Alex Chilton died today. His music and production profoundly influenced me and a generation of my peers and their bandmates. I feel fortunate to have known him a little and to have worked with him live and in the studio. Alex knew music inside out. He could sing it, he could play it, he could write it and he could record it. O my soul.
6 comments:
I read this just this morning and am stunned. I have been listening to the re-mastered #1 Record/Radio City a bunch lately and thinking about how great these songs are. He was a great talent...
Damn.
Thank you for this Peter - Jeff and Karen B
I can't believe there's only three responses to this post. I found Big Star #1 Record at a yard sale in L.A. in 1981. It had a mythical status even back then. It has remained a magical disc for me all these years. I also love Here and Now by Holsapple-Stamey---so earthy and spiritual and packed with freakin' melody and harmony for days.
Steven Neal Wagner
www.stevennealwagner.com
I don't know if you read your comments anymore since you haven't posted in 4 months, but I hope so. :)
My name is Julie (last name withheld at my request, heh). We met back in 1989, backstage at an R.E.M. show in Columbus, Ohio. I came up to talk to you and asked you to sign my daughter's birth announcement. (She was born the previous month.) Prior to my speaking to you, none of R.E.M.'s fans had approached you, evidently because they didn't know you were "someone." After we concluded our conversation, you suddenly got a lot more attention. ;)
We talked about the first (and only) time I ever saw the dB's, at the Bowery in OKC in 1984, opening for R.E.M. when they had yet to reach "somebody" status. You probably don't remember; it was a very long time ago and a brief moment at that. I ended up embarrassing myself that night.
In any case, I was sitting here working on my book (my assignment for this month!) and listening to my iPod, when an R.E.M. tune came on - not an unusual occurrence, but suddenly I thought of you. Something prodded at me to Google your name; imagine my surprise when I found this blog.
So. I have no idea what prompted this very random memory but I do think of you on occasion. You were so gracious and genuine. I wanted to tell you how rare that was (and is) and to thank you for being such a nice guy.
If by chance you do remember that conversation and feel like continuing it, my email address is sheta@rendingtheveil.com.
Take care, Peter.
Peter, this has nothing to do with Chilton, sad as that was, but I just discovered your blog and wanted to say it's a great read. I saw you and Stamey in NYC in summer of '09 and that truly was one of the coolest shows ever.
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