https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Ac_rTU62c
testifying to this guy and his guitarso glad i got to see this guy - leading big star through an elgar cover, because they were playing in london, y'know - and bopping around with the box tops (picking up a bass for green onions), looking sixteen years old throughout.
will be blasting CLICHES asap. there will never be another alex.
― we just have to get over it that's science (schlump), Thursday, 18 March 2010 11:22 (fourteen years ago) link
This is so sad. I saw him just last year, fronting the Box Tops at an outdoor street fair. He was charming, engaged, ...happy. It was such a pleasure to see. I'm glad that's my last memory of him. That Box Tops reunion cd, "Tear Off," is a lovely little set of Memphis classics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_0Wwv-BZwo&feature=related
― Thus Sang Freud, Thursday, 18 March 2010 11:25 (fourteen years ago) link
i've only just heard about this - this is such sad news. RIP Alex. :(
― Roz, Thursday, 18 March 2010 11:26 (fourteen years ago) link
first saw him at Folk City (in a series of $3 shows booked by Ira Kaplan) circa '83, last w/ Box Tops in the plaza of the World Trade Center in the summer of 2001. RIP
― Fusty Moralizer (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 18 March 2010 11:38 (fourteen years ago) link
RIP. Some great albums with Big Star, and "September Gurls" will forever remain a true classic.
― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:15 (fourteen years ago) link
I know it's not the first thing on his resume, but I was a huge Cramps fan in the early '80s, so I also automatically associate him with his production work--"production work" (in a good way!)--on Gravest Hits and Songs the Lord Taught Us.
― clemenza, Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:19 (fourteen years ago) link
^ this
― The Oort Locker (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:20 (fourteen years ago) link
"Kangaroo" god... if a song could swoon...
― Roz, Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:29 (fourteen years ago) link
This sucks. I can't believe it.
Big Star was my constant companion during my high school years. Still love them.
― Moodles, Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Watching that Neon Rainbow clip,and the YLT Femme Fatale above, reminds me that not least of the things I loved about Alex was his speaking voice and his haut- bourgeois Memphis enunciation: I can imagine what it did to women.....
― sonofstan, Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:44 (fourteen years ago) link
there was also a crazy video piece that was all doped up footage of Alex Chilton, Jim Dickinson and everyone else who figured into "It Came From Memphis" (amazing book btw) xpost re eggleston exhibit
― dmr, Thursday, 18 March 2010 04:55 (7 hours ago) Permalink
Memphis writer Robert Gordon (not the singer) put that together for the "It Came From Memphis" book tour he did. Awesome footage of all kinds of Memphis-related stuff including if I remember correctly--a local Memphis tv news feature on Chilton producing the Cramps. I don't think Gordon(who has also done work on music docs for PBS and others now) could ever get the rights from all involved to release that video collection. In DC there were just a handful of us there at that bookstore watching the video and we were all mesmerized.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:54 (fourteen years ago) link
Anything to do with the video stills on the "Like Flies On Sherbert" sleeve?
― The Oort Locker (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:56 (fourteen years ago) link
thanks alex
― neurological bandwidth doctor (Hunt3r), Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:57 (fourteen years ago) link
x-post. Don't remember. There's the Eggleston home movie footage and photos and there's the Robert Gordon home-made comp of Memphis musicians stuff that he acquired over the years. Don't recall everything Gordon included.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 March 2010 13:14 (fourteen years ago) link
I had to poke around a bit, but here's Rob Sheffield's recollection of meeting Renee Christ from Love Is a Mix Tape:
"Renee and I met at a bar called the Eastern Standard in Charlottesville, Virginia. I had just moved there to study English in grad school. Renee was a fiction writer in the MFA program. I was sitting with my poet friend Chris at a table in the back when I fell under the spell of Renee's bourbon-baked voice. The bartender put on Big Star's Radio City. Renee was the only other person in the room who perked up. We started talking about how much we loved Big Star. It turned out we had the same favorite Big Star song--the acoustic ballad "Thirteen." She'd never heard their third album, Sister Lovers. So, naturally, I told her the same thing I'd told every other woman I'd ever fallen for: 'I'll make you a tape!'"
― clemenza, Thursday, 18 March 2010 13:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Crist, not Christ.
― clemenza, Thursday, 18 March 2010 13:19 (fourteen years ago) link
One thing listening to Chilton has meant for me, over the years, is becoming aware of how different my understanding of what an artist is doing, and where she's coming from, may differ from the artist's self-understanding. He's been tapping into something different than my own pop trajectory---not just more personal, though of course that, but also different musical and even pop traditions. This is pretty obvious for someone from Latin America or even Europe, but I was raised in the South, but still in such a different musical place than him. So when I listen to him I wonder if I'm hearing what he thought I'd hear, or what he wanted me to hear. To me he came to seem more more alien as I became more aware of my own pop understanding, and the promise of following him back to his homeworld remains an elusive hope.
― Most important performer of our generation: (Euler), Thursday, 18 March 2010 13:24 (fourteen years ago) link
including if I remember correctly--a local Memphis tv news feature on Chilton producing the Cramps
sounds cool. what I was talking about though (what was in the Eggleston exhibit) was the Stranded in Canton movie Hatch linked to upthread
― dmr, Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:10 (fourteen years ago) link
One of the disadvantages to listening to NPR so early is hearing the announcement of someone's death that casts a pall over the whole morning.
RIP
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:22 (fourteen years ago) link
http://chuckprophet.com/blog/alex_chilton/
― can it compete with the wagon wheel (Eazy), Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:36 (fourteen years ago) link
That opening line!
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:44 (fourteen years ago) link
totally shocked to see this last night. major bummer. RIP crazy dude, you made some beautiful stuff.
― famous for hating everything (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:14 (fourteen years ago) link
all the westerberg quotes remind me what a perfect song about alex chilton it is. at least he got the eulogy he deserved. (and while he was alive to hear it, too.)
― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:15 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm not crazy about Westerberg's solo on that song – my only quibble.
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:22 (fourteen years ago) link
many xposts... found the interview where he refers to it as "That $70 Show"
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/alexchilton/articles/story/5923511/alex_chilton_set_to_go
― sofatruck, Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:24 (fourteen years ago) link
Another fan of the story of the young Steve Shasta hearing the group named after a Memphis grocery store whilst in another Memphis-based grocery store.
― Ole Rastaquouère (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:25 (fourteen years ago) link
OK, I am a slow responder. I heard about this last night but it is just starting to sink in.
― Ole Rastaquouère (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:43 (fourteen years ago) link
all the stories on this thread are making me tear up a bit
― famous for hating everything (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:59 (fourteen years ago) link
Brett Eugene Ralph, author, louisville punk, member of Fading Out and Rising Shotgun on Chilton:
"To ease the ache, I'll tell a story about the first time I saw Alex Chilton play. It was in Louisville, at Uncle Pleasant's, in the summer of 1988. I remember it being a banner night for music in Louisville; besides Chilton, Dwight Yoakam was playing on the Belvedere and Die Kreuzen was over at Tewligan's.
Chilton was backed by an unspectacular rhythjm section. The show was about half fantastically inspired and half workmanlike boogie chestnuts (I remember Chilton's take on "Young Blood" being among the highlights). About forty minutes into the set, they went into "The Letter." During the second verse, someone bumped into Chilton's microphone, and it popped him in the mouth. "I'm not losing any teeth over you fuckers," Chilton hissed and stalked off the stage. Everybody, including Chilton's band mates, looked at one another in disbelief.
Twenty minutes went by. Maybe a half hour. I asked the bass player if he thought they'd play anymore. "I don't know, man," he said. "Alex sounded pretty pissed off." Chilton sat at the bar with not another person in the packed bar within fifteen feet of him.
After 45 minutes, Chilton made his way back to the stage. Seemingly, he'd gotten over it. "Sorry about that," he said, "but when you get to be my age, you get pretty attached to your teeth." He glanced at the drummer. "We'll try to pick up where we left off . . ."
And then, so help me God, he counted off and they went into "The Letter" in the middle of the second verse--right where they'd stopped nearly an hour ago.
Bravo, Mr. Chilton. Bravo."
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 16:04 (fourteen years ago) link
this still hasnt sunk in yet
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 18 March 2010 16:06 (fourteen years ago) link
ripno idea why this is making me feel as bad as it is, but then again I've never really been able to understand mourning
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 18 March 2010 16:21 (fourteen years ago) link
loved this story quoted on the awl today -
Paul: My favorite tale is from Our Band Could Be Your Life, when he shut down Gibby Haynes's rampage through the Netherlands:
Moments later a man entered the dressing room and asked if he could borrow a guitar. “BORROW A GUITAR??!!! WELL, WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU???!!! [Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers] screamed, eyes flashing in delirious anticpation of forthcoming violence. But the man was totally unfazed.
“I’m Alex Chilton,” the man answered calmly.
Haynes was flabbergasted. After a long pause, he methodically opened the remaining guitar cases one by one and gestured at them as if to say, “Take anything you want.”
― just sayin, Thursday, 18 March 2010 16:34 (fourteen years ago) link
"i'm alex chilton"
^^wow <3
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 16:38 (fourteen years ago) link
that is just awesome.
Still can't really believe it. Just seems like someone will say, "nah, just kidding"Emailed my dad the news cause he was a big fan of the Box Tops. "That's life" he replied.
― Nathalie (stevienixed), Thursday, 18 March 2010 16:56 (fourteen years ago) link
OK, another story. I was at CBGB, where Chilton was playing in his trio w/ Chris Stamey. Before his set he was crouched down on the stage, making adjustments to his amp. Assuming he was a roadie, someone asked him "Is this guy Alex Chilton any good?" Chilton gave him a smile and said (paraphrasing, forgive me, this was a long time ago), "Yeah, y'know, he's alright. Sometimes he drinks too much, but he's usually pretty good." And went back to his adjustments.
― Thus Sang Freud, Thursday, 18 March 2010 16:57 (fourteen years ago) link
^^^ Great story! I did that once (mistook a band's bass player for a roadie and then started criticizing the band!)
― Pierced nose! Performs improv! (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Here's a toast to the greatest high school memory maker I've ever known.
― Captain Ahab, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:04 (fourteen years ago) link
holy shit! alex made congress: http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/ID/221212&start=1596&end=1715
― zingzing, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:38 (fourteen years ago) link
RIP a lot
― 69, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:39 (fourteen years ago) link
holy s--t want to vote for rep. steve cohen ASAP.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:43 (fourteen years ago) link
used to have this one as 12" ep, great track called 'wild kingdom' on the second side:
http://www.vinylmoon.com/activos/maxis/chiltonsex.jpg
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:49 (fourteen years ago) link
he sorry that was meant for the chilton vinyl thread
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:50 (fourteen years ago) link
http://cohen.house.gov/
And the Chilton tribute is already featured on the page.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Awesome
― The Oort Locker (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:55 (fourteen years ago) link
"That's life" he replied.
I like this. It's not as dismissive at it sounds at first.
― kenan, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:55 (fourteen years ago) link
rough year for memphis rockers of a certain ilk. dickinson, reatard, chilton. so sad.
― Brio, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:58 (fourteen years ago) link
steven cohen is one of my favorite reps in all of the house, even before the chilton thing, what a bro
― max, Thursday, 18 March 2010 17:58 (fourteen years ago) link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8574554.stm
― zingzing, Thursday, 18 March 2010 18:19 (fourteen years ago) link
wkiw steven cohen
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 18:40 (fourteen years ago) link
Wow, that was a really moving speech from Rep. Cohen. Pretty choked up right now.
― Moodles, Thursday, 18 March 2010 18:43 (fourteen years ago) link