C or D: Emitt Rhodes?

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Yes indeed.

Wonder which Beatles song(s) he actually sang with The Palace Guard. You see or hear "Michelle," "Yesterday," "Norwegian Wood" and "We Can Work It Out." The last one seems to have be mentioned that enough I'm inclined to believe it.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 July 2020 22:01 (three years ago) link

If you don't like Bim, budo jeru, then you probably won't like this version of "Ever Find Yourself Running," by - wait for it - Marriage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxorx0OLnzU

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 30 July 2020 22:30 (three years ago) link

That was great. Thanks for sharing!

"...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 31 July 2020 03:37 (three years ago) link

Yeah, that was really an A+ version of the classic Emitt encounter we've come to expect.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 31 July 2020 04:05 (three years ago) link

I finally learned that The Merry-Go-Round had a couple of bass players, that Rick Dey replaced Bill Rinehart. I guess I think I knew Joel Larson came and went and there was another drummer at one point, couldn't tell you his name though.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 31 July 2020 04:15 (three years ago) link

xxpost Great piece! Thanks for sharing it.

SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 31 July 2020 08:40 (three years ago) link

Haven’t giving you anything in almost twenty-four hours so here is this little tidbit I have been saving

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 August 2020 02:17 (three years ago) link

I was afraid of that, didn’t quite work on the phone. Hang on a sec, please.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 August 2020 02:18 (three years ago) link

Guys, come on over to my new thread

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 August 2020 22:36 (three years ago) link

Take us to lunch first.

"...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 1 August 2020 23:25 (three years ago) link

Ha!

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 August 2020 23:34 (three years ago) link

There is a Mexican restaurant up the block that makes a good iced margarita with a nice view of the Empire State Building from the sidewalk seating that I think you will like.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 August 2020 23:39 (three years ago) link

Feel like maybe NTI should give the last album another chance or two. Despite the deepening of the voice, the divorce discussion and the different production, underneath it all there is still his strong melodic sense.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 02:16 (three years ago) link

In my mind “Isn’t It So” is getting mixed up with “Nobody Knows” by the Raspberries. Come to think of it, why isn’t Tim Ellison on this thread?

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 02:18 (three years ago) link

I’ll def. give it another chance – I hadn’t realized this but the supporting cast alone is insane (Hoffs, most of Jellyfish, Aimee Mann – according to a review I saw).

Isn’t It So finally clicked with me a week or so ago – the version I have on the Listen, Listen comp (recorded in 1980) has some questionable sax but a great chorus, and kind of suggests an alternate career as an MOR hitmaker. But the version on Rainbow Ends is nice as well, the strings give it a sadder, more elegiac feel.

Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 2 August 2020 03:36 (three years ago) link

Yes, those folks are all on there, although sometimes hard to pick them out of thie mix.

This version, I assume.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhn_uXhtOn0
Yes, I can see how the sax would be pretty off-putting.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 03:43 (three years ago) link

But the vocal is excellent.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 03:46 (three years ago) link

Some more stuff from that same period, apparently. Seems to be for some Elektra project, maybe. These really don't sit well with me although the second never reappeared in any other form as far as I know so may be worth giving a try.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG97BYSQ0JQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWIriVsDRXg

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 23:24 (three years ago) link

Or this. Think this stuff has already been mentioned upthread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPxbMaXOdoY

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 23:26 (three years ago) link

This seems an improvement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzs7Crv_3bM

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 23:27 (three years ago) link

Done a decade or two later.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 August 2020 23:33 (three years ago) link

Oh wow I’m loving the “all synths” Emitt Rhodes. Really cool.

SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 3 August 2020 06:13 (three years ago) link

Radio Moskow interview from Thanksgiving 2011. Interview starts about minute 70, music a few minutes before, maybe minute 67. https://echo.msk.ru/sounds/833165.html

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 August 2020 12:28 (three years ago) link

Lasts about ten minutes. He's in good spirits.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 August 2020 12:40 (three years ago) link

Some serious ping-pong stereo on The Merry-Go-Round album, thought my earphones were broken for a moment.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 August 2020 13:31 (three years ago) link

As I converge upon the heat death of this thread, remarking that the versions of “You’re A Very Lovely Woman” on The Merry-Go-Round and on the, um zeroth solo album are exactly the same but one is maybe thirty seconds longer.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 August 2020 15:17 (three years ago) link

Some more stuff from that same period, apparently. Seems to be for some Elektra project, maybe. These really don't sit well with me although the second never reappeared in any other form as far as I know so may be worth giving a try.
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I haven’t listened to these yet and I may be mixing things up with another story but my memory was that Emitt recorded three songs for an album in 1980 bc an A&R guy is an executive signed and loved him and when the guy got canned the album got shelved.

Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 5 August 2020 06:24 (three years ago) link

I read something similar. I even heard that two of the three songs were "Isn't It So" and "More Than A Smile Will Do."

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 5 August 2020 11:59 (three years ago) link

Finally listened to these. The "all synths" Emitt Rhodes is really more like Steely Emitt -- jazzy chords and melodies and heavy, er, Rhodes. "Isn't It So" is probably the best of the lot.

Here's a recent-ish interview that isn't online but the preview is: https://tapeop.com/interviews/33/emitt-rhodes/. Might be pretty interesting.

I'm finally putting on Farewell to Paradise ... will report back but I like some of the Mellotron stuff in the first few tracks.

Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 6 August 2020 20:16 (three years ago) link

You have to subscribe to Tape Op to get the rest of that interview (and to find out where they ate).

"...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 6 August 2020 20:22 (three years ago) link

Speaking of "Steely Emitt", Gary Kato mentioned in the liners to the Merry Go Round comp that in the late '80s his band Bullet backed Rhodes on some "Steely Dan-quality" demos of new compositions.

"...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 6 August 2020 20:26 (three years ago) link

Can't believe this only emerged within the last several hours. Jackie De Shannon singing "Live Till You DIe" - recorded at American Studios! Yet another dot to connect in my Arthur Alexander, um, "Theory."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMPUQECIiIM

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 7 August 2020 14:16 (three years ago) link

Guess this stuff lay in the vaults until two years ago, Damn you, Emitt!
https://jazzchill.blogspot.com/2018/04/jackie-deshannon-stone-cold-soulthe.html

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 7 August 2020 14:26 (three years ago) link

That cover came out as a bonus on the RPM reissue of Jackie’s “Songs” fifteen years ago or so, for what it’s worth.

Tim, Friday, 7 August 2020 17:53 (three years ago) link

Thanks. Saw that a couple of, um, songs, from that session made it onto Songs, maybe they were even re-recorded, didn't know about bonus track reissues in the interim.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 7 August 2020 17:56 (three years ago) link

So do you guys know where that house is on the self-titled cover?

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 8 August 2020 13:16 (three years ago) link

Also, um, one of Emitt's ex-wives seems to be a member of the Fan Forum.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 8 August 2020 14:53 (three years ago) link

Definitely her.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 8 August 2020 15:05 (three years ago) link

that's interesting and also weird. will she tell her story ? will the fans be kind to her ?

the woman who took the photograph on the jackie deshannon album cover was married to composer teiji ito, maya deren's widower, and was the administrator of the deren estate until her death in 1999:

https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/17/classified/paid-notice-deaths-ito-cherel-winett.html

budo jeru, Saturday, 8 August 2020 15:09 (three years ago) link

No to the first question. To the second question, they mostly turn a blind eye if they are aware of it at all. Although one person posted this on a thread she started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEuiyOcGfz8

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 8 August 2020 15:12 (three years ago) link

His other ex-wife is on there too. I kind of feel unclean knowing this. Now that I have reported it, I will slink away in shame.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 10 August 2020 22:49 (three years ago) link

...for Mexican Coffees at Red Lobster?

"...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 10 August 2020 22:53 (three years ago) link

Ha, I saw that coming a few light years away, using my homebrew telescope. Do you know how a telescope works? Do you know what parallax is?

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 10 August 2020 22:58 (three years ago) link

I've read books.

"...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 10 August 2020 23:05 (three years ago) link

Heh.

The other ex made it pretty clear she doesn't want her story told.

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 13 August 2020 02:56 (three years ago) link

Wonder which one is heard at the end of “Bubble Gum The Blues.”

Time Will Show Leo Weiser (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 13 August 2020 04:21 (three years ago) link

So as this posthumous boom of interest is winding down for me, not much more info is emerging, mostly some intriguing photos from a friend Emitt had given them to, who is turning them over one by one like playing cards. Well, there was that one Xmas card from Emitt, his wife and first son posted by a guy who played with Billy Joel in the early ( Attila?) days. There is still the ever-present curious cat part of me that wants to hear the gory details of all of his family troubles but highly doubt these will come to light. Do feel after extensive (re)listening that despite the way his career played out his musical legacy is strong, that he was much more than just a stuntman, a footnote, a might-have-been, currently residing in the where-is-he-now file.

Isinglass Ponys (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 16 August 2020 08:09 (three years ago) link

There’s always a temptation to want to know more with these guys – to learn where and why things went off the rails and how it all maybe kind of could’ve ended differently. But I almost always find that when I do learn more—say, reading the Gene Clark, Dennis Wilson and Billy MacKenzie biographies—while I’m glad I dug deeper I’m invariably kind of bummed out and feel like I need to take a shower. Mental illness sucks that way.

I feel comfortable concluding that learning more about Emitt would almost certainly end the same way.

Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 16 August 2020 18:15 (three years ago) link


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