GOODBYE 2023 -TBL/DL BEST OF THE YEAR ROUND UP & TBL WRITINGS /LZ NEWS/PONTIAC 77 FOOTAGE/LEMMY/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE
DL Best Of Year LP/CD releases:
There’s been some truly fantastic albums and CD’s this past year so here’s my best of listings.
My collecting and listening pleasure revolves around heritage releases and reissues. I am not a pursuer of new music -not because there isn’t any great new music being made – it’s hard enough keeping up with the many reissues, Zep bootleg releases etc that continue to surface and the sense of nostalgia attached to these gems is truly inspiring.
In effect every record or CD I invest in can tell a story…and there are many stories connected with the following some of which are explained in the DL writings round up below and more will feature in my work in progress DL Memoirs…
So in no particular order here’s my favourite LP and CD releases of 2023…
Life House – Who’s Next – The Who Deluxe CD Box Set
The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds LP/Picture Disc/Rolling Stones Number 9 edition/CD
The Beatles 1962 – 1966 – 3LP
The Beatles 1967 – 1970 – 3LP
The Kinks – The Journey Part 1 2LP
The Beatles at Stowe School 4LP bootleg
The Beatles – Hey Jude/Beatles Again – 3LP bootleg
Led Zeppelin Dancing Days Are Here Again 4 LP Bootleg
Led Zeppelin – Open Your Heart To Fort Worth -Live in Fort Worth TX Tarrant County Convention Center March 3rd 1975. 4LPbootleg
Led Zeppelin – Storming The Big Apple -Madison Sqaure Garden 1970 -3LP bootleg
The Faces – Had Me a Real Good Time at the BBC – LP – Black Friday Record Store Day Release
Bob Dylan – Another Budokan 1978 – 2LP
Joni Mitchell – Court And Spark Demos LP – Black Friday Record Store Day Release
Splinter – The Place I Love – LP Black Friday Record Store Day Release
Little Fea – Love at Manchester Free Trade Hall 1977 – 3LP Record Store Day Release
Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Presents Incident at a Free Festival -Various Artists 2LP
Bob Stanley Presents London 1 To Z 1962 – 1973 – Various Artists CD
We Can Work it Out – Covers Of The Beatles 1962 – 1966 – Various Artists 3CD
The Endless Coloured Ways – The Songs of Nick Drake – Various Artists 2LP
Dusty Springfield – Cameo – 2LP Record Store Day Reissue
Elvis Presley – Burning Love The RCA Rehearsals 2LP Record Store Day Release
David Bowie -Ziggy Stardust Original Soundtrack 50th Anniversary – 2LP limited gold vinyl
Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous Live at Hammersmith -2LP Record Store Day Release
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Council Skies – LP
Stephen Stills – Live at Berkeley 1971 CD
Coverdale Page – Coverdale Page – 2LP Japanese reissue
Yes – Live at Knoxville Civic Auditorium 1972 2- 3LP Record Store Release
DL Best Of Year LP/CD releases:
There’s been some truly fantastic albums and CD’s this past year so here’s my best of listings.
My collecting and listening pleasure revolves around heritage releases and reissues. I am not a pursuer of new music -not because there isn’t any great new music being made – it’s hard enough keeping up with the many reissues, Zep bootleg releases etc that continue to surface and the sense of nostalgia attached to these gems is truly inspiring.
DL Best Of Year LP/CD releases:
Album of the year:
The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds – LP, Picture Disc, Limited No 9 Rolling Stones shop edition and CD!
Singles of the Year:
The Beatles – Now And Then
The Rolling Stones – Angry
Box Set of the Year:
Life House – Who’s Next – The Who – Deluxe box set
Compilations of The Year:
Bob Stanley Presents London A-Z 1962 – 1973 – CD
Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Presents Incident at a Free Festival -Various Artists 2LP
Bootleg LP of the Year:
Led Zeppelin – Open Your Heart To Fort Worth -Live in Fort Worth TX Tarrant County Convention Center March 3rd 1975. 4LPbootleg
Charity Shop Find of The Year:
Wishbone Ash -Live Dates double LP signed on the back by members of the later line up – found it for a £1!
Led Zeppelin Find of The Year:
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti – pressing in rare gatefold sleeve – (thanks Patrick C!)
Favourite Books of the Year:
Nick Drake The Life -Richard Morton jack
Us And Them The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis – Mark Blake
Whatever Happened To Slade? Daryl Eastlea
Favourite Films of The Year:
Mr. Jimmy
Squaring The Circle (The Story Of Hipgnosis)
Favourite YouTube Clip:
Led Zeppelin – Dallas – April 1 1977 -upgraded colour clip
Favourite Gigs of The Year:
Robert Plant Presents Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian – Birmingham Symphony Hall -November 5 2023
Robert Plant Presents Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian – Cardiff New Theatre – November 15 2023
Robert Plant Presents Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian – Cambridge Corn Exchange – November 17 2023
Jeff Beck Tribute – Royal Albert Hall – May 23 2023
Graham Nash – London Dury Lane Theatre – September 11 2023
Love Revisited – Bedford Esquires – July 14 2023
Coda – Bedford Esquires – February 11 2023
Tom Robinson Band – Bedford Esquires – June 15 2023
Absolute Bowie – Bedford Esquires – October 2023
Some thanks:
Firstly thanks again to all the great suppliers that continue to feed my record passion – notably Warren and Nerys at the Slide Records Bedford, Brian at Revolution Records Stevenage, David and Eddie at Empire Records St Albans, David at Black Circle Records Leighton Buzzard.
The excellent Flashback Records in Islington and Sister Ray, Reckless in Soho and Fopp in Covent Garden.
Plus the many charity shops that often come up with amazing bargains on CD and LP.
To Nick Carruthers for all his help plus Steve Livesley, Pete Burridge, John Parkin, Ian Sakia, Phil Harris, James Bevis, Cliff Hilliard, Lee Abrahams, Dave Crane, Andrew Pepworth, Chris West ,Jerry Bloom and Adam Tidd, for sharing their fellow LP record collecting enthusiasm – and Rob and John at the always excellent VIP Record Fairs of which Bedford and Victoria in London continue to be the go- to Record Fairs for us.
Some record collecting thoughts:
LPs:
The price of new vinyl albums and reissues has continued to increase and though thee packaging on an LP is of course always an attraction, I am often quite content to bypass the vinyl version and settle for the CD package – I’m fine with that as I love both formats almost equally.
As for the second hand market, there is so much great stuff to be found and I’ve picked up some great bargains increasingly from charity shops and the more familiar haunts such as the VIP Record Fairs. My interest in 60s/70s compilations, obscure packaging, foreign pressings and anything Zep related continues unabated.
CDs:
With their ongoing cheap availability in charity shops, the CD format is continuing to going through a collector renaissance . It’s possible to pick up some absolute bargains as I have done (and my fellow record collecting comrades John, Pete and Steve) throughout the year. This is a trend that is likely to continue as CD collections get replaced in favour of Spotify and other streaming services.
Being a man of physical product, I am more than happy for that situation to happen and I will be keeping an eye out for the CD bargains to appear in charity shop outlets – there’s some great stuff to be had and I like I said still love that format.
SINGLES:
The collecting of the 45 RPM format remains a joy for me and there’s been many a bargain acquired this past year.
One of my many record collecting areas is advance promotional demonstration singles – demos or promos as they are known.
These are the pressings of singles in a limited quantity that were distributed to DJs, radio stations and reviewers ahead of their official release to garner interest –A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as music radio and television stations, and to tastemakers, such as DJs, music journalists, and critics, in advance of the release of commercial editions, in the hope that airplay, reviews, and other forms of exposure will result and stimulate the public’s interest in the commercial release. I have over 200 of these on many labels and many an artist.
A bulk of these contain details of the planned release dates on the label and I love equating these dates to what I might have been up to at the time.
Another of my singles collecting passions is Beatles cover versions- particularly post 1966. Again I have a lot of these items. It remains a fascination that every Beatles album was mined by other artists for possible hit material so album tracks such as And I Love Her, Nowhere Man, Girl, Michelle, Hey Bulldog, Goodnight and many more appeared on countless singles in their own right. Searching these often obscure releases is great fun.
I am also always on the lookout for anything on the Apple, Island and Immediate labels, TV and film themes and of course Led Zep related.
Other formats – cassettes and stereo 8 track cartridges:
Interesting cassettes and 8 track cartridges are also on my radar – I recently scored a few Led Zeppelin 8 track cartridges in good condition and on the cassette front, a nicely packaged Rolling Stones Rolled Gold double cassette. I also picked up an excellent portable cassette player with slide controls.
In summary – collecting music in all its varying formats is in my DNA and a source of constant joy and inspiration.
However…I do have a new mantra for 2024
Buy less – Play more…
Yes I know that might come as a shock statement as my ”you can never have too many” guideline has been my mantra for a good while.
Circumstances dictate that I need to take stock here. The fact is I have a lot of stuff and not a lot of room. So my intention in 2024 is to buy less and play more. Like a lot of collectors I have a backlog of CDs ,LPs and singles to play and investigate and that will be high on the agenda. So it will be a case of buying less to play more and I’m looking forward to that policy.
It won’t be easy of course and there’s already a few things on my wants list ( the forthcoming Paul McCartney and Wings Band On The Run 50th anniversary release being one) but for now I’ll be pausing to breath a bit more here.
That’s not to say I wont be buying but it will be somewhat more strategically applied.
I also have a plan ahead to downsize the collection and sell some LPs and CDs on to make some much needed room here.
These are of course bold intentions designed in consultation with the good lady Janet.
I’m sure there will be a few important additions to be had although perhaps more selectively…
I’ll be posting the ‘’Play More’’ items that will be on the player as I get to them in the coming weeks..
Dave Lewis – December 28 2023.
TBL DL POSTINGS AND WRITINGS 2023:
Here’s a round up of some of my postings and writings this past year from January to December…
Like us all, I was so shocked and incredibly saddened on Wednesday night to hear the news of the sudden passing of Jeff Beck aged 78.
Jeff Beck has been a part of my musical heritage for over 50 years.
Initially I discovered his genius lighting up the charts with The Yardbirds – hits such as For Your Love, Shapes Of Things and Over Under Sideways Down were way ahead of their time.
He was of course intrinsically linked with his lifelong friend Jimmy Page and my interest in Led Zeppelin took me on a path through their roots and influences and to the music of Jeff Beck.
I paid a then bank busting £5 in the early 70s to own the seminal Yardbirds single Happenings Ten Years Time Ago/Psycho Daisies –the only time Jeff and Jimmy shared the spotlight on a Yardbirds single
They did hook up for that stomp through Train Kept a Rollin in the Blow Up film and on the wonderful Beck’s Bolero (with John Paul Jones, Keith Moon and Nicky Hopkins) the B side to his massive hit Hi Ho Silver Lining. I discovered the latter on a a Most Of hits compilation during a musical exploration that included those 1960s jams with Jimmy on the Anthology of British Blues Vol I and II and the Guitar Boogie album, The Yardbirds bootlegs Golden Eggs I and II, The Yardbirds magnificent 1966 Roger The Engineer album, his work with the Jeff Beck group with Rod Stewart on the Beck Ola and Truth albums, in the power trio Beck Bogart & Appice and his move into the jazz rock field with Blow By Blow.
Jeff had a unique style all of his own – technically brilliant but equally explosive, able to drift off on a tangent at the flick of the fingers.
I was lucky enough to be in his company on a fair few occasions notably backstage at Earls Court in May 1975 at the 1983 Royal Albert Hall Arms shows with Jimmy Page, at the Classic Rock awards in 2011 when he performed an amazing set after collecting his Living Legend award.
Most memorable of all was the evening of February 14 2007. That was the night Robert Plant reunited with his Honeydrippers line up for a special show at the JBs Club in Dudley.
This is tragic news. Hard to take in. Jeff always appeared timeless, ever evolving. He embraced project after project with limitless energy and enthusiasm. He surfaced in an extraordinary time, he took his place side by side with the virtuosos of the period, his mates.
“The scene was on fire, he introduced a cool template moving from Yardbird to Bolero to Truth, Beck Ola with Rod the perfect foil, the singer and guitarist syndrome, plenty of sparks, great results. He cooked up magic through all the passing eras, always up for the next, unknown, unlikely collision, back in time to homage Cliff Gallup, forward to Johnny Depp. His gift was enormous. He was funny, challenging and eager. My feelings are with Sandra today.”
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My thoughts on…
My thoughts on Us And Them – The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis
The visionary artists behind Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney and more..
by Mark Blake
I’ve had a fair bit of association with the Hipgnosis design team over the years.
Back in early 2005, I was at a meeting at the Virgin Megastore where I worked when I saw a voice mail come up on my mobile. When I checked it later I saw that it was from Aubrey Powell who I knew to be Po of Hipgnosis. He wanted to come here to shoot some of my Robert Plant memorabilia for a promo video he was putting together to be shown at the forthcoming South By South West event Robert would be appearing at.
Aubrey duly came over for an afternoon with an assistant and photographed a lot of my Plant material. Po also got me to set up my Dansette record player so he could film Robert’s Honeydrippers single Sea Of Love filmed revolving at 45RPM to get a retro look.
Po kindly signed copies of Houses Of The Holy, Presence and In Through the Out Door and chatted about their creation.
The resulting promo film was shown at the South by South West event in the US complete with my Dansette record player spinning Sea Of Love.
Ten years later in March 2015, I met Po at his home near Battersea Power station to interview him for the TBL mag on the 40th anniversary of the release of Houses Of The Holy. I spent a very illuminating time in his company. Po revealed a fair few stories that day though it was evident there was a whole lot more where those came from.
There have been a number of Hipgnosis photo books which offered insight to their working methods but it always felt like that these revelations were the tip of the iceberg. The story of how Po and co conspirator Storm Thorgerson loomed large over the 1970s rock world was one that I always felt needed telling in full and at last it has been.
The author Mark Blake with his past bio credentials including definitive works Queen Pink Floyd and Led Zep manager Peter Grant, has stepped up to the task with aplomb
He navigates his way though the often complex story of how this pair of contrasting characters became the go- to album sleeve designers for the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney and countless others.
The initial story centres around the 1960s Cambridge scene where Storm mixes with the art school crew including members who would become Pink Floyd including the wayward spirit of Syd Barrett.
By the time of their second album A Saucer full of Secrets appeared in 1967, Storm had linked up with Aubrey Powell to form the Hipgnosis design team and they came up with the album cover – the beginning of a highly fruitful relationship. Other big name clients soon came on board not least of course the mighty Led Zeppelin.
They did not get always hit it off with their clients Zep included. Storm offering a design of a tennis racket for a Zep sleeve felt insulting to Jimmy Page ”Are you saying our music is a racket?” recounts the guitarist.
However, the Hipgnosis/Zep relationship was to be a great success producing the era defining sleeves for Houses Of The Holy, Presence and In Through The Out Door. The stories behind the creative process of this iconic album art work are diligently recalled.
Without giving the game away, there’s a constant stream of fascinating detail throughout the book. Want to know how a Robert Plant look a like was considered for that climb up the Giants Causeway? The character who played the guy in the bar on the six covers for In Though The Out Door? The only time Po appeared on a Hipgnosis cover? The identity of the hand that features on the Lamb Lies Down On Broadway? The 10 CC cover that was rejected as a potential Genesis cover? All this and much more is revealed.
At the core of the story of course, is the often fractious dynamic of Storm and Po’s working relationship. Storm often arrogant and cantankerous -something of a tortured genius while Po the more affable and measured. They had a number of key staff such as the late Peter Chrstopherson who became a co partner, Alex Henderson and Richard Evans who went on to work with The Who and Robert Plant. It was a tight knit team that produced spectacular results.
How the Hipgnosis team travelled to various exotic locations with all the grandeur of a Lawrence of Arabia film shoot, became the stuff of legend and tales of how they created such masterpieces as Argus for Wishbone Ash, Elegy for The Nice ,Wings’ Greatest Hits and Pink Floyd’s iconic The Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and Animals are faithfully dissected – the absurdity of some of their ideas not being without humour.
Such was their extravagance in June 1973 they travelled to shoot a total eclipse in Akjoujt Mauritania for a Led Zeppelin cover idea that was never used.
In an era of on the road rock’n’roll excess Hipgnosis were also not adverse to joining in and matching the foibles of the artists they worked with and there’s plenty of juicy stories along the way. A number of musicians who worked with Po and Storm on their respective album covers add ‘I was there’ perspective including UFO’s Phil Mogg, 10 CC’s Graham Gouldman and Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and various members of Pink Floyd.
The arrival Punk with it’s simplistic artwork pioneered by Jamie Reed’s Sex Pistols covers, clearly threatened the Hipgnosis empire but it was the arrival of the compact disc in 1983 that really did for them. Shrunken artwork was never going to be their forte and they expanded into music video work and films. A row over money split the Storm and Po relationship and they did not talk for 12 years though thankfully they were reconciled before Storm’s passing in 2013.
As Po himself explains in the book’s introduction, the Hipgnosis story unfolded ” At a time in the music business when nobody said no.”
It’s to author Mark Blake’s immense credit that he has persuaded a number of the principal players to say yes and it’s their first hand recollections skillfully linked to form a clear narrative that makes Us and Them such a compelling saga.
In short, anyone who stared in wide eyed wonderment at the classic album cover designs of Hipgnosis will find much to enjoy here. It’s a great read that captures a bygone era of visionary design – artwork that framed and enhanced some of the most important music ever made.
Dave Lewis – March 16 2023
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Friday March 10:
Sunday March 12:
Jimmy Page has released an early demo of “The Rain Song” to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of “Houses of the Holy”.
Page released the track, titled “The Seasons,” through his website on March 28 using the website’s “On This Day” section.
“On this day, 50 years ago to the day, ‘Houses of the Holy’ was released,” Page wrote. “My original idea for the opening tracks for ‘Houses of the Holy’ was that a short overture would be a rousing instrumental introduction with layered electric guitars that would segue in to ’The Seasons’, later to be titled ‘The Rain Song’. Again there would be a contrasting acoustic guitar instrumental movement with melotron that could lead to the first vocal of the album and the first verse of the song.”
“‘The Seasons’ was a memo to myself as a reminder of the sequence of the song and various ideas I’d had for it in its embryonic stage. I’d worked on it over one evening at home. During the routining of the overture now titled ‘The Plumpton and Worcester Races’, the half time section was born and the overture shaped in to the song, ‘The Song Remains The Same’. These rehearsals were done in Puddle Town on the River Piddle in Dorset, UK.”
“The first set of recordings were done at Olympic Studios with George Chkiantz. We then came to record at Stargroves, Sir Mick Jagger’s country home, and, like Headley Grange, with the Rolling Stones recording truck. ‘The Song Remains The Same’ was played on a Fender 12 string, the same one used on Becks Bolero, with my trusty Les Paul number 1 on overdubs in a standard turning. The ‘Rain Song’ was an unorthodox tuning on acoustic and electric guitars. On live shows, it became a work-out feature for the double neck.”
My thoughts on The Seasons:
LED ZEPPELIN “STORMING THE BIG APPLE” 3LP
Let It Be at 53:
The Beatles’ final studio album Let It Be celebrated its 53rd anniversary on May 8 – here’s my thoughts on one of favourite albums and what it means to me…
Let It Be and me…
I’ve had something of a 53 year love affair with The Beatles’ Let It Be album.
It all began way back in April 1969 when The Beatles released a new single titled Get Back. As previously chronicled, this was the inspiration for me to get right back into music after a brief infatuation with The Dave Clark Five when I was seven years old.
James Bond, Thunderbirds, The Daleks and football took over for a while but aged 12 I was ready to tune in once again
It was Get Back that really attracted me back to music. I had heard it on Tony Blackburn’s Radio One breakfast show and repeatedly on the juke box in our local café.
I recall an advert in the NME that proclaimed it as ‘’The Beatles as nature intended.’’ What also attracted me to the record was the distinctive green Apple label design – and the B side that displayed the core of an Apple. Having been drawn to that beautiful image I was forever asking older friends to put The Beatles’ B sides on the Juke box – this is how I came to be very familiar with Don’t Let Me Down, Old Brown Shoe and Come Together –the flip sides of Get Back, The Ballad of John And Yoko and Something, the trio of singles released by The Beatles in 1969.
In September of that year The Beatles issued their Abbey Road album. An older friend bought it and I listened at his house in wonder at it’s amazing contents – not least the medley on side two.
The NME had already flagged that The Beatles next album would be titled Get Back and comprise of recordings made in early 1969 to accompany a film of the same name. This was planned to be released in 1970.
During the early months of 1970 I eagerly scanned the news pages of the NME for more news. It transpired the album and film would now be titled Let It Be and in early March 1970 the Let It Be single was issued backed with the quirky You Know My Name (Look Up the Number). The single came in an eye catching picture sleeve. I of course loved the single and the accompanying film clip of it shown on Top of the Pops.
On April 10, the Daily Mirror broke the story that Paul had quit The Beatles. The acrimonious reasons behind the split dominated the pop headlines over the next12 months. The Beatles had out grown The Beatles and as Lennon would put it – the dream was over.
However, there was one more Beatles album release and it came on May 8, 1970. Let It Be was packaged in an outer cardboard box that contained a deluxe book and the actual record catalogue number PX1. It sold for a penny less than £3.
Far too much for my pocket money but the same older friend did buy it and we marveled at that package, the book and the album’s contests. Let It Be for me sounded like a great album -with it’s off mic comments and raw playing, tender moments, jams and quirky singalongs –the informality of it all touched a chord – this was The Beatles presented in a unique way as never before.
However, not everyone was enamored with this final chapter. The NME called it a cheap cardboard epitaph. To this day I disagree with such a notion.
On Thursday June 18, 1970 I went to the Granada cinema in Bedford to see the Let It Be film. We had the day off school as Britain was going to the polls to vote in a general election that saw Edward Heath gain a shock Conservative win over Labour’s Harold Wilson.
It was also Paul McCartney’s 28th birthday.
The film was a poignant farewell – the highlight being the final footage of them performing live on the on the rooftop. I loved the film for its illuminating inside look at The Beatles at work.
Over the next few years, The Beatles Let It Be era was never far off my radar.
When I started buying bootlegs in 1972, alongside the Zep titles, I eagerly invested in The Beatles Get Back Sessions and the curiously titled Renaissance Minstrels Vol 1 , Both these albums contained various outtakes and unreleased material from the Let It Be/Get Back period.
They provided key insight to this captivating last gasp. The likes of The Walk and Teddy Boy sounding like lost jewels.
Fast forward to Christmas 1975 –the BBC screened the entire film on Boxing Day and it looked fantastic.
During that first TV showing I even listed down for my own reference all the songs that appeared during the film – I still have that hand written note as can been seen here.
The BBC screened it again four years later on Boxing Day 1979. On that occasion my very good friend Dec taped it all on his newly acquired video recorder. When I got my own video recorder rented in 1981, Dec made me a copy of the Let It Be film – I now had all that marvelous footage at the flick of a button.
The bootleg CD explosion in the early 90s led me to many more recordings of the Get Back/Let It Be period as title after title appeared – notably a complete version of the fabled January 30,1969 rooftop gig – and the Let It Be film on DVD. I also have a bootleg of the original Get Back album as first proposed by producer Glyn Johns – complete with the intended cover of that photo of them in early 1969 at EMI in Manchester Square -re creating the Please Please Me cover shot. The 1969 image was later used for The Beatles red and blue compilations issued in 1973 (I bought both of those on the release date).
Mark Lewishon’s astonishingly detailed The Beatles at Abbey Road and The Beatles Chronicle books offered up vital accurate information of the 1969 sessions. I was lucky enough to meet Mark and attend two launches of his books inside the hallowed walls of Abbey Road Studios itself. In 1983 I also attended EMI’s The Beatles at Abbey Road presentation inside studio number two where so much of the Beatle magic had been created.
Over the years, The Get Back saga has continued to fascinate me and I’ve invested in a fair few books and magazines about the subject. The official Beatles Anthology made available some of those unreleased recordings I had craved on those bootlegs. Paul McCartney then re-invented the album by releasing Let It Be Naked – a fresh pre Phil Spector mix of the stark original versions of the Get Back/Let It Be project. I avidly soaked up that one with it’s 20 minutes of bonus recordings.
In the October 2010 issue of Mojo, they covered the final Beatles era in a superb feature. This issue was made available with an accompanying and CD vinyl album -Let It Be Revisited. This was a re imagining of the original album by a variety of artists including Beth Horton, Wilko Johnson and Judy Collins. The vinyl run came in a limited edition of 1,000 and I eagerly snapped that one up – I am always a sucker for Beatles cover versions.
Peter Jackson’s incredible Get Back film was of course another huge Let It be related thrill.
I of course have various pressings of the album – notably a French pressing and the US pressing with the gatefold sleeve. Until 2019 one had remained elusive.
That is the original UK release in the box set package. Very good condition copies go for over £400. Due to the flimsy nature of the cardboard and book binding, most copies are somewhat flawed. There was a very good conditioned copy sold at the local Bedford Slide Record Shop a while back for £200.
In January 2019 I had a big result.
Flawed or not, I could not pass up an original Let It Be box set I came across at a Victoria Record Fair. Though nowhere near mint it wasn’t too bad. The outer cardboard box is somewhat trashed but acceptable. The Get Back book is in surprisingly good condition with no loose pages and the record is very good. This was on offer for what I consider a bargain price of £30. I managed to knock the guy down slightly and secured it for a mere £25.
Now that’s bargain and in Beatles collecting terms, one of the very best I’ve had.
So, at long last I have the original package that all those years back I marveled and have been obsessed with throughout my 53 years of music passion.
To own it as The Beatles put it ”as nature intended” is an absolute thrill.
It inspires so many memories of those halcyon days of 1969/1970.
Those memories are ignited every time the needle touches down and John Lennon’s plaintive cry of ‘’I did a pygmy by Charles Hawtry and the deaf aids – phase one in which Doris gets her oats’’ signals the entry of The Beatles performing Two of Us – on our way home.
In acquiring that Let It Be box set it felt like it had finally come home – and it, and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead…
Dave Lewis – May 8 2023
My thoughts on the John Bonham Celebration III event in Redditch – Saturday, May 27 2023:
A day of mixed emotions…
I made an early 8am start to reach Redditch from Bedford via train, a journey that lined up as follows: Bedford to Kettering, Kettering to Leicester, Leicester to Birmingham and then Birmingham to Redditch. The various changes went well and by 11am I was in the excellent Vintage Trax record shop in Redditch run by organisers Rose, David and her sister Teresa.
The weather was sunny and warm and I met my fellow Zep/TBL comrade Andrew Pepworth by the John Bonham Memorial and it was over to the venue. This was situated by the shopping centre – a large cutaway area with a canopy. It quickly filled up.
Everything was looking great however, the proceedings were marred by a very unfortunate incident. Just as the live music was about to get underway at 1pm the event director Rosemary Sidaway had a bad fall. It was very unnerving to witness and poor Ros had to be taken to hospital for hip surgery. It was so heart breaking that after all the effort she has put in to creating what was an excellent day Ros and her husband David had to miss it all.
I have to say I was well shaken by what had happened ( it spurred memories of Janet’s fall in December 2019) as were many of the event team but we all knew Ros wanted the show to go on
Under these difficult circumstances the event carried on and it’s to the credit of the organising team including Gemma and Lar and Neville that it did so very successfully.
The first couple of acts on were playing under the duress of the ongoing aftermath of the Ros accident who was positioned near the stage. Both did an admirable job under difficult circumstances.
Ritchie Dave Porter & Debra Susan’s enthusiastic blues rock carried a fair few influences as Ritchie turned in a few impressive Hendrix and Page licks.
Sundance were firmly in the blues rock mode and were getting into their stride when their set had to be interrupted. This was due to an ambulance and paramedics arriving to attend to Ros who was then driven away to hospital.
Sundance were followed by the Ceri Justice Band. Ceri did much to lift the mood with a set that included pleasing covers of Jolene and Walking the Dog.
In between the band changeovers ,there were a series of interviews with musicians and people associated with John Bonham’s early days. Highlights for me included original band of Joy member Paul Lockey and Jim Simpson an early manager of Black Sabbath’s career. I was interviewed about my association with John and Zep and the Bonham family through the TBL magazine and books. I took along several photographs to illustrate a few of my experiences.
The always excellent CODA performed a hugely enjoyable semi acoustic set. That’s The Way Friends, Gallows Pole amongst the highlights and they closed with a rousing Rock And Roll. Taxi For Jesus followed and were another highlight.
As ever at events like this the camaraderie to be had being amongst fellow fans was truly inspiring. It was great to meet and chat to many fellow fans including Chris Beer, Mark Halliwell, Mike Bowen, Chris Maley and John Maley to name but a few. Unbeknown to me Chris had arranged for Russ Rees to attend – Russ and I go way back and I haven’t seen him for 48 years.
Catching up with various fans took me away from the action for a while and I sadly missed Vincent Flatts Final Drive and Eric Bell who I know went down very well. The closing act Led Into Zeppelin were excellent with impassioned vocals and great musicianship. The ensured the day on a high.
Summary:
All in all, despite the shock of Ros’s unfortunate accident, the event was a big success and those in attendance thoroughly enjoyed this mix of great talent paying tribute to the memory of John Bonham and celebrating his 75 birthday -and also raising crucial funds for the West Midlands Teenage Cancer Trust.
Over the years Ros and David and the the John Bonham Memorial Friends team have done so much to shine the spotlight on John’s Redditch roots. For this event special thanks go to Gemma, Lar, Neville and Teresa who worked tirelessly to keep the show on track.
So, a day of mixed emotions but ultimately the John Bonham A Celebration III event proved to be a triumph over adversity…
Ros has been in touch and his having a hip replacement this week. Our love and thoughts are with Ros for a speedy recovery and to all her family and husband David.
Dave Lewis – May 30 2023.
My thought on…
Nick Drake The Life – book launch at Rough Trade East June 6 2023:
On Tuesday 6 June, Rough Trade East presents an evening of discussion for the release of Nick Drake: The Life by Richard Morton Jack.
Nick Drake: The Life is a definitive biography of the late Nick Drake. Drake was an English folk singer-songwriter who tragically died at the age of 26. Yet despite this, his three studio albums have had a profound and lasting legacy. Jack unpacks both Drake’s music and life in a comprehensive biography of the 70s musician.
Jack will be in conversation with Joe Boyd, the man who produced Drake’s first two studio albums, as well as recordings by Pink Floyd, R.E.M. and others.
Like a lot of people Nick Drake’s music passed me by in the 1970s. I did have the Nice Enough To Eat, Bombers and El Pea sampler albums at the time but for whatever reason Time Has Told Me, Hazey Jane 1 and One of these Things First did not resonate with me back then.
Fast forward to 1985. The rep who covered the Island label releases who called on the WH Smith record department I managed regularly left a promo cassette of upcoming Island releases. On this particular occasion the cassette included two tracks from. a forthcoming compilation by Nick Drake entitled Heaven In A Wild Flower- An Exploration of Nick Drake. I was immediately drawn to the fragility of his voice, the sweeping string arrangements and the intricate acoustic guitar tunings.
This was music of vast emotional depth and I needed to hear more – much more…
I invested in the album upon it’s release and followed that with the Hannibal label compilation Time of No Reply. A colleague who worked with me guided me to the three album original catalogue of Five leaves Left, Bryter Later and Pink Moon and I was well and truly hooked.
My own fascination with Nick Drake coincided with a massive rise in popularity of his work that was further inspired in the late 1990s by the use of Pink Moon in a Volkswagen TV advert.
I subsequently soaked up many an article on Nick’s legacy and read the admirable first biography of Nick Drake by Patrick Humphries published in 1997. I also enjoyed Trevor Dann’s Darker Than The Deepest Sea: The Search for Nick Drake in 2006. The superb overview of his work on the weighty Remembered For a While collated by his sister Gabrielle Drake and Cally Callomon was also much welcomed Jason Creed’s excellent Pink Moon fanzine was another source of info.
My enthusiasm for Nick’s output inspired me to begin writing my own thoughts. To mark its 40th anniversary In 2009 I was commissioned to write a lengthy analysis of the Five Leaves Left album. This appeared in the edition of Record Collector – this was a very significant personal accomplishment as it was my first major non Led Zep related work to be published.
2004’s enlightening compilation Made To Love Magic was another superb release as was the Family Tree album in 2007 and the Fruit Tree and Tuck Box sets. I also invested in bootlegs notably the excellent double set A day Gone By – all of which has taken me closer to the understanding of Nick’s legacy.
In short, Nick Drake’s music is a source of constant inspiration and he is right up there in the list of my favourite artists.
I was therefore very pleased a while back to hear that the eminent psychedelic rock chronicler and author Richard Morton Jack was undertaking a fresh perspective of the life of Nick Drake. I’ve long admired Richard’s diligence in producing his Flashback magazine, his work with his Sunbeam record label and his love of Zep (he wrote The Sunbeam Guide to Led Zeppelin in 2008). Over the years I’ve liaised with him on a fair few Zep related matters and he is always a joy to work with.
In the past couple of years I’ve tracked the progress of Richard’s book on his Facebook group page.
Knowing he had Nick’s sister Gabrielle Drake on board and had also sought the input of previous biographer Patrick Humphries and searched out many associates of Nick for their take, I had high hopes for this being the definitive word on the short complex life of this much revered musical genius.
My mounting excitement for the arrival of the book increased when it was announced that Richard would be undertaking a special launch event at London’s Rough Trade East record shop on June 6.
With the added bonus of a conversation with Joe Boyd the original producer of Nick’s first two albums this made it a must see for me.
So to the Rough Trade East record shop…
This was the third occasion I have attended a Rough Trade event – previously I’ve seen an instore performance by Patty Griffin and Robert Plant, the book launch of Barney Hoskyn’s Led Zeppelin Oral history Trampled Under Foot and a memorable Q and A with Robert Plant to mark the release of his singles box set in February 2020 just before the pandemic.
Before the start of the talk there was just time to check out the excellent Vintage Vinyl basement record store in Brick Lane and pop over to the Spitalfields pub.
While in there I got chatting to two fellow fans Shaun and Luke who were attending the event. As we chatted about Nick Drake a lady next to me turned and said ‘’Hope you don’t mind me interrupting but I heard you mentioning Nick Drake?
She then proceeded to tell me that her mum was a big fan in the early1970s and they lived in Kings Cross not far from where Nick lived in Haverstock Hill. ‘’My mum used to singalong to Pink Moon and also knew the designer of the album sleeve’’
It was lovely to chat to her and an amazing coincidence as she was not attending the event.
So into the Rough Trade shop – the area for the event was very busy with seats all taken and a lot of people standing. Author Richard Morton Jack introduced the guest speakers as follows:
Alex Henderson, Richard Charkin and Brian Wells.
All three were friends of Nick in the late 60s early 70s.
Then Joe Boyd came to the stage – the legendary record producer who signed Nick and produced his first two albums.
Richard gave some background behind the writing of the book and in a very nice touch, acknowledged the input of Patrick Humphries the author of the first ever biography of Nick l back in 1997. Patrick graciously opened up his archive for Richard to use in his research. Patrick was in attendance and received a deserved round of applause.
The format of the evening consisted of Richard asking the guests various questions about Nick’s life and their personal experiences. Alex, Richard and Brian revealed much insight into how Nick developed as a person and musician. His early influences included Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Davy Graham and Bert Jansch.
Joe Boyd explained the circumstances behind Nick signing to his Witchseason label and the subsequent recording of Five Leaves Left and Bryter Later – both of which Joe produced.
”When I heard his original demo tape he gave me I was staggered’’ noted Joe.
John Wood’s crucial role as the engineer was also highlighted.
Although Nick had an aversion to performing live, Joe revealed that his early performance at the Royal Festival Hall with Fairport Convention and John and Beverly Martyn was very well received.
Inevitably the subject of Nick’s decent into depression and his ability to cope inspired much debate – the sense of isolation that prevailed as he recorded Pink Moon was evident as was his dark mood that surrounded his attempt to record again in 1974.
The Q and A from the audience prompted further discussion. One question raised was on the subject that had Nick enjoyed massive sales would his problems have eased? This was met by an empathetic yes from the guests. I asked if Joe and Nick were disappointed by the indifferent press reaction – one review compared him to Peter Sarstedt. Joe replied that he was sure at the time that Five Leaves Left would get the lead review in Melody Maker and was shocked it barely got a mention.
The discussion ended on a high note with Joe revealing how the use of Pink Moon in the Volkswagen advert exposed Nick’s music to a wider audience and Alex, Richard and Brian pondering on their final thoughts of knowing Nick. Joe also highlighted the influential role Nick’s mother Molly had on Nick’s music.
Afterwards It was a great thrill to get my book signed by Richard (who wrote some lovely personal words to me in it) and to chat with the amazing Joe Boyd.
All in all this was a captivating discussion that took the audience closer to the world of Nick Drake – as will Richard’s remarkable book which I highly recommend.
Dave Lewis June 8 2023.
Beatles/Evolver ’63 Mark Lewishon Beatles presentation at the Bloomsbury Theatre- with special guest the BBC journalist Samira Ahmed…
It was back to the Bloomsbury Theater on Saturday afternoon for the third Mark Lewisohn Beatles presentation.
Previously, the eminent leading Beatles historian and author has covered the Abbey Road period in the 2019 Hornsey Road presentation and last October staged Beatles/Evolver ’62 – a summary of their pre fame year discussing 62 aspects of their rise.
Now comes Beatles/Evolver ’63 with the focus on The Beatles big breakthrough year. This time Mark has opted for a relatively simple format with a different guest for each of the five performances he is giving. For this Saturday afternoon he was joined by the BBC arts journalist Samira Ahmed.
The show quickly got into it’s stride with a discussion on the tape that has surfaced from an appearance The Beatles gave at Stowe School in April 1963. Samira has been involved in this story on her BBC radio programme. It was very enlightening to see photos of the afternoon show and hear a snippet of I Saw Her Standing There from the tape. Samira noted that an announcement is due imminently on exactly what is going to happen with the tape ahead.
Throughout the presentation, Mark’s accompanying visuals and interview extracts did much to illustrate the extraordinary impact John, Paul, George and Ringo had on the nation during this momentous year. It went far beyond just being a pop group writing amazingly infectious songs.
Amongst the brilliant photos shown was a great shot of Paul McCartney being given the bumps by his fellow Beatles 60 years ago the day before his s 21st Birthday. The photo was taken outside the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios in Delaware Road on June 17 1963. Another one taken at the BBC Playhouse during a BBC session had Ringo presumably reading a humorous request with DJ Brian Matthews. Behind them Paul, John and George are laughing hysterically. This as Mark explained was yet another prime example of how the four of them so enjoyed each other’s company.
In the second half prompted by Samira, various subjects came under the radar including how important their hair styles were in making them stand out plus the popularity of the Cuban heeled boots they wore. The sheer likability of the four was also highlighted and it became so evident that they put a smile on the faces of countless people of all ages in a way no entertainer had done previously.
Several filmed interview clips were shown that really made that point including a lovely segment from the Ready Steady Go! TV show that had Dusty Springfield interviewing the four boys with hilarious results. It was this natural ability to be themselves in any given situation that so endeared them to so many. As mark and Samira commented The Beatles cultural impact was just extraordinary.
Letters from fans, contracts for appearances that year, rare colour cine film and famous photo shoots all came under the spotlight – the most famous photo shoot of that year being Robert Freeman’s iconic shot of the four of them in black polo neck jumpers as featured on the cover of The Beatles’ second album of that year With The Beatles.
This all led to a finale of a simply exhilarating clip of The Beatles’ performing Twist And Shout (dressed in those black polo neck jumpers) on Granada TV in August of 1963. Seeing the joyous chemistry of the four (particularly that of John Lennon and George Harrison) was both uplifting and poignant.
Summary:
The Beatles saga remains the greatest story in entertainment history ever told – and the man to keep telling more compellingly than most is Mark Lewisohn – on the Bloomsbury stage he once again enlightened us with a presentation of immense detail told with wit and integrity with the articulate input of Samira Ahmed
As with anything Mark Lewisohn says or writes about The Beatles, a splendid time is guaranteed for all – and it always inspires me to return to their music with a renewed perspective.
Thanks Mark -thanks Samira…
Here’s to Beatles/Evolver ’64 and hopefully ahead soon, the publication of the second volume in Mark’s Beatles Tune In book trilogy…
Dave Lewis – June 19 2023
My thoughts on…
Squaring The Circle (The Story Of Hipgnosis)
This review is based on a preview screening of this film I had last month – spoiler alert – look away now if you don’t want to know too much ahead of seeing the film)
After the excellent Mark Blake comes the film. Anton Corbijn’s superb documentary film traces the story of the Hipgnosis design team and its main players Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson right back to their Cambridge roots. From there, their rise to being the go to sleeve designers for a host of rock acts of the day is a rapid one.
Given they were their highest profile clients, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd loom large. There are some wry comments in new interviews from the Floyd’s David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Nick Mason and the Zep’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. It says everything about the esteem their work is still held in that such often disparate parties should freely speak about them.
Central to the narrative is is the often fractious dynamic of Storm and Po’s working relationship. Po the more affable and measured and a bit of a charmer and chancer. Storm often arrogant and cantankerous -something of a tortured genius as Paul McCartney states ”He could be a bit crabby’’
Key albums such as The Dark Side of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, Houses Of The Holy In Through The Out Door and Band On The Run come under the radar with insightful tales.
The accompanying music is of course compelling throughout. When The Ocean blasts out to herald the Zep sequence it caused goosebumps for this particular attendant.
The film also benefits greatly from some rarely seen vintage black and white footage of the pair in action and discussing their work – a young Bob Harris makes an appearance as the interviewer.
McCartney, Peter Gabriel and 10cc’s Graham Gouldman add their recollections while Noel Gallagher brings a contemporary view of what these album covers mean to him.
A row over money split the Storm and Po relationship and they did not talk for 12 years though thankfully they were reconciled before Storm’s passing in 2013. An emotional Po has the final reflective word on a remarkable story.
10cc’s’ Art For Arts Sake is a most appropriate final play out. However, for Po and Storm it was always about so much more than that as this superb film clearly illustrates. Squaring The Circle vividly brings to life these iconic Hipgnosis album cover images that we know so well and is highly recommended.
Dave Lewis – July 3 2023
My thoughts on…
My thoughts on Nick Drake The Life by Richard Morton Jack…
My thoughts on Nick Drake The Life by Richard Morton Jack…
I’ve just finished reading the exhaustive recently published biography of Nick Drake by Richard Morton Jack.
I am very well versed with the Nick Drake story and have read a a number of books and major magazine articles about him over many years. The first major book on Nick was Patrick Humphries’ Nick Drake The Biography published back in 1997. It did a very admirable job in a pre -internet age.
There was always scope for a more substantial account of Nick’s life and when I heard Richard Morton Jack was undertaking such a task, I had high hopes – Richard has been a diligent chronicler and writer through his Flashback magazines, Sunbeam label projects, Galactic Ramble book and more.
To say it’s exceeded all my expectations is an absolute understatement. This 500 plus page work unravels Nick’s life and music as never before.
The book obviously benefits from the access Richard has had to the Nick Drake estate and archives, in particular the diaries and journals of Nick’s father Rodney.
However, having the resources is one thing – deploying them in a way that greatly benefits the narrative is another thing altogether. This is where Richard Morton Jack really excels. He cleverly weaves his way through the story dividing fact from fiction. The use of smaller type point to bring out the many interview quotes also adds much clarity.
Richard also applies his proven musical knowldge to place Nick’s three album recorded output into context – aided by interviews with all the key players,– producer Joe Boyd and sound engineer John Wood among them. Nick’s formative years are also discussed at length with key input from Nick’s circle of friends during his Cambridge and London days.
Where the book elevates itself from the standard music biography is how Richard uncovers the torturous journey Nick travelled from 1971 to his untimely death three years later – a journey of declining mental health that painfully affected his ability to do the things that initially drove his creativity. .
There are plenty of reasons how this decline emerged – not least the fact that Nick’s albums failed to find a wider audience. His aimless days at home at Far Leys are faithfully reported and Rodney Drake’s journals offer a stark and heartbreaking insight into how he and wife Molly saw their dear son suffer with an illness that back then, had little medical understanding. Having suffered with my own mental issues, I know only too well how the isolation and desperation of depression feels, although nothing like the scale that poor Nick endured and how his condition affected his friends and family, including of course his loving sister Gabrielle.
It’s more than evident how brave and supportive Rodney and his mother Molly were in trying to help Nick’s plight – and so sad that such support was never quite enough to change Nick’s perception of his life.
The final chapters inevitably become less about the music and more about the state of this deeply troubled man. Harrowing as it is to read – this clear analysis of his issues has never previously been exposed with such insight and honesty.
At the end of it all – as the Epilogue chapter reveals, is the lasting influence of Nick Drake ‘s music and its ongoing legacy.
Richard Morton Jack’s achievement here is on a par with the Beatles historian and author Mark Lewisohn’s work on his Beatles Tune In Volume One and anybody familiar with that book will know that is high praise indeed.
The Life combines forensic detail with a total empathy for its subject that paints a true picture of the tortured genius that was Nick Drake.
For me, this is simply one of the best biographies I have ever read and I cannot recommend it enough.
It can take its rightful place as the definitive go-to book for future generations to discover this remarkable story and of course in turn be inspired to listen to his fragile catalogue of albums – albums that I and countless others across the globe rarely go a week without returning to.
Dave Lewis – July 18 2023
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My thoughts on Love Revisited with Johnny Echols – Esquires Bedford, Friday July 14, 2023
To the always excellent Esquires venue in Bedford for a night of Love Revisited
Formerly Arthur Lee’s Love until his passing in 2006, Love have been on my radar since the mid 70s when I heard Alone Again Or. I was aware Robert Plant was a big fan when he chose their Seven and Seven Is on a Radio Birmingham interview in 1976
I invested in the Love Masters compilation and not long after the classic Forever Changes album. Their stock rose again in the 1987 when The Damned scored a top 30 hit with their cover version of Alone Again Or.
In 1999/2000 Robert Plant formed Priory Of Brion performing in small venues with a a line specialising in retro psych covers. This included a number of Love songs including A House Is Not A Motel, Bummer In the Summer and Live And Let Live.
This again took me back to their catalogue of albums and they have been regulars on the player here ever since.
I had heard great reports of the Love Revisited band featuring original member Johnny Echols and could certainly not turn up the opportunity to see them perform on a Friday night at the local Esquires venue.
I’m very glad I did as right from the off, it was a case of Love is all around – was it ever.
Following an entertaining set by The Large Plants, Love Revisited took to the stage before a very exuberant packed audience. The moment they kicked into the aforementioned A House is Not a Motel they made a joyous noise. Kudos once again for the Esquires sound crew –it was brilliantly mixed and crystal clear.
Seeped in that jingle jangle West Coast sound that lit up that summer of love back in 1967, they never let up.
Singer Rusty Squeezebox has all the vocal nuances and phrasing of the legendary Arthur Lee while old stager Johnny keeps a pace with the youthful band mates. There were constant chants from the audience of between songs of Johnny effin’ Echols, Johnny effin’ Echols’’
Talking of the audience, well here’s the thing: We’ve all seen those TV crowds shot on the likes of Glastonbury where it cuts away to capture enthusiastic attendees singing along with full knowledge of every word.
From my vantage point near the side of the stage that’s exactly how it was tonight – everybody seemed to know the words of every song and not just the big hitters. It was a gloriously uplifting sight to behold.
There was a sizable portion of tracks from the classic Forever Changes album described by Rusty as ‘’The greatest album of all time.‘’
The Daily Plant, And More Again, You Set The Scene, Between Clark And Hilldale and Red Telephone were all played with much aplomb.
As were My Little Red Book, Cant Explain And More from the Love debut album and Stephanie Knows Me and Orange Skies from the Da Capo album – now what’s not to like about that line up?.
The final encore number Seven & Seven is was a blistering closing act of intent.
They left the stage to a whole lotta love from the audience – not so much revisited as totally revitalised.
Afterwards, I chatted briefly with singer Rusty who was very pleased with the venue and immense crowd reaction.
Judging by this magnificent penultimate show of their current UK tour, I can categorically state that the legacy of Love is in very good hands…
Dave Lewis – July 16, 2023
My thoughts on…
Graham Nash Sixty Years of Songs & Stories – Theatre Royal Drury Lane Theatre September 11 2023…
To the most impressive Theatre Royal Drury Lane London last Monday for 60 Years of Songs & Stories in the company of Graham Nash
In 2018 there had been a 54 year gap since I’d last seen him when I was aged seven on stage with The Hollies at the Granada Cinema in Bedford.
A mere five years have elapsed since I saw him at the Bridge Theatre that night in 2018. Of course ,many things have happened since then and many things have changed.
One thing that hasn’t changed and was plainly evident from the start of this memorable evening, was that Graham Nash’s vocal ability has not eroded one bit -it’s still a soaring with crystal clarity.
Beforehand the merchandise stall was doing brisk business and this manly mature audience created a very feel good atmosphere – there was a sense of anticipation that we were in for something special.
The man of ‘Sixty Years of Songs and Stories’ – a sprightly 81 years old, strode on to the stage with intent and went straight into Wasted On The Way.
He was flanked by two exceptional musicians – guitarist Shane Fontayne. His previous credits include spells with Lone Justice, Sting and Bruce Springsteen. He added understated guitar parts that fitted the mood of the songs perfectly. Todd Caldwell on Keyboard was equally effective adding a warm Al Kooper Blonde on Blonde like organ feel to the arrangements.
The format of the show was quickly established – Graham paying gratitude to important figures in his life and that journey began with Allan Clarke of The Hollies with whom Graham shared his early pop success. An exquisite version of their 1966 hit Bus Stop followed. One of the characteristics of Graham’s on stage technique was the counting in of some of the songs – with that clipped guitar strum deployed on the Crosby, Stills & Nash debut album side two opener Wooden Ships.
Graham was at pains to express his unease at performing Marrakesh Express in the light of the terrible earthquake there – he did so in tribute and respect.
It was evident during this performance how well the three voices on stage melt together – the harmonies were absolutely spot on throughout.
The uncertain state of the world was a constant theme – Find the Cost of Freedom leading into a heartfelt Military Madness. Here Graham encouraged the audience to throw back the line ‘’No more war’’ which of course we did.
From his new album Graham introduced A Better Life, a lovely lilting song about leaving the world in a more positive environment for our children and grandchildren.
His debt and friendship with the dear departed David Crosby was referenced via a dramatic segment that took in To the Last Whale…A. Critical Mass B. Another nod to a former band mate closed the first half – a rousing delivery of Stephen Stills’ Love The One You’re With raised the roof –there was a stellar moment here when Graham signaled over to Todd to rip into that uplifting organ solo – totally captivating.
The second half commenced with a gracious acknowledgment to Joni Mitchell and an emotional delivery of A Case of You.
From there it was a total C, S, N & Y love fest.
Neil’s Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Stephens 4 + 20, Cathedral and Just a Song Before I Go, all so delicately and brilliantly delivered.
As was the finale Our House – what a thrill to hear one of the greatest songs ever written sung by the main composer just a few feet away. This can be instantly added to my all-time favourite gig going moments.
Finally two encores.
Graham, Shane and Tod clustered around the mic for a semi acapella cover of Buddy Holly’s Everyday (Shades here of Robert Plant and Saving Grace’s nightly similarly sung parting shot Bid You Goodnight.)
Absolutely finally ,was a communal rendering of Teach Your Children – the sentiments have not waned during the songs 53 year life and it continues to resonate as a genuine song of hope
Summary: A truly memorable night in the company of a man who has been there and done it all. There can never be a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young again but the legacy of their music is alive and well in the hands of one of its key components.
‘’Carry On’’ he emphatically sang on the opening track of the fabled Déjà vu album back in 1970 – long may Graham Nash continue to do so…
Dave Lewis – September 17 2023
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MOJO at 30:
The Who Who’s Next – Life House Super Deluxe Edition listening experience update…
Dave Lewis – October 11 2023
Mr. Jimmy film screenings…
It’s been quite a week with two screenings of the Mr. Jimmy film. I attended the Saturday afternoon screening and the Wednesday premiere.
At short notice, the director Peter Michael Dowd asked me to be involved in the Q and A session that was arranged for after the Wednesday screening.
it was fantastic to meet Peter and hear of his journey in the making of the film – here’s how it all went…
Wednesday October 18:
Great night at the Olympic Studios Cinema for the screening of the Mr. Jimmy film.
mde
To back track to Saturday October 14:
My thoughts on the Mr. Jimmy film directed by Peter Michael Dowd….
To Barnes in South London on Saturday for the premiere showing of the Mr. Jimmy film.
Beforehand we checked out the excellent Olympic Records shop across the road from the Olympic Studios. A small unit packed with stock with plenty of rare pressings.
I invested in a German pressing of The Beatles’ White album. You can never have too many copies!
Led Zeppelin III was on the player as we browsed which added to the experience. Rob at the shop told me they are trying to obtain every album that was recorded over the road at the Olympic Studios they are already 1,000 up.
I told Rob we were going to the Red Lion pub nearby and he recounted a tale of how Jimi Hendrix on an occasion when he was recording in the studio, adjourned for a drink to the Red Lion and while there he wrote The Wind Cries Mary.
Over at the pub the TBL crew of myself, the good lady Janet, Phil and Ian were joined by Julian Walker and Andreas Stocker. At the screening it was great to see Rikky Rooksby, long time TBL contributor and Earls Court veteran
So to the Mr. Jimmy film. It was screened in a very plush small viewing theatre with a mere two row capacity. We were front row and had a superb view.
Firstly though, some personal thoughts on the Led Zep tribute world.
Back in 1981 when I heard a singer called Michael White was impersonating Robert Plant I was absolutely appalled. How could it be right that someone would want to forge a career modelling himself on another singer –in this case the former singer with Led Zeppelin?
Perhaps John Bonham’s passing was all too raw back then then and eventually I did succumb to the idea and Michael did a very good job. It was plainly obvious that in the absence of the real thing there were a whole host of young musicians eager to replicate the Zep sound and catalogue.
Of course, in recent years the whole tribute band industry has exploded. There are now countless tribute bands treading the boards nightly across the globe giving audiences what they want – in the case of Led Zeppelin, some of the greatest rock songs of this or any other era.
I’ve seen many a Zep tribute and had great nights out doing so. For me the best ones adopt a policy of performing the Zep big hitters without too much indulgence. They are the ones that go down the best in terms of audience reaction and at this point I’d mention the Coda UK based tribute band who do a top job in fulfilling that role.
As the film portrayed, that thinking was very much against the grain for Mr Jimmy. For him it really is all in the detail.
The basic story kicks off – we learn of the Japanese born Akio Sakarai’s deep interest to play guitar and perform and present Jimmy Page’s music to the highest standard – his way.
It’s immediately evident that this is a film about obsession and ambition. Being a man who knows a bit about obsession, I was immediately drawn into Akio’s world.
His attention to detail in his quest to replicate every nuance of Jimmy Page’s style both musically and visually is simply awe inspiring.
Akio takes on the persona of Jimmy Sakarai and begins performing in Tokyo clubs. There are insightful scenes of Mr. Jimmy nurturing the tone of his Gibson Les Paul with Toshio Suzuki an amplifier expert. Equally enlightening are the conversations with his stage costume designer Rie Nakahara. Every last thread has to be as Jimmy Page wore it. The stunning embroidery by Kiyomi Osawa on the black dragon suit is also beautifully captured.
This dedication naturally extends most impressively to his playing – he is a brilliant interpreter of the Zep catalogue. We see him watching The Song Remains The Same movie endlessly to get everything spot on.
It says much for the respect Mr. Jimmy has attained that the director has gained clearance for so much Led Zeppelin music. Early on there’s that riveting sequence from the movie of the real Zep performing the opening to The Song Remains The Same. I’ve always loved that clip and it got me right in to the Zep zone.
The real turning point in the story is the appearance of the real Jimmy Page in town in October 2012 to promote the Celebration Day film accompanied by Ross Halfin visits a Tokyo club to witness Jimmy Sakarai performing on stage. Here we see Jimmy enthusiastically clapping along as Mr. Jimmy goes through his paces. Mr Page then chats to Mr. Jimmy afterwards and poses for a photo. It’s a fabulous sequence.
This meeting with his master sets Akio on a mission to chase his dream. He relocates to Los Angeles and joins the renowned tribute band Led Zepagain.
Here comes the difference of opinion mentioned above.
Akio want’s to perform the songs in the manner of the Zep live shows. A Royal Albert Hall 1970 Dazed And Confused – a Madison Square Garden 1973 No Quarter – you name it Mr. Jimmy has researched it.
One of the film’s engaging qualities is the focus on Mr. Jimmy reproducing various versions of the songs – it’s evident that he’s listened intensely to the bootlegs and can reel off a 1971,1972,1973 or 1979 Stairway To Heaven arrangement at will. Not to mention the Page & Plant performance on a 1994 Japanese TV show. This aspect is a delight for Zep fans who will understand the relevance of such differences.
The members of Led Zepagain whilst in admiration of his talent, are not on the same page as it were. They want to knock out the greatest hits as that is good for business and it’s not hard to see their point. Mr. Jimmy’s plan for them to present a reimagined Madison Square Garden 1973 fourth night is jettisoned.
Does the average music fan looking for a good night out care too much which version of Stairway they are getting?
Probably not. They just want a night of celebrating Zep in it’s simplest purist form. Though I must say for me personally, I’d we quite happy to sit for three hours plus as Mr. Jimmy reeled off an Earls Court 1975 set!
Following his departure from the band Mr. Jimmy is understandably crestfallen.
To his credit, he picks himself up and attempts to form his own band with limited success.
Then comes a phone call from Jason Bonham’s management and Mr. Jimmy finally gets his just reward.
Suddenly there he is on stage blasting out the blistering solo of Since I’ve Been Loving You (1973 version I’d say!) with the son of the drummer in Led Zeppelin belting it out behind him.
A happy ending all round…
Summary:
Back in the dark post Bonham passing days of October 1980, the notion 43 years hence that I’d be sitting in a cinema in the location for the recording of many of Led Zeppelin’s greatest albums, watching a film about one man’s quest to play and perform like Jimmy Page would have seemed very bizarre indeed.
Truth be told it is a bit bizarre but brilliantly so.
As Robert Plant uttered before performing that 1973 version of Stairway To Heaven at Madison Square Garden ‘’I think this is a song of hope’’
Mr. Jimmy is a film of hope – a vivid portrayal of what can be achieved when you have the passion and drive to make your dream happen.
This really is a case of to paraphrase a Robert Plant lyric ‘’the wonder of devotion’’.
Hats off to director to Peter Michael Dowd for bringing this man’s often unfeasible love for his subject to the big screen – and it’s been a long journey.
The onstage live performances are brilliantly captured and the film benefits greatly from some very slick editing. The sound tracking of many scenes with old blues masters such as Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, Elvis’ Mystery Train and even some dramatic classical orchestral pieces is also a deft touch.
Mr. Jimmy is clear proof that the evolution of Led Zeppelin continues – and watching the remarkable Jimmy Sakurai in all his glory on stage, it’s in very safe hands.
Here’s hoping this superb film has a DVD, blu ray or streaming release lined up so it can reach as wider audience as possible.
It’s a heart-warming watch – a fact that all of us in this plush Olympic Studios cinema were in total agreement with.
Catch it when you can…
Dave Lewis – October 16 2023
This was the first live public airing of the song since the Led Zeppelin 02 Reunion on December 10 2007.
Before I delve in to this subject, Robert’s entire appearance was captivating. Thank you delivered with much emotion, Black Dog hammed up brilliantly and the version of Season of the Witch segueing into a reprise of Black Dog lyrics and Buffalo Springfield’s For What it’s Worth – as in the LA Forum 1970 Blueberry Hill bootleg.
Incidentally, bassist on the night Guy Pratt noted that he has now performed Black Dog with both Robert and Jimmy Page – he was part of the touring band on the Coverdale Page Japan visit in late 1993. The band line up on the night consisted of the aforementioned Guy, former Reef guitarist Kenwyn House (wearing a dragon patterned shirt shades of Jimmy perhaps), Rod Stewart’s drummer David Palmer, Andy Taylor plus Andy Taylor’s son Andy J Taylor on guitar, singer Anne Rani and musician Dino Jelusick on keyboard and backing vocals.
So back to Stairway To Heaven…
We have all had a journey with this song over the years. Mine commenced on April 4 1971 when I heard it on my radio listening to Led Zeppelin’s BBC In Concert performance on Radio One’s John Peel show. I’d heard Jimmy in an interview describing how it had come together in various sections building to a climax. Sure enough this tentative version did just that.
I first saw it performed live on Sunday November 21 1971 at the Empire Pool Wembley – an extraordinary night. It was of course one of the stand out tracks on their just released fourth album.
It went to attain legendary status – the most played record on American radio and from 1975 the rightful finale to every Led Zeppelin live performance.
Like many of their songs the arrangement was often toyed with, not least by the singer who over time added many an ad – lib to the lyrics. As it was performed on every Led Zep show, this enabled the song to retain a freshness.
The first ad-lib I recall was when he inserted the line ”you are the children of the sun” during the version to be heard on the classic bootleg Going To California from their performance in Berkeley on September 14 1971. From 1973 onwards ‘Does anybody remember laughter?‘’ was an expected insert after the line ‘’and the forest will echo with laughter.’’
By 1975, Robert had changed the line ‘’your stairway’’ to ‘’our stairway’’ adding the line ‘’that’s all we got.’’ As I witnessed in awe from the side of the stage during their 1980 Over Europe performances , Robert added ‘’I keep chopin’ and changin’’’ as they led into the climax.
Post Zep, Robert has sang Stairway To Heaven’’ it a mere four times – at Live Aid in 1985, the Atlantic 40th anniversary show in 1988, a sweet truncated version with Jimmy Page in a TV studio in Japan in 1994 and at the Led Zeppelin O2 tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun where he proclaimed after the song ‘’Ahmet we did it!’’
Well now he has done it again….
The obvious question is why now and why on this occasion?
There’s no doubt it was a special occasion being a concert staged by the ex – Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor. Andy has had serious cancer health issues and staged this concert in aid of Cancer Awareness Trust. As well as performing on the night, Robert donated his personal gold disc of Led Zeppelin IV for the auction –as he put it ”our not so difficult fourth album.” A part of this was featured on the video stream and it had clocked an initial £50,000 bid.“I love this music and I still love it now very much although I get a bit coy and shy when I have to go near it because it was such a long time ago,” he said.
In an interview with Led Zep News guitarist Kenwyn House revealed that Robert Plant chose to perform Stairway To Heaven after a wealthy donor agreed to donate a six-figure sum to charity if he did so.
So, a special occasion deems a special song for a very worthy cause.
It says everything for Robert’s ease with the Zep legacy, that he could perform this once millstone around his neck with such dignity.
As we know Stairway To Heaven became much maligned and a victim of much parody – and let’s not mention that farcical version by a disgraced not so all round entertainer.
Although he was quick to decry it in the immediate post Zep years, I happen to think Robert is rightly proud of the song, as he is the whole Zep legacy.
Who can forget his tearful reaction to the Wilson sisters and Jason’s performance at the Kennedy Honours in 2012?
So, with none of the pressure of performing it on a big stage and at a pressurised Zep related occasion, he was able to slot it in at this charity event with little fuss.
It worked majestically….
With an ad- hoc line up with few rehearsals, the arrangement was always going to be more loose than tight. That mattered little, as his vocal phrasing was absolutely spot on and what a joy it was to hear him sing this song with a calm control. Some subtle backing vocals aided the tranquil mood.
Here’s the thing – Robert Plant sang it as though he really meant it – confident in his skin at revisiting a major part of his past. Looking good with the mic off held in that familiar pose we know so well.
I wonder what was going through his mind? I know for me it prompted so many precious memories.
There were no ad-libs this time in what was out a fairly straight rendering – the guitar solo was neat and compact and they were back in for the grand finale. Here, Robert slowed things down and the key with it avoiding any strained vocals and he even sang the last section ‘’To be a rock and not to roll’’ for a second time – making it a unique arrangement. He did retain the ”our Stairway” sentiment.
It was also unique for being the only time he has performed Stairway To Heaven without Jimmy Page…
The final ‘’and she’s buying’’ line was delivered with a delicate finesse – watching it prompted some instant flashbacks.
Momentarily I was back at Earls Court as the mirrorballs spun above them, back in that field just outside Stevenage when they came back to reclaim their crown (”so many people who’ve helped us over the years – no more people more important than yourselves who who came here on a blind date -this is for you all of yer”) and at home in 1985 watching the TV as the camera panned out to 90,00 watching them re group in Philadelphia for Live Aid.
I also thought about all the much missed friends and Zep comrades who are no longer around to enjoy this special moment…
All that was enough to prompt a huge lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.
Then Robert really sealed it.
Firstly he dedicated the performance to Andy
“I know that in this contemporary age of digital stuff there’s every likelihood that other people will see that,” he said, facing Taylor. “So if they do, I offer it up to you and your success and to the whole deal that has happened here today and the future of it all. And also so it’s not just that, I offer it up to Led Zeppelin, wherever they are!”
Andy Taylor replied ‘’God bless ‘em there’s a lot of drummers in the sky we love.’’
Let’s ponder on that statement…
”I offer this up to Led Zeppelin wherever they are”
It felt like he was giving the song back to his former bandmates and back to his audience – To the privileged few who were lucky enough to witness this special occasion and beyond that to countless fans like me and you.
Deep in the heart of the Cotswolds on an October Saturday evening Robert reclaimed a major part of his history and ours.
It’s likely he may never ever sing Stairway To Heaven this song again and if he doesn’t, it’s had a suitably poignant send off. There was none of the pressure of the previous post Led Zep performances. It happened for a great cause and for a great fellow Midlands based musician.
I am aiming to be up in the Midlands in a few days’ time for the Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian gig at the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
I am eagerly looking forward to it, not least after witnessing the YouTube video of this Andy Taylor tribute. For at 75 he is singing so brilliantly and his enjoyment as to where he is at in these advancing years is both inspiring and infectious.
Knowing that Robert Plant is at one with Led Zeppelin’s most famous song makes it all just a little bit more comforting.
As the song states ‘’If you listen very hard the tune will come to you at last’’
I’m still listening to Robert Plant intensely – as are countless others…
Dave Lewis – October 25 2023
Jimmy back on stage!
Jimmy Page made a surprise on stage appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in New York last Friday. He initially appeared on a video link to induct Link Wray and then took to the stage to perform Link’s Rumble ..
Jimmy Page commenting on his appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…
My Thoughts on Jimmy Page performing at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame ceremony…
Robert Plant Presents Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian…
My thoughts on the Birmingham Symphony Hall gig – November 5 2023
Robert Plant presents Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian UK tour on the spot reports…
New Theatre Cardiff – November 15:
Just back from something of a whirlwind trip to Cardiff – and what another amazing night in the company of Robert Plant and Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian…
——————————————————————————————————
My thoughts on The Faces – Had Me A Real Good Time At The BBC….
One of my gig going regrets is that I never got to see The Faces live. I have seen Rod Stewart on a fair few occasions since 1978 but The Faces eluded me –some friends saw them at the Edmonton Sundown in 1973 but I missed out.
This new Faces album Had Me A Real Good Time At The BBC – a recently released limited pressing on orange vinyl Black Friday Record Store Day, is a very welcomed reminder of how good they were. It presents some the best Faces BBC performances drawn from the original masters.
There have been plenty of bootlegs of their various BBC sessions and in Concert recordings – I have a few in my collection but this is the first official release of this material. It covers various Faces BBC appearances across 1971 and into 1973.
Side One captures a session for the BBC Radio One Sounds of the Seventies show recorded on April 20 1971 and broadcast on May 3.It kicks off with Had Me A Real Good Time from the then recently released Long Player album. Stock full of the raunch and roll they virtually patented back in that era They were always good for a vocal ad-lib and knockabout ending and it’s all present here with Rod signing off nonchalantly ‘and I went home’.
Robert Johnson’s Love In Vain I am well familiar with via The Rolling Stones excellent version on the live Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out album. The Faces version is no less affecting. Rod sings close up to the mic and Ronnie is absolutely right on it with the slide guitar solo. Until I played this, I thought the Stones was the boss version – it’s now got competition.
Oh Lord I’m Browned Off (originally the B side of their 1971 Maybe I’m Amazed single) is a funky Booker T like funk instrumental. It’s a showcase for Ian McLagan and a reminder of what an important part of their sound his keyboard work was. Kenney Jones offers up a shuffling beat and tight drum solo and then it all rides off into the sunset.
The Faces version of Paul McCartney’s Maybe I’m Amazed was always a live Faces showpiece and this BBC session is no exception. Ronnie sings the first line then in comes Rod and then there’s some duel vocal harmony -an example of the collective spirit that prevailed within the band.
Mac and Ronnie add their parts and Rod’s back for the final reprise. This is not just the best McCartney cover version ever but one of the great cover versions of all time
Side Two commences with a strident stomp through the Womack’s It’s All Over Now (and 1964 Rolling Stones number one). Mac’s organ is up front and right in the groove providing the foundation for some jamming. This is from John Peel’s Sunday In Concert programme aired on May 23 1971
Too Much For (A Hen Pecked Man)/Street Fighting Man is from the BBC 2 Sounds For Saturday -The Music Of The Faces TV presentation recorded in late 1971 and broadcast on April 1 1972.. An elaborate arrangement that merges the Ike Turner song with the Jagger/Richard classic and again a vehicle to go off on a tangent – the latter bearing little resemblance to the Stones version.
Fast forward to 1973 and another In Concert appearance broadcast on April 21 1973. This was to be their final BBC session and one of the last appearances with Ronnie Lane. Twisting the Night Away is a joyous delivery of the Sam Cooke standard and Rod’s comments at the end ‘’Not finished yet!’’ carries a certain irony.
Finally from an In Concert recorded on February 8 a cover of The Temptations (I Know )I’m Losing You – always a highlight of any Faces show and a platform for a tight and compact Kenney Jones drum solo.
‘’The Faces -.still the best rock n’roll band in the world for those of us that care’’ is John Peel’s final accolade.
Summary:
This is a truly excellent snapshot of The Faces in their pomp, all superbly recorded and remastered and produced by Rob Caiger. It’s good to see the long term Faces/Rod chronicler and Smiler magazine editor John Gray in the credits for his input. John was a great help to me a few years back when I wrote a feature on the Rod Stewart Never a Dull Moment album for Record Collector.
The latest issue of Mojo has a news feature headed ”Faces vault opens for unheard outtakes galore”
It reports that the aforementioned Rob is preparing new deluxe remastered extended editions of The Faces catalogue working, closely with the surviving members and the estates of the late Ian McClagen and Ronnie Lane.
In the piece Rob offers this perceptive view when he states ”They had a very unjustified reputation of being sloppy. The weren’t.
What this series is going to show is how on top of their game The Faces were while having a good time. We’re going to be correcting a few myths and adding to the story – when this stuff comes out properly mastered I think it’s going to get a new respect for just how good this band were”
Had Me a Real Good Time At The BBC is the first step to restoring The Faces reputation and giving them their much overdue regard – the prospect of more of the same is a mouthwatering one – meanwhile my advice to any fan of the band is to seek out this limited edition release – you will not be disappointed…
Dave Lewis – December 12 2023
Coverdale Page Japanese reissue….
Henry Smith and Eddie Kramer were interviewed on podcasts
Two new podcasts episodes released recently will be of interest to Led Zeppelin fans.
The first is an interview with former Led Zeppelin roadie Henry Smith that was published on the Moments That Rock podcast.
| Moments that Rock featuring Henry Smith, Jimmy Page’s right hand man throughout his career shares amazing stories of growing up with LED ZEPPELIN !
Tony Michaelides Episode |
The second is an interview with record producer and engineer Eddie Kramer that discusses his work with Led Zeppelin that was published on The Vinyl Guide podcast.
| Ep429: Eddie Kramer – Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin & more
Nate Goyer – The Vinyl Guide Episode |
Robert Plant
Robert Plant went to a football match on December 9
Robert Plant was photographed attending the Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Nottingham Forest football match in Wolverhampton on December 9.
Full Saving Grace show recording emerges on YouTube
A complete audience recording of Saving Grace’s November 11 performance in Salford was posted on YouTube this week. You can listen to it below:
Upcoming events:
- 2024– Robert Plant will tour with Alison Krauss.
- January 1– ABC will broadcast highlights of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony at 8pm EST
- March 22– John Paul Jones will perform at the Big Ears music festival in Knoxville, Tennessee.
- March 23– John Paul Jones will perform at the Big Ears music festival in Knoxville, Tennessee as part of Sons Of Chipotle.
- April 5– “Led Zeppelin: A Visual Biography” by Martin Popoff will be published.
- April 6– The exhibition “The Wiltshire Thatcher – a Photographic Journey through Victorian Wessex” featuring the original photograph from the cover of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album will open at Wiltshire Museum.
- Summer 2024– Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Vienna, Virginia.
- September 15– The exhibition “The Wiltshire Thatcher – a Photographic Journey through Victorian Wessex” featuring the original photograph from the cover of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album will close at Wiltshire Museum.
- —————————————————————————————————————————
Remembering the late great legendary Lemmy – nine years gone on December 28:
I was privileged to be in his company a couple of times – notably at the Classic Rock awards at the Roundhouse in 2011. Lemmy was there that night to pick up an award. I had a few minutes with him (this pic was taken then) and asked him for a quote about Led Zeppelin IV for the then forthcoming TBL issue 30 which was celebrating the album’s 40th anniversary. This is what he told me:
”I can remember being down the Speakeasy club with Jimmy quite a few times and Bonzo would be around too. They were just the best musicians and that album is one of many of theirs that still sound amazing. They were a fucking amazing band”
The same could be said for his band -RIP Lemmy…
…………………………………………………………………
DL Diary Blog Update:
Thursday December 21:
The new issue of the always excellent Shindig! magazine is in the house and it’s a Love thing going down – Count me in…
Friday December 22:
Friday treats at the always excellent Slide Record Shop in Bedford…the last purchase of the year – the recently released Bob Dylan Another Budokan 1978 double album superb stuff – thanks Nerys Bannister and Warren Alsop…
Friday December 22:
Great to see our good friends Steve Livesley, Dave Crockett Jenny Fisk and Anne Marie at The Ship for a pre Christmas drink this afternoon…
Friday December 22:
On the player marking the 51st anniversary tomorrow of when I attended my second Led Zeppelin gig – Merry Christmas Mr. Jimmy -two CD bootleg recording on the Lemon Song label –good for the time audience recording and inspiring plenty of memories of my 16 year old self soaking up the adult rock world where Zep ruled…
Saturday December 23:
Saturday is platterday – on the player and getting in the party mood with the brilliant Faces album A Nod’s as Good as a Wink…to a Blind Horse…
Saturday December 23:
Saturday December 23:
Saturday December 23:
Great to hook up with Phil Harris and Nick Carruthers for a pre Christmas drink this afternoon – records, gigs and music were high on the agenda!
Sunday December 24:
Update here:
So as the curtain comes down on 2023, once again on behalf of the good lady Janet may I offer thanks for all your incredible, inspiring and heart-warming support and kindness which means so much to us here. We wish you a hopeful, healthy and safe new year…
Thanks for listening
Until next time…
Dave Lewis – December 28 2023
TBL website updates written and compiled by Dave Lewis
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Thank you Dave for all your tireless work in keeping the Zeppelin community up to date with news and reviews throughout the year. Your passion and commitment is unrivalled and we all appreciate the huge effort you put into TBL.
Best wishes to you and Janet for 2024!
Graham
Hi Dave,
Great round up of the year. Here,s to 2024.
I shall keep an eye out for the Hipgnosis book as didnt actually know it existed.
If you do actually look to sell any items I will be happy to help with the purchasing.
Have a great New Year
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Tight But Loose Website edited by Dave Lewis and Gary Foy.
Tight But Loose Magazine created by Dave Lewis 1978. TBL/Web launched by Dave Linwood 1995. TBL logo by Mike Warry.
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