June 14th – My cynicism
concerning the rock industry is well documented, not only by those who kindly
and with a level of patience never before charted in the human race read these
daily burblings of mine, but also by anyone who happens to mention the words,
‘Simon’ or ‘Cowell’ or ‘X’ or ‘Factor’ within earshot of what is, in the everyday,
a deaf old trout like me; even under these aurally-challenged circumstances I
still hear it, sense these words almost, and go off on one.
I also feel a similar rise of bile
about folk in the sleb market who strain every muscle to become famous and
recognised the world over only to then complain about their lack of privacy,
but neither have I any truck with the shopping in slacks photos that are
peddled as a staple of Hell Magazine
and the like. Trust me, they’re not that interesting, neither subject nor
photo, yet still they take them and still the mags print them.
Greta Garbo: now there’s a name to
conjure with. Let’s just take a snapshot of her career. Think of anyone in the
game nowadays that you consider has worldwide fame then treble it; honest. She
was commanding film fees of $300,000 (doesn’t sound like much ‘til you realise
that, back then as compared to now, you can times that by ten) and her gross
earnings over 20-odd movies was $35m so, famous and rich. She never signed
autographs, never answered fan mail, gave very few interviews, wouldn’t sign
publicity contracts and never appeared at the Oscars despite being nominated
for best actress. In 1931, Garbomania was at its peak and she was the most
recognisable movie star on the planet; all the time remembering this was at a point
in our history when the telephone was still a rare item in any household and a
television non-existent so the fastest way to contact someone was either by
telegraph or, failing that, by letter or, failing that, carrier pigeon…and yet
she still dominated the movie world like a colossus and everyone in what could
be classed as the modern world knew of her…everyone…and what’s the line that’s
most associated with her?
“I want to be alone; I just want to be alone”,
and we all thought;
“Yeah; right, Greta, ‘course y’ do, that’s why you chose this
career path; to remain discreet.”
But she did, she really gained that level of fame and then
retired from the public eye; completely. When asked about her infamous comment
she said;
“I never said, ‘I want to be alone’; I only said, ‘I want to
be let alone’. There’s
a world of difference”, and Greta is absolutely right; there is.
When Eric Clapton, global rock star and according to the
graffiti of the time GOD, said he was
tired of the hype and the weight and just wanted to be one of the band we all
thought;
“Yeah; right, Eric”. But he did, he just wanted to be in the
band. He formed Derek and the Dominoes, which opened on this day in 1970 and
then went on to tour with Delany and Bonnie and Friends…which brings me nicely
round by this circuitous route to the point of this guff.
One of the songs that has featured in my DID list every now
and then is a live recording of, I Don’t
Want to Discuss It, made on the European tour in 1970. Just a great piece
of work done by the best in the business (Delany and Bonnie, Mr. Clapton, Leon
Russell, Dave Mason, George Harrison, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon,
Bobby Keys, Jim Price, Rita Coolidge) and all at the very top of their game.
The song features a standout lead break by Clapton that’s played from the back
of the stage, just like any other muso, and the relaxed solo shines. Maybe, to
achieve that level he, too, just wanted to be ‘let alone’ too…
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