DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,916 Posts
Great post, AI.
The one and only time I saw GSH perform was in June 1986 in Manchester, where I was living at the time. The '86 World Cup in Mexico was taking place, and a few of us were round at my boy's house in the late afternoon/early evening watching the classic France-Brazil quarter-final, which is still one of the greatest games I've ever seen. Several beers after the game had finished, someone says, "Hold up, Gil Scott-Heron's doing the International II tonight!" The immediate and unanimous decision was to roll up posse-deep in the hope the show wasn't sold out, which it thankfully wasn't. although the place was a good three-quarters full by the time Gil came on. He was on tremendous form, cracking sardonic jokes throughout, and had a truly commanding presence. An extended, unaccompanied version of "Space Shuttle", which was a new tune then, turned into a coruscatingly funny monologue on the (literal) fallout from the Chernobyl disaster affecting Europe, still a big news story. He didn't have a record out at the time, or even a label, so the material was a decent balance between the then-recent Arista output ("Gun", "B-Movie", "Washington DC", "Shut 'Em Down"), earlier classics ("Winter In America", "Johannesburg", "Lady Day & John Coltrane" and a gorgeous version of "Your Daddy Loves You"), and a few newer songs. I remember he actually had a Mancunian guitar-player in his band at the time, which went down particularly well with the crowd. It was a fantastic evening all round. The perception of Gil at the time by a lot of people in the UK was of someone rather worthy and earnest, whose music you listened to out of a sense of duty rather than for pleasure. Anyone who went to that show could have testified what an arse-backwards assessment that was. It's still one of the best and most memorable shows I've ever been to, and that's even after getting drunk as fuck and dancing until two in the morning at the club after Gil's set finished.
It's been heart-breaking to witness his decline over the last decade or so. To see such a giant of an artist brought down by the very ills he warned against is beyond depressing. I hope he manages to find his way back, because the world would be a smaller place without him in it.
Amazing poet and musician! Actually I think he's the greatest singing lyricist of our time! I just got HIWTHI on 45 and played it last weekend, plan to do the same this Saturday. Still need the Esther Philips version on 45, never see it around.
The points he makes on that interview about contemporary hiphop should hit a note with a few members on this board. Brilliant man!
Longsight in the house! What a hole. I think I played the International II when I was in a Bhangra band [don't ask]. I was living in Fallowfield in '89. Road next to The Queen of Hearts pub (the converted church). Happy days.
Major cosign on Gil being the absolute MAN. Every song of his affects on some level or another.
Re: his 80s releases...Reflections is a pretty deep album. "Gun" and "Grandmas Hands" being a couple of my top tracks.
This was the GSH album that got me started. Oh, I'd heard different songs here and there (that episode of Saturday Night Live he was on w/Richard Pryor was rerun constantly in the '80s, and I recall seeing the Black Wax documentary on public TV), but the first time I went to the (used) store with the intent of buying one of his albums, that was the one I saw in the racks, and it's still a fave of mine today. Cosign on "Gun," but can't forget "B-Movie" ("the first thing I wanna say is...mandate, my ass!") and his remake of "Inner City Blues."
A while back I started a thread on what artist do we have the most of in our collections; for me, even though James Brown comes in ahead of everybody else (28 albums), Gil is definitely in the "10-or-more LP's" club.
I would give my left nut for the opportunity to see him perform live.
I've probably told the story here before about the one time I saw him in concert...it was nine years ago, and the drugs were kicking in HARD by this time. I was greatly disappointed that he didn't do any of his monologues (like in the documentary), he just shuffled out there and did his best-known songs, then had his band members take extended solos while he went back in the wings and took a quick nap. No, this was not one of the greatest concert experiences ever, but it still doesn't taint my interest in the man and his music.
Comments
The one and only time I saw GSH perform was in June 1986 in Manchester, where I was living at the time. The '86 World Cup in Mexico was taking place, and a few of us were round at my boy's house in the late afternoon/early evening watching the classic France-Brazil quarter-final, which is still one of the greatest games I've ever seen. Several beers after the game had finished, someone says, "Hold up, Gil Scott-Heron's doing the International II tonight!" The immediate and unanimous decision was to roll up posse-deep in the hope the show wasn't sold out, which it thankfully wasn't. although the place was a good three-quarters full by the time Gil came on. He was on tremendous form, cracking sardonic jokes throughout, and had a truly commanding presence. An extended, unaccompanied version of "Space Shuttle", which was a new tune then, turned into a coruscatingly funny monologue on the (literal) fallout from the Chernobyl disaster affecting Europe, still a big news story. He didn't have a record out at the time, or even a label, so the material was a decent balance between the then-recent Arista output ("Gun", "B-Movie", "Washington DC", "Shut 'Em Down"), earlier classics ("Winter In America", "Johannesburg", "Lady Day & John Coltrane" and a gorgeous version of "Your Daddy Loves You"), and a few newer songs. I remember he actually had a Mancunian guitar-player in his band at the time, which went down particularly well with the crowd. It was a fantastic evening all round. The perception of Gil at the time by a lot of people in the UK was of someone rather worthy and earnest, whose music you listened to out of a sense of duty rather than for pleasure. Anyone who went to that show could have testified what an arse-backwards assessment that was. It's still one of the best and most memorable shows I've ever been to, and that's even after getting drunk as fuck and dancing until two in the morning at the club after Gil's set finished.
It's been heart-breaking to witness his decline over the last decade or so. To see such a giant of an artist brought down by the very ills he warned against is beyond depressing. I hope he manages to find his way back, because the world would be a smaller place without him in it.
The points he makes on that interview about contemporary hiphop should hit a note with a few members on this board. Brilliant man!
Longsight in the house! What a hole. I think I played the International II when I was in a Bhangra band [don't ask]. I was living in Fallowfield in '89. Road next to The Queen of Hearts pub (the converted church). Happy days.
Re: his 80s releases...Reflections is a pretty deep album. "Gun" and "Grandmas Hands" being a couple of my top tracks.
I would give my left nut for the opportunity to see him perform live.
This was the GSH album that got me started. Oh, I'd heard different songs here and there (that episode of Saturday Night Live he was on w/Richard Pryor was rerun constantly in the '80s, and I recall seeing the Black Wax documentary on public TV), but the first time I went to the (used) store with the intent of buying one of his albums, that was the one I saw in the racks, and it's still a fave of mine today. Cosign on "Gun," but can't forget "B-Movie" ("the first thing I wanna say is...mandate, my ass!") and his remake of "Inner City Blues."
A while back I started a thread on what artist do we have the most of in our collections; for me, even though James Brown comes in ahead of everybody else (28 albums), Gil is definitely in the "10-or-more LP's" club.
I've probably told the story here before about the one time I saw him in concert...it was nine years ago, and the drugs were kicking in HARD by this time. I was greatly disappointed that he didn't do any of his monologues (like in the documentary), he just shuffled out there and did his best-known songs, then had his band members take extended solos while he went back in the wings and took a quick nap. No, this was not one of the greatest concert experiences ever, but it still doesn't taint my interest in the man and his music.
I Cosine on everything expressed so far
When you put that esther phillip and the og into perspective you get a window into GSH work
His later material like all his music reflects where he was at in life and I love those last lines in grandma's hands
"and molding me..and calling me!"