Smiling Phases Volume 11, sent Oct 3, 1995
Topics in this issue:
1. Other session work
2. Listening...
3. Re: Covers
4. The Winwood/O.J. Connection!
5. Hendrix/Traffic revisited
6. Tunes for guitar/keyboard?
7. Re: Please ID Spencer Davis song
8. Split Decision question
9. AOL folder
10. Two instrumentals
11. Re: Tapes from last summer
12. Re: Vacant Chair and MattGrey
Subj: POST: Other session work
Date: 95-09-22
From: F.Vergeer@cc.ruu.nl (Frank Vergeer)
On previous editions of the Digest we posted session work of Steve.
I found another one :
Steve plays the Hammond on Phil Collin's album But Seriously
(track: All Of My Life.)
And, I'm not sure, there also a fotograph in the booklet, who can
affirm ?
Kind Regards Frank
Subj: Listening...
Date: 95-09-21 07:23:38 EDT
From: HildreLind (Linda H.)
I have good news and bad news:
Bad) While shopping in J C Penney the other evening I heard a Muzak
version of "John Barleycorn" overhead.
Good) Sorry to admit this, but it sounded great!
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 09:19:57
From: bobbieg@azstarnet.com (BobbieG.)
Subject: Re: Covers
On Tue, 19 Sep 1995 stribble@husc.harvard.edu (Scott Tribble) wrote:
>More covers:
>3. Feelin' Alright: Michael Jackson, Jamie Walters (from The Heights)
Can we count this as a Winwood cover, when it was actually written and
performed by Buddy Holly?
Regards,
Bobbie
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 11:56:14
From: bobbieg@azstarnet.com (BobbieG.)
Subject: The Winwood/O.J. Connection!
I'm watching the first day of closing arguments on Court-TV today, which is
probably why I feel a need to tell this story.
The last time I saw Traffic live was at Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix on the
night of Friday, June 17, 1994. We drove I-10 from Tucson to Phoenix late
that afternoon and had dinner with my parents prior to the show.
At the very time that we were making that boring drive, OJ was involved in
the infamous slow-speed chase in the white Bronco down LA's freeways. I
remember listening to it on the car radio and watching it on CNN at Dad's.
And ever since then, when someone mentions the slow-speed chase or I see a
white Bronco, the intro to 'Pearly Queen', the show opener, runs through my
head.
Does anyone else make any bizarre connections between Steve's music and
unrelated events? I'd like to hear about them! Even if they're not so bizarre.
Does a song remind you of a summer swim? A lost SO? Tell us!
Regards,
Bobbie
From: RRopek@aol.com (Dan)
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 19:09:59
Subject: Post: Hendrix/Traffic revisited
Since there is some continuing interest, I thought I would add to/revise my
original post. Hope it helps out.
The Hendrix/Traffic material that I have heard has no "songs" per se, that is,
instrumentation and vocals with a distinct song structure. In fact, none of the
pieces sound as if they were intended to have vocals - they are "jams", and
sound basically spontaneous; organized around particular keys with shifting
tempos.
I bow to the Hendrix expert posted in vol.5, who described the material as
being Hendrix (a certainty) , with various possible aggregations of the members
of Traffic. Only Hendrix is 100% identifiable. All I can add is that, having
listened to a fair amount of Traffic over the years, it sounds very much like
them on most of the cuts. Wood and Winwood seem particularly recognizable.
Also, Hendrix' known involvement with Winwood/Traffic, i.e. "Voodoo Chile",
is considerable, making the session(s) authenticity likely, at least.
I do not have the bootleg described in vol. 5 "Jimi Hendrix and Traffic: A
session", although, based on jam descriptions and the lengths of the tunes,
some of the music matches up to what is on my tape. For my own purposes, I
have devised a strictly non-technical means of describing the music. This may
be useful to someone trying to sort this all out, so I thought I would post it.
Jam # 1: ~ 19:00 minutes, Instru: guitar/sax/drums/bass *
spanish type jam> freeform/space> boogie> guitar/sax duel> rhythmic jam>
freeform II w/drums> rhythmic II (concludes) - NOTE: this cut has been
described as a Jimi Hendrix session, Olympic studios, London 9/5/68 with
Chris Wood.
Jam # 2: 2:50, Instru: guitar/piano/drums /bass
fast jam w/hard driving guitar and cascading piano intro. - NOTE: at the end,
the recording engineer is heard to say (laughing): "Yes, we're gonna have to
keep that one". Hendrix replies: "Gonna try that just one more time".
Jam # 3: 3:20, Instru: (same as #2)
mid-tempo > Fast with guitar solo
Jam # 4: 10:00, Instru: (same as #2)
heavy riff opening, fast jam, slows to midtempo for the last half of tune.
NOTE: engineer: "Jimi, I gotta break", at the end of the jam.
Jam #5: 2:00, Instru: (same as #2)
Opens with "Driving South" guitar riff.
Jam# 6 : 2:35, Instru: guitar/piano/flute/bass/drums
fades in - jazzy tempo with prominant flute/piano
Jam# 7: ~ 30:00, Instru: (same as # 6) *
structured jam - w/prominant flute/guitar leads > slow flute/piano interlude>
Fast tempo jam> w/Jimi's "Outside Woman Blues" riff > slow tempo
flute/bass/guitar> bass solo> jazzy tempo jam w/Jimi's "Tomorrow Never
Knows" lead> faster tempo w/lead - cut-
Jam# 8 : 1:50, Instru: (same as #6)
Jazzy shuffle w/flute lead
* denotes jams I believe are on the bootleg CD
Hope thats not too exhaustive! Anyone that can clarify further, please feel free
to add or detract from this. Threre is supposed to be a book on Hendrix's
recording sessions coming out soon, maybe someone can pin down exact details
from that.
- Dan
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 13:49:44
From: Scott Harold Pollard (spollard@oswego.Oswego.EDU)
Subject: Tunes for guitar/keyboard?
I am curious if anyone has figured out any great Winwood tunes for
guitar/keyboard. I have some Traffic and Blind Faith, but am looking for any
solo stuff, such as "High Life" or maybe even some of the tunes off of the new
Traffic album.
Also, does anyone know of any new tour information, or possible album
releases. It has been a while since THE FINER THINGS came out. Steve is
due for some new stuff.
Scott Pollard, "new to the net"
[Scott, in previous issues we discussed the rumors of SW currently recording in
Nashville and having an album due out by Christmas, but no one seems to have
been able to confirm yet. Anyone got confirmation? -BG]
Date sent: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 10:40:19
From: "Peter Katic (scm2804)" (s9517208@tiger.vut.edu.au)
Subject: Re: Please ID Spencer Davis song
The song I heard went something like this:
"Keep on running, keep on hiding
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
To make you understand
I'm gonna be your man"
Is this Spencer Davis Group?
[Pete - It certainly may have been; they recorded and released 'Keep On
Running' in Nov '65. They did not write it however, the composer was Jackie
Edwards. -BG]
Date sent: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 11:27:01
From: Carol Ann Kelley (cakkelle@tenet.edu)
Subject: POST: Split Decision question
On the Back In The High Life album I have noticed that an entire verse of
Split Decision is not sung. In place of the verse that is an instrumental. Why
is this ? I've been wondering about this for a while but never had anyone to
direct it toward. I would greatly appreciate an answer. The unsung verse goes
as follows:
Sometimes I think I know too much
When confidence never needs a crutch
One man is a real one, the other wants to hide
One man has his mind made up while the other can't decide
By the time there's nothing left to choose
One of us sees red, while the other sings the blues
Sincerely,
Gabriel Kelley
[Gabriel, It may have been due to time limitations on the album. They printed
the entire song for copyright or other legal reasons, but didn't have time to
include it all. Remember, it was released on vinyl and cassette, where space is
more of an issue than on CD. --BG]
From: BobbieG@aol.com (BobbieG.)
Date sent: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 19:20:24
Subject: AOL folder
Well, I see the AOL Steve Winwood folder got deleted again - big surprise!
Next time someone has a chance to create it, let's try calling it 'Traffic and
Steve Winwood' instead. More people are fans of Traffic than solo SW,
judging from the tendency of the posts and the tenor in the chat-rooms, so we
might have a chance of retaining it for more than a couple days.
From: woontner@beta.SIRIUS.COM (Alan)
Date sent: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 18:42:16
Subject: Two instrumentals
I got a Winwood question for you. In his discography the B side to
the One and Only Man single is listed as "Always". Is this song on any
other album? Also have you heard the instrumental version of "In the Light of
Day?"
Alan
From: woontner@beta.SIRIUS.COM Alan)
Date sent: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 18:42:16
Subject: Re: Tapes from last summer
In response to Arnie Schulberg:
>Do you know where I can find tapes of the Traffic tour last summer? I
>have some tradeables, though nothing Traffic/Winwood related.
Check out the Traffic Woodstock 95 CD available from CD-NOW on the
Internet. I wasn't terribly impressed. The song list is (not in the correct order):
Pearly Queen
Glad
Freedom Rider
Low Spark
Medicated Goo
Light Up or Leave Me Alone
Rock N Roll Stew
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Give Me Some Lovin
Empty Pages
Also comes with a disk from a 75 Traffic tour which includes John
Barleycorn, Shoot Out At the Fantasy Factory, Who Knows What Tommorow
May Bring, Rainmaker, etc.
From: woontner@beta.SIRIUS.COM Alan)
Date sent: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 18:42:16
Subject: Re: Vacant Chair and MattGrey
I will respond to Matt Grey's insight about Winwood's music taking you to
beautiful places you never knew existed. Well, sometimes you knew they were
there, but you forgot. Or maybe you entered the space half way, and since you
didn't know your way around, you left without really exploring it.Then when
you hear the music, it's like having a deja vu experience.
Vacant Chair takes me to that experience of cherishing the love of a
friend, and the sadness of missing that person. Then allowing yourself to move
on, keep on going and the elation of being able to do that, while still honoring
the spirit of the friendship. There's a lot of beautiful friendships in my life that
aren't happening for one reason or another, and there's a vacant chair for each
one of them, and at the same time that chair is full with the wonderful
experiences we shared. Other songs that evoke special places for me are:
* Heaven Is In Your Mind evokes the ecstatic pleasure of the simple things in
life
* Smiling Phases evokes determination to be free from the chains that bind me
* Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring? evokes being high, in all its
aspects
* Empty Pages evokes the comfort/discomfort of loving someone
* Dust evokes the ache of missing love
* Spanish Dancer evokes the wonders of being in the rhythm
* There's A River Flowing evokes seeing your life in its entirety as a
beautiful procession.
Thats all for now
Alan
