NanciNet Digest 9-04-99
// Concert reviews from Lubbock!!!
// Reviews of the new CD!
// And a young NanciNetter asks for advice on her website...
// Enjoy...[BP]
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Nanci and the *OTHER* LSO...
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 00:31:32 EDT
From: PolScPhD2B@aol.com
Possibly to atone for her comment on the intro to "Trouble in the Fields" on
"One Fair Summer Evening," Nanci Griffith performed tonight with the LSO.
I'm not talking about the London Symphony Orchestra but rather the Lubbock
Symphony Orchestra. (For those of you who haven't heard the intro, Nanci
says "nobody wants to live too close to Lubbock!") As on several tracks from
Blue Roses from the Moons, she played with the Crickets, another band with
West Texas roots (Nanci has family in Lockney, Texas, about 30 miles
northwest of Lubbock and spent a great deal of time there when she was
growing up; all of the Crickets -- in all of their incarnations, as far as I
know -- hail either from Lubbock or from nearby towns).
Although I paid mostly to see Nanci, and she only did four of her own songs
-- ("Trouble in the Fields," "This Heart," "The Wing and the Wheel," and "Not
My Way Home" -- four, if you count "I Fought the Law," which is actually a
Sonny Curtis song, and which she did as a duet with Sonny) -- the concert was
most enjoyable. The Crickets are an integral part of rock and roll history
(think about it -- had there been no Crickets, there would have been no
Beatles, or at least they would have been called something else), and to see
them on stage with Nanci was a wonderful experience. Just to be in the same
concert hall with Sonny Curtis was a privilege I'll tell my grandkids about.
Glen D. Hardin, the only musician ever to quit Elvis Presley's band, played
piano for the Crickets. (He went on from Elvis' band to work with John
Denver. Someone had better warn Nanci that people Glen works with have an
unfortunate tendency to die in a rather untimely fashion!)
I teach part-time for a local community college in addition to being a
full-time Ph.D. student. A couple of the extension classes I taught last
spring and summer were held in Floydada, Texas, the county seat of Floyd
County (population approx. 8,000). Three of my students were from Lockney.
I just discovered tonight that Nanci has family there and spent a great deal
of time there as a child, and I've already sent emails to my ex-students to
see if, perhaps, any of their parents know/knew her...details later.
Don.
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Subject: NN: Concert report: Lubbock (with Crickets)
Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 23:28:49 -0700
From: Tom Gill (tgill@igc.org>
My friends and I just returned from a wonderful evening here in Lubbock
with Nanci, the Crickets, and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, here on
the day that the Buddy Holly Center was officially opened, during the
"Event Formerly Known As The Buddy Holly Festival." I'd say this was
the first "live" preview of the Dustbowl Symphony, and if the album is
as good as the concert, and this concert is as good as the other
"Dustbowl Symphony" concerts, y'all are in for a treat. Tonight was my
FIRST TIME ever to see Nanci live, and although she was only on stage
for a fraction of the concert, it was a real joy! (Obligatory
disclaimer: This show has ALWAYS been billed as a concert by the
Crickets and the Lubbock Symphony, featuring Special Guest Nanci
Griffith. Nanci was CLEARLY having a great ol' time up on stage, and
it was also clear that during the first set, when everyone was on stage,
Nanci was in charge of the show. (During the second set, Nanci was
basically just another Cricket chirping with the band.) Another nice
touch was that Nanci's father was in attendance (as well as her
great-aunts from West Texas), and Nanci was really excited to be playing
to her "folks!" An unexpected surprise was that Nanci brought Ron de la
Vega from the Blue Moon Orchestra along to play with her.
Set List:
[Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ludwig Von Drake, oops, sorry,
I meant Alexander George Schram:]
Liberty Fanfare (John Williams)
Arkansas Traveler/ Fiddler's Breakdown
Puccini Medley (Robert Wendel)
[LSO + The Crickets:]
Not Fade Away
More Than I Can Say
It Doesn't Matter Anymore
[LSO + Crickets + Nanci Griffith + Ron De La Vega]
Trouble in the Fields (dedicated to her great-aunts from Lockney, Texas)
Tell Me How (WOW! Certainly the highlight of the show. An obscure
Buddy Holly song which will be appearing on the Dustbowl Symphony.
Watch for this one!)
This Heart
The Wing And The Wheel (dedicated to her father. This song admittedly
had never been one of my favorites... UNTIL I heard it live tonight.)
I Fought The Law
{Intermission- long lines at the restrooms... even the men's room lined
up out the door}
[LSOrchestra]
(jazz/blues piece that's familiar but we can't quite identify...)
When The Saints Go Marching In
[LSO + Crickets]
Every Day
Learning The Game
Last Date
The Real Buddy Holly Story
Raining In My Heart
True Love Ways
[LSO + Crickets + Nanci + Ron de la Vega]
Love Is All Around (Mary Tyler Moore theme)
Well Alright
(encores:)
That'll Be The Day
Rave On
At the very end, the mayor of Lubbock presented Nanci and the Crickets
with commemorative Buddy Holly Avenue street sign awards [this is kind
of hard to explain... you had to be there...]
-Tom Gill (with additional reporting by Pam Cantrell)
tgill@igc.org
Lubbock, Texas
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Subject: Re: NN: Concert report: Lubbock (with Crickets)
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 01:52:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: MISTERCD@webtv.net (SID PORTER)
Hi Tom,
Could the jazz/blues thing that seemed familiar to you, be "Drops
>From The Faucet"? If so, it's from DBS and a Frank Christian song from
his album, "Where Were You Last Night". Just a guess, but it seems
logical.
Regards,
Sid Porter
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Subject: NN: The Dust Bowl Symphony
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 99 12:05:00 +0100
From: John Edward Graveling (kai21@dial.pipex.com>
I originally sent this on Friday evening, but as it's now Saturday
afternoon it's seems to have got lost in the ether. After the live
reviews from Lubbock this may now supplement/complement those reviews.
The always excellent "No Depression" magazine has reviewed "The Dust Bowl
Symphony" by Nanci Griffith with the London Symphony Orchestra, in it's
current edition (23 Sept/Oct 1999). For fans of the great lady, like
myself, they have some very uncomplimentary, but honest, things to say
about the work. I haven't heard anything from the cd so am in no position
to comment further, but if I were a casual reader of the magazine, this
is one cd I would definitely avoid.
"Call it Moody Blue Syndrome. Or maybe Paul McCartney Disease. Whatever
it is, there's something about the lure of a big full-blown symphony
orchestra that attracts some rock, pop and country singers, who want to
prove they know the difference between fiddles and violins. Perhaps they
think their music will be transformed into something stately, something
important, even something immortal, by enlisting some dude in a tuxedo
using a baton to command massive string and horn sections. Instead, such
projects usually end up sounding cluttered, pompous and/or sweetened to
the point of sugar shock.
I'm not sure what Nanci Griffith's thinking was in doing this album,
mainly a collection of her better known songs recorded with her own band
as well as the London Symphony. But what she succeeded in doing was
making many of her songs, which sounded fine in their original form,
sound like middlebrow mush. To her credit, Griffith does not let the
orchestra overwhelm the proceedings; her voice still dominates, and you
can still hear guitars on most of the cuts. But the flutes and strings
give most of the tracks a syrupy feel.
The presence of guest-star vocalists on a couple of songs doesn't help
matters much. Darius Rucker duets with Griffith on a stale version of
"Love At The Five And Dime"; Crickets guitarist Sonny Curtis can't save
"Tell Me How" from being one of the most lifeless Buddy Holly covers ever
recorded.
There are a few listenable tracks on the record. "It's A Hard Life
Wherever You Go" is a song powerful enough to withstand a lot, and the
orchestra doesn't get in the way too much. On the other hand, like so
many songs on this record, nothing is really gained by bringing in the
strings. The one tune on which the backing actually works is the bluesy
"Drops From The Faucet", which recalls Tom Waits' "Please Call Me, Baby"
or an old sexy Julie London tune.
I'm not quite ready to call for a 'stop the violins' movement; I still
love my "Sgt. Peppers", "Astral Weeks", "Pet Sounds", early Drifters and
"Theme From Shaft" records as well as the next fan. But the next time
some singer decides it's time to give the old repertoire a musical
facelift with a grand old orchestra, they should listen to this record to
see how things can turn out."
The rest of the magazine is full of articles on such essential artists as
Jim Lauderdale, Buddy & Julie Miller (featured on the cover), George
Jones and David Ball, as well as their usual eclectic mix of live and
record reviews. Go out and buy, it's worth the education.
John Graveling.
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Subject: Re: NN: The Dust Bowl Symphony/No Depression review
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 17:36:33 EDT
From: Halesbop@aol.com
I just got my copy of No Dep yesterday, so I read the review John posted
then as well. Like John, I've not heard the cd either, but have to believe
I'll find plenty to agree with on that review once I do. It's a matter of
taste, of course, but I'm one that prefers to hear most of Nanci's songs with
as little instrumental embellishment as possible. I'll buy Dust Bowl the day
it comes out and I'm sure I'll like it, but would be surprised if it becomes
one of my favorite Nanci records.
I agree with John that the current issue of No Depression is essential
reading. That magazine just keeps getting better and better.
Connie and I just got back from vacation late Thursday night. I've been
enjoying catching up on the posts we missed while gone. Peter and Mark have
reported that Nanci did get the NN birthday hat OK at the Indy show on 8/26.
I'll be sending a little more of a report on that concert along later.
Steve
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN:a web-footed question (nmnc)
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 08:30:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: "jenny.frog" (jenny.frog@virgin.net>
Hello everybody,
I (surprisingly enough) have a question. Toying with the idea of
building a web site. don't have any idea how, but hey, i'm a 90s kid,
i'll learn. what i was wondering is, do you have to have any special
permisson to reproduce nanci's lyrics on your webpage??? for instance,
say i wanted to put out a page of songs and poems by other griffans and
i wanted to call it, 'Upon this page of song'. what about parodies?? and
if i do need permission who do i gotta ask?
just wondering...
jenny*
P.S
DId somebody say dates for a european tour??? yippeeee....
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Subject: Re: NN:a web-footed question (nmnc)
Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 23:18:52 -0400
From: Shawn Kimbro (kimbro@planetc.com>
Jenny,
According to U.S. law, any time you reproduce anything someone else has
written, you need their permission. Copyright laws take effect
immediately whenever someone writes anything down. For example, I own
the copyright to every word in this message as soon as they are
transferred to my screen from my keyboard.
Nanci's lyrics are owned by a publishing company. There is more than
one company which owns rights to her songs. The liner notes should tell
you who the company is. For example, "Across The Great Divide" is owned
by Another Sundown Publishing Company, "Flyer," and most of Nanci's
originals, are owned by Ponder Heart/Irving Music Inc. You need their
permission to reproduce them. That's the law. Whether or not it is
enforced is a different matter altogether, and I won't offer any advice
other than to say I like reading lyrics on web pages.
Those same laws apply, in part, to parodies. While it's usually okay to
publish parodies without the author's permission, it can get messy
should someone try to record one because the tune is also copyrighted.
It's not illegal to do it, you just have to pay the author royalties.
Here's an example: A few years ago I helped organize a "Blue Moon Jam"
before a Nanci concert. At the jam we publicly performed Nanci's songs
and parodies of her songs. Nanci was due royalties for every song we
did. Was it legal? Yes, because the venue is responsible for the
royalties and the Blue Moon Cafe, where the jam was held, pays BMI and
ASCAP, through license fees, to allow artists to perform cover tunes.
Those companies are paid by artists to license the public performance of
their music. They can sometimes get pretty aggressive in their
enforcement. One recently went after the Girl Scouts for royalties on
songs performed around the campfire. While it garnered some pretty bad
publicity, I'm personally glad they look out for their members so
carefully. Nanci is a member of BMI.
Since I'm on the subject, I'll mention that royalties must also be paid
anytime a song is recorded. An artists owns the right to first record a
song they've written. After that, if someone wants to record a song
they can go about it one of two ways. They can negotiate with the
publishing company for a payment arrangement, or they can pay standard
royalties which are about 7 cents per copy.
This is just my understanding, the laws can be quite complicated. I
think there are some folks lurking here who know quite a lot about this
subject.
Warm Regards,
-Shawn
_______________Nanci Is My Aeroplane___________________
| __ ____ Shawn Kimbro |
| "And she | \____o__/_/___| Morristown, TN |
| shoots him as \(>-----_/_/____]> ~ |
| he whistles" `o | kimbro@planetc.com |
|_________ http://www.geocities.com/~trailzzone ________|
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Subject: Re: NN:a web-footed question (nmnc)
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1999 17:22:56 -0500
From: Sarah Wrightson (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com>
Shawn Kimbro wrote:
> Since I'm on the subject, I'll mention that royalties must also be paid
> anytime a song is recorded. An artists owns the right to first record a
> song they've written. After that, if someone wants to record a song
> they can go about it one of two ways. They can negotiate with the
> publishing company for a payment arrangement, or they can pay standard
> royalties which are about 7 cents per copy.
All of what Shawn wrote was correct. On this part and additional...And,
if you pay the standard rate (a whopping 7.1 cents I think now) you do
not need permission to record someone else's song, as long as it has
been publically recorded before. So, Nanci did not ask Vince's
permission to record the two of his that she recorded...though with
Woman of the Phoenix, since she made gender changes she did have to get
permission for that.
OH...I'm full of trivia today!
Sarah
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: NN:a web-footed question (nmnc)
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 17:26:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: kenn lippert (lippert@fyi.net>
>for instance,
>say i wanted to put out a page of songs and poems by other griffans and
>i wanted to call it, 'Upon this page of song'. what about parodies?? and
>if i do need permission who do i gotta ask?
>just wondering...
I'm not sure about posting Nanci lyrics, but I'm pretty sure that
before you post any parodies you have to clear them through Inga
Queen of the Reindeer (who likes to Laugh Out Loud a lot).
kenn "Workin' Guy (Lookin' for a Mime)" lippert
// Certainly Jenny is welcome to all 14 of my parodies...[BP]
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Sender: nanci-approval@world.std.com
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 17:26:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: "jean-paul layrisson" (layrisson@worldnet.att.net>
I have enjoyed all of the messages from the various netters as to what
their reactions would be if they had a personal brush with Miss Nanci.
Most would be wallflowers and I respect that. However I think I would have
to sieze the moment and try and pick her up. (maybe "Hey Baby" Austin
Powers style would work). Nanci please come to New Orleans.
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Did Somebody say Bodunk?
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1999 21:58:09 -0400
From: Patti Schrull (gblauser@sover.net>
Hey All!
I have to confess to being a speed reader of the digest these
days...("these days"? - who am I kidding? I just don't have as much free
time anymore!) Well, for the last year or so. Anyway, while breezing my way
through and stopping at things that catch my interest, I happened upon a
word that seemed a bit familiar to me...Bodunk. But Bill, I think you mean
Podunk? I am here to tell you just as I lectured Hooker two years ago
during a visit with him in Boston, Podunk is a real place. Really! It is a
little part of the town that I grew up in; East Brookfield, Massachusetts.
There is a story about how the name came to be. I wish I could remember it.
Hooker thought it so funny he just had to tell his wife that Podunk is a
real place since it was a favorite phrase of hers to say something about
"way out in Podunk".
So Bill, just so you know, there are no buses out in Bodunk, and none in
Podunk either, for that matter!! ;-)
patti
// What? No news about the girls? Enquiring minds want to know!!! [BP]
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Diamonds is a jewel
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1999 19:15:18 -0700
From: snownobile@earthlink.net
I would like to thank the NN'er who suggested Bill & Bonnie Hearne -
Diamonds In the Rough. I just received it today, and it was a pleasant
surprise. I really am enjoying it this evening. I will have to purchase
more of their CDs. And what a deal, under $4.00, more like a steal!
Thank you for the recommendation. How can you go wrong listening to you
fine folks.
I would like to purchase other CDs that Nanci has appeared on.
Does anyone have any suggestions? What are your favorites?
Kathy
// check out the FAQ:
// http://www.jump.net/~ferg/nanfaq.html
// or see Chessman's site (below)....[BP]
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: NN: Diamonds is a jewel
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1999 22:36:41 -0400
From: Mike Chesman (chesman@preferred.com>
Kathy wrote:
> I would like to purchase other CDs that Nanci has appeared on.
> Does anyone have any suggestions? What are your favorites?
> Kathy
I have some listings on my web site and have marked the ones that have been
special favorites to me. Finding other music with a Nanci connection has
exposed me to some great music and musicians that I would probably have
never discovered otherwise.
here's the web address...
http://pages.preferred.com/~chesman/ngmain.html
I've been very remiss lately in not making the time to update the site in
more than a month... but you should find some good choices there.
Mike Chesman
p.s. listening to "The Essential Guy Clark" while jotting this message
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Let The Dust Blow
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 21:31:45 -0700
From: "Julie" (julie-anne@home.com>
Nanci Friends,
Dustbowl Symphony is playing on the stereo right now. I've been listening
to it quite a bit over the course of the past week, so I'm tossing in my two
copper pieces in the hope of easing some of the pre-release doubts.
When I first contemplated how in the heck Nanci, the BMO and the LSO would
perform all at once and pull it off (are the Crickets on here, too?), all I
could say was, "Huh?". My first reaction after hearing the recording was
amazement at how well they did pull it off. I don't have the benefit of
liner notes to know exactly who's doing what where and on what instrument,
but I can say that Nanci sings in a voice clear and strong and the musical
pairings evidence hard work, talent and creativity. There are a few lush
moments, a few appropriately placed crescendos, and some inspired
instrumental placements, though the symphony never overwhelms and James
Hooker's piano still owns the stage throughout the record. There are no
vocal inflections to get in an uproar over. The whole thing is just very
smartly done.
A few of the things I like best: If you don't count the gorgeous new verses
NG's added to Wing and the Wheel lately, DBS brings us the first
Nanci-penned song released since BRFTM (1937 Pre-War Kimball - and it's
good!), you get to hear Nanci sing a bit in French on Waiting for Love, the
Darius duet did not send me scrambling under the bed (they did a great job -
it's the instrumental solo I don't much care for), the harmonies throughout
are nearly perfect (but for the absence of Emmylou), and you get to hear
Nanci sing a smoky, bluesy, sassy, we're making whoopee rendition of Frank
Christian's Drops From The Faucet (I think she took her inspiration
straight from Reid Mitchell's cover of This Heart on UPO2 and then added
some feminine wiles). This song is different from anything I've ever heard
her do. She goes for it and she gets there, and probably made her
jazz-loving Mom quite proud in the process.
The only song over which I find common ground with the review posted here is
Tell Me Why. I wasn't wowed by it in concert this year and it is somewhat
lackluster on the recording. But it's just one white dwarf in a year of
supernovas (for the astronomers on our list). I will point out this about
the review, though: A reviewer who, when faced with critiquing music
containing orchestration can only come up with the unoriginal standby
"syrupy" comes across as having been more worried about making a deadline
than in delving into the music at hand (and NG's body of work) to write
something meaningful.
I will play this record over and over. There are some jewels here. It sure
beats the alternative -- I'm sitting here with an unopened copy of Revisited
and I simply cannot bring myself to rip open the cellophane. I don't wanna
revisit the Rape of St. Teresa.
Julie
"God bless the child who's got a song"
- 1937 Pre-War Kimball, by Nanci Griffith
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: NN: Tale of two concerts (8/26 Indy)
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 00:41:05 EDT
From: Halesbop@aol.com
In a message dated 8/27/99 3:25:44 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Peter wrote:
> I was lucky enough to See Nanci and John Prine last night, and
> while I enjoyed the music immensly it was also one of the worst concert
> experiences that I have ever had.
(snip>
>It was a great relief to see that Nanci had the hat on stage, for this seemed
> the best available proof that she did indeed receive the gift.
I'd finally like to add a bit to what Peter and Mark have posted about
the Indianapolis show. We arrived about an hour before showtime and met our
*connection*, Kent Smith of Sideshow Productions, who I had emailed earlier
about our hopes to get the hat (that George, Julie and Anne had concieved and
created for Nanci) to her. He was very enthusiastic and cooperative, and
immediately spirited us to the backstage area, where we were given
appropriate stickers to allow us "guest" access. We never even wound up
giving up our tickets to enter the venue, in fact. Once there he went to get
Nanci's manager, who I expected would be Nineyear (never did see him), but
was a fellow named Phil Kaufman(?). Phil was cool and asked us what we
wanted, then we had to go back out and get the hat which was gift-bagged
(quite attractively if I do say so myself) and a store-bought blank card we'd
made up that explained about the hat (and gave the URL to Sue's page about
it). Of course he wanted to look at it, etc. At this point he said Nanci was
getting dressed for the show and also told us they'd be leaving to drive back
to Nashville immediately following her set. This dashed any hopes I had of
seeing a special encore jam by her and John after his set, but he did say
that John would likely sit in with her for a song or two during her portion.
Perhaps if we'd really pushed for it Phil might have let us personally
give the hat to Nanci sometime in the half hour or so before she was to play,
but I felt that this time was not when she should be bothered, plus really
just wanted to see that she got the hat. While it would have been neat to see
her reaction and maybe get a photo, once Phil had inspected it and offered to
give it to her I pretty much figured our mission was accomplished.
Before the concert began I asked some ushers if I could take some
pictures up front in case Nanci came out and actually put the hat on, but no
dice. So we were in our row SS seats, at the very back, no chance for any
photos.
As it was Nanci did mention the hat when she came out and it was clear
from what she said that she had also read the card. She referred to Nancinet
as her "fan club" and thanked NNetters for the hat and held it up, but did
not put it on. She did comment something like "I'll never spin a more
favorite record than Peggy Sue." We were not close enough to see Nanci's
facial expressions so it was hard to tell exactly how she felt about it, but
hopefully she was truly moved by the thought and effort. But I wouldn't count
on seeing her wear it on Letterman (g>.
Unfortunately the Nanci part of our concert experience wasn't much better
than what Peter described. We were in the very last row, so all the bustling,
talking, late arrivals and such going on in the concourse behind us detracted
from enjoying Nanci's short but excellent set. With just James and Ron
accompanying her she sang heartfelt, bare-bones renditions of nine of the
stronger mainstays of her current live repertoire. Then apparently the plan
was for John to join her for Speed of Sound, as Ron and James left the stage,
but when Prine didn't appear she called them back out to play the song. About
a third of the way through the song John did come out and sang with her on
it. Then as a finale John and Nanci both played guitars and dueted on his
"That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round", which was sweet.
Nanci definitely made a favorable impression on some Prine fans who were
uninitiated, as several folks around us were asking us about her during
intermission. And, luckily for us, two young guys sitting up front decided to
leave the concert after only about 5 of John's songs. As they walked out past
us one of them asked me if we'd like to move to their empty seats and gave us
their row H stubs, so we had excellent seats for most of his set.
here's what Nanci played (about a 50 minute set):
8/26, Indy
Across The Great Divide
Trouble In The Fields
Going Back To Georgia
LATFAD
These Days In An Open Book
Outbound Plane
Not My Way Home
Gulf Coast Highway
It's A Hard Life
Speed Of The Sound...*
That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round*
*w/John Prine
Sorry we couldn't come through with any pictures of Nanci with the hat, but
we were honored to get it to her on behalf of NN.
Steve
_________________________________________________________________
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