Mailbag

RE: FAVORITE STONES SONG
This week ..." waiting on a friend " . Best from BC , o
Andrew Loog Oldham
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Moonlight Mile!
Nancy Wilson
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Gotta put in Can’t You Hear Me Knockin and Tumblin Dice.
Great tracks that represent some of the best the Stones put out. IMHO.
Tom Johnston
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I'd find space for "Tumbling Dice" and "Before They Make Me Run", but then there are tons of songs from pre '68 I'm probably missing as well. And come to think of it, how can "Street Fighting Man" not make this list?
Berton Averre
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Can’t you hear me knocking…
Michael Des Barrres
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no Sympathy for the Devil?
Jeff Lorber
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Paul Christie bass player in Sydney AUS. I have to say we are on the same page with The Stones set list, excellent!
PS: I had Joe Walsh in my band in AUS in 1984, we were aptly named ‘The Party Boys’ he stayed for a year, we made a live album & he went back to LA in good form in late ’84 & Eagles got rolling again.
Stevie Ray also agreed to join The Party Boys but sadly got on that chopper after the gig in the snow, broke my heart.
All the best for now, Paul
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WILD HORSES
Joe Walsh
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Who in the hell likes ‘Saint of me’!
Greg Haledjian from NJ
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Glad to see “Saint of Me” on here! One of their best later era songs that few people know.
Mark Brut
Denver, CO
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SAINT OF ME !!!
Glad to see it -- probably the best ignored or celebrated Rolling Stones song ever!
Tom Werman
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MORE GIANT/DANN HUFF
Charlie Minor was promoting Giant. He worked them every way he could and was willing to do anything if I would recommend them. He did the same for other influencers. Then, I was at Lee Abrams at his house and he was writing a report for the record company about what the band needed to do to break through. We cranked the stereo and listened for that elusive hit that was sometimes buried in the middle of side 2. For a band that got so much passionate support from the label, I was surprised they didn’t get more traction, at least for a while. But as Album Rock playlists tightened, they were never going to get that shot.
John Parikhal
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I worked for many years with Dann. He produced hits for me and my co-writers. We also did one co production project together.
Not only is he a huge talent but he’s also a gentleman and someone who helped Nashville move beyond the good ole boys network.
Annie Roboff
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Very close with Bud Prager who asked me to see his new band at the Roxy. I got there early and there was this young kid by himself on stage doing comedy. I went back stage and signed him. Pauly Shore before MTV
Jerry greenberg
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?When I was a young kid (10-11 years old) I had a band that was managed by Bud Prager. Bud got us signed and thought of Dann to produce and write a few songs. This was in 1992 right when Giant’s album Time to Burn was released. It was a mind blowing experience to say the least. But what I remember more than anything from those sessions was Dann’s kindness and patience. I remember hugging Dann and crying when the final session ended-working with him was an experience that changed my life. Thanks for bringing him up.
Dan Monti
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RE: BORDER
Hey Bob,
Just an FYI, Mads Mikkelsen wasn’t the Russian President in House Of Cards, Lars Mikkelsen, his brother was, who coincidentally was in something you recommended that was very very good called Ride Upon The Storm.
Have a good day.
Devoted reader,
Dave Hamilton,
Philadelphia, PA
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RE: FEE WAYBILL
Hello Bob,
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Thank you.
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I just finished listening to your podcast with Fee Waybill.
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Like you, I am a big fan of the Tubes. I was fortunate to see them the first time when I was a student at Sonoma State in the way early ’70’s. Their original second drummer, Bob, was still in the group. I had no idea what I was in for. I never experienced such a combination of incredible musicianship and humor in a band. Another memorable show was at a club called the Lion’s Share in San Rafael where they played two sets with a one hour intermission in which they screened Pink Flamingos. They are the only band that I continue to follow. Even at $6.00 a gallon I plan to make the schlep in June from Santa Monica to Agoura to catch their current show.
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Thanks again,
Steve Ades
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From: Pstupar
I so enjoyed hearing Fee discussing the history of the Tubes. I arrived in SF from Washington DC in the fall of 1973. The first show I attended was the Pointer Sisters performing a week of shows at the Boarding House. I went to see what the fuss was about. The Tubes were the opening act. I had never witnessed such a performance. I went back again & again & took my Nikon. In 1975 I was hired at A&M records which thrilled me even more. I don't think I missed a Tubes show for years. People don't realize how big they were in SF. 20-30 shows a month in some clubs. I went to them all. For a while, they might have been the best rock & roll band in the world. Never a bad performance. There are so many great stories here that it's a shame Fee didn't have time to discuss them. Michael Cotton is the historian for this band. He put together a massive documentary years ago with concert footage that everyone wants to see. Unfortunately, it will take a music lawyer to get the clearance that is needed. That may never happen for financial reasons. A shame. But Michael Cotton did produce a wonderful picture book just for the fans. The Tubes Live 1973-1979. Only available on Blurb.com as far as I know but a wonderful souvenir if you were there. Peter Stupar ps...you can hear Rock & Roll Hospital on a live radio broadcast from KLRB recorded back in the day.
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RE: TIM CONSIDINE
Nice (if gloomy) obit. Being English, I had no idea who Tim Considine was until today. But I had to laugh at your description of your mother being a great "thrower awayer." Mine was too. Many's the time I would come home from school looking for a favorite toy, say maybe a matchbox car, only to be told "Oh that, I gave it to the neighbor's kid". We were poor, but apparently they were poorer than us. Her "piece de resistance" however, came with the comic book incident. We had an old coal fire which you had to rake the ashes out of, wrap in newspaper and throw away. One day she couldn't find any newspaper, so used one of my comic books. Amazing Spider Man. #1. Yep. In perfect condition today, worth around $300k. You have to laugh....
Mark Hudson
(Note-my mother threw out all my baseball cards.)
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Thanks for mentioning the passing of Tim Considine.
Tim did have a bit part in the movie Patton. He was the shell shocked guy sitting in the hospital tent that George C. Scott called a coward and smacked with his gloves.
I prefer to remember him as Spin or as Mike.
Cheers!
Gene Bonos
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Bummer about Tim Considine. I remember his as you do, in Spin and Marty and My Three Sons. I thought he was cool. A decade older than me, a teenager when I was an adolescent.
I'm surprised you didn’t mention what I consider to be his most significant achievement, for my life at least... he shot the photo of Joni Mitchell used on the cover of Blue, one of the greatest albums of all time.
Gary Burden, who designed the cover, printed it using a Ferro cyanotype process that produces blue prints, and increased the contrast to made it look stark, edgy, and frankly rather muddy. The original is a drop dead beauty, soft and sensuous, languid and startlingly beautiful. And somehow sans the microphone that's in the cover shot. Was the mic added for the cover, or removed the "original" version? Gary Burden is gone, but I'll bet Henry Diltz knows.
I found this out three or four years ago in a boredom induced internet deep dive, and saw then that the picture was available from Tim's own website for $400. I snoozed, and ultimately, losed. A few months ago, I looked again, and it was gone. The website was down, and there was no referent to purchase the print anywhere. Bummer!
So until I find one, I hang onto my little jpeg from the web. It's a real beauty. And I’ll keep looking for it out there somewhere.
RIP Tim Considine. After all you did that was prominent and cool, thanks for that one image that is burned permanently in my mind.
Dan Navarro
P.S. Found this just after I hit send, from Tim Wilson and his Sounds of '71 Tumblr blog.
soundsof71.tumblr.com/post/158524933545/joni-mitchell-blue-the-original-cover-photo-by
He mentioned that, though Blue is from 1971, the photo is from 1968 (while My Three Sons was still on the air), taken at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
The microphone was in the original, and was removed later by Tim. A direct quote, from the horse's mouth...
"It was indeed a black & white photograph originally, shot with an experimental instrument film rated at the then unheard of ASA (ISO) of 6000. And, yes, it had the microphone in it. The truth is, I hated the way it was rendered on the cover, an artistic decision by the art director, who processed it as a daguerreotype, thereby, in my opinion, heightening the contrast enough to remove all the softness and subtlety of the original image. So I made my own versions, both with and without mike for prints that are sold to collectors around the world. The version on this site is without the mike, but one with the mike included is requested just as often."
Now I know. Man, I love that shot.
x
dn
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RE: THE STATE OF THE UNION
Hi Bob,
You've hit lots of nails on the head; I wish I could say you are being pessimistic about the body politic, but alas...
Here's the quick aside that neatly described my own experience of moving from a CT suburb (Meriden) to Middlebury:
"I mean I grew up in a suburb, only fifty miles from New York City, but until I went to college I had no idea what was going on in the rest of the country, despite watching television and reading the news. I'd never been around people SO RICH! You think you want a seat at the table, but you can't get and keep one until you know where these people are coming from, how to behave around them."
These people were a different species. I had no idea, having picked Middlebury out of the Lovejoy college guide. The first day I was waiting in line to get sheets (from Foleys, if I recall this insignificant detail correctly) and the pleasant guy behind me introduced himself: "Hi, I'm Court." Court? I had never heard of such a name.
Anyway, it's always a provocative pleasure to read you.
Best,
John Hyman
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RE: GARY BROOKER
Hi Bob-
As a young teen, I taught myself to play piano by figuring out "Whiter Shade Of Pale"
Fast forward a number of years and I'm writing songs with Keith Reid which leads to my role as Producer/Engineer/Musician (and co writer on a bunch of the songs) for Procol Harum's "The Prodigal Stranger". Then Keith brings me in to write and play on Robin's "In The Line Of Fire". Both projects were an amazing experience with some of the best musicians I have ever worked with...and what a thrill it was to hear Gary sing!
As you mentioned, both albums were sadly overlooked at the time. But it was really nice to get a shout out from you...made my day.
Best-
Matt Noble
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I got to see Procol Harum perform live twice. Both times with the Edmonton Symphony. Back in 1971 I was the Assistant Manager of the Orchestra and at the time we were looking for a follow-up to a pair of wildly successful Sold-Out performances with the Canadian band "Lighthouse" Our first with a rock group.
Although it seemed an impossible dream, Procol Harum was on the-follow-up list from the get-go. That summer the band announced a tour of Canada which included a stop in Edmonton. Through intermediaries, a meeting was set-up and on a sunny day in mid-August I showed-up at a hotel for a meeting with Gary and the band's then manager, Derek Sutton to discuss the possibility.
It was a warm, friendly and productive meeting. In the spirit of a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movie ("Hey! I've got a barn. You've got a band. Let's put on a show!") I headed back to the office knowing that the Procol Harum would be returning to Edmonton in November to perform a show. A sign of very different times. Three guys in a room. A done deal. Let's put on a show!
We moved forward full sail until about three weeks before the concert when we got an unexpected call from Derek. The band had decided to record the concert. Additional logistical and contractual provisions were on the table. They were accomplished with time-to-spare and without superfluous drama. Three weeks. Different times. For sure.
Now along with an additional AFM agreement, the legendary Wally Heider was involved in the process. He tore-down his Hollywood-based mobile recording truck, packed the equipment into Anvil cases, and shipped it all up to Edmonton. The Green Room was now a control room. Cables everywhere. Wally showed-up to personally engineer the recording.
It was a whirlwind. No question. When I met the band at the airport, Gary and his wife were carrying orchestral parts that he had been fine-tuning and finalizing and she had been copying on the plane. The ink was still wet. Literally! But they weren't smudged and they worked.
The whole endeavor was a marvel of collaboration. The initial mutual wariness on both sides (orchestra and band) dissipated within minutes of the first down-beat at the first rehearsal and the resulting concert was a resounding success. We have a recording to prove it.
The concert had it's moments.
The concert opened with "Conquistador". A few songs in, after the live surround-sound recorded bird "tweets" and quiet opening of "Salty Dog", in the room the Tom Tom hits from the incomparable BJ Wilson were heart-stopping. They are on the recording. Throughout the recording, throughout his career(!), BJ didn't just play beats. He played licks. There wasn't another drummer like him.
In a moment of quiet reflection early in the performances of "In Held Twas In I" (3:37 on the recording) Keith Reid emerged from the shadows to a side-stage mic to recite words that he had written. His first (and up to that point, only!) live appearance with the band.
Much to the disappointment of everyone in attendance, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was not(!) on the Set List. As brilliant and iconic as the song is, four years after it's release Gary was determined NOT to be known as a "one hit wonder" so the song wasn't played. Maybe a good (temporary) call. The "Conquistador" recording from the concert was a "hit".
There was enough time left on the clock (and the musicians' contract provisions) for "encores". The audience was treated to a second take of "Conquistador" (the planned a single release) and another full performance of the daring and complex "In Held Twas In I"
The orchestra's then Music Director, British conductor Lawrence Leonard, was worried about his "serious music cred" and agreed to conduct the concert under the strict condition that he would not be credited, mentioned in the press or in any promotions for the album. A decision he later actually came to regret.
In 2010 I flew back to Edmonton for two Sold Out performances (willingly conducted by the orchestra's Music Director, William Eddins) celebrating the almost 40th Anniversary of the first landmark concert. The band was new. BJ was gone and the others were not there. The arrangements were reworked and extended and some additional songs were added. Gary was in phenomenal form. He sang and performed his work as powerfully and compellingly and committed has he had the first time around.
Dave Ball, who played guitar at the original concert (the youngest member of the group at the time) was also in the anniversary audience. He planned the stop-over on a trip between the UK and New Zealand/ A real reunion. Dave has unfortunately passed as well.
And yes, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was performed. With an unexpected and astonishingly effective mid-song minor key modulation that took it into a new musical territory.\
Gary did know what he was was doing. He does, and will indeed, Shine On Brightly.
Bob Hunka
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