July 4th Break

In honor of the July 4th holiday, I will be taking a brief break from posting on Set List.  I will return on Saturday, July 6th.

Best wishes for our most Happy Birthday, United States of America!

Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture (Finale)

Fender Classic Stratocaster

Due disclosure - This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated for any purchase made.

In this edition of Wednesday Special, I am featuring a Fender Stratocaster Classic as defined by zZounds - the Fender Classic Player 50s Stratocaster Electric Guitar with Gig Bag.

https://www.zzounds.com/a--3960264/item--FEN0141102

$824.99 OR 12 Payments $68.75

Follow the link above for more information and discover why this Fender Classic is one worth investing in!

Fender

Founded in 1946 by Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender with headquarters in Arizona, Fender is an American manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, from acoustic guitars to bass amplifiers and much more.  

Fender is best known for solid-body electric guitars and bass guitars - Stratocaster ("Strat"), Telecaster ("Tele"), Precision Bass ("P-Bass"), and Jazz Bass ("J Bass").

(The full history of Fender can be found on Wikipedia.)

Fender Stratocaster

Genres often used in - Country, Reggae, Rock, Pop, Folk, Soul, R&B, Blues, Jazz, Punk, Heavy Metal

Fender Telecaster

Genres often used in - Country, Reggae, Rock, Pop, Folk, Soul, R&B, Blues, Jazz, Punk, Heavy Metal

Precision Bass

Jazz Bass

Fundamental in the development of such genres as  - Funk, Disco, Reggae, Blues, Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal, Jazz Fusion

Fender is as classic and iconic to instrumental manufacturing as Gibson and Les Paul.

From the sixth grade to my sophomore year in high school, I played the viola for school credit.  When I earned the credit, I backed out of my school's orchestra because I am not inclined toward stringed instruments.  However, I will always admire the electric guitar and bass guitar for their profound prominence in bands of so many genres.  

Who is Hikaru Utada?

I imagine your reaction to the name Hikaru Utada is the same as the name Jean-Michel Jarre.  Where in the world?  I do have a reason, so stick around.

Where French musician and performer Jean-Michel Jarre set multiple records for highest attendance concerts (free), Hikaru Utada is paving her path to profound success.  (Refer briefly to the post, Music in Japan.)

So.  Who is Hikaru Utada?

Hikaru Utada (born on January 19, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter born to Japanese parents.  

Hikaru's first English-language album, Precious, was released in 1998 but failed.  Her first Japanese-language album, First Love, was released in 1999 and was a success - 2 million copies sold in the first week in Japan.  First Love became Japan's best-selling album of all time with 6 million more copies sold throughout 1999.

Hikaru's 2001 album, Distance, launched million-selling singles, including - "Addicted to You," "Wait & See (Risk)," and "Can You Keep a Secret?".  The album itself shattered records with 3 million copies sold in Japan alone.  "...fastest-selling album..."

In 2002, Hikaru's album, Deep River, became a top-selling record (of all time in Japan).

Exodus, Ultra Blue, and Heart Station were certified million by the RiAJ (Recording Industry Association of Japan).

Hikaru Utada is considered to be an influential artist in Japan (through the first decade of the 2000's).

Career Success -

A top-selling recording artist in Japan

Over 52 million records sold

12 singles have reached No. 1 on the Oricon Singles Chart

10 albums are chart-toppers

Genres considered - J-pop, R&B, Dance, Electronica, Rock

English Studio Albums -

Precious (1998)

Exodus (2004)

This Is the One (2009)

Japanese Studio Albums -

First Love (1999)

Distance (2001)

Deep River (2002)

Ultra Blue (2006)

Heart Station (2008)

Fantome (2016)

Hatsukoi (2018)

(Source - WIkipedia)

(List of awards received by Utada Hikaru - Wikipedia)

My take away -

I always seem to go as far as UK musicians and bands.  Hikaru Utada is truly a foreign musician with exceptional success and I am sure she will keep going with a long career ahead.

Who is Jean-Michel Jarre?

A random name to bring up on Set List...but for good reason.

Jean-Michel Jarre was listed three times in the Highest Attended Concerts - Free list - 

September 6, 1997 ... Audience - 3,500,000

July 14, 1990 ... Audience - 2,000,000

April 5, 1986 ... Audience - 1,300,000

(Source - Wikipedia)

So who is Jean-Michel Jarre?

Born on August 24, 1948, Jean-Michel Jarre is a French composer, performer, and record producer.

Genres considered - Electronic, Ambient, New Age, Progressive Rock, Techno

Instrumental - Synthesizer, Piano, Organ, Laser Harp, Accordion, Guitar, Bass Guitar 

Best known for - outdoor events with his music, laser displays, and fireworks

Jean-Michel Jarre success -

Oxygene (1976 album) - 12 million copies sold

As of 2004, 80 million albums sold

World record for largest-ever audience at an outdoor event

"...he is now perhaps as well known as a performer as he is a musician..." (Wikipedia)

Performance in Docklands, London

October 1988

Laser Harp Performance

Helsinki

Jean-Michel Jarre's background and honors are quite extensive, so follow Wikipedia for a more detailed history.

My take away -

Jean-Michel Jarre is profoundly unique in his musical vision and exceptional performances.  His honors stretch from 1976 to 2018.  Jean-Michel Jarre is a musician worth considering.

Highest Attended Concerts - Free

In the post, Highest Attended Concerts - Single Artist, I noted the top 5 highest concert attendance records.  Follow the link above as a refresher.

In this post, I am highlighting highest attended concerts that are free to the public.

Leading 

Rod Stewart
December 31, 1994 ... Audience - 3,500,000 

The Rolling Stones
February 18, 2006 ... Audience - 1,500,000

The Beach Boys
July 4, 1985 ... Audience - 1,000,000

(Source - Wikipedia)