Showing posts with label cameron house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cameron house. Show all posts

Thursday, April 21, 2016

The Death of Prince
















The Death of Prince
by Live Music Head

In 1984,
when the film Purple Rain first came to the big screen,
I was in the cinema with the rest of 'em.
Yes, of course I was.
And I bought the soundtrack on vinyl.
Played it a lot, too.
Yet, despite how I may have enjoyed the film
and the soundtrack
and that Prince has since become known as
a musical genius,
I never considered myself a very large fan.
Only a little one.
Never saw him in concert, for instance.
However, the news of his passing this afternoon
was nonetheless completely shocking.
Almost as shocking as David Bowie’s was in January.
As many know, 
Toronto was a favourite city of Prince.
It is my home town.
And I remember hearing way back when
how he swung by the Cameron House
(an old hangout of mine)
and played their piano.
How cool is that?
And then there's the Torontonian he married
and the residence they kept on the Bridle Path.
In November 2014,
rumour had it that Prince would play a surprise gig
at Massey Hall
and a long line-up formed outside it's doors.
But it didn't happen.
When he did make an appearance
at Toronto’s Sony Centre last month,
I didn’t go.
But I did see the news last week
about the flu-like symptoms Prince was experiencing
that caused an emergency landing of his aircraft in Illinois,
and the cancellation of a couple of shows.
I didn't think all that much about it then.
Now a few days later, he's dead.
And I recall the memory of an old friend;
an old friend who's no longer a friend actually,
and for very good reason…
but a reason that has nothing to do with Prince himself,
other than I think he gave her a big head.
You see,
this former friend worked for Prince
back in the early 1990s.
And she would often call me from Minneapolis to tell me stories.
I would laugh when she told me these stories,
because she would only ever refer to her boss as
"him" or "he".
And she would never allow me to refer to “him” as
"His Purpleness".
Well, at least not on the phone.
Funny that I would indulge in such gossip then,
a behaviour I don’t find interesting in the least, really.
But that was then.
I suspect any minute now
updated reports will begin surfacing,
if they haven’t already,
with details of exactly what caused his death.
And an outpouring of emotion all over the internet
from friends and fans alike.
Having got his start in the 1970s,
Prince’s talent elevated him to superduper stardom
over the decades.
And he’s made huge impact on a lot of people.
He will never be forgotten.
The song of his I always liked the most:
Little Red Corvette.



Sunday, May 9, 2010

Get Along Home Cindy ~ The Cameron House


Get Along Home Cindy
The Cameron House
May 1, 2010
by Live Music Head



How am I gonna squeeze through this crowd
and not spill beer on Dwight’s head?
The farewell party at The Cameron House
is full under way, and jam packed.
Cindy Matthews,
manager of Paradise, is leaving
and a Cosmo is taking over.
But for the last 12 years,
many have known Cousin Cindy for
playing washboard and singing like a songbird
with the house band, the Cameron Family Singers.
And having played the front room of
this Queen St Public House
every Saturday afternoon at 6,
has garnered them quite a following.
Today is May Day 2010,
and most of Toronto’s finest
have come out to celebrate and share the stage.
For starters,
I spot a Colonel of the Backstabbers kind
playing mandolin and Sometimes She Forgets.
And he may not be the Easy Rider from Hollywood,
but Jack Nicholsen still can’t help telling us
they’re gonna put him in the movies.
Cousins Booth and Coopersmith are the upstairs fiddlers,
and ridin’ the pony of a bass playin’ Tony,
is a Ferarra musical saw.
I spy Clive,
the swing dance guy,
and Whoa, Nellie!
Vera is Johnny-less in hot red pants!
And when Cousin Kevin moves from piano to upright bass,
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.
But I don’t.
Despite the cloths
passed over head to wipe up the mess,
I’m leaving the sobbin’ to Metrault from Rancho Misterio.
Under Benattar boots,
Cousin Chip plays penny whistle and
Burt is a pedal steel.
And it looks like the river Cimmeron
will overflow the jug once again.
But where are those Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds?
David Baxter waits in the wings for
Stahl to finish Pickin’ Little Jimmy’s Chickin’.
And Screamin’ Sam wipes the cheese grater,
with a side order of Zappa on Walton’s Mountain.
Gee, that went down well with a Mill Street Organic.
Sue is the Angel of the Morning,
and how can anyone not notice Tanya’s dress?
Justin Rutledge and Corin Raymond have a stab at the stage
and you know,
not only does Toronto have the best musicians,
but most of ‘em are here, right now
under Sybil’s painted ceiling.
And that includes the boy bassist,
(the one now singing about Ophelia)
Wasn’t he the same kid who
gave us every inch of his Zeppelin love at another party?
By the Time I Get to Phoenix,
Nigel is a tuba and St Dirt, a drummer.
Look out Waitsish banjos,
Jack Black’s gonna give you a Run With the Kittens!
But the highlight of the festivities came
just before Ghost Riders in the Sky arrived.
I tell ya,
A Song for You ripped my heart to shreds.
The great Leon Russell penned tune that
I got familiar with via Willie Nelson,
was delivered with such soul,
I lost the struggle to keep the tears at bay.
I can thank the one who played Stompin’ Tom for that.
Standing beside Mr Quain as he tinkles the same
piano His Purpleness played,
I’m really gonna miss these cousins.
After all, they play real country music.
But being covered in cockroaches shouldn’t stop ‘em.
I suspect Cosmo will continue the musical charm of
Toronto’s original artmusictheatrebar for some time to come.
But for now,
the entire room is not too cool to wave, Cindy...
Good luck and “so long saddle pals!”


The Cameron Family Singers on Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/cameronfamilysingers

The Cameron House
http://www.thecameron.com/