Over the past few years, UK glam rock darlings, The Struts, have skyrocketed into the big time here in the United States. Propelled by a sound straight out of the ’70s with a modern twist, they revel in the beauty and glamour of the past, yet feel fresh enough to take us into the future. Their first two albums, Everybody Wants and YOUNG & DANGEROUS, combined the glam of David Bowie, the pure rock and roll of The Rolling Stones, and the larger than life arena sound of Queen. They created what many of us have been searching for. No nonsense, no bullshit rock and roll. There’s just one problem.

This album does not capture that magic.

Strange Days not only feels rushed; it was rushed. This album was recorded in just ten days. Now, some of the greatest albums in history have been completed in a very short time span such as this. However, this will not go down as one of those. The speed shows, and not in a good way. The majority of the songs feel like B-sides to an album that was never even released. An ode to the classics, but not capturing the magic or the feeling of songs in fact deemed “classics.” The band seemingly tried to create an album from the late ’70s, but landed somewhere completely different. There’s just no real heart in the album.

Now that’s not to say it’s all bad. There are a few tracks on this outing that pass the test. Few being the keyword. The title track, “Strange Days,” which features UK legend Robbie Williams on vocals, is a beautiful ballad that honestly and completely sums up the current timeline that we are stuck in. “Strange Days / In many strange ways / Science fiction I believe has become reality…” It’s the one song on the album that is full of the heart that the rest of the album lacks. That big arena sing-along.

Speaking of singalongs, “I Hate How Much I Want You” brings the thunder that the band is known for. They recruited Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Phil Collen to spice things up to a full-blown heat. The most scathing track on the album, one could have only hoped that this was the sound standard that was followed for the entire outing. It’s the most memorable song here, one destined for the live set list with the crowd screaming the chorus back in unison.

The closing track of the album, “Am I Talking To The Champagne?”, is a total departure from anything the band has done in the past, and surprisingly works like a charm. A sensual, Santana-esque lullaby that oozes the sex appeal the boys have come to be known for. A late saxophone and guitar solo tie us together like ropes on a bed frame.

For the record, this album is not entirely bad, the majority just lacks the intensity of the three outstanding songs above. There are sparks of that greatness here; it just doesn’t hit the standard that has been set by The Struts due to the brilliance of their prior two albums. Albums, which top to bottom, front to back, just knock you on your ass with a thunder from the heavens. They haven’t by any means “lost it” or strayed away from what makes them great. It’s simply an outing that missed the mark. The future is still very, VERY bright for the band. A future that will no doubt lead them into history as one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time.

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Artist: The Beatles

Song Title: “Revolution (Take 20)”

Year: 1968, unreleased

I recently approached my editors with an idea of writing a Lost and Found article on a single song. An odd request, to be sure, but I was ultimately given permission, provided I could make it into a Lost and Found piece. Given the number of circumstances behind this, that actually was not difficult. Sure, most songs have stories behind them, but a full article? Yet here I am, doing it because outside of the more hardcore Beatles fans, this probably slipped by a lot of people. A history lesson on The Beatles is not needed here, that much is obvious, so let’s jump right into it, shall we?

50 years ago this year, The Beatles wrote and recorded their first double album, titled “The Beatles”, but more commonly known as the “White Album”. It was, for them, a reaction to the excess of the previous year’s releases; rather than a million overdubs, they decided to strip down the arrangements and rehearse tracks, with the idea that the rehearsals would then be treated as the basic tracks. They all also came with their own songs/ideas and were arguing more and more almost from the very beginning. Indeed, their problems, and eventual breakup, actually started with the recording of this double album. One of the songs that would end up being at the center of the problems? “Revolution”.

As some (or maybe even most) people know, there are 3 “Revolution” tracks. “Revolution No. 1”, which is a slower, more acoustic take, was used on the album. “Revolution No. 9”, which consisted of tape loops, backward effects, and random noises, was also placed on the album. Finally, “Revolution”, which was an upbeat, electric version of No. 1, was released as the b-side of “Hey Jude”, and is probably the best-known version of the three (despite being the final version recorded; more on that in a bit). Over the years, while there was some curiosity as to the usage of the numbers, it was never really explained. Indeed, #1 and #9 are so completely different from each other, that it was just chalked up to “Lennon being Lennon”. This view, though, would end up changing.

In 1988, Mark Lewisohn, who is considered one of the leading authorities on The Beatles, released, “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions”, which was a complete chronicle of every bit of music the band had put to tape during their time in Abbey Road Studios. Indeed, Mr. Lewisohn had access to the entire vault, and the book was presented in a diary format, along with interviews with various studio personnel, covering every session held; who played what, the work that was done that day, how the music, sounds, even overdubs, were recorded. It even chronicled the few unreleased tracks that were there, as well as alternate mixes and versions of songs.

In this book, it’s revealed that “Revolution #1” was the very first track recorded during the “White Album” sessions. All takes went to normal lengths, roughly 4-5 minutes…..that is, until take 18, which not only began immediately after the previous take (resulting in the engineer’s take announcement appearing on the recording) but ended up being over 10 minutes long! Yup. Over 10 minutes of jamming on the same chord sequence, with Lennon yelling “Alright” repeatedly, then just yelling and mumbling. Quite a sudden difference. Further overdubs would be added, including the sound of a radio station changing, Paul and George repeatedly singing, “Mama, Dada”, the band singing “Ahhhhh” in unison, along with horn overdubs, would bring the song up to take 20.

Now, at the time, Lennon was keen on putting this on the album and even wanted to release it as a single. For obvious reasons this wasn’t gonna happen; as it is, even the main body of the song was considered too slow for a single release. This is how we ended up with the single, “rock” version of “Revolution”. As for the 10+ minute album version, Lennon decided (or was persuaded, depending on the story), to chop the final 6 minutes off and fade out the main song, thus creating the version of “Revolution #1” we know on the album.

Not to let anything go to waste, he then took those last 6 minutes, which already contained various loops, and used it as the basis for “Revolution #9” by adding more tape loops with the help of both George Harrison and Yoko Ono. This would also make the album, albeit not without some fighting.

So we now know both “Revolution” #1 and #9 started from the same recording. It was considered one of the holy grails for fans, despite the overall dislike for #9. After all, just how would they actually sound together? A monitor mix, recorded from a studio playback but with Yoko rambling on top of it, leaked on bootlegs in the 90s, but was of poor quality to really listen to.

In 2009, The Beatles announced that they would be releasing brand new remasters of their catalog. This was a huge deal, as their albums were only ever released on CD once, in 1987. For years people were crying out for new remasters; while other artists re-released past albums, using the newest technologies to improve the sound of their albums (or, in some cases, make them worse), The Beatles albums just sort of languished. 2009 changed all of that. We got brand new remasters of all their albums, official releases of the mono versions, and even “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game. It was wonderful. Just a few months prior, though, we got the unexpected. The full, 10+ minute version of “Revolution (Take 20)” suddenly appeared on a bootleg and the internet. Not only that, it was in practically perfect quality, being a mono mix taken straight from tape.

It’s still a mystery as to who leaked it. It’s generally believed that only 2 copies of this mono mix existed; one in the vault of Abbey Road Studios, and a copy that Lennon himself took that day. Along with that, the timing of the leak was interesting, coming at a time when so much focus was on the band due to the impending remasters.

Finally, there was the reaction of those involved; the band, etc. Their reaction was…..nothing. Yup. None of the band, their estates…..nobody said a word about it, and in the research, I’ve done, to this day they still haven’t. The only reaction came from the record label, which was to have it removed from youtube. Too little, too late though. So, an excellent sounding copy of an unreleased version of a Beatles song leaks shortly before the brand new remasters are released, and they don’t have much of a reaction if any. Not only is the source unknown, but the options for such are limited. Could it have been done by them for extra publicity? Perhaps, but they’re not exactly a band that needs it.

Regardless, we finally got one of the holy grails. While it was reported by the press, it wasn’t quite as huge as you’d expect. Maybe it was because part of it involved “Revolution #9”, which a number of fans aren’t fond of due to being overly avant-garde. Maybe it was due to the label trying to stifle it as much as possible. Or maybe, just maybe, many people outside of the super hardcore fans didn’t know there was a story behind it or the importance behind the leak.

If you’ve read this, though, now you do. To think, this was 50 years ago this year, and it took 40 years to get to us. Now, if we can just have “Carnival of Light…..”

The only version on youtube was slowed down, I guess as a way to keep it up there (you know how people do that). However, here’s a link to a Beatles fan site that has the song posted at the correct speed: https://www.beatlesbible.com/2009/02/24/unreleased-revolution-1-mix/

If you love running and rock ‘n’ roll, then next weekend Philadelphia is the place to be for two days of running mixed with live bands performing at every mile increment of the courses. Spectators are more than welcome to come to all these mini concerts, dance and cheer on the runners. At the finish line there’s even an after party featuring headlining band Rusted Root!

Saturday’s 5k run that starts at 8:00am Franklin Parkway and ends at Eakins Oval in Fairmount Park. Then Sunday is the real deal with a half marathon at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Tickets are $50 for Saturday (or $60 if you don’t buy in advance). Friday and Saturday also feature a Health and Fitness Expo at Pennsylvania Convention Center in Hall E. Friday, it runs from 12:00pm – 7:00pm and Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm. For these two days more than 70 vendors will offer sports apparel, health & nutritional information, the latest in running gear, and free samples.

While picking up new gear at the expo you can get rid of your old sneakers and clothes by donating them to Clothes Pin (clothes for people in need). The nonprofit organization travels the country to different running events and donates clothing they collect and sort to shelters local to each event. Since 2007, they have collected & donated over 175,000 articles including hats, gloves, hoodies, sweatpants and shirts, along with thousands of pairs of sneakers. So instead of throwing out your old sneakers bring them to the expo and let this wonderful organization put them to good use.

The weekend will not only include the expo, live music, and other goodies but if you are participating in the race your bib will also give you access to special deals throughout the city. Show your bib at any of the participating restaurants, attractions and venues and get free stuff and exclusive discounts. For example, Time Bar is offering $3 select seasonal draft beers, $5 house wines, 15% off all food and the ability to skip the line with cover charge after 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. You can check Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon’s website for a complete list of participating venues.

Finally, the finale of it all takes place at the finish line on Sunday! Celebrate your success with friends and family at the finish line with more music, drinks and Rusted Root! Online registration for the half marathon ends today at noon! You have one more week to catch up on training so get to it and see you next weekend!

The band is based in Illinois, the southern tip to be exact, and they create a sound so unique that I needed to share it with everyone in Philadelphia. A good friend of mine handed me the band’s CD a few weeks ago and I was compelled to make Rotramel and his band-mates the first group to be part of this blog’s new music series. Every time I find something I guarantee the readers have never heard before, I’m going to pimp it. These guys are good, trust me. This summer, they’re recording their 4th album and gearing up for another European tour. Thanks for the interview, Jim.

BH: So…the name?
JR: Well, it was given to me actually by my friend Sean Hopkins, who fronts the band Dallas Alice. The Number 9 Blacktop is an old road outside of my hometown, and “Skinny Jim” is an Eddie Cochran song. It just kinda stuck.

BH: What are your ties to Philly/the east coast?
JR: We booked a tour in 2007 and had a Philadelphia show. We played the Tritone with the Road Hogs, the Flying Graysons, and Toothless George. We had great feedback from the rockabilly crowd there and have came back to the area about 10 times since then, doing most shows outside of town at the Blue Comet (in Glenside). The rockabilly and roots Americana scene in the Philadelphia area is amazing!

BH: Your band is from Illinois. What types of music/genres/sounds/instruments/etc can be found there?
JR: Being at the southern part of Illinois, we’re very close to Kentucky and Tennessee. Many traditional music genres float around our area. On the other end of the spectrum, our closest big town is Carbondale, IL, home of Southern Illinois University. Many Chicago students come south to SIU, bringing their musical influences. Carbondale has a great diverse music scene, we’re blessed with tons of genres, and tons of great musicians.

BH: What are some bands you guys are inspired by? According to your website you refer to yourselves as a cross between Chuck Berry and ZZ Top. So, I assume you listen to a lot of that?
JR: I’ve always been a Chuck Berry fan more than anything. We’ve played with him 3 times now in St.Louis. I always liked Chuck’s rock style more than many of the early rockabilly guitarist style. Chuck focuses more on the down beat tempo of the song, giving it more of a rock-n-roll feel as opposed to a rockabilly feel. His songwriting is the best there is and he has the best stage presence of anybody. The thing that I dig most about ZZ Top is the way Billy and Dusty make a visual show of a performance as well. They just look cool. They look like rock n roll stars!

BH: What are some bands in your circuit in Illinois? Besides yourself, what other bands can you tell the people of Philly to check out from your neck of the woods?
JR: Geez we’ve got hundreds of amazing bands around here! For similar genre bands, check out Dallas Alice, The Trip Daddys, and the Swamp Tigers. Great guys, great bands.

BH: You’ve toured Europe? What parts? What was that like?
JR: We’ve toured Europe 4 times now, and going back again in a few months. We’ve been fortunate enough to play in 10 countries. I dig playing overseas. The crowds respond different than in the States. Not really better, not worse, just different. They’re a lot more honest to me in regards to my songs. If they don’t care for a song on the album, I’ll hear about it! Anytime I’m on tour I’m happy. It takes my stress away to be in the van and headed out to shows. Sure, I get homesick and miss my wife, etc., but some guys just like to tour and I’m one of them.

BH: What are your band’s plans this summer?
JR: We are recording our 4th album this summer! We’re proud to announce that our good friend Eddie Spaghetti from the Supersuckers will be producing the CD! The Supersuckers are probably my favorite band of all time, and I’m stoked to be working with Eddie. Over the past two years I’ve become burnt out on rockabilly, so the new album will definitely be more rock-n-roll. You’ll hear some rockabilly licks in there for sure, but the tones will be thicker and the songs will be edgier. A band must progress or else all the songs sound the same. It’s gonna rock, I promise!