It was a stiff in America. And it was different from the original U.K. release, with a lame green cover. Traffic was one of those bands most people didn’t pay attention to until they broke up.

But the musicians paid heed. Because they covered a number of the songs from the disc. People knew these famous covers before they knew the originals. Let’s uncover some of them.

1. “Smiling Phases”

The best Blood, Sweat & Tears album is the first. But the most famous is the second. To say it dominated the airwaves would be to posit it was bigger and more intense than Bieber Fever. And it was. The big hits were “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”, “And When I Die” and “Spinning Wheel”. But the very first song after the Erik Satie intro was this.

The Traffic original hearkens back to what came before as opposed to what was yet to come. It was more akin to midsixties English singles with garage band production and imprecise background vocals than the polished production released by Blood, Sweat & Tears. Never mind the long instrumental interlude in the BS&T take.

The Traffic version was the blueprint. You’ve got to give credit to BS&T for seeing the internal nugget and expanding upon it.

2. “Coloured Rain”

And here’s where it gets interesting. This cover is by Al Kooper, from his solo debut, “I Stand Alone”, after he got kicked out of his own band, the aforementioned Blood, Sweat & Tears. The original features Stevie Winwood right up front, who quite possibly possesses the best voice in rock and roll. And he has not lost a step. Take a look at his recently posted video of “John Barleycorn (Must Die)”

John Barleycorn (Must Die)

But “John Barleycorn (Must Die)” came after the band reunited, when Winwood started cutting a solo album and ended up calling in his old bandmates and the result ended up being billed as Traffic.

Traffic’s original “Coloured Rain” has got some great swirling organ, but it’s simple. Kooper’s take has got everything but the kitchen sink, and that’s what makes it so great, the production, from the rainstorm in the intro to the horns to… Sure, Kooper doesn’t have the voice of Winwood, but who does?

“Coloured Rain” is still unknown by most. Start with Kooper’s rendition. He blows the song up, it looks forward as opposed to back. Miracles could now be performed in the studio, and Al utilized every trick. The track is spacy and psychedelic and bluesy all at the same time.

3. “Dear Mr. Fantasy”

This is the one song that got traction off of Traffic’s debut. Deservedly so. The guitarwork is hypnotic, Winwood’s voice is at its peak, the term “masterpiece” was created for this. And be sure to see Winwood live today, to see him work out on the outro, hitting every note from the original on his guitar, your jaw will drop. Still, at the time, Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield’s live cover got more airplay, it was even more famous.

You see this was a live performance of “Super Session”. Not quite as good, “Live Adventures Of Michael Bloomfield & Al Kooper” sold and sold, because people just couldn’t get enough of that sound. “Super Session” was an institution, and the lemmings couldn’t pass on the follow-up.

Not to denigrate it. It’s just that the original “Super Session” was a trendsetter. A breakthrough. And the live album was just a further exploration on the theme.

Yet it possesses Mike Bloomfield’s exquisite guitarwork, a god who hit the heights with Butterfield, Dylan and Kooper, but has faded away and is not radiating. That’s one of the problems with passing early. Your legacy may unjustly fade.

Once upon a time, jam music didn’t only mean hippies, tie-dye and fringe, hell, George Harrison even included a full jam disc in the “All Things Must Pass” box. Credit Kooper for starting the trend. Proving you could jam with an east coast mentality as easily as one from San Francisco.

Be sure to hang in there for the segue into “Hey Jude”. Also, legendarily, the vocal mic cuts out at the end and the room mic is employed on the recording. It was quiet enough to get it. You see, attending the show used to be like going to church, a religious experience. We sat, didn’t stand. We perched on our posteriors and let our minds drift, set free by the music.

4. “Heaven Is In Your Mind”

Can I be sacrilegious and say that I prefer the Three Dog Night version?

This was before “Joy To The World” and “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)”, this was long before Three Dog Night was one of the biggest acts in the land, positively cringeworthy.

You see once upon a time, they were just lauded vocalists, L.A. phenoms who didn’t have much impact as you moved east. “One” got airplay elsewhere, but when “Captured Live At The Forum” was released, most people were still clueless.

Now there’s a recording of “Heaven Is In Your Mind” on the initial studio album, but I discovered the live take first. My friend Marc owned the album. It’s the first cut you hear after dropping the needle. The act explodes right after the introduction, as the audience screams and the band rocks in a way they never did on subsequent Three Dog Night productions. But the vocals are mixed right up front, there’s a joy in the performance which is infectious. You get caught up in the energy.

I’ll include the original Three Dog Night studio recording for comparison. And, of course, the Traffic original. Which has the same melody, but the track is completely different, a drug trip in the middle of the night, slowed down with heavy piano rhythm.

5. “No Face, No Name, No Number”

By time Bryan Ferry’s “Olympia” album came out, this song from Traffic’s debut was no longer an unknown rarity. The original is far superior, but a great song works no matter who records it.

And if you search on Spotify you can find a Steve Marriott cover of “Berkshire Poppies”, but just like the Ferry cover, the release came long after Traffic became part of the musical fabric.

But what’s fascinating is how before this was the case, the musicians were clued in. And decided to cover the songs of a band most people had never heard of.

Then again, this is when people wrote songs instead of beats. When we were all glued to the radio ready to be exposed to life-changing material.

Traffic went on to glory.

But at this point, in the late sixties, after the release of its debut, other acts were carrying the flag.

Spotify link

Previous Rhinofy playlists

From: Peter Paterno
Subject: FW: EMI Music – UPDATE
To: Bob Lefsetz

Ah, I so love the antitrust process.  It makes so much sense.  I especially love the part where, in their infinite wisdom, the European Antitrust Commission makes the merging companies sell off artist contracts for part of the world.  So the artist can’t mount an effective worldwide campaign to sell his records and is in business with someone he doesn’t know.  This came up in the last big divestiture and I have artists yelling at me to sue because they got sold off.  I point out that the company didn’t want to sell them off, the government made them do it and you can’t sue because of what the government made them do.  Then they get frustrated and start screaming about suing again.

Your European Antitrust Commission – we know what you want better than you do.

From: Faxon, Roger
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 8:35 AM?
To: ________________________
Subject: EMI Music – UPDATE

There has been a huge amount of speculation surrounding EMI in the press over the last couple of weeks, as the regulatory process surrounding EMI Music’s proposed acquisition by Universal continues. I wanted to be sure that you heard the truth direct from me rather than on the industry grapevine, which is why I am writing to you all today.The intricacies of the anti-trust world are an impenetrable mystery to most of us, but obviously it’s important in any transaction of this nature that the regulators make a full review to ensure that consumers are protected from anti-competitive behaviour. UMG and each of the regulators around the world have been working closely together for many months now to achieve that. Since the market is different in each region of the world, the issues and the difficulty of resolving them also tend to be different. In a number of jurisdictions, such as Japan and New Zealand, Universal has been able to resolve the issues and has already received clearance. Now the focus is clearly on resolving the issues in the largest and most complex markets – and none is more important than Europe.As I am sure you will have read, the European Commission has raised formal objections about the effect of bringing EMI and Universal together, and the two parties have since been working to find a potential remedy. As you can imagine, there are often significant differences in view between the regulators and the company applying for approval, but in the end, the two need to find a way of bridging those differences so that the merger can go forward.

In the last few days, Universal has identified a possible set of solutions that it believes should resolve the Commission’s concerns. I emphasize the word ‘possible’ because before a resolution can be finalized the regulator will seek the input of a variety of third parties. The market testing of a proposed set of remedies is designed to help the regulator understand the implications of the proposed package, before they make a final determination. So, following the feedback from the market, there is obviously the chance that the proposed set of remedies will change before they become final.

The EU regulators will soon be putting the remedy package proposed by Universal into that market testing. Inevitably much of what is in that package will leak to the press, and that has already started to happen. As such, I wanted to make sure that you heard what is really going on directly from me.

Here is what is included in the package of proposed divestments:

– In the UK, an entity composed of the rosters and catalogues of Parlophone (excluding the Beatles, both as a group and individually), Mute, Chrysalis (excluding the Robbie Williams catalogue) and Ensign would be sold. Included in that disposal would also be the Pink Floyd catalogue and the recently concluded new deal with David Guetta, along with his catalogue. Note that these disposals only relate to exploitation of this repertoire within the EEA.

– EMI Classics and Virgin Classics would also be divested in the EEA.

– EMI’s share of the NOW brand and compilation business in the EEA would also be sold. However Universal would keep its share and participation in the Now compilation venture.

– The proposal also includes the divestment of a number of EMI’s operating businesses in Continental Europe. Those local operating companies are EMI France, EMI Belgium, EMI Czech Republic, EMI Poland, EMI Portugal, EMI Sweden and EMI Norway.

– Universal is also proposing to divest some its own businesses, principal among which are Sanctuary, Co-Op, and UMG Greece plus several European jazz labels.

– They would also commit to terminate or not to bid for a number of high-profile European licenses for major Anglo-American and domestic repertoire, namely Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Ministry of Sound, and Restos du Coeur in France.

Clearly it’s an understatement to say that there are huge implications here for EMI, our staff and most especially, our artists. You will have hundreds of questions, as do we. As this is still a proposal right now, it is difficult for us to answer any of them right now, but over the coming days and weeks, we will be working very hard to address as many of them as possible. We have a lot of time to work through how all of this is going to unfold and how it will affect each of you. So as soon as we are able, we will be working with you to achieve just that.

So what happens next? Obviously the remedy proposal needs to proceed through market testing. That testing should not take long, but a final decision by the EU College of Commissioners will not take place until the second half of September. Of course, regulatory reviews elsewhere – particularly in places such as the United States and Australia – will also need to be completed, as well as a number of practical logistics.

With all that in mind, it’s possible that with a wind behind our backs we could close the sale and EMI could pass to UMG as early as the end of September. However I think it is more realistic to plan for a close at the end of October. It is only at that point that any of the disposals could be put up for sale – and even then it will take some additional time for the sale to be completed of any businesses that are being divested. So as I say, we have some considerable time to make plans that take into account the needs of our artists, and in the meantime we will be working as hard as ever to deliver the successful outcomes that our artists so richly deserve.

All of this is a lot to digest, I know. While there is not much more that any of us can say right now, I am sure that you will want to talk to senior management here at EMI, and we will be reaching out directly to as many of you as possible over the coming days and weeks. As soon as I have any more concrete news for you, rest assured that I will contact you all right away.

Best wishes

Roger

Zynga, Groupon and now Facebook. They’re Internet darlings, the buzz is incredible, they go public and the stock plunges. Are they one hit wonders?

The Internet’s a funny place. Everybody is findable and reachable but most content goes unknown, forever sitting deep in Google unclicked upon. And then there are those pages that go monstrous instantly. That everyone pays attention to.

I think this is a social phenomenon.

You see we need rallying points.

Once upon a time we got this with TV. Whether it be discussing last night’s “Laugh In” routines or watching the finale of “M.A.S.H.”, the box was our culture.

But then, with five hundred channels, movies took TV’s place. That was one thing we could count on, that you’d seen the hit movies. But as Hollywood focused more and more on international high concept drivel, many people lost the habit of going to the theatre and films were no longer guaranteed water cooler discussion topics. Turns out you might have seen the film, but no one else did, or vice versa.

And then came the Internet, with everything only a click away.

Remember Rebecca Black?

She’s no different from the Pet Rock. Something overhyped that we all remember but have not seen in the wild for an eternity.

Or there’s that athlete warming up for the hurdles. If you’re a male, you’ve seen the clip. But she didn’t even qualify for the Olympics.

Now the foregoing are viral videos that grew from the bottom up, which gained a bit of traction in the mainstream media, but to see the game in action at a higher level, just look at the aforementioned public companies, Zynga, Groupon and Facebook. They all existed before the mainstream trumpeted them. But once the mainstream decided to hype them they became national treasures, before they became national disappointments.

But we all loved talking about Facebook. And Groupon coupons. And, of course, millions played FarmVille.

But to think a game would sustain is to believe Falco or that “How Bizarre” guy, whose name eludes me, is a career artist and is forever.

In other words, Wall Street business is now the record business. And the only people who seem to know this is the users, those on the outside, who don’t even own any stock.

You enjoy utilizing Facebook and Groupon and Zynga. But that’s all you do. You don’t see them as vehicles for getting rich.

But that’s usually the only reason their executives formed the companies. To make money. And they’ve hyped these entities like PR companies hype films, which most times fail upon release. But in this case, the mainstream bought it.

And because we’ve got so few common reference points, and it’s so easy for us to access these products, they take on an air of ubiquity and inevitability, that they’re here to stay.

But we just needed something to talk about, to rally around. They’re really no different from popsicles.

I’m not saying every Internet business is flawed. But many are. Focus on those involved with hard goods, whether it be Apple or Amazon. And Google is great for now, but even the search giant is challenged by the move to mobile. We’ve yet to see Google have a second act.

You see there’s very little big thinking. We used to rely on the mainstream media and Wall Street to look out for us, to survey the landscape and distill an even-handed reality. But if they ever did that before, they certainly don’t do it now. Wall Street is chasing instant profits. Warren Buffett may play for the long term, but he’s about the only one. And the media is too often peopled by reporters as opposed to experts. People asking the five w’s, getting the story, but missing the point. The facts oftentimes don’t tell you what’s going on, they’re just a basis for analysis.

So the consumer ping-pongs from item to item and the media and money believe everywhere people alight is gonna rain down money. But this has been proven to be untrue over and over again in the Internet sphere. People are grazers. And they like going where everybody else is. For a moment. Then they usually move on.

P.S. Please read this article on Path

Here’s the app that could kill Facebook

It’s a social network that only works on mobiles. It could be the next thing, but is it the last thing? That’s a different question.

Once upon a time you had to know how to sing.

This was before auto-tune, before all the special effects that allow poseurs to fake it. When one’s personal goals included buying a stereo so big and powerful it could be heard by your neighbors…the next block over. I’m convinced a whole genre of music, acoustic-based rock, has been relegated to also-ran status by the compressed music delivered to customers today, who listen to it on earbuds so lousy even dogs would complain. But in the seventies, the richness of the sound coming out of your speakers was enough to make you happy in itself, you needed no additional drugs, it was an aural orgasm.

And one of the great sounds emanating from the big rigs was the voice of Larry Hoppen. In such exquisite productions as “Dance With Me”. If you think it sounds good on Spotify, just imagine it with all the highs intact, filling up your living room.

Larry didn’t write the songs. That was done by Johanna Hall oftentimes in partnership with her husband John. But the vocalist behind the Orleans hits was Larry Hoppen. And maybe the band is a minor footnote in the history of rock, but you can’t find a baby boomer who does not know “Dance With Me” and…

“Still The One”.

I know, I know, you’re burned out on it, it’s cheesy, it’s overused. But once upon a time, “Still The One” was brand new. And when it burst out of the radio speakers, and that’s where we always heard things first, it was beyond a breath of fresh air, it was a lightning bolt to the head and heart, “Still The One” made life worth living.

But now Larry Hoppen is dead.

I don’t know what happened. The fact that future gigs were booked suggests some kind of misadventure. But does it really matter, once someone passes?

And they’re dropping like flies. You see being a musician is a hard life. The highs and lows of the road. And the swings in compensation. And we’re suddenly realizing that not everybody can do it forever, because health doesn’t play that way. Hell, in the last six months seemingly everybody I know has gotten cancer. Sure, that’s an overstatement, but it seems that way…that it’s only a matter of time before we’re all afflicted.

And what gets us through the pain is music.

And when “Still The One” breaks down just shy of three minutes in, and Larry Hoppen’s voice floats over the bass vocals and drums, we revel in the wonderment of being alive. Sure, nature can overwhelm us, render us speechless, but music can do this too. It’s almost impossible to explain, it’s something you feel.

I heard from Larry regularly. And my heart always skipped a beat. Not because he was famous, but because he possessed that voice, that emanated from the radio, that made me feel it was so great to be alive.

Spotify link