Friday, June 11, 2021

Weekend Mix/Magic Dust Redux



One of my very first Weekend Mixes for Burning Wood was "Big Star Stuff" in 2015.

On June 8, 2017 I posted an upgrade, the text of which I've lazily, and hurriedly, copied and pasted below. Since then I acquired "Ork Records Complete Singles", which includes Alex Chilton's "All The Time". A better fit musically, and gives Alex a little more real estate.                                              

I keep listening to this mix as if it's a real album.                                                                           

In case you missed it the first two times, I recommend nabbing this one.

Lightly edited from 2017:
Since then, the "Complete Third" has been released, full of outtakes and demos, many of which are not that interesting, with the exception of "Lovely Day". It's the original version of "Stroke It Noel".
Noel being one of the string players hired for the session. Alex recognized him as a family friend and re-wrote the song in his honor.

Anyway it fit without having to make room and the mix is much improved.

To recap: this attempts to collect as much leftover Big Star DNA as possible.
With the exception of a couple tracks, none of it is actually Big Star, but every song has the participation of Alex, and or, Chris, Jody, and Andy, and was recorded at Ardent.

It starts off with the 45 version of "O My Soul", ripped from a single autographed by and purchased from Andy Hummel, and ends with "I Am The Cosmos", from "Columbia" 1993, and "Dony", from "In Space" (2005). The "stereo" mix of "Got Kinda Lost" was created by me from a bootleg purchased in the '90's at NYCD.

Some of it is by Prix, a short-lived project headed by John Tiven (carpet-bagging from New Jersey) and Tommy Hoehn.
Recorded at Ardent just after "Third", it credits Alex on piano, background vocals, and song writing, with Chris Bell on production, additional guitar, and background vocals as if they were members.
The singer, Tommy Hoehn appears on "Third". His voice splits the difference between Alex and Chris, hence Big Star DNA.


Enjoy!

-BBJ


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that picture from the back of Radio City. It shocks me that in the Big Star "Third" tribute documentary - still streaming on Tubi, I think - only Mitch Easter thought to wear a brightly colored satin shirt.

Michael Giltz said...

Nice! I'm on the road so this is perfect timing. However, since my 92 year old mother thinks Simon & Garfunkel and Ella Fitzgerald are too rocking out, this may not fly until we're back home again.

neal t said...

just read the Chris Bell bio this week. good read if in to B S

pmac said...

I met Alex a few times when he lived in NO. He never let on that he was that Alex. Just a really nice guy, who just wanted to blend in with everyone else. And, there was a sorts unwritten rule amongst those of us whi either knew, or caught on, that we would honor his obvious wishes by never bringing up that he was Alex Chilton. He died while mowing his lawn. While it was tragic that he passed so young, it does seem fitting that he died doing something so innocuous.

Beyes said...

Thank you. Something about anything related to Big Star brings both a smile and a tear.

JAYESSEMM said...

Hey BBJ,

Thanks for the reminder. You are so right how well this mix works as an "album."

I love Big Star, I love Alex Chilton, Chris Bell breaks my heart!

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tasty mix, BBJ. That caused me to play The Orange Humble Band's "Humblin' (Across America)" which features Jody Stephens, Ken Stringfellow, and Jon Auer, along with a host of other great musicians.

- Paul in DK

Ken D said...

Many thanks for this, BBJ. Didn't know about thse gems.

Chris Collins said...

oh man. thank you for this!! One of my favorite bands, of course. Never knew about a lot of this, though