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The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Gwreck Jun 18 2011 07:14 PM

I am extremely saddened to report that Clarence Clemons passed away today due to complications following a stroke earlier in the week.

Frayed Knot Jun 18 2011 09:27 PM Re: Guess who died in 2011

So long Big Man, you had a helluva run.

metirish Jun 18 2011 10:43 PM Re: Guess who died in 2011

One of those guys in a band that seems irreplaceable . Saw on the news that one of his last(maybe even his last) public appearances was at the Marlins home opener against the Mets playing the anthem on his sax.

Kong76 Jun 19 2011 05:33 AM Re: Guess who died in 2011

Nice piece by two nice Mets' fans: http://www.backstreets.com/clarence/

Edgy DC Jun 19 2011 06:18 AM Re: Guess who died in 2011

Springsteen sang in honor of three-minute records, but he had epic-itis and, through the front part of his career, was chronically unable to keep his thoughts in such a containable package. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to worry about keeping listeners engaged over six minutes or more, because he always had a horn player that could reach out through the airwaives, grab you, and pull you back in. There's a lot of FM epics I could live with never hearing again (cough, "Roudabout," cough), but "Rosalita" (for instance) will always take me, and I will always stick with it, paid off for my commitment by those four vicious eight-note turnarounds CC does before the last verse. My tires were slashed and I almost crashed, but the Lord had mercy.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 19 2011 08:12 AM Re: Guess who died in 2011

Love that "Rosalita." And "Sherry Darling," and "Ties That Bind," and "10th Avenue Freeze Out." It's possible that Clemons-- considering his skill set, and how few horn players go into rock these days-- was a rarer loss than Springsteen himself will be.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 19 2011 07:02 PM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Yeah, I'd guess this means the end of the E Street band, can't imagine they're gonna do the same kind of show without him anymore. Great work on the bio/obit, there was definitely something to Springsteen's appeal that he had a big black guy as a sideman/foil/same-sex partner. My friend from way back in Junior High who was a great musician turned into a Florida-based piano-bar entertainer/U2 Tribute Band Bono Guy now that he's an old fart like me. Only a few months ago he did a slew of shows down there with Clarence, for all I know they were his last public performances (?).

Edgy DC Jun 20 2011 06:44 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Most Accomplished Saxers in Rock 'n' Roll History off the Top of My Head [list=1][*]Clarence Clemons[/*:m] [*]King Curtis[/*:m] [*]David Sanborn[/*:m] [*]Junior Walker[/*:m] [*]Hall and Oates Guy[/*:m] [*]Saxa (The Beat/The English Beat)[/*:m] [*]Men at Work Guy[/*:m] [*]Edgar Winter[/*:m] [*]Hairy Alto Sax Dude from the J. Giels Band[/*:m] [*]Branford Marsalis (I suppose some of Sting's music qualifies as rock 'n' roll)[/*:m] [*]That Tenor/Baritone Guy from Huey Lewis and the News[/*:m] [*]The Guy from the Waitresses[/*:m] [*]The Guy from Madness[/*:m] [*]Quarterflash Chick[/*:m] [*]???[/*:m][/list:o]

metirish Jun 20 2011 06:50 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

.

Edgy DC Jun 20 2011 06:56 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Yes, of course. Leo Barnes from Hothouse Flowers.

Edgy DC Jun 20 2011 07:00 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Raphael Ravenscroft, if only for his work on "Baker Street."

metirish Jun 20 2011 07:14 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who) Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 20 2011 08:07 AM

I had Charlie Parker in there but realized you said R&R.

metirish Jun 20 2011 07:16 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Van Morrison

Edgy DC Jun 20 2011 07:52 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Yeah, I was going to include Van. My instinct was that the records he played sax on weren't the records that got him into the rock pantheon. I'm sure I'm overlooking stuff, and should have included him anyways.

Willets Point Jun 20 2011 08:03 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

I've always had a soft spot for this song (especially the sax parts) even though it was only last year I found out that it was Clarence Clemons: [youtube:2p0f082w]knVbfhmME1g[/youtube:2p0f082w]

metsguyinmichigan Jun 20 2011 08:06 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

I submit Mark Rivera, who played for years with Billy Joel and Foreigner, belting out Junior Walker's solo on "Urgent."

seawolf17 Jun 20 2011 08:13 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

I'll second Mark Rivera, and I also like Dave Woodford's bits on the first Aerosmith album (and subsequent live bootleg albums).

batmagadanleadoff Jun 20 2011 08:27 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Put Bobby Keys on that list.

Edgy DC Jun 20 2011 08:30 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

OK, cool. Even as we harden our hearts and swallow our tears, we update the list. The Clarence Clemons List of the Most Accomplished Saxers in Rock 'n' Roll History [list=1][*]Clarence Clemons (E-Street Band)[/*:m] [*]King Curtis[/*:m] [*]David Sanborn[/*:m] [*]Junior Walker[/*:m] [*]Charlie DeChant (Hall and Oates)[/*:m] [*]Bobby Keys (awesome mid-period Rolling Stones, including the revelatory work on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?")[/*:m] [*]Saxa (The Beat/The English Beat)[/*:m] [*]Mark Rivera (Billy Joel/Foreigner)[/*:m] [*]Raphael Ravescroft ("Baker Street")[/*:m] [*]Greg Ham (Men at Work)[/*:m] [*]Johnny Colla (Huey Lewis and the News)[/*:m] [*]Edgar Winter[/*:m] [*]Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz (The J. Geils Band)[/*:m] [*]Branford Marsalis (Sting)[/*:m] [*]Van Morrison[/*:m] [*]Mars Williams (The Waitresses)[/*:m] [*]Lee Thompson (Madness)[/*:m] [*]Andy Hamilton ("Rio," "Union of the Snake," Elton John, Pet Shop Boys, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Bon Jovi, and Bowie, but mostly for "Rio")[/*:m] [*]Rindy Ross (Quarterflash)[/*:m] [*]Porl Thompson (The Cure)[/*:m] [*]Dave Woodford (Aerosmith)[/*:m][/list:o] Ignorant me, I had King Curtis in the top three or four already, and was going to include "The Guy from the Coasters" as number five or six, but looked up King Curtis and realized that he was the guy from the Coasters.

sharpie Jun 20 2011 08:49 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

David Bowie. Played sax on many of his songs: Changes, Let's Dance, Modern Love, etc.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 20 2011 08:54 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

British session guy Mel Collins -- Sax solo on "Miss You," former member of the Alan Parsons Project, (which I believe was some kind of hovercraft) and does that funky wailing on "When I Get It Right" by Joan Armatrading, Dire Straits, King Crimson, Tears 4 Fears, etc etc etc Hank "Hurricane" Carter blew that giant thing at the end of "Bad to the Bone" as well as dozen of other Thorogood tunes.

Edgy DC Jun 20 2011 08:56 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

OK, we got some momentum. Anybody (Gwreck? Jersey Shore?) want to list a Clarence Clemons top ten? Adding Bowie would give us three sax players from the Bowie catalog, along with Sanborn and Hamilton.

TransMonk Jun 20 2011 09:02 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Dick Parry - Pink Floyd "Money", "Us and Them", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". Toured with the Floyd from 1973-1977 and in 1994. Was part of The Who's brass section in 1979-1980. Toured with the Violent Femmes in 2009. Dana Colley - Morphine

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 20 2011 09:33 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Mostly a jazz guy but Tom Scott plays one my favorite sax parts in Macca's "Listen to what the Man Says"

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 20 2011 09:55 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

TransMonk wrote: Dana Colley - Morphine GOOD call. Harvey Henderson of the Bar-Kays ("Soul Finger," Hot Buttered Soul, Otis Redding's live band, Stax's other house band) get any love? Howzabout Maceo Parker?

Gwreck Jun 20 2011 10:20 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Edgy DC wrote: Anybody (want to list a Clarence Clemons top ten? 10. The Promised Land 9. The Ties That Bind 8. Badlands 7. Born to Run 6. Thunder Road 5. Sherry Darling 4. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight). Great sax part but also known for the introductions of Clemons in concert (eg. "Socrates of the Saxophone," "Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall refineries in a single bound...") 3. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. He's immortalized in the words of the song. 2. Growin' Up. Yes, there's a sax part but this is on the list more for the stories that would be told in concert during the song (Bruce and Clarence going to see God and being told there was an 11th commandment left off ('Let it Rock'), etc. 1. Jungleland. Clemons' definitive moment with Springsteen and arguably the greatest saxophone solo of all time.

Edgy DC Jun 20 2011 10:26 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Great job, Gwreck. That's pretty much where I am, though "10th Avenue..." I think of as is more of a feature of the horn section than CC specifically. Too bad they're all over 30 years old.

Gwreck Jun 21 2011 01:28 PM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Edgy DC wrote: Too bad they're all over 30 years old. It could be argued that Clemons' role in the band as sax player was severely reduced after The River. There are plenty of good examples from the past 10 years, however. I know opinions vary wildly on Springsteen's recent work (ie. personally, of his E-Street albums in the past 10 years I think he had two excellent ones and 1 terrible one) For those who enjoy the recent material, there are plenty of great Clarence moments ("Long Walk Home," "Mary's Place," "My City of Ruins," "Radio Nowhere," etc.)

Edgy DC Jun 21 2011 01:38 PM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

I thought the violin was stealing what might have otherwise been his lines on The Rising. Why are the recent E-Street Band albums not attributed as such? They just say Bruce Springsteen on the jacket, don't they? That's not cool.

Frayed Knot Jun 21 2011 02:43 PM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Edgy DC wrote: Why are the recent E-Street Band albums not attributed as such? They just say Bruce Springsteen on the jacket, don't they? That's not cool. They always did. Only the live albums (to my knowledge) were billed as Bruce and the E Street Band

Edgy DC Jun 21 2011 02:48 PM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

Well, paint my toes. For some reason, in my CD collection, I can picture the older spines saying "E-Street" and the newer ones not.

Willets Point Jun 22 2011 10:56 AM Re: The Big Man (split from Guess Who)

New Jersey to fly flags at half-staff for Clarence Clemons.