Recording "Summertime" - Janis Joplin (1968)

The creative process behind the music we listen to has always fascinated me. The interaction between the musical artists; who can hear in their heads the sound they are attempting to create; and the producers/engineers, who are attempting to understand the artists  creative concepts can sometimes be fraught with peril. Witness Phil Spector’s famous shooting of a pistol while working; for the last time; with John Lennon, over some difference of opinion in the studio.

So, I was delighted to run across a piece of video, on You Tube of course, of Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, recording “Summertime” for their upcoming album “Cheap Thrills”, which would be released in the late summer of 1968. This video was shot at CBS Recording Studios in New York City.         

The video; which was too large for the video player here, according to blogspot; runs a little over 10 minutes. In the video, Janis is clearly in control, while at the same time displaying a unique quality to compromise with both the band and the engineer/producer John Simon. The band felt that he did not understand their psychedelic sound. Manager Albert Grossman was in agreement with Mr. Simon, and pressured the band to change some of their arrangements on several songs. Their reaction to this is evident in the video, as they attempt to talk music with a technician and businessman.

As the video begins, the band is rehearsing, sounding like the best garage band on earth, as Janis enters the studio dancing. This would be their first album for Columbia, and the band is clearly excited. The album would not be released until late that summer/ early fall, and so the band worked on the record on their off days.  The “Lenny” who Janis refers to in her story about the “bust” in Vancouver is Henry McCullough, who would later play with “Wings” and Paul McCartney. Janis is clearly pissed about the whole incident, particularly the way in which “Lenny” was being used by his record company, as well as his band mates and manager. But, she is able to put all that aside in an instant to begin recording her iconic rendition of “Summertime” from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”.

The band is summoned into the control room to listen to the playback, and a very technical discussion begins between the band members and Mr. Simon, who is clearly not in touch with the vision the group has for the song. This is one of the most interesting parts of the video, as the band shifts, seamlessly, between the music and some gossip about a party the night before. It seems that James Gurley, the group’s guitarist, had put on quite a load the night before, and his band mates just can’t resist ribbing him about it.

The cover for the album was supposed to be a black and white photo of Janis, alone. This was the suggestion of Mr. Grossman. His working motto was always to conquer and divide the artists with whom he worked. But, Janis would have none of it, opting instead for the brilliant cover art of cartoonist Robert Crumb, who was a staple of the psychedelic scene in San Francisco, where the band was based. He had already done several posters advertising gigs for most of the bands in San Francisco at the time, including Big Brother’s shows at the Avalon Ballroom.

The album, which was to be recorded live; and actually states that on the inside cover; contained only 1 song, which was recorded at Winterland in San Francisco; “Ball and Chain”. And, even that version was altered, with James Gurley overdubbing a new intro.

Originally named “Sex, Dope and Cheap Thrills”, Columbia nixed the title, allowing the band to retain only the “Cheap Thrills” portion. It went on to 8 weeks at number one, though not in succession. The biggest hit on the album was “Piece of My Heart”, which went on to become a classic of the era. It’s still played daily on most “classic rock” stations. By October 15^th the album had already surpassed $1 million dollars in sales. Shortly after that, the album sold over 1 million “units”, or copies.

I still have my original vinyl copy of the album. The cover is in excellent condition, and I have been thinking of framing it as a way to capture a bit of the past. Here is the link to the You Tube video which prompted me to write this short article;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HesegFuY3pk

"One Short Night" - Grace Potter (2010)

When it comes to music, we all have our private little niches which we enjoy. When I was younger it seemed so much easier to become exposed to newer and different music than it is today. With the advent of satellite radio, and other technologies, it has become easier to not hear a new sound which you might otherwise have been enjoying for a few years. This is the case, for me, with Grace Potter.

Although the name was lingering on the edge of my consciousness, I had never really taken the time to seek out her music. If this were 1967 I would have already heard her music in the eclectic mix which was the signature of AM radio. What made me seek this artist out; several years late; was a short hello to my neighbor, Linda. She had commented that the weather didn’t look too good for an outdoor concert she was set to see that night. When I asked who it was see was going to see, she replied Grace Potter. I knew the name, but not the artist. So, off to You Tube went I.

This was the third video I watched, and immediately grabbed my guitar to try and figure it all out. It’s a very cleverly done video; Ms. Potter at home with her band; rehearsing for a concert. Halfway through the video, the scene shifts to the live concert seamlessly. Now, that’s talent.

Nick Lowe - "The Old Magic" - In Concert

Last night Sue and I treated ourselves to a mutual birthday gift. We saw Nick Lowe at the McGlothon Theater, which is located in Spirit Square in “uptown” Charlotte. Nick Lowe; for those unfamiliar with him as an artist; is one of the key people who kept rock and roll alive and kicking during the 1970’s disco craze. And when the end of that decade rolled around; with Punk Rock all the rage; Nick Lowe, along with Dave Edmunds, formed “Rockpile”, once again keeping the genre viable and raucous. And, people like me are glad they did. But sometime during the late 1990’s, Mr. Lowe re-invented his approach to some of his older tunes, and at the same time, developed a new way to express his more current thoughts.

For a while I had heard that Mr. Lowe was alive and well, living in Amsterdam for obvious reasons. (You can puzzle that one out for yourselves.) But last year he released a brand new album; on vinyl no less; titled “The Old Magic.” It is aptly named, as Mr. Lowe proved last night here in Charlotte. With a mixture of old songs, along with the new, he beguiled the audience for several hours, performing old favorites solo, and telling stories between numbers.

His performance of some of the new material; including “Sensitive Man” and “Somebody Cares for Me”; which are my two favorites from the new album; was absolutely wonderful, and would have been enough to satisfy me. But, at the audience’s insistence, Mr. Lowe came back for 3 encores. I was thrilled to see him play solo, using only 1 guitar throughout his extraordinary performance, and no capo to boot. His voice is as strong and expressive as ever, and his easy attitude with the audience was a delight to all.

I haven’t been able to find a video that does justice to last night’s solo, acoustic performance, but here he is performing with Wilco, a band which consists of Patrick Sansone, Mikael Jorgensen, Jeff Tweedy , Nels Cline, Glenn Kotche, John Stirratt. While this video may sound lush and full, there is nothing better than seeing your favorite artist striped down to the bare minimum, highlighting just what you love about their work. Seeing Mr. Lowe perform last night reinforced my suspicion that the “old magic” is not only back; but for some of us, it never left in the first place. It was a wonderful concert, in one of our favorite venues. What a great way to celebrate our birthdays together; listening to music which we both love. (And that’s not always easy to find!)

 

Well, it only took a day for someone to post this video from the concert at McGlothon on October 9th in Charlotte. So, here is Nick Lowe as I saw him from the 6th row.

Dubrow's - A Brooklyn Legend

This colorful and bustling portrait of Kings Highway was taken around 1974. It completely captures the hustle of living in Brooklyn at the time. I can almost hear the traffic and the noise of the trains pulling into, or leaving, the elevated train platform visible just above, and to the left of, the Dubrow’s Cafeteria sign.

The double parked van gives evidence to the activity which defined Kings Highway, and still does so today. I was starting to write something about Dubrow’s when I remembered the story of the holdup that took place there is the 1950’s. So, I just decided to re-post the original article below. The first photo, below, of Dubrow’s in the rain, was taken by Michael Held, I think. Of course it may have been taken by John DiStefano; I will have to ask him.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Dubrow's - A Brooklyn Legend

Dubrow's was a cafeteria on Kings Highway and East 16th Street in Brooklyn, New York. It sat on the corner by the BMT elevated Subway line - an interesting combination in itself, an elevated subway. But that's Brooklyn for you. Along the BMT line were several stops going from Coney Island to Manhattan. And about every third Avenue was an express stop on the elevated portion of the subway. Kings Highway was one of those avenues and had lots of stores, just as the other express stops did. But it had one thing more. It had Dubrow's Cafeteria.

Dubrow's was a family owned chain of cafeterias, which were once in style all across America. You walked in, and got a ticket which got punched by a guy behind the counter when you got served. This was actually your check and you presented it to the cashier on the way out and paid for what you had eaten.

But really, Dubrow's was a place where people met and talked over coffee and pie in the late evenings, eggs and coffee in the wee hours returning from a concert, or occasionally, dinner. Their halibut was delicious, as was the creamed spinach.

Decorated in Art Deco style from the 1930's, it was the perfect place to hang out and kill time on a rainy night. As the establishment got older the patrons were treated to various activities that precluded food. Roach races were one of these pastimes. This consisted of sitting at your table, preferably next to a wall, and watching two roaches headed to the top of the wall. The stakes were small, usually coffee and pastry. Many a night I lost to Mike Held, who seemed to have a knack for picking the fastest roaches. I never figured out his secret...

It could also be the scene of danger and intrigue. Drugs could be purchased on the opposite corner from some shady and wasted fellows. I was warned very early in the 1960's to avoid "hanging out" on this corner. At that time it was a gathering spot for heroin dealing. This was about 1961. By the time the '60's had ended it was a place to meet your friends before heading to Manhattan for a concert, or just to hang out around the corner near Rainbow Shops and smoke one.

It also served as a place where politicians met the public. Being by a major train stop was great for meeting a lot of voters at about 5 and 6 PM when they came off the train in droves! JFK spoke around the corner on East 16th Street in 1960, opposite the bakery that sat next door to the Waldbaum’s Supermarket. You can see the Bakery sign in the photograph. I also saw RFK there in 1964 when he ran for Senator; Hubert H. Humphrey in 1968 when he ran for President; and John Lindsay both times he ran for Mayor.(He got booed one time for his handling of the transit strike.) There was so much to Dubrow's that it is almost impossible to write it all down.

There was a famous holdup of the Cafeteria on January 7th, 1952.  I wasn't there, but here is the text of the newspaper article from the New York Times describing it;

$14,000 Taken In Hold-up    (New York Times, January 7, 1952)

An apparently intoxicated man staggered up to the manager of crowded Dubrow's Cafeteria, 1521 King's Highway. Brooklyn at 12:45 o'clock this morning, took between $14,000 and $15,000, reeled out, and disappeared.

The victim was Max Tobin, 48 years old, manager and part owner of the restaurant, which is at East Sixteenth Street in the Sheepshead Bay section. He said 450 customers and 50 employees were unaware of the holdup in a balcony office.

Mr. Tobin said he noticed a man reeling along behind him as he went to a balcony but thought he was going to a washroom. However, Mr. Tobin said, as he unlocked the door to the office, the man bumped into him, knocked him inside, then produced a small black pistol and told the manager to sit down.

After taking the money from the safe the robber bound and gagged Mr. Tobin, said "So long" and left.

Dubrow’s was a regular Magical Mystery Tour for watching people. All kinds came and went at all hours. I know - I was there at all hours along with some of my friends. I think we used to go and watch the people who were often there to watch us!

There were several Dubrow's; all owned by the same family. There were two in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan, and even another in Miami Beach for all those retirees who got homesick. Even today, long after the Kings Highway Dubrow's has disappeared (it was initially replaced by a Gap, but I'm not sure what's there now) people remember it with a fondness. Just Google Dubrow's and open your senses to a time and place we will never see again. (They even have a blogspot) I'm glad to have been a part of the tapestry that it was. Memories were made there.

The Beatles - A Ticket to Candlestick Park

It was really impossible to find any good quality footage of the Beatles last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco 45 years ago today. No one was quite sure that it would be the last tour, as the Beatles themselves did not announce the end of live touring until November of that same year. So I have substituted another live performance from 1966 in order to debunk the claim that the group had lost it's musical abilities to perform live.



This is the Beatles only one month before the concert in Candlestick Park. Aside from the bad acoustics, the band is tight, highly charged and still motivated to play live. And below is the interview given just prior to the show in San Francisco one month later, covering a range of topics. It's not the same cute group that landed here 2 and a half years earlier. They are more aware of their power as stars and ability to do and say as they please.



And finally, here is some of the actual 8mm footage, with sound, shot in Candlestick Park 45 years ago this evening. Even with the bad sound, the film still captures the excitement of the Beatles, in concert, along with the flavor of the 1960's.