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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
 Posted - 01/10/2005 : 23:11:06
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I roadied for Love in 1974 when they toured U.K. with a new signing for Rocket called Casablanca. The other 2 roadies and I worked for Casablanca but Arthur and Love turned up with only their guitars and a manager, Bruce Riley, so we had to organise all their backline amps and share the drum kit. The Love lineup was Arthur, Bruce Rozelle bass, John Stirling and Melvin Whittington guitars and Joe Blocker on drums. I have my old tour diary, a set list and a quarter track tape of both bands sets using a Sony tc 366 and a crossed pair of D 190 mics recorded at the Rainbow London. Arthur asked me to do the tape and he listened to it and later he asked me to send him a cassette in the States. I have not talked to Arthur since. Tour dates and annecdotes are available for discussion.
Harvey the Roadie |
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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2005 : 23:28:48
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| yes but it got kicked around in the back of the truck and I have not played it for years and my sony has not been used for years so I expect the belts are rotted so I would have to fix it or borrow another tape player and not many people use r2r these days. It was never a high quality recording as it was only a crossed pair of mics at the mixing desk and was just left running with no attention until the show ended. Arthur just wanted a rough idea what the band sounded like. It is not a quality recording suitable for broadcast and was only done for Arthurs personal use so copyright may come into it. |
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waxburn
Old Love
USA
735 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2005 : 23:31:33
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quote:
Originally posted by harvey
I roadied for Love in 1974 when they toured U.K. with a new signing for Rocket called Casablanca. The other 2 roadies and I worked for Casablanca but Arthur and Love turned up with only their guitars and a manager, Bruce Riley, so we had to organise all their backline amps and share the drum kit. The Love lineup was Arthur, Bruce Rozelle bass, John Stirling and Melvin Whittington guitars and Joe Blocker on drums. I have my old tour diary, a set list and a quarter track tape of both bands sets using a Sony tc 366 and a crossed pair of D 190 mics recorded at the Rainbow London. Arthur asked me to do the tape and he listened to it and later he asked me to send him a cassette in the States. I have not talked to Arthur since. Tour dates and annecdotes are available for discussion.
Harvey the Roadie
Hey Harvey, send me a copy of that tape I love the Arthur solo stuff Anecdotes from the dairy would also be cool.
Welcome aboard
ps- you ever heard of Baby Lemonade? |
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waxburn
Old Love
USA
735 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2005 : 23:34:21
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quote:
Originally posted by harvey
yes but it got kicked around in the back of the truck and I have not played it for years and my sony has not been used for years so I expect the belts are rotted so I would have to fix it or borrow another tape player and not many people use r2r these days. It was never a high quality recording as it was only a crossed pair of mics at the mixing desk and was just left running with no attention until the show ended. Arthur just wanted a rough idea what the band sounded like. It is not a quality recording suitable for broadcast and was only done for Arthurs personal use so copyright may come into it.
We should check with Arthur, I hope he wont mind. Keep in mind that here you have the Pro Arthur group and the Pro BL group,
PS be careful if you start receiving emails from the latter group. |
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waxburn
Old Love
USA
735 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2005 : 23:47:25
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quote:
Originally posted by harvey
yes but it got kicked around in the back of the truck and I have not played it for years and my sony has not been used for years so I expect the belts are rotted so I would have to fix it or borrow another tape player and not many people use r2r these days. It was never a high quality recording as it was only a crossed pair of mics at the mixing desk and was just left running with no attention until the show ended. Arthur just wanted a rough idea what the band sounded like. It is not a quality recording suitable for broadcast and was only done for Arthurs personal use so copyright may come into it.
Harvey, check out Jazmaan on this forum, who is in contact with
Arthur in Memphis.
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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2005 : 23:50:19
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| May get to it one day, got to a. remember which pile of tapes it is in, b. shift piles of junk off the tapes c. get the old tape recorder working as it is quarter track and I only have half track which will play back both sides of tape at once and d. find time to do a,b+c. I know I only made 1 cassete to send to Arthur. Problem is I did not label reels only boxes so what is in box may not be what is on box. It is along job and I will try and do it over the Christmas holiday. keep in touch |
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waxburn
Old Love
USA
735 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2005 : 23:52:13
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quote:
Originally posted by harvey
May get to it one day, got to a. remember which pile of tapes it is in, b. shift piles of junk off the tapes c. get the old tape recorder working as it is quarter track and I only have half track which will play back both sides of tape at once and d. find time to do a,b+c. I know I only made 1 cassete to send to Arthur. Problem is I did not label reels only boxes so what is in box may not be what is on box. It is along job and I will try and do it over the Christmas holiday. keep in touch
Will do, that would be A GREAT XMAS PRESENT!!
How as that tour like? Was Arthur well received?
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The Freedom Man
Old Love
Netherlands
553 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 00:18:32
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Hi Harvey,
I have this show on CD and this was supposed to be the tracklist:
Rainbow Theatre, London.UK. May 23 1974
1 > Every Tine I Look Up, I'm Down
2 > Alone Again Or
3 > 7 & 7 Is
4 < Time Is Like A River
5 > My Little Red Book
6 > Andmoreagain
7 > Everybody's Gotta Live
8 > Singing CowboyNothing
9 > The Everlasting First
10>Good Times
11>You Want Change For Your Re-Run
It's a nice recording.
Cheers,
Ed
http://www.thefreedomman.com/
PRESS THE LINK! |
Edited by - The Freedom Man on 02/10/2005 00:19:18 |
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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 00:59:46
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to thefreedomman
According to my tour diary this is the correct date, but I was the only one recording that day unless it is the guy with the tape recorder in his hat again. I doubt if my recording is good enough to put to cd and it would have been 2nd generation as I have the original tape (somewhere). If I get it going again the tape will tell me the set list. The hand written setlist I have is of unknown date and gig and they varied what they played. |
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waxburn
Old Love
USA
735 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 01:02:15
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quote:
Originally posted by harvey
to thefreedomman
According to my tour diary this is the correct date, but I was the only one recording that day unless it is the guy with the tape recorder in his hat again. I doubt if my recording is good enough to put to cd and it would have been 2nd generation as I have the original tape (somewhere). If I get it going again the tape will tell me the set list. The hand written setlist I have is of unknown date and gig and they varied what they played.
Harvey, it could be that Arthur gave you cassette to someone
and it leaked. |
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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 01:24:46
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to waxburn. As I remember it the gigs were all full house but many were at universities and I think many did not know who he really was. The only problem we really had was at the room on the top floor of the Biba store in knightsbridge, london. Arthur decided that he would only play a short set and ths really p..d the audience off but despite my asking him he said he might go back on but didnt. The support band Casablanca went back on again but as it was not a very big venue there were not enough punters to cause any real trouble and a lot were from Rocket records and were supporting Casablanca, maybe Arthur sensed that.Another time at Dingwalls at Camden Lock after the gig one bloke pushed past me and punched Arthur in the face but Arthur rode the punch well and I grabbed the bloke and gave him to the skinheads on the door and told them what he had done and I think he got "sorted". Casablanca were a really good early british funk band (the late Charlie Charles of the Blockheads was the drummer)and I think the audiences enjoyed them but as Arthur only had a small band the full effect of his songs may have been lost but everybody always had a good evening and encores were played and the write ups in the Melody Maker were complimentary.
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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 01:50:35
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| I never got proof that the cassette reached arthur and it was sent via Casablancas management so as I say if it leaked it was at least 2nd generation or as I also say there were loads of opportunities for other people with portable equipment to record it. Is the CD a bootleg or legitimate, Arthur was with A & M records in those days. But apart from giving the roadies a big heavy display board to lug round to the foyer of the gigs I dont think they were that interested. Arthur was not in the best of health for self inflicted reasons and was a bit hot and cold and would order the band about or let them support him depending on his mood. Luckily for Arthur one of the road crew could get him some "medicine" and his mood improved as the tour progressed but he refused to do any "publicity" and would not talk to the press and I spent some time outside dressing rooms explaining to various student and national press people that he was "very tired". His manager and the rest of the band seemed to disappear and let him get on with it. I think he gave one interview at Lancaster university to the Student Union social secretary but the guy was very persistent and would not give up but I do not think he got much response. The only person who got a response out of him was a young (ish) girl named "Isadora" who appeared at several gigs and I had to do the foot in the lift door trick while she got his attention between floors a couple of floors up in the hotel lift. |
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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 02:34:09
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to waxburn
in answer to have I heard of baby lemonade, not until 2004 when arthur was on at Glastonbury and also played on Jools Holland on TV and was interviewed by Jools, who asked Arthur where he disappeared to in the seventies and asked why he had not toured and Arthur did not correct him so maybe he wanted to forget the tours in the 70s.
Anecdotes would have to include the gig at the Rainbow which had a very deep orchestra pit in front of the stage( the one Zappa fell or was pushed into) Arthur kept pretending to be stoned and was walking right on the edge and pretending he was going to fall or jump for most of the set. As I say he arrived with no equipment and used to borrow the support bands maraccas and at the finale of every gig he would throw the maraccas into the audience and after a couple of gigs (and complaints from the support band) I had to go into the audience and retrieve the maraccas from stunned fans who were so happy that Arthur had chosen them to throw his maraccas at and were very reluctant to give them back so I carried a supply of autographs from the band (some real some fake copies) so if anybody has one trying to sell on Ebay it might not be the real thing. |
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waxburn
Old Love
USA
735 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 02:57:23
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quote:
Originally posted by harvey
to waxburn
in answer to have I heard of baby lemonade, not until 2004 when arthur was on at Glastonbury and also played on Jools Holland on TV and was interviewed by Jools, who asked Arthur where he disappeared to in the seventies and asked why he had not toured and Arthur did not correct him so maybe he wanted to forget the tours in the 70s.
Anecdotes would have to include the gig at the Rainbow which had a very deep orchestra pit in front of the stage( the one Zappa fell or was pushed into) Arthur kept pretending to be stoned and was walking right on the edge and pretending he was going to fall or jump for most of the set. As I say he arrived with no equipment and used to borrow the support bands maraccas and at the finale of every gig he would throw the maraccas into the audience and after a couple of gigs (and complaints from the support band) I had to go into the audience and retrieve the maraccas from stunned fans who were so happy that Arthur had chosen them to throw his maraccas at and were very reluctant to give them back so I carried a supply of autographs from the band (some real some fake copies) so if anybody has one trying to sell on Ebay it might not be the real thing.
Harvey, how was Arthur invloved with Rocket Records. I think Arthur may have done one more tour of the UK after that, when he was
with RSO records. |
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harvey
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
155 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 03:24:06
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Arthur was not with Rocket records he was with A&M at the time but Rocket were looking for a name act to showcase Casablanca as they had an album about to come out. I do not know how much involvement Rocket had as Casablanca had a few well off financial backers of their own but Bernie Taupin came backstage at one of the Biba gigs ( I remember cause I held the door open for him as it was a row of mirrors and only 1 was a door and I knew which one which saved him having to push all of them). Arthur did tour again a couple of years later but I could not get to see him and I do not know if Bryan was with him. Robert Stigwood (RSO) would have promoted him strongly as he always backed his artists but I think that was it for the 70s. As has been said Arthurs attitude to audiences and fellow musicians whether intentional or not could have lost him support and he was known for short setting and did not seem to be enjoying himself as was mentioned in later reviews. To talk about Arthur is as difficult as to know him and he never seems to spot the difference between those that care about him and those trying to use him for their own gain and he therefore treats everybody as the latter. In 74 he had a pretty bad habit but I think whenever he cleans up he is on the edge of going back down again. I do hope he gets another break and can make good one day but I am afraid history is not on his side.
Harvey
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waxburn
Old Love
USA
735 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 04:52:54
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quote:
Originally posted by harvey
Arthur was not with Rocket records he was with A&M at the time but Rocket were looking for a name act to showcase Casablanca as they had an album about to come out. I do not know how much involvement Rocket had as Casablanca had a few well off financial backers of their own but Bernie Taupin came backstage at one of the Biba gigs ( I remember cause I held the door open for him as it was a row of mirrors and only 1 was a door and I knew which one which saved him having to push all of them). Arthur did tour again a couple of years later but I could not get to see him and I do not know if Bryan was with him. Robert Stigwood (RSO) would have promoted him strongly as he always backed his artists but I think that was it for the 70s. As has been said Arthurs attitude to audiences and fellow musicians whether intentional or not could have lost him support and he was known for short setting and did not seem to be enjoying himself as was mentioned in later reviews. To talk about Arthur is as difficult as to know him and he never seems to spot the difference between those that care about him and those trying to use him for their own gain and he therefore treats everybody as the latter. In 74 he had a pretty bad habit but I think whenever he cleans up he is on the edge of going back down again. I do hope he gets another break and can make good one day but I am afraid history is not on his side.
Harvey
Arthur has no choice but to get going.. I may be off base, but I suspect his situation may have been a bit exaggerated. He seemed
fine during the Zombies tour , some very good shows.
As you know, in the music biz, those for you and against you end up
being one and the same. |
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arthur and love 1974
