King Arthur Movie Tristan

Keef.

It's hard to imagine that Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards lived to 65, and it would be easy to fire off a cockroach and Keith Richards joke and call it a birthday greeting. But I'll leave that to others.

It would be easy too, and entirely consistent with the tone of this blog, to comment on Keith Richards the guitar player. Maybe note that he is very underrated, talk about his use of open tunings, his sense of timing. But that's not what I'm going to do.

All fun aside, when your feting Keith you have to discuss the body of work from 1971 to 1974 at the least, from Sticky Fingers to It's Only Rock and Roll. Perhaps you could extend it backwards to 1969's Let it Bleed or 1967's Their Satanic Majesties Request or generously extend it forward to 1978's Some Girls.

But I will stick with 1971 to 1974, when Keith Richards was the driving creative force behind some of the greatest Rock and Roll ever produced, at any time, by anybody. It's for Gimme Shelter, Ain't Too Proud to Beg, It's Only Rock and Roll, Angie, Wild Horses, Brown Sugar and Can't You Hear Me Knocking to name a few. Great Rock and Roll that bears the creative imprint of Keith Richards more than any other person.

At Home in Hespeler wishes an unqualified happy 65th birthday to Keith Richards. However you got here, enjoy the day and thanks for the music.

C.F. Turner

When people think of Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) they think of Randy Bachman. But there where two surnames in the title and the second one was no less important to their success.

C.F. Turner was a guitar player turned bassist who backed as heavy a rhythm section as there was. More importantly, Turner was the de-facto lead vocalist who contributed lead vocals to classics such as Let it Ride, Roll on Down the Highway and Four Wheel Drive, not to mention lesser known but not lesser songs Not Fragile and Gimme Your Money Please.

To Fred Turner, the other big guy in the band, who surrounded himself with guys named Bachman, kicked it into Overdrive and took care of rock and roll business. For the last five years of the seventies he owned a piece of the world, and one summer night in 1975 he and his pals rocked the CNE where a young future blogger, at his first concert, became a life long rock and roll fan. Happy 65th Birthday.

Some times these are more obvious than others. The Roberts, Plant and De Niro; The Bonds, Daniel Craig, and Roger Moore: these are easy, and everybody knows who they are. But what about the guy who drummed in Rod Stewart's old band? The guy who replaced Kieth Moon in the Who? What about when he has a birthday?

Kenny Jones did indeed drum alongside Rod Stewart and Rolling Stone Ron Wood in the Faces, where they performed some true rock and roll magic. When it came time for the Who to try it out without Kieth Moon, Kenny Jones stepped in. Some of the Kenny Jones era Who is among my favourites, You Better You Bet (below) among them. I believe the Who may not have survived the 80's without a disciplined drummer who could keep the band tight at a time when bands were expected to produce a song, not a sound.

But who's kidding who? At Home in Hespeler celebrates Kenny Jones 60th birthday because of Stay With Me (also below), everything else he accomplished in his career being icing on the birthday cake.

Alex Lifeson.

My Rush fandom has suffered from diminishing returns since A Farewell to Kings back in 1977. While I still enjoy the early to late 70's Rush, and have a lot of time for later songs like Spirit of Radio, Limelight, Tom Sawyer and Freewill, none of those is why I salute Mr. Lifeson here today.

Alex Lifeson is one of a group of guitarists who shaped Rock and Roll in the latter 70's with their versatility. Along with the likes of Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Rik Emmet and Steve Morse classical, jazz and country guitar playing was added to the rock guitarists repertoire. It was that influence that I sought in my own playing that made me take up classical guitar, a pursuit I would come back to 20 years later and still do daily.

So happy birthday for all the songs mentioned above, certainly. Happy birthday for the albums 2112 and A Farewell to Kings, absolutely. But most of all, happy 55th birthday Alex Lifeson for the small instrumental intro to the song A Farewell to Kings. A piece that I just had to learn and which, along with others, began me on a long, albeit crooked path, which I follow still.

Robert Plant.

Despite the fact that Plant is the remaining member of Zeppelin who doesn't want to do that tour, who is keeping us Zeppelin fans from getting what we want (what we really really want), and keeping Jason Bonham from his millions, happy birthday.

Plant career spans 40 years, first with Led Zeppelin and, since 1982, as a solo artist. He has 8 solo albums, 9 Led Zeppelin albums, one six song EP, and his most recent effort, last years Raising Sand, in collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

Happy Birthday Robert Plant, and may there be many more releases... and at least one more tour.

It's one of those days when there are more than one birthday of note, and I have to chose who to honour.

First up is Robert De Niro. De Niro, who is responsible for the greatest acting performance of all time in The Godfather Part II, turns 65 today. That alone should qualify him for At Home in Hespeler birthday wishes, but add in Taxi Driver; New York, New York; Deer Hunter; Raging Bull; Good Fellas and the immortal "Harry Tuttle' In Brazil, and you've got yourself a tidy little career.

Then there's The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle, who turns 50. Back in 1982 or so she sexily fronted a band that kept some 19 year old guys of my acquaintance highly entertained. That Go-Go music didn't really make us dance, but we sure loved Belinda, and for that alone it should be happy 50th birthday Belinda Carlisle.

Finally Kevin Rowland turns 55 today. Rowland was the lead singer of the band Dexy's Midnight Runner's and in that role wrote one of the great songs in pop history, Come On Eileen. While De Niro has had, and continues to have an impressive career, and Belinda Carlisle gets hotty points, it is to one hit wonder Kevin Rowland who I wish a full and happy 55th birthday today. If only I could dance like that...

Loni Anderson.

I've stated before I normally save this space for the significant birthdays. However, there are always exceptions. I picked up season 1 of WKRP in Cincinnati while shopping in Buffalo last month, so I have been watching a lot of Ms. Anderson the past few weeks. Furthermore, I ended my July blogcation with a Newsweek cover featuring a young Jan Smithers, Anderson's WKRP co-star.

For those reasons, happy 62nd birthday Loni Anderson.

Jeff Beck

It is normal procedure here at At Home in Hespeler to celebrate milestone birthdays. There are, however, exceptions and if you happened to play guitar for The Yardbirds between 1963 and 1967, there's a good chance I will honour you whichever birthday. So happy 64th birthday Jeff Beck.

Here's a Yardbirds scene with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck on guitar: Beck is the one with the, ahem, guitar problems:



And if you really want to know why the fuss about Jeff Beck, here's an example of him at his soulful best:

Yes bassist Chris Squire.

The Led Zeppelin concert in December began with a series of singers/performers from Atlantic Records playing a song, maybe two. To kick it off they enrolled Alan White (Drums/Yes), Simon Kirke (timpani/Bad Company), Kieth Emerson (keyboards/ELP) and Chris Squire performing Emerson Lake & Palmer's Fanfare for the Common Man (Written by Aaron Copeland). It was unexpected, magical and the absolute highlight of an otherwise disappointing opening portion of the show.

For that magical moment, if not for Roundabout, happy 60th birthday Chris Squire.

He is way down my list of Bond's, although with only one movie below his belt he could well improve. However, he did get his giblets whipped and laugh about it, and that chase scene at the begging of Casino Royale is a classic.

But none of that is necessary. Here at Home in Hespeler, if you played James Bond and you have a birthday with a 0 or 5 in it, we offer the doffed chapeau.

Happy 40th birthday Daniel Craig. May your Bond learn the value of humour in your 40th year.

Molly Ringwald?

If the terminally cute and pouty Ms. Ringwald is 40, that must mean I'm...

Maybe I read that wrong, if only I had my bi-focals...

Dear God! Someone get me a midol...

Oh Hell! Happy birthday to Molly Ringwald anyway.

... Alice Cooper.

When we were kids he scared the hell out of our parents. Now he has one of the best radio shows going, Nights With Alice Cooper. In between, he gave us a pile of good old rock and roll, and managed (surprisingly, perhaps) to survive.

But it is for Welcome to My Nightmare, one of rock's greatest albums, that I offer Alice Cooper a happy 60th birthday.

...Jimmy Page. And thanks for the memory.

See you in the fall.

John Paul Jones.

He is the guy who stands under the ride cymbal of a couple of gentlemen named Bonham: he is soft spoken, has a bass guitar sound that growls and plays keyboards as if he's a conductor and the keys his orchestra.

He put the mellow in the yellow and the Led in the Zeppelin, he is the steady force that allows Jimmy Page the freedom to be the best rock guitarist in the world, and he is, hopefully, coming soon to a town near you.

Happy John Paul Jones, and may your 62nd year be spent touring with your old pals.

P. J. O'Rourke.

The writer/humourist did a nice job of breaking down Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations in last years On the Wealth of Nations: Books that Changed the World. It's a difficult book to handle, and O'Rourke did so deftly.

For that, for his years of satire, (many a blogger, myself included, knows how difficult it can be to write satire) happy birthday, and may you have 60 more.

... Roger Moore.

Most don't consider him the best Bond, and based on his later movies that's fair play. But he was James Bond longer than anyone else, and made more official Bond movies (seven) than any other actor. Besides, Live and Let Die is one of the best Bond movies, with my favourite chase scene in movie-dom (the boat chase through the bayous of Louisiana).

At Home in Hespeler wishes a Birthday, Happy Birthday to Roger Moore.

When they were piecing together The Band, they had to convince Garth Hudson's parents to let him join a rock and roll band. He gave the other members lessons to give an air of respectability to the enterprise and gain his parents OK.

When you think of The Band, it's hard not to think of wild looking Garth Hudson, a whisp of hair falling over his face, long mountain-man beard. The organ in Chest Fever, the Jews harp in Cripple Creek, as much a part of the band's sound as Levon Helm's scratchy vocals or Robbie Robertsons understated guitar playing.

Garth Hudson, from nearby Stratford Ontario, a significant force in what is arguably one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and possibly the greatest Canadian band, turns an unbelievable 70 today.

Happy Birthday Garth Hudson.

At Home in Hespeler wishes Berke Breathed, creator of Bloom County and Opus, a very special 50th THPFT!
And noting it's also William, the Prince of Whales' 25th, I was reminded of a series of Bloom County's that appeared back in the day (click on image to see a bigger sized).


What was that phrase? Oh yea, "off with 'is ead!!"

I bet his grandma used that about his brother recently.

Note: Updated and modified to add the 2 cartoon pages @ 5:33pm.

Happy 65th birthday to Paul McCartney, for:

The Long and Winding Road'
Band on the Run
Live and Let Die (the best ever Bond theme, the only one that has been covered and made a re-hit, the only one still played on the radio with any regularity).
Lady Madonna
Venus and Mars Rock Show ("It Looks a lot like the one used by Jimmy Page")
Hey Jude
I Saw Her Standing There
Blackbird
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-da
Sgt. Pepper
Elanor Rigby
Paperback Writer
Lady Madonna
When I'm 64
Eight Days A Week
That cool "bye, bye" at the end of Helen Wheels
&tc.

For all that, and the obvious ones I'm forgetting, happy 65th birthday, even if the new CD, Memory Almost Full, is nowhere near as good as too happy to please reviewers say it is.

... Bob Seger.

It is policy of At Home in Hespeler to celebrate milestone birthdays of performers who I feel have made my life a little better through their work. Some performers will be mentioned for birthdays that are not milestones. Such is Bob Seger.

Back on the road this year after ten years away, Seger does not get a mention here because I saw him last January, he gets a mention because his music has been some of the best out there. His show last January just re-confirmed it.

So happy birthday Bob, Rock and Roll truly has not forgotten.