below to view You Tube videos:-- "Happiness is a Warm Gun" (Salma as a singing nurse in "Across the Universe")
-- Sensuous Tango with Ashley Judd (From the Movie "Frida.")
-- Salma Hayek singing to Antonio Banderas in "El Mariachi"

Sept. 2: '50s-'60s teen heart-throb, Jimmy Clanton is 70.

Jimmy Clanton from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rode the crest of the popular teen music wave in the 1950s and 1960s. His records charted in the Top 40 seven times. His biggest hits included "Just a Dream," in August 1958 (credited to "Jimmy Clanton and His Rockets") and Go Jimmy Go" in 1959.

In 1961, Clanton was drafted and spent the next two years in the U.S. Army, continuing to have chart successes with "Don't Look at Me" and "Because I Do." His next major hit, "Venus in Blue Jeans," peaked at number seven in mid-1962.

Press links below for You Tube videos:

-- "Just a Dream"

-- "Go Jimmy Go"

(Press album covers for direct link to the entire Amazon Website):

####

Sept. 2: Soul and R&B artist Joe Simon is 67.

Joe Simon, born in Simmesport, Louisiana began as a gospel singer in his father's church. He decided to pursue a singing career after the family moved near Oakland, California. Simon joined the Golden West Gospel Singers and recorded "Little Island Girl" as the Golden Tones in 1959.

Embarking on a solo singing career, in 1966 Simon released "Teenager's Prayer," which hit #11 on Billboard's R&B chart. Within the next two years, Simon released a string of hits: "(You Keep Me) Hanging On," "The Chokin' Kind," "Farther On Down The Road," and "Yours Love." In 1970, Simon was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.


Teaming up with the songwriting and record production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Simon scored a #3 R&B hit in 1971 with "Drowning In The Sea of Love," and a #1 R&B hit in the summer of 1972 with "Power Of Love."


Simon continued to release R&B hits including "Get Down, Get Down (Get On The Floor)" in 1975, becoming Simon's third #1 R&B hit, and also a #8 Hot 100 hit. Two years earlier, Simon wrote and produced the theme tune for the film, Cleopatra Jones.


In the late 1970s, Simon left the secular music world and turned to Christianity.


-- "Power Of Love"
-- "Let's do it Over"

-- "The Chokin' Kind"