A TRIBUTE TO LES PAUL
The latest Cinemax music special A Tribute To Les Paul—He Made The Music begins airing late October and is a long overdue salute to the man who was responsible for the solid-body electric guitar and modern recording technique as we know it. As if that isn’t enough, he also wrote his share of jazz-flavored pop classics (“Song In Blue,” “How High The Moon,” "Vaya Con Dios").
The CREEM Archive presents the magazine as originally created. Digital text has been scanned from its original print format and may contain formatting quirks and inconsistencies.
MEDIA COOL
A TRIBUTE TO LES PAUL •
HE MADE THE MUSIC
(Cinemax)
The latest Cinemax music special A Tribute To Les Paul—He Made The Music begins airing late October and is a long overdue salute to the man who was responsible for the solid-body electric guitar and modern recording technique as we know it. As if that isn’t enough, he also wrote his share of jazz-flavored pop classics (“Song In Blue,” “How High The Moon,” “Vaya Con Dios”).
So you’d figure the musician turnout for the taping of this special at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Majestic Theatre would an all-timer. Though it had its moments with the line-up assembled, there was no Jimmy Page-(a spokeswoman said he “had nanny problems—he didn’t want to leave his wife and infant child with a problematic nanny”), no Jeff Beck, who had a London studio commitment for his next solo album, no Eric Clapton (they got no re-
sponse from Slowhand) and no Pete Townshend (he wasn’t invited).
However, there was B.B. King, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Miller, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, various Stray Cats, Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter (?) and noted Les Paul player Carly Simon, who the same spokeswoman called “a great guitar player.”
Even if the line-up wasn't, 73-yearold Les Paul was in top form showing off his guitar wizardy. Eddie Van Halen contributed his own pyrotechnics, Les and B.B. King performed a thrilling “Everybody I Have The Blues,” Steve Miller threw in a soulful, bluesy version of “God Bless The Child,” guitar wizard Stanley Jordan and Les paired on “Georgia” with Les playing lead and Stanley playing rhythm like no one but he can, David Gilmourtook centerstage for his solo spot at a Gibson-sponsored event playing a Fender Strat (!), the Stray Cats reunited for the show (did we ask them to?) and an everybody-on-
stage-for-the-finale of “Blue Suede Shoes” and a generic blues instrumental ended the event.
Some funny moments at the taping that won’t be seen in the special: a beleagured sound man adjusting Les’s microphone and hitting him in the mouth with it; Les telling offcolor jokes and stories during breaks (“My first affair was in Waukeshau in a cemetery. When she got home it said, ‘Died in 1921’ 0T1 her rear end.”).
Afterwards, at the Hard Rock Cafe party (which was attended by most of the participants as well as celebutantes Jon Bon Jovi, Patty Smyth and others), we had to ask a stone-faced David Gilmour if he had given any consideration, at a tribute to Les Paul, to possibly playing a Les Paul guitar? “They gave me one before the show but no one dared suggest I use it,” the Floydian one said.
We’re betting he still took it home.
Steve Weitzman
Photo by
