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Thread: The Un-Real Thing?

  1. #1

    The Un-Real Thing?

    Waiting for my play to start tonight I picked up a Bradford Theatres Programme and I noted amongst "forthcoming attractions":

    Wet Wet Wet - well without Marti Pellow whom I thought was WWW?

    Roy Orbison Story - well it has to be since he is dead

    The Spice Girls Show - well more Wannabe than the real thing

    Whitney - er not, she is dead

    One Night Of Queen - er actually Freddy Mullen & The Works because Freddy cannot be with us.

    PJ Proby Farewell Tour - ah the real thing, although at 81 this year he's way older than even me!

    The King is Back - er no, Elvis is very,very dead

    Let It Be - er I am sure that cannot really be The Beatles because, well, two are dead

    My Leonard Cohen - er - I liked Leonard and he is def dead. Hallelujah!

    New Jersey Boys - er - meaning not the Four Seasons (some of whom can no longer be with us tonight)

    Bowie Experience -er - but surely?

    Simon & Garfunkel Story - not them then but elsewhere I know that Art Garfunkel is still performing to his mother and stray dogs but at 77 years old? Simon has given up to count his money.

    Mamma Mia! - but of course.

    So I then came home and played some Mississippi delta blues like Robert Johnson. Now he was the real thing.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  2. #2
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    Very interesting 😂🤣

  3. #3
    Master GeoffB's Avatar
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    Haha! Similarly, as we finished our regular Tuesday night Hope Valley walk, passing Peak Cavern we noticed adverts for:-

    T. Rextasy

    Absolute Bowie

    A Celebration of the Music of Sir Elton John and Billy Joel (ok, they're alive, but they won't be appearing in Castleton!)

    and others...

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    Twin Lizzy

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    Master PeteS's Avatar
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    Fred Zeppelin

  6. #6
    Although one cannot be too precious, and setting aside how few rock stars actually played on "their" recordings, or even sang (eg Phil Spector's tricks in his Philles days) the classic case is the Drifters whose name was owned by the infamous manager, George Treadwell.

    He just paid his singers a salary (no royalties) and called them the Drifters. If anyone complained he just sacked them - including all 5 members on one occasion. The Drifters had some great lead singers, Clyde McPhatter, Ben E King, Johnny Moore - but nobody stayed for very long under such treatment.

    George realised that the USA was a big place and Europe a long way away so he started sending out lots of groups of singers all over the world called the Drifters. He owned the name so he could call anyone (or everyone) the Drifters. And so he did. And how many punters realised they were not the "real thing"?

    Unless you knew what Clyde McPhatter sounded like - and that he died in 1972.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  7. #7
    Moderator noel's Avatar
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    It makes you wonder which recording artists that are around today will either still be touring (minus some of them) in 50 years, or will have tribute acts.

    I'm sure our grumpy old men equivalents didn't think Bowie was up to much when he first burst onto the scene in his androgynous glory. But maybe I'm biased because I still don't get him.

    Will we ever see Ned Sheeran and A Delle?

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    I am not sure the real thing is always desirable. I cringe when I hear Elton John try (who fails miserably) to sing now. For me he tarnishes his legacy every time he does it. No doubt a cover singer could do better!


    Quote Originally Posted by Graham Breeze View Post
    Waiting for my play to start tonight I picked up a Bradford Theatres Programme and I noted amongst "forthcoming attractions":

    Wet Wet Wet - well without Marti Pellow whom I thought was WWW?

    Roy Orbison Story - well it has to be since he is dead

    The Spice Girls Show - well more Wannabe than the real thing

    Whitney - er not, she is dead

    One Night Of Queen - er actually Freddy Mullen & The Works because Freddy cannot be with us.

    PJ Proby Farewell Tour - ah the real thing, although at 81 this year he's way older than even me!

    The King is Back - er no, Elvis is very,very dead

    Let It Be - er I am sure that cannot really be The Beatles because, well, two are dead

    My Leonard Cohen - er - I liked Leonard and he is def dead. Hallelujah!

    New Jersey Boys - er - meaning not the Four Seasons (some of whom can no longer be with us tonight)

    Bowie Experience -er - but surely?

    Simon & Garfunkel Story - not them then but elsewhere I know that Art Garfunkel is still performing to his mother and stray dogs but at 77 years old? Simon has given up to count his money.

    Mamma Mia! - but of course.

    So I then came home and played some Mississippi delta blues like Robert Johnson. Now he was the real thing.

  9. #9
    Master
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    Australian pink Floyd are by far and away the best tribute act in the world and really plug the gap in the absence of the real thing.
    Established 25 years ago and still Touring this years tour All that you love
    The older I get the Faster I was

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by noel View Post
    It makes you wonder which recording artists that are around today will either still be touring (minus some of them) in 50 years, or will have tribute acts.

    I'm sure our grumpy old men equivalents didn't think Bowie was up to much when he first burst onto the scene in his androgynous glory. But maybe I'm biased because I still don't get him.
    Oh Noel! I have always thought Bowie was the sort of pretentiousness empty vessel that people who like to be seen to like people like Bowie liked.

    But Noel does that make me a grumpy old man???

    Please say it does and I will die happy: "Graham wasn't all bad, he never did fall for that charlatan Bowie"
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

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