Errors-To: admin at elephant-talk dot com Reply-To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Sender: moderator at elephant-talk dot com Precedence: bulk From: moderator at elephant-talk dot com To: newsletter at elephant-talk dot com Subject: Elephant Talk #940 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 940 Wednesday, 13 February 2002 Today's Topics: Level Five CD For Sale crim alert Adendum Re: Japan, why not here? Interesting guitarists Re: Japan, why not here? Re: The Bears Re: What is great? The greatest guitarist .... A faint glimmer in the darkness? KING CRIMSON: "BEAT" P J Crook Favorite Guitarist and apology if I've missed anything over 18/21 Japan: Bonus Tracks Beat and Guitarists PGiles interview ------------------ A D M I N I S T R I V I A --------------------- POSTS: Please send all posts to newsletter at elephant-talk dot com To UNSUBSCRIBE, or to CHANGE ADDRESS: Send a message with a body of HELP to admin at elephant-talk dot com or use the DIY list machine at http://www.elephant-talk.com/list/ To ASK FOR HELP about your ET subscription: Send a message to: help at elephant-talk dot com ET Web: http://www.elephant-talk.com/ Read the ET FAQ before you post a question at http://www.elephant-talk.com/faq.htm Current TOUR DATES info can always be found at http://www.elephant-talk.com/gigs/tourdates.shtml You can read the most recent seven editions of ET at http://www.elephant-talk.com/newsletter.htm THE ET TEAM: Toby Howard (Moderator), Dan Kirkdorffer (Webmaster) Mike Dickson (List Admin), and a cast of thousands. The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. ET is produced using John Relph's Digest system v3.7b (relph at sgi dot com). ------------------ A I V I R T S I N I M D A --------------------- Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 23:47:04 -0600 From: "Phillip Ciskowski" Subject: Level Five CD For Sale Hello everyone, I have a Level Five CD #98 for sale on Ebay. I am also including a ticket stub from each of the two nights in Nashville. Here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1513176912&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=1013991956&indexURL=0&rd=1 Phil Ciskowski ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 11:46:20 -0500 From: "Brown, Ken" Subject: crim alert I just picked up a promo copy of Craig Armstrong new cd 'As If To Nothing', which I believe will be out next month. Mr. Armstrong (www.craigarmstrong.com) is an arranger, having worked with Massive Attack and U2. His solo stuff is filled with strings and orchestra arrangements, complement with beats from a Trip-Hop prospective. His first solo cd 'The Space Between Us' was an incredible work, a true soundtrack of the mind type cd. This new one follows the same route, it includes more vocals then the previous, including Evan Dando (Lemonheads) and Bono. There is also a track with Mogwai. (fans of GYBE should check out Mogwai) But of interest to you all here is Starless II. Taking the opening from Starless (the bit where the theme is introduced by Robert) he transforms it into an even more beautiful piece of music, with the addition of strings and beats on to Crim original piece (and no we are not talking muzak here). Some may think it sacrilege to 'rearrange' a piece of Crim lore, but I think Mr. Armstrong as done a great job of it. And who knows it could lead some people out there to 'discover' the Crim. Keep the Faith (in the Music) Ken Brown ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 11:44:28 -0600 From: "Cedric Hendrix" Subject: Adendum Hey All, Well,it looks like the "Greatest Guitarist" Debate has continued on, whether I wanted it to or not, haha. I would like to backpedal a half-step or so, and say this ... it's not that I mind the debate, it's just the way we seem to be going about it. It's one thing to say "So-and-so is the greatest guitarist ever." This is subjective and futile and could lead to future nastiness. Now, if we were to say "So-and so is among my favorite guitarists of all time ..." Well, that's completely different. I agree with my friend's "spoo" theory completely. I've seen great guitar players just play for the sake of playing, with nothing of real substance taking place. Still others can play one or two notes, and make all the sense in the world. My point ... Let's call the "favorites," and not "bests." Then we can go on forever. Take care ya'll. Ced cirdec at brick dot net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 12:54:59 -0600 From: "Teramura, Doug" Subject: Re: Japan, why not here? My understanding is that Japanese discs cost alot more, even in Japan. And read somewhere that they add "bonus" tracks as an incentive for the Japanese market to purchase domestic product and combat imports. I don't defend the practice, or know how much credence this argument has. But know of at least one example where the artist was pretty upset that the previously unreleased material was leaked out. -Doug ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 22:57:32 +0100 From: "Thomas Olsson" Subject: Interesting guitarists Scott Steele wrote: "np: "Bruse hogre llilla a" by Bjorn Jason Lindh" Bjorn J:son Lindh's "Brusa hogre lilla a" (there should be dots here and there, but since this is an international newsletter we'll skip the dots) features guitarist Janne Schaffer, who has made a number of great recordings on his own. The greatest guitarist? Well, as several people have already pointed out, what's the point? On the other hand, recommending lesser known but highly interesting guitar players serves a good purpose, I think. Here are are few: Steve Topping English guitarist who has been around for some time and released one solo album called "Time and Distance". Allan Holdsworth likes him a lot. Sounds like noone else, but to give you an idea, I would say cross McLaughlin with Holdsworth and you're fairly close. Alex McHacek >From Austria. Vai goes jazz and tries out some interesting things. Someone on the list already mentioned norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal, a great player who's been around for more than 30 years by now. Hank B. Marvin meets Bill Frisell. Roughly. For the fusionminded among you, may I recommend Dick Heath's weekly radio show on Tuesday evenings between 8pm and 10pm GMT. Go to www.lborosu.org.uk/lcr and check it out! Thomas. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 21:52:28 -0400 From: Michael Hackett Subject: Re: Japan, why not here? "Jordan Clifford" wrote: > I dont understand why other countries always get the extra track cds, > with all the bonus features. why are Americans always after the > Japanese discs and Japanese never after American discs? i just dont > understand it. what makes Japan more worthy a EleKctric on their > Level Five then the US? or in UK? Money, essentially. The folks at Camino Records, Steve Hackett's label, when questioned about a similar case with their CDs, told me that, because CDs cost so much more in Japan than in the US, there is a lot of importing of US CDs going on. The only way to get people to buy the domestic CDs is to ensure they have exclusive bonus tracks, and the distributors simply won't pick them up without such a deal in place. And because the Japanese sales are substantial enough, the US and UK labels and artists are willing to make the deals. On the plus side, I guess, at least these extra tracks get released, but obviously the ideal solution would be lowering of prices in Japan, and the lack of exclusivity deals so that we all get the extra tracks. Hey, I can dream, right? -- Michael ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 20:34:06 -0600 From: "Jonathon Smith" Subject: Re: The Bears "Saw The Bears in Ferndale, Michigan, 2/1 and the show was a lot of fun." Okay, please no more talk about this. I had to miss this Bears tour, and I missed the last King Crimson tour because U2 was playing here in Kansas City the same night in November. I have yet to see any of the guys in totality or their various, asundry side projects. I guess that's life. But I just hate being envious. However, on a related note, my girlfriend bought me a copy of the new Bears CD for Valentine's Day. I suppose that all hope is not lost. Jonathon "We are all deeply shallow people." (Bernard Sumner) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 19:25:45 -0800 From: "Greg Danielak" Subject: Re: What is great? The greatest guitarist .... In response to Robert van Harten... Good question. The answer must be searched for though - Robert Fripp DOES open himself to music and let it play through him, it just isn't very apparent as he expresses it through a different medium, an entirely individual route than other guitarists. When I hear his soundscapes on records like 'A Blessing Of Tears' I can feel him reacting and bouncing off the music and produce beautiful timbres of sound, akin to Jeff Beck playing blues. Same goes with the interlocking guitar patterns - I love these because they are rhythmically interesting, brimming with life and Fripp seems to become ONE with them. What a feeling. One of the most heartfelt solos I have ever heard was Fripp's solo on his duet with Andy Summers, "In The Cloud Forest", from "I Advance Masked." I have never heard Fripp play so beautifully and sensitivley as on that cut - it seems like his fingers are butterflies softly landing on notes. Fripp's skills as a session musician also strengthen this point... if he couldn't be able to become one with the music, he wouldn't have done such an amazing job at reshaping the face of guitar and help out incredible, demanding artists like David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel, and David Bowie, and give them exactly what they needed, no more, no less. My point is that Fripp does not use standard means to meld into music, and this is why the fourth question is difficult to answer for Fripp, but ultimatley he can and does! Amen to your observations about Randy California btw... incredible, sensitive player (best bending tone and skills IMO.) He will sadly be missed. "The Prisoner" changed the way I look at approaching guitar forever. Take care ~ Greg D. "Suffer Cheerfully" - Robert Fripp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 23:12:20 -0800 From: Paul MacFarlane Subject: A faint glimmer in the darkness? Argue about guitarists. Argue with guitarists. Argue for or against the notes they pull from the ether. But please, all, remember this King Crimson: shining, rumbling, shredding veils of light, sending gorgeous noise spiralling up, out and back into our own divinity, prodding our souls back into vulnerability, opening us up to the God within. All of the above courtesy of a certain Dorset gent's very brave, magnificent aim. An aim that attracts others, and aim that consistently pulls various angelic spinning gears into thrashing beauty that for over 30 years shifts, rolls, turns, burns and dissolves again and again into King Crimson. Ahhhhhh... Paul MacFarlane St. Louis ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 01:01:09 -0500 From: "MALCOLM XERXES" Subject: KING CRIMSON: "BEAT" As I listen to this for only the second time--unusual for a King Crimson CD--it just occurred to me how very Belew-influenced this CD is. That's not a problem for me--I love Ade--but I can see why this CD isn't quite as well received as some of the other Crimson material. It also might explain why none of this material gets re-used nowadays. Although it might be fun to see Pat clobber the drums on something like Neurotica. ;) Anyway, I'm kinda curious what other people think about Beat, since I don't hear it talked about all that often on E-Talk. --RBM-- NP: Beat JUDGE ROB: My initial response to this album was one of disappointment, not because of the composition, execution & arrangement, but because of its production, which I had hoped would have the "live" feel that KING CRIMSON: "DISCIPLINE" featured so strongly. Again, the "drum sound" was one that irked me somewhat, as it was not the usual "BILFORD clang" (not to be confused with "THE ABINGDON CHASP"!), and sounded more commercial. I never understood why it was that "HEARTBEAT" was not a monster AM Radio hit, as it is one of the finest examples of A Perfect Pop Song that I have ever heard! The tracks which grabbed me right away were, in this order: "SARTORI IN TANGIER", "WAITING MAN", "NEAL & JACK & ME", "THE HOWLER" & "NEUROTICA", which I thought to be a sequel to "THELA HUN GINJEET", as "PICTURES OF A CITY" is to "21st CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN", structurally. The remainder of the album grew on me with repeated listening, especially when I filled a BASF 120 Chrome Cassette with "DISCIPLINE", "BEAT" & "3 OF A PERFECT PAIR", 2 years later. I was impressed by the continuation of the arpeggiated guitar work, without repeating what had gone before. I have found that "THIS FRIPP" likes to "steal his own licks", as he did with "CHINA - YELLOW LEADER", which echoes the bridge section in "DISCIPLINE". There are numerous other examples of this practise - which I hasten to add, is not being condemned by me! - but that example is the most obvious one that came to my own mind because I worked so hard on learning to play "DISCIPLINE" properly, note for note on my own "Kit Drums & Percussion". "BEAT" is the album which, aside from ITCOTCK & ISLANDS, has the most appeal for women to whom I have played it. They have tended to respond immediately to the AB tracks, while resisting the others. "BEAT" is also the album which I have most often allowed to filter into my dreams when sleeping, as it stimulates some incredibly psychedelic nocturnal visions! The album is one that I think is more akin to "DISCIPLINE" in spirit than "3OAPP", which I thought sounded more like an AB solo album when first I bought it. http://www.malcolmxerxes.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 13:35:02 -0500 From: "Guertin Pierre" Subject: P J Crook Hi there. I was looking on the web to see if could find the titles of the pj crook paintings used on the Crimso records and seeing I could not I e-mailed her to suggested to her to do it herself on the web page dedicated to her paintings used on Crimso albums at http://www.pjcrook.com/kc%20discography.html . This is the reply I got: hello Pierre, Many thanks for your e mail and most interesting feedback. Have taken your advice and you will now find titles, medium and date of the paintings used on King Crimson covers on the web page. This is a good idea on your part as it reminds people that they are real paintings that exist in their own right. Interestingly there is a young man called Mishka in the Crimea [who we think is a student] working on a site devoted to the paintings and covers, showing the whole painting and eventually some notes by me on the work. http://www.pjcrook.by.ru I haven't yet had an exhibition in Montreal though have had a couple in Toronto - will let you know if I do though. PJ So I tought that the fans might be interested know the fact that the titles of those paintings are available now. Some have the same title as the album name, some not. Eye candy and ear candy come together with music albums. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 14:40:45 -0500 From: "Beth El" Subject: Favorite Guitarist and apology if I've missed anything I wanted to post my thoughts on favorite guitarist while I still can. I'm posting my favorites and not claiming they are the best, at least in part because I am a bass player, not guitar, so my thoughts on best may not be the best thoughts. I am also not mentioning Crimson players, since their names are obviously so well known. Anyway... 1) Gary Lucas - best known for his solo work and Captain Beefheart, this guy is ultra versatile, recognizable as himself and gives new meaning to old songs. Although often considered a weird fellow, I've found him pleasant and easy to befriend at shows, which probably adds to my liking of him. 2) Jimi Hendrix - we all know him I hope. I have been surprised he's been left off so many lists, no matter how young he died. I recall one entry left him off for the very reason that he died so young, so the posting stated they were not sure of him. His early death, I feel, makes his longstanding popularity stand out all that much more. If he had lived, how much greater may he have shown himself to be? That is my question. Everything he did feels alive, present, and always Jimi. 3) Daevid Allen - Soft Machine, Gong, Solo and University of Errors amongst other collaborations. Daevid Allen is very very psychedelic and is pretty well known for his style. He often sounds like early Pink Floyd. He was never recorded with Soft Machine as he was forced to leave the band when he was denied re-entry to the U.K. (he's Australian) before they got much work done. I highly recommend seeing him perform if you get the chance. He's always a trip and since he's in his 70's, who knows when he could retire. If I am repeating anything or showing evidence I've missed Elephant Talk entries, I apologize. My only internet access is at work and I find that I often get distracted while reading or just don't let myself get too much into entries and just skim for things that look interesting. Peace and Love, Scott ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 21:55:04 +0100 From: George Koopman Subject: over 18/21 Er, should we split elephant talk in a underage and over 18/21 section? The near explicit stories of certain posters are hardly fit for young readers. Josette, please keep the language down and for the other part of your story: you make me wanna revive my old dream of becoming a rockstar. Do you also fall for bambabazooba-players? A hell of an instrument to play with tight pants, I can tell you. Greetings, George ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 08:07:42 -0300 (ART) From: Ronald Miklos Subject: Japan: Bonus Tracks Hi What kind of deal the rock groups have with the Japanese market that makes the CDs always come with bonus tracks? I does not happen only with KC, but also with other big groups (Yes for example). At least, the last Yes CD (magnification) came out with 4 different versions. First one with only new songs, and the other ones always with diffrent bonus tracks. A crazy guy around here (Sao Paulo, Brazil) just bought them all, so we could just make a "Magnification" bonus CD. Anyway, I do not agree with this policy, for it seems really unfair to all customers tied to the american market, which is my case. Japanese imports are very expensive (not to mention other "not so politely" adjectives) and in most cases "prohibited". Ronald Vogel (Brazil) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 06:21:43 -0500 From: Neil Wicker Subject: Beat and Guitarists On the subject of beat: I never really liked any of the '80's Crimson (with the towering exception of 'The Sheltering Sky") until I heard live versions of the material on B'Boom and Absent Lovers. I always thought the sound was too "manufactured" (for lack of a better term) when I first heard them. I have revisited these albums and found a new respect for them, but I still prefer the live versions. As for Beat, I think it had some pretty solid pieces on it (Neurotica, Neal and Jack and Me, Sartori in Tangier, and Heartbeat stand out) and I don't think of it as a lesser album when compared to the other two '80's albums. On the subject of guitarists: Three names that have not been mentioned that deserve some attention in the great guitarist discussion. Adrian Legg is a consistently outstanding performer. His style and technical ability are hard to match and he has an exceptional sense of humor. I suggest "High Strung Tall Tales" as a starting point for those interested. The late Michael Hedges was one of the first guitarists that really interested me. His technical ability rivals any of the greats mentioned on this topic and his songwriting ability improved greatly in the time leading up to his death in 1997. Eric Johnson is by far the best live guitarist I've ever seen (and I've seen a few such as Fripp, Belew, Howe, Morse, Rabin, and a host of others). His clean sound and incredible compositions have always impressed me. If there is a drawback to Eric, its that he takes years and years to make an album (at least five). P.S. If anyone can direct me to a bootleg of one of the shows Trey did with Eric a few years back, I would be grateful. There's my 2cents. Cheers, Neil W. "In America anyone can be president, that's one of the risks we take." Adlai Stevenson ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 22:40:51 +1100 From: "Keenan, Owen" Subject: PGiles interview This is from the VoicePrint newsletter for any ETers who may be interested Why Don't You Just Drop In On Giles Giles & Fripp Richard Ormerod talks with Peter Giles Giles Giles and Fripp were a short lived but highly important part of rock music's heritage, mainly because they quickly evolved into the mighty King Crimson. Voiceprint have just released "The Brondesbury Tapes 1968", an album consisting of pieces recorded at the band's home (in Brondesbury Road, London) on a Revox F36 tape recorder. RO: I'm familiar with the GG&F album "The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp". My first reaction to this "new" release is that it's a much "heavier" album, with more experimentation going on. Why is this? PG: Firstly, it is important to keep in mind that virtually all of the tracks on "The Brondesbury Tapes" were written and recorded after we had completed the "Cheerful Insanity" album for Decca in May 1968. From June onwards, we had Ian McDonald's added input as songwriter, arranger, singer and multi-instrumentalist. Therefore there was a great incentive to write new songs. As soon as each song was written, we all got together in our makeshift studio and jammed until we were happy with our parts. Then we recorded them straightaway. It was an exciting way to work. Excitement galvanises the will. The quick turnover enabled us to develop our songwriting and thereby bring a 'tighter' (my interpretation of your word "heavier") edge to our music. I liken the process of songwriting to composing a letter to a distant friend. They are both challenging ways in which personal thoughts and feelings are expressed. I used to notice that my initial efforts were often little more than an undifferentiated flow of consciousness where a heartfelt idea would get swamped by vagueness or long-windedness. It's rather like the joke which runs: "Sorry this letter is so long - I didn't have time to write a short (ie. strictly to the point) one." The same applies to songwriting. Finally, the song is arranged, recorded and listened to by others, and the letter is sent and read by the friend. The act of communication then attracts the processes of feedback and review in order to complete the creative cycle. GG&F's songwriting slowly progressed from the somewhat "indefinite" style of the "Cheerful Insanity" album to a more disciplined but fluid approach which finally saw its true fruition in the King Crimson songs on "In The Court Of The Crimson King". I suspect that the many months we spent in the Brondesbury Road music room laid the foundations for good songwriting for each of us. In a sense, we had unwittingly put ourselves through an intense CSE course - ie Concentrated Self-Expression! RO: Who were the band's main influences at the time? PG: I cannot speak for the others in this regard. I was not "influenced" by anybody; however, I was inspired by many artists. It would be futile to try to compile a list of these - there were so many of them in the fields of classical, jazz and pop music. GG&F never tried to copy anyone, or follow in their footsteps. On the contrary, we focussed on exploring and developing our own style of writing and playing, whatever that turned out to be. RO: "The Cheerful Insanity" sounds worlds away from what the same musicians were playing only a year or so later as King Crimson. Is this new release "the missing link"? Definitely. There was a subtle shift in the original spirit-of-the-band that manifested as the "Cheerful Insanity" album; this was modified in the music of "The Brondesbury Tapes", and finally transmuted into the seed-vision of King Crimson. In a way, it sounds like a chemical compound being subtly altered by the addition of new ingredients in two stages. On reflection, a year or so seems a very short time for such a large evolutionary jump in terms of musical styles. A quantum leap might better describe the difference between Giles, Giles and Fripp and King Crimson; but they are "linked", as you say. GG&F were the caterpillar and KC the butterfly. In between, there was the chrysalis stage, represented by the music on "The Brondesbury Tapes". RO: The sound quality is remarkably good for 1968. Why is this? PG: This topic is dealt with in some detail in the CD sleeve notes. I would like to add that my brother, Michael, and I had worked in several top recording studios prior to forming GG&F. Hence, we had an internalised reference, as it were, to the possibilities of recorded sound quality. We constantly worked towards this theoretical goal with GG&F even though we were only using inferior recording equipment. With the present proliferation of home and project studios, it is an ongoing issue that only a minority of working musicians seem prepared to devote the time and effort it takes to get the best out of whatever pieces of recording equipment they are using. Music is sound. So it behoves all of us to explore the technical limits of each piece of equipment we have bought before we pass judgement on its competence or replace it with something that is often fulsomely advertised as "better". It's like a very poor driver buying a great car. He could not possibly appreciate its capabilities, so why bother? So he impresses everyone - until they sit in the passenger seat beside him. Some modern musicians (you know who you are!) are so spoilt for choice and impressed by glossy ads that their studios are full of new gear which will never be fully explored or truly appreciated. Sadly they will miss out on the great joy of getting a fantastic sound out of an old battered piece of equipment. (Ageing husbands have the identical problem with their wives! Ha! Ha! Ha!). In an imaginary modern Musicians' Bible, one can picture the injunction "Know thy self" being replaced with "Know thy gear". It is not a question of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It is the realisation that the sonic performance of a piece of recording equipment has more to do with the user's ability than with the manufacturer's specification. Or am I wrong? RO: Although the album as a whole is quite unlike King Crimson, one track, "I Talk To The Wind", will be well known to King Crimson fans. There are two versions here. What's the story? PG: "I Talk To The Wind" is a McDonald/Sinfield composition. It is a superbly crafted song, both musically and lyrically. When Ian McDonald came to record with us at Brondesbury Road, we did a version of the song with Ian and Michael sharing the lead vocal. This was further refined in a subsequent recording made with Judy Dyble singing with Ian. This is one of my favourite tracks on "The Brondesbury Tapes CD". In my opinion, the version of this song on King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King" album did not do full justice to it; and it seems that Robert Fripp felt the same way when he chose the Brondesbury Road recording (with Judy Dyble) for the King Crimson compilation album in 1975. So the listening public have four versions of this song to choose between, if we include Opus 3's dance version. RO: Why are there no songs written by Michael Giles on the "Brondesbury Tapes"? PG: Good question - you've obviously done your homework. The simple answer is that none of Michael's songs have been found on the original tapes. I have kept the tapes in a large wooden box for the last 33 years and it seems extremely unlikely that any of them are missing. Michael certainly wrote some good stuff for the "Cheerful Insanity" LP, and both singles (taken from the album) released by Decca in 1968 were his compositions. Now I think of it, I don't recall him writing any new stuff after the album had been recorded, even though he was always full of great ideas for other people's songs when we were recording at home. The real answer is that he was the only one out of the four of us who had regular paid work. He played regularly with the Mike Morton band, doing ballroom gigs and radio broadcasts. Perhaps he simply didn't have the time to write. I was very surprised not to find any of Michael's songs when I put the "Brondesbury Tapes" together - so was he! We certainly never noticed that he was not writing any new songs back in the summer and autumn of 1968. It all seems very strange now because it seemed at the time that we were all busy writing. RO: Are there any more unreleased GG&F pieces? PG: Nope. That's it to the best of my knowledge. Everything has been included on the "Brondesbury Tapes" except two pieces which were not up to standard. Only a musical masochist would be interested in hearing those outtakes. Perhaps I ought to destroy them, just in case. RO: So, GG&F became KC, but you didn't join them at the beginning. Why was this? PG: Most band splits are due to irreconcilable personal and/or musical differences. This was not the case regarding my departure from GG&F. I simply felt that I wanted a complete change from working in pop music. Yes, I snatched failure from the jaws of success. Je ne regrette rien. It was perfectly amicable between us. The others wanted to continue, so Greg Lake was recruited. He was an excellent 'frontman'. With hindsight, I can see how the personal and musical energies of the original KC line-up were perfectly balanced and complementary. All the ingredients for a successful group were there. Pity that they didn't stay together for a much longer time. Their first album was truly amazing. I was full of admiration for what they had achieved, especially after all that Michael and I had been through together over the years. They used to write to me when they were touring the states saying "Don't give up playing". But I had made my decision. I never thought "Oh shit, I should have stuck with it". Strange as it may appear to some people, there has never been any bad feeling between the others and myself. RO: What are you doing musically these days? PG: For the past thirteen years I have been working in music with my musical partner and one of my soul mates, Yasmine. She is a gifted piano/keyboard player and singer. Also she is blessed with the ability to channel great song ideas, and we have completed the preproduction for our first CD which we are now recording ourselves in our private studio. No! I am not recording it by track-bouncing on a secondhand Revox F36 tape machine! I am enjoying the luxury of having sixteen tracks to play with. We call ourselves ALUNA and, who knows, perhaps our debut album will, like King Crimson's, be a seminal one. See you at the top! Available NOW through Voiceprint: giles giles & fripp The Brondesbury Tapes (1968) VP235CD http://www.voiceprint.co.uk ------------------------------ End of Elephant Talk Digest #940 ********************************