Ginger Baker Documentary

[saintpeter48]

Did anyone else watch this last night? I was never a fan of Cream or that style of music, much prefer a good pop song, Beatles for example, but I did enjoy this look into the life of Ginger Baker, he's been there and back, lived life to the full and is still going strong!

[andy-hughes]

Edmund - I live in Stoke, and in the early days of my music journalism career, I was dispatched to the Victoria Hall to get an interview with Hawkwind.

Mr Baker was with them for one tour, and he was the only member of the band who popped out of the dressing room door. He refused to be interviewed for the highly valid reason that he was taking his dog for a walk, and he did indeed have a mongrel dog on a lead.

He remains to this day the only musician I have seen take a dog on tour and walk it on his own - maybe Kanye West does the same thing, but I doubt he'd be taking the animal out himself, he has 'people' to do that sort of thing I am sure.

[VHG]

Note this Ginger Baker program is only on the iPlayer for another 28 days for those that want to watch it.

[ladybirder]

Well I've watched it now. What a truly horrible and rude man with a massive chip on his shoulder. His only saving grace as far as I am concerned is his love for his animals and Andy's story of him taking it a walk himself while on tour confirms that. Wouldn't give him house room though (and I expect he's say the same for me). Not a bad drummer though.

[andy-hughes]

That's the thing ladybirder - he was, and remains a groundbreaking musician at the top of his game. I saw him play last year, and he was astounding, although its clear that this arthritis gives him serious pain, which increases when he plays, but he is driven to play, and suffer.

His talent, and his obnoxious personality are both off the scale!

[Ken4155]

Without his immense ego, he would not have been the drummer he was. I read Eric Clapton's autobiography some years back and the same could be said of him.

[Baldric]

Have watched it now and agree he no longer seems to be 'a nice guy' however when I met him early 70's he was just another guy in the bar enjoying a beer!

[ladybirder]

Was he ever a 'nice 'guy I'm wondering?

[andy-hughes]

To be fair, I think his physical pain - and it is clear it is severe, probably makes him more cantankerous than he would otherwise be, which is not to say he was ever an angel, but let's not forget, he is an old man in pain all day every day, and that would make most people a little brusque on occasions (!!!)

[EdmundD]

I see he's playing at Milton Keynes on 30 August with his band Jazz Confusion.


Going back to the 20 March 1970 gig at Victoria Hall, Hanley I'd forgotten the line up he had:

Ginger Baker - drums
Phil Seamen - drums
Alan White - drums, keyboard
Denny Laine - guitar, lead vocal
Graham Bond - organ, sax
Harold Mc Nair- sax, flute
Colin Gibson - sax
Rick Grech - bass
Jeanette Jacobs - vocals
Diane Stewart - vocals
Remi Kabaka - percussion

[andy-hughes]

Now that is what I call a band!

I would love to have seen Phil Seamen play - he is a hugely respected figure, and Ginger's idol.

The only problem is, Ginger extended his worship of Seamen to include his extracurricular activities like heroin addiction.

[VHG]

Three great drummers.

But sad to remember Graham Bond killed himself by jumping under a train.

And Rick Grech, once of Family and Blind Faith, is also now dead.

I remember going to see the Stones in Hyde Park in 1969(?) but I only went to see Family (with Rick Grech) and once the Stones came on I was so disappointed with them I walked out after a couple of songs.

Mind you Brian Jones had just died, and it was outdoors, so I think that affected the mood of the Stones.