Saturday, April 12th, 1969
Keith gets his chance to rate records without knowing who recorded them in the Melody Maker article: "Blind Date: Keith Moon"
Transcription:
BLIND DATE
KEITH MOON
BARRY RYAN: “Theme to Eutopia” and “Why Do You Cry My Love” (from the MGM LP Barry Ryan Sings Paul Ryan)
Shades of 2001. I know who this is because the records in the same studio were used and I was there for this one.
This hit is more or less an instrumental — the overture. It’s nice if you are using orchestration to the extent Barry does; it can be overpowering. It tends to submerge the singer, and I don’t think he’s what orchestration is about.
A touch bells. The dead are rising from their graves! Actually he sounds a bit like Neil Sedaka, and who was that other cat — Len Barry? Perhaps I can listen to more of this later.
HUBERT GREGG: “My Pal Harry” (from the Tangerine LP Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner)
Ha ha! It’s not a drag queen, it’s that guy on the radio — what’s his name? I wasn’t going to say Danny La Rue — but I will. Danny La Rue.
I’ve thought of what I was going to say — Alan Breeze? Clinton Ford? Tony Blackburn! I thought it was the Bonzo Dog Band at first.
I know — he keeps going. Who does University Challenge? Gascoigne. The suspense is killing me — who is it?
STAN GETZ: “It’s Late, It’s Late” (from the Verve LP Focus on Stan Getz)
I can never get into the mood to listen to jazz. I can never get enough of it, but to Ronnie Scott’s where they smash it out, and I can hear them watching the band.
Is this a film score? I’ve no idea who it is, so you might as well tell me.
I like big bands, and in fact I like jazz a lot more since I started going to Scott’s. I liked Buddy Rich and the Francy Boland Big Band — all the musicians everybody else likes and says are good.
SPIKE MILLIGAN: “The Q5 Piano Tune” (Parlophone)
Spike Milligan! Hee, hee, hee! It must be Milligan. Great electronic music by mouth — I’ve only heard Milligan’s name and I crack up.
This is incredible. Not really a hit, but I must have this one. He is a genius.
ISLEY BROTHERS: “Behind a Painted Smile” (Tamla Motown)
Sounds like the Goons’ piano player. Yeah — great sound.
I wouldn’t say it was a new group, but relatively unknown — right? This is too good to be their first record.
Is it the Alan Bown? Ah, the Isley Brothers. Fantastic. They sound a bit like the Four Tops. Can I take that one?
KINKS: “Plastic Man” (Pye)
Tony Blackburn! Sung by the Kinks, of course. No, we never did a song about plastic. Aluminium — nice things.
“See My Friend” and “Waterloo Sunset” — but they haven’t done much since. I’ve liked some of the songs on their albums. I don’t think they’ve got a lot together.
Yes, I like Ray’s songs, silly little bastard that he is. Lots of luck.
No, that’s not a lot of bottle. That means not a lot of good. Like, I sussed out the song and I knew it wasn’t a lot of bottle.
KEEF HARTLEY: “Leave It ’Til the Morning” (Decca)
Chet Atkins? Definitely got to be English with plenty of twang. That’s word for treble — lots of wince and blah.
A harmless little ditty. English groups get this sound because it takes a long time to find a studio and engineer that is right for you. It’s no good working with an engineer you’ve never met before and a producer who doesn’t know about the band. This is typical of the sound you get.
The producer will say: “You’ve got to have lots of brass lads,” just so he has got something to walk over.
Listen to that trumpet — it’s incredibly bad. It’s a shame. Well, it’s been a miserable selection so far!
CHRIS BARBER: “Battersea Rain Dance” (Marmalade)
It’s a bit like Blood, Sweat & Tears. Nice funky brass — I’m beginning to really dig that sound. I like Blood, Sweat & Tears and Francy Boland.
Is this Kenny Ball? Chris Barber! That’ll be resident down the Marquee. Chris is one of the few jazzers to get out of that trad thing — that Trad Lads on Radio One thing. Good for Chris — doing something new.
Talking about Blood, Sweat & Tears — I saw them at the Scene Club in New York. They’re even better live than on record. You sit in front of the brass section and it hits you in the chest.
They’ve had a lot of personnel changes. Al Kooper was there when I saw them. He’s an incredible arranger. He worked on a couple of sessions with us on organ, but nothing was ever released.
ROY ORBISON: “My Friend” (London)
Dozes off in chair brackets. Who is it? I like ballads to have a bit of guts, instead of all this weeping strings and weeping voice. Melancholia. Still, it’s a great late-night smoocher.
When Keith Moon laughs it is as committed a performance as one of his drum solos. He throws his whole body, muscles and nerves into mighty guffaws. There wasn’t much to laugh at in this week’s Blind Date session.
“A poor selection, wasn’t it?” he remarked with commendable restraint. But Spike Milligan and Hubert Gregg between them managed to detonate Keith’s sense of the absurd at least thrice.
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