About 12 years ago Rob wrote a once in a lifetime song called Birthday.
I was, along with anyone who heard it blown away with it's direct power and pathos.
I toured the UK with Rob solo doing sound whilst the song was in the repertoire and the reaction was always the same, stunned and uplifted at the same time. Someone was addressing that taboo stuff finally.
I talked to Rob about donating the song to NSPCC (link on EBB site) and he came up with the incredible idea that Larry Adler might want to contribute harmonica to the recording. I thought that the resultant project would be huge and benefit NSPCC greatly.
By the time Rob called Larry he had died, 10 years later.
I know that great things are slow in creation but it's a great pity no one will hear the song.
posted by Steve Broughton at 7:18 PM
21 Comments:
Hi Steve,
Yes, it's a great pity we won't hear the song. Perhaps it could be incorporated sometime, somewhere, please.
The birds are lovely at the moment, although we've had one flying around the house today which has made a bit of a mess of our sleeping arrangements.
On Friday, we went to see The extraordinary bird and seal life on the Farne Islands. St Cuthbert lived there for a time. A great place to contemplate but the conversion rate must have been low.
Great to read your blogging.
Peace and best wishes from Paul in the Dales
Hi Steve,
I would like to begin by suggesting that it may not be such a healthy outlook for you to be consumed by the "never" and the "what could've been". Especially regarding someone elses work.
Who's to say who will or won't hear a song, view a painting, read a poem? Surely it's the artist's porogitive and liberty to chose what he/she projects to the world? Isn't that the beauty of freedom of choice and creative license?
Knowing you as I do, I would suggest that you might do well to consider this at times like these.
Too often people hang their ambitions and expectations on the creativity and more importantly the productivity of others. They judge those they depend upon, most heavily and most harshly. They forget that we all have a choice!
It saddens me to see the lack of compassion and sensitivity we sometimes offer those we proport to care for and love the most. Why do we do this?
"Birthday" is a heartbraking tail of how the protector becomes the neglector and how the innocent is lost. It floors me to this day and I'm sure those of you who have heard the song will know why.
We should love our children, our brothers, our sisters, those closest and dearest to our hearts. We should treat them with an even hand and an open mind. We should judge others only as we would ourselves!
Be happy with who you are Steve and shape your own destiny through your own output and be content with that. I'ts enough and it's all we have!
Luke.
Thanks for the response Luke. In fact I was only commenting on Birthday because I had just watched a DVD of Rob performing it solo and it was blinding. I just felt it was a real shame that it has been (at least temporarily) shelved. At that point it was Rob's ambition to use the song for NSPCC but over time that has changed.Of course that is his perogative but I can still have an opinion can't I. Of course there is a similarity with current progress and if I were to hang my anbition on the productivity of others I certainly would not get anywhere at all at this time.
The fact that some projects are forever shackled to others is not a thing of my making but I do remember you taking a gap year in 1997 or thereabouts to complete this album.Perhaps you were hanging your ambition somewhere else at that point.
You definitely have missed my point,not surprisingly.
Sx
My point remains the same!
I do agree absolutely that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I don't always agree however that it is alright to assert it by any means necessary in any given context.
For example; I don't agree with people's right to express there opinion via Neo-Nazi rallies, homophobic and race related attacks, religious wars, witch hunts. In other words, sometimes one's opinion is best kept to one's self.
Especially when it only serves to dwell on what might and could have been, to criticise and highlight other's personal failings! (You're good at that) How do you find the time? (Still at least you're maintaining your blog finally).
On the subject of "productivity" lol........
Forget 1997! (I know it's hard letting go of the past)
Live in the now Steve! Be the artist! Make something, write something, play something from the heart (yours that is), go for it. There are no shackles or ties; only in your own mind. Why wait for the slackers?
Ps. regarding the Larry Addler anaecdote, Rob did actually have a conversation with him about the song "The Kiss" not "Birthday".
Luke. x
Read my lips through the smear of time
Kiss my thoughts with your beautiful brain
fall from grace and do it again
and again and again and again
What we require is not what we need
what we seem is not as we're seen
Peace Yannis.Athens
Tut tut......spelling fellas.
Love your blog too!!!!!
Sx
Yeah, Arth said that about the Kiss,got that one totally wrong,sorry Rob. But still time passes.
Sx
Hi Luke
I am in the now, I am an artist, I am also aware of others. I am happy, I am productive but most importantly I have my own mind even when in the minority of one. The majority is so often wrong. Ask Jesus. Not that I ever would!
Who is Yannis?
Sx
Minority of one. That's an interesting concept!
Luke. x
Stop digging Mr Broughton senior. Start listening.
D n G
xx
Ask jesus ?
Jesus was also in a band of around 12 persons I seem to remember including a Judas. Then he had a quite large fan base that agreed with most of what he said and did. So the comparison between no one agreeing with you and being like the messiah is a bit daft. Innit? Good fun though.
Love n Peace
crop circles are really what they seem to be ...........
Absolutly fasinating banter !If i was more articulate and my spelling was any butter i'd join in!
cheers
tony
Was actually talking about J pre disciples!
No comparison with the Messiah either,I'm much more sorted out than he was !!!!
Stevex
Actually thats true, steve is much more sorted than Jesus ever was - ask anyone in his local.
Fell into this by accident, the curiosity of the trail on the internet, & a sleepless night. It is good however to know that you are alive & (seemingly) well. After, what, 40 years? Wow, that almost hurt.
And you still ramble on a bit, though with more now to ramble about.
Love to you all.
That goes for Dave & Alan should you still be in contact with either of them.
John, (remember Colville Terrace?)
Steve your dates must be wrong wrong as well as the song oops! Mr Larry Adler died in 2002. 0 out of 10 for you lad.
Jim
Hi John from Coilville Terrace
We're trying to put a face to the name but the brain cells just won't do it.
Can you help?
Steve,
Long time I know & one wonders how many times the brain cells will have gone through reprocessing, so I know the feeling of not being able to dreg up something from years ago, though in truth I think I’m more worried about my short term memory, when I can remember to be worried.
Not meaning to be difficult but I am going to be cryptic because I dislike public web sites, part of today’s paranoia perhaps, really not sure why, but….
When you first moved to London there was Dave, Allan, & I in the flat at Colleville Terrace, & then you lot invaded, meat eating puritans at that time, I get the impression you might have changed a “little”. Later Terry arrived, not, I think, your favourite person, or anybodies favourite come to that. He & I are both Mancunians (?) (sort of). Come to think of it the band stayed at my mother’s house a couple of times when you were playing locally. Allan, Dave & Terry stayed with the magazine business, I left because it was obviously going to go bad & did. Dave seemed to be the only one of the 3 that thought things through, Allan & Terry acted & then blamed others for the failings. It was too silly so I got out & went to Colombia (interesting).
If you remember & want to you can contact me on warehouse22@gmail.com we can “talk” a little more. I was just happy to come across this site & find that you all seem to be well.
I hope the impression is a real one.
Lots of love to all & take care.
John
Hey Steve,
your Blog is very nice. Enjoyed reading it a lot. I am very sorry I didn't manage to visit you guys when I was in London.
Anyway, will come around some when this year together with Young Robert.
Best wishes to your family,
Take care,
Philipp
Hey guys, I have just been reading through some of this stuff, and it sure takes me back. I was particularly interested in listening to some of the DUBFUNKSTA musac! I am convinced and converted even before having heard anything. I grew up playing with and around some of these ace musos. I really felt privileged when Steve "let me use" that lovely old White pearl Ludwig during rehaersals with Cradiac Arrest back in ´76. HI to Dave and Krik and MikeO. Why not come over to Spain to say "hola" and drink some decent Rioja/Cigales/RuedaRibera del Duero
(highly recommend Yllera reserva 2002 Tinto por supuesto!) on the beach with me. Flights are real cheap these days. Forget your carbon footprint. I like pot plants too! They thrive in the Spanish Climate
Jon Knox
lobsteroftheisland@hotmail.com
Spain
Post a Comment
<< Home