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Date: Tue Oct 12, 1999 11:50 am
ADVERTISEMENT
Hello friends,
All the best,
Date: Mon Oct 18, 1999 3:40 pm
Hello friends,
First and foremost, let me thank you all for joining. I hope you won't be disappointed. For some mysterious reason the invitation to join Calamity newsletter didn't make its way to the recent Elephant-Talk issue. Anyway we gained 20 people during the 1st week of existance. I think it's not bad at all. And now the news.
As you may already know David Cross formed Noisy Records this year. According to David, he intends to develop Noisy "as a Record Company and a quite exceptional Retail Website (www.noisy.co.uk)". The first Noisy Records release was a remastered edition of the long-out-of-print DC album "The Big Picture" with an extra track added. David also plans to re-release his 1st solo album, "Memos From Purgatory" soon (with previously unreleased material added).
But, of course, David Cross doesn't confine himself to reissuing his old works only. Here are some words from David himself: "I am just finishing production of 'Civilizations', the new Radius album which will be released on Noisy Records." He also said he didn't know "how to categorise" this work, but promised to provide us with concrete information soon.
And the most important news: new DC album is in the works! David and Mick Paul have written 9 tracks for the new album, rejected 4 and are developing 5. A couple of days ago I received the more accurate info from David: "The new David Cross album is still in the composition stage. We're working from music first, lyrics are still an open question. At the moment we have working titles of Mogul, Depth Nurse, Hometime, Evil Juice, Haiti Fife, Monday's Child, Senacherib and States at present lasting between 2 and 7 minutes each. We like Monday's Child as an album title, but I think Bowie has Thursday's Child and maybe John Martin had a track with the same name, so its still up for grabs."
That's all for now. Feel free to send me any questions concerning David Cross & his music. I'll try to answer myself or forward your questions to him.
By the way, did you know that "There is no Peace" by Radius was withdrawn because Steve Topping objected to its release (Somebody had neglected to ask him if they could release the recording).
And here are some places to buy David Cross works: http://members.aol.com/noisynoisy/buy.html - Noisy Records (DC's recent solo albums); http://www.disciplineglobalmobile.com - DGM (King Crimson albums feat. David Cross); www.artist-shop.com - Gary Davis Artist Shop (King Crimson, David Cross solo works and some other Cross-related albums).
All the best,
Date: Tue Nov 2, 1999 2:34 pm
In this issue:
Hello friends,
Welcome to the 2nd issue of "Calamity". Though there ain't much news this time I still have something interesting to report.
As you may remember from the previous issue - a new solo album by David Cross is in the works. And here is the exciting news: Richard Palmer-James (I bet you all know this man) will be writing lyrics for the next David Cross album. David talked to him in Germany last week and Richard was keen to collaborate. Sounds promising. As soon as more news arrives I'll let you know.
And here is the short interview with David Cross that I prepared for the leading Russian musical magazine, "FUZZ" (originally published in October 1999):
GK: Who invited you to join King Crimson? How did you get acquainted with Robert Fripp?
DC: I was in a band called Waves rehearsing in a cafe in The Fulham Palace Road in London. We invited EG management to come and see us. Fripp came down. He invited me to work on an album with him and Jamie Muir. He then asked me to come to a jam session with Jamie, John Wetton and Bill Bruford at a rehearsal room in Covent Garden. It was on the day of my grandfather's funeral, but I decided I ought to go to the session. By the end of the day we had formed the new King Crimson. I felt guilty about my grandfather for some years afterwards.
GK: What was it like to play in King Crimson?
DC: Exciting, frustrating, educational, shocking, fun, loud, challenging, never ever boring.
GK: That line-up became classic and many (if not most) listeners consider it as the best in the band's history. What do you think of those days (best or / and worst moments about it)?
DC: The need to experiment and take chances was wonderful and completely in tune with the times. The worst moments were when we repeated ideas trying to regain the success of the night before; what we needed to repeat was the attitude!
GK: Live performances were always critically important for King Crimson on the other hand in 1973-74 the band released 3 studio albums of the highest quality. And what you preferred: to work in studio or to perform live?
DC: I have very rarely been comfortable with recording. I can't easily achieve the balance between control and freedom that is necessary. Sometimes I can play the right thing straight away, other times I waste hours and still can't get the simplest thing recorded. Essentially King Crimson was a live band.
GK: Did your attitude change these days?
DC: Yes, but only recently. Because of current technology I am now enjoying recording and manipulating music creatively. I am becoming interested in the result rather than the idea or the process!
GK: What was the main reason for your departure from the band?
DC: The band was becoming more heavy rock oriented and less sensitive. At that time I didn't have the soloing skills to keep up with the change and they didn't have the desire to accommodate me any more.
GK: Do you have any idea why Robert Fripp decided to overdub your playing on two tracks on "USA" with Eddie Jobson's violin? It's still a mystery for me: I've heard so many live recordings from this period and your playing is superb. I doubt that Robert found it unsatisfying on that particular show. Any comments?
DC: Only Robert knows the answer to that! I haven't heard the recordings. I've always assumed that my performance was crap so it had to be replaced.
GK: How you decided to invite John Wetton & Robert Fripp to record your latest album? And, by the way, why did you choose to cover "Exiles"?
DC: I felt the need to resolve the tensions of our parting in 1974 and rediscover our relationship. There was some 'unfinished business' (the provisional title for Exiles).
GK: What was the main difference between working with Robert & John 23 years ago & now?
DC: Surprisingly little. I certainly enjoyed every moment of the recording and mixing. Obviously enormous changes have taken place in all our lives but there was a real spark between us. I was staggered that this was possible.
GK: Do you still keep in touch with your former bandmates? If so, do you plan any further collaboration with them?
DC: I am very bad at keeping in touch with anybody. In writing the next David Cross album I am aware of the possibility of collaborations.
GK: By the way, how "This is your life" was written? Peter Sinfield left King Crimson before you joined the band, when did you meet him for the first time?
DC: While we were recording "Larks' Tongues..." he was working in the studio next door, and I think I met him them. For Exiles, I had the idea for what I thought would be a commercial song in an odd time signature. I thought it needed a special touch with the lyrics so I approached him to collaborate with me. John Wetton put a lot of work into "This is your life" and I am very happy with the result.
GK: Do you have any plans to work with some other famous musicians (of non-KC fame)?
DC: There are many musicians that I would like to work with.
GK: Please, tell the Fuzz readers what are you engaged in these days?
DC: I have formed Noisy Records, which I am going to develop as a Record Company and a quite exceptional Retail Website (www.noisy.co.uk). I am just finishing production of 'Civilizations', the new Radius album which will be released on Noisy Records. Mick Paul and I have written 9 tracks for the new David Cross album, rejected 4 and are developing 5.
GK: Your favorite King Crimson tune (incl. compositions written by other line-ups)?
DC: 21st Century Schizoid Man
GK: Some words for Russian fans.
DC: I wish I could speak Russian! If you've heard my music, thank you! If you've heard my music and it wasn't a pirate CD, my children thank you!
Here are some places to buy David Cross works:
http://members.aol.com/noisynoisy/buy.html - Noisy Records (DC's recent solo albums);
http://www.disciplineglobalmobile.com - DGM (King Crimson albums feat. David Cross);
http://www.artist-shop.com - Gary Davis Artist Shop (King Crimson, David Cross solo works and some other Cross-related albums).
Best wishes,
Date: Wed Dec 15, 1999 6:57 am
Hello friends,
Everything is quiet by the time. David is busy with the further development of Noisy Records and completing the new album.
I think you should be warned that recently Noisy Records has set up on-line sells-forms. All major credit cards are accepted now.
For all you newbies out there. The previous issues of Calamity soon to be featured on the "Demos From Purgatory" site. I'll let you know as soon as they are uploaded.
To entertain you a little I included another interview with David Cross kindly provided by its author, Dmitry Epstein, and originally published in Minsk-based "Music Paper" (42-1999). Enjoy!
All the best,
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MP. Did you ever consider violin as a rock instrument? It's interesting because if one thinks about it, he thinks off hand of you, Eddie Jobson and Jean-Luc Ponty.
DC. I always thought of the violin as a potential rock instrument. It seemed possible to me because of the blues violin playing of Sugar Kane Harris and Pap John Creech. Its a question of sound and feel, and over the years I have gradually got closer to working with the violin as a rock instrument. The technology now makes it easier and I am beginning to get a feel for it now.
MP. What are memories of work with P.J.Proby? His "trousers extravaganza"? What of his hits you played on? Did you chance to meet THE BEATLES through him?
DC. I only played live with PJ Proby; I didn't do any recording. He was a great performer and a good singer. I have never met any of the Beatles or anyone who has. I am a very shy person and if I get near any one famous I usually run away as fast as possible.
MP. You play music for thirty odd years of which only 16 months you spent with KING CRIMSON. Don't you feel resentful to some extent that most people know you only by this work?
DC. I'm very lucky that some people know something of my playing. Most performers never have the opportunities that I have had.
MP. In your childhood days you wanted to be a spy, a psychiatrist or a detective. Can you say you were three of them playing in CRIMSON?
DC. A very interesting question. I'm not sure what you are implying here but I guess there are aspects of those activities in being a musician. I suspect I was the one who needed a psychiatrist!
MP. Let alone Jamie Muir but in classic four-piece CRIMSON you were the one quite unknown to progressive rock fans. How did you feel about it and how you were treated by your famous colleagues, Robert Fripp, John Wetton and Bill Bruford?
DC. My famous colleagues treated me just fine.
MP. Do you feel proud that CRIMSON of 1973-1974 was always considered the best and "The Great Deceiver" boxed set is entirely dedicated to this era?
DC. Immensely proud.
MP. Playing a sort of jazz before joining KING CRIMSON you should have felt closer to Bruford rather than to others. So who was your real mate in the band? What can you say of all of them as persons?
DC. I had quite different perspectives on music than Bill or John and felt very much in tune with Robert's rhythmic and tonal ideas. Bill particularly went to great lengths to help me understand what he was doing. Socially, Robert didn't drink and kept himself to himself so I probably spent more down time with Bill and John, particularly John, who enjoyed a party.
MP. Your violin was as important to the band's sound as were Bob's guitar, John's bass or Bill's drums but you shared mellotron with Fripp as well. Who played it more often?
DC. I think mellotron duties/safaris were pretty equally split.
MP. Wetton also played violin. Did you ever played together live as a violin duo?
DC. Yes we used to do a violin/viola duet on our first live gigs but someone in Family criticised what we were doing at a concert and John never wanted to do it again.
MP. As Fripp wrote, in 1973-1974 he always had a kind of battle with rhythm section and Wetton and Bruford won in the end. What was your position in this battle?
DC. I think the evolution of the band can be seen in that way. There was less and less room for musical doubt, ambiguity, vulnerability; the more sensitive expressions that had been sustainable at the beginning of the band were not there at the end. There was also less humour. On the other hand Bill and John achieved an incredibly powerful and imaginative coalition; they couldn't understand why their front line didn't want to constantly wail over the top it.
MP. There always was a question: who played flute on original version of "Exiles"? Can you shed a light on this one?
DC. I played flute on Exiles.
MP. Either John Wetton or Robert Fripp explained once the reason of KING CRIMSON's break-up in 1974 - the band discovered they played together only because they couldn't find other musicians of their kind. You left CRIMSON before the end but can you comment it?
DC. I think the answer lies in (10) above.
MP. How did it come that during the "Red" recordings there were members of various KING CRIMSON line-ups - you, Ian McDonald, Mel Collins? Did Robert feel that "Red" would be the definite last album?
DC. Ask Robert.
MP. You decided to go as there were tour dates planned after the "Red" recording. They never happened and the band came to its end. Was it partially because of your departure?
DC. I don't know.
MP. What of your parts on the "USA" live album were re-recorded by Eddie Jobson and why?
DC. Presumably my parts were bad and needed replacing. Ask Robert.
MP. What kind of person is Richard Palmer-James, the CRIMSON lyricist?
DC. Richard is obviously very talented and an interesting mixture of down to earth and mystical.
MP. What did you do between KING CRIMSON and your nineties' activity?
DC. Please see my biography on www.noisy.co.uk. My life is a source of great pleasure to me. Some frustrations balanced by a lot of good luck!
MP. What do you think of the "double trio" CRIMSON?
DC. Brilliant and NOISY!
MP. In nineties you seem to prefer electric violin to acoustic one. Why?
DC. I understand rock better. I have less respect for classical music, good tone. I prefer a good NOISE made by a human being; I can't be bothered with microphones. I don't enjoy recording violin. I don't really know....
MP. Was your brilliant album "Exiles" a some kind of tribute to nostalgia for old times?
DC. The working title was Unfinished Business, and I suppose that reflected the feelings I had about the end of my time with Crimson. As the album progressed the ghosts of the past were buried. Working again with John and Robert was a pleasure and somewhere along the way the whole experience put 1972/4 into a new perspective. I'm not sure who the exiles are; perhaps all of us.
MP. How did "Exiles" come about? I mean, were you in touch with Wetton and Fripp for all these years or was the album just a result of your meeting at "The Night Watch" presentation?
DC. It all started with the Great Deceiver... ...Robert got in touch out of the blue.
MP. The new version of song "Exiles" is so majestic in contrary to the old, gentle, version. Why did you decide to make it this way? Was Wetton the obvious choice to sing it?
DC. John was the obvious choice and the right choice. The version that we recorded was based on the way it had evolved with the band in live performances.
MP. For how long do you know Peter Hammill, who sang "Tonk" on your "Exiles"?
DC. I met him in the studio on the day he recorded the songs. He did a wonderful job in very little time. A brilliant performer.
MP. "This Is Your Life" off "Exiles" seems to be your first collaboration with Peter Sinfield, yes? Did Peter and Fripp meet during your sessions and, if so, how do they get along now?
DC. This was the first time to work with Peter and I learnt a great deal from working with him. Robert was not involved in this and did not meet with him during recording.
MP. How can you describe the kind of music you played with RADIUS?
DC. This is a real problem. Can you help me with this? I need to find some way of marketing it. Urgently........
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