RIP: Michael Brewer

[Sonik Wiz]

The name might not bring instant recognition but if you've ever listned to One Toke Over the Line, then you've heard Brewer, one half of the Brewer & Shipley duo. Not only was their music a perfect fit for the times, it has a special connection to Kansas City. Their manager was local Stan Plesser and he owned the Vanguard Coffee House where I enjoyed Brewer & Shipley many times. Plesser also opened the legendary KC Cow Town Ballroom where many incredible acts performed, & I was there for most of them. This couldn't have happened without the success of Brewer & Shipley.

https://americansongwriter.com/michael-brewer-of-brewer-shipley-dead-at-80/

 

[jefe1]

Thank you Sonik for that local KC history lesson. I remember that song.

 

[hafquark]

Very sad news to me. Brewer & Shipley were a tremendous duo and I still listen to their albums regularly (they were way more than a one-hit wonder). I just recently picked up a copy of their 1973 live show (Archive Alive! CD), mostly recorded at the Cow Town Ballroom. They were still occasionally touring together not that long ago.

RIP Michael Brewer.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

RIP.
This is an excellent documentary about their origins and long careers, highest recommendation:

 

[Quad Linda]

RIP

I recall Brewer & Shipley performing One Toke on Carson. He asked them what a toke was! They himed and hawed.

The song Tarkio Road also got quite a bit of airplay in Chicago.

Bought the Tarkio album on 8-track and later a 2 LP retrospective.


a cover from the Lawrence Welk Show (for real):




Brewer & Shipley lip-synching One Toke:

 

[~dave~~wave~]

http://www.richieunterberger.com/brewer.html

LINER NOTES FOR BREWER & SHIPLEY'S WEEDS & TARKIO
By Richie Unterberger

After introducing their harmony-driven brand of folk-rock on their late-'60s A&M debut album Down in L.A., singer-songwriter-guitarists Brewer & Shipley moved to the Kama Sutra label to expand their sound in new directions for Weeds and Tarkio Road. How Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley ended up on Kama Sutra after just one A&M album takes some explaining.

"We really didn't care for L.A. very much," says Brewer. "We had just had enough, and figured there had to be a better way to make music, without living there. So we left California, and ended up coming back to the heartland. We ended up in Kansas City and started a management/production company with some friends, Good Karma Productions.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

RIP.
This is an excellent documentary about their origins and long careers, highest recommendation:

At about an hour and a half I think this one deserves my full attention later tonight in The Bassment. Thanks!

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Very sad news to me. Brewer & Shipley were a tremendous duo and I still listen to their albums regularly (they were way more than a one-hit wonder). I just recently picked up a copy of their 1973 live show (Archive Alive! CD), mostly recorded at the Cow Town Ballroom. They were still occasionally touring together not that long ago.

RIP Michael Brewer.

I had no idea that anything from Cow Town Ballroom was released on CD. I just checked around & only place I can find this is on eBay for fifty buckaroos. Tis the season to spend money on other people right now so I'll have to think about it. Very much would like to hear this. Thanks for making me aware.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

RIP

I recall Brewer & Shipley performing One Toke on Carson. He asked them what a toke was! They himed and hawed.

The song Tarkio Road also got quite a bit of airplay in Chicago.

Bought the Tarkio album on 8-track and later a 2 LP retrospective.


a cover from the Lawrence Welk Show (for real):




Brewer & Shipley lip-synching One Toke:

What a couple of great clips! The Lawrence Welk one is hilarious. They must have thought it was a gospel song because of "sweet Jesus".
I wonder if my grandma caught that episode. Welk and the Lennon Sisters were a must for her on Sunday night.

 

[hafquark]

I had no idea that anything from Cow Town Ballroom was released on CD. I just checked around & only place I can find this is on eBay for fifty buckaroos. Tis the season to spend money on other people right now so I'll have to think about it. Very much would like to hear this. Thanks for making me aware.

I paid about $20.00 on eBay, but I see a new one now for $9.99+$5.00 shipping. The sound is very good -- and they do a cooking version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's One Kind Favor.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

I paid about $20.00 on eBay, but I see a new one now for $9.99+$5.00 shipping. The sound is very good -- and they do a cooking version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's One Kind Favor.

Purchased. Many thanks!

 

[Sonik Wiz]

I paid about $20.00 on eBay, but I see a new one now for $9.99+$5.00 shipping. The sound is very good -- and they do a cooking version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's One Kind Favor.

Again, thanks for the tip! I received my copy yesterday and originally planned to give it my full attention tonight. But last night I started off with the BD of Lee Ritenour: Overtime. But it just wasn't working for me. So into the disc spinner went Brewer & Shipley:

https://www.discogs.com/release/9467384-Brewer-Shipley-Archive-Alive
What a great experiance! Half the songs I'd never heard before including the lead off One Kind Favor. The covers of Mighty Quinn and All Along the Watchtower I hadn't heard in ages & they both worked great. The other songs that were new to me, well, it's always wonderful discovering new old music.

The sound quality was much better than I expected. I guess this due to using The Record Plant's first mobile recording studio instead just stage mics with a live performance mix. In fact the mix is more like a studio one with wide separation and transforming very good into surround through my SM v2. There are multiple times discrete sounds pop up in left back or right back.

A real winner & I look forward to enjoying it again tonight.