Many athletes at the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea prepared for competition by listening to music on their headphones. With that in mind, here's my Top 5 playlist of cycling-themed tunes to help race fans get in gear for the Redlands Bicycle Classic, which runs May 2-6 in Redlands, Calif.
Check out the accompanying video clips below, listen on Spotify or other streaming services.
1. “Bicycle Race,” Queen (1978) – Front man Freddie Mercury was inspired to pen the lyrics after
watching the ‘78 Tour de France. The British rock band released it
later that fall as a double A-sided 7” vinyl single with “Fat Bottomed
Girls” and it reached the top 30 in America. An accompanying music video
surrounding nude women riding around Wimbledon Stadium was banned in
various countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AY8Fr1GIlw
2. “Tour de France,” Kraftwerk (1983) – Celebrating the enjoyment of cycling, this breezy song from the pioneering German electronic music group went to #4 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTe7U92ecX8
3. "Bike Ride to the Moon,” The Dukes of Stratosphear (1985) – The short-lived psychedelic rock-leaning side project from British alt-rock band XTC unveiled this zippy tune on its debut 25 O’Clock.
4. “The Bike Song,” Mark Ronson & The Business Intl., featuring Kyle Falconer and Spank Rock
(2010) – After snagging Grammy Awards for production work with Amy
Winehouse (and prior to massive success on Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”),
Ronson presented rotating vocalists on Record Collection. “The Bike
Song,” sung by Falconer, Scottish leader of The View, with Rock’s rap
interludes, was a top 20 hit in England.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVELTxKRoHA
5. “My White Bicycle,” Nazareth (1975) – Best known for AOR radio staples in America like “Love Hurts” and “Hair of the Dog,” the Scottish hard rock band took this whimsical Tomorrow cover to the top 20 in the U.K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNXBQCsU_QQ
For more info on the event, go to www.redlandsclassic.com
My article originally appeared in the spring issue of Redlands Magazine.
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| photo: Nicky Sims |
When The Fratellis appeared on the U.K. music scene in the mid-2000s, they immediately drew attention due to a unique sense of irreverence and exuberance. “Chelsea Dagger,” off the rousing debut disc Costello Music sold more than a million copies there.
Two more top 20 singles and a BRIT Award followed. Meanwhile, “Flathead” was used in a popular iPod Shuffle commercial. High profile gigs in 2007 on The Police reunion tour and a plum Coachella Festival slot helped cement a cult following here in America.
Now the Scottish rock trio has returned with excellent fifth album In Your Own Sweet Time, an early contender for my albums of the year list. There’s a fresh vibrancy and fuller sound to the music with some Indian and dance influences, rare orchestration and falsetto vocals.
“All I’ve ever tried to do is entertain myself; that hasn’t changed,” said Jon Fratelli, in a phone interview from his home outside Glasgow. “This particular bunch of songs sounded more colorful to me. It’s definitely the best thing that we’ve done in a long time.
“Over time, you need to find new ways to work just to keep yourself engaged,” the singer/guitarist continued.
The band, rounded out by bassist Barry and drummer Mince Fratelli (like The Ramones, they all adopted the same stage surname), partnered with longtime producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, Supergrass, Phoenix) to record the new album in Los Angeles. Being “sun starved” Scotsmen, they jumped at the chance to bask in “six weeks of sunshine.”
Hoffer also contributed keyboards to half of the tunes.
“We were quite happy to let Tony take the driver’s seat,” explained Jon. “He’s very trustworthy and we have a working relationship now whereby we let him try whatever he wants and we’re almost always really happy with the results.”
Infectious opener “Stand Up Tragedy” and an ebullient “The Next Time We Wed” saw Jon take his upper register to new heights.
“I was definitely having a lot more fun with vocals,” Jon admitted.
The latter song verges on early Prince and was based around drum loops he created and played guitar over. “I had the [title] written down. I liked the playfulness of that and the assumption that there will be a next time.”
Jon’s lyrics can veer into tongue-in-cheek territory - something he said was inspired by early influences like The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
“Why that resonated, I’m not sure. In retrospect, it probably has to do with this job. It is not to be taken seriously. It is supposed to be a fun and an enjoyable way of passing the time. I think that always appealed to me.”
Fast-paced latest single “Starcrossed Losers” revolves around a Romeo and Juliet tale, features cascading vocals and a sweeping orchestral score by longtime Fratellis tour keyboardist Will Foster (a former member of The Tears with The London Suede’s Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson).
“He was given free reign. The only thing I said to him was, ‘Can you come up with something English sounding?’ He sent me the whole thing the next day, which is just ridiculous. It really makes the song and topped everything off.”
Among the other album highlights are a poppy “Sugartown,” which evokes 1960s Merseybeat, the glam rock-meets-Muse stomper “I Guess…I Suppose” and a soaring ‘70s power pop-style harmonies with wicked guitar solo of “I’ve Been Blind.”
“Adviata Shuffle” - where the band mixes vocal loops, Middle Eastern strains, bluesy slide guitar work and an old nursery rhyme – and dense, nearly seven-minute-long “I Am That,” complete with Indian instrument esraj, a sample from an Indian guru documentary and jet engine sounds – definitely show The Fratellis at their experimental best.
Jon offers no apologies for going a bit nuts on that epic tune, which took the longest to record and used the most multi-tracks available in the studio.
“If you’re going to do a song like that, it’s better to go completely over the top rather than come up short.”
In recent years, “Chelsea Dagger” has taken on a life of its own as the fight song for various sports teams around the world (including our National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks). Yet Jon never seems to be in the right place at the right time to actually experience the chants.
“I always hear about it second hand. It’s kind of comical. I have no idea how or why that happened,” he said. “I have no problem with it.” No surprise there: all the attention is “incredibly helpful” at keeping The Fratellis in the public consciousness.
The Fratellis - North American Tour Dates:
May 1 Belasco Theater - Los Angeles, CA
May 2 Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
May 4 Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA
May 5 Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ
May 7 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
May 8 Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
May 10 First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
May 11 Metro - Chicago, IL
May 12 Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
May 14 The Majestic – Detroit, MI
May 15 Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
May 16 Brooklyn Steele - Brooklyn, NY
May 18 Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
May 19 9:30 Club - Washington D.C.
May 21 Exit/In – Nashville, TN
May 22 Terminal West – Atlanta, GA
Right After Dwight Yoakam did the first of several tributes to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens at Stagecoach, he told the crowd that a lot of people had probably “travelled down Highway 99 from Bakersfield, Tulare, Stockton and Modesto to get here.”
Much farther too. Last Friday-Sunday, Stagecoach – California’s Country Music Festival, drew 75,000 attendees daily to Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif. from multiple states. It is among the top-grossing U.S. concert events annually.
The 2018 edition was headlined by Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban and Garth Brooks. While the lineup is always impressive, Day 2 was especially strong this year.
On the Mane Stage, Keith Urban (pictured below) delivered a top-notch performance amid heavy winds that featured six songs from his eclectic new album “Graffiti U.” Kicking things off with a typically high-energy “Somebody Like You,” he mentioned the full moon and wife Nicole Kidman watching from the wings made for a perfect Saturday night. Latest single “Comin’ Home” sounded strong and a pre-recorded Julia Michaels appeared on the large screens for her duet part.
A rousing “Long Hot Summer” and “Somewhere in My Car” were high energy standouts and an emotionally resonant “Cop Car” featured some riveting visuals. The playful “You Look Good in My Shirt” saw Urban head into the crowd to make his way to the SiriusXM Spotlight Stage facing the general admission sections.
Immediately, a bunch of guys hoisted gals onto their shoulders, which made it nearly impossible to watch other than on the screens.
Brothers Osborne, who played earlier on the Mane Stage, were invited onstage to do what Urban called a “California song” and it ended up being a fun take on Yoakam’s “Fast as You.” The songwriter himself also joined them to sing and play acoustic guitar. Later, the ballad “Blue Ain’t Your Color” had the all the cowgirls singing along and the smoldering new rocker “Texas Time” proved highly infectious.
The weather affected Kacey Musgraves, who preceded Urban on the Mane Stage, more. Not vocally; everything was fine in that department. She did mention the wind a few times, constantly brushed hair away from her face and struggled to keep the microphone stand steady.
Taking the stage to a snippet of The Beatles’ “Because” (from “Abbey Road”), Musgraves opened with the equally lush acoustic guitar-based “Slow Burn,” which leads off her adventurous new album “Golden Hour.” Another delightful new gem, “Butterflies,” featured soft synth washes alongside the banjo and pedal steel.
“This is about love over hate,” said Musgraves, before satisfying “Golden Hour” track “Love is a Wild Thing,” as a pink-hued forest scene was projected on the screens. The Texas singer/songwriter/guitarist gave “Mama’s Broken Heart,” her ACM-winning co-write with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally for Miranda Lambert, a semi-aggressive delivery complete with cello. The crowd went crazy. Hit single “Merry Go Round” was done solo acoustic and fared well.
Other fresh selections, like the orchestrated “Velvet Elvis” and country-meets-disco of “High Horse” (plus totally danceable Brooks & Dunn cover “Neon Moon”) kept things livelier toward the end.
Earlier, Dwight Yoakam played to an overflow crowd at the Palomino tent. His twangy country journey began with Chuck Berry’s “Little Queenie” and kept on the early rock ‘n’ roll tip, thanks to his hit version of Elvis Presley-popularized “Little Sister.”
The band, clad in matching attire and featuring Eugene Edwards' tasteful electric guitar work, really let it rip on “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke” (from 2012’s underrated “3 Pears”). Yoakam’s aforementioned tribute to his idols encompassed a feisty, accordion-accented “Streets of Bakersfield,” “The Bottle Let Me Down,” “Today I Started Loving You Again,” “Mama Tried,” “Okie from Muskogee” and “My Heart Skips a Beat.”
As for his own songs, Yoakam also turned in a lively “Honky Tonk Man” and “Fast as You” and did his trademark scooting across the stage and spinning around. “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere” was stirring as ever.
Jason Isbell never ceases to amaze in concert. Touring in support of last year’s excellent “The Nashville Sound,” the Alabama native and his band The 400 Unit (including wife Amanda Shires on violin/backing vocals) played one of the strongest sets on Saturday.
Holding court in a well-attended Palomino (many chatty people watching were obviously there to find a good viewing spot for Yoakam), Isbell and company got the proceedings rocking from the get-go, thanks to “Hope the High Road” and some searing guitar work from Isbell and Sadler Vaden. “24 Frames” was an early standout, while the racing “Cumberland Gap” boasted a dangerous sonic vibe and soaring vocals.
“We do actually have a country song and an accordion,” said Isbell, facetiously, before slowing things down a bit for the sprightly, fiddle-infused “Codeine.” Later, he’d joke about not being able to compete with Yoakam’s trademark tight acid-washed blue jeans look and not being inclined to try.
Isbell and Shire sang the vocals for “Stockholm” while looking at each other, elevating the song’s sense of loneliness and warmth. Later, their dramatic delivery was mesmerizing on “Vampires.” A gripping “Cover Me Up” saw Isbell belt out the vocal.
The 400 Unit pulled out all the rocking stops for mid-period Stonesy rave-up “Super 8” (where Isbell had a good time) and again on the final song, a Neil Young & Crazy Horse-styled cover of Isbell’s former band Drive-By Truckers’ “Never Gonna Change.”
Country Music Hall of Famer Ronnie Milsap also drew a capacity crowd to the Palomino, with Stagecoach attendees eager to see the legend while he was still around. Now 75, Milsap was admirable at best on vocals and electric piano, but sounded better when members of the six-piece band joined in on backing vocals. A quick audio introduction summarized his career, then Milsap – wearing a shiny black shirt festooned with cactus - started with “Prisoner of the Highway.”
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| photo: George A. Paul |
An eight-song medley of hits had several elderly ladies near me swaying and singing right along. It contained “I Wouldn’t Have Missed it for the World,” “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” “No Gettin’ Over Me” and “She Keeps the Home Fires Burning,” among others.
Milsap cracked a couple jokes about a recent career retrospective and working on a new album “that’ll be out before I die.” He also performed such 1970s and ‘80s hits as “It Was Almost Like a Song,” “What Goes On When the Sun Goes Down,” “Pure Love,” “Stranger in My House,” “Smokey Mountain Rain” and “Lost in the Fifties Tonight.” The latter, which incorporates The Five Satins’ “In the Still of the Night,” got one of the loudest reactions.
The entertainer gave a shout out to military personnel and first responders for “keeping us safe” and closed with “America the Beautiful.” I’m surprised some young guys and gals wearing flag-emblazoned shorts and tops near the front of the stage didn’t take them off and wave them around.
Outside in the blazing heat, Carly Pearce was quite the spunky singer. Performing on the SiriusXM Spotlight Stage, she did several songs from debut album “Every Little Thing,” including the big hit title track “Careless,” plus “Hide the Wine,” “Everybody Gonna Talk” and a lively take on Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”
One of the most in-demand songwriters in country music today, Brandy Clark has a keen eye for detail and her lyrics about Southern life really hit the mark (amazingly, she hails from Washington state). Having flown into the festival from North Carolina that morning, Clark’s solid Stagecoach set contained several songs about crazy women – a fact she joked about.
Singing with the grace of Rosanne Cash in the Palomino, the multi-award-winning artist was most memorable on “Pray to Jesus,” a beautiful “Favorite Lie,” thought-provoking “Love Can Go to Hell,” the title track to 2016’s “Big Day in a Small Town” (where the lyrics surround the townsfolk's problems), a sadly humorous “Get High,” “Girl Next Door,” the tender love song “Hold My Hand” and spirited “Stripes.”
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| photo by George A. Paul |
Newcomer Jade Jackson put out her winsome debut album “Gilded,” produced by Social Distortion’s Mike Ness, last year.
In the Palomino, the Rancho Santa Margarita, California native sang her alt-country songs with a dusky voice that sometimes recalled Shelby Lynne. “Aden,” “Finish Line,” “Bottle it Up” and the haunting “Good Time Gone” impressed most. She also did a short acoustic set later in the afternoon on the Toyota tent's Music Den stage. Definitely one to watch.
Archival photo of Yoakam by Drew A. Kelley
