duran duran
random notes
from: patrick
neve (splat@darkwing.uoregon.edu)
does anyone know the title of the duran duran bootleg (??) that contains a cover
of "watermelon in easter hay"?
better yet, know where to get it?
from:
"m.c.death" (synthboy@teleport.com)
i don't know which bootleg contains the song, but i do remember duran performing
that song to open their show in portland, oregon...this was december of 1993.
the day after frank zappa passed away. it was very tasteful and intense.
-m.c.death, who was there at that show....
from: ryan
davenport (sleds@home.com)
some extra info. this is from http://tmcclintock.mgcap.com/articles/ddart33.htm
- it's a transcription of a review in the portland oregonian, original article
by marty hughley, dec 8 / 93. looking
at a calendar, the article would place the original concert date as december 6,
two days after zappa's death. the concert is available on napster - the sound is
rather muddy, and the dedication at the end of the song is largely unclear,
although you can hear one of the band members (with a british accent) call the
song "watermelon on easter hay".
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'how has duran duran changed since its peak of popularity a decade ago?
let us count the ways.
for starters, the british band, whose fluffy dance pop hits and jet-setter
image helped give early mtv a bad name, dedicated its monday night show at
memorial coliseum to frank zappa, the highly uncommercial musical iconoclast who
died saturday. many modern rockers owe a debt to zappa's legacy of wit and
invention, but the connection with duran duran is less stylistic than personal.
guitarist warren cuccurullo, who joined duran duran in the mid-80s, spent the
early part of the decade in zappa's band. and in tribute, he opened the show
with a poignant version of "watermelon in easter hay," the beautiful
instrumental elegy from zappa's "joe's garage."
zappa was famous for the discipline and technical proficiency he demanded of
musicians, so it should be no surprise that cuccurullo's advanced chops are a
major part of duran duran's current strength.'
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the
portland concert wasn't the only one in which they played "watermelon in
easter hay" (from a mirror of the old robbert heederik / st. alphonzo's
pancake faq):
'one final note about warren--he performed "watermelon in easter hay"
as a tribute to frank zappa at the following duran duran show on the past tour:
12/6/93 portland or, 12/7/93 seattle, wa, 12/8/93 vancouver, bc, 1/13/94 (new
york, ny) and 1/28/94 london, england.'
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also, i had a look at the juicy lucy page, and noticed that no mention was made of paul williams, the lead vocalist - there's a further second-hand connection to zappa there, as williams was the singer for allan holdsworth in the days when chad wackerman was his drummer (i.e., the fantastic album "metal fatigue").