Here's a link to Joe Nick's great Stevie Ray Vaughan biography. amzn.to/45faf8j If you buy anything with this link, I'll get a little extra money to buy cat food, but it won't cost you anything extra.
I am 71 now and was in the US Army back in 1980 stationed in Greece and one day I was looking around in the Post Exchange in the small record section and in the discount section I found this blues album Texas Flood for only 50 cents so I grabbed it never hearing about SRV at the time. As soon as I got home I put it on my old turntable and WOW I was in heaven and never stopped loving Stevie and was so sad the day he died........
@@mikeables I was stationed in Greece from 80 to end of 84 then on the way back to the US stopped off in Thailand for two weeks to have some rest hahaha then flew to Philippines for two more weeks. Thailand and Philippines back in that time was great lots of fun for sure.
@ my uncle was in a well known NZ band called Herbs. They used to get together with SRV when he visited NZ (his wife/girlfriend was a kiwi) I was lucky enough to be present at one of these jams :)
Tbirds had an album coming out party/show at the Paramont in Austin, SRV opened the show. I was on stage for the show. Everyone was there for tbirds. Stevie blew the roof off, tbirds were great but I walked off that stage and couldnt hear anything but SRV. It was his night
Years back, I was being signed to Epic by John Hammond. Hammond concurs on this story, SRV felt he could make more playing a Saturday night in Austin than touring for a week with Bowie. But I also knew other folks who had toured with Bowie, and while they said he was cheap, he was unfailingly professional. He was never late and always impeccably prepared. Most of his vocals were a couple of takes. Bowie felt like touring with him benefited your career. He was upfront with it. SRV, rightly, said it wasn't right for him.
My first ever gig in my life was The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughan in Sydney Australia at the Horden Pavilion. A school mate asked if I wanted to go as his older brother was going and said it would be good. He said there's this guitarist called Stevie Ray Vaughan who plays Blues. And he's playing with his older brother, "who's meant to be even better than him!" It was great. Went and bought 2 vinyl records afterwards and got me hooked on Blues and Jazz forever. As a result I have no knowledge of any Rock music of the 1990s or after. Just did not hear any of it and went straight back past the Stones et al to the good stuff. 😝🤩
My wife and I were on our way back home after a party one night. Driving down Kings Hwy. Rd. in Oak Cliff Tx. It's actually a residential neighborhood road. When in the distance on a foggy night noticed a tall man with a guitar case thumbing for a lift. He was dressed all black with a black cowboy hat, with that distinctive gem band. Not knowing who he was at that time, not himself famously known yet., Went ahead and picked him up in our '72 Chevy Nova. He introduced himself and said, Hi. I'm Stevie Ray Vaughan. And pulled out a 420 asking, you guy's partake? We said sure. It was good smoke indeed. We just went a few block ahead and Stevie said, Thanks for the ride y'all. Me and my wife will never forget that encounter.
Joe might not have known Probably the most significant part of this story. “The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to have my own band and make my own music”- SRV With Texas Flood to be released in the near future the Bowie camp notified Stevie that anything he said about himself related to Texas Flood or personal career outside of Bowie would have to be controlled by the Bowie camp. If there would have been only one thing I knew about Stevie,,, it was that nobody controlled him. Chris Layton
I attended UT Austin in the mid to late 70's. I lived on W 32 street and the Rome Inn was on W 29th. I probably saw SRV play in the clubs 20 on more times. Bought SRV a beer once and I remember his hand dwarfed mine when shaking it. As I recall it, summer of 78, SRV had a Tuesday Rome Inn residency and the Fabulous TBirds had a Thursday residency. Cover charge-perhaps $3 a night back then. Austin was 1/3 the size it is now and it was 3X cooler than it is today
I saw SRV six times live in concert. I honestly feel blessed, all six times was blown away by his playing. He played with his tongue, his teeth, behind his back, over his head... all so effortlessly and with so much emotion and focus that he seemed in a class of his own. A giant among guitarists.
I saw him playing alot but the tongue I'd have to call u on strings are too tight for anyone to do that rest is a fact even saw him playing on same guitar as his brother but forgot who played over the shoulder w/ who think Stevie played over his brother's shoulder played on same guitar
When I heard "Let's Dance" and "China Girl" I didn't know who SRV was, but I was taken aback by the power of that guitar playing. It was manly/bold - heartfelt/vulnerable. It was dual. It was a voice from the soul. It was heavy and it was overwhelming. It was just like listening to a soul singer sing or a gospel singer sing.
Great story....50% right on why Stevie did not tour with David...Stevie was in limo with David...after he cut tracks..David Said he wanted Double Trouble to open for him on world tour...Stevie was on board...but after it went thru managment,,,,bean counters,,,they told Stevie it would be just him...they wouldn't pay for the band...so he walked...Stevie told me that himself...class move...
This is why I gave both sides of the story. Carlos Alomar told me what I posted. Carlos was the Band leader and as such would have been responsible for teaching Stevie the songs that required reading. He didn't have time/want to do that. Bowie and Alomar got Earl Slick for the lead guitar parts for the Let"s Dance songs. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble weren't internationally known at that point. Sponsors and management frown on for international concert tours. It is the practice to get opening acts from the country where they are playing. Peace.
I’m not sure I’m understanding this correctly. With the recent massive success of Let’s Dance, Bowie was now playing the biggest venues he’d ever played and the management company wouldn’t pay for Stevie Ray Vaughan plus the band, who weren’t internationally known at this time? Was it that they wanted more popular names?
It wasn't David who refused to pay..David told Stevie in limo he could Bring band and Lenny on tour..it was management who made it clear that only Stevie was getting to go..band would be out of work for months..he would be paid scale..$750 a gig...I real class move to not screw his band..stones also said they were interested i77n helping him..he played their private party in New York..no help..just wanted band for their party..Stevie said it was a copy of famous pic of Mick/Keith passed out in chairs..both pissed in pants..he said smell was unreal,,,Stevie was not a fan of junk..the book lied to sell more...
I worked his show at The Fabulous Fox Theater in St Louis. It was SRV and Joe Cocker 1990. They were alternating headliners and SRV opened. I scored a pit seat for my wife and came out between sets. She didn’t know much about him but I had bragged on him after seeing him play at a club in Dallas. I asked her how she liked it and she said “he seemed humble and nice. She added “ He didn’t make one mistake! Even playing behind his back and his head” 😊 I was so glad she enjoyed it. I was able to take her backstage to watch Joe Cocker from the back wing and he was equally impressive. His band was so tight he was so on time. It was honestly one of my favorite acts I had seen. Great show. Great memory. The only bummer was no crew shirts on that tour!
As famous as he got SRV became well-known because of Let's Dance and David Bowie. Before Bowie SRV was known to blues fans and not to the wide audience he had post Bowie. Bowie's band was a launching pad for many people who became huge in their own right after playing with Bowie.
I never got the chance to see SRV and I envy the people who did. If I could go back in time Stevie, Ray Charles and Townes would be at the top of the list to go see.
I saw Stevie play only one time when he played here in California at San Diego State . It was Phenomenal, and I was completely blown away by his live performance, as I had only just started hearing the Few songs our local Station “ KGB” were playing of his . Seeing him and hearing ALL the other songs and how much intensity and feeling he seemed to put into what he played made me an instant fan . It wasn’t until a couple of months after I saw his show that I heard about the whole Bowie thing & I got to thinking “ Man , this SRV guy would have just Demolished Bowie live “ ,and how the two artists music at that time was SO different. It was a bold move for sure but I think it was the right decision , based on things that eventually came to light about the deal and what had been offered . Maybe now that both have passed there’s a chance they both are talking & laughing about it all now in hindsight… 😉👍
My comment would be for all the people that fall into the David Bowie Camp or the Stevie Ray Vaughn camp listen to the Dallas Moonlight Texas Rehearsals from April 27th, 1983. These recordings are sublime in hearing Stevie's guitar on what would be Davids touring set of music. There's several hours of music here! I own several versions of these both on vinyl and on CD and can only hope that they will be released from Davids archives in their entirety and full glory as they deserve to be heard by the masses. And while the tour fell apart and career decisions were made and the outcome was what it was. From great artists, came great music. I only got to see Stevie once with Jeff Beck during the Fire and Fury tour at Sacramento's Arco Arena. It was a magical night, and damn if he wasn't dead a couple of months later.
I agree. That bootleg is my favorite Bowie “release”. Stevie’s bending notes on Station to Station is pure magic. Do you know which of all the bootlegs is the best-sounding and most-complete recording? Is it true there were two days of rehearsals and both were taped?
SRV achieved success because he was true to who he was. He was no blues purist, but he wasn't adverse to letting his blues influence ignite his rock sensibilities. He's a legend because to this day no one sounds like him. Same goes for Jeff Beck. Talent elevates an artist into the upper echelon of their peer group. But uniqueness makes them a star.
@@andrewSUN17 that’s why I live both of them, esp Bowie. Granted Bowie went through “Phil Collins phase” in the 80s. His Reality Tour album has to be my favorite, esp When he made All the a young Dudes a jazz number. His BlackStat album and his Posthumously released album No Plan blew my mind away. & I came across a country daddy Bowie sang. Both are true innovators
There is a missing link in the story. Nile Rodgers first heard SRV at Montreux and got Bowie out of bed to hear the rest of the performance. I don't recall if it was the actual Montreux performance or the after hours shows. I got to spend the day with Nile a few years ago when he was writing his biography and he shared the story with me. He's full of endless great stories.
Interesting. I read an interview with Nile and he was talking about how he initially didn’t want Bowie to use SRV. He said, and I’m paraphrasing, obviously, that he felt SRV sounded so much like Albert King that if Bowie wanted that sound he should just get Albert King himself. He also described how his take on SRV changed and he grew to appreciate his playing more. I think the interview was in GP magazine. He also said SRV was one of the most genuinely nice people he’d met.
Are you still in touch with Nile? Please ask him if he remembers Artie and Tina from The Love Stores, a neighborhood drugstore chain in Manhattan. Artie and Tina are my parents and they worked in the Broadway Love location and Nile was a regular customer. They got me his autograph in like 1991
@@Factory_Muff That's awesome! He flew to my hometown (Grand Rapids, MI) to explore an indie artist development idea I had kicked off. I still have his business card and phone number but we haven't stayed in touch.
Right after Texas Flood came out I went to see SRV at the Cal Expo in Sacramento. Sammy Hagar headlined and Y&T opened. The crowd was younger and started booing when Stevie and DT started to play. It got so bad that Sammy had to come out to quiet the crowd down. Stevie played a terrific set playing most of Texas Flood, and I thought he was fantastic. Never seen anything like that before or since.
That’s the promoter’s fault. Wrong audience to put SRV in front of. Not surprised that they didn’t “get” what he was doing. Sad to see how uncouth they were about it.
@@tomstiel7576 you wouldn't hear Sammy talk down about Stevie, Sammy was well established, bet even he went through some booing in his day, not many blues fans at a Rock concert, Stevie showed them how the cow are the cabbage later on tour, and they ate it up 🎸
Guess it depends on who you want to believe. There's lots of reports that said SRV was let go by Bowie's management due to his drug problem. Others say he wanted Double Trouble to open up for Bowie with him playing for both and that was quickly denied for obvious reasons. I'm a fan of both and there's no denying Bowie has always played with great guitar players (Frampton, Ronson, Adrian Belew, Earl Slick) but everytime I listen to Let's Dance, China Girl and Cat People off that album, I still get chills down my spine. They created some true greatness in their brief time together and that's really all that matters to me
I met Stevie Ray 's brother Jimmy when The Fabulous Thunderbirds were at the drummer Frannie Christina's Mother's house ( my mom grew up with the Christina's) that's as close as I got to meeting Stevie because he opened up for The Thunderbirds in Providence, RI back in the early to mid 80's. RIP Stevie 🙏🌹🕊️🎸♥️ and RIP David Bowie 🙏🌹🕊️♥️
FYI "Stevie played the guitar tracks on David Bowie's album, such as the famous Let's Dance and China Girl. However, the one in which Stevie Ray Vaughan's style is most noticeable is one of the album's less famous tracks, Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)." I Love Cat People, and noticed the moment it was released, because of SRV's playing. Miss him
i was a big fan of Bowie and Vaughn and wouldn't want to be disrespectful to either of their memories but in my opinion Vaughn's soloing on the songs on "Let's Dance" have a certain sameness about them. Of Bowie's lead guitarists in his later years I thought not only was Earl Slick the best but his playing most closely resembled that of Mick Ronson.
Around the time SRV broke away from DB during the Let's Dance tour of 1983, SRV was in Montreal at a small venue called Le Spectrum. The cover was $5 CDN and the turnout was modest as he was relatively unknown there at the time. My classmate happened to be at that show and he raved about him as his style reminded him of Jimi Hendrix. My classmate was crazy mad over Hendrix. He said "Yah gotta hear this guy!" A short time later my then girlfriend and I were walking through Old Montreal when I heard a track from Texas Flood coming out of a souvenir shop on 1 of the side streets. So I blurted out "I think that's Stevie Ray Vaughan! Robert told me about him! He saw him at Le Spectrum of all places!" I worked retail in an indoor mall in those days and there was a record shop round the corner from us. The manager was a regular client and though she thought SRV was a traitor for bailing on DB (her words, not mine), she nonetheless gave me a discount on his record.
I first heard him in early 1984 when I went to Dallas in February to stay with my sister for a month. One of the most amazing songs I`d ever heard came on the huge cranked-up TV console radio and I said," Who is THAT???!" My sister told me it was their "homeboy" Stevie Ray Vaughan and her husband grew up with him in Oak Cliff and rode the school bus with him. They took me to a Jimmy Vaughan show locally and he was there and I got to shake their hands and speak to them. Stevie was paranoid that he was taking attention away from his brother though and finally left. I would make cassette recordings of his songs to bring back to Louisiana but people would steal them.
We heard the band rehearsal just one time in a garage. The street over from Kings Hwy Rd . I can't remember the name of the street. we had the reaction, never heard this type of genre before. The music was totally the best I'd ever heard .wow!
@@NO-WAR-WINGS I don`t remember for sure which song of his I heard first on the radio there but I think it was Pride and Joy or one very similar. It hit me right between the eyes. I can`t remember that happening the same way with any other band except the first time I heard Tom Sawyer by Rush on the radio but that was a totally different thing. Still they both stunned me but in different ways. With Stevie it was a feeling and with Rush it was...."What did I just hear?" I`d never heard a beat like that. With Stevie it was how his playing made me feel a sense of pure joy.
Love the Stevie Ray stories! He was huge for me and I'm so thankful I got to see him 4x. He died way too young and his death really hit me hard. I have nothing but the fondest memories from his shows.
I was in Austin Texas in 1980 with a friend and we were in parking lot eating fast food and there was a kid skateboarding in the parking lot my buddy says to me we are in Austin Texas on a Friday night ask that kid if there is anything going on so I rolled down the car window and asked the kid if there was anything going on the kid said Stevie Ray Vaughn is playing on 6th street it was way before he broke out big and it was one of the greatest shows I ever saw Stevie was jamming in the crowd with his guitar cord dragging behind him and the crowd was parting like the red sea to let him go by I am assuming the Joe King he is talking about was Joe King Carasco and the Crowns that was another fun band to see in Texas I also liked the Big Boys the Smart Dads and Claude Morgan and the Blast those were some great 80's Texas bands
I also got to see the Fabulous Thunderbirds with his Brother Jimmy Vaugh open for the Rolling Stones and ZZ Top at the Cotton Bowl in Houston during the Rolling Stones Tattoo You tour
With all due respect to SRV, I saw Bowie at the Oakland coliseum on the serious moonlight tour that SRV was initially slated. Earl Slick stepped in, and absolutely knocked my socks off!
Back in the 1970s I worked at Jalapeño Charlie’s in Austin a Punk rock bar .punk rock was very segregated from all the other genres of music at the time Disco was segregated from rock ‘n’ roll it was a different world . Stevie Ray Vaughan was trying to move up and he was pretty hot.Somehow he got the gig to open up for The Clash and he was booed off stage they-were throwing beer cans at him and it just didn’t go well The fact that a blues act was opening up for a punk rock band. At the time Charlie Sexton was 15 and he was sleeping in the kitchen half way homeless but they knew he was gonna be good. I’m from Buda Texas in my family was very closely related to WC Clark and I’m very proud of Gary Clark Jimmy Ray Charlie will sexton and Marty Stuart sometimes you don’t know what you got until it’s gone
Bowie got Earl Slick to replace SRV 4 the "Serious Moonlight tour". Slick hadn't played guitar 4 awhile & was selling timeshares at Lake Tahoe, but he sounded great on the tour. (He later called all the people he had sold timeshares to & told them how to get outta the timeshare.)
Thanks for that story. Great stuff. The one thing I get a kick of is the Blues people that are so ass tight on non-traditional that they miss out on anything left or right from their fixed heads to enjoy. So Dam True and I experienced that here on Long Island. We had a band named White Hot & Blue and we catered to any hot versions of traditional Blues tunes. The Blues society gave it a shot with us, but we were shunned for not being traditional. I pointed out that there were 5 big traditional bands that played the exact same tunes and sounded just about the same. So we offered the higher energy versions. (Alman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Lonnie Brook,s, Stones, etc... ) The traditionalist did not want it in their clubs. So we did our own thing elsewhere and we did well. We had 3 times the crowds they had, we were offered to play with a White Hot & Blue band from Germany as the US version, made it to Biker Mag. The Blues society never wanted anything to do with us. Thats ok, we did well without them. I always honor people for stepping out and doing what they have to offer. I miss Stevie. I was ecstatic the 1st time I heard him on the radio. Another Hero. 🙂
I saw SRV in 1983 at Bogarts in Cincy'.. Woweee He was on fire the whole night! I looked away for a second and looked back up and he had his guitar strapped behind em', I could never figure out how he did that until later. 1983, he was insane!!
Doesn't anyone know the back story that Bowie had Stevie playing in the studio without any music? That what Bowie did on Let's Dance was a form of sampling? He took the phrases he could use and dropped them into the song. I remember Stevie in an interview with Musician Magazine saying he didn't like the idea what Bowie was doing. He was not interested in that, he had his own band, career and vision. People on the outside couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't love to do the Bowie thing.
Yeah I heard something about that too, recording him not playing to the track, giving him a key and a tempo and flying bits and pieces into the track in a much later mix. A very Bowie thing to do.
That certainly happened with Adrian Belew on Bowie's Lodger album. He was told by Eno and DB just to play what he wanted. He was given the tempo and that's all and then it was cut up and arranged later on. Best heard on Boys keep swinging.
Let's Dance was one of my favorite songs on one of my favorite albums, and a comment elsewhere in YT comments informed me that SRV played on it. And, lo! this interview :)
I saw Eric giving an interview. He was driving and Let's Dance came on the radio. He said that he had to find out who that was playing today, not tomorrow but today. What a huge compliment.
I need to read the book. I'm fascinated by SRV. Jimmie and Stevie lived a few miles from me. Jimmie's daughter was my first girlfriend. I met Stevie once, but never knew Jimmie and Stevie as big stars. They were just Tina's dad and uncle. I was so young. Now that I'm older, I can't get enough of SRV.
@@dezionlion absolutely none.When I met Stevie, it was at Brother's Pizza at Red Bird Mall. He was eating with his niece, Tina. I was probably 11 or so. By then, Jimmie was divorced from Tina's mom. I just knew her. My sister would always spend then night with Tina and knew Jimmie and Stevie, but I was too young to grasp music at that level back then. It wasn't until SRV died that I then grasped who he was. Sadly, I'm 53 now and JUST these past few years have realized and WATCHED him play. No regrets, but man, I could've seen things up close.
I met Sam Cutler ,just walking down the street in my suburb here in Melbourne,lol. It's true he was getting his van fixed and was waiting. He was really lovely,he made me a cup of tea, gave me a Dead sticker, just a really nice guy, I'm a big Dead fan and I love the Stones so it was just amazing for me to hang out with Sam, I sort of still find it quite strange,lol,that it actually happened, anyway just thought I'd share that. Take it easy everyone.
Chesley was an Irishman who was VP of RCA Penwick records at one time, I worked for Francis and Chesley in Austin both were really good people. Chesley had a huge picture of Elvis and him behind his Desk at Manor Downs it was awesome!
Stevie was not only a amazing blues (blues rock) guitarist he was the second coming of Hendrix. When Jimi died Stevie came along and filled the void of Jimi's passing. There were others out there like Robin Tower but no one came as close as Stevie did. I saw Hendrix in concert and although Stevie wasn't him he was on that next level as a guitarist and they are few and far between. Two of the greatest in my lifetime and two lost way too soon. Their playing was a gift to all that listened. You could hear it in your soul.
I remember that show. We tried to go but it was sold out. Tried talking my way in but that didn't work. Had no idea he had such an amazing band w/him. Sounded good from outside. Lucky! Did see him open for Bowie at Anahiem Stadium, I think. Good to know some back story. Thanks.
In the old days, but after Winter, Tommy played with Alan Haynes in the Texas Boogie Band, I used to see him a lot, their band and mine worked all the time in Houston. I haven't seen Alan or Tommy since before they moved to Austin.
I saw Ray Vaughan back in the 80s when he was the opening act for Men at Work on their tour of Canada . . . _that_ was an odd bill . . . he was booed by the crowd quite a bit - I loved it.
We used to watch Eric Johnson and SRV play together once a month at Tango's in Dallas when they were still somewhat local texas artists. They would each do a set and then play together at midnight for another hour or so doing only hendrix. We were so spoiled we'd just show up at midnight for $5 cover back then. Dallas was hoppin' w/ great bands then.
I had tickets for SRV and the fabulous thunderbirds in the 80s. A guy ripped me off and I missed the show. I am 61 and if I see him again, he has a thrashing coming for the theft another for making us miss the show.
You are full of it. DBs career was far greater than SRVs and it’s really not close. In album sales SRV sold little over 15mm vs Bowies nearly 40mm. SRV was a talent, but DB was an icon.
@@daymonlindsey8150 lot of it was weird I agree. He had some stuff I enjoyed also, and he worked with musicians on the caliber of SRV thruout his career so every time he was onstage you knew you were getting some of the best musicianship available. Gotta love china girl tho, “oh baby just you shut your mouse”
I saw SRV play at the Sydney Opera House in 1984. It was rare for blues / rock bands to play there at the time. Don’t know how Stevie managed to arranged to play there? Great concert.
I think it was 1982 or 3. SRV was playing in Steamboat 1897 in Austin. A couple of the Rolling Stones were there as well as David Bowie. It was a really intimate setting. I remember it like yesterday. I was in the little upper balcony looking down. My feeling at the time was that Rock and Roll was dying. The Stones were trying to figure out what to do. I think they saw SRV was doing great things. I am friends with the McIntosh (Lonnie Mack) family. I was told Bowie offered SRV to tour with him. But SRV felt confident enough to tour on his own. As we all know, that was a smart move. I wasn't aware of any bad blood between SRV and Bowie. Interesting.
I heard that Bowie's management set up a deal where Stevie got a lump sum for doing the entire tour......then the management started adding shows to the tour, making the pay for each show diminish...also the additional dates meant it would take longer to get back to his own thing...Stevie decided to drop out of the tour...
Great Stuff!!! Love SRV!!!! #Fellowtexan ....... and Remember it's February 3, and another Fellow Texan left us....... "The Day the Music Died" Long Live Buddy Holly!!! BH and the Crickets are the First real Rock N Roll Band!!!! RIP Buddy!!! CHEERS Otis
I was at a party one night and someone put on Stevie, it transported me. I had never heard of him but it just washed me clean when he played. When we lost him, we lost a God. 😢
I admire your ability to deal with that kind of a job... I've been "first on the scene" of a bad wreck, after midnight and ALMOST made it WORSE, as it had occurred, waaaay out in the country, where there are 0% "street lights" and no lights remained functional on either of the 2× vehicles... It was a head-on collision with NO BRAKES applied, in a 55mph ZONE... Man... I'm getting a little "flustered", just remembering it, now... Hell, this was way back, in 1975 or 6!!!
When my friends and I heard SRV was opening for Bowie on the Serious Moonlight Tour AND playing in Bowie's band, we soon headed to the Capital Centre near DC to wait all night in a ticket lottery to get our tickets. We did score tickets, but not all of the many, many 100s there overnight got tix. So, Bowie was a tightwad no doubt. But the biggest reason SRV and Bowie parted ways (and not amicably) before the tour began, was Bowie cleaned himself up off drugs for the most part in the preceding years, and SRV had a huge entourage where the coke flowed all the time. SRV's woman apparently was quite the cokehead and crazy feisty which was too annoying for Bowie to imagine having them around for a long tour. Bowie probably lowballed SRV as an excuse to get him to bail on the tour. Once we all heard SRV was not touring we were distraught. Still bought every album SRV put out. While I'm at this, here's a recommendation: buy or rent or stream SRV and Double Trouble live at the El Mocambo (1983). You'll thank me!
I learned about the secret of the 15" speaker from Stevie Ray Vaughn. Before that, I never would have even considered using a 15" speaker for lead guitar!
For anyone interested, there is a rare gem of a video session of Stevie with his hero Albert King, recorded in Hamilton, Ontario for an obscure show in 1984. It is on ScrewTube for the finding
I worked a fabulous thunderbird show. Back in Miami with amada. Promoter I can't remember his name but looked like Higgins on magnum pi. Security between the band and crowd. Soflo narcotics anonymous thing. Good memory
I had heard that Stevie was told by Bowie that Bowie didn't want an opening act, and that was the deal breaker! Anyway I did see the 1983 Serious moonlight Bowie tour. How much better that gig would have been with Stevie. In 1984, buddy of mine got hold of the Bowie tour rehearsals on cassette done in Texas, with Stevie playing the entire set. It sounded like he had been rehearsing with the Bowie band for a while because that rehearsal tape was vibrant. Here in RUclipsr, Type in " SRV Serious moonlight rehearsals 1983" or something like that! The "what if " turns into a "BOWIE blew it" not SRV!
Well, Stevie recorded more than Let's Dance the title track, He also did China Girl and another track that escapes my memory at the moment. A total of three studio tracks that Stevie didn't get paid for recording in New York at the Record Plant, I believe. If I'm wrong, my apologies!
Fairly sure the breaking point was Bowie's management changing their minds about Stevie's band opening the tour, and not being upfront about it. The legend goes that it was a very last second, everyone at the airport, kind of decision. Pissed the (David's) band leader right off as well, lol.
This hasn't been the 1st time that I've heard stories about Bowie with words like, " Skinflint ", "Cheap ", " Tight-fisted ", mostly related to touring amenities and paying band fees.
There is something odd in his recollection of the timeline. Stevie broke away from the band called the Cobras and started doing his own thing, I watched him playing at Steamboat, a club in Austin late 79 early 80. I watched him do a couple of shows with the Cobras and the Lotions, at Liberty Lunch before he left the Cobras, also Austin. Bowie's, Let's Dance wasn't released until spring 83, I have no idea when Stevie recorded his part. Well anyway the way I remember it, Bowie needed to tour his new album and Stevie's own thing started taking off, plus there was the money thing, as well as Bowie had many other songs needing to perform on tour, that really wasn't Stevie's niche on guitar, but there is no doubt Stevie's style really made Let's Dance into the great hit. So... as it was relayed Stevie by the press, Stevie declined the tour and Bowie called in a ringer guitar player named Earl Slick to do the tour. I saw the Let's Dance tour in Austin at the Drum. It was an EXCELLENT CONCERT and Earl Slick really kicked ass on guitar. That summer, SRV'S Texas Flood came out and became legend. So everything worked out in the COSMOS, nice when things happen like that. Good Times
Bowie told a different version of this story where he said he had no idea what was going on with tour managers and apologized to Stevie. However they are both sadly dead now so .. truth????
I remembered when this happened. No Internet, they said the dead were part of Eric Clapton's band. I loved SRV, not Clapton. Then the names came out and I was sick
Also, the story goes, if it's true, bowie tried to control stevie, telling him not to promote texas flood, while also promising a spot for double trouble when they were to go on tour. Once stevie realized bowie wasn't going to fulfill his promise to bring double trouble on tour, that was the final nail in the coffin.
Here's a link to Joe Nick's great Stevie Ray Vaughan biography.
amzn.to/45faf8j
If you buy anything with this link, I'll get a little extra money to buy cat food, but it won't cost you anything extra.
I am 71 now and was in the US Army back in 1980 stationed in Greece and one day I was looking around in the Post Exchange in the small record section and in the discount section I found this blues album Texas Flood for only 50 cents so I grabbed it never hearing about SRV at the time. As soon as I got home I put it on my old turntable and WOW I was in heaven and never stopped loving Stevie and was so sad the day he died........
83 or 84
@@mikeables I was stationed in Greece from 80 to end of 84 then on the way back to the US stopped off in Thailand for two weeks to have some rest hahaha then flew to Philippines for two more weeks. Thailand and Philippines back in that time was great lots of fun for sure.
@@wildbill7081 Thank You for your service Bill. You have good taste in music!
@@mikeables Thank You for saying that
What a lucky find.
I got to jam with Stevie once on one of his visits to New Zealand. He was a great guy who went out of his way to make others feel special.
WHATTTT Please do tell me more...
@ my uncle was in a well known NZ band called Herbs. They used to get together with SRV when he visited NZ (his wife/girlfriend was a kiwi) I was lucky enough to be present at one of these jams :)
@@officialWWM apologies *Janna stupid autocorrect
I think Stevie's coolest contribution to the Bowie album Let's Dance is that killer intro riff to Modern Love. And it's sooooo Stevie.
He sets the tone for the entire record!
SRV. NEVER FORGET THIS LEGEND.
Tbirds had an album coming out party/show at the Paramont in Austin, SRV opened the show. I was on stage for the show. Everyone was there for tbirds. Stevie blew the roof off, tbirds were great but I walked off that stage and couldnt hear anything but SRV. It was his night
Years back, I was being signed to Epic by John Hammond. Hammond concurs on this story, SRV felt he could make more playing a Saturday night in Austin than touring for a week with Bowie. But I also knew other folks who had toured with Bowie, and while they said he was cheap, he was unfailingly professional. He was never late and always impeccably prepared. Most of his vocals were a couple of takes. Bowie felt like touring with him benefited your career. He was upfront with it. SRV, rightly, said it wasn't right for him.
Bowie was a bi sexual and Stevie as a Texan probably didn't feel comfortable around that lifestyle
My first ever gig in my life was The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughan in Sydney Australia at the Horden Pavilion. A school mate asked if I wanted to go as his older brother was going and said it would be good. He said there's this guitarist called Stevie Ray Vaughan who plays Blues. And he's playing with his older brother, "who's meant to be even better than him!" It was great. Went and bought 2 vinyl records afterwards and got me hooked on Blues and Jazz forever. As a result I have no knowledge of any Rock music of the 1990s or after. Just did not hear any of it and went straight back past the Stones et al to the good stuff. 😝🤩
He played on the entire Let’s Dance record
My wife and I were on our way back home after a party one night. Driving down Kings Hwy. Rd. in Oak Cliff Tx.
It's actually a residential neighborhood road. When in the distance on a foggy night noticed a tall man with a guitar case thumbing for a lift. He was dressed all black with a black cowboy hat, with that distinctive gem band. Not knowing who he was at that time, not himself famously known yet., Went ahead and picked him up in our '72 Chevy Nova.
He introduced himself and said, Hi. I'm Stevie Ray Vaughan. And pulled out a 420 asking, you guy's partake? We said sure. It was good smoke indeed. We just went a few block ahead and Stevie said, Thanks for the ride y'all. Me and my wife will never forget that encounter.
That's incredible, you guys are lucky to have had that random moment with him.
@@30AndHatingIta moment in time we will never forget.
Joe might not have known Probably the most significant part of this story. “The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to have my own band and make my own music”- SRV
With Texas Flood to be released in the near future the Bowie camp notified Stevie that anything he said about himself related to Texas Flood or personal career outside of Bowie would have to be controlled by the Bowie camp.
If there would have been only one thing I knew about Stevie,,, it was that nobody controlled him.
Chris Layton
I attended UT Austin in the mid to late 70's. I lived on W 32 street and the Rome Inn was on W 29th. I probably saw SRV play in the clubs 20 on more times. Bought SRV a beer once and I remember his hand dwarfed mine when shaking it. As I recall it, summer of 78, SRV had a Tuesday Rome Inn residency and the Fabulous TBirds had a Thursday residency. Cover charge-perhaps $3 a night back then. Austin was 1/3 the size it is now and it was 3X cooler than it is today
Im still in the Austin area and was in those days. Saw many of those same shows and met Stevie at Antones after he opened for Willie.
SRV didnt just play on the track Lets Dance, he played on the whole album, you hear him all over it
Tommy Shannon's playing was a miracle. The way he pushed Stevie out there from below was a key to the sound.
Exactly.
I saw SRV six times live in concert. I honestly feel blessed, all six times was blown away by his playing. He played with his tongue, his teeth, behind his back, over his head... all so effortlessly and with so much emotion and focus that he seemed in a class of his own. A giant among guitarists.
I saw him playing alot but the tongue I'd have to call u on strings are too tight for anyone to do that rest is a fact even saw him playing on same guitar as his brother but forgot who played over the shoulder w/ who think Stevie played over his brother's shoulder played on same guitar
I envy you so much!
When I heard "Let's Dance" and "China Girl" I didn't know who SRV was, but I was taken aback by the power of that guitar playing. It was manly/bold - heartfelt/vulnerable. It was dual. It was a voice from the soul. It was heavy and it was overwhelming. It was just like listening to a soul singer sing or a gospel singer sing.
I knew who he was, and his guitar didn't work with Bowie if you ask me.
@@nasticanasta nobody's asking you .
@@John-wi9qy 👍😆😆
@@nasticanasta You're sorry.
If I'm not mistaken Jackson Browne offered the safety tapes for "Lawyers in Love" to record "Texas Flood"
Great story....50% right on why Stevie did not tour with David...Stevie was in limo with David...after he cut tracks..David
Said he wanted Double Trouble to open for him on world tour...Stevie was on board...but after it went thru managment,,,,bean counters,,,they told Stevie it would be just him...they wouldn't pay for the band...so he walked...Stevie told me that himself...class move...
This is why I gave both sides of the story. Carlos Alomar told me what I posted. Carlos was the Band leader and as such would have been responsible for teaching Stevie the songs that required reading. He didn't have time/want to do that. Bowie and Alomar got Earl Slick for the lead guitar parts for the Let"s Dance songs. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble weren't internationally known at that point. Sponsors and management frown on for international concert tours. It is the practice to get opening acts from the country where they are playing. Peace.
@TurnedLeftAtTheRockyMountains didn’t have much to pay them with. Not kidding.
I’m not sure I’m understanding this correctly. With the recent massive success of Let’s Dance, Bowie was now playing the biggest venues he’d ever played and the management company wouldn’t pay for Stevie Ray Vaughan plus the band, who weren’t internationally known at this time? Was it that they wanted more popular names?
It wasn't David who refused to pay..David told Stevie in limo he could Bring band and
Lenny on tour..it was management who made it clear that only Stevie was getting to go..band would be out of work for months..he would be paid scale..$750 a gig...I real class move to not screw his band..stones also said they were interested i77n helping him..he played their private party in New York..no help..just wanted band for their party..Stevie said it was a copy of famous pic of Mick/Keith passed out in chairs..both pissed in pants..he said smell was unreal,,,Stevie was not a fan of junk..the book lied to sell more...
I worked his show at The Fabulous Fox Theater in St Louis. It was SRV and Joe Cocker 1990. They were alternating headliners and SRV opened. I scored a pit seat for my wife and came out between sets. She didn’t know much about him but I had bragged on him after seeing him play at a club in Dallas. I asked her how she liked it and she said “he seemed humble and nice. She added “ He didn’t make one mistake! Even playing behind his back and his head” 😊 I was so glad she enjoyed it. I was able to take her backstage to watch Joe Cocker from the back wing and he was equally impressive. His band was so tight he was so on time. It was honestly one of my favorite acts I had seen. Great show. Great memory. The only bummer was no crew shirts on that tour!
As famous as he got SRV became well-known because of Let's Dance and David Bowie. Before Bowie SRV was known to blues fans and not to the wide audience he had post Bowie. Bowie's band was a launching pad for many people who became huge in their own right after playing with Bowie.
I never got the chance to see SRV and I envy the people who did. If I could go back in time Stevie, Ray Charles and Townes would be at the top of the list to go see.
i saw srv several times and ray once,,,glad I did
I got to see Townes open for Cowboy Junkies in DC, 1990/1991(?) I had no idea who he was at the time. ;)
I saw Stevie play only one time when he played here in California at San Diego State . It was Phenomenal, and I was completely blown away by his live performance, as I had only just started hearing the Few songs our local Station “ KGB” were playing of his . Seeing him and hearing ALL the other songs and how much intensity and feeling he seemed to put into what he played made me an instant fan . It wasn’t until a couple of months after I saw his show that I heard about the whole Bowie thing & I got to thinking “ Man , this SRV guy would have just Demolished Bowie live “ ,and how the two artists music at that time was SO different. It was a bold move for sure but I think it was the right decision , based on things that eventually came to light about the deal and what had been offered . Maybe now that both have passed there’s a chance they both are talking & laughing about it all now in hindsight… 😉👍
My comment would be for all the people that fall into the David Bowie Camp or the Stevie Ray Vaughn camp listen to the Dallas Moonlight Texas Rehearsals from April 27th, 1983. These recordings are sublime in hearing Stevie's guitar on what would be Davids touring set of music. There's several hours of music here! I own several versions of these both on vinyl and on CD and can only hope that they will be released from Davids archives in their entirety and full glory as they deserve to be heard by the masses. And while the tour fell apart and career decisions were made and the outcome was what it was. From great artists, came great music. I only got to see Stevie once with Jeff Beck during the Fire and Fury tour at Sacramento's Arco Arena. It was a magical night, and damn if he wasn't dead a couple of months later.
I agree. That bootleg is my favorite Bowie “release”. Stevie’s bending notes on Station to Station is pure magic. Do you know which of all the bootlegs is the best-sounding and most-complete recording? Is it true there were two days of rehearsals and both were taped?
SRV achieved success because he was true to who he was. He was no blues purist, but he wasn't adverse to letting his blues influence ignite his rock sensibilities. He's a legend because to this day no one sounds like him. Same goes for Jeff Beck. Talent elevates an artist into the upper echelon of their peer group. But uniqueness makes them a star.
Exactly! This is what I have been aiming for my whole career as a guitarist! The innovators are the ones who inspire and influence others.
@@andrewSUN17 that’s why I live both of them, esp Bowie. Granted Bowie went through “Phil Collins phase” in the 80s. His Reality Tour album has to be my favorite, esp When he made All the a young Dudes a jazz number. His BlackStat album and his Posthumously released album No Plan blew my mind away. & I came across a country daddy Bowie sang. Both are true innovators
SVR one of a kind.
@@PolGara0139 I was referring to SRV and Jeff Beck but yes Bowie was a huge inspiration and influence on me as well.
@@TheTimeOfThePlace how damn stupid can u be to post the same damn comment 28 fkn times😤😤
There is a missing link in the story. Nile Rodgers first heard SRV at Montreux and got Bowie out of bed to hear the rest of the performance. I don't recall if it was the actual Montreux performance or the after hours shows. I got to spend the day with Nile a few years ago when he was writing his biography and he shared the story with me. He's full of endless great stories.
A bunch of white boomers left the black musician out of the story, while including useless info about Rolling Stones members? I am shocked
That’s what I understand
Interesting. I read an interview with Nile and he was talking about how he initially didn’t want Bowie to use SRV. He said, and I’m paraphrasing, obviously, that he felt SRV sounded so much like Albert King that if Bowie wanted that sound he should just get Albert King himself. He also described how his take on SRV changed and he grew to appreciate his playing more. I think the interview was in GP magazine. He also said SRV was one of the most genuinely nice people he’d met.
Are you still in touch with Nile? Please ask him if he remembers Artie and Tina from The Love Stores, a neighborhood drugstore chain in Manhattan. Artie and Tina are my parents and they worked in the Broadway Love location and Nile was a regular customer. They got me his autograph in like 1991
@@Factory_Muff That's awesome! He flew to my hometown (Grand Rapids, MI) to explore an indie artist development idea I had kicked off. I still have his business card and phone number but we haven't stayed in touch.
I sure do miss him!!!!!
When I saw Bowie touring "Lets Dance" in Austin, SRV performed the show with Bowie.
Right after Texas Flood came out I went to see SRV at the Cal Expo in Sacramento. Sammy Hagar headlined and Y&T opened. The crowd was younger and started booing when Stevie and DT started to play. It got so bad that Sammy had to come out to quiet the crowd down. Stevie played a terrific set playing most of Texas Flood, and I thought he was fantastic. Never seen anything like that before or since.
sammy hagar/ srv,,,,no comparison,,,I would have left after srv was done
That’s the promoter’s fault. Wrong audience to put SRV in front of. Not surprised that they didn’t “get” what he was doing. Sad to see how uncouth they were about it.
I seem to remember SRV even got booed at Montreaux Jazz Festival early on. 😂
@@tomstiel7576 you wouldn't hear Sammy talk down about Stevie, Sammy was well established, bet even he went through some booing in his day, not many blues fans at a Rock concert, Stevie showed them how the cow are the cabbage later on tour, and they ate it up 🎸
It's happened to many bands & artists over the years. The crowd did the same thing to "Prince" when he opened up for the "Rolling Stones" tour.
"Tooth for tooth. Eye for an eye. Sell your soul just to buy buy buy." 🎶
I saw Stevie in a small club in New Jersey in the early 80s. Absolutely amazing.
Guess it depends on who you want to believe. There's lots of reports that said SRV was let go by Bowie's management due to his drug problem. Others say he wanted Double Trouble to open up for Bowie with him playing for both and that was quickly denied for obvious reasons. I'm a fan of both and there's no denying Bowie has always played with great guitar players (Frampton, Ronson, Adrian Belew, Earl Slick) but everytime I listen to Let's Dance, China Girl and Cat People off that album, I still get chills down my spine. They created some true greatness in their brief time together and that's really all that matters to me
I met Stevie Ray 's brother Jimmy when The Fabulous Thunderbirds were at the drummer Frannie Christina's Mother's house ( my mom grew up with the Christina's) that's as close as I got to meeting Stevie because he opened up for The Thunderbirds in Providence, RI back in the early to mid 80's. RIP Stevie 🙏🌹🕊️🎸♥️ and RIP David Bowie 🙏🌹🕊️♥️
China Girl and Cat People on the Lets Dance album is unbelievable.
Stevie agreed to play for standard union wages and was paid that amount. His work with Bowie definitely helped his career.
Loved it when he would swing his guitar behind his back and do the texas shuffle across the stage. Such a great player and such a great loss.
FYI "Stevie played the guitar tracks on David Bowie's album, such as the famous Let's Dance and China Girl. However, the one in which Stevie Ray Vaughan's style is most noticeable is one of the album's less famous tracks, Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)." I Love Cat People, and noticed the moment it was released, because of SRV's playing. Miss him
Cat People is a cool tune
hopefully you're aware Cat People on the Let's Dance album is a remake of the same song Bowie did for the soundtrack of the movie of the same name.
Cat People is my favorite Bowie tune
i was a big fan of Bowie and Vaughn and wouldn't want to be disrespectful to either of their memories but in my opinion Vaughn's soloing on the songs on "Let's Dance" have a certain sameness about them. Of Bowie's lead guitarists in his later years I thought not only was Earl Slick the best but his playing most closely resembled that of Mick Ronson.
Thank you for sharing this . A Fantastic story that is so illuminating about the high money and how the business operates.
I was at his final show. It was such a foggy night. A horrible night. 😢
Around the time SRV broke away from DB during the Let's Dance tour of 1983, SRV was in Montreal at a small venue called Le Spectrum. The cover was $5 CDN and the turnout was modest as he was relatively unknown there at the time. My classmate happened to be at that show and he raved about him as his style reminded him of Jimi Hendrix. My classmate was crazy mad over Hendrix. He said "Yah gotta hear this guy!" A short time later my then girlfriend and I were walking through Old Montreal when I heard a track from Texas Flood coming out of a souvenir shop on 1 of the side streets. So I blurted out "I think that's Stevie Ray Vaughan! Robert told me about him! He saw him at Le Spectrum of all places!" I worked retail in an indoor mall in those days and there was a record shop round the corner from us. The manager was a regular client and though she thought SRV was a traitor for bailing on DB (her words, not mine), she nonetheless gave me a discount on his record.
I first heard him in early 1984 when I went to Dallas in February to stay with my sister for a month. One of the most amazing songs I`d ever heard came on the huge cranked-up TV console radio and I said," Who is THAT???!" My sister told me it was their "homeboy" Stevie Ray Vaughan and her husband grew up with him in Oak Cliff and rode the school bus with him. They took me to a Jimmy Vaughan show locally and he was there and I got to shake their hands and speak to them. Stevie was paranoid that he was taking attention away from his brother though and finally left. I would make cassette recordings of his songs to bring back to Louisiana but people would steal them.
Stevie was hitching down Kings Hwy Rd.
In Oak Cliff. My wife and I gave him a lift. Sure do miss Stevie Ray much.
He was a nice man.
We heard the band rehearsal just one time in a garage. The street over from Kings Hwy Rd . I can't remember the name of the street. we had the reaction, never heard this type of genre before.
The music was totally the best I'd ever heard .wow!
@@NO-WAR-WINGS I don`t remember for sure which song of his I heard first on the radio there but I think it was Pride and Joy or one very similar. It hit me right between the eyes. I can`t remember that happening the same way with any other band except the first time I heard Tom Sawyer by Rush on the radio but that was a totally different thing. Still they both stunned me but in different ways. With Stevie it was a feeling and with Rush it was...."What did I just hear?" I`d never heard a beat like that. With Stevie it was how his playing made me feel a sense of pure joy.
Love the Stevie Ray stories! He was huge for me and I'm so thankful I got to see him 4x. He died way too young and his death really hit me hard. I have nothing but the fondest memories from his shows.
I was in Austin Texas in 1980 with a friend and we were in parking lot eating fast food and there was a kid skateboarding in the parking lot my buddy says to me we are in Austin Texas on a Friday night ask that kid if there is anything going on so I rolled down the car window and asked the kid if there was anything going on the kid said Stevie Ray Vaughn is playing on 6th street it was way before he broke out big and it was one of the greatest shows I ever saw Stevie was jamming in the crowd with his guitar cord dragging behind him and the crowd was parting like the red sea to let him go by I am assuming the Joe King he is talking about was Joe King Carasco and the Crowns that was another fun band to see in Texas I also liked the Big Boys the Smart Dads and Claude Morgan and the Blast those were some great 80's Texas bands
I also got to see the Fabulous Thunderbirds with his Brother Jimmy Vaugh open for the Rolling Stones and ZZ Top at the Cotton Bowl in Houston during the Rolling Stones Tattoo You tour
With all due respect to SRV, I saw Bowie at the Oakland coliseum on the serious moonlight tour that SRV was initially slated. Earl Slick stepped in, and absolutely knocked my socks off!
Reeves Gabrels is another guitarist that Bowie picked who was great .
@@stephenhensley5631 Bowie could always spot a great player.
@@jabezhanebsolutely! Mick Ronson, Carlos, SRV, Reeves Gabriels, Adrian Belew, Luther Vandross….
Back in the 1970s I worked at Jalapeño Charlie’s in Austin a Punk rock bar .punk rock was very segregated from all the other genres of music at the time Disco was segregated from rock ‘n’ roll it was a different world . Stevie Ray Vaughan was trying to move up and he was pretty hot.Somehow he got the gig to open up for The Clash and he was booed off stage they-were throwing beer cans at him and it just didn’t go well The fact that a blues act was opening up for a punk rock band. At the time Charlie Sexton was 15 and he was sleeping in the kitchen half way homeless but they knew he was gonna be good. I’m from Buda Texas in my family was very closely related to WC Clark and I’m very proud of Gary Clark Jimmy Ray Charlie will sexton and Marty Stuart sometimes you don’t know what you got until it’s gone
Bowie got Earl Slick to replace SRV 4 the "Serious Moonlight tour". Slick hadn't played guitar 4 awhile & was selling timeshares at Lake Tahoe, but he sounded great on the tour. (He later called all the people he had sold timeshares to & told them how to get outta the timeshare.)
I’d buy a timeshare from earl slick anytime 😎
He made a very nice range of guitars also!
Thanks for that story. Great stuff.
The one thing I get a kick of is the Blues people that are so ass tight on non-traditional that they miss out on anything left or right from their fixed heads to enjoy.
So Dam True and I experienced that here on Long Island. We had a band named White Hot & Blue and we catered to any hot versions of traditional Blues tunes.
The Blues society gave it a shot with us, but we were shunned for not being traditional.
I pointed out that there were 5 big traditional bands that played the exact same tunes and sounded just about the same. So we offered the higher energy versions. (Alman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Lonnie Brook,s, Stones, etc... )
The traditionalist did not want it in their clubs. So we did our own thing elsewhere and we did well. We had 3 times the crowds they had, we were offered to play with a White Hot & Blue band from Germany as the US version, made it to Biker Mag.
The Blues society never wanted anything to do with us.
Thats ok, we did well without them.
I always honor people for stepping out and doing what they have to offer.
I miss Stevie. I was ecstatic the 1st time I heard him on the radio.
Another Hero. 🙂
Good story!
Was at the Alpine Valley show the night before he died. With Robert Cray and Clapton. Incredible!!!
Here's more of Joe Nick sharing memories of Stevie Ray Vaughan.
ruclips.net/video/l8PwvXP7xBw/видео.html
I saw SRV in 1983 at Bogarts in Cincy'.. Woweee He was on fire the whole night!
I looked away for a second and looked back up and he had his guitar strapped behind em', I could never figure out how he did that until later. 1983, he was insane!!
Reese Wynans was mentioned ….I think I heard that Reese was at the first jam session of what became the core of the Allman Brothers Band?
Doesn't anyone know the back story that Bowie had Stevie playing in the studio without any music?
That what Bowie did on Let's Dance was a form of sampling?
He took the phrases he could use and dropped them into the song.
I remember Stevie in an interview with Musician Magazine saying he didn't like the idea what Bowie was doing. He was not interested in that, he had his own band, career and vision. People on the outside couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't love to do the Bowie thing.
Yeah I heard something about that too, recording him not playing to the track, giving him a key and a tempo and flying bits and pieces into the track in a much later mix. A very Bowie thing to do.
That certainly happened with Adrian Belew on Bowie's Lodger album. He was told by Eno and DB just to play what he wanted. He was given the tempo and that's all and then it was cut up and arranged later on. Best heard on Boys keep swinging.
Let's Dance was one of my favorite songs on one of my favorite albums, and a comment elsewhere in YT comments informed me that SRV played on it. And, lo! this interview :)
Fascinating stories well-told by Joe Nick Patoski! Otis, this post has over a quarter million views! Congratulations!
I saw Eric giving an interview. He was driving and Let's Dance came on the radio. He said that he had to find out who that was playing today, not tomorrow but today.
What a huge compliment.
I need to read the book. I'm fascinated by SRV. Jimmie and Stevie lived a few miles from me. Jimmie's daughter was my first girlfriend. I met Stevie once, but never knew Jimmie and Stevie as big stars. They were just Tina's dad and uncle. I was so young. Now that I'm older, I can't get enough of SRV.
Got any memories you could share?
@@dezionlion absolutely none.When I met Stevie, it was at Brother's Pizza at Red Bird Mall. He was eating with his niece, Tina. I was probably 11 or so. By then, Jimmie was divorced from Tina's mom. I just knew her. My sister would always spend then night with Tina and knew Jimmie and Stevie, but I was too young to grasp music at that level back then. It wasn't until SRV died that I then grasped who he was. Sadly, I'm 53 now and JUST these past few years have realized and WATCHED him play. No regrets, but man, I could've seen things up close.
I met Sam Cutler ,just walking down the street in my suburb here in Melbourne,lol. It's true he was getting his van fixed and was waiting. He was really lovely,he made me a cup of tea, gave me a Dead sticker, just a really nice guy, I'm a big Dead fan and I love the Stones so it was just amazing for me to hang out with Sam, I sort of still find it quite strange,lol,that it actually happened, anyway just thought I'd share that. Take it easy everyone.
WAS LUCKY TO HAVE GOT TO SEE & HEAR. BOWIE & SRV ON THE GLASS SPIDERS TOUR ... VERY IMPRESSIVE SOUND AND SHOW .
It seems to have deafened you, though...
Chesley was an Irishman who was VP of RCA Penwick records at one time, I worked for Francis and Chesley in Austin both were really good people. Chesley had a huge picture of Elvis and him behind his Desk at Manor Downs it was awesome!
stevie would have made it no matter what road he took, he knew what he wanted and had the talent to do it.
The business behind the business crazy more work than I thought
Stevie was not only a amazing blues (blues rock) guitarist he was the second coming of Hendrix. When Jimi died Stevie came along and filled the void of Jimi's passing. There were others out there like Robin Tower but no one came as close as Stevie did. I saw Hendrix in concert and although Stevie wasn't him he was on that next level as a guitarist and they are few and far between. Two of the greatest in my lifetime and two lost way too soon. Their playing was a gift to all that listened. You could hear it in your soul.
Well said Leif I just wish Jimi had done a longer version of Little Wing like Stevie did Loved them both....
SRV was superior to hendrix in every way
I saw SRV with Greg Allman IIRC Mitch Michell on drums, and Bootsy Collins on bass at the Golden Bear club in Huntington Beach in about 1984 or 85.
I remember that show. We tried to go but it was sold out. Tried talking my way in but that didn't work. Had no idea he had such an amazing band w/him. Sounded good from outside. Lucky!
Did see him open for Bowie at Anahiem Stadium, I think. Good to know some back story. Thanks.
In the old days, but after Winter, Tommy played with Alan Haynes in the Texas Boogie Band, I used to see him a lot, their band and mine worked all the time in Houston. I haven't seen Alan or Tommy since before they moved to Austin.
I don't blame Stevie for not wanting to just be Bowie's lead guitarist. Stevie wanted to be his own frontman of a band.
I saw Ray Vaughan back in the 80s when he was the opening act for Men at Work on their tour of Canada . . . _that_ was an odd bill . . . he was booed by the crowd quite a bit - I loved it.
We used to watch Eric Johnson and SRV play together once a month at Tango's in Dallas when they were still somewhat local texas artists. They would each do a set and then play together at midnight for another hour or so doing only hendrix. We were so spoiled we'd just show up at midnight for $5 cover back then. Dallas was hoppin' w/ great bands then.
I had tickets for SRV and the fabulous thunderbirds in the 80s. A guy ripped me off and I missed the show. I am 61 and if I see him again, he has a thrashing coming for the theft another for making us miss the show.
Joe Nick, too cool!
I’ve read that book ,
… it’s a great read ! Highly recommend it.
I don't believe I have ever purposely heard a David Bowie song, I own everything Stevie Ray Vaughan ever produced.....
I bet if you were Under Pressure, you could recall a Bowie song. 😉
@@wzpu3283 I "might" be able to recognize one but I just sat here for the last 10 minutes trying to think of one and came up with nothing......🤔
You are full of it. DBs career was far greater than SRVs and it’s really not close. In album sales SRV sold little over 15mm vs Bowies nearly 40mm. SRV was a talent, but DB was an icon.
@@guins99 Too each his own. Never cared for the music, little too weird for me.
@@daymonlindsey8150 lot of it was weird I agree. He had some stuff I enjoyed also, and he worked with musicians on the caliber of SRV thruout his career so every time he was onstage you knew you were getting some of the best musicianship available. Gotta love china girl tho, “oh baby just you shut your mouse”
I saw SRV play at the Sydney Opera House in 1984. It was rare for blues / rock bands to play there at the time. Don’t know how Stevie managed to arranged to play there? Great concert.
Cool! I’ve read his book a couple of times.
I think it was 1982 or 3. SRV was playing in Steamboat 1897 in Austin. A couple of the Rolling Stones were there as well as David Bowie.
It was a really intimate setting. I remember it like yesterday. I was in the little upper balcony looking down.
My feeling at the time was that Rock and Roll was dying. The Stones were trying to figure out what to do. I think they saw SRV was doing great things.
I am friends with the McIntosh (Lonnie Mack) family. I was told Bowie offered SRV to tour with him. But SRV felt confident enough to tour on his own. As we all know, that was a smart move.
I wasn't aware of any bad blood between SRV and Bowie. Interesting.
I heard that Bowie's management set up a deal where Stevie got a lump sum for doing the entire tour......then the management started adding shows to the tour, making the pay for each show diminish...also the additional dates meant it would take longer to get back to his own thing...Stevie decided to drop out of the tour...
Great Stuff!!! Love SRV!!!! #Fellowtexan ....... and Remember it's February 3, and another Fellow Texan left us....... "The Day the Music Died" Long Live Buddy Holly!!! BH and the Crickets are the First real Rock N Roll Band!!!! RIP Buddy!!! CHEERS Otis
I was at a party one night and someone put on Stevie, it transported me. I had never heard of him but it just washed me clean when he played. When we lost him, we lost a God. 😢
I admire your ability to deal with that kind of a job... I've been "first on the scene" of a bad wreck, after midnight and ALMOST made it WORSE, as it had occurred, waaaay out in the country, where there are 0% "street lights" and no lights remained functional on either of the 2× vehicles... It was a head-on collision with NO BRAKES applied, in a 55mph ZONE... Man... I'm getting a little "flustered", just remembering it, now... Hell, this was way back, in 1975 or 6!!!
I knew them all ... Mr. C. ..💯❤ Can't Stop A Comet!
Cutter,a hella good dude. Him and Peggy
Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it.
Thank you brother
When my friends and I heard SRV was opening for Bowie on the Serious Moonlight Tour AND playing in Bowie's band, we soon headed to the Capital Centre near DC to wait all night in a ticket lottery to get our tickets. We did score tickets, but not all of the many, many 100s there overnight got tix. So, Bowie was a tightwad no doubt. But the biggest reason SRV and Bowie parted ways (and not amicably) before the tour began, was Bowie cleaned himself up off drugs for the most part in the preceding years, and SRV had a huge entourage where the coke flowed all the time. SRV's woman apparently was quite the cokehead and crazy feisty which was too annoying for Bowie to imagine having them around for a long tour. Bowie probably lowballed SRV as an excuse to get him to bail on the tour. Once we all heard SRV was not touring we were distraught. Still bought every album SRV put out. While I'm at this, here's a recommendation: buy or rent or stream SRV and Double Trouble live at the El Mocambo (1983). You'll thank me!
I learned about the secret of the 15" speaker from Stevie Ray Vaughn. Before that, I never would have even considered using a 15" speaker for lead guitar!
i would like to learn more about this how and why?
For anyone interested, there is a rare gem of a video session of Stevie with his hero Albert King, recorded in Hamilton, Ontario for an obscure show in 1984. It is on ScrewTube for the finding
I worked a fabulous thunderbird show. Back in Miami with amada. Promoter I can't remember his name but looked like Higgins on magnum pi. Security between the band and crowd. Soflo narcotics anonymous thing. Good memory
tHANKS!
I was driving through Wanamaker yesterday and my girl goes "Isn't your friend Otis from Wanamaker?"
And I was like, that's right, my man Otis
I had heard that Stevie was told by Bowie that Bowie didn't want an opening act, and that was the deal breaker!
Anyway I did see the 1983 Serious moonlight Bowie tour. How much better that gig would have been with Stevie. In 1984, buddy of mine got hold of the Bowie tour rehearsals on cassette done in Texas, with Stevie playing the entire set. It sounded like he had been rehearsing with the Bowie band for a while because that rehearsal tape was vibrant.
Here in RUclipsr, Type in " SRV Serious moonlight rehearsals 1983" or something like that!
The "what if " turns into a
"BOWIE blew it" not SRV!
Well, Stevie recorded more than Let's Dance the title track, He also did China Girl and another track that escapes my memory at the moment. A total of three studio tracks that Stevie didn't get paid for recording in New York at the Record Plant, I believe. If I'm wrong, my apologies!
I think the other track was Cat People
That book is almost always two feet away from me.
Fairly sure the breaking point was Bowie's management changing their minds about Stevie's band opening the tour, and not being upfront about it. The legend goes that it was a very last second, everyone at the airport, kind of decision. Pissed the (David's) band leader right off as well, lol.
This hasn't been the 1st time that I've heard stories about Bowie with words like, " Skinflint ", "Cheap ", " Tight-fisted ", mostly related to touring amenities and paying band fees.
Mr. Joe: It is possible to differentiate blues from rock 'n roll, Mr. Joe, and to some of us, it does matter, because we can hear the difference.
David Bowie was a real star. Stevie Ray was yet another Guitar Slinger
Love those GD tie-ins
I saw SRV, Allman Bros, and BB King back to back at Red Rocks in Denver. SRV stole the show and it wasn't even close.
You can also Stevie play the lead break on China Girl!
Great story.
There is something odd in his recollection of the timeline. Stevie broke away from the band called the Cobras and started doing his own thing, I watched him playing at Steamboat, a club in Austin late 79 early 80. I watched him do a couple of shows with the Cobras and the Lotions, at Liberty Lunch before he left the Cobras, also Austin. Bowie's, Let's Dance wasn't released until spring 83, I have no idea when Stevie recorded his part. Well anyway the way I remember it, Bowie needed to tour his new album and Stevie's own thing started taking off, plus there was the money thing, as well as Bowie had many other songs needing to perform on tour, that really wasn't Stevie's niche on guitar, but there is no doubt Stevie's style really made Let's Dance into the great hit. So... as it was relayed Stevie by the press, Stevie declined the tour and Bowie called in a ringer guitar player named Earl Slick to do the tour. I saw the Let's Dance tour in Austin at the Drum. It was an EXCELLENT CONCERT and Earl Slick really kicked ass on guitar. That summer, SRV'S Texas Flood came out and became legend. So everything worked out in the COSMOS, nice when things happen like that. Good Times
Bowie told a different version of this story where he said he had no idea what was going on with tour managers and apologized to Stevie. However they are both sadly dead now so .. truth????
I remembered when this happened. No Internet, they said the dead were part of Eric Clapton's band. I loved SRV, not Clapton. Then the names came out and I was sick
ThanX 🌞
Also, the story goes, if it's true, bowie tried to control stevie, telling him not to promote texas flood, while also promising a spot for double trouble when they were to go on tour. Once stevie realized bowie wasn't going to fulfill his promise to bring double trouble on tour, that was the final nail in the coffin.