Vale Greg Lake

[hardtack 10,534]

I cannot recall a year in which so many talented people have been taken.... now Greg Lake from firstly King Crimson and latterly Emerson Lake & Palmer has passed on after a long battle with cancer, aged 69.

I've started so many of these topics now that I'm starting to feel like I'm running an obituary forum.

[Earl Hood 6,086]

I remember playing ELP's Tarkus album on my record player till it wore out when I was a kid. It must have been one of the first LP's I ever bought so I always had a soft spot for the trio. The burst on the scene then disappeared, probably along with prog-rock. I was waiting for them to reappear for the London Olympics to redo their Fanfare for the Common Man in the Olympic Stadium but it never happened. Missed opportunity there.

I thought Greg had a good voice in songs like C'est La Vie from their later Works album and he was a top guitarist as well. Certainly a talented lad. RIP

[hardtack 10,534]

1 hour ago, Earl Hood said:

I remember playing ELP's Tarkus album on my record player till it wore out when I was a kid. It must have been one of the first LP's I ever bought so I always had a soft spot for the trio. The burst on the scene then disappeared, probably along with prog-rock. I was waiting for them to reappear for the London Olympics to redo their Fanfare for the Common Man in the Olympic Stadium but it never happened. Missed opportunity there.

I thought Greg had a good voice in songs like C'est La Vie from their later Works album and he was a top guitarist as well. Certainly a talented lad. RIP

For me his high point was the first King Crimson album "In the Court of the Crimson King".  It's hard to think of any prog rock song that comes close to "21st Century Schizoid Man"... even to this day that is a standout tune.

 

[Earl Hood 6,086]

6 hours ago, hardtack said:

For me his high point was the first King Crimson album "In the Court of the Crimson King".  It's hard to think of any prog rock song that comes close to "21st Century Schizoid Man"... even to this day that is a standout tune.

 

Gee that has got the mind wandering back in time HT. I am thinking DJ Chris Winter and the Room to Move hour on a Monday night 9 pm on 3LO where he played progressive rock albums for their full length, not constrained by the 3 minute limit of the top 40 and 3KZ etc. I do remember listening to and being enthralled by The Court of the Crimson King, all ten minutes of it with Chris Winter back in 1971 I think it was. I loved it at the time. I used to listen intently while I was supposed to be doing my homework. On listening to Court of.... Again on iTunes today, yes it is Greg Lakes haunting voice again. I never made the link with Crimson and ELP back then.  

[mdemon 266]

So true - ' Fanfare for the Common Man' plus 'Pictures at an Exhibition' are seminal recordings for those of us born pre-1960.

RIP

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,227]

He wasn't that lucky ...

[hardtack 10,534]

And now John Wetton, who also played bass for King Crimson on albums such as Larks Tongues in Aspic and Starlight and Bible Black, has succumbed to cancer at the age of 67. 

[rjay 24,910]

Loved Lake's voice...

[Rob Mac...... 638]

On 12/8/2016 at 8:05 PM, hardtack said:

For me his high point was the first King Crimson album "In the Court of the Crimson King".  It's hard to think of any prog rock song that comes close to "21st Century Schizoid Man"... even to this day that is a standout tune.

Hi HT and rjay.   Yes, back then I thought "In the Court of the Crimson King" was a great album!  

Greg was one of the first people I met after moving to London in 1974.

John Wetton came over for a jam one day. 

Sorry they've gone.  Starting to feel a bit old now.

[Earl Hood 6,086]

4 hours ago, Rob Mac...... said:

Hi HT and rjay.   Yes, back then I thought "In the Court of the Crimson King" was a great album!  

Greg was one of the first people I met after moving to London in 1974.

John Wetton came over for a jam one day. 

Sorry they've gone.  Starting to feel a bit old now.

Gee Rob some great memories there, did you play with Greg and co professionally? 

[rjay 24,910]

On 12/02/2017 at 5:22 PM, Rob Mac...... said:

Hi HT and rjay.   Yes, back then I thought "In the Court of the Crimson King" was a great album!  

Greg was one of the first people I met after moving to London in 1974.

John Wetton came over for a jam one day. 

Sorry they've gone.  Starting to feel a bit old now.

Hey mate...think you are tracking along just fine.

[Rob Mac...... 638]

2 hours ago, rjay said:

Hey mate...think you are tracking along just fine.

Thanks mate, you too!  (.err lets not mention that match we met at!)

[Rob Mac...... 638]

On 2/12/2017 at 2:42 AM, Earl Hood said:

Gee Rob some great memories there, did you play with Greg and co professionally? 

Apologies for my late reply Earl, haven't posted on DL since then!
Would like to have, but didn't work professionally with either of those two.  Did play with about 30 bass players 1974 - 1978 in the UK and thought the best in the land was John Giblin.  Way under rated, infectious grooves, great listener etc..   Cheers - R

[hardtack 10,534]

2 hours ago, Rob Mac...... said:

Thanks mate, you too!  (.err lets not mention that match we met at!)

See what happens when Liam and I don't turn up!

 

[hardtack 10,534]

2 hours ago, Rob Mac...... said:

Apologies for my late reply Earl, haven't posted on DL since then!
Would like to have, but didn't work professionally with either of those two.  Did play with about 30 bass players 1974 - 1978 in the UK and thought the best in the land was John Giblin.  Way under rated, infectious grooves, great listener etc..   Cheers - R

I think I may have seen him playing with John Martyn in 1974/75 when I was living in London, Rob.  He was very very good from memory... although I think one of my favourite bassists at that time was the guy from a three piece band called Back Door, named Colin Hodgkinson.

[Rob Mac...... 638]

14 minutes ago, hardtack said:

See what happens when Liam and I don't turn up!

 

Hahaha   Spot on mate, Tim, Hardtack, HT (what do you call someone on DL if you personally know them?)

Every game we've seen together we won!  

The only game I ever saw with another Demonlander (rjay) was our worst thrashing of the year.  

Coincidence?         You be the judge!

[Rob Mac...... 638]

31 minutes ago, hardtack said:

I think I may have seen him playing with John Martyn in 1974/75 when I was living in London, Rob.  He was very very good from memory... although I think one of my favourite bassists at that time was the guy from a three piece band called Back Door, named Colin Hodgkinson.

John Giblin did play bass with John Martyn (though don't recall his mentioning it).

He invited me to play with some others back then.

Giblin played with Brand X, Peter Gabriel (think I helped him get that one), Phil Collins, Kate Bush, Simple Minds, Peter Erskine, various acts from africa, europe, all kinds of music.  A superb team player.

Don't remember Colin Hodgkinson. Must look him up.

Didn't know you were in UK then.

 

Edited February 28, 2017 by Rob Mac......
forgot something

[rjay 24,910]

1 hour ago, Rob Mac...... said:

Hahaha   Spot on mate, Tim, Hardtack, HT (what do you call someone on DL if you personally know them?)

Every game we've seen together we won!  

The only game I ever saw with another Demonlander (rjay) was our worst thrashing of the year.  

Coincidence?         You be the judge!

Wasn't good 'Rob'...we might have to see if we can turn the tables sometime.

 

52 minutes ago, Rob Mac...... said:

John Giblin did play bass with John Martyn (though don't recall his mentioning it).

He invited me to play with some others back then.

Giblin played with Brand X, Peter Gabriel (think I helped him get that one), Phil Collins, Kate Bush, Simple Minds, Peter Erskine, various acts from africa, europe, all kinds of music.  A superb team player.

Don't remember Colin Hodgkinson. Must look him up.

Didn't know you were in UK then.

 

While we're on the English bass player topic...did you ever run across Herbie Flowers on your travels?

[Rob Mac...... 638]

59 minutes ago, rjay said:

Wasn't good 'Rob'...we might have to see if we can turn the tables sometime.

 

While we're on the English bass player topic...did you ever run across Herbie Flowers on your travels?

Well I'm prepared to risk seeing another game with you "rjay", couldn't end much worse than our last, in a daze walking out of the G.

But we've won every game I've seen with Hardtack!
 

Herbie Flowers wasn't a bassist I was thinking of, but think we were at a studio in London once.?   Older guy who plays jazz & rock stuff right?

 

Will Phone you next time I come to Oz!   Cheers - R

[rjay 24,910]

1 hour ago, Rob Mac...... said:

Well I'm prepared to risk seeing another game with you "rjay", couldn't end much worse than our last, in a daze walking out of the G.

But we've won every game I've seen with Hardtack!
 

Herbie Flowers wasn't a bassist I was thinking of, but think we were at a studio in London once.?   Older guy who plays jazz & rock stuff right?

 

Will Phone you next time I come to Oz!   Cheers - R

Cheers Rob...look forward to hearing from you.

Yep, Herbie is an old jazzer. Played the famous bass line on 'Walk on the Wild Side' plus with Bowie and then that band that John Williams (classical guitar player) was in???

[Rob Mac...... 638]

9 minutes ago, rjay said:

Cheers Rob...look forward to hearing from you.

Yep, Herbie is an old jazzer. Played the famous bass line on 'Walk on the Wild Side' plus with Bowie and then that band that John Williams (classical guitar player) was in???

Oh yeah, cool bass line.  Oh he was in "Sky" with John Williams.  I knew their other guitarist, Kevin Peek.

[hardtack 10,534]

4 hours ago, rjay said:

Cheers Rob...look forward to hearing from you.

Yep, Herbie is an old jazzer. Played the famous bass line on 'Walk on the Wild Side' plus with Bowie and then that band that John Williams (classical guitar player) was in???

Sky?  Colin Hodgkinson played with all manner of people from Alexis Korner to Jan Hammer to Paul,Butterfield to (I think) Van Morrison.

[hardtack 10,534]

On 28/02/2017 at 7:25 PM, Rob Mac...... said:

Oh yeah, cool bass line.  Oh he was in "Sky" with John Williams.  I knew their other guitarist, Kevin Peek.

I'm pretty sure that Herbie Flowers also played on a lot of Donovan's material.
So, you're back in the USofA Rob?  Let me know when you're going to be back over this way and I'll plan to get down to Melbourne for a catch up (and a match?)... unless of course you come back via Sydney, in which case we can catch up here.

[Rob Mac...... 638]

9 hours ago, hardtack said:

I'm pretty sure that Herbie Flowers also played on a lot of Donovan's material.
So, you're back in the USofA Rob?  Let me know when you're going to be back over this way and I'll plan to get down to Melbourne for a catch up (and a match?)... unless of course you come back via Sydney, in which case we can catch up here.

  Don't know much about Donovan, but he was here in LA forever, probably still here?    Knew another English bass player who worked with him. 

Yes mate, back in LA for awhile.  No plans to return to Oz atm, but will let you know.  Think Dees will have a better year.

Been meaning to call a girlfriend in Melb whose good friend is friends with a certain mfc player that far far far too many DL posts/threads are about.   

Curious to hear if she has any personal gossip about his ridiculously over-publicized current scenario.  Really hope it all works out great for him.

Cheers