STEWART COPELAND

This post is tangentially related as it involves a band with three drummers and sort of pertains to Andy Summers.

So, Robert Fripp had been essentially retired. His reason, Fripp has indicated, was a huge dispute he had with a record company over royalties owed to him for his CDs with Andy Summers. I think the Summers CD royalty issues became a larger thing of principal to him. So no Fripp since 2010.

But now it looks like the dispute has been resolved, so Fripp has announced that King Crimson will return in 2014. The biggest changes are (1) Adrian Belew will not be part of the group and (2) the band will have three drummers! Fripp and Belew and a falling out in 2008ish where I think Fripp felt slighted by a comment Belew had made (that he would not drop all pre-existing commitments/tour dates to play with Fripp again). Sad that Fripp would apparently hold a grudge like this.

Anyway, the drummers include former KC drummer Pat Mastelloto, Porcupine Tree Drummer Gavin Harrison (one of my favorites), and former touring drummer for REM Bill Rieflin (huh?).

http://www.progrockmag.com/news/fripp-a ... -are-back/
http://www.uncut.co.uk/king-crimson-unv ... plans-news

No comments on the new Belew-less King Crimson by Belew either on his Facebook page or website. Interested in his side of the story

Just hopes this new King Crimson does not delay any new Porcupine Tree.

Some insight into the mind of Fripp by Paul Richards of the California Guitar Trio:

QUOTE

One of the best pieces of advice we took was from Robert Fripp. When we were putting out our third album, we were offered a big record deal with Polygram. Philip Glass had a Polygram-based label called Point Music and they made a really nice offer. Robert agreed to look at the contract for us. When he got to the clause which stated the label keeps copyright in everything we do for a certain number of years, he wrote “Fuck you!” in the column next to it and told us to tear it up and send it back to them. It was pretty funny to get this contract from Robert Fripp with “Fuck you!” on it. Obviously, we didn’t take that deal and Point Music went down quickly. We would have been stuck if we had signed with them and not had access to those albums. When we have put something out through a record label, we’ve been careful not to give away our copyrights. At this moment, we have ownership of our whole back catalog, which we have loaded ourselves into iTunes and TuneCore. We get a fair amount of income through those vehicles. I can also see for myself how many copies are being sold. It has been a great thing for us to keep our own copyright and I have no doubt we will keep going that way.

END QUOTE

For me, the biggest loss in Crimson is Bruford, though Harrison is one of the greatest drummer right now.
By the way my THREE DRUMMER HEAVEN would be BRUFORD-COPELAND-PEART. I would kill my self for a Sacred Grove jam session of those.

[quote="TheEqualizer"]No comments on the new Belew-less King Crimson by Belew either on his Facebook page or website. Interested in his side of the story[/quote]
I have no insights other than impression, but the Adrian Belew I met at a couple of CD-signing lines when he would play at the old Southgate House in Covington KY (his hometown) strikes me as a trun the other cheek someone. Too bad. King Crimson is awesome, King Crimson with Adrian is intergalactically awesome. Thank you for the news EQ.

[quote="roddswett"]For me, the biggest loss in Crimson is Bruford, though Harrison is one of the greatest drummer right now.
By the way my THREE DRUMMER HEAVEN would be BRUFORD-COPELAND-PEART. I would kill my self for a Sacred Grove jam session of those.[/quote]
You could almost "die happy" as they say back home-Death By Percussion!

Belew's response from his Facebook page:

QUOTE

questions and answers.

q: are you in the new King Crimson planned for next september 2014?

a: no. after 32 years I am no longer in King Crimson.

q: were you asked to be in the new King Crimson?

a: no, I was not. robert informed me in an email that he was starting a 7-piece version of the band. he said I would not be right for what the band is doing.

q: so, how do you feel?

a: "happy with what I have to be happy with". which is quite a lot.

I'm busy creating something I've wanted to create all my life, something which has never been done. FLUX: never the same twice. creatively I'm exploding with new ideas, songs, and music. in 60 days I'll be touring south america with my beloved Power Trio and next spring I'll be touring europe with Crimson Project, which is a celebration of the crimson music
tony, pat, and I have help create. life is great.

q: what would you like to say to crimson fans about the new King Crimson?

a: my advice is to check it out and if you like it: support it.
and on that note: thanks to all of you for your continued support of my music.
cheers!

END QUOTE

yeah, that is the Adrian I met at the signings after a show. He has been truly the "soul" of King Crimson since he joined them, and it is their loss as a group, no matter what the line up will be.
Thnx for the KC posts, EQ.

After 32 years, all he gets is an e-mail saying he would not fit. Hmm. Maybe Adrian should go to John Wetton's house for a beer.

[quote="TheEqualizer"]After 32 years, all he gets is an e-mail saying he would not fit. Hmm. Maybe Adrian should go to John Wetton's house for a beer.[/quote]

+1

I'm really saddened that privileged grown men still behave like this in the music world (in reference to what is apparently very poor form from Fripp). Belew has always seemed like the loveliest, most passionate guy - a 32 year partnership is nothing to be sniffed at and I almost feel like apologising on Fripp's behalf for such crappy behaviour.

If the new line-up is indeed to be a celebration of their history, as Fripp seems to be suggesting, it just ain't going to be the same without that wonderful voice or off-kilter guitar genius to bring it all to life. Interesting to note that Belew never covered any of Wetton's vocals, so this may well be the first time that a Crim line-up (sounds dodgy, doesn't it) has performed songs with a replacement vocalist "covering" the work of a predecessor. I don't think it bodes well.

I'm disappointed in Fripp. He's been such a wonderful champion of his back catalogue for fans, allowing them access to hundreds and hundreds of hours of live recordings, demos, sessions etc via his DGM website. He's been like the complete opposite of Sting in that respect. A real shame that he's evidently just treated Belew with such disrespect.

tj7 wrote: Interesting to note that Belew never covered any of Wetton's vocals, so this may well be the first time that a Crim line-up (sounds dodgy, doesn't it) has performed songs with a replacement vocalist "covering" the work of a predecessor.

A Belew led King Crimson had occasionally done 21st Century Schizoid Man.

I am a bit hesitant regarding Belew's replacement given how Scarcity of Miracles came out. I have never heard something made by people with such talent turn out so dull.

As an aside, I think Belew always knew that Fripp was the only permanent member of King Crimson. I just think Belew thought he'd never see the day that fact became a reality for him.

Back when Belew lived in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, I used to see Belew quite a bit. Very friendly. Absolutely not pretentious at all. In fact, when I saw the King Crimson double trio, the whole band was the same way, just chatting with fans behind the venue after the show. Everyone except for Fripp.

I agree with you all that it's sad that Adrian was not invited. I'm very disappointed in Fripp.

Strange that Tony and Pat are in the new line-up and will also be touring with the Crimson Project as Adrian mentioned. I wonder Fripp thinks of that. I would have loved to have seen the Discipline-era band brought back.

Police Boy wrote:I would have loved to have seen the Discipline-era band brought back.

A few years ago (before Gavin Harrison was brought into the picture), there was some talk from I think Tony and Adrian about doing that. However, that was around the time Bruford published his book and announced he was retiring from playing live. So that put an end to that.

Without Adrian, I wonder what effect this will have on the setlist. On the plus side, it could perhaps bring out some very old songs they never did with him.