Yeah, I'm on a roll this month. He will be my guest on July 17th at 8pm EST.
Feel free to check out the FB stream then or check out the show on my YouTube page later, I will post it here.
Ask away about Giant or any part of his career.
Yeah, I'm on a roll this month. He will be my guest on July 17th at 8pm EST.
Feel free to check out the FB stream then or check out the show on my YouTube page later, I will post it here.
Ask away about Giant or any part of his career.
Last edited by Sean; 07-07-2020 at 08:19 PM.
When will the recent Steven Wilson remixes and 5.1 surround versions of Free Hand, Interview and The Missing Piece be released and will they be reissued individually or together as a box?
Last edited by Dok; 07-08-2020 at 01:33 AM.
Sean, do you know if the new fan Proclamation video will be out by the time of your interview? It's was supposed to be any day now I thought.
Edit: From the thread/video on the Communication Breakdown podcast interview with Derek I see that he says in a couple of weeks, from whenever that was recorded. So, probably not by the time of your interview I'm guessing.
Last edited by Dok; 07-08-2020 at 01:37 AM.
I'd be interested to have Derek speak about his concept of being the band's frontman, a conduit between his fellow band members and the audience, and particularly in the early days when he shared that role with his brother Phil. When Phil left in 1973, he no longer had anyone to share that role with, and I'm wondering if that meant he suddenly had to become a frontman in a more conventional sense.
Also, looking back on it now, not having done this in forty years, has that part of his personality, being a singer and "stage person", does he miss any of this or is that part of him completely dead and gone ? When he has argued against participating in any reformation of the band, he's mostly talked of how embarrassing it was to see old men playing rock'n'roll, but outside of this aspect, would it have been any fun for him to do it ?
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Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos
As one of the first and few bands to incorporate xylophones and vibraphones into rock, Gentle Giant had virtually no stylistic forebears. What musician/composer inspired this feature in the band's arrangements?
Ask Derek about doing a standalone release for the 5.1 Blu-Ray edition of GG's debut album (which was included on the box set Unburied Treasure)
Will the book/books included in the Unburied Treasure boxset be available to us that already have several cd-versions of all the studio (and some live) albums?
Will the remixed Playing the fool cd be available as a standalone release?
Derek, do you have any questions for Rick Wakeman?
If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
https://battema.bandcamp.com/
Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com
Do you think having 3, later 2, brothers in GG made it easier or harder to maintain an overall good team spirit in the band?
I'm fascinated that at least two of the players in the band, Gary Green, and I'm sure John Weathers, couldn't read music. How did GG work out their elaborate arrangements without the benefit of sheet music for all of the members? The guitar parts, for one, are very difficult to count and seem to be very structured. Tough to do by ear!
Could he clarify the role that radio executive Lee Abrams had in the production of Civilian? Is the story true that the album was largely banned from AOR radio due to the resulting conflict of interest issues, and how did nobody manage to see that coming?
On the subject of Civilian, I don't think that album has had a standalone reissue (in the US or UK) in years and it's not available on iTunes or other streaming services (that I'm aware of). I know that it was included on both the I Lost My Head & Unburied Treasure box sets so ask Derek if there is there any chance for a separate release for that album.
Last edited by starless and bible black; 07-11-2020 at 02:28 PM.
"Derek - what is Jon Bonjovi really like?"
Just wanted to bump this one since the show is this coming Friday night. Don't let that other interview with him posted recently deter you. This night is for PE and we can surely think up some great questions of our own to ask.
Gentle Giant was a pretty uncommercial (is that a word?) band for being signed, recorded, and promoted by a major label. I would like to hear about the band's interaction with the label. Were they happy with the records that the band produced? Did they think they could sell them to the public? Did the label try to influence the type of music the band created? If so, at what point? Any other ruminations along this line?
How did he feel about taking on and self producing on their own with Three Friends. Were they nervous after having Tony Visconti there for the first two?
What happened with Malcolm Smith leaving the band? What were Ray and Phil's issues with him if he can say?
As a record executive, did you ever come across bands which the progressive rock guy in you really loved, but from a practical and commercial standpoint, you had to say “no” to with regard to signing them to the label?
Is it true that Bon Jovi was influenced by early Giant?
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
Another question for Derek is why there had to be two different covers for the Three Friends & Octopus LPs for England & the USA. Also, didn't this cost the band additional money to do this?
Good questions! Keep them coming!
Did you know he signed Dream Theater and Pantera too? Any questions?
^ Do you ever wake in a cold sweat, racked with feelings of guilt?
How did your experience in GG inform your career as a record executive?
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www.incandescentsky.com - inventive improvisational instrumental ensemble
I'd like to hear something about the band's internal politics. For example, when the band sat down to write a new album, was there a general consensus regarding the direction or musical emphasis of the new album going in, or did this get worked out over time by much wrangling and discussion?
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