The Band Guestbook, October 2010

Entered at Sun Oct 31 19:21:18 CET 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

Subject: Fireman need help

Entered at Sun Oct 31 19:14:03 CET 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

This is a quote from Maud'a Facebook pge.

Garth Hudson Strikes Up The Band With An All-Canadian Line-up! Which of The Band songs were his favourites? 35 Years After “The Last Waltz,” Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band! Exclusive Canadian release in Stores November 16, 2010 (US and worldwide soon!)

Entered at Sun Oct 31 18:01:45 CET 2010 from (91.42.245.21)

Norbert

Saw this move last week on German TV, impressive.

Entered at Sun Oct 31 16:57:01 CET 2010 from (212.140.120.38)

Dunc

I'll get Rock Follies. Tutti Frutti is still fresh.

Entered at Sun Oct 31 16:28:01 CET 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Dunc: The other TV rock series was Rock Follies in 1976. I just see a box set is down to £3.97 on amazon.co.uk. I can’t remember much about it, but Andy Mackay of Roxy Music wrote the songs. The girl group, The Little Ladies, placed two actresses (Charlotte Cornwell, Rula Lenska) with a first rate singer, Julie Covington. It was glam rock era, but at £3.97 for the lot I’ll refresh my memory.

This is sometimes a bad idea with vintage TV. The Adam Adamant TV series from 1967 is unwatcheable. Two episodes are hilariously inept, then you get bored with swaying sets and bad acting. The trouble with these very low price series is that while it’s the only way to see stuff, they take up a lot of space.

Entered at Sun Oct 31 14:30:15 CET 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

That cover art eventually turned up on "The Beatles Ballads" compilation double LP, released just about everywhere except the USA. It's above the normal value for a later compilation, because collectors want the sleeve. As a record dealer said to me, it's one of the few where the condition of the sleeve is way more important than the condition of the record inside it.

The Sunday Times review of Keef's book is entitled "Nearly Died Before I Got Old."

Entered at Sun Oct 31 11:20:06 CET 2010 from (212.140.120.38)

Dunc

Subject: Jim

It must have taken you a lot of time to think up such an articulate post.

You should buy Tutti Frutti. It would cheer you up.

Incidentally it was written by the guy who designed a not accepted cover for the Beatles White Album, which always disappointed me.

Peter, I hope some of the Scottish jokes won't be lost on you, for example the Scottish attitude of Miss Toner.

Entered at Sun Oct 31 11:07:23 CET 2010 from (75.34.59.30)

Jim

Please do not use this page for posting personal insults and such. Go somewhere else. Take it to e-mail. Start your own disussion forum. Just keep it away from here.
--jh

Entered at Sun Oct 31 10:12:02 CET 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Funnily enough, we bought the box set last week. We haven't started watching it yet (being immersed in "Him & Her" that we bought the same day), but I recalled the original Tutti Frutti broadcast.

The other really good comedy / drama mini-series on bands in the 60s is "Sex & Chips & Rock & Roll". Well worth getting. We got Tutti Frutti because we liked the other one.

Entered at Sun Oct 31 07:31:54 CET 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

once again to Jan and all of this great community for your continued support. Jeff Newsom

Entered at Sun Oct 31 03:00:57 CET 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

Subject: Robbie at Museum of American Indian

After attending the Comedy Central event on the National Mall today I ducked into the Museum of the American Indian. There's a current exhibit called "Up Where We Belong" that features Native American musicians including Robbie, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jesse Ed Davis, Rita Coolidge, Link Wray and others.

There's a great video room which includes one song from THE LAST WALTZ as well as single live performances by many of the artists from the exhibit. The coolest artifacts include one of Link Wray's guitars and a stage outfit which Jimi Hendrix wore. Worth a visit if you're in DC, and be sure to ask for the free audio headset, too. It's great!

Entered at Sun Oct 31 02:23:17 CET 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Plant does Van Zandt again.

Entered at Sun Oct 31 00:34:17 CEST 2010 from (212.140.120.38)

Dunc

Subject: Tutti Frutti

I visited Fopp today and came away with the rerelease of Tutti Frutti, the boxed set of a Scottish band away to do their 25th annniversary tour, which was written by John Byrne and was a huge success over 20 years ago. Absolutely brilliant. Great writing. I watched two episodes this evening.

Great lines include on meeting John Lennon: 'Paul and I would still be working at the drawing office if we hadn't seen 'The Majestyks'.

The first night takes place in Methil, an old coal mining area and there's a discussion on how to leave the stage if they start throwing coal at the band.

They go there on their first night and find they're the support band for a tartan music hall band.

I don't know if it was successful in Canada and USA, but it was very popular here when it first played. The writing is great and it's poking fun at part of the rock 'n roll scene that means more to me than Spinal Tap for example.

I thoroughly recommend it and great value. 6 hours of fun for a tenner.

Is there a Band connection. Absolutely. You can see how friends end up disliking each other.

Entered at Sat Oct 30 18:33:24 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Casettes & Music

Good job Kevin, thanks. I too remember that Bobbie Bare series David, although I don't think I saw that John Prine show before.

NOR'WES - My tug still has the casette player that was installed probably 20 years ago. I play my casettes all the time. The most used one being, "The Best of the BAND" I don't even have a CD player other than my computer.

Entered at Sat Oct 30 17:34:27 CEST 2010 from (67.80.147.201)

Owen

Subject: New Band & Danko Torrents

Just posted on kickasstorrents: The Band - Japan 1983 video - www.kickasstorrents.com/the-band-japan-tour-t4575301.html

Rick Danko - Soundstage 1978 - www.kickasstorrents.com/rick-danko-soundstage-1978-t4574390.html

Entered at Sat Oct 30 16:31:23 CEST 2010 from (90.239.108.121)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Peter V: A new kind of computer your grandkids are looking for.

The human brain.

Entered at Sat Oct 30 15:47:25 CEST 2010 from (90.239.98.163)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: ooops!... I missed John Prine discussion

Westcoaster: I have a stone-aged C-cassette with an interview of John Prine in the mid 80s. A Swedish politically correct reporter asks him: "What do you think about the present government of the USA?" The answer was:".... I don't think ... a whole lot about it .... (generated laugh)".

I don't listen to this rare and unique C-cassette very often because C-cassettes aren't played anymore outside of Gates Of Eden.

Entered at Sat Oct 30 14:53:26 CEST 2010 from (90.239.103.40)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: The Holy Bible from 1540 and the guestbook colours

While back in the hearth of Sweden I visited an exhibition of the most rare and unique theological writings from the 16th century in a huge Cathedral. They were only nineteen scripts. As a student in Lutheran theology in the early 70s I knew it already but it shocked me when I finally saw it in my own eyes: Swedish Holy Bible from the year 1540 has exactly same colouring as this guestbook and this site. Even the black and white picture in Joshua's book, Chapter One, is presenting seven (not five) men in the same pose as the cover of the Brown album.

I suggest that the title of this forum will be changed to "THE HOLY GUESTBOOK".

Entered at Sat Oct 30 11:27:56 CEST 2010 from (86.161.15.48)

Rob the Organ

Pat/Peter/David etc: There IS a fair bit of Lowrey on Beatles albums, mainly on Let It Be, most prominently audible on I Me Mine and Dig It. In fact Billy Preston is seen at a Lowrey Berkshire (indeed it is the same model as Pete Townshend has) in the studio jams of the ill-fated Let It Be movie - the Lowrey is the organ with the cane back panel - although he is seen on a small Hammond M100 in the title track. You can spot the Lowrey aurally on record by the sweeter, more subtle tone not dissimilar to the registrations GH used on We Can Talk About It Now and Tears of Rage.

Lowreys were of course used on all manner of ghastly easy listening albums of the late sixties thru the seventies and this was not helped that by then the organs Lowrey made were every bit as naff compared to earlier instruments. To hear a nice old ballsy tube Lowrey in a jazz format Alan Haven's "Live at Annie's Room" and Harry Stoneham's "Two Fellas to Follow" are about the best starting point, along with the instrumental cut "Gassin" from The Peddlers (Live at the Pickwick; 1966).

Smaller Lowreys were mainly represented by the Holiday model (basic; good home choice), the Berkshire (as mentioned re Pete T and Abbey Road) and the Heritage (top of the line spinet model used on the jazz LPs I mentioned plus Dick Hyman as posted elsewhere).

Oh..and Mike Ratledge from Soft Machine had a Lowrey, didn't he? But through all those fuzztones it could have been anything really!

As for the big Hammond at Abbey Road, I think it was an RT-3 rather than a C-series. Essentially the same but with an extended (and concave) full range 32-note pedalboard and extra voices for the pedals. Even bigger and heavier, in other words! It always struck me as odd during Floyd's Pompeii movie studio sequences how Rick Wright dragged his cheapo L100 in and set it up right next to the RT-3!

DLEW: No email - send me another!!!!!!

Entered at Sat Oct 30 06:02:08 CEST 2010 from (99.115.147.236)

Pat B

Entered at Sat Oct 30 01:29:11 CEST 2010 from (24.108.12.129)

BONK

It was an old C-2 from the late forties and early fifties. In the book of complete recording sessions by Mark Lewisown you can see a picture of it on page 132.

Entered at Sat Oct 30 00:15:11 CEST 2010 from (99.115.147.236)

Pat B

David P, I think you're correct about that Lowrey on LiSwD but I think it was more like the Townshend model than a Festival. I recall it being some kind of harpsichord setting. If I had that Beatles' Instruments book I could say for sure.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 22:52:20 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Yes, it's two days early, but my grandkids + a posse of friends did their Trick or Treat this evening. As usual, we had the house done up ready, plus I had my Disney "Chilling Thrilling Sounds of The Haunted House" playing. My copy's vinyl. After much trepidation they wanted to go into the room where the sounds were coming from. A line of small pairs of eyes reviewed the spinning disc on the turntable. "It's alright,,' announced one. The sounds are coming from a computer."

"Yes," said his friend, 'But I think it's a new sort of computer."

Entered at Fri Oct 29 22:43:33 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Kevin: Thanks for the link to that John Prine clip. I remember watching that particular program -- It was from a great weekly interview/music show "Bobby Bare and Friends" that aired on cable during the early days of The Nashville Network in the '80s.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 22:29:28 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Norm....Found it....thanks....have a great weekend!

Entered at Fri Oct 29 21:59:37 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Entered at Fri Oct 29 21:56:44 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

I was struck that Robbie did the album because he "felt bad" for Jesse, and wanted to do the concert because he "felt bad" for Woodstock. Casting around for further evidence of a tendency, there's the eagle of distinction that he felt bad for, the railroad that he felt bad for, Virgil Caine who he felt bad for, the Acadians who he felt bad for, his grandfather the rag-and-bone man who he felt bad for, the narrator of "The Weight" who he held bad for, the Native Americans who he felt bad for, Leonard Peltier who he felt bad for ... - though obviously there's a whole raft of great songs that stemmed from other feelings.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 21:43:36 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Sam Stone

Thanks Kevin. There is a great youtube clip, (I can't seem to get it to come up here)from years ago. A conversation with Bobby Bare.

John is explaining to Bobby how as a mail man in Chicago for 6 years, he was so bored walking around stuffing mail in slots. So he would write songs in his head as he walked around. The day he wrote Sam Stone, he said he could hardly wait to get home and pick up his guitar and see if it worked. Then he sat there and played it for Bobby.

If you get the chance to click it up, it's well worth watching. Although the song seems so depressing, he does it so well. On a par with Bob Dylan, the words, as to that song seem to flow from John so well, and he sounds good.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 21:36:01 CEST 2010 from (76.67.19.195)

brown eyed girl

Paul Myers interviews Robbie Robertson.

"This week, by request, I’m gonna share a little of my bulk interview notes with Robbie Robertson, discussing how he brought Todd Rundgren with him to Toronto to record Jesse Winchester‘s debut album, and how that lead to Rundgren being invited to work on Stage Fright, with The Band. This isn’t the full interview, but I am not doing much editing here on my blog, unlike in the book itself where it’s folded into a back and forth with Todd."

Entered at Fri Oct 29 21:27:45 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Bob Dylan:"Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about “Sam Stone” the soldier junky daddy and “Donald and Lydia,” where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that. If I had to pick one song of his, it might be “Lake Marie.” I don’t remember what album that’s on."

Entered at Fri Oct 29 21:19:01 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Pat: Didn't Paul McCartney play a Lowrey on "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"?

Entered at Fri Oct 29 20:23:35 CEST 2010 from (68.164.3.231)

Pat B

Pete Townshend used a Lowrey as the basis for two Who classics: Baba O'Reilly (the repeated marimba setting) and Won't Get Fooled Again (through the filter and amp modules of an EMS synth).

Entered at Fri Oct 29 20:07:43 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

To paraphrase Rod Serling, today's case in point is Dick Hyman, "The Man From O.R.G.A.N.". Despite the seemingly risque name & title, I'm not talking about a porn film, but rather a 1965 album by the jazz/pop keyboardist Dick Hyman on the Command record label. It features a Lowrey organ (a theatre model I think) and plays on the popularity of spy movies during that era. It includes such titles as the theme from "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." and "The 3rd Man Theme". Look for copies of this well-recorded novelty album in used record stores.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 18:27:59 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Fri Oct 29 17:19:49 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: About John Prine

I'd just like to insert this little blurb about John Prine, I found real interesting.

The other night, I chanced to surf onto Elvis Costello's show on the tube. It's so long since I've seen John, and we got old, I at first didn't recognize him. He was singing a song that was unfamiliar to me.

After his song in his conversation with Elvis, he talked about his start in the business. "I never had any notion of doing this as a career. I only made up songs because I couldn't play anyone else's songs, I wasn't good enough. One night I went to a place with some guys. Sort of an open mike thing. These guys carried me up to the stage, 'cause I wouldn't go. I think I played 3 of my songs."

"Well the guy offered me a job. I said doing what. The guy says PLAYING AND SINGING!. I said oh." That struck me funny.

Anyway, I'm glad those guys packed ol' John up to the stage. He talked of his bout with cancer, (which I wasn't aware of). Good to see you licked it John'

Entered at Fri Oct 29 16:24:58 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

It's interesting that the video of "The Weight" seems to have been sync'd with a soundboard recording from the concert. Elliot Mazer had been hired to record Dylan's set for a potential live album and I'm guessing he might have also recorded The Band's set as well. As an engineer, he'd worked with John Simon & Albert Grossman, and consulted on the first two Band albums. He later worked with the group at The Last Waltz. Although Dylan's live Isle of Wight album, mixed by Bob Johnston, was never officially released, several cuts did turn up shortly thereafter on the "Self Portrait" album. The entire set, naturally, has been bootlegged. I've seen video footage of Dylan's set with The Band which apparently was filmed from the same perspective as "The Weight" footage.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 13:27:28 CEST 2010 from (158.39.165.117)

jh

Subject: "Stones I Throw" demo

Aww... just listen to the softness of Richard's voice here (link above, lifted from the 2005 box set, track 12, disc 1). Very different from the vocals on the official single release. I think I prefer the demo/song sketch version.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 12:51:00 CEST 2010 from (61.68.19.251)

dlew919

Mike C: great picture of Keef: of course, the only gig the rooling stonnes cancelled was one where Keef had broken his shoulder, reaching for a book on Leonardo. As he said, "I cood 'ardly believe it meself' ...

Rob The Organ: I sent you an email: did you receive it? It's ok if you've been busy - just want to know if you got it.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 11:26:56 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I'd never seen that one before either, Pat. The bootlegs have improved over the years, and one at least claimed to be a film soundtrack. As people noted on YouTube, the softness of the picture makes this look like early video tape (open reel in those days).The picture quality and filming looks amateur, but it's right up front, in what might have been the press area and the angle makes it hard for the camera to capture much beyond Rick and Robbie (as on TLW, standing at the front really does help with camera exposure). It's not a surreptitious recording for sure. Possibly TV news gathering? What's surprising is how clear the sound is.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 11:18:52 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Covermount CDs are my main exposure to new bands, with the WORD and UNCUT monthly selections. MOJO does it differently going for archive material in various links to artists. This month they have "Dylan's Scene: The Sound of Greenwich Village" to mark the issue of the Witmark demos.

It's very rare, but if this were a full price normal CD, I'd have bought it even though it has Pete Seeger on it. It also has Eric Andersen, Joan Baez, Karen Dalton, Mimi & Richard Farina, Dave van Ronk, The Clancy Brothers, The Foc'sle Singers, Mark Spoelstra, Kenneth Patchen, plus the predictable and easy to licence blues tracks from John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins and Bukka White. It ends with Allen Ginsberg (best place to put it as while interesting, you're not going to play it repeatedly).

It's good to find a really careful compilation which actually demonstrates an era so clearly.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 05:56:12 CEST 2010 from (64.12.116.204)

PutEmUp(Friend0

I did receive other eyewitness accounts of the Keegan's show of which you speak and they were not positive.

Bama baby, if you are ever heading to St Louis, for any reason, let me know, and I'll fix you up. I been in Ny since late 07, but did head back for a week in August. Almost moved back there between again, but it looks like I'm heading to Arizona for an extended stay. Oy! Rather be headed back upstate, but it might be nice being warm working through the winter. The older i get the more I dislike driving all over the place in the cold, rain, and snow.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 05:27:35 CEST 2010 from (99.115.147.236)

Pat B

I don't think I've ever seen this one.

The interview with Carol Caffin that Jan just linked is quite good. Carol (and everyone), if you're watching, Netflix is streaming the entire SNL show that changed your life. I watched it last weekend. I believe the first three songs are edited but Georgia is whole.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 05:18:29 CEST 2010 from (138.88.152.74)

Jan F.

JF

Entered at Fri Oct 29 04:18:40 CEST 2010 from (76.66.126.195)

brown eyed girl

I can't believe I had "Port Dover 1964" recording in my hands and left it (sounds more than fine to me now...lol) at a store that sells bootlegs in NYC.

Levon & The Hawks - Robbies Blues (LIVE!)

From: brian600lyle
October 28, 2010
"Another classic Port Dover recording. This showing how talented all the members of the Hawks were. This includes a solo from every instrument present meaning Rick has a bass solo. Also listen to Garths masterful organ and Robbies amazing guitar."

For those of you who haven't seen Robbie's "Making A Noise" doc there are some clips on youtube. Also, great to see back up....Robbie performing "Russian Roulette" on Letterman again.

Hey Bama Girl....

Hey Joan....I didn't want Suze Rotolo's _A Freewheelin' Time A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties_ to end....Music, politics, art, Italy, BOB....Alright Suze!

Entered at Fri Oct 29 02:58:16 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars Pedersen

Subject: Fanny sends her regards to everyone

BAMA BABY- If you see Farnswoth's ghost again it has to be more than a coincidence. He must be waiting for YOU!

FRIENDO- I was at the Crows reunion concert, albeit for only a short time. The NY Giants were playing the Chicago Bears that night, I had to get back to see that. Were you there? I think it bothered Randy (he saw me, he sees everybody....always been like that) when I said later on that the music was so loud it could have sterilized a frog.

Entered at Fri Oct 29 01:53:05 CEST 2010 from (64.12.116.204)

PutEmUp(Friend0

You probably know this Bama, but Earle's been living in woodstock., did a Ramble appearance or two, and his son either just opened Ramble or is about to open one.

Entered at Thu Oct 28 23:44:49 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Think about it, Rob. Next time you have to heft an L100 it'll be a doddle.And think, that guy not only made organs but inspired Matchstick Men & Matchstick Cats & Dogs. Phenomenal.

BBC news just had pics and interviews with "anti-Obama Democrats in West Virginia." These guys were dressed in army gear and out hunting. Then filmed with Bill Clinton, which I thought was taking disloyalty to a wife to extremes. Very scary people.

Entered at Thu Oct 28 23:03:39 CEST 2010 from (165.112.214.196)

J. Fowler

Hey ya'll,

I know I haven't been around for a while but it's been quite a ride for the past few months with Mr. Steve still being laid off and all -- his US Census gig was up a couple of weeks ago and I'm so glad . . . people were getting awfully sick of census folks asking them the same questions over and over . . . but that’s the way the US gov't has had it set up for years (so don't blame the current administration). He was getting yelled at on a regular basis and a few threats. Not pretty. He decided to go back to school and become a web developer – all the classes are at night and on Saturdays, so we’ll see how this goes.

Anyhow, we splurged last night and went to see Joan Baez and Steve Earle in concert at Strathmore in Bethesda. What a show. Just unbelievable. I figured they would play a lot together but it was more like Steve did his set, Joanie did hers and they got together at the end to sing a couple of songs.

When Joan did “Don’t Think Twice” she did the last verse in her Dylan impression voice. I’d seen her do this before but some folks in this particular audience didn’t seem to get it. She noticed and asked if they didn’t get it to ask someone sitting around them to explain – surely someone got it. She told us her review for her concert the last time she played The Royal Albert Hall said something like “her performance was grand with the exception of the last verse of one song when she seemed to lose her voice.”

We had never seen Steve Earle and he put on a great show. He did quite a bit of talking about the gov’t, politics, New Orleans so it was good thing most of the audience was old (liberal?) hippies. Steve and I were some of the younger people there – but not THAT much younger!.

Yes, Joan did “Dixie” but in the first line sang: “Virgil Caine is the name and I served on the Danville train ‘til Stoneman’s cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.” I thought she was going to revert to the real lyrics but that was the only change she made that I noticed.

She still has a wonderful voice although she can’t hit those high notes like she used to – Steve Earle actually carried most of the singing for “Dixie” as her voice was about worn out after singing for nearly two hours.

My oldest nephew is coming to visit this weekend and we are taking him to Gettysburg tomorrow. Yes Lars, we'll tell him about the ghost. Love the ghost story.

J.F.

Entered at Thu Oct 28 22:41:57 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Entered at Thu Oct 28 22:23:50 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Thu Oct 28 22:15:40 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Well, the 1959 all-tube Lowrey "Festival" was collected last night and brought home, today I wired it all back together (lots of fragile old connectors - heart in mouth time!).

Not that even getting it home was a picnic. Now, I am not that green at this game as I have been lugging around a Hammond console and a Leslie (sometimes even two) for the last fifteen years. Measured the car and it was looking good to fit, so no van hire needed. Off I went with my dear old Dad to help me. Well, the short version of the story is that it is EVEN BIGGER and EVEN HEAVIER than a B3! Dad and I just about made it from the sellers house into the car and from the car to my home studio. Talk about upper strength limits - I reckon if someone had put a pack of Marlboros on the organ as we carried it we would have dropped it!

Entered at Thu Oct 28 20:13:08 CEST 2010 from (64.12.116.204)

PutEmUp(Friend0

Entered at Thu Oct 28 19:51:02 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Neil Jason - the name rang a bell, something to do with Domenic Troiano, I thought. Sure enough, he was on the first of Troiano's late-'70s fusion albums. Not sure, but I suspect he was in Troiano's band when I saw them a few times around that time. Anyway, playing bass with Robbie Robertson's replacement is a decent Band link.

Entered at Thu Oct 28 18:05:10 CEST 2010 from (205.188.116.5)

PutEmUp(Friend0

Entered at Thu Oct 28 14:40:13 CEST 2010 from (98.66.255.199)

Mike C

Keef the Librarian...

Entered at Thu Oct 28 09:52:47 CEST 2010 from (76.99.245.65)

Peter M.

Subject: Keef memoirs and stuff

Having read excerpts in Rolling Stone and hearing his interview on NPR (love to hear Keith call Terry Gross "baby" reverentially), I, for one, can't wait to luxuriate in his story in "Life". This cat, for all his excesses, has always been a gentleman in describing his experiences and his peers in music. For a guy who's experienced so much, in the epicenter, he's SO decent in describing the social environment and the music that drove it. This guy has driven my experience in The Blues and beyond for most of my life! Who else is on par with Levon in this area? Gotta love him for being The Real Deal, sans bullshit.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 23:15:06 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Attached link to Carlos Santana's cover of "Whole Lotta Love".......quite good but he also does a rap version of AC/DC's "Back in Black" on his new album which is gruesome.......

Entered at Wed Oct 27 22:02:06 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Subject: Pot

There is one very important thing to consider when you start talking about legalizing pot. But before I get to that, I like to think of the good times I had while being under the influence (from inhaling the second hand smoke). I like to think back about 30 years ago when I drove a couple of guys into downtown New Paltz, to Chez Joey's, for a pizza. A little guy named Teddy was too drunk to sing so we sent him in to pick up the pre-ordered pizzas. I waited out in my VW and watched the other guy smoke a joint. I think I may have reminded him that it was against the law. We talked about a lot of stuff and that's when I noticed Teddy had been gone for over an hour. I went into Chez Joey's and Teddy was right inside the door...staring at the bright colors of the soda bottles.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 21:56:52 CEST 2010 from (217.5.150.254)

JTull Fan

Entered at Wed Oct 27 21:43:33 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

To Ray's thoughts on Keith Richards.........A couple of things stand out for me.....his interviews are consistently interesting and thoughtful........but what is surprising to me - considering that whole junkie/dark vibe that he perpetuates - is that he has on a number of occasions over the years - demonstrated a lot of depth and class in how he remembers fallen friends and colleagues.........Rolling Stone magazine is quite good at putting together issues in memory of lost music stars - such as when George Harrison died - and various peers/stars are asked to contribute thoughts.......and Richards writings in this area have always stood out among the rest..............

Entered at Wed Oct 27 21:02:56 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Ray: The Rolling Stones taped rehearsals for their 1978 tour at Bearsville Studio. Bootleg versions have surfaced over the years.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 20:47:08 CEST 2010 from (129.237.222.1)

ray pence

Subject: stones in bearsville??

Good to hear from you Kevin J, I like your take too...

Was leafing through Keith's bio at Borders; did not buy yet but want to and the 30% off is tempting...found an appetizing reference to Levon and the Band, Keith thinks but is not sure that he and his bandmates (or some of them) wound up staying the night up in Woodstock at Bearsville Studios, hosted by Levon, but again KR is not 100% about this because he said it was the aftermath of his introduction to pharmaceutical cocaine.

Keith also writes of spending a good bit of recent time jamming and doing a little preliminary songwriting with none other than Paul McCartney. Interesting. That is a combo I'd like to hear, could be unique and surprising.

Some of the Stones have been quite negative about the Beatles but Keith, so far as I can see, has always been positive and doesn't waste time with cheap shot rivalries. (Pete Townshend's another whose Beatle bashing is tiresome.) (John Lennon could be real mean when talking about the Stones, and Dylan too.)

The man, Keith, is a gent. And a most engaging memoirist, too.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 20:40:57 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Subject: Documentary about Levon

Link to an interview with the maker of the documentary.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 19:19:43 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Where do you want this killin' done

Does HWY 61 go through Northern Quebec any where??????

Prohibition all over agin.....Tull.....have you loss yer gawd damn mind?????

Probably not in yer backward backwood towns out in the uncivilized part of this country, but here in the warmer climes, (and because of prohibiton smoking laws) in any large centres you see it all the time. Lawyers, bankers and all manner of white collar riff-raff standing out in the parking lots and side walks, sucking on their cigarettes, like a bunch a teen agers.

As there is almost no where to smoke out here now, even resently parks, out doors along the beaches, "no smoking"! So when I went to Ketchikan a couple weeks back, and they still smoke in restaurants and bars.....geez that is hard to take now, not being used to it any more.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 19:06:29 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

JTF: I suspect that you're so far south that you can't imagine Winnipeg in winter. (That shreiking noise you here is sadavid contemplating the inevitable now that I've raised the issue.)

Entered at Wed Oct 27 18:45:18 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

There’s also the question of lung cancer. Tobacco use has been driven right back everywhere, and that’s a good thing. I would assume that they’d have to have sub-lingual drops available, like Bach flower remedies, (as were used in medical tests on the effects here) rather than inhalation of burning vegetable matter, which cannot be good for you. I was talking to a doctor who conducted lots of testing and he said they morally couldn’t ask people to smoke it, hence the dropper bottle system. Problem there, too. The best carrier medium is alcohol. So no good for recovering alcoholics then. n Moderate consumption of red wine (a glass or two a day) has proven health effects, by the way. Breathing exercises and meditation beats both, but unfortunately my discipline is too poor.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 18:32:32 CEST 2010 from (217.5.150.254)

JTull Fan

Count me in the pro-legalization camp. I cannot imagine people gathering outside their offices or other establishments smoking marijuana, even if it were not against existing tobacco smoke regulations. I think pot is a far safer recreational drug than alcoholic beverages. If given the choice I would prefer pot to be legalized and alcohol re-criminalized than the current legal status of each.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 18:17:48 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

The Apple remasters sampler does show how involved George and Paul were. It also shows that John had little interest. Ringo turned up and played lots of drums, earning the highest praise from (e.g.) Doris Troy. George really came into his own as a producer.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 18:05:55 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Subject: condo herb gardens of tarana

Bill M: If you liked _Gardens_, you'll love this one . . . note that there's video of one called "Tarana" that should hit close to home . . . .

Entered at Wed Oct 27 17:57:22 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Wed Oct 27 17:45:30 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Speaking of sitars, I listend yesterday to the Breit Brothers version of "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" on a Neil Young tribute from the '90s called "Borrowed Tune". The song is changed 180 degrees by the sitar playing of the group's stringmaster, Kevin Briet; it seems noteworthy that Breit wound up as lead guitarist on Ravi Shankar's daughter's early recordings and tours. Pesumably Norah knew of Breit's abilities, but maybe didn't care given her purportedly cold relationship with her father.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 17:38:58 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

I don't think you're anymore likely to see people huddled outside offices smoking than you are to see workers huddled outside drinking beer.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 17:24:45 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Peter, you're argument implies that use will rise. There is no evidence of that, that I'm aware of. When Portugal , the country that just kicked our sorry ass out of a seat on the UN Security Council, decriminalized all drugs, the status quo side warned of dire consequences for the country.

The propaganda was that Lisbon would be flooded with European heroine addicts. It never happened. Check out link for a little more info.

So, if as the evidence in Portugal shows, pot smoking doesn't increase, and in this case actually took a big downturn, having a drug test for drivers seems irrelevant as a consideration.

One important difference, Sadavid, between pot and industry pharmaceuticals is pot seems to provide something some people want while the Pharmas spend tons of cash creating "problems" that need medicating and they just happened to have a new little pill that will "cure" what you now think ails you.

Pot, without the $100,000,000 spent annually by big Pharma in advertising and political bribes, is in demand.

As far as production goes, I think much of it will just be grown, organically, in gardens all over California.

Much like beer for personal consumption.

We have friends who grow it on the balcony of their 4th floor condo in MTL, right next to their tomatoes and some other herbs.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 17:18:51 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Wed Oct 27 17:11:15 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

I'll probably pick up the Apple Jackie Lomax and James Taylor reissues eventually. For now, I'm going with the new remastered Beatles Blue compilation, mainly for the "clean" first generation version of "A Day in the Life" minus the tarnish of the fade intro.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 16:54:19 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Subject: mek we chase 'way vampire

Decriminalization seems inevitable . . . because our majority-rulers, no less than the market-ruled evil multinationals, exist to give us what we want (we're ENTITLED, dammit). And by virtue of numbers, "we" is still mostly us boomers. What we want is reissues of the music that fired our hormones when we had hormones, 24 / 7 access to fast food and streaming porn, illusions of eco-friendliness, etc. And a quiet pipe in the garden of an evening without interference from the millicents.

From all I've seen, the 'pro' Californians envision a sort of grassroots (sorry), bucolic neo-hippie cottage industry springing up -- the industry's been that way because that's what works under the radar. I suspect, and I hope I'm wrong, that the future looks more like just another counter display at the 7-11, somewhere between the chicken wings and _People_ magazine. I betcha the business plans are already written, and approved.

I was reminded of dear old Peter Tosh the other day -- his vision was splifflicating in the House of Congress -- when an activist had a couple of tokes in our dear old House of Commons. The whole thing unfolded with the usual Canuckistanian drama; a security guard asked the guy to extinguish the reefer, and he did.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 16:47:45 CEST 2010 from (67.84.207.113)

Brien Sz

Entered at Wed Oct 27 16:30:54 CEST 2010 from (38.112.100.2)

JT

Subject: Greatest popular culture album ever

I couldn't resist adding my 'two cents'. Highway 61 Revisited gets (as Nux Schwartz correctly notes)my support and for the reasons he states. Blonde on Blonde is a very close second and forms a continuum with Highway 61 Revisited. It never grows old. It is like reading Shakespeare's best work over and over again or looking a works by Marc Chagall repeatedly. These works are timeless and transcend all. I believe that some artists achieve a supreme artistic level at some point in their works (no surprise there) but that certain works are so exceptional that there is no competition.(Miles Davis reached similar heights at his best). These artists have zeniths and nadirs and Dylan is no exception. I keep hearing new beauty and the words and music continually evolve with every listen. What more could one ask for? Without "61" the artistic world would have a large gap in it. This is the background music of my life.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 15:14:44 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Oct 27 14:24:21 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.191)

Steve

If California votes to legalize pot next week the prediction is that it will devastate the economy of many rural towns in British Columbia that depend on the flow of American cash to keep businesses in towns in the black.

After decades of a fruitless, money losing, war on pot in BC, victory may be had with the use of the ballot.

According to people in the industry the irony of the situation is that the people who helped establish the pot growing industry in BC, Californians, may vote it out of existence.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 11:32:42 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Anyone listening to these? The sampler "Come & Get It" is the starting place. I bought the Doris Troy album and the Jackie Lomax, both ones I've been looking for since the 70s, but both too expensive now on vinyl.

Entered at Wed Oct 27 10:43:55 CEST 2010 from (196.7.230.230)

nux Schwartz

3. The greatest album, ever? Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited (1965) No matter how many times you might have heard it, a different song will appear as primary, the star around which everything else revolves—it could be “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”, one day, “Ballad of a Thin Man” the next, the title song for the next year, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” a year later, each different song casting all the others into a different relief. Then “Desolation Row” might make you forget that there’s anything else on the album at all. But if the album were simply “Like a Rolling Stone” and 30 or 40 minutes of silence, I still might pick it.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 21:44:54 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

From a Rolling Stone Album guide and highlighed on the Bob Dylan themed "Expecting Rain" website - there is a tribute to the 41st anniversary of "The Band" album......On TNTDODD:

"The best song ever written about dignity is 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.' Written by guitarist Robbie Robertson, he showed that a Canadian could provide keen insight about American life during the Civil War. In fact, the whole album has an Americana feel that is unique. The fact that four of the groups five members were from Canada makes it all the more unique."

Entered at Tue Oct 26 21:02:16 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Tue Oct 26 18:55:49 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.190)

Steve

Entered at Tue Oct 26 18:25:11 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

ray pence: I respect your thoughts.......I know others that stopped listening to the Stones with both ears after Mick Taylor left whereas two of my favourite albums are Black and Blue and Some Girls..........but I honestly don't know anyone that has cared a hoot about the band since the early 80's..........just my take but when those grotesque tours started in the late 80's attended largely bank presidents and their wives and every new Stones album was launched by press releases all stating that the band was "returning to their roots"....the whole thing just seemed absurd to me............by the way the climax of all this - to me at least - was reached at the filming of "Shine a Light" when the band has a "meet and greet" before the show and they are made to wait for not just Hillary Clinton but deliciously - for her 90 year old mother!!!!! Never as a scene in any film so perfectly captured a fall in stature. I am convinced that this was intentional by master filmmaker Martin Scorsese for Jagger's very public dissing of The last Waltz in the early 1980's.......for those that don't remember - when promoting Hal Ashby's film on the Stones shot in early 80's Jagger would often say "well everyone seemed to love TLW but I found it incredibly boring...this film is much better: etc,

Entered at Tue Oct 26 18:00:24 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Peter V: I agree with the worthiness of "Beast Of Burden", though I'm inclined to be a bit more absolute in my assessment of their still-later stuff. Saying that they're "still together" seems like saying that the Eagles are still together; it's more like they reassemble every three or five years for yet another Smart-Like-A-Cockroach Tour.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 17:52:21 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Tue Oct 26 17:24:50 CEST 2010 from (129.237.250.19)

ray pence

Subject: Keith/Stones/Caring

"In the "you have to chuckle" department............I must have heard 20 different newscasts report - some breathlessly - that the Rolling Stones - had "almost broken up in the mid 80's - according to Keith Richard's new bio....................Is there a single person anyone knows who would have cared?"

Hello Kevin J and everyone,

Not only would I have cared, I would have been devastated.

That is not exactly a revelation of Keith's, it was pretty common knowledge.

Regardless of all the valleys in their career, the Stones have had far more peaks--the Exile rerelease is one of this year's best albums--and I don't even want to think about a world without the Stones.

And I sure wish the original Band lineup had found a way to stick together as long as the Stones have.

Scorsese's "Shine a Light" isn't on the same level as The Last Waltz (an event that Rollie is reputed to have attended), but it's damn good and even great in some moments. I saw and heard it at an IMAX theater and it was a pleasure to see those craggy Stones faces taking on grand canyonian dimensions.

They remain compelling, powerful, charismatic performers who embody the greatest rock and roll. Often imitated, never duplicated. I can't afford their concert tickets but I can still bask in their glory.

I don't know about the critical consensus on Keith's bio, but Michiko Kaukatani of the NY Times loves it, and she's notoriously hard to please. And a damn good book reviewer who's worth reading even if one hasn't read what she's evaluating.

I am positive that Keith's book will be a winner among bios of its kind--with Dylan's Chronicles and Peter O'Toole's two volumes setting a high standard.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 17:23:23 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Tue Oct 26 17:15:13 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Tue Oct 26 17:03:50 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

RTO: Funny.........and I remember when 5 pounds was about $13 - now it's just $7!

dlew: the Bowie/Jagger video which featured Bowie in a raincoat is just below the Queen one with Freddie doing the vacuum cleaner thing in drag..........speaking of career goofs........did one of the new British acts not also do one of those "Hello Ethiopia, this is Spandau Ballet and we will be rocking your town soon" ( or whichever band it was)" when asked to leave a message for radio broadcast......... Oh well The Smiths should have been there that day........End of the day.....Live Aid was extremely successful......Live 8 was almost shameful........

Entered at Tue Oct 26 16:35:58 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

"And Madonna, she still has not showed
We see this empty cage now corrode"

How does one put a price on a piece of art? I'm reminded that Dylan once traded an Andy Warhol silk screen portrait of Elvis Presley to Albert Grossman for a sofa. He'd received the work of art from a shocked Warhol as a demand for giving a screen test in late 1965. The "double Elvis" (with a gun) print later sold for $720,000 after Mr. Grossman's death.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 16:19:30 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Tue Oct 26 16:09:05 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

18 million? Well, at least it's dollars not pounds. When I saw it was for sale, I thought the regulars might club together and buy it for Jan. Then I saw the price. And they don't even say how big it is. If it's 12" x 12" it's only fit for the corner of my hallway, or maybe the downstairs toilet on Norm's boat. Usually paintings for illustration are larger than the printed size but in proportion. I reckon Bob needs to come clean on the size so we can judge if it's worth it. Is it framed? Will Bob come over and hang it for us? At that price, he could afford to … and supply the picture hook and nail.

While it's iconic and a great LP cover … as a PAINTING it's not actually very good!

Entered at Tue Oct 26 15:50:09 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Steve: Looks like you're misquoting from the original Zappa. It's 'titanic', not 'titanium'. Her interest in the Kabala is perhaps fitting given the song's title.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 15:20:55 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.190)

Steve

In the end, Live 8 was about the politicians and the performers. Both those groups at least got something out of the extravaganza. Not so much for the people who the benefit was held for. Gov'ts have walked away from much of what they promised.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 13:07:13 CEST 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Subject: The guys in my band

You can always drop an hint to your significant other, Christmas is coming after all. I didn't really follow up on the links but 18 mil?

Entered at Tue Oct 26 12:26:37 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

In the same interview Saint Bob says that he gets angry when people say bands do it for pure promotion …saying that for Live 8, Madonna had to bring over all her dancers and specialist stuff at her own expense and it cost her millions.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 11:22:00 CEST 2010 from (61.68.19.251)

dlew919

I watched Madonna - she was on right after Queen: Queen (though my favourite band at the time, and still in my top 10) really did blow everyone off the stage (they came on at 4:00 am my time...), and Madonna's set just looked amateurish (on a day where a lot of big acts didn't come off terribly well - to be fair to everyone, it was a disastrous way to perform, no sound check, no rehearsal, 20 mins...). Geldof was right to be affronted then. (though in a few years, probalby not...)

My favourite Live Aid story is actually about the record 'Do they know it's Christmas'. Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet (I believe it was, and I've seen him tell the story against himself with good humour, so I don't mind repeating it, with all respects, adn knowing I probably would have been worse...)

As they finished the recording, they all poured out to the street to the waiting media. He was asked 'What do you have to say about the Ethiopian situation'. As he said, he was young, he'd done what he had told, and he wasn't expecting any press. So he said, 'We're really sorry we couldn't make there this year, but we're trying really hard to open the next tour there!' /n

Entered at Tue Oct 26 09:03:35 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

More on that in the recent Bob Geldorf interview (Uncut? The Word? can't be bothered to find it).The huge finale was planned to be Bob Dylan and Paul Simon duetting on Bridge Over Troubled Water and Blowing In The Wind. Then Paul Simon pulled out because Bill Graham was so unbelievably rude and aggressive towards him. Having behaved like a "total arsehole" to Paul Simon and Bob Dylan (Bob being used to it after Before The Flood), Graham then suggested Madonna for the British show. Geldorf couldn't believe it as she was such a minor one hit artist. But then she came out of the whole thing better (and therefore bigger) than anyone.

Keef's being quoted every time I pick up a newspaper with bitchy comments on Mick, such as "Did anyone ever listen right through She's The Boss? I didn't."). It's also being said that Mick had to return his own multi-million advance for a book because he couldn't remember enough to fill a hundred pages, let alone as much as Keef's mighty tome. As the historians here will agree, history is a prize won by those who (claim to) have the best memories.

Entered at Tue Oct 26 03:14:32 CEST 2010 from (203.41.84.218)

dlew919

Hardly a groundbreaking revelation! Wasn't that the years of the great Richards/Jagger feud (which according to the report I placed a few days back, hasn't really been resolved)? the reason the stones didn't play Live Aid in 1985 was because they couldn't stand each other, esentially: hence Ronnie and Keef played with Dylan (in a mish mash of a set) and Jagger sang with Bowie...)

Entered at Mon Oct 25 23:22:44 CEST 2010 from (24.108.12.129)

BONK

Yep. m r ducks

Entered at Mon Oct 25 22:59:47 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Subject: Ah, the old Levonites vs JR2philes debate....(Kevin J)

It would be prudent of Robbie to get his new platter out; if he's looking to promote it there are some absolute bargains around at the moment (see link).

Entered at Mon Oct 25 22:53:33 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Mon Oct 25 22:38:58 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Seeing JH's and then Steve's cryptic "Whale meat again" entries made me realise (30+ years late) that Jim Capaldi was not imagining himself stuck in the Arctic ice at Christmas but was just attempting to say "We'll meet again" like Levon would. I don't remember, if I ever knew, if his album Bandish.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 22:25:37 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Entered at Mon Oct 25 22:00:45 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Blow hard alright

Just the kind of crap every one has come to expect from you farmer shovelling more of what your good at.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 21:41:52 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

Don't blow air

Don't grow fins

Entered at Mon Oct 25 21:14:59 CEST 2010 from (85.255.44.145)

jh

1...2...3... Whale meat again.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 20:03:16 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

With the "What's New" section of this GB not having been updated in almost a month..........I found myself checking out the "BandBites" section and found an interview with Eric Bazilian which I guess I had missed the first time around.......a very good little piece with some interesting comments on the Band with Robbie and without.............worth checking out..................Hopefully there will be a new addition to this series soon...........

Caught Yoko on CNN on the weekend and amazingly she gets better looking by leaps and bounds every year.......I find myself warming to her whole vibe - in fact.......

In the "you have to chuckle" department............I must have heard 20 different newscasts report - some breathlessly - that the Rolling Stones - had "almost broken up in the mid 80's - according to Keith Richard's new bio....................Is there a single person anyone knows who would have cared?

Entered at Mon Oct 25 19:27:25 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

Peter, if your father was a songwriter back in the winter of 1940 he could have beaten John Prine to the opening lines of, Christmas In Prison.

It was Christmas in Britain and the food was real good

We had turkey and rifles carved out of wood

Entered at Mon Oct 25 19:22:38 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

My guess is Levon would say something like, "I ain't in it for my health."

Entered at Mon Oct 25 18:42:05 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Beating around the bush

How can you say such a thing?????? You guys are all a bunch a free loaders

Entered at Mon Oct 25 18:28:52 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

The 2003 SACD reissues of "Another Side of Bob Dylan" and "Bringing It All Back Home" also featured stereo remixes.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 18:26:10 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

sadavid: I agree - excellent question! Westcoaster tiptoed around answering you directly, but I take it that he has never taken a load off Fanny - perhaps because his policy is never to take a load for free. Remember from Economics 101 that there's no such thing as a free load.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 18:11:16 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Interesting to know Blonde on Blonde is a recent(ish) stereo mix. That's probably why it's very good … the early / mid 60s rarely did rock stereo well. It does prove that you can gild the lily. I only have the mono sampler, but I find something missing in all the later mono ones. (I do have the CD / SACD hybrids in stereo, and play that material a lot).

Entered at Mon Oct 25 16:38:30 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Take a load off Fanny!

That's perfect Sadavid......that thought hadn't struck me at the time. I will tell you the interesting thing about that place. Fanny Island, is little more than a flat rock barely above water, and a few hundred fet across, it is important as it has the nav. light and remote weather station on it.. However York Island is right behind. (I'd have to look up the elevation of York Island, about 6 hundred feet high I would guess.

Right at this point Johnstone Strait splitts, and to port you head down Sunderland Channel, to strboard down the strait. You should google York Island BC. During WW2 there was guns on York is. The turrets are still there, and right beside York, are little islands that on the chart are called Artillery Island, from that period.The guns were there so that no ships could get past toward Vancouver unnoticed. While passing there just a few weeks back, I was explaining all this to this young guy I had out there. He says well did they ever use them. I hesitated.......y'know, I don't really remember that.

So I thought for a minute, and I phoned my old mum, as we lived very near there during the war. Oh heavens yes she says. She recalled one time, I think just after I was born, we lived in Plumper Bay, just inside where Ripple Rock was in Seymour Narrows.

She said it was 6:30 just getting daylight, I was making Dad's breakfast to go to work, and suddenly this siren was screaming. She said, it was war time, I was terrified. Well there was this corvette right in front of the bay, and the narrows was full of boats. They were stopping all the boats. Some Japanese fish boats came by York Island, and wouldn't stop. They fired across their bows and they continued on. The corvette was notified, and then stopped all traffic in the narrows.

It seems to me I read of some hanky panky at that York Island installation.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 16:16:55 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Subject: whole life at sea

westcoaster: You mention Fanny Island, so enquiring minds of course want to know: did you ever take a load off Fanny?

Entered at Mon Oct 25 16:04:34 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Another factor in the Blonde On Blonde puzzle is that fact that by the mid to late '70s the stereo master tapes were too worn out to be used. So recent stereo CD/SACD reissues have been prepared from contemporary remixes from the 4-track studio masters.

The new mono Dylan box set was mastered by Mark Wilder from the original analog master tapes, played back on vintage mono tape machines and transferred to a 96/kHz-24-bit resolution digital master. In the case of Blonde On Blonde, the original mono mixdown master first generation tapes were used. There were four reels, one for each side, assembled from the original mono mix downs of each song spliced together.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 15:55:47 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Joe Jennings! Well the smoke has cleared, the fish are in the cans, (and up the river). We had 30 million sockeye return here this year to the Fraser River, Now the money is all being spent on "enquiries" to try and find out "how'd that happen"?

The attitudes of the dirt farmer are along the same lines of many "bodies" we hire out here for crewing on tugs. There are institutions where many of these bodies go, pay a bunch of money where these other fools, (who are glad to take their money) teach them "courses"? and all of a sudden they are veteran seamen.

For the life of me I can't understand how you pass a course to get a "Watch keeping Mate's ticket" and can't even read a chart. Marine emergency Duties certification with no experience what so ever. One of the guys who has two tugs here one day I was having a conversation with, in absolute frustration is yelling, all that paper they come down here with is good for nothing but starting a good fire.

I hired a guy about 42 years old a couple of years back. With his chest stuck out he bragged that he had been on the "Vector" a Coast Guard ship. He was actually an oiler in the engine room. Well we get going up Johnstone Strait. I've been at the wheel for 8 hours getting us thru a lot of traffic, and Seymour Narrows rapids. At Fanny Island Johnstone Strait opens up to two miles wide all the way up to boat harbour light, about a 4 hour run with my outfit.

It's just getting dark and I need a few hours rest. He has done a couple of watches in daylight by this time, and is familiar with all the electronics. The strait is calm and all is good. I get in my bunk.

After about a half hour this guy starts yelling, almost crying. I thought I could do this...I can't. One of Western Tugboat out of Seattle's tugs is coming at us with a big container barge. The Western Titan , or Gulf Titan, one of 'em. At this point 4 - 100,000 ton cruise ships could pass each other here. So I have to send this hero to his bunk, where he is cowering while I'm paying him and I'm back at the wheel 'till daylight.

In this day and age there is getting to be fewer and fewer men with experience, or willing to accept the discipline to learn. But they all know everything.

This comment, "even people who have never been near the water know what tacking is." Just because you know how to say the word doesn't mean you know a gawd damn thing about it. I'd like to get the farmer at the wheel at Cape Caution in the night in November when there is a 12 foot tide boiling out of Slingsby Channel with a 35 knot South East on top of it, and 1000 tons of Logging equipment on the barge. The little old tug is pulling her guts out to hold it up wind, and say here take the wheel and see how you do. You better have a good book to explain this all to you.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 14:41:15 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Mon Oct 25 14:27:26 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

One last story from the book I'm reading on Canadian Coretes in WW2.

December of 41, off the coast of Newfoundland, the Corvette, Windflower, discovers it's 2 miles ahead of the convoy it's helping protect. Instead of slowing and letting the convoy catch up the captain turns the ship around and sails straight for the convoy.

The fog is so thick they don't see the Dutch freighter, Zypenberg, til they are almost bow to bow.

The Windflower, which is tiny compared to the freighter is ripped lengthwise and starts sinking.

Sailors that can, start abandoning ship into the ice cold water. Another ship, the British corvette Nasturtium, comes to check out what is happening.

As it approaches, the explosion of the boilers on the sinking Windflower is mistaken for a torpedo attack. The asdic on the Nasturtium picks up the Windflower which is completely submerged and thinking it's a U boat starts dropping depth charges.

Many of the survivors in the water from the Windflower are killed when the Nasturtium's depth charges set off the depth charges on the Windflower.

The explosions were so powerful and close to the surface that the Nasturtium was damaged and had to head to port in Newfoundland along with the Zypenberg.

The Canadian corvettes were so poorly equipped early in the war that many had no asdic or guns to fight subs when they surfaced.

My father's ship as well as many others had a wooden 4 inch "gun" mounted on the deck to scare off U boats, for almost a year.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 13:39:16 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

In editing series of reading books for ESL / EFL, when you look at unsolicited submissions, it's probably 50 or 60% that you can reject after just one page. That's not because I expect page ones to have huge impact. It's just things like being able to string coherent sentences together.

But old Sir Harold was looking at finished, published books.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 13:13:19 CEST 2010 from (67.84.207.113)

Brien Sz

Entered at Mon Oct 25 10:54:23 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I like the story about carrying china from the kitchens to the dining rooms (as you sailors call them). Anyway, there's a classic publishing story about Harold Macmillan, who as well as being British Prime Minister, was head of the Macmillan publishing company. Harold liked to cross the Atlantic by sea, and would always have twenty or thirty of the company's latest publications delivered to his cabin (which is what they call bedrooms on ships, I'm told). He would spend the voyage on deck, leafing rapidly through the books … speed reading, stopping now and then when his interest was taken. As he reached the end of each book, he'd toss it over the side into the sea.

After years of this, a steward plucked up the courage to ask if the books could be given to the crew's library instead. Harold was amazed that anyone would want them.

The moral of the story is that this is how publishers regard the toils of their authors.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 07:12:01 CEST 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

Thanks Roger, Glad you enjoy it! Cheers,JN

Entered at Mon Oct 25 02:27:16 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: The Galley

Yes that was a bad problem with those ships, amoung others. Many of these things paved the way for great improvements on ships.

A funny story in that regard. If you google "Union Steamship Lines" you will come up with the shipping line that serviced our coast in the early half of the twentieth century. Other than private boat and airplanes, they were our only means of transportation to our remote communities where I grew up.

To this day, at many of the stops in remote places on our coast, I have friends that dive and bring up many treasures. Beautiful china dishes, stone jugs etc. How they got there, Stewards who had to carry them back to the galley from state rooms where people had left them, were to lazy to take them back. They just chucked them out the port holes from the rooms into the water.

At Sechelt, which was a stop regularly at one of the largest places, in the mid seveties when I lived there, I went down with one of my buddies one day, and tended for him. He came up several times with loads of stuff. china, silver ware, and jugs. I don't have any now, but as it has the Union Steam ship pattern engraved all over it, I think it's fairly valuable.

Entered at Mon Oct 25 02:02:31 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Alberni, was also the name of one of Canada's earliest commissioned Corvettes in WW2.Nnamed after Port Alberni as I'm sure you're quite aware. I'm half way through reading, Corvettes Canada, by Mac Johnston. I just finished reading about the part she played in trying to defend against the attack on SC 42, in September of 41, in which 15 merchantmen were sunk by 7 different U boats over 7 days.

That leg of the convoy route, between Newfoundland and Iceland, was the one my father's boat, The Midland, worked during the war. My father sailed that route about a dozen times from the end of 41 til the end of 44.

While I've read many complaints about the design of the the Corvettes that worked against them in open sea sailing, my father's only complaint was the location of the galley in relationship to the mess.

Food had to be carried outside along the edge of the ship to get from one to the other which meant your food usually arrived with an inch of ice cold salt water on it.

Most sailors complained about the incredible amount of rolling because the boat was basically round bottomed. My father was a life long fan( right into his late 80's) of amusement park rides, the wilder the better. The rolling had no effect on him, but he hated the salt water food.

The Alberni, as I'm sure you know, was sunk in the English Channel in 44. It took just 30 seconds to disappear after it was hit by a torpedo.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 21:20:42 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Will Knots

Ya Lars he probably did. That was pretty funny. Now come on huh, do I get to shoot the farmer yet??? I been patient for a hell of a long time now don't yuh think?????

Entered at Sun Oct 24 20:49:57 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Subject: GB-related sea sickness

NORM!!!- YOU'RE THE ONLY GUY I EVER MET WHO HAD WAVES GOING UP & DOWN IN HIS EYEBALLS....YOU'VE SPENT MORE YEARS ON THE SEA THAN ANYBODY IN THIS GB....so relax, Old Salt. But do you suppose Levon got a little queasy when he was working on that oil rig back in '67 (?) and they sent him out in rough waters to get the equipment from Number 3?

Entered at Sun Oct 24 20:48:02 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Sailing - The "City of Alberni"

For a little history on sailing, google "The City of Alberni" and take a look at a real sailing ship. My Uncle Frank sailed on her in 1943 -44 during WW11.

The attached web page shows a picture of uncle Frank down aways, when he was captain of the salvage tug "Sudbury 2". He is signing off with the captain of a Korean freighter the "Corrinna" that he had just rescued , (dead in the water) in the north Pacific.

When he retired, uncle Frank Culbard was captain of the "John Ross" one of the two largest tugs in the world for Saftug (South African Tugboat Co) sailing out of Cape Town towing oil rigs.

My older brother Buddy is the longest time ship's pilot ever in Canada, now turning seventy and still working, has been a ship's pilot for 36 years, after a career as a tug boat captain. So you see, we do have a little history in this business.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 20:46:25 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sun Oct 24 20:31:29 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Tacking

Tacking is what it's called farmer, do you think I don't know that fer chrissake. But you can't go just any where you want tacking on the wind. You're still limited...runnin' against the wind. Where in hell do you think the expression comes from?

Entered at Sun Oct 24 20:12:05 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

After posting about my Uncle Lewis' boat and saying the motor always started eventually, I remembered the one time it didn't. We spent 3 or 4 hours towing it home with the dory we pulled behind when we checked the salmon nets.

Their were three of us and we each took turns oaring back to the wharf in our cove. I don't remember if we sang, but we probably did.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 19:50:30 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: In Hazard

I just looked up that book Peter. With a little googling around, I found it on Amazon. I think I'm going to buy it. Written by Richard Hughes in 1938. Very highly educated Oxford man. Born in England, but as his ancestry was Welsh, considered himslef a Welshman. Hell of a good book.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 19:43:10 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Runnin' Against the Wind

I would think with the vast knowledge of the fisherman, turned farmer, turned teacher, politician....and so on he would know the condition of prevailing winds.

On this side of this big Island, we get either sou'east, or outflow, (North east on this side of this big island) in the winter. In the spring sou'west and in the summer Nor'west are more prevalent. So the reason you see so many sail boats putting around on auxillary at their 4 or 5 knots is they want to go some where where the wind won't take them.....so.......

Skip the light fandago, turn cartwheels cross the floor,

Lars is always gettin' seasick and barfin' on the floor.

There was never any virgins, he saw to that long ago.

When we called out for another drink, he was layin' on the floor....er deck, (how in hell do I make that rym)

You kin have them gawd damn sail boats. Rememeber the albatross. I'll take the good ship Lollipop first.

Ever been tuh sea Billie! .....Barnacle Bill the sailor.

By the way Peter, did you ever chance to read a book called "In Hazard"? I read it many years ago and can't remember who wrote it. He goes into great detail about the construction and rigging fo this ship which was boring hell out of me. But I perceviered and it became clear why when the ship ends up in a hurricane, and what this one guy did to save the ship and himself. Like trickling oil out to flatten the swell, as oil on water makes so the wind can't grab it and push it up. A very good enlightening book.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 19:26:43 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Nice memories.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 19:21:45 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

The combination of Irish folk and maritime experiences made me go and pull "Rogues gallery" off the shelf. Anyone else have it? It's a Hal Willner production from 2006, consisting of sea shanties and other maritime songs, with a cast of all the usual Willner suspects, including Richard Thompson, Lou Reed, Richard Greene, Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, Eliza Carthy, Teddy Thompson, Sting, Rufus Wainwright. Loudon Wainwright's rendition of "The Good Ship Venus" is memorable and I could never remember past about verse three.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 19:13:00 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

On Irish songs, I saw a 45of The Patriot Game last week, this time by The Kingston Trio. As I love the song by Dominic Behan, The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners (plus Bob Dylan and The Neville Bros with different lyrics), I bought it. It has to be filed under "unintentionally hilarious", first for the fake stage Irish accents they adopt, and much, much funnier, for the spoken voice bit in the middle.

You lose some you win some, because the other side is a good rendition of Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream which brought back fond memories of folk clubs.

I think I'll put a playlist together of "unintentionally hilarious" tracks. The other prime candidate is "Ring of Fire" by Eric Burdon & The Animals.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 19:04:54 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

I was only a summer time vacationing fisher but I really got into it, doing everything from mending salmon nets to building cod drying flakes, filleting and salting cod and many of the other tasks involved . When I was about 18 or 19, I was even lucky enough to help two old guys ( probably about the age I am now) build a boat one summer, an undecked 30 footer.

I love the memories. Everytime I'm at my mother's house there, in the kitchen, and I see the holes drilled in the 3 by 8, exposed floor joists for the room over the kitchen, I remember as a young kid asking my grandmother about the holes. she explained that they are there so my grandfather could hang his salmon nets from the ceiling in the winter and mend them. My kids now know why they're there. It's important to me for some reason.

Please excuse the nostalgia moment but I always feel lucky to have seen the tail end of a way of life that existed for centuries and that has disappeared in my lifetime.

My favorite memories always involved my uncle Lewis and his 30 footer with it's one-lunger that would occasionally only want to run in reverse, or sometimes not at all, which is disconcerting when you're a couple of miles off shore and the wind starts picking up. Uncle Lewis was one of those people that are never visibly concerned by impending danger. He was a great singer and would sing old Irish ballads, The Wild Colonial Boy ( Irish Version) being his favorite, as he puttered with the motor which always started eventually if only in reverse, sometimes. Ah yes the good old days.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 19:01:21 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Subject: Naval circles

Peter- No disrespect intended, but if I were on a ship and told the Officer of the Day that I needed to use the "downstairs toilet," I'd be scrubbing down the head until mid-rats.

The Navy has their own terminology and although I've tried to forget most of it, I know there are no stairs on a ship or boat, only ladders. But carry on....it's two bells...time for football (NFL).

Entered at Sun Oct 24 16:24:45 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

As I’ve recounted before, “Blonde on Blonde” was the first Dylan album since Times They Are A-Changin’ that I didn’t buy immediately on release. I can’t think of a good excuse. My then girlfriend had a copy anyway, and my meagre wages working in a museum before college all went on discotheques, Ben Sherman shirts, fuel for my Vespa scooter, Chinese meals and bottles of Yugoslavian “Lutomer reisling” which was cheaper than Blue Nun. I bought my vinyl copy in 1970, and it’s stereo (with a gold STEREO sticker applied). But John D has me wondering about the original, original British mono mix and whether we got the Canadian, the American or something else again. The “organ” Bob was on my mind yesterday, listening to it, and thinking how Garth-like some of Al Kooper’s almost narrative additions were.

I'm marvelling at Steve's maritime expertise. I didn't think there was much high-seas, deep water sailing in Quebec, but my geography's amiss.The boat looks good, Norm. I had some friends twenty years ago who bought an ex-navy patrol boat to live on. Their main issue was covering the many many layers of official grey paint on the hull. They intended to sail it to the Mediterranean but after about three years work improving and maintaining it, they got fed up with it (and more importantly, each other). The downstairs toilet (as it's called in naval circles) was particularly cramped, being in the sharp end at the front (more expert vocabulary here) and it had an extremely thick hull, probably to protect it from mines or whatever.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 16:14:52 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Non Related

Well farmer, your comments show your entire lack of understanding......the difference of driving your car down the street,(miles per gallon), and moving a 50 foot ship across the water through winds and tide, (gallons per hour). The two things are not relative in any way. So your comment, "a pig on fuel" just shows how little you know.

For example, an entire season of commercial fishing, how many hours you end up running the engine to fish. When you can run slower to save fuel, when you have the opportunity to shut your engine down.

Towing, when you have good water, (a fair tide) and can throttle back to save fuel. Fuel for towboats, (towing at most economic RPM) and still able to work, fuel consumption for tugs, (rule of thumb towing 24 hours per day) is a gallon per horse power per day.

Your hybrid idea is all well and fine, but you haven't spent enough time out here to even understand it all. Day after day I pass sailboats, and even when there is a nice breeze they have no canvas in the air, and a running around on their auxillaries.

If this environmental issue is so important to you, (and as usual with anything anyone discusses here you see yourself as the authority) how come you're not out plowing with some gawd damn mules?? You'd get along with them a lot better.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 16:03:36 CEST 2010 from (99.254.209.45)

John D

Funny.......I have to insert the word original twice as not to mix it up; with the NEW MONO versions.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 15:59:50 CEST 2010 from (99.254.209.45)

John D

First some comments from the original, original Blonde On Blonde Mono copy released in Canada 1966.

"Blonde On Blonde" - mono 2LP set, Columbia C2L 41 (Canada), Summer 1966:

Columbia C2L 41 (Canada) - outside of gatefold sleeve, photo by Robert Kornovich The late Sam Visser had a copy of the C2L 41 Canadian mono LP which he believed was an earlier mix than the US mono album, this is confirmed by Roger Kornovich who has a copy of the same album. The discs are of heavy vinyl (approximately 180gm) and have matrix numbers: Side 1 - XLP113761-1A, Side 2 - XLP113762-1A, Side 3 - XLP113763-1A, Side 4 - XLP113764-1A. Roger Ford says it is different on all four sides from the "final" mono mix used on the Sundazed reissue, and different on sides 3 and 4 from the earlier mix used on UK/European mono pressings. The mixes are very noticeably different on Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) and 4th Time Around, and Dylan makes a vocal slip on "Sad Eyed Lady" that's been rectified on all other releases. The inside of the gatefold sleeve is pasted on the heavy card cover, and the records have plain white sleeves. This release has the Claudia Cardinale picture on the inside gatefold and "Memphis Blues Again" on both the sleeve and the Side 2 label.

As someone growing up in Canada (David P and I have discussed this many times) I really got used to the Canadian mix on "Most Likely...". Al Kooper's organ is mixed right up front. I was always a big lover of the "organ" period of Dylan's career. I listened to the new Mono mix and it is indeed the American version; where the organ is mixed much lower. Not a big deal for anyone else but me, I guess. Peter will remember that during this time in recording history......The Beatles, Dylan etc......."parts" were flown to different countries and the individual country would do their own mix.

In the case of the Beatles, Paul White of Capitol Canada released an album called "Twist and Shout" as the Beatles 2nd album release here. When I interviewed Sir George Martin, he expressed he was not pleased the way his productions were treated around the world. I will probably buy the box. I wish I could find someone who had a mint to near mint copy of the original, original mono Blonde on Blonde and burn it for me. My ears remember

Entered at Sun Oct 24 15:45:34 CEST 2010 from (94.172.135.108)

Roger

Subject: Catching up

Pleased to see the talk of boats and their names. I've just got back from 2 weeks sailing in the Med. I'm holding in my hand one of the Dylan Fontana EP 'Ye Playboys and Playgirls - which could only have been purchased in Minns in Bournemouth. When it appeared I'd have bought anything with Dylan on or a Dylan connection. However the content is significantly underwhelming and in the past I've tried to give this away! Now I know it's a collectors item however I don't know what to do with it.

Rollie - I heard you were at the Last Waltz - thanks for confirming. Love the Henhouse Tapes... Great PSB review.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 14:55:53 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

I thought the sailboat idea makes a whole lot more sense environmentally, especially since you're going to be tied up most of the time.In that case a good anchor sounds more important than an engine.

Back a few months ago when you were reporting on the sightings of California Sea Lions moving north into BC you sounded like a real environmentalist lamenting the needless burning of so much fossil fuel and the effects of climate change.

I'm sure you can understand the environmental advantage of the sail boat with backup engine. It is a wonderful example of a transportation hybrid. Wind and sail, made for each other, Norm.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 13:21:11 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Lars, I wonder if this sleeping in spruce trees is a surrogate crow's nest.

I had several hours driving yesterday, enough to listen to the two CDs of the Witmark demos twice through.There's some good unfamiliar stuff, but I especially like the bare renditions of well-known songs.The recordings were literally a notebook for copyright reasons, but some I prefer to the studio takes. It was odd to hear Times They Are A-Changing with piano in place of guitar too. I did smile at "Farewell" picked out as the best of the ones not on official albums in one review. In true Bob tradition this is simply the folk standard "The Leaving of Liverpool" with different words … not entirely different either. It appears in a 1926 sheet music collection right next to Scarborough Fair, which as Paul Simon discovered, was an even better tune to lift.

I also had time for half of Blonde on Blonde (the old sides 1 and 2) in stereo right afterwards, and I can't see any reason to buy the mono. It's such a familiar and well-loved stereo mix. It's not a misguided one like earlier Beatles stereo mixes, or badly separated like early Dylan. It's a beautifully done mix on one of my most-played albums of all time. I would have met it in mono initially, but I've played the stereo one so often that I have no nostalgia for the one channel mix.

Entered at Sun Oct 24 12:17:23 CEST 2010 from (86.165.93.137)

Dunc

Subject: Van Morrison

Went to see Van Morrison last night. I thought it was a very good show, but very different to the last two I saw, which I think is a good thing. What stood out for me was Van playing harmonica and saxaphone well, a strong voice and a brilliant band.

The arrangements were good and the band of seven was excellent. The band and Van got into a groove and the groove was punctuated by many short outstanding solos. Van conducted and was a good team player, the four horns, including himself coming together beautifully at times. Two lead guitarists - electric and accoustic were outstanding. Also the horns were great. A drum and bass held the groove together and the director of music was a piano/organ player, who played trumpet beautifully.

It reminded me of seeing the Duke Ellington Orchestra or Count Basie Orchestra on the box when I was a child. A master of his craft backed by a great band.

If there was a down side, he played for one hour and forty minutes rather than the previou shows I've seen of two hours, so it seemed to end quickly.

I really enjoyed the show.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 23:01:30 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: The end of the Line

Well it's alright.......ain't no use explainin' to him Lars, he jes' don' get it.

Now watch this video youse guys....this is the best of the best.....doing one of the best songs ever. This gawd damn song gets stuck in my head and just WILL NOT go away.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 22:26:51 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Subject: Chiming In

NORM! CALL HIS BLUFF... SEE IF HE KNOWS HOW TO TIE A BECKET BEND!....ask him about "red-right-return!!!"

AVAST. I'm going back aft to the bosun's locker for a cocktail. I'm gonna take the night off and stay out of the trees. Sleeping in spruces isn't that much fun after a while.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 20:51:42 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Assuming????

Well dirt farmer, your assumption that a person would be running the ship at 10 knots all summer doesn't surprise me. Most the yachting you do, is on the anchor in some beautiful place. Or tied to a float in.......like Bishop Bay laying in the hot spring with a bottle of wine.

But then I wopuldn't expect you to know what-a-hell we're doing out here anaways.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 20:29:02 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Norm, at about 1 and half miles to the gallon, that boat you're looking at will burn about as much fuel as was spilled in the gulf of Mexico this summer in just a year of yachting.

Why not learn to sail( if you don't already know how) and buy that drug boat. Wait til you've towed it, of course, and just take the sail boat in exchange for the towing. With any luck the, Keystoned Mounties, have probably overlooked enough drugs stashed in the boat to more than pay for any difference between the towing charges and what the province will sell it for. After all that overspending for The Olympics, Campbell and Co. are so desperate for cash, you're in a great bargaining position.

Maybe you'll be the guy who saves that needle exchange program down on The East Side.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 19:25:51 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: What's in a name

I was right! I knew some one was going to say that Joan, and I kinda figured it would be you. That holds true every where. DON'T CHANGE THE NAME! I've changed the name of almost every boat I've owned so if any one was gonna have bad luck, I sure should have.

I've never had anything but good luck with all my boats.....but.....that could change. Nawww names are a personal thing a lot of the time. So some one elses reason for a name given generally doesn't relate with me. I think it's bad luck to continue to use some one elses "special meaning" what ever it may be.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 19:11:26 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Around these parts people feel that it is bad luck to change a boat's name.This is a big sailing harbor and several people have their boats with the original names. Probably old wives tales but...

Entered at Sat Oct 23 18:45:19 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: It's all relative

Good to hear Norbert. I know what you mean about two houses. I still own my house in Port Alice as well as here. Although I have it leased, I'd like to get it sold.

Now here's a good story for you. The fella who owns the marina in Port Hardy, and hotel and boat yard. (you can google it) Quarterdeck Marine & Hotel. Any way he has a boat stored in his yard that was arrested for smuggling drugs. The cops were down the other day complaining to him that the storage is too expensive. So they want the boat, (about a 45 ft. sailboat) towed to Victoria where they figure they can store it for free. So they ask Karl well who could we get to tow it down there, and what would it cost. So Karl says well Norm could proably do it for you. It would probably cost about $20,000. MY GOD! these cops are saying how can he justify that.

Well Karl says, you probably pay your lawyer $300 an hour and all he's got is a pencil. Norm's got a tug worth about $500,000 and burns about $70 in fuel so he probably charges about $275 an hour. So don't you think that,s a better deal than your lawyer and a pencil? Karl's a pretty funny guy.

I'll hold you to that visit Norbert. It would be great to have you and your missus come by.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 18:29:55 CEST 2010 from (24.218.200.216)

Tim

Subject: Don't Do It

If you have sirius radio and can listen to the 70's channel tomorrow at 9am Eastern time, they play the old American Top 40 with Casey kasem. This week they are playing "this week" 1972. At number 36 was Don't Do It Its between Alice Cooper and the OJays on the chart.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 17:48:47 CEST 2010 from (72.78.125.75)

PSB

Subject: Song and Dance Man

David, you were right, the quote was from and '65 San Francisco press conference. And the question was what poets do you dig. The press conference is available on video, and one person wrote a very detailed post identifying a good deal of the people who attended an asked questions. A very young Bill Graham was one of them.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 17:40:45 CEST 2010 from (79.202.173.73)

Norbert

Entered at Sat Oct 23 16:54:48 CEST 2010 from (90.239.126.35)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Westcoaster: "So I looked them up on the I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T one time."

Don't do it. Anymore. God bless you - and if you don't believe in Him (that's allright for me) - feel the Autumn breeze.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 15:55:45 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Ocean Falls Critters

Hello Bonk, how goes it old kid? Well first of all, on that ship, (which I'd have to change the name. Red Ruby don't do it for me). Anyway, those Cummins engines are pretty economical diesels. Anything with gas engines I wouldn't even look at.

Depending on how hard you want to run them. That fella that owns her has been very gentle with them. They turn up 2000 RPM. He runs 'em at 1650. That is exactly the same as I do with my tug. But I'd run those Cummins probably 1800, at an average speed of 10 knots would be about 8 hrs from here to your place burning 6 gallons an hour both engines would cost about 200 bucks or slightly more, which is pretty good actually.

Ocean Falls, there isn't many bears around there any more, because there is only about 50 people left there, no big garbage dump or anything so there's nothing for them to eat around there. However what has taken over the town, and I'm damn if I know why is porcupines. No kidding, I went in there one time a few years back when I was working up near there. It's just getting dusk, and I decide to walk up to Daryl Sago's saloon for a beer. There is something coming down the road toward me. I'm squinting what in hell is this? This big fat porcupine comes walking right by me. Now you know you're going to get the hell out of his way. So I asked the guys, it ain't me I haven't even had a beer yet. They say aw those gawd damn things are every where.

Well since then I've been up there quite a few times, like when I took a thousand tons of scrap steel away a while back. While they were loading my barge I was wandering around those big fat guys were every where. They got big gold coloured needles on 'em. So I looked them up on the internet one time. I never even heard of them before.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 15:11:59 CEST 2010 from (90.239.94.39)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: The Band related Swedish group ELDKVARN

I use to cure my hangover on Sunday mornings by watching a show for housewives between the age 20 and 35 in a TV channel controlled by the most powerful Jewish media family in Nordic Countries. This morning ELDKVARN did two numbers in this show. The leading man in this group didn't even remember the name of his latest two albums, probably because he has quit heavy drinking.

The moral of this post: Well, I don't write it partly because this is a Norwegian family site and partly because many of you are intelligent people who will get the medical point anyway.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 14:03:48 CEST 2010 from (24.218.200.216)

Tim

Subject: Lost NYC nightclubs

WNYC is doing some podcasts on some of NYC night clubs from the past. Pretty interesting and well done. I waiting for a Lone Star Cafe episode but meanwhile they have covered Gerdes and the Bottom Line.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 12:25:21 CEST 2010 from (90.239.117.2)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: BORN IN THE USA!

In case Soviet Union had occupied Finland after WW2 the refugees would have been shipped to ... ALASKA! If it had happened my posts would maybe be like this:

"Me and my buddy westcoaster are sitting here in the wilderness drinking some gallons of home made ... errr, something yellow ... and this is what we want to say: Foreign posters should be shot down - this old British pervert and this Scottish queer and this Canadian communist and this Australian goat's milk cheese seller and this German guy wearing wooden shoes ... and other Europehodian pedos."

Entered at Sat Oct 23 04:22:29 CEST 2010 from (24.108.12.129)

BONK

Subject: NORM

Hey Norm. Beautiful looking boat. I was sort of checking out the specs and was just wondering what it would cost to take her from say, Powell River, to Salt Spring. Looks like it might be a real pig on petrol. Ocean Falls is not dead but Jesus H christ, they have a lot of bears. Was working on the rigs in Northern Alberta back in '80 and three of us got treed for 6 hours by this big Momma bear. Wasn't funny and a lot more to the story.

Entered at Sat Oct 23 03:23:59 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Forgotten Moments

Norbert....I'm sorry I forgot to say hi. Your comments are well noted. I understand where you're coming from. I appreciate your thoughts.

This sort of thing is something I am well accustomed to and your right not to be too enthusiastic. Don't show your hand up front.

It's good to see you again. How is the farm in France coming along? I expect you and your missus are enjoying that cozy home in Germany you have.

As well as a visit I owe to my friend Lars, on my "Bucket List", I would like to hoist a beer with you at that beer fest you folks enjoy over there.

I hope you have seen the "Bucket List" with Jack Nickolsen and Morgan Freeman, (two of my favourites). The bucket list, is something we all need to be thinking about I guess. Anyway, I'd love to share sometime with you, and Lars, and a few others, including that crazy old Scandahovian son of a bitch.

Take care old friend, and remember, "Never trust a fart"

Entered at Sat Oct 23 02:51:42 CEST 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

Have I ever mentioned here ,I was at TLW? Cheers all,JN

Entered at Sat Oct 23 01:04:05 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: All that wood!

Well you know Joan. Many people say the same as you, or, A WOODEN BOAT....MY GOD! But there are those of us who love that stuff and enjoy tinkering and keeping them in shape.

I think the man who owns her, (from phone conversation, I believe he's Australian) he's 71, and very enthusiastically told me his ritual of working on that wood.

So it's something for a guy to do in retirement, but you gotta love it to do it.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 23:33:11 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

She's beautiful, but all that wood to maintain.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 23:17:28 CEST 2010 from (216.121.194.179)

S.M.

Sailor man, It's time to lose your head*

Come now to woo and marry me,and

We'll sail far away on Ruby Red

Till we're far from Sue and far from land.

* not the toidy kind

Entered at Fri Oct 22 23:14:18 CEST 2010 from (79.202.176.207)

Norbert

Entered at Fri Oct 22 21:48:54 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: The Beat Goes on

Thanks for that Bill. I'm going to try and get by there. I may not have time as I have a meet I have to do.

Susan and I have decided to get a bigger boat for our retirement, and sell my refinished fish boat. For the time we intend to spend out on the water, my boat is just too small.

Google....Monk yacht Ruby Red, (Ruby Red is the ship's name). This is a 50' wood yacht built in Vancouver in 1969. A classic old beauty. Ed Monk's designs are famous, and McQueen shipyard who built it are well known for their superior finishes. A look at the add shows how well she looks and her equipment. Also she has been kept in a boat house which makes a world of difference.

So we have to meet the owners at Maple Bay, they live in Hudson Hope and come down once a month to a home they have in Drunken....errr Duncan.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 20:18:01 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: Okeh records

Simon: Glad you liked the Showmen. And also jump blues in general - a pivotal style it seems to me. If you pick up the Okeh, would you mind watching for material by or mentions of singer Angel Face (Kenley) who recorded at least one 45 in '56 - the same year that she signed on as singer with Frank Motley and spent time with the Motley Crew based out of Toronto in the late '50s. (The only living member of the Crew that moved to Toronto in '55, Curley Bridges, still lives just north of here, still performs and still records - see www.electrofi.com)

Entered at Fri Oct 22 19:35:06 CEST 2010 from (81.155.136.43)

Simon

Peter - As Dave H said you get Positively 4th Street as a free mp3 download. I think you get a voucher with a code that lets you download the whole set as 320kbps mp3s - as I understand it it's all contained in a zip file. I've read elsewhere that Spin CDs of Newcastle are giving away the Brandeis disc with the mono set, although it doesn't say that on the site. I assume there are plenty of them knocking about. The online payment section of their website is being updated so you'd have to ring them anyway or perhaps e-mail to confirm. It's a couple of pound cheaper than Amazon but they charge postage. Overall it might work out a pound or two cheaper than elsewhere. I've ordered twice with them in the past (by phone) and they do provide good service and packaging.

Also I've read that Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window was only ever in mono anyway ... at least it is on Biograph, The Essential Bob Dylan and A Musical History.

Jeff - Glad you like that track and hope all is well with you. There are two more (official) Zappa tracks featuring Sugarcane Harris other than the three David mentioned a few days ago. One's called Lil' Clanton Shuffle and the other (see link) is Sharleena. They're both from 1970. Sharleena is great and I know people wouldn't normally think of Zappa songs as soulful but this one is. Also check the saxes just after the three minute mark.

Bill - Thanks. I will get the Speciality set but maybe after the holiday period. The prices are okay for secondhand. I've also got my eyes on the Okeh Rhythm and Blues set from a few years back. I've got a sampler LP from it and I think that '50s R&B/jump blues stuff is underappreciated (by me at least). It's often funny and raunchy at the same time. I also enjoyed the two tracks by the Showmen you posted.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 19:29:19 CEST 2010 from (90.239.72.106)

NorthWestCoast

Subject: Sointula

Yes, Sointula will live longer than Worl Wide Web.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 19:27:55 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Peter V: Hmm, Swedish and dressed in silver space suits. You mean the Spotniks evolved into Abba?

Entered at Fri Oct 22 19:13:37 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I'm not sure whether The Spotniks were better than The Shadows or just played faster. While Marvin & Welch had an ear for original melody, The Spotniks (dressed in silver spacesuits) used to go for traditional tunes speeded up, with Orange Blossom Special and Hava Nagila being favourites! They were Swedish.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 19:05:30 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Harmony

Scandahovian!......can yuh hear me over there??? If you google Sointula , British Columbia, you'll find a beautiful little village, on Malcolm Island.

Just on the inside north coast of Vancouver Island. Settled by the Finnish people early 1900's. A fishing community, (many of them friends of mine) and they are a good people and very good fishermen.

I am aware of the folklore and history of which you speak, but "this" Sointula is a community of people who really have been able to get along and build a pretty tranguil place. I play music over there still from time to time, having started playing music in their community hall, in 1966.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 18:37:59 CEST 2010 from (90.239.99.36)

NorthWestCoaster

Can't help but comment westcoaster's choice of Location: Sointula. - It was one of the many Utopia communities which Finns started in South America, North America, Russia (Pacific northeast) inspired by early communist theories and communities as well as what they believed was an ancient Finnish way of living "documented" in folklore. (Not to be mixed with a small village and Post Office in California by the Highway 1 with the same name, Harmony.)

Entered at Fri Oct 22 18:34:27 CEST 2010 from (199.233.178.254)

Ignatius

Subject: Musicians

The Band connection will be obvious.

Anybody recognize these boys? It is quick, but tasty bit of playing/singing.

Ignatius

Entered at Fri Oct 22 18:05:13 CEST 2010 from (71.232.26.129)

Dave H

Entered at Fri Oct 22 17:49:15 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Westcoaster: If you want to call ahead, the guys' business card says they're at the Country Club Mall, 3200 Island Highway - 250-758-2888. Guy's name's Steve (no relation I'm sure; surname seems Finnish, oddly enough).

Entered at Fri Oct 22 17:36:23 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Sointula - Finnish for Harmony

Harmony.....seems to be prevalent here right now....good to see. After about 10 days away, (I took a little trip to Ketchikan, Alaska for some things I needed to see), it's good to be home and see many interesting conversations here.

Bill; I don't know of that store. I'm going over that way soon. If time allows, I'm going to check it out.

David, a while back I commented on that documentary of the Funk Brothers. Since that time, I play the Youtube cuts of those songs regularly. There is still an excitement, (maybe even more so now they are old guys) in watching those fellows put down a rythmn the way they do, and still so solid. Joan Osborne adds to that with a great energy in her singing.

Todd's comments on finding the enduring music of the BAND as well, after all this time is always pleasing. There is a feeling, that is hard to beat, in watching my son, (who turns 30 on the 26th) play in his band. A lot of the material they enjoy, is still woven around the core of "It Makes No Difference", "The Weight" and others that Craig grew up with. I always enjoy the memories of him at the age of two. Sitting on the floor in his pj's playing the vinyl on my old Gerrard turn table, and singing at the top of his lungs.

Now on his Face book page for his band, (just google The Beaten Path). There is a picture of my grandson, Gavin sitting with headphones on, in the middle of a sound system listening intently. I guess Gavin and his brother Marcus will have my guitars one day soon. So Todd, the music endures thru the generations.

Lars, Craig and his wife just came back from New York city. They had gone to a wedding of friends, now in Washington DC. After visiting there, went up to New York. I guess the high light for Craig, was a New Jersey Devils, Pittsburg game, and seeing young Sidney Crosby score a goal.

So.......later gang

Entered at Fri Oct 22 17:16:46 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Peter V: Nice to see mention of the Spotniks. I hadn't heard of them until '78, when I was staying with a friend in Vancouver who had a rock show on little co-op radio station. I happened to be there when a new Euro reissue of some Spotniks vinyl comp arrived in the mail and he played me some songs. Way better than the Shadows, it seemed to me.

(Another note to Westcoaster: I distinctly remember pointing out to the guy that one of the songs was exactly the same as "Meadowlands", the first instrumental record by Terry Jacks' first band, the Chessmen.)

Entered at Fri Oct 22 16:55:12 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Fri Oct 22 16:53:29 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

As David says, it would be remiss of me to miss a Pete Seeger reference. There were three Fontana EPs: With God On Our Side (including Bob + Joan), Ye Playboys and Playgirls (Bob + Pete) and Blowin' In The Wind (Bob + harmonica). The 2010 Rare Record Guide values them at £75 each, and says:

"Contrary to popular belief, the (Fontana) EPs were never officially released. On the verge of release with some copies sent to record stores, Phonogram cancelled the project as permission from CBS was refused. Planned release date was May 25th 1965."

The local music store (Minns) had all three EPs on its racks for weeks if not months, and we used to go down there and persuade the guy who worked in the record dept to play them for us frequently. So I guess they were "copies already sent to record stores." I wish I'd bought them now … I kept going back to think, but each had a Pete solo track and a Joan solo track. At the time, I kept saying they should have put all three Bob tracks together but they were spreading them out to aid sales. Fontana (part of Philips-Phonogram) was Vanguard's UK distributor. In fact until late 1964, CBS had been distributed by Philips-Phonogram in the UK, and so had only recently set up on its own after buying the small British Oriole label. Oriole was a tiny label (The Spotniks were their top band) and also released some of the early Motown classics on Oriole-American. Some of these are now worth a fortune … bidding for The Valadiers starts at around £1000. Because Oriole also recorded and pressed the Woolworth's Embassy budget label discs, they had a large pressing plant / warehouse, which was why CBS bought them.

Perhaps after the then recent Phonogram / CBS divorce in the UK, there was bad feeling between them.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 16:53:17 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Entered at Fri Oct 22 16:17:51 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

A live version of "Ye Playboys and Playgirls" that Dylan recorded with Pete Seeger at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963 was officially released the following year by the Vanguard label in the U.S. and Fontana in the U.K. That "Newport: Broadside 1963" release is still available on CD.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 15:57:58 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

That Ophelia has one heck of a resume as a muse - Shakespeare the playwright, Millais the painter, only for Smokey Rimbaudson the poet, Robbie Rimbaudson the tunesmith ... Of the inspired works, I'd say my favourite is Millais' painting at the Tate - perhaps the most stunning piece in a most stunning room (though things've changed, apparently, since I was last there in the mid '80s).

Simon: My vote is that you buy the Specialty set. Lots of great R&B that you know and love already, but also lots of obscuros and gospel stuff - including Sam Cooke and Johnnie Taylor. It took a lot of thinking before I could bring myself to spring for it, then and still the most expensive CDs I've ever purchased, but I've had no regrets in the 10 years since. And I got it really for just a single song, "Frantic" by Frank Motley and His Crew. It's from late '52, about the same time as the group first played Hamilton, Ontario - thanks to booking agent Harold Kudlets of Hawks fame - and about three years before they moved from Washington to Toronto for good, bringing jump blues to Yonge Street. There's also the Specialty "Legends of Jump Blues: Volume One" CD, which I'm told was issued as something of a teaser for the box set. Has some of the same songs, but also some different ones, mercifully including "Heavy Weight Baby", the other side of Motley's one Specialty 45.

(Note to Westcoaster: mine was purchased at the worthy Fascinating Rhythm record store in one of the interchangeable malls in north Nanaimo; a friend was just there and it's still in business, which pleases me greatly.)

Entered at Fri Oct 22 15:55:05 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Fri Oct 22 15:17:05 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

"John Wesley Harding" was the last Dylan album to feature a dedicated mono mix. Columbia, like other labels, around that time had abandoned the mono format for the most part, except for a few singles here & there produced for radio play.

"Positively 4th Street", originally released as a single, was also included on Dylan's Greatest Hits (1) LP. As the new mono box set does not include that album, which would be redundant except for that one song, I think Sony did the next best thing by including it on the mono sampler CD.

Entered at Fri Oct 22 13:37:54 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Another thought … the "Best of the Original Mono Recordings" CD trumpets the additional inclusion of the mono Positively 4th Street. Does this mean you have to buy this "Best of CD …" to get the mono version? That's really "a lot of nerve".

Entered at Fri Oct 22 13:29:17 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I haven't yet shelled out for the Dylan mono set, though I did buy the cheap sampler CD which has a good explanatory note by Greil Marcus. Amazon daily send me e-mails suggesting I buy the box of mono CDs with the bonus Live at Brandeis CD, but when I click the link, the version with "Live at Brandeis" is "no longer available." On Sunday it was "Not yet available". On Monday morning it was "No longer available."

Anyway, I wondered why it goes up to John Wesley Harding, and I have virtually all the vinyl LPs in original mono anyway. But I remember a review of Nashville Skyline, just after the release, saying that Dylan had obviously bought an expensive hi-fi, and no longer knew how to mix for the car radio. It figures that the original reviewer felt the same about the earlier mono versions as the current compilers.

So far, I don't like the tracks from after Positively 4th Street as well in mono. I guess I know the stereo ones better. But the stuff from the first four leap out as "this is how it's supposed to be."

Entered at Fri Oct 22 11:18:13 CEST 2010 from (61.68.19.251)

dlew919

Actually saw him in Tokyo once. (As I was saying to the Queen Mother, I hate namedroppers). Actually the only reason I know of him is because his fiery temper once got him into trouble: a fan taunted him once when he was leaving the field, and he kicked the fan. Apparently the tabloids ran the headline: 'Shit hits fan'...

Entered at Fri Oct 22 03:05:27 CEST 2010 from (24.184.234.25)

PutEmUp(Friend0

Entered at Fri Oct 22 02:45:14 CEST 2010 from (99.115.147.236)

Pat B

Entered at Fri Oct 22 01:57:39 CEST 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Entered at Thu Oct 21 22:51:47 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Simon: great story about Cantona -- visions of a reedy little drunken Frenchman with a headband toting around a .50 cal machine gun . . . .

I see that young Arthur's first celebrated poem was something called . . . "Ophelia." And it answers the question of where has she gone . . . . *SPOILER ALERT* Turns out she's floating gently down the stream, and has been for a thousand years . . . was it something that somebody said?

O pâle Ophélia ! belle comme la neige !

Oui tu mourus, enfant, par un fleuve emporté !

C'est que les vents tombant des grand monts de Norwège

T'avaient parlé tout bas de l'âpre liberté

Entered at Thu Oct 21 22:20:44 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Yes, if you only ever own two Zappa LPs, make them Hot Rats and Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Hot Rats is worth it just for Peaches En Regalia but Willie The Pimp is the cherry on the iced bun! WRMF is, IMHO, worth it just for The Orange County Lumber Truck.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 21:43:49 CEST 2010 from (86.146.152.160)

Simon

Eric Cantona was a footballer who used to play for Manchester United and even though he played for 'the enemy', so to speak, I always admired him and thought he was tremendously skillful. There was a rumour that he could've been signed by Liverpool if the manager at the time had had a bit of foresight. Anyway, Cantona was French and prior to signing for United he was with the championship winning Leeds side for (I think) a season. He was regarded as a maverick and trouble causer in his own country and a bit of a risk. When he initially signed for Leeds he stated at a press conference in his usual arty cryptic manner that he was a great admirer of Rimbaud. Over the next few days he was inundated with Stallone posters and memorabilia from fans.

Bill - I've always wanted that Speciality box set but never gotten around to it. It does get some really good reviews.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 19:55:09 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Simon: I've never been able to track down the original context of the Dylan quote about Smokey Robinson. Maybe Peter Stone Brown could chime in with some info. I do know that in a 1965 press conference in San Francisco Dylan mentioned that his favorite poets included Rimbaud, Smokey Robinson, W.C. Fields and Allen Ginsberg. During that same conference, responding to newspaper columnist Ralph J. Gleason's question on how he would describe himself, Dylan responded: "A song and dance man".

In a 1968 interview with Jann Wenner in ROLLING STONE, the "favorite poet" subject was brought up, with Dylan putting his typical tongue-in-cheek spin on things.

WENNER: "What about poets? You once said something about Smokey Robinson."

DYLAN: " I didn't mean Smokey Robinson, I meant Arthur Rimbaud. I don't know how I could've gotten Smokey Robinson mixed up with Arthur Rimbaud [laughter], but I did."

Entered at Thu Oct 21 19:22:36 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Simon: Thanks for posting that Mothers clip. As it happens, disc 5 of the worthy "The Specialty Story", the one with a bunch of Don and Dewey tracks, also has a bunch by Little Richard - thought not "Directly From My Heart To You". I wonder if they ever met in the studio / played on each others records.

I didn't realise it before, but the cover of "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" seems an echo of what made Winston rat on Julia in Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four". Which might mean that the the guy 'shaving' is supposed to be Big Brother; nice smile, so he must love us.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 18:34:16 CEST 2010 from (86.146.152.160)

Simon

Peter - I always took that Dylan quote about Smokey Robinson as being sincere. It'd be interesting to see the original context of his comment. All I've been able to find out is a '67 date. Smokey was a fine lyricist, for sure. So many great songs. One Dylan quote I've always loved is this: "Not all great poets - like Wallace Stevens - are great singers. But a great singer - like Billie Holiday - is always a great poet."

Re. Zappa: "One Size Fits All" (1975) is a really good album. It's very accessible and has one of the all time great melodic guitar solos in Inca Roads. I'd also recommend "You Are What You Is" from 1980 or thereabouts. It's a non-stop suite of tuneful satirical songs that flows really well on CD. Far superior to "Sheik Yerbouti" in my opinion.

The Mothers of Invention version of Little Richard's "Directly From My Heart To You" featuring Sugarcane Harris on violin and vocals is a total classic blues performance (see link).

Entered at Thu Oct 21 18:33:13 CEST 2010 from (90.239.126.110)

NorhWestCoaster

Subject: Mayall

John? Our John???

Entered at Thu Oct 21 18:11:04 CEST 2010 from (62.218.228.6)

Peter V

To add to David's comments, which I agree with, it's way less weird than other Zappa projects. Mainly melodic and majestic instrumental work. No funny noises.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 17:45:27 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Todd: "Hot Rats" was a real milestone, with Mr. Zappa branching out even more into serious jazz/rock improvisation. Of the six tracks, "Willy the Pimp" with Beefheart was the only one with vocals and reminiscent of his earlier work with the Mothers. Of the remaining instrumentals, "Peaches en Regalia" (featuring Shuggie Otis on bass) is perhaps one of Mr. Zappa's finest compositions, as he really established himself as a unique innovator in contemporary music. With "Hot Rats" it became quite apparent that he needed go beyond the framework of the Mothers, to work with a more diverse group of skilled musicians who could meet the demands of his expanding musical palette.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 17:12:29 CEST 2010 from (99.254.209.45)

John D

David....am I ending up in your Spam folder again. Just wondering if you are getting my emails.

Jan does not return any of my emails anymore. Wonder if it's the same problem. We've always had such a great pen pal releationship. Love the guy.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 16:45:11 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: Hot Rats

I'll check it out.

The only Zappa that I still seem to have is 'We're only in it for the money' and 'Lumpy Gravy'. I don't play either very often. I used to listen to 'Apostrophe' fairly often, but I'm not sure what happened to it. 'Joe's Garage' was pretty popular for a while. Zappa is one of those guys who I see as talented and funny and totally unique, and I'm glad that he was around. He always seemd to find great musicians to play with. But a lot of it seems to me to be performance art, which is fine, but is not what I frequently turn to for casual listening.

Is 'Hot Rats' more like his 'Lumpy Gravy' era, or more like 'Apostrophe'?

Entered at Thu Oct 21 16:44:07 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Thu Oct 21 15:19:31 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Joe: The Levon Helm Band recorded the song previously on the live MerleFest Ramble CD in 2008.

Mobile Fidelity just recently released an audiophile gold 2CD version of Little Feat's live "Waiting For Columbus" which ranks right up there with MoFi's hybrid-SACD version of The Band's "Rock of Ages". The ultimate reissues of two classic live albums.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 15:20:00 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: It takes a lot to laugh

Joe J., I'm not aware of any other studio versions.
There is a live version from Merlefest from April 2008 that is available through Festivalink. Really good quality performance and recording. See link above.

Entered at Thu Oct 21 13:39:01 CEST 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Subject: Mail Train Baby

Link is to Levon's contribution to the Imus record. Did Levon ever record this elsewhere?

Entered at Thu Oct 21 13:28:20 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Entered at Thu Oct 21 07:38:38 CEST 2010 from (205.188.116.5)

PutEmUp(Friend0

Entered at Thu Oct 21 01:42:52 CEST 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Just hearing Little Feat's debut album for the first time. Not my fault, I always thought 'Sailin Shoes' was their first. This is a whole other cup of tea, grungy dare I say. I guess this is the original version of 'Willin', just Lowell George and Ry Cooder.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 23:32:14 CEST 2010 from (93.83.150.234)

Peter V

Hot Rats is simply an essential album. If you don't have it, you need it

On Curtis Mayfield, Robbie varies his advice to Dylan in different interviews. Sometimes it's Curtis Mayfield. More often it's Smokey Robinson, a point Dylan echoed when he said Smokey was America's greatest poet. I think that was ironic though.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 22:31:40 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Subject: back to the polemics

Pat B: I read somewhere that Mr. Mayall's porn collection was historically-important-museum-quality. A cut above your common smut, in other words. And the self-same _Back to the Roots_ has a diatribe on that subject as well, "Mr. Censor Man." And he's got a point (no pun intended):

"While there's war, how can you be calling _sex_ obscene?"

Entered at Wed Oct 20 22:25:14 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

Lets see, Victor Conte goes from "Pure Food and Drug Act to Tower Of Power" and then into the steroid business. Wow, it's like Balco was coming down the road for 20 years heading straight at Vic. Tower of Power could be the nickname for the Barry Bonds that Conte created.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 21:28:26 CEST 2010 from (68.164.3.231)

Pat B

That collection along with his record collection--which was also legendary--was destroyed when his house burned down in 1979.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 21:09:27 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

I think of Mayall's _Back to the Roots_ and particularly "Accidental Suicide" -- which has Mr. Harris in the studio (I think this dates back to the time when the players actually gathered in the same room) with Messrs. Mayall, Clapton, Mandel and Mick Taylor (Larry Taylor on bass). The song is a topical treatment of Jimi's death -- recent at that time -- as a "be careful with those drugs, kids" message. Mayall tended to be preachy, but he was so straightforward about it that it took the edge off. As a message, it links back to Canned Heat's "Amphetamine Annie" and forward, I suppose, to EC's Antigua Mission.

Googling, I see that there was also one on there called "Groupie Girl." I don't remember that one at all, but if the message was "don't do one night stands with visiting musicians" -- well, that would directly contradict Mayall's earlier "Don't Waste My Time" where the message was "do visiting musicians, now." And if you're gonna discourage groupies, a nickname like "sugarcane" seems a terrible waste . . . .

Entered at Wed Oct 20 20:32:53 CEST 2010 from (166.129.182.80)

JQ

Harvey Mandell covered this popular instrumental (67?) and I think it was considered the definitive one.

It's interesting to me the way, when a good song would pop up back then, how it would be covered immediately by so many artists. Country music is loaded with that: George Jones, Johnny Cash, Waylon J, etc. And pop too, consider how many times Dark End Of The Street was covered in just a couple of years or less -

Entered at Wed Oct 20 19:27:36 CEST 2010 from (90.239.137.117)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: So Many Roads

David P, "So Many Roads" seems to be a popular title. I happen to have a vinyl LP with this particular title. It is a compilation of JOHN MAYALL's singles here in Europe, mostly in Great Britain, Holland and Germany. "So Many Roads" in this compilation is credited to Paul. - SUGARCANE and HARVEY MANDELL played in Mayall's "USA Union" which - in my mind - never took air under the wings. Mayall's sleeve notes might be politically correct but S-I-L-L-Y!

Entered at Wed Oct 20 18:38:43 CEST 2010 from (90.239.137.117)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Sugarcane

Sugarcane played with JOHN MAYALL in his non-drummer period. Even if I saw Mayall's combo for several times during this period in 60/70's I never saw Sugarcane. HARVEY MANDELL - maybe...

Bill M: I am surprised if there is a book over Jews in Minnesota! Here in Nordic Countries this kind of a list is out of the question, even it were as harmful as about Finns in Sweden. Blame on WW2 for that.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 18:18:15 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Pat: The other day I was listening to an old mono LP copy of a great album that features Harvey Mandel -- "Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band" (Vanguard Records misspelled Mr. Musselwhite's given name on the cover). A year or so prior to recording this landmark blues album, Mr. Musselwhite had worked with Levon, Garth & Robbie on John Hammond's "So Many Roads".

Entered at Wed Oct 20 17:56:24 CEST 2010 from (68.164.3.231)

Pat B

Entered at Wed Oct 20 17:19:23 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

My introduction to Sugarcane Harris was on Zappa's "Hot Rats" album, specifically on "Willie the Pimp", which featured Captain Beefheart on vocals. Then there was his great violin solos on "Little House I Used To Live In" from "Burnt Weenie Sandwich". Later he was featured on vocals, as well as violin, on the cover of Little Richard's "Directly From My Heart To You", included on "Weasels Ripped My Flesh". Those three albums are among my favorites of Zappa's solo work.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 16:43:11 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Todd: Thanks for the correction.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 15:57:32 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: Sugarcane

Thanks Charlie. I wasn't aware that Sugarcane Harris had played with Zappa. My only real exposure to him was the 1973 Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee album 'Sonny & Brownie' which also included John Mayall & John Hammond.

Bill M, the Larry on fiddle that I was referring to from Levon's Sunday show was Larry Campbell, not Larry Packer. Most of the time when Larry C. play fiddle, it's more of a country or bluegrass style. But when he plays a blues, it always reminds me of Sugarcane Harris. There was a bonus track called 'That's Alright' on the iTunes version of 'Electric Dirt', that has that style of playing too.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 13:49:08 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

I heard a CBC radio interview with Mary Pickford last week that was recorded in 1959, about growing up in Toronto at the turn of the last century. Interesting woman who led an interesting life. Hard to believe that at the time of the First World War she was making $ 300,000.00 per picture.

She made one comment about the coming of TV and the effect it would have on movies that revealed the kind of forward thinking that made her a highly successful business person back in the 20's and 30's.

When asked about whether movie theatres would stay profitable, even with TV starting to show movies, she said they probably would for the time being because the number of movies being shown was limited but that she thought someday we'd be paying for TV, movies would be widely available, and then theatres would find the competition tough.

Entered at Wed Oct 20 00:40:48 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.184)

Steve

Sadavid, you sound like you're not buying into the Earth Society's unblemished and clearly evident, perfect record.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 23:25:34 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Entered at Tue Oct 19 23:22:31 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Kevin J: Thanks for the heads-up. What's the number on the dail; I may try to find him on my way home. As for a Band song, umm, how 'bout "Rag Mama Rag" - for the piano and horns if nothing else.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 23:07:21 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Listening to Jazz FM today - John D of this GB is now doing a fine job with an afternoon show....he got a jazz take on Stairway to Heaven in today.......how long before some Band related material..............suggestions anyone?

Entered at Tue Oct 19 22:57:02 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Entered at Tue Oct 19 21:12:46 CEST 2010 from (86.150.246.244)

Simon

Entered at Tue Oct 19 21:11:35 CEST 2010 from (63.88.115.195)

carmen

Subject: Kings of Leon

Take a look at the back cover of the new Kings of Leon CD. Does this photo remind you of another CD cover?

Entered at Tue Oct 19 20:34:21 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Simon: thanks for sharing that video . . . I'm impressed that Sony Legacy got it right:

" . . . however, with stereo recording, you may hear . . . a honking Lowrey organ somewhere on the ceiling . . . "

That kind of attention to detail is so rare these days.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 20:08:37 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

David P: A red-letter day for Cat Mother, what with Todd talking about Larry Packer and now your post.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 19:44:41 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

I understand that Daniel Kramer attempted several shots for the BIABH cover before he was able to get one with the cat looking directly at the camera.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 19:24:27 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: bringing it all back to the homeland

sadavid: People'd be asking if Bob and Sally see themselves as Mickey and Bunny, singing songs in Ukrainian and sharing a label with Neil Young. Makes some sense, what with Minnesota and Manitoba sharing a border. Bob may even have caught them on tour.

Speaking of Minnesota, I revisited the secondhand bookshop in exurban Newmarket and found that they still have a 1959 book, "The Jews in Minnesota", by Gunther Plaut for sale for eight dollars. The Zimmermans aren't mentioned, but Hibbing is - mostly to say that the Jewish population was very small, so small that there was no synagogue in the '20s and '30s and the faithful had to go to nearby Calhoun. I believe the only individual mentioned was a Max Pogarsky.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 18:56:05 CEST 2010 from (86.150.246.244)

Simon

Thanks for the BIABH cover info, sadavid. I recall reading that the cover of Nashville Skyline was in turn influenced by the Eric von Schmidt sleeve - it's a similar gesture. Regarding the Impressions ... George Harrison is supposed to have returned from the US in '62 or thereabouts - when he went to visit his sister - with some Impressions records. We know that Bob was an early champion of Smokey Robinson's songwriting so it's not too much of a stretch to say he might've been aware of the Impressions.

There's a pretty cool retro video (see link) from the A.V. Club that deals with the new mono Dylan set.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 18:31:34 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Bill M: that's the thing with all these mythical and semi-historical documents - imagine the different tenor of the ensuing deconstructions had Kramer et al. randomly chosen the Mickey & Bunny and the Mantovani records instead of R. Johnson and R. Shankar . . . .

Entered at Tue Oct 19 18:15:19 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Tue Oct 19 18:00:11 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Subject: red, hot

Wikipedia knows all:

"The album's iconic cover, photographed by Daniel Kramer, features Sally Grossman, the wife of Dylan's manager Albert Grossman, lounging in the background, while artifacts scattered around the frame include LPs by The Impressions (Keep on Pushing), Robert Johnson (King of the Delta Blues Singers), Ravi Shankar (India's Master Musician), Lotte Lenya (Sings Berlin Theatre Songs by Kurt Weill) and Eric Von Schmidt (The Folk Blues of Eric Von Schmidt). Visible behind Sally Grossman is the top of Bob Dylan's head on the cover of Another Side of Bob Dylan, and under her right arm is the Time (magazine) with Lyndon B. Johnson (Jan. 1, 1965) and a harmonica resting on a table with a fallout shelter (capacity 80) sign leaning against it. Above the fireplace on the mantle directly to the left of the painting is the Lord Buckley album The Best Of Lord Buckley. Dylan sits forward holding a cat and has an opened magazine featuring an advertisement on Jean Harlow's Life Story by the columnist Louella Parsons resting on his crossed leg. The cufflinks Dylan wears in the picture are a gift from Joan Baez, as she later referenced in her 1975 hit "Diamonds & Rust", as well as in her 1987 autobiography. The black and white pamphlet lying across Time magazine with President Johnson on the cover is a publication of the Earth Society, then located on East 12th Street in the East Village. The white shape in the center represents a comet. The pamphlet interprets Immanuel Velikovsky’s nutty notion that earth’s collisions with comets and the planets Jupiter, Venus, and Mars are recorded in mythical and semi-historical documents including the Iliad and Exodus. It claims that the Ark of the Covenant is a representation of a comet. The mission of the Earth Society was to protect us from future collisions. In the years since that time, we now appreciate that asteroids and comets can and do smash into planets, and plans for preventing them, while not in place, are under scientific consideration."

For the significance of all this (and an outtake), see [My link].

Entered at Tue Oct 19 17:13:50 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Tue Oct 19 16:56:54 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Bill M: As I recall, the Impressions' album is at the bottom of the stack of arranged covers, just beneath Robert Johnson's "King of the Delta Blues Singers". The woman in the photo is Sally Grossman.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 16:27:25 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: Oliver Klaus reunion

Steve: You'll want to check this out. Dec 11 in Waterloo Quebec (which I didn't even know existed until today).

Entered at Tue Oct 19 15:45:17 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

PSB: Where on the couch is "Keep Pushing"? Given that the Dylan and Suze(?) photo seems to be a carefully arranged pose, how have the experts in things Dylan accounted for this being over there and that being over here, etc.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 13:37:22 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.184)

Steve

Entered at Tue Oct 19 12:32:44 CEST 2010 from (68.197.221.208)

Brien Sz

Subject: Bob Dylan news and review

Check out the link - go to the bottom - for a review on the latest Dylan release and a touch of news on the other release.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 05:40:23 CEST 2010 from (72.78.125.75)

PSB

Subject: Bob and the Impressions

Dave H, While Robbie Robertson (according to him) may have explained to Dylan about what Curtis Mayfield was doing with the Impressions ensemble wise, right there on the cover of Dylan's album "Bringing It All Back" home released several months before he met or started working with the Hawks, among other albums sitting next to him on the couch is "Keep On Pushing" by the Impressions.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 05:09:36 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

PSB: I also enjoyed your words about Rollie's CD.

Todd: I also enjoyed your latest words below. Nice to hear Don "Sugarcane" Harris mentioned. He was a wondeful electric violin man with Mayall and Zappa. Amazing.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 04:44:18 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: Levon At Gill's Farm

There’s something that just seems right about standing in a field, on a sunny autumn afternoon, at John Gill’s corn farm (just a stone’s throw from Woodstock, NY) in the gorgeous Hudson Valley listening to Levon Helm and friends perform ‘King Harvest (Has Surely Come)’.

I was only a couple of years old when The Band first emerged from “a pink house seated in the sun of Overlook Mountain”, to create their own chapter in Rock & Roll, and I didn’t get to experience the magic as it was happening the first time around, but I sure am glad that the music lives on some 40 years later. Standing in that field on Sunday afternoon, feeling the warmth of the sun as it shimmered across the corn stalks dancing in the breeze, listening to the very essence of American Roots music performed by one of the masters, was a real treat. There’s something special about hearing the music live……..feeling the vibrations at the same time as the musicians, breathing the same air, and feeling the warmth of the sun……together….on a beautiful October afternoon at Gill’s Farm. Yes indeed……King Harvest has surely come.

Good time yesterday out on the farm. I finally got to hear ‘Look Out Cleveland’ live!! Fun to hear Byron out in front…..nice guitar solo from Larry too. Other highlights were Teresa’s ‘Long Black Veil’ & ‘Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning’, Larry channeling Sugarcane Harris on his blues fiddle, Levon drumming up a storm, and I always love those horns. Seemed like a mini Grateful Dead revival mid-set with the trifecta of, ‘Shakedown Street’, ‘Deep Elem’, and ‘Tennessee Jed’. Jimmy Weider was keeping things lively, especially with his bottleneck solo on ‘Deep Elem’. Really nice sax solo from Jay Collins during ‘The Weight’ to bring it all home.

This is the fourth year in a row that Levon’s played a free show out on Gill’s farm in October. It got me thinking about the discussion the other week about Levon’s journey to Woodstock to meet up with the others at Big Pink back in 1967 and his description of the glowing orange and red foliage. That’s about the time that the Hawks transitioned into the Crackers and ultimately became known as The Band. Woodstock and Big Pink will always remind me of that.

Fast-forward 40 years to 2007 and the release of Dirt Farmer. In many ways, that album marked the resurgence of Levon Helm, and a transition from a rock and roll icon to some kind of American folk hero. The album artwork photography for Dirt Farmer was done out at Gill’s Farm. Standing in that field listening to Levon and friends do their thing on a beautiful October day will always remind me of that.

Entered at Tue Oct 19 03:25:36 CEST 2010 from (71.232.26.129)

Dave H

Entered at Tue Oct 19 01:20:27 CEST 2010 from (24.218.200.216)

Tim

Subject: Levon show

Levon Show in Rolling Stone online

Entered at Mon Oct 18 22:41:30 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: rock and roll will stand

Someone has thoughtfully posted both sides of the Showmen's big single on YouTube. As General Johnson sings, "It will sweep this whole wide land, sinking deep in the heart of man."

Entered at Mon Oct 18 17:09:01 CEST 2010 from (72.78.125.75)

PSB

Subject: Thanks

Thanks everybody for your comments, and Jeff, glad you're back home.

Entered at Mon Oct 18 16:32:22 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: General Johnson, RIP

I just notice this sad news. Almost everyone here will remember General Johnson's successful soul group, the Chairmen of the Board. A smaller number will know his earlier hit with the Showmen, the exceptional "It Will Stand" - which provided a title for Greil Marcus's first book about rock and roll.

Entered at Mon Oct 18 16:18:05 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

JT: Thanks for the note re the Gibson-McKenna Band show at Hugh's Room on Friday. Funny, I promised my wife this morning that I wouldn't tell people that it was a great show - but both of us enjoyed ourselves and it was nice to see a full house of family, friends and old fans of both Luke and Mike. Mike McKenna in particular was in fine fluid form. He sang a number of classic Mainline songs, and though he's clearly no Joe Mendelson his efforts brought tears of joy to a good number in the audience. (Alcohol is served there, but it's too staid a place and the show was too early in the evening for booze to have been that big a factor in the tears.) And christ he's a great guitarist no matter what. Luke sang the rest - maybe four songs from his True North solo LP from '73, a couple of more 'recent' ones (i.e., '80s on), and a handful of standards that the original Apostles did. Plus both sides of the reformed Apostles stunning True North 45, "You Make Me High" / "Not Far Off". (It would have been me crying during those if I were the demonstrative type.)

It's both interesting and instructive that while this was announced as a CD release gig, True North is releasing the promised bonus tracks only on the digital version, whatever that means and the physical copies that we being sold between sets were from the unauthorised pressing done by the, get this, Big Pink label of Korea. Big Pink Music's logo is the picture of the GB's very favourite house in the whole wide world. The company doesn't seem to have its own website, but googling will lead you to various of their other reissues, which seem to be music suitable for the GB crowd. There's a couple I don't know at all - by Joe Soap and by Peaceful Company - but the two that I do know are worthwhile - Spooner Oldham's "Potluck" and Ray Materick's "Best Friend Overnight" (an Asylum release likely produced and/or engineered by Daniel Lanois). Seems that True North went after Big Pink Music and got them to cease, desist and ship over the stock of physical copies. Well worth picking up, as it's very Bandish in parts, and also has some fabulous acoustic guitar work by Bruce Cockburn.

Entered at Mon Oct 18 14:53:12 CEST 2010 from (61.68.19.251)

dlew919

Subject: Keef: 'I used to love Mick, but I haven't been to his dressing room in about 20 years'

See link

Entered at Mon Oct 18 11:30:38 CEST 2010 from (61.68.19.251)

dlew919

Subject: 150 years since that night they drove old dixie down

Those Civil War Buffs out there might appreciate the link.

Entered at Mon Oct 18 07:38:02 CEST 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

My great thanks to Peter Stone Brown for his very generous review of my CD,and to all you folks for your kindsupport during this hellish time .Just got out of the hospital after yet another pulmonary embolism. So seeing PSB'sreview was truly uplifting. Cheers to one and all.---JN

Entered at Mon Oct 18 02:01:45 CEST 2010 from (86.42.17.249)

JC

Subject: Glastonbury Reunion

Any thoughts on a bit of a reunion gig at Glastonbury 2011?? My life would be complete once I'd seen that gig. Love from Ireland.

Entered at Sun Oct 17 15:20:28 CEST 2010 from (174.119.191.73)

JT

Subject: Hugh's Room show

Bill M Sorry I didn't answer when you wrote on 15 Oct. I am involved in some professional commitments and could not make it to Hugh's Room. How was the show?

Entered at Sun Oct 17 05:37:15 CEST 2010 from (76.99.245.65)

Peter M.

Subject: Hey, hey, Mike Finnegan

Mike, what a hoot seeing your comments here in The Band GB. I'm a major fan of yours. Loved your work in the Dave Mason Band. Gerald Johnson has been back in the fold with Dave for about 3 years. When I asked who he'd played with since leaving Dave's band he told me that he played bass on The Pointer Sisters' "Fire". I told him that his part really drove that tune. He also told me he had worked with CSN for a few years. I told him that I had gone to see The Band opening for CSN in the early 80's and then left before Crosby, Stills & Nash came on. If I knew he was a part of their lineup I sure would have stayed. Well, now that goes double! I was a much bigger Band fan than CSN, and did not want to see the two bands in that order. Well now I realize what an opportunity I missed! Wishing you well and hoping to see you again up on stage sometime again. Peter

Entered at Sat Oct 16 19:35:13 CEST 2010 from (76.65.9.107)

Mike Nomad

Entered at Sat Oct 16 19:17:01 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Ggreat review of Henhousse Tapes. That was really nice.

Entered at Sat Oct 16 18:25:01 CEST 2010 from (205.188.116.5)

PutEmUp(Friend0

Good of you to check in and share some memories, Mike. Most of us have been fans for forty odd years now. Thanks for the great music.... I haven't been lucky enough to see you play in person in a while, Did get a nice dose of your friend Kelly Hunt for a while. Enjoyed the record you produced for her too. When I lived in St Louis Johnnie Johnson used to do some shows with kelly. She was his friend. Performed an accapella gospel # at his funeral. Had everyone in the church in tears.

Entered at Sat Oct 16 11:28:26 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Sat Oct 16 00:29:05 CEST 2010 from (72.78.125.75)

PSB

Subject: Jeff's album

Here's an article I wrote about Jeff Newsom's (Rollie) album and another guy well worth checking out, Mark Cutler, who led an excellent band called The Raindogs.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 23:24:49 CEST 2010 from (86.150.90.182)

Simon

You'll get the hang of the UEFA Champions League - once you understand the away goals rule (which comes into play in the knockout stages). The rule has its critics but I don't think it should be changed. It's traditional. First leg games can be a bit cagey and, yes, a bit boring but it does set up the second leg. An equalizer can be a winner. Sadly no Champions League for us this season and only the slimmest of chances for next season. I can live with that though.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 23:10:27 CEST 2010 from (79.202.160.233)

Norbert

Entered at Fri Oct 15 22:52:03 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

ROB- No problemo. I think it's pretty good even on the second link.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 22:02:10 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Entered at Fri Oct 15 21:57:23 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Every morning they go on for about 5 minutes about what has happened in the last 24 hours in Premier League soccer. There's a good chance I'm the only one paying attention to them. This is serious hockey country.

At first I didn't pay much attention but for the last year I have and now I'm even able to follow and make sense of the melodrama that is UEFA Champions League Soccer.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 21:34:38 CEST 2010 from (86.150.90.182)

Simon

Steve, if you're referring to the hedge-fund managers at Mill Financial then they'll certainly try and sue for damages (along with Hicks) but as of this afternoon John W Henry and New England Sports Ventures are the new LFC owners. Resorting to cliches is inevitable but fingers crossed/we're all hoping for a fresh start/once bitten twice shy/let's see how it goes etc. I can't help hearing Anne Robinson's voice: "Tom and George ... you leave with nothing. Goodbye." And good riddance to bad rubbish.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 21:11:41 CEST 2010 from (79.202.160.233)

Norbert

Steve, you're a little drummer fan.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 21:10:52 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Sorry for duplicating your link - guess we got the same email on the same day!

Entered at Fri Oct 15 21:09:08 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Subject: A funny

Hope this hasn't been posted before during my time away from the board!

Entered at Fri Oct 15 20:34:00 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

David P: That reminds me of a really nice Jesse Edwin Davis song that they used to play on FM, something along the lines of "She is my gold dim sum goddess ..." Stan Szelest and Sandy Konikoff played on the album, I believe.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 20:29:51 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Bill, I think I'll do a Band approach to the album naming both the band and the album The HasBeans and use a plain brown cover for the CD.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 20:24:37 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Mike, great that you dropped by. Thanks for some truly exemplary B3 work over the years - are you playing in the UK anytime soon?

Entered at Fri Oct 15 19:55:14 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Following the Chik-fil-A ad campaign, cats & dogs in China are known to carry signs proclaiming "Eat More Piggie".

Joan Osborne did a great job covering "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted" and "Love Is Like A Heat Wave" with the Funk Brothers on the "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" documentary.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 19:21:34 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Subject: Infestations

Steve- As much as China wants to eat meat, at least they're smart enough to have banned all Canadian meat from their imports.

See above link concerning infestations

Entered at Fri Oct 15 19:20:10 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Steve: Your last paragraph made me thing of Master Jack and his beanstalk. Not only do beans talk, they sing - and are known to some as the musical fruit. With enough help from them, you could probably cut an entire album.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 18:40:43 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

Peter, Norm posted this link to, Joan Osborne, doing a beautiful, seedless, rendition of MNTTG that holds up quite well. I agree the Pips are an important part of the song but I can listen to this one over and over even without the Pips.

No, no, no David. The soy is headed to China, a country with a rapidly rising number of middle class citizens. And what do people want to eat once they can afford it? MEAT.

I believe that most of that soy is being fed to pigs so the Chinese, who can afford it, can enjoy the taste of pork. They don't appear to be tempted by the opportunity of moving up from rice to tofu.

I think Chinese pigs may also be the largest consumer of seafood on the planet, as well.

It's a strange, strange, world we live in , Master Jack.

Your right, Bill, there is the making of a response song there to Bruce's but I'd have to either drop the last verse or put some time into reworking it. The working title right now is, If A Bean Grows In The Forest.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 17:23:22 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

We were looking at that SNL version of Midnight Train to Georgia by “And The Pips” recently on YouTube and discussed it here. Today I heard Neil Diamond’s new single of the same song, and I have to say that WITHOUT The Pips, the song loses one hell of a dimension. Apart from the fact that he’s no soul singer, the song has yawning holes where The Pips should have been. I’m a Neil Diamond defender regarding TLW, as you may remember, plus I liked his recent stripped down album … but his version of Midnight train to Georgia must rank as “most misguided cover version of recent years”.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 17:03:06 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

David P channelling his inner Carl Douglas reminds me of a quip I heard from a Detroit bassist I used to see around in the late '70s - a time when Bruce Palmer was deeply into martial arts. The Detroit guy, known as JT (no relation), said "In Detroit we don't need this kung-fu and tai-kwon-do shit. We have gu-un."

Entered at Fri Oct 15 16:50:28 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Another conspiracy theory? Let me get this right -- We can place part of the blame for the demise of the rain forest on the tofu eating vegetarians. Where's the beef? :-)

Entered at Fri Oct 15 16:24:03 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Fri Oct 15 16:14:17 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.191)

Steve

Just to clear up a little distortion in Bruce's lyrics. Bruce targets the beef industry in the song, which is completely legitimate , but over looks the primary reason the trees are cut down. Soybeans.

loggers remove the trees and the land is opened up for production of soybeans which are mostly destined for China.

The Amazon soils are quite low in nutrients and because of the soil chemistry, low in capacity for storing nutrients in the soil. They are stored mostly in the leaves of the trees. Remove the trees, remove most of the nutrients.

On average the land can be used for about 3 years to grow soybeans. Once fertility levels drop too low to produce beans commercially, the cows are brought in to eat lower quality plants that will grow there. That is a brief picture of the march of industrial agriculture through the rain forest.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 15:45:14 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Great to see you checking in here and sharing your memories. Nice that your great version of "Part Time Love" with The Phantom Blues Band is one of the cuts, along with Levon's cover of "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry", included on the Imus Ranch Record vol. 2, set for release later this month.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 15:42:46 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Thanks to BEG and Simon for posting/reposting that Berkeley concert. I was surprised to see that "Long Distance Operator" dates that far back. Interesting that they continued to noodle away at it for so long.

Dunc: I just realised that I'd left "Life Is A Carnival" off the list of Band songs that made the charts here.

Also, Dunc, you might poke around the radio section at cbc.ca to find the Bruce Cockburn tribute concert they rebroadcast last night on CBC Radio 2. I caught just four songs, but all were awesome: Buck 65 doing "When A Tree Falls In The Forest", Hawksley Workman doing "Tokyo", Barenaked Ladies and Cockburn himself doing "Lovers In A Dangerous Time" and the Wailin' Jennies singing "Child Of The Wind". Buck 65, being a rapper, seems an especially inspired choice given the power of the lines that Cockburn wrote for himself to speak. Lines about logging like "Busy monster eats dark holes in the spirit world, where wild things have to go to disappear forever". (See link for full song lyrics.)

JT / Kevin J: Jerry Penfound told me that he joined Hawkins at about the same time as Rick Danko - a claim that is consistent with available photos - and left Hawkins with the rest of them. He also told me that he played a lot of piano in his early days, which also makes sense, considering the Helm-Robertson-Danko-Penfound lineup that was photographed and the importance of a rocking piano to Hawkins' sound. There are a bunch of old-timers around who accept that it was him playing piano on "Bo Diddley", and that's what he told me too. While I'm not completely sold on the idea, I'm certainly inclined to take his word over Hawkins' statement that it was "Richard but Garth told him what to do".

JT: Who besides DCT do you recall singing with Hawkins and our guys back in the day? Any of the list I posted? Also, are you going to Hugh's Room this evening to see the [Luke] Gibson - [Mike] McKenna band with guests - likely including Keith McKie?

Entered at Fri Oct 15 13:34:55 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.191)

Steve

Entered at Fri Oct 15 04:38:06 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

It's great to see your post. I've seen you with CSN many times including one with The Band. Thanks for all your great music over the years.

Entered at Fri Oct 15 04:25:44 CEST 2010 from (87.213.42.211)

Mike Finnigan

Subject: Band, etc

Wanted to thank y'all for the kind remrks. Richard Manual and I were good friends, and I hung a good bit with Rick, Know Levon and Garth, too. Recorded a little w/Garth. Toured with some of the boys with CSN back in the 80s' Rick , Garth and Paul Butterfield did a spot with our house band on a tv show called 'Rock and Roll Tongiht' back in the early 80's that was particularly stellar. The Band was without a doubt my all time favorite group. Just wanted to chime in. Seeing the names of other friends (Larry Hoppen, Amos Garret, etc) also makes me happy.

Entered at Thu Oct 14 21:42:41 CEST 2010 from (71.246.9.74)

bob w.

This documentary has been completed but the producers are struggling for funding to pay licensing fees for the songs included. The website is great. Some terrific outtakes available and a lot of good information about the film.

Entered at Thu Oct 14 21:10:08 CEST 2010 from (86.150.90.182)

Simon

Subject: Berkeley '65

Just a quick repost of a link Brown Eyed Girl kindly provided last Friday - Dylan and the Hawks at Berkeley '65. Pretty good sound for a bootleg and worth downloading as these things don't stay up forever. Unusual too as you can hear live versions of Tombstone Blues, Long Distance Operator, Positively Fourth Street and (my favourite) It Ain't Me Babe. The last having a particularly impressive solo from Robbie.

Peter, Churston Deckle sounds like some grim town that should be twinned with Royston Vasey in "The League of Gentlemen."

This whole Tom Hicks/George Gillett saga has been draining but hopefully the end is in sight.

Entered at Thu Oct 14 20:30:25 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Entered at Thu Oct 14 19:38:28 CEST 2010 from (166.205.142.90)

JQ

Kevin J - Don't forget Beck, the little feller, he's dang good at country blues, amongst other genres -

Entered at Thu Oct 14 19:03:59 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Steve: Every time I catch the name Beck in a post - I get excited thinking of Jeff.......could you please always add Glen when discussing that other nutty Beck.....thanks.

Entered at Thu Oct 14 13:32:00 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.189)

Steve

Entered at Thu Oct 14 12:09:50 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Rob, I was advised on how to reduce smoking twenty-odd years ago. You switch to Cocktail Sobranie and only smoke in public view. These cancerous tubes come in pastel shaded papers with gold tips. While the yellow ones might pass without notice at certain outdoor musical events, the pink and mauve were so deeply embarrassing that you had to be desperate. In this way you reduce to a couple a day, then realize you might as well give up altogether. Within a few weeks, you will find cigarette smoke as repulsive as everyone else does, probably more so.

Passing Clouds came in a pale pink pack, were oval, and fiercer even than Capstan Full-Strength. My old boss used to smoke them in the early 70s, and even sitting two yards away you’d get dizzy, your pulse would race and your eyes would start streaming. I once foolishly took an offered one, and felt as a sick as a kid smoking their first one. Instantly. Also no one could hold one without looking like Noel Coward.

Entered at Thu Oct 14 04:46:59 CEST 2010 from (174.119.191.73)

JT

Subject: Levon and the Hawks and David Clayton Thomas

Kevin J Regarding your comments relating to David Clayton Thomas biography: DCT with his band played the Concord Tavern in 1964-65, during the same period that Levon and the Hawks played the Concord in Toronto. They each had 1-2 weeks stints (hired by my dad). I saw both bands and my recall is that the 5 members of Levon and the Hawks in 64-65 were the very 5 who formed The Band. (Bill M, our resident historian, could ideally confirm this or suggest that my recollection is flawed). So, I think that DCT would have seen perhaps other musicians (ie Jerry Penfound) ) early in the 60s but the 'very 5 who formed The Band' in 1964-65.

Entered at Thu Oct 14 02:36:14 CEST 2010 from (76.66.124.44)

brown eyed girl

.....for Jan the Man!
:-D

Entered at Thu Oct 14 00:15:28 CEST 2010 from (32.177.78.118)

JQ

It's interesting to me how much these 4 have in common. In the early 20th century the Klan moderated their marketing message somewhat (not so much their true values though) and managed to increase their numbers to the highest levels ever. That stuff could have come right off the Teabagger's current hymnal. Terry Gross was talking today about how a lot of Glen Beck's history lessons come from the John Birch Society's materials; it's nearly close enough to be plagiarism and even more repellant in the way he presents all that malarkey as his own.

And the American idiots fall right in for it all -

Try Justin Townes Earle's: Harlem River Blues. It's good songwriting with tasteful & spare arrangements played by, what sounds like, a top-notch bar band. Country, bluegrass & rockabilly in style.

Entered at Wed Oct 13 22:43:33 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Drove around all Thanksgiving weekend listening to Rollie's "The Henhouse Tapes"............ the entire cd is great with outstanding playing....some of the best blues harp heard in a long time.........Thanks to this website for bringing the recording to my attention.............any fairness in this world and Rollie's version of "Lonely at the Bottom" would be a hit..............

Entered at Wed Oct 13 22:09:09 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: Music from Big Pink House

A week or so ago I posted a list of singers that I thought might have guested with Hawkins and the Hawks back in the day. On the drive home it occurred to me that I'd forgotten to mention Frank Rondell, who would certainly have guested with Hawkins in his hometown of Hamilton, and whose first 45, for a Toronto label, was a cover of a Hawks song. And then I opened a magazine I'd just received and found that the cover story was all about a musical documentary about Rondell's sister, Rita Chiarelli (see link). As the article says, Rita spent some time (in the '70s, I guess) with Ronnie Hawkins; no doubt the title of her documentary, "Music from the Big House", is something of a nod to our guys.

Entered at Wed Oct 13 21:46:53 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

R T O

Well, I am in no hurry to get in touch with my feminine side, so whether the stationers' in Esher High Street has any old stocks of Churston Deckle or not, it will be Basildon Bond, I can assure you.

As a dirty, misguided user of cigarettes I would imagine the above notepaper is very much akin to being seen smoking a Sobranie or a Passing Cloud. A Chesterfield remains my no-nonsense choice although they are all but gone from the UK. Will have to start going to Germany four times a year or at least rail-based holidays that always use Cologne as a connecting point.

But a blues band? So that trumps the efforts of even a confirmed Eddie Stobart enthusiast, then!

Entered at Wed Oct 13 20:42:16 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Oct 13 20:39:49 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Wed Oct 13 19:45:07 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

R T O

Steve - great link to the Third Man theme - even if you did fail to tell us that Stan Szelest was also featured on accordion too!

Peter - I'm sure the cover budget can stretch to an A5 pad of Basildon Bond (or at least the Silvine-branded imitation of it) as well if you wish. Just say the word and it is yours!

Entered at Wed Oct 13 19:41:45 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Have a great birthday!

Entered at Wed Oct 13 19:16:53 CEST 2010 from (90.239.86.145)

NorthWestCoaster

"...and thanks as always for building this place where we all hang out and talk about The Band and other stuff."

Entered at Wed Oct 13 19:16:01 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.187)

Steve

Subject: More Of Garth and Robbie

Check out these boys doing, The Third Man Theme. Betcha can't stop dancing.

Entered at Wed Oct 13 16:35:21 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Charlie Y: Thanks for the link. I don't hear anything frmo "Whispering Pines" either, but still very enjoyable. I hope the guy in the back row playing the maracas got paid double-scale - but the cynical side of me suspects that he got fined by Welk for showing signs of life while onstage.

These days, if you want to hear "Ghost Riders In The Sky" played live in Toronto you pretty much have to catch guitarist Danny Marks playing in a bar somewhere. Unfortunately, none of his performances of that song have been YouTubed, but there are several others, including a nice of him singing his own "Blues For Lonnie Johnson". (Johnson was a pioneering giant among guitar players who moved to the T-dot for some shows in the mid '60s and was forced by a traffic accident to remain until his death in the early '70s.) On piano is Michael Fonfara, who I've mentioned here many times. On bass is Gary Kendall, who I mentioned a week or so ago re him growing up musically with Paul Shaffer in Thunder Bay - and catching numerous early Neil Young performances when the Squires were resident there. Reminds me, Where's Fred gotten to?

To bring it back to Bearsville and Orleans, I've been meaning to note that at least Wells Kelly and John Hall are on the worthy Pacheco and Alexander album, along with all of Full Tilt and a bunch of other luminaries. None of our guys, unfortunately, nor even Amos Garrett. Which reminds me of standing with Amos at the Hotel Isabella watching Danny Marks perform (quite possibly "Ghost Riders") in the late '70s. The Izzy was and is at the corner of Sherbourne and Isabella, a street that found its way into Neil Young's "Ambulance Blues".

Neil Young, by the way, made a point of checking out Lonnie Johnson when Lonnie was playing Yorkville. I wonder if Robbie - or even Garth - would have as well? Would have made sense for any musician with a sense of history and/or a desire to learn to do so.

Entered at Wed Oct 13 15:57:41 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

Subject: Happy Birthday, Jan!

Happy birthday to you, Jan H. and thanks as always for building this place where we all hang out and talk about The Band and other stuff. How long has it been now? I know you started this when you were just 15 or so, right?

Entered at Wed Oct 13 13:50:15 CEST 2010 from (71.246.9.74)

bob w.

Entered at Wed Oct 13 10:21:25 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Lawrence Welk … as with so many shows, this never crossed the Atlantic. I'd love to read the credits. I thought you made the clippity-clop hooves noises with half coconut shells, but this appears to be an early telegraph machine.We got very few American shows … Perry Como, I remember. I think he set the pattern for elaborate knitwear followed by his British counterparts like Val Doonican and Roger Whittaker.

I think the first colour TV show I ever saw would have been late 66 or early 67. The college hall of residence rented one of the very first British colour TVs (the 10/6d or 52p a week wasn't much shared between 150 students). We gathered to watch Andy Williams with The Supremes and realized that the colour problems of the world had been eradicated at last. Andy, and all of The Supremes were a uniform green.

Entered at Wed Oct 13 07:05:56 CEST 2010 from (99.115.147.236)

Pat B

The organist on the Welk show was playing a Hammond but did a credible tone bend without the tonebender.

RtO, great purchase.

Entered at Wed Oct 13 04:45:29 CEST 2010 from (64.12.116.204)

PutEmUp(Friend0

Entered at Wed Oct 13 04:05:01 CEST 2010 from (24.186.255.120)

Levon Helm Studios

Happy Birthday Jan!!!

Entered at Wed Oct 13 03:18:50 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

Subject: Speaking of Organs...

Someone suggested the organ part on the attached video from 1961 sounds like Garth's work on "Whispering Pines." I think not. It is an amazing bit of surreal television, but Lawrence Welk provided many of those, didn't he?

Entered at Wed Oct 13 01:36:04 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Thanks Joan. Yes, I ought to be ashamed of myself, really - but it has been a funny old road. First I was worried about my ability to write lyrics having started the album with two instrumental demos and a list of intended covers. Then, something happened one Saturday morning and I rattled off two complete lyrics in an hour! The wife was so shocked she left me to it and I even avoided taking her to the supermarket! Naturally, these were not lyrics that went to the tunes I had written, so when I then set about writing those lyrics, I already had ideas for some others and the happy event occured that by about a year ago I had written an album: well, 70% of one as the album has seven originals and three covers (Get Up Jake/Nick Lowe's "Surrender to the Rhythm" and The Gourds' "Hooky Junk").

But then we all had to learn digital recording almost (aside from buggering about with bits of software here and there over the years) from scratch. We had started some of this before the lyricist block cleared, but most of that work fell by the wayside as that was mainly familiar covers (Van Morrison, Dylan etc) that we thought we might need if I couldn't churn out any finished tunes with words!

As the original songs appeared, naturally the project found its own way and took a different course to how envisaged at the start. Our original thought that was we would have me on the organ and a piano player as well - we figured that so many people like The Band, Procol Harum etc but then miss the point totally by having TWO guitars and ONE keyboard. But as my songs appeared we realised that they must dictate the format and they don't suit such a lush arrangement. In fact, I play at least 50-60% guitar rather than organ on the originals. We then slimmed down (the band - not me - I've put two and a half stone on thanks to being sat on my butt behind an Apple Mac during this project!) to a quartet and regrouped and started "again" again!

Peter Viney has been an immeasurable help as a sounding board and trusted pair of ears here and there - in this very arena where we first exchanged words let me say a very sincere and heartfelt thanks to Peter! (Your promised new black Bic for the sleeve notes will be ordered next week).

I am about to update some sample of our work that can be heard on the internet. When this is done I will post a link.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 23:47:44 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Congratulations on your winning bid. It looks excellent!\ What's this about not finishing your album We'll have to put you into therapy with Norm. He finally finished his and it was very much enjoyed. Now we just have to motivate (pester) you. :) :)

Entered at Tue Oct 12 22:59:10 CEST 2010 from (91.42.231.231)

Norbert

In a few moments they're going to hoist the poor "kumpels" from the mine in Chile, hope all goes well. When this accident happpened I had just finished the German book "Das Wunder von Lengede" (The Miracle of Lengede), a book about a simmular accident not far from here (although not as deep as in Chile). What what struck me is the without light (and sound?) people go crazy in only few days and that later they found (too late) other people who had survived as well, and lived even longer, but they wheren't found. The whole book only spends 1 sentence on them, they where lost for ever. Anyway, Gluck Auf!

Entered at Tue Oct 12 22:11:09 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Hey Bill, no I'll be around awhile yet. I just forced myself to satay away from chat forums until I'd finished my album. Well, I failed as it is only 85% done but considering it has taken 18 months (first attempt at home recording and also first time as principle writer and frontman) I can allow myself just a little de-mob softening of austerities! But it WAS the closing days of the auction that saw me winning the new toy that reminded me I must come back and see how everybody here is doing. I might even reawaken the pink scarf topic yet.....!

Entered at Tue Oct 12 21:23:31 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Tue Oct 12 21:07:55 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

David P: That Jerry Hahn Brotherhood is very Bandish, as you say. I seem to recall them being mentioned here from time to time - like every five years. I googled them and got led to Hahn's entry in Wikipedia, which had him playing for John Handy in the mid-'60s, followed by a stint with the Fifth Dimension. That trajectory is so similar to that of the great rhythm section of Canuck jazz, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clark, that I have to assume they were Handy bandmates with Hahn. (Maybe the Hahn-Handy Band, eh?) And that suggests that Hahn either took over from the stunning guitarist Sonny Greenwich (described by Mike Bloomfield as "the Coltrane of guitarist") on the Handy bandstand.

RtO: Was also chatted here a bit about the post-Janis Holding Co just a few weeks ago. The specific subject was the song "I'll Fix Your Flat Tire Merle". I take it that your current chattiness will prove to be a shortlived phenomenon and that we'll hear nothing from you once the new toy arrives. Have fun!

Entered at Tue Oct 12 20:44:29 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Bill M.- I seem to remember that back in the '60s Levon had a habit of admiring somebody's article of clothing and then offering to race a mile for ownership. Apparently he underestimated Hamlet.

I have to correct something I wrote last night. Bowditch Field is in Framingham MA, not Natick (although Natick is only about 5 miles away). Excuse me Tim.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 20:31:26 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Here's the beast I've just won on eBay - still to collect it next week after the seller's technician has given it a final once over.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 20:25:22 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Wow - that's good! And followed the link to "Early Bird Cafe" and that's very Band-ised as well. Also seem to recall some lovely organ from Mike F on the post-Janis albums by Big Brother & the Holding Company. I don't have these and it has been a while but You've Been Talkin' About Me Baby comes to mind as a good track. My father had the Edsel "Joseph's Coat" compilation of these two albums "Be A Brother" and "How Hard It Is", with Mike guesting alongside the regular BBHC guys plus David Shallock from the Sons of Champlin.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 18:38:02 CEST 2010 from (68.164.3.231)

Pat B

Entered at Tue Oct 12 18:36:09 CEST 2010 from (68.164.3.231)

Pat B

Entered at Tue Oct 12 18:15:44 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Subject: The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood

You're welcome Rob. Some may recall Mr. Finnigan from The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood, who released a self-titled gem on Columbia Records in 1970. The group was clearly influenced by The Band (see link to judge for yourself). Martha's Madman had a little bit of Chest Fever :-)

Entered at Tue Oct 12 17:21:20 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

David, a fantastic performance from a master; thanks so much for that link! I wore out a VHS tape of the classic albums Electric Ladyland episode just for Mike Finnegan running through his chords and bass patterns on Rainy Day Dream Away! What a great singer too! It's not everyday I can listen to a blues for pleasure anymore having played in countless blues bands over the years. This one was a treat, however.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 17:13:05 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill

Sadavid: Thanks for the link. Seeing it was Garth, I was even prepared to listen to a cover of the Supremes' hit. Not necessary!

Entered at Tue Oct 12 16:48:43 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Subject: a couple nice things from Dan the Noise

Check out G. Hudson's lovely pianistics on the "Lovechild" mp3. Also recommend the video w/ Brian Blade & Trixie Whitley, a little farther down the page . . . .

Entered at Tue Oct 12 16:43:23 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Phil: Thanks for the clarifications re Emmit Rhodes. I opened the link you provided but quickly skipped over to the follow-up link (above) to a '67 clip of the original Fairport - with Ian Matthews singing lead. Richard T shows well.

Someone posted a photo or Rick with Hamlet. Hamlet's hat looked familiar, and I'm pretty sure it's the one that Levon's wearing in the MFBP photo. I guess they could've been in the habit of sharing it, but I wish I'd been there if they'd fought for it.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 16:27:41 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Subject: Mike Finnigan pulling out all the stops...

Link to an amazing live performance of "Part Time Love" by Mike Finnigan & The Phantom Blues Band. Hang on for a nine & half minute ride on a blues train!

Entered at Tue Oct 12 16:04:38 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Mike Finnegan is one of the best organists the planet has ever been graced by, even more so after the death of the one and only Billy Preston. People go on and on about Joey De Francesco and the like but it is latterday Jeff Beck all over again - very impressive but nothing to whistle to yourself when you walk down to the shops. It's the guys that get inside the song that impress me: Garth, Billy Preston, Finnegan, Ian McLagan, Augie Meyers. All very different players but united by an unselfish attitude and a sense of furthering the composition.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 15:36:36 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

I got my Solomon Burke albums confused. His cover of "It Makes No Difference" was on his 2005 album "Make Do With What You Got".

Entered at Tue Oct 12 14:55:43 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y.

Subject: Jones Beach, '85

I was living in NY in 1985 and was at that Jones Beach, Long Island show. It was a good one. I think I heard that Graham Nash interview on Howard Stern's WNBC show, too. I used to listen to it while stuck in NYC traffic but lost interest later on. Music is much more interesting than listening to an arrested adolescent go on about the same stuff over and over.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 14:05:23 CEST 2010 from (70.28.32.74)

Landmark

Gerald Johnson also played with Steve Miller in the 70's as well, if memory serves me right. Also had the chance to see CSN open up for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers this summer at SPAC in Saratoga. I am happy to report that they can still give a great show. Tom Petty was also great on a lovely, warm summer night under the stars.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 10:30:04 CEST 2010 from (76.99.245.65)

Peter M.

Summer '85 tour

Entered at Tue Oct 12 10:23:47 CEST 2010 from (76.99.245.65)

Peter M.

Subject: Hey Tim

My wife and I saw The Band in '84, opening for CSN, and were so thoroughly smitten by the "Best Show I've EVER Seen feeling" at the end of their set that we walked back to the people in the lawn seating at Philadelphia's Mann Center. We found an enthusiastic couple, and gifted them with our great (way up front) tickets, and went home feeling quite full. Just last year I found out that the great Gerald Johnson was playing bass for CSN then. I'd see any band that guy played in ! He played the drivin', thumpin' bass in the Pointer Sisters' Fire. He's played with Dave Mason from '74 to '82, and then again from 2007 till now. A skilled master bass player who has a goofier stage persona than even Rick at his silliest.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 01:19:15 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Subject: The Crowmatix in Natick, MA in '97

TIM- I was at that show in '97. Levon had Ezra drive him up because Butch couldn't make it. All of the Crowmatix (except Levon) hung around after their set so they could see Leon Russell.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 00:53:19 CEST 2010 from (24.218.200.216)

Tim

Subject: Heard on Howard stern

I'm a huge Stern fan. This week he played some old tapes from his WNBC days in New York (82-85) he played a tape of an interview with Graham Nash who was in NY playing the Pier, with The Band opening up (summer 85 tour) Stern said he was going to catch CSN that Friday night at Jones Beach and was PSYCHED to hear Nash Tell him that The Band was opening up ("When did they get back together?? I LOVE The Band"} That was about the gist of it. I caught them in Hartford that same tour (a few days prior I think) and it was one of my top concerts ever.

Entered at Tue Oct 12 00:49:01 CEST 2010 from (24.218.200.216)

Tim

Subject: Levon memorialized.

This weekend in Framingham MA they dedicated a new football stadium that was recently rebuilt. It was the site of several Blues Festivals over the years and Levon played there @ 97. At the entrance to the stadium they have several plaques about the history of the place with one dedicated to the concerts that have taken place over the years. Levon name is there in bronze. Looks quite nice. I'll take a picture soon and post to the site.

Entered at Mon Oct 11 23:13:20 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

"Down in the valley, valley so low
Hang your head over
And hear the wind blow..."

Mr. Burke recorded a fine cover version of "It Makes No Difference" on his 2005 album "Don't Give Up On Me", which was produced by Don Was.

Entered at Mon Oct 11 17:15:54 CEST 2010 from (24.252.246.109)

Calvin

I've been listening to the new Leon Russel/Elton John album on NPR's First Listen Website. So far it sounds fantastic, I think itll be one I go out and buy.

Entered at Sun Oct 10 21:42:06 CEST 2010 from (99.88.67.78)

Dee

Subject: Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all Canadians!

Happy Leif Ericson Day to Americans :)

Entered at Sun Oct 10 20:43:53 CEST 2010 from (91.42.226.100)

Norbert

Subject: Solomon Burke dies in Amsterdam

Just heard that Solomon Burke died in Amsterdam, I always loved his voice. I have that album "Make Do With What You Got", played it a lot. R.I.P. Mr. Burke.

Entered at Sun Oct 10 20:24:36 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadian folks. We will catch up in a few weeks. In the meantime we are honoring Mr. Columbus with sales.

Entered at Sun Oct 10 18:49:31 CEST 2010 from (90.202.2.99)

Specto

Subject: Ray La Montagne

I have his 4 albums and saw him last year in Edinburgh.I love his voice but he appears painfully shy..he hardly said a word during the concert.He sang a song dedicatedto Rick Danko but all said and done..his voice and songwriting is brill..

Entered at Sun Oct 10 03:28:39 CEST 2010 from (99.141.72.131)

Adam2

He's also a Band fan. At Levon's 70th birthday party earlier this year, he sang Great Divide and really nailed his vocal on Tears Of Rage.

Entered at Sun Oct 10 01:27:12 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: The Input

Thank you guys. Rob, I agree. Many of his songs have the same groove, and same rythmn guitar strumm and feel. The saving thing is, it is appealing. I found myself picking up my guitar and playing along. To which Amanda said. "See Dad, it's a style that you play quite a bit of.

Yeah, that's right Steve. He had a musician abusive father who left when he was young. Then he left his family, and went to Maine and got a job in a shoe store. He heard a song by Steven Stills that motivated his music to take on the career.

Now listening to all this, puts me in mind, that he could be of Acadian origin?

I'm sorry Joe, I don't recall you bringing him into the mix. It could have been when I was away sometime. I'll use that as my chicken shit cover up anyway. Good to hear from you Joe.

Entered at Sun Oct 10 00:29:18 CEST 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Several years ago one of my boys' college roommates was singing and playing a song I was not familiar with. It turned out to be 'Jolene'; that was my intro to Lamontagne and I've been a fan ever since. I've name dropped him here on the GB a couple times but never provoked any response. Well worth checking out.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 23:48:54 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

Ray LaMontagne has a close connection to the GB, as well.

He and his 3 or 4 siblings were raised by their mother on her own and were quite poor. For a couple of months when he was a kid they actually lived in a chicken coop in rural New Hampshire. His full name is, Ray Charles La Montagne.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 23:00:18 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Subject: westcoaster (RE: Ray LaM)

Yeah, he is! Interesting that you say you like him but ask it of others as I was like that: early stuff had me torn in two because I loved his voice and delivery but feared he would be a one trick pony (lots of very slow songs) but more recently it has balanced out nicely. For myself, I have a similar dilemma about the Fleet Foxes. Very nicely done - nay, impeccably - but where's the balance? I was waiting for a bit of relief from the mid-tempo baroque fare and it never came. Hoping the imminent second platter might redress this. It doesn't matter how good the trick is, one trick is still one trick....

Entered at Sat Oct 9 22:49:26 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Ray LaMontagne

I'm wondering what opinions there is about this guy. I hadn't listened to much of his stuff. My daughter and her husband, (and my newest grand daughter Elena) are here for our Thanks Giving dinner. Amanda brought up this CD, " God Willin' & The Creeks Don't Rise". I think this guy is gawd damn good.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 22:31:36 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

Subject: Familiar Face in Hornsby Video

Watch the linked Bruce Hornsby video for a guest acting spot by a familiar face. After the BP oil spill and that toxic sludge in Hungary, this 25-year-old song is more relevent than ever. I vote for Bruce for the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame but I guess there isn't room for him or Leon Russell since they loaded all of Madonna's bras in there.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 22:03:43 CEST 2010 from (70.225.35.15)

glenn t

according to mark lewisohn's "the beatles recording sessions" ringo plays the drums on this mccartney track for the white album.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 21:55:57 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

Frank Zappa's first TV appearance featured him playing a bowed bicycle tire on Steve Allen's early 1960's show. Mr. Zappa told Mr. Allen he also played "guitar, drums, vibes and bass" at that point. He later learned keyboards and mastered the synclavier, which was what he played on his final recordings as he was losing his battle with prostate cancer.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 21:29:49 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

Entered at Sat Oct 9 21:16:35 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

Entered at Sat Oct 9 20:49:33 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

There is some brief footage of JR2 playing piano on the Classic Albums documentary about the brown LP as he tells of the creation of TNTDODD. If you want to big Macca up as a drummer, personally I'd have gone for his guest slot on Steve Miller's "My Dark Hour" off Brave New World...that wasn't bad.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 20:24:27 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

Ouch, cheap shot on Paul playing drums on Why don't we Do It. You could have at least referenced one of the other songs like Dear Prudence or Mother Nature's Son.

One Beatle site I was reading through mentioned that Paul is responsible for the drumming pattern on Ticket To Ride, but that Ringo plays it. If true, that's a big feather in his drummer's cap.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 19:30:57 CEST 2010 from (76.66.124.97)

brown eyed girl

From Somalia to Toronto!

".....by showing me to give is priceless."

Entered at Sat Oct 9 19:24:30 CEST 2010 from (76.66.124.97)

brown eyed girl

"Some Thoughts on Robbie Robertson...."
"Robertson plays from the gut and for the song."

Entered at Sat Oct 9 19:16:41 CEST 2010 from (76.66.124.97)

brown eyed girl

Tim: I think you were looking for some photos of the Reformed Band with Weider and Richard Bell?
Also, three other pages of some great photos of Rick and of course.....The Band....which we're thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 18:27:24 CEST 2010 from (90.239.103.78)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: More of British one man bands

JOHN MAYALL: "A Hard Road" LP (Decca LK 4855): He was playing 5 and 9 string gtr, organ, piano, harmonica and singing. He wrote sleeve notes and painted the portrait of his band. In "The Blues Alone" LP he is co-producer, he has taken the cover photo (of himself!) and has done the artwork of the whole album.

(Especially to Norbert and Ragtime: back cover photos are taken in rainy and windy Holland.)

Entered at Sat Oct 9 17:38:13 CEST 2010 from (86.176.0.66)

Rob the Organ

Hmm, yes and no re JR2's piano skills. True, they are workmanlike and sufficient only for his craft but by the same token I doubt Jim Keltner - or Ringo for that matter - exactly felt threatened by Macca's drumming on Why Don't We Do It In The Road!

Entered at Sat Oct 9 17:18:28 CEST 2010 from (90.239.103.78)

NorthWestCoaster

Peter, I will recall that you are PAUL SIMON fan. You probably like the line about one man band in "Homeward Bound". I do.

And it all happened before drum machine. JOHN MAYALL got help from his Bluesbreakers drummer in many tracks in "The Blues Alone". In fact, even JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH had to have youngster to blow air in his instrument.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 17:14:52 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

I think drumming is far too important in rock and roll to be missing from the tool kit of the true one man band. That along with song writing were Rick's weak spots.

I don't think The Band had anyone who could fill all the important chairs the way Steve Winwood can.

Was Robbie's keyboard work,live performance worthy? I honestly don't know. I've heard he's written songs on piano but that doesn't require a lot of piano skill, just your basic chords and if you have Garth around to put your fingers in the right place, to help you find the sound you're looking for, you've got a pretty good chance at success.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 16:46:49 CEST 2010 from (90.239.97.241)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Dylan/The Band

Dylan's art exhibition in Copenhagen Denmark is nothing about the style like in the cover of Music From Big Pink. The colouring for instance is not ice-blue but flaming Brazilian. - A nice pic in exhibition book of Dylan in his atelier with a dog which is _bigger_ than Dylan.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 16:28:52 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

The whole “one man band” thing fails to impress once decent drum synthesizers came in, but usually the weakness in one man bands is drumming because even if the non-drummers are technically proficient they just don’t hit it like a full-time drummer. It’s a simple case of repeated muscle exercise. Stevie Wonder could do it well enough to pass as a full time drummer.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 14:50:54 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

Songwriting appears to be important to most people to qualify as a "One Man Band" otherwise Garth and Levon would fill the bill.

Rick gets a minor in song writing, and serious consideration, 6 string guitar, bass, fiddle and singing. Plus, he was so damn musical he could entertain a crowd, solo. That's important if you're a one man band.

We saw Jimmy Cliff on Austin City last night. Are there any other 62 year old performers with that man's energy and voice? He did songs that were 10 minutes long that he basically did serious cardio workouts through the whole 10 minutes while singing at the top of his lungs. His voice is as good as ever and his dedication to what he does is as intense as it was 40 years ago. What a man!

Entered at Sat Oct 9 13:39:30 CEST 2010 from (86.176.0.66)

Rob the Organ

The only trouble is - having got 85% through all the rigmarole of recording an album, I just KNOW I'll now want to redo all the organ parts with it.......

Entered at Sat Oct 9 12:55:19 CEST 2010 from (99.141.72.131)

Adam2

Entered at Sat Oct 9 11:34:05 CEST 2010 from (86.176.0.66)

Rob the Organ

Subject: Very, very happy.....

...I just picked up an all-tube 1959 Lowrey Festival organ on eBay. This was the model that GH asked for as part of his "recruitment package" from Ronnie Hawkins, and lasted all the way through to the first two Band albums and early live dates. Wahey!!! God help the neighbours when I have a go at Chest Fever....

Entered at Sat Oct 9 08:35:17 CEST 2010 from (76.99.245.65)

Peter M.

Subject: "potential" one man band

I can't believe nobody else cited this one. Over the years we've seen Levon play drums and mandolin (of course), harmonica, bass (expertly) and guitar, spoons and "hambone". Can't recall any forays into keyboards, but I bet there's somebody out there in cyberspace that can come up with an example of that one. In other matters, as George Harrison would have said yesterday, if he were still with us, "It's Johnny's Birthday!" (And he did so, on "All Things Must Pass"). Miss him, miss him, miss him...

Entered at Sat Oct 9 06:44:17 CEST 2010 from (202.124.73.138)

dlew919

Since Dave Grohl was mentioned, I'd also say Jack White (though his drumming is enthusiastic, rather than technically proficient - he keeps time, but sudden and odd forays into ride cymbal before going back to hi-hat. Though, Levon, as a master of the ride, has probably made me very picky...)

I think James Brown could play everythign as well, though, as charles shaar murray once argued, he approached his arrangements like the band was a large drum kit...

Entered at Sat Oct 9 05:18:21 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

Entered at Sat Oct 9 04:40:28 CEST 2010 from (173.16.181.136)

Phil

Subject: Emitt Rhodes

Emitt Rhodes first band was The Merry-Go-Round. They had a hit in 66 or 67 called Live. He did a song called Fresh As A Daisy on one of his solo LP's. That maybe the song Bill M was trying to remember. The link is an appearance of The Merry-Go-Round on Hollywood Palace.

Entered at Sat Oct 9 02:10:17 CEST 2010 from (72.189.13.25)

daena (said dana)

Subject: this is a message to dlew919

dlew919 if you let the video play for 31 seconds and then pause it you get a good look at the drummer .. i could'nt tell if it was levon or not ...

Entered at Fri Oct 8 23:40:22 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Steve

Steve:You and Bill M championing it, me reading about how much they liked John Martyn, and Garth being on it took me into the absolutely brilliant 'Let's Frolic Again' where I think the brilliant 'Down by the Henry Moore' is better than the original also.

I'm off to Palma for the week with Mrs Dunc.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 22:32:26 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

sadavid: You mention anthropomorphism and gravel. Both can be found to some degree in S&G's "I Am A Rock", no? - though sans Eon's gravitas. (Sans wasn't intended as a pun, BTW.)

Entered at Fri Oct 8 22:27:03 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Modern electronica technology has helped create a new breed of one man bands. One notable example is Richard Melville Hall p/k/a Moby.

On the other (little) hand(s), years ago Alexander "Skip" Spence took a low-fi approach at Columbia Studios in Nashville when he produced his crazy diamond in the rough, "Oar".

Entered at Fri Oct 8 22:02:27 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Bill M: Re: "Yellowhead to Yellowstone," I can't recall offhand where the interlude goes - but I'll take a risk and suggest the obvious place would be where the narrator is tranquilized for the trip from Alberta to Wyoming. So that would make it a dream sequence of a sort -- though what _canis lupus_ dreams about, who can say? Blood and booty, just like any pirate, probably. Normally, I find anthropomorphism to be a very pathetic fallacy, but ol' Eon has the gravitas (and gravel) to carry it off . . . .

If I'm not confusing one with another, there's a song where he describes his squeeze as a lioness, that's pretty (middle aged) sexy.

Re: one-person bands, what about CSN(Y)'s "Captain Manyhands," S. Stills?

Entered at Fri Oct 8 21:17:45 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

David P: I do recall Emitt Rhodes, notably for all the "he does it all!" radio ads that cluttered FM radio upon the release of the first album. I suspect the ads go an awful lot more play than any of his songs did. (Though he did have a minor hit with his previous group; I want to say "A Daisy A Day" but that can't be right.) I heard something from that album many years later and it wasn't at all bad, though at the time I was sick to death of hearing his name. Canada of course had its own answer to Emitt, in the form of Lawrence Hud, whose legacy lives on thanks to oldies radio. Who can forget "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen" - a minor hit for him and a big hit a few years later for April Wine. See link.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 20:59:49 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

Entered at Fri Oct 8 20:31:49 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

RTO: Excuse me I hadn't noticed your reference to Stevie Winwood before posting it myself...................additional candidate might be curent bandmates John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl - both can do it all including the writing...................

Entered at Fri Oct 8 20:31:42 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Entered at Fri Oct 8 20:27:52 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Does anyone remember Emitt Rhodes, who was heavily influenced by Paul McCartney? He recorded several albums in the early '70s on A&M on which he handled all the instruments & vocals, as well as the engineering in his home studio.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 20:10:32 CEST 2010 from (71.62.141.173)

Charlie Y

Subject: One Man Bands

Stevie Wonder. Paul McCartney.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 20:08:34 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Various

Bill M:I'll pick up the book which will give me an insight into music in another country. I think Neil's 'Four Striong Winds' is one of my favourite all time songs - better than the original.

Rob the Organ - welcome back.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 20:04:40 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

RtO

..and by sheer coincidence I am listening to the first Boz Scaggs LP, another fine Hood & Hawkins outing. Yes, the live Traffic LP deserves better than that although it is fair to say that SOATFF is not the most inspiring album, as one of the song titles does indeed admit! Funny that Uninspired is one of the best moments, and the uptempo percussion & guitar led title track. It's the dirgy, lumpen Evening Blue and Roll Right Stones that I could do without. At least they went out on a high though - When the Eagle Flies was a lot more spirited. In any case, I see some value in all phases (Smiling?) of Traffic; they are the band that made me want to play the Hammond Organ and always will be.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 19:46:49 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Bill M: Roger Hawkins & the Muscle Shoals boys also contributed on both of Levon's self-titled albums (ABC 1978 and Capitol 1982).

Entered at Fri Oct 8 19:35:57 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

"The band then set off for Jamaica to record their next album, this time with the famed Muscle Shoals rhythm section of bassist David Hood and drummer Roger Hawkins in place of Grech and Gordon. The result, 1973’s Shootout at the Fantasy Factory, received mixed reviews, not surprising following such a landmark recording as The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. This version of the band is also featured on another lukewarm live album, On the Road, released the same year. Traffic’s concerts had in fact become luke-warm experiences themselves, some rising to the occasion brilliantly, others just phoned-in performances of Traffic favorites. Capaldi and Wood had taken to drinking too much before performances and Winwood would often appear joyless throughout the entire show. By the end of 1973 Hood, Hawkins, and Reebop were gone and with Jamaican bassist Rosco Gee, the band recorded When the Eagle Flies, released in September of 1974."

I do take some exception to the poke at "On the Road", which I thought was much better than lukewarm. In particular, I thought that the quality of "Sometimes I Feel So Uninspired" belied the title.

Hood, Hawkins and Beckett all have second-degree connections to our guys, having played on almost all of Ronnie Hawkins' first Cotillion LP - though Beckett sat out a couple of the rockers in favour of ex-Hawk ex-Suede Scott Cushnie. Hawkins (Ronnie) had taken Cushnie, King Biscuit Boy and drummer Larry Atamanuik to Muscle Shoals with him, but I guess the producer decided to stick with his in-house drummer.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 19:17:42 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

I think it was Roger Hawkins on Shoot Out At the Fantasy Factory and the live On The Road set, but for the last album When The Eagle Flies they had slimmed down back to a four piece of Winwood, Wood, Capaldi back to drums and Rosko Gee on bass. And a good thing too as the late great JC looked like a spare part at a wedding for much of the set when he just sang his songs and banged a tambourine in Steve's.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 19:16:39 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

As a big fan of Steve Winwood and Traffic, I know of one song that Mr. Winwood was featured on all the instruments -- "Stranger To Himself" from the album "John Barleycorn Must Die". He handled vocals, piano, electric guitar, bass & drums, while Jim Capaldi, who co-wrote the song with Winwood, was featured on backup vocals.

The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, featuring Roger Hawkins on drums, David Hood on bass and Barry Beckett on keyboards, played on "Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory" and "On The Road". The talented, but ill-fated, Jim Gordon contributed drums on "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" and "Welcome to the Canteen".

Entered at Fri Oct 8 19:09:19 CEST 2010 from (90.239.105.173)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: One man bands / Dylan and The Band

Johann Sebastian Bach, Diedrich Buxtehude, Terese Andersson from Gotland/New Orleans (check her out!), John Mayall in "Blues Alone".

Peter, Robbie Robertson is mentioned in Chronicles, although in a rather negatively way. Dylan is thanking very warm-hearted Rick, Richard, Garth and Robbie for standing by his side as late as in Scorsese's "No Direction Home" motion picture.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 19:07:42 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: It came to me!

I'm pretty stupid alright.......I should have thought a little harder, (as if that would help).

It was Roger Hodgson, because his first solo album was called, "In the eye of the storm".

Entered at Fri Oct 8 19:02:57 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: One man Bands

I just got back ashore. Had real good weather.....anyway. I was thinking, what's the guy's name from "Supertramp"? was it John something, I forget. Anyway he did recording after Supertramp where he played every thing. It sounded pretty much like Supertramp.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 18:59:30 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Fri Oct 8 18:55:33 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

According to news reports, the number one costume as predicted for this year's Halloween is Lady Gaga................wonder if anyone ever dressed as The Band in 1969?

One man band: Stevie Winwood is close to genius in many categories. Vocals, keys and guitar - hard to find a match in the rock world. Sure he would have no problem with the drums and bass.....and not a slouch in the writing department either..............

Entered at Fri Oct 8 18:33:36 CEST 2010 from (137.148.188.145)

Lurking Less Than Usual Today Calvin

Entered at Fri Oct 8 18:30:23 CEST 2010 from (137.148.188.145)

Lurking Calvin

Entered at Fri Oct 8 18:24:07 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

I was so impressed by her musicality ( can't think of a better word) that I started buying her music which I did into the early 80's when I went strictly Reggae for a decade. Think I'll either download some of her music or buy some CDs. Thanks for bringing her up.

Todd, I'll take your word for it on Townsend, was never a fan and don't know his musical background.The only time I can remember seeing them perform was at the Super Bowl. I know, I should get out more.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 17:30:35 CEST 2010 from (173.62.162.157)

bassmanlee

Subject: Little help from you hipcats...and one man/woman bands

Back in the States after a month in the other DE. While there, watched quite a few 70's and 80's videos, the only thing on TV that approached being in English. One they played repeatedly was a maddeningly familiar song titled "Would I Lie To You" by a duo named Charles & Eddie. I don't recall this group at all. Looking at the compilations the Charles & Eddie version appear on, it would appear this was a big hit in Germany. I've found songwriting credits to Peter Vale/Mick Leeson, but haven't a clue who they are. Do any of you musical savants remember this song? Did someone else have a hit with this in the States or UK? (BTW, this is NOT the Eurythmics song of the same title.)

Maybe not quite from the 60's, but Joan Armatrading could qualify as a one-woman band. For most of her records she arrived with fully instrumented demos of her songs, which she would then teach to the session musicians. Another female multi-instrumentalist is Cheryl Crow.

And from the early seventies, one-man band Emitt Rhodes, who had a clear McCartney influence...

Entered at Fri Oct 8 17:18:05 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: Ian Tyson / Murray McLauchlan

Dunc: If you scroll a few headings down the newsletter at the link above you'll see that Ian Tyson has produced an autobiogrzphy. I just received an email saying that there's a book launch in Toronto on October 19 at which he'll be interviewed by his record company's very knowledgeable publicist. As an additional teaser for you, there will be music and there will be a reading by Murray McLauchlan from his own new book. (Murray did a pretty good autobiog a few years ago, and I doubt that the new one's just an update.) Thought I'd mention this in case you had a bunch of unused airmiles or something.

sadavid: I don't think you told us what you thought of Tyson's "Yellowhead to Yellowstone". I finally got my own copy a week or so ago; I still find the title song stunning, and am getting to the point of finding considerable value in most of the rest of the material. I'm not sure about the interlude between the halves of the YtoY song, which if it were TV would denote a dream sequence or a flashback; maybe the two bits were beginning and end of a longer suite and the middle got dropped. David P might care that most of the steel work was done by Dan Dugmore, a Linda Ronstadt sideman at the time of her tour with our guys so quite likely a particant in various mass jams here and there on the road.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 16:50:11 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Steve Winwood sang and played piano, organ, lead guitar, bass and possibly mandolin (he certainly can play it) on Traffic records. Not sure about drums. But there's always Richard Manuel.....

Entered at Fri Oct 8 16:34:06 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Fri Oct 8 15:56:03 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: One Man Band on the Run

The first name that comes to mind is Pete Townshend. He can write , sing, and play most instruments. I don't know that I would place him higher than Paul, but it could be argued that his work in the 1970's had more substance than a lot of Paul's work (and I'm a fan of a lot of Paul's work with Wings). The weak spot for Pete would probably be the drumming. Adequate, but utilitarian.....mostly suitable for demo work. Paul's probably the better drummer, and depending on preference, the better singer as well. There's got to be others. Maybe Peter Gabriel? John Fogerty? Stevie Wonder? I think Prince is probably a pretty good drummer as well as guitarist, but I would not classify him as a 1960's artist.

Entered at Fri Oct 8 15:22:14 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Send me an email to rob millis 74 at hot mail dot com and I'll ping you the Band cover that we've nearly finished!

Entered at Fri Oct 8 15:09:29 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

I can envisage a compilation album: Music from little pink: you, Rollie, Norm, others who've recorded... what you reckon?

Entered at Fri Oct 8 13:57:12 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

Could anyone from the 60's or 70's top Paul's One Man Band , credentials ?

Entered at Fri Oct 8 12:51:19 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Not bad thanks - just stayed away for a bit as still haven't finished the bloody album I was recording last time we spoke. Nearly done now though. This was what encouraged John to resume writing? I assume in a "F**kin hell, look what he's getting away with without having any competition" kind of way?

Entered at Fri Oct 8 12:40:32 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

Subject: Just found the Wikipedia page...

The five homages are: young Paul on Bass, Hank Marvin on Guitar, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar (though I don't really see it...), Ron Mael on keyboards and Mick Fleetwood on drums.

and apparently the song that inspired Lennon to take up songwriting again....

Entered at Fri Oct 8 12:34:49 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Fri Oct 8 12:14:14 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

Subject: McCartney's 'Coming up' filmclip

Just wondering: there are obvious homages to people in this clip (hank marvin, Paul as a beatle, I reckon Ron Mael from Sparks on the Keyboards (it's all Paul or Linda...)

Anyone here reckon the drummer is suppposed to be Levon? The beard's a bit thick...

Entered at Fri Oct 8 12:12:28 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

Great to see you!

Entered at Fri Oct 8 11:38:21 CEST 2010 from (92.238.33.140)

Rob the Organ

Entered at Fri Oct 8 02:50:05 CEST 2010 from (76.69.86.211)

brown eyed girl

THE PHILIP COHEN COLLECTION: DYLAN AND THE HAWKS, 1965
September 13, 2010

Rick Danko, bass
Bob Dylan, guitar/vocals
Bobby Gregg, drums
Garth Hudson, organ
Richard Manuel, piano
Robbie Robertson, guitar

Entered at Fri Oct 8 02:19:13 CEST 2010 from (24.218.200.216)

Tim

Subject: Danko 78 Roxy show

Pictures surfaced from that show about a year or two ago and are on this site on the picture page

Entered at Thu Oct 7 21:07:24 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Rollie

Just finished playing the album and I'm pleased. Glad 'The Weight' is on it. I remember Dylan talking about the importance of the mouth organ and that the ideal sound involves a mouth organ, an organ, a lead guitar, a bass and drums. Couldn't agree more. Unless of course two keyboard players. Thanks.

Entered at Thu Oct 7 19:37:20 CEST 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

Thanks for your help.Hope you enjoy it! JN

Entered at Thu Oct 7 18:07:41 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Rollie, Kevin

That's the Henhouse Tapes made it to Scotland, Rollie. Thanks.

CD 1 is great Kevin. I play it a lot too. Thanks.

Entered at Thu Oct 7 15:31:04 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

It was around on various tape trees a few years back. I'd guess it's sitting on the net somewhere. Other guests are Ronnie Hawkins, Clarence Clemons, Dr John, The Cate Bros, Don Johnson and Stephen Stills. However, in musical terms, "The Last Waltz it is not.' Must have been fun to see though.

Entered at Thu Oct 7 14:35:39 CEST 2010 from (208.120.213.56)

Jon Lyness

Subject: Re: Dylan & The Band

Thanks, Lars! Interesting choices. I'm going to guess those performances were a touch rough around the edges... ;) ...but even so, would love to hear them if they ever surface.

Entered at Thu Oct 7 14:08:35 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.191)

Steve

But to be fair to Obama, maybe he was confused about the actual meaning of the idiom after the ultimate fool, his predecessor, garbled it into; fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... you can't get fooled again. I miss George.

Entered at Thu Oct 7 07:25:46 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Subject: Dylan & The Band

I'm just catching up on the latest GB posts.

Jon, according to Levon's book,
Dylan played at least two songs with
The Band at Bill Clinton's "Blue Jean Bash:"
"To Be Alone With You" and "I Shall Be Released."

Entered at Wed Oct 6 23:24:06 CEST 2010 from (67.80.144.197)

owenw

Subject: The Band - Arrowhead Ranch - Parksville, NY - August 4, 1991

Movies : Concerts : VHS Rip to .wmv : English I got this about 10 years ago on VHS and transferred to .wmv. The quality is decent and the show is great. I found the following info. in the Arrowhead Ranch archives: Richie Havens performed to a rapt crowd at the Arrowhead Ranch on August 4, 1991. The Band with Billy Preston on keyboards and the ranch's own house band The Hour, filled out the bill that day.

Entered at Wed Oct 6 23:02:39 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: "Tribute to The Band will kick off jazz and blues festival"

Those of you likely to be near Orillia (a small city north of Toronto) on October 21 might like to check this out. (Lance Anderson, the sparkplug behind this - and it's one of a series of shows, apparently - is the guy who produced both the 2B3 CD and Garth's "Live at the Wolf" CD.)

Entered at Wed Oct 6 23:01:07 CEST 2010 from (67.80.144.197)

Owenw

Subject: The Band/Danko on Dime

Now on Dime: The Band August 31, 1969 Woodside Bay near Ryde, Isle Of Wight Festival Torrent #325459 The Band 1969-08-31 Isle Of Wight (upgrade !) AUD MR - DAT - CD - EAC - WAV - FLAC 01 We Can Talk 02 Long Black Veil 03 To Kingdom Come 04 Ain't No More Cane 05 Don't Ya Tell Henry 06 Chest Fever 07 I Shall Be Released 08 The Weight 09 Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever [37:33] Howdy folks, Continuing on with my craze over The Band these past couple of weeks with this one. I believe this is where my offerings by them has hit it's end. There might be one or two more, I'll check. But I posted, except what was already here, my whole collection, I think. It's been a pleasure and a lot of fun. Don't be scared to re-seed these when/if the time comes. Guests of Richard, Levon, Garth and Robbie? Wouldn't that make it, uuummmm.. another Band?? ;) This must be the first time and last time they got back together after "The Last Waltz" Sounding like a broken record, but no worries, another HUGE thanks to Jerry Moore and Rob Berger! I got this show from another tracker, and with that thanks also goes to jpc3, who seeded this then-dead torrent to me, at my request. I had to make a MD5 to post on Dime, but nothing else was changed. Enjoy, as always, -Tom Shyman

The Rick Danko Band 3/1/78 late show The Roxy, LA, CA Torrent #325313 * w/ Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson source: sbd 2nd gen reel Jerry Moore's copy lineage: sbd reel-cassette-7" reel @ 7.5 ips, dolby b transferred & seeded by Rob Berger one disc: 51:25 01: Sip The Wine 02: New Mexico 03: Wheels On Fire 04: Straight Goods 05: What A Town 06: Stage Fright* 07: The Shape I'm In* 08: The Weight* notes: wow! sounds good too.

(Seperate Posting of the IOW show) Torrent #325230 THE BAND ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL AUG 31 1969 AUD *BY MANY REQUESTS* Description i've seen a number of requests for this so i hope everyone goes for it. today i give you the band recorded at the 1969 isle of wight festival. aside from being dylan's band for this festival, they also performed their own set. it's classic early band including songs dropped soon after. unfortunately dylan's own set is not allowed here since some of the songs were included on self portrait. considering the age of this recording, it's really quite good. as usual i will include a sample. also included in the file set is the poster for the festival. as always, whatever info i have is in the file. enjoy, dave always more to come...

Howdy folks, Another day, another (part of a) show by The Band! With HUGE thanks to Jerry Moore and Rob Berger, I am offering this one. I don't have the complete set, only what is here on the FM broadcast. I got this show from another tracker, and with that thanks also goes to jpc3, who seeded this then-dead torrent to me, at my request. So, without any more delay, I give you The Band! Enjoy, as always, -Tom Shyman (amellowsoul@gmail.com)

The Band 12/31/83 partial Civic Auditorium, SF, CA Torrent #325305 The Band - Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA - Dec. 31 1983 (Opening for Grateful Dead) plus backstage interview with John Cipollina and Wavy Gravy **Jerry Moore's FM Master, Rob Berger's transfer & seed!** source: fm cassette master taped by Jerry Moore lineage: wnew fm simulcast-cassette master, maxell XLIIS90, dolby b nak dragon-hd-p2 24/96-hd-cd wave-adobe 16/44.1-flac transferred & seeded by Rob Berger 10/14/09 one disc: 33:20 01 - The Shape I'm In 02 - It Makes No Difference 03 - Milk Cow Blues 04 - Mystery Train 05 - King Harvest 06 - John Cipollina interview 07 - Wavy Gravy interview notes: opened for Grateful Dead

Entered at Wed Oct 6 21:28:21 CEST 2010 from (131.137.35.83)

sadavid

Subject: pawprints of denmark

"To pee, or not to pee . . . ."

Entered at Wed Oct 6 21:24:40 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

One of my favourite bookshelves is the one shown in a photo that ran a few years ago in a story about out guys ("Mojo", if I had to bet). Showed Garth sitting at a desk, and over his shoulder was a shelf with books and a dozen Basement Tape boxes.

Entered at Wed Oct 6 19:04:19 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

I Think my bookshelves show that I"m very messy, can't throw books away and I don't have enough book cases.

Entered at Wed Oct 6 18:42:57 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

.I.P. Norman Wisdom, died aged 95. To his surprise, this comedian found himself an icon in Albania in his declining years. Apparently his movies were the only Western films shown during the communist era.

Anyway, on Radio Two, they told a story to mark his departure. A few years ago, the European parliament was debating regional food names, like Parmesan cheese, Brunswick ham, Cornish pasties and so on. The debate turned to Normandy butter. The French delegate spoke at length, saying issues would be resolved by the natural common-sense of the farmers of Normandy. At this point, the British delegation were crying with laughter. The simultaneous translation through their headphones was “All problems will be solved by Norman Wisdom.”

Entered at Wed Oct 6 18:24:14 CEST 2010 from (65.47.151.50)

Jon Lyness

Subject: Jesse Winchester at Levon's

Looks like Jesse Winchester will be joining Levon and his band for a Woodstock Ramble on 10/30. Awesome...wish I could be there!

Entered at Wed Oct 6 16:14:40 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Entered at Wed Oct 6 15:54:59 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Entered at Wed Oct 6 14:36:38 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.185)

Steve

David, I'm sure, considering your fascination with George Gillette, ( That tasty, meat on a stick guy) that you're following his most recent sports investment disaster. Maybe you could work with the Who's, Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy and come up with a suitable description of George's most recent predicament.

Maybe, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy Balls? Just a suggestion, I'm no expert, so I leave it to you to do the definitive word play on this one.

Entered at Wed Oct 6 09:02:13 CEST 2010 from (99.141.49.27)

Adam2

Also, it looks like a soundboard of Rick's March 1978 Roxy show exists. It's very interesting and historically significant, of course, as it marked the first and last time the original line-up of the Band played together after the Last Waltz. Rick is in extremely loose form, and calls Richard, Robbie, Levon, and Garth out of the audience one by one to come join him for 3 encores. Garth plays accordion while Dr. John guests on organ for Stage Fright, Shape I'm In, and The Weight.

Entered at Wed Oct 6 08:58:21 CEST 2010 from (99.141.49.27)

Adam2

I found copies of Rick's Rolling Thunder Review guest spots from Nov. 1975 and Jan. 1976. They're great. He does a version of What A Town two years before his solo album came out, and a beautiful version of It Makes No Difference with a lovely mandolin part from David Mansfield. Rick also appears on the 1976 rehearsals, doing Loving You in addition to another It Makes No Difference, with Scarlett Rivera's violin. If you're a collector seek them out (on Hunger City or Dime).

Entered at Wed Oct 6 01:09:14 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

I thought a clown running for and getting elected to the senate in last week's elections in Brazil was a great comment on the evolution of democracy ( his only campaign promise was to tell the people who voted for him what senators actually do once he got there)and had to be the wackiest episode from democracies holding elections this fall.

But wait, you just can't count out the Tea Bags this early when it comes to wacky. The , I'm not a witch, I'm you, campaign ad for that Tea Bag Republican in Delaware has to challenge, electing clowns to spy on the other senators, and there's still weeks left in the campaign. Wonder what she's wearing this Halloween?

Entered at Wed Oct 6 00:12:16 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Tue Oct 5 23:31:37 CEST 2010 from (136.167.102.124)

Dave H

Entered at Tue Oct 5 23:25:02 CEST 2010 from (65.47.151.50)

Jon Lyness

Subject: Dylan & The Band

Re Dylan & the Band crossing paths in later years: both Bob and the 90s Band performed at the Clinton Inaugural "Blue Jeans Bash" circa January 1993, and apparently played together at some point during the event. (I'd be curious myself what was played, if anyone knows...?)

Entered at Tue Oct 5 22:49:36 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Thanks

Really enjoyed the latest posts on Dylan and the Band. It's when the GB is at its best. I hope that comment doesn't sound patronising.

I'm playing 'Tell Tale Signs' just now. It's a wonderful double album if you haven't got it. I think it was Kevin who championed it.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 22:48:59 CEST 2010 from (79.202.172.10)

Norbert

Entered at Tue Oct 5 22:43:28 CEST 2010 from (79.202.172.10)

Norbert

Subject: What does your bookcase say about you?

Bookcases (see link also), bookscases are non value things to books but I love them; sober tall English hand crafted 19 Cent.... dark oak .... hmm.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 22:41:22 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

I knew there was one! "The Weight" … Bob Dylan with The Levon Helm Band, Lone Star Cafe, 29th May 1988. They also did "Nadine" (very badly). On The Weight, Dylan doesn't know the words too well. He takes verses 1 & 2, there's a LONG sax solo, then Levon takes verse 4. They both do verse 5. Not being word perfect on The Weight is poor. Not being word perfect on Nadine is inexcusable.

It's all on the "Crossing The Great Divide" 3 CD boot.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 20:31:12 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

From the a/k/a department: Beginning with "Love and Theft" Dylan has produced his albums himself using the pseudonym Jack Frost.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 20:27:50 CEST 2010 from (136.167.102.124)

Dave H

Entered at Tue Oct 5 20:18:24 CEST 2010 from (136.167.102.124)

Dave H

As for Dylan and the Band, as always it's hard to tell with Dylan. I don't see any particular evidence of animosity. I assume Dylan gave them "I Must Love You Too Much" for High on the Hog, although I admit that example raises the question of sabotage. The '74 tour is represented by Before the Flood, Dylan's first-ever live album, and the '66 tour with the "Royal Albert Hall" concert release and a few stray tracks elsewhere.

It does seem that Dylan is much less enamored of the Basement Tapes material than the rest of us, but I'm not sure that has anything to do with the Band. The first Bootleg Series could have included much more than just "Santa Fe" and the basement version of "I Shall Be Released," and the rest of the unreleased material is a natural for a Bootleg Series release...

Entered at Tue Oct 5 18:56:09 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Even more so, The Band's participation with Dylan on the '74 tour and the inclusion of their set of songs on "Before The Flood" was an extremely lucrative one for the group.

As far as the group's involvement with David Geffen's Asylum label at the time, the 1968 Capitol recording contract I mentioned last week contains a clause which includes the following:

"Neither Company nor Artists shall be obligated to use the phrase 'Capitol Exclusive Artists' whenever Artists perform as side men or as joint artists with Bob Dylan."

Entered at Tue Oct 5 17:54:58 CEST 2010 from (68.164.6.72)

Pat B

To be honest, I can't recall Dylan covering a Band song. He did various versions of Released and Wheels but he wrote/co-wrote those.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 17:21:37 CEST 2010 from (72.78.128.246)

PSB

Subject: Dylan, the band, siblings

Bob Dylan has one younger brother, David Zimmerman. The songs Rick Danko sang with the Rolling Thunder Revue (which by chance I happened to see in Hartford, Connecticut) were "What A Town," and "It Makes No Difference." This was the live debut of "It Makes No Difference." "Northern Lights/Southern Cross" was on the radio, but not yet in the stores when the concert happened. Dylan (unfortunately in my view) uses The Band's arrangement of his song "Blind Willie McTell" in concert.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 17:09:38 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Dylan's 1974 Asylum 45 single "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" (from the live "Before The Flood" album) was backed by a live version The Band's "Stage Fright" from that same tour. That's certainly one instance where The Band benefited from their association with Dylan, as he endorsed the inclusion of one of their songs as a B-side.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 16:29:45 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

David Zimmerman has the shortest page I've seen yet on Wikipedia: 26 words.

probably if you've been hounded all your life for info about Bob, you probably have an aversion to revealing anything.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 16:13:30 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

One David Zimmerman, born 1946. However, I couldn't get access to the page...

Entered at Tue Oct 5 16:10:12 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

Also, John Lennon would have turned 70 today...

Entered at Tue Oct 5 16:06:49 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

dlew: I also remember that print interview....and my recollection was that Dylan did not criticise the Band but in response to a question he simply said something along the lines of "Yeah, the Band songs are great ( I believe he even singled out certain ones ) but they were really at their best as a great rock n roll R&B band.....they were really something to see..." Which relates to what Bill and I were discussing yesterday...........the Yonge street days when The Band were Kings.........quite legendary stuff...............their first album as much as the world ( the hip world ) embraced it - must have been a shock to those that new The Band as a rough and wicked outfit..............knowing this I understood Dylan's answer the the question............

Sebastian: Good to see you back and glad that all is well............really looking forward to Robbie's new one.....

Entered at Tue Oct 5 15:33:55 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

What tells me that Dylan has a sister?

Entered at Tue Oct 5 14:35:16 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: Robbie & Bobby

I think when the subject came up here in the past, Sebastian mentioned that there was no particular "falling out" between Robbie & Bob.....just that they were not close anymore. Sounded more like people drifting apart over the years as sometimes happens.

Although Bob did include a blurb on the back of Levon's book....at least the 2000 paperback release. It reads:
"This Wheel's on Fire explodes in the pure Dixie Delta dialect of rockabilly, the backbeat of America, the entire landscape...expertly written with heart and soul by one of the true heroes of my generation."

Quite a ringing endorsement. It may give the appearance that Bob was choosing sides. We do know that Bob appeared with Levon and Rick in 1983, and that The Band appeared at the Bob Dylan tribute fest and Robbie did not.

I don't recall the details of Dylan's split with Geffen in the 1970's but Robbie's first solo release was on Geffen records. Seems to be a pattern of them ending up on different sides of the playground.....although they both live in Malibu.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 13:53:43 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

Entered at Tue Oct 5 11:00:36 CEST 2010 from (99.141.49.27)

Adam2

Dylan and The Band did have a bit of interaction after Tour '74: Rick rehearsed "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" and "It Makes No Difference" in early 1976 with Dylan and the Rolling Thunder Review, and played both (I believe) live with him during that tour as one-offs. Robbie also guested on the Madison Square Garden show of the RTR (fall 1975): he played guitar on It Takes A Lot To Laugh (streaming on Wolfgang's Vault).

Entered at Tue Oct 5 10:12:38 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Still, he turned up for TLW, so any post-74 tour or 75 basement tapes stuff can't have soured relations (as someone suggested last time this was discussed).

Entered at Tue Oct 5 09:12:26 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Apart from the 1966 live show, the Bootleg Series has steered away from (say) the 1974 tour, and a fuller basement tapes volume is a great big glaring hole in the reissues. As is the heavily-bootlegged Isle of Wight set, perhaps with the Woody Guthrie Tribute songs as bonus tracks. In fact I thought the last flurry of bootlegs was a sign that the tapes had been taken out for possible release. As to doing Band songs, if people say Dixie is too hard to sing for Levon anyway nowadays (leaving aside whether he wants to or not), then Bob isn’t going to get his voice round it in a month of Sundays.

But as with all things Dylan, it’s an enigma, and we’re not going to find out. From the little biographical info we ever get, Dylan doesn’t seem one for old friends reunions. The Geffen biography has him close to Robbie around 1974 to 1975 in LA. Perhaps it’ll all come out in Chronicles Vol 2. Perhaps they all phone each other once a week and chew the fat. How would anyone know?

Entered at Tue Oct 5 06:33:07 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

he didn't know why they (I guess he meant Robbie) wrote the types of songs they did: he much preferred them as a rock and roll outfit - I'll do a quick google search for the direct quote (which is probably here somewhere...): could Dylan have been interviewed in Mojo where he said something along those lines (the arguement is approximately that, but I can't remember the exact quote... I read it in print.)

Entered at Tue Oct 5 05:53:05 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: Bob's Attention to Detail

Bob also played an Ollabelle track on his radio show and mentioned Amy Helm being the daughter of Levon Helm from The Band. The only wrinkle is that the song he played on his show was 'Elijah Rock' from Ollabelle's first album...... a song that features Fiona McBain on lead vocals rather than Amy.

As I recall, he didn't actually SAY that it was Amy singing, but the way he introduced the song could give the casual listener the impression that it was Amy. I wonder if Bob knew the difference, or deliberately left some room for confusion.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 05:17:24 CEST 2010 from (99.141.49.27)

Adam2

How has Dylan ever been critical of Band songs? I'm a big Dylan fan and I haven't really heard of him mentioning/playing Band songs, so I don't know how that can be interpreted as "criticism". Rick joined him on stage for a duet of This Wheel's On Fire in 1997. Levon opened for Dylan at Bethel Woods (I believe) once in the past couple years, but other than that I don't think they've interacted or played together in public. He mentions Robbie only once in Chronicles Vol. 1, and it's kind of a silly quote that Dylan looks down upon. Dylan and Robbie have been pictured together at the Oscars or some other post-2000 event. And Dylan has played a Band song on his XM/Sirius radio show only once I believe: Richard's "Sleeping" from Stage Fright.

Entered at Tue Oct 5 05:02:54 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

Bob's always been critical of the Band songs - or at least, he has been recently. Now, it'll take David P, Pat B or Peter V to answer this, but I bet he did 'I shall be released' and 'Tears of Rage', and probably even 'Wheel's on Fire'...

Thanks for the advice Peter V and Dunc and also your comments, David P.: I think I'll start with Liege and Lief and move to Unhalfbricking (which sounds phenomenal.) I must say, Peter, I have the same response to 'Princess Bride', as I had a flatemate who said I 'had to watch this' and then wrecked every joke by coming in with the punchline half a sentence early, ruining both the joke and my viewing experience. Even now, there's only a very few scenes I fully enjoy...

Entered at Tue Oct 5 04:24:14 CEST 2010 from (99.236.13.43)

Serenity

Hi guys, hope this finds you all well.

MUSIC NEWS:

Tuesday, 10/05/2010

Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... [Bravo 40 at 10PM]

Levon Helm, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson & Allen Touissant

Dave has Mavis Staples as his musical guest.

Until next time LOVE AND PEACE xoxoxoxo

Entered at Tue Oct 5 04:11:38 CEST 2010 from (70.225.35.87)

glenn t

was wondering if the mighty zim has ever covered a band song. he's covered lots of folks over the years, why not any from the band?

i'm not aware of any on record, but perhaps he's played one or more in concert. does anybody have any recollection of bob singing a song written by robbie or richard?

if bob were to sing a band song, which might he choose?

Entered at Mon Oct 4 23:29:58 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Sebastian: Thanks for checking in. If I can add just one more question, Who does Robbie remember guesting on stage with the Hawks in Toronto (regularly, frequently, ever ...) Here are some possibilities that might help jog his memory: Jay Smith, David Clayton Thomas, Eric Mercury, Jayson King, Phil Gariepy, Jimmy Livingston, Robbie Lane, Franklin or Zeke Shepherd, Jon and Lee, Johnny Rhythm, Dutch Mason, Kelly Jay, Larry Lee, Bobby Kris, Pat Hervey, Joey Hollingsworth, Matt Lucas, Linda Lane, Ritchie Knight, Terry Roberts, Roy Hockley, Les Tasher, Dianne Brooks, Jack Harden ... (I really have no idea in most cases - these are just names of singers back in the day.)

Entered at Mon Oct 4 23:05:18 CEST 2010 from (216.3.100.122)

Sebastian

Entered at Mon Oct 4 22:11:50 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Kevin J: Yes, the Yonge Street scene of the day must've been amazing. I can't find it, but somewhere I have a clipping where DCT has both himself and Jay Smith (who reverted to Eugene Smith at the end of the '60s) as Hawk semi-regulars. I don't doubt DCT, but Eugene's never claimed to me that he was a real Hawk until after Levon and band had flown the coop. Certainly both of them, along with Robbie Lane and (I'm sure) Zeke Shepherd were at the very least regular guest vocalists. Another short-term Hawk was singer-drummer Matt Lucas (see link), a Memphisher who'd washed ashore in Toronto while touring his hit cover of "I'm Moving On" in '63, and wound up setting up his kit beside Levon's and singing a couple of songs a night for a couple of weeks. Then Hawkins put together a little band for him (Kelly Jay on piano, Ernie Corallo of guitar and Sandy Konikoff on drums) and sent him back on the road. (Corallo would turn up much later with Stan Szelest and Sandy Konikoff on John Cale's "Vintage Violence".)

Entered at Mon Oct 4 21:39:20 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Bill M: I just checked the whole 100 and Mrs.René Angélil only has one and not sure if that is the Titanic one or not......Despite its flaws...ya really do have to love a list that has two from Teenage Head - and none from Nickleback, Shania Twain or the insufferable Nelly Furtado.............Sarah McLachlan's absence is surprising though..........As to the Dubois tune......I got turned on to his music by an early girlfriend who lived in Montreal.............most I didn't really like but his voice I loved ( haunting in its way ). Harmonium was through my brother and Marjo was seeing her at a concert in Montreal ( a thing called Miller Music Festival ) at which Stevie Ray Vaughn was the headliner ( not sure the date but remembered as it was the date his father was buried and he flew in straight or should I directly from Texas ). She was fabulous...beautiful raunchy rock n roll................Funny story.....the local FM station in Montreal had a trailer at the concert grounds ( Jarry Park ) and whenever they played a song the wasn't deemed heavy enough the Hells Angels would literally shake the trailer.......Frank Marino opened for Stevie and played about 2 1/2 hours - after every 2 or 3 additional songs he would announce "well we hear that Stevie's plane is just about to land"

Entered at Mon Oct 4 20:58:45 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

The link above is to a different press interview with Young and Lanois.

David P: While the road to Cairo was good, Ackles's "American Gothic" was superb. I've always heard the moving title song as a riff on the Mothers' "Moving To Montana", which is surely Zappa's own response to all the back-to-the-land songs that appeared post Bigs Pink and Brown.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 20:54:01 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Entered at Mon Oct 4 20:01:38 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Bill M: As I recall, several members of Rhinoceros also played on the debut album of Elektra lablemate David Ackles.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 19:17:49 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Peter V: Not "Mexico", I'm sure, nor the later Warner material, but it could've been one of the other two early ones you listed. Any Dwight credits on those two b-sides?

Entered at Mon Oct 4 18:51:18 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

Bill M: In 1967 Buddy Miles left Wilson Pickett to join The Electric Flag, who, as I mentioned last week, were managed Albert Grossman. Harvey Brooks had recommended him, although Michael Bloomfield initially favored hiring Billy Mundi. After seeing the Mr. Miles performing with the Wicked Pickett in concert, Mr. Bloomfield agreed. Besides his powerful drumming, it was an added bonus that the then 19-year Miles was also an excellent singer.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 18:50:27 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Bill: Long John had four Top 30 hits, all on Pye in Europe:

Let The Heartaches Begon (UK #1 1967)

When The Sun Comes Shinin’ Thru (UK #29 1968)

Mexico (UK #15 1968)

It’s Too Late Now (UK #21 1969).

That was the lot for chart action. He was on United Artists from 1964 to 1967, then Warner Bros circa 1972.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 17:51:14 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.188)

Steve

Bill, regardless of what came 32 to 100, the focus should be on what came ahead of it. I'd put the song in the top 10. But, I understand that for it to make that position the voters would have to understand the lyrics. That's not a rap against the voters just a comment on the strength of the song if you can appreciate the lyrics as well as the musical composition.

I'd like to see the list of Canadian singles voted on by Francaphones. Be interesting to see what songs on The Top 100 ( English List) bridged the cultural gap. I'm guessing that if Elvis was Canadian, he'd dominate the list as far as English songs goes. Elvis was as big with French Quebecers ( especially females) back in the day as he was in the English speaking world.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 16:34:05 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

I read once that Jack Bruce titled his "Songs for a Tailor" album in honour of the woman killed - as that was her skill.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 16:18:54 CEST 2010 from (156.47.15.10)

David P

What's amazing is that Fairport Convention released three of their finest albums in the span of one year. "What We Did On Our Holidays" (Jan.), "Unhalfbricking" (July) and "Liege & Lief" (Dec.). Furthermore, the group had to deal with a tragic event about halfway through that year when drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson's girlfriend were killed in an accident involving their tour van following a gig.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 16:16:13 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: miscellaneous (he types effortlessly)

Westcoaster: Thanks for the dance clip. Well edited as you say. I especially liked the bit of Steve 'n' Lars at 2:08 - smooooth. Me, I'm more Jack Black in "High Fidelity".

Dunc: The only Band songs that made the main chart in Toronto (the CHUM chart) were "The Stones I Throw", "Up On Cripple Creek" and "Out Of The Blue". I believe that others, notably "Time To Kill" and "The Shape I'm In" made it to at least the 'bubbling under' part of the less consequential but more tasteful CKFH chart - thanks, no doubt, to the efforts of our own John D, a DJ there at the time. "Uh Uh Uh" made RPM magazine's national 'top Canadian records' subchart in '65, and most of our guys' other records would have made the national top 100 too.

Peter V: I don't have it anymore, but my Long John single was on WB, but as I don't recall Pye stuff ever coming out here on WB, I wonder if it was another single, or even a re-do of the hit. (What was the other schlock hit he had in the UK?)

JT: Good to hear from you. And thanks for chiming in with the confirmation re DCT and our guys. While he wouldn't have suited the Band, Levon and the Hawks were wedded to blues and R&B - as was/is DCT.

Kevin J: I didn't know that business blues song at all. You've heard it by Celine Dion? Speaking of whom, I'm too lazy to see if her Titanic song made the list, but I'd say it deserves to be on it. I'm also to look up the 'terms of reference' that I was sent, but they caused me to list not my favourite songs but the well known songs that I thought matter most / said the most / were culturally most significant - that sort of thing. Hence "Sudbury Saturday Night". Like "Sonny's Dream", a search for in on YouTube will find all sorts of versions - by the original artist, by famous other artists and by absolute 'nobodies' leading their fellow patrons in song down at the small-town legion.

"The Stones I Throw" - and likely "Opportunity" and "Lonesome Mary" - would have made my top 10 list of personal favourites, along with "Half Closed Eyes" by Kensington Market and "You Make Me High" by Luke and the Apostles. The bassist on the latter was Jack August, later leader of your beloved Moonquake. Their "Don't You Try To Be My Baby" would make my top 100, I suspect, but their absence from Mersereau's book doesn't bother me. The total absence of Chilliwack from both this and the album book does, however.

JT: If you're still around for a couple weeks, you'll want to catch Luke Gibson (with Mike McKenna) celebrating True North's rerelease of his 1972 solo LP on CD. Expect Keith McKie to guest. Expect them to do both sides of the "You Make Me High" 45. (I know this because I lent Luke my copy so they could relearn their own friggin' song. Those rock guys!)

Kevin J: A thumbnail sketch of Jack August Geisinger's early career in music has him in Bob and the Messengers with Wally Rossi and Bob Parkin in '64 when they release a nice "Telstar"-like instrumental. They then became the Soulmates, who were hired into Wilson Pickett's band, which included drummer Buddy Miles. They left and added some other guys and recorded the brilliant brilliant Influence LP for ABC in NY. August (followed by Rossi) then joined the Apostles in Toronto, and with Luke's departure started work on Rossi's own Charlee LP. While Rossi, along with Bob Parkin, rejoined Buddy Miles in time to record his classic "Them Changes" 45, August returned to Montreal to join Pagliaro's band, which became Moonquake.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 14:09:22 CEST 2010 from (70.110.107.68)

Tom Buckton

Subject: Peekskill

I was at the reunion and heard you played at the re-opening of Grand Olde Opry. I now live in Nashville. Let me know if you are ever in town and maybe we can get together and rehash all the basketball games we played in your backyard.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 13:41:31 CEST 2010 from (59.101.47.47)

dlew919

Janis Joplin died of an overdose. 4 Oct 1970. RIP, Janis.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 13:38:26 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.186)

Steve

While it's not a ,Red Alert, situation under the Bush, color coded safety system, it should be considered just a shade below that, possibly a Pink day.

Entered at Mon Oct 4 08:15:53 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: Dunc - You're Not Alone

Dunc, I spent the weekend working too. Glad to have the work, but could use a break....the bills never seem to take a vacation.

I'm actually looking forward to Monday. I've got two jobs to take care of, but it feels much better to deal with that on a Monday vs. a Sunday.

Enjoy!

Entered at Mon Oct 4 06:54:03 CEST 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

Hey Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it! Cheers,JN

Entered at Mon Oct 4 06:49:24 CEST 2010 from (207.183.172.133)

Rollie

The Hen house tapes made it to your car stash?Sweet! Cheers,JN

Entered at Mon Oct 4 04:50:54 CEST 2010 from (174.119.191.73)

JT

Subject: Nuit Blanche

Hit the streets of downtown Toronto last night with my honey for Nuit Blanche Year 5. This one was special. At City Hall, thousands of people were there at midnight where Le Noise was blasting out of Neil Young with large screens showing Neil singing the songs at 5 or 6 locations throughout the square. This was a Daniel Lanois project and was superb. What an effect!! The songs are great and Neil is at his finest. Great credit to Daniel Lanois for continually bringing out the best in everyone and shining himself with his understated elegance. Whatever you think of Toronto (and there are many opinions), Toronto is at its finest on this all-night of art. (6:57 pm to dawn).

Entered at Sun Oct 3 20:13:08 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Lars, Joe J

Not a great day, spending Sunday working.

Know that feeling Lars.

Joe J: the Neil Young got mixed reviews here, but on your recommendation I'll buy it. Sometimes in articles here, Teenage Fanclub are given the accolade of the 'best' Scottish band of all time. Not my era, but that band was influenced hugely by Big Star and Alex Chilton, who made visits to Glasgow. I still play the Best of the Boxtops regularly.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 17:33:25 CEST 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Only about twenty years behind the times but I've recently been introduced to Teenage Fanclub. Friends of yours Dunc?

Entered at Sun Oct 3 17:27:15 CEST 2010 from (96.30.174.20)

joe j

Subject: the Youngs

I'm still taken with Neil Young's latest release. I've been playing it pretty much on repeat while at work. It only gets better. It's the only one of his this century I wholeheartedly recommend, maybe the only one I can recommend at all.

Then there's Craig Young. Craig was our guest for "Country Night at the Lodge' last night. This four time winner of Canadian Country instrumentalist of the year (guitar) is back home (in Newfoundland) after nine years in Nashville. After being a sideman all these years he's now a solo act and he sings (almost) as well as he plays. Does original material, songs by other family members and a wide variety of covers from 'Romeo & Juliet' to 'Kern River'. Also worked 'Long Black Veil' and 'Georgia' into his set.

'The Henhouse Tapes' have been promoted to my car stash, that is to say it meets with the approval of the Missus (unlike, say, Neil). You know it wasn't just my parents who didn't care for Neil.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 16:54:36 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars

Entered at Sun Oct 3 16:40:46 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Liege and Lief

Dlew:I agree with Peter. But for a Band fan, you should buy the Band influenced 'Unhalfbricking' for several reasons. Peter has already spoken about the brilliant 'Si Tu Dois Partir'. In my top twenty would be the brilliant 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?', there are only songs by Bob, Sandy and Richard Thompson and the musicianship is very good. I think Sandy Denny was voted best female vocalist here in 1970 and 1971. I think of her as a female Richard and her life came to a tragic end too soon.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 15:27:12 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Yes. It's worth owing. Probably essential.

I'm actually less of a fan than most ("Voted the most important folk album of all time" is what the sticker on the remaster says) and I'm not sure why I'm not 100% convinced. I think it's because when I first used to hear it there was often a woman present who thought she sounded like Sandy Denny, knew every word and always sang along, which was a bit piercing in close proximity, and may have put me off it. It's certainly ONE of the most important folk albums of all time, but I'm not sure it would make my Top Ten. Top Twenty, definitely.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 15:13:54 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

The EP was The Sound of Cyril Davies, worth £70 if you've got one in good nick. There was a 10" LP, "The Legendary Sound of Cyril Davies" which goes for £300 in the 1957 version. But most are 12" versions on Folklore from 1970.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 15:07:46 CEST 2010 from (61.68.103.212)

dlew919

No question he was a great guitarist. did anyone get the Island folk in Mojo a few months back: marvellous compilation, with a wonderful Martyn track on it: 'Go Down Easy' with a million 'how did he do THAT?' moments...

Can't remember if I aasked this, or if I thought about asking: is Liege and Lief by fairport convention worth owning?

Entered at Sun Oct 3 13:48:41 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Correction

Senior Citizen moment there! (Does anybody else here get them?)That should have been Cyril Davis singles and EP, not CD. What was that famous EP called?

Entered at Sun Oct 3 13:41:10 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Thanks

I miss John Martyn.

Playing Endless Highway just now. I think 'It Makes No Difference' by My Morning Jacket is very good. I think the entire album is very good.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 13:32:10 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

An afterthought … in the Rod Liddle piece I mentioned in today's Sunday Times, he mentions Messrs Young and Lanois saying they'd done something completely new, and adds a reference to John Martyn doing it like that years ago.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 13:12:51 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Wonderful picture of Long John with Rod, Julie and Brian Auger.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 12:47:18 CEST 2010 from (86.171.75.227)

Dunc

Subject: Peter V

I remember sitting in a friend's flat playing Julie Driscoll and Cyril Davis singles and CDs, thinking we're the coolest guys in Scotland. Spent last week looking up Cyril Davis on You Tube. Is this not a great picture of Julie Driscoll et al?

Still play Family and Fairport Convention(as you all know with Sandy Denny)regularly.

The coolest album to carry was 'In the court of King Crimson'.

Really enjoyed the discussion on the Canadian top 100. What Band singles and albums were Canadian hits?

Entered at Sun Oct 3 12:01:07 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

According to the PV Book of Etiquette, a backwards baseball cap is permissible when dining out of doors during daylight hours between May 1st and September 21st, provided that the back of the wearer's neck is directly facing the sun's rays and is unprotected by the sensible provision of a light silk neckscarf.

See today's Sunday Times for Rod Liddle's "interview" with Neil Young and Daniel Lanois in the Culture section. i won't spoil it by quoting.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 11:20:55 CEST 2010 from (91.42.248.159)

Norbert

Entered at Sun Oct 3 11:19:40 CEST 2010 from (91.42.248.159)

Norbert

Thanks for clearing that friends, we just turned our caps the right way again. A minor pitty as we practiced a lot with backwards caps till now and got used to the positive reactions average cool of it.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 08:23:53 CEST 2010 from (69.182.79.77)

Todd

Subject: Yogi

I think it was Yogi Berra who said that nobody wears their cap backwards anymore because everyone is wearing them that way.

I seem to remember a lot of backwards caps in the late 1980's....around the time of the Beastie Boys.....but not so much lately.

Entered at Sun Oct 3 01:21:03 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: The Final Outcome!!!!!!

Yogi Bear! Of course he was gonna wear his hat backwards.....he's a back catcher fer cryin' out loud. AAwwwwwwwwwww man Lars are you tryin' to drive us crazy?

Wearin yer hat backwards..it's like all these looney tunes now. Gotta have sun glass on top their head. Never use 'em but they gotta be there...it's....."stylish". Every time I see one of these piss ant punks with those glasses there I just want ta slap 'em right off their head.

Oh........my heart.....I gotta go now.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 20:43:17 CEST 2010 from (67.250.113.92)

Lars Pedersen

Subject: beer and the ultimate outcome

I think I got drunk once drinking Colding beers in Kronberg. Or maybe it was Kronenberg beers in Colding. Anyway, that was a long time ago when Denmark was still young and the Kronberg Castle wasn't even built yet.

Norbert, the guy who started that wearing the baseball cap backwards was Yogi Berra. Most people wear their baseball cap the right way these days.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 19:58:40 CEST 2010 from (79.202.168.9)

Norbert

Subject: First Rollie CD arrives in Germany

Rollie, your CD has arrived in Germany! (it traveled a long way via Canada with the help of our Brown Eyed Girl). It’s on the Bose speakers right now in, great cover b.t.w. I like the little cabin with the skies at the back. I’m going to listen now (already like the first 4 songs, thanks) .

Entered at Sat Oct 2 19:18:08 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.190)

Steve

Entered at Sat Oct 2 19:16:20 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.190)

Steve

Entered at Sat Oct 2 19:15:20 CEST 2010 from (74.108.27.233)

Joan

Robbie's page on Facebook says he is done with the mixing, they are making the masters and it should be out soon.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 19:03:32 CEST 2010 from (76.99.245.65)

Peter M.

Subject: Leon & hair

My son David is 21 now. When he was about 7, we were watching Edgar Winter on Austin City Limits. He did a couple of songs with his band, all of whom had platinum to white hair, including a woman with a medium large afro, a visually striking contrast. Then Leon Russell came out and joined them. In one of his first public exhibitions of salty language, David blurted out, "What the hell is that? Cousin It?"

Entered at Sat Oct 2 18:23:45 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.190)

Steve

He said it was his brother, as I remember. I took that into consideration. Remove those stutters and see what it reads like. Vastly superior ain't it. NOT.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 18:19:41 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Cruchial mistakes

Gawd damn it Steve! How could you forget the ba-ba-ba-baby. Did you ever see Bachman explain why he wrote that song that way? He was poking fun at some one who stuttered. Either his brother or a friend.....I forget which.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 16:45:03 CEST 2010 from (206.47.201.190)

Steve

Bill all lists have weaknesses of course but Bachman as the King OF Pop. Maybe the King Of Pop Corn.

I know I ain't seen nothin' yet I know I ain't seen nothin' yet, mmh, mmh, mmh I got something for you right now

Feels good, alright, how do you do that But I ain't seen nothin' yet

But I deserve it one of these days Woohoo, but I ain't seen nothin' yet

I ain't seen nothin' yet Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeah

I ain't seen nothin' yet I'll wait, I'll wait, I'll wait

If you want to show me what I ain't seen, where I ain't been Lalalalalala Owowowowowowo

Somehow, that ended up one position ahead of, Wondering Where The Lions Are.

I can say no more.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 15:23:27 CEST 2010 from (90.239.118.181)

NorthestCoaster

Subject: It is an honour to have a PEDERSEN in this gb / Hamlet's Castle

"A Danish version of the tale was published in 1534 entitled “Kong Olger Danskes Krønike”, or The Chronicle of King Olger the Dane. As the author Christiern PEDERSEN came from Elsinore, the heroic figure became naturally associated with Kronberg."

Entered at Sat Oct 2 15:13:09 CEST 2010 from (90.239.118.181)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: More about Hamlet/Dylan

BTW: as far as i know no one has pointed out that there is this figure "Renaldo" in both "Renaldo and Clara" and in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". And Dylan was/is obsessed to Hamlet. Hysch-hysch-hysch don't tell this to Dylanologists in Crackbook ;-))))))))))))))

Entered at Sat Oct 2 14:46:30 CEST 2010 from (90.239.96.234)

NorthWestCoaster

Subject: Reclaim America! (mainly to Lars and Steve)

Occasionally I visit Hamlet's Castle Kronberg in Denmark. I gaze silently to a sign which says:

"BOB DYLAN and J.F. KENNEDY were here". These names represented hope, progress and renewal here in Europe back then (right or wrong).

I can't imagine the signs:

MICHAEL JACKSON and GEORGE W. BUSH were here or

LINDSEY LOHAN and BILL GATES were here

Footnote: A picture of B. Dylan in Kronberg Castle can be seen at least in SCADUTO's biography. In opposite page there is a pic of The Crackers (!). And Steve, Finnish mobile phone company NOKIA has a new Canadian leader, who is going to (my opinion, only!) let Micro$$$$$$$$$$oft to take over Nokia.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 14:40:37 CEST 2010 from (79.202.181.206)

Norbert

Entered at Sat Oct 2 14:38:58 CEST 2010 from (79.202.181.206)

Norbert

It’s a rainy day in Germany, a good time to give my fav. funeral songs a thought . To get that extra touch when the kick my coffin into the fire I’m thinking of these songs :

1) Reminds me of you (Van Morrison, they played it at our wedding too, rounds it up).

2) Tupelo Honey (I’m a Van fan).

3) Desolation Row (Dylan, to make it last a little longer).

4) Dixie (Levon & The Band, for the end of a Band fan) .

5) John Mayer’s Gravity guitar solo (2007 crossroads, i.m.o. the best solo there is, just to share).

wha ... just a thought.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 13:39:11 CEST 2010 from (91.42.225.193)

Norbert

Subject: the USA & the back to front baseball cap

According to Dawkins the behavior of wearing baseball caps back to front started in the USA some ten years ago, I wonder if this is still going on over there? (we’re planning to hike the USA like locals with our new caps).

Entered at Sat Oct 2 09:26:16 CEST 2010 from (82.69.47.175)

Peter V

Bill … I have two original 1967 UK Pye copies (with different centre designs) of Let The Heartaches Begin, that I picked up for an article on Pye label design. Both have Annabells (Who Flies To Me When She’s Lonely) by Locatelli, Palomba & Ryan on the B-side. The Reg Dwight bit would be great for the article … is it on the Canadian single? Or a later reissue?

Entered at Sat Oct 2 06:12:48 CEST 2010 from (174.119.191.73)

JT

Subject: David Clayton Thomas

I have always been a fan of David Clayton Thomas. I saw him at the Concord Tavern on Bloor St. at matinees when I was 15. I remember the 'voice' and the energy and the excitement. He was 'born to it' and he knew it. His book provides an excellent description of the strength of the music scene in Toronto. It is well written and provides an excellent backdrop for anyone who wants to understand what was happening in Toronto in the early to mid-60s. I was raised on the Saturday rehearsal matinees of the Hawks and saw many others. (DCT, L & the Hawks, Jon & Lee & the Checkmates, many others). I got my first taste of the blues from David and the impression was indelible. The 'voice' persists and his work is constant and excellent. As for the Hawks... David said in his autobiography :" I had a steady job with benefits and I was throwing it all away for an uncertain future in a bar band. I only worked with Ronnie when he was in Toronto. When the Hawks went on the road I was unemployed. I didn't care. This was my chance. the first time I stepped onstage with the Hawks I knew I was born for this".

Entered at Sat Oct 2 04:53:50 CEST 2010 from (72.189.13.25)

daena (said dana)

Subject: speaking of chet akins i got a question...

i was waching a show on p.b.s. with chet akins and freinds , and i was wondering if anyone knows if rick danko was on the show too , or not ? the show was from 1987 ... willie nelson was on there , and a hole bunch of other artist , and the guy by the keyboards kinda looked like rick danko to me , but i did'nt see his name in the credits , so i was curius if anyone here might know if rick might of done that show or not.. thanks to anyone who trys to help me find out..

Entered at Sat Oct 2 04:26:19 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Amazing Editing

You're right about Tom Lavin ..Kevin of course, but Powder was always a Canadian band, so I don't know how the song fits as far as acredited Canadian song goes.

I've put up a web page here. I don't know how many of you may have seen this. Some one, and I haven't found who, put videos from many, many movies, (dance routines) to one song, and made it all fit. Too many to name here, but it's fun to pick out the different actors and moviers of days gone by. It's the damnest piece of editing it all fits so well. Very enjoyable.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 02:11:03 CEST 2010 from (99.236.13.43)

Serenity

Hi guys. Thanx to all for the wonderful, interesting posts. I've enjoyed reading them beyond words.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Had to put in my list too. We ARE proud Canadians...

Sorry, but had to copy and paste the list, as it came in my personal mail. Hope I'll be forgiven???

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

'American Woman' tops list of Canadian singles

Thu Sep 30, 10:33 AM---By Nick Patch

TORONTO - The Guess Who's 1970 smash "American Woman" is the greatest Canadian single of all time, according to a new book coming out Thursday.

Author Bob Mersereau polled roughly 800 musicians, journalists, managers, promoters, label executives, retailers and music fans to compile his book, "The Top 100 Canadian Singles," which spans more than six decades of material.

The second spot went to "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young, whose "Harvest" album topped Mersereau's 2007 book "The Top 100 Canadian Albums." Rounding out the top five were "The Weight" by the Band, "Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

But Guess Who songwriter Randy Bachman proved to be the big winner. Along with his work with Bachman-Turner Overdrive (whose "Takin' Care of Business" is No. 8), he has six songs in the top 100, a number that increases to eight if his production work for Trooper is included.

"When you look at this, you'd have to say that Randy Bachman is the king of Canadian pop," Mersereau said in an interview in Toronto on Wednesday.

"Eight of the top 100 songs, Randy's directly involved in. The guy has shown that he's got the magic when it comes to writing a rock 'n' roll song and recording it and getting that radio-friendly sound."

Mersereau is proud of the fierce debate spawned by his last book ("I've heard of dinner parties that have become complete arguments about what's in that book," he boasts), and he expects this sequel will be just as hotly debated.

Young has five songs total on the list, the Tragically Hip and Adams have four apiece while Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Rush, Sloan and Blue Rodeo have three songs each. "The list shows just how strong we are at writing songs and in many cases producing these little three-to-five minute gems of radio or video magic," Mersereau said. "Singles, by nature, people think of the top 40. So it's a little more representative of that. But I think it also shows that you didn't have to be a star name in Canada to have a star hit, and I really like that.

"For every Neil and Joni and Cohen in there, there's a Mashmakhan and a Diodes." Mersereau's panel of voters included Joel Plaskett, former MuchMusic VJ John Roberts, the CBC's Stuart McLean, late author Paul Quarrington, Dallas Green, Sass Jordan and Sloan's Chris Murphy and Jay Ferguson.

He aimed for a group diverse in age, region, profession and area of musical interest ("I didn't want this to be a music-nerd kind of book," he explains).

He focused not on songs but singles, with the criteria that each tune on the list had to be released separately from an album collection at some point, whether as a 45, a CD single, a cassingle (remember those?) or a digital download.

Each member of Mersereau's panel submitted a list of their 10 favourite Canadian singles of all time. Simple math determined the final list.

The 1970s were the best-represented period, with 35 songs. Two songs from the '50s made the cut, 13 from the '60s, 24 from the '80s and 19 from the '90s.

Montreal critical darlings Arcade Fire have the only song from the past decade in the top 50, with their rousing anthem "Wake Up" coming in at No. 29. Malajube, Feist, k-os, the New Pornographers and Wintersleep (whose "Weighty Ghost" is No. 100) are the other artists to make the cut with tunes released in this century.

Mersereau said that recent hits by Drake and K'naan hit the airwaves too late for consideration, but that the latter's "Wavin' Flag" might have made the cut otherwise. "I think that is a song that would have got in there if the survey had been done this year," said Mersereau, a music writer and longtime arts reporter for CBC-TV in New Brunswick. Of course, music fans will care as much about which artists were left out as which made the cut.

And Mersereau's book sure features some high-profile snubs, including Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, Broken Social Scene, Avril Lavigne, Nickelback and Shania Twain — one of the best-selling artists of all time from any country.

"It was really stiff competition numbers-wise towards the 50-100 here," Mersereau says by way of explanation. "But I think by and large, there are certain artists who are backlash artists, who have fans but have haters too.

"Nickelback knows that half the audience loves them and half the audience hates them. Avril probably knows that. Shania knows that. Some people consider these artists pariahs."

Other major Canadian artists made the list but with surprisingly low placements.

Alanis Morisette —whose 1995 smash "Jagged Little Pill" was No. 6 on Mersereau's album list — has only one song on the list, with "You Oughta Know" checking in at No. 53. Ditto Stompin' Tom Connors ("The Hockey Song" is 86th) and Celine Dion ("My Heart Will Go On" clocks in at No. 70).

Mersereau did try to answer criticism about his previous list's English-language bias by including a separate Top 100 of the best French-Canadian singles of all time (Robert Charlebois' "Lindberg" is No. 1).

"I was writing a book for an English audience," he says of his first book. "It really surprised me how much francophones were interested in this, considering it wasn't even in their first language."

"I have to take that criticism, and it was certainly legitimate."

Mersereau says that his intention is not to necessarily create a definitive list of the best Canadian music, but rather shift the discussion toward Canuck talent in general.

"It's a list of art — it's never going to be right," he said. "You can't do a scientific poll. It's not like an election. ... It's always a snapshot. It'll be different in five years time.

"The point is not so much the list as it is the celebration and what you can do at that time to say: 'Canadian music is great, it has been great, it will be great.' It should be recognized as such."

Until next time LOVE AND PEACE xoxoxoxo

Entered at Sat Oct 2 01:13:22 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Entered at Sat Oct 2 00:48:51 CEST 2010 from (24.108.253.172)

westcoaster

Subject: Doin' it Right

Kevin & Sadavid, you get no arguement from me about looking at the lovely Michaelle Jean, and as well that she is one classy lady. "They say that all good things must end some day......autumn leaves will fall"

But listen you guys one of the most #1 local songs for sure is Powder Blues, Doin' it right on the wrong side of town. A while back, when Bonk and I were shootin' back & forth & he hooked me up with my old drummer Lorne Burnes, Lorne sent me some pictures of them gigging on Salt Spring Island there. Lo & behold there is Bill "Chillawack Lonesome Mary" Henderson playing with them.

Salt Spring Island is a den of old musicians. Valdy lives there, so does Gary Felgarrd, Bill Henderson, and now Lorne Burnes. A great place to go and visit. There was also a song of Troopers..........but I can't remember it now. Lightfoot's cover of Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues.....in the day was right up there.

Entered at Sat Oct 2 00:16:49 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

Bill M: Surely you knew this one by Claude Dubois which blows much of what's on the list away - covered by Celine years later...

Entered at Fri Oct 1 23:58:41 CEST 2010 from (174.89.117.48)

Kevin J

By the way....I liked that you handed in such a quirky list ................ but was no. 1 just to take the piss out of the whole thing....or would do you really think Sudbury Saturday Night ranks as best pop song by a Canadian ever? Lonesome Suzie was inspired.....you are loyal to the boys from Chilliwack....had you put Moonquake on the list I would have bought you a years supply of beer.....

Norm: I don't know about the new guy buy I sure will miss the lovely Michaëlle Jean - a stunning sexy women who eats seal raw...........................the new guy probably likes Coldplay..................Speaking of sexy - let me be the first to comment that the new co-host of a show on CNN with Elliot Spitzer is off the charts in terms of appeal - a conservative women who seems to actually have some intelligence and independence......

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Bill M

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Steve

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Bill M

Subject: one more thing ...

Being at a bookstore anyway gave me a chance to browse through the new David Clayton Thomas autobiography to see what he had to say about his days with Hawkins and our guys. He has himself as a full member of the group, though only for the in-town gigs. When they toured, they travelled lighter. I'd heard that years ago, though not in regards not to DCT but additional horn-players for the Toronto shows.

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Bill M

sadavid: And who were all those other guys, aside from the famed banjoist? Levon gigged around LA with Leon and crowd after leaving Dylan, and I think that's how Sandy Konikoff got into that clique (Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Delaney and Bonnie, Jesse Ed, etc.)

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Peter M.

Subject: Jambalaya

sadavid, now we know why Leon grew all that danged hair!

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Lars

Subject: Trampled by Turtles video for "New Orleans"

This link is dedicated to all the turtles living in the ponds.

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sadavid

Subject: seriously . . .

. . . did all the dudes have larger ears back in the day?

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David P

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Bill M

David P: The link above first shows some square dancers, Lightfoot among them if you look closely. Keep watching (difficult as that may be) and it'll switch to him lip-synching to the most successful of his Nashville recordings of '62. The horrible piano sound of Floyd Cramer is unmistakable. (Presumably that was from the same show as the dancing, "Country Hoedown", which was cancelled by the CBC then revised and revived in Nashville as "Hee Haw".) Dig around a bit and you'll find Lightfoot's smaller hit, "Daisy-Doo", with the much pleasanter sound of Grady Martin's guitar (I'd say). The dancers, known as the Singin' Swingin' Eight, did an EP of their own, and it includes his gordship singing lead on "Church In The Wildwood". Not enough to make a believer out of me.

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sadavid

Bill M: thanks for the Charlebois link - that thing's a blast!

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PutEmUp(Friend0

Entered at Fri Oct 1 20:14:00 CEST 2010 from (204.138.59.92)

Bill M

Subject: in other news entirely ...

I just got a bulk email from Wolfgang's Vault to the effect that their feature concert is Neil Young and friends, including members of the Band, from 1975. I suspect that the audio is the source of the bootlegs that could be bought at the hipper record stores the following year or so.

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David P

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David P

Three recording artists who appeared at The Last Waltz have released new albums this week -- Eric Clapton, Ron Wood and Neil Young. Their recordings follow the new Mavis Staples disc released a couple of weeks ago.

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Bill M

sadavid: There are a number of other little lists sprinkled through the book - though not mine, I assure you. One is Denise Donlan, who has husband Murray McLauchlan's "Child's Song" at the top. (This song is best known from its inclusion on Tom Rush's first Columbia LP, another album on which Paul Harris played, I believe.) There's a neat list of the top 100 francanuckistani singles, on which Daniel Lanois' "Jolie Louise" is #37. Jole Plaskett's list has "It Makes No Difference" by our guys at #5. Westcoaster will want to know that BEG's former running mate, Moe Berg's list as Tom Northcott's "Crazy Jane" at #1 and the Poppy Family's "Don't Do No Good To Cry" among the honourable mentions. Sass Jordan has Robbie's "Fallen Angel" at #5. There may be others.

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Kevin J

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David P

Jeff: I got to see Paul Harris with Manassas years ago in Athens, Ga. The first time I remember seeing his name in credits was on one of my all-time favorite albums Tom Rush's "Circle Game".

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sadavid

Bill M: are these celebrilists part of the book? If so, besides those of Bill, Paul & Stu, are there any others we might care about?

I take it The Hawk didn't get listed?

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PutEmUp(Friend0

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Bill M

For what it's worth, here's what I voted for:

1) "Sudbury Saturday Night" by Stompin' Tom Conners
2) "Opportunity" by the Mandala
3) "Who Do You Love" by Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks
4) "One Fine Morning" by Lighthouse
5) "Brainwashed" by David Clayton Thomas and the Bossmen
6) "Squid Jiggin' Ground" by Art Scammell
7) "Mr Soul" by Buffalo Springfield
8) "The Stones I Throw" by Levon and the Hawks
9) "Lonesome Mary" by Chilliwack
10) "Little Darlin'" by the Diamonds

Looks like I wound up not voting for "I'm Movin' On" (#66) after all, meaning that the only one of mine that made the top 100 was "One Fine Morning" at #43. "Sudbury Saturday Night" got only a passing mention in the discussion of Stompin' Tom's "Hockey Song" (#86). "Opportunity" is there at #1 on the little list of 10 provided by late literary icon, Paul Quarrington, and "Brainwashed is at #6. (Landmark will want to know that Motherlode's "When I Die" was Quarrington's #2. And Steve will want to know that Jann Arden's prequel to "Impertinent" was Quarrington's #9.)

GBers will care that the little list supplied by serious national radio icon Stuart McLean has "Ophelia" at #9. "Little Darlin'", which didn't make the big list, at least got onto McLean's list at #3, right behind the Crew Cuts' "Sh Boom".

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Bill M

David P: Good question. Of the the top 10, just four (B. Adams - at #4 so sadavid can rest easy - Lightfoot, BTO and Anne Murray) but over all likely 75%. So many of them would be largely unknown outside Canuckistan (and many within), I'd think. The link above is to #31, the top-rating record in French, Robert Charlebois' classic Lindberg (with Louise Forestier). Not one I voted for, but I can certainly see the sense in doing so. Ditto #100 at youtube.com/watch?v=kqJxjR-jBbU

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Mike C

Band connection: another John Hall song, "Sweet Johanna", was covered by Levon on his second solo album, which was recorded (in part) at Muscle Shoals, and included Barry Beckett & Roger Hawkins among the musicians.

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David P

It would be interesting to know how many of those top Canadian singles might have been recorded in Canada. Right off the bat we know that "The Weight" & "UOCC were recorded in New York City and "TNTDODD" in Hollywood. Hank Snow" "I'm Moving On" and Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" in Nashville. Guess Who recorded "American Woman" in Chicago.

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Mike C

Subject: Orleans

Caught an Orleans show at Catholic U about 1974 or so. They were tight, all four of them were singers, and they were able to reproduce on stage the rich vocal sound of their studio recordings. Pretty impressive.

Their eponymous first album contained their version of "Half Moon", which Janis Joplin had recorded on "Pearl" three years earlier. There were many good songs on the record, including "Please Be There", which the band I was in at the time played regularly at our gigs. It doesn't say on the album where it was recorded, but it was produced by Barry Beckett & Roger Hawkins, which might indicate Muscle Shoals.

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sadavid

The last one was way cuter.

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Bill M

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westcoaster

Subject: The ceremony

Awright, Sadavid, Bill, and John Donaby, and perhaps a few others........but........not Steve. Now give me your impressions of our new Governor General. Is he a guitar player, piano or what?

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sadavid

Unanimity amongst the talking heads on the point that Steampacket was sliced bread / second coming and it was only because multiple managers couldn't "get it together" that the effort sank without the necessary recording contract. And Baldry tried to recreate the magic by grafting the same format onto Reg's band.

Maybe 3 lead singers and an organ _would_ be the way to go.

re: odd compulsions of acquisition, I once had the habit of buying every new Focus album I came across. You'd be astonished how many there were.

Bill M: as long as the lads got a higher rank than B. Adams - that's the main thing . . . .

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Bill M

As for Elton's disappointment with Long John's change of focus, it was no doubt tempered at the time by the fact that the b-side of "Let The Heartaches Begin" was co-written by some guy named Dwight.

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David P

Following up on yesterday's discussion of "Dancing In The Moonlight", I found a link between John Simon and the groups Orleans & King Harvest. In Lee Gabites' excellent 1998 article/interview with John Simon, "An Appreciation of John Simon's Solo Career", Mr. Simon discussed how his own solo recording career started:

"The first person to tell me I should be my own artist was Paul Simon, and coming from a person of that stature I began to take it seriously. So Albert Grossman got me a deal with Warner Brothers Records. And the nucleus band for that was John Hall, Harvey Brooks and Wells Kelly - who was a great drummer - with Paul Harris on organ and myself. We actually played some gigs as a band and opened up for Janis Joplin sometimes. Then I sprinkled that with Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel."

John Simon had worked with Paul Simon on Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends" (released in April 1968), providing "production assistance" on "Save the Life of My Child", "Overs", "Fakin' It" and "Punky's Dilemma".

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Peter V

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sadavid

Subject: top of the pops

More lists . . . see [My link] for notice of imminent release of a new book, _The Top 100 Canadian Singles_, by Bob Mersereau. Book has "interviews with many of the musicians who made the list, including Bryan Adams, Randy Bachman, Levon Helm of The Band, Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson, Anne Murray, Neal Peart of Rush and many more."

I take back all the nasty things I said about EJ - which were in a way more about Bernie, anyway. It's certainly not the fault of any given song and dance man if some kid takes the whole thing way too seriously. If you seek profundities in pop songs, you are a fool and deserve to be disappointed. (Which means WC is correct, I'm not sure how that happened.)

Instant karma, I caught Dame Elton last night as one of the talking heads in an old tribute / documentary on Long John Baldry that the Bravo! channel was running. A funny thing was the discussion of a defining moment in LJ's career, when he made a stab at becoming the next Englebert Humperdinck and suddenly had a smash #1 with some treacly pop ballad. So here's Elton and Rodney waxing pious about how all the R&B / blues community thought it was a huge betrayal, they were embarassed, etc. Cut to a couple of second string guys who never hit the big time, they're saying "oh I dunno, if it brings out the fans, you swallow your pride and play the shitty hit, then spend the rest of your concert playing the good stuff." The journeymen, I guess, can't afford the luxury of blues snobbery.

An odd thing was how everybody went on about the old guard of Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies, etc. and the torch being passed to the next generation of Clapton, Zep, Rodney, et al. - but I heard nary a mention of J. Mayall. (Although some vintage footage of the Marquis club had a poster of an revue with Mayall as the megapoint-headline top-billed attraction.) Evidence of a fued?

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Peter V

I'd forgotten that. Interesting that in 1968 John Simon worked with both Blonde on Blonde graduates, Al Kooper and Robbie Robertson.

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David P

Peter V: Although Al Kooper was BS&T's bandleader at the time, until he was later forced out, "Child Is Father To The Man" was produced by John Simon. Released in early 1968, it was one of the many of Mr. Simon's impressive collaborations released that year.

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biffalo bull

took a foray again to the southside shuffle in port credit on., again this year. weather was not as good as in previous years, but the music was great. saturday featured Watermelon Slim and the Workers, a wonderfully unique blues act. refreshing and entertaining to the max, i mean they were sick. next up, was in the incomperable Elvin Bishop, what can i say, a big band sound and show with only six players on stage, a true master. got the chance to speak with Elvin briefly, great guy! started to rain and went home, missing out on ray sawyer and dr. hook, but to tell the truth, i only wanted to see Elvin Bishop. a week later, i mail ordered Watermelon Slim's dvd, recorded live at Ground Zero in Clarksdale Ms., the night after the blues awards, with special guests Jimbo mathus, big george brock, and charlie musselwhite. this is currently the best $28.00 cdn i have ever spent. it's a party from beginning to end, old, original and unique, almost a page out of Levon's book of memories.

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Peter V

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Max Sievert

Hello! I see a faulty entry regarding Marc Ellington's Ampex record. It does not contain Tears of Rage, but his album on Phillips do, see http://smalltownpleasures.blogspot.com/2010/09/marc-ellington-marc-ellington-philips.html

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Peter M.

Subject: hey Peter Viney

If I had a way to automatically buy Jefferson anything, I would have done so till '79 or so, even though I should have gotten more discriminating as the '70's petered out. However, a 2009 purchase, their entire Woodstock set, has been entirely satisfying. And especially considering the circumstances, it's freaking brilliant.

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Peter V

Thinking about British groups … it wasn’t all Bad Company, Led Zep and The Moody Blues early 70s. An alternative list has greater rocksnob cred … Family, Fairport Convention, Traffic, King Crimson. Mind you, I always thought Traffic went quite firmly downhill after John Barleycorn.

Thinking of Airplane, I was playing Volunteers loudly in the car only last week. Airplane were one of those bands that I got into automatically buying every release of, and continued after logic said “Stop!” There are still a few of those artists. I only weaned myself off “Automatic Neil Young purchase” about a year ago, but the reviews of Le Noise are good enough to make me get that one. I cheerfully looked at the new Clapton this Monday and didn’t buy. So I’m improving.

The Elton John / Leon Russell looks a cert. “Road to Shiloh” has been described as “best Civil War song since The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and features Elton, Leon and Neil Young. I haven’t heard it yet.

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Peter M.

Subject: Peter V.

Holy sh*t Peter, you said the rest of what I left out of my long, rambling post! I was gonna add stuff about my infatuation over the Airplane till they crashed and burned around '76-'77, and the pre-fame Steve Miller Band, but I edited it in the service of brevity. Thanks. In high school I actually had the face of Grace Slick on my alarm clock... Later most of my musical influences came straight from the Levon Helm & Rick Danko lists of musical mentors (unconsciously): Muddy, The Wolf, Keith, Steve Earle, The Feat, et al. I still go to see any ensemble that Mr Hubert plays in. Even when Rick covered schlock from Lionel Ritchie (My Love, Just Thinkin' About You Baby) he did it beautifully. And you can't deny that Brian Mitchell's (LHB) influences are superb as well.

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Peter V

We need Bumbles book on rock snob acceptability. NB. Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago II are fine albums. It went sharply downhill at Chicago III, the definitive overblown, pretentious and tedious third album. Then they got worse. Equally,with BST, Child Is Father To The Man, produced by Al Kooper has rock snob acceptability, as does BST II. There it stops. We used to think CTA, Chicago II and BST II a considerable cut above the likes of The Moody Blues when I was a student. But actually we liked Jefferson Airplane, The Band and the Steve Miller Band (EARLY) much more.

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Peter M.

Subject: no accounting for taste

... I was experiencing the bleakest, darkest time of my life. I moved to Tulsa Okla when I was 18, and stayed 5 years. The recent posts really spoke to that time for me. I did enjoy "Brandi" and "Dancing in the Moonlight" then, only later to feel like they were light, airy puff pastries. Meanwhile, I loathed Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Journey, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, John Denver, America & Bread. I think I labeled it "dumb guy rock for the masses". Ditto for most of Elton John's stuff. Interestingly, I agree with all the exceptions noted in this GB lately: Steve (Don't Shoot, Take Me to the Pilot, Burn Down the Mission, ), sadavid (Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself is incredible), Pat B. (LOVED GREY SEAL), Peter V. (fighting's alright, even if non PC, whatta rocker!). To this day I still want to puke blood if I hear "25 or 6 to 4" or the horrifically bloated "Saturday in the Park". I still have to visit Tulsa every few years, as my family remains there. I love to torture myself, surfing the radio dial and revisiting how much of this dreck is still in heavy rotation on the "Oldies You Love" stations. But, on the plus side the juke joints and some live music venues brought me Leo Kottke, Leon Russell, Taj Mahal with the incredible Howard Johnson on tuba (!), Merle, Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, Jerry Jeff Walker, some weird shit with Gary Busey (Band connection pops up here), ZZ Top playing the bars, proto-Claption Band "Marcella" featuring Marcy Levy, Dick Sims and most of the mid '70's Clapton band, Dave Mason & Elvin Bishop. And the weirdest part is that although my love for The Band has never wavered since '68, I never realized that the name "King Harvest" was a tribute. Tulsa rock/underground college radio played Stairway to Heaven 4-5 times per night. Drove me to the Stones, Faces and their blues influences, a vein I'm still mining today. Put me on Todd's side of the dorm room. Did get to see George Harrison's tour at the Tulsa Civic Center auditorium, but the Who never came closer than Memphis.

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bob w.

Neil Young - Le Noise - The Film - Produced by Daniel Lanois

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joe j

Todd, I had a college roomie like that. Again we found common ground with the Beatles. I did like Elton's 'Madman' and remember liking 'Jamaica Jerk Off' from 'Yellow Brick Road'. Much Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Moody Blues ('Threshold of a Dream', Christ, bad weed and cheap wine [Casal Mendes]). I've had an irrational disliking of most English acts ever since. Loved Queen in concert though. Genesis too. Would've given my left to see Zep in the day.

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Peter V

I just watched this wonderful Rickie Gervais / Stephen Merchant for the third time (twice at the cinema, now on DVD). There is a line near the beginning when a character is listening to Vaughan Williams. The pals say 'You don't want to listen to poofs like that. Put on some Elton John instead …" and they go straight into "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." Very non-PC, but very funny in the context of the movie.

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PutEmUp(Friend0

Funny, I was stuck trying to think of King Harvest, the band that originally did Dancing In the Moonlight. I kept comng up with King Curtis, and knew for damn sure that it wasn't he. Knew it was King something, just was brain dead.

Speaking of King Harvest, the Band connection , The Crows are playing thsi Sunday night at Keegan ales in Kingston. 7PM showtime. Jimmy Eppard, Mike Dunn, Randy Ciarlante, Danny Louis. Long time since they played together, supposed to be a one time only gig. Gonna be a gawdamn goodun.

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Kevin J

Agree on that scene from "Almost Famous" Brilliant stuff - I can not think of a better use of a rock song in a movie ever...............

Todd: I am glad you are here for a lot of reasons but an important one is your appreciation of The Replacements..............as we get further away from the 80's.......the light ( bright bright one ) that was the band really has been dimmed by zero play/exposure anywhere....Fans of that era won't even have the usual playgrounds of old-timers like classic rock radio and casino's................Imagine stumbling into Vegas in 20 years and seeing The Replacements and or Camper Van Beethoven at a casino - not likely..................Anyhow....a great connection made with Paul Westerberg and Ray Davies........'Sadly Beautiful" is a gorgeous song as well as many others as you know......"Skyway"......"Here comes a Regular"...............Problem with Westerberg is that while perfect in the ragged mess that was The Replacements and a fist rate writer - he is not a strong enough musician to carry live performances. This has been a real barrier for him..................Imagine The Pretenders are in the RRHOF and a band as glorious and rock n roll pure as The Replacements are not!

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