8 hours ago, dermott said:

Famously was working as a babysitter for Goffin and King and they discovered she could sing a bit.

Had forgotten all about that. A case of being in the right place at the right time.

‘Vienna’ by Ultravox. Still can’t believe this wasn’t a No 1 back in Feb 1981.

Their first hit. The song was turned down by 30 artists before Chet Atkins - mentoring the brothers - came across it. He tried it out with one of his other proteges, decided it wasn't right, tried it out with the brothers and the rest is, as they say. Atkins played on the track.

1 minute ago, dermott said:

Their first hit. The song was turned down by 30 artists before Chet Atkins - mentoring the brothers - came across it. He tried it out with one of his other proteges, decided it wasn't right, tried it out with the brothers and the rest is, as they say. Atkins played on the track.

Had the privilege to seeing the Everly Brothers at the Royal Albert Hall in September 1983 for their reunion concert. What a great night. I took my late Mum along. She had listened to the Everly Brothers when she was in her early twenties. She loved the concert. Have an album of the concert.

11 minutes ago, Boyne said:

Had the privilege to seeing the Everly Brothers at the Royal Albert Hall in September 1983 for their reunion concert. What a great night. I took my late Mum along. She had listened to the Everly Brothers when she was in her early twenties. She loved the concert. Have an album of the concert.

Lovely memory. The curious thing is that they never got on. Two completely different personalities with a single thing in common: their perfectly matched voices.

2 hours ago, dermott said:

Lovely memory. The curious thing is that they never got on. Two completely different personalities with a single thing in common: their perfectly matched voices.

I think it was during a concert in 1973 - may be wrong about the year - when Don stormed off stage. He may have smashed his guitar. As you say their voices matched perfectly.

I've attended loads of concerts over the years and I'll put the Everly Brothers concert in the top five.

40 minutes ago, Boyne said:

I think it was during a concert in 1973 - may be wrong about the year - when Don stormed off stage. He may have smashed his guitar. As you say their voices matched perfectly.

I've attended loads of concerts over the years and I'll put the Everly Brothers concert in the top five.

Yes, the guitar smash happened. Don was arguably the more talented, actually a big R&B fan, which you can detect in his playing. A better guitarist and he wrote some very good songs. Some posit that Phil was jealous, that he believed their father - a huge influence in their lives - favoured Don. Plus of course Don was a liberal, Phil a conservative Republican. Families ...

1 hour ago, dermott said:

Yes, the guitar smash happened. Don was arguably the more talented, actually a big R&B fan, which you can detect in his playing. A better guitarist and he wrote some very good songs. Some posit that Phil was jealous, that he believed their father - a huge influence in their lives - favoured Don. Plus of course Don was a liberal, Phil a conservative Republican. Families ...

Thanks for confirmation about the smashing of the guitar. As for rivalries, jealousies etc as we know the Everly Brothers were one of many siblings who had falling outs

17 hours ago, Boyne said:

I think it was during a concert in 1973 - may be wrong about the year - when Don stormed off stage. He may have smashed his guitar. As you say their voices matched perfectly.

I've attended loads of concerts over the years and I'll put the Everly Brothers concert in the top five.

I've been doing a deep dive - how unlike me - and it was Phil who stormed off and smashed his guitar. That concert you attended with your mother features prominently in the history. One thing I hadn't realised was that Paul Simon was a big fan and encouraged them back to performing. They sang back up on his Graceland track.

Proby, a lantern-jawed Texan who set up shop in England, was one of the great 60s frauds. Couldn't sing in tune - listen to him warbling around trying to find the note - and obnoxious to boot. Racist, homophobic, and an advocate of sex with young girls. His gimmick was to wear skin-tight jump suits rigged to split on stage. I remember he toured Australia. Split his jump suit at the knees. For publicity, the promoter had him wear overalls over his jump suit.

6 hours ago, dermott said:

I've been doing a deep dive - how unlike me - and it was Phil who stormed off and smashed his guitar. That concert you attended with your mother features prominently in the history. One thing I hadn't realised was that Paul Simon was a big fan and encouraged them back to performing. They sang back up on his Graceland track.

Ah, it was Phil. Like you I always thought it was Don. Didn't know that about Paul Simon. I bought the Graceland album when it came out and it's years since I've played it. Must play it again.

I remember when Phil and Cliff Richard released She Means Nothing to me in early 1983 rumours started about whether or not the brothers would unite. I'll have to play the reunion album again. One of the backing musicians was Albert Lee.

1 hour ago, Boyne said:

Ah, it was Phil. Like you I always thought it was Don. Didn't know that about Paul Simon. I bought the Graceland album when it came out and it's years since I've played it. Must play it again.

I remember when Phil and Cliff Richard released She Means Nothing to me in early 1983 rumours started about whether or not the brothers would unite. I'll have to play the reunion album again. One of the backing musicians was Albert Lee.

Give Graceland another listen. I saw him on his Graceland tour in Sydney in 1987. Extraordinary live, stunning band. Simon himself? Barely said a word all night. Typical him. Still, why get in the way of the music?

Saw Jeff Healey at the Hammersmith Odeon in about 1990. A superb guitarist.

Johnny Cash played the prisons. . . The Cramps played the Asylums. The Cramps at the California State Mental Hospital in 1978. Great idea and what wonderful footage. :0)