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[Music] Threadful of songs from the West coast circa 1970 (one for the older NSCer)









Two Professors

Two Professors

Two Mad Professors
Jul 13, 2009
7,617
Multicultural Brum
Buzzer said:
Great thread! Does Captain Beefheart count?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq6fCOGyVJg

Discovering videos of Old Grey Whistle Test sessions are without doubt one of my favourite Youtube holes to get lost in.
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Often wondered if Joe Cocker taught him or vise versa?

Does anybody remember a band called Grand Funk,not sure which coast,but they were an American Band (song title).
 
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M

marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
4,285
Buzzer said:
The music scene in LA and SF around then must have been very incestuous because the chap I posted about, Craig Smith, got involved with Manson as well. Charlie boy certainly had charm, that's for sure.
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I'd never heard of Craig Smith before you mentioned him so I had a quick read about him on Wiki. Not sure how accurate. Reading about him I wasn't surprised he got acquainted with the Manson Family as he seemed to bear all the character traits of those that were naturally drawn to the Family. I noticed that Smith also auditioned for the Monkees. Manson was also rumoured to have auditioned for the Monkees but that is a myth. (Steve Stills was another rumoured Monkees auditionee but again I think a myth).The Smith story seems to have more credibility as he did associate professionally with Mike Nesmith and also wrote a song for the Monkees. As for Charlie having charm that's one of the classic personality characteristics of a psychopath but Manson's undoubted "charm" only had a very limited appeal. I think it was more his personality rather than lack of musical ability that scuppered his musical ambitions. Was probably the case with Craig Smith too.
 


Icy Gull

Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015






Buzzer

Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
marlowe said:
I'd never heard of Craig Smith before you mentioned him so I had a quick read about him on Wiki. Not sure how accurate. Reading about him I wasn't surprised he got acquainted with the Manson Family as he seemed to bear all the character traits of those that were naturally drawn to the Family. I noticed that Smith also auditioned for the Monkees. Manson was also rumoured to have auditioned for the Monkees but that is a myth. (Steve Stills was another rumoured Monkees auditionee but again I think a myth).The Smith story seems to have more credibility as he did associate professionally with Mike Nesmith and also wrote a song for the Monkees. As for Charlie having charm that's one of the classic personality characteristics of a psychopath but Manson's undoubted "charm" only had a very limited appeal. I think it was more his personality rather than lack of musical ability that scuppered his musical ambitions. Was probably the case with Craig Smith too.
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I must confess, I find reading about these cult leaders morbidly fascinating. And you're probably right on the money with the reasons for Manson's lack of success. I do think he had talent, there's a few songs that I've heard that are pretty good. Trouble is that it is impossible to separate the man from the music.
 


M

marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
4,285
Buzzer said:
I must confess, I find reading about these cult leaders morbidly fascinating. And you're probably right on the money with the reasons for Manson's lack of success. I do think he had talent, there's a few songs that I've heard that are pretty good. Trouble is that it is impossible to separate the man from the music.
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The thing is a lot of the music we love is probably written or performed by total ar*e holes. Why should Charlie be any different. Back on the Craig Smith theme are you aware of the book "Swim through the Darkness" published last year? Looks an interesting read.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Swim-Through-Darkness-Mystery-Maitreya/dp/1934170658
 




The Large One

The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
Icy Gull said:
You learn something every day, I had always thought that was written by the Hollies!
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1973: The Hollies were sent a copy of a new Phil Everly album by the man himself which had nine of his own compositions, plus a cover of 'The Air That I Breathe' by Albert Hammond. He'd sent it to them saying that he knew The Hollies liked his music, thinking they'd cover one of his new songs. Of all songs on the album, they took the Albert Hammond one - and put their own arrangement to it. Et voila.
 


Buzzer

Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
The Large One said:
1973: The Hollies were sent a copy of a new Phil Everly album by the man himself which had nine of his own compositions, plus a cover of 'The Air That I Breathe' by Albert Hammond. He'd sent it to them saying that he knew The Hollies liked his music, thinking they'd cover one of his new songs. Of all songs on the album, they took the Albert Hammond one - and put their own arrangement to it. Et voila.
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The Hollies are the ones who collect the royalty cheques on the song. Radiohead had to add The Hollies to the songwriting credits for 'Creep' which borrows heavily from 'Air That I Breathe'
 


The Large One

The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
Buzzer said:
The Hollies are the ones who collect the royalty cheques on the song. Radiohead had to add The Hollies to the songwriting credits for 'Creep' which borrows heavily from 'Air That I Breathe'
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Not The Hollies. Writers Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood (or, at least the latter's estate - MH died in 2001) collect the royalty cheques.

Songwriters are now listed as "Radiohead / Albert Hammond / Mike Hazlewood".
 




Super Steve Earle

Super Steve Earle

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
8,916
North of Brighton
marlowe said:
I'd never heard of Craig Smith before you mentioned him so I had a quick read about him on Wiki. Not sure how accurate. Reading about him I wasn't surprised he got acquainted with the Manson Family as he seemed to bear all the character traits of those that were naturally drawn to the Family. I noticed that Smith also auditioned for the Monkees. Manson was also rumoured to have auditioned for the Monkees but that is a myth. (Steve Stills was another rumoured Monkees auditionee but again I think a myth).The Smith story seems to have more credibility as he did associate professionally with Mike Nesmith and also wrote a song for the Monkees. As for Charlie having charm that's one of the classic personality characteristics of a psychopath but Manson's undoubted "charm" only had a very limited appeal. I think it was more his personality rather than lack of musical ability that scuppered his musical ambitions. Was probably the case with Craig Smith too.
Click to expand...
On what grounds do you dismiss Stills as a 'rumoured' Monkees auditonee? As a fan of his since Springfield days, I'm aware that the story has been extremely well documented from many, many verified sources over the years. Is it perhaps just a few words bashed out on the keyboard to support the Manson narrative in the hope that no-one will notice? NSC is too good for that!
 


M

marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
4,285
Super Steve Earle said:
On what grounds do you dismiss Stills as a 'rumoured' Monkees auditonee? As a fan of his since Springfield days, I'm aware that the story has been extremely well documented from many, many verified sources over the years. Is it perhaps just a few words bashed out on the keyboard to support the Manson narrative in the hope that no-one will notice? NSC is too good for that!
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Nothing to do with "supporting a narrative" as I don't see how saying that would support any such narrative. If you read my words I didn't "dismiss" Stills as an auditionee, I in fact used the words "I think" to convey my uncertainty in what I was saying. My statement was based on a recollection of reading something Stills himself had said along those lines. I've just looked into it again to see where I got the story from and it appears that the truth maybe somewhere in the middle. It appears that Stills did attend the auditions but was never interested in actually joining the show. He was more interested in selling them his songs. I think the Monkees would have had him if he had been willing but he wasn't that interested so he recommended Peter Tork who was a friend of his and who of course got the part. As it happens both Stills and Neil Young did play on some Monkees tracks.

https://www.monkeeslivealmanac.com/uploads/7/8/9/5/7895731/7950287_orig.jpg

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.guitarworld.com/.amp/artists/time-neil-young-cut-loose-monkees

Stills is playing on this Monkees track...

https://youtu.be/fzMWdDBaqHk

And Neil Young's playing on this one..

https://youtu.be/zfZifyxc9r0
 
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M

marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
4,285
Super Steve Earle said:
On what grounds do you dismiss Stills as a 'rumoured' Monkees auditonee? As a fan of his since Springfield days, I'm aware that the story has been extremely well documented from many, many verified sources over the years. Is it perhaps just a few words bashed out on the keyboard to support the Manson narrative in the hope that no-one will notice? NSC is too good for that!
Click to expand...

He mentions the same story at the end of this interview too. Who knows it might just be him not wanting to admit he got turned down for the Monkees job but he seems pretty adamant in this interview that he never wanted it...

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.in...e-re-still-here-haha-haha-ha-8772387.html?amp
 




M

marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
4,285
Super Steve Earle said:
On what grounds do you dismiss Stills as a 'rumoured' Monkees auditonee? As a fan of his since Springfield days, I'm aware that the story has been extremely well documented from many, many verified sources over the years. Is it perhaps just a few words bashed out on the keyboard to support the Manson narrative in the hope that no-one will notice? NSC is too good for that!
Click to expand...

He mentions the same story at the end of this interview too. Who knows it might just be him not wanting to admit he got turned down for the Monkees job but he seems pretty adamant in this interview that he never wanted it...

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.in...e-re-still-here-haha-haha-ha-8772387.html?amp
 










smillie's garden

smillie's garden

Am I evil?
Aug 11, 2003
2,729
essbee1 said:
Never quite understood songs where basically it is telling GIs, the vast majority of whom
were in the draft, that they were going to die. Protest against the US govt in songs (and there was a lot
of that of course by Dylan etc), but i can never reconcile the sheer lack of empathy for people who
had no choice.
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I see where you're coming from, but I think you're missing that these were potentially revolutionary times, and that this song was encouraging people to resist the draft and the absurd, unjust war. If you wanted to see lack of empathy, you would look at the Pentagon.

And that leads me to one of my favourite political songs ever - hell, just favourite songs. I believe it fits West Coast rubric too:

 




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