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Eagles, Fleetwood
Mac and others inducted into R & R Hall of Fame
The theme in the
ballroom of New York's Waldorf-Astoria Monday night could well
have been California dreaming, as eight acts were inducted into
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Of those, four -- Santana,
the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and the Mamas and the Papas were
from the Golden State and at least two, Fleetwood Mac and the
Eagles, seem to define the ups, downs and excesses of that state
during the '70s. Also inducted were rockabilly star Gene Vincent
and early rocker Lloyd Price, as well as producer Allen Toussaint,
as a non-performer, and jazzman Jelly Roll Morton as an early
influence.
\\The evening
began with the bestowal of awards honoring Atlantic Records
for its 50th anniversary and EMI records for its hundredth year.
Then, Santana
took the stage with original Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green
to play a bluesy, psychedelic version of "Black Magic Woman."
Introduced by Arista President Clive Davis, Blues
Traveler frontman John Popper inducted the band with a freestyle
speech, saying he was "determined to wing it because that's
what improvisation was all about." He referred to his opportunity
years ago to jam with Carlos Santana as a sort of "graduation."
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Don Henley still can't kill the beast.
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\\After Nona Hendryx performed "Son of a Preacher Man
" to honor non-inductee Dusty Springfield, Lindsey Buckingham
and Stevie Nicks took the stage to play restrained versions
of "Landslide" and "Big Love." Sheryl
Crow spoke about the first time she saw the band, after
which Mick Fleetwood
accepted the award for the band in typically high style. Describing
the band's career as "lunacy, heartache, happiness and
unhappiness" -- not to mention a successful reunion --
he helped lead its most successful line-up through "Say
That You Love Me." Founding guitarist Green did not join
in.
\\After stepping up to the microphone and belting out the first
verse of Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula," John
Fogerty said, "What I'm trying to tell you is that
it doesn't get much better than that." Later, he spoke
of how "Gene Vincent had an image that was perfect for
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: loud, self-assured and greasy."
The late Vincent's award was accepted by his daughter, Melody
Craddock.
\\Inducting New Orleans producer and songwriter Allen Toussaint,
Robbie
Robertson told of how he convinced Toussaint to arrange
the horns for the live Band performance that become the album
"Rock of Ages." Asked later if he minded coming in
as a non-performer instead of a musician, Toussaint said, "If
I were to come in as dogcatcher, it would be fine with me. This
is incredible." Next, Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun
honored jazz pioneer Jelly
Roll Morton, who he credited with inventing jazz. "He
took the ragtime tradition and brought it into a new world,"
Ertegun said later.
\\Calling the
Mamas and the Papas "my biggest influence as a child,
country star Shania
Twain introduced the psychedelic folk group, who played
-- surprise! -- "California Dreamin'." Accepting the
award, Michelle Phillips said, "I have personal knowledge
that [late singer] Cass Elliot is ... looking down on these
proceedings in a size 6 dress." Next, Tony Rich inducted
Lloyd Price, noting that without his "Stagger Lee,"
it would be hard to imagine Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe,"
Neil Young's "Down By the River" or gangsta rap. In
one of the night's more star-studded jam, Allen Toussaint, John
Fogerty, Chuck Berry and Johnnie Johnson joined him to perform
the song.
\\The Eagles
were honored by Jimmy
Buffet, the man who turned "Take it Easy" into
a way of life. Speaking before his bandmates, Don Henley spoke
about the relationship of fame to accomplishment, saying he
preferred to think the band was inducted because of artistry
rather than fame. For his part, Glenn Frey used the opportunity
to strike down the rumors of tensions within the group before
the band closed the night by playing "Take it Easy"
and "Hotel California," bringing the evening to an
appropriately Golden State finish.\\\
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