Way back when, I introduced myself to Mike Gent, a member of the Figgs who, people told me, was a massive Kinks fan. People were right. This guy could play “Out of the Wardrobe” off the top of his head. I knew I needed him to be part of “Do It Again.”
At a certain point, struggling to come up with enough cash to pay for all of the original master recordings I wanted, I asked Mike for a favor. I wanted to use “Victoria” in the film, but I wasn’t impressed by a cover version Cracker had recorded. Gent obliged. He went into Moontower and cranked out a smoking cover. Not only that, he played all of the instruments.
Then he did “Big Sky.” Scott Janovitz assisted on some backing vocals, but again, it was all Gent. “Big Sky” is not an easy song to cover. The other versions I’ve heard – by Matthew Sweet and Yo La Tengo, to name two – are passable but are too soft. They also fail to capture the almost sloppy crunch of Mick Avory’s drumming. Gent did. I’ve got proof.
Sadly, you won’t hear that proof in our festival version of “Do It Again.” A licensing challenge left me subbing out his covers of “Victoria” and “Big Sky.” It is genuinely one of my big regrets.
That’s why we’re looking to press a few promo 45s – that’s a record, boys and girls – of Gent’s versions. We’re not going to sell them. But we will give a few away if we can raise enough to press the records. And this won’t be just a slice of vinyl in a white sleeve. Dave Plunkert, the master artist responsible for the fantastic “Do It Again” poster, has agreed to design a custom sleeve. We’ll number the first 50 and Plunkert and Gent will sign ‘em before they go out. I’ll sign it as well, if you request that, though I’m not sure why you’d want my John Hancock on the record. After all, I can’t play the drums.
So that’s the Big Sky challenge. If 20 of you contribute $50 each, we’ll be able to pay for the record (Victoria/Big Sky) and sleeve and you’ll get a numbered, sonic piece of art. Send your payment to gedgers@mac.com at paypal.com or write me directly to make alternative arrangements.
We’ve raised enough to put the Mike Gent “Victoria/Big Sky” 45 into production. But I do need some more cash to break even on my maiden adventure into the record biz. The first 50 records – on sale for $50 each – will be numbered and signed by Gent, artist Dave Plunkert, “Do It Again” director Robert Patton-Spruill and me. As always, just email me at gedgers@mac.com or paypal me at the same e-ddress.
