ELP Digest 22 June, 2003 Volume 13 : Issue 5 The "We Want Us To Be Together" Edition Today's Topics: Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. - Carl Palmer Concert 8 May 2003 (May 15, 2003) - Carl Palmer Band, Plymouth, 9.5.03 (June 4, 2003) - Nice - KE Band tour (June 8, 2003) Reader Commentary - "Refugee" C.D. rumour info (May 20, 2003) - New ELP Site - Video Screenshots ! (May 22, 2003) - Led Zeppelin vintage release...could ELP be next? (June 3, 2003) - yes (June 6, 2003) - Cal Jam DVDs for real? (June 12, 2003) - Old Howard Stern show tape (June 15, 2003) Questions (and Answers!) - Re: ELP Digest Vol. 13 #4 (Sheet Music) (May 13, 2003) - ELP Posters (May 13, 2003) - Re: ELP Tour Dates (May 13, 2003) - Nice UK Tour in 2003 (June 8, 2003) ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) - a brand spanking new ELP tribute band in NYC... (May 12, 2003) - Seven Virgins and a Mule - ELP tribute band - song samples (May 26, 2003) - Music From Free Creek - a rare album featuring Keith Emerson (June 2, 2003) - Re: ELP Digest Vol. 11 #7 (Free Creek Sessions) (May 30, 2003) =========================== Prelude =========================== Hi. An interesting mix of news, commentary, etc. this time around. We've got some reviews of recent 'Palmer' shows and the story so far regarding the Emerson/Nice/etc. shows. Questions and answers about sheet music, posters, and tour dates. And, for those of you who have heard (or heard about) Keith Emerson's appearance on an old album called 'Music from Free Creek' (including Emerson's version of The Beatles' Mother Nature's Son), we've got the latest on its availability on CD and an interesting interview about the story behind the Free Creek 'superstar conglomeration' album. Hope you find something you're interested in! - John - ------------------------------ Latest News from the Official ELP sites .... Nothing new to report from the ELP Global Web site or Keith's site this month. Greg Lake's, site has new postings listed at http://greglake.com/newsite/index.asp ... including vintage radio commercials from the '70s ... soundbites from Carl Palmer and folk icon Judy Collins ... and new pix in the photo gallery. Plenty of news on Carl's site at http://www.carlpalmer.com/news.html, including a new contest to win a Carl Palmer "Working Live" snare drum - just write up your most amazing work experience. Details at http://www.carlpalmer.com/snare.html Enjoy! =========================== Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. =========================== From: mbrothwell@wsatkins.fsnet.co.uk Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 8:43 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Carl Palmer Concert 8 May 2003 John, I had the great pleasure to attend the Carl Palmer band concert at the Robin 2 in Bilston England last Thursday (8 May 2003) and am pleased to pass on my views to anyone interested. For the many overseas readers Bilston is a small town about 12 Miles from Carl's home town of Birmingham, but it has a super club that has several live acts each week. This was the first time I have seen Carl play since the ELP tour in 1973, pre BSS and what a great night. The venue was where the first Working Live album was recordered and as Carl pointed out, it was working Live Vol 1 and hence there is more to come. Something to look forward to there then. My partner Wendy and daughter Charlotte had bought me Working Live Vol 1 as an alternative Easter egg so I had some idea of what to expect, but as with previous ELP gigs, the actual more than lived up to the expectation. Most of the music was Carl's arrangements of ELP numbers, but with some new stuff thrown in. The tracks were as follows: 1. Endless Enigma (I think. This was the one track Carl did not announce, and my memory is not as good as it used to be. I will stand corrected if wrong!) 2. Enemy God 3. LA Nights 4. Barbarian 5. Prince in Rags by Shaun Baxter. A very good solo acoustic guitar number. 6. Jazz improvisation 7. Bass Solo by Dave Marks including themes from Imagine, From the Beginning and Message in a Bottle. I've never seen the bassist get a solo before and what a solo. An unusual bass guitar and a real virtuoso performance. 8. Wales by Dave Marks 9. Strike up the Band 10. Bullfrog 11. Hoedown 12. Canario 13. Toccata 14. Tarkus (Eruption, Aquatarkus) 15. Fanfare featuring the drum solo. Encore Karmina Burana Carl seems to have lost none of his speed, humour or ability to make the drums sing, although gone are the gongs, synthesiser percussion, ship's bell, etc of old. Shaun and Dave are clearly very talented musicians and make a good combination with Carl. Above all Carl seemed to be really enjoying himself and in between numbers he came down to the front of the stage and chatted to the audience and introduced the songs. Clearly BSS was one of his high points, although he threaten not to play anything from it. Love Beach would appear to be one of the low points, although he did say to the audience that some of them probably had it at home!!!!!! Doesn't every avid ELP fan. The audience was predominantly 40 something and 50 something males, many like myself probably fans from the early days. However it was nice to see a young lad of about twelve with his dad. Hopefully the music will now get a younger audience. If Carl and the band are coming to a venue near you I thoroughly recommend that you go. Hopefully good audiences mean that Carl will continue to tour and hopefully produce some new music as well as playing his arrangements of old favourites. It isn't ELP, but its definitely worth a visit and I'm sure any ELP fans cannot fail to enjoy it. I look forward to Working Live Volume 2 and in response to Carl wondering if he came back to Bilston too soon, when are you coming again, so that I can book my ticket? On an unrelated topic of trivia, I attended an ELP concert at the Odeon in Birmingham I think on the original Tarkus Tour. The show was in two parts, the first part mainly Tarkus and the second Pictures. When the curtains opened for the second part there were two drum kits on stage and for part of the show, the band were joined by Carl's brother Steve, who is an accomplished drummer in his own right. Do any other fans remember this and was it only in Birmingham or at other locations? Thanks for the hard work you put into the digest, it is appreciated. Regards Mike Brothwell Norton Canes England. --------------------------------------------- From: Jonathan Smart [J.Smart@plymouth.ac.uk] Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 5:23 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Carl Palmer Band, Plymouth, 9.5.03 Hi, Thought you might be interested in a description of the Carl Palmer band gig I attended, which was hastily penned last month. Regards, Jonathan Smart It takes quite a bit to get me out on the town on Friday nights these days, but I was really glad I made the Carl Palmer Band gig at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, Plymouth on Friday 9th May. If Carl was in any way disappointed at an unbelievably low turnout (it must have struggled to reach three figures), he certainly didn't betray it in any way. Looking fit and relaxed, he announced that the last time he played in Plymouth was thirty three years ago (ELP's debut performance) upon which a voice in the audience piped up 'Yeah, my dad saw you!' to which CP replied 'You know how to make a guy feel good'. The band launched straight into Trilogy followed by rousing renditions of Enemy God and LA Nights from Works. A great version of Barbarian turned my stomach to jelly with the deep grinding fuzz-bass effect and featuring some great high-hat percussive work from Carl. The passages which followed, I thought, almost stole the show - a seamless sequence featuring Dave Marks and Shaun Baxter, starting with Prince in Rags, in which the latter's guitar work immediately reminded me of Bob Fripp's chord structures, for example, in Moonchild. From there, the band launched into a jazz passage, after which there was more excellent guitar play, encompassing riffs ranging from C'est La Vie and From the Beginning to what sounded like the prelude from Bach's cello suite number one as part of Dave Marks's bass solo. Bullfrog followed, after which Carl introduced what he regarded as the best track from the Love Beach album - Canario, which was played with gusto, as was a rousing rendition of Hoedown. Carl was able to display his percussion skills in Ginastera's Toccata from what he regarded as 'the best' ELP album, Brain Salad Surgery. The band then launched into a thundering version of Tarkus, followed by Hoedown, bringing the set to an end with Fanfare for the Common Man. I can only describe CP's drumwork in this as awesome - as far as I'm concerned, he's lost none of his edge and, if anything, his talent comes across even more outside the E and L formula (though I'd be interested in hearing other views on that). The encore was Orff's Carmina Burana. The venue was hot, and the performance punctuated with much mopping of the brow throughout; Carl commented on his love of jazz and was noticeably energised playing those passages in particular. For a guy whose love is principally keyboards, I left having thoroughly enjoyed the evening - those who didn't make the show don't know what they missed, but they certainly will if they speak to anyone who was there. --------------------------------------------- From: Eriko Yatabe-Waldock [miroopy@attglobal.net] Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 8:55 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: Nice - KE Band tour Hello John Here is some info on Nice - Keith Emerson band tour from Dave Kilmister's new website: http://www.davekilminster.co.uk/ "I just got off the phone with Keith Emerson too, and it sounds like the European/Asian/American legs of the 'Nice' tour (Nice legs?!) are finally coming together. I know a lot of you are waiting for these and I'll post the dates as soon as I have 'em, promise!!! The next tour will also contain more ELP tunes (some of which have never been played live before!!), some brand new songs and more singing from yours truly too!! I really can't wait!!!" Hope all is well! Eriko Yatabe-Waldock miroopy@attglobal.net Here are the dates: Wednesday 8 October 2003 UK Cambridge Corn Exchange Friday 10 October 2003 UK Northampton Derngate Saturday 11 October 2003 UK Basingstoke Anvil Sunday 12 October 2003 UK Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Tuesday 14 October 2003 UK Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Wednesday 15 October 2003 UK Newcastle Opera House Thursday 16 October 2003 UK Leicester De Montfort Hall Friday 17 October 2003 UK London Carling Apollo Hammersmith Monday 20 October 2003 UK Preston Guildhall Tuesday 21 October 2003 UK Manchester Bridgewater Hall Wednesday 22 October 2003 UK Croydon Fairfield Hall Thursday 23 October 2003 UK Watford Colosseum =========================== Reader Commentary =========================== From: Charles C [elpbss@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2003 7:23 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: "Refugee" C.D. rumour info >>> Subject: "Refugee" C.D. rumour i have a reel to reel tape of that album. its a good album. he plays some fast licks but it's not as good as emerson. i remember seeing a box full of 8-track tapes of that album with the hole melted in them (at a discount). i bought a couple of them and gave them to my buddys. a cd would be nice, a lot better than my tape i burned to cd. --------------------------------------------- From: Hyperglucose Hyperglucose [hyperglucose@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 7:30 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: New ELP Site - Video Screenshots ! Hi everyone ! I would like to contribute too. I have created a Site with lots of Screenshots of Famous ELP Videos. Please tell me what can I do to improve it, [...] I would be pleased to read your comments and suggestions about my work. I am 24yr old, and French, so please excuse my english. I have made this Site to help people know what Videos they are talking about, and the second reason is that i couldn't find a Site where I could find what i have done. Videos on the Site: California Jam, Hydro, Knife Egde, All I Want Is You, Lyceum Video (Complete) Nutrocker, Works Orchestral Tour, Royal Albert Hall, Rondo Isle Of Wight. http://www.elpvideos.fr.st Keep Up The Good Work ! Tim --------------------------------------------- From: MACglon@cs.com Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 11:42 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Led Zeppelin vintage release...could ELP be next? I've beaten this horse before, but...once again, another legendary group has released vintage concert tapes ( Led Zeppelin's 1972 California shows ), while the scuttlebutt remains that there "isn't much left in the vaults regarding ELP"... Bunk. Grand Funk releases thirty-plus year old material compiled from no less than three shows from 1971. Ditto Led Zeppelin (awesome mix and editing on that one, by the way! ). Any record label that went to the enormous expense of location recording back in the dim dark seventies would not deliberately wipe/destroy those multi-track tapes (although I'm still baffled as to why ABC did it with the first generation Cal Jam videotape masters). Again, Greg Lake made a reference to the existence of 16-track tapes from their Mar y Sol 1972 festival. They professionally recorded at least one of the sans-orchestra 1977 Works concerts (probably to flesh out the ill-fated Montreal recording). Yet the Powers That Be continue to inundate us with retread compilations and yet another "Manticore Vaults" set. As awesome as the 1972 Long Beach bootleg is to listen to...can you imagine hearing the Mar y Sol performance from this tour newly mixed from professionally recorded multitrack?? Maybe our turn is coming. Hope Springs Eternal! --------------------------------------------- From: Sarahfenton7@aol.com Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 5:34 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: yes Just come back from another yes concert, three in as many years. ELP have a lot to learn. --------------------------------------------- From: MACglon@cs.com Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 2:40 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Cal Jam DVDs for real? Okayyyy...whassup? Is bjorn-are's Cal Jam blurb for real? As much as I'd love to believe the release of this long-awaited show is imminent...doesn't this smack of simply being too good to be true?! My understanding is that ABC wiped those masters in 1978 (all of the Wide World Event footage ). Apparently, the only reason we even have a hope of getting this stuff on DVD someday is that an ABC employee had the foresight to copy ELPs set to 3/4 U-Matic videocassette tape. As to Deep Purple's set, it had been released on Laserdisc years ago (exclusively a Japan release). As to the footage of Black Sabbath, Black Oak Arkansas, Rare Earth, The Eagles, etc...assuming it still exists (!), can you imagine the litigation nightmare that would ensue? Unless ABC retains the exclusive rights to that stuff, I can't imagine it all seeing the light of day (DON'T get me wrong---I'll be first in line in my area (or online!) when that fabled package comes out...our grocery budget, shall we say, will be somewhat light that pay period! By the way, has anyone noticed that the newly-released Led Zeppelin 1979 Knebworth concert footage shows John Paul Jones playing a Yamaha GX-1 as well as an Alembic bass? Struck a resonant chord with me, it did! --------------------------------------------- From: Eriko Yatabe-Waldock [mailto:miroopy@attglobal.net] Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 11:00 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Old Howard Stern Show tape I always wanted to hear ELP’s appearance on Howard Stern’s radio show. I went back to the ELP-digest’s back issues and read the posts about the show. It sounds just hilarious!! Now I really really want to hear it. Will anyone who has the audiotape of the program be kind to copy the tape? Of course I will send you a tape and a postage. Or if you want, I can trade with one of my Emo’s Memos CDs that I recorded from the internet. Talking about Emo’s Memos, does anybody know what happened to the program? Last I heard was the program would resume in June, and no program on June 7th. If you can help me, please e-mail me at miroopy@attglobal.net Thank you, and thank you John for letting me beg here! Eriko Yatabe-Waldock miroopy@attglobal.net =========================== Questions (and Answers!) =========================== From: F L Dunkin Wedd [fl] Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 1:53 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Re: ELP Digest Vol. 13 #4 Dear John, Or they could be 'published' on the net as Sibelius/Scorch files - see http://www.sibelius.com/products/sie/internetpublishing.html Laurie Another possible approach would be to see if > the publishers of the 'legit' books would allow > them to be copied and sold at a reasonable price. > If anyone would be interested in writing letters, > contacting people, etc. to see if there is a > possibility that we could do this legally, let me > know. I'd gladly help out and be willing to > do my part! - John - ] > --------------------------------------------- From: Renato G. Camargo Filho [rgcf@dglnet.com.br] Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 3:41 PM To: digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP Posters Where in this planet could I find posters from early and mid '70s period of the power trio ? And also, caps with the logo "ELP". Recently I was in New York and London but unfortunatelly I couldn't find anything about them, I mean memorabilia. If someone knows any good store in USA , Europe or Japan, please let me know. For books, I'd suggest The Helter Skelter, in London (4 Denmark St.). Fantastic Regards Renato (from Brazil) --------------------------------------------- From: Aleksi Suikkanen [asuikkanen@hotmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 4:15 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Re: ELP Tour Dates Hi John! Someone asked info about ELP´s old tour dates on the latest digest. Here is a very nice and almost complete list starting from 1972 or so. http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~rm2t-smt/html/elp-tour.htm Regards, Aleksi --------------------------------------------- From: CHARLES JARRELLS [cgandsheilajarrells@msn.com] Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 11:16 AM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: Nice UK Tour in 2003 Just noticed the current (May 2003) issue of the UK magazine "Classic Rock" is reporting the Nice will be doing several live shows in mid/late October throughout the UK, haven't seen that anywhere else. Can anyone confirm the UK tour, and is there any news of a possible US tour? Greg Jarrells Dayton, Ohio [ Editor's Note: See the latest word from Dave Kilminster's website earlier in this Digest. Don't know of any plans for a North America tour but I'm hoping... - John - ] =========================== ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) =========================== From: leif federman [federman@federmanfakeandfarmer.com] Sent: Monday, May 12, 2003 10:55 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: a brand spanking new ELP tribute band in NYC... within the bowels of the Music Building on 8th avenue in NYC, three lunatics have maniacally toiled away the winter of 2003 to bring to life their vision of a pure tribute to the golden era of ELP. "federman, fake and farmer" are set to emerge onto the club scene in the coming months. interested in a sneak preview? www.fff-elp.com --------------------------------------------- From: S. Andersen [andersen@herridge.ca] Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 6:10 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Seven Virgins and a Mule - ELP Tribute Band - song samples It may interest readers... We have loaded additional song samples onto the website Seven Virgins and a Mule - A tribute to Emerson, Lake & Palmer http://www.sevenvirgins.com/ under repertoire: The Barbarian Knife Edge Stones of Years Iconoclast Manticore Battlefield Aquatarkus Karnevil 9 - First Impression Part 1 Please surf by at your leisure. Regards Steve Andersen www.sevenvirgins.com steve@sevenvirgins.com --------------------------------------------- From: Dorette99@aol.com Sent: Monday, June 02, 2003 1:50 AM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: Music From Free Creek - a rare album featuring Keith Emerson Dear Keith Emerson Fan! At Moogymusic.com we are now offering a rare album "Music From Free Creek" featuring Keith Emerson. This album was done in 1969 and has been written about in many books. It's an amazing jam album with not only Keith Emerson but also Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Moogy Klingman, Harvey Mandel, Linda Ronstadt and more. The only place this amazing album can be purchased is at our website at http://www.moogymusic.com/CDs/freecreek.html There you can also read all about the making of the album and you can download full songs and songsamples. Please feel free to mention the album or add a link on your site and spread the word about this rare recording. Vice President Moogy Music Co. --------------------------------------------- {And here is some more background information about the Free Creek album mentioned above.) From: John Hughes [john@pureneasy.fsnet.co.uk] Sent: Friday, May 30, 2003 3:46 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Free Creek I've copied a very long report of an interview with Moogy Klingman, who as some of you may know has been associated with Todd Rundgren for a very long time, which he sent to a Todd Rundgren list I'm on. The subject matter is the Free Creek sessions in 1969 which Keith Emerson played on, and the report discusses the sessions, what role Keith played, and finally where you can get a copy of the CD which has now been released of those sessions. ***************** The True Story of Free Creek is here! At Last - get the CD at www.moogymusic.com Hey Toddheads! - Finally available at Moogymusic.com is the long lost supersession album I did with many superstars of that day and this day, too. Below is the story of the "Free Creek" sessions and below that are complete credits for the album. "Music From Free Creek" was a supersession album recorded and mixed in New York City at the Record Plant, June, July & August, 1969 and featured Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Mitch Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Moogy Klingman, Todd Rundgren, Dr. John and many other rockers. I.C.Timerow interviewing Moogy Klingman IC - How did you, a relative unknown at the time, get involved with all these superstars on the Free Creek album? Moogy - Good question. Sometimes I think it never really happened. That it all was just a dream. But the record's reputation, it's legend, continues to grow. The album was never released in America and when it came here on import from England, it was on two different labels with different titles yet! - Clapton and Beck didn't use their real names. Eric was "King Cool" and Jeff was "A.N. Other". So the effect of the record initially was muted. But with time, it did develop a reputation as being the ultimate super-session album. It's been written about in many books. Books on Clapton and Jeff Beck talk about it, and there's even a small section in a book on Todd Rundgren about the record. Most of the info about it was either incorrect or incomplete, so I'm glad we have a chance to set the record straight here. There I was, around 19 years old at the time and I just kind of stumbled into working with all these superstars. And in many instances, I wasn't just working with them, I was running the show. Telling people like Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton what to do..... It was almost an "Emperor's New Clothes" situation. At any moment someone could yell out "who the f--k are you, sonny, to tell us what to do?", but that never happened. Well, it almost happened a few times, but I knew when to back off. I C - And just what had you done in the music business back in '69 to merit your inclusion? Moogy - A lot of it was being in the right place at the right time. I had left high school and moved to Greenwich Village from Great Neck, Long Island, several years earlier. I was really an early starter in the music biz. I was jamming in the village with everyone there for several years already. I had even played in Jimi Hendrix's group "Jimi James and the Blue Flames" when I was 16! My group, the Glitterhouse, had just broken up. We had done two albums for Bob Crewe's label Dynovoice, including the soundtrack to the movie, "Barbarella". I was playing with a big Long Island band at the time called the Vagrants featuring Leslie West. And I was always jamming the blues at the clubs and lofts around town til the wee hours, so I was pretty precocious. I tried to meet and hang and jam with many of best rock and blues musicians around then. I guess I was too young to know any better. I C - So how did you get involved with the production end of Free Creek? Moogy - I was hanging out with Todd Rundgren at the time, the spring and summer of 69. He had just quit his group, the Nazz, and was working as a freelance producer and engineer while being managed by Albert Grossman. Todd was using me on his first sessions as a producer. I played keyboards on singles for Ian and Sylvia, James Cotten, Libby Titus and even some early Todd solo stuff. Todd told me he was going to use me on this upcoming supersession album with Earl Dowd. Todd was going to be what I became, executive producer and musical director. Todd, Earl and I all met and we got along well. I C - So why did Todd not stay on? Moogy - It was about the money. Grossman wanted big money upfront for anything that Todd did and Earl did not have any money. So Todd had to bow out and recommended me to Earl and I was given the spot. I figured that Earl would pay up eventually and what an opportunity! Earl Dowd was the producer of the First Family Albums with Vaughn Meader. Comedy albums that were big hits parodying President Kennedy and his family. Hugh sellers till the assasination. When JFK was killed, those parody records never sold another copy. Earl knew nothing about music or recording music. He just had this idea which he brought to the Record Plant in New York. He wanted to produce a supersession album with the biggest amount of the biggest stars. Record Plant had just opened it's doors and needed people like Earl to bring stars to it's facilities, with hopes they might record their albums there. So they gave Earl as much studio time as he wanted, free! The Record Plant was a big, beautiful modern group of studios and Earl had Carte Blanche as they say. He just never had any money. No one got paid. They didn't know it til many months or years after the session, as people usually got paid weeks later for any recording work they did. So Earl was always telling everyone that the check was in the mail. But that mail never arrived. Anyhow, Earl and I were friendly and he really needed me or someone like me cause he didn't know anything about music. I C - What was the first session like? Moogy - I can still remember walking into the studio for the first session with Earl and seeing an array of great musicians. Mitch Mitchell from the "Jimi Hendrix Experience" was banging away at the drums. Keith Emerson of "Emerson, Lake and Palmer", was playing Hammond Organ, Chris Wood, the flutist from "Traffic", was blowing riffs in the corner and Buzzy Feiton, the new lead guitarist from the "Paul Butterfield Band" was burning some stinging solos as I sat down at the piano and kind of shrunk a little after hearing Keith and Buzzy and Mitch just really play some wild riffs. But things were disorganized as no one was really in charge. I went into the control room and Earl said "Moogy, get things going out there. I'm depending on you." So, I went out and let them know that I was kind of running things for Earl. "Now, who has any ideas for recording?" I said. The first thing we recorded was "Freedom Jazz Dance", which was an amazing jazzy jam from these rockers. Mitch Mitchell reminded me of Elvin Jones on the drums. Keith Emerson sounded like Jimmy Smith to me, really soulful. I was surprised. It was Buzzy Feiton's idea to do the song. I mostly comped at the piano. Chris Wood couldn't really find the groove, so we left him off of it. Next was my song, "Kilpatrick's Defeat" which was a two piano country jam with me and Keith at the keys. But before the record came out, Emerson and I were both taken off the song and replaced with acoustic guitars and a singer brought in by Earl after I was no longer on the project. The song still sounds nice though, I wish I had a copy of the original version. Keith Emerson did "On The Rebound" a Floyd Kramer song with Buzzy Feiton and Mitch Mitchell. He did it kind of as a response to "Kilpatrick's Defeat", my country piano song. All through this album I pushed some of the British rock stars to places they didn't normally go. Keith Emerson doing jazz and country was something you didn't hear him often do with his own records or group. Keith also had a great arrangement of "Mother Nature's Son" which I insisted he record. He was a sweet guy. Humble and self-effacing. Mitch Mitchell was great and a little angry. He had just been put on suspension by Jimi Hendrix while Jimi was working with other musicians, putting the Experience on ice for a while. Only a year later Jimi was to leave us all for good. Buzzy Feiton was an amazing guitarist and a real tough kid. He reminded me of "Peck's Bad Boy" from the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy". He was young, but played beyond his years. He had inherited the spot in the Paul Butterfield Band from Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop. It was a really big deal at the time. The last song we recorded was "Hey Jude" which was Buzzy's arrangement. Keith Emerson had left by that time, there so I took over the organ duties and Mitch Mitchell kicked it on the drums. Earl was happy. We had recorded five songs over two days and they all sounded good. So Earl was going to give me more responsibility in upcoming sessions. I C - What session came next? Wasn't it Jeff Beck? Details please! Moogy - Yeah, it was the Jeff Beck session. Earl called me and told me to get a bass player and a drummer and meet him at the Record Plant, as Jeff Beck was coming in. Wow! I was a big Beck fan. I called Stu Woods, who was playing with me in the Vagrants at the time, and Roy Markowitz on the drums. Roy had just left the Janis Joplin Band and was doing a lot of club dates in the Catskills at the time. Roy had that Catskills comedy thing down. When he wasn't playing, he was making you laff. Any way we were doing our thing, jamming away in our own tribute to themeters and Allan Tousaint. We loved those grooves when Jeff Beck walked in on us. He was definately surprised by what we were playing and decided he wanted to record some of those songs with us. So, we recorded "Cissy Strut" and "Working in a Coalmine", two classic New Orleans grooves, with Jeff Beck on guitar. It was a whole new bag for Jeff and he did great. We did a classic blues, and an uptempo funk jam as well. Four songs in one afternoon. It was a very fruitful session. Beck seemed very impressed with Roy, Stu and I. He told us that he wanted us for his new band. We were very happy to accept his offer. Jeff said he'd be back the next day to continue recording. The next day the three of us were back at the studio waiting for Jeff Beck. I had invited another guitarist down in case Beck didn't show. And he didn't. We never did hear from Jeff again, So Doug Rodriguez, a guitarist from my home town, Great Neck, recorded with us instead. Doug was playing with Mitch Ryder at the time and he sounded great. We recorded "Lay Lady Lay" with Doug and Chris Wood on flute. Later Joe Farrell was brought in to embellish the flute part and play a solo. It was a thrill for me to work with Joe Farrell, who was one of my jazz idols, as I had seen him play with Chick Corea many times. I C - How about the Clapton session? Are we getting there yet? Moogy - Yeah. That was the biggie. My absolute guitar idol, along with Jimi Hendrix. Eric Clapton. I had seen him play many times with Cream at the Cafe A Go Go. I had seen him jam late nite in the villlage and had even jammed with him once myself. Though I'm sure he wouldn't have remembered it. I was also still in good steed with Earl Dowd at the time. So the call came that one nite in August I think it was, Eric Clapton would be coming over to Record Plant at midnite to jam. He was playing with Blind Faith at Madison Square Garden and would be coming over after the show. Wow! I called Stu Woods to play some bass, and we waited. Would Eric Clapton really show? Could Earl Dowd talk Eric into it? At around 1 am, in walked Eric Clapton with an entourage. Delany Bramlett, who was opening for Blind Faith on their tour with his Delaney and Bonnie Band. Dr. John, the night Tripper, who was also opening for Blind Faith at Madison square Garden. And Richie Crooks, Dr. John's drummer, came along to play. So we all went to the big room at Record Plant and everyone turned to me. I was in charge and I just made up songs on the spot. The first one we recorded was "Road Song", a minor key blues who's lyrics I'd write the next day. I was on organ and Dr. John was at the piano. He blew everyone's mind with his playing. The greatest blues-funk organist/pianist I'd ever heard. I think Eric was pretty surprised and impressed with him too. Most of us didn't know that Dr. John's real name was Mac Rebbenek and he was New Orleans' top session man. Stu Woods locked in with Richard Crooks and everyone just turned each other on in a big way. Delaney Bramlett played rhythm guitar on this song and Clapton played thru a leslie speaker for most of the songs that nite and got a real down home sound. The next song I made up on the spot. I was at the piano and said to everyone "Here's the next tune." And I just made up a bunch of chords that sounded good. I was making up the song as I was teaching Eric Clapton and Dr. John the song. It was a risky approach but I took it. The song became "No One Knows", a gospel jam that had great solos by Eric and Dr. John on the organ. Stu Woods and Tommy Cosgrove, both from my group at the time, the Vagrants, wrote the words with me the next day. Eric spoke very little but just got into playing his guitar and smiling a lot. It was late but I told everyone I had one more song. I pulled out my harmonica and playing a one chord blues riff I had been working on with some words I had that went, "Getting Back to Molly". Dr. John picked up a guitar and we had our third song. Two guitars battling with my wailing blues harp. Everyone had a great time. By the time we left the studio, it was light outside and we all had smiles on all our faces. I've always thought that this was a pivital session for Eric Clapton. After years of playing loud and long heavy metal guitars solos in ego driven supergroups, Cream and Blind Faith, Eric was back to doing some roots music with some absolutely great players. He quit Blind Faith right after the Madison Sq. Garden gig and joined his opening act, Delaney and Bonnie, while working on a solo album with Delaney Bramlett producing. I have a feeling, that the Free Creek session had an influence on Eric's sudden change of musical direction at that time. I C - what came next? Moogy - The next session was with Harvey Mandell and the rhythm section from Canned Heat. Harvey, a celebrated Chicago blues guitarist, had joined Canned Heat right before their tour, so he brought the bass play, drummer, percussonist and organist from the band with him to the session. I had always been a big Canned Heat fan and playing with their bassist Larry Taylor was a big thrill for me. We did record the "Sympathy Jam" together and that track had a lot of spirit and excitement to it. Harvey and his band also did a great job with "Earl's Shuffle" which was a burning blues track. Harvey Mandell liked to run the show and recorded a bossa nova version of "the Girl from Ipanema" which featured pedal steel guitar and kind of sounded like elevator music. I C- Where did Linda Ronstadt fit into all this? Moogy - Linda Ronstadt was playing for a few days with her band at the Bitter End in the village (downtown NYC), and she had her first hit at the time, "Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum", a Mike Nesmith song. She was being pushed as country rock at the time. Earl invited her whole band to the studio. We sat and talked with her and played her the Eric Clapton track, "No One Knows" I had written, and she liked it and sang the lead vocal. She did a great job, but ultimately Earl decided to take her voice off and use Eric Mercury instead. Linda also decided that the jam thing wasn't her bag. So Earl let her record two songs from her set with her band. And that's what on the record. Linda and her band doing two straight ahead country songs from her live set. I didn't think it really fit into the concept of "supersession", but the concept was getting stretched a lot anyway. The fact that Linda Ronstadt become one of the top singers of the rock era has enhanced her presence on this album. So the Free Creek sessions ended with the Rondstadt recordings. I C - Anything after that? What finally became of the project? Moogy - Well, I hung in there for overdub sessions and editing sessions. Choosing takes and even editing songs down to a playable form. I arranged the background vocals on "No One Knows" and "Getting Back to Molly". And I helped find people to sing some songs. LIke "Big City Woman", I got Tommy Cosgrove to sing that and "Road Song". He was the lead singer in the band I was playing with at that time, the Vagrants. Then Earl brought in my good friend Buzzy Linhart to sing "Road Song" and ultimately Earl used both vocals alternating. It sounded interesting hearing Tom and Buzzy switch off with each other. Earl Dowd took Cosgrove's voice off "Getting Back to Molly" and sang it himself, as almost a Dr. John Tribute. And I was surprised by how good it sounded. But I was having problems with Earl during post production. Mainly, I was trying to get paid. Anything. Something. But Earl never came up with dollar one and ultimately finished up the album without me. A lot of people were pretty angry at Earl by that point. Earl took the record to England where he had it released on two different labels with two different titles and one came out as a single album called "Summit Meeting" and the other label put out a double album called "Music from Free Creek". So, I believe somewhere down the line someone got paid, just not me. And probably not most of the other people who worked so hard on that record. Still, I'm just glad that Earl gave me the opportunity. Even Todd Rundgren, who walked out at the beginning cause there was no funding, came back to play a solo on a cut with Jeff Beck, "Cissy Strut". He just couldn't resist being in the company of some of his guitar gods. Music from Freek Creek - the long lost supersession album The Eric Clapton Session 1.No One Knows (words by Tom Cosgrove & Stu Woods, music by Moogy Klingman) Lead Guitar - Eric Clapton Lead Vocal - Eric Mercury Organ - Dr. John Piano - Moogy Klingman Bass - Stu Woods Drums - Richard Crooks The Free Creek Horns* & the Free Creek singers* 2. Road Song (written by Moogy Klingman) Lead Guitar - Eric Clapton Piano - Dr. John Lead Vocals - Tommy Cosgrove & Buzzy Linhart Organ - Moogy Klingman Rhythm Guitar - Delaney Bramlett Bass - Stu Woods Drums - Richard Crooks 3. Getting Back To Molly (written by Moogy Klingman) Lead Guitars - Eric Clapton (1st solo), Dr. John (2nd solo) Lead Vocal - Earl Dowd Harmonica - Moogy Klingman Free Creeks Singers* The Jeff Beck Session 4. Cissy Strut (written by A. Neville, L. Nocenville, G. Porter & J. Modeliste) Lead Guitars - Jeff Beck (1st solo), Todd Rundgren (2nd solo) Organ - Moogy Klingman Bass - Stu Woods Drums - Roy Markowitz The Free Creek Horns* 5. Big City Woman (written by Moogy Klingman) Lead Guitar - Jeff Beck Piano - Moogy Klingman Bass - Stu Woods Drums - Roy Markowitz Lead Vocal - Tommy Cosgrove 6. Cherrypicker (written by Jeff Beck, Moogy Klingman, Stu Woods & Roy Markowitz) Lead Guitar - Jeff Beck Organ - Moogy Klingman Bass - Stu Woods Drums - Roy Markowitz 7. Working In a Coalmine (Written by Allan Toussaint) Lead Guitar - Jeff Beck Organ - Moogy Klingman Bass - Stu Woods Drums - Roy Markowitz The Keith Emerson Session 8. Freedom Jazz Dance (written by Eddie Harris) Organ - Keith Emerson Lead Guitar - Buzzy Feiton Drums - Mitch Mitchell Piano - Moogy Klingman Bass - Chuck Rainy 9. On the Rebound (written by Floyd Kramer) Piano - Keith Emerson Lead Guitar - Buzzy Feiton Bass - Chuck Rainy Drums - Mitch Mitchell Occasional Voice - Geri Miller 10. Mother Nature's Son (Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney) Piano - Keith Emerson Acoustic Guitar - Carol Hunter String Bass - Richard Davis The Harvey Mandel Session 11. Sympathy Jam (written by Harvey Mandell & Moogy Klingman) Lead Guitar - Harvey Mandel Rhythm Guitar - Jack Wilkens Organ - Moogy Klingman Piano - Jimmy Greenspoon Bass - Larry Taylor Violin - Larry Packer Drums - Fito de la Parra Congas - Billy Chesboro Bongos - Didymus 12. Earl's Shuffle (written by Harvey Mandel & Earl Dowd) Lead Guitar - Harvey Mandel Pedal Steel Guitar - Red Rhodes Organ - Jimmy Greenspoon Bass - Larry Taylor Drums Gito de la Parra Odds & Sods 13. Hey Jude (written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney) Lead Guitar - Buzzy Feiton Organ - Moogy Klingman Drums - Mitch Mitchell Bass - Richard Davis Rhythm Guitar - Elliot Randall The Free Creek Horns* 14. Lay Lady Lay (written by Bob Dylan) Flutes - Joe Farrell(solo), Chris Wood Piano - Moogy Klingman Lead Guitar - Doug Rodriquez Bass - Stu Woods Drums - Roy Markowitz 15. Kilpatrick's Defeat (written by Moogy Klingman & Mike Gayle) Lead Vocal - Timmy Harrison Guitars - Carol Hunter & Buzzy Feiton Bass - Stu Woods The Linda Ronstadt Session 16. Living Like a Fool (written by Maxwell & Crutchfield) Lead Vocal - Linda Ronstadt Guitar - Bernie Leadon Pedal Steel Guitar - Red Rhodes Piano - Jimmy Greenspoon Bass - John London Drums - John Ware 17. He Darked the Sun (written by B. Leadon & Clarke) Lead Vocal - Linda Ronstadt Guitar - Bernie Leadon Pedal Steel Guitar - Red Rhodes Piano - Jimmy Greenspoon Bass - John London Drums - John Ware Violin - Chris Darrow The Free Creek Horns are: Lou Delgatto, Bobby Keller, Meco Monardo, & Tom Malone - Trombones Lou Soloff, Alan Rubin & Bill Chase - Trumpets The Free Creek Singers are: Valerie Simpson, Maretha Stewart & Hida Harris "Music From Free Creek" was recorded and mixed in New York City at the Record Plant, June, July & August, 1969 Produced by Earle Downd & Tom Flye Executive Producer & Musical Director: Moogy Klingman Engineers: Tony Bongiovi & Jack Hunt - Additional mixes - Keith Emerson & Neil Slaven Cover painting by Ronchetti & Day Available from http://www.moogymusic.com ******************* Cheers, John =========================== Digest subscription, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: elp-digest-request@reluctant.com ELP-related info that you want to put in the digest to: elp-digest@reluctant.com Back issues are available from the ELP Digest web site: http://www.brain-salad.com/ Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message. They are not necessarily those of the mailing list/digest administrator or those of any institution through whose computers/networks this mail flows. Unless otherwise noted, the individual authors of each entry in the Digest are the copyright holders of that entry. Please respect that copyright and act accordingly. I especially ask that you not redistribute the ELP Digest in whole or in part without acknowledging the original source of the digest and each author. Thanks! End of ELP Digest [Volume 13, Issue 5] **************************************