| from Thomas Tewell |
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I've got a lot of memories saved up from way back when, regarding the first Heartsfield band and their triumphant entry into the Midwest rock/cowboy scene. Lots of good bands then, had some personal favorites, but one day in the summer of 74 I was passing the Champaign County fairgrounds grandstand and heard a band warming up. I asked who was playing, and someone said “some Heartfield blues band or something”. I thought perhaps they meant Butterfield blues band, so since the show was free, I said “what the hay” and went on in. Could stand to hear some good blues.Well, needless to say, I was sadly (happily?) mistaken. After a wait of about 15 minutes, spent checking out stage gear, etc, as all musicians do, I was conversing with some friends and paying no particular attention to proceedings. Figured the band was bein' some kinda prima donnas, fashionably late and all. While chatting up my buddies, I was interrupted by the sound of someone plugging in a hot guitar, and glanced around. What did I see but a HUGE band on stage with not one, two, or even three, but FOUR count'em four fer chrissakes guitar players all lined up and shuffling around waitin' to start. This aint no damn Butterfield blues, I says, thinking “what the F''k is this gonna be all about? Well, I wasn't long in finding out. From the first sweet jangling chords to the last fading notes of a mesmerizing two hour set, my attitudes toward and concepts of music changed 180, no 360, no 720 degrees and more. This was the BEST friggin music I had ever heard, BAR NONE! Who are these assholes? They are playing what I always wanted to play, how I always thought music should be, every sweet tight honest note, and I hadn't even realized it, til now. How could this be? Pleasure, confusion, bedazzlement, God knows what else raked my brain, during the concert and for long hours into the night. I could not recover, could not get enough, and knew I would never be the same. Well, I wasn't. Their music completely changed me and my music, and my concept of how music could sound. I continued to enjoy many other styles and bands, but Heartsfield became my favorites for their duration. I went to every concert and club appearance within conceivable reach. I learned much and enjoyed more. And not only me, but many of my musician-and-other-wise friends went along for the ride. When the band started to fade in the early ‘80's I was heart broken. I knew that this, as all other good things, must eventually pass. People burn out, music dries up, the road stops paying well enough to live upon, but at least the music itself lives on. Over the years I tried to find out what had happened, while continuing to play my ever deteriorating vinyls. In 1999, while browsing the web as a novice, I thought I'd try to see if there were any hard core fan sites up for the band, since the web seems to abound in such memorabilia and triviatum. Surely enough, there was something, but not just a fan site, an actual Heartsfield website, complete with info that the band was recording and performing again in a new incarnation, and best of all, (holy of holies!!), the old stuff was available on CD. Unimaginable! You can imagine my excitement as I spread the good word to all who would appreciate. Well the rest is history, the band is with us again, albeit in a new, though uniquely pleasurable form, and at least Perry heads it all up and gets the ol' dawgs together from time to time (I have yet to have the pleasure of making one of these reunion venues, dammit!) The joy is back! I hope my feelings are mirrored by others, or am I the only one? I may never get to see Freddy and Phil duel on blistering solos again, or hear those old sizzling sweet harmonies, but at least, once again, the band will let the music play. The vessel carries the tunes. Enough rambling, I just thought someone out there may glean a moments pleasure from the telling of my personal Heartsfield epiphany. I'm sure everyone has their own and I would certainly enjoy hearing more. Hope you feel my little tale is worthy of publishing to the website. Oh, by the way, Hi Perry, been a while since we talked. Thanks for your last email.(That's another modern marvel, you can actually communicate with the band dudes these days. Who'd a thunk it in the old days, you had to admire from afar!!) Thomas Tewell 6-15-04 Atwood,IL 6-15-04 |
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