John Stewart

[B45-12]

This is a response to a question from RM.

"But since John Stewart is in that part of California, have you had any encounters with him?"

I know John Stewart in the same way that I know Gordon Lightfoot....possibly 100 encounters over the years...a few lengthly conversations...a few industry related associations from long ago. But that said, over the years, anytime I run into either one of them...they have to scratch their heads to remember my name. Understandable of course - we're not dining or fishing pals!

In March of 2001 - a very close friend of mine and a very talented singer/songwriter was a parent escort for his (then) 8 year old daughters school camping trip to the Northern California Redwoods.
Upon return, he became very, very sick and was rushed to a medical center and was diagnosed with meningitis...and near death.
Fast forward.....one month later, and after what doctors called a miracle recovery, he lost all of his finger tips and toes, and a few internal organs were badly damaged.
Some close friends decided to put on a benefit concert for him to help offset his lost income and predicted loss for unknown months to come.
This friend (Mark) was a John Stewart devotee since childhood, and knew (and knows) JS quite well.
John even wrote the liner notes to Marks debut LP back in 1979.
After many sad visits to the hospital, and about a month or more of waiting and wondering - Mark began to recover....at least physically.
We put together a small group (a concert
committee) and planned the show.
I called John and told him about Mark and within seconds he said: "when and where." He made it clear that he would attend and perform - without fee, but more importantly to me - without hesitation. Over the next few weeks I did all of the planning by telephone with his wife (Buffy) - who was sick at the time also and wearing a large patch over one eye.
The show went on to a sold out room of about 550 at a large banquet facility at a country club. Now none of us were Country Club members - but when I spoke to the owner of the restaurant/banquet facility...and I mentioned Mark - who had been a front page story for days....he offered unlimited use of his facility to us for free!
We raised a large sum of money for Mark and his daughter....and today he is doing as well as can be expected. He "mentors" about 30 young guitar students a week - using DVD's and whatever training aids he can find. Mark has even managed to play some things on the guitar - with all fingers gone from the middle joint to the nail!
This is one of a few JS stories that I have and I will always be grateful to him and Buffy for making our show such a huge success. John's presence meant the world to Mark, and induced some wealthy private donors in attendance to get out their checkbooks. ...end..

I also knew John back in the Chuck's Cellar days in Palo Alto California in the 70's. Had lots of fun back then.


".....let the big horse run...."

[RM]

I appreciate that. It's a great example of humanity. I remember when Buffy's medical expenses had become a financial drain, and a donation campaign was started on the 'Bloodlines' forum. I sent what I could, $100 to be exact. What goes around....comes around.

"....the road shines bright..."

[B45-12]

RM - Very cool! I sent a few bucks myself - and what goes around ..does come around! Back at that time - you probably read many references to Mark's story. I do know that about 25 or more of the Bloodliners attended our show.


"...over old Kentucky.."

[fezo]

YA know, I'm gonna have to get back with Bloodliners. When I first was in there I'd get overwhelmed with responses to sift through....

However, there being no bigger Stewart fan (I was following him since he was still in the Kingston Trio. I really should.

I haven't had the good fortune to know him as you have (and met Gord for all of two minutes) John has always been just terrific to fans. I've had many chances to talk to him and on one workshop weekend he was doing I was talking to Dave Batti about something that he didn't have an answer to and he says, after we get home just give me a call. The phone number on Homecoming Records is my home phone. I screen calls and don't normally return them but I'll pick up for you." Amazing to me because we'd only met a couple of times for brief chats.

"Oh, Mother Country I do love you..."

[B45-12]

I never was a Bloodliner...in fact, this is my first forum experience - and it took me well over a year to sign on. No real reason, just finally got inspired I suppose.
John Stewart was and is a great Artist. It is sickening to me that some of these music ICONS never seem to reap the rewards later in life. We are surrounded by talentless pop-tarts that earn tens of millions...and for what? The have agents that advise them that "if you do not play the part of the bad girl or boy - you will not be a headline!" This is sick and sad at the same time. For this and other reasons - I do not watch or care one little bit about all of these IDOL shows and so-called Reality TV. Reality my _ss!

[fezo]

Me, too, bud!

It's actually pretty ironic to me the two things that probably earned John his livelihood and kept him from having to do something different than what he loves - the fact that the Monkees recorded Daydream Believer and Gold becoming a hit. These were hardly his finest work but you don't ignore a gift!

How July, You're a Woman (I would have tried that for a daughter name and had four chances, but I know who I'm married to....) did not become a standard in the American songbook is beyond me. California Bloodlines remains one of the top couple of dozen albums ever made forty years after release.

Must check Ebay for guitar....

[B45-12]

Originally posted by fezo:
Me, too, bud!

It's actually pretty ironic to me the two things that probably earned John his livelihood and kept him from having to do something different than what he loves - the fact that the Monkees recorded Daydream Believer and Gold becoming a hit. These were hardly his finest work but you don't ignore a gift!

How July, You're a Woman (I would have tried that for a daughter name and had four chances, but I know who I'm married to....) did not become a standard in the American songbook is beyond me. California Bloodlines remains one of the top couple of dozen albums ever made forty years after release.

Even still - Daydream will always be known as a MONKEES song. Only music people care about things like writers, producers, and who cut the tracks. I am not saying that John or any Artist at that level should all be drowning in GOLD - but they should live financially secure and able to carry on as long as they are able - without worries! They earned that status by becoming so great to so many.

Let's not forget "Mother Country" and ole E.A. Stuart!

Must check Ebay for guitar....

[B45-12]

Ooops - I mess up.

My reply is:

Even still - Daydream will always be known as a MONKEES song. Only music people care about things like writers, producers, and who cut the tracks. I am not saying that John or any Artist at that level should all be drowning in GOLD - but they should live financially secure and able to carry on as long as they are able - without worries! They earned that status by becoming so great to so many.

Let's not forget "Mother Country" and ole E.A. Stuart!

[RM]

Speaking of 'Daydream Believer'....

I think there is an interview somewhere (I'll have to look around and post a link if anyone's interested) where JS mentions that he received a $20,000 royalty check from that song, and quickly left home. From what I gather, his relationship with his father was strained.

"...some kind of love is like gold..."

[fezo]

I dunno.... By the time of Daydream Believer he had done pretty well already and was closing in on thirty and had at very least mostly if not completely burned through his first marriage. He also had a nice run with the Trio and was still getting songwriting money from that.

He did use his dad on his fourth album, Sunstorm. I know in retrospect he doesn't like that album but I do.

"...day by day and one by one
we fall like candles in the sun..."

[louisemnnpls]

What has happened with Mark and Buffy since that
time?

[RM]

Originally posted by fezo:
He also had a nice run with the Trio and was still getting songwriting money from that.

You are correct fezo, and wise to question my faulty memory. I was never a big Kingston Trio fan, but the royalty check did indeed come from his trio days. Molly Dee (sp?) had gone to #1(?) I'd best stop now before I convolute the facts any further.

"..this thing has turned into a runaway train.."

[fezo]

Mark?

Buffy last I looked is still hanging in there.

Yeah, with Molly Dee that would make sense. He was only probably 19 - good age for your dad to be an idiot. Dads get smarter when you get older ya know....

.. Kentucky light shine willit fall from the sky..."

[RM]

Originally posted by fezo:
Dads get smarter when you get older ya know....

That's a great sentiment for the upcoming 'Father's Day'.

"...they were nickering..."

[Winter's Claw]

In the last John Stewart thread, I said I only had the four albums from California Bloodlines to Sunstorm, but since then I picked up the two-fer CD Cannons in the Rain/Wingless Angels. I love both albums. In fact I love all six of the albums I have.
Cannons in the Rain might even rival California Bloodlines in terms of greatness. Wingless Angels is kind of a departure from his usual sound, but it works very well. It has a nice atmospheric sound.

Stewart is definitely my second favorite singer-songwriter behind GL.

[fezo]

"Cannons in the Rain might even rival California Bloodlines in terms of greatness."

Yes. And it's the only album you can say that about. Cannons has just a wonderful sound about it. Where Bloodlines is recorded each song in a single take Cannons has a texture to it that is just amazing. Fred Carter succeeded in that where Peter Asher could not on Willard.

[The Rez]

Good to see John and Gord together again threadwise . . .
as is often the case on Bloodlines.

"The Day the River Sang" is John's "Harmony"

BadRats:

"The Discussion Group for People with Nothing to Say"

John's a BadRat, too. Even Jimmy Duke

Boucous stories for another day . . .

B45-12 . . . fezo . . . do we know one another?


Rez [Rex]

[Bill]

I'm not up on a lot of John Stewart's stuff, but I used to do "Armstrong" when playing clubs in the 80s. Real emotional show stopper.

[B45-12]

Originally posted by The Rez:
Good to see John and Gord together again threadwise . . .
as is often the case on Bloodlines.

"The Day the River Sang" is John's "Harmony"

BadRats:

"The Discussion Group for People with Nothing to Say"

John's a BadRat, too. Even Jimmy Duke

Boucous stories for another day . . .

B45-12 . . . fezo . . . do we know one another?

I don't think so - but could have met over the years at JS or GL gigs I suppose.


Rez [Rex]

[ELizabeth]

I can't believe that I somehow missed this thread. Must have been too busy baking strawberry tarts for poor Paris JS continues to amaze with his ability to create different moods and styles with his music. His latest, as far as I know, is 'The Day the River Sang'. Terrific cd. From a huge (not in size)JS Fan.

[fezo]

And somewhere in here is another Stewart thread....

Huge talent. Top tier songwriter.

[The Rez]

Braiding John's thread together w/ a couple others:

Long time buddies of mine, Dave Alvin and Peter Case [cut from the same cloth as John and Tom's Russell and Rush] are out and about.

Dave's album *West of the West* begins w/ his take on John's *California Bloodlines" Mighty! [Dave even was kind to re-cut my old group *The Rumblers* song BOSS as a pre-order x-tra]

Peter Case's [leader of The Plimsouls from the early 80s] latest is *Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John* The Release Party will be McCabe's [Santa Monica] on 8 Sep 07

Peter'll be at *Largo* in Hollywood on 15 June 07 - the night before John's McCabe's show.

Make it a twofer: Peter then John
Get yerself blessed real good!

http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=11317

Rez

[ June 13, 2007, 21:10: Message edited by: The Rez ]

[The Rez]

Some More of Johnny Dreams:

Rediscover Music is releasing a series of never-before released Kingstong Trio recordings
[The John Stewart Years]

Alan Shaw is as big a folk lover as there is alive. So, check out his publication;
save yer pennies; and get ready for some serious history.

One *Snapshot* is out now. The Trio's final studio album is about a month away.
Four or five more to come across the rest of the year.