@tour2ma said:

I'm afraid of book mites...

On the other hand they mite not.

WSS

@axe said:

A good read for anyone looking for quarantine material

I'm afraid of book mites...

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

@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.

@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

@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"

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)

@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

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.

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

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.

@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

@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

@tour2ma said:

Taurus? Hell I was a Spirit fan and never heard Taurus... but yeah... pretty big rip there. First impression of its opening was the start of West Side Story tho... so maybe Bernstein's estate has a case as well...

When I think Spirit, I think 12 Dreams...

We used to do I've got a line on you. All time classic opening guitar riff.

WSS

@axe said:

We all "borrow" from those before us and change it enough to put our style/flavor/spin on it.. We call them influences

I forget who said it, but the quote was, "there are no new notes."

When I think Spirit, I think 12 Dreams...

@axe said:

well ya thats why people should spend money at the merch table

@axe said:

The music industry is in a very bad place. I have no desire to do live again. Now, clubs want four bands a night and want you to pre purchase tickets to sell for them. No one gets paid Not interested.. The businesses the wife and I own and operate are far more lucrative.. I don't expect our recordings to earn our livings either.. I'm just saying that $.006 a stream is larceny too.. The music industry, the last bastion of legalized slavery.

When you think about it it's been fucked up as far back as we can remember. Back to the 50s when record companies hired groups of random kids to sing generic-pop-songs put them on tour keep all the money and then go on to the next batch. Way back before album sales before album sales meant anything. Sometimes it amazes me we have gone full circle. I still enjoy performing but I'm probably substantially older than you are and I don't need to anymore. 

WSS

@westside-steve said:

To be honest at my age when I don't expect recordings to earn my living I'm happier to know that hundreds and hundreds of people have streams my songs even if I only get a penny of shot.

?❤

WSS

Edit

The music industry is in a very bad place. I have no desire to do live again. Now, clubs want four bands a night and want you to pre purchase tickets to sell for them. No one gets paid Not interested.. The businesses the wife and I own and operate are far more lucrative.. I don't expect our recordings to earn our livings either.. I'm just saying that $.006 a stream is larceny too.. The music industry, the last bastion of legalized slavery.