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What's your strangest musical influence?
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Patrish(inactive) Date: 11 Sep 00 - 08:31 AM My dads squeaky seat belts, used to remind me of the clangers singing and I used to make up songs to the squeaks, and of course the great Jimmy Shand and the White Heather Club. Patrish |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Mrrzy Date: 11 Sep 00 - 09:08 AM This place! |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: LR Mole Date: 11 Sep 00 - 10:00 AM Top Forty radio, which has always aired dreams and beauty right next to godawful dreck and pimple cream. All music,and there's something else coming in a bit. And Mr. Methane, which proves it. (Who pronounces that word "MEE-thane"?) |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Callie Date: 11 Sep 00 - 10:37 AM I do |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: MikeofNorthumbria Date: 12 Sep 00 - 10:08 AM How far out does a piece of music have to be, before we call it "strange"? If it's recognisable as music, then is it really "strange" at all? Or, as some ancient Roman put it (any classics majors out there who can do the original Latin?) "I am a man, and nothing human is alien to me." But enough of this hair-splitting. My vote goes to a scratchy 10 inch LP record on the Decca Label called "Guitars of Africa". (Field recordings, made in the 1950s by Hugh Tracey.) I bought it at Collet's record shop - where are you now, Gill? - back in 1962 and it's been delighting and inspiring me ever since. Why? Well, because here was a bunch of people with few assets, and several handicaps (like cheapo guitars, and clapped out strings), throwing EVERYTHING they had into the music. And having a good time while doing it. Some of them - for example, Jean Bosco Mwenda - were producing music of immense subtlety, while others were just belting out a basic chord chord sequence and singing a simple melody over the top. But they all played with an exuberance that I found totally irresistible (and still do). I only ever learned one of the tunes on that record up to performance standard, and I don't do that very often. But whenever I'm sitting in on a session, or doing a gig, I always try to give whatever I'm playing the same total commitment that those African players poured into Hugh Tracey's microphone. (And sometimes, when the spirits are smiling on me, it works.) Wassail! |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Little Hawk Date: 12 Sep 00 - 11:03 AM The 3 great seminal influences on me, musically speaking (and philosophically speaking as well) were Joan Baez, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Bob Dylan in that chronological order. It's hard to say which one influenced me most. I became aware of Joan shortly after her first album came out, and my parents bought all her 60's stuff, while I continued buying everything else she's ever done. I was so in love with her in my early teens that I would probably happily have died for her, had the need arisen. Then I found out about Buffy (around 1964) and fell even more madly in love with her, cos I've always been crazy about anything having to do with Native Americans (generally called "Indians" at that time...even by the Indians themselves). My love for Buffy Sainte-Marie simply passed all boundaries what might be termed within normal sanity. Meanwhile, I was becoming aware of Bob Dylan, mainly through recordings of his songs by Baez, PPM, and numerous others. I loved the songs, but couldn't take his voice (I was a real folk purist in those days). It wasn't until 1969 that Matthew Clark, my American draft-dodger/guitar teacher/all round amazing guy made me sit down and listen to Higway 61 Revisited that I realized that nothing sounds better than Dylan singing Dylan. I became the truest Bob Dylan fan I have ever met. Bob can do anything as far as I'm concerned. He is my blood brother. Nobody says it like Bob. Except Buffy. She too is simply beyond compare. I've had the pleasure of a couple of lengthy conversations with Buffy, and she is a very sweet and likeable person in every way. All 3 of those singers have shown great courage and loyalty to their own heart and their muse. Live forever, Bob, Buffy & Joan! Now as to strange influences...well, I guess someone might find Dylan, Baez or Buffy strange at times...maybe. The strangest thing I ever heard was a kazoo orchestra from San Francisco. Over 300 people playing kazoos did the theme to the movie "2001 - A Space Oddysey". It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life. I hasn't influenced me though...I hope. Tiny Tim was pretty strange (and VERY talented, BTW), but he hasn't influenced me much either. Zappa is strange...he hasn't influenced me at all. My strangest musical influence nowadays is a slender, lovely little woman, the Good Witch of the South, who can play quite a variety of instruments, who has a pet whose name is a description of its owner, who shines like the moon and stars...and I consider myself a very fortunate man to have those beams shining down on me. Many thanks to all my musical influences! |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: M.Ted Date: 12 Sep 00 - 12:30 PM From the Yma Sumac site listed above (since only a few of you will go there, and only a few of those will find this link, buried at the bottom of the page)--- The Real Amy Camus Story On the way to New York's Roxy Theater on Broadway, one cold February evening in 1951, two musicians were walking along with Hernán Braña, Yma's flautist, drummer, and good friend (who also wrote some of her music, including Taki Rari and Caribe Taki). Yma was appearing on the same bill as Danny Kaye. She did a nine-minute performance and sang three songs: Tumpa, High Andes and Hymn to the Sun, to great reviews. Seeing YMA SUMAC in huge letters on the brightly lighted marquee overlooking "The Great White Way," one of the musicians laughingly turned to Hernán and the other musician and said: "Hey look, it's Amy Camus!" They all had a good laugh and repeated the story to the orchestra. The story eventually reached Walter Winchell who stuck it in his column of usual vile slime. The entire story was made up for laughs. Amy Camus, the Jewish housewife from Brooklyn, was born in 1951 at the Roxy by a musician from Brooklyn having fun with Yma's unusual name. Yma thought the story was really funny. However, for publicity purposes, she subsequently accepted a presentation from the Borough President as "Honorary Citizen of Brooklyn" in 1957. Anyone who knows Yma recognizes that her charming accent is pure Peruvian, not anything resembling Brooklynese. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: GUEST,Steve Beisser Date: 12 Sep 00 - 12:35 PM My "strangest" influence is that of people who do not know me personally. Strangers influence me greatly; I have yet to play a couple songs of mine without having a reaction from people I have never met... These songs are intensely personal and I never tell anyone who they are about, but complete strangers come to me and tell me they can relate. Those moments influence me. I never EVER throw away a song idea anymore... You never know who is listening. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: hesperis Date: 12 Sep 00 - 01:36 PM There seem to be a lot of people listing Mudcat as their strangest musical influence. I wonder why? Would it have something to do with being able to share ideas, techniques, bs-throwing, and so much more, with people all over the world, through a system of devices that weren't even though of when folk music started? It is strange, and wonderful, and fantastic, that we are all here, brought together by technology and human ingenuity (sp?), sharing the love of music. Metchosin - your dog? Okay, that is a little strange... but totally understandable. Soulful eyes can influence anyone! MikeofNorthumbria - not strange, but very wonderful. (Which is a synonym in some books...) LH - Kazoo ORCHESTRA?!! That must have been funny! Your "strangest musical influence" sounds really sweet. You are lucky. M.Ted - Thanks for the links, and for posting that story. Steve Bessier - realizing that you have an influence on others can be a strange influence, for sure. ~*sirepseh*~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: hesperis Date: 13 Sep 00 - 02:15 PM Frankee - my brass coach LOVES Spike Jones! Do you know any sources for the albums? (He got me hooked on the stuff, and won't even let me borrow any of it!) One other influence of mine is a book of poetry someone brought into my grade 12 english class. I had never read such powerful poetry before. It really opened up my poetry writing, and that led to writing lyrics. My lyrics aren't as hard-hitting as my poetry, but they are still much more powerful than they would have been without that book. My stepdad has it right now. My music was always pretty powerful, and I couldn't write lyrics at all until after I read that stuff. More strange musical influences, please... |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: annamill Date: 13 Sep 00 - 02:55 PM hesperis, I cannot remember the name of that 'string quartet'. I'm sorry. Actually a 4-string quartet would be a pretty strange musical experience in itself ;-) Would they have one-string each?? Love, annamill |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: hesperis Date: 13 Sep 00 - 03:07 PM That would make my Mandolin a 'string octet' all by itself, so I don't think it works that way... ;) ::giggle:: hesperis |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Wesley S Date: 13 Sep 00 - 03:36 PM Has anyone heard Capt. Beefheart and his Magic Band?? They sounded like Howling Wolf on acid. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Jim the Bart Date: 13 Sep 00 - 03:54 PM My Uncle Bill. He wasn't a blood uncle; he was my Mom's Aunt Sue's husband. My granfather (the patriarch) found him guilty of drinking and laughing too much when he was playing pinochle; he compounded his offense by winning too often, too. He also wore his hat at much too jaunty an angle. I have this early mental picture of him sitting on an old wooden chair, under the clothes lines, in the corner of the basement of Aunt Susie's old house on Wabansia Street. It's somebodies birthday, or confirmation, or first holy communion. He's got the collar on his hawaiian shirt open and his tie (!?!) askew, a cigarette hanging from his mouth and his straw hat pushed way back on his mostly-bald head. He is sweating pretty good (it was a hot summer). There is a drinking glass half filled with bourbon (Beam)sitting on the floor just to his right. He's got his guitar on his lap and he's singing an old Eddy Arnold song (Anytime you're feeling lonely) and then some Hank Williams. He's got a fine smile. That guitar exploded one Christmas night in the trunk of his car, where it sat without a case. I never heard him play after that. I can't prove it, but maybe he's why I like country music and Jim Beam and can't take cards too seriously. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Little Hawk Date: 13 Sep 00 - 04:22 PM I saw a Captain Beefheart album once, many years ago. I believe the title was "Lick My Decals Off, Baby". Or something like that. He looked like one wild, mean, and crazy guy...a biker's biker. Someone similar to him (I presume) once wrote on a washroom wall in a greasy spoon on the road to North Bay. What he had written (printed, actually)there was: "I LIKE TO F*CK, FIGHT, RIDE HARLEY'S, AND RAISE HELL!". Someone else had written underneath it... "Yeah, but what do you do for excitement?" Nice comeback! We don't get enough subtle humour on washroom walls these days. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Metchosin Date: 13 Sep 00 - 05:28 PM I love Captain Beefheart, the guys not only brilliant, he has something like a four octave vocal range. I've still got a couple of his vinly albums, Clearspot and Spotlight Kid and have managed to turn my 24 year old daughter on to him. And one of my favorite Capt. Beefheart quotes: I am matter You are matter The stars are matter It doesn't really matter |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Metchosin Date: 13 Sep 00 - 05:32 PM vinly.......vinly.....now there's an interesting word.... maybe vinyl? |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: guinnesschik Date: 13 Sep 00 - 05:46 PM Kinky Friedman also inspires and amuses me to no end. I really like his irreverent approach to music and life, and when I'm feeling blue, I get out my old Kinky vinyl (I know there's a bad joke waiting to happen there) and give it a listen. Then, I go PLAY. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: GUEST,Luther Date: 13 Sep 00 - 11:33 PM Beefheart, yes!!! favorite Beefheart quote of the moment: "I've always believed everyone is colored or else you wouldn't be able to see them." |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: hesperis Date: 14 Sep 00 - 12:04 AM Vinly??? Is that anything like.........dobly??? |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Mbo Date: 14 Sep 00 - 12:06 AM My cussin' vinly. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Metchosin Date: 14 Sep 00 - 12:07 AM when recording vinly you should always engage the dobly! |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: GUEST,Luther Date: 14 Sep 00 - 09:08 AM yep, and for best results, set it to eleven. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Hutzul Date: 14 Sep 00 - 10:55 AM Bartholomew I love your Uncle Bill story. I too had summers with relatives and pinochle and somebody's birthday or first Communion. It was my Uncle Junior (he hated being called "Junior") and his only song I remember was "El Rancho Grande" and my mom would do her cowgirl yodel. Was that Wabansia in Chicago? Could it be the same old neighborhood? |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Metchosin Date: 14 Sep 00 - 11:10 AM Nigel Tufnel rules. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Rachel D Date: 14 Sep 00 - 11:22 AM If you think Beefheart is strange you really should try Sexton Ming. One listen of 'Children are scum' and your life will never be the same again. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: DonMeixner Date: 14 Sep 00 - 12:41 PM The Sons of the Pioneers, The Corries, Biff Rose, Mom and Dad. But probably Mr. Hanley, the music teacher who told me in the third grade I should never try to sing or play. Don |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: mousethief Date: 14 Sep 00 - 12:50 PM Music teachers like that should be shot. All little kids can and should sing and play. They may never become maestros, but they will have fun and learn not to be too self-conscious, both good things. Nobody should crush a child's spirit that way. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: annamill Date: 14 Sep 00 - 12:57 PM DonMeixner, I thought I was the only Biff Rose fan!! I absolutely love his music. I have two of his albums. I haven't listen to him in a very long time. Tonight! By the way, do you think he sounds anything like Neil Young?? I'm a human sympathizer... Love, annamill |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Little Hawk Date: 14 Sep 00 - 01:14 PM Yes! NIGEL! NIGEL! NIGEL! NIGEL! Play "Stonehenge", man! Decent! Now play "Hellhole"! Awesome! Now play "Christmas With The Devil"! NIGEL ROCKS!!!! Wonder if 'e's got those li'lle champagne glasses workin' yet? |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Frankham Date: 14 Sep 00 - 03:56 PM Nobody has mentioned Moondog or The Hoffnung Interplantary Orchestra yet. Or Mickey Katz or Homer and Jethro. Or Richard Dyer-Bennett singing John Henry. For me, it was station KMTR in Tijuana playing Los Trabadajores De Mexice. Or Harry Partch. And Charlie Parker. And Larry Adler. Frank |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Metchosin Date: 14 Sep 00 - 04:00 PM Frankham, maybe they are not as old as you and I. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: mousethief Date: 14 Sep 00 - 04:11 PM BIFF ROSE! Yes!
Alex |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Wesley S Date: 14 Sep 00 - 04:34 PM Frankham - I mentioned Moondog at the start of this thread. I love his stuff. And I understand his Colombia recordings have been released on CD. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: hesperis Date: 15 Sep 00 - 12:56 AM Miles Davis. He was strange, man! Kind of blue... What was with that turn-your-back-to-the-audience trip anyway? |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Benjamin Date: 15 Sep 00 - 02:11 AM MikeofNorthumbria, You should check out (if you haven't all readdy) African Guitar on Vestapol Videos as well as (if you play guitar) African Fingerstyle Guitar - Taught by John Low on Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop. Bosco also has a CD out on Rounder Records I believe they are his last recordings before he died. As for Hugh Tracey, I can't find much on him. I've heard he was a great guitarist, but can't find anything he did. He did start The Library of African Music but I can't find anything of his or any other African Guitarist in that style on there. Anyways, I'd be instrested in hearing that record you mentioned. Benjamin |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Jim the Bart Date: 15 Sep 00 - 01:29 PM Hutzul - Thanks. And Yes, indeed, it is in Chicago. My Aunt Sue and Uncle Bill Lubinski lived just off Damen Ave. They call it "Bucktown" (now that it's been gentry-fried) but it will always be just The Old Neighborhood to me. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: GUEST,Mbo_at_ECU Date: 15 Sep 00 - 01:32 PM I have an official Hugh Tracy kalimba from Africa. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: MikeofNorthumbria Date: 18 Sep 00 - 07:49 AM Hi Benjamin! Many thanks for the information on the African guitar record/video. I've put some data about "Guitars of Africa" in a letter posted to your personal page - get back to me if you want more. Wassail! |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Hutzul Date: 18 Sep 00 - 08:55 PM Bartholomew: Hi neighbor of the past. My old neighborhood was just south at Hoyne and Chicago Ave. Now the Gentrified Ukrainian Village. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: GUEST,Kryptonium Date: 18 Sep 00 - 09:33 PM Livin With catspaw Opened me up to all kind of music |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: hesperis Date: 19 Sep 00 - 08:51 PM Kryptonium: And some of it probably stank - literally! (I just have to pick on Spaw. Tsk, tsk.) Benjamin: That Guitars of Africa stuff looked cool, thanks for posting it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: khandu Date: 19 Sep 00 - 08:51 PM My father, whom we called "Daddy Roy"(Later, he was renamed "SuperPop" by his grandson.) The reason he is a "strange" influence is because he could not play worth a damn. He had a heart for music and talked about the greats; Merle Travis, Chet, Mississippi John (From whose brother, Ennis, my dad would buy bootleg whiskey!) He would sit under an old oak with me, and play on his old Harmony. I was around three or four at the time, yet I recall the look of pleasure on his face whenever he would play. As a result of those "oak tree concerts", I developed an appreciation for, and a desire to play, Music. khandu |
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Subject: RE: BS: What's your strangest musical influence? From: Art Thieme Date: 21 Sep 00 - 11:06 PM Lee O.B. (or Obie) Quiggins was a street singer I found picking an old Martin guitar on 4th and Main in Evansville, Indiana----July 21st, 1960 That night I taped Lee in a room at the old Lincoln Hotel in Evansville. He was a strange singer--to say the least. He had a bizarre speech impediment but that didn't stop him. As a kid barely out of my teens I thought Lee was the coolest guy I'd ever seen. He was real and authentic (I was sure) and whatever he sang, to me it was valuable "folklore". Taping Lee made me "a collector" as important as Child and Lomax. I came home that night and played those tapes for my family---an aunt and an uncle. When they quit laughing and calling him Art's unwashed baritone, I retired to my bedroom where I consoled myself by trying to strum a banjo I'd bought just that week. I was devastated. Lee Quiggins was as strange as I have described him. Actually moereso. My family was probably right. But he did have a unique style of picking his guitar -- a strange stacatto pecking sound not unlike the cacophony produced if chckens were to attack a hammered dulcimer or an autoharp. He had a flatpick stuck into a thumb pick---between the bottom of the pick and his thumb. To this day I've never seen anyone else do that. Last week, a few weeks after I had sent a cassette of Lee's performance that night to Fritz Schuler in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, I got a CD in the mail. Fritz had taken my tape of Lee and digitized it. He'd put it on a CD. I could not believe my ears---or eyes. I'm certain that, somewhere, in a better land over the proverbial rainbow, Lee O.B. (Obie) Quiggins of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee---58 years old in 1960---was happy and completely aware that an 18 year old kid from Chicago had immortalized and digitized him for all posterity and for all time. As Thomas Wolfe said once in one of his massive books, "This world, this life, this time---is stranger than a dream." Art Thieme |
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