So, I almost went a month without a new post.
First off, I posted a song a while back called "Love'n", proported to be a lost Beatles song. It is NOT actually the Beatles, but The Colours, a never-made-it sixties band, featuring Carl Radle on bass. The track, "Lovin", was on their Mickie Most produced LP. Someone edited the song to make the vocals (which would have made it obviously not the Beatles) near inaudible. I was kind of hoping it was the Beatles, but either way, it is a cool track.
Now, I mentioned a possible Paul McCartney box set, a new "Cold Cuts". Well, since then, tracklistings for 3 of 4 discs have been leaked. Each disc has 25 songs, plus a hidden track. Tracks are edited to fit all of them on a disc. For the full tracklists, check wogew.blogspot.com
Just about every unreleased gem we know about is featured, plus many more, including things we've never heard of before. The set is limited to studio work only, as another set of live material, as well as a set of demos, will be on horizon. Hints of a set actually date back to 2001, when Paul produced a documentary called "Wingspan." On a mini website dedicated to the film, a message said fans will be pleased with a new release coming soon. However, Paul got sidetracked, most likely with his new relationship with Heather Mills. But now, the set is back on track.
The set is a dream come true. Paul is releasing every track from the original "Cold Cuts" save for the instrumental "Tomorrow." And he is putting out thing that have never been booted, like "Crawl of The Wild," a "Venus & Mars" outtake featuring Dave Mason (who also played guitar on "Listen To What The Man Said.) "Crawl Of The Wild" has been renamed (or corrected to be) "Wild Cat." Paul has also opened the vault on the "London Town" sessions, from which we've had very little save for rough mixes and such.
There a few well known booted songs missing, like "Jazz Street", but the listing is nothing to complain about. One interesting note, though, is that, save for an early "Ram" version of the song "Sunshine Sometime," Paul has ignored his unreleased "Rupert The Bear" soundtrack. Paul did a soundtrack to his favorite childhood character, with instrumentals and some sung songs, along with some narration, and after years of coming back to it, recorded a full listing with Wings in '78. The project never materialized, but a few years later, Paul did make a short Rupert cartoon, which featured the song "We All Stand Together." I suspect Paul will release the Rupert song seperatly (well, I sure hope he does!)
Onto Jennette McCurdy, who has released another single. The song is a cover, called "Homeless Heart." Part of the proceeds of it go to charity. Like every other celeb, Jennette has not said anything about a release date for her album, and I'm beginning to doubt the rumoured "June 30th" date. In fact, Jennette is still hitting the recording studio (although she hasn't enlightened us as to whether she is still working on her first album, or starting another one.)
Along with Jennette, Miranda Cosgrove has been doing great on "iCarly." The show keeps getting high ratings, and deservingly so. It is consistently funny. Personally, I relate mostly to Spencer (being an artist myself, as well as a big brother, who one day will have to worry about a teenage sister.) But everyone is hysterical, and the development of different relationships and interactions with characters is great. I love when Freddie or Sam are alone with Spencer, with a dilema that Spencer tries to solve, like when Sam was having nightmares about a monster eating her soup. Spencer works so hard to help, like attempting to analyze Sam's dream, but in the end only causes more trouble, like after he dresses as a monster, and steals Sam's soup, to cure her, she beats him up, thinking he is a monster, and then Spencer has nightmares about monsters and soup. It is a clever set-up, and the actors pull it off convincinly and with personality that really sells the material.
Selena Gomez has a new release on Tuesday, a duet with the group "Forever The Sickest Kids." The single will be on iTunes (and maybe other d/l sites?) I'm looking forward to it.
Now, all these none of these celebs will give a release date, but Disney is different. On June 9th, Disney will release "Disney Channel Playlist," 15 songs from their TV shows and original TV movies. Of interest to me is "Everything Is Not What It Seems" (by Selena Gomez, it is the "Wizards Of Waverly Place" theme, "The Hero In Me" (by Emily Osment, from the movie "Dadnapped"), "So Far, So Great" (by Demi Lovato, it is the "Sonny With A Chance" theme), and "One And The Same" (a Demi and Selena duet from "Princess Protection Program.")
On July 14th, the "Hannah Montana 3" soundtrack will finally come out. It will feature 12 songs from season 3 (one of them by Mitchell Musson, the rest by Hannah Montana, including the duet with David Archuleta.) Track 13 is "If We Were A Movie" with Corbin Bleu, which was actually from season 2. It looks like another fun release, with song titles like "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)". Also, what is it with the word "Let's". "Let's Chill," "Let's Do This," "Let's Get Crazy," "Let's Dance."? Oh well, no matter. The titles are similar, but the songs are all different.
While Hannah is releasing a new disc, the real girl Miley doesn't seem to have a new disc on the near horizon. She will be filming "The Last Song," a film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Rumors are also abound that Miley is wanted for the new "Footloose," although Miley has yet to say anything on that subject. Also, Miley will be touring again later this year, in Europe for sure, as she mentioned on her "Live In London" iTunes exclusive EP. Demi should have a "Live In London" EP coming out too. I wonder what is taking so long.
I can't say why people don't worship beauty. But what I can say is "The King Of Fuh" is a great song. By Brute Force, the song was presented to the Apple label, where George Harrison got a hold of it. Harrison loved it, mixed it a bit, and even had an orchestral arrangement added. The song talks about the King of Fuh, who is the "Fuh King." This line was too obscene to get a release, but George, as well as John Lennon, pushed for the song, which got a limited Apple release before being pulled. The song proved elusive after that, but Brute Force has since made it easily acquired on the album "Tour de Brute Force." It is such a beautiful song. I had wanted to hear it just to get a laugh from the lyrics, and while I did, the arrangement had such a sad, post-psychedelic beauty that enraptured me.
Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Showing posts with label George Harrison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George Harrison. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Whole World Is Just One Big Love-In (And That Is Just Fine)
So, the theme of this post is Love. No particular reason, but it felt right, so I'll go with it.
First off, here is a link to a song called "Love'n"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx9pWgN0g2c
The song is credited to The Beatles. It may very well be a fake, but no one knows for sure at the moment. It is also listed as an early version of "Getting Better". This could be the Rutles for all we know, but I figured I'd share it anyway.
So, love. Everyone should love. Miley Cyrus has publically stated (perhaps somewhat unintentionally?) that she supports gay relationships, via Twitter comments @ Perez Hilton. "jesus loves you AND your partner and wants you to know how much he cares!" This is came about after Hilton asked Miss California er posistion on gay marriage, to which she gave her "biblically" inspired negative response. It is interesting, because Miley is a Christian and very devouted to the Bible. I for one am glad that Miley is displaying to people a sense of openess and acceptance ('specially to fans who are either gay and perhaps forced into a corner of shame, or those who make them feel that shame.) If only this feeling of love could be embraced by our whole world.
Miley's twitter is found here:
http://twitter.com/mileycyrus
Following that, I must say Twitter is perhaps the coolest of all the internet crazes as far as following celebs is concerned. It only takes second to update, meaning even the busiest celeb can update often. There is no html coding or wierd things like that. Myspace and Facebook and Xanga (not that any celeb I know of ever did Xanga) took investments of time, and often become more like giant internet advertisements for celebs, which is kind of a waste since celebs can do the same with there own website.
At the same time, Twitter (and for that matter Facebook status) can become kind of creepy and stalkerish. Sometimes.
But, getting back to love, Paul McCartney got lots of love from indie fans at the Coachella festival. Also, McCartney showed love for The Fireman, his side project, which released a new album last November, by doing two Fireman songs live, the first time he ever did so. Paul performed "Sing The Changes" (the proper single, and one of my favorite new Fireman songs), and "Highway" (one of my least favorites.) Also, on the big screen behind Paul, footage from the Beatles Rock Band was shown. The game comes out September 9th, the same day as the remaster discography of the Beatles. Dhani Harrison (son of George Harrison) says the game will feature previously unheard material.
I don't even know what love has to do with this, but in a seperate interview, Dhani Harrison talked about working on a box set of unreleased George Harrison material. The idea of this set is nothing new, going all the way back to when Harrison was alive. Dhani wants to get the set out, and thinks the material he would release is better than the bootlegs fans have of George outtakes (and George outtakes are somewhat slim, and often instrumental versions or rough mixes of songs, stuff that is often boring and similar to commercial material). Dhani is cheesed off at EMI, which instead of putting out the set, or even finishing the remaster series, is putting out a lame greatest hits. So sad.
Oh, just for kicks, here are some more Twitters:
http://twitter.com/MirandaBuzz - Miranda Cosgrove
http://twitter.com/jennettemccurdy - Jennette McCurdy
http://twitter.com/selenagomez - Selena Gomez
http://twitter.com/ddlovato - Demi Lovato
First off, here is a link to a song called "Love'n"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx9pWgN0g2c
The song is credited to The Beatles. It may very well be a fake, but no one knows for sure at the moment. It is also listed as an early version of "Getting Better". This could be the Rutles for all we know, but I figured I'd share it anyway.
So, love. Everyone should love. Miley Cyrus has publically stated (perhaps somewhat unintentionally?) that she supports gay relationships, via Twitter comments @ Perez Hilton. "jesus loves you AND your partner and wants you to know how much he cares!" This is came about after Hilton asked Miss California er posistion on gay marriage, to which she gave her "biblically" inspired negative response. It is interesting, because Miley is a Christian and very devouted to the Bible. I for one am glad that Miley is displaying to people a sense of openess and acceptance ('specially to fans who are either gay and perhaps forced into a corner of shame, or those who make them feel that shame.) If only this feeling of love could be embraced by our whole world.
Miley's twitter is found here:
http://twitter.com/mileycyrus
Following that, I must say Twitter is perhaps the coolest of all the internet crazes as far as following celebs is concerned. It only takes second to update, meaning even the busiest celeb can update often. There is no html coding or wierd things like that. Myspace and Facebook and Xanga (not that any celeb I know of ever did Xanga) took investments of time, and often become more like giant internet advertisements for celebs, which is kind of a waste since celebs can do the same with there own website.
At the same time, Twitter (and for that matter Facebook status) can become kind of creepy and stalkerish. Sometimes.
But, getting back to love, Paul McCartney got lots of love from indie fans at the Coachella festival. Also, McCartney showed love for The Fireman, his side project, which released a new album last November, by doing two Fireman songs live, the first time he ever did so. Paul performed "Sing The Changes" (the proper single, and one of my favorite new Fireman songs), and "Highway" (one of my least favorites.) Also, on the big screen behind Paul, footage from the Beatles Rock Band was shown. The game comes out September 9th, the same day as the remaster discography of the Beatles. Dhani Harrison (son of George Harrison) says the game will feature previously unheard material.
I don't even know what love has to do with this, but in a seperate interview, Dhani Harrison talked about working on a box set of unreleased George Harrison material. The idea of this set is nothing new, going all the way back to when Harrison was alive. Dhani wants to get the set out, and thinks the material he would release is better than the bootlegs fans have of George outtakes (and George outtakes are somewhat slim, and often instrumental versions or rough mixes of songs, stuff that is often boring and similar to commercial material). Dhani is cheesed off at EMI, which instead of putting out the set, or even finishing the remaster series, is putting out a lame greatest hits. So sad.
Oh, just for kicks, here are some more Twitters:
http://twitter.com/MirandaBuzz - Miranda Cosgrove
http://twitter.com/jennettemccurdy - Jennette McCurdy
http://twitter.com/selenagomez - Selena Gomez
http://twitter.com/ddlovato - Demi Lovato
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
News Of The Day
So, let's start off with some news bites.
Jennette McCurdy has written, or "twittered", if you will, that her debut album (still unfinished) may be hitting shelves June 30th.
Demi Lovato is going on tour, and David Archuleta will be the opening act. She also has done a song with Academy Is member William Beckett.
Paul McCartney has a few interesting bits. He may be doing some Fireman tracks live at the Coachella Festival (he has never done a Fireman song on stage before, and was originally going to do so last year on TV, but had to cancel in order to do his show in Israel.) Paul is also supposedly doing a new album, and has as many as 20 new songs already. Ringo is rumored to be involved. Paul may be considering a fall release date, to coincide with The Beatle Remasters. There are also rumors of a box-set of outtakes and such. Such rumors have persisted since the phrase "box-set" was coined, but with Paul's 40th anniversary as a solo artist approaching, it may finally be time (maybe.)
George Harrison has a new greatest hits package, which is cool for those who know little about him, but annoying to big fans who still await remasters of "Dark Horse" and "Extra Texture," not to mention a box-set of unreleased cuts.
"Hannah Montana The Movie" broke some records, and is estimated to make a bajillion dollars (okay, real numbers are much more modest than that.) I hope to see the film soon.
The Beatles remasters have conjured up rumors that the DVD accompanying the new discs will feature the acoustic "Love You To," an instrumental "Doctor Robert," and even a brand new, 10 minute remix of "Carnival Of Light." My bet is that take 20 of "Revolution 1" will also be included, seeing as EMI practically burst an artery when the song was leaked.
I am very excited about all these new projects and releases. I have long awaited Beatle remasters, and if the rumours of new songs being included are true, I all the more anxiously await September 9th (note 9/09/09 is the release date. Number 9, Number 9, Number 9...)
Jennette McCurdy's album also has me waiting. It will be the next new album to come out that I look forward too, and will be a great way to kick off the summer (and Jennette's 16th birthday is in late June, so it will be really cool for her to have her first disc out and all.)
I'm glad Demi is working on a new album, and can't wait to hear more about it. The only real items we know are that the guy from Academy Is... did a song with her, and that Demi likens her new direction more to "Behind Enemy Lines" than her previous work. (By the way, in film footage on the DVD, Demi is seen holding a 12 track CD of a rough "Don't Forget," meaning "Behind Enemy Lines" was at least considered to make the disc. I guess they originally cut it since it wasn't like the rest of the songs, but thought as a bonus track, that wouldn't matter.)
McCartney's stuff is always great, so I can't wait for more info on his projects. No one has reported any specifics on his new album, and I suspect Paul will keep the album under wraps until he has a release date. As for the box-set, Paul has been trying to do an outtakes album since "Hot Hits/Cold Cuts." The album was to be a double set featuring a disc of hits, and a disc of outtakes spanning from "Ram" up to "Back To The Egg". Paul decided just to release a hits disc, called "Wings Greatest." He worked on "Cold Cuts" up into the eighties, remixing and overdubbing, before giving up. Many songs from the proposed track list have since gotten out.
Jennette McCurdy has written, or "twittered", if you will, that her debut album (still unfinished) may be hitting shelves June 30th.
Demi Lovato is going on tour, and David Archuleta will be the opening act. She also has done a song with Academy Is member William Beckett.
Paul McCartney has a few interesting bits. He may be doing some Fireman tracks live at the Coachella Festival (he has never done a Fireman song on stage before, and was originally going to do so last year on TV, but had to cancel in order to do his show in Israel.) Paul is also supposedly doing a new album, and has as many as 20 new songs already. Ringo is rumored to be involved. Paul may be considering a fall release date, to coincide with The Beatle Remasters. There are also rumors of a box-set of outtakes and such. Such rumors have persisted since the phrase "box-set" was coined, but with Paul's 40th anniversary as a solo artist approaching, it may finally be time (maybe.)
George Harrison has a new greatest hits package, which is cool for those who know little about him, but annoying to big fans who still await remasters of "Dark Horse" and "Extra Texture," not to mention a box-set of unreleased cuts.
"Hannah Montana The Movie" broke some records, and is estimated to make a bajillion dollars (okay, real numbers are much more modest than that.) I hope to see the film soon.
The Beatles remasters have conjured up rumors that the DVD accompanying the new discs will feature the acoustic "Love You To," an instrumental "Doctor Robert," and even a brand new, 10 minute remix of "Carnival Of Light." My bet is that take 20 of "Revolution 1" will also be included, seeing as EMI practically burst an artery when the song was leaked.
I am very excited about all these new projects and releases. I have long awaited Beatle remasters, and if the rumours of new songs being included are true, I all the more anxiously await September 9th (note 9/09/09 is the release date. Number 9, Number 9, Number 9...)
Jennette McCurdy's album also has me waiting. It will be the next new album to come out that I look forward too, and will be a great way to kick off the summer (and Jennette's 16th birthday is in late June, so it will be really cool for her to have her first disc out and all.)
I'm glad Demi is working on a new album, and can't wait to hear more about it. The only real items we know are that the guy from Academy Is... did a song with her, and that Demi likens her new direction more to "Behind Enemy Lines" than her previous work. (By the way, in film footage on the DVD, Demi is seen holding a 12 track CD of a rough "Don't Forget," meaning "Behind Enemy Lines" was at least considered to make the disc. I guess they originally cut it since it wasn't like the rest of the songs, but thought as a bonus track, that wouldn't matter.)
McCartney's stuff is always great, so I can't wait for more info on his projects. No one has reported any specifics on his new album, and I suspect Paul will keep the album under wraps until he has a release date. As for the box-set, Paul has been trying to do an outtakes album since "Hot Hits/Cold Cuts." The album was to be a double set featuring a disc of hits, and a disc of outtakes spanning from "Ram" up to "Back To The Egg". Paul decided just to release a hits disc, called "Wings Greatest." He worked on "Cold Cuts" up into the eighties, remixing and overdubbing, before giving up. Many songs from the proposed track list have since gotten out.
- "A Love For You"- saw release in 2003 on the "In Laws" soundtrack. First done during "Ram"
- "Lunch Box/Odd Sox" - B-side of "Coming Up". Recorded during "Venus & Mars"
- "My Carnival" - b-side of "Spies Like Us" (also made into a "Party Mix.") Recorded during "Venus & Mars."
- "Hey Diddle" - released version from a home tape on "Wingspan." Studio version first done during "Ram," later worked on in 1974 Nashville, sort of early "Venus & Mars" sessions
- "Mama's Little Girl" - released on "Put It There" single. From "Red Rose Speedway" sessions
- "Same Time Next Year" - released on "Put It There" single. From "Back To The Egg" sessions, done for a film of the same name.
- "Wide Prairie" - a portion released on Linda's "Wide Prairie" album. Done after "Band On The Run" sessions
- "I Would Only Smile" - Denny Laine cut released on his album "Japanese Tears." Done during "Red Rose Speedway" sessions
- "Send Me The Heart" - Denny Laine and Paul duet released on his album "Japanese Tears." Done during 1974 Nashville sessions
- "Oriental Nightfish" - Linda McCartney song first released in a music video, later on "Wide Prairie." From "Band On The Run" sessions.
But, there are many songs still unreleased from this collection.
- "Tragedy" - a cover song from "Red Rose Speedway" sessions.
- "Night Out" - from "Red Rose Speedway" sessions
- "Tomorrow" - this song was released on "Wild Life", but during "Venus and Mars" sessions, Paul did an instrumental version
- "Proud Mum" - an instrumental from Nashville (plus a short reprise version)
- "Did We Meet Somewhere Before?" - from "Back To The Egg" sessions, and a small portion was played in the film "Rock & Roll High School" but otherwise unreleased
- "Best Friend" - a concert song from 1972, with studio overdubs (like the song "The Mess")
- "Robber's Ball" - an outtake from "McCartney II"
- "Cage" - a "Back To The Egg" song originally slated to be on that album, before cut in favor of the similar "Baby's Request"
- "Waterspout" - a pre-"London Town" home studio recording
These songs have been overdubbed and remixed and many have new lead vocals from Paul done in the eighties. But a new box-set would feature much more, and will hopefull cover Paul from his early years up to the present.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Derek Claptoe
When disscussing Eric Clapton's first solo album in my last post, I resisted temptation to go off on a long tangent (since it would have little/nothing to do with Delaney Bramlett.) But today, I think the time is right.
While on tour with Delaney & Bonnie, Clapton became good friends with the musicians. They would go on to work with him on his solo disc, and some would play with him as he worked on Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" album. Three musicians in particular became close to Clapton: drummer Jim Gordon, keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, & bassist Carl Radle. During the "All Things Must Pass" sessions, in addition to working on proper songs, their were many jams. 3 of the 4 jams released on the third disc of the record featured all of them playing together. It was through these jams that they became pretty tight, and as Harrison worked on his album, they decided to do a single.
Harrison played on both sides, and Phil Spector took production credit (though one can not be sure he ever heard the record), and the musicians recorded "Tell The Truth," and "Roll It Over." The single was a complete flop. But that made no matter. These musicians had a name now, Derek and The Dominos, Clapton's attempt to shield himself from his fame a bit, to start off fresh. They had first used the name for their first concert (which featured Dave Mason, who was slated to be a member, but never again played with the group.) The audience was briefly fooled into thinking it was an unknown group (Eric Clapton & Friends had been on the bill, so these Dominos sounded like a possible opening act.) It was not long before the crowd realized what was going on, a burst into applause and cheers. More shows would follow, all small scale, perfect oppurtunities to tighten up as a group.
"Tell The Truth" is now a popular Clapton song, but it is not the single arrangment that the Slowhand does in concert. This one had a very fast pace, and a pop vibe. When later working on their album, the band did a slow jam version of "Tell The Truth." This instrumental was sped up (though still not at all fast), while the vocals were taken from the single, and slowed down, making a mix of two takes for the release. The jam version was released as early as 1972 on a Clapton compilation, and later re-released with other session outtakes.
So, with a single completed, much practice garnered from their shows, and obligations to Harrison's album completed, Derek & The Dominos moved on to work on their album.
The album would be called "Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs." The driving theme of the record was Clapton's forbidden love of Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd. The song "Layla" was the most striking realization of this theme, and Clapton had actually played a rough mix of it for Patti, who knew exactly what it was about. Clapton would wind up marrying Boyd.
Trouble with romance was not Clapton's only problem. He was still trying to shake his image of guitar God, still nervous about singing, and was getting into heavier drugs like heroin. His problems would soon lead him into a period of isolation, but before this happened, Clapton worked with the Dominos.
Aside from Clapton, the band was American, and took to Miami to cut a record. While working on the album, Clapton heard The Allman Brothers were going to play in Miami. Clapton was excited to attend the show, as he was very much enthralled by what he had heard of the young guitarist Duane Allman. He sat front row, and when Duane saw him, he could not help but stop playing, in awe that he was able to attract Eric Clapton in the audience. Afterwards, Clapton jammed with the Allman Brothers Band, and Duane was given the oppurtunity to work on the sessions a bit. However, once he began working on the album, his work proved so fantastic that he was promoted from a session worker to a full member, and laid down tracks for nearly every song.
Clapton & Whitlock were the main writers for the album. The had put together a catalogue of songs before they began working on "All Things Must Pass." Their were also a good number of cover songs. All the songs, however, carried the same sort of vibe, mixing an urgency with a laid-back, struggling sense of carrying the weight of the world. (Clapton would give into the second one, briefly retreating from the world not long after this album.)
The album was a flop. Like the single, nobody knew this was Clapton (his name only appeared on the back of the record.) The album would be a hit only after the album "The History Of Eric Clapton" came out in '72. This album covered Clapton's career from the Yardbirds up to the Dominos. The last side of this double record carried the single and jam takes of "Tell The Truth", and closed with "Layla." Now that Clapton was associated with the song, a demand for a single arose, and with it the success that the song had missed a year and a half earlier.
Anyway, after the album, Derek & The Dominos did a US tour (minus Allman, who went back to the ABB, although did manage to rejoin for two shows.) It was full of drugs and the like, but all the same was well recieved. The tour was first recounted in '73 on "In Concert," a live album taking from two Fillmore shows. Later, in '94, a CD "Live At The Fillmore" was released, copying most of "In Concert" ("Let It Rain," "Tell The Truth," and "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad" from "In Concert" were replaced with different versions), and adding more songs from the Fillmore shows. The tracklisting is great, pulling together songs from Clapton's eponymous album, the "Layla" album, "Presence of The Lord," the solo Blind Faith number that Clapton wrote, plus Clapton's signature, "Crossroads." Many songs turned into extended instrumentals, great displays of Clapton's virtousity. The singing still showed a nervous Clapton, who rarely sang without Whitlock sharing the vocals, less as a back up singer than simply shielding Clapton.
Critics of the album often site the fact that it was their first big show, and that their was markable improvement over the course of the tour. However, the sound quality of later shows is suspect, and for that reason, have not been released.
The band went downhill after the tour. Clapton was already hurt by the fact that Jimi Hendrix had died (the Dominos had covered his "Little Wing" days before hearing the devestating news.) Coupled with Allman's death from a motorcycle accident, Clapton began fearing his own demise. He was also hurt by reviews of the Dominos' work, since he was hoping to build in this a new image, and seemed to be failing. Finally, he was wrapped up with Pattie Boyd, and felt he was simply using Derek and The Dominos as a rouse, as disguise to wear as he stole Pattie, her disguise being "Layla." It was all very trying on his weakening psyche (no doubt also damaged by the drug use) and finally, the band was dissolved, whilst attempting a second LP.
That second LP remains unfinished, but Clapton has opened the vaults to those sessions, releasing 5 songs from them on his "Crossroads" Box.
Also, in 1990, the sessions for the "Layla" album saw the light of day on the "Layla Sessions" box. In addition to a remixed album, there was a disc of jams, and a disc of unfinished songs and alternate takes. Sadly, this box proved a bit dissapointing, as little material really proved necessary to release, most of it below the standard of quality set by the proper album. Still, it proved a fun look at the band.
To own everything official by the Dominos, one needs their first album, "Layla", which can be bought along with the disc of jams and the disc of outtakes by getting the "Layla Sessions" set, the box set "Crossroads," which has "Evil," "Got To Get Better In A Little While," "Snake Lake Blues," "Mean Old Frisco," & "One More Chance," 5 songs from the unreleased second album, plus the "Tell The Truth/Roll It Over" single, "Live At The Fillmore," and for the three other live songs mentioned earlier, "In Concert." ("In Concert" might be rare now, but is worth tracking down as its' versions of "Let It Rain," and even more so "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad" are better than the ones on "Live At The Fillmore.")
Clapton returned from his depressed and isolated state after Pete Townshend got him out, and did the famous "Rainbow Concert." By this point, "Layla" was famous. Things began to turn around for him. The drugs were still there, and his marriage to Pattie proved ultimately unsuccessful (they were married from '79 to '88.) But he would even overcome those issues in time.
While on tour with Delaney & Bonnie, Clapton became good friends with the musicians. They would go on to work with him on his solo disc, and some would play with him as he worked on Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" album. Three musicians in particular became close to Clapton: drummer Jim Gordon, keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, & bassist Carl Radle. During the "All Things Must Pass" sessions, in addition to working on proper songs, their were many jams. 3 of the 4 jams released on the third disc of the record featured all of them playing together. It was through these jams that they became pretty tight, and as Harrison worked on his album, they decided to do a single.
Harrison played on both sides, and Phil Spector took production credit (though one can not be sure he ever heard the record), and the musicians recorded "Tell The Truth," and "Roll It Over." The single was a complete flop. But that made no matter. These musicians had a name now, Derek and The Dominos, Clapton's attempt to shield himself from his fame a bit, to start off fresh. They had first used the name for their first concert (which featured Dave Mason, who was slated to be a member, but never again played with the group.) The audience was briefly fooled into thinking it was an unknown group (Eric Clapton & Friends had been on the bill, so these Dominos sounded like a possible opening act.) It was not long before the crowd realized what was going on, a burst into applause and cheers. More shows would follow, all small scale, perfect oppurtunities to tighten up as a group.
"Tell The Truth" is now a popular Clapton song, but it is not the single arrangment that the Slowhand does in concert. This one had a very fast pace, and a pop vibe. When later working on their album, the band did a slow jam version of "Tell The Truth." This instrumental was sped up (though still not at all fast), while the vocals were taken from the single, and slowed down, making a mix of two takes for the release. The jam version was released as early as 1972 on a Clapton compilation, and later re-released with other session outtakes.
So, with a single completed, much practice garnered from their shows, and obligations to Harrison's album completed, Derek & The Dominos moved on to work on their album.
The album would be called "Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs." The driving theme of the record was Clapton's forbidden love of Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd. The song "Layla" was the most striking realization of this theme, and Clapton had actually played a rough mix of it for Patti, who knew exactly what it was about. Clapton would wind up marrying Boyd.
Trouble with romance was not Clapton's only problem. He was still trying to shake his image of guitar God, still nervous about singing, and was getting into heavier drugs like heroin. His problems would soon lead him into a period of isolation, but before this happened, Clapton worked with the Dominos.
Aside from Clapton, the band was American, and took to Miami to cut a record. While working on the album, Clapton heard The Allman Brothers were going to play in Miami. Clapton was excited to attend the show, as he was very much enthralled by what he had heard of the young guitarist Duane Allman. He sat front row, and when Duane saw him, he could not help but stop playing, in awe that he was able to attract Eric Clapton in the audience. Afterwards, Clapton jammed with the Allman Brothers Band, and Duane was given the oppurtunity to work on the sessions a bit. However, once he began working on the album, his work proved so fantastic that he was promoted from a session worker to a full member, and laid down tracks for nearly every song.
Clapton & Whitlock were the main writers for the album. The had put together a catalogue of songs before they began working on "All Things Must Pass." Their were also a good number of cover songs. All the songs, however, carried the same sort of vibe, mixing an urgency with a laid-back, struggling sense of carrying the weight of the world. (Clapton would give into the second one, briefly retreating from the world not long after this album.)
The album was a flop. Like the single, nobody knew this was Clapton (his name only appeared on the back of the record.) The album would be a hit only after the album "The History Of Eric Clapton" came out in '72. This album covered Clapton's career from the Yardbirds up to the Dominos. The last side of this double record carried the single and jam takes of "Tell The Truth", and closed with "Layla." Now that Clapton was associated with the song, a demand for a single arose, and with it the success that the song had missed a year and a half earlier.
Anyway, after the album, Derek & The Dominos did a US tour (minus Allman, who went back to the ABB, although did manage to rejoin for two shows.) It was full of drugs and the like, but all the same was well recieved. The tour was first recounted in '73 on "In Concert," a live album taking from two Fillmore shows. Later, in '94, a CD "Live At The Fillmore" was released, copying most of "In Concert" ("Let It Rain," "Tell The Truth," and "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad" from "In Concert" were replaced with different versions), and adding more songs from the Fillmore shows. The tracklisting is great, pulling together songs from Clapton's eponymous album, the "Layla" album, "Presence of The Lord," the solo Blind Faith number that Clapton wrote, plus Clapton's signature, "Crossroads." Many songs turned into extended instrumentals, great displays of Clapton's virtousity. The singing still showed a nervous Clapton, who rarely sang without Whitlock sharing the vocals, less as a back up singer than simply shielding Clapton.
Critics of the album often site the fact that it was their first big show, and that their was markable improvement over the course of the tour. However, the sound quality of later shows is suspect, and for that reason, have not been released.
The band went downhill after the tour. Clapton was already hurt by the fact that Jimi Hendrix had died (the Dominos had covered his "Little Wing" days before hearing the devestating news.) Coupled with Allman's death from a motorcycle accident, Clapton began fearing his own demise. He was also hurt by reviews of the Dominos' work, since he was hoping to build in this a new image, and seemed to be failing. Finally, he was wrapped up with Pattie Boyd, and felt he was simply using Derek and The Dominos as a rouse, as disguise to wear as he stole Pattie, her disguise being "Layla." It was all very trying on his weakening psyche (no doubt also damaged by the drug use) and finally, the band was dissolved, whilst attempting a second LP.
That second LP remains unfinished, but Clapton has opened the vaults to those sessions, releasing 5 songs from them on his "Crossroads" Box.
Also, in 1990, the sessions for the "Layla" album saw the light of day on the "Layla Sessions" box. In addition to a remixed album, there was a disc of jams, and a disc of unfinished songs and alternate takes. Sadly, this box proved a bit dissapointing, as little material really proved necessary to release, most of it below the standard of quality set by the proper album. Still, it proved a fun look at the band.
To own everything official by the Dominos, one needs their first album, "Layla", which can be bought along with the disc of jams and the disc of outtakes by getting the "Layla Sessions" set, the box set "Crossroads," which has "Evil," "Got To Get Better In A Little While," "Snake Lake Blues," "Mean Old Frisco," & "One More Chance," 5 songs from the unreleased second album, plus the "Tell The Truth/Roll It Over" single, "Live At The Fillmore," and for the three other live songs mentioned earlier, "In Concert." ("In Concert" might be rare now, but is worth tracking down as its' versions of "Let It Rain," and even more so "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad" are better than the ones on "Live At The Fillmore.")
Clapton returned from his depressed and isolated state after Pete Townshend got him out, and did the famous "Rainbow Concert." By this point, "Layla" was famous. Things began to turn around for him. The drugs were still there, and his marriage to Pattie proved ultimately unsuccessful (they were married from '79 to '88.) But he would even overcome those issues in time.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
So, for today, I thought I'd just say a thing or two about Delaney Bramlett, who died not too long ago, mainly about how he related to Eric Clapton & George Harrison.
The duo of married performers Delaney & Bonnie were up and coming as the sixties were closing. They had a great live band, featuring Rita Coolidge, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Bobby Whitlock, Leon Russell, and others. Delaney's voice mixed a sort of down-home bluesy tone with a gospel-esque vigor. Bonnie had a presence channeling the female blues artists of the generation prior. Together, the two, with such an amazing backing band, would have much influence on popular music.
Clapton first met Delaney & Bonnie when they were the opening act for the American leg of the less than stellar Blind Faith tour. Clapton was enthralled with their earthiness and honest delivery (Clapton had already abandoned Cream because he felt it lacked that sort of presence, and for him, Blind Faith was only extending Cream's faults.) Clapton became fast friends with the Bramletts, and would travel with them while on the tour. On at least one occasion, Delaney even joined Blind Faith on stage for an encore of "Sunshine Of Your Love."
Late in '69, Delaney & Bonnie went on tour. Clapton joined their band, along with Dave Mason, who had again split from Traffic, and eventually George Harrison, who had finished "Abbey Road" and had no commitments with the Beatles (they would only once more reunite a month or so later to do some overdubbing as well as record "I Me Mine." ) George was presented with a slide guitar, which became his signature instrument. It was also while jamming with Delaney and the group that "My Sweet Lord" first came into being. Harrison would go on to use many of the musicians he played with on the Delaney & Bonnie tour to record his triple album "All Things Must Pass." He would also later record a song called "Woman Don't You Cry For Me," the first song he wrote on his bottleneck.
It was Clapton, however, who Delaney had a huge impact on. Clapton had only sung a few numbers in his career until this point, and was more or less known exclusivly for his guitar work. Delaney encouraged Clapton to sing, and this led to Clapton's self titled first album, which Delaney was a major part of. Delaney's band was the backing for the album, and Delaney provided all the original material (including a song or two he recorded his own versions of). Clapton took on the singing parts with some reluctance, which is still audible on some of the songs. But it was a point of no return. Clapton no longer had to be a silent guitar hero. Instead, he was a virtouso playing on these lighter pop-oriented numbers. The record nary featured any sort of extended soloing (save for the closing number, "Let It Rain.") Instead, Bramlett had Clapton take his place singing songs with a bluesy, country leaning. It was a big shift for Clapton, one he welcomed greatly, but one some fans were shocked to hear.
Songwriting was a big part of Delaney & Bonnie's talent. While they did not achieve massive success with their version, "Superstar" was a big hit for the Carpenters. (On the original, it was called "Groupie (Superstar)" and was a tad more suggestive, with the line "can't wait to sleep with you again," which was subsequently change to "be with you again" on cover versions.) Clapton played on "Superstar," as well as the A-side, "Comin' Home," which he co-wrote with Delaney. It is interesting to note that the chorus for "Superstar" bears resemblance to Harrison's "Awaiting On You All." Both probably featured the same musicians, so the similarity may stem from there.
Delaney & Bonnie never saw better reception than when their "On Tour With Eric Clapton" disc was released in 1970 (capturing their December 7, 1969 show in Croyden.) Despite a somewhat muddy sound (and curious mix, which shifts at random points), the album is a great document of their music. (One could only wish for an updated CD version, with cleaner mixes and perhaps a bonus cut or too from other shows.) Delaney & Bonnie share the mic on numbers like "Poor Elijah - Tribute To Robert Johnson," while Delaney commands on "Comin' Home," and Bonnie takes the spotlight on the slow and saucy "That's What My Man Is For." The band is incredible. The horns are a-blazing. The backing vocals are top notch, especially when Bonnie is a part of them. The guitars are great, and there are four! Clapton, Mason, Bramlett, and Harrison (credited as "L'Angelo Misterioso", the same psuedonym he used on Cream's "Badge.") Leon Russell even adds a fifth occasionally, switching from piano. Radle and Gordon keep the rhythm strong on bass & drums, respectively. All the numbers have rousing send-offs, and take as much time as they need to allow the band to strectch (each songs goes for 4-5 minutes), sometimes speeding up for the end, or giving a big blast for a finale.
Delaney's passing had come after his recent return to music, which had given us "A New Kind Of Blues," his last album.
RIP Delaney Bramlett (July 1, 1939 – December 27, 2008)
The duo of married performers Delaney & Bonnie were up and coming as the sixties were closing. They had a great live band, featuring Rita Coolidge, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Bobby Whitlock, Leon Russell, and others. Delaney's voice mixed a sort of down-home bluesy tone with a gospel-esque vigor. Bonnie had a presence channeling the female blues artists of the generation prior. Together, the two, with such an amazing backing band, would have much influence on popular music.
Clapton first met Delaney & Bonnie when they were the opening act for the American leg of the less than stellar Blind Faith tour. Clapton was enthralled with their earthiness and honest delivery (Clapton had already abandoned Cream because he felt it lacked that sort of presence, and for him, Blind Faith was only extending Cream's faults.) Clapton became fast friends with the Bramletts, and would travel with them while on the tour. On at least one occasion, Delaney even joined Blind Faith on stage for an encore of "Sunshine Of Your Love."
Late in '69, Delaney & Bonnie went on tour. Clapton joined their band, along with Dave Mason, who had again split from Traffic, and eventually George Harrison, who had finished "Abbey Road" and had no commitments with the Beatles (they would only once more reunite a month or so later to do some overdubbing as well as record "I Me Mine." ) George was presented with a slide guitar, which became his signature instrument. It was also while jamming with Delaney and the group that "My Sweet Lord" first came into being. Harrison would go on to use many of the musicians he played with on the Delaney & Bonnie tour to record his triple album "All Things Must Pass." He would also later record a song called "Woman Don't You Cry For Me," the first song he wrote on his bottleneck.
It was Clapton, however, who Delaney had a huge impact on. Clapton had only sung a few numbers in his career until this point, and was more or less known exclusivly for his guitar work. Delaney encouraged Clapton to sing, and this led to Clapton's self titled first album, which Delaney was a major part of. Delaney's band was the backing for the album, and Delaney provided all the original material (including a song or two he recorded his own versions of). Clapton took on the singing parts with some reluctance, which is still audible on some of the songs. But it was a point of no return. Clapton no longer had to be a silent guitar hero. Instead, he was a virtouso playing on these lighter pop-oriented numbers. The record nary featured any sort of extended soloing (save for the closing number, "Let It Rain.") Instead, Bramlett had Clapton take his place singing songs with a bluesy, country leaning. It was a big shift for Clapton, one he welcomed greatly, but one some fans were shocked to hear.
Songwriting was a big part of Delaney & Bonnie's talent. While they did not achieve massive success with their version, "Superstar" was a big hit for the Carpenters. (On the original, it was called "Groupie (Superstar)" and was a tad more suggestive, with the line "can't wait to sleep with you again," which was subsequently change to "be with you again" on cover versions.) Clapton played on "Superstar," as well as the A-side, "Comin' Home," which he co-wrote with Delaney. It is interesting to note that the chorus for "Superstar" bears resemblance to Harrison's "Awaiting On You All." Both probably featured the same musicians, so the similarity may stem from there.
Delaney & Bonnie never saw better reception than when their "On Tour With Eric Clapton" disc was released in 1970 (capturing their December 7, 1969 show in Croyden.) Despite a somewhat muddy sound (and curious mix, which shifts at random points), the album is a great document of their music. (One could only wish for an updated CD version, with cleaner mixes and perhaps a bonus cut or too from other shows.) Delaney & Bonnie share the mic on numbers like "Poor Elijah - Tribute To Robert Johnson," while Delaney commands on "Comin' Home," and Bonnie takes the spotlight on the slow and saucy "That's What My Man Is For." The band is incredible. The horns are a-blazing. The backing vocals are top notch, especially when Bonnie is a part of them. The guitars are great, and there are four! Clapton, Mason, Bramlett, and Harrison (credited as "L'Angelo Misterioso", the same psuedonym he used on Cream's "Badge.") Leon Russell even adds a fifth occasionally, switching from piano. Radle and Gordon keep the rhythm strong on bass & drums, respectively. All the numbers have rousing send-offs, and take as much time as they need to allow the band to strectch (each songs goes for 4-5 minutes), sometimes speeding up for the end, or giving a big blast for a finale.
Delaney's passing had come after his recent return to music, which had given us "A New Kind Of Blues," his last album.
RIP Delaney Bramlett (July 1, 1939 – December 27, 2008)
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