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Westside Steve's Movie Reviews
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  • AxeA Axe wrote on last edited by
    #22

    I remember seeing Spirit way way way back when.. Didn't they have a drummer they called "Mr Clean"?

  • AxeA Axe

    I remember seeing Spirit way way way back when.. Didn't they have a drummer they called "Mr Clean"?

    Tour2maT Tour2ma wrote on last edited by
    #23

    @axe said:

    Didn't they have a drummer they called "Mr Clean"?

    That would be Ed Cassidy... one of the two steady members on the group along with frontman, Randy "California" (Wolfe). Randy was the real talent of the group.

    Ed was as bald as bald can be and was old enough to be Randy's Dad. In fact he was actually Randy's step-dad.

    Otherwise Spirit was comprised of whoever in a pool of players was available at the time to record and/or tour. Basically it was the Steely Dan model before there was a Steely Dan.

    AllMusic has a nice bio for the group... as it does most groups. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-mn0000746010/biography

  • @axe said:

    Didn't they have a drummer they called "Mr Clean"?

    That would be Ed Cassidy... one of the two steady members on the group along with frontman, Randy "California" (Wolfe). Randy was the real talent of the group.

    Ed was as bald as bald can be and was old enough to be Randy's Dad. In fact he was actually Randy's step-dad.

    Otherwise Spirit was comprised of whoever in a pool of players was available at the time to record and/or tour. Basically it was the Steely Dan model before there was a Steely Dan.

    AllMusic has a nice bio for the group... as it does most groups. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-mn0000746010/biography

    W Westside Steve wrote on last edited by Westside Steve
    #24

    @tour2ma said:

    That would be Ed Cassidy... one of the two steady members on the group along with frontman, Randy "California" (Wolfe). Randy was the real talent of the group.

    Ed was as bald as bald can be and was old enough to be Randy's Dad. In fact he was actually Randy's step-dad.

    Otherwise Spirit was comprised of whoever in a pool of players was available at the time to record and/or tour. Basically it was the Steely Dan model before there was a Steely Dan.

    AllMusic has a nice bio for the group... as it does most groups. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-mn0000746010/biography

    I remember the rumors circulating at the time that Ed Cassidy was Randy California's father. I don't know if it's online but I saying Harmony are record by Scott Alan on the song Nature's Way. Which is my favorite song of theirs.

    WSS

  • Tour2maT Tour2ma wrote on last edited by
    #25

    A roommate of mine and I used to argue which side of 12 Dreams... was the better one. I always took side 1 which included your fav which bled into mine, Animal Zoo...

    Oh no something went wrong well you're much too fat and a little too long... Oh no there's too much to do better get on home to the Animal Zoo...IIRC... lol

    My fav had the distinction of not being written by Randy, but one of the pool players, Jay Fergusen, who I followed thru a chunk of his solo career. Thunder Island  is one of his LPs I remember... and still own.

  • AxeA Axe wrote on last edited by Axe
    #26

    It was a long time ago mind you, but I think I saw Spirit open for Steppenwolf.. Back in the Flux days of Steppenwolf.. Geez, long time ago.. 74 or so..

    Right or wrong, I always viewed Spirit as a precursor to Styx 🤔

  • Tour2maT Tour2ma wrote on last edited by Tour2ma
    #27

    I can see that... always felt Styx had a touch of "glam" quality to them that I did not feel with Spirit, but...

    Steppenwolf... geez... saw them once in '73 IIRC... in the Public Auditorium...

    Redbone opened... and threw out a high-energy set.

    Then for some unknown reason the producers sandwiched Dan Hick and His Hot Licks between Redbone and Steppenwolf. To say it did not work is an understatement. They were booed off the stage.

    And then WMMS legend, Billy Bass, berated the crowd punctuated by a hardy, "Fuck you," at the end...

    I did not boo, but I understood the sentiment. While I could handle the odd Dan Hicks track on MMS... a full set by what was basically a gimmick band would have been a bit much... especially in that sandwich.

  • I can see that... always felt Styx had a touch of "glam" quality to them that I did not feel with Spirit, but...

    Steppenwolf... geez... saw them once in '73 IIRC... in the Public Auditorium...

    Redbone opened... and threw out a high-energy set.

    Then for some unknown reason the producers sandwiched Dan Hick and His Hot Licks between Redbone and Steppenwolf. To say it did not work is an understatement. They were booed off the stage.

    And then WMMS legend, Billy Bass, berated the crowd punctuated by a hardy, "Fuck you," at the end...

    I did not boo, but I understood the sentiment. While I could handle the odd Dan Hicks track on MMS... a full set by what was basically a gimmick band would have been a bit much... especially in that sandwich.

    W Westside Steve wrote on last edited by Westside Steve
    #28

    @tour2ma said:

    I can see that... always felt Styx had a touch of "glam" quality to them that I did not feel with Spirit, but...

    Steppenwolf... geez... saw them once in '73 IIRC... in the Public Auditorium...

    Redbone opened... and threw out a high-energy set.

    Then for some unknown reason the producers sandwiched Dan Hick and His Hot Licks between Redbone and Steppenwolf. To say it did not work is an understatement. They were booed off the stage.

    And then WMMS legend, Billy Bass, berated the crowd punctuated by a hardy, "Fuck you," at the end...

    I did not boo, but I understood the sentiment. While I could handle the odd Dan Hicks track on MMS... a full set by what was basically a gimmick band would have been a bit much... especially in that sandwich.

    I was there when James Taylor opened for The Who and just aboue got booed off the stage. I was there again the next year when Pete Townshend berated the audience for their poor Behavior the previous year.

    WSS

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on last edited by
    #29

    Yea,  it is an issue when promotors book a backup band that is totally incompatible with the main act.  

    James Taylor backing up The Who?   Not a good mix really.    Backing up say Crosby Stills Nash and Young....a much better mix.  

    Of course, the worst thing is when the backup band more or less "shows up"  the lead act.

    I didn't see too many of those shows, but one I remember was when KISS was the backup band for The New York Dolls.  I like both bands, but based on their respective stage shows and the energy brought to the crowd, it should have been the other way around.

    Now, I saw a concert where Aerosmith was the back up band for Mott the Hoople.   Some now may say that they had that in the wrong order, based on their status going forward.  But that was absolutely NOT the case in the arena that night.  Mott was the premier act, and they brought the energy of a premier act to the stage over their "backup band" that night.    (and as far as I am concerned....that is still the proper order)

  • @axe said:

    Didn't they have a drummer they called "Mr Clean"?

    That would be Ed Cassidy... one of the two steady members on the group along with frontman, Randy "California" (Wolfe). Randy was the real talent of the group.

    Ed was as bald as bald can be and was old enough to be Randy's Dad. In fact he was actually Randy's step-dad.

    Otherwise Spirit was comprised of whoever in a pool of players was available at the time to record and/or tour. Basically it was the Steely Dan model before there was a Steely Dan.

    AllMusic has a nice bio for the group... as it does most groups. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-mn0000746010/biography

    nickersN nickers wrote on last edited by
    #30

    @tour2ma said:

    That would be Ed Cassidy... one of the two steady members on the group along with frontman, Randy "California" (Wolfe). Randy was the real talent of the group.

    Ed was as bald as bald can be and was old enough to be Randy's Dad. In fact he was actually Randy's step-dad.

    Otherwise Spirit was comprised of whoever in a pool of players was available at the time to record and/or tour. Basically it was the Steely Dan model before there was a Steely Dan.

    AllMusic has a nice bio for the group... as it does most groups. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-mn0000746010/biography

    I think Hal Blaine did all of the drums on they're records... Look up Hal Blaine... He's played on over 5,000 recordings and was part of the LA Session group.. "The Wrecking Crew"

  • @tour2ma said:

    That would be Ed Cassidy... one of the two steady members on the group along with frontman, Randy "California" (Wolfe). Randy was the real talent of the group.

    Ed was as bald as bald can be and was old enough to be Randy's Dad. In fact he was actually Randy's step-dad.

    Otherwise Spirit was comprised of whoever in a pool of players was available at the time to record and/or tour. Basically it was the Steely Dan model before there was a Steely Dan.

    AllMusic has a nice bio for the group... as it does most groups. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-mn0000746010/biography

    I think Hal Blaine did all of the drums on they're records... Look up Hal Blaine... He's played on over 5,000 recordings and was part of the LA Session group.. "The Wrecking Crew"

    W Westside Steve wrote on last edited by
    #31

    @nickers said:

    I think Hal Blaine did all of the drums on they're records... Look up Hal Blaine... He's played on over 5,000 recordings and was part of the LA Session group.. "The Wrecking Crew"

    Probably they played the instrumental tracks on so much stuff back in the days. That's a great movie if anybody has not seen it yet but it is very disappointing.

    WSS

  • Tour2maT Tour2ma wrote on last edited by Tour2ma
    #32

    I'd heard of The Funk Brothers... but never heard of these "guys"... I'll be looking for the movie.

  • Tour2maT Tour2ma wrote on last edited by
    #33

    And it's on youtube... albeit with commercials...

  • I'd heard of The Funk Brothers... but never heard of these "guys"... I'll be looking for the movie.

    The GipperT The Gipper wrote on last edited by
    #34

    @tour2ma said:

    I'd heard of The Funk Brothers... but never heard of these "guys"... I'll be looking for the movie.

    Oh, yea,  The Wrecking Crew was a very famous group of "sidemen/studio musicians".   I am not even a musician and I heard of them.

  • AxeA Axe wrote on last edited by Axe
    #35

    Steve Lukather, member of Toto and one of the more prodigious session musicians in history refers to "The Wrecking Crew" often in his book "The Gospel According to Luke"

    https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Luke-Steve-Lukather-ebook/dp/B07G237J9V/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+Gospel+According+to+Luke&qid=1586976524&sr=8-1

    A good read for anyone looking for quarantine material 😉

  • AxeA Axe

    Steve Lukather, member of Toto and one of the more prodigious session musicians in history refers to "The Wrecking Crew" often in his book "The Gospel According to Luke"

    https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Luke-Steve-Lukather-ebook/dp/B07G237J9V/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+Gospel+According+to+Luke&qid=1586976524&sr=8-1

    A good read for anyone looking for quarantine material 😉

    Tour2maT Tour2ma wrote on last edited by
    #36

    @axe said:

    A good read for anyone looking for quarantine material

    I'm afraid of book mites...

  • AxeA Axe wrote on last edited by
    #37

    Kindle 😉

  • @axe said:

    A good read for anyone looking for quarantine material

    I'm afraid of book mites...

    W Westside Steve wrote on last edited by
    #38

    @tour2ma said:

    I'm afraid of book mites...

    On the other hand they mite not.

    WSS