The Band Guestbook, March 2018

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Bill M

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Jeff A.

Subject: Peter Mac

Pete, i had emailed this to myself so i'd remember to link it for you. Just found it now looking for something else. The short actual live Paul McCartney statement from the kid's march last saturday.

Entered at Sat Mar 31 15:14:21 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Three times through the new album, "I'll Be Your Girl". Great typical Decemberists album. If you like them, you'll love it.

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Peter V

BBC 4 showed the "Trouble No More" film last night. I'm most perplexed still by the role of The Preacher, who looks like Elmer Gantry on a bad day. Was it added ironically?

I still find the material abysmal musically … not a melody to be found except on "Precious Angel" and when Dylan sings Abraham, Martin & John, which he does very well indeed as a duet, it's the highlight of the show. A tune! The stance and stream of cliches he's singing make him seem disturbed, and the perspiration doesn't help. The five girls are brilliant singers, which is why you keep watching. I thought Tim Drummond on bass crossed way over the line from "happy clappy ecstasy" into "seriously deranged. Bring a large shot of valium."

Then BBC followed it with archive BBC TV cover versions, which they made unwatchable by continually flashing up bits of trivia, some only barely related, at the bottom of the screen.Why? Joan Baez's Don't Think Twice shone out. The Hollies came out surprisingly poorly.

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Peter V

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Rod

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Dunc

Subject: News Rant

There's a lot going on in the world, but our news is dominated by crying Australians, which is a direct consequence of tampering with your balls.

Seriously - main news story on BBC for days.

At least it's a change from the never ending Wayne Rooney story.

Entered at Sat Mar 31 06:24:58 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

Subject: Nicole Atkins - Darkness Falls So Quiet

As previously stated i like this newish song much better musically than No Roots. This is a slinky, sexy song & it's real music., Atkins is a damn good singer that gets to ya. No Roots though is the hit. This song gets a good amount of play.

Entered at Sat Mar 31 04:47:30 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

Funny one Pete......BTW, the fact that Twitler manages to only hire the worst & most unethical Jewish lawyers in NYC gotta tie to his very real anti semitism. There's piles of great jewish lawyers here, piles of ganavim (thieves) too, but he finds the lowest.......He sure hangs out with tons of jews but he is a bona fide anti semit. Across the board, he attracts the worst Jews.

About a week ago MSNBC started using a piece of No Roots by Alice Merton in their segues between commercials & content. This is where some big money accmulates . It sounds awful, they musta started with a MP3 & went from there, digitizing down each step... Musically & themewise- It makes no sense that i can tell- but it is an attention getter, & i think that was the idea.

Entered at Fri Mar 30 20:25:43 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

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Peter V

Steely Dan were more popular than Little Feat in the UK, Haitian Divorce was their only Top 20 Hit, but they had four other Top 100 and albums sold well. Little Feat did less well, but were well-known enough among the rock press and keen and knowledgeable rock fans. Both bands were more popular in the UK than The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Synyrd or Southern Rock in general and are still better-represented in the album racks of surviving stores .

Like Dunc, I had tickets to see Steely Dan and travelled and they didn't show up. The word went round that the venues they'd been booked into were too small for their egos which was the true reason for cancellation … I heard that from promoters back in the day. True or not, and they claimed it was illness, that sort of reputation for cancelling is the kiss of death for bookers in the future. You have to do the smaller and medium sized halls on a first tour, in either direction across the Atlantic. When I heard that story, I was really pissed off.

Entered at Fri Mar 30 19:40:06 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

Sayonara suckers

Entered at Fri Mar 30 19:31:33 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

Subject: Black and White LOL

This is funny. It hink it;s one of the best modern sound songs in a good while...Bob, I'm pressed for time, but i've written in here many times i like alot of things about the song, and dislike some others..... going back probably 8 weeks now...

the song itself , try listening to the acoustic guitar version, i listened to part of a long time ago... HEre's a really cool version with horns and accordion

the chick has a good voice .She can sing, especially when she doesn;t fall into modern delivery traps.......... the song, well when i first started hearing the radio version quite some time ago, it would catch my ear. And the lyrics are interesting... Kinda makes you wonder if she's writing a mystical song, My first thought was that with more of a native American Indian thing this would be amazing.

What she did that i tihnk is what you object to was go for modern production. She teamed up with a manager, went for the modern production, put in a ton of work and proabbly some money too, and has succeeeded. Unfortunately that modern sound sucks, i;v ebitched about it too in general. But the song doesn;t. The production is what you dislike,, Still to me, for modern music it is very listenable.. i like hearign ti on the radio, especially compared to many other things...

i give the chick alot of credit. She did this on her own, withotu a label, and possibly without rich parents financing her too. She and he manager turned down label deals, cuase they woudl have to give up control and ownership and more .. Maybe her manager is wealthy. In any event she got herself and her music exposed. & has succeeded. now she can go have a career. Maybe she does something great with it , maybe not.

Entered at Fri Mar 30 18:37:08 CEST 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Subject: Alice Merton - No Roots

My favorite radio station plays this song 10 times a day. It has over 72 million views on you tube. To me it sounds like a hipster version of Who Let The Dogs Out. Everything that's gone wrong in music is right here. My favorite radio station plays many other new songs that sound just like this. When Richard Hell sang Blank Generation he had no idea what the future was to bring.

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Mike Nomad

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Bob F

Subject: In The Garden

Bob Dylan's beautiful In The Garden from Toronto 1980. This song always feels like a bookend with Bruce Cockburn's Cry Of A Tiny Babe.

Entered at Fri Mar 30 15:54:30 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Mike, slice up some ginger, a piece of lemon , pour barely boiled water over it. Maybe add some turmeric, if you like the taste. and stir. Drink it up. Every morning with your Align probiotic. It'll loosen you up all inside and out, help your sugar and cholesterol levels too.

Now for adventure and the rest, a little nonanalytic emotional rejuvenation, you can find yourself an acupuncturist, tell him to stick a few needles in the top of your head. It works for me. I said: Moses ( yes my mainland China born & raised Chinese acupuncturist's real first name is Moses), we gotta let a little pressure out. Whaddya do, stick a needle in the top of my head?. He asked what are you feeling? I said, , maybe we just gotta make a little hole, let a little pressure out. He asked me: You mean like a volcano? I responded, yes, you got the idea. One needle. It worked . It bled alot the first time he took that first needle out, but he didn't charge me extra for draining. that's a tibetan procedure.

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Mike Nomad

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NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Who introduced you to the music?

I have started "an oldman's project". Before I die I want to thank the people who have introduced me to music. A lot of them are already gone. Oddly enoughgh, the most of the music does not have any specific people to thank for. As far as I remember.

JEFF A must have hard to believe that the most people in my list are left wing radicals who introduced me to "democratic song movement" in the late sixties or alternative American pop/rock played by the American Jews.

On jazz it is easy. There was a guy (a masonist whom I don't have any connection with, a Christian man who I am). He introduced me to the jazz: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Max Roach (Calvin!).

As a basist in a schoolboy/student band I have a few guys to thank for the blues, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, The Hair musical (sic!). My wife had Blonde On Blonde. It is somewhere in the cellar among Christmas decorations and garden stuff.

The Band? I heard The Band (The Weight) for the first time on a simple Grundig radio in my grandma's kitchen and ran to the music shop to get The Brown album. There are two Dutchies here in gb to thank for the music: RAGTIME for the barock music played with original instruments and - of course - my brother in arms NORBERT for .... errrr.... everything from the French Catholic church bells to the Dutch band Sjako.

Have a very Joyfull Eastern and if you don't believe in my Saviour, have a very good weekend!

Entered at Fri Mar 30 12:58:34 CEST 2018 from (83.250.65.56)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Dlew and Ragtime

Good to see signatures Dlew and Ragtime here again. It was Ragtime who welcomed me in this gb. He received a lot of s**t for having done it for ... errr ... nineteen years ago. Dlew I have "met" in Toppermost.

As always I listen to a Japanese CD this very Friday: J. S. Bach's Johennespassion. It is much lighter than German originals. I like German wurst, though.

Entered at Fri Mar 30 11:32:01 CEST 2018 from (81.159.124.89)

Dunc

Little Feat were definitely fringe.

Steely Dan were reasonably successful, three top twenty albums - Kay Lied, Royal Scam and Aja.

They only toured UK once, I think. So that wouldn't help their popularity. I was ready for going through to see them in Glasgow, but the show never happened.

Their music is a retirement project for me, JQ. I think they are great. I'm filling in the gaps. Brilliant musicianship. I plated Katy Lied three times in a row on Monday, and each time I was focusing on different aspects of the music.

Entered at Fri Mar 30 05:27:43 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

Mike, you sound so formal. Formal being the root word for Formaldehyde. Loosen up bucko, you're not an undertaker, are ya? Happy Easter! See, just one little exclamation mark Mike :-)

Entered at Fri Mar 30 03:30:13 CEST 2018 from (174.93.1.148)

Mike Nomad

Entered at Fri Mar 30 02:49:56 CEST 2018 from (75.98.19.134)

Bill M

JQ: Always a good question, since most of us figure than "our" groups were either monumentally successful everywhere or a cult cherished by the chosen few (e.g., ourselves). My prime example is Rhinoceros, who I thought we're a) phenomenal and b) universally recognised as such. Then my realtor, who'd been in the group, said they were something of a cult band. A dash of cold water, but true on reflection. Musical worth has nothing to do with it.

Entered at Fri Mar 30 01:17:31 CEST 2018 from (107.77.97.114)

JQ

Were Steely Dan a big deal over there? I believe they were here, but I also thought Little Feat were too and I was surprised when I real awhile back that they never had big record sales and were considered almost fringe, like the Mothers. At least in that writer’s opinion. Steely Dan did have some popular hit records though. I don’t recall that about a Little Feat.

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Jeff A.

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Calvin

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JQ

I don’t know if he’s still singing (or alive) but he took some lead vocals for Steely Dan on their first record and I think that was it. Dirty Work was his voice.

Entered at Thu Mar 29 19:50:27 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 29 17:18:41 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

Separately, it seems the touring is kinda necessary no matter what....ultimately ,the value of the estate is in the sound recordings, licensing of future songs, any sales, and in the merch..... that's what Donald & Delia Becker both want. She can;t tour. So, it is real likely that even if the contract is honored as Fagen wishes, Donald would tour some to pay the Becker estate off, without going too far in his pocket. Or at all.

Entered at Thu Mar 29 16:40:30 CEST 2018 from (67.80.29.137)

Jeff A.

I should have thought about potential death clause.....It's something i am usually very cognizant of...... And i also wanted to give Donald the benefit of the doubt on this one..... Apparently they have had an agreement, and it looks like Donald is following it.... The way the article is written, it appears that Delia Becker and the law firm that both represents Beckers estate and Steely Dan, and the accounting, are in cahoots. If the article is accurate, Fagen let things get out of control.

Entered at Thu Mar 29 15:42:18 CEST 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Subject: What Calvin Said

Here's that article.

Entered at Thu Mar 29 15:41:27 CEST 2018 from (208.181.205.134)

Rockin Chair

Subject: The Old Stuff

Rod Stewart - First Cut is The Deepest

Brian Wilson & Al Jardine - Sloop John B 50 years after

Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

Carl Perkins & Friends - Rock-A-Billie Concerts

Scotty Moore & Mark Knopfler - That's Alright Momma

Get your feet movin!

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Calvin

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Subject: 93 year old Roy Haynes still earns silence in the clubs.

worth reading.

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Dlew919

Subject: May as well wade in

Last five. Sam bush: storyman Punch brothers: phosphorescent blues Bill frisell: Nashville John Wetton bohemian rhapsody Kurt winkenfld: Kama And jeff. Good to be back.

Entered at Thu Mar 29 03:00:42 CEST 2018 from (70.121.56.235)

glenn t

Who knew? From a Rolling Stone article about the making of Houses of the Holy: Beginning with their third release in 1970, Led Zeppelin sought to escape the drab confines of traditional recording studios by spending a portion of their album sessions holed up at an intimate rural estate. It was an idea borrowed from the Band, who had a communal home near Bob Dylan's upstate retreat in Woodstock, New York. "I didn't know exactly how the Band had recorded their Music from Big Pink album or The Basement Tapes, but the rumor was they were done in a house they had rented," Page explained in Guitar World. "I didn't know for sure if they had, but I liked the idea. I thought it was definitely worth a shot to actually go someplace and really live it, rather than visiting a studio and going home. I wanted to see what would happen if all we did was have this one thing in sight – making music and just really living the experience of it."

Entered at Thu Mar 29 02:07:01 CEST 2018 from (47.20.222.139)

Jeff A.

Steely Dan? doing 9 nights st The Beacon in NYC in October. Themed shows... Is it fair to call it Steely Dan? Well, i can see a way it would be- and that is with Becker's estate getting what his end of the profits would be. Across the board. Off the performances, off any merchandise sales. etc... And though i don't know Donald at all, from the little i read regarding them. i have a very strong gut feeling that this is the case. I suspect that regarding this relationship between he and Walter, and now business being with Walter's estate, Donald is only a mensch and a half..... totally honorable, in memory of his friend and partner.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 23:21:02 CEST 2018 from (31.49.153.142)

Dunc

Subject: Last fives

Enjoying the Last Fives.

'No Little Boy' John Martyn - Really enjoy the reworking of classics, including Levon and John singing together on two of the tracks.

'Hooba Dooba' - Paul Brady

'Manassas' - Steven Stills

'Katy Lied' = Steely Dan

'Traces' - Karine Powart Trio - new folk and some songs are quite challenging, but the songs are well crafted, and the musicianship is good.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 22:17:42 CEST 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

T Rex - Born to Boogie Soundtrack - RoseAnn's been playing Children of The Revolution at shows since Trump got elected. One of many great songs he left us.

Bette Midler - The Divine Miss M - It's hard to believe John Prine wrote and Bette sang Hello In There so beautifully at such young ages. My favorite Prine cover.

The Waterboys - This Is The Sea

David Bowie - Space Oddity = We're waiting on that sun machine.

The Beatles - Abbey Road

Entered at Wed Mar 28 21:40:44 CEST 2018 from (24.222.133.112)

joe j

Yeah. She just slays this song.

Not familiar with the Stevens or Stewart versions but I do remember a version by one Keith Hampshire that was a Canadian hit back when.

If I'm not responding to facebook posts or emails it's because I really don't do facebook and I'm working long hours these days.

Last Five:

Dylan: Telltale Signs (First of Two)

Gerry Mulligan: Lonesome Boulevard

Amelia Curran: Hunter, Hunter

Tom Waits: Rain Dogs

Guy Clark: Dublin Blues

Entered at Wed Mar 28 19:35:15 CEST 2018 from (70.121.56.235)

glenn t

Travelling Wilburys: Volume I and Volume 3 (love how they skipped the sophomore jinx of Volume 2!)

Joan Baez: Gulf Winds

Talking Heads: Naked

Beatles: Help!

Steve Winwood: Greatest Hits Live (disc 1)

The Band: Live at the Academy of Music (discs 1 & 2).

Entered at Wed Mar 28 18:12:39 CEST 2018 from (47.20.222.139)

Jeff A.

I remember in the late 80s when Rick came back from an Australian tour and spoke with his version of an Australian accent for a while. It was a riot.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 17:50:42 CEST 2018 from (120.152.146.51)

Dlew919

Subject: Ike and Tina

‘I can’t believe what you say ‘ is just wonderful. I hadn’t heard nor seen it before. Is it Jackie Brenston on sax? Thanks bill m and Dunc. Great to see you still here. And bela is a marvellous way to find new music. ending.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 17:34:44 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: I Can't Believe What You Say

All you need is a drummer indeed … though the saxes help. The Sound of 1964. What a show!

Entered at Wed Mar 28 17:30:52 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

On Ike & Tina, I've been playing "I Can't Believe What You Say" a lot recently.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 17:04:47 CEST 2018 from (47.20.222.139)

Jeff A.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 16:29:33 CEST 2018 from (208.181.205.134)

Rockin Chair

Subject: PP Arnolod & Dr Roberts

Thanks for that Peter. I don't know what went wrong, the sound on that one didn't work properly. I thought there was something wrong with my outfit so I clicked on this other one at the Black Staff Sessions and it worked perfectly. She's great and what a beautiful lady.

I missed the solo on Rod's live version. I was really taken with those ladies on violin and harp. If you get a chance watch the "Playing for Change" video of LaBamba. The old Mexican fellow that plays harp just in the beginning is a treat.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 13:27:59 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: The First Cut Is The Deepest

Norm, this is P.P. Arnold in 2016 live doing the song with the rapping fade out (Sheryl Crowe gets it too). OK, I prefer the 1967 version,. but this is FORTY-NINE YEARS ON, and she is still in control of an audience. The most memorable was the Sandy Denny Tribute Show where they all joined in on Who Knows Where The Time Goes and everyone on stage was in awe of her.

Entered at Wed Mar 28 12:24:18 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Mar 28 11:27:02 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Mar 28 01:47:46 CEST 2018 from (65.92.195.177)

Bill M

Peter V: The Huntsmen LP looks perfectly hideous. However, in the spirit of chac'un a son gout, I am alerting you to the possibility of acquiring a second copy for a mere $20 US.

I learned that there is a group of that name on Facebook hailing from Brissie, which is traditional antipodean baby-talk for Brisbane, I believe. And a modern US band released an impressively covered album called "American Scrap".

Entered at Tue Mar 27 21:59:01 CEST 2018 from (208.181.205.134)

Rockin Chair

Subject: Mind Boggling

I have played music with a lot of very talented people through my kick at the cat. Some guys and girls who can pound a piano and pick guitars and banjos and they can make you dizzy with how well they can apply their talents. However! there is one instrument I have watched some people play and I just can't begin to image the time they put in to be so very good. That is the harp!.

I have just been surfing some youtube. Rod Stewart does a wonderful job of that old Cat Stevens song, "The First Cut is The Deepest." He brings it in with this very beautiful blonde girl with the harp. Another very beautiful girl solos with her violin completed with the lady on the harp. It is just very beautiful. There is one of my very favourite "Playing For Change" videos of "LaBamba" with many people including our boys from Los Lobos. This old Mexican gent solos his harp in this video. He is so good it hurts so that it is hard to put a 6 string picker up against these musicians. Gawd damn it they are great!

Entered at Tue Mar 27 19:37:35 CEST 2018 from (47.20.222.139)

Jeff A.

For you Chicago Lurkers - You Know Who You Are - The Rockwell Ave Band debuts June 8th at The Chicago Blues Festival. That band is Steve Freund, Tad Robinson, Ken Saydak, Harlan Terson, & Marty Binder, Guaranteed to blow the roof off the sky.

Entered at Tue Mar 27 19:30:22 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter v

My local store just bought in a box of late 50s / early 60s LPs. We were examining them. Many early stereo (very rare in the UK which adopted later. All had the original inner sleeves, a sign of care and as far as we could see, the vinyl is immaculately clean.

Then we shook our heads … what a joy that someone looked after their collection so well. What a pain that they had different musical taste. A dozen Pat Boone LPs, several Connie Francis, Della Reese, Jane Morgan. After going through several times, I settled for a near mint "Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles", Spike Jones "60 years of music America Hates Best" and "Sometimes I Feel like Crying" by Odetta. Then as they were cheap, I risked a folk LP by The Huntsmen who I have never heard of but look daft. One was a psychology major, one a "pre-dental student" and one a "pre-law student." They dress in red jackets and play banjo, guitar and tenor guitar (?). They have a girl singer. I have yet to play it.

Entered at Tue Mar 27 17:31:56 CEST 2018 from (47.20.222.139)

Jeff A.

The Weight is still the best song. Really- if you had to pick one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be? The Weight. Look at all you get in the one song.

Entered at Tue Mar 27 13:24:56 CEST 2018 from (72.139.198.34)

Bill M

Entered at Tue Mar 27 10:27:41 CEST 2018 from (31.49.153.142)

Dunc

Good for you, Bob and Roseann.

Welcome back, Dlew. You had me streaming Bella Fleck after your Toppermost.

Entered at Mon Mar 26 17:15:44 CEST 2018 from (86.175.224.146)

Al Edge

As we all know, a real shining star!

Well in there girl!!!!

:-0)

Entered at Mon Mar 26 16:40:15 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Then below the picture it gives the quote you mention. It's Murdoch press. It could be the headline writer.

Entered at Mon Mar 26 16:07:21 CEST 2018 from (99.227.166.246)

John D

Entered at Mon Mar 26 16:04:25 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Mon Mar 26 16:03:32 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

"I'm here for my friend John" was the quote he gave to the newspaper that had him on the front page. So presumably he said it to a reporter.

Entered at Mon Mar 26 16:01:50 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Mind you having spent 15 minutes waiting to speak to an insurance company (on a premium number obviously) and being assailed by the mindless electronic crap on the phone throughout, I wish phone companies would use Vivaldi instead.

Entered at Mon Mar 26 15:56:47 CEST 2018 from (99.227.166.246)

John D

Peter V writes "Paul McCartney's presence on the march made the front pages here, Bob. Good for him, as he said "I'm here for my friend John."

Actually Peter I have watched the clip a number of times and what Paul says is that one of his best friends was killed around here by gun violence." He doesn't mention John by name; which I thought was really cool. Now their might be another clip somewhere; where he mentions John by name; but I couldn't find it.

Entered at Mon Mar 26 14:04:03 CEST 2018 from (83.68.10.60)

Ragtime

Subject: Max Richter

Triggered by Viney's blog I listened to Max Richter's Vivaldi. Hm... 'relaxating music' is not my cup of tea (I hate that Einaudi guy), but in its genre it's magically done.

Then I moved over to Rachel Podger's recent Vivaldi cd, well, that's the real thing. She's wonderful. But as much as I like her playing the violin, Vivaldi is not my cup of tea either.

Then I went on to Big Pink. Chest Fever is not classical, but a real classic, my cup of hot strong tea.

Entered at Mon Mar 26 12:55:01 CEST 2018 from (120.152.169.59)

Dlew919

Subject: Hello

Haven’t been round much for no reason. Caught up with peter v in London with excellent lunch and even more excellent company. before going to Zagreb and realised how much I missed coming here. (Who? Say the crowd). I’m in touch with many of you on FB, Twitter etc, but this is a nice community.

Entered at Mon Mar 26 12:45:38 CEST 2018 from (100.33.245.182)

Jed

Entered at Sun Mar 25 22:55:10 CEST 2018 from (67.80.25.117)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 22:41:55 CEST 2018 from (208.181.205.134)

Rockin Chair

Subject: Marjory Stoneman Douglas

I have this feeling about the students of this school. Marjory Stoneman Douglas lived to be 108. She was an activist for women and also a conservation activist for the everglades in Florida. There is much to read about this very prominent and respected lady.

Watching the passion and resolve of the students. They all are extremely intelligent, well spoken, polite and dedicated. It really does seem that that lady, (their name sake) is there with them, her influence holding them together and encouraging their path. It seems some what surreal and what ever the case may be........it is certainly a good thing.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 22:32:36 CEST 2018 from (72.139.196.77)

Bill M

Entered at Sun Mar 25 22:21:49 CEST 2018 from (67.80.25.117)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 21:45:35 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Jennifer Hudson's full performance

You've seen the extracts on the news. This is the full version of Jennifer Hudson's The Times They Are A Changing. I hope Bob Dylan is justly proud.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 18:57:04 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Dan Brown?

After several car journeys listening to Dan Brown's Robert Langdon conspiracy novels, I can reveal an extract from the next one "The Shakespeare Cod-Piece." Not worth looking if you've never read Dan Brown or seen the films, but if you have, you might get a laugh …

Entered at Sun Mar 25 18:29:14 CEST 2018 from (83.250.66.149)

NortWestCoaster

I don't understand why "Bill M, Pihasoitt" is there in the middle in my previous post. - Bill M, try to say (or write it on a note) "Hyvää Pääsiäistä" on next Sunday and you have got a friend for a lifetime.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 18:19:38 CEST 2018 from (83.250.66.149)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Bill M, Dunc

Thanks Dunc for your response. I have plannedBill M, Pihasoitt to travel to Scotland to see Loch Ness. But why? We have our own monster in the Danish waters. I see him/her often. Why bother?

'Pihasoittajat' means street singers or maybe yard singers (if it is correct English). It was not allowed to sing in the streets but in the yards it was OK. However, 'Pihasoittajat' were academic people (economic, technics).

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Peter V

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Bob F

Yesterday was an incredible day. How about Paul McCartney? A good friend of ours was running around getting folks signed up to register to vote and had her photo taken with Paul. That's how real he was out there. We had 8000 marchers on The Walkway Over The Hudson alone. RoseAnn and her friends did a great benefit show for worthy organizations fighting gun violence last night in Queens. It was packed. Just a great day. RoseAnn has run 14 Not My President shows now, all for great causes. Really proud of her.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 17:04:33 CEST 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Subject: New John Prine

Unlike 75 year old rock stars with their thinning hair died jet black, wearing skinny jeans and looking pathetic, John Prine remains the real deal. This is what old age looks like. Plus he's still writing great songs. So looking forward to his new album. The first two songs are really great.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 16:04:04 CEST 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: A bit of culture …

My review of The Four Seasons: A Reimagining is linked. This production at the Wanamaker Playhouse is Max Richter's new 2012 version of Vivaldi with a baroque ensemble including synth. Robbie Robertson gets a Max Richter connection mention.

Entered at Sun Mar 25 05:47:43 CEST 2018 from (64.229.181.209)

Bill M

Even if I love/hate the song (love the sound / hate the casual violence), it was kinda nice to see all the covers of "Down By The River". In Canada, Joey Gregorash's 1971 version was a big hit (see link); I'd forgotten all about Joey, who had a number of subsequent, deserved hits. McKendree Spring seems to have borrowed his version, which was recorded in the southern US - Memphis?

NwC: That's a beautiful piece of work. Is Pihasoittajat the name of the group, or what? There was another song that seemed be by Pihasoittajat, but there was no woman singing. In return, I direct your attention to the finest work by, to my ears, and English equivalent, Amazing Blondel - watch?v=TzDQTrYf-2c

Sticking with things Finnish, I ran into the Finnish woman two doors down, who was with her young son. I asked her the Finnish word for 'digital native'. When she said that there probably wasn't one, I suggested that simply saying 'digital native' with a Finnish accent. She said 'digi-nativi' (to my ears dee-gee-not-ee-vee, with a hard G). Comments?

I also liked the Waterboys doing the Robbie Burns poem. A couple links down the YouTube rabbit-hole I got to the great Newfoundland singer-songwriter Ron Hynes (best known for writing "Sonny's Dream") - and his song "Godspeed" - see /watch?v=vzGToQUZ-Y0 - which has a tenuous link to the Band. It's a tribute to another great Canadian songwriter, Gene MacLellan, who in 1959 accompanied Robbie Robertson and Peter Deremigis in the jump from the Consuls to the Suedes.

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Jeff A.

Subject: Original A Lovers concerto, Barbara Harris & the Toys

Listen to that bass

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Jeff A.

Subject: Great

Queens girls Barbara Harris & the Toys, doing their 196 5#1 hit A Lovers Concerto. I'm not sure but don;t think she sounds that good these days. Barbara and Angel Rissoff worked together alot over the years.

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Dunc

Subject: Thanks

Thanks Bob F. I had never heard that before. It's great. Played it several times. You see... if you're Scottish and a singer, you have to do a piece of Burns sometimes.

North West Coaster - Thanks, it's a haunting piece of music. Really found it interesting.

Thankls, Jeff. What I got from the letter, was an image of a Woody contented with his wife and child. I had wrongly never thought of him like that. I play that version of 'Down By The River' relatively frerquently. Back in the day, 'Sweet Dreams' was played often up here, but, at that time, I never knew of Roy Buchanan's Band links.

Off to tots' football. Must rush.

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Jeff A.

this studio version of Down By The RIver by Roy Buchanan was also on that Lyrics To Go show on WPHC, Nassau Community COllege Radio... I had never heard it before. Groovin Is Easy by the Electric Flag too... Great diverse radio used to be the norm. Now, it's a fucking treat... Funny Lyrics to Go was teh title of one of a show that concentrated on the music, the DJ discussed isntrumentation, never once mentioned Lyrics or subject matter.... ROy Ayers Ubiquity got played too

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Jeff A.

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NorthWestCoater

Subject: When Bill M meets Dunc

This is an address to a Finnish/Kalevala and Celtic hybrid on YouTube. watch?v=UeOgbrTHgPQ

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NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Celtic / Dunc

I listen only to something which you rocking people on GB might think is silly: Accu Radio, Celtic music. Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Bretagne. You see, I am a retired man with enough of money and time to travel to any place in the world to listen to any kind of music. Now I sit in the front of my fifteen years old Linux computer and listen to Celtic music. I have my banjo on my knees and I catch a tune every now and then... "Didle-do-didle-do-I-sailed-away-from-ol'-Liverpool"... Some would say: he is tragic, some would say: he has found the peace.

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Bob F

Subject: Mike Scott & Robert Burns

Dunc, check this out.

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Dunc

Subject: My Heart's In The Highlands

I'm listening to the music of Robert Burns just now and the links to the Band, a little tentative. I'm playing 'Songs From The Bottom Drawer', a beautiful album of Burns' songs with great Scottish musicians on it...plus a Californian piper.

Dylan lived with the Scottish singer and academic, Jean Redpath, in Greenwich Village. In 2008, Bob stated that 'My Love Is Like A Ree, Red Rose' as his greatest source of inspiration as part of HMV's 'My Inspiration' campaign in 2008.

In 1947, Woodie Guthrie wrote a letter to Robert Burns from Coney, pointing out the similarities between himself and Robert Burns and the deep connection he felt to the Scot, as well as reminiscing about visiting Scotland as a torpedoed seaman in WW2. It's an interesting letter, but I can't link it.

The letter conveys how happy Woody Guthrie was, and what I got from it was a different image of Woody Guthrie, not the one I normally think of - of him suffering at the end of his life.

I f you're a Scottish folksinger, you must be able to sing Burns.

Sounds great, Jeff.

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NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Farewell tours / Bill M

Bill M asked if there are any farewell tours which have lasted? Yes there are. SERGE DANILOFF posted: "Au revoir and f**k off". My compatriote KALERVO posted: "Yoy can't scare me away from this guestbook but I don't want to have anything to do with people like you."

My former students, Sweden's greatest rock band (which is not The Sputniks as some landlubbers say), made their farewell tour and haven't come back yet. In fact, my favourite student bought their studio called "PsychoBunker" from other rascals. There seems not to be any way back. Never. No. Period.

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Jeff A.

Running around mostly on Long Eyesland while i have had this car for two weeks ( goes back in the morn), i came across a great radio station..Nassau Community Collehe Radio. WPCH i tihnk.... Killer stuff- deep deep of all kinds.... One guy played a instrumental by Motown Session man Funk Brother Dennis Coffey ( turns out Coffey plays every Tuesday night in a bar in Detroit)... A guy today played Emil Stucchio & The Classics- a Brooklyn band from the early 60s, doo wop..& Italian music....They played a live version of Tomorrow Never COmes or something like that, that was just amazing, three versions in one--the Classics version, then the version his mother told him was right, then the version his grandmother told him was right in, that one in Italian. There was a great acommpanying story, .......stucchio still has his pipes, and the classic and a few other Brooklyn doo Wop bands still run a circuit...

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Roger Woods

My last five played:

Chain Up The Swings - Alice Marra

Pax Vobiscum - Michael Marra

Gael's Blue - Michael Marra

Brokeback Mountain Soundtrack

Beyond The Horizons - The Silk Road Ensemble

Thank you Dunc for an ear opening introduction to Michael Marra. John Martyn to be played shortly.

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Dunc

Subject: Last Five

Last five played.

'Roseann Fino'

Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston 'Take Two+'

Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross 'Diana and Marvin'

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell 'Greatest Hits'

Mary Chapin Carpenter 'Come On Come On'

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Pete, i went to the Rolling Stone article . I've never seen RR described as in this paragraph. It kinda just ruined the credibility of the writer forever...: "Robertson, who is an accomplished composer, musician and author (as well as the son of legendary Band singer, songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertson),....."

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Peter V

Subject: Sebastian Rolling Stone link

There you go, Dave. I've linked it (now to actually read it  …)

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Dave H

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glenn t

Tom Petty & Heartbreakers: Let Me Up I've Had Enough

Elton John: Tumbleweed Connnection

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Symphonion Dream

Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced

Thunderclap Newman: Hollywood Dream - great album, includes Open the Door Homer (Basement Tapes track), and Pete Townshend production.

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Peter V

Same advice from me. I prefer the versions on that to the 2010 live album (though also worth getting). Most of the rest is out of print.

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Dunc

Subject: Michael Marra

Buy Posted Sober, Bob. Michael is deceased. I'll e mail you.

Entered at Wed Mar 21 16:17:22 CET 2018 from (67.80.30.40)

Jeff A.

Calvin, Corey Glover is a Brooklyn boy. He's stayed very active, has put out a lot of solo projects, and appears on a good amount of other people's as well. I did one day's work in a studio he has a relationship with the owners & many patrons of, he's in and out of there sometimes....

Linked is Glover & Reid with a smallish biracial version of the Black Tock coalition Orchestra doing cult of Personality. Glover has a lot of solo stuff on yout tube- he can sing in other genres - ballads, gospel, blues etc, reggae...., has the church background.

Vernon Reid pops up all over the place too.

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Calvin

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Bob F

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes -Some of the greatest American rock and roll ever created.

Laura Nyro and Labelle - Gonna Take A Miracle - From the heart. My favorite album of covers.

Big Brother & Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and Englishmen - One of the greatest live albums of all time.

The Supremes - Greatest Hits - People always going on about the other Motown and Soul acts but if you actually lived during those times you know The Supremes ruled.

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Bob F

Dunc, I've been spending time on Youtube and streaming listening to Michale Marra. I'm liking it a lot. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to pick up a couple of cd's next time I order from Amazon. Does he have a good retrospective collection you would recommend?

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Bob F

Glenn, thanks for giving RoseAnn's music a listen and your kind words. We appreciate it.

Great selections on your last 5. Knocked Out Loaded is a hodge podge but it's a beautiful hodge podge. I love Empire Burlesque but I hope some day they release a raw version of it without the 80's frills.

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Jeff A.

You called it JQ. The song was just about hobos... the video came later- by accident. "....added another layer of meaning."

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Bill M

Subject: The RSD Basement Tape

Link is to the 2015 RSD and (very) Special Release 7845.

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Bill M

Peter V: Record Store Day two or three years ago included a nice reproduction of the source of the original "Basement Tape" bootleg, the 12?-song publisher's demo of Dylan backed by the Hawks. I believe there were three gradations - regular vinyl, premium vinyl and premium vinyl signed by Garth.

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Peter V

Anyway, The Band, Robbie, Levon, Garth have never gone for it. It's a minor deal, I guess, moving say 2000 over-priced 7" or LPs, but Jethro Tull, Bowie always do it. The Beatles and Stones have in the past. Part of the motivation was simply supporting independent record stores and giving them some leverage … HMV / Fopp don't get to participate. That's a good thing in the long term.

One aspect was hassle … could you get the discs pressed in time, because of the few vinyl plants. But more and more are coming on line now. It's a good way of exploiting the deep vault, or reissuing LPs in thicker versions. One that struck me was Levon Helm's "Summertime Blues" 45, only ever available in Holland and Germany.

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Calvin

I must admit, it is starting to play with my psyche.

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Jeff A.

Subject: Yes, Bhiman is from West County St Louis

I only glanced- very pressed for time, will read the article probably Thursday, but yeah- Bhiman is first from Kirkwood- a genrally very waspy part of west county st louis, and then ballwin, an also reasonably waspy part of west county...Both range mostly form middle class to very upper calss. ...... kirkwodd does have a very small low income section.......... both kirkwood and ballwin have some diversity....but are known for staunchiness.... that changes over time of course...

Holy shit, i was even living there when this article came out..me, my friends, we all missed it, i;m amazed no one has mentioned him...........Blues hounds for ya.... thing is, Guttersnipe has da blues in it-- reluctantly, without thinking about it- maybe it's modern blues pop?

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Jeff A.

.

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Peter V

Pax Vobiscum - Michael Marra

Posted Sober- Michael Marra

Gael's Blue - Michael Marra

One World - John Martyn

Streetnoise - Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity

Once you get started on Michael Marra, you'll be in for the long haul.

Entered at Mon Mar 19 21:27:43 CET 2018 from (70.121.56.235)

glenn t

Here are the last few discs I've had the pleasure to listen to:

Bob Dylan: Empire Burlesque, Trouble No More (disc 2), Knocked Out Loaded

Valerie June: The Order of Time

The Band: Northern Lights Southern Cross

RoseAnn Fino: Out From Under & Airing of Grievances - y'all should check these out. Mighty fino stuff from Ro!

Entered at Mon Mar 19 19:50:39 CET 2018 from (86.146.121.120)

Dunc

Subject: Correction

That previous post should have said St Patrick's Day, of course. Force of habit.

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Dunc

The BBC provided some good music programmes related to St Andrew's Day. I don't know if I really learned anything new, but there were good concerts, including Van Morrison at the Eden Centre.

The Nothern Ireland Protestant Church and the Catholic Church throughout Ireland were united in one thing - rock and roll was not a good thing. To get round this Irish Showbands were formed to play at church dances etc. As we all know, Van Morrison was in a showband. I saw a few showbands at dances in Scotland in the early seventies and they were professional.

A terrible incident in Northern Ireland was the attack on the Miami Showband returning to Dublin after playing Banbridge by the UVF paramilitary group, resulting in the deaths of three members and injuries to other band members.

So rock music was later to emerge in Ireland. The programme stated that three bands played a pivotal roles in the development of Irish rock music- Them, Thin Lizzie and Taste (Rory Gallagher).

I was a little too young to see Them, much to my regret, as I cherished my copy of 'Here Comes The Night', but I did see Taste and a very young Thin Lizzie.

Both bands were really good. Taste played in front of about 800 and were more established when I saw them. I saw Thin Lizzie in front of about three hundred people and remember being delighted at a rock version of 'Whisky In The Jar', which was not a hit at the time.

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JQ

Jeff A - I believe he’s Sri Lankan by background, from StL. I was thinking in Guttersnipe that the guy could also be going home in the gospel sense. I was just listening to Rev Charlie Jackson’s Morning Train; that’s its point, like many more. Have you heard the album version yet; it goes over 6 minutes and adds a couple more fine verses? The clangy sound picks up at the end and it sounds like an old RR crossing alarm. I’m not done hearing it yet!

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Peter V

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Jeff A.

Just in the door, gotta get ready for Homeland....

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Jeff A.

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Bill M

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Jeff A.

Subject: Guttersnipe Studio

Yes JQ, it certainly is a beautiful sound... the video accompaniment ( i guess that's India) to the studio version sure is an opposite presentation though.....

This guy has the best male voice to come along in years.

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JQ

Jeff A - Thanks for that; I’d never heard him either. The studio version is a couple minutes longer, still pretty spare. I think it’s brilliant and keep playing it. He brings the romance back into the train and homelessness thing lyrically. But in a more contemporary manner musically. And then there’s his singing, its pitch, range and emotive qualities!

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NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Celtic etc.

I have seen here posts about "what kind of the music I have listened lately, last year, last month, yesterday, this very minute". I don't understand what is happening here. This is what I have listened lately: Appalachian mountain hymns, Celtic music, classical Indian sitar music, classical European Barock music, the blues. With the word "lately" I mean the latest fifteen years. Have I missed something?

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NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Joan Baez

Peter V's favourite dentist JOAN BAEZ started her "Farewell Tour" in Sweden for some time ago. After the last song she said "see you next time". A farewell tour?

See you next time.

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Jeff A.

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JQ

Jeff A - Chicago has a vibrant folk/country/Americana thing going on too. There’s a club called The Hideout there that is a home base for a lot of that. Robbie Fulks used to have a Monday residency there. I saw one of his deals where he and top notch musicians did a sort of mash up of Miles Davis and Merle Travis- brilliant. Neko Case, Kelly Hogan, The Handsome Family and Andrew Bird are or have been a part of that scene.

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Jeff A.

Subject: At 7:1o in

A friend just told me she was is Chicago- what;s happening there music wise?.So i looked at the clubs- told her to catch Sugar ray Rayford at Buddy Guy's tomorrow night or Michael LEdbetter at Blues on Halstead sunday.... Leadbelly's cousin's grandson -ha- but this guy can sing, was a pro opera singer before ending u singign blues-----..... Been around a while- here is a video of his project with Mike Welch, at 7:10 or so they go into a Otis rush tune.... The guy who introduced em at the beginning of the video used to run Bluesville on XM, then Sirius/XM , & till he retired form there played School For fools on the radio a very very respectable amount.

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Jeff A.

Subject: AJA Live, first time ever...Last night Steve Gadd drumming

I vaguely knew about this show, but wasn't aware of the lineup, or i'da gone,,, this one slipped past me

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Jeff A.

Subject: Bhi Bhiman, Guttersnipe Live

This guy can sing!

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Jeff A.

Subject: Rhiannon Giddens with Bhi Bhiman

this is pretty hot. All of a sudden. this Bhi Bhiman gets a lot of publicity, just played a big gig in Manhattan, this is the first time i 've heard him sing... i never heard of him till two weeks ago, now, it;s very time you turn around... Staples Singers cover

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Bill M

Peter V: My suggestion is that you lay the groundwork for sweet revenge. Assuming the play's a hit, imagine the looks on the producers' faces when they open your new book, "The Band, the Musical: A History". On the cover will be the three gals, but inside will be the story of our guys.

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Dunc

Subject: 5 for Friday

Still playing female artists:

Sandy Denny - 'the best of the BBC recordings'

Maura O'Connell - 'Stories'

Lucinda Williams- 'Car Wheels On A Gravel Road'

I'm almost complete on the above three artists

Emmy Lou Harris - 'Brand New Dance' -forgot about this album.

Ceolbeg - '5' - a beautiful sound of flutes, whistles, Highland bag pipes, keyboards, guitars, percussion, electric bass...and a lady, Wendy Stewart as well as singing a song, playing electric harp, clarsach and concertina. An example of a really good Scottish band, which may explain why I have little Fairport Convention (after Sandy left) or Steeleye Span. just too much music.

I've actually seen all the above artists in concert, apart from Ceolbeg. (Seen a couple of the musicians in other bands.)

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Rod

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Peter V

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Dunc

Really enjoyed that Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.

Never knew that about Tornados' drummer. I remember those EPs.

Just googled Japanese 1960s song hit and it came up with Sukiyaki. I loved this, especially the whistling. Has to be considered an instrumental as nobody knew what he was singing.

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Peter V

Subject: Shakin' All Over

Johnny Kidd & The Pirates at their best. Credible British rock and roll!

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Peter V

The Tornados drummer, Clem Cattini, has probably played on more British Top 10 hits than anyone else in a long and distinguished session career. Alan Caddy, the lead guitarist, went on to become a producer, though he specialized in vast numbers of budget cover versions for those "Six hits on one disc" EPs. They had previously been with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, one of the best pre-Beatles live beat groups in Britain for me.

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Dunc

Subject: Remember

When I'm young, I seem to remember Telstar by the Tornados and Theme From A Summer Place by Percy Faith being played all the time. I loved Telstar.

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Peter V

Subject: The Cruel Sea

A 1963 classic guitar instrumental here … The Cruel Sea by The Dakotas, who found themselves dragooned into being Billy J. Kramer's backing group. I saw them on The Beatles show in 1963 and they were WAY better doing this than when Billy J. Kramer started singing.

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Peter V

Instrumentals were, as Lisa says, a big thing in the early 60s. The Beatles changed that. The lead instrument affected style though.

As Norm says, and many British guitarists would agree, you learned to play lead guitar by picking out the melody line on all those guitar led instrumentals. It served guitarists well later in creating solos. The Ventures, The Shadows, The Dakotas etc were all comparatively sedate. It was an easy slip into MoR for them when The Beatles changed the world, still picking out the melody in single notes.

Bring in a saxophone and it was more raucous and rock and roll … Johnny & The Hurricanes or the British 13 piece band, Lord Rockingham's XI (why a 13 piece band was called "XI" no one knows), Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, Sounds Incorporated. All those line ups were musically more sophisticated than the simple guitar bands. Often developing from the Trad Jazz scene in the UK.

Trad Jazz was big here from 1956 to around 1963, and it was trad jazzers like Chris Barber, who brought so many American blues / R&B acts to the UK … for British record labels New Orleans jazz, R&B and blues were related areas. The most successful were Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball. Acker Bilk's Stranger on the Shore was not at all typical of his band's normal trad jazz repertoire. Kenny Ball had a series of major hits with trad jazz versions of film themes … Green Leaves of Summer, Midnight in Moscow, Sukiyaki.

Introduce an organ, and you seem to move further into R&B … Dave Baby Cortez, Jimmy Smith, Booker T & The MGs. "Rinky Dink" was a particular favourite of mine.

JQ mentioned Dick Dale. Those surf bands differed from the Ventures / Shadows template for guitar instrumentals. They rocked more, with the lead line lower in the mix, bass, drums and rhythm higher. Link Wray, for example, on "Raunchy", doesn't sound anything like The Ventures / Shadows style and he pre-dates the surf bands, but they liked him. Dick Dale, The Chantays, The Surfaris all play "tougher" to me than the Ventures / Shadows crowd.

Chuck Berry was not averse to the odd guitar instrumental. The 90s Band used to do "Deep Feeling" as a Jim Weider showcase.

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Jeff A.

Norm, back in the 90s, Jimmy Vivino used to treat us to Sleepwalk every now and then at Downtime.with his Black Italians. In the 2000s too, other places...I've seen him play it since also... Perfect- note , nuance, tone, back then. when it comes to blues and r&B, and alot of rock and roll, no one is better than Jimmy at nailing the original artists guitar parts perfectly.and then by the same token, he cn keep goign too.....I've seen him do it with The Band, with Steely Dan,Doors, alot.... with a ton of blues and r & b.... he doesn't have that in country rock and some rock and roll though...Byrds, Neil Young, others, other people cover better....

Santo & Johnny, - i know a Santo and Johnny that work together,,,,Santo's parents came here from Italy, he grew up in Da Bronx, is in his mid 50s,, John's a Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights Italian. his parents were born here. Johns' a fucking riot, essentially an accident of birth . His father would be my age i guess, and John is exactly like the guys i grew up with......to find early thirty year olds that behave like perfect Brooklyn italians that were born in the 40s or 50s, well, it don;t happen.....

Actually you guys are all gonna meet them pretty soon.

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JQ

London may have been the center of earth later in the 60’s but earlier it was LA. And I was there for all that milk and honey. We thought all those groups were our neighbors- The Beach Boys actually were. It was a heck of a time and place to grow up, talk about white privilege - success was the path of least resistance for a white guy. I got to see Dick Dale at Loyola U, thanksgiving 1964 and it was my first time seeing what an electric guitar was all about. Miserlou remains a favorite from then.

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Lisa

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Rockin Chair

Subject: Stranger on the Shore

Aker Bilk..............Lisa.

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Lisa

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Bill M

While everyone with a guitar in the '60s would have played "walk Don't Run", I can't think of anybody who's named the Ventures as an influence - though the Shadows have been mentioned by many. Including Neil Young and Randy Bachman, who contributed to a tribute album, and also Terry Jacks, whose group's instrumental recordings from '63-'65 were very much influenced by Hank Marvin (and also the excellent Swedish group, the Spotniks).

Rockin C: I forget the details, but the Shadows seem to have evolved from the shards of the last version of an important English skiffle group, the Vipers, whose mainstay, Johnny Martyn (or John Booker) subsequently returned to Vancouver and a career in social work. If you spent your nights off in Legion and ANAF halls in Van in the '70s, and recall a short, lively man lighting up the place with "Pick A Bale" and the like, that woulda been Johnny.

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Jeff A.

Subject: Take To The Streets & Scream.

Today marks a month since tha Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. I've been glued to MSNBC for two hours- the entire Student body at DOuglas walked out, and held a protest, and several rounds of 17 moments of silence- at the school & in the park. Over 3100 High Schools had students walk out nationwide- many held very organized rallys. In Washington DC students came from all over the east coast, gathered at the White House, then marched to the capitol. Several Congrssmen addressed the crowd and were interviewed some... MANBC had reporters at the coordinated marches in Chicago and the DC schools that marched together, at the walkouts Denver, Clayton & Chesterfield in St Louis (county) Missouri.... Alot of eloquent 7 emotional kids spoke, alot of chanting and screaming. The kids are taking to the streets and screaming... these kids are making it very clear they want gun control, do not want automatic or semi automatic weapons , and will vote the bastards prevent gun control out of office.

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Peter V

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Rockin Chair

Subject: Of the Sixties Era

One of the finest of the instrumental recordings was brothers from Brooklyn Santo & Johnny. Santo woke one night at 2 in the morning and wrote "Sleep Walk". Actually came out in '59.

There have been so many covers of this and for the most part pretty trashy. By far the best I have heard is Jeff Beck on his Strat. It is almost a duplicate of Santo's steel.

Although there were many instrumental groups that got a lot of notoriety back then the Ventures were at the top out here most the time. The Shadows had the second show mostly. They had some tunes that were top of the list mostly. As well as Apache, "The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt", and When Leaves Will Fall.

They all had to fight their way past Dwayne Eddy first.

Entered at Wed Mar 14 14:21:35 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Apache

Found this great 1960 clip of The Shadows doing Apache (though I suspect it's miming!). Don't know where it's from but it has great atmosphere. They manage to look cool. They weren't in fact (I have done lights on them) but they convince on this.

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Peter V

Subject: Perfidia The Shadows

The Shadows version of Perfidia.

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Peter V

Subject: Perfidia The Ventures

Comparison time. First "Perfidia" by The Ventures.

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Peter V

Subject: The Ventures v The Shadows

The Ventures … and instrumental groups. In the UK they had just two Top 30 hits, Walk Don't Run and Perfidia, both in 1960. They covered any instrumental they could find, hence cover versions of Apache (The Shadows) and Pipeline (The Chantays). Basically if you could pick out the melody on lead guitar, The Ventures covered it. Their LPs were themed cash-ins on trends, such as Surf, Disco, Soul, Pyschedelia. Their psychedelic one even attempts Strawberry Fields Forever.

Apache was written by Jerry Lordan. Bert "Play in a Day" Weedon recorded it first, but the composer disliked his feeble version and gave it to The Shadows, who held the UK #1 spot with it for five weeks. It was also #1 in Ireland, New Zealand and Sourh Africa, #4 in Australia and a Top Ten hit in every European country. The American hit was a 1961 cover by Jorgan Ingmann (US #2).

The hit version of Pipeline was by The Chantays in 1962. It was a classic surf single. Wikipedia dates The Ventures version as 1960, but in fact it appearedon their "Surfing" LP in 1963, so again a cover.

The Ventures are often compared to The Shadows. Most British bands of the 60s which can trace their origins back before The Beatles first bought their guitars and learned to play Shadows numbers, though Walk Don't Run was an essential. The ones to compare are the versions of Perfidia, where The Shadows did it later, but slowed it down and added a much more interesting rhythm section. Back in the day they were much compared here, with The Shadows inevitably coming out on top. The point was that The Shadows proved able to write excellent originals, which lifted them.

If you want to hear The Shadows, one of the best-recorded early 60s live albums is Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Live at The ABC Kingston, 1962. It was an abandoned Live set that was shelved for four decades before emerging. Link is to "Wonderful Land" (UK #1 for NINE weeks in 1962) live at the ABC Kingston.

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Jeff A.

i hope you decide to post more often, maybe tell us something of what's goin on in chicago & New Orlweans that you get out to see....

You probably know, Steve Freund ( now in the Bay Area), Tad Robinson ( outside Indianapolis) , Kenny Saydak ( Colorado now), Harlan Terson & Marty Binder ( both still in chicago) recorded a new project for Delmark titled the Rockwell Ave Band.... I'd imagine they'll do some shows, and again, it makes sense starting in chicago- that'd be a good one to catch.

Do you ever get out to see Dave Specter & jimmy Johnson? Together or separate?

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Rockin Chair

Subject: C'Mon Bill!

Well I guess we couldn't expect guys from Ontario to be surfers anyway.

"Pipe Line" by far one of the biggest of the "Ventures" they also did a great job of Apache. I could name a raft more, but I'll leave that to some one else here. "The usual experts" on every thing that are here every day. Or usual suspects I guess.

In those surfer days of The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Ventures, The Shadows. We played a lot, a lot of their music out here. It's how I learned to play a little lead guitar playing that music.

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Tom Garvey

Subject: Jeff A, Ronnie Earl

Hi folks, long time lurker, infrequent poster here. I'm moved to post after buying the Ronnie Earl CD Jeff A listed as a recent listen. Great blues/R&B - thank you! I'm enjoying Levon's playing, the tasteful guitar and especially Irma's contributions. Of course, I'm partial there given where I'm from.

Thank you!

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Bill M

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Peter V

Well, I guess Walk Don't Run was the first thing so many learned to play.

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Jeff A.

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Bill M

You're probably right about US TV's effect on Cher's cred, but of course much of that reflected (Sonny and) Cher's own business / dress / material / comportment choices. I like lots of her songs, but not "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves", even though it's likely as close as she ever came to being Bandish.

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John D

Subject: Nokie Edwards

Nokie Edwards one of the 3 founding fathers of The Ventures has died.

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Peter V

Subject: Toppermost on Cher

Link is to my Toppermost article on Cher from 2014. Will look forward to Simone!

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Jeff A.

Entered at Tue Mar 13 17:52:06 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Subject: Simone Felice on WDST

Peter, Simone Felice on Radio Woodstock

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Bob F

Peter, 3614 Jackson Highway is a great record but I also love the music she made with Sonny and her solo records he produced. They still sound great. Plus the records she made in later years like Everyone Sleeps Alone, Heart of Stone, Believe and her masterpiece If I Could Turn Back Time.

I'm not sure I understand the pop/rock discussion. The Beatles always considered themselves a pop band. No insult in having a pop label.

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Peter V

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

What goes with this discussion is the phenomena of the songwriter, as opposed to the artist. And all of a sudden, soem songwriters were also being artists.... So those songwriter/artists had the double dip pleasure of gettign to record & RELEASE!!! their own,but also have other artists drooling over their work....As great as Dylan was- would he ever have broken as an artist had not Jona Bazez, The byrds, and others embrace his music? ( there's also no denying the socio plitical times and subject matter helping his viability tremendously- but- he had musical coverage by other stars. POP Stars, as well as folk and rock starts....

though not pop, dylan released Along The watchtower, ‎December 27, 1967, Hendrix released a version on eLectric LAdyland, ‎November 22, 1968...

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Calvin

Im not saying the Kinks rebirth as hitmakers say 1978-1984 wouldnt have happened without Van Halen, but they certainly helped.

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Peter V

In the UK, as soon as a female star had her second hit, she started hosting a TV show. They all did it. Some were more successful as TV hosts than others … notably Lulu. Like Tom Jones, she could do a credible duet with anyone, and also her tastes were more rock than MoR. She was also a good interviewer and did comedy sketches with ease.

We never got Cher, nor Sonny & Cher shows. We did get Perry Como and Andy Williams though. As I've often said, I think this is why Cher has greater "Rock snob cred" in the UK than the USA. We never saw the TV shows.

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Peter V

Subject: Cher: Rock or pop?

Link to Cher's Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You, from her best album, 3614 Jackson Highway. Great band on this. Eddie Hinton on lead guitar. David Hood bass, Roger Hawkins drums, Barry Beckett keys, Jimmy Johnson rhythm.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Dylan was everything except a pop music star. He might have been a pop star, in the sociologist's way of using the word. But Dylan was not a pop music artist. Yet his songs were covered by pop artists after pop artist, more than frequently amazingly successfully so.

successful Variety shows like Ed Sullivan that featured musical artists led to numerous TV variety shows that were hosted by musical artists, like the SOnny & Cher show. Shows of this nature, the Dean MArtin Show, The Glen Campbell show, etc, became a integral piece of the society... And we had few channels. With all the Channels on "TV" today, i cant think of one show hosted by a pop music artist that features music. Or any "TV" shows hosted by pop music artists..

I still remember Cher laying on that piano, and also singing Gypsy's, Tramps, & Thieves.

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Peter V

Bob F: Cher's take on this from "3614 Jackson Highway" ranks as one of the best Dylan covers, and my favourite version of the song. I bought the 45 new back in the day.

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Rockin Chair

Subject: And Then!

I agree Peter, I wasn't impressed with their original material at all. That wasn't my point. I said they did probably the best covers of Band songs I've heard.

They do Ophelia and Don't You do it really well. You ain't allowed to have an opinion 'cause you ain't listened to it. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!!

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Bob F

Subject: Heaven

Great link on Expecting Rain of Cher covering 10 Dylan songs. Pure heaven.

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Peter V

They do a decent "Dixie" but I had heard an album in store a few months ago, and thought it was generic Southern rock. The store owner was enthusing. I was pretty indifferent.

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Jeff A.

Entered at Mon Mar 12 18:20:35 CET 2018 from (208.181.205.134)

Rockin Chair

Subject: As Before

One of the best to watch is "Don't You Do It". For youtube the sound is pretty good and they do a good job of the song.

Entered at Mon Mar 12 18:04:11 CET 2018 from (67.80.26.230)

Jeff A.

That Blackberry Smoke band got talent...i watched TNTODD, that was cool.... likely the most interesting cover version i've seen.

I went to their website, listened to one original song on you tube Left Of Me-- a very nonremarkable generic lyric about getting rode hard & put up wet--- these guys can sing & play,that;s for sure....not sure about their songwriting, but i'll look some more...

Entered at Mon Mar 12 15:38:39 CET 2018 from (208.181.205.134)

Rockin Chair

Subject: Black

What in hell is going on??? I asked you guys to look at "Black Berry Smoke". You got to see these guys. In the page I suggest here, see what they do with "Man of Constant Sorrow".

So far I have found vids of them playing:

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

The Weight - They are all sitting using acoustic guitars, even the bass player

Ophelia and "Don't You do it".

For my money these guys cover the Band better than any one I have heard. In this first video you have to admit Charlie Starr is a killer guitar player and singer. If you like Allman Brothers, Lynrd Skynrd, and Tom Petty, you have to like these guys. Charlie Starr sounds closer to Levon Helm than any one you'll ever hear.

In the video of TNTDODD. they have a gang on stage and this fellow Benji Shanks plays a verse and chorus on slide he is very tasty.

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Jeff A.

Heard Gene Clark's solo version of Mr Tambourine Man in the car yesterday.. Has maybe a Raspberry's or Eric Carmen type piano intro .......

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JQ

It’s great to learn new stuff here. Why aren’t there frets on a cello?

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Peter V

Subject: New Directions

Link to "New Directions" which was far closer to Dave Antony's Moods main soul band meets psych style, in which they were similar to the Alan Bown Set and Simon Dupree & The Big Sound. They were massive in Italy 1967-69 and fell out of the UK mainstream.

Entered at Sun Mar 11 18:40:37 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: A Slightly Less White Shade of Pale

OK, it's on YouTube … link is to Dave Antony's Moods version of A Whiter Shade of Pale. I was corresponding with the bass player about a school reunion we were planning, and said I'd bought their recording of "New Directions" recently reissued as an EP on the Acid Jazz label. No one had told him about it and he certainly wasn't being paid.

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Peter v

My guess is that it was a deliberate effort to get some of A Whiter Shade's action, cleverly realizing that no one holds copyright on Air On A G String, Bach being deceased sufficiently long. It came out 5 to 6 weeks later. Rupert's People was the writer Rod Lynton, plus Tim Andrews singing and Fleur de Lys backing. According to YouTube Pete Solley played organ, and he subsequently joined a later version of Procul Harum. I guess he proved he knew the organ part. Listening to his solo late on in Reflections Of Charles Brown, it sounds as if it might in its turn have inspired Je t'aime.

They weren't the only ones. Dave Antony's Moods did a straight cover of A Whiter Shade of Pale which became the #1 hit in Italy, beating the original. Dave Antony had been lead vocalist with Zoot Money's band in Bournemouth. The bass player was in my class at school, and at a friend's funeral, they played the Dave Antony's Moods 45 rpm version which confused me at the time as it's VERY similar indeed but not identical. It was explained afterwards that he was friends with them and wanted their version. As Fleur de Lys were from Dorset, just outside Bournemouth, both bands knew each other.

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JQ

Is this the song that Robbie attributed to Percy Sledge?

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JQ

PV - I’m not understanding. Was this a major controversy then or did RP become Procul Harum? Or is it a trad melody free to be used?

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Peter V

Subject: Reflections of Charles Brown

I found a 45 of this 1967 record by Rupert's People recently. On YouTube the producer says it was "produced at the same time" as A Whiter shade of Pale. OK, but Procul Harum came out in late May 1967 and this 5 or 6 weeks later on 7th July. I guess they would have argued that 'Air On A G String" was out of copyright.

Whatever, it's a great record that I recall from the era and this first 45 by Rupert's People is actually hugely-rated Mod band Fleurs de Lys, named after the Dorset pub where they practised. (Later Rupert's People aren't the same band).

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Jeff A.

Entered at Sat Mar 10 20:01:46 CET 2018 from (107.77.97.121)

JQ

I was wrecked by sciatic pain in the 80’s. I had a Chinese doctor that advised: “Buy New Cah!!” He also gave me 200 Vicodin. With refills!! I was driving a ‘71 Porche 911E; it was very fast, low-slung, I loved 2nd gear, and, particularly, grumping along on the freeway at 25mph. But I couldn’t sit down in it any longer. It made as much sense as a Hummer in the burbs. So I took his advice and got the SUV and it worked pretty well. It was a reoccurring problem though and nothing worked like the nuerosurgery in 2005; I was cured. I woke up and it was 100%, no pain, no PT and only a band aid covering the site. That’s sounds like a TV ad I just saw, maybe goddam verbatim, but true for me.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Added up throughout my life I probably drove Econoline vans and the occasional dodge pickup as much as cars, when i drove cars they were Dodge Intrepids, a Dodge Charger, I had a 95 suburban i bought new that was alemon, great susopension, the happiest my back ever was in any car- after about 5 months - 2 months if fighting- i actually got GM to give me back every penny i paid for the truck) some big ass old station wagons ( i picked up a well kept relatively low mileage 72 or 74 Buick Estate Wagon fromt he original owenr for 200 bucks in 1986 ), some pretty plain mid size cars, one Caddy for two years, 83- 85. I'd put my Dodge Grand Caravan Sport (Suspension) ahead of any similar sized SUV. The suspensions wore but i kept em up, the ride was phenomenal.... Econoline vans, you couldn;t beat the ride...

Till 5 years ago i was active all day, i might have put 20 -50k on in a year, but i either broke my ass physically working as hard as a few slaves on thiose Egyptian Pyramids, or minimally was very active physically all day, when not in the car. Even these last 5 years, not nearly as active as i was, it wasn't unusual for me to walk or sometimes hobble around 3 - 10 miles most days. I've never owned a foam mattress, don;t think i ever slept on one..There have been times i've slept on a couple of pieces of upholsterer's foam or egg crate foam crap, and maybe one to three comforters, on top of those, on the floor, cause it felt better than a bed.Sometimes justa pile of comforters. Sometimes just the floor..The only times I've had swivel chairs are in one or two motels i lived in a while working on the road.

Heat therapy & i don't get along, i;d never buy or use a heated car seat..- I'm an ice guy. I never got real help from physcal therapy, but the last time i went for it ( well over a year, helped the first months but then i and the therapist got carried away & i over did it, got worse), the therapists in the place were amazed - i never let em put heat on my neck or back, but, at the end of the sessions they'd ice me up. They used ice frozen in rubber cups molds with long removable lids,and ice your back & neck with real ice, direct. I'd let em go for 10 -20 minutes, even in winter. Never complained. Most people would last two ro three minutes, and cry. I never felt a thing.. They'd use two or three ice molds up on me.... When i see them now they call me Ice Man.... These days i throw some packs on at home. In a pinch, some one in any situation can always just walk into a grocery , deli, or gas station, buy a bag of ice, and throw it on their back.... or wrap it in towels, apply.....

I need to get one of those teeter totters, now known as teeter hangups- just don't have the room for it presently. Those anti compression gravity tables make sense..

surgery, i woulda done the lumbar surgery years ago. surgeons told me i wasn't in a wheel chair, i shouldn't do it....80s, early, mid 90s etc, Now they al wann cut me uop starting with the cervical.. THey say its a routine procedure today, but do have to tell you that there still is the risk of paralysis. I ain;t doing it, unless it gets where there's no choice at some point. the lumbar one , well, it should be cut and dry- should be a snap, a laminectomy and a two or three level fusion- but i got a friend who just had one at Hospital for Special surgery, with the department head, and two or three months later the screws popped out on him.....He ll be going back in to do it over....

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Bill M

I've met a bunch of GBers over the years - Bonk most recently, last month in Victoria. All very nice people - and almost none looked like how I imagined them. (Jan H and Peter V had their photos posted here already.) Let's see: Rockin C, BEG, Northern Boy, Jerry T, sadavid, Landmark.

Entered at Sat Mar 10 14:17:35 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Subject: The Zombies & Friends doing The Weight

Kevin, here are The Zombies and Friends doing The Weight at The Barn last night. It's a rough video but I remember how much you love new versions of The Weight. lol Come back.

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Peter V

Many years ago, at a reception hosted by my publisher, a group of four authors were chatting including me. The Managing Director slimed over to us and said suspiciously, 'What are you discussing? Royalty rates?' 'No,' we answered truthfully, 'Backache." Which we all suffered from due to sitting in chairs concentrating all day.

Jeff, in my many discussions with osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists over 20 years, a common thread emerges, They all agree on major causes of backache. Number one in severity is memory-foam mattresses (e.g. Tempur). These cause too much heat in at least 20% of the population, and your hip gets moulded in a dip, relaxes the muscles and click goes your back.

Another major one, luxury comfortable saloon cars. Far worse if they have heated seats. An osteopath said that 30 years back, when only Volvos and Saabs had heated seats, he'd ask patients "So which Swedish car have you got?" Heated car seats relax your muscles into the shape of the seat. You get out and your back is still set in the shape of the seat. Click.

The best advice I was given for backache was "Get an SUV." After 9 years with an SUV I rarely get lower back ache (though unfortunately my knees are now a problem).

Another advice (which I largely ignore) is "Never use a swivel seat for typing." In a swivel seat your back doesn't do enough work. I notice my osteopath always sits on an old-fashioned wooden dining chair. Then your back moves, not the seat, which is good.

And another … after any treatment … physio, osteo, chiro, acupuncture … always walk around the block before getting in a car.

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Jeff A.

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haso

Subject: 5 for Friday

I'll read up on the last couple of weeks later. Off and about lately. Though I, for certain envy, Norm a little (Puerto Vallarta, sounds good after yesterday's 10" of snow and not being up to riding down it on my 'board, just now).

Last 5

DeJohnette, Grenadier, Medeski, Scofield - Hudson

Knopfler and Emmylou - All the Road Running. (Is it just me, or does going country mean that we get Knopfler's guitar licks over snore-inducing rhythym sections? Or did he never care anyway if the drums and bass changed things up sometimes? Makes you miss Ricky/Levon and Butch/Jaimoe/Berry or Oteil of the Allmans).

(speaking of which) Allman Bros - Fillmore East recordings, 3.12.1971, 1st Show

Alicia Keys - Songs in A Minor

Bath Festival Orchestra - Bach/ Brandenburg Concertos 1 & 2

Women's day 5

See above for Emmylou and A. Keys

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way

Norah Jones - Day Breaks

Amy Helm - Didn't it Rain

Entered at Sat Mar 10 04:35:58 CET 2018 from (67.81.99.202)

Jeff A.

On a subject you were the last to address, this morning i picked up a rental car for a while. I was able to choose between a brand new four doorF 150 4 wheel drive with 45 milesd on it, or a brand new Kia Sorrento AWD. Both had cd players in em Pete. Last OCtober i had one of those 4door F150 4wd for a while. It was exceptionally comfortable, and the ride was great. But, reasonably hard on torn up city streets..... The acupuncturist got the knives out of my tailbone and the rocks out of my spine, but the pain moved into right hip, &my right buttock shooting strigth through my leg into my foot. With about a dozen spots that feel like I;m getting electrocuted... Yestrdasy was the first day i felt a fifth decent in awhile, and today was pretty good , so i was reluctant to take that 150. What helped me go with the Kia Sorrento was the f150 had a slight smell of fish...When ive shopped for new cars i ran onto that on very rare occassion....So i wnet twith the much smaller KIA SUV..It;s okay. Comforatble, handles nice....

n HEard osme good cuts in the radio today, including Hickory Wind from Sweetheart of The Rodeo.......But also heard alot of dreck...... y'know you've outlived your time when Dance Away The Heartache by Roxy Music comes on the radio and you welcome it with happy relief.

Entered at Sat Mar 10 04:14:33 CET 2018 from (67.81.99.202)

Jeff A.

Just in after a day of running here there and everywhere. Grabbed my mail, and an autographed copy of The Akron Sound by Calvin Rydbom was the largest piece today. The cover is great - it really looks like a cool book. Flipping through quickly i spied a note from Calvin on one of the pages, and a lot of good photos. There was what i think is a full page of Chrissie Hyndes- opposite the beginning of a chapter titled The Akron Sound Elsewhere. It might be a bit till i get to serious reading, but i look forward to reading this book....

Entered at Fri Mar 9 22:36:22 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I had a great afternoon chatting with Dlew from Australia in London. We met at Shakespeare's Globe, and walked across the area paved with stones commemorating the benefactors.I have been there many times and know many of the theatrical greats and film directors who gave money to build the Globe replica of Shakespeare's Theatre and who have paving stones to prove it. But until today I had never seen a particular stone, the first one we stopped at and Dlew pointed it out: Robbie Robertson. That's what happens when Band fans meet! And well done, Robbie.

Entered at Fri Mar 9 06:11:10 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

Kinda hard not to like the guy portrayed in the interview & article. Smart enough to leave the missionaries and leave the Hopi alone & become an atheist too.

Hermann ain't real far out of St Louis- maybe 90 minutes. It's wine country.

Entered at Fri Mar 9 05:20:41 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

Subject: Blind Reviewers

This Rolling Stone reviewer gotta be blind. To me, Rateliff has no resemblance to Garth at any age....... So they both have beards? I haven't heard the record, and honestly don;t know if any of those tunes were on the you tubes i checked out...So i have no opinion as to the reviewers taste.. But, like i had stated, the beginning of that SOB and Shape I'm In Bob posted sure got my attention... the guy has the voice when he wants to, i'll probably listen more...

Glenn, everyone here has really interesting playlists....that Ronnie Earl record i listed - well, Earl is a guitar slinger but this is not a guitar slingers album. It's a tasty ensemble effort. Tracked live, i remember a guy named Joe Harley produced it and Levon was tickled pink with the way Harley miked the drums & with Neumanns. Levon wasn't techy, and as great as they are Neumann's are not unusual, but Levon was just overjoyed with em & the sound Harley got.. I mentioned the record at breakfast before going in the studio in StLouis and Levon was really happy talking about that session....

Entered at Fri Mar 9 04:30:31 CET 2018 from (70.121.56.235)

glenn t

Thanks for sharing those albums Jeff. Poetic Champions is one of my very favorite Van records, and of course Emmylou shines with both Gram and Dylan on those other albums on your list. Lots of great music! My most recent listens: two from Bob Marley: Natty Dread and Kaya; Elton John: A Single Man; Rolling Stones: Rewind (an interesting compilation); and 2 more from Bowie: Scary Monsters and Lodger.

Entered at Fri Mar 9 02:01:12 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

Ronnie Earl & Friends - Levon was the drummer, Luther Johnson, Kim Wilson, & Irma Thomas the "saingers." Killer record, recorded in Bearsville. One i bought as soon as it came out...

Van Morrison: Poetic Champions Compose-- again. It always gets played alot- very beautiful and calming music....

Dylan: Shelter From The Storm

Dylan & Emmylou: Desire

Gram Parsons & Emmylou: Grievous Angel Inspired by Bassman Lee. A complete % Total Masterpiece.

Entered at Fri Mar 9 00:23:11 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

Subject: How do get your band on the Tonight Show?

It helps if you own The Knicks..... and Madison Sq Garden... James Dolan owns the Knicks, Rangers etc...He's the CEO of Madison Sq garden, the teams and the Networdks. Til he sold it, he was the CEO of Cablevision also..

His band, J.D. and the Straight Shot, well, he gets himself good gigs every now and then, and puts out records... Opens for the Eagles, James gang, like that....He's about to open a whole tour for the Eagles....How he;s not embarassed is beyond me.. Obviously a lot of money can make some people very immune to reality....

This performance of Shambala- well.... Oy Vey Es Fucking Mir!

That's Sean Pelton in deep deep camouflage on drums. He usually wears a flat cap or beret, and i don't recall ever seeing him in sunglasses before either....

I forget the guitar players name, but he's a real good player, been with Dolan a while, and there's other great players passed through, one i'm friendly with and have worked a little with, this guy was the musical liaison for Madison Sq Garden, every time he tried to quit, Dolan gave him a raise. finally he got away...

Entered at Thu Mar 8 22:39:51 CET 2018 from (70.121.56.235)

glenn t

Great idea Bob F - in celebration of Women's Day...

Rosanne Cash: The List

Dusty Springfield: Dusty in Memphis

Emmylou Harris: Spyboy (live album)

Joan Baez: Diamonds & Rust

Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black

Entered at Thu Mar 8 22:04:01 CET 2018 from (74.103.167.178)

b.lee

Subject: interpretations

Lisa, thanks for your concerns.

When your audience is the mice an spiders lurking in the living room, you can sing it any way you damn well please! Been more and more displeased with my "play it like the record" chums, and thinking of pairing up with my good girl-friend to do a duo thing. More work, but maybe more satisfaction. (Although that song will not be on the setlist, or the agenda.) She's a big Emmylou fan, so that might be the starting point, that and the Everlys. Love Hurts is my ear worm lately.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 21:15:09 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Subject: Last 5 Woman Artists

Dunc, great idea and thanks for including Ro.

Brandi Carlile - By The Way, I Forgive You. Link to video of The Joke. People say where have all the great singers gone? Right here.

Laura Nyro - Eli and The Thirteenth Confession

Carly Simon - Boys In The Trees

Janis - Pearl

St Vincent - Masseduction

Entered at Thu Mar 8 21:05:06 CET 2018 from (96.49.94.173)

Lisa

To imitate or do your own thing with a song? Hard to say, and it sort of depends on the individual song and how you feel about it. In a sense, you really can't help but do your own interpretation. Maybe it depends a bit on the expectations of your audience?

Entered at Thu Mar 8 20:07:03 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 18:56:03 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Thu Mar 8 18:16:51 CET 2018 from (107.77.97.54)

JQ

2 great singers that have improved with age, 67 & 69. Although, like the late stage Frank Sinatra, the last time I saw Nick he was having a little trouble with the lyrics.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 18:05:41 CET 2018 from (187.237.93.178)

Rockin Chair

Subject: Most Resent Musica

My most resent music very different. Two nights ago a marimba band, Two of the best marimba men I have heard. I had them play for us Lámbada and Maria Elana' My grand daughter's name. Great dances with Susie. She is still great.

Another great band the other night. Just guitar key boards and this guy had every íntrument known to man iñ his Korg. Played me some fine Sañtaña, They had two girls and a guy singing, all good but one girl was exceptional. She sang for me Ed Est tu, Haven't heard it sung like that in years.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 17:13:37 CET 2018 from (74.103.167.178)

b.lee

Bob F, thanks for the link. Nate and the boys brought tears to my eyes on Shape I'm In. Pretty much where I am right now.

As a (part-time) vocalist, it is hard to decide. Do I try to imitate the original or try to put my own spin on it? Commercially, "playing the record" is more successful. But not necessarily as satisfying. To hear an honest singer these days it a treat. No AutoTune, no gussied up dancers. Just a guy with a decent set of pipes and a big heart. What's wrong with that?

Entered at Thu Mar 8 16:56:51 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

My last sentence coulda reduced my whole post to a pile of rubbish. LOL

Sometimes Dylan's a great fucking singer. When he wants to be, Dylan's a great fucking singer. There are the years he sounded like he swallowed a squirrel.But even then, many of those shows were great- & there were moments in the vocals that were undeniably great.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 16:40:36 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

Calvin, :-) there's a wide space beteeen the " good voices" you typed and " great singers" I typed.

Plenty of good young voices. I get excited often..And go look... A while back i had posted links to some young performers who had voices & songs i liked. Two i recall were Nicole Adkins and Alice Merton. Merton's No roots is really interesting, -then i read an in depth interview she gave & found out what she wrote it a bout and the rather intriguing lyric became a very self absorbed and kinda inappropirately self celebratory one... I heard another songs of hers and she fell it not he trap of having what was an interesting rhythm in No Roots that she used over less successfully.......

Good and great and very diferent. Believe me, i want there to be great young singers..

AMos Lee and Ray La Montaigne were younger guys who had tons of promise...Montaigne can really sing,. He had some great work...probably is a really great singer, i remember some beautiful stuff.. I never really cared for Amos Lee's material, i think there were one or two very good ones.....Lamontaigne had a couple too, very good or great....In the case of Lee the newer material i've heard got really poor- popular trend formula stuff and production, the last thing i heard by La Montaigne was kinda weird & poor...

The rather large amount of spectacularly brilliant, clear, fast thinking, appropriate, well spoken, & standup kids at Stoneman DOuglas High School gave me surprising faith in their generation. ( David Hogg was on Lawrence O' donnell again last night, he and Cameron KAsky on Bill Maher this week) So maybe i will get surprised by young singers at some point too.

The Stoneman DOuglas kids have had exposure to some combination of parents, exposure, great teachers, and other environmental factors & opportunities.. Musically, well, can or does that type of development happen anymore? The way people listen to music, and even the way the world is- do people have the ability to go hide and woodshed the same way. Does it matter to people? Do people want to or have time to pay attention to the nuances. to think abotu things to work on em.......are the various musical environments or mentorship there anymore....

Great singers--- ( with or without help, various kinds)A great singer inhabits a song. Connects to the lyrics, finds a way in...... puts him or herself in those lyrics, and interprets the song. A great singer knows what to do or figures it out ,( and there are ways to do that, soemtimes with a producer, sometimes alone) Mavis Staples was a great singer when she was young......There are & were people who grew up living for singing ----- it was their life- they had to sing and had to sing the best they could, plus they had that natural talent. People who if they didn't sing to the best of their ability would have been totally miserable.....Part of that is singing every song,every note, the best possible for that moment... .

A good voice, and a great voice are different,but having a good voice, and even having a great voice, is very different from being a great singer.

On the subject- Does Bob Dylan have a good voice? I dunno, maybe not. But Dylan's a great fucking singer..

Entered at Thu Mar 8 15:22:26 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I've started the day by visiting the record store and buying two CDs that qualify: Whistle Down The Wind by Joan Baez, and "Stills -Collins" by Stephen Stills & Judy Collins. Playing the latter first. Really excellent. Interesting mix - half are modern classics and half are by Stills or Collins. With a Dylan cover and a Cohen cover, I guess Judy has a hat trick of good friends on there.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 10:56:59 CET 2018 from (86.148.148.248)

Dunc

Subject: Let's Hear It For The Women

Is it harder for a woman to make it in music? Perhaps? Look at the albums we are selecting. As this is International Women's Day, the next 5 played have to be by women? OK?

By coincidence, I had noticed the lists we are selecting and made a change. So last five played.

Roseann Fino - the EPs 'Out From Under' and 'Airing of Grievances'. Great music. These are my favourite recordings of Roseann.

Annie Ross -'Sings a Song With Mulligan'. Before my time but I really enjoy the high standard of musicianship that Annie Ross, Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker bring to these songs. Beautiful singing and playing. Leave the American Song Book to them.

Garth and Maud Hudson 'Live at the Wolf'. We all know this. Great combination of voice and instrument.

Capercaillie 'Delirium' - the wonderful Karen Mathieson. First time Gaelic made the Top Forty. When you went to their concerts in their younger days, the Gaels were bopping. Brilliant atmosphere.

Alice Marra 'Chain Up The Swings' -Alice singing songs by her father. She is in The Hazy Janes, who supported Wilco on their last European tour.

What catholic taste I have!

Entered at Thu Mar 8 10:35:34 CET 2018 from (86.148.148.248)

Dunc

Bob F. Fred. Scotland is the country in Europe where the highest percentage of the population attend football. For example Kilmarnock, a small Scottish town gets a home gate of 3 500, yet 1 400 of them travelled away to Aberdeen on Saturday to see their team.

My home town is joined onto Glasgow and we got 4 500 at the last game. But many leave the town to see Rangers and Celtic in front of crowds of 50 000 plus. Glory hunters. It's difficult to beat them.

Bob F - enjoyed that version of'The Shape I'm In'. Give Michael Marra a look. I read your Patti Smith really liked him. As you know, they played together. Thanks.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 10:19:47 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Thu Mar 8 04:43:54 CET 2018 from (174.104.129.230)

Calvin

Ive only listened to it once but a friend sent me an album by a young lady named Caitlyn Smith who has some pipes. Lindi Ortega has an amazing voice.

Saw Steve Winwood last night, he is in incredible voice for a guy who will be 70 in may. I dont regret the recent Donald Fagen and Stephen Stills shows Ive seen, but their voices havent held up. His has.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 02:19:58 CET 2018 from (107.77.97.54)

JQ

It’s always fun to watch big people that can dance. Jackie Gleason and Oliver Hardy were great that way too.

Entered at Thu Mar 8 01:01:02 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

I checked Nathaniel & The Night Sweats out more. He's not really worried about being clear, nate slurs & eats words left & right. And the music, well, a lot of their originals use pretty much the same rhythm that S.O.B. was built on........So Far it's either been the whole body of each song, or shows up at some point in other songs.....

There's a full show from a festival in spain, I've looked a t a few songs there, & some other you tubes...... they're a glorified bar band that is touring the world & "entertaining" thousands of younger people who aren't lucky enough to have a lot of great music available...

I'd be curious to hear how this guy sounded if he really wanted to sing.. He's a St Louis boy, but grew up in rural Missouri. He's got timbre & the background to draw on, - if he wants...

Wasting Time --- the intro is These Days with some RR specific period style guitar

the bassist plays a Ripper

Entered at Wed Mar 7 22:22:41 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Mar 7 21:06:53 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

There have been many truly great singers. Unfortunately for us, they've died out... When you think about the great singers from the 30s 40s, 50s, ,even before the ones we grew up and got old with, & look at the complete and total dearth of younger great singers, it's inexplicable.

Bob, today, in this day and age, it's my nature to get excited when some one is a great singer, or might be a great singer----- With the aging of people's pipes and the deaths of great singers i have and would have continued to work with I'm always looking for vocalists i want to listen to and also might want to record....

I have theories about the dearth of really great younger singers..... for another time. I'm finalizing corporate taxes to give my accountant right now. Deadline to file em is next week.

Entered at Wed Mar 7 20:14:41 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

And this.

Entered at Wed Mar 7 20:11:58 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Jeff, great? Who said anything about greatness? I said it was fun. This is what greatness looks like.

Entered at Wed Mar 7 16:48:09 CET 2018 from (67.81.101.19)

Jeff A.

Inserting Shape I'm In into SOB was a natural....they're good- that guy either is or has the potential to be great. Maybe he is a great singer- the limitations & manipultaions of sound offered by you tube make it hard to tell if he is more screaming in some spots than singing. And one performance does not a singer make---. He has the voice, and he has the backgrounds in his voice. the timbres, the soul, are there..... there were places he lost nuance but again- it's only small part of one high energy show and it's you tube..

They've played Brooklyn , i didnt go, i think the reason was the you tubes i saw didn;t resonate for me, lyrically, musically, i dunno... or maybe it was somethign else..... maybe next time...but not if i gotta stand in a crowd...

Entered at Wed Mar 7 16:19:47 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Subject: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

This is so much fun. When they go into Shape I'm In he sounds so much like Richard on first verse.

Entered at Wed Mar 7 13:37:25 CET 2018 from (187.237.93.178)

Rockin Chair

Subject: Tweety Bird Abuse

Fred! Your right what was I thinking? I'm sorry! :-)

Entered at Wed Mar 7 04:54:41 CET 2018 from (107.77.97.24)

JQ

Maybe he’s more Trumpean than the beloved WB characters, emphasis on malevolent. Or, to take it higher, maybe the bad version of Baby Huey is analogous to the USA: big, dumb, rich and powerful.

Entered at Wed Mar 7 04:07:58 CET 2018 from (203.160.29.183)

Fred

Entered at Tue Mar 6 23:28:06 CET 2018 from (187.237.93.178)

Rockin Chair

Subject: Let it be known!

Y'know that little yeller bird in Looney To ones old Sylvester the cat is always after? Well since USA politics has become Looney To ones and the pres is bright yeller.... And orange.....So let it be known as he likes nick names from this time forward he is Tweety Bird!

Entered at Tue Mar 6 21:59:03 CET 2018 from (107.77.97.24)

JQ

It’s a good recap today on the NYer recap of the Steele biz. Funny today on Fox; their take on Nunberg was how could those other networks torture an obviously disturbed person!

Entered at Tue Mar 6 15:29:45 CET 2018 from (67.80.28.144)

Jeff A.

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Bill M

Entered at Tue Mar 6 14:39:08 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Entered at Tue Mar 6 14:29:27 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Entered at Tue Mar 6 14:11:57 CET 2018 from (81.159.125.3)

Dunc

Thanks, Fred. The old firm game is electric. Most people who attend Old Firm matches are decent, but sectarianism is still present in Scotland. It was important to me that my children and grandchildren supported the local club. Welcome to a life of misery I said.

Last five played

The Best of Solomon Burke

The Best of REM

Paul Brady 'True for You'

Stephen Stills 'Manassas'

Michael Marra 'Pax Vobiscum'

I was nearly clear of snow at 6.30, now totally white outside - a long winter.

Entered at Tue Mar 6 10:37:14 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: St Paul & Otis Redding

Phew! St Paul & The Broken Bones tribute to Otis Redding in Macon, Ga. Make sure you listen right to the end.

Entered at Tue Mar 6 10:02:19 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: St Paul & The Broken Bones

Here it is. "Is It Me" by St Paul & The Broken Bones. Just found it on YouTube. Big band. Quite a shock … I'd never seen pictures of them, but he is an amazing singer.

Entered at Tue Mar 6 09:57:15 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Posted Sober- Michael Marra. I'd played it a few times since Dunc sent it to me, but pulling it back out this week it's been an earworm and on constant play.

Sea of Noise - St Paul & The Broken Bones. A record store owner persuaded me I needed their earlier album. This is the recent one. Sample track: "Is It Me".

Cool Jerk - The Capitols (vinyl LP). Found this last week - I already had the CD. I thought it might wean me off my daily Otis Redding while exercising, but really only the title track makes it.

If All I Was Was Black - Mavis Staples - continues to grow.

Gotta Get Up! The Songs of Harry Nilsson. Ace Songwriters series. Every album in this series is brilliant.

Entered at Tue Mar 6 05:13:58 CET 2018 from (203.160.29.183)

Fred

I have a special place in my footballing heart for the Scottish game. It all started when I was in grade 4 (back in 1972) when one of my friends (from Glasgow) would regale me with all things Celtic. However I wasn't too keen on the sectarian aspect of the Big Firm rivalry so I never followed either (even though I wouldn't mind attending a Big Firm match)....I tended to pick (from season to season) an underdog to follow (still do).

Entered at Tue Mar 6 05:07:12 CET 2018 from (203.160.29.183)

Fred

Latest 5:

Cheap Trick at Budokan.

Live in London (Professor Longhair)

Live 1975-1985 Disc 1 (Bruce Springsteen)

Live at the Barn (Wood Brothers)

Live! (Bob Marley)

Entered at Mon Mar 5 22:19:21 CET 2018 from (187.237.93.178)

Rockin Chair

Subject: Political music

Looks like Netenyahu and Trump can share a jail cell soon!

Entered at Mon Mar 5 22:17:59 CET 2018 from (67.80.28.144)

Jeff A.

I know what you mean about hanging up your boots. I think i even took the laces out of mine.

Entered at Mon Mar 5 20:57:28 CET 2018 from (81.159.125.3)

Dunc

I think I've hung up my boots now, Jeff, but that's the best offer I've had in years. A few years ago, I would have been on the first plane. I would have loved to have met Annie Ross, a Scottish icon. Ask her if I could speak to her on the phone for ten minutes and I'll phone her. But, in Scotland she'll tell you, she is known as Jimmy Logan's sister. There's always a link on this GB. When she ran her club in London, she got Nina Simone to play at it. Annie is such a good singer.

That's right Jeff and Roger. I didn't know that until a couple of months ago. This sounds knowledgeable, but I googled this only a couple of months ago. Twisted is an example of vocalese, where the songwriter, Annie, in this case, writes the lyrics to a sax solo. (I think) At times, people write that Twisted is the best example of vocalese.

Roger and Peter - glad you are into Michael Marra...finally.

Entered at Mon Mar 5 16:57:42 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Very little Michael Marra is "in print" on amazon uk. Second hand CDs listed up to £286! I just ordered the double 2010 live album (£15). But mostly it's not available. Sad.

Entered at Mon Mar 5 02:09:45 CET 2018 from (70.121.56.235)

glenn t

Thanks for the kind words Bob. Things are a bit tight financially for my family, so I only got the 2 disc version. Can't wait to hear discs 3 & 4. My wife and I gave up jobs and moved to a different state to be near our daughter and a couple of the grandkids, and it's been a challenge to find full-time work. I found one, but the commute proved to be too much, too long, so I had to let it go. So I'm trying to be good about my music acquisitions. Our local library (God bless libraries and their staff!) allows me to stream 7 albums a month for 7 days each, so that helps, but they don't have Dylan's catalog available through this service. I've heard the 30 second snippets of those Trouble No More tracks via Itunes, but hope that soon I'll be able to hear the whole songs.

GBers: please keep sharing the music you listen to; I love learning about artists I'm not as familiar with, and we also need to support those talented folks (like RoseAnn) who work so hard to share their music with the world, but struggle to reach a wider audience.

Entered at Mon Mar 5 00:43:17 CET 2018 from (24.44.152.49)

Bob F

Glenn T, great stuff as always. Have you spent much time with Disc 4 on Trouble No More? I love the entire box but Disc 4 is my favorite right now. The incredible new song Make A Liar Out Of Me, Slow Train and Serve Somebody with the horns, wonderful version of Caribbean Wind. Plus an amazing Dead Man, Dead Man . which is a 100 times better then the version on Shot of Love. Dead Man has this wild ragged harmonica and really rocks. More classic unreleased songs like Cover down and Ain't Gonna Go To Hell For Anybody. I think if he had released Disc 4 as an album back then it would have been hailed as a masterpiece. I'd love to know what you think.

Entered at Mon Mar 5 00:33:04 CET 2018 from (91.110.30.170)

Roger

Subject: Thanks Dunc

Everything comes up in the GB at some time. I knew the answer Dunc to your Annie Ross link. I only found out about Michael Marra last year when Liz Lochead chose a track from Posted Sober on Desert Island Discs. I tracked him down, discussed him with Dunc and found that I shall never see him in concert. But what a find - one of my albums of 2017.

I will check out the Hazy Janes....

Entered at Sun Mar 4 18:42:46 CET 2018 from (67.80.28.144)

Jeff A.

Entered at Sun Mar 4 16:22:56 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Vinyl is a complex story. It’s a fast growing market. HMV stores are now 30% vinyl here. Even Sainsburys supermarkets stock 30 or 40 vinyl albums, not as many as CD but as many as current CDs … they also have large stocks of ultra-budget CDs. I can get to 2 x HMV and 5 x independent new vinyl shops within 20 minutes. All sell CDs as well. There are also five second-hand stores, all selling vinyl and CDs.

Three of the independents selling new vinyl sell used vinyl as well. Apparently the record manufacturers accept that you can sell new CDs + new vinyl + used vinyl, but they dislike supplying people who sell used CDS.

On the other hand, a great favourite, Square Records in Wimborne is closing this month, and for 20 years they were the only place that kept the flag flying for vinyl. I think they did a lot of business with DJs, and now they stream.

What fascinates me is car hi fi, while looking at car magazines at the dentist. Even new luxury models come with no CD player. I was reading reviews of luxury SUVs with optional £3500 super hi-fi systems, with no CD front end. This is madness (or the purchaser is mad). If your original signal is an MP3, you’re wasting your money. I use WAV files on my iPod in the car, and even so anyone can do a side-by-side and can hear CD is better, though a friend says there is almost certainly a better D/A converter in the CD player than in the iPod / Smart phone interface.

Entered at Sun Mar 4 14:58:22 CET 2018 from (174.104.129.230)

Calvin

It would be a colossal waste of money for say Atlanta, a city of 475,000, to spend anywhere near that kind of money of road salt.

As to music I was wondering if the Vinyl explosion is occurring Up in Canada (been about a two years since Ive been to Niagra on the Lake) and Europe (a ten year gap since the last visit). I realized yesterday there are at least 5 shops whose primary business is selling Vinyl with 30 minutes, and there are certainly more I'm unaware of. Although I do have an app on my phone that tells me when I'm near any Vinyl Record Stores. On the other hand I can think of one store in the same radius whose primary business is CDs.

Listening to Max Roach's Percussion Bitter Sweet in 180G this morning and The True Believers album from the 1980s which was an early band that featured John Dee Graham and Alejandro and Julian Escovedo.

New Book is doing great and today we are actually starting to set up our small but permanent Akron Sound Museum that celebrates are area's musical heritage.

Also went live with a website which has a Collection of about 225 images, mostly from 1975-1982, Ive uploaded with metadata on the Akron/Kent Music scene. Probably have about 1000 images before I'm done.

Sort of feeling good about what We've done to preserve out local music heritage.

Entered at Sun Mar 4 14:08:20 CET 2018 from (174.104.129.230)

Calvin

Largely down South really, as it rarely snows much down there they dont have a fleet of salt trucks or a silo full of road salt in every city. We do where I live. So when it snows south of the Mason-Dixon line they are often overwhelmed but what we up north shrug off as nothing.

Then again our Hurricane preparation probably pales to theirs.

So is the whole Vinyl industry having a resurgence over in Europe the way it is here. I can get to a I believe 5 vinyl record stores within 30 minutes from my Suburban house right now, maybe more. But I cant think of one store whose primary business is Compact Discs in that same radius. Wondering what other people's experience is at the moment.

The New Book on Akron Music is doing really well.

Listening to a band called the True Believers right now, found a Vinyl release of their only actual album the other day. Always been a huge Alejandro Escoveda Fan, John Dee Graham and Julian Escoveda fill out the band, Really enjoying it.

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Jeff A.

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Rockin Chair

Subject: Suicide

Some one just shot his self in front of the Whitehouse. Better do roll call!

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

Subject: Dunc: Joni - Twisted - Annie

The only song on Court & Spark that wasn't an original was written by Annie Ross ( lyrics) & Wardell Gray ( music).

Dunc, if by any chance you get to NYC while Annie is alive, if she is healthy, i bet i can get you a short visit or more with her.

Entered at Sat Mar 3 13:29:05 CET 2018 from (81.159.125.3)

Dunc

Subject: Quiz Question

Here's a quiz question. What links Annie Ross to The Last Waltz? Clue, it's related to an artist who appeared at The Last Waltz. Prize is a bottle of red, which I'll have to drink as I'll not be able to pass it over.

Thanks Jeff and Peter. Michael's son and daughter are in the Hazy Janes and they back Michael on that EP. (The Hazy Janes supported Wilco on a European tour.)

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Jeff A.

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Peter V

Dunc, Did you see the tribute of four Michael Marra songs by The Hazey Janes? Its on the same site.

Backing singers … Maddy Prior did quite a lot over the years. Barbara Dickson pops up too. I guess it's a friends thing rather than a job.

Those who haven't tried it should really try "Posted Sober". It's extremely eclectic. At one moment he sounds like Leonard Cohen, then Tom Waits, then at another like Bap Kennedy and on"Frida Kahlo's Visit to The Taybridge Bar" I think of John Cale circa "Paris 1919" and also no one writes titles like that, and once he goes into Spanish I think Ry Cooder (my favourite track). It's followed by a reggae under rhythm on Constable Le Clock. Then you have jaunty folky on "Bob Dylan's Visit to Embra."

Trust me and trust Dunc … a definite "must get album." I'm astonished that he stayed under my radar.

My question is "Which album next?"

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Dunc

Subject: Miss Annie Ross

I find it incredible that Annie Ross was still playing gigs in New York until recently. Jazz royalty. I always noticed, as I said before, how over the years people commented on how she was the perfect singer.

The BBC produced a film of her life a few years back. It showed at the art house cinema in Glasgow. I knew quite a bit about her before, but her life story is incredible, including some difficulties.

She was born in London to well known Scottish variety entertainers. When she was young, she sailed with an aunt in the cheapest class to the USA with the idea of her becoming another Shirley Temple. It is incredible the people she has worked with. Also, shopping with Billie Holiday, Lennie Bruce's girlfriend, heroin addiction, which she cured herself coming here to do so.

The saddest thing I learnt was she had an affair with the BeBop drummer Kenny Clark in Paris. I've read many times how African American musicians enjoyed playing Paris because of a lack of bigotry. She had a baby with him, but when they returned to the USA, this led to difficulties and it was deemed that it would be better if the baby was brought up by Clark's family. But then she had never experienced a normal family life.

She ran a club in London too.

So last night, I thought I'm going to buy a biography of her, but there was none available on line. Such an incredible lifestory. I'm glad I saw her live.

I think that the good thing about belonging to a small country is that you don't get many top sportsmen, top actors or jazz musicians. So when one comes along, people are very interested.

Just too much to write about her. Thanks, Jeff.

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Dunc

Subject: Letter From Perth

Thanks very much for highlighting songs. I bought both. Perth is one of Scotland's main prisons. It's a great prison song. The second song is a tribute to Michael written by Alan Gorrie. A nice beginning to the morning - football cancelled. Thanks, Peter.

Peter, couple of questions - I was surprised to find that Maddy Prior, Barbara Dickson and Annie Ross, all big names, had worked as backing singers on Michael's first album. Was this common?

Then I learned that his second album had been shelved after spending quite a bit of money on it. Seems wasteful. Did this happen from time to time? (He was able to use some of the songs on his first Scottish album produced in Scotland), which I see as the beginning of his career as a solo performer.

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Rod Prowse

Seems like extreme weather is happening every where at the moment. Our summer has been unusually warm with periods of intense storms. Can't complain about the warm weather but these unusual patterns are a worry.

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Peter V

Subject: Letter from Perth

Dunc, I hadn't realized that Alan Gorrie had covered Michael Marra's "Letter From Perth." (LINKED) The song sounds incredibly like Bap Kennedy to me.

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JQ

I’m a big fan of her gospel, gospel/jazz stuff. Sinnerman is standout, with a great outfit behind her. I’m not too big on her pop covers; in there I might like her take on Randy Newman’s Baltimore the best. Her Strange Fruit is up there with Billie Holiday’s to me.

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Rockin Chair

Subject: Summer time

Sitting under my palapa in front of our roomin the very hot sunshine. Drinking a tequla sunrise and listening to Bob Maaaaaarley! This is hard dangerous work!

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Lisa

Subject: Just one more

I used to play this record a lot, and listening to these songs now after so many years it really brings everything back so vividly. It's one of those records for me that can make you instantly recall almost every nuance of the time you loved it in the past. The power of music - I don't know of anything else that can do that so effectively. Scents maybe, but music is especially fantastic for that.

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Jeff A.

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Dunc

No, you are never ignorant about music, Peter. Hope that doesn't sound patronising. Did you see what Alan Gorrie said about 'Posted Sober'? Make sure you give it a spin. Great album with my favourite prison song on it.

Igloo built, apart from roof falling in continuously. Grandson pulled back on his sledge to his mum's.

Now playing Nina Simone - brilliant, and worrying about my crocuses. I'm hoping for a thousand coming up.

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Peter V

Subject: Young Gifted & Black

My ignorance amazes me! I didn't know Nina Simone wrote it. I'm so heavily imprinted with the 1970 hit (UK #5) reggae version by Bob & Marcia (linked). I first had it on one of those great Trojan "Reggae Chartbusters" compilations. OK, so a prime case of a cover excelling the original.

I assume that it might be like a lot of Trojan records, where they did the rhythm part in Jamaica and put the orchestra on in London.

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Dunc

Subject: To Be Young, Gifted and Black

But, Peter, she wrote 'To Be Young Gifted and Black' with a piano player and thought it should be sung the way she performed it.

Entered at Fri Mar 2 14:46:46 CET 2018 from (81.159.125.3)

Dunc

I found that really interesting, Jeff. I nearly asked 'Does Annie Ross still have a following in New York?' I was surprised she was still performing. I would have liked to see the show. Over the years, I have noticed the number of the jazz fraternity, who say their favourite singer is Annie Ross.

She left Scotland as a child, I think. In Scotland, she used to say she was always known as Jimmy Logan's sister. Jimmy Logan was a huge comedian star of the fifties and sixties.

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Peter V

Subject: Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues

Nina Simone's version is linked.

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Peter v

I searched out my bargain 3 CD "The Real … Nina Simone" to listen to Angel of The Morning on a better system than the computer. I got tied up in Disc 2. She does an absolutely superb Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and a bluesy I Shall Be Released which I was delighted to rediscover.

On the other hand, I think she was pushing her luck on Young, Gifted and Black, only checking two of the three requisite boxes. Her cover of Revolution by The Beatles was a REALLY bad idea. I'm re-listening to Times They Are A-Changing, trying to decide whether it's fantastic or whether it's wildly overblown. Just Like A Woman fails badly for me. Over-acted.

But it's been interesting as I had not listened to her for ages. But I'll have to finish with Ain't Got No Life, which is a classic. That's on CD1 where she also has a good go at To Love Somebody, another P.P. Arnold hit.

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Jeff A.

The music business is different today Dunc. Unless they enter the music business with tons of money,( with some possible exceptions) no one who is new can obtain a manager or a booking agent till they have built a sizable following and proven a steady stream of income. How you're supposed to do that is the big secret..... But this is how it is.....

Taylor Swift is an example of a very successful act ( as opposed to "artist") who entered music with a ton of money. Her parents were wealthy business people who sunk a ton of money into her career & every move was premeditated and planned. Taylor had a business plan and a ton of money to implement & execute it with. Can you recall any of her songs? fuck no.

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Peter V

Why I think she's younger … (but not inexperienced). The lyric has a bravado about, a defiance which works if it's "You may think I'm too young and innocent, but I'm not. I'm ready to face this." Billie Davis, looking younger and more innocent than any of them, brings this out.

Entered at Fri Mar 2 12:44:35 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

The local excuse is the last time it was this bad was 30 years ago, so it's not economic to have the equipment to deal with it. I will add that I've never seen solid ice like that over our cars before.

Entered at Fri Mar 2 11:44:30 CET 2018 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Subject: Billie Davis version

Billie Davis's version is linked. As I now know, with P.P. Arnold backing vocal. Again, very good. The song really holds up through so many takes on it. As pointed out, this was the British cover of Evie Sands, so the second version to be released.

Entered at Fri Mar 2 11:38:47 CET 2018 from (81.159.125.3)

Dunc

Subject: Songwriting

It's difficult for songwriters nowadays...one of the reasons being that many younger people are not into singing songwriting. Good pubs, universities and colleges, and folk clubs used to give you places where you could play songs and get paid.

You definitely need a manager, somebody in your corner and you have to agree on what you want - a decent living in Scotland or world domination. Does Roseann have a manager, Bob?

I'm reading a brilliant book on the late Michael Marra. It's written by a good Scottish fiction writer, who lived in the same village as he did. I miss his concerts terribly. He always gave a performance. I learnt just recently that he worked very hard on his introductions to songs, which were part of the concert and always great and seemed spontaneous.

When he went to London, to record his first album for Polydor, he was given anything he wanted - great musicians, an orchestra and as backing singers Maddy Pryor, Barbara Dickson and the jazz singer Annie Ross. That's some backing singers. I saw Annie Ross in a show in Glasgow - brilliant. Money was not an issue for the record company. But the downside was their control - changing the titles of songs, building a profile of him, telling him how to cut his hair, what clothes to wear etc. He also thought they signed him because they missed Gerry Rafferty. He found the compromises difficult. After he recorded the second album, with a background of the producer arguing with the record company, they just shelved the record.

So he came back to Scotland, very difficult at the beginning, where he wrote brilliant songs, clever shows related to Scotland, performed at the Edinburgh festival etc. Through time, he built up a folowing, playing two -three hundred seater halls (always full), supported acts like Van, Deacon Blue, AWB worked with acts like Loudon Wainwright and Pattie Smith, and made a living. An agency handled him.

Incidentally,Peter, one of your old colleagues, Alan Gorrie, has said that Michael's album 'Posted Sober' is in his top ten albums' list.

I don't know how a songwriter makes it, but you definitely need a supporter, manager.

I'm always amazed at the concerts you have seen, Jeff. My golden years were 1970 to 1974, when I must have seen over 180 concerts/dances. Often concerts broke out into dances. The range of acts I saw was very wide - from Deep Purple to The Who to Davey Graham to the Bay City Rollers (like Marmalade at that time). English bands were often amazed at our Celtic enthusiasm for dancing.

The snow. My daughter has just done a 16 hour shift in the hospital as outlying nurses can't get in. I pulled my grandson a mile and a half from his house to my house on his sledge. He loved it. The main roads have single tracks up the middle where cars are crawling along. But I walked a mile last night with my spade to dig out a car. My daughter in law stayed with us the night before last so she could get to hospital in the morning as she stays in outlying village - a family of nurses. We're all ok, but it must be horrible if you are stuck at the airport, the train station or in a lorry cab...and a part of the country is cut off.

Glenn - enjoying your lists. Hope you are getting some rest and peace.

Bassmanlee - hope things work out for you. Treat yourself to Odessey and Oracle for some good bass playing.

Away to build an igloo with a five year old. There is actually a film on YouTube on how to build an igloo.

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Peter V

The song is a great favourite. I have playlists in years in iTunes and in the 1968 list, Merilee Rush’s version and P.P. Arnold’s version sit next to each other and I often play them in sequence and they both work. After one, I want more and P.P. Arnold lifts it. I think Merilee Rush interprets the lyric particularly well, maybe even better, but hasn’t that switch to power. I see looking today, that P.P. Arnold had suing backing vocals on the earlier Billie Davis version (also excellent) which was the attempt to cover Evie Sands. Juice Newton doesn’t make it for me.

As ever with songs, the first one you meet usually remains the personal choice.

This week I’ve been playing My Girl by Otis Redding and by The Temptations in rotation. Both equally brilliant. Then I’ve been listening to Stevie Wonder’s version (poor) and The Capitols version on the “Cool Jerk” LP, also poor.

Entered at Fri Mar 2 09:21:56 CET 2018 from (67.80.28.144)

Jeff A.

Subject: Don't Let Go

Don't Let Go of those old records! We ain't letting that happen,i know you ain;t, I'm just testifying.....

i know people who have wired their house for all mp3s and streaming and got rid of all their cds - they got rid of the vinyl when cds caught on....what the hell is wrong with people?

Garcia Band live, 190, Don't Let Go - linked

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Lisa

Entered at Fri Mar 2 08:01:30 CET 2018 from (67.80.28.144)

Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

I'll never forget the first time i heard Johnnie Johnson and his band play Roll Over Beethoven. It was in a club named OFF Broadway in St Louis. ( i had seen him perform a whole lot of times prior, already knew him, but never heard him do this one... Combined with the knowledge of the whole story of Johnnie's eventual relating of the songwriting process of Chuck Berry and Johnnie , & the interview with Chuck Tillman, the horn player who wrote out the sheet music for them ( neither of em could read or write music, & then seeing & hearing the performance - it would be enough to make anyone undoubtedly believe that Johnnie wrote the music to the song and that chuck tweaked the feel & tempo, maybe , maybe wrote the guitar lick........It was a gospel, blues, r & B song with a meter and spaces and a time and a beauty like nothing else in this world.

When i read that Nina Simone had a version of this i was really expecting it to be a gospel/blues, maybe bluesy jazz arrangement.....

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Jeff A.

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Lisa

It's funny to me that you hear the song as being sung by a very young woman. Nina Simone's was the first (and for a long time the only) version I heard, and so it worked for me that it was the song of an older person. To me it doesn't sound like the lyrics of a girl, but more as coming from someone more experienced.

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glenn t

Agree with you Bob F about Petty "Jammin Me" (co-written with Dylan & Campbell), and Dylan's PG&BTK.

Still listening to a lot of Bowie: Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Tonight, Earthling, as well as Dylan's Trouble No More (first disc), George Harrison's 33&1/3 (love this album) and his eponymous album, plus Music from and inspired by Black Panther (hope to see the movie tomorrow).

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Bill M

To PP Arnold's credit, I now know: the amazing background vocals on "Tin Soldier" (which Al E can confirm as a member of my top 30 of all time).

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Jeff A.

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Peter v

Will see if I can stream Simone Felice tomorrow. I can’t make the London date on the tour and it looks like nowhere else in the south. We won’t be going out anyway what with a forecast ice storm.

Nina Simone on Angel of the Morning. Fascinating indeed, but I found her delivery too mannered, and at the end of the day she sounds simply too old for the confessional angst. The song was actually edgy for its day and it needs a younger voice - having said that, 2017 versions by P.P. Arnold still sound great, but that’s because she is reprising her younger self.

Entered at Thu Mar 1 23:40:07 CET 2018 from (24.44.153.18)

Bob F

Brandi Carlile - By The Way, I Forgive You - Check out the video for The Joke. This woman can sing.

Janis - Kozmic Blues

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) - Jammin' Me is so underrated it's a crime.

Pat Garret & Billy The Kid Soundtrack - Somebody once said this music was perfect for weddings and funerals. Truth. One of my all time favorite records.

Graham Parker & The Rumor - Squeezing Out Sparks - Peter had some great posts about The Hollies Bus Stop a couple weeks ago. Has anyone ever noticed that Local Girls is the exact opposite of the happy Bus Stop song?

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JQ

Westcoaster - It’s the same down here at 1000 ft where the mighty Columbia meets the Pacific Ocean! As with most former SoCal people we love it! The old dogs too - they act like pups and exuberate all over the place!

Entered at Thu Mar 1 20:23:41 CET 2018 from (24.44.153.18)

Bob F

Subject: Simone Felice on Radio Woodstock Friday Morning

Peter, tomorrow morning between 6am-10am my time, Simone Felice is going to be on WDST playing tunes and talking about his new record.

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Lisa

Subject: Angel of the Morning

A different take.

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Bob F

Dunc, we had one of those crazy snow storms at the beginning of March last year. It took weeks to disappear. Whenever there is a warm February we usually pay the winter devil in March. Be safe.

By the way we don't get Strike here until June. Still waiting on Spiral last season to start streaming here. There is a really great show streaming on Netflix right now called Seven Seconds.

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Jeff A.

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Rockin Chair

Subject: Snow and Songs

Susan has the weather alerts for home on her tab. There is more snow than we have had in a long time.

Last night at our dine and dance under the big pallapa while we had dinner a rock and roll band set up. All Mexicans. After a short time I realized I knew the little guitar player. At one of the other resorts we went to about 5 years ago he was playing a 3 piece. I went over and talked to him. I wondered if you remembered me he says. He has 2 beautiful Strata but I can't play right now. The arthritis in my right hand won't let me.

Entered at Thu Mar 1 18:34:55 CET 2018 from (81.159.125.3)

Dunc

I have a foot and a half of snow outside, but I'll survive. Schools now closed for three days. Thirty nurses had to sleep at the hospital as they couldn't get home.

No cars, buses off, trains off, aeroplanes off and taxis not insured because of red alert.

I went out for a walk last evening and the place is a ghost town. Eerie.

Today, hundreds of people walking to the supermarket. Remember when people walked to the shops. Advice is still not to travel. I feel sorry for those who spent last night in their cars on the motorway.

Some first day of spring.

Good review of Roseann's song, Bob.

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Jeff A.

Norm, you're cracking me up.... You don't know what to do with yourself on vacation. LOL... Here's the solution...Go find yourself one of those nylon string guitar players, an accordionist, and a violinist, and show the folks down there how it's done.You and everyone will have a ball.....You could even get hired down there and have a winter long gig every year. I got friends that work 4 - 8 weeks straight every winter in the Caribbean. Playing blues and R & B believe it or not...

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Peter V

As my grandson (age 4) said. Yes, about 2 inches down now which is heaviest in 30 years in Poole apparently. Still snowing. Meant to get heavier. Dunc is in a much more severe snow area today. They say we're going to get freezing rain and black ice everywhere later.

The bastard here is the winter has been so mild that camelias are all out already and frozen to black now. A lot of stuff was emerging unusually early, and will be totally screwed I think.

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Rockin Chair

Subject: Snow

Peter! Are you any where it is snowing there today? Supposed to be big!

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Jeff A.

Those bands were nothing but talent.

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Peter V

Subject: Tin Soldier

P.P. Arnold's backing group was The Small Faces (then later on tour, The Nice). She also toured with The Small Faces and sang on "Tin Soldier." The link is to another video that came up today, The Small Faces with P.P. Arnold on "Tin soldier." It is incredible to recall how incredibly powerful Steve Marriot was in those days. Years later in an interview, she said she loved p[laying with The Small Faces because she didn't feel shorter than everyone else on stage.

It's awful how YouTube thinks Juice Newton wrote Angel of The Morning. In the end, P.P. Arnold wins because while they can all do the wistful bit convincingly, she is the one who can switch to full on soul singer for the hook. As an ex-Ikette should.

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Jeff A.

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Jeff A.

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Peter V

Subject: Angel of The Morning

From my Toppermost article on P.P. Arnold:

Angel Of The Morning is a Chip Taylor song. Evie Sands recorded the first version for Cameo-Parkway, only to find the company collapsing around her before it got airplay. Billie Davis covered that version in the UK. Then Merilee Rush picked up on it and got an American hit, before P.P. Arnold did the fourth and greatest version. It was also on her album Kafunta.

I've linked the P.P. Arnold version. They all did a great job with this song, and I have often compared versions. To be honest, I think Merilee Rush improved on the Evie Sands version, but P.P. Arnold then wiped the floor with previous versions However, Evie sands was extremely unlucky because the song has HIT written all over it, and if Cameo hadn't gone bust, she would have had a hit with it.

Entered at Thu Mar 1 03:50:23 CET 2018 from (67.80.28.144)

Jeff A.

Subject: The Original Version of Angel Of the Morning. Brooklyn Goil Evie Sands

There's a whole story to this release.

Evie Sands is still working too.

Forgot my name again, said hello to Johnny.

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