Saturday 13 December 2008

In condemnation of CDs of old music that do not include

N O T E S.

I'm listening to a cd on the Prix Calin label from 2003 which I picked up in a three-for-the-price-of-one sale in Singapore in 2005 en route to Angouleme. I had terrible trouble getting out of the shop because I only wanted one for the price of one and had no interest in any of the rest though I wound up throwing in a late Isaac Hayes album just to help them clear some space and departed hastily. The disc I'm listening to is a round up of Charlie Christian cuts among which I saw a few I didn't recognise as being already in my collection. There are no notes. I mean just who, where and when kind of notes, not florid descriptions of what I'm hearing.
The poor kid died age 25, after a brief three year recording career, so it's not the dates that are a problem, but there are quite few undocumented live tracks here. And Christian is one of those artists that if there is a bit of tape somewhere of him tuning up his guitar, it will have been put on a cd long before now. (wikipedia: "Although Christian never recorded professionally as a leader, compilations have been released of his sessions as a sideman where he is a featured soloist, of practice and warm-up recordings for these sessions, and some lower-quality recordings of Christian's own groups performing in nightclubs, by amateur technicians.") Elsewhere I have another cd of his rare taped moments at Minton's with Clarke and Monk. It has a photo of him on the front of a card which is blank on the back. I had to write my own notes on it. And as for the 1947 radio session during which Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie do an entirely improbable rendition of Tiger Rag, I've never seen that on a cd at all, so I'm holding onto my old 1983 LP double album on a French label. At least it's got the times dates and who was in the band, though I added a few extra notes of my own in tippex on the fold-out surface of the black laminated card. You'd be impressed. Or horrified, if you're the sort of person who buys second hand stuff and gets livid on finding that some jackass has written all over it.


I wrote a post on another blog a couple of years ago titled 'Charlie Parker's cabbages' and I just discovered I still have the drawing.


First to claim it in comments can have it in the mail.

Labels:

29 Comments:

Blogger mrjslack said...

Does that include me in the possible claimants?
Because I would love Charlie Parker and his cabbages adorning my wall.

mister J.

13 December 2008 at 16:19:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Isaac said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

13 December 2008 at 17:07:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Isaac said...

If he's not included, I'd be happy to claim it.

13 December 2008 at 17:08:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Nino said...

You know, Eddie, the same happens everywhere.
The Record Industry is so busy putting the blame on downloadas and cd copies that they don´t accept the fact that some copies are better than their originals.
The other day, I bought a brand new edition of Marvin Gaye`s Midnight Lover, where there was no information, just the photo and the songs
Recuerdos a Ana.
Nino

13 December 2008 at 17:38:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Yoga Gal said...

You have great taste in music!

14 December 2008 at 00:31:00 GMT-5  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

*sob* I am too slow. Nice drawing, Eddie.

14 December 2008 at 02:02:00 GMT-5  
Blogger spacedlaw said...

Great drawing Eddie.
Some old records are still better than brand new CDs (despite noise and scratches) with tracks never taken up on digital before or just plain better performances.

14 December 2008 at 06:14:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Eddie Campbell said...

mr j gets the drawing.
but i found a few others at the same time.
coming soon.

14 December 2008 at 23:05:00 GMT-5  
Blogger MarkSullivan said...

I thought I'd already posted a comment...too late for the Bird picture, anyhow. I agree about the lack of documentation being annoying. It's especially common in the world of jazz reissues, but it happens elsewhere, too. Really doesn't seem too much to ask.

18 December 2008 at 17:12:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Yoga Gal said...

It's seems you've gone M.I.A. again, well, Merry Christmas to you and your family! love - Geri - a.k.a Yoga Gal

24 December 2008 at 18:07:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Ed Choy Moorman said...

if you found others... I might love to get one, depending on how much money.

28 December 2008 at 02:48:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Juan Royo Abenia said...

HAPPY 2009 !!! AND OF COURSE CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR ART!!!

28 December 2008 at 09:49:00 GMT-5  
Blogger gr said...

too late to claim for anything ?
a great 2009 for you and family
from Brazil
Germano

30 December 2008 at 11:15:00 GMT-5  
Blogger spacedlaw said...

And in other news, How to become an Artist is listed in "les 10 meilleures bandes dessinées de 2008"! Congratulations, Eddie.

30 December 2008 at 12:42:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Matthew Adams said...

Happy new year!

And may nothing happen...

2 January 2009 at 09:43:00 GMT-5  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To steal a quote from the Father of my country ;"Is anybody there? Does anybody care?" Happy New Year Mr. Campbell! Love - Yoga Gal - geri

4 January 2009 at 18:51:00 GMT-5  
Blogger spacedlaw said...

Won't you come out and play?

9 January 2009 at 06:09:00 GMT-5  
Blogger lordnellie said...

Hi Eddie, no post for a while now?
Hope all is well with you and yours.

All the Best
Neil

13 January 2009 at 14:42:00 GMT-5  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Eddie,

Just in case you'e still checking the comments here, I wanted to mention that when I was reading the League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier this week I noticed that, early on in the book, Moore and O'Neil had included a number of magazine titles on a newstand the characters pass. The one that grabbed my eye was entitled 'FLICK', and I wondered if this wasn't a nod to your small press publication.

Regards,

Ben Smith

22 January 2009 at 07:52:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Matthew Adams said...

Hi Eddie,

Hopefully you are still floating around in either the blogosphere or the real world.

Anyway, came across a post at http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/
on a little animal called the snouter, a mammal that has remarkable similarities to the snooter.

Cheers

24 January 2009 at 07:19:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Stephen Pellnat said...

Dear Mister Campbell,

I hope you update soon. I'm a big admirer of your work and many things on your blog have really helped me in being harder on myself for compositions, laziness on my own part and many other things besides. We met at the Rand-McNally Bookstore in New York City over the summer; I was Tom Hart's student. Well, hopefully this comes back soon.

Stephen Pellnat

4 February 2009 at 09:41:00 GMT-5  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I still come here everyday. Just in case. Hope all is well!

10 February 2009 at 21:47:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Matthew Adams said...

I think Eddie is pulling a 'The fate of the artist' stunt on us. He has disapeared without a bloody word to anyone.

The poor fucker has finally cracked and can't tell real life from comics.

...and I think I have too, for some reason I have "Polly want a fucker" going 'round and 'round in my head.

And here we all sit like some imbecilic audience after the band has packed up and gone away, still shouting "encore!" Eddie is probably sitting somewhere pissing himself laughing at us bunch of idiots.

12 February 2009 at 18:56:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Sam said...

Who's hacking daft bluddy lumps off the cheese?

14 February 2009 at 17:58:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Kimota94 aka Matt aka AgileMan said...

2 months now with no blogging? Surely you must be recharged by now, Mr Campbell?!

15 February 2009 at 16:10:00 GMT-5  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Best wishes, Eddie. Take all the time you need off from blogging. We all survived for months and even years before the internet, and we can do it again.

We'll see you when we see you, somewhere and somewhen!

17 February 2009 at 22:03:00 GMT-5  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Eddie
I'm an old friend from school and I'd like to send you an e-mail with good wishes from a few of your old acquaintances. I bought your book Monsieur Leotard recently and was dead impressed! Hope you're well.
Best wishes,
Jerry Wigens

22 February 2009 at 16:32:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Eddie Campbell said...

Jerry,
great to hear from you. I started writing you a note then realised you haven't left an address or a URL or any way of getting it to you. Leave it here and I'll copy and then delete.
Eddie

22 February 2009 at 18:05:00 GMT-5  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

23 February 2009 at 14:26:00 GMT-5  

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