http://dropoutrecords.blogspot.com/2009/11/gordon-jackson-thinking-back-rare-aci\
d.html

Singer, guitarist, and drummer Gordon Jackson released a rare album for the
Marmalade label in 1969, Thinking Back, that bore much similarity to records of
the era by Traffic and (more distantly) Family. The resemblance wasn't casual,
as several members of Traffic and Family helped out on the record, alongside
other notables like Julie Driscoll and Luther Grosvenor of Spooky Tooth;
Traffic's Dave Mason, in fact, was the producer. Thinking Back had the same sort
of loose mixture of psychedelic rock with jazz, folk, and bits of soul and world
music that characterized some of Traffic's work. The material wasn't as strong
or focused as Traffic's or Family's, but it had a nice introspective groove with
haunting, minor-keyed melodies.

please read email below and if anyone's interested in more details,
please contact Kristine - your_snow_babe@...

----- Pôvodná správa -----
Predmet:  spooky tooth
Dátum:  Sun, 8 Nov 2009 14:49:40 -0800 (PST)
Od:  Kristine <your_snow_babe@...>
Pre:  info@...



Hello
I have an original vintage vinyl album of the spooky tooth band. Was
wondering if you had a fan memrobilia place that I might be able to sell
this at.
Thank you
Kristine Casanova

http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=9538

Paul McCartney has contributed to a couple of tracks on the new Ringo Starr
album `Y Not`.

McCartney plays bass on the track "Peace Dream' and sings on `walk With You'.

"Paul was doing the Grammys, so he came over to the house and was playing bass
on `Peace Dream." So I played him this other track and Paul said, `Give me the
headphones. Give me a pair of cans.' And he went to the mike and he just
invented that part where he follows on my vocal. That was all Paul McCartney,
and there could be nothing better. He makes it bigger and he makes it fuller. It
makes the song like a conversation between us, and that was Paul's idea to do
his part one beat behind me. That's why he's a gen-i-us and an incredible bass
player," Ringo said in a statement.

Ringo produced this album himself. In fact, it is the first time he has had a
crack at production. "I was the least involved in the production of the Beatle
records," he said. "And then with my solo records, I worked with some other
great producers like Richard Perry, Arif Mardin, and Don Was. So it just seemed
like that's the way that it goes. Then suddenly, it's another point in your
life, and you say, `I'm going do this now.' So I'll be producing anything I make
from now on. That's the good news. It's a confidence thing, I suppose. And Y Not
is really another way of me saying, "Yes, I can."

The album will also feature appearances from Joe Walsh, Joss Stone, Dave
Stewart, Richard Marx, Gary Wright and Van Dyke Parks.

`Y Not' will be released on Hip-O Records through Universal in January.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ringo-starr-declares-y-not-70556107.html
For the first time ever, Starr produces himself on his most personal album yet.
Ringo is joined on Y Not by old and new friends including Paul McCartney, with
whom Starr sings on Y Not's stunning first single, 'Walk With You,' a moving new
song about the power of friendship. Ringo meets Hip-O on Starr's latest solo
effort released January 12th on Hip-O Records/UMe
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout recorded history, great artists
across the universe have dared to ask "Why?" On January 12, 2010, one brave man
named Ringo finally boldly declares the ultimate answer -- Y Not.
 
For the first time in one of popular music's most enduring and illustrious
careers, Ringo Starr has decided to take charge and produce himself. The result
is perhaps the most personal and impressive album of this rock legend's entire
solo career. How on earth did Starr finally locate the absolutely perfect
producer to work with him? "Well, I looked in the mirror," Ringo says with a
smile. "And I was looking real groovy that day."
Starr's decision to take a stronger role in the recording of his latest and
greatest solo album was a significant and fortuitous one. "I didn't do it at the
start," Starr says. "I was the least involved in the production of the Beatle
records. And then with my solo records, I worked with some other great producers
like Richard Perry, Arif Mardin, and Don Was. So it just seemed like that's the
way that it goes. Then suddenly, it's another point in your life, and you say,
'I'm going do this now.' So I'll be producing anything I make from now on.
That's the good news. It's a confidence thing, I suppose. And Y Not is really
another way of me saying, 'Yes, I can.'"
The joyous result of Starr looking in the mirror is Y Not, a groovy and deeply
felt song cycle that finds Ringo leading a smaller core group of old and new
friends including longtime pal and recent brother-in-law Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart
and longtime Roundheads member Steve Dudas on guitar, Benmont Tench of Tom Petty
and the Heartbreakers on keyboards, Don Was and Mike Bradford on bass. The album
also features Starr's engineer and co-producer Bruce Sugar on keyboards, as well
as some special guests like Joss Stone, Ben Harper and Richard Marx on vocals,
Ann Marie Calhoun on violin and Tina Sugandh -- aka Tina The Tabla Girl - on
tabla and chanting. Starr's songwriting collaborators on Y Not also include
familiar and new names like Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart, Joss Stone, Glen Ballard,
Richard Marx, Van Dyke Parks, Gary Nicholson plus Gary Wright and his former
Roundhead band member, Gary Burr.
 
Yet no collaborator featured on Y Not is likely to receive as much attention as
Starr's former bandmate and longstanding mate Paul McCartney, who adds a
characteristically brilliant bass part to the inspiring "Peace Dream" -- Starr's
latest heartfelt plea for peace and love -- and even more notably provides his
unmistakably fabulous vocals to "Walk With You," an exquisite new composition by
Starr and Van Dyke Parks.
 
"Walk With You" is a moving, even spiritual meditation about the lasting power
of friendship, and McCartney's inspired participation on the track was a
testament to McCartney's generosity of spirit and musical talent. "Paul was
doing the Grammys, so he came over to the house and was playing bass on 'Peace
Dream.' So I played him this other track and Paul said, 'Give me the headphones.
Give me a pair of cans.' And he went to the mike and he just invented that part
where he follows on my vocal. That was all Paul McCartney, and there could be
nothing better. He makes it bigger and he makes it fuller. It makes the song
like a conversation between us, and that was Paul's idea to do his part one beat
behind me. That's why he's a gen-i-us and an incredible bass player."
 
Indeed, there's a whole lot of genius on display throughout Y Not. Highpoints
here include "Fill In The Blanks," the album's rocking opening track written,
played and sung only by Starr and Walsh. Then there's "The Other Side Of
Liverpool," a revealing autobiographical song that explores Starr's earliest and
darkest days. "People believe I was born, was a Beatle and lived in a big
house," Starr explains. "And where I come from was a very dark, damp, violent
neighborhood. I wanted to write another little snapshot of my life, and I'm
going to do this every album. It's better for me than doing it in a book. In two
lines I can say what would take five pages. Like the song says, 'The other side
of Liverpool is cold and damp/Only way out of there/drums, guitar and amp.'"
Starr was already particularly thrilled with one early review for the first
album he produced that came from someone he helped produce too. "I just played
it for my son Zak," Starr explains. "And Zak was so great. He said, 'Dad, it's
great. This rocks! You should have been doing this forever.' It's nice coming
from your boy, especially since he's a really good drummer."
 
Listen for yourself. And hear Ringo Starr -- also a really good drummer -- doing
exactly what he should be doing today and forever.
Why?
Y Not.

http://www.woodytone.com/2009/11/17/mick-jones-early-foreigner-gear/

1958 black Les Paul Custom

> Bought in 1973.

> "He altered the electronics, first removing the middle of the three pickups on
the guitar. The other pickups have been rewired several times [this does not
seem to mean rewound]. In the middle position of a specially-wired toggle
switch, the pickups are off. In the up position, the signal goes through the
pickups, volume and tone controls. And in the down position the volume and tone
controls are bypassed, and everything is set on full. Mick uses this last
setting primarily for solos."

> He used this guitar on the first two Foreigner albums – Foreigner (1977) and
Double Vision (1978), as well as in 1974, during the last year with his
pre-Foreigner band Spooky Tooth, and when he played with Leslie West in 1975

http://thesilvertongueonline.com/?p=2854

Foreigner broke onto the now classic rock scene in 1977 winning over fans with
the classic rock anthem "Feels like the first Time". Over 30 years later,
Foreigner continues to tour and perform to a devoted fan base while earning new
fans through impeccable live performances.

Founding guitarist Mick Jones is the sole remaining member from Foreigner's
classic lineup. With all due respect to founding members, Jones has put together
a group of musicians beyond typical session players that gel together like a
band that has been performing together for decades.

Touring in support of their appropriately titled release "Cant' Slow Down",
Foreigner stops in the south to deliver an epic performance at Atlanta's premier
OTP venue Wild Bills which is rapidly becoming the venue of choice for
witnessing classic and emerging acts in an large but intimate venue.


As Foreigner took the stage, the capacity crowd was treated with a relentless
set of superbly executed hits beginning with classics "Double Vision", "Head
Games", "Cold as Ice","Blue Morning"., and "Waiting for a girl like you". Lead
vocalist Kelly Hansen, formerly of 80's rock band Hurricane, left no doubt that
he could carry the soulful and soaring lyrics of the band and won over fans with
a strong and engaging stage presence.


Midway through the 90+ minute set, the band continued to rip through their
catalog of career hits delivering "Starrider", "Feels Like the First Time",
"Urgent", and crowd favorite "Dirty White Boy". The band truly shined through
these classics and featured over the top performances by bassist/vocalist Jeff
Pilson of Dokken, Sax and Rhythm guitarist Thom Gimbel, keyboardist Michael
Bluestein, and drummer Brian Tithy. All the while Mick Jones passionately
carried lead guitar duties and shredded solo after solo from center stage with
youthful and reckless abandon. The show closed on the classic Foreigner anthem
"Juke Box Hero" with backing vocals carried by the crowd as they morphed the
song in and out of the Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love".


As the crowd chanted "Foreigner, Foreigner, Foreigner" the band returned to the
stage to end the night with a three song encore of "I want to know what love
is", "Hot Blooded", and the rocking "Long Long way from home".


Whether a die hard fan of the classic Foreigner lineup or a fan of the bands
music, this now classic and youthful lineup presents a show not to miss and
ensures the music of Foreigner will forever live in rock history while
continuing to thrive in contemporary modern times.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/12/frontman-kelly-hansen-brings-fine-fo\
rm-foreigner/

Frontman Kelly Hansen brings fine form to Foreigner

Though he sang, "It feels just like the first time," it was clear Wednesday
night that a Foreigner concert wasn't the first one for front man Kelly Hansen.

The singer stepped up to the Foreigner mic five years ago and has successfully
filled the void that the band's original singer, Lou Gramm, left when he quit
the group two years earlier. (Gramm took two years off in the early `90s before
ultimately leaving the group in 2003.)

While Hansen may be a stand-in in the eyes of Foreigner purists, he proved once
again last night that he has what it takes to front one of rock `n' roll's most
enduring live acts.

(And, let's face the facts: Foreigner purists are a hard group to please thee
days, considering guitarist Mick Jones is the only founding member that remains
in the band.)

To say 48-year-old Hansen sounded good would not do him justice. He sounded
great – just like Gramm back in the '70s.

Prior to the show, Jones told the Las Vegas Sun that the latest incarnation of
Foreigner sounds so good live that they could be mistaken for a recording.

"I think if you close your eyes you'd probably think you were listening to a
record," he said.

While it's not uncommon for musicians (and artists, and actors, and people in
general) to talk themselves up in advance of an event, then fall short when the
moment finally arrives, Wednesday's concert in Primm proved Jones right.

Though hits like, "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice" and "Long Long Way
From Home" were all released more than 30 years ago, Hansen, Jones and the rest
of the group sounded just like Foreigner did on their debut record.

The concert at the Star of the Desert Arena was a non-stop study of rock `n'
roll 101: The show was full of quintessential rock star poses, rock star moves,
and, yes, rock star chops.

Granted, there were no scissor kicks, but there were more than enough serious
rock-show staples to make up for it:

Hansen's pants were tighter than Mariah Carey's miniskirt. Meanwhile, his shirt
was more unbuttoned than buttoned, which allowed him to show off his chest and
quintessential rocker accessory, an oversized cross necklace.

The singer wasn't the only one wearing tight pants last night – and none of the
band members were shy about their choice of attire. At one point, Hansen
introduced one of his bandmates as, "Mr. Thom Gimbel on the sax and in some very
tight pants."

In addition to their tight pants, both Hansen and Gimbel wore sunglasses
throughout most of the show, despite the fact that the sun had long been set
when they took to the stage just after 8:15 p.m. last night. And they were
indoors.

Drummer Brian Tichy was a shameless self-promoter (or ran out of clean clothes)
and wore a Foreigner T-shirt throughout the show.

The strongest spotlight on the stage was focused upon Jones who, as the only
original Foreigner band member still in the group, was deserving of the
attention.

Hansen led the crowd in a few obligatory chants, including, "Let me hear you say
yeah! (yeah) Let me hear you say yeah-yeah! (Yeah! Yeah!) C'mon let me hear you
say yeah-e-yeah! (Yeah-e-yeah!) One more time, let me hear you say yeah..."

Though the six-piece has a totally capable keyboard player – Michael Bluestein;
more on him in a minute – Jones apparently insisted on playing the keys on two
songs last night – and didn't take his guitar off to do it. There were five
keyboards onstage: Four for Bluestein and one for Jones when he wanted it.

While bassist Jeff Plison did not demonstrate his ability to play more than one
instrument, he made up for his lack of multiple musical ability in headbanging,
hair-tossing, and Muppet-style head-dancing (think Janice-meets-Floyd Pepper).

Tichy, who may have very well been a majorette in another life, demonstrated his
dexterity by tossing drumsticks a good 10 feet into the air between counts, then
catching them time after time, without missing a beat. "Impressive" would be an
understatement.

There were grown men -- overgrown men actually (think 60-plus and pushing 240
pounds) – in the audience, completely and shamelessly rocking out on air guitar.

Also in the crowd: glow sticks; tie-dye T-shirts; couples dancing (and spinning
each other) in the aisles. Notably absent: The smell of marijuana (which was,
ahem, noted a few month back when Snoop Dogg played the very same venue); crowd
surfing; women flinging their underwear onstage and/or flashing the band. (Or,
if there was, it went sadly unnoticed by this reporter.)

If things with Foreigner don't work out, Bluestein could easily make it in a boy
band: In addition to musical talent and far-better-than-average dance moves,
even from his position behind four keyboards it was clear that he possesses the
sort of charisma that only a few very lucky (and charismatic) men have: The kind
of that allows them to wear white pants. And a choker. And the sort of headset
microphone popularized by Madonna and Britney Spears (and, yes, incoming Wynn
headliner Garth Brooks) in the `90s.

While the young heartthrob-in-waiting appears to be having a good time with
Foreigner and is a welcome addition to the group, he clearly missed his boyband
calling: Like Hansen and, to a lesser extent, Jones, Bluestein also loves the
spotlight. He indulged in a rather epic synth solo, accentuated by Harry
Potter-like theatrics where he held his left hand up over the key deck and made
like his hovering hand was controlling a magic spell of sound. Again: he missed
his calling.

Tichy eventually hijacked Bluestein's solo and, after another while, he threw
his drumsticks into the crowd, and instead opted to wail upon his kit with his
hands. Did he look like a caveman? Yes. But it was pretty awesome, too.

Prior to ditching the sticks, Tichy poured liquid of some sort (Water? Beer?
Patron?) onto the face of one of his tom-toms, which produced an effect
reminiscent of Blue Man Group whenever he hit it.

It should be noted, however, that all the theatrics didn't come without good
reason: As Jones told the Sun earlier this week, the band is in the process of
filming a music video for its single, "When it Comes to Love."

Armed with video cameras, a small army of men captured footage of Hansen's
well-practiced rock star moves (including a rather elaborate routine involving
the mic stand), as well as Jones as he relished the spotlight and the rest of
the live show.

Those who were in the crowd will be able to relive the night and perhaps catch a
glimpse of themselves on the small screen when the video is released.

The main set lasted exactly 90 minutes, including that epic keyboard-synth-drum
solo. An additional 20 minutes of rock `n' roll came courtesy of the encore yet
the band didn't immediately retreat backstage after the music was done.

Instead, they treated fans to two minutes of hand-shaking, guitar pick-throwing
and drumstick-tossing before they ultimately came together, joined arms and took
a big, sweeping bow.

Despite the abundance of what some might call rock `n' roll clichés, Foreigner
gave the sort of rock `n' roll show that the rock `n' roll gods intended rock
`n' roll bands to give.

----- Original Message -----

From: Köhler, Manfred

To: spooky_tooth@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 05:26

Subject: Betreff: [spooky_tooth] Foreigner on Howard Stern

 

Hi Gerry, all;   enjoy this yideos:   http://blogs.myspace.com/foreignermusic   ATB ===> Manfred   -------Originalmeldung-------   Von: GerardY Datum: 11/11/09 05:17:37 An: spooky_tooth@yahoogroups.com Betreff: [spooky_tooth] Foreigner on Howard Stern   http://www.howardstern.com/   FOREIGNER IS IN-STUDIO   The guys from Foreigner stopped by to promote their new album, "Can't Slow Down." Howard asked when they'd finally parted with their old lead singer, Lou Gramm, so Mick Jones said Lou left after he woke from surgery (to remove a brain tumor) and announced he only wanted to write/perform Christian music. Which everyone thought was an unusual reason for bands to break up as it's usually money, drugs or women at the root of all breakups.   Mick said the band fell apart repeatedly before they found a line-up that worked: "We had to improve on each album and that took its toll, you know?" Howard wondered how Mick retained the Foreigner name, and Mick explained that Lou blew it: "He set the precedent by leaving the band about 3 times." The band then treated the crew to an acoustic performance of their very first hit, "Feels Like the First Time." MICK JONES ON ROCK HISTORY   Howard asked if the original Foreigner line-up would ever reunite, and Mick shrugged: "Lou has sort of approached me about putting the original band back together but we've come so far with this – with this band...I've never been with guys that really click like this...certainly if we ever have a slight chance of getting into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame." Mick told the crew about hanging with the Beatles at a restaurant in Paris. The Fab Four was serviced by some very attractive fans mid-meal: "The next thing I know the table's moving." Mick said he was with his girlfriend and trying to distract her, but things took an obvious turn when the Beatles all dived below deck to return the favor.       ------------------------------------   Yahoo! Groups Links   <*> To visit your group on the web, go to:     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spooky_tooth/   <*> Your email settings:     Individual Email | Traditional   <*> To change settings online go to:     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spooky_tooth/join     (Yahoo! ID required)   <*> To change settings via email:     spooky_tooth-digest@yahoogroups.com     spooky_tooth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com   <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:     spooky_tooth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com   <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

http://www.howardstern.com/

FOREIGNER IS IN-STUDIO

The guys from Foreigner stopped by to promote their new album, "Can't Slow
Down." Howard asked when they'd finally parted with their old lead singer, Lou
Gramm, so Mick Jones said Lou left after he woke from surgery (to remove a brain
tumor) and announced he only wanted to write/perform Christian music. Which
everyone thought was an unusual reason for bands to break up as it's usually
money, drugs or women at the root of all breakups.

Mick said the band fell apart repeatedly before they found a line-up that
worked: "We had to improve on each album and that took its toll, you know?"
Howard wondered how Mick retained the Foreigner name, and Mick explained that
Lou blew it: "He set the precedent by leaving the band about 3 times." The band
then treated the crew to an acoustic performance of their very first hit, "Feels
Like the First Time."
MICK JONES ON ROCK HISTORY

Howard asked if the original Foreigner line-up would ever reunite, and Mick
shrugged: "Lou has sort of approached me about putting the original band back
together but we've come so far with this – with this band...I've never been with
guys that really click like this...certainly if we ever have a slight chance of
getting into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame."
Mick told the crew about hanging with the Beatles at a restaurant in Paris. The
Fab Four was serviced by some very attractive fans mid-meal: "The next thing I
know the table's moving." Mick said he was with his girlfriend and trying to
distract her, but things took an obvious turn when the Beatles all dived below
deck to return the favor.

http://alntv.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/foreigner-rocks-the-80s-in-2009/

Remember back in the 80's when you would go to the record store, buy a cassette,
open it, look at the cover art, read the liner notes, slide the tape in the tape
deck and crank it up? You do? Well then…you are an 80's child…just like me. In
today's world, we don't buy cassettes or CD's or albums anymore. We download.
And all the songs are so serious or sexual or just plain dumb. Whatever happened
to love songs? Or songs about heartbreak? Or how down on our luck we can be?
Back in the 80's, that was all they sang about. And bands like Journey or Def
Leppard or Whitesnake knew how to rock out and let loose. Who knew they were
still doing it?

When Foreigner released "Can't Slow Down" (available only at Wal-Mart), it had 2
things going against it. First…I hate Wal-Mart. Second…I never really cared all
that much for Foreigner. Sure…I like a few of their songs from the 80's. "Juke
Box Hero" was always a good single. And then you have "I Want To Know What Love
Is" which, I think, pretty much everybody danced to at their first high school
dance back in 1985. So they had a few hits that I listened to, but for the most
part, I was more of a Def Leppard/Journey/Sammy Hagar fan. So imagine my
surprise when I was presented with a free copy of the new album and…well…I
actually LOVE IT!

Here's the thing about the 80's…it was simple. Granted…I was a kid back then so
I had no stress. But even then, it was a different time. And the music that was
coming out then was simple. Huey Lewis & The News, Hall & Oates, Madonna,
Prince, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, on & on & on. Artists
were releasing FUN music. And even when the music was heavy, it had a simple pop
sensibility to it ("Billie Jean", "Papa Don't Preach"). So much music now is so
over-complicated with technology. Beeps & whistles and overdubbing. It can all
get in the way of a good, simple rock song. It's not needed. And Foreigner
proves it on this album.

With new singer Kelly Hansen joining the band (Lou Gramm is gone), Mick Jones &
crew have never sounded tighter. Every track is a great pop nugget and could
have been included in just about any 80's John Hughes film. When I first
listened to this album, the film "VisionQuest" came into my head. With rockers
like "Ready", "Angel Tonight" & the title track, they could have easily fit into
the action scenes where the guy takes the girl on a motorcycle ride through the
city. And then you have the love songs like "Fool For You Anyway", "I'll Be Home
Tonight" or "As Long As I Live" where the guy is racing to stop the girl from
leaving. And then the end titles could be "In Pieces" or "When It Comes To
Love", with their sweeping guitars & keyboards (and a surprise sax in the
latter). Simply awesome…

Everyone is gonna laugh at me about this…but I miss this kind of music. The
lyrics are simple (sometimes TOO simple) and the hooks are powerful. They are
melodic and carefree and fun. This is an AWESOME album and so far, it's possibly
my favorite album of 2009. Imagine that…an 80's band releases an album that
SHOULD have been released in 1987 and I love it. Go figure. And go buy "Can't
Slow Down" at your local Wal-Mart. It might be the only time I ever say you need
to go to Wal-Mart…but you won't regret it. And I bet once you listen to this
album you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about here. And you'll wish it
was 1987 all over again…

Jones apparently joined the reformed Spooky in September 1972 according to
wikipedia and other sources. That would be about right, as "You Broke My
Heart...", what, 6 months later?

Alan

"Fortune Favors the Brave"...     Alan Rockman

No, he was in the band longer than that. "You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your
Jaw" came out around the beginning or middle of 1972. He essentially replaced
Luther, coming into the reformed Spooky alongside his close friend Gary Wright
circa 1970-1971. "Witness" came out in '73, followed by "The Mirror" in late
1974. Spooky folded, I believe, around November 1974. From Spooky Mick joined
Leslie West for a year (I'm sure that was an experience), then picking up what
he learned, and watching a guy by the name of Lou Gramm whose band Black Sheep
was on a packaged tour with Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, and (I think briefly)
Humble Pie, put together this band called Foreigner at the beginning of '76.

"Fortune Favors the Brave"...     Alan Rockman

----- Original Message -----

From: Maureen

To: spooky tooth

Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:41 PM

Subject: Re: [spooky_tooth] Mick Jones Interview

 

Just wondered how long Mick Jones was with Spooky Tooth.  Anyone know??

----- Original Message -----
From: "GerardY" <gerryyork@yahoo.com>
To: "spooky tooth" <spooky_tooth@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 9:23:53 PM GMT -05:00 Colombia
Subject: [spooky_tooth] Mick Jones Interview

 

http://www.songfacts.com/int/2009/11/mick-jones-of-foreigner.html

Foreigner is back with the album Can't Slow Down, which comes with a disc of their remixed hits and a DVD of live footage. Their guitarist Mick Jones has been there from the start, when their first single "Feels Like The First Time" launched a string of hits that includes "Double Vision," "Urgent" and "I Want To Know What Love Is." Jones is the British side of Foreigner, which he formed with lead singer Lou Gramm in 1976. Foreigner's new frontman is Kelly Hansen, who you can see in the clips below for "Cold As Ice" and "Juke Box Hero."


Carl Wiser (SF): Mick, I was watching your DVD, and I came across that part where you're talking about how you went to Paris for a month and you stayed for 6 years.

Mick Jones: Yep.

SF: Can you talk about how some of those life experiences have shown up in your songs?

Mick: Yeah. Well, at an early age I found myself in Paris. And at the time in Paris, French artists were primarily doing covers of American songs, or English songs. And after a while I got into a position where I started writing for several of the bigger stars in France. We were sort of pioneering writing original songs, and then having them translated into French. That gave me my ground work in writing, and also in production. We would travel to America, go back to England, and record in all these different places. Gradually I became comfortable in the studio, and progressed in my writing; I had a number of hits in France, and I got about as far as I could go. But that was an interesting period, because it was in my formative years. I was about 18 at the time when I first started writing, and that gave me my start. I used that time to really craft my ideas about writing. And then I went back to England, since I'd gotten about as far as I could go in France and I was really determined to go back to England and eventually make it to America, so that's what I did. I hooked up with Gary Wright, and we started a writing partnership. I took a back seat in the beginning - I was in a band called Spooky Tooth at the time. And I suppose that was where my previous experiences gelled into something and morphed into getting back and concentrating on more of the rock side of writing. And you know, it gave me an opportunity to develop my style. So throughout those years of paying dues until I was about 28, 29, I finally got the courage up to start writing songs myself, and developing a style that was based on experiences that I had during my 20s. That was the foundation for writing the first songs that I wrote for the band. I'd had a lot of experience traveling around the world, making it as a musician, surviving in Paris, and I had a number of relationships which I drew from. The songs that I write are mainly focused on relationships, on emotional issues. I've never gone into any political or message-type songs, as far as I know.

"Feels Like The First Time" was the first song I wrote for the new chapter. And that lead subsequently to putting a band together. There I was, finally the primary writer, and that song set the ball rolling for me. When that first album came out, it was just a question of, Well, we've set a huge precedent, where do I go from here? So I had to work pretty hard at those songs and try to hone my craft again. There was definitely a lot of pressure in those early years, and there still is. It's a challenge to write songs that are accepted by a large audience and to retain integrity about what you do. I've been fortunate that a lot of those songs have stood the test of time, they still get a lot of radio play, there's still a lot of popularity attached to them. And to me that means a lot, that I have a worldwide audience, and pretty much anywhere we go in the world, they're aware of the body of work that I've been able to achieve.

SF: Well, if you live long enough, you're going to experience many of the things that you're talking about in these songs. What are some of the specific songs that drew on actual events?

Mick: Well, "Feels Like The First Time" was written about a bit of a change in my life. I was coming out of a previous marriage with somebody I'd met in France. I'd gone back to England and then finally made the journey to America while I was in the band Spooky Tooth. And to me it was this challenge of really going for a new start in my life. And that just came naturally out of the blue. People probably thought, Well, this is a song that he's written specifically for this album. In hindsight I guess that's a natural feeling, but to me it was signifying a new start. I'd met somebody, I got re-married and moved with her to America, and that was the song that described that experience.

What else - well, "Cold As Ice" was written after watching the movie Mommy Dearest with Joan Crawford, and whimsical as it was, that was the inspiration. Subconsciously you draw from stuff, things that happened in your past, things that came out of relationships, the pain and the heartache of love that is intense and then so deep, and then suddenly you lose it. The whole gamut of emotional feeling that you go through in a relationship. Sometimes they end, and sometimes they last, and when it's the final breakup, you're left with the memories of that relationship. So I go for that quite a bit. You're kind of digging down deep into your well of significant things that you recall from sometimes near tragedy that you go through at the time.

There was a song on the Agent Provocateur album called "That Was Yesterday," which is a song about a relationship that failed, which you're still clinging onto. You still feel that there's a chance to resurrect it. Some of these songs require really digging down deep, and sometimes they bring out very painful moments that you've had. A lot of the songs that I've written of that kind of emotion, they bring me to tears. They're painful to recall.

There's a song called "Waiting For A Girl Like You," which I literally had no control over, it just came out. I had no idea what it meant, but it got to the point where I couldn't even be in the studio when we were recording it sometimes, it left such a deep impression on me. But it ended up being a song that brought a lot of people together. I hear these days that it's a song that a lot of people play at their weddings. It's the kind of song that the pen does the writing, and you don't even know where it came from. But I feel that it's stuff that's floating around at times and you have to grasp it - it's kind of flying around in the air, and you just have to be open enough to let that flow through you. Sometimes it's sort of mystical where these ideas come from. Sometimes you have an idea about a song, or you have a title that you base the rest of the song on, but sometimes it comes just literally from an unknown area. You'll be thinking about something completely different, and suddenly you get that inspiration. I usually know when it's happening, and I just let it flow and try not to interfere with it - just try and deliver what that thought, those feelings, mean.

SF: Is there another example of a song where that happened to you?

Mick: "I Want To Know What Love Is" also started off on more of a personal level. I'd been through a lot of relationships that eventually failed, and still searching for something that could really endure. And that sort of took a life of its own as well. It became more of a universal feeling. I adjusted that during the recording of it, and ended up putting a gospel choir on it. And you know, realized suddenly that I'd written almost a spiritual song, almost a gospel song. Sometimes, you feel like you had nothing to do with it, really. You're just putting it down on paper, or coming up with a melody that will bring the meaning of the song out, bring the emotion out in the song.

SF: There's a story that the president of your record company cried when he first heard the song.

Mick: Yeah, it's true. It was Ahmet Ertegun. Part of my dream at the beginning was to be on Atlantic Records, because of the heritage: all the R&B stars of the '50s, people like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. It meant so much to me and my growing up in music. So it meant a lot to have Ahmet Ertigan, who had been a part of that magical era and a person who I respected and looked up to, come into the studio. I took him aside and I said, "I have a song to play you, Ahmet." I took him into the studio, and we just sat there in two chairs, and I put the song on. Halfway through I looked over and indeed, there were tears coming out of his eyes. I thought, Whoa, this is a major moment for me. I've been able to impress this man who has heard some of the best, and produced some of the best music in the world. And here he is, and I've reached him emotionally. By the end of the song we were both in tears. Wonderful moments like that, they're just very meaningful.

SF: What do you think of the Mariah Carey version of that song?

Mick: I think she's actually retained the integrity of the song. You know, the arrangement is very similar to the original. They haven't tampered with the song too much. She's captured a certain emotional thing, a feeling. And you know, it's always flattering to have people cover your songs. Well, sometimes not so flattering (laughs) depending on who it is. But I think she's put a lot of emotion into it. You can feel that she's gotten inside of the song.

SF: Was "Double Vision" about a hockey player?

Mick: Yeah. Well, that's where the title came from. We were at a hockey game. I was an avid Rangers fan in those days, and Lou and I went to a game, and the goaltender for the Rangers got a concussion, and it was announced over the PA that he was taken off and was suffering from double vision. I'd never heard that term before, and we picked up on it. And then that led to the title for that song. I know it was received by a majority of the public as a drug song. I didn't mind that, you know. It wasn't the intention in the beginning, but that's how a lot of people interpreted it.

SF: Who was the goalie?

Mick: It was John Davidson. And we've had a laugh over that several times. I've met him, you know, we always bring that back.

SF: Who was the "Dirty White Boy"?

Mick: For me, it was Elvis Presley. To me, he always was that dirty white boy who changed the shape of music completely. It was talking about the kind of heritage that he left, and I think that had an effect on all the musicians that came after, like Mick Jagger - he was also a dirty white boy. Elvis paved the way for all that.

SF: Tell me about "Juke Box Hero."

Mick: That stemmed from an experience that we had, I think it was in Cincinnati. We'd gone to the arena for a sound check, and it was pouring down rain, and there were a bunch of fans waiting at the door when we went in. When we came back for the show later on, all that was left was one lonely fan, a young guy waiting out there in the rain, soaked to the skin. I thought, well, he's waiting like five hours here, maybe we'll take him in and give him a glimpse of what happens backstage at a show. And this kid was just mesmerized with everything. I saw this look in his eyes, and I thought, he's seeing this for the first time, he's having this experience. And I just imagined what was going through his mind. And I'd been toying with this title, "Juke Box Hero," I thought it was almost a satire on what we did and how it was perceived from an audience level, and public. That's how it originated.

Mick co-produced all of Foreigner's albums, and also produced 5150 with Van Halen and Storm Front with Billy Joel. Mutt Lange co-produced Foreigner's 1981 album 4, which contains "Juke Box Hero," "Urgent" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You."


SF: You've worked with Mutt Lange, who is known for being absolutely meticulous. What are you like as a producer?

Mick: Well, I was very meticulous at the beginning. Probably over the top in that way. Mutt and I shared that fanaticism in a way. In spite of that, we were able to still keep the goal in mind of what we were trying to achieve in these songs. We locked horns at the beginning, both pretty strong-minded about what we wanted to achieve, and we gradually discovered that it was the same thing. He drew a lot out of me. He was the first person that insisted on listening to every single idea I had on every single cassette tape, or any ideas I had anywhere, down on paper or lyrically, phonetically, instrumentally. He pulled songs like "Urgent" out of that, and contributed a lot to "Juke Box Hero." It ended up being a great relationship. And indeed, we spent a lot of time in the studio making that album. Probably more than we needed, to be truthful. But those were the days of excessive studio experiences (laughing). These days, I draw on that experience every time I try to produce or co-produce, because I always felt that I could benefit from somebody else's ears. I still learn. I still feel I've got a lot to learn, even with the amount of experience I've had, I'm open. I still try and keep an open mind about even criticism. Instead of taking an affront, I try and learn and try to profit from that.

SF: Tell me about producing 5150.

Mick: Wow. That was an adventure. It was on the heels of the departure of David Lee Roth, and when I entered into it, I took it as a really big challenge. I'd known Sammy Hagar for a number of years, and I think he felt that he needed somebody to work with him on the vocals and in some cases the melodies. I didn't participate in the writing, but I think my input there was working with Sammy to really draw the emotion out of his songs. You know, Eddie's a stunning guitar player, and I certainly didn't have much to teach him. (laughs) But I think we both learned from the experience. My approach as a producer as well, I think that benefited the album. The personalities in the band - he and Alex - certainly created some excitement. The brothers were going through a particularly charged emotional relationship at the time, and there were some crazy situations that went on there. But I think all in all, my main contribution was drawing the most I could out of Sammy's vocal performances, and really trying to dig down inside the songs and bring out the right feelings.

SF: I'm getting a sense that your sound, what you do to create these songs people want to hear, is more about emotion than it is about turning the right knob.

Mick: Oh yeah, definitely. Completely, actually. I always work with accomplished engineers, because I feel I need the space to concentrate on the musical content of the song. I think that's why Billy Joel was attracted to what I could contribute - he respected me as a songwriter, and felt that I could be more critical about the writing phase of the project, and eventually bring the songs to the right conclusion.

SF: I was surprised that you didn't do the production on the remixed CD of all those classic Foreigner songs.

Mick: Well, I went through that experience way back, you know. And I wanted to keep that memory and not really tamper with it myself. I had a lot of faith in Marti Frederiksen, and he had a lot of respect for the songs. And it was was not really tampering with them in any creative way. It was just enhancing them sound-wise, perhaps with the benefit of modern technology, and trying to re-create the feeling that you would have had back in the day when you just bought the record. I'm really sort of taking the cotton wool off the surface. These recordings have gone through all kinds of different processes when they've been released over the years, and eventually, they lose a lot of the sound quality that they had at the beginning. It was really an attempt to bring them back, add to them dynamically, and work on the drum sounds a little bit, and in some cases even discover little subliminal sounds that are there that you may not have heard so well, and generally I feel that they've got a new fresh sound to them, and I'm quite happy with them. A lot of people notice. You could say it's subtle, but I think if you A and B them, put the old one on and then the new one side by side, you'd notice that there's definitely a lot more punch and clarity in them.

SF: The first single, "When It Comes To Love," is a pretty emotional song. Can you tell me about that?

Mick: That was an experience, too. It's quite personal, so I don't know how far I could go into it. (laughs) But I'd had a romantic interlude after a pretty painful divorce, and this was a breath of fresh air into my life. But that ended up not going much further, and I was emotionally a bit unsettled at the time. Then after it ended, I felt regret about it. And I felt that maybe after all I should have put more into the relationship, and maybe I'd missed a chance. "It could have been you" was basically the message in the song. And was, in fact, the original title of the song. It also reflected some of the times that I've messed up the relationships I'd had, and I'm a bit introspective about it.

SF: What's one of the other songs on the album that you think is a really strong track?

Mick: I'm obviously attached to all of the songs, in a way. There's something that was captured on the song called "In Pieces" that moves me quite a bit. It's a powerful, powerful song. And the whole track to me has really got a drive to it. Although you'd term it as a slower song, it's not a ballad, it's a strong, strong song. Again, it's a relationship song about a heart being shattered. Kelly does a great vocal performance on it. He's put his heart and soul into these songs, and you can feel it. I think there's a lot of conviction in the vocal performances throughout the album.

SF: Yeah, there's a degree of soul to it.

Mick: Yep. Well, he's got that sort of background, too. The initial magic with Lou, is that we had that foundation to draw from, and the same inspirations throughout our careers - the people that had inspired us early on. We were always looking for the integrity of influences that we've had growing up, and then developing those influences into a style of our own.

SF: The last track on the album - "Fool For You Anyway" - was produced by Mark Ronson. (Who produced the Amy Winehouse album Back To Black.)

Mick: Well, Mark is my stepson. I've raised him from the age of 7. He always showed an intense interest in music right from the get-go, and I suppose growing up in that household with me, a lot of it rubbed off. I'd always play him the latest stuff that I was doing, and he was in some ways affected by that, I'm sure. He started out with a little band that he had here in New York, and even though he's a very bright guy - he did very well at school - he still had the time to really concentrate on his music. And then that took him into DJing, and he went through a pretty long spell building up a reputation as a great DJ. And that sort of morphed into production for him, and gradually he built up a great reputation as a producer. Right from the early days, from when he was in his teens, we'd talk about putting the idea together: "Well, if you get to a certain point, maybe we can work together." And it took a while, but we were talking about a year ago, and I said, "How about we work on something on this new album I'm doing?" He was really up for it, and "Fool For You Anyway" was one of his favorite songs from early on. He chose that one to produce. And I let him do his thing. He's a big fan of that sort of late '60s, The Band era, also a big soul music fan, and he's really brought that kind of a pure sort of respecting that era kind of a sound to it. It's kind of a retro sound on there, definitely, with the brass and the live recording to an old Ampex tape machine that he uses.

The Can't Slow Down album with the disc of Foreigner's hits and DVD of live performances is available at Wal-Mart for the absurdly low price of $12.
We spoke with Mick October 23, 2009.
Get more Foreigner at their official site

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http://www.songfacts.com/int/2009/11/mick-jones-of-foreigner.html

Foreigner is back with the album Can't Slow Down, which comes with a disc of
their remixed hits and a DVD of live footage. Their guitarist Mick Jones has
been there from the start, when their first single "Feels Like The First Time"
launched a string of hits that includes "Double Vision," "Urgent" and "I Want To
Know What Love Is." Jones is the British side of Foreigner, which he formed with
lead singer Lou Gramm in 1976. Foreigner's new frontman is Kelly Hansen, who you
can see in the clips below for "Cold As Ice" and "Juke Box Hero."


Carl Wiser (SF): Mick, I was watching your DVD, and I came across that part
where you're talking about how you went to Paris for a month and you stayed for
6 years.

Mick Jones: Yep.

SF: Can you talk about how some of those life experiences have shown up in your
songs?

Mick: Yeah. Well, at an early age I found myself in Paris. And at the time in
Paris, French artists were primarily doing covers of American songs, or English
songs. And after a while I got into a position where I started writing for
several of the bigger stars in France. We were sort of pioneering writing
original songs, and then having them translated into French. That gave me my
ground work in writing, and also in production. We would travel to America, go
back to England, and record in all these different places. Gradually I became
comfortable in the studio, and progressed in my writing; I had a number of hits
in France, and I got about as far as I could go. But that was an interesting
period, because it was in my formative years. I was about 18 at the time when I
first started writing, and that gave me my start. I used that time to really
craft my ideas about writing. And then I went back to England, since I'd gotten
about as far as I could go in France and I was really determined to go back to
England and eventually make it to America, so that's what I did. I hooked up
with Gary Wright, and we started a writing partnership. I took a back seat in
the beginning - I was in a band called Spooky Tooth at the time. And I suppose
that was where my previous experiences gelled into something and morphed into
getting back and concentrating on more of the rock side of writing. And you
know, it gave me an opportunity to develop my style. So throughout those years
of paying dues until I was about 28, 29, I finally got the courage up to start
writing songs myself, and developing a style that was based on experiences that
I had during my 20s. That was the foundation for writing the first songs that I
wrote for the band. I'd had a lot of experience traveling around the world,
making it as a musician, surviving in Paris, and I had a number of relationships
which I drew from. The songs that I write are mainly focused on relationships,
on emotional issues. I've never gone into any political or message-type songs,
as far as I know.

"Feels Like The First Time" was the first song I wrote for the new chapter. And
that lead subsequently to putting a band together. There I was, finally the
primary writer, and that song set the ball rolling for me. When that first album
came out, it was just a question of, Well, we've set a huge precedent, where do
I go from here? So I had to work pretty hard at those songs and try to hone my
craft again. There was definitely a lot of pressure in those early years, and
there still is. It's a challenge to write songs that are accepted by a large
audience and to retain integrity about what you do. I've been fortunate that a
lot of those songs have stood the test of time, they still get a lot of radio
play, there's still a lot of popularity attached to them. And to me that means a
lot, that I have a worldwide audience, and pretty much anywhere we go in the
world, they're aware of the body of work that I've been able to achieve.

SF: Well, if you live long enough, you're going to experience many of the things
that you're talking about in these songs. What are some of the specific songs
that drew on actual events?

Mick: Well, "Feels Like The First Time" was written about a bit of a change in
my life. I was coming out of a previous marriage with somebody I'd met in
France. I'd gone back to England and then finally made the journey to America
while I was in the band Spooky Tooth. And to me it was this challenge of really
going for a new start in my life. And that just came naturally out of the blue.
People probably thought, Well, this is a song that he's written specifically for
this album. In hindsight I guess that's a natural feeling, but to me it was
signifying a new start. I'd met somebody, I got re-married and moved with her to
America, and that was the song that described that experience.

What else - well, "Cold As Ice" was written after watching the movie Mommy
Dearest with Joan Crawford, and whimsical as it was, that was the inspiration.
Subconsciously you draw from stuff, things that happened in your past, things
that came out of relationships, the pain and the heartache of love that is
intense and then so deep, and then suddenly you lose it. The whole gamut of
emotional feeling that you go through in a relationship. Sometimes they end, and
sometimes they last, and when it's the final breakup, you're left with the
memories of that relationship. So I go for that quite a bit. You're kind of
digging down deep into your well of significant things that you recall from
sometimes near tragedy that you go through at the time.

There was a song on the Agent Provocateur album called "That Was Yesterday,"
which is a song about a relationship that failed, which you're still clinging
onto. You still feel that there's a chance to resurrect it. Some of these songs
require really digging down deep, and sometimes they bring out very painful
moments that you've had. A lot of the songs that I've written of that kind of
emotion, they bring me to tears. They're painful to recall.

There's a song called "Waiting For A Girl Like You," which I literally had no
control over, it just came out. I had no idea what it meant, but it got to the
point where I couldn't even be in the studio when we were recording it
sometimes, it left such a deep impression on me. But it ended up being a song
that brought a lot of people together. I hear these days that it's a song that a
lot of people play at their weddings. It's the kind of song that the pen does
the writing, and you don't even know where it came from. But I feel that it's
stuff that's floating around at times and you have to grasp it - it's kind of
flying around in the air, and you just have to be open enough to let that flow
through you. Sometimes it's sort of mystical where these ideas come from.
Sometimes you have an idea about a song, or you have a title that you base the
rest of the song on, but sometimes it comes just literally from an unknown area.
You'll be thinking about something completely different, and suddenly you get
that inspiration. I usually know when it's happening, and I just let it flow and
try not to interfere with it - just try and deliver what that thought, those
feelings, mean.

SF: Is there another example of a song where that happened to you?

Mick: "I Want To Know What Love Is" also started off on more of a personal
level. I'd been through a lot of relationships that eventually failed, and still
searching for something that could really endure. And that sort of took a life
of its own as well. It became more of a universal feeling. I adjusted that
during the recording of it, and ended up putting a gospel choir on it. And you
know, realized suddenly that I'd written almost a spiritual song, almost a
gospel song. Sometimes, you feel like you had nothing to do with it, really.
You're just putting it down on paper, or coming up with a melody that will bring
the meaning of the song out, bring the emotion out in the song.

SF: There's a story that the president of your record company cried when he
first heard the song.

Mick: Yeah, it's true. It was Ahmet Ertegun. Part of my dream at the beginning
was to be on Atlantic Records, because of the heritage: all the R&B stars of the
'50s, people like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. It meant so much to me and my
growing up in music. So it meant a lot to have Ahmet Ertigan, who had been a
part of that magical era and a person who I respected and looked up to, come
into the studio. I took him aside and I said, "I have a song to play you,
Ahmet." I took him into the studio, and we just sat there in two chairs, and I
put the song on. Halfway through I looked over and indeed, there were tears
coming out of his eyes. I thought, Whoa, this is a major moment for me. I've
been able to impress this man who has heard some of the best, and produced some
of the best music in the world. And here he is, and I've reached him
emotionally. By the end of the song we were both in tears. Wonderful moments
like that, they're just very meaningful.

SF: What do you think of the Mariah Carey version of that song?

Mick: I think she's actually retained the integrity of the song. You know, the
arrangement is very similar to the original. They haven't tampered with the song
too much. She's captured a certain emotional thing, a feeling. And you know,
it's always flattering to have people cover your songs. Well, sometimes not so
flattering (laughs) depending on who it is. But I think she's put a lot of
emotion into it. You can feel that she's gotten inside of the song.

SF: Was "Double Vision" about a hockey player?

Mick: Yeah. Well, that's where the title came from. We were at a hockey game. I
was an avid Rangers fan in those days, and Lou and I went to a game, and the
goaltender for the Rangers got a concussion, and it was announced over the PA
that he was taken off and was suffering from double vision. I'd never heard that
term before, and we picked up on it. And then that led to the title for that
song. I know it was received by a majority of the public as a drug song. I
didn't mind that, you know. It wasn't the intention in the beginning, but that's
how a lot of people interpreted it.

SF: Who was the goalie?

Mick: It was John Davidson. And we've had a laugh over that several times. I've
met him, you know, we always bring that back.

SF: Who was the "Dirty White Boy"?

Mick: For me, it was Elvis Presley. To me, he always was that dirty white boy
who changed the shape of music completely. It was talking about the kind of
heritage that he left, and I think that had an effect on all the musicians that
came after, like Mick Jagger - he was also a dirty white boy. Elvis paved the
way for all that.

SF: Tell me about "Juke Box Hero."

Mick: That stemmed from an experience that we had, I think it was in Cincinnati.
We'd gone to the arena for a sound check, and it was pouring down rain, and
there were a bunch of fans waiting at the door when we went in. When we came
back for the show later on, all that was left was one lonely fan, a young guy
waiting out there in the rain, soaked to the skin. I thought, well, he's waiting
like five hours here, maybe we'll take him in and give him a glimpse of what
happens backstage at a show. And this kid was just mesmerized with everything. I
saw this look in his eyes, and I thought, he's seeing this for the first time,
he's having this experience. And I just imagined what was going through his
mind. And I'd been toying with this title, "Juke Box Hero," I thought it was
almost a satire on what we did and how it was perceived from an audience level,
and public. That's how it originated.

Mick co-produced all of Foreigner's albums, and also produced 5150 with Van
Halen and Storm Front with Billy Joel. Mutt Lange co-produced Foreigner's 1981
album 4, which contains "Juke Box Hero," "Urgent" and "Waiting for a Girl Like
You."



SF: You've worked with Mutt Lange, who is known for being absolutely meticulous.
What are you like as a producer?

Mick: Well, I was very meticulous at the beginning. Probably over the top in
that way. Mutt and I shared that fanaticism in a way. In spite of that, we were
able to still keep the goal in mind of what we were trying to achieve in these
songs. We locked horns at the beginning, both pretty strong-minded about what we
wanted to achieve, and we gradually discovered that it was the same thing. He
drew a lot out of me. He was the first person that insisted on listening to
every single idea I had on every single cassette tape, or any ideas I had
anywhere, down on paper or lyrically, phonetically, instrumentally. He pulled
songs like "Urgent" out of that, and contributed a lot to "Juke Box Hero." It
ended up being a great relationship. And indeed, we spent a lot of time in the
studio making that album. Probably more than we needed, to be truthful. But
those were the days of excessive studio experiences (laughing). These days, I
draw on that experience every time I try to produce or co-produce, because I
always felt that I could benefit from somebody else's ears. I still learn. I
still feel I've got a lot to learn, even with the amount of experience I've had,
I'm open. I still try and keep an open mind about even criticism. Instead of
taking an affront, I try and learn and try to profit from that.

SF: Tell me about producing 5150.

Mick: Wow. That was an adventure. It was on the heels of the departure of David
Lee Roth, and when I entered into it, I took it as a really big challenge. I'd
known Sammy Hagar for a number of years, and I think he felt that he needed
somebody to work with him on the vocals and in some cases the melodies. I didn't
participate in the writing, but I think my input there was working with Sammy to
really draw the emotion out of his songs. You know, Eddie's a stunning guitar
player, and I certainly didn't have much to teach him. (laughs) But I think we
both learned from the experience. My approach as a producer as well, I think
that benefited the album. The personalities in the band - he and Alex -
certainly created some excitement. The brothers were going through a
particularly charged emotional relationship at the time, and there were some
crazy situations that went on there. But I think all in all, my main
contribution was drawing the most I could out of Sammy's vocal performances, and
really trying to dig down inside the songs and bring out the right feelings.

SF: I'm getting a sense that your sound, what you do to create these songs
people want to hear, is more about emotion than it is about turning the right
knob.

Mick: Oh yeah, definitely. Completely, actually. I always work with accomplished
engineers, because I feel I need the space to concentrate on the musical content
of the song. I think that's why Billy Joel was attracted to what I could
contribute - he respected me as a songwriter, and felt that I could be more
critical about the writing phase of the project, and eventually bring the songs
to the right conclusion.

SF: I was surprised that you didn't do the production on the remixed CD of all
those classic Foreigner songs.

Mick: Well, I went through that experience way back, you know. And I wanted to
keep that memory and not really tamper with it myself. I had a lot of faith in
Marti Frederiksen, and he had a lot of respect for the songs. And it was was not
really tampering with them in any creative way. It was just enhancing them
sound-wise, perhaps with the benefit of modern technology, and trying to
re-create the feeling that you would have had back in the day when you just
bought the record. I'm really sort of taking the cotton wool off the surface.
These recordings have gone through all kinds of different processes when they've
been released over the years, and eventually, they lose a lot of the sound
quality that they had at the beginning. It was really an attempt to bring them
back, add to them dynamically, and work on the drum sounds a little bit, and in
some cases even discover little subliminal sounds that are there that you may
not have heard so well, and generally I feel that they've got a new fresh sound
to them, and I'm quite happy with them. A lot of people notice. You could say
it's subtle, but I think if you A and B them, put the old one on and then the
new one side by side, you'd notice that there's definitely a lot more punch and
clarity in them.

SF: The first single, "When It Comes To Love," is a pretty emotional song. Can
you tell me about that?

Mick: That was an experience, too. It's quite personal, so I don't know how far
I could go into it. (laughs) But I'd had a romantic interlude after a pretty
painful divorce, and this was a breath of fresh air into my life. But that ended
up not going much further, and I was emotionally a bit unsettled at the time.
Then after it ended, I felt regret about it. And I felt that maybe after all I
should have put more into the relationship, and maybe I'd missed a chance. "It
could have been you" was basically the message in the song. And was, in fact,
the original title of the song. It also reflected some of the times that I've
messed up the relationships I'd had, and I'm a bit introspective about it.

SF: What's one of the other songs on the album that you think is a really strong
track?

Mick: I'm obviously attached to all of the songs, in a way. There's something
that was captured on the song called "In Pieces" that moves me quite a bit. It's
a powerful, powerful song. And the whole track to me has really got a drive to
it. Although you'd term it as a slower song, it's not a ballad, it's a strong,
strong song. Again, it's a relationship song about a heart being shattered.
Kelly does a great vocal performance on it. He's put his heart and soul into
these songs, and you can feel it. I think there's a lot of conviction in the
vocal performances throughout the album.

SF: Yeah, there's a degree of soul to it.

Mick: Yep. Well, he's got that sort of background, too. The initial magic with
Lou, is that we had that foundation to draw from, and the same inspirations
throughout our careers - the people that had inspired us early on. We were
always looking for the integrity of influences that we've had growing up, and
then developing those influences into a style of our own.

SF: The last track on the album - "Fool For You Anyway" - was produced by Mark
Ronson. (Who produced the Amy Winehouse album Back To Black.)

Mick: Well, Mark is my stepson. I've raised him from the age of 7. He always
showed an intense interest in music right from the get-go, and I suppose growing
up in that household with me, a lot of it rubbed off. I'd always play him the
latest stuff that I was doing, and he was in some ways affected by that, I'm
sure. He started out with a little band that he had here in New York, and even
though he's a very bright guy - he did very well at school - he still had the
time to really concentrate on his music. And then that took him into DJing, and
he went through a pretty long spell building up a reputation as a great DJ. And
that sort of morphed into production for him, and gradually he built up a great
reputation as a producer. Right from the early days, from when he was in his
teens, we'd talk about putting the idea together: "Well, if you get to a certain
point, maybe we can work together." And it took a while, but we were talking
about a year ago, and I said, "How about we work on something on this new album
I'm doing?" He was really up for it, and "Fool For You Anyway" was one of his
favorite songs from early on. He chose that one to produce. And I let him do his
thing. He's a big fan of that sort of late '60s, The Band era, also a big soul
music fan, and he's really brought that kind of a pure sort of respecting that
era kind of a sound to it. It's kind of a retro sound on there, definitely, with
the brass and the live recording to an old Ampex tape machine that he uses.

The Can't Slow Down album with the disc of Foreigner's hits and DVD of live
performances is available at Wal-Mart for the absurdly low price of $12.
We spoke with Mick October 23, 2009.
Get more Foreigner at their official site

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/11/prweb3153264.htm


Rock God guitarist Joe Satriani joins icons Tommy Lee, Skunk Baxter, Gary
Wright, Elliott Easton and other legendary musicians at Cabo's leading resort.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 4, 2009 -- October was "Rocktober" at Casa
Dorada Los Cabos Resort & Spa, as the resort played host to four high-profile
music-related events!

Guests of Sammy Hagar's week-long Birthday Bash at Cabo Wabo called Casa Dorada
their home away from home, enjoying the varied amenities of the resort, from the
pools to the Saltwater Spa, to the renowned 12 Tribes Restaurant. Among Sammy's
guests were legendary guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Matt Sorum of Velvet
Revolver and Guns N Roses.


  "To be surrounded by some of the greatest rock legends in history was truly an
honor and a privilege," said Casa Dorada's General Manager Victor Gomez.
On October 14, the closing-night concert of the Puerto Los Cabos World Cup was
held poolside at Casa Dorada with a performance by Hit Men All-stars, which
features Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jeffrey "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers
& Steely Dan, singer Gary Wright ("Dreamweaver"), Boston drummer Curly Smith,
Kenny Lee Lewis of Steve Miller Band, Billy Burnette of Fleetwood Mac & John
Fogerty Band, Elliot Easton of The Cars and Jack Sonni of Dire Straits fame.
Proceeds went to the Los Cabos Children's' Foundation.

Casa Dorada also served as the official hotel of Hautter.com's 11th annual Pimp
'n Ho Costume Ball, which was held on October 24 and hosted by legendary Motley
Crue drummer Tommy Lee. This sexy Cabo tradition also featured performances by
Los Angeles-based DJs Aero and Loli, also guests at the resort.

"To be surrounded by some of the greatest rock legends in history was truly an
honor and a privilege," said Casa Dorada's General Manager Victor Gomez. "And
since our stage provides the most striking backdrop in Cabo, we are looking
forward to hosting more performances at Casa Dorada."

The month concluded with a Halloween night performance by Los Pulpos en su
Tinta; the popular Mexican Latin pop band performed to over 300 costumed people
in the trendy The B Lounge at Casa Dorada.

ABOUT CASA DORADA LOS CABOS RESORT & SPA: Casa Dorada, a member of Preferred
Hotels® & Resorts and an AAA Four Diamond property, has 186 deluxe ocean-view
rooms and suites situated on five acres of beachfront property. East meets West
in the 7,000-square-foot Saltwater Spa that features unusual offerings such as a
saltwater ritual and the Couleur de Vie, a treatment that combines color
therapy, aromatherapy and thalassotherapy (salt water). 12 Tribes restaurant is
inspired by the legendary 12 Tribes of Israel. Executive Chef Rios sourced close
to 400 ingredients from 30 countries including Spain, Romania, Israel, Yemen,
Ethiopia, Russia, France and more. Casa Dorada also features an air-conditioned
beachfront restaurant, private Beach Club and three swimming pools.
                                                                          ###

----- Original Message -----

From: GerardY

To: spooky_tooth@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 10:04 PM

Subject: [spooky_tooth] Foreigner Concert Review: Stands The Test Of Time

 

http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/5477/Foreigner_Concert_Review:_Stands_The_Test_Of_Time

It was a flashback for the flocks of fans that flooded into the Fillmore Auditorium for the sold out Foreigner concert. The band, which formed in 1976, has a relatively new lead singer in Kelly Hansen. That didn't deter any of the thousands that crowded into the general admission venue from spending their Friday night with the legendary rock band.

With no opening act Foreigner was obviously the main draw and was expected to put on quite a show. At least one worthy of the cost of admission. The band did not disappoint. Hansen fits in perfectly with the group and has the quintessential eighties rock voice. With a history of heavy metal, and stints with a slew of bands under his belt, the front man put on quite a performance. He had no problem leaving the stage and getting up close and personal with the fans, as he did numerous times throughout the two hour set.

Although by day the members of Foreigner may look like run of the mill guys in their fifties, by night they try their hardest to shed that image. Tight t-shirts, painted on jeans, a lot of over sized jewelry, and maybe a few drinks later they almost look like rock stars. Remember this isn't 1976 anymore, but even though they do look their age they sure don't sound any older. The live performance was almost identical to that of recorded material. Spot on performances of "Feels Like The First Time," and "Cold As Ice," showed that Foreigner is far from retirement.

Hansen commanded most of the spotlight, as lead singers do, but the truly talented Mick Jones may have been the real star of the show. The founding member of the group, Jones, came front and center a few times throughout the set and wailed on lead guitar. His shredding guitar solos were the high points of the night.

As the set wound down the obvious mega hit was saved for the encore. As Hansen flailed and screamed through "Cold Blooded," the auditorium shook with applause and the audience took over the vocals. Between the ten minute drum solo and Hansen's voice, which epitomizes the eighties rock sound, Foreigner did what many critics had said they could never do. They stood the test of time.

Review By: Tyler Sobie

---

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http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/5477/Foreigner_Concert_Review:_Stands_The_Test_O\
f_Time

It was a flashback for the flocks of fans that flooded into the Fillmore
Auditorium for the sold out Foreigner concert. The band, which formed in 1976,
has a relatively new lead singer in Kelly Hansen. That didn't deter any of the
thousands that crowded into the general admission venue from spending their
Friday night with the legendary rock band.

With no opening act Foreigner was obviously the main draw and was expected to
put on quite a show. At least one worthy of the cost of admission. The band did
not disappoint. Hansen fits in perfectly with the group and has the
quintessential eighties rock voice. With a history of heavy metal, and stints
with a slew of bands under his belt, the front man put on quite a performance.
He had no problem leaving the stage and getting up close and personal with the
fans, as he did numerous times throughout the two hour set.

Although by day the members of Foreigner may look like run of the mill guys in
their fifties, by night they try their hardest to shed that image. Tight
t-shirts, painted on jeans, a lot of over sized jewelry, and maybe a few drinks
later they almost look like rock stars. Remember this isn't 1976 anymore, but
even though they do look their age they sure don't sound any older. The live
performance was almost identical to that of recorded material. Spot on
performances of "Feels Like The First Time," and "Cold As Ice," showed that
Foreigner is far from retirement.

Hansen commanded most of the spotlight, as lead singers do, but the truly
talented Mick Jones may have been the real star of the show. The founding member
of the group, Jones, came front and center a few times throughout the set and
wailed on lead guitar. His shredding guitar solos were the high points of the
night.

As the set wound down the obvious mega hit was saved for the encore. As Hansen
flailed and screamed through "Cold Blooded," the auditorium shook with applause
and the audience took over the vocals. Between the ten minute drum solo and
Hansen's voice, which epitomizes the eighties rock sound, Foreigner did what
many critics had said they could never do. They stood the test of time.

Review By: Tyler Sobie

http://proglair.blogspot.com/2009/11/spooky-two.html

First off, let's be clear on my definition of "progressive" here. It pertains to
more than just bands with mellotrons and synthesizers, or 20-minute,
multi-section concept pieces taking up the entire side of an album (back when
albums had sides). My definition includes any bands that were creative, fresh,
unique, special, strange, different, etc. In other words, bands truly pushing
the envelope, sounding like something you never heard before. Which, let's face
it, pretty much includes most any band that came of age in the span between 1965
and 1975. Take England's Spooky Tooth. I've had a few bad toothaches in my time,
but never one I would describe as "spooky." So right off the bat, the band's
name gets your attention. Then there's the music. In 1969, rock music was
getting heavy all right, but this stuff was HEAVY – a thick mix of churchy
Hammond organ, high-voltage lead guitar, and lead singer Mike Harrison, whose
ragged vocal chords out-shredded even those of the legendary, gravel-gargling
Joe Cocker (who, BTW, sings background vocals on this album). Harrison's
smooth-as-sandpaper voice was further complimented by organist Gary Wright's
higher-than-helium falsetto vocals. Spooky Two, the band's second album (not
surprisingly), was no sophomore slump – these guys were just hitting their
stride. Kicking off with a simple drum pattern that gradually morphs into the
heaviest of Hammond organ chords, album opener "Waiting for the Wind" lays down
the heavy sonic template that defines Spooky Two. The album centerpiece is the
bluesy epic "Evil Woman," with lyrics Adam could've easily sung to Eve after the
apple incident: "Woman…when I saw ya comin'…shoulda started runnin'…evil woman…"
Erupting smack in the middle of this domestic dispute is an extreme jolt of
supercharged guitar pyrotechnics courtesy of Luther Grosvenor – with guitar
notes literally exploding off the fret board in all directions like Fourth of
July fireworks. "Lost in My Dream" and "Better By You, Better Than Me" further
reinforce the dark, ominous, heavy-riffing atmosphere that haunts much of Spooky
Two. Sadly, the band seemed to peak a bit too early on only their second outing,
and this lineup would soon begin to splinter. There would be more albums, with
different players, but Spooky Tooth would never again produce an album this
strong. Scary to think what might have been.

Essential Tracks: "Waiting for the Wind" "Feelin' Bad" "Evil Woman" "Better By
You, Better Than Me

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/jones-son-eyes-pop-career_1120895


FOREIGNER rocker MICK JONES' son is set to follow in his father's footsteps -
the rock offspring is launching his own music career.
Jones second eldest son, Chris, has already made a name for himself modelling in
hip-hop mogul Jay-Z's Rocawear fashion campaigns.

He has now teamed up with hip-hop producer Scott Storch - who has worked with
chart toppers Eminem, Chris Brown and Mariah Carey - for an assault on the pop
charts.

The wannabe rocker took the stage to showcase his electro-pop sound during a
performance at Miami, Florida's Wall Lounge over the weekend (begs31Oct09),
where he was introduced as "the next big thing".
According to the New York Post, the former model already has a celebrity
following - British actor Jason Statham and former 'N Sync singer Lance Bass
were among the famous faces toasting Jones' success.

http://islandsofecstasy.blogspot.com/2009/10/immortal-story-only-ones-lp-only-on\
es.html

When The Only Ones emerged in 1978 with one of the great debut LPs in British
rock - and a name which showed they had confidence in spades - stardom seemed a
foregone conclusion.

Great songs, superb musicianship, a brilliant live act uniformly adored by the
music press. What could possibly go wrong?

But only three years later it was all over. Mired in drug addiction and with a
lead singer bizarrely on the run from an attempted murder rap on their final US
tour, The Only Ones imploded.

I was a rabid fan from the very start, buying every release and following their
live act around the UK. One highlight was the legendary Leeds Futurama festival,
where they shared a star-studded bill with Joy Division, Public Image Ltd and
other post-punk luminaries.

Though they were lumped in with the new wave vanguard, the band were too
musically literate - not to mention long in the tooth - to be punks. Rather they
were a sophisticated guitar rock band whose sound embraced all flavors of 50s
and 60s rock.



In Peter Perrett they possessed a gifted, idiosyncratic songwriter who seemed
destined to become a leading figure in British rock. An androgynous Dylan
obsessive with a predilection for hippy fashion, Perrett sang in a narcotic
drawl which perfectly matched his tales of tragic dissociation.

In John Perry they boasted one of the great unsung guitar heroes. A portly,
cricket-loving axe genius who wore an expression of semi-stoned indifference,
Perry was a guitarists' guitarist, effortlessly unleashing one awesome lick
after another on his trademark white Stratocaster.

Drummer Mike Kellie and bassist Alan Mair were 60s renegades who had seen it all
with progressive rockers Spooky Tooth (Kellie) and "The Scottish Beatles" The
Beatstalkers (Mair). Kellie was a commanding and musical drummer, Mair a solid
and inventive bassist and producer.

So how could a band so obviously steeped in talent fail to attain the success
which seemed their birthright?

It was partly because they signed with corporate monsters CBS, Perrett being
keen to share a label with his idol Bob Dylan. But The Only Ones were far too
wayward to accommodate the demands of a major. Their constant stylistic
variation, anti-image, aloof stage persona and Perrett's unusually fey vocal
style didn't exactly make them obvious chart toppers. Tragically they spurned
the advances of Island Records, whose maverick style would have suited them far
better.

But let's not forget the dope.

For three-quarters of the band were unapologetic drug fiends whose interviews
were loaded with references to smack and marijuana. No surprise their eponymous
debut stands as one of the great substance-obsessed albums in rock, packed with
drug-inspired ballads of dissolution and isolation.



It kicks off with the aching love song The Whole of the Law. Taking its title
from dark magus Aleister Crowley's foreboding dictum "Do what thou wilt, that
shall be the whole of the law," the opener sets the tone for the album's
romantic fatalism. With superbly restrained guitar flourishes from Perry, it's a
stunning beginning and a worthy curtain-raiser to "the hit single that never
was."

Perrett's stupendous Another Girl Another Planet - the band's most celebrated
track - seems to equate love with addiction until you realize the "girl" is
actually heroin itself: "Space travel's in my blood/There ain't nothing I can do
about it." The parting line, "Another planet is holding you down" suggests
escape is futile.

The greatness of Another Girl demanded nothing less than superlative
musicianship, and as usual the band rise to the occasion, most notably with John
Perry's legendary guitar solo, one of his many jaw-dropping moments on this
record.

If an obbligato should be part and parcel of a song, emerging organically from
its spiritual center, Perry's effort is a case in point as he comments on the
lyric's general sense of elevation and transcendence. Admirably tasteful and
accomplished, it's one of the great pop guitar solos.

Throughout The Only Ones, love is always seen as something on the verge of
collapse, threatened by dissolution, addiction and departure. The protagonist of
Breaking Down describes mental anguish and the hand of fate closing in: "People
keep away from me/Guess there's something wrong with me/I can't do you no good/I
always thought I could."

The song's jazzy break illustrates the fact that The Only Ones were musically
miles ahead of their punky peers. Here as on every other song, Mike Kellie's
drums are fluid and articulate, his tom-toms characteristically punctuating the
stereo spectrum in effective style.



After that the carousing City of Fun comes bursting out of the speakers. It's a
celebration of city madness with "people drowning in a sea of life," from which
there's "only one way out." And what do you think that might be? A haze of
narcotic escapism, perhaps? Perry's frantic guitar adds to the general sense of
life on the edge.

Creature of Doom begins with a comparative feeling of optimism: "I know
something that you don't know/It's our destiny /You and me could conquer the
world." But with its talk of epitaphs and final straws there's always the
feeling that romantic debilitation is around the corner, redeemable only through
some kind of unholy co-dependency.

So it is that It's the Truth describes the stunted communication between a pair
of heroin-addicted lovers. "Something's been going wrong/I'm all fixed up and I
don't know what's going on/I gotta talk to you...," but then "It's the last time
I'm ever going to." Again the romanticism of the junkie aesthete: maybe I never
appreciated you and we're both fucked-up, but this whole stupid thing means
everything to me.

Language Problem contains some of Perrett's most twisted lines: "My parents told
me that love don't exist just for pleasure/So I guess I'll throw in some pain
for good measure." If there's a moral lesson, it's that drugs lead to a
debilitating codependency: "Taking drugs is one thing we got in common/It helps
to overcome the language problem/And we really enjoy the damage." Having said
that, there's always a healthy dose of black humor in evidence.

If I have a favorite track on The Only Ones it just might be No Peace for the
Wicked. With its sense of weary isolation and its self-mocking lyric, after all
these years I still regard it as one of my personal theme songs.

I don't know how Perrett manages to fit lines like "Why do I go through these
deep emotional traumas/Why can't I be like I always wanted to be, carefree?"
into a pop song, but he does so in a fashion that would make Syd Barrett proud.
The track features an heartbreaking guitar solo from Perry before Perrett
confides: "I'm in love with extreme mental torture," a declaration of lovelorn
masochism which will appeal to beautiful losers the world over even as it
alienates those of a more pragmatic disposition.

With its opening declaration: "I used to dream of this/I'd lay awake at night
imagining this," the album's closing track, The Immortal Story deals with the
scary prospect of finally possessing the object of one's affections: "When
dreams become reality that's living death can't you see?" In its recognition
that the best laid plans sometimes go awry, the song unconsciously foreshadows
the demise of The Only Ones' quest for fame and glory.




Scandalously ignored by the record-buying pubic - only reaching number 56 in the
UK album charts - after 30 odd years this bona fide classic remains one of my
favorite LPs. The reason for this - apart from its musical brilliance – is
because I can still detect echoes of my past, my aspirations, friendships and
romantic tragedies, reflected in each exquisite moment. It also reminds me of a
time when each musical experience mattered and seemed loaded with meaning and
discovery.

Fans and admirers have long lamented the fact that a band blessed with an
abundance of musical and songwriting talent never achieved the success that
seemed theirs for the taking. But it's clear now that the seeds of The Only
Ones' artistic collapse were evident in their earliest recordings. The band's
downfall serves as a cautionary reminder to those who would confuse artistic
expression with druggy excess.

For one brief moment, The Only Ones' debut shone brightly and gave us 35 minutes
of perfect, twisted pop. Describing the search for love and meaning in a nether
world of narcotic romanticism, it's an album of intelligence, wit and emotional
honesty which also happens to rock like a mutha.

Even today - thirty years later - it continues to shine on. And there's a
million frustrated rockers who would give their right arm to bequeath a legacy
like that, me included.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1256799044949&pagename=JPost%2FJPArti\
cle%2FShowFull
 
Founder and Gong mainstay Daevid Allen actually looks like an overgrown gnome,
with his matching flowing white beard and flowing white clothing lending a
swirling visual quality to the band's performances. Throw in a brain-melting
psychedelic light show backdrop for the band - featuring guitarist/vocalist
Allen, his wife Gilli Smyth on vocals and the aforementioned space whisper,
legendary guitarist Steve Hillage, and Miquette Giraudy on prog rock staple the
synthesizer - to enhance the band's dense, complex songs, and you get an
authentic, and surprisingly rocking return to the mind-expanding early 1970s.
 
Allen, from Australia, formed the band in 1967 in France with Smyth, and
luminaries who were associated with the band in their early incarnations
included Robert Wyatt, Gary Wright from Spooky Tooth, Maggie Bell and Yes
drummer Bill Bruford. Through countless albums, offshoots and projects, Gong
evolved into what their Website calls "a band which too few people love too
much," full of "buds, satellites, comet-like offshoots… but always at the
heart of all these bands, musicians, poets, artists and performers lies the
original seed vision of the luminous green planet Gong."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/now-and-then/2009/oct/29/cliff-lee-meet-gary-wr\
ight/

NOW

I do not really know about the "astral plane" that Gary "Dream Weaver" Wright
sang about while pounding on the keyboards in 1976, only that Cliff Lee appeared
to be on one last night for the Phillies against the Yankees.

A complete game in the World Series? Who does Lee think he is, Mickey Lolich?

Then there were those plays in the field.

You'd have to be an angel, spirit or other immaterial being to catch a well-hit
ball with one hand behind your back, which is what Lee did.

To paraphrase the lyrics, Alex Rodriguez (three strikeouts) just closed his eyes
and climbed aboard the dream weaver train.

THEN

Gary Wright claims he was the first guy to record a rock 'n' roll album without
guitars, which, when you think about is, is almost as difficult as that
behind-the-back play Cliff Lee made on Robinson Cano last night.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/stuartbailie/2009/10/hanging_with_henry.shtml

----- Original Message -----

From: viscount626

To: spooky_tooth@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 11:41 PM

Subject: [spooky_tooth] Re: You Broke My Heart vinyl question

 

So, how would one find out where/when a record convention is happening in one's local area?

---

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Version: 8.5.423 / Virus Database: 270.14.28/2454 - Release Date: 10/23/09 14:09:00