Singer/songwriter Bobby Whitlock, who worked with many rock music luminaries over the years, has died.
He came to Eric Clapton’s attention when he was with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends was a founder member of Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton and others. He was of the opinion that that band was the best on the planet, “better than anybody.”
He was a major contributor to their LP Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, the only one the band managed to complete, co-writing six songs with Clapton and was the sole writer of Thorn Tree in the Garden.
Derek and the Dominos: Thorn Tree in the Garden
The band’s first single was Tell the Truth.
Derek and the Dominos: Tell the Truth (Single Version)
Clapton thought it was too fast (it does undeniably have energy) and it was re-recorded for the album.
This is a reworking of the song Whitlock made for his second solo album.
Bobby Whitlock: Tell the Truth
Robert Stanley Whitlock: 18/3/1948 – 10/8/2025. So it goes.
Despite the fact that he had health problems it was still a surprise to hear of the death of Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne since he had appeared on stage at the band’s final concert only a few weeks ago, albeit from a sitting position.
His band has a claim to be the founders of heavy metal. Whatever, they certainly had a profound influence on the genre.
I featured their – perhaps untypical – song, Changes, here.
This was the first track on their second LP, Paranoid, which gave them their first and biggest hit.
Black Sabbath: War Pigs
John Michael (Ozzy) Osbourne: 3/12/1948 – 22 /7/2025. So it goes.
Mick Ralphs, guitarist with Mott the Hoople and Bad Company among others, died last week. He apparently left Mott the Hoople as the songs he was writing were not suited to singer Ian Hunter’s voice.
They found a compatible home with Paul Rodgers, though, when they formed Bad Company along with Simon Kirke and Boz Burrell.
This is a live version of their first hit, which Ralphs wrote.
Bad Company: Can’t Get Enough
Michael Geoffrey (Mick) Ralphs: 31/3/1944 – 23/6/2025. So it goes.
I’ve said before that writing love songs, good love songs, is not easy but that David Gates seemed to do it effortlessly. (That last word is doing him a disservice I’m sure.)
The lyric of this song again has issues with grammar but that’s popular music for you.
The Guardian only printed the obituary of Joey Molland, guitarist with Badfinger on Wednesday 7/5/25 but it must have been on its website for over a month.
Clem Burke, the driving force behind Blondie’s insistent sound, died last week.
While singer Debbie Harry grabbed most of the attention it is doubtful if Blondie would have achieved the success they did without Burke’s powerful drumming propelling them along.
This was their second UK hit.
Blondie: (I’m Always Touched by) Your Presence, Dear
Clement Anthony Bozewski (Clem Burke:) 24/11/954 – April 6/4/2025. So it goes.
Brian James, founder member of punk rock band The Damned, died on 3/3/2025. Punk rock wasn’t really my thing but it was undeniably a significant part of the late 1970s musically.
This song, written by James, wasn’t a hit in the UK but is very familiar from radio play in the years since.
Brian Robertson (aka Brian James ) 18/2/1955 – 6/3/2025. So it goes.
Singer Roberta Flack died earlier this week. Her signature style was reserve, not flamboyance or over-indulgence, and her records were the better for it.
Not her biggest UK hit (that would be Killing Me Softly With His Song) but her first. An all-but perfect rendering of a song Kirsty’s dad Ewan McColl wrote for Peggy Seeger.
Roberta Flack: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Roberta Cleopatra Flack: 10/2/1937 – 24/2/2025. So it goes.
