Hi,
I have a lot of memories about the “Street Corner Talking” album, perhaps because I feel it is the best Savoy Brown album I’ve made from the 60’s and 70’s period. It might not have the ground breaking spirit of “Shakedown”, charm of “Raw Sienna”, the quirkiness of “Wire Fire” or the raw edge of “Blue Matter” but for me “Street Corner Talking” is my favorite. Um, that was right off the top of my head and I wonder if I’ll feel this way tomorrow? My feelings do move like the wind.
Moving on, the band preparation for the Street Corner Talking” album was to rehearse and rehearse and rehearse. That really is my mantra of course. It paid off…we were able to record the album in the studio in something like 3 days.
I remember the track “All I Can Do”…a ballad with a complicated arrangement was laid down in one take! The engineer wanted me not to use the reverberation on my amplifier and I fought with him to have my own way. I wanted the song and my playing to have the same “realness” that it had on stage including my reverberation setting (engineers always want to add that stuff in the mix….the reason why so much music sounds plastic to my ears).
My road manager Brian Wilcox suggested to me that the band play “Wang Dang Doodle” and I still owe him!
I wrote “Tell Mama” with Paul Raymond whom my brother thought would make a good song writing partner with me. I was very blues and Paul was more of a melodic musician. The combination, working together, was a winner.
The band for the “Street Corner Talking” album had previously been with Chicken Shack the group led by Stan Webb. On top of that line up was added vocalist Dave Walker who was suggested by bassist Andy Sylvester.
Drummer Dave Bidwell stands in the top ten of drummers I’ve worked with (it is a top ten because I’ve had THAT many great drummers in the band). Dave’s playing, although not technical (and greatly helped by working with Sylvester) was terrific in it’s simplicity. I had changed to a Fender “Stratocaster” for the first time after using a Gibson “Flying V” the previous couple of years. That guitar helped me approach my playing in a fresh way.
There’s a lot more to talk about…I could go on and on but again, that’ll be when the book comes out. Which by the way, my Facebook Guy wants me to write. I have a feeling these small reminisces might be the early groundwork!
Kim Simmonds
December, 2013