The Magnificent Goldberg

Thanks for posting that Guy. It's the jargon in articles like this that brings it home to me that I'm not a REAL economist It looks worrying, though, particularly the thought that this action is subsidising duff banks as well a sound ones. If it all goes pear-shaped, most of the western world's currencies will be in for a devaluation - perhaps a big one, depending on how like a pear it is. This is what we got this morning - somewhat less jargon. Is it still correct, Guy? Here's the link. Nice pic of Darling, who is a very tough cookie, compared to Mervyn, who's a sweetie. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071213/tuk...-fa6b408_1.html MG

Is that buy now price really 40 euros? Even if it doesn't work (unless it's an empty box) it MUST be worth more than that, surely? MG

As far as I know, you're right. No Freddie McCoy LPs have ever been issued on CD. His Prestige LPs would make an ideal Mosaic Select, if Mosaic used Concord/Fantasy material. I think they are just about short enough to get all 7 on 3 CDs. MG

I think I'll drop them a line - but I'm surprised I don't have a proper e-mail address for them; just the automated ones that aren't opened. Can someone post it please? MG

Thanks folks. You both make some pretty good points about the arrangements - which I'll agree were pretty crummy, with some exceptions. I hadn't realised it was a deliberate policy specifically aimed at getting on the radio. In my earlier post, I was going by number of hits on the Hot 100. I know people talk about top 40, but to me, anything that's in the chart is a hit. When you take into account the whole Hot 100, you do start to get some pretty good records in there. But are you saying that it was easy for a record to get to #42 or #73, even if its arrangement wasn't "tailored", but only exceptions of that non-tailored nature could get onto the top 40? I don't really have a clear picture. MG

Maybe so, but I just read on another forum a buyer's complaint that the Mosaic people managed to mess up the "Fiddle Dee Dee" track from 1940 on disc VII in that the tune they included there actually was "Fiddle Diddle" from 1938 which already is on Disc II. In short, one track twice and another one not at all. OK, the titles are similar but this really should not happen with a top-flight outfit that selles products at top-notch prices. Makes you wonder what people not versed with (or not caring about) the discography of the music they are working on are let loose on compiling jobs. Clearly Michael Cuscuna (in his role as supervisor) and/or his underlings dropped the ball on this one. I hadn't noticed, but I've only played it through once. Has this been brought to Mosaic's attention? The straight thing for them to do would be to send out replacements for disc V. MG

Had a quick shufti - but there's literally nothing there from the list I put up in the favourites thread. Some, I know, isn't PD yet (Daniel-Lesur, Delius?). But it's a poor hit rate if you're looking for French chamber music. MG

I am on the other end of this situation. My younger brother is deeply into punk music and looks down on me as a person because I do not like much of it. He seriously thinks that I am a lesser person than he is, because of his greater appreciation of punk, and often lets me know it. He is always trying to "turn me on" to punk, to get me to like punk more, to become more familiar with more punk music. I don't like it one bit. That's hard - but you have a strong sense of humour and I feel that always helps in difficult situations. MG Actually, it's more of an annoyance, like a mosquito buzzing around my head, than an actual difficulty. Ah, you mean he doesn't owe you money? (Or you him) MG

Neo-con jazz isn't either judging by the absence of the Marsallis crowd. to you both. MG

I am on the other end of this situation. My younger brother is deeply into punk music and looks down on me as a person because I do not like much of it. He seriously thinks that I am a lesser person than he is, because of his greater appreciation of punk, and often lets me know it. He is always trying to "turn me on" to punk, to get me to like punk more, to become more familiar with more punk music. I don't like it one bit. That's hard - but you have a strong sense of humour and I feel that always helps in difficult situations. MG

And Hank Crawford, Phineas Newborn and Calvin were all in his band at one time or another. He sure could pick people! MG

Oh, I didn't know that. Any idea which? MG

Oh, this might be interesting for me. Real cheap is where the action might be. Thanks Randy. MG

Of course, you can expose your kids to stuff - my daughter REALLY was exposed to a lot of different stuff. But she went her own way and I'm glad. When she was about 20, she turned up one day and said, "I've bought a jazz record, dad; Harry Connick." She knew it was a joke. She has the same sense of humour as me - and THAT counts for a lot more, believe me. MG

Who could reissue this? Only Concord and surely they wouldn't? I don't think I can believe Da Barstids on this one. MG

Never saw Ike live but I saw the film of him and Tina in the Soul to soul show in Ghana. Wow! Did they kick ass there! He did important stuff for R&B in Memphis in the fifties, working as talent scout for Sun studios. RIP. MG

But it doesn't matter if they don't. What are you going to do if they love what you think is trash? Love them less? MG

Thanks for posting that sad news, Pasta. Sorry to hear of his death, but glad that he continued to make a local impact for so long. Like Mike, I think his work as a leader isn't as effective as his sideman recordings. Mel Sparks' "Sparkling" on Muse is an altogether splendid album in which Neal contributes every bit as much as the leader. I haven't heard him with Mongo (I don't think so, anyway), but that Sparks album is the best I've heard him. His real legacy is his lovely melodic and funky tunes. RIP MG

That's an interesting point - I hadn't made the connection before, perhaps because the payola scandal didn't resonate greatly over here - as a point demanding action. But R&R still virtually disappeared from the BBC in 1959 anyway; and from the British pop charts. Perhaps this was a reflection of what was going on in America. But plenty of R&B was getting onto the US pop charts in 1959; The Drifters had three hits that year; Ray Charles had three; Hank Ballard had three; Lloyd Price had five; Brook Benton had six; Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas city" was annother big hit; Jackie Wilson had four; and so on. From my perspective, what I was hearing over here, or NOT hearing rather, was a local phenomenon, because the US pop charts (the US R&B charts weren't published over here in those days) were still showing lots of R&B (and R&R artists like Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Clyde McPhatter & the Coasters, too) and everything appeared to be normal there. I thought at the time that it was the wicked evil BBC that was causing me not to hear any music I liked. So, if it wasn't being played on the radio, how did all this stuff get on the pop charts? In other words, what was happening in America, to bridge the gap between no radio plays and the pop charts, that wasn't happening in Britain? MG

Ah well, it's like my younger grandson (6); he comes in and says, "I NEED custard!!!" And he ain't got any money. MG

Yes. I don't know what he's doing now, but he made some records with Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers and Grant Green in the late 1960s/early 1970s - and a few as a leader. Oh, and one with Melvin Sparks in the mid seventies. A very singing style of playing and composing - great melodies. He wrote "Cease the bombing" and "Time to remember" for GG and LOADS of songs for Pucho. What was he like in the early sixties? MG

I think I've cracked it. I go in through the Ace link and save each page into my favourites. Then, the next day, I go in through the Org link and back out again, then call up the two pages direct from favourites. Zap! MG

YOU'RE old and not cool!!!!! Struth! MG

Of only tangential interest, to be certain: I've been in a number of NY taxi cabs whose drivers told me that not a few of the Muslims in their ranks will, when they are together and off work at the garage, talk freely of their powerful hatred for Jews and say things along the lines of: it's a good day if a Jew gets hit, etc etc. So it may be a bit shortsighted to imagine that such tension doesn't exist here. Of course, it's just as bad from the other side: one has but to listen half-heartedly at most any corner to hear the din of unconscionable disinterest for the plight of both (vis-a-vis the war) native Iraqis and (vis-a-vis the Mid East conflict) the Palestinians being so forcibly nudged from their homes. From either front at any rate, I can't imagine that the Paper of Record noting a harmony could hurt. Unless its real interest was to foment disharmony. You're right there: "I can't imagine that the Paper of Record noting a harmony could hurt. Unless its real interest was to foment disharmony." Chris' point was that the paper of record didn't report it. MG

Littlefield? A name on my list to do so far. Indeed! MG