George and Del Shannon

[ABCKO]

I was just checking up some info with Brian Young of delshannon.com, about George's involement on a Del Shannon song (by the way, he not only set up that great web site, he also contributed to putting together a superb, 8 CD Box-Set of Del's 1960-1970 material !).

Anyhow, just thought I'd share what we discussed...

Just checking those Del recording dates on the Shannon Yahoo Group... I see that on top of "Hot Love", George Harrison is said to have also played on "Who left who", even though he's not credited on the album, and on the un-released track "You don't know what you've got (t'ill you loose it)".

A) Is this true (as far as you know) ?

His reply: WHO LEFT WHO - no. That's just a rumor. "You Don't Know What You've Got" - yes

B) On "Hot Love"... do you know if George also played guitar, or only did b/vocals ?

His reply: Just background vocals. Harrison came to town to pick up his guitar at Petty's house. Petty and Lynne were working on Full Moon Fever. They stopped by to see Del. Del was recording: Hot Love, Let's Dance (RCA version), One Woman Man, and You Don't Know What You've Got. Del's backing band at this session was Billy Cioffi and the Monte Carlos (Who Left Who was a later session - Harrison wasn't there)

... I wonder, that "Harrison came to pick up his guitar at Tom's house" thing, could it be the same instance as the often told story about how the recording of "Handle with care" ?

I've asked him, and I'll let you know what he tells me...

[ABCKO]

... sure enough, he tells me that it's the same intance...

... meaning that Del was even closer to becoming a Wilbury than we thought !

[FPSHOT]

Can you tell a bit about when these recordings were supposed to have been?

In the period of the first Wilburies album, George was in LA a lot for various recordings and performances, so it may just be coincidence.

I am not sure about Del being a Wilbury...various names have come up at the time.. by rumours mostly... and given the fact that they were so close with Roy, I wonder... knowing George a bit, if he - who was the group's manager - would have wanted another band member at all. But that is all speculation.

About the songs - there is little to find about the things George did with Del, ll I can find is backing vocals on Hot Love.

[ABCKO]

Can you tell a bit about when these recordings were supposed to have been?

In the period of the first Wilburies album, George was in LA a lot for various recordings and performances, so it may just be coincidence.

I am not sure about Del being a Wilbury...various names have come up at the time.. by rumours mostly... and given the fact that they were so close with Roy, I wonder... knowing George a bit, if he - who was the group's manager - would have wanted another band member at all. But that is all speculation.

About the songs - there is little to find about the things George did with Del, ll I can find is backing vocals on Hot Love.

What's next, I'll be saying he Earth is round and you'll tell me it's flat ?

You often bring into account that I am (used to be, actually) a movie fan ?

Well just for you, here's a Charlton Heston quote from ''Soylent Green'':

''STAY OFF MY BACK !''

[FPSHOT]

I don't think I was on it?

[ABCKO]

I don't think I was on it?

... that question mark sure says a lot though...

[ABCKO]

Can you tell a bit about when these recordings were supposed to have been?



The session with Tom, George and Jeff backing up Del on ''Hot Love'' is said to have taken place on the 25th of May 1988.

A quick web-search shows that ''Volume 1'' was begun in May and went on until the end of May (1988)

Here's one of the sites I found...

http://www.jpgr.co.uk/wx224.html

[Legs]

I think Dell was close to being a wilbury. His "Runaway" appeared as a bonus track on one of the Traveling Wilburies cd singles.

[ABCKO]

I think Dell was close to being a wilbury. His "Runaway" appeared as a bonus track on one of the Traveling Wilburies cd singles.

... and a nice cover at that !

Recently, I read read that Jeff Lynne had once said that his biggest musical influence was Del, ahead of The Beatles and Roy Orbison ! And that certainly shows how much THAT Wilbury thought of Del.

Jef also had Del on one of the tracks from ''Armchair theatre'' and was quite involved on Del's posthumous ''Rock On !'', and so was Tom Petty, though to a lesser extent.

Even if you forget the fact that the album sounds VERY ''Wilbury'', it's a very fine sounding album... period !

... to boot, George even joined Jeff and Tom on ''Hot Love'' the B side track of one of the ''Rock On !'' singles (it can hadly get any MORE ''Wilbury'' than that, can it ? LOL).

Jeff had also worked with Del in the 1970's collaborating on handfull of mostly un-released songs. But two fine tracks made it out, ''Distant ghost'', and ''Cry baby cry'' (no, not The Beatles song).

Further, Del is sort of tied to The Beatles, having notably covered ''From me to you'' (it reached the U.S. ''Top 100'' before any actual Beatle song !) and he also covered ''Twist and shout''.

Del also has some Tome Petty connections, as Tom (with The Heartbreakers) produced and backed Del up on his 1981 album ''Drop down and get me'' that gave Del his first hit in over 15 years with ''Sea of love''... though the Jagger Richards song ''Out of time'' was much better, in my view.

Then there's Roy... Del covered, very nicely, four or five Orbison songs and the two appered on stage together a couple of times.

[FPSHOT]

How about the fantastic "Walk Away" which is to me how the Wilburys may have sounded with Del in it (Imagine...imagine...imagine...)

[FPSHOT]

-c6NIx_NfO0

[John Cee]

Further, Del is sort of tied to The Beatles, having notably covered ''From me to you'' (it reached the U.S. ''Top 100'' before any actual Beatle song !) That was the first cover of any Beatles song I ever heard -- in fact I think I heard it before I ever heard of the Beatles, so that when I first heard their version, I thought it was THEY that were doing the cover. Shannon did a very good job of it... I think he'd have made a great Wilbury!