Just wanted to acknowledge Charlie's backing/harmony vocals, I have only really started to appreciate them over the past couple of years and they're great.
To me they seem to be more prominent in the mix on the deluxe editions of Futurama, Sunburst Finish and Modern Music and are great on the various live recordings. I think the harmonies really add texture to the songs.
Don't know if Bill created the harmonies himself, or Charlie or whether it was a team effort but on the original releases they seem very low in the mix, if noticeable at all and that's a shame.
I remember seeing the movie ‘Once Were Warriors’ with a pal or three in 1994 and jumping up saying too loudly, ‘What?! That’s CHARLIE!’
I still remember the shock I felt when I came across Charlie's obituary in Mojo mag all those years ago....it was always clear that he had a real love of life, which made his untimely death all the more tragic. He always looked like he was having a real ball playing and singing in BBD.
Why is it that good guys like that are frequently taken too early from us, yet chronic arseholes seem to go on forever causing damage and chaos within our daily lives.....
…….don't get me started......back to thinking about Charlie and let go of dark thoughts and anger on the hideous contemporary construct we are immersed in......
I got to see BBD a couple of times, and I've got to say that Charlie's vocals were the perfect harmony to Bill's lead. His exuberance for the music was infectious, and he and Bill were a great team!