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Clarence Clemons

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#1 ·
Yes, I have been taking a stroll down memory lane ;-)

I was looking for a tape last night and came across one I haven't had in the player in quite a while. Clarence Clemons and the Red Bank Rockers... Have this one on vinyl.

Popped the tape in on the way to work this morning, and it got my engine going, Raw, gritty, raucuous rock and roll....Clarence adding is unique tenor to these fantastic tunes.

Made me remember seeing the band once on Alan Thicke's late night talk show, can't remember the name, but they did Rock and Roll DJ, it was getting some airplay at the time. Another on this tape was from the Michael Stanley Band, 3 or four tunes off that album were graced with the Big man's tenor. One rose well on the charts, with Kevin Raliegh singing lead.... He Can't Love You.

for a sampling http://rockin_sax.tripod.com/Clemons.html
 
#52 ·
Just join up last week. Found this forum looking for infomation on a good R & R mpc. Looking for that raw raspy sound of Sam "The Man" Taylor. I also like C.Clemons sound but I can hardly believe he got that sound from a 130/0 Berg. I use a 120/0 with a modified higher baffle and still would like more distortion. Can anyone post a picture of the Rover Deep V baffle or any other high / long baffles? I would like to see how high they really are. Does anybody know what S.Taylor used?
 
#53 ·
Doctor Livingston said:
Looking for that raw raspy sound of Sam "The Man" Taylor. I also like C.Clemons sound but I can hardly believe he got that sound from a 130/0 Berg. I use a 120/0 with a modified higher baffle and still would like more distortion.
It's not the mpc; it's how you play. You are talking about the growl effect, which is a special technique. Look up growling, flutter tongue, and other special effects on this site. Lots of info on how to do this.
 
#54 ·
Ok, so I listened to the sax solo in the youtube vid posted earlier (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH_NvYPBDY0). I'm not a Springstein fan, I think he is vastly over-rated as a singer, writer, but he does put on an exciting show for the lemming rock & roll sheep in the world. That being said, Clarence Clemmons has a big tenor tone, but he is famous by association only. He is an average player at best. Average. No chops... just tone and long notes. He can growl. Ooh... that's about as useful as the windmill guitar move. His solo in the video is basically a long, boring major pentatonic. take away the spasmatic antics of Bruce and the loud drums and you have an incredibly boring sax solo with no development, no form, and no substance.

Of course, that's just my $0.02. More power to him for capitalizing on an opportunity.
 
#58 ·
I wonder if many of you have been to a show in a large (>5000) venue. It's a completely different experience than watching a video, or listening to a recording.

What one needs to realize is that those moves that seem HUGE on a video screen, are tiny when you see it live.

Then there's Imag...
 
#60 ·
I love the big man!
As a singer songwriter myself I grew up admiring Springsteen. The E street bad is such a tight unit. What a sound! For anyone still wondering what the fascination is I highly recommend "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Hamersmith Odeon, London '75" A jewel that was unearthed not too long ago. If possible watch the DVD. If you're still scratching your head after that, I'm sorry but you just don't have a rock n roll heart! i'll pray for you.

That said, I'm surprised that "Dukoff" never came up in this thread... Maybe the other MPCs mentioned are variations of the Dukoff? Someone help me out. Particularly the era mentioned - '75. Dukoff D-something-or-other, no?
 
#62 ·
Shows how much I know :D

Now where's that blushing smilie face at?

Seriously though I've seen the Dukoff thing around the net. Not that everything you read on the net it true of course! I'm wondering if he didn't play them at some point?
 
#63 ·
My teacher once told me that he had been at a recording session where Clarence Clemons had to play a solo with a spread of four or five chords over eight bars or so. He simply couldn't get it right so in the end my teacher played the solo instead. My jaw dropped when I heard the story but my teacher response was something like..."I know what you're thinking but you try getting a sound that big!".
 
#66 ·
Sorry, that wasn't at all the intention and the comment wasn't made in any deprecating way. His point was more along the lines that if you can do something really well and find a niche to match those skills you can go far even if there are lots of other skills you might not have or need to improve. It is a matter of taste whether one likes the repertoire that Clarence Clemons is playing but it is pretty hard to argue that he doesn't do it well and with quite some distinction.
 
#67 ·
I saw the Dallas show of Springsteen and the big man last night, and I want to chime in that they've still got it, whatever it is that they've ever had. They are all showing their age somewhat, but so is the audience. It took over an hour to really get us up out of our seats. He saved all the old material for the encores, and that was when things got really hopping. For the record, Clarence was still playing that silver Keilwerth with black-nickel body, not sure about the mp from the cheap seats. He also had a baritone onstage on a stand, but he played it on the stand so the cameraman kind of ignored it. It was gold-lacquer was all I could tell about it from where I was. As I walked out of the arena, I saw a tenor player (not Clemons, obviously) busking for the crowd. Good stuff. I have never seen that in Dallas before. You know, one thing about Springsteen and the e-street band is that they have a real commitment to tone color. I mean, your average rock n' roll fan probably can't tell the difference between the sound of a harmonica, sax, violin, and organ when played in a certain range. But he hauls all of these musicians with him everywhere he goes to get that specific sound on the appropriate songs. And make no mistake, it is Springsteen that has been Clemons' biggest promoter, he isn't necessarily a big self-promoter. Personally, I respect anyone who can still fill a hockey arena with fans; you don't see that as much these days. It was a great show all the way through.
 
#69 ·
Reviving an old thread...I saw the three-hour Bruce Springstein and the E Street Band 30th Anniversary Concert in New York City last night on Palladia HD (could there be any more guitars on-stage strumming the same chord at once?)...anyway, it sparked a question...

What Sax Player in history has achieved the most fame/ notoriety playing the least number of notes?

Or for you Scientists...Who has the highest ratio of fame/ notoriety to notes played in history?

Is it Clarence?
 
#74 ·
I played 2 nites in Marin County with Clarence about 10 or so yrs back. He sat in with the club band I was was working with.

Although we only played a couple tunes each nite I got a feel for him close up. I knew who he was but I was never a big Springsteen fan so I hadn't really paid a lot of attention to Clarence.

Well lemme tell ya just about any tenor player seeing Clarence come in with his horn will wake up quick.. I remember I layed back a little the first nite to let him be the Big man.. I too quickly realized his level of playing. What he has, good bad or otherwise, is Style. The way he looks presents himself and plays.

Well I'm no "monster" either, although I've been called that- I've screwed up enough chord changes to know the difference.. However I do play enough to keep up with the big man.

I forget what tenor he was playing (it was gold) but my trusty VI delivered in Spades.The second nite I guess the martinis kicked in and I let him have it a couple of times. It was nice to know I could match the big man's power. He was really a personable cat and had the BIGGEST hands I ever shook.

He became a pal for awhile. He invited me backstage when he was with Ringo's Allstars to meet Dr John and the gang..we kept in touch for a bit then he went off to the Florida Keys I heard.

I need to send him a note..:cool:
 
#76 ·
Hello JL, yes..I bought played and sold the cream of the vintage tenor crop. I could have lived with any one of them. I had enough to know I'm satisfied with my VI. I'd get tones to die for on some of the vintage jewels. But in the dead of night I'd ask myself does this horn really cut my VI.. None ever truly did.

Yeah I'd still like to mess with some modern newer models too, that 9937 knocked my *** off. But the VI is my rock. I'd be scared to part with it. My only regret is that I didn't have Randy or somebody rebuild it for me when I was in the chips.:( Poor old thing has been rode hard and put away wet since '81

I also think there is huge merit for a player staying on the same horn, whenever I would return to my VI after a long stint on a classic I always felt like I was getting back into a warm bath.
 
#77 ·
I had enough to know I'm satisfied with my VI. I'd get tones to die for on some of the vintage jewels. But in the dead of night I'd ask myself does this horn really cut my VI.. None ever truly did.
Yeah, I've had a similar experience, though I haven't owned as many horns as you. I feel real lucky to have picked up a great VI back in '81 when it was affordable.

Nice story about playing with Clarence!
 
#78 ·
I'm a real non-fan of Bruce. BUT, I saw Clarence live with his own show once and the Big Man blew the house down! Very impressive and stylish. Not everyone can do it like that and his style exemplifies the old adage "it's not how many notes you play". He has done real well doing his thing and he's for real.
 
#79 ·
I'm a big fan to Bruce Springsteen, E-Street Band and Clarence Clemons. I've seen them performing on arenas from 5000 to 50000 spectators and they always Rocks!

In Gothenburg (Sweden) they almost started a landslide. The band and Clemons got 50000 on their feet and I can assure you that everything was jumping and shaking! After that performance they closed down the arena , Nya Ullevi, so they could anchor the arena to the bedrock.

You can play a simple line with few notes or a complicated line with lots of tones. It doesn't matter what you play if you don't put energy and devotion into your music. So I think CC Rocks!

Talking about The Boss and the Big Man: I've read or heard (I can't remember) when Springsteen recorded the song "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" they called in Mike (ts) and Randy Brecker (trp), Wayne Andre (trb) and Dave Sandborn (bs) along with Clarence. The couldn't get the barilines right and after lots of attemps Steve Van Zandt sang the barilines to Sandborn. Can this be true? Little Steven is just doing background vocals on one track on the album.
 
#81 ·
As Sun Ra told a close friend of mine "there is one band that never lets it's audience down-Bruce Springsteen". I've seen Bruce and the E Stree Band in clubs of about 150 up to 50,000 seat plus baseball stadiums, (I sat in the last row of the highest tier) and they always deliver the goods.
I really don't go to anything but clubs anymore but if I were going to see someone in a huge venue they would be my first choice.
 
#83 ·
sorry to hear about this!..his passing away,very popular player and surprisingly well known for a saxophonists, who played in a rock band,primarily..but more people i talk to mention him only behind kenny G, as sax players they have heard of, which i think says a lot in his influence with springsteens band!, as the list indicated earlier in the thread lots of great solos, i very much enjoy his style!!...gutsy emotional, intense...
 
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