After a sell out run of nine months in Manhattan’s Solo Playhouse, Stewart D’Arrietta presented his acclaimed caberet celebrating the music of Tom Waites at this years Edinburgh festival, some SMILER members were in the audience and enjoyed the show, until near the end when Stewart tells the audience that he [Waites] has been covered many times, Bruce Springsteen,[Jersey Girl…Amazing version], and Rod Stewart, where he looks down at the stage, makes a face and pretends to spit,
SMILER member’exiled essex boy’ was first to post his annoyance saying Rod’s odd career gaff should not make him an easy target for a lazy joke or a put down and other members soon followed with SMILER president John Gray saying ‘Rod does to Waites what he does to Dylan, always improves on the original, both Dylan and Waites throw great songs away, Rod rescues them and transforms them’
We contacted Stewart and told him our views and asked him had he ever heard Rod’s brilliant version of ‘Hang on St Chrisopher’
To his credit he soon got back with the following statement-
Dear Rod, I apologise profusely. God knows what made me do such an act. I suppose there is a degree of jelousy of the man’s success. I was a huge fan of his when he was the singer for the Faces, Anyway its dropped now and I will listen to ‘Hang on St Christopher’
In return SMILER would like to wish Stewart Good Luck with the rest of his shows now the only bad bit is no longer in it!
