Jimmy Carl Black to hospital

Drummer and ex Mother Jimmy Carl Black has just had an operation for a tumour on his lung. According to http://www.idiotbastard.com/news.htm Jim should be out of hospital soon. Keep it up Jim!
The Idiot site has an interview with Jim where he tells that he has had leukaemia since 2001. Just the other day he went to hospital to remove a tumour on his lung and he will now have chemotherapy treatment.
Jim has a special CD out that you can buy to help him pay all those medical bills. http://www.cafepress.com/jimmycarlblack

This weekend: Radio Dupree's Walter Becker Special

It's on! The first airing has been, but you have two more chances to catch one hour special of Walter Becker-music; he's the artist, the producer, the songwriter. Luciana, Madeleine, Rebecca and Krishna Das all show up. As does John Beasley and a couple of rare songs. A live version of Fall Of '92 can be heard on Alive In America, but have you heard the studio version that only made it onto a promo-CD? And perhaps you've missed the Japanese bonus track Medical Science from 11 Tracks... or the bonus track on the international version of Circus Money; Dark Horse Dub?

Tune in Saturday and/or Sunday.

Saturday August 30: 21.00 Europe/ 3 p.m. New York, USA/Sunday 4 a.m. Tokyo, Japan.
Sunday August 31: 9.00 Europe/3 a.m. New York, USA/4 p.m. Tokyo, Japan.

Correction March 30, 2010: Amazingly the obvious error of placing Fall Of '92 on the Alive In America album has survived here until now. Apologies. As we know the Walter Becker song on that live album is Book Of Liars.

A hunger for Zappa...

Mobile phone/cellphone photo from Siggy as he passed by the place.

We haven't checked the place out, but since Radio Dupree was started on two artists; Steely Dan and Frank Zappa, we feel obliged to mention the Zappa grill in Kalmar, Sweden.

If you happen to be in the vicinity; please stop by, have a bite (*) and tell us how the food taste & what the place is like.

(*) Don't care if the mustard squirts!

"All God's chillun got rhythm"

(Thanks to Danorak over under the Banyantrees!)

New album from Led Zeppelin - anybody r-e-a-l-l-y surprised?

According to BBC Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham have been working on new material that Jaspon apparently told a radio station in Detroit could be destined for a new Led Zeppelin album.

The Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant has so far not been part of the sessions and there's also according to the BBC article a lot of politics that need be ironed out before a new album could be released.

Radio Dupree's take on things is that with just about every group that ever had a hit reforming to make a few extra dollars/pounds/whatever, the reunion of Led Zeppelin is just a few contracts away.
If they're already recording - albeit without Robert Plant - they should be able to work through the politics as there's m-o-n-e-y to be made. And we're not just talking money for the members of the band. There are a lot of people that could make a lot of money from a reunion tour. Add a new album and ... well... you do the math.

If you - like us - tend to forget, mey we remind you that Led Zeppelin played their first concert in 19 years in front of nearly 20,000 fans at London's 02 arena in December 2007.

The original band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were joined on stage by Jason Bonham; son of their late drummer John Bonham.

Walter Becker producing Roger Rosenberg's new album

We heard of Walter Becker producing Roger Rosenberg's new album Baritonality thanks to a post over on the Bluebook by Lonnie the Kingpin.

So we went to the source for some more information and here's what Roger kindly wrote us:

It is a jazz CD with Mark Soskin on piano, Chip Jackson on bass, Jeff Brillinger on drums, with a guest appearance by Peter Bernstein on guitar. I'm playing baritone sax, bass clarinet on 1 track, and soprano sax on 1 track.

It consists of 4 quartet tracks, a duo with each member of the group, a trio with guitar and bass, and a solo piece. Except for 2 tunes, they are all my originals. Working with Walter in a jazz context was amazing.

We recently finished the mastering and are exploring the best avenue for release. I hope by the end of the year.

Tracks:
1.Baritonality
2.3/4 B
3. 43rd St. Mama
4.Mike
5. Paradox
6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
7. The 8TH Day
8.Someone To Watch Over Me
9. Birds and 'Tranes

Roger has been touring with Steely Dan since 2006 and and can be heard on the band's two latest albums; Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go as well as Donald Fagen's solo albums Kamakiriad and Morph The Cat.

But there's much more to Roger than the Steely Dan stuff. Here's a quote from his bio:

An A-list baritone man for over three decades, Roger Rosenberg studied at Indiana University, The New England Conservatory of Music, and under the tutelage of players like Phil Woods and composers like Harold Seletsky. He has worked with a stunning list of greats; do the names Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Janet Lawson, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, John Scofield, Sarah Vaughn, Gerry Mulligan, Michael Brecker, The New York Philharmonic, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Bob Mintzer, Eddie Palmieri, David Lahm, Tom Scott, and T.S. Monk ring a bell? Add another 40 or so heavyweight names in jazz, latin, and pop, and you've got a start on Roger's resume.

Visit Roger's MySpace page to read more and hear a couple of tracks from his current album Hang Time.

Steely Dan 2008: New show added November 22!

The Think Fast Steely Dan '08 tour was set to close with a 44 and final show in Santa Rosa, California August 27.

At least that is what we thought until today when a single new show was added on steelydan.com:

November 22: Borgata Event Center - Atlantic City NJ. Tickets on sale August 30.

Will there be more?

"A year has passed since I broke my nose" - The Police misunderstood

The BBC writes that 2 000 persons were polled by hearing aid providers Amplifon, and The Police came up tops as far as misheard lyrics go. Two of the band's songs feature in a top 10 of misunderstood tracks, including Message In A Bottle whose "a year has passed since I wrote my note" became "a year has passed since I broke my nose".

Bee Gees ended upp at two with a line from Stayin' Alive: "It's alright, it's okay, you may look the other way" morphs to "it's alright, it's okay, you make love the other way".

Check out the full BBC article here and then head on over to the central for misheard lyrics on the Internet; Kiss This Guy.

Weekend music: Do It Again and Rock Band 2

Carsten in Denmark alerted us to this instrumental version of Do It Again by the Phillipe Saisse Trio. When we about eight years ago did a quick scan of Steely Dan songs covered by other artists Do It Again ended up as the most covered.



From the world of new technology:

Walter? Jon? Me?

We held our last joystick back when Amiga 1200 was still new stuff. But all the rest can get a bit of Steely Dan into your gaming in three weeks time. The song Bodhisattva is included in Rock Band 2.
Apparently one new feature is called Battle of the bands. In this article you can get it all explained as well as see a one minute clip of the writer attempt at hitting all the right notes in the Bodhisattva solo:



We're almost tempted to pick up that joystick again. A lot seem to have happened since the mid-90's... ;)

Steely Dan-related: Jay Gradon and John Beasley

Our friend Gina over at Mizar5 Mizar6 has decided to cut back on the Steely Dan related posts and directs visitors here for Steely Dan news.
So it is kind of ironic that these two items come from ... you guessed it; Mizar6!

1) Musician Jay Graydon (Aja) went to a recent Steely Dan concert and wrote about it on his homepage. Including photos! Read more on Mizar6.

2) Musician John Beasley has a new site. He's giving away a free download each month, and this month it's a track from his 1992 album Cauldron produced by Walter Becker.
Read more on Mizar 6.

David Byrne & Brian Eno's new album streamed!

It's here! If you have flash working you should see (and hear) the player just below in this post.
All the songs from the new album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today can be heard here or on the site http://www.everythingthathappens.com/.

That's also the place to go to buy the "record". So far as a download only, but actual CD copies are forthoming.

Pink Floyd and Renée Fleming recieve the Polar Music Prize

Pink Fleming?

When The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by the late Stig Anderson, publisher, lyricist and manager of the succesful group ABBA, it was seen as aiming towards become a sort of Nobel Prize for music.
Each year two prizes are awarded; one popular and one more ... "serious".
And each year a number of critics in Sweden say that it's too predictable, to safe. That the committe should try to be more cutting edge. Surprise us.

Whatever.

On May 18 2009 it's time for the Polar Music Prize to be awarded once again, and the 2008 laureates have just been announced; the British group Pink Floyd and a the American soprano Renée Fleming.

Read the full citations here. You can also find more about the prize and who got it previous years.

Becker in The Word

Walter Becker picks a few favourites fom the world of music, books, film & DVD in the September issue of the music magazine The Word.

An amusing one page read and well worth tracking down if you're a fan of Walter.



And a big "thank you" to not one but two people for help with this blog entry. You know who you are! ;)

Young band covers "Peg". Why?

Oakland band Cryptacize (Photo: John Ringhofer) explains why in this interview.

A couple of quotes:

The beauty of Steely Dan is that you can 'get it' or 'not get it' on so many different levels. There are many layers.

Michael Leonhart, the current trumpet player in Steely Dan, said he liked our version! He also said he was going to play it for Donald and Walter in the van when they're on tour this summer!

Don't worry if you haven't heard Cryptacize's version of Peg. The interview comes with a link to an mp3. Or you could pop by the bands MySpace page and hear it there.

David Byrne & Brian Eno: New album!

They collaborated och My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts back in 1981. An album counted as a classic that influenced many different types of modern popular music.

August 18 will see the release of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. An album they did the Internet way by sendning stuff between each other for a year.
You can read an interview with Brian Eno on timesonline.co.uk and you can download the track Strange Overtones for free on http://www.everythingthathappens.com/ where the whole album will be available to buy as a download in six short days!

So will the new album be ...Bush Of Ghosts part 2? No, quite different according to Brian Eno in the Timesonline interview. The tracks range from "electronic folk gospel to quite indefinable areas of music".

All we have to listen to so far is Strange Overtones that sound a lot like the poppier side of Talking Heads. David's voice is in fine form and Brian's music is catchy. But we'll ask Radio Dupree's specialist on Eno/Byrne/My Life In The Bush Of Ghots/Roxy Music/Talking Heads etc; Siggy, to listen to the song and add his thoughts here later today.
---
...Hrmm, Siggy here. A new collaboration between Eno/Byrne is a must to check out. Yes, this particular song is on the poppier side. I think it is OK but I would really like to hear something as hot and mystical as the albums Bush of Ghosts and Remain in Light. I'm eager to hear the rest of the album.

Wanna talk to Walter Becker?

You could. At least if you're supposed to believe the Rockline radio station. Be ready Wednesday or Thursday (depending on where you live) and give it a go. Or just listen in.

Live Call-In Radio Aug 6 @ 8:30Pm PDT

converts to

Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 5:30 in the morning for central Europe.

and

Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 12:30 in Tokyo, Japan.

UPDATE: It's over. The ninety minute show with questions and music. A fun listen once we found among the 13 stations listed on the Rockline homepage found a station that a) streamed outside the U.S. and b) actually broadcast the Rockline show.

We missed the first 30 minutes, but luckily Rockline will have the whole show available for two weeks. It should be up shortly on this page; Rockline Replay. <-- Click here and not the pic below!

Beatles for sale

How much would you pay for a rare reel to reel tape with the Beatles? How about £12,000?
That is what a 30 minute tape recorded circa 1964 may fetch.
BBC reports that the tape includes a recording of the band's attempt to record I'll Follow The Sun. The tape was found during an attic clearance by the son of a man who had worked in the music industry.
The tape is being auctioned by auction house Cameo and it is expected to fetch between £8,000 and £12,000. Last bid on Tuesday!

Update Wednesday, August 6: Well, now we know. BBC reports that the tape was sold for £9,800.
The track list may be more interesting:
Don't Put Me Down Like This, I Feel Fine, She's A Woman, Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, Honey Don't, I'll Follow The Sun, I'm A Loser, Too Much Monkey Business, Nitty Gritty, Something's Gotta Hold Of Me and I Shall Not Be Moved.

Re-released Jeff Simmons for Album of the Month

Just a few words about Radio Dupree's Album of the Month in August. We have chosen an album that may be of special interest for Frank Zappa fans out there. It's Jeff Simmons' album Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, recorded in 1969.
Zappa produced the album and it includes early versions of two songs that Zappa would re-record later for his own albums, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up (Joe's Garage, 1979) and Wonderful Wino (Zoot Allures, 1976).
The Lucille album has been out of print for years, but was re-released with the soundtrack Naked Angels as a 2 CD set in 2007 by the label World In Sound.
During August Radio Dupree will play the songs from the Lucille album plus some related music from other albums (Zappa, Naked Angels).