For the Picado Freaks!

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Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

For the Picado Freaks! 2 votes

I posted this clip quite a while ago and thought maybe some of our newer members might like to hear it.

Back in 1969 I had just recently got interested in this style of playing the guitar called "Flamenco".
There wasn't much recorded stuff around where I lived so I just had a couple of albums.

One evening my dad pointed out something in the paper which said that the BBC were televising part of a celebration dinner by the Spanish Society of London and would include some Spanish entertainers and an appearance by a young 22 year old guitarist called Paco de Lucia.

I thought he had a cool name and it looked pretty interesting so I thought I'd record it on a little reel-to-reel tape recorder. (just holding the mic up to the TV speaker)

So this is the very first time I ever saw or heard PdL.

I wish someone had taken a picture of my face at the end!

www.btinternet.com/~flamenco/PdL1969.mp3

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 1:46:47

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Not only for Picado freaks, but also for tremolo freaks (01:30 - 01:45), arpeggio freaks (02:35 - 02:40) ....and any other freak.

He was, is and will be God of all freaks!

Thanks for this recording Ron!

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 2:34:33

MarcChrys

Posts: 121
Joined: Jan. 11 2009
From: England (West Yorkshire/Lancashire)

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Wow, that's pretty good sound quality for a tv-tape recorder interface!

Has it taken you 40 years to rewind it? :)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 4:44:12

gj Michelob

Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

I posted this clip quite a while ago and thought maybe some of our newer members might like to hear it.

'packed with virtuosity and beauty.

Now starts the search for a better recording, but i could settle for
your pirate-tape.

Your strory reminded my of my older brother -about the same time- capturing Bob Dylan's rare appearances on Italian TV. A large and quite italian family, respectfully silent during the moment of his faithful worship, knelt before the TV set, a mic on one hand and a cigarette burning on the other, nearly a candle-like symbol of the then novel music cult.

Thank you for sharing, Ron.

_____________________________

gj Michelob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 4:56:31

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to gj Michelob)

Yeah....40 years later and I still find it stunning!

If I hadn't seen him play it I would have thought it definitely speeded-up, or tampered with somehow!

My dad and I just sat in stunned silence afterwards!

Even now it's hard to beat that for virtuosity and a flawless "feel" for the music.

I love "straight" guitar playing...no cajon etc
Not that I don't like cajon or backing, but that is my favourite.

I love that youthful energy and freshness Paco has in his early playing.

BTW gj....Have you ever heard Grisha?

He's a member here and visits sometimes.
Very nice guy.

Take a listen to some of this!

http://www.grishagoryachev.com/sound.php

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 6:01:32

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Wow! Thanks Ron, Thats a great clip. If anyone takes the mickey out of Malgueña ever again....just play them that. I agree with Arash. There isn't a single technique that isnt flawless and I keep forgetting just how good he was at that age. The picado is exceptional though. Those last runs are jaw dropping. When I see some of the 20 year old freaks today (who are still phenomenal), whilst still very fast, dont capture the immense power and sound that Paco had and dont get the picado with that kind of volume and consistency.

My first intro to flamenco guitar was also Paco de Lucia at the Expo 92 concert in Seville. The same thing happened to me, my face fell, I couldnt sleep and spent the rest of the night rewinding and rewatching the video.

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 6:02:10

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Pimientito)

Hi Pimientito,

Just try even the intro, (the first few chords) and the left hand stretches!!

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 6:12:15

gj Michelob

Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

I love "straight" guitar playing...no cajon etc
Not that I don't like cajon or backing, but that is my favourite.

'Couldn't agree more, Ron. I wish recordings came with a "re-mix" version offering the unvarnished solo guitar track...

I am not sure i should share my humblest opinion on this but I will and ask you to appreciate my measured transparency: I do know ("of") Grisha, and enjoyed a few of his videos on Youtube. I enjoyed his recent Guitar and Orchestra performance e posted here, and understand he was (and certainly still is) an "enfant prodige". Impeccable style, but stiffly somehow, perhaps he could use a dash of emotional liberty in his otherwise extraordinary performance, which in my case would go a long way. Please do not misunderstand this as a shallow critique of one of the finest out there, i wouldn't dare... but it is my CD buying measure. I have not purchased his CD(s) yet for that reason alone.

_____________________________

gj Michelob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 8:13:15

Mark2

Posts: 1868
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

That was so incredible. Thanks Ron.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 8:27:50

srshea

Posts: 833
Joined: Oct. 29 2006
From: Olympia, WA in the Great Pacific Northwest

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Good lord, that tremolo sounds like a hummingbird!

Thanx for digging into the personal archives, Ron. I actually like this more than I would if it were a clean, professional, on-site recording. It makes it that much more special that this is exactly how it sounded in some Scottish kid's living room forty years ago...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 9:15:23

El Camino

Posts: 59
Joined: Jan. 14 2008

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

You can hear the Sabicas influence there for sure .

Shear brilliance .

Nice one Ron for sharing.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 10:03:58

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Man, thatnks for this upload. It reminds us how nice old flamenco was. It reminds me on black and white movies, Ernest Hemmingway and all the old roman movies which I saw together with my father at rainy weekends!
And it reminds me on my beginning to learn flamenco guitar. At first I only knew Sabicas, than Nino Ricardo. After that a couple of ole Paco recordings with Camarom and some years later, Vicente and the other modern guys.... Funny, but I started flamenco coz of Sabicas.. not coz of Paco. :.))

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 22 2009 10:12:58

Ramirez

Posts: 243
Joined: Apr. 16 2005

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Hey Ron,

Thanks for sharing this gem. What a cool moment to capture - your very first encounter of Paco! Even now, on a forty year old tape recording, he sounds like a ****ing monster. Unbelievable. He is truly untouchable.

I remember the first time I heard Paco - I was visiting my grandad in Spain. I was about fifteen and a disciple of the electric guitar at that point. We were in the car driving on the main road between Punta Umbria and Huelva and he played a tape of Fuente Y Caudal. Cepa Andaluza came on and I was totally blown away. I'd never heard anything quite like it. I couldn't get my ear around it - I had no idea how he could it make a guitar sound like that. In fact, I remember arguing that there was definantely more than one guitar being played!

Anyway, when I returned home, my electric guitar really didn't do it for me anymore. I'd developed quite a bit of technique and was at music college so I stuck with it for a few more years, but eventually I had to take up the flamenco guitar. So now, I sound worse than ever. Thanks Paco!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 23 2009 1:35:20

Conrad

Posts: 533
Joined: Jul. 16 2003
From: Toronto, ON, Canada

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Ron, I listen to this recording very often thanks to you! It's just obscene. And there's no one comparable. Have you ever heard Paco and Camaron Live from South America or something? Same scratchy quality, distorted etc... which I find charming... just astounding recordings of PdL at his tastiest. Let me know if you haven't heard them and I'll post them somewhere.

Not near Paco, but one guy that has a really blistering picado and his own vibe is Manuel Silveria. Anyone heard of him? Here he is with his Reyes (he even does some Amigo-like stuff but with a tiny bit more bite):

Con

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 23 2009 9:43:13

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Conrad)

quote:

It's just obscene

It's insanely good...isn't it Conrad?

One of my favourite Paco recordings!

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 23 2009 12:33:36

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

One of my favourite Paco recordings!

i liked the story of you with a reel2reel tape recorder holding a mic up to the telly with yer jaw on the floor as much as the playing!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 25 2009 4:46:56

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Here is a present for all you picado freaks
(corrected now)

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markshurey

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2009 5:29:24

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Thank you very much for the tab!!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2009 11:31:33

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Pimientito)

Hi Pimientito,
I just KNEW you guys would have a go at it!
Even I slowed it down to half speed on my tape recorder, just to confirm that he actually was playing all the notes and it wasn't just a trick...
It's just too beautifully impossibe to ignore and move onto something else!
...(I bet even Grisha is secretly having a go at it as we speak! )

Ah! the early Paco stuff!

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2009 11:41:54

Matic

Posts: 603
Joined: Jul. 3 2006
From: Slovenija

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Thank you, Mark!

It will make a good practice.

_____________________________

vengo de los san migueles
si no me caso este año que yo
me caso el año que viene

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2009 13:27:54

ddk

Posts: 155
Joined: Jan. 10 2006
From: California

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Wow! Amazing that he was so good so long ago. Where would Flamenco guitar be without him? Truly phenomenal!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2009 13:30:30

Grisha

Posts: 1263
Joined: Mar. 17 2005

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Thank you for posting, Ron. You are right, I am practicing this malaguena. I can honestly say that while I can match the speed of the picado runs and other techniques used, I cannot play it as well as Paco. And probably never will. He puts a lot of feeling into his playing, and his sentiment in this piece is perfect and unmatched. Still, I would like to have your permission to play this in concert I have next week.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 27 2009 14:18:26

MarcChrys

Posts: 121
Joined: Jan. 11 2009
From: England (West Yorkshire/Lancashire)

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

A 'numpty' question ;-) Just noticed from Pimientito's tab of PdL's picado that generally the runs begin with middle finger (i.e. M, then I). Daft as it sounds, I've been playing scales religiously beginning with my index finger, and have only just discovered that beginning with M speeds up my scales. What's the collective wisdom on this?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 28 2009 3:02:47

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Grisha)

quote:

Still, I would like to have your permission to play this in concert I have next week.

You gotta be joking Grisha?

It's Paco's piece...I just recorded it off the telly by chance.

Anyway, I bet Paco has completely forgotten about it after 40 years! LOL!

Hey Grisha, How does one get a new, virtuoso-level piece from just hearing it, up to concert level in only a couple of weeks??

Can I have some of those pills?

Best of luck and it would be great if you could post a video of it being played by you. I bet it goes down a storm!

I think Paco kept that one in his bag as a "general" audience pleaser for spots like the Spanish Society and TV etc, rather than real hardcore Flamenco venues.

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 28 2009 5:44:21

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to MarcChrys)

Yeah, this is a point of contention. I noticed over the years that Paco nearly always starts his picado runs with m. This is not true every time but more times than not. It's easier to play them (at least for me) You can start with i and it will be correct but it is as you say much easier to get the spped if you start with m.
Runs that start with i have a good reason, like you play a higher string (eg 2cd then 1st) immediatly with m on the next note.

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markshurey

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 28 2009 5:45:56

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ron.M

I posted this clip quite a while ago and thought maybe some of our newer members might like to hear it.

Back in 1969 I had just recently got interested in this style of playing the guitar called "Flamenco".
There wasn't much recorded stuff around where I lived so I just had a couple of albums. One evening my dad pointed out something in the paper which said that the BBC were televising part of a celebration dinner by the Spanish Society of London and would include some Spanish entertainers and an appearance by a young 22 year old guitarist called Paco de Lucia. I thought he had a cool name and it looked pretty interesting so I thought I'd record it on a little reel-to-reel tape recorder. (just holding the mic up to the TV speaker)

So this is the very first time I ever saw or heard PdL. I wish someone had taken a picture of my face at the end!

www.btinternet.com/~flamenco/PdL1969.mp3

And now EVEN NEWER members would like to hear it as well :-) Alas, it appears that the link is dead. Could RonM or anyone who downloaded it back then please re-post the file?

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Konstantin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 14 2017 21:18:14

Ricardo

Posts: 14797
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to kitarist)

quote:

ORIGINAL: kitarist

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ron.M

I posted this clip quite a while ago and thought maybe some of our newer members might like to hear it.

Back in 1969 I had just recently got interested in this style of playing the guitar called "Flamenco".
There wasn't much recorded stuff around where I lived so I just had a couple of albums. One evening my dad pointed out something in the paper which said that the BBC were televising part of a celebration dinner by the Spanish Society of London and would include some Spanish entertainers and an appearance by a young 22 year old guitarist called Paco de Lucia. I thought he had a cool name and it looked pretty interesting so I thought I'd record it on a little reel-to-reel tape recorder. (just holding the mic up to the TV speaker)

So this is the very first time I ever saw or heard PdL. I wish someone had taken a picture of my face at the end!

www.btinternet.com/~flamenco/PdL1969.mp3

And now EVEN NEWER members would like to hear it as well :-) Alas, it appears that the link is dead. Could RonM or anyone who downloaded it back then please re-post the file?

It's 0:34 to 0:53....

Also since you asked if RonM or anyone could re-post, you need to read this:
http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=208847&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1

Of course I realize you joined Foro AFTER the above events transpired.

_____________________________

CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 15 2017 17:00:56

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ricardo)

Oh wow, I am so sorry.

Thank you for the link.

_____________________________

Konstantin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 15 2017 17:27:09

Njål Bendixen

Posts: 65
Joined: Aug. 25 2016

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

I tried to open the link to the PD recording, but I get this error message:

This page isn’t working

www.btinternet.com didn’t send any data.
ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 16 2017 15:44:29

Grisha

Posts: 1263
Joined: Mar. 17 2005

RE: For the Picado Freaks! (in reply to Ron.M)

Dear foro members, does any of you have that incredible mp3 file that our friend Ron posted? I had mine on a hard drive that broke a while back.

We miss you, Ron...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2020 17:26:46