The Top 10
Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:40 pm
Just another food for thought thread, this time singling out and ranking what I think were the top 10 moments of the original incarnation of LoVE. These are all loosely ranked but I believe the events are worthy of merit.
10. The October 1966 Concerts at the Whisky A-Go-Go. This was the unofficial debut of Da Capo live as well as the on-stage debut of Tjay Cantrelli on sax/flute and Snoopy on keyboards as well as Michael on drums. This may have been the apex of the group as a live entity as they now had new material to play as well as a newer, jazzier sound. Unfortunately this incarnation would only last a few months, but the combination of venue and sound made these particular shows important.
9. Money Mutinies. Twice in 1966 Arthur would cause major headaches for Elektra, both involving money demands. Once Arthur had the original contract with Elektra voided because he was a minor when he originally signed, and the other occured when Arthur and Johnny brought Michael along to try to get the label to release them from their contract due to inequities in how the records were being made. Arthur was successful in the first go as he got Jac Holzman to resign the band for more money, but on the second they were denied their demands. Their would be more tension and more renegotiations later on, but the dissatisfaction with money and contracts was always bubbling around the band.
8. Group signs contract giving most control to Arthur. On January 11, 1968, the band signed a new contract that gave directions for all royalties, among other things, to be sent directly to Arthur for him to disburse to the other band members. While the signing of a contract would seem to be of little importance in the recounting of a band's history, this is simply not the case in regards to LoVE. Contracts would always be a sore point in LoVE's history and this one maybe more than the others was the most harmful. Two points are worth examining. One, it is a strong indication that Arthur was becoming more autocratic and dominating in his view regarding his bandmates. This is, in my opinion, the most prevalent reason as to why the original group dissolved later in 1968: Arthur wanted total control of all things in LoVE. Second, there would be financial reprecussions felt afterward as members questioned the accuracy of the royalty payments. Bad feelings prevailed long after the 60's around this issue.
7. Michael Stuart joins group. For the first and last time the band would have a stable situation on the drumkit. Don Conka, almost universally acknowledged as a drumming wonder, couldn't get his personal problems under control. Snoopy was available but was not the best musical or social fit for the group. When Michael signed on the band finally solved their percussion problem. He was not the flashiest the group ever had, but IMHO the best, including the later incarnations of the group.
6. The missed Miami Pop Festival Concert. That the band missed a gig may not be hugely important but I believe this was the huge red flag that the end was coming. The band was scheduled to play in Miami on May 18, 1968 but cancelled when Arthur essentially didn't want to be around the rest of the group. They played shows after this date but maybe more than anything this is the harbinger of the dissolution of LoVE.
5. June '66 7 and 7 Is recording session. If I had to pick a date that LoVE grew up, then this was it. Not only was the song '7 and 7 Is' a huge jump for the group sound-wise, in the studio they were able to do what they wanted regardless of who was producing. The first album recorded six months earlier was raw but lacking in technology. Starting with this session the band was able to get both the sound they wanted and philosophically their music was now under their control for the first time. They would continue to control their songs in the Da Capo and Forever Changes albums, but the freedom to experiment started here.
4. Tjay and Snoopy let go. In December of 1966 due to music and financial reasons Arthur decided to cut loose Tjay Cantrelli and Snoopy from the band. The situation was always volatile in the band but this purging forever closed a door that I felt still had alot of potential to explore. If they had stayed might the band have further pursued some form of jazz-rock that they had just opened with Da Capo? Or might the two have been blended in with what resulted with Forever Changes? It will never be known.
3. November 7 1969 "Reunion" concert. Perhaps it is over optimistic on my part but what if the band would have been able to patch up the differences between each other and resume recording/touring together in the latter part of '69? Might they have been able to recapture the magic? It wasn't to be, and quite frankly they shouldn't have attempted it at that time. There were still money issues, drug problems and personal differences that hadn't been solved yet. The fact that Bryan wasn't part of this is a good indication of how fractured the band still was. After this the band would never play together again and since it is their last concert and the ending of an era it is noteworthy.
2. Forever Changes wrecking crew sessions. While the June '67 sessions where members of the LA studio musicians known as the "Wrecking Crew" yielded only two songs that ultimately ended up on Forever Changes, the most important aspect of them was that they motivated the group to tone down getting high, concentrate on the music and as Michael has said "practice, practice, practice". The resultant music became the album Forever Changes, arguably the greatest rock album ever produced.
1. Bryan joins group. If ever there was a component when "LoVE became LoVE" then I think when Bryan became a full-time member in '65 was it. From songwriter to sound to scene Bryan was where it all coalesced together. Without him the group, both good and bad aspects of it, would never have been.
10. The October 1966 Concerts at the Whisky A-Go-Go. This was the unofficial debut of Da Capo live as well as the on-stage debut of Tjay Cantrelli on sax/flute and Snoopy on keyboards as well as Michael on drums. This may have been the apex of the group as a live entity as they now had new material to play as well as a newer, jazzier sound. Unfortunately this incarnation would only last a few months, but the combination of venue and sound made these particular shows important.
9. Money Mutinies. Twice in 1966 Arthur would cause major headaches for Elektra, both involving money demands. Once Arthur had the original contract with Elektra voided because he was a minor when he originally signed, and the other occured when Arthur and Johnny brought Michael along to try to get the label to release them from their contract due to inequities in how the records were being made. Arthur was successful in the first go as he got Jac Holzman to resign the band for more money, but on the second they were denied their demands. Their would be more tension and more renegotiations later on, but the dissatisfaction with money and contracts was always bubbling around the band.
8. Group signs contract giving most control to Arthur. On January 11, 1968, the band signed a new contract that gave directions for all royalties, among other things, to be sent directly to Arthur for him to disburse to the other band members. While the signing of a contract would seem to be of little importance in the recounting of a band's history, this is simply not the case in regards to LoVE. Contracts would always be a sore point in LoVE's history and this one maybe more than the others was the most harmful. Two points are worth examining. One, it is a strong indication that Arthur was becoming more autocratic and dominating in his view regarding his bandmates. This is, in my opinion, the most prevalent reason as to why the original group dissolved later in 1968: Arthur wanted total control of all things in LoVE. Second, there would be financial reprecussions felt afterward as members questioned the accuracy of the royalty payments. Bad feelings prevailed long after the 60's around this issue.
7. Michael Stuart joins group. For the first and last time the band would have a stable situation on the drumkit. Don Conka, almost universally acknowledged as a drumming wonder, couldn't get his personal problems under control. Snoopy was available but was not the best musical or social fit for the group. When Michael signed on the band finally solved their percussion problem. He was not the flashiest the group ever had, but IMHO the best, including the later incarnations of the group.
6. The missed Miami Pop Festival Concert. That the band missed a gig may not be hugely important but I believe this was the huge red flag that the end was coming. The band was scheduled to play in Miami on May 18, 1968 but cancelled when Arthur essentially didn't want to be around the rest of the group. They played shows after this date but maybe more than anything this is the harbinger of the dissolution of LoVE.
5. June '66 7 and 7 Is recording session. If I had to pick a date that LoVE grew up, then this was it. Not only was the song '7 and 7 Is' a huge jump for the group sound-wise, in the studio they were able to do what they wanted regardless of who was producing. The first album recorded six months earlier was raw but lacking in technology. Starting with this session the band was able to get both the sound they wanted and philosophically their music was now under their control for the first time. They would continue to control their songs in the Da Capo and Forever Changes albums, but the freedom to experiment started here.
4. Tjay and Snoopy let go. In December of 1966 due to music and financial reasons Arthur decided to cut loose Tjay Cantrelli and Snoopy from the band. The situation was always volatile in the band but this purging forever closed a door that I felt still had alot of potential to explore. If they had stayed might the band have further pursued some form of jazz-rock that they had just opened with Da Capo? Or might the two have been blended in with what resulted with Forever Changes? It will never be known.
3. November 7 1969 "Reunion" concert. Perhaps it is over optimistic on my part but what if the band would have been able to patch up the differences between each other and resume recording/touring together in the latter part of '69? Might they have been able to recapture the magic? It wasn't to be, and quite frankly they shouldn't have attempted it at that time. There were still money issues, drug problems and personal differences that hadn't been solved yet. The fact that Bryan wasn't part of this is a good indication of how fractured the band still was. After this the band would never play together again and since it is their last concert and the ending of an era it is noteworthy.
2. Forever Changes wrecking crew sessions. While the June '67 sessions where members of the LA studio musicians known as the "Wrecking Crew" yielded only two songs that ultimately ended up on Forever Changes, the most important aspect of them was that they motivated the group to tone down getting high, concentrate on the music and as Michael has said "practice, practice, practice". The resultant music became the album Forever Changes, arguably the greatest rock album ever produced.
1. Bryan joins group. If ever there was a component when "LoVE became LoVE" then I think when Bryan became a full-time member in '65 was it. From songwriter to sound to scene Bryan was where it all coalesced together. Without him the group, both good and bad aspects of it, would never have been.