The band is named after a popular Scandinavian dessert, which sounds deliciously whimsical!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
A sweet addition
Spotted on social media: Norwegian musician Axel Røthe and his ensemble Cloudberry Cream will be releasing their debut on September 12th and one of the songs, "Life Is Just A Dream," contains small contributions from a variety of guest artists, one of whom - according to this posting - is Trevor. Listen and judge for yourself...it certainly seems like it could be him, to my ears. The guitar figure goes on for about 20 seconds in the clip.
The band is named after a popular Scandinavian dessert, which sounds deliciously whimsical!
The band is named after a popular Scandinavian dessert, which sounds deliciously whimsical!
Monday, August 29, 2016
The Man of a Thousand Credits: found it!
One of a continuing series in regards to the myriad variety of Trevor’s discography.
In his recent interview with The Prog Report, Trevor noted that he had a few opportunities to work on more song-oriented material during his years as a film scorer, and one of the pieces he mentioned was written in collaboration with singer-songwriter Bryan Adams and producer Mutt Lange for the film National Treasure. The composition was not used (one assumes for the end credits sequence), but it isn't difficult for long-time fans to put two-and-two together to figure out that the song is "We Found What We Were Looking For" which appeared on Adams' 2008 album 11 (a straightforward title for his eleventh release). Trevor did not perform on this version, but a verification that it was composed for the film is one of the publishing companies listed in the credits: Wonderland Music, which is a subsidiary of the Disney Music Group. The National Treasure films were, of course, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
Although to my mind what the main motif of the song sounds most like is the "Page 47" theme from National Treasure: Book of Secrets. It's possible the song could have been written for the sequel rather than the first installment.
So it would seem that this particular meeting (likely arranged by Lange, who was originally a colleague of Trevor's in the South Africa era) is what led to Trevor working with Bryan on "Never Let Go" for The Guardian - beyond Adams' affirmed hitmaker status on other movie-related songs such as "Heaven" and "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" - but in fact that song was released before "We Found What We Were Looking For" even though it had been recorded after. And then in December 2008 Trevor made a rare appearance to perform with Bryan during his solo acoustic concert at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
In his recent interview with The Prog Report, Trevor noted that he had a few opportunities to work on more song-oriented material during his years as a film scorer, and one of the pieces he mentioned was written in collaboration with singer-songwriter Bryan Adams and producer Mutt Lange for the film National Treasure. The composition was not used (one assumes for the end credits sequence), but it isn't difficult for long-time fans to put two-and-two together to figure out that the song is "We Found What We Were Looking For" which appeared on Adams' 2008 album 11 (a straightforward title for his eleventh release). Trevor did not perform on this version, but a verification that it was composed for the film is one of the publishing companies listed in the credits: Wonderland Music, which is a subsidiary of the Disney Music Group. The National Treasure films were, of course, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
Although to my mind what the main motif of the song sounds most like is the "Page 47" theme from National Treasure: Book of Secrets. It's possible the song could have been written for the sequel rather than the first installment.
So it would seem that this particular meeting (likely arranged by Lange, who was originally a colleague of Trevor's in the South Africa era) is what led to Trevor working with Bryan on "Never Let Go" for The Guardian - beyond Adams' affirmed hitmaker status on other movie-related songs such as "Heaven" and "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" - but in fact that song was released before "We Found What We Were Looking For" even though it had been recorded after. And then in December 2008 Trevor made a rare appearance to perform with Bryan during his solo acoustic concert at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Media Watch: new Guardian article
UK publication The Guardian posted an article today regarding the contentious fractious history of several bands, and one of them is Yes. The text features quotes from Trevor; for example, he relates the memorial for Chris Squire he and Shelley held at their home in July 2015.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/25/ub40-stiff-little-fingers-yes-bands-that-split-in-half
I imagine nothing will dispel the ongoing legitimacy debate regarding the concurrent activities of the current lineup of Yes and ARW, but as each outfit believes they are presenting a valid expression of Yes music, it is up to audiences to support and enjoy whomever they desire.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/25/ub40-stiff-little-fingers-yes-bands-that-split-in-half
I imagine nothing will dispel the ongoing legitimacy debate regarding the concurrent activities of the current lineup of Yes and ARW, but as each outfit believes they are presenting a valid expression of Yes music, it is up to audiences to support and enjoy whomever they desire.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
What's mine is yours
Yesterday Trevor commented on NBC's use of "Titans' Spirit" for the Olympics, as he had done during the previous broadcast of the games back in 2014...
...and judging from many of the fan comments I've read, there is a fundamental misapprehension occurring. I can certainly understand the mindset of the comments, as provenance and royalties are hot-button topics these days in prevailing discussion of IP administration. Did Trevor get paid for the use of "Titans' Spirit" in the Olympic broadcast? No. That's because he was already paid to write the score for Remember The Titans. It's not benevolence or exploitation, it is business as usual.
Trevor does not retain the rights to his scoring, but it has nothing to do with mismanagement. That is simply how it is for anything produced for a motion picture. Although characters and/or brand names and existing songs can be licensed from outside entities, everything specifically created for a particular film remains the intellectual property of the production company and/or the studio, unless the applicable contract specifies otherwise. A director may retain final cut for his/her movie, but he/she does not own the movie after it is released. All elements - including the score - lay in the hands of the concern which commissioned them at the outset. Trevor is paid for his work - very well, actually - but that is the end of it. Of course, those of you who read my entry regarding a plea for a future score compilation are aware of this, or perhaps you were already in possession of that knowledge. Trevor has mentioned this fact in at least one prior interview. So you may wish to kindly correct the fallacy when you encounter it in online discourse.
well for the 14th year in a row, the olympics used— Trevor Rabin (@Rabin_News) August 22, 2016
my music from "Remember the Titans" for the closing ceremony.... https://t.co/f8UBqHcUxu
...and judging from many of the fan comments I've read, there is a fundamental misapprehension occurring. I can certainly understand the mindset of the comments, as provenance and royalties are hot-button topics these days in prevailing discussion of IP administration. Did Trevor get paid for the use of "Titans' Spirit" in the Olympic broadcast? No. That's because he was already paid to write the score for Remember The Titans. It's not benevolence or exploitation, it is business as usual.
Trevor does not retain the rights to his scoring, but it has nothing to do with mismanagement. That is simply how it is for anything produced for a motion picture. Although characters and/or brand names and existing songs can be licensed from outside entities, everything specifically created for a particular film remains the intellectual property of the production company and/or the studio, unless the applicable contract specifies otherwise. A director may retain final cut for his/her movie, but he/she does not own the movie after it is released. All elements - including the score - lay in the hands of the concern which commissioned them at the outset. Trevor is paid for his work - very well, actually - but that is the end of it. Of course, those of you who read my entry regarding a plea for a future score compilation are aware of this, or perhaps you were already in possession of that knowledge. Trevor has mentioned this fact in at least one prior interview. So you may wish to kindly correct the fallacy when you encounter it in online discourse.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Olympic Spirit
Sometimes the measure of a creative work can reside within its' cultural half-life; thus even if Trevor's stirring score for Remember The Titans never quite received the accolades it deserved (such as an Oscar nomination), it has endured as an expression of inspirational triumph in various contexts. One of the longest-running and beloved uses is for NBC's famous montage of the victors and competitors shown during their coverage of the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. And for 2016, Team USA made a stellar showing in this particular tradition as their achievements were set to the theme "Titans' Spirit" - in my estimation it's wonderful that Trevor's music has become a well-loved and integral part of the fabric of American life. And as an American, he can be very proud indeed.
Here's the #Rio2016 #Olympics montage from NBC with #TitansSpirit by Trevor Rabin #RememberTheTitans https://t.co/B8mlryftdZ— Red Card in NH (@RedCard94) August 22, 2016
Friday, August 19, 2016
Media Watch: new Pollstar interview
An ongoing series wherein I comment on Trevor's recent publicity.
Industry publication Pollstar posted a new article yesterday combining interviews with Trevor and promoter Larry Magid.
http://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=826387&
Interestingly Trevor does note that the original plan was for ARW to release new music, which was then superseded by the decision to tour.
When asked about the staging, Magid named British lighting designer Jonathan Smeeton as designing the production, and a recent post on Smeeton's official website confirms his involvement:
Next Starting in Orlando Florida and finishing in Seattle, Washington a nice little outing with ARW. Which is Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman. This will be my fourth outing with these players from YES. Ten weeks in all, right through the autumn. Next year in Britain, Europe and beyond.
Industry publication Pollstar posted a new article yesterday combining interviews with Trevor and promoter Larry Magid.
http://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=826387&
Interestingly Trevor does note that the original plan was for ARW to release new music, which was then superseded by the decision to tour.
It actually started purely just to do new music. We started working on that. Then the touring aspect came up. That seems to have taken over and we’ll end up releasing new music. It started one way and ended up the other.He also states, when asked about the future potential of the ensemble, that their intention is "to keep going," which fits in with Rick's comment regarding the (three or) five-year plan.
When asked about the staging, Magid named British lighting designer Jonathan Smeeton as designing the production, and a recent post on Smeeton's official website confirms his involvement:
Next Starting in Orlando Florida and finishing in Seattle, Washington a nice little outing with ARW. Which is Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman. This will be my fourth outing with these players from YES. Ten weeks in all, right through the autumn. Next year in Britain, Europe and beyond.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
updates
There is another recent interview with Trevor available on the Team Rock website, but you have to subscribe in order to read the full text - or pick up the latest edition of Classic Rock (issue 227), one assumes.
http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-08-04/trevor-rabin-on-the-reunion-of-three-former-yes-members
A few days ago fans noticed that Gary Cambra is no longer listed as a member of the backing band on the official website, and subsequent mentions appear to indicate he is off the project. For example, in his latest GORR update Rick notes:
http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-08-04/trevor-rabin-on-the-reunion-of-three-former-yes-members
A few days ago fans noticed that Gary Cambra is no longer listed as a member of the backing band on the official website, and subsequent mentions appear to indicate he is off the project. For example, in his latest GORR update Rick notes:
One thing that became abundantly clear was that Lee Pomeroy and Lou Molino III are much more than added “sidemen”. Their contributions to all that went on were immense and ARW is truly a 5 piece band of tremendous future potential.Last week there were also some photos in circulation on Facebook of singer-songwriter Brenda Russell and members of her band posing with Trevor and Rick, which led to speculation that Brenda might be joining ARW, but as I've noted in fandom discussion I believe the meeting occurred simply because both outfits were working at the same Los Angeles-area rehearsal facility (Russell and her band performed at the River Raisin Jazz Fesitval on Sunday). Rick's latest GORR also states:
What was very pleasing was the number of musicians who popped into rehearsals to say hello and said how fantastic it sounded - and I was only using one keyboard as my rig is in the process of being put together here in England.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Media Watch: article on Music Aficionado website
An ongoing series wherein I comment on Trevor's recent publicity.
Last Thursday the Music Aficionado website posted an interview with Trevor regarding the origins and evolution of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and although this song has been - in my humble opinion - discussed to death, there are a few elements of the article which are unique even as the primary narrative has been known to long-time fans for what seems like forever.
One of the more interesting details in regards to his famous solo:
(Note: in order to access the article you are required to register with the website.)
http://web.musicaficionado.com/main.html#!/article/The_Real_Story_Behind_Owner_Of_A_Lonely_Heart_by_joebosso?invitedBy=trevorrabin
Last Thursday the Music Aficionado website posted an interview with Trevor regarding the origins and evolution of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and although this song has been - in my humble opinion - discussed to death, there are a few elements of the article which are unique even as the primary narrative has been known to long-time fans for what seems like forever.
One of the more interesting details in regards to his famous solo:
The funny thing is, I had used that sound in not quite as rude a way on a Manfred Mann album. It's on an album called 'Out of Africa,' the exact same sound.Trevor is actually referring to the song "Runner" from the Manfred Mann's Earth Band album Somewhere in Afrika which was released prior to 90125 in February of 1983.
(Note: in order to access the article you are required to register with the website.)
http://web.musicaficionado.com/main.html#!/article/The_Real_Story_Behind_Owner_Of_A_Lonely_Heart_by_joebosso?invitedBy=trevorrabin
Friday, August 12, 2016
Casual Friday
Spotted on Instagram: a rare glimpse inside The Jacaranda Room circa what I'd reckon as the Talk era. It looks as though Trevor and Tony might have a few sets of tennis on tap, despite (perhaps) the desires of engineer Michael Jay...
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
A fiery endorsement
It's good to know Wakey is as big a fan of Our Trev as the rest of us...
Trevor Rabin is playing fantastically. Totally on fire. I had a Mexican meal on Monday and am also on fire.— Rick Wakeman (@GrumpyOldRick) August 10, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Time to get to work
Rick went on a brief spree of tweets yesterday: one of them commented on his fitness regimen, the others covered a subject very near and dear to our hearts...
A few songs from the setlist - provided they make the cut - have already been revealed, but once the tour is underway I will be posting warnings for those who want to remain spoiler-free until their particular gig as regards the final setlist.
rehearsals for ARW in full swing. The shows are really going to be something special.......— Rick Wakeman (@GrumpyOldRick) August 9, 2016
we're almost there with the ste list.......be nice to keep it secret until the tour , but could be difficult !— Rick Wakeman (@GrumpyOldRick) August 9, 2016
A few songs from the setlist - provided they make the cut - have already been revealed, but once the tour is underway I will be posting warnings for those who want to remain spoiler-free until their particular gig as regards the final setlist.
Monday, August 8, 2016
This date in Yesstory: hijinks in Mountain View
Note: this post is image-heavy (for those of you with slower browsers).
In tribute to the enduring camaraderie of Trevor and Rick Wakeman (primary among the reasons why ARW finally came to fruition) there's a particular moment in the August 8th, 1991 Mountain View performance (the final show on the Around the World in Eighty Dates tour that year) which Trevor recounted in his interview with Mike Tiano, and the great thing is there is also video evidence. The entire show was hilarious, of course, as it was the end of the tour and everyone was rather - shall we say - loose. Years ago I screencapped this entire sequence frame-by-frame from the performance footage and you can actually see the exact moment Trevor loses his composure due to Rick's mischief. I had previously posted this on the Yesfans discussion board back in 2009 but had been meaning to share it here as well. This occurred during the "Your Move" portion of "I've Seen All Good People."
"But it was fun, and I think it was the last show, it was one of the fun gigs; it wasn't really a serious moment in the show...and Rick would come up behind me every night and say, "Come on, do it! Do it!" because he would be standing behind with maracas. So he'd do that, and tell me some silly joke, and I actually remember that because it was in San Francisco, the last gig. I'm supposed to be singing, and Rick's telling me a joke, and I can't sing. I burst out laughing."
EDIT: thanks to Photobucket changing their policy regarding account access, all my screencaps are null and void for now. I will either find them and add them back or redo them but for now here is video of this particular incident.
In tribute to the enduring camaraderie of Trevor and Rick Wakeman (primary among the reasons why ARW finally came to fruition) there's a particular moment in the August 8th, 1991 Mountain View performance (the final show on the Around the World in Eighty Dates tour that year) which Trevor recounted in his interview with Mike Tiano, and the great thing is there is also video evidence. The entire show was hilarious, of course, as it was the end of the tour and everyone was rather - shall we say - loose. Years ago I screencapped this entire sequence frame-by-frame from the performance footage and you can actually see the exact moment Trevor loses his composure due to Rick's mischief. I had previously posted this on the Yesfans discussion board back in 2009 but had been meaning to share it here as well. This occurred during the "Your Move" portion of "I've Seen All Good People."
"But it was fun, and I think it was the last show, it was one of the fun gigs; it wasn't really a serious moment in the show...and Rick would come up behind me every night and say, "Come on, do it! Do it!" because he would be standing behind with maracas. So he'd do that, and tell me some silly joke, and I actually remember that because it was in San Francisco, the last gig. I'm supposed to be singing, and Rick's telling me a joke, and I can't sing. I burst out laughing."
EDIT: thanks to Photobucket changing their policy regarding account access, all my screencaps are null and void for now. I will either find them and add them back or redo them but for now here is video of this particular incident.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
NOW is the time for a score compilation!
I realize my title is rather an emphatic statement, but allow me to explain...
2016 marks Trevor's 20-year anniversary as a full-time professional film and television scorer as his debut, The Glimmer Man, was released in October of 1996. And it came exactly twenty years after his first composed score for Death of a Snowman (originally released in 1976).
Let's stop and think about that for a moment: it's nearly an equal amount of time to Trevor's career in popular music (if we count 1972 as his professional debut through to his departure from Yes in 1995) and that is ongoing work - during every year of that 20-year span Trevor was composing scores. Many years and a lot of music. Trevor's scoring career has been far more productive than his rock n'roll tenure ever was and that is the simple truth. As Trevor once noted: "I think I’ve done more albums since I’ve been doing film than I’ve ever done in my life." And it's been going strong, even as he made a lateral move of sorts into television series scoring. I say this because, since 2012, the only films which Trevor has scored - Grudge Match and Max - were likely at the personal request of their directors, whom Trevor had worked with previously. It has been my supposition for some time that he was unlikely to pursue feature film scoring in the future, preferring now to work within the scheduling constructs of television production instead (barring any further requests from colleagues, that is). But according to his comments in a recent interview with The Prog Report, Trevor is officially on hiatus from scoring now that he's revived his rock n'roll career with ARW as well as the rock vocal album project which he has been working on for at least the past two years.
And so it's time to fully recognize Trevor's achievements in film scoring, a career which has yielded much acclaim and an industry reputation for professional and respectful collaboration, as well as enormous creative satisfaction for our Maestro. The sheer genre-spanning depth and breadth of his scoring work is something to be proud of indeed.
I realize there is a lot of time and effort involved with licensing for a compilation - which is required because Trevor does not own the masters or control the publishing for his scoring work - but because Trevor is one of the many composers signed with Varese Sarabande (whose responsibility has also branched out to the other areas of his musical output), and they have released a large number of his previous scores as well as included his compositions on the scoring compilations issued under their purview (i.e. their anniversary and thematic collections), I believe it can be done if there is sufficient motivation on the part of all responsible parties.
So I put it to you, The Powers That Be, to create a new version of Film Music Composed by Trevor Rabin for commerical release: a career-spanning anthology of Trevor's best themes - a twenty-track compilation would do nicely, I think. With an emphasis, perhaps, on those scores which never had an official release, such as Remember The Titans. Featuring liner notes with comments from Trevor about the pieces chosen, tributes from Paul Linford and/or Jerry Bruckheimer, or other long-time colleagues like Gordon Goodwin, Don Harper and Steve Kempster, and illustrated with photos from Scoring Sessions depicting Trevor and his crew at work. With careful curating - subject to Trevor's approval - of those themes which are not only memorable and beloved, but also display the evolution, heart and soul of what Trevor's work is, and what it has become, within the popular consciousness of moviegoers and music lovers alike.
Are you with me? Let's celebrate all the music of the Maestro, and afford his scoring career the true respect it deserves!
2016 marks Trevor's 20-year anniversary as a full-time professional film and television scorer as his debut, The Glimmer Man, was released in October of 1996. And it came exactly twenty years after his first composed score for Death of a Snowman (originally released in 1976).
Let's stop and think about that for a moment: it's nearly an equal amount of time to Trevor's career in popular music (if we count 1972 as his professional debut through to his departure from Yes in 1995) and that is ongoing work - during every year of that 20-year span Trevor was composing scores. Many years and a lot of music. Trevor's scoring career has been far more productive than his rock n'roll tenure ever was and that is the simple truth. As Trevor once noted: "I think I’ve done more albums since I’ve been doing film than I’ve ever done in my life." And it's been going strong, even as he made a lateral move of sorts into television series scoring. I say this because, since 2012, the only films which Trevor has scored - Grudge Match and Max - were likely at the personal request of their directors, whom Trevor had worked with previously. It has been my supposition for some time that he was unlikely to pursue feature film scoring in the future, preferring now to work within the scheduling constructs of television production instead (barring any further requests from colleagues, that is). But according to his comments in a recent interview with The Prog Report, Trevor is officially on hiatus from scoring now that he's revived his rock n'roll career with ARW as well as the rock vocal album project which he has been working on for at least the past two years.
And so it's time to fully recognize Trevor's achievements in film scoring, a career which has yielded much acclaim and an industry reputation for professional and respectful collaboration, as well as enormous creative satisfaction for our Maestro. The sheer genre-spanning depth and breadth of his scoring work is something to be proud of indeed.
Trevor Rabin, recipient of the 2012 ASCAP Henry Mancini Award for outstanding achievement and contributions to film and television music.
I realize there is a lot of time and effort involved with licensing for a compilation - which is required because Trevor does not own the masters or control the publishing for his scoring work - but because Trevor is one of the many composers signed with Varese Sarabande (whose responsibility has also branched out to the other areas of his musical output), and they have released a large number of his previous scores as well as included his compositions on the scoring compilations issued under their purview (i.e. their anniversary and thematic collections), I believe it can be done if there is sufficient motivation on the part of all responsible parties.
So I put it to you, The Powers That Be, to create a new version of Film Music Composed by Trevor Rabin for commerical release: a career-spanning anthology of Trevor's best themes - a twenty-track compilation would do nicely, I think. With an emphasis, perhaps, on those scores which never had an official release, such as Remember The Titans. Featuring liner notes with comments from Trevor about the pieces chosen, tributes from Paul Linford and/or Jerry Bruckheimer, or other long-time colleagues like Gordon Goodwin, Don Harper and Steve Kempster, and illustrated with photos from Scoring Sessions depicting Trevor and his crew at work. With careful curating - subject to Trevor's approval - of those themes which are not only memorable and beloved, but also display the evolution, heart and soul of what Trevor's work is, and what it has become, within the popular consciousness of moviegoers and music lovers alike.
Are you with me? Let's celebrate all the music of the Maestro, and afford his scoring career the true respect it deserves!
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