He was one of the lead writers of "Def Leppard". Thanks to his writing abilities he even earned the nickname "The Riffmaster" (Photo: Peter Still) Let's tell you 30 facts about the talented guitarist and songwriter Steve Clark, who will sadly always remain 30 years old: 1. He was born on April 23, 1960, as Stephen Maynard Clark, in Sheffield, England. 2. Already at a very young age he showed great interest in music. His parents took him to a Cliff Richard show when he was just 6 years old. 3. His father bought him his first guitar when he was 11, provided he learned to play the instrument seriously. 4. Steve did learn to play the classical guitar for a year before he discovered Jimmy Page and "Led Zeppelin" on a record he heard at a friend's house. 5. While in high school he played in a cover band called "Electric Chicken". 6. He met Def Leppard's founding guitarist Pete Willis in college. Pete saw Steve reading a book on guitars, asked him if he knew how to play, and invited him to audition for a band. Steve did not come. 7. The second time Willis and Clark met it was already at a "Judas Priest" performance. Singer Joe Elliott was also there and they both invited Clark to audition for the band again. This time Clark responded. 8. Elliott said that in the audition Clark played the entire "Lynyrd Skynyrd" song "Free Bird", from beginning to end, accurately and unaccompanied. That was enough for him to be accepted into the band and he became an official member of it in January 1978. (Photo: Lorelei Shellist Runway RunAway TV) 9. Willis and Elliott made a great deal accepting Clark to the band. Steve will become the band's lead writer who will be behind 90% of the band's work. 10. Not only that, but Clark will provide the band with some of the most beautiful riffs in "the new wave of British heavy metal,". that has earned him, and rightly so, the nickname "The Riffmaster". 11. And if that's not enough, then he also shared the solos in all of the band's songs with guitarist Pete Willis, sang background vocals, and provided vocal harmonies to Joe Elliott. 12. In November 1978 the band went on to record their first EP which was released in January 1979, and was called The "Def Leppard E.P." Clark co-wrote all the songs and was responsible for playing the solos in the vast majority of the mini-album songs. 13. The interest of the radio stations in the group of young musicians that brings new and fresh heavy metal to the local scene soon led to the band signing a recording contract with "Phonogram". 14. The band's debut album was released in March 1980 and received rave reviews. Clark co-wrote 10 of the 11 songs on the album and was also responsible for playing most of the solos on the album, including the two singles "Hello America" and "Wasted". 15. The story was repeated on the band's second excellent album - "High 'n' Dry", which was released in July 1981. Clark co-wrote 8 of the album's 10 songs and played the solos in the vast majority of the songs, including the singles "Let It Go" and "Bringin 'On the Heartbreak". 16. Towards the end of the recordings of the third album "Pyromania", guitarist Pete Willis was asked to leave the band in the face of his drinking problems, and guitarist Phil Collen was recruited in his place. 17. Clark and Collen soon became good friends and together designed "Def Leppard's" famous guitar duet sound, while being nicknamed "Terror Twins". 18. What made Leppard's sound so special was the combination of Clark and Collen and their ability to switch between rhythm playing roles, cross solos, or play together in perfect harmony. 19. The fact that the two came from different musical backgrounds actually contributed to the uniqueness of the band. Clark brought with him the classical side that had been inherent in him since childhood, the ability to read notes and understand the structure and theory of music, while Collen brought with him a free playing style that stemmed from the fact that he had taught himself to play. Clark brought with him the rock of "Led Zeppelin" and Collen brought with him the jazz of Al Dimeola, to create the perfect combination. 20. The band's big break came of course with the third album "Pyromania" released in 1983. Here too Clark co-wrote the vast majority of this amazing album song and played a significant portion of the solos. In addition, Clark was also the one who played the acoustic guitars in the songs "Foolin'" and "Die Hard the Hunter ". 21. Clark continued to lead the writing and playing in the band also on the next album "Hysteria" which was released in 1987 and became the band's most successful album. 22. Clark has always had drinking problems he could not overcome. However, these problems worsened precisely after the release of the band's most successful album. Clark sank into the alcohol, until his friends convinced him to go into rehab. 23. Clark agreed and began the rehab process, but despite his efforts, he was unable to arrange himself. He lost his confidence and went deeper into the alcohol problems. 24. On 8 January 1991 he was found lying on the sofa lifeless in his London apartment. High levels of alcohol and painkillers were found in his blood. 25. Before his death, Clark had co-written 6 of the 10 songs on the album "Adrenalize", which was released about a year after his death in March 1992. 26. "Tesla" who warmed up "Def Leppard" on the tour of the album "Pyromania" dedicated the song "Song & Emotion" from their album "Psychotic Supper" To: "Our Friend, Steve 'Steamin' Clark". 27. Clark was more identified with Gibson guitars, but there were times when he played other guitars as well, like in the song "Love Bites" where he played the Fender Stratocaster guitar. 29. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after his death, along with "Def Leppard" members, in 2019. 30. Clark is ranked 11th out of 100 on Classic Rock magazine's guitar heroes list. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time, "Damnation" - "Opeth's" seventh studio album, released on April 22, 2003. "Opeth" is a Swedish band formed in Stockholm in 1995. The band started as a death metal band with black metal influences, but over the years "Opeth" was influenced by progressive rock and began mixing different genres such as progressive metal, death metal, and classic progressive rock, while combining growling and distortions on the one hand, and acoustic guitar sounds, mellotron and Clean singing on the other. The band's move towards progressive rock began to gain momentum with the album "Still Life", released by the band in 1999 and strengthened with the album which is perhaps the most complete work of the band "Blackwater Park", which also began the fruitful collaboration between "Opeth" and Steven Wilson known to us from Porcupine Tree, From the collaboration with Aviv Geffen at "Blackfield" and more. Wilson produced the album, playing guitar, piano, and mellotron and singing Clean in four of the album's songs. Wilson also wrote the lyrics to the song "Death Whispered a Lullaby". The collaboration with Wilson led "Opeth" to go even further in the progressive direction. After the release of the album "Blackwater Park," the band announced that their next album was going to be special. It will be a double album, half of which will be their heaviest while the other will be more quiet, soft, and melodic. Although the whole project was recorded as one piece in 2002, the record company decided to split the project into two different albums. The band's heaviest - "Deliverance" was released in 2002, while its quietest album - "Damnation", was released in 2003, featuring a major turnaround and musical changes. It's a magical, quiet, and soft album, full of pianos, acoustic guitars, and electrifying and melting solos. A fusion of deep emotions translated into words and music, every one of which simply penetrates the heart and soul. The influence of the legendary Steven Wilson is well felt here, both in style and production. This is the band's first album that does not include growling songs. All the vocals here are Clean with lots of depth and emotion, which was influenced by the death of the grandmother of guitarist and lead writer Mikael Åkerfeldt, in a car accident, while working on the album. There is not a single metallic sound on this album and it is very much influenced by classic progressive rock, with amazing mellotron sounds that throw us 50 years back to the days of King Crimson's debut album. Although the album marked a fundamental change in the band's sound, it was appreciated and praised by the band's fans and various critics, while leaping the band's popularity forward. It is interesting to note that the band accompanied the creative process of the two albums in a documentary that manages to get us into the studio and teach us about the difficulties, dilemmas, and considerations behind the writing and recording of both albums. We have prepared a playlist of the six parts of the documentary in the link: Here. For Listening to the album click: Spotify, Apple Music. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He has collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as George Harrison, David Bowie, Steve Miller, "The Bee Gees" and even Mike McCready and Matt Cameron from "Pearl Jam". He is a very talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist and his name is Peter Frampton. (Photo: Jango.com) So let's tell you a few facts about the man who is so attached to a guitar that he can make it talk: 1. He was born on April 22, 1950, in Beckenham, Kent, England, named Peter Kenneth Frampton. 2. The first instrument he played was the Banjolele. What is it you ask? It's a combination of banjo and ukulele he found in his grandmother's attic. He simply taught himself to play it from the age of seven. 3. Frampton attended the same school as David Bowie. They remained good friends until the day Bowie died. Frampton even played on Bowie's 1987 album - "Never Let Me Down" and accompanied him on a tour to promote him. 4. Peter Frampton's father was Bowie's art teacher at the school. 5. Frampton taught himself to play the guitar so fast that at the age of 12, he formed his first band - "The Little Ravens". 6. At the age of 14 he moved to a more professional band - "The Preachers", which was directed and produced by Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. 7. When he was just 18 he joined Steve Marriott from the band Small Faces and the two formed the band Humble Pie. (Photo: Cleopatra) 8. While he was with Humble Pie, Frampton served as a sought-after session player for top artists such as Donovan, Harry Nilsson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carly Simon, Tim Hardin, and John Entwistle, and more. 9. In 1970 he played acoustic guitar on George Harrison's masterpiece "All Things Must Pass". 10. After 4 studio albums and one live album with Humble Pie Frampton started a solo career. 11. His debut album "Wind of Change" from 1972 featured Klaus Voorman, Ringo Starr, and Billy Preston. 12. Frampton continued to provide his guitar skills to other artists in parallel with his solo career. For example, in 1974 he starred in Tony Ashton's and "Deep Purple" keyboardist Jon Lord's album "First of the Big Bands", and on Ringo Starr's fifth studio album "Ringo's Rotogravure" in 1976. 13. Frampton was great on stage, his shows sold out, but his albums didn't sell that well. This led him to a decision to release a double live album after his fourth studio album, in which he tried to convey the "electricity" that was in the air during his performances. 14. This double live album - "Frampton Comes Alive!" was released in 1976 and became one of the best-selling live albums of all time with sales of 16 million copies. 15. This album stayed on the US charts for 10 consecutive weeks and became the best-selling album in 1976, surpassing even "Fleetwood Mac's" album - the band's first and most successful album with Stevie Knicks and Lindsay Buckingham. 16. Frampton's performance of songs like "Show Me the Way," "Baby, I Love Your Way," and "Do You Feel Like We Do," surpassed studio versions and became the milestones of Classic Rock. 17. Frampton is perhaps not the first to use the TalkBox effect, but he is certainly one of those most identified with it. Listen to the performance of "Show Me the Way" for example, and you will understand what we are talking about. Frampton made the guitar "speak" so beautifully that a few years later the talkbox effect would adorn songs like "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" by "Pink Floyd", "Livin 'on a Prayer" and "It's My Life" by "Bon Jovi" and more. . 18. In 1978 he appeared with "The Bee Gees" in the movie "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". 19. That same year he played guitar on the theme song from the movie and soundtrack "Grease", a song that Barry Gibb is known to have written. 20. As early as 1978, Frampton was nearly killed in a serious car accident while on a trip to the Bahamas. He suffered a concussion and muscle damage. This serious accident also affected his musical career which was at its peak at the time. 21. Despite this, he continued to release solo albums and collaborate with other artists, including on albums and performances of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings and Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. 22. In 1985 he participated in songwriting and played on the "Stand Up" album of guitarist Steve Morse. 23. In 1990 he played solo on the song "Straight Line" from the album "Live It Up" by "Crosby, Stills & Nash". 24. In 2000, Frampton served as Technical Advisor for guitars in Cameron Crowe's cult film "Almost Famous", and even appeared in it as the manager of "Humble Pie's" tour. 25. In 2006, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron of "Pearl Jam" participated in his instrumental album "Fingerprints". 26. In 2016 he was diagnosed with a rare muscle disease. Following this, he announced his last tour in 2017. Despite the statement that this is his last tour, he went on tour in 2018 with Steve Miller on the occasion of the band's 50th anniversary. 27. In 2017, Frampton participated in Ringo Starr's 19th studio album "Give More Love". 28. Although born and raised in England, immediately after the events of 9/11 he applied for American citizenship. 29. Frampton released 18 studio albums in his solo career. 30. In 2016 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And now to complete the acquaintance with the talented guitarist, go to the attached link and listen to a compilation album from his solo career: Here. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

The 8th album by the wonderful band "Incubus" is called "8" and was issued on the 21st of April 2017. This is a founding album, an excellent album, an album that is an official stamp! Already in 2015 the band started writing materials for the album, they intended to release two EPs called "Trust Fall", part one and part two, but the inspiration that fell on them and the spirit of creation led them to write lots of songs. So while recording throughout 2016 they decided to release a full album and not just two EPs. We were not kidding when we said it was a founding album, we know you are used to reading such sentences about historical classics but "Incubus" got a gold stamp with this album, just like the album cover showing the band name and the album number in gold on a black/gray plate (we know another band that has the same cover). The cover reminds us of the markings that are around the world which indicates the place of residence or special events of music & movie artists. If you go back even a little bit, three or four albums back, you will realize how much talent is embedded in this amazing band. We may repeat ourselves sometimes (and only sometimes so chill) but "Incubus" is a classic example of how a band changes its aggregation state according to its mood, inspiration, and direction they want to take, but still maintains its DNA !! It does not change the chromosomes, does not change the structure but changes the shape, color, and sound. Three albums back "A Crow Left of the Murder" - A rough, kicking, strong and aggressive album. Two albums back, "Light Grenades" - A fun, varied, bouncy album, a complete delight. One album back "If Not Now, When?" - An exciting, sweeping, delightful album of a pleasant and soft cruise. Then comes "8" !!! Rough, eclectic, stabbing, stroking, and shaking, literally an engine for generating electrical energies. A short trip and we did not go much back, because there are more surprises if you want to go further back in the band's album history. But it is enough to prove the claim that this band is something huge but quiet, something strong but caressing and this album puts its stamp on its ability and talent. Absolute creative freedom is felt here on the album, the band members took their talent and inspiration in different directions and took out everything they had in their minds and soul. We guess the band's fans will fall in love with this album just like us, from the first song. The album opens with "No Fun" straight with a scream and rough guitar by Mike Einziger , who despite his name is an absolutely fun song. A sound we have not heard before from "Incubus" and it excites us with what is coming on this album. The second song is a ticking time bomb "Nimble Bastard", the first single from the album was meant to blow up buildings and cars on the street, so when you play the song in your car close the windows so as not to do any damage. Two very notable elements on this album are the rough and electronic distortion of Mike's guitar and the voice of Brandon Boyd that sounds like he's singing into a 1940s microphone that was made of a wooden box and a metal tube. Moving on to the third song, for a slight thrill with "State Of The Art" try not to fall apart to pieces because Boyd urges you to look at yourself as if you are the most beautiful person in the world. Moving on to another bomb, this time it's a smart bomd and not ticking, "Glitterbomb", starts with a slight penetration into the veins to reach the main artery, it will work, you can't resist, what a beauty of a chorus, shout, it's okay we know it's what you'll do. Now you can relax a bit with "Undefeated", the beauty of moving singers is that no matter how many times you listen to their songs, each time again they will manage to surprise you and excite you. Boyd does such a lovely and exciting job here with the contrast of the guitar's grove in the background. "We are undefeated, beaned but not broken, I'm not dead yet" Now let's move on to "Loneliest" another delightful thing that sounds like it came from the previous album but along the way went through some cables, electronic devices, mixers, and a variety of electrical appliances that give it an electromagnetic shape. We recommend hearing this one in high volume if you have good speakers or good headphones, turn on the subwoofer as well and feel the electronic metallicity. The next track is simply a track of a band that does what it pleases, period, a fun break. Moving on to "Familiar Faces", the band's all-too-familiar melodic style, some happiness, just a fun song. The fax sound that opens "Love In A Time Of Surveillance" is a classic opening to a song that talks about the big brother that follows us today, what a beauty of a heavy, slow and disruptive structure with the pounding drums and the electrified guitar. The next section is a rainbow hike, a sweeping cruise of talking sounds, and a magical atmosphere that requires full listening to all the sounds in the background. An instrumental piece that seems to have been taken from the 60s by a bunch of happy and high LSD musicians. The song that closes the album "Throw Out the Map" opens with a scene that seems to have been taken from a horror movie and is accompanied by a climax of guitars and drums breaking after a few sections for a light ride of drums. Although we are in love with this album, the ending song is a bit weak, a bit scattered, and a bit incomplete but it is at the end so we can take it. In terms of lyrics, this album is a masterpiece, the combination of the lyrics and the sound of the guitars and drums is no less than perfect (you might say we exaggerating but it does not really bother us), they work amazingly together and in perfect sync. The way Boyd comes in is sometimes skipping, sometimes drifting, and generally floating with the rest of the band members playing is just surreal. (Photo: Incubus) The album was originally produced by Dave Sardy, but in the end things changed... The band members who really liked Soony Moore who is known as the famous Dubstep artist "Skrillex", asked him to produce the song "Familiar Faces". They were so excited about his talent and what came out of the song that they decided to entrust him with the whole album and asked him to reproduce it all. Listen to the album at full volume on Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On April 21, 1986, "Accept" released their seventh studio album "Russian Roulette". It is the last album with Udo Dirkschneider  as lead vocalist until the 1993 reunion album "Objection Overruled". Coming after "Metal Heart" , "Russian Roulette" feels less like an attempt to push further outward and more like a conscious return to weight, tension, and identity. Where its predecessor leaned into a brighter, more polished sound, this album deliberately pulls "Accept" back toward something heavier and more natural. The band themselves were clearly dissatisfied with the cleaner direction of " Metal Heart ", and that tension feeds directly into the darker tone that defines this record. That shift is reinforced by the decision to step away from Dieter Dierks and take control of the production. Although recorded at Dierks Studios in Stommeln, the album was self-produced by the band rather than handed back to Dieter Dierks, and that choice matters. The sound is tighter, drier, and more focused on impact. Wolf Hoffmann’s said that the band was trying to go back to their natural and not polished "Accept" sound, since they weren't happy with the polished and clean-sound of "Metal Heart" . That approach is obvious from "T.V. War" , which opens the album with a driving, militaristic speed metal pulse and establishes the sense of pressure that hangs over the whole record. "Monsterman"  pushes further into that direction, relying on repetition and weight rather than speed, while the title track "Russian Roulette"  slows the pace and deepens the atmosphere. The song captures the album’s central idea, treating war not as spectacle but as something arbitrary and destructive, a dangerous game where the outcome is always fatal. The first side continues with "It's Hard to Find a Way" , which introduces a more soft and melodic side of the band, without losing the underlying heaviness. "Aiming High"  brings back momentum with a tighter, more forward-driving structure that keeps the album from settling too deeply into its darker mood. The second half of the album opens with the seven-minute "Heaven Is Hell" , one of the most dynamic and intense tracks on the record, built around a developing structure that maintains the dark tension running throughout the album. It is followed by "Another Second to Be" , which shifts things into a galloping rhythm and returns to a more compact and aggressive format, while "Walking in the Shadow"  continues with a more rolling groove and a less rigid feel than the rest of the album, echoing somewhat the spirit of the " Balls to the Wall "  era. With "Man Enough to Cry" , the album is slowing down to reveal a different emotional layer. The style, the sound and the guitar work feels like Ritche Blackmore 's "Rainbow", and with that the song adds contrast without breaking the record’s cohesion, showing that the band’s control extends beyond aggression into restraint. The closing track "Stand Tight"  brings the album to an end without unnecessary drama. After the heaviness and darkness, "Accept" choose to finish on a more optimistic note, with a catchy, stadium-ready chorus built around the mantra “We All Stand Together.” The remastered CD version also adds extra material, featuring live recordings of "Metal Heart" and "Screaming for a Love-Bite", which were originally released on the " Kaizoku-Ban " EP. The album’s title and cover both reflect its strong anti-war perspective, portraying war as a reckless and senseless gamble, much like a game of Russian roulette where the outcome is inevitably fatal. Positioned after "Metal Heart" , "Russian Roulette" does not try to compete on accessibility. Instead, it reasserts what "Accept" are at their core, heavier, more deliberate, and more disciplined. It stands as a reaffirmation rather than a reinvention, capturing the band at a moment where clarity of identity mattered more than expansion. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about the musician, singer, producer, and actor Iggy Pop. (Photo: Olaf Heine) Why did he get the nickname Iggy? What genre of music has he influenced so much that he is considered its godfather? What big band invited him to be their singer after their charismatic lead singer passed away? With which Israeli artist did he collaborate? Stay with us and find out: 1. He was born on April 21, 1947, in Maskigan, Michigan, United States. His name at birth was James Newell Osterberg Jr. 2. He began his musical career as a drummer back in high school. One of the first bands he played was called "The Iguanas". (Photo: Don Swickerath) 3. When he moved to the band "The Prime Movers" the band members nicknamed him "Iggy", because he came from the band "The Iguanas". 4. Another nickname given to him by his bandmates was "Stooge" and so the idea for his next band "The Stooges". 5. The band was formed by Iggy in 1967 and their first album "The Stooges" was released in 1969. 6. Iggy was the one who taught the band's drummer - Scott Asheton to play drums, he also gave him his drum set, on which he learned to play. 7. The bold, kicking, and rude sound of the debut album made Iggy and his friends the bad kids of rock. It is considered the album that invented the punk genre, even though it was released years before the punk revolution even broke out. 8. The band's next albums "Fun House" from 1970 and " Raw Power " from 1973, continued in the same direction and have already earned Iggy the nickname "Godfather of Punk". 9. " Raw Power " was produced by none other than David Bowie whom Iggy first met in 1971. Bowie will also produce Iggy's excellent solo albums " The Idiot ", "Lust for Life" and "Blah-Blah-Blah ". 10. Raw Power " influenced many artists including the Sex Pistols, the Smiths, and Nirvana. 11. The collaboration between Bowie and Iggy will result in, among other things, the co-writing of the songs "China Girl", "Tonight" and "Sister Midnight", which Bowie will later record for his albums as well. 12. Bowie decided to record the song "China Girl" for his " Let's Dance " album to help Iggy who was in a difficult financial situation at the time. This way he was able to help Iggy indirectly, since Iggy receive royalties from the sales of the song. 13. After Jim Morrison 's death, Iggy received an invitation from "The Doors" to join the band as their lead singer. His charismatic figure and prominent stage presence reminded the band members of Morrison. Iggy of course refused. 14. Speaking of stage presence, Iggy was the first to perform the Stage Dive trick so he got the nickname "godfather of the stage dive". It happened in the early days of "The Stooges" in Detroit. 15. Another stage prank that Iggy performs during the shows, is to cut himself to bloodshed. This prank accidentally started at one of the shows when he fell on a glass and was cut. The audience was hysterical about the blood flowing from his body and Iggy decided to repeat the prank on subsequent shows. 16. Beyond being a drummer, Iggy also plays piano and guitar, which he plays left-handed. 17. In 1988, Iggy Pop first appeared in Israel at the "Cinema Hall" in Tel Aviv. (Photo: Yves Lorson) 18. In 1989 he was featured on the song "New York City" from The Cult's " Sonic Temple " album. 19. In 1992 he participated in the song "Daw Da Hiya" by Ofra Haza, from her international album "Kirya". 20. In 2003 he returned to collaborate with members of "The Stooges" on gigs and in 2007 even released the album "The Weirdness" which heralded the comeback of the band after 33 years. 21. As part of the tour to promote the album, Iggy performed with the band in Israel on July 7, 2007. 22. The band will release their fifth album "Ready to Die" in 2013. Iggy still considers the band's comeback period to be the best of "The Stooges". 23. In 2010 he was featured on the song "We're All Gonna Die" from Slash 's debut album. 24. The IMDB database recorded 59 appearances of Iggy as an actor, including the character of "Yelgrun" in the episode "The Magnificent Ferengi" of the series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine". 25. He recorded the album "Post Pop Depression" in 2016 together with Josh Homme from the band "Queens of the Stone Age". The drummer on the same album is Matt Helders from the "Arctic Monkeys". 26. He has released to date 19 studio albums in his solo career and 5 more albums along with "The Stooges". 27. His album The Idiot is considered to be one of the influences on post-punk, industrial, and electronic artists, such as "Depeche Mode", "Nine Inch Nails" and "Joy Division". 28. He has a large variety of collaborations with various artists including: "White Zombie", "Death in Vegas", Joe Jackson, Cat Power, Kesha, Kylie Minogue, and more. 29. In 2010 he was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" as part of "The Stooges". 30. In 2020 he received the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... And this time, on the day when the world's top artists pay tribute to one of the great singers in the history of music. On April 20, 1992, a tribute concert was held in memory of Freddie Mercury and to raise awareness for AIDS - "The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness". The show was held at Wembley Stadium in front of 72,000 spectators and was broadcast live to 76 countries, including Israel. It is estimated that over a billion viewers watched the concert live !!! This is an insane number!!! About one-fifth of the world's population watched this show live! Judging by the number of viewers alone, Freddie is without a doubt the greatest singer in the world, period! If "50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong" was said about Elvis, then now multiply that by 20 and you've got your answer about the greatest singer in the world, especially when there were no streaming broadcasts back then !!!! This show marks the last time bassist John Deacon will appear on stage as a full member of "Queen". The list of artists who came to pay tribute to Freddie Mercury was amazing. The top of the music world in those years. "Metallica", "Extreme", "Def Leppard", "Guns N' Roses", "U2", Elton John , David Bowie , Robert Plant , Roger Daltrey , Tony Iommi , George Michael, Seal, Annie Lennox, Paul Young, Bob Geldof, and more and more ... The tribute show was decided by members of "Queen" on the day of Freddie's death. It was clear to them that this was the most beautiful way to say goodbye to him. Brian May noted that the band had a very difficult time both preparing for the show and organizing all the artists at the same time. There were many more artists left outside and yet the show lasted over three hours. "Queen" members tried to select the artists who eventually appeared based on relevance and friendships with Freddie and the band. This show had very interesting collaborations between the various artists who came to pay homage to Freddie. For example, members of "Queen" along with singer Joe Elliott and Slash , performed the song "Tie Your Mother Down". Guitarist Tony Iommi accompanied singer Gary Cherone on "Hammer to Fall", James Hetfield on "Stone Cold Crazy" and Elton John on "The Show Must Go On" and more. It is interesting to note that "Queen's" friends made counter gestures to the artists who played with them. For example, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Tony Iommi performed the song "I Want It All" with "Queen", after an intro that included "Black Sabbath's" "Heaven and Hell" and "The Who's" "Pinball Wizard". Similarly, Robert Plant who performed with "Queen" two songs" "Innuendo" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" enjoys a short tribute with excerpts from "Kashmir" and "Thank You". Two interesting facts about the show. 1. "Scorpions" band members Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine were on the set. Rumor has it that they were brought as a backup in case "Guns N' Roses" will not show up. The fear was of an incident between Axl Rose and "Queen" fans because Axl Rose was known as a homophobe. Things have support in interviews with Slash who noted that the decision to perform was made at the last minute. "Scorpions" members are seen in the final track performs - "We Are The Champions" and this is a confirmation of the rumors. 2. A second fact is also related to the attitude of Axl Rose . He had a duet with Elton John on the song " Bohemian Rhapsody ". Elton came to his room behind the scenes a few hours before the show to ask him to rehearse. Whoever opened the door was his bodyguard who said Axl was asleep. Elton told the guard he understood but there was a performance in just a few more hours and the bodyguard just closed the door in his face. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Well, if there's one drummer we admire among all the legends still walking among us, it's probably Mike Portnoy, and we are excited to tell you some interesting facts about him: (Photo: Tama.com) 1. He was born into a Jewish family on April 20, 1967, as Michael Stephen Portnoy and grew up in Long Island, Long Beach, New York. 2. Mike later moved with his father to the city of Carmel, California, following a job offer he received from the KRML radio station. 3. Portnoy's Father - Howard Portnoy was a DJ on a local radio station, so Portnoy was exposed to a great deal of music from his father's record collection, from an early age. 4. Among the bands he was influenced as a child were, "The Beatles", "Rush", "Led Zeppelin", "The Who", "Queen", "Iron Maiden" and more. Portnoy was also influenced much by Frank Zappa . 5. Portnoy's mother died in a plane crash in 1984. Portnoy wrote the masterpiece "A Change of Seasons" about her. 6. Although he took several theory lessons during his high school years, Portnoy actually taught himself to play the drums, through many hours of listening to and imitating the drummers he admired as a child, especially Neil Peart, the Rush drummer. In fact, Portnoy has repeatedly stated that Neil Peart was God for him. 7. During high school he started playing with local bands with some of them he even recorded albums. 8. For example, with a power metal band called "Rising Power", Mike recorded the album "Power for the People" in 1984. You can listen to the rare album here : 9. In 1986 he recorded with the band "S. A. Adams" the album "Unearthed", which a few years ago was even uploaded to Spotify, here : 10. He was also part of the thrash metal band "Inner Sanctum" with whom he released in 1986 the album "12 A.M.". You can also listen to this rare album here : 11. He left "Inner Sanctum" after winning a scholarship to study music at Berkeley, where he met guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung . 12. Shortly afterward the three formed the band "Majesty" and left college to pursue a musical career. They used to play covers of bands like "Rush" and "Iron Maiden". (Photo: Ethan Miller) 13. To complete the lineup, Portnoy contacted his friend from high school, Kevin Moore, to play the keyboards. They recruited singer Chris Collins to the band after hearing him perform the song "Queen of the Reich" by the band "Queensrÿche". 14. The name Majesty was chosen by Portnoy for the band, under the influence of the song "Bastille Day" from the album " Caress Of Steel " by "Rush", the ending of which sounds to Portnoy Majestic !! 15. Under the name Majesty they recorded in the years 1986-1985 a demo album that originally included six songs, on Portnoy's 4-channel tape - the album is called "The Majesty Demos". 16. These demos were later released as a bootleg with bonus clips from other recordings called "The Berklee Demos" and included, among other things, a cover version of Rush's instrumental track "YYZ", in which Mike also plays keyboards. Those who are interested in listening to demos, can do so here : November 17, 1986, Singer Chris Collins was fired from the band. After a frantic search, singer Charlie Dominici was selected to join the band. 18. Following a threat from a band from Las Vegas also called "Majesty", Portnoy and his friends changed the band's name to "Dream Theater". (Photo: Rockpages.gr) 19. The one who suggested the name of the band was Portnoy's father. "Dream Theater" was the name of a real movie theater where Portnoy used to watch cult movies as a child. 20. Along with Charlie and the confidence he brought with him, the band began to perform intensely and at the same time writing material for their first album. 21. The exposure brought with them by the intense performances bore fruit when on June 23, 1988, the band signed a record contract with a subsidiary of RCA. 22. The band released their first album "When Dream and Day Unite" in March 1989 and already on this album Portnoy was writing the music as well as some of the lyrics. 23. Following the release of the album "Dream Theater" made a limited number of performances during which they warmed up the Canadian trio "Zebra". After only 4 performances, the band decided to fire singer Charlie Dominici. They felt he was not delivering the goods and were looking for a singer whose voice resembles Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden or Geoff Tate from "Queensrÿche". 24. The search for a singer took a long time but finally came to an end in January 1991, after the band received a demo tape of James LaBrie , who was immediately invited to audition and was accepted into the band. 25. The band's big break came with the album " Images and Words " which was released in July 1992. In this album, Portnoy will start using triggers that trigger samples, expand his drum set with the addition of percussion, and also direct background vocals in the "hit" from the album "Pull Me Under ". 26. He wrote the song "The Mirror" from the 1994 album "Awake" about his alcohol addiction. He will return to this subject in a sequence of songs scattered across the band's next albums, starting with the album " Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence ". The sequence of songs was nicknamed the "Twelve-step Suite". 27. In 1996, Portnoy participated in six songs from the tribute album "Working Man - A Tribute to Rush". 28. While working on the 1997 album "Falling into Infinity", arguments arose between Portnoy and Petrucci who responded to the record company's pressure to work on more commercial and accessible material. The result was that all the lyrics of the songs that Portnoy wrote for the album dealt with his frustration and protest against the record company. 29. In 1997, Portnoy and Petrucci set up the side project "Liquid Tension Experiment", along with legendary bassist Tony Levin and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. With the band, Portnoy will release Three studio albums in 1998, 1999, and 2021, as well as another studio album without John Petrucci under the name "Liquid Trio Experiment" in 2006. 30. Portnoy and Petrucci's work with keyboardist Jordan Rhodes will lead them to replace keyboardist Derek Sherinian, before they started working on the band's masterpiece album " Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory " from 1999. Beyond the substantial partnership in writing, playing On drums and percussion, and background vocals, Portnoy will be co-producing the album this time as well. 31. In 1999, Portnoy, along with Neal Morse of "Spock's Bird", Pete Trewavas of "Marillion" and Roine Stolt of "Flower Kings", formed the "Transatlantic" supergroup. Together with the supergroup, Portnoy will release 5 studio albums and a variety of performances, starting in 2000, when the latest album "The Absolute Universe" released in 2021. 32. As part of the 2002 album " Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence ", Portnoy began to take the lead in singing some of the songs, along with James LaBrie , such as "The Glass Prison" and "War Inside My Head". The album also features Portnoy's father playing the gong. 33. This album was the first to begin that will continue in subsequent albums, to start the album with sounds that ended the previous album. This tradition was Portnoy's idea. He conceived it after hearing the end of Van Halen's "Women and Children First" album. 34. In The song "Honor Thy Father" from the album "Train of Thought" from 2003 Portnoy wrote about his stepfather. Portnoy also shot a documentary that accompanies the album's writing process called "Making Train of Thought". Portnoy will also be responsible for filming the band at various locations in the coming years which he will release through a production company as a side project. 35. In the same year, Portnoy will participate in the debut album "Office of Strategic Influence", by the progressive band OSI. Portnoy will continue to collaborate with the band on their second album from 2006. 36. In 2003, Portnoy will begin a long-standing partnership in various projects with multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse, a member of the "Transatlantic" supergroup. It will start with the solo album "Testimony", and will continue with various Morse solo ensembles. 37. During 2005 and in parallel with the release of Dream's eighth album - " Octavarium ", Portnoy took part in the G3 guitar performances with which he recorded part of the "G3: Live in Tokyo live" album. 38. That same year he joined the Beatles' tribute band - "Yellow Matter Custard" which also includes Neal Morse, Matt Bissonette and Paul Gilbert , and released the album "One Night in New York City". 39. Portnoy played with other cover bands such as "Hammer of the Gods" - the tribute band to Led Zeppelin with whom he released in 2006 the album "Two Nights in North America" ​​and the tribute band "Cygnus and the Sea Monsters" to the band Rush, with whom he released the album "One Night in Chicago". Guitarist Paul Gilbert, known from "Mr. Big" is a partner in these two ensembles. 40. Another cover composition in which Portnoy took part in parallel with the album " Systematic Chaos " released by Dream Theater in 2007, was Amazing Journey which played cover versions of songs by The Who. Portnoy released with them the album "One Night in New York City" and here too guitarist Paul Gilbert will play with them. 41. Portnoy's latest album with "Dream Theater" was "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" from 2009. During the tour that accompanied the album, we were privileged to see him here in Israel with the band. 42. After the tour, Portnoy asked his friends to take a break from the intense work with the band. He felt that the circle of the album, tour, album, and repeat God forbid played it and wanted to devote himself to other and less intense music pursuits. 43. At that time he was invited to join as a replacement for drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan of the band "Avenged Sevenfold", who passed away in December 2009. Portnoy even recorded the album " Nightmare " which was released in 2010 and went on tour with "Avenged Sevenfold" to promote the album. 44. During this time Portnoy announced that after 25 years with the band he was leaving Dream Theater. 45. After four months of intense searching in which the band conducted a series of auditions for drums, drummer Mike Mangini was chosen. 46. ​​When Mike Portnoy ended his affair with "A7X" he asked to return to Dream Theater but by then it was already too late. Dream Theater's attorneys have announced that they are already binned to the new drummer and the request of Portnoy was denied. On October 2023 the band announce his return to the classic "Dream Theater" line-up. 47. Portnoy is involved in huge projects and bands like: "Flying Colors", "The Winery Dogs", "Metal Allegiance", "Shattered Fortress", "BPMD", and "Adrenaline Mob", "PSMS", "Sons Of Apollo" and more. 48. In addition, Portnoy collaborated with a lot of artists and among others replaced AJ Pero - drummer of "Twisted Sister" after he passed away, played on albums by Paul Gilbert, Bigelf, and more. 49. During a performance with "Dream Theater" in Munich in 1997, he severely dislocated his wrist. It was during the last song of the set and Mike suffered from severe pain, but thought that if Rick Allen from Def Leppard could do it then so could he, and continued to play with one hand until the end of the song without missing a note at the complex drumming sections. 50. He is an avid collector of rare items and the memorabilia of "Dream Theater", and holds the band's rarest items. 51. He has released a series of videos in which he explains and demonstrates his drumming technique from different angles. 52. Mike's son - Max, followed. He is the drummer of the band Next to None, which warmed up his father in performances of "Adrenaline Mob" and now he plays in the band "Tallah". 53. Portnoy has won countless awards during his career. We are not able to list them all, but it should be noted that among the awards, he was chosen best drummer 11 times in a row by "Modern Drummer" magazine. 54. Portnoy is a rare talent who can play any song you ask for even on a "Hello Kitty" drum set. In 2023, it was officially announced that Mike Portnoy was returning to "Dream Theater", 13 years after his departure in 2010, a move that surprised and excited fans around the world. With his return, the band announced a new world tour, marking a comeback to the big stages with the classic lineup for the first time since 2010. The tour also marked Portnoy’s return to the dominant stage presence that defined him over the years, with increased involvement in directing the live show and engaging with the audience. Alongside the tour, he began working with the band on a new studio album, his first with "Dream Theater" since "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" in 2009. As part of the work on the album "Parasomnia", released in 2025, he resumed an active role in the creative process, including writing, arranging, and shaping the overall musical direction. His influence was also evident in the musical approach, with a return to more complex progressive elements and dramatic structures associated with the band’s peak era. Portnoy’s return marked a significant full-circle moment in his career, restoring to "Dream Theater" one of the key creative forces that shaped its identity over the years. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... We do not write much about video performances, but this one makes us nostalgic. On April 19, 1985, the videotape "Kiss: Animalize Live Uncensored" was released. To tell the truth, while we purchased the tape in the mid-1980s the show simply mentioned: "Kiss: Animalize Live", without the word "Uncensored" added to it over time, probably due to pressure from censorship organizations. Why do you even need censorship for a rock band videotape? Ahhh ... because someone up there thought the street language of the band members, especially Paul Stanley's and his visual descriptions, was corrupting American youth. So if you want to understand what requires censorship of a rock show, feel free to watch the show starting at 1:03:30 to understand what all the "fuss" is all about. But enough about censorship, and let's address the music itself. This special show was held at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan on December 8, 1984, during a world tour to promote the album "Animalize". And why is this show so special to us? First, the show features one of the most diverse sets the band has played to date, which included the band's greatest songs from 7 different albums. A kind of "greatest hits" live. Second, this show is full of exploding energy. Well, that's not strange to "Kiss", but we think it's very noticeable here. Paul Stanley , Gene Simmons , Bob, and Eric are all at their peak, they are crazy, they love what they do, they enjoy it and you can see it well. Third, the show was filmed the same day that guitarist Bruce Kulick was announced as an official member of the band, replacing Mark St. John who was in the band for only 7 months (from April to November 1984), and managed to make only 2 appearances with "Kiss" before he had to retire due to the arthritis from which he suffered. Fourth, for us, it was the first opportunity to watch the band's performance without makeup, as this is the band's first official video from the unmasked period. And fifth, Eric Carr !!! It was the first time we saw him in a live official recording and we just fell in love with this all-too-talented drummer, who sadly passed away just a few years later, the same day Freddie Mercury passed away. It is interesting to note that this show was filmed for MTV and was also broadcast live on several US radio stations. Now go and watch it... "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Except Ozzy Osbourne , he Is the singer who has the largest number of albums with "Black Sabbath" - a total of five studio albums. He has a powerful and amazing voice, and no, this is not Ronnie James Dio . So let's get to know Tony Martin a little bit. (Photo: Mmaniadb.com) He was born in Birmingham, England on April 19, 1957, as Anthony Philip Harford. Although he is known to everyone as a singer, he is a phenomenal and talented musician - a multi-instrumentalist who plays an unimaginable variety of instruments, such as: guitar, bass, drums, violin, keyboards, harmonica, bagpipes, pan pipes, and more... Tony joined Black Sabbath in 1987 as a replacement for singer Ray Gillen who did not "deliver the goods" during the recording of the album " The Eternal Idol ". Tony was brought to the band to re-record all of Ray Gillan's singing roles to enable the release of the album. Since he arrived after the album was already finished he did not participate in the creation process, however, after his arrival, he participated in writing two new songs: "Black Moon" and "Some Kind of Woman" which were not included in the original album and came out only as side-tracks. In 1988, Martin took a short break from Black Sabbath and joined the "Forcefield" supergroup that included drummer Cozy Powell . This was while co-recording the band's second album, Forcefield II. The talisman. In 1988 Martin returned to "Black Sabbath" and brought drummer Cozy Powell with him, to record the album " Headless Cross ". This time Martin co-wrote all the songs on the album. In 1990, Martin released the album " Tyr " with "Black Sabbath". This time, too, he co-wrote all the songs. In 1991 Dio returned to work with "Black Sabbath" and Tony Martin was simply pushed out of the band. During this time he worked on his first solo album "Back Where I Belong" which was released in 1992. Tony played all the instruments during the demo recording. The album features some interesting guests such as Brian May of "Queen", drummer Zack Starkey - son of Ringo Starr and Tony's friends from Sabbath - keyboardist Geoff Nicholls and bassist Neil Murray . In 1993, Tony Martin participated in guitarist Misha Calvin's "Evolution" album. That same year, Dio left "Black Sabbath" once again and Tony Martin was again invited by Tony Iommi to return to the band. Amazingly, Martin swallowed his pride and agreed to return to the band and started to work on the 1994 album " Cross Purposes ". Before Geezer Butler left the band, "Black Sabbath" recorded one of their performances from April 13, 1994, which will be released as "Cross Purposes Live". ​​This is "Black Sabbath's" only official recording with Tony Martin and it includes a beautiful rendition of "The Wizard" (with the famous harmonica played by Martin), a song the band has not played live since the early 1970s. In 1995, Sabbath's latest album with Martin " Forbidden " was released, followed by "Sabbath's" longest break that lasted almost two decades. (Photo: Rockandrollgarage.com) After Black Sabbath, Martin collaborated with several artists, including Dario Mollo, Giuntini Project, Rondinelli, Empire, Mario Parga, and more. In 2005 Martin will release his second solo album "Scream". The album included an instrumental track that was originally recorded as a demo back in the days of Black Sabbath, just before the sessions for the "Dehumanizer" album. Martin used this demo and recorded the opening track from the "Scream" album - "Raising Hell". In 2006 Martin formed the band "Tony Martin's Headless Cross" with which he appears with songs from his solo career alongside songs from his time with Black Sabbath. Starting that year, Martin will be featured on several albums by other artists, including: "Phenomena", "Candlemass", "Black Widow", and more. In 2014 it was announced that Tony was working on a third solo album to be titled: Black Widow Angel, to date no release date has been announced. In 2016, there were rumors that Tony Iommi was interested in returning to work with Tony Martin. The rumors were not verified. On January 14, 2022 Martin released his third solo album "Thorns". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 19.04.1968 While “The Beatles” were recording “ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ” in Studio 2 at Abbey Road, no one knew that right next door in Studio 3, five young 22-year-olds had begun recording their own masterpiece, “Odessey and Oracle”, under the name “The Zombies”. “The Zombies” consisted of Colin Blunstone (vocals, percussion), Rod Argent (keyboards, backing vocals), Paul Atkinson (guitar, backing vocals), Chris White (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Hugh Grundy (drums, backing vocals). The band began working on the album shortly after “The Beatles” had finished their sessions. According to Colin Blunstone, John Lennon had left behind a Mellotron, along with various percussion instruments scattered around the studio floor. The band also worked with engineers Geoff Emerick and Peter Vince, along with their assistant Alan Parsons , who was just at the beginning of his career. This collaboration marked the beginning of a long musical connection between Parsons and Blunstone, which would later resurface in “The Alan Parsons Project”, where Blunstone’s soft voice would become forever associated with the melancholic hit "Old and Wise" . It is fair to say that without the instruments left behind by John Lennon and his bandmates, the sound of “Odessey and Oracle”, released on April 19, 1968, might have been completely different. The members of “The Zombies” arrived at these sessions with very limited financial resources, and without a budget for session musicians, they relied on what was available. Lennon’s Mellotron became a crucial tool that helped shape the album’s distinctive sonic identity. Colin Blunstone was born in June 1945 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, to an aeronautical engineer father and a homemaker mother who had previously been a dancer. He attended St Albans County Grammar School, where he first saw Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, and Hugh Grundy playing together during an Easter jam session. Rod Argent, the driving force behind the band’s formation, was also born in June 1945 in St Albans to a working-class family. His father, like Blunstone’s, was an aeronautical engineer. Although his father never formally studied music, he played piano at home, and young Rod listened closely. By the age of nine, he had already decided to become a musician. He joined the choir at St Albans Cathedral and later met Atkinson and Grundy at school, forming early musical collaborations. Following that Easter performance, Colin Blunstone joined the group, along with Paul Arnold, who was soon replaced by Chris White, all while the members were still in high school. After winning a local music competition, they recorded a demo as a prize. That demo included their first hit, "She's Not There" , which secured them a recording contract with “Decca Records”. From their early days in 1961, “The Zombies” carved out a unique musical identity, blending rich keyboard textures and vocal harmonies reminiscent of “The Beach Boys”, at a time when most bands relied heavily on guitar-driven arrangements with minimal harmonies. Their debut album “Begin Here”, released in 1965, combined original material with rhythm and blues covers. However, aside from "She's Not There" , it failed to generate significant recognition, leading to their departure from “Decca Records”. Their image as clean-cut, well-mannered young men fresh out of school worked against them. Without a recording contract, the members of “The Zombies” decided to give themselves one final opportunity before disbanding. They managed to convince “CBS Records” to sign them without imposing a strict deadline for the album, which significantly reduced the pressure. “Odessey and Oracle” was recorded between June and November 1967 and captures “The Zombies” at their artistic peak. The album is filled with melancholic baroque pop compositions, driven by Blunstone’s gentle and delicate voice, the band’s intricate vocal harmonies, and Rod Argent’s jazz and blues-influenced organ and piano work, creating a rich blend of psychedelic melodies. Most of the album’s songs explore romantic themes, though often from unconventional perspectives. The second single, "Care of Cell 44" , tells the story of a man waiting for his imprisoned girlfriend to be released so he can meet her again as a changed person after her experience. "A Rose for Emily"  draws inspiration from a short story by William Faulkner, portraying a woman from a respectable family who falls in love with a man deemed socially unsuitable. Their relationship defies expectations, but when he disappears, she withdraws from the world and remains isolated until her death. "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" , written by Chris White, stands out as the album’s most unusual track. Inspired by World War I, the lyrics are told from the perspective of a soldier, capturing the horrors and psychological toll of war. Even after releasing two singles, sales failed to take off, possibly due to the album’s complexity. By the time the third single, "Time of the Season" , was released, the band had already disbanded, only for events to take an unexpected turn. American musician Al Kooper heard the album and convinced “CBS” to release it in the United States. Gradually, it gained momentum, and "Time of the Season"  became a hit in early 1969. In the years that followed, many artists, including Tom Petty and Paul Weller, cited “Odessey and Oracle” as a major influence. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 17.04.1970 On September 20, 1969, John Lennon  informed his bandmates in "The Beatles" that he intended to leave. At the request of their business partner Allen Klein, he agreed to delay the public announcement so as not to harm the release of their final album "Let It Be" . A rift quickly formed between Paul McCartney  and the other three members over the future management of the band. John Lennon , George Harrison, and Ringo Starr  believed that Klein, known for securing highly favorable recording contracts, deserved their trust. McCartney, however, did not trust Klein and preferred his father-in-law, lawyer Lee Eastman, or someone else entirely. The conflict escalated when Paul McCartney  refused to sign a new five-year recording contract for "The Beatles". He felt particularly betrayed upon learning that John Lennon  and Klein had chosen producer Phil Spector  to assemble a new "Beatles" album from the unfinished "Get Back" sessions. To McCartney, this reworking of the material violated the band’s core principles. He saw it as a petty act of revenge by John Lennon . As the breakup of "The Beatles" became inevitable, Paul McCartney  fell into depression and came close to a nervous breakdown. He withdrew from public life, isolating himself with his wife Linda and their daughters on his farm in Campbeltown, Scotland, and drank heavily. His disappearance fueled the already widespread conspiracy theories claiming he was dead. While those rumors were baseless, they only added pressure as journalists kept trying to verify them. Years later, Paul McCartney  reflected on that period, explaining that the pain, disappointment, and grief over losing the band were overwhelming and nearly drove him to madness. From this emotional low point, however, came a new beginning. Encouraged by Linda, Paul McCartney  began planning his future outside of "The Beatles". He started writing new material and finishing older songs, some dating back to the band’s 1968 trip to India. Shortly before Christmas 1969, Paul McCartney  returned with his family to their home in St John’s Wood, London. There, he began recording his debut album using a simple four-track tape recorder he had purchased. Paul McCartney  played every instrument on the album himself, from acoustic and electric guitars to bass, keyboards, drums, and percussion, while Linda contributed backing vocals on several tracks. The result was a raw, home-recorded album, far removed from the polished productions of "The Beatles". At times uneven, it nevertheless captured McCartney in his most authentic and intimate form. “This was an old dream that came true. From the moment the album was released, I told myself that one day, in one of the programs I would host, I would use this melody as the opening theme,” said the respected broadcaster and music editor Menachem Granit, referring to the instrumental "Momma Miss America" . Granit began his radio career sometime in 1972 as a technician after completing his military service. He had moved with his family to Australia at the age of five, where he developed a deep connection to Western music. When he returned to Israel, he made sure to blend that influence with local music. When he was a soldier, the debut album of Paul McCartney  was released and deeply shook the young Granit’s world. With the instinct of an editor who knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff, he recognized the uniqueness of that charming instrumental piece and promised himself that one day it would serve as the opening theme for a program of his own. The years passed, Kol Yisrael shut down, and the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation took its place. The internet evolved into a fast-moving stream of endless information. Out of this changing landscape, the idea of creating a program that tells the story of one album at a time began to take shape. “Album for a Desert Island” launched in October 2017, with Granit, in his distinctive storytelling style, guiding listeners through the paths of a single album on a Sunday evening. Naturally, he did not forget "Momma Miss America" , which became the program’s opening theme from day one. It was a piece that managed to tell the story of an entire album in just 4 minutes and 4 seconds. A composition that came together almost by accident, merging two separate recordings into one. At the beginning of the track, the voice of the sound engineer can be heard announcing “Rock n Roll Springtime Take 1”, a remnant of one of the original pieces that were fused together. Through the album’s journey, we encounter a vulnerable and confused McCartney, leaning on Linda and expressing his love for her in "That Would Be Something"  and "Maybe I’m Amazed" , two of the few tracks that George Harrison reportedly appreciated. The lyrics of "Every Night"  reflect McCartney’s emotional struggles during this period, while still carrying a sense of hope. He wrote the song during a holiday in Greece, channeling the depression he experienced after the band’s breakup. "Teddy Boy" , written during the Beatles’ stay in India in 1968, tells a story of family estrangement and a widowed mother finding new love. Paul McCartney  later described it as a song he began in India and gradually completed in Scotland and London. Originally recorded for the "Get Back" project, it was ultimately left unused. Another standout, "Junk" , combines a delicate melody with melancholic lyrics that echo themes similar to "Eleanor Rigby" . It reflects on objects that once held meaning but have been discarded, subtly mirroring the dissolution of "The Beatles". Paul McCartney  also wrote this song during the band’s time in Rishikesh, India. On March 25, Paul McCartney  discovered that Klein had decided to delay the release of his debut album. George Harrison  initially reassured him that it would still be released on April 17 as planned. However, when Phil Spector  reported that "Let It Be"  was nearly complete and could be released alongside its accompanying film at the end of April, priorities shifted. John Lennon  and George Harrison sent McCartney a letter on March 31 instructing EMI to postpone his album until June 4. Instead of delivering the message through staff, Ringo Starr  brought it personally, unaware of how tense McCartney had become. McCartney reacted angrily, ordering Starr out and threatening consequences. The confrontation ultimately led the others to back down, allowing McCartney to release his debut album about three weeks before "Let It Be" . The album’s cover, created by Linda McCartney, features a bowl of cherry-red liquid placed against a cream-colored wall, surrounded by red cherries. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website