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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Here's some interesting things I've found recently....... First off, one of the things that I love the most about this hobby is the ability to try new things without monetary risk. Sometimes I'm just drawn to something because it sounds weird, and so it was with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. With a bootleg title like Anarchy in the Ukulele, how can I possibly resist? What I got was a unique and fun blend of virtuosity and humor, as the songs themselves range from the sublime ( The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) to the ridiculous ( Le Freak). Here's one from the midrange, their their rendition of Respect performed in Berlin on Nov. 15, 2007.  As many of you know from our movie discussions, I am resistant to sequels. That's why, when it comes to Hank Williams, I still prefer the original. I recently found a slew of Hank Williams radio performances from 1951 (Actually, half a slew. There are supposed to be 15 discs total, but for some reason only the first nine were uploaded. Still, that's enough to sate the need for quite awhile.) Like the Flatt and Scruggs radio shows, he was playing to advertise flour - Mother's Best Flour, that is. He'd do a few of his songs, a Mother's Best Flour ad spot, and like Johnny Cash on his radio show years later, he'd always throw in a gospel tune. Here's one I just couldn't resist sharing - On Top of Old Smoky. Last week I offered up a little Grateful Dead with Santana. Here they are at the Euphoria Ballroom in San Rafael, Ca. on July 16, 1970, with none other than Pigpen's pal Janis Joplin. It's one hell of a jam on the tune Turn on Your Lovelight, and they're having so much fun jamming to it that they never actually seem to get around to doing the actual song. Oh well, it's still a hell of a lot of fun.  "Clinics" are small performances - usually, but not always solo - where a musician shares techniques, answers questions, and showcases his sponsor's wares. These can make for great stealth recordings because of their intimate nature and close setting. In 1981, when bass player Jeff Berlin was working for the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, Ca., he invited former Bruford bandmate and fusion guitar icon Allan Holdsworth to conduct such a clinic. They were joined by drummer Gary Husband and Holdsworth fan Eddie Van Halen. They really didn't play any songs, they just jammed, so here is a piece simply called Jam ??
Eddie also joined Allan at his Roxy performance, probably later that same night. The boots are said to sound awful, but the rumor is that EVH has a soundboard recording of that night. Don't be a bogart, Eddie!!!
 Finally, here's a story straight from the liner notes of a boot called Queen- In the Beginning: "Around September 1971, Brian May met up with an old Friend, Terry Yeadon, who was involved in the setting up of a new recording studio in Wembly called De Lane Lea.
The studios needed musicians to try out the new equipment they had installed -- and preferably a band who could play loud! The deal was that the musicians would record using the equipment, and potential studio users would be on hand to hear and watch them. In return for their services, the band could record their demos for free. It was an opportunity not to be missed and, of course, Queen jumped at it. Not only would they be able to make the all important demo tapes, but they would have ample occasion to meet producers and engineers, people who could be vital to their future."
Posted at 10:03 am by Joe_the_Troll
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