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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2020 16:57:59 GMT -5
With both demo EPs... you can hear the distinct chemistry of the John & Roger rhythm section and Nick’s flare for keyboard experimentation but it’s obvious that they needed Simon’s knack for hooky vocal melody (and lyrics) and Andy’s knowledge of standard songwriting structure. Andy and Simon were literally the missing two ingredients. I’m sure Andy Wickett is a radically talented guy but a lot of his vocal melodies are all over the place... at times doesn’t even sound like he’s listening to the music. Completely disparate at times. LeBon really simplified the melodies and made them easier to recall after one listen. soundcloud.com/bittersweetmachines/winter-marches-on-duran-duran-cover
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asteroidk
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Post by asteroidk on Aug 23, 2020 19:17:39 GMT -5
Can the download tracks be played automatically on an iPhone?
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errbt
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Post by errbt on Aug 23, 2020 20:00:45 GMT -5
What an unexpected gem! Who would have thought it would take Andy Wickett to give us all a previously unreleased treat for the band's "40th Anniversary"! I hope the band is paying attention and will be prompted to open Nick's damn vault for something similar but involving all of the "original five".
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errbt
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Post by errbt on Aug 23, 2020 20:12:06 GMT -5
Wow! So musically it definitely is essentially the same “To the Shore” that we all know. What an interesting revelation in the Duran historical timeline. Definitely very different vocal lines. Simon just has such a better sense of pop melody than Andy Wickett (in my opinion) and vocal melody really makes all the difference but wow... interesting to know that this was an already existing musical composition that Nick, John and Roger brought to Andy & Simon. soundcloud.com/bittersweetmachines/winter-marches-on-duran-duran-coverHad a listen to the digital album, and surely, I am actually *not* arguing that this is not DD in September of 1979, but anybody might tell me who on earth is playing that guitar on that TO THE SHORE version!? This can't be JT in 1979 ... ?!? I admit I thought the same thing at first, maybe a guest guitarist or maybe Andy playing over the original To the Shore demo (after Wickett had left) as a test (since Simon wasn't in the band yet either when Andy came down to audition), but to be honest, there's nothing difficult to play in the lead guitar line of this demo...it's just a single note melodic lead with a tasty amount of overdrive or distortion and maybe a touch of delay. Before this we'd only heard John play jangly phased Chic-influenced clean guitar parts on these demos, but who's to say he couldn't have pulled off this lead? He certainly showed a penchant for melodic base playing very quickly after the switch, a skill which had to come from somewhere. I say it could just as likely been him as it could have been an unnamed guest guitarist or Andy (in the possible scenario I mentioned above). Maybe time for an "Ask Katy"? Or do you think the band will try to pretend these don't exist because they mess with the "official narrative"? Actually I was happy and impressed that John included the first rudimentary version of Girls on Film from these same Bob Lamb sessions in his "Stone Love Bass Oddity" video entry for the song, so who knows...maybe they would answer the question about To the Shore.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2020 20:49:08 GMT -5
i must admit that having drawn it to everyone's attention that these were coming out, i was a bit worried... ...but these were *far* better than i was expecting - &, imho, it's much clearer that it wasn't a clean slate after Andy W left vs the 1st demo CD.
Otherwise, i agree with the previous comments about what's become what - though am i also getting an early taste of The Chauffeur in TTS?
Dreaming Of Your Cars is a bit of a weird hybrid though - as it's significantly slowed down from the TV Eye original... ...& then an odd mix of what i imagine The Devils demos originally sounded like & a touch of added Ska.
Yeah, Andy's voice seemed to be much better suited to the up tempo punk version & personally think the original version is better.
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Post by durandurannorway on Aug 24, 2020 0:26:34 GMT -5
Can the download tracks be played automatically on an iPhone? No. I don't think so. Only through the bandcamp app.....
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2020 3:11:14 GMT -5
What an unexpected gem! Who would have thought it would take Andy Wickett to give us all a previously unreleased treat for the band's "40th Anniversary"! I hope the band is paying attention and will be prompted to open Nick's damn vault for something similar but involving all of the "original five". It also needs pressure and engineering from above. The management are responsible for making the decisions - or at least making suggestions. I’ve been told they all make these kinds of decisions as a collective. I can imagine them sat round a table in a board room, throwing all the great ideas out of the window and sticking with another boring remaster of Rio. “Oh what a great idea guys! Let’s throw them another Rio!” But you’re exactly right about Andy. Good on him. I’m personally not interested in how those early songs were structured - but more importantly, the core fan base would be. DDHQ are alienating themselves from people who understand. The problems began when they decided to run the company as a family.
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asteroidk
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Post by asteroidk on Aug 24, 2020 6:42:36 GMT -5
Can the download tracks be played automatically on an iPhone? No. I don't think so. Only through the bandcamp app..... I checked out the app and I can play the songs from this bandcamp app on my iPhone until they release a CD. Thanks!!
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Post by More Play Time on Aug 24, 2020 18:53:01 GMT -5
Only had time to play the first and last track so far.
I like the first track! Funky.
The demo of To The Shore sounds unpolished as expected.
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Post by More Play Time on Aug 25, 2020 10:42:18 GMT -5
Having given it a proper listen now, I think that these "demos" are about as good as you could expect from a 1970s bedroom teen band, who only started to play instruments a few years before.
They have yet to find that killer rhythm, and are darting about from one angle to another, trying to be cutting and different. That was all the fashion back then, the hair cuts, the ripped jeans - everything had to be different. I would have loved to see some photo of the band at that time.
I dont see these as anything more than the usual demo fair, apart from Dreaming Of Your Cars - which I like a lot. Johns playing on X-Disco is also entertaining. I find it interesting that To The Shore ends with a keyboard sequence not unlike the intro to Save a Prayer. Again this is just 'Duranies Studying", but it's interesting to have as a collectors item.
If the band members names are on the record, then they get royalties from this - which can never do any harm. Plus it gives a bit of money back to Andy Wickett without writing him out of history. The music is good enough to stand up for what it is, so there is no harm releasing this stuff.
The irony is, when they crack open the vaults in 50 years time, we will finally get all of this stuff released on mass. I hope I can live that long.
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