The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 4, 2009 Report Posted October 4, 2009 I spec Mike thinks that happened in the eighties MG Caught me on the hop there, Bev. No, I want the three cornered exchange with all the Senegalese drummers over here in South Wales. MG Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted October 4, 2009 Report Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) Don't know if this would interest you, MG, but this young UK band have had a project going for a few years with drummers from Guinea. They played Cheltenham last year and were excellent - Ornettish jazz with African rhythm: http://www.jazzcds.co.uk/artist_id_1044/cd_id_1561 Their drummer, Dave Smith, is the most impressive young jazz drummer I've come across since Seb Rochford emerged. Sorry. Bugger all to do with the Hollies. ****************** Can I also say the wolf whistles on Jennifer Eccles annoy me. Along with the un-English line about 'making the grade'. Should have been 'One Monday morning, found out I'd passed the 11-Plus.' Might have made rhyming difficult. And god knows what they'd have made of it in Peoria. Edited October 4, 2009 by Bev Stapleton Quote
Royal Oak Posted October 4, 2009 Report Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) I've always hated 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' with a passion! Sounded too preachy to a 15 year old at the time and it all just comes across as too melodramatic. I always liked it for the melody, harmony, and arrangement. I've never been a lyrics person, in fact I'd have to admit I've always been somewhat of an voluntarily apathetic dunce in that regard. Never cared much for poetry, either. At any rate, I would have thought that the dislike that a lot of people have for this song would also have a lot to do with the "bombardment" I referred to earlier. I mean, was there anybody who didn't record that tune back in the day? If you had the radio or the tv on for longer than 10 minutes, I'm pretty sure you would have heard it. And yet I still like it. When I hear it now, it has kind of an (appealing) haunting quality to it. It didn't help that the song featured in an English TV advert for beer in the late 1980s. It was a "return-of-the-prodigal son" scenario. The denouement: A very crowded pub where a lone barmaid is rushing around trying to serve everyone. A trilby hat lands on the bar; a note in the hatband says "The usual. x" (or something like that). At this point the barmaid stops, wets her pants and pours a pint of naff lager for our returning hero. Edited October 4, 2009 by rdavenport Quote
BruceH Posted October 4, 2009 Report Posted October 4, 2009 How 'bout we just eradicate all recording with drum machines up to the point where they (the so-vcalled "dance underground" finally figured out how to make them groove? I'd gladly make that deal! I like the drum machines in Guinean music a lot. But one's mileage very definitely varies on that - Mike Weil HATES them in Guinean music. And I can see why. I just don't agree. MG Must admit, I have nothing against the drum machine on the first Fountains of Wayne album...just sounds like normal drumming to me. Quote
Stereojack Posted October 4, 2009 Report Posted October 4, 2009 I've always hated 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' with a passion! Sounded too preachy to a 15 year old at the time and it all just comes across as too melodramatic. Anybody ever heard (composer) Bobby Scott's original version? It's very different from the Hollies take. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted October 5, 2009 Report Posted October 5, 2009 Bobby Scott? I always assumed it was a Neil Diamond tune. It has that exact quality that I find so annoying in his work... Quote
Stereojack Posted October 5, 2009 Report Posted October 5, 2009 Bobby Scott? I always assumed it was a Neil Diamond tune. It has that exact quality that I find so annoying in his work... ...shudder... I think Diamond may have recorded it, but Bobby Scott is the composer. Never liked the tune until I heard Scott's version. Quote
BruceH Posted October 5, 2009 Report Posted October 5, 2009 Bobby Scott? I always assumed it was a Neil Diamond tune. It has that exact quality that I find so annoying in his work... ...shudder... I think Diamond may have recorded it, but Bobby Scott is the composer. Never liked the tune until I heard Scott's version. Don't know if I've ever heard Scott's version. Probably not, as I've always loathed that tune. Quote
JSngry Posted October 5, 2009 Author Report Posted October 5, 2009 Bobby Scott was an interesting person... Quote
Jazzmoose Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 Bobby Scott? I always assumed it was a Neil Diamond tune. It has that exact quality that I find so annoying in his work... ...shudder... I think Diamond may have recorded it, but Bobby Scott is the composer. Never liked the tune until I heard Scott's version. He definitely recorded it, before the Hollies, though his single of the tune wasn't released until after the Hollies version. Quote
JSngry Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Posted October 6, 2009 ...and not heavy at all. Hmmm...played piano w/Lester Young, arranged for Marvin Gaye, wrote "A Taste Of Honey"...maybe not "heavy" in any one thing, but anybody with that wide a range, not just of skills but of demonstrated more-than-mere-competency is certainly no "lightweight"... Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 Is this the same Bobby Scott who ghost-arranged for Q and composed and arranged the album "The City" that came out under the name of one of the Elgarts? Quote
JSngry Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Posted October 6, 2009 I believe so. A very multi-faceted talent. Quote
Stereojack Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 Is this the same Bobby Scott who ghost-arranged for Q and composed and arranged the album "The City" that came out under the name of one of the Elgarts? Yes - a very interesting musical figure. Began his career as a jazz pianist, had a pop hit "Chain Gang" in the mid-1950's, pursued a career as a singer, songwriter, arranger, composer, and record producer in the 1960's. Developed a style of singing that borders on R&B, made a series of vocal albums for Mercury, ABC, Atlantic, Warner Bros in the 1960's and 70's, culminating in the early 90's with a masterpiece entitled "Slowly" for Music Masters. On that final album, his voice had descended into Tom Waits territory, but his delivery was very moving. I've been a big fan for a long time. Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 Yes - a very interesting musical figure. Wow, thanks for sharing. Do you know that album "The City?" It's one of those albums that I picked up years ago and have NEVER seen another copy anywhere for any price. It's on MGM, which partially explains it. One of those tone poems depicting the many moods of the concrete jungle, like Phil Moore's "New York Sweet" and Manny Albam's album on Solid State (the title escapes me). Bobby Scott's orchestrations on that album are really good but it's very dense throughout - it's a bit much at one listen but you could DJ virtually any single track within a larger set. I just wish he'd left more breathing room and varied the density a little. Had NO idea this was the guy who wrote "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother." Quote
Jim R Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 Had NO idea this was the guy who wrote "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother." CO-wrote. I don't think anybody's mentioned that here so far. He wrote the music, and Bob Russell the lyrics, as I understand it. Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 He wrote the music, and Bob Russell the lyrics, as I understand it. That's a relief! Quote
JSngry Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Posted October 6, 2009 The lyrics aren't that bad in theory... Quote
Dan Gould Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 The lyrics aren't that bad in theory... Yeah, but in practice, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nID8wS5Gnlk... Quote
JSngry Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Posted October 6, 2009 Well, uh...YEAH! I mean, seriously, you gotta understate those lyrics to make 'em work, and when was the last time you saw anybody, especially a singer who had what they saw as a chance to "make a statement" be able to sublimate their ego enough to actually make one? But I'd like to hear Bobby Scott's version. really, I would. Quote
JSngry Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Posted October 6, 2009 Marc Myers: Who Was Bobby Scott? http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/05/who-was-bobby-scott.html Quote
Jim R Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 Marc Myers: Who Was Bobby Scott? http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/05/who-was-bobby-scott.html Wow, thanks for that. Don't miss the comments section following the article. Quote
Stereojack Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 The lyrics aren't that bad in theory... Yeah, but in practice, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nID8wS5Gnlk... This is basically the Hollies' arrangement. Scott's own version is not so bright and cheery. It appears on the Warner Bros. LP "Robert William Scott". Quote
crisp Posted October 6, 2009 Report Posted October 6, 2009 Had NO idea this was the guy who wrote "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother." CO-wrote. I don't think anybody's mentioned that here so far. He wrote the music, and Bob Russell the lyrics, as I understand it. The same Bob Russell who wrote the lyrics to Don't Get Around Much Any More, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me and You Came a Long Way from St Louis, among many others. Russell was dying of cancer when he wrote He Ain't Heavy. I think it's a lovely lyric, especially the poignant last A section: "It's a long, long road/ From which there is no return/ While we're on the way to there/ Why not share?" Needs the right performer, though. Quote
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