Robert Fripp

Robert Fripp's Diary

Tuesday 12 June 2012

DGM HQ While in the

10.23

DGM HQ.

While in the shower, a call from the Minx with an important arising matter.

A grey, damp morning in the valley I…

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II...

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Morning reading done, we are now awaiting the arrival of journalist Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times.

12.44    Ludovic arrived c. 11.02 and left c. 13.30. About two hours and twenty minutes of interview with David and myself, covering a wide area but tending to focus on professional aspects of the musical life. And UMG. That is, one large company that seeks to become much larger, which has a company ethos that strikes me as unethical. Cf DGM Business Aims and The Ethical Company. Our dealings with UMG contradicts every element of The Four Pillars.

The kitchen I…

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II...

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III...

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IV...

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Very good to meet the music writer / reviewer of my weekend reading.

15.59    Checking the music-manuscript archive, carried to DGM for scanning. From Brondesbury Road in 1967-68: Guitar Mechanics…

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This is what became known as the First Primary in Guitar Craft. When the first GC seminar was being planned, Guitar Mechanics was considered as a name for the course. Vic Garbarini didn’t like it, and next was… Guitar Craft.

Extensions and variations on the First Primary I…

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II...

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Extensions and variations on the Fourth Primary…

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Proposed contents of the Guitar Mechanics tutor (1968)…

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Decca Records gave me an introduction to Chappell Music, who published Bert Weedon’s  Play In A Day. At Chappell’s I met Teddy Holmes, a Power Possessor and old man (to my 22 year-old eyes) who was completely out of touch with new-generation current-developments in popular music; so had a smart younger man to inform him of such. The SYM explained to me how my proposed book of Guitar Mechanics wouldn’t be of any use unless it were written by someone like Eric Clapton.

Teddy Holmes:    Who’s Eric Clapton?
SYM:                   He’s the Bert Weedon of today.

Guitar Mechanics remains unpublished, while the Guitar Craft, Guitar Circle and The Orchestra Of Crafty Guitarists are vibrant.

Also written in my bedroom at Brondesbury Road: Tarentelle (1967-68)…

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Suite No. 1 (1967-68) I...

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II...

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… recorded on GG&F’s The Cheerful Insanity.

Peace: A Theme in its original form as a string quartet, recorded with multi-tracked fuzz guitars (Gibson 345 and Burns Buzzaround)…

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… and the later form for Poseidon…

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Schizoid Man (1969): the fast breaks…

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Cadence And Cascade (1970) on In The Wake Of Poseidon…

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Happy Family for Lizard (1970)…

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… Lady Of The Dancing Water (1970)…

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… and Prince Rupert - Bolero…

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Fracture (1973), live on Starless And Bible Black I…

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II...

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III...

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Underground Train (1973), played as Doctor D but not used on any studio album…

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Starless themes, written our for Robin Miller on the Red sessions (1974)…

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… and Starless for Mark Charig…

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Red (1974)…

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Bass parts for Red at the same sessions…

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A (second) middle section that was not included in Red (1974), but was later used in VROOOM VROOOM (1994), and part of a piece marked as Heavy Metal…

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… also here in Atmospheres…

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The missing piece Blue, referred to in the KC history by John Wetton…

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II...

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... has at the bottom of the third and final page…

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…  a motif; moved from Blue to Red: the opening and closing theme of Red itself. The driving, relentless figure that follows it, and the middle figure played by the basses, weren’t enough for a complete piece. So, the beginning and end of Red was taken from Blue…

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… and it is also here in these notes I…

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II...

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NYC in 1977-78: Here Comes The Flood…

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… from Peter Gabriel NYC rehearsals, c. February 1977.

Preparation for the Exposure album. Groove for John (Wetton) & Phil (Collins) (1977)…

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We had a playing-session at Island Studios in 1977. Phil also recorded some “flying tracks”: drums alone for overdubbing later, not drum solos. Those familiar only with Phil’s later career may be surprised to know what an excellent and up-for-stuff drummer the pre-solo singer Phil was.

Breathless (1978), including TLev’s bass part…

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… and this note: Arrange as string quartet(?).

NY3 (1978) marked as Tune with Daryl…

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Disengage (1978) for Exposure marked as New song for Daryl…

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An early draft of the fast 6/8 RF running line against Adrian Belewbeloid’s rhythm part in Frame By Frame (1981) written at my sub-let on the Bowery in 1978….
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The apartment was one block from CBGB’s and opposite Phebe’s. The late Hector Zazou once came to interview me there.

Dislocated (1980) for The League of Gentlemen…

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Solo guitar intro to Larks’ Tongues Part III (1983)…

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… and the piece itself…

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Well.

19.12    David has left for Chez Singleton…

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An evening computing ahead.

00.32 It would take longer than a day to relate the day.

The floor is waiting.
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