Entertainment For Lively Minds
Far gone and out
Posted by Neil Walker on 20 February 2010 - 2:08am.
Sometimes, session musicians beefing up a band's sound on TV can really kill the main act's credibility (see Kasabian at the BRITS...).
But this - this is brilliant. Presumably, the pony tailed cheery bloke in the fab red jacket/white trousers and shoes combo with gloomy "English band" (!!!) Jesus And Mary Chain on Letterman in the '90s was a house band musician.
He certainly brings some joie de vivre to the Mary Chain's otherwise downbeat performance. Legend!
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Bizarre!
Backing vocals too!
What is really strking though is those long-form US CD sleeves though, Letterman holds one up for the pack shot. looks about 6" by 12"? I remember them being on import in UK shops but not seen one in years. What was the story behind those?
It's a long story
It was the "long box" that struck me too. The reason you haven't seen one for a while is because there was a consumer backlash. By about 1993 if you went into Tower Records the "green" thing to do when you made your purchases was to ask them to recycle the sleeve (obviously these days you could do it yourself but back then recycling a bit of card wasn't easy for the average consumer). Inside you would find the same CD box as would be available anywhere else in the world and an equal amount of air.
I think the original reason for the long boxes was quite sensible. The idea was that record stores would be able to display CDs alongside LPs without having to buy new racks and indeed this was the case for a while and after the vinyl disappeared they continued to use the old racks for a long time. They were quite nice to flick though though.
My theory which is personal and is mine
is that Rekkid companies missed a trick by making the cases for CDs small. They should have kept the same 12" housing. Or, at least, 10".
The whole point about music in the good old days was wandering back from the shops - or into school - or into college - with your T.Rex/Humble Pie/Kraftwerk/Bucks Fizz/Jesus&Mary Chain/"Strawberry Letter 23"/"Remain in Light" - borne proudly under your arm. It was a badge, an identity, a statement.
In terms of logistics - let alone marketing - CDs or Cassette cases could never have had the same impact or carry as much detail as something bigger.
I love the convenience of downloading - and of course, the music is the music - but its the bigness of LPs, their sheer "thingness" - that I miss
Long form
I vaguely recall seeing those long-form CD sleeves in shops in the '90s but never bought any. Always thought they were a waste of space compared to normal CDs. They do appear to have been a fave of Dave's though. He loved "the popular CD format" as this Pixies appearance shows:
An English Band founded by two brothers.
Letterman is such a whore.
Hilarious
That's made me chuckle before i go to work.
great!
Classic Jim Reid crouch when he's not needed!
That's fantastic!
The guy on bass went on to play a drug cartel's lawyer in Miami Vice -whilst Jim Reid placed a dissppointing third in the East Kilbride Ian McCullough look-a-alike competition later that year.
What a glorious racket those JMC boys used to make. You try and tell the kids of today.