Ron Sexsmith

This is for all non-EC or peripheral-EC topics. We all know how much we love talking about 'The Man' but sometimes we have other interests.
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King Hoarse
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Post by King Hoarse »

I am now properly installed in the UK, but won't have time to tread the board properly for another week or so.

However, if anyone's going to Shepherds Bush on Tuesday and would like a drink before/during/after the show...email me at mikaelp75@hotmail.com.

Not that it isn't great going to Rongigs alone.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Tempted to go, but will have to stick to two times for this year. Should be a great night out. Cambridge was excellent, despite lack of people. Great setlists on this tour, as if he could do otherwise!
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johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

Friends from Germany had been following Ron
Sexsmith on the road , seeing his Scottish and Irish
shows, ending in Dublin last night. Ron 'n co. were
welcoming , socialising with them etc. Bulletins had
been telling me of great shows in half filled halls
with talky unappreciative audiences , along with various
calamities that have befallen the European tour(van
breakdowns, Ron's PC and suitcase stolen in Amsterdam,
Ron's girlfriend getting lost in one city etc.) and
the arduousness of touring with minimal technical
support (hefting and setting up own equipment etc.)

After last night's great show to an
appreciative, near full venue , I was included in
their after show activities. In the cramped dressing
room I chatted with Ron's musicians ( and one member's
parents, starting a trip to Ireland ) and Ron himself.
He is really showing the strains of recent happenings.
After few more U.K shows he is of to L.A. for a few
days to sort out the U.S. edition of his current
album, being released on Keifer Sutherland's label in
the New Year. Then it's back on the road in eastern
Canada. He had just been given a new PC and was wary
about familiarising himself with it. All the lyrics
for a new album were with the old one but he reckons
he can remember them all .

He hasn't seen Elvis Costello in a while.
He was at the Montreal show in July and is looking
forward to the DVD. His stolen suitcase had his
favourite CDs . One he is particularly missing is
Painted From Memory, saying how he thinks it has some
of Elvis' greatest lyrics. I quoted 'Does the
extinguished candle care/About the darkness?' as being
one of favourites. He responded , between sips of his
Guinness, with a narration of most of the rest of
'This House Is Empty Now' . In a tiny room, with other
voices chattering away all around us , it was a
compelling moment.

Then everyone wanted to go down to the karaoke
bar in the venue , and, after we all rummaged around
and found, on the ground behind a chair, a hat Ron had
got in Japan we descended. As AC/DC's Highway To Hell
blared out of the system , we took leave of Ron, last
seen deep in conversation with fans at a table.
Guitarist Tim and family joined us at a nearby diner
for milkshakes and tea and we talked into the small
hours. They had a eight o'clock call for a eleven
o'clock ferry to Manchester, I had a six o'clock start
for work so parted . Though it's hardly news to me, it
was interesting to see upclose the gritty reality of
touring. That they manage to do such a good show is
all the more startling.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Great account, puts my 30 second chat with guitarist and bassist to complete shame! Love the detail of him quoting This House.
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Post by Who Shot Sam? »

johnfoyle wrote:After few more U.K shows he is of to L.A. for a few days to sort out the U.S. edition of his current album, being released on Keifer Sutherland's label in the New Year.
A bit more on Kiefer's label - and his collection of vintage Gibsons....

http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrel ... pr22a.html
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Good on Kiefer for releasing it. Totally ludicrous that it's taking so long for it to have a US release.
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scielle
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Post by scielle »

Ron was on CBC Radio's GO! this morning. He played Snow Angel, sang a "world premiere woodwind quartet arrangement" of Idiot Boy, and said he's going on tour with Madeleine Peyroux as her opening act in the southern US.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Will look out for that version of Idiot Boy!
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invisible Pole
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Post by invisible Pole »

Ron's duet with Jules Shear, It's All Over But The Smoke, is available for download here (only till tomorrow, I'm afraid) :

http://jefitoblog.com/blog/?p=1071
(look for Between Us album)
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Ron writes:

"Well..the documentary people have been following me around on and off for about 6 years and I think they're almost finished.
They said they'd like to film me working on the next disc and then maybe they can sign off on it.
Originally the premise was just about me trying to get off the ground
and hoping to play Massey Hall someday..so for a long time it didn't look like it was going to happen...so when I played I figured the movie finally had an ending but they're still going.
there you have it"

Yes please!
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by martinfoyle »

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-deta ... ?id=176443
Ron Sexsmith
Holy Heart of Mary Theatre
St. John's, NL
CANADA
2007-10-19

Source: Sony Mic + Sony recorder
Transfer: WAV -> Cubase -> CD WAV Editor (Track Splits & FLAC Level 5)
Location: Second Row (directly in front of Tim Bovaconti)

**********************************************************

Please support this wonderful man and brilliant songwriter
and buy his records and go to his concerts!

**********************************************************

Setlist:

01 Up The Road [2002 Cobblestone Runway]
02 Just My Heart Talkin' [2001 Blue Boy]
03 Hands Of Time [2006 Time Being]
04 Reason For Our Love [2006 Time Being]
05 Dandelion Wine [2004 Retriever]
06 Average Joe [1997 Other Songs]
07 Jazz At The Bookstore [2006 Time Being]
08 Ship Of Fools [2006 Time Being]
09 In This Love [1991 Grand Opera Lane]
10 In Place Of You [1995 Ron Sexsmith]
11 Still Time [1999 Whereabouts]
12 Snow Angel [2006 Time Being]
13 Gold In Them Hills [2002 Cobblestone Runway]
14 * This Is How I Know ### New Song ###
15 * Words We Never use [1995 Ron Sexsmith]
16 Strawberry Blonde [1997 Other Songs]
17 Hard Bargain [2004 Retriever]
18 Disappearing Act [2002 Cobblestone Runway]
19 All In Good Time [2006 Time Being]
20 Secret Heart [1995 Ron Sexsmith]
21 Whatever It Takes [2004 Retriever]
Encores:
22 Former Glory [2002 Cobblestone Runway]
23 Not About To Lose [2004 Retriever]
24 Riverbed (cuts last note) [1999 Whereabouts]

* Ron Solo
% Jill Barbour (Opener) background vocals

Notes:
- This was like a "best of" concert; Ron played songs from every album (excluding Rarities and Destination Unknown)!
Ron was in fine form and wearing a great all white suit.
- There was a new song which I guessed is called "This Is How I Know"!
- Personally, I could not have picked a better setlist. My daughter's two favourite songs (Former Glory & Not About To Lose)
were played as encores.


I'd be glad to snailmail a few copies of this to the digitallly challenged.
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Looks smashing. I tend not to check much for Ron bootlegs as I have so many from touring Time Being, but this is a must have. I don't think I've seen the inclusion of a Grand Opera Lane song before (excluding Speaking With The Angel, of course). And a new song! Fabulous setlist. Most of my faves there, though would definitely swap Ship Of Fools for I Think We're Lost, one of my faves off Time Being. The 'Father Christmas doing a snow angel' image on the cover of the Christmas Radio Times had me revisiting the brilliant, brilliant Ron song Snow Angel and the rest of the CD after a decent gap, and it was sounding great. Hope there's a new one in 2008 and that he tours here again. Doesn't look like Cambridge will see him plus band, but I would most like to see him solo now as I never have and all my solo bootlegs are spellbinding.
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

It is smashing. The best Time Being tour bootleg I've heard, and I've downloaded all the ones that Dime had, I think. Clear, balanced, typically great performance, cracking setlist. Slightly low on bass, but then so many bootlegs are so bass heavy. The new song is nice, too.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

New Ron LP due in the coming months, Exit Strategy of the Soul. No doubt it will be superb. Happy that Martin Terefe is producing him again. Cobblestone Runway is odd in parts sound-wise, but Retriever sounds great.

http://www.ronsexsmith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2403
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invisible Pole
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by invisible Pole »

And he's now Nick Lowe's label mate, isn't he ?
Can't wait for the new album.
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Yep, both on Yep Roc. They mailed today with an order offer of extra download bonus track + first hundred CDs get signed. It's not out till July 7, but I got excited! The download works straight off, nice, but not as nice as the sogn co-penned with Feist, which she had on Remainder, 'Brandy Alexander' which you xan find under Artists on the Yep Roc site. They have this nice 'My Stash' feature with sample free downloads of various of their records. Ron offer on here:

http://store.yeproc.com/album.php?id=13449

Worked out as $22 delivered. Not especially cheap, but a good deal! Cpver looks good. Horns sound promising on the above. Can't wait. Samples of all songs and tracklisting on link. Samples sound like classic Ron, as you might expect.
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

invisible Pole wrote:And he's now Nick Lowe's label mate, isn't he ?
Can't wait for the new album.
I thought he was on Kiefer Sutherland's new label - or has that gone belly up?
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invisible Pole
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by invisible Pole »

Apparently.
This is what his site says :
"Ron Sexsmith, "one of the finest songwriters we have," (Paste) has completed "Exit Strategy of the Soul," which is set for a July 8 release via Yep Roc Records."
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

And it seems there's a bigger budget on this with brass and strings and recording in London and Cuba. Turning out to be a good year for records by favourites of mine.
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by invisible Pole »

The cover of the new album.

Image

And a taster of the new album, a song called This Is How I Know, can be found here :

http://fuelfriends.blogspot.com/2008/05 ... up_26.html

Piano, acoustic guitar and horns !!
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Yep Roc are streaming the full LP, as they do:

http://216.69.135.140/MP3Players/RonSexsmith/wimpy.html

I checked out the first couple, but decided I couldn't bear to have the pleasure of the real thing arriving (hopefully signed) in July so switched it off. Sounds great. Good ol' Ron. Wish I was here for his Roundhouse July 3 show a) as I haven't been to the refurbished venue and would like to and b) cos it's him solo which I've never seen and really want to. I'll be in the US at the time, unfortunately (from the Ron point of view, I mean). Tying in with his Glasto appearance. No other UK dates.
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Ron's own posts on his message board can make for interesting reading. Here he is in response to why the new LP is called Exit Strategy of the Soul:

'I got the idea from this feeling I have sometimes when I'm standing on a bridge
or on a train platform..I have this irrational feeling to jump but it's not a suicidal feeling.
Its more like a dog pulling me on a leash..and I usually think in those instances that it's my spirit
trying to get on to the next place or as Jim Morrison put it "break on through to the other side"
I've talked to many people who have this same feeling'

I know that feeling really well. Do you?
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by bambooneedle »

I know that feeling really well. Do you?
Wouldn't talk about it.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

And why not? I'm looking forward to having it again so I can say 'I'm having a Ron moment'.
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Re: Ron Sexsmith

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Ron's own posts on his message board can make for interesting reading. Here he is in response to why the new LP is called Exit Strategy of the Soul:

'I got the idea from this feeling I have sometimes when I'm standing on a bridge
or on a train platform..I have this irrational feeling to jump but it's not a suicidal feeling.
Its more like a dog pulling me on a leash..and I usually think in those instances that it's my spirit
trying to get on to the next place or as Jim Morrison put it "break on through to the other side"
I've talked to many people who have this same feeling'

I know that feeling really well. Do you?
I've felt that way before, most definitely - on train platforms rather than on bridges. Almost a desire to escape your body for a time and be physically absent.

I'll have to check out this new album at some point.
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