Tim Staffell Newsletter
Moderators: Andreas Streng, Breakthru
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
There's Your Trouble....
Mark Selby died in 2017; He was a singer/songwriter who operated in a similar genre to myself, I'd say - One of his tunes 'There's Your Trouble' has always meant a lot to me....
Tim Staffell
Aug 9
Not surprisingly, I first heard the tune recorded by the Dixie Chicks, who I was always a big fan of. Ever since I got CMT on cable in the early ‘nineties, I’ve realised that Country Music has had traditionally a bad rap in the UK, and I guess it’s just because people over this side of the pond don’t always see its context within American culture. I’m not one of those, I dig everything from Reba McEntire to Billy Strings. I’d liked the Chicks before this however, along with Nancy Griffith and Crystal Gayle back in the day; and once I’d absorbed the mythology of Nashville & Memphis, The Opry, and the traditions of Hank Williams & Buck Owens, It all became part of the musical vocabulary of my life, along with all the other stuff.
Basically, with CMT, I discovered the enclave of songwriters centered around Nashville, and for a few years, I was like a kid in a candy store…
The ‘seventies introduced me to jazz and fusion, the ‘nineties brought me an overdue epiphany of country music. What it comes down to is that you can probably hear some of these influences in my own material; I’ve never knowingly copied or duplicated anything or anyone else’s work - but that isn’t to say there aren’t similarities, and once or twice I’ve discovered (after the event) that I’ve used a note sequence that mirrors something else, but it’s never been intentionally, and never with the same colour of inflections.
Of course the Chicks had a different kind of trouble: “In March 2003, they publicly criticized George W Bush, triggering a backlash. They were blacklisted by many country radio stations, received death threats and were criticized by other country musicians. Sales of their music and concert tickets declined and they went into limbo for some time…
My feeling is that though I have a lot of opinions about political figures that are less than flattering, publicly airing them probably isn’t a good idea. It’s slightly explains why I’m a songwriter. I get to preach in my songs!
Mark Selby died in 2017; He was a singer/songwriter who operated in a similar genre to myself, I'd say - One of his tunes 'There's Your Trouble' has always meant a lot to me....
Tim Staffell
Aug 9
Not surprisingly, I first heard the tune recorded by the Dixie Chicks, who I was always a big fan of. Ever since I got CMT on cable in the early ‘nineties, I’ve realised that Country Music has had traditionally a bad rap in the UK, and I guess it’s just because people over this side of the pond don’t always see its context within American culture. I’m not one of those, I dig everything from Reba McEntire to Billy Strings. I’d liked the Chicks before this however, along with Nancy Griffith and Crystal Gayle back in the day; and once I’d absorbed the mythology of Nashville & Memphis, The Opry, and the traditions of Hank Williams & Buck Owens, It all became part of the musical vocabulary of my life, along with all the other stuff.
Basically, with CMT, I discovered the enclave of songwriters centered around Nashville, and for a few years, I was like a kid in a candy store…
The ‘seventies introduced me to jazz and fusion, the ‘nineties brought me an overdue epiphany of country music. What it comes down to is that you can probably hear some of these influences in my own material; I’ve never knowingly copied or duplicated anything or anyone else’s work - but that isn’t to say there aren’t similarities, and once or twice I’ve discovered (after the event) that I’ve used a note sequence that mirrors something else, but it’s never been intentionally, and never with the same colour of inflections.
Of course the Chicks had a different kind of trouble: “In March 2003, they publicly criticized George W Bush, triggering a backlash. They were blacklisted by many country radio stations, received death threats and were criticized by other country musicians. Sales of their music and concert tickets declined and they went into limbo for some time…
My feeling is that though I have a lot of opinions about political figures that are less than flattering, publicly airing them probably isn’t a good idea. It’s slightly explains why I’m a songwriter. I get to preach in my songs!
Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
Imaginary Worlds
It's very likely that due to the constraints of SpaceTime, there never will be a Galactic Empire; but that won't stop my enjoyment of my kind of Sci-Fi.......
Tim Staffell
Aug 12
In the ‘eighties, More often than not, I and my family (my wife, three sons, and a daughter), would take ourselves down to the Costa Del Sol to a family residence, and spend two or three weeks in a splendid ex-pat village of little white houses on what can only really be described as a stereotypical beach holiday. Days were spent swimming, lolling in the sun, or searching out local markets; nights were spent at local restaurants eating under the stars, enveloped in the heady smells of jasmine and bougainvillea.
The daytimes bothered me a lot. I’m not a sun worshipper, and the prospect of laying immobile under a fierce G-type yellow star, doused with protective sun oil always filled me with dread. Consequently, I developed a legit strategy to escape the days… I announced that I was going to stay indoors out of the sun and write a book. And that’s exactly what I did, For at least eight summers, I packed my laptop in my suitcase when we headed south, and as soon as the family embarked for the beach in the mornings, I would switch on the Toshiba, open Windows 3.1, and subsequently MsWord, and dive happily into the jungles of the distant planet Wuhl, while my family, along with ninety-nine percent of the local inhabitants were outside cooking under the punishing UV.
Now I’m not any kind of a writer, per se. I’m bored by the written word when it deals with ‘The Human Condition’ (or claims to) - and so I’m really only comfortable with escapist material. It’s logical that I would go for writing speculative fiction, and the stuff I like is generally called ‘hard’ sci-fi - less fantasy, more (pseudo) technology.
By the time I was fourteen, I was well versed in the works of the ‘Golden Age’ of such stuff - Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Sturgeon, Silverberg, Campbell - even old L.Ron - the founder of Scientology… I had well over a thousand ‘pulp’ paperbacks on shelves on the wall of my bedroom in my parents house in West London. It figures then, that the novel I chose to attempt to write, then, was a ‘hard’ Sci-Fi novel. I had been fascinated, too, by depictions of alien ecologies, strange planetary systems - exotic life forms in exotic habitats… My scenario, then, was a ‘conventional’ attempt to create a highly speculative ecosystem; a distant world, inhabited by an alien species, about to be visited by the explorers from Earth.
So I persevered through eight or so summers, a fortnight or three weeks at a time, cowering out of the sun while my book took shape. Gradually it grew in size and ambition - I don’t think, deep down, I regarded it at any time during this process, as anything other than an exploratory catharsis, since it was a genuine attempt to maintain a credibility while I refused to don swimming gear and lay on a sun-lounger with everyone else… I had no serious thoughts of going anywhere with it; to be frank, it was hard maintaining a sense of continuity, especially being written in this episodic manner… although I DID continue half-heartedly when back in the UK, the bulk of the thing was written during those eight or so summers, around 10,000 words at a time…
An illustration of mine for the series of Ringworld novels by Larry Niven
Trying to write a science-fiction novel had reawakened my interest in the genre. It had been an adolescent passion, but until I began my own attempt, it had waned in my focus; not disappeared at all, but it had simply joined the pantheon of my interests and I didn’t do much other than occasionally re-read some of the early stuff. I was discovering, though, that some of the ‘literary’ heroes of my youth, while dealing in cool ideas, were often terrible writers. I couldn’t believe how bad the prose was in some of those books… Still, ‘move on’ is always the key advisory. Around about the end of the ‘eighties, I discovered the Ringworld, a series of books by Larry Niven. It had been a Nebula winner a decade before, and to this day I still think it is one of the best example of ‘hard’ Science Fiction; along with Arthur C Clarke’s Rama series, and Greg Bear’s epic ‘Eon’; a feat of soaring imagination.
It was the rekindling of my interest in the genre that planted the determination to finish my story. In the mid-nineties, it was sitting at about 80,000 words, and still had quite a way to go in the narrative. I struggled slowly to push things on - more than anything else, it was how the plot was going to actually resolve that took the time. By now, I was dealing with a dozen characters; aliens & humans, a wildly exotic selection of scenarios, and some fairly far-flung locations - and all of these elements needed to come together in a satisfactory conclusion so that I could wind things up. I got close, but stalled for a couple of years until I completely took on board the fact that here was a story, albeit an amateur attempt at something, and it represented a concerted effort, that deserved to be completed.
Finally, I put it to bed at around the turn of the millenium. Once it was complete, I had an attack of cold feet. I was pretty sure it was monumentally underwhelming - (in fact I still suspect that it is) but I wanted to not think about it for a while, and then come back after a hiatus, and see what a monstrosity I had created; besides the final 20,000 words or so had been achieved only by sheer determination to not give up. I think I finally uploaded and published the 300 page novel ‘Hidden Planet’ it to Kindle in 2011 - 3 years before I actually retired. The whole thing had taken nearly 30 years to come to fruition. For that reason alone, it HAS to be worth it.
The last paid employment I undertook, was that of Lecturer in Set Construction at a prominent London Conservatory for the Performing Arts. It was during this time that I discovered the writer Neal Asher, of whom I must say a bit about. Like Larry Niven’s ‘Known Space’, and Ian M. Banks’ ‘The Culture’- Neal Asher has brought to life a fabulously consistent universe in his creation of ‘The Polity’ in my view, amongst all of the creations of ‘great big things’, Asher’s is the best of all - It’s the hardest of hard Sci-Fi; the vistas are breathtaking, filled with delicious impossibilities and spectacular characters, who may not be overly well defined in the sense of personality, but nevertheless occupy their roles within the general ambience with perfect attributes and motives. Wonderful stuff.
‘Hidden Planet’ by me is available on Kindle now. Buy it here. It will be available in soft cover soon.
My finished novel…. well, it kept me out of that searing Mediterranean sun, at least……
A typical selection of covers from my bookshelves; 1965 or thereabouts
Neal Asher’s first novel from 2001
It's very likely that due to the constraints of SpaceTime, there never will be a Galactic Empire; but that won't stop my enjoyment of my kind of Sci-Fi.......
Tim Staffell
Aug 12
In the ‘eighties, More often than not, I and my family (my wife, three sons, and a daughter), would take ourselves down to the Costa Del Sol to a family residence, and spend two or three weeks in a splendid ex-pat village of little white houses on what can only really be described as a stereotypical beach holiday. Days were spent swimming, lolling in the sun, or searching out local markets; nights were spent at local restaurants eating under the stars, enveloped in the heady smells of jasmine and bougainvillea.
The daytimes bothered me a lot. I’m not a sun worshipper, and the prospect of laying immobile under a fierce G-type yellow star, doused with protective sun oil always filled me with dread. Consequently, I developed a legit strategy to escape the days… I announced that I was going to stay indoors out of the sun and write a book. And that’s exactly what I did, For at least eight summers, I packed my laptop in my suitcase when we headed south, and as soon as the family embarked for the beach in the mornings, I would switch on the Toshiba, open Windows 3.1, and subsequently MsWord, and dive happily into the jungles of the distant planet Wuhl, while my family, along with ninety-nine percent of the local inhabitants were outside cooking under the punishing UV.
Now I’m not any kind of a writer, per se. I’m bored by the written word when it deals with ‘The Human Condition’ (or claims to) - and so I’m really only comfortable with escapist material. It’s logical that I would go for writing speculative fiction, and the stuff I like is generally called ‘hard’ sci-fi - less fantasy, more (pseudo) technology.
By the time I was fourteen, I was well versed in the works of the ‘Golden Age’ of such stuff - Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Sturgeon, Silverberg, Campbell - even old L.Ron - the founder of Scientology… I had well over a thousand ‘pulp’ paperbacks on shelves on the wall of my bedroom in my parents house in West London. It figures then, that the novel I chose to attempt to write, then, was a ‘hard’ Sci-Fi novel. I had been fascinated, too, by depictions of alien ecologies, strange planetary systems - exotic life forms in exotic habitats… My scenario, then, was a ‘conventional’ attempt to create a highly speculative ecosystem; a distant world, inhabited by an alien species, about to be visited by the explorers from Earth.
So I persevered through eight or so summers, a fortnight or three weeks at a time, cowering out of the sun while my book took shape. Gradually it grew in size and ambition - I don’t think, deep down, I regarded it at any time during this process, as anything other than an exploratory catharsis, since it was a genuine attempt to maintain a credibility while I refused to don swimming gear and lay on a sun-lounger with everyone else… I had no serious thoughts of going anywhere with it; to be frank, it was hard maintaining a sense of continuity, especially being written in this episodic manner… although I DID continue half-heartedly when back in the UK, the bulk of the thing was written during those eight or so summers, around 10,000 words at a time…
An illustration of mine for the series of Ringworld novels by Larry Niven
Trying to write a science-fiction novel had reawakened my interest in the genre. It had been an adolescent passion, but until I began my own attempt, it had waned in my focus; not disappeared at all, but it had simply joined the pantheon of my interests and I didn’t do much other than occasionally re-read some of the early stuff. I was discovering, though, that some of the ‘literary’ heroes of my youth, while dealing in cool ideas, were often terrible writers. I couldn’t believe how bad the prose was in some of those books… Still, ‘move on’ is always the key advisory. Around about the end of the ‘eighties, I discovered the Ringworld, a series of books by Larry Niven. It had been a Nebula winner a decade before, and to this day I still think it is one of the best example of ‘hard’ Science Fiction; along with Arthur C Clarke’s Rama series, and Greg Bear’s epic ‘Eon’; a feat of soaring imagination.
It was the rekindling of my interest in the genre that planted the determination to finish my story. In the mid-nineties, it was sitting at about 80,000 words, and still had quite a way to go in the narrative. I struggled slowly to push things on - more than anything else, it was how the plot was going to actually resolve that took the time. By now, I was dealing with a dozen characters; aliens & humans, a wildly exotic selection of scenarios, and some fairly far-flung locations - and all of these elements needed to come together in a satisfactory conclusion so that I could wind things up. I got close, but stalled for a couple of years until I completely took on board the fact that here was a story, albeit an amateur attempt at something, and it represented a concerted effort, that deserved to be completed.
Finally, I put it to bed at around the turn of the millenium. Once it was complete, I had an attack of cold feet. I was pretty sure it was monumentally underwhelming - (in fact I still suspect that it is) but I wanted to not think about it for a while, and then come back after a hiatus, and see what a monstrosity I had created; besides the final 20,000 words or so had been achieved only by sheer determination to not give up. I think I finally uploaded and published the 300 page novel ‘Hidden Planet’ it to Kindle in 2011 - 3 years before I actually retired. The whole thing had taken nearly 30 years to come to fruition. For that reason alone, it HAS to be worth it.
The last paid employment I undertook, was that of Lecturer in Set Construction at a prominent London Conservatory for the Performing Arts. It was during this time that I discovered the writer Neal Asher, of whom I must say a bit about. Like Larry Niven’s ‘Known Space’, and Ian M. Banks’ ‘The Culture’- Neal Asher has brought to life a fabulously consistent universe in his creation of ‘The Polity’ in my view, amongst all of the creations of ‘great big things’, Asher’s is the best of all - It’s the hardest of hard Sci-Fi; the vistas are breathtaking, filled with delicious impossibilities and spectacular characters, who may not be overly well defined in the sense of personality, but nevertheless occupy their roles within the general ambience with perfect attributes and motives. Wonderful stuff.
‘Hidden Planet’ by me is available on Kindle now. Buy it here. It will be available in soft cover soon.
My finished novel…. well, it kept me out of that searing Mediterranean sun, at least……
A typical selection of covers from my bookshelves; 1965 or thereabouts
Neal Asher’s first novel from 2001
- Attachments
-
-
-
Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
(still) Doin' Alright...
Apart from anything else; the success of this one (co-written) tune persuaded me to continue with music.
Tim Staffell
Aug 16
The story now, risks becoming a cliché, surely; Hitherto anonymous legacy ex band-mate of classic rock band gets micro-role in world busting bio-pic, Realises a new lease of life after decades; It’s the Cinderella story, isn’t it? For me, though, the glass slipper turned out to be a boost of confidence worth a good deal more than money (although there was some of that, as well) All because of one song.
As the ‘sixties drew to a close, I graduated from Art College in West London, determined to make a living as a rock musician. I was the bass player & vocalist for a cool little trio, on the cusp of moving from the college circuit up to the next level. The trouble was, I’d started to get tired of the approach and the music, and was, well, frankly, restless… I’d got it into my head that the ship had sailed for the music we were playing; I’d been corrupted, perhaps by circumstance; all I knew is I was tired of that particular approach - and I wanted to give myself a chance to focus on writing and developing a more introspective body of work.
I quit the trio, whose name was ‘Smile’ and went foraging for alternatives. During the time with the trio, I’d written a couple of songs with the guitarist, a certain (Sir) Brian May, and I wasn’t to revisit them in any form until well after the millennium.
I spent much of my working life in Film & TV models and effects, working on everything from kid’s series to feature films and commercials, I built models, animated stop-frame sequences, and directed whole commercials; When the digital computer started to tear our industry apart, we moved into museum, exhibition, and physical effects; The millennium was our busiest time. We built large installations for the notorious Millenium Dome in London’s East End, Major Exhibitions in Bristol & Leicester; We were BUSY. Then it dried up. After 2000 there was no longer anything like the volume of work we were used to. It was altogether a strange time. After the attack on the twin towers, My partner and I called it a day.
This is what prompted my return to practicing music seriously. I reconnected with my erstwhile colleague Richard Lightman from the ‘seventies band Tailfeather, and we embarked on my first solo album ‘aMIGO’.
During his formative years, my eldest son, Andrew had responded very favourably to the kind of music I exposed the family household to. He expressed a desire to learn the drums (doesn’t any kid?) - and took it to a respectable stage of development in a relatively short space of time. We DID see eye to eye on matters of rhythm - and as a result, he became the drummer for the album.
We populated the album with a mix of legacy songs, and new-build material. One such tune was ‘Doin’ Alright’ - though it underwent a major transformation in order to fit in with the ‘groove-centric’ approach we were taking. Sir Brian contributed some stonking guitar and vocals (it was this very track that made me realise what a great singer he is) - I can surmise that, judging by the plays it gets on my Spotify page, this version isn’t too badly regarded by the Queen diaspora; and I like it, too… That’s not to say I ever rejected the earlier (and subsequent) treatments. I’m intimately bound up with the tune; nowadays, I perform it in its original form. It’s quite hard to make interesting just acoustically with a single guitar, but I do my best.
In one of life’s gob-smacking moments recently - I was watching some clips on You Tube of someone I am a great fan of - I’ve seen him several times, and I think there’s a good argument to say he may be the greatest living instrumental artist - the American mandolin player and singer/songwriter Chris Thile; Suddenly, I came across this; not just Chris Thile, but the wonderful Sarah Jarosz too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLO3eWyggQI&t=62s
The ‘Light’house in the National Zone - Millennium Dome 2000 AD
Apart from anything else; the success of this one (co-written) tune persuaded me to continue with music.
Tim Staffell
Aug 16
The story now, risks becoming a cliché, surely; Hitherto anonymous legacy ex band-mate of classic rock band gets micro-role in world busting bio-pic, Realises a new lease of life after decades; It’s the Cinderella story, isn’t it? For me, though, the glass slipper turned out to be a boost of confidence worth a good deal more than money (although there was some of that, as well) All because of one song.
As the ‘sixties drew to a close, I graduated from Art College in West London, determined to make a living as a rock musician. I was the bass player & vocalist for a cool little trio, on the cusp of moving from the college circuit up to the next level. The trouble was, I’d started to get tired of the approach and the music, and was, well, frankly, restless… I’d got it into my head that the ship had sailed for the music we were playing; I’d been corrupted, perhaps by circumstance; all I knew is I was tired of that particular approach - and I wanted to give myself a chance to focus on writing and developing a more introspective body of work.
I quit the trio, whose name was ‘Smile’ and went foraging for alternatives. During the time with the trio, I’d written a couple of songs with the guitarist, a certain (Sir) Brian May, and I wasn’t to revisit them in any form until well after the millennium.
I spent much of my working life in Film & TV models and effects, working on everything from kid’s series to feature films and commercials, I built models, animated stop-frame sequences, and directed whole commercials; When the digital computer started to tear our industry apart, we moved into museum, exhibition, and physical effects; The millennium was our busiest time. We built large installations for the notorious Millenium Dome in London’s East End, Major Exhibitions in Bristol & Leicester; We were BUSY. Then it dried up. After 2000 there was no longer anything like the volume of work we were used to. It was altogether a strange time. After the attack on the twin towers, My partner and I called it a day.
This is what prompted my return to practicing music seriously. I reconnected with my erstwhile colleague Richard Lightman from the ‘seventies band Tailfeather, and we embarked on my first solo album ‘aMIGO’.
During his formative years, my eldest son, Andrew had responded very favourably to the kind of music I exposed the family household to. He expressed a desire to learn the drums (doesn’t any kid?) - and took it to a respectable stage of development in a relatively short space of time. We DID see eye to eye on matters of rhythm - and as a result, he became the drummer for the album.
We populated the album with a mix of legacy songs, and new-build material. One such tune was ‘Doin’ Alright’ - though it underwent a major transformation in order to fit in with the ‘groove-centric’ approach we were taking. Sir Brian contributed some stonking guitar and vocals (it was this very track that made me realise what a great singer he is) - I can surmise that, judging by the plays it gets on my Spotify page, this version isn’t too badly regarded by the Queen diaspora; and I like it, too… That’s not to say I ever rejected the earlier (and subsequent) treatments. I’m intimately bound up with the tune; nowadays, I perform it in its original form. It’s quite hard to make interesting just acoustically with a single guitar, but I do my best.
In one of life’s gob-smacking moments recently - I was watching some clips on You Tube of someone I am a great fan of - I’ve seen him several times, and I think there’s a good argument to say he may be the greatest living instrumental artist - the American mandolin player and singer/songwriter Chris Thile; Suddenly, I came across this; not just Chris Thile, but the wonderful Sarah Jarosz too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLO3eWyggQI&t=62s
The ‘Light’house in the National Zone - Millennium Dome 2000 AD
- Attachments
-
Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
1977: The Music Unfolds - I broaden my horizon
By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Jim Webb. Recorded by Tailfeather 1977
Tim Staffell
Aug 18
Hi Again,
It’s easy to gloss over the influences one has, and the musicians one admires. Although I can’t say that I think my version of this tune would impress the writer a good deal, It represented a milestone for me in that I was recording a song by one of my favourite contemporary American songwriters. Richard Lightman and I determined to give it an up-tempo feel, and our version drives along with slap bass and funky wah guitar chops… it’s a competent take on one of Webb’s most famous bitter-sweet ballads of loss. To this day, I don’t make a habit of recording too many covers, as I’m hard-wired to write, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a deep respect for other writers, and I’d like to acknowledge the debt I owe them. In Webb, the respect can’t be under emphasised; He is the only artist ever to receive Grammy Awards for music, lyrics and orchestration.
I Clean My Gun - And Dream of Galveston
Webb is a writer I never tire of hearing. I first heard his songs in the early seventies, around the time I first went to the USA. It was the time of the Vietnam War; his song ‘Galveston’ is - to me amongst the saddest, most poignant pieces of writing I’ve ever heard. It’s not complex, lyrically - it’s sung by an American soldier on the battlefields of South East Asia, and is a lament for the girl he left behind. There were many young sweethearts in America at that time, waiting for their Marines to return - and of course, some of them never did…to be the heartbreaking directness of it makes it one of the most effective anti-war songs ever written. It’s not an easy song to cover; I wouldn’t attempt it, and it has lost it’s currency now. The great Glen Campbell had a hit with it, but for me Webb’s own version from his ‘Ten Easy Pieces Album’ is the definitive one.
The Great American Songbook
It was my visit to America in 1971 that cemented my conviction that there was something unique about the American way of making music that set it apart from our own efforts in the UK and Europe. It has always fascinated me - and I’ve tried to emulate the stylish configurations in my own music, for my entire life. I’m not suggesting that it’s any better or worse than anything else, but it just talks to me.
Webb’s use of chords uniquely defines the flavour of his work (as I believe it does for many writers) - he’s a worthy successor to Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Hoagy Carmichael and the great writers of the Golden Age.
His output is prodigious, and much of his work will have gone unnoticed by virtue of his relatively restrained media profile; he is a writer for other singers primarily, and you may well have heard his work without knowing who it was.. He doesn’t really inhabit any particular genre; but straddles many.
An Early Flowering Bloom
Webb won a Grammy for Song Of The Year (for ‘Up, Up and Away’) when he was 21 in 1967, just as Smile was in the process of formation. It would take another year or so for me to become aware of his work; probably through ‘Wichita Lineman’ by Glen Campbell. Initially, I probably found the covers that existed of his songs to be a trifle anodyne, and it wasn’t until I heard him performing his own work solo (I saw him live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1972 with a full orchestra) that the essence of his songs came home to me…
The strangest thing is that his work sells better when others perform it; and that’s not to cast any aspersions on him, he is a fine, nuanced and musical artist, but it’s perhaps that sincerity and directness are less appealing to the public than theatre and the histrionics of flashy arrangements.
The Smooth Green Icing Flowing Down
Possibly the most famous song of Webb’s - MacArthur Park - was subject to an urban myth (absolutely untrue) that the Irish Actor Richard Harris bet Webb his Rolls Royce that he could not write him a successful pop-song; and MacArthur Park was the result. In fact, It was written for (and rejected by)the American Band The Association, but Harris liked it, and it became a hit - very unusual at the time for a song nearly 8 minutes long!
So Webb has recorded 15 albums during his career, he still performs solo (and for me, his songs shine out best) His works will become - ARE - American Classics; If you don’t know him, recommend giving them a listen.
Maestro Jimmy Webb
Webb in the ‘70s
By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Jim Webb. Recorded by Tailfeather 1977
Tim Staffell
Aug 18
Hi Again,
It’s easy to gloss over the influences one has, and the musicians one admires. Although I can’t say that I think my version of this tune would impress the writer a good deal, It represented a milestone for me in that I was recording a song by one of my favourite contemporary American songwriters. Richard Lightman and I determined to give it an up-tempo feel, and our version drives along with slap bass and funky wah guitar chops… it’s a competent take on one of Webb’s most famous bitter-sweet ballads of loss. To this day, I don’t make a habit of recording too many covers, as I’m hard-wired to write, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a deep respect for other writers, and I’d like to acknowledge the debt I owe them. In Webb, the respect can’t be under emphasised; He is the only artist ever to receive Grammy Awards for music, lyrics and orchestration.
I Clean My Gun - And Dream of Galveston
Webb is a writer I never tire of hearing. I first heard his songs in the early seventies, around the time I first went to the USA. It was the time of the Vietnam War; his song ‘Galveston’ is - to me amongst the saddest, most poignant pieces of writing I’ve ever heard. It’s not complex, lyrically - it’s sung by an American soldier on the battlefields of South East Asia, and is a lament for the girl he left behind. There were many young sweethearts in America at that time, waiting for their Marines to return - and of course, some of them never did…to be the heartbreaking directness of it makes it one of the most effective anti-war songs ever written. It’s not an easy song to cover; I wouldn’t attempt it, and it has lost it’s currency now. The great Glen Campbell had a hit with it, but for me Webb’s own version from his ‘Ten Easy Pieces Album’ is the definitive one.
The Great American Songbook
It was my visit to America in 1971 that cemented my conviction that there was something unique about the American way of making music that set it apart from our own efforts in the UK and Europe. It has always fascinated me - and I’ve tried to emulate the stylish configurations in my own music, for my entire life. I’m not suggesting that it’s any better or worse than anything else, but it just talks to me.
Webb’s use of chords uniquely defines the flavour of his work (as I believe it does for many writers) - he’s a worthy successor to Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Hoagy Carmichael and the great writers of the Golden Age.
His output is prodigious, and much of his work will have gone unnoticed by virtue of his relatively restrained media profile; he is a writer for other singers primarily, and you may well have heard his work without knowing who it was.. He doesn’t really inhabit any particular genre; but straddles many.
An Early Flowering Bloom
Webb won a Grammy for Song Of The Year (for ‘Up, Up and Away’) when he was 21 in 1967, just as Smile was in the process of formation. It would take another year or so for me to become aware of his work; probably through ‘Wichita Lineman’ by Glen Campbell. Initially, I probably found the covers that existed of his songs to be a trifle anodyne, and it wasn’t until I heard him performing his own work solo (I saw him live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1972 with a full orchestra) that the essence of his songs came home to me…
The strangest thing is that his work sells better when others perform it; and that’s not to cast any aspersions on him, he is a fine, nuanced and musical artist, but it’s perhaps that sincerity and directness are less appealing to the public than theatre and the histrionics of flashy arrangements.
The Smooth Green Icing Flowing Down
Possibly the most famous song of Webb’s - MacArthur Park - was subject to an urban myth (absolutely untrue) that the Irish Actor Richard Harris bet Webb his Rolls Royce that he could not write him a successful pop-song; and MacArthur Park was the result. In fact, It was written for (and rejected by)the American Band The Association, but Harris liked it, and it became a hit - very unusual at the time for a song nearly 8 minutes long!
So Webb has recorded 15 albums during his career, he still performs solo (and for me, his songs shine out best) His works will become - ARE - American Classics; If you don’t know him, recommend giving them a listen.
Maestro Jimmy Webb
Webb in the ‘70s
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Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
Big Wheel Keeps On Turnin’….
Yep, this week I are mainly rollin ‘ on the river…
Tim Staffell
Aug 19
From time to time the sheer ponderous exertion of having to tolerate the dilettantism and the sheer silliness of a good deal of human activity gets just too much, and I and my cousin (who is the same age), take ourselves off on his narrowboat, and chug slowly up and down the waterways of Southern England.
At seven rpm, the twin-pot Lister diesel takes about a week to reach its top speed of eight miles per hour; A mile might take you fifteen to twenty minutes; the world goes by so slowly that you just notice STUFF. And not just details of the external world (that you’d miss travelling at ten miles an hour) - you start to notice things about your own consciousness, and there’s a lot of wildlife, and you start to contemplate their consciousness, too…
Be Here Now……
Apart from anything else, it’s an exercise in Mindfulness. At such a slow pace, the present crashes continually in on you, until you can no longer take refuge in plans, expectations, or anxieties.
One needs to develop a certain tolerance for the ascetic since there’s a reduction of home comforts, and in fact this may partly be responsible for the ejection into the present, as ‘daily life’ generally consists of flitting from one secure comfort zone to another. However, one also gets to confront the universe; the peculiar isolation of such trips can put you into direct confrontation with the parameters of your life, and it’s possible to become quite emotional about it.
Shiver me fibreglass….
The boat is a steel-hulled, 36-foot royal blue barge built in 1976, and fitted out ingeniously to provide floating accommodation for four. (To be fair, four people would experience strained relationships; I’ve sailed with three, and that’s pushing it.) Two people, in my view, are the ideal complement If you think of your daily life as a coherent timeline, entailing repetitive cause & effect, then the river/canal trip is a great way to break the near-autonomous procession of things that populate the days. It draws a temporary curtain over events. Creates a break in the memory chain, and allows for a reboot. The forced proximity to the present is partly caused by the need to be constantly vigilant while negotiating locks, or narrow stretches of waterway where there is a lot of traffic. One’s physical comfort zone is overwritten with a whole new daily regime, but it’s not difficult to absorb. Like anything else, it has highs and lows. Just VERY different ones.
Honest Toil…
If there’s a dimension to your life that might be called sedentary, This takes you far away from that; there’s crewing to be done, and constant working to keep the boat ready for its next task whether it be as a means of transport, or a domicile. You can’t let anything slide, Evenings are short, and generally involve a bit of fatigue, cooking and a pint in the local (if we’re lucky to have moored near one) - the distance travelled during the course of a day, is astonishingly little, especially on a meandering waterway like the Thames. A six-day trip can be negotiated by car in two hours, but that, of course is exactly the point. These trips are therapy, pure & simple. I can’t recommend it highly enough..
Yep, this week I are mainly rollin ‘ on the river…
Tim Staffell
Aug 19
From time to time the sheer ponderous exertion of having to tolerate the dilettantism and the sheer silliness of a good deal of human activity gets just too much, and I and my cousin (who is the same age), take ourselves off on his narrowboat, and chug slowly up and down the waterways of Southern England.
At seven rpm, the twin-pot Lister diesel takes about a week to reach its top speed of eight miles per hour; A mile might take you fifteen to twenty minutes; the world goes by so slowly that you just notice STUFF. And not just details of the external world (that you’d miss travelling at ten miles an hour) - you start to notice things about your own consciousness, and there’s a lot of wildlife, and you start to contemplate their consciousness, too…
Be Here Now……
Apart from anything else, it’s an exercise in Mindfulness. At such a slow pace, the present crashes continually in on you, until you can no longer take refuge in plans, expectations, or anxieties.
One needs to develop a certain tolerance for the ascetic since there’s a reduction of home comforts, and in fact this may partly be responsible for the ejection into the present, as ‘daily life’ generally consists of flitting from one secure comfort zone to another. However, one also gets to confront the universe; the peculiar isolation of such trips can put you into direct confrontation with the parameters of your life, and it’s possible to become quite emotional about it.
Shiver me fibreglass….
The boat is a steel-hulled, 36-foot royal blue barge built in 1976, and fitted out ingeniously to provide floating accommodation for four. (To be fair, four people would experience strained relationships; I’ve sailed with three, and that’s pushing it.) Two people, in my view, are the ideal complement If you think of your daily life as a coherent timeline, entailing repetitive cause & effect, then the river/canal trip is a great way to break the near-autonomous procession of things that populate the days. It draws a temporary curtain over events. Creates a break in the memory chain, and allows for a reboot. The forced proximity to the present is partly caused by the need to be constantly vigilant while negotiating locks, or narrow stretches of waterway where there is a lot of traffic. One’s physical comfort zone is overwritten with a whole new daily regime, but it’s not difficult to absorb. Like anything else, it has highs and lows. Just VERY different ones.
Honest Toil…
If there’s a dimension to your life that might be called sedentary, This takes you far away from that; there’s crewing to be done, and constant working to keep the boat ready for its next task whether it be as a means of transport, or a domicile. You can’t let anything slide, Evenings are short, and generally involve a bit of fatigue, cooking and a pint in the local (if we’re lucky to have moored near one) - the distance travelled during the course of a day, is astonishingly little, especially on a meandering waterway like the Thames. A six-day trip can be negotiated by car in two hours, but that, of course is exactly the point. These trips are therapy, pure & simple. I can’t recommend it highly enough..
- Attachments
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Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
Morgan - The Designer’s Hat……
Artwork created by me...
Tim Staffell
Aug 23
Apart from being entrusted with providing the libretti for Morgan Fisher’s impressive neo-classical rock anthems, It also fell to me to produce the Artwork for both of the band’s recorded albums. Now, In Smile days, We had been connected somehow (I can’t actually quite recall the details) to a management agency at the corner of Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street. It just so happened that one of their other bands was Genesis, and I found myself providing poster artwork for them intermittently. Although I don’t recall it either, my late friend (and girlfriend at the time) Pat McC. told me that I artworked their kickdrum skin, too - and delivered the final result to the band at Upstairs at Ronnies, the rock annexe to the famous London jazz club.
The Phantasmagorical…
Because, (perhaps) there was a passing similarity between the genre that Genesis were operating in, and that of Morgan, I guess that there is a connection between the visual styles; Maybe it’s just what you might call a ‘phantasmagorical’ flavour that permeated both of our musical endeavours, but there is a similarity in styles.
Musically, I don’t think we were influenced by Genesis, but I’m a big fan; (and I suppose you would class their then output as ‘Prog Rock’ the same as us); I watched a festival performance the other day, by the current band - and I have to say, it’s still great stuff.
Nova Solis
The first album was a double-fold vinyl (long before CDs, remember) - and I produced the Artwork in total, inside and out. The cover illustration represents a crystalline asteroid, into which is buried a futuristic pipe organ, floating in space in the vicinity of a bloated pre-Nova star.
Inside, a sepia vignette of each of our faces (4 members of the band) credits, acknowledgments, (all handwritten) - and a handwritten lyric insert sheet - not the only time I would produce handwritten lyrics for a record sleeve. It’s been some time since I actively pursued ‘manual’ artwork - when computers turned up - mid-nineties, I dived into vector & raster graphics, big time. We were fortunate enough (my family) to sign a promotional deal with Compaq computers (do they even still exist?) and they gave us computers, printers & software in return for playing the role of the archetypal young family confronting the challenges of the coming digital revolution. I digress - it drop-kicked me into developing a style of drawing with a PC that I’ve stuck with.
Bare Bums….
The Italian branch of the record company, RCA, (who had signed us) were not impressed with the underwhelming response to our first album - I think we only had a two-album deal, anyway - the second - recorded about eighteen months after the first - and quite a bit more ambitious, came during a growing period of mutual resentment - well, not resentment, exactly - more a general realisation that the deal had gone about as far as it could go. They hired an elite Italian Photographer to produce the cover of the second album. We had a working title - ‘Brown Out’ referring to an electrical term meaning a temporary loss of power, as opposed to a BlackOut.
We had the idea to photograph our four bare bottoms for the front cover; mooning as it were - we figured it represented the deterioration of the whole project, and ‘Brown Out’ was ambiguously a comment on the collapse of the relationship.
The photographer was scandalised - (early seventies - still a Catholic take on culture in Italy) - but we persuaded him to include the shot amongst the many other (excellently stylish) shots that he took during the session.
You Won’t Get Away With it
….and we didn’t; Long story short - the album was shelved by RCA - wasn’t released until later on - initially under Morgan’s own name - and then was picked up by Angel Air records in the UK, as a ‘forgotten’ Prog Rock ‘classic’ and renamed ‘The Sleeper Wakes’ after one of the tracks’…..
Cut to 2024 and we decided to release a Special Edition CD as a double gatefold, with legacy illustrations and a new insert , and is available here.
Morgan 2024 - Special Edition CD
An early ad in the music press for a list of Genesis’ dates…
The Sleeper Wakes…
Artwork created by me...
Tim Staffell
Aug 23
Apart from being entrusted with providing the libretti for Morgan Fisher’s impressive neo-classical rock anthems, It also fell to me to produce the Artwork for both of the band’s recorded albums. Now, In Smile days, We had been connected somehow (I can’t actually quite recall the details) to a management agency at the corner of Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street. It just so happened that one of their other bands was Genesis, and I found myself providing poster artwork for them intermittently. Although I don’t recall it either, my late friend (and girlfriend at the time) Pat McC. told me that I artworked their kickdrum skin, too - and delivered the final result to the band at Upstairs at Ronnies, the rock annexe to the famous London jazz club.
The Phantasmagorical…
Because, (perhaps) there was a passing similarity between the genre that Genesis were operating in, and that of Morgan, I guess that there is a connection between the visual styles; Maybe it’s just what you might call a ‘phantasmagorical’ flavour that permeated both of our musical endeavours, but there is a similarity in styles.
Musically, I don’t think we were influenced by Genesis, but I’m a big fan; (and I suppose you would class their then output as ‘Prog Rock’ the same as us); I watched a festival performance the other day, by the current band - and I have to say, it’s still great stuff.
Nova Solis
The first album was a double-fold vinyl (long before CDs, remember) - and I produced the Artwork in total, inside and out. The cover illustration represents a crystalline asteroid, into which is buried a futuristic pipe organ, floating in space in the vicinity of a bloated pre-Nova star.
Inside, a sepia vignette of each of our faces (4 members of the band) credits, acknowledgments, (all handwritten) - and a handwritten lyric insert sheet - not the only time I would produce handwritten lyrics for a record sleeve. It’s been some time since I actively pursued ‘manual’ artwork - when computers turned up - mid-nineties, I dived into vector & raster graphics, big time. We were fortunate enough (my family) to sign a promotional deal with Compaq computers (do they even still exist?) and they gave us computers, printers & software in return for playing the role of the archetypal young family confronting the challenges of the coming digital revolution. I digress - it drop-kicked me into developing a style of drawing with a PC that I’ve stuck with.
Bare Bums….
The Italian branch of the record company, RCA, (who had signed us) were not impressed with the underwhelming response to our first album - I think we only had a two-album deal, anyway - the second - recorded about eighteen months after the first - and quite a bit more ambitious, came during a growing period of mutual resentment - well, not resentment, exactly - more a general realisation that the deal had gone about as far as it could go. They hired an elite Italian Photographer to produce the cover of the second album. We had a working title - ‘Brown Out’ referring to an electrical term meaning a temporary loss of power, as opposed to a BlackOut.
We had the idea to photograph our four bare bottoms for the front cover; mooning as it were - we figured it represented the deterioration of the whole project, and ‘Brown Out’ was ambiguously a comment on the collapse of the relationship.
The photographer was scandalised - (early seventies - still a Catholic take on culture in Italy) - but we persuaded him to include the shot amongst the many other (excellently stylish) shots that he took during the session.
You Won’t Get Away With it
….and we didn’t; Long story short - the album was shelved by RCA - wasn’t released until later on - initially under Morgan’s own name - and then was picked up by Angel Air records in the UK, as a ‘forgotten’ Prog Rock ‘classic’ and renamed ‘The Sleeper Wakes’ after one of the tracks’…..
Cut to 2024 and we decided to release a Special Edition CD as a double gatefold, with legacy illustrations and a new insert , and is available here.
Morgan 2024 - Special Edition CD
An early ad in the music press for a list of Genesis’ dates…
The Sleeper Wakes…
- Attachments
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Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
The Changing Moods of the Thames…
2 weeks on a canal boat...
Tim Staffell
Aug 28
Yesterday evening, as we slowly drifted into the lay-by approach to Cleeve Lock, just north of the Goring Gap, Oxfordshire, the flat mirror of the surface was suddenly broken by the head of a single jet-black Cormorant, going about his business chasing little fish under the surface; down he went, then up again twenty feet away, then down and up again, somewhere else, long fractions of minutes passing where he was lost to sight. They are remarkable birds; on the water, their bodies seem to be completely submerged during hunting, and it’s not unusual to find one, wings outstretched, on a fence post or stump of a branch along the river.
The last few days have been a mixed bag of weather; yesterday was glorious - we chugged along serenely in glorious sunshine, with the current, down through Abingdon and Wallingford, here to Goring, and a pint of Brakspeares at the Catherine Wheel; a little ways off the river as the sunset.
Yesterday evening, as we slowly drifted into the lay-by approach to Cleeve Lock, just north of the Goring Gap, Oxfordshire, the flat mirror of the surface was suddenly broken by the head of a single jet-black Cormorant, going about his business chasing little fish under the surface; down he went, then up again twenty feet away, then down and up again, somewhere else, long fractions of minutes passing where he was lost to sight. They are remarkable birds; on the water, their bodies seem to be completely submerged during hunting, and it’s not unusual to find one, wings outstretched, on a fence post or stump of a branch along the river.
The last few days have been a mixed bag of weather; yesterday was glorious - we chugged along serenely in glorious sunshine, with the current, down through Abingdon and Wallingford, here to Goring, and a pint of Brakspeares at the Catherine Wheel; a little ways off the river as the sunset.
Open, Clouds…
what a difference today! Sometime in the night, the rain started - and looks like it is here for the day… everything has gone up a shade of green, the river is flat, and there’s a somber vibe. I doubt we’ll see any paddle-boarders or rowers today..
In the event, we sailed for four hours, trussed up like turkeys in full waterproofs, through torrential rain along the green Thames Highway as far as Reading, the monotonous chug-chug of the diesel cutting through the hissing slash of rain on our faces as we went. It was about three hours before we saw another boat, The ‘Tinker’, a sixty-foot hybrid with bow thrusters that sliced past us, as if we were standing still.
The Reading Festival, walled off from the river, and the accompanying flock of multi-coloured tents on the opposite bank was about to kick off for the day as we sailed by; judging by the number of cheap plastic hooded raincapes we saw, Very few people came prepared for the monsoon conditions; It must be a mudbath inside. Later this afternoon, the weather changed, and we covered the remaining miles to our birth for the night at Sonning, accompanied by warm sunshine, and a light breeze. I hope that’s the last we’ve seen of the rain. The waterproofs are waterlogged.
A curious thing occurred last night; an acquaintance of mine who lives permanently on the river stopped by where we were moored to say hello, with her sister. It soon transpired that her sister lives in Tokyo, and is very good friends with my good friend and ex-colleague, Morgan Fisher! Quel surprise! (6 degrees of separation & all that)
Finally, a word has to be said about the tradition of boaters and river folk to wave to each other as they pass… If only the human race as a whole exhinbited such un-paranoid and classless bonhomie, the world would be a better place. Take a protracted trip on the river - you won’t regret it.
2 weeks on a canal boat...
Tim Staffell
Aug 28
Yesterday evening, as we slowly drifted into the lay-by approach to Cleeve Lock, just north of the Goring Gap, Oxfordshire, the flat mirror of the surface was suddenly broken by the head of a single jet-black Cormorant, going about his business chasing little fish under the surface; down he went, then up again twenty feet away, then down and up again, somewhere else, long fractions of minutes passing where he was lost to sight. They are remarkable birds; on the water, their bodies seem to be completely submerged during hunting, and it’s not unusual to find one, wings outstretched, on a fence post or stump of a branch along the river.
The last few days have been a mixed bag of weather; yesterday was glorious - we chugged along serenely in glorious sunshine, with the current, down through Abingdon and Wallingford, here to Goring, and a pint of Brakspeares at the Catherine Wheel; a little ways off the river as the sunset.
Yesterday evening, as we slowly drifted into the lay-by approach to Cleeve Lock, just north of the Goring Gap, Oxfordshire, the flat mirror of the surface was suddenly broken by the head of a single jet-black Cormorant, going about his business chasing little fish under the surface; down he went, then up again twenty feet away, then down and up again, somewhere else, long fractions of minutes passing where he was lost to sight. They are remarkable birds; on the water, their bodies seem to be completely submerged during hunting, and it’s not unusual to find one, wings outstretched, on a fence post or stump of a branch along the river.
The last few days have been a mixed bag of weather; yesterday was glorious - we chugged along serenely in glorious sunshine, with the current, down through Abingdon and Wallingford, here to Goring, and a pint of Brakspeares at the Catherine Wheel; a little ways off the river as the sunset.
Open, Clouds…
what a difference today! Sometime in the night, the rain started - and looks like it is here for the day… everything has gone up a shade of green, the river is flat, and there’s a somber vibe. I doubt we’ll see any paddle-boarders or rowers today..
In the event, we sailed for four hours, trussed up like turkeys in full waterproofs, through torrential rain along the green Thames Highway as far as Reading, the monotonous chug-chug of the diesel cutting through the hissing slash of rain on our faces as we went. It was about three hours before we saw another boat, The ‘Tinker’, a sixty-foot hybrid with bow thrusters that sliced past us, as if we were standing still.
The Reading Festival, walled off from the river, and the accompanying flock of multi-coloured tents on the opposite bank was about to kick off for the day as we sailed by; judging by the number of cheap plastic hooded raincapes we saw, Very few people came prepared for the monsoon conditions; It must be a mudbath inside. Later this afternoon, the weather changed, and we covered the remaining miles to our birth for the night at Sonning, accompanied by warm sunshine, and a light breeze. I hope that’s the last we’ve seen of the rain. The waterproofs are waterlogged.
A curious thing occurred last night; an acquaintance of mine who lives permanently on the river stopped by where we were moored to say hello, with her sister. It soon transpired that her sister lives in Tokyo, and is very good friends with my good friend and ex-colleague, Morgan Fisher! Quel surprise! (6 degrees of separation & all that)
Finally, a word has to be said about the tradition of boaters and river folk to wave to each other as they pass… If only the human race as a whole exhinbited such un-paranoid and classless bonhomie, the world would be a better place. Take a protracted trip on the river - you won’t regret it.
- Attachments
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-
-
-
-
Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
The Guitar Event Horizon...
...what will future alien archaeologists make of it?
Tim Staffell
Aug 30
There’s a bit in ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’ where the protagonists (can’t remember exactly the details) come across this planet, Brontetaal, where the civilisation had declined and collapsed, buried under a gazillion pairs of shoes that the economy had prioritised as a ‘growth’ commodity. The people of that particular society needed to cheer themselves up by buying themselves gifts, often shoes. ‘When you are depressed, you look down at your shoes and decide they aren't good enough quality; so you buy more expensive replacements’. Great idea, and prescient in an abstract way in regard to our own future?
‘Why do you need more than one guitar?
And maybe not too far-fetched, as far as I can see where the guitar industry is concerned. Now, I own a few guitars. Mostly ‘prestige’ brands with individual pedigrees, and modifications that I myself have made - upgrades that enhance their playability. As a result, my profile with the retail guitar community is what you might expect from the algorithm; every day I am deluged with ads for guitar retailers, luthiers’ suppliers, pickup manufacturers and the like.
Guitar Solo? Oh No….
Now don’t get me wrong, I think the guitar, (especially the ‘classic’ legacy designs) is an item of beauty. A Classic ‘57 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop has been referred to by some as the ‘Holy Grail’ - in terms of style, provenance, and playability. I think the model is a great guitar; not quite my guitar of choice for playability, although I do own a contemporary version - but retailers love creating a mythology and a hierarchy of envy, in pretty much every retail subculture that exists - Automobiles, White Goods, Fashion, Music, Consumables.. It’s the engine that drives an ever-expanding economy. And of course, it’s all mythology; none of it is the promised catalyst to fulfillment and/or enlightenment that we’re encouraged to believe. Can you imagine a world where manufacturing was restrained to producing the single, best version of any item you care to name? Quality, Durability, Functionality? It’s when you add Aesthetics that the rot sets in, of course - but I digress - The retail activities of the guitar fraternity conjure up the ghost of Brontetaal
Douglas Adams
There’s a bit in ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’ where the protagonists (can’t remember exactly the details) come across this planet, Brontetaal, where the civilisation had declined and collapsed, buried under a gazillion pairs of shoes that the economy had prioritised as a ‘growth’ commodity. The people of that particular society needed to cheer themselves up by buying themselves gifts, often shoes. ‘When you are depressed, you look down at your shoes and decide they aren't good enough quality; so you buy more expensive replacements’. Great idea, and prescient in an abstract way in regard to our own future?
Gibson Murphy Lab ‘57 GoldTop
‘Get those sweet, crunchy tones as played by…..’
Every day, there’s a fresh tranche of advertising proclaiming this or that special edition, this or that unique colour finish, pickup configuration, neck detail, timber, figuring, this or that ‘resurrected vintage model, replica, homage or signature version - not to mention new independent builders, or revolutionary models with unique accoutrements… it goes on. Allied to the varying different sub-genres of music, which each have their own aesthetic preferences - the metal brigade seem to favour sharp, spiky designs like the Explorer, for instance - Bluesmen like their Les Pauls - the Rock guys go for Stratocasters, Jazzers for Gibson semi-hollows - Country Guys like Telecasters, or maybe Gretsch, it’s a fully-formed retailers’ paradise.
On top of this, there’s the budget hierarchy. Many brands have their style subordinates at a cheaper price point. Fender has Squier, Gibson has Epiphone, Martin (for the Acoustic afficianados) has Sigma, etc etc.. And all of this without mentioning the great Korean, Chinese and Japanese Factories, churning out decent quality instruments, day after day - Tokai, Fujigen, Burny, Fernandes it’s quite extraordinary.
Ka-chunk - Ker-ching!
So I have this vision that every single day, the C-in-C machines on every continent are churning out guitars, non-stop at every price point; even when we are all asleep - Ka-chunk, Ka-chunk, Ka-chunk, a new body/neck every minute, scratchplates laser cut, pickups pressed and wound, tuning pegs cast and machined, wiring looms assembled, and then the whole lot sprayed, fitted together, strung, set-up, packed, and shipped to a retailer near you - to be hung in a window in all their book-matched maple glory, amber, vintage burst, black, white, ferrari red, natural, you name it.
I fear that the future alien archaeologists, when digging over the ruins of this planet, rather than finding layers of compacted shoes, as Douglas Adams imagined, will in fact be digging over compacted Gibson/Fender/Gretch/Tokai/Cort/Epiphone/Squier and all the other brands that are even now flying off the production lines… How many since I started this comment? To sum-up;
‘The people of that particular society needed to cheer themselves up by buying themselves gifts, often guitars. Often, when they were depressed they looked down at their guitars and decide they weren't good enough, so they needed to buy more expensive replacements.’
..or maybe, they will have all turned to coal?
with grateful thanks to Douglas Adams.
Alien Archaeologists as imagined by DALL-E3
Gibson Production Line
Gibson Murphy Lab ‘57 GoldTop
Earth/Brontetaal?
The Author: Douglas Noel Adams 1952 - 2001
...what will future alien archaeologists make of it?
Tim Staffell
Aug 30
There’s a bit in ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’ where the protagonists (can’t remember exactly the details) come across this planet, Brontetaal, where the civilisation had declined and collapsed, buried under a gazillion pairs of shoes that the economy had prioritised as a ‘growth’ commodity. The people of that particular society needed to cheer themselves up by buying themselves gifts, often shoes. ‘When you are depressed, you look down at your shoes and decide they aren't good enough quality; so you buy more expensive replacements’. Great idea, and prescient in an abstract way in regard to our own future?
‘Why do you need more than one guitar?
And maybe not too far-fetched, as far as I can see where the guitar industry is concerned. Now, I own a few guitars. Mostly ‘prestige’ brands with individual pedigrees, and modifications that I myself have made - upgrades that enhance their playability. As a result, my profile with the retail guitar community is what you might expect from the algorithm; every day I am deluged with ads for guitar retailers, luthiers’ suppliers, pickup manufacturers and the like.
Guitar Solo? Oh No….
Now don’t get me wrong, I think the guitar, (especially the ‘classic’ legacy designs) is an item of beauty. A Classic ‘57 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop has been referred to by some as the ‘Holy Grail’ - in terms of style, provenance, and playability. I think the model is a great guitar; not quite my guitar of choice for playability, although I do own a contemporary version - but retailers love creating a mythology and a hierarchy of envy, in pretty much every retail subculture that exists - Automobiles, White Goods, Fashion, Music, Consumables.. It’s the engine that drives an ever-expanding economy. And of course, it’s all mythology; none of it is the promised catalyst to fulfillment and/or enlightenment that we’re encouraged to believe. Can you imagine a world where manufacturing was restrained to producing the single, best version of any item you care to name? Quality, Durability, Functionality? It’s when you add Aesthetics that the rot sets in, of course - but I digress - The retail activities of the guitar fraternity conjure up the ghost of Brontetaal
Douglas Adams
There’s a bit in ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’ where the protagonists (can’t remember exactly the details) come across this planet, Brontetaal, where the civilisation had declined and collapsed, buried under a gazillion pairs of shoes that the economy had prioritised as a ‘growth’ commodity. The people of that particular society needed to cheer themselves up by buying themselves gifts, often shoes. ‘When you are depressed, you look down at your shoes and decide they aren't good enough quality; so you buy more expensive replacements’. Great idea, and prescient in an abstract way in regard to our own future?
Gibson Murphy Lab ‘57 GoldTop
‘Get those sweet, crunchy tones as played by…..’
Every day, there’s a fresh tranche of advertising proclaiming this or that special edition, this or that unique colour finish, pickup configuration, neck detail, timber, figuring, this or that ‘resurrected vintage model, replica, homage or signature version - not to mention new independent builders, or revolutionary models with unique accoutrements… it goes on. Allied to the varying different sub-genres of music, which each have their own aesthetic preferences - the metal brigade seem to favour sharp, spiky designs like the Explorer, for instance - Bluesmen like their Les Pauls - the Rock guys go for Stratocasters, Jazzers for Gibson semi-hollows - Country Guys like Telecasters, or maybe Gretsch, it’s a fully-formed retailers’ paradise.
On top of this, there’s the budget hierarchy. Many brands have their style subordinates at a cheaper price point. Fender has Squier, Gibson has Epiphone, Martin (for the Acoustic afficianados) has Sigma, etc etc.. And all of this without mentioning the great Korean, Chinese and Japanese Factories, churning out decent quality instruments, day after day - Tokai, Fujigen, Burny, Fernandes it’s quite extraordinary.
Ka-chunk - Ker-ching!
So I have this vision that every single day, the C-in-C machines on every continent are churning out guitars, non-stop at every price point; even when we are all asleep - Ka-chunk, Ka-chunk, Ka-chunk, a new body/neck every minute, scratchplates laser cut, pickups pressed and wound, tuning pegs cast and machined, wiring looms assembled, and then the whole lot sprayed, fitted together, strung, set-up, packed, and shipped to a retailer near you - to be hung in a window in all their book-matched maple glory, amber, vintage burst, black, white, ferrari red, natural, you name it.
I fear that the future alien archaeologists, when digging over the ruins of this planet, rather than finding layers of compacted shoes, as Douglas Adams imagined, will in fact be digging over compacted Gibson/Fender/Gretch/Tokai/Cort/Epiphone/Squier and all the other brands that are even now flying off the production lines… How many since I started this comment? To sum-up;
‘The people of that particular society needed to cheer themselves up by buying themselves gifts, often guitars. Often, when they were depressed they looked down at their guitars and decide they weren't good enough, so they needed to buy more expensive replacements.’
..or maybe, they will have all turned to coal?
with grateful thanks to Douglas Adams.
Alien Archaeologists as imagined by DALL-E3
Gibson Production Line
Gibson Murphy Lab ‘57 GoldTop
Earth/Brontetaal?
The Author: Douglas Noel Adams 1952 - 2001
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Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
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1978: My Musical Aspirations go onto ‘the Back-Burner'
'Stray' Tim Staffell. Recorded by Tailfeather 1977 (& aMIGO 2003)
Tim Staffell
Sep 1
Greetings;
As I said, at this point in time I was on the cusp of taking the pressure off myself, and leaving the music business behind. I knew I would never totally let it go, because I was writing songs that I felt had some substance, and I was completely committed to taking myself seriously as a musician. Though Tailfeather was something of a swansong, before I launched myself off into the unknown world where you could get paid a salary!
‘Country Life’ & ‘Stray’ belong to that post-Morgan period when I was beginning to flex my songwriting muscles. I wouldn’t have the opportunity to fully engage with the craft for another quarter of a century, and it was only fitting that when I returned to recording, I would visit the best material from the early years.
A kind of prescience?
Although I knew of Steely Dan from the moment they appeared on my radar, it would take until 1998 before I finally ‘got’ what they were actually about. This is somewhat surprising, because certainly, ‘Stray’ eventually developed an essence of Becker & Fagen’s style about it. It’s far simpler than anything they put out, but I must have had a subliminal connection to them for this tune to turn out the way it did. (well, at least I think so; although because I became such a huge fan towards the end of the millennium, perhaps I’m colouring the song unreasonably; I’d have to let you be the judge.
Maybe a bit more Rock ‘n Roll?
The Tailfeather version has more of a soul vibe about it, (than the aMIGO version) - but for me, it swings nicely - and it has a groove. There is no sax on the earlier version; Richard (Lightman) waxes lyrical with the Talk Box (odd device where you shape the guitar notes using the shape of your mouth with a tube and a microphone).. It’s a bit too complicated to explain
It IS an intriguing sound, and gives an eerie edge to most songs that use it Steely Dan themselves used it to great effect on their hit of the time ‘Haitian Divorce’
Portrait of an unfortunate son?
‘Stray’ is more of a musical vibe than a lyric-driven piece. It’s basically a short tale voiced by a kid who’s been disenfranchised all the way down the line - Maybe it has the same starting point as my tune ‘Alone’ - although it’s taken from a different perspective. Perhaps because the world is filled with such unfortunates who have either been abused or exploited; no-one has yet discovered how to level the playing field.
‘Parallel World’ - album compilation featuring Humpy Bong & Tailfeather tunes
Richard Lightman in the studio
Early Me with a wonderful Fender 5-string Jazz Bass
Stray dog in Sri Lanka.
1978: My Musical Aspirations go onto ‘the Back-Burner'
'Stray' Tim Staffell. Recorded by Tailfeather 1977 (& aMIGO 2003)
Tim Staffell
Sep 1
Greetings;
As I said, at this point in time I was on the cusp of taking the pressure off myself, and leaving the music business behind. I knew I would never totally let it go, because I was writing songs that I felt had some substance, and I was completely committed to taking myself seriously as a musician. Though Tailfeather was something of a swansong, before I launched myself off into the unknown world where you could get paid a salary!
‘Country Life’ & ‘Stray’ belong to that post-Morgan period when I was beginning to flex my songwriting muscles. I wouldn’t have the opportunity to fully engage with the craft for another quarter of a century, and it was only fitting that when I returned to recording, I would visit the best material from the early years.
A kind of prescience?
Although I knew of Steely Dan from the moment they appeared on my radar, it would take until 1998 before I finally ‘got’ what they were actually about. This is somewhat surprising, because certainly, ‘Stray’ eventually developed an essence of Becker & Fagen’s style about it. It’s far simpler than anything they put out, but I must have had a subliminal connection to them for this tune to turn out the way it did. (well, at least I think so; although because I became such a huge fan towards the end of the millennium, perhaps I’m colouring the song unreasonably; I’d have to let you be the judge.
Maybe a bit more Rock ‘n Roll?
The Tailfeather version has more of a soul vibe about it, (than the aMIGO version) - but for me, it swings nicely - and it has a groove. There is no sax on the earlier version; Richard (Lightman) waxes lyrical with the Talk Box (odd device where you shape the guitar notes using the shape of your mouth with a tube and a microphone).. It’s a bit too complicated to explain
It IS an intriguing sound, and gives an eerie edge to most songs that use it Steely Dan themselves used it to great effect on their hit of the time ‘Haitian Divorce’
Portrait of an unfortunate son?
‘Stray’ is more of a musical vibe than a lyric-driven piece. It’s basically a short tale voiced by a kid who’s been disenfranchised all the way down the line - Maybe it has the same starting point as my tune ‘Alone’ - although it’s taken from a different perspective. Perhaps because the world is filled with such unfortunates who have either been abused or exploited; no-one has yet discovered how to level the playing field.
‘Parallel World’ - album compilation featuring Humpy Bong & Tailfeather tunes
Richard Lightman in the studio
Early Me with a wonderful Fender 5-string Jazz Bass
Stray dog in Sri Lanka.
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Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
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Tim Staffell
Sep 4
Hi friends,
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the articles from last month. As a free subscriber, you'll continue to receive bi-monthly newsletters of Tim’s Tales, where I share stories from my history and songs up to the present day. You can check out the archive of these stories here.
Tim’s Staffell's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Your free month is up... Consider paying to support my work
Tim Staffell
Sep 4
Hi friends,
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the articles from last month. As a free subscriber, you'll continue to receive bi-monthly newsletters of Tim’s Tales, where I share stories from my history and songs up to the present day. You can check out the archive of these stories here.
Tim’s Staffell's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
Re: Tim Staffell Newsletter
A Train Set In The Attic………?
For several years, my good friend Paul Stewart & I have fielded a little band on the local circuit which plays a variety of self-penned tunes mixed with our own arrangements of classic blues tracks. It’s largely a matter of personal enjoyment, since we subsidise the experience, and it’s a lot of fun. Paul, who, incidentally, I was at school with back in the day, has recently added playing keyboards to his stage presence (from purely solo acoustic rhythm guitar) - and it’s created a paradigm shift within our stage sound. It would be nice to up the game a little and for the endeavour to pay for itself, but, in the meantime, it fulfills the space in our lives that might otherwise be occupied by a train set, or maybe a stamp collection…...
Staffell & Stewart… the core band….
For several years, my good friend Paul Stewart & I have fielded a little band on the local circuit which plays a variety of self-penned tunes mixed with our own arrangements of classic blues tracks. It’s largely a matter of personal enjoyment, since we subsidise the experience, and it’s a lot of fun. Paul, who, incidentally, I was at school with back in the day, has recently added playing keyboards to his stage presence (from purely solo acoustic rhythm guitar) - and it’s created a paradigm shift within our stage sound. It would be nice to up the game a little and for the endeavour to pay for itself, but, in the meantime, it fulfills the space in our lives that might otherwise be occupied by a train set, or maybe a stamp collection…...
Staffell & Stewart… the core band….
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Was man tief in seinem Herzen besitzt, kann man nicht durch den Tod verlieren.
J.W.v.Goethe
J.W.v.Goethe
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