Omaha Rainbow : Issue 3
".....you're sittin' right beside me, and I'm drunk out of my mind merely from the fact that you are here....."
Sunday 28 April I974 in London, Pete Frame had pulled off the impossible dream, and John Stewart was here. I hope you were able to get to the Roundhouse, because if you were you will know how easy it has been to become obsessed with John's songs. From the letters I've received since, and from reviews in the papers, it is pretty obvious that there were a lot of converts that Sunday evening.
I know that John was completely knocked out by the reception he got and there is every chance that he will be over here again before the end of the year. Meanwhile,there is 'The Phoenix Concerts' album to keep us all going. A little while back it rocketed into the Billboard album chart at I95, went to I98 the following week before disappearing completely out of sight. Over here it is being pretty well publicised by RCA in the music papers, and as I write this it is Noel Edmonds' album of the week, so we can but hope.
Our San Francisco lady, Maureen Grimwade, has recently sent me a copy of the song folio which January Music have published in America to tie in with the album. I shall be making inquiries to see if it is going to be available over here. If not,we might be able to set something up through Maureen. It would help on both counts if those of you who know you would like a copy were to write to me and let me know. Over in the States it is selling for 3.95 dollars.
Incidentally, among the many excellent photos in the folio is one of John and Buffy on the back of a train with Bobby Kennedy. Below where they are standing on the train is a sign reading, 'San Joaquin RFK Daylight Special'. It's worth shelling out the money for that one photograph alone.
I expect that most of you will have seen by now the interview I did with John that appeared in ZigZag 42. I had intended for it to go in this edition of 'Omaha Rainbow', but as their circulation is forty times that of ours, I was only too happy to let them have it.
However, I also talked at length with John's friend and bass player, Arnie 'Wide Load' Moore, and that interview will be in 'Omaha Rainbow 4'. When John wrote to me recently, he said "I await Arnie's interview with great anticipation of regicide." I can promise him he has nothing to fear.
Finally, John autographed some spare covers of the first issue of
'Omaha Rainbow' that I had left over. I can't think of a money making
competition, so I will give them away to the first ten people to write
in asking for a copy. Generous? Maybe, but you ain't getting my 'Phoenix
Concerts' tee shirt.