3.30.2013

LEGENDARY DETROIT DRUMMER JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK IN NEW COBO FILM

Johnny Bee Badanjek

Johnny Bee Badanjek has done more for rock n roll than anyone. His discography is just off the planet.  As I was researching different bands to showcase recently...I discovered that damn near everyone one of these groups had a "BEE" connection... Mitch Ryder, The Rockets, Michael Katon, Huck Johns, Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, Broken Toys, Nils Lofgren, Max Weinberg, The Detroit Cobras, Brownsville Station, The Romantics, The Look, The Howling Diablos, Dr. John, Albert King and many many more.... Take a look at Bee's Complete Discography


Happened to be looking at some Detroit venue information tonight and I ran into the Facebook page for The Legendary Cobo Hall Documentary film.  This is a documentary about the famed Cobo Arena (Hall) in Detroit.  All the biggest shows played Cobo.

I attended countless shows there and eventually ended up working there in the 80's.  My dream as a kid was to be a rock music stage manager..Never ended up doing that but I hired a ton of them! LOL These two guys Jake Hall and Doug Akers are the films creators. Here is the overview of the movie:

The Legendary Cobo (The Legendary Cobo LLC) is showcasing the amazing story of Cobo Arena by creating a truly entertaining portrait of its event history from 1960 to present day and the impact it has had on not only the city of Detroit but also the World.

"Another Detroit music pioneer, legendary drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek (Mitch Ryder and Detroit Wheels, Detroit, The Rockets, Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper etc. etc.) came down to Cobo and shared some great insider stories while he took the film directors on a tour of some of the seldom seen areas of Cobo Arena. (HE would know)." From the Official Legendary Cobo Website

The Broken Toys "It Makes No Difference"

JC Whitelaw: Guitar,Vocal
Johnny Bee Badanjek: Drums,Vocal 
Huck Johns: Vocal 
Jon Ross: Bass Vocal

Loved this video! Thank you JC for sending this to me...xK



Universally loved and respected by all...Bee is the real deal.  I have never heard a cross word about him or from him.  Always has time for interviewers and fans...He is so funny and patient with others who want his attention...which is everybody he meets!


Johnny is a gifted drummer, no doubt one of the very best...he also is a very good songwriter and a damn good singer too! Here is a video of his band The Rockets and he wrote this song..."Taking it Back"

Bee's songs launched the Rockets into national prominence, and proved his ability to score consistently on the nation's pop music charts ("Can't Sleep", "Turn Up the Radio","Takin' It Back").



Johnny is also the most incredible painter.  His style is very distinctive...kind of Van Gogh meets Picasso with a rock n roll drummer perspective! LOL I recognize his work easily.  I have a Bee self portrait  giclee which is posted on my sidebar.  His work is very respected by other artists and members of the art community.  He participates in many art events each year. If you are interested in purchasing one of his works feel free to email me...Retrokimmer@gmail.com

This lovely gentleman of Detroit is one of my very favorite rock stars and he is a great friend.
We love him dearly and support his every endeavor....xxK

SABIAN CYMBALS FOUNDER ROBERT ZILDJIAN DIED MARCH 27


Robert “RZ” Zildjian, the founder of the Sabian Cymbal Company, died on Wednesday (March 27) at the age of 89 after a long battle with cancer. The news was announced on Sabian’s website.

“It is with deep, deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Robert “RZ” Zildjian, our beloved founder and leader,” the statement began. “A tireless and dynamic force within the drum industry, he inspired each one of us in the Sabian family to work harder, to reach farther, to make a difference — and he led us by example.”

Zildjian founded Sabian in 1981 following a dispute with his brother, Armand, over control of the Avedis Zildjian Company, which was founded in Boston by their father in 1928. The Zildjian family has been making cymbals in their native Turkey since the early-17th century. Zildjian chose the name Sabian by taking the first two letters of the names of his three children: Sally, Bill and Andy. Despite the split, the Zildjian company paid tribute to “RZ” on their website.



Sabian cymbals have been played and endorsed by many of the top drummers in rock, including Neil Peart (Rush), Phil Collins, Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chickenfoot) and Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck).

Zildjian is survived by his wife, Willi, their three children and eight grandchildren. A full biography on Zildjian’s life can be found at Sabian’s website.

AUSTRALIA DISCOVERED RODRIGUEZ COLD FACT LP FIRST


Sixto Rodriguez
Australia discovered him before South Africa.

 I had quite a few of my readers from down under write to me to let me know that THEY knew of Rodriguez for decades.  Not a sudden jump to fame like the "Searching for Sugarman" depicts. But no matter...Rodriguez's life is a great story.. How unaffected this man is by his success...how much he cares for his family, friends, and sharing his profits with them. That is the lesson grasshoppers....

A handful of copies of Rodriguez's 1970 debut LP, Cold Fact, reached Australia months after the album bombed in America. One wound up in the hands of Australian radio DJ Holger Brockman, who began playing "Sugar Man" on 2SM radio in Sydney.


Record stores started selling Cold Fact for upwards of $300, and Blue Goose records eventually released it to huge sales all across the continent. "Every single one of my friends had Cold Fact," says Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst. "We'd play Bruce Springsteen's The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, Billy Joel's first album and Cold Fact."

By the late 1970s, Australian concert promoters tracked down Rodriguez in Detroit. He arrived in Australia with his two teenage daughters for a 15-date tour in early 1979. "He was just stunned by what we put together for him," promoter Michael Coppel told Billboard at the time.

A live album from the tour was released in 1981, right around the time he came back for a second tour. This time he shared the bill with Midnight Oil at some gigs. "I thought it was the highlight of my career," Rodriguez says today. "I had achieved that epic mission. Not much happened after that. No calls or anything."


He's earning crazy money right now . . .

Rodriguez's rediscovery by South Africans in 1998 allowed him to retire from the construction business. He returned to the country for shows every couple of years, and he also started gigging around Europe. Cold Fact was rereleased on CD and it slowly began finding an audience across the continent, though American success proved elusive.

Rodriguez and his daughters

Searching for Sugar Man, however, changed everything, bringing Rodriguez to a previously unfathomable level of success. He was playing the 190-seat capacity Joe's Pub in New York under a year ago. He soon graduated to the 700-seat Highline Ballroom, and his shows at Town Hall (1,500 seats), the Beacon Theater (2,900 seats) and Radio City Music Hall (6,000 seats) all sold out in minutes. They just booked him at Brooklyn's 18,000-seat Barclays Center.

And that's just in New York City. He has over 30 shows across the world on the books right now, including DETROIT MAY 18.  A recent string of shows in South Africa netted him over $700,000.

. . . and he's giving away most of it.


3.29.2013

**ANNOUNCING** RETROKIMMER.COM ADVERTISING PACKAGES!!!

Retro Kimmer

JAMES JAMERSON IS PAUL MCCARTNEY'S FAVORITE BASSIST OF ALL TIME!


James Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s, and he is one of the most influential bass players in music history..
 


Paul McCartney‘s inventive bass playing has influenced countless artists, but he has musical heroes of his own, and he revealed one of them during the latest round of the ongoing Q&A session he’s having with fans at his website.


Asked “Who was the biggest influence upon your bass playing?,” McCartney responded, “The

As the answer posted at McCartney’s site notes, Jamerson influenced more than McCartney — as a member of the Motown house band, dubbed the Funk Brothers, he added his distinctive sound to countless classic recordings during the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, working with a long and illustrious list of artists that included Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and the Four Tops, among many others.



We are jumping onboard to assist Anthony McKnight and The Motown Alumni Association in  raising the world's awareness of this most unique and extremely talented Detroit musician.

Read More about James Jamerson 
If you'd like to help email me at retrokimmer@gmail.com



Here is a fantastic article on James Jamerson from the very successful NY Bassist Rick Suchow

Back in the early Sixties when American music was in the process of being conquered by the British Invasion, and bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were suddenly dominating the country’s pop charts on a regular basis, the U.S. was concurrently brewing up a storm of its own to answer back with. The sound that tornadoed out of Detroit, swept up American radio, and then blew back across the Atlantic, was known by a single word: Motown. FULL STORY  thanks  dEtroitFunk.com

3.27.2013

STEVE HUNTER'S MANHATTAN BLUES LP WITH GUESTS JOE PERRY AND JOHNNY DEPP!!


Wow we just got off the phone with Karen Ann Hunter... Steve is getting better health wise and now he has a new Kickstarter update on the Manhattan Blues LP... We just found out too that JOE PERRY and JOHNNY DEPP contributed to this project!! YES!!!! Check this out gang!!


Guitarist Joe Perry and Johnny Depp




THE AMAZING PERSUASIONS PERFORMING IN WASHINGTON DC.....


APPEARING AT THE HOWARD THEATER JULY 12, 2013

I have had the EXTREME PLEASURE of seeing the Persuasions perform many times over the years. I am so pleased that they are still performing and sharing the magic they create.

The Persuasions are the undisputed heavyweight champions of a cappella. They are to singing what Muhammad Ali was to boxing--invincible, innovative, original, beautiful. Together since the mid-'60s, the Persuasions continue to sing as if that's what they do instead of breathing.

The Persuasions have released 18 albums, and have recorded or performed with artists including Liza Minelli, Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, The Neville Brothers, Country Joe McDonald, B.B. King.


With a career spanning half a century and showing no signs of retiring any time soon, the Persuasions continue to take on new and exciting musical projects. Over the summer of '09, it was the music of J.J. Cale, featuring the powerhouse baritone/tenor of "Sweet" Joe Russell on "I'll Make Love To You," and basso profundo, Jimmy Hayes on "Travelin' Light."




Continuing the tradition of in-house self-arranging and producing, the group is now joined by Dave Revels, former member of the Drifters and long time Persuasions friend (who sang with them on their Beatles tribute CD and later arranged and produced their U2 tribute CD) as producer/arranger of the group's recording projects, along with Jimmy Hayes. Since the departure of lead singer Jerry Lawson, the "Pers" have regrouped and continue to perform nationwide to rave reviews.

The Persuasions FACEBOOK

MICHIGAN MODERN: DESIGN THAT SHAPED AMERICA CRANBROOK


Photo credit: Cranbrook Academy of Art Orpheus Fountain and Peristyle
by Balthazar Korab courtesy of the Library of Congress

Michigan’s design visionaries touched nearly every aspect of American life. Automobile companies stylized the cars that became part of the American dream. The furniture industry revolutionized the American home and office. Architects Eero Saarinen and Minoru Yamasaki defined an era.

Join nationally renowned speakers and tour Michigan’s outstanding INCREDIBLE modern sites: General Motors Technical Center, Lafayette Park, Alden Dow Home and Studio, McGregor Memorial Center and the Ford River Rouge Plant.


Developed by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and Cranbrook Art Museum.


LANSING --The official launch of the ground-breaking Michigan Modern symposium and exhibition is set for the week of June 13-16, 2013, at the Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Symposium registration is now open at michiganmodern.org.

The goal of the project is to showcase how Michigan’s industrial and design history intertwined, creating an epicenter of modern design that touched nearly every aspect of American life. The project celebrates Michigan’s outstanding contributions to Modern design and the stories of the people who made it happen.

National experts in Modern design will converge on Cranbrook, June 13-16, 2013, for Michigan Modern™: Design that Shaped America, a symposium hosted by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).


“What happened in Michigan – in the automotive industry, the furniture industry, in architecture, and in education – influenced design throughout the country and internationally. Michigan’s Modern designers truly shaped America,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway. “Detroit automakers didn’t just produce automobiles; they styled them to become synonymous with the American dream. West Michigan furniture companies didn’t just make furniture, they revolutionized the look of the American office and home. Michigan architects didn’t just build buildings, they defined an American modern era.”

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is financed in part by a grant from the National Park Service, Department of Interior. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on its federally funded assistance programs. If you believe you've been discriminated against please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C. St. NW, Washington DC 20240.

Contact: Katie Bach
Communications
Telephone: 517.335.4786

MARVIN GAYE 29TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION IN WASHINGTON DC

Retro Kimmer

Next year I will be at this celebration.......we loved Marvin so...

For 29 years now The African American Music Association has celebrated the life, legacy and Birthday of one of the greatest talents to touch the world. The late great Marvin Gaye. This celebration began in 1984, on the very next birthday following Marvin's passing. Every since that year DC has come out annually to help celebration his life's work.

In addition, the AAMA created a scholarship fund in Marvin's name to help a well deserving Washington, DC high school senior with money for college. In addition to awarding college scholarships the AAMA each year selects and recognizes an individual who is or has demonstrated a dedication to serving their community with the Outstanding Community Service Award.

This years award will be presented to Mrs. Beverly Lindsay-Johnson for her efforts in preserving the music and dance culture of Washington, DC. This years theme will focus on bridging the generational gaps through hand dancing as many young people have gravitated towards the dance which is of course being taught by elders.

This years celebration will be extra special as we celebrate in the Newly Restored Howard Theater, which of course Marvin performed at as a young artist growing up in native Washington, DC. Doors open at 6pm; Marvin's music will be playing and Dinner will be available throughout the duration of the show.

The program starts at 8pm and will consist of a musical tribute to Marvin by The Fathers Children, guest speakers, artists, and a hand dancing presentation followed by am evening of dancing til Midnight with music by Dr.Nick. All of course in the spirit of the Late, Great Marvin Gay


**NEW** ERIC BURDON BOOK COMING OUT IN 2013....

Eric Burdon

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Eric Burdon, the singer of the 1960s blues-rock band The Animals, is writing a memoir detailing his five decades in the music industry, publisher Alfred Music said on Tuesday.

The book, entitled "Breathless," will be released late this year, the publisher said.

Burdon, 71, best known for merging U.S. blues music with 1960s British rock and roll, said the book will be a way for him to recall and recount the many details of his musical life.

"I'm writing this book to help myself remember the past, acknowledge the present and help the new generation to discover their own truth," Burdon said in a statement.



Burdon and The Animals rose to prominence and scored a No. 1 hit with his menacing and intense singing on "The House of the Rising Sun" in 1964, turning it into a definitive rendition of the American folk song.

The Animals, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, broke up in 1968 after five years together and reformed at times in the 1970s and 1980s. Burdon helped found the U.S. funk band War in 1969.

His latest solo album "'Til Your River Runs Dry" was released in January and was his first album of new material since 2006.

BONCIDELLO SALON & SPA: BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!!


“Where beauty starts inside”
BonCiDello Salon & Spa
46877 Hayes rd in Shelby Twsp.
586-532-7020
Hair, Nails & Skin
Daily deals…

Shellac $25.00
Teen Treatment Facials $25.00


3.26.2013

FLINT'S BEST ROCK: JIM BAADE'S DOCUMENTARY



In Flint, Michigan in 1971, the United Methodist Church withdrew support for WMRP-AM/FM, and the radio stations were sold that year to John W. Nogaj, who changed the FM's call letters to WWCK as a nod to Windsor, Ontario's powerhouse AM top 40 radio station CKLW.

WWCK or CK as it was called back then was the biggest rock station in the US for a time.  It meant everything to it's young and very loyal listeners. In Rock's prime time CK interviewed all the biggest bands who played in Flint at the IMA Sports Arena..

When I produced the Super Sale at Flint IMA every March, we often had CK disc jockeys on hand to support the show.  We were a big advertiser and as we were a young show staff of mostly girls we loved CK Disc Jockey Jim "Bad Boy" Baade the most...He was so much fun and we thought he was so cute..

So imagine my surprise when I received an email from Jim about his new film project.  Jim had no idea that we had met years before so I was excited to work with him again. Jim created a great film documentary about WWCK's rock past and he is now working on a film about the Women rock radio jocks and their contributions to the medium...We can certainly help find the rock-jock ladies from the Detroit area!


Jim "Bad Boy" Baade

Jim's film "Flint's Best Rock" is now officially a part of American rock history as it has been accepted into Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

This is a story that had to be told! "Flint's Best Rock" will not let you go and you will finish with deep sense of appreciation for this once proud radio station.

34 BLISS FEATURED EVENTS!!!

Announcing my NEW advertiser on Retrokimmer.com.... 34 Bliss!  We love this young Detroit band and we love working together! I have seen them live and I know my readers will enjoy their energetic crunching Detroit sound...So plz have a listen to their music on Youtube and reach out to them on Facebook, Flickr and Reverbnation!!




Rocquel Wallace











DEKE RICHARDS: ONE OF MOTOWN'S BEST DIED


(CNN) -- Deke Richards, a producer and songwriter who was part of the team responsible for Motown hits like "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow," died Sunday at age 68, according to a press release from Universal Music. He had been battling esophageal cancer.



Richards was leader of "The Corporation," Motown's songwriting and producing team that was also made up of Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell and Freddie Perren. The group wrote several hits for the\



Alphonzo Mizell (left), Deke Richards (middle) and Freddie Perren (right) 
 (Courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises)

Richards co-wrote "Love Child" for Diana Ross & The Supremes, which went on to be a No. 1 hit.



Later in life, he worked on several projects, including the Jackson 5's "Come And Get It: The Rare Pearls," which was a 2012 release featuring rare and unreleased tracks by the group. His final project was mixing eight unreleased tracks by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas for the forthcoming box set "50th Anniversary: The Singles 1962-1972."

A private family celebration is planned. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to help musical education via the HAL Awards' site.

3.25.2013

QUESTION MARK'S TERRELL SOUND WORLD INTERVIEW MARCH 31 2013


Terrell Questions Question Mark on KSFR This Sunday

This Sunday night, Terrell questions the one and only Question Mark of Question Mark & The Mysterians. That's Sunday, March 31 on Terrell's Sound World, KSFR, 101.1 FM www.ksfr.org. The interview will start at 10:15 pm MDT/12 midnight.


By the way, Terrell's Sound World kicks off the latest Big Enchilada podcast with a live song by Question Mark & The Mysterians.

Until then, enjoy a magical moment from the show filmed in New York in 2010, where the band was joined by Ronnie Spector.

30 MILLION DOLLARS IN ART FOUND IN ATTIC!!



(AP) – A New York man is probably very, very happy he decided to buy a cottage in 2007, because works by an obscure Armenian-American abstract impressionist discovered there have been appraised at $30 million. The new owner found thousands of paintings, drawings, and journals by Arthur Pinajian in a garage and attic. Peter Hastings Falk, who once appraised art from the Andy Warhol estate, valued the works. Some pieces already have sold for $500,000.

The paintings are the work of Arthur Pinajian, a reclusive artist whom the art world had not known much about. Now, 14 years after his death, he has fans who mention him in the same sentence as Gauguin and Cézanne. The art historian William Innes Homer wrote that Mr. Pinajian had pursued art with “the single-minded focus” that those other painters had shown and that “Pinajian was a creative force to be reckoned with.”

With the attention comes the possibility of something Mr. Pinajian never enjoyed in life: serious money for his paintings. Among the 34 works at the gallery are two oil paintings from 1960: No. 638, on the market for $87,000, and No. 3868, for $72,000.

ALICE IN CHAINS "STONE COLD" FREE DOWNLOAD

Retro Kimmer

HARRY BENNETT'S DAY CARE CENTER AND IGGY POP'S SUMMER CAMP!

Harry Bennett's Castle from the Huron River Rear View

**Note*** back in the 1970's there was a Day Care Center called Island Country Day on the property of Harry Bennett's Castle in Ann Arbor
Michael B's Story

I don't really remember a lot as I went to Island Country Day about 50 years ago. Any memories are tinged by loads of imagination. I also knew the owner Stark's Daughter, I think one was named Nancy Stark and I'm tempted to say the other was Susan. Their High School was Greenhills in Ann Arbor.

I can say that I thought the Castle was like a real medieval Castle and your piece brought memories flooding back to me. Although, I do remember the bubble christmas tree lights on Nana's Christmas Tree. Island Country Day was the perfect place for imaginative children--I remember going to a moving company to get a refrigerator box so that we could make a "spaceship".

I did live close to the Castle, but only went there once in the mid-70s after that time. I also had Iggy Pop as a counselor at Varsity Day Camp, but I will defer to my oldest Friend, Hugh Hitchcock for that story...Hugh is slightly older than I am and confirmed that Jim Osterburg was still at Varsity Day Camp the first year I was there. Between going to a pre-School at a "castle" and having Iggy Pop as a Camp Counsellor, I have an imagination that makes Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes look non-existent!

Read more about:
Harry Bennett's Castle HERE
The Rise and Fall of Harry Bennett HERE
Harry Bennett's Cabin HERE



Jim's Senior Picture

I am not kidding you, it’s the Gospel truth. Iggy Pop was my camp couselor. His specialty was turtle-catching, in a rowboat. He wasn’t known by the name Iggy Pop in those days, however. Back then he was just Jim Osterberg. Both he and his father “Jimmy” worked at the day camp my mother sent me to.


I was also picked up by Jim’s dad Jimmy in his blue Chevy station wagon many times. Jimmy was the golf counselor at the camp. I took his golfing class a few times. He was a good teacher, but I found the game boring. It was the same way I felt about Archery. In the hot summer sun, I preferred to be near the lake, and since I loved frogs and turtles I invariably ended up with Iggy Pop, err, Jim Osterberg and a few other kids out in the lake in the rowboat, looking for turtles. At age 8 or 9 I’d figured out that Jim Osterberg was my favorite counselor at Varsity Day Camp...FULL STORY

Varsity Camp Excerpt from Paul Trynka's "Open UP and Bleed"

FULL MOON INFO MARCH 27 2013


The exact time of the next full moon is:
Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 10:27:18 am
Central European Time (CET)
Moon sign: Libra 06° 52'

Here you find this time converted into different timezones for other cities:
WELLINGTON = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 10:27:18 pm (NZDT)
SYDNEY = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 08:27:18 pm (AEDT)
TOKYO = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 06:27:18 pm (JST)
BEIJING = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 05:27:18 pm (CST)
BANGKOK = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 04:27:18 pm (ICT)
DELHI = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 02:57:18 pm (IST)
MOSCOW = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 01:27:18 pm (MSK)
RIYADH = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 12:27:18 pm (AST)
BERLIN = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 10:27:18 am (CET)
LONDON = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 09:27:18 am (GMT)
RIO = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 06:27:18 am (BRT)
NEW YORK = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 05:27:18 am (EDT)
MEXICO CITY = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 03:27:18 am (CST)
LOS ANGELES = Wednesday * 27th March 2013 * 02:27:18 am (PDT)
HONOLULU = Tuesday * 26th March 2013 * 11:27:18 pm (HAST)

3.24.2013

SINGER PINK BUYS AN ORIGINAL NIAGARA DETROIT PAINTING


by Paul Cashmere

Niagara Detroit and Pink go back a few years and know each other so it was no coincidence for Pink to drop into a Niagara exhibition in Los Angeles and buy a painting.

Niagara met Pink at a Stooges gig. “A few years ago I showed @Richard Goodall Gallery, Manchester, England. Then I was to go to Paris for a debut show of my Van’s shoe series,” she tells Noise11.com. “Ron Asheton was going to be there since The Stooges show coincided w/mine {which weirdly, happened often}. It was at Le Zenith. And finally: Pink was opening for The Stooges. We hung out backstage and watched the bands. She sure had a lot of pent up energy. She must be awfully healthy”.

Pink bought Niagara’s ‘Hello Kitty’ painting at the Known Gallery in Los Angeles this week and turned up to buy the painting in person. Niagara says it is the first of her works Pink has bought. “Unless she had used a pseudonym,” she said.

If you love Niagara's Art like I do plz click:

Retro Kimmer


3.22.2013

COLONEL GALAXY AND NIAGARA'S 1969 DODGE DART "HOT BOX"


Colonel Galaxy and Niagara Detroit's 1969 "Hot Box" Dodge Dart

Colonel Galaxy had owned this Dodge Dart for a really long time when he decided to do a huge makeover on it.  The dart was in really bad shape, the car below is for illustration only. Our mutual friend Mark Sisto sold it to the Col back in the early 1990s.

1969 Tan Dodge Dart...this is basically what it looked like before

Singer Mark Sisto of the Visitors owned this car prior to Colonel Galaxy.  Col. bought it and drove it for 2 days before the engine completely blew.  The massive restoration began just 3 years ago. Mark fills us in on his time with the Dart...


Niagara and Shaggy Leblanc photo: Tromba Fiemeinska

Incredible. I bought this very automobile in 1994, Somewhere in Marin County. My son and I drove it to Montana, then on to Detroit. By the time we got to Chicago (about 3 AM) it was hissing , lights were coming on, it was making funny noises, I kept talking to him (the Dart)," Hang in there buddy, were are going back to the motherland, come on, just hang in there 4 more hours."...


We made it to Detroit, and it wouldn't start again... several things were not working. It shouldn't have been moving .. The Colonel paid me $500 , I'm so glad He gave it a new life. I believe cars can be sentient beings..Thank you Colonel. Such great work ! ( was a slant 6 in its previous life) Mark Sisto


69' Dodge Dart....

Niagara painted "Hot Box" the lips with a cigarette logo on the Dart...made it look very cool.

69' Dodge Dart....Chuck Miller Racing 340 600 hp, full framed, tubbed (to facilitate bigger tires) Strange axle 4:11...727 Torque Flight trans, 4 wheel Wildwood discs, ''tubular a arms''(lowers car) Vintage A/C, 2000 watt Bose Stereo, Custom fiberglass hood w Camaro hood scoop, Custom blue pearl, purple pearl iridescent over silver and black paint.

Niagara christened the car "HotBox'' and her logos appear fore, aft and inside. Work done over 3 years by Paul Jesko, Keith Coleman, Shaggy LaBlanc, and Colonel Galaxy who was a professional race driver for American Motors and Jeep Racing Team along with his father and Erhard Dam on the SCCA Pro Rally Circuit for most of the 80's.


This car was built by the Detroit Dream Team:

Shaggy's Radicals/Auto Body and Paint
Keith Coleman/Metal Frame Work
Paul Jesko/Motor converted from slant 6 to a 340/411 rear end/600 hpwr



The Dart has after market Vintage Air installed at the cost of losing the glove compartment and the windshield wiper motor...so no driving in the rain....


Tromba Fiemeinska Niagara Lenny from Speedcult Jim Edwards



This is a 340 Chuck Miller Racing engine with 600 hp, 727 Torqueflight transmission and 4:56 Strange Axle ....runs low 12's without the Nitrous.


The Colonel is an amazing guy....



Colonel Galaxy was sponsored by AMC/JEEP he ran in the BAHA SPCCA Pro Rally Series. Col. was the youngest guy to win 2 Rallys.

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY TO BARBIE'S PAL MIDGE!


Midge Hadley is a fictional doll character in the Barbie line of toys by Mattel that was first released in 1963. Midge was created, along with Skipper, to counteract criticism that claimed Barbie was a sex symbol. She was marketed as Barbie's best friend. No Midge dolls were sold for the rest of the vintage years after the 1960s. My stepsister Barb had one...we thought Midge was boring and her outfits were dull compared to glamorous friend Barbie.

Repro Midge Doll

She was re-introduced in 1988 as part of the play line, though two vintage reproduction dolls were made specifically for collectors in 1993 and 1998. The dolls sold in this time period usually had red hair, often with freckles, and her eye color was usually blue or green. Also in the period, Wedding Day Midge was sold, with the groom being Allan Sherwood. Allan had been marketed as Midge's boyfriend in the vintage years.

In the most recent fictional Barbie storyline, often written on the backs of the dolls' boxes, Midge and Allan have three children, who are named Ryan, Nikki and Jenny. This was known as the Happy Family line, and was the subject of controversy when Midge was sold "pregnant" with Nikki as a newborn baby. Some parents disliked the "pregnant" Midge toy because they believed that Midge was too young to have children. But in 2013 year Mattel decided to change Midge's history. So, now Midge's children are not exist and also she isn't Allen's girlfriend.


When Barbie first came out, she was the subject of a lot of criticism, some of which that claimed Barbie was too mature-looking for children. Midge was the first same-size friend of Barbie ever sold, and was created to oppose these controversies aimed at Barbie. 

She had a fuller, gentler face mold that was less sexually intimidating, although her body proportions were the same as Barbie and they both stood at 111⁄2 inches (290 mm) tall.This allowed the two dolls to be able to share clothes and accessories. 

Her head mold was stamped "1958", the same as Barbie. When Midge arrived, the markings on the straight leg body mold they shared changed to include both her and Barbie. Midge had shoulder-length hair that flipped at the ends. Buyers had an option of buying a doll with one of three different hair colors: red, blond, or brunette. Her face was usually brushed with freckles. 

Midge® with no freckles

This Midge® is relatively difficult to find (more difficult than the Midge with teeth) and often the lack of freckles is hard to authenticate since many children enjoyed removing the freckles from their childhood Midge® dolls (as well as dishonest sellers). Therefore please be cautious when shopping for a Midge without freckles. The feature that indicates a true freckle-less Midge® is her longer hair! Notice the doll above's long locks. As usual, this Midge was sold with either blonde, titian or brunette hair and the straight-leg 1963+ Midge- Barbie body (with coral nail polish).


Depending on the doll's hair color, the color of her two-piece swimming suit varied. If Midge had red hair her swimsuit was yellow and orange, for blond hair it was in two shades of blue, and if she was brunette it was pink and red. The first vintage Midge dolls had a value of $175 MIB (Mint In Box) in 2007.


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