In 1929, Hungarian writer and poet Frigyes Karinthy wrote a short story called "Chains".
Few people know of the book or the author but you would know the phrase he coined, "six degrees of separation".
This is The Karinthy Connection. Every Tuesday after 5.30pm, a music lover is invited onto Drive with Bernadette Young to continue the musical chain.
Brendan Gallagher is the front man of Karma County and he had to move from REM's Fall on Me which is where Nicole Dyer left it last week.
Robyn Hitchcock & Venus 3 featuring Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin. Supported them several times, lent Pete my guitar for ABC radio slot in Sydney. Nearly 20 years ago I wrote Open Tuning Chord Book For Guitar, over the years been in the same room with some great artists who I’ve given book to [David Bowie, Lee Ritenour, Arlo Guthrie, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) Paul Kelly, Murray ‘Red Wiggle’ Cook, Lloyd Cole, Tim Rogers, Chris Cheney (Living End), Daniel Johns etc] some have given me quotes. I gave a copy to Pete in Perth in 2006.
Reason I play open tune is Ry Cooder – saw him first on GTK on ABC TV in early 70s (produced by Bernie Canon), influential show. This is the first song I learnt in open D tuning, other than a straight blues. I still play it. My book is dedicated to Ry Cooder.
Ry has collaborated with many artists – Stones, John Lee Hooker, Ali Farka Toure, VM Bhatt, Flaco Jiminez. Early 90s supergroup Little Village – Jim Keltner, John Hiatt and Nick Lowe. Ry & Nick with Joachim Cooder on drums toured Australia late 2009 (TONE! DYNAMICS!.... the patter of little kitten’s feet to shock-and-awe).
Nick is my model musician – singer, songwriter, producer. Wrote Cruel To Be Kind, Beast In Me (covered by his father-in-law Johnny Cash), What’s So Funny About Peace, Love & Understanding – Bodyguard, Kevin Costner, big cheque, trilogy of albums (Impossible Bird, Dig My Mood, The Convincer).
Nick Lowe produced many records (Pretenders, Graham Parker & Rumour, Rockpile, Brinsley Schwartz) and significantly Elvis Costello (5 albums Aim Is True, Trust, Blood & Chocolate etc) – real name Declan McManus, combo of father’s stage name (or mother’s maiden name) and of course Elvis Presley. I’m a big fan of EP along with many millions of others including the great Leon Russell.
(Phil Spector’s Wrecking Crew, Joe Cocker MD, Willie Nelson collaborator, mentor to Elton John) wrote Delta Lady, A Song For You (Ray Charles etc), Superstar (Carpenters) and of course Masquerade (George Benson, every hotel lobby pianist knows this song) and released several solo albums.
Story from impeccable source (mutual admirer) – Leon notoriously blunt, upon being introduced to Elvis at Vegas after party said “hey man, why’d you make all them shit movies?” To which Elvis replied “man, last thing I remember I was driving a truck in Memphis”… Saw him at Randwick Racecourse ’73, 2 grand pianos etc. 3 hour tent show “I’ll put on a show for you, if you’ll put on a show for me”. This from his ’72 desert disc album Carney.
From a hot summer’s day in Sydney 1973 to the suburbs of Adelaide 2006. The Hilltop Hoods sample Out In The Woods from Carney – sped up and EQd.
Hilltop Hoods touring later this year with Marshall Bruce Mathers III aka Slim Shady aka Eminem who of course hails from Detroit, Michigan, Motortown, Motown, Hitsville USA – Berry Gordy and Tamla Motown – Martha & The Vandellas, The Supremes, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.
What’s Going On album 1971 is the height of sophistication – songs, arrangements, performance - bass James Jamerson or Bob Babbit?
As mentioned GTK was a very influential TV program in Australia in the early 70s. I discovered a lot of artists I would otherwise never have been exposed to. People like Dutch Tilders, Renee Geyer (Mother Earth), the afore mentioned Ry Cooder and of course legendary king of the blues BB King who I saw perform at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on a very hot February night in 1976 – BB collapsed from heat exhaustion. I copped a lot of chops from BB and I’m the proud owner of a Gibson Lucille which I do love to play.
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