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lemonade kid
Old Love
USA
9873 Posts |
 Posted - 18/06/2011 : 00:39:21
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...struggles and life in general for the greats of the golden age....so sad really.
On a happy note first....
Michael had one of the shining moments of rock as drummer with Santana at Woodstock. He didn't need some massive kit with double bass drums and tons of toms to get that sound!!
Has there ever been a greater moment? What a drummer!! 20 years old!!
Michael looks like he is in ecstasy!!
Soul Sacrifice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLDalZ4-53g&feature=related
Here is a note concerning the great Peter Green and other insults....
Email of The Day--
From: Michael Shrieve
Subject: Re: Rattlesnake Shake
Well ****, God Bless you for caring enough about the music to really seek it
out.
Peter was a friend of mine back in the 70's. Sometimes, when I was on tour with
Santana, which was always, and Peter was in the Bay Area, I'd loan him my house
in Mill Valley. Of course you could stay there, Peter. I'd call him from the
road and check in. Is everything OK? "Everything's great, mate".
So tonight, right now, I'm back from my weekly gig, which I've been doing for
four years in Seattle, with my band, Michael Shrieve's Spellbinder. It's an
instrumental band, but cool as ****, and we get the whole range of age groups at
every show. Here's the truth. I make $60.00 every Monday night; $30 of which I
pay to a friend to set up and take down my drums. I don't enjoy that part of it,
so it's worth it to me. So I make $30.00. The people love the music, and I know
why. It's real musicians, playing passionate, beautiful music right in front of
there eyes. Exceptional musicians, truly.
You want to know my reality? This year alone I have been voted one of the top 50
drummers of All Time in Drum Magazine, and been voted in the Top Ten in a
Reader's Poll in Rolling Stone Magazine two months ago of Best Drummers of All
Time. Of course, you should know, no real musician considers these accolades as
something serious, because the real players know that there there is always
someone better than you. But that is not to say that we are not grateful for the
recognition. But that and a buck fifty will get you on the bus.
If I told you how many Booking Agents I have contacted all around the world to
consider booking my band you would be shocked. If I told you how many of them
have had the decency to even reply to my emails, you would be even more shocked.
I ask myself, WTF? Why do I bother with this ****? I love music, like the heart
that beats inside me, but is this worth it? And I have come to the conclusion
that no, it is not worth it. I must find another way to make a living. I should
build on what I have, and I have ideas, but it is so completely different than
what I had imagined.
I didn't mean to rant, but it here I go. I love the vibe of that music that you
posted, like I used to love Michael Bloomfield with Paul Butterfield and those
extended jams like "East West". I still love that ****. But I insist with my
band that we are not a jam band, that we play tighter arrangements than other
bands. Everybody jams now, but it better be ****ing great because frankly I'm
tired of hearing 10 minute guitar solos.
Back to Peter. Part of our connection, aside from the fact that with Santana, I
recorded his song "Black Magic Woman" and made it more famous than he would ever
imagine, we shared that Black Magic Woman, and her name was Annie, and she was
truly remarkable, and mystical, and nurturing, as were a few very special ladies
in that time and place. It was a very special time.
Years later, when Santana was being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, along with Fleetwood Mac on the same evening, Carlos was gracious enough
to invite Peter Green to play "Black Magic Woman" with us, as it became obvious
that Fleetwood Mac was not going to have Peter Green be a part of their
ceremony. Shame on them. Peter was a shadow of himself then, and barely
remembered me. It was sad, for sure, but he was there with us on the stage
playing his song that we made famous. And that night The Eagles were also
inducted, as was Fleetwood Mac, and I saw the road kill of what was the
leftovers of that fiasco as well. The tears in the eyes of the wives of the
members of the band that left or were kicked out, and finally seeing their
embittered husbands getting a shred of recognition for the work they put into
the band that became so famous, the few that survived shined and the rest are
road kill. It's not a pretty picture.
God Bless the musician that has his own, I always thought.
But now, even I'm not so sure of that. I always told myself when I younger,
watching older musicians becoming embittered, don't ever become bitter, that
serves no one. I remember telling Mitch Mitchell, who was so bitter because
truly, he got so screwed financially with all the Hendrix stuff, "Mitch, forget
about it. What you've done, no one can ever take that away from you. Your
contribution is so enormous, anyone would trade places with you. Forget about
the money, forget about the lawyers, I said. Go back to that place where you
first loved music, go play in a club every week like I do, and forget about
everything else, and trust me, the music will set you free, like it did in the
beginning.
But man......
With Respect,
Michael Shrieve
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LoVE over money. |
Edited by - lemonade kid on 18/06/2011 00:48:15 |
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Michael Shrieve/Santana great-soul sacrifice today
