Another legendary musician has left us. RIP Tom. I saw him in concert about 30 years ago. A great night. @BackbiterI think it was you who posted that you saw him when he toured the U.K. recently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41475013

 

It's a shame he's gone, but "legendary"?  Really?  He was very good, but he was hardly the biggest name in music, even at his peak.  Still sad, though.

Yes, truly gutted by this sad news. I've been a huge fan of his since the late 70s, but he played so few gigs over here that I had never got the chance to see him till this year, at the end of his 40th anniversary tour. It was sheer luck that after a holiday in the US, we flew back from San Francisco, and he was playing just across the bay in Berkeley on the one night we were there. That was 5 weeks ago, and he and the band were fantastic. 

I don't suppose he was the biggest name in music, and he never really had great success over here, but he was definitely a legend in the US. I'm not even sure when his peak was. Probably around 1990 when his solo album Full Moon Fever came out. But he maintained his status for 40 years, which is pretty good going. 

He was hugely respected by his fellow musicians and is a massive loss.

OK.  In my mind, Bowie was a legend, Prince was a legend, Sir Tom Jones is a legend.  Tom Petty was a very good rocker  over 40 years, but still doesn't make it as a legend to me. 

Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan anyway, but couldn't name more than two or three of his songs, whereas true legends, even though I might not like them, I know most of their work.  I just think the word "legend" gets bandied around too easily these days, and so it's value gets debased.

 

But, like I said, still a sad loss.

1 hour ago, Backbiter said:

Yes, truly gutted by this sad news. I've been a huge fan of his since the late 70s, but he played so few gigs over here that I had never got the chance to see him till this year, at the end of his 40th anniversary tour. It was sheer luck that after a holiday in the US, we flew back from San Francisco, and he was playing just across the bay in Berkeley on the one night we were there. That was 5 weeks ago, and he and the band were fantastic. 

I don't suppose he was the biggest name in music, and he never really had great success over here, but he was definitely a legend in the US. I'm not even sure when his peak was. Probably around 1990 when his solo album Full Moon Fever came out. But he maintained his status for 40 years, which is pretty good going. 

He was hugely respected by his fellow musicians and is a massive loss.

I remember him in the 80s I guess on TOTP and would probably have forgotten him but for Boyne on the musical connections thread. It was only through that thread I realised he was part of the Travelling Willburys.

Caught on the radio he sold 80m records.

Re the legend status I guess that is for the US to decide as I doubt they would think Tom Jones is a legend yet we would here though not my generation.

48 minutes ago, yorkleyblue said:

OK.  In my mind, Bowie was a legend, Prince was a legend, Sir Tom Jones is a legend.  Tom Petty was a very good rocker  over 40 years, but still doesn't make it as a legend to me. 

Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan anyway, but couldn't name more than two or three of his songs, whereas true legends, even though I might not like them, I know most of their work.  I just think the word "legend" gets bandied around too easily these days, and so it's value gets debased.

 

But, like I said, still a sad loss.

I totally agree that someone needs to have made more than two or three memorable songs to be considered a legend. I won't dispute that he isn't up there with the likes of Bowie or Prince in terms of influence.

I own almost everything he's ever recorded, so obviously I can name plenty, but not many have been big hits over here. I'd say his best known songs (not necessarily his best) are:

American Girl

Anything That's Rock'n'Roll

Refugee

Here Comes My Girl

I Won't Back Down

Free Fallin

Into The Great Wide Open

Learning to Fly

Runnin Down A Dream

I'm not sure any of them made the UK Top 20, though.

In the almanacs of Rock and Roll legends, Tom will be in there.  Longevity, collaborations, great tracks throughout his career.  

Sad loss 

7 hours ago, yorkleyblue said:

OK.  In my mind, Bowie was a legend, Prince was a legend, Sir Tom Jones is a legend.

 

But, like I said, still a sad loss.

I think this is a Geographic thing, Kev.  I'd probably suggest that outside of the UK (despite some of his songs, and 007 theme songs), Tom isn't considered a Legend.  Perhaps he and Tom Petty will face that same fate, and likely have some of the same arguments lobbied for and against them.

@Backbiter   Fair enough, mate.  I expect that is is a geographic thing.

9 hours ago, mad_mac said:

I think this is a Geographic thing, Kev.  I'd probably suggest that outside of the UK (despite some of his songs, and 007 theme songs), Tom isn't considered a Legend.  Perhaps he and Tom Petty will face that same fate, and likely have some of the same arguments lobbied for and against them.

I thought Tom was huge all over (stop sniggering @moi , @Beerqueen and @Valerie ) given that he worked with Elvis, was greatly involved with the whole Stax/Memphis scene and spanned the gamut of music from 3-minute pop singles to ultimate soul of the highest order.  60 years of performing at the top level, and just look at the list of people who have wanted to collaborate with him over those years.

Tom has even worked with the main man - Paul Weller. Now there's a REAL Legend!

22 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Tom has even worked with the main man - Paul Weller. Now there's a REAL Legend!

In Woking, maybe 

I confess to having absolutely no idea any more what people mean when they use the word "Legend".

 

But I do know that Tom Petty has two Ts in his surname.  So @coco please could you edit the title of this thread.

 

And I think Tom Petty is great!!  Rolling another joint is a superb idea!

 

On 10/4/2017 at 00:47, yorkleyblue said:

I thought Tom was huge all over (stop sniggering @moi , @Beerqueen and @Valerie ) given that he worked with Elvis, was greatly involved with the whole Stax/Memphis scene and spanned the gamut of music from 3-minute pop singles to ultimate soul of the highest order.  60 years of performing at the top level, and just look at the list of people who have wanted to collaborate with him over those years.

 

Agreed.  But you look at some of the stuff Petty has done in his career and I think it is fair to say that the collaborations he has done (Traveling Wilbury's etc) he is very much a Rock and Roll legend.  Pretty sure he's in the  R&R hall of fame too.

 

Again, not trying to deny the status or impact of either Tom, merely pointing out that it may be a geographic thing.

Like I said before, I wasn't a huge fan, but, having seen some of the obituary stuff, I take the point, and retract my abuse 

Travelling Wilburys wasn't really a high point of anyone's career, though.  Hideous vanity project of very dubious musical value.

Still, it paid their mortgages and heroin bills for a while, I suppose.

Edited October 10, 20178 yr by yorkleyblue

OH!  @yorkleyblue  How can you not love this?  Is it because you are not old and grey...YET?

 

 

7 hours ago, yorkleyblue said:

Like I said before, I wasn't a huge fan, but, having seen some of the obituary stuff, I take the point, and retract my abuse 

Travelling Wilburys wasn't really a high point of anyone's career, though.  Hideous vanity project of very dubious musical value.

Still, it paid their mortgages and heroin bills for a while, I suppose.

It's good that some artists have longevity and experiment a bit as they get older. But I can't think of a single musician who has put out their best work after they have hit 40. 

 

On 03/10/2017 at 16:56, Backbiter said:

I totally agree that someone needs to have made more than two or three memorable songs to be considered a legend. I won't dispute that he isn't up there with the likes of Bowie or Prince in terms of influence.

I own almost everything he's ever recorded, so obviously I can name plenty, but not many have been big hits over here. I'd say his best known songs (not necessarily his best) are:

American Girl

Anything That's Rock'n'Roll

Refugee

Here Comes My Girl

I Won't Back Down

Free Fallin

Into The Great Wide Open

Learning to Fly

Runnin Down A Dream

I'm not sure any of them made the UK Top 20, though.

I was right. None of them did. He had just 4 songs that ever made the UK Top 40, with I Won't Back Down being the highest at No 28.

He had just two top 10s in the US, the most recent being in 1990 (Free Fallin).

He sold 80 million albums, though. 

This was his last chart entry - No 100 in 2006. Top song:

 

1 hour ago, Nibs said:

It's good that some artists have longevity and experiment a bit as they get older. But I can't think of a single musician who has put out their best work after they have hit 40. 

 

Well there are some @Nibs - probably not mainstream enough for most in here.  Apart from the aforementioned Jones the voice, john Lee Hooker, George Clinton and Bootsie Collins and, arguably, Lee Perry.  But I know what you mean 

On 10/10/2017 at 10:01, yorkleyblue said:

Well there are some @Nibs - probably not mainstream enough for most in here.  Apart from the aforementioned Jones the voice, john Lee Hooker, George Clinton and Bootsie Collins and, arguably, Lee Perry.  But I know what you mean 

 

Now that's a great list.  George Clinton's ex wife was from the town i now live in, so they always used to do a show here.  That stopped when they split up, the selfish bar stewards

On ?10?/?10?/?2017 at 18:01, yorkleyblue said:

Well there are some @Nibs - probably not mainstream enough for most in here.  Apart from the aforementioned Jones the voice, john Lee Hooker, George Clinton and Bootsie Collins and, arguably, Lee Perry.  But I know what you mean 

Just for telling Eddie Hazel to play this track as though his mother had just died is already enough to make Clinton a legend, and Eddie Hazel too...................ONE TAKE!!!!

R.I.P Tom Petty. 

Edited October 11, 20178 yr by Blue Ballet