ELP Digest Wednesday, 24 December 1997 Volume 7 : Issue 23 The "Snowman's Land" Edition Today's Topics: Keith in LA in January! (Marc Bonilla shows) ELP in Personals ELP CDs ELP print - thanks so very much everybody Happy ELP 97 - and a brave new 98! Greg Lake Retrospective CD Rarity ELP Laser Disc ELP on Laserdisc !! Live At The Royal Albert Hall Video (videotape this time) Desktop Theme California Jam Video California Jam and KBFH CD ...and what about...? King Biscuit CD Marching, Karn Evil 9 some inside info re: Emmo's equipment ELP and symphony Re: Some thoughts about several items Rocking the Classics Smashing the organ Nighthawks LP ELP Tribute Band / Manticore ************************* More Fan Reports from the 1997 Tour ************************* Detroit Show - Sept. 18 ELP in Milwaukee, WI 9/20/97 ELP in New York Lucky Men We Were WELP Harbor Lights in Boston 9/12 Harborlights show Prelude ======= As the holiday season enters full swing and 1998 fast approaches, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a happy holiday season and a happy 1998! This issue is pretty big to make up for the fact that I've only gotten 2 Digests out in the past 6 weeks. However, things are looking up for an exciting 1998. I think I'm going to have some giveaways in 1998 and have already lined up some prizes courtesy of a contact at Rhino Records. Watch for announcements in early 1998! Best wishes always! - John - ------------------------------------------------------------ From: Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no, on 12/15/97 8:46 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Keith in LA in January! (Marc Bonilla shows) Newsgroups: alt.music.deep-purple THE MARC BONILLA CONCERTS (FEATURING GLENN HUGHES) IN LOS ANGELES DECEMBER 5 AND 6 ARE POSTPONED!!! (They will take place in January instead.) Hello. The Marc Bonilla shows (featuring Glenn Hughes) that were to take place in the Los Angeles area early December has been postponed until January! I have this information confirmed from Marc Bonilla himself who writes: "Yes, we had to reschedule the December 5 and 6 shows for January 16 and 17 at the Coachouse in San Juan Capistrano (16) and Billboard Live on Sunset in Hollywood (17). Keith Emerson is currently in England tending to some business and was not able to return to the States until Mid December which would've obviously been too late. Since he is an integral part of these two shows as is Glenn and Ronnie Montrose, I had to reschedule. It's not an easy thing to get everyone in town on particular days (including my own band who have been doing dates with Elton John and Faith No More} especially if you're trans-continental like Glenn and Keith. So we were able to secure these two dates which in a way will turn out to be a blessing in disguise as we will have the luxury of another month's time to prepare Glenn's songs as well as Ronnie's Town W/o Pity and Keith's Tarkus etc. As you can probably imagine these tunes are relatively "high risk" as far as parts are concerned therefore we shall be that much more prepared come January. So... full speed ahead." /Marc Bonilla I hope all people who were planning on going there, especially those who were to travel great distances, will be able to reschedule. Remember to stay tuned to the webpages between the issues of CtC where we will try to keep up to date information on any further developments. The Glenn Hughes webpage: http://www.lwb.org/gh The Glenn Hughes webpage at the Deep Purple family tree site: http://deep-purple.family-tree.org/Hughes Good luck, Lennart Hedenstrom (ctc@hem.passagen.se) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no ------------------------------ From: JBennin666 , on 12/17/97 11:08 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP in Personals I found this personal ad in a newspaper here in Madison, WI: AM NOT THE LOVER OF ANOTHER Undercover or the man in the moon but still you turn me on. All my love forever. Please forgive me. Leave message. The first time I've seen an ELP or prog reference ever in a personal ad. ------------------------------ From: mglnsky@magicnet.net (Mark Glinsky), on 12/21/97 9:24 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP CDs Hi and happy holiday greetings to all ELP Net-friends around the world! Thanks for your posts and contacts over the past year or two, hope you are doing well, and I'm sure we're all looking forward to next year's ELP offerings! I have a couple of extra CDs that I'd thought I'd offer to you. First of all, I have the original Keith Emerson Christmas CD, which he released on his own in 1988. I'd like to trade for a copy of his current Christmas CD or similar value. Second, I have Greg Lake's King Biscuit Flower Hour live 1981 show CD, for $15. Let me know if you have an interest in either - thanks and keep in touch! *************************************************************** Mark Glinsky - Orlando, Florida Email: mglnsky@magicnet.net ELP Page: http://www.magicnet.net/~mglnsky/msg5.html "Be seeing you...." [ No. 6 - The Prisoner ] *************************************************************** ------------------------------ From: "Stober, Karen E, SITS" , on 12/17/97 9:38 AM: To: "'Arnold, John (Digest)'" Subject: ELP print - thanks so very much everybody Hi all, I want to thank everybody who purchased copies of my ELP print this year. A check for $50 was sent to The Mohawk Valley Branch Of The National Center For Missing And Exploited Children. Let's help the cause even more in 1998. Like ELP, this drawing by artist Karen Elizabeth Stober is an original work of fine art. Poster sized prints are available for $30, including postage. Orders are shipped UPS within the USA and insured air mail outside the USA. Parts of the print are viewable on Karen's website, http://idt.net/~karen1/. In memory of Sarah Anne Wood, $2 from each poster sold will go to The Mohawk Valley Branch Of The National Center For Missing And Exploited Children. Orders by postal money only, in US dollars, from: Karen E. Stober 509 Warrenville Road Warren, NJ 07059-4617 USA All prints are hand signed and can be personalized by the artist. Please allow thirty days for delivery. Satisfaction, or return the print for a full refund. US Copyright #VA 851-728. Email: karen1@mail.idt.net, home page: http://idt.net/~karen1/ Take care all and I hope to hear from you soon, Karen E. Stober karen1@mail.idt.net kstober@ems.att.com http://idt.net/~karen1/ ------------------------------ From: , on 12/15/97 8:43 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Happy ELP 97 - and a brave new 98! Time for the traditional rounding up of an ELP year - and a glimpse in the crystal ball for the next! Its been another of those years fans didn't dare to imagine just a few years ago. Now we're back to thrills and shocks (though few and far between the supersonic fighting cocks) and we're yearning for more! Its a great time to be addicted. So much has happened that its difficult to know where to begin. After some deliberation the jury decided to start with * ELP related CD's of 1997 1: King Buiscuit Flower Hour Show, 2CD, from both the unreleased 1977 sans orchestra, and from the Welcome Back show - plus CD-rom material (video and pictures (from the "Welcome Back" video, even the spinning piano - complete with player - from California Jam))! 2: The full Isle of Wight ELP concert! Which proves that the ELP stuff (Rondo) in "Message of Love" (the official IoW festival 2CD) was utterly unrepresentative and in a way a "crime" against ELP's image (most people buying MoL will bypass the ELP track as it seems too much like noise) 3: Greg's "From the Beginning" retrospective with some unreleased demos and one rare live track! 4: King Crimson's "Epitah" (2 + 2 CD's from 1969 shows!) * ELP related videos/TV-shows 1: Video release of "Live at the Royal Albert Hall", 1992 2: German television show 1997 - for those whith satellite receiver (or living in Germany) - 45 minutes of "great hits"! * ELP related books of 1997 1: "Rocking the Classics", Edward Macans marvellous presentation of the prog era. And Tarkus gets a special tratment in a several pages long analysis! 2: "Listening to the Future", Bill Martins interesting survey of the prog scene up to 1978. Tarkus (1971) and Brain Salad (1973) are both placed among the 3 most signficant albums of their year! 3: Greg Lake Lyrics book! 4: Massimo Cavalucci's collection of all ELP related covers (ask for info on how to get a black and white or color copy by sending a SAE with a IRC (or 1US dollar) to Massimo Cavalucci, Via Rapisardi 15, 05100 - Terni, Italy) * Tour of Europe, North, Latin and South America * ELP related home pages just exploded this year (check Alta Vista as URL's tend to change)! 1: The former "ELP Home page" changed its name to the "ELP Digest" Home page due to there finally being an 2: Official ELP home Page! 3: Major updatings of Greg's Home Page 4: A New Official Keith Emerson Home Page 5: The "Carl Palmer gift center" ("currently under construction") 6: "ELP Down Under" - An Australian ELP home page 7: "ELP Tribute Site" - a great site with an excllent guest book! 8: A Keith Emerson Tutorial Page with a great collection of midis (and a strong message about - and info on how - paying Keith for every file one copies - hopefully this will enable the page to remain - or perhaps it should be part of Keith's official or something, accessable by password!) 9: A Nice Home Page related to Northern England prog society * Another year with the ELP fanzine "Impressions" (a great color magazine with interviews and reviews) - still an impresssive achievement, Liv! Info on how to order it (a must for any ELP fan!) is on the ELP Digest page! * And "Fanzine for the Common Man" (a nice fan/band-and- related- history/index black and white fanzine) still going strong, thanks David! Info on how to order it (also a must for any ELP fan!) is on the ELP Digest page * ELP related goods! - Several different T-shirts - Brain Salad litograph (signed) - ELP Christmas tree decoration (well, not on my tree) In short, what a year! And there may be things I've overlooked in this hectic pre Christmas time. Not "resting on their laurels" there seems to be even greater things in store next year! Not the least has the reemergence of the Manticore label - as well as the growth in Internet trading - opened a vista of new possibilities! And even if we love reissues and getting our hands on previously unavailable material, the desire for NEW material is even higher! However, if all works out as planned (which it tends not to...) - 1998 will be the greatest year for fans ever! * A lot of video reissues seem on its way! - Manticore Documentary 1973 - Montreal 1977 - Others may also be at hand (will we get California Jam in a good version, even though the costs are shockingly high?) * A lot of live CD's seem to be released officially! - No specifics disclosed so far, however, fans have some preferences (e.g. 1972 and 1997 shows...) * Several solo CD's (rereleases and retrospectives!) - Keith's solo albums (and film scores?) - Greg's solo albums - Carl retrosprective (with his Percussion Concerto!) - Keith retrospective (with unreleased material?) * An ELP tribute CD is finally in the planning ! * A new ELP "concept" album (and cover by Giger)!! * Keith autobiography (if the consultant manages to cut it down to a publishable size)p * Symphonic ELP (just listen to the sample from "Tarkestra" on Keith's hompepage!) * Another release of BBC's the Nice material! * A new world tour - with new material!!!!!!! * Keith playing with Glenn Hughes and Mark Bonilla in January! Looking at all this makes the mind boggle. And even if not all may come to pass, at least 3 things should be MUSTS in 98! 1: A new concept album (with even more weight on good, creative, overwhelming and "unexpected" music, than on any "concept")! 2: Symphonic ELP!! 3: Keith's autobiography!!! With those 3 items in place, the world tour may of course be allowed to wait to January 1999 for its start, as long as it also touches UK and Scandinavia! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all from Bjorn Are Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no ------------------------------ From: elpnut@juno.com (John S Hawkes), on 10/20/97 10:22 PM: To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: Greg Lake Retrospective CD Rarity Hi John--- The other day I was listening to the Rhino Records 2-CD Greg Lake Retrospective released this past summer in the U.S. and noticed something different about the song "Love You Too Much." I hadn't listened to the song in a number of years, but something sounded out of place. I dug out my old copy of Greg's first solo LP ( which I still own on a 33 1/3 record), which also includes the lyrics. Back in 1981 when the album first came out, I noticed that several lyric lines listed on the jacket were not contained in the song on the record. Well sure enough, the missing lyrics are present on the retrospective version!!! In other words, there are now two versions of "Love You Too Much." The 1981 LP version is also the same one that appears on the Japanese CD release of Greg's first solo album. It runs 3 minutes and 55 seconds according to the record label. But the version on the Rhino retrospective runs 4 minutes and 57 seconds. Not only are the omitted lyrics sung by Greg, but there is also another extended guitar solo by Gary Moore that was also omitted! On the retrospective version, the lyrics that are on the '81 record sleeve are now sung in exact order. However, the song fades out a line or two earlier than on the old version. Does anyone have any insight into how this might have occurred? Of course, back in the 70's and the 80's, it was quite common to edit a song for single release. But, this appears to be a situation where a song was edited for album release. Hmn... So it would seem that there is one additional rarity on the GL retrospective!!! Check it out for yourself!!! ---John Hawkes [ Editor's Note: I hadn't noticed this! I've got to go check this out! - John - ] ------------------------------ From: bglock@jaguNET.com, on 12/7/97 1:22 PM: To: "ELP DIGEST" Subject: ELP Laser Disc Hello ELP Digest, On Friday I received my copy on Laser Disc of ELP's performance at the Royal Albert Hall from the 1992 tour. The quality of the video and audio for the most part is excellent. There are a few uneven levels in the audio mix from time to time, but it is not really that bad. The performance is from a different night than the CD "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" , both stand up well on there own. The Concert includes after the opening logos and introduction: 1. Karn Evil 9(part 2) 2. Tarkus. The synth solo and organ solo both start the same as the CD but build differently. 3. Knifes Edge. Hello's etc. 4. Paper Blood. This one seems to be tighter in performance than the CD. 5. Creole Dance. This sounds almost identical to the CD release 6. From the Beginning 7. Lucky Man Keith Introduces Honky Tonk train Blues. I don't remember them playing this on the 92 tour. 8. Honky Tonk train Blues 9. Pirates (this is one of the best live performances I have heard) Side Two 10. Pictures at an Exhibition. One of the many shortened concert versions includes drum solo. Right at then end of Pictures it cuts directly to Carl's drum intro to Fanfare. There may be reasons why this was done, side two only has 33 minutes of matrial on it so space was not the reason. It's actually not that big of a deal. The producers may have just wanted to keep things flowing. 11. Fanfare for the Common Man 12. America 13. Rondo. This is the same footage seen on the "Welcome Back" video. The disc is a good representation of ELP live, the minor performance "clunkers" and all it makes the viewing/listening experience, just like being there. While nothing replaces being at a live show, this concert presentation is a good substitute until the next tour or for those who have not had the opportunity to see ELP live. I don't know if the Concert is available on VHS or if it is just on Laser Disc. I'm sure all that buy this release wont be disappointed. Enjoy Brian ------------------------------ From: The LaserDisc Depot , on 12/7/97 9:46 PM: To: ELP-Digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP on Laserdisc !! Hi John: Well I'm happy to report that after a rescheduling setback that the ELP - Live At The Royal Albert Hall concert is finally out on laserdisc ! >From the disc jacket: Welcome Back...to the show that never ends ! Rock legends Emerson, Lake and Palmer in their spectacular 25th anniversary concert at The Royal Albert Hall. This video captures the excitement and nostalgia of a superb concert performance which includes favourites from ELP's classic Gold and Platinum albums plus new material. The show appears to have been recorded in 1996 as part of their "Black Moon" tour. Here's the chapter index: 1. Opening Logos 2. Introduction 3. Welcome Back 4. Tarkus 5. Knife Edge 6. Paper Blood 7. Creole Dance 8. Fron the Beginning 9. Lucky Man 10. Honky Tonk 11. Romeo and Juliet 12. Pirates 13. Pictures at an Exhibition 14. Fanfare for the Common Man 15. America 16. Rondo 17. End Credits Total running time is 88 minutes in digital stereo... The picture quality is for the most part very good and the sound is excellant...certainly recommended for any ELP fan... Thanks to the ELP Digest and to those that purchased this disc - your support helped to ensure that the disc got pressed. Many times discs are announced but then either get delayed or cancelled due to insufficient demand. - and who knows - if this disc sells well we might even see a re-pressing of the "Pictures " disc long out of print. If anyone would like a copy please email me at the address below. The price is $36 plus the cost of shipping. I will ship them anywhere in the world. Regards, John Weitner -- The Laserdisc Depot The Digital Video Depot discs@ld-depot.com http://www.ld-depot.com ------------------------------ From: John Frey , on 12/3/97 10:02 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Live At The Royal Albert Hall Video (videotape this time) I ordered the Albert Hall video from Beckmann Home Video. The camera work was fair but I was disappointed with the video quality. Either the duplication process was poorly done or they used very low grade tape. If you are so inclined, you can purchase it by credit card for about $30. Their service was courteous and prompt. Contact: Melanie Park Beckmann Home Video beckmann@enterprise.net Meadow Court West Street Ramsey Isle of Man IM8 1AE United Kindom ------------------------------ From: , on 9/21/97 6:37 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Desktop Theme Hi John, I thought this would be something that might interest a few people. When I was searching for a new desktop theme to put under my Win95, I discovered a site wich contained a ELP-theme. I immediately downloaded it. It is rather large (4.71 MB), so you should have either a lot of patience or a fast connection. Furthermore you will need Microsoft Plus! to correctly install it, although there also ways to use it without Plus! The theme contains a lot of samples, which could start annoying you after a couple of days, but if you never try.... The zip-file containing the theme is just the work of a collegue-fan. I don't wheter ELP-copyrights are being violated, it is offered as a commercial item. How to obtain: Go to http://www.crypted.com/themes.htm and look at the bottom of the page for the category "Music". The next page will show you a preview of the wallpaper-image en offers a link to the zip-file. Hope you can enjoy it! Greetings from the Netherlands, Sjoerd van den Berg =============================================================== S.W van den Berg s.w.vandenberg@student.utwente.nl Waalstraat 115 7523 RC Enschede tel: 053-4343410 =============================================================== ------------------------------ From: mbranick@nsslgate.nssl.noaa.gov (Mike Branick), on 11/24/97 2:35 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: California Jam Video For the many ELP fans, myself included, who have inquired about the California Jam video, here is a tidbit directly from Bruce Pilato that you may find interesting: "The Cal Jam master is in our possession, but we have to clear it with ABC before release. It is planned for 1998 if we can get past that hurdle." Keep your fingers crossed... Mike Branick [ Editor's Note: Good news indeed. This is the closest we've ever gotten to seeing this classic performance released. I'll be hoping, too. - John - ] ------------------------------ From: Robert Dean , on 10/23/97 3:26 PM: To: John Subject: California Jam and KBFH CD CalJam: according to the back of the 'Welcome Back' video, the CalJam excerpt was supplied by Sandford Feldman - it doesn't mention ABC TV, so are they people to write to if we want to see the concert released?? Someone told me once that the footage 'was in private hands'. Does anyone know who Sandford Feldman is? [ Editor's Note: See above. It seems that ELP has tracked it down. - John - ] KBFH CD:I'm interested to see a KBFH interactive cd worked on 3 computers. It doesn't on mine! I can watch the clips individually, but there's no program here which links them all together, nor can I find the Quick Time which is supposed to be supplied. (As it happens, I had that courtesy of a free promo-competition Toy Story cd - or rather my son did.) I'm using Windows 95 and have no other software problems. In my humble opinion, it just ain't there. Nor, incidentally, can I play the audio tracks (KE9) on my computer's cd player, although I can all of cd1. However, cd2 audio plays fine on my hi-fi cd player. The rotating piano clip on the Interactive cd is from the Welcome Back video, as are all(?) of the other interview clips. I haven't found any 'never before seen' bits, either, the performances (From the Beginning, Lucky Man and Paper Blood) seem to come from the RAH video (but maybe they were out-takes from alternative nights, I haven't looked that closely) and in many places the contrast/brightness seem so poor that even with my screen turned up full and the curtains closed, I can barely make out what's there until someone stands under a bright light. And? Oh yes... they're all in mono. As for the stills, I don't know how may "rare" ones there are as I don't have many snaps of any sort. Rob. [ Editor's Note: I don't have the King Biscuit CD right here at my desk but I recall that if you put the CD in your computer and open it with the Windows Explorer, there is a directory that contains the necessary Quicktime. I tried viewing the CD content at work and had no problems. Perhaps you could enlist the help of some local PC users and see if you can get it working. - John - ] ------------------------------ From: fsteama@dircon.co.uk (Mike Goode), on 10/1/97 10:00 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ...and what about...? The recent posting re Greg's double CD not being mentioned got me thinking that nobody seems to have mentioned the King Biscuit 'double (ish)' either... Especially good is the interactive CD which when fed into your Mac (or Windoze machine for Bill fans) gives you some gig clips and interviews etc etc. Jolly good as we're meant to say here in the UK (!). At last I have an ELP product that doesn't embarrass me! Special praise must go to whoever did the on screen graphics. Very good indeed. Of late (ie since BSS) we've had to put up with some awful covers from our heroes (stand up whoever does Greg's stuff - yuk - the recent retrospective cover is TERRIBLE). Advice to the band --- take a look at King Crimson's graphics (actually I'd be interested in knowing what other subscribers think of this - especially those in the US). And yes I am a graphic designer. Mike! PS. and another thing.... the posting re the Pictures film poster reminded me that I have a poster somewhere which advertises a Sounds (former UK music weekly) Brain Salad Surgery painting competition!!!! I think that the competition must have been aimed at schools and colleges --- does anyone remember this? The entrants had to submit a painting that represented BSS's music in a visual way -- I'd love to have seen the entries. The poster itself is quite nice, featuring the album cover and some period typography (man). PS 2. Back to King Biscuit - I really should mention da music, which is brilliant, especially the '73 stuff including the so-called Karn Evil 9 on disc two. Wonderful! Gush gush. ------------------------------ From: Steven Grezlak , on 9/24/97 8:38 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: King Biscuit CD I'm ticked! Last night at Barnes & Noble I purchased the new King Biscuit Flower Hour "Classics Live" ELP double CD. I knew it was due in to be released this month and there it was in the racks. I had read on the net that this was a release of some old King Biscuit recordings of ELP back in their heyday. So I get it home, open it up, and read the track listing. Half of the tracks are "allegedly" from the Works tour, recorded (without orchestra) in West Virginia. The other tracks are "allegedly" from the 1974 BSS tour and recorded in Oklahoma. Here's the listing: CD ONE Peter Gunn Theme* Tiger in a Spotlight* C'est La Vie* Piano Improvisation* Maple Leaf Rag* Drum Solo* The Enemy God* Watching Over You* Pirates* Fanfare for the Common Man* Hoedown** Still, You Turn Me On** Lucky Man** Piano Improvisation** CD TWO Karn Evil 9** Fully Interactive (Mac/PC compatible) *Recorded on 11/12/77 at The Coliseum, Wheeling, WV **Recorded on 3/7/74 at the Civic Center, Tulsa, OK Now, having most everything released by ELP, I knew that these two venues meant "never before released" recordings. I've never seen either of the two venues mentioned on any albums or CD's I already own. However, this is how it actually turned out: CD ONE Peter Gunn Theme (same recording as on In Concert / Works Live) Tiger in a Spotlight (ditto above) C'est La Vie (new recording? yet only slightly different from Works Live) Piano Improvisation (never before released, Piano Concerto #1, 1st Mov't, solo piano) Maple Leaf Rag (same recording as on In Concert / Works Live) Drum Solo (never before released, seques into track below) The Enemy God (same recording as on In Concert / Works Live) Watching Over You (ditto above) Pirates (never before released . . . orchestra sorely missed) Fanfare for the Common Man (never before released . . . nice version) Hoedown (same recording as on WBMFTTSTNE) Still, You Turn Me On (ditto above, better vocal mix) Lucky Man (ditto above) Piano Improvisation (ditto above, just solo piano, no three-piece jam) CD TWO Karn Evil 9 (same recording as on WBMFTTSTNE) Fully Interactive (so-so interactive stuff, video mostly segments and outtakes from WBMF video) To make matters more confusing, the WBMF video has this same recording of Tiger in the Spotlight and lists the venue as somewhere in Kentucky or Tennessee (somewhere in the deep south, I can't remember). The Works Live CD leads one to believe the recordings are from the famous Olympic Stadium gig in Montreal. And I remember an old broadcast of The King Biscuit Flower Hour on WPLJ-FM in New York back somewhere between 78-81 . . . Mark Goodman introduced the taped concert from the studio by saying "And now from a live concert recorded at the Anaheim Convention Center in 1974, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (can't remember at this time what the liner notes say re: the venue on my vinyl edition of WBMFTTSTNE). So I definitely feel like I've been had! Could the good people at King Biscuit, knowing that these old recordings will sell mostly to the old guard, accidently allow a "typo" to slip into the venue listing on this new CD and list the wrong venues? This would/does create the impression that ALL tracks are newly released. I don't make a lot of money, so 21 dollars is a lot to me. And the 21 I just spent was, in my opinion, a waste. Should I really be surprised, however, at this sort of monkey business? Granted, the re-mix is very well done. But the bottom line is one pays for only four new releases: 1. Piano Improvisation (solo Ist Mov't of Concerto and very good) 2. Drum Solo (the usual excellent Palmer, but nothing you haven't heard before) 3. Pirates (an all-time favorite, so I'll always be suckered into listening to any version) 4. Fanfare (okay, but not much different from the Works Live version) I can tell you that I'm much less inclined now to purchase the upcoming Isle of Wight CD, even if the Real Audio teasers on the website are enticing. Steven Grezlak ****************************************************** Steven T. Grezlak World Changers Radio 407.826.2055 (voice) 407.826.2050 (fax) grezlak@ccci.org "Non nobis domine, sed nomine tuo, da gloriam!" ****************************************************** ------------------------------ From: bglock@jaguNET.com, on 9/24/97 5:27 PM: To: "ELP DIGEST" Subject: Marching, Karn Evil 9 I was walking out of work today and the University Marching Band next door was practicing..... Thought, "gee that sounds familiar "..... then it hit me... it was the Marching Band arrangement of Karn Evil 9 , It's a nice arrangement :) So.... check out you local marching band maybe they too are playing this arraignment.... I remember a few others have posted saying they to have heard it. Brian ------------------------------ From: Ouarda@aol.com, on 9/27/97 12:02 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: some inside info re: Emmo's equipment Some e-mail I've traded with Al Goff of Goff Professional. The genius folk who hot rod/repair/rebuild Keith's Hammond beasts. Just in case any of you would enjoy this. Dear Al, My, my, my...what nice work you've done (once again) on Keith's C3. I miss the old wood cabinets, but that beast sounded thoroughly awesome, and the black/chrome case being thoroughly road worthy.... well, over all a real plus. Did you hear about Keith's L-100 burning up recently? The one he used tonight was the backup, I suppose...no obvious fortification to be seen, and he was sooo gentle with it...only three knives, and no whip! Just curious what the modifications were to the Hammond (was it the Tarkus or the Pictures C3 that got customized, or was it a nwere, different one? I was sitting in 6th row, but not with a view into the organ,. so what MIDI controls, etc there were, I can only guess. Once again...you've done another stellar job--the thing spit, it was rich, sharp, it was defined and strong. If only I was as good as Emmo...I'd order one, too. Your pal, Paul MacFarlane bass player/guitarist/Hammond-beater St. Louis ouarda@aol.com Paul -- good to hear from you. The organ on this tour is the rebuilt Tarkus C-3. It just kicks ass and allows him to play like only he can. This is actually a non-MIDI organ as he wanted to get back toward more of the original sound. He has enough MIDI gear on stage already with the GEM, the Viscount and the ton of MIDI stuff in racks offstage. The Pictures C-3 is full MIDI upper and lower manual. The L-100 used was indeed was the backup as the other one is being rebuilt again from too many knife attacks from Emmo. Its can motor-start capacitor burned up on stage recently, but that was easily fixed. The audience loved it so we'll have to come up with similar mishaps.... :-) Glad you liked the show! Best regards, Al Thanks, Al. I drooled over that info, and laughed heartily over the L-100 comments. Just Emmo's style to have a new L-100 that belches fire on command. Couldn't a tab lever trigger a butane fire maker that would shoot out the back just over the power amp? Or orange smoke bombs that would go off with every thump and reverb explosion? Maybe a balsa-wood side cabinet that would splinter in an explosion triggered by a certain block chord? Need more ideas? It was a great show, and my dreams were filled with a new Goff C3 (actually, how is it a C anymore--unless C stands for Cut-down?) Oh well, someday, SOMEday, I'll put aside about ten grand and let you folks do a hot rod killer C3 for me: dial-up valve distortion, multi-outputs, MIDI (on the lower manual only) reverb, 3/4 octave pitch bend, footswitchable distortion/Leslie control, hot rod flames on the side ...oooh...... Paul : ) ------------------------------ From: "Andrew C. Buelow" , on 9/30/97 8:25 AM: To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP and symphony > Assuming this symphony thing is true - Meaning that > this isn't just wishful thinking or a tentative plan of action, but > that they have firm commitmetns and really could pull this off after > playing bars and small theaters the past three years - then why > couldn't ELP have been the ones to "fill in that slot"... In fact, > I've been wondering ever since the Moody Blues started touring all > over the place. Isn't the "Works" tour audience of 20 years ago now > the one that supports their local pops orchestras? ELP has much more > longevity and respect than Kansas, for godsakes ... I've been wondering the same thing for a long time. I'm the Associate Director of Public Relations for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. A week ago I saw the ELP concert here at the Riverside. It was fantastic. Emerson is truly back in form, Carl Palmer was never out of form... only Greg Lake looked bored much of the time. At the Milwaukee Symphony, we performed with the Moody Blues this past July. We have been talking about Emerson, Lake & Palmer for a while in meetings. My colleagues are not convinced it would sell. I heard only 1300 showed up for the Riverside gig, which doesn't help my argument as that's only a little over half a house. Of course, the promoter did almost no advertising, there was no publicity whatsoever, and as a result most people didn't even know they were in town. In all modesty, if I had been handling the gig, it would have been a different story! The problem with the old Works tour as I understand it is that they took an entire orchestra on tour with them, which is a good way to go bankrupt fast (they did). Today in America there are many very good quality orchestras in each community, and there is no need for a touring orchestra. The best way for ELP to go about this is to contact the Artistic Administrators of the orchestras in communities where they are planning to perform. They could then hire the orchestra for the gig and pay them a straight fee, which is what Moody Blues is doing. They would need to arrange the tour well in advance, as orchestras plan their seasons a year out -- except in the case of summer concerts. We didn't book the Moody Blues gig until March or April. With proper promotion and publicity, something ELP seems to be almost entirely lacking, I would predict that they could easily double the size of their audiences in most cities. People would come to see it out of curiosity -- the "Works Anniversary Tour." I disagree with the previous writer that people from the ELP fan age group are now supporting pops orchestras. Not in America. The pops audience is the oldest we have, averaging mid-50s, and they are not ready for ELP yet. Moreover, most orchestras perform in halls of around 2000 capacity for their regular pops series, which would be too small for ELP unless ELP was presenting themselves. Normally to appear on an orchestra's pops series, the orchestra hires the guest artists; I'm guessing ELP's fee would be too high for most orchestras. However, this would not prevent ELP from performing with an orchestra as a stand-alone gig (outside the orchestra's regular series) at a larger capacity hall, arena or amphitheater. They could pay the orchestra a flat fee, or arrange to share the risk somehow with a splitting of the take. I would characterize my company's feelings about an ELP gig as "curious, interested, slightly skeptical." But ELP has been through town twice now and has never contacted us. Since I'm the resident ELP fan on staff, I guess I'm the one to take the lead on this, and would do so if I could be put in touch with ELP's management! Andy Buelow Milwaukee ------------------------------ From: Peter Wilton , on 9/30/97 9:35 AM: To: Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no Cc: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Re: Some thoughts about several items In message , Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no writes >>>> No doubt he is a very gifted virtuoso. But there are lots of pianists >>>> with an amazing technique these days. Go to one of the piano competitions >>>> and see how young people can play! The standard is so incredibly high. >>>> For example, all of you who think that "Memories" from the "Love Beach" >>>> album contains some great piano parts: have you ever listened to >>>> Maurizio Pollini's legendary recording of the Etude op 10,1 in C major >>>> by Chopin? >> To me Its never been a question of whether Keith is "the greatest" player >> earth. I believe there are greater piano players even in Norway (like Leif >> Ove Andsnes). I think Rainer was comparing him to the whole musical field of keyboard players, including concert pianists, not just rockers or jazzers - although I think that Emo's shot at Chopin was quite a reasonable attempt. I agree with you, however, that there are quite a few scattered pieces by (solo) Emerson which I value more highly than "classic" ELP (including _Inferno_). The problem is that prog. fans view the "album" as the musical unit, rather than the "piece". I don't think that's a particularly suitable approach to judge Emo's work (or anyone else's come to that!). -- Peter Wilton The Gregorian Association Web Page: http://www.beaufort.demon.co.uk/chant.htm ------------------------------ From: tbeardsley@sciam.com (Tim Beardsley), on 10/1/97 11:27 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Rocking the Classics John--I just wanted to add my own two cents' worth to the praise that's been given to Edward Macan's book "Rocking the Classics" from Oxford University Press. This is an unpaid endorsement! The book is remarkable not only for its insights into ELP's music and times, but also for being exceptionally well-written. It's a real achievement. I would say its musical and cultural analysis is pretty sophisticated. Yet Macan has managed to maintain a punchy style. This really was a book I found hard to put down. Anyone who's interested in what ELP's lyrics are trying to get at, and why their sound is unique, should buy it. I learned a lot about progressive rock in general--and even about art in general. Tim Beardsley ------------------------------ From: "Smith, Jim M." , on 11/3/97 3:51 PM: To: "'elp-digest@reluctant.com'" Subject: Smashing the organ Hi, folks, In ELP-digest V7 #19, Jeff Krob wrote: > At the end of the shows, when Keith comes out with his Hammod L-100 > organ (right?) and starts his improvosations, what, in detail, is he > doing to make that organ sound the way it does? The best example I've > heard was on 'America' from the Nice 'Five Bridges' CD. As in previous comments I've made on Keith Emerson's equipment use, some of this is conjecture, and I may have some of the details confused (I'd love to be corrected or educated by someone who knows more about it), but here is my understanding of what's going on, based on listening, experimenting with Hammond organs and Fender amps (which use a similar reverb), and examination of Keith's setup during the "Trilogy" tour. To help keep track of what's going on, I'll name the effects which I hear which are beyond "normal" organ playing. The L-100 has built-in (non-Leslie) speakers, and a Hammond reverb spring unit, which may be switched on and off using one of the tab levers above the top keyboard. It also uses an electro-mechanical tonewheel system similar to that in the C-3, where small cam-shaped wheels are rotated by gears from a shaft driven by a synchronous motor. This motor must be started with a "starter" switch, a momentary switch separate from the main "run" (on-off) switch on the organ. In Keith's setup, I believe that the speaker output of the L-100's internal amplifier is connected to both the L-100's speaker and a fuzzbox. During the "Trilogy" tour, the fuzzbox was a Fuzz Face. The output of the fuzzbox then went to at least one HiWatt guitar amp, which fed a stack of Marshall speakers, just as if it were a guitar. Feedback: When the organ is turned off, the speakers can act as microphones, and cause feedback between the speakers and the amp. As the organ is moved around, the pitch and intensity of the feedback "howl" can change. This is most pronounced when the organ is off or at least not making sounds, as the feedback is overwhelmed by the organ's output when the organ is making sound itself. Reverb Plucking: A spring reverb works by having a little transducer (like a speaker) connected to one end of a set of springs, and another transducer (like a microphone) connected to the other end of the springs. Sound waves bounce back and forth between the ends of the springs, causing the reverb effect. On Keith Emerson's L-100s, the springs are mounted so that they may be reached from the open back of the organ. When Keith plucks these strings, they make a sound similar to the sound made by plucking the bass strings of a piano - a damped, bright, bass sound. The pitch of the sound varies depending on where they are plucked. Reverb crash: When the organ is dropped, or the reverb unit struck or kicked, the springs will shake and strike each other. This makes a sound similar to an explosion. Gated reverb crash: The reverb on-off tab on the organ turns on and off the reverb's output, not its input. Therefore, if a sound is coming from the reverb, this tab can be used to turn it on and off instantly. Keith uses this in a rhythmic way, both as the sound of a train starting at the beginning of "Rondo" and near the end of America, in the rhythm of the "I love to be in America" 6/8 - 3/4 melody from the song. Motor spin-down/spin-up: While the organ is on and playing notes, it may be turned off with the main "run" switch. This causes the synchronous motor driving the tonewheels to turn off, and the tonewheels to slowly slow down in speed. This causes a falling pitch-bend sound. When the organ is turned back on, the motor brings the tonewheels back up to speed, but overshoots the final speed by about five percent, and then settles back after dipping just slightly below the final speed again. The spin-down can take several seconds; the spin-up takes a second or so. Beating semitones: When two notes next to each other on the keyboard (one half-step or "semitone" apart) are played at the same time, they "beat" against each other. Normally, this beating is not very pronounced, but when the organ is played through a fuzzbox (or in any other way that causes distortion), the frequencies of these "beat tones" are mixed together, and become quite pronounced. The rate of beating is affected by which notes are played: the higher the notes, the faster the beating. This can sound like anything from a throbbing at a rate of a couple of times a second up to a fast pulsating sort of like a UFO landing type of sound. Keith often plays slow, ascending chromatic runs of two semitones starting from the bottom of the keyboard and moving up. Glissandi: Sometimes Keith wipes the organ keyboard with one or both hands, either up, down, or up and down, sometimes several times in a row, creating a kind of "whoop" or "wow" sound. These are often played on the bottom keyboard, with a pure tone on the drawbars (4-foot, maybe?). Clusters: Like the glissandi, these sounds are pronounced becaus of distortion. A handful of notes next to each other will be held down, usually at the bottom of the keyboard, making a noisy rumble. America: Perhaps aside from "Rondo 69", the "Five Bridges" performance of "America" probably has the best examples of these techniques. Definitely a very musical performance (in my opnion), and one of my favorites. Here's what I hear in "America," with timings from the CD of "Keith Emerson with the Nice," which is the same recording as "The Five Bridges:" Throughout the piece, there are several incidental reverb crashes, probably just from the motion of playing. 00:30 Gated reverb crash 02:58~03:12 several two-handed glissandi ("whoop whoop wow") 03:18: Reverb crashes, probably from shoving the organ around. 03:28~03:30 three short motor spin-down/spin-ups, while holding a left-hand chord. 04:39: Short motor spin down 04:40: Reverb crash 04:46~04:58: cluster 04:59~05:06: reverb crashes 05:09~05:10 cluster into an upward glissando 05:14~05:40: glissandi 05:54: glissando 06:27~06:51: feedback (the fuzzbox was probably turned on at this point, placing additional gain in the loop) 06:51~07:05: beating semitones 07:11: motor turned off, causing note to decay into feedback. 07:57: a few notes on the other organ? 08:03: motor turned back on. 08:08~08:10: Organ fed through Leslie speaker for a moment? 08:10~08:18: Slow upward beating semitone scale 08:20~08:50: motor spin-down / spin ups. 08:36~09:06: reverb plucking 09:07: reverb crash 09:08~09:20: rhythmic gated reverb crash (rhythm: "I love to be in America...") 09:20~09:50 motor spin-down / spin-ups, gated. 09:51: Big reverb crash 09:54: Reverb plucks If anyone sees any errors here, or has more information, please let me know. All the Best (and many happy returns of the day to Keith), - Jim Smith smithj@sr.hp.com ------------------------------ From: C320i@grapevinenet.com, on 12/22/97 2:09 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Nighthawks LP will take B/O on 1 copy of the Nighthawks soundtrack. original release (BSR-5196) with die-cut cover and photo inner sleeve. neil C320i@grapevinenet.com ----------------------------- From: "Fountaine, Jenny" , on 12/19/97 3:13 PM: To: "'elp-digest-web@reluctant.com'" Subject: ELP Tribute Band / Manticore Thank you so much for publishing our last perfomance update on the website. We received several inquiries and it was quite helpful. Could you please relay this upcoming performance: Friday, January 16th, 9:30 p.m. McRed's Lounge 13235 Victory Blvd. Van Nuys (818)980-2845 Thanks again for all your help! It is very much appreciated! Jenny ------------------------------ ************************* More Fan Reports from the 1997 Tour ************************* ------------------------------ From: JHW , on 9/20/97 12:03 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Detroit Show - Sept. 18 Just thought I'd drop a line my comments on last night's show. To begin, I have to agree with all of those who scream for a more creative playlist - and certainly one that features music that is different from last years' show. Greg even introduced Bitches' Crystal as "something we hardly ever play" which is the same thing he said last year. I understand the tribulations of rehearsing for tours but at this point they must realize that most ELP concert-goers come back every time. We deserve a little consideration. Besides, how does Greg feel standing for two hours playing those back up bass lines while Keith takes the lead. Where is "Lend Your Love.." or "Closer to Believing" or any vocal from Trilogy. I would pay to hear him break into "Epitaph" during his "Take A Pebble" solo again (OK, so that happened in 1973 - I'm old, not dead!) Having said all that, last night's show was one of the best performances I have seen in recent years. Keith was in fine form and actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Even though I am not a drummer, I tend to watch Carl during the show because other than maybe Keith Moon, I have never seen a drummer as fluid in his movements. It is definitely a pleasure to behold. I thought his drum solo was the highlight of the show, though I was waiting for the end of "Tank" to roll in and make it complete (I'm still waiting....). They did manage to squeeze a few verses of 21st Century Schizoid Man for which I am eternally thankful. Who am I kidding. They know I'll be back. Joe Wener. ------------------------------ From: Nick Zales , on 9/21/97 4:45 PM: To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: ELP in Milwaukee, WI 9/20/97 John, ELP played the Riverside Theatre On Saturday september 20th and they never looked, played or sounded better. Hearing the complaints, the played all of Karn Evil 9's First Impression. Emerson showed no sign of his injury affecting him and I was simply blown away. I thought the last few tours were pretty mediocre, this was anything but. ELP is back with a vengence! Nick Zales ------------------------------ From: AACUNZO@xray2.chem.sunysb.edu, on 9/21/97 10:00 PM: To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: ELP in New York Hello, I'm a lucky man - I saw ELP twice within a week. First at the Beacon Theater in NYC on 9/10, then at Westbury Music Fair on 9/14. Some impressions: My friends and I hadn't seen ELP since the '92-'93 tour. Less than a minute into the Beacon show, it was obvious that the reports of Greg's improved voice are true. Throughout the show he sang with power and clarity. Gone was the hoarseness of the Black Moon tour and In the Hot Seat. However, this show came after a night off. At Westbury the hoarseness was back, and he sounded much worse. According to the tour dates listing, Westbury was their fifth consecutive show. I think the grueling tour schedule takes its toll. Take a Pebble was a treat to see, especially Carl's brush work and a great jazz workout in the middle of the song featuring fast walking bass lines by Greg all over the neck. Beautiful. Bitches Crystal was possibly the highlight of the shows. It had a great rollicking feel to it, thanks to Emerson's left hand and Palmer's drumming. Watching Keith's left hand during this song was impressive enough, until you realized what his right hand was doing. Wow! At the Beacon the Stones of Years keyboard solo blew me away. You haven't heard the Moog on Lucky Man until you've had it rattle your seat in concert. Palmer is a joy to watch in concert and a phenomenal drummer, but his solo just had us laughing because he's been doing the same thing for 30 years. It'd be nice if he changed it up. The Schizoid Man teaser was nice but sort of cruel - just as the song heads into the fierce instrumental section which ELP should tear to pieces, they segue into America, and the energy level drops. Strange way to end a show. All in all it was great getting to see two ELP concerts within a week. However, I look forward to their next tour when they have some new music to play! ttyl, Andy Acunzo aacunzo@sbchem.sunysb.edu ------------------------------ From: ELP73LIVE@aol.com, on 9/25/97 2:43 AM: To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: Lucky Men We Were Hello Fans, I must relate my unbelievable experience, to all the great E.L.P fans out there. On Sat. Sept. 20th a friend ( Larry Carta), and I embarked on a road trip to Milwaukee from Chicago ,were we both live ,to see our "GODS". Once in Milwaukee, we "upgraded" our 7th row seats for an unique chance of a lifetime. We were the proud new owners of 2 front row seats stage left in the "PIT". The great Carl Palmer, a man I idolized for practically my whole life, was just 5 feet from my grasp, I thought I must be have died, and gone to heaven ! ( pinch me, I must be dreaming). I was practically hyperventilating. Once the show began, Carl acknowledged our presence quickly , it was like we had actually met, just when I thought it could never get any better than this, I was proven wrong. After the first encore, Carl came over and shook my hand, which he did again, after the second encore, only this time he handed me a pair of drumsticks, a fantasy brought to life! These drumsticks are now my prized possessions , and are now shown in a beautiful display. Carl Palmer is not only the Worlds Greatest Drummer. He is also a very gracious man. Sincerly, Mark Passarelli ELP73LIVE@AOL ------------------------------ From: miamidolphin@juno.com (Michael Bader), on 9/26/97 11:03 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: WELP Hi all, My first post & I'll try to keep it short and sweet. Went to the Universal Amp show in Los Angeles last night and the boys were in the best form I've seen for 10-12 years. It might have been a make-up call for the ELP-Tull gig they did last year. If you caught their show last year, you probably know what I'm refering to & if not, just check out some of the posts in last years digest. It looked like they were focused and motivated this night. Joe Walsh was added just a few weeks before the show as a warm-up act to help the slumping tix sales. Joe & his band were well rehearsed & played a great set of Walsh/James Gang songs. You could imagine everyone's surprise when he came out to play lead guitar during the encore, Fanfare... with Keith, Carl & Greg. He did fine but I don't think he knew where he was going with the song (probably over to BB Kings nite club for a cameo was my guess). Anyways, don't be looking for the new WELP line up in your record stores, but was one of those rare moments that will not be repeated. Michael Bader ------------------------------ From: "Don Woodard" , on 9/26/97 10:37 PM: To: "John Arnold" Subject: Harbor Lights in Boston I just want to say, the Concert in Boston was WILD!!!! they played awesome!!! I loved "take a pebble", it was the first time I ever seen it live!!! They had a minor "amp fire", but that was a time to mingle with the fans!! I took my 9 year old daughter Kerry, who loved the first part, and then fell asleep!!! Imagine sleeping through such loud music!!! She loved the concert!! She begged me to go, and I told her NO!! All along I had her a ticket, and when we got there she was stunned!!!! She loves Keith Emerson, and told all her classmates, including her teacher about the concert! I have seen them 7 times, and this was the best!!!!! I met more people who enjoyed the same music as I... It was great!!! PS ... Does anyone know what actually caught on fire on stage????/ [ Editor's Note: The fire during the show was Keith's "encore" Hammond igniting under its cover. This is (was?) the Hammond that Keith typically uses during Rondo for the leaping, stabbing, and general carrying on. I guess something was too much for it and it just caught fire. Pretty funny once it became clear that no one was going to get hurt. - John - ] Thanks, Don & Kerry!!!! ------------------------------ From: "Podesta, Brian" , on 10/1/97 8:28 AM: To: "'ELP-digest@reluctant.com'" Subject: 9/12 Harborlights show At the Boston MA 9/12 ELP show, the sound was horrendous. To me, the music was muffled - you could not distinguish Carl's snare drum at all. The only time it was clear was during Greg's solos.On a positive note the performances were exceptional. Stones of Years was the best performance from ELP and it was quite amazing/amusing when the L100 torched (see Keith's homepage for pics of this). My overall disappointment was with the venue - Harborlights. One would think if you purchased tix the day they were on sale you would not end up 100 rows back. And forget about purchasing drinks, unless you have money to burn. Brian Podesta brian.podesta@ummc.ummed.edu ------------------------------ End of ELP Digest [Volume 7 Issue 23] *************************************