Twang! questions
 

On the 1996 comp "Twang! Tribute to Hank Marvin and the Shadows", the Splinter Group does the track "Midnight". I don't know about anyone else, but this was the first place I'd seen or heard that PG had started playing again. And the playing is brilliant.

Dumb question #1: Is that really PG playing the main guitar throughout? I only ask because in all the later CDs he's done, we never hear him that up-front and playing that lyrically. Usually, Nigel takes over.

Dumb question #2: Does anyone know the background story to them doing this track? Was this indeed Peter's first "comeback" track?

Thanks!
Mr. Peabody

Hello, Mr. Peabody! :)

It was also the first music from his "Splinter Group comeback" that I heard. According to Celmins' biography:

Twang!: July 96
Knights Of The Blues Table: October-December 96
Splinter Group album: December 96

I don't know where to put the SAS Band sessions in here...? But it seems like the Twang session was the first, yes.

I imagine it's Peter playing the main melody, and maybe Nigel doing the harmony lines. But I agree with you the playing is very upfront. But I believe it's Peter, because Nigel would have done one of his typical cliché licks and spoilt it!!! :lol:

Anyway, Peter did play the solo himself at Buxton in 1996, while Nigel playes rythm.

By the way, they also recorded "Walk Don't Run" at the Twang session, but it is still not released. I believe Peter wasn't satisfied with it.

Daniel

Thanks Daniel. I feel much better knowing that was him playing.

What's the SAS band sessions?

Here's the info - don't know the exact recording date though.

WITH THE SAS BAND - SPRING 1996
THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT
(Peter Green gtr; Jamie Moses gtr; Kiki Dee v; Chris Thompson v; Roger Taylor v,dms; Roger Chapman v;Tony Adley v; Madeline Bell v; Stevie Vann v; Jess Roden v; Mark Shaw v; John Deacon bs; Steve Stroud bs; Charlie Morgan dms; Spike Edney keys; backing vocals : everybody plus Fabia)

Thanks, sharksfan2000!

So the SAS Band session was before the Twang! session then.

Mr. Peabody: The SAS Band was an "All Star" band, and they released an album called "SAS Band". You can hear a few guitar lines on "That's The Way God Planned It", not much though....

Actually, SAS means Spike All Stars, where Spike is Spike Edney, who played keyboards with the second incarnation of the Splinter Group.

Turning on "Midnight", then Peter also recorded "Walk, Don't Run" for a possible Ventures tribute album for IRS, but wasn't happy with the final mix, as he felt that the late Cozy Powell put his drums to high in the mix.

I know that the track was finished after a fashion and I know who has got the tapes, but he will be remaining nameless... sorry for that folks...

Mario.

I have a DVD of this somewhere - it was a British TV programme about Peter's return to the music business. They were doing "Walk Don't Run" and if I remember, Peter was struggling a bit. Cozy wasn't pleased with it and the session generally didn't go brilliantly well. I didn't know there were any tapes at all, but it looks like there might as well not be any!! :laugh:

:confused:
Which could've easily been cured by a remix.

I dug out the DVD I have of Peter doing "Walk Don't Run". There was initially a meeting with Steve Tannett from IRS Records, after the Buxton gig, in which Peter was falling asleep while the brief negotiations were going on. They got into the studio, and Cozy was producing the session - he said, "It's not easy, but it's a challenge." There were a few people there trying to get Peter to put a bit more welly into his performance, and Cozy was getting frustrated with Peter changing the tone etc all the time - "Don't touch those dials!" Peter said afterwards, "I'm not all that satisfied with the production."

They did try to improve the sound at a studio in Acton (London) without Cozy, and they did criticise the drum sound. Nigel Watson was there also. But evidently their modifications still weren't all that satisfactory. They also auditioned other drummers for the Splinter Group around this time but decided on sticking with Cozy.

After an early Splinter Group gig with Spike Edney in the line-up as well, Cozy said, "It's hard work, but we're getting there." Neil Murray added, "This is very much the beginning."

I had the good fortune to see a Splinter Group gig with the Green / Watson / Powell / Murray / Edney line-up on Feb 4 1997, after which I got to meet Peter, Cozy and Nigel. I was living with Peter's niece at the time and she got us backstage, and we were able to sit and have a bit of a chat etc. I recall we were given champagne and grapes, and it was all mighty cool :) Cozy was friendly and Nigel was moaning about his name being left off the posters that were stuck on the walls everywhere.

:) Yes, that's correct, but I've been told that the track "Walk,Don't Run" was finished in some way. even though the supposed "Ventures Tribute" never saw the light of the day. The tapes of "Walk, Don't Run" (several takes) stayed for a while in Stuart Taylor's car boot, untill (after he left the Splinter Group management) he sold them (together with some more stuff) to the current owner. The other stuff being: 3 Splinter Group's gig from December 1996, plus some interesting demos where Peter recorded songs written by his brother Michael......

At least, this is the story, as far as I'm concerned.

Mario.

That was the thing with the TV programme - it never explained that they finished "Walk Don't Run" - it was just left unexplained. They went into the studio to try and improve it - maybe it was then that the track was finished? Or maybe they worked on it again after that.

It sounds like the tapes are safe with the current owner :)

Hmm...wonder if the "current owner" has any inclination to release those tapes? With no new Green product forthcoming the best of these tapes could make a great set. How about it? :wavey:

No, the current owner is a great fan and collector, but he's not going to release those tapes, I'm pretty sure!

Also, I must say that stuff is really in good and honest hands!

Mario.

I'm glad they are in good and honest hands. But wouldn't honesty also mean releasing them to the benefit of Peters finance?
Also to the benefit of Peters honest fans?
Who is benefiting now??? Except for this new owner.:mad:

zero, mr negative here.

wouter makes a good point. it seems to me that these tapes prior to sale to 'honest' owner should have belonged to peter and the other principals, rather than ex-splinter group manager. unless of course these are copies of masters given to ex-manager as a gift. splinter wasn't signed to a record label at this point?

i suppose the ex-manager might have owned them under some unscrupulous arrangement (like the one that led to clifford davies owning the 'then play on' session mac material). 'let's see, i'm your manager so that means i own your artistic work.' were that the case, it sure would not be the first time that pete has been taken advantage of.

anyway, like wouter, i find this whole thing really dissappointing. and just like the sale of pete's (gary moore's) les paul discussed on the pre-rumours thread eariler this week, materialism run amok. vintage instruments bought as investments. vintage 50's les pauls so expensive that real musicians can't afford them. unissued music sold by manager and hoarded by 'collectors'. sheesh!

still, this is a great thread. i knew that the abandoned 'walk don't run' and the 1996 'michael' demos existed but none of these details. thanks to all.

zero