A question to the "older" Forum members

[Dave Hopping]

At the time I was a college kid playing frat-rock.I thought the Fabs were a working rock and roll/R&B band with a couple of good singers/writers doing what it took to make a living on a REALLY tight budget while they were trying to get their music on the charts.I have the perception(JMHO-YMMV) that the horns,keys,standalone lead and backup singers typical of a lot of US and Canadian R&B outfits of the time were just plain out of JPG&R's financial reach,so they had to do the job with what they had,rather than what they might have wanted.
I honestly thought the Beatles didn't have the production polish we were used to hearing from American acts,but I was just knocked out with the power of their live ensemble playing.

It wasn't long before Beatles tunes began popping up on the setlist.Helped along by the entirely serendipitous gift of a new Country Gentleman from my folks about six months previously.

[Tony Prior]

and also the Remains feat. Barry Tashian (of course they are Americans)
.
http://www.rockzirkus.de/forum/thread-8664.html
Joachim

Barry is from the same town that I am from. Westport Ct. I knew and still know Barry. last I saw him and Holly was on a quick visit to Nashville a few years ago, we stopped by to visit them. I still hear from Holly now and then by Email.

Now, the Remains the original band from the 60's, that was one hot band and show, they still have a huge cult following and play a dozen or more shows each year, but the are not nearly as assertive as they were back then. the Remains toured with the Beatles on the last US tour then they couldn't survive as a unit anymore.

The Remains did a number of very hi powered shows in the area and we went to everyone of them. Even went to Boston to see them. Our High School even had a special Remains concert as Barry and Bill Briggs ( Piano both graduated from the Staples High in Westport.

Barry ended up back in town and Holly, his wife, at some point started playing country and put a band together, she called me and I played Steel. Barry was on drums ! We practiced a lot and even did a few gigs right up until Barry got the call from Emmylou and off he went, then off Holly went then blah we went. Barry toured with Emmylou for a long time, maybe 10 years.

Surprisingly for me right after that gig went belly up Denny Dougherty from the Mommas and Poppas came to town with an old friend of mine, they called me and I played Steel with them for about 3 months or at least until it all imploded with "huge ego's intact"

Speaking of Barry Tashian, he was my first influence for electric guitar. I may have been 10 or 11, I was with my sister at some sort of school thing where Barry, maybe 13 or so, was setup with an Electric Guitar singing songs.The kids were going bonkers. Pre-Beatles.

That was it for me. Sold.

Once you start on this 60's music journey , it all comes back very clearly.

Supposed true story...

The Remains, when touring with the Beatles carried a very custom built sound system, with a separate monitor system. They used two mics on the mic stands for each vocalist, one for the mains one for the monitors. My friend tells me that this was the remains idea and the Beatles used their sound system and then the two mic thing. You can see many photo's of the Beatles using two mics in that time era. I think this may be in Barry's book, Ticket to Ride.

[Tony Glassman]

Nobody's mentioned the Yardbirds? Clapton, Page AND Beck!

Exactly right......or The Who, for that matter!

I loved nearly all the Brit bands with the exception of a few (Herman's Hermits, etc.). We actually owe the UK a huge debt for re-introducing American roots music influences to the U.S.

[Michael Johnstone]

I'm old enough to have already been playing a few years when all that happened,so I pretty much knew if it was good or not. I was a 16 year old surf/blues/rock/R&B guitarist who already had a pretty good grasp of American pop music and had been playing steady top 40 bar gigs for 2 or 3 years by 1964. 2 or 3 years later I was a little more seasoned and am able to say at 19 I was on the road with,opened for and drank with the Yardbirds w/Beck,The Animals,The Hollies,Zombies,Stones,Cream,The Who and Hendrix on some of their first U.S.tours,as well as American groups of the same or better stature like The Byrds,Beach Boys,Four Seasons and others. I thought there were some good groups from England and as far as I'm concerned,the better groups at the time were the Animals,Spencer Davis(Winwood really),The Hollies were incredible live as were the early Cream before they started indulging...I always liked Zoot Money,Georgie Fame(a lot)and later Paul Rogers for pure vocal blues/rock phrasing and control. I've come to respect Clapton for hanging in there and cranking out a few real rock classics. There was a lot of Troggs,Freddie and the Dreamers crap and "Fop Rock" like the Kinks which I never really got. The Beatles I never saw live but I did get drunk with George Harrison on a couple occasions and have several different connections with him as my wife introduced him to his second wife Olivia back in the A&M Record days when Dark Horse was a subsidiary and had an office there. Ahh - to be young again......

[Joachim Kettner]

Michael, may I ask what the name of the support band was, that you were a part of?
Tony, I wish I could hear recordings of the Barry Tashian/ Denny Doherty episodes. (Denny had Buddy Emmons on his solo record).
Thanks everybody for the input!

[Tony Prior]

I wasn't part of any support band at all, I didn't mean to imply that I was, when I played with Barry and Holly Tashian the band was "Holly and the Outskirts" ,we played a few gigs around Westport Ct, but that's all. I think Holly has some recordings of the gigs but I don't. When I played the short stint with Denny Dougherty it was the , imagine this, "Denny Dougherty band" , we practiced maybe 3 times a week for 3 months and didn't play a single gig. I think after that experience it was good that it all fell apart, it was horrible. It was like being in a band with a 3rd world dictator. I actually quit before it all came to an end, I brought in a new guitar player to take my place, I was on Steel and Guitar, Dennis made it perfectly clear that he was highly offended that I would quit his band. I told him I was highly offended that we practiced for 3 months and didn't play a single gig and I gave up local offers to play 3 times a week for this. So, I quit and joined with some local friends and played every Fri and Sunday night with them for the next 5 or 6 years. I went back to the clubs, thank god.

There is a a lot more story with regard to my experience with Barry and Holly, as they were and still are very well know and respected around the area. They are really fine people and great musicians, both of them. Always upbeat and very professional.

To give you an idea of what Dennis was like, he was living at my friend Bud's family home in Westport, who was the keyboard player and also a great singer / writer, Bud and Dennis met in LA and came back to Westport for the summer to reform a band. I knew Bud from maybe 4th or 5th grade on, that's how far back we went.

I went to visit Bud a few times after the band broke up, Bud had no problems with me, he knew from the start I was not going to tour and that I was helping launch the new project , he was grateful, when I visited, Dennis wouldn't even acknowledge me or say one word to me. Bud told me that after I had short words with Dennis and left the group, so did everyone else in the band , they all told him the same thing. Then I heard maybe 6 months later that Bud and Dennis were not even friends anymore so I guess I was not to far off the reservation.

I have a cassette of that DD band around here somewhere but quite frankly it has zero value to me.

Truth be known, Dennis never recorded anything of any value after the Momma's and Poppa's anyway so evidently his "ego" stood in his way for the rest of time. But, I do need to say this, he was a great singer, maybe the best I have ever played music with.

Just part of the history that we all drag around with us I guess.

[Jack Stoner]

I was pushing "30" when that era started and totally involved with a traditional country music band. I never really got into that music although I was impressed when I found out George Harrison was playing a Gretsch Chet Atkins model.

[Jack Francis]

I wasn't impressed with them or most "Bubble Gum" music at the time...I liked the early Elvis, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cocharan, music but was mostly into Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy Williamson etc.
Later Johnny Winters, Hendrix.
(I grew up in the Frisco Bay area mostly listening to KDIA and KSAN radio)

Didn't mind the Animals, Yardbirds and a few Stones songs...then got into early Buck, Merle, Jones, Price etc.

I have come to appreciate some of the songwriting of the Beatles as well as Brian Wilson....but at the time...not so much.

[Donny Hinson]

The Beatles were fresh and new when they came along, and they got my attention. But rather than see them as an epiphany for rock music, I just saw them as "helpers" in the initiation of a new style. Like the Rockabilly, Doo-Wop, and Surf stylists before them, they (and British Rock as a whole) became just another rung on the ladder of evolution for rock music. I really don't see them as more influential than the other rock styles, such as Motown, Soul, Folk, Psychedelic, Reggae, Bubble-Gum, Acid Rock, Southern Rock, or the rest. They're an indisputable part of the whole rock collage, but I wouldn't call them the most important part. They only become "most important" if you care for their stylings more than those of others.

I always felt their best, most introspective, and really creative album was "Rubber Soul". All the rest were just too much noise, jangle, and commerciality for my own senses.

[David L. Donald]

I prefered the Savoy Brown with Kim Simmons
pre Fog Hat split to the early Fleetwood mac,
but still liked the Pete Green version a lot and Danny K. too.

But the Blues Breakers were better yet.

Trainwrecks on stage... oh so many to remember it's just a blur.

I remember a singer twirling MY SM58 round by the chord and cold-cocking the drummer off his stool.
Took 10 minutes to get him upright.
And the mic was trashed, hard to do that.

I think the pits for me was 'Funky Brewster'
a British novelty act playing WAY too many times
at the Samui Music Festival.

Drummer dressed as a Lobster, guitar dressed as trashcan,
girl playing a 30 note casio keyboard dressed as a bee,
and a cute singer, who couldn't actually sing...
Sort of muted angst wafting through chiffon.

They got THREE bleeding sets in prime time, big stage
and we got 100F heat...

On their first set the sound crew and security
and walkie talkies were heard:

"Attention! ATTENTION!!!!
Security breach, Security breach!!!!"

"Where?" "Where please?" "What is it?"

"It's on the f...n stage!
Permission to use loaded weapons?"

I don't know who she was sleeping with to get this gig,
but she MUST have been a really quite exceptional in bed...
to get repeated sets of this trainwreck....

[David L. Donald]

and also the Remains feat. Barry Tashian (of course they are Americans)
.
http://www.rockzirkus.de/forum/thread-8664.html
Joachim

Barry is from the same town that I am from. Westport Ct. I knew and still know Barry. last I saw him and Holly was on a quick visit to Nashville a few years ago, we stopped by to visit them. I still hear from Holly now and then by Email.

Now, the Remains the original band from the 60's, that was one hot band and show, they still have a huge cult following and play a dozen or more shows each year, but the are not nearly as assertive as they were back then. the Remains toured with the Beatles on the last US tour then they couldn't survive as a unit anymore.

The Remains did a number of very hi powered shows in the area and we went to everyone of them. Even went to Boston to see them. Our High School even had a special Remains concert as Barry and Bill Briggs ( Piano both graduated from the Staples High in Westport.

Barry ended up back in town and Holly, his wife, at some point started playing country and put a band together, she called me and I played Steel. Barry was on drums ! We practiced a lot and even did a few gigs right up until Barry got the call from Emmylou and off he went, then off Holly went then blah we went. Barry toured with Emmylou for a long time, maybe 10 years.

Surprisingly for me right after that gig went belly up Denny Dougherty from the Mommas and Poppas came to town with an old friend of mine, they called me and I played Steel with them for about 3 months or at least until it all imploded with "huge ego's intact"

Speaking of Barry Tashian, he was my first influence for electric guitar. I may have been 10 or 11, I was with my sister at some sort of school thing where Barry, maybe 13 or so, was setup with an Electric Guitar singing songs.The kids were going bonkers. Pre-Beatles.

That was it for me. Sold.

Once you start on this 60's music journey , it all comes back very clearly.

Supposed true story...

The Remains, when touring with the Beatles carried a very custom built sound system, with a separate monitor system. They used two mics on the mic stands for each vocalist, one for the mains one for the monitors. My friend tells me that this was the remains idea and the Beatles used their sound system and then the two mic thing. You can see many photo's of the Beatles using two mics in that time era. I think this may be in Barry's book, Ticket to Ride.

I remember Barry and the Remains quite well,
WOW what a stagger down memory lane this is.

If I remember correctly the special sound system was a Bill Hanley rig. Bill and Terry did most all of the big shows back in those days in the north east. Including Woodstock.
I worked with Bill a few times,
he was a character for sure.

[Jim Cohen]

I was TOTALLY into the British Invasion in the 60's. Chip Fossa's post on the first page of this thread really sums it up for me. That's why, when I recorded a whole CD of Brit Invasion tunes, I titled it "Home, James", cuz for me it really was a home-coming to my musical roots.

[David L. Donald]

And a fine album of steel music too.

[Chip Fossa]

David,

Absolutey on the money.

"Home James" not only hit home for Jim Cohen, but for me as well.

How great to hear these beautiful English "oldies", that I just love, played with such expression, authority, and TLC, on pedal steel giddar.

Thanks again Jimbeaux for a tremendous CD. Listening to it now as I type away.

Keep em' coming brother!

[CrowBear Schmitt]

the british invasion got me in the world of muzic back in 68 when i was jes' 17
i managed to sneak backstage at a murray the k show in nyc & asked bob, the who's roadie if they'd take me w: them on tour
which they did !
2 & 1/2 months on a dc6 w: herman's hermits & the blues magoos
then on to 3 us tours w: the crazy world of arthur brown
then on w: traffic when dave mason rejoined the band & left 2 weeks later & the tour folded
w; these bands i got to catch many english bands comin' over for the first time : spooky tooth, julie driscoll & brian auger, savoy brown,procol harum, jethro tull, fleetwood mac, badfinger, led zep, the stones, jeff beck group, elton john, & some i don't even remember now
since i was from nyc & hung out in the "village, i, like many knew, jimi when he played the café wha before he got famous
once he got up there, he always came back to the village & remembered a lot of us
great times indeed !

[Steve Hitsman]

I know for sure, when I first heard that stuff, I never thought I'd be answering after having been qualified as an "older" forum member.

"Hey grandpa! Tell us about the British Invasion again!"

[Marc Friedland]

I’m not ready to make an official announcement yet, but with the theme of this thread it seems appropriate to mention my forthcoming CD that focuses almost entirely on 60’s music. I’ve finished most of the recording of it and am now working on editing, mixing, mastering, obtaining licensing rights, etc. Additionally, I want the timing of its release to coincide with my new website. I’m not posting a link to it yet because my website guy suggested I not do so until we get a splash page up. On the website there will be a great deal of free instructional material available for viewing and or downloading and there will also be merchandise available to purchase. The CD is almost done, but the entire project is about 2 to 3 months away from being completed. My intent on all the music tracks was to stay true and close to the original attitude of each individual song, and I played all the rhythm tracks myself using a drum machine as a glorified metronome. I love listening to and playing country music too, but these songs have not been countrified to any extent, either in the rhythm tracks or my expression of them on the pedal steel. I picked these songs because I grew up playing this music and because I love the songs. Below is a very basic general description of the 1st CD.

The Rockin’ Music of the 60’s
On Pedal Steel Guitar / No vocals
By Marc Friedland

Bonus Feature!
(Also included are the rhythm only tracks
for steelers and guitarists to play to)

Song genres include:
British / Psychedelic / Motown / Pop / & more

[Jim Cohen]

Marc, I'm really looking forward to hearing your new CD in a few months. Would you share with us what tunes are on it? Would love to know which ones you chose.

Best,
Jim

[Marc Friedland]

Hey Jim,
Thanks for asking. I’m having a whole lot of fun recording both the rhythm tracks and steel for this CD. It’s possible a couple of these might not make the final cut, but right now this is the projected song list. I’ve already recorded about a dozen more rhythm tracks to other songs and even some steel to them, but they’ll have to wait for the next CD. The plan is, as soon as I recover some money from this CD, I’ll be just about ready to release the next.
Marc

1. While my guitar gently weeps The Beatles
2. How can I be sure The Young Rascals
3. Reach out / Shadows of love The Four Tops (medley)
4. You keep me hanging on Vanilla Fudge
5. Tired of Waiting The Kinks (psg playing all the guitar parts)
6. Sunrise Sunset Fiddler on the Roof
7. A taste of honey Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
8. Hard Day’s Night The Beatles
9. Runaway Del Shannon (psg playing harmony solo with synthesizer)
10. My Girl The Temptations (psg playing all the guitar parts)
11. She’s not there The Zombies
12. By the time I get to Phoenix Glenn Campbell
13. Little wing Jimi Hendrix

[Jim Cohen]

Marc, I love that lineup. I'm sure the CD will be terrific (but how can I be sure, in a world that's constantly changing? )

[Les Anderson]

Maybe it was of my personality and the type of music that I played in the sixties but, I only sort of warmed up to the Beetles . I suppose the first time I really listened to the Beatles was when Hey Jude came out. Other than that, I found most of the British bands at the time had very immature settings to all their music. Admittedly, when you remove the lyrics from some of the Beetles songs, the melodies were not all that bad.

What really turned me off to rock & roll was when the likes of KISS, the Grateful Dead, The Doors and the other acid head junkies started appearing. North America seemed to lose all direction for music and the melodies that made music. To my way of thinking ABBA was the last of the true music geniuses. Everyone of their songs had memorable melodies behind the lyrics.

Even the Monkeys had half decent melodies to their childish songs if you mentally blocked the group's faces.

[Joachim Kettner]

Mr. Anderson, I think I'll have to disagree with you.
The Beatles' lyrics were as good as their melodies, just listen to Eleanor Rigby.
The Grateful Dead are on another level as Kiss. They needed no gimmicks, they were all about music.
The Monkees had great songs and were good looking guys!

[Tony Prior]

The Grateful Dead and Kiss were not part of the British Invasion, were they ?

[Morgan Scoggins]

Like a lot of "baby boomers", I got caught up in the rock and roll craze of the 50's and 60's. I grew up loving Hank Williams, E.T. and Patsy Cline etc.
When I got to be a teenager, I was taken in by the new sound and,for a while, forgot about country music.
In the late 60's,popular music was dominated by the hippie drug culture and I forgot about that crap and went back to my roots. When I see myself today in an old picture, wearing bell bottom pants and sporting an Afro hair cut, I say, " What the hell was I thinking".
I still like to listen to some of those old groups like, The Band, C.C.R. and Comander Cody. But those groups have strong country roots.I will take David Houston over Herman's Hermits anytime!!!

[Ben Elder]

I've started a little OT thread inspired by this one. Link to come...