Tag Archive for "Graham Nash" tag

It’s Graham’s birthday today, so what better excuse could you possibly need to play all your favourites as written and sung throughout a distinguished career; first with The Hollies, then with Crosby, Stills & Nash and later with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as solo (five solo albums to date and counting, not including last year’s three-disc career retrospective, Reflections, which boasts over 30 previously unreleased tracks), and not forgetting session work (On an Island being one such case you can all recall without even trying)?

Best known for helping to create the most flawless of harmonies and for penning deeply meaningful lyrics, as well as for all those much-loved pop classics of the early Sixties, Graham, of resolute social conscience, has also been a loyal campaigner for issues that mean most to him, such as environmental causes (establishing NukeFree.org, for example).

He also gave his support – and song – to help Gary McKinnon’s campaign to challenge his extradition on charges of computer hacking. If you missed it or just want to enjoy it again, you can find ‘Chicago (Change the World)’ featuring David, Chrissie Hynde and Bob Geldof, with all-important download links, here.

Did you know that Graham is also a keen photographer and collector of photographs? If you share a passion for photography, have a look and perhaps, in addition to sharing which of Graham’s songs you like best, you can also comment on his diverse collection – there’s plenty to listen to whilst you browse.

Aside from the obvious (‘Just One Look’*, ‘Carrie Anne’, ‘Dear Eloise’, ‘King Midas in Reverse’, ‘Teach Your Children’, ‘Marrakesh Express’), a selection of my favourites would have to include ‘Postcard’, ‘Southbound Train’, ‘Helplessly Hoping’, ‘Liar’s Nightmare’, ‘Military Madness’ and this one, ‘On the Line’.

As a life-long Hollies fan, I’m really pleased to say that they will – finally! – be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month in a ceremony at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria. It’s about bloody time, too.

Congratulations, and Happy Birthday, Graham.

* ‘Just One Look’, you may not know, was co-written by one Doris Troy/Payne, probably best remembered ’round these parts for being one of the acclaimed female backing vocalists on The Dark Side of the Moon. Here’s her 1963 original.

Top of the charts in the UK on this day was ‘Sugar Sugar’ by The Archies.

Not one of David’s favourites, this, but equally annoying and slightly less grammatically irritating than the US sing-along-a-No.1 of this day 40 years ago, ‘Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye’ (by Steam). Remember that one?

I can’t bring myself to say a bad word about the wonderful Roy Orbison, so I’ll just quietly point out that ‘Penny Arcade’ was No.1 in Australia at the time and leave it to you to decide whether or not that nicely rounds off a hat trick of truly terrible chart-topping songs which paint 1969 a hideous, nauseating shade of ‘Fun’.

There were some classic stand-out tunes, though: ‘Albatross’ by (Peter Green’s) Fleetwood Mac, which obviously is one of David’s favourites, and ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’ by Crosby, Stills and Nash, to name just two of them.

As we’ve been talking about him this week, ‘Give Peace a Chance’ by (John Lennon’s) Plastic Ono Band is another.

Great albums, too. All the best acts did well, I thought, and their record covers were often equally impressive: The Beatles’ Abbey Road (and Yellow Submarine); Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Neil Young’s first album with Crazy Horse; Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats; Leonard Cohen’s Songs From a Room…

Do note Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band’s Trout Mask Replica sleeve at this point, if you will. Words fail me each time I see it.

There were two records from Pink Floyd, of course: More and Ummagumma. I’d like to know which remain your favourite moments from those two, please.

So, your favourite songs from 1969. Hopefully this list of 100 will help start you off, and this just might jog a few memories.

Here are five of my favourite tracks:

- King Crimson, ‘21st Century Schizoid Man’
- Elvis Presley, ‘Suspicious Minds’
- Rolling Stones, ‘Gimme Shelter’
- Stevie Wonder, ‘For Once In My Life’
- Neil Young, ‘Down By the River’

A special mention for Tommy’s ‘Underture’, which is one of my most favourite instrumentals, but we can talk about that and those another day.

Until then, have a good weekend, everyone.

Admittedly another vague, catch-all title, as for the purpose of this post this could mean anti-war or civil rights songs, or a commentary on political and social events.

Here are some that moved me, loosely and perhaps contentiously arranged, starting with what is arguably the greatest of them all: ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’.

Please add to this list, including a link to the song or a line or two from the lyrics. Please also share your thoughts on any of the songs mentioned throughout.

General anti-war: Eric Burdon & The Animals, ‘Sky Pilot’; Donovan, ‘Universal Soldier’; Bob Dylan, ‘Masters of War’; Grand Funk Railroad, ‘People, Let’s Stop the War’; Pete Seeger, ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’

Vietnam: The Temptations, ‘Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)’; Paul Hardcastle, ‘Nineteen’; REM, ‘Orange Crush’; Kate Bush, ‘Pull Out the Pin’.

Other conflicts: Manic Street Preachers, ‘If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next’; Dire Straits, ‘Brothers in Arms’; Robert Wyatt, ‘Shipbuilding’; Nena, ‘99 Luftballons’; U2, ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’; The Cranberries, ‘Zombie’.

Post-9/11 sentiment: Green Day, ‘American Idiot’; George Michael, ‘Shoot the Dog’; Elbow, ‘Leaders of the Free World’; Neil Young, ‘Let’s Impeach the President’; Michael Franti & Spearhead, ‘Bomb the World’.

Criticism of The System and society: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, ‘Ohio’; Lowkey, ‘Tears To Laughter’; Joe Hill, ‘Preacher and the Slave’; Rage Against the Machine, ‘Killing in the Name’; John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, ‘Woman Is the Nigger of the World’; Pierre Perret, ‘Lili’.

Civil Rights: Sam Cooke, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’; James Brown, ‘Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud’; Billie Holiday, ‘Strange Fruit’.

A verse from ‘Strange Fruit’ to finish with – from 1939. Does any lyric grab you and shame you quite like this one?

“Strange trees bear strange fruit;
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.”

That’s ‘inspirational’ due to their work ever-so-slightly beyond the realms of their most successful musical output; for example, in raising awareness of social and political causes, campaigning for charity, lending their voices – for singing or speaking – to help bolster major, televised, worldwide benefits and what not.

The obvious one has to be Saint/Sir (delete as you see fit) Bob Geldof, whose birthday is today. The Live Aid legend is now better known in some parts for his no-nonsense style of campaigning rather than for his music.

But there are so many others. There’s David Crosby and Graham Nash, Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Roger Daltrey, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt (whose website has a broad section covering her activist leanings and lists innumerable noble causes), Bono, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Yusuf Islam (better known as Cat Stevens), Elton John… They’ve defended the rights of humans and animals, they’ve set up their own foundations to assist orphans, veterans, sufferers of AIDS and cancer. They’ve dramatically pinned their colours to rival masts at election time.

How do you feel about celebrities sharing their beliefs, not necessarily exclusively through their music, and making you aware of which causes they endorse?

David, obviously, has supported his fair share down the years, but in the genteel manner that we have come to expect of him. His recent support of Gary McKinnon, I know, has ruffled the odd feather in certain quarters.

Paul McCartney singing (with Wings) about giving Ireland back to the Irish, which his record company didn’t want to release and was promptly blacklisted, is another controversial example. And what of the controversy surrounding Cat Stevens’ religious conversion? A prejudiced, selfish over-reaction if ever there was one.

I’m thinking also of the backlash to Neil Young’s Living With War album and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s 2006 Freedom of Speech tour (as documented in the Déjà Vu film). Is such a determined focus at all off-putting? Could you, or have you, turned your back on a musician’s work because his beliefs conflicted unforgivably with your own? Or is it just music, just an opinion; something for the musician to get out of his or her system and the listener to get over?

I’d like to hear your views and which moments stand out as being most effective or memorable, maybe even embarrassing. And do tell us something we might not know about the musicians you enjoy, but the rest of us perhaps know little about. Which causes are closest to their hearts and how have they used their privileged position to advance them? Which have you cheered and which have you cursed?

Favourite Protest Songs coming soon, so please keep them in mind ready for a future post. That should be a good one…

Lastly, thank you very much for the kind birthday greetings; I had a lovely day… or three, as it turned out.

Thanks for sharing which female vocalists you hold in highest regard back when.

Male vocalists today, please – King of Soul, Otis Redding’s birthday.

Of course, it goes without saying that there are too many to list, singing in different styles, their music often specific to a certain genre or two, making each artist incomparable. And this is a catch-all list of your favourites, not necessarily – but always quite welcome to turn into – a disagreement over who’s best.

The deliciously-contentious and never boring Rolling Stone carried out a Greatest Singers of All Time poll (with ‘from the rock era’ hidden in the small print) last year, and I partially agree with Neil McCormick’s view of it. Both links may help you remember someone you’ll want to kick yourself for forgetting and, if you do read McCormick’s piece, perhaps you’ll also find it interesting that the most loudly-hailed singers tend to almost always hail from the USA; as demonstrated not only by the Rolling Stone list but, I’d guess, probably yours, too.

Certainly mine.

David Crosby (there’s our first American, from California) and Graham Nash, who, with and without Messrs Stills (Stephen’s from Texas) and Young, have created some very pleasing harmonies. Similarly, anyone who’s seen the Eagles on tour in recent years (there are four Eagles these days, so that’s another shout-out to Texas and California, plus one each for Michigan and Ohio) has to acknowledge their incredible combined vocal range; Don Henley’s being particularly impressive.

I can temporarily balance things out with the introduction of Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Paul Rodgers, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker and Steve Winwood, to give the most obvious examples of vocal prowess.

But then there’s Roy Orbison (Texas again), Nat King Cole (Alabama), Ray Charles (Georgia), Sam Cooke (Mississippi), Jackie Wilson (Michigan), James Brown (South Carolina… is that 12 Americans so far?), Axl Rose (although I personally prefer Blind Melon’s tragic Shannon Hoon, like Axl, from Indiana)…

I’ll stop now that I’ve chosen my 18 from the above, keeping slots for the two I have yet to mention, and emphatically dismissed the silly ‘rock era’ concept in the process – as I hope you will.

The Rolling Stone ballot papers had space for 20 names. Each voter (you can see who completed one here) listed 20 singers in order of their importance. Have a look at David Crosby’s and note the modesty of some of the others balloted.

A near-impossible task, ranking 20 singers in order of their importance, surely.

Although he’ll never win any awards for being the greatest singer, Bob Dylan (from Minnesota and very highly-placed, you’ll notice) sings arguably the greatest songs that have ever been written (instantly recognisable, mostly without adornment), and he wrote them so he believes them. That’s good enough for me. Case closed.

However, the one that stands head and shoulders above all others whenever there is even idle mention of singers of any period, sex or level of ability, is this man: Frank Sinatra (from New Jersey). They didn’t call him ‘The Voice’ for nothing. For me, he’s the Greatest Singer of All Time and my hat is off in respect to B.B. King for including Ol’ Blue Eyes on his ballot paper even when he shouldn’t have.

So, forgetting any mind-boggling order of preference, importance, significance or anything else, please could you share your favourite male vocalists – from any era or genre? As always, David’s a given, so you need not list him.

I’ve got to ask… All in all, has the USA produced the most talented crop of singers?

Otis Redding, by the way, was born in Georgia.

As I’m sure you’ve heard more than once over the weekend, it’s the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival – originally due to be billed an “Aquarian Exposition”, but eventually labelled a much more suitable “Three Days of Peace and Music” instead – which took place on a dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York between 15 and 18 August 1969 – some 70 miles away from Woodstock.

Close to half a million people turned up, although it wasn’t meant to be a free concert; organised by hippie capitalists who had sold about 200,000 tickets before declaring it open to those who were forcing entry anyway.

I’ll be very surprised if you haven’t heard something about it recently, so I ask you two things:

1. Which were your favourite performances from this historic event?

There were more than 200 songs, starting with Richie Havens and ending with Jimi Hendrix. The Who (the fringe-shirted Roger Daltrey being one of the festival’s most lasting images, surely), performed 24 of them.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young performed ‘Find the Cost of Freedom’ – as did David on his last tour, with David Crosby and Graham Nash – as part of a 16-song set split between acoustic and electric guitars.

Stand-out performances for me were:

- Joan Baez, ‘We Shall Overcome’
- The Band, ‘The Weight’
- Joe Cocker, ‘A Little Help From My Friends’
- Creedence Clearwater Revival, ‘Born on the Bayou’
- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, ‘Long Time Gone’
- Jimi Hendrix, ‘Star-Spangled Banner’
- Jefferson Airplane, ‘White Rabbit’
- Mountain, ‘Southbound Train’
- Sly & the Family Stone, ‘I Want to Take You Higher’
- The Who, ‘See Me, Feel Me’

I’d also like to know what you think about Woodstock in general.

Nobody can argue that it symbolised the tremendous hope of a generation during a time of rioting, violence, racial unrest and unjust war.

Yet perhaps, as the New York Times suggested, it was also “a prime example of how coddled the baby boomers were in an economy of abundance. The Woodstock crowd, which arrived with more drugs than camping supplies, got itself a free concert, and when the people responsible could no longer handle the logistics, the government bailed them out. Some people took it upon themselves to help others; many just freeloaded.”

Is this fair… or even surprising? I mean, isn’t that what always happens? The close-to-half-a-million were mostly white kids who could afford to take time off work or college to listen to music and get high. As more youthful cynics are quick to point out, such a large part of the so-called Woodstock Generation would go on to sell their souls and build the exploitative world in which we live today. And if they didn’t build it, they allowed its construction, prospered from it, enriched themselves from its many evils – evils they once rallied against. There have been other unjust wars since Vietnam, more people killed at protests, more racially-motivated police brutality. So, what did Woodstock achieve exactly?

We discussed the significance, and also the disappointments, of Live Aid recently. For those born after the Sixties’ passing, Live Aid was this generation’s Woodstock (as Joan Baez declared from the Philadelphia stage), and that had a clear purpose, didn’t it? It was to raise money to feed the starving in Africa. What was Woodstock really about? Where was its direction? Did it even have one?

Perhaps all that should matter is the music and the scene, the latter, at least, has never been successfully repeated (the music has often; even musicians on the Woodstock bill admitted that their performances were below-par). Now concert-going is all about numbers: how much you pay (not least in assorted fees) for a numbered seat, to park your car, to drink an over-priced beverage from a plastic beaker and to be a part of a not-quite-but-almost homogeneous mass, where those demonstrating the greatest show of wealth may sit in the front, with the less comfortably off straining their necks to see from the back. They rarely take place out in the open any more, instead they’re usually held in bland arenas with familiar corporate logos emblazoned across every available flat surface.

It’s no wonder the ‘baby boomers’ are so nostalgic – some might even say smug – about Woodstock. Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there?

Some might even say it’s no wonder that Woodstock ‘99 ended the way it did.

So, my second question.

2. Undoubtedly, the Sixties had a remarkable influence culturally, but was Woodstock yet another over-hyped piece in an over-valued tie-dye puzzle? Wonderfully idealistic, jolly good fun, yet rather… pointless?

(Yes, I’ve been away for a week, so I’m trying to get a reaction out of you.)

The re-recording of the Graham Nash song, ‘Chicago’, with additional lyrics penned by Gary’s mother and featuring the vocals of David, Chrissie Hynde, Bob Geldof and Gary himself, is now available for download – here.

David also plays guitar, bass and keyboards on the track.

Its release coincides with today’s judicial review application, the outcome of which, it is hoped, will be the decision that Gary can stand trial on charges of computer hacking, and serve any necessary jail time, in the UK.

If you have a PayPal account (preferable, but not essential), you can download the song with ease after making a voluntary donation of any amount. Your donation will help Gary continue his fight to stay in the UK and challenge the one-sided extradition treaty that would have him face charges in the US.

Download instructions are provided.

For the full story, see the Latest News page.

For previous discussion, which you are still very welcome to take part in, see past blog entries concerning Gary’s case here and here.

If you’ve heard it, what do you think of the song?

As you know, David has been one of many to speak out against Gary McKinnon’s planned extradition to the US to stand trial for computer hacking charges, agreeing to produce a new recording of the Graham Nash protest song, ‘Chicago’.

If extradited, Gary could face a prison stretch of up to 70 years in a high-security penitentiary, which seems a very harsh punishment for looking for evidence of alien life and is hardly appropriate for someone with an autistic condition.

Gary was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in August 2008. His late diagnosis meant that his form of autism was not considered in previous legal hearings.

If this campaign, which asks that the decision to extradite be over-turned and culminates next month in a judicial review, fails, he could be sent to the US to stand trial immediately.

Gary’s supporters want to make sure that Gary isn’t extradited and that any further legal proceedings – and a prison sentence, if need be – be served in the UK, where a conviction under the UK’s Computer Misuse Act carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

UK readers, you can e-mail your MP to ask for his or her support and let the Prime Minister know your feelings by signing this petition.

It takes barely a minute to show your support, it’s a thoroughly professional (Number 10) appeal which asks only for a name and address. As of now, there are more than three thousand signatories. Please tell your friends and family about it.

The chatroom is open until 17:00 (UK), so come and talk about this, Monday’s Crisis gig (some photographs of Polly’s from the concert can be found here, by the way), or anything else that takes your fancy. Registration is a doddle.

Buffalo Springfield split up on this day in 1968, after just eighteen months of productivity.

Neil Young would, of course, go on to scale much greater heights, as would Stephen Stills, who soon joined up with David Crosby and Graham Nash, while Richie Furay and Jim Messina formed Poco. The careers of Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer, sadly, would not be so successful and they are no longer with us.

Here they all are, back in ‘67, when they were in their pomp.

Obviously there are many musical connections (of interest to David, as both music maker and music lover, and, I know from past discussions, also of interest to his fanbase), which I leave to you to discover and share below, should you feel the overwhelming urge to do so.

Other than that expectant challenge, all I ask is for the ever-predictable: your stand-out songs, albums and appearances from these talented musicians, in whichever guise you most favoured.

As the Easter holiday meant missing out on Barbershop Quartet Day (I know, how could we?), it seems only right that we start this shortened week thinking about assorted four-piece groups and ensembles.

Naturally, I’d like to know who makes up your fantasy rock standard consisting of two guitars, a bass and drums. If you’d like to replace one of the guitars with a keyboard or any other instrument, please be my guest, but please don’t state the obvious; most people accept that Pink Floyd were a fairly decent band.

I’d also like to focus on singers. Your dream vocal quartet consists of David and…? What would they sing? Who could cut it with only a casual accompaniment of simple instruments, such as tambourines and maybe the odd harmonica?

Thinking back to the ‘On an Island’ tour, it’s hard not to include David Crosby and Graham Nash in any fantasy line-up when you recall their perfect harmonies on ‘Find the Cost of Freedom’, but remember that we had the additional talents of Mica Paris and David Bowie in there, as well.

Throw in your long-time favourite vocal quartets, too. Here’s one of mine, complete with obligatory (bad) dancing and screaming – The Four Tops.

Please note that tomorrow’s chat has been brought forward by one hour, so doors now open at 12:00 (UK). If you’ve never visited the chatroom before, do call in.

Hello. Long time, no see. I hope you’re keeping well.

We’ll be back to the usual odd mixture of random musings soon. First, I’d like to catch up on your reaction to last week’s news: namely the story about this week’s ’sing-in’ protest against Gary McKinnon’s planned extradition.

In what David called “a heavy handed response” from the US, Gary, who has Asperger’s syndrome, stands accused of hacking into US military websites and is now under threat of extradition – under the controversial 2003 Extradition Act, which allows US authorities to demand extradition without having to provide much by way of evidence – so that he can stand trial in the States.

He could face up to an incredible 70 years in jail there, labelled an ‘enemy combatant’, which sounds like a most severe wrap across the knuckles as punishment for looking for proof of alien life, as Gary maintains.

I’d like to know what you think. Some might argue that he did them a favour by exposing how lax their security was. (Default passwords at the Pentagon?!)

In the same vein, Earth Hour.

Did you vote, either way, with your light switch on Saturday? Do you think the results, due to be presented to the powers that be in Copenhagen at the end of the year, will make a blind bit of difference to world policy on climate change?

I hear that some thought it appropriate (funny? clever?) to deliberately use as much electricity as possible during that hour, dressing it up as a celebration of human achievement. To me it seems like a rather spiteful, childish and, above all, wasteful way to mock. Still, if you orchestrate a global election and ask people to vote for Earth (or not) in this way, surely that was always likely to happen. Besides, many don’t have light switches to flick – in anger or anything else.

So, as the Graham Nash song re-written for Gary’s case goes: ‘We can change the world, re-arrange the world, it’s dying to get better.’ Do you believe that we can?

Let’s hope the protesters in London for the G20 summit this week do.

Viva la Revolución…

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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).

If you were unable to catch David and the band performing on Later… with Jools Holland back in September, and haven’t discovered the performance anywhere online since, part of the broadcast footage is now available for your guilt-free viewing pleasure over on the ‘Live in GdaÅ„sk’ page.

‘The Blue’ (from ‘On an Island’) can be found there, as well as some chat.

Although it really does seem like only yesterday, this was originally televised on 26 September 2008.

Other performances on the celebrated show, or its New Year’s special, Hootenanny, include appearances with BB King (in December 1997), Paul McCartney (in November 1999) and Mica Paris (in November 2001). Not forgetting, of course, the visit in May during the 2006 tour, where David Crosby and Graham Nash particularly shone.

Have I forgotten any others, and do you have a favourite?

Oh, and if you were hopeful of breaking news about a forthcoming appearance, I do apologise.

New York was the first stop on the North American leg of the ‘On An Island’ tour.

There were two shows, on Tuesday 4 April and Wednesday 5 April, both of which were at Radio City Music Hall.

David Crosby and Graham Nash were surprise guests.

Were you there, too? Looking back, what are your fondest memories from these nights?

The chatroom will be open from 13:00 (UK) today.

As one of the most pleasant of many surprises during David’s tour was the fantastic drumming (and not to mention ever-cheerful personality) of Steve DiStanislao, who you have taken to your hearts, I thought you might appreciate an update on what Stevie has been up to since the tour ended.

He is currently touring America’s East Coast with David Crosby and Graham Nash, who were most welcome – and rather special, don’t you think? – guests of David’s during the ‘On an Island’ tour.

As did David last year, they are performing in small, beautiful theatres in an attempt to achieve an intimacy that’s impossible with large venues. The next show is tonight, in Washington, DC. Please see the official Crosby & Nash site for details.

On behalf of everyone here, I’d like to wish Stevie the very best of luck with all that he does.

Your favourite Stevie moments are very welcome today. Do you have a favourite from the DVD, for example?

El Magnifico, Phil Manzanera himself, was kind enough to answer some of your questions recently.

From today, I’ll be publishing them, along with his answers.

Thanks to everyone who submitted the following for consideration, and special thanks to Phil for being so obliging with his time.

There’s no update on the cinemas involved in the world premiere of ‘Remember That Night: David Gilmour Live at The Royal Albert Hall’, so please don’t ask. As soon as I have anything new, the information will be here.

I don’t expect to have the complete list for the United States until the middle of the week at least.

How did the ‘On an Island’ creative process work? Did you and David jam together a lot, or did you work individually, layering on each other’s material? (GianLuca)

No jamming. A period of layering on material, then trying out tracks with different configurations of musicians.

You were able to develop your “conceptual thinking and with the making of little soundscapes” once the title for the album was decided. How did David (and Polly) arrive at the title for the album? (Ken F)

Not sure, but it worked brilliantly and the title track is one of my favourites, especially the amazing harmonies of Crosby and Nash with David.

I would be interested to know how you managed to whittle down the “150 pieces, enough for three albums” that David supplied you with, to a produce a manageable amount of tracks to conceive ‘On an Island’? (Ronny)

How long have you got? It’s the subject of a dissertation at Oxford… mine! Just joking. A lot of listening, patience, development and green pea soup.

Could you give us one or two examples of which direction an ‘On an Island’ track(s) could have gone in were it not for your influence during the album research/demo-ing/recording? (Angelo Ortiz)

Good question, but impossible to answer. We’re all delighted with how it came out.

If you could change anything on the album, what would it be? (Paul Sexton)

I’m one of the producers. NOTHING, of course. You can’t get better than a Number One album and a platinum disc!

It’s that time again, so, if you haven’t chewed it beyond recognition, please grab your Blotto cards.

We’ve announced six songs already and the seventh to be revealed is… ‘Find The Cost Of Freedom’, which will be the 21st song featured on David’s ‘Remember That Night’ double-disc set.

Featuring the instantly-recognisable vocal harmonies of the two gentlemen above, David Crosby and Graham Nash, the song was originally recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young back in 1971.

And who better than Messrs. Crosby and Nash if you’re stuck for two other singers to vote for – in addition to our David, naturally – in Q107’s Greatest Classic Rock Singers of All Time poll?

Thanks to Rudders for telling us about it. You can vote until 11 May.

‘Remember That Night’ will be in the shops in September and it’s a real beauty. It’s due for release on Monday 17 September in Europe and on Tuesday 18 September in North America.

There are 23 songs on disc one, and more extras than you can wave a big stick at on disc two.

The concert consists of songs from the Royal Albert Hall gigs only.

Please mark the ‘21′ spot on your Blotto card. You are only right if you guessed that ‘Find The Cost Of Freedom’ would be the 21st song – and quite a few of you did just that. Well done to you.

But don’t get too full of yourselves. You only get to let out a valid shout of "Blotto!" if you complete an entire line. Your feeble cries leave us completely unmoved if you’ve only got one or two songs right so far, so don’t get too excited: there’s a long, long way to go yet.

The aim of Blotto is to complete a line on your card, either horizontally or vertically. You must match the song to its space (23 songs, 23 spaces). If you guess enough song/spaces to complete a full line, beat your chest with your fists and "Blotto!" like your life depends on it. That’ll move us enough to enter you into a prize draw.

Our chatroom will be open between 10AM and 12PM (UK) today.

Please also note the amendments to May’s chat schedule here.

Stevie has very kindly answered some of your questions – and was delighted to do so.

Starting today, I’ll be publishing more of his answers to a variety of questions over the next few weeks.

My thanks to those who submitted the following for consideration.

There’s no chat today, but the chatroom will be open tomorrow between 12PM and 2PM (UK). Everyone’s welcome, so don’t by shy.

When did you meet David Gilmour for the first time? (Werner)

I met David at the Royal Festival Hall after a show that I played with Crosby & Nash in ‘05. I was so nervous when I met him I was certain that he heard my knees knocking… When it came time for him to put the band back together, fortunately he thought of me and rang me up.

I’d like to know how you met up with David. Did you audition? Curious. (frank par)

I actually didn’t audition for David. He saw me play with Crosby & Nash at the Royal Festival Hall in ‘05. I later found out through David Crosby that Mr Gilmour was interested in working with me and I thought he was putting me on. Crosby and I like to play jokes on each other and I thought for sure he was up to one of his tricks. He kept saying “No, man, this is for real, you have to contact him, it’s important…” So, I did and it turned out to be no joke!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: COMPETITION WINNER ANNOUNCED (04/08/06)

The winner is… Martin D. Well done, Martin! Please let us know where we should send your prize.

The rules are still simple. All you need to do is list five words that you think of when you listen to the title-track (which, incidentally, came out on top in our Favourite track from ‘On an Island’ poll, just ahead of ‘Take a Breath’).

No sentences, just words and no more than five of them. For example, you might list something like harmony, nightfall, memories, sand and sea.

The last time, the prize went to the first person – and only the first person – to suggest the very word that I was thinking of. This time, the prize will go to the one person whose name is selected at random from a list, raffle-style.

If anyone guesses any of my five words, they will be entered into the draw with a number based on the order in which that word was received (all posts, as you know, are time-stamped).

If someone guesses more than one of my five words, then they will be entered into the draw more than once/given more than one number, thereby giving them a greater chance of winning.

The competition will run until midnight tonight (UK time). No further entries will be allowed after this time, so please don’t bother trying. A list of names will by then have been compiled and a random person will select the winning number tomorrow, when I will announce the winner and you can all return to being calm, sane, perhaps even dull individuals in anticipation of news from Venice.

Good luck.

Our new poll asks how you rate DavidGilmour.com (as a complete site, including this blog), so please let us know. You responses in no way influence the outcome of the competition, though, so you can be completely honest. We can take it.

It seems that lots of you enjoyed the Stuff & Nonsense piece about David Crosby and Graham Nash (WHY CROSBY STILLS & NASH ARE STILL IMPORTANT, 30 April).

Thinking also of the songs many of you chose as ‘Tracks Of My Years’ (even if we didn’t all follow the rules), it would be interesting to know how many of you have been fortunate enough to see CSN in concert, with or without Neil Young.

Better still, why not share your snapshot memories of the gigs you attended during the Sixties and Seventies with us all? It would be a good education for these young whippersnappers who spent the last decade blowing on a whistle, so consider it community service.

Please keep your comments short and easy-to-read, and don’t feel obliged to write if you don’t have anything to say. We’ve no news for you today, so call us even. This is an interesting (to some, at least) stop-gap until tomorrow, when there will be some news. Honest.

By the way, in case you’re wondering, the above photograph was taken by Buzz Person at the Kodak Theater on 19 April.