Notes_Norton

Black Market — Weather Report

The 'In' Crowd — Dobie Gray

Let Me In — Sensations

Let There Be Rock — AC/DC

I quit watching TV altogether. Working nights as a musician, I never watched a lot of it. Then in the 1980s I gigged for 3 years on cruise ships, when there was no TV. I got home, connected the cable, but I was out of the habit of watching it. Instead, I taught myself lead guitar, learned how to write aftermarket styles for Band-in-a-Box, made a lot of backing tracks from scratch, and had fun doing things with my wife instead of watching TV together. So why pay for it? I cut the cable, and took down the antenna. Mrs. Notes and I play to backing tracks. But at least they are all my playing (for better or worse). I'd rather play in a larger band. In fact, the then future Mrs. Notes and I were in a 5 piece band. DJs started taking gigs from musicians, clubs didn't want to pay bands, we lost a bass player that put us out of work for a while, then a drummer. So I bought a Teac A3440 4 track tape recorder, made backing tracks, mixed to cassette, and went to work as a duo. The gigs weren't as glamorous as they were in the 5 piece, but the money per person was better. Plus, we both have intense work ethics, so there were no more personnel problems. Now it's all digital, but still all me. So like the Eagles or those with a Dome residency, we did what we had to do to survive, adapting to the current climate. Survival goes to those that can adapt to the times. The only concerts I go to now are Symphonies, but I go to jazz clubs and to support my friends at their gigs.

Let There Be Drums — Sandy Nelson

Thanks for the explanation, it makes sense.

She Bangs The Drums — Stone Roses

RIP and thanks for the great music. Observation: More and more we are becoming a ghost band, playing music made famous by the dearly departed.

Now that was un-bear-able Thanks for sharing.

They weren't the first ones, nor the last to do that. I wonder why they got exposed? Did they pi$$ off the wrong person? Did they not pay off someone they owed? For whatever reason, they got taken down.

Don't Blame Me — Thelonious Monk

I'd rather the band get up there and play live, warts and all, without amazing theatrics. But then, I'm a musician, and I'm not looking at the show for the dazzling theatrics. Back when I was opening for major stars, it was the beginning of the rock concert phenomena, and we just got up there and played. The headliners got up and followed us, and they just played, too. But like almost everything else commercial, a good way to sell more is to in some way out-do the status quo. I guess it's human nature.

♫ And a rock feels no pain ♫ And an island never cries

That's great to hear. Thanks for sharing.

Never Blame The Rainbows For The Rain — Moody Blues

It's been going on for a looooooooong time. I remember a concert when the tape broke, and the Alice Cooper band continued to pantomime while marching, and “hang” Alice with nothing but the parade drum the drummer was marching with. I think that was in the 1970s. The bass guitar, guitars, and drum trap set got quiet, and I don't know if Vince was supposed to be singing or not. I didn't care, I came to see Dr. John. I friend of mine who owned a music store got a keyboard from a Madonna tour. You could hear Madonna's voice sampled on the keys, so the keyboard player could play her vocals while she gyrated to the delight of the adolescent boys in the audience. 1980s. I knew a guy who worked at Criteria Studios in Miami. They had a GM motor home that was a recording/playback studio. One big cable from the motor home to the stage and a camera that fed back was all he needed to “play” the concert. I was a band on a cruise ship where Cyndi Lauper and MTV came to hold a concert. We were filmed for MTV, but at sea, we never got to see us on TV. Anyway, Cyndi's show was pre-recorded. And I know for a fact, she is a very capable singer. But what happens if something unexpected happens on “Live” TV? Plus they did the same show a few times in a row, with different camera angles, and some pointed at the fans. To splice the shows together, they had to be in sync. In defense of the artists. Often it is not their choice, but with the big money riding on the performance, the “suits” don't want to risk anything, like voice trouble. There are way too many profits to lose if the singer gets laryngitis. So they make the artists mime the concert. So they are forced to mime the show. I suspect (but don't know) this is what happens in The Dome in Las Vegas. After all, the music has to sync with the videos.