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Old 09-12-2016, 18:01
TelevisionUser
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Back in 2005, a Guardian reader sent in a question about whether it was possible to live off the earnings from a Christmas hit - and Greg Lake wrote back with his answer:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/mu...er-to-guardian
I'd agree with one of the comments appended to that article:

"Any chance of this being the Xmas number one this year. Pretty meaningless these days but still would be a nice tribute."
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Old 09-12-2016, 18:06
Inkblot
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On the subject of royalties, I wonder whether Greg Lake (and the other members of King Crimson) made anything from the Kanye West song Power which sampled 21st Century Schizoid Man.

Anyway, RIP.
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Old 09-12-2016, 18:26
FM Lover
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I notice that the usual suspects are back in the singles chart this week.
Mariah, Pogues, Shaky, Band Aid, etc....

Would be nice to see Greg make a big re entry next week.
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Old 09-12-2016, 18:37
Rich Tea.
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I notice that the usual suspects are back in the singles chart this week.
Mariah, Pogues, Shaky, Band Aid, etc....

Would be nice to see Greg make a big re entry next week.
I was actually listening to Greg Lake's I Believe In Father Christmas yesterday at the exact same moment I keyed up the news of his passing on the BBC news website. That came as a shock. It is one of the very finest Christmas tunes and it particularly reminds me of Christmas morning for some reason.

As for those re-entries, aren't people un-imaginative. The same old clapped out festive songs around and around every year. Take Shaky for example, all you ever hear is his 1985 Christmas No1 but he had another enormous Christmas No2 hit three year before that in 1982 called Blue Christmas. It will soon be heard on BBC4's Top Of The Pops 1982. But do you ever hear that song anywhere? Nope. Another one that I bought last year and never seems to get heard and was in the same Christmas top five as Greg Lake in 1975 is Dana's It's Gonna Be A Cold Cold Christmas.

It's also about time that some brand new Christmas songs were made that charted. You have to go back to 2003 when we had The Darkness at No2 with Christmas Time and Cliff at No5 with Santa's List.

It would be deserved for the Greg Lake song to top the charts this Christmas. But it won't even get near.
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Old 09-12-2016, 19:00
FM Lover
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I was actually listening to Greg Lake's I Believe In Father Christmas yesterday at the exact same moment I keyed up the news of his passing on the BBC news website. That came as a shock. It is one of the very finest Christmas tunes and it particularly reminds me of Christmas morning for some reason.

As for those re-entries, aren't people un-imaginative. The same old clapped out festive songs around and around every year. Take Shaky for example, all you ever hear is his 1985 Christmas No1 but he had another enormous Christmas No2 hit three year before that in 1982 called Blue Christmas. It will soon be heard on BBC4's Top Of The Pops 1982. But do you ever hear that song anywhere? Nope. Another one that I bought last year and never seems to get heard and was in the same Christmas top five as Greg Lake in 1975 is Dana's It's Gonna Be A Cold Cold Christmas.

It's also about time that some brand new Christmas songs were made that charted. You have to go back to 2003 when we had The Darkness at No2 with Christmas Time and Cliff at No5 with Santa's List.

It would be deserved for the Greg Lake song to top the charts this Christmas. But it won't even get near.
You make an interesting point, as ever Rich about Shaky and never hearing Blue Christmas.

I have the same beef with Cliff's 'Mistletoe & Wine' which is just about the only classic Cliff Christmas song you hear, however in my opinion his 1982 offering Little Town is far, far superior yet never gets played.

Other 70's classics that are underplayed include Gilbert O'Sullivan's Christmas Song and Showaddywaddy's Hey Mr Christmas.
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Old 09-12-2016, 19:56
Magic Torch
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Sad news - RIP Greg. I do like to hear 'I believe in Father Christmas', on the radio every December. The line in the song were Greg sings 'they sold me a Silent Night' always makes me think of someone stood in as store, being sold a Silent Night bed or mattress
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Old 10-12-2016, 18:11
RikScot
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On the subject of royalties, I wonder whether Greg Lake (and the other members of King Crimson) made anything from the Kanye West song Power which sampled 21st Century Schizoid Man.

Anyway, RIP.
Robert Fripp was not at all happy I believe.
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Old 10-12-2016, 20:19
ricardoylucia
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I come from the Bournemouth/Poole area and can remember Greg playing in local clubs, hotels and other venues, also joining up with Bob Fripp another local lad done good. Learning to play guitar aged 12 with 2 local people - so sad, but what fabulous music he did...
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Old 11-12-2016, 10:49
mal2pool
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They said there'd be snow at Christmas
They said there'd be peace on earth
But instead it just kept on raining...

Sad news.
its exactly like that the weather at christmas time...so dull and depressing
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Old 12-12-2016, 02:55
Jon Ross
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No mention of his death on BBC or ITV 10 o'clock news. I know ELP were a very contentious band and represented the worst excesses of prog-rock to many (something I would agree with), but to not even mention in a line the death of the frontman of a British band that sold 48 million albums worldwide - not to mention released the already mentioned popular Christmas hit - was fairly extraordinary.
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Old 12-12-2016, 13:38
Stone Free
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I think its because too many journalists are Punk fans. I do love Punk but I hate the snobbish attitude that some people like Paul Morley have against Prog, yet always wittering on about Punk.

I borrowed Television's "Marquee Moon" off a mate of mine and the liner notes instead of limiting themselves to talking about this great album had to have a dig at Prog at the same time
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Old 12-12-2016, 19:37
Jon Ross
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I think its because too many journalists are Punk fans. I do love Punk but I hate the snobbish attitude that some people like Paul Morley have against Prog, yet always wittering on about Punk.

I borrowed Television's "Marquee Moon" off a mate of mine and the liner notes instead of limiting themselves to talking about this great album had to have a dig at Prog at the same time
You may be right, but curiously enough that didn't stop the same broadcasters dusting down Rick Wakeman to interview him on numerous programmes about the death of David Bowie.

If they're so biased against prog you might have thought they'd have found someone a bit cooler than Wakeman to talk about Bowie.
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Old 12-12-2016, 23:36
gomezz
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Rick is as cool a they come. Not many could live the rock and roll life he has had *and* dare to put on "Spinal Tap" on Ice and come out the other side a survivor.
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Old 19-12-2016, 07:13
tiv
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I think its because too many journalists are Punk fans. I do love Punk but I hate the snobbish attitude that some people like Paul Morley have against Prog, yet always wittering on about Punk.

I borrowed Television's "Marquee Moon" off a mate of mine and the liner notes instead of limiting themselves to talking about this great album had to have a dig at Prog at the same time
Are you saying that there is still a hatred of Prog after all this time? I recall being amazed the way John Peel turned on not just Prog but those who listened to it. That was the point I stopped listening to him.
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Old 19-12-2016, 07:56
bryemycaz
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You may be right, but curiously enough that didn't stop the same broadcasters dusting down Rick Wakeman to interview him on numerous programmes about the death of David Bowie.

If they're so biased against prog you might have thought they'd have found someone a bit cooler than Wakeman to talk about Bowie.
Rick did work with David though on one of his most famous albums. He did all the keyboard work on Hunky Dory and some additional work on Ziggy Stardust.

This is a beautiful rendition of Life On Mars that Rick recorded as a tribute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwvltziYBAM
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Old 19-12-2016, 08:30
Glawster2002
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No mention of his death on BBC or ITV 10 o'clock news. I know ELP were a very contentious band and represented the worst excesses of prog-rock to many (something I would agree with), but to not even mention in a line the death of the frontman of a British band that sold 48 million albums worldwide - not to mention released the already mentioned popular Christmas hit - was fairly extraordinary.
ELP were three very talented musicians who pushed each other as far as they could. I always find it interesting that a classical musician is called a virtuoso, but a Rock musician who plays to the same level is more likely to be called "self indulgent".

The members of ELP could seriously play and should be recognised for that.

I think its because too many journalists are Punk fans. I do love Punk but I hate the snobbish attitude that some people like Paul Morley have against Prog, yet always wittering on about Punk.

I borrowed Television's "Marquee Moon" off a mate of mine and the liner notes instead of limiting themselves to talking about this great album had to have a dig at Prog at the same time
And yet, ironically, an awful lot of punks, both in bands and fans, were also Prog fans...

I spoke a while ago to Jerry Ewing, the editor of Prog magazine, about this. Prog Magazine has a feature of well known people and their love of Progressive music and I mentioned they often feature people more associated with Punk. He told me that was deliberate so they could debunk the myth Punk "killed" Prog and that they "hated" Prog, a myth still perpetuated today by the likes of Paul Morley.
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Old 19-12-2016, 09:28
mushymanrob
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I always find it interesting that a classical musician is called a virtuoso, but a Rock musician who plays to the same level is more likely to be called "self indulgent".

He told me that was deliberate so they could debunk the myth Punk "killed" Prog and that they "hated" Prog, a myth still perpetuated today by the likes of Paul Morley.
maybe a virtuoso is a musician that could interprate somebody elses music, whilst a prog rocker seems to do it to show off 'look what i can do with my music'?... i dunno... i dont 'get' prog rock any more then some classical.

i didnt know any punk fans that liked prog, not so sure that a myth.
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Old 19-12-2016, 09:29
Inkblot
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ELP were three very talented musicians who pushed each other as far as they could. I always find it interesting that a classical musician is called a virtuoso, but a Rock musician who plays to the same level is more likely to be called "self indulgent".

The members of ELP could seriously play and should be recognised for that.
I know this thread's about Greg Lake but I have a soft spot for the Nice, and I think it's because they didn't go all-out for virtuoso pyrotechnics. Emerson's keyboard style was more lyrical and relaxed and in a way more "prog" in that it was informed by jazz as well as classical music, whereas in ELP he seemed to be much more interested in high-octane makeovers of classical themes.

I sometimes find myself singing one of the melodies of the Five Bridges Suite, which surely shows it's a good composition. The piano at about 2:42 is lovely, like Duke Ellington goes to Newcastle.
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Old 19-12-2016, 10:09
Glawster2002
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maybe a virtuoso is a musician that could interprate somebody elses music, whilst a prog rocker seems to do it to show off 'look what i can do with my music'?... i dunno... i dont 'get' prog rock any more then some classical.

i didnt know any punk fans that liked prog, not so sure that a myth.
Off the top of my head John Lydon was a Van Der Graaf Generator and early Pink Floyd fan, Peter hook liked Hawkwind and Deep Purple, I could trawl back through my Prog Magazines and find plenty of other examples...
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Old 19-12-2016, 10:27
Inkblot
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Off the top of my head John Lydon was a Van Der Graaf Generator and early Pink Floyd fan, Peter hook liked Hawkwind and Deep Purple, I could trawl back through my Prog Magazines and find plenty of other examples...
Captain Sensible's favourite musician was Soft Machine organist Mike Ratledge. He was also a big Sad Barrett fan.
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Old 19-12-2016, 10:37
mushymanrob
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Off the top of my head John Lydon was a Van Der Graaf Generator and early Pink Floyd fan, Peter hook liked Hawkwind and Deep Purple, I could trawl back through my Prog Magazines and find plenty of other examples...
indeed, i know that, but i dont/didnt know them! of course there are exceptions to every rule, but im only going on personal experience both in my generation and the generation below who i worked with in a youth club.

from my experience , there was no interaction between prog and punk.

i accept there might have been elsewhere, i cant talk for everyone, but i dont think there was much.
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Old 19-12-2016, 10:51
gomezz
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Listening to RadMac last week and they played Fleetwood Mac's Tusk and saying that it was rumoured (sic get it? ) that it was Lindsey Buckingham's attempt at making a punk record!
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Old 19-12-2016, 10:51
Glawster2002
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indeed, i know that, but i dont/didnt know them! of course there are exceptions to every rule, but im only going on personal experience both in my generation and the generation below who i worked with in a youth club.

from my experience , there was no interaction between prog and punk.

i accept there might have been elsewhere, i cant talk for everyone, but i dont think there was much.
But then in the context of the time, would any self-respecting Punk publically admit a deep-rooted love of the likes of Magma, Foxtrot-era Genesis, or Yes, no matter how much they loved them?

I would suggest not.
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Old 19-12-2016, 11:00
mushymanrob
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But then in the context of the time, would any self-respecting Punk publically admit a deep-rooted love of the likes of Magma, Foxtrot-era Genesis, or Yes, no matter how much they loved them?

I would suggest not.
maybe...... or maybe punks in general really didnt like prog! id suggest not!
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Old 19-12-2016, 11:32
Inkblot
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maybe...... or maybe punks in general really didnt like prog! id suggest not!
But punks as people weren't the same as punk as music. Lydon in particular was influenced by a wide range of alternative musicians from Captain Beefheart to Can and Neu to Third Ear Band (as well as the others cited above). You can tell from PIL, the Damned, even the Clash that musically punk came from a diverse set of influences. Look at Siouxsie and the Banshees - their drummer, Budgie, could hold his own playing very complex drum parts.
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