this could quite possibly be one of the best songs |
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progbaby
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 20 2007 Status: Offline Points: 286 |
Topic: this could quite possibly be one of the best songs Posted: July 18 2015 at 12:26 |
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this could quite possibly be one of the best songs I ever heard.
never heard of these guys. I understand though that a lady named April Lawton (who's pictued on the album cover in the middle) played guitars for the group and wrote songs. Read that she died about 10 years ago but left behind a legacy of being a great guitar player and a fantastic artist. Just a brilliant song from 1973 even if it's not completely prog. It's a perfect song although I wish she would have sang in this song (she sings in the other songs and has a nice voice). It's everything I love about 1970's music. Gives me chills all the way thru. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrGjfNVl3Ak thanks for your info on Gene Clark. I need to check him out. She has some beautiful art work she did in later years. http://www.aprillawton.com/aprilart1.html Interesting story on her in the wiki April Lawton (July 30, 1948 – November 23, 2006) was a guitarist and composer who rose to some prominence in the early to mid-1970s as a member of the bandRamatam, which also included at one time former Iron Butterfly guitarist Mike Pinera and the former Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell, as well as Russ Smith (bass, vocals), and Tommy Sullivan (keyboards, reeds, vocals). Her playing style was a mix of Jeff Beck, Hendrix, and Allan Holdsworth. Lawton gave no interviews, refused to discuss her past, and she was rumoured to be transsexual—rumours confirmed by her friend, Fanny guitarist June Millington, in a 2010 interview for GuitarGearHeads.[1] Singer Dee Snider claims Lawton was still male while in the band, Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge.[2] Mike Pinera, former bandmate, issued the following statement in Guitar Player magazine in regards to Lawton's gender: "I can attest to her being a woman," declares Pinera. "When I asked her about the rumors, she took my hand and gave me a 'first base' account. I know they have technology for that now, but, back then, no way!"[3] Lawton stayed with Ramatam for two studio albums, their self-titled debut (1972, Atlantic) and In April Came the Dawning of the Red Suns. The group was not commercially successful, and Lawton left after the second album, forming a short-lived solo project called the April Lawton Band, which dissolved in the late 1970s. Lawton then left the music scene to concentrate on painting and graphic design. Her personal life remained very private until her death from heart failure at her home on November 23, 2006, aged 58. During the 1990s she recorded demos for a future album, and the material remains unreleased. Some brief excerpts are available at the April Lawton tribute website: [1]. Edited by progbaby - July 18 2015 at 22:24 |
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 30 2006 Location: Pearland Status: Offline Points: 64598 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 14:03 | |
Interesting blend of styles of the day; a little Carpenters, some Beatles, a hint of Seals&Crofts. Not my cup of tea and I wouldn't call it a perfect song, though it may be a perfect composition.
Cheers. |
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"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy
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Evolver
Special Collaborator Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams Joined: October 22 2005 Location: The Idiocracy Status: Offline Points: 5482 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 14:08 | |
It's pleasant enough, but it apparently doesn't affect me in the way it affects you.
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Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
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Friday13th
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 30 2013 Status: Offline Points: 284 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 14:22 | |
Good stuff
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Moogtron III
Prog Reviewer Joined: April 26 2005 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 10616 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 14:28 | |
Nice song. It has a pleasant flow, atmospheric instrumentation, some beautiful close harmony vocals.
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octopus-4
Special Collaborator RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams Joined: October 31 2006 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 13418 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 14:40 | |
Yes, it's nice. Not a masterpiece but catchy enough. It makes me think to America, Eagles, this kind of stuff. The last minute also Simon and Garfunkel, maybe. It's dated but it's not a negative thing for me.
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Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
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twosteves
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 01 2007 Location: NYC/Rhinebeck Status: Offline Points: 4071 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 18:49 | |
Yay!--agree with Octopus 100% for the first time
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CCVP
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 15 2007 Location: Vitória, Brasil Status: Offline Points: 7971 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 19:35 | |
I agree with both of ya.
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Intruder
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 13 2005 Status: Offline Points: 2098 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 21:13 | |
Nice Sunday morning coming down music....nice use of strings and piano.....absolutely derivative of the folk-rock/singer-songwriter era but so was half of FM and AM radio at the time. On Atlantic nonetheless - sometimes you wonder how America or Seals and Crofts hit it so big while others fell by the wayside? Gene Clark comes to mind - if even one of his early 70s albums had caught on, he'd probably still be around today....maybe even that pretty guitarist on the cover of this LP. |
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I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
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progbaby
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 20 2007 Status: Offline Points: 286 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 22:12 | |
thanks for your info on Gene Clark. I need to check him out. Edited by progbaby - July 18 2015 at 22:23 |
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progbaby
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 20 2007 Status: Offline Points: 286 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 22:18 | |
Not as good as the April Lawton song but here's another goodie from 1973.
Prog folk from Hawaii |
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cstack3
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: July 20 2009 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Status: Online Points: 6794 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 22:49 | |
I was interested in Ramatam and April back in the day, since there were virtually no other female lead guitarists at the time. The Wilson sisters in Heart and other musicians came much later.
I didn't know she had passed away, thanks for sharing. And, I don't think she was a tranie, either.
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Finnforest
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 03 2007 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 16913 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 23:08 | |
Very nice and something I hadn't heard before....thanks for posting
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Polymorphia
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 06 2012 Location: here Status: Offline Points: 8856 |
Posted: July 18 2015 at 23:41 | |
Don't usually use the word perfect to describe music. But it's a great song nonetheless.
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caretaker
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 19 2010 Location: united states Status: Offline Points: 288 |
Posted: July 19 2015 at 10:51 | |
Very nice. When I saw the name, I remembered the band. They got some college radio airplay back in the day, around here anyway.
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The Dark Elf
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: February 01 2011 Location: Michigan Status: Offline Points: 12783 |
Posted: July 19 2015 at 11:01 | |
First impressions while listening: attempts at CSN harmonies; more of a late 60s composition, kind of out of vogue by 73; he/she has a very manly voice; second half is stronger than the first; the song is not prog in the least.
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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
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Manuel
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 09 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 12455 |
Posted: July 19 2015 at 11:16 | |
Nice song. Too bad she passed away, I will check her music legacy.
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20491 |
Posted: July 19 2015 at 11:20 | |
Again, nice mellow stuff....not very proggy imho and really belongs in the general music discussion forum as I said about the Judy Sill post. These guys slipped past my radar in the old days...they must not have gotten much PR to promote them.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Tapfret
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: August 12 2007 Location: Bryant, Wa Status: Offline Points: 8577 |
Posted: July 20 2015 at 05:09 | |
Reminds me of Terry Reid.
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questionsneverknown
Forum Senior Member Joined: June 22 2009 Location: Ultima Thule Status: Offline Points: 602 |
Posted: July 20 2015 at 22:30 | |
I already made a comment in your post on Judee Sill, but I'll just add here that it looks like you're developing a fondness for some of the better end of 1970s folk music! I liked this track--hadn't heard it before. You may want to look for a song called I Wanna Live by Portland (Gary Ogan and Bill Lamb). I think you'll like it. As I said in the other post, definitely check out Gene Clark's album No Other and for something less folk, more hard rock but just as moving, Glass Harp's debut album.
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The damage that we do is just so powerfully strong we call it love
The damage that we do just goes on and on and on but not long enough. --Robyn Hitchcock |
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