So what it would be is a tournament where the participants would draft musicians. You'd then present the band you've assembled. Your presentation could consist of explaining why you think they'd be great together, clips of the musicians in their normal setting to make your point, what you imagine they'd sound like, etc. Pretty much anything you think makes a case for why your band is best. Or you can just present the names and say "fuck it." I'm thinking the draft would consist of six rounds. You can compile the band with any sort of instrumentation you'd like; if you want three drummers, draft three drummers, but be prepared to explain why that would work/be cool. You have to draft someone in each round, but you can relegate people to backing vocals/handclaps/tambourine if you so desire.
We can hammer out better rules (or change some of the rough ones presented above) if there's enough interest. But yeah, would anyone want to be a part of this?
OFFICIAL RULES: You pick until you've assembled a complete line up. If that means you only make three picks, so be it. If it takes you seven rounds, that's fine too. Once you've completed your line up, you'll just be removed from the draft order in the next round. You can only pick one member from a specific band, so if you've picked Mick Jagger, you can't pick Keith Richards as well. If you've yet to make a pick eight hours after the previous pick was made, the person picking after you can go ahead and make his or her pick. You will be able to make your missed pick whenever you return.
Once the draft is over, give your band a name (per doug rr's request). Everyone will then have the opportunity to make a presentation post to state their case for their band. You can include whatever you want in this post. It can be clips of the various members performing, explanations as to why you think your band would work/have chemistry, who would be responsible for composing the material, what you'd imagine they'd sound like, anything really. If you just want to post their names and what they'll be playing and leave it at that, that's cool too. You can put whatever you want in these posts. It's your chance to sway people's opinions into your camp.
We'll then randomly generate a ten band bracket (with two play-in matches) and have people vote on which "band" they prefer. The criteria is up to each voter. Vote on who you think would be better live, make a better studio record, whatever. I'm open to suggestions as to how long we should keep each round of voting open. We'll whittle it down from ten to eight, then to four, and then a championship round.
DRAFT RESULTS
- Spoiler: show
- 1. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Varis
2. Freddie Mercury -Kaius
3. David Gilmour - THIP
4. Tom Waits - Argo
5. Jeff Buckley - Sarge
6. PJ Harvey - Lament
7. Jimi Hendrix - LMS
8. Prince - stip
9. Keith Moon - Self
10. Neil Young - DCT
11. Jack White - DCT
12. John Paul Jones - Self
13. Billy Corgan - stip
14. Nina Simone - LMS
15. Lindsey Buckingham - Lament
16. John Bonham - Sarge
17. B.B. King -Argo
18. Danny Carey - THIP
19. George Harrison -Kaius
20. Ginger Baker - Varis
21. Nick Cave -Varis
22. Stewart Copeland -Kaius
23. Les Claypool -THIP
24. Miles Davis -Argo
25. Janis Joplin -Sarge
26. Dave Grohl - Lament
27. James Jamerson - LMS
28. Laura Burhenn - stip
29. David Bowie - Self
30. Billy Preston - DCT
31. Levon Helm - DCT
32. Robert Fripp - Self
33. Paul McCartney - stip
34. Nile Rodgers - LMS
35. Peter Hook - Lament
36. Bootsy Collins - Sarge
37. Chris Frantz -Argo
38. Annie Clark -THIP
39. John Entwistle -Kaius
40. Josh Homme - Varis
41. Lemmy Kilmister -Varis
42. Ray Manzarek - Kaius
43. Nigel Godrich - THIP
44. Kim Thayil -Sarge
45. Jonny Greenwood - Lament
46. Questlove -LMS
47. Dave Abbruzzese - stip
48. John Lennon - Self
49. Marshall Lytle -Argo
50. Beck - DCT
51. Aimee Mann - DCT
52. Clarence Clemons - Self
53. Leonard Cohen - stip
54. Sheila E. - LMS
55. Roddy Bottum - Sarge
56. Stephen Stills -Argo
57. Ravi Shankar -Kaius
58. Tito Puente -Sarge
59. Stevie Wonder - LMS
60. Sarah Watkins - LMS
FIRST EVER RM DREAM BAND SUPER-GROUP CHAMPION, SELF & SHIP OF FOOLS!
BAND PRESENTATIONS
Varis - Aroma of Man
- Spoiler: show
- Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce Aroma of Man. They play rock'n'rhythm'n'blues and are bringing the sexy back. Catch phrase - "Cocaine is a hell of a drug".
We'll start with the most pungent Aroma - Lemmy Kilmister. Bassist and general baddass, in charge of scoring all the important things in life, inter-band relations, sharing bass duties with Mr Homme, occasionally taking the mike and ensuring that no one takes things too seriously. Here he is doing his thing:
Motorhead - Ace of Spades
There's no way you can't agree that he is just awesome. Apparently he is also a sex god, which is a nice added bonus.
___
Onto the Aroma who without doubt has the most pheromones. Josh Homme. Seriously, watch this shit and see if you don't get all wet, and I'm talking about the blokes too! Even chicky-babes from the other bands in the tourney wanna hang with him!
Queens of the Stone Age (with PJ Harvey) - Make it Wit Chu
The dude is a legend, can do it all. Great vocals, powerful guitar, play whatever you throw at him, snort whatever you throw at him. Plays exactly the groovy, stoney rock that the Aroma's are all about and all over. I mean like this (and I can easily see a part for every one of Aroma of Man here, although Lemmy may have to work to keep up!):
QotSA - You Can't Quit Me Baby (Live and Awesome)
___
The angriest Aroma sits behind the kit and works his arse off to keep the beat, almost always in a state of delerium. The owner of probably my favourite ever drum track, he would not only make sure everyone was locked in, but would guarantee that no one tried to pick a fight with the boys - everyone knows that you don't ever fuck with the craziest guy in the room. And, if he's around, that would always be Ginger Baker.
Cream - Sunshine of Your Love (Farewell) - Complete with awesome BBC intro!
Seriously, if you can play that well when you are that wasted, man. Ginger Baker.
___
By all accounts Stevie Ray Vaughan was a very stinky individual indeed. "Before he was famous and was playing the club circuit he did a lotta VERY heavy drinking and LOTTSA coke, caring little for his health or hygiene. As you probably already know he and his brother Jimmy were close friends of mine. Anyway in the period I speak of, because of his condition, we called him Stinky Ray Vaughan. In moments when he played a particularly shred-full gtr solo we would urge him with, "Rave on Stinky"! He was in on the joke."
So I guess he would be the smelliest Aroma. And I'd say that would almost definitely remain true even today...
Love him or hate him the boy could flat out play the guitar. In Aroma of Man he would be like a rottweiler on a leash, straining to get loose and rip someone's face off, but as the consummate guitar gentleman, would always defer to the song and band's needs.
I'm not gonna change anyone's mind about the guy, but there is no way he wouldn't improve any band that he played with. Dude played a shit-ton of Jimi. Check this out:
SRV and DT - Voodoo Chile
I like how he has his name written on his guitar neck. That would be a life-saver if he left it somewhere.
Here's him on an acoustic just laying down an easy blues.
___
And now the guy in charge of it all, Nick Cave. The band leader with a never exhausting wellspring of musical ideas and attacks. An Aussie. An utmost professional who has gone tee-total for his day job with the Bad Seeds. "I did a kind of Christ-like sacrifice for the health of the band. I stopped drinking so they could continue". And at the seeming peak of his talents at present this makes him the designated driver as well.
Great attitude - "When I go out there I'm not trying to be a part of the people. I'm trying to terrify really, and dominate".
Creative to a fault - Asked "Are you proud of your output?" he responded: "I try not to look at it too closely, because I'm critical by nature about the things that I do...But I have an overarching kind of pride in the amount of stuff. Y'know I just got 'The Complete Lyrics [1978 - 2013]' that Penguin have republished and it's fucking...big, man. So yeah, I have a kind of low level pride in how much there is."
He leads a band like this:
Grinderman - Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars) - Ripping Letterman a new one.
And I'll leave you with this. You'd imagine it would be pretty much impossible to make Glastonbury in any way...intimate, yeah? Easy - shit-tonnes of attitude, lots of mic cord and a song about a murdering gay pedo.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Stagger Lee (Glastonbury 13)
How's the chick in white!
___
So that's it. Aroma of Man. I'd pay to see 'em.
- Spoiler: show
- Spirits Are Rising Stew
East meets West. West goes East. Here I have a group who although when looking at their individual works may seem very different, they almost all have personal or musical connection to Eastern culture. It's this inflection of eastern tone on our beloved Western music that led these men together here today to form SARS - Spirits Are Rising Stew.
I believe you can put him behind the mic on any song in history and he's going to bring the house down.He has one of the most powerful yet versatile voices to ever grace our ears and a stage presence to get everyone to feel the music.
Freddie Mercury
He's the pick that started me on this journey. Most of my favorite Beatles' tunes are his, and his solo work speaks for itself. Out of the shadow of his former Beatles' bandmates and bringing his own zen boho raga flavors to the group.
George Harrison
Keeping the rhythm and bringing his eastern style like only he can (and because John Bonham was already taken) He may not have a mustache, but he's no less of a man - Stewart Copeland
I had difficulty choosing a bassist, but c'mon, he's the motherfuckin' Ox. Thunderfingers:
John Entwistle
The sounds this man could get out of a set of keys resemble something I would imagine might be from another dimension. His otherworldly tone compliments this group well, and he can jam out with his balls out like nobodies business.
Ray Manzarek
What's this guy doing here? Who fucking knows!? I do know what he brings to the table though. Zen power. And that raga style that I have come to love.
Ravi Shankar
So how did Stewart Copeland end up playing with a bunch of dead guys?
He fucked around with the wrong shaman, drank some ayahuasca-spiked tea, and was visited by all of these late musicians. Somehow they stuck around, and agree to play a one-off, well-rehearsed show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Opening Set
Regatta de Blanc
Savoy Truffle
Break on Through
Contact
905
Riders on the Storm
2nd Set
Dehra Dun
Love You To
Shanti Mantra
Within You Without You
Long, Long, Long
Mustapha
Encore
The Other Way of Stopping
Light My Fire
2nd Encore
Norwegian Wood
Something
Bohemian Rhapsody
- Spoiler: show
- Molecules For Mercy is Post-Art Rock.
Mathematic movements and pulsating polyrhythms transport listeners on an Odyssey into aural pleasure.
Annie Clark fronts M4M. She commands the attention of the crowd. Her dusky, dulcent vocal performance refines the spirit of the Icelandic diva, Bjork, and adds the proper elegance of a Madonna ballad. Her stoic confidence on stage is not to be denied. The guitar effects, tones, and off-beat rhythms channel the spirit of Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp of King Crimson.
David Gilmour is legendary for having the cleanest guitar tones, as well as a charming vocal allure. He is a perfectionist, and believes that if he cannot sing a melody, it is not worth exploring on his guitar. DG's role in this band is simply to smooth out the rough edges and do that thing that he does so effortlessly.
Danny Carey... Enter the King of polyrhythmic patterns. Made of melted down Paiste cymbals, his symmetrical drumkit is a shrine to the Gods of Thunder. DC is quite familiar with rocking math beats, interweaved with digital dynamics through his self-developed Mandala pads. He seamlessly integrates analog and digital swells into the tapestry of the music.
Must-see! DC demo's his Mandalas...
Les Claypool is a dynamic candidate who adds a dirge bass groove to anchor the dominant roles of Annie and Danny. He is a virtuoso of his instrument, and has revolutionized the electric bass the way Jimi Hendrix revolutionized the electric guitar. The Colonel can add vocal nuances here and there, and even take the occasional lead vocal role.
Star-Spangled Banner interlude at 4:00...
Nigel Godrich is often referred to as the 6th member of Radiohead. Nigel is the producer/programmer/keyboardist/guitarist extrordinaire, who has played on and produced every Radiohead album since The Bends, as well as Beck's Mutations, The Information, and Sea Change, REM's Up, and Sir Paul McCartney's Chaos And Creation In The Backyard... among others. As an instrumentalist in Molecules For Mercy, he will be the glue that binds the machine together. When he is not onstage adding textures and his wall of sound, Nigel will be experimenting with the band in the studio. Nigel is always looking for a way to maximize the talents of his bandmates, of himself, and to push the creative envelope of M4M.
Hear why Macca hired Nigel...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbp-4zVuz7Q
Thom and Ed praise Mr. Godrich (45 secs in)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSfKgoKN4Io
Oh, and hear his original score for this film...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmuW4Oe ... 2E04558486
M4M
- Spoiler: show
- Argonauts consists of:
Tom Waits as the frontman of the group. I mentioned it earlier, but because Waits has played with so many different kinds of music, any band he's involved with will inevitably produce a Tom Waits album. That's not necessarily a bad thing. However, to knock that off-kilter a little, I included
Miles Davis, an equally innovative musician who blends genres as much as our frontman. I see these two as collaborating on writing jazzy bluesy rock songs.
B.B. King brings the blues, plays guitar. Waits and Miles give him room to take over periodically, to solo as the spirit moves him.
Marvin Lytle plays stand-up bass. I love this instrument (perhaps more for the look than anything else), but more importantly it fits because it is an instrument of jazz and the blues. Lytle is an early rock-and-roller, so his sound and sensibilities certainly fit with King and Davis.
Chris Frantz plays drums (from Talking Heads). He brings the funk, pulling the early guys forward. He brings the punk, helping Waits to musically explain this brave new world to B.B. King and Lytle.
Stephen Stills is something of a role-player in this band. I don't know if you know this, but this man absolutely rocks. He can also take a step back. Look at CSNY instead of Buffalo Sprigfield. He can equal Neil Young, and he can step back and help the great man shine. He does both. He can somehow even help the bores Crosby and Nash produce good sounds. He'll have his moments with Argonauts, but his real job is to help display the best in these different dudes. And sing some back-up.
- Spoiler: show
- Souls in Purgatory
Janis Joplin - Lead Vocals
Jeff Buckley - Lead vocals/guitar
Kim Thayil - Guitar
Bootsy Collins - Bass/funkmeister/backup vocals
John Bonham - Drums
Roddy Bottum - Keys
Tito Puente - Timbales/Percussion/Xylophone
The band idea came about when Kim Thayil, Bootsy Collins, and Roddy Bottum were attending their umpteenth jam session with a douchebag drummer. Terry Bozzio was by no means a big ego, but seriously who need that many fucking drums and cymbals? Not mention that Kim was ready to jam that gong so far up Terry's ass, that he'd need a crowbar to get it back out.
They'd already tried Travis Barker. I mean he was pretty good, but every 30 seconds he break into a hip-hop drum solo, and then he'd miss half the rehearsals because he was getting another fucking tattoo. Before him, there was a short lived stint with Tommy Lee. So what if the guy revolutionized the rotating drum cage and fucked Pamela, what has he done since? Rap rock? Really? And we won't go into detail with their attempt at playing with Lars Ulrich. He's not really that good on the kit, and every time that douchebag opened his mouth, he'd drown everyone in a tonne of ego.
Kim, Bootsy and Roddy were fed up. Were there really any good living drummers left, that weren't too busy with their own bands to join a bunch of guys that just wanted to jam it out? During a heavy bong compression session in the studio, it hit Bootsy like a tonne of bricks. Some of the greatest musicians are dead. If they could find a way to bring them back from the dead, even temporarily, they could play again. So Kim found a good seance guide on Youtube and they setup a ouija board.
The guys were cautiously optimistic. They'd heard about the bad things that happened to people that had seances. But they powered through. They weren't sure who they wanted to contact, so they thought they'd see who was available. At first, nothing seemed to be happening. The guys were starting to lose focus, and the post smoke munchies were starting to set in.
"About fucking time, fellas", came an almost ethereal voice.
The guys almost lost their shit. Had it worked, or were they just too stoned? Then a ghostly figure abruptly materialised on the drum kit. They tried to focus their eyes
Bootsy piped up. "Holy shit, guys, It's John Bonham..."
"I've been waiting a long fucking time for this, cheers for that", said John. "I've been sitting around in purgatory for years, man that is goddamn fucking boring. I'll tell you one thing though, never drink 40 shots of vodka in one fucking day."
The guys didn't know what to do. Kim stood up and punched Roddy in the face.
"What the fucking hell was that for?!", he blurted.
"Just making sure I'm awake", replied Kim.
"You asshole, you're supposed to pinch yourself", retorted Roddy.
"Alright dickheads, are we gonna jam or what?", piped up John. "Oh, and I hope you don't mind, I've brought a few friends. Purgatory is fucking boring, and they'd be happy to get our for a while".
Out of nowhere, Jeff Buckley, Janis Joplin and Tito Puente appeared. The guys were completely gobsmacked. This was so much more than they expected, things were going to get very sexy. And thus, Souls in Purgatory was born.
Each band member brought forth their own unique styles and creativity:
_______________________________________
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin's amazingly powerful and soulful voice brings so much energy:
_______________________________________
Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley's amazing song writing, and soulful moderate rock brings another layer to Janis's vocals. Often duetting each other, or alternating as lead vocals on some songs. Along with his glorious bluesy/rock guitar work, they were a match made in Heavan (uh, or Hell?).
Also from Jeff, this whole live version of Mojo Pin is well worth watching, but specifically watch from 5:07 to see his rockier style here:
_______________________________________
Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil brings a heavier element to the band. Heavier chugging riffs, and soaring bluesy solos to accompany John and Bootsy's rhythm section.
_______________________________________
Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins brings his amazing funk, soul an blues influences. Being one of only few living bassists that could team up with John Bonham to create a rhythm powerhouse. Bootsy also provides backing vocals for added sexy funk.
_______________________________________
Roddy Bottum
Roddy Bottum adds a whole dimension to the band. Adding beautiful piano melodies, orchestral padding for the soul and heavier rock elements, and organ additions to the funky components.
_______________________________________
John Bonham
John Bonham jumps in with heavy thumping rhythms, can add amazing funk and blues twists and amazing drum solos.
_______________________________________
Tito Puente
Last, but not least, Tito Puente brings the band together cohesively with spicy Latin grooves and salsa rhythms.
Tito also punctuates some tunes with beautiful interludes on the xylophone (watch from the 18 minute mark):
_______________________________________
From Purgatory to Hell
It was soon discovered that the band melded together to create a perfect synergy of funk speckled soul, with scattered with sexy Latin grooves, punctuated with elements of progressive rock. Think Twelve Foot Ninja, coupled with Porcupine Tree, and layered with the funk and soul of Mighty Clouds Of Joy, and Stevie Wonder, and spiced up with some Salsa.
Examples, (if you melded these together):
The band discovered they had an amazing and unbelievable ability to create their songs on the fly. Before they knew it, they found themselves on a worldwide tour initially without an album.
With the pure energy and feeling of a real life force provided from their fans during their live show, the band felt this was what made their music feel whole. So the band decided to record and release their one and only epic album titled: From Purgatory to Hell, by simply jamming out and creating the tracks on stage during the tour, and recording them live. The album detailed the resurrected members' journey, from their time spent in purgatory, until their eventual decent into hell (after completing the tour and album simultaneously).
The double album comprised of 24 epic tracks, and spent an entire 107 weeks at number one. Only to be pipped by the release of the new Beatles album (when Paul and Ringo found out how to resurrect their deceased member's) and recorded their heavy metal album "Fuck off, Yoko". Their album lasted only a week at number to be then pushed off by Elvis comeback album "From Nashville, to Memphis, to Hell" parts 1 through 17.
The band's eventual end came about when all of the previously deceased band member's realised they were content with the work they had done. They felt they had achieved what they set out to do, and much more. Since this is the only way to be fully released from Purgatory, they finally descended into the depths of Hell for all of eternity. To this day it is said they are waiting for the arrival of their currently living band member's, and their fans.
And really, don't believe the reviews, Hell turns out to be a pretty damn good place.
- Spoiler: show
- Presentation/Write-Up/Nonsensical Rambling is here for space purposes: http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 19#p317919
PJ HARVEY
LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM
DAVE GROHL
PETER HOOK
JONNY GREENWOOD
- Spoiler: show
- Nina Simone & The Tight Outfit
Nina Simone - Vocals, Piano
Jimi Hendrix - Guitar, Vocals
Nile Rodgers - Guitar, Producer
Stevie Wonder - Fender rhodes, Hohner clavinet, other keys, harmonica and backing vocals
James Jamerson - Electric Bass
Questlove - Drums, Co-Producer
Sheila E - Percussion, Drums
Nile Rodgers.
His guitar (The Hitmaker) estimated to have featured on music that has grossed over 2 billion dollars
He hated laboratories. He hated the idea the music could originate in such a sterile environment. But here he was, 30 years after taking that massive financial gamble. It was mid 1996, a few months after his friend and musical brother Bernard Edwards had passed away. He had heard about this sheep (Dolly) and the whole cloning process, and caught up is his grief for his departed friend, he had invested heavily hoping that one day they could make music together again.
But before he brought Bernard back, he wanted to jam with one other bass player. The incomparable James Jamerson. One of the Funk Brothers who had recorded all those motown classics. A truly one of a kind player who was instantly identifiable.
Together Nile and James started assembling a dream band to back the project they had in mind, the resurrection of Nina Simone. Inspired by Nina's Harlem Festival performance
Nile wanted an upbeat album and needed a modern drummer who could rock and groove. Who else but Questlove. The man was a household name and had played with everyone (even that ill-fated Stone Gossard solo album). He in turn brought Sheila E whose syncopated percussion and second drum-kit would play off the straight grooves Questlove provided.- Spoiler: show
- We all know Questlove, here he is talking about What's Goin On and the marriage of drums and percussion. This here is the template for the sessions' percussion, see 0:50
Stevie Wonder was brought in on keyboards and backing vocals and it was his suggestion to Nile that brought about the final piece. Jimi Hendrix. The world's greatest guitarist and a major influence on modern music. Without Jimi there would be no Stevie Ray Vaughan, no Jack White, no Kim Thayil, no Prince. No reminders are necessary for these 2 guys but here is a little of what thing will bring to this project.
The album and subsequent tour broke new ground for all involved. Demand was high for a follow up but internal politics and Nile's drive to be with his soulmate, Bernard, put all speculation of future endeavours to rest. We only have this one album by this badly named supergroup. And we have to thank a sheep and a laboratory.
Cloning done right = Nina Simone & The Tight Outfit
Cloning done wrong =
- Spoiler: show
- Apples in Eden
Prince: Vocals/guitar
Billy Corgan: Vocals/guitar (Siamese Dream era Corgan, please)
Laura Burhenn: Piano/guitar
Dave Abbruzzee: Drums
Paul McCartney: Bass /occasional vocals
Leonard Cohen: Lyrics/vocals (late career vocals)
Band Concept: This team is built around Prince and Billy Corgan. There are some really interesting (I think) parallels between their vocal styles—the way they inhabit multiple identities within the same songs. Prince’s voice oozes sophisticated seduction and temptation on one end and an unhinged toe curling petulant ecstasy on the other. Corgan alternates between tortured angel and precarious innocence, but there’s a ferocity underneath both. I can easily picture them singing each other’s songs (or at least picture Billy singing Prince) in a way that feels simultaneously transformational and familiar.
I also think that early 90s Smashing Pumpkins could have come up with some really awesome covers of Prince songs. Corgan and Prince are both amazing guitar players, and I am envisioning Prince’s songs with the rock components amped up. I want the guitar work on his records to come to the fore (as it does live) instead of being buried underneath the clinical funkiness of his studio recordings. And I think his songs would sound great washed in the hazy fuzz of Billy Corgan’s dreamscape playing.
I added Laura Burhenn because I think her voice bridges the gap between Prince and Corgan. There is an earthy quality to her that will keep the other two grounded, with enough sexiness to mesh with Prince and enough bittersweet sentimental vulnerability to work well with Corgan. I also wanted a piano player since I was going to be building off of Prince’s catalog.
I added Paul McCartney because I think he can do a great job of highlighting the underlying melodies that might get buried under Corgan’s dense style.
I think Dave A’s playing can match the funkiness in Prince and the heavier dynamics that Corgan will bring. I want rock songs, but I don’t want to lose the groove.
Leonard Cohen is mostly there to write and edit lyrics, because there’ s probably no one better (minimal singing and absolutely no arranging).
This group is full of amazing songwriters (you can make a pretty strong case for Prince, McCartney, and Corgan as the dominant songwriter of the 60s, 80s, and 90s), and Burhenn and Cohen aren’t slouches. But they’re not writing new music together. This group was formed for one purpose.
They are going to rerecord Purple Rain.
If you think this would be an amazing record, then my team is awesome. If you think this would be a disaster then my team is a mess. This really comes down to whether or not you believe:
THIS Prince is awesome:
http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/02/w ... -go-crazy/
And that Purple Rain or When Doves Cry (you can’t get Prince on Youtube) would sound great filtered through:
I am going to assume that people are familiar with McCartney and Dave A and what they can do.
Since people may be less familiar with them, here are my favorite Laura Burhenn songs, which hopefully show off the beauty in her voice and the darker, funkier elements that the right collaboration could bring to the fore.
And Leonard Cohen (who is mostly here for lyrics)
The Rise and Fall of Apples in Eden
Paul McCartney always regretted not doing more collaborative work with Michael Jackson. There was some talk of the two of them teaming up with Pete Townsend to form a super group that would re-record Thriller, but for some reason the association made Townsend uncomfortable. And now it’s too late.
So McCartney looked to Jackson’s great contemporary, Prince, as a second chance to rewrite history. Prince was intrigued because when you’re Prince the only person on your level is a Beatle. With Prince on board, McCartney recruited Billy Corgan, fresh from breaking up the Smashing Pumpkins (and when you’re Billy Corgan the only person on your level is a Beatle orPrince). Dave Abbruzze, fresh from lunch with Stone, was asked to anchor the rhythm section, and up and coming talent Laura Burhenn was tapped for vocals and keys. McCartney was particularly intrigued to see how the innocence/innocence lost tension in Corgan’s vocals could reproduce the same, albeit sexier, dynamic in Prince. Likewise, he wanted to see how the feminine sensibilities in so much of Prince’s music would sound coming from a female singer.
The plan was to re-record Prince’s seminal Purple Rain record, downplaying Prince’s funky sterile 80s aesthetic, washing the record in the huge gauzy guitar sound of Siamese Dream, grounded by McCartney’s unimpeachable melodic sensibilities and held together by Dave A’s versatile playing. Vocal duties were to be split between Prince, Corgan, Burhenn, and McCartney, although a severe case of laryngitis at the start of the sessions sidelined McCartney. A tragedy.
Perhaps the most controversial decision was bringing in Leonard Cohen to rewrite some of the lyrics. Prince was surprisingly sanguine about the whole thing, respecting the talents of an 80 year old man capable of seducing any woman on the planet.
The session went great. Fertile, collaborative, productive, great chemistry and teamwork. Corgan in particular is smitten by Burhenn, who serves as his secret muse. And the result:
Purple Rain II
Lets Go Crazy: Prince on vocals, the guitar solo at the end (Prince) extends an extra 3 minutes. This is an aggressive, uptempo number that hits harder than the original, with each member of the band struggling to rise above the others in a glorious cacophonous finale
Take Me With You: Duet with Corgan and Burhenn. McCartney’s musical influence is particular prominent on this song.
The Beautiful Ones: A smoky number dominated by Burhenn’s piano and a fractured vocal from Corgan. Some particular unhinged screaming by Corgan at the end.
Computer Blue: Burhenn on vocals, the whole song coated in Siamese Dream fuzzy guitars and Prince solos.
Darling Nikki: After several unsuccessful experiments with Corgan on vocals the decision was made to hand the reigns of this one over to Leonard Cohen, his one vocal appearance on the record. Musically the song has a Sergeant Peppers psychedelic feel to it.
When Doves Cry: The song maintains its stark simplicity, with Corgan on vocals (the main vocals and the background harmonies), Burhenn on keys and backing vocals, Dave on drums, Prince handling the solos, and everyone coming in together for the final minutes of the song.
I would Die 4 U: A slowed down piece, turned into something of a dirge, with Corgan on vocals.
Baby I’m a Star: Burhenn and Prince share vocals on a lively but slightly more menacing version of the original, with dueling guitar solos from Prince and Corgan closing out the song
Purple Rain: If Lets go Crazy was Prince’s guitar showcase, Purple Rain is Corgan’s. No changes to the core structure of the song, just filtered through Corgan’s aesthetics. Corgan is also on vocals.
The album is dedicated to Joey. No one knows who that is, but the internet is rife with speculation.
The album is a massive hit, and the group quickly enters the studio to record a follow up. Once again, the bulk of the songs are reimagined versions of classic Prince hits. Tensions in the band mar the recording process. Not long into the sessions Burhenn realizes that Prince is Prince and she’s a woman and nature takes its course. Billy Corgan, devastated, grows increasingly alienated from Prince and fills 32 note books musing about his broken heart. Nevertheless, the group keeps it together long enough to finish recording, with Corgan feeling marginalized. The album is entitled 2wo.
2wo
1999: Prince, Burhenn, and Corgan share the vocals. Similar to Lets Go Crazy it’s a more rockin, aggressive version of the original, while retaining its essential funkiness.
Sign o the Times: Burhenn on vocals. Cohen makes ‘The Future’ look like ‘It’s a Small World After All’ , turning in the darkest lyrics of his career
I Feel For You: Paul McCartney, his voice now recovered, makes his one lead vocal contribution in this entire enterprise.
Little Red Corvette: Duet with Prince and Burhenn
Raspberry Beret: Duet with Prince and Burhenn
U Got the look: Duet with Prince and Burhenn
Cream: Duet with Prince and Burhenn. A series of increasingly sexy performances that move from a shy sweetness to playfulness to aggressive sexuality to practically fucking on tape.
Kiss: A particularly dramatic reinvention of this song with Corgan on vocals handing in the rawest, most exposed nerve performance of his career. The sex and funk in the original is replaced with the forlorn desolation of Corgan’s most lost and lonely work.
Dave’s Song: Dave’s principle writing contribution to both albums, and the closest thing to a classical funky Prince track to emerge from these sessions
Sexy MFer: Leonard Cohen on vocals for what is otherwise a fairly straight cover.
7: A massive ensemble epic featuring everyone harmonizing during the chorus, and taking lead vocals at various points .
Two additional songs are released following 2wo.
The band records a cover of Concrete Blonde’s song Tomorrow Wendy (itself a cover) for their fanclub holiday single. Burhenn on vocals, with the full band on the chorus. It turns out to be one of the band’s biggest hits. Corgan insists that the money be donated to charities that teach anti-vaccine awareness.
They also record the credits song for the upcoming Superman vs. Batman film, The End is the Beginning is the Batdance. Corgan and Prince share vocals on a moody, atmospheric, curiously combative club piece.
2wo is another smashing success, but the band cannot survive the internal tension. Prince sunders his ties with McCartney, claiming he is bigger than the Beatles. The two are still mired in an extended legal battle over the rights to the collaboration.
Burhenn, forgotten by Prince in his feud with McCartney, seeks solace briefly with Leonard Cohen before moving onto a pearl jam message board (Dave really got her into the early albums), looking for someone, anyone, to help her forget.
Dave A is fired by Corgan for enjoying himself too much. He retires from music knowing that he has averaged more sales per release than any other drummer in history.
Corgan, free from the no talent hacks he had been carrying, retreats into a studio and spends 2 years turning his journal entries into songs, releasing a song a day. Entitled ‘Blue is the Zeroest Color’, he considers it his magnum opus, a work years ahead of its time. The world has yet to catch on.
Leonard Cohen is doing fine.
- Spoiler: show
- Man, I really didn't wanna have to do this, but...
Despite Keith's repeated calls for "Suck My Sticky Piss Covered Love Helmet" the guys finally settled on "Ship Of Fools" for a band name. Mostly because the drunken mastermind behind their formation, was drunk.
Nobody here really needs an introduction. The rhythm section is as solid as can be, two of the best songwriters ever born, a fantastically gifted and creative guitarist, and... Clarence.
Mr. Moon.
JPJ
Bowie and Fripp. Yeah, that was Fripp on Heroes.
Lennon
Clarence
The end.
- Spoiler: show
- AUGUST HEAT
The Lineup:
Beck – Vocals / Slide Guitar / 12-String Guitar / Banjo / Sitar / Glockenspeil
Levon Helm – Drums / Percussion / Vocals
Aimee Mann – Bass / Acoustic Guitar / Vocals
Billy Preston – Piano / Electric Piano / Organ / Keyboards / Harpsichord / Accordion
Sara Watkins – Fiddle / Ukulele / Percussion / Vocals
Jack White – Vocals / Guitars / Marimba / Mandolin
Neil Young – Vocals / Guitar / Harmonica
First and foremost, I wanted to assemble a band that I would love listening to -- that I would relish listening to. Drawing on my favorite genres (blues, “grunge”, alternative rock, and country), I wanted to bring together a group of people that epitomized everything I love about those genres, and a group that had at least half a chance of working well together.
When I think about what I love about music (of any genre), I keep coming back to melody, harmony and guitar interplay. My favorite bands have always had multiple guitar players that know how to sing together (Beatles, CSN&Y, The Decemberists, Dixie Chicks, The Mynabirds, etc). Naturally, that was a huge focus for me. I tried to bring together gifted players, but also good to great vocalists who could sound amazing together. And everyone in August Heat understands harmony and has a gift for melody.
Look at the work Young did with CSN&Y. The man has such a unique voice on his own but manages to blend it with the likes of David Crosby and Graham Nash. That’s no small feat. The same can be said of Jack White and his work with Dead Weather and The Raconteurs and Loretta Lynn: a huge, unique voice that can find a home within the harmony.
My next idea was finding breadth within each member. I love bands like The Decemberists that can do folk, country and prog rock, but aren’t afraid to whip out non-traditional rock instruments like the glockenspiel, or the accordion, or the hurdy-gurdy. They manage to create a strange and intoxicating traveling gypsy vibe along with everything they do. And all of those instruments lend themselves well to the kind of aggressive, alternative country-rock, band I wanted to create. I wanted a band that isn't afraid to get into those hard to reach corners. Jack White and Beck are clearly guys who love experimenting with sound. And everyone I drafted is a multi-talent with experience in a wide range of instruments and sounds. Aimee Mann is the straightest line in the group, and that's okay, since her primary responsibilities will be bass, background vocals and songwriting (at which she excels).
I think at the heart, August Heat is an “Alt-Country Rock” band. Which is why Sara Watkins is essential. Having a brilliant fiddle player who knows how to sing (and does so with unabashed soul –- those who saw her on tour with The Decemberists will know what I’m talking about) enhances the definition and draws the ultimate through-line of the band. That fiddle has spirit and that voice has nails. You could build a house on Sara Watson’s voice and gut-punch fiddle playing.
Blues and Country are close cousins by mariage. Having Neil Young who knows dirty country rock better than anyone, paired with Jack White who does alternative blues better than anyone not named Waits, paired with Beck who glides effortlessly between all genres while never taking his foot out of a single one, is the essence of what I was aiming for here.
Billy Preston adds to the blues / funk angle. He’s also one of two dead people in my dream band (Levon Helm being the other). I wanted to limit myself to as many living artists as possible. Not that there’s anything wrong with the deceased in this tourney, it was just one goal for my group. And if I had to have one, who better than Billy Preston and Levon Helm? Both are brilliant musicians and songwriters who got along with big egos. Both helped define the sound of a certain generation and both knew how to rock out with total abandon.
Which brings me to the final ingredient: collaboration. I wanted to be able to imagine my group getting along in a studio and/or on the road for a few shows. These people who know/knew how to work in a group. Neil Young recorded with the likes of Crazy Horse, CSN and Pearl Jam. Jack White has been in three different bands (SO FAR) as well as jamming with The Edge and Jimmy Page. Levon Helm was in The Band and played with Ringo in his all-star band, Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash & Bob Dylan. Preston played with The Beatles, Little Richard (name a bigger personality!), Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and even appeared with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as Eric Clapton. Sara Watkins has played with Nickel Creek and The Decemberists. Aimee Mann is the only band member I have that isn’t known for playing with at least one other band. But her energy and laid back style make her a good fit. It's easy to imagine her singing along with Young on something like Harvest Moon, for example. Her collaboration with Ben Folds and William Shatner, as well as her work with Michael penn on the I Am Sam soundtrack, shows how well her voice and percussion skills can play with other distinguished talents. Plus having her and Sara in the band helps balance out the onslaught of testosterone in August Heat. I wanted as many different points of view as possible, but I also wanted common ground. I think I’ve achieved just that. The pedigree here is nothing short of astounding. And all of these artists have a love for blues, bluegrass, country and aggressive rock and roll. These are super talents with their hearts and tastes orbiting the same galaxy.
I managed to achieve every goal I set out to achieve in this contest and I could not be happier with the result. This is a fucking balls-out band. Super stars, all. I can hear them perform in my head. I can hear their voices blending. I can imagine an album where they each bring several songs to the table (because they are all songwriters) and they all take turns playing different instruments –- because they are all multi-instrumental talents –- and it blows my mind. Imagining Jack on electric guitar for one song and drums on another. Or Beck on banjo for track one and sitar for track twelve. Or how about Preston on organ for track three, but accordion for track six? The possibilities are endless, the tapestry layered, complex and gorgeous. Just imagine the sounds these people could make together. Imagine all those talented voices blending -- White and Young scratching the highs while Beck and Mann hold down the lows. And imagine the full, round production quality. Man! I get excited thinking about this band.
August Heat is a band I would shit my pants to hear and see perform live. They embody everything I love about rock music. I’m proud of my imagination today, team.
And here are some videos of songs that inspired my choices. These were some of the songs I had in mind when I put these fuckers together:
Neil Young & Crazy Horse performing Cinnamon Girl (imagine Jack White on guitar and Beck on vocals w/ Young)
Jack White performing Top Yourself with his female band.
Sara Watkins singing with The Decemberists
Sara Watkins performing Jolene w/ Fiona Apple
Levon Helm playing/singing The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Billy Preston - Will It Go Round In Circles live
Beck being Beck.
Aimee Mann - Humpty Dumpty Live
So there's the band.
August Heat is their name and I think there's nothing quite like 'em.
