News, Views and Music Issue 36 (Intro)

          ♫CSN News: And a happy birthday to you too, makers of the ‘Laurel canyon’ DVD reported on these pages a month ago. CSN’s 40^th (and my 27^th) birthdays were both set to be celebrated with the release of this interesting little documentary film by band friend Henry Diltz and this DVD set – advertised since May on Amazon and reviewed in all the big glossies – seemed certain to be one of the highlights of this summer’s releases. But I’ve just had an email from Amazon on the day of release (July 14^th) telling me the set has been withdrawn from sale (and not just from Amazon either – I’ve checked). So that leaves just the minor and rather short curio ‘CSN Demos’ to celebrates CSN’s big anniversary – huh! More news on why this set was never to be and whether it will ever see the light of day if and when we hear it.

          ♫ Woodstock News: The new deluxe DVD of the Woodstock film did make it out on time for the anniversary, however (in fact it’s a month too early). The set features the director’s cut of the film (curiously divided into two halves rather than being on one single disc as per the old release) and about three hours of new footage (including AAA groups Jefferson Airplane – rollicking unheard versions of ‘3/5^th of a Mile in 10 Seconds’ and ‘Volunteers’; The Who’s ‘Sparks’ and a rather dull trot through half an hour of the Grateful Dead’s ‘Turn On Your Lovelight’ and ‘Mama Tried’) plus myriad two-minute documentaries, but contrary to pres reports before the set came out it does not contain the three-hour ‘Woodstock Diaries’ set. Rhino are also set to celebrate the anniversary with re-issues of ‘woodstock one and two’ plus a box-set featuring a further three hours’ worth of unpublished track. See the rhino website (www.rhino.com) for more details.

       

                                                 

                   

♫ Anniversaries: You say it’s your birthday? Well it was ours too last week! So before we go any further happy birthday to your website creators Alan (July 4^th) and Mike (July 9^th). Also celebrating last week (4-10^th July) were Ringo Starr (drummer with the all-stars, no just kidding...The Beatles 1962-70) who turned 69 on July 7^th and Jim Rodford (bassist with The Kinks 1978-93) who turned 64 on the same day. Anniversaries of events include: the Beach Boys begin a series of free concerts for independence day, little knowing that some idiot of a politician will later object to their ‘drug image’ and ban them from taking place (July 4^th 1980 was the first one); Billy Graham’s Fillmore West concert theatre (‘home’ to the Dead and Airplane among others) celebrated its 41^st birthday on July 5^th; The Rolling Stones delivered their memorial concert for Brian Jones 40 years ago this month, with Mick Jagger remembering his fallen comrade by wearing a white dress, reading Shelley and releasing hundreds of white butterflies during a free show in Hyde Park (July 5^th 1969); Lennon and McCartney meet for the first time during a church fete in the Liverpool suburb of Woolton (July 6^th 1957); the first edition of ‘Mersey Beat’, a newspaper concerned with Liverpool’s growing music scene is published, introducing the world to the ‘dubious of the word Beatles’ (which were delivered by a man on a flaming pie, in case you didn’t know) (July 6^th 1961); a busy day for the Beatles – the same day in 1964 was the UK premiere of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (July 6^th 1964); The Rolling Stones are persecuted by the press for ‘desecrating the American flag’ by, err, carrying it around with them during a show in the US on July 6^th 1966; Justin Hayward releases the solo evergreen ‘Forever Autumn’  - At the height of Summer weirdly – on July 8^th 1978 (Ok so that’s solo as in not with the Moody Blues – technically he’s accompanied by Jeff Wayne and a bunch of singing Martians going ‘ulah’ at odd moments) and 40 years ago this week John Lennon releases his first solo single (‘Give Peace A Chance’) on July 9^th 1969).

Happy birthdays this week (11-17^th July) go to Jim/Roger McGuinn (guitarist and vocalist with The Byrds 1965-72, who changed his name circa 1970) who turns 67 on July 13^th and Phoebe Snow (Paul Simon collaborator) who turns 47 on July 17^th. Anniversaries of events include: 30 years since the premiere of Neil Young’s ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ film (aka ‘Live Rust’ after its soundtrack album) on July 11^th 1979; the Rolling Stones give their first ever performance at London’s Marquee club, the venue that’s their equivalent of The Cavern Club, on July 12^th 1962; Janis Joplin performs with her third and final group (‘The Full Tilt Boogie Band’) on July 12^th 1970; The Live Aid concert (featuring AAA artists Paul McCartney, Crosby Stills Nash and Young and The Who) takes place on July 13^th 1985; Byrds guitarist Clarence White dies tragically after being hit by a car while unloading his guitar from a van, only months after leaving the Byrds and only a day after fellow Byrd Roger McGuinn turns 31 (July 14^th 1973); Ray Davies announces onstage that he’s leaving the Kinks. Again. The others later talk him out of it (July 15^th 1977); The No Nukes concert film, masterminded by Graham Nash and featuring a CSN reunion, premieres in America on July 16^th 1980; and it’s the turn of another film premiere on July 17^th 1968: The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine and finally, The Moody Blues open their own recording studio on July 17^th 1974 – the first ever to have quadraphonic sound (although, ironically, the band have split by the time its open and so don’t get a chance to use it until 1977).