Just lying here watching Stevie Ray's Live at Montreaux DVD. He was just unbelievable. He plays so effortlessly.It's funny to watch how Johnny Copeland can't keep up during Cold Shot. This is a must have DVD.

I read once that the Stones were going to sign him to Rolling Stones records...anyone know the story behind this?

Don't know about the record deal, but I heard a story about Mick & Jerry "discovering" him one night in Texas. Might be true since she's from there. Just finished listening to some of his stuff also. I can remember the news of his death like it was yesterday and thinking what an incredible loss the world has. First saw him in '82, on a lark, looking for something to do when I saw an advert in the local paper for him playing that night. The place wasn't half full, but the show was amazing! Of course, I was hooked on SRV instantly. Had the good fortune to see him again a few more times before his untimely passing.

Other discoveries of a sort: Linda Keith (KR's gf) saw Hendrix in NYC, July 2, '66, Cafe Wha?, & turned on the band (Hooked up w/ Chas Chandler/& the Experience in the UK September)
I have a paperback edition of Jim Carroll's "Basketball Diaries" w/ his debut "Catholic Boy" advertised on the back page as coming soon on Rolling Stones Records (tongue logo included) - it came out, but on another Atlantic subsidiary, Atco.

the story I heard was the boys flew SRV out to NYC for a private party.

I was a big SRV fan well before he hit the public scene. Dug his bro with the T-birds. Seems hard to believe now - but in his lifetime he didn't have near the popularity that he's "enjoyed" since. one of those cases where death was a "good career move," as they say....

I haven't seen the Montreux DVD, but I do have the two performances from Austin City Limits (1983 & 1989) that were released as a single DVD. The 1983 performance was more of a showcase for Stevie himself, while the 1989 show by a now clean-and-sober group is a much better group effort.

The addition of Reese Winans on keyboards was a huge plus for the stage show. This 1989 performance is notable in that more jazz influences began to be manifested, which will always lead us to wonder what musical directions SRV may have pursued had he not suffered such an untimely and tragic death.

bassplayer617 Wrote:
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> IThis 1989
> performance is notable in that more jazz
> influences began to be manifested, which will
> always lead us to wonder what musical directions
> SRV may have pursued had he not suffered such an
> untimely and tragic death.



And so the similarities with Jimi continue...that's always what everyone wonders with him, too...

SRV DVDs to look for:

Stevie Ray Vaughan “VH1 Legends” with WC Clark (1 DVD) A
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Montreux Jazz Festival” 7/17/82 Official (1 DVD) A+
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Live At The El Mocambo” 1983 Official (1 DVD) A+
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Live 1983” SRV & Albert King 12/6/83 "In Session" A-; 12/27/83 Wax Museum Washington DC C (1 DVD)
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Hawaii 1984” (w Jeff Beck) Pro Shot (1 DVD) B
Stevie Ray Vaughan “CBS Record Convention” 03/19/84 (1 DVD) B+
Stevie Ray Vaughan 8/25/84 Loreley, Germany Rockpalast, (1 DVD) A-
Stevie Ray Vaughan 8/27/84 Alabahalle Munich, Germany (1 DVD) A
Stevie Ray Vaughan 11/09/84 Sydney, Australia Aud Shot w/ tripod (1 DVD) B+
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Montreux Jazz Festival 7/15/85 Official (1 DVD) A+
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Tokyo 1985” 1/24/85 Pro-Shot (1 DVD) A
Stevie Ray Vaughan “New Orleans-Mardis Gras” 2/28/87 MTV Broadcast (1 DVD) B
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Mardi Gras” 2/28/87 (3 DVDs) A-
Stevie Ray Vaughan Daytona 1987 Pro Shot (1 DVD) A- PAL
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Iowa 87” 8/30/87 Audience Shot (1 DVD) B+
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Pori Jazz Festival” 11/7/85 Cotton Club, Yyteri ,Finland (1 DVD) A
Stevie Ray Vaughan “MIDTFYN's Fest” 7/1/88, “New Orleans Jazzfest” 4/22/88 “Texas Tornado Jam” 4/81, Pro Shot (1 DVD) A-
Stevie Ray Vaughan New Orleans Jazz 1988 B & Texas Tribute (1 DVD) C+ PAL
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Pistoia Bluesfest” July 1988 Pro Shot (1 DVD) A PAL
Stevie Ray Vaughan 11/07/89 Philadelphia (1 DVD) C+
Stevie Ray Vaughan 11/27/89 Triy, NY Aud Shot (1 DVD) B
Stevie Ray Vaughan “MTV Unplugged” 1/30/90 (w/ Dennis Leary /Joe Satriani) (1 DVD) A
Stevie Ray Vaughan 7/15/90 St. Louis Aud Shot (1 DVD) B+
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Austin City Limits” Official (1 DVD) A+
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Austin City Limits Outtakes” Pro Shot (1 DVD) A-
Stevie Ray Vaughan “TV Appearances” NO Jazz Fest, Night Music, Leno, Lettermen, SNL (1 DVD) A

Other than Stevie being an excellent blues guitarist and performer I never understood the hype. Maybe there wern't that many "white" blues guitarists around when he broke out. Maybe it was his untimely death. To my ear he never brought anything new to the table. he was merely his generation's "Johnny Winter". I myself would much rather listen to a Johnny Lang or Robert Cray record from that period.

Duane in Houston Wrote:
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> he was merely his
> generation's "Johnny Winter".

that's pretty damned impressive all by itself. Johnny also suffered from unnecessary comparisons to Jimi. being any generation's Johnny Winter is a monumental honor....

Duane in Houston Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Other than Stevie being an excellent blues
> guitarist and performer I never understood the
> hype. Maybe there wern't that many "white" blues
> guitarists around when he broke out. Maybe it was
> his untimely death. To my ear he never brought
> anything new to the table. he was merely his
> generation's "Johnny Winter". I myself would much
> rather listen to a Johnny Lang or Robert Cray
> record from that period.


SRV could make a guitar sing in a way that extremely few can. Johnny Lang Was nine years old when Stevie died. Are we talking about the same guy?

Johnny Winter made some excellent albums: the 1969 debut, recently expanded; "Second Winter"w/ a terrific 'Highway 61'; the more rock & roll oriented "Johnny Winter And..." (the studio album, his 3rd); & his post-junk comeback "Still Alive & Well" issued in March 1973, debuted the Stones' 'Silver Train' six months before it was issued on Goats Head - and the whole album is superb. Later he produced those last 3 Muddy Waters albums, which are way better than Waters' late period Chess material.

john r Wrote:
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> Later he produced those last 3 Muddy
> Waters albums, which are way better than Waters'
> late period Chess material.

right - assume you're talking about albums like Can't Get No Grindin' and the Woodstock album. But, they don't even touch the greatness of his 1955-65 era...

ist let it bleed on J. Winters " still alive and well " "Also jack flash is great on his AND LIVE album..

Does anyone know about Johnny Winter's condition? I saw him just a couple of years ago, and while he played well and sounded good, he had to have assistance getting around.

had hip replacement surgery a coupla years ago. apparently a little better now. but his chops have fallen waaaaaay off unfortunately. can't really even bear to play his new cd...sad.

Stones Tod - totally agree, might go back a bit further at that. Classics currently in print (US):
The Chess Box (3 cds)
Anthology (2 cds)
Real Folk Blues / More Real Folk Blues (2 albums on 1 cd)
Folk Singer

picked a bit torrent from Muddy in Cambridge MA '66 recently - heard that one? that's the real shit - totally unedited, raw band performance - 3 sets. absolute bliss.

In referance to Johnny Winter's current condition / situation : He is scheduled to appear at a local honkey tonk here in Houston Fri. Sept. 2nd. I plan to go , meet him, ask him a few questions and get some albums signed. If you have any interseting questions you want me to ask him just let me know . Otherwise I will post a full report after the show. One question I will ask him for sure is if he was ever really in the running to replace Mick Taylor .

Speaking of Stevie - A guy at work gave me a recording he has of his brother's band, playing a a little club in Denver Colorado back in the 80's. Stevie and
some friends came in the club and were playing pool, the guitarist asked Stevie
if he wanted to sit-in, he did and played the only Guitar available - a Les Paul, never had heard him on one of those, did: The Sky is Crying, and a couple of others, his buddy played harp - neat rarity - MLC

I think SRV opened for the Stones in severals shows in Europe in 1982...

Also, does anybody know if it was SRV or his brother Jimmy who plays the great solo on Hard To Be from their Family Style album?

I'm pretty certain (going from memory here) that it is Jimmie who takes the lead on Hard to Be....

Duane in Houston Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In referance to Johnny Winter's current condition
> / situation : He is scheduled to appear at a local
> honkey tonk here in Houston Fri. Sept. 2nd. I plan
> to go , meet him, ask him a few questions and get
> some albums signed. If you have any interseting
> questions you want me to ask him just let me know
> . Otherwise I will post a full report after the
> show. One question I will ask him for sure is if
> he was ever really in the running to replace Mick
> Taylor .


Looking forward to hearing your report, Duane. I assume you'll be at Toyota Center as well on 12/1? I'll be driving in from New Orleans. Plan on spending the rest of the weekend in Galveston. How is it down there that time of year?

I had no idea he (Johnny Winter) was in the running back in '75 - on the other hand he DID get Silver Train out before the RS, & recorded other RS songs as well (JJF, Stray Vat, LI...so maybe there was a social relationship, & shared love for the blues...And the RS performed - hell, opened with - "I'm Yours, She's Mine" - at Hyde Park...quite extraordinary, as he was a 'new' artist (tho toiling in obscurity several years) w/ one album out at the time on Columbia.

I love SRV music. To me he's one of the, or maybe the, best blues solo guitarist i ever heard. You can hear very clearly that he is influenced a lot by Jimmy Hendrix. Although Hendrix is of course much more experimental with his music and guitar playing i prefer listening to SRV. Hendrix music is to chaotic for me compared to SRV.

Cheers,
Wuudy

With SRV I have the same problem as with MT: great guitarist but awful singer.

c