EARTH DAY

RARE EARTH DAY!


















In honor of Earth Day, and our efforts in going green, I just wanna...Get Ready....I Just Want to Celebrate! I'll celebrate by introducing to you (or reminding you of) a few tracks from one of my all-time favorite Live Albums (Top 5) - RARE EARTH IN CONCERT!



















This is actually the very first LP I every bought with my own (lawn mowing) money. "I just want to celebrate" was the hit, but I quickly fell in love with the whole album. Get long jams on original tunes and a few Motown classics (Rare Earth were actually the first Caucasian band on a subsidiary Motown label to have hit records).












The now dilapidated Miami Marine Stadium. She suffered major damage during Hurricane Andrew in '92.

The double album, also known as the "backpack album", was largely recorded at the Miami Marine Stadium in 1971 (a few tracks were from Jacksonville) was a favorite on FM radio at the time. Mostly because of it's loose & groovy vibe (listen to the rap at the beginning of "Hey Big Brother") and fine musicianship.

I later became a big fan of concerts at the Marine Stadium, what a beautiful venue at the time. I saw Peter Paul & Mary, and Chuck Mangione there, and was there the night Jimmy Buffett filmed the cocert that was to be relesed on video called "By the Bay"...you might have seen it on PBS.

Enjoy the tunes, check the links below...and maybe petition Motown to officially release Rare Earth In Concert on CD!

I just want to celebrate.mp3

Hey big brother.mp3

I know I'm losing you.mp3

RARE EARTH

EARTH DAY NETWORK

GO GREEN

TREEHUGGER

ROCK THE VOTE

BOB MARLEY - ONE LOVE PEACE CONCERT

Today Marks the 30th Anniversary of Marley's Legendary Concert for Peace in his homeland Jamaica.

















Portions taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The infamous One Love Peace Concert was held on April 22, 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. This concert was held during a political civil war in Jamaica between opposing parties Jamaican Labour Party and the People's National Party. The concert came to its peak during Bob Marley & The Wailers' performance of "Jammin'", when Marley joined the hands of political rivals Michael Manley (PNP) and Edward Seaga (JLP).





my portrait of Bob Marley












Also performing at the event was Bob's former Wailer's bandmate Peter Tosh, who played a blistering set that included: "Igziabeher"; "400 Years"; "Stepping Razor"; "Burial"; "Equal Rights"; "Legalize It"; and "Get Up, Stand Up". ("Get Up, Stand Up" was very often performed at Marley's concerts, often as the last song, it was also the last song Marley ever performed on stage, on September 23, 1980 at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

Other artists that shared the bill that day: The Meditations; Althea and Donna; Dillinger; The Mighty Diamonds; Junior Tucker; Culture; Dennis Brown; Trinity; Leroy Smart; Jacob Miller and Inner Circle; Big Youth; Beres Hammond; Ras Michael and The Sons of Negus.

When Bob and the Wailers finally took the stage, they treated the crowd to: "Lion of Judah"; "Natural Mystic"; "Trenchtown Rock"; "Natty Dread"; "Positive Vibration"; * "War"; "Jammin'"; "One Love / People Get Ready"; and "Jah Love".

Bob Marley said (sang) the following as he called the two politicians onstage, and while he held their hands above his head and said while improvising on "Jammin'":

"Just let me tell you something (yeah), to make everything come true, we gotta be together. (Yeah, yeah, yeah) and through the spirit of the Most High, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, we're inviting a few leading people of the slaves to shake hands. . . To show the people that you love them right, to show the people that you gonna unite, show the people that you're over bright, show the people that everything is all right. Watch, watch, watch, what you're doing, because . . I mean, I'm not so good at talking but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Well, I'm trying to say, could we have, could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. Michael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga. I just want to shake hands and show the people that we're gonna make it right, we're gonna unite, we're gonna make it right, we've got to unite . The moon is high over my head, and I give my love instead. The moon is high over my head, and I give my love instead. "
HERE IS THE CLIP:



The last time Bob was in Jamaica was 14 months earlier for the The Smile Jamaica Concert held on December 5, 1976, at the National Heroes Park, Kingston, Jamaica. Only 2 days before Marley had almost been killed by gunmen in his house, but survived and was driven up in the Blue Mountains. Nevertheless Marley agreed to perform one song for the 80,000 people in attendance, but it turned into a whole 90-minute performance despite his injuries. The set list for the show was as follows 1. War/ No More Trouble/ Get Up Stand Up 2. Crazy Baldhead/ Positive Vibration 3. Smile Jamaica 4. Rat Race 5. TrenchTown Rock 6. Keep on Moving 7. Want More 8. Them Belly Full 9. Jah Live 10. Rastaman Chant 11. Rebel Music 12. So Jah Seh



The One Love Peace Concert was captured on film, it's available on DVD, and is called Heartland Reggae. Altough it's a fascinating document, it's a rather poorly made film.









One of my great music related regrets is not having seen Bob at any of his Miami appearences. Below are a few tunes from the One Love Concert (including "Jammin'" with the above speech), "Get Up/Exodus" from Miami '78, and a rare take of "Redemtion Song" with a full band.
There is tons of great Bob Marley CDs out there...if you don't have some, do yerself a favor mon, go get'cha some.

03 Natural Mystic.mp3

09 Jammin.mp3

Bob Marley - Get Up, Stand Up - Exodus.mp3

Bob Marley- Redemption Song - with Band.mp3

BOB MARLEY

HEARTLAND REGGAE

HAILE SELASSIE

PETER TOSH

RASTAFARI

Spam Spam Spam Spam, Spam Spam Spam Spam,

Spam Spam Spam Spam, Spam Spam Spam Spam!
MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT On Tour!

I'm not sure if I've yet made it clear here how huge a Monty Python fan I am.....












It all began on an (not Anne), an Elk farm outside Cadbury Castle, near the River Cam, in Somerset, England. A land surrounded by plains and forests, and..no, no, No - WAIT...start again.....
....It all started for my in the summer of 1975. I was visiting with my deer Aunt Jerry & her 9 elks, sorry - kids in California for the summer. My cousin Kevin turned me onto the album MONTY PYTHON'S PREVIOUS RECORD (their best!)...I wore the damn thing out, and I haven't been bloody right since!

A few weeks later, Kevin had a special surprise for me:



















Ol' KevBud took me to The Plaza Theatre in L.A. for the West Coast World Premiere of THE HOLY GRAIL (simultaneously, a premiere was occurring in Chicago, and NYC). What a blast! Free coconuts, and laughter so strong we missed half the jokes.
Joining us after the show, outside the lobby were Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam! Eric was holding a big bucket of popcorn, handing out single pieces to us folks not lucky enough to get a coconut,
saying "nobody walks away from a Monty Python movie empty 'anded"! Then Eric and Terry hung around, leaning on a limo, and told jokes & signed autographs.

I've often looked around online to see if I could find press clippings from the event. I've had no luck yet - but I did find the above ad for the show in the wonderful 2003 book The Python's by The Pythons.














Fast forward 33 years later, for Christmas '07 my wife surprised me with tickets for the first National Touring Cast of SPAMALOT (the Broadway Musical based on the HOLY GRAIL motion picture).



















The play is the brain child of none other than (the troupe's self proclaimed Greedy Bastard) Eric Idle himself. Perfect gift for this lifelong fan!! Thank you baby (my wife..not Eric).












Wow! What a performance. Even my wife (who disliked the film) loved it! Although much of the play follows the (already loose) storyline of the Holy Grail, the writers threw in a fantastic mix of of gags and songs from that film and other Python films; records; and TV, and even some contemporary and local references (such as name dropping Orlando Mayor Buddy Dryer).





The only way Spamalot could have been better, would have been actual Monty Python members in the cast! It is an enchanting (though a bit surreal) evening out, very colorful and The only thing that could have made SPAMALOT terrifically funny. A must see for all...bring the whole family!!

25 - spam song.mp3

13 - run away.mp3

Camelot.mp3

HolyGrailMainTheme.mp3

Monty Python - Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.Mp3

SPAMALOT

MONTY PYTHON

ERIC IDLE