VOLUME 47, sent January 15, 1997
Topics in this issue:
1. Shoot Out lyrics
2. Questions
3. Home Page
4. Magazine articles
5. Archives
6. Re: Dream Gerrard
7. What little I've learned so far
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1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 22:57:34 +0400
From: "Richard A. Chapman"
Subject: Shoot Out lyrics
Couldn't help myself, but I have slightly different lyrics to the "Shoot
Out at Fantasy Factory" song, mine come from a song/lyric book published
in 1973 which I still own. The lyrics are as follows (and they sound
right to me when I listen to the song):
You rise upon a black day, coming from a mile away.
And every time I hear you say, that I don't have to be this way.
You sneak upon a mean moon, that casts it's shadow too soon.
When the spell is in tune, your shadow slips away.
Good man gets the good wife, while bad boy's cleaning up his knife.
And all I got is trouble and strife to help me on my way.
Your're running round to nowhere, someone said it might be there,
But I'm telling you beware, the hand that fights you'll feed.
Investigating downtown, Sergeant Gruesome got shot down.
National Guard came all around, but couldn't find his knees.
Mickey Mouse was all put out, Donald Duck began to shout.
Rumors that were put about, said they would get theirs next.
Contributing,
Richard A. Chapman
2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2
From: Paolo "Bussola" Marchiori
Subject: Questions
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 13:58:06 +0100 (MET)
1) Does anybody knows if and when we'll see SW touring in Europe?
2) Did SW ever came to Italy for concerts?
3) About the T-Shirt logo... I'm undecided 'tween 3 and SP w/arrows,
since SP is nice but 3 remembers me the Traffic logo...
Greetings,
--Paolo
[That gives me a chance to remind people to go vote! I've only received 15
votes, and I'd like a better sampling, so next time you're on the Web, please go
to http://www.azstarnet.com/~bobbieg/teeshirt.htm and click on the design you
like best, and then be SURE to click on 'Send my vote' at the bottom of the
page. If you don't have web-access, like you Juno-users, please email me and
I'll email back the designs in a zip file. --BG]
3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3
From: BobbyM3228@aol.com
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 09:42:35 -0500
Subject: Home Page
Hi all, Bobby Messano (ex-Winwood guitarist/1983) here. Just wanted to wish
everyone Happy Holidays, and a great New Year. I am very close to a new
record deal for my band Bobby Messano and NBO, and if all goes well SW will
be on a few tracks. My home page is at http://www.cyberstrings.com/NBO so
check it out if you get a chance. Again, all the best for a great holiday season.
Bobby Messano
[And this gives me a chance to remind everyone to send me the URL of your
home page if/when you build one, so I can include the link on the mailing list
page. --BG]
4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 23:19:17 -0500
From: Ed
Subject: Magazine articles
Over the years I've collected some of the many articles written about Winwood
& Traffic. Some of the more notable were: an early Rolling Stone article
(sometime in 1969) which featured the band in their cottage days. Some really
neat stuff in this about their musical influences as well as their compositions
and how they came about. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this
period. Also a very good article in Downbeat in 1974. Trouser Press also did a
comprehensive history of the band in 1977. This article reported that the
phrase Low Spark of High Heeled Boys was attributed to the actor Michael J.
Pollard (he's the crazy looking dude on the Visa commercial who can't forge
one of their new high-tech cards). Supposedly he coined this in a state of
altered consciousness, while working on a film in Morocco, which the band
was supposed to do a soundtrack for. The meaning is open to debate but might
refer to the glam rockers of the time, or it could have no meaning at all.
Capaldi had done this before with 40,000 headmen.
I have noticed in past issues some comments on how underrated Steve's guitar
work has been. I agree as well, but nobody ever mentions his bass playing!
Check out Freedom Rider and Empty Pages for example. Really inventive,
tasty stuff. Winwood also did quite a bit of bass work on the Blind Faith
album before Grech came on board.
Speaking of Rick Grech, I have an album Island put out many years ago called
The Last Five Years .There is a track titled How Hi the Li which sounds like
Traffic, perhaps an outtake from Low Spark? It's really quite interesting. Why
doesn't Island release more stuff like this? It really pisses me off, that almost
anybody who made music in the 60s gets a box set, unreleased recordings,
alternate takes, ad nauseum. Winwood himself said that Chris Wood always
had a tape recorder going whenever they played! And what do Traffic fans get,
a lame 2 CD set. I wish somebody would shake these people up.
One thing to look forward to is the BBC recordings of vintage rock are starting
to trickle out. Supposedly the BBC will make available the live and studio
recordings from the 60's and 70's (what a nice way to fill the coffers). Among
the recordings hopefully will be the 70 tour which caught the band in fine form
(killer version of Who knows what tomorrow might bring, and Every mothers
son). Keep your fingers crossed.
Struggling with confusion, disillusionment too,
Guy
5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5
From: MHargre586@aol.com
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 05:33:58 -0500
Subject: Archives
I've been through' SP 1-46 (finally) to make comments and answer various
points I can. Sorry if it's a bit long, but I think it is all useful to
Traffic/Winwood interestees.
Here are my comments -
SP01 Island does have a homepage at http://www.island.co.uk/ . You should
check out all of John Martyn back catalogue (on Island etc) plus new stuff at
http://www.godiscs.com/ .
SP02 Re "SOATFF" - I bought this in the UK on its release date. Shortly
after this, the mix was completely changed, on most if not all tracks. For
instance, "Uninspired" has a longer time + more guitar at the end, more flute -
on title track, longer "RRS". The CD follows the later mixes. Re "Giving To
You" - The difference between the PS B-side and Mr Fantasy LP versions is in
the vocals only (proper lyric v. messing about), the instrumental bits are from
the same source.
SP03 I have a CD of "What's Shakin'" - Elektra 9 61343-2 (3 Tracks by EC +
P/H).
SP04 The cottage is not actually in the village of Aston Tirrold, but somewhere
nearby. I once went to Aston Tirrold to try to find it, but didn't succeed. I did
find the Rollright Stones though, near the village of Great Rollright.
SP05 Traffic was really Chris Wood's group in spirit. Didn't Winwood leave
the SDG in order to join a new band ? I used to skip the Mason tracks years
ago, but now think they're fine. "Alone Together" & "Dave Mason and Cass
Elliot" both feature some great tracks.
SP06 Aiye Keta will be released soon by Demon/Edsel in the UK.
SP07 Chris Wood's sax on "I'm A Man" is clearly audible, especially after the
lines "....love you so".
SP08 I have a Jim Capaldi CD "Let The Thunder Cry" Jet Records JETCD
1003 , with a nice JC version of "Low Spark ...", which also appears on the
compilation CD "Prince Of Darkness" All At Once Records AAO92082 .
SP09 I was at the Manchester (UK) Traffic concert, where "Holy Ground" was
performed. The player of the Uillean Pipes was Davy Spillane, per "Far From
Home".
SP11 The b-side of "One & Only Man" is an excellent instrumental called
"Always".
SP12 Cottage directions : Actually the turn-off the A329 onto the A417 is at
the village of Streatley (not Strently), but knowing where Aston Tirrold is won't
get you to the cottage! Does anyone have exact instructions?
SP13 Is "Reach For The Light" worth getting?
SP14 I have the "Mulberry Bush" LP (only vinyl). There is no "Zing". The
only other Traffic track (apart from Title & Utterly Simple) is called "Am
I What I Was, Or Was I What I Am" , a great guitar track. I thought the name
"Traffic" was coined by Capaldi - In his frustration when trying to cross a busy
road, he shouted out loud the word TRAFFIC!! It's possible. I have a UK CD
of "Blind Faith" RSO 825 094-2 with 2 extra tracks (To LP) which are
"Exchange & Mart" and "Spending All My Days". Both rubbish. The reissue
omits these.
SP15 I agree with Bjorn! I have the UK 12-inch single of "Night Train". The
b-side is an instrumental version (which is great and has extra
guitar/keyboards) and this is much longer than 3:35 .
SP16 Chris Wood was "The High Spark of Traffic" - we'll never get the old
style stuff without him, sadly. NB the spark not the writer.
SP18 The Traffic symbol was originally described as a "Celtic Wheel of
Fortune" but was really designed by a friend of the band.
SP19 Phil Collins is Class 1 Rubbish. (Sorry PC fans.) "Welcome To The
Canteen" was a replacement for "Traffic Live/November '70". It was rumored
that SW didn't like the quality and ditched the tapes. The track listing was :
Side 1 - Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring (7:20) - Glad (11:45) - Side 2
- Pearly Queen (4:55) - 40 Thousand Headmen (4:35) - Dear Mr Fantasy (6:02)
- Can't Find My Way Home (4:33). I have a copy of the cover from a 1970/71
Island advert. Only the trio of W/C/W played on this, and the bootleg "John
Barleycorn" OH-BOY 1-9030 gives a good indication of what it would have
been like. It does annoy me when people say "WHERE The Eagle Flies" -
WHEN! WHEN!
SP23 The CD "Keep On Running" is actually a mid-price reissue of CID 9975
from 1991. It's like an early/mini "The Finer Things" - Keep On Running/
Gimme Some Lovin' / Somebody Help Me/ I'm A Man/ Every Little Bit Hurts /
Paper Sun / Smiling Phases / Heaven Is In Your Mind / Here We Go Round the
Mulberry Bush / No Face No Name No Number / Well Alright / Empty Pages /
John Barleycorn / Happy Vibes / Something New / Time Is Running Out/ Hold
On.
SP28 The Reading Festival was 1974. It was the original Traffic's last concert.
I was there.
SP29 I think I was at the Manchester (UK) gig in March 1973 (at the
Hardrock?). I definitely was - I was on the front row in the exact centre.
Marvellous!!! In fact, Spooky Tooth were due to support, but never appeared.
SP30 Spooky Tooth were an excellent group!!!
SP31 "GO" is an excellent Winwood album - and don't forget that Rosko Gee
played the bass. Bragging again - I was at the original UK Royal Albert Hall
and got my programme autographed. EC+P/H have 3 tracks on my "What's
Shakin'" CD - "I Want To Know" (2:18), "Crossroads" (2:19) and "Stepping
Out" (3:16). The reissue by Wynder K. Frog last year was "Out Of
The Frying Pan", on Edsel Records EDCD461, his 2nd Island Album from
1968. WKF is a person called Mick Weaver (no connection to Blue Weaver!!!).
He joined Cap/Mas/Wd as Wooden Frog after Winwood left. No recordings,
but played Mason/Alone Together material. The track "Bad Eye" (2:35)
written by Willie Mitchell is Track 8 on this album.
SP32 The first Wynder K. Frogg (sic) album (on Island) was "Sunshine
Superfrog".
SP33 Once Again, "Aiye Keta" will be Edsel Records EDCD513, v. soon.
SP36 The 7 Capaldi songs are from his 1st solo album "Oh How We Danced"
on Edsel EDCD502.
SP37 The original Island vinyl of "....Canteen" from 1971 did not mention
the name Traffic at all, it just had the symbol on the back photo. It was credited
to the 7 individuals SW/JC/DM/CW/RG/RKB/JG. The original Island CD CID
9166 said Traffic on the spine but had the individual names on the disc. The
mid-price Island masters reissue only says Traffic.
SP38 "We're a fade, you missed this" is on the Island US Promo sampler
"Traffic Control" PR-2300-2 , all 53 seconds! The "Last Exit" track "Just For
You" (the exact same version) is the B-side of the first Dave Mason solo single
(on Island) called "Little Woman" (Feb '68).
SP41 The "pleasant screeching sound" on "Withering Tree" is Chris Wood's
flute, with some tinkly cymbals tagged on.
SP42 Concerning the CD of "When The Eagle Flies" : This was slated for
release on CD (as CID 9273) by Island UK in August 1988, all the other Traffic
CDs having been released by then. I ordered it straight away. It was never
released!! I rang Island who were very un-helpful and could only say that there
was a "legal problem" preventing release, and it would probably never come
out! (On a separate call to Island's production department, a guy told me that
the CDs, thousands of them, had been pressed-up and were now languishing in
some Island basement. He thought Chris Blackwell didn't like the sound quality
and had stopped the release. He also reckoned that some copies may have been
exported.) I contacted a guy in Japan who said he had seen a copy of "Eagle"
on CD, I sent him 6,000 Yen to get a copy. Just before Christmas 1988, a
parcel arrived from Japan. It really was a CD of "Eagle"!!! The curious fact is
that it was a UK CD (i.e. CID 9273 completely in English) which matched all
the other UK Island Traffic CDs, with a Japanese wrap-around and inserts. An
Island Masters reissue was eventually released some years later, and is still
available. I think the legal problem was to do with Winwood's defection to
Virgin Records. I'll ring Trevor Wyatt at Island and Alan Price (no relation) at
Edsel to hurry up the release of "Go".
SP44 At the 1974 Traffic concert at the Free Trade Hall Manchester (UK),
Winwood actually had to play guitar, sat down at the electric piano on some
songs, e.g. "Something New".
SP45 "Shouldn't Have....You Gave" was from Dave Mason's 1st solo album
"Alone Together". There is a UK Island Masters single CD "Best Of The
SDG" (IMCD 151) which is the same track-listing, cover etc as the vinyl LP
ILPS 9070 from 1968, but only in mono (which has the US version of "Gimme
Some Lovin'"). I would like Dave Mason to record with Winwood/Capaldi
again. In "Dear Mr Fantasy", The words SW "mumbles" after the 3rd verse,
before the last musical break (around 4:05 on the Smiling Phases comp) are
"Please, Mr Fantasy". I can't comment (at the moment) as to the accuracy of
the "Capaldi & Mason & Wood" UNTITLED lyrics, but this song is "Am I
What I Was, Or Was I What I Am" from the Mulberry Bush soundtrack. I think
the first line should be "No time to waste while you're in such a rush". I'll have
to dig out the vinyl, and a Record Player!! "Evening Blue" - 'brown' is correct -
'changing for some __ doubt' should be ' changing fears and doubts'. "Roll
Right Stones" - 'The space is between my eyes' 'Death awaits with pearly
gates'
'Went to see a standing stone
Some in circles, some alone
Ancient, worn and weather torn
They chill me to my very bone
Many of these can be seen
In quiet places, fields of green
Of hedgerown lanes with countless names
But the only..RRS'
'....marches slowly on
In nature's paint, she hides the stain
Cos everybody ..'
'Went to ... mound
People...
Long...
What...
Black crow, I know., you've been here
You've seen the sights of yesteryear
You steal the grain of conquered plain
But ...... RRS'
SP46 The title "The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys" was of an old Western
novel. "Shoot Out" lyrics -
'You ride/rise up on a bad/black day, coming ... away
Every ... way
You sneak up on a mean moon, that casts a shadow too soon
When the spell is in tune, your shadow steps away'
'The good man....
...it might be there' I'm telling...
...the hand that bites, you'll feed'
'Inv..... Sergeant Gruesome got...
Mickey Mouse was all put out, DD...'
Happy New Year,
Mike Hargreaves.
6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 22:33:32 +0200 (EET)
From: Berkin Altinok
Subject: Re: Dream Gerrard
Since I am a newcomer to our unique clan, I thought I should list my favorite
tunes by Traffic. There are eventually many excellent tunes of which to choose,
but D. Gerrard is very special I think it 's the greatest song ever, because it is
the most mysterious headless horseman vibe, incredible drums (I think the best
delivered by Capaldi ever, so this actually makes him the greatest drummer of
all times not J. Gordon) also some brilliant and esoteric sax by Woody and the
bass by Gee is exciting it is a song of blur, life and sometimes of depression and
hope, winwood really flies on this one, by the way have they ever played it
live? please let me know if you know anything. Two years ago I was
accidentally listening to Power FM in Ankara and they played Gerrard and I
was going to have an Heart attack I was shocked, the DJ said the listeners that
it was from the greatest Album of 1974, anyway for the ones who do not know
how the song started, it was because the great V Stanshall who at Steve's house
at the time was reading a poem by Gerard de Nerval (the great French Oriental
poet) and Steve somehow picks it up and starts plonking on the Piano ... for
more detail Mail me because it is a longer story.. My other favorite tracks are
1)Mr. Fantasy
2)40.000 Headmen
3)Memories of a Rock and roller
4)Nowhere is their freedom
5)Low spark
all of Barleycorn and many others, too much to mention
Hey where the heck is the new Album, I can not wait any more......
7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7
From: GOlson2710@aol.com
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 01:00:19 -0500 (EST)
Subject: What little I've learned so far
Not being one to wait I thought I would give Virgin another shout. The first
person I talked to said the new Winwood CD is his alone - not another Traffic
release - with a tentative May release. Then I was switched to another person
who said the CD is still in production especially the artwork and may not be out
till fall but will come out. They would not confirm nor deny that Joe Walsh was
with him. In fact said they couldn't say anymore about it as "it is all very hush
hush".
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END OF SMILING PHASES, VOL 47
