Al Stewart

[fowlesjohn]

I am rather amused at how often Al the Stewart not our watchman Al is featured in topics here.
I feel as a former teenager who grew up in the Bournemouth area of England that I should
mention that:-
"Glasgow native Al Stewart began his career playing guitar in Tony Blackburn's (Bournemouth) band the
Sabres, and moved from there to the London folk club scene. ...

and I suspect that not many people will know that his illustrious pop music career started in a lowly fashion as a sidesman
to an aspiring singing star from Bournemouth by name of Tony Blackburn in 1963.UK readers will be well aware that Tony and
his faithful dog Arnold in fact ended up as a Disk Jockey instead ,first on the 60's "pirate" station Radio Caroline

then in 1967 when the BBC finally overcame the ridiculous needle-time limits imposed by the Musician's Union,Tony in fact opened the
new Radio One on at some point he blotted his copy book and fell out of favo(u)r with the Beeb and joned the independant
(commercial) statio Radio London.Al of couse faired rather better. I say all this because as a poor student in the late 50's
I used to work the summer vacation for Bournemouth Corporation who in those days had a total monopoly on all beach opertions.
The last 3 or 4 years were enjoyably spent in a beach cafe/restaurant at Durley Chine:-

there I met Jacquie now the wife of my old school friend and Lighthead Alan (it was Jackie who organised a series of great
skiing holidays in the 70's that I will be mentioning in a small talk forum topic shortly.Now Jackie's main and embarassing
claim to fame is that (after I left the cafe) Tony Blackburn started working there and she had a date with him
I did a google for these two stars and found an interview with Al at:-
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...0a642c7b?hl=en
i.e. a Bob Dylan newsgroup of all places
part of it said
"RC: To go from the sublime to the ridiculous, what about Tony Blackburn & the Sabres?


AS: I was a Sabre, but I was seventeen, so there are mitigating circumstances! I played lead guitar, very briefly, and got paid
ten shillings a night, as I recall. I only did about five gigs for him. That was during his Elvis Presley impersonator period
He used to wear a gold lame jacket and, at a strategic moment during "One Night With You" he would lie down on stage and rip
it open and expose his chest. This supposedly should have sent the female fans into a frenzy, had they not been filing their
nails and looking in the other direction at the time!


[Tony Blackburn later had one or two very minor hit records, but
is more famous as a DJ. After working on the 'pirate stations'
which operated from ships and other off-shore locations in the
1960's, he played the very first record on the BBC's pop station,
Radio 1, which opened in 1967. Today, he operates on a local
station in London, and is the butt of many media 'jokes'. -C.H."

[charlene]

I love Florida in the summer! I'm either in the pool, in the pond or in the Gulf of Mexico with a drink in my hand!!. I'm a Cancerian and can't get enuf of the water!
lol
The heat I absorb during my holiday is stored for the long cold winter.....along with the weight gain!
lol
I wear SPF 45 and still get tanned up pretty good. Must be the Italian blood in me....

[Jim Nasium]

Question for John Fowles.

Who said "Tonight we will eat at the table of my fuddur at Noddingham"

He then proceeded to walk the 205 miles between Dover & Noddingham in an eye watering speed of approx. 35 miles per hour.

This is an oblique reference to your picture of Olivia & Errol.

[Patti]

Back in the eartly 70's, I was hitchkiking with a friend and two polite gentlemen picked us up. The were polite enough to get us ripped out of our minds and I remember them playing this good music. I asked who it was and they said it was Al Stewart. Ever since then I've liked Al Stewart. (and polite people.)

[Borderstone]

I just read the album jacket of Time Passages LP and found out it was produced by Alan Parsons (of Alan Parsons Project of course ) I never noticed that,now I see why Al went from cult favorite to hit maker...(all 4 hits! )

Good job Mr. Parsons!

[DJ in MJ]

AP also produced the two previous LPs - Modern Times and Year Of The Cat.

[Sheryl]

I'm off in a few minutes to go see Al! I'll report back tomorrow!

[johnfowles]

Great if you sneak backstage Sheryl!!!
just tell Al that I once worked at the same cafe omn the Bournemouth beach front where his old friend Tony Blackburn later worked OK
John

[Sheryl]

Well, it's officially tomorrow - it's 1:15 a.m. (late Friday night). I have just been to the local "midnight madness" at our bookseller to buy Harry Potter... but, this post is not to discuss that!

Gabe and I had an AMAZING time at the Al Stewart concert! He is phenomen-AL! He sounds *exactly* the same as he did in the 70's! To cut to the chase, he was witty, entertaining, EXTREMELY chatty, and a consummate performer. There were only 150 of us in the back room of the guitar store, McCabe's, in Santa Monica (California). It was a regular performance area with a stage, lights, sound room, the whole deal. There were vintage guitars, mandolins, banjos, autoharps, and everything hanging from the walls, as well as pictures and posters of many music greats throughout the store. It looked as if we'd stepped back into a time warp from the 60's. Al sang two of my favorite songs of his: Merlin's Time and Roads to Moscow. He took requests and was very friendly to everyone. We were third in line awaiting him before the performance and just as the babysitter called me, UP HE WALKS!! Gabe jogged my arm and I was like (to the babysitter) "Yeah, sure, whatever. I gotta go." And I hung up! He came up and, apparently, knew the guy at the head of the line, they hugged, he then stood there and surveyed us all in line and waved to us, saying, "Hello! See you all later!" What a nice guy!! He is average height, thin, wore tan slacks and a long-sleeved light blue business-type shirt, open at the top button. Although on one of his CDs his face looks angular, it looks more rounded now, and his hair is a greyish/blond shade, short, and combed straight back.



He smiled a LOT and really had us in the palm of his hand. I didn't take down a set list as I don't the names of most of his songs. But, he did sing those two I mentioned plus Year of the Cat, the Immelman Turn, Katherine of Oregon, Gina in the Kings Road, Oh Carol, Apple Cider Re-constitution, and several others from his Greatest Hits CD. O.K., here are the ones from his Greatest Hits album he sang: Bedsitter Images (I think he sang this one), In Brooklyn, Soho, On the Border, Song on the Radio. Oh, also one about Joseph Stalin called, I think, Joe the Georgian. He had a *really* funny way of introducing that one. He could very well have sung others, but, as I have never heard many of them before, I couldn't say. The ones I mentioned I'd already heard from the three CD's I recently bought. I really can't rave enough about him. He was signing autographs before and after the performance and I really would have loved to have stayed and chatted, but, it was already 11:00 p.m. and we had to get back to release the babysitter. A memorable evening for sure! Oh, almost forgot to mention... throughout the evening, Al did a few impressions, one of Dylan (dead on!), another of a famous rocker who he refused to name because he was making fun of him, and someone else.. it's too late now and I can't think of it. What a funny guy!!

Lastly, I'll just mention that Gabe and I plan to get tickets to see Ian Tyson who will also be playing there in August.

[ July 18, 2005, 00:14: Message edited by: Sheryl ]

[DJ in MJ]

Very typical Al.

Exactly why he ís at the top of my list with Gord.

[Sydney Steve]

Sheryl,
Thou art a bitch. I am jealous to the nth degree...(and in part your wonderful post is responsible!)

To see and experience masters of their art like you have so recently - don't underestimate how blessed you are...

XX

[mnmouse]

Sheryl,

Glad you had a great time. Al Stewart's music brings me back to a great time in my life. Missed you at chat last night...but nice to hear you were having such an enjoyable evening!!

Sharron

[Sheryl]

Thanks, all! (Don't worry about Steve's post -- he and I are "sympatico"!! Funny guy!) I hope to see Al again, although the flyer said it was a rare West-coast appearance. He was also mentioning that he had just moved. I'd *hoped* it was to L.A.!! Oh, almost forgot, he also sang "On the Border." He travels quite a bit, he said. So, if he plays Vegas or something, that'll be another reason to return there!! (HINT HINT -- YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE)

[Sydney Steve]

....and what good taste in a song Sheryl. On The Border" is a classic....

[Borderstone]

Mr. Stewart will be here in Phoenix next week for all those close enough to travel. I forgot the date but then again,I doubt I'll be attending. Check tour date guides wherever you may find them. Good luck ya'll!

[Sheryl]

O.K, just edited my original "review" a bit to include more songs. I had to get the CD case out of the car to see the song names.