The King of the Bs!!! Keith Strickland cares about A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK!!
Let's get this straight: gratitude is a good feeling. Over 70 interviews and not a stinger in the hive. Every single one of our incredible cast gave up precious time, photos and emotions to us so that we could present the most vivid, unbiased portrait of Joe - neither too flattering nor laudatory -- just their truth, their perspective of the man who carved grand serrations in pop culture and the recording industry for all time. It mattered to them as much as it mattered to us and, hopefully, to you as well.
Last night, we had the great pleasure of meeting up again with KEITH STRICKLAND of The B-52s, who had sat down to talk with us in 2005 about the profound formative influence that Joe's recordings were for him.
We first became aware of a Meek influence on The Bs one afternoon while we were having a BBQ in the backyard of Honey Lantree, the drummer for The Honeycombs - the band that yielded a UK, Australian, Canadian and Swedish #1 and a US #4 in 1964 with the renowned Meek foot-stomper HAVE I THE RIGHT. Honey had put on a HONEYCOMBS Greatest Hits CD just for nostaligia sake and after a few tracks, the song CAN'T GET THROUGH TO YOU came on.
Immediately, we were hung up on where we had heard the song before... The melody, the motifs, the vocal styling and flourishes, the unique guitar line... We had definitely heard it before, but from another band. We mentioned this to the Honeycombs and immediately front man Denis D'Ell chimed in that "I always thought it sounded a bit New Wave" and laughed. That was it -- it suddenly clicked: ROCK LOBSTER by The B-52s (just slightly sped up with a few innovative augmentations here and there)!!! This isn't inferring plagiarism - ROCK LOBSTER has its own shape, space, meaning and impact -- but it is attached at Joe Meek's hip and, obviously, proudly, affectionately and spiritually so.
As soon as we got back to the US, we sent word to The Bs management with a query about a possible Joe Meek influence. By the next morning, Keith himself had written us back stating that Meek was possibly his first and most powerful influence dating back to when he was 7 or 8 years old!!! Ironically, it wasn't CAN'T GET THROUGH TO YOU that Keith was aware of -- for Keith it was Joe's global instrumental pop monument, TELSTAR -- that song, he told us, has had great repercussive effect on the early productions of the band, like the exultant, mysterious and epically protracted sci-fi intro to PLANET CLAIRE!
KEITH: "And it struck me that he was one of the first if not the first to use the studio as an instrument. He really used it as a sonic palate or a canvas to create these sonic landscapes. His influence even came out in our music. Take Planet Claire -- if you listen to Planet Claire, the template really for that is Telstar. It starts out with an outer space sound effect, then it goes into this theme... It has lyrics, but Telstar is very much the template or the prototype in a sense of that type of song."
The CAN'T GET THROUGH TO YOU influence secret stays with the late Ricky Wilson, the credited composer of ROCK LOBSTER (Fred Schneider recently imparted to us that he loves Joe Meek as well, though he only wrote the lyrics to ROCK LOBSTER and wasn't aware of that particular Honeycombs track). But the kinship between Meek and The B's is heartwarming - Meek looked towards aspects of science-fantasy as a representation of the infinite possibilities of the future - the idea that if we could hear a new world, then we may find new ways to benefit as a culture from that open mindedness -- The B-52s looked backwards at Meek's forward thinking as an underlining of an optimism that was being daunted by an old world that, not even 15 years after Meek's death, wasn't listening anymore..
It just so happened that the band was to give a performance in LA that very weekend and it was after that when we met with Keith for the first time and interviewed him for our documentary. We found his story extremely touching and very powerful in its own right -- it's one of the moments that generates the strongest reactions from the audiences we've tested the project on over the years and basically speaks for everyone who hears a Joe Meek production (in Keith's particular case it was TELSTAR) for the first time.
So, getting back to that good feeling of gratitude... It was wonderful to finally see Keith again after so many years - he has always been a great friend to us and so warm and encouraging of the production that he instills yet another reason for us to continue our struggle to complete this project and distribute it in "the manner that it deserves".
To show his appreciation to our Kickstarter backers, Keith happily agreed to sign a limited number of our official 27" x 42" A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK posters!!! Check out our $300 and $2500 incentive levels to see what other items of gratitude are coupled with the poster (which will also be signed by guitar god STEVE HOWE from the Joe Meek produced Syndicats, Yes and Asia)!!!
For now, we can only afford to say THANK YOU to Keith, but hopefully if this fundraiser is a success, then maybe a proper, thoroughly licensed release of the documentary would be a better way of returning all the love and trust that Keith (and everyone else connected with our film - including you) continues to give us.
- Howard & Susan
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MY BABY DOLL - Thank you on our website. PLUS a personally signed official movie postcard.
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LOVE & FURY - YOUR CHOICE of either of our 11" x 17" official posters: Style A (the "classic" Iker Spozio design - see description on left hand side of this page) or Style B (our "new" Charlie Largent design - see description on left hand side of this page). Plus a thank you on our website. Please add $5 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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BEEN INVITED TO A PARTY - A limited edition, mind-bending 23" x 35" VELVET BLACKLIGHT POSTER of our 'classic' Iker Spozio design. Please add $5 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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HOBBIES - IPad/IPod/IPhone format digital download of the film when it is completed. PLUS an official 11x17 A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK movie poster, thank you on our website, in the credits and IMDB, and a personally signed official movie postcard.
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WHATCHA GONNA DO BABY? - IPad/IPod/IPhone format digital download of the film when it is completed. PLUS A special rare music video DVD curated by Spike Priggen of Bedazzled.tv and Scopitones.com that includes rare clips & Scopitones by The Honeycombs, The Cryin' Shames, The Tornados & many more --a thank you on our website, in the credits and IMDB, and a personally signed official movie postcard.Please add $12 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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JOYSTICK - IPad/IPod/IPhone format digital download of the film when it is completed. PLUS an official A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK T-Shirt, thank you on our website, in the credits and IMDB, and a personally signed official movie postcard.
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SOMETHING I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU - IPad/IPod/IPhone format digital download of the film when it is completed. PLUS an official 23" x 35" A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK VELVET BLACK LIGHT POSTER (!!!), thank you on our website, in the credits and IMDB, and a personally signed official movie postcard.
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HAPPY VALLEY - DVD and digital download of the film when it is completed. PLUS (1) 11x17 official movie poster, a personally signed official movie postcard, thank you in the credits and IMDB. Please add $12 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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I CAN'T STOP - Extremely limited to one (1) Stewy Stencils "Holloway Joe" print made EXCLUSIVELY for the "Welcome To Meeksville" 50th anniversary of Telstar UK event!!! PLUS DVD of the film when completed with loads of EXTRA features PLUS thank you on our website, and a personally signed official movie postcard. Please add $15 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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MAGIC STAR - DVD and digital download of the film when it is completed. PLUS an official T-shirt, (1) exclusive 8x10 print of Joe Meek from the CLIVE BUBLEY Collection, (1) 11x17 official movie poster, a personally signed official movie postcard, thank you in the credits and IMDB. Please add $12 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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MY OH MY! - DVD with loads of EXTRA features PLUS a T-shirt, a SECOND DVD of EVEN MORE super special BONUS material!, (3) exclusive 8x10 prints of Joe Meek from the CLIVE BUBLEY Collection, (1) 11x17 official movie poster, personally signed official movie postcard, thank you in the credits and IMDB. Please add $12 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME - A pristine, soft-bound OUT OF PRINT copy of Barry Cleveland's essential JOE MEEK'S BOLD TECHNIQUES book, complete with a restored CD of Meek's I HEAR A NEW WORLD!!! DVD and digital download of the film when it is completed plus a SECOND DVD of EVEN MORE super special BONUS material! Please add $15 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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HAVE I THE RIGHT - (4) exclusive 8x10 print of Joe Meek from the CLIVE BUBLEY Collection. PLUS a limited edition 23" x 35" VELVET BLACKLIGHT POSTER exclusively made for the Kickstarter campaign! PLUS T-shirt, DVD with loads of EXTRA features, a SECOND DVD of EVEN MORE super special BONUS material!, (1) 11x17 official movie poster, official movie postcard, thank you in the credits and IMDB. Please add $15 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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SKY MEN - KEITH STRICKLAND (THE B-52s) and STEVE HOWE (YES, ASIA) signed official 27x42' poster. DVD of the film (when finished) with loads of EXTRA features PLUS a SECOND DVD of EVEN MORE super special BONUS material, our official T-shirt and a thank you in the credits and IMDB. Please add $12 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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GREEN DOOR - Associate Producer credit, (4) exclusive 11x14 prints of Joe Meek from the CLIVE BUBLEY Collection, a limited edition 23" x 35" VELVET BLACKLIGHT POSTER, T-shirt, DVD with loads of EXTRA features, a SECOND DVD of EVEN MORE super special BONUS material!, (1) 27x42 official movie poster, official movie postcard, thank you in the credits and IMDB. Please add $15 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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ROCKIN AWAY THE BLUES - JOEMEEK Compressor - Six Q PLUS everything from the MY OH MY! level. US shipping only.
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SIZZLIN' HOT - JOEMEEK Compressor - One Q PLUS everything from the MY OH MY! level. US shipping only.
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PUT A RING ON MY FINGER - Associate Producer credit (no ownership implied). PLUS (8) exclusive 11x14 prints of Joe Meek from the CLIVE BUBLEY Collection, a limited edition 23" x 35" VELVET BLACKLIGHT POSTER, T-shirt, DVD with loads of EXTRA features, a SECOND DVD of EVEN MORE super special BONUS material!, (1) 27x42 official movie poster, official movie postcard, thank you in the credits and IMDB. Please add $15 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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I HEAR A NEW WORLD - JOEMEEK Compressor -Twin Q PLUS Associate Producer credit (no ownership implied). PLUS everything from the MY OH MY! level. US shipping only.
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WHOOPEE - Producer credit on its own page (no ownership implied). PLUS an ULTRA LIMITED 27" x "42 A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK poster signed by both STEVE HOWE (The Syndicats, Yes, Asia) and KEITH STRICKLAND (The B-52s)!!! , a personal Skype call of thanks from the directors, (8) exclusive 11x14 prints of Joe Meek from the CLIVE BUBLEY Collection, a limited edition 23" x 35" VELVET BLACKLIGHT POSTER, T-shirt, DVD with loads of EXTRA features, a SECOND DVD of EVEN MORE super special BONUS material!, official movie postcard, IMDB listing and (2) tickets to a premiere or festival screening of your choice (not including travel or accommodations). Please add $15 for orders outside of the U.S.A.
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TELSTAR - Executive Producer credit on its own page (no ownership implied). PLUS everything from the PUT A RING ON MY FINGER level AND (10) exclusive 11x14 prints of Joe Meek from the CLIVE BUBLEY Collection and 4 tickets to a premiere/festival screening of your choice (not including travel or accommodations) and dinner with the filmmakers.
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IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT! - Everything from the TELSTAR level. PLUS an advanced private screening of the film with the director(s) in your or our home. *Domestic or Overseas travel and accommodations for either the contributor or the director(s) is the responsibility of the backer.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013
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