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Welcome to the Whirligig Message Board. This is the forum to discuss 1950's television and radio in Britain. You can ask questions about the programmes, try answering other people's queries or just tell us all about your nostalgic memories
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 Mawby |
Joe Meek |
Lead | |
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Posts: 368 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 10:38:23) |
There is a biopic Telstar, being filmed at present about Joe Meek, the musical genius who was behind some of the early pop records including "Johnny Remember Me", "Have I the Right", "Just Like Eddie" and the Tornados' massive hit, "Telstar". For more info see this:
www.jj-feild.com/drupal/node/123 |
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stephendoran |
Re Joe | ||
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Posts: 8895 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 11:33:09) Super Turnip |
This looks good.
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ChardonnayPascoe |
Re: Re Joe | ||
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Posts: 4066 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 12:43:45) Super Turnip |
I can't wait to see it.
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jimbo |
Re: Joe Meek biopic | ||
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Posts: 19091 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 13:15:04) Moperator |
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Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart DSO |
Re: Joe Meek biopic | ||
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Posts: 1134 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:00:08) Super Turnip |
Isn't the word genius a tad overused? First Benny Hill, then Joe Meek.
Einstein was a genius. Mozart was a genius. Not these two though. And from what I remember of Joe Meek's private life, this film could be rated 18. |
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Mawby |
Re: Joe Meek biopic | ||
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Posts: 368 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:10:11) |
That is your opinion, but not mine.
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camaygirl |
Joe Meek biopic | ||
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Posts: 10605 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:17:09) Super Turnip |
Well, we're all over 18 so that shouldn't be a problem.
Hopefully they will concentrate on his musical abilities rather than his love-life but as Heinz is a pivotal part of the story then ............. who knows. |
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ChardonnayPascoe |
Re: Joe Meek biopic | ||
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Posts: 4066 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:28:16) Super Turnip |
Joe Meek was a practising homosexual if that's what you mean Brigadier. I don't think that will merit the film an '18' certificate.
IMO, he was definitely a genius. |
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stephendoran |
re | ||
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Posts: 8895 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:30:35) Super Turnip |
His sexual leanings have nothing to do with it Tchaikovsky was also a homosexual.
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fickasapost |
Joe Meek | ||
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Posts: 216 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:31:31) |
from i,ve what i,ve heard he was,nt practising he was quite good at it!
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stephendoran |
Re: Joe Meek | ||
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Posts: 8895 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:37:26) Super Turnip |
I have some of his cds and very good they are too ,played Johnny Remember Me earlier from 1961.
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camaygirl |
Joe Meek | ||
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Posts: 10605 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:40:42) Super Turnip |
One definition of "genius" is "someone who has an extraordinary, imaginative, creative or inventive capacity" I think that just about sums up Joe Meek. |
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stephendoran |
re | ||
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Posts: 8895 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:42:20) Super Turnip |
Well said Judy.
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Mawby |
Re: Joe Meek | ||
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Posts: 368 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:50:44) |
Exquisitely stated Judy! I couldn't care less about what he did in his private life, only in what he was able to achieve in his home-made studio and all the more so because he was apparently tone deaf! An innovator.
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tarquin battersby smythe |
Clever but not a genius | ||
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Posts: 734 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 15:53:43) |
Without wanting to sound controversial, I remember that when Telstar was released someone in France (probably a Frenchman!) sought reparation for Joe Meek (allegedly)stealing his melody. Far fetched you say? What about Meek's revamping of 'Venus In Blue Jeans' and calling it 'Globetrotter?'
Joe obviously had a talent but a genius? What would that make John Barry? |
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jimbo |
Re: Clever but not a genius | ||
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Posts: 19091 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 17:32:18) Moperator |
No matter what - Joe Meek certainly got an amazing sound from having the rhythm section on the staircase, the singer in the bathroom, the guitars in the bedroom and and the drummer in the coal shed - not sure where he was twiddling at his mixing desk but one thing is certain, the end result gave us teenagers some of the most amazing sounds which we were able to spin the young girls around to all those years ago.
I am not sure if the drummer was in the coal shed though.
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camaygirl |
Globetrotter/Venus | ||
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Posts: 10605 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 17:36:05) Super Turnip |
I think Joe said at the time that he had written "Globetrotter" before "Venus In Blue Jeans" was released and never denied that the first few notes did sound exactly like "Venus" but that it was unconsciously done.
I don't think it's Joe Meek's songwriting skills that he is admired for but his production skills. He created a "sound" that was undeniably his. There aren't that many people that have done that with such great success. Some years ago I belonged to The Joe Meek Appreciation Society, simply because I liked so many of his records. Some of the society are real experts on the man and his production techniques and they simply love everything he ever did. I couldn't say that in all honesty. Some of his work, especially towards the end was not that good and the unreleased stuff, well, you would have to be a real Joe Meek fanatic to appreciate some of it. But he did produce some great "pop" and when you hear an RGM production, there is no mistaking that sound. |
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jimbo |
Re: Globetrotter/Venus | ||
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Posts: 19091 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 17:56:53) Moperator |
Here is an interesting insight into Joe Meek -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=in3bjWSbZ08 This is only part 1 - the remaining parts are available also of course. |
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ChardonnayPascoe |
Re: Globetrotter/Venus | ||
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Posts: 4066 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 19:05:20) Super Turnip |
With Joe Meek, you have to sift through a lot of rubbish to get to something really fantastic.
His lyrics were a bit odd... 'when I run down the stairs at breakfast time and start to crack my egg'....! (that's from Jenny Moss's Big Boys!) |
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Mawby |
Re: Globetrotter/Venus | ||
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Posts: 368 (Tue, 10-Jul-07 19:14:07) |
Poetic Chard - no, only joking. Joe's great skill was in throwing away the recording engineer's handbook and taking a chance on something new. The link to You Tube posted by Jimbo aptly demonstrates.
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Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart DSO |
Re: Globetrotter/Venus | ||
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Posts: 1134 (Wed, 11-Jul-07 08:28:29) Super Turnip |
Quoth Camaygirl
One definition of "genius" is "someone who has an extraordinary, imaginative, creative or inventive capacity" I think that just about sums up Joe Meek. I really don't think that term can really be applied to someone who briefly (and his productive period was very brief)produced some innovative pop records in the early 60s. By that criterion, there are a hell of a lot of geniuses (genii?) in pop music. I am not bothered whether he was homosexual or not, but his personal life (and death) was pretty hair raising. |
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