Hugh, I would say it was any number of things that happened over at Stanley Clarke dot com.
But it also had something to do with the enthusiasm of the artist. Let me explain.
Stanley Clarke dot com was pretty much abandoned, and I believe the last time Stanley respond to anyone there (according to his system logs) was 2008. For me, that's a long time to not address your fans. But, I was fine with the notion because it was like our country club or barber shop for other other musicians, and myself to get together and hang out and talk about what? Music. It was much like here, but we got deep.
I really enjoyed hanging out over there, and it demonstrated how tolerant Stanley was, because again, it was a deep musical experience we all shared, it was peaceful, and I was able to gain a perspective from another point of views from people who understood where I was coming from with an urban black experience when talking about ROCK, SOUL, JAZZ, FUNK and GOSPEL too.
At the time, I was working on a history piece on the FUNK, and how Disco almost killed the FUNK. While I read many points of views and other documents and works published, I was not satisfied, and I felt much of the readings were too apologetic and cut-up from the real oral history I would come to understand, and many of the musicians/bands are gone, and I wanted to know why, and what in the hell happened. So, on Stanley's site, I was given the spiritual support, to direct my energies to attempt to unravel the mysteries of what happened to the FUNK and who assisted in its demise.
So, as time marched on, Stanley's web staff had made us aware, Stanley had collaborated with a social network, and was actively participating with fans, and there were plenty of blog space for integrating music, pictures and video, and best of all, you can talk to Stanley directly publicly and privately. As you could imagine, this was great news and 100% of my questions were related to his educational directions vs musical learning and theories. I also shared I was 100% about supporting the FUNK, and I showed Stanley my drawings of my basses and he also seen pictures of the finished product. Stanley ask me to write my blog on my bass. So, in the beginning, there was a lot of magic in the air because people from the industry were jumping on and adding their space to the network for the non-profit and charity activities I am involved.
It was just a really cool place to hang out, and as my Funk blog was in full swing, Stanley would occasionally chime in on a particular area of the blog, and comment. Stanley was really supportive on my topics, and email me his thoughts. So, things were really cool, and I would continue to write, and weeks would go by, and it became a route to write more, but one day the whole site crashed. All the members who signed up, their accounts, and membership were completely lost and nobody knew why.
All my work, and correspondences to other people and them to me, were completely wiped out just like that... Oh, my goodness I almost cried because there's nowhere you could learn, and had that many people to access at one time to get something done. Also I was getting ready to stage auditions for interested people to join my FUNK band as a non-profit arm to helping other during a time of need. (I now need horns...)
From what I am told from a insider, Stanley was not happy about it at all. Because it was great for his music and dedications of his talent over so many years and anyone who would try to login, would be routed to Kelsey.com. That was just wrong.
It taken months to repair the site, but by the time the site was back up, the whole format was gone, and completely changed. The thrill was gone, so I told everybody who were reading my blog updates, to go back to Stanley Clarke dot com and I promised myself I wouldn't leave Stanley's site and I felt I never should had left to the new site in the first place, because I deeply felt Stanley should just invest time in on his own web site... and I would had gladly stayed if Stanley was interactive on his original site.
So I went back, and pulled my notes from where I left off, but much of videos and pictures I had, been lost. So, as people started reading my work on the FUNK, things were cool.
Something happened strangely, when Stanley toured at Yosh's in Oakland Ca, when Stanley allegedly (by witness/members account) walked over to a fan who was doing and say nothing, and Stanley snapped, and asked if the the guy was on drugs. As reported by one of members of Stanley's website also said it was pretty strange, because he said, he sat next to the guy, and their was nothing he could see, for Stanley to justify disrupting everyone's enjoyment and evening over something that was of a complete mystery. So, I don't know what to say... I got on the topic about the early beginnings, and history of the electric bass... and that's when things started to change for me, and I am sure, by this time Stanley was paying attention to what was being said on his website on the incident and probably everything else too. But instead of speaking on it, and shedding his light, Stanley never commented a word. So, I guess you just keep the mystery to these things, and only the people who were there, knows really what happened (so this becomes a oral history...) So, then it becomes a question of who you believe: a celebrity or an everyday person, but frankly, I was not there and my mind was on Monk, and I had questions on on my mind about Monk, his life and time, and I was hoping Stanley would know something (he seems to know everything else...about the bass).
However, we think we know something, but if we humble ourselves, we might just learn something we never known before...
I would mentioned Monk Montgomery, because Monk was the first electric bass player Leo Fender selected to play the Fender P, on a professional level. Monk was the first electric bass astronaut test pilot, and to me, that's news Stanley (with his PhD), never mentioned. I included this information in my blog and Monk's musical bass playing, and it sounded like Stanley Clarke, but in a primitive way. (...but hey, its earlier stuff) Monk innovations on taking the first electric bass to the front of the bands was his claim, and not Stanley's. People need to know the truth. So, of course I wanted to ask Stanley about what he knew about Monk, and had he ever lectured on this man any time in his musical career?
Monk also played Upright with a bow and finger playing stlye. What was interesting, Monk is was the the first to apply an electric bass lead, with an acoustic bottom. Monk played the electric bass as a lead guitar player, and supported compositions with orchestras with this style.
After coming to this understanding, I felt like my education was seriously hacked because, I never heard a mention of this guy named Monk before, but that's the value of my family's oral musical history. I asked Stanley why has he not mentioned this guy in his work, because Stanley sounds just like Monk.
Stanley never returned my questions, and all of a sudden, with no warning Stanley shuts down his site, and returns with a entirely new format and totally different perspective. I lost everything.
At this point, I just created my own blog not associated to any famous person nor market product push.
Stanley's new content is basically 'BUY MY CD' and look at my cool pictures, and remember the good old days of RTF, and read without being too critical... and like -- 'check out this awesome bass line, and drool'.
So, I come to the conclusion, I am not welcomed at Stanley's sites because of my questions. Stanley protecting his brand, but frankly, my questions were innocent to gaining a perspective of Stanley's thoughts on other bass players who I never heard him mention, and I didn't want to be left to draw my own conclusions when Stanley and I had already exchanged emails on what? Music.
It's just like when I announced the Toma_Hawk bass, as being the first Funk bass or the first time, anyone felt the need pay their respects of to the players who inspired me to want such a design in the first place. Stanley knows his bass, and he now knows mine too, but most importantly, the history behind it's creations is bigger than me, and came before me, but was finally manifested this year.
Only a foot print in the sands of life, to fade away with an absolute certainty...
#12, I am truly sorry for stretchin out the FUNK man, for you turned me on the Stanley's site.
Ladies and Gentlemen...
I bring you Monk Montgomery
Peace and Love,
Hal-
(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on July 26, 2010)
