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| | ! colspan="2" | <big>'''"I Broke My Leg In Yucca Valley, But My Heart Lies In Palm Springs"'''</big> | | ! colspan="2" | <big>'''"I Broke My Leg In Yucca Valley, But My Heart Lies In Palm Springs"'''</big> |
| | |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;" | | |- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;" |
| − | | colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:curvedair-midnightwire.gif|thumb|center|Cover of [[Midnight Wire (album)|Midnight Wire]], which is NOT featuring this song]]]] | + | | colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:curvedair-midnightwire.gif|thumb|center|Cover of [[Midnight Wire (album)|Midnight Wire]], which is NOT featuring this song]] |
| | |- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;" | | |- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;" |
| | ! colspan="2" | Recorded by [[Curved Air]] | | ! colspan="2" | Recorded by [[Curved Air]] |
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| | =About the song= | | =About the song= |
| − | This [[Phil Kohn]] composition was recorded in May [[1975]] when [[Curved Air]] went to [[Island Studios]] in London to record their first studio LP after the release of their live album. | + | This [[Phil Kohn]] composition was recorded in May [[1975]] when [[Curved Air]] went to [[Island Studios]] in London to work on their first studio LP after the release of their live album. |
| | | | |
| − | The old [[Curved Air]] website features an mp3 with an early recording, but as time progressed it became clear that this would be a groovy instrumental without [[Sonja Kristina]] vocals or any [[Darryl Way]] contribution - apparently not everybody loved it. But guest musician Jose Feliciano liked the song and he and percussionist Paulhino De Costa recorded their parts in the final days of the band's recording sessions. | + | The old [[Curved Air]] website features an mp3 with an early recording, but as time progressed it became clear that this would be a groovy instrumental without [[Sonja Kristina]] vocals or any [[Darryl Way]] contribution - apparently not everybody loved it. But guest musician Jose Feliciano liked the song and he and percussionist Paulinho da Costa recorded their parts in the final days of the band's recording sessions. |
| | | | |
| | The band's record company RCA had a listening party for the release of the album and every time this track was played it was the cause for question marks in people's faces. Apparently Jose Feliciano liked it, so he obtained the licensing rights, but so far the track remains unreleased. | | The band's record company RCA had a listening party for the release of the album and every time this track was played it was the cause for question marks in people's faces. Apparently Jose Feliciano liked it, so he obtained the licensing rights, but so far the track remains unreleased. |
| | | | |
| | + | It was decided to re-record the album with different producers. |
| | | | |
| − | Behind closed doors, Copeland and his henchmen figured out a new plan. They brought in two American hot shot producer brothers that had just finished producing Clapton’s latest album.
| + | As [[Phil Kohn]] wrote in a blog the producers came to see [[Curved Air]] perform in Amsterdam (probably [[1975-07-26]]), where they basically told Phil that everything about the first recording sucked! |
| − | | |
| − | In Amsterdam, they came to watch us perform and we got word that we better go meet them at their hotel one afternoon. I went by myself because no one was interested. I felt it was very important but the band had no interest.
| |
| − | So I sat in their hotel room and listened to these two fuck heads tear the album apart…just ripped it.
| |
| − | | |
| − | And to my face, they told me my bass playing sucked. They said the vocals sucked. They said the arrangements sucked. They said the violin playing sucked. They said the guitar playing was out of place. Holy Bat Shit!
| |
| − | | |
| − | I raced back to our hotel and with my eyes as big as saucers, I told the band we are in big trouble. They just laughed at me while drinking and smoking dope.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The plan was to re-record the album but something needed to be fixed. The two camps were called for a meeting. I was not invited. They blamed each other for the album failure. And guess what? Yep. I got the phone call. I was gone. The album problems were laid right at the foot of the bassist. LOL.
| |
| − | Bastardos!
| |
| − | | |
| − | They hired a session bassist to fill in the tracks. But when I listened to the finished album, I heard my bass playing on 75% of the tracks. So I wasn’t the problem. And I’ve never been paid royalties as, to this day, the refuse to admit they used my tracks.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The new album had no soul and was listless and sterile. No excitement, no verve. It was considered by the critics as the end of the band. And this band had a long life time. I believe they put out 14 albums. I was on 4.
| |
| − | | |
| − | There I was, stranded in England without a gig. It was so humiliating when the musical mags and rags started reporting that I had left the band because of differences inside the band. But I called these rags and told them the truth and they printed it. The band came down hard on me for doing this. I didn’t care. They fired me without any severance and I was dead broke 6000 miles from home with my girlfriend and her little girl.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The roadies took pity on me and delivered half of the equipment stored in the management’s warehouse so I could sell it and have money. Management made no stink over this. These were their best roadies and the roadies got in the face of Miles Copeland and shamed him for doing what he did to me. So I sold everything and finally had some money in the bank.
| |
| − | | |
| − | I spent another 6 months playing with several well-known English bands but it just didn’t click with me and I decided to go home with my tail between my legs.
| |
| − | The upside? I still get player royalties. Woo Hoo. Fuckers!
| |
| − | | |
| − | from another post:
| |
| − | | |
| − | Island Studios is in the Jamaican section of London. We had just finished recording our studio album to follow the “Live” album. All new songs. They even pulled a George Harrison and allowed me one song on the album.
| |
| − | | |
| − | It was called: “I Broke My Leg in Yucca Valley, but My Heart Lies in Palm Springs.”
| |
| − | Those were the entire lyrics. It was a jazzy scat type song in which the bass took a light Stanley Clarke-type bass riff.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Neither Darryl (the violinist) nor Mick (the guitarist) could figure what to play so they threw their hands in the air and left the recording area. It ended up being a bass solo and drum song. Drummer Stewart Copeland got it. I had worked with Stew, on that tune, for a month before coming to the studio.
| |
| − | | |
| − | For some reason, if you go to curvedair.com and go to the Old Website, and then to News, then MP3 Tracks & News Archive, there is a very early version of my song. It is horrible. It was before the guitarist gave up. It was before Sonja gave up and her vocals are horrifyingly terrible. You need phones or a decent sound system. It isn’t even mixed. So why would they put it on the top of the list of tunes? To embarrass me? But why embarrass Sonja? Don’t get it.
| |
| − | | |
| − | For this album, rhythm tracks were done first and then everything was layered on top. So my job was done in a week. (A really stupid way to record) The coolest way to record is have every player do his thing right along with the other band members. It has a much rootsier and live sound. Layering makes it sound stiff and technical.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Even as I whizzed through my parts on the album, we still had 4-5 weeks of studio time left. I preferred to hang in the studio than sit at home and watch BBC-1. Plus, there was petty cash to always feed us and I learned to love Jamaican food.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Jose Feliciano was touring Europe and had never been to England. England was all abuzz
| |
| − | Our press agent was a good friend of Feliciano and got him to stop by the studio one night. I was pretty excited. We were a week away from finishing the album.
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| − | Feliciano brought a then unknown percussionist named Paulinho da Costa. He went on to be a big deal in the years to follow.
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| − | | |
| − | Feliciano had a big mouth and you couldn’t get a word in edge wise. Man, he could talk. Yeah he smoked dope but he must have been doing uppers like a madman.
| |
| − | | |
| − | He listened to our tunes and jumped up. He got his assistant to help him into the studio. He pulled out his guitar and started laying down tracks on our tunes. After a while, it got weird. It wasn’t supposed to be the “Curved Air album starring Jose Feliciano.”
| |
| − | | |
| − | During a break, he sat on the couch in the booth. Our chick singer had a vocal coach who was currently a big star in the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” in London. His name was Derek.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Now Derek was as queer as a $3 bill. No offense but he was a raging queen. He was a really good guy. And he was very funny. He loved being gay and would flaunt it til we couldn’t breathe from laughing; we enjoyed his company.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Derek was there the first night that Feliciano was there.
| |
| − | Feliciano showed up the following night as well.
| |
| − | Before the proceedings began on the second night, Jose took the floor. Word had spread and the booth was jam packed with people.
| |
| − | He sat on the couch. I sat next to him. And Derek sat on his other side.
| |
| − | Feliciano is blind. But you knew that.
| |
| − | | |
| − | You’d think he would take that into consideration when talking about people behind their backs (or in front of their backs) because he lit into Derek.
| |
| − | | |
| − | “Did you hear that queer last night?” And then he went on to imitate him. Everyone in the booth froze in horror.
| |
| − | Derek just sat there and said nothing. Finally, he had enough and leaned into Feliciano’s ear, with his hand on Feliciano’s thigh, and said, “Lissssssten Ssssssweetheart.”
| |
| − | For a moment, we all thought Feliciano got his sight back by the way his eyes opened and his glasses flew off.
| |
| − | | |
| − | There was uproar of laughter in that booth. The whole time, Feliciano tried back pedaling; saying stuff like: “I don’t care about how people live their lives, blah, blah, blah.”
| |
| − | Apparently, Feliciano had no sense of humor when it came to himself.
| |
| − | | |
| − | He stood up, made his excuses and shuffled off into the darkness of the Jamaican section never to be seen again by Curved Air.
| |
| − | | |
| − | BTW- He liked my tune the best and even Paulinho played on it. This really pissed off our ego maniacal band leader. I never got a copy of that song no matter how I begged.
| |
| − | | |
| − | During the official play back and release party at RCA headquarters in London, I remember that when my song was first heard by everyone, they did a double take.
| |
| − | “What the hell is this?”
| |
| − | They hated my song. Was it too progressive for a progressive rock band? No, it was too jazzy. Such backwards thinking by the suits.
| |
| − | | |
| − | I took a lot of crap and they dropped the song from the album. I was not happy.
| |
| − | It was the only truly original song on the album but it was just too much for them. The album went on to being the lowest selling album in Curved Air’s career of more than 20 albums. Yeah. I was the asshole.
| |
| | | | |
| | =Personnel= | | =Personnel= |
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| | * Jose Feliciano - Guitar | | * Jose Feliciano - Guitar |
| − | * Paulhino De Costa - Percussion | + | * Paulinho da Costa - Percussion |
| | | | |
| | =Release History= | | =Release History= |
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| | =External links= | | =External links= |
| | * [http://curvedair.com/z_ca/Directions.htm work in progress mp3 version] | | * [http://curvedair.com/z_ca/Directions.htm work in progress mp3 version] |
| − | * [https://kohnhed.com/2015/09/23/freya-by-emma-viktorsson-from-las-cumbres-tobacco-cigar-review/ Phil Kohn blog] | + | * [https://kohnhed.com/2015/09/23/freya-by-emma-viktorsson-from-las-cumbres-tobacco-cigar-review/ Phil Kohn blog (scroll down)] |
| − | * [https://kohnhed.com/2015/11/29/warped-corto-x50-cigar-review/ Phil Kohn blog] | + | * [https://kohnhed.com/2015/11/29/warped-corto-x50-cigar-review/ Phil Kohn blog (scroll down)] |
| | | | |
| | =References= | | =References= |
| "I Broke My Leg In Yucca Valley, But My Heart Lies In Palm Springs"
|
|
|
| Recorded by Curved Air
|
| Released:
|
unreleased
|
| Recorded:
|
May 1975
|
| Length:
|
x:xx
|
| Album(s):
|
unreleased
|
| Label(s):
|
rejected by RCA
|
| Writer(s):
|
Phil Kohn
|
| Producer(s):
|
PRODUCER
|
| Studio(s):
|
Island Studios - London, England, UK
|
| Released as single?
|
No
|
"I Broke My Leg In Yucca Valley, But My Heart Lies In Palm Springs" is a song written by Phil Kohn and recorded by Curved Air in May 1975.
About the song
This Phil Kohn composition was recorded in May 1975 when Curved Air went to Island Studios in London to work on their first studio LP after the release of their live album.
The old Curved Air website features an mp3 with an early recording, but as time progressed it became clear that this would be a groovy instrumental without Sonja Kristina vocals or any Darryl Way contribution - apparently not everybody loved it. But guest musician Jose Feliciano liked the song and he and percussionist Paulinho da Costa recorded their parts in the final days of the band's recording sessions.
The band's record company RCA had a listening party for the release of the album and every time this track was played it was the cause for question marks in people's faces. Apparently Jose Feliciano liked it, so he obtained the licensing rights, but so far the track remains unreleased.
It was decided to re-record the album with different producers.
As Phil Kohn wrote in a blog the producers came to see Curved Air perform in Amsterdam (probably 1975-07-26), where they basically told Phil that everything about the first recording sucked!
Personnel
- Jose Feliciano - Guitar
- Paulinho da Costa - Percussion
Release History
Albums
I Broke My Leg In Yucca Valley, But My Heart Lies In Palm Springs appears on the following album releases:
| Cover art
|
Album title
|
Release date
|
Release country
|
|
ALBUM
|
YYYY
|
Release country
|
Video
"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:
Awards, nominations, and certifications
Awards
This section needs more information.
| Year
|
Winner
|
Award
|
Category
|
| YYYY
|
WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.)
|
AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)
|
CATEGORY
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Nominations
This section needs more information.
| Year
|
Nominee
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Award
|
Category
|
| YYYY
|
NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.)
|
AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.)
|
CATEGORY
|
Certifications
This section needs more information.
| Country
|
Certifier
|
Classification
|
Certification
|
| COUNTRY
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CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...)
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CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...)
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CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...)
|
Lyrics
I Broke My Leg In Yucca Valley, But My Heart Lies In Palm Springs
Quotations and trivia
This section needs more information.
Alternative and cover versions
This section needs more information.
See also
This section needs more information.
External links
References
source: Phil Kohn's blogs
