Keep On Crinting Pix

[Michael Heatley]

Page 15 - anyone any ideas?

[Nick Nation]

Page 15 - anyone any ideas?

Care to elaborate?

[Iowerth Pritchard]

I think Michael is referring to the shot of the Phil/Will'n'Tweke lineup on p.15 of the Keep On Crinting 2CD booklet.  It's the one with the female (ballet?) dancer, and before Mr Nation's mind wanders into thoughts of a Stacia style flesh-fest - she's clothed... well pretty much so anyway...

[Michael Heatley]

Indeed, sir. And the one below it which has someone doing a Hitler salute! MY failing eyes can discern no more... 

[Iowerth Pritchard]

Small pic - possibly Max Darkness tour, with John 'Adolf' Cipollina playing a pedal steel?

[Nick Nation]

Oh Right. Well then - the first pic is from The Roundhouse. Look closely behind MJ and there are suitably suited representatives of the Gwalia Male Voice Choir. By the position of WY's and MJ's hands they're playing 'C'Mon'. The fact that they are both singing suggests it's during a verse - their mouths would probably be more open if it was the chorus section. 'Europa Hire' (see wedge) were often used during this period. This was quite early in the TL era and he was often fiddling with his gear (as in the pic) in order to get the right sound - this gig was recorded for 'BITF' and you will notice that his tone is harsher than it was later (such as on 'In Concert') and more prone to breaking a string. Think I might be able to identify the dancer, but I'll ask her first (if I ever see her again!)   

The second pic is trickier than suspected - I only saw the 'MD' tour a few times but it was clear that the band/crew/everyone had learned that JC's steel should be tucked away in the corner out of the way in the hope that he didn't use it. In this pic it seems more centre stage which suggests it may be from an earlier American date. Would be nice to have a larger version of the photo, I thought it was KW at first!

[Iowerth Pritchard]

Well spotted Mr 'Sherlock' Nation.  If the '75 pic is from America then it must be Winterland 5th April, as this was the only public appearance with the band in the 'States.

[Michael Heatley]

Message from a lurker, received today...

Just got back from Germany - rehearsing with Rene and Martin. 
The dancer on the Roundhouse photo is Tina Buhl, Anthony Michael's first wife. Love & Peas, Phil.

[Nick Nation]

Thanks to the lurker!

However...that second photo....

Well spotted Mr 'Sherlock' Nation.  If the '75 pic is from America then it must be Winterland 5th April, as this was the only public appearance with the band in the 'States.

In that case, having just listened to that gig, JC was brought on for the encore....however - only three minutes of the first song, a rather tentative jam, was recorded. No sign of the lap steel. The second was 'Romain', which as far as I'm aware, he only ever played guitar. So if it is that gig, then it would presumably have been the second part of the jam. Vaguely supporting this theory is the fact that even Foster and Co wouldn't leave a lap steel lying around centre stage for an entire gig, but it could well have been brought on during the break between set and encore.

 

[Iowerth Pritchard]

Just checked the booklet of the Esoteric Maximum Darkness CD and there are photos at the top of page 14 and bottom of page 15 which look very close to the KOC shot.  The credits list Keith Morris and Edmund Shea as the photographers - Morris was apparently UK based, but Shea was a noted San Francisco photographer, and Winterland was of course in SF, so... I think we might just have cracked it.

[Michael Heatley]

Thanks chaps! 

[Nick Nation]

... I think we might just have cracked it.

But on the other hand....the reasoning is somewhat flakey and liable to be proved completely incorrect when Reverb Ron turns up with the missing bits from that gig (prompt....) and lo and behold - no lap steel.

An alternative would be to look at the songs he used it on whilst on tour - these were 'The Storm', 'Bananas' and the middle of 'C'Mon'. I think 'The Storm' was played each night, but not the other two. Enlarging the photo suggests MJ is at a mic - the only time he alone would be singing during these songs would be during 'The Storm' and 'Bananas' ('put the seed' etc). The enlargement also confims it is JC's right hand in the air - fortunately not a Hitler salute but an unrestrained burst of air-punching glee. As this behaviour is unlikely to occur during 'The Storm' I'd suggest it's when MJ sings 'Get Your Rizlas Out'. 

So if we ever hear the missing bits from Winterland (double prompt) and it's not on there, it would be a case of identifying the gigs that 'Bananas' was played - probably find it was the Roundhouse after all! 

[Pete T]

I only have a promo copy of KOC with a plain EMI white label with tracklisting, so sadly, havn't the foggiest of what your on about..

[Ron S]

That photo with John would have to be from one of the UK gigs. No lap steel on ANY of the US shows, 75 or 76. Only the jam and Romain were played at Winterland. I hadn't look at the booklet that close until now..

[Nick Nation]

No lap steel on ANY of the US shows, 75 or 76.

Thanks Ron. Curses! In that case I'll go for my Bananas theory - at the gigs I attended, it wasn't played at Southend or Birmingham. According to Mannerisms (you must treat yourself to a copy, Mr P) it also wasn't played at Manchester, but confirms it was played at Glasgow, Edinburgh, and two of the Roundhouse dates. I can vouch for it being played at the third.

So it's likely to be one of those  - the remaining 9 gigs were smaller venues and bearing in mind that by this time MJ had become reluctant to play the song may well have not been played.

I only have a promo copy of KOC with a plain EMI white label with tracklisting, so sadly, havn't the foggiest of what your on about..

Neither have we, Pete - but we are an irresistable force!