Posts From Jeff Tamarkin

Jeff Tamarkin

Jeff Tamarkin

Best Classic Bands Editor Jeff Tamarkin has been a prolific music journalist for nearly five decades. He is formerly the editor of Goldmine, CMJ and Relix magazines, has written for dozens of other publications and has authored liner notes for more than 80 CDs. Jeff has also served on the Nominating Committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and as a consultant to the Grammys. His first book was 'Got a Revolution! The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane.' He is also the co-author of 'Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc.,' with Howard Kaylan, and 'Carlos Santana: Love, Devotion, Surrender: The Illustrated Story of Santana's Musical Journey.'
REVIEWS: Album Rewinds

‘Ringo’: His 1973 Solo Breakthrough, With a Little Help From You Know Who

Although he’d had a couple of solo hits post-Beatles, the albums just weren’t happening. Then he reached into his phone book and made a few calls.

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The Scene: How the Song Came to Be

The Gentrys’ ‘Keep on Dancing’: Behind the ’60s Garage Classic

The Memphis septet took an obscure R&B tune and turned it into a top 5 rocker in 1965. The story behind the recording—and the band—is fascinating.

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REVIEWS: Books

Willie Nelson: A New Book Analyzes His Massive Album Catalog

This handsome new hardcover book is stocked with factual details on every album, along with analyses of the music within.

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FEATURES: Interviews

Leslie West on Playing With Jimi and The Who

The Mountain man recalls his solo years and jam sessions sitting in with fellow rock giants, and much more.

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

The Mighty Manfred Mann: From ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ to ‘Blinded By the Light’

They underwent frequent personnel changes, including several lead singers—and they were named after the keyboardist—but they kept producing hits.

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FEATURES: Interviews

An Interview with Dion: The Bronx, the Blues & Beyond

“If you are looking to retire you’ve probably been in the wrong job. I do what I love now.”—Dion

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

17 Classic Chuck Berry Covers

The legend, who may have invented rock and roll, died at 90 in 2017. To celebrate his legacy, we’ve chosen 17 of his best, by some of his biggest fans.

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

1973: The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums

We looked back at hundreds of albums released in 1973 and whittled the list down to the 50 that we think represent the cream of the year’s crop.

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The Scene: The Classic Rock Legacy

‘MacArthur Park’: The Jimmy Webb Recipe for a Hit

“Someone left the cake out in the rain/I don’t think that I can take it ’cause it took too long to bake it.” Love it or hate it, here’s the story.

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FEATURES: Interviews

Randy Bachman of the Guess Who & BTO: Interview

In our extensive conversation, the Canadian rock great tells the story of his biggest hits with two legendary classic rock bands.

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