An informal survey

[BklynBlue]

The "new" copy of "Live at the BBC" is copyrighted 2001 - but it is from the BMG club - I have to believe this is a later pressing of discs -
I agree, a live setting is really the best way to experience what the Green era Mac was truly capable of -
another favorite of mine is "If You Let Me Love You" - what I wouldn't give to get a clean copy of that - (if you don't already have the disc, check out my review for "The Last Goodbye" at the site here - if you're interested let me know)
What I'd really love to hear is their version of "Crossroads". They performed this a few times in '68 - incredibly, right when Cream's version was released on "Wheel's of Fire" -
what I'm most curious about is the arrangement - did Green perform it solo? Did they do a full band version?
Just find it interesting that with Cream's version out there, they'd go head to head with them like that -

I agree with you too, as far the Splinter Group material - I thought the first line-up was the stronger of the two - but as you say, my only wish is for him to be well; with all the pleasure I've taken from Green's music over the years, it really seems unfair to ask for more from the man -

[chiliD]

With so many parallels between Peter Green & Eric Clapton, I sort of equate the PGSG as being Peter's "Derek & the Dominoes" as opposed to his days in Fleetwood Mac as being his "Cream".

Maybe his split from the PGSG will now evolve into the equivalent of Peter's "461 Ocean Blvd" era...???

[BklynBlue]

thanks for the chuckle ChiliD!
Excellent analogy - the number of parallels in their work is uncanny -
on "461 Ocean Blvd." Clapton covered both Elmore James' "I Can't Hold Out" (favorite FM version, at the moment, the '68 BBC session on "Jumping At Shadows" & "Vaudeville Years" - under the alternate title "Talk to Me Baby")
and Robert Johnson's "Steady Rollin' Man"

To really add grist to the mill, EC is releasing an album of Johnson covers on March 19th - don't know if they'll be solo, or with a band - possibly both -

got a long way to go to top "Hot Foot Powder"

[chiliD]

Originally posted by BklynBlue
To really add grist to the mill, EC is releasing an album of Johnson covers on March 19th - don't know if they'll be solo, or with a band - possibly both - got a long way to go to top "Hot Foot Powder"

Are these going to be ALL newly recorded covers? Or, compilation of his previously recorded Robert Johnson tunes plus some newer recordings?

[BklynBlue]

ChiliD,
to the best of my knowledge (limited as that is) these are all NEW recordings -
Without doing a complete check, I don't believe he's actually covered that many over the years -
I know Vanguard recently did that with John Hammond, but again, these are going to be all new - be interesting to see if he revisits any he's already recorded -

Of course he was once quoted as saying that no one should attempt to cover "Hellhound On My Trail" as it would be an exercise in futility - but it's my belief that he only said that after hearing Jeremy mangle it on the first album < g >

[chiliD]

Originally posted by BklynBlue
ChiliD,
to the best of my knowledge (limited as that is) these are all NEW recordings -
Without doing a complete check, I don't believe he's actually covered that many over the years -

Hmmm...well...

Ramblin' On My Mind with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (and later on his 1974 tour...EC Was Here album & Crossroads 2 box set)
From Four Until Late with Cream
Crossroads with Cream (and Derek & The Dominoes)
Steady Rollin' Man from 461 Ocean Blvd
Sweet Home Chicago & Kindhearted Woman (live from bootlegs of the From The Cradle tour)
Walkin' Blues from Unplugged

Yeah, so not as many as one would think.

[sharksfan2000]

Originally posted by BklynBlue
What I'd really love to hear is their version of "Crossroads". They performed this a few times in '68 - incredibly, right when Cream's version was released on "Wheel's of Fire" -
what I'm most curious about is the arrangement - did Green perform it solo? Did they do a full band version?
Just find it interesting that with Cream's version out there, they'd go head to head with them like that -

I have one of the boots with "Crossroads" on it, and it's done by the full band (July '68, pre-Danny), but with Jeremy singing and taking the lead, not Peter. Very much in his Elmore James style, and needless to say, not even remotely similar to Cream's version. I'd say it's more interesting as a historical footnote than for the music.

[chiliD]

Well, ya know...Elmore James did a song called "Standing At The Crossroads" (interestingly covered by Ten Years After on their debut album) which is remotely similar lyrically but not EXACTLY the same song as the Robert Johnson tune. So, I wonder if Jeremy took his version from the Elmore James tune instead.

[sharksfan2000]

Originally posted by chiliD
Well, ya know...Elmore James did a song called "Standing At The Crossroads" (interestingly covered by Ten Years After on their debut album) which is remotely similar lyrically but not EXACTLY the same song as the Robert Johnson tune. So, I wonder if Jeremy took his version from the Elmore James tune instead.

I just listened to Jeremy's "Crossroads" again, and it's definitely the Robert Johnson song, not the Elmore James one you mention. The tempo is relatively slow, and it's actually more interesting than what I had remembered. From the Robert Johnson Complete Recordings, it's based on "Take 2" of Cross Road Blues (same as Cream's version is based). Jeremy sings the first 3 verses and then repeats the third one after an instrumental break. He omits the fourth verse (the "Willie Brown" one). Cream's version uses only the first, second and fourth verses and omits the third one.

BklynBlue, thanks for that tip on the Live at the BBC set. Maybe I'll try ordering from BMG and hopefully I'll get one without that skip in "Jumping at Shadows".

[EricBliss12345]

I started in the middle and kind of picked around.

When the first press about the new album and tour started coming around it aroused my curiosity again. When all the hoopla happened with the Dance I remember trying to listen to their stuff via my dad's Chain boxed set and didn't like any of it at all. I found it to be boring old people soft rock. Hell, I was 16. LOL

So this time around I did the same thing, picked around on the Chain set. I found myself listening to a lot of disc 4 and really liking it, so I bought my first Mac CD, Bare Trees, and really liked it. THen I picked up Mystery To Me, and REALLY liked that. I thought, Stevie who? This other chick and Bob Magoo is what it's all about!

Being the prog-rock fan I am I decided to pick up Tusk next and challenge myself. I was excited to hear that this band wasn't scared to be arty and a little on the edge once in a while too. It has my favorite Stevie songs all in one album and some great ones from Chris too. Even though Lindsey's songs here don't always make for the best listening at least the production is interesting.

Then I bought the rest of the Welch period of the band. Some of the albums are patchy but all have their highlights. Heroes Are Hard To Find remains my favorite overall. Then I got Mirage, which I find half of to be absolutely stellar and the other half not so stellar, and then I got Say You Will a few months ago, which ended my sudden Mac fanatacism to a screeching halt with it's startling below-averageness. Rumours I already have 9 of the 11 songs on the set and am quite familiar with Oh Daddy from the radio and I Don't Wanna Know. And of course, the gem Silver Springs.

I think when I investigate again it's going to be Kiln House backwards. I downloaded Time instead of buying it because I didn't trust it, and sure enough the album sucked. So it's time for some pre-chick Mac, but not TOO much blues. Maybe one older one, Then Play On, and Kiln House.

[sharksfan2000]

More on "Crossroads"...

The performance I mentioned before was from a show in New York City, in July '68, and is the Robert Johnson song.

I found I have one more perfomance of "Crossroads", from a show in Orebro, Sweden, in November '68. The sound quality is poor and it's tough to make out all the lyrics, but this one is definitely the Elmore James song that chiliD noted!

So they actually did both songs! Jeremy gives the Elmore James song his standard Elmore treatment, pretty much the same as any number of other songs, in contrast to the slower and somewhat different treatment he gives the Robert Johnson song.

[BklynBlue]

thanks for the additional info - something else I'll need to keep an eye out for!
Very interesting - this is exactly the type of information that I wish you could find in the available discographies / sessionographies - not only who is singing lead, who is playing which instruments (I say that because Jeremy shows himself to be much more of a "team player", mainly on the BBC sessions, taking over on piano while Peter Green plays lead guitar, even when he, Jeremy, is on lead vocal - and he's rarely, if ever, given credit for it), but also, if the song is a cover or an original -

Another good example is their take on "Mean Old World", recorded for the Aug '68 BBC air-shot - theirs is based on T-Bone Walker' s late '50's recording of the song that he did for Atlantic Records.
He changed the lyrics and the intro from his original Black & White version and most British groups, most famously, Derek & the Dominos (there's the E.C. connection again!) used Little Walter's recording (different last verse) for their template

[chiliD]

Originally posted by sharksfan2000
Cream's version uses only the first, second and fourth verses and omits the third one.

Didn't Eric substitute a verse from "Terraplane Blues" into "Crossroads" on the Cream version?

[sharksfan2000]

Originally posted by chiliD
Didn't Eric substitute a verse from "Terraplane Blues" into "Crossroads" on the Cream version?

Actually it's a verse from "Traveling Riverside Blues", but you're right, that is in the Cream version.