Willie Simpson

Tag: CBS’s Most Valuable Blogger

  • The Beastie Boys, Triple Trouble, 3 Times

    After I saw that Bored to Death trailer that featured the boys going crazy on Coney Island to the Beastie Boys song Triple Trouble, I myself, have gone crazy, seeking this song out in all its forms.  So, that’s what I’ve done, finding three killer performances of the song on youtube.  The song, which samples…

  • Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Twist and Shout

    The greatest cover song the Beatles ever did was of The Isley Brothers 1962 hit, “Twist and Shout.”  Written by Bert Russell and Phil Medley, the original song was a tepid little dance song, but when John Lennon and the Beatles got their hands on it, they redefined rock and roll, and gave the genre…

  • John Lennon Singing Lead on Get Back

    The Beatles are one of those bands so famous, that to the untrained ear of the average person, its hard to tell which Beatle is singing what.  Of course, such distinctions are “Beatles 101” to hardcore fans, but part of the confusion lies in the seamless harmonic blend Lennon and McCartney produced in many of…

  • RIP Nick Ashford and Jerry Leiber

    Two songwriting icons passed away yesterday, and ironically, both were halves of legendary songwriting teams.  Nick Ashford, legendary Motown songwriter, who was paired with his wife Valerie Simpson, died at 70 in Manhattan.  Jerry Leiber, partnered with Mike Stoller, co-wrote some of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits, died at 78 in Los Angeles.  Among Ashford’s greatest…

  • CBS's Most Valuable Blogger, The Monkees, I'm a Believer, and a New Banner!

    Like the new banner?  I sure do.  I might tweak it a bit in the next week, but I think it’s beautiful. I have to give a special thanks to my dear friend Sonia for creating it.  The unfurling of the new banner coincidentally coincides with a cause to celebrate, as this site has been…