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Sam Baker Singer/Songwriter
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Subject: Origins: Sam Baker From: rabbitlegs Date: 07 Mar 08 - 08:49 AM Is Sam Baker big in America, heard him on Bob Harris and bought both albums - Brilliant, and he's on in Leeds at the end of next month! Orpans...can't stop it going round my head! |
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Subject: RE: Origins: Sam Baker From: rabbitlegs Date: 07 Mar 08 - 08:55 AM Ok, orphan then. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Uncle Phil Date: 07 Mar 08 - 07:48 PM Not a house-hold name, but a good writer and very entertaining folk festival performer. A lot of the fun is listening to him talk between numbers, something like Arlo or Jimmy Buffett. Here is a picture of the first time he performed, by his account, for more than 4 or 5 people at a local bar. Here's a more recent picture. -Phil |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Peace Date: 07 Mar 08 - 07:52 PM You take great shots, Phil. Loved the ones posted on your site. Thank you. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Uncle Phil Date: 08 Mar 08 - 01:58 PM Thanks, I've been taking lessons from my son, a professional photographer, who some mudcatters have met. I keep trying to save up for a real grownup camera, but the pictures you looked at were all taken with either my archaic 3 megapixel Canon Point 'n Shoot or a camera phone. I was thinking about Sam Baker (remember Sam Baker, there's a thread about Sam Baker) on the way back from the bar last night. The following will make no sense to you unless you've seen Sam perform live. Watching him live is like experiencing a Vulcan mind meld. Most performers are, well, performing – it's all an act. There's always some part of their personality that's reserved and some filtering going on. However, when Sam starts talking (and talking and talking) you realize that he's got no filters – his show is a direct connect straight into his mind. Once that direct connection is made the impact of his songs, performed live, is enormous. Or so it seemed to me on my way back from the bar. - Phil |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Peace Date: 08 Mar 08 - 02:10 PM There are some of his performances on Youtube. The guy is gooooood. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: rabbitlegs Date: 11 Mar 08 - 10:39 AM Just ordered tickets to see Sam, looking forward it to it! If he jumps off stage and grabs my head I'll know he's either going to make contact or I've said something wrong! Good pics. though Uncle Phil, have you seen him on a few occasions then? |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Uncle Phil Date: 11 Mar 08 - 07:59 PM Two or three times over the past few years. I'm curious, what are tickets selling for in Leeds?. - Phil |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Jack Campin Date: 11 Mar 08 - 09:59 PM Based on the YouTube stuff - I've heard *far* better beggars howling in doorways with a hat on the pavement. Would he have got anywhere without the exotic hard-luck story? |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: rabbitlegs Date: 12 Mar 08 - 04:57 AM £12.50 Uncle Phil. So quite reasonable. Each to his own Jack, I've heard people say that about Bob Dylan, Tom Waits....anyone who hasn't got a 'regular' singing voice. It's in the songs and the stories and images they conjure up for you personally. Don't ask me why it works for me, it just does. It's a bit unfair to throw his exotic hard luck story back at him, though, just because he's getting a bit of success, accept you don't like his work and thats it. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Uncle Phil Date: 12 Mar 08 - 09:32 AM Not too dear, though I could hear him in Austin for the price of a beer just a couple years ago. Please post a review for us after the show. - Phil |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: rabbitlegs Date: 01 May 08 - 07:32 AM Went to see Sam last night at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. Great venue, not been before, a Mr Kite benefit night (get it - being for the benefit of...) all proceeds to Poverty Aid UK. Show opened by Edwina Hayes a relatively local lass, but known to some of you in the states as she's a frequent visitor. Always a good name to see on a bill and she didn't disappoint this night either. So, on comes Sam grinning like a good 'un. He talked and he talked and he played a note or two and we're in a song, then he talks some more and a running banter with his tour manager goes on as well, then we're in another song. He explains he's deaf on one side and quite deaf on the other so if we want certain songs we'll have to shout up and the gig progresses with various requests being made. He did a half hour then mingled with the crowd then got up and did another hour or so in the same format. The gig consists of songs and Sam's highly amusing anecdotes mainly stemming from his hearing such as how he became a 'handsome trout' and his love of the more lightweight british press. An evening with Sam is like an ongoing chat with someone who also plays some quite marvelous songs, the only time he becomes quiet is after Broken Fingers, when we can only imagine his memories. Afterwards he's out and about again chatting and signing CDs, everyone he met left with a massive hand shake and hug and a thank you. Please take this as my addition to the 'Why you like certain singer songwriters' thread. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: GUEST,Henryp Date: 01 May 08 - 12:43 PM Mr Kite also put him on recently at Bury Met, supporting Lucy Kaplansky. Another great night! I thought his songs and singing came in the same category as John Prine's. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: GUEST,silverjews Date: 01 May 08 - 03:50 PM Saw him last night in Leeds - the crowd were a real mix of young and old (great to see). He was fantastic, would like to see him with the band next time (bit of pedal steel). I wonder how long it will take Uncut magazine to claim him as one of their finds just as they did with Richmond Fontaine! Anyway great night and great venue. Shane |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Uncle Phil Date: 01 May 08 - 08:12 PM Hey, thanks for the reviews. Sounds like you lot are having way too much fun over there. Just don't forget to send Sam back to Texas when the shows are finished - Phil |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Uncle Phil Date: 13 Jul 08 - 03:09 AM Postscript. I talked to Sam today in Oklahoma. He said he enjoyed performing in the UK and is starting to plan a return visit. - Phil |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 14 - 02:45 PM There was an excellent hour-long interview with Baker on Fresh Air on May 6, 2014. Sam Baker didn't start writing music until he'd come very close to the other side. In 1986, he was on a train in Peru, en route to Machu Picchu, when a bomb planted by the Peruvian terrorist group Shining Path exploded in the luggage rack above him. The people he was sitting with were killed. His body was torn apart. He had a brain injury and severe hearing loss, and he required more than 15 reconstructive surgeries. Find the interview and more to the story at the link above. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 14 - 02:49 PM More about him. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker Singer/Songwriter From: GUEST,gillymor Date: 07 May 14 - 09:35 PM The interview with Terry Gross was quite inspirational. |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker Singer/Songwriter From: Joe Offer Date: 07 May 14 - 09:45 PM I had a hard time liking his music, but his story was certainly interesting. His music was like Tom Waits, and then some... -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker Singer/Songwriter From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 14 - 11:33 PM He sounds a lot like the Felice Brothers, a group I'd never heard of until Max posted a link one day. It grows on you. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Sam Baker Singer/Songwriter From: PHJim Date: 08 May 14 - 01:16 AM "Baseball" was the first Sam Baker song I heard and it didn't have to grow on me. I was an immediate Sam Baker fan. I love his lyrics. He has a great way with words and his voice is great in a non-traditional way. I had the same reaction when I first heard Karen Dalton's voice. Karen was not a songwriter, but her interpretations of songs were more creative than many of today's singer/songwriters. |
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