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Well, it looks like I am one of the earlier ones. I first heard John
(on tape, unfortunately) back in 1978-1979. This was just before
the overthrow of Iran which seems to be where the current
commercial releases start.
I have bought several of his CDs since then, but still regard the
original tapes (I think Piano Concerto and another one) to be the
best recordings he ever released.
A buddy of mine had those tapes. We were stationed in Incirlik ,
Turkey . There were 2000 single men there and 30 women. If
you went off base at night you could go to the bus station, and
play backgammon with the locals and have a nice bowl of goat
head soup (yes, it really exists) or sit outside, bar-b-que and
drink till 4:00 am.
So we drank. It would reach 110-120 in the summer, and we
lived in concrete dorms where the AC didn’t work – it was not
uncommon for our rooms to be 95 degrees at midnight.
Needless to say we drank a LOT! Thanks to a guy from Maine
who had the tapes, we had a lot of 2:00 am seranades to the
Lifer barracks next door. he music from those days seemed to
form the classics for later years; the end of the month song, Hey
Lade, Big Assed Lil, Philosophical Bullshit, the 12 Days of
Christmas, hell he even did an instrumental – I think it was the
Maple leaf rag.
If anyone knows the tape/cd I am talking about, please let me
know where I can buy a copy. The newer stuff is good, but to
me it is always compared against my first taste of John.
I am now 50, and still haven’t had the good fortune to see him
live – but unless I grow up before I die, I will.
Bob Gentry
(on tape, unfortunately) back in 1978-1979. This was just before
the overthrow of Iran which seems to be where the current
commercial releases start.
I have bought several of his CDs since then, but still regard the
original tapes (I think Piano Concerto and another one) to be the
best recordings he ever released.
A buddy of mine had those tapes. We were stationed in Incirlik ,
Turkey . There were 2000 single men there and 30 women. If
you went off base at night you could go to the bus station, and
play backgammon with the locals and have a nice bowl of goat
head soup (yes, it really exists) or sit outside, bar-b-que and
drink till 4:00 am.
So we drank. It would reach 110-120 in the summer, and we
lived in concrete dorms where the AC didn’t work – it was not
uncommon for our rooms to be 95 degrees at midnight.
Needless to say we drank a LOT! Thanks to a guy from Maine
who had the tapes, we had a lot of 2:00 am seranades to the
Lifer barracks next door. he music from those days seemed to
form the classics for later years; the end of the month song, Hey
Lade, Big Assed Lil, Philosophical Bullshit, the 12 Days of
Christmas, hell he even did an instrumental – I think it was the
Maple leaf rag.
If anyone knows the tape/cd I am talking about, please let me
know where I can buy a copy. The newer stuff is good, but to
me it is always compared against my first taste of John.
I am now 50, and still haven’t had the good fortune to see him
live – but unless I grow up before I die, I will.
Bob Gentry
