Posts Tagged Eulogy
Archive
October 6, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker, the influential drummer from Cream and Blind Faith is dead. He was 80. He had been in poor health for years. A week or so ago we all got wind that his final breath was drawing near. By the time you read this the news is already everywhere. Ginger Baker is dead. He […]Archive
September 24, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter has died – sad news. He was 78. He occupied an interesting space. He was the primary lyricist for the Grateful Dead and was a silent member but also the heart and soul of the band. Hunter met Jerry Garcia, pre-Dead, when the two were in a bluegrass group. Hunter would go on […]Archive
September 16, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek of The Cars has died suddenly. Sad, sad news. He was 75. The Cars were one of the best and greatest bands of my childhood – and I kept listening to them. Why wouldn’t you? So many pop gems. Such a great singles band. Good albums too. But those hit singles. The original […]Archive
August 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Ray Henwood
Ray Henwood has died. One of Circa Theatre’s stalwarts, one of Wellington’s acting legends. I met Ray Henwood only once. But it was huge for me. By then I’d grown up seeing him as part of the cast of Gliding On and he was there in several TV shows and movies. I’d seen him in […]Archive
August 8, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. David Berman
Awful news. Just awful. David Berman has died. The songwriter behind the Silver Jews and the brand-spanking new “comeback” Purple Mountains was 52. Silver Jews became known as a Pavement-side-project. Given it was started with two musicians that would go on to create one of the best-nown slacker-indie bands of the 90s. Silver Jews rolled on. Bob Nastonovich and Stephen Malkmus weren’t the […]Archive
July 24, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Rutger Hauer
Rutger Hauer has died. Sad news to wake up to – he was one of my heroes. Everyone talks about Blade Runner and fair enough – but the role that really blew me away was The Hitcher. I could watch that movie every day I think. The coldness, the surface-calm of a true maniac. I reckon that’s Hauer’s masterpiece. But […]Archive
March 12, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine has died. The session drumming legend was 90. What a life. What a legacy. If he wasn’t the most prolific sessioneer skinsman he was certainly the most successful of the busy-schedule players. A part of one of the greatest groups of all time – The Wrecking Crew (not a band as such, a collective […]Archive
January 27, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Michel Legrand
I was sad to hear of the passing of Michel Legrand. He lived a long life I guess – he was a month shy of his 87th birthday I believe. I thought, straight away on hearing the news of his amazing recording, Legrand Jazz. We bought that 1959 album on a whim – I say we – the family used to […]Archive
December 7, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 208 Pete Shelley
Late 2009. The Spines at that time were Les Knight on bass, Riki Gooch on drums and me. We had just recorded the Bloodmonster album and I was about 50 and drinking a lot at Bodega – a period of renaissance for the band. I’d always been a fan of the Buzzcocks in the early […]Archive
August 22, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Spencer P. Jones
Spencer P. Jones has died. I loved so much of the music Spencer P. Jones created and assisted. For he was behind so many bands and various guises, sometimes a sideman, often out front – his songs…someone else’s songs…killer player! The Australian guitarist – best known for his involvement in The Johnnys and Beasts of […]Archive
April 25, 2018 by Simon Sweetman