Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Robert Palmer


moonbass
 Share

Recommended Posts

He's not someone I'd paid much attention to before, but after watching the film The Way Way Back and hearing his track Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley on the soundtrack I started reading a bit about him. Turns out the backing band for his album of the same name in 1974 was The Meters! (And a great album it is too!)

And also Addicted To Love was produced by Bernard Edwards! (And I presume he played bass on it by the sound of things?)

Well, I found it interesting anyway...

(p.s. hope this doesn't cause confusion with any other Robert Palmers who might frequent these parts!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1397900558' post='2428327']
I opened this thread thinking it was about our Bilbo! :o :facepalm:
[/quote]

What? You mean they're not the same person? Now I'm really confused...

Joking aside, the Batley Boy Wonder was a great singer. He never seemed to be comfortable on stage though the times I saw him.
Anyone remember Vinegar Joe? A band from the 70's with RP and Elkie Brookes sharing vocals. They were great. I saw them at a flea-pit called Cleo's in Derby in about '74.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1397901818' post='2428359']
Anyone remember Vinegar Joe? A band from the 70's with RP and Elkie Brookes sharing vocals.
[/quote]

Aye! Vinegar Joe were great. I vividly remember Elkie Brooks, but must admit I'd totally forgotten that RP was in there too.
Must be that I'm strictly a lesbian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1397901818' post='2428359']
...
Anyone remember Vinegar Joe? A band from the 70's with RP and Elkie Brookes sharing vocals. They were great. I saw them at a flea-pit called Cleo's in Derby in about '74.
[/quote]
Yes, Pete Gage (ex Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band) was the band leader.

Palmer was also with the Alan Bown Set.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw Vinegar Joe with Elkie B and Robert Palmer a few times as they were part of rosta that played the halls
and I don't recall them standing out in any way at the time. Their contempories at that time would have
been Thin Lizzy with Eric Bell ( still their best gtr, IMO ) Curved Air, Steve Harley, the College circuit bands
etc etc ... and Lizzy were probably the best, altho that might have just been because they had the hit..???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I grew up in a small town not a million miles away from Batley so he was always the local lad who made good. Think his parents ran a B&B on the Yorks east coast for a while, Brid or Scarborough?. Very clever at reinterpreting others songs that weren't necessarily hit material and turning them into commercial successes (like Andy Fraser's 'Every Kind of People') as well as writing stuff himself.

Edited by KevB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A greatly missed voice and talent with a great array of musos behind him.. The story I read about Sneaking Sally was that they were having a hard time finding the right sound, so they all went out for a break. George Porter either stayed or came back early and just started playing that riff, then everyone else returned and just jammed with him. Thus SSTTA was completed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Going slightly off post, one of my "find" albums from years ago was Jess Roden's first album. I picked it up in the Comet bargain box for 75p. Only bought it as I recognised "On Broadway" but I had seen him when he was with the Alan Bown Set and thought for that price it's worth a look. I was a guitarist at that stage but loved the bass lines on the album. Only recently discovered that the album was recorded in New Orleans and The Meters were the backing band.
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvnhieWf9n8"]http://youtu.be/PvnhieWf9n8[/url]

Edited by BassBunny
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robert Palmer always had great taste , and his choice of musicians was usually impeccable. I love that Pressure Drop album he did with Little Feat ( and James Jamerson) on in particular , but he made so many great records over the years.

Edited by Dingus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1397904942' post='2428431']
Anyway, here we are:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G51tmiwMlk[/media]
[/quote]

...featuring John Woods on drums, who I've had the privilege of playing with on a number of occasions. Great player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1397900621' post='2428328']
Not written by him, but still luvverly, is Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends", here in the version from RP's "Secrets" album:

[media]http://youtu.be/iDzdy9LwNaE[/media]
[/quote]

As a long time Todd fan I was expecting to hate that, but it's OK - certainly miles better than The Isley Brothers' unforgivable desecration of "Hello it's Me".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Palmer was a bass player in his own right and has a bass credit on the Riptide album which "Addicted to Love" and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" singles were lifted from.

I don't know which tracks RP played but it certainly didn't all sound like Bernard Edwards to me.

RP's bass of choice at the time was a Steinberger L2.

Cheers

Ed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...