CLASSY CLASSIC CELEBRATION
With some unique all-stars formations around, you could hardly say that the first ever Classic Rock Festival would be instigated by URIAH HEEP. Success of the band-centered and guests-embellished The Magician’s Birthday Party events which took place in 2000 and 2001 has proved there’d be no misfire with pushing it all further. So the very end of November wil see a fantastic celebration, The Classic Rock Festival incorporating The Magician’s Birthday Party. A programme? Here it is!
Day Zero, November 28, Thursday
Mean Fiddler Club:
– KARNATAKA
– THE LAWTON -DUNNING PROJECT
Day One, November 29, Friday
Shepherd’s Bush Empire:
– NEKTAR – original line-up with Larry Fast on keyboards
– URIAH HEEP – electric set, featuring Manfred Mann (who played on original “July Morning”) and more guests to be announced
Day Two, November 30, Saturday
Shepherd’s Bush Empire:
– URIAH HEEP – acoustic set featuring DEF LEPPARD’s Joe Elliott and more
– ASIA – 20th Anniversary show including surprise guests and Chris Slade (who drummed with HEEP in 1980)
Day Three, December 1, Sunday
Mean Fiddler:
– MOSTLY AUTUMN
– CARAVAN – featuring Steve Marriott’s bassist Jim Leverton and former Robert Plant’s guitarist Doug Boyle
There will be Heep Festival Club happening on Friday and Saturday comprising various HEEP-related events including a book launch, Q&A sessions, rarities auction, informal performances by past and present band members. But, as a kind of preparation to all this, Heepvention 2002 is announced to be housed in Patriots Theater at The War Memorial, Trenton, NJ in October. A sort of American leg, indeed:
Day One, October 5, Saturday
– MOSTLY AUTUMN
– ASIA – 20th Anniversary show, Chris Slade on drums
– URIAH HEEP – electric set
Day Two, October 6, Sunday
– KARNATAKA
– NEKTAR- original line-up
– URIAH HEEP – acoustic set
Why don’t join in the fun?
BOW DOWN TO BOOGIE CHILE
September 24th is the release date of eagerly awaited John Lee Hooker tribute album, “From Clarksdale To Heaven”. There’s more to it than was announced initially, as what’s to be out is only the first volume which features the cream of British blues, with American stars to appear on the second part later on.
| 1. I Want To Hug You – Zakiya Hooker 2. I’m In The Mood – Jack Bruce and Gary Moore 3. Bad Like Jesse James – LLC 4. Jeff Beck – Will The Circle Be Unbroken 5. Baby Lee – Gary Brooker and Andy Fairweather-Low 6. Ground Hog Blues – T.S. McPhee and Dick Heckstall-Smith 7. This Is Hip – Mick Taylor and Max Middleton 8. Crawlin’ King Snake – Peter Green’s SPLINTER GROUP 9. I’m Leaving – T.S. McPhee with Dick Heckstall-Smith and Clem Clempson 10. Little Wheel – Gary Brooker with Andy Fairweather-Low 11. The Business – GREGGS EGGS 12. Hobo Blues – Jeff Beck 13. Serve Me Right To Suffer – Gary Moore and Jack Bruce bonus track – previously unreleased: 14. Red House – John Lee Hooker with Booker T and Randy California |
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GOODBYE TIME TRAVELLER
There are great producers as responsible for creating a classic as an artist himself – now, their number is diminished by one. Gus Dudgeon, a man behind Elton John’s“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, TEN YEARS AFTER first album and many many more, not to mention Gus engineering “Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton”, died on July 23rd in a car crash in western England, aged 59. “He was an incredibly talented producer and a very dear friend for many years. I will miss him terribly,” Elton John said. Rest in peace, music man.
ST. VITUS… OH, ST. PETER DANCE
“Dancing With St. Peter” is a title of THE SIGN OF 4 new album, out in September. The project,formerly known as STONETOWNE, is a collaboration between UFO singer Phil Mogg and guitarist Jeff Kollman. The tracklisting goes like this:
Driven, Overload, Dancing With St. Peter, Where The River Runs, Clap Hands, Beautiful Friend, Bad On Bad, Afterglow, Down, Las Meadows, Seems To Me.
The other musicians involved are bassist Jimmy Curtain and drummer Shane Gaalaas, who worked previously with Glenn Hughes Kollman is currently writing and recording songs with for a still-unveiled project.
RINGO’S FLOWER HOUR
The King Biscuit Flower Hour label is known for dabbling with historic performances – but who will argue that one by Ringo Starr’s ALL-STARR BAND isn’t of the kind? Recorded in 2001, the show features such legends as Ian Hunter, Greg Lake and Roger Hodgson – enough to go for the album.
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1. Photograph 2. Act Naturally 3. Logical Song 4. No One Is To Blame 5. Yellow Submarine 6. Give A Little Bit 7. You’re Sixteen 8. The No-No Song 9. Back-Off Boogaloo 10. Glamorous Life 11. I Wanna Be Your Man 12. Lucky Man 13. Take The Long Way Home 14. All The Young Dudes 15. Don’t Go Where The Road Don’t Go 16. With A Little Help From My Friends |
VOICE FROM AMERICA
July 20th-21st saw John Wetton Fan Convention take place in the USA where those who love the veteran’s music not only chanced to meet their hero but also witnessed Wetton reuniting with his ASIA partner, Geoff Downes. Downes joined the band of John Wetton on bass and vocals, keyboardist John Young, guitarist John Mitchell and drummer Steve Christey to perform a couple of classics, while Young played a set of his own too. Both this gig and the main one are out on CDs now and available for ordering at the Wetton’s official site.
There are two versions of John Wetton’s CD, unedited one – with pauses between songs and chat with audience, and a shortened one, containing only songs but with two more on it. So you gotta decide… Songs, by the way, include Billy Joel’s “Allentown” and THE BEACH BOYS’ “God Only Knows”. The proceeds will benefit Sierra Leone.
Unedited version1. Introduction |
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Edited version1. Voice of America |
