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At the end of the semester, we were reading "Slaughter House Five" by Kurt Vonnegut, and my teacher showed us a letter that Vonnegut wrote to the chairman of a school board in North Dakota. The chairman had ordered the student's copies of Vonnegut's book to be burned because he considered novel obscene (I thought "Slaughter House Five" was one of the greatest books I've ever read!).
What does this have to do with guitars? Well, Vonnegut's letter came from a website called "Letters of Note." Today, I was reading some of the other letters on this site and found one written by an 18 year old kid named Keith Richards, who is telling his aunt about a new friend who loves Chuck Berry as much as he does. I bet a lot of you guys already know who this new friend is, but I didn't, and it was neat-o to read about it.
Here's the link to the letter: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/04/he … agger.html
I was impressed with how charming and witty Keith's writting is. Nowadays, he seems to have a reputation as a mumbing kook (a la, Johhny Depp in "Priates of the Carribbean), but this gives me a whole new perspective on his unique personality.
Does anyone have any stories about how young musicians met up and formed legendary bands? I love the conversations we have on this forum and I always learn a lot from you guys. Thanks!
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M.B. wrote:
Does anyone have any stories about how young musicians met up and formed legendary bands?
I'm pretty sure Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart) met when they were very young. Same is true for Ray and Dave Davies (The Kinks). There are probably other stories out there like this. The Kemps (Spandau Ballet) and the twin guys (don't know their names) in the Proclaimers come to mind.
Yes, MB. I am a smart-alek. But you already knew that.
Seriously though, this is a bit off-topic, but I did learn something interesting recently about band membership history. You've no doubt heard of the Eagles, but have you heard of the band called Poco?
Those two bands are connected buy this interesting fact: Timothy B Schmidt (bass player) replaced Randy Meisner . . . in both Poco and the Eagles.
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Astronomikal wrote:
M.B. wrote:
Does anyone have any stories about how young musicians met up and formed legendary bands?
I'm pretty sure Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart) met when they were very young. Same is true for Ray and Dave Davies (The Kinks). There are probably other stories out there like this. The Kemps (Spandau Ballet) and the twin guys (don't know their names) in the Proclaimers come to mind.
Yes, MB. I am a smart-alek. But you already knew that. .
Wow . . . how weird is it that people with the same last names would meet and form a band. It's almost has if they were related or some--HEY, wait a minute!! (Actualy thought process as I read your post)
I read about when Paul McCartney first met John Lennon, back when they were both teenagers, and Paul wasn't intimidated by John's swagger because Paul could play the guitar better.
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M.B wrote:
HEY, wait a minute!! (Actualy thought process as I read your post).
NOW you're catching on.
M.B wrote:
. . . because Paul could play the guitar better.
Probably true. John could strum, but George was the real guitar player in the band. John was (IMO) a better pianist than guitarist. And it would not surprise me to hear that Paul was a better guitarist than John.
But back to your original story about Mick and Keith, I had heard (long before Al Gore invented the internet) that Mick and Keith met in a record store when they were both interested in buying the same Muddy Waters album. I guess Keith's letter tells a different story.
Another story I heard one time (although it may not be true) is that when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were forming KISS, Ace Frehley walked into the audition wearing shoes which did not match. They supposedly hired him without hearing him play a single note.
Last edited by Astronomikal (2012-06-18 06:29:11)
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the john and paul story actually goes that john was impressed that paul could play "20 flight rock" knowing all the words. john also had been taught by his mother who only showed him banjo chords, so they learnt a lot together which probably brought them together as friends (include george in that too) pauls father was a jazz pianist, so he had a head start there too! FYI his first instrument was a trumpet...GO FIGURE?
phill
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Phill Williams wrote:
the john and paul story actually goes that john was impressed that paul could play "20 flight rock" knowing all the words. john also had been taught by his mother who only showed him banjo chords, so they learnt a lot together which probably brought them together as friends (include george in that too) pauls father was a jazz pianist, so he had a head start there too! FYI his first instrument was a trumpet...GO FIGURE?
phill
Phil you hit the history right on,and know your stuff. I guess we have have both been reading the same books. I think I also remember george at the Time could play Telstar.
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hi dino, i havent heard the one about telstar, but he could bash out raunchy. i preferred his latter work from abbey road on.
even though i've got the original on LP, tape and CD, i bought the remixed version too, the one beatles album i dont like is "let it be" maybe it's because abbey road was so brilliant or maybe because it was their goodbye album...who knows?
phill
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I think george was the most underated beatle,they only john and paul only let him put one or two of his songs on the albums. I have also noted he never got too do any long guitar solos. I have read somewhere that he was really glad too get out of the beatles so he could put some of his music out there, let it be was ok but I agree Abby road was there most brilliant album.
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Astronomikal wrote:
M.B wrote:
HEY, wait a minute!! (Actualy thought process as I read your post).
NOW you're catching on.
M.B wrote:
. . . because Paul could play the guitar better.
Another story I heard one time (although it may not be true) is that when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were forming KISS, Ace Frehley walked into the audition wearing shoes which did not match. They supposedly hired him without hearing him play a single note.
The truth is yes he actually did show up in the two different color shoes,, however he did and did not "play". He was just warming up and screwing around with his amp and they said - Your hired. -- I am a huge Ace fan. Ill freely ( no pun intended) admit some of his stuff is rubbish,(mostly the crap Todd Howarth wrote!) but I have always loved the attitude that you hear as he plays.
I just bought this http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Player-Ace … player+dvd and I have this waiting at the Library http://www.amazon.com/No-Regrets-Ace-Fr … _mov_img_b
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M.B. wrote:
Does anyone have any stories about how young musicians met up and formed legendary bands? I love the conversations we have on this forum and I always learn a lot from you guys. Thanks!
M.B. I highly suggest that you check a vidio shop or netflicks and watch HAIL HAIL ROCK AND ROLL. Kieth assembles a band to record with Chuck Berry because in his opinion Chuck has never been recorded deacently. Keith is the arrangement genious for the stones. If you can find teh complete set of dvds for this show, the "extras" disk is great. at one point Keith says to take a brake from one song they were praticing,, and Chuck is like "NO NO NO lets JAM,,, LOOK AT WHO WE GOT IN THIS ROOM, LETS JUST JAM!" And what follows is a inprov jam that while may not be the greatest thing in 6 strings,, you can see Clapton Berry and Richards just having fun. Like we are supposed to have with music! 
Also if you like band tales: I AM OZZY was great! caution, Oz pulls no punches and tells you exactly what was going on with the band sex and drugs,,, but trust me, in 3 pages you will be laughing out loud. Sammy Hagars book is good also. but he is the same way. tells it like it happened.
I just found HAIL HAIL ROCK AND ROLL for you on you tube starting with part one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT2aeKsOqao
and this is the jam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzKd0aia … re=related
and this is great too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClgtoM2RwQY Only Chuck can tell Keith he cant paly guitar correctly LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Cheers!
Last edited by beamer (2012-06-19 05:26:30)
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MB JUST FOR YOU.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpTpxbnB … re=related
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Oh my gosh, Beamer--what a treasure trove! THANKS SO MUCH!
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Hey M.B. read Keith Richards' book "Life". I was pleasantly surprised at the writing.
dj
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Thanks for the suggestion, naolslager, I'll look that one up.
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naolslager wrote:
Hey M.B. read Keith Richards' book "Life". I was pleasantly surprised at the writing.
dj
Just got it from teh library myself, also got ACE - NO REGRETS,
I was a little off about him not even playing for the band, they got pissed at him cause he was warming up while they were talking to the guy b4 him (Bob Kulick who would end up being a presence in the studio later on)
So they told him "here is an original throw, you best at it for lead" took them 3 weeks to decide on him.
After that one, im starting LIFE.
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