Bee and Me
JOHNNY BEE'S ONLINE ART GALLERY
Last night along with Mazinga/Powertrane/drummer Al King, I was lucky to get a ticket to the Scott Morgan and The Rationals Cd Release Party show. Without any advance info I discovered when I arrived that one of my all time favorite rock musicians was playing drums with The Howling Diablos. Johnny Bee Bandanjek of the Detroit Wheels fame.
Machinegun Thompson and Johnny Bee are the VERY best drummers in all of rock history in my book. Hey what an idea! I need to get those two guys together and do a dueling drummer video! YES I think I will start working on that plan tomorrow. Machinegun did a great post today on The Power of the Moment go check it out...
As John began to play I sat transfixed through their entire set. They played Gloria! OMG! I was in a retro coma!
Tino from the HD's was a great front man and the whole band were really rocking out the theater. I never wanted them to stop.
Bee's Self Portrait
Another great moment was meeting a terrific rock graphic artist named Richard Peardon. Richard brought me a canvas print of Johnny Bee's self portrait painting. (Pictured above)
After the Diablos set Al introduced me to John. How exciting was that? Johnny Bee played drums on the very first record I ever bought with my own money in 1965, Jenny Take A Ride
At 16, John (Johnny Bee) Badanjek (pronounced:buh-DAN-jek) was the drummer for the Motor City's premier rock and roll band, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. There he hammered out one of the three greatest drum breaks in the history of rock, according to Rolling Stone Magazine (On "Devil With A Blue Dress").
After the group disbanded in 1967, "Bee" toured and recorded with Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Bob Seger, Ronnie Montrose, Nils Lofgren and others, providing the backbeat for some of rock's legendary tracks.
But Johnny Bee's preeminent position in the nation's hard rock hall-of-fame was not won with sticks alone -- in 1972, he co-founded The Rockets as a showcase for his songwriting skills. He served in a dual role as drummer/lead vocalist until 1976 -- when they opted for a bluesier voice.
DISCOGRAPHY JOHNNY BEE'S WEBSITE:
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/JENNY TAKE A RIDE
Dynavoice (gold)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/BREAKOUT
Dynavoice (gold)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/SOCK IT TO ME
Dynavoice (gold)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/GREATEST HITS
Dynavoice (gold)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/REV UP!-GREATEST HITS
Rhino (New CD Compilation - 1990)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/BIG WHEELS
Pair (New CD Compilation - 1990)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/THE ROCKIN' HITS OF
Special Music (New CD Compilation - 1990)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/TAKE A RIDE
Sundazed (CD reissue - 1993)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/BREAKOUT...!!!
Sundazed (CD reissue - 1993
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/SOCK IT TO ME!
Sundazed (CD reissue - 1993)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/ALL HITS!
Sundazed (CD reissue - 1994)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS ON
Rhino (New CD Compilation - 1995)
Edgar Winter/THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT
Epic (Platinum)
Alice Cooper/WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE
Warner Brothers (Platinum)
Dr. John/HOLLYWOOD BE THY NAME
Columbia
Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder/DETROIT
Paramount (CD reissue by MCA 1990)
Albert King/KING ALBERT
Tomato Records
The Rockets/LOVE TRANSFUSION
RCA(CD reissue in Europe by Line Records)
The Rockets/TURN UP THE RADIO
RSO (gold)
The Rockets/NO BALLADS
RSO (gold)
The Rockets/BACK TALK
Elektra
The Rockets/ROCKET ROLL
Elektra
The Rockets/LIVE ROCKETS
Capitol (CD reissue 1990)
Nils Lofgren CODE OF THE ROAD/LIVE (Double Set)
Tower Bell - Europe (Platinum Europe)
Movie Soundtrack/ABOUT LAST NIGHT/ with Bob Seger
Capitol
Ronnie Montrose/THE SPEED OF SOUND
Enigma/Capitol
Mitch Ryder/RED BLOOD, WHITE MINK
Line Records - Europe 1991
Budweiser commercial - 1990
Nils Lofgren/LENNON & McCARTNEY SONGBOOK
Connoisseur Collection - Europe
Mich Ryder/THE BEAUTIFUL TOULONG SUNSET
Line Records - Europe 1991
Nils Lofgren/THE CROOKED LINE
Rykodisk - Summer 1992
Jamie James - The Kingbee/CRUEL WORLD
School Kids - 1994
Dr. John/THE DR. JOHN ANTHOLOGY - MOS' SCOCIOUS
Rhino (2 CD set) - 1994
Max Weinberg/MAX WEINBERG PRESENTS - LET THERE BE DRUMS
Rhino (3 CD set) - 1994
The Rockets/FRAT ROCK: MORE OF THE 70'S
Rhino 1995
Mitch Ryder/LIVE AT THE LOGO - HAMBURG, GERMANY
Line Records - 1997
Nils Lofgren/CODE OF THE ROAD - GREATEST HITS LIVE
EMI/Capitol - 1997
General Motors Commercial - with special guest Mitch Ryder
Dan Yessian Productions - 1997
Broken Toys/WRIF ROCKS COMPILATION
WRIF - 1998
Notorious Johnnys/SHOWTIME MOVIE: IN CLEAR VIEW
2 songs - 1998
Broken Toys/SHOWTIME MOVIE: IN CLEAR VIEW
2 songs - 1998
The Rockets/MOTOR CITY'S BURNIN' VOL. II - COMPILATION
Total Energy Records - "Saigon Shuffle" - 1998
Broken Toys/JAM RAG CD - COMPILATION
Jam Rag Label - 1998
Broken Toys/BEST OF MEMPHIS SMOKE
Memphis Smoke Label - 1998
Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder/
COVER YOU: A TRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING STONES
Hip-O Records (February 10, 1998 )
Cub Koda and Brownsville Station Live
Saginaw Civic Center 1998
Alice Cooper/THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF ALICE COOPER
Warner Bros./Rhino - 1999
Mitch Ryder/WAR - COMPILATION
Zound Records (Germany) - 1999
The Rockets/BEST OF THE ROCKETS
CD Box Set - No Anticipated Release date
The Romantics / 61/49
Web Entertainment - 2003
Starbucks / Pop Hits of the 70's
Sony Music - 2003
Jack Lord / Monotony Kills
2004
Dave Edwards / Take Another Look
Dazie Records - 2004
Car Wash / The Howling Diablo's
Alive Records - 2005
Thank you all around to Al King, Richard Peardon and Debbie, and thank you for all the music and soulful beats Johnny Bee!
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