On August 7, 1990 Jon Bon Jovi released his debut solo album Here are some facts about it: = The album was Jon Bon Jovi's first solo project while the band was on a break after their "New Jersey Syndicate tour". = The album includes songs from and inspired by the movie "Young Guns II". = Emilio Estevez initially requested "Bon Jovi's" "Wanted Dead or Alive" for "Young Guns II", but Jon Bon Jovi felt the lyrics didn’t fit and wrote "Blaze of Glory" instead. = Jon Bon Jovi wrote "Blaze of Glory" after borrowing a script from the movie from his friend Emilio Estevez. = Jon Bon Jovi performed the song acoustically for screenwriter John Fusco, who loved it and included it in the film. = "Blaze of Glory's" lyrics tell the story of a gunslinger facing his own mortality. = The track's lyrics reference Cain and Abel from Genesis. = Jon Bon Jovi wrote the lyrics to "Blaze of Glory" on a napkin in a diner on the set of "Young Guns II". = In 1990, guitarist Aldo Nova wrote the main guitar riff for the song. = Jon Bon Jovi worked with Aldo Nova on his album "Blood on the Bricks" after Nova contributed to "Blaze of Glory". = "Blaze of Glory" spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped the album achieve triple-platinum sales. = It won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, received an Oscar nomination, and the album received Grammy nominations. = "Blaze of Glory" is Jon Bon Jovi's only solo No. 1 single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on September 8, 1990. = "Blaze of Glory" music video was filmed at "The Rectory" near Moab, Utah and involved filming atop thousand-foot cliffs outside Moab, Utah, with all equipment flown in by helicopter. Jon and the crew camped out in the desert heights for three days. = Photographer Mark Weiss captured Jon for the album’s back cover during the video shoot. There are also few shots of Jon with a rainbow in the background from this session. = The album was completed in seven weeks with two studios running 12 hours a day. = The album was produced by Jon Bon Jovi and co-produced by Danny Kortchmar, known for working with Neil Young and Don Henley. = The recording sessions featured Elton John, Little Richard, Jeff Beck (who played slide guitar on the title track and 6 more tracks), Randy Jackson (who played bass on the title track and 6 more tracks), and Aldo Nova (who wrote the main guitar riff for "Blaze of Glory" and plays guitars keyboards) and more. = The songs "Blaze of Glory" and "Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin'" featuring Elton John on piano. He also sang backing vocals on "Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin'". = The album peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double-platinum in the US. = It also achieved sustained transatlantic success, including a gold disc in the UK. = The song "Miracle" reached No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box, and No. 20 on the Album Rock Tracks charts. = The music video for "Miracle" features Jeff Beck on guitars and stars Matt LeBlanc in one of his earliest acting appearances. = The single "Never Say Die" was released only in Poland, Canada, and Australia. = "Bang a Drum" was later covered by Chris LeDoux in 1998, featuring Jon Bon Jovi on guest vocals and Shawn Lane on guitar solo; this version reached No. 68 on the US Hot Country Songs chart and had a music video. = Jon Bon Jovi made his acting debut in "Young Guns II" as a pit inmate who is shot back into the pit. = The song "Blaze of Glory" remains a crowd favorite and is regularly performed in "Bon Jovi's" live setlists, over 500 times. = The song "Blaze of Glory" was included in the 1994 "Bon Jovi" greatest hits album "Cross Road". = Jon Bon Jovi performed "Blaze of Glory" at the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Asking Alexandria's third album "From Death to Destiny" was released on August 6, 2013, so here are some interesting facts about the album: 1. The album was recorded in six different studios in the US and England. 2. One of them was a studio that the band set up on their tour bus. They said that songwriting is often done during touring and they always dreamed of having a studio with them during the tour where they could record. 3. Singer Danny Worsnop suffered a tear in his vocal cords during the recording of the album and needed a long period of recovery, which extended the creation of the album. (Photo: Jeremy Saffer) 4. During the recordings there was a lot of friction and confrontation between Danny and the rest of the band, guitarist Ben Bruce said they had to make a lot of compromises because Danny just refused to sing when he objected to the processing or writing of a song (maybe that was for the better). 5. About two years after the album's release the clashes intensified, Danny's addiction to alcohol also intensified and he left the band claiming he wanted to focus on a different style of music with his second band "We Are Harlot". But about a year and a half later they resolved all the conflicts and he returned to the band !! (And a good thing, he's one of the most talented vocalists) 6. This album is considered the band's adolescence stage, their sound goes from electronic combinations to more concentrated hard rock and their lyrics move from topics like drugs and girls to more personal and complex topics like death, loneliness, relationships, and more. 7. The transition from a heavy metal-core style saturated with electronics and productions to a more basic hard rock style with a combination of melody and "growling", made this album more accessible and opened the band to a new audience of fans. 8. The band has released three music videos for the album: "The Death Of Me", "Moving On" and "Killing You" Danny says that in the "Moving On" clip they share many intimate moments and expose themselves to their fans. 9. The song "Until The End" features singer Howard Jones who was, among other things, the singer of Killswitch Engage Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

The 21st album of "Deep Purple" is called "Whoosh!" Released on August 7, 2020. This is definitely a "back to the roots" album whose motto in the studio during the recordings was: "DEEP PURPLE is putting the Deep back into Purple". What's more, it's probably also an album that's closing the band's circle, perhaps it's last. Clues to this can be found, among other things, in the fact that the band's last tour in 2017-2019 was called "The Long Goodbye". Also, the closure is real, literally. The last track of the album (if you do not consider the bonus track) is called - "And The Address". Anyone who looks at the band's first album from 1968, "Shades Of Deep Purple", will find that it opens with exactly the same instrumental section of the same name. It's amazing to think that the legendary drummer Ian Paice who played the same track that opened the band's first album 52 years earlier, is the same drummer who closes the current album with a track of the exact same name! And if this is not closing a circle, then what is? What's more, even the logo of the band's name on the album cover is somewhat reminiscent of the band's logo from its earliest days. Even if we dive into the musical material, we will realize that it certainly corresponds with the materials from the band's first periods. True, there are a few exceptions here like the rockabilly of "Don Airey" or the bouncy rhythm of "Nothing At All" with Don Airey's keyboard solo corresponding with Bach, but most of the album is reminiscent of the beloved and familiar Deep Purple. From the first listen, it can be said that this is an excellent album. This can be seen already in the opening song "Throw My Bones" which sets the tone for what we will get later with the sweeping music of Steve Morse releasing a magnificent solo here. In the first second of the track "What The What" we were sure "Highway Star" is playing, the rhythmic of "The Long Way Round" with a rocking riff that corresponds with "The Mule", the track "No Need to Shout" with the keyboard opening that corresponds, with "Perfect Strangers" and the guitar line that corresponds with "Stormbringer" and the dynamic and complex "Man Alive" in which Ian Gillan mentions the name of the album "Woosh!", are just some of the pearls that can be found here. We often witness a discourse about veteran artists and the question of whether they should continue to issue new materials. We hold the view that as long as their power is at their hands they should continue to do so, even at the cost of the requisite comparison to substances released during their peak period. For us "Deep Purple" is as relevant today as it once was. This band has been rolling steadily for almost 20 years, and if we do not consider the tragic death of Jon Lord, then even more. It's a live, kicking, and breathing band, no less than young bands and this album is a convincing proof of that. The one who produced the album is the legendary Bob Ezrin who has worked with great and good ones like "Pink Floyd", "Kiss", Alice Cooper, and more. He did this together with bassist Roger Glover who has been sitting on the console for years both as part of the band and with other ensembles. This is the third consecutive album he has produced for the band and it looks like he is going to leave his mark as the band's second most dominant producer in all of its 50 years of career, after Martin Birch of course. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

The album "Extreme II: Pornograffitti", the second by "Extreme", was released on August 7, 1990. Here are 20 facts about the album that almost half of the songs on it were released as successful singles: 1. The album also has another name or actually a subtitle - "A Funked Up Fairy Tale". 2. It's a kind of concept album in which all the songs in one way or another relate to issues of sex, money, and luxury in American culture. 3. The album is accompanied by the imaginary character called Francis who occasionally pops up in the songs. For example, listen to the voice of background singer Barbara Glynn who calls him and warns him "Be Careful", starting at 0:40 from the beginning of the album with the sound of the pouring rain in the background. 4. In the song "Money (in God We Trust)" you can hear the background vocalist say, to Francis at the beginning of the song "Don't Forget to put your tooth under the pillow". 5. The album includes 12 songs, 5 of which were released as singles, the first "Decadence Dance" in 1990, and the last "Song For Love" in 1992. 6. Of the five singles released, "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted" are the only ones to reach number one on Billboard. 7. The album combines several music styles, hard rock, heavy metal, funk metal, glam, and folk. 8. "Hole Hearted" did not appear in the vinyl version of the album, it appears as song number 13 in the CD version only. 9. Contrary to popular belief "Hole Hearted" does not refer to the relationship between him and her, but to the relationship between the writer and God. 10. "More Than Words" was written by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt while sitting on the porch with the guitar. He noted that it just happened and he wrote it all down on the spot. He played it to singer Gary Cherone who wrote the romantic lyrics. 11. The song "Li'l Jack Horny" took its name from the brass band that plays in it, called "Li'l Jack Horn Section". 12. The brass band is also a guest on the song "Get the Funk Out". 13. Canadian singer and multi-instrumentalist Pat Travers are also featured in the song "Get the Funk Out". 14. Another guest on the album is Dweezil Zappa, the son of .. who plays the guitar melody in the intro and outro of the song "He-Man Woman Hater". 15. This excerpt includes a solo overture that corresponds with the composition of "Flight of the Bumblebee" by composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. 16. Following Nuno's crazy playing on this album, he was named "Guitar World" Magazine's "Most Valuable Player" in 1991. 17. He was also voted "Best New Talent" by the magazine readers that year. 18. It is the band's best-selling and most successful album and it has earned double platinum status. 19 The album was produced by Michael Wagener, who was the original guitarist of the German heavy metal band "Accept" and produced, mixed, and was the recording technician on the hard rock and heavy metal albums of many bands and artists such as Alice Cooper, "Skid Row", "Mötley Crüe", "W.A.S.P.", "Poison", "Keel", "Megadeth", Ozzy Osbourne, "Dokken", and even mixed "Metallica's" "Master Of Puppets" album. 20. At the same time, the songs "When I First Kissed You" and "Hole Hearted" was produced by the band's guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On August 7, 1983, "Black Sabbath" released its 11th studio album "Born Again". This album is probably the band's most underrated, and we think that's not quite fair. Apparently, the expectations from the meteoric collaboration between Ian Gillan from "Deep Purple" and the three members of Black Sabbath's original lineup were so high that they caused disappointment among the band's critics and fansת at the time of the album's release. So true, the production was too extreme and the sound was overly compressed. Ian Gillan's light and sarcastic lyrics did not fit with the doom outfit, the indifference, and the seriousness of Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. But in our opinion, it is still a good album, even a very good one, which some of the negative reviews it received at the time were a bit exaggerated in relation to its content. The story of this album begins in 1982. While performing the mixes for Black Sabbath's live album "Live Evil", disagreements arose between the band members that led to the departure of Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice. They both felt confident enough and turned to the formation of their new band "Dio". After the departure of Dio and Vinny Sabbath's future was in doubt. However, Iommi and Geezer agreed to try to find a singer so they can continue making music together, no matter what constellation and whether under Sabbath's name or not. Among the names that came up were Robert Plant, David Coverdale, and even Michael Bolton sent a tape and asked to be auditioned. In the end, Don Arden (Sharon Osbourne's father) who just got the role of band manager, suggested Ian Gillan's name for the singer position and Iommi remembers that it was the most appropriate name that was raised and considered. They approached Gillan but at first, he was not enthusiastic about the idea. In the end, Ian Gillan's manager persuaded him to at least meet with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, before giving a definitive answer. They met at a pub in Oxford and so, after a long night of drunkenness, between beer and whiskey, Gillan relented and committed to the project, it was in February 1983. Initially, the project was planned to be a sort of supergroup of Iommi, Butler, and Gilan. Geezer said that only after they finished the recordings and transferred them to the record company, Don Arden and the record company insisted that the album be released under the name of "Black Sabbath". (Photo: thehighwaystar.com) Recordings began in May 1983 at The "Manor Studio" outside Oxford. The producer of the album was Robin Black, who worked with the band as a sound engineer on the album "Sabotage". Drummer Bill Ward, who left the band in 1980 due to drinking problems, returned to the band after a rehab process and filled the void left by Vinny Appice. In terms of lyrics, Iommi recalls that the material that Gillan brought with him to the sessions was completely different from what the band was used to with Geezer and Dio. Gillan focused more on personal stories from everyday life, women, sex, cars, etc., topics that "Sabbath" has less dealt with on their previous albums. On the other hand, there was not much change in the musical aspect. The album continued the band's dark and heavy line and even strengthened it a bit. Listening to the album immediately reveals that it is one of the band's heaviest albums in terms of production. The bass roles have been brought forward in the mix and they sound really bold and dominant, even a little too much. Rumor has it that one of the band members performed, secretly and without the knowledge of the rest of the band members, a late mix of the album just before its release, which is the reason for the coarse, heavy and gloomy sound of the final mix. The band of course denied the rumor and all that was left was to wonder if the production had deliberately gone in a particularly dark direction in order to obscure Gillan's light lyrics. A look at the album cover will actually strengthen the version that the extreme production was intended, since here too it seems that an attempt was made to go far and shock the viewer. This is a cover that cannot be ignored. A monstrous red baby with pointed yellow nails against a deep blue background. It does not seem that anyone who visited the record stores in 1983 could have missed this picture, and this is probably exactly what the record company wanted to achieve. The album opens with power and force with "Trashed" and already here you can hear the emphasis that the final mix puts on the bass roles. The words written by Gillan tell of an accident he had during the recordings. One night a drunken Gillan returned from the pub next to the recording studio and decided to take Bill Ward's car for a ride on the karting track that was next to the studio. During one of the laps, Gillan collided with a pile of tires that was lying on the sides of the track, which caused them to disperse. In the next round, he got on one of the tires and overturned in the air. The vehicle crashed and caught fire, but Gillan managed to escape unscathed. The next day Gillan had already written the lyrics. Then comes the first instrumental track out of two on the album - "Stonehenge". These are effects-saturated passages designed to put the listener in a dark and mysterious atmosphere. By the way, "Stonehenge" will also be the set structure that the band will adopt during the tour that supported the album. This is a huge and formidable structure whose construction will burden this entire tour and which due to its size will not be able to fit a large part of the concert halls. This delusional story about the set of "Stonehenge" will inspire Rob Reiner a year later in the film "Spinal Tap". Immediately with the help of the atmospheric piece "Stonehenge", Original we are met with Gillan's chilling scream that pierces the silence and with his frightening and rolling laughter, which puts us in the song "Disturbing The Priest". The words were written by Gillan about the priests in the church next to the recording studio, who complained about the noise emanating from it. This song takes us on a journey of horror and fear in terms of music and this is perhaps a good example of the lack of chemistry between Gillan's lyrics and music brought by "Black Sabbath" members, a mismatch that probably also affected the end result. After the second instrumental track "The Dark" we come to one of the controversial songs on this album "Zero The Hero". Many claimed that the lyrics were hollow and the melody in the chorus was a bit childish, but we love it. The screaming-like eels guitars and the rolling and monotonous bass line do it for us. Gillan's special singing during the verses only adds to the heaviness and mystery of the song. The other side of the vinyl opens with Iommi's all-too-familiar riff and the song "Digital Bitch". This is another one of the strongest songs on the album and the basses during the chorus in this song, just tore our membranes in the speakers from the first listen (this is not just a statement, it really happened). The second song on the other side of the vinyl is the theme song "Born Again", which is probably the best song on the album. This is a bluesy ballad of the kind that was not exactly typical of "Black Sabbath". In contrast to the dissonance between Gillan and the rest of the friends in the previous songs, Gillan's bluesy and rough voice, this time fits like a glove to the melody and music, and maybe that's what makes this song so good. The combination of guitar and bass during the verses is perfect and the guitar solo is deep, heavy, and chilling. The last two songs "Hot Line" and "Keep It Warm" are the least good on the album. Gillan's singing during the verses in the song "Hot Line" just doesn't fit Iommi's dark and heavy riffs, his famous screams seem detached and unrelated. "Keep It Warm" works a little better than its predecessor but is still a relatively weak track to the rest of the album's songs. As noted the album received mixed reviews after its release, most of which were negative. Despite this the album was very successful in terms of sales and became the band's best-selling album since "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", a surprising figure in itself, especially considering that the previous two albums from the Dio era were simply amazing. (Photo: Wordpress) After the release of the album, the band went on a particularly long tour. Bill Ward, who apparently feared the long stay away from home, was seized with anxiety and panic. He was ashamed to tell his friends about it, since they were so eager to go out on a tour and it made him shut down and deteriorate into drinking and alcohol. The one who replaced Ward on the tour was "ELO" drummer Bev Bevan. The song "Smoke on The Water" by "Deep Purple" was also performed during the tour. Gillan said this tour was very difficult for him. He did not connect to the atmosphere, the show opened with the crying voice of a baby and a devilish dwarf designed to resemble a baby from the album cover walked between the band members' legs. Gillan did not connect at all to Sabbath's classic lyrics and therefore had to read the lyrics from a page during the show. As already mentioned, the huge stage designed like "Stonehenge" was so large that it caused unnecessary delays and postponements. It was all a bit too much for everyone, Geezer said the tour was a crisis point for him and led him to leave the band. Gillan just did not connect to all the dark and heavy side of Sabbath and even to him, it was very clear that he was ending his contractual commitments and leaving. A year later he would join Deep Purple in their big reunion. Iommi was left alone to navigate "Black Sabbath's" rickety and tired ship out of the raging seawater that threatens to drown it. Thanks to him and only thanks to him, this band will be saved from doom and will continue in such and/or other lineups and continue the amazing tradition that began on Friday the 13th somewhere in 1970. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On August 6, 1985, an event was scheduled to take place at the Ramat Gan Stadium. It was supposed to be a defining moment in the history of Israeli music – “Stars Festival 85.” Two consecutive evenings, with huge names in the history of music from around the world, a huge stage, a grandiose production, and an audience of tens of thousands. The promise was unprecedented. The result – one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of Israeli culture. Behind the festival were Gabi Neubauer, owner of the Haifa record store "Gabi Records", and his partner Yaakov Salem, who specifically founded the "Gabi Corporation" company to produce the grandiose event, the first of its kind in Israel. On paper – everything looked shiny and promising. A "Live Aid"-style show held a few weeks earlier: Joe Cocker, "Marillion", Al Stewart, Joan Jett, "Sweet", Eric Burdon, Alvin Lee, David Knopfler, Billy Cobham, Peter Green, Sally Oldfield, Al DiMioula – all were announced as bands and artists who would participate in the first international festival of its kind in Israel. The festival was presented to the public as the largest musical event ever held in Israel. The production boasted insane figures for the time: 150 artists, 80 tons of equipment, 14 performances, a huge stage, 50,000 spectators a day – a vision of the US and Western Europe in the heart of the Middle East. The intentions were good, even the late Corinne Allal recorded "Song of Fun" to be used as the anthem for the celebrated festival... But what actually happened was far from the vision. The festival was planned to take place over two full days – August 6 and 7, 1985 – with 14 performances, which would accommodate an audience of 50,000 people per day. Ticket price: 15,000 old shekels. But plans are one thing, reality is another. The sale failed miserably – less than 12,000 tickets were sold. The public, for the most part, simply did not believe that the stars would actually come. And rightly so: Joe Cocker, Joan Jett, Al Stewart, Eric Burdon, "Sweet" – all canceled their arrival. Some at the last minute, some did not book flights at all. Cocker's cancellation announcement was published only in the newspaper "Al Hamishmar", and did not reach the attention of most of the angry ticket buyers. In the end, the "festival" was shortened to just one day – August 6 – and lasted from 5:00 PM to midnight, hosted by Shosh Atari, Dori Ben-Zeev, and Eli Israeli. The festival opened with a performance by Corinne Allal, who tried to warm up the evening, but left the stage after ten minutes in shock. The audience was frustrated, and there were reports of angry artists backstage. And yet, despite everything, this was the first time we saw sparks of foreign production in Israel. A group of foreign artists on one stage, in Israel. 2 huge stages side by side, with a performance being held on one, and the next performance already being organized on the second next to it. Several of the artists did take the stage and give it their all: Sally Oldfield opened the evening with folk-rock songs, in front of an indifferent and stunned audience. Billy Cobham, Peter Green, Al DiMiola, David Knopfler, Climax Blues Band and Alvin Lee (who closed the evening) rounded out the night with a variety of performances – some intimate, others more immersive. But above all – the performance by "Marillion" stood out, coming here at the height of its success and performing the entire first side of its album "Misplaced Childhood", alongside excerpts from "Fugazi" and "Script for a Jester's Tear". This was the band's first (and only) performance in Israel. Lead singer Fish was interviewed by "Ma'ariv" and declared: "We're done with the makeup – what's important is the music". Artistically – it was a strong, concentrated, meticulous performance. However, the few who were present – perhaps 10,000 people in a huge stadium – were unable to salvage the general feeling of embarrassment. And what happened next??? Gabi Neubauer fled the country with debts of half a million old shekels. Salem barricaded himself in the Carlton Hotel with bodyguards. A stay-at-home order was issued against him. Most of the artists did not receive their money, and left in a rage. Peter Jacobs, the British producer, summed it up coolly: "They are amateur producers from the Third World." Fish, years later, also wrote on his official website: "A ridiculous festival in Tel Aviv. There were more people behind the stage than in front of the stage. We spent four days with chronic diarrhea in the King David Hotel." "Star Festival 85" is remembered to this day as a colossal failure. A production that did not read the market, did not understand the audience, and did not know how to manage an event of such magnitude - a name synonymous with irresponsible pretension. The Ben-Shaul advertising agency sued for 200 million old shekels, a stay-at-home order was issued against Salem, and the ground burned beneath everyone's feet. But we will take one thing from this festival. That evening, under a steamy August sky, we were privileged to see "Marillion" take the stage and give it their all. A rare moment of true British rock – which sank and disappeared along with the remnants of the lighting, the equipment, and the dream. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Bruce Almighty... (Photo: Iron Maiden On Twitter) He is one of the greatest singers in metal, musician, actor, writer, screenwriter, radio broadcaster, TV presenter, professional fencer, a trained pilot, entrepreneur, businessman, and owner of an airline company. His name is Bruce Dickinson and he is celebrating his birthday today !!! (Photo: wallpaperflare.com) Here are 30 interesting facts (most of them known) about the amazing "Multi talent": 1. He was born on August 7, 1958. His full name is Paul Bruce Dickinson. As a child, he was called "Bruce Bruce" after a character in the sketch series of "Monty Peyton's Flying Circus". He used this nickname on "Samson" albums where he appears as "Bruce Bruce" Dickinson. 2. He grew up with his grandparents. His parents who were not even 18 at the time of his birth, could not support themselves or the newborn and often wandered across England in search of a livelihood. The song "Born in '58" from his first solo album "Tattooed Millionaire", he wrote about his childhood at his grandparents' house. 3. In his youth he tried to play his father's classical guitar. He admired Ian Paice from "Deep Purple" and dreamed of becoming a drummer. 4. The first album he acquired was "In Rock", by "Deep Purple", from where he went on to the first "Black Sabbath" album, "Aqualung" by "Jetro Tull" and "Tarkus" by "Emerson, Lake & Palmer". 5. He was expelled from school after a prank in which he defecated in a bean stew served to the school principal. 6. Dickinson has a very wide vocal range that extends over 4.25 octaves. His vocal tone is also very diverse, from rock to opera, this earned him the nickname "The Air-Raid Siren". (Photo: Michael Putland) 7. In 1979, just two months after releasing their debut album, Dickinson joined the band "Samson" as their lead singer. 8. In 1981 he appeared with "Samson" in the Canadian horror film "Incubus". 9. His first acquaintance with "Iron Maiden" was when "Maiden" warmed up "Samson" in 1980. Even then he thought they were good. 10. In 1981 he joined "Iron Maiden", and after several live shows with his new band, he participated in the process of writing the material for the album "The Number Of The Beast". Due to contractual issues with his previous band, he could not get credit for any of the songs on the album, even though he contributed to writing some of them, such as: "The Prisoner", and "Children of the Damned" and "Run to the Hills". 11. As part of the 1987 "Monsters of Rock Festival", he took the stage with Dee Snider, Paul Stanley, and Jon Bon Jovi to perform a cover version of the song "Travelin 'Band" by "Creedence Clearwater Revival". 12. He recorded the song "Bring Your Daughter ... to the Slaughter" for the movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child". "Iron Maiden" later re-recorded the song for their 1990 album "No Prayer for the Dying". 13. In 1990 he was part of the musical project "Rock Aid Armenia", in which he recorded the song "Smoke on the Water" by "Deep Purple", with a list of great and leading artists. Among the artists with whom he recorded the song are: Bryan Adams, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, David Gilmour, Tony Iommi, Alex Lifeson, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Paul Jones, and Jon Lord. 14. In 1992, he recorded with British comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) a cover version of Alice Cooper's song "Elected" from the album "Billion Dollar Babies", the cover version was called "(I Want To Be) Elected". 15. From 2002 to 2010, Dickinson had a weekly radio show on "BBC Radio 6" called "Rock Show". 16. His 2005 solo album "Tyranny Of Souls" was originally designed to be a triple project inspired by "The Three Tenors", in collaboration with Rob Halford and Ronnie James Dio. Maybe he got an appetite after recording the duet "The One You Love To Hate" with Halford in 2000. 17. Bruce is a Boeing 757 trained pilot and was an active pilot on the British airline "Astraeus Airlines". 18. In 2007, he flew the players of the Glasgow Rangers football team to Israel, for their game against Hapoel Tel Aviv. 19. After the closure of "Astraeus Airlines", he set up his own airline, "Cardiff Aviation". 20. During "Iron Maiden" tours he flies the band and equipment on the "Ed Force One" plane. (Photo: airteamimages.com) 21. In 2005, Dickinson hosted the aviation series "Flying Heavy Metal" on the "Discovery" Channel. 22. Bruce is a professional fencer who came in seventh at the British Fencing Championships. He also represented his country at the European Championships in 1989. He trained himself to fence with both hands. After 10 years of specializing in right-handed fencing, he moved to left-handed. 23. He wrote the screenplay for the 2008 film "Chemical Wedding". The film's soundtrack includes songs by Dickinson and "Maiden". 24. Dickinson was present at the wedding of Fish the former singer of "Marillion". 25. He is the registered owner of a Soviet "T34" tank. 26. In 2013 he worked in collaboration with the English "Robinson" brewery on the development of the Iron Maiden "Trooper" beer. He is interested in continuing to develop more beers in the future. (Photo: rockcelebrities.net) 27. In 2015 he underwent chemotherapy treatments following a cancerous growth that was discovered in his tongue, but Bruce like Bruce almighty, overcame cancer and returned to the stages. 28. He authored two books, "The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace" and "The Missionary Position". 29. In 2017 he published his autobiography book "What Does This Button Do?". 30. 30. He wrote on his own the longest song of "Iron Maiden" in which he also plays the piano. The song "Empire of the Clouds" from the album "The Book of Souls" spans more than 18 minutes. During his musical career, Dickinson has released 23 studio albums, including 3 with "Samson", 13 with "Maiden" and 7 as part of his solo career. So let's wish this dear man many more years of fruitful music and continues to rave on the stages with his kamikaze jump. Picture: Ronen Kolar "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On August 6, 1965, The Beatles' fifth studio album was released, which is also the soundtrack of the band's second film, "Help!". The album includes 14 tracks, 7 of which are on the first side of the vinyl are forming the soundtrack to a film that was released at the same time. And here are 20 interesting facts about the album and the movie: 1. The name of the record was supposed to be "Eight Arms To Hold You" with a hint of the pair of hands of each of the Fabulous Four embracing a fan. Ringo Starr suggested the name but not for the reason described but because the film has a scene with a multi-handed Kaili statue. The name of the album was later changed so the first and rare singles of the song "Help" indicated that it was from the movie "Eight Arms To Hold You". 2. The album cover is intended to show "the Beatles" band members marking with their hands the letters H-E-L-P in sign language used by ships at sea. The photographer did not like the result due to an imbalance in visibility, so he changed the shapes of the Beatles' hands. The result is the letters N-U-J-V which have no meaning. 3. The reason why the exclamation mark "!" Was inserted in the name of the film and the album, was that the title "Help" was already occupied for another film, so Ringo Starr suggested simply adding an exclamation mark to the title (!) 4. This is the Beatles' latest album featuring cover versions for other artists. From now on, the Fabulous Four will rely on original material only until their latest album "Let It Be", which features a cover version of the song "Maggie Mae". 5. This is the Beatles' only album to feature two songs that reached number one, with a one-word title. "Help!" And "Yesterday." 6. The song "Help!" Was the first of the Beatles to appear in a commercial in the US. It was in a Ford Lincoln car commercial that paid $ 100,000, but even then it was not the original song but a cover version that George Martin helped record. 7. "Help!" Was originally slower. The band members accelerated its pace to make it more catchy and commercial. 8. Members of "Deep Purple" recorded the song as a demo. It helped them get a recording contract in 1968. Later the song entered the band's debut album "Shades Of Deep Purple". 9. The one who plays the guitar solo in the song "Ticket to Ride" is none other than Paul McCartney. 10. "Ticket to Ride" is also the Beatles' first song to exceed 3 minutes. 11. John Lennon and Paul McCartney have different versions of the reason behind the theme of "Ticket to Ride". Paul claims it was written inspired by a car ride on the Isle of Wight, while John claims it was written about a German prostitute. 12. "You're Going to Lose That Girl" is actually a sequel to the story behind the single "She Loves You". The guy from the first song realizes that even though the girl is in love with him he must "do something" or he will lose her. 13. Paul dreamt of the melody for the song "Yesterday" while sleeping in his girlfriend's house. 14. Only Paul McCartney participates in the recording of the song (accompanied by strings), the other Beatles members are not present. 15. "Yesterday" is also the song that has won the most cover versions in the world. (Photo: Pop Expresso) 16. This is the first album in which George Harrison has contributed two songs "I Need You" and "You Like Me Too Much", and his first since "Don't Bother Me" which was released in 1963, as part of the album "With the Beatles". 17. George Harrison got the idea to play Indian instruments and especially the sitar following a scene in a movie where musicians in an Indian restaurant are seen playing "the Beatles" songs. 18. Actress Eleanor Bron who played alongside the Fabulous Four in the film, was the inspiration for Paul McCartney in writing the song "Eleanor Rigby" from the album "Revolver" which we reviewed yesterday. 19. The song "I've Just Seen a Face" was originally supposed to be called "Aunty Gin's Theme". It is also the first and one of the few in the band to have no baseline. 20. During the recordings of the album, two more songs were recorded that did not enter the album and the film. "If You've Got Trouble" was originally intended for Ringo, but was eventually replaced by the song "Act Naturally", and the song "That Means a Lot" which was eventually given to P.J. Proby and became a hit. The two rare songs were finally released on the 1996 album "Anthology 2". For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On August 5, 1966, the album "Revolver" was released in England. This was the seventh album of "The Beatles". This is a very revolutionary and innovative album, especially for the time in which it was released. It was a creative and technological explosion of the band. On this album, the band went further than it had gone up until then. It experimented with different and varied musical directions and used innovative recording techniques such as effects, loops, dubbing, reverse, and backward playback, etc. It also added a variety of new musical instruments: strings, trumpets, flutes, instruments from India, etc., and assimilated a highly innovative approach to musical processing. This album completely changed the face of rock music as it was perceived until then, greatly influenced everything that came after it, and even caused Brian Wilson from "The Beach Boys" to have a nervous breakdown, just three months after releasing the ingenious "Pet Sounds" album. (Photo: BBC) Here are 20 interesting facts about this revolutionary album: 1. The album cover was designed by Klaus Voorman, who would later play bass with "Manfred Man" and also with each of the Beatles' members on their solo albums. He was paid 40 pounds for it. 2. The cover won a Grammy Award for the most beautiful cover of the album in 1967. 3. The original album cover was supposed to be a painting of Paul McCartney sitting on a toilet in the bathroom. 4. One of the names suggested for the album was "Abracadabra". 5. The one who plays the guitar solo in the opening song "Taxman" is none other than Paul McCartney. 6. "Yellow Submarine" features Pattie Boyd (George Harrison's wife), Marianne Faithfull, Brian Jones, and Donovan on vocals. They did not receive credit for their contribution. 7. The sound of seagulls in the psychedelic song "Tomorrow Never Knows" is actually the distorted sound of Paul McCartney laughing. 8. John Lennon said he wanted to sound like the Dalai Lama praying in the song "Tomorrow Never Knows". To achieve the effect, John Lennon's voice was recorded through a Leslie speaker amplifier connected to an effect and double the recording. This is the first time this technique has been used. 9. Another technique that was first used on this album was "automatic double tracking". Sound technician Ken Townsend composed two different tapes that recorded John Lennon's voice at the same time, with one tape being at a delay of 100 milliseconds from the other tape. This technique gave the singing a fuller and thicker sound and it was born in the face of John Lennon's hate to record the same singing roles twice. The technique can be heard in the song "Tomorrow Never Knows". 10. The guitar solos in the songs "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" are played backward. This is the first time such technology has been used with musical instruments. 11. During the pre-recording sessions, two more songs that were not included on the album were recorded, "Rain" and "Paperback Writer". They were released as a single and B-Side for the single. The song "Rain" was the first to use the backward vocal recording. 12. None of the songs on the album were performed live in real-time, although the band went out immediately afterward for their last tour in the United States. The songs were heavily produced and were too difficult to perform live. 13. The longest song on the album is 3.02 minutes long. Ten of the album's 12 songs are under 3 minutes. 14. All four members of the band contributed to the writing of the lyrics to the song "Eleanor Rigby", which is quite unusual for the band. 15. The band worked more hours on the song "Yellow Submarine" than on their entire first album. During the recording and in order to create the water effect, an attempt was made to insert a microphone into a condom and dip it into the water. 16. The song "She Said She Said" is based on John Lennon's Trip Acid with actor Peter Fonda and with David Crosby and Roger McGuinn from "the Byrds". Therefore, the song was originally called "He Said He Said". 17. The song "Doctor Robert" was written about Dr. Robert Freymann, a Manhattan celebrity doctor who used to give his patients B12 injections mixed with speed drugs. 18. The song "Got To Get You Into My Life", written by Paul McCartney, is not a love song for a girl but for marijuana. 19. The song "Here, There and Everywhere" was written by Paul McCartney while he waited for John Lennon to wake up. He came to Lennon's house to work on new songs for the album, but found that John was still asleep and wrote the song while waiting for him. 20. The character Father McKenzie in the song “Eleanor Rigby” was originally supposed to be Father McCartney but Pete Shotton, a childhood friend of John Lennon, explained to McCartney that all listeners would think the fictional character in the song is actually his father and eventually Paul McCartney changed the name. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He's Pat Smear and he was born on August 5, 1959, so we could not resist writing a few words about this colorful and special guitarist! (Photo: David Brendan Hall) He was born to an African American mother and a Jewish immigrant father from Germany, was educated in a religious school and then attended an alternative high school where he met Darby Crash and both were expelled from school very quickly. Why is it important? Because in 1976 after they were both expelled from school they formed the band Germs which only at a later stage gained significant recognition as part of the development of punk rock in the US and became one of the most influential bands. (Photo: The Guardian) They released one album in 1979 called "GI" which some say is considered the first hard rock punk album but disbanded in 1980 after Crash committed suicide. Not many know this but Pat appears in the video clip of the song "Raspberry Beret" by the musician Prince !! Look for him sitting there in a white suit on a blue stage with long hair. After 13 years working on a number of different projects he got a call from Kurt Cobain, at first he did not believe that the band which is at the height of its success needed him, an "aging" guitarist (yet he is 10 years older than Nirvana members). But it was so and Cobain asked him to join the band as an accompanist on their tour. Photo: Mark Leialoha His first appearance with Nirvana was on Saturday Night Live in September 1993. He also performed with the band in the famous MTV Unplugged appearance. Dave said they really liked Pat's band so Cobain called him. He further said that when Pat joined the band he changed everything, they felt like children again, like family and he gave them back the enjoinment. But we know how this episode ends and Pat once again experiencing a suicide by a member of his band and this time it broke him completely, so much that he decided not to engage with music anymore. But in 1994 he got a phone call again, and this time it was Dave Grohl on the other side, who asked him to join the band he was forming. Pat could not refuse the charmer and he again agreed and joined the Foo Fighters. This was the beginning of a continuing love story... (Photo: Mick Hutson) In 1997 after the band's second album "The Colour and The Shape" he decided to leave due to exhaustion, he was tired of the incessant tour dates, especially since the band that is at the beginning of its journey is trying to perform wherever possible. Of course the departure was not immediate and he found himself six months later still preforming. But despite pleas from Dave, he eventually decided that - enough is enough. His was replaced by Franz Stahl, which is even documented in the band's performance on the roof of Radio City in New York, with Pat starting the set and on the half of the show saying goodbye, when Franz replacing him and continuing the set until the end. In 2005, after nearly 4 years of conversations between him and Dave, Pat slowly returned to playing with the Foo's. The matter was very difficult for Chris Shiflet who joined in 1999 as a replacement for Franz. He said several times that upon Pat's return he was very apprehensive about his place in the band. It was clear to him that with the history Pat had with Nirvana and Dave he had no chance of competing. He walked around with the feeling that they were going to fire him at any moment for several years... Since then Pat is a permanent member of the band... Listen to Pat's first and only album with the Germs, enjoy !! Spotify, "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On August 4, 1975, "Rainbow"'s debut album, known as "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" was released. In November 1974, "Deep Purple" releases their last album with Ritchie Blackmore, titled "Stormbringer". Although the album received good reviews and although a considerable number of songs from it got air time on various radio stations (except for the theme song also "Lady Double Dealer", "The Gypsy" and "Soldier of Fortune"), Richie Blackmore was not happy with the result and he also expresses his dissatisfaction in public. What bothered Blackmore was the musical direction the band was drawn to, and the fact that it included elements of funk and soul. In addition to the dissatisfaction with the musical direction, another incident was the "last straw" for "The Black Man". During the recordings of the album "Stormbringer," Ritchie Blackmore asked the band members to record a cover version of the song "Black Sheep of the Family" by the band "Quatermass" from 1970, but they objected. Blackmore decides that was too much for him and already in February 1975 he joined Ronnie James Dio, from whom he was very impressed while with his band ELF warmed up "Deep Purple". With Ronnie on board Blackmore begins to form the band that will help him fulfill his vision. Dio brought with him all of his bandmates from "ELF" (minus the guitarist of course), but for Blackmore, the only true partnership was with Dio, while the rest of the members were considered by him as session players that helped him record his new material. At the same time, Ritchie Blackmore informs 'Deep Purple" that he intends to leave the band at the end of the tour of the album "Stormbringer". This happened when there were only three shows left until the end of the tour. And so it happened, that on April 7, 1975, all the members of "Deep Purple" showed up for the last performance of the MKIII lineup which took place in Paris. This show was recorded and released on CD in 2001, as part of the "Deep Purple" live shows series. This performance is important both because it is the only one in which the song "The Gypsy" was performed and recorded live and because this was Blackmore's last appearance with the MKIII lineup. Anyone who listens to the show will notice that Blackmore has fulfilled his commitment, giving a good show until the last minute. He leaves the stage knowing well where he is headed. He's going to do things his own way. The recordings for the band's debut album, later called "Rainbow", will take place in Munich from February 20 to March 14, 1975, before Blackmore gives his final bow with "Deep Purple". Ritchie Blackmore's initial intention was to record the cover version of the song "Black Sheep of the Family" which was the in the heart of the quarrel with his bandmates from "Deep Purple", plus a new song called "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" to be used as a b-side. However, the results were so satisfying that Blackmore decided to expand the project to an entire album. The album opens with "The Man On The Silver Mountain" with Blackmore's immortal and memorable riff, which is hard not to compare to the one from "Smoke on The Water". The combination of Blackmore and Dio is just perfect. Blackmore's catchy riffs and melodic solos blend with Dio's endless vocal range and powerful vocals. True, it is difficult to ignore the minimal contribution of the rest of the band, especially if one compares the thin sound of the album to that which will come in the next album, so one can perhaps understand Blackmore's decision to fire all members of this band (minus Dio of course) immediately after the album was released, since he thought that they were not good enough to hold the material in live performances. The album features additional memorable pieces that have become an integral part of the band's repertoire throughout its history. The amazing ballad "Temple of the King" which describes a spiritual and mysterious journey to the king's temple, in search of answers. In 1975 Blackmore said the song was written after watching a program called "Yoga for Health" on television. The calmness of the yoga that Blackmore practiced at the time led him to write a quiet, calm, and melodic song that even then was clear to him that it would be difficult for the band to perform live due to its complexity. Blackmore plays on two classical guitars and in addition to an electric one. The song "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" whose lyrics were written by Dio following Blackmore's idea of ​​a castle where the Black Knight lives. The "Black Knight" is of course Ritchie and he comes out of his castle from time to time and captures a young peasant maiden from the nearby village. Blackmore seems to have lived up to this fantasy in his personal life when he co-founded "Blackmore's Night" with "Young Miss" Candice Night and began writing, playing, and recording medieval English folk music. It is interesting to note that the one who plays the cello in this track is Hugh McDowell who is known from the band "Electric Light Orchestra". The amazing piece "Catch the Rainbow" features a background vocalist named Shoshana Feinstein who was Ritchie Blackmore's girlfriend during the recording of the album. Shoshana also performs the background voice in the cover version of the song "Still I'm Sad" by "The Yardbirds" that seals the album. The cover version of the song "Black Sheep of the Family" which created the breakup from "Deep Purple" is among the least good tracks on the album, as is "If You Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll", which sounds very close to the musical direction of the "ELF". Despite the imbalance in the quality of the songs on the album, this is a very important album in the development of heavy metal, especially because this album has revealed to the world one of the great voices in metal. Immediately after the album's release, Blackmore will add new musicians to the band to match his musical vision, including the formidable drummer Cozy Powell, who will undoubtedly influence the band's sound and make it one of the most influential in the hard rock scene of the time. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

This mighty man is celebrating a birthday today and his name is Max Cavalera. (Photo: Metalheadzone.com) Max is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, among others in the following bands: "Soulfly", "Nailbomb", "Cavalera Conspiracy", and "Killer "Be Killed", but he is best known as one of the founders of the band "Sepultura". He was born on August 6, 1969, in Belo Horizonte Brazil as Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera. He founded "Sepultura" in Brazil with his younger brother, the drummer Igor Cavalera, in 1984. The event that influenced him to form the band was the death of his father who was an Italian diplomat, aged 41, while Max was only 9 years old. Following his father's death, the family's financial situation deteriorated and Max noted that it was at this point of pain and depression that the "metal" came in and helped him deal with the difficulties. He claims that if his father had not died he probably would not have become a musician. He is the one who gave the band the name "Sepultura" (Tomb in Portuguese), after translating the song "Dancing on Your Grave" by "Motörhead". He was a member of the band during its heyday until 1996, including four of its masterful albums: "Beneath the Remains" (1989), "Arise" (1991), "Chaos A.D." (1993), and "Roots"(1996). In the early 90s, he emigrated from Brazil to Phoenix Arizona in the US where he lives with his family to this day. He married the manager of the band, "Sepultura" Gloria Bujnowski. He has five children, three of whom are involved in music, the eldest Zyon Cavalera is the drummer of the band "Soulfly". By the way, Zion's heartbeat when he was still a fetus is heard in the opening of the song "Refuse / Resist" from Sepultura's "Chaos A.D." album. Max left "Sepultura" in 1996 after band members, including his brother, sought to fire his wife from the band's management staff. It happened right after the death of his stepdaughter from his wife Gloria in a car accident, and Max was very hurt by it and just left the band. A year later he already formed "Soulfly" with which he has released to date 12 studio albums. He founded "Cavalera Conspiracy" in 2006 after receiving a phone call from his brother Igor with whom he had not spoken for 10 years. Igor had just left "Sepultura", and he wanted to apologize to him and Gloria. Max invited him to be a guest on a "Soulfly" show. The reconnection between them created an appetite to go back and play together and thus "Cavalera Conspiracy" was born. Max is known as a guitarist who plays his guitar with only four strings. He simply removed the two high strings, (E and B), and played the guitar in this unique way. In 2004 he sang and played guitar on the song "Red War" from Dave Grohl's project "Probot". Max also starred in the movie "The Scorpion King" starring "The Rock". He provided the soundtrack with the roars of the Rock character in the film. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website