The Jim Keltner Collection Vol. 2
Here is the second part of the Jim Keltner Collection, featuring more songs on which one of the great session drummers hit the skins, following Volume 1 a few weeks ago.
One of the most surprising of these is the song that opens this compilation, a Crowded House song. The antipodean group, of course, had a fine drummer: the late, lamented Paul Hester. Now We”re Getting Somewhere was the one track on the debut album that didn”t feature Hester “” nor bassist Nick Seymour; the bass on the song was played by Jerry Scheff. The session musicians were brought in by producer Mitchell Froom.
The day after recording Now We”re Getting Somewhere, Hester and Seymour were allowed to play; the track they put down was Don”t Dream It”s Over. Hester might have been unhappy about Keltner taking his place, but apparently he learned a lot from observing the drumming legend. Still, Now We”re Getting Somewhere is the one single that didn”t make it on to Crowded House”s greatest hits album, Recurring Dream.
In a few weeks” time we”ll have reason to remember that Jim Keltner backed John Lennon at his 1972 concert at New York”s Madison Square Gardens and drummed, along with Ringo (from whom he learned by watching), at George Harrison”s Concert for Bangladesh. He also toured in the late 1980s with Ringo Starr”s All-Starr Band. Around the same time he teamed up with old mates Harrison and Dylan to drum for the Travelin” Wilburys, taking the name Buster Sidebury. After Harrison”s death, he played at the Concert For George.
Jim Keltner was the punchline to a dig by George and Ringo on Paul McCartney, the only Beatle who hadn”t used Keltner”s services. On the back cover of his Red Rose Speedway LP in 1973, Paul invited fans to join the “Wings Fun Club” by sending in a stamped addressed envelope. The same year both Harrison”s Living In The Material World and Starr”s Ringo albums had spoof notes asking fans to join the “Jim Keltner Fan Club” by sending a “stamped undressed elephant”.
Check out this video interview with Keltner, and listen to this fantastic podcast interview with Keltner on John and his famous Lost Weekend, and the other Beatles (including the story of Paul breaking Ringo”s drum):
As always, CD-R length, covers, PW in comments.
1. Crowded House – Now We”re Getting Somewhere (1986)
2. Gary Wright – Dream Weaver (1975)
3. Ry Cooder – Boomer”s Story (1972)
4. The Bee Gees – Saw A New Morning (1973)
5. Johnny Rivers – Rock Me On The Water (1971)
6. Martha Reeves – Power Of Love (1974)
7. Roberta Flack – Making Love (1982)
8. Yvonne Elliman – Savannah (1979)
9. Gabor Szabo – Dear Prudence (1969)
10. Shawn Phillips – Golden Flower (1975)
11. Alison Krauss – Forget About It (1999)
12. Maria McKee – I Forgive You (1993)
13. Melissa Manchester – Don”t Cry Out Loud (1978)
14. Dolly Parton – It”s Too Late To Love Me Now (1978)
15. Buckingham Nicks – Lola (My Love) (1973)
16. Leon Russell – Out In The Woods (1972)
17. Pops Staples – Down In Mississippi (1992)
18. John Mayer – Something Like Olivia (2012)
19. John Hiatt – Thank You Girl (1987)
20. Joe Cocker – Long Drag Off A Cigarette (1984)
21. J.J. Cale – Pack My Jack (1980)
Previous session musicians” collection:
The Bernard Purdie Collection Vol. 1
The Bernard Purdie Collection Vol. 2
The Ricky Lawson Collection Vol. 1
The Ricky Lawson Collection Vol. 2
The Jim Gordon Collection Vol. 1
The Jim Gordon Collection Vol. 2
The Hal Blaine Collection Vol. 1
The Hal Blaine Collection Vol. 2
The Bobby Keys Collection
The Louis Johnson Collection
The Bobby Graham Collection
The Jim Keltner Collection Vol. 1
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