FPSHOT
Jan 10, 2009, 03:38 AM
I am sorry. I do not really know where to place this with the best of doing justice to the story.
It is about the day John passed and the day after.
This comes from Al Kooper, the famous musician.
AL KOOPER: “I was born an insomniac. Tests later revealed that when I eventually fell asleep, I would immediately descend into the deepest sleep there is; one that takes normal folks 3 to 6 hours to reach; the filet mignon of bedtime. I usually only sleep two to four hours each evening.”
“On the evening of December 8th, I was living in London in the UK and had just returned from George Harrison's home, where I was helping to record Somewhere In England, his latest album-in-progress. I had a bit of a nap on the two hour drive home in fellow musician Ray Cooper's Rolls Royce, so I was kinda up for the night. The TV usually went blank at midnight and I would switch the radio on routinely so that I had company in the wee hours.”
“The news in London because of the time change came about 2:30 AM. It started with news that John had been shot.”
“I was aghast. It quickly followed that he was dead. Stunned, I went back and forth optioning calling George as I'm sure I was one of a handful of Brits who HAD this info. I couldn’t be the one to tell him, I reasoned. He's gonna need that sleep he's getting now, I surmised knowing the British media.”
“At 9 AM, I called Ray Cooper who was co-producer of the album, and after a lengthy chat, we decided to go ahead with the session - that it might keep George from dwelling in sadness all day. Armed with a few bottles of excellent wine, we arrived there about noon. A gaggle of reporters greeted us at the main gate standing in the English rain. We sidestepped their enqueries, locked the gate and drove up to the house.”
“George was white. He hugged us both and we began the days work. We stopped three times during the next ten hours. Phone calls from Ringo, Paul & Yoko. He began rewriting lyrics to a track we had just cut the day before. In ensuing days, McCartney put backing vocals on, joining George & Ringo on that track and oh yes, the insomniac Wurlizer pianist from New York who was one of the first to purchase 'She Loves You' approximately 16 years before.”
“That track soon evolved into an honest musical tribute to John, and became a #1 single in the US scant months later. By ten PM, he was exhausted and a bit inebriated. He thanked us both for coming and headed for the arms of Morpheus. Ray & I headed back to London, glad we had done what we could for George that day.”
“I shall never forget that 24 hour period as long as I live.”
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/09/why-al-kooper-hates-local-writers-but-loves-san-di/
It is about the day John passed and the day after.
This comes from Al Kooper, the famous musician.
AL KOOPER: “I was born an insomniac. Tests later revealed that when I eventually fell asleep, I would immediately descend into the deepest sleep there is; one that takes normal folks 3 to 6 hours to reach; the filet mignon of bedtime. I usually only sleep two to four hours each evening.”
“On the evening of December 8th, I was living in London in the UK and had just returned from George Harrison's home, where I was helping to record Somewhere In England, his latest album-in-progress. I had a bit of a nap on the two hour drive home in fellow musician Ray Cooper's Rolls Royce, so I was kinda up for the night. The TV usually went blank at midnight and I would switch the radio on routinely so that I had company in the wee hours.”
“The news in London because of the time change came about 2:30 AM. It started with news that John had been shot.”
“I was aghast. It quickly followed that he was dead. Stunned, I went back and forth optioning calling George as I'm sure I was one of a handful of Brits who HAD this info. I couldn’t be the one to tell him, I reasoned. He's gonna need that sleep he's getting now, I surmised knowing the British media.”
“At 9 AM, I called Ray Cooper who was co-producer of the album, and after a lengthy chat, we decided to go ahead with the session - that it might keep George from dwelling in sadness all day. Armed with a few bottles of excellent wine, we arrived there about noon. A gaggle of reporters greeted us at the main gate standing in the English rain. We sidestepped their enqueries, locked the gate and drove up to the house.”
“George was white. He hugged us both and we began the days work. We stopped three times during the next ten hours. Phone calls from Ringo, Paul & Yoko. He began rewriting lyrics to a track we had just cut the day before. In ensuing days, McCartney put backing vocals on, joining George & Ringo on that track and oh yes, the insomniac Wurlizer pianist from New York who was one of the first to purchase 'She Loves You' approximately 16 years before.”
“That track soon evolved into an honest musical tribute to John, and became a #1 single in the US scant months later. By ten PM, he was exhausted and a bit inebriated. He thanked us both for coming and headed for the arms of Morpheus. Ray & I headed back to London, glad we had done what we could for George that day.”
“I shall never forget that 24 hour period as long as I live.”
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/jan/09/why-al-kooper-hates-local-writers-but-loves-san-di/