On December 21, 1980, this mythical "Iron Maiden" performance was held. A year later it was released as a videotape known as "Iron Maiden - Live At The Rainbow". This is Maiden's first videotape featuring one of Adrian Smith 's first appearances with the band. This is actually one of the first footage of this heavy metal band. This performance was recorded before the release of the album " Killers ", and includes a slightly different version of the song "Killers", with lyrics different from those in the album's final version. In the early 80s, this tape that became a rare collector's item found its way into Israel. Years later excerpts from the recordings appeared on DVD. "The History of Iron Maiden - Part 1: The Early Days". We got lucky to put our hands on a pirated copy of a maiden'sVHS tape of that show that became the focus of a pilgrimage of organized screenings held for our friends, fans of "Heavy metal". For hours we sat in the small living room and watched the tape to the displeasure of our parents and the neighbors. This tape was for us the entrance ticket to the wonderful world of "Iron Maiden" and since then, for more than forty years, these images will be engraved in our memory as the founding moment in which we knew the face behind the sounds. This historic show opens with " Ides Of March " featuring Paul Di'Anno in the final moments before the show. Paul straps on his thick belt and walks with his friends behind the scenes of the iconic hall towards the stage, with the instrumental section playing in the background until its end and the "explosion" that followed, with the beating bass of Steve Harris leading one of the band's greatest songs from the Di'Anno era - " Wrathchild " . Unfortunately, the video version available on YouTube does not include this very special intro, so here it is, just not in full sync: Song List: "The Ides of March" (intro) "Wrathchild" "Killers" (Harris, Paul Di'Anno) "Remember Tomorrow" (Harris, Di'Anno) "Transylvania" (instrumental) "Phantom of the Opera" "Iron Maiden" "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

If there is one sentence that best describes Frank Zappa, it will probably be his own sentence: " To me, absurdity is the only reality ". Frank Zappa is a unique and groundbreaking musician, the only rule he lives by (at least in the musical context), is that in music "there are no rules". He combined styles, shattered musical boundaries, and broke conventions, as no one else has done in the modern age of music. (Photo: Wallpaperflare.com) So let's tell you some interesting facts about this musical genius: 1. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on December 21, 1940, as Frank Vincent Zappa. 2. The first instrument he ever played starting at the age of 12, was the drums, which he learned to play by himself, only from hearing. He joined his first band as a drummer when he was in high school. 3. While playing drums, Zappa listened to jazz, blues, Doo-wop, and modern classical music. 4. His favorite artist in his youth was composer Edgard Varese, who greatly influenced Zappa's musical perception. 5. He attended the same high school of Don Glen Vliet who would later adopt the stage name Captain Beefheart. They became interested in the same kind of music and became close friends. 6. He only acquired his first guitar when he was 18. He did not know how to play chords, but began exploring the instrument's melodic side. This fact will have a great effect on Zappa's playing. (Photo: JazzLife On Twitter) 7. At 19 he left home and started studying in college, but dropped out after one semester and started working casual jobs. 8. His first professional recordings were of two soundtracks for the low-budget films "The World's Greatest Sinner", from 1962 and "Run Home Slow", from 1965. 9. In 1963 he appeared on Steve Elm's talk show playing on bicycles from which he made sounds using a wheel as a percussion and string and a handlebar as a brass instrument. 10. In 1964, Zappa began working in a recording studio in the town of "Cucamonga" in California, where he learned various recording techniques that would be used by him later in his musical career. He later bought the studio and changed its name to "Studio Z". 11. Following a local newspaper article about Zappa and the studio, describing him as the king of "Cucamonga" films, a police detective approached him with an offer to record a pornographic audio tape for a bachelor party. Zappa forged an erotic tape, and when he intended to hand it over to the police officer he was arrested and charged with conspiracy to carry out a pornography crime and was even sentenced to six months probation, of which 10 days he was actually imprisoned. 12. In 1965, singer Ray Collins asked him to replace his guitarist in the band "the Soul Giants". This band would later change its name to "The Mothers" and later to "The Mothers of Invention". 13. The band's first album "Freak Out" was released in 1966 and became the second double rock album in music history. The first was Bob Dylan 's "Blonde on Blonde", which was released a few weeks earlier. The album is also considered by many to be the first concept album in the history of music. 14. In 1967 Zappa released two albums - "Absolutely Free" along with "The Mothers of Invention" and "Lumpy Gravy" which was his first solo album. 15. His 1968 album "We're Only in It for the Money" included an alternative cover to the album cover of " Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ", while the album title was a kind of "sting" on "the Beatles". The album's release was delayed by 5 months due to copyright issues related to the Beatles' album cover. 16. That same year a fan named Raven came to his house with a gun. Zappa was unmoved and took him for a walk on a nearby lake as he persuaded him to throw the gun into the lake as part of a cleansing process. The fan threw the gun into the water and Zappa refused to report it to the police. 17. In the same year Zappa set up two record labels for signing young artists. The first band he signed through Straight Records was Alice Cooper , who signed a three-album recording contract. 18. In 1969, after two more studio albums with "The Mothers of Invention", Zappa decided to disband it since it was not financially viable. Zappa went on to assist nine players from the band from album sales royalties. = That same year, he held a psychedelic jam session with "Pink Floyd" at the "Mont de l'Inclus, Amougies" festival, held in Belgium on October 25, 1969. 19. More on that same year, Zappa released one of his most acclaimed solo albums, "Hot Rats" in which most of the tracks are instrumental. The album includes one of his well-known works - "Peaches en Regalia" and features Captain Beefheart singing in the only vocal track of the album- "Willie the Pimp". 20. During a performance by Zappa at a casino in Monterey, Switzerland, held on December 4, 1971, one of the fans fired a flare gun that hit the ceiling of the concert hall and caused a fire. The crowd managed to evacuate unscathed but all of Zappa's equipment was destroyed in the fire. 21. Members of the band "Deep Purple" were present and were supposed to record the album " Machine Head " there the next day. Bassist Roger Glover , who saw the fire and the smoke billowing over Lake Geneva, conceived the sentence that would also become Deep Purple's immortal song "Smoke On the Water". (Photo: Deep-purple.am) 22. 6 days later, on December 10, 1971, another disaster befell Zappa. He was seriously injured after being pushed furiously during a performance at the Rainbow Club in London, by a fan. Zappa fell a few feet into the orchestra shaft and suffered head injuries, fractures all over his body, including his back and neck, and a groin drop that caused a change in his voice. 23. After a very long recovery period, Zappa put together a new version of the band "the Mothers" and in 1973 recorded two of his most successful albums, "Over-Nite Sensation" and "Apostrophe (')", which is still considered his best-selling album. 24. In 1979 he released the triangular album " Joe's Garage " - a concept album which is a kind of rock opera, that tells a crazy and imaginative story that includes harsh criticism against American culture. 25. In 1984 he released an album called Francesco Zappa in which all the pieces are performed in an instrument called Synclavier and all the melodies in it are by the 18th-century Italian composer Francesco Zappa. 26. His album "Jazz from Hell" won the Parental Advisory sticker, even though it was an instrumental album. 27. In 1986 he played a criminal named Mr. Frankie in an episode of the "Miami Vice" series. 28. Throughout his career Zappa has not used drugs. 29. His son Dweezil got his name from the nickname given by Zappa to his wife's oddly shaped toe. 30. In April 1991, Zappa announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. 31. Unfortunately that year he found out he had prostate cancer and had to leave the race. 32. He passed away on December 4, 1993, at his home with his wife and four children around him. 33. Zappa was a particularly prolific artist and during his lifetime released about 60 albums which he produced almost all by himself. After his death, his heirs released another 50 albums. 34. He has also produced many artists including: Alice Cooper , Captain Beefheart, and Grand Funk. 35. Believe it or not, Zappa ranks 36th on VH1's list of VH1's 100 Greatest Artists. 36. In 2011 he was ranked 22nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. 37. In 1995 he was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". 38. In 1997 he received a Lifetime Grammy Award. 39. Despite this, Zappa has never had commercial success. In fact, his only "hit" to make the list of the 40 greatest in the United States, was "Valley Girl" from 1982, which featured his daughter Moon Unit who was then 13 years old. 40. The "Zappa" clubs chain in Israel, which includes 11 sites where live performances take place, is named after him. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 21.12.1973 “We were kids—20 going on 15. We had a record deal, and we were goo-goo eyed,” recalled guitarist Gary Richrath. “In combination with that, we were romantics from Illinois where there are no hills-we hadn’t been far enough west to see mountains. And we freaked. We were driving across the plains saying, ‘Shit, look at that stuff!’ We were dying when we got to Boulder.” Richrath was the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of the American rock band "REO Speedwagon", whose third studio album "Ridin' the Storm Out"  was released on December 21, 1973. Richrath was born in October 1949 in Peoria, Illinois. He originally played saxophone in a school band, but as a teenager he decided to switch to guitar. As a self-taught musician, he taught himself how to play the instrument entirely on his own. The band was formed in 1967 in Champaign, Illinois. While most of their major success outside the United States would later come through rock ballads in the early eighties such as "Can't Fight This Feeling"  and "Keep on Loving You" , their beginnings were rooted in relentless touring and a raw Midwestern rock sound. In the fall of 1966, Neal Doughty, the future pianist and guitarist of "REO Speedwagon", began studying electrical engineering at the University of Illinois in Champaign. On his very first night as a freshman, he met fellow student and drummer Alan Gratzer. Doughty had learned several "Beatles" songs on his parents’ piano, while Gratzer had been playing drums in local bands since high school. The two held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their dormitory. Gratzer continued performing with his band until the final day of the spring semester, when guitarist and singer Joe Matt called the band’s leader and announced that he and the other members - drummer Alan Gratzer and bassist Mike Blair - had decided to form a new band together with keyboardist Neal Doughty, in which everyone except Doughty would sing. The new band compiled a list of songs they needed to learn over the summer break. Doughty took a summer job and bought his first organ. The members returned to school in the fall of 1967 and held their first rehearsal before classes began. They named the band "REO Speedwagon", inspired by a 1915 truck designed by Ransom Eli Olds (spelled R.E.O.). Doughty saw the name written on a classroom board when he walked into a transportation history lecture, on the very day they decided to start searching for a band name. Instead of pronouncing “REO” as a single word, as the engine company had done (“REE-oh”), they chose to spell it out, pronouncing each letter individually (“R-E-O”). A newspaper ad at the university landed them their first job - a fraternity party that turned into a food fight. They continued playing cover songs in campus bars, fraternity parties, and university events. Toward the end of 1970, Gary Richrath traveled 160 kilometers to see the band perform, determined to become part of "REO Speedwagon". “I'm going to be in that band whether they like it or not,” said Richrath, who was not only a guitarist but also a highly productive songwriter, arriving with original material of his own. In early 1971, the band’s regional popularity grew rapidly. The radio station "KSHE" from St. Louis, one of the most influential rock stations in America, began supporting them and significantly raised the band’s profile beyond the Midwest. Word of the promising band spread quickly, and "Epic Records" signed them to a recording contract after Paul Leka, an East Coast record producer, saw them perform in front of an enthusiastic audience in Peoria during a rainstorm. Leka brought the band to his recording studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where they recorded original material for their debut album. Although the rest of the band’s lineup remained relatively stable, "REO Speedwagon" changed lead singers three times across their first three albums. Terry Luttrell left the band in early 1972 and was replaced by Kevin Cronin, who recorded one album with the band - "R.E.O./T.W.O" from 1972. Cronin then departed during the recording sessions for the third album "Ridin' the Storm Out" due to internal conflicts, not before contributing two songs to the record. The album was ultimately completed with Mike Murphy stepping in as the band’s lead vocalist. The album’s title track "Ridin' the Storm Out"  would later become one of the band’s signature live songs on their concert album, after Cronin eventually returned to the band. The song refers to the band being stranded during a severe winter snowstorm following a show in Boulder, Colorado, at a club called "Tulagi". “We were pushed out of the music circles in New York and Los Angeles, and we went through many lineup changes,” recalled guitarist and singer Kevin Cronin. “‘Ridin' the Storm Out' was the one thing that held the band together for all those years. It closed our shows for over a decade.” Many of "REO Speedwagon"’s songs were inspired by the emotional ups and downs of the band members’ personal relationships, including "Whiskey Night" , which tells the story of a character consumed by pain and regret after a turbulent relationship filled with whiskey driven nights and emotional turmoil. The album includes a song written by Stephen Stills  titled "Open Up" , a track that Stills himself never officially recorded, nor did any of his bands. In fact, the song "Know You Got to Run"  from his album "Stephen Stills 2" can be seen as an early version of the same composition, but it consists only of verses without a chorus and features a dark, acoustic folk arrangement. By contrast, "Open Up"  includes a full chorus and a faster, more driving rock arrangement. The album also features guest appearances by guitarist Joe Walsh , who plays slide guitar on "Whiskey Night" , "Open Up" , and "Start a New Life" . As mentioned earlier, Cronin, who left the band during the album’s recording sessions, still managed to contribute two songs, "Movin'"  and "It's Everywhere" . The latter was influenced by Cronin’s own turbulent experiences and pulls the listener into a world of heightened emotional intensity, where every passing moment is accompanied by a swirling rush of feelings. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

December 21st is the first official day of winter, but this day is also a very special day for the fans of "Rush". The number " 2112 " is synonymous with the band "Rush" and serves as an iconic symbol that represents an entire career - almost like "Jeep" or "Refrigerator". So for those unfamiliar with the number, " 2112 " is the name of the album released by the band in 1976 and includes the masterpiece of the same name - a seven-part epic piece unfolds ש science-fiction story that takes place in 2112 and is based on the book "Anthem" by Ayn Rand. Over the years, December 12 (21-12) became an international "Rush" day for the band's fans. A special day where they celebrate the existence of this great band, listen to their albums, watch their performances, and more. The band itself also recognized the importance of this number and among other things chose to pay tribute to it on the cover of their latest album " Clockwork Angels " which includes a clock that shows the time 9:12, i.e. 21:12. So in honor of this International "Rush" Day, we prepared for you a playlist that will accompany you throughout this special day. It consists of songs selected by us from all of the band's albums. 90 songs, 8 hours and 34 minutes, which will fill a full working day !!! Link to the playlist : Spotify Happy "Rush" day to everyone. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is without a doubt one of the most fascinating figures in the history of modern music. He has been leading the biggest and oldest band in the rock history for over 60 years. Although for years he has been at the top of the list of the next artist likely to pass away (yes, he himself was joking about it), he does not intend to stop even for a moment and he is still performing on stage. Ladies and gentlemen Keith Richards is celebrating his birthday today, so let's honor him with some interesting facts. (Photo: Andrew Benge) 1. He was born on December 18, 1943, in Kent, England, right in the midst of World War II. He is the only child of Doris Maud Lydia (née Dupree) and Herbert William Richards. 2. His mother exposed him to jazz music and also encouraged him to perform in the church choir, but it was his grandfather - Augustus Theodore "Gus" Dupree, who was a Big Band player, who was the source of his musical inspiration. 3. Keith said his grandfather was the one who pushed him to play the guitar. He would create stimulations to make Keith want to play the instrument. 4. Richards said his grandfather was the one who bought him his first guitar. He placed it on a high shelf and told him that if he could reach it he could play it. Keith of course succeeded and he noted that it was the "award of the century" for him. 5. The first song his grandfather taught him to play on the guitar was the Spanish song "Malagueña". This was because he thought Spanish playing would be good for Keith's finger practice. 6. One of Richards' first guitar heroes was Elvis' guitarist Scotty Moore. 7. As a child he listened to artists like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and more. 8. However, the biggest influence on him was that of Chuck Berry. He learned to play all of his songs by heart. 9. If we've already mentioned Chuck Berry, then Richards took a punch from him when on one of Chuck's shows he touched his guitar. Keith mentioned the "Black Eye" he got from Chuck in his induction speech to the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. See here: 10. Richards attended Wentworth Elementary School with Mick Jagger . They were also neighbors until 1954 when the two families moved out of the neighborhood. 11. In 1959 Richards was expelled from high school for behavioral problems. The school principal thought he would be suitable to be an artist, so he was sent to the "Sidcup" art school. 12. Keith and Jagger would meet again years later, on the train when Mick Jagger took on his way to an economics class. Keith immediately noticed that Jagger was carrying records by Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters and that was enough to connect the two. 13. In 1962, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger , and Brian Jones formed "The Rolling Stones". 14. The "Rolling Stones" made their debut on 12 July 1962 at the Marquee Club in London. The lineup was of Mick Jagger , Brian Jones , Keith Richards, Dick Taylor, and Tony Chapman on drums. 15.In January 15, 1963, The classic "Rolling Stones" lineup was completed with Bill Wyman on bass and Charlie Watts on drums. (Photo: Terry O'Neill) 16. The band started out playing in blues and jazz clubs around London, slowly building a devoted fan base. At first, they played cover versions of old Rhythm & Blues hits, but slowly they added original material written mostly by Jagger and Richards. 17. Until September 1963, Jones, Jagger, and Richards shared an apartment in Chelsea. They listened to a lot of music, especially the blues of Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, and Howling Wolf. 18. In 1963 they were signed by "DECCA" on the recommendation of George Harrison . As you may recall, "DECCA" was the one that a year earlier had rejected "The Beatles" because they thought they would not succeed. 19. The band's first album was released in 1964. Since then Richards was a part of 24 studio albums the band has released so far, as well as 14 live albums, 3 mini albums, 28 compilation albums, and more and more ... 20. Keith prefers not to use effects in his guitar playing. He likes to hear exactly what his amplifier is putting out. At the same time, in 1965 he first used Gibson's "fuzzbox" effect to write one of the greatest riffs of all time, for the song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Of course, the success of the single led to the popularity of the effect. 21. On December 3, 1965, while playing "The Last Time" during a performance in Sacramento, California, his guitar touched his microphone stand and he was electrocuted. He was rushed to the hospital and the doctors noted that what saved him was the thick soles of his shoes. The next day he had already returned to perform. 21. Keith sings backing vocals on every band album, starting with the album "Let It Bleed" released in 1969, he is also usually the lead singer on one song from the album. 22. In addition to playing the guitar (lead and rhythm), Keith also occasionally contributed bass and keyboards. 23. The studio recordings of the songs "Street Fighting Man" and "Jumpin 'Jack Flash" do not include electric guitar playing. Richards achieved the sound by layers of acoustic guitar recorded on top of each other. 24. Keith claimed that he slept only two nights a week on average, during the glorious days of "the Stones". He referred to this and said: "This means that I have been conscious for at least three lifetimes". 25. He is known for the image of the drugged and stoned rocker. He was arrested several times for possession and use of drugs, two of the most famous of which, were in 1967 when Jagger and Richards were arrested after a well-publicized police search of Richards' country house, and the one from 1977, where he was arrested at a hotel in Toronto, Canada, with two ounces of heroin and cocaine. 26. During his lifetime Keith nearly died in a fire three times. The first time, he and the famous session musician Bobby Keys accidentally set fire to a bathroom in the Playboy Mansion in 1972. The second time happened during the recording of the album "Exile on Main Street", when he and his girlfriend, Anita Felenberg, fell asleep while Richards was holding a lit cigarette that set the bed on fire. The third time, mice chewed on the power lines of Keith's Redlands estate and set the house on fire. 27. Keith is literally a "cat with 9 souls". There are quite a few cases where he was close to death, beyond the guitar electric shock and the fires described above. It all started when he was a year old then the neighborhood where he grew up was bombed by the Nazis during World War II. He also fell from a tree while on holiday on Fiji Island and suffered a head injury, a pile of books fell on him in his home library and he was even poisoned when someone put strychnine into his heroin. 28. Perhaps this is why since the 1970s he has been wearing a ring with a skull on his finger. He noted that it was set to remind him that we all have one thing in common. This may also be why he expressed his disappointment that he is no longer at the top of the list of the next artist likely to pass away, addressing the issue this way: “And it’s quite a comforting feeling, actually, thinking, ‘Jesus Christ I’m getting out of it now.’ I’ve no pretensions about immortality – I’m the same as everyone else – same as you, same as everybody, I’m the same old bugger, just kind of lucky. I tens Number one on the Who’s Likely To Die list for 10 years, I mean, I was really disappointed when I fell off the list.” 29. Keith failed his driver's license test three times. Eventually, he asked his bodyguard to do it for him and passed. 30. Five years after his father's death, he claimed to have mixed the ashes of his father's body with cocaine and sniffed them. 31. Keith also appears in films including the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, where he appeared in three movies as the pirate Edward Teague - the father of Captain Jack Sparrow. Photo: (Disney) 32. He is ranked fourth on Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists" list. 33. He co-wrote with Mick Jagger no less than 14 songs that are included in Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." 34. In 1989, Richards was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with "The Stones". 35. In 2004 he was inducted into the British Music Hall of Fame with "the Rolling Stones". 36. In 1993 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of songwriters. (Photo: The Guardian) 37. He was nominated along with "the Stones" for 11 Grammy Awards. They won two of them. 38. Keith has more than 3,000 guitars in his private collection, but he does not play most of them. 39. Richards is an avid reader. He has a very large collection of books. 40. Keith has pursued a solo career, during which he has released three albums. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On December 20, 1975, Joe Walsh officially joined “The Eagles”. (Photo: Ebet Roberts) By the mid-1970s, “The Eagles” were already one of the most successful rock bands on the planet, but success had come with a price. Founding guitarist Bernie Leadon no longer recognized the band he helped create. Rooted in country, bluegrass, and traditional American music, Leadon watched as the group steadily shifted toward a harder, more electric sound. After the massive success of “One of These Nights” in 1975, the divide became impossible to ignore, and Leadon chose to leave. The transformation was already underway. Don Felder had joined the band in 1974, first appearing on “On the Border”, and his sharp, powerful guitar work pushed “The Eagles” further into rock territory. That direction was no accident. Don Henley and Glenn Frey were intensely focused, competitive, and determined to keep the band at the very top of the rock world. In theory, they didn’t need to replace Leadon. As a foursome, they could have continued. But if they truly wanted to expand their sound and bring real muscle to their music, another elite guitarist would be essential. The call went out to a musician who shared the same management, and many times even the stage with them. By the end of 1975, Joe Walsh . was anything but a gamble musically. He was wild and had already fronted “James Gang” to major success and built a strong solo career, including the hit “Rocky Mountain Way” . He didn’t need saving, and he wasn’t desperate for a new chapter. In fact, he would normally have been preparing to release another solo album in 1976. But he was a bit short on material, and suddenly, one of the biggest bands in the world was asking for his services. The timing was ideal. Still, Henley and Frey hesitated. Walsh’s reputation preceded him. He was known as a wild character, unpredictable and unfiltered, while Henley and Frey ran their band with near-military discipline. They worried about anything that could disrupt their momentum. In the end, talent won out. Any lingering doubts disappeared quickly. While still serving as the opening act for “The Eagles” on 1975 tour, Walsh was warming up backstage before a show. As he ran through a rapid, aggressive riff he often used as a technical exercise, Glenn Frey immediately stopped and asked him to play it again. Frey later described it as sounding like a “police siren”, fast, tense, and dangerous. That spontaneous warm-up riff became the foundation for “ Life in the Fast Lane ”, perfectly capturing the speed, pressure, and excess that would come to define the band’s new identity and sound. The first album recorded after Walsh’s arrival was “Hotel California” in 1976, and it marked the band’s creative peak. As a songwriter and lead vocalist, Walsh contributed “Pretty Maids in a Row” , a somber, reflective ballad that revealed his melodic and emotional range. But his greatest impact came through his guitar. With twin lead guitarists in Walsh and Felder, “The Eagles” suddenly possessed a level of rock power they had never had before. The chemistry between the two was immediate and electric, nowhere more evident than the legendary harmony duel at the close of the title track “ Hotel California ”. Together, they reshaped songs like “Life in the Fast Lane”  and “Victim of Love” , injecting grit, urgency, and danger into the band’s sound. Before long, Walsh felt inseparable from the band. His tone, his phrasing, and his gregarious on-stage presence became central to the "Eagles’" identity. It was hard to imagine the band without him. Joe Walsh ’s arrival wasn’t just a lineup change. It was one of the greatest mid-career additions in rock history, the final piece that helped turn “The Eagles” into rock dynamos and cemented their most iconic and enduring era. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is a sound engineer who worked on some of the greatest albums ever created such as "The Beatles" " Abbey Road " and "Pink Floyd's" " Atom Heart Mother " and "The Dark Side Of The Moon". He is also a great producer who has contributed greatly to the result of masterful albums like Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat". And if that's not enough, then he's also a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist singer, and leader of the British progressive rock band "The Alan Parsons Project". (Photo: Alan Parsons Project "I, Robot" 1977 US Arista Records) So here are some interesting facts about Alan Parsons: 1. He was born in London, England on December 20, 1948. 2. Parsons has been attracted to music from an early age and even as a child he took flute and piano lessons. 3. In his teens, Parsons switched to guitar and began playing several musical bands at school. 4. In October 1967, he was hired as a tape duplicator at the "EMI" record company. Already in his early days at "EMI", he got to duplicate the recording of the Beatles' " Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band " album, which led him to the conclusion that he wanted to be a recording technician. He said he had to find out what was the secret behind the amazing sounds of this album. 5. In 1969, Parsons served as an assistant voice technician at Abbey Road Studios and even got to work on one of Rock's greatest albums - " Abbey Road " by "The Beatles". Parsons was also involved as an assistant technician on the band's " Let it Be " album. 6. No doubt working with the Fab Four has pushed Parsons' career forward and he has also served as a recording technician on other major albums, such as "Wild Life" and "Red Rose Speedway" by Paul McCartney and "Wings" and of course masterpieces such as " Atom Heart Mother " and " The Dark Side Of The Moon " by "Pink Floyd", for which he won a Grammy nomination. 7. Parsons later moved into the producer's position and influenced the way Al Stewart's album "Year of the Cat" sounded, by adding jazzy motifs and instruments such as a saxophone. 8. In 1975, Parsons decided that he was also interested in creating music and formed "The Alan Parsons Project" with the Scottish musician Eric Woolfson. 9. In accordance with the band's name, Parsons and Woolfson's collaboration was run as a project and was based on the production and arrangement talents of the two, who over the years were assisted by other musicians. 10. The band's first album called "Tales of Mystery and Imagination", was released in 1976 and featured other musicians, such as Arthur Brown and John Miles. The album was a success and "Arista" record company signed the duo on a contract to release several more albums. 11. Up until 1987, the band released no less than ten albums, the most successful of which were "The Turn of a Friendly Card" from 1980 and "Eye in the Sky" from 1982. 12. After the release of "Gaudi" in 1987, Parsons and Woolfson began work on their next album "Freudiana". Disagreements arose between the two, mainly due to Woolfson's desire to change the album's direction into a musical. The album was eventually produced and recorded, but by the time it was released in 1990 the band had already disbanded and the album was finally released under Woolfson's name with Parsons appearing as the producer. 13. In 1993, Parsons released his first solo album "Try Anything Once". He later released five more solo albums, the most recent of which was "From the New World" from 2022. (Photo: Daniel Knighton) 14. In 2014, the "Alan Parsons Project" released "The Sicilian Defense" - an instrumental album that was recorded in 1979 but was not released. 15. Concurrent with his solo career, Parsons is leading his live band "Alan Parsons Live Project". 16. Along with this ensemble, Parsons performed in Israel in 2010 and 2015 in a show that featured Aviv Geffen , Avi Singolda, and Marina Maximilian. 17. Following this show the collaboration between Geffen and Parsons was intensified and thus Parsons produce the fifth album "Blackfield" - the band of Geffen and Steven Wilson. The album was released in 2017 and is called "Blackfield V". 18. By the way, Parsons also served as a sound engineer on Steven Wilson's excellent album "The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories"). 19. Parsons will return to Israel in 2017 for two performances and two years later in June 2019 for two more live shows, this time in collaboration with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. These shows produced a double live album named "One Note Symphony: Live In Tel Aviv", released in 2022. 20. Finally, we will mention another Israeli connection to Parsons - the musician, producer, and creator Guy Erez, who since 2010 has been part of Alan Parsons' ensemble, and serves as his bass player. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On December 20, 1969, "Deep Purple" released their fourth album, "Concerto for Group and Orchestra". This is a unique and groundbreaking album when it comes to combining Rock with Classical music and to the best of our knowledge it is the first album that documented a performance by an entire Philharmonic Orchestra with a Rock band, playing electric instruments. Although "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" was not the first case of a rock band that combined classical accompaniment, even "Deep Purple" themselves did it before, There is no doubt that this album took the idea much further than anyone who has done it before, paving the way for so many combinations of rock and orchestra, among the best known of which are " S&M " by "Metallica", "Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra "By Yngwie Malmsteen and more. For example, "The Moody Blues'" 1967 "Days of Future Passed" included classical compositions that usually began and ended most of the songs on it. But in the case of "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" it is one complete work, composed from beginning to end as one that combines all the instruments of a philharmonic orchestra, and the modern and electric instruments of a Rock band, as opposed to short melodies designed to accompany and decorate songs written by the band. More than that, while in the case of "The Moody Blues" the orchestral accompaniment was recorded in the studio and combined with the band's songs, in the case of "Deep Purple" the band and the symphony orchestra played together, live, on stage. Another significant difference is that in the case of "Deep Purple" the keyboardist Jon Lord wrote and composed the roles for the entire orchestra, while in the case of "The Moody Blues" the person who wrote the classical additions was the conductor of the orchestra that played the album - Peter Knight. The person who came up with the idea for the work was Jon Lord , who has already experienced it on the band's two previous albums, the work "Anthem" from the album "The Book of Taliesyn" and the work "April" from the album "Deep Purple". The work Lord wrote for this album is mostly instrumental, except for two excerpts that also included the band's lead singer Ian Gillan . The orchestra chosen to play the piece along with "Deep Purple", was the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of England, with the rock parts of "The Band" having a prominent dominance of Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord who are simply surpassing themselves. The piece was divided into three parts: the opening section "Allegro", the second section "Andante" which also included the singing parts by Ian Gillan , and the third section "Presto" which included a drum solo by Ian Paice . In 2002 a remastered version of the album was released, which beyond the main work that was composed by Jon Lord , included two excerpts from the band's repertoire: the instrumental track "Wring That Neck" from the album "The Book of Taliesyn" and an earlier version of the song "Child in Time" which will later be included as part of the " In Rock " album. In later releases, additional tracks were added to the album including the track "Hush" from the debut album " Shades Of Deep Purple ". The performance in which the piece was played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the tracks mentioned above, was held on September 24, 1969, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The performance was also videotaped and aired on British television on April 4, 1970, with the concerto being portrayed by the announcer as "the best of both worlds". It is interesting to note that this is actually the first full album of the MKII lineup of "Deep Purple", featuring singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover . In honor of the album's 30 anniversary, "Deep Purple" asked to recreate the show, but then it was discovered that all the musical notes written by Jon Lord for all the orchestra players were lost. The notes were restored from the work by Lord, with the help of a fan musician and the result was the album and show "In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra", which included the work in its entirety plus additional tracks, released in 2000. 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 - 19.12.1989 He had piercing eyes and a gaze that could freeze you in place. If he wanted to hypnotize, he barely had to try. And when he began to sing in his booming, dark voice, you had no choice but to listen, because that is the very nature of strange love. “A strange kind of love, a strange kind of feeling,” sang the prince of dark rock, Peter Murphy, whose third album "Deep" was released on December 19, 1989. Peter John Murphy was born in July 1957 in Northampton to a large working class family. He was the seventh child, raised in a household that provided its children with a strict Catholic upbringing. Despite this, Murphy describes his childhood as a happy one. As an introverted child, he found his first connection to music through his mother, who would often hum songs around the house. This is something I deeply relate to, even as an adult it still happens from time to time. At school, he became close friends with Daniel Ash, with whom he would later form the gothic rock band "Bauhaus". Murphy described Ash as his other half, the person who understood him more than anyone else. Both were drawn to the glam rock movement and artists such as "T. Rex" and David Bowie . However, when Murphy was sixteen, their paths diverged. Ash went on to study art, while Murphy, due to the difficult financial situation in his parents’ home, took a job at a local printing factory to help support the family. Despite working at the print shop and initially refusing Daniel Ash’s proposal to start a band, Murphy held on to his love for music. He continued attending concerts by David Bowie , Marc Bolan , and Iggy Pop . Meanwhile, Ash’s previous band, "Jackplug and the Sockets", had broken up. Determined to form another group, Ash approached Peter Murphy once again, and this time Murphy agreed to give it a try. They entered a room at the Northampton teacher training college. Ash connected a microphone, added heavy echo, and asked Murphy to sing fragments from a newspaper he was holding. This moment marked the birth of "Bauhaus", and in effect, the beginning of Peter Murphy’s musical career. Through "Bauhaus", Murphy built the image of the prince of gothic rock, as the band released four albums over the course of five years before breaking up in 1983. Following the band’s breakup, Murphy formed a project called "Dali's Car" together with Mick Karn from the band "Japan". Together they released a single album titled "The Waking Hour" in 1984, but creative disagreements led to the project’s early end. Karn summed it up perfectly when he said, “Each of us had a different way of building music.” At this point, Murphy realized that he had his own ambitions and a clear sense of direction. He felt ready to embark on a solo career, yet still wanted a safety net, which he found in the form of musician Howard Hughes, formerly of the band "The Associates". Murphy released his first two solo albums in 1986 and 1988. On the second album, "Love Hysteria", Terl Bryant joined on drums, Paul Statham on keyboards, and Eddie Branch and Peter Bonas on guitars. This quartet would also accompany him on his next album, "Deep", this time as his official backing band under the name "The Hundred Men". On "Deep", Murphy dyed his hair platinum blonde and leaned toward an alternative rock sound, echoing the style he had previously explored with "Bauhaus" in the early eighties. Murphy’s lyrics on the album are often abstract, and it is not always clear what he is singing about. This ambiguity is part of the mystery he consistently builds around his persona. On one hand, the album blends somber ballads with a gothic touch, such as the chilling "A Strange Kind of Love" , released as the album’s third single, and "Cuts You Up" , which became a hit in 1990 and entered the Billboard Hot 100. On the other hand, the album also features pop oriented tracks that almost verge on dance rhythms, such as the second track "Shy" , and especially the album closer "Roll Call" , which opens with electronic drums in the style of "Technotronic" and "Black Box", acts that were firmly in the mainstream at the time. At the heart of the album lies the emotional ballad "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem" , which portrays Marlene Dietrich in the twilight of her life, offering a moment of confession and a request for forgiveness. It is a beautiful song in which Murphy is accompanied by acoustic guitar, a delicate harp, and synthesizers that create a gentle shiver, very much like the atmosphere found in "A Strange Kind of Love" . For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

She is charismatic, she's impressive, her music is no less dramatic than her stage presence and she's one of the most prominent women in the metal world, Maria Brink is celebrating her birthday today !! (Photo: Jeremy Saffer) 1. She was born in New York State on December 17, 1977. When she was still a child her father left home and she had to take care of her mother who was addicted to drugs. 2. When she was only 14 she gave birth to her first son. Maria said it was the angel that saved her life. She was in a very difficult time with her mother and in general and her son gave her a reason to live and find the right path in life. 3. Ever since she was a girl, her dream was to form a band. At the age of 25, she moved to Los Angeles to try and form her own band. 4. Two years later she met guitarist Chris Howorth and in 2005 they formed "In This Moment" with other musicians joining them. (Photo: Jeremy Saffer) 5. The two began working together, creating and writing songs. They uploaded them to "MySpace" and began to gain exposure that grew over time. 6. Bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson, known from Ozzy Osbourne 's band recognized their potential and decided to take them under his wing. With the growing popularity on "MySpace", record companies began to pay attention to the band, which soon after was signed by the label "Century Media Records". 7. In 2007 the band's debut album called "Beautiful Tragedy", came out. The album had a heavy style, with the strong and rough voice of Maria's roars, alongside the heavy guitars. The album was particularly successful when a radio station called "Hard Attack" frequently played a large number of songs from it. 8. After the release of the album, the band won a number of major festivals and was an opening act for artists and bands such as "Megadeth", Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne , and more. 9. The band's second album called "The Dream", was released in 2008. The album was more successful than the first one and even entered the Billboard 200. This time the album's sound was less heavy and Maria made less use of roars with more "clean" singing. 10. After the album's release, the band went on an independent tour for the first time, called "A Winter to Remember Tour". Their opening acts included the bands "In Fear and Faith", "Agraceful" and "Motionless in White". 11. The band's third album "A Star-Crossed Wasteland" came out In 2010. According to "AP" magazine, it was one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The album was a great success and received rave reviews from all critics, as well as winning the band the 40th spot on the Billboard 200. 12. Two years later the band's fourth album called "Blood" was released. The album as well as the band has undergone a significant change in their musical direction, replacing almost all of the band members and experiencing more powerful electronic elements than the traditional Metalcore. This album also continued their success and put it in 15th place on the Billboard 200. 13. But all this was just a warm-up to the band's fifth, greatest, strongest, and most successful album, released in 2014. The band that found its musical uniqueness in the previous album, stepped up and strengthened the unique sides of it in this album. Although Maria writes all the lyrics and Chris all the music, this time they did it also with the rest of the band. The album was a resounding success and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. 14. At this stage Maria decided to change the band's live performance style and turned it into a theatrical show, with scenery, props, dancers, and special effects. Its purpose was to breathe life into songs so that the audience gets a full experience with the lyrics and music. (Photo: Jeremy Saffer) 15. The band's sixth album "Ritual" came out In 2017. This was a concept album created around the events of the "Salem witch trials" from 1692, in which women and men who practiced magic or were declared as witches or sorcerers, were persecuted and executed. The album is much more dramatic than the band's previous albums and even feels like part of a movie soundtrack. By the way, it came in 23rd place in the Billboard 200. 16. In March 2020, the band's seventh album "Mother" was released. The album continues the dramatic and electronic style of the previous album, but this time received mixed reviews. 17. On October 2023, the band released their eighth album "GODMODE". Four singles promoted the album, one notebily outstand which is the cover of the song "Army of Me" by "Bjork". 18. Maria has collaborated with various and diverse artists such as "Halestorm", "Papa Roach", "Five Finger Death Punch", "POD" and more ... 19. Maria is also a painter, who besides designing the set for the band's live shows also creates exhibitions. 20. She is considered one of the most beautiful women in the metal scene and in light of this she has won several awards and various beauty titles in the world of music. Listen to the band's album "GODMODE" on:   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 guitarist Uli Jon Roth, best known for his membership in the classic lineup of the "Scorpions". (Photo: Bluguitar.com ) He was born in Dusseldorf, Germany as Ulrich Roth, on December 18, 1954. He is the brother of guitarist Zeno Roth. He noted that his father, Carl-Joseph Roth, is his role model. His father instilled in him a love and knowledge of art, including painting and photography, writing poems, stories and novels. He learned to play classical guitar and piano. His early musical influences were "The Beatles", "Cream" and Jimi Hendrix . From the moment Roth saw Jimi Hendrix perform live as a teenager, in January 1969, he connected with the music and identified with the style that shaped him later on. Roth considers Jimi Hendrix to be one of the greatest artists of all time and has always stated that he was greatly influenced by him. Later Roth was also influenced by guitarists David Gilmour , Ritchie Blackmore and Jeff Beck . Roth discovered his love for the electric guitar in 1968 and made his first gig later that year, aged just 13, as the lead guitarist for the band "Blue Infinity". While in high school, Roth played in several bands in Hanover, Germany, including "Dawn Road". His influences at the time were Andrés Segovia and Julian Bream, but also the flamenco guitarist Manitas de Plata and the great violinist Yehudi Menuhin. In 1973, after the release of the debut album " Lonesome Crow ", Michael Schenker , who was Roth's friend, left the "Scorpions" to join "UFO". Before leaving the "Scorpions", Michael Schenker asked Roth to take his place in the band. Later that year, in the summer of 1973, the two original "Scorpions" members - Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine - joined forces with the four members of "Dawn Road" - Uli Jon Roth's band. Shortly after, the revived "Scorpions" made its debut, on a channel of German television. The two songs they played there led them to sign a 5-year recording contract with one of the biggest international record companies at the time, RCA. During his five-year tenure as a member of the "Scorpions", Roth built his status as a guitar legend. He quickly established himself as one of the main songwriters in the band and gained an international reputation as one of the guitarists who revived the status of the electric guitar at the time. Among other things, Roth is one of the first guitarists in the neo-classical metal genre who influenced generations of guitarists. Not for nothing he was nicknamed "father of neo-classical". He recorded five albums with "Scorpions" - one in each year he was a member of the band. The first was "Fly To The Rainbow" from (1974), followed by " In Trance " (1975), " Virgin Killer " (1976) and " Taken by Force " (1977). Roth's farewell album from "Scorpions", was a live album recorded in Japan in 1978 called " Tokyo Tapes ". It is known as one of the greatest live albums in rock history and has influenced dozens of musicians. In the spring of 1976, Roth met the German artist Monika Dannemann (who was with Jimi Hendrix in his last hours) in London. Soon the two began to develop an affair as Monica helps Roth and becomes his muse and the inspiration for his future works. Despite his friendship with the other members of the "Scorpions", in the last year of his membership in the band Roth felt that he was very limited within the musical boundaries of the "Scorpions". His main ambition was to explore new areas of music and it was clear to him that the songs he wrote at that time would not fit the musical framework of the band. Therefore, in the spring of 1977, Roth felt he had to leave the band to move forward on his own. After completing the recordings for " Taken By Force ", Roth tendered his resignation to the band, but still remained with the band for another year due to the sense of loyalty he felt towards his bandmates. Before their first tour of Japan - in April, 1978, Roth made it clear to the band that this would be his last tour as their lead guitarist. Roth's solo in the song "Sails of Charon" from the album " Taken By Force ", stands out with impressive speed and precision. The solo featured several classic techniques. Kirk Hammett "quoted" part of this insane solo in the song "Battery", the opening track of the masterpiece album " Master Of Puppets ". After leaving the "Scorpions" Roth founded "Electric Sun" - which was initially planned as a power trio in the tradition of "Cream" and "Jimi Hendrix Experience". The band's first album "Earthquake" - was released in 1979. Already in this album, Roth created a unique style that was unlike anything else. A combination of Hendrix with distinct classical leanings, especially in the theme track "Earthquake" - a ten-minute instrumental epic that introduced a completely new approach to guitar playing. The second "Electric Sun" album called "Fire Wind", was released in 1981 and was easier for the hard-rock-oriented listeners to digest. The standout track from it was a 4-part epic called "Enola Gay – Hiroshima Today?". In 1985 the band released their third album "Beyond The Astral Skies", an album Roth considers as his best album, which includes the single "The Night The Master Comes". At that time Roth started using the "Sky guitar" as his main guitar. This is a Roth designed guitar with a significantly longer fingerboard. The guitar created a buzz in the guitar industry because of its unique shape and ability to play much higher notes. Roth continued to develop musically and in the second half of 1987 he began to write complex compositions with the intention of merging the classical and symphonic world with the sound and style he produced from his "Sky" guitar. Unfortunately, the piece called "Sky Concerto" was never completed due to technical challenges related to the guitar, but these limitations gave Roth the idea to build the first seven-string "Sky" guitar - the Mighty "Wing". In 1991, Roth published the musical piece "Aquila Suite – 12 Arpeggio Concert Etudes for Solo Piano". In 1992, Roth wrote his first symphony, "Europa Ex Favilla", a work commissioned by a classical guitar festival in Belgium. In 1996, Roth released "Sky of Avalon – Prologue to the Symphonic Legends (with Sky Orchestra)" - a highly melodic symphonic rock album, containing several outstanding tracks, including "Starlight", "Winds of War" and " Bridge to Heaven". In April 1996, his old friend - Monica Denman passed away surprisingly. Roth immediately abandoned work on the album he was working on at the time "Soldiers of Grace" and began writing a requiem in memory of Monica. This double album is still unfinished although Roth considers the music he wrote to be some of his best and has stated that he intends to finish it at a later stage. In 1998, Roth accepted Joe Satriani 's invitation to join G3 on a European tour with Michael Schenker . The tour included a jam session with Brian May at London's Wembley Arena. In 2000, the double album "Transcendental Sky Guitar" was released, partially recorded live in Vienna. The album included many classical pieces, including Mussorgsky's "BABA YAGA" from 1874. In 2003, Roth recorded "Metamorphosis of the Seasons" containing a genius version of the work "The Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi. Roth wrote a "Fifth Season" based on themes from Vivaldi's masterpiece, the piece is called "Metamorphosis Concerto" and it ends the album. In 2005, Roth reunited with his old band "Scorpions". They have not appeared together on stage since the days of " Tokyo Tapes ", from 1978. In 2006 the "Scorpions" performed a reunion show at the world's largest heavy metal festival, "Wacken Open Air" in Germany, in front of more than 80,000 people with the participation of Roth, Michael Schenker and Herrman Rarebell. The concert led to a DVD release under the title "A Night to Remember". During that year, Roth founded a music school in Los Angeles and called it "Sky Academy", intended to share his musical philosophy. Over the years, Roth has gained a reputation as a gifted guitar player who can play almost anything without prior preparation. Because of this rare ability, Roth was often invited for spontaneous guest appearances with other artists, such as: "Deep Purple", "The Smashing Pumpkins", Slash , Jack Bruce, Rick Wakeman, Michael Schenker , Paul Gilbert, Doro , "Avantasia", Rachel Barton -Pine, Robbie Krieger, Leslie West, "Gamma-Ray", Richie Kotzen, "Angra", Gus G, "UFO and more. One of the examples of Roth's tremendous improvisational ability occurred at the "Rock Em Ring" festival in Germany in 2007 in front of an audience of about 90,000. Roth appeared as a guest of "The Smashing Pumpkins" on a televised show. Roth played some memorable, completely improvised solos there with Billy Corgan , including a 20-minute improvisation during the song "Gossamer," which proved to be the musical highlight of the evening. In the fall of 2008, Roth released the album "Under A Dark Sky" with "Sky Orchestra". A concept album that includes the monumental 18-minute epic "Tanz in die Dämmerung", the idea of ​​which was based on a novel of the same name written by Roth's father. In 2015, Roth released "Scorpions Revisited", a double album consisting entirely of early "Scorpions" songs given new life and exciting new performances. In the same year, Roth decided to establish his own "Sky Guitars" company called UJR-SKY-GUITARS - dedicated to the production of a new series and models of "Sky Guitars". One of the models featured an 8-string acoustic guitar with nylon strings, called the "Flamenco Sky Guitar". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He was in bands like "Rainbow", "Thin Lizzy", "Dio", he played with Gary Moore, Phil Lynott and recorded the bass roles for the album "Love at First Sting" with "Scorpions". He's a bassist who was part of great masterpieces in hard rock and metal, but not many know that he's also a singer and keyboardist. (Photo: Fin Costello) Here are some facts about Jimmy Bain: 1. He was born in Scotland on December 19, 1947. His full name is James Stewart Bain. 2. Already at a young age he started playing in local bands, but his first serious band was "Street Noise". 3. In 1974 he joined the music scene in London and joined the band "Harlot". 4. His big opportunity came in 1975 after guitarist Ritchie Blackmore watched him perform at "The Marquee" in London and invited him to join "Rainbow". 5. Bain recorded the album " Rising " with the band in 1976 and went on tour to promote it. 6. Bain later also appeared on the band's first live album - " On Stage " from 1977. 7. In January 1977 Ritchie Blackmore fired him from the band and Bain joined John Cale from the band "The Velvet Underground", accompanying him on a European tour. 8. In 1978 he formed the band "Wild Horses" which also included guitarist Brian Robertson from the band "Thin Lizzy". In addition to playing the bass, Bain also served as the lead singer and songwriter. 9. The band will release two studio albums. "Wild Horses" from 1980 and "Stand Your Ground" from 1981. 10. His friendship with Brian Robertson and Phil Lynott will lead him to play bass in the song "With Love" from Thin Lizzy's 1979 album " Black Rose: A Rock Legend ". 11. In 1980 Bain was featured on the album "Solo in Soho" - Phil Lynott 's first solo album. He played keyboards. Later he will also join the live line-up of Lynott 's as a keyboardist. 12. In 1982 he was featured on two songs from "The Philip Lynott Album", Phil Lynott 's second solo album, this time playing bass and singing background vocals. 13. In 1983 Bain played bass on the album "Dirty Fingers", Gary Moore's third solo album. 14. That same year he was asked by Ronnie James Dio to join his new solo lineup. Bain was part of a series of masterpiece albums released by the band in 1983-1987, namely: " Holy Diver ", " The Last In Line ", " Sacred Heart ", "Intermission", " Dream Evil ". In addition to playing bass, Bain will also play keyboards and will be a full partner in writing the materials for the albums. 15. Believe it or not, Bain also plays in three songs from singer Kate Bush's 1982 album "The Dreaming". 16. In 1984 he was commissioned by Rudolf Schenker to record the album "Love At First Sting". Although Bain recorded the bass roles for the album, following the band's management's opposition to adding a non-German member, his roles were re-recorded by bassist Francis Buchholz. 17. Bain was also part of a charity project by metal artists to raise donations for the victims of hunger in Africa - " Hear ' n Aid " from 1986. 18. In 1989 Bain formed the band "World War III" together with guitarist Tracy G who's also known for his work with "Dio". The band released its eponymous album in 1991. 19. In 2000 Bain will return to "Dio" for the band's excellent concept album " Magica ". He will later stay for the album " Killing the Dragon ", from 2002. 20. In 2005 he formed another band called "3 Legged Dogg", together with drummer Vinny Appice and guitarist Carlos Cavazo. The band will release an album called "Frozen Summer" in 2006. 21. In 2012 he formed together with the veterans of "Dio" a new band named "Last in Line", called after the second album of "Dio". The band consisted of guitarist Vivian Campbell , drummer Vinny Appice , keyboardist Claude Schnell and singer (guitarist) Andrew Freeman. 22. The band released their excellent debut album "Heavy Crown" in 2016. 23. That same year during the "Def Leppard" "Hysteria on the High Seas" cruise, the "Last in Line" was scheduled to perform as part of the set. 24. Unfortunately, on January 23, 2016, Jimmy Bain passed away in his cell, before performing with the band. To listen to the latest album he released with "The Last In Line" Click Here . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website