A couple days ago a buddy played me It Ain't Over 'til It's Over by Lenny Kravitz, who we were thinking of inviting to be part of the LNMC anniversary party. Lenny's song is really good but I mentioned that I thought he must have been listening to Curtis Mayfield and Smokey Robinson when he was growing up. (It is definitely not the Hendrix side of Lenny.)

Anyway, I had to play some Smokey who, when I was growing up was the creative genius behind the Motown hit machine, not just as lead singer of the Miracles but also as a songwriter and producer for the Temptations, Four Tops, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes and Marvin Gaye. And his songs have never stopped being covered, in every genre, like this awesome ska version of Tears of a Clown by The Beat. Of course, here's the all-time classic:

(guest blogged by Howie Klein)

  When Nirvana was putting together Nevermind, an album that set the tone for the rock music of the 90s, they weren't all that famous. They couldn't make their album art budget stretch far enough to use a stock photo of a baby swimming so the photographer they hired, Kirk Weddle paid $200 to some friends of his, Renata and Rick Elden, for their use of their 4 month old son, Spencer, for the shot. In 2001, in honor of Nevermind's tenth anniversary (and his own tenth birthday) Spencer did the shot again for Rolling Stone.Last year Spencer, a Nirvana fan, told the NME that at 15 Nevermind still rocks his world. "You still hear the singles being played on the radio and it just doesn't sound dated. Most bands around today can't even get near to what Nirvana did on that album, and I'll always be happy to be a part of it." Today is Spencer's birthday and LNMC wants to wish him a happy one!

Happy Zappadan, everybody! Zappadan is the on-blog festival which begins today, the anniversary of Frank Zappa's death (also known as BummerNacht) and ends on his Birthday (Day Zero) on December 21.

Lots of blogs participate by posting videos, memories, or making fresh art with the knowledge that even though he's dead, "Frank and his amazing creativity still have the power to hurt us." More info at Fried Green Al Qaedas, and you can follow both @Zappadan and the #zappadan hashtag on Twitter.

And if you're not (yet) a Zappa fan, The Onion has some words for you.

From "Infamous moments in Saturday Night Live history":

On December 17, 1977, Elvis Costello and the Attractions performed as a last-minute replacement for the Sex Pistols, who were unable to obtain passports. NBC and the show's producer Lorne Michaels didn't want the band to perform "Radio Radio", since the song protests the state of the media. The band defied them by beginning to play their song "Less Than Zero", stopping, with Costello telling the audience that there was no reason to do that song, and telling the band to play "Radio Radio" instead. It infuriated Michaels because it put the show off schedule, and the band were barred from performing again. ...Eventually Lorne Michaels put his grievances aside, lifting the ban, and ...Costello would appear as musical guest in 1989 and 1991. He also reprised his performance of "Radio Radio" with the Beastie Boys for a 25th anniversary special aired on September 26, 1999.

 (Blogged by Steve Audio)

Today is a sad anniversary for music lovers. 17 short years ago, we lost Stevie Ray Vaughan:  In July, 1986, I was working for Stevie Wonder, designing and wiring a custom audio remote truck at his L.A. studio, Wonderland, when word came from the front desk that Stevie Ray Vaughan wanted to come by and see the place. Wonderland is private, but friends and selected others can work there....read on

(guest blogged by Howie Klein)

I love this Offspring song so much. Totally forget the video. Just keep the song in mind and write a treatment whose story line could make a Crooks & Liars or Down With Tyranny post. I'm looking for the kind of passion you feel in the beat.

What's in it for you? Glad you asked. SONY just sent us a beautiful box set (3 discs) celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's BORN TO RUN. The killer treatment wins the box set. What are we lookin' for? PASSION. Send your short essay to downwithtyranny@aol.com

Hey Bo Diddley which can be found on His Best:The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection .

Four days after suffering a stroke, Bo Diddley walked around the intensive-care unit at Creighton University Medical Center, and doctors were encouraged that the singer-songwriter-guitarist would be able to perform again, his manager said.
The 78-year-old Diddley told his audience that he wasn't feeling well during a show in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Saturday night. Diddley's manager, Margo Lewis, said she had the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer taken to the hospital by ambulance when he appeared disoriented at the Omaha airport on Sunday. Read more...

I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that it's been 26 years since John was taken, far too young.

CBC:

Yoko Ono has placed a full-page ad in the New York Times calling upon the world to mark the anniversary of her husband John Lennon's death as a day of healing for those who have suffered violence or war.

"Know that the physical and mental abuse you have endured will have a lingering effect on our society.... Know that your loss is our loss.... Know that the burden is ours," wrote the 73-year-old artist. "Forgive us."

How heartbreakingly tragic it is that the video for this song could be updated and three decades later, it is still hopeful, it is still true and it is still unfulfilled.