by Terry Mercer Courtesy

A ‘bateleur’ is a medium-sized eagle in the family Accipitridae, thought to be ‘the bird’ on the Zimbabwe flag, and a type of ‘Falcon’ or unique raptor by some. In French Le Bateleur, “the mountebank” or the “sleight of hand artist”, is a practitioner of stage magic or “street performer”… and is also what the French-speaking people often call ‘the magician’ tarot card.

It’s the combination of all that, where an up and coming blues/rock band from Lisbon, Portugal got its name. Yes, Portugal… that long country on the western coast bordering Spain where there is a string of Atlantic beaches. The entire population for the country is under 11 million people, with the capital (Lisbon) having just over 518,000 people. Sandrine, the lead singer, grew up in Paris and ultimately helped tie all the stuff together to form the final name of their band, “The Bateleurs.”

Interestingly, their original songs are sung in English. The group says they were mostly influenced by some of the megastars from the late ’60s and 70’s Rockers like Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Janis Joplin… some Motown, with a strong connection to the Blues. The group has mixed a bit of all that together to form their own blend of musical storytelling.

Sandrine (Vocalist), Ricardo Dikk (Bassist), Rui Reis (Drummer) are the founding members brought together by chance, playing in clubs and bars. They claim their chemistry was evident since day one, and have been together ever since.

Three of their songs on Spotify are:

~ Stand for What You Are

~ Another Crossroad

~ Lost My Faith

Check them out…

Most all of their promotion is word of mouth, via their fans. However, they also push Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter, YouTube, Bandcamp, and Spotify. They point out that there really is not much airplay for independent bands on mainstream radio, especially in Portugal, but they keep trying.

They caught the ear of some American music media, and are pushing for more publicity and play time; with hopes of some touring in their future. As Dikk told someone interviewing him, [our music is]”no tricks, no cheats, just people playing and singing, and sharing the best they can.”

(Terry Mercer) for UnRated Magazine
Courtesy of MDsChoice.com

 Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA, April 16, 2018

By Terry Mercer

No other word, real or invented for the occasion, sums up as well where Pam Tillis stands now.

She is, after all, a superstar as well as a survivor. A child of Music City royalty and a former rebel, she was determined to find her own way as a singer and songwriter — and she succeeded. A CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, she has written songs for some of the top singers in and beyond Nashville, including more than a few of her own hits.– FB

Pam Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress, of her own right. With some chart topping recordings, “Don’t Tell Me What to Do” and the 1995 “Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)” as her signature #1 hit song.

I would be remiss to not confirm the obvious, for those that haven’t heard her, she is the daughter of the late country music singer Mel Tillis (a receipient of the CMA Entertainer of the Year). However, her music is absolutely her’s… in style, concept, and topics.

The following is a A-Z list of the rest of the songs by Pam Tillis:

Pam Tillis (credit: Terry & Carly Mercer)

A Great Disguise, A Whisper And A Scream, After Hours, All Of This Love, All The Good Ones Are Gone, Already Fallen, Better Off Blue, Betty’s Got A Bass Boat, Blue Rose Is, Calico Plains, Cleopatra Queen Of Denial, Deep Down, In Between Dances, It’s Lonely Out There, Land Of The Living, Let That Pony Run, Love Is Only Human, Mandolin Rain, Maybe It Was Memphis, No Two Ways About It, Put Yourself In My Place, Shake The Sugar Tree, Spilled Perfume, Sunset Red & Pale Moonlight, Sunset Red And Pale Moonlight, Tequila Mockingbird, The River & The Highway, The River And The Highway, When You Walk In The Room, You Can’t Have A Good Time Without Me

If you enjoy country music, mixed up with some humor and ballands with some heart felt meaning, then she’s ‘the chick flicks’ of the country music world. Sparking some country-fied emotions in her listeners with stories that will have you swaying, laughing, or even quickly mouthing the catchy chorus lines.

~ StageResults (Terry & Carly Mercer) for UnRated Magazine
Courtesy of VetSupplements.com

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Though these Eastern Kentucky high-school friends started together in 1963, under the name “The Exiles,” it took Exile (credit: Terry Mercer)

Exile (credit: Terry Mercer)

nearly a decade and a half for them to create a number one hit song! “Kiss You All Over” was their first chart topping mega hit. Their name was shortened to just ‘Exile’ in 1973. They paid their dues, thousands of times over… playing at local clubs and bars, fairs, festivals, and events all over… promoting their music and songs, building a solid fan base. Nearly every American over the age of 25 has heard at least one of their songs, especially if you’ve ever seen the movie “Happy Gilmore.” They continue to tour, doing about 50 to 70 shows a year.

They decided to officially focus more on country music in 1983. During the 1990s, the band had several country chart hits, including a pile of Number Ones “Woke Up in Love”, “I Don’t Want to Be a Memory”, “Give Me One More Chance”, “Crazy For Your Love”, “She’s a Miracle”, “Hang On to Your Heart”, “I Could Get Used to You”, “It’ll Be Me”, “She’s Too Good to Be True” and “I Can’t Get Close Enough”. They have continued to keep their die-hard fans going with new tunes, ever so often, ever since.

The pop/country band consists of guitarist J.P. Pennington, Les Taylor (guitar, vocals), Sonny LeMaire (bass, vocals), Marlon Hargis (keyboards) and Steve Goetzman (drums). Pennington’s song writing talent led to recognition as BMI “Writer of the Year” to one of BMI’s “Top 100 Writers of the Century.” Their music has been recorded by Alabama, Janie Fricke, Kenny Rogers and countless other artists. They are living proof of what CAN HAPPEN when a group of people join together, work together well, and continue contributing together to make something bigger and better than any one of them could on their own.

You can learn more about them, and see their tour schedule at: http://www.exile.biz  Their show isn’t filled with pyrotechnics or smoke & mirrors, just some great heart warming, foot tapping songs of love… happiness… and relationships! If you haven’t seen them, check them out… their music is truly evergreen!

~ Terry Mercer, for UnRated Magazine
Courtesy of Joint, Digestive, and Repro products for you pets – www.vetsupplements.com