We Gotta Go

Vale Andrew Lesnie, who died on April 27, a great cinematographer who enhanced the films he shot with dazzling light and shade – Babe, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Water Diviner among them.

Vale Jack Ely, who died the following day, and mumbled his way, on April 6 1963, through the Kingsmen’s recording of Louie Louie, a lucky mix of prehistoric recording techniques, throwaway vocalising and Ely’s new braces, which gave a raw and dirty sound to an old standard.  Two generations have extemporized their own smutty lyrics to this Dance Hall classic and TVC recommends the live version on The Kingsmen in Person recorded on “Wand” records live at (as the album notes state) “Portland’s famed teenage nitery, The Chase“.

We should also hail and farewell Ben E. King (April 30) who sang and co-wrote the classic pop standard Stand By Me; Percy Sledge (April 15) who created the classic torch-song When a Man Loves a Woman, and Errol Brown, the smooth front-man of “Hot Chocolate” (You Sexy Thing, Everyone’s a Winner, It Started With a Kiss, Heaven is in the back seat of my Cadillac) (May 6). Riposino in pace.

 

And now (15 May 2015), B.B.King has died.  The Thrill is Gone.