On This Day – Bad Bad Leroy Brown Hits Number 1!

Posted on July 22nd, 2012

On this day in 1973 Jim Croce reached number 1 in the Billboard charts with Bad Bad Leroy Brown, 2 months later he died in a plane crash blamed on pilot error. 

Born into an Italian family in South Philadelphia in 1943 he showed an interest in music from when he was 5 learning to play the accordi0n.  Music was a hobby rather than a career choice for Croce for a long time.  When he did start to take music seriously he had already met and fallen in love with his future wife, Ingrid.  Their wedding present from her parents was $500.  the only stipulation was that it was to be used to make an album.  Their hope was that the album would fail to sell and he would give give up music nd get a real job.  (It reminds me of “Get A Haircut” by George Thorogood – an ace song you must listen to if you don’t know it already).

Sadly for the in-laws, all 500  copies sold.  The album was “Facets”.  Life as a performer was not easy, though.  In ’68 they moved to New York having been encouraged to by their producer, Tommy West.  Eventually they sold all their possessions (except one guitar) to pay the rent and eventually had to move back to  Pennsylvania.  There Jim worked at many manual jobs including construction jibs and driving trucks.  Soul destroying work but it did give him great material for later songs such as “Working at the Car Wash Blues”.  He kept writing songs and did not lose his determination to be a performer. 

Success, when it came was not an over night recognition by us the public to Croce’s talent.  It was a slow awakening.  One important step on the road came in 1970 when Croce met Maury Muehleisen.  Muehleisen was a singer songwriter and initially Croce backed him on stage.  Over time the roles reversed and Muehleisen began to play the wonderful twiddly bits on Croce’s songs so evident in the following albums.

Croce secured a 3 record deal that would produce “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”, “Life and Times”, and “I Got a Name”.  All went gold in the US. “I Got a Name” was released as a single on 20th September 1973 and it was on that day that Croce, Muehleisen, and 4 others died in a light plane crash.  They were leaving after a concert at Natchitoches on their way to their next concert in Texas.  The crash was blamed on pilot error, he flew into the only tree for hundreds of yards.  The album “I Got a Name” was released posthumously in December 1973. 

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Patti Smith is Coming Back!

Posted on July 21st, 2012

patti smith

Patti Smith: ‘One of the few figures with a firm handle on the shaman-poet imperative.’
Patti is 65 and has released her 11th album. Banga has received great critical acclaim.  The Observer was particularly fulsome in its praise.

“People often talk about music fandom as a secular religion, one of many founded in the 20th century to replace the old church. In the communal gig experience there is the rush of elevation. Lyrics are studied like scripture. Fans are devoted to their idols. The trouble is, the idols aren’t often all that awe-inspiring. Rock has long resembled a cacophony of minor deities waiting for some proper monotheism to come along.  One of the few figures with a firm handle on the shaman-poet imperative has been Patti Smith. Banga is the 65-year-old’s 11th album, one of the most satisfying of her latterday career. A performance poet before she ever got a band together, Smith’s electrified presence and aggressive, incantatory style – part Dylan, part Jersey girl – have always aspired to a frequency that you might call sacred, if that word hadn’t been sullied by the so-called new age. “Oh crown of wind, two royal leopards run with him,” she murmurs on Seneca as circuitous guitar tones set out a mantric path. Out of context it might read like sophomoric poeticism, but like every song Smith sings it comes to the ear like a spell.”

What can I say?  I love this woman.  I love her and all her works with a passion.  This what grown up music sounds like, spellbinding, beautiful, mysterious and seriously though provoking.

The main point is that we can all see her, again.  My only problem is that I have booked seats to take Jane to see an Abba tribute band, as a surprise and that happens to be on the same night as Patti is in Manchester.  As it is a surprise, if I don’t tell her she won’t know what I had planned……………..

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On This Day – Like A Rolling Stone

Posted on July 20th, 2012

On this day in 1965 one of Dylan’s most iconic songs was released as a sing.  Like A Rolling Stone at 6 minutes long was considered too long and too ‘heavy’ to be a single and Columbia resisted releasing it.  It was only released after it had been leaked to a popular night club where influential DJs heard, and loved, it.  It was, and is, Dylan’s most successful single reaching number 2 in the USA and number 4 in the UK.

 

The song itself was written after a long and exhausting tour of the UK.  It probably started life as a 10 or more page rank referred to as a ‘piece of Vomit’ by Dylan.  It talked about loneliness, loss, and compassion, not the staple of love and romance that were the main themes for hit singles.  Robert Shelton, Dylan biographer, said “A song that seems to hail the dropout life for those who can take it segues into compassion for those who have dropped out of bourgeois surroundings. ‘Rolling Stone’ is about the loss of innocence and the harshness of experience. Myths, props, and old beliefs fall away to reveal a very taxing reality.”

 

Whatever it was really about and how you look at it one this is obvious. It was revolutionary. It took 2 fraught days to record, started in ¾ time. Mike Bloomfield played guitar, Al Kooper sat in on organ, although originally that part was slated to be on piano.  All in all, the song evolved and found itself as the musicians explored it.  The organ sound was brought up in the mix because Dylan liked it and against the best advice of  Tom Wilson, the producer.  Even after the take that became the single was recorded Dylan insisted that the band keep recording.  There were another 11 takes.

 

There has been a lot written about this song.  Many people think that it was the finest thing that Dylan ever recorded.  Certainly it was influential as it has been covered by Hendrix, the Stones, and Green Day amongst many others.  Every local pub band in the land uses it as a got stand by.

 

This song changed popular music. Or perhaps more correctly, it changed the way the men in suits in record companies looked at possible singles.  This song was raucous. It had electric guitar licks and a loud organ on a ‘folk’ record.  It was 6 minutes long.  It was about despair and loss, not about love.  In spite of all the received wisdom, people loved it and bought it.  It changed recorded popular music and elevated Dylan and propelled his career to new heights.

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Jon Lord Passes Away.

Posted on July 16th, 2012

When did I stop saying “died”?  Jon Lord died today.

Born in 1941 Lord was a huge influence on keyboard players that followed him.  (You may detect that I am not the biggest fan of keyboard players, never as sexy as guitar players, let alone sax players) having said that, he was one of rock greats.

He began playing jazz with the Bill AshtonCombo, went on to play with the Artwoods,  Best remembered for being a founding member of Deep Purple he was so much more than that.  Jon Lord was a jazzer that took to rock and new the blues intimately.  I, for one will miss him.

 

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Think Floyd – The Best Band Youv’e Never Seen

Posted on July 16th, 2012

We went to see Think Pink at the weekend. It is a venue that is drawing better and better bands. (Gone are the God Squad days….)  In the recent past they have hosted the excellent Blockheads and the totally wonderful Wilko Johnson.

Anyway, the set list was different from last year.  The newer stuff (post Muddle – sorry Meddle) was the bulk of the first half with the Umma Gumma stuff providing the climax to the second set.

Now, Umma Gumma is MY Floyd.  Set the Controls was well realised.  Careful with that axe a bit short on shock but Saucer Full really hair on the back of your neck raising great.

 

To be fair no one can be Floyd, but Think Floyd get close.

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On This Day – Carol Dryden Posts Herself, to The Beatles!

Posted on June 14th, 2012

14th June 1964.  A girl, Carol Dryden tried to post herself to The Beatles. (Luckily she did not suffer the same fate as Waldo Jeffers in The Gift by The Velvet Underground).

Although there are plenty of references to the incident the details are vague.  The basic story is that a girl known as Carol Dryden was ensconced in a tea chest that contained a thermos flask and blankets.  The tea chest was then addressed to The Beatles.  She was discovered before she was delivered and thus avoided Waldo’s fate.

The trouble with this story is that it seems to shift and fade as you get close to it rather like a mirage.  The name remains constant, but her age does not.  she was either 12, or 14, 16, or 21.  The tea chest was either discovered in Crewe, London, or Sunderland.  She came from Liverpool, or London, or the North East of England.

A cynical old hector, I wonder whether this story saw the light of day after being dreamed up by Brian Epstein as a good publicity wheeze.

(In case you are wondering on this day in 1964  The Beatles were in Australia.  So even if this was a true story it was very badly conceived.)

 

In  footnote,  The Blade a newspaper from Toledo Ohio covered this story picking up a report from Rueters.  The thing is according to them Carol was 21, and it happened in 1966! See their report here.

 

Never one to miss the chance to play the Velvets.  Here is The Gift.

 

 

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Velvet Revolver, The last Fight.

Posted on May 30th, 2012

Just love this!

 

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On This Day – Big Joe Turner Dies

Posted on November 24th, 2011

On this day in 1985 Big Joe Turner died.  Sadly, he is little remembered today but he had a huge influence on the growth of Rock and Roll.

Born in 1911 Turner performed from 1920 until 1980.  A Blues shouter he played with or on the same bill as many wonderful musicians such as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Wynonie Harris.  He recorded throughout his career but found real fame in the ’50s.  Moving away from Jazz and Blues he was a pioneer of rock and roll.  He is best remembered for writing and recording “Shake Rattle and Roll”.  His, original version was a hit but eclipsed by Bill Haley’s version.  BH’s version removed all the innuendoes of the original (Elvis used the original lyrics) and was not as raw and powerful as Turner’s.

More hits followed notably; “Well All Right,” “Flip Flop and Fly,” “Hide and Seek,” “Morning, Noon and Night,” and “The Chicken and the Hawk”.  His influence has been hailed by many people including the NME when reporting his death in 1985 they referred to him as “the grandfather of rock and roll.

Later in his life he returned to Jazz and Blues performing until 1980.  He died of a heart attack.

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On This Day – Blue Suede Shoes

Posted on November 19th, 2011

On this day in 1955 one of the all time rock classics was recorded by Carl Perkins at Sun Records in Memphis. It later went on to reach number 2 in the US and number 10 in the UK. It has been covered by loads of artists including Elvis (also a Sun Recording artist) and John Lennon.

He had a very poor upbringing. The son of a sharecropper in Tiptonville Tennessee he started working in the cotton fields at the age of 6. He would often finish his school day and then work for several hours in the fields. This upbringing made him resilient and exposed him to Southern Gospel music, whether during regular worship on Sundays or while working in the fields as the black workers sang in the fields.

In what now seems to be almost trite his first guitar was home made cigar box and broom handle affair made by his dad. He learnt to play being taught by a 60 year old John Westbrook a fellow field worker who Carl referred to as “Uncle John”. The African American played Gospel and blues and instilled a love of music into a willing Carl.

Later the family moved to Madison County and so closer to Memphis and more musical influences. From the age of 14 Carl and his brother played in local bars (while still having day jobs in the fields). Gradually, his repertoire and confidence grew. In 1954 he auditioned for the great Sam Phillips of Sun Records. Later Phillips would say of Carl “I knew that Carl could rock and in fact he told me right from the start that he had been playing that music before Elvis came out on record… I wanted to see whether this was someone who could revolutionize the country end of the business.”

Records followed but the great success was “Blue Suede Shoes” recorded on this day in 1955 (or on 19th December depending on who you believe. Carl’s immortality was assured.

Perkins was the son of poor sharecroppers near Tiptonville, Tennessee.[3] He grew up hearing Southern gospel music sung by whites in church, and by black field workers when he started working in the cotton fields at age six. During spring and autumn, the school day would be followed by several hours of work in fields. During the summer, workdays were 12–14 hours,

1955, Carl Perkins recorded ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ at Sun Studios in Memphis. The rock ‘n’ roll classic became a US No.2 & UK No.10 hit for Perkins in 1956, and has been covered by many acts including Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

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Eric Clapton Autobiography – A Review

Posted on November 17th, 2011

I should point out before I begin that I am not EC’s biggest fan – I have never forgiven him for 461 Ocean Bvd.

Having got that off my chest I must say that I enjoyed this book. It is well written with lots of insights and honesty (as far as anyone can tell). He acknowledges his arrogance and failings though he becomes a bit self serving towards the end of his book. All in all, however, it comes across as an honest account of his life.

The account of his upbringing seems so removed from the experience of today’s youth, it is even removed from those of us born just 10 years later than him. The privations of the post war years, the birth of skiffle, the part played by the old jazzers in introducing the Blues to these shores are covered. That EC became fixated with the blues resonated with me. I remember the effect of listening to Muddy, Howlin’ Wolf etc. for the first time and understand what that would mean to a socially inadequate, but talented youngster.

The lost years, fogged by various addictions, are covered openly. EC makes no excuses. The one question that I have is how much of the past can he really remember, but then I asked myself that when ready Life by Keith Richard.

Worth buying? I would say yes. You will not get a track by track explanation of the albums as you sometimes find in other biographies. What you do get is a worthy attempt to put his life into context. Motives and feelings are the name of the game here. It is an exceptional book because it is so personal. The flaws and mistakes are addressed (though I would have liked a bit more about the Birmingham racist comments). This is a man who was known to be a bastard to his family and friends, a man who dodged his responsibilities for years, a man who took the easy way out and relied on others.

EC started as an exceptional talent who could not live up to other peoples’ expectations. He became a jobbing guitarist, going through the motions. He both believed his own hype and hated the attention that it brought to him. That he survived is a testament to his resilience, that he survived and reclaimed happiness and the ability to play sublime music is a testament to his strength.

I still have not forgiven for 461 but I understand better, I just wish that I had not bought it. This book should be on your Christmas list, you will not be disappointed.

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