Thursday, March 18, 2010

Alex Chilton (Dec 28 1950 – Mar 17 2010)



Like most people of my musical generation, I suppose, I came to him via the people he had inspired; they covered his songs, namechecked him in interviews, and because I liked them and trusted them, I sought his stuff out too. # 1 Record b/w Radio City on an early CD from Rhythm Records in Camden in the heat of Teenage Fanclub mania; Third after hearing 'Kangaroo' and 'Holocaust' on It'll End In Tears.

I didn't even make The Box Tops connection until quite recently. Wow.

What a bunch of work; what a powerful influence.

59 is - self-evidently - way too young to die.

RIP AC.

Big Star - 'Thirteen' (1972)
Big Star - 'Holocaust' (1974)
The Replacements - 'Alex Chilton' (1987)

11 comments:

  1. I'd just been thinking 'it's getting quite springlike, time for some Big Star'.

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  2. As you say, way too young. I absolutely love Thirteen. Have you heard Kathryn Williams cover, just beautiful.

    Just in case you haven't http://www.box.net/shared/jd41q5sq3v

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  3. That's lovely, thank you. Thinking about it, I've never heard anything by Kathryn Williams I didn't like.

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  4. I saw her support Roddy Frame a good few years ago and she was really good once she got over her nerves, does a lovely cover of Easy and Me as well

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  5. I was going to post the Replacements tune. Do you know what's freaked me out? How young he actually was. I guess it's the Box Tops being a 60s tune. But he was only about 9 months older than Sting, only 8 years older than Weller.

    Sting's 60 next year. That makes me feel old...

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  6. Hmmm, I've a cover of The Letter by Al Green somewhere. I'll see if I can find it...

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  7. I had immersed myself in Big Star (again) since the release of the new box set last year...and this passing really has hit me. And hard.

    Maybe because I had plans to FINALLY see Big Star in May.

    Crap.

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  8. Well, I had no idea that holocaust on This Mortal Coil was a cover so I'll be spending some time exploring Big Stars bag catalogue. Shame I had to find out under these circumstances.

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  9. it's weird isn't the people you miss. the records never bought never even heard. i've never heard an alex chilton record. i don't think. well not yet - i will in a minute. how did that happen ?

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  10. Very sad news. I was fortunate to see him at the QMU in Glasgow in the early 90's. The 3 Big Star albums should be part of evereyone's collections. Far too young to have died.

    R.I.P. Alex Chilton

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