Love History Lesson Part 3 : Punk Attitude Or ?
They say punk is more about attitude than anything else.
Given the fact that punk has come and gone and come back again, it has served to be a seriously amazing sub genre of rock music. The subculture that comes along with the punk ethos is a fascinating trip. However where does it really come from ?
Well consider Love. Their biggest hit on the charts was a song called "7&7" Is. It is largely considered to be the first punk song. The song debuted on the 1967 album Da Capo. At the time no one could imagine where a song like that would come from or how to write one. Arthur wrote another song called "Feathered Fish" around the same time, a song that should have appeared on the record but did not. Arthur "gave" the song to a fellow band on the scene called The Sons of Adam. This gift was basically a gesture and a sort of tool of seduction in order to lure away their amazing drummer Michael Stuart. (Arthur played the drums on much of the first album, due to their original drummer Don Conka leaving). Stuart eventually joined the group and Alban "Snoop" Pfisterer slid over to the harpsichord.
Feathered Fish is another early punk song, one that would have been a huge hit like "7&7 Is" had they recorded it. The group known as The Other Half got somewhat famous for the tune and actually received credit and royalties for a long while.
"7&7 Is" has been covered by various acts such as Alice Cooper, The Barracudas, The Ramones, The Fuzztones, and of course the Arthur Lee worshippers themselves The Damned. The Damned often performs the song, but in a twist of irony recorded Alone Again Or (far from punk). The Damned even went so far as to create a concert DVD based off of Love's Forever Changes tour of 2003.
So there are some of the influences being passed down, but what about attitude ? Punk is really about attitude right ?
Well with Love we have a band that was dressed like the stereotype hippies but whose actions were very confrontational. They were very difficult during interviews by teenie magazines, saying things like they met in a knife fight etc. Given the era, this kind of behavior was unheard. In Arthur Lee you have a young Black man from South L.A., a man that still carried with him much of the ethos from the Black neighborhoods of that time. This is after all the man who physically beat up Jim Morrison more than once.
There is even a 1967-68 rumor long proved to be false (and rediculous), that while on tour for Forever Changes Arthur killed their roadie Neil Rappaport (the song "Neil's Song" from Four Sail is based on him).
There are gun incidents as well that have plagued Lee for years. This is a man who once called in a bomb threat just so he would not have to play the gig. There is one tale, that may or may not be true : In 1970 Arthur Lee and Jimi Hendrix were doing some sessions in London. Allegedly hours of material. It is well known however only one song would surface (somewhat pedestrian "The Everlasting First"). The bad blood between then Blue Thumb founder/president Bob Krasnow had reached its maximum and Lee wanted to retrieve the remaining tapes he recorded with Hendrix. Of course the story goes on to suggest that Lee brought a gun with him to Mr. Krasnow's home. Again, this is a rumor, and one that should be taken with a grain of salt.
Of course Arthur Lee would unfortunately serve six years in a California federal prison from 1996 until 2001 on a firearms charge. There are more tales some true, some false, but again.....what is punk ?
Arthur will let you know he isn't one.
SOURCE
Given the fact that punk has come and gone and come back again, it has served to be a seriously amazing sub genre of rock music. The subculture that comes along with the punk ethos is a fascinating trip. However where does it really come from ?
Well consider Love. Their biggest hit on the charts was a song called "7&7" Is. It is largely considered to be the first punk song. The song debuted on the 1967 album Da Capo. At the time no one could imagine where a song like that would come from or how to write one. Arthur wrote another song called "Feathered Fish" around the same time, a song that should have appeared on the record but did not. Arthur "gave" the song to a fellow band on the scene called The Sons of Adam. This gift was basically a gesture and a sort of tool of seduction in order to lure away their amazing drummer Michael Stuart. (Arthur played the drums on much of the first album, due to their original drummer Don Conka leaving). Stuart eventually joined the group and Alban "Snoop" Pfisterer slid over to the harpsichord.
Feathered Fish is another early punk song, one that would have been a huge hit like "7&7 Is" had they recorded it. The group known as The Other Half got somewhat famous for the tune and actually received credit and royalties for a long while.
"7&7 Is" has been covered by various acts such as Alice Cooper, The Barracudas, The Ramones, The Fuzztones, and of course the Arthur Lee worshippers themselves The Damned. The Damned often performs the song, but in a twist of irony recorded Alone Again Or (far from punk). The Damned even went so far as to create a concert DVD based off of Love's Forever Changes tour of 2003.
So there are some of the influences being passed down, but what about attitude ? Punk is really about attitude right ?
Well with Love we have a band that was dressed like the stereotype hippies but whose actions were very confrontational. They were very difficult during interviews by teenie magazines, saying things like they met in a knife fight etc. Given the era, this kind of behavior was unheard. In Arthur Lee you have a young Black man from South L.A., a man that still carried with him much of the ethos from the Black neighborhoods of that time. This is after all the man who physically beat up Jim Morrison more than once.
There is even a 1967-68 rumor long proved to be false (and rediculous), that while on tour for Forever Changes Arthur killed their roadie Neil Rappaport (the song "Neil's Song" from Four Sail is based on him).
There are gun incidents as well that have plagued Lee for years. This is a man who once called in a bomb threat just so he would not have to play the gig. There is one tale, that may or may not be true : In 1970 Arthur Lee and Jimi Hendrix were doing some sessions in London. Allegedly hours of material. It is well known however only one song would surface (somewhat pedestrian "The Everlasting First"). The bad blood between then Blue Thumb founder/president Bob Krasnow had reached its maximum and Lee wanted to retrieve the remaining tapes he recorded with Hendrix. Of course the story goes on to suggest that Lee brought a gun with him to Mr. Krasnow's home. Again, this is a rumor, and one that should be taken with a grain of salt.
Of course Arthur Lee would unfortunately serve six years in a California federal prison from 1996 until 2001 on a firearms charge. There are more tales some true, some false, but again.....what is punk ?
Arthur will let you know he isn't one.
SOURCE
