Blogging about albums released this year and those still to come, hoping for some suggested listening: http://bit.ly/cJ7tbn12 hrs ago
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To mark the anniversary – just – of Jim Morrison’s death (he died in Paris on this day in 1971, aged just 27), I’d like to know which Doors songs you love and, if you’ve the capacity to use wild imagination and appreciate that covering a song doesn’t mean replicating it detail by minute detail or mimicking the original vocalist, which Doors song can you imagine David performing.
I reckon ‘Riders on the Storm’ would fit right in with some of Pink Floyd’s earlier, more experimental setlists. What do you think? It could have slotted into one of Barbet Schroeder’s films quite nicely, alongside a ‘Burning Bridges’ or ‘Cirrus Minor’.
Lastly, as I won’t be blogging tomorrow, Happy Independence Day to all residing in, or originating from, the USA. I’m confident that Jim Morrison is considered an American icon, but welcome your nominees in celebration of what the USA has given the world. (Bob Dylan will forever be the greatest gift of them all, of course…)
I already know that some of you are fans, but, just for fun, which Led Zeppelin songs do you feel David could cover with interesting results?
‘Stairway to Heaven’, obviously? ‘Rain Song’, possibly? ‘Bron-Yr-Aur’, certainly?
Here’s some early footage from back in the day when the world’s television studios were frequently blessed with classic performances, complete with legendary riff, violin bow and some drumming of the highest calibre from the late and always great John Bonham.
Interestingly, on this day in 1973, ‘Houses of the Holy’ began a three-week spell at the top of the US album chart. Four years and two albums later, Led Zeppelin received the Ivor Novello ‘Outstanding Contribution to British Music’ accolade.
If you care to trawl back through the passages of (blog) time, you’ll discover that we’ve already considered the sprawling back catalogues of Elvis, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, as well as the Beatles, Eagles and Beach Boys, but you’re still welcome to add your suggestions.
Alas, there’s no chat today, but the chatroom doors will be heaved open between 14:00 and 16:00 (UK) tomorrow. If you’ve never visited before, drop in.
One of the most beautiful songs ever written, in my opinion (and Paul McCartney’s), was being fine-tuned in the studio at around about this time back in 1966: the Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’.
Have a listen to it.
Yes, you know what’s coming: Beach Boys songs for David to cover, please.
Why not this one?
I think ‘The Warmth of the Sun’ would be a good one. ‘Tears in the Morning’? ‘Don’t Worry, Baby’? There’s an excuse for David to give the saxophone a blast on ‘I Know There’s an Answer’ (or ‘Hang On to Your Ego’, if you prefer).
Thank you very much for the birthday messages left for David last week, by the way. If you’d like to submit a belated one, please leave it here.
There are lots of other blog birthdays this month, starting today with Christine and Wrightee – Happy Birthday to you both.
The Eagles epic, ‘Hotel California’, entered the Billboard Hot 100 on this day in 1977. It would go on to top this chart ten weeks later.
So, it would be wrong not to feature this:
Which of you are fans of the Eagles, who is going to see them this year, who has already seen them in concert and which are your favourite tracks?
And, of course, which songs would you like to hear David cover?
Thinking of the exquisite live performances of ‘Find the Cost of Freedom’ from 2006, how about ‘Seven Bridges Road’, with David Crosby and Graham Nash (and maybe a few others)? A stripped-down ‘Doolin’ Dalton’? ‘Journey of the Sorcerer’ could be a fun jam with the right personnel…
The chatroom is not open today, but will be open bright and early (well, early enough for some of us, I’m sure) tomorrow: 10:00-12:00 (UK).
On this day in 1964, The Beatles made their American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. More than 70 million viewers tuned in for what was the first of three legendary appearances throughout February.
Unless you’ve got a very good reason not to, perhaps you’d care to take ten minutes out of your day to enjoy this classic footage. It is, undeniably, an important piece of both music, and TV, history.
So, as well as your feelings towards those four lovable mop-tops, it’s Beatles songs that David could cover today, please.
You probably know that David and Syd spent some time busking together in 1965, performing songs from ‘Help!’, in France. You ought to know that David performed with Paul McCartney at Liverpool’s famed Cavern Club in 1999. That’s been captured for posterity on DVD, as has another gig, in aid of PETA, billed ‘The PETA Concert for Party Animals’. I’d like to know what you thought of those two.
Any other Beatles connections, do send them in. There are many.
Finally, following on from our Rock and Roll ruminations last week, how about The Beatles’ ‘Live at the BBC’ for some great classic covers? I’m thinking specifically of the raw vocals of Paul and John respectively on Little Richard’s ‘Lucille’ and Chuck Berry’s ‘Rock and Roll Music’, classic Ringo on the Carl Perkins number, ‘Matchbox’, and George’s fine guitar-playing on the unmistakeable ‘Johnny B. Goode’.
We’ve already done this for the songs of Elvis and Bob Dylan.
As it would be Jimi’s 66th birthday today, which of his songs do you think David could cover?
As before, as this is the stuff of fantasy, do bear in mind that David would obviously have free-rein to perform them however he wanted to. It’s not necessarily a Karaoke-type copy that you should have in mind. Indeed, the more interesting your ideas, the more interesting reading them will be.
You really don’t have to list 66 ideas, though.
The chatroom is closed today, but will be open tomorrow between 13:00 and 15:00 (UK).
The Blog will be closed over the weekend, but will re-open on Tuesday. If it closes before you get a chance to have your say, don’t worry, the topic will resume next week.
Lastly, Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it.
If you missed it, a few weeks ago we donned our thinking caps and chewed over which Elvis songs would be ideal for David to cover (should he ever put on that 72-hour concert in Fantasy Land).
We’ll do the same for Jimi Hendrix next week, on the anniversary of his birth.
For now, just for fun (as John has set me off with his teasing concert anecdotes):
Which Bob Dylan songs do you think David would perform well?
Again, do consider that he’d obviously be given artistic licence to tinker with them.
Anyone else other than Elvis, Bob and Jimi? I’d be curious to know which other artist’s songbooks we could consider in this way and, indeed, include a suitably-bland poll for each.
Those mentioned most will be covered over the next few weeks, but no more than five suggestions per person, please.
The chatroom will be open tomorrow between 14:00 and 16:00 (UK).
After thinking of all those striking, thought-provoking and inspiring album covers, I couldn’t resist setting aside some space for the very worst ones. Thanks for twisting my arm, Jeremy.
But before you send in lists of your most loathed cover art (no more than ten true shockers, please), here’s Sander’s beautiful dog, Einstein.
Glad to see that he likes your backstage pass from Gdańsk, Sander. It looks really good on him.
More photos of your pets to follow this week, so, if you have one to share, please do get it online and let us know where we can find it.
Bidding on the (Mexican) Fender Stratocaster – hand-painted by Gerald Scarfe and signed by David, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright – currently stands at £16,000.
The auction closes on Friday at the new time of 17:00 (UK). Proceeds will benefit the UK charity for the homeless, Crisis.
Some extra ‘randomness’ (just in case the word ‘nonsense’ offends anyone, perish the thought) to get us started this week.
With the impressive artwork which graced record sleeves, particularly in the Seventies, hopefully relatively fresh in the memory from the last-but-one poll, I’d like to know which you think are the most iconic album covers (from any artist, from any decade – but no more than ten, please).
I’d also like to know which is your favourite from David’s three studio releases: ‘David Gilmour’, ‘About Face’ and ‘On an Island’.
And, because they deserve a list of their own, which are your favourites from Pink Floyd?
David performed the Elvis number, ‘Don’t', at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in June 2001. It’s an extra on the ‘David Gilmour in Concert’ DVD, and also available as ‘A Tribute to Leiber and Stoller’.
Later, in December 2004, it was performed again at Abbey Road, as Scotty Moore and Friends paid tribute to The King.
Just for fun, which other Elvis songs do you think David would do well (keeping in mind that he’d be given artistic licence to present them however he deemed fit)?
Of course, the reason I ask is because it allows me to remind fans in the States that you can catch the Abbey Road performance of ‘Don’t’ on RAVE today at 13:00 (EST).
David had a fair stab at ‘All Shook Up’ as part of his 1999 collaborations with Paul McCartney, most notably at Liverpool’s famous Cavern, albeit providing backing vocals instead of lead.
How about Elvis’ take on Bob Dylan’s beautiful ‘Tomorrow Is A Long Time’? Or a slowed-down acoustic ‘Suspicious Minds’, complete with trademark lap steel solo, à la ‘High Hopes’?
If you get the urge, come and chat – the chatroom opens at 13:00 (UK).
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Some extra ‘randomness’ (just in case the word ‘nonsense’ offends anyone, perish the thought) to get us started this week.
