Blackbird (band)

Formed by brothers Chip and Tony Kinman after they dissolved their cowpunk band Rank and File, Blackbird were an electronic post-punk band. The Kinman's harmony-enhanced singing was as mellifluous as the vocal sound they had established in Rank and File, while the songwriting structure was pop music-inspired. The pop elements were anchored by a grungy-sounding Yamaha RX-5 drum machine, Tony's throbbing 8th-note bass lines and thickened by Chip's heavily distorted and echo-y guitar lines.

Blackbird marked the third distinct musical style embraced and perpetrated by the Kinmans, first with punk rock (The Dils), followed by country punk (or cowpunk) with Rank and File, and finally the abrasive, metallic techno-pop of Blackbird.

The band's oeuvre includes three eponymous albums, the first two released by Iloki Records and produced by then-Butthole Surfers sound tech, Ric Wallace. Subsequent releases include the last album (also eponymous) released on Scotti Bros. in 1992; following the third and final full-length release, Iloki Records hired Braindead Soundmachine's Cole Coonce to produce updated versions of songs the brothers had success with in previous bands, "Class War" by The Dils and "Amanda Ruth" by Rank and File.

Blackbird (Beatles song)

"Blackbird" is a song by the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). The song was written and performed as a solo effort by Paul McCartney, though credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney has stated that the lyrics of the song were inspired by the unfortunate state of race relations in the United States in the 1960s.

Origins

McCartney explained on Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road, aired in 2005, that the guitar accompaniment for "Blackbird" was inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach's Bourrée in E minor, a well-known lute piece, often played on the classical guitar. As teenagers, he and George Harrison tried to learn Bourrée as a "show off" piece. The Bourrée is distinguished by melody and bass notes played simultaneously on the upper and lower strings. McCartney adapted a segment of the Bourrée (reharmonised into the original's relative major key of G) as the opening of "Blackbird", and carried the musical idea throughout the song.

Blackbird (land yacht)

The Blackbird is an experimental land yacht, built by Rick Cavallaro and John Borton of Sportvision, sponsored by Google and Joby Energy in association with the San Jose State University aeronautics department to demonstrate that it is possible to sail directly downwind faster than the wind. In a test supervised and recognized by the North American Land Sailing Association in July 2010, Cavallaro achieved a speed of 27.7 mph (44.6 km/h) in 10 mph (16 km/h) winds: almost three times the speed of the wind.

History

In 2006, following a viral internet debate started by Rick Cavallaro as a brain teaser, a propeller-driven land yacht was built and filmed, demonstrating that it is possible to sail 'dead' downwind faster than the wind by the power of the available wind only.

In 2009, professor Drela of MIT worked out the equations for such a device and concluded that one could be built "without too much difficulty". Other researchers arrived at similar conclusions.

In the same year, after being challenged that the video was a hoax, team members Rick Cavallaro and John Borton of Sportvision, sponsored by Google and in association with the San Jose State University aeronautics department, built a test vehicle nicknamed Blackbird. A year later, in 2010, Cavallaro successfully tested the vehicle, achieving more than 2 times the speed of wind, definitively demonstrating that it is possible to build a vehicle which can achieve the claim. A second test with an improved vehicle in 2011 reached close to 3 times the speed of wind.

Wings (Ringo Starr song)

"Wings" is a song by Ringo Starr, originally recorded for and released as a single from, the album Ringo the 4th. It was co-written with Vini Poncia in 1977. Starr later re-recorded it, produced by Starr and Bruce Sugar, and released it as a single from his 2012 studio album, Ringo 2012.

Recording

"Wings" was re-recorded for Ringo 2012. Starr on the 2012 re-recording: "This is a song I first recorded on Ringo the 4th back when an album meant vinyl. These are different days, and it's one of those songs I always wanted to revisit. I wrote "Wings" with Vinnie Poncia in New York, and he doesn't know I've done this yet. I'm going to surprise Vinnie and send it to him...For the last two years, I've been listening to a lot of reggae, so this album has a reggae feel to it. What can I tell you? I'm a product of my environment. I always loved the sentiment of this song, and I'm glad we finally got it right." A live version by Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band recorded live in Atlanta, was released on the Hurricane Sandy charity compilation, Songs After Sandy: Friends of Red Hook for Sandy Relief.

Wings (1968 band)

Wings was a folk rock band from the late sixties (not to be confused with the band later formed by Paul McCartney). The band members were veterans from an assortment of other sixties bands. Initially, the band was made up of Oz Bach of Spanky and Our Gang on bass, Pam Robins of Serendipity Singers sang, and on guitar Eddie Simon, younger brother of Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel. Before their first and only album was recorded, Eddie Simon was replaced with Jim Mason who co-wrote the Peter, Paul and Mary song "I Dig Rock and Roll Music". Also playing in the band were keyboardist Steve Knight, who later joined Mountain, Jefferson Airplane drummer Jerry Peloquin, and guitarist Jack McNichol.

History

In the summer of 1968, the band began playing as an opening act for Big Brother and the Holding Company and Sly and the Family Stone. They soon signed to the record label ABC Dunhill Records, and recorded their only album at Sunset Sound with producer Steve Barri.

The band's name comes from a small slip of paper that was sent to Jim Mason with the word "Wings" written on it.

Wings (Kuzmin novel)

Wings (Russian: Крылья) was the first Russian novel centred on homosexuality. Written by Mikhail Kuzmin, it was printed in 1906 to the consternation of a conservative literary establishment.

Plot introduction

The novel deals with teenager Vanya Smurov's attachment to his older, urbane mentor, Larion Stroop, a pederast who initiates him into the world of early Renaissance, Classical and Romantic art. At the close of the first part, Vanya is shocked to learn that the object of his admiration frequents a gay bathhouse. In order to sort out his feelings, Vanya withdraws into the Volga countryside, but his sickening experience with rural women, whose call on him to enjoy his youth turns out to be an awkward attempt at seduction, induces Vanya to accept his Classics teacher's proposal and accompany him in a journey to Italy. In the last part of the novel, Vanya and Stroop, who is also in Italy, are seen enjoying the smiling climate and stunning artworks of Florence and Rome, while Prince Orsini mentors the delicate youth in the art of hedonism.