Following on from Elvin’s post about Biebians, below, I thought I’d post this cool tee-shirt image rendering the teen heartthrob ala the Misfits logo. (It’s pretty amazing to consider that Justin Bieber has only been on the scene such a short time, but his hairstyle has already become iconic!)
Here’s an essential and intriguing missing piece of the Krautrock puzzle : A German man known simply as Alex (Alexander Wiska) plays Turkish pop music on his electric saz backed and produced at Inner Space studios, on his first two LPs, by most of the members of Can ! Below is an entertaining fan made clip for the song “Derule” which is a cover of a popular Turkish tune propelled by the incomparable drumming of Can’s Jaki Liebezeit.
Mutant Sounds: Alex Oriental Experience
Previously on DM : THE DANGEROUS DISKOFOLK OF DERDIYOKLAR
The always notable Kurt Ralske just recently blew my mind by introducing me to the work of Polish singer Ewa Demarczyk. Dealing mainly in symbolism and metaphors for freedom was a necessary tactic for her lyrics under communist rule, but one needn’t speak Polish to pick up on what is conveyed in these heavy 1966 performances.
It’s been a while since anyone’s mined Letters of Note, but this one was too good to pass up: a 1990 letter from Frank Sinatra to George Michael urging the “reluctant pop star” to loosen up and “dust off those gossamer wings.” (!)
FRANK SINATRA
September 9, 1990
Dear Friends,
When I saw your Calendar cover today about George Michael, “the reluctant pop star,” my first reaction was he should thank the good Lord every morning when he wakes up to have all that he has., And that’ll make two of us thanking God every morning for all that we have.
I don’t understand a guy who lives “in hopes of reducing the strain of his celebrity status.” Here’s a kid who “wanted to be a pop star since I was about 7 years old.” And now that he’s a smash performer and songwriter at 27 he wants to quit doing what tons of gifted youngsters all over the world would shoot grandma for - just one crack at what he’s complaining about.
Come on George, Loosen up. Swing, man, Dust off those gossamer wings and fly yourself to the moon of your choice and be grateful to carry the baggage we’ve all had to carry since those lean nights of sleeping on buses and helping the driver unload the instruments
And no more of that talk about “the tragedy of fame.” The tragedy of fame is when no one shows up and you’re singing to the cleaning lady in some empty joint that hasn’t seen a paying customer since Saint Swithin’s day. And you’re nowhere near that; you’re top dog on the top rung of a tall ladder called Stardom, which in latin means thanks-to-the-fans who were there when it was lonely.
Talent must not be wasted. Those who have it - and you obviously do or today’s Calendar cover article would have been about Rudy Vallee - those who have talent must hug it, embrace it, nurture it and share it lest it be taken away from you as fast as it was loaned to you.
Trust me. I’ve been there.
(Signed, ‘Frank Sinatra’)
Ginger kid reminds us that GINGERS HAVE SOULS. As YouTube user “hairybaws911” comments, “better than half the rappers now a days.”
(Previously on Dangerous Minds: M.I.A.: Gingers Don’t Have Souls)
And for the triple threat, I leave you with this rather… unorthodox music video in high Girl Group style. It just doesn’t get better than this.
The mid to late 70s were an odd time for music: On one hand you had all of these amazing performers from the 60s who were now… past their prime and on the other hand you had all sorts of great new and unheard sounds emanating from punk quarters. Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming album falls into the first category. It must’ve come out when I was 13 years old and it was simply confusing for me at that age. I bought it (via Columbia Record House!) and when it arrived I slapped it on the turntable and… it totally sucked. Where was the awesome Bob Dylan of Like a Rolling Stone and the other great songs if his they played on the radio? This was… shite.
Over 30 years later, Slow Train Coming still sucks, in my adult opinion—despite the Jerry Wexler production and the Muscle Shoals participation, it sounds like it was recorded with bored, day-jobbing session musicians and the songs are not memorable—but there is a perfectly wonderful—and seldom seen—animated video for the song Gotta Serve Somebody, that remains, for your viewing pleasure.
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, artist/musician/author/record producer/music theorist/ designer/inventor of ambient music etc. etc. turns 62 today.
Below, Roxy Music tear it up, performing Ladytron on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972. Eno’s VSC3 solo comes in at 4:10, but you’ll want to watch the entire thing. The band is in fine form here, especially Phil Manzanera. Bottom: Editions of You on German television, 1972.
Genesis Publications, they of the opulent, extremely expensive, over-the-top, signed limited-edition rock photography coffee table books have a new title that looks amazing, this one featuring photographs of Led Zeppelin maestro Jimmy Page:
Genesis is proud to present Jimmy Page’s first official published work and the definitive photographic history of one of the world’s most iconic guitar players.
As well as signing every copy, Jimmy has personally chosen every one of the 650 photographs, written the accompanying captions and helped design the magnificently luxurious binding to create Genesis Publications’ biggest ever limited edition.
ZOSO: Limited Edition Jimmy Page book (Genesis Publications)
Thank you Michael Backes!
