Brooks

According to Frank Zappa, "I wanted to put some back-up singers on the thing, and the road manager who was with us at the time checked into it and said, 'well, why don't you just use the Ikettes?' I said, ''I can get the Ikettes?'' and he said ''Sure''. But you know what the gimmick was? We had to agree, Ike Turner insisted, that we pay these girls no more than $25 per song, because that's what he paid them. And no matter how many hours it took, I could not pay them any more than $25 per song per girl, including Tina. It was so difficult, that one part in the middle of the song ''Montana'', that the three girls rehearsed it for a couple of days. Just that one section. You know the part that goes ''I'm pluckin' the ol' dennil floss''? Right in the middle there. And - I can't remember her name, but one of the harmony singers - she got it first. She came out and sang her part and the other girls had to follow her track. Tina was so pleased that she was able to sing this thing that she went into the next studio where Ike was working and dragged him into the studio to hear the result of her labor. He listened to the tape and he goes, ''What is this EDITED ''? and walked out. I don't know how she managed to stick with that guy for so long. He treated her terribly and she's a really nice lady. We were recording down there on a Sunday. She wasn't involved with the session, but she came in on Sunday with a whole pot of stew that she brought for everyone working in the studio. Like out of nowhere, here's Tina Turner coming in with a rag on her head bringing a pot of stew. It was really nice.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs0CGOwWmCI&t=202s

I don't always follow 'em.

So my EMS pal has a tree service, they came out and cleared a bunch of trees and brush in my backyard a few weeks back. I made this video, and used an old tune I wrote & recorded here at the house about 20 years ago, it's all fretless guitar & guitar synth (w/ some guy I knew briefly on V-drums);

Won't do any good! Outdoor gig >80 degrees = shorts for me.

beautiful

How dare you, sir. My parts Strat is the best sounding guitar I've ever owned (in 45 years of Gibsons, Fenders, Hamers, Ibanezesss, etc). As far as the OP's discussion, I am all set w/ my 2 main gig guitars (Strat for rock, Ibby George Benson for jazz). But I still buy, mod, & often sell a revolving door of cheaper guitars to use as gig backups or to leave at work, etc... I enjoy buying & modding stuff, it's fun.

Ouch. You might try something cheap & indestructible to travel with. I got this thing to leave in my locker at work, it's strat scale length yet so small it seems like a game controller. SS frets, same bridge as the Eart headless, nice gig bag, $200 on Amazon. Decent alnico pups (although I dropped a leftover DiMarzio humbucker in), I added some white pickup covers on to help minimize the tiny look;

Got a text from JackC last night, Steve Meacham (Rockola) has passed. I spoke w/ Steve last year, he was having a hard time but was trying to get his life together. Years back when I was traveling w/ a sales job, I stayed w/ Steve at least once (stayed at Jacks too). Steve and JackC came out and saw my old band in Salisbury NC, & the three of us also went to see Kings X in Charlotte at least once. He was a sweet guy and will be missed.

Best of BTO was one of the first three albums (8 tracks) I owned, along with Dressed To Kill and Frampton Comes Alive, Xmas 1976. RIP

This is something new for me today; in this 1992 interview Geezer mentions a 1967 birmingham band called ART that influenced Sabs (some members later formed Spooky Tooth). This tune is similar in feel and chord progression to the end of "Iron Man"; https://open.spotify.com/track/53QWuFf071oIqgubeAJVcq?si=adcc9c3743df4f0d The lyric "telling people (their) desire" (@ 0:54) which Sabs used in their tune "Black Sabbath"; https://open.spotify.com/track/0wsQNI6UR6mSVeJauESWkT?si=f4bd014458ce4b42 Here's the Geezer interview where he mentions ART; https://youtu.be/JEgeh6iIZaQ?t=498

His version of this Rush tune is kick arse;

Just traded for another Roland GR-20 locally, lots of fun;

Saw Morse w/ Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin, and Paco DeLucia all on acoustics back around ~84. Steve differentiated himself by playing some country & bluegrass licks and kinda stole the show.

I did a version on my 4 track playing all the instruments way back in college, wish I still had a copy. I like this version; I did this 'Tators tune;