Full Range Posted August 12, 2022 Author Share Posted August 12, 2022 2 hours ago, Dave1291 said: Whoda thunk Donovan would sing the "Billion Dollar Babies" on Alice's lp??? Not many. The Back Story to that The background vocals were sung by Donovan of "Mellow Yellow" fame. Donovan was recording at Willesden's Morgan Studios around the same time as Alice, and got roped into the session. In a 2016 Songfacts interview with Donovan, he told the story: "Here was this guy that I just met. He played me the song, and said, 'Would you like to put a vocal on?' I said, 'OK. Give me the chorus.' I listened to the chorus, and his guitar player was playing like Keith Richards - something very powerful that he'd learned from Keith or from Brian Jones in the Stones. And when I listened to the chorus, I said, 'OK. I'll give it a go.' But I learned something: I had to sing in falsetto. Power bands in Britain had already learned that to have a singer in a power rock outfit, you need a singer who can go into falsetto. That's why you've got Robert Plant in Zeppelin, Jon Anderson with Yes. They have to raise their voices into the high range. Chris Squire of Yes, who was a friend at the time, I said, 'Why is it?' And he said, 'Well, it's very easy. If you want your voice to be heard, you've got to climb above the guitars in the mid-range, or else you won't even hear the vocal.' And it's true. So, I immediately said, 'Hey Alice, what do you think of [singing falsetto] Biiiillion Dollar Babies? So I did the falsetto, Alice loved it, and then I forgot about it, and never even thought about it, until someone told me later, it went to #1. And I was half the vocal! So Alice and I, when we meet, we have a chuckle and a laugh about it. It was a great pleasure. And the best thing about it was nobody knew it was me for so long!" 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 12, 2022 Share Posted August 12, 2022 That's a cool read Paul. And that record with the green snakeskin was my favorite of his for a long time, might still be! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1291 Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 Pretty logical and prolly spot on. Just the way so many things happened back then. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilC Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 That makes for a nice sub-centric respite from my Alice Cooper Saturday am! Reminiscent of the HU, with a different energy, thoughtful moral to the lyrics @EmilC 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 Started with BDBs, have always loved, then that newer episode above. It is one of those that each song is a chapter in the story. Have to listen to the whole thing! Then this one probably my second favorite release. The "intellectuals" that ridicule us all the time over here love: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted August 13, 2022 Author Share Posted August 13, 2022 8 hours ago, JohnJ said: Started with BDBs, have always loved, then that newer episode above. It is one of those that each song is a chapter in the story. Have to listen to the whole thing! Then this one probably my second favorite release. The "intellectuals" that ridicule us all the time here love: That is a great album 🤘 One of the best drum solos is on the Killer album Enjoy Halo Of Flies 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted August 13, 2022 Author Share Posted August 13, 2022 Another track set that is burned into my mind is on the Love It To Death album Enjoy Ballad Of Dwight Fry and Second Coming 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 Fresh air in here is nice, humidity is only 80%. The levels here in the swampy area are more than Central FL was when I lived there. Smells like my chlorine cleaner in here so I opened up, sprayed the sills with bug-killer. `Bout due for a haircut so I'll be busy this am. Finish this mug and I'll get a move on it. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 I guess mornings have turned into my music time the last year. Youtube led me to "Smokin' OPs" then I went to this HUGE release from back then: Like always some tunes come to the forefront as faves even when four or five hits were on the LP like on this one 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 Next up: Who was alive back then that did not love Bob's music or him himself? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 15, 2022 Share Posted August 15, 2022 Remember when .38 Special came out. Weren't they from our Carolinas area? Lunch wasn't much today, didn't want to have to clean up anymore. So what? took my multivitiman, b-complex, omega IIIs pill and that gingko whatever. Have to get more tea, a few more pretzels there's some mustard leftover... Ambience by JETHRO TULL from `02!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 15, 2022 Share Posted August 15, 2022 Ian sang "Life's a Love Song" just now, towards the end of that good recording on the tube. meh Sometimes yea for me, mostly 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicroMara Posted August 15, 2022 Share Posted August 15, 2022 7 minutes ago, JohnJ said: Ian sang "Life's a Love Song" just now, towards the end of that good recording on the tube. meh Sometimes yea for me, mostly C`mon JJ ..... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 15, 2022 Share Posted August 15, 2022 Funny. What I had going for me is mostly gone now! * 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 11 hours ago, JohnJ said: Remember when .38 Special came out. Weren't they from our Carolinas area? Carolinas ? Nah , those mother scratchers are from Jacksonville 😜 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 Ok, don't know why I was thinking that. Searched and apparently Donnie VanZant from the Southern Rock First Family helped them get started! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 John, noticed a month or more ago, the VanZant family home for sale. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 If only... I might consider JAX. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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