Lake and Fripp: Not the Best of Friends

While reading through Sid Smith’s bio of King Crimson titled “In the Court of King Crimson,” I came across this anecdote that Smith relates about a meeting between Greg Lake and Robert Fripp. I’ve excerpted it here for your enjoyment:

“In July 1977, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, complete with a full orchestra, pulled into town for three sell-out nights at Madison Square Garden. Although ELP were the complete antithesis, both musically and ideologically, of Fripp’s new scene, the guitarist nevertheless went along to see the band in action and was able to get backstage before the band went on.

Lake recalls seeing his former bandmate for the first time since leaving Crimson back in 1970, as he made his way to the arena. “And as I’m walking past this barrier I see Robert and I was shocked. So I asked him what he was doing there and said to the roadie ‘Get him out of the crowd and get him back into the dressing room and look after him.’ So up we go on the stage and we play the show.”

As Lake remembers, after the show the pair agreed to go out to eat. “So we went off in the limo and we’re going down the road and I said to him ‘You know Robert, one day we ought to get our guitars out and play together again. It’s been so long since we did that.’ And he said ‘I don’t think so.’ So I said to the driver ‘Just pull over on the left here’, opened the f**king door and told him to leg it. I said ‘Out you go’ and I dropped him off. I thought why was he like that? It must have been jealousy. There was ELP selling out three nights at Madison Square Garden and you couldn’t get arrested in King Crimson at that time.”

Fripp denies it happened this way, noting that the conversation happened while the limo had already come to a stop at his doorway.

(I like the expression “…I told him to leg it.” Nice variation of what we in America would say, “Told him to take a hike” or “Told him to get the hell out”.

It just goes to show you, it’s not easy being a prog rocker.

bluetailfly wrote: While reading through Sid Smith’s bio of King Crimson titled “In the Court of King Crimson,” I came across this anecdote that Smith relates about a meeting between Greg Lake and Robert Fripp. I’ve excerpted it here for your enjoyment:   As Lake remembers, after the show the pair agreed to go out to eat. “So we went off in the limo and we’re going down the road and I said to him ‘You know Robert, one day we ought to get our guitars out and play together again. It’s been so long since we did that.’ And he said ‘I don’t think so.’ So I said to the driver ‘Just pull over on the left here’, opened the f**king door and told him to leg it. I said ‘Out you go’ and I dropped him off. I thought why was he like that? It must have been jealousy. There was ELP selling out three nights at Madison Square Garden and you couldn’t get arrested in King Crimson at that time.”

If that is the truth then my estimation of Bunter Boy Lake has gone way up!

Reed Lover wrote: Sorry,I've been hanging around in the Erotic Art Thread Humour? You never seen Carry On Up The Khyber? It's my comedy bible!

Maybe you should try watching Jim Davidson a bit.... maybe that will help..

I know a lot about Crimson history... even more about its history while Greg was still there.. and Greg's big reason from leaving a great band after the first album.. had to do with Robert's control issues.  I doubt Greg was being defensive... he's a little too cocky for that... but it wouldn't be hard to take Fripp's response as an insult... cause most likely thats exactly what it was...