I remember reading somewhere that the Beatles hired a drummer when Ringo came down with strep throat or something with his tonsils.
I remember reading somewhere that the Beatles hired a drummer when Ringo came down with strep throat or something with his tonsils.
Jackson didn't really replace Felder in fairness - he did the rhythm guitar on MF granted, but he played piano on James Dean and Take It Easy, and nothing on Already Gone. Obviously he wouldn't have been there if Felder was, but it was more a substitute than outright like-for-like.
Thank you, NKIT, the blimp reminds of something- this concert was broadcast on TV over 2 nights. This is another reason the Eagles may not have wanted to cancel. This was big- time exposure for them. It probably would require a change in the setlist.
However, I do see UtW’s point about scrambling at the last minute for a viable replacement. That may not have been an option.
According to Randy’s concert chronology, there were a number of occasions where concerts were postponed. Reasons were not always provided though so it’s not clear if the postponement was due to the band or venue.
At any rate, the gist of my post was more about the fan reaction if indeed another drummer replaced Henley at the Cal Jam—I don’t think it would be outrage. If Glenn were replaced due to major unforeseeable circumstances e.g a family emergency, I don’t think it would be outrage either but fans would definitely be disappointed and they would certainly know the difference.
To FP’s point about younger people being familiar with these bands, I know a number of hip-hop acts like Jay-Z have sampled Earth Wind and Fire’s songs. Whether they are aware of it or not—who knows.
Right or wrong, what’s done is done
It’s only moments that you borrow...
Thank You FP, I had remembered reading something about someone stepping in for Ringo when he was sick but that is all I knew.
Delilah, I just remembered something about the CJ footage. When watching it there is something that comes across stating the concert is on WPLJ 95.5 - which is and was a local big NY radio station. I used to listen to it all the time back then. And, you are right, I do remember something about the concert being shown on tv. That was probably their first big exposure to an American audience.
I have been reading some old newspaper articles (1974) about California Jam. The concert was sponsored by and produced by ABC Entertainment, which was a division of the ABC network. ABC had a late night block of entertainment called "Wide World of Entertainment." This was an effort to compete with The Tonight Show. ABC's WWoE included comedy specials, documentaries, limited talk shows, and concert specials. The concerts would air a couple of times a month and were called ABC's "In Concert."
It appears that California Jam was a 4 part television series, airing from 11:30-1:00. When each part was aired, the tape from the concert was also broadcast on ABC affiliated radio stations.
May 10, 1974--One song from each group, usually the closing number. Interviews with various group members, concert information, crowd shots etc.
May 24, 1974--Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Rare Earth
June 7, !974--Emerson,Lake,&Palmer, Black Oak Arkansas
June 21, 1974 Seals & Crofts, Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire
These shows were rebroadcast again in November of that year.
I have to think that Glenn's blimp comment about "Wide World of Sports" (which was a huge ABC hit at the time), was a slight wink and a nod to all of the network honchos who were there and in charge of editing and airing the concert. That comment made the show, didn't it? Smart man, great marketing!
I worked this thing - both Cal Jams - and it was not a pleasant experience, at least for the participants.
The air quality, for one thing, was awful. You couldn't really see the mountains surrounding the venue. And this concert was so huge that it felt like some kind of gigantic industrial project, complete with forklifts and water trucks and massive sets that had been pre-staged on flatbed trailers. One of the English guys said that, if the Third Reich had put on rock concerts, this is what they would look like.
I didn't think the Eagles set was particularly good, and the band wasn't particularly happy with it either, as I recall. One thing that may have contributed to this was the repeated failure of the A/C units in the dressing room/trailer; another issue was that the sound checks (because of the number of acts and because the whole load-in was running late) only lasted for maybe 15 or 20 minutes per band.
Penumbra, how long do sound checks normally last, and what do bands do during sound check? I'm sorry if this seems like a ridiculous question, but I have never been on the inside of a band, or what they are looking for in sound check.
I mean I understand the basics, based on the name, sound check....but I'd be interested to hear what sort of things they do, as far as which numbers, how much of a song, that type of thing.