On Thursday, the amazing and wonderful Julia Fordham performed a fantastic birthday concert in Los Angeles.
There were a bunch of special guests -- including Mari Wilson, with whom Fordham toured as a backup singer in the early '80s.
They sang this song as a duet and it was just as retro, cool, and amazing this week as it was 30 years ago. (And seeing the two of them do the goofy dance moves was an expression of pure joy...)
During a layover between flights in 2000, Stig befriended the founder of renowned square dancing troupe Circle of Hay. Over beers in the Concourse bar, they discussed the idea of doing a new show using Rutles music but lost touch after Stig's retirement. With the blessings of Dirk and Barry, who were easily reached, work began on recombining classic Rutle tracks in ways that could support a show and give this semi-legendary band another lunchtime.
They made the Sixties what they are today, and we hope we have helped make them that again.
The Circle of Hay/Rutles collaborative production of LUNCH ran for 3 shows at Tulsa's Central Community Center, February 29-31 2010.
I'm sure there was a good reason I missed this important show. But I can't recall what it was; better check my calendar!
It was about something I can't remember. Some barely disguised version of herself going on and on about some trivial event from her childhood.
It didn't ring true. No one wanted to tell her. Because we all liked her.
But this piece was horrible. It didn't mean anything. It felt like a huge monument to nothing.
But no one wanted to tell her.
When we went around the room, no one spoke.
So the professor had to sum up what we were all thinking.
"I know it has a lot of meaning to you," he said gently. "Because you bring all your experiences, all your feelings, all your past, into it. But the rest of us... we're outside. And from the outside, it doesn't seem important."
She bit her lip. "But this is what happened," Elena objected.
"Dig. Deeper," he said.
She turned away. "You could be on the verge of something. Something important. But you have to make us see it. Make us feel it."
Her eyes teared up. She seemed opened her mouth to speak. But nothing came out.
So she ran out of the room. And dropped the class.
Years later, I ran into her. Randomly. In a coffee shop.
And we had a nice talk.
Eventually circling back to that day in that class.
And all she could remember were the details of her story. Which still meant nothing to me.
And all I could think about was her biting her lip. And starting to cry. And running out.
One event.
Two frameworks.
Each one sticking with a different person. For different reasons.
From New York, North Carolina, and all over the world
There's a new dB's album out called Falling Off the Sky.
It's their first album in 25 years, their first with the original lineup in 30 years.
They've been recording it (slowly) since 2005.
And when I heard about it, I hoped.
But I didn't let myself hope too much. I didn't want to be disappointed.
After all, how many reunion albums by once-vibrant bands arrive with a noisy clunk. You listen once or twice, then wish they'd never gotten back together.
That's what I was afraid of.
The new dBs album has no reason to be good.
No reason to be as good as their classic records from long, long ago.
And.
Yet.
It is.
They sound just as good as they ever did. But somehow also have the wisdom of their experiences over the past 30 years.
So, courtesy of Bar/None and the dBs, enjoy these tasty tracks from Chris Stamey, Peter Holsapple, Will Rigby, and Gene Holder (with some help from producer/guitarist Mitch Easter):
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