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Note: Due to the many emails I’ve received and the busy typers typing away on the messageboard, today’s diary is a copy of an email I sent to a nice fan in New York. He was disappointed about the show being cancelled. Now, we were in the UK when these shows were booked and they were booked with you-know-who’s name on them. Unfortunately, our UK approach (offering discounts and refunds) didn’t apply in this situation, as we were removed from the situation and our USA agent was in charge. Maybe this type of note is best suited for a newsletter but I think what’s below ought to explain things a bit clearer. And to Love fans who are dead ready to have some fun again and see some shows that are actually different than they’ve ever seen, we WILL see you in the states very soon. As stated below, we are re-organizing some things and whipping other things into shape. Once our ‘team’ is tip top (which shant take long, trust me), watch out, because our goal is to give you the best cause you deserve it.

below is an email I sent to a few fans in the USA. I apologize for the ‘cookie cutter’ approach of it but it’s the only way I can respond to 35 emails all inquiring the same thing…..

We were meant to have a newsletter letter you all know what was up with some possible cancellations. are you on the newsletter email list? I THINK it’s: redtelephone@lovewitharthurlee.com

that MAY have changed, as we are in a transitional period. Don’t know if you are aware but Arthur Lee is no longer associated with the Love band that everyone has become accustomed to these last few years. Due to some very erratic performances, erratic behavior and a few no-shows ALL on Arthur’s part, we (Baby Lemonade) along with original guitarist, Johnny Echols, have decided to carry on as The Love Band (feat. Johnny Echols), with lead vocals mostly carried by guitarist, Rusty Squeezebox, although he and Johnny are sharing many of the tunes as well. We are also doing some songs that we never did with Arthur, including Revelations and (next tour) The Castle.

We’ll also be playing more gems from the first album, as well as several new songs that i promise are very good and very much in the Love vain. Also, our bassist, David Chapple, has taken to playing a mean harmonica on Signed DC and Revelation (with me switching to bass for these tunes). All in all, with Arthur’s decline of late (forgetting most of the words – Rusty has been singing the set and arthur practically lip-syncing), his inability to even stand up at our last 2 shows, his inability to play the guitar AND, most importantly, his inability to actually SING anymore, we felt that these things (not to mention his going AWOL on our latest UK/Euro tour where we had to do an entire tour WITHOUT him) leave us no choice but to continue to play music but without him. We hope and pray he gets himself together but you know as well as we do that’s a crap shoot, given the history behind some of his problems.

That said, even though USA LOVE with A.Lee shows have been removed, we are confident to re-book something under the new name and also to promote (radio/interviews) the reconfigured group properly so that fans know and understand what’s going on. The USA shows were booked under contracts that are no longer valid so, in a sense, we are starting a bit from scratch (much in the way we did in spring 2002 when we started this thing back up) but the outlook is most certainly great; for fans of LOVE’s music and for people like ourselves that have dedicated our lives to playing this great music for so many shows in so many cities around the world.

all the best,

Mike Randle