I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN ASKED... WHY ARE THE LYRICS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT RAY CHARLES SINGS... I NOTICED THAT WHEN I HEARD RAY CHARLES VERSION THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE.. MARK M
ALL OF US LOVED BROTHER RAY. WHEN WE DECIDED TO CUT "WHAT'D I SAY" WE KNEW THAT NO ONE COULD DO IT BETTER THAN RAY,SO WE DECIDED TO TRY AND MAKE IT OUR OWN AND USE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPROACH.
THE LYRICS ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE ORIGINAL. THE WAY THE MUSIC IS STRUCTURED,WE HAD TO STRETCH THE WORDS AND THROW IN A FEW ADLIBS TO MAKE IT FIT. ALSO,WITH THE SOLOING AND STRETCHING,WE COULDN'T USE ALL OF THE WORDS. THE ORIGINAL HAD A LOT OF VERSES! IN THE END, IT'S OUR TAKE ON A GREAT CLASSIC SONG,AND WE HAD A BALL RECORDING IT.
HI,RAY THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE...THE ONE WORLD ALBUM IS ONE OF FAVS AND YOU GUYS REALLY ROCKED ON THE SONG...ONE OF MY DISC JOCKEY BUDDIES BACK IN THE 90'S PLAYED WHAT' I SAY WHEN THE SONG WAS PUT ON ONE THE COMPLITATION ALBUMS AND GOT SEVERAL CALLS AND REQUESTS FOR THE SONG EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN HIS REQUEST SHOW AIRED FROM 6 TO MIDNIGHT....HIS SHOW GONE NOW TO SONG CYCLE RADIO BUT IT WAS GOOD WHILE IT LASTED.... AH...THE MEMORIES MARK M
That cover version is great. The band acbhieved their goal in making it their own version. I love the percussion solo at the end and the drums panning from side to side. Not forgetting Gil's excellent saxophone work!!!
Gil has contributed many many fine solos over the years and sometimes I'm guity of forgetting that fact!!! I'm sure he's still playing just as well today, vocal work permitting.
THANKS MARK AND DAVE!! IT'S REALLY GOOD TO KNOW THAT OUR WORK WAS APPRECIATED.WE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO MAKING THAT SONG AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE.
COOL THAT IT WAS STILL REQUESTED MANY YEARS LATER.
AND DAVE.....GIL IS BETTER THAN EVER ON THAT HORN!!
THE GUITAR I USED ON "ONE WORLD" WAS A BLACK BEAUTY LES PAUL. IT WAS STOLEN OUT OF A LOCKED DRESSING ROOM IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WHEN WE PLAYED WITH SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE FOR TWO NIGHTS. AFTER THAT I SWITCHED TO THE FENDER STRAT THAT I PLAYED FOR 33 YEARS. THE ONLY EXCEPTION WAS ON "MA",ON " HUM ALONG", WHEN I USED A "VELENO" THAT I HAD JUST RECEIVED.
Oh my gosh--What I'd Say, one of my favorite RE songs of all time. I picked up a copy of One World in 1983 to get back into RE when I started seeing them live around that time. It was a big party time in my life and that song was the main song for me from that period. I had made myself a RE compilation cassette that heavily favored One Word and Ecology cuts with What I'd Say as the lead track and man did I wear out that tape. I can remember singing along to What I'd Say in the car as loud as I could and literally getting dizzy and lightheaded trying to keep up with Pete's powerful voice! Thanks for a job well done guys!!
THANKS FOR THE CORRECTION. IT WAS THREE NIGHTS AT THE GARDEN,AND RUTH OPENED THE SHOW. AFTER THAT,WE WENT TO THE PHILLY SPECTRUM,AND THEN TO THE L.A. FORUM WITH THE SAME PACKAGE. WHAT A RUN THAT WAS!! WERE YOU THERE?
I was there for the MSG gigs in 71. Those shows are legendary in the NY metro area. They will always be known at the night(s) Rare Earth blew Sly off the stage of MSG. Sly didn't stand a chance when he took the stage after the boys set was finished.
As for "What I Say". I was surprised to see it dropped from the live set the following year when the band played NYC's Lincoln Center as headliner's after the release of Willie Remembers. Even with the absence of "What I Say" I can safely say not one person left that concert disappointed. Jocko D
I was there for the MSG gigs in 71. Those shows are legendary in the NY metro area. They will always be known at the night(s) Rare Earth blew Sly off the stage of MSG. Sly didn't stand a chance when he took the stage after the boys set was finished.
As for "What I Say". I was surprised to see it dropped from the live set the following year when the band played NYC's Lincoln Center as headliner's after the release of Willie Remembers. Even with the absence of "What I Say" I can safely say not one person left that concert disappointed. Jocko D
Jocko,
Nice to have you back. Your clear memory never ceases to amaze me. I wish I could go back in time to see those shows, among others :) I'll bet those shows we're just a good time and a lotta fun.
The way you even recall portions of the setlist is cool. If I may ask, do you recall what material the band played from Willie Remembers in 1972?
12/11/72 Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, NY City. Good Time Sally, We're Gonna Have A Good Time, I've Just Got To Get Myself Back Home, Every Now And Then We Get To Go On Down To Miami.
(Note::Philormonic Hall was been renamed Avery Fisher Hall) Jocko D
That surprises me. Having seen the track listing for Live In Chicago on the Discography page they included none of these as I recall. It was more or less the old set plus Big John. Presumably they chose to drop them and can only guess they didn't go down too well? Then again, maybe they did play them at the Chicago show but Motown chose not to include them on the proposed album.
Yet those Willie Remembers songs are among my all time favourites and it would have been nice to have heard them played live. But one more thing. Out of all the Willie material I would have expected the most obvious live number to have been I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night, purely for the extended jamming.
That surprises me. Having seen the track listing for Live In Chicago on the Discography page they included none of these as I recall. It was more or less the old set plus Big John. Presumably they chose to drop them and can only guess they didn't go down too well? Then again, maybe they did play them at the Chicago show but Motown chose not to include them on the proposed album.
Yet those Willie Remembers songs are among my all time favourites and it would have been nice to have heard them played live. But one more thing. Out of all the Willie material I would have expected the most obvious live number to have been I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night, purely for the extended jamming.
Hi Dave,
The tracklist for "Live in Chicago" was: Big Brother, Born To Wander, We're Gonna Have A Good Time, Big John Is My Name, Ma, Losing You, Celebrate & Get Ready. Looks like the album wouldve run about 72 minutes. I asked Ray if he recalled what might've been left off of the album but he didn't recall. He did say that they did 90 minutes shows so that definitely tella me that some songs from the Arie Crown show weren't readied for the album. Since it was from the tour in support of "Ma" my guess is that they might've also played stuff like Hum Along And Dance, Tobacco Road and Good Time Sally. They probably dropped most of the Willie stuff to make room for Ma material.
The Willie stuff is amongst my fave stuff too. I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night has always been a fave of mine. Such a great track...I love the jamming. But my fave jamming song is "Thoughts".
UK Dave, That night back in December of 72 I thought "I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night" would have definitely been on the set list. That track has extended jam AKA "I'm Losing You" or "Get Ready" written all over it. I would have also liked to have heard "Come With Your Lady" but I don't recall the band playing either number.
JP2, Sadly those nights at the Garden gigs was the last time I saw your dad. I would give my right arm for a decent audio or video recording from the Garden runof 71. (Last time I made a similar comment I was lucky enough to add Harpos 1980 to my collection so who knows what may pop out of the woodwork.) Jocko D
When the band played @ The Atlanta Pop Festical in July 1970...RE's set was filmed and recorded. I don't know where that film is but I DO know that the audio is in Sony/Columbia's vaults.
To have concert footage from any show between 1970 and 1974 would be great. The TV clips (thank you Jocko) are a treat but us fans want more.
I was talking to my dad about him seeing RE in the 1970's. He said those shows were real parties and full of good times. He told me he saw them in Chicago several times. I got to investigating further and he told me he saw the band @ a theatre inside McCormick Place downtown Chicago in the 70s. Ha! That's Arie Crown! I aksed him what year and he said he wasn't sure but it was right before him and my mother married...that was in 74. This means he was most certainly at Arie Crown when the live album was recorded. For myself, my dad and all of us fans...I gotta locate that damned live album
To quote the late Dusty Springfield..."wishin' and hopin' and prayin'...".
It would be truly amazing if a show like Rare Earth's 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival appearance was released. It would allow the world to hear what the original line up sounded like in a live setting.
In dreaming of a release such as APF I mean no disrespect towards either Ray or Mark because IMO the band peaked after those two gentleman joined forces. We would also have another live set with JP on bass which alone is worth it's weight in gold.
APF or something similar would be a phenomenal release and another piece of history in Rare Earth's true legacy. Jocko D
Tonight I was watching some RE clips on Youtube and man did that bring back some great memories. Almost forty years have gone by since I first saw Rare Earth perform live and I'm still in awe when I watch the old clips. For those of you who weren't lucky enough to catch the band live. Make no doubt about it. These guys kicked ass and played their hearts and souls out at each and every show. Nobody ever walked out of a Rare Earth show without getting their money's worth. Jocko D
BUT IT WAS GOOD WHILE IT LASTED....
