After what has been an emotional week I thought I'd play one more piece of music on my humble 'Friday Music Spot' for Keith. 
Taking my cue directly from him as a huge Eric Clapton fan, this is the concluding part or 'coda' from 'Layla' by Derek and the Dominos. A farewell to an old friend. 

Lockdown 3.0 - Day ?? who knows anymore? 

It's quiet.... too quiet !

ALEXA play some music: Play Smooth Jazz

😉 - hmmm Grrreat !

"So smooth and slick it glides and slides as it soothes your soul"

- Niiice ! 😁 video

Here's the info bit > Track is 'Bright', released in 2009 by Peter White, not a very jazzy name, I admit. Born in Luton, England, he first gained fame with his distinctive guitar style as accompanist to Al Stewart, during a 20-year period from the 1970s to the 90s. Which means I must have seen him 'live'.

Here he is playing 'Bright live', this time in 2019 > 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Jrwx6Sxx4 

Apologies to John Thomson of the 'Fast Show's Jazz Club' for borrowing his character - (a short clip). 

Last weekend was full of David Bowie on the BBC in 'Sound and Vision' (radio and TV) - most of which is still available on BBC iplayer, if you missed it.
One of the shows featured was a 'TOTP2', broadcast in 1999, that had a version of 'Under Pressure' I'd never heard before and certainly I'd not seen the clever video they'd created. 
This video was directed by DoRo Productions a film company based in Vienna, Austria and features footage of Freddie Mercury from the Wembley concert on 12 July 1986 and David Bowie at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert also at Wembley on 20 April 1992 spliced together by digital technology (and with Annie Lennox carefully edited out), it looks like Bowie and Mercury were on stage together.
It's quite a different mix (*Rah Mix © Dec 1999). I rather like all the phasing on the guitar - see what you make of it >

Or if you can't be doing with this version here's the Classic Queen mix over the same video footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDh_gHDvkk

*Taken from the 1999 Queen's 'Greatest Flix III' compilation.

No music today. Just a short music story in memory of Keith Fallace, who died this week.
I have spoken of posting a Music Spot in the New Year about the 50th Anniversary of 'Hobbits Garden' - and this was one of the memories I was going to share.
Having asked Del Clack to see if he could help me with a list of artists that appeared at the club, one of his replies revealed this:

All I can confirm is we went to see Stray on 5 March. I can also confirm I met you and Keith Fallace on 5 February to see Brian Auger, but apparently he didn’t turn up so we went to the White Hart instead!

So it appears we swapped the Club for the Pub and a night of Brian Auger & The Trinity for a pint of Whitbread Light & Bitter.

It might have been Whitbread Tankard or Trophy, or even a Heineken. 
Either way, let's raise a glass of something to Keith. A real 'Double Diamond' bloke.

Bill 

 

I was looking for a track that might in some small way reflect 2020 while offering hope for the New Year ahead. A few songs came to mind and then this track with it's lyrics seemed to strike it right.
An idea to celebrate some of our Unsung Heroes has been in my head for some time and this gives me the chance to start the ball rolling with Guitar Hero: Steve Lukather.
You may not know the name though I'll wager you know his music. A founding member of the American band Toto, one of the Top 10 session guitarists of all time, Steve Lukather has recorded (according to Wikipedia) guitar tracks for more than 1,500 albums representing a broad array of artists and genres. Listen to his contribution on Lionel Richie's 'Running in the Night', for starters: (click link)  

Today's Star Track is better known for the original version on The Beatles 'White Album' and for Eric Clapton playing the guitar. But I hope you'll agree this cover by Steve Lukather and Toto is every bit as good. With a nice intro dedication to 'brother George' -

With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps

A   P E R S O N A L   M E M O R Y

 

---   W  E  S    W  I  L  S  O  N   ---

During the Summer of 1968 I began painting and creating lots of 'pop' art posters. They were little more than copycat versions of all the 'Flower Power' artwork I was seeing in magazines, newspapers and on LP covers. At the time I was barely aware of the artists I was being inspired by, those working in San Francisco like Rick Griffin, Kelley/Mouse studios and Wes Wilson. The amazing 'hippy' posters for concerts really caught my eye and it was these that I was attempting to mimic in my early attempts at psychedelic/dayglo paintings. 

What especially attracted me was all the far-out lettering, often difficult to read it intrigued me constantly. Wes Wilson was a pioneer in this and created a unique style for concerts produced by Bill Graham at the Fillmore Auditorium. Drawing type in shapes formed a big part of my early graphic designs and a future was evolving thanks to Wes and the many other artists from this time.

Below are some of his posters created in the late 60s, featuring some legendary bands. 

Two concerts for the Yardbirds, The Doors & Richie Havens (left) and The Byrds (right).

(Left): Moby Grape & The Chambers Brothers. (Right) Otis Rush, Grateful Dead &
The Canned Heat Blues Band.

My favourite story goes as follows: 'quote'

"Well, it's nice, but I can't read it," Mr. Graham is said to have remarked.

"Yeah", Mr. Wilson responded, "and that's why people are gonna stop and look at it."

Remembering Wes Wilson, who died in January of this year. 

I hadn't planned to post on Christmas Day - so how did this come about ?

Well I'll tell you... I recently saw a BBC programme entitled "The Truth About Christmas Carols" narrated by Howard Goodall. The Truro Cathedral Choir were featured and the singing of 'And The Glory of The Lord' was just fantastic.

Only available as part of a 6 minute 'out-take' from the programme (link: worth a look), I went in search of alternatives. There are many renditions, this is the Brussels Choral Society.

You may know the song, it's from the popular Part 1 of 'Messiah', sometimes called the 'Christmas' portion. December 25th 2020 - Today's Star of Wonder is a piece of music composed 279 years ago by George Frideric Handel. 

Simple rules: 
Track is predominantly vocal and the intro is at least 30 seconds long before any singing starts.

1990s - Fairly obvious choice here with some 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' from Nirvana. Hello, hello >

Honourable mention for the 90s goes to >>>  The Foo Fighters and their 1997 track 'Everlong'. Dave Grohl again.

2000s - Firmly in my kids music territory now, full on. 

[Warning: this track's video is from the movie 'Jackass' and comes with a PG rating 😬]  As crazy Andrew W.K. sings 'We Want Fun' > love it

Honourable mention for the 00s is >>>  Creed and 'My Sacrifice'. Plus Andrew W.K. is a bit of a specialist in the art of rousing intros: check out > 'Ready To Die'; 'She is Beautiful'; 'I Get Wet' or 'The End of our Lives', for good measure.  

That's my selection for you. Did I miss any of your favourites ?

Simple rules:
Track is predominantly vocal and the intro is at least 30 seconds long before any singing starts.

1960s - 'Tin Soldier', this brilliant intro from the Small Faces was featured last Friday.

1970s - I was really spoilt for choice during this decade, but I've gone for :- 

From 1971, a song inspired by the electronic music of Terry Riley this is The Who with the 1:08 lead in to 'Baba O'Riley' > I really like the visuals in this video too

There's many honourable mentions for the 70s >>> 'Question' The Moody Blues; Status Quo 'Down, Down'; 'Pretty Vacant' by The Sex Pistols; Faces 'Stay With Me'; and naturally 'Hotel California' and Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Freebird'. 

1980s - Most versions of this track have at least a 30 second intro, though some recordings do vary a bit. From 1987 comes Guns N' Roses and 'Sweet Child o' Mine' >

Honourable mentions for the 80s are >>> Hall & Oates 'Maneater'; Europa 'Final Countdown'; Flock of Seagulls 'Space Age Love Song'.

> more tomorrow pop pickers...

About a year ago I did a Midweek Spot featuring Rick Beato and his Top 20 Guitar Intros.

Now it's song intros, as selected by me. I've tried to pick songs you'd know, rather than any obscure album tracks, so you are at least partly familiar. (Rules are simple:- 1) it must predominantly be a vocal song & 2) the intro must last at least 30 seconds, to qualify). 

Last week's track, by The Doors, in fact set up the idea with its 1:06 minute intro. I have plenty of tracks ear marked and have gone for a one track from each decade approach, starting today with the sixties. 

From December 1967 a Christmas hit for the Small Faces and 'Tin Soldier'. One of my all time favourite intros at 40 seconds, this excellent video features P.P. Arnold, who sang on the original recording. From the top ... 'come on'

As mentioned this is just the beginning of a run through the decades, check back Monday for Parts Two and Three. 

Just look out for this sign: (see if you can think of what's coming next)