skankdelvar

The potato leitmotif continues.

It should not pass from the memory of mankind that the Mellotron was manufactured in Streetly, a leafier suburb of the leafy Birmingham suburb of Sutton Coldfield. So: no Birmingham, no Mellotron, no prog-rock. Streetly Electronics factory in the 70's (Reliant Robin at far right of parked vehicles).

Something a bit like this Commodore...

Looking back to 1977, my first amp was a 200w SS paired with a 2x12 cab and the bass was a short-scale semi. So if I was starting out now I probably wouldn't change anything

Imagine sitting in a classroom where all thirty of us were speaking French with a Brummie accent. A bizarre consequence of this was that whenever I spoke French in France some locals would ask me if I was from Paris. 'Paris?' 'It's your accent'. Either this was (i) a very subtle insult aimed both at me and at Parisians or (ii) Parisians sound like Brummies to other Frenchmen. Similar thing happened a few years ago in St Omer. The Missus and I bought some chips and sat on a bench in the town square to eat them. Some local kids walked past, pointed at us and shouted 'Look at the stupid Belgians eating their chips outdoors like Belgians do'. I is a chameleon, me, a master of disguise.

Likewise.

I know a chap who owns a t-shirt bearing the slogan The Peoples' Republic of Walsall and he would doubtless assert that Walsall is part of the Black Country. In the event that he were to do so I should snap my fingers in his face and cry 'P'shaw!'

Perhaps. Walsall is considered by many to be part of the Black Country and most maps accord with this view They are, of course, completely wrong. The real Black Country comprises Dudley and Wolverhampton whereas Sandwell and Walsall are mere Yammer parvenus who feign a taste for porky scratchings while secretly obtaining foie gras from an artisan delicatessen in Aldridge.

Your periodic reminder that: * Academic research has established that the first reference in print to 'heavy metal bands' was penned by the American rock critic Lester Bangs in the February 1970 edition of Rolling Stone * Born To Be Wild songwriter Mars Bonfire has stated that the line 'heavy metal thunder' was a reference to motorcycles * 'Hapshash & The Coloured Coat Featuring the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids' was an art-rock band * The Heavy Metal Kids didn't play heavy metal and were an entirely different band to 'Hapshash & The Coloured Coat Featuring the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids' * Author William S Burroughs invented the term 'Heavy Metal Kid' and accidentally shot his wife dead in Mexico City in 1951 * Rob Halford allegedly managed a porn cinema before joining Judas Priest and was born in leafy Birmingham suburb Sutton Coldfield which is about as far as you can get from the Black Country and still be in the West Midlands.

Just bought a guitar from Greg. Very nice man, smooth transaction. Thanks, Greg

Okay, the first paragraph was true. The second was an outrageous lie; Mr Glover was potting on some begonias.

To bring some perspective my auntie used to live next door to Roger Glover in Richings Park, Iver, Buckinghamshire and my (then) teenage cousin Pete used to wash Roger's car to make a few bob. One time Roger was in his garden planting out some marigolds and my uncle leaned over the fence and said 'Rog, is Smoke On The Water heavy metal?' and Roger put down his trowel and thought a bit and said 'No, Norman, it's hard rock but played with a hint of heaviness'.

Indeed so. I think the definitive answer is 'nobody's entirely sure'

Who came up with the name 'Heavy Metal'? Lengthy piece here by Deena Weinstein, Professor of Sociology at DePaul University in Chicago (really). Library searches, phone calls, exchanges of correspondence; quite the detective story. The minor problem for me is that it seems that the originator wasn't really thinking of what we call heavy metal music when they first used the term. Answer in spoiler box:

I can do 'accents'. Oo-ar, moy ol' lover. That's West Country.

Hi JD and to the forum

Even more fun: stick The Joker in the middle of the medley thereby reversing the chord movement, stand there and watch peoples' heads explode.

At one time it was my cherished ambition to construct a medley comprised of Sweet Home Alabama, Werewolves Of London, All Summer Long and Mr Steve Miller's Take The Money And Run. Not that it would necessarily be any good but it would be the ideal riposte on those occasions when someone in the audience calls out for Sweet Home Alabama. 'Yeah, no problem, hope you like it'.

First heard that song on the radio while coming back from band practice late one night. I tell ya, I almost wrecked my automobile laughing at Mr Rock's effrontery.

A tendency capitalised upon by Mr Kid Rock in his 2008 song All Summer Long

Also spotted on Amazon: Multipack of Warren Zevon's first five albums on CD for £12.62

Hi Scott and to the forum!

This suggestion was more for when the OP is doing stuff for himself. I subscribe to SiBob's earlier opinion that anything sent out should include a virgin stem. I'm sure that's true in a studio context. With cheap or free plug-ins I've sometimes found some nasty fizzy stuff up there so the suggestion is in the nature of a starting point. I'm sure the OP will experiment with his cuts as time goes by. I dreams of a Rupert Neve DI Shelford at three and a half notes!