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Billboard

Billboard

Billboard is an American music magazine, published in New York It was first published on November 1,1894, and is distinguished as being among the oldest trade magazines in the world. The magazine originally focused on bill posting and outdoor amusements before specializing in the music industry in the 1960s. Billboard maintains several internationally recognized record charts, which track the most popular songs and albums across several categories on a weekly basis.

120 articles

List of articles in the library

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The Beatles: Beatles Heat Flares in Court

Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 25 January 1964

CHICAGO — The Beatles, the nation's hottest recording property today, are becoming the object of the nation's hottest lawsuits, at least as far as the ...

Nat King Cole: Says Nat Cole: Record Industry Must Go Back to Building Stars

Interview by uncredited writer, Billboard, 25 January 1964

HOLLYWOOD — "If I had to come up in the business today, I'd be a frustrated man. No one's developing stars anymore, and the industry ...

Cassius Clay: Clay Wins: Columbia Swings

Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 7 March 1964

NEW YORK — The upset victory of Cassius Clay over Sonny Liston for the heavyweight boxing championship last week (25) also upset the operational procedures ...

Gene Chandler, Lee Dorsey, Wilbert Harrison, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs: Marshall Sehorn Joins Constellation

Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 14 March 1964

CHICAGO — Marshall Sehorn, head of his own Seahorn label, last week joined Constellation Records here in a move that brings three strong pop artists ...

The Beatles: Musicians Union Watching Invasion of British Groups

Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 28 March 1964

NEW YORK — The influx of the British musical groups on the U.S. personal appearance scene is disturbing the American Federation of Musicians. It's understood ...

Millie, Prince Buster, Toots & The Maytals: Atlantic Label Releases Hot on Jamaica Ska Disks

Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 23 May 1964

NEW YORK — Atlantic Records will soon release several dozen Jamaica Ska disks. ...

Cannonball Adderley Aims Sax at Record Market

Report and Interview by uncredited writer, Billboard, 24 October 1964

HOLLYWOOD — Julian (Cannonball) Adderley, a new jazz pactee with Capitol, is mapping plans to become a busy recording cat. The influential saxophonist feels his ...

James Brown, Lesley Gore, The Rolling Stones: TAMI, Electronovision's Latest, Gets N.Y. Showing

Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 21 November 1964

PRESS, TEENERS GET EYEFUL ...

Britain Is Soul Country

Report by Ian Dove, Billboard, 17 August 1968

BRITAIN'S SOUL Surge continues. ...

Shorty Long, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder: Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Shorty Long: Forest Hills Stadium, Queens NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 17 August 1968

Motown Acts Draw Near-Capacity Crowd ...

Larry Coryell, Herbie Mann, Steve Marcus: Herbie Mann, Roy Ayers, Steve Marcus: Village Gate, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 5 October 1968

Mann Unwraps Big Solid Surprise Pkg. ...

Buddy Rich, Vanilla Fudge: The Buddy Rich Big Band, Vanilla Fudge: Felt Forum, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 5 October 1968

Rich Band Goes Over Rich — Fudge Have Zesty Flavor ...

Crome Syrcus, The Staple Singers, Traffic: Traffic, Staple Singers, Crome Syrcus: Fillmore East, New York NYC

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 5 October 1968

Traffic Travel on Bumpy And Separate Musical Road ...

Gabór Szábo: Village Vanguard, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 21 December 1968

Szábo: Subtle on Strings ...

Buddy Guy, Albert King, King Curtis: Village Gate, New York City

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 15 February 1969

NEW YORK — The world of music moves closer as the long-established jazz spot, the Village Gate, took a brief weekend — but possibly regular ...

Thelma Houston: The Living Room, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 22 March 1969

Thelma Houston Is the Gospel at Its Musical Best ...

Jeff Beck, George Benson, Blood, Sweat & Tears, James Brown, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Jethro Tull, B.B. King, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Led Zeppelin, John Mayall, The Mothers Of Invention, Savage Rose, Sly & the Family Stone, Sun Ra, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter: Newport Jazz Festival 1969: New Records & Not All That Jazz

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 19 July 1969

NEWPORT, R.I. — On paper at least the experiment of adding rock music to the Newport Jazz Festival 1969 came from the purest of motives. ...

Duke Ellington Orchestra: Rainbow Grill, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 9 August 1969

Quality, Taste & Warmth Mark Duke's Performance ...

Linda Ronstadt: Bitter End, New York NY

Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 9 August 1969

Bitter End Entranced By Linda Ronstadt ...

Johnny Cash, Rev. James Cleveland, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, Mahalia Jackson, The Oak Ridge Boys: 1969 — Gospel Makes Great Industry Strides

Report by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 16 August 1969

GOSPEL MUSIC, songs with lyrics derived from the Old and New Testaments, a music with its roots in church choirs, is one of the oldest ...

Chicago, Tom Paxton, Elyse Weinberg: Tom Paxton, Chicago, Elyse Weinberg: Schaefer Music Festival, Central Park, New York NY

Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 23 August 1969

A Double Triumph For Elyse Weinberg ...

Woodstock: Peace Mecca

Report by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 30 August 1969

BETHEL, N.Y. – About 400,000 rock fans gave peace a chance Aug. 15-18, and it worked. For them and the overwhelmed residents of this Catskills ...

The Chambers Brothers, Albert King, Poco: Albert King, Poco, the Chambers Brothers: The Pavilion, Flushing Meadows, Queens NY

Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 6 September 1969

King of the Blues Courts Fans ...

The Holy Modal Rounders, Van Morrison: Van Morrison, The Holy Modal Rounders: Cafe Au Go Go, New York NY

Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 13 September 1969

NEW YORK — The Cafe Au Go Go, relatively idle in recent months, interrupted renovations with a splash of good music Aug. 29-31, displaying the ...

Ravi Shankar: Fillmore East, New York NY

Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 20 September 1969

Shankar Honors Ghandi in a Memorable Performance ...

David Bromberg, Paul Geremia, Doc Watson: Doc Watson, Paul Geremia, David Bromberg: Gaslight Café, New York NY

Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 27 September 1969

'Watsonia' Dazzles in 'Village' ...

Chuck Berry, Elvin Bishop, John Mayall: Fillmore East, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 18 October 1969

Berry, Bishop — Musical Brothers ...

The Nice: Ungano's, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 29 November 1969

Nice in Mixed Bag at Ungano's ...

Tony Joe White: What It Is – Is Swamp Music – Is What It Is

Overview by Jerry Wexler, Billboard, December 1969

AT DRUMMER Sammy Creason’s Halloween party in Memphis, his new boss, singer Tony Joe White, holds his breath to close his pores, removes a black ...

The Rolling Stones: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 13 December 1969

Stones Gather $286G Moss ...

Mini-Moog to Be Unveiled

Report and Interview by Ian Dove, Billboard, 24 January 1970

NEW YORK — Synthesizer inventor Robert Moog plans to have Moog "performing instruments" on the market within three to six months, priced up to $2,000. ...

Miles Davis, Steve Miller, Neil Young: Neil Young, Steve Miller, Miles Davis: Fillmore East, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 21 March 1970

THE INTEREST in Miles Davis' East Village debut lay in the fact that for the past year he has supposedly been moving towards contemporary rock ...

Liberace: Waldorf Astoria, New York City

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 28 March 1970

ANYBODY WANDERING in midway through Liberace's performance would probably think they were into a remake of Hellzapoppin. Liberace (about three costume changes through his act, ...

Brinsley Schwarz, Van Morrison, Quicksilver Messenger Service: Quicksilver, Van Morrison, Brinsley Schwarz: Fillmore East, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 18 April 1970

BRINSLEY SCHWARZ is an unknown British group that aroused interest because over 100 U.K. journalists braved a 12-hour trouble beset trip from London to spend ...

Duane Allman, Delaney & Bonnie: Delaney & Bonnie And Friends: Carnegie Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 17 October 1970

GUITARIST DUANE Allman, moving with agility, skill and taste from bottleneck to feedback, was probably the Friend who fitted best into the D&B format at ...

Soft Machine: Gaslight, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 17 July 1971

ORNETTE COLEMAN'S presence in the audience was no coincidence — there's mutual admiration between the CBS group and the avant jazzman. It's also apparent in ...

Aretha Franklin: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 6 November 1971

IT WAS THE usual Aretha Franklin — which means a whole audience turned on by as impressive a display of controlled, emotional soul singing to ...

Osibisa, Three Dog Night, The Who: The More Successful You Get, The More Equipment You Get, So Teams Are Needed To Get Everything From Place To Place

Report and Interview by Ian Dove, Billboard, 6 November 1971

THEY ALSO SERVE WHO ONLY LIFT AND HANDLE... ...

Ace of Cups, The Carpenters, Fanny: There Aren't Many Girls In Hard Rock, But A New Day (And Attitude) Is Dawning

Essay by Jacoba Atlas, Billboard, 6 November 1971

WHEN I mentioned to Nicky Barclay of the first successful all-girl rock band Fanny that I was working on an article dealing with women in ...

Underground Press An Important Promotion Outlet

Overview by Lon Goddard, Billboard, 13 November 1971

THE BRITISH underground press, or experimental press serves the budding supporters of the "Alternative Society" in a manner that is easily digestible; from a literary ...

Elvis Presley: Spectrum, Philadelphia

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 20 November 1971

ELVIS HAS now copped the music from 2001 as his opening theme (Grand Funk also use this) but from there on in, it's Presley material all the ...

U.K. and Europe — Wide Open for Rock Theater

Interview by Rob Partridge, Billboard, 18 December 1971

LONDON — John Morris knows about rock theatre. His career has blended together a decade's experience in both the rock music and theatre worlds, including ...

Bette Midler: Downstairs at the Upstairs, New York NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 25 December 1971

THE TIME IS right for Bette Midler, a lady of flamboyant excess on stage, working the look-back-in-nostalgia bag. ...

Billy Joel: Rock Pianist Gets All Abuse: Joel

Interview by Ian Dove, Billboard, 25 December 1971

NEW YORK — Equipment for amplifying pianos lags "far behind" corresponding equipment for other instruments in the rock field, despite the fact that use of ...

Davis Case Stirs Wide Probe on Federal Level

Report by Ian Dove, Billboard, 16 June 1973

NEW YORK — Rumor, speculation, innuendo and fact — all rocked the music industry in the wake of Clive Davis' dismissal as president of CBS ...

CBS Records: U.S. Attorney Bows Probe — Leiberson Upholds Code

Report by Ian Dove, Billboard, 23 June 1973

NEW YORK — Support for the Billboard editorial (see last week's issue) calling for the RIAA to create a committee of industry lenders to structure a code ...

Ian Tyson: Ian's 1st Solo Album Marks Return to Country Roots

Report and Interview by uncredited writer, Billboard, 23 November 1974

TORONTO – With the release of his first solo album, Ian Tyson, once one-half of the duo Ian & Sylvia, has returned to his musical ...

Jo Jo Gunne, KISS: Kiss, Jo Jo Gunne: Beacon Theater, New York NY

Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 12 April 1975

AS KISS thundered onstage March 21, for the first of two shows, it was clearly a case of "hail the conquering heroes." The sold-out crowd ...

Alice Cooper, Suzi Quatro: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 24 May 1975

WHEN ALICE Cooper's track record is summoned up, the one question that springs to mind is, what can he possibly do to surpass himself this ...

'Northern Soul': Excitement In U.K. With U.S. Records

Report by Peter Jones, Billboard, 31 May 1975

LONDON — It is spoken of, in grateful but astonished tones, as Northern Soul. It is a frantic, energetic, money-spinning soul scene, based in the ...

The Eagles, Dan Fogelberg: Academy of Music, New York NY

Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 31 May 1975

PERFORMING AT the first of two sold-out shows May 16, the Eagles demonstrated that a band of considerable musical expertise resides behind its string of ...

Brian Auger, ZZ Top: ZZ Top, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express: Felt Forum, New York NY

Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 7 June 1975

THERE IS A certain sector of the rock audience — very young and overstimulated — that cares little about what the group onstage is accomplishing ...

The Carpenters: Palladium, London

Live Review by Peter Jones, Billboard, 18 December 1976

COMPARED WITH the almost clinical and perfectionist act provided by the duo on a previous visit, the Carpenters went all out Nov. 22 to pull ...

The Sex Pistols: U.K. Sex Pistols Fire a Controversy

Report by Peter Jones, Billboard, 18 December 1976

LONDON — A live televised shouting match between interviewer Bill Grundy and the EMI punk rock band, Sex Pistols, in which four-letter words flew fast ...

James Brown, George Clinton, The Commodores, Earth, Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder: The Superstar: Much More Than The Just The music

Overview by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 5 June 1982

IT MAY be one of the most frequently misused of the music industry's accolades, since in a business full of stars there are few genuine ...

Brass Construction, D-Train, Millie Jackson, Rick James, Maze, Prince, Skyy (US): Touring Talent Sacrifices Luxury For Livelihood

Report by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 5 June 1982

Revert To '60s Packaging ...

The Bar-Kays, Nona Hendryx, Gladys Knight and the Pips: The Bar-Kays, Nona Hendryx, Gladys Knight: Veteran Hitmakers Span The Generations

Interview by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 4 June 1983

IN A BUSINESS where the term "veteran" can be applied to acts that have been consistent chartmakers for at least five years, it is a ...

The Long Ryders: Long Ryders: Don't Call Us Country-Rock

Profile and Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 5 January 1984

L.A. Band Following in Burrito Brothers' Footsteps ...

T Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello: Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett: State University of New York, Stony Brook, N.Y.

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 5 May 1984

IT WAS THE old, familiar scene of singer/songwriter bearing acoustic guitar and playing for an attentive college crowd. What wasn't so familiar was that the ...

Discotto Finds Way To Succeed In Italy

Report by Peter Jones, Billboard, 12 May 1984

MILAN — A new trend within the troubled Italian record business is for wholesalers to set up their own record production operations, mainly turning out ...

Herbie Hancock, Kashif, Raydio: The Synthesizer: Instrument, Not The Player, Changes Music

Report and Interview by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 16 June 1984

HERBIE HANCOCK, Kashif, and Ray Parker Jr. praise the impact of the synthesizer on black music, feeling its unlimited sound potential and ability to provide ...

The Band, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn, R.E.M., John Sebastian, Jesse Colin Young: R.E.M. and Friends: Capitol Theater, Passaic, N.J.

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 June 1984

IT WAS A folk-rocker's fantasy: R.E.M. was videotaping a concert for MTV broadcast in July, for a new series called Influences. And so the IRS Records ...

The Ramones: Things Get Exciting Again for Ramones

Profile and Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 10 November 1984

'Too Tough To Die' After 10 Years ...

The Mosquitos, The Raybeats: The Raybeats, The Mosquitos: Irving Plaza, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 16 March 1985

THE RAYBEATS have been a New York club favorite for about five years now, but it was obvious from the ovation for the openers that ...

Richard Thompson, Richard and Linda Thompson: "The Most Exciting Thing Is Playing Live" — Richard Thompson Downplays Studio Work

Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 March 1985

NEW YORK — Considering that Richard Thompson's albums invariably end up near the top of year-end critics' polls, one would think that the veteran British ...

Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson: "The Most Exciting Thing Is Playing Live": Richard Thompson Downplays Studio Work

Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 March 1985

NEW YORK — Considering that Richard Thompson's albums invariably end up near the top of year-end critics' polls, one would think that the veteran British ...

Aztec Camera: Bottom Line, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 27 April 1985

AZTEC CAMERA is Roddy Frame's group, and the 21-year-old Scot doesn't let you forget it. Although he was backed by a very competent four-piece band, ...

Joan Armatrading, Cook Da Books: Radio City Music Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 11 May 1985

IF JOAN Armatrading is still an artist with a cult following, as she has been here for so long, then let's just say her cult ...

Hüsker Dü: Maxwell's, Hoboken, N.J.

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 8 June 1985

VERY RARELY does Maxwell's, the small club that has become something of a local mecca for the new roots-oriented American bands, sell out in advance. ...

The Residents: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 8 February 1986

CHANCES ARE that if you know the Residents at all, you know them by their eyeballs, not their music. Avant-garde to the max, the San ...

The Replacements: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 1 March 1986

ACCORDING TO longtime devotees, there are two kinds of Replacements concerts: those at which the band is sloppy and anything goes, and those where the ...

The Pogues: The World, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 29 March 1986

ST. PATRICK'S DAY came to New York a few weeks early with the debut American appearance of the Pogues. But traditional Irish music never sounded ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: The Jesus And Mary Chain: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 5 April 1986

LlKE MANY previous "Next Big Things," The Jesus And Mary Chain is actually a mixture of next big things which came before. The Scottish quartet ...

Hüsker Dü, Dwight Yoakam: Irving Plaza, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 3 May 1986

THE IDEA of pairing post-hardcore Hüsker Dü with neocountry Dwight Yoakam turned out to be more perverse in theory than in practice. There was no ...

World Metal On Rise; Europe Leads Trends

Report by John Tobler, Billboard, 10 May 1986

THAT HEAVY metal is a force to be reckoned with in chart terms seems beyond dispute, though it's fast becoming apparent that Europe and, to ...

A Flock Of Seagulls, Modern English: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 24 May 1986

BRITISH SYNTH-poppers a Flock of Seagulls and Modern English each dented the top 10 three to four years ago — the former with 'I Ran' ...

Prince & the Revolution: Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Mark Rowland, Billboard, 14 June 1986

LOS ANGELES' renovated deco showpiece proved an appropriate setting for the May 30 Prince concert. The 90-minute "warm-up" engagement for his U.S. tour — slated ...

Yoko Ono: Beacon Theatre, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 14 June 1986

AFTER AN earlier Radio City Music Hall date was canceled because of poor ticket sales, Yoko One finally played her first concert in New York ...

The Smithereens, The Ben Vaughn Combo: Ben Vaughn Combo, Smithereens: CBGB, New York, NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 21 June 1986

THE SMITHEREENS and the Ben Vaughn Combo were each nominated as best new rock band in the recent New York Music Awards, although neither band ...

Stevie Wonder: The Forum, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Mark Rowland, Billboard, 26 July 1986

THIS YEAR marks the 25th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's association with Motown, and this triumphant career retrospective proved a fitting celebration. ...

The Cramps, Screaming Blue Messiahs: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 August 1986

THAT THE Cramps have managed to thrive for 10 years without a U.S. major label deal is testimony to their devoted cult following. And that ...

The Smiths: Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Mark Rowland, Billboard, 27 September 1986

SMITHSMANIA HAS yet to erupt here on the scale that it has in England, the quartet's home. But if reaction to the second of two ...

Steve Winwood: Pier 84, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 18 October 1986

BEFORE LAUNCHING this tour in late August, Steve Winwood had long been absent from the concert circuit. And, seemingly, from his point of view those ...

Steve Winwood: Pier 84, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 18 October 1986

BEFORE LAUNCHING this tour in late August, Steve Winwood had long been absent from the concert circuit. And, seemingly, from his point of view those ...

Chad & Jeremy, Freddie & The Dreamers, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Mindbenders, The Searchers: Chad & Jeremy, the Mindbenders, Freddie & the Dreamers, Gerry & the Pacemakers, the Searchers: The British Invasion — Felt Forum, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 8 November 1986

PERHAPS HOPING to capitalize on the nostalgia fever that has made the recent Monkees tour a success, five acts that got their start during the ...

Elvis Costello: Broadway Theatre, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 15 November 1986

ELVIS COSTELLO'S five-night stand on Broadway roughly coincided with the World Series, which may have kept die-hard Mets fans at bay. Still, the Costello series ...

Whitney Houston: The Long Road To Overnight Stardom

Report and Interview by Bud Scoppa, Billboard, December 1986

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, a new artist emerges who simply takes over, in utterly decisive and undeniable fashion. So it was with Whitney Houston ...

Severed Heads, Skinny Puppy: Skinny Puppy, Severed Heads: Roxy Theatre, Hollywood CA

Live Review by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 17 January 1987

CHAOS, NOISE, and general disarray marked a fascinating double bill that brought together two different countries' versions of the future of rock on one stage. ...

Charlie Watts Orchestra: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 24 January 1987

WATCHING CHARLIE Watts' omnipresent grin at this, the second show of a three-night stand in December with his 31-piece extracurricular jazz project, one imagined that ...

Walter/Wendy Carlos: Wendy Carlos Invents New Sounds

Interview by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 21 February 1987

Material Is Digitally Generated ...

Lone Justice: The Palace, Hollywood CA

Live Review by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 28 February 1987

IT WAS A warm homecoming in one way, a tentative one in another. Geffen's Lone Justice returned home for this first "official" gig with its ...

Camper Van Beethoven: Cat Club, New York NY

Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 14 March 1987

CAMPER VAN Beethoven makes the term "genre" obsolete. The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based quintet thrives on piecing together seemingly incompatible musical styles, often within a single ...

Shalamar, Jody Watley: Watley's Looking For A New Career

Interview by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 25 April 1987

Ex-Shalamar Singer Finds Success Solo ...

Biz Markie, Just-Ice, Mantronix, Salt-N-Pepa, Joyce Sims: Indie Labels: Players With the Rap Attack Making the Most Impact — and It's Not Just for the Money

Report by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 18 June 1988

INDEPENDENT LABELS have always been critical to the exposure of new black music. In the '50s, labels like Specialty and Chess gave pioneers like Little ...

The World of Black Music

Report by David Nathan, Billboard, 18 June 1988

The Youth Wave Advances, Dance Enhances, and Rap Romances Pop Consumers ...

Rosie Flores, George Highfill, Michelle Shocked, Dwight Yoakam: Producer Pete Anderson Leads Calif.'s Gold Rush

Report and Interview by Holly Gleason, Billboard, 16 July 1988

LOS ANGELES — With the success of Dwight Yoakam's gold albums (Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and Hillbilly Deluxe), producer Pete Anderson has found a beachhead ...

Basia: The Roxy, Hollywood, CA

Live Review by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 23 July 1988

PERSEVERANCE IS paying off for Basia Trzetrzelewska, despite the perpetual handicaps she endures. First she sang with Matt Bianco, an act that featured no one ...

The Deele, Keith Sweat, Teena Marie: Teena Marie, Keith Sweat, The Deele: The Forum, Los Angeles, Calif.

Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 23 July 1988

WlTH ITS strong lineup of urban contemporary talent on display and its billing as "the hottest show of the summer," this event could hardly have ...

Gerald Albright, Phyllis Hyman, Pieces of a Dream, Bill Withers: Phyllis Hyman,
 Bill Withers, Pieces Of A Dream,
 Gerald Albright: Greek Theatre,
 Los Angeles

Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 3 September 1988

BILLED AS A quiet storm concert (a reference to urban radio's popular mellow late-night programming), these four strong acts provided a full evening of entertainment ...

Brenda Russell: Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 24 September 1988

OPENING FOR Billy Ocean for the past 2½ months on her first national tour, A&M artist Brenda Russell has provided near-capacity audiences with a show ...

Laura Nyro: Mayfair Theater, Santa Monica CA

Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 1 October 1988

BACK ON tour after a lengthy hiatus, innovative singer/songwriter Laura Nyro has been reminding audiences that she is a unique and exceptionally gifted artist. At ...

Morris Day, Miki Howard, Freddie Jackson, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Whispers: Morris Day, Freddie Jackson, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Whispers, Miki Howard: The Forum, Los Angeles, CA

Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 15 October 1988

THE SECOND Budweiser Superfest to play Los Angeles in the last two months didn't generate anywhere near the same excitement as the first, even though ...

Anita Baker, Luther Vandross: Luther Vandross, Anita Baker: Capital Center, Landover, MD

Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 29 October 1988

ON A TOUR appropriately billed The Heat, the inspired teaming of two of contemporary black music's hottest names can hardly miss. And judging from this ...

Camper Van Beethoven, Scruffy The Cat: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Billboard, 19 November 1988

YOU CAN take Camper Van Beethoven out of California, but you can't take California out of Camper Van — and you can't necessarily ask the ...

The Go-Betweens: The Knitting Factory, New York NY

Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Billboard, 10 December 1988

A FULL decade after they released their first single, Australia's Go-Betweens have finally found a home on a major U.S. label. Presumably, with the beautiful ...

Etta James

Review and Interview by David Nathan, Billboard, 17 December 1988

"SHOW BUSINESS became a lifestyle for me from the beginning," says legendary vocalist Etta James. "The road became my home – I was almost like ...

Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir: The Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir: Alice Tully Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Michael Azerrad, Billboard, 17 December 1988

THIS BULGARIAN vocal ensemble, better known by the name of its Nonesuch album, Le Mystere De Voix Bulgare, made its U.S. debut here Nov. 4. ...

The Go-Betweens: Go-Betweens Aim To Strike Public Chord

Profile and Interview by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 14 January 1989

AT THE END of the day, what do good reviews really mean? In the case of the Go-Betweens, whose debut Capitol album 16 Lovers Lane ...

The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Red Hot Chili Peppers: The Ritz, New York

Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Billboard, 2 June 1990

LIKE PUBLIC Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers appear to want to do the right thing. It's just that they keep sticking their feet in their ...

Bob Marley & the Wailers: Early Wailers: Fussing & Fighting

Report by Larry Jaffee, Billboard, 18 June 1994

Marley Catalog Is A Source Of Strife, Suits ...

The High Llamas: High Llamas Hope To Scale U.S. Market

Report and Interview by Paul Sexton, Billboard, 23 September 1995

U.K. Band's Gideon Gaye Due Here In October ...

Spirit of '69 Woodstock Alive At Falcon Ridge

Comment by Chris Smith, Billboard, 14 August 1999

BLAME IT ON the heat. Blame it on poor security. Blame it on the cause/effect relationship between artist persona and audience behavior. Blame it on ...

Blasts to the Past: Canada's labels dig through back catalog and discover gold

Report and Interview by Nicholas Jennings, Billboard, 31 March 2001

THERE'S GOLD in them there vaults. Like miners digging for precious nuggets, Canadian record companies have been sifting through their back catalogs to find long-lost ...

Elvis Presley: Elvis: 50 Years Of
 Rock'n'Roll

Retrospective by Wayne Robins, Billboard, 18 September 2004

IN THE HEAT of the Memphis summer, every year, they come. Legions of Elvis Presley fans arrive in this city for Elvis Week every August ...

Björk Brings Her Biophilia Concert Extravaganza to Iceland

Live Review by Kieron Tyler, Billboard, 13 October 2011

REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Two days after the release of Biophilia, her new multi-platform project, Iceland's foremost sonic auteur Björk took the stage in her hometown ...

The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli: Looking Back at 50 Years of the Four Seasons

Interview by Wayne Robins, Billboard, 3 September 2013

THERE IS A SCENE in the hit Broadway musical Jersey Boys that represents the sustained success of Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio and their group, the ...

Lloyd Price: Good Lawdy: Rock'N'Roll Pioneer Lloyd Price, At 80, Tells How a Classic R&B Hit Changed America

Profile and Interview by Wayne Robins, Billboard, 14 September 2013

NOTE: This is an unedited version of the Billboard article that appeared on 14 September, 2013. ...

Taylor Swift: Billboard Woman of the Year Taylor Swift on Writing Her Own Rules, Not Becoming a Cliche and the Hurdle of Going Pop

Interview by Alan Light, Billboard, 5 December 2014

TAYLOR SWIFT never doubted that her fifth album, 1989, would sell 1 million copies in its first week. But others were not so confident. ...

Glenn Frey, 1948-2016

Obituary by Barney Hoskyns, Billboard, 28 January 2016

THE DEATH OF Glenn Frey has robbed the world of half the partnership at the heart of the Eagles, whose Greatest Hits 1971-1975 remains the ...

The 1975: How The 1975's Matty Healy Kicked Heroin and Took the Band to New Heights

Interview by Dorian Lynskey, Billboard, 2 August 2018

The most ambitious pop-rock band of its generation nearly succumbed to Matty Healy's heroin addiction. Now clean, the flamboyant frontman is taking his group to ...

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