9.30.2009

SAM AND DAVE


Speaking of my gym teacher...here is another of his favorite songs of I think 1968. He loved Sam and Dave's I Thank You

Here is a bit of bio from Classic Bands.

Samuel Moore and David Prater were both raised in the Southern United States, where they sang in church as children. During the '50s, they performed in soul and R&B clubs with the gospel groups The Melionaires and The Sensational Hummingbirds, respectively, before meeting each other in at the King of Hearts club in Miami in 1961. Moore was hosting an amateur-night contest where Prater was singing. Once, Dave forgot the lyrics to Jackie Wilson's "Doggin' Around," Sam coached him through the song. Following that night, the singers agreed to work as a duo and soon became a popular local Miami act and signed with Roulette Records, releasing a handful of unsuccessful singles before being signed to Atlantic Records in 1965. Atlantic persuaded their Memphis affiliate, Stax Records, to produce them.


During the '70s, Sam & Dave reunited several times to little attention. At the end of the decade, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's Blues Brothers routine, which borrowed heavily from Sam & Dave, sparked a resurgence of interest in the two, and the pair performed a number of concerts during 1980. However, their personal animosity had not faded, and they separated after a performance on New Year's Eve 1981. For the next few years, Dave Prater toured as Sam & Dave with vocalist Sam Daniels. During the mid-'80s, Sam Moore revealed the sources of the duo's tensions in a series of interviews. Moore disclosed that he had been addicted to drugs during the '70s.

Dave Prater met with an even worse fate when he was killed in a car accident near Sycamore Georgia, on April 9th, 1988. Moore went on to appear with Junior Walker in the 1988 film "Tapeheads" and enjoyed a renewed solo career in 1994 when his duet with Conway Twitty, "Rainy Night In Georgia" appeared on the Top 10 crossover album "Rhythm, Country, and Blues". He rarely played on the Oldies circuit, but continued to record with the likes of Don Henley and Bruce Springsteen, as well as hosting his own show at Boombox Radio.

Sam and Dave were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.


NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE YOUR STOMACH IS IN


This was one of my 6th grade gym teacher Mr Ziegler's favorite songs and I remember him playing it in class over and over while he attempted to get us goofy 12 year old to dance. Funny what stuff sticks in your mind over the years isn't it?

9.29.2009

LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS: RIP


Sadly Lucy from Beatles famed song has passed on from Lupus. Poor girl was dogged all her life about the song named after her. Must have been tough having to explain why a famed "pro" psychedelic drug song was named after her.


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The childhood friend of John Lennon's son who inspired the Beatles' psychedelic masterpiece "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" has died aged 46 from the chronic disease Lupus.

Julian Lennon showed his father a drawing he had done of Lucy Vodden. The rest is music history...

Lucy Vodden was a classmate of Julian Lennon, who came home from school one day carrying a drawing of his 4-year-old classmate. "That's Lucy in the sky with diamonds," he told his father.

Lennon seized on the image and embellished it in a song along with "newspaper taxis" and a "girl with kaleidoscope eyes."

The BBC later banned the track, which appeared on the 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," for its supposed drug reference with the words of the song spelling out LSD.

Lennon always claimed though that the title was suggested by Julian, not from any wish to spell out LSD, the chemical name for the drug, acid, in code.

Julian Lennon lost touch with Vodden when he left Heath House nursery school, near his parents' home in Surrey following their divorce in 1968. But they were reunited in recent years when he heard she was suffering from the immune system disease and he lent his support to her.

Vodden's death was announced on Monday by St. Thomas Lupus Trust in London, where she had been treated for more than five years.

"Julian and (his mother) Cynthia are shocked and saddened by the loss of Lucy and their thoughts are with her husband and family today and always," the trust said on its Web site.

Angie Davidson, Campaign Director of the St. Thomas' Lupus Trust said "everyone at the Louise Coote Lupus Unit was dreadfully shocked by the death of Lucy, she was a great supporter of ours and a real fighter, it's so sad that she has finally lost the battle she fought so bravely for so long."

Vodden, who was a housewife from Surbiton, southwest of London, cherished her link to the Beatles, but did not especially like the song she inspired.

"I don't relate to the song, to that type of song," she told The Associated Press in June, according to the Web site, PopEater.

"As a teenager, I made the mistake of telling a couple of friends at school that I was the Lucy in the song and they said, 'No, it's not you, my parents said it's about drugs.' And I didn't know what LSD was at the time, so I just kept it quiet, to myself."

9.28.2009

JOHN NORMAN COLLINS: KELLY AND CO.


Just recently RK has had a lot of comments and emails adding personal stories and events connected to the Michigan Coed Killer Case. I found these old videos from the John Kelly and Marilyn Turner show. These shows really show the fear and panic that engulfed Washtenaw County Michigan during the late 1960's unti Collins' conviction and sentence of life without parole






ABSTRACT PAINTER HELEN FRANKENTHALER


Born in New York in 1928, Helen Frankenthaler first studied with Rufino Tamayo at the Dalton School. At Bennington College, Vermont, 1945-49, she received a disciplined grounding in Cubism from Paul Feeley, though her own instincts lay closer to the linear freedom of Arshile Gorky and the color improvisations of Wassily Kandinsky's early work.


In 1950 the critic Clement Greenberg introduced her to contemporary painting. During that summer, she studied with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In 1951 Adolph Gottlieb selected her for an important New Talent exhibition, and she had her first one person show in New York later that year.


The work of Jackson Pollock proved the decisive catalyst to the development of her style. Immediately appreciating the potential, not fully developed by Pollock, of pouring paint directly onto raw unprimed canvas, she thinned her paint with turpentine to allow the diluted color to penetrate quickly into the fabric, rather than build up on the surface.




This revolutionary soak-stain approach not only permitted the spontaneous generation of complex forms but also made any separation of figure from background impossible since the two became virtually fused a technique that was an important influence on the work of other painters, particularly Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland.


9.27.2009

FLINTSTOCK ROCK ART EXHIBIT WITH CARL LUNDGREN STANLEY T MADHATTER AND ? MYSTERIANS











A second exhibition Graphic Beauty: Contemporary Rock and Roll Posters, organized by the FIA and guest curator John Shipman, (here is John pointing out the most memorable displays to Kimmer) explores the resurgence of the silk-screened rock-poster by contemporary national and international artists. These works represent a kaleidoscope of styles by artists who are reviving the eye-popping art of the “gig Poster.


Opening on the same day were two new exhibitions. Flashback: Posters from the Golden Age of Rock and Roll organized by the Flint Institute of Arts from the collections of Wolfgang’s Vault and Jack Bodnar. Strong design, psychedelic colors and powerful imagery combine to create a work of art representative of both the graphic artist and the musician. These posters designed from 1966-1973, represent a unique marriage of what graphic artists were exploring and what direction the musicians were taking. Original concert posters for The MC5, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, The Grateful Dead and many others will be on display.

Art, Love and Rock & Roll! Flintstock featured 7 live bands throughout the day along with a massive display of Art and Posters from back in the day and new poster artists from today. We enjoyed the many talented artists and crafters inside the gallery as well as the Starbucks booth! We did visit the museum shop and purchased authentic Rock and Roll memorabilia.

We particularly loved Burkey the wood crafter that had the most gorgeous wooden book covers, sculptures, jewelry and shoulder straps. We loved his wide variety of earrings (no brainer) go see more on Burkey HERE


Both exhibitions will run from September 26 through November 8. Classic films that capture the mood and spirit of the era will also be shown in the FIA theaters during the day long festival.

The Flint Institute of Arts is located just two blocks off the exchange of I-475 and 69 in the Cultural Center Park between UM-Flint and Mott Community College. For information call (810)234-1695 or Flintarts.org


Here is an awesome Gary Grimshaw poster with the Headliner being the MC5! then Chuck Berry, Sun Ra The Rationals, Dr. John and a ton of fantastic rock legends.


I got to chat briefly with Luvern and ? as he sat down at a table by his
van to sign autographs. I wanted one really bad but the two teenagers
with me had enough and wanted to fly back to Ann Arbor. I loved watching
Question Mark sing and the original line up was fantastic as well.


Here is my Flintstock day kinda sorta....


RETRO:KIMMER MEETS THE MADHATTER


Kimmer had a blast yesterday meeting photographer Len Beste on the left and Stanley "THE MAD HATTER" on the right at the Flintstock Music and Art Festival at the Flint Institute of Art. Stanley T. is a rock legendary Emcee from the Grande Ballroom and Second Chance in Ann Arbor and many more venues.


Stan wrangled a VIP bracelet for me and we stood very close to watch one of my favorite retro rockers ? and The Mysterians. We were having such fun except I couldn't dance unless I shut off the Handycam! As we were watching ? I smelled an exotic burning scent. Turned around to see Stan waving a stick of incense! OMG took me back to Gallup Park in 1971.


Stan pulled this paper out of his jacket and I thought it would make a great photo for the blog. Very cool Stan...


As we were filming Stan started to show me all of his very cool button collection and of course my eye zoomed in on the MCB Myspace badge above... I did a blog makeover on their blog and created a sidebar badge with that same logo. I asked Stan where he got that button and he told me he made it. Now we are going to go make Retro:Kimmer buttons!

I have some fun video footage of the entire day on the next post but here is a little clip of the Madhatter himself ...

9.26.2009

STONER ROCK NIGHT:BLUE SNAGGLE TOOTH


Blue Snaggletooth / Black Irish / The Crooks /
DJ Wheeler @ The Elbow Room!
Stoner Rock jams from new band Blue Snaggletooth

Friday
September 25th 2009
9:30pm

Elbow Room
6 S. Washington
Ypsilanti, MI

Stoner Rock Night: featuring, Blue Snaggletooth (Chris from Mazinga on Guitar, Ian from wolfbait/Meatmen on drums, Downtown Jess on guitar and Damon on Bass) along with The Crooks, Black Irish and DJ Jeremy Wheeler from the Bang dance party...

Kimmer took a little ride late last night to see Chris "Juke Box" Taylor play with Blue Snaggletooth at the Elbow Room in Ypsi. It was standing room only and Chris tore it up with this band.

Rob King phenomenal drummer of Destroy All Monsters Fame and Al King of Mazinga and Gorevette went with me (took me) to this gig. It was a riot and Al shot this video of Chris in action...

9.25.2009

FLINTSTOCK TOMORROW



SEPT 26 2009
12:00-10:00p
THE FLINT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
1120 E. KEARSLEY ST
FLINT MI 48503
810.234.1695

Tomorrow RK and crew are heading up to Flintstock. Tonight is the preview which we had to miss due to another work commitment.

SEPT 26 2009
12:00-10:00p
THE FLINT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
1120 E. KEARSLEY ST
FLINT MI 48503
810.234.1695

Don't Miss One of My Favorite Retro Bands of all Time!

? and The Mysterians!

MR TWISTER ARRIVES!



YES MR. TWISTER ARRIVED IN THE MAIL TODAY!

Isn't he the hottest guy from like 1976? The belt, the scoop neck poor boy shirt, and those fantastic silver platform boots. sigh....

Thanks so much to Heather and Mr. T for the marvelous gift. Wht an awesome photograph and I absolutely love it!

About Mr. Twister's photo:

Photographed by Heather Harris
photo (C) 1976 Heather Harris.

This is a still from the film production "Garage Sale," which starred Goldie Glitters from The Cockettes. The director couldn't figure out how to end the film, so one its crew, FB's own Gordon Skene, suggested his friends play as a band, the cast and crew dance, then Godzilla comes to destroy everything and the building falls down The End.

So they wrote two songs overnight ("Hey Blacksmith Shake Your Money Maker" and "Big Blue Pimpmobile") and played live sans rehearsals for the film. More info in the Christopher Milk Fan Club on Facebook. The above shot is from a break (as they were quite active when performing) but Mr. Twister still has those same silver platform boots in the Twister Museum.

Retro:Kimmer received a special metallic print of this treasure.


Some bio on Mr. Twister:

Here's a rare photo of Christopher Milk performing at UCLA! photo copyright (C) Fastfilm (HEATHER HARRIS.) It's in the Pleistocene, 1969. HH took pix from the balcony since crowds around this locally popular band prevented close access. Heather Harris is married to the best looking one Mr Twister!


Mr friend Heather is married to the infamous rocker Mr. Twister of Christopher Milk and Chainsaw. S I was building a blog for Ms HH I saw these images and loved Mr. T! She kindly had one autographed for my ever growing collection of rock icon memorabilia!

Thanks so much Heather and Mr. T..

If you'd like to purchase your own copy of Mr. Twister email Ms Harris from her website
HERE

Visit her blog HERE

9.23.2009

RETROKIMMER INTERVIEW: SCOTT MORGAN


Scott Morgan MySpace No more Spaces for Scott.... LOL

The Rationals' soulful cover of Otis Redding's "Respect" pre-dated Aretha Franklin's by a year, and was picked up for national distribution by Cameo-Parkway. A couple of years later, their single "Guitar Army" neatly encapsulated the explosive ethos of the Motor City and provided a title for MC5 mentor John Sinclair's book of street and prison writings. (Three tracks from an early nineties Rationals reunion can be heard on the career-spanning rarities compilation "Medium Rare" on Real O Mind Records, an essential purchase for anyone looking to discover the breadth and depth of Morgan's talents.)
SCOTT MORGAN'S BANDS




Kimmer had the great fortune to go spend time hanging out with legendary singer and lead guitarist SCOTT MORGAN. Al King drummer of Gorvette and Mazinga the son of my pal Jim King introduced Kimmer to Scott at the Rationals CD Release Party this past summer at the Magic Bag in Ferndale.

We did a little impromptu interview back stage but the poor lighting and my little traveler cam didn't make for a really good video. I really wanted to take the fans where they had not been before. To talk to Scott Morgan in a relaxed setting and see what might happen. It was a fascinating time and I loved every minute which BTW flew by in a blink.

Oh yeah and Scott signed my Grit Noise and Revolution (David A Carson) book, Motor City Rock n Roll too (Bob Harris) and my notes that I made with photos/questions I would use.


Found out at work yesterday that I would be interviewing an filming with about 3 hours notice. Luckily for me the I94 Barman and expert on all Detroit Rock n Roll began sending me tips and ideas on Friday. He sent me the fantastic photo of Scot's Pirates at the top. Love that shot.

Al King is such a talented musician and young promoter. He reminds me of me back in the 80's running around doing shows all over the USA. Al King has boundless talent, energy and such resilience/resourcefulness. It will be very interesting to see which direction his life takes.

As we were figuring out how to film... Scott handed me the Sonics Rendezvous Box CD set On one of the booklets was this totally gorgeous photo of Scott with a turquoise satin shirt. Mentioning how much I loved that shirt, Al asked Scott if he still had it in his closet. HE DID....


How RETRO:  is this???


Here is Scott with his Rainbow and Turquoise Shirts


We loved all the memorabilia, posters and shirts in Scott's home but I loved this item in his living room... his autographed photo from Stevie Ray Vaughn's CD cover Texas Flood .. Totally priceless. My eyes went straight to that poster when I entered the room.


We got down to the business of talking about Scott, Kimmer, Al and all of our mutual friends past and present. We ran the gamut from coast to coast, decade through decade. These videos are of course completely unscripted and off the cuff. As my normal partner in the interview business was absent last night, I did the interview alone yikes! Machinegun Thompson was sorely missed! Dennis makes impromptu interviewing look so easy and it is not!

Let me say this about Mr. Morgan... Scott can really sing and is a seriously underated guitar player as well. His voice is still just a soul filled and clear as it was when I first heard him play at Chances Are a bar in Ann Arbor (Second Chance) in the 1970's.


We talked about all of Scott's many bands. My favorite of course... the Rationals and my favorite song I NEED YOU is playing everyday in my Jeep

I love this video of The Solution with Nicke Royale of the Hellacopters...


 HERE Look at the new cool autographs Scott did for my collection.... this one is from David A Carson's


great book Grit Noise and Rock N Roll The cover page of my notes I threw together for the interview.

 

From Motor City Rock n Roll by Bob Harris Great book of rare Detroit rock photographs

   

  Thanks so much Craig, Al, Rob, Lesley and of course Mr. Scott Morgan ....

9.20.2009

EMMY NIGHT: MADMEN AND THE 1960S


Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative AMC drama Mad Men follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell.


Since its debut, the series has garnered an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series; two Golden Globe® Awards for Best Television Drama Series; a Peabody Award; a Producers Guild Award; two Writers Guild Awards; AFI Awards for one of the Top 10 Outstanding Television Programs of 2007 and 2008; both the 2008 BAFTA Award and Royal Television Society Award for International Program; and four Television Critics Association Awards, including Program of the Year.

Created, executive produced and written by Emmy® Award winner Matthew Weiner, this drama series stars Golden Globe® winner Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, and January Jones along with guest star Robert Morse. Michael Gladis, Aaron Staton , Rich Sommer, and Bryan Batt round out the cast.


The Premise: The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper (Hamm), the biggest ad man (and ladies man) in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. As Don makes the plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. The series also depicts authentically the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960s traditional family values.

THE DEATH OF BRIAN JONES


Man oh man wasn't Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones the cutest rocker of all time or what? The investigation into his death is still going on almost 40 years later. How did that boy end up face down in a swimming pool? He had no illegal or legal drugs in his system.


LONDON, England (CNN) -- British police are reviewing the death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones, 40 years after the hard-living rocker was found dead in a swimming pool. Police in Sussex, in southern England, have confirmed they are examining documents given to them by an investigative journalist who has been researching events surrounding Jones' death.

Scott Jones, who is not related to the musician, has spent four years reviewing the evidence and speaking to key witnesses in the case.In an article published in the Daily Mail in November 2008, Jones wrote, "I'm convinced Brian Jones' death was not fully investigated. The only question that remains is why?" Brian Jones' body was found in the swimming pool after a party at his home in Cotchford Farm, East Sussex in July 1969. He was 27.


An inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure, despite post mortem results showing he had not taken illegal drugs and had only consumed the alcoholic equivalent of three and a half pints of beer. One of the most popular conspiracy theories that followed was that Jones was murdered by his builder, Frank Thorogood.

The theory gained credence after Thorogood allegedly confessed to the killing before his death in 1993. The storyline formed the basis of the 2005 film "Stoned."


Sussex police told CNN they could not say how long it would take to review the new material, nor whether it could lead to a full investigation.There have been repeated calls for closer examination of the case since Jones' death, which came just three weeks after he left the Rolling Stones.His drinking and drug-taking had taken a toll on his health and the band, and in 1969 Jones announced he was leaving.


In a statement he said, "I no longer see eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting." Last year, Scott Jones published an article containing contents of an interview he conducted with one of the people present at Jones' home on the night of his death.


In the article, published in the Daily Mail, Jones' said Janet Lawson, the girlfriend of Rolling Stones tour manager Tom Keylock, gave him a version of events that contradicted her official police statement. She is reported to have called her original statement, "a pack of lies... total rubbish." Lawson's revised version of events is among the documents Jones has supplied to Sussex police. It is also believed to include previously unseen files released by the Public Records Office.

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