Accessing Universal Intelligence.
Human Ingenuity and Creativity. Our Cultural Heritage.
Favourite things. Music and Movies. Nature. Items that interest me on any topic.
“In a special event to celebrate the 30th
anniversary of the release of Beating the Boards – a live double album
recorded with the Foster Brothers – Jon English is hitting the road for a series
of concerts with the original line up of the band (Peter Deacon, John Dallimore,
John ‘Chief’ Coker, Keith ‘Stretch’ Kerwin, and Greg Henson)."
Having seen Jon English and The Foster
Brothers several times in the past – never enough though- it was quite amazing
to see them all again.
Whilst some other bands have been together
intact for decades, like The Rolling Stones for example, fans just keep on going
to their gigs whenever they can.
This was a little different.
They had not
played together for quite some time. Other things happened in between from when
they stopped and when this event came into being.
Thirty years since the first time – quite
extraordinary!
As a very long-time fan I have listened to
“Beating the Boards” countless times and I can easily say the band sounded as
sharp as ever, maybe even better! Jon was terrific!
I thought they all were quite outstanding and
particularly enjoyed the solos, as well as a few of the songs from the rock
opera, Paris.
I think everyone at the Corner Hotel did too –
both the older and younger fans.
It was a nice, intimate venue and we managed to
sit in the front and also met up with some other very dedicated
fans.
I am really glad we went and I even managed to
get a couple more autographs from Jon and speak to him after the show. Loved that part!
Here's a little highlight of the evening - songs from "Paris":
Jon doing what he does so well!
Above: Greg Henson's amazing drum solo.
Keith Kerwin and John Dallimore - also above.
The curtain call: Jon, The Foster Brothers and the Racz Sisters who were
excellent!
Many thanks to George for most of the pictures.
If you cannot watch the videos try this or
the Firefox add-on top left if you are a Firefox user.
This clip from the Mulwala Ski Club.
These from Mulwala and Corowa. We met up with some other fans and had a great time! Thanks to Terry for suggesting this trip. It was a nice little escape, and now back to the real world:(
Here are some more great pix of Jon and the Foster Brothers and one of the Racz Sisters.
I don't know where these were taken but many thanks to Garry for sending them to me.
March 7th, 2015: Jon English and Peter Cupples at the Speilgel Zelt in Sorrento.
Below: Jon and Peter Cupples. Picture Credit - Adelaide Fringe
This post is for Marina who couldn't be there. There are several other songs by Jon English on my blog - use the search function, or check my You Tube channel.Here's a summary:
From You Tube: BBC's landmark 10-part series on the evolution of rock music with the
innovators of the late-1940s and 1950s. For forty years, rock and roll
has continued to reinvent itself, to challenge, to upset as well as
delight, to break rules and make new ones. Dancing in the Street is a
full-scale salute to that turbulent roller-coaster ride and an
accompanying guide to the ten-part BBC series. Well-known American music
journalist Robert Palmer illuminates the roots of rock in the fifties
and explores its development through to its continuing growth today. In
ten key chapters he investigates how the many tributaries - from blues
and gospel to reggae, punk and rap - converge and connect.
(extract www.ovguide.com)
Some years ago – around 1995 – I watched a BBC documentary series
called “Dancing In The
Street”.
I also
have the book of the same name. Thankfully some of this series is posted on You
Tube and I have included one episode above.
The
book and the series complement each other: they are not mirror images.
The book
and series are quite difficult to find now.
I have
only seen it once but what I do recall of the main points being made are below,
and not necessarily in order of importance.
Firstly, the fact that music reflects cultural and societal changes. I
think this is very obvious to any one who has lived through these times and now
we can add technological advances as well.
Secondly, I recall that a lot was made of the fact that in the USA music
was segregated, just like society.
This
barrier was broken down eventually, and the main contributors to this were Elvis
Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis who had been exposed to Rock and Blues music
which was actually the music of the African-American population.
The phrase ‘rock
and roll’ was slang for sex.
An
example of segregation occurring in Australian music can be seen in the recent movie “The
Sapphires”. I had no idea they existed until I saw the film.
Also,
mention is made of those who advanced, or contributed to, the progress of
contemporary music.
This of
course means that some of the most famous singers don’t rate a mention while
other lesser-known performers do.
A good
example of this is that Cliff Richard doesn’t, but his lead guitarist virtuoso from The
Shadows, Hank Marvin, does.
The
article below covers this rather well and also makes the point that
technological advances and human ingenuity have changed the course of the music
industry and society quite dramatically.
While watching the Grammy awards last Sunday, it occurred to me
that American culture has been defined by music ever since the end of World War
II. After the Germans and Japanese surrendered in 1945, millions of GI's
returned home to marry and begin families. The big band era of good time music
accompanied that, and romantic singers like Frank Sinatra ruled the
day.
In the fifties, many young people, tired of conformity, began to
rebel. The rise of Elvis Presley illuminated that rebellion. Then the angst kind
of died out as Chubby Checker ushered in the Twist in 1960 and Americans began
dancing all over the place.
Exhausted from doing the Pony, young
consumers eventually began to respond to the snappy melodies of an English group
called The Beatles and, once again, music mania gripped the nation. The British
invasion featured the four mop-tops, The Rolling Stones and The Animals, among
others. Then Vietnam emerged.
That led to protest music,
drug-fueled lyrics, as well as introspective tunes by The Doors, The Jefferson
Airplane, and Bob Dylan. Acid rock soon followed and everything was very far
out, man.
After about seven years, that intensity died out. The dark
themes receded and dancing once again came back. The age of disco took hold as
The Bee Gees and other polyester-clad groups dominated the charts. The good
times of the late 1970's unleashed Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Earth, Wind and
Fire. But it all ended when the AIDS scare arrived in 1984. Suddenly, the
uninhibited party became dangerous.
Then music kind of meandered around
for a while until rap emerged. At first, the anger-fueled recordings were
confined to urban radio stations and a niche audience. But when Elton John sang
a duet with the white rapper Eminem on a Grammy telecast, rap went mainstream.
Massive parental headaches followed.
The rise of the Internet signaled
the slow collapse of record stores and the music industry quickly fragmented
after the turn of the century. Consumers could now download songs into portable
machines and bop at will. Americans no longer had to depend on the radio to hear
their favorite tunes.
Since then, there have been a series of pop
superstars but no real purpose or point-of-view in the music which, again, may
reflect the current time. I mean what do Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez really
stand for? Narcissism? Just asking.
The talent is still there. I heard
Justin Bieber do a knockout version of Paul McCartney's classic "Let it Be." And
Bruno Mars with his little hat was pretty good on the Grammy show this
year.
We are definitely living in confusing, rapidly changing times as
machines are now dominating leisure options for many consumers. Fifty years ago,
we all were humming the same tunes heard over and over on AM radio. The good
vibrations of The Beach Boys thrilled Maine as well as Malibu. The music
actually brought Americans together.
Today, the tuneless lure of
cyber-space has pulled us apart. Perhaps forever.
To say my taste in music is wide and varied is putting it mildly.
I have also done a post on Cole Porter as I love his music too.
It is quite obvious that music plays a very important part in ALL movies – any genre you care to name and I won’t even go there now. No wonder there is an academy award for music scores!
Today my friend Edith sent me a rather interesting clip.
