7.31.2011

MOTOWN VIDEO PICKS BY SCOTT MORGAN


Kim and Scott

it was supposed to be a demo for jackie wilson but hdh decided to release it themselves.



the velvelettes hit was needle in a haystack. i saw them lip synch it at the saline farm council grounds. really saying something was covered by banarama.



dave marsh from cream and rolling stone turned me on to this song. i sang a verse on his satelite radio show in new york. when i went to the music awards in detroit i somehow ended up in the miracles dressing room with bobby moore and sylvester potts from the contours. i had to sing it again. maybe i should just record it. seems easier.



Kimmer loves the Tempts and Supremes version of I'll Try Something New"



freda's big hit was band of gold. this was the follow up. i had never seen a motown artist do the robin seymour show in faded jeans. things were changing. we saw the moby grape play live on that show. no one did that. that was about the time we refused to wear pancake makeup and lip synch.

DICK WAGNER IS COMING TO DETROIT!!!


Dick Wagner and business partner Suzy Michelson

Kimmer got an email today from Suzy Michelson Dick Wagner's business partner out in Arizona. Suzy sent this message to me:

Hi Kim,

How you doing, girl? Hope all is sweet in your life...

We have confirmed Dick for two dates for live gigs in Michigan in NOVEMBER.... His first time playing live in four years!! So of course, he has to come back to Michigan to do it!

NOV 11 at the Magic Bag in Ferndale

He's excited, and playing a lot to get ready. :-)) He's got great back up: Donny Hartman as guest star, Ray Goodman, and the Soul's Journey band. In fact, Prakash John will probably (not definite yet) sit in also at the Magic Bag!! Yay, he's a monster talent...

So here's our update: Dick and I will be in Michigan starting around 1st of Sept. We'll be rehearsing in Saginaw from around Sept 2 to 8th. Then we will be in Detroit from Sept 8 for a few days and then back to Saginaw for the gig at White's Bar on the 17th.

Can't wait to meet you!!!

Big hugs,
Suzy

Looks like I will be able to work with Dick and follow him around with my cameras. How exciting. Stay tuned and I will be doing a lot of stories on all the projects Dick has going in Detroit. I talked him today and I can't wait for the fans to see what is up for the end of August into September... Mr Wagner is such a a charming man and brilliant Maestro of Rock guitar... See you soon Suzy and Dick! xxooK

Here is a a video opf "She Said" that I made for Dick....

SRC/SEATBELTS GIG IN SAGINAW WAS A HUGE HIT!


SRC/Seatbelts in Saginaw/photo: Rick Mills

Got a happy call this am from Scott Richardson lead vocalist and songwriter of the legendary SRC band.... He told me right away that is rained a bit last night and this giant rainbow appeared behind the stage.... and lucky for us Rick Mills the lead guitarist of The Seatbelts captured this shot of it... So cool... Beautiful night.

Skid Marx called me from sound check and I got to hear Scott singing and it was pitch perfect and just perfect! Scott calls me and sings songs to me over the phone and it is always such fun . I loved hearing that last night.


Kimmer and Joe Ruffner :)

During the show Dave, a shy friend of mine... called me and just pointed his cell phone at SRC so I could listen in. I just loved it! Staye tuned folks as there are some really exciting things happening with SRC soon....

Also my dear friend Mr. Dick Wagner is coming to Detroit soon and I will be with him on his media blitz, rehearsals and his shows as well... VERY COOL to be Kimmer!!! thanks to all my friends out there XXOOK

Video I made for Scott and SRC:



Video I made for Dick Wagner and Frost




Saginaw News Story/SRC

IGGY SLAMS CANADIAN BABY SEAL SLAUGHTER..


Musician Iggy Pop arrives at PETA's 30th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards at The Hollywood Palladium on September 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (September 24, 2010 - Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America)

***Warning*** this story is graphic and tough to watch but I feel very strongly as does Iggy about that fact that this horrific Baby Seal "hunting" is still going on!

FULL PETA STORY HERE


Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Iggy Pop is raising his voice against Canada's horrific seal slaughter. Each year, the Canadian government allows sealers to descend on the ice to club hundreds of thousands of seals to death and sell the animals' pelts on the international fur market.



Sealers routinely hook these fuzzy creatures in the eyes, cheeks, or mouth to avoid damaging their fur and then drag the animals across the ice.


The seal-hunters crush baby seals' skulls in with their clubs before they skin them. The Stooges' front man has joined forces with PETA to denounce the seal slaughter by starring in a public service announcement and spreading the word that "Canada's club scene sucks."

7.30.2011

BLUE SNAGGLETOOTH VINYL LP RELEASE PARTY!

Chris Taylor with the New Blue Snaggletooth LP

Get Your LP HERE

****We will be featured on a cover mounted CD in the next issue of Classic Rock Magazine. The issue comes out in Europe in Feb. and will come out in the USA in March. The magazine will also feature a full review of our album Dimension Thule.****

-Chris

Went downtown Ann Arbor tonight to celebrate Blue Snaggletooth's Blue Vinyl LP release party at the very cool comic book store Vault of Midnight... My daughter Lesley brought her friend Eric and we trekked around Ann Arbor on a balmy and very crowded Friday night... It was a big party around A2.

This cool Tshirt was free with an LP Purchase

My good friend Blue Snaggletooth (listen to their music here) guitarist Chris Taylor invited us to the launch party... Three bands and a ton of people in attendance. It was really packed with fans and that made me happy for the Blue Snag guys...


Lesley and Eric did most of the video and some stills. They were up front for the entire gig. I was hanging in the back where it was a bit cooler.


If you would like to purchase a really cool blue vinyl LP email me retrokimmer@gmail and I will get you the information...

Intergalactic psychedelic universal overlords, taking your mind on an audio/visual journey through the deepest reaches of your subconscious. If wizards could cast spells with guitars they would sound like this....

Blue Snaggletooth Video of "Last Voyage of Amra"



Blue Snaggletooth

Line Up
Chris Taylor - Guitar, Vocals
Jess Willyard - Guitar, Vocals
Ian Sugierski - Drums
Ian Harris - Bass

I met the coolest girl tonight... Claire... she sat by me for most of the gig and it turns out that her brother Curtis is one of the owners of Vault of Midnight. I took that opportunity to show Lesley's art work to him... He thought Lesley's art was awesome.... So we will talk soon to discuss which way to promote her work.

Claire loves photography and has a great eye for design as well... I think she may join me as a blogger! She is a natural for it... We had a fun Friday night got home around 1:30A and really enjoyed the show. Check out the video... it was hard to shoot as the lighting was dim and it was really hot in there...But the band really kicked out the jams.....

7.29.2011

LINDA RONSTADT AUTOBIOGRAPHY: HEART LIKE A WHEEL!


Linda is finally penning her autobiography set for release in 2013... Boy does this girl have a lot of rock n roll history to share... I can't wait to read this story... Ms Ronstadt is perhaps the most successful woman vocalist ever in American Music... She defied all categorization and definitely marched to a "Different Drum"

Read More About Linda's Bo
ok

There are so many aspects of Linda's lifetime that interest me. Her choice in recording, her heroes, her family and of course all of the fantastic boyfriends too.... She never married and that in itself is a very brave choice for her time... Here is my favorite Linda Ronstadt song... "Don't Know Much" with Aaron Neville



Read More on RK:

Linda Ronstadt: Most Successful Woman Singer


Linda Ronstadt/Little Anthony Hurts So Bad

GUEST WRITER BRIXTON KEY ON THE KRAYS, JACK SPOT, DIMES, AND DAVID BOWIE!


One of the most people I have had the pleasure to meet is author Brixton Key. Brix is from England but has resided in the US for many years. His parents were very colorful and his Dad was connected.... Brixton is out promoting his novel Charlie Six... But he was kind enough to sit down and pound out a little British organized crime piece for Retro: Kimmer. TY Brix xxooK

BRIXTON KEY IN PERSON AUG 4 SAN FRANCISCO


WHERE IS CHARLIE SIX?: NEW NOVEL BY BRIXTON KEY


CHRIS ISAAK: THE BEGINNING BY BRIXTON KEY

There were always wide-boys, hard men, or gangsters as we’d call them in America hanging around my Dad’s pub when I was a boy. They were loud larger than life characters, fancily dressed with money in their pockets, and their shoes shined to perfection when England was dull, grey, grubby, and broke in the post World War Two years. They drank double scotches and splashed out on extravagant rounds for their mates. When they needed a private word with dad they’d send me off with ten bob to go buy some sweeties.


The Duke of York Pub, was in Holborn opposite a bombsite where two whole streets of houses had been obliterated. My father bought the public house from Jack Spot, one of London’s most notorious hard men. The night dad took my mother to see the Duke, where we were moving to from staid suburban Hampton, two women in the public bar got into a fight. It ended with one of stabbing the other in the eye with a fork. It was a rude awakening for mum to see my Dad’s life away from home. Together they frequented upscale joints like the Savoy, or the Grill Room at Trocadero.

Alone with my “uncles” Maurice and Jack Spot, my father frequented the milieu that bubbled underground in the London of the 1950’s. Of course, mum knew what he was up too. It was always a bit of a laugh to her, except for the time one of his mates, a drummer with one of England’s popular big bands, and his girlfriend overdosed on morphine in my parents suburban living room. Mum never told dad that she’d once dated the drummer. Dad never told Mum that his driver Fu had supplied the morphine. She never discovered that element of the game until Fu got arrested in a local playground, where he took me on my nanny’s day off.

It was terribly exciting for a six-year-old when two huge burly men, who looked like wide boys, busted Fu as he handed a large package to a tiny little ferret looking bloke. It was like the movies. I can’t remember how Fu looked now, but I do remember his accent. It was as thicker Cockney as the River Thames fog that settled over Limehouse. He was the only Chinese East Ender I’d ever met.


Brixton age 15

I always asked him about the package. “Oh,” he’d say, “I ‘ave to post it later for yer Dad.” I never told dad we hadn’t gone to the Post Office. I never grassed Fu out, because he never told on me when I nicked packs of John Players cigarettes from behind the bar. I’d sussed it was right dodgy to grass someone out. I’d heard snippets of conversation; I knew razors weren’t only for shaving.

READ MORE ABOUT BRITISH ORGANIZED CRIME

I was six-years-old at the time. I was intrigued by the uniformed rozzers that led Fu and ferret face away in handcuffs from the playground. I cried when one of them escorted me from the roundabout to a waiting police car. I didn’t reckon the few pennies I had in my pocket would work as a bribe for them to let me go. I sobbed all the way home in car. Gawd was I glad when they pulled up in front of the Duke and escorted me into the Saloon bar.

“And what has he been up to now?” mum asked the copper. I’d been arrested the week before for chopping down a small tree in a local private park my parents subscribed too. They thought I needed some greenery to play in. I thought I’d turn the tree into Robin Hood bows. They were trying to discourage me from breaking up more bombsites. My mum reckoned I missed the garden behind our old house in Hampton. I much preferred bombsites. It was more real playing war amongst the destruction.


Later that night after closing time, I could hear my parents shouting in the bar about Fu. I gathered mum was cheesed-off about me being used as a front. But then again they might have been arguing about me being sent to boarding school. They might have been arguing about anything. It’s all they ever did was shout and slam doors. I have a photo of my mum and sister, Susan, taken outside the Duke of York before my sixth birthday party. Mum doesn’t look happy. Not long after that my parents divorced and I was sent off to the Licensed Victualler’s School boarding in Slough for misbehaving at convent school.

When Uncle Jack Spot ( Jack Comer) heard I pushed a Nun into a fountain at the convent, he laughed his head off. He was the man in the East of London. It was his turf. When England’s Fascists, the blackshirts, held a rally in the East End before the war, taking their antisemitism into the heart of the predominately Jewish area, it was Jack Spot’s boys that sent them packing. He took protection from all the shop keepers in the area. He collected for the Jewish bookmakers who had no recourse to the law. He was always known to be “on the spot.”


The Kray Twins

But by the time I was six things were looking bad for him. The Kray Brothers were beginning to move their territory out of the East End into the West End. They saw themselves as an American Mafia type of organization. There was no room for the old guys like Jack Spot. The forced him to move up North after he was attacked and badly cut by Mad Frankie Frazer. They weren’t good for my dad either.

We’d see them around, always flash and Italian suited. They looked modern and they were ruthless. They pinched my cheek menacingly. Uncle Maurice left London to live in Spain. He had the money and didn’t need their bother. So did my dad when I was eight. The heat was too intense. He burnt through his money, and couldn’t keep abreast of the new men running London. We never saw him again. I heard he’d moved to Australia.

When he left, mum moved in with another London gangster for a while. I can’t remember his name, but I do remember him punching me in the eye when I was naughty on a school holiday. Mum moved out. We settled in to moving all around London, always one step ahead of the rent collector. We no longer socialized in the milieu, but I still saw my dad’s old mates around London. They’d always tell me how big I was getting, asked after my dad, and they always gave me ten bob for sweeties.



Before I left England to live in the States an American girl, a groupie from LA, asked me to take her to see David Bowie rehearsing Ziggy Stardust at the Thomas a Beckett pub on the Old Kent Road in the East End. Boxers trained on the second floor and Bowie had taken over the gym to rehearse the Spiders from Mars.

The bars downstairs were hangouts for hard men who followed the boxers. I took my friend there at lunchtime to watch Bowie. We got there early and ordered a couple of scotches in the saloon bar. It wasn’t a good idea. I was wearing a pink suit and high heeled boots to match. My hair was dyed henna. One nasty character at the counter decided to have a go at me. He was enormous, and although I put on a load of bottle I knew I was in deep trouble, that is until a deep Cockney voice said: “If yer dad could see you now he’d piss.”

“Hey Dimes,” (Albert Dimes 1940s-1950s Billy Hills Chief enforcer) I said. “This bloke don’t like my suit.” “Neither do I,” Dimes replied. “But I find this berks’ face even more offensive. I think I’ll remodel it.” “No offense meant, mate,” my tormentor said backing off. “But, you are offensive, so piss awf before I get angry.”

David Bowie unbeknownst to me had canceled his rehearsals that day. Dimes took us out to lunch. We mostly talked about my uncle Maurice. He’d died recently in Spain of lung cancer, I felt terribly sad. He’d always been kind to me, he’d always laughed when I was naughty, and he always gave me the best Christmas presents. No doubt they didn’t cost him much, he never touched anything that hadn’t fallen off a lorry (truck) or vacated a safe late at night when the owners were away.

GUINNESS WORLD BOOK OF RECORDS INDUCTS JULIAN PAVONE!


World's Youngest Professional Drummer: Julian Pavone age 7

Today Lesley (my artist/photographer daughter) and I traveled north of Detroit to meet a very special young man.... Guinness World Record holder for being the World's Youngest (since the age of 5) Professional Drummer....Julian Pavone

Julian's Monster Tour Kit

Julian will be presented with his official induction coming up soon in Los Angeles... Julian will be presented with his award and be interviewed on one of the top rated late night talk shows. Stay tuned to RK for information on when Julian's interview will be aired on television.

A musician friend called me this past weekend to chat about the extremely talented young drummer. I spent 24 hours or so researching Julian and I was just blown away by his talent and the enormous amount of media attention he has received almost since his birth.... Actually his Dad told me today that Julian went pro at age 20 months! Mind boggling...

The photo shoot for Guinness World Book of Records was this afternoon. Lots of local media were on hand as well... they include...The Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, The Patch, the Macomb Daily and a film team from Guinness' headquarters flew over from England to shoot Julian.... I am told Guinness does not often do that... Oh and there was one blogger there too... Retro: Kimmer!


See more videos featuring Julian click HERE

Annalisa age 5 and her big brother Julian age 7. Annalisa and Julian have performed songs and danced together too at the North American Auto Show. Annalisa is a very bright and a talented young artist just like when my daughter Lesley began her career in art at the same age.


When Les and I first arrived we met Julian's mom Lisa... What a lovely woman! Just felt like I had known her for a lifetime. Then Julian came running up to us at the door. Lesley brought Julian a very cool drawing... but oh no... we forgot to grab a drawing for his little sister!


When the photo shoot was over I saw that Lesley was sitting in front of Annalisa drawing a cartoon portrait of the darling little girl... Annalisa was so happy and her mom as well.

Shooting Julian in action... It is so difficult to shoot drummers! All blur and constant action! Especially with a very active 7 year old!

7.27.2011

HELEN SHAPIRO: WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS...


Singer Helen Shapiro

Helen Shapiro is said to be the British Brenda Lee but I think both singers are completely unique...

Although too poor to own a record player, Shapiro's parents encouraged music in their home (Helen had to borrow a neighbor's record player to hear her first single). Shapiro played banjolele as a child and sang with her brother Ron occasionally in his youth club jazz group. She had a deep timbre to her voice, unusual in a girl not yet in her teens... school friends gave her the nickname "Foghorn". LOL Helen sounds like Cher or Stevie Nicks... Sounds familiar as people mistake my low voice as a guy on the phone too.

At the age of ten, Shapiro was a singer with "Susie and the Hula Hoops," a school band which included Marc Bolan (!!) (then using his real name of Mark Feld) as guitarist...


In 1961, at the age of fourteen, she had a UK #3 hit with her first single, "Don't Treat Me Like A Child" and two number one hits in the UK "You Don't Know". "Walkin' Back to Happiness" did not top the UK chart until 19 October 1961, by which time Shapiro had reached 15, 26 September.



She had a #2 in 1962 with "Tell Me What He Said", achieving her first four single releases in the top three of the UK Singles Chart. Most of her recording sessions were at EMI's studios at Abbey Road in north west London.



Helen's mature voice made her an overnight sensation, as well as the youngest female chart topper in the UK. At a mere 14 years and 316 days old when "You Don't Know" hit the top, she was nevertheless a year older than Frankie Lymon had been when "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" hit the UK number one slot in 1956. Helen on Wiki

Thanks Heather my doyenne of 60s coolness... XXOOK

7.26.2011

DKT/MC5 ON BILL WITH IGGY AND THE STOOGES IN FRANCE!



Wayne Kramer, Mike Davis and Dennis Thompson are winging their way to France right now to join with their old pals the Stooges to play a huge festival in France... Very exciting! The gang are getting together maybe for the last time.... so I am joining all the legions of MC5 fans world wide in cheering on our killer rock stars from Detroit! So I am asking all the fans in France to send me photos and video of this gig happening July 31, 2011... Plz send me any data you can grab to document this historic moment in rock history.... We are hoping that Scott Asheton is well again and behind the kit for this show.....

Here is the gig info:

07.31.2011: France, St. Julien en Genevois, Guitare en Scene. Tickets HERE

7.25.2011

JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK SITS IN WITH PAUL WARREN


Johnny Bee Badanjek and Paul Warren

Hi Kim, here's a picture of Paul Warren and myself that was taken after I sat in with Paul and his blues band up at The New Way Bar and did a little jammin'.....Paul Warren had been playing lead guitar with Rod Stewart for the past 18 years. It was a rockin' affair. The green Giant's thumb is also in the picture. (Ha Ha). Bee

Thanks Bee hope to see you real soon.... XXOOK

7.24.2011

PHIL SPECTOR'S WALL OF SOUND



A good portion of my favorite Retro 60's songs were produced by Phil Spector. A very unstable musical genius with a vision. His methods in recording have never been matched though Motown's Funk Brothers and Berry Gordy gave him a run for his money.

Phil's impact on American Pop Music is undeniable... I did not even know until tonight that Phil produced so many songs with the Beatles. Though it is said that Paul McCartney didn't approve of Phil's orchestration on Beatle songs like "Long and Winding Road"


Phil Spector

Considered by many to be the greatest rock and roll producer of all time. In the early Sixties, Phil created the famous "Wall of Sound" technique that inspired countless musicians and producers..

The Ronettes

He put girl groups on the map with hits by The Ronettes and The Crystals. Brought a dramatic, orchestral flair to teen pop that was unheard of at the time.



Phil Spector's Number 1 Hits

The Teddy Bears, "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (1959)
The Crystals, "He's A Rebel" (1962)
The Righteous Brothers, "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’" (1965)
The Beatles, "The Long And Winding Road" (1970)
George Harrison, "My Sweet Lord" (1970)
Spector's Complete Discography

To attain his "Wall of Sound" signature sound, Phil Spector gathered large groups of musicians (playing some instruments not generally used for ensemble playing, such as electric and acoustic guitars) playing orchestrated parts—often doubling and tripling many instruments playing in unison for a fuller sound.



Spector also arranged the songs for large groups of musicians playing instruments traditionally associated with orchestras (such as strings, woodwinds, and brass). Spector himself called his technique "a Wagnerian approach to rock & roll: little symphonies for the kids". Read More



Just look at some of the songs/films Phil Spector produced.... it's staggering!

"Uptown," The Crystals; "He's Sure The Boy I Love," The Crystals; "Baby, I Love You," The Ronettes; "Walking In the Rain," The Ronettes; "River Deep - Mountain High," Ike and Tina Turner; "Black Pearl," Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, Ltd.; "Mother," John Lennon; "Power to the People," John Lennon; "Bangla-Desh,"John Lennon; "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," John Lennon and Yoko Ono; "Rock And Roll High School," The Ramones; "Do You Remember Rock N' Roll Radio," The Ramones wrote or co-wrote (not produced by Spector): "Spanish Harlem," Ben E. King \. Appears in the movies: "The T.A.M.I. Show" (1964), "The Big T.N.T. Show" (1966), "Easy Rider" (1969), "The Concert for Bangladesh" (1972), "Imagine" (1972), "Mayor of the Sunset Strip" (2003)

SCOTT MORGAN'S SUNDAY VIDEOS


Scott Morgan and Kimmer



Dr John 1969...



YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME.. ROKY ERICKSON/DENIZ TEK


The 13th Floor Elevators

The 13th Floor Elevators were an American rock band from Austin, Texas formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland, which existed from 1965 to 1969. During their career, the band released four LPs and seven 45s for the International Artists record label. Rare performance video of 13 Floor Elevators....



You know... strange as it may seem... since I began Retro: Kimmer's blog in 2008... So many of the musicians and music fans I have met have given me such a musical education. 13th Floor Elevators are band I never heard of... Deniz Tek is a huge Roky Erickson fan and Deniz recorded with Roky years ago in Texas. Deniz told me alot about this band. My Facebook friends have filled in a lot of history as well. Gotta love the internet!


Deniz Tek and Radio Birdman

From Deniz: I've been inspired by the voice and songs of Roky Erickson aka Roger Kynard Erickson, from my teen years. His band the 13th Floor Elevators recorded at Sugar Hill in the 60s on the International Artists label. Some say they spearheaded psychedelic rock.

Deniz's band Radio Birdman did a great cover of "You're Going to Miss Me"... Occasionally I will post one version or another as lots of garage bands covered Miss Me too. It is just a classic rock song... Sad that I missed out on these great bands years ago but how LUCKY I am to meet the bands now and hear the back stories of these great songs...

The 13th Floor Elevators found some commercial and artistic success in 1966-67, before dissolving amid legal troubles and drug use in late 1968 (familiar story...). As one of the first psychedelic bands, their contemporary influence has been acknowledged by 1960s musicians such as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Peter Albin of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Chris Gerniottis of Zakary Thaks. Their debut 45 "You're Gonna Miss Me", a national Billboard #55 hit in 1966, was featured on the 1972 compilation Nuggets: Original Artifacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968, which is considered vital in the history of garage rock and the development of punk rock.



Punk band Television played their song "Fire Engine" live in the mid-1970s. In the 1980s-90s, the 13th Floor Elevators influenced important bands such as Primal Scream and Spacemen 3, both of whom covered their songs, and 14 Iced Bears who use an electric jug on their single "Beautiful Child".

In 2009 the International Artists released a ten CD box set entitled Sign of the 3-Eyed Men, which included the mono and new, alternate stereo mixes of the original albums together with two albums of previously unreleased material and a number of rare live recordings.

THE COWSILLS: THE RAIN THE PARK AND OTHER THINGS...


Occasionally when I am stuck for a story to write, I'll post music videos on my Facebook page and see what my friends feel strongly about... This past week I posted the Cowsills video of The Rain, The Park, and Other Things...



The Cowsills did have two Number Two hits, "The Rain, the Park and Other Things" and the title track to the hit rock musical Hair. They were nearly reality-television pioneers, as well: The filming of their daily life together was briefly considered for a TV program, before producers decided to fictionalize the story as The Partridge Family.


My friends and fans jumped all over this song... and The Cowsills in general...

The family band first performed in 1965. Bill, Bob, Barry, John, Susan, and Paul in tandem with mom Barbara were the Cowsills line up. Barry sadly passed away in the wake of Hurricane Katrina at age 51. Read More

Bill was the front man and he too sadly passed away at age 58. Bill Cowsill, who was once considered as a possible replacement for Brian Wilson in the Beach Boys' touring band, was the first family member to release a solo album, 1971's Nervous Breakthrough.



Some of the siblings eventually fell out of the music business; Bob, John, Susan and Paul briefly reunited in the late Seventies, recording a set of songs that went unreleased. It was the first of the Cowsills' periodic comebacks, most recently in 1998, when they released an Internet-only album.


The Cowsills

Both Barry and Susan had their lives turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina, which hit the gulf coast in August 2005, since both were residents of the New Orleans area at the time. Susan and her family lost their home and most of their belongings but they were all safe during the hurricane and it’s aftermath and returned to live in New Orleans in January 2006.

Barry, unfortunately, did not get out of New Orleans before Katrina hit and was among the missing of Hurricane Katrina for 4 months. Then, sadly, on January 4th, 2006, The Cowsill family got the news that Barry’s body had been found and identified

Barbara Cowsill died of emphysema in Tempe, Arizona in 1985.

Susan Cowsill has embarked on a solo career and has a new CD of singer/songwriter music that is getting high critical praise. The CD "Just Believe It" is on the Blue Corn Music label and features guest vocals by Adam Durst of the Counting Crows and Lucinda Williams.

She is good...



Quotes from my readers:

Jeff P wrote: another fine tune penned by the Father of Woodstock, Artie Kornfeld (born Arthur Lawrence Kornfeld, 9 September 1942, Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician, record producer and music executive, aka “The Pied Piper” i dig it too “The Rain, The Park & Other Things”, (aka “I Love The Flower Girl”)really i want to hear Susan Cowsill sing "And Spaghetti" from Hair one more time.

Ted C: I like Hair and Indian Lake too :)

Larry L My friend Wendy is a huge fan of them. She has been in touch with Susan Cowsill for some time

Wendy.... I'm an Endless, Lifelong Cowsill Fan. -Many tragedies in that family, including Barry and Bill's deaths. -If you are a 'True' fan, check OUT Susan Cowsill Today.... She IS Amazing. Bill Cowsill (who is singing lead on 'Rain, Park and Other Things') died at home on February 18, 2006...just as services were being held for Barry Cowsill: Who died in the midst of Hurricane Katrina.

THE WORLD'S YOUNGEST PRO DRUMMER: JULIAN PAVONE!



Hey gang... check this young man out! Wow what a talent... Got a phone call from Randy Bernard of the band Slaves of Illuminati yesterday and he asked if I knew Julian Pavone. No I do not but I want to meet Julian and his family soon... Randy is a huge fan of Julian's and now I am too..



Julian on Jazztimes.com (2006)

A little bit about this incredible musician...

Julian is now 7 and lives in Macomb Township, about 25 miles north-northeast of Detroit. His drummer-father, Bernie Pavone, said Julian's percussion background dates back before birth.

"I used to play music on my wife's stomach all the time when she was pregnant with Julian," Guinness quoted the father as saying.

Julian has appeared on about 150 television and news shows, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Good Morning America," ''Martha Stewart," ''The Maury Show," ''FOX News Dayside" and "Inside Edition." Next week he is flying out to Los Angeles to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Julian's Official Website


Julian was born to be a drummer...



7.23.2011

AMY WINEHOUSE FOUND DEAD AT 27

Amy Winehouse 09-14-83 – 07-23-11

Amy Winehouse Obit/Bio Video

I first saw Amy Winehouse on the grammy awards a few years ago. I sat transfixed watching her sing with her fantastic band. I wondered if she really was that messed up. Guess she was. It is so hard these days to tell when someone really needs intervention or are they acting like this as publicity stunts?

My friend JB in NJ found this video today and it really is good...



We are bombarded by story after story about Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan... yet they are still in the news day after day... This reminds me of Anna Nicole Smith...


When Amy Winehouse was booed off the stage recently I wondered who is managing this girl? How could they let her go onstage like that? Amy was obviously not able to navigate the stage or getting from one city to another.. So who was making these decisions for her? So sad to lose such a young girl with such talent... Amy's Bio on Wiki

Amy Winehouse Slideshow Washington Post

Troubled, Grammy-winning singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her North London home, Sky News is reporting. The Daily Mail reports that police have confirmed the passing.

In a statement, the London Metropolitan Police said, "Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased. On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries continue into the circumstances of the death. At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained."



My favorite Amy Winehouse song Valerie is from her album Back to Black

Rest in Peace Miss Winehouse.... XXOOK

THE ARK'S YOUTH SONGWRITING CAMP

Hello! We need your help spreading the word about The Ark's Youth Songwriting Camp. We have a great experience designed (and proven) to empower young people, while also helping them to express themselves and build relationships across social boundaries. All at a reasonable price.


THANK YOU SO MUCH!

:0)
Jesse

Jesse Morgan
Founder &
Creative Operations Officer
Community Records L3C
www.CRL3C.org
734.985.0127

RETROKIMMER: THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR

Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen 1968

 

The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1968 film by Norman Jewison that starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and won the Award for Best Song with Michel Legrand's "Windmills of Your Mind".



Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen), a millionaire businessman and sportsman, pulls off a perfect crime by having five men rob a Boston bank and dump the money—approximately $2.6 million—in a cemetery's trash can. Crown never meets any of the five face-to-face, before or after the crime. He retrieves the money later and deposits it at a bank in Geneva.

Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway), an independent insurance investigator, is contracted to investigate the heist. She will receive a percentage of the stolen money if she recovers it.

Crown doesn't need the money but is in need of diversions. He plays polo and golf, flies a glider and drives a dune buggy, but is generally bored and welcomes Vicki's sudden interest in him.

She begins seeing Crown socially, openly admitting she is investigating him. Their relationship evolves into an affair. But it is complicated by Vicki's vow to find the money and help Detective Eddie Malone bring the guilty party to justice.


Faye and Steve

" The Thomas Crown Affair" Is one of the very best films of the late 60's. It captured Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway at their very prime. What a stunning couple! The makeup, the hair styles, the clothes fabulously incredible...



A remake was released in 1999 starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. I loved the remake which is very unusual for me. Though the original was a gorgeous film... I preferred the chemistry between Pierce and Rene...


WHO WAS THE ZODIAC KILLER 1968-1969?


"Zodiac" murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. Numerous suspects were named by law enforcement and amateur investigators but no conclusive evidence surfaced during the killer's lifetime.

In April 2004, the San Francisco Police Department marked the case "inactive", yet re-opened the case at some point prior to March 2007. The case also remains open in the city of Vallejo as well as in Napa County and Solano County. The California Department of Justice has maintained an open case file on the Zodiac murders since 1969.


Zodiac Killer letters

On August 1, 1969, three letters prepared by the killer were received at the Vallejo Times-Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Francisco Examiner. The nearly identical letters took credit for the shootings at Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs. Each letter also included one-third of a 408-symbol cryptogram which the killer claimed contained his identity.


The Chronicle published its third of the cryptogram on page four of the next day's edition. An article printed alongside the code quoted Vallejo Police Chief Jack E. Stiltz as saying "We're not satisfied that the letter was written by the murderer" and requested the writer send a second letter with more facts to prove his identity. The threatened murders did not happen, and all three parts were eventually published.

On August 7, 1969, another letter was received at the San Francisco Examiner with the salutation "Dear Editor This is the Zodiac speaking". This was the first time the killer had used this name for himself. The letter was a response to Chief Stiltz's request for more details to prove he had killed Faraday, Jensen and Ferrin. In it, the Zodiac included details about the murders which had not been released to the public as well as a message to the police that when they cracked his code "they will have me".


On August 8, 1969, Donald and Bettye Harden of Salinas, California, cracked the 408-symbol cryptogram. It contained a misspelled message in which the killer claimed to be collecting slaves for the afterlife. No name appears in the decoded text, and the killer said that he would not give away his identity because it would slow down or stop his slave collection...

Zodiac Story on Tru-TV Crime Library



July 5, 2011 (San Francisco Chronicle)
Zodiac sleuths with police skills keep case alive

Lyndon Lafferty and his cohorts are like a lot of unofficial sleuths trying to solve the 42-year-old Zodiac serial killer case - utterly convinced they've cracked it, obsessive about their research, and dismissive of any theory that doesn't match theirs. But there's one thing Lafferty's ad-hoc gumshoes have that most of the others don't...

Lafferty believes there was a huge cover up with the Zodiac case... Full Story Here

A&E Cold Case Files:


7.22.2011

BLUE SNAGGLE TOOTH RECORD RELEASE JULY 29!

BLUE SNAGGLETOOTH

VAULT OF MIDNIGHT/ULTRALOUNGE
Phone: (734) 998-1413
Address: 219 S. Main St in Ann Arbor, MI 48104

7.19.2011

DENIZ TEK: RADIO BIRDMAN MURDER CITY NIGHTS

'
The most gorgeous guitar players of all time tome is Deniz Tek.. brilliant and talented... check this video out of one of my favorite Tek songs... Murder City (Detroit) nights...

THE ENGLISH BEAT: STERN GROVE FESTIVAL SF ...


Dave Wakeling and Keith Rendel

One of the very best things about being in Facebook is reconnecting with old friends that have moved far away or that you lost contact with back in time. One of these for me was reconnecting with Keith Rendel. Fascinating fun guy and so full of life...

We met in the 80's and instantly got along like a house on fire. Keith was living in San Francisco then and was just in Detroit for a short time. We spent time running around Detroit. Keith and I both love Ian Hunter and as luck would have it Ian was playing at Cobo Arena opening for Heart.

We caught Ian's show then we left! Never did see Heart. Keith went back to his life in California and I ended up on the road doing shows for along time too. Don't remember how we found each other again on FB but I am very happy we did. Thank you Keith XXOOk

Keith interviews Paul, Mick & Jason of Magic Christian. Video by GilW



Magic Christian Shake Some Action Live in Toronto

Keith is a friend of Dave Wakeling. I am a huge fan of Dave's so this is what prompted Keith and I to start working together from the midwest to the West Coast... Keith went to see Dave and The English Beat at the Stern Grove Festival.

Flamin Groovies guitarist Cyril was not present but leads the band I interviewed. Listen to Shake Some Action. All your musician friends will know who they were.
Talk soon. I have lots of ideas....K

The English Beat on 7-17 Video by GilW



I had the pleasure of meeting Dave when he played the Magic Bag awhile back. You can read my English Beat story HERE

7.18.2011

STAGE COLLAPSES AT OTTAWA BLUES FEST!



My friend Skip Gildersleeve who is on tour as a guitar tech with the Court Yard Hounds ... just wrote me about the main stage collapse at the Ottawa Blues Fest yesterday. They were the band before Cheap Trick last night in Ottawa before the stage collapsed. One hour earlier it would have been Skip's band guys.




According to the Associated Press, the main stage at Canada’s Ottawa Bluesfest, one of the largest North American festivals, collapsed last night while Cheap Trick were performing. The result of an unexpected severe thunderstorm, winds began to pick up around 8 p.m. EDT, blowing through the show and immediately leveling the stage. The members of Cheap Trick were unharmed, but reports as to exactly how many others were injured are varied. Full Story
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