"It's time for us to get back to Johnny's garden"
you mean the Stephen Stills/Manassas song?
if so, that was written about the garden in Surrey, England, at the estate that Stills rented during the Manassas period, from Ringo Starr. It had previously belonged to Peter Sellers, and had a screening room. The beams in the living room were from ships from the Spanish Armada, and the gardener, Johnny, had been taking care of that garden since Ringo, and possibly, Sellers. Stills's song was saying that he wanted to stay in Johnny's Garden.
It was a very nice garden! I visited during the recording of the first Eagles album, and the simultaneous recording of the Manassas album, at the Ringo/Stills house.
thanks for the thoughts on John Lennon.
bernie leadon
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From: Al Garth
Subject: re loggins and messina
hi, bob -
my buddy johnny palazzotto forwarded to me your stuff about loggins and messina. i read it with great pleasure. not only was your highly flattering perception of the band's music entirely correct, your appreciation of the band's place in the pantheon of Musical Biggies will be shown to be quite accurate in the long run.
true, there was some lightweight material, but it too was well-arranged, -performed, and -produced, and lots of it was great fun to play. the really cool tunes were more than fun.
speaking as a horn player, i don't think there's ever been another band with instrumentation like ours, and it gave jon clarke and me a completely rare musical opportunity, for which i've been forever thankful.
i had forgotten what it was like to live in that time. thank you very much for remembering the unique spirit of those days for me.
yours,
al garth
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From: Jeff Hanna
Re: Rhinofy-Jackson Browne Playlist
Jackson, Tim Buckley, and a fine singer/songwriter named Steve Noonan,
were the first guys I ever met that wrote their own songs..
Inspiring...and daunting, as well. I met Jackson when he was 15..He was already writing great tunes..
For a brief time, in early 1966, Jackson joined our little ragtag jugband..Big fun !!
Then he was off to NYC, to play guitar with Nico..But not before writing "These Days"..Stunning song..
How does a teenager write that ??!!
Anyhow, nice playlist Bob..JB's first record and the Solo Acoustic CDs are among my favorites, as well..
Footnote..NGDB's Jimmie Fadden played that super-cool harp on "Child In These Hills"..And...we were proud to turn Gregg Allman onto Jackson's music, when we all lived in LA around '67..
Super-proud to know the man..He's still an inspiration on multiple levels..
Thanks man..
Jeff Hanna
P.S. Jackson's second from the bottom in this pic: bit.ly/1JxNp0W
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From: Karen Hunter
Subject: Lou Reed - Rock and Roll Live - Steve Hunter
Hi Bob
I read Steve your mention of Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal and he says he is very grateful that you talked about that album as he is so proud of it.
It was truly a live recording in that there were no fixes for the release, what you got on that record is what happened on the night.
Not only was 'Intro' to Sweet Jane the first composition Steve had on a major record, but also, his arrangement of Lou's 'Rock and Roll' on the 'Detroit Featuring Mitch Ryder' album in 1972 caught Lou Reed's attention, resulting in him tracking down both Bob Ezrin (Producer of the 'Detroit' album) and Steve which then led to them being involved in the recording of Lou's 'Berlin' album. Thanks, Karen Hunter
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From: Bob Kulick
Subject: Re: Final Rhinofy
Love your blogs , and you're right way more than your wrong !
I'm a Grammy award Producer ( Motorhead 2006, Best Metal performance) and played lead guitar on Lou Reeds "Coney Island Baby " and the studio side of KISS alive 2 and I was the lead guitarist with Meatloaf 77-78 and 83-89 And did the guitar solo on Diana Ross "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" etc etc ....but this is not about me ...
Your comment about Rock and Roll Animal, Lou Reeds LIVE opus with my friends , the late great Dick Wagner and the awesome Steve Hunter was a guitar tour de force record and influenced numerous guitarists and one person in particular ALICE COOPER who took Lou's band and turned them into the Welcome To My Nightmare band ,and I was lucky enough to fill in for Steve on the Australia/ new Zealand portion of the tour !! This was one of the greatest BANDS that ever existed ! Thanks for giving Hunter / Wagner Their due !
Also Brian May wrote "We Will Rock You" and every member of Queen wrote a hit song ! How many bands these days can say that ,,, answer NONE !
Keep up the good wroting and telling ot like it is ! THANKS !!
Bob Kulick
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From: Dave Schools
Subject: Re: Cancellation
Bob,
Good advice.
Peter Buck of REM once told us one word of advice when Widespread Panic was young and green.
Just one morsel of advice that has stuck with me for over 25 years. He said, "Keep your appointments."
Simple. Just show up on time.
I agree wholeheartedly.
das
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Subject: Re: My Favorite Allen Toussaint Covers
Good morning Mr. Lefsetz it's nice to meet you. I would like to thank you on behalf of my family for those very kind words, I mean it whole heartily. For someone to take the time to not only list his songs but to explain its interpretation shows love for the music so in a way shows love for my father because that is what he was. We go through stages trying to figure out what we want to do or what to do if this does not work out but my dad set himself by the Grace and Blessing of God to do nothing but music. To play and write is what he did. So thank you for caring enough to express your thoughts opinion and show love for my fathers music it is truly received and so so much appreciated. As my dad would sign things from time to time "Life, Love, and Faith"
Reginald
Thank you and all the best!
Sincerely,
Clarence "Reginald" Toussaint
Stage Production Executive Director
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
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From: johanna hall
Subject: Re: My Favorite Allen Toussaint Covers
YES, thank you!
The band Orleans was named for Allen Toussaint and the Meters, our favorite music at the time.
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From: AL KOOPER
Subject: Re: Re-Allen Toussaint
Missa Lefsetz
I was kinda surprised that no one mentioned a rare WB album that Allen produced in the early 70's self-titled it was called "Browning Bryant". A young white kid who totally understood New Orleans musica, The opening track, has always been one of my fave AT compositions. I told him so when we met at a concert in NYC where each act played just one Dylan song. It was about 8 years ago. I told him I loved that Browning Bryant track he wrote called "Cover Girl." I wondered if he still recalled it. He started singing it to me and I joined in and we laughed. That was one of my favorite
bump-into-somebody-you-cherish moments
Have a listen- Ya might like it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03KxWXMT_b0
@l k%per
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From: Angelie Alciatore
Subject: Re: Re-Allen Toussaint
I used to hang out at SeaSaint Studios in the early 70's with a friend of mine who was a back up singer who was trying to get me work as well.
I got to know Lee Dorsey after meeting him at the studio. In his regular life, he was an auto mechanic. He fixed my old Plymouth Belvedere, and his fee to do it was a bottle of Jack Daniels and a Joint(which we shared in the back seat of the Plymouth, while we both sang "Workin' in a coal mine") those were the days!
Another one of my favorite moments from SeaSaint was when this round black man, short of stature, in a "Rochester"- Like voice, asked: "Where Da Piano"...
That was Fats Domino!
Also in the mid 70's I was in N.Y. driving through Central Park in the "Love Van", and looked to the car besides me, and lo and behold there was Alan Toussaint in his Rolls Royce driving beside me. I honked and said: Hey Alan! He smiled and waved, although I think he was a little surprised that I knew who he was!
Nothing like living in the middle of New Orleans Musical History and not even realizing it!
...Angelie...
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From: BERTON AVERRE
Subject: Re: R&RHOF Playlist
Two things:
I know you made a passing reference to it, but if you're listening to the radio in your car and "Highway Star" comes on, you will soon be in danger of either driving off the road or ramming the guy in front of you. Rock music DOES NOT PUMP ANY HARDER OR BETTER THAN THIS SONG. So, as long as there was a building called the "Rock and Roll" Hall of Fame and Deep Purple wasn't in it, some stupid with a flame torch may as well have burned it to the ground. There, I said it.
When we went to see Hendrix at the Forum in May of '69, a band played second on the bill we had heard of by the name of C.T.A., and was introduced as "the name they want to go by, 'Chicago'. " Hendrix, of course, coming on after, was transcendent: maybe the best I ever saw him. But Chicago's set was simply one of the best shows I've ever seen: and remember, I hadn't heard a note of their music before. What's wrong with knowing how to play, indeed.
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From: marc brickman
Subject: Re: The Doobie Brothers Documentary On Qello
one day it would be nice for you to acknowledge
ALL the people behind the scenes.
who supported, worshipped, and basically
were the backbone of the wonder years.
there were NO and still are NO royalties,
medical plans, or any income stream from
the LIVE performances or the performances
that have been memorialized on film.
the hundreds of dedicated people with families
who left the families behind to follow the stars.
in hope that what task they were performing would be
their profession well into old age so they could retire
like any worker on the line with a pension or savings.
but rather the unnamed have faded into old age,
being dropped off the hamster wheel with no support.
the mangers all did well, the promoters all did well, the techies
didn't even get a hearty handshake… how bout a thank you?
job well done!
to the men and women that built live entertainment
with their sweat, tears, and dedication.
the real misfits…
the eco system that now has morphed into EDM, live nation,
taylor swift etc etc etc..
the AMA's.. the grammy's…
those are concert based shows, not TV.
the techies back in the 60's,70's, 80's built live entertainment..
the executives and managers exploited that energy.
and that new reality show "roadies" and the other feeble attempts of
describing sharing a bus with 12-16 guys in the
wild west as you are speeding down the highway without cellphones
to get to the next overnighter to make the rockstars
rich along with the promoters, agents, has never been told…
jackson browne "load-out" "stay" came the closest to the feeling.
it wasn't a scripted reality show with show runners.
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From: peter noone
Subject: Re: Lemmy
lemmy does herman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIvyHOHX5TE
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From: Perry/Chicago
Subject: Re: Lemmy
Best quote about Lemmy I read was someone being quoted talking about the
planet and the environment and saying "What kind of world are we leaving for
Keith Richards and Lemmy?"
Kind of reminds me of the 50 something guy on his deathbed in Colorado whose
last words were "I can't believe Keith Richards outlived me."
I guess in rock and roll heaven, that is what Lemmy is thinking . . .
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From: Jeff Harris
Subject: Re: Lemmy
Hey Bob
I've never been a real big fan of the really heavy stuff but I loved Lemmy. He really did it his way. That's rock and roll
When reading this I thought of the movie "Airheads" when the rocker said to the record exec-"if God and Lemmy got into a fight, who'd win? It's a trick question-Lemmy is God"
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Subject: Re: Lemmy
Lemmy was such an amazing individual. When I was working for United Artists in the early 70's did a tour with them, and although Hawkwind was a bit too psychedellic and free-form to breakthrough in the US, but in Chicago of all places became huge, they left a mark before Motorhead. While on this tour, taking them to Disneyland [which was one of my College Promo Director roles at UA, taking our English bands to the magic kingdom] was just so much fun).
Although never a "regular" at the Rainbow after the year I dj'd there in 1980 once I returned to live in Southern California in 2001, I would occasionally be at the Rainbow hanging with metal Latino friends, and since Lemmy was there frequently, he would always motion me over to his table, give me a big hug and recount what a wonderful time we had on the Hawkwind tour of 1974.
So glad this wonderful singer,writer, bass player and extraordinary human being got his break-through with "Ace of Spades" and continued to remember our roots and the two of us sharing a hug whenever we saw each other years later at the Rainbow. You were one of a kind Lemmy.
Ric Fazekas
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From: Jeff Laufer
Subject: Re: Lemmy
Re: Lemmy
I'm sure after your post on Lemmy everyone is going to claim they were fans of Motorhead.
Let the sycophants say what they may but in truth none ever went to see them in concert. While working for Polygram Records Jerry Jaffe signed Motorhead through a distribution deal with Bronze Records in England. "Ace of Spades" was the first Motorhead album and rock radio didn't seem to get it. I suppose it was easier for them to play Boston and Foreigner? KMET did venture out and played "Ace of Spades" which ignited the phones. Everyone who says that Lemmy was a sweet guy are correct. My two weeks of being at every show put a toll on all of us. Too bad I can't write what went on during the West Coast leg because I want to protect myself and the innocent.
Kindest Regards,
Jeff Laufer
p.s. this attached pic says it all... bit.ly/1OepdNV
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From: Stephen Budd
Subject: Re: Lemmy
Thanks for the Lemmy post Bob, a sad loss of a great maverick.
As a 15 year-old, I roadied for Motorhead at their first show at the Winning Post pub in Twickenham London in late 1975. Larry Wallis from the Pink Fairies on guitar and Lucas Fox on drums (a realtor in Ibiza these days…) and 200 Hells Angels in the audience… it was his first gig and he did it for his Biker pals. A rather large supply of amphetamine sulphate was consumed that night….
I'd met Lemmy at one of his last Hawkwind shows at the Watchfield Free Festival that summer, where they let me - a 15 year old kid - stage manage…. (Only in 70's….)
He asked for me to come roadie for this new band with Larry, and as I was a huge Faries fan I dived straight on it. At the soundcheck, as I was plugging in the amps under the wooden stage, he put his foot onto one a loose wooden stage board and pushed it into my back leaving a nasty gash…. He drove me to hospital and got me stitched up in time for the show that night. It was quite a show, a jam really, with 'Motorhead' as the only recognisable song, plus some Pink Fairies tunes
Lemmy recommended me to some managers and next thing I knew I was roading for the early punk bands through 76. Great memories with X Ray Spex, Teenage Jesus, Wayne County and the Electric Chairs, Generation X etc but Motorhead was my very first paid gig in the music business…. 40 years ago… jeez.
I used to look him up on Sunset strip for a drink, mostly mid-afternoon…. But no more..
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From: Nick Masters
Subject: Re: Lemmy
Shelley Berggren managed Lemmy for the last many years and did it with love and understanding.
She cared about him and his music.
I believe she deserves a shout out for her devotion.
Thanks
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From: lanningpaul
Subject: Huge & Luge
They also produced "Shout (pt 1 & 2)" by the Isleys! Barely noticed at release in 1959 (highest chart position was 47), it's impossible to exaggerate the significance of that record! Shout" was the earliest instance of unadulterated gospel-to-pop transformation; moreover, it marked the debut of one of the longest genre-spanning artist careers in pop music history, an act whose integrity has never faltered.
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Subject: Re: Death
H. Wexler/Michael Bloomfield/ "Medium Cool"
Bob,
Hope I'm not the only guy mentioning that Mike plays a lot on the sound track of "Medium Cool."
Haskell is his uncle..
Cheers,
Denny Bruce
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From: Lou Adler (via Andrew Loog Oldham)
Subject: Re: Death
Also guess what they really produced...Snuff produced Bobby Vee Take Good Care of My Baby.. Run To Him..Gene McDaniels Hundred Pounds of Clay..Johnny Burnetts Sixteen etc..Luigi did not do Wonderful World Sam And I did it at Keen before he left to go to RCA it was released. While he was on RCA..another note Did you know that Haskell is Page's uncle ...
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From: Andrew Oldham
Subject: Re: Death
bob;
so glad you mentioned snuff garrett, an all important part of liberty records, a gent and all those goffin-king songs via bobby vee.
nicky chinn was a scion to a big UK petrol chain called blue star, hence....
best for 2016, o
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From: Henry Gross
Subject: Re: Death
Nicky Chinn is fine as wine! He comes to Nashville every few months to write. I often have dinner with him at Ralph and Louise Murphy's. Nicky is doing just fine!!!! Henry
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From: Phil Brown
Subject: Re: Death
i was an engineer at the studio Snuff built, Amigo, when it was owned by Warner Bros. Studio A was still like it was when Snuff owned it. It was a big room with a great drum sound. It had a little sort of hut in one corner for the drummer. It produced a very tight defined drum sound.
Many, many hit records cut in that room.
So many of us are passing.
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From: Denny Tedesco
Subject: Re: Death
Hey Bob,
I can't believe you wrote this about Snuff today.
Growing up, Snuff was the only guy that I really met over the years with my parents. My father and Snuff had a brother relationship and they both were gambling fanatics. I think their success in the music business was partly due to the fact they took chances and understood what they were doing. My father always said that he played for smiles. He is being paid to make sure the producer got what they wanted. Even if my father didn't agree. There isn't anyone more colorful than Snuff. My father said he was one of the best producers around. He made sure he hired the best people to do the job. From musicians to arrangers to engineers.
I'm not sure if you saw this out take I cut for Snuff the other day. Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s4U8QRabYU
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Death
Dear Bob,
Thank you for mentioning my father, Snuff Garrett, in your newsletter. My husband is a grammy winning artist who receives your newsletter and we were both surprised and delighted to see your mention of my Dad after being quite stunned at the omission by the Los Angeles Times. We currently reside in Los Angeles and it is where I was born and raised and where my Dad's career took place. Thank goodness for the New York Times and their quick acknowledgement. Sure, I'm biased, he's my father. But, I was a student under his tutelage who was raised on not just the history of music but also film. And for that, I am eternally grateful. To say he was a legend, isn't a stretch. He was a character and a vibrant man with golden ears, a fabulous sense of humor and a true maverick. To say he will be missed, is an understatement. Thanks again for honoring him.
Sincerely,
Dawn Garrett Harris
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From: John Boylan
Subject: RE: Robert Stigwood
Hi Bob,
In your Stigwood piece, I was really sorry to read your rather cavalier dismissal of Al Coury as Stigwood's "promo major domo" who is "already forgotten." Not so. Not by any of the people who worked with him. Al Coury was one of the consummate record executives of the Golden Age, and he made most of his reputation before he ever encountered Robert Stigwood, and solidified it further after he split with Stigwood.
I first met Al in 1970, when he was at Capitol Records. I was producing a Linda Ronstadt album for the label, and he was my A&R rep. We immediately became fast friends - he was the most artist-oriented record person I had ever met, passionate about music and tireless at his job. He almost single-handedly made "Heart Like A Wheel" one of the most popular albums of 1974, launching Linda Ronstadt into superstardom. Every time I had the good fortune to work with him, either at Capitol, or later at Geffen Records, he delivered.
I would not hesitate to put Al in the pantheon of great record executives; in my book, he deserves to be mentioned alongside Bruce Lundvall, Jac Holzman, Ed Rosenblatt, Joe Smith, and Mo Ostin.
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Robert Stigwood
Bob, In 1975, at age 30, I joined PolyGram as its Corporate Conroller. At that time we owned 20% of The Robert Stigwood Organisation. By the time I left for BoardWalk, we acquired another 30%. Mr. Stigwood lived aboard a 140 ft yacht anchored off the coast of Bermuda, thereby creating his own tax sanctuary. He'd regularly declare a dividend to withdraw the profits he was due. I'd be tasked with flying down to Bermuda or the Caymans with the cashiers checks. I had the opportunity to meet him several times and have lunch with him once. Quick witted, sharp as a tack and a real gentleman with great stories. He appreciated that I'd been a budding musician with a HS and college band, but became a CPA to please my parents, and he told me I was far better off being a business guy that appreciated music than a musician barely surviving. It was also known that he was gay, but never, ever discussed.
As the father of a music attorney who manages his artist's careers, I had the utmost respect for his accomplishments in discovering, nurturing and promoting his clients with his own distinctive flair. He got things done. As I told my son, when he changed his business model; You don't manage artists, you adopt them.
Regards,
Rick Pardo
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Subject: Re: Death
Bob,
One of the greatest promoters of all time, Lon Varnell used to advertise Lawerence Welk concerts in the 70's in the obituary page. He knew his ticket buyers would always check the obit pages first when reading the morning paper. I am not aware of anyone else doing this type of advertisement placement.
Thanks, Jerry MacDonald
President
CWMP
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Obama On Seinfeld
Bob
The big boys as we call them want to be cool too but are often on auto pilot.
I met President Obama at a dinner and when we went to shoot a photo while in the middle of our pose I quietly mentioned that I had sent a FB message to his Brother in law saying I was gonna meet him and that's when the Pres broke from his robotic actions and looked at me and said Konrad? You know Konrad? Then all his handlers who were also robots were forced to sit back while the President and I had a very cool conversation...I was a guitar player who had played with Mick Jagger and he was the most powerful man in planet but at that moment we were just two dudes.
Stevie Salas
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From: fablalumia
Subject: Re: Death
...and HOLLY WOODLAWN!!!!.............Happy New Year!!
_____________________________________
From: John Brodey
Subject: Re: Facebook
Facebook is like a land line phone...it rings but you rarely answer it.
_____________________________________
From: David Webster
Subject: you nailed it
Our family is all in on School of Rock. Right here in your old backyard. Fairfield, CT.
My 15 year old daughter is a 2 time All-Star on the drums.
My 12 year old daughter sings and does their summer camps.
My 10 year old daughter plays bass and is already on her 10th show.
And when I saw how much fun they were having, I picked up a bass and I've now done 7 adult shows myself. Because I'm 47 and they didn't have this when I was a kid!
Yes seeing your kids learn and master this complex music from our generation (Return to Forever, Rush, Zappa, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Talking Heads, etc...) is thrilling.
But just as important is the confidence it gives them in other parts of life. They don't care if they don't get invited to somebody's bat mitzvah or they don't get asked to sit at the "right" lunch table.
They know they are rock stars. And they have a 2nd family that loves the same "weird" music they do and welcomes them with open arms. And frankly they are too busy practicing and rehearsing to care about that stuff. Learning the Yellow Snow medley by Zappa doesn't leave you much time to worry about how many likes you get on a selfie on Instagram.
And you are right about the teachers. Our local school is a powerhouse, one of most successful in the franchise. Partly because Fairfield CT has great demographics. But also because the musicians here are pros. In between gigs, or while recording, or after they stop touring, they find this place and call it home. And they infect our kids with the bug. To make this music, get it right. Form bands of their own. Go out and gig. Have the time of their lives.
It's one of the great ironies that at the moment when pursuing a career as a musician is harder than ever, they have created a perfect breeder reactor that is creating a generation of super talented, hard working players who would love to have a place to go next.
Thanks for such a great write up.
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From: Jonny Shorr
Subject: Re: School Of Rock Convention
School of Rock was the best thing that ever happened to me. Gave me confidence and friends, while I was playing places like Summerfest and The Metro Chicago and when I was a confused teenager in middle school with a shaky, raspy voice. Those guys will always be my mentors as I now enter into my senior year at USC Thornton and continue to song write for the rest of my life.
Thanks for recognizing them!
Jonny
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From: Lisa Wohl
Subject: RE: The Tower Records Documentary
As a former Tower employee, this definitely wasn't the movie I wanted it to be. .... Here are my ramblings to a couple friends from the Sunset store the morning after I saw the film....
I went to see it last week with one of my fellow El Toro alum. Uncle Russ wasn't at our Q&A – (bummed, I was hoping to see him). Though we definitely enjoyed the film and it was really fun to see the history, we walked away a little disappointed. I'm curious about your thoughts (and Howard's and Shawn's too)…. I felt that by focusing ONLY on the corporate family, they really missed out on the fact that many other close knit families were created because of the way Russ ran things – which was to let each store run their own show. What made Tower's music selection so much better than all the other chains was having the buyers at the store level. I believe that was slightly referenced but quickly glossed over. Did they interview you guys from Sunset? Even if there wasn't time to include interviews from other than the original corporate crew, how about a voice over and montage about people who came later and the fact many more bonds were formed. I don't expect lil'
ol' El Toro to be included but seeing you guys and the other major market anchor stores would have been nice. I was so looking forward to seeing footage and photos from packed in-stores and crazy promotional stunts. Again, a montage would have sufficed. How about photos of what the Sunset storefront looked like when The Wall came out? Or even the Guns & Roses storefront? Oh man, the art departments! (Again at the store level) They were phenomenal and so briefly mentioned that the point was missed when those examples were left out. Russ created that environment for us and we all knew it and loved him for it. I think including those things would have made it more compelling for viewers outside of the employees, outside of the industry. Those who shopped there, went to in-stores, waited in ticket lines or just lived in the neighborhoods and remember passing by and seeing the fabulous spectacle. Whew!....ok got that off my chest.
I will forever cherish my time at Tower and the friendships we share to this day.
Lisa Wohl (then Lisa Rico)
MTS#138
1984-1990
P.S. No, they didn't talk to any of the Sunset employees aside from one of the store managers.
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From: Tom Clark
Subject: RE: The Tower Records Documentary
Here is my Tower story...truth...Tower Records in Palo Alto...a Friday night....some lady is in there and has no clue what to do....she gets a bored employee to help her...she wants a birthday present for her niece...it's late 70's....the guy (and I will never forget his face) is in no mood...asks her what she likes...the woman says she likes disco...the dude gives her Todd Rundgren...she thanks him profusely and buys the album...when I get to the register to get whatever I was purchasing they are all shits and giggles..."I KNEW you'd give her Todd" this one guy says...I was livid...
Now I hung out there a LOT...parked in the back...knew the guys car...I worked at a gas station then...drove to it...picked up an unopened bag of battery acid (we used to fill the batteries before we sold em) drove back....thankfully he left it unlocked...and emptied the whole thing into his Honda...been roughly 35 years.....no regrets....rudest SOB's ever....
Tom Clark
Maui
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From: thecaretaker
Subject: Re: Adele Beats The Touts
Hello Bob
I wish you would show more of the emphasis with venue's season tickets and PSS tickets.
Half of the boxes are sold to brokers, who then get to purchase their first right of refusal tickets on top of that and will also purchase premium season seats through the venue. In many of the amphitheaters the venue will try and hold all of the lower sections and claim that the seat locations are contractually sold to individuals. Half the time their PSS person sells them or sells them to brokers so that they can get their commission. They hold more and more even when a seat isn't actually contracted. The boxes or PSS tickets that aren't sold to brokers get sold to the fans that can afford to "own" a ticket at 10k for the year. They get the tickets in advance and then if they don't want to go they will sell or giveaway.
The presales, fan clubs, etc. are basically just an early entry.. all those good locations, the majority of them are taken by these PSS people regardless of the venue. These seats come before artist and promoter holds.
I would love for you to write more about this. That is the issue not fair to artists, fan clubs, or the general public.
_____________________________________
From: Bobbo
Subject: Re: ISIS Hate
Great post Bob!
At our small level of "success" we had an anonymous online hater who was savvy enough to know that my grandmother had just died and posted online that what killed her was our new album.
That was nice.
New rules. They aren't always fair.
Keep preaching.
thefallenstars.com
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Subject: Re: Muslims Cheering
Yo, I've been writing for 25 years. Most publications have pretty much stopped fact checking. Those that do have 'relaxed' standards about web-only 'content.'
Most readers can't tell the difference between, say, The Wall Street Journal, where I write, and where an editor assigns a story, a writer gets paid and a few professionals vet the copy and the content, and Huffington Post, where, for the most part, stuff goes up unedited and authors aren't paid. Most of the news stories about, say, politics, rely on what's now called "data journalism" which used to just be called the annotation of a survey (and many of those surveys are paid for by the very publications reporting on them): We often get a story about a poll which then creates a perception that translates into reality that, well, merits another story.
Journalists weren't always honest. But they at least worked for companies that pretended to be selling news, not aggregators of personal data.
Record companies were often run by scumbags, but at least they pretended to be about music and not, well, aggregating personal data.
Best,
Larry Blumenfeld
_____________________________________
From: P.H. Mullen
Subject: Re: Driver Dilemma
I wonder that about myself, too.
All the time.
I tell myself flexibility makes my heartrate is 1 beat per minute slower
And over an adult life that adds up to extra what, 3 years?
But it seems like the assholes and the door-busters are the one who get ahead.
I'm taking my 12yo and 15yo girls to see the Big Short tonight.
True story: Mike Burry worked for me.
He was a freelancer for a dot-com financial website I helped run. About 99-01. The heyday.
I paid him $50/story.
It was a moonlighting gig for him while he did medical residency with my wife at Stanford.
I thought he was great. Amazing.
He convinced me to get into a 30yr mortgage long before everything went to hell.
A few years later, my Dartmouth classmate who ran a PE firm out of Norwich, VT, read Mike's blog and gave him $1mm to invest without meeting him.
Neither Mike nor the classmate was/is an asshole.
But how did I get so close and still stuck on the sidelines?
I want the girls to see the movie so they know what they're up against.
Tell Felice she's right:
Non-Uber drivers are getting more psycho all the time. By the week, it seems.
It's a culling effect.
The best drivers have flocked to Uber - They make more $$ and they got the cash to buy their own vehicles
Those who aren't in the Uber ecosystem are increasingly in the bottom of the barrel.
It's a real thing.
My last Uber driver to San Jose Airport was a Kenyan who owns 3 rental properties.
My last taxi driver took both hands off the wheel at 30 MPH to force me to take his pencil-written resume on a clipboard.
A phrase another financial freelancer taught me from those days of Burry and dot-com fever:
"Run away today, and you'll be able to play another day."
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: my generation Zzzzzz
Hi Bob, I bawled my eyes out reading this. My generation doesn't feel the gravity of these two giant talents pulling on them. If they did, you would see it reflected in the charts more. In Adele, I see a glimmer of hope. We need an *awakening*.
I'm 15. Tomorrow, I have calls with two major record labels. One of my songs has gone "viral" on one of these 7 second video sharing sites. They want to chop my song up. Remix it. Chipmunk the vocal and package up the production pretty for the masses; effectively taking all of the soul out of it. Pfffft. I think I'll go upstairs and grab my copy of 'Tapestry' my grandmother left me when she died. Put it on the turntable and remind myself that there are those that still revere the greats. Maybe someday, I can do my small part.
Respectfully, Anna Graceman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_lJorIo8vs
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Ad-Blocking
So I went to pick up my daughter (11th grade) from her Homecoming dance tonight. She was waiting with a couple of her friends and they were all lamenting how boring the night was. After she got in the car I asked, "Was there a band?" Her quick reply was, "What decade are you from? Which, after thinking about it, was a very good question.
I happened to grow up in the greatest place you could grow up in…the San Fernando Valley in the 70's. I have since moved back after nearly 30 years of absence. Back then there was music everywhere. They even called my High School 'Rock and Roll High"http://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-17/local/me-5068_1_grant-high. Maybe I was just lucky.
Back to my daughters question. I told her for the thousandth time that I am from the decade when there was good music everywhere. And of course there was no band at the dance because there are no songs for a band to cover these days. There are no bands anymore. Nobody even plays an instrument anymore. When was the last time you heard music coming from a garage? I know I spent many an afternoon after school in friends' garages listening to bands in various stages of readiness. That's just what we did.
She mentioned that they did have a DJ. Any wonder why she thought it was boring…
Wonder if they play music in garages in Oslo?
Rick Hammerle
Chatsworth, CA
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Jimmy Iovine At The Vanity Fair Conference
I have said it a million times. The labels (by owning the masters) are churning the services.
If you own the masters, you do not care what the labels are doing. They are middle men who have to steal or disguise to stay afloat. You gave them the grant of rights - it didn't work out? Guess what? It didn't work out pre-streaming, either!!
Meanwhile back at the ranch . . .
Publishing is UP, for the acts I help. How come Publishers want to ADVANCE money today, even to underground artists? Because they get 20% and the writer recoups at 80% and that doubles the values of the admin deal.
Is that all? NO!
If you have looked after yourself and control your rights, Sound exchange is paying the mortgage now. This is even true for a currently unsigned act who made 3 records for the majors, years ago, with one selling a bit more than gold and the others tanking.
Today, if you have streaming support, if you played by the services, you see money that was not there 10-12 years ago.
How is this bad for the artist who has developed his or her career??
I do feel for newbies. They won't see this money any time soon. But too bad. My clients have 25-30 years in and are reaping the benefits. Before streaming, their performance earnings would be nil. Their royalties would be nil. Because the audience already bought the records. And few stores would stock 0-3 copies of 2 titles and the label statement would be unrecouped.
What you couldn't buy, you wouldn't play. You wouldn't be in the conversation.
Today? All your work is on demand at global scale!! This is bad?? Ha
It isn't even debatable. Streaming is paying and there is a sea change already in effect
Learn the game. The rules are finally fair unless you
A) granted your rights away and that is not the fault of the services
B) don't have the minimum sufficient time and work invested to capitalise on today's smorgasbord.
Dennis Pelowski
Ps, we are all over 50! We love the new world as far it is finally paying like an annuity. Into the great wide open. For perpetuity.
Pps: Jimmy's legacy, labels that took all the money from sales, except for 12% of 85% (typical royalty rate for all acts except the super super stars), that is what created the dilemma he has now
Labels got bloated and production costs soared and marketing soared. It didn't need to be that way. I bet the budget for Elvis Presley Sun Sessions was a few hundred dollars, if.
Floyd cutting Meddle? $10,000, if.
Sure, let the band run the meter when you have broken through like Floyd did with DSOTM, but no reason existed for new acts in the 80s or 90s to get 250,000$ recording budgets, 150,000 + video budgets, Those days were stupid, and the expense meant artist development was eventually squeezed, and the lp accounts are still unrecouped.
It was the legacy behavior - and artists who, as Don Arden so correctly called it out - wanted to be exploited - that gave the labels the giant hand they now hold as far as owning the masters and pinching the services to give up equity and create black box royalties everywhere.
Meanwhile, the acts who who sat that crap out, the 1980s true "alternative" fringe acts who did not sign over (or clawed back) their copyrights to sound recordings are enjoying the 70% pay out.
_____________________________________
From: Andrew Coyle
Subject: Spotify's "About" page
Bob,
Sorry if I missed you already writing about this....
Have you ever clicked on an artist's "About" page? I have never bothered assuming it to be a boring bio page or whatever... it definitely isn't. Instead you get a small breakdown of the popularity of the artist globally. For example: Metallica has 3,611,873 monthly listeners. For what it's worth, I couldn't find any metal band of any era with more (yes, including Led Zeppelin). "What? That can't be!" You're probably thinking.... With all the hate surrounding Metallica how can they be so popular? Well where do you guess their top 5 cities are globally? Seriously, guess!
1) Mexico City, 2)Sao Paulo 3)Santiago, 4)Stockholm, 5)London. They're global! They may be hated in the US, but the rest of the world never got the memo it seems. But the stories don't end there!
Take Jay Z for example. Launched his own streaming service because he thought Spotify payouts were to stingy. We know Spotify pays between $.006-$.0084 per stream. Jay Z clocks in at 8,788,586 globally. Assuming (conservatively, I'd say) that ever listener listens to 2 streams a month; also assuming the high-end of the royalty payout, $.0084, that totals up to $147,648.24 a month for Mr Z. Not too bad. Keep in mind, that's just from Spotify.
Music is something you produce more easily than ever in history. With the magic of drum machines, synths, and autotune, everyone is a one-man-band. And now with streaming and the magic of copyrights, you can easily stick a well in the ground that will pay money to you, your children and your grandchildren. Only thing I can't figure out is why all the pop geniuses aren't trying to figure out the perfect 90 second song to maximize streams...
_____________________________________
Subject: RE: Walk The Moon At The Greek
Bob -
Thanks for the piece on Cincinnati's Walk The Moon. It's a good place for a band to be based because Ohio is one-day's drive from two-thirds of the US population.
And it is my contention that everyone in America is either from Ohio, or is just one degree of separation away from someone who is from Ohio. And you meet so many people from Ohio because anyone with any sense leaves Ohio.
There's more, but that's usually as much as most people want to hear about Ohio before their eyes start glazing over.
Larry Butler
_____________________________________
From: Paul Rappaport
Subject: Re: Tales Of Brave Ulysses
I came from a blue collar family and I rarely bought albums because they were a luxury. By the time I got to UCLA I only had a handful of albums. My prize possessions were "Are You Experienced", Jeff Beck's "Truth", and "Fresh Cream" along with some early Stones albums.
I was beginning to play the electric guitar in a serious way, and even more important than Hendrix and Beck, which were of course huge to me, were Cream and Eric Clapton. I knew no one was going to even approach Hendrix—he was just on another amazing planet, a blast to listen to in headphones but why would anyone want to try and emulate that? Impossible. And, it was fun learning Jeff Beck licks. But really being enamored by the blues and then listening to Clapton in Cream, I was just spoken to in a whole new way. It was his style, that creamy tone, his vibrato, and tossing in triplets whenever he could—just blew my mind. The music captured me like no other. And like you, I saw Cream every chance I could when they came to Los Angeles.
These days I play guitar more than ever—got a cherry '59 Les Paul VOS re-issue, and my favorite tone is still that very saturated, creamy, over driven signature sound of Clapton when he played with Cream. It has stuck with me for all these years. My favorite players, are Peter Green, Michael Bloomfield, and of course, the 3 Kings, but the absolute reason I play guitar today is because of Eric Clapton and that Fresh Cream album which then lead to "Disraeli Gears" and onward.
The world I was in was psychedelic, I was psychedelic, and "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" spoke to many of us in ways that are hard to explain to anyone who doesn't get it. But for those of us who do get it, all we have to do is nod to each other with a knowing smile.
Keep up the good work, Brave Bobby
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Dear Prudence
...and here's a "Dear Prudence" by Jeff Lorber you probably haven't heard that is pretty cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONtBCazKgTI
Ricky Schultz
_____________________________________
From: Jeff Lorber
Subject: Re: Dear Prudence
the story i heard was that the meditation was having a little bit of a psychotic effect her. JL
_____________________________________
From: Paul Moshay
Subject: Re: Dear Prudence
Gabor Szabo '69 ... early cover maybe the first cover
way soulful
http://youtu.be/tnZGEiK2pso
_____________________________________
Re: Dear Prudence
Small world news from the 30A Songwriters Festival in northwest Florida. Prudence Bruns ( Mia Farrow's sister) lives here on 30A and teaches transcendental meditation to many in the community. Very down to earth and humble - represents what was good about 60's ideals to this day! She recently published a memoir called "Dear Prudence - The Story Behind the Song".
Our Festival kicks off next Wednesday and continues through Sunday night featuring Jackson Browne, Grace Potter, JD Souther, Shovels & Rope, Shawn Mullins and 150 additional singer songwriters, all of whom write and perform original music - proof positive that the creative spirit is alive and well in this digital age.
best regards,
Russell Carter
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Thursday 7 January 2016
Wednesday 6 January 2016
Dear Prudence
Won't you come out to play.
I didn't know it was a real person, a real story, about Mia Farrow's sister who wanted to reach enlightenment faster than anybody else so she stayed inside meditating for three weeks straight. John and George were enlisted to help her see the light, the one outdoors.
We knew "Revolution," the fast version, it had been a hit.
Everything else on the White Album was brand new.
And I know the double LP by heart, but in honor of the Beatles streaming I pulled it up.
And was stunned how it was sui generis, and jetted me back to what once was.
The song I remember hearing first was "Rocky Raccoon." Driving around in my friend Mike's brand new Plymouth, well, his parents' brand new Plymouth, three in front and three in back, we heard it on the radio in Hartford, Connecticut. I think "Rocky" is still my favorite song on the LP.
But that kept changing.
For a long time there it was "Mother Nature's Son." Have you heard John Denver's cover, from the album with "Rocky Mountain High"? It's pretty good.
And then there's the double punch killer at the end of side two, "I Will" and "Julia," both quiet and heartfelt, amazing how those are the songs that penetrate you most.
And speaking of side-enders, there was Harrison's "Long, Long, Long" on side three. It presaged what was to come a couple of years hence, on "All Things Must Pass."
But when I finally got the album for Hanukkah, my favorite song was the opener, "Back In The U.S.S.R." It winked at the Beach Boys and I was the biggest Beach Boys fan, it's why I live in Southern California, I wanted a piece of the free and easy lifestyle, where you're outdoors more than in and where you were educated and who your parents are just isn't relevant. I'd come home from school every day and drop the needle on "Back In The U.S.S.R." and would feel fulfilled. Funny how music inspires you, makes you feel it'll all work out. It's a link to a better world, where you're understood and accepted.
And I'd lift the needle over and over again, but not always fast enough, so I'd start to hear "Dear Prudence," which segued so subtly from that tear of an opening track.
And no one talked about it even though everybody knew it, most discussion was about "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" and "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" And it wasn't long before we had to hear "Birthday" incessantly. But when I bought the CDs, back at the tail end of the eighties, it was "Dear Prudence" that stuck out.
"Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?"
I knew a Patience, she was married to Ken Scott, a blur of a person who got the assembled multitude in motion back when I used to work for Rod Smallwood, but I never knew a Prudence, that was a name for books.
"The sun is up, the sky is blue"
It wasn't today in L.A. It was raining cats and dogs. That's how it goes here, it's either the end of the world or misting. And I liked it, I was allowed to be introspective. But usually in SoCal the sun is up and the sky is blue and when you walk out the front door you're inspired.
"It's beautiful and so are you"
The meaning changes so much when you know it's a real person. Lennon's complimenting her, he wants her to believe it.
"The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything"
And you are. Individuals rule this world. Your power is unlimited. If you just believe in yourself and stop worrying where you are in the pecking order, something I find it so hard to do.
Life is for living. And I've got to do more of that. I love being connected, I love the access to information, but it's when I disconnect and have an adventure that I feel fully alive.
And it's these adventures that are inspirational, that mold a life and form the foundation of art. That's why we loved the Beatles, they were so human. Sure, they used electric guitars, but it's like they set off on a journey and were sending back aural postcards that fascinated and intrigued us, that we couldn't stop studying, we wanted to go on the journey too.
Life catches you off guard. You can stay on the path, do what you're supposed to, dot all the i's and t's, but when you least expect it life will sneak up and reveal itself to you, like when you hear "Dear Prudence."
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I didn't know it was a real person, a real story, about Mia Farrow's sister who wanted to reach enlightenment faster than anybody else so she stayed inside meditating for three weeks straight. John and George were enlisted to help her see the light, the one outdoors.
We knew "Revolution," the fast version, it had been a hit.
Everything else on the White Album was brand new.
And I know the double LP by heart, but in honor of the Beatles streaming I pulled it up.
And was stunned how it was sui generis, and jetted me back to what once was.
The song I remember hearing first was "Rocky Raccoon." Driving around in my friend Mike's brand new Plymouth, well, his parents' brand new Plymouth, three in front and three in back, we heard it on the radio in Hartford, Connecticut. I think "Rocky" is still my favorite song on the LP.
But that kept changing.
For a long time there it was "Mother Nature's Son." Have you heard John Denver's cover, from the album with "Rocky Mountain High"? It's pretty good.
And then there's the double punch killer at the end of side two, "I Will" and "Julia," both quiet and heartfelt, amazing how those are the songs that penetrate you most.
And speaking of side-enders, there was Harrison's "Long, Long, Long" on side three. It presaged what was to come a couple of years hence, on "All Things Must Pass."
But when I finally got the album for Hanukkah, my favorite song was the opener, "Back In The U.S.S.R." It winked at the Beach Boys and I was the biggest Beach Boys fan, it's why I live in Southern California, I wanted a piece of the free and easy lifestyle, where you're outdoors more than in and where you were educated and who your parents are just isn't relevant. I'd come home from school every day and drop the needle on "Back In The U.S.S.R." and would feel fulfilled. Funny how music inspires you, makes you feel it'll all work out. It's a link to a better world, where you're understood and accepted.
And I'd lift the needle over and over again, but not always fast enough, so I'd start to hear "Dear Prudence," which segued so subtly from that tear of an opening track.
And no one talked about it even though everybody knew it, most discussion was about "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" and "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" And it wasn't long before we had to hear "Birthday" incessantly. But when I bought the CDs, back at the tail end of the eighties, it was "Dear Prudence" that stuck out.
"Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?"
I knew a Patience, she was married to Ken Scott, a blur of a person who got the assembled multitude in motion back when I used to work for Rod Smallwood, but I never knew a Prudence, that was a name for books.
"The sun is up, the sky is blue"
It wasn't today in L.A. It was raining cats and dogs. That's how it goes here, it's either the end of the world or misting. And I liked it, I was allowed to be introspective. But usually in SoCal the sun is up and the sky is blue and when you walk out the front door you're inspired.
"It's beautiful and so are you"
The meaning changes so much when you know it's a real person. Lennon's complimenting her, he wants her to believe it.
"The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything"
And you are. Individuals rule this world. Your power is unlimited. If you just believe in yourself and stop worrying where you are in the pecking order, something I find it so hard to do.
Life is for living. And I've got to do more of that. I love being connected, I love the access to information, but it's when I disconnect and have an adventure that I feel fully alive.
And it's these adventures that are inspirational, that mold a life and form the foundation of art. That's why we loved the Beatles, they were so human. Sure, they used electric guitars, but it's like they set off on a journey and were sending back aural postcards that fascinated and intrigued us, that we couldn't stop studying, we wanted to go on the journey too.
Life catches you off guard. You can stay on the path, do what you're supposed to, dot all the i's and t's, but when you least expect it life will sneak up and reveal itself to you, like when you hear "Dear Prudence."
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Tuesday 5 January 2016
Tales Of Brave Ulysses
I played this for my mother.
I didn't buy "Fresh," not at first, my initial Cream purchase was "Disraeli Gears," way before "Sunshine Of Your Love" got airplay, I experienced it as an album, it revealed itself to me with each play, and the song that hooked me was the second side opener, "Tales Of Brave Ulysses."
Not that I knew anything about Greek tragedy, it's just that the record had a sound that spoke to me, that took me out of my bedroom into a vast world that I thought would understand me.
I finally had a stereo, I'd cashiered my record player, that all-in-one unit with platter and speaker and tonearm sporting a coin to make sure the record didn't skip. And I detached one speaker from my new listening apparatus, it was a Columbia unit, that's right, the record company also made hardware, and dragged it to my mother's bedroom so she could hear and share what I did.
She did not get it.
But I still do.
Contemplating Robert Stigwood's death I pulled up "Disraeli Gears" on my Sonos system. And "Strange Brew" sounded better than I'd imagined, it was never my favorite track on the LP, but decades later it fit the pocket, it was so satisfying.
Unlike "Sunshine Of Your Love," which I've heard enough not to need to hear it again.
But then I thought of all the album tracks, that were secondary back then but I know by heart. Like "Dance The Night Away" and "SWLABR." "Dance The Night Away" is the antithesis of today, it's not playing to the back row of an arena, it sounds like it barely escaped the studio, at best is playing in a pub. The music is unselfconscious and personal. And that guitar riff in "SWLABR" was a revelation, I liked it more than I did back in '68.
And then I heard "Tales Of Brave Ulysses"...
"You thought the Latin winter would bring you down forever..."
But really it's all about the instrumental intro, bombastic and then ethereal, as if me and the band were on a ship in the Aegean, just us, experiencing this intense tale. It all came back, 1968, Farist Road, Andrew Warde High School, going to bed early to go skiing in Vermont, my entire life was laid out in front of me.
I purchased the LP at Barkers, on the Post Road in Westport, another discount outlet like Topps and Korvette's with a record department amidst the chozzerai, this was long before the standalone record shop, these were our record stores.
And it wasn't the flimsy, intensely-colored U.K. cover, that didn't reach U.S. shores until later. Rather it was orange cardboard, and although I bought "Wheels Of Fire" early enough to get the shiny silver gatefold cover, what was inside was what truly mattered, the record.
And there was no social media, there was no sharing, it was just you and the sound, one you'd never heard before, it was all news to you.
And sure, you might talk about records at school, but really it was just you and the band, creating a bond, which is why you went to see them live, which I did twice that year, before most people knew who Eric Clapton was, when people were just starting to say Ginger Baker was a speed freak.
"And the colors of the sea blind your eyes with trembling mermaids"
It was psychedelic, when people were doing LSD and Day-Glo was permeating the universe but it was all brand new, today we've got tech exploration but back then it was all about testing cultural limits, there was a new trend every week, it was hard to keep up, you were either on the bus or you weren't, you were either hip or you weren't, there was a schism in society and the dividing line was the music.
"Tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers"
I knew all the words, not that I had them down accurately. I'd sing them to myself in the halls of high school. You couldn't take your music with you, you had to wait until you got home to drop the needle, which you did immediately and continued to do as you did your homework, as you fell asleep, I had a timer to turn my stereo off, music was the most important thing.
These are the tales of Brave Bobby. When I found these records and they carved deep, indelible ripples into the tissues of my mind.
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I didn't buy "Fresh," not at first, my initial Cream purchase was "Disraeli Gears," way before "Sunshine Of Your Love" got airplay, I experienced it as an album, it revealed itself to me with each play, and the song that hooked me was the second side opener, "Tales Of Brave Ulysses."
Not that I knew anything about Greek tragedy, it's just that the record had a sound that spoke to me, that took me out of my bedroom into a vast world that I thought would understand me.
I finally had a stereo, I'd cashiered my record player, that all-in-one unit with platter and speaker and tonearm sporting a coin to make sure the record didn't skip. And I detached one speaker from my new listening apparatus, it was a Columbia unit, that's right, the record company also made hardware, and dragged it to my mother's bedroom so she could hear and share what I did.
She did not get it.
But I still do.
Contemplating Robert Stigwood's death I pulled up "Disraeli Gears" on my Sonos system. And "Strange Brew" sounded better than I'd imagined, it was never my favorite track on the LP, but decades later it fit the pocket, it was so satisfying.
Unlike "Sunshine Of Your Love," which I've heard enough not to need to hear it again.
But then I thought of all the album tracks, that were secondary back then but I know by heart. Like "Dance The Night Away" and "SWLABR." "Dance The Night Away" is the antithesis of today, it's not playing to the back row of an arena, it sounds like it barely escaped the studio, at best is playing in a pub. The music is unselfconscious and personal. And that guitar riff in "SWLABR" was a revelation, I liked it more than I did back in '68.
And then I heard "Tales Of Brave Ulysses"...
"You thought the Latin winter would bring you down forever..."
But really it's all about the instrumental intro, bombastic and then ethereal, as if me and the band were on a ship in the Aegean, just us, experiencing this intense tale. It all came back, 1968, Farist Road, Andrew Warde High School, going to bed early to go skiing in Vermont, my entire life was laid out in front of me.
I purchased the LP at Barkers, on the Post Road in Westport, another discount outlet like Topps and Korvette's with a record department amidst the chozzerai, this was long before the standalone record shop, these were our record stores.
And it wasn't the flimsy, intensely-colored U.K. cover, that didn't reach U.S. shores until later. Rather it was orange cardboard, and although I bought "Wheels Of Fire" early enough to get the shiny silver gatefold cover, what was inside was what truly mattered, the record.
And there was no social media, there was no sharing, it was just you and the sound, one you'd never heard before, it was all news to you.
And sure, you might talk about records at school, but really it was just you and the band, creating a bond, which is why you went to see them live, which I did twice that year, before most people knew who Eric Clapton was, when people were just starting to say Ginger Baker was a speed freak.
"And the colors of the sea blind your eyes with trembling mermaids"
It was psychedelic, when people were doing LSD and Day-Glo was permeating the universe but it was all brand new, today we've got tech exploration but back then it was all about testing cultural limits, there was a new trend every week, it was hard to keep up, you were either on the bus or you weren't, you were either hip or you weren't, there was a schism in society and the dividing line was the music.
"Tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers"
I knew all the words, not that I had them down accurately. I'd sing them to myself in the halls of high school. You couldn't take your music with you, you had to wait until you got home to drop the needle, which you did immediately and continued to do as you did your homework, as you fell asleep, I had a timer to turn my stereo off, music was the most important thing.
These are the tales of Brave Bobby. When I found these records and they carved deep, indelible ripples into the tissues of my mind.
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Monday 4 January 2016
Obama On Seinfeld
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cOLF9k6FAw
I love that Jerry wore his Nikes, dirty ones at that.
That's the essence of a baby boomer, irreverence, speaking truth to power. You don't see no stinkin' millennials doing that, never mind the lost generation known as Gen-X. Kids today are all about sucking up, being two-faced, doing what it takes to get ahead. Whereas their elders thought if you can't disrespect someone, if you can't catch them off guard, they're not worth talking to, never mind knowing.
That's right, classic rock was built upon irreverence. Making jokes about Paraquat, Danny Schechter creating his own version of the news. We were our parents' children and then suddenly we were father to the man. We grew up adulating Kennedy and then we had no time for Johnson and Nixon and by time Jimmy Carter took power we were disillusioned and tuned out. And then Reagan, the enemy, never forget how he took on the the University of California, won and legitimized greed and nothing's been the same since. It may be morning in America, but it's every man for himself. And you'd better start running and cunning or you're gonna be left behind, with no safety net and your right to health care only a motion from being taken away.
So I'd like to say I watch every episode of "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee," but it's not that funny. Turns out Larry David was the genius. He's even referenced herein, with the Prez talking about playing golf with Mr. Enthusiasm, who wears enough sunscreen to have it dripping from his ears. How can it be that an irreverent schmuck can play golf with the most powerful man in the world? That's what happens when you hang it out completely, when you're unworried about judgment, people cling to you. That was the essence of John Lennon. Could Larry David be the next Lennon? Think about it.
So the show starts with a '63 Corvette. It don't get any better than that. And Jerry recalls the early sixties when America was the CAN DO country. Before it became the CANNOT, before a vocal part of the population wanted to jet us back to the past, as if we wanted to live on plantations with guns by our side in case some varmints attacked us. And to think that a varmint is in the White House! One of my favorite rock stories is told by Al Kooper, whose song "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" was covered by Donny Hathaway. But when Al heard the new version he flipped out, the lyric had been changed, the Blood, Sweat & Tears original was "I can be President of General Motors, baby" and now Mr. Hathaway sang "I could be king of everything." Irascible Al called Jerry Wexler to complain. And Jerry barked back...AL, A BLACK MAN COULD NEVER BE PRESIDENT OF GENERAL MOTORS!
But a black man is President of the United States.
And a woman is chairman of General Motors. Did you see the company just invested $500 million in Lyft? Cars are gonna drive themselves, you're probably not gonna even own one, you're gonna use an app to call one up and...
You don't want to believe that. You think cars are representative of your massive genitalia. But today's generation knows it's all about experiences, especially since you stole their future and they can't even afford an apartment in the city.
So seeing the Vette is like viewing a Dead Sea Scroll.
But they can't leave the premises.
Remember when Presidents were shot? Happened in the sixties. Squeaky Fromme even tried to take a potshot in the seventies. Security is tight for the leader of the free world, for you and me?? Not so much.
And on campus Obama is stiff. Intelligent, but measured.
But then he loosens up. Like he did on Maron. Wherein he said change happened slowly, and if you wanted to see single payer health care you should look back from decades out.
But this show wasn't really about substance, but personality. Life. Obama laments the loss of his anonymity and then Jerry says how being famous is so much better. He's right. Too many wankers revere the good old days which weren't so good. Like vinyl. Remember warps and skips and returns? I miss those not a whit.
And Obama says little kids like him, because of his big ears and his name, they like how it rolls off their tongues.
And Jerry keeps talking to him like he's a regular person, showing no respect. Hell, it's great when he slouches on the couch and eats an apple and leaves the core on the coffee table. Decorum is for wimps. You gotta go where you wanna go, do what you wanna do, with whoever, you wanna do it with.
And Obama insults Jerry by not knowing he still works, labeling him "retired."
And Jerry makes news by getting the Prez to admit that so many world leaders are just plain loony, but the right wing press hasn't picked up on this because they haven't watched the show, they hate Jerry and Barack and want to make like they don't exist. You know, the rich blowhards wearing expensive suits who say they're saving the common man from oppression, the one with no future who pays no taxes and benefits disproportionately from government programs in his red state. It's all about disinformation, moving the ball forward. Actually, Obama analogized politics to football.
But when Obama throws his arm over the steering wheel of the car at the end, when he refuses to use the ten and two position, that's when he evidences his personality. He relaxes and he's...
Just like you and me.
Another guy who wants to look cool but usually looks dorky.
And there you have it, the modern era in a nutshell. Wherein the press corps is following nitwit Donald Trump who has no chance of becoming President while a comedian gets the man in power to admit he wears only one brand of underwear and can't stop eating guacamole.
There's more truth in what you eat than what you say to get elected.
And Guantanamo is still open and income inequality reigns but the truth is we've got a black President, someone who knows hoops and hip-hop and may be stiff but is positively part of the fabric of our nation. He's not disconnected and better, just confident and one of us.
And I know this not because some investigative reporter dug down deep for an expose, but because a guy just like you and me, but funnier, known as Jerry Seinfeld, had a conversation with him and treated him no different than he would you or me. Because we all put our pants on the same way, we're all in this together.
And anybody could become President, but who'd want to be?
I'd rather be a comedian. Someone who can point out the inanity of modern life. Someone who can speak the truth. Someone who can be themselves 24/7.
You know, like rock stars used to be.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1UrVlkQ (Both versions of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know.")
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I love that Jerry wore his Nikes, dirty ones at that.
That's the essence of a baby boomer, irreverence, speaking truth to power. You don't see no stinkin' millennials doing that, never mind the lost generation known as Gen-X. Kids today are all about sucking up, being two-faced, doing what it takes to get ahead. Whereas their elders thought if you can't disrespect someone, if you can't catch them off guard, they're not worth talking to, never mind knowing.
That's right, classic rock was built upon irreverence. Making jokes about Paraquat, Danny Schechter creating his own version of the news. We were our parents' children and then suddenly we were father to the man. We grew up adulating Kennedy and then we had no time for Johnson and Nixon and by time Jimmy Carter took power we were disillusioned and tuned out. And then Reagan, the enemy, never forget how he took on the the University of California, won and legitimized greed and nothing's been the same since. It may be morning in America, but it's every man for himself. And you'd better start running and cunning or you're gonna be left behind, with no safety net and your right to health care only a motion from being taken away.
So I'd like to say I watch every episode of "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee," but it's not that funny. Turns out Larry David was the genius. He's even referenced herein, with the Prez talking about playing golf with Mr. Enthusiasm, who wears enough sunscreen to have it dripping from his ears. How can it be that an irreverent schmuck can play golf with the most powerful man in the world? That's what happens when you hang it out completely, when you're unworried about judgment, people cling to you. That was the essence of John Lennon. Could Larry David be the next Lennon? Think about it.
So the show starts with a '63 Corvette. It don't get any better than that. And Jerry recalls the early sixties when America was the CAN DO country. Before it became the CANNOT, before a vocal part of the population wanted to jet us back to the past, as if we wanted to live on plantations with guns by our side in case some varmints attacked us. And to think that a varmint is in the White House! One of my favorite rock stories is told by Al Kooper, whose song "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" was covered by Donny Hathaway. But when Al heard the new version he flipped out, the lyric had been changed, the Blood, Sweat & Tears original was "I can be President of General Motors, baby" and now Mr. Hathaway sang "I could be king of everything." Irascible Al called Jerry Wexler to complain. And Jerry barked back...AL, A BLACK MAN COULD NEVER BE PRESIDENT OF GENERAL MOTORS!
But a black man is President of the United States.
And a woman is chairman of General Motors. Did you see the company just invested $500 million in Lyft? Cars are gonna drive themselves, you're probably not gonna even own one, you're gonna use an app to call one up and...
You don't want to believe that. You think cars are representative of your massive genitalia. But today's generation knows it's all about experiences, especially since you stole their future and they can't even afford an apartment in the city.
So seeing the Vette is like viewing a Dead Sea Scroll.
But they can't leave the premises.
Remember when Presidents were shot? Happened in the sixties. Squeaky Fromme even tried to take a potshot in the seventies. Security is tight for the leader of the free world, for you and me?? Not so much.
And on campus Obama is stiff. Intelligent, but measured.
But then he loosens up. Like he did on Maron. Wherein he said change happened slowly, and if you wanted to see single payer health care you should look back from decades out.
But this show wasn't really about substance, but personality. Life. Obama laments the loss of his anonymity and then Jerry says how being famous is so much better. He's right. Too many wankers revere the good old days which weren't so good. Like vinyl. Remember warps and skips and returns? I miss those not a whit.
And Obama says little kids like him, because of his big ears and his name, they like how it rolls off their tongues.
And Jerry keeps talking to him like he's a regular person, showing no respect. Hell, it's great when he slouches on the couch and eats an apple and leaves the core on the coffee table. Decorum is for wimps. You gotta go where you wanna go, do what you wanna do, with whoever, you wanna do it with.
And Obama insults Jerry by not knowing he still works, labeling him "retired."
And Jerry makes news by getting the Prez to admit that so many world leaders are just plain loony, but the right wing press hasn't picked up on this because they haven't watched the show, they hate Jerry and Barack and want to make like they don't exist. You know, the rich blowhards wearing expensive suits who say they're saving the common man from oppression, the one with no future who pays no taxes and benefits disproportionately from government programs in his red state. It's all about disinformation, moving the ball forward. Actually, Obama analogized politics to football.
But when Obama throws his arm over the steering wheel of the car at the end, when he refuses to use the ten and two position, that's when he evidences his personality. He relaxes and he's...
Just like you and me.
Another guy who wants to look cool but usually looks dorky.
And there you have it, the modern era in a nutshell. Wherein the press corps is following nitwit Donald Trump who has no chance of becoming President while a comedian gets the man in power to admit he wears only one brand of underwear and can't stop eating guacamole.
There's more truth in what you eat than what you say to get elected.
And Guantanamo is still open and income inequality reigns but the truth is we've got a black President, someone who knows hoops and hip-hop and may be stiff but is positively part of the fabric of our nation. He's not disconnected and better, just confident and one of us.
And I know this not because some investigative reporter dug down deep for an expose, but because a guy just like you and me, but funnier, known as Jerry Seinfeld, had a conversation with him and treated him no different than he would you or me. Because we all put our pants on the same way, we're all in this together.
And anybody could become President, but who'd want to be?
I'd rather be a comedian. Someone who can point out the inanity of modern life. Someone who can speak the truth. Someone who can be themselves 24/7.
You know, like rock stars used to be.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1UrVlkQ (Both versions of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know.")
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Robert Stigwood
He managed Cream.
But no one knew his name until "Saturday Night Fever."
You've got to understand, the only requirement to being in show business, especially the music world, is the desire. It's a compendium of self-made men, hustlers who fear neither veracity nor the law in their climb to the top. Whatever you learn in school will not help you in the music business, but what you learn on the street will pay dividends. Music is all about relationships. Who you know is more important than where you got your diploma, if you've got one at all. Illusion is more important than reality, which is why you've got a hard time getting an accurate accounting. They say it's a home run when it's a single and the person who needs to get paid is the manager, the financial mastermind, the rights holder, who reports to no one but himself, there's no SEC for the record business.
And the truth is we all want to be hustled. We hope that things can get better, that we can make it if we just believe, and these manipulators prey upon us. And some of them become successful, like Robert Stigwood. (Read "Born to Be Conned": http://nyti.ms/1HOJP1L)
He did not come from the Tommy Mottola school of self-promotion. At his peak most knew little about him, his promo majordomo, the already forgotten Al Coury, was the one who got the ink. This was back when colorful characters realized it was best not to have the sun shine upon them. A lesson today's ultra-rich should pay attention to. When you're bending the rules, you don't want scrutiny. No one knew who Louis Bacon was until the "New York Times" revealed his tax manipulation schemes on its front page last week: "For the Wealthiest, a Private Tax System That Saves Them Billions": http://nyti.ms/1moh0zk Then again, if you're boasting about cash you probably ain't got that much. And Robert Stigwood had plenty.
He came from Australia to England with nothing. He made inroads before the Beatles, but he latched on to them too. And then he hooked up with Eric Clapton.
What would the music world be without Eric Clapton?
Jeff Beck never wanted the accolades, or was too prickly for those who could boost his fortunes to pay attention to.
Jimmy Page broke through, but primarily as one thing and one thing only, the driving force behind Led Zeppelin.
But it's the third guitarist in the Yardbirds who blazed trails, who inspired a second generation of guitarists to wail. The Beatles got us started, but it's Clapton who inspired us to aspire to greatness, to test the limits. He was the first guitar hero, and he may be the last.
But no one in America knew who he was. Few had the Bluesbreakers LP. And Cream's initial album "Fresh" had little traction, despite its stellar track listing. It suffered in its production, credited to Stigwood himself, who probably had little to do with it. But then Bud Prager inserted his client Felix Pappalardi into the mix and the result was "Disraeli Gears," which penetrated the consciousness of the cognoscenti in the winter of '67-'68, but went nuclear when the anthemic "Sunshine Of Your Love" hit the AM airwaves the following summer. FM was where you got started, but no one had a receiver in their car, where tracks got blown up. Kind of like the internet today. "Royals" was an internet smash, but it didn't become ubiquitous until it got on the radio. But the difference between "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Royals" is the influence of the former, it woke up players, it changed the culture, rock ruled.
And so did Cream.
Its subsequent album, "Wheels Of Fire," was a double. With extended takes of "Spoonful" and "Toad" on sides three and four respectively. Suddenly, hits didn't matter, it was all about the playing.
And the classic rock era was initiated.
Of course you've got to credit Hendrix, whose "Purple Haze" woke up the populace. And, as stated above, without the Beatles there was no beginning. But you cannot underestimate the influence of Cream.
What did Robert Stigwood have to do with it?
I DON'T KNOW!
But I do know no major band has made it without a first-rate manager. Whether it be David Geffen, Irving Azoff or David Krebs. They're each the man behind the band, opening doors, parting the sea, making things happen. Being able to play is just not enough.
And then Cream announced they were breaking up. Before the Beatles. And there was a goodbye tour and a "Goodbye" album and Eric joined the first supergroup, Blind Faith, subjugated his playing in Delaney & Bonnie and then put out a solo album that sounded almost nothing like what had come before. It's still my favorite, with "Easy Now" and "Let It Rain." But then Derek united with Duane and the rest is history, ergo "Layla." But "I Shot The Sheriff" came out under Stigwood's watch too, you think Bob Marley would have been as big without Eric's imprimatur? Chris Blackwell had been promoting him to no avail for years!
But the press focuses on the Bee Gees, because they had that moment with "Saturday Night Fever," they helped usher disco into the mainstream. And the movie and album were great, but what has Barry Gibb done for us lately?
With hindsight, we can see Clapton is the giant.
But they were both handled by Robert Stigwood.
So another one is gone, another one bites the dust. That's the way of the world, but the world used to be different. There was no corporate promotion company, no Live Nation. And even branch distribution was a new thing. Stigwood, et al, were making it up as they went along. And what resulted was the modern music business. You can't get paid? Neither could the bands of yore! They weren't in it for the money, but the adventure and the girls, it was a lark. But Stigwood and his buddies turned it into a cash machine, and eventually mazuma rained down upon the acts, who are ungrateful to this day, the men behind the machine rarely get their due.
But they do get paid.
If you last long enough, you get a better record deal, you graduate to the best management. But you still need players on your team, you can't do it all yourself. Just ask Trent Reznor, who went indie and then crawled back to a major label.
But it was easier back then, because no one knew anything, there were few music business attorneys and the hoi polloi had no access to Don Passman's book. You had to take it on faith, that this person unveiling this yarn could truly make you a star.
Robert Stigwood could.
And that's why those who were there remember him.
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But no one knew his name until "Saturday Night Fever."
You've got to understand, the only requirement to being in show business, especially the music world, is the desire. It's a compendium of self-made men, hustlers who fear neither veracity nor the law in their climb to the top. Whatever you learn in school will not help you in the music business, but what you learn on the street will pay dividends. Music is all about relationships. Who you know is more important than where you got your diploma, if you've got one at all. Illusion is more important than reality, which is why you've got a hard time getting an accurate accounting. They say it's a home run when it's a single and the person who needs to get paid is the manager, the financial mastermind, the rights holder, who reports to no one but himself, there's no SEC for the record business.
And the truth is we all want to be hustled. We hope that things can get better, that we can make it if we just believe, and these manipulators prey upon us. And some of them become successful, like Robert Stigwood. (Read "Born to Be Conned": http://nyti.ms/1HOJP1L)
He did not come from the Tommy Mottola school of self-promotion. At his peak most knew little about him, his promo majordomo, the already forgotten Al Coury, was the one who got the ink. This was back when colorful characters realized it was best not to have the sun shine upon them. A lesson today's ultra-rich should pay attention to. When you're bending the rules, you don't want scrutiny. No one knew who Louis Bacon was until the "New York Times" revealed his tax manipulation schemes on its front page last week: "For the Wealthiest, a Private Tax System That Saves Them Billions": http://nyti.ms/1moh0zk Then again, if you're boasting about cash you probably ain't got that much. And Robert Stigwood had plenty.
He came from Australia to England with nothing. He made inroads before the Beatles, but he latched on to them too. And then he hooked up with Eric Clapton.
What would the music world be without Eric Clapton?
Jeff Beck never wanted the accolades, or was too prickly for those who could boost his fortunes to pay attention to.
Jimmy Page broke through, but primarily as one thing and one thing only, the driving force behind Led Zeppelin.
But it's the third guitarist in the Yardbirds who blazed trails, who inspired a second generation of guitarists to wail. The Beatles got us started, but it's Clapton who inspired us to aspire to greatness, to test the limits. He was the first guitar hero, and he may be the last.
But no one in America knew who he was. Few had the Bluesbreakers LP. And Cream's initial album "Fresh" had little traction, despite its stellar track listing. It suffered in its production, credited to Stigwood himself, who probably had little to do with it. But then Bud Prager inserted his client Felix Pappalardi into the mix and the result was "Disraeli Gears," which penetrated the consciousness of the cognoscenti in the winter of '67-'68, but went nuclear when the anthemic "Sunshine Of Your Love" hit the AM airwaves the following summer. FM was where you got started, but no one had a receiver in their car, where tracks got blown up. Kind of like the internet today. "Royals" was an internet smash, but it didn't become ubiquitous until it got on the radio. But the difference between "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Royals" is the influence of the former, it woke up players, it changed the culture, rock ruled.
And so did Cream.
Its subsequent album, "Wheels Of Fire," was a double. With extended takes of "Spoonful" and "Toad" on sides three and four respectively. Suddenly, hits didn't matter, it was all about the playing.
And the classic rock era was initiated.
Of course you've got to credit Hendrix, whose "Purple Haze" woke up the populace. And, as stated above, without the Beatles there was no beginning. But you cannot underestimate the influence of Cream.
What did Robert Stigwood have to do with it?
I DON'T KNOW!
But I do know no major band has made it without a first-rate manager. Whether it be David Geffen, Irving Azoff or David Krebs. They're each the man behind the band, opening doors, parting the sea, making things happen. Being able to play is just not enough.
And then Cream announced they were breaking up. Before the Beatles. And there was a goodbye tour and a "Goodbye" album and Eric joined the first supergroup, Blind Faith, subjugated his playing in Delaney & Bonnie and then put out a solo album that sounded almost nothing like what had come before. It's still my favorite, with "Easy Now" and "Let It Rain." But then Derek united with Duane and the rest is history, ergo "Layla." But "I Shot The Sheriff" came out under Stigwood's watch too, you think Bob Marley would have been as big without Eric's imprimatur? Chris Blackwell had been promoting him to no avail for years!
But the press focuses on the Bee Gees, because they had that moment with "Saturday Night Fever," they helped usher disco into the mainstream. And the movie and album were great, but what has Barry Gibb done for us lately?
With hindsight, we can see Clapton is the giant.
But they were both handled by Robert Stigwood.
So another one is gone, another one bites the dust. That's the way of the world, but the world used to be different. There was no corporate promotion company, no Live Nation. And even branch distribution was a new thing. Stigwood, et al, were making it up as they went along. And what resulted was the modern music business. You can't get paid? Neither could the bands of yore! They weren't in it for the money, but the adventure and the girls, it was a lark. But Stigwood and his buddies turned it into a cash machine, and eventually mazuma rained down upon the acts, who are ungrateful to this day, the men behind the machine rarely get their due.
But they do get paid.
If you last long enough, you get a better record deal, you graduate to the best management. But you still need players on your team, you can't do it all yourself. Just ask Trent Reznor, who went indie and then crawled back to a major label.
But it was easier back then, because no one knew anything, there were few music business attorneys and the hoi polloi had no access to Don Passman's book. You had to take it on faith, that this person unveiling this yarn could truly make you a star.
Robert Stigwood could.
And that's why those who were there remember him.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
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