- The track list for the new live John Entwistle Band release titled "Left for Live" is on the official site at http://www.eden.com/theox/wistlestop/update.htm
(If you get the old journal, hit "reload" or "refresh" on your browser).
It's supposed to be set for a July release! I've got a way better feeling about this one than the Van Pires release! I fully expect to see this one this year. World, don't prove me wrong!
- Live album movement gains momentum! All the official site is saying as of now is
"02/18/99
THE JOHN ENTWISTLE BAND
BEGINS MIXING THEIR LIVE ALBUM
ON MARCH 1ST FOR THEIR SOON TO BE ANNOUNCED RECORD DEAL
Official press release to follow", but that sounds good to
me. I personally have heard some of the recording from the tour (about
half a song) and it sounded really good. At late lunch time before the gig in Olathe,
Kansas (10/8/98), one of the sound guys played a little section of an earlier show through the PA. I thought
the mix sounded pretty good (especailly when considering that it was probably taken off
the mixing board). I recall overhearing him say it was from the last show, which should have
been the Chattanooga show (10/6/98). Sometimes it pays to have an obnoxiously long lunch at
the bar the John Entwistle Band is playing at later in the day. That's what I did. If the "Soundtrack
from Van Pires" gets released before this live disc (or discs?) comes out, I would
be amazed. That Van Pires release seems like it is on the slow track to becoming
the next The Rock to me. Hopefully Van Pires won't sit for a decade prior to release.
It has already been sitting for about one year as of now.
- Another concert archived online. Visit http://www.liveconcerts.com/cgi-bin/ConcertsPagebuild.cgi?Artists=1623 for the show, which was recorded at the House of Blues on July 28, 1998.
The "1997 King Biscuit Tour" album that page refers to was recorded in the mid 70's (1975? Where's my King Biscuit Disc?). They recorded one show for the "King Biscuit Flour Hour" radio program, which was
released on CD in 1997. They didn't have a "King Biscuit Tour", not to my knowledge anyway.
- "Left for Live" info from Bitsa Talent...
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 00:16:32 EST
Dear Friends & Fans,
The John Entwistle Band is on a well deserved break and the tour known as Left
For Dead - The Sequel has come to an end. The next task will be sorting
through over 85 hours of multi track recordings from this tour. Once this is
done it will be time to mix and master the live album nick named
"Left For Live". John and the band want something released for the public to
hear. We have all tried and are still trying to get the Van-Pires soundtrack
released. There is some progress with the Van-Pires project and even more
progress with the live recordings. It is the bands intention to tour again
next spring to support a CD release. We are hopeful that a release of one or
both CDs will happen shortly after the new year. The band is looking forward
to promoting their music and playing for as many of you as possible in the
coming year. For the time being you can listen to an archived concert from
the House Of Blues recorded 7/98. Log on to www.liveconcerts.com.
If the show has not been posted check back in a few days or mail the site for
an update.
Alan McKendree has posted some jpeg images from the tour on John's page
www.eden.com/theox
The original photos were taken during Left For Dead - The Sequel by Terry
McBride. The displayed images do not do justice to the original work but they
are available to view just the same.
Alan has also posted a catalog of merchandise that was left over from
Left For Dead - The Sequel. You can look at and order the items from the web
page or request a catalog and an order form for the new merchandise by
returning this e-mail. Please include a snail mail address for the catalog.
Most orders should arrive in time for the Holidays.
Thank You & Have A Happy Holiday Season
>From The John Entwistle Band, Laurie, Stefi and Beth at Bitsa Talent
- The John Entwistle Band makes another web appearence. Here's the news from Bitsa...
Dear Friends & Fans,
This Sunday, November 22nd the House of Blues in LA will be featuring a
webcast performance by The John Entwistle Band. This show was recorded in LA
on July 28th 1998 during the first leg of the bands tour ( Left For Dead - The
Sequel ). For further information log on to http://www.liveconcerts.com and
click on upcoming events.
Enjoy the music!
- I went to the Nebraska (October 11th) and Kansas (October 8th) shows, and the reviews are now in! Select the Kansas or the Nebraska review.
- Bad news for those kids in Minnesota. I received email about the Minneapolis gig (October 12, 1998, Monday, Roy Wilkins Theatre)
stating that the show had been canceled. I called the Jesse Ventura campaign and they told me that the show has been canceled for about two
weeks now and there's no plan for a reschedule. The band was going to play the concert to raise money for
famed wrestler and Predator actor Jesse "the Body" Ventura's gubenatorial canidacy.
- Here's some words from Steve Luongo in regards to the release of the Van Pires CD and the live recordings from this tour.
Maybe I should call Richard at MSH records again (see my 5/4/98 posting towards the bottom of this page). Then again, I didn't
get a correct answer the first time, so I'd probably just be spinning wheels. Anyway, here's Steve...
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 21:12:27 EDT
Subject: JEB 2
10/1/98
Hello Everyone,
I thought I should drop you all a line to try to straighten out some of the
confusion surrounding the John Entwistle Band. First let me tell you about
the Van-Pires CD. Bitsa Talent has been fighting to get this CD released for
a VERY long time. However it is ultimately up to the record company (MHS)
when it will be released and struggle as we may in the end they call the
shots. We were told that it would be out during the summer 98 tour which as
you know didn't happen. Before the summer tour began John and I discussed
what we should do if the record company didn't release the CD. We decided to
take a multi track recording unit out on the road. Our main dilemma is that
we (The Band) have no control over what the record company does so I am sorry
to say that we are all at their mercy.
Many of you heard that we were going to release an EP of some of the live
material that was recorded this past summer. We did take a break during the
tour to mix a couple of tracks with the intention of releasing something "new"
that was to be available to everyone. Now we are again being told that the
Van-Pires CD will be released sometime in October. This means that we can not
release any live material because it would be a conflict with the Van-Pires
CD. So now our live material is circling the same airport as the Van-Pires
CD. We are going to continue to record every show on this leg of the tour
with the intention of compiling a live album. There has been a lot of
interest in these live recordings from different labels and we were even
discussing starting our own label. You may ask why am I writing this message
to all of you. The answer is simply. You all have been given information
about John and the band that has been inaccurate. We (The John Entwistle
Band) want you to know that we are as disappointed and in many cases angry
about the state of affairs surrounding our music. Bitsa Talent has only
passed on information that was provided by MSH in regard to the CD. Bitsa's
intention was to keep the fans informed with up to the minute news. However
the result more times than not was an embarrassment to Bitsa and the band. We
are very proud of the music that we have recorded and we are looking forward
to making music for a long time. We are also very proud of our fans new and
old and we will continue to do all that we can to get the music of The John
Entwistle Band in your hands. We begin the 2nd leg of this tour on Friday
10/2/98 and we will be updating the set as we go. John arrived in NY last
night and he is very excited about getting back out on the road.
Thank You,
Steve Luongo
Back on the road
Life is like a heavy stone around my neck
When I can't hit the deck
Back on the road
Turn on my guitar and empty all the pain
And play for you again
"Back On The Road" by JA Entwistle from the Van-Pires CD
- Still looking for those reviews from the Left for Dead 2
shows. Expect to see reviews from the KC (Olathe) show (October 8) and possibly the Lincoln, Nebraska
show (October 11).
- Concert dates for the second leg of the tour from Bitsa
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 22:52:37 EDT
Subject: JEB2-2
Dear Friends,
Here are the first confirmed dates for the 2nd leg of Left For Dead - The
Sequel.
There are more dates coming in everyday and we will be updating the schedule
as soon as we receive new information. The band is going to continue
recording for the "live" album as there is a lot of record company interest in
it. Our latest news on the "Van-Pires" album is that it will be released this
fall. We will also be posting up dates on other events and information on the
web page.
http://eden.com/theox
The John Entwistle Band - Fall Schedule
OCTOBER
1-Thursday
2-Friday Northern Lights, Clifton Pk. NY
3-Saturday NJ (tentative)
4-Sunday Maddies, Frazier, PA
5-Monday The Inzone, Kernersville, NC
6-Tuesday Sing Sing Music Hall, Chattanooga, TN
7-Wednesday
8-Thursday Road House Ruby's South, Olathe, KS
9-Friday Synergy (Happy B-Day John) West Chicago, Ill
10-Saturday Minn. (Tentative)
11-Sunday Lincoln NB (venue to be announced)
14-Wednesday Wilberts Bar & Grille, Cleveland, OH
30-Friday Redondo Beach CA (tentative)
31-Saturday Tucson AZ (tentative)
NOVEMBER
4-Wednesday Milla's Club, Salt Lake City Utah
5-Thursday Idaho (venue to be announced)
6-Friday Swackhammers Concert Hall, Spokane WA
- A concert review has arrived! Visit http://www.brysdyes.com/concerts/entwistl.htm for pictures and more from the "Left for Dead-2" Seattle show.
- Finally, new news from Bitsa!
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 11:50:29 EDT
Subject: JEB 2
Dear Friends and Fans, 8/16/98
2 months have come and gone and The John Entwistle Band is now on a well
deserved break. This was a hard tour because the schedule was constantly
being modified. As many of you know the office was closed for the duration
tour because we enlisted most of our employees for "road duty" since we once
again lost some key personnel along the way. Even Cody (the dog pictured on
Steve's page in the 96 tour book) joined the tour for 5 or 6 weeks. Cody
enjoyed being with the band at the meet and greets after the shows and even
signed a few autographs.
The 2nd leg is scheduled to kick off around the 1st of October. Many of the
areas that were missed on the 1st leg will be covered and some areas will be
revisited. John and the band were glad to see old friends and meet some new
ones this time out. They are looking forward to meeting more of you on the
2nd leg. The "live" recordings of the shows came out great!!! John and
Steve have already mixed a version of "Had Enough" and "Shakin' All Over".
They will be mixing the others as soon as possible, but they agreed they would like
to record some more material on the next leg. Suggestions are always welcome.
If there are any songs that you would like to hear on The John Entwistle Band
"Left For Live" album, please feel free to send in an e-mail with your
choices. The band will rehearse in at John's estate in England and then
return to the states to begin the tour.
We will be sending out information on purchasing one of the 1998 tour shirts
for those of you that missed out. MSH Records has set a "new release date"
for the John Entwistle Band studio album. They are now ready to release it on
or about October 1st just in time for the 2nd leg. We all have our fingers
crossed!
Cheers!
- The
"Left for Dead Tour- The Sequel" tour is underway, but the official page does not have a concert review section this time around. So, I am forced to fill the hole
with an "Alternate Ox Concert review section". Please send your reviews and set lists (if you have those) to
frazier@steamroller.com and I will post them online. This will give us fans online a view of what is really going on.
I should have added this earlier, but though it would be done on the official page. Any reviews of past shows (this tour) would be extra appreciated. Please note the date, city, and venue of the show seen.
If you are wanting to read about the original LFD tour in 1996, reviews are at http://www.eden.com/~theox/setlists/TOC.html.
I saw the Tulsa show, and posted my review at http://www.eden.com/~theox/setlists/0224. I got a picture taken with the man himself
(as seen here) before the show at a Blockbuster Music store.
- About tour info: The official page sometimes (but not always) has information before I do. Their concert tour info page is at http://www.eden.com/theox/lfd.html.
- More email from Bitsa. Looks like the tour is getting a little spooky. There's lots of established artists that would give up and go home at this point. John Entwistle is not one of them. Go Ox Go!
6/21/98
Dear Friends & Fans,
We are sorry for all the confusion about the upcoming dates for the JE Band.
The summer tour was originally booked with Traffic. These plans changed and
Traffic was dropped from the bill. This meant that several dates were dropped
too because they were booked as a "package" with Traffic and Dave Davies.
Some of the dates were restored because the "package" was reworked to include
Thin Lizzy.
Then Thin Lizzy was taken off the bill for unknown reasons and the dates fell
out again. At that point John and the band could have canned their plans for
a summer tour. John and Steve told the booking agent to try to book a tour
for the JE Band on it’s own. So a third stab was taken. John and the band
wanted to play for their fans no matter what so what we are faced with is a
tour that is being booked as it is being played. The band wanted to record a
"live" album from this tour and were not willing to cancel the tour so that is
why the information is sketchy at times. We are doing our best to keep you up
to date but this third round of changes has kept the office pretty busy. We
are posting the list of dates on John’s page.
http://www.eden.com/theox
We suggest that you call the venue of the show you would like to attend to
make sure that no last minute changes have taken place. The band is taking a
risk by booking a tour " as it runs" but as John said I want to get out there
for the fans no matter what happens. So there you have it! Come heaven, hell
or high water John and his mates are coming your way. Thanks for your
patience.
Enjoy The Music!
Bitsa Talent
- New Tour! Left for Dead-the sequel.The following email is from Bitsa Talent (John Entwistle's New York office):
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 16:49:01 EDT
From: Bitsamail@aol.com
Subject: John Entwistle Band News
The John Entwistle Band Press Release
5/29/98
Batten down the hatches. The Who’s John Entwistle and the John Entwistle Band
are about to hit the road again this summer. The tour entitled "Left For
Dead-the sequel" will continue the tradition of the 1996 Left For Dead tour.
The tour will kick off in NYC on the 16th of June at Irving Plaza. Entwistle
along with Steve Luongo on Drums, Godfrey Townsend on guitar and Gordon Cotten
on keyboards will once again serve up a mix of Who classics mixed with
Entwistle’s solo efforts from the past. The band will also perform selections
from their new soundtrack album "The John Entwistle Band -Music From Van-
Pires" The album will be released regionally to coincide with the tour and a
national release will follow in August. This is a "live" rock & roll band in
the truest sense of the word featuring the most furious rhythm section in rock
today. Through live performances Entwistle continues to confirm his status as
the best there is. Entwistle and Luongo have been playing together on and off
for over 11 years. Godfrey Townsend signed on in 1995. 1998 will see the
addition of Gordon Cotten on keyboards. Gordon toured briefly with John and
Steve in 1987. It’s time to secure all of your breakable items......
The John Entwistle Band is coming!
Here is a small listing of dates. The band will be touring from 6/16 through
8/15 and you will be updated as the dates are confirmed. The band also plans
to do a second leg of 6 weeks to begin in October 1998.
6/16 Irving Plaza, New York City
6/17 Club Bene, Morgan, NJ
6/18 Webster Theater, Hartford, CT.
6/19 Trump Plaza,Hard Rock Cafe, Atlantic City, NJ
6/20 Galaxy, Westhampton, LI, NY (to be confirmed)
6/25 Niagara Falls (TBA)
7/2 Hobart Ind. Festival(TBA)
7/10 Moondance Jam, Walker Minn.
MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED! These dates do not include "Traffic or Thin
Lizzy" as previously announced. As things progress we will keep you informed!
Cheers!
Beth
- Here's some info you won't find on the official page (or at least not as I'm writing this). I spoke with Richard at MSH records today (5/4/98). He estimated the release for the Van-Pires Soundtrack to be the last week of July or possibly early August. We'll see...
- From Bitsa Talent (John Entwistle's New York office):
4/19/98
Hi All,
Here is an update. The John Entwistle Band will be sharing the bill this
summer with "Traffic" and "Dave Davies" of The Kinks. There will also be some
additional dates for the band on their own. We will keep you informed as
dates get confirmed.
Bitsa Talent Inc.
- I received the following mail from Bitsa Talent:
From: Bitsamail
Subject: Bitsa Mailer.2
4/11/98
Dear Friends and Fans,
Greetings from Bitsa Talent Inc. and The John Entwistle Band. We will be
announcing upcoming tour dates for The John Entwistle Band. This is a pre
tour test message to make sure that everyone is receiving their mail from our
e-mailing list. We will keep you updated on tour dates, information on
personal appearances, radio and TV interviews/performances as well as a
schedule for John’s art exhibits.
The first leg of the tour will be this spring and summer in the US and Canada
with Europe and the UK following in the fall. As you all know these schedules
and plans can change at a moments notice but we will keep you posted as the
information come into this office.
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
From everyone at Bitsa Talent Inc.
-
Buy Sundazed Releases of Entwistle Albums! I just bought the Sundazed version of Smash Your Head Against the Wall and it was not poorly mixed like the Repertoire version. At, $13, I'd that a bargain (the best I've ever had this month!).
I received email from someone stating that Sundazed will eventually have all of the Entwistle releases out. They are liscensed by Rhino to make the US re-releases. They can be visited at www.sundazed.com. CD's can be ordered from there as well. I'll wait for them to release all off the Discs that I do not have, and then buy! buy! buy!
-
If you were not aware of the Intel/Cakewalk/RealAudio concert from Jan of '96, it can be found on LA live. The URL for the
performance is http://www.lalive.com/shows/johnentwistle.html. It is interesting, but not worth writing home about.
-
To those new to John Entwistle solo material, sound clips to some of his better tunes might be found at http://www.musicblvd.com/cgi-bin/tw/2887150882569996_43_378732.
If that doesn't work, search for John Entwistle and then find his Thunderfingers album on the www.musicblvd.com site.
-
To my knowledge, ALL ENTWISTLE albums are now out on CD. The 70's ones
are available on CD from Repertoire. Too Late the Hero with Joe Walsh is
also available from Repertoire. All of these disks can be ordered through
1-800-Camelot or better yet, your local independent record store.
-
The King Biscuit Flour Hour recording of a 1975 concert is available from
King Biscuit records. It is worthwhile and has an additional cheesy interview
on the end of it which is performed by Steve Luongo (current drummer).
It can be ordered from about anywhere as well.
-
$6 CD with John Entwistle on it! Too good to be true? Sort of. Blockbuster
Music has an exclusive on RINGO STARR AND HIS THIRD ALL-STARR BAND. John
has one of his songs on there, which is "Boris the Spider". It works very
well for the All-Stars. This is probably a limited time deal, so you ought
to get this disk now. It's worth the $6. Beware of other All-Starr CD's.
They may not have the Ox on them. The other one available there did not.
-
BE WARNED ABOUT "THE ROCK"! First, this album was done with a group Entwistle
was a member of in the mid 80's. Second, there is only somewhere around
3 Entwistle compositions on the whole CD. Third, it has a strong mid-80's
rock sound. The bass sounds good, though!
-
MORE ABOUT "THE ROCK". John released a limited addition of 5000 numbered
copies of The Rock on CD before the new release with the new cover art.
If you're going to get this CD, you might as well get the numbered version.
The new release has different (and ugly, I think) cover art. Might as well
have a limited addition model. See the official page for more information.
The numbered one can't be ordered through your local music store.
-
The Repertoire release of "Smash Your Head Against the Wall" on CD sounds
off. It must have been remixed. I liked it the way it was originally. I
got frustrated by the CD and bought the US version which does not anger me.
Stay away from the Repertoire version.
-
Two compilation Ox CD's exist. Repertoire records and Rhino both have them.
They are not the same, as they contain some different tracks.
That's all for now. It's good to be on