Ginger Baker

REVIEW: Ginger Baker’s Air Force – “Man of Constant Sorrow” single (1970)

GINGER BAKER’S AIR FORCE – “Man of Constant Sorrow” (1970 ATCO 7″ single)

When Blind Faith broke up in 1969, Ginger Baker formed the Air Force featuring musicians such as Steve Winwood, Alan White and Denny Laine.  They released two albums, Air Force and Air Force 2, with the debut being a live album recorded at Albert Hall.  They also released one single, a studio version of the traditional “Man of Constant Sorrow”.  Its live counterpart was on the debut Air Force album, but the 3:31 studio version was only on the single.  Today you can buy several compilations and additional live albums, but in 1970 this single would have been one to seek.

Most people today are familiar with the version of “Man of Constant Sorrow” that was released as a single from the soundtrack O Brother Where Art Thou.  Based on the same traditional music, Ginger’s version is vastly different, though clearly the same song.  Opening with soft electric guitar picking by Denny Laine, Ginger soon comes in with a pitty-patter that is distinctly him.  Fiddles join in, and ample soulful backing vocals.  Aside from Laine’s emotional lead vocals, the defining characteristic of this song is the bombastic (but not out of place) drum pounding of Ginger Baker.  Horns join in at the halfway point, lending the song a celebratory Mardi Gras kind of feel.  Though it starts quiet and unassuming, it ends as a magnificent folk-soul monolith.

The single B-side is an instrumental live cut of the original song “Doin’ It” from the debut Air Force.  It was recorded 15 January 1970 at the Albert Hall with a ten-piece band including three saxophones and Hammond organs.  This is a tribal but funky jam, with the bass by Ric Grech blazing the trail.  Like “Man of Constant Sorrow” it builds louder and louder as it goes.  This short 3:47 (fade out) jam is in and out before you know it, but works as an intense but fun workout from some of the greatest musicians ever to hit the stage.  Certainly, the drums and two additional percussionists are a main focus and worth paying attention to.

A terrific single that is not too hard to find.

4/5 stars

EPSON MFP image

#1062: Return to Trillion Dollar Treats with Max the Axe

One does not question the mighty Max the Axe why he has three kites (and one has propellers).  One simply walks into his garage and purchases two of the kites.  And a CD to boot.

I don’t understand how many of Max’s treats weren’t snapped up by his hordes of fans and followers a few short weeks ago.  He did have a kite I was interested in.  As a gift, to my sister, Dr. Kathryn.  In fact, on my show a couple weeks ago, I told Jex Russell that I was going to return to Max’s and buy one of his kites for my sister.  I even said, “She’s not watching this anyway.”  But she was, and so she knows she’s getting a new kite.  It truly is a beauty.

For $10 each, I took home two $30 (retail) kites.  The dragon one, we know it flies — because at Max’s sale, it caught a gust of wind and took off down the street!  The other is still sealed in package.  And I didn’t buy the one with propellers because it looked pretty complicated and didn’t have instructions.

The CD I bought for $5 was Around the Next Dream by BBM (1994) – Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, and Gary Moore.  You might recognize that as the Cream rhythm section but with Gary Moore on guitar instead of Eric Clapton.  All these years and I’ve never heard it before now.  Good score.

It wasn’t for sale, but I had to snap a picture of Max’s one of a kind signed Sheavy poster.  A great band that no longer exists, but really should.  A piece of history right there on his wall.

Max is having another sale with his whole neighbourhood next month.  Be sure to check out Trillion Dollar Treats on June 17 for more goodies and treasures!

 

MOVIE REVIEW: Beware of Mr. Baker (2012)

“He influenced me as a drummer, but not a person.” – Simon Kirke, Bad Company

BEWARE OF MR. BAKER (2012 SnagFilms)

Directed by Jay Bulger

Cream.  Graham Bond.  Fela Kuti.  Blind Faith.  Masters of Reality.  The resume is one of the most impressive for any drummer of any genre.  It belongs to the one and only Ginger Baker, a phenomenon of a man, a loose cannon, and a rhythmic genius.  As you might guess, a documentary based on this wildman prodigy had to be tour de force.

From the start, you know this is not going to be your typical love-fest documentary.  It begins at the end, with Ginger Baker assaulting director Jay Bulger with his cane, cracking his nose over the issue of who else might appear in this film.  Indeed, Ginger was not happy about some people the director was interviewing, perhaps his ex-wives and arch nemesis but brilliant bandmate Jack Bruce (RIP).

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The bloodied director Jay Bulger

Bruce is one of many associates interviewed.  Bill Ward, Chad Smith, Neil Peart, Charlie Watts, Eric Clapton, Chris Goss and many more praise the drummer’s abilities.  His skill seemed to earn Baker many a free pass over the years, for his quick temper.  Poor Eric Clapton thought he was free of the fiery drummer with the end of Cream, but then Ginger joined his new band Blind Faith!  In this film, Baker seems like an incredibly difficult individual.  He barks at the director many times over questions he doesn’t like.  He’s purposely difficult.  Living a faraway life on a ranch in South Africa, Ginger Baker had isolated himself from his past.  It is a recurring theme in his life.  When things got tough, or when he went flat broke, he has always uprooted and gone elsewhere, starting over fresh.  Baker never had it easy, losing his dad in World War II when he was only four.

The constant uprooting and starting anew took its toll on Baker and his family.  While living in California in the early 90’s with his third wife, he hooked up with Masters of Reality for their landmark second album, Sunrise on the Sufferbus.  Though it was a good experience musically, Baker couldn’t hack starting over this time.  Opening for Alice in Chains, the drummer was pelted with crap by grunge fans that had no idea who the legend Ginger Baker even was.  The union did not last and Baker was off again to start over once more.

Through the mess that was his life, Ginger Baker was always one of the most brilliant drummers on the stage.  More a jazz drummer who played heavy, Baker learned to move all four limbs independently which created an illusion of a blur of speed.  He wasn’t physically moving as fast as it sounds, but the end result was a unique sound in rock that nobody else copied.  Jazz drummer Phil Seaman introduced him to African rhythms which led to a life-long quest.  Baker lived in Africa more than once, absorbing the local rhythms and playing with Fela Kuti, learning all he could from the birthplace of the drum.

Johnny Rotten, with whom Baker played in P.I.L., praised the drummer regardless of his personal shortfalls.  Whatever his personality might be, it is what was necessary for Baker to perfect his craft, argues Rotten.  The ends justify the means.  He could not have been Ginger Baker, if he was not Ginger Baker.  A very punk-like attitude.  Whoever Baker bruised and bloodied, the higher goal of rhythmic transcendence was achieved, and could not have been achieved if he was a different person.  That’s the way Johnny Rotten sees it, and since nobody can change the past, that’s a good way of looking at it.

4.5/5 stars