Thanks, Bobby. I saw something about Baker’s passing and meant to pass that along. An old guitar-slinging friend some of you may know, Tom Heyman of Go to Blazes, was a huge fan of his. I also remember reading that Robert Quine cited him as a key influence. He may have even taken lessons from him.
I’m a huge fan, too. Most people are just familiar with him through the Mickey & Sylvia song, “Love is Strange”, but that’s just one small facet of his playing. I know Quine loved Baker, but I don’t think they ever met.
Mr. Royale, Trigmogigmo, another frequenter of the Hall, and I are going to see Moon Duo tonight. We’ll let you know if there was lots of hair and beard swinging:
Today, December 5, is the 80th birthday of Little Richard. Does that make him the oldest living rock & roll legend? I can’t think of anyone else offhand.
Isn’t there some honorary title/competition for the greatest living ex-baseball player? I seem to remember Joe DiMaggio thinking he deserved the title at one point as opposed to Willie Mays. Who holds that distinction today? Mays? Aaron? And is there a rock & roll corollary?
Hey, I remember that comercial from my youth! You can imagine how an 8 or 9 year-old boy would memorize and endlessly recite the pretendo-guitar licks, culminating in the “wait!” moment.
Good question. Fats Domino is 84, if my math is correct – and I’m pretty sure he’s still alive, which has suprised me for the last 15 years.
As for your Greatest Living Rock ‘n Roller question, I’d say Chuck Berry would be most likely to stake his claim to the title and demand, as DiMaggio did, that he be introduced as such. He’d have a good point, of course, but some of us would still think he was a dick for demanding that he be introduced as such.
Dave Brubeck has gone on to his ultimate reward. I recently watched the Ken Burns Jazz documentary and he was articulate, humble and he teared up a bit when recounting some of the hardships of being in an integrated band. He was a Great man.
For those 2 or 3 of you who are Talk Talk, David Sylvian, and Bark Psychosis fans, and you’ve been looking to cure your itch, check the debut stuff from a group called L A N D: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHtMP0rDAtI
I listened to them and liked them. I have a bunch of 50s R&B (King Records, Specialty Records, Atlantic) and I’m amazed that this guy was off my radar because now I’m guessing that I must have dozens of recordings with him on guitar. Cool player.
Interesting. I wonder if you know my cousin. He opened a restaurant called the Blue Lemon in Westport and bought a place called Rory’s somewhere nearby although the name of the town escapes me.
Lou Reed saying something that sounds like something I wanted to hear (taken from a year old Rolling Stone I was reading today). This come from a Reed constructed playlist of Great Lyrics & Jukebox Hits”:
“Save The Last Dance For Me” The Drifters, 1960 – ‘[Co-writer] Doc Pomus was getting married. He had polio, he’s in a wheelchair, and his friends were dancing with his wife-to-be. He started writing on a place card: “You can dance, you can carry on.” Doc’s daughter gave me the place card. You will never hear this song the same way after knowing that.’
I don’t think these deaths have been acknowledged in The Hall yet.
Chris Stamp, brother or Terence, and discoverer/original co-manager (along w/Kit Lambert) of The Who: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/arts/music/chris-stamp-a-manager-and-discoverer-of-the-who-dies-at-70.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
And, a more egregious omission, the great Mickey “Guitar” Baker, whose work spanned most major genres of American music: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/arts/music/mickey-baker-guitarist-whose-riffs-echo-today-dies-at-87.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
And, a more in depth overview of Mickey’s work: http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/search?q=mickey+baker
Thanks, Bobby. I saw something about Baker’s passing and meant to pass that along. An old guitar-slinging friend some of you may know, Tom Heyman of Go to Blazes, was a huge fan of his. I also remember reading that Robert Quine cited him as a key influence. He may have even taken lessons from him.
I’m a huge fan, too. Most people are just familiar with him through the Mickey & Sylvia song, “Love is Strange”, but that’s just one small facet of his playing. I know Quine loved Baker, but I don’t think they ever met.
Here are a few of my fave Baker tracks:
http://youtu.be/1LDUBo1w_Rk
http://youtu.be/bnnN8Ycsk_Y
http://youtu.be/nL-pTNR3J7w
http://youtu.be/86nENzJfy6Y
http://youtu.be/7Hew39sRf4Y
http://youtu.be/tWmgQcYypcw
http://youtu.be/fcyLFFp9eak
Here are a few of my
Mr. Royale, Trigmogigmo, another frequenter of the Hall, and I are going to see Moon Duo tonight. We’ll let you know if there was lots of hair and beard swinging:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPGibcJJ1LI
Today, December 5, is the 80th birthday of Little Richard. Does that make him the oldest living rock & roll legend? I can’t think of anyone else offhand.
Isn’t there some honorary title/competition for the greatest living ex-baseball player? I seem to remember Joe DiMaggio thinking he deserved the title at one point as opposed to Willie Mays. Who holds that distinction today? Mays? Aaron? And is there a rock & roll corollary?
Hey, I remember that comercial from my youth! You can imagine how an 8 or 9 year-old boy would memorize and endlessly recite the pretendo-guitar licks, culminating in the “wait!” moment.
Good question. Fats Domino is 84, if my math is correct – and I’m pretty sure he’s still alive, which has suprised me for the last 15 years.
As for your Greatest Living Rock ‘n Roller question, I’d say Chuck Berry would be most likely to stake his claim to the title and demand, as DiMaggio did, that he be introduced as such. He’d have a good point, of course, but some of us would still think he was a dick for demanding that he be introduced as such.
Dave Brubeck has gone on to his ultimate reward. I recently watched the Ken Burns Jazz documentary and he was articulate, humble and he teared up a bit when recounting some of the hardships of being in an integrated band. He was a Great man.
I think Chuck Berry just turned 86…
For those 2 or 3 of you who are Talk Talk, David Sylvian, and Bark Psychosis fans, and you’ve been looking to cure your itch, check the debut stuff from a group called L A N D:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHtMP0rDAtI
I met him once, cuz I used to teach in his town of Wilton, CT., and I had his granddaughter as a student.
Wilton, you say? I have cousins who live there,
Yeah, I grew up in that area, and taught in Wilton for 17 years.
Huh…dunno why that partial sentence appeared at the end, there…oh well…doubt anyone’s gonna listen to those links, anyway.
I listened to them and liked them. I have a bunch of 50s R&B (King Records, Specialty Records, Atlantic) and I’m amazed that this guy was off my radar because now I’m guessing that I must have dozens of recordings with him on guitar. Cool player.
Interesting. I wonder if you know my cousin. He opened a restaurant called the Blue Lemon in Westport and bought a place called Rory’s somewhere nearby although the name of the town escapes me.
Lou Reed saying something that sounds like something I wanted to hear (taken from a year old Rolling Stone I was reading today). This come from a Reed constructed playlist of Great Lyrics & Jukebox Hits”:
“Save The Last Dance For Me” The Drifters, 1960 – ‘[Co-writer] Doc Pomus was getting married. He had polio, he’s in a wheelchair, and his friends were dancing with his wife-to-be. He started writing on a place card: “You can dance, you can carry on.” Doc’s daughter gave me the place card. You will never hear this song the same way after knowing that.’
Yeah, Rory’s was an old hangout of mine in Darien. Mrs.Jade & I lived in Westport, and she also worked in a Wilton school.