Hi Frank
Apart from a lack of Robben gigs Dublin is keeping OK.
Who should I Email to get him over here?
As for John Martyn.
Eric Clapton, Dave Gilmour, Paul Kossof and many more (including I`d presume Robben as well) drew inspiration from him.
He deserves a mention on this forum.
Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 916 Location: Fairhope, AL
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:37 am Post subject: Dublin doin's
Glad to hear things are well there. I miss Ireland. We keep talking about coming back for a visit and the exchange rate may just get down enough to make it possible.
You're right about John Martyn. He certainly deserves a mention here. Thanks for doing that.
Frank
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:52 pm Post subject: RIP
I was lucky enough to see him perform in a festival in 1974.
Made a huge impression with the Echoplex..........Trippy.
I Think ( yes sometimes it happens to me) he was influencial for the scene _________________ http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=147748
Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 1504 Location: Methuen, MA
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:10 am Post subject:
If I'm not mistaken, I believe John opened as a solo acoustic act for YES during their Tales From Topographic Oceans tour in 1974. The Boston Garden crowd totally ignored him until some jerk threw a frisbee which hit him in the mouth as he was playing/singing. Of course, the many morons in the crowd cheered. Pretty pissed off, he stopped playing, hurled the frisbee into the audience, and resumed playing but with an attitude. This may not have been John Martyn, but I think it was... _________________ Soul on Eleven
Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 943 Location: Terra Firma, Ether Sea
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:10 am Post subject:
Good morning, JZ.
I saw Yes's TFTTO tour in '74 in Fresno, CA. I don't remember who opened for them at that time, but your story reminded me of the first time I saw Yes with a similar incident.
It was in '71 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, WA, during their "Yes Album" tour. I was still primarily a keyboard player at the time and seeing Wakeman perform literally brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.
Of course, Squire and Howe's playing was astounding, too, playing guitars, Mandolin's and highly distorted pedal steel (I loved watching Steve pick up a different guitar for almost every song [sometimes several times within a song!] from a revolving guitar stand that his roadie kept loading up). I wondered how they were going to pull off the heavily distorted electic guitar riff for the second part of "Your Move" (just before it launches into "I've Seen All Good People") and was thrilled to discover it was Chris playing the part thru his incredibly heavily 'fuzzed' bass!
I also came to see Bruford, my favorite drummer at the time (and still one of my top faves to this day) and was mildly disappointed when Jon introduced Alan White in "...his second week..." as Bill's replacement.
I, of course, later came to accept & respect Alan as time went on. It wasn't till 1976, seeing Genesis's "Trick Of The Tail" tour in Chicago that I finally got to see Bruford perform, as Phil Collin's back up, freeing Phil up to step out and front the band. Awesome! BOTH of them!
Anyway, back to the point ( )...
when I saw Yes in '71, Michael Murphey (touring on his cuurent hit, "Geronimo's Cadillac", at the time) supported the band, sitting on a stool, playing a single acoustic guitar, and looking very much like he didn't want to be there at all. I remember this clearly because, for me, it was a great billing as I loved Michael's take on the song and thoroughly enjoyed the contrast of a solo acoustic artist opening for the over-the-top layering of sound and production that was Yes's trademark.
Michael played a very short set and then seemed to be tripping all over himself to get off the stage in a hurry. I felt rather sad about this, but couldn't blame him as the jerk audience hooted, hollered, yelled profanities, and just plain acted like inconsiderate, disrespectful ass's the entire time he was on stage.
I really, really... REALLY... hate people like that. _________________ B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)
Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 246 Location: San Mateo, CA
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:01 pm Post subject:
Those stories reminded me of the time I saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra in a gymnasium at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1972... the opening act was a solo singer/songwriter (can't remember who) and rubes in the audience were heckling and harassing the poor guy. Suddenly this guy in the center of the top row of bleachers at stage left stands up and a spotlight goes on him and he says, very loudly, "Please, everyone, give him a chance." He was a very imposing fellow, tall and striking, wearing a vaguely Indian-looking white shirt, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who though for a moment, "wow, is that McLaughlin?" There was a resemblance... but when McLaughlin took the stage a bit later it was obvious it was not him.
At that time McLaughlin used to ask the audience for a short bit of silence before they started to play... sometimes audiences actually gave it to him and it was very cool to hear "Meeting of the Spirits" arise out of the silence... but that night in Vassar the rubes yelled and spoiled it...
Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 1504 Location: Methuen, MA
Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:47 am Post subject:
Perhaps it was Michael Murphey, not John Martyn, who opened for Yes in '74. It was quite a long time ago...
Re: Vassar College gymnasium. Been there a few times in my high school daze. Back then the drinking age was 18 which really meant 15. The best time I had there was a triple bill in '72 or '73 with the Shirelles, Chiffons, and another all-girl band whose name I can't recall, and all the beer you could drink all for $5... _________________ Soul on Eleven
Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 92 Location: Ing-Ger-Lund!
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:41 am Post subject:
John Martyn was a one time resident in my (rather small) hometown and the song 'Up Over The Hill' is written about his journey from his favourite pub to his house, which was four doors up from where I used to live. (I can imagine the blue plaque brigade have got that house in their sights already)
Anyway, I only met him once, after he'd moved away, but when he was back in town meeting up with some old friends. I found him to be warm and amusing company, but many of the people he was drinking with (his mates, remember) told me he was a complete pain in the arse most of the time ...but one you could easily forgive!
I don't think I kept the fact that I was a fan under my hat particularly well that night... _________________ I first started to play guitar 35 years ago... Trouble is, I had 20 years off in the middle.
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