Les paul Programme

[Jay Bass]

Hi
Just noticed Tonight 12 midnight on sky arts 1 channel 243 for sky viewers
a programme about the late les paul, i think this is a repeat ,but well worth a look
if you haven't seen it.

Regards
Jay

[Tony Szpala]

Jay

Thanks for the info - I've just put it on to record on my Sky +.

Best Wishes

Tony

[Bluesnote]

If its the one done around his 90th birthday it was really inspiring. Sometimes I think:' Why am I still doing all this practicing and trying to learn stuff, and still getting frustrated at my age playing this damned guitar' Then I watched him still hammering away, arthritis and all and still enjoying life to the full at his age and I suddenly felt that you should keep playing ontil the pine box beckons
Please excuse my morbidity
Hugh.

[RUSSET]

I saw a 'Chuck Berry Live in concert' on BBC4 last night. It was filmed some in UK, I would guess sometime in the '70s or '80s. Not really impressed. Maybe we have got used to higher production values & slicker presentation these days, but I would stick most half-decent UK pub bands up against him & expect them to come out on top. Don't get me wrong, I love the man's music & song-writing, but his style of live performance was rather under-whelming. Living on reputation, I suppose. Aaah well.

Tony.

[Jay Bass]

I saw a 'Chuck Berry Live in concert' on BBC4 last night. It was filmed some in UK, I would guess sometime in the '70s or '80s. Not really impressed. Maybe we have got used to higher production values & slicker presentation these days, but I would stick most half-decent UK pub bands up against him & expect them to come out on top. Don't get me wrong, I love the man's music & song-writing, but his style of live performance was rather under-whelming. Living on reputation, I suppose. Aaah well.

Tony.

Chuck Berry just used to book 2 seats on a plane one for him and one for his guitar
he just expected the different backing bands all over the world to know all his songs,arrangements etc without a rehearesal
so some of the concerts were a bit below par to say the least,they were more like a jam down your local pub
but a great artist when it all worked.
regards
Jay

[Bluesnote]

I saw a 'Chuck Berry Live in concert' on BBC4 last night. It was filmed some in UK, I would guess sometime in the '70s or '80s. Not really impressed. Maybe we have got used to higher production values & slicker presentation these days, but I would stick most half-decent UK pub bands up against him & expect them to come out on top. Don't get me wrong, I love the man's music & song-writing, but his style of live performance was rather under-whelming. Living on reputation, I suppose. Aaah well.

Tony.

I saw that concert from last night too. Berry was a bit of an either stunning performance or an utterly awful performance as you say, due to not having a regular backing band and as far as I believe, he did'nt even take his own amp with him either.
That said, he was a great inspiration to me in my early years of learning guitar, as I imagine most of the guys in here.
The concert last night was a BBC affair from 72 and I think they must have spent at least 10 shillings and sixpence halfpenny on the sound and stage props to get the best possible effect for their tv customers as they did back then
I did enjoy the hopping along on one leg whilst playing his solo though, I had a thought at the time that Ecca will probably be trying that with the new knee now while belting out Guitar Boogie or summat

[cockroach]

Which is why, when making the documentary 'Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll', for the live concert footage, Keith Richard took total control of the backing group, Chuck's amp sounds and kept him to the rehearsed numbers!

He said that because of Chuck's sloppy attitude to live shows over such a long period, people would remember him like that, and he wanted Chuck's recorded/filmed legacy to include at least ONE decent live concert!

And it's a good one too- check out the DVD!

(Oh, and Les Paul was a genius too- not wishing to get off topic!)

[dave robinson]

Chuck Berry is a legend for writing the songs we all know and play - I doubt the criticism here would bother him as long as he didn't have to swap wage packets with those who have opinions here. At least he doesn't charge £65 a ticket and do a mime act.

[cockroach]

Dave Robinson,

That was NOT MY opinion- I was just relating what Keith Richards said about Chuck on the documentary. However, I have seen Chuck live on stage, and in my opinion, he is sloppy, arrogant and doesn't respect his audiences, as many disappointed fans have observed- but as you say, what does he care if people pay him good money to see him.

There's no need to take that attitude.

I understand that you are a moderator on this site- perhaps you could set an example by trying not to offend with your snide comments.

I'm sorry to get personal, but this is not the first time you have posted such comments.

I see from your personal details that you are from Sheffield. Perhaps this is some of that famous tough, acidic, no-nonsense Yorkshire wit, however it can be interpreted as rudeness in cold print.

[dave robinson]

I was bought the DVD of 'Chasing Sound' which is the topic of this thread and I love it to bits, having seen the programme on TV a couple of years back. When I played it in January it prompted me to seek and buy a Les Paul guitar to add to my collection, though I got carried away and bought a lovely Gibson SG Standard to go with it.

Cockroach - there was no need to get personal, my comment wasn't aimed at you anyway as I wasn't even aware of your post at the point of making my reply, however I'm sorry if I touched a raw nerve with my actual facts contained in those three sentences. Whether I'm a moderator or not, I will always tell it how I see it, so please spare me the lecture about where I live, at least it isn't a colony of convicts, in cold print you can interpret that whichever way you choose.