As Time Goes By with Echo

"The Spotnicks - the first 45 years", is a great documentary book ( 450 pages) by Lars Åkerström.

The story began 1958 in Gothenburg,...and during the time when the book was published (2004), the Spotnicks were still very active. With over 18 million records sold, many long lasting tours abroad, this is one of Sweden´s most succesful popularmuisc exports ever.

It was the first group managing to climb the charts in England (1963). Followed by France, Mexico, Japan... (Like the Beatles they had played in Germany for months, before...)

Many pictures in the book also covers up; the unique story, of how it just happened in some natural order. Just looking at the many colourful record covers, from different parts of the world is a pleasure.

Remarkably, it was possible in the 1960ties, for a (world)wide audience play melody rather strictly. The (electric guitar) sound was still new, that echo...., ( it was almost listening to soundtracks from movies....). In these times the electric guitar was still a kind of monster in the terms of classical guitar education, you just couldn´t study it in music high schools, and the conflict many places continued over decades.

Lead guitarist of the Spotnicks, Bo Winberg, was early (1957) inspired by the records of Les Paul (and met him in the spring 2004...).

As a kid myself, I thought that Les Paul had long fingers,... something spiderlike, - later I understood that he was one of the influential pioneers of the solidbody guitar, and new recording techniques. A few years later I heard the Shadows (with Cliff ) live. Still my brain gives some shady colour pictures of the occasion. Late spring, outdoors.

After that, not really my conscious part of the brain working, it was just that: "I wanna have guitar".

In that case I understand young people of today, ...you don´t really understand it, all the surroundings - but you want. Maybe it´s like sex...., excuse me, not technically, ...but maybe spiritually.

Very naturalistic

The Celtic Harp - by John Loesberg
CD edition
published by Ossian Publications, 8/9 Frith Street, London WID 3JB, UK

What a nice sound, can immediately be related to the classical guitar,... but, here with "better" basslines.... (If you dont´ "solve" your great polyphonic problems in a guitar duo)

Some of the pieces are well known by classical guitarists. For example Kemp´s Jig sounds here relaxed, in a way I think agrees with ancient times. For an outsider it´s good to get a kind of summary of categories; Irish, Welsh, Breton, Scottish, English, Cornish, Manx...

Yes, I have often felt that guitarists been a bit hysterical. Maybe it´s because of the competition, no one wants to be a slowhand, in the real sense of the word. In general, the tempo in the media today for example, tendence to give up-tempo -stressed attitudes. Of course traces are found in art.

Already a few decades ago; talkin bout classical solo guitar; ....metallic, long sounding, new bass strings,....modern experiments , but with romantic echo...., just like in a castle .... no real polyrythmics
How honest is that? The lonely boy eating cakes? Macho-Mucho?

If you play folkmusic on the guitar you must basically be simple and honest, no more. Guitarists can in general learn something from The Celtic Harp, - it´s about the natural and social thing ....,

NO COMMENTS

http://www.musicgadgets.net/2006/05/08/top-20-strangest-guitars

"FOLKVISA" (Sweden)

Older swedish folksongs (with lyrics of course...) are called "Folkvisa". They are still more or less known, at least for the older generation. These tunes were common in every school´s songbook.
You find more of these, and folk tunes in general, on
http://drtaboola.blogspot.com

Classical Signs

Please Shudup your´e Hooligan-yelling... and study the signs.

There are absolutely worse ideas.

(Photo: Patrik Leonardsson)

Future Show(-s,-er)

Hello Guitar Lovers,

Some Tab is coming up, so far mainly on the neighbour http://hvemsida.blogspot.com.

I´ve been wondering if there´s a good reason to open up New Blog (in this Blogger area),

W I T H O N L Y T A B S ....,but I dunno, I dunno.

But why me?

"That´s because you are dedicated to work UN-payed"

Anyway.

Now it began on.......

http://drtaboola.blogspot.com

Check it up!

You are the winner, I´m the looser.

the SPANISH JOB

"Writing Down Flamenco"

Flamenco is an art-form which traditionally does not use written notation. Many readers must, therefore, wonder about the authenticity and accuracy of the transcritions of Juan Martin´s music into staff notation and tablature (cifra). The approach adopted here was designed to preserve as much as possible the vital spontaneity of Juan´s playing and to avoid simplification or distrortion in showing how Flamenco is actually played.

After the main outlines of the Method had been decided upon, he played and tape-recorded the pieces impromptu, most of them in just one and very inspired session. In this way he linked together many melodic falsetas and rhythmic passages of rasgueo into pieces suitable for a progressive introduction to guitar techniques as well as for solo performance. Next, the music was transcribed from the tape-recording into notation and cifra. Some further sections were recorded and transcribed separately in order to complete the coverage of basic techniques and essential toques.

Working now from the basis of the transcriptions and the recordings, Juan memorised the pieces as he had originally played them and re-recorded them for the cassette to go with the book. Both during and after the re-recording at EMI´s studios the transcriptions were checked through again note by note to ensure that they correspond as exactly as possible to the final recording you will hear.

P.C. " (signature)

No wonder this is still the best tutorial flamenco book, crossed my way; EL ARTE FLAMENCO DE LA GUITARRA, by JUAN MARTIN. United Music Publishers Ltd., 1978.

It went back to basic flamenco traditions, more understandable for the outsider than ever.

DJANGO REINHARDT

"Jean Baptiste (Django) Reinhardt 1910-1953.

Guitarist/Composer born to gypsy parents in Belgium. Though he never attended a day of school -he could barely write his name-he possessed the qualities of a prince and the gifts of a genius. At the age of 18 he lost the use of two fingers on his left hand when he was severely burned in a fire. As a result of this accident, he devised an entirely new approach to the guitar, creating a voice for the instrument that is unsurpassed even today."

"The creation of the QHCF was direct result of the Hot Club of France´s search for an all-French musical group to represent their organization. This small society of French jazz enthusiasts was spearheaded by Hugues Panassie and then nurtured by Charles Delaunay. Primarly, they entertained themselves by playing and studying imported American jazz records, but in a effort to increase their activities they began to promote jazz concerts. Initially drawing from the visiting American musicans and the modest but growing school of French jazz players, they presented their first concert in May of 1933. Django Reinhardt had come to the attention of the society in the spring of 1933, and it was in that winter that he began to be featured at their concerts, in mid-1934, while backstage during a performance at an afternoon tea-dance.

Django and Stephane Grappelli (whom he met at the end of 1931) began to improvise on the jazz standards of the day such as Dinah, Lady Be Good and Tiger Rag. These impromptu sessions grew into a daily practise (with three acoustic guitars, bass and violin) and led to the making of an audition record in September 1934."

"Due to the efforts of Duke Ellington in October 1946, Django made his first and only appearance in the U.S. (Oct.1946-Jan.1947). Ellington, who first met Reinhardt in 1939, was anxious to have Django return to the States with him then, but the outbreak of war prevented this. It wasn´t until seven years later that the fabulous gypsy arrived in N.Y.C. and performed a series of concerts as a guest soloist with the Ellington Orchestra. Not having brought his trusty Selmer guitar from Europe, Django was forced to use an American Gibson amplified guitar. Recordings made during a concert in Chicago reveal Django to be quite at home with the instrument, even utilizing the sustaining power which the amplified guitar possesses. For recordings and apperances from 1947 through 1950, Django performed intermittently on the amplified guitar, opting at times to use his acoustic instrument.

It wasn´t until 1951 that he exclusively played his amplified instrument (the Selmer with a pickup), using this voice to express his "new" ideas and repertoire in the 1950s world of "modern" jazz. "

Source: THE DJANGO REINHARDT ANTHOLOGY , Jewel Music Publishing 1984. Mike Peters/Dan Fox. In this informative book is also mentioned the existence of THE DJANGO REINHARDT SOCIETY 25-38 76th street, Jackson Heights, N.Y. 11370. More information is surely today to be found on Internet.

Festival Coming in Adelaide

WHY JOHN RENBOURN ?

At least 300 full-moons ago, when living in Malmö (Malmoe), in the southerns of Sweden, I happened to borrow some written music for guitar made by John Renbourn. During this time I was very much into study the classical guitar and improve my sight-reading to new heights. I can never regret the procedure.

I found John Renbourns guitar music immediately interesting. Later I got copies of some more, but as a mother of fact, still in this day, I have not heard so many of them in recorded versions. So, and but, how it´s written on paper, can have the power of surviving. Like in the older classical music tradition, when there were no studios. No electricty. No Corn-Flakes. Touring took years, with boat, horse and wagon.

John Renbourn appeared to me broadly, through his pieces, of course with even greater links to folkmusic traditions. Comparing with other "modern" stuff written for the classical guitar, this was for me truly interesting beacuse of connections to classical from different ages, but also some blues/ popmusic of the time, and seemed mostly done with relatively freedom in form.

When I´m playing with right hand fingers, I usually do it on nylonstrings. I think most of the tunes were originally played on steel, "all people know" there´s a difference. So, I´ve practised them as nylonguitar tunes; Ladye Nothynges Toye Puffe, Lady and the Unicorn, Lady goes to church, A Day at the Seaside, ...., to mention some of the prints.

But it´s not only about tricky sologuitarplaying. It´s a must to study his accompaniaments in the songs., if you are to fingerpickin delights.

From John Renbourns Biography chapter one, I found in 2003;

"In Britain in the late fifties the musical craze was for "Skiffle", an amalgam of American folk, bluegrass and jugband styles. The big hit was "Freight Train" which drew attention to Elisabeth Cotten´s original, as well as to the work of such musicians as Leadbelly, Jesse Fuller, Josh White, Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee and Ramblin´ Jack Elliot. These players all came over to England and their guitar styles left a strong impression on a generation of young skifflers. As soon as I left school I went hitchhiking, and met up with others trying to play like them. Mac McCloud, Gerry Lockran, Mike Softly and Wizz Jones were already well on the way, and were all i awe of Davey Graham."

http://www.john-renbourn.com

FROM ONE OF...

...my secret agents (Adelaide, Australia)

(Click for larger)

COOL EVENING

(Decembers Short-Cut Ticket)

If you got some money for christmas, let me give you a hand with those parcels.
The last day of the year means fireworks, originally an cultivated idea from China, which in western world nowdays means war between youngsters who still don´t really know about the wonder of washing their own underpants. Tomorrow I read in the newspapers about the damages.
How many dead? How many got just got rockets in their head? How many fingers lost?
Yes, it´s just like in the old MAD comic books. Here in the DRIVE MY GUITAR area, everything is more serious. If you this evening are invited to an elegant restaurant uptown, don´t miss the opportunity to appear on stage. I suggest, Good Year rubber is the best for your shoes an evening like this, you jump up on stage un-invited in tight trashy bluejeans and give Chuck Berry´s old tune some new energy.
I promise you are the surprise of the evening!
Dont forget to take your git-axe with you, I mean the Teleboxer 19566-66-Gold with extra bazookas.

Too Much Monkey Business
Runnin´ to and fro, hard workin´ at the mill,
Never fails in the mail, there comes a rotten bill.

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Salesman talkin´ to me, try´n´, to run me up a creek,
Said, "You can buy it, go on, try it, You can pay me next week!" Arrgh,,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Blonde hair, good lookin´, try´n´´ to get me hooked,
Wants me to marry, get a home, Settle down, write a book! Arrgh,,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Same thing, ev´ry day, gettin´ up, goin´ to school,
No need of me complainin´, My objections overruled! Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.
Pay phone, somethin´´ wrong, dime gone, will mail,
Oughta sue the op´rator for tellin´ me a tale! Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Been to Yokohama, been fightin´ in the war,
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car! Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Workin´ in the fillin´ station, Too many tasks,
"Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas?!!!" Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

This rocker song, from MCMLVI (1956), from one of the truly first musicbooks I bought with own money (from the HAGSTROM music shop in this small town), way back, way back...., way back, - has maybe been recorded by hundreds, as many of Chuck Berry´s tunes. At the time I thought, by learning to read the music very carefully I will sound like Chuck ... Picture is from that book, young upcoming artist....., later, influential giant on the R&B scene. The energy.. Give the guitarsolo a shot . Backbeat. Always some blues. Boogiejazzy.
Chuck Berry´s have entertained so many.

AT LAST, WORKING DAY

HEARING THE LYRICS

For decades, I wondered,... is the true version;
"My baby drew up,....in a brandnew......Cadillac".....
or this "My baby grew up,....in a brandnew....Cadillac"?
Few years back I saw it written on paper, maybe the answer of this BIG QUESTION;
"My baby drove up...., in a brandnew...Cadillac".
That´s supposingly the true version, but do they all really sing that?
In Sweden we also have the a little bit confusing version, when the story goes, directly translated:
"My baby took up.....a brandnew.....Caviar"!
But,..... is it Russian or Persian? No doubt, it´s about the cheaper form of caviar, sold in tubes, well known in this country.

LATEST NEWS from AUSTRALIA

com´n air-heads
your time has come!

NOVEMBER´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

As I mentioned before, they do it boys, tired of your dominant attitudes.

http://www.alarmare.se/index.php?info=viewCategory&id=2

But anyhow, I´ve never noticed that music/sound activities would be for men only..., many times I don´t understand the problem.
I think the problem is not mainly about music, it´s about something else, about how the society works.

http://drivemyguitar.blogspot.com/2006/04/they-are-coming.html

WILLIAM GOES TO PICTURES

One day Williams´ aunt, Mrs Smith, dressed up like a Christmas tree, gave him a shilling for posting a letter for her and carrying her parcels from the grocer´s. - Buy some sweets or go to to the Pictures, she said as she gave it to him. As the Cinema ticket cost only sixpence, William bought som sweets with the other sixpence. He choose two bottles of Soda Pop and one cake of Chocolate of the Swiss brand.
Still he got a halfpenny twopence, if you count in Danish. William was not in the habit of going to the Picture Palaces. He had only been there once before in his life. It was an interesting programme.
First came the story of two guitar-thieves, who on coming out of a house full of semi-accoustic guitars were pursued by two policemen. They jumped on to a moving mystery train, and then jumped from that on to a moving easy rider motor-cycle, and from that they jumped into a moving jetplane.
The next play was a comedy, an American film. It began with a man playing guitar alone upstairs in his bedroom, but ended with a crowd of people, all covered with records and posters, falling downstairs on top of one another. It was awfully funny.
When the play was over, William hurried out of the Picture Palace and ran down the road, the lonesome road. He took a banana from his pocket and, using it as a pistol, fired twice. Two of his pursuers (not real ones!) fell dead, the rest came on. There was no time to be lost. Running for his dear life, he rushed down dead end street and, still looking back and firing as he went, he ran into his own gateway.
William´s father, Mr Smith, who had stayed at home that day because of a bad headache, after to many drinks a few hours earlier at China Bar, picked himself up from the middle of a rose-bush and seized William by back of his neck.
- What do you mean by running into me like that?!, he shouted.
- I was only just coming in at the gate, said William.
- Be quiet! And go to bed at once!

This story shows that William have a interest for guitar playing, but not too much opportunity to practise it himself. His father, Mr Smith, drink too much and Mrs. Smith, former top-model of the Vogue magazine, is kind but not really understanding, of the fact that William now is grown-up man. If kids are in the age of thirty-one, it´s not to late to learn them about the bird and the bees. But most important of all, they need guitars. Maybe Black, maybe mystery shaped.
In Europe they almost not make cheap mystery guitars any more, they come from the east. But quality can be amazingly good! (That was already said in the 1970-ies...)

B L U E S Y

I hate to see
the evening sun go down
I hate to see
the evening sun go down
´Cause my baby
he done left this town
(St.Louis Blues)

Look here, sweet mama,
See what you have done,
You mad me love you, now your regular man done come.
(Trouble in mind)

It has been days, didn´t know your name
Why should I worry myself in vain
But now she´s gone, I don´t worry,
I´m sitting on top of the world.
(Sitting on Top of the World)

If you don´t like my ocean, don´t fish in my sea.
If you don´t like my ocean, don´t fish in my sea.
Stay out of my valley, let my mountain be.
(Don´t fish in my sea)

Born under a bad sign,
Been down since I began to crawl
If it wasn´t for bad luck,
You know, I wouldn´t have no luck at all.
(Born Under a Bad Sign)

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE ?

"Hi! I am Nina. To talk about my personal qualities I`l try to look at myself from aside. So I`m a romantic, charming, feminine, and sweet girl. Yet as a person I am open-minded, easy-going, kind-hearted. From the very beginning I try to behave naturally. I dislike lie and hypocrisy. Kindness and decency are the qualities that are very important for me and that`s why I value them in myself. I love my parents very much as they have given much to me and I am grateful to them. I have some questions for you if you want to get to know me closer: * Why are you interested in Russian lady? * Are you interested in serious relations with Russian woman? * I will be waiting for your reply to * Have you ever been to Russia? * Would you like to correspond or to talk by phone? * What is important for you in relations and am I right for you? * Are you planning to visit Russia? mailto: X X X
Hope you will tell me about yourself, kisses from Russia, Nina

I´m sorry Nina, this is not the way. I don´t like automatic love letters. Most of the advertising mail in the box is more unpersonal than yours, dangerous too, but ... one klick and my computer is invaded by some p-shop and gambling hostel activities. And you don´t seem to know about Alfred E. Neumann? Read what the comic book sez. And know some musical workshop like chewing gum. You must have some music talk if you make the walk. You are too far from the target. But I have some russian guitar music books, which reminds me; to cover it on this blog later. That´s the result of your automatic letter.

Today: SOUND EFFECTS

"You can blow up the balloon in private and then let the air out in public, keeping the balloon hidden under your coat." That´s one classical trick ( used by balloonplayers).

I read in the Old Book, about William; "He couldn´t keep it blown up for ever. He had to let the air out som time. He couldn´t help it making noise when the air went out. It was the way it was made. He hadn´t made it. On his way to school he saw an old gentleman in the front of him. He blew up the balloon and held it under his Black-Rubber T-shirt. Then, as he passed the old gentleman, he let it off. The old gentleman gave a jump into the air and looked angrily around. He looked at the small innocent-looking, kick-boxing schoolboy, who was armed with 4 knifes and 2 shot-guns, and then at the upper windows of the houses.
The boy hurried on to the next gentleman. He had quite a happy walk to school. School was at first very succesful. But the mathematics master found the balloon and took it away from him. "I hope", said his father at lunch, "that they have taken away that balloon of yours". William replied sadly that they had"

From this story we can learn, don´t play with sound effects too much. If your amp for example have Reverb with stormy weather, destroy the world with no Delay, or Flanger with special danger, it could be better if you learn for example the C chord first. Ask your neighbour how to put your fingers (not in his wallet).