Mr Richard Midnight Hatsize Snyder Chat Session
On Sunday 27th February 2000 at 8pm GMT Rick Snyder appeared in the Radar Station chat room for a chin wag with us all. Here's what happened.
Rick joined the Magic Band in 1980 and stayed with them for the two years until Don retired from music, his only album appearance being the final album, Ice Cream For Crow. He played on the Doc At The Radar Station promotional tour which has been well documented by bootleg recordings and this tour is also very fondly remembered by the audiences for the storming performances that were given at this time. You can witness this incarnation of the Magic Band in full, terrifying swing in the legendary Saturday Night Live performance video (see the video archive).
** Hatsize enters.
bulbous_one:
FAST 'N BULBOUS!!!
myrrh_o_man: hooray!
tsoapm: Ooh, first question: Just what
precisely is your hat size?
Hatsize: The Hatsize, for the record,
is 7 3/4...<G>
tsoapm: I'll just write that down...
GrahamJ: There seemed to be some dispute
about that actually being your hat size on one of the Letterman interviews...
Hatsize: He was pretty near the
mark, if I remember correctly... but my memory is not exactly the stuff
of legend. My wife will make up for any lapses on my part!<G>
myrrh_o_man: do you remember her birthday?
Hatsize: Always! Cinco de Mayo!
AlanSaul: Rick, want to tell us about Ace's
collection of Beefheartiana? Is his stuff accessible?
Hatsize: Ace still has *lots* of
stuff, as I do (inasmuch as our "archives" are unified, in a manner
of speaking).
GrahamJ: I know you have a fondness for
a lot of Progressive music - do you have any interest in Krautrock at
all? Did Don ever encounter the music of Can, Faust, Neu!, etc &
if so what did he make of it?
Hatsize: Though I must confess to
a relative ignorance of NEU, I do love "Future Days", "Ege Bamyasi"
and "Soon Over Babaluma" (especially) by CAN. I love the FAUST "x-ray
hand" as well ("Meadow Meal"!)
UncleKrueger: Rick, do you still have contact
with Don ?
Hatsize: Unfortunately, no. *Many*
years ago, Don used to call (post-retirement), and usually within the
2:00am to 4:00am window of opportunity. He'd play blues records (esp.
ONE-STRING JONES) and chat about *anything*.
GrahamJ: did he ever talk about current
music of the time, or was it mainly older blues material?
Hatsize: He *never* talked about
new artists -- I can't recall a *single* time (at least in a "discussion/conversation"
mode). Otherwise, he'd playfully agree with Moyer and Winner about "new"
artists who were ripping of his style...
myrrh_o_man: Rick, y'know the way the panther
,the cougar, the mountain lion and the cougar are the same animal?...what
do you prefer to refer to them as ?
Hatsize: I'm afraid that my zoological
expertise is nil -- but "felinity" seems to be in common there...<G>
UncleKrueger: Does he really live in the
desert, have you ever been there ?
Hatsize: He *used* to live in the
desert. That was where I first met him face-to-face (outside of a "concert/club"
situation). I went out to visit him with Ace and Neil Schneck (the erstwhile
Dr. Odd) and there were quite a few photos taken to commemorate the
event.
myrrh_o_man: Rick, you're one of the few
Magic Bandeleros to wear make-up, (or are you?)
Hatsize: I *never* wore makeup --
but I did happily agree to wearing the outfit (which Don designed, head-to-toe...even
my haircut!). I even gladly accepted a "moniker" (which Jeff and Eric
eschewed).
myrrh_o_man: I thought I saw a photo of
you with silver paint around your eye
Hatsize: Nope -- the "silver paint'
must have been a photographic artefact.
myrrh_o_man: oops!
myrrh_o_man: How'd you like your "streak
' scarlet" image that Don designed for you?
GrahamJ: Was red your colour?
Hatsize: I loved it, inasmuch as
it was *entirely* practical, not to mention eye-catching! I *never*
had to give a moment's thought to what I was gonna wear that night!
:)
myrrh_o_man: The Scarlet Pimpernel!
AlanSaul: On that visit to Lancaster, Jan
gave you a bit of a hard time, as I recall. This was around 76 it seems,
right? Was she focusing on the painting?
Hatsize: Hello Alan (who is, BTW,
one of the finest humans to trod God's Golfball <hat off>). No,
Jan was more upset about Ace causing a bit of a disruption in the quiet
trailer-park community with his "call-out" Aylerizations on his Alto
Sax...<G>
Hatsize: What I mean by the "call-out":
We didn't just go up to Don's trailer and knock on his door. Ace went
into an open field across the street and just *blew* until Don emerged.
A fine, though abstract, moment.
tsoapm: That's fantastic, I've gotta try
that
myrrh_o_man: She's not a sax-lover in general?
Hatsize: Jan, I think, was just...*considerate*
of her neighbours. She, herself, was a rather quiet, soft-spoken lady.
myrrh_o_man: Neighbourly concern is always
admirable
DefAnt: Did you ever watch Don paint? What
was the process like?
Hatsize: I only saw Don wield his
magic markers in his notebooks -- never was privy to a "canvas' session,
though Jeff, no doubt, was there for many.
myrrh_o_man: Jeff was the easel?
Hatsize: We were *all* his "sonic"
easel, I s'pose!
myrrh_o_man: You were the crimson paint
tube!
DefAnt: Captain Beefheart and His Magic
Markers
bulbous_one: Would Don consider himself
successful as a musician or as an artist?
Hatsize: Don, to be sure, has had
infinitely *more* financial success in the art world. He made more off
of the first "post-retirement' paintings than he had in *all* of his
years in the music biz combined.
tsoapm: I guess it depends how you define
success
Hatsize: Ahhh, true enough! However,
the financial aspect of his art success truly struck a blow to the stake
through the heart of his music biz inclinations.
tsoapm: I never really got his art
tsoapm: but I like the pretty colours!
GrahamJ: Did you ever witness Don's supposed
psychic ability other than the time he appeared to foresee John Lennon's
death?
Hatsize: Boy, I can't recall anything
as *salient* as the Lennon *vibing*, though he frequently would find
ways of verbalising what others were thinking in rehearsal. That qualifies,
I s'pose!
myrrh_o_man: Others were thinking "when
am I gonna get paid" !
myrrh_o_man: Do you play that ol' mellotron
much?
Hatsize: Ha! Is "myrrh_o_man" Eric?
I bought Eric's mellotron -- and it currently sits at AIM recording,
where the Mystery Band currently toil away at the next CD.
myrrh_o_man: Sorry, I'm Cormac
tsoapm: Don't be sorry
Hatsize: I play it *occasionally*
-- but it needs a real overhaul!
GrahamJ: I love the sound of a mellotron
myrrh_o_man: Me too
Hatsize: Bless you, Cormac! I enjoy
your "Fire Party" posts!
myrrh_o_man: Aw shucks Rick !
myrrh_o_man: If I hear two versions of
a tune ,and one has mellotron ,I prefer the mellotron one e.g. Days
by The Kinks
Hatsize: I'm afraid to change the
tapes, though they're in disrepair. Their "funkiness" lends a certain
- *ahem* - quality to its sound.
Hatsize: My "fancy" for mellotrons
goes right back to King Crimson and Genesis -- not to mention the first
Split Enz album ("Mental Notes").
myrrh_o_man: 2000 Light Years From Home,
The Stones.
Hatsize: Oh, yeah! My favourite
Stones album is *easily* "Their Satanic Majesties (sic) Request".
tsoapm: What are you up to at the minute?
Hatsize: At the minute, I'm just
trying to type quickly without making too many errors! Actually, outside
of taking care of things at home and at the shop, it's become *very*
difficult to pursue musical interests on a full-time basis. If I could
just win the LOTTO, then...<G>\
tsoapm: o dont wurree abowt erras
myrrh_o_man: If I win the lotto first I'll
send you a share!
Hatsize: I tend to "wurree abowt
erras" -- a former childhood "spelling bee" champ...and that kind of
anality never really leaves your blood!<G>
myrrh_o_man: I was surprised (and not surprised
) to read about your Mingus connection!
Hatsize: The Mingus connection is
tenuous at best -- but it's *kinda* nice to know that *some* sort of
"torch-passing" may have occurred when I ended up with one of his former
students as my bass teacher.
myrrh_o_man: You have more of an "Upright
Bass" sound more than other MB bassists I'd noticed
Hatsize: I even use the Simandl
fingering when I play the electric -- but that has a *lot* more to do
with my relatively diminutive stature (5'7") than anything else. It's
just easier on my smaller hands!
Hatsize: Side note: "Simandl fingering"
is a technique *usually* applied to the stand-up bass only.
myrrh_o_man: I just thought your fingers
looked short because DVV's look so long!
myrrh_o_man: "Toaster" reminded me of Mingus
before you said that story
GrahamJ: How do you feel about a lot of
the 'revisionist' views of the Magic Band that have appeared in the
press over the last couple of years which have occasionally presented
Don as if he were a bungling fool?
Hatsize: Oh, Don was *playful* -
not *foolish*. However, I'm a pretty foolish character myself, so I
s'pose he seemed relatively *normal* to my already skewed world-view.<G>
myrrh_o_man: I think Letterman's foolish!
Hatsize: Besides, based on the reports
from previous MB members, we (of the pre-retirement line-up) got the
"kinder, gentler Don". In other words, we were considered lucky.
myrrh_o_man: "a kind whip and a kind quip"
bulbous_one:: There's a fine line between
humour and buffoonery
Hatsize: Letterman may be foolish,
but he's never been afraid to support the unsupported (not only Don
-- on twice! - but Andy Kaufman, who he continued to have as a guest,
even *after* SNL voted him off the show!).
myrrh_o_man: Is he responsible for the
selection of musical guests?
Hatsize: As far as I was aware,
David Letterman *did* ask for Don's appearances. That's "to the best
of my
knowledge"...
myrrh_o_man: wow
GrahamJ: So do you think that the Magic
Band's art was enhanced as a result of Don's possible lack of discipline?
Hatsize: Hmmm. I might be inclined
to say that the "lack of discipline" may have, in some way, inhibited
the artistic potential of ICFC.
GrahamJ: Do you think ICFC could have been
a better album? Personally I think it is a triumph
Hatsize: It was all too rushed,
from rehearsal to recording -- but, to his defence, that may have been
*completely* a concern spurred by the lack of a "big bucks" budget behind
the whole project.
myrrh_o_man: Sounds like hard workin' music
to me
Hatsize: I've said it before, so
I'll say it again: I love Cliff - *but*, if we had *only* run right
into the studio with the DOC touring band after the end of that tour,
we would have *KILLED* ICFC. We might've killed DECALS. <bold, foolish
statement -- it *is* my favourite, though...and I'd like to *think*
that we could have...>
myrrh_o_man: where did the music for the
final released version of "Dirty Blue Gene" come from? It's totally
different musically from the earlier versions
Hatsize: Yep. The *new* DBG is all
down to John French, the master Beefheart transcriptionist. Don's music
would always be better for John's participation, inasmuch as John *inherently*
knew how to take Don's ideas and make them flesh.
Hatsize: Many of the parts that
I learned from for the DOC tour were French transcriptions (including
the bass part for "Sheriff of Hong Kong"...which I would read from sheet
music on the floor!).
myrrh_o_man: that's from the I May Be Hungry
version of dirty blue gene, Al?
AlanSaul: Yeah, same tune, but different
performance.
AlanSaul: Had you listened to earlier band
versions of the BCP material? Did Don write the marimba part on Witch
Doctor Life? Or was this from French?
Hatsize: Astute observation, Alan!
Don *wrote* the part (whistled it)-- I played it. He added the harmony
notes to the whistled melody as I played it through.
myrrh_o_man: Who plays marimba on the BCP
version?
Hatsize: I wish that I could've
played *more* marimba! I've gotta imagine that French played the BCP
marimbas...but that's a guess on my part. John, as you soon find out,
could play just about anything.
myrrh_o_man: on Grow Fins, Vampire Suite
rehearsal, John French plays back Don's whistle on guitar, only he doesn't
quite play back the same as Don whistled, which made me wonder how much
of the music was John French changing it.
Hatsize: Whether it was French --
or *any* of us -- we *all* did our best to get as close to Don's "instructions"
as possible. As a result, *every* member of the band had a cassette
recorder running during rehearsals...
Hatsize: ...so he could refine it
and get it as *close* (as a rabbit gets...) to Don's musical ideations.
GrahamJ: Was Don still writing or arranging
new songs while you were in the band (other than small parts to songs)
or had that kind of activity completely stopped by then?
Hatsize: Hmmm. I *do* know that
"Skeleton Makes Good" was *completely* new -- as he threw our parts
at us *in* the studio...during recording...and we just made that one
fly by the seats of our pants!
Hatsize: Side note: I used a Jordan
"Boss Tone" distortion device on my bass for "Skeleton..." -- the same
"fuzz box" that was used on "Dropout Boogie", I was told!
myrrh_o_man: Did you use that fuzz-box
on tour?
Hatsize: Yes, I *did* use the "Boss
Tone" on the DOC tour as well.<G>
myrrh_o_man: Yeah ! I heard a version of
Drop Out from Holland and I was impressed with how close the bass sound
was to the original! now I know why !
GrahamJ: If you are referring to the Electric
Poetry boot, Cormac, the bass IS spot on though the vocals do appear
a little 'half-hearted'...
myrrh_o_man: the vocals come in late and
off key but the bass is bang on the money !
GrahamJ: Would Don notice any changes to
his musical parts and if so did it bother him?
Hatsize: Yes...and no. Sometimes
he would give us something that he *REALLY* liked -- and if no-one's
tape recorder caught it, he'd get frustrated. He'd always lament over
his inability to "train" his "animals" (meant in the kindest way, turning
blame on himself in the long run).
myrrh_o_man: Hank Williams had no recorder
! he had to write ideas on his shirt sleeves!
Hatsize: If only Don wrote "country"
(though, Michael Smotherman went on to Country music post-"Bluejeans"!).<tee
hee>
myrrh_o_man: He introduced Poofter's Froth
Wyoming as a country tune on a Bongo Fury boot
Hatsize: Indeed, "Poofter's..."
is "country" (at least, as "country" as "Lonesome Cowbot Burt"!).<G>
Hatsize: Ha! I wrote "Cowbot" instead
of "Cowboy"! Mark my "report card"...<G>
myrrh_o_man: you won't be going through
to this year's spelling-bee finals
Hatsize: Some ya win...some ya lose!
myrrh_o_man: I thought a cowbot was some
kind of android for herding space cattle
Hatsize: Look what I've started...<G>
myrrh_o_man: one false letter can have
far reaching consequences!
Hatsize: LOL!
GrahamJ: It appears that some people are
having problems getting into the chat room... I've had messages from
Benjamin Horrendous, Detlef Juergens and other saying that they can't
log on. I can't work out why at all but hopefully they will be here
soon...
Hatsize: Tell them to use Netscape
Navigator!<no plug intended!> I had trouble initially logging
on using Explorer 5.0!
GrahamJ: I'm using Explorer 5 and have
been in and out all day without trouble, but I'll pass the message on
as it may well help.
myrrh_o_man: You've gone over the one hour
mark , how long were you thinking of staying?
Hatsize: I'll stay as long as there's
anyone else here. I'm having fun...<G>
myrrh_o_man: Me too
Hatsize: Besides, I had some coffee
before beginning the chat...so I'm still "buzzin'". :)
DefAnt: Well this chat has been interesting
so far, considering I've only been a Beefheart fan for a year or two
now.
**all are briefly turfed out
Hatsize:
Yow! Back after being kicked off! I had to "reboot"!
myrrh_o_man: welcome back Mr. Snyder! *:-)
GrahamJ: everyone was booted then, sorry
Hatsize: Thanks! What'd I miss?
myrrh_o_man: Graham was saying how kind
you've been with your time!
Hatsize: So *that's* why my ears
were burning...<G>
GrahamJ: Should we announce the competition
winner? ;-)
myrrh_o_man: It's not me anyway !
Hatsize: Ah, yes! I almost forgot!
myrrh_o_man: who won?
myrrh_o_man: who won?
myrrh_o_man: who won?
bulbous_two: who two?
Hatsize: Well, here goes: VOOT ZOMBO!
myrrh_o_man: *applause for VOOT*
myrrh_o_man: Well the best man won!
Hatsize: ...and it *wasn't* because
his name was "ZOOT"-like. :)
Hatsize: BTW, is VOOT *really* his
name? <he said, waiting for someone to betray his identity...<G>).
bulbous_two: (raucous applause)
GrahamJ: It's getting a bit rowdy in here
isn't it ;-)
Hatsize: Nah, not at all! This has
been the most *civilised* internet experience I've ever had!<no kiddin'!>
myrrh_o_man: wow! Rick you must have a
crazy online life!
GrahamJ: what was the least civilised?
Hatsize: Oh, I'll err on the side
of caution and heed the ol' saw: "If you can't say something nice...".
:)
GrahamJ: If you can't say something nice...
say something really nasty ;-)
bulbous_two: Do you remember your first
chat?
Hatsize: I guess my first chat would've
been a multiple-channel IM session on AOL. *That* was hell to keep up
with!
myrrh_o_man: Rick, did any of the U.K.
audiences spit (as was the fashion @the time)?
Hatsize: Thankfully, no "gobbers"
were hurled in the UK...even in Birmingham and Bristol (which were s'posed
to be "rougher" areas by our roadies' accounts)!<G>
Hatsize: In fact, one of our roadies
hailed from "sunny Peckham"...which he loathed!
myrrh_o_man: that's some achievement !
I've seen a Johnny Thunders vid where he got destroyed with mucous
GrahamJ: did you get many "punk" audiences?
Hatsize: I don't remember an inordinate
amount of Mohawk hairstyles and/or safety-pin studded clothing! We brought
in a real cross-section of humanity, I'd say!
GrahamJ: Beefheart's audiences were probably
more awe-struck than contemptuous though
Hatsize: ...though "gobbing" was
not always done out of contempt! It *often* meant "approval"...of a
sort.<G>
GrahamJ: Did you get many women in your
audience at that time (I'm doing a project on gender & the avant-garde
as you may have heard me banging on about)
Hatsize: Truth: CB fans were largely
male...though they usually came with yet-to-be-convinced girlfriends!<sound
familiar to anybody here?>
myrrh_o_man: I'm largely male
micco: I had a friend (female) who liked Beefheart and Zappa and all
that kind of stuff
GrahamJ: I'm very lucky in that my girlfriend
quite happily tolerates anything from Trout Mask Replica to the Aphex
Twin
myrrh_o_man: Does your girlfriend like
tripe Graham?
GrahamJ: Ha! No, she's strictly vegetarian
;-)
myrrh_o_man: Most people I know who love
tripe, would be fans of Troutmask
Hatsize: The "Fire Party" "tripe"
thread takes on new life! LOL!
bulbous_two: Who is Tripe Graham?
GrahamJ: Are you asking me who is "Tripe"
or are you asking who is "Tripe Graham"?
bulbous_two: I though your girlfriend was
a Tripe Graham fan
GrahamJ: lol!
myrrh_o_man: Tripe is cow's stomach lining,
the only people I know who love it are all over fifty
Hatsize: Menudo is tripe soup, though.
Anyone relied on *that* for a hangover cure?
myrrh_o_man: I've had similar, Italian
"pasta Fagiolli " soup is made from trope sometimes, too slithery and
rubbery for me
GrahamJ: Sorry bulbous, I guess it is an
in-joke of the moment on the Fire Party list… exactly what the joke
is I couldn't quite explain
Hatsize: ...and I wouldn't try to
explain!
myrrh_o_man: I heard a Liverpool (1980
I think) boot and(some of) the crowd just keep roaring out requests,
and Don doesn't sound like he's enjoying it, and even seems to sound
like he's hurrying the tunes
Hatsize: As far as "hurrying" the
tunes, perhaps the band was more to blame. Excitement begot faster tempi!
Hatsize: Don was not only averse
to requests, he was averse to playing the "oldies"! I think he just
might have been happier doing "Skeleton Makes Good" tunes appear out
of thin air at his gigs...
GrahamJ: sometimes it can be very refreshing
when a band concentrates solely on new material
myrrh_o_man: yeah on the Liverpool tape
"I'd like to do a song from troutmask"(big audience cheer)"actually
it's from Strictly Personal"(another cheer) and the Dirty Blue Gene
follows!
Hatsize: I was as much a *FAN* as
I was a bandmember. I just wanted to play *his* music, whether old or
new. I'd have even loved to play UG or B&M tunes -- *just* to blow
some minds...<showing his mischievous side here...>
Hatsize: Has Benjamin arrived yet?
GrahamJ: I think he gave up which is a
real shame
Hatsize: A shame, indeed!
myrrh_o_man: Alas no ! he'll be watching
the grimley's on TV. soon no doubt!
Hatsize: I just don't watch that
much TV -- "Grimley's" or otherwise!
myrrh_o_man: Rick do you miss playing in
front of a crowd?
Hatsize: I miss the MB, actually!
I've managed to keep busy one way or another in front of (much smaller)
audiences, but -- I *really* did want to be in that band for the rest
of my life. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be in the band, and my
time therein was relatively brief.
Hatsize: We had more *in us* still.
We were *hungry* to tour and get the ICFC band as tight as the DOC touring
band had become.
myrrh_o_man: Do you ever dream your still
in that band?
Hatsize: No. Actually, I don't dream
(as in "sleep-state" dreaming) all that much -- and I *enjoy* dreaming!
myrrh_o_man: You don't dream much ? Weird,
is that because you don't get enough sleep?
Hatsize: The latter may be the case,
for the likelihood of dreaming is increased by a fuller night's sleep.
Lately, I seem to need all of the hours of my day to take care of life's
demands.
myrrh_o_man: I'm about to go ,two questions,
what was the first record you bought ,and who was the first musician
you saw that made you think "that's what I want to do "?
Hatsize: The first record that I
bought with my own money was George Harrison's "Wonderwall" (which I
still like).
Hatsize: The first record that my
folks bought *for* me (per my request) was The Beatles' "Second Album"
(which was a U.S.-only "compiled" release, just in case my U.K. brethren
are scratching their heads!).
myrrh_o_man: the first single I bought
was" nobody told me /o sanity" Lennon/Ono
Hatsize: Blame wanting to become
a musician *again* on the Beatles: I was an ardent believer in the Gospel.<G>
I even spent *all day* in a movie theatre when "Help!" opened, staying
for *every* showing of the film that day (about 5 times!).
GrahamJ: I loved Help as a child (first
saw it when it was shown as a tribute to the recently murdered John
Lennon) but I can't cope with it anymore
myrrh_o_man: I watched "help" that night
Graham on BBC 2 , that's like the Kennedy assassination of our generation
GrahamJ: I was 8 years old at the time
myrrh_o_man: I musta been 10
sumveritas: I was 3 months
Hatsize: I was 7 back when it was
released, if memory serves. My folks were probably just happy to have
a break from my general "hyperactive" self for a few hours!
GrahamJ: I remember hearing the news that
he had been killed and being sad that there wouldn't be any more Beatles
albums, not realising that they had split a decade before
Hatsize: I almost refused to believe
it. I figured that there was *no way* that the doctors could let him
get away. I picked up newspapers everywhere we stopped on the tour,
collecting news/tributes to Lennon from town to town. I still have them
all!
GrahamJ: those cuttings would make a great
web-site, though I doubt you have time
myrrh_o_man: okay well it looks like the
clock on the wall's done beat me again ,if the Good Lord's willin' and
the creeks don't rise I'll see y'all soon, thank you kindly Rick for
taking this time from your demanding life to chat here
Hatsize: Thanks for hangin' out,
'Mac!
myrrh_o_man: my pleasure Rick !
GrahamJ: Did your parents appreciate what
you were doing with the Magic Band at all?
Hatsize: Ha! My father was not convinced,
but he was happy that I was happy. My mother, having been deaf since
her teen years, never got to hear a note of it. My father always saw
a baseball player or a doctor when he looked at me, I think!<G>
sumveritas: I hope I'm not repeating an
earlier question that was asked during my absence, but how did you get
the job working with Beefheart?
Hatsize: Ace, my long-time friend
(since '66!), who had been initially responsible for exposing me to
Don's music, was also responsible for lining ne up with an audition
after having a phone conversation with Don.
Hatsize: I am the knight who says
"ne"! That's s'posed to be "me", of course...
sumveritas: What did you play for your
audition?
Hatsize: If I remember correctly,
it was "My Human Gets Me Blues" (for *sure*), "Sugar 'n' Spikes" (I
think) and "Dirty Blue Gene" (even hazier recall!). I was awe-struck
by simply having the opportunity to audition...so my nervous system
seems to have rendered my memory permanently hazy on that score!
GrahamJ: I read that you thought you hadn't
got the job and asked Don if you could roadie for him
Hatsize: I *did* ask him if he'd
keep me in mind for a roadie job...and I'd have taken it if it was offered!
Hatsize: Nonetheless, "MHGMB" was
my 'ace in the hole', so I felt that it was "win-or-lose" based on that
one alone. I had refined it over time, being one of my faves -- but
I was still incredibly *nervous!
GrahamJ: I'm not surprised... I completely
went to pieces just meeting Ivor Cutler never mind auditioning for Don
(not that I have auditioned for Don, obviously)
Hatsize: Ivor *is* a genius. I can't
*imagine* what a conversation (casual or otherwise) would be like with
him. You're very fortunate!
GrahamJ: It was terrifying - he was so
charming and I just couldn't speak properly
Hatsize: I can imagine! His gentility
must've have been...overpowering!
** Horrendous enters.
GrahamJ: hey!
Ben's made it!
Hatsize: HEY HO!
Hatsize: We just couldn't call an
end to the chat without "Benji" in the HOOOUUUUUSE!<word!><tee
hee>
Horrendous: Hey thanks guys, I've come
to sweep up.
Hatsize: It's actually been a very
clean floor! A very pleasant time had by all so far!
GrahamJ: I'm very pleased you made it,
sorry you had problems getting in - the doorman is a little strict,
it seems
bulbous_one:: The doorman is plastered;
he pushed me out and locked the door!
Hatsize: The doorman uses "Java
Applets" and "cookies"...so it depends on whether your browser suffers
indigestion when presented with that kind of diet!
GrahamJ: Detlef has had problems too
Hatsize: That's a shame! I want
to go on record as being *FULL* amazed by his effort to put together
the
timeline.<HUZZAH!>
Horrendous: I've got a question Rick, If
it hasn't already been asked: Drumbo and Zoot had the job of "delivering
the parts" ...Who did it in your time?
Hatsize: The DOC tour "parts" were
"licks off of records" for the most part. I also received some French
transcriptions for a few tunes as well.
Hatsize: For ICFC, due to time constraints,
we were all *individually* responsible for our parts, having cassette
recorders on at *all times* so that we could review the "instructions"
and make approximations.
Hatsize: So, ICFC was pretty much
in Don's hands. Even the tracks that we had learned from earlier recordings
(e.g., "Little Scratch" = "The Past Sure Is Tense") were modified throughout
rehearsals. He never settled on a definitive version of *anything* for
ICFC, in fact. He kept changing it all the time!
GrahamJ: I'd imagine that would be difficult
to cope with
Hatsize: Yes, but that was Don --
and you just accepted it. There was *no* changing the spots on *that*
leopard!<G>
GrahamJ: Do you have any idea what prompted
Anton Corbijn's Some Yo Yo Stuff film? Have you seen it?
Hatsize: I have seen it - and I
think that it was meant to be a loving "wave goodbye" from Don to the
world. It just tears your heart out, doesn't it?
GrahamJ: It certainly does - I've seen
even the most unsentimental Beefheart fan cry after watching that film
Hatsize: *Especially* when he says
(of FZ): "He was the only Frank Zappa that I ever knew" (I'm paraphrasing...)
Horrendous: But the spark is still there..
I love it when his says his message to the world is "Boo!"
GrahamJ: Yes! That is one of my favourite
bits!
Hatsize: That *was* his message!
He (and all of us) need to "come out to meet the monster tonight"...and
all of us are monstrous in one way or another.<my interpretation...*not*
gospel truth!>
GrahamJ: Don seemed very aware of his "monster"
side - he seems to make lots of subtle references to it
Hatsize: ...and he was (painfully?)
aware of the "monster" within us all. He was, on occasion, repulsed
by it!
GrahamJ: When was the little "What are
we gonna do with you" tune recorded? Do you have any idea?
Hatsize: I think that Detlef has
that documented on his "timeline" -- and I've forgotten when that was
at the moment. Sorry!
GrahamJ: aha - I'll have to check
GrahamJ: a friend has sampled that tune
wonderfully in a piece of music that he has done
GrahamJ: many thanks Rick for stopping
by, it's been great fun
sumveritas: Thanks for chatting.
Hatsize: Thanks for having me! It's
been a pleasure.
Horrendous: glad I made it before the end,
well done & thanks Rick & Graham
DefAnt: bye everyone it was nice to meet
you
Hatsize: You, too, "DefAnt"!
GrahamJ: goodnight all
Hatsize: ...and a "good afternoon"
from my little spot on the planet (almost 3:00pm).
