Arthur Lee RIP

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Arhur Lee has died from Leukemia.

From the LOVE message board:

I am very sad to report that Arthur Lee died this afternoon (around 4p.m.) in the hospital with his wife, Diane, by his side. This is still very much a shock for me as I had hoped Arthur would recover. I know that many of you will be devestated by this news. I will do my best to let you know more details as soon as possible.

mark linn

http://love.torbenskott.dk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1125

― GALKIN (GALKIN), Friday, 4 August 2006 02:26 (nineteen years ago)

Forever Changes was the first CD I ever bought, in 1987. I have replaced it 4 times since.

― GALKIN (GALKIN), Friday, 4 August 2006 02:31 (nineteen years ago)

― drone/a/sore (drone/a/sore), Friday, 4 August 2006 02:38 (nineteen years ago)

Dang.

Well, I think I know what I'm playing tonight.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 4 August 2006 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

Just thinking of the song "August" the other day. I always think of that song.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 4 August 2006 02:41 (nineteen years ago)

may he rest in peace, one of the greats

― mentalist (mentalist), Friday, 4 August 2006 02:41 (nineteen years ago)

terrible news - i had the great pleasure of seeing the new Love (post-prison release) play their first "official" gig. Memorable show, so much warmth and good vibes emanating from the crowd to Arthur, and he sang so well with the band tearing into the classics. pity that it ended so badly with him reverting to his paranoid, hostile ways. Rest In Peace.

― timmy tannin (pompous), Friday, 4 August 2006 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

Aw shit, I just rebought, and have been listening to Forever Changes all week.
RIP.

― Marmot 4-Tay: The root cause of dragon hatred among power metal bands. (marmotwo, Friday, 4 August 2006 02:56 (nineteen years ago)

Usually I'm not too distraught by rock star deaths, but Arthur Lee. This bugs the shit out of me. I guess I know what I'll be listening to for the next few days.
RIP.

― Binjominia (Brilhante), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:02 (nineteen years ago)

Vindicator it is.

― dottie nuttie dach nach dtnt hhhhhhhh (donut), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:07 (nineteen years ago)

SO GREAT. RIP Arthur.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:15 (nineteen years ago)

was really into the damned which lead me to love, stole the record from my aunt nancy, who only remembered the "plastic nancy" line. In high school I used to stand there in my room in front of the stereo pretending I was performing forever changes,

What is happening and how have you been
Gotta go but I'll see you again
And oh, the music is so loud
And then I fade into the...

Crowds of people standing everywhere
'cross the street I'm at this laugh affair
And here they always play my songs
And me, I wonder if it's...

Wrong or right they come here just the same
Telling everyone about their games
And if you think it obsolete
Then you go back across the street
Yeah, street, hey hey

When I leave now don't you weep for me
I'll be back, just save a seat for me
But if you just can't make the room
Look up and see me on the...

Moon's a common scene around my town
Yeah where everyone is painted brown
And if we do get stuck away
Let's go paint everybody gray
Yeah, gray, yeah,

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:24 (nineteen years ago)

shit. ive been listening to alot of the 70s love recs lately and i cant say enough about them. people talk mad shit but those records are really great. heard the damned's alone again or on xm's fred last night and the original this morning on kxlu! dood's music never went out of style. the radio was playing it up until the day he died! rip arthur!

― chaki (chaki), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:34 (nineteen years ago)

Dan, I had put on Forever Changes and that song just came on as I clicked this thread again! Such an awesome jam.

― Marmot 4-Tay: The root cause of dragon hatred among power metal bands. (marmotwo, Friday, 4 August 2006 03:42 (nineteen years ago)

rest in peace

― youn (youn), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:45 (nineteen years ago)

i might even cry. and i hate crying. if i think of his voice i might have to. such a beautiful voice.

syd AND arthur!!?? the world really is coming to an end.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:53 (nineteen years ago)

At the rate some things are going maybe they just knew when to check out.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:54 (nineteen years ago)

R.I. fuckin' P.

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Friday, 4 August 2006 03:57 (nineteen years ago)

"You Set The Scene" on now, oh my god what a song.
Yeah, I was gonna say, Syd and Arthur within a month of each other, man.

― Marmot 4-Tay: The root cause of dragon hatred among power metal bands. (marmotwo, Friday, 4 August 2006 03:59 (nineteen years ago)

I haven't been able to find any definitive confirmation of this, although Athur Lee's wikipedia entry has been updated to include his reported death. Of course, the "updater" misspelled succumbed.
Still, I am in mourning.

― Binjominia (Brilhante), Friday, 4 August 2006 04:15 (nineteen years ago)

ouch.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Friday, 4 August 2006 04:18 (nineteen years ago)

Man, this is the first celeb death that hit me in the chest since Don Knotts. :-(

― Cunga (Cunga), Friday, 4 August 2006 04:31 (nineteen years ago)

"Bummer In The Summer" is the one that always goes through my head.

Plus that great little bit in the Love And Rockets comic where the teen punk skater dude is putting up flyers and singing "7 and 7 Is" to himself.

RIP

― sleeve (sleeve), Friday, 4 August 2006 04:42 (nineteen years ago)

This sucks...............

RIP Arthur

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Friday, 4 August 2006 05:16 (nineteen years ago)

r.i.p. wish i had gotten to see him play live.

― GOD PUNCH TO HAWKWIND (yournullfame), Friday, 4 August 2006 05:18 (nineteen years ago)

"Red Telephone" really means something to me.
:(

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Friday, 4 August 2006 05:46 (nineteen years ago)

oh shit :-(

― rudy huxtable can't fail (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 4 August 2006 05:47 (nineteen years ago)

In pace requiescat!!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 4 August 2006 05:54 (nineteen years ago)

This is so horrible. R.I.P. Damnit.

― Harpal (harpal), Friday, 4 August 2006 05:57 (nineteen years ago)

This year has been brutal.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 4 August 2006 06:08 (nineteen years ago)

:( My 2nd favourite album of all time is Forever Changes.
RIP Arthur.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 4 August 2006 06:12 (nineteen years ago)

RIP ARTHUR LEE

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Friday, 4 August 2006 06:28 (nineteen years ago)

Thanks, Arthur.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 4 August 2006 06:41 (nineteen years ago)

RIP, arthur. "forever changes" will always occupy an odd but vital position in my heart.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 4 August 2006 06:48 (nineteen years ago)

I am sad.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 4 August 2006 06:54 (nineteen years ago)

guys check out the pre and post forever changes songs fo real!

― chaki (chaki), Friday, 4 August 2006 07:02 (nineteen years ago)

Oh shit no. Fuck all this death & dying.

― NickB (NickB), Friday, 4 August 2006 07:05 (nineteen years ago)

Such sad news this is... rest in peace, Arthur.

― Gerard (Gerard), Friday, 4 August 2006 07:19 (nineteen years ago)

What a sad summer it is... first Syd, now Lee.

― zeus (zeus), Friday, 4 August 2006 07:21 (nineteen years ago)

I know, I can imagine that Roky Erikson is probably going to feel really nervous until this summer ends.

Like others have said, I usually don't take rocker deaths too personally but I still can't believe this one (even though it was arguably predictable with his leukemia and all).

― Cunga (Cunga), Friday, 4 August 2006 07:28 (nineteen years ago)

Oh no, it'll be Beefheart next. I'm running out of heroes! RIP Arthur, you old reprobate you. One in a billion, a trailblazer, an original, the coolest man I ever saw on stage in my life BAR NONE - and he was pushing 60 at the time...

― Doi Doing! (Dada), Friday, 4 August 2006 07:33 (nineteen years ago)

RIP.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Friday, 4 August 2006 07:40 (nineteen years ago)

Man, I so love "Four Sail." Gorgeous.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 4 August 2006 08:23 (nineteen years ago)

It's on right now. Chaki's right -- check it out.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 4 August 2006 08:24 (nineteen years ago)

RIP

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 4 August 2006 08:25 (nineteen years ago)

So can we now get a proper CD reissue of "Out Here" please!!!! (xpost)

― My Mind's Not Made of Gravel (Dada), Friday, 4 August 2006 08:28 (nineteen years ago)

His set at Glastonbury in 2003 was one of the best I've ever seen. I am sad.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 4 August 2006 08:30 (nineteen years ago)

Bummer in the summer indeed. Funny that I played Forever Changes for the first time in a dog's age last Saturday whilst I lounged in a chair in the garden, just cloud watching.
RIP.

― David Orton (scarlet), Friday, 4 August 2006 09:12 (nineteen years ago)

very sad.

"everybody's got to live and everybody's going to die....you gotta live before you know the reason why."

RIP.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Friday, 4 August 2006 09:37 (nineteen years ago)

Very sad. Well, he's left behind some incredible records, and that's so much more than most. RIP.

― Ruairi Wirewool (Ruairi Wirewool), Friday, 4 August 2006 09:43 (nineteen years ago)

:-(
RIP...

― surfer_stone_rosa (surfer_stone_rosa), Friday, 4 August 2006 09:55 (nineteen years ago)

My favourite part from my favourite Love song. Always stops me in my tracks and makes me think about what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it.

It feels appropriate:

This is the time and life that I am living
And I’ll face each day with a smile
For the time that I’ve been given’s such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
there’ll be time for you to start all over

This is the only thing that I am sure of
And that’s all that lives is gonna die
And there’ll always be some people here to wonder why
And for every happy hello, there will be good-bye
There’ll be time for you to put yourself on

Everything I’ve seen needs rearranging
And for anyone who thinks it’s strange
Then you should be the first to want to make this change
And for everyone who thinks that life is just a game
Do you like the part you’re playing

Yeah, like you all said, RIP.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Friday, 4 August 2006 10:06 (nineteen years ago)

He wrote some amazing lyrics in that period from 1966 to 1968. One of the best rock lyricists ever.

― My Mind's Not Made of Gravel (Dada), Friday, 4 August 2006 10:15 (nineteen years ago)

I just finished reading _Eat the Document_, a book in which his appearance was mystical and exciting, just like his music. RIP Arthur.

― blackmail (blackmail.is.my.life), Friday, 4 August 2006 10:51 (nineteen years ago)

RIP. Shame he never got around to making that long-promised new studio album.

Why are so many cool people dying all of a sudden???

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 4 August 2006 11:00 (nineteen years ago)

At my house I've got no shackles. RIP.

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Friday, 4 August 2006 11:04 (nineteen years ago)

"Forever Changes" means shitloads to me. Fucking unbelievable.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 4 August 2006 11:14 (nineteen years ago)

RIP man

― S-L-U-G (plsmith), Friday, 4 August 2006 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

RIP

Huge loss. Right now I really want to hear The Everlasting First.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Friday, 4 August 2006 12:30 (nineteen years ago)

Played first side of "Da Capo" just this morning while getting ready for work, wow...RIP

― Lynco (lync0), Friday, 4 August 2006 12:39 (nineteen years ago)

So sad.
I've been kicking myself for missing him play at Warsaw in Williamsburg in 2002. I was in town then visiting but couldn't make it. That was the only chance I ever had to see him.

"Forever Changes" remains one of the most cherished LP's in my collection if only for how I ended up with it. 1994 at a public library booksale and I'm flipping through the vinyl (I think it was 25 cents). I'm in the "easy listening" section and stumble upon "Forever Changes". I guess with a name like Love, that was the most obvious classification. Still a wee lad with not much a sense of music history, I had no idea who they were at the time but the LP cover looked intriguing enough so I stuck it in my pile. The first time I played it, it blew me away. It still does. RIP.

― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Friday, 4 August 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

great talent.

great songs.

trouble man.

rest in peace.

― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 4 August 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

RIP

I am sad.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 4 August 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

terrible, terrible. forever changes got me through a very turbulent summer. rip arthur.

― PARTYMAN (dubplatestyle), Friday, 4 August 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

Aw shit, man. That is awful. 2006 is now officially the worst year for musical and music-related deaths ever. If there was any question before, now there is none.

Arthur Lee was incomparable, as eccentric and idiosyncratic mixture of talents (singing/composing/lyrics/bandleading/etc.) as any other '60s rocker I can think of. To go from "Signed D.C." to "Seven And Seven Is" and back to "Doggone" is unthinkable.

If I don't start crying, it's because I've got no eyes.

RIP, man.

― M. Agony Von Bontee (M. Agony Von Bontee), Friday, 4 August 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

rip.this sucks.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 4 August 2006 17:58 (nineteen years ago)

I was in an unfeasibly good mood today until my brother phoned me and broke the news. I fucking wept and I've never wept at anyone famous dying before. Jesus, I fucking loved Arthur Lee. Saw Love three times over the last few years and he was great every time. Last time I saw them, with Johnny Echols, was extra special as it felt like they were becoming more of an actual band, rather than Arthur and five mopes. Having said that, he fell out with Baby Lemonade not long after and hooked up with Jack Yarber, but Christ, that gig was good.

Anyway, R.I.P. Arthur. 'You Set The Scene' is on repeat right now.

― yer mam! (yer mam!), Friday, 4 August 2006 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

Ultra-charismatic, in voice and wacky at Brooklyn's Warsaw a couple years ago. Goodbye.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 4 August 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

The one good thing is he was able to get out of jail and resurrected his career for awhile there. He was able to redeem himself to a certain extent. He played a lot of shows in his final years and he had to be impressed by the love and admiration he recieved from his fans, especially after being in limbo for almost three decades.

― Jeff K (jeff k), Friday, 4 August 2006 23:20 (nineteen years ago)

very sad. sorry i never got to see the dude live now.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 4 August 2006 23:25 (nineteen years ago)

xxxpost: You Set The Scene was all I needed today, in fact. I'm probably far too young to really appreciate what Arthur Lee gave, though.

― Louis Jagger (Haberdager), Friday, 4 August 2006 23:29 (nineteen years ago)

Woah! Someone else has a copy of Vindicator?

I sat next to this classic hippie type in a music comp class in around '76. We were both having real trouble hearing intervals and sight singing.

I said I blamed it on being a drummer. He introduced himself as Alban Pfisterer, and said he used to play drums in a band in the sixties. I asked who... he said aw, you never heard of us...

True. I checked his picture that night. It was him. He said he was "DC"s roommate.

Call me sappy, Little Red Book always does it for me, but that was top 40 when I was pre-teen.

― factcheckr (factcheckr), Friday, 4 August 2006 23:52 (nineteen years ago)

R.I.P.

He led a tough life, and in a way it is surprising he was able to be around for so long.

He leaves behind at least one classic album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 4 August 2006 23:58 (nineteen years ago)

First Syd and now this! What a terrible year this was been.

― Ice Cream Electric (Ice Cream Electric), Saturday, 5 August 2006 01:28 (nineteen years ago)

So is it in fact true that the main riff of "Interstellar Overdrive" originated in Love's version of "My Little Red Book"?

― Ruud Haarvest (Ken L), Saturday, 5 August 2006 02:16 (nineteen years ago)

I've read that. I don't know how you'd confirm it, but what I read was Syd came up with the IO riff when he was trying to figure out MLRB.
IO's main riff does sound kinda like a simplified version of it, so it's plausible.

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Saturday, 5 August 2006 02:19 (nineteen years ago)

Rest in Peace. Forever Changes is one of the most purely melodic rock records ever. I don't know of an album that packs in more disarmingly beautiful, simple, singable melodies.

― Sean Braud1s (Sean Braudis), Saturday, 5 August 2006 03:00 (nineteen years ago)

Does anyone hear the first part of "Laughing Stock" as a pisstake on the Doors? The whole doom 'n' gloom thing?

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 5 August 2006 03:35 (nineteen years ago)

Tonight even revelation sounds good

Don't fucking forget to mention Da Capo people, it certainly would have been the best record of anyother year.

― Adam S S (Zephery), Saturday, 5 August 2006 03:44 (nineteen years ago)

Amazingly, I lent my copy of Forever Changes to a firend earlier this week and it just blew her mind. Pretty cool to think about the fact that as his body was failing him, his spirit was touching somebody for the first time.

Godspeed Arthur

I'll miss you

― Anthony Lombardi (CCPO), Saturday, 5 August 2006 03:56 (nineteen years ago)

Sad. I had that "and I'll face each day with a smile" bit running through my head all day. Mixed with Robyn Hitchcock's "The Wreck of the Arthur Lee": "the wreck of the Arthur Lee, will never return again, never return again." The song was from the early '90s - I'm glad he was wrong.

RIP.

― clotpoll (Clotpoll), Saturday, 5 August 2006 05:36 (nineteen years ago)

it's no "the man who invented himself."

*gets shivers*

― rudy huxtable can't fail (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 5 August 2006 06:21 (nineteen years ago)

Very, very sad. RIP.

― Jez (Jez), Saturday, 5 August 2006 06:22 (nineteen years ago)

very sad to hear this, always the first person i would mention as being born on my birthday. rip.

― Jena (JenaP), Saturday, 5 August 2006 06:28 (nineteen years ago)

RIP. Shame he never got around to making that long-promised new studio album.

Why are so many cool people dying all of a sudden???

-- Mr. Snrub (mistersnru...), August 4th, 2006.

Possibly because The Planet's shit right now?

R.I.P, Arthur.

― Jay Vee's Return (Manon_69), Saturday, 5 August 2006 09:25 (nineteen years ago)

guys check out the pre and post forever changes songs fo real!

Chaki's right, of course, and that's part of what made Love and Lee so great. In a way, Forever Changes was almost the eye of a hurricane -- everything on either side was all over the place, chaotically random often in the best possible way, garage rock to psych insanity to Broadway moves to etc. Forever Changes is this still, calm center...musically. But definitely not lyrically, and that was all to the better.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

Is there any good news these days? Sheesh.
I'm glad his work got it's due recognition in the past few years and he was accorded respect for what's a really great creative legacy. Been playing the first album and Forever Changes the past 24 hours. Gonna make my friends listen too.
Big life, big music, big loss.

― Major Alfonso (Major Alfonso), Saturday, 5 August 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

I played the debut album frequently during the spring of my second year of law school, an uncertain and melancholy time for me. It fit the mood perfectly.

The news of Lee's death moved me to put on "Best Of Love" this morning while driving to and from marathon training. I gave the woman whom I carpool with a quick overview, focusing on "Alone Again Or," "Live And Let Live" and "Laughing Stock." Even though she had never heard of Lee and Co., she seemed to enjoy the music.

I had never heard it that way before today, but I tend to agree with Rickey Wright's theory about the beginning of "Laughing Stock."

R.I.P.

― John Fredland (jfredland), Saturday, 5 August 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, Arthur was *funny*, too.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 5 August 2006 19:24 (nineteen years ago)

yo just downloaded Vindicator! awesome album! my dad's current drummer is the drummer on it! awesome!

― chaki (chaki), Saturday, 5 August 2006 23:10 (nineteen years ago)

vindicator is loads of fun. glad you like it.

― rudy huxtable can't fail (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 5 August 2006 23:27 (nineteen years ago)

Arthur Lee, 61; Forceful Leader of Influential '60s Band Love

― rudy huxtable can't fail (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 5 August 2006 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

ah balls//

"How long have *I* waited!"

RIP Arthur and roll on a very big mojo feature ifunowotsGOODFRYEW!!!

― mark grout (mark grout), Sunday, 6 August 2006 07:20 (nineteen years ago)

Vindicator

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Sunday, 6 August 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

Wow, Vindicator rocks! Thanks for the link.

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 7 August 2006 04:56 (nineteen years ago)

"Hamburger Breath Stinkfinger" bahahahaha. The titles are great. "You Want Change For Your Re-Run".

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 7 August 2006 05:50 (nineteen years ago)

I never got to see him; I shoulda made that drive to Cleveland.

Remember buying a mono copy of Da Capo in New Orleans, taking the record home and listening to nothing but ¡Que Vida! and She Comes in Colors, that first side, for a month. Forever Changes is great and I like his later stuff--I'm kinda of interested to see how much love there is for Vindicator here, howz about False Start, too--but side one of Da Capo is absolutely some of my biggest pleasure-principle pop of all time. "My mind's not made of gravel."

Crafty Arthur Lee--beating Johnny Mathis and the Bee Gees and Muzak at their own games. And I can't think of another song more windblown, more past wistful into some kind of temporary space that no one's ever approached, than "The Castle." And yet so L.A.-fake-schlock, "flamenco" flourish and all...

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 7 August 2006 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

So is it in fact true that the main riff of "Interstellar Overdrive" originated in Love's version of "My Little Red Book"?

Story goes that Peter Jenner loaned Syd his copy of Love's first album and Syd wore out the grooves. Of course, the other theory is that "Interstellar Overdrive" was based on the theme from "Steptoe and Son"!

― My Mind's Not Made of Gravel (Dada), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 10:02 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

aww.
http://lovearthurlee.com/?page_id=7

― schlump, Wednesday, 22 October 2008 04:01 (seventeen years ago)

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