Lava Lamp Lounge

Our Ivory Idols series continues with an in-depth look at the ultimate showman: Barry Manilow. He just wanted to write and produce hits for others, but his talent was too great to remain in the shadows. Despite his struggles with executives, and a harsh music press, he dominated the charts with thirteen #1 singles, fourteen multi-platinum albums, and even invented the power ballad.

There are a surprisingly large amount of songs about Captains, of the nautical variety and otherwise. Find out what inspired Blues Image to write their only Top 40 hit, and discover what sixties American TV show inspired punk legends Spizenergi to write a trilogy of captain related singles. We discuss Neil Diamond and Elton John’s captain connection, and end with an often-misinterpreted epic by Grand Funk. All aboard!

Glam rock was all the rage at the dawn of the 70s, shunning the psychedelic era in favor of good-time fun. Melding 50’s riffs with bubblegum appeal (and a dash of glitter), glam’s gender-bending androgynous performers made image as powerful as the music. The predominantly British movement was pioneered by Marc Bolan’s T.Rex, and made chart-topping heroes of Slade, Sweet, Mud, and more.

Few artists have had the talent and vision equal to David Bowie. In a career that spanned five decades, he effortlessly phased through musical genre and various persona, garnering international acclaim. At his peak in the 70s, Bowie’s 13 albums explored dancehall, glam, soul, and avant-garde electronica. His body of work, multi-generational influence, and legacy of fearless innovation and endless reinvention, will live on forever.

A soul sub-genre known as “city soul” was widespread in the seventies, popularized by harmony groups with predominantly dreamy ballads. Discussions include the barrier-breaking Dynamic Superiors, the Floaters astrology inspired #1 hit, and the tale of The Montclairs one and only album. Freaky Fact: how did the Chi-lites win a 2004 Grammy for a song released in 1970? Hint: Lemonade!