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Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 9:19 pm
by howarddobson
Yes you're 100% right - serves me right for trusting Wikipedia

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 9:55 pm
by JimN
anniv 63 wrote:While checking out the SBJ album in the stereo version, you have the very wide separation of
the vocal and instrumental channels.
Turning the balance to the instruments only, you not only hear the faint echo of the famous Abbey Road
Chamber, but you can appreciate some of the excellent crisp rhythm and bass playing on these tracks!!!
Something to do on a dull January day!!!
Mike


Especially given that crisp playing, as well as the stupendous, legendary, guitar solo on Hippy Hippy Shake, I have often wondered how many of the Swinging Blue Jeans actually played on their records. I don't know the answer to that in the case of the SBJs, but the playing sounds, as you say, very precise. I'm sure that session players (especially Big Jim, Little Jim and Joe Moretti) were in use on a lot of the Beat Boom recordings. Freddy and the Dreamers' I'm Telling You Now (Joe Moretti) springs to mind immediately).

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 3:08 am
by cockroach
Jim,

Don't know who played the Hippy Hippy Shake guitar solo on the record, although the SBJs were on the 1964 NME poll winners concert and I think the chap with the Strat played it live (Ray Ellis?)

The actual guitar solo is however taken almost note for note from the original Chan Romero single.

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 12:19 pm
by anniv 63
Ralph Ellis the original lead guitarist was indeed a competent player and they also had the
excellent Colin Manley in later years.
There is quite a similar pattern of Stereo wide separation on Abbey Road Beat Group Recordings
In The Hollies Style 64 album has some nice meaty bass lines and chunky percussive chords that
drive along nicely!!
Same goes for some Beatles early stereo outtakes, Freddie&Dreamers stereo etc

Mike

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 11:51 am
by GoldenStreet
cockroach wrote:The actual guitar solo is however taken almost note for note from the original Chan Romero single.

According to Wikipedia, the rhythm guitarist on the original Romero session was one Barney Kessel!!

Bill

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 12:02 pm
by cockroach
Yes, well, Barney, Herb Ellis and Howard Roberts and other noted jazz players did a lot of session work in LA back then, just to make money and support themselves...as Keith Richard said to Chuck Berry in the documentary Hail Hail Rock'nRoll- when Chuck was singing an old standard and he commented..'beautiful (jazz) chords!' ...Keith said 'But there's no money it Chuck!'

I have a cassette recording of the original Hippy Hippy Shake by Chan Romero- but who the lead player was on the session I don't know- could have been any one of a dozen or more American session players in LA back then...either way, it doesn't matter -it's a great classic '50's rock guitar solo, and good enough that it's logical to copy or emulate it when covering that song, as it fits so well, and that's what the SBJs did!

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 1:09 pm
by GoldenStreet
Quite entertaining in its way, a brief mocked-up Abbey Road Hippy Hippy Shake session for camera of the SBJs...



Bill

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 8:02 am
by howarddobson
SBJ album wasn't a hit though

Re: Blue Jeans a Swinging album

PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:44 pm
by Monty
Ralph Ellis left TSBJ and music in 1966 (Ralph joined the Prudential Insurance company !) - Terry Sylvester of The Escorts replaced Ralph, later in January 1969 Terry left TSBJ to replace Graham Nash in The Hollies

Fellow Escorts bassist/vocalist Mike Gregory had nearly joined The Hollies himself in 1966 when Eric Haydock left, later Mike was also in TSBJ