"The killing of John Lennon altered everything... "—NORMAN MAILER
My cousin Carol was working at RSO records in Los Angeles in the late 70's at the height off the disco craze. RSO was the Bee Gees label then and the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever earned the label untold millions. So she thought it was pretty darn cool to be able to send a stack of LP's my way from RSO. I got almost every Bee Gees LP in the mail, followed by the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, then later the Grease soundtrack and later still the godawful Sgt. Pepper movie soundtrack. I can still recall her face when she asked if I dug the records she sent, and at 11 or 12 ...well, I didn't have much, shall we say - tact - in response. It was an unqualified "nah" from this anti-disco kid. But this is how cool Carol was...she asked just WHO was I really into...and in 77-78 without a doubt next to The Beatles, it was KISS. Well, Carol had a friend at Casablanca, KISS's label -- and BOOM -- each and every KISS LP to date in one box at my door. Cool, huh?
Carol was in her early/mid twenties back then and really WAS that cool. So cool she had even met John Lennon, presumably during his Lost Weekend bender and had struck up a bit of a rapport with the Beatle. Why, she had even given John and Yoko one of their house cats. So, it seemed entirely feasible then that she could grant me an even bigger wish -- to meet John Lennon. And she thought it was quite do-able. She'd heard they're working on a new album after five years, they'd be doing press in New York and she'd drive me up from Jersey into the city to meet J & Y. Man, I was psyched. This was right about the time that John and Yoko would run full page letters to the people in the New York Times. There'd be one almost every other month. "Here they are - they're back." So, I had every inclination to think that one day my path would cross John Lennon's.
Well, its been 27 years now. I anticipate every music blogger and his blogger mother will have a Lennon post this weekend, the anniversary of his assassination. (And it WAS an assassination, indeed.) There'll be posts on each and every aspect of John's career...pre-Beatle, Beatle, post-Beatle...and he'll be quoted and examined and opined upon for pixels galore.
But very much like my tactless response to Carol regarding the Bee Gees LPs that I'd wish to have back or recast as an adult, I'm quite sure John would have said, and frankly often did, "we've moved on from that, dear." To me what is MOST important is what he was saying/thinking/doing on the very LAST days of his life because he, as we all become, was the sum of his travels. Not the guy who went misunderstood for the "Jesus" remark which will get plenty of traction this weekend I'm sure, but the guy with the clarity, self reflection and self-deprecation, good humor, wisdom, charm, and yes wit on the days before and on his very last day here with us -- which went captured in the links below.
The first 10 below are excerpts from a BBC interview conducted by Andy Peebles on December 6, 1980. Recorded in studio, John sounds more vibrant than ever. Current and relevant. Incisive and thoughtful. The latter is an almost hour-long, compilation of cassette-recorded interviews done on the day of his death. Eerie in many regards but no less charming somehow.
John would have been 67 this year and most likely would have every reason to still be performing that very last link right there.John Lennon, 12/6/80 - A New Prolific Era (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - A Sense Of Security (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - Fatherhood And Sean (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - House Husband (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - Love Of British Comedy (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - Memories For The BBC (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - New Wave, Reggae, Disco (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - Phil Spector And Harry Nilsson (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - The BBC World Service (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/6/80 - Time For A Break (Mp3)John Lennon, 12/8/80 - The Last Interview (76mgs) (Mp3)John Lennon and Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War is Over) (Mp3)
If there's a common theme among the last two day's posts, it's not just who the hell is Egbert Records (really, I Googled) but the appearance on both tribute releases by Material Issue. Trouser Press noted "...at its best, Material Issue was responsible for some of the '90s' juiciest Big Star/Cheap Trick-style power pop at a time when it was well out of fashion. . . 'Freak City Soundtrack' is an unqualified triumph." And they're right on both accounts. (Play LOUD.)Material Issue - Goin' Through Your Purse (Mp3)Material Issue - Kim The Waitress (Mp3)Material Issue - I Could Use You (Mp3)Material Issue - The Fan (Mp3)
Material Issue - One Simple Word (Mp3)
So, back at the inception of this blog, I really envisioned writing a ton. Morning updates, midday diatribes, and end of the day and evening rants. (Two words: didn't happen.) I had nooo idea that one-a-day was a bit of a stretch and that frankly, well -- who has THAT much to say? Hence the new logo above. No more "Morning Wax," which seems to precipitate other daily updates, but a kinder, gentler (for my schedule anyway) "Daily Wax." TVD will still be updated each morning I assume, but gone will be your nagging questions -- "Where's my lunchtime licks? My dinnertime demos? My Super '70's supper? My bedtime metal barrage?" ...TVD will remain however, alliteration heavy. The Bathers - Twenty-Two (Mp3)The Bathers - Dreamless (Mp3)The Bathers - Sundown And Longing (Mp3)The Bathers - Phantom Sonata (Mp3)The Bathers - Last Night I Loved You (Mp3)To inaugurate our new daily logo, TVD continues the conversation (and conversion) from last week regarding Scotland's Bathers. "Pandemonia" follows "Kelvingrove Baby" in sequence and for my money is a mighty fine wallow. (Gallons of red wine not included.)
We weren't much for holiday music around the house growing up, although Mom would have WQXR literally booming through the house every day like clockwork. WQXR is the radio station of the New York Times, emanating from from the heart of the Big Apple and at such volume would shake the paintings on the wall in our living room all the way down the East Coast to the Jersey Shore. It was (and still is) a classical music station with the requisite news breaks on the hour. Its playlist became the soundtrack for the house...Schubert, Mozart, Liszt mixed in there along with, at times, Woody Guthrie and other "classical" folkies. You'd never hear, for example, the Elvis Christmas record, or the Sinatra one, or the Bing Crosby one, or the Fred Astaire one...it was, and still is in her house, all classical -- all the time. So, it took me back recently to realize that I actually did have a December/holiday season favorite -- and it's this Beatles BBC Sessions LP. Here 'tis, the brilliantly funny, still sunny Beatles sending up the proper Brit announcer then blasting out a standard, an original, or a favorite Chuck Berry composition. And each Christmastime like clockwork, this slides out from the stacks and becomes the most frequented LP of the season. I mean, what's Christmas without catching up with some dear, dear friends? The Beatles - Riding On A Bus (Chatter) (Mp3)The Beatles - Carol (Mp3)The Beatles - I Feel Fine (Mp3)The Beatles - Long Tall Sally (Mp3)The Beatles - Lucille (Mp3)The Beatles - Sha La La La La! (Chatter) (Mp3)The Beatles - Slow Down (Mp3)The Beatles - Some Other Guy (Mp3)The Beatles - Ticket To Ride (Mp3)The Beatles - You Really Got A Hold On Me (Mp3)
Love us some Gary Clark here at TVD, be it Danny Wilson, King L, Transister and well, solo. The great unsung talent of British rock music is not Nick Drake but genius Scot Gary Clark - the man who wrote the immortal "Mary's Prayer", and could make an Abba song "Knowing Me, Knowing You" - seem not camp and cute, but the most tragic love song ever written.Five great reasons to hunt down "Ten Short Songs..."Gary Clark - This Is Why, J. (Mp3)Gary Clark - A Short Song About Love (Mp3)Gary Clark - Nancy (Mp3)Gary Clark - Baby Blue No. 2 (Mp3)Gary Clark - Any Sunday Morning (Mp3)
....aaaannnd we're back from the long Thanksgiving holiday . . . but unfortunately someone isn't among us today.
Back when was TVD was a mere pup (ahem, last July) there was one guy out there who was more than generous with advice, pointers and sincere encouragement -- the Retro Music Snob. In fact, trading notes with him was my first realization that the online experience of blogging (and blathering) was actually a community of very like-minded folks who weren't merely indulging whims but trading in the very tangible appreciation for all forms of music, art, expression. Soon followed Mick, then Davy, and plenty more voices to underscore this, but Gary was the first, the most tireless, and the most inspiring from Day One.
So, hats off to you RMS . . . you'll be missed.
Some faves from RMS:The Bluebells - I'm Falling (Mp3)The Jags - Back of My Hand (Mp3)The Plimsouls - Oldest Story in the World (Mp3)The Records - Hearts in Her Eyes (Mp3)Tommy Keene - Places that are Gone (Mp3)
