Friday groove blogging: Stax/Volt

The answer is no, they want to sell cable: but people might be able to piece some of it together from this. Furthermore, what about the Bar-Kays? Certainly a hell of a story.

It says that foreigners can have radio, but not TV. I assume this was TV, since I couldn’t play it in the Netherlands.

Although in fact even radio doesn’t work when it is coverage of sports events (notably foopball’s League of Champions) for which they only have UK rights, thus depriving Abroadia of any way of knowing what Alan Green is currently finding diabolical. (For which we, for one, are truly greatful.)

Also in the US, radio only and no video.

I use iPlayer Radio heavily, have for years. I can’t figure out whether it’s a good thing that I can’t get iPlayer TV, because I’d be tempted to watch it, spending time I perhaps don’t really have … but I do wish there was some legitimate way to get programs that aren’t available in the US and that are never released on DVD in this region, and especially not on Netflix.

I’d happily consider paying a reasonable license fee, depending on how heavy it was of course – if only for my heavy use of the audio streams, but especially if I got access to the video feeds.

Good to see that one of my favorite blogs also has superb taste. Being a Memphis native, I worked one summer at the Stax Museum (on the grounds of the old studio, long torn down). Imagine getting paid to listen to this stuff all day and inform people about Isaac Hayes’ peacock blue-and-gold Cadillac. I was thrilled to see the Norway show come out on DVD. By Booker T and the MGs’ greatness, I assume you mean their endurance as the permanent house band as well? They had to play the whole show!

Really, though, Stax belonged to Otis. It was incomplete before him and never the same after. Just recently there was a panel discussion at Stax on the plane crash that killed Otis and most of the Bar-Kays. Ben Cauley, one of the survivors, and consequently a survivor of a massive strove, struggled to tell the story. He broke down and cried in the middle, as did many others in the room. Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns and Otis’ daughter were there for conversation and comfort. It was difficult to listen to.

The European readers will probably like this bit: We got so many visitors from across the Atlantic in the museum! There are really some fanboys and collectors out there. (Elvis Costello is one of ’em, let’s not forget.)

Cheers

For those in the Netherlands UPC *gak spit* does have BBC3 and 4 in its extended digital package, so you could’ve seen this programme a week ago.

I know I did.

Stax rules. I don’t know about other cities, but the current trend in clubs here in Baltimore is for “Soul Night” DJ’s to spin Stax, obscure ska, Motown and mod/freakbeat records for young hipsters who often arrive by scooter. You may want to mock the mini dresses and go go boots, but the music is undeniably great, and very dance-able. Just wish there were some live bands doing the same sorta stuff.