For some of us, reading or learning more about our favorite musicians or a legendary performance is almost as good as the performance itself. At the very least, a little of the backstory helps inform our appreciation for the music we love, enhancing both the listening and viewing experience.

As music fans ourselves here at The Speek, we've discovered numerous websites and online resources that may provide you with some added insight into the stars, songs and stage performances featured in our catalogue.

If you've got a favorite site or two that you think we or our other visitors might enjoy, send us a message.
If you have an appropriate website and would like to swap links with us, we'd love to hear from you, too.

Happy surfing!

Beatles

Beatles Examiner – For the latest news on all things Beatle-related, or for timely looks back at significant events in the Fab Four’s history, there’s no better source than Steve Marinucci’s Beatles Examiner column.  Check out his archives and sign-up for his regular dispatches regarding John, Paul, George & Ringo.  http://www.examiner.com/beatles-in-national   

Beatle Links – Here’s your portal to the world of Beatle sites on the Web.  A great jumping-off point to all sorts of Fab blogs, news and resource sites.  http://www.beatlelinks.net/links/

Beatle News – One of the best Beatles sites on the Web is David Haber’s BeatlesNews.com.  His in-depth coverage of all things Fab is always current and fascinating.  We’re not sure if David’s older site, BeatlesAgain is still being updated or not, but there’s lots of good reading there, too.  http://www.beatlesnews.com/ & http://www.beatlesagain.com/  

Beatles Number 9 – Fans of the Beatles’ “White Album” will understand the origin of this site’s name.  Sitemaster Dave Holmes assembles a comprehensive report of current Beatles news, as well as providing great historical accounts of past Fab events.  Lots of links, too, to other Beatle resources.  http://beatlesnumber9.com/

I Am The Beatles – Billed as “The Beatles History, Albums, Songs, Lyrics, and What They Mean, and More!”, I Am the Beatles is fan John T. Marck’s lovingly annotated and curated site examining the recorded works and events of the Fabs throughout their entire timeline and beyond.  http://www.iamthebeatles.com/

Rare Beatles – Rarities, collectibles, photos, resources and more—Mitch McGeary’s RareBeatles site is a treasure trove for the casual Beatle fan and hardcore collector alike.  Check the site out for a few minutes and you’ll be there for hours.  http://www.rarebeatles.com/  

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton.com – The official Slowhand site.  http://www.ericclapton.com/

Where’s Eric.com – The companion site to Eric Clapton fanzine of the same, Where’s Eric? is one of the best and most up-to-date of the non-official sites devoted to Clapton.  http://www.whereseric.com/

Eric Clapton Music News – One of the most professional fan sites on the Web.  News posts are current, and it's rich with exceleent articles, interviews and photos.  This site should be on the "Favorites" list of any Clapton fan.  http://www.ericclaptonmusicnews.com/  

The Yardbirds – The Yardbirds may have been a quick stop in Clapton’s lengthy resume, but it was a significant one.  This site chronicles the past and current activities that spawned the top three British guitar legends: Clapton, Beck and Page.  http://www.yardbirds.us/

Phil Collins

Phil Collins.com – The official site for the Genesis drummer, front man, solo star, sideman, songwriter, producer and now, sadly, self-proclaimed retiree.  http://www.philcollins.co/ukus

Genesis Movement – Simon Funnell’s got the best, most up-to-date fan site going chronicling the history and music of Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Steve Hackett.  http://www.genesis-movement.org/

Bob Dylan

Bob Links – Site-master Bill Pagel has created a remarkable resource for Bob Dylan fans.  With links to dozens of Dylan fan sites, memorabilia galleries and publications, BobLinks is a tremendous portal to exploring Dylan on the Web.  http://www.boblinks.com/

Expecting Rain – Karl Erik Andersen finds all the Dylan articles, videos and posts on the Web so you don’t have to.  An amazing amount of research goes into this up-to-the-minute current resource site on all things Bob.  Highly recommended.  http://expectingrain.com/  

Bob Dylan Isis – The companion site to Isis, the longest-running Bob Dylan fanzine in print.  Founded by editor Derek Barker, the website features news, tour information and a Dylan discography, as well as links to products sure to interest both casual and devoted Dylan-ites.  http://www.bobdylanisis.com/

Four Tops

Four Tops Official Site – Managed by founding group member Duke Fakir, The Original Four Tops site features bios and photos of the legendary quartet’s original members, as well as the current line-up.  Find out when this legendary cornerstone of the Motown Sound will be appearing near you.  http://www.thefourtopsoriginal.com/

George Harrison

George Harrison.com – The official site of “the Quiet Beatle”.  http://www.georgeharrison.com/

See Beatles Newsunder Beatles Links

Elton John

Elton John World – Site manager George Matlock bills this site as “more than a virtual fan club,” and that it is.  Elton John World  is a wonderful resource site for news, tour dates, merchandise and more.  http://www.eltonjohnworld.com/

Bernie Taupin’s Official Site – Elton himself would be the first to tell you that without Bernie Taupin, there’d be no Elton John.  As EJ’s songwriting partner and chief creative collaborator for nearly 45 years, Taupin’s lyrics are among the most poetic and celebrated in Rock & Roll History.  “Your Song”, “Tiny Dancer”, “Rocket Man”—just three of the hundreds of songs stamped with Bernie’s indelible gifts of story and imagery.  Enjoy BT’s personal blog, keep up-to-date on the latest Elton-Taupin news or shop the merchandise store.  Tell Bernie we said “hi”!   http://www.berniejtaupin.com/index.php

Elton Fan – Stephan Heimbecher’s fan site devoted to Captain Fantastic is a remarkably up-to-date source for current events and happenings in Elton’s busy life.  Multiple daily posts are not uncommon and form, almost, a diary of EJ’s activities.  http://www.elton-fan.com/

Elton John Rocks – News, Photos and Tour Information all in one smart and good-looking site, courtesy of Richard Booth.  http://www.eltonjohnrocks.com/ 

Eltonography – David Bodoh’s online Elton Discography.  A great resource.  http://eltonography.com/

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney Examiner – Beatles Examiner Steve Marinucci does double duty covering both the Fab Four and Macca for the Examiner.com.  If there’s something McCartney-related that’s newsworthy, Steve will be reporting it.  http://www.examiner.com/paul-mccartney-in-national

Macca Central – “Macca”, by the way, is what the British press has called Paul McCartney for the past 40 years or so.  So, as you might guess, Macca Central is an online hub for McCartney news, information and tour dates.  Webmaster Mike Kovacich keeps the site current and fresh.  http://www.macca-central.com/

Paul McCartney.fm – The companion site to the only international Paul McCartney fan club magazine currently published.  http://www.paulmccartney.fm/

See Beatles Newsunder Beatles Links

Moody Blues

Moody Blues Today – The official site for the band on the eve of its Golden Anniversary.  http://www.moodybluestoday.com/

Moody Blues Links – Fan Ken MacLeod’s link site to all the great Moodies sites and resources on the Web.  http://www.tstonramp.com/~macleod/moodylk.htm 

Moody Web – Another fan site with current news and tour information, as well as archived interviews with members of the band.  http://moodyweb.tripod.com/

Moody Blues World – Linda Bernier’s photo journal of the Moodies’ tours over the years.  http://www.moodybluesworld.com/

Van Morrison

Van Morrison News – Van Morrison guards his work, his image and his privacy zealously.  As a result, you won’t find many websites devoted to Van the Man.  One notable exception is John Gilligan’s fine Morrison site.  Our guess is that Van approves, too, or John’s good work wouldn’t be there for us to appreciate.  There’s news, photos, music and resources in abundance on the site, so pop on a classic Van album and enjoy.  http://vanmorrisonnews.blogspot.com/  

Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop & the Stooges – Official site of the godfathers of Punk Music.  http://www.iggyandthestoogesmusic.com

Iggy Pop.org – In this case, we’re not entirely sure what the .org stands for, but this is Cathy Benson Burke’s news and tour information site for all honorary Stooges and Stoogettes.  http://www.iggypop.org/

Otis Redding

Otis Redding.com – The official site for the legendary soul man.  http://otisredding.com/

Steve Cropper’s Official Site – Whether you grew up listening to Sam & Dave’s classic ‘60s “Soul Man” or the Blues Brothers’ ‘70s remake, when you hear Sam Moore or John Belushi shout “Play it, Steve,” they’re talking about this guy, Memphis guitar legend Steve Cropper.  As a member of Booker T. & the MGs or as Otis Redding’s songwriting partner and producer, Cropper has left an indelible stamp on the history of soul music.  Check out his personal website.  http://www.playitsteve.com/

Otis Redding French Fan Site – The late Otis Redding may be revered even more overseas than in his native U.S.  Jean Paul Pecreaux's tribute site to Otis may require translation for the non-French-speaking, but it is loaded with remarkable images and photos of Redding and related memorabilia.  http://www.otisredding.fr/

Stax Records French Fan Site – Another great French export, but this one’s in English.  Lovingly curated by Patrick Montier, this site is loaded with photos and info on Otis and his fellow labelmates of the legendary Stax Records.  http://staxrecords.free.fr/ 

Tina Turner

Tina Turner Fan Club – The official site of the International Tina Turner Fan Club.  Operated by Elle Denneman, this is your best destination for Tina news, photos and tour information.  http://www.tinaturnerfanclub.eu/

Ike & Tina Turner – Controversy surrounding the late Ike Turner and his marriage to Tina has sadly obscured the duo’s enormous musical legacy.  This fan site helps redress that with great information, music and video clips.  http://www.ikeandtinaturner.com/

Great Music Sites & Blogs

Classic Rock Legends – A great companion site to any Classic Rock radio station or album collection.  Lots of in-depth reporting on the stars that form the foundation of this musical format.  http://www.classic-rock-legends-start-here.com/ 

Classic Rock Revisited – News, Interviews, Concert Reviews and videos of the leading luminaries of Classic Rock. Highly recommended.  http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/ 

Forgotten Hits – One of our favorite music blogs.  For more than a dozen years, Kent Kotal has been writing about, and leading an online community dedicated to those great old records you rarely hear on the air anymore—the 1950s on thru the ‘80s.  He’s built a large and loyal readership, among which are many legendary recording stars and broadcasters of the Rock/Pop & Soul Era.  You never know who’s going to write in.  There are tons of great archived articles and interviews here—we’re still trying to read them all.  http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/

Motown Alumni Association – Are you a Motown fan?  What a silly question.  Who isn’t?  Detroit resident Billy Wilson knows just about everybody associated with the legendary record label, and most of the other musical stars to emerge from the Motor City.  The Motown Alumni Association  provides regular news, updates and touring schedules of all the legends from Berry Gordy’s stable of stars and new emerging talents as well.  http://motownalumniassociation.ning.com/

Mr. Pop Culture – Self-proclaimed “Mr. Pop Culture”, Gary West, takes an entertaining look at vintage music, as well as all other aspects pop history, including TV, film and more.  Interesting calendar timelines here, too.  http://www.mrpopculture.com/

Prog Archives – This site features music discographies from 6,104 bands & artists, 31,698 albums (LP, CD and DVD), 384,869 ratings and reviews from 33,308 members who also participate in their forum.  But who’s counting?  Quite the resource for the Prog Rock fan.  http://www.progarchives.com

Second Hand Songs– Perhaps the largest database on the Web devoted to popular songs and the artists who recorded them.  http://www.secondhandsongs.com/

So Many Records – Almost every day, this site’s secret webmaster –a former record company exec—dusts off a classic or obscure 45 from Rock & Roll’s first five decades and gives it a spin here.  It might be a lost Soul classic today, a British Invasion gem tomorrow or some obscure Folk-Pop number the next.  The selections are eclectic, always fascinating, and your host’s write-ups of the song’s backstory or tale of how it figured prominently in his life always “ups” the entertainment quotient a 100%.  Sharing one’s record collection, in our opinion, is a fundamentally generous act of humanity.  http://www.somanyrecordssolittletime.com/

Soulful Detroit – A warning to Soul music fans: a visit to this site will results in untold hours lost to the wonders of the archived stories found here.  Any entity devoted to Detroit soul music is bound to be Motown-centric, but this one manages to give equal time to the many other labels and musicmakers of the Motor City.  http://www.soulfuldetroit.com/index.html

Soulful Kinda Music – Over 1300 artists discographies can be found here.  An important resource at your fingertips.  http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/

Soul Music.com – With a Web address like this, you’d better deliver the goods, and sitemaster David Nathan does.  Long-revered as Britain’s Ambassador of Soul, Nathan has been authoring columns and books and compiling music anthologies devoted to the greats of Rhythm & Blues and Soul music for decades.  Soul Music.com is not only a great resource site, you’ll find lots of great temptations (pun intended) in the site’s store as well.  http://www.soulmusic.com/

Soul Patrol– Blogger Bob Davis sees Soul music as not just a period piece, but an essential component in the ongoing continuum of popular music.  Good reading and news to be found here.  http://www.soul-patrol.com/

Soul Source– Largely a community site for soul music fans to share stories and opinions on their vintage black plastic platters—records, that is.  http://www.soul-source.co.uk/

Soul Walking– Thank goodness for British music fans.  Historically, they’ve done a much better job of documenting, curating and preserving American Soul music history than we Yanks have.  Toby Walker’s Soul Walking is one of those sites that does just that.  Explore its archives liberally for stories and interviews from performers both legendary and obscure.  http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/index.html  

Spectropop– With a strong, but not exclusive focus on pre- British Invasion, American pop music, Spectropop is a favorite site among ‘60s music fans, and with good reason.  The depth Of Jamie LePage’s knowledge and coverage of this era results in definitive articles and interviews with musicmakers who would otherwise be lost to time and obscurity.  Highly recommended.  http://www.spectropop.com/

Treasure IslandOldies – Former record company exec Dave Godin’s blog typically focuses on lost and classic hits from Rock & Roll’s Golden Era.  He frequently asks his readers to cast their vote in selecting which videos and audio clips he features on his site.  A true music man of the people!  http://treasureislandoldies.blogspot.com/

Vintage Rock – Lots of great articles, photos and giveaways(!) on this site.  We love the swag!  http://www.vintagerock.com/