From jake92028@yahoo.com Sat Mar 20 08:19:07 2004
Subject:Re: that Leslie sound you hear?

I said it, inserted in text from a post of Cliff's:

> > I see it like this: If you/I can copy what they play, then we
could
> > have been them - that's the bottom line.

But first:

Cliff's post was something that referred to there being nothing
special about the sound of Greg Rollie's and other classic rock organ
recordings, just a Hammond and Leslies sounding good, which he could
recreate himself. With which I totally agreed, having been onstage
with Greg at an outdoor concert and also hearing the sound (more like
the recording) from behind the audience at the beer 'n snacks truck.
Greg later played my Lowrey spinet with 147 at a Honolulu late-night
cabaret, a big Red Lobster restaurant with dance hall and roll-out
small concert stage. Our lead guitarist, Cecilio, who later teamed
with Henry Kapono (Cecilio & Kapono - Hawaii and So.Cal. beach cities
Folk duo fame - still getting $10k a show last I heard a few years
ago), was playing a Les Paul Jr through a 50 watt Marshall and was
happy to share the stage with Carlos Santana trading licks and
harmonizing lead lines when Carlos then Greg showed up. Doing
currently popular rock covers (would you believe "All Right Now" no
less?!!) I played a few with the two of them - Rhodes keyboard bass -
then made a motion to Greg that 'if he wanted' to play my cheezy rig
(vs his B3/Leslies) he was welcome. The bass player on tour with the
Righteous Brothers showed up just then and motioned to plug into my
Ampeg bass combo which was perfect timing. Greg = no problem and no
ego BS - sat down and jammed along with several more songs as
comfortable as you please. My little 4-octave dual-manual Lowrey
sounded great, easy to play w/tabs for footages and presets,
percussion, C/V, and strings!

Okay on to the misunderstanding (which the mike, miked, miking
subject started per miking clones with vintage junk to get authentic
recorded sound - it was really supposed to be a joke). Scroll down
past replies if you want, and I'll try to explain = sure is easy to
get misunderstood when trying to put thought to words, then taken out
of context:

> > I see it like this: If you/I can copy what they play, then we
could
> > have been them - that's the bottom line.

Replies said this:

I don't think so. Creation of the part/sound is the talent,
coping it is the regurgitation of it. TZ

No, you're misquoting me, I was refuting the statement by jake92028.
Shame on me for doing a bad cut-and-paste of his original message.
I'm in agreement with you.
-cliff

Big difference in copying something than being the one that put the
right note in the right place at the right time.

PS When we do a cover, which is rare, we just pass out the main
chords and
words, and go from there without ever listening to the record again.

Um, I'm gonna have to go ahead an disagree with you there. Your
viewpoint seems to value difficulty as the prime criterion of
someone's work. It's one thing to look at a creative work (of any
sort) and think "I could have done that". It's quite another thing to
do it first. Nuff said.

~~~~~~~~
Here goes: Before the part where I got to "if you/I can copy it we
could have been them," I prefaced this statement by referring to
unspecified but ->TALENTED<- musician members of this group (CWSG),
i.e., regular hard-working players being in "the right place at the
right time" WITH a bit of talent, which I definitely meant as
creative talent. "We (you know who you are) could have been them"
ought to be clear to those the shoe fits in this context; knowing
this bunch.. "fire in the hole"` ` ` ` ` ` BOOM!

I don't have a problem doing covers mixed with originals; some of the
most well-known bands do. I can copy a classic rock keyboard part
(like a few I missed and asked about here) to see how it was done,
then begin to play it my way - for sure the other guys playing will
be, all having a snapshot of what the song was like - but ready to
take off in a completely new direction if the mood strikes. I don't
get involved with bands unless they have a solid hour of originals,
or are just about there, and I will add mine. I worked and played and
saved for a long time to be in my situation: I make it a rule not to
travel just to play "somewhere" which only gets you older. If what we
are currently working at will be successful, it won't be from playing
the AFB in Mountain Home, etc (pulled that one "out of the hat"). If
some local kids with talent have a gig when I'm not playing, and will
move my gear to/from, I'll play free = mostly covers, but starting to
do their own stuff. #;^7 Wj