Categories
Bluegrass Music Musical Instruments

Tidbits #4: ArtistWorks, SPBGMA, Landon Bailey, and Me!

I’m not into football like I was before the whole “take a knee” thing. I won’t be watching the Super Bowl. I do think that it is funny that after over a decade of QB-ing for the Detroit Lions and nothing to show for it, Matt Stafford’s first year with a different team has led him to the big game. He played amazing with the Lions, but with a lackluster supporting cast, he could never get any respect from the NFL or press, but if LA wins, He has a chance to be a hall of famer.

But enough of that! Let’s talk music, specifically bluegrass! Have you checked out the ArtistWorks YouTube channel lately? It has always had some great instructional videos on its channel, but the last month has been fantastic! Great lessons from Chris Eldridge of The Punch Brothers, banjo legend Tony Trischka, and mandolin magician Sierra Hull. However, the best two videos they have posted recently are fiddle duets with Darol Anger and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. This is old-time fiddling on overdrive. ArtistWorks has always been a great resource for beginner to intermediate musicians wanting to learn more. If you have never checked this channel or ArtistWorks’ website, do it soon!

I regret not being able to go to the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) last month in Nashville. I will do whatever I can to go next year. In the meantime, attendee Stephen Hudson captured a lot of jamming going on with his video camera. What is always great with bluegrass jams is that pros sit in with amateurs and it ends up a good time. The amateurs feel blessed to get a chance to jam with a hero, and the pros get to be regular guys/girls, while also seeing what is out there amongst the fans. I have said it before – bluegrass artists are the only artists that I am aware of that regularly rub elbows with their fans, getting to know a lot of them personally (there are a lot of bluegrass musicians playing big stages that I call good friends), and will stay until the last autograph is signed. Now, check out one of Stephen’s videos.

There are a lot of people on YouTube that review guitars, amplifiers, and effects pedals. I’ve subscribed to some of them, and one in particular that amuses me is Landon Bailey. His delivery is a combination of Bill Murray, Steven Wright, and Don Imus. You can never guess what his next video will cover, except that it will have something to do with music. Like his 15-minute video of a wind-up metronome clicking at 100 beats per minute. Check him out, you will love his wry sense of humor.

Finally, I put a video on my channel that is a lesson on beginner bluegrass bass with an electric bass guitar. It is rough to say the least, as it was my first attempt at editing, and since I use an older digital camcorder, the video can be grainy when there is not full light. Take a look, and please give me some feedback.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Surf Music

Don Wilson RIP / Songwriter Camps

I learned a few days ago that Don Wilson, rhythm guitarist for the surf instrumental group The Ventures, passed away January 22 at the age of 88. Other than some coverage in newspapers where he lived in Tacoma, Washington, the news went virtually unnoticed for days. I only learned about it a few days ago while surfing YouTube, and a video came up of John Fogerty paying tribute to Don. I texted my buddy who follows dozens of music chat groups, and he had not heard about Don’s death either.

A true shame. The Ventures were the best known guitar instrumental group ever. The band’s first big hit, “Walk, Don’t Run,” is still a staple for surf band copycats, as well as oldies bands and kids learning to play electric guitar. They also had a hit with the theme to the television show Hawaii Five-O. They had 14 singles in the Billboard Top 100. They put out over 250 albums, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 by Fogerty.

What I loved about the band was, not only their ability to continually put out great instrumental albums, but also in the late 1960s, they put out a number of instructional albums called Play Guitar With The Ventures. There was also on called Play Bass With The Ventures. I have three of the original ones, and I have seen them reissued as CDs on eBay. These were vinyl records with four songs that the band recorded, with separate rhythm, lead, and bass guitar tracks from which to learn. It also included a handy booklet. These are collector items now, and I am always on the lookout for any of these, even copies of the ones that I already have. I also value my copy of The Ventures Christmas Album, in which they took some Christmas standard songs and implemented their guitar hits. In all of the albums, you can hear and feel Don’s strong rhythm guitar approach, as he played extremely hard on the guitar because when the band was beginning, they did not have a drummer.

I was fortunate enough to get to see the band back in the late 1980s. They played a small bar in Detroit called Alvin’s, and the lineup included Wilson, Bob Bogle, Gerry McGee, and Mel Taylor on drums. The place was packed, and with all kinds of fans, old and young. In fact, most of the fans were punks and new wavers – those that appreciated the roots of the rock and roll music. It was a great show, and all of the guys in the band were generally pleased with the crowd enthusiasm. My one disappointment was that I was wearing a Batman logo T-shirt (before they become popular), and the band’s road manager said that if I sent him one, he would send me back an autographed Ventures T-shirt. Well, I sent him the Batman shirt, but I am still waiting for the Ventures shirt over 30 years later.

Don will be missed, especially by those that picked up a guitar and learned “Walk, Don’t Run” or “Tequila” as their first songs. Dare to tell me this isn’t a kickass song!

Yes, it’s February and there’s about a foot of snow on the ground here in the Detroit area. All the more to think about what I will be doing this summer as far as music is concerned. I am sure to hit one or two festivals, especially the Milan, Michigan five-day bluegrass festival and perhaps the Michigan Old-Time Fiddle Convention in Hillsdale (if it isn’t cancelled again this year). However, one trek that I would like to make is to hit a songwriter camp, particularly one that is geared toward bluegrass or Americana songwriting. I have always wanted to attend the retreat at Donna Ulisse’s home in Tennessee. Of course, these have been cancelled over the past few years due to COVID, but she has done workshops at festivals and other camps such as Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp in Tennessee and The Strawberry Jam Camp in Iowa. I do believe that I need some fire under my butt to get back into songwriting more, so perhaps a workshop like this will help. I know that there are other songwriting camps around, but I don’t feel that they could halp me with the type of music that I write. So we will be checking a few out over the next month or two.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Music Stores

Sweetwater: A Musician’s Best Friend

As far as music equipment is concerned, I’m pretty much satisfied with what I got. In fact, I find myself selling off stuff that I no longer use, especially in the electric guitar area. As I have been cleaning out my house, I am finding amplifiers and effects pedals that I don’t see myself using, since I am sticking to acoustic music, and with that, primarily songwriting and not band situations.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t shop around any more. Thanks to the COVID shutdowns of so many businesses, going into stores and getting your hands on guitars and actually trying them out is almost completely gone. I really miss that. Musical instruments are a lot like cars. You want to test-drive the puppy before making a buying decision. On the other hand, buying books, videos and CDs is a bit different, and I have no problem ordering online or mailing in an order form.

I want to tell you about a great experience that I had with a recent purchase with Sweetwater. I have been on the company’s mailing list for years, even though I don’t purchase much from them. A few days ago, I received an email from Sweetwater about some clearance items. There was an audio interface module available for a great price that I couldn’t pass up (even though I do very little with music and computer hook-ups), and made the online order. About an hour later, I got a phone call from Marcus, a rep at Sweetwater. My first thought was that the product was sold out and he was going to try and talk me into buying something more expensive that I didn’t want or need.

I was wrong, to say the least! Marcus talked with me for about five minutes just to confirm my order and address, as well as to thank me for the purchase and tell me about how many days the shipment would take. No sales pitch, no bad news. On top of that, he sent a thank-you text to my cell phone. As far as emails, Sweetwater sends one out to me at every step (received order, packing order, sending out order).

This isn’t the first time that I have dealt with Sweetwater, and I have never had a bad experience. The packages usually get to me in a fast amount of time, and there is always a bumper sticker or a small bag of candy included with every order. That is good customer service! It’s that little extra, which doesn’t cost much in time or money, that customers will remember and come back for more. You feel important to Sweetwater, even if you are just buying a set of strings or a capo.

Sweetwater founder Chuck Surack started out like many of us, as a musician after graduating high school. At age 22, he bought an old VW Westphalia Microbus and converted it into a mobile recording studio so that he could record bands around his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This passion for music led to the creation of Sweetwater Sound Inc, which is now a $275 million business, selling 3,300 guitars, 830 keyboards, 460 drum sets, and 5,300 microphones EVERY WEEK!

Surack knows what lies in the heart of every musician, whether he/she is a hobbyist playing in the bedroom, or a professional sweating it off on stage every night. Sweetwater was an oasis for many of us during the pandemic while brick-and-mortar shops had to close up. The people at Sweetwater honestly care about you as a musician, because most of them on the other side of the phone line, or in the warehouse, or at a desk inputting invoices, are musicians as well.
My advice: Go to Sweetwater’s website at www.sweetwater.com and take a look around. Sign up for its mailing list. Check out what is going on at its YouTube channel. There are not a lot of honest and friendly companies on the internet. Fortunately, Sweetwater is a good one, and treats its customers with tons of respect.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Rock Music

Meat Loaf RIP

January is not starting off well with many deaths. This past week saw the death of one of my favorite male singers, Meat Loaf. He was 74, and fortunately, his family was by his side during his last moments.

The man had a VOICE! A three-octave voice! He could have easily been an opera singer, but there was just that grit in his vocal cords that was meant for rock-n-roll. Born Michael Lee Aday, he got the moniker Meat Loaf as a chubby baby. Playing football in high school, he was told by his coach to play like a “bat out of Hell.” He never forgot that statement, and it became the title of his best-selling album released in 1977, selling over 43 million copies and achieving a 14x platinum status! I had four copies of that album: a vinyl (I still have but no turntable), an 8-track cartridge (long since destroyed), a cassette (lost somewhere), and a CD (stolen, I’m sure I’ll never get it back).

Bat Out of Hell is a rock-n-roll masterpiece. Based roughly on the story of Peter Pan but in the distant future, it musically pays homage to the sounds of Phil Spector, Bruce Springsteen, The Who and classical music. It was produced by Todd Rundgren, and members of his band Utopia, as well as members of the E Street Band, Edgar Winter, and Ellen Foley, performed on various tracks. It took over two years to record and mix. Even famous baseball announcer Phil Rizzuto was snagged to record the play-by-play radio commentary during the make-out session in “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.”

Jim Steinman was a big part of that album. He had worked with Meat Loaf on various National Lampoon tours, and so much of his attitude went into the album, including musical direction and album cover artwork concept. With all of this talent working on a project, it could either be an amazing hit, or a self-righteous-heavy flop. Epic Records hated it, but agreed to release it on a smaller subsidiary, Cleveland International Records. Slow to take notice in the US, it became a mega-underground sensation in the UK, thanks to videos played on the program The Old Grey Whistle Test.

Eventually, US fans took notice. “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad” reached up to Number 11 on the Billboard charts. All of the songs are over four minutes, which was still a radio no-no even in the 1970s. However, it was the mini-opera “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” that became the cult classic. I remember trying to convince one of my pop-rock bands in the 1990s (we had a female singer) to cover the song, but no one wanted to take a chance. That ending when both of the lovers turn out to hate each other is pure Meat Loaf rock comedy!

Meat Loaf was also in a number of films, best known for appearing in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He made numerous TV appearances, and his videos of “Paradise” and “Bat Out Of Hell” were staples in the early days of MTV.

Watching him perform live with a band, you could see that Meat Loaf gave his all. Being overweight, the sweat would be coming down off of his face like a waterfall. He would always be wiping himself off, which reminded me of Luciano Pavarotti and his famous handkerchief. However, that voice of Meat Loaf was powerful. He could croon a love song, then belt out a hard rocker at the flip of a switch.
According to the New York Post, Meat Loaf had passed away from complications of COVID, but was a dedicated anti-vaxxer and anti-masker. He reportedly said, “If I die, I die, but I’m not going to be controlled.” I know how he felt, I feel the same way.

Meat Loaf, you will be missed by thousands for the music that you gave us, including me. However, I will miss you for the bravery to stand up to the system, even in death. I will always love this song.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Rock Music

Ronnie Spector RIP

I learned of the death of Ronnie Spector Friday checking online news. She actually passed away on Wednesday, but I did not see any announcements on TV or hear anything on the radio. Considering the impact that she and the Ronettes had on rock-n-roll music, that is truly sad.

Yes, she was married to the tyrannical producer Phil Spector, who basically made her famous then destroyed her career in the 1960s after their crazy marriage. She made a comeback when Eddie Money had her singing on his hit “Take Me Home Tonight.” Every guy wanted to date her, and every girl into rock-n-roll wanted to be her.

The Ronettes were a different all-girl vocal group. They weren’t the happy-go-lucky style of the Andrew Sisters, and they weren’t the crooning sweethearts like the McGuire Sisters. No, they had a sexual aura about them, and it showed with their style and their songs. And Ronnie led the charge!

She had her near romances with many, including John Lennon and Keith Richards (who remained her close friend and even did the induction speech for the Ronnettes in 2007 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). She glowed with sexuality all of her adult life. Just look at those photos with her beehive haircut, the tight white dress with the slit up the back, and the cat-like eye makeup, and any man would kill for her.

As sexy as she was physically, it was that voice that would melt hearts. When Ronnie sings “Be My Little Baby,” you prayed to God that she was singing it to you. It was gorgeous. Loud and with just enough grit to make you feel her fingernails scratching into your back as you held her close. Although she was very demur in real life, that voice was powerfully feminine, loving her man yet letting him know that she had some toughness to her.

Being married to Phil Spector was not an easy life for Ronnie. She fell in love with him at an early age, and he was already married. After his divorce, they lived together, then adopted some children. Once married, however, he was very forceful, not allowing her to even leave the house many times. After the breakup of the Ronettes in 1967, Phil tried to milk a solo career out of her in his usual demanding way. She had dome minor hits while signed to Apple Records (thanks to George Harrison more sympathetic co-production work with Phil), but she would always remain a cult figure, working with 70’s rock starts like Eddie Money and Bruce Springsteen. In the 1990s she was doing vocal work with punk rock icons Joey Ramone and the Misfits.

Ronnie battled alcoholism during her final years with Phil, and could never quite shake off the “Oldies Performer” stigma. However, so many artists from different genres and time periods held her in high esteem. She and her fellow Ronettes fought a years-long battler against Phil for unpaid royalties. She ultimately secured about $1 million from his bank acocunt.

Pop-rock singer Amy Winehouse attributed much of her perfroming and looks to Ronnie. When Winehouse died in 2011, Ronnie recorded Winehouse’s song “Back to Black,” with proceeds going to drug addiction treatment organizations. She also appeared in the documentary Amy Winehouse: Back to Black.

She would eventually marry her manager Jonathan Greenfield and live her last years in Connecticut. While her career never truly rebounded, there was always tons of attention paid to what she, the Ronettes, and her voice did to move rock-n-roll forward. She passed away from cancer at the age of 78, but she will always be remembered ast the sexy young girl singing so that no boy would always be in love with her and never forget her. Watch the video and dare to tell me that she was not sexy. That woman had it all.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Musical Instruments

My 2022 Resolution

My new year’s resolution for 2022? Pay more attention to the music, especially bluegrass music.

I’m getting rid of my house and moving back to my mom’s house to take care of her. I’ve been practically living at mom’s for the past five years, and my house is in shambles. Having to take care of an 89-year-old woman on my own, along with my day job, has been stressful to say the least. When I was laid off, it was fine, but I can hardly stay awake now that I’m working.

With that said, I have been spending an hour or so every day at my house getting rid of junk. It has now come down to getting rid of furniture, music equipment I know that I’ll never use again, and other big items. Time doing that has taken time away from practicing the fiddle and guitar, as well as concentrating on songwriting. I haven’t picked up the fiddle since well before Christmas, and I have only picked up the guitar once in the past three weeks.

So I need to get back to the music. I don’t want to lose that piece of personal enjoyment to the struggles of my life. I definitely need some inspiration as far as songwriting goes, and that has been very lacking. My one songwriting group Songwriters Anonymous has been holding Zoom meeting for nearly two years now, and I have not had the opportunity or even motivation to check one virtual meeting out.

I remember one YouTuber named FiddleHed that I wrote about a few months back telling those people that one needs to pick up the fiddle every day, even if just for a minute to pluck the strings or drag the bow across, in order to keep being motivated. Yes, I need to get back to that.

I certainly realize that the COVID thing has really killed off a lot of motivation with me and others. I was practicing the fiddle enough to want to try and hit a jam session, b ut forget that. None to be found in the area. Online jam sessions do not have the same warmth, comradery, or feedback. I was planning on going to SPBGMA in Nashville at the end of the month, but between the house, caregiving, and my job, that was cancelled.

As for songwriting, I am hoping that some camp will happen in the spring or summer. I will definitely travel to get to one, as I have very little motivation around my area right now. I’ve been checking online for some possible camps or workshops, but none seem to be popping up.

Since I dropped Sirius/XM a few years back, I have been a bit out of the loop when it comes to what is new in the bluegrass field. I try to keep up by reading Bluegrass Today online, still subscribe to Bluegrass Unlimited, and I still listen to “Daybreak in Dixie” every Sunday morning on CJAM-FM in Windsor. However, I looked at the Top 50 songs for 2020 on a Bluegrass Today chart a few days ago, and I don’t think that I recognized 10 songs. I don’t see me going back to the Sirius/XM subscription, so I will have to spend some time surfing around on the internet to get my ear back on the ground.

I hope the COVID lockdown apathy will disappear soon for me. I really enjoyed the few times that I was able to see some live music last year. I do know that there are plans to make the Milan (Michigan) Bluegrass festival a five-day event this August. I may not make all five days, but I will certainly be there for two or three days.

Let’s hope that things get better. I need some motivation. In the meantime, here’s something I posted on YouTube a while back. Inspired by Tom T. Hall. We’ve learned some sad news about Tom’s death this past week, but I don’t love him any less.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Perfect Song #6: “White Dove” by The Stanley Brothers

All right, I am not going to end 2021 by complaining about how bad it was. Instead, I will end it with one of my choices for a perfect song. This time it is “White Dove” by the Stanley Brothers.

About 10 years ago, when I was working as a customer service rep for an automotive company, an older co-worker was talking about how much she loved opera, and that there were no American singers that had the capacity of letting the audience know what his emotions were without understanding the words, like an opera singer could. Before I could answer, my music buddy who also worked there blurted out, “George Jones, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Carter Stanley!” I was 100% in agreement, and it did seem to shut the opera lover down for a while.

Carter Stanley left this world way too early, passing away from cirrhosis in 1966 at the age of 41.He was an alcoholic, and some say that had an impact on his vocal approach to songs. His voice had a natural feel to it when he sang the Stanley Brother’s most popular songs, such as “White Dove,” “Rank Stranger,” and “How Mountain Girls can Love.” With the slower, more melancholy songs, it was as if he was talking about something that recently hit him in life. He had a natural voice for country music of that time.

As for the song, it is a 3/4 waltz time, but moves just a bit faster than a normal waltz. The chord structure is typical bluegrass. There are two things that make this song powerful. First is Carter’s approach to the lyrics. The song tells of the singer reminiscing about his parents and how happy he was spending time with them, but now is sad that they are both gone and feels frightened about his remaining life and death. The way Carter sings each line, it is like he is sitting on the porch with you and he is saying his feelings out loud. Totally human, no theatrics to the vocals. You as the listener can empathize with him.

The second powerful feature is the chorus, and how it is sung. Ralph Stanley’s high tenor comes in like a thunder storm, along with the other background singers. While we generally look at this as bluegrass harmonies, the Stanley Brothers’ approach to harmony singing was much more raw and in-your-face than Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys or Flat & Scruggs’ Foggy Mountain Boys. You could sense with the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys that there was an extra drive to make sure that every harmony note was sung to its fullest. It makes the listener react in a way of surprise and a tad bit of fear, as if the power of God is in that chorus.

The Stanley Brothers recorded “White Dove” at least twice, and it has been covered by a number of country and bluegrass bands. It is a powerful Gospel-style song that has become a standard in bluegrass music. However, it is the 1959 King Records’ version from the Stanley Brothers that is probably the best known. More mountain than Kentucky bluegrass, the song is so thematic of the people living in the Appalachians. In three minutes, the Stanley Brothers tell a lifetime of feelings and emotions about those mountain folks.

Chew on it and comment. Have a safe 2022!

Categories
Bluegrass Music

J.D. Crowe RIP

This morning, December 24th, we lost one of the greatest and most influential banjo players in bluegrass music. The legendary J.D. Crowe passed away at the age of 84. You don’t know bluegrass if you haven’t heard of him, and if you listen to bluegrass, you have surely heard his work.

Somewhat of a banjo prodigy, Jimmy Martin offered him a job in the Sunny Mountain Boys when J.D. was 17. He declined so that he could finish school, but finally joined in 1956 and stayed for four years. During this time, some of the best recordings from the Sunny Mountain Boys were released, including “Rock Hearts.” “Sophronie,” and “My Walking Shoes.” After his stint with Martin, D.J. formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, which lasted for 10 years. His next project was The New South, which became somewhat of a bluegrass supergroup that included Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, and Jerry Douglas. The group’s Rounder Records self-titled album, affectionately known by its release number “0044,” is considered a bluegrass classic, perfectly mixing traditional and progressive bluegrass sounds. If you haven’t heard it, go and get yourself a copy right away!

Along with the New South, J.D. would also take part in a number of tribute albums with the group The Bluegrass Album Band, which also included Rice, Douglas, Doyle Lawson, Bobby Hicks and Todd Phillips. In 1983, he won a Grammy for his song “Fireball” in the Country Instrumental category.

J.D. slowed down a bit as far as touring during the last decade for health reasons. He had been suffering from COPD the past few years, and went to meet The Lord early this morning. I am sure that there is a bluegrass Angel Band waiting for him up there.

I was able to meet him once at a IBMA World of Bluegrass conference when it was still in Nashville. I saw a bunch of bluegrass “fans” excited to seeing Dailey & Vincent running right past J.D. without a glance. I walked up to him and shook his hand, telling him how much I appreciated his work with Martin and the great 0044 album. He was not very talkative, but appreciated the fact that someone recognized him in the crowd without making a scene.

J.D. will be missed, especially by so many banjo players. More than an influence, he was a guiding light, and his work will last for decades to come.

Chew on it and comment. Merry Christmas to you all.

Categories
Classical Music

I Wish That These Were My Kids

A few years back, I came across a video of Amira Willighagen, and my jaw dropped. Here was a nine-year-old girl singing “O Mio Babbino Caro” as if she was blessed with an operatic voice at birth. She was performing on the program Holland’s Got Talent. The judges were knocked over, and as expected, she was the winner for that year (2013). At 17, she has been performing professionally since that win and has toured the world. I still get goose bumps when I see that original video clip of her audition.

Writing for Fiddler, I like to look out for up-and-coming talent. I often stray away from the roots-music genres and dive into classical violin. Scanning through YouTube has allowed me to come across some amazing talent. I have mentioned French violinist/model Esther Abrami in a previous post regarding Glarry beginner violins (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/05/03/violin-vs-fiddle-its-all-about-attitude/). I have followed her for a few years, have become a patron of hers, and we have become friends (albeit through the internet), emailing and chatting every so often. She has an album coming out in February, and from what I have heard of some of the songs, it is absolutely beautiful work. Find out more from her website at http://www.estherabrami.com/, and/or subscribe to her YouTube channel.

I recently came across two young violinists that brought me to tears of joy. To see such talent in teenage students is beyond belief. The first artist is Julia Majewska. She is now 13 years old, comes from Poland, but has studied in London (which shows in her wonderful control of the English language). She has won numerous international awards, and has been a part of the prestigious London Young Musician program. To see someone like her perform Paganini seems unreal, but it is. Check out her YouTube channel. Here she is performing “Chaccone” by Vitali for one of her exams.

The other young artist that I found is Christian Li. He is 14 years old, from Australia, and at 10 years was the youngest winner of the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. He has been winning competitions since the age of seven, and is extremely humble about his talent. Like any kid, he enjoys kids’ activities, but to see his dedication to the violin is heartwarming. Again, check out his YouTube channel, and watch this 2018 video of his entry at the Menuhin Competition.

I am so glad that music is in good hands for the future generations. I know that I could never have been this good when I was young, even if I practiced 12 hours per day. There is a gift from God that is given to such individuals to be this good at this young age. It is a beautiful thing to see.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Americana Music Musicians

Michael Nesmith RIP

This one made me heartbroken. Yesterday, December 10th, singer-songwriter and former member of the Monkees Michael Nesmith passed away at the age of 78. As a kid, I was a big fan of the Monkees. Yeah, the whole prefabricated set-up was frowned upon years afterward, but the band dressed cool, were funny, and made some great music.

As I got older, and started to get into country-rock music, I became a big fan of Nesmith. I looked back on his Monkees catalogue, and was surprised how many of the better songs from the band were written by him. He also wrote “Different Drum” for Linda Rondstadt and The Stone Poneys. When everyone in the alt-country and Americana was gushing over Gram Parsons as being the formats’ godfather, I was singing the praises of Nesmith and his influential work with the First National Band, later becoming the Second National Band.

Nesmith really never had to work in his life if he didn’t want to. He could have lived off of his mother’s fortune, as she was the inventor of Liquid Paper correction fluid. Before graduating high school, he enlisted in the US Air Force, and started writing songs upon discharge. He moved from Texas to California, got a publishing deal, then a friend told him to audition for a television show about a Beatles-type band. He beat out Steven Stills and John Sebastian (from Lovin’ Spoonful) and the rest is 1960s television history.

From the beginning, Nesmith pushed for the producers of the show to allow him and the other members to perform on their own instruments and write their own songs. By the time of the band’s third album, Headquarters, they got more freedom. However, interest in this pre-made band and internal conflicts were building up. The group made their own feature film, Head, that was panned by critics, but one could see where Nesmith would move to in the next few years.

After the dissolving of the Monkees, Nesmith formed The First National Band. If you ever come across any recordings of this incarnation or of the Second National Band, buy them! Pedal steel guitarist Red Rhodes was amazing to say the least.

Nesmith also got into video production in its early stages. He produced and starred in an hour-long music video montage called Elephant Parts, which won a Grammy Award in 1982 for Long-Form Music Video. For this and some of his other early work, he has been considered one of the fathers of MTV. He also had a short-lived television show called Television Parts that helped launch the careers of Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jay Leno. He produced a number of underground films, the best known being Repo Man and Tapeheads (in both he makes a cameo a la Alfred Hitchcock).

During the 1990s, he helped sponsor the Council on Ideas, which was a think-tank of intellectuals discussing the major concerns of the day and would publish the results. He was also involved in a lawsuit with PBS over video licensing rights. He won the case, and gave the best quote regarding the situation: “It’s like finding your grandmother stealing your stereo. You’re happy to get your stereo back, but it’s sad to find out your grandmother is a thief.”

It was Nesmith’s songwriting with what I am most impressed. The list is many that are now considered sing-along classics. “Different Drum,” “The Girl That I Knew Somewhere,” “Mary, Mary,” “Listen to the Band,” and “Some of Shelley’s Blues” are just a few. Besides the Monkees and Linda Rondstadt, other artists that recorded his song include the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lynn Anderson, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Frankie Laine.

I met Mike Nesmith in Chicago back in the early 1990s at a hotel. I went up to him and shook his hand, and told him how much I appreciated his songwriting. He was cordial but you could tell he had other things on his mind. I think that he was surprised that I didn’t ask to take a photo with him. I saw him in concert here in Detroit about five years ago. He was doing a tour highlighting songs of his career. I wouldn’t have missed that for the world. He had Chris Scruggs playing lead guitar in the band (one of the best all-around musicians from Nashville, as well as being Earl Scruggs’ grandson), which was really cool.

I guess that my greatest personal tribute to Mike Nesmith came when my short-lived roots-rock band Two-Fisted Tales was asked to record a song for the compilation CD Papa Nez: A Loose Salute to the Work of Michael Nesmith. We did “Papa Gene’s Blues.” Take a listen.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=7_MKMeVp5iw&list=RDAMVM7_MKMeVp5iw
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=7_MKMeVp5iw&list=RDAMVM7_MKMeVp5iw

Mike Nesmith made wearing a knit cap and playing a 12-string electric guitar cool. He rocked the long sideburns and big sunglasses. Your songwriting and spirit will live on forever in my rock-n-roll heart.

Chew on it and comment.

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