Machine Gun Kelly’s singles made little impression on the mainstream charts. The man born Richard Colson Baker had released eight official singles in his own right plus several more as a guest artiste. The most successful of these was 2011’s Wild Boy, which also featured Waka Flocka Flame. It peaked at number 98 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
This, and some of his other releases, did find low to middling positions on the Hot R&B / Hip Hop Songs chart. But the best of these, 2015’s Till I Die, could only reach number 32.
His albums tell a different story. Machine Gun Kelly had made his name on America’s rap scene with a whole series of critically acclaimed and hugely popular mixtapes.
This popularity carried over to the albums market. His two LPs, 2012’s Lace Up and 2015’s General Admission, both hit number four on the Billboard 200. The former also peaked at number two on the Top Hip Hop Albums chart and the Top Rap Albums chart. The latter did even better taking pole position on both charts.
“I guess my fans don’t want to spend their money on one song,” remarked 26-year-old Machine Gun Kelly, or MGK for short. “It makes sense. They could get my singles along with a whole bunch of other songs on my mixtapes and albums.”
Significantly, Machine Gun Kelly is currently enjoying singles success with a song which is not yet available on any album. Bad Things, his duet with former Fifth Harmony singer Camila Cabello, has become by a long way his biggest hit to date so far peaking at number nine on the Hot 100.
“Working with Camila is a pretty good way to get a hit single. She has a big fan following from her time in Fifth Harmony.
“Camila didn’t want to only do Fifth Harmony-type songs for her solo work. She loved the idea of working with a rapper, particularly a bad boy rapper like me. I’ve collaborated on songs with a lot of artistes but never with someone who was a pure pop singer. Combining this mix of styles appealed to both of us.”
MGK and Camila co-wrote Bad Things with The Futuristics songwriting and production team. But there is another songwriting credit to Tony Scalzo of American rock trio Fastball.
“We used an adapted version of the chorus from a 1998 Fastball single called Out Of My Head. Tony wrote that song so it was only right that he should be given a credit.”
Speaking of credits, there is rather more to MGK than his musical output. He is an accomplished actor having appeared in several movies and television shows. Don’t look for Machine Gun Kelly in the credits though, his acting moniker is MGK’s real name, Colson Baker.
“I want to separate my music and acting careers as much as possible. That’s why I use my real name as an actor. In saying this, my first few acting roles did see me playing musicians. But everybody needs a break into the business so if mine was playing those kind of parts then that was fine by me. People got to see what I could do as an actor and I was subsequently offered roles which didn’t involve music.”
Machine Gun Kelly is also exploring the possibility of getting into the business side of films. He was the co-executive producer on his most recent movie, The Land.
“It is something which interests me. Being involved with all aspects of a film project from start to finish is something I would definitely enjoy. It would mirror the kind of involvement I have with my music.”
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Peter Sarstedt / The Sarstedt Brothers
The first week of January brought sad news with the passing of singer, songwriter and guitarist Peter Sarstedt. Originally mis-diagnosed as dementia, he died from progressive supranuclear palsy.
Born on December 10, 1941, in New Delhi, India, Peter’s parents were civil servants in the administration governing India in what was then part of the British Empire. It would be 1954 before the family returned to England settling in south London.
His parents were classically trained musicians. This natural ability was inherited by their children. Peter’s older brother, Richard, formed a skiffle group called The Fabulous Five. Other members included Peter and his younger brother Clive Sarstedt.
Richard was the first family member to find fame. He won a talent contest to sing an advertising jingle for Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate. This led to a management contract, a record deal and a name change to Eden Kane. He recorded five UK top ten hit singles including the 1961 chart topper, Well I Ask You.
Peter and Clive either road managed or played in Eden’s backing band during his years of fame. But his last hit was Boys Cry in January, 1964.
Clive also became a solo artiste recording under several names. His most successful single came in 1976. As Robin Sarstedt, he took a cover of Hoagy Carmichael’s My Resistance Is Low to number three on the UK chart.
While Clive/Robin was a genuine one-hit-wonder, it is often assumed that Peter shares this rather unwelcome distinction. In 1969, he spent four weeks atop the UK chart with Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)? The song, about a girl from the back streets of Naples who becomes part of the European jet-set, proved hugely popular world-wide topping the charts in 14 countries. It also earned Peter the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
He never achieved anything like this kind of success with any other song. But his follow-up, Frozen Orange Juice, did peak at number ten and his self-titled debut album, which featured both songs, reached number eight.
Peter’s music can still be enjoyed on YouTube. Frozen Orange Juice is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=k010JKRtUHc
Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)? is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=InMhrYBFIK0
A performance of the song on BBC Television’s Top Of The Pops can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxc34OrOx0s.
A longer version is available to hear at www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYx1qhnaaQ0
A sequel to Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)? was written for Peter’s 1997 album, England’s Lane. Entitled The Last of the Breed (Lovely 2), the song is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=B29oIr1A7No
Zuzu
Despite living in London, singer, songwriter and guitarist Zuzu Stranack is staunchly allied to her home city.
“I always insist on being billed as from Liverpool,” she says. “My family and most of my friends are there. I loved growing up in Liverpool and will always treasure the musical heritage it gave me.”
Zuzu plays her brand of indie-pop with the help of a three-piece backing band gathered from various sources in London. Her debut single, Get Off, was released last September. The video is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJxRPIOjoL4
She is back now with a new single, What You Want. Some of the accompanying video was filmed just across the River Mersey from Zuzu’s home city in the dockland area of Birkenhead. It can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoI_gXeAedc
Serpentyne
If you enjoy bands such as Nightwish and Within Temptation, you are likely to appreciate the music of English symphonic folk-rock sextet Serpentyne.
Quality musicianship backs the soaring vocals of Maggie-Beth Sand. Also a multi-instrumentalist, Maggie-Beth co-founded the band in 2010 with guitarist, keyboardist and hurdy-gurdy player Mark Powell. Other musicians have come and gone over the years but all have remained true to Serpentyne’s musical mix which ranges from hard rock to progressive folk.
The band have released three critically acclaimed albums. Their most recent, The Serpent’s Kiss, can be heard in full at www.musicglue.com/serpentyne/shop/categories/cd-and-mp3s
Each song can be accessed and downloaded.
Videos have been made for four tracks, The Dark Queen, Spirits of the Desert, Viking Blood and Helen of Troy. They can all be found at www.youtube.com/c/serpentyne
Their previous albums, 2010’s Stella Splendens and 2014’s Myths and Muses, are not so easy to find. Apart from a short preview video for the latter and two amateur YouTube videos on which the band gave permission for their song to be used as the soundtrack, Serpentyne have seemingly tried to remove all trace of their first two albums from the Internet.
They didn’t quite succeed. Songs from their earlier albums are posted at (no www.) pl.ayli.st/Serpentyne
Some of the songs do not match the given playlist but more material is there for you to hear if you enjoy Serpentyne’s music.
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