[klaatumail] Re: R.I.P. Rob Grill
- From: "Bradley, David" <David_Bradley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'klaatumail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <klaatumail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:56:02 +0000
> Funny you should mention this as there is an 'Old Hippie'
> concert of sorts coming through Phoenix soon. I was
> wondering there how many original members are in attendance.
Considering I had seen the Grassroots when they appeared with the happy
together tour about 25 years ago, and at that time they were simply the night's
backing band with Rob Grill, I was surprised to see he wasn't with them this
time around. Now I know why. HOWEVER, I have to say that they did an amazing
job sounding like him!
> There is also a Foreigner/Journey/Night Ranger show
> coming that I think features none of the original lead singers.
Ah, but there's the rub, they aren't billing them as "lead singer from xyz
band" they are billing them as "xyz band". While the lead singer is what MANY
people would identify the band's sound from, it's certainly NOT the only
criteria.
Klaatu was still Klaatu when they toured without Dee. They played songs Dee
had sang on. Someone else sang them.
You need to always be careful if you're truly concerned that the band has the
original lead singer, or even if you're concerned that they have original
members. The Grassroots that appeared on this tour were NOT the Grassroots if
you base this on whether or not they were in the band when they were originally
together, recording, and having hits. But what if you base it on when they were
originally together after they stopped having hits..... Was Van Halen with
Sammy Hagar still Van Halen? Was Van Halen with singer number 3 that no one
remembers still Van Halen? They never broke up, so yes, they are still Van
Halen. 20 years from NOW when all the original members are dead, that singer
number 3 could legitimately say he is appearing as "Van Halen" and it wouldn't
be a lie. He could say what he wanted because he was in the original band, just
not the original band when it first formed.
I remember seeing a double bill show with The Coasters and Bill Haley's Comets.
The Coasters were guys that had never ever ever played on any of the Coasters
recordings. They had never ever ever played with any of the original members of
the Coasters. It was a farce. As for the next group, they didn't claim to be
The Comets. They didn't claim to be Bill Haley and the Comets. They claimed to
be Bill Haley's Comets. And technically, they were, because before Bill Haley
died he was practicing with a new band that was made up of these guys and they
were going to record and tour together, then Bill died. They are legitimately
able to say they are Bill Haley's Comets.
I thought it was interesting that Mark Lindsay didn't show up on the tour bill
as "Paul Revere And The Raiders". He has the integrity, and the talent, to
bill himself as Mark Lindsay. He did one song from his solo career (Arizona)
and the rest were all Paul Revere hits that he originally sang. He could have
billed himself as the Raiders without anyone complaining. He chose not to.
> On a side note, we were at an auction in
> Yarnell AZ last weekend where they had for
> sale a David Bradley windmill. I think
> the blades were about 6' and the thing
> stood about 50' tall.
It's a fake. My windmill is still at my house and doesn't match those
proportions. <GRIN>
Seriously, 6 foot blades.... wonder if they came from an old David Bradley
tractor! (Yes, that was a legit brand, just like John Deere is....)
http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Tractors/David-Bradley-Tractors.aspx
(my uncle had one, I always got such a kick out of seeing it)
Caveat Emptor indeed.
This email has been written with the original fingers of David Bradley. Whether
or not his original brain is involved is up to the end user to determine.
Dave Bradley
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