update: Never Trust A Prankster :)
Bruce Rostenstein was an ouststanding rock columnist for the American University Eagle in the early 1970s. That paper has been digitized, and like so many other college papers, offers up all kinds of goodness for the intrepid researcher.
His October 29, 1971 column brings forth something I have never heard about. Noting the success of George Harrison's Bangladesh benefit concert, he reports, on the basis of some seemingly pretty clear documentation (including side-and-cut information), about a star-packed double album project spearheaded by David Crosby to end the war in Vietnam.
The concept itself is mind-boggling; one LP will feature Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with all new material, and the other record will have the boys playing with some of the biggest names in rock. As for the business end, Crosby has arranged for Atlantic Records to distribute the [sic] on the special Empathy label.
Word of the project leaked, and Croz had to give more info to the rock press. It included the following stuff put togther in "mammoth sessions" over five late August days at Electric Lady Studios:
A-1: the original Byrds: unidentified tune
A-2: Captain Beefheart (sax and guitar), Stephen Stills (organ), Jeff Beck (guitar): a seven minute cut called "Feet"
A-3: Michael Bloomfield, Stills (organ), Jack Casay (bass), Joey Covington (drums): "I Just Don't Know", an autobiographical Bloomfield tune, his first original in two years
A-4: members of the NRPS and Poco, "with an extended pedal steel guitar solo by David Grisman of the New Riders": "Sagebrush"
A-5: a 23-second spoken intro by Richard Meltzer
A-6: Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Jack Casady (bass), Graham Nash (organ), Ringo Star (drums): a nine minute version of "Goodnight Irene"
B-1: Dr. John, Eric Clapton, various percussionists: "Bayou Madness" (impromptu/original)
B-2: Leon Russell (piano), the Tulsa Tops, Merry Clayton and Claudia Lenear (vocals), Billy Preston (organ): "Funky Oklahoma Mama" (a new Russell original)
B-3: Russell, Neil Young (guitar), ?others?: "Rock 'n' Roll Forever" ("Supposedly this eight and a half minute cut is a fusion of 'Maybelline', 'Long Tall Sally', 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On', 'Sweet Sixteen' and 'Summertime Blues'")
B-4: Buffalo Springfield: "On the Way Home"
B-5: Paul McCartney (bass), Linda McCartney (piano), Crosby and Stills (acoustic guitars), Clapton and Nils Lofgren (electric guitars), Phil Lesh (bass): a ten-minute instrumental called "What Is Reality"?
Along with the record, word has it that the Maysles brothers donated their services and filmed the entire session for a television special which may be aired as early as mid-January. The release date of the record is indefinite. Some say as early as December 15th, others say not before January.
OK, so my question to you, dear friends, is is this a real thing that I missed? Or??
Wow. I'm drooling all over my desk wondering what A-4, A-6, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5 sounds like. Fingers are crossed that this is legit, still around, and able to be released sometime before my days on earth end.
ReplyDeleteThe "Rolling Stone" piss take "Masked Marauders" supersession review was followed up by a very amusing and musically better than expected album. This sounds like a much too late bit of bandwagon jumping on that.
ReplyDelete""I Just Don't Know", an autobiographical Bloomfield tune, his first original in two years"
a ten-minute instrumental called "What Is Reality"?
The Maysles Bros filmed another disaster after Altamont?
Come On, save this for April 1!
I know, right? I actually checked for April Fools angles, couldn't discern one.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that Phil would have forgotten a minor thing like playing with Paul McCartney, hence no mention in his autobiography.
ReplyDeleteWell, Sir Paul might well beneath him. I mean, does he have perfect pitch?
ReplyDeleteFair point. Perhaps Linda was too much for Phil's refined sensibilities.
DeleteAlso: I cannot help but notice that this Garcia-Ringo Starr meeting predates the Ringo sit-in on 10/27/74. The mystery has finally been solved!!
Ha, all invented of course; but I appreciate the author's creativity. Interesting list of Who Was Cool in 1971. I'm only surprised Dylan didn't get a cameo in there too.
ReplyDeleteBut still, of all the songs for Garcia to sing: Goodnight Irene? How prescient of the author to pick a song Garcia wouldn't sing for years.
Well, the prank seems to have been sourced from Crosby. And he has a line where he asked Jerry about some killer song, and Jerry mentions "Irene", maybe while they were working on IICORMN. So I would say this is less an east coast college journo's list of who was cool than a statement of who Crosby thought was cool, and who he knew.
ReplyDeleteIts funny because some people have been posting wild rumors or "confirmed" tour dates over at expectingrain and this really sounds like one of them!
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to disprove this by examining McCartney’s movements in August of 1971….but I can’t do it. He spent most of July recording and finishing up Wings’ first album WILD LIFE. And in August, Linda was 8 months pregnant with Stella, who was born on September 13. So, while it’s *extremely* likely that the McCartneys spent all of August hanging out on their farm waiting for the arrival of Stella, I cannot say this with 100% certainty. However, as someone who has heard/read almost every interview McCartney has ever given, I would be shocked that he has never mentioned it; surely something would have sneaked out in 50 years. So, sorry, but I tried!
ReplyDeleteYeah, this whole thing was a spoof. I was "fished in" by it, as Wayne and Garth are now saying at the top of the post.
ReplyDeleteYep, I’m quite sure, but the historian in me is fated to try to see these things through! LOL
DeleteMe too!
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