I DO, I DO

I've been on a bit of a Mott the Hoople binge for the past twenty four hours and it's tugging on the old heartstrings. Yesterday when it was all over the news that Glen Frey of the Eagles had died, I was indifferent. Death is always unfortunate, but it could've very well been Joe Blow and I would have cared about the same. Then, when I checked in on Facebook, I found something really upsetting. Oddly there was comfort buried in it. Dale "Buffin" Griffin, the drummer and a founding member of Mott the Hoople had died. Now, this wasn't on the news, this being the U.S. where Mott the Hoople barely cut a fart on the charts. But it was headline news as reported by my circle of friends on Facebook. Nary a mention of Frey, it was all Griffin, all Mott. This was the comforting part, not only that so many of these friends found it too important not to mention. It was a reminder that we're all still on the same page. My friends have epic taste. And they don't forget. Die hards. Yes.

Dale "Buffin" Griffin

Griffin died of Alzheimer's. He was first diagnosed with early-onset in 2008. The following year when the band reunited for a short tour, Griffin played, but only on the encores. The last official Mott the Hoople release was "Do You Remember) The Saturday Gigs?" a 45 released in 1974. Shortly after it was released, they played their final tour (non-reunion), Ian Hunter left, and that was it. There was an offshoot, Mott (without "the Hoople"), but the original Mott the Hoople was effectively finished. On that final tour, their closing song every night was "Saturday Gigs", a look back on the early days of the band. The chorus is simple, but oh so effective. "Do you remember the Saturday Gig's? We do, we do." When they reunited in 2009, with Griffin playing drums on the encores, their final song on the final night "Saturday Gigs". Man.

Roll Away the Stone 1973

Anyone of any scene remembers whatever the Saturday gigs they attended were. And they don't have to be on Saturday. My homies know. The shows at North Park Lions Club were often on Saturday, but Abbey Road shows were on Mondays, and Texas Teahouse Thursdays. Casbah gigs were several nights a week, and still are for some. Those of you know. "Saturday Gigs" is a Chrismas carol for rockers, "Auld Lang Syne" and "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" all rolled into one. It made me smile when I thought about the people who posted about Griffin's death, because they didn't forget, including my brother who introduced me to them when we were still sharing a bedroom. It really got all warm and fuzzy in here when I started to think about all of the faces at all the Saturday gigs I've  attended over the years. I feel very fortunate that I'm still in contact with many of them. Cheers! To Saturday gigs! To Mott the Hoople! To Buffin!

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:

Mott the Hoople - (Do You Remember) The Saturday Gigs? (streaming) at YouTube
Mott the Hoople - One of the Boys mp3 at ATumblr (?)
Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes mp3 at Indie Muse
Mott the Hoople - Honaloochie Boogie mp3 at Patrick Macias (?)
Sing along:
Saturday Gigs lyrics at Google Play