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Topic: The Leavell Problem. Return to archive Page: 1 2
11-17-02 09:27 AM
TheSavageYoungXyzzy Allllllright.

Let's think about our man Chuck Leavell.

I think, after listening to a few of the boots from this tour along with Stripped and No Security that I think I have an idea as to what the biggest of the many problems with this guy is. (My English teacher would kill me for writing the above sentance.)

The biggest problem with Chuck-boy, in my opinion, is that he *doesn't know the difference between a keyboard and a piano*. He plays his keyboard on tour like it's a piano - bangin' on the keys, expecting to get that rough, old-fashioned sound out of it while in fact he gets that pristine, clean plunking noise. It *sounds* like a piano, but it's got enough of a difference that it just grates with the rest of the song at the time. He also has to remember that with a real accoustic piano you can play it like that and get away with it because the mics on it are arranged so that even when you bang your heart out on it it'll still pale in the mix to any inherantly electric instrument.

So what should the Stones do with him? Well, if we want to be nice... get him a real accoustic upright, bury him at the back of the stage, and keep a compact (think the outrageously moronic psychedelic piano McCartney had last tour) for the B-Stage if they feel they even need him there. Yeah, a little more work for the roadies, but they're gettin' paid.

Waitaminute... didn't Leavell get co-writing credit on "Back To Zero"?

Fire him.

-tSYX --- It was a slow day, and the sun was beating on the soldiers by the side of the road... (hey, don't laugh. This was one of the albums that brought us out of the eighties.)
11-17-02 09:32 AM
Boomhauer I read reviews that he's turning "When the Whip Comes Down" (and other songs) into a piece of shit!



11-17-02 09:35 AM
Moonisup as I said b4

chuck the fuck,

and I wasn't considered popular when I said that on IORR and here b4 the tour started
11-17-02 09:35 AM
TheSavageYoungXyzzy
quote:
Boomhauer wrote:
I read reviews that he's turning "When the Whip Comes Down" (and other songs) into a piece of shit!




Yeah, he is. "Whip" in particular is suffering under his plunky fingers. Apparently in Stadium shows he's turned up too high. When I saw them 9/3 at the Fleet (Arena) it wasn't so bad - he did have a solo in "Honky Tonk Women" and it wasn't terrible. He was plunkin' along a bit in "Mannish Boy".

Then again, I might have been hypnotized by the dancing lady.

-tSYX --- It was just my imagination...
11-17-02 09:41 AM
sammy davis jr. They used to cart around grand piano's for Ian Stewart and Mcglagan in the 80's...Why cant they for Chuck? At least his plunking would sound authentic. What the Stones really need is Ed from the Black Crowes.
11-17-02 09:43 AM
TheSavageYoungXyzzy Why don't the Stones use Mac anymore? I know he and Ronnie are still close, but they were still pissed at Billy Preston when they hired Mac the first time...

-tSYX --- Hey! You! Get offa my cloud!
11-17-02 10:11 AM
ThrillFreakUncleSam
quote:
sammy davis jr. wrote:
What the Stones really need is Ed from the Black Crowes.


That's true. But then, every band would sound better if they had Ed on keys. The guy is just nasty.
11-17-02 10:28 AM
justforyou Chuck...he does alright on Lets Spend The Night Together stripped... I too feel he should be in the background, both musically and visually.

Wasn't Mac left out because of being a bad influence on Ronnie ?
11-17-02 11:29 AM
shakedhandswithkeith I know that Ian Mclagen is ready to play with the stones again. I met him and bobby keys last year here in germany when they toured with carl carlton (german artist). Mac and I talked about the north-american tour 81, i asked if he will go to play if mick will call him and he said:"If mick will call me I have to play" (startet laughing).

chuck isn`t the right man in a rock`n roll group, mayby he should do a casting for TOTO

sorry for may bad english - i hope you understand me.

icepic
11-17-02 12:04 PM
T&A Mac is, indeed, a self-admitted bad influence on Ronnie (gulp, gulp). He discusses it in his great book - All the Rage. He'll never be asked back by Jagger for that fact alone.

By the way - Mac is a cool dude who responds to emails - his website is www.macspages.com

11-17-02 03:31 PM
Martini
quote:
shakedhandswithkeith wrote:

chuck isn`t the right man in a rock`n roll group, mayby he should do a casting for TOTO




I agree. Chuck is a fine musician; he just doesn't belong in the Stones. I think he used to play with Clapton in the early '90s, and he sounded good in that band because he could bang away and be self-indulgent on tunes such as "Badge" and it actally fit musically. His style would also work well in any number of American '70s style rock bands. But I'm pretty sure playing in the Stones is earning him a little more cash than if he were playing in TOTO, Reo Speedwagon, Boston, Doobie Brothers, the Little River Band, or any other group he should probably think about joining.

-M
11-17-02 11:07 PM
BILL PERKS MAC IS THE GREATEST.A TRUE GENT.HIS DRUG USE ON THE 81 TOUR WAS AN ISSUE CUZ THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP WOODY CLEAN,LOL,AND HE TOOK SOME BLAME.NOW BOTH MICK AND KEITH ARE IN LOVE WITH CHUCK BECAUSE HE HAS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY IN KEEPING THE BAND TOGETHER ON STAGE,SHIT KEITH CAN'T BE BOTHERED WITH.CHECK OUT ALL THE RAGE AND HIS WEBSITE,LOTS OF GREAT STONES STORIES!
11-18-02 10:35 AM
jb Can someone list the names of the piano players accompany the Stones from 1972 tour to present tour?
11-18-02 12:48 PM
steel driving hammer Correct, Chuck plays JUST the notes, not the feeling.

Ian Stu had that real raw boogie woogie feel.

Again, Chuck just plays the notes.
11-18-02 01:48 PM
Maxlugar The time has come, no the time has PAST already, to contact one Billy Preston about touring with The Rolling Stones again!

My God can he play piano!

And give that extra little background vocal every now and then....

God damn! They even let Chuck count the songs in! It's horrible.

Just get Billy back and hide the young boys.

Good night everybody!

Maxy!
11-18-02 02:04 PM
TheSavageYoungXyzzy Lessee jb...

We had Stu from 1962 right up 'till 82, the last tour he was on.
Nicky Hopkins never played with them live to my knowledge. He was always too ill with his stomach disorder.
Jack Nitzche played live with them occasionally in '66, I think.
Billy Preston showed up on '75-'76. I don't know if he came back for '78. His contracts just got more and more ludicrous until the Stones just gave 'im der boot.
Ian McGlagan played with them '81-'82 only.
We've had Chuck from '89 on.

Someone wanna correct me? Add in who I forgot?

-tSYX --- Let's spend the night together, now I need you more than ever... bah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah...
11-18-02 02:17 PM
T&A Nicky Hopkins most definitely played with the Stones during the '72 tour and into '73 Winter tour.

Leavell first joined the Stones on the '82 European tour, replacing Mac, and has been with them ever since.

Leavell is with the band only partially due to his value as a keyboardist....he is "musical director" of the stage show and handles many of the burdens that Keith & Mick shouldered for many years. That's why he'll not be replaced.

By the way - Mac and Stu were the keyboardists during the '78 tour. Mac left after '81.




[Edited by T&A]
11-18-02 02:36 PM
Maxlugar "Nicky Hopkins never played with them live to my knowledge. He was always too ill with his stomach disorder."

You need to get sober, friend.

QUICK!

11-18-02 03:08 PM
TheSavageYoungXyzzy
quote:
Maxlugar wrote:
"Nicky Hopkins never played with them live to my knowledge. He was always too ill with his stomach disorder."

You need to get sober, friend.

QUICK!





OK.

*soberizes*.

He did in '73, did he? I didn't know that.

He was sick all the time, I know that. That's why he never got a band of his own together to go forth and kick ass.

Or have I been...

*dramatic pause*

BRAINWASHED?

Subliminable message ends here, Ronnie!

-tSYX --- God, god, god!
11-18-02 03:36 PM
Maxlugar You have indeed been brainwashed by the anti-Nicky Hopkins liberal media my young friend.

11-18-02 04:04 PM
doo doo doo Dude Didn't Nicky play the 70-71 tour of England. I know he's on my Leeds boot and most of the '72 and '73 tour. Billy joined the second leg of the 73 tour and is excellent on Brussels Affair. But the Stu/ Mac combo of '78 is my all time fav. Boogie with Stu indeed!
11-18-02 08:04 PM
The Chilean Stones Chuck's Piano Style is more suited for longer songs, songs where he can improvise and let himself go.... one of his best live stuff is from his collaboration with The Allmans Brothers from the mid seventies..more "jazz rock" in a way...than the raw rock 'n roll that the stones play (in 2-3 minutes songs)

11-19-02 01:16 AM
padre Yeah, I had a big argument with a friend of mine who's a big Allmans fan. I tried to put Chuckie down but he insisted that he is a superb keyboard player and a wonderful human being. Maybe the man knows his keys, it's just that he's in a wrong band.
11-19-02 01:56 AM
Child of the Moon [quote]TheSavageYoungXyzzy wrote:
Nicky Hopkins never played with them live to my knowledge. He was always too ill with his stomach disorder.
[quote]

Nicky played live with 'em from the '71 tour in England right up to the '73 European tour. And let's not forget his work at the Rock and Roll Circus, too.
11-19-02 02:48 AM
Mustang I talk with Ian Mc Lagan 3 weeks ago and he told me that he don't play anymore with the Stones because they don't call him! I don't understand why the Stones don't fire him.
At the Aragon Ballroom, dr John played piano on I just wanna make love to you, and the difference between him and "Chucky" (the music killer puppy)...

I hope they change this cancer called Chuck Leavell, his time is out!

Mustang

11-19-02 03:04 AM
Pants Make the Man Give him the boot, Ronnie!
11-19-02 05:53 AM
fmk438j The thing is (I think) that it's a little ilogical to say "chuck is to blame for this and that". Do you think if Chuck did one little thing that Mick or Keith didn't approve of, he'd get away with it?
My point is, Chuck plays that way because he's allowed to, right?

................................................

Unlikely backstage conversation:

Mick: Listen here Chuck, we'd like to drop you from the mix quite a bit, and get you to lay off a little, ok?

Chuck: Get fucked Mick.

Mick: Ok, you're the boss.

...................................................

I think I read in Bill's new book that Nicky Hopkin's actaully played a show or two in '78, which I thought was interesting.
11-19-02 06:01 AM
stonedinaustralia but surely the problem lies at the mixing desk...or does chuck run that too...

i don't like the fact that he is now the "musical director" of the band but it seems it is a fact...and the roots of that problem can be traced back to at least stu leaving - stu was the glue - chuck is the living compromise that keith and mick must make between each other to stay together...but that's no reason that he has to be loud through the front of house (even if, god forbid, he has to be loud on stage in order to "direct" the band)

who does the mixing?? ...why isn't he (and i presume it's a he 'tho i would love to be proven wrong) accountable for his appalling errors of judgment

11-19-02 06:23 AM
RubyFriday You all should know that they are listening to their tapes,too.And when they want to do it this way ,they have to do it. THEY are the artists not YOU.If you´d know something about artistry you know that an artist has always to do what he must do or he´s not an artist.Take it or leave it.
BTW ,a football team with the best players of the world is not always the best team.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Hey,Mr.Dali ,that giraffe is too big and the sky is too blue and couldn´t you paint something with flowers?
11-19-02 06:26 AM
stonedinaustralia
quote:
RubyFriday wrote:
THEY are the artists not YOU.



and we are the audience not them
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