Mik's Life with music and especially music with friends

   Recently, the Rolling Stones released a  CD made up of tunes that they played when they were on the BBC Radio. The recording quality is good and some of the tunes really hearken back to their early blues & rock stuff.  Listening to the tracks  reminded me so much of standing in a room above a pub completely immersed in stale cigarette smoke "groovin' to the vibes" !

   A long time ago, I made  a list of acts I had seen. Of course, 45+ years of moves has meant that a lot of paperwork has disappeared. Recently, I began re-creating the list of performers that I saw live. I shared it with a friend in the UK to compare our memories. 

Not surprisingly, my list from another continent did not match his exactly; Although, from our early years of going to clubs, there was a lot of overlap on many of the artists. Furthermore, it was a large music-loving group that I used to hang out with. Hence, I truly do not recall who was where & when at many of the events. For example, a large group of us saw Janis Joplin at the Royal Albert Hall, and Yes was her opening act. We had the whole row filled with  friends - but who was there with me?  I cannot recall who they were.

   We saw Aretha Franklin, it is my number 1 live show. She & the backing group were dynamite. We were lucky to see the Stax-Volt package. We  were at the London Hammersmith Odeon show, the only one of the series of European shows that had Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas and Eddie Floyd, Arthur Conley plus Booker T & the MG's with The Mar-keys, too. Otis closed the show. I feel privileged to have seen this wonderful artist, when he was backed by the Mar-keys plus the great Steve Cropper & Booker T.

   The early blues fanatics that we were saw Sister Rosetta Tharpe at the Blues & Gospel caravan show. We saw the Yardbirds when  Eric Clapton was with them; and even the time they had Jeff Beck AND Jimmy Page together!!

   My friends, who were not only from school but lived near me, went to see a young Pete Brown; the folksy man who wrote Sunshine of your Love and White Room for Cream. Our school's catchment area was vast. Many of my friends lived miles away. Of course, we journeyed far to see performers.  We were lucky to see the blues era Rolling Stones, (more than once,)  but also all the blues greats : T-Bone Walker, Otis Span,  Buddy Guy (he was just 19 I think). Memphis Slim, Muddy Waters, many, many more. They were at the Croydon Folk & Blues Festival we attended. One of the highlights of a music going life.

   As a DJ with a  Beatles and Beyond show now, the songs from that era, such as The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel and Richard Harris'  MacArthur Park really left an impression on me.

    The odd thing for me is, that, back then, I never owned either of those songs. A good friend  had the 45 RPM of Boxer & and another had Harris' LP which his sister (who lived in the US,) sent him. Every time I was at their places, (I should say, "we were") those songs got played.  Of course, they were also ridiculously popular tunes on the radio and we heard them wherever we hung out. I have a very vivid memory of being in Dorset with all of us sitting outside the pub by the seafront and MacArthur Park came on. I close my eyes and I can "see" us hanging around. Searching out tunes for my show has made me understand that so often my choice of material, and dialogue to go with it, raise memories even from the tunes I never owned or played at home.

   I didn't expect that in the beginning when I started to work for the Station years ago. In addition, the memories become linked together, even if they actually occurred at different times. My brain has simply catalogued them together -- often as "good old times with friends."

Special thoughts of Leonard Cohen
   I so sad hearing of Cohen's passing. Not just his music: Suzanne, Famous Blue Raincoat & others, which reminded me so much of  a dear friend, first, and then of his wife, too.

   But my strongest memory is of sitting with him, and usually, two other friends,  but occasionally a cluster of others. This friend's "apartment" a term I use very loosely (!) as it was more a cold-water,  garret in Highgate, North London. We would be  toasting bread on the gas fire while Leonard sang (& to complete the vision, Janis Ian's Society' Child!)
They were such innocent times full of potential and hope -- our giggles were such a counter-point to the music. Our attempts to "plan for the weekend".... which we were so inept at doing.  The weekends always ending up a mystery. With my friend sleeping over at our house overnight on Saturdays on many an occasion, before a pub & music at lunch time.

   However, Leonard's music, although appreciated by most of us, was linked with that friend because he was the first to buy Songs of Leonard Cohen.  Suddenly, as I heard of Leonard's death, my thoughts flooded back to those evenings in Highgate.

To borrow from Bob Hope, thanks for the memory--  Mr. Cohen and my old friend, MJB.