Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

"Never Been Any Reason" by Head East


Recommended Posts

There was a discussion sometime back here that the keyboard player actually used and favored a Hammond BC I believe, not a B3?

.

 

Not sure who would have posted that. But, yes Roger still has his old CV. That thing is a great Rock organ. Tons of guts. But he has finally taken to gigging with clones. He will bring out the CV still but it"s negotiable.

 

 

I went back to see who in fact posted that, and it was you...:) It was thread back in March about the guitarist and writer of the song Mike Somerville's passing. I thought it was something I read years ago.....sheesh, only 4 months ago.

 

Sayeth you...

 

"One afternoon we did a sound check. We were opening for Head East. I had my XB-2 into a Leslie. The XB-2 was pretty new at the time. I played the intro to Jefftown Creek. The roadies got all excited and got Roger out of the RV and told him he needed to get one. They were tired of carrying the old CV rig. Something always had to be repaired on that thing. But that CV might still be my favorite Rock organ ever."

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Replies 54
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Yep. That"s me. I didn"t know who else here would know that. It"s an old chop. You wouldn"t know the model unless you were behind the organ.

 

Roger is a huge Beatles fan. A focal point of the band was vocal harmony. The new stuff also like their cover of Raise A Little Hell. The old stuff like Elijah, Since You"ve Been Gone, Fly By Night Lady .... heck, all of it. It isn"t a Head East song without big harmony vocals.

 

He still plays the same Moog. GAS was never a huge thing for Roger.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I"m one of those who"d never heard of this band before - I"ve had an entertaining couple of days listening to the hilariously titled 'Flat as a Pancake'. Thank you for the share!

 

A bit of Wikipedia research reveals their best selling single was 'Love Me Tonight', a poignant recounting of what the listener assumes is one of many intense but ultimately meaningless sexual encounters the artist experiences while on the road.

 

As acoustic guitars move the rhythm relentlessly forward we find ourselves transported to a time and place paradoxically significant but unremarkable, one of the myriad small pins in the map of the artist"s unfolding human experience.

 

The listener feels at once in tune with the protagonist"s lonely asphalt-paved odyssey as the lyrics paint a word-picture at once descriptive and yet elusive. What thoughts and fears swim beneath the surface here?

 

'We"ll have some fun, but I gotta run,

If I"m gonna live I gotta play.'

 

Ultimately, like all great art, the observer is left to resolve such tensions within their own frame of reference. A hint, perhaps, in the elegantly crafted conclusion to the song. Perhaps now even more relevant than when originally conceived over 40 years ago?

 

'I"ll be leavin" here at three,

So love me tonight.'

 

And that says it all, really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my teachers and Roger both studied under the same classical piano teacher. My teacher used to lament how talented Roger was and how it was shame that he squandered all that talent on that Rock n Roll. ð. Reminds me of a story about Moe and his classical organ teacher. ð

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dang I forgot about Raise a little hell we did that in an early 80's band. Always got the crowd involved.

You would have covered the original tune by Trooper. Head East recorded it much later. I forgot when. I will google then edit.

 

PS - looks like 2013

 

[video:youtube]

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Head East were contemporaries of my early 70s originals band Slaughterhouse (there was another band by that name in the 80s, but we were first dagnabbit!)

 

There were 3 other midwest bands who were being signed about that time - Head East, Starcastle, and Kansas. We also played a lot of shows with REO Spudbucket, but they already had a record deal.

 

The other 3 bands signed their deals, and we had an offer on the table from Island Records. Instead, we broke up over allegations of managerial misconduct. Our manager was keeping us on the road out of touch, and ruined the deal trying to insert himself into a sweet position. We didn't find out until we ran into Irv Azoff by chance, who filled us in. He was a St. Louis area promoter at the time whom we knew because we had done some shows with his production company. He went on to become the power behind the Eagles among others.

 

We didn't think much of Head East at the time - having blown more than one headliner off the stage, we were young and full of testosterone. We didn't think much of Starcastle either, but bowed down before the mighty Kansas! ;)

Moe

---

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Head East got played plenty back when I was living up in NC in the '70s, but when I moved down here there was a vast...and I mean vast...cultural difference and they were playing an entirely different kind of music--pop or disco/dance. Nothing else. It was years before someone started an actual rock station. Jazz? Classical? (My other two preferred musical styles.) Whuzzat? Okay, the NPR station would play classical, but only at night--out of the available NPR formats, they only did the talk and news stuff during the day. A friggin' musical wasteland. Still is, for that matter.

 

I've been spending a lot of time in my shop recently, finishing a build on a 5-string bass. The only thing I've got for music is an ancient boom box. The CD player no longer works and I no longer have any cassettes (and don't know if the cassette player works, anyway). That leaves radio if I want music. There's a guy who's on in the afternoons on weekends who's interesting, but all the other shifts are nothing but an endless loop of AC/DC played by DJs who all sound the same, talk the same, and have the same boring patter even though they're trying to be individuals and personalities. Nauseating, actually, but it's quite literally the only station I can get that plays rock. There's one other local rock station that trends towards more pop-ish stuff, but their signal isn't strong enough to get into the basement where my shop is, so...

 

Yes, I could set up some "real" stereo gear, but I'm afraid that the sawdust wouldn't do it any good. Probably what's killing the boom box, truth be known. Should have taken better care of it, I guess, but hindsight is 20/20.

 

Grey

I'm not interested in someone's ability to program. I'm interested in their ability to compose and play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We didn't think much of Starcastle...

 

I confess to a short infatuation with Starcastle, but then I saw them open for Boston in Durham. The word lame was insufficient to describe their performance...somebody hand me a thesaurus and I'll look up a hundred synonyms. That was the beginning of the end of my Starcastle thing.

 

Grey

I'm not interested in someone's ability to program. I'm interested in their ability to compose and play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a guy who's on in the afternoons on weekends who's interesting, but all the other shifts are nothing but an endless loop of AC/DC played by DJs who all sound the same, talk the same, and have the same boring patter even though they're trying to be individuals and personalities. Nauseating, actually, but it's quite literally the only station I can get that plays rock.

Grey

 

Never Been Any Reason and You Shook Me All Night Long are actually quite similar - both are in Jolly Ol' G at about the same tempo, and check out their hooks

:ohmy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the share, this is my new favorite all-time live performance!

 

Also, for a really fun diversion:

 

Check out these kids from School of Rock Chicago doing it. Sure, not note for note, but there is some huge developing talent there. Plus, they are ALL having fun

 

[video:youtube]

Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands

Tommy Rude Soundcloud

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out these kids from School of Rock Chicago doing it. Sure, not note for note, but there is some huge developing talent there. Plus, they are ALL having fun

Indeed! At the end of their tune, the next band wasted no time storming the stage. The kids can't wait.

Steve Coscia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my favorite rocker by Head East. Also from Flat As A Pancake album

 

Here's a live recording from 1979

 

3 minutes of killer organ intro as well.

 

[video:youtube]

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out these kids from School of Rock Chicago doing it. Sure, not note for note, but there is some huge developing talent there. Plus, they are ALL having fun

Indeed! At the end of their tune, the next band wasted no time storming the stage. The kids can't wait.

It seems funny to me seeing clean cut kids singing about things that are better than a white line.

FunMachine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out these kids from School of Rock Chicago doing it. Sure, not note for note, but there is some huge developing talent there. Plus, they are ALL having fun

Indeed! At the end of their tune, the next band wasted no time storming the stage. The kids can't wait.

It seems funny to me seeing clean cut kids singing about things that are better than a white line.

I used to play in an adult band where the dudes refused to say that line. I think they changed it to "..better than a white wine."

You want me to start this song too slow or too fast?

 

Forte7, Nord Stage 3, XK3c, OB-6, Arturia Collection, Mainstage, MotionSound KBR3D. A bunch of MusicMan Guitars, Line6 stuff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out these kids from School of Rock Chicago doing it. Sure, not note for note, but there is some huge developing talent there. Plus, they are ALL having fun

Indeed! At the end of their tune, the next band wasted no time storming the stage. The kids can't wait.

It seems funny to me seeing clean cut kids singing about things that are better than a white line.

 

Must be from a VERY affluent school district......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
The song features keyboardist Roger Boyd's double-tracked Minimoog solos throughout the song. Asked about the solos via the band's official web site, Boyd said they were created due to an accident during mixing:

 

"It is two Minimoogs. Back in those days we did not have computerized mixing and had to mix "on the fly;" we forgot to mute one of the moog solos and when it went by we thought WOW! so we decided to go back and record the second part to match/compliment [sic] the primary solo part."

As the result of this thread, I decided to jump into this tune, with an attempt at being faithful to the original solo. At times the double-tracked solos (which are not the same) made it very difficult to follow, several overlapping/intersecting lines. The good news is that the most prominent or "main" solo is panned more to the right, so I was able to more easily learn it (with the help of the Amazing Slow-Downer) by listening to only the right side of my headphones. From the live recordings I heard, it seems Mr. Boyd does not really attempt to replicate what he did in the studio. I'll probably end up free-lancing some of it, myself.

 

Been having fun with this song! Thanks Old No7. :2thu:

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As the result of this thread, I decided to jump into this tune, with an attempt at being faithful to the original solo. At times the double-tracked solos (which are not the same) made it very difficult to follow, several overlapping/intersecting lines. The good news is that the most prominent or "main" solo is panned more to the right, so I was able to more easily learn it (with the help of the Amazing Slow-Downer) by listening to only the right side of my headphones. From the live recordings I heard, it seems Mr. Boyd does not really attempt to replicate what he did in the studio. I'll probably end up free-lancing some of it, myself.

 

Been having fun with this song! Thanks Old No7. :2thu:

 

You're correct that even when it released and they were on tour, except for the identifiable first mini solo, he never really played it like the studio when on stage...my guess most likely due to how it came about in the studio

 

As I said above, this was one of the first rock songs I played (poorly) in a band when I was 14 :)

 

Every now and then I'll play it now at home. I actually fire up two instance of Arturia Mini V, give the each pans: one a bit to the right, and the other a bit to the left. Detune a bit from each other, and have fun.

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shave my wife....

 

You owe me a new computer keyboard. I spit Coca-Cola all over mine ... damn you Kanker!

Hardware:
Yamaha
: MODX7 | Korg: Kronos 88, Wavestate | ASM: Hydrasynth Deluxe | Roland: Jupiter-Xm, Cloud Pro, TD-9K V-Drums | Alesis: StrikePad Pro|
Behringer: Crave, Poly D, XR-18, RX1602 | CPS: SpaceStation SSv2 | 
Controllers: ROLI RISE 49 | Arturia KeyLab Essentials 88, KeyLab 61, MiniLab | M-Audio KeyStation 88 & 49 | Akai EWI USB |
Novation LaunchPad Mini, |
Guitars & Such: Line 6 Variax, Helix LT, POD X3 Live, Martin Acoustic, DG Strat Copy, LP Sunburst Copy, Natural Tele Copy|
Squier Precision 5-String Bass | Mandolin | Banjo | Ukulele

Software:
Recording
: MacBook Pro | Mac Mini | Logic Pro X | Mainstage | Cubase Pro 12 | Ableton Live 11 | Monitors: M-Audio BX8 | Presonus Eris 3.5BT Monitors | Slate Digital VSX Headphones & ML-1 Mic | Behringer XR-18 & RX1602 Mixers | Beyerdynamics DT-770 & DT-240
Arturia: V-Collection 9 | Native Instruments: Komplete 1 Standard | Spectrasonics: Omnisphere 2, Keyscape, Trilian | Korg: Legacy Collection 4 | Roland: Cloud Pro | GForce: Most all of their plugins | u-he: Diva, Hive 2, Repro, Zebra Legacy | AAS: Most of their VSTs |
IK Multimedia: SampleTank 4 Max, Sonik Synth, MODO Drums & Bass | Cherry Audio: Most of their VSTs |

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Opened up for Head East in Oxford, Mississippi at 'The Rose" around 1981. They sounded great and had a huge PA, so those synths sizzled.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Blues should bring this one back. Debbie, Roger"s ex sings on it also. Lord she was cute.

 

[video:youtube]

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...