Rock and Roll Hall of fame and Deep Purple have always been at the front of it. Alongside other legendary bands like Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin this instrumental group has been the sparkling daze of the metal revolution. They changed the face of British heavy metal and gave a slight push for the next batch of metal generation.

Standing on that foundation is Ian Gillan. With his unique wide-ranging voice, he is one of the famous Deep Purple band members. Gillian made his appearance with Deep Purple all the way back in 1969. His very first contribution to the band was the reason his talent was recognized.

The contribution was made during the band’s rehearsal process. Ian took off and created the vocal melody and lyrics of ‘Child in Time’. That’s when Tim Rice, the lyricist recognized his talent and made him perform in his rock opera ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.

By the beginning of the 1970s, Ian was already feeling sick with the work he was doing. He handed in his retirement letter in 1973 after the release of ‘Who Do We Think We Are.’ He stayed away from performing for two years and then created a band called Ian Gillan Band. The first album was called ‘Child in Time’. Ian had some similarities when it came to Deep Purple’s songs and Ian Gillan Band songs.

Now, to talk about the technique Ian in both his solo works and Deep Purple songs. Back in the days, when Deep Purple was formed, the band was more of a psychedelic and progressive rock band. With every song, they escalated into heavier songs. As there were similarities between the songs, Ian expressed that he used the same method in his solo works and Deep Purple songs.

He revealed that he has a technique and he and the band used the same method to create songs. Gillan expressed that the band loved creating new songs, and though he loved heavy sounds, it was the band’s idea to go with the formula. In a past interview, he explained the similarities between the songs. He said,

“Well, to be quite fair, I think you could. Yes. I think you could probably say that certainly; Deep Purple as it was when I was with them,it’s the same voice, and it’s the same singer. My attitude to writing has probably matured a bit, but then again, I’ve benefited from a 2-year layoff. It’s got a freshness to it that has occurred to me, anyway. There must be a link obviously because I write the words and the tunes to the stuff I sang with Purple. And I’m writing the words and the tunes to what we’re doing now.

We’re writing very much in the same sort of way. Everyone is writing what they’re playing, if you know what I mean. We just tie it all together, and fortunately, it’s working very nicely. It’s a similar writing formula to the one with Purple. I think probably when we go on the road, we won’t be such a loud band this time. Not that I don’t like the volume, but I do like the volume very much. But the players are different kinds of players.”

He says that this was the technique he adopted while he was with Deep Purple. That way the lyric writing method became a formula. With time, the singer made lyrical writing more formulaic. Ian also said that he wanted to keep Deep Purple’s original style alive from the very beginning. He explained being more formulaic in the following way.

“I don’t think that can be denied by anybody. Every album started with the same tempo, and that’s just it. That’s one of the reasons why I left because I was becoming stagnant. We became so entrenched in it because that was the Purple identity and the Purple image. But we were really restricting our means of expression.

I think it was one of the reasons Ritchie left. We were all very high-energy people, and I think it’s done everybody good. It’s done me good; it’s done Purple good; it’s done Ritchie good. I think what we had together was kind of like a musical orgasm. Perhaps we came a bit too quickly! I don’t know.”

Ian Gillan surely tasted success with such a formula. He even reunited with Deep Purple in 1984. Even then, he used the same method to write the lyrics. While the technique surely helped, it surely limited the creativity of the band.

Yesterday marked the death anniversary of our beloved Beatle, George Harrison. The Beatles star lost his life to cancer in 2001 at the age of 58-years old. He had been battling the disease for years, and it was not a complete show to his nearest ones. The reason he had some time to say his final words and give parting gifts.

Paul, while talking about his former bandmate, revealed the last conversation he had with Harrison before he died. He revealed that his last meeting was emotional and filled with nothing but love. He said, “The last time I met him he was very sick and I held his hand for four hours.”

He recalled and said that it was the very first time they had held hands. He continued, “I’ve never held his hand before, ever. That’s not what two Liverpool buddies do, no matter how well you know each other, I kept thinking: He’s going to hit me here.”

Well, he didn’t. “But he didn’t [hit me], He hit my hand with his thumb and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s good, that’s life,’ It’s hard, but it’s beautiful. It is what it is,” said Paul.

Twenty years later, Paul revealed the gift he got from Harrison before his demise. While talking with NPR’s All Things Considered, he revealed, “George was very into horticulture, a really good gardener, so he gave me a tree as a present. It’s a big fir tree and it’s by my gate.”

Seems like it has acted as a constant reminder of his one lost friend. He revealed that it was a tree that George had grown and cultivated himself. He continued, “As I was leaving my house this morning, I get out of the car, close the gate and look up at the tree and say: ‘Hi, George.’ There he is, growing strongly. It’s lovely. He gave it to me – I just planted it. But then, as the years go by, every time I look at it I go, ‘That’s the tree George gave me.’ George has entered that tree, for me. I hope he’s happy with that.”

Last year was the 20th anniversary of Harrison’s death. Paul hadn’t forgotten about it and posted something on his social media account. He posted a black and white photo of them playing guitar with the caption,

“Hard to believe we lost George 20 years ago. I miss my boyfriend so much. I love Paul.”

Paul also revealed what he talked about with George for the very last time. He smiled and said, “We said silly things. We were in New York before he went to Los Angeles to die… We were sitting there, and I was holding his hand, and it occurred to me – I’ve never told this – I don’t want to hold George’s hand. You don’t hold your mate’s hands. I mean, we didn’t anyway.”

“I remember he was getting a bit annoyed at having to travel all the time – chasing a cure. He’d gone to Geneva to see what they could do. Then he came to a special clinic in New York to see what they could do. Then the thought was to go to L.A. and see what they could do. He was sort of getting a bit, ‘Can’t we just stay in one place?’ And I said, ‘Yes, Speke Hall. Let’s go to Speke Hall.’ “

“That was one of the last things we said to each other, knowing that he would be the only person in the room who would know what Speke Hall (a public garden and estate in Liverpool) was. Anyway, the nice thing for me when I was holding George’s hands, he looked at me, and there was a smile.”

George died at an estate owned by McCartney in Los Angeles. He was alongside his wife, Olivia Harrison, his son Dhani Harrison, and his closest friend Ravi Shankar alongside other Hare Krishna devotees. George was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. His ashes were scattered in a special ceremony in the Ganges and Tamuna rivers in India.

His wife, Olivia also, later on, revealed Harrison’s last words to share with the world. She revealed he said, “Everything can wait, but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another.”

The world lost Chester and Chris in a matter of months. Both were talented artists and had a very big footprint in the music scene. They also struggled with mental health which came with very big consequences. Chester, two months before his death had found the courage to perform at his friend’s funeral.

Chris Cornell struggled with depression for most of his life. He was found dead in his hotel room on May 18, 2017. Prior to his death, he had also performed at a Soundgarden Concert. Chris Cornell was laid to rest during a private funeral that was held at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Forever Cemetery. As part of the service, Chris’ friend Chester Bennington and godfather to one of Cornell’s children sang the song ‘Hallelujah’.

Bennington shared his message to the world the day news of Cornell’s death broke. He shared his message on Twitter. He wrote,

“I’m still weeping, with sadness, as well as gratitude for having shared some very special moments with you and your beautiful family,” the singer wrote. “You have inspired me in ways you could never have know.”

“Your talent was pure and unrivaled. Your voice was joy and pain, anger and forgiveness, love and heartache all wrapped up into one. I supposed that’s what we all are. You helped me understand that,” he continued. “I can’t imagine a world without you in it. I pray you find peace in the next life.”

Bennington was several of the notable musicians who participated in Cornell’s funeral. Other musicians who appeared were the singer’s former bandmates Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Tom Morello. Metallica’s James Hetfield, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, and many others also appeared at the funeral.

Less than 2 months later, Chester Bennington himself was found dead from an apparent suicide. He was in a brittle state after his friend’s passing. He left the world leaving behind his wife Talinda Bentley and his six children. He paid tribute to his friend on Jimmy Kimmel Live too.

“We were going to come out and play ‘Heavy’ first, In light of our dear friend Chris Cornell passing away, we decided to play our song, ‘One More Light’… We love you, Chris,” He said.

Bennington was battling with depression himself during that time. He also had trouble with alcoholism. After some time, Bennington performed the song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen. He was assisted by guitarist Brad Delson. The private service was very emotional. Not less than two months later, Bennington was also found dead. He died on the day of Cornell’s 53rd birthday.

Watch Bennington and Brad’s tribute down below.

Artists have always meddled in past incidents for inspiration and creativity. On a few occasions, things have been reflected in real-life incidents. The Rolling Stones have given us a lot of dark songs. Explaining such horror is the song ‘Midnight Rambler’ from the album Let It Bleed.

Like the name Let It Bleed, the album is filled with topics that circle around addiction, war, terror, and murders. It is a dark-themed album. In an interview with Rolling Stones, when asked about what made him create an album like that, Jagger said,

“Well, it’s a very rough, very violent era, The Vietnam War…. And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense. The thing about Vietnam was that it wasn’t like World War II, and it wasn’t like [the Korean War], and it wasn’t like the Gulf War. It was a real nasty war, and people didn’t like it.”

The song “Midnight Rambler” is said to be about the Boston Strangler. The serial killer has said to have murdered several women in the early 1960s. It is said that the killer actually terrorized women then. The killer operated between June 1962 to January 1964 and he would tie a bow around the victims’ necks using their nylon stockings. The song was released in 1969 with the memoirs of the crimes still in the air in the United States. The song was unsettling and dark but jagger revealed they wrote the song due to the unfortunate circumstances of the killing.

Jagger also recalled that the song was written when the band was on a holiday in Italy. They were in a beautiful hill town Positano. He said, “Why we should write such a dark song in this beautiful, sunny place, I really don’t know. We wrote everything there – the tempo changes, everything. And I’m playing the harmonica in these little cafes, and there’s Keith with the guitar.”

The lyrics in the song, “I’m called the hit-and-run raper in anger,” revealed some of the activity of the killer. The  Boston Strangler would sexually assault his victims before their murder. The horrifying details that are in the songs are more than this with lyrics like”Did you hear about the midnight rambler? / The one that shut the kitchen door.” At the height of their popularity, this was a sudden release.

The song didn’t become a hit for The Rolling Stones. It didn’t even chart the Billboard Hot 100 at that time. As the song portrayed the serial killer and his killings, it didn’t quite appeal to the public. Also, back then the killer was still on run, which made the incident more grave. ‘Midnight Rambler’ is one of many depictions given to the Boston Strangles and remains one of the most notorious killers in the history of the US.

This is the story of when Foo Fighters supported Bob Dylan in 2006. These two outstanding performers were supporting each other on the tour. While the Foo Fighters themselves could have taken the upper hand, they decided that Bob deserved it.

Foo Fighters were already the headline of the festival but when it comes to Dylan, it was their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “They don’t usually jump around on other people’s tours but when it comes to Bob Dylan, it’s like being Knighted”. It was also their chance to learn from the all-time great.

In an interview with Uncut, he revealed many fascinating things. He revealed that when the tour was supposed to go, the Foo Fighters were doing an acoustic tour for the previous five or six months. Also, they were skeptical as Dylan is more of an acoustic person. Dave remembers, “Oh my God, does he really know what he’s getting into here?'”

In Your Honor tour was a great thing for the Foo Fighters. They played two shows in every city, an electric performance and a bosom acoustic show. He said, “How could we say no? We were asked by the man who turned rock ‘n’ roll from boogie-woogie into bad-ass. Respect and honor, and for us, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

This was not always the idea. Foo Fighters were actually nervous to play the rock-themed songs. But they actually decided to go with it alongside the acoustic thing as Dylan wanted the rock show too. Dave says, “Dylan wanted the rock show proves what a bad m********* he still is. I was totally blown away by that.” He was also blown away as Dylan was okay with bands like Foo Fighters and The Raconteurs.

Dave also recalled and reflected on his past. He talks about photographs and his mother, cause as a teenager he reveals he was interested in them. He said, “I remember hearing him on the radio as a kid and my Mother had ‘Blonde On Blonde’ when I was growing up. Then as a teenager, you start getting into stuff like black-and-white photography and acid and politics and you start listening to Dylan as a part of that. Then a little later in life, when you’ve come to appreciate the simple beauty of a lyric, you get into his poetry and music on a different level.”

Dave knew that they were dealing with someone crucial. As an icon Dylan could help Grohl and his band reach new heights. He was nervous the whole tour. He recalls his time and says,

“The guy who plays keyboards with us in the acoustic set-up is Rami Jaffe, from Jakob Dylan’s band, The Wallflowers, so he knows Bob. We all spent weeks asking him, ‘How’s Bob? What’s he like, man?’ He said: ‘Bob’s the coolest guy in the world. He’s totally f****’ chilled. But here’s the deal, though. If he’s got the hoodie on with the sunglasses, don’t even f*****’ think of talking to him. If the hoodie is down and the sunglasses are off, it’s fair game to go and say hello.’ That’s the best advice anybody has given me all year!”

Dave has tasted his own kind of success too. From being in a legendary band to creating his own band which contributed a lot. He recalls and says Dylan is a simple person. Dave revealed that Dylan doesn’t really like fancy hotels. He thinks that Bob prefers ‘the Motel Sixes and the Holiday Inns’. He also commented that he is not a pretentious rock star. The respect he has earned is something he truly deserves. Dave also shed light on how he hated when people compared his previous band and Bob. He said,

“In the ’60s Dylan was called “the voice of a generation” and then, 30 years later, I was in a band that a lot of people tried to give the same tag to. He hated that and so did we. Show me a musician who celebrates being called the voice of their generation and I’ll show you a f*****’ pompous a******. Having someone hang that round your neck is like having a lead ball on a chain that you have to carry around and it drags you down.”

“Since I was a kid I always wanted to be in a band and all I was ever interested in was the music. Then I was part of three guys called Nirvana and to me when people tagged that label on us it meant nothing. I was just having a lot of fun playing the f***** drums. I’m sure if you asked anybody who’s been in the same predicament, including Dylan, they’d say the same thing. That guy’s been around the block a few times an dwe look up to him in every way – as a lyricist, a musician, a role model and a punk. He’s a bad m***********, y’know?”

George Harrison, a Beatle who will always be in the hearts of every fan. Geroge achieved fame as the guitarist of the Beatles. Often known as the spirit of the band, Harrison was a spiritual person who embraced Indian Culture which helped him to broaden the scope of his music.

The unfortunate loss of George in November of 2001 put a hold on his music. Up until his death, Harrison was busy making and producing more music that went unfinished. The record consisted of many tracks that are ‘Half-finished’. And the same unfinished George Harrison Album is now completed by his son, Dhani.

Back in 2009, then-68-year-old Olivia told Billboard, “There are a lot of songs that are unfinished, I think there’s a project there. I just need time to get to it.” According to her, the unfinished tracks are unnamed and there are about 10 of them. She also hoped to release the album. This was not the first time, as Brainwashed was released in 2002.

George met Olivia while she was working as a secretary for A&M Records. After 4 years, Dhani was born in England in 1978. Dhani came into the music scene at a very late age, as it was after he graduated from Brown University. He also performed during his father’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Looking back on their story, George was spiritual and focused on his family. The limelight he got as a musician didn’t suit his personality. He wanted Dhani to grow up without realizing his father was a big superstar. And thanks to his effort, he grew up without constant interest from the press and media. But later on, Dhani came close with music and after his graduation, he participated in the concert for George a year after his father’s death.

Dhani has released his own recordings too. Talking about the unreleased tracks, Dhani was also present there when George came up with his ideas about the song. George passed a year before his ‘Brainwashed.’

The overdubs of the album were completed by Dhani. Also, Jeff Lyne provided his guide with all the materials George had left before his death. The two of them worked shortly before the release. They added the instruments and worked on the final songs. They also completed the track for the album. That’s how ‘Brainwashed’ was worked on and released by his son Dhani Harrison. Excluding that, Dhani also released a special edition of his father’s third studio album ‘All Things Must Pass as an honor.

With the formation of Nirvana in 1987, there was a rise to grunge rock in the music scene. They totally uplifted and pioneered the grunge culture which had evolved from the Seattle music scene. Cobain was the antithesis of the guitar, with a punk spirit and a great sense of music.

The band was only on the screen for seven years due to Kurt’s suicide but is one of the most influential bands in the world. Cobain’s dedication and craft are known by everyone as he was a phenomenal musician. He was a great rhythm player and also had the ability to play lead.

Over the years, they played great guitar riffs and intense basslines. On top of that, the lyrics, and with it altogether. They created great music with some of the pre-eminent lyrics. Oftentimes, Nirvana’s guitar is underrated and overshadowed. But there’s a lot to look out for as they really had great guitar playing.

Songs that Prove Kurt Cobain was a Great Guitarist

Negative Creep

The song is worth mentioning. From the debut studio album Bleach, the guitar in this song is very deep. With heavy and think guitar sounds, also the screams, “I’m a negative creep and I’m stoned”, it’s the best.

Negative Creep is a performance-based song. It also has a blend of ugliness in it, the raw energy in the whole song gives a grinding feeling. The best combination of guitar riff and intense voice is terrifying in this song.

School

The guitar in this song is well one of the best. Nirvana’s debut album Bleach had a lot of powerful music. The aggressive riff on the song is great. It also very much blends with the harmony of the song. Also, the slow whirring bassline showcases guitar work of Kurt.

All Apologies

Firstly, there are various versions of All Apologies. This was after the band had tasted success with ‘Nevermind’. They called Steve Albini to record the next thing. The several versions consist of the home demo, slowed-down, and the most loved one Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged recording.

In terms of guitar, the melodic run lights up the whole song. Also, the bass note stands alone but does a great job of making everyone sublime. Other than that, the intense thrashing riff that Cobain plays is awesome.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

The beginning of song starts with an intense thrashing of guitar riffs and other instruments. This is also one of Kurt’s iconic guitar riffs which are known by everyone. Along with it, also the hums of the notes are very recognizable.

The guitar riff is very simple. But it is a perfect one, which gives the song an intense anthemic tone.

Cornell known for the lead role in bands Soundgarden and Audioslave was a distinct individual in the music role. Trailing the success of Soundgarden, Cornell also launched the band Temple of The Dog in 1990 which was a tribute to his friend Andrew Wood.

Alongside Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, and periodic support from Eddie Vedder, the band went on to create many great tracks. The frontman of Peral Jam surely did his best to help them. The band only produced an album that was released in 1991.

Many songs on the album feature the story of Andrew Wood. He died of a heroin overdose in March 1990. The song ‘Hunger Strike’ was also written as the album only had nine tracks in total. Following the death of his then-roommate, Cornell recorded the tribute to his musical brother.

Cornell also went on to describe the song. He said, “I was wanting to express gratitude for my life but also disdain for people where that’s not enough, where they want more. There’s no way to really have a whole lot more than you need usually without taking from somebody else that can’t really afford to give it to you. It’s sort of about taking advantage of a person or people who really don’t have anything.”

2014 Bridge School Benefit becomes the last time that Soundgarden and Pearl Jam’s frontmen performed together. The music world was taken by surprise on May 18th, 2017 by the suicide of Chris Cornell. 2014 marked Vedder and Cornell’s singing together ‘Hunger Strike’ for the very first and the last time.

Both appeared on the lineup for the 2014 Bridge School Benefit. And that meant that a Temple of the Dog reunion was inevitable. That hadn’t happened since Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary in 2011. This all happened when Vedder asked the crowd, “Are there any more singers back there?” He continued, “There’s a lot of types of singers. How about a Chris Cornell-type? This right here is the best Chris Cornell-type singer you’ll ever hear.”

Chris also recalled in 2016 with Rolling Stone. He remembered that he was struggling to finish his new song ‘Hunger Strike’ in the 90s. He recalled, “I was singing the chorus in the rehearsal space, and Eddie just kind of shyly walked up to the mic and started singing the low ‘going hungry’ and I started singing the high one, When I heard him sing, the whole thing came together in my brain. I just felt like, ‘Wow, his voice is so great in this low register. He should sing on it. I’ll sing the first verse and then he’ll come in. Even though it’s the same lyrics, it’s a different singer and it’ll feel like two verses.'”

They created one of the most unforgettable songs of the rock genre. Temple of the Dog never got a chance to tour as Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were busy with their own work. They delivered the performance of ‘Hunger Strike’ together at the 2014 Bridge School Benefit on 10/25/14. They delivered an acoustic-styled rendition and it was great as everyone was glad to listen to it.

Here is the footage of Vedder and Cornell singing ‘Hunger Strike’ together for the first time.