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jazmaan
Fifth Love
USA
315 Posts |
 Posted - 04/10/2007 : 23:52:24
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In digging through some old paperwork I just came across some letters that Arthur wrote me from prison. I'm still kind of teary-eyed from reading them, but I thought this quote was revealing:
"Baby Lemonade is the best band that I have ever worked with as far as their all-around showmanship and their level heads as well as my feelings toward them I felt that the world should see what I thought would make me shine at any cost. With added strings and horns and maybe even Brian Maclean I think that I would have the best band in the world."
(The "at any cost" refers to the general subject of the letter being why Arthur didn't reveal to anyone prior to, or during the 1996 tour that he would be returning home to a trial and possible prison.)
The letter is dated September 21, 1997 so Arthur had been incarcerated for about a year when this was written. Isn't it interesting that he was contemplating a reunion with Brian?
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Merlyn Merlot
Fourth Love
USA
190 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2007 : 04:59:16
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Keeping Love Alive
http://www.answers.com/topic/love-live?cat=entertainment
This would have been the 2nd Bryan reunion right Jazzman?
There were I think 2 shows that John Sterling help put together
That is a Really interesting time though short lived
but I have heard some wonderful and not so wonderful stories about those shows
Rhino briefly issued a live recording of the Whiskey show?
and I think they did the Old Waldorf in san Francisco? Correct me if i'm wrong
I of course would have um LOVEd to have scene this reunion
as Outside of the Beatles the Original Love w Bryan is my favorite band
Be-Well-Being
Mb Pka Cosmo Topper |
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Tina
Old Love
United Kingdom
678 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2007 : 08:20:51
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Jazmaan, thanks very much for sharing that with us. Baby Lemonade are a great band, they were brilliant in the recent Milan Sgt Pepper show, I'm sure they will achieve renewed success before long. I can't speak for them of course, but I'm sure that all those years touring with Arthur honed their musical and performance skills to such a high standard that they would feel at ease backing any artist in the world.
And on top of that,they're such great, grounded guys |
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John9
Old Love
United Kingdom
2154 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2007 : 11:57:22
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Thanks indeed for this, Jazmaan - it is not only very moving, it also recalled for me just how stunned I felt when I originally read about his being senting down. I do remember Arthur giving a telephone interview from prison (I think to Mojo) shortly after Bryan's passing.
I once had the live Rhino album - it was a picture disc and like many of its kind, it had quite a lot of surface noise. Bryan is definitely on 'Old Man' and Arthur turns 'Keep On Shining' into a kind of musical introduction for Bryan - but I'm not sure about the remaining tracks. There was an alternative version of the album on a European label that had a slightly different tracklisting. As I recall, the performance was not nearly as good as the ones from 1970 - and of course it was way below 'The Forever Changes Concert...And More'.
One last point - when Love's 1974 UK tour was heralded in the British press, it was also announced that Bryan Maclean would be accompanying the band. A couple of weeks later the same papers were reporting that there had been a change of plan - and many of us were left reflecting on what might have been. On that tour however, Arthur Lee, did tell a paper that he would like to sign for David Geffen's 'Elektra Asylum' - but of course we never heard anything more of that.
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Edited by - John9 on 05/10/2007 12:23:38 |
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rocker
Old Love
USA
3606 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2007 : 14:31:16
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| jazmaan..you sure you don't have a book in you???......nice to get a glimpse of Arthur's attitude to Bryan in shaping the music they and he made...all life is really a bunch of "colloboration" in the end... |
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wendywhen
Second Love
United Kingdom
36 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2007 : 02:59:10
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John9,
Brian was to do the '74 tour and even rehearsed with the band. Both Messrs. Whittington and Blocker confirmed this some time ago. As usual he and Arthur fell out eventually. I was told they got on personally just not musically in the end.Arthur always had good things to say about Brian. |
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Merlyn Merlot
Fourth Love
USA
190 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2007 : 03:28:27
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Jazzman Riffed
"Baby Lemonade is the best band that I have ever worked with as far as their all-around showmanship and their level heads as well as my feelings toward them I felt that the world should see what I thought would make me shine at any cost. With added strings and horns and maybe even Brian Maclean I think that I would have the best band in the world."
Baby Lemonade Lives
I for one believe the last few years of Arthur's amazing return happened because they were in the picture
i also want to say I'm a BIG fan of Bryan's' solo records!
so that combo nation would have been a Transcendental Appointment |
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wendywhen
Second Love
United Kingdom
36 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2007 : 08:07:20
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With all due respect to Baby Lemonade who did a FANTASTIC job playing Love songs I must give the bulk of the credit for AL's reemergence to Gene Kraut (RIP). Very rarely mentioned around heer but truly the man responsible for putting it all together.
It was the combination of a clean and ambitious Arthur Lee, a great backing band and someone capable of pulling the business together that made it happen. Without any one of those it would not have happened. Arthur Lee came out of prison with something to prove and BL and Gene Kraut helped him do it!!
Bless them all |
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barbinberkeley
Fourth Love
USA
110 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2007 : 01:30:53
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| I like to believe there will be a trancendental appointment between Bryan and Arthur, since they have both transcended now. There was such a nice letter that Bryan MacLean's mother released and is on his website where Bryan talked about their friendship and owned up to his part of the blame for things that went wrong. He seemed like a real big person. Although it was a great read, and I read it in one sitting, one thing I didn't like about Pegasus Carousel was that the author gave everybody else but Arthur Lee a free pass on their behavior. |
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John9
Old Love
United Kingdom
2154 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2007 : 21:48:36
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| On the back of the Rhino Love compilation from 1980 (the best in my view since 'Love Revisited'), John Stirling states "I wish I had a dollar for each time I've been asked 'Are you Bryan?'" There was obviously quite a clamour for a reunion then. It is strange isn't it how so many wonderful musical partnerships have ended prematurely because of personality difficulties. But then it is perhaps that same volatility that delivers such a highly creative output.....albeit for a relatively short time. |
Edited by - John9 on 07/10/2007 21:49:50 |
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razortotinjim
Second Love
USA
36 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2007 : 18:20:46
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I have four shows with Bryan, so I'm sure there were more than that.
11-4-77 Old Waldorf, San Francisco
11-5-77 Old Waldorf, San Francisco
10-21-78 Whiskey A Go Go, Hollywood
10-24-78 Whiskey A Go Go, Hollywood
I'm always on the look-out for more live LOVE. Let's set-up a trade!?!
http://db.etree.org/razortotinjim |
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kdion11
Old Love
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 16/10/2007 : 00:09:53
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[quote]Originally posted by jazmaan
In digging through some old paperwork I just came across some letters that Arthur wrote me from prison. I'm still kind of teary-eyed from reading them, but I thought this quote was revealing:
The letter is dated September 21, 1997 so Arthur had been incarcerated for about a year when this was written.
KD: Hey Jazzman.......... you too eh ? I too have some prison correspondence from Arthur while I was negotiating the release of the records produced while he was away. In addition, I have an interview typed by him that has not been published as well. My plans are to someday put them up on the Corsica Band website at: www.corsicaband.com
The collect calls ? Not really sure I want to get into that here..
Free the calls !
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Letter from Prison
