@BluebirdintheSky Ain't too proud to beg huh? lol ! Well, all opinions are valid, they often just differ, and inflexibility there? That's how wars are started. I love the Arrows and the seventies in general. I find today's pop starzzzzzzzzzzzzz a great big yawn.
According to a radio interview I heard with Alan Merrill, the original version of this was a 3 chord blues song that the band had been doing in their live shows. Producer Phil Coulter asked them to change it into a pop song by asking the band to change the chords and arrangment to soften it.
@KeithTheKing That's probably true. There was a lot of tension because of the band's push-back against the pop thing they were shoved into by their producers.
@ramalamadingadong Mickey was interested in the bottom line. He was very good to Suzi and Errol but did clash with Allen mostly, Jake wanted to be a pop star, Paul just wanted to perform.
I comment often to Alan....what could have been! If only. It was very difficult in those days. The hieght of throw away. The audience was young but would have followed into maturity as these guys really were musicians first.
@TR5T Alan Merrill was more musical than all the RAK acts combined, history bears this out in recorded output.. He had a jazz background Mr.Most never even knew or cared about. He was above the RAK acts musically but that didn't matter in the mid seventies. It was nothing to do with music. It was about who was picked to be promoted and who was on the benches waiting. The Arrows were on the benches at RAK. That was it. Endgame.
@KeithTheKing Mickey knew but he didn't care. He also knew that left to their own they may have found better management and popped the bubble.
It was hard back then, Streak which was Paul, Jake and Ben were the preamble to the Arrows was very good too..
The gigs Mickey sent us on for the "RAK Rocks Britain" tour were in Scunthorpe, Dunfirmlin, etc. here ,there, and yonder, the budget was strictly fish and chips.
@KeithTheKing They carried on for a bit, "I love Rock N Roll" was lisenced to Joan. Paul lived with June for a while then moved to LA, that's where he met his downfall ending in Preston.
Alan went back to NY, where he still performs.
A sad end but we have the proof of their greatness preserved.
The lineage of this group goes back a long way. Little Free Rock, etc.
@TR5T Since 1975 'I love rock n roll" has been licensed to Joan Jett, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Showaddywaddy, Alvin Stardust, Hello, L'Arc En Ciel, Weird Al Yankovic and many more. Alan does perform in New York, but has also been to Japan and Germany this year doing live shows and TV. After Arrows Paul played with the band Darling and also Terry Reid. Terry Taylor has been playing with Bill Wyman for many years since Arrows, still is. Jake never performed as a pro again after Arrows ended .
@KeithTheKing Mick and Alice were swell people but "wanna bes" none the less. Sorry Mick sorry Alice. far too much masquara, hair dye and peroxide. Doomed to failure. Great sense of humour though.
Thank God I had stopped drinking by then, poor PV just couldn't get enough.
Jake may one day be scared into an Arrows refit!? Wishful thinking. He does have the most amazing 56 Les Paul with Humbucker pickups, rarely used on stage or the TV series at Granada but every bit as rich a sound as ever was.
@TR5T You are referring to Alice Spring of Paul's post Arrows band Darling I think. Jake hasn't played guitar professionally since 1977 when he married Lorna Luft.
In 1978 Bill Wyman took the following Arrows members to his house in Vence, France. Paul Varley, Terry Taylor, Alan Merrill, plus extra new members Steve Gould and Mick Feat. They recorded a few tracks in France as The Arrows with Bill Wyman producing. Jake wasn't involved in this phase of The Arrows.
@TR5T Dallas Taylor was drumming with Paul Varley in the South of France 1977. Two drummers in the band. The photos are on the Arrows website, stuff from Vence France. Tetsu left for Japan never to return in 1976, so he wasn't in the mix. When they got back to London from France, Wyman failed to get the "new Arrows" a record deal, and then in 1978 Alan, Mick Feat and Steve Gould formed Runner. That's when Paul started Darling, in 1978.
@KeithTheKing Not to speak ill of the dead but Mickey did do one rather amazing thing, when we were at Apple Studios he let Alan use the "Animals" bass, apparently it was the House of the Rising Sun bass.
He also periodically allowed him to use it on stage.
@TR5T That must be the famous white Fender bass owned by Mr. Most that was on so many hit records. Now that you mention it I think Alan played that bass on the original a-side Abbey Road version of "I love rock 'n' roll" and lots of other Arrows records.
@KeithTheKing Yes that's the one and it was used on that recording. It was on a chair behind in the booth and Mickey promised to send me to Highgate cemetary if I sat on it, I assured him I love the place but wouldn't be so stupid. He was so personable.
@KeithTheKing If you want a real blast from the past look up David John and the Mood. Pete Illingsworth was the tall chap. He was instrumental in bringing Paul down from Preston. That's where it all began.
They formed Little Free Rock, that's way back in the Marquee, Bag O Nails, Ronny Scotts, Speakeasy days.
At one point they did have Ginger Johnson, and Speedy Aquai on board, Jack Berry book them practically every week.
Arrows were a terrific versatile band. This guy can really sing. So many of his successful contemporaries couldn't. The Arrows teen appeal looks worked against them.
I couldn't agree more. They were pushed towards that audience because of Alan Merrill's obvious attributes but their music was far too mature for that age group. Unfortunately, because they were pushed towards a very young audience, the more mature listener who would have probably appreciated their music more was put off them.
They don't make good looking well dressed pop stars like this anymore. Nowadays they all look like construction workers and criminals.
jojoranter 2 years ago 6
True LOL!
honeybabycookie 2 years ago 3
@jojoranter I beg to differ.
BluebirdintheSky 1 year ago
@BluebirdintheSky Ain't too proud to beg huh? lol ! Well, all opinions are valid, they often just differ, and inflexibility there? That's how wars are started. I love the Arrows and the seventies in general. I find today's pop starzzzzzzzzzzzzz a great big yawn.
jojoranter 1 year ago
He looks too good! I love this singer!
honeybabycookie 2 years ago 6
Sweet and romantic.
ladycsummers 2 years ago
From what I've seen on video he rarely does a song the same way twice.
wexiflex 2 years ago 7
According to a radio interview I heard with Alan Merrill, the original version of this was a 3 chord blues song that the band had been doing in their live shows. Producer Phil Coulter asked them to change it into a pop song by asking the band to change the chords and arrangment to soften it.
KeithTheKing 3 years ago 4
Should have kept it a simple blues. It's a good pop song all the same, but I'd have loved to hear the original concept..
ramalamadingadong 2 years ago 6
@KeithTheKing That's probably true. There was a lot of tension because of the band's push-back against the pop thing they were shoved into by their producers.
ramalamadingadong 1 year ago
@ramalamadingadong Mickey was interested in the bottom line. He was very good to Suzi and Errol but did clash with Allen mostly, Jake wanted to be a pop star, Paul just wanted to perform.
I comment often to Alan....what could have been! If only. It was very difficult in those days. The hieght of throw away. The audience was young but would have followed into maturity as these guys really were musicians first.
TR5T 1 year ago
@TR5T Alan Merrill was more musical than all the RAK acts combined, history bears this out in recorded output.. He had a jazz background Mr.Most never even knew or cared about. He was above the RAK acts musically but that didn't matter in the mid seventies. It was nothing to do with music. It was about who was picked to be promoted and who was on the benches waiting. The Arrows were on the benches at RAK. That was it. Endgame.
KeithTheKing 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing Mickey knew but he didn't care. He also knew that left to their own they may have found better management and popped the bubble.
It was hard back then, Streak which was Paul, Jake and Ben were the preamble to the Arrows was very good too..
The gigs Mickey sent us on for the "RAK Rocks Britain" tour were in Scunthorpe, Dunfirmlin, etc. here ,there, and yonder, the budget was strictly fish and chips.
Great fun all ending at the Kilburn.
Tragedy compounded by Jake marrying Lorna.
TR5T 1 year ago
@TR5T The story of The Arrows seems to end abruptly with Jake marrying Lorna.
KeithTheKing 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing They carried on for a bit, "I love Rock N Roll" was lisenced to Joan. Paul lived with June for a while then moved to LA, that's where he met his downfall ending in Preston.
Alan went back to NY, where he still performs.
A sad end but we have the proof of their greatness preserved.
The lineage of this group goes back a long way. Little Free Rock, etc.
TR5T 1 year ago
@TR5T Since 1975 'I love rock n roll" has been licensed to Joan Jett, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Showaddywaddy, Alvin Stardust, Hello, L'Arc En Ciel, Weird Al Yankovic and many more. Alan does perform in New York, but has also been to Japan and Germany this year doing live shows and TV. After Arrows Paul played with the band Darling and also Terry Reid. Terry Taylor has been playing with Bill Wyman for many years since Arrows, still is. Jake never performed as a pro again after Arrows ended .
KeithTheKing 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing Mick and Alice were swell people but "wanna bes" none the less. Sorry Mick sorry Alice. far too much masquara, hair dye and peroxide. Doomed to failure. Great sense of humour though.
Thank God I had stopped drinking by then, poor PV just couldn't get enough.
Jake may one day be scared into an Arrows refit!? Wishful thinking. He does have the most amazing 56 Les Paul with Humbucker pickups, rarely used on stage or the TV series at Granada but every bit as rich a sound as ever was.
TR5T 1 year ago
@TR5T You are referring to Alice Spring of Paul's post Arrows band Darling I think. Jake hasn't played guitar professionally since 1977 when he married Lorna Luft.
In 1978 Bill Wyman took the following Arrows members to his house in Vence, France. Paul Varley, Terry Taylor, Alan Merrill, plus extra new members Steve Gould and Mick Feat. They recorded a few tracks in France as The Arrows with Bill Wyman producing. Jake wasn't involved in this phase of The Arrows.
KeithTheKing 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing Yes Alice, she weighed about a sausage was very pretty and funny but really had no stage presence.
Stevie , Mark and Dave we're good mates. Rare Bird was another misfortunate group. All the talent in the world but poor management.
UFO is the only group from our little world who have carried on, Phil saw to that, they kept their German and world audiences interested.
I thought that Tetzu might have been with them in St. Paul.
When they got back we never spoke much about it.
TR5T 1 year ago
@TR5T Dallas Taylor was drumming with Paul Varley in the South of France 1977. Two drummers in the band. The photos are on the Arrows website, stuff from Vence France. Tetsu left for Japan never to return in 1976, so he wasn't in the mix. When they got back to London from France, Wyman failed to get the "new Arrows" a record deal, and then in 1978 Alan, Mick Feat and Steve Gould formed Runner. That's when Paul started Darling, in 1978.
KeithTheKing 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing I stayed in London at June's , Bill was in the thick of it with a woman, "again" and somewhere along the way took on Stickey Fingers.
If you ever see Spinal Tap, Dave Caffaneti, is the key board player.
Stevie did alot of studio stuff , many people appreciated his talent.
I could have sworn seeing Tetsu in late 77, but it is sometimes a blur.
TR5T 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing Not to speak ill of the dead but Mickey did do one rather amazing thing, when we were at Apple Studios he let Alan use the "Animals" bass, apparently it was the House of the Rising Sun bass.
He also periodically allowed him to use it on stage.
Noone else was allowed to even move it!
TR5T 1 year ago
@TR5T That must be the famous white Fender bass owned by Mr. Most that was on so many hit records. Now that you mention it I think Alan played that bass on the original a-side Abbey Road version of "I love rock 'n' roll" and lots of other Arrows records.
KeithTheKing 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing Yes that's the one and it was used on that recording. It was on a chair behind in the booth and Mickey promised to send me to Highgate cemetary if I sat on it, I assured him I love the place but wouldn't be so stupid. He was so personable.
TR5T 1 year ago
@KeithTheKing If you want a real blast from the past look up David John and the Mood. Pete Illingsworth was the tall chap. He was instrumental in bringing Paul down from Preston. That's where it all began.
They formed Little Free Rock, that's way back in the Marquee, Bag O Nails, Ronny Scotts, Speakeasy days.
At one point they did have Ginger Johnson, and Speedy Aquai on board, Jack Berry book them practically every week.
London was real.
TR5T 1 year ago
Sentimental slush, prefer Alan rockin' out.
TWENTIETHCENTURYBABY 3 years ago 5
Arrows were a terrific versatile band. This guy can really sing. So many of his successful contemporaries couldn't. The Arrows teen appeal looks worked against them.
mangledapeman 3 years ago 6
Girls will like this and guys won't. It's very romantic! Guys hate that lovey type ofsentiment:)
fabnekko 3 years ago 10
This is on the CD on Cherry Red records titled "Arrows, singles collection, plus"~
KeithTheKing 3 years ago
This song has a cool uk-us trans-atlantic feel.
mangledapeman 4 years ago 7
Good song.
sirshagamore 4 years ago 3
What an audacious flirt, that singer!
behindyoualltheway 4 years ago 4
homerswingking
I couldn't agree more. They were pushed towards that audience because of Alan Merrill's obvious attributes but their music was far too mature for that age group. Unfortunately, because they were pushed towards a very young audience, the more mature listener who would have probably appreciated their music more was put off them.
BluebirdintheSky 4 years ago 5
A beautiful ballad off of the arrows first hit album.
ladycsummers 4 years ago
Problem with this band was the music was way above the heads of the target audience demographic (8-14). Weird.
homerswingking 4 years ago 5
I bet this performance got the singer a few new girlfriends :)
heavyharpoon 4 years ago 5
They are very charming boys-
pontneufbebe 5 years ago
Sooooo seventies!!!
whataracket 5 years ago 2
A good song!
vivicola 5 years ago
cute singer, yummy
honeybabycookie 5 years ago