Tag Archive for 'Jimi Hendrix'

It might get loud – and fun

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 8:56 am, November 12, 2012

It’s time to turn it up to 11.
Well, in a manner of speaking.

One of the world’s most iconic brands of musical equipment, Marshall Amplification – founded by the late Jim Marshall, who gave decibels to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Who – will celebrate “50 Years Of Loud” with a limited edition version of the wildly popular Rock Science board game.
With over 1,600 trivia questions ranging from early rock and metal to current artistes, the Rock Science Marshall Game is meant as a tribute to the immense contribution Marshall Amplification has made to music history. (Its board game box looks like the iconic Marshall amplifier and will be made available online by Dec 1.)
“For a guitar aficionado this is a dream come true. 50 years of rock guitar history in one game,” said Rock Science’s creative director, Jorge Bravo.
For those who don’t know, Rock Science is a board game for 2 to 6 players. The goal is to be the first to finish one lap around the board through the use of rock knowledge, clever betting and a bit of luck. Players answer questions about anecdotes, myths, rockers, albums, songs and “Sex, Amps & Rock ‘n’ Roll”. You can also be asked to hum the riffs of well-known rock songs.
All questions have three levels of difficulty: Poser, Fan and Scientist. All players are always involved since they bet on each other’s rock knowledge. And don’t worry if you don’t have all afternoon, its fast gameplay (60 minutes) means you can be done faster than a lunch at a fine dining establishment, or The Who’s Tommy.


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RIP Jim Marshall

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 8:22 pm, April 5, 2012

‘TIS a sad day. Jim Marshall, has passed away. We’re of course, talking about Jim Marshall, who, after talking to Pete Townshend decided that he had to make an amp that musicians could afford to use and could give them what they wanted. That amplifier that Jimi Hendrix used to such good effect. That amp that is ubiquitous when you think of rock music. He was 88.

It was Townshend who requested for a unique combination of a Marshall 1959 amplifier head teamed up a speaker cabinet. The “Marshall stack”. I can’t think of any guitarist who’s never used a Marshall at one time or another. 

Among the musicians paying their respects to the late innovator was former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, who tweeted: “The news of Jim Marshall passing is deeply saddening. R & R will never be the same w/out him. But, his amps will live on FOREVER!”

American blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa also showed his appreciation on Twitter: “A very sad day for the Marshall family. My thoughts and prayers go out to Paul and his family. Rest in Peace Jim Marshall OBE.”

Marshall Amps posted a tribute to its founder on its website. It read:

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved founder and leader for the past 50 years, Jim Marshall. While mourning the Guv’nor though, we also salute a legendary man who led a full and truly remarkable life.

Jim’s ascent into the history books as ‘the Father of Loud’ and the man responsible for ‘the Sound of Rock’ is a true rags-to-riches tale. Cruelly robbed of his youth by tubercular bones, Jim rose to become one of the four forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar as we know and love it today to be born. The groundbreaking quartet also includes the late, great trio of Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover – together with Jim, they truly are the cornerstones of all things rock.

In addition to the creation of the amps chosen by countless guitar heroes and game-changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes.

While the entire Marshall Amplification family mourns Jim’s passing and will miss him tremendously, we all feel richer for having known him and are happy in the knowledge that he is now in a much better place which has just got a whole lot louder!

Rest in Peace & thank you Jim.

Your memory; the music and joy your amps have brought to countless millions for the past five decades; and that world-famous, omnipresent script logo that proudly bears your name will always live on.

Someone suggest a minute’s silence, but I think in the Marshall vein, one should just turn the amp up to 10, strum a power chord and just let that ring for one minute.

RIP, Mr Marshall, hope they like the feedback at the great gig in the sky.


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Rock never looked so good

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 6:45 pm, August 3, 2011

What do Joel Brodsky, Henry Diltz, Bob Gruen, Lynn Goldsmith, Curt Gunther, Rene Huemer, Eddie Kramer, Elliott Landy, Gered Mankowitz, Terry O’Neill, Neal Preston, Ken Regan, Mick Rock, Ethan Russell, Rowland Sherman, Barrie Wentzell and local photog Eddie Sung have in common?

They’re all photographers, and their works are going to be exhibited in… a photographic exhibition! Organised by Vue Privee, it’s called Rock Re-Awakens and it’ll run from Sep 22 to Oct 23 at the vp gallery.
What makes this different from most photographic exhibitions is that the subject matter are all rock and pop stars. And we’re talking about some heavyweights from past and present here: The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, The Who, Lady Gaga and some Brit band called The Beatles.

Should be interesting. Of course, just wondering why my pics – like the one above – are never invited to be part of exhibitions? hahaha.

Anyway, Rock Re-Awakens happens Sep 22 to Oct 23, at the vp gallery. Vue Privée is at 20 Cairnhill Road. Call 6738 7225 for details, or visit www.vueprivee.com


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Rockin’ in the free world

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 4:53 pm, January 12, 2010

Old rockers never die… they just f-f-f-fade away, goes the old adage. But in this day and age, we know that isn’t true any more.

Now old rockers, heck, even dead rockers, can be given a new lease of life. Why just earlier today, it was reported that Jimi Hendrix, rest his soul, will be releasing a new album called Valleys Of Neptune.

jimi-hendrix-statue_seattle
Rock hard: The Jimi Hendrix memorial in Seattle

It’s tracks compiled from his last studio session with the original members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

According to the report, most of the songs – both covers like Sunshine Of Your Love and Bleeding Heart and originals like Lullaby Of Summer and Red House – were recorded in 1969 at London’s Olympic Studios and New York’s Record Plant, although some of the songs date to age earlier age; one song, Mr Bad Luck, dates back to 1967.

The album will contain 12 tracks, and will be out on March 8, one of a series of releases marking the 40th anniversary year of Hendrix’s death.

Meantime, living, breathing old rockers Deep Purple will be back in Singapore on May 12 to perform a gig at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Deep-Purple-Event
Rock on: Deep Purple still going strong

Yes, Lushington Entertainments are bringing the rock quintet, which, alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, were one of the pioneers of heavy metal and hard rock.

And the band will feature the Mark VIII line-up who performed at Fort Canning some years back: Don Airey, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Steve Morse and Ian Paice.  

Now with 18 albums to its credit, Deep Purple may not be tracking into the studio just yet, although you never know, they could highlight one or two new tracks at the gigs.

But don’t rush for tickets just yet. Public sale will happen only on Jan 14. Anyway, here are the deets:

Deep Purple – Live In Singapore!

Date: 12th May 2010

Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium

Time: 8pm

Tickets: $88, $108 and $148 (seated) from Sistic

Sistic hotline: (+65) 6348 5555

Web booking: www.sistic.com.sg


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Pirates of the airwaves

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by Christopher Toh
Published at 3:04 pm, August 20, 2009

On my way back from Tokyo recently, I managed to catch the movie, The Boat That Rocked. For any music fan, it’s a MUST-SEE. 

Briefly, it’s a movie about a bunch of pirate radio deejays on a boat somewhere in the North Sea, where they play rock and roll music all day and all of the night and broadcast it into the United Kingdom. The authorities don’t like it and set about a plan to take them down.  This movie is set in 1966, when the BBC only played a limited amount of rock music each day. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Darby, Rhys Ifans, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, plus it’s directed by Richard Curtis (Bridget Jones’ Diary, Mr Bean, Love Actually) so you know it’s a rockin’ little movie.

I won’t go on about the historical inaccuracy or whatever, suffice it to say that nitpickers shouldn’t watch this show.

So why am I blogging about a movie in a music blog?

Because it’s all about rock ‘n’ roll, baby. It’s everything that rock ‘n’ roll should be: Funny, irreverent, sensitive, romantic without being banal, but most of all, it’s because it’s got music by The Kinks, The Turtles, The Beach Boys, Lorraine Ellison, Martha Reeves, The Troggs, The Who, Smokey Robinson, Jimi Hendrix, Dusty Springfield and much more.

Unfortunately, I was recently told that it apparently won’t be screened here for various reasons. I guess it’s time to hit up Amazon or its equivalent to get the DVD. Legally, I might add. As in the movie, while the deejays  may be working for pirate radio, they also adhered to certain rules and regulations.

Otherwise, get onboard an SQ flight that flies to a destination like eight hours away or something.


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