Another Renegade Saints clip

It seems the Saints are getting a lot of mileage out of a great show from 2 1/2 years ago. (Portland Bite Festival.) Here’s a clip–the back half of a Jimi Hendrix cover–from our generous fan, Rob.

Dig the acid rock and the Dave Coey’s “Soul Sacrifice” hint of Santana on the bass.

Shipe reviewed in Dutch (Rootstime, Belgium)

The first review of Villain is in, from Rootstime in Belgium. (Follow the link and poke around a bit, you’ll find it.) I gleefully quote from the last paragraph:

“One of the very most beautiful songs on Villain is ‘Hard to Believe,’ which John Shipe delivers as a duet with singer Halie Loren. This song reminds you of the best work by Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra, and it absolutely deserves a place in the Golden Book of Famous Duet Classics.”

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Shipe, not Buckley

A terrible problem has shown up in my Biz. I need savvy fans & friends to help me fix it. Long story short: A decade ago, former associates played a joke on me. Making fun of my adoration of the great Jeff Buckley, somewhere on the internet they posted an mp3 of my song “Justice” (off Stealthy Portion), and they tagged it to included Jeff Buckley as a vocal guest.

I discovered this only when I got an e-mail from a citizen of the UK praising my song: “You know,” he wrote, “the one with Jeff Buckley singing back up.”

It was not Jeff Buckley; it was my nearly-as-wonderful friend Ehren Ebbage.

I was upset, so I called my prankster associate, and told him to knock it off, which he did–I think. The internet back then, as a marketplace, was still young. So we weren’t alarmed. My associate didn’t think anyone would take it seriously, since Jeff Buckley–God rest his soul–had been gone for several years. But I am a “by-the-book” kind of guy when it comes to Biz.

And now, I fear I am on the verge of a public relations nightmare.

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Shipe loves Spring Standards

I have a new favorite band. And that’s saying a lot, because I haven’t used the phrase “favorite band” since Portishead nearly a decade ago.

The Spring Standards got under my skin last night at splendid small venue in Ventura called Zoey’s Cafe. If I had a band for Yellow House , The Spring Standards would be the Yellow House players. A drumless trio, two dudes trading guitars and bass, and a woman on piano, xylophone and melodica. They all sing. And the lyrics they sing make your heart hurt.
Two slightly inaccurate samples from memory: “Say it/Say the words I see behind your eyes/If it’s not hard to say/then it’s a lie.”
And: “Bending backwards for you honey/I’ll be the one to hold your sad salt eyes/There’ll be nothing left of my honey/But it’s alright.
Yeah, I was moved. In fact I think I heard myself say, “That was the most moving set of music I’ve heard in years.” Read more »

Unreleased Shipe relic found on web

So, I did a Soundcloud search for myself, to see how my cloud was coming up. It didn’t. Jess Elaine Edwards’ cloud came up. That’s odd, I thought. Who is Jess Elaine Edwards?

Upon closer look, I see my song–a lullaby called “When I Am King.”

Ah yes, I remember. From the Plug-Pulled Pollyanna Sessions (circa 2000). It was the first aborted attempt to record Pollyanna Loves Cassandra at Supernatural Sound in Oregon City. It was going to be my most ambitious project to date, recorded in one of the best studios I’d ever seen in my life. Alas, we were too raw as a lineup. After laying down basic tracks for nearly half the album, producer Mike Davis said, “I don’t get the feeling we’re making a good album here.”

So we pulled the plug. And we hit road to sharpen up (revisting the gargantuan project in 2002). We did, however, get a nice demo of this particular song, with the help of Isaac Szymanczyk on keys, and a budding teenage diva named Jessica Lageson.

“When I am King” is favorite amongst Shipe fans. But I rarely perform it. When I double-bill with a fine female singer, I try to rope her into doing a duet with me: Shannon Curtis or Jessica Plotkin (who plays viola on the official recorded version).

As lovely as this song can be, I don’t feel that I’ve gotten it right yet. The official recorded version, on Cassandra, features Stephanie Schneiderman. You can listen here and compare the two versions.

I’d love to hear this song given a complete makeover by some hitmaking machine–pop, country, or R & B.

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Shipe likes Pretenders

Working into the wee hours, gathering up promo material for my upcoming stretch of CD publicity. In the corner of the room, my TV was keeping a low profile. Oregon Public Broadcasting pledge drive. (I don’t have cable.)

Suddenly, a Pretenders concert comes on. The great Chrissie Hynde. Wow! I forgot how perfect this band was/is. One of the few 80′s bands that I could get into.

Sometimes these older bands, reunited, playing their old hits, seem utterly insipid. No matter how edgy and rockin’ they were in their heyday. And on Public Television, no less! Middle-aged band. Middle-age audience. Middle-age music that some might affectionately refer to as “oldies,” underscoring the degree to which rock-n-roll rebellion has become a family-friendly institution. (Witness the proliferation of Rock School.)

Some certain reunion concerts… Well, they seem to be merely reminiscing with their audience. It’s enjoyable enough… but…. ah… you know what I mean.

But The Pretenders are “special.” (Pardon the indulgence.) Especially Chrissie Hynde and her longtime drummer Martin Chambers. (“The greatest rock drummer in the world,” she plainly announces.) Aggressive and perfect execution, whose flawlessness heightens the intensity instead of diminishing it. They make it look easy without coming off like generic back-up band hirelings

Think of Chrissie as Tom Petty’s spiritual sister. With all the straight forward, no-bullshit rock dignity, but more mystery, and an utterly un-manipulative sexuality. Three songs in, the sweat was streaking her mascara down her cheeks. How she could look so raw like that and still be glamorous…

One of things that’s easy to miss with this band, is how sophisticated the composition is. “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Talk of the Town,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “Show Me.” The straight forward heartland rock & pop delivery disguises Beatles-like complexity. Some of these songs are difficult to learn by ear. I’ve been covering “Brass in Pocket” for years, and there’s a couple of chords I still don’t have right. (That’s the “Special” song. And I am stubborn; I will not learn songs by reading tablature off the internet. The cadences and harmonies have to resonant in my blood, or they’re not worth playing. If it means that I inadvertently play different chords than the author herself wrote–so be it, as long as I can get myself fully into the song. I mean no offense.)

If you want to see my version of “Brass,” click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ctSNtOpMvI

In closing, here are my top 5 80′s songs:
Red Hill Town (U2)
Coming Up Close (‘Til Tuesday)
Don’t Dream It’s Over (Crowded House)
Brass in Pocket (Pretenders)
Don’t Give Up (Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush)

Last Drags cover Shipe

One of Eugene’s steadiest bands is The Last Drags, fronted and led by my friend Pat Kavaney. Pat consistently works a ton of songs into their set. A wealth of originals & covers. What’s really cool is the way he covers songs of his friends and regional colleagues–including yours truly (below).

I have been a part time member of The Last Drags. Pat loves jamming with friends and he knows how to make them comfortable sitting in.

Here’s a tasty morsel from Portland where he has none other than the great Al Toribio joining at The White Eagle, playing on my song “Waiting on You.” It’s appropos, as Al played the original lead guitar on the album from which this came–Sudden & Merciless Joy (1999)

They do emphasize the funky-friendly side of the tune. (This surely comes from Pat’s love of Steely Dan.)

Renegade Saints & Crazy 8′s

This just appeared outta nowhere: a satisfying indulgence by my other band–The Renegade Saints–in a great Rolling Stones number. Live at the Portland Bite Festival (2008). We were joined by none other than the Crazy 8′s horn section. Love the twin trombone attack, and love Al Toribio’s excitable arrangement.

Renegade Saints play “Justice” big.

There are a lot of versions of my song “Justice” floating around. My other band–The Renegade Saints–took a liking to it; it suits our excitability. Prior versions, in early Shipe Bands, would lean on a Middle Eastern element. (Sudden & Merciless drummer Rich Sellars called it “Egyptian Funk.”) But the Saints are pure Americana–going all out classic rock style. This is from Portland Bite Fest 2008–courtesy of Al Toribio, who takes no prisoners in his guitar solos.

Dyson & Crackerjack Highway

My old drummer, Dyson, from the Pollyanna Loves Cassandra days, has been working in San Francisco with Crackerjack Highway. He tells me that they’re touring the Northwest in late March. (I’m down for their Luckey’s show in Eugene on the 26th.

Back when Dyson joined up with Shipe Band in 2000, he came from a hot Eugene local progressive funk band (with Olem Alves, Asher Fulero & Zak Johnson). Shipe music didn’t exactly scratch that prog-funk itch, so it’s good to see him returning to it. I hasten to add that he has the super-evolved chops to meet the prog agenda. And he’s singing, to boot.