Fripp & Associates World HQ, San Francisco.

16.55

Rising at 03.55. On the road 06.25…



… and heading downtown to the Golden Gate Breakfast Club (about GGBC) I…



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… where Fripp & Fripp are making a presentation: Everything Begins With A Love Story. Sistery Patricia has been a member of the Breakfast Club for years, and has been telling me stories for as long as that. The thirty-minute presentation lasted for forty minutes and included stories of our Parents, Heroes, Uncle Bill, various aspects of our family history (one example: something I have in common with my Father is that we both proposed to our Wives on the second date), videos of I Advance Masked (Summers & Fripp) and Boots (The Humans featuring Toyah Willcox).

My throat is Devil Bugged, and speaking harder going than in a perfect world, so I felt unable to judge the event; but it seemed well received and is adjudged a success by Patricia I...



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Patricia loves me to tell the story of the Chief Rabbi, and I do as I’m told by both the women in my life…

Between 1965-67, aged 18-21, I was at Bournemouth College studying economics, economic history and political history with a special paper on English social conditions, 1850-1900; and paid my way through college by playing guitar at the Majestic Hotel, a well-known Jewish hotel on the Bournemouth East Cliff, run by the formidable Fay Schneider.

The Majestic Dance Orchestra, a quintet, played three nights a week during the winter and four nights in the summer, when we accompanied visiting cabaret acts on Sundays. In addition to foxtrots, quicksteps, tangos and Al Jolson’s greatest hits, we also played for weddings and bar mitzvahs. At one bar mitzvah, the Chief Rabbi was invited to address the congregation. The Chief Rabbi spoke very little English, so he had to convey his message directly, concisely and succinctly. What he said was this:

“When you go into your shop, say Hello God! and you will have good business.”

The Chief Rabbi might have said:

“May we open ourselves to the unconditioned world that our wishing for what is Real, and Good, and True, moves from conscience, hope and faith, acceptance and love, and enters this sorry world governed by fashion, advertising, taste, habit, inventions, prices of near substitutes, expectations of trends and changes in price, changes in the distribution of income and the quantity and quality of the money supply; that our professional lives might be mediated by the imperatives of necessity and sufficiency.”

But he didn't say that: firstly, because his English wasn't very good; and secondly, because he wasn't taking a course in economics at Bournemouth College. But what the Chief Rabbi did do was to convey a complex and difficult notion - the possibility of an endless and benevolent Grace entering our ungrateful and uncaring world – and this in fifteen words: twelve words of one syllable, three words of two syllables (one word - 'business' -- has three syllables but is pronounced as if having two).”

“When you go into your shop, say, 'Hello, God!' and you will have good business.”

We ended with…

In strange and uncertain times, such as those we are living through, sometimes a reasonable person might despair. But Hope is unreasonable, and Love is greater even than this.

May we trust the inexpressible benevolence of the Creative Impulse.

This Guitar Craft aphorism seems to be finding an increasing degree of sympathetic resonance.

Much after-mingling and photography, including a GC person from the past, now a published author, who had only learnt of our presentation yesterday evening.

On the road c. 09.30 to Berkeley I…



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Morning coffee at the Shattuck I…



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… and then to the California University Press to meet Commissioning Editor Reed Malcolm and discuss The Writing Project over lunch at an excellent, historic Berkeley restaurant. It was Mr. Malcolm’s approach a little while ago, following the expressed interest of Roberto Duse and encouragement by Dr. Alfonso Montuori, that made The Writing Project feel real; and needing to be taken seriously.

Next step is a contract. Historically in my affairs, this is when possible relationships move to otherwise. The story of Ken Berry and the Virgin Standard Contract was told, but Mr. Malcolm is of greater wit than the founder of Virgin Records, at least as exhibited in his standard Virgin contracts. Reportedly, allegedly, when asked why the standard contract was so inequitable to artists, Mr. Branson replied: Someone’ll sign it. I cannot vouch for the veracity of the story, but it is in keeping with my experience of hands-on negotiation with Virgin in 1994, during KC recording sessions at Real World for THRAK. Undoubtedly, Mr. Branson did better out of Mike Oldfield than Mike Oldfield.

Returning to the CUP offices after lunch I…



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… Mr. Malcolm introduced us to Don, who attended the Music System presentation in San Francisco 1983 (Patricia was also there). Don mentioned he was struck by the notion of the tetrad and has been using it ever since. It is rare that I get feedback on my work, and mostly not at all. So it is heartening to learn that a piece of work 28 years ago was useful to a member of the audience.

Returning to Fripp & Associates World HQ…



… and pre-packing. An early-evening gentling ahead.