whoah
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:01 (fourteen years ago) link
hopeful thought: wtf is "commercialappeal.com"
sad thought: quoted source is jody stephens :(
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:02 (fourteen years ago) link
ohhhh man. massive bummer.
xpost - the Commercial Appeal is a serious Memphis newspaper
― dmr, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:03 (fourteen years ago) link
this really sucksrip
― velko, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:05 (fourteen years ago) link
ah really? damn.
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:05 (fourteen years ago) link
Pretty sure the Commercial Appeal is a real deal newspaper
RIP
xpost
― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:05 (fourteen years ago) link
you've gotta be kidding ....
― tylerw, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:06 (fourteen years ago) link
This is one of those musician deaths where, though I didn't know him personally, it very much feels like a friend dying.
:-(
― Cunga, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:06 (fourteen years ago) link
aw fuck no
― Stormy Davis, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:06 (fourteen years ago) link
no no no
― TNTiger: we know sexy (k3vin k.), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:07 (fourteen years ago) link
that linked article suddenly became way more fleshed-out btw :(
― Stormy Davis, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:08 (fourteen years ago) link
damn I just put on #1 Record
"Feel like I'm dyin' ... I'm never gonna live again ... "
― dmr, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:08 (fourteen years ago) link
So terribly sad if it's true.
― A. Begrand, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:08 (fourteen years ago) link
ripone of the greats
― iatee, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:08 (fourteen years ago) link
listening to "Stroke It, Noel" right now...kinda want to cry.
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:10 (fourteen years ago) link
am crying
― Stormy Davis, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:12 (fourteen years ago) link
it's not on wiki yet i noticed
― lukevalentine, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Holy shit I hope this isn't true.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:13 (fourteen years ago) link
It sounds true.
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:14 (fourteen years ago) link
no no no. this can't be real.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:14 (fourteen years ago) link
oh man too sad
― scott seward, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:14 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah somebody put the death date on wiki like 20 mins ago. but it's not in the body of the article
― Stormy Davis, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:14 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, it's on the edit page but not the main body
― lukevalentine, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:14 (fourteen years ago) link
Commercial Appeal is a legit daily in Memphis tho btw
― lukevalentine, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:15 (fourteen years ago) link
no, wtf? Isn't Big Star playing at sxsw?
― antexit, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:15 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrXM7fKKlR0
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:15 (fourteen years ago) link
oh no
― First and Last and Safeways (jjjusten), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:16 (fourteen years ago) link
Bob Mehr is a legit journalist... sure he wouldn't just make up a quote from Jody Stephens
― Stormy Davis, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:16 (fourteen years ago) link
His Big Star bandmate Jody Stephens confirmed the news this evening. Chilton had been scheduled to perform with Big Star on Saturday as part at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
― dmr, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:16 (fourteen years ago) link
fuck...i guess the mods can take the question marks out. :(
― snorgfaced germans (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:17 (fourteen years ago) link
so sadthis is awful, but inevitable i guess
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:18 (fourteen years ago) link
"If he died in Memphis, then that'd be cool, babe."
He didn't, it ain't.
Crank it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTSJYZyouek
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:19 (fourteen years ago) link
fuck.
― Mr. Que, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:29 (fourteen years ago) link
^ this. ;_;
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:31 (fourteen years ago) link
RIP invisible man who could sing in a visible voice. This really is heartbreaking.
― kenan, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Still my vote for the #1 song of all under 2 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD9mCp8SifM
― kenan, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:33 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC0Wa3P_dO0
― iatee, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:34 (fourteen years ago) link
:(
― Turangalila, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:39 (fourteen years ago) link
My small obit.
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:40 (fourteen years ago) link
holy fucking shit! i actually thought he would live forever
― Melvin van Osterlow, Jr. (res), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:41 (fourteen years ago) link
this sounds a bit like goodbyein a way it is i guessas i leave your sidei've taken the airtake care, please, take care
― Bastards of Young Dro, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:41 (fourteen years ago) link
This is horribly sad news.
― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:43 (fourteen years ago) link
― I request "Fireflies" (dyao), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:44 (fourteen years ago) link
:( :( :( RIP time to play some Big Star
― sleeve, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:45 (fourteen years ago) link
oh, fuck
no
― Religious Embolism (WmC), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:45 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL67lMDNzp0
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:46 (fourteen years ago) link
This is "punched in the gut" sad.
― ô_o (Nicole), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:46 (fourteen years ago) link
goddamn, Mark Linkous and now Chilton, this is a rough month
― Whiney for No Apparent Reason (some dude), Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:46 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF8fnoA1VNM
― Mr. Que, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:47 (fourteen years ago) link
― ô_o (Nicole)
^ This. I didn't expect to cry this afternoon.
― kenan, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:48 (fourteen years ago) link
that's a cover iirc
― Whats with all the littering? (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 25 March 2010 22:40 (fourteen years ago) link
it's loudon wainwright ... chilton's version is fab though.
― tylerw, Thursday, 25 March 2010 22:45 (fourteen years ago) link
wow I never knew that, damn bootlegs
― sleeve, Thursday, 25 March 2010 23:03 (fourteen years ago) link
If only:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BIG-STAR-3-ORIGINAL-ARDENT-PRESS-ALEX-CHILTON-PSYCH_W0QQitemZ120549693091QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item1c115256a3
― PaulTMA, Monday, 29 March 2010 15:34 (fourteen years ago) link
Robyn Hitchcock weighs in. I like the idea of these guys hanging out.
It's difficult to accept that Alex Chilton is gone and won't be back.He was always around, in his wry, low-key way, decorating the musicworld with his casual brilliance. From Norway to San Francisco to Milanhe would be standing out there by the flight cases to greet you withhis quizzical smile. He had something of the ex-patriot in him: even athome in the US, he seemed like a gentleman visiting from the past, mostcomfortable on the fringe of things. His refusal to stand centre-stagein Big Star was typical of this: he was too big a star to need to proveit, perhaps. The fount of indie-rock stems from him as much as from Arthur Lee, TheVelvet Underground, and Syd Barrett. His lack of interest in stardomand all the steps up to it was, and will be, a constant inspiration tomany of us, as much as his sweet, dark, soulful music. Myriad musicalroads met in Alex, and he diverted their course to his own artisticpurposes with much grace and few illusions. All of us who knew of himwill want to join me in sending our thoughts and condolences to Laura,his wife, and Jody Stephens, his collaborator of 40-odd years. He and I enjoyed many smoky moments over the years. it's sad andperplexing to think that there'll be no more. Last time I saw him wewere exhaling out of a window in Shepherd's Bush after the triumphantBig Star gig there in 2008. I can't believe he's not here any more.Alex? Alex?
― tylerw, Monday, 29 March 2010 15:40 (fourteen years ago) link
that tracklist on that Ardent/Stax pressing is totally bizarre:
Side 1:1. Stroke it, Noel2. Take Downs 3. Femme Fatale (Lou Reed)4. Thank You Friends5. Holocaust6. Jesus Christ 7. Blue MoonSIDE 2 :1. Kizza Me 2. For You (Jody Stephens) 3. O, Dana 4. Nighttime5. Whole lot of shakin' goin' on (David / Williams) 6. Kanga Roo 7. Take Care
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Monday, 29 March 2010 16:00 (fourteen years ago) link
second side seems solid -- except that they've got "whole lotta shakin" smack dab in the middle. Inappropriate!
― tylerw, Monday, 29 March 2010 16:05 (fourteen years ago) link
i guess i'm just mystified by the variety of odd sequences available and Alex never committed to one either...
― ✌.✰|ʘ‿ʘ|✰.✌ (Steve Shasta), Monday, 29 March 2010 16:09 (fourteen years ago) link
that tracklist is pretty much the same as my copy
― just sayin, Monday, 29 March 2010 20:48 (fourteen years ago) link
Hey, this 1978 KUT session almost definitely isn't 1978, right? He talks about Chris Bell in the past tense ("Chris was a homosexual. That's why we had to break up.") but Chris died at the very end of 1978. Also the people heard laughing at his comments couldn't possibly have been comfortable with this so soon after his death. When is this from?
― Melvin van Osterlow, Jr. (res), Monday, 29 March 2010 23:16 (fourteen years ago) link
it's referred to in the Big Star Jovanovic book, which, unfortunately I do not have at hand at the moment
― Whats with all the littering? (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 29 March 2010 23:36 (fourteen years ago) link
it's from 1978. i think he's just talking in the past tense about Big Star -- Bell was still alive at that point ...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 30 March 2010 00:23 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2010/04/post_7.html
― iiiijjjj, Thursday, 8 April 2010 03:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Great story. And this part!
He tuned in to deejay Joe Hastings on classical station WWNO 89.9 FM and stayed up all night watching television. “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “Touched by an Angel” fascinated him; he taught himself the “Walker” theme music on guitar.
The power of Chuck Norris (who IIRC wrote said theme).
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 8 April 2010 03:43 (fourteen years ago) link
Wow, Keith Spera did a great job with that piece. Lots of fascinating anecdotes and also some sad ones.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 8 April 2010 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, nice article! thanks for posting.
― tylerw, Thursday, 8 April 2010 21:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Nice piece - the detail about not having insurance hurts.
― sonofstan, Thursday, 8 April 2010 21:58 (fourteen years ago) link
That's what stuck with me too. But I wonder if it was that he couldn't afford it, which would be appalling, or that he didn't prioritize it or chose to accept whatever came.
― dad a, Thursday, 8 April 2010 22:27 (fourteen years ago) link
I guess - but you have to understand that, from a European perspective, not going to hospital with chest pains because you couldn't afford it simply wouldn't arise.
― sonofstan, Thursday, 8 April 2010 23:13 (fourteen years ago) link
and that's the grim truth
― robert bly is mrs. doubtfire? (Matt P), Thursday, 8 April 2010 23:14 (fourteen years ago) link
via @KenStringfellow Another sad loss for Big Star fans as Andy Hummel passes away after long illness.
RIP if true!
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 19 July 2010 21:40 (thirteen years ago) link
ugh, really? that sucks. amazing bass player imo.
― tylerw, Monday, 19 July 2010 21:49 (thirteen years ago) link
WTFFFFFFUCK
― Major Lolzer (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 19 July 2010 21:50 (thirteen years ago) link
It's almost like long married couples passing one shortly after the other. If I were Jody Stephens I would take it easy on the beach and enjoy life.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 19 July 2010 21:51 (thirteen years ago) link
This reminds me of when the Ramones started dropping off in rapid succession. :(
I really hope Jody lives to be about 110 years old.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 19 July 2010 22:00 (thirteen years ago) link
anyone going to this? http://www.citywinery.com/events/93429seems kind of cool. Lesa Aldridge ... !
― tylerw, Friday, 23 July 2010 17:44 (thirteen years ago) link
Did anyone mention that Tommy Hoehn died in Memphis a few weeks ago? Another power-popper from down there. "Blow Yourself Up" is one one of those Rhino power-pop comps, and he also wrote "She Might Look My Way" with Alex.
The KUT interview is great. I've also been checking out a lot of live stuff that's popped up after Alex's death. The Teenage Fanclub show from 1996 is pretty good, good version of the Everlys' "Walk Right Back" and also a Joe Meek medley. Some '88 stuff from Germany has some good moments on it too. There's a Memphis WYLX show from '75 that includes Alex doing "I Will Always Love You." There are some CBGB tapes out there too that aren't the same as the stuff on One Day in New York.
I hear that Jon Tiven has been shopping the complete 1975 sessions he did with Alex and released a couple times as Bach's Bottom. Maybe there's some good stuff. I hope someone is facilitating a good overview which up until now has been difficult--release those Elektra demos with some of the stuff he did at Ardent in '75, cull through a few things, perhaps include some of that CBGB show. Viola, the lost decade explicated.
― ebbjunior, Saturday, 24 July 2010 20:19 (thirteen years ago) link
There will never be another Alex Chilton!!
― .. help? (admrl), Wednesday, 18 August 2010 20:07 (thirteen years ago) link
Sad to think about
his there will never be another you is something else :(
― baby i know that you think i'm just a lion (schlump), Wednesday, 18 August 2010 21:21 (thirteen years ago) link
i just listened to that song yesterday in the car and it made me super sad. :(
― i am giving you the caesar salad of compliments (Nijoli), Wednesday, 18 August 2010 23:23 (thirteen years ago) link
This popped up on the Big Star facebook page: It's alex appeaering on Conan in '95. Good guitar solos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg5Qc8xumUM&feature=player_embedded
― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 2 January 2011 04:53 (thirteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-eVsH49_2U
alex doing my rival, filmed by william eggleston, via the always excellent dust congress blog
― your LiveJournal experience (schlump), Thursday, 24 February 2011 10:34 (thirteen years ago) link
one year later
the nightime->blue moon->take care sequencing on the ryko cd issue of third/sister lovers is crushing right now
― Bastards of Young Dro, Thursday, 17 March 2011 05:22 (thirteen years ago) link
gosh feels like this happened last week
― iatee, Thursday, 17 March 2011 05:31 (thirteen years ago) link
Saw some of the tribute to Alex Chilton at Jazzfest over the weekend:
Bassist Rene Coman, best known for his work in the Iguanas, is the mastermind behind the project. Coman played with Chilton intermittently, including gigs opening for the Clash and a very short run on Bourbon Street. The lineup for the tribute includes drummer Doug Garrison (Iguanas), guitarists Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum) and Alex McMurray (Tin Men/Valparaiso Men's Chorus) and singer Susan Cowsill.
"We're going to draw from the core of the live set that Alex would do: Big Star songs he liked, solo act stuff that he would do," Coman says. "Like Alex, we're not being pedantic about it. I don't want to do anything he would make a face at."
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/alex-chilton-tribute/Content?oid=1993089
They also had another vocalist. Not sure who the guy was. A nice version of "Banghok" plus "Like Flies..." songs
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 1 May 2012 17:11 (twelve years ago) link
Looks pretty good.
― Stars on 45 Fell on Alabama (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
sounds cool. as nice as those recent orchestrated Third/Sister Lovers shows may be, i kind of get the feeling Chilton would *not* be into such a museum-y performance of his stuff. dude liked to fuck things up.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 1 May 2012 17:15 (twelve years ago) link
Chilton/Coman/Garrison was the core of one of my favorite solo Alex periods, No Sex/Feudalist Tarts/High Priest.
― improvised explosive advice (WmC), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 17:47 (twelve years ago) link
i always really wanted to see alex play a show on his own, playing a bunch of standards & whatever else he felt like (the time i saw big star they did an elgar cover). i love cliches so much. did anyone here ever see him like that?
― *buffs lens* (schlump), Friday, 12 October 2012 04:20 (eleven years ago) link
Didn't see him, but a friend sent me a live tape from a Tuscaloosa bar, maybe 1987? Tiny place, and he mentioned the TV that was always on, but he played some outrageous guitar, some of it Sharrockin' (Sonny was also in his heyday then). Plus, "Semptember Gurls" "No Sex", a nice range.. also got a Mountain Stage radio tape--from around that time, I think--where he also covers some of his fave Italian pop ballads.
― dow, Saturday, 13 October 2012 00:03 (eleven years ago) link
If by "on his own", you mean totally solo, no no, never heard that. A couple of guys with him on these.
― dow, Saturday, 13 October 2012 00:06 (eleven years ago) link
I saw him with three other middle-aged guys. Bass player even had a stand in front of him with sheet music.
About half solo stuff, half oldies (non-Box Tops). Did "What's Your Sign, Girl?".
At one point, he held up his guitar which looked like the one pictured below:
http://www.merchantcityglasgow.com/media/images/big/825-alex-chilton.jpg
And with the neck sticking up, said to the 50 people there, "What do y'all think about my guitar? It kinda looks a lot like Mickey Mouse, don't you think?"
― pplains, Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:36 (eleven years ago) link
that Bangles video upthread just made me cry, 2 1/2 years after the fact. What a great songwriter.
― sleeve, Saturday, 13 October 2012 02:45 (eleven years ago) link
also got a Mountain Stage radio tape--from around that time, I think--where he also covers some of his fave Italian pop ballads.
swoon!
yeah i mean this was it for him i think, turning into (or always being, kinda) a pick-up band guy, like chuck berry, playing the standards & fucking around with them. it seems like that was where he was at. it was really cool & special seeing big star but the fact that at the same time i figured he was rooted in playing around with classics made me wish i could see him just doing his thing. it's like that whole thing about how awesome it would be to sit around while keith richards played a guitar, & how different that is from watching the stones thrust through one of their old jams. i saw him w/the box tops, too, like a year before he died, strapping on a bass to play green onions, & he looked like he was having a ball. he looked like 20 years old.
― *buffs lens* (schlump), Saturday, 13 October 2012 03:29 (eleven years ago) link
this is really nice, i mainly don't like music writing but:
http://strawberryfieldswhatever.blogspot.com/2013/06/i-got-alex-chiltons-name-written-on-my.html
― mustread guy (schlump), Thursday, 26 December 2013 23:14 (ten years ago) link
Listened to Like Flies on Sherbert while stoned and it completely came alive to me. It made me realise he's a great story teller. He shapes the narrative with weird effects and volume inequalities, all the while acting out a scenario with his voice. The way everything is structured, and especially his guitar work, heightens the story.It also rocks in a brutally southern, soulful way. Live in London is spectacular too. The version of Kanga Roo on that is massive. I've Had it - who's singing this? It totally sounds like John Cale, but he's not credited right?
Bach's Bottom - I can't beleive I haven't heard this before. As a massive Big Star fan, this is the missing link between Big Star (particularly Third) and Like Flies on Sherbert. It's beautiful, and the throaway outtakes are fascinating.
― glumdalclitch, Wednesday, 8 November 2017 14:37 (six years ago) link
Live in London is awesome. He has got an incredible presence. I saw him in Munich in the late 80s and he rocked hard.
― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Wednesday, 8 November 2017 22:01 (six years ago) link
I've Had it - who's singing this?
Jim Dickinson, I think?
― Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Wednesday, 8 November 2017 22:54 (six years ago) link