F is for Fleetwood Mac, Firefall, Fine Young Cannibals, Foghat, Free, the Fixx and Foreigner!

DISCLAIMER THAT APPEARS AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL A-Z 2015 PAGES:

Welcome to the A-Z Musical Tour of My Life! I have wanted to put something like this together for a long time now and the A-Z Challenge just seemed like the perfect opportunity. I’ve compiled stories, trivia, research, music videos and live concert footage on all the bands and musical artists who have been important to me over the years, especially during my youthful years in the 60s and 70s. At first glance, the posts may seem long – and some of them are due to the number of videos included – but it’s really laid out in a way that will enable you to scroll through and read, see or hear just what you want and then either move on to the next A-Zer or linger and listen to the great music that you’ll find here. By all means, bookmark my blog so you can come back! In addition to individual songs, there are some full albums here for those who may want to enjoy some music while they’re surfing or working. I hope you find that the stories are entertaining, the information educational and the trivia interesting. It would be a tremendous honor if you would bookmark the A-Z Musical Tour of My Life as a resource for great music and music information! Now, let’s get started with…

If there weren’t so many wonderful F bands, I’d just dedicate the entire letter to one band and that would be Fleetwood Mac:

F is for Fleetwood Mac – the British-American band formed in 1967 in London. Others, though great, pale in comparison when it comes to passion. Fleetwood Mac’s music sinks into your soul and courses through your bloodstream. It’s brilliant!

I will still list other F bands that I love; however, just a warning: there are a lot of Fleetwood Mac videos here.

What is your favorite Fleetwood Mac song? Can you pick a favorite? Man, I have several. I tend to really fall in love with songs that don’t get the airplay that others do. In this case, my favorite, even though it’s very popular, it wasn’t as popular as many of their other songs, is the incredible The Chain. This is video of their 1982 Los Angeles concert on the Mirage Tour:

Here’s Go Your Own Way because sometimes you just gotta get a good hit of Fleetwood Mac. Here’s one with the lyrics (so we can see if we’ve been singing the wrong words all these years…)

Rhianon – from a 1976 performance. Stevie Nicks kicks ass!

Dreams – From the 1977 album “Rumours” (with lyrics):

Don’t Stop – “Don’t Stop” is a song by Fleetwood Mac, written by vocalist and keyboard player Christine McVie. Sung by Christine McVie and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, it was a single taken from the band’s 1977 hit album, Rumours. It is one of the band’s most enduring hits, peaking at number three on the Billboard singles chart.

You Make Lovin’ Fun – 

I wish I could simply post full albums here but copyright issues prevail. In addition to their Greatest Hits album (from 1988), I love the Tango album (1987).
Their “Tango” album is refreshing, especially with the vibrant cover art.

My favorite songs on this album are Big Love, Little Lies, Everywhere, Mystified, Isn’t It Midnight. 

 

 

Big Love –

Little Lies –

Everywhere –

Mystified –

Isn’t It Midnight –

 

F is for Firefall – I was fortunate enough to work with one of the original members of Firefall, singer/songwriter/guitarist Larry Burnett. I was working in Sales at WCXR, a classic rock radio station in Washington, DC and he was a DJ there. Great guy. I’m thrilled to see that he recently joined the other bandmates for a reunion back in 2008. And he’s busy with a solo career. You can read about Firefall’s history here but this is how they started back in 1974:

“In 1973 Rick Roberts and Jock Bartley first crossed paths when Bartley was on tour with Gram Parsons as a member of his backing band The Fallen Angels. Both The Fallen Angels and Roberts were performing in New York City at the same venue on consecutive nights. After the two were reunited back in their native Colorado, Roberts was impressed by Bartley’s guitar work and the duo soon began practicing together. Encouraged to form a band, they contacted bassist-singer Mark Andes (a former member of the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, who had temporarily retired to the mountains outside Boulder, Colorado), and Washington D.C. singer-songwriter-guitarist Larry Burnett, whom Rick had met in his travels earlier that same year, and coaxed them into joining their band, which they christened Firefall in 1974.

Roberts took the name from the Yosemite Firefall (1872 to 1968), a summertime tradition of dumping a cascade of flaming embers off Glacier Point in California’s Yosemite National Park.” Source: Wikipedia

I always like to know how bands got their names. I can just picture in my mind the Yosemite Firefall, can’t you? And their music is so fitting for that image. Firefall makes me want to sway and sing and it just makes my heart feel good. You know how music just does that to you sometimes?

These are my favorite Firefall songs.

Strange Way – Loved finding this live studio video, especially because it starts with a shot of Larry Burnett:

Livin’ Ain’t Livin’ – studio version from their first self-titled album (audio only):

Cinderella – this song was written by Larry Burnett and was one of their charting hits. Here’s a lyric video:

You Are the Woman – Live performance video: not sure of the year but looks to be a reunion performance:

Just Remember I Love you – from a 1979 concert in Houston, Texas:

So Long – from the 1978’s Elan album; studio version (audio only):

Goodbye Love – From the Elan album, 1978; photo-montage video:

Sweet & Sour – another song from the 1978 Elan album:

 

F is for FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS –  “The Fine Young Cannibals was a British band formed in Birmingham, England in 1984, by bassist David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox (both formerly of The Beat) and singer Roland Gift (formerly of the Akrylykz). Their self-titled 1985 debut album contained “Johnny Come Home” and a cover of “Suspicious Minds”, two songs that were top 40 hits in the UK, Canada, Australia and many European countries. Their 1989 album, The Raw and the Cooked, topped the UK and US Album charts, and contained their two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing”.

In 1990 the band won two Brit Awards: Best British Group, and Best British Album (for The Raw and the Cooked). Their name came from the 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood.”  (Source: Wikipedia)

Good Thing – performing on the Arsenio Hall Show, October 1989:

She Drives Me Crazy – music video:

 

F is for FOGHAT – Foghat is a British band formed in London in 1971. Their style is blues-rock, also known as “boogie rock.” They had much more success here in the States than they did in Britain, with eight gold records, one platinum record and one double-platinum record. Here’s Foghat from their tour last year (2013) doing Slow Ride: 

Fool for the City – from their 1975 album “Fool for the City”

Stone Blue – LOVE THIS SONG!! (audio only; video is static still of the 1978 album cover)

I Just Want to Make Love to You –

F is for FREE – Free was a British rock band that formed in 1968 and is best known for their hit Alright Now. They disbanded just three years after Alright Now came out and Paul Rodgers went on to become the frontman for Bad Company, taking Simon Kirke with him as drummer. Interestingly, after leaving Bad Company for a solo career in the 80s and 90s, Paul Rodgers joined up with Queen in 2008 as “Queen + Paul Rodgers.” He performed Free and Bad Company songs while on tour with Queen. Recently he and Simon Kirke are once again touring with Bad Company (2014).  Here’s Free performing their one big hit back in 1970:

F is for the Fixx –  is a British rock and new wave group formed in London in 1979. One Thing Leads to Another was my theme song for awhile and my excuse for getting into trouble. “Well, one thing just led to another and…”  Here’s the music video by The Fixx performing One Thing Leads To Another. (C) 2004 Geffen Records

Their other hit, Saved by Zero, is another really good song. Here’s the music video by The Fixx performing Saved By Zero. (C) 1983 Geffen Records

F is for Foreigner – How about some Foreigner? I used to cruise around in my ’71 Monte Carlo with Foreigner blasting from my 8-track player. Do any of these songs bring up fond memories for you? Tell me what these songs remind you of…

Feels Like the First Time (from their first album, Foreigner, 1977): this is the official video, from RhinoEntertainment.

Headknocker (Foreigner, 1977) 

Blue Morning, Blue Day (from their 2^nd album Double Vision, 1978) VEVO Music video by Foreigner performing Blue Morning, Blue Day. (C) 2011 Trigger Productions, Inc. Under exclusive license to Razor & Tie Recordings, LLC

Back Where You Belong (from their 2^nd album Double Vision, 1978)  Audio only; video is a static still of the album cover.

Head Games (the title track of their 3^rd album, 1979)

 

Which of these do you like best?  Who are your favorite F bands? Who did I forget?