No Other: el Byrd que va volar totsol (Grans Discs 1974 #16)

Enguany hi ha dues dates molt especials relacionades amb GENE CLARK:

Per una banda aquest mes de setembre se cumpleix el 40 aniversari de la publicació de la seva obra mestra post-Byrds:

I d´altra, el proper 17 de novembre marcarà el 70 aniversari del seu naixement a Tipton (Missouri).

Un aconteixament que, com molts ja sabeu, la promotora RUDY SESSIONS ha decidit celebrar amb un concert-tribut comandat per Sid Griffin i amb intervenció d´una super-banda mallorquina (Xavi Escutia, Miquel Gibert i Carlos Garau de La Granja, i alguna intervenció del gran Joey Amengual de Toni Monserrat Inc.).
Griffin vendrà en exclussiva des de Londres per aquest concert únic a Espanya, i ho farà acompanyat d´un jove amb "pedal-steel guitar" que curiosament nom com un dels membres originals de The Byrds: Chris H. Hillman!

El set list d´aquest concert incloura clàssics dels Byrds, però també reivindicarà els altres treballs de Gene Clark.

Per descomptat sonarà algún dels temes de NO OTHER, un àlbum que molts (entre ells el propi Sid Griffin) acusen d´estar sobreproduït, cosa que es va compensar l´any 2003 amb una re-edició amb tota una llista de versions alternatives molt més despullades que els originals, i que són una delícia:

 

contraportada de la re-edició de NO OTHER, publicació on 

Sid Griffin va escriure les "liner notes"

Aquí teniu vídeo/audio del tema que donava nom a aquest altre gran disc de 1974:

"NO OTHER" (Gene Clark)

si no veis el vídeo correctament, pitjau AQUÍ

All alone you say
That you don`t want no other
So the Lord is love
And love is like no other
If the falling tide
Can turn and then recover
All alone we must
Be part of one another
All alone you say
The power is perfection
Is the power peace
Or merely the connenction
To the God of Love
That powers the protection
From the tide of life
That flows in each direction
When the stream of changing days
Turns around in so many ways
Then the pilot of the mind
Must find the right direction 

ANÈCDOTA SUCULENTA: extracte d´una entrevista a Sid Griffin (any 1998) on recorda la col.laboració del "Byrd Who Flew Alone" amb els mítics Long Ryders

ANDY BASSET: You got to work with Gene Clark when he sang on the Long Ryders track "Ivory Tower." Any memories of that session?

SID GRIFFIN: Yes, Gene came in looking like hell, hungover or something. It was around noon at A&M Studios, a tough time to sing for anyone. At first he sounded awful, just awful and we were all shocked. Our drummer Greg Sowders memorably said "man, he sounds like Wild Man Fischer!" Which he did. After about five cups of really hot coffee Gene got it together and sang the unison part on the album that you hear today. He was an awfully nice guy throughout the session and indeed most times I met him.

Aquesta és la foto d´aquella sessió, no sé si abans o després de ses devers cinc tasses de cafè calent que G.C. va haver de prendre... 

Neal Casal interview + Folk You! (la génesi del Waiting For Waits)

setembre/september 2000:

TIME OUT - London 

"Described by The Washington Post as "One of the best new songwriters of the year", Neal Casal is back at The Borderline (20th September) following his successful gig in May, promoting his new album, 'Anytime Tomorrow'"  

english / català

September 2000: at The Borderline (Soho- London) a part-time box-office attendant was required...

La tardor de l´any 2000, a una petita sala del Soho londinenc anomenada The Borderline hi havia penjat un fol amb el reclam: "PART TIME JOB - Box Office Attendant".

After buying a ticket for Neal Casal´s show (taking place the 20th September) I got a job that would last for about five years.

Després de pagar la meva entrada pel concert de Neal Casal que havia de tenir lloc el 20 de setembre (avui fa 14 anys), me varen donar aquella feina de caps de setmana que duraria uns cinc anys...

That precise moment was the starting point of the Majorcan music event Waiting For Waits (so thank you Neal and thank you The Borderline!).

En aquell moment es va sembrar, sense saber-ho, la llavor del Waiting For Waits (així que gràcies Neal Casal i gràcies The Borderline!).

WAITING FOR WAITS vs FOLK YOU!

In fact, because of a sticker that Neal Casal had on his acoustic guitar (actually a patch, as Neal mentions in the interview below), Waiting For Waits could have been named Folk You! instead...

A la seva guitarra, Neal hi tenia aferrat el que jo recordava com un adhesiu (si bé de fet era un "patch" (pegat?), com ell ens confirma a l´entrevista que podeu llegir a continuació) amb l´inscripció: "Folk You!".

Vaig pensar que seria un bon nom per una promotora musical, si bé finalment me decantaria pel beckettià Waiting For Waits.

La resta, com sabeu, ja és història...

NEAL CASAL INTERVIEW (english)

nota: si voleu una traducció al catalá o castellà de la següent entrevista, enviau un correu a orphans.of.waits@gmail.com

foto: Megan Kathleen McIsaac (www)

- Are you aware that you were somehow responsible for the beginning of Waiting for Waits? (you know the story…)

It's amazing to think that I was an integral part of this festival that we all loved so much. It´s quite an honor for me to know that.

- We almost gave the festival a different name: Folk You!, because of the sticker you had in your acoustic guitar that night you played in London fourteen years ago today!. Where did you get that sticker?

It's actually not a sticker but a patch, which I never sewed onto anything. I would just attach it to my guitar strap with a safety pin!!  I bought  that patch in a small vintage shop on Avenue A in the east village, New York City, in 1993. That patch has stayed with me for over 20 years, it's one of my prized possessions!. 

- What are your memories of your shows in Mallorca (first in 2003 with lovely Lisa Germano, and the following year sharing the bill with the great Chris Eckman)?

It was incredible and such an honor for me to discover Mallorca, it felt like entering a different world. The shows were always in really nice locations, the audiences were enthusiastic and attentive, and to share the stage with talents such as Lisa and Chris was just amazing.

- When did you discover Tom Waits? Which album? We have fond memories of the song cover you played using Lisa Germano´s electric guitar: "On the nickel"...

I'm not exactly sure what the first record was, maybe Nighthawks At The Diner. It just seemed to me that his music was always everywhere y'know?

But it was Heart Attack And Vine that really changed my life. That was the record that turned me into a Waits fanatic.

- Do you still keep that Neil Young HARVEST t-shirt that I gave you? It certainly looked better on you than on me!

 Of course I still have it, it's in the same drawer as my Folk You patch!

- Today we celebrate yet another anniversary related to Neal Casal: Leaving Traces (1994-2004 compilation; Fargo records) was released 10 years ago (20th September 2004).

After a solid 20 years solo career and your collaborations with some "big" names: what´s your own album you´re most proud of? Own song?. And collaboration?

I think Roots And Wings is my strongest collection of songs, 

but I guess Sweeten The Distance is my favorite overall record. "White Fence Round House" is one of my favorite of my own songs. 

As for collaborations, the new Chris Robinson Brotherhood record Phosphorescent Harvest is definitely my favorite.

- Last question: RUDY SESSIONS, who recently booked Graham Parker to play in Palma, would be interested in having you back to Mallorca. What about that, Neal?

Wow, that is so exciting, thank you for thinking of me again!. The idea if coming back to Mallorca is just amazing to me, can´t even believe it!

Next: video of Neal Casal playing his own favourite song two years ago at The Borderline backstage!

Com no podia ser d´altra manera, a continució un video de Neal Casal cantant fa dos anys la seva propia cançó preferida...al backstage de la sala The Borderline

Blood shot eyes in the morning
Wait to the day with a memory in my mind
A plane touches down and I can see those street lights
A plane touches down and I know it's time to fly
One thing I can't leave behind
One thing I can't leave behind
One thing I can't leave behind

It's so cold here in the evening
Wait till the dark that I've done my fire right
I feel such a fool and just keep waiting
I feel such a fool cause I know I still hope to find
One thing I can't leave behind
One thing I can't leave behind
One thing I can't leave
But I want you to take your time
Think it over
Stay a while, till
...taking me easy way out, easy way out

Star close the night, set the candle
Everybody frightened, it's the whole damn place alive
Come from all the father's preachers
Everybody looking for something, I hope they can find
One thing they can't leave behind
One thing they can't leave

Eyes fall open with the first...
Make my way down to the ocean burning...
Each day I'm constantly in a falling
Each day the current pulls me closer down to you
One thing I can't leave behind
One thing I can't leave behind
One thing I can't leave behind
One thing I can't leave
But I want you to take your time
Think it over
Stay a while, till
Just remember to take your time
and think it over
Stay a while, ill it shows
You're not taking the easy way out, easy way out
Not taking the easy way out
I can show you the easy way down

Blood shot eyes in the morning
Wait to the day with a memory in my mind

A good taste of Edinbra (Gran Disc de 1974 #15)

Amb el bon regust d´haver passat un cap de setmana a Escòcia, celebrant amb tres bons amics precisament del ´74 la nostra entrada enguany als 40, avui Orphans Of Waits recomana un gran disc que es va publicar el setembre d´aquell any (dia exacte incert) i que, si bé es va gravar entre Paris i Los Angeles, es considera l´obra mestra del gran autor de folk nascut a Edinburgh BERT JANSCH

Mai me perdonaré no haver vist mestre Bert en directe quan vaig tenir ocasió de fer- ho en diverses ocasions a Londres a principis de la dècada anterior.

De fet Jansch, en pau descansi, també entra en el capítol de contractacions frustrades del cicle Waiting For Waits, però d´això ja en parlarem el proper 3 de novembre...

Si mai visitau "Edinbra", apart de tastar l ´excel.lent cervessa local Innis & Gunn (gràcies a Xavi Escutia per la recomenació) no dubteu en adquirir algún dels grans discs de Bert Jansch o d´altres autors escocesos que vos puguin recomenar a la maravellosa tenda CODA (especialitzada en música folk i situada a Bank St On The Mound, un dels carrers més espectaculars d´aquesta preciosa ciutat).

A continuació un video del primer tema del nostre quinzé gran disc de 1974, en una versió en directe gravada durant una actuació a Sheffield l´any 2006 (cinc abans de la mort de B. J.):

"Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning"

Like a high stepping pony strutting and prancing
Ah she's so full of life
Sparkling with tiny red roses
Let there be music to please her
Let it be sunbright to light up her day
Let the moon light her night
And fill her with deep silent sleepiness
If I were a small bird so tiny
I'd hide in her hair just to be near her
To hear her sweet voice
And feel her sweet body beside me
And if I were a high lord with riches
I'd clothe her in satin from India's far highlands
I would shoe her in gold
Then invite her to sit at my table
Step out young lady a-dancing
To the sound of sweet music so gaily come singing
For your beauty so rare
Is as fresh as a sweet Sunday morning