Archive for the ‘Love’ Category

10 Jul

Love with Johnny Echols the Cluny Newcastle 5 July 2023

Posted by vintagerock in Baby Lemonade, Johnny Echols, Love, Scott Hepple and the Sun Band. Tagged: , , , , , .

LOVE0The Cluny is a lovely little pub venue situated in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle upon Tyne. It often gets great bands on. Over the years I have seen many of my favourite acts perform there including The Groundhogs featuring the sadly recently passed Tony McPhee, Stray, the New York Dolls, Chicken Shack featuring the great Stan Webb, the Pink Fairies, Wishbone Ash and many others.

LOVE7Last Wednesday they hosted the latest incarnation of the legendary American psychedelic pioneers Love. Lead singer and main songwriter from the band, Arthur Lee, is sadly no longer with us. This version of Love features original guitarist Johnny Echols, backed up by Baby Lemonade who were the backing band for Arthur Lee and Love for many years. So there is a line of authenticity taking us back to the original band. And that is good enough for me. It is the closest I am going to get to the real thing.

LOVE6So Jan and I arrive early enough to catch the support act, Scott Hepple and the Sun Band who for some reason remind me of early Status Quo circa 1971/1972. Quite loud and pretty good as well. Clearly a group of young people worth watching out for. After a short while during which I partake in a double Jack Daniels and purchase a Love and a Cluny T-shirt, the main band take to the stage.

LOVE2Now Forever Changes is an absolute classic, often rated as one of the best albums of all time. And I can’t disagree. Neither would the crowd in the Cluny. The place was absolutely packed and almost everyone sang along to every song. To my shame I can’t claim to know every song by Love but many sounded familiar.

Original guitarist Johnny Echols looks so cool, quite the part for an original psychedelic electric guitar hero complete with bandanna, straight out of the late 1960s. He co-founded the band with Arthur Lee back in 1965. Respect.

LOVE5Burt Bacharach’s “Little Red Book” sounded as fresh as ever and “Alone Again or” is undoubtedly one of the best songs of all time.
A great show by the latest version of a classic band. It doesn’t get much better.

LOVE3It was wonderful to say hello to a guy who introduced himself to me as a regular reader of my blog. Thank you so much for your support, my friend.
Thanks to Jan for the photos.

LOVE4Setlist: A house is not a motel; Your mind and we belong together; My little red book; Softly to me; Can’t explain;    Live and let live; The red telephone; Andmoreagain; Orange skies; Stephanie who knows; Signed DC; Alone again or;     Maybe the people would be the times or between Clark and Hilldale; You set the scene; August; Your friend and mine  ; Always see your face; Singing cowboy; 7 and 7 is

25 Sep

Arthur Lee and Love Newcastle Opera House August 2002

Posted by vintagerock in Arthur Lee, Love. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

Arthur Lee and Love The Forever Changes tour Newcastle Opera House August 2002
loveforeverchanges “Alone again or” is one of those songs that sits outside any standard definition of a pop or rock song. Along with many of the other tracks on the Forever Changes album, its structure, rhythms and phrasing are unlike anything else I have ever heard. I remember being simply amazed by its uniqueness the first time I came across it. I bought a beat up vinyl copy of the album many years ago, but never thought I would get to see Arthur Lee and Love live.
However, in 2002, after spending six years in prison on gun charges, Love founder and frontman Arthur Lee began performing again. He formed a new version of Love, put together from members of the band Baby Lemonade, and set out on a tour of Europe. Marie and I went to the gig at Newcastle Opera House. The show featured the 1967 Forever Changes album, and tracks drawn from the remainder of Love’s back catalogue. Arthur was joined by a string and horn ensemble and did a petty damn good job of recreating his Love masterpiece. The evening was something I thought I’d never get to see, and the songs continue to amaze me every time I hear them.
lovetix Arthur Lee passed away in 2006 after a battle with leukaemia. Kandia Crazy Horse of Vibe Magazine wrote in an obituary that “‘Forever Changes’ (was) his psychedelic masterpiece … an exhilarating mash-up of West Side freak folk with East Side mariachi and blues. Lee out-jangles his heroes the Byrds on the immortal ‘Alone Again Or’ and aims his symphonic trigger dead at the Beatles on his greatest work, ‘You Set the Scene.’ In total, a glorious song cycle exploring the dark side of hippiedom.”
Setlist will have been something like: My Little Red Book; Orange Skies; Alone Again Or; A House Is Not a Motel; Andmoreagain; The Daily Planet; Old Man; The Red Telephone; Between Clark And Hilldale; Live and Let Live; The Good Humour Man; Bummer in the Summer; You Set the Scene; Robert Montgomerey; My Flash On You; Signed DC; Everybody’s Gotta Live – Instant Karma; August; Always See Your Face; Listen To My Song; She Comes in Colors; My Anthem; Singing Cowboy; 7 & 7 Is
A review by the Opera House:”It’s always difficult to sell tickets for a show in August with everyone in holiday mode, but we did for Arthur Lee. After only a month on sale, he pulled a very large and very partisan crowd. The faithful were well rewarded for their patience, many had waited 35 years to see him. Ever the showman, he didn’t let anyone down, quite the reverse. With lots of grit, strength and enough talent to make a thousand boy bands, Arthur sang his way through his impressive back catalogue.”