In 1969, Cher was past her initial folk-pop successes with husband Sonny, but hadn’t yet launched her smash 1970s variety television program. She’d issue the most interesting project of her career.

Here’s a preview of a track from Ringo Starr’s forthcoming solo album, Ringo 2012. “Wings” is actually a badly needed remake of a song Starr co-wrote some 35 years ago.

Improperly named, the Average White Band was anything but. First off, one of the rhythm guys, at least by this point, wasn’t white. Second, and this is far more important, they funked it up with a vigor and style that would never be confused with average.

by Nick DeRiso The 1970s weren’t all shag carpeting and plaid pants. OK, they were. But not all of it sucked. Really. We’ve done the research. If it meant dusting off the turntable, digging out the flared pants, and fro-ing up their hair again? Well, those are the sacrifices that must be made in the name of science …

When Ringo Starr recently announced that he wouldn’t be responding to any more fan mail, it occurred to me that he must be completely unaware of the disastrous foibles he’s unleashed on a loving but ultimately unwitting fanbase. Certainly likeable (at one time, anyway), Starr was and is a drive-by celeb, someone so lightning-strike lucky to have replaced Pete Best [...]

The music of Norah Jones is the elephant in the living room here at Something Else! that we probably can’t ignore forever. Her brand of country-flavored jazz had given millions of people in our age demographic a reason to buy their first CD in years. Still, we’ve resisted chatting her up because while she’s undeniably a talented singer, piano player [...]

by Pico When I initally got into fusion jazz in the mid to late seventies, Jean-Luc Ponty was one of the first artists I became a fan of, and I still dig his music today. He’s been an enduring figure on the scene, having been recording for over forty years with the large majority of his output falling into the [...]