More Mailbag

In retort to smarty pants Mark Linett who has attempted to refute my claim of having overdubbed bass parts on top of old Beach Boys master mixes to beef up the bass definition, I present this article from our local paper up here on The Central Coast proving that in fact Capitol Records did throw out multitrack master tapes from time to time:
https://m.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/the-reel-deal/Content?oid=2935659

This would support the reason why Capitol Records AR rep John Palladino, who was a credited Capitol Records executive producer on several of my boss Steve Miller's records, would have asked me to do the session in 1981 that I described in my comment regarding The Beach Boys from your newsletter Bob. I could give a rat's ass about whether this fellow calls himself a "Beach Boys Archivist" or not. I was there Mr. Linett, you weren't. Now can I prove that Capitol ever actually used those bass parts I mirrored on those old recordings prior to The Wrecking Crew's involvement? No. But I have contacted Mr Palladino's niece to see if John is still with us to verify that session taking place. Stay tuned on that one.

Furthermore that medley Mr Linett provided a link for contained none of the songs I worked on that day. All of the songs I worked on were old mixes from the first 6-7 hits they had in the early 60s before Carol Kaye had even been called in.

All I know is what Mr Palladio told me that day. That "they had no multitrack masters of those particular songs in their possession" and that "we will be remixing these tracks for broadcast for better bass definition"

Also I appreciate being compared to the great Bernard Purdie, but not for the right reasons. I never said I "replaced" or "recreated" any new music. I was asked to simply mirror Brian's bass parts he had recorded as a teenager on those early recordings so Capitol could blend in a better bass definition lacking on those mono mixes.

I have no reason to make up a story like this. I am a Rock n Roll Hall of Fame alumnus, have numerous gold and platinum records hanging in my office and have done just fine in the business. For this person to call me a liar in front of my peers on your mailbag is in my opinion liable and I challenge him to respond to my retort with a retraction and apology.

Kenny Lee Lewis-Steve Miller Band member for over 37 years.

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More Hairfarmers

Hi Bob,

How did I get into this space?

My parents are not musicians, but my Grandma was. She played piano and was the vocal soloist at her Baptist church which I went to fairly often during my childhood in the early 70's...I must have got some of my love of music from her. She was great!

Although my parents don't play, they do love music so I was blessed with a great stereo and record collection in the family home. Lots of Elvis and Johnny Mathis from my Dad. Lots of Motown etc. from my Mom with other artists thrown in the mix too. I remember tilting the giant speakers together at their tops and putting my head in the middle and screaming along to Joni Mitchell. (the first surround sound?)

Fast forward to my teenage years. I would always sing along to the music we had cranked up at parties or in the car. People would say, hey, you sound "just like the record" so I'd just keep singing...

Fast forward to the very early 90's, hanging out in bars in the 'burbs of Vancouver...there was a surprisingly good live music scene back then, before the DJ thing took over. Clubs would have live music 5 or 6 nights a week. Some of these bands were really good and they could actually make decent living at it. One night, in our local bar, my younger brother, without telling me, went up to the lead singer of the band that night and said, "Hey! My brother can sing Led Zeppelin way better than you!"
Next thing you know, the band is kicking into the intro for "Rock and Roll" (the Zep song), and the singer is standing there at our table with a wireless mic and a funny look on his face saying "are you gonna start singing this one or what?" I guess I'd just enough Canadian Rye Whiskey in me to qualify as "liquid courage", so I went for it. I don't know if I was any good, but the place went nuts anyway and I was hooked! (by the way, I'm still friends with that band/singer!)

After that I started singing at jam nights and adding guest vocals at other bands gigs. I'd sing all the high range stuff that they couldn't hit. Soon after I was asked to join a couple of different bands...just fun stuff, bar gigs and weekend house parties.

I had finished trade school as a diesel mechanic by this time, but quickly stopped turning wrenches and started my own trucking company instead. This put me behind the wheel for 10 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. I spent all that time singing along to classic rock on the FM radio. I guess that's how I learned the words and picked up the phrasings to so many songs.

One thing I used to do on my own...I would play CSN's first album, both sides front to back, and practice harmonies. First verse in Crosby's voice, second in Still's voice, third in Nash's. I'm sure I drove my roommates nuts!

I skipped a lot of the 80's and 90's music during that era and focused on bands like Cream, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Hendrix, The Doors, The Stones, CSN (&Y), Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, James Taylor etc., etc., although I do appreciate 80's artists more now than I did then.

Fast forward to...WHISTLER!
I met a girl at the Oregon Country Fair in 1999 , a hippy festival near Eugene. We hit it off and were soon dating. She lived in Whistler and was never coming home to Vancouver. I was ready for a change, so I said "why not!", sold my trucking business and moved to Whistler. (I married that girl and we're still together!) In Whistler I soon met Doug. (the lanky guitar player) He'd been playing solo and in bands/duos around town for several years. I got up on stage with him a few times and as they say, the rest is history! We've been playing together ever since and have managed to turn our little duo into a successful act that plays 200 shows a year and gets to tour the world.

Whistler is home base during ski season, but the rest of the year we get to travel. This summer, in addition to all our local private and corporate gigs, we have shows in the Bahamas, Australia, Costa Rica, Tuscany, San Francisco, and our annual performance at Burning Man.

Is it a grind?
I handle all the business and management for us. Bookings, invoicing, contracts, travel etc. That part can be a grind sometimes.
There are days when I'm getting ready to leave for a show and wish I could just stay at home...but then I get to Merlin's (or any venue) and feel the energy in the room start to build. You see the anticipation on the faces in the crowd. Then you hit that first note, you see that first smile in the audience, and for 3 hours there's no place I'd rather be!!!

Cheers,
Greg Reamsbottom
The Hairfarmers
www.thehairfarmers.com

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Re: Thompson Twins

Bob, you may not know that before they became global pop stars, the TTs were a south London dub roots outfit.

The addition of Joe Leeway and Alannah Currie, took them to fame. Alannah was a Kiwi.

White guy (Tom), black guy, woman with dreads. Changing the script. Coming in off the back of the Talking Heads and B52s, where if there wasn't a woman in the band (Mo Tucker: VELVET UNDERGROUND!) the act was inherently less interesting.

And the Thomson/Thompson Twins name came out of Tintin, the amazing comic books by Belgian genius Herge.

From which our own Peter Jackson, who elevated NZ's status as a movie nation to the heights with the LOTR trilogy and then shot himself in the hairy feet with the HOBBIT trilogy (too long, too boring; disenfranchising Union workers in the process; long story) did a franchise Tintin deal with Big Steve Spielberg, who couldn't find or desire the necessary subtlety with an electron microscope.
Hate them both for that.

But Tom Bailey. And Allanah. Always good.

They were friends of my friend Kevin, when I landed in Sarf London in the very early 80s and had the only "squat" (legitimately occupied dwellings by activist occupants; imagine that now!) with hot running water.
I had a bath after a 30-hour flight from NZ. Chur!

Later their dub quartet ripped deep grooves into the heart of the local Brixton pub.

I last encountered Tom in a wonderfully cheap noodle house on K Rd in Auckland twenty years after that when he was International Observer. Eloquent, sane and unaffected by fame.

You picked the right band to love.

Mark Cubey


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