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Post by littlebobby on Apr 10, 2023 17:52:55 GMT
Well worth a watch. Crowdfunded film that got tangled up in legal crap so never got distributed. They just decided to stick it on YouTube after years of trying to get it out at a more commercial level. This is a different edit from the one I first saw and has less of the tragic footage at the end but a lovely film of a brilliant musician.
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Post by resotonic on Apr 10, 2023 22:02:02 GMT
Great version of the film...even has a clip of John Campbell. Thanks for the link! I've added a John Campbell link for those interested.
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Post by Michael Messer on Apr 11, 2023 8:12:48 GMT
I never met Chris, but I did meet John in London in 1993. He was lovely guy and was a great artist. Interestingly, at the time his music didn't really capture the blues audience, his following was what would now be called Americana fans. He was good guy.
Shine On Michael
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Post by littlebobby on Apr 11, 2023 15:12:59 GMT
I got to see him in a tiny club in Nottingham around the time of hotel vast horizon back in the day where indoor smoking was still allowed. He had a fag in his gob for the duration, often while singing and his national was held together with tape. It’s about impossible to describe how brilliant he was.
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Post by misterwhom on Apr 11, 2023 19:17:21 GMT
...his national was held together with tape. It’s about impossible to describe how brilliant he was. Was his National held together with tape when you saw him, or was it the gaffer tape (I assume) he used to tape the Barcus Berry resonator pickup to his guitar? Legitimate question, as I was not there, but know memory can play tricks on us.
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Post by littlebobby on Apr 11, 2023 20:07:56 GMT
Ooh. Now you’ve got me to thinking. It was a long time ago but I seem to think the tape was on the top and overlapped the side. You could well be right though.
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Post by Michael Messer on Apr 11, 2023 20:24:49 GMT
I was never around Chris, but I am fairly sure that his guitar was not held together by gaffa tape. It would have been to hold the pickup on and maybe a cable. Chris was not unique in doing that, it was a way of sticking pickups and jack sockets on to Nationals at that time. I used silver gaffa because it blended in a bit better than black.
I do have one of Chris's albums, Living With The Law, that I bought when he first emerged. It's a good album, it was recorded in Daniel Lanois' home and produced by Malcolm Burn, a pretty cool combination of people. At that time I was really too engrossed in my own career and mission to really take in what Chris was doing. Things take on a very different perspective when you are working in the same industry.
One thing for sure - Chris died far too young at 45 years old from lung cancer. A tragic loss.
I connected with John Campbell because we had some mutual friends based in Texas, also because John was travelling at the time with the great pianist of Chuck Berry fame, Johnnie Johnson.
A little known fact is that John Campbell was the first person to order a Fine Resophonic guitar from Mike Lewis. Mike's first real customer!
John died tragically of a heart attack, he was only 41 years old.
Shine On Michael
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Post by leeophonic on Apr 11, 2023 21:06:28 GMT
I saw John also in the early 90's in London, at the Crystal palace Bowl open air London Blues festival, John Hammond, Buddy Guy etc... Maybe John Lee Hooker also.
Another gig never to be repeated, also recently picked up an obscure Chris Whitley CD in a charity shop, good stuff is still lurking out there.
Lee
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Post by littlebobby on Apr 12, 2023 6:55:27 GMT
His ‘Dirt Floor’ album is his magnum opus. A thing of stripped down beauty.
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Post by littlebobby on Apr 12, 2023 14:10:40 GMT
I saw John also in the early 90's in London, at the Crystal palace Bowl open air London Blues festival, John Hammond, Buddy Guy etc... Maybe John Lee Hooker also. Another gig never to be repeated, also recently picked up an obscure Chris Whitley CD in a charity shop, good stuff is still lurking out there. Lee Been looking for his stuff in vinyl. Dirt floor is about £150 minimum.
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Post by michaelsegui on Apr 12, 2023 18:13:46 GMT
"Dirt Floor" and "Weed" are my favourites of all his albums. Both striped down. Just him and a National (banjo on a few songs).
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Post by misterwhom on Apr 12, 2023 18:59:14 GMT
"Dirt Floor" and "Weed" are my favourites of all his albums. Both striped down. Just him and a National (banjo on a few songs). War Crime Blues is another to check out if you just want Whitley’s voice with his reso only. I have heard many of his albums and they’re all great, so depending on what the listener’s mood is at the time, there is something there for you. For example Din of Ecstasy is a great electric album with a rock vibe when you want to hear some of his songs with a full band.
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Post by twang1 on Apr 13, 2023 9:56:15 GMT
I like "Dislocation Blues", an album he recorded with Jeff Lang, with a special version od Dylan's "changin' of the guards". And years ago John Campbell was on constant rotation while driving! Great stuff with a special edge. Frank
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Post by leeophonic on Apr 13, 2023 17:01:48 GMT
Jeff Lang takes us down another Rabbit hole, one of my favourite players. When in Oz a few years ago I made a point of buying some of his music as a direct memory of the trip.
Lee
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