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The Road To Frippsville

(AKA Six Degrees Of Robert Fripp)

frippsville

Here a little game to test your rock music history knowledge. King Crimson's Robert Fripp has dripped his spiderfingers into the massive web of  rock music history. Now here a way to see how big that web is. The game works the same as the drinking game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" except you have a point system. What you'll need is:

>a stack of 10 to 20 CDs with inserts (your local artists excluded unless you're up for the challenge)
>a way of mapping out connections (large piece of paper, a computer, a dry-erase board, etc.)
>a way of keeping score (scorecard)
> players with an extensive knowledge of rock music history

 The object of the game is to accumulate the most points before the stack of CDs are exhausted by making connects to Robert Fripp. The player/team with the most points wins. The game starts by placing the CDs in a "grab" bag so all players/teams don't see the CDs. Players/teams determine who goes first. That player/team randomly picks a CD from the "Grab Bag". The person(s) must now find a connection from the parameters given in the points list below of the artist/group on the selected CD to Mr. Robert Fripp. Players/teams may look through the CD details to start the mapping process. The player/team is recommended to figure out his or her "charting" in private before presenting their final route to the group. Players/teams may NOT pick multiple jobs performed by a connecting person or revisit the same connecting person in the same turn. For example...George Martin PRODUCED & ARRANGED for The Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" album. Players/teams must pick only one task performed between connecting persons per turn. The player/team then writes "Robert Fripp" in the center of the "mapping" medium then procedes to make connections backwards to the artist/group on the selected CD. If the player/team can not make the connection, then the next player/team gets a turn to try to make the connection until all chances are exhausted and the CD is discarded. Played/teams may NOT use to same route or part of route (job of the connecting person on the same album, song, etc.,) established by previous plays. A way to get around this roadblock, for other player/teams to use, is if the connecting person had multiple jobs on a song, album, etc.,. Players/team continue to take turns until the stack of CDs are exhausted. Points are added to determine the winner.

Point List:

1 point = Band Member/Co-wrote - Connecting person was official member of a group or wrote songs with another connecting person. Not the same as a session  musician or guest  performer (see below). Example...Paul McCartney wrote "A Day In The Life" with (connecting person) John Lennon. Only one person (not as a band) for one job per connection.

2 points = Played/Recorded or Touring Member with - Connecting person played as a session musician or credited as a guest performer in a recording session; or was/is a touring member of a connecting person's act. Connecting persons on the same tour but different performances are NOT playable connections. Example...Ringo Starr played drums on (connecting person) George Harrison's "Cloud Nine" album but Ringo Starr's All-Star Band opened for George Harrison on tour as separate bands (a non-playable connection). Only one job per connection.

3 points = Produced
- Connecting person produced a song or album for another connecting person. Example...George Martin produced "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" for Paul McCartney of The Beatles. If a connecting person both produced and performed on a song or album, only one of the jobs can be used as a connection by the playing person/team. This keeps the route open for other players/team to use later if needed. Only one job per connection.

4 points = Engineering - Connecting person engineered a song or album for another connecting person. Example...Geoff Emerick engineered "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" for John Lennon of The Beatles. If a connecting person both produced and engineered a song or album, only one of the jobs can be used as a connection by the playing person/team. This keeps the route open for other players/team to use later if needed. Only one job per connection.

5 points = Arranged/Wrote for (Work Made For Hire)/Programmed - Connecting person arranged, wrote a song for or did synthesizer programming for a connecting person. Example...Lennon/McCartney wrote "..some song.." for (connecting person) Badfinger. Only one job per connection.

Penalties

-1 point for every connections over 3 people excluding Fripp.
-2 points for every connection over 6 people excluding Fripp.
-4 point for every connections over 9 people excluding Fripp.
-8 points for every connection over 12 people excluding Fripp.
Lose turn for over 15 connecting people including Fripp.


Examples:

ABBA Gold Greatest Hits

Abba's Frida did a solo called "Something's Going On" which was PRODUCED (3 points) by Phil Collins. Collins was a member of Genesis during 1976/1977 while they had Bill Bruford as a TOURING MEMBER (2 points) of the band. Bruford was a MEMBER (1 points) of King Crimson which includes core-member Robert Fripp

 TOTAL POINTS = 6

Eels Electro-shock Blues (ROUTE #1)

Eel's E  RECORDED (2 points) the song "Climbing To The Moon" with Grant Lee Phillips. Phillips was in a band called Grant Lee Buffalo. Grant Lee Buffalo RECORDED (2 points) the song "Everybody Needs A Little Sanctuary" with REM's Michael Stipe. REM/Stipe had John Paul Jones ARRANGE (5 points) strings parts for the "Automatic For The People" album. Jones was in Led Zepplin with BAND MEMBER (1 points w/ -1 pt. penalty) John Bonhan. Bonhan PLAYED (2 points w/ -1 pt. penalty) on Pink Floyd's "The Wall" with David Gilmour. Gilmour hired Tony Levin as a SESSION MUSICIAN (2 points w/ -1 pt. penalty) for "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" album. Levin was a MEMBER (1 points) of King Crimson which includes core-member Robert Fripp.

TOTAL POINTS = 12

Eels Electro-shock Blues (ROUTE #2)

(Remember that route #1 removes from play their respectable albums : E playing with Phillips; Phillips playing with Stipe; Stipe/REM being arranged by Jones; Bonhan & Levin playing for Gilmour; Levin being a member of Fripp's band.)

Eel's drummer Butch PLAYED (2 points) on Fiona Apple's "When The Pawn..." which was PRODUCED (3 points) by Jon Brion. Brion PLAYED (2 points) on Grant Lee Buffalo's "Jubilee" album. "Jubilee" was PRODUCED (3 points w/ -1 pt. penalty) by Paul Fox (not Paul Kimble) who also PRODUCED (3 points w/ -1 pt. penalty) XTC's "Oranges & Lemons" album. Dave Gregory, who was in XTC during "Oranges & Lemons", PLAYED (2 points w/ -1 pt. penalty) on Peter Gabriel's third album. Gabriel's second album was PRODUCED (3 points) by Robert Fripp.

TOTAL POINTS = 15

Notice that a few connection are still open for other players/teams to play through on: Collins also PLAYED drums on Frida's album; Levin was a TOURING MEMBER of Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, & Howe; Bob Ezrin PRODUCED both Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album and Gabriel's first album; Fripp played on Gabriel first and second albums.


Some verification maybe needed in some shady areas. Using the web and/or Peter Frame's "Rock Family Trees"/"More Rock Family Trees" can help in those rough spots. A referee may also be needed to verify connections and make sure players aren't bluffing.

Have fun.........

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