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Post by inger on Dec 28, 2022 11:36:37 GMT -5
Found this on YouTube. Strange pairings have a way of working out. It does indeed work. Think about the one-off of Diamond and Streisand. It was so simple. They didn’t really even try to harmonize, Diamond sounding more pissed off about the crumbling relationship than sorry. Streisand over singing and adding gingerbread to the end of her notes. Yet, it worked. The best part of the song is at the end, where they slow on down… “So you think I could learn how to tell you good-bye”. I couldn’t tell if Streisand ad-libbed her part of that, about 1/2 note behind Neil, but it worked. It was rumored for a long time that they recorded that at separate times in different studios, but the record producer swears they were “nose to nose”. I frightening thought with Streisand. It would be hard to be in the same room as she without being nose to nose, and Diamond is not a nasal midget himself… |
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Post by inger on Dec 28, 2022 11:39:02 GMT -5
It’s Keith Richard’s 82nd birthday today. My first thought is 82? Is that all? My second thought is 82? Again?
Memories of George and Billy and an old Budweiser commercial saunter into my frontal cortex now…
Again? …
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Post by pippsheadache on Dec 28, 2022 15:38:57 GMT -5
Found this on YouTube. Strange pairings have a way of working out. To my ears Crystal Gayle is doing most of the heavy lifting there Rizz. But admittedly I love everything about Crystal Gayle -- gorgeous, great voice, elegant demeanor, the swishingest hair in human history. Even married to the same guy for over 50 years. I haven't studied Tom Waits enough and that's on me. There used to be a video on youtube of Bob Dylan and Bobby Vee performing together on an early Vee song "Suzie Baby." Different musical worlds but good friends and mutual admirers. James Brown and Jan and Dean were good buds, but sadly never performed together to my knowledge. I would have loved to have heard James' take on "Surf City." Celine Dion and R. Kelly were a truly exotic pairing in "I'm Your Angel," but even though it sold a lot of records it sure didn't work for me. Kiss and Michael Bolton on "Forever." Justin Bieber and Busta Rhymes on "Little Drummer Boy." Not a fan of any of those. There was sort of a cottage industry of rappers recording with pop or rock or country artists -- Eminem or Young Thug and Elton John, Nelly and Tim McGraw, Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson. Aerosmith and Run DMC worked pretty well on "Walk This Way," but I didn't think that collaboration was all that radical because the song lent itself to a rap treatment. I recall some long-ago variety show where The Supremes and The Andrews Sisters took turns singing each other's songs. The Supremes handled the Andrews' numbers fairly well, but the Sisters just had no feel for doing Motown. Painful. And too bad, because in their own element of World War II-era music, the Andrews Sisters were really good. But they couldn't dig that 60s scene, you know? |
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 28, 2022 16:58:10 GMT -5
Found this on YouTube. Strange pairings have a way of working out. To my ears Crystal Gayle is doing most of the heavy lifting there Rizz. But admittedly I love everything about Crystal Gayle -- gorgeous, great voice, elegant demeanor, the swishingest hair in human history. Even married to the same guy for over 50 years. I haven't studied Tom Waits enough and that's on me. There used to be a video on youtube of Bob Dylan and Bobby Vee performing together on an early Vee song "Suzie Baby." Different musical worlds but good friends and mutual admirers. James Brown and Jan and Dean were good buds, but sadly never performed together to my knowledge. I would have loved to have heard James' take on "Surf City." Celine Dion and R. Kelly were a truly exotic pairing in "I'm Your Angel," but even though it sold a lot of records it sure didn't work for me. Kiss and Michael Bolton on "Forever." Justin Bieber and Busta Rhymes on "Little Drummer Boy." Not a fan of any of those. There was sort of a cottage industry of rappers recording with pop or rock or country artists -- Eminem or Young Thug and Elton John, Nelly and Tim McGraw, Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson. Aerosmith and Run DMC worked pretty well on "Walk This Way," but I didn't think that collaboration was all that radical because the song lent itself to a rap treatment. I recall some long-ago variety show where The Supremes and The Andrews Sisters took turns singing each other's songs. The Supremes handled the Andrews' numbers fairly well, but the Sisters just had no feel for doing Motown. Painful. And too bad, because in their own element of World War II-era music, the Andrews Sisters were really good. But they couldn't dig that 60s scene, you know? I learned a lot about Crystal Gayle from a late-night, couldn't-sleep interview from the late, great Art Bell, who pioneered the spooky Coast-to-Coast AM talk and call-in show - sort of the radio version of the X-Files. Art Bell loved music (obviously for a former DJ) and his play lists between segments were very cool. When Bell came back from a short-lived retirement, his new show was called Midnight in the Desert. Crystal Gayle, a fan of Bell's, wrote and recorded a song called Midnight in the Desert specifically for Bell and his late night show. About Crystal Gayle, I agree with you on all counts - simply a wonderful and talented human being, as authentic as they come. Tom Waits is a talented songwriter and his cigar chomping (and drug abuse) has changed his voice over the last 45 years - from gravely to almost incomprehensible. Waits will always have a place in my heart for several poignant and meaningful songs, as well as playing Renfield on 1992's Dracula. Here is the album that turned me on to Tom Waits from 1974, an incredible and eclectic year for music, The Heart of Saturday Night: |
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Post by pippsheadache on Dec 28, 2022 20:41:09 GMT -5
I learned a lot about Crystal Gayle from a late-night, couldn't-sleep interview from the late, great Art Bell, who pioneered the spooky Coast-to-Coast AM talk and call-in show - sort of the radio version of the X-Files. Art Bell loved music (obviously for a former DJ) and his play lists between segments were very cool. When Bell came back from a short-lived retirement, his new show was called Midnight in the Desert. Crystal Gayle, a fan of Bell's, wrote and recorded a song called Midnight in the Desert specifically for Bell and his late night show. About Crystal Gayle, I agree with you on all counts - simply a wonderful and talented human being, as authentic as they come. Tom Waits is a talented songwriter and his cigar chomping (and drug abuse) has changed his voice over the last 45 years - from gravely to almost incomprehensible. Waits will always have a place in my heart for several poignant and meaningful songs, as well as playing Renfield on 1992's Dracula. Here is the album that turned me on to Tom Waits from 1974, an incredible and eclectic year for music, The Heart of Saturday Night: Now that's a really good song by Tom Waits, and I thank you for posting it. I would say a good place to start with him. I didn't know about the Crystal Gayle/Art Bell connection. If you are one of the few people like me who still flip through the AM dial when you can't sleep, Bell's successor show "Coast To Coast" is on practically every 50,000 watt station. You can go from one end of the dial to the other and not miss a word. It's a far cry from the days when every station had its own individual programming. Radio was much more diversified and interesting then. Hit songs I recall from 1974 (not what you are referring to, I know, but just to set the timeframe) included "TSOP" by MFSB, "Wishing You Were Here" by Chicago, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Karl Douglas, "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas (no relation), "Clap For The Wolfman" by Guess Who, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Rock The Boat" by Hues Corporation, "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John, "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston, "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney, "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, "The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night, "Then Came You" by The Spinners and Dionne Warwick, "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics. And thousands more. |
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2022 7:38:57 GMT -5
I learned a lot about Crystal Gayle from a late-night, couldn't-sleep interview from the late, great Art Bell, who pioneered the spooky Coast-to-Coast AM talk and call-in show - sort of the radio version of the X-Files. Art Bell loved music (obviously for a former DJ) and his play lists between segments were very cool. When Bell came back from a short-lived retirement, his new show was called Midnight in the Desert. Crystal Gayle, a fan of Bell's, wrote and recorded a song called Midnight in the Desert specifically for Bell and his late night show. About Crystal Gayle, I agree with you on all counts - simply a wonderful and talented human being, as authentic as they come. Tom Waits is a talented songwriter and his cigar chomping (and drug abuse) has changed his voice over the last 45 years - from gravely to almost incomprehensible. Waits will always have a place in my heart for several poignant and meaningful songs, as well as playing Renfield on 1992's Dracula. Here is the album that turned me on to Tom Waits from 1974, an incredible and eclectic year for music, The Heart of Saturday Night: Now that's a really good song by Tom Waits, and I thank you for posting it. I would say a good place to start with him. I didn't know about the Crystal Gayle/Art Bell connection. If you are one of the few people like me who still flip through the AM dial when you can't sleep, Bell's successor show "Coast To Coast" is on practically every 50,000 watt station. You can go from one end of the dial to the other and not miss a word. It's a far cry from the days when every station had its own individual programming. Radio was much more diversified and interesting then. Hit songs I recall from 1974 (not what you are referring to, I know, but just to set the timeframe) included "TSOP" by MFSB, "Wishing You Were Here" by Chicago, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Karl Douglas, "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas (no relation), "Clap For The Wolfman" by Guess Who, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Rock The Boat" by Hues Corporation, "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John, "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston, "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney, "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, "The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night, "Then Came You" by The Spinners and Dionne Warwick, "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics. And thousands more. The Heart of Saturday Night is one of those albums that has nothing but great songs. I first got turned on to TW when I heard the original version of Downtown Train (more correctly a clip of it during an interview with Rod Stewart where Rod was being lauded for upgrading the melody and making the song a hit. While it was a terrific rewrite and a song that I enjoyed, I also like the stripped down to the bare bones and creepy sadness of the Waites version just as much, though it had to grow on me… youtu.be/rLtZKkCIVmI |
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Post by desousa on Dec 29, 2022 8:27:51 GMT -5
I learned a lot about Crystal Gayle from a late-night, couldn't-sleep interview from the late, great Art Bell, who pioneered the spooky Coast-to-Coast AM talk and call-in show - sort of the radio version of the X-Files. Art Bell loved music (obviously for a former DJ) and his play lists between segments were very cool. When Bell came back from a short-lived retirement, his new show was called Midnight in the Desert. Crystal Gayle, a fan of Bell's, wrote and recorded a song called Midnight in the Desert specifically for Bell and his late night show. About Crystal Gayle, I agree with you on all counts - simply a wonderful and talented human being, as authentic as they come. Tom Waits is a talented songwriter and his cigar chomping (and drug abuse) has changed his voice over the last 45 years - from gravely to almost incomprehensible. Waits will always have a place in my heart for several poignant and meaningful songs, as well as playing Renfield on 1992's Dracula. Here is the album that turned me on to Tom Waits from 1974, an incredible and eclectic year for music, The Heart of Saturday Night: Now that's a really good song by Tom Waits, and I thank you for posting it. I would say a good place to start with him. I didn't know about the Crystal Gayle/Art Bell connection. If you are one of the few people like me who still flip through the AM dial when you can't sleep, Bell's successor show "Coast To Coast" is on practically every 50,000 watt station. You can go from one end of the dial to the other and not miss a word. It's a far cry from the days when every station had its own individual programming. Radio was much more diversified and interesting then. Hit songs I recall from 1974 (not what you are referring to, I know, but just to set the timeframe) included "TSOP" by MFSB, "Wishing You Were Here" by Chicago, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Karl Douglas, "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas (no relation), "Clap For The Wolfman" by Guess Who, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Rock The Boat" by Hues Corporation, "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John, "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston, "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney, "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, "The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night, "Then Came You" by The Spinners and Dionne Warwick, "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics. And thousands more. Back in the late 70's I was tending bar in Bradenton Beach, FL at a beach bar called The Oar House. Tom Waits and Leon Redbone had a gig in Sarasota one night and the manager of the bar sent them a case of booze and asked them to stop at the bar if they had a chance. Lo and behold, they showed up with Waits' band. He sat at the bar and drank blackberry brandy and 7 up. Redbone sat a table and sipped on apricot sours. Waits and some of his band ended up playing for a while. It was pretty cool. Waits left me a pretty good tip. Gregg Allman used to hang out there all the time. He drank Cutty Sark and coke. My guess is, that's not Pipps' favorite cocktail. He would get up and play on occasion, which was great for business because people would show up hoping to see him perform. One Sunday afternoon, Allman and his band played and we were so busy the Fire Marshall closed us down for having too many people inside. Cops showed up and ended up arresting Allman for revving up his motorcycle and having an open container. A 16 year girl who worked on the high school newspaper took a picture and sold it to People Magazine for $200. Allman was not a good tipper. I loved listening to Art Bell. He was one interesting and intelligent cat. I especially liked when callers would talk about their haunted houses. |
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Post by kaybli on Dec 29, 2022 9:05:16 GMT -5
Now that's a really good song by Tom Waits, and I thank you for posting it. I would say a good place to start with him. I didn't know about the Crystal Gayle/Art Bell connection. If you are one of the few people like me who still flip through the AM dial when you can't sleep, Bell's successor show "Coast To Coast" is on practically every 50,000 watt station. You can go from one end of the dial to the other and not miss a word. It's a far cry from the days when every station had its own individual programming. Radio was much more diversified and interesting then. Hit songs I recall from 1974 (not what you are referring to, I know, but just to set the timeframe) included "TSOP" by MFSB, "Wishing You Were Here" by Chicago, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Karl Douglas, "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas (no relation), "Clap For The Wolfman" by Guess Who, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Rock The Boat" by Hues Corporation, "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John, "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston, "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney, "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, "The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night, "Then Came You" by The Spinners and Dionne Warwick, "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics. And thousands more. Back in the late 70's I was tending bar in Bradenton Beach, FL at a beach bar called The Oar House. Tom Waits and Leon Redbone had a gig in Sarasota one night and the manager of the bar sent them a case of booze and asked them to stop at the bar if they had a chance. Lo and behold, they showed up with Waits' band. He sat at the bar and drank blackberry brandy and 7 up. Redbone sat a table and sipped on apricot sours. Waits and some of his band ended up playing for a while. It was pretty cool. Waits left me a pretty good tip. Gregg Allman used to hang out there all the time. He drank Cutty Sark and coke. My guess is, that's not Pipps' favorite cocktail. He would get up and play on occasion, which was great for business because people would show up hoping to see him perform. One Sunday afternoon, Allman and his band played and we were so busy the Fire Marshall closed us down for having too many people inside. Cops showed up and ended up arresting Allman for revving up his motorcycle and having an open container. A 16 year girl who worked on the high school newspaper took a picture and sold it to People Magazine for $200. Allman was not a good tipper. I loved listening to Art Bell. He was one interesting and intelligent cat. I especially liked when callers would talk about their haunted houses. Awesome story Matt! You’ve met a lot of famous people over the years haven’t you? |
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Post by desousa on Dec 29, 2022 9:21:24 GMT -5
Back in the late 70's I was tending bar in Bradenton Beach, FL at a beach bar called The Oar House. Tom Waits and Leon Redbone had a gig in Sarasota one night and the manager of the bar sent them a case of booze and asked them to stop at the bar if they had a chance. Lo and behold, they showed up with Waits' band. He sat at the bar and drank blackberry brandy and 7 up. Redbone sat a table and sipped on apricot sours. Waits and some of his band ended up playing for a while. It was pretty cool. Waits left me a pretty good tip. Gregg Allman used to hang out there all the time. He drank Cutty Sark and coke. My guess is, that's not Pipps' favorite cocktail. He would get up and play on occasion, which was great for business because people would show up hoping to see him perform. One Sunday afternoon, Allman and his band played and we were so busy the Fire Marshall closed us down for having too many people inside. Cops showed up and ended up arresting Allman for revving up his motorcycle and having an open container. A 16 year girl who worked on the high school newspaper took a picture and sold it to People Magazine for $200. Allman was not a good tipper. I loved listening to Art Bell. He was one interesting and intelligent cat. I especially liked when callers would talk about their haunted houses. Awesome story Matt! You’ve met a lot of famous people over the years haven’t you? I've met a few. Letterman's band leader Paul Shaffer once told me he thought my eye glasses were pretty cool. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Dec 29, 2022 12:08:17 GMT -5
. Now that's a really good song by Tom Waits, and I thank you for posting it. I would say a good place to start with him. I didn't know about the Crystal Gayle/Art Bell connection. If you are one of the few people like me who still flip through the AM dial when you can't sleep, Bell's successor show "Coast To Coast" is on practically every 50,000 watt station. You can go from one end of the dial to the other and not miss a word. It's a far cry from the days when every station had its own individual programming. Radio was much more diversified and interesting then. Hit songs I recall from 1974 (not what you are referring to, I know, but just to set the timeframe) included "TSOP" by MFSB, "Wishing You Were Here" by Chicago, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Karl Douglas, "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas (no relation), "Clap For The Wolfman" by Guess Who, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Rock The Boat" by Hues Corporation, "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John, "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston, "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney, "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, "The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night, "Then Came You" by The Spinners and Dionne Warwick, "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics. And thousands more. Back in the late 70's I was tending bar in Bradenton Beach, FL at a beach bar called The Oar House. Tom Waits and Leon Redbone had a gig in Sarasota one night and the manager of the bar sent them a case of booze and asked them to stop at the bar if they had a chance. Lo and behold, they showed up with Waits' band. He sat at the bar and drank blackberry brandy and 7 up. Redbone sat a table and sipped on apricot sours. Waits and some of his band ended up playing for a while. It was pretty cool. Waits left me a pretty good tip. Gregg Allman used to hang out there all the time. He drank Cutty Sark and coke. My guess is, that's not Pipps' favorite cocktail. He would get up and play on occasion, which was great for business because people would show up hoping to see him perform. One Sunday afternoon, Allman and his band played and we were so busy the Fire Marshall closed us down for having too many people inside. Cops showed up and ended up arresting Allman for revving up his motorcycle and having an open container. A 16 year girl who worked on the high school newspaper took a picture and sold it to People Magazine for $200. Allman was not a good tipper. I loved listening to Art Bell. He was one interesting and intelligent cat. I especially liked when callers would talk about their haunted houses. Great story indeed Matt. Why am I not surprised that Gregg Allman was a lousy tipper? That would have been during his Cher period (remember the dreadful "Allman and Woman" album he did with her?) My sister lived in Daytona Beach in the early 80s and was a neighbor of Allman's mother Geraldine, who was apparently a very kind and patient woman. Lots of stories indicating that her son had several lifetimes worth of problems. One of which was Cher and another of which was Cutty Sark. Speaking of which -- like all good bartenders (are there any other kind?) you know what people are having. For certain Cutty Sark and Coke is not something on my "must try" list. These guys with all the money in the world drinking rotgut and then leaving crappy tips. Ugh. To my regret I have never become a big Scotch guy -- I love the 50s-60s swinger imagery of high-end Scotch, throwing down 25-year-old Macallan single malt with Frank and Dino and Sammy at The Stork Club -- but at some point I settled on Bourbon as my go-to whiskey. Cutty Sark was one of those Scotch brands -- like Dewar's and J&B -- that advertised in "Sports Illustrated" when I was a kid. I loved the look of the label. My Uncle who loved Scotch called those brands "training wheels Scotch" and said he would only use them to make Rusty Nails or Rob Roys for people who weren't good friends. Any insights on Leon Redbone and to what degree his public persona was an act? Bartenders are God's gift to the world. The best way to get a feeling for what is going on in any town is to plop down at a nice bar and start talking to the barkeep. Forget the tourist information bureau. Anything that matters is known to the man or woman behind the bar. Two martinis at the bar of the Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff last January yielded more useful information than any Google search could ever hope to do. Amarillo, Dunedin FL, Florence SC, Louisville, Needles CA, etc -- all places where a bartender pointed me in the right direction. |
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2022 12:31:21 GMT -5
Awesome story Matt! You’ve met a lot of famous people over the years haven’t you? I've met a few. Letterman's band leader Paul Shaffer once told me he thought my eye glasses were pretty cool. When Paul Shaffer says your glasses are cool, your glasses are cool… 😎 |
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2022 12:32:51 GMT -5
Now that's a really good song by Tom Waits, and I thank you for posting it. I would say a good place to start with him. I didn't know about the Crystal Gayle/Art Bell connection. If you are one of the few people like me who still flip through the AM dial when you can't sleep, Bell's successor show "Coast To Coast" is on practically every 50,000 watt station. You can go from one end of the dial to the other and not miss a word. It's a far cry from the days when every station had its own individual programming. Radio was much more diversified and interesting then. Hit songs I recall from 1974 (not what you are referring to, I know, but just to set the timeframe) included "TSOP" by MFSB, "Wishing You Were Here" by Chicago, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Karl Douglas, "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas (no relation), "Clap For The Wolfman" by Guess Who, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Rock The Boat" by Hues Corporation, "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John, "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston, "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney, "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, "The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night, "Then Came You" by The Spinners and Dionne Warwick, "When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics. And thousands more. Back in the late 70's I was tending bar in Bradenton Beach, FL at a beach bar called The Oar House. Tom Waits and Leon Redbone had a gig in Sarasota one night and the manager of the bar sent them a case of booze and asked them to stop at the bar if they had a chance. Lo and behold, they showed up with Waits' band. He sat at the bar and drank blackberry brandy and 7 up. Redbone sat a table and sipped on apricot sours. Waits and some of his band ended up playing for a while. It was pretty cool. Waits left me a pretty good tip. Gregg Allman used to hang out there all the time. He drank Cutty Sark and coke. My guess is, that's not Pipps' favorite cocktail. He would get up and play on occasion, which was great for business because people would show up hoping to see him perform. One Sunday afternoon, Allman and his band played and we were so busy the Fire Marshall closed us down for having too many people inside. Cops showed up and ended up arresting Allman for revving up his motorcycle and having an open container. A 16 year girl who worked on the high school newspaper took a picture and sold it to People Magazine for $200. Allman was not a good tipper. I loved listening to Art Bell. He was one interesting and intelligent cat. I especially liked when callers would talk about their haunted houses. Now THAT. That is a situation where I could possibly get a bit googly-eyed over celebrities… |
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2022 12:34:59 GMT -5
. Back in the late 70's I was tending bar in Bradenton Beach, FL at a beach bar called The Oar House. Tom Waits and Leon Redbone had a gig in Sarasota one night and the manager of the bar sent them a case of booze and asked them to stop at the bar if they had a chance. Lo and behold, they showed up with Waits' band. He sat at the bar and drank blackberry brandy and 7 up. Redbone sat a table and sipped on apricot sours. Waits and some of his band ended up playing for a while. It was pretty cool. Waits left me a pretty good tip. Gregg Allman used to hang out there all the time. He drank Cutty Sark and coke. My guess is, that's not Pipps' favorite cocktail. He would get up and play on occasion, which was great for business because people would show up hoping to see him perform. One Sunday afternoon, Allman and his band played and we were so busy the Fire Marshall closed us down for having too many people inside. Cops showed up and ended up arresting Allman for revving up his motorcycle and having an open container. A 16 year girl who worked on the high school newspaper took a picture and sold it to People Magazine for $200. Allman was not a good tipper. I loved listening to Art Bell. He was one interesting and intelligent cat. I especially liked when callers would talk about their haunted houses. Great story indeed Matt. Why am I not surprised that Gregg Allman was a lousy tipper? That would have been during his Cher period (remember the dreadful "Allman and Woman" album he did with her?) My sister lived in Daytona Beach in the early 80s and was a neighbor of Allman's mother Geraldine, who was apparently a very kind and patient woman. Lots of stories indicating that her son had several lifetimes worth of problems. One of which was Cher and another of which was Cutty Sark. Speaking of which -- like all good bartenders (are there any other kind?) you know what people are having. For certain Cutty Sark and Coke is not something on my "must try" list. These guys with all the money in the world drinking rotgut and then leaving crappy tips. Ugh. To my regret I have never become a big Scotch guy -- I love the 50s-60s swinger imagery of high-end Scotch, throwing down 25-year-old Macallan single malt with Frank and Dino and Sammy at The Stork Club -- but at some point I settled on Bourbon as my go-to whiskey. Cutty Sark was one of those Scotch brands -- like Dewar's and J&B -- that advertised in "Sports Illustrated" when I was a kid. I loved the look of the label. My Uncle who loved Scotch called those brands "training wheels Scotch" and said he would only use them to make Rusty Nails or Rob Roys for people who weren't good friends. Any insights on Leon Redbone and to what degree his public persona was an act? Bartenders are God's gift to the world. The best way to get a feeling for what is going on in any town is to plop down at a nice bar and start talking to the barkeep. Forget the tourist information bureau. Anything that matters is known to the man or woman behind the bar. Two martinis at the bar of the Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff last January yielded more useful information than any Google search could ever hope to do. Amarillo, Dunedin FL, Florence SC, Louisville, Needles CA, etc -- all places where a bartender pointed me in the right direction. Greg Allman was more of a cow-tipper (Cher)… |
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 29, 2022 16:59:31 GMT -5
. Back in the late 70's I was tending bar in Bradenton Beach, FL at a beach bar called The Oar House. Tom Waits and Leon Redbone had a gig in Sarasota one night and the manager of the bar sent them a case of booze and asked them to stop at the bar if they had a chance. Lo and behold, they showed up with Waits' band. He sat at the bar and drank blackberry brandy and 7 up. Redbone sat a table and sipped on apricot sours. Waits and some of his band ended up playing for a while. It was pretty cool. Waits left me a pretty good tip. Gregg Allman used to hang out there all the time. He drank Cutty Sark and coke. My guess is, that's not Pipps' favorite cocktail. He would get up and play on occasion, which was great for business because people would show up hoping to see him perform. One Sunday afternoon, Allman and his band played and we were so busy the Fire Marshall closed us down for having too many people inside. Cops showed up and ended up arresting Allman for revving up his motorcycle and having an open container. A 16 year girl who worked on the high school newspaper took a picture and sold it to People Magazine for $200. Allman was not a good tipper. I loved listening to Art Bell. He was one interesting and intelligent cat. I especially liked when callers would talk about their haunted houses. Great story indeed Matt. Why am I not surprised that Gregg Allman was a lousy tipper? That would have been during his Cher period (remember the dreadful "Allman and Woman" album he did with her?) My sister lived in Daytona Beach in the early 80s and was a neighbor of Allman's mother Geraldine, who was apparently a very kind and patient woman. Lots of stories indicating that her son had several lifetimes worth of problems. One of which was Cher and another of which was Cutty Sark. Speaking of which -- like all good bartenders (are there any other kind?) you know what people are having. For certain Cutty Sark and Coke is not something on my "must try" list. These guys with all the money in the world drinking rotgut and then leaving crappy tips. Ugh. To my regret I have never become a big Scotch guy -- I love the 50s-60s swinger imagery of high-end Scotch, throwing down 25-year-old Macallan single malt with Frank and Dino and Sammy at The Stork Club -- but at some point I settled on Bourbon as my go-to whiskey. Cutty Sark was one of those Scotch brands -- like Dewar's and J&B -- that advertised in "Sports Illustrated" when I was a kid. I loved the look of the label. My Uncle who loved Scotch called those brands "training wheels Scotch" and said he would only use them to make Rusty Nails or Rob Roys for people who weren't good friends. Any insights on Leon Redbone and to what degree his public persona was an act? Bartenders are God's gift to the world. The best way to get a feeling for what is going on in any town is to plop down at a nice bar and start talking to the barkeep. Forget the tourist information bureau. Anything that matters is known to the man or woman behind the bar. Two martinis at the bar of the Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff last January yielded more useful information than any Google search could ever hope to do. Amarillo, Dunedin FL, Florence SC, Louisville, Needles CA, etc -- all places where a bartender pointed me in the right direction. Needles, California. 120 degrees and the home of Snoopy’s whiskered cousin Spike. I hear the scotch to drink is Johnny Walker’s Blue Label. At $250 a bottle, I must plead ignorance. Christopher Hitchens and the former Iraqi royal family’s preference was Johnny Walker Black. I’ve only sampled scotch a couple times and it tasted like iodine to me. Perhaps that was from the rotgut variety of which Pipps’ speaks. There is something therapeutic about watching and making cocktails, but it is the conversation that makes a barstool comfortable. For master bartenders, there is no substitute, as cocktails take on their own personality and transcend the taste of alcohol. |
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 29, 2022 17:04:35 GMT -5
Awesome story Matt! You’ve met a lot of famous people over the years haven’t you? I've met a few. Letterman's band leader Paul Shaffer once told me he thought my eye glasses were pretty cool. Matt, I can listen to your bartending stories all day! Keep them coming. Shaffer seems like a great guy. Do you recall what his choice of libation was? |
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