Happy Birthday, Viki

Born To Rock... Out...

Here goes... the last post for this feature (and I still haven't decided what's going to replace it), so I'm off to Wikipedia to see if I can find a good one to end the year on a high note! Wish me luck!

Dec. 31st, 1943 - Ending this feature on an "oldie-but-goodie", Peter Alexander Greenlaw Quaife, founding member of, and bass guitarist with, The Kinks (until 1969), was born...

And, because this is how long some of you will stay up today / tonight / tomorrow morning... "All Day And All Of The Night"...

Born To Rock...

Since this is the penultimate post of this feature, tonight you can have 3 celebrants and 2 videos...

First up, half of The Monkees were born today (in different years)...

Dec. 30th, 1942 - Robert Michael Nesmith (better known just as Michael Nesmith) and
Dec. 30th, 1945 - David Thomas Jones (Davy Jones) were born...

"I'm A Believer"... although I always think "Shrek" when I hear this song now...

And Dec. 30th, 1946 - Patricia Lee (or Patti) Smith, singer-songwriter and poet, was born...

A live, stripped-down, acoustic version of "Because The Night"...

Born To Rock...

Dec. 29th, 1965 - Bryan Keith Holland, better known as Dexter Holland, singer & rythym guitarist with The Offspring, was born...

"Original Prankster"...

Offspring-original prankster uncensored
Uploaded by radatdailymotion

Born To Rock...

God, I've just realised... I've only got a few more days of this feature left before my year's up!

Dec. 28th, 1978 - John Stephens , aka John Legend, is born...

"Ordinary People"...

Ordinary People ~ John Legend
Uploaded by Cehcw

Born To Rock...

Dec. 27th, 1952 - David Knopfler, younger brother of Mark, and rythym guitarist with Dire Straits for their first 2 albums, before relationships with his brother broke down and he went solo.

Since I'm limited by the fact David left Dire Straits in 1980/81, I can only really go with the classic "Sultans Of Swing" from the period that he was with the band... not that that's a bad thing, like...

Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing
Uploaded by pepindpom

Born To Rock...

Dec. 26th, 1963 - Lars Ulrich, drummer with (and co-founder of) rock giants Metallica, was born...

"Fade To Black"...

Born To Rock... Christmas Day...

I've known ever since I started this feature on January 1st this year, who would be my Christmas Day artist.

So, who have I chosen who interrupted their mummy & daddy's festivities demanding to be let out?

Dec. 25th, 1954 - Annie Lennox, half of Eurythmics, singer & songwriter, was born...

From this year, her cover of "Many Rivers To Cross"...

Born To Rock...

Dec. 24th, 1971 - Enrique Martín Morales, better known as Ricky Martin, was born...

"Livin' La Vida Loca"...

Ricky Martin - Livin La Vida Loca
Uploaded by mischa_kiss

Born To Rock...

Dec. 23rd, 1956 - David Michael Murray, guitarist & songwriter with Iron Maiden, is born...

"Can I Play With Madness"...

Born To Rock...

Okay, so you've had one third of The Bee Gees, so today you get the other 2/3rds...

Dec. 22nd, 1949 - Maurice Ernest Gibb (who died in 2003) and Robin Hugh Gibb were born...

"One"...

Born To Rock...

A guilty pleasure track today!

Dec. 21st, 1946 - Carl Dean Wilson, former lead guitarist (he passed away in 1998) and vocalist (sometimes lead, sometimes backup), and one of the founding members of The Beach Boys, was born...

"The Sloop John B"...

Born To Rock...

Dec. 20th, 1957 - Stephen William Bragg, aka Billy Bragg, singer & songwriter, is born...

Yes, I've had this video on before, but it was more than 2 years ago, so it's time for another airing... "Sexuality"...

This couldn't have come at a better time, because yesterday our tinpot local radio station played "A New England" by Kirsty MacColl, and this led to a "discussion" between boss, flunky and me over the relative merits of Kirsty's cover version against Billy's original...

I lost, since I was the only one who said that they preferred the original (incidentally, I couldn't find a video of the original, just live performances).

And does anyone remember the song he did for Childline (backed by the TV programme "That's Life")? It was a cover of The Beatles' "She's Leaving Home" featuring Cara Tivey, and was the flip side of Wet, Wet, Wet's cover of "With A Little Help From My Friends"... I always preferred Billy's song.

(Incidentally, I hope these clips are playing okay for you, because my internet is playing silly buggers and is running really sloooooooooow... meaning it's taken me the best part of an hour to complete this post).

Born To Rock...

Dec. 19th, 1958 - Christopher Hamill, better known as Limahl, former lead singer of Kajagoogoo (before they fired him and shortened their name to Kaja), was born...

Here's his solo hit (er... I say that like he only released one solo song... he didn't, but the rest of them... er... didn't do quite so well, shall we say?), "The Never Ending Story", from the film of the same name...

limahl - never ending story
Uploaded by kareem93

Born To Rock...

Dec. 18th, 1953 - Elliot Steinberg, better known as Elliot Easton, lead guitarist & background vocals for The Cars, is born...

"Drive"...

And who can forget the Live Aid film backed by this song?

There's still need out there, folks... How about buying a "Big Issue" or putting a quid in a charity collection box as you're busy buying good things and "last minute" presents this year? Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a roof over their heads and loving families to spend the holidays with...

Born To Rock...

Dec. 17th, 1964 - David Walls, better known as Ginger, guitarist, singer & songwriter with The Wildhearts, is born...

"I Wanna Go Where The People Go"...

Born To Rock...

Dec. 16th, 1949 - Billy F Gibbons, aka Reverend Willie G, the guitarist & lead vocalist (and one of the beardy ones) from ZZ Top, is born...

Their cover of Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas"...

A couple of interesting facts picked up off Wikipedia as I was checking out the band...

Billy Gibbons is an ordained minister and can perform weddings in 49 US states... presumably Las Vegas (yes, I know it's not the state) among them!

And ZZ Top are one of very few bands to have had the same line up for the whole of their career... which is almost 40 years long!

Born To Rock...

Dec. 15th, 1955 - Paul Gustave Simonon, bassist with The Clash, was born...

A song written and sung by Simonon... "The Guns Of Brixton"...

His image also graces one of the iconic album covers of all time...

Born To Rock...

Dec. 14th, 1958 - Peter "Spider" Stacy, former co-vocalist and tin whistle player with The Pogues - and lead vocalist for the last 2 albums - was born...

And, really, there's only one Pogues' song you can play this time of year, isn't there?

"Fairytale Of New York", with the late, great Kirsty MacColl (and it's hard to believe that this coming Thursday it will be 8 years since she was tragically killed)...

Born To Rock...

Dec. 13th, 1974 - Amy Lynn Hartzler, best known by her maiden name, Amy Lee, lead singer of Evanescence, is born...

"My Immortal"...