Comments on: FAITH PILLOW / “Natural Woman” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/20/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/ a conversation about black music Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:17:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paul OBrien http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/20/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138580 Paul OBrien Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:13:50 +0000 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/18/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138580 For the gentleman who asked about '70s era recordings -- I have three tracks from the late '70s recorded in a studio in the Chicago area. These are the earliest recordings of Faith that exist, I believe. I will put them on the download page of www.faithpillow.com as soon as possible, hopefully tomorrow. For the gentleman who asked about ’70s era recordings — I have three tracks from the late ’70s recorded in a studio in the Chicago area. These are the earliest recordings of Faith that exist, I believe. I will put them on the download page of http://www.faithpillow.com as soon as possible, hopefully tomorrow.

]]> By: Paul OBrien http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/20/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138539 Paul OBrien Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:20:28 +0000 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/18/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138539 Both Sanity and Early in the Morning were written by Faith Pillow. She did credit Joni Mitchell as one of her big influences. Faith performed mostly her own tunes, but did occasionally cover tunes of other writers -- sometimes tunes you wouldn't expect, such as Bob Dylan's If Tomorrow Wasn't Such A Long Time or Elton John's Rocket Man. The last of the 1981 vinyl LPs were sent to Japan just after the rerelease of that album on CD by the Celeste label of Tokyo. They sold out the day they arrived and were never even listed on the company's website. A few lucky people in and around Chicago still have copies of this collector's item. Both Sanity and Early in the Morning were written by Faith Pillow. She did credit Joni Mitchell as one of her big influences. Faith performed mostly her own tunes, but did occasionally cover tunes of other writers — sometimes tunes you wouldn’t expect, such as Bob Dylan’s If Tomorrow Wasn’t Such A Long Time or Elton John’s Rocket Man. The last of the 1981 vinyl LPs were sent to Japan just after the rerelease of that album on CD by the Celeste label of Tokyo. They sold out the day they arrived and were never even listed on the company’s website. A few lucky people in and around Chicago still have copies of this collector’s item.

]]> By: Mtume http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/20/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138449 Mtume Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:32:58 +0000 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/18/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138449 <p>"Sanity" sounds like a lost Joni Mitchell song. (A good one.) "Early In The Morning" reminds me of Joan Armatrading tune. Am I reading correctly that there are no seventies-era LPs available from Ms Pillow?</p><p><font color="#ffffff"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">     kalamu sez          </span></b></font><br /></p><p>you read correctly. during her lifetime, there were five albums and the 1981 Faith Pillow Live is the only one produced in the United States, although the 2008 release Solo does include three short tracks recorded in 1998 in Louisville shortly before her death. Additionally, two of the five are no longer available. As far as I know, that's it. <a href="http://www.faithpillow.com/albums%20live.html" target="_blank"><font color="#cc0000">Go here to read about each of her albums</font></a>.<br /></p> "Sanity" sounds like a lost Joni Mitchell song. (A good one.) "Early In The Morning" reminds me of Joan Armatrading tune. Am I reading correctly that there are no seventies-era LPs available from Ms Pillow?

     kalamu sez         

you read correctly. during her lifetime, there were five albums and the 1981 Faith Pillow Live is the only one produced in the United States, although the 2008 release Solo does include three short tracks recorded in 1998 in Louisville shortly before her death. Additionally, two of the five are no longer available. As far as I know, that’s it. Go here to read about each of her albums.

]]> By: Paul OBrien http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/20/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138185 Paul OBrien Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:59:32 +0000 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/18/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138185 Faith was in her element as a live performer. She made love to her audiences. An electric current came from her that no recording could ever capture. She could sit on a stool in a small room, play and sing a tune, and raise a forest of goosebumps on anyone. Still, it is a shame that we don't have more recordings of her. She was never really offered a good contract. The main reason was that she was of the record store era, and there was no 'bin' for the kind of music she did. She was constantly asked: 'what kind of music do you do?' The only answer was 'Faith Pillow music'. Also, in the late '70s and early '80s, the industry was changing. Producers wanted a quick profit, and nobody was willing to invest the time, money, and effort necessary to develop the career of an artist with as unique a musical personality as Faith's. And finally, she was leery of contracts, having had several bad experiences, in particular one in L.A. at the hands of the agents of a very well-known movie star. It was kind of the last straw that put her on a plane for Europe. In Europe, EMI offered her a 5-year deal, but they wanted ownership of everything she would write during that time, and she wouldn't go for it. She wanted to do her music her way, and she did. It has been said that there is no good or bad music, only true music and false music. Faith's music was the truest thing I have ever known. Faith was in her element as a live performer. She made love to her audiences. An electric current came from her that no recording could ever capture. She could sit on a stool in a small room, play and sing a tune, and raise a forest of goosebumps on anyone. Still, it is a shame that we don’t have more recordings of her. She was never really offered a good contract. The main reason was that she was of the record store era, and there was no ‘bin’ for the kind of music she did. She was constantly asked: ‘what kind of music do you do?’ The only answer was ‘Faith Pillow music’. Also, in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the industry was changing. Producers wanted a quick profit, and nobody was willing to invest the time, money, and effort necessary to develop the career of an artist with as unique a musical personality as Faith’s. And finally, she was leery of contracts, having had several bad experiences, in particular one in L.A. at the hands of the agents of a very well-known movie star. It was kind of the last straw that put her on a plane for Europe. In Europe, EMI offered her a 5-year deal, but they wanted ownership of everything she would write during that time, and she wouldn’t go for it. She wanted to do her music her way, and she did. It has been said that there is no good or bad music, only true music and false music. Faith’s music was the truest thing I have ever known.

]]> By: R. Joyce Johnson http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/20/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138120 R. Joyce Johnson Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:48:12 +0000 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2009/04/18/faith-pillow-%e2%80%9cnatural-woman%e2%80%9d/#comment-138120 I went to her site last week after hearing Blackbird. She's every superlative you have written. She reminds me of my time. I find sanctuary in her voice. So glad to have found her after all. She is one of those on whose shoulders music stands. Thank You. I went to her site last week after hearing Blackbird. She’s every superlative you have written. She reminds me of my time. I find sanctuary in her voice. So glad to have found her after all. She is one of those on whose shoulders music stands. Thank You.

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