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VOLUME 82, sent June 9, 1997
Topics in this issue:
1. Winwood collaborations
2. Perspective on Bad Reviews
3. Re: HDCD
4. Irving Plaza show!
5. Re: HDCD
6. Sad news!!
7. Re: Spooky Tooth
8. LiveConcert and chat on the Web last night
9. Re: What's left to be transferred to CD
10. 6:00 pm on June 8
11. Sandy Denny mailing list
[Special note: I will be away from my computer June 10-11, so if you send a
post to SP, you will not see my normal acknowledgment till June 12. -BG]
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From: "Elena Iglio"
Subject: Winwood collaborations
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 20:49:03 +0200
I wanted to answer to some of your questions. Stevie's Blues is definitely sung
by Steve. IT sounded amazing, since he was only 16, eh? Spooky Tooth was a
Birmingham band and their drummer, Mike Kellie, played with Chris Wood in
his former band Locomotive. They also toured as a support to Traffic and they
were close friends, so it is very likely Steve can be on the record you mention.
And, yes, tasty lad, my favourite solo Winwood song is MIDLAND MANIAC
too!! You can see we've got the lyrics downloaded after 20 years. The songbook
is not available anywhere....
Ellie
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From: "Les Jacobson"
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 17:42:03 -0500
Subject: Perspective on Bad Reviews
I have learned to shrug off bad reviews of Steve's work, and I suggest other SW
fans do the same. It is easy and fun to disparage, and let's face it: people have a
right to be disappointed with artistic expression. I for one can't stand Neil
Young, who is an icon to a lot of alternative bands and fans. The fact is that
for 25-plus years Steve's work has generated mostly negative reviews. Only
High Life elicited near-unanimous praise. Yet I remain convinced that over a
lifetime he will be seen as one of the few original and striking talents of his
generation and genre.
And that is why I think the LA New Times reviewer missed the point: one may
not appreciate Steve's unique amalgam of pop, soul, R&B, folk, jazz and even
classical music, but it is clearly NOT Ray Charles redux. Very early in his
career Steve Winwood walked away from the opportunity to sing Georgia on
My Mind and Dimples better than any other white singer, in order to blaze a
new musical trail, which was Traffic. It may not always have been inspired,
but it was courageous and unique. The reason it is rarely heard on the airwaves
today is that it doesn't neatly fit into radio's AOL, MOR or Top 40 slots. It is
that rare thing: eclectic and different. We know it, and one day they will too.
In the meantime, just relax and enjoy the music.
Les
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Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 15:02:56 +0200 (MET DST)
From: Jan Inge Sommerseth
Subject: Re: HDCD
HDCD has nothing to do with the recording or mixing (AAD / DDD) process,
it is a way of coding the digital sound to gain better sound, the first CD that
was released this way was Neil Young's Mirror Ball. I cut the following from
the home page of the HDCD makers:
Pacific Microsonics' HDCD (High Definition Compatible Digital) process
utilizes a sophisticated encode/decode system that greatly reduces both additive
and subtractive distortions in digital audio recordings, while remaining
compatible with existing formats. HDCD recordings with wider dynamic range,
more natural vocal and instrumental timbre, greater depth and space, and better
resolution of low-level detail.
If you want to know more go to their Hope page yourself:
http://www.hdcd.com/overview.html
They claim that it will sound better on normal CD players, but the best result is
by CD players with a HDCD decoder built in. These players are very expensive,
from USD 2000, I think. Example: Wadia, Copland, Mark Levinson, Proceed...
Hope this answered your question, best wishes to all,
Jan Inge Sommerseth
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From: Stevsmith1@aol.com
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 15:52:24 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Irving Plaza show!
The show on Thursday was awesome! The club atmosphere really made a
difference from the usual large venues, and for a couple songs I was less than
twenty feet from Steve. Several people were taking photos - I didn't even think
about that! I didn't even take a tape recorder due to lack of time, but that's fine
since taping at a show is distracting from the show itself and kind of a pain.
My date was a former girlfriend who went to the Traffic show with me, and she
loved it! The crowd responded with a roar when Steve strapped on a guitar.
The biggest surprise was "Can't Find My Way Home", which transported us
back to the 60s for a group rendition. The whole set list was:
I'm A Man
Roll With It
Freedom Overspill
Spy In The House Of Love
Let Your Love Come Down
Gotta Get Back To My Baby
Plenty Lovin'
Can't Find My Way Home
Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys
Glad
Family Affair
Just Wanna Have Some Fun
Higher Love
Back In The High Life Again
Gimme Some Lovin'
I wore the SP tee (under another shirt but visible enough), but didn't see anyone
others. I gave away an SDG CD and some SW cassingles that I didn't need. It
was really funny, because every single person was interested in what I had but
assumed I was trying to sell it. Once past that hurdle, several engaging
conversations ensued during the evening.
Steve
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From: Stevsmith1@aol.com
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 00:12:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: HDCD
If I remember correctly, HDCD stands for "high definition" CD. It's essentially
a proprietary recording process similar to other "20-bit" systems such as
Deutsche Gramophone's "4D", designed to squeeze higher resolution into the
CD format's standard 16 bits. Steve obviously cares about the quality of
recording, and it shows!
Jason also mentioned the "DDD" and "AAD" designations often found on CDs.
These are SPARS codes, which attempt to convey whether analog or digital
processes were used at certain stages in recording and pressing. As technology
rapidly advanced, the distinctions became blurred to the point where even the
guy who devised the codes recommended discontinuing their use. That was a
couple or five years ago, and the scheme has largely been dropped.
Steve
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Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 12:35:10 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Berkin Altinok
Subject: Sad news!!
Ronnie Lane passed away yesterday!!! Rest in Peace..
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From: ASchulberg@aol.com
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 22:13:38 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Spooky Tooth
<< I have never seen it acknowledged but if you listen to the last track
"Bubbles" on the album "It's all about", the first album by "Spooky Tooth". a
fine English Band (Island 1968), I'm sure you will agree that it's our man SW
on vocals. Having listened to SW's voice since I first heard "Stevie's Blues" in
1965 I'm sure that it's him. Anybody agree or disagree? >>
Based on nothing but my own arrogance, I would disagree. Spooky Tooth had a
real wailer of a vocalist, Mike Harrison and I would think it's him rather than
SW. After all, why would a band have a guest vocalist on its debut album?
Doesn't make a lot of sense. I think more likely Harrison sounds LIKE SW.
Arnie
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From: "BobbieG."
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 08:36:00 -0700
Subject: LiveConcert and chat on the Web last night
It was short, first of all, only 45 minutes instead of the billed 90 minutes. The
set-list was:
I'm a Man
Spy in the House of Love
Gotta Get Back to My Baby
Can't Find My Way Home
Glad
Just Wanna Have Some Fun
Higher Love
Gimme Some Lovin'
I missed most of Spy cos my feed stopped; Craig was there, he got one of those
passes, and I phoned him late last night. He said they were having all sorts of
technical difficulties, so it may NOT have been my computer hiccuping that
interrupted the feed.
'Glad' was almost Latin-sounding and a great jam. It was cool to have it
'mirror' Gotta Get Back. None of the concert seemed as low-key as the
Letterman thing; I was not disappointed like I was at that. And the version of
CFMWH was maybe the best I've ever heard, very slow, very ballad-y; the best
word to use is 'gentle'.
Video was real spotty. It was a series of still pics rather than a continuous
movement.
The Manager at LiveConcerts said that, with the permission of SW, they will
archive the show on the web-site for at least a month, so even though you
missed it live, you can still go back and see it. Keep checking my unofficial
web-site, because I'll put a link up as soon as I see it there.
It was not possible to log the chatroom in any way, but the Manager is also
going to see if he can make a transcript of the chatroom available to me, so that
I can upload it on to the web-site. SW did not 'chat' in the chatroom; he
responded to questions that had been submitted earlier. I myself submitted 2,
and was REALLY surprised and excited that one of them was the first question
he answered!!!! The other SPers present were Paul Rosano and Anthony Gabb,
each of whom also had questions answered!
Bobbie
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From: MHargre586@aol.com
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 12:09:59 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: What's left to be transferred to CD
I don't think the Fania All-Stars (who did 2 albums for Island "FAS" - ILPS
9331, and "Delicate & Jumpy" - ILPS 9447) are essential items; I'm not sure
of Mr Winwood's precise involvement in these.
When I said "Now there's only GO to go!", it was really a bit of a pun - I
intended GO to mean "Go" and "Go Live From Paris". Here's a boast : I was at
the Royal Albert Hall Premiere of GO in 1976 (front seats!!) and still have my
autographed programme, signed by SW and also (a visitor) Chris Wood. I've
got the original album as well. At the show they did Side 2 first.
Regarding AIRFORCE, I've already got "Ginger Baker's Airforce" on CD. It's
a US Polydor version; but the final LP track is left off the CD for "space"
reasons. Maybe it's been deleted now?
What about "Incense"/ "You're Fooling Me" by "The Anglos"? I never even
heard that, let alone own it.
Mike.
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Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 09:22:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: jfwales
Subject: 6:00pm on June 8
Must make this short...just wanted to let you know that I survived last night! It
was SO funny, tho'...I was in the front row talking to the lady to my right when
on my left someone said, "You must be Jeanie." I turned & said, "You must be
Craig!" It was a GREAT show; I'm gonna let Craig tell you ALL about it...
Did get my two autographs...
Jeanie
[This is so cool when I hear about Subscribers getting together! -BG]
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Date: Mon, 09 Jun 1997 22:07:32 +0300
From: ledge@superonline.com (Levent Varlik)
Subject: Sandy Denny mailing list
I'm a fan of Traffic for years, and I'm also a "devoted" fan of Sandy Denny, a
British singer-songwriter, and I'm running the Sandy Denny Mailing List just
like you do. Could you please announce in your mailing list that, if anybody in
the Smiling Faces list would be interested in Sandy Denny, they can join my
list with a message of "subscribe Sandy Denny-tr" (either on body or the subject
of the email) to
ledge@superonline.com
Sandy and Traffic are familiar to each other. Steve Winwood played on her
Rendezvous album.
Best wishes,
Levent
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END OF SMILING PHASES, VOL 82
