Together, At Last
Doris Day, Miles Davis and Devo share the stage
- By Richard Middleton
- Smithsonian magazine, February 2011, Subscribe
I still listen to my old vinyl lps, and keep them sorted alphabetically. This apparent order has spawned an unexpected randomness, bringing together musicians who probably never met and likely would have been at each other’s throats if they had.
Here on my shelves, though, they nestle beside each other like old friends: eccentric jazz genius Thelonious Monk and prefab pop-meisters the Monkees; country diva Patsy Cline and Jamaican reggae star Jimmy Cliff; and (one of my favorites) lean, mean trumpeter Miles Davis and girl-next-door songbird Doris Day.
Another favorite: Pete Seeger and the Sex Pistols. Imagine the fireworks unleashed if the patron saint of the modern folk music revival, the man who soothed audiences with “We Shall Overcome,” ever met the strung-out, vulgar lads who brought us “Anarchy in the U.K.”
Then again, they might have more in common than you might think. Given Seeger’s biting criticisms of commercial music, and the Sex Pistols’ sardonic sendup of the business, “The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle,” isn’t there at least some basis for discussion, even mutual respect? Or, better yet, collaboration?
Indeed, imagine these scintillating duos that, alas, will never be: Frank Sinatra and the Singing Nun; Judy Collins and John Coltrane; Woody Herman and Jimi Hendrix. Here’s an act that could have been huge: Ray Charles and Maurice Chevalier. I can just hear Ray and Mo trading phrases on “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” or harmonizing on a Paris café version of “Georgia on My Mind.”
Things heat up when the neighbors drop by: Pete and the Pistols are joined by sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar; Old Blue Eyes and the Singing Nun get funky with Sly and the Family Stone; and Miles and Doris are sitting in later with Impressionist composer Claude Debussy and New Wave pop-punks Devo for an all-night jam session you don’t want to miss.
Then there’s the spoken word: Robert Frost reads “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” accompanied by the edgy electronica of guitar wiz Robert Fripp, and beloved British actor Maurice Evans reads Winnie-the-Pooh, backed by the ‘70s glam rock fusion of the Edgar Winter Group. This could be a major multimedia event.
But, in this age of high-tech marvels, can’t we do more than dream? If Natalie Cole can sing “Unforgettable” as a duet with her deceased dad, then surely Janis Joplin can reign again as the lead singer for those masters of musical satire, Spike Jones and His City Slickers. If DNA can be spliced and barnyard critters cloned, surely the genetic genius of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev and Elvis Presley can be combined into something greater than the sum of its parts.
I can only offer the vision–some other, more capable and fearless soul will have to bring it to life. Music lovers everywhere, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, await your efforts.
Now, where’s my autographed copy of “An Evening With Judy Garland and Marvin Gaye?” It should be right...here.
Richard Middleton is a musician and writer in Seattle.
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Comments (8)
I am a day late and a dollar short on this, but I wonder if the writer has heard of "Girl Talk", a mixer who can make your dreams come true.
If you know him already, good for you.
Susan Huffstutler
Posted by susan huffstutler on October 29,2011 | 02:25 PM
I can get a similar effect with the XM satellite radio in my car, but I do miss those scratched CDs and warped vinyl sometimes. The big bonus with satellite radio though, is the music education and DJ history lessons that I didn't have before.
Posted by Deborah Taylor on March 29,2011 | 01:19 AM
My daughter clipped this brief essay out of the magazine for me to enjoy. I did. It seems that many many months ago, back in her teen-age days, she had some friends over for teen-age fun and frolicking. One of them noticed my own rather extensive LP collection...all in alphabetical order. Her friend was startled to see the juxtaposition of The Sex Pistols' "Never Mind the Bollocks" and Simon and Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Imagine my chagrin, however, when I had to tell the friend that Johnny and Sid actually preceded The Shakin' Pyramids "Celts and Cobras" and not Paul and Art. Alas! The drama of the juxtaposition was lost in the shuffle. Ahhh...such memories as these are worth writing about.
Posted by Robert G Pielke on March 23,2011 | 01:49 PM
I'd love to hear Judy Garland and Marvin Gaye sing "Fly me to the Moon" together! Is that possible?
Posted by Kathy K. on February 5,2011 | 05:20 PM
I always enjoy reading the magazine’s back page essay. I’d like to ask Mr. Middleton if he sets his David Bowie 45’s next to his Bing Crosby’s. These two legends did in fact sing an awesome duet in 1977 on the Bing Crosby Christmas Special. I witnessed it for my then 12 year-old self and never imagined the odd pairing could pull off something so beautiful as this rearrangement of “The Little Drummer Boy,” now a fan favorite. Who’s to say Pete Seeger and Sid Vicious couldn’t have made Winter Wonderland into a new Holiday classic?
Posted by M. Termini on February 2,2011 | 11:26 PM
"But, in this age of high-tech marvels, can’t we do more than dream?"
Yes, in fact. Through sampling, remixes and mashups, musicians and producers have been exploring these kinds of interesting combinations for at least two decades. Probably the most famous of these is US3's take on Herbie Hancock's Cantaloupe Island, but there are little thousands of fun and interesting mixes of artists and genres out there.
Posted by Diane on January 29,2011 | 06:11 AM
That is definitely NOt Doris Day above. It looks exactly like Patti Page. I know both ladiespersonally and would swear under oath that it is Patti.
Posted by Paul Brogan on January 24,2011 | 08:43 PM
With a large collection of LP records, I really enjoyed your article. I was in San Francisco once and my wife and I decided to go to the Blackhawk to see Miles Davis. It was early, before the main crowd, and we were the only customers. To our left, was a platform and Miles with several others musicians were jamming. I recognized Pete and Conte Condoli. While they continued, Miles took a break, lit a cigarette and got a drink. He then came and sat right next to us on a stool. I resisted talking to him as I saw he was concentratidng on the music. He ground out his cigaretdte on the floor and returned the glass to the bar. He then blended in seamlessly into what the other musicians were playing. Thinking back to that moment, my hair still stands on end when I think about it.
Posted by Robert Ramsdell on January 22,2011 | 10:43 PM