ELP Digest Thursay, November 2 1995 Volume 5 : Issue 27 The "I'll See You In My Dreams" Edition incorporating the annual "Happy Birthday, Keith Emerson!" edition and the "Happy Anniversary, ELP Digest!" edition Today's Topics: More ELP News (re: release of ELP "Christmas" CD single) Questions from a New Digest Member Emerson with London Symphony? Pirates Carl Palmer Quote Keith's Biography Another place to get "Changing States" Emerson in ELP! Knife Edge Re: Rock and Revolt Re: Changing States ELP King Biscuit show Where can I find "Changing states"? ELP stuff on AOL BONUS TRACKS (on ELPowell) Re: BONUS TRACKS ELPdigest-correction Re: Alberto Evaristo Ginastera Re: Welcome Back video (in PAL format) Just wanted to share. Prelude ======= First of all, all of us on the ELP Digest list wish Keith Emerson a very happy birthday. Happy Birthday, Keith! from all of us readers and contributors to the ELP Digest. Good news is that the Emerson Christmas CD mentioned in the lasy issue has been received from the CD "press" and is now getting ready for filling orders. Keith was busy autographing some copies at Sundown Records a while back. So, if you haven't ordered or pestered your local dealer to order it, now's the time to get it in time for Christmas! More good news is that Rhino is going to release an ELP Christmas CD single that combines the thematic pieces from various releases. I don't know the details of which versions of which of the songs will be used (see the first Digest note for details) but it will be a nice treat from Rhino to show some commitment to the ELP catalog. And, finally, the annual trip down memory lane. Four years ago today, I mailed the first issue of the ELP Digest from my office at Digital Equipment Corporation in Cambridge, Mass. The "ELP Digest" was created with the help of Jim Smith to gather up the ELP bits and pieces that about a dozen of us were mailing around as a spin-off of an ELP discussion on rec.music.synth. Now, four years later, I've changed jobs and offices (twice) since that day and the ELP mailing list has grown from about 12 people to about 800! It's been a great 4 years. We've seen ELP come back with "Black Moon" and "In the Hot Seat". I've seen ELP in person again (believe me, 4 years ago, there was every reason to believe that I'd never see any of them again even on solo tours let alone on a group tour) and now we're seeing signs of lots of activity with Keith's, Greg's, and Carl's solo careers. I'd like to thank all of you who have contributed, publicized, and believed in the ELP Digest and who have made it a pretty successful Internet publication. I've received many nice notes over the years commenting on the usefulness of the Digest and the newer ELP web site and I appreciate every one of them. I look forward to many more years! - John - ------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Oct 95 9:23:09 EST From MagnoliaB@aol.com, on 10/30/95 12:30 AM: To: Cc: > Emerson, Lake and Palmer / I Believe in Father Christmas (EP) > Rhino 72242 cd single available Tuesday, November 7th $7.98 > retail > > This 5-track CD features 2 performances of the title track (one studio > version and one live recording ) from where?????? ELP's stomping > hit "Nutrocker," "Troika" (originally released on Emerson-The > Christmas Album), and the rare Greg Lake B side "Humbug" .... What a cool collection! I'll be waiting at the music store when it opens Sla/n, Mo! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 01:26:31 EDT From: DMHM92A@prodigy.com ( JONATHAN R BRADY) To: arnold@iii.net Subject: New Digest Member Hello everybody! I am relatively new to the Digest...I have been lurking around for a few weeks just reading all the current notes and trying to catch up on 4 years worth of back issues, but this is my first official posting. I access the Internet through Prodigy and we have a good ELP bulletin board over there, but this has the obvious advantage of input from fans all over the globe. A quick bio on myself is that I became and ELP fan in 1976 when I was 11 years old. When I was 13 I started piano lessons with dreams that I would someday be able to play like Keith Emerson. Lessons only lasted a year so after that I am self taught. I can struggle my way through a small percentage of Keith's material but I still have hopes of one day at least being able to play most of his music somewhat adeptly. I first saw ELP in concert when I was 13 (I had to convince my father to take me!) at the end of their "Works" tour at Princeton University - Princeton, NJ on 02/11/78. I then had to wait until 1986 to see ELPowell at Madison Square Garden in NYC on 09/20/86. On their 1992/93 world tour I saw them 5 times and then once more at the WXRK Hungerthon benefit concert on 11/17/93. I've also had the opportunity to meet Keith, Greg, and Carl a few times and get several autographs. I have to say that every time each one of them has been gracious, polite, and willing to sign an autograph. I have lots of questions that I would like to post on the Digest, but I will only start with two for now: 1. For the past few months VH-1 has been airing episodes of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. I was hoping this would be a great opportunity to finally get an original copies of "Fanfare for the Common Man" and "I Believe in Father Christmas" on video, but they keep airing the same episodes over and over again - Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Tina Turner, Steve Miller, Sly and the Family Stone, etc. I must admit that I got discouraged and stop monitoring the show and haven't watched it in a couple of months to see if they have moved on. Does anyone have any contacts at VH-1 so that we could find out if they will be showing ELP and get a schedule of air dates? I've tried to get through to their programming department, but can't get past the receptionist or the pre-recorded messages she transfers me to! 2. Same situation as above for the reruns of Late Night with David Letterman. The E! channel airs reruns of this nightly and I'd love to know when/if they will be airing the episode from September 1986 with Keith playing "America". Again, does anybody have any contacts at E! Entertainment Television? Jonathan Brady dmhm92a@prodigy.com Phillipsburg, NJ (moving soon to Colorado!) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Sep 95 04:46:42 0500 From: Jonathan To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Emerson with London Symphony? any idea where I can get recording of Keith Emerson's arrangements with the symphony. I think it's the London Symphony Orchestra ( not sure). I've looked at record stores all over the US with no luck. Any help would be greatky appreciated. Jonathan@onramp.net [ Editor's note: I'm not sure what you're referring to. If you're thinking of the "orchestral versions of ELP" that was mentioned a few Digests ago, it's safe to say that that project hasn't been released yet. - John - ] ------------------------------ Date: 02 Sep 95 10:19:34 EDT From: Tom McConica <74415.602@compuserve.com> To: "John E. Arnold" Subject: Pirates Bjorn-Are Davidsen mentioned in his fine article in Vol 5 Issue 21 that "Pirates" on Works Vol.1 is "badly produced". This is true, but on "Return of the Manticore" it sounds great! My guess is that they remixed the song even though is is not mentioned in the box literature. ------------------------------ Date: 03 Sep 95 23:11:38 EDT From: Tom McConica <74415.602@compuserve.com> To: "John E. Arnold" Subject: Carl Palmer Quote Emerson Lake and Palmer- the group that plays music with dynamics: Volume to suit the dynamics and synamics to suit the music," quote Carl Palmer, adding, "hmm, nicely put." CIRCUS MAGAZINE March 1972 page 5. Synamics??? [ Editor's note: Perhaps it's a typo and should have said "dynamics" both times? - John - ] ------------------------------ From: cook@ferndown.ate.slb.com Date: Tue, 5 Sep 95 11:16:37 BST To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Keith's Biography Hi all, New to the list so forgive me if this has been covered. Anyone out there with any information on Keith's autobiography ? I read he was hoping to get it out before last Christmas but no sign yet. Any news welcome. Thanks Cookie. ------------------------------ From: JEEP4KEEPS@aol.com Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 16:12:30 -0400 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Another place to get "Changing States" BTW Keith Emersons Changing States CD can be found in a great record store in Lake Ronkonkoma NY at "The Record Stop" on Portion road (north side) 1/4 mile east of Hawkins Ave. They also have Greg Lake's "King Biscuit Flower Hour" Concert. They told me the can get any record (CD) in print out of print and just about anything else. I have gotten some out of print stuff from them in the past (and have gotten out of print stuff on cd that was never released on cd) If any one needs more info please e-mail me and I will be happy to answer any questions and or relay them to the guys at the Record Stop" Don ------------------------------ From: Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.prosjekt98.telenor.no Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 19:39:03 +0200 Content-Identifier: 9649 95/09/06 To: John E Arnold Subject: Emerson in ELP! This is a message from Liv G. Whetmore! Despite being up to my eyes in work on the ELP convention, I feel I cannot let the comment from Mike Goode/Smiljka Surla regarding Keith Emerson pass! What a cheek! > What would ELP be like if Emerson wasn't around There are > plenty of candidates for his piano stool out there LIKE HELL THERE IS!! There is only ONE person on this planet who can create the keyboard sound of ELP and that is KEITH!!! Without him, ELP would be NOTHING!! Yes, admittedly, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer are both GREAT musicians and I have much admiration fro them both, but at thge end of the day, ELP is a keyboard driven band and Keith is a key figure - like it or not!! Even a good friend of mine, who is the biggest Greg Lake fan this planet has ever seen, realises that!! And anybody who does not relaise that Keith contributes an incredible amount to ELP is irreplacable, surely cannot call themselves an ELP fan!! Right, got that off my chest - I'll get back to the Convention now...! Liv G. Whetmore ------------------------------ Date: 08 Sep 95 02:02:48 EDT From: Tom McConica <74415.602@compuserve.com> To: "John E. Arnold" Subject: Knife Edge A great item for Keith to sell to fans would be a Keith Emerson autographed knife suitable for wall mounting in a nice case. Not a bad idea EH !! ?? ------------------------------ From: Otherroad@aol.com Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 11:50:03 -0400 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Re: Rock and Revolt I certainly enjoyed the lengthy article, ROCK AND REVOLT, by Bjorn-Are.Davidsen. There is, however, one thing he said on which I would like to make comment. In his discussion of 'Take a Pebble' he credits Keith with inventing a new way to play the piano (i.e. playing keys and simultaneously playing the strings directly inside the piano). Although Keith was probably the first rock musician to do this, he by no means invented the style. Composers like Henry Cowell and John Cage were exploring the inner workings of pianos long before Keith was even born. And further experimentation along these lines continued with George Crumb and a plethora of others long before 'Take a Pebble' came to be. Cowell even experimented with using other items in the sound process, such as running a darning egg along the strings creating a simultaneous rising and falling tone. Such experimentation led directly to Cage's invention of the prepared piano. By inserting different items between the strings of the piano, Cage altered the sound so radically, that the piano became a percussion orchestra at the hands of one person. In some ways the sound is almost like modern synth sounds, but is entirely acoustic. Anyone wishing to check out prepared piano can pick up a double disc I produced in tribute to Cage called A CHANCE OPERATION on the classical label, Koch Int'l. Along with other musicians such as the Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson, John Cale, Ken Nordine, Yoko Ono, Oregon, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Frank Zappa, etc., you will find Patrick Moraz performing Cage's 'Dance #1 for two prepare pianos.' I'll warn you in advance that this album is not, NOT easy listening and will challenge your concepts of music. Another interesting and innovative way of playing piano strings directly that I recently observed (although I forget who the composer was) was to bow the strings. This was not done with a rigid bow such as that of a violin. Rather the horse-hairs were attached at either end with little wooden knobs and threaded under the selected piano string(s). The performer would then grasp the knobs as one would the tips of one's shoe laces. The sound was mesmerizing. Gary ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 15:16:19 +0800 From: John.Lukes@Ebay.Sun.COM (John Lukes) To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Re: Changing States I mostly agree with Bjo/rn Are when he writes concerning Keith's solo CD, "Changing States": >>I think it in some ways is better than "Black Moon"... But I'd want to stress the "in some ways is better" part of Bjor/rn's comment, because I do like "Black Moon" as well. I am, however, not sure I can agree with the next part of Bjo/rn's statement, which is: >>...as it's obviously made in a lot more relaxed atmosphere and with >>less pretention. I have no information on the working conditions of either release, so I can't comment. What I do think is happening is that in the solo release, Keith was free to experiment and show other facets of his "musical personality" without having to further the EL&P traditions and "musical personality" -- if you will. If one prefers one "personality" over the other, or finds it "more relaxed" or "less pretentious" that is their experience and I cannot challenge that. For me it's fascinating to see how the tunes that overlap between the two releases demonstrate the effects of working in different time frames (Changing States preceeds Black Moon by a good three years, right?), with different producers, and with different musicians. >>So, everyone (even you!), go get it and give Keith lots of incentives >>to go on making music! With this comment, I heartily agree!!! Besides, you'll enjoy it and get another "view" of Keith Emerson. (all "my humble opinion") -JOHN ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 21:36:24 -0500 To: arnold@iii.net From: gregdunn@indy.net (Greg Dunn) Subject: ELP King Biscuit show > I believe that the "3 album live set" (Welcome Back My Friends...) > is based on tapes made for King Biscuit and that, through that > album, we've already heard them John, I have an old, scroungy tape I made of one King Biscuit ELP show live off the air, and I assure you it's much more recent material than "Welcome Back...". Not to say that they didn't do that originally for an earlier show, but this is not the same material. More like the later "live" CD with Tiger In A Spotlight, C'est La Vie, Maple Leaf Rag, etc. It was more or less the continuation of the "Works" tour after the loss of the orchestra, as I recall, so this would be 1977 (?) rather than 1974. If this is the KB show the previous poster was referring to, it would be great to see on CD -- it's a different cross-section of the band, including Keith's one-man arangement of the Concerto. -- | Greg Dunn | "Information is not knowledge; | | GregDunn@aol.com | knowledge is not wisdom; | | gregdunn@indy.net | wisdom is not truth." | | Greg@gdunn.nawc-ad-indy.navy.mil | -- Frank Zappa | [ Editor's note: Oh yes, I forgot that ELP was also on the "King Biscuit" show during one or more of their tours after the Brain Salad Surgery tours. So, perhaps it would be possible to get a Works-era King Biscuit CD. - John - ] ------------------------------ From: Fab60@aol.com Date: Sat, 9 Sep 1995 00:42:01 -0400 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Where can I find "Changing states"? I need to find "Changing states" . Please e mail me [ Editor's note: This Digest and many of the more recent back issues list some places. I've also noticed that "big name" places like Tower Records and Barnes and Noble book stores have it listed as something they have or can order. Keep looking! It's out there and worth the search. - John - ] ------------------------------ From: m.burns@genie.geis.com Date: Sun, 10 Sep 95 07:54:00 UTC To: arnold@iii.net Subject: ELP stuff on AOL [ Editor's note: In recentl Digests, Will Alexander and others have mentioned that there's some ELP chat and information on "AOL" and a number of people have asked for more information. "AOL" means America On Line, a leading provider of on-line computer services. Here's a description about how to get at the ELP info there if you're an AOL user. - John - ] Hello, For all of you who are trying to find the ELP folder on AOL, go to keyword 'mmc', then double click on 'Rock/Pop', double click on A-L. You will then get a listing of the topics...scroll down to Emerson Lake and Palmer, and click 'read first' you'll get the last month of posts. We have a great group of contributors, the MidiMastr Will Alexander, Al Goff of Goff Professional, Gene Stopp, another technician for KE, and many ELP 'fans'. It is not the regular 'groupie type chatter' you find on most rock group oriented bbs on aol. Come and join us, the more the merrier! (it's the ONLY reason I have AOL!) Unfortunately AOL loves to switch the Music boards around every 6 months or so. If you can't find us, email me at DreamRunnr and I will get you 'home'! Looking for Changing States and/or GL's King Biscuit CD?? email Ed Morgan at MrEdBear@aol.com Ed works for a major cd distributor and has them in stock. Thanks to Bjo/rn to the ELP 'history'. VERY VERY interesting! Mary Ann Burns DreamRunner@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Sep 95 07:34:33 0500 From: TONE To: arnold@iii.net Subject: BONUS TRACKS Hi: Love the ELP page. I have a question. On my copy of Emerson Lake & Powell Two bonus tracks are listed. " The Loco-Motion " and " Vacant Possesion " These tracks are not on the CD but they are listed. Is this a rare CD because of this mistake ? Where can I get these tracks ? Thank You. TONE ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 22:09:53 -0400 From: John E Arnold To: thefront@interport.net Cc: arnold Subject: Re: BONUS TRACKS >>> I have a question. On my copy of Emerson Lake & Powell >>> Two bonus tracks are listed. >>> >>> " The Loco-Motion " and " Vacant Possesion " This was a mistake by Polydor. They used a bunch of older CDs in new sleeves. Unfortunately, I think your only bet is to (1) call Polydor and tell them about your problem and see if they can help or (2) return it to your dealer and ask if they'll exchange it for a copy with the "right CD" in it. Then, while you're at the store, ask if you can open the new copy and make sure the tracks are on it. I know the "right CD" exists because I have a copy. Unfortunately, I don't think having the new sleeve with the old CD is rare enoguh to be considered a collectible. Hope this helps. - John - ------------------------------ From: Davey38431@aol.com Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 11:57:30 -0400 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: ELPdigest-correction Bjorne-Are's essay on ELP was excellent, however, I am compelled to make a correction to one of his statements. Lucky Man was not the first rock song to feature a synth solo at the end. Maybe this isn't considered a rock song but the Monkees 1967 song "Star Collector" had a very strange Moog solo at the end. Mickey Dolenz taking ownership of one of the first ones out. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 95 13:53:29 EDT From: "Plotczyk, Steve" To: John E Arnold Subject: Re: Alberto Evaristo Ginastera In ELP digest Volume 5, Issue #22 Aston Martin wrote: >On the album "Live at the Royal Allbert Hall" Keith play's the Dance >Creole from a Swiss composer. On the Welcome Back Video, Keith speaks >about "the Great Man" and than a name like Genestrera or some thing like >that. Do you, or somebody else knows ho he is??? In answer to that and also for the people who are interested, the following information is taken mostly from my Piano Concerto CD liner, Ginastera, CD DCA 654, Academy Sound And Vision LTD. Born in 1916 in Buenos Aires, Alberto Evaristo Ginastera was the most distinguished of all Argentinian composers. He began the study of piano at seven years old and at the age of twelve entered the Williams Conservatory. There he studied piano, theory, and composition. He graduated in 1935 and earned a gold medal for composition. From 1936 to 1938 he attended the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires and graduated with highest honors in composition. His earliest works dated from 1930 and were marked by stylistic economy. Unfortunately he destroyed almost all of them, so that his "official works" begin with his ballet Panambi (1936). The reason for this was that a performance of an orchestral suite of dances from Palumbi in 1937 established his national reputation. The staging of the complete work in 1940 also enhanced it. In 1942 he received a Guggenheim Award to visit the USA but because of the war he postponed his trip until 1945. After that, he went there many times with his family. Concerts of his music took place in New York and Washington DC. Starting in the 1950s he travelled widely in Europe and North and South America. In 1971 he married his second wife, Argentine cellist Aurora Natola. They settled in Geneva. It was here that Keith Emerson visited him with a cassette of his version of the the 1961 Piano Concerto #1 opus 28 4th movement Toccata Concertata (Toccata from Brain Salad Surgery). It was important to Mr. Emerson to get approval from Mr. Ginastera. Fortunately he did receive it. (I wonder if the title song "Brain Salad Surgery" would have appeared on the album if he didn't?) Although Alberto Ginastera passed away in 1983, Mr. Emerson also received approval for his version of Creole Dance posthumously through Aurora Natola in which she said "He would have approved of what you've done to his music". Ginastera's music is marked by great rythmic energy, passages of mystical calm, colorful orchestration, and the use of Argentinian folk-music traits. Though much of his music remains primarily tonal, with traces of the influences of the idols of his youth, Bartok, Stravinsky and Falla, he embraced more avant garde techniques, including 12-note writing - though never strict, beginning in 1958. Steve Plotczyk ------------------------------ From: ELPFAN@aol.com Date: Thu, 14 Sep 1995 13:04:24 -0400 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Re: Welcome Back video This is in reference to a Question in Digest V5 #22 Martin Boyd asked if the video "Welcome Back" is available in the PAL format. As a matter of fact I just saw it at the Virgin records "Mega Store" on Oxford Street in London. So, YES it is avilable. I believe it was L12. If they don't have it, try the HMV record store on Oxford Street or the Tower Records at Picadilly Circus. If you give them a call, I'm sure you could order it from them. I've seen it at all of these locations. (It's packaged much better than the NTSC version also) Cheers, ELPFAN ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 14 Sep 1995 23:47:56 -0500 To: arnold@iii.net From: thefront@interport.net (TONE) Subject: Just wanted to share. Hi John: Just got my first digest and I enjoyed it. I am a very big ELP fan. In fact Keith Emerson & Chick Corea are two reasons why I became a keyboard player. My first concert ever was ELP at Madison Square Garden 7/7/77 Works One Tour ( with orchestra ). Not a bad first concert ! The next time I got to see ELP live was for the Black Moon Show at Garden State Arts Center. This was a GREAT night. A friend and I had terrific seats and then the icing on the cake... BACK STAGE PASSES TO MEET THE BAND ! ! We were told to claim our passes we had to get to the ARTS CENTER in the afternoon ( while they were sound checking ) so we got to hear things like Greg Lake sound check with " Still You Turn Me On " run the bass line for " Tarkus " and if I remember correctly he may have even done some of " From the Beginning " at the sound check. ELP are truly gentleman ( nice guys ! ) just as I had hoped. My only regret is that I didn't get any pictures with them. I just wanted to share a very memorable evening with the other folks who subscribe to this digest. Cheers. TONE. ______________________________________________ E-mail thefront@interport.net ______________________________________________ Front Room Productions - Sound developers for Kurzweil Synthesizers. ______________________________________________ Please Visit The Front Room. http://www.interport.net/~thefront/index.html " In The Front Is The Future " ______________________________________________ ------------------------------ Digest, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: arnold@iii.net ==\ \ => The same for now... ELP-related info that you / want to put in the digest to: arnold@iii.net =/ Back issues are available from the World Wide Web ELP Home Page: URL: http://bliss.berkeley.edu/elp/ Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message. They are not necessarily those of the mailing list/digest administrator or those of any institution through whose computers/networks this mail flows. Unless otherwise noted, the individual authors of each entry in the Digest are the copyright holders of that entry. Please respect that copyright and act accordingly. I especially ask that you not redistribute the ELP Digest in whole or in part without acknowledging the original source of the digest and each author. Thanks! ------------------------------ End of ELP Digest [Volume 5 Issue 27] *************************************