#jon tiven

[serpentinesheldonserpentine]

Some Memphis Musical Mysteries I can figure out.

Other? I turn to @golftangohotel

[krispyweiss]

Former Procol Harum Lyricist Keith Reid Dead at 76

Keith Reid, the former Procol Harum lyricist responsible for “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and most of the band’s other non-instrumental songs, has died.

Reid was 76 when he died March 23 of cancer, Best Classic Bands reported, citing an email sent to Reid’s friends.

One of those friends, comedian Richard Lewis, called Reid “the humble genius” in a tweet.

“I worshipped your imagination and loved you,” Lewis said.

Though he didn’t perform with the group, Reid was a full member of Procol Harum, writing mostly with Gary Brooker, who died in 2022, but also with Robin Trower. Besides “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” those songs include “Conquistador,” “Simple Sister,” “A Salty Dog,” “Shine on Brightly” and “The Devil Come from Kansas,” which Yusuf/Cat Stevens recorded in 2014.

He often appeared in promotional photos and was credited alongside the musicians on every album, except for 2017’s Novum, the only Procol Harum album not to feature Reid’s lyrics.

Outside of Procol, Reid wrote for other artists including John Farnham, whose version of “You’re the Voice” became Australia’s all-time, best-selling song. He also co-wrote the Jeff Healey Band’s “River of No Return” with Jon Tiven.

“When it came to writing words for songs, (Reid) was one-of-a-kind brilliance,” Tiven said on social media. “When it came to being a friend, I couldn't ask for a better one. When it came to collaborating, he brought me a lyric that turned into one of my biggest (if not my biggest) songs. Shine on brightly, genius.”

Reid released his second solo album, In My Head, in 2018.

“Bon voyage, dear friend,” John Waite wrote on Facebook.

3/29/23

[guessimdumb]

Visit Original Link

Alex Chilton - Take Me Home & Make Me Like It (1977)

You called me a slut in front of your family

[rafikny]

From my band Hardbargain. Still timely!

[whatsthesound]

The Yankees, “Take It Like A Man”

It’s hard to find anyone with much nice to say about the album by The Yankees, led by one-time Alex Chilton producer Jon Tiven with maybe a smidge of Alex involvement, but this track is, well, kinda almost all right on its own.

[whatsthesound]

Visit Original Link

I’m one of those folks who actually has the original Japanese version of the Prix compliation, but I’m taking a shine to the alternate versions on the new US reissue. 

This especially packs far more of an emotional punch, for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on, than the other two Prix versions I have of this track (haven’t yet stacked it up against the strong Tommy Hoehn solo version).

[whatsthesound]

Jon Tiven: I met Tommy [Hoehn] when I went down to do the Bach’s Bottom record. I needed some young, un-jaded musicians to play on Alex’s sessions, because Alex was surrounding himself with people who were full of negative energy at that point. And I really didn’t want that on my sessions; I wanted people who were enthused at the prospect of recording, not people who were already sort of burned out and who looked upon it as an excuse to raise hell and document that kind of behavior. [They wanted to] make a recording that nobody would ever hear, which was basically what Alex was up to at that point.

[whatsthesound]

From an interview with Jon Tiven

Jon Tiven: Chris was a very serious Christian, very devoted to his faith. That was a very deep part of his being.

Aquarium Drunkard: So was he less enthusiastic about some of the material, songs like “Take Me Home and Make Me Like It?”

Jon Tiven: He didn’t want to participate in that. He thought that was literally the devil’s music. He said to me, “If you sing the devil’s words, you become the devil.” He didn’t want to be a part of it at all.