reviews, news & interviews

Birthdays on the Tube: 14-20 March

Rimsky-Korsakov, Sviatoslav Richter, Clare Grogan, Wilson Pickett and Sly Stone

by Peter CulshawMonday, 15 March 2010

Sly: reclusive funk genius

This week's birthdays include the impeccably funky Sly Stone and Wilson Pickett, manic Chopin played by the great pianist Sviatoslav Richter, lush orientalism from Rimsky-Korsakov, classic jazz from Bix Beiderbecke, and annoying pop from Clare Grogan.

15 March 1944: One of the funkiest beings ever to strut his stuff, Sly Stone (born Sylvester Stewart) and the Family Stone perform “Dance to the Music”. For the last 20 years he has been a virtual recluse, there are persistent rumours of a new album for 2010.

18 March 1941: Wilson Pickett performs “Mustang Sally” in a classic clip from the Sixties.

18 March 1844: Born 100 years earlier than Sly Stone, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s most famous work is the lush orientalist suite Sheherazade, composed in 1888, here performed by the Kirov Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev.

20 March 1915: The Soviet master-pianist Sviatoslav Richter in an absurdly fast version of Chopin’s Etude Op 10 No 4. Apparently, the film wasn’t speeded up.

17 March 1903: Bix Beiderbecke, the great jazz cornettist, in one of the high points of early Jazz, “Royal Garden Blues” from 1927, with his New Orleans Lucky Seven.

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17 March 1962: Clare Grogan of Altered Images sings their hit “Happy Birthday”. Annoying, but catchy. NME voted them new band of the year in 1981. But then it wasn't a vintage year for pop music. Happy Birthday, Clare!

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