i was gobsmacked to find terry callier, playing beautifully, to a crowd of O2 brit beer guzzlers on deckchairs with their backs to him at that tacky 'beach' venue inside the O2 before a prince performance the other week.

can't remember the date exactly but pretty sure it was the (second?) MYA night.

totally bizarre. i was round to the arena when i thought i recognised THAT voice...i asked some vacant looking staff on the entrance to this concrete sanded oasis who was playing and was answered 'i dunno'

i went and asked someone else in a uniform and he said 'dunno...terry something i think?'

"terry callier? he's a fucking legend! why didn't you advertise this?"

so i went in...sat in amongst the hollyoaks looking plankton and soaked up the good ship callier.

was anyone else there? has this been mentioned yet? i guess i should trawl the older threads before i start new ones huh?

anyway...what was all that about? i'd have paid for that. he's a real hero.

did prince know?

magictree said:

He is a legend.

Thing is, most people in this country (or anywhere) have got fairly narrow musical taste and the hollyoaks analogy sums it up quite well. They like MacMusic (as in Macdonalds not Apple!)...and they wouldn't have a clue who he was.

Then again, I hate myself for saying that as I also can't stand musical snobbery and that holyer than tho purist sh*tty attitude.

So who knows what I really think.

WHAT I DO KNOW, however, is that for many, many years my question (when I meet someone who (after a bit of time in their company, exposure to their taste in music) I think has good taste, my crunch question is always "Whaddya think to Prince?".

Anyone who thinks they are serious about music who answers "no" to this question is dismissed as a clueless idiot (silently, in my mind, of course, I'm not that rude!

And that, my friends, is a rule you can all live by

I know. I think it was Saturday 18th August if I remember correctly. I was wondering around and heard that familiar voice. He should have been supporting Prince!! Terry Callier is a genius!

There were no adverts or anything anywhere as far as I could tell.

Oh well, at least those of us who saw him were lucky enough to see him but shame on whoever was in charge of promoting that event.

Here's looking forward to Friday:)

no no no!!!! I was there that night too, i would have loved to seen it!

i've been lucky enough to see him in the jazz cafe though

i've often wondered if prince is familiar with terry callier's music...mr callier is obviously a big miles davis fan too

cloudguitar said:

Terry callier has supported prince b4 at some point - my boss likes him and asked me to check out when his next tour dates were and thats when i came across this info - be buggered if i can find any mention of it now though- am certain there is some link there!!!!

Haha, I walked past this and thought; what a cool beach!

Didnt even see the fella performing who is he by the way? haha

FunAndJames said:

have a listen to the tunes 'african violet', or 'dancing girl'

they're my favs anyway!

also massive attack's 'live with me' has him on vocals too....and it's lush