Save Ted
Stevie Wonder scares me a little bit.
He was brilliant. A prodigy, then a genius, then almost a mythical figure. And now he’s just OK.
If Stevie Wonder had died in 1975, you’d still be seeing kids the world over wearing Stevie Wonder t-shirts to gigs.
Same with Paul McCartney.
But then old father time dealt us I Just Called To Say I Love You. And The Frog Chorus. Then (gulp) Ebony And Ivory.
Even in my finest hour of my greatest ever day, if I come close to Stevie Wonder’s creativity in 1973, I’d die a happy man. But at the same time, I’d be thinking there’s a chance that one day I’ll be struck down by jungle fever and write shmaltzy cack like I Just Called.
Yes, some people are late bloomers. Tolkien didn’t write Lord Of The Rings until he was in his sixties. My dad is writing the best stuff he’s ever produced and I wouldn’t be so bold as to say he’s in his twilight years (his birthday was yesterday), but the bar’s just opened.
Now there’s a guy who’s written a proper book, and it’s with no shame that I plug it by saying the publisher has just announce a release date of September 30 for the paperback edition.
You can order it here and yes, of course I’ll remind you nearer the time. If you can’t wait (and frankly, why should you?) you can get the hardback here.
Dig deep, and together we can save Ted.
First Ben Taylor, then Ted Jones.
Sorry to come round your screens shaking a tin, but I write this for free and have kept advertising and contribution links off this site, even though it costs money to run, so don’t say I never give you nothing.
March 14th, 2007 at 9:07 am
And then - then - there was “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” With Blue. But let’s just not. Okay?
March 14th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Let’s never speak of this again.
March 14th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Found your blog via Bodhipaksa’s Wildmind site. You’ve reproduced in a short blog post, someone’s hard won knowledge on the two kinds of creativity. The first is the one you describe in which an individual flares into creative life, burns brightly, and then churns out “Ebony and Ivory” to the embarrasment of everyone. My example would be Mull of Kintyre. Frightening if you are over 35!
And then there are the people who start slow, but continue to develop over their entire lifetimes. These are the people who you believe when they say that the last thing they did was the best thing they ever did. For these kind of people - me I hope - the best is always yet to come. The latter are often more difficult to think of a living example - you have your dad which is nice.
It took me a while to dig up a reference but here is a newspaper report: http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/060119/artists.shtml
Ciao
Jayarava
March 14th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Thanks Jayarava,
I’m a little wary of the implication of me reproducing someone’s knowledge. Or even producing knowledge of any kind. Mine is neither hard won, nor that well planned. Or even that well produced.
But I’m with you on Mull of Kintyre, if only to point out that I am not over 35.
Thanks for the comment and for stopping by - please come again.
March 14th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Yay Ted! Happy Birthday!
STevie Wonder STILL has more talent and musicality in the tip of the fingernail on his little finger, so who am I to call ‘I just Called’ cack? I also think ‘Signed Sealed Delivered’ is a great tune.And you can’t hold ‘Ebony and Ivory’ against him- that was as close to a commissioned work as to be one without the name.
As to McCartney, pray, tell, what’s wrong with ‘Let ‘Em In’ or ‘Junk’, or ‘Listen to What The Man Says’, or ‘Jet’, or ‘Live and Let Die’, or ‘Driving Rain’ or ‘The Liverpool Oratio’? Not a one among them is unlistenable, they all evoke or invoke an emotion or a response. I believe that is the point.
Back to Ted- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
March 14th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
It is not Signed, Sealed, Delivered to which I object. Oh no. It is B…
B…
I can’t. I just can’t. So let’s just… not.
March 14th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Nothing wrong with Signed, Sealed
It’s a plug, but read what I said about that here in February 06:
http://www.thisisthis.org/2006/02/23/free-and-singles-part-3-last-part/
And Katie commented on it. And Ed. Go team.
Also one of ten songs I wish I’d written:
http://www.thisisthis.org/2005/09/15/10-songs-i-wish-i-had-written/
Ed - Jet’s a great song. I even have a soft spot for “Band On The Run”
March 15th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
ref Riviera ….. great book …. great writer ….. got it, got it personally signed, AND buying copies for prezzies …… !