tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19241915275716537942024-03-05T02:26:16.331-05:00White's Bar ReviewsBo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-4751452385952324232017-08-06T16:06:00.000-04:002017-08-06T16:06:14.756-04:00Todd Rundgren Live @ The Fillmore
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">A Wizard</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">A True Star</span></b></div>
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@ the Fillmore</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Todd Rundgren</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Todd
Rundgren may be one of the most misunderstood icons in modern rock music. In a
career that spans 50 years Rundgren is known as a producer as well as an
artist. At age 16 he developed a passion for music and memorized Gilbert &
Sullivan songs. He knew their entire libretto and became an outcast at the very
same time he began to dig guitar-based rockers like the Beatles, Stones, and
theYardbirds as well as the cool Philly sounds of The O’Jays and Delfonics. His
first stab at fame was with Woody’s Truck Stop, it was a gig that lasted about
eight months. By 1967 Rundgren formed the Nazz as way to open Pandora’s Box and
become America’s answer to the Beatles. Along the way he had a spectacular
alpha dog hit entitled Open My Eyes. It was covered by Roy Wood & the
Move<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and every other bar band across the
stretch of the globe. Pretty soon he caught the eye of Albert Grossman who
built Bearsville Studios near Woodstock and managed the careers of Bob Dylan,
The Band, Janis Joplin and others. At the time I didn’t care a hoot about al
this and that but I dug this quirky little song entitled We Gotta Get You a
Woman. It was deliriously stupid in a cool man-cave way. Nobody took it
seriously because it was off the hook. I loved it! But when Todd’s 1971 masterpiece
Something Anything hit the stores I was there, it was a stoned masterwork for
the Todd-O-Matic . It contained Hello It’s Me, I Saw the Light, Couldn’t I Just
Tell You and a whole box of other gems. And just as I thought Rundgren hit his
power-pop stride, he switched gears with a Wizard, A True Star (one of Rolling
Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time). It was psychedelic and
soulful and totally whacked. I loved it. During this time Todd toured as a one
man show followed by a full band treatment. He also took his new band Utopia on
the road. I was lucky to see both versions though I never quite got into
Utopia’s long and drawn instrumental excursions. When I mentioned this to the
owner of my favorite record store, he simply stated that I did not understand
more progressive music. He was probably right. Rundgren was known as an
in-demand producer turning the knobs, bringing in big monitors, limiters,
compressors even the kitchen sink. But one of his most amazing accomplishments
was helping Grand Funk to become more serious about songwriting and musical
craft. It was total genius to bring Donny Brewer out from behind the drum kit
to lend another voice to the saga . We’re an American Band, Walk Like a Man,
Some Kind a Wonderful were stone gems that kept the Grand Funk name up front up
to this day on oldies stations across the planet. But now I’m on the cusp of
seeing my hero Todd Rundgren one more time at the Fillmore in Detroit, can we
still be friends? </span></div>
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Prairie Prince</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">A full house
greeted Todd Rundgren as walked onto the stage. It was a true love fest between
the artist and his disciples. The show opened with an immaculate reading of I
Saw the Light. Rundgren was in good voice though he sings at a lower key that
when he first released it. Back then, he sounded like a brassy Carole King, now
his baritone is strong and convincing and there is no chance for any cool
falsetto. The background harmonies were heavenly with all five of the musicians
adding their vocal parts. The crowd was ecstatic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">A full house
greeted Todd Rundgren as walked onto the stage. It was a true love fest between
the artist and his disciples. The show opened with an immaculate reading of I
Saw the Light. Rundgren was in good voice though he sings at a lower key that
when he first released it. Back then, he sounded like a brassy Carole King, now
his baritone is strong and convincing and there is no chance for any cool
falsetto. The background harmonies were heavenly with all five of the musicians
adding their vocal parts. The crowd was ecstatic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The band consisted
Kasim Sulton (bass, vocals), John Ferenzik (keyboards, vocals), Jesse Gress
(guitar, vocals), Prairie Prince (drums, shades) and Todd Rundgren. It was an
economical outfit who could do more with less, a small band with a big band cluster
of sounds. Rundgren tipped his hat to his Philly roots with a powerful
execution of Open My Eyes, the great power pop chestnut by the Nazz, it was one
of the highlights of 1968.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Rundgren
enjoyed bantering with the crowd especially with his version of kidding on the square,
mocking his own long career in the business.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">“This is the
walking dead star for those that have been in a coma for 45 year. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Do you think something is wrong with Detroit;
nothing is wrong with Detroit! If these songs are what you hoped for, a greatest
hits list, then the show is already half over!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The next
song was a popular track on Something/Anything entitled, It Wouldn’t Have Made
Any Difference. Todd sang without his guitar, the tempo was slowed down,
soulful and passionate. It’s about love gone wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Buffalo
Grass is an incredible rocker about truth revealed. It has a big throbbing
bassline, keyboard trills and syncopated rhythms that sound like Buffalo
crossing the trails. It got real, aided by an existential guitar workout with an
exquisite interplay between Rundgren and Gress. This segued into Can We Still
Be Friends from the Hermit of Mink Hollow LP…the piano led trip was followed by
brilliant accapella harmonies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Todd
continued the rap;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">“Now we are
actively defying the 45 year old coma…and I just did the setlist back stage.
Who is here for Trump... President Sphincter Head.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Todd changes
course with a rap about sex police, the separation of church and state and
getting the fundamentalists. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">You think your messing with sweet clean and
guilty.” It was all done tongue in cheek. At one point Todd intoned, “This is
the Kasim Sulton Show.“</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Fascist
Christ is down in the playlist but it strikes a chord with Rundgren’s devotees.
Todd does a bit of accapella singing “Old time religion, it’s good enough for
me” and gets the crowd worked up and singing along.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bang the
Drum is a goof but it’s a durable and loveable ode to childhood memories, using
music to drift away from the boredom of the classroom. Rundgren has sung it at
several of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band concerts, they remain good friends to
this day..</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Prairie
Prince deserves special mention, he’s a superb drummer and a founding member of
the Tubes and a founding member of Journey and he’s performed with Todd
Rundgren on many occasions. Tonight he was in great form, dressed up in white
cardboard glasses tinted with a pink lens. It was his alternate rebellion; like
a woman dressed to the nines but she’s wearing boxer shorts underneath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Rundgren
starts another rap near the end of the show, “Yes, I was from Philly”, then
shifts to a 12 bar blues, followed by a funked up big bottom soul music reminiscent
of Sly & the Family Stone. Rundgren’s guitar work is phenomenal, I forgot
just how powerful he was and how form and technique give way to his uncommon
harmonics. He can play it soft and cool as well as hard and wet. He is truly a
heavy metal rocker, an unappreciated <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>guitar god!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Todd funks
up the show with the spectacular Sometimes I Don’t Know How to Feel. It is an
ode to revelation and conquering fear. The next big treat was Todd’s homage to
soul music. He conjures up the colorful images of soul music in the sixties;
lots of color and big bad afros.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He
recalls the days when The Impressions, Miracles and Marvin Gaye created these
incredible harmonies and big messages about freedom. Todd created a winning
triumvirate of soul music that included I’m So Proud, Ooo Baby Baby and I Want
You. He finished up the night with two of his greatest songs, Couldn’t I Just
Tell You and Hello It’s Me. He also encored an anti-war epoch with the lyric,
“I Won’t Go to War.” It was filled with rage, anger and truth. The night was a
flawed masterpiece, a triumph that incorporated good vibes, great songs and
social consciousness. It was perfect!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Peace & Love</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-72454611223943098012017-08-06T15:40:00.001-04:002017-08-06T15:40:08.219-04:00John Sinclair In Amsterdam - The Interview
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">John Sinclair Interview by Bo White</span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Responses
@ 420 Café, Amsterdam, February 7, 2011</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">John
will be performing @ White’s Bar Saturday November 3rd with the legendary Blues
Creators. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sinclair’s DVD Twenty To Life
will be screened throughout the evening</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">“To be literate in today's
world is a political statement." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>- John Sinclair</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">John
Sinclair</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Affiant
Sayeth Not</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">At
69 years of age John Sinclair shows no signs of slowing down. Besides touring
the world with a loose and ever changing aggregation of Blues Scholars , Jazz
masters and Rock & Rollers, Sinclair continues to release CDs, books,
articles and programs and produces podcasts and internet radio programs. John
has performed in Saginaw several times and possesses a historic grasp of Michigan
culture from an international perspective. Sinclair is a sweet man of peace who
is also a realist. From his early days at Trans Love commune, managing the MC5
and befriending John Lennon, Sinclair has kept his hand on the pulse of our
crumbling empire. He is quick to point out that that America, like ancient Rome,
has lost sight of its democratic principles and given the ruling class carte
blanche to rob our coffers. He is also a man of the earth, a happy and
contented grandfather who values love and friendship above all else</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>John – what have you been up to since <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">20 to Life</b> was released?</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">The
film was released in 2007 and quickly faded into media oblivion. Since then I
have continued my travels, performing around the USA and in London, Amsterdam,
Paris, Genoa, Rome, Santiago, Tokyo, Seville, Barcelona, Madrid and wherever
they will have me. I’m based in Amsterdam and London when I’m not in Detroit,
where I just completed a two-year Poet in Residence term at the Bohemian
National Home and am now based at the Trans-Love Energies Compassionate Care
Center at 1486 Gratiot in Detroit. I now write a bi-weekly column for the
Detroit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metro Times</i> called HIGHER
GROUND.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: small;">It must have stirred up renewed interest in
your life and times?</span></i></span></h1>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Not
so much. The filmmaker made a bad deal to get it completed and the distribution
was a big let-down, plus there were no theatrical screenings & very few
festival screenings, so not much notice was attracted to the film nor, by
extension, to myself.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Have you
released any new music, poetry or writings?</span></i></span></h1>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">As
a performer I continue to work with diverse bands in Amsterdam, London, New
York City, Detroit, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Mississippi.
Some of them play my arrangements, some improvise jazz to my texts, some play
straight-out blues to my poems. In the past three years I’ve performed in
ensembles with David Kimbrough, Afrissippi, the Black Crowes, Marshall Allen,
Elliott Levin, Daniel Carter, Ras Moshe, Sabeer Mateen, 101 Runners, Pinkeye
Orchestra, Planet D Nonet, Carlo Ditta, Dr. Prof. Barry Kaiser, Tom Worrell,
Vincente Pino, Leslie Lopez, Steve Fly, the Dirty Strangers, Gary Lammin,
Charles Shaar Murray, Jair-Rohm Parker Wells, Primal Scream, DKT/MC5, Youth,
Mark Ritsema, Angelo Olivieri, Raskolnikov, and people I can’t even remember
right now. I have bands of Blues Scholars in Amsterdam, Detroit, Los Angeles,
and Oxford, Mississippi.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I’ve
issued two books—IT’S ALL GOOD: A JOHN SINCLAIR READER and SUN RA INTERVIEWS
& ESSAYS with Headpress in London. SUN RA has just been translated into
Spanish and issued by Libertos Editorial. My “underground classic” book, GUITAR
ARMY, was reissued in a 35<sup>th</sup> anniversary edition by Feral
House/Process Books in 2007 and has been translated now into Italian, Spanish
and French. BookBeat in Detroit will be bringing out my poetry & prose
collection SONG OF PRAISE: HOMAGE TO JOHN COLTRANE, and Ecstatic Peace Press is
planning to issue the completed first half of my Monk work in verse, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">always know: a book of monk</b>. And Dotty
Oliver in Little Rock is publishing my New Orleans prose collection, MARDI GRAS
TO THE WORLD, later this year.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I’ve
issued three CDs since 2007—TEARING DOWN THE SHRINE OF TRUTH & BEAUTY with
the Pinkeye Orchestra (LocoGnosis Records); DETROIT LIFE with the Motor City
Blues Scholars (No Cover Records); and VIPER MADNESS with the Planet D Nonet
(No Cover). My new record is called LET’S GO GET ‘EM by John Sinclair & His
International Blues Scholars and will be released by No Cover in March, and I’m
just now completing a new album project with a producer in London known as
Youth that I’m calling BEATNIK YOUTH.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I’ve
also completed a work begun in 1982: a book of blues verse titled FATTENING
FROGS FOR SNAKES that’s in four sections, each one set to music and recorded
with a different ensemble in New Orleans, Detroit, Oxford and Clarksville,
Mississippi. I’m assembling the package into a box set as we speak</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Are you still
involved in radio? Do you see radio as an effective medium to get your message
and your poetry and music to a wider audience?</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I
also program & produce regular podcasts for two internet radio stations,
Radio Free Amsterdam and Detroit Life Radio, including weekly installments of
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">John Sinclair Radio Show, Sinclair On
The Air </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Jazz from the
Hempshopper. </i>I also collect and edit for broadcast blues & jazz
programs by deejays present & past that I enjoy. I post one one-hour
program each day on each of the two stations.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>With the advent of file sharing do you see a
shift in the relationship between record companies and artists like yourself?</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Yes:
basically there is none in terms of what used to be, i.e., with the possibility
of getting paid. My best experience is to be able to make the records and get
someone to press some of them at no cost to myself.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Last time we talked you seemed to paint a bleak picture of
our future based on the ascendance of powerful business-led coalitions and the
financial Institutions that control our government. In the past year Matt
Taibbi, a contributing editor to </span></i><span style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;">Rolling Stone</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">
Magazine, has written several articles and a book </span></i><span style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;">Griftopia</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">
that has exposed Wall Street’s culpability in destroying America from within.
Are you familiar with Taibbi’s work? Why aren’t people in an uproar over the
theft of our country?</span></i><span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">That’s
a question I’m unable to answer. I know exactly how fucked up this country is,
but the white people love it this way and they won’t change for anything.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">You had a bleak outlook on Detroit's recovery in the BBC
documentary </span></i><span style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px;">Requiem for Detroit. </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do
you still feel there is no hope for Detroit and other cities that were built on
the auto industry? </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I
don’t know about the other ones, but Detroit is not going to come back. It’s
over. What becomes of the fabulous ruins of Detroit may be something
interesting but it will not be economically viable again.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: small;">What keeps bringing you back to Michigan?</span></i></span></h1>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I
have a beloved daughter & granddaughter in Detroit and hundreds of friends
made over the past 50 years. My estranged wife Penny Sinclair lives in Detroit
and I like to see her when I can. Also, I can work in and around Detroit and
use it as a base to tour different parts of the country and make enough dollars
to maintain my very frugal lifestyle while I’m in Amsterdam & London.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">What role could
music/poetry play in the recovery of Michigan….the country? Are established
artists important to our culture? Should they look for success elsewhere? Can
our artists, poets and musicians be heard over the din of mass produced and
disposable music that dominates the corporate airwaves?</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">No.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Over the past ten years, Europe has shown an interest in
the downfall of Detroit and the auto industry. Documentaries have been filmed,
photographers have come to document the urban decay. Do you feel that their
interest is based in aesthetics, or are they sincerely concerned with what
seems to be the end of an era? Are they infatuated or concerned?</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">(A)
Aesthetics. (B) They are documentarians.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you keep in touch with any of your friends from the
days of the MC5 and Trans Love?</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Yes.
An astonishing number of us are still alive, although we’ve recently lost
people like James Semark of the Artists Workshop, Stanley the Mad Hatter of the
Grande. Eastown and Second Chance Ballrooms, Bruce Cohen and others. I consider
Wayne Kramer of the MC5 one of my closest friends, ditto for Charles Moore of
the Detroit Artists Workshop, Pun Plamondon of the White Panther Party, Marton
Gross and Johnny Evans of the Urbations, Cary Loren of Destroy All Monsters,
and many others whom I see in Michigan and around the country on my travels.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you see any
signs that our counter culture/peace movement is growing and establishing a
wider base of support?</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">No.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: small;">Do you still collaborate with your ex-wife Leni?</span></i></span></h1>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I
remain a terrific fan of her photography and often recommend her work to people
publishing various projects of mine.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Any last
comments?</span></i></span></h1>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "ArialMT",sans-serif; margin: 0px;">I’m
happy to be alive in an old age I never anticipated nor expected, I’m ecstatic
to be a grandfather, I only do the things I want to do and don’t do the things
I don’t want to do, I’m borne along in life by my hundreds of friends all over
the western world and generally speaking I’m happy as a clam. Further, Affiant
sayeth not.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-35519375314148800702017-08-06T15:30:00.000-04:002019-10-07T18:01:38.790-04:00John Krogman<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Our Greatest Bands</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mick
Furlo is Back</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Old
Friends & New Beginnings</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Mick Furlo is a legendary presence in the Great Lakes Bay
Region of Michigan. In an interview with Review Magazine, Mick lays it all out from
the rush of success in the eighties to the brush national exposure in the
nineties to the insouciance of brought on by the new millennium squeeze.
Nothing mattered anymore when tea parties and stock markets crashed and our
dreams became smaller. We were taken in by the dark knight of the senses and
the rot set in, even our music could not feed us. In the digital world, songs
became spare change. We were all drifting. Mick Furlo knew it instinctively;
he’d seen it before, it was the rot that opened the wound… but lens had changed
again. Mick gave up the poison nectar and his vision cleared and he was aware
of an inner “presence” of something or someone and it felt like love and
healing. This led to Mick Furlo’s Old Friends and New Beginnings show @ White’s
Bar on October 10<sup>th</sup> with special guests The Crofton, Stoltz and Nash
Band.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Mick did a phone interview in anticipation of the event.
Here’s his story.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The Mick Furlo Band was one of the top draws in the
eighties alongside, the Flies, My Dog Bob and the Burdons. The musicians were incredibly
gifted; Donny Brown, drums and vocals; Rick Brown, bass guitar and vocals; Bob
Merrill guitar and vocals (later replaced by Dean Vanston); Iris Furlo, violin,
keyboards and vocals. Mick was the singer and guitarist and he wrote many of
their original songs.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mick explained the
dynamics of the band. “Everyone sang and had a good ear which made the vocal
harmony easy. Donny was especially good at arranging vocals. In those days we
liked to cover modern rock, the type popular among college students. We also
knew we had to be in touch with the top 40 charts to play in the tri-city
area.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The band’s popularity soared almost immediately. They could
play and perfect different styles of music from country rockers like Charlie
Daniels Marshall Tucker to classic rock to power ballads and old time rock
& roll rock & roll. Iris’ incredible versatility allowed the band to
stretch out and take chances.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She had a
great voice with a powerful range. Mick knew that Iris was a strong presence in
the band. He explains, “Iris’s voice was a strong point<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>at the time so I started to write a few<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>for her to sing. The songs went over pretty
well and we kept them in the playlist.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The band was on a roll between 1983 and 1990. They mixed
originals with covers of Joe Jackson, The Tubes, the Motels, the Police, Heart
and the Pretenders. However, things changed when Iris left the band. Mick
explains, “When Iris became pregnant with our son Cory, we knew we had only a
short time to revamp the song list, knowing we could never replace her we
remained a four piece and that’s when we decided to put more of a focus on
original material.” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">In 1988, the band wrote over a dozen songs and went to
Chicago to record their first album. To this day, Mick recalls that time
fondly. He recorded at the Chicago Recording Company on Dearborn Street. Tom
Hanson recorded the band. CJ Vanston (Dean’s brother) was part of the recording
process. Mick recalls, “CJ added keyboard parts to about half of the songs.
He’s been living in Chicago doing session work for the huge advertising market
out there. At one point CJ said I never listen to anything and then he put his
rig up on the control booth and blew everyone’s mind. He’d tell the engineer
what to do – a little more ambience please, more bottom etc. He was fabulous.
It was a graveyard shift – 8pm<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>to 3 or 4
in the morning for a couple of weeks, it cost $10,000!” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Shortly
thereafter Donny and Dean decided to move on so Mick replaced them with two
excellent musicians, Brad Silverthorn on drums and A.J. Dunning on guitar. It
brought different points of view that helped the band find its own mark. Mick
felt the band was different but still very good. They recorded a mini album of
original songs that enabled them to do a few showcase gigs in Chicago. The
promoter was Prism out of Ann Arbor. “We opened for a few national acts and my
favorite was opening for Adrian Belew in East Lansing.” Marty Essen from Twin
City Talent was Mick’s manager and he did get Mick and the band on a tour in
the winter of 1990. They had a big stretch van and toured several southern
states. Mick recalls it as a great experience but then the rot set in. Mick
recalls, “We never got a deal. We were told that we were being shopped around.
Kelly Millionis was part of it. He made contacts with the Chicago Recording
Company, MTV and then he bounced to Los Angeles. He knew a lot of people like
the Rapanos family who were prominent in Midland. Kelly had a flat in the Town
House in the Marina Towers and worked from there. Millionis Industries
produced, manufactured and marketed Invisible to You, a great album chuck full
with great singing gorgeous harmonies and lyrical sophistication. The song list
included: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Dream
of Our Own, When Will We Learn, Let It Rain, It’s a Beautiful Day, See You Walk
Away, Calling Out Your Name, I Feel Good, Starting All Over (Again), Say
Goodbye, and Invisible to You. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Several
of those songs are on You Tube. Check it out and astound to the great
harmonies, musicianship and Mick’s incredible vocals.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>On the cusp of something bigger, the band fell
apart and went their separate ways. Mick took like a boxer who got sucker
punched. He could only say,<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“All things
come to an end and we were done by 1990.” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Mick was devastated; his dream had become a distant dark
cloud in his horizon. In his mind’s eye, he looked for salvation, music was his
life,it coursed through his veins like blood to oxygen. Gradually he regained
his his focus to developing the club scene through his time at Zinggers and
other clubs. He brought in national bands and had a great time getting swapping
stories with Rick Derringer who gained fame from<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>his hit making years with the McCoys (Hang on
Sloopy) and Johnny Winter (Still Alive and Well and Rock & Roll Hoochie Coo.
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">CODA: Mick Furlo has something to say…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Now some 25 years later I started writing again. Being much
older now I figured do it now so I’m not sorry later. The people I’m working
with are a joy to be with. I want to introduce the band; My old friend and Bro
Mark Krawczyk, bass; Jeff Coty drums, Tim Borocko, guitar, Maye Donovan
(vocals), Cheryl Lyons, vocals, percussion and guitar. The material is a bit
different than anything I’ve done before. It’s a sort of blues funk. It’s the
Mick Furlo Band! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bill Crofton also weighed in with his thoughts…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Jack Nash and I had mutual friends dating back to junior
high and Daniels Den in the mid 60's. We were never in the same band, but knew
each other, had mutual respect and a friendly relationship. As our careers
blossomed and we both raised our families we would see each other at civic
functions and events, our conversation would always gravitate to music. We both
had cruised in and out of the music scene at 5 and 10 year intervals as family
and business obligations would allow. <br />
In the Fall of 2003 Jack and I put a little combo together to do some
fundraisers and I just was not going to take no for an answer. We were
fortunate to have two other very talented people in the mix, Donna Taylor and
Tom Dolson, who are real pros. They elevated us to where that band took a life
of its own. <br />
Jack, however, continued to tour and record with the Mysterians and
Robert Lee Jazz Band but about <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>three
months ago Jack called and said it was time for “another tour“ and he wasn't
taking no for an answer. We were fortunate to have all our lives
intersect at this time with a chemistry that is infectious.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’ve known Mick
Furlo since I was in about the 6th grade. His older brother Tony was the lead
singer in my first band. We played outside Montgomery Ward for their grand
opening in about 1963. Mick was there with his mom, dad and all the Furlo boys.
Mick went on to tour professionally and has written and recorded many songs. This
event is a coming out party for The Crofton Stoltz and Nash Band and we are
looking forward to open for Mick Furlo. He is doing a show with all his new
original material. This is an event, a story of old friends and new beginnings.
<br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-46458710815158472202017-08-06T15:24:00.001-04:002017-08-06T15:24:26.602-04:00All of My Stories - Michael Roberts Hits the Seet Spot
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">All of My Stories</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Michael Robertson</span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_r81195Hfiz8HQ1pvBwGMo25QifnWzJ2ZsMS-62c7ZRKWfhGyt6LEwSlHrYxhvB-Wamx1Y9VKYE7AGgTx9cme7DCVCn2heJdXJC3W4DjPnt2rTAr2k0FqqvLUgqZAU4HSfeX7i0z15I9/s1600/robertson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_r81195Hfiz8HQ1pvBwGMo25QifnWzJ2ZsMS-62c7ZRKWfhGyt6LEwSlHrYxhvB-Wamx1Y9VKYE7AGgTx9cme7DCVCn2heJdXJC3W4DjPnt2rTAr2k0FqqvLUgqZAU4HSfeX7i0z15I9/s320/robertson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Michael
Robertson is one half of a great brother team that includes his younger sibling
Scott Robertson. Michael has a powerful contralto that hits the pocket with
nuance and fire; he’s a perfect lead singer. Scott can sing lead or harmony.
He’s one of the great tenors in rock & roll. I first got to know them as
the Robertson Brothers and within a year or so they caught fire as Maybe
August, supplementing the band with Roscoe Selley a harpist extraordinaire and
a great singer. Keith Carolyn became the bass player and he laid down the
bottom like a wrench putting the torque on a nut. The drummer was cool and laid
back. But that was yesterday and yesterday’s gone. Now Michael is older and
wiser. He’s eschewed the pomp and circumstance of a travelling band and decided
to focus on lyrics, tones and the language of the country born of heart, hearth
and struggle. The cover has a perfect black & white hue in sepia tones,
Michael’s hair is windblown and impervious to the overgrown grasses and haggard
trees.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The disc
opens with the title song <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All My Stories</b>.
This is the plugged in version with Don Rich country style pickin’, the
musicians let the instruments breathe and stretch out. The unison vocals of
Robertson and Honesty Elliot shine softly above the instruments. This is a
mature song cycle that speaks to loving as opposed to lust and loss for what is
inevitable.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Highway Song</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> is a precious diamond in the rough.
The cry of the lap steel sets the tone in sepia color with Dylanesque charm and
Al Cooper organ splashes. Robertson builds those stately notes big and
beautiful and Selley’s lonely harp sings to the night. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Sirens hijack my attempts to fly</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Those days we swore we’d never come
back </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Truth was fiction and fiction was
fact</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Big screens and real estate</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">How’d the hell did we get here</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">We drank to the future and pretended
we didn’t know</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">We laughed as the bridges burned </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">And the lessons we learned </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Take your maps and pictures and throw
them away</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Old Man</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> sounds
like a Rolling Stones outtake on the Honky Tonk Women sessions. Michael is
doing his Keith Richards, lurking in the shadows with and bemoans his lost
youth while looking back on his career. He’s still a rebel. This is great
singing and great playing. Everyone in this project is a monster musician!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">It wasn’t so long ago</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">We were young men</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Frisky and ready to take on the
establishment</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Lines on our face don’t stop us from
digging it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Old man I don’t give a goddam</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">We all look into the mirror eventually</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Sale on Salvation</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> is a Maybe August song excavated and put in its proper place and time.
Michael strums the acoustic and begins to sing as the organ splashes the
backdrop. The lyrics are clever and the singer’s voice is road hard. There is a
couplet within the song that was quite controversial back in the day, “shoot
any more liberals” use to contain a naughty word. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">We got a sale on salvation all of
this week</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">So they‘re flying out the door as
fast as we speak</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">If I can just keep my tongue out of
my cheek</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">I might not be condemned to eternal
damnation</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">But the song ends well enough with a
rendition of Amen</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Its Not What You Think</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> is simply incredible. It opens up with Robertson’s lap steel
and mindful strumming. Michael’s voice has aged well like a fine whisky and it
parrells his wisdom for the ages. It’s our only time, our only life. It’s a
song of sepia tones and ugly truths; a woman with a baby and a boss with a
libido.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Robertson plays the lap steel
and it whines in tune with the sadness and suffering. He reaches for the
heavens. It’s a cry for life.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Michael inserts …</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">There once was a man from Nantucket</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kept all his dreams in a bucket</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">One day he woke up and said </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Its funny how there is no one to
blame</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">It is what it is and </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">It’s not what you think</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Blame on You </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">has
a tightened up percussion, punctuated drum beat like Archie Bell & the
Drells on steroids. Acoustic/electric guitar flourishes ring out.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Robertson is at his angriest best when he
sings about his pain and getting away from words. The holes in your hands lyric
appear to be a reference to Jesus or to suffering.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Get from your head to a place I
understand</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Get down from the mountain where you
stand</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Maybe I’ll just turn and walk</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Like I don’t give a damn away </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Little Man </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">opens
with a sweet circular riff followed by Michael’s voice – the drummer is in the
pocket and the slide guitar soars like an eagle in flight. This is an ode to a
father and son, a true agape, in the vein of Cat Stevens’ Over Young.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Little Man, Little Man</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Look at you now</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Before you know it </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">You’ll have stories like me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Little Man Little Man</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">You won’t know how fast it will be</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Somedays you’ll wake up and outshine
the sun</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Little Man, <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I already know</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Shut Up and Go to Sleep </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">has a great guitar riff<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
</b>that repeats and brings it all home. Incessant drums and high hat lead the
charge, great energy and a lot of fun. This involves kidding in the square,
underneath it all are some very serious issues.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">I left the Misses to Mr. Right</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Hand cut to the Camaro</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Parked out of sight</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">She was screaming out something</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">And I was trying to steer</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">There’s got to be someplace I belong</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">But I know it ain’t here</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">All My Stories (acoustic) </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">is a masterpiece similar to Van Morrison’s You Stoned Me
(like jelly roll). This alternate acoustic take is the most incredible song
I’ve heard in years. Now I know for sure there is a spirit of heavenly love and
bliss. It is in those soft voices that reassure us. Michael Robertson is the
seeker and he knows true love can last way past the heat. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Tonight I lie Down on my bed</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Escape the mantra in my head </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The voice outside sounds just like
you</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Saying some dreams still come true</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">But you know all my stories</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Some day the voices just won’t leave</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">They come to me and say…just breathe</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Take me now for what I am</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The shadow of a better man</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Waiting here for you to save me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Take me now for what we’ll be </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">A better you and a better me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Michael Robertson and Honesty Elliot
teamed up to create a musical landscape of harmony and peace. This is adult
music and adult thoughts. What’s next, old How will we wear it?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Peace & Love</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bo White</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-90530116277741746932017-08-06T15:20:00.000-04:002017-08-06T15:20:45.422-04:00Sean Forbes Landmark CD Perfect Imperfection <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Sean Forbes</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Perfect Imperfection</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Sean Forbes
grew up in a musical family. His father Scott and Uncle Dennis founded the
iconic Forbes Brothers Band giving country rock new meaning and substance. Both
Scott and Dennis are Michigan rockers at heart and have compiled impressive
songwriting credits. Dennis is the techno wizard of the clan and engineered
some of Bob Seger’s best recordings from the seventies. Given the Forbes family
history Sean was destined to become a musician. It was in his blood like oxygen
is to breathing. He’s been charting his path since toddlerhood when he showed
an affinity for beating on the drums. For Sean it was the roar that lies on the
other side of silence. It helped him to defeat the dark solitude of being deaf.
At times it could be heavy like living in a cave and not being wanted. Yet he
was loved dearly and his parents helped him go beyond those moments in which he
felt small and frail. As his keening senses evolved, he could smell the air of
the house he was born into. Sean has an uncanny power to feel voice tones and
unearth vibrations hidden from others. He could feel the phantom buzz and for
him it was an elegant surrender to his musical heritage.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sean learned about love from his parents and
he became a champion of those who are not loved. It is no small coincidence
that Sean founded the Deaf Professional Artists Network (D-PAN). It is an
organization that supports the arts and sciences to people who are deaf. D-Pan
has created a network of services and learning opportunities for anyone
interested in pursuing a dream</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Sean’s first
full length CD Prefect Imperfection is the culmination of a life long quest for
the lost chords, beats and rhythms derived from the universal note. In making
the music in his mind, Sean has created an entirely new genre of musical
expression. There is nothing past or present that can compare to what Forbes
has dished out on his platter, a feast for the gods; a search for the Holy Grail.
Forbes is an alchemist forging an innovation never imagined; a disciple of Mary
Shelly imparting the secrets of love and immortality. Forbes has created a new
living/pulsating work of art. He is a lone genius crafting rhythmic patterns,
music for the soul. Pay attention, this just may be the last great musical innovation
in our lifetime. Forbes may be a post-modern Robert Johnson standing at the
crossroads between sound and silence. Forbes is beginning to understand that he
is not the sum of other people’s prescriptions and that dialectical dilemmas
exist in the music biz; rebel versus slave; to dominate versus being
victimized. He is on a moral high ground, making choices to help others through
D-PAN. His heart reaches out and touches a deep well of love and peace that
still exists for humanity. It is a brave new world in which a very literal
culture takes more stock in material acquisition and the cult of celebrity over
deep moral interests. It can prove to be unsatisfying. In this world water is
only H20. Forbes is the exception to the rule. He is deeply aware of his
longings, his selfdom. You can feel it in his beats and read it in his lyrics. Scott
now lives in a complex web of relationships never before imagined from Eminem
and Stevie Wonder to actress and mambo queen Marlee Matlin. Yet through all
this buzz of fame and notoriety, Sean has kept his head on straight. It’s
deeply imbedded in his genetic code.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">His music
tells a story of struggle and triumph.. Forbes is able to bring his head and
body together and move from the heart. The message is transcendent</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">We Interrupt This Program</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The disc
opens with a statement by Franklin Delano Roosevelt recorded at his First
Inaugural Address in 1933…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">“So first of
all, let me assert my firm belief, that the only thing we have to fear is fear
itself”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">This is a
catchy mid-tempo rap with rock steady beats with light percussion and
synthesized clips and washes</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">I’m Deaf </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Deafer than
Def Jam. This is a love song, a message to everyone who is hearing impaired and
anyone who misunderstands the needs and strengths of people who are deaf. The
emotions run high and are not sugar coated or minimalized. Sean’s message is
not all about peace and love. It’s about frustration, communication and
do-gooders who invalidate differences. Sean admits that he isn’t about to let
anyone discount his intelligence or his craft. He admits that his hands talk
dirty, so do mine, like a middle finger salute. But Forbes shifts gears and
lists of people who have inspired him such as Jim Abbott, Helen Keller and
Stevie Wonder. The cat on the keyboards pounds out minor chords and fills out
the soundscape. At the Coda he plays a more intricate phrasing that conveys a
deeply felt emotional valence</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Crazy About You</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The music is
sophisticated minimalist phrasings reminiscent of early 10CC. Forbes vocals are
up front in the mix. Female singers enter the song with a sultry chorus </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Crazy About
You</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Crazy About
You<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Crazy About
You (I can never get enough)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Love the
line about the struggles of maintaining a deep love relationship – </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Building a
foundation</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">But there’s
no furniture in the house</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">PERFECT</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Do You Know What I Mean</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Forbes
handles the 100 mile an hour breakneck speed verses. His vocal is stylistically
adroit and powerful, almost breathless. The sing/song chorus has the hooks.
Howard Kaylan would be proud and smilin’</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Do you know what mean</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Watch These Hands</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song has a 59 second interlude (chill
out) motif that has an unmistakable Stevie Wonder vibe. It’s a song about real
communication, not the newspeak and doublethink predicted by Orwell and others
so many years ago. Forbes attempts to communicate deeply, almost religiously
instead of obfuscating and attempting to control thinking. He has hands that
talk, lips that move and eyes that see. He leads us by the nose to rediscover
the non-verbal ways of telling a story. Whew this is a double plus good belly feel.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Def Deaf Girls</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Forbes is
signifying about more than recognizing the sensuous delights of deaf girls;
this is loin bumping, tongue-twisting and deep throated eroticism. It is an
ethological imperative; our instinct to be social and merge with others. This
is a cultural coming of age statement, a signal that the train is coming down
the track and speeding through the tunnel; hopping in the backseat for some
homegrown lovin’. Forbes gets that familiar groove pulsating with the beat.
It’s vice tight and fits just right, like jellyroll rockin’ my soul. Lord Have
Mercy.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bob Dylan was the First Rapper</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Great song
with a stolen verse from Dylan’s apocalyptic Subterranean Homesick Blues. The
chorus with unison singing just sloppy enough to make it real</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-76410612648354948732017-08-06T15:13:00.003-04:002017-08-06T15:13:27.358-04:00Gordy Garris has a great New CD - Never Give Up
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Gordy Garris</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Acoustic strum</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Garris
learned the hard way, feeling his way through a thicket of popsters from Andy
Reed, the Legal Matters, Chris Zehnder and Donny Brown. They own the crown of
creation in the backwoods of the Great Lakes Bay Region even when people are
not listening closely. This writer has heard the word and bows down to the
great wealth of music in our own backyards. Andy Reed is an icon to me and his
productions are incredibly intricate. The delicate soundscape he creates is
right on par with Alex Chilton, Big Star and the early power pop of The Frost,
an incredibly gifted band that included Dick Wagner, Donny Hartman, Gordy
Garris, and Bobby Rigg.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As fate would
have Gordy Garris Jr. has inherited his father’s gift for music, harmony and
lyricism. This document is a testament to the abiding craft that has emerged in
the hills and valleys of Bay City, Midland and Saginaw. </span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Let me in</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"> is
a great opener. “It’s you – you will let me in”. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Garris has a fine tenor that can reach the
high notes without any squawk’s and strain. The drum brings in a subtle
backbeat, followed with electric guitar, bass, piano, and Maiya Kauffman’s
understated violin. Nice Riff. Garris intones “No one there to save you now, just
to find your way.” This is a song of recovery and hope. The message is
powerful. “When your dreams all fail and you lost your way, don’t give up on
your dreams”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Good times</b> open with a reggae beat and a throbbing bass guitar the
singer becomes the song and his lyrical scripts convey hope even when it is
painful. “If you waste your life thinking then you’ll miss out on the good
times. Don’t miss out”.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In all that I want</b> – Moving faster than
the speed of light but you can’t catch her. She’s out of sight; she’s all that
I want. Garris is in a funky Jones. He’s got it bad. The drummer provides a
vocal counterpoint; creates a colorful landscape with Reeds red hot guitar
clips. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nobody’s
there</b> opens with what sounds like a church organ or a piano and violin. It
has an eloquence that is captivating;</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">“Through the mist I saw nothing at all until
I saw you standing there. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">You’ve come along way – just to say –
I’ll be there for you”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Garris has a sweet tenor and he sings
like a bird. He’s grown in Leaps and Bounds as a singer/song writer. Andy Reed
is hovering over it all, his engineering is fabulous. He positions the bass
guitar for a thumping good bottom with a cool synth/guitar workout. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stole
my heart.</b> Gordy’s piano trill is spare and tight; it gives Garris’ vocal
space to breathe. I wrote the song for you and it’s the only thing I can do to
let you know, know the truth you stole my heart. Garris’ tenor is strong and
evocative. Garris piano and Maiya Kaufmann’s violin gives it substance and a
major chord ambiance. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Move me</b> has an
acapella intro. “Give won’t give in.” Acoustic strum is followed by tight drums
and vocal aside, “The way you move me, the way you feel me.” His wondrous vocals
are up front, he’s loose and ready to riff. Reeds command of the vocal
harmonies is exquisite, incredible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Space </b>– Scratch picking opens the song.
It has a heavy bottom with a cool electric phantasm that leads to a heavy metal
power pop eye opener. There is a nice E-string workout in the middle. Dick Wagner
must be smiling up in those clouds. Garris goes environmental like Al Gore on an
iceberg that’s melting. He’s worried about this crazy life. He surrounds me.
Can’t you see (sings), what’s become of me?”<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wasted Man </b>starts with a riff
that sounds like Carlos Santana praying to the Heavens. Reed sings counterpoint
to Garris and builds the harmonies with tremolo guitar accents and Kaufman’s
wall of sound violin is exquisite, brilliant. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Remember me</b>; Garris opens with acoustic strumming and vocal
harmonies with Reed. Garris recalls a past courtship that didn’t work out. Tears
were over the memories. He won’t give in but he’s sitting on the fence. It
doesn’t bode well. His tears were about fading memories. He does not want to
give-in though he’s sitting on the fence afraid the egg will crack. It doesn’t
bode well.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Out of my mind</b> Garris opens the song
with electric guitar and a cool acoustic workout. The blended harmonies are
exquisite. The drummer does a powerful double time riff like Mick Fleetwood
pounding out the beat on Green Manalishi. There’s anger in the vocal. It’s
about a failed relationship. Garris sings, “I must be out of my mind”. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The Coda: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Believe
me. </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Sweet Piano trills and softened
bass bring the song into context. The singer’s righteous tenor scaffolds the
musical landscape of young love. Garris sings his heart out, “Don’t ever give
up on me no matter what you do, I won’t give up on you”.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Gordy Garris has written great material
that fits perfectly in this saga of love and loss . His singing is powerful.
His tenor is strong. His writing is accomplished. He was able to build lyrical
castles in each moment of this incredible song cycle. Garris is on his way up!</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-9805286866879517722017-08-06T15:05:00.003-04:002017-08-06T15:05:54.239-04:00Take One! Arian Kerridge Book Review
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Tape’s rolling,</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Take One!</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The recording life
of Adrian Kerridge</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Adrian
Kerridge is an obscure English producer, hardly known outside of Great Britain
despite his six decades of recording, arranging and producing rock & roll
television scores and movies. Kerridge fashioned 14 chapters from 319 pages of
his remembrances of the music industry. He first hit pay dirt in 1954, working
as a young lad at IBC studios. He learned his chops and eventually bought
Lansdowne Studio and through his ascendance, Kerridge solidified his ranking in
the new British aristocracy and became a true musical icon. He initially
befriended Joe Meek who taught Kerridge about close mic placement, multiple
over-dubbing, direct placing of bass guitars, the compressor, and effects such
as reverb and echo as well as sampling. Kerridge felt that Meek was a genius
and that his life style as a hidden homosexual was cause for arrest and
imprisonment. It made him a target in polite society. Kerridge and Meek became
close friends and they collaborated on many of the sessions at the IBC studios.
At high recording levels, the one quarter inch tape noise was in significant
and it allowed Meek to create several composite overdubs with only a negligible
loss of sound quality. This technique allowed singers such as Petula Clark and
Shirley Bassey to belt out the lyrics. On February 3<sup>rd</sup>, 1967 Meek
killed his landlady, Violet Shenton and then shot himself. At the time of his
death, he possessed thousands of unreleased recordings that later became known
as the Tea Chest Tapes.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Denis
Preston owned the Lansdowne studios and it was an approved studio on the
Musicians Union “fair list.” Though Kerridge never understood why it existed for
studios and for what purpose.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>However,
Preston wanted to make Lansdowne the best-equipped studio for sound recording
in London and in Europe. Denis conceded that George Martin (Beatle Producer)
and Geoff Emerick (balance engineer who recorded the Beatles. Kerridge feels
that they changed attitudes at Abbey Road, making more accessible</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Chapter 9
was the most interesting part of the book as it was exclusively about the Dave
Clark 5.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kerridge first met the Dave
Clark 5 in 1962 when they came into the studio for demo work. It turned out
that Lansdowne was the first proper studio they experienced. Kerridge recorded
several mono demos by the band and he told the group that he liked what they
were doing. He felt the DC5 had a good sound and that the material “was there.”
Mike Smith and Dave Clark were able to re-create their live sound. In an
interview with Kerridge;</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Clark
explained, “When we first started we were writing songs and playing at American
bases in the UK, at dance clubs and on the Mecca ballroom circuit which
featured over 200 bands and catered to a million people a week throughout the
UK. We were recording demos of publishers’ songs because they gave us free
studio time to do our own songs.” The DC5 music, with that heavy upfront live
sound became their audio signature was <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>that was eventually called the Tottenham
Sound.” The first release was Mulberry Bush on EMI but as Kerridge said, “it
lacked balls.” However, by 1963, the DC5 recorded Do You Love Me and it was
stunning! Kerridge used a U47 for Mike Smith’s voice, three Mics on Dave
Clark’s drums. It enabled Kerridge to place the dynamic mic inside the drum off
center using equalization to achieve that thumping sound. Ther were double or
triple tracked overdubs..</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Dave Clark:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Mike was the
most underrated great rock & roll singers. Mike didn’t really realize how
good he was. There was no ego. We were all friends from way back. When we got
the Tottenham Royal contract we were playing to six thousand people a night. It
blew us away! Clark recalled, “I said to the boys that we will only go
professional if we get two top-five records and we go out as the top of the
bill act. We will stop while it is still fun and that is what we did in 1970.
In 1964, the DC5 were selling 180,000 copies a day! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Freddie
Mercury told Clark that the DC5 sound was his inspiration for Queen’s We Will
Rock You with the stamping, clapping onto 20 tracks to get that stadium sound.
It was DC5’s hit Bits and Pieces that inspired it all. In the sixties, Kerridge
had a call from the Daily Mirror and the journalist asked, </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">“You record
the Dave Clark Five.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Yes, I do, I replied”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">“He doesn’t
play drums on his records</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kerridge
retorted, “I have news for you, yes, he does and please don’t ring me at home
again!”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The
relationship between Lansdowne and the DC was immensely productive:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">From
1963 to 1970 all the DC5 records and albums were recorded at Lansdowne</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">23
albums</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">over
30 global hit singles</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">100
million records sold</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Over
100 Platinum, Gold and Silver discs awarded.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kerridge
described his experiences in Germany’s 60’s and Belgium in the mid 70s,
recording material the new KPM Music Library and other libraries. He also
describes with humor the numerous and artistic challenges, the variety of
material from albums to commercial TV shows and musicians and artists that came
through Lansdowne and the consequences of a rapidly expanding business. He
paved the way for a generation of sound engineers. He is one of only two people
to ever be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of
Professional Recording Services. The other was awarded to George Martin. Kerridge
is meticulous in defining his golden moments throughout this incredible
document, 319 pages that chronicle the life and times of this gracious yet
humble man. Stay tuned for Volume Two. It is scheduled for publication in 2017 and
is available at Barnes & Noble.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Peace</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Robert White</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-85907270686477000962017-08-06T15:01:00.002-04:002017-08-06T15:01:48.214-04:00Kay Vanston, A Local Icon Remembered
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The Time Has Come</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Kay Vanston</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">A Local Icon</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Speaks Out</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kay Vanston was raised in a low-income family.
Her father was a factory worker and he worked hard to put bread on the table. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kay’s maiden name is Doutre and she was born
on December 7<sup>th</sup>, 1939</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">She learned quickly about the value of
hard work and perseverance. Kay was one of five girls in the family and she was
raised mostly on the Southside of Saginaw. She attended Washington Elementary
school, Webber school, and then Saginaw High School. She and her classmates
were the first class to graduate from Saginaw High School in 1957. At this
point in her life she had a distinct presence, an awareness of her own
experiences and a quality of being present and open. She could be present
without judgment and fear. It gave her the emotional freedom to appreciate all
and to love. This is an exclusively social period for Kay or <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>anyone who can form attachments that involve
being with the other. The embrace of her paradoxes included a struggle with
body and soul versus human and divine. It is not an easy dichotomy to
reconcile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Kay remembers the good times as well as
the bad. She had a clear vision about her life and came to understand that her
life is no longer the sum of other’s prescriptions. Yet, she is sentimental and
to this day she still wears her class ring. Kay recalls, “Those were excellent
schools and we had wonderful educators. I absolutely loved school. I can not
think of a day when I didn’t like school. I wasn’t shy, but I was really into
studying and my mother and father were both very strict. I didn’t have much of
a social life when I was young I had a lot of great experiences with sports. I
went to places where no one imagined a woman would be a part of.” Her
developmental task as a young adult included love, sex, marriage, and career; <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>To be close yet to be free. Kay also had a
deep interest in moral choices and it shone brightly in her career in
television. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">At around this time, Kay was doing stock
car races as the starter/flag person. She was the first woman starter in stock
car history. She would open the race up with a clarion call “show your
pictures”. “She was dressed in a black and white shirt and white pants. Jack
Goodwin and Alan Stockton were the owners of Raceland Speedway and they hired
Kay to be the starter for the season. The race track was located between Tawas
and Oscoda off Old US23 (Wilbur Road). <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kay
was unique in the state if not the United States as the only woman track
official. At the time, Kay was a mother of six children and had been active in
racing for more than eight years.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She
picked out an all-girl staff to keep things going when the local track begins
the season. Kay Recalls, “I didn’t think anyone at the races knew I was a girl
for a long time because I wore a baseball cap. I was able to go around the race
track with Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough. The cars were a lot of excitement.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Kay was involved with the stock car
racing circuit in Raceland in Oscoda. It was a quarter mile dirt track like the
one in Flat Rock. It was very loud and very dirty. The staff was great to me. I
ran a good track, giving a yellow flag, red flag etc. It was my track!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Within one or two years at the track,
Ms. Wyman hoped to get into driving and gain credibility. She was adamant, “I don’t
want any of that powder stuff either, I want to race superstocks!”Kay’s
relationship with the drivers at the track had been one of mutual respect. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">“I just didn’t want to be hired as a sex
symbol or to be judged differently because I am a female. Maybe it’s because
they feel they can’t punch me but I’ve received complete cooperation every race
I’ve worked.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Kay took on the role of flag person
without any hesitation. She understood that the flag person’s duties were
varied and that her decisions controlled the choices she made. Kay would start
the race, decide when to throw the caution flag and when to black flag
(disqualify) someone from the race either because of poor driving or because of
a malfunction of the car. It was another spectacular. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">At the time Kay’s full time job was
advertising manager for Markey-Eliot, Planned Business Interiors and Georgetown
Manor. Kay served as the ad manager for all three firms for four years and had
been doing weather for seven years. Her energy was incredible. In 1975 she was
named the Channel 25 Sports Director. It was a bold move but it paid off as the
ratings hit the roof. There were also some pretty tough times with the good old
boys would not give her access to certain events. She was told she could not sit
ringside with the rest of the “boys” in the press corps. The Michigan State
Boxing Commission rules would not allow women ringside. It was truly an archaic
rule. Kay did not make a fuss about it, only to comment to her peers that she
couldn’t understand why she was different than anybody else. Sports writer Jim
Buckley championed her cause. He understood very well that other sportswriters
had cracked the locker room barrier and time proved that Kay was a natural and
her day would come. She became a pioneer in women’s sports broadcasting despite
the double standards. She broke the barriers and spoke frankly about women’s
rights and the ongoing liberation between the sexes.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Don Steele was the principal of Nelle
Haley when Kay’s children were in school. He had a great career throughout his
life. He helped introduce Kay to John Bradshaw, a motivational speaker and at
this point in her life she devoted herself fully to that and the real estate
people.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“II
wasn’t there eight hours a day though. I worked 6 o’clock to 11 o’clock at
night. I auditioned for a role with Weather girl’s news and there was nothing
to prepare for. I would call-in and say, “Hey, what’s it gonna do tomorrow?” <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So I <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>put on the mini-skirt and stood up and smiled
for the camera. She was popular with many but not all the viewers and Kay was
painfully aware of all this. She had a deep interest in moral choices and she
could harness logic for behavior that is irrational. It was a way for Kay to
develop her career without anger. She continued to work at Channel 57 as well
as working gigs with WKNX and Bob Dyer. Kay recalls, “The Yankee store
sponsored me forever. They furnished all of my clothing. I think that was
really good for them for that day and time and I got to keep all the clothes. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I believe I was earning $200 a week which was
good money then. I’m talking about the sixties and all I had to do was to look
good and pass it around; I got paid separately for all the advertising that I
did!”</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kay was an anchor at Channel 57 for a few
years and received a lot of fan mail. For two months, Howard Wolff would only
film her from the waist up because people were complaining about the
mini-skirts. The Christian side of our fans was effective in keeping the status
quo – skirts were too short!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">“I wasn’t into saying anything off hand.
I really wasn’t thinking about saying much of anything. I was busy making money
and raising kids; that’s when I married Paul Vanston. He had two kids, so we
had a total of six children that were less than eight years of age when we got
married, and I worked two jobs. In a bizarre way, we didn’t come from a family
that had money! That’s just how it is. Paul played music and worked. He was a
system analyst for General Motors. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I really loved the creative end of my career.
I loved taking pictures and the way I thought about advertising would make
people stop and pay attention. A whole room of furniture standing in a box car
in a junk yard demolished; I set up a whole room of furniture and I’d be
dressed to the T. Of all of my ads you wouldn’t be expecting to see a furniture
ad.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I won the biggest award for my work
about a dining room chair and four buckle galoshes on all four legs.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The caption stated, “Don’t wait for the Spring
season, Our prices are low Now!” It was just an isolated chair! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">As far as people I’ve met, Gordie Howe
is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met – ever. He’s just a
wonderful man. I recall the different people that have come through my life
like Dick Wagner and Don Steele. I could go on and on about people I’ve met. I
picked up Sonny and Cher at the airport. They came into Saginaw. I was at the
radio station. They were just different. They had their own language. Glen
Campbell was soft spoken and very religious. Jim Branster was a mountain of a
man.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I did the radio for WKNX. He was a
sweet kid and he loved sports. We would listen to the Lions when they were on
the radio. We also attended the U of M football games. At the time, I was 34
and he was a robust guy. He picked me up and held me up and filmed the entire game.
It was a U of M game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Mark Fidrych was one of my favorite
interviews. I’ll never forget it as long as I live. He said the “F” word every
two words or so and I said, “Mark, this is going to be on television”. He said,
“Ok”, and then went on to say “f” and “I had that effin Ball”etc. I interviewed
Charlie Sanders and Gordie Howe. They were good people. Once Barry Sanders was
in town, I wasn’t on television at the time but Mark helped arrange 20 minutes
of pictures and an interview with Barry Sanders for my daughter Beth. He was so
kind; Good times! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Kay is a confirmed music lover and In
the mid-sixties, She got tickets for the Beatles of Olympia. She took her 14-year-old
sister. It was a gift of a lifetime and it was the first time the Beatles played
in Detroit. Kay was thrilled, “I had second row seats and I’ll never forget it
as long as I live. I loved the Beatles. When I tell people I went to the first
Beatles concert in Detroit and that they were one of the greatest bands ever. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kay acknowledged that there are a lot of great
artists that performed here in Saginaw.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“I
loved the harmonies of the Four Freshmen – I still have a poster! That was at
the old Saginaw Auditorium. Paul Vanston was playing his jazz stuff. Before
Four Freshmen came on with Joe Fryer opening – they all put on shaggy wigs and
started playing those Beatle songs. That was just when the Beatles were coming
out and before they became a phenomenon and people were making fun of them. They
didn’t realize what brilliant musicians the Beatles were. Paul travelled with
them for awhile. They were one of the greatest groups ever and I am a total
Beatles fan. The musicians were up there and they played their hearts out. Paul
would play a Treasure Island and everybody there was just getting drunk, not
paying attention to the music.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Whites Bar was also part of the story.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kay remembers when her dad drank beer and mom
would call White’s Bar a Beer Garden. “If he stayed too long mom would say to
us, “Go get your dad”. We lived on Morgan Street. I and my three older sisters
would walk over to get my dad and bring him back home from White’s.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Kay never thought of herself as a pretty
girl. “It was interesting to me when I was in school that I never ever thought
of myself as attractive. I just wanted to be smart. Being smart was more
important to me. No one was ever unkind or pushy to me. It just came out now –
my parents were very strict and I was not allowed to do anything, but they
supported my activities. I was not allowed to go anywhere – not to any dances,
though I did get to attend the prom in the 9<sup>th</sup> grade and later I was
crowned Miss Anderson pool. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Perhaps it
was kay’s early learning about relationships within the family that helped her
sense of security in her adult life. Kay is modest yet confident. “I’ve had no
problems of any kind with anybody. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In my
adult life, especially with this last election with all the groping and blah,
blah stuff with Trump and hitting on women; it happens all the time. I can’t
even tell you how many times I’ve swatted someone’s hand away. I didn’t go on
to report it but that is part of an ingrained sexism. That is what happens if
you are a woman and you’re the only woman that’s with hundreds of men. You’re
going to get that kind of thing. It went on a lot and it help keep me on my
guard.. No one attacked me or raped me, it was just the old hitting on you
stuff and trying to give you a big fat kiss with big wet fat faces. It was part
of the game. I never had a drink until I was 42. I didn’t drink in High school.
I wasn’t a goody-goody, I just didn’t like it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After
her work in television, Kay spent her next 37 years in Real Estate and she sold
seven million dollars in commission. Like always, Kay learned her craft through
hard work and a winning personality. She would never sell deficient real
estate. She won plenty of commissions during her career. She was confident as a
seller and she always negotiated with the buyer. “It made me happy that there
was a lot of work that went into the sale and it gave me a lot of immense
pleasure.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Kay was the Dodge Girl and she did the printed
advertisements for Saginaw Dodge. She was the queen of airbrushed ads. “I also
got to know Bob Dyer, he was a mentor, a good man. He was extremely intelligent
and he always encouraged me. He knew that sometimes it got rough; things that I
had to say or do or go out on. He was really the reason I could sustain the
pressure. My family was always primary.” Kay recalled lamenting that she was
not able to balance income with financial stability. “I gave it all away
because somebody needed it; they needed it more than I did.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kay charted a path in a male dominated
industry and came back out with her head held high. The roar she experienced
was the other side of silence wherein the good old boy network was shut off
from awareness until pioneers like Kay Vanston began to jump into uncharted
waters. At this point in her journey, Kay and other Zen architects know that we
can get along better and love better because we don’t try to convert others. She
has multi-perspective narratives and an appreciation for deeper relationships
and appreciation of a history that looks beyond one’s own life. She realizes
that one can love in many different ways and she can sense that art, music,
sports and love are all part of the same thing. Kay Vanston is her own inner
witness and it is felt as love and serenity</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The Peace Train is calling.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-38054963063909055902016-12-18T11:49:00.001-05:002016-12-18T11:49:42.235-05:00Book Review - Al Kooper Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards
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Backstabbing Bastards</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Memoirs of A
Rock & Roll Survivor</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">By Al Cooper</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The book is
a longish 327 pages that include a two-page intro and a four-page preamble
wherein Cooper identifies a five block stretch of Broadway in New York City
especially 1619 Broadway (at west 48<sup>th</sup>), more commonly known as the
Brill Building. Tin Pan Alley era flourished at the Brill Building (1930-1955).
In the mid-fifties the Brill Building Sound took over @ 1650 Broadway. This is
where Elvis Presley’s publishing were looked after. It was the base of
operations for the Goodman family who handled the Arc Publishing Empire. They
had a total lock on R&B and Blues with songs of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters,
Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry and Howlin’ Wolf. Cooper certainly does his homework.
He understands that British Invasion bands like the Stones, Dave Clark 5 and
the Beatles recorded Arc songs to achieve a shaky cultural authenticity. As a
wet behind the ears teenager, Cooper learned from some of the best songwriters
on the planet including Goffin & King, Mann & Weil, Neil Sedaka and
Howard Greenfield. Aldon Music was the premier song publisher from the early
sixties onward. Cooper continued to improve his songwriting craft and by 1958
he was in demand as an up and coming instrumentalist and got a gig with the
Royal Teens. They had a hit with a song entitled Short Shorts. Bob Gaudio of
the Four Seasons was an original member!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kooper is a
natural born story teller who can split the truth to make a point. Early on he
befriended Gene Pitney and he decries his involvement with Gary Lewis when he
wrote This Diamond Ring, originally conceived as an R & B song for the
Drifters. They declined and a west coast producer by the name of Snuff Garrett
cut a “white” version of the song. It became a massive hit that started Gary
Lewis & the Playboys down the road of bubblegum and pop music for teenagers
who liked their rock sugary and sweet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">In 1965
Dylan was god. Tom Wilson produced Dylan and he allowed Kooper to observe the
sessions for Subterranean Homesick Blues. The next session was called for the
next afternoon. As Kooper recalls, “Taking no chances I arrived an hour early
and well enough ahead of the crowd to establish my cover. Suddenly Dylan came
in with Mike Bloomfield and the session got down to business. I told Tom Wilson
that I have a great organ part for the song.” Wilson was distracted with other
chores and it allowed Kooper to play that ham-fisted organ part without
Wilson’s consent. Dylan liked it, so he told Wilson to turn the organ up.
Wilson complained, “that cat’s not an organ player” but Dylan wasn’t buying it
so he told Wilson, “Hey, don’t tell me who is an organ player and who’s not.
Just turn it up. Kooper admitted that he waited until the chord was played by
the rest of the band before he committed himself to play the verses. Kooper was
always an eighth note behind. However, “Like a Rolling Stone” was pure magic
and it was the linchpin for the album Highway 61 Revisited. To this day, Kooper
insists his abilities are only adequate, even though he plays several different
instruments. He is also an accomplished songwriter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kooper has
an astonishing list of musicians with whom he’s known. He developed Blood Sweat
& Tears, his first great band, only to walk away when the tension proved
toxic. The later incarnations of the band never got the acclaim that the first
Kooper-led aggregate. It seems that Kooper’s early BS&T work was visionary.
<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Child is Father to the Man was an
incredible album that is still highly regarded by rock/jazz historians.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Along the
way he championed Lynyrd Skynyrd and helped build their illustrious career. The
leader and singer Ronnie Van Zandt was close to Kooper and they became a strong
alliance that created the band’s persona, that of country gentlemen, a close
knit band of brothers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It seems that Kooper was everywhere at once,
in demand as a session player or a producer whether it was the Tubes, Nils
Logfgren, Rick Nelson, Eric Clapton, or Pete Townsend. In 1980, Kooper
collaborated with George Harrison and Ringo Starr at Harrison’s home studio to
complete his new album. They were on their fourth night of recording when news
broke at 10am. An hour later Lennon’s death was confirmed. The sessions
continued even as Harrison was grieving. Harrison was white as a sheet, real
shook up. Wine was gathered and somber tributes made. The sessions resulted in
Harrison’s album Somewhere in England. Harrison composed a single entitled “All
Those Years Ago.” It was a loving tribute to John Lennon. Kooper was on the
session providing the Wurlitzer piano.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kooper has
been there and seen it all. He struggled with addiction and loved and lost too
many times to count. He ended up in television with his friend Charlie Calello,
a popular musician and guru who arranged all the Four Seasons and Lou Christie
hits as well as Kooper’s Stand Alone LP. Kooper and Callelo created whole new careers
when they got involved with a television show entitled Crime Story. It gave
them both a new lease on life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">This is a
page turner of a book, an incredible memoir that leaves no stone unturned. It
is both irreverent, lurid, and loving. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you like rock & roll, jazz, blues, and
a good story, then buy this book. It is an updated version that is a page
turner with plenty of photographs. You can find copies on Amazon at a good
price.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Peace</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bo</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-80279089431999755512016-12-18T11:44:00.004-05:002016-12-18T11:44:38.853-05:00The State of Music 2016 - You Might Be Surprised
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> The State of Our Musical Union</b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Music Trumps Hairballs and Backroom
Deals</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">By Bo White</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">For the life
of me I cannot recall counting the coupe so viciously though I would scalp any
low life billionaire who takes advantage of sloganeering and backroom deals in
the name of progress. I’ve seen those people in grey with their feckless
high-end uniforms, sartorial delights, and Viagra hard Eunuchs when they are
just keeping up with appearances.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’ve
been down the road with the Kinks for forty-five years, loving their missteps, feuds,
and musical faux pas.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It started with
Arthur and took a hard left to Something Else and ended with Lola. I recently
read a book about the Kinks written by Ray Davies. After a few hundred pages down
road, it dawned on me that the book was incomplete; it went only to 1996,
twenty years short of my goal of knowing the complete mania surrounding the
kinkdom. </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Oh, well.
I’m not the man I used to be. I now get up at 4am, drive over to White’s Bar by
5am and I count all the money and laugh hysterically, maybe it’s the coffee.
One thing I know for sure is there is a lot of great music in the Great Lakes
Bay of Michigan. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Take Andy Reed, one of
my musical heroes. He sent me three vinyl LPs including Always on the Run; The
Legal Matters, Conrad; Relay Vol.1. I couldn’t imagine a better set of LPs
since I love power pop, cool lyrics, and high harmonies. Reed is a musical
institution in Michigan as well as parts unknown as the music drifts into the
ether only to reappear when the aspects are right. I love Andy Reed because he
is talented and honest. He doesn’t jump and jive and he offers no pretense to
being pretty. I need to mention the Legal Matters recent vinyl release. It is
an incredible piece of music and harmony plus it has a card so you can download
some goodies.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Legal Matters rocked
the Magic Bag in Ferndale on November 5<sup>th</sup>, it is one of the last
bastions of free world rock & roll!</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The local scene is becoming more resilient due to the
resurgence of White’s Bar. Allysha Guldenzoph is the manager and she has made
White’s the place for great music and good vibes. There is a rotating group of
singers/musicians who make the place hop from Michale Graves, Honesty & the
Liars, Marsupial Creampie, David Asher’s DAB, Eastside Mike with Tommy Dolson
and Chris, Joe Balbaugh, Tim Avram, The Mongrels, Charlie Klein, Margie &
the Madness, Aaron Johnson Spout & the Orange, and the spirit of John
Krogman, the man that made it all happen.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Chris Zehnder has been
a compelling presence in the Music Scene in the Great Lakes Bay Region of
Michigan. He cut his teeth with the Avery Set, a great band that was done too
soon. College, travel, and life itself intervened to give Chris a wanderlust
that served him well. Thus, Zehnder matured and blossomed as an artist. He can
do rock, country, alternative and acoustic solo without blinking. He’s earned
his stripes the hard way, moving out and moving forward but never leaving us
behind. Chris provides the proof that great music continues to be designed.
Thank god for Andy Reed, Donny Brown and the host of musicians that created
this living document of great music. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Michael Robertson deserves a special mention. After
dissolving Maybe August Michael and Roscoe Selley created some incredible music
together.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> Michael is
older and wiser. He’s embraced playing music in smaller venues (like White’s
Bar) and continued to focus on music and lyrics. He is now working with Honesty
Elliott on a regular basis and the marriage of musical ideas have flourished.
Michael sings low to allow Honesty’s high harmonies to make a statement. The
band’s photos are silhouetted in perfect sepia tones, Michael’s hair is
windblown and impervious to the overgrown grasses and haggard trees.
Incredible!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Lumber Barons Fire Bar
and Stable Martini Bar has entertainment 7 nights a week. The Bancroft Wine
& Martini Bar has great drinks, Ladies Night, and music from their vinyl
record collection. At times, they have live music with cool artists like Joel
Rydecki, Andrew Kitzman, Avenue Acoustic and the Jim Pagel Jazz Trio. </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Counter Culture is located on 620 Gratiot Avenue. They
feature great live bands. They are the good guys!</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Jeff Hall is still a fixture at Delta and continues to play
beautiful music whether it’s tenor or baritone sax. He can play piano if you
ask nice. Jeff was acquainted with Sonny Stitt through his gigs at Bakers
Keyboard Lounge back in the seventies. It was a heady time for music, music was
everywhere!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">My last rock & roll concert was in Detroit and it
featured my all time favorite singer/songwriter/musician Todd Rundgren. I loved
the show. Rundgren took a page from each of his most well loved LPs including
Todd, A Wizard; A True Star; Something /Anything? Back to the Bars. Good Stuff!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">It was a great show that highlighted Rundgren’s ability to
make the crowd stand up and pay attention. Well known players like Kasim Sulton
and Prairie Prince were excellent and helped layer the harmonies. Rundgren
performed his greatest songs such as Hello It’s Me, Just One Victory; I Saw the
Light and Open My Eyes (Nazz). By the last third of the show I was beginning to
tire, my energy was spent and I was nodding off and just when I got into a deep
REM sleep, Rundgren started banging his drum and I awoke with a start. I had
been dreaming of days gone by when Angelo Lorenzo was playing Sleepy Time Gal
and Kenny Roberts was singing Going up the Country while Dick Wagner defrosted
the Mystery Man and Question Mark danced through all those tears and through it
all Lillie Gonzales took what she needed especially when Bobby Balderama played
his guitar. Bob Seger is our hometown hero, he played Daniel’s Den in 1969 and
came through White’s Bar with Tom Wechsler back in the seventies. </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Peace </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bo White</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-24783211087685154222016-12-18T11:33:00.000-05:002020-03-03T13:22:00.596-05:00Ray Davies Live In Detroit<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ray
Davies</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Solo In
Detroit </span></div>
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It’s been a few years since we met, old friend. It was 1979 at
Cobo Hall. You had just released Low Budget, your American album. And suddenly
you were quite popular again and you found yourself playing arenas with a new
muscular sound. Dave still played glorious yet precise heavy metal solos, not
as sloppy as in the past, none of you were. You had a new haircut, short and
athletic. You seemed trim and just a bit hyper, but so remote, not like in the
past, back in ’70 at the Eastown when you revealed your whimsical and
self-deprecating nature with that almost pastoral British charm. Hell, back
then you could getaway with Harry Rag or Big Sky and just floor the audience
with those incredible images. And you were so good at poking fun at yourself,
your brother Dave, and the Kinks. But in ’79 you were a rock star in an arena band;
imagine the KINKS…an arena band. It seemed that the Kinks got better, more
proficient. But …damn, I missed the sloppiness and your irreverent British
point-of-view. It was all to calculated, so serious. Something gained,
something lost. I never thought it could ever return. In the nineties, your
days were numbered and you seemed to retreat into your cocoon just as Dave got
busy with an odd and delightful solo career.</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I missed his show a
few years back at The Magic Bag in Detroit, not for any lack of trying, as soon
as I heard about the Dave Davies Show I dialed up my friend Willie Wilson from
WDET to get some special accommodation, i.e. tickets and Willie said he’d get
me tickets but Dave’s show was yesterday and that I just missed it and that he
drove Dave in from the Metro Airport and Dave was cool not as prickly as legend
would have it. The Kinks are notorious, can’t remember any Michigan rockers
from the sixties or seventies that had a good word to say about you guys, maybe
it was just the times and maybe our remembrances have a plasticity that cushion
our own shame at someone else’s expense, someone more famous and unable to
defend himself. And maybe you were just a drunken roustabout. Well, I was a
drunken man way back then, it doesn’t matter anymore because I’ve made peace
with myself and I’ve come to terms with Ray Davies, the Kinks and fandom itself
and judging from this performance I think he has found something too, like home
and peace. I saw the Kinks six or seven times between 1970 and 1979 and though
the Kinks group changed personnel several times during that era, I never saw
him play without his brother. I know he misses him; I miss him too. I hope he’s
OK. I heard he suffered a stroke a few years ago.</div>
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Davies opened the show with an indefatigable and irreverent
version of Low Budget, his paean to American consumerism. Looking fit and trim,
Davies inexplicably - as it was something like 90 degrees outside - wore a
brown wool jacket over his shirt. He was sweating just a bit and dancing around
like some deranged middle-aged dandy or a Kink or something and after a couple
of songs he really got down to business removed his jacket and rolled up his
sleeves. This cat is serious. He was here to rock and roll us - and to reveal a
little bit more than just his songs. In fact, Davies said, “To understand my
songs, you have to understand me”. So, True. Davies could have sung all night
and most of the next day and still covered only a portion of his extensive
catalog. Tonight, he included Where Have All the Good Times Gone, You Really
Got Me, All Day and All of the Night, an incredible extended version of 20<sup>th</sup>
Century Man (with some great slide licks from Mark Johns), and Tired of Waiting,
the Punks favorite along with Till the End of the Day which he also performed. </div>
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Davies also played a few tunes that were never or rarely
played in public including Dead End Street (an obscure Dickensian ode to class
inequality) from 1967 that he turned into a playful call and response scat and
go exercise and A Long Way from Home from 1970’s Lola vs Powerman and the
Money-Go-Round. Davies said it was written for his brother Dave and it was
about coping with the pressures of sudden fame. Davies narrated his performance
with incredible anecdotes about Dave asking “What the Fuck is that”? after he
first heard the riff to You Really Got Me; auditioning for record executives
who hated their music, dismissing Dave’s guitar work as sounding like dogs
barking. Davies remarked, “I thought that was a good thing”. A sound was born
and the Kinks were part of that early vanguard but they changed and Davies brief
solo acoustic set with Sunny Afternoon and Well Respected Man illustrated the
changes, with satirical lyrics and universal themes that nonetheless poke fun
at the writer himself, overall a good vibe with just a hint of regret. I was
most interested in his new material from his first solo record, Other People’s
Lives. I bought it and loved its quiet majesty. Don’t get me wrong, Davies
still rocked on the record but it was a return to the more pastoral musings of
Village Green Preservation Society, Big Sky, Autumn Almanac, and Waterloo
Sunset (Davies’ masterpiece). He played several of the new songs including
After the Fall, an older tune originally meant for the Kinks; the funky
Tourist, about his life in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Orleans</st1:place></st1:city>.
In introducing Over My Head, a tune that begs the question “Is life Good to
You?” <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Davies revealed that it’s about
acceptance and putting your life in perspective that it reflects upon his own
life; a life like so many others - both comic and tragic. The Getaway is a
moody gem inspired by Leadbelly and Davies skiffle days. Before performing Next
Door Neighbor he asked to no one or everyone, “Do you want to be my friend?”; he
repeated the question and then said, “Let’s go out and you can have a few
drinks with me and then you’ll see how it works.” That aside Davies possessed a
self-deprecating charm, oddly endearing and so loveable. He took performance
art to a deeper level – especially for rock n’ roll – and simply and
exquisitely charmed the pants off the crowd. He closed the 90-minute set with
Lola, a classic song that he could never sing, seems he wrote it out of his
range. Where’s brother Dave when you need him? Still, Davies proved he is a
master, a songwriting genius that has grown comfortable with the stage. This
was an inspired performance that was strangely reassuring. Maybe I’m not
obsolete after all. I left the Taste Fest feeling renewed and enlivened. My
wife Lisa and I hailed a cab and returned to our room at The Hilton Inn on Gratiot
Avenue, laughing and goofing around.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It
was a good night GOD SAVE THE KINKS. I arose early the next morning, a good
hour or so before Lisa. I showered and then brewed some of that complimentary
individually packaged coffee that tastes bad but turns the lights on, so I
drink it anyway and I get fired up and I decide to take a stroll down Gratiot
over to Ford Field and Comerica Park. I’d never seen these stadiums, homes to
the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions. The terrible over-the-top opulence
stunned me, steel and concrete monuments to our cultural constipation and
diversion as a way of life. I shivered at those lavish modern pyramids and
wondered what future generations would think of us. I was alone on Gratiot as I
turned toward the Fox Theatre. There were only a few random people around the
corner, some shirtless, some with shoes but no socks; one missing a few teeth.
As I walked back toward the Hilton, I noticed a young man with his head in his
hands, sitting on the church steps, oblivious to my passing eye. I imagined
that something happened to him and I wondered if I should say something but I
didn’t bother. I was afraid for some reason but I shook off those awful
thoughts like a cold chill and continued walking. After awhile I started to
feel invigorated by the morning sun and felt the quiet pulse of the city begin
to pick up before the hustle and bustle returned to the streets. I went back to
my hotel room and told my wife about all these things. She smiled and kissed me
softly. It was time to go home.</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-17704887915639007522016-11-26T15:06:00.004-05:002016-11-26T15:06:53.316-05:00Book Review - Al Kooper Backstage Passes & Back Stabbing Bastards
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> Backstage Passes & Backstabbing
Bastards</span></b></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Memoirs of A
Rock & Roll Survivor</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">By Al Cooper</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The book is
a longish 327 pages that include a two-page intro and a four-page preamble
wherein Cooper identifies a five block stretch of Broadway in New York City
especially 1619 Broadway (at west 48<sup>th</sup>), more commonly known as the
Brill Building. Tin Pan Alley era flourished at the Brill Building (1930-1955).
In the mid-fifties the Brill Building Sound took over @ 1650 Broadway. This is
where Elvis Presley’s publishing were looked after. It was the base of
operations for the Goodman family who handled the Arc Publishing Empire. They
had a total lock on R&B and Blues with songs of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters,
Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry and Howlin’ Wolf. Cooper certainly does his homework.
He understands that British Invasion bands like the Stones, Dave Clark 5 and
the Beatles recorded Arc songs to achieve a shaky cultural authenticity. As a
wet behind the ears teenager, Cooper learned from some of the best songwriters
on the planet including Goffin & King, Mann & Weil, Neil Sedaka and
Howard Greenfield. Aldon Music was the premier song publisher from the early
sixties onward. Cooper continued to improve his songwriting craft and by 1958
he was in demand as an up and coming instrumentalist and got a gig with the
Royal Teens. They had a hit with a song entitled Short Shorts. Bob Gaudio of
the Four Seasons was an original member!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kooper is a
natural born story teller who can split the truth to make a point. Early on he
befriended Gene Pitney and he decries his involvement with Gary Lewis when he
wrote This Diamond Ring, originally conceived as an R & B song for the
Drifters. They declined and a west coast producer by the name of Snuff Garrett
cut a “white” version of the song. It became a massive hit that started Gary
Lewis & the Playboys down the road of bubblegum and pop music for teenagers
who liked their rock sugary and sweet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">In 1965
Dylan was god. Tom Wilson produced Dylan and he allowed Kooper to observe the
sessions for Subterranean Homesick Blues. The next session was called for the
next afternoon. As Kooper recalls, “Taking no chances I arrived an hour early
and well enough ahead of the crowd to establish my cover. Suddenly Dylan came
in with Mike Bloomfield and the session got down to business. I told Tom Wilson
that I have a great organ part for the song.” Wilson was distracted with other
chores and it allowed Kooper to play that ham-fisted organ part without
Wilson’s consent. Dylan liked it, so he told Wilson to turn the organ up.
Wilson complained, “that cat’s not an organ player” but Dylan wasn’t buying it
so he told Wilson, “Hey, don’t tell me who is an organ player and who’s not. Just
turn it up. Kooper admitted that he waited until the chord was played by the
rest of the band before he committed himself to play the verses. Kooper was
always an eighth note behind. However, “Like a Rolling Stone” was pure magic
and it was the linchpin for the album Highway 61 Revisited. To this day, Kooper
insists his abilities are only adequate, even though he plays several different
instruments. He is also an accomplished songwriter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kooper has
an astonishing list of musicians with whom he’s known. He developed Blood Sweat
& Tears, his first great band, only to walk away when the tension proved
toxic. The later incarnations of the band never got the acclaim that the first
Kooper-led aggregate. It seems that Kooper’s early BS&T work was visionary.
<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Child is Father to the Man was an
incredible album that is still highly regarded by rock/jazz historians.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Along the
way he championed Lynyrd Skynyrd and helped build their illustrious career. The
leader and singer Ronnie Van Zandt was close to Kooper and they became a strong
alliance that created the band’s persona, that of country gentlemen, a close
knit band of brothers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It seems that Kooper was everywhere at once,
in demand as a session player or a producer whether it was the Tubes, Nils
Lofgren, Rick Nelson, Eric Clapton, or Pete Townsend. In 1980, Kooper
collaborated with George Harrison and Ringo Starr at Harrison’s home studio to
complete his new album. They were on their fourth night of recording when news
broke at 10am. An hour later Lennon’s death was confirmed. The sessions
continued even as Harrison was grieving. Harrison was white as a sheet, real
shook up. Wine was gathered and somber tributes made. The sessions resulted in
Harrison’s album Somewhere in England. Harrison also composed a single entitled “All
Those Years Ago.” It was a loving tribute to John Lennon. Kooper was on the
session providing the Wurlitzer piano.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Kooper has
been there and seen it all. He struggled with addiction and loved and lost too
many times to count. He ended up in television with his friend Charlie Calello,
a popular musician and guru who arranged all the Four Seasons and Lou Christie
hits as well as Kooper’s Stand Alone LP. Kooper and Callelo created whole new careers
when they got involved with a television show entitled Crime Story. It gave
them both a new lease on life.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">This is a
page turner of a book, an incredible memoir that leaves no stone unturned. It
is both irreverent, lurid, and loving. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you like rock & roll, jazz, blues, and
a good story, then buy this book. It is an updated version that is a page
turner with plenty of photographs. You can find copies on Amazon at a good
price.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Peace,</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bo</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
</div>
</span><div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-81556381381316904032016-09-26T16:36:00.001-04:002020-03-03T13:17:50.702-05:00The Beatles; Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years By Ron Howard<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> </span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM5ts8NMNfV798thUx9TOu0WINjHWYz5sYlITa3uqFNnIvkRGvdE8aiET52DBspkQAQWLAHQMz75z0LQd31Op1nq_wy5OWdI5ZlZsnZI-jXL-yvmjpaQ-g36nEc4OTEK9-uVhjVc-c78a/s1600/BeatlesFilm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM5ts8NMNfV798thUx9TOu0WINjHWYz5sYlITa3uqFNnIvkRGvdE8aiET52DBspkQAQWLAHQMz75z0LQd31Op1nq_wy5OWdI5ZlZsnZI-jXL-yvmjpaQ-g36nEc4OTEK9-uVhjVc-c78a/s1600/BeatlesFilm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM5ts8NMNfV798thUx9TOu0WINjHWYz5sYlITa3uqFNnIvkRGvdE8aiET52DBspkQAQWLAHQMz75z0LQd31Op1nq_wy5OWdI5ZlZsnZI-jXL-yvmjpaQ-g36nEc4OTEK9-uVhjVc-c78a/s320/BeatlesFilm.jpg" width="216" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM5ts8NMNfV798thUx9TOu0WINjHWYz5sYlITa3uqFNnIvkRGvdE8aiET52DBspkQAQWLAHQMz75z0LQd31Op1nq_wy5OWdI5ZlZsnZI-jXL-yvmjpaQ-g36nEc4OTEK9-uVhjVc-c78a/s1600/BeatlesFilm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b> </b></span><b>The Beatles
Movie</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Whole World
Lit UP</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><b> </b><b> A Ron Howard Film</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">I must admit
I’m a Beatles fanatic. I bought all their albums, bootlegs, 45’s and DVD’s. I
was there watching my heroes on Ed Sullivan and I never looked back. As The
Beatles became a marker for us baby boomers. We witnessed the killing of JFK
and our colors lost their luster and darker sepia tones emerged to rob us of
our sense of safety. The Beatles changed all the rules and came out on top. Ron
Howard did it right starting with the early tours in Germany before Beatlemania
broke out in America. He included dark passages at the Reeperbahn in Hamburg as
well as Lennon’s misstep about religion and the subsequent violence ensued.
Kids and parents tossed this precious cargo of music onto bonfires, needlessly
destroying the music that could soothe and create even more love. Howard captured
the Beatles in their early prime when the put on incredible concerts. Giles
Martin (George Martin’s son) did an incredible job restoring the live
performances as the original tapes were in bad shape. He also resurrected the
Shea Stadium concert tapes with parts from the Hollywood Bowl concert. Giles
Martin said, “the response to the movie and Hollywood Bowl album is just
amazing, more than I expected. It’s great to see that people are being so
emotionally touched by it.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Howard has
worked his magic once again. He took this small independent documentary and
made it a masterpiece. This little film is out grossing multimillion dollar
studios. Go figure.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">There have
been no demographic surveys but there have been anecdotal citing’s of
adolescent girls who love Paul or Ringo and the other Beatles. Audiences have
responded to the part of the film that reveals contract rider specifying that
the Beatles would not to segregated audiences. Whoppi Goldberg saw the Beatles
in their heyday and thought nothing about race. It was more about music and The
Beatles attempt to replicate Motown, rock & roll and rhythm and blues. Howard
captures the Beatles during a time of transition that were both political and
cultural. They opened up America to all these changes. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The film is
not available in certain markets but if you have HULU, you can watch the movie
from the comfort of your own home. Check it out!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Peace</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Bo White</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-4497574350101644942016-09-24T12:58:00.001-04:002016-09-24T12:58:12.593-04:00The Monkees Are Back with a Great New LP <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7YktFz-meQqu6mAuby3mlaOIFADhBGTaLHyH2ykZENQTtw5vPRlS485mgafGmjrEGkbdDMIDIHxfCq_LmwICVjZhhhinm7OUtRkdD1qM-xtDGXFZdxnyXXaUO_m7B8yX34uBy8JBNGSw/s1600/Goodtimes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7YktFz-meQqu6mAuby3mlaOIFADhBGTaLHyH2ykZENQTtw5vPRlS485mgafGmjrEGkbdDMIDIHxfCq_LmwICVjZhhhinm7OUtRkdD1qM-xtDGXFZdxnyXXaUO_m7B8yX34uBy8JBNGSw/s320/Goodtimes.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> Good Times</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Monkees Are BACK</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Good Times is the twelfth studio album by the
Monkees. It was released on May 27<sup>th</sup>, 2016 to resounding critical
acclaim. It was an unexpected treat for baby boomers who love jangly rock &
roll and pop music with a hook. The disc was produced by Adam Schlesinger (of
Fountains of Wayne) with some additional bonus tracks by Andrew Sandoval to
commemorate the 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the band. Rhino executives John
Hughes and Mark Pinkus initiated the project. The Monkees initially agreed to
use unreleased songs by the songwriters used during their initial run in the
sixties. They enlisted such stellar Brill Building songwriters as Carole King
& Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond, Harry Nilsson, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
along with contemporary rock & roll songsmiths such as Rivers Cuomo, Andy
Partridge, Ben Gibbard, Noel Gallagher, and Paul Weller. The title track Good
Times was a demo written by Harry Nilsson in the late sixties and it was
resurrected as a duet with Micky Dolenz.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>To this writer the resultant album is simply stunning. It is a tribute
to the heyday of rock & roll and it recaptured that sixties jangly guitar
sound and layered vocals with keen harmonies. The Monkees continue to astound
critics and music fans alike. It was like a baseball hit deep out to left field
and the wind blows it out of the park.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">I was a fan
from the sixties onward and by the time I was married with children. I passed
on the gene for Monkeemania to my son Ryan. I gave him duplicates of all the
albums and he played them relentlessly. He sang along with those great songs
from 1966/67. He learned to read and write from copying the titles of all the
songs and the names of Mickey, Peter, Davy, and Michael. Ryan was at the head
of the curve. In 1986, I took Ryan and the rest of the family to Charlevoix to
see the Monkees perform. It was a thrill and the band was on top of their game.
I even bought a Live Monkees album at that performance and I display it
prominently in my collection. A few years later I saw the band perform at Pine
Knob. It was another triumphant evening! Years passed but I never forgot the
thrill of those incredible songs and the spirit of the Monkees self-effacing humor.
They gave us a nod and a wink and never wavered from their unique position in
the annals of rock & roll. The Beatles got it even if critics could not be
persuaded.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Time passed
but the Monkees never went away. They released Pool It in 1987 and Justus in
1996 to mixed results despite their best efforts to be current.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The Monkees
reunited for their 45<sup>th</sup> Anniversary Tour in 2011 with three of the
founding members including Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz. They
performed 40 songs. I attended the show in Detroit with my son Ryan and it was
simply triumphant. The setlist went beyond the hits and reached into their
substantial back catalogue including several songs written by Michael Nesmith. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Listen to the Band which ended the show. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">The
status of the Monkees turned sour when Davy Jones died of a heart attack on February 29<sup>th</sup>, 2012. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>On
Sunday April 7<sup>th</sup> 2013 this writer witnessed Nesmith’s solo show @
the Magic Bag in Ferndale just outside of Detroit. He re-imagined his hits and
used spoken word and poetry to introduce his songs. The Monkees toured with
Michael Nesmith throughout the summer of 2014. It proved to be a fitting
tribute to Davy Jones, one of the most popular and beloved singer from the
sixties but it also signaled the incredible lure and charm of the Monkees. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">They
already knew what the little girls understand. The Monkees knew how speak to
the baby boomers as well as millennials. They taught their children about truth
in harmony and good vibrations. Goodtimes is the musical equivalent of a holy
grail that doesn’t exist.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Listen….</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbwEuhoH1wC5uAwijEjFbH4_4x-n55TT1NVsSltr56v4Q0QgKvqcGxGchK3oMqRal8rDVUqNBYtM28VrmfyQMMvijjKmefB1KOpDf0aK1t6bCdDJXNsbsjQrRAremiiDHyWzmlIDU6j7B/s1600/0cbc649c-e1cd-495d-b63a-9270962a176e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbwEuhoH1wC5uAwijEjFbH4_4x-n55TT1NVsSltr56v4Q0QgKvqcGxGchK3oMqRal8rDVUqNBYtM28VrmfyQMMvijjKmefB1KOpDf0aK1t6bCdDJXNsbsjQrRAremiiDHyWzmlIDU6j7B/s320/0cbc649c-e1cd-495d-b63a-9270962a176e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Goodtimes</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> hearkens back to the days when music
mattered and every hot blooded teenager would be listening to the latest songs
on a low-fi transistor radio. The music and lyrics spoke to us in that secret
language all teens share. It could be groovy or fab and it mattered. This song
is an outtake from a Harry Nilsson session that speaks to us boomers in so many
ways; it could be the jangly guitar, organ washes and sloppy drums. The late
great Nilsson’s singing is double tracked with a strong Mickey Dolenz vocal. A
great track! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You Bring Summer</b> brings
a minimalist vibe that gives the song room to breathe without the sludge of
heavier sixties ROCK, it’s more like an early sixties Brill Building classic
that swings and sways. Dolenz hasn’t lost a step and in the coda he sings
“Summer Baby, you bring the summer along.” The bass vocal gives the harmonies a
nice bottom. This is an Andy Partridge song (XTC) that pops.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Dolenz’s
vocals are prominent throughout the disc and he hits the high notes without any
problems. He takes the lead double tracked vocal on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">She Makes Me Laugh. </b>The jingle jangle<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>of the e-string gives it some flavor as well as a low-tech
tambourine that shakes it all up in a frothy malt flavor that gives it a Summer
Means Fun vibe as the boys chase the girls and laugh all the way to the beach.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The chorus is awesome! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Our Own World </b>is another triumph with Dolenz leading the way with
his exquisite singing. He hasn’t lost a step. He is an expressive singer who
can ooh and ahh and punctuates the singing with other vocalisms. The bass
string lead-in is perfect. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gotta Give it
Time </b>is like a walk in the sunshine. It’s another Dolenz nugget. The background
singers chant, “Give it time now baby, ahh give it time, your time.” This is a
cool low-tech minimalist construction with no double tracking or analog
layering. Mike Nesmith takes the lead vocal with Dolenz on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Me & Magdalena. </b><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It is a
Ben Gibbard composition that resonates with the hope of love and recovery. It’s
apparent that the singers have a shared history. It is the siren call of old
friends who love each other despite the interlude of time. The lyrics share the
ideals of love and promise for the future. Here’s a sample…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">What do you see in the depths of the
night</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Do you see a long lost father</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I know everything lost will be recovered</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">When you drift in the arms of the
undiscovered</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Whatever’s
Right </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">sounds like an outtake from a
1966 session at Colgems, in fact it is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby
Hart. The instrumentation is sparse and allows the music breathe with a
tambourine, strummed guitars and a precise keyboards and organ fills that sound
like Peter Tork’s doing. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Love to Love </b>is
a mid-sixties song written by Neil Diamond. It was a sleeper from its very
inception, a bit cloying yet irresistible. It has been recorded<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>by several different artists with a
pop sensibility. It was a Monkees outtake when Davy Jones recorded it for
Colgems. It was an unfinished nugget until it was resurrected for this album.
It shows Jones in good form. He was an expert for filling in gaps and crafting
cool mid-tempo rockers. The backing vocals are courtesy of Dolenz and Tork. The
sessions were recorded on January 21<sup>st</sup>, 1967; February 4<sup>th</sup>
and 5<sup>th</sup>, 1967; August 5<sup>th</sup>, 1968; February 2016.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Peter Tork’s<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Little Girls </b>is a gem and shines the light on his compositional
skills. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The e-string solo sounds a bit like Dick
Dale’s surf guitar. His understated vocal is simply charming, low key like a
Ray Davies outtake on Sweet Lady Genevieve sessions. Dig the lyrics;</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Cheer up, come with me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Leaving castles in the sand</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Like the rising sun over the sea</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Shining and soft like my song</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Perhaps the best song on the disc is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Birth of an Accidental Hipster. </b>It was
written by Noel Gallagher(Oasis) and Paul Weller (XTC).. Nesmith takes on the
echoed lead vocal and gives it all he’s got. Dolenz adds a vocal counterpoint
like Lennon & McCartney on We Can Work it Out.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mike Viola’s rock guitar echoes the sentiment
as a piano trill segues to a sweet honky tonk groove. The e-string guitar
provides substance to the coda. Tork’s version of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I Wasn’t Born to Follow</b> is one of those Brill Building chestnuts.
It is a cool version though The Byrds version from Easy Rider still takes the
prize. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I Know What I Know </b>is quiet and
contemplative and stunning. It remninds me of Brian Wilson’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Til I Die</b> . Nesmith’s lyrics are
incredible thoughtful, quiet. It’s about love</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I know nothing without you</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I know what I see</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I see nothing without you</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Alone I am with a waiting heart</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Alone I am a world apart</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I know what I have </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I know nothing without you</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I
Was There </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">bops like a barrelhouse
piano played by McCartney. It’s a drinking song filled with spirits. It harkens
back to the sixties glory days when we were young and pushing our luck.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I was there</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I was told I had a good time</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I could swear you were there with me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Terrifying </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">is a little too adolescent for a 70 year old rock star. Yet is still
works on this playing field as the artists are replaying simpler times with
primitive equipment and recordings heard through a transistor radio<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b>For me it’s is the real deal as each
sound, vocal, bass guitar or drum gets a turn to shine. It is the perfect
ending to an incredible piece of music. </span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt01LAaJ4EzfOGBsshVG7W3nrylRLa7YbT7Y59Q58qU35e2IV24mJnJqgweaaJ79ch8NOMFRjG0W8zQO70yTyEvG3TvuKa_E9J3iJrdtNLBeTAsKhLjCx5jZNXdnvacHkGlW-_BqQOYvK/s1600/rs-241575-h_10.01705691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt01LAaJ4EzfOGBsshVG7W3nrylRLa7YbT7Y59Q58qU35e2IV24mJnJqgweaaJ79ch8NOMFRjG0W8zQO70yTyEvG3TvuKa_E9J3iJrdtNLBeTAsKhLjCx5jZNXdnvacHkGlW-_BqQOYvK/s320/rs-241575-h_10.01705691.jpg" width="320" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7YktFz-meQqu6mAuby3mlaOIFADhBGTaLHyH2ykZENQTtw5vPRlS485mgafGmjrEGkbdDMIDIHxfCq_LmwICVjZhhhinm7OUtRkdD1qM-xtDGXFZdxnyXXaUO_m7B8yX34uBy8JBNGSw/s1600/Goodtimes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">As one reviewer stated The Monkees
return is better than it needed to be, full of real heart and energy.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Yes!</span></div>
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<br />Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-54012709580158392172016-08-12T20:24:00.000-04:002016-08-12T20:24:02.863-04:00Pete Woodman, Legendary Bossmen Drummer Performs in Freeland <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0EDsFKkej3zH5OpfvE7qD_pGitUQjcUeKUq-JNht8VGPbH_VFEYP9yz0il7DAnJHtnh17DyLAyR74Ya3x_EyulEaVuqbAuPnToM8Hb-qdqczJPnjkuYDEmkduDWKYupkg1MGCh14DI77/s1600/Flying+Circus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0EDsFKkej3zH5OpfvE7qD_pGitUQjcUeKUq-JNht8VGPbH_VFEYP9yz0il7DAnJHtnh17DyLAyR74Ya3x_EyulEaVuqbAuPnToM8Hb-qdqczJPnjkuYDEmkduDWKYupkg1MGCh14DI77/s320/Flying+Circus.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pete Woodman</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sixties Icon</span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mUIxQGrWZTkLuXxCm8h7STQf4ep-eESM_Jywz6QDB7MVZOZJMchk680TCWOamU4-Sk3PQ-EOAB_TVPDHs6qE4DaeIcLWSpKBk_t6XEAogp-5PhsyOEz093ae9bMYi7fqIYczp_pu0nlW/s1600/Meatloaf+Soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mUIxQGrWZTkLuXxCm8h7STQf4ep-eESM_Jywz6QDB7MVZOZJMchk680TCWOamU4-Sk3PQ-EOAB_TVPDHs6qE4DaeIcLWSpKBk_t6XEAogp-5PhsyOEz093ae9bMYi7fqIYczp_pu0nlW/s1600/Meatloaf+Soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> The Prodigal Son Returns</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pete Woodman
recalls the early days growing up in Freeland off old U.S. 10. He remembers
when he hung out with his friends from the Music Box days and high school
dances. Now they are in their sixties and seventies and those times have
sharpened into prism of memories, fondly embraced. It was an era in which Butch
White became a tentative rock & roller with the Playboys and perfected his
craft just months before Dick Wagner rode into town with Lanny Roenicke and
Woodman to become a rock and roll hero. He renamed the band the Bossmen and
they became our Beatles. But the real story started several years before when
12 year old Pete worked his craft, learning drum beats from an Estonian band
teacher that loved Pete’s spunk. Around that time Pete and his brothers Rock
and Michael caught the bug. They formed a band called the King Toppers and they
won a prize for best band at the Chesaning Showboat. Pete never looked back. It
was in his blood. To this day Pete claims he is the most famous drummer in
Freeland only because I’m the only drummer from Freeland!</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pete met
Lanny Roenicke in high school, trading off gigs with Saginaw High and Arthur
Hill bands. At this point Butch White was playing guitar and was the putative
leader. Pete has a vivid memory of Butch performing gravy train and nailing it;
At the time a piano player was making the rounds, he was loud and he was ripped
but he could play like Jerry Lee Lewis and could singer better than most. It
was warren Keith! Pete got to know him when he would sit-in occasionally in
Adrian just north of Pontiac. Warren was in a band called the Eldorados and he
told Pete about this guitar player who could play behind his back and could
sing great. It just so happened that Butch White was going quit the band so
Lanny and Pete drove to Drayton Plains and hired Dick Wagner on the spot! When
Gary Lewis and The Playboys hit it big with This Diamond Ring, Warren Keith
renamed the band, it was a cool name…the Bossmen! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Xzzou9idCi6qWq_9IIluU3_gA2S6A6p1S17lTZWFolmrYCRDpJtl8jX8lDMUwR3JTyKRPUCI2DVjGI_EVua16_etcgBnLx82wHfv6XSwM8Wf797tvsO8PumDtYjbTGDT-9xVIJO-fQQw/s1600/img154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Xzzou9idCi6qWq_9IIluU3_gA2S6A6p1S17lTZWFolmrYCRDpJtl8jX8lDMUwR3JTyKRPUCI2DVjGI_EVua16_etcgBnLx82wHfv6XSwM8Wf797tvsO8PumDtYjbTGDT-9xVIJO-fQQw/s320/img154.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From
1964-1966 The Bossmen were mid-Michigan’s Beatles. They just happened to be in
the right place at the right time of the music business when we could cut our
own records and distribute them at teen dances and at local radio stations.
Every one of the Bossmen 45’s were local hits. Pete says his favorite Bossmen
Songs were You & I and Bad Girl and he felt the harmonies were perfect! The
Bossmen performed all over the state and had a headlining show at the Grande
ballroom shortly after the Grande opened for business. A local event for the
new Montgomery Wards Record Department featured the Bossmen. They sang all the
Bossmen songs all the A & B sides. Mark Farner was a full member of the
group and performed a few R&B covers at that particular show. Pete
encouraged Mark to write songs and his first composition was Heartbreaker,
later covered by Mark when he was a member of Grand Funk Railroad!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pete annd Mark became close friends and Pete
got to know his brothers and sisters. To this day Pete<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was thrilled with the acclaim of being a
local celebrity. Pete says, “It was worth a million dollars, other bands would
play our songs and they’d ask Pete, “did I play it right.” And I would always
say, “Of course you played the right drum part.” It was kind of special!</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After the
Bossmen, Dick and Pete tried to put something together but it didn’t work out
but when he hooked up with Bobby Rigg & the Chevelles that was pure magic.
Pete agreed, “That was the best move for Dick because the Chevelles were a
great band and everyone could sing!” Pete went on to talk about Wagner, “Dick
was an established songwriter and he helped his new band to improve their craft
and write better songs. When the Beatles came along with all those great songs,
Dick wanted to be a Beatle. The Bossmen were the vehicle for Dick to write
these songs. They are still great tunes with good arrangements!”</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After that
Pete put together a band called the Bean Machine and it included his future
wife New Zealand born Susie Kane. At the time she was learning chords and
scales on the keyboard and in no time she was proficient enough to tour and
record with the band. The first song she performed onstage was Midnight Hour
and it was a total groove. It wasn’t too long after that Rudy Martinez
(Question Mark) asked Pete to play drums for his band. Pete agreed. The band
was still red hot with their big hit 96 Tears (along with I Need Somebody).
Pete rehearsed and I learned the songs essentially all the songs recorded for
the first album. Pete<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>learned alot on
the tour, touring the midwest and the southern states. Susie Kane became the
tour manager and made sure there was gas money as well as the profit. Susie would
count all the money, all singles. Often she would count out three or four
thousand dollars! At that time merchandising was an afterthought, not a revenue
source. While in New York Pete recorded Cherry July (on the Cameo Parkway
Label) for one of the last great songs recorded by Question Mark & the
Mysterians!</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After our time with the Mysterians, Susie and Pete moved back
to Freeland and we had lots of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pete remembers, “So we decided to pack up our 1966 Chevrolet and it was
a big load. We had my drums in the back and Susie’s organ on the top. I still
wonder how we did it!” The move to California proved to be an epiphany. We met
Boyce and Hart, Michael Nesmith , David Crosby, Joey Bishop, Steve McQueen, and
Tiny Tim doing some cool vaudeville. Then we met a Detroit Band called the
Southbound Freeway. They recorded an album at Gold Star Studios but their
drummer left so Pete got the gig, though it was short lived it was a good band.
They had a minor hit with Psychedelic Used Car Lot. But Goldstar was a haven
for musicians and singers. Pete recalled that Buffalo Springfield, Sonny &
Cher and the Byrds all hung out there.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mUIxQGrWZTkLuXxCm8h7STQf4ep-eESM_Jywz6QDB7MVZOZJMchk680TCWOamU4-Sk3PQ-EOAB_TVPDHs6qE4DaeIcLWSpKBk_t6XEAogp-5PhsyOEz093ae9bMYi7fqIYczp_pu0nlW/s1600/Meatloaf+Soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mUIxQGrWZTkLuXxCm8h7STQf4ep-eESM_Jywz6QDB7MVZOZJMchk680TCWOamU4-Sk3PQ-EOAB_TVPDHs6qE4DaeIcLWSpKBk_t6XEAogp-5PhsyOEz093ae9bMYi7fqIYczp_pu0nlW/s320/Meatloaf+Soul.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Meatloaf Soul<br />
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pete met Meatloaf shortly after he arrived in Los Angeles.
Meatloaf was a big man, over 300 pounds. He had dirty blonde hair, he didn’t
look very clean and he didn’t wear shoes. He was walking with a few other guys
and one of them saw my drumsticks and he said, “You wanna play with us on these
songs we have?”Pete agreed and so he went into the studio and there was Rick
Bozzio and Meatloaf. They laid down several rough tracks and Susie played
keyboards. The band was christened Meatloaf Soul. The band was quite successful
in Michigan. Pete recalled getting gigs through Punch Andrews (Seger’s manager)
and played the Hideout Clubs, the Blue Light in Midland and Bay City and
Daniels Den. Pete recalls that at that point in the seventies, original live
music was at its height of popularity! To this day Pete recalls teaching
Meatloaf how to count in- 1,2,3 during a song! They even played the Grande
Ballroom with the Fugs!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“When I look back, says Pete, I want to be able to say I did
the best I could do. I had lots of fun and everything I did was positive. It
was good for my direction in life. I wanted to feel good about myself. Every
day is the best day ever is a phrase I used when I worked at Orchard St. Marys,
an all boys Prep School for kids from 9<sup>th</sup> grade to 12<sup>th</sup>
grade. I worked at the Field House on the Ice Arena. I would say to the kids
“You’re going to be great today! The best day ever!! And the kids would yell
back – “Best Day Ever!!”</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pete and his
band HIPS with Susie and Sarah Woodman will be performing @ Freeland’s
Tittabawasee Park in Freeland. Dick Fabian’s wife Gail will make a few remarks
about her late husband Dick Fabian. The concert starts @ 7pm. Come and witness
a local legend and dig the music!</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peace </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bo White</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-59580876306313754882016-08-12T20:10:00.000-04:002016-08-12T20:10:13.673-04:00Book Review - Americana by Ray Davies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ray Davies</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Americana</span></b></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Kinks, The Riff, The Road: The
Story</span></b></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ray Davies
has fashioned an autobiography that brings to light the vagaries of being a
successful musician. His status as a rock & roll hero is certainly secure
despite a catalog of music that had drifted toward the mundane in the later
part of the eighties and nineties. He was co-opting his own music and replaying
that famous riff from You Really Got Me and its follow up clone All Day &
All of the Night. Not to be undone by other scrappy British Invasion Bands, The
Kinks did a one-two knockout punch by delivering the same rock ballad twice
with Tired of Waiting and Set Me Free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Davies spares no one in telling about the savage brutalities inflicted
on Mick Avory and Dave Davies despite their own their own vicious proclivities.
Avory even tried to behead Dave with part of his drum kit. Alas boys will be
boys. They went on to complete the 1965 tour despite all the chaos. At one
point security guards forced them off stage and their manager Larry Page had
disappeared, having left back to Great Britain. The Kinks soldiered on but
Davies was clearly upset as there were divergent cultural attitudes, lack of
business compatibility and total misunderstanding on all sides. The result was
an indefinite ban from working in the United States and the Kinks were left in
a musical wilderness. Drummer Mick Avory summed it up; it was a mixture of bad
management, bad luck, and bad behavior.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Kinks
did return to America in 1969. They had new management with Grenville Collins
and Robert Wace and Mo Ostin (the head of Reprise) was determined to rebuild
the Kinks career with the incredible one-two punch of Arthur(Or the Decline and
Fall of the British Empire) and The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation
Society. Instead of winning accolades for the two musical masterpieces, the
Kinks were welcomed by a well heeled indifference. The Kinks didn’t sound like
they did before. The music and the lyrics were quite British and the Americans
never knew what they were missing. Reprise even released a promotional LP
entitled Then, Now and In-Between as a single LP or a more elaborate box set.
So as not to push the new music too far, the Reprise folks also added a few of
the early rockin’ Kinks masterpieces so the might not forget.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1969, The
Kinks performed at the Fillmore East on their “Arthur” Tour. They played a few
songs from that album as well as their British Invasion Hits. The crowd was
ecstatic. Promoters were playing it safe with smaller venues or large
auditoriums. Davies knew he needed an audience as they toured incessantly, then
Lola came in 1970. It was an incredible achievement and it saved the Kinks
career. This writer attended two Kinks’ shows at the Eastown in Detroit in late
December and again in January. The band was sloppy, the singers sang off key
and the brothers were cursing each other onstage and though some songs did
well- Harry Rag, Big Sky, Last of the Steam Powered Trains, You Really Got Me,
Tired of Waiting, Top of the Pops, Strangers (Dave Davies) – Ray Davies British
humor and likeability saved the day.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Davies
writes well and has a wry cogent style that keeps the reader interested. He
drops a few names, mostly girlfriends though Alex Chilton’s presence is laced
throughout the narrative. Its obvious saw Chilton as a kindred spirit. They
both loved the vibe in New Orleans, the freedom of expression and from fandom.
They could sit-in, jam or just listen to the cool vibes. Davies and Chilton
became friends and remained close until Chilton’s death on March 17<sup>th</sup>,
2010.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Davies
continued his journey as a songwriter and musician. In 1971 he released Muswell
Hillbillies, inspired by London with a tip of the hat to the Beverly
Hillbillies television show. The album got good reviews especially after the
BBC developed a television show based on the album. It also prompted another
successful tour for the Kinks. The seventies was a fertile time for the Kinks; They
released Muswell Hillbillies, Everybody’s in Show Biz, Soap Opera, School Boys
in Disgrace, Preservation Act 1 and 2 and The Kinks Celluloid Heroes- The
Greatest Hits, Low Budget, and Sleepwalker. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are
two Chapters in the book that revealed Davies mugging at the hands of a couple
of New Orleans thugs and just how desperate were his wounds. Davies suffered
serious, life threatening injuries. It left him incapacitated for several
months at various stages of recovery. Chapter 16 begins with the title, Charity
Hospital January 5<sup>th</sup>, 2004. It forever changed his life and, in
effect, made Davies stronger.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The book
ends on a positive note. Davies had recorded Sidewalk Café and his incredibly
successful Storyteller series. Davies’ English perspective is a sumptuous five
course meal that brings real life humor and drama to the banquet. Davies is a
natural and gifted writer and performer. This 300 page volume of remembrances
is worth every penny to a farthing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
need him and we need the Kinks. Buy it Now. Barnes & Noble or Amazon may
have a copy or two left!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peace</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bo</span></div>
Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-34374278327095991602016-07-09T13:04:00.004-04:002016-07-09T13:04:33.319-04:00The Process Returns - Who is that Mad Band? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx97VjN6GLzw0qOcMyT7Jrl2onluuSvuNjmep_-pj5XJ0lK7OWx14Lfkl0ZLIpMDlzKpRbRTZH2wHNaRzUSRNz7UBLvrFnDngZsWSx2CUtehqgI8mOlG5fGenPc1Kbdgi7h7LW7HUdDBg3/s1600/gabe092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx97VjN6GLzw0qOcMyT7Jrl2onluuSvuNjmep_-pj5XJ0lK7OWx14Lfkl0ZLIpMDlzKpRbRTZH2wHNaRzUSRNz7UBLvrFnDngZsWSx2CUtehqgI8mOlG5fGenPc1Kbdgi7h7LW7HUdDBg3/s320/gabe092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Process</span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is Back</span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who Is That Mad Band?</span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dave Asher, lead vocals, guitars, bas, drums, percussion</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garrick Owen, guitars, Sitar</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bill Heffelfinger, guitars, bass, keyboards, drums</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gabe Gonzalez, drums, backing vocals</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seth Payton, bass, keys, guitars, percussion, tenor saxophone</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: auto;" />
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</span>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Process never ceases to amaze me. Just when they are
down for the count, they get up and do a little musical ropa-dopa that seems to
veer offcourse with yet another one of Asher’s proselytizing moments about Jah
and his devotion to Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Once Asher embraces that moment
in time he’s able to imagine a new form of music that is both beautiful and
disturbing. Asher mixes hard rock with sweet reggae music and result is simply
astounding. In Asher’s mindscape he imagines a new formula for his musical
adventures and his faith. I compare Asher’s search to Beatle George Harrison’s
mega opus Awaiting on You All wherein he regales false prophets, “And the pope
owns 51% of General Motors; and the Stock Exchange is the only thing he’s
qualified to quote us.” OUCH…but yeah, it’s true enough. Asher also has the
courage to sing the truth no matter if anyone agrees or even listens. That’s
why I love David Asher and the Process. They have a distinct vision that
reveals an uncommon truth about human struggle and the needed embrace of agape.
Listen to the music in your mind, read along.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Process opens with a powerful track entitled Mystery
Babylon. This is a musical landscape of biblical proportions. Asher embraces
faith and praises his name. He sings of the Lion of Judah, blood of the
children, vampires, fires and Rasta ascendance. Speaking of the Israel Nation.
In 1892 Ethiopia a child was born. He eventually took the name Haile Selassie
(Might of the Trinity).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dick Wagner performed on Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. It was
one of his last musical projects and it rocks hard. It even sounds like an
Alice Copper outtake from Billion Dollar Babies. Asher adds a cool lyrical
theme about genetic mutations and Monsanto’s mind control experiments using
kids right out of college…they won’t protest, the money is too good. The truth
is it’s just a bribe. We sell our soul almost daily and those college kids will
find out sooner or later.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tribute (to the heroes) is Asher’s tribute to his boyhood
icons…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He sings “This goes out to the kings of reggae music. Past,
Present and future; Bob Marley will always be around. He will always be like a
twinkling star in the sky. Peter Tosh music will never die.” Asher also paid
tribute to the rockers because you cannot keep a good song down; music will
always be around! The Process are in top form, on there game, using guitar,
bass, drum, keyboard, lots of percussion and tenor saxophone. It makes for
incredible and dynamic sounds. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Asher’s version of Traffic’s Dear Mr. Fantasy is pure
reading of a great song. Asher clearly tips his hat to Stevie Winwood’s craft
and in doing so he mirrors the genius of the original. It was a labor of love.
The music was perfectly endowed and the lead guitar work was exceptional!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Psalm of David rocks like Van Halen with wild rocking
guitar flourishes, pounding drums, swirling synth and Seth Payton’s tenor sax. The
music dances across the floor, the groove is perfect! This is for the voice
that is unheard. This is beautiful music without need of words.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gypsy Wind has a big full bodied wall of sound and it’s
danceable. This is tasty brew of, guitar, drum and tenor saxophone and a
descending guitar line. Asher’s lyrics
speak of the gypsy in us all, the wanderlust…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“You’ve got the gypsy in your heart; you’ve got the gypsy in
your soul; From the North Pole to the South Pole, From Hong Kong to New York
City”. A female vocalist sings soulfully, wordlessly. This is one of the best
songs on the disc.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The final track is Fire is Burning. It is a showcase of
Asher’s best instincts. This is hip hop reggae, funky with wordless background
singing that leaves a powerful message! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Asher: Fire is Burning. We kill the vampire. Hold them Rasta
Hold them, Catch them Rasta catch them. Catch them when they run! Psychedelic
Reggae with equal rights, justice and truth! Bless Asher and the Process for
having a brave voice and a clear vision in an uncertain future</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Asher will have a Listening Party @ White’s Bar on July 8th, 2016</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Process will perform the entire disc later in the week @ Bemos</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">PEACE</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bo White</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
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Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-19160327911770849662016-07-02T13:21:00.001-04:002016-07-02T13:21:59.373-04:00All My Stories. A Great New Disc of Original Songs from Michael Robertson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjCrLNuY5zL1qugkI-8zSAlMWehRlmHVOwkUverYmRBr8sxfY0r6Lv9Wrmdu0OHRfQYn-tudNqrhuhrh0j2skPT4hdvqatjBzY5Jmd236oyHD8oHni_pnVJOxdQFg0_kh8qdAR012aA5d/s1600/robertson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjCrLNuY5zL1qugkI-8zSAlMWehRlmHVOwkUverYmRBr8sxfY0r6Lv9Wrmdu0OHRfQYn-tudNqrhuhrh0j2skPT4hdvqatjBzY5Jmd236oyHD8oHni_pnVJOxdQFg0_kh8qdAR012aA5d/s320/robertson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All of My Stories</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Michael Robertson</span></b></div>
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<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Michael
Robertson is one half of a great brother team that includes his younger sibling
Scott Robertson. Michael has a powerful contralto that hits the pocket with
nuance and fire; he’s a perfect lead singer. Scott can sing lead or harmony.
He’s one of the great tenors in rock & roll. I first got to know them as
the Robertson Brothers and within a year or so they caught fire as Maybe
August, supplementing the band with Roscoe Selley a harpist extraordinaire and
a great singer. Keith Carolyn became the bass player and he laid down the
bottom like a wrench putting the torque on a nut. The drummer was cool and laid
back. But that was yesterday and yesterday’s gone. Now Michael is older and
wiser. He’s eschewed the pomp and circumstance of a travelling band and decided
to focus on lyrics, tones and the language of the country born of heart, hearth
and struggle. The cover has a perfect black & white hue in sepia tones,
Michael’s hair is windblown and impervious to the overgrown grasses and haggard
trees.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The disc
opens with the title song <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All My Stories</b>.
This is the plugged in version with Don Rich country style pickin’, the
musicians let the instruments breathe and stretch out. The unison vocals of
Robertson and Honesty Elliot shine softly above the instruments. This is a
mature song cycle that speaks to loving as opposed to lust and loss for what is
inevitable.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Highway Song</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a precious diamond in the rough.
The cry of the lap steel sets the tone in sepia color with Dylanesque charm and
Al Cooper organ splashes. Robertson builds those stately notes big and
beautiful and Selley’s lonely harp sings to the night. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sirens hijack my attempts to fly</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those days we swore we’d never come
back</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Truth was fiction and fiction was
fact</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Big screens and real estate</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How’d the hell did we get here</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We drank to the future and pretended
we didn’t know</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We laughed as the bridges burned </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And the lessons we learned </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take your maps and pictures and throw
them away</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Old Man</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> sounds
like a Rolling Stones outtake on the Honky Tonk Women sessions. Michael is
doing his Keith Richards, lurking in the shadows with and bemoans his lost
youth while looking back on his career. He’s still a rebel. This is great
singing and great playing. Everyone in this project is a monster musician!</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It wasn’t so long ago</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We were young men</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Frisky and ready to take on the
establishment</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lines on our face don’t stop us from
digging it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Old man I don’t give a goddam</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We all look into the mirror eventually</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sale on Salvation</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a Maybe August song excavated and put in its proper place and time.
Michael strums the acoustic and begins to sing as the organ splashes the
backdrop. The lyrics are clever and the singer’s voice is road hard.There is a couplet
within the song that was quite controversial back in the day, “shoot any more
liberals” used to contain a naughty word. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We got a sale on salvation all of
this week</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So they‘re flying out the door as
fast as we speak</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If I can just keep my tongue out of
my cheek</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I might not be condemned to eternal
damnation</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the song ends well enough with a
rendition of Amen</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Its Not What You Think</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> is simply incredible. It opens up with Robertson’s lap steel
and mindful strumming. Michael’s voice has aged well like a fine whisky and it
parrells his wisdom for the ages. It’s our only time, our only life. It’s a
song of sepia tones and ugly truths; a woman with a baby and a boss with a
libido.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robertson plays the lap steel
and it whines in tune with the sadness and suffering. He reaches for the
heavens. It’s a cry for life.</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Michael inserts …</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There once was a man from Nantucket</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kept all his dreams in a bucket</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One day he woke up and said </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Its funny how there is no one to
blame</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is what it is and </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s not what you think</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blame on You</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">has
a tightened up percussion, punctuated drum beat like Archie Bell & the
Drells on steroids. Acoustic/electric guitar flourishes ring out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robertson is at his angriest best when he
sings about his pain and getting away from words. The holes in your hands lyric
appear to be a reference to Jesus or to suffering.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Get from your head to a place I
understand</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Get down from the mountain where you
stand</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe I’ll just turn and walk</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like I don’t give a damn away </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Little Man </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">opens
with a sweet circular riff followed by Michael’s voice – the drummer is in the
pocket and the slide guitar soars like an eagle in flight. This is an ode to a
father and son, a true agape, in the vein of Cat Stevens’ Over Young.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Little Man, Little Man</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Look at you now</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before you know it </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You’ll have stories like me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Little Man Little Man</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You won’t know how fast it will be</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Somedays you’ll wake up and outshine
the sun</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Little Man I already know</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shut Up and Go to Sleep </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">has a great guitar riffthat repeats and brings it all home.
Incessant drums and high hat lead the charge, great energy and a lot of fun.
This involves kidding in the square, underneath it all are some very serious
issues.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I left the Misses to Mr. Right</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hand cut to the Camaro</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Parked out of sight</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She was screaming out something</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I was trying to steer</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s got to be someplace I belong</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But I know it ain’t here</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All My Stories (acoustic) </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">is a masterpiece similar to Van Morrison’s You Stoned Me
(like jelly roll). This alternate acoustic take is the most incredible song
I’ve heard in years. Now I know for sure there is a spirit of heavenly love and
bliss. It is in those soft voices that reassure us. Michael Robertson is the
seeker and he knows true love can last way past the heat. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tonight I lie Down on my bed</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Escape the mantra in my head </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The voice outside sounds just like
you</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saying some dreams still come true</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But you know all my stories</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some day the voices just won’t leave</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They come to me and say…just breathe</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take me now for what I am</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The shadow of a better man</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Waiting here for you to save me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take me now for what we’ll be </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A better you and a better me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Michael Robertson and Honesty Elliot
teamed up to create a musical landscape of harmony and peace. This is adult
music and adult thoughts. What’s next; How will we wear it?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peace & Love</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bo</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-68152163243431336632016-03-20T16:00:00.001-04:002016-03-20T16:00:42.401-04:00Andy Reed Does it Again! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFvlW99Z7EJ8bSMZTbk7fqG5pY-Siwt33SbLh5Zx8tBeFW7tYz7ODKClI2lmnXmbz1_oPzRJu0hVFk0mmDquIk8AiDwodbbu99hvDRqMuyIeZHWJO40SQ6P-25Kwi3XPOGCRqripmqbkg/s1600/img016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFvlW99Z7EJ8bSMZTbk7fqG5pY-Siwt33SbLh5Zx8tBeFW7tYz7ODKClI2lmnXmbz1_oPzRJu0hVFk0mmDquIk8AiDwodbbu99hvDRqMuyIeZHWJO40SQ6P-25Kwi3XPOGCRqripmqbkg/s320/img016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Andy Reed Relay Vol .1</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reed Hits a Home Run</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Try as he
may Andy Reed can’t help but to fashion these tasty little pop-up gems for the
true believers. Doesn’t matter that power pop never truly existed save for Alex
Chilton and Badfinger. All the rest is just a compromise and too much blah,
blah, woof,woof. All in all I’m still a sucker for that saccharine music. It’s
so sweet, like taking a huge spoonful of Duncan Hines chocolate fudge frosting
when no one is looking. It’s totally addictive! But it’s when I slap the disc
in the CD changer and Relay Vol. 1 comes on all nice and pretty that I’ve found
a purpose and once again I’m a believer and though I’m actually working class,
I want to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be a closeted bourgeoisie
dilettante in the worst way; And I want to be respected! It’s a tall order,
brother. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Relay 1
begins with an attack on my senses and I can’t stop it no matter what I do.
Reed is the puppeteer and I’m the puppet. I cannot help but to do his bidding.
All he had to do was build the music, write the lyrics and I’m his adoring
pawn. For Reed, music is his life and it runs soul deep. It adorns all parts of
his existence. Music feeds his sense of belonging to something bigger. He
creates his own internal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and sends it to
you, me and anyone who cares about<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>love,
beauty and music.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reed has
done it again with Relay Vol. 1. It is the first of two eps that will hopefully
be collected into a vinyl release in the spring of 2016.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It recalls early period Move, mid-stream Eric
Carmen with a dash of Carl Wilson. Not bad!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But now
let’s take a peak at @ Vol. 1</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The disc
opens with Waves. It’s an echoed atmospheric gem. Minor chords, strummed
acoustic and piano accents segue into Reed’s backyard lead guitar. His vocals
are front and center and the drummer kicks it in with plenty of heat and rim
shots. Reed’s vocal is reminiscent of Bruce Johnston’s role in the Beach Boys
with perfect mid-level harmonies; Reed sings “Will we ever get out of here.”
But the west coast is a dream and a nightmare, depending on what’s next; too
much heat and too many wildfires. But a great vision!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Love is Gone
is based in minor chords that reflect the pain. The marching drum seems to be a
call to arms. Reed is lyrically astute we are boys that become men. Hard
lessons scaffold our lives. Wordless sound echoes at the coda.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Darlin’, You
Don’t Know sounds like a Cars outtake, guitar and keys are prominent along with
another set of atmosphere affects that give the song a boost. Sample lyrics: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Girl, you
always talk about tomorrow</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And you wake
up the same as yesterday</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I love a
Long Goodbye is a cover by Sloan (not P.F. Sloan)/. Sample lyrics;</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No one knows
for certain</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Where or
when I’ll draw the curtain</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I need to
know you love me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is a
spectacular little gem with Beach Boys harmonies, perfect guitar breaks full
bodied notes. Reed fills it all out. This could be a top forty hit!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reed hits
gold again with the help of the following musicians:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John Fossum,
Cody Maracek, Donny Brown , Jason Reed and Ryan Fizgerald</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-57754935550137990032016-03-20T15:57:00.002-04:002016-03-20T15:57:16.217-04:00The Bossmen Reunite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM0S2qXT4a5W_iD5IJEVaFvWBB04jdj6N_gSeTLxRgkd11fusd9-D-j7nsPceTEB2C_S6I8ZQ8ctnghfs94xE2QRECqOS7gpZqzEIj7w7uGMuww97k3rAkJM3HWb7HHqkOJiCr0-54GDW/s1600/wagner2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uGj2UahSUzaJiAwQs-m3NLyhw7_RUknnFASWWCwGzM07ZbGZ4qwOUXqM4syREWGDeJ_RWeGdiF1pP8g5qilzGJ9jHibCKOLnjHZyoMhyphenhyphenIOSc7DIMiZ_4RcRY2WFYHx-M3JfQZZ3vKpqa/s1600/lanny4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uGj2UahSUzaJiAwQs-m3NLyhw7_RUknnFASWWCwGzM07ZbGZ4qwOUXqM4syREWGDeJ_RWeGdiF1pP8g5qilzGJ9jHibCKOLnjHZyoMhyphenhyphenIOSc7DIMiZ_4RcRY2WFYHx-M3JfQZZ3vKpqa/s320/lanny4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Bossmen Reunite</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dick Wagner & Lanny
Roenicke</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This disc
contains four versions of an incredible song simply entitled Lanny’s Song. As
these two old friends reminisced, they no doubt cleared out a path of old
wounds and treacherous memories that are not so easy to forgive or forget. Yet
Wagner and Roenicke had far too much in common. Some might say they were at
their most innocent peak of creativity when the Bossmen were riding high on the
local charts and enjoying the view. Times were simpler and the music was
amazing, even if some of the riffs were derivative and Beatle-ish. From
1964-66, they were our Beatles and they topped the charts on WNEM, WTAC and
WSAM, right along side the Stones, Dave Clark 5 and the Beach Boys. But then Wagner
formed the Frost and went on to create an incredible ahead-of-its-time
supersonic band by the name of Ursa Major. He went onto massive fame with Alice
Cooper and Lou Reed combining muscular guitar with rich harmonics that dazzled
fans and critics alike. It was quite a ride!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Eventually
Wagner returned to Saginaw and resurrected his career with notable gigs @ SVSU
Stadium- The Remember The Child Concert, Callahan’s in Detroit, A Dick
Wagner/Cherry Slush reunion at Titibawassee Park and the 1999 Frost Reunion
Concert @ the Saginaw Civic Center. Through it all Wagner was a consummate
showman with a huge list of famous songs such as Only Women Bleed, Rock &
Roll, and Go To Hell. When he was in the right mood, Wagner would pull out all
those golden chestnuts @ White’s Bar and get the ravenous crowd hungry for more.
It was a moment of innocence recovered and memories preserved. I loved Wagner
for his genius guitar work, exceptional arrangements and a wicked sense of
humor. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dick Wagner
died on July 30<sup>th</sup>, 2014 at 71 years of age.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM0S2qXT4a5W_iD5IJEVaFvWBB04jdj6N_gSeTLxRgkd11fusd9-D-j7nsPceTEB2C_S6I8ZQ8ctnghfs94xE2QRECqOS7gpZqzEIj7w7uGMuww97k3rAkJM3HWb7HHqkOJiCr0-54GDW/s1600/wagner2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM0S2qXT4a5W_iD5IJEVaFvWBB04jdj6N_gSeTLxRgkd11fusd9-D-j7nsPceTEB2C_S6I8ZQ8ctnghfs94xE2QRECqOS7gpZqzEIj7w7uGMuww97k3rAkJM3HWb7HHqkOJiCr0-54GDW/s320/wagner2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
Roenicke and Wagner recorded one last song together. And it is a harrowing
epitaph about love and loss and looking into the abyss. It is a dark Nursery
Rhyme that is uncomfortable to hear; <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>yet speaks volumes
about living near the edge of eternity and wondering how much time we all have
left. Wagner’s long time partner in Desert Dreams, Susan Michelson remembers
that Lanny wrote the song but didn’t know how to finish it. So he called Wagner
in the winter of 2013 to seek his help in completing this labor of pain and
suffering that was caused by a break up. Wagner added acoustic guitar, keyboard
and a Yamaha synthesizer. Wagner devoted two full days to the project in
Fountain Hills Arizona.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wagner
played all the instruments, atmospheric synth, primitive piano, and muted
drums. Vocals were occasionally double tracked, sometimes to add accents and
close harmony. The lyrics are incredible, stark and filled with the never
ending pain of betrayal. Listen…</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At a second hand store, was very poor</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saving for the day, for a house we
could afford</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We shook hands and we agreed, someday
when we succeed</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To build a house together and spend
eternity</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She…devised a plan to extend power
and fame</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With a man she revered, who promised
everything</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was a business man, had a
deceptive plan</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Went riding in his truck, she gave
him all her trust</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They built the walls and laid the
bricks, put in carpet and pretty sinks</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But I just stood there helplessly as
my whole world fell apart</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She sued to hold me close, so
tenderly</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But she was plotting in her heart, to
tear my world apart</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I found out the news, they put
me in a room</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was just a mild case of severe
heartbreak</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And my whole world fell apart</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I just stood there, my whole world
fell apart</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is the last great Wagner vocal,
subdued yet painful; tortured yet elegant. Sadness washes over Roenicke’s
lyrics, it obliterates his sense of everything that gives him a glimmer of
hope; a breath of sanity hovers over the song like a dark cloud. He gazed into
the abyss and the only solace is the pain. This is a lost masterpiece, a tale
of deep sorrow with a dark lyricism and Dick Wagner’s long shadow.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peace</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bo White</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
Roenicke and Wagner recorded one last song together. And it is a harrowing
epitaph about love and loss and looking into the abyss. It is a dark Nursery
Rhyme that is uncomfortable to hear; <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>yet speaks volumes
about living near the edge of eternity and wondering how much time we all have
left. Wagner’s long time partner in Desert Dreams, Susan Michelson remembers
that Lanny wrote the song but didn’t know how to finish it. So he called Wagner
in the winter of 2013 to seek his help in completing this labor of pain and
suffering that was caused by a break up. Wagner added acoustic guitar, keyboard
and a Yamaha synthesizer. Wagner devoted two full days to the project in
Fountain Hills Arizona. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wagner
played all the instruments, atmospheric synth, primitive piano, and muted
drums. Vocals were occasionally double tracked, sometimes to add accents and
close harmony. The lyrics are incredible, stark and filled with the never
ending pain of betrayal. Listen…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At a second hand store, was very poor</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saving for the day, for a house we
could afford</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We shook hands and we agreed, someday
when we succeed</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To build a house together and spend
eternity</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She…devised a plan to extend power
and fame</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With a man she revered, who promised
everything</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was a business man, had a
deceptive plan</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Went riding in his truck, she gave
him all her trust</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They built the walls and laid the
bricks, put in carpet and pretty sinks</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But I just stood there helplessly as
my whole world fell apart</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She sued to hold me close, so
tenderly</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But she was plotting in her heart, to
tear my world apart</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I found out the news, they put
me in a room</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was just a mild case of severe
heartbreak</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And my whole world fell apart</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I just stood there, my whole world
fell apart</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is the last great Wagner vocal,
subdued yet painful; tortured yet elegant. Sadness washes over Roenicke’s
lyrics, it obliterates his sense of everything that gives him a glimmer of
hope; a breath of sanity hovers over the song like a dark cloud. He gazed into
the abyss and the only solace is the pain. This is a lost masterpiece, a tale
of deep sorrow with a dark lyricism and Dick Wagner’s long shadow.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peace</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bo White</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-71118905629747239962016-03-20T15:48:00.000-04:002016-03-20T15:51:22.908-04:00Chris Zehnder is back with a spectacular new CD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPMSKJL5uHL2f9ordqZtMRtmCuRVwVNW199Pi10dQq-UMYW51ncLzRQDa4p4-WH4iuYdUnds2fr9YE1UrgTxL_BsKAfSZys8QiREHU6y9zT8YOiNpirlDr0aCwZ7apoKW9xIi5BH2vYxD/s1600/zehnder4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPMSKJL5uHL2f9ordqZtMRtmCuRVwVNW199Pi10dQq-UMYW51ncLzRQDa4p4-WH4iuYdUnds2fr9YE1UrgTxL_BsKAfSZys8QiREHU6y9zT8YOiNpirlDr0aCwZ7apoKW9xIi5BH2vYxD/s320/zehnder4.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
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<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> Chris Zehnder</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meaning Making
and Going Back to the Future</span></b></div>
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<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Chris Zehnder has been a
compelling presence in the Music Scene in the Great Lakes Bay Region of
Michigan. He cut his teeth with the Avery Set, a great band that was done too
soon. College, travel and life itself intervened to give Chris a wanderlust
that served him well. As a result, Zehnder matured and blossomed as an artist.
He can do rock, country, alternative and acoustic solo without blinking. He’s
earned his stripes the hard way, moving out and moving forward but never
leaving us behind. This disc is the proof that great music continues to be
crafted. Thank god for Andy Reed, Donny Brown and the host of musicians that
created this living document of great music. </span></div>
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<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Donny Brown -
Drums/co-production</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Hank Horton - Bass</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Jim Alfredson - Organ,
Wurlitzer</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Ron RoscoSelley - Harmonica</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Scott Vandell - Lead Guitar</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Andy Reed - Bass on
"Cold Water Blues"</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Me - Vocals, Acoustic
Guitar, Organ, Piano, Rhythm Electric Guitar</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIN1Ex1WqTojWGMDKWo2zfVNfJD5W9LZOYWNS2Tm0pfZPhXZM3yTVCJkJ4z6F1b5XxtlQZPmcE29N1Jm9rKI9CmUWLg8fEJJoRh7xy0uIi5U8Oc-ukY4UsWQA-hbnlKtbdpDrWW26Cgct/s1600/zehnder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIN1Ex1WqTojWGMDKWo2zfVNfJD5W9LZOYWNS2Tm0pfZPhXZM3yTVCJkJ4z6F1b5XxtlQZPmcE29N1Jm9rKI9CmUWLg8fEJJoRh7xy0uIi5U8Oc-ukY4UsWQA-hbnlKtbdpDrWW26Cgct/s320/zehnder.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Goin’ Through the Motions</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">–</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Opens in a high pitched
howl, like a green manalishi with a two pronged crown; segues into a country
guitar like Don Rich admiring Porter Waggoner’s doo. The guitar slices, moans,
bends the e-string and comes back for a cool bass line. He sounds like Red
Rhodes from Michael Nesmith’s Ist National Band. Zehnder is an exceptional
singer. He’s matured as a vocalist and is able to hit the notes strong and pure
with cool vocal asides that help tell the story. Sample the lyrics</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I got ghosts that are
changing my luck</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Sacrifice as a symbol of
love</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Sign me up as a candidate
and cast your vote</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Spill my blood on the
parish lawn</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Flatter me with a eulogy
song</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If you’re note broken
hearted something's wrong</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Baby I'm just going through
the motions</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Watching love from behind
the gates </span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Step inside, you get
flooded with devotion</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I guess the devil says what
he needs to say</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Tablets roll down a lost
highway</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">We shattered stone that
should never break</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Be my witness, but don't
give me away</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But now my baby's got a
criminal past</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">She treads lightly on the
capitol grass</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Leave your footprints mama,
I'm coming back</span></div>
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<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJVQSvLRS7-_U4gUdJkr12D7iPZFh4SA6d4fRCfXckHWO_hjpGCvl2ZWEXIIbBmFSpM-tw0rjMfRSjS7eBev4gCrF1ThqVdrLWb_Y8zq7TtefpAzO7SJVnPW8FMf4MDorWIENqGGRRNn6/s1600/zehnder6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJVQSvLRS7-_U4gUdJkr12D7iPZFh4SA6d4fRCfXckHWO_hjpGCvl2ZWEXIIbBmFSpM-tw0rjMfRSjS7eBev4gCrF1ThqVdrLWb_Y8zq7TtefpAzO7SJVnPW8FMf4MDorWIENqGGRRNn6/s320/zehnder6.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Charlie's Smile </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">begins with a staccato piano chords and
the high hat signals the rhythm section to kick it in, bass, guitar and organ
and hand claps for emphasis. Electric guitar solos, sweet as cornbread. Zehnder
sings with feeling and a deeper sense of who he is and will be. He’s come along
way</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">We're paying off the
fisherman to catch us a note</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">A stranger to the faces
that have made up that band</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But native to the feeling
of compassionate hands</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But I don't know if we'll
ever feel it again</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And we been righteous so
long,</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">All our disciples are gone</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And I've been swimming the
lengths of the river</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Living it Down</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The
song opens with a cool circular guitar pattern followed by a high pitched ooh
that signals the band it kick it in with some righteousness. Tambourine and
drums pound out the heavy feel as circular guitar patterns give it a lift. The
e-string gets a workout with a sweet unencumbered sustain</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Escapist heart road a
western wind</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">On a weak handshake for
love to begin</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Put faith in dirt if you
wish to bloom</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And the pouring rain fell
none too soon</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And your bags are packed
with all you've got to prove</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I'm
living it down</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I
can't hold on </span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">When
you’re running around</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">We
Ride Again. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">This is
another countrified chestnut, acoustic struming, moaning guitar trills that
sound like a pedal steel. The music is rich, layered, beautiful…and sad. Roscoe
Selley fills it out with his evocative harp patterns, perfect! Zehnder sings
with a cry in his voice like George Jones coming off a bender. It all coalesces
at the end with a brush of organ, harp and guitar. I’ve been waiting for music
like this since the Band called it quits </span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They
said I'd never live to see tomorrow</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They
said my heart was gonna storm</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And
I will return what I have borrowed </span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The
souvenirs that I've adored</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But
I never understand what you gave me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Like
I never understand what it means to be a man</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But
holding it now makes me feel lucky</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But
I never understand what you gave me</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Like
I never understand how I vanish through your hand</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">It's
only the living who could feel lonely</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">When
all our time amounts to nothin</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Round
and again, round and again, we ride again</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Cold
Water Blues. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The song opens
with a false beginning followed by guitar and vocals. An organ screams and
gives the music a punch. A slide guitar sneaks in, tough and provacative. The
guitarist is a master, using economy as he goes from e-string to the bass
string like ringing a bell. You can tell these cats are having the time of
their lives.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I'm
goin down to the cold water</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Gotta
bring my soul to life</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Whatever’s
in the river gotta get me in your graces on time</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Well
I'm goin’ down to the cold water</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Gonna
dress myself in white</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Clean
these evil urges gotta hide em from a Saturday night</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I've
never been a stranger to touch</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Your
medicine is never enough</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">You
hope for liberation and end up getting caught in the mud</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">All
these sounds that pass for rhythm</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They
sit crooked in my bones</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Wave
your flag and take me home</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">A Note from Chris Zehnder: I did most of the arrangements, Donny
Brown also helped with arrangements and production. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I was lucky enough to work with so many amazing musicians</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-64323534789920842662016-01-17T14:32:00.003-05:002016-01-17T14:32:58.148-05:00The Bee Gees Odessa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQiwUa1pLlCvDyQs-S5hbwQlPG9GpDr1TFhRni7K1Li8qwKRLAn_7WJ0E-9BS6QGCsuhsLWWwB09zPEQjTEqp7tYIbnPhr4tyEDTKweBZoqryyjiWUCqj7JyqUTcgw-pkMDwTCaTdC23j/s1600/odessa4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Lost Masterpiece
Series<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Bee Gees <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Odessa<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In
conceptualizing this article I followed references to Odessa in various publications
including the “The Ultimate Biography of the Bee Gees; Tales of the Brothers
Gibb. It is a 700 page barn burner and page turner written by Melinda Bilyeu,
Hector Cook and Andrew Mon Hughes. It’s a little more than I wanted for the
article yet it gave me an insider’s view about their sibling relationships and
how it influenced their one true masterpiece. Odessa was a double album that
ran about 65 minutes; Robin Gibb even declared that it was not commercial;
Maurice Gibb felt it had depth and obscure lyrics. Barry Gibb had mixed
emotions about Odessa as the group was breaking up during the sessions and post
production. He felt the band was in crisis…with each other. Perhaps it was the
conflict itself that drove the creative spirit in the band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYAKUwkLllmubiHwlrQ3Jm9l2SiFK1irCm068niAyO30_JgZvyP3-HLgflipDY_Y9xxD7debmsMnhkhECqGbAE_ZwFBFxCUumTgU-xa6Ty2If8TWEVMSujPwOajOG5fRp1B4wrqc304Vz/s1600/odessa4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYAKUwkLllmubiHwlrQ3Jm9l2SiFK1irCm068niAyO30_JgZvyP3-HLgflipDY_Y9xxD7debmsMnhkhECqGbAE_ZwFBFxCUumTgU-xa6Ty2If8TWEVMSujPwOajOG5fRp1B4wrqc304Vz/s1600/odessa4.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The disc
opens with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Odessa (City on the Black
Sea) ,</b> it is wordless and awash with acoustic guitar, cello andthe swoon of
wind, rain and an echo that gives the song a sense of foreboding. Robin Gibb
intones the words in a stream of consciousness that reveal the story of the
doomed British Ship;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“February
1899 the British Ship Veronica was lost without a sign…bah, bah, black sheep
you haven’t any wool. Captain Richardson. Kept a lonely wife in Hull”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
instrumental part included flamenco guitar by Maurice Gibb and cello by Paul
Buckmaster segues to Robin’s incredible vocal;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cherub, I
lost a ship in the Baltic Sea/I’m on an iceberg running free<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sitting-filing
this berg to the shape of a ship/Sailing my way back to your lips<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One passing
ship gave word that /you have moved out of your old flat<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That you love
the vicar more than words can say<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tell him to
pray that I won’t melt away/And I’ll see your face again<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Odessa how
strong am I<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Odessa how
time does fly<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">SPOKEN:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fourteenth
of February eighteen ninety-nine<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The British
ship Veronica was lost without a sign<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Odessa is an
incredible work of art, obscure lyrics, breathtaking harmonies and masterful
orchestration. It’s a powerful reading by Robin Gibb especially when you
realize he was only twenty years old at the time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">You’ll Never See My Face Again</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a pop gem by Barry Gibb. It has a
three chord acoustic strum that comes on like a pop song. But the lyrics are
angry <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every single
word has been spoken/ it’s much to late to change your ways<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far to many vows have been broken/ You can’t
expect a soul to stay<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me laugh you’ve got no friends/ It
took a thousand words to find out why<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You’ll never
see my face again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The soaring violins, insistent piano, aggressive
acoustic guitar and the deep moans of the cello gave the music more color to
the anger.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Black Diamond</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> is all Robin Gibb at his most
ambiguous and soulful. He sings <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where are
you, I Love You (twice)/Where are you to keep me warm<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had a
dream of a place far away/ I followed a river where the dead man would play<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I’m
Leaving in the Morning (twice)/ And I won’t die so don’t cry<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll become those big black Diamonds/that lie
there for me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the tall
white mountains which lie by the sea/ If I come home and my woman has gone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Big Black Diamonds
that lie there for me/By the tall white mountains that lie by the sea<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I knew a man
whom was as tall as the sky/Followed a river where thousands have died<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And he was
leaving in the morning (twice)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Say goodbye
to Auld Lang Syne; Say goodbye to Auld Lang Syne (six times).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another
masterpiece by Robin Gibb</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgFAhQmrJx4t9UdZE-S7NyB-VNsviOd9c9LNPdJPOhWDvEfeCK-B0fw22IrLXSx9ryTag3Z0BJ1regnv-gkX3R0p2m9W2FSR3iMuohsdSYR_kpYatyyxSbpKRwqEoZ4zWl9Svye5o_SEw/s1600/The_Bee_Gees_-_This_is_Tom_Jones%252C_Season_1%252C_Episode_3_%25281969%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgFAhQmrJx4t9UdZE-S7NyB-VNsviOd9c9LNPdJPOhWDvEfeCK-B0fw22IrLXSx9ryTag3Z0BJ1regnv-gkX3R0p2m9W2FSR3iMuohsdSYR_kpYatyyxSbpKRwqEoZ4zWl9Svye5o_SEw/s320/The_Bee_Gees_-_This_is_Tom_Jones%252C_Season_1%252C_Episode_3_%25281969%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Marley Purt Drive </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">is a whimsical tale by Barry Gibbs.
He’s at his very best in this tale of a post-modern orphanage. Gibb’s has his
hands full meeting the needs of his children. It starts with a perfectly
concise drum intro, followed by acoustic guitar and a clip of a pedal steel and
just a bit of banjo.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunday
Morning woke up yawning filled the pool for a swim<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pulled down
the head and looked in the glass, Just to see if I was in<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Went upstairs
to kiss my woman, to make her come alive<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘Cos with 15
kids and family on the skids I gotta go for a Sunday drive (2 times)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s how
they are so I grabbed out the car convertible ‘59<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Headed to
the freeway, tried to find the Pasadena sign<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ten miles
and three quartersmore I wasn’t feeling any more alive<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Cos with 15 kids and family on the skids I
gotta go for a Sunday drive<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jose
Feliciano had a moderate hit with it. He deleted some of the verses and added
his own delicious guitar work<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Melody Fair </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">was Barry Gibbs Beatles tribute. He
felt it may have been too heavily orchestrated though it retained a basic rock
& roll vibe with some country flavors as well, this was Barry’s soulful
side. He mentioned in an interview that Melody Fair was influenced by
McCartney’s Eleanor Rigby, “I was trying to make the same kind of statement.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a popular song with a top forty
construction of verse, chorus and middle eight. It was perfect!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Lamplight </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">was another incredible stream of
consciousness lyrics, soaring harmonies a perfect bridge between pop songs and
the sound of a full orchestra written by Robin Gibb. A few people who attended
the recording noted that Bill Shepard had his hands full doing the charts on
such lavish orchestrations and larger than life arrangements. Despite all the
rumination and misgivings of the principal players, Lamplight was an incredible
piece of music that merged melody and harmony with sorrowful and obscure lyrics
as well as Robin’s emotive four octave range. It was slated to be the Bee Gee’s
next single but it was scrapped due to its length and obscure lyrics. First of
May (a great song) got the nod. This led Robin to quit the band.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sung in
French:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alors viens encore cherie/J’arrendrai
ans après ans sous la lampedans la<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">vieille avenue<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I may
end/she had things to buy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I closed my
eyes/yet I don’t know why<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I gave her
money; said she knew someone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And she said
she won’t be long<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lamplight
keep on burning while this heart of mine is yearning<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I sat alone
with my thoughts and laughed<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then saw
your face in an old photograph<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t
think that I could live without you but what Am I to do?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Come back
home Dear<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have waited year after year under the lamp
of our old avenue<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Laugh In your Face<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barry Gibbs sings
this one at his most Beatle-ish. It is multicultural gem that evokes issues of
state and church before it was fashionable. The harmonies are exquisite and the
instrumentation is inspired. It opens with a minor chord piano trill is
insistent and signals the chorus and it segues into a dramatic orchestral
flourish that reveals the anger underneath<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The circus
is coming to see you/The elephant smiles<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everybody
can hear you/ say that’s out of style<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My brother
is friendly for reasons/If I am the same<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just for 400
seasons we all live in vain<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I laugh
in your face/your only one race<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I’m
Right<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll pull
out your plug so your small/You’ll slide down the drain<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the steps
of St. Peters you all look the same<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This next group of neglected songs is composed
of incredible little gems that have an avuncular spin, gentle and tolerant<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b>The music is layered with piano,
mellotron, orchestration, string arrangements, imaginative composition and
instrumentation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Edison</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> is about Thomas Edison, each of the
Gibbs brothers take a verse with Barry hitting stride on the middle eight. Maurice
gives the piano a workout, Robin on vibes accompanied by a full orchestra. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Whisper Whisper (Keep it Quiet)</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">. Barry Gibb is doing his best John
Lennon vocal. The Gibbs are down to a 4 piece that includes original Bee Gee
Colin Peterson on drums. This was Barry Gibbs reaction to drugs, sexuality and
freedom of expression.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Give Your Best. </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">This is Barry teaming up with drummer
Colin in an attempt at to deliver a country western song and it worked
wonderfully. It’s a square-dance with fiddles and guitars. Peterson described
it as the best recording session he’s ever been part of. It included two
anonymous bluegrass musicians to make it real. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sample
lyrics include:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve done my
shows, everybody knows<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I nearly
sold all my clothes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One man can
give, another has to lend<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I just
give my best to my friends (and so you should)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Suddenly </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">is a quirky little tune written by
Maurice Gibb. It fits his personality to a “T”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He performed the song only once on the BBC2 on May 17<sup>th</sup> 1969.
Sample lyrics:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How can you
tell looking at me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How can you
tell you like what you see<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Suddenly
there’s a boy in the rain alone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Suddenly
there’s a girl in the rain alone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Sound of Love </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">may<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>contain some Barry Gibb’s most cloying and angst ridden lyrics, it
misses the mark:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">See the
children play ball, see them play along the hall<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It makes me
cry to see them smile<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I see the
moon I see the sky, I see reflections in my eyes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And there’s
no one to share my life<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never Say Never Again </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">was collaboration between Barry and
Robin. They did disagree with some of the lyrics especially about declaring war
on Spain. Here’s a sample:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your lips
could never show a smile<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You never
tried you just put me in a pile<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I never lived
inside your hole, child<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought
you needed me I never had no style<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an interesting note the Bee Gees with Bill
Shepard writing out the charts and hiring the orchestra decided to include
three orchestral pieces, songs without words. The triad was a fascinating
glimpse of the Gibbs Brothers growing musicality, possibly genius that was
unlike released in 1969. It demonstrated the band’s versatility and total
command of difficult orchestral passages. It was non-commercial music for the
masses. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Seven Seas Symphony, With All
Nations (International Anthem), and the British Opera<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">First of May </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">was the last<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>song written for Odessa and it is perfect , a great vocal by
Barry, a strong arrangement and a wistfulness about childhood and a lost love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was small and Christmas trees were tall<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We used to
love when others use to play<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t ask me
why, but time has passed us by<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Someone else
moved in from far way<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now we are
tall and Christmas trees are small<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And you
don’t ask the time of day, but you and I, our love will never die<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But guess
we’ll cry first of May<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The album was originally entitled Masterpeace
or The American Opera. At the time people regarded it as the Bee Gee’s Sgt
Pepper. Maurice Gibb thought it was heavy. I agree; it deserves another look<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Addendum:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over fifteen
years ago I began to pour through archival material about the Bee Gees through
magazines, books, Wikipedia and my own remembrances of their Concert in
Detroit. I attended with my brother on March 20<sup>th</sup>, 1973 @ the
Masonic Temple ticket prices ranged from 4.50, 5.50, 6.50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I admit that I loved their music yet I was
disheartened by the low energy performance. The Bee Gees seemed to be stuck in
their own made time warp, sticking to mid-tempo ballads and never straying too
far from all their hits.</span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was four
years before that concert when I enrolled in both the RCA Record Club and
Columbia House. The deal was I would get like 10 records for a penny and from
then on I was required to pay the full price of the other albums that I
purchased. I went hog wild, buying up all those goodies by The Small Faces,
Beach Boys, the Kinks and The Bee Gees. I bought Odessa, a two album set that
had a cool flocked cover. I listened to the Bee Gees baroque orchestration and
vocalizations without words and I was totally astounded. I had never heard
anything like except for my brief visit with Brahms and Beethoven in grade
school. I put Odessa away in the junk bin and left it abandoned and forgotten,
that is, until I found a deluxe CD version of Odessa. It contained Stereo and
Mono mixes as well as a third disc of unissued “Sketches For Odessa.” I was
totally blown away. I even looked through my crates of record albums and found
my copy of Odessa just to feel that cool cover and to listen to this
masterpiece with fresh ears. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
worth the effort.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-86242277725742849032015-08-02T14:29:00.000-04:002015-08-02T14:29:05.740-04:00Book Review: Johnny Cash <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMPFZM94W5M5LL5dJ6WgV_Y0Q5s5D0ca4OM-kdbmHXbgOQzjwiqYk2edibcYs2rZA9Ueq5DwowSEzDYcbm8PQ54t3NJbaegh_mUmcKW_ls5TsHbKPZ56wutNbqHPn31vs_lzFhi2_C8A5/s1600/Cash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMPFZM94W5M5LL5dJ6WgV_Y0Q5s5D0ca4OM-kdbmHXbgOQzjwiqYk2edibcYs2rZA9Ueq5DwowSEzDYcbm8PQ54t3NJbaegh_mUmcKW_ls5TsHbKPZ56wutNbqHPn31vs_lzFhi2_C8A5/s320/Cash.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Johnny Cash<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Biography<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michael Streissguth<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The author
of this definitive tome is a long time chronicler of all things country. He
authored books on Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold. But his focus has been on Johnny
Cash. He authored Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: The Making of a Masterpiece. He
is also the editor of Ring of Fire; The Johnny Cash Reader. This time around
the author digs deep and comes up with gold, 18 chapters over 290 pages. He
also includes a Notes section, an Index section and a Bibliography. No stone is
left unturned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He begins
his narrative in 1932 but the sentinel event for young Johnny (J.R.) Cash was
the death of his brother Jack In 1944. Jack was repairing tents and was trying
to cut a board on a big Dewalt bale arm saw. Someone had taken the guard off
and put an oversized blade on it and it hit the wood and the blade came right
at him. The blade sliced through Jack’s stomach and abdomen. It was reported
that Jack died slowly. It was a tragic death made more tragic when J.R.’s father
said, “Too bad it wasn’t you instead of Jack.” Perhaps it was this sense of not
belonging that led Cash into the armed services and the use of alcohol and
recreational drugs. According to the author, Cash became a stoned addict for
most of his life. It was in the service that Cash refined his musical skills
and developed his expressive baritone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Streissguth
captures the yearning in Cash’s early forays music with his good friends Luther
Perkins and Marshall Grant. By 1949 Dewey Phillips was broadcasting at WDIA
rhythm and blues shows. It aired black oriented public affairs programs, black
music and black voices. In the 20’s and 30’s marketed cut rate blues and jazz
records to black buyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Sam Phillips;
a 26 year old white man from Florence Alabama began working for WREC. He
discovered that different classes and races could make music together. SUN
Records was established in 1952, it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was
the early seedlings of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rock & roll -
white artists such as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash made a big wave, more
of a typhoon of musical greatness, though it is quite evident that the legacy
of BB King, Bobby Bland<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Ike Turner
made it all possible. By 1955 Cash & the TennesseeTwo was touring with a
roster of SUN Records artists including Elvis Presley. By 1956 Cash was on his
way with hits like Get Rhythm, I Walk the Line, and Folsom Prison Blues (early
version). Cash datedhis drug use to 1958 though may of his colleagues disputed
this, it was much earlier and it was speed, benzos. It became a lifelong habit
with the most intense years were from 1958 to 1967, though he was never free
from drugs for the rest of his life. In 1958, Cash-composed songs sold more
than six million records.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 1960 Cash
added a drummer to fill out the sound. He was in high gear, touring and making
regular television appearances on the Jackie Gleason Show, Jimmy Dean Show, The
Country Music Jubilee and American Bandstand. He was hot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cash was
married for several years to Vivian Liberto. They had four daughters and a
rocky marriage. Johnny was in the first phase of his incredible journey to fame
and he was often absent. Vivian once revealed that Johnny left home for over a
year and she had no idea of his whereabouts. One year he came home in January
loaded down with Christmas gifts for his daughters. It was a dark holiday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of the
highlights in the life of Johnny Cash include:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are songs
recorded by Cash that documented a fading part of American life. It was his way
of promoting American Folk Music; My Grandfather’s Clock; Don’t Take Your Guns
to Town, Cool Water and the incredible Five Feet High and Rising.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 1961, Saul
Holli a promotor from London Ontario and Johnny’s manager was instrumental in
hiring June Carter for the Johnny Cash Show. This merger of souls lasted 42
years. June and Johnny proved inseparable, a lifetime of love. Johnny In 1964
Cash and Bob Dylan met and became lifelong friends. Cash recorded several of
his songs including It Ain’t Me Babe and Mama You’ve Been on My Mind. The Johnny
Cash Show debuted in 1969. It was a counter-culture take on musical forms from
folk and jazz to rock and country. Besides Dylan (doing songs from Nashville
Skyline), Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot
graced the stage of The Johnny Cash Show<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 1968 Folsom
Prison Concert proved to be one of the highlights in Cash’s illustrious career.
He opened with “Hi, I’m Johnny Cash” which became his pat introduction for the
rest of his performing career. The set list included Folsom Prison Blues, Dark
as a Dungeon, Orange Blossom Special, Cocaine Blues, The Long Black Veil,
Green, Green Grass of Home and Greystone Chapel and Jackson. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rick Rubin
recorded several songs for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings. The video of Hurt
was a masterpiece and considered to be Johnny Cash’s epitaph.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Final
Chapter of the Book is the Gloaming it details the love and suffering this
famous couple endured. It details the decline and fall of one of our most
celebrated unions, a love that endured addiction, pain and loneliness. It is a
masterful rendering by Streissguth in his powerful yet sensitive narrative
style<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The true
love of Johnny Cash’s life was June Carter. They were married on March 1<sup>st</sup>,
1968. The lived and toured together for 35 years until June’s Death in May
2003, Cash died four months later.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michael
Streissguth has fashioned a fascinating chronicle of an American Icon. The
warts are revealed right beside the triumphs of love, forgiveness and family.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnny Cash: The Biography can be found at
Amazon.com or eBay.com or Barnes & Noble. </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is worth the time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-10164020621584581302015-08-02T14:21:00.000-04:002015-08-02T14:21:03.438-04:00Book Review: Hendrix Setting the Records Straight <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFHNxEVx8eTVrgln-huRzrO8eSItuu6W0gKG4uOGop5OgyNN7wBmB15LF5WX43SxbThcwbNvaQrMk2H-gCW9Deu9bIPow90h78GzlU8B7BcO7anCjk_mVBHA73W_hOqJGCARVShgCHfoP/s1600/Hendrix2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFHNxEVx8eTVrgln-huRzrO8eSItuu6W0gKG4uOGop5OgyNN7wBmB15LF5WX43SxbThcwbNvaQrMk2H-gCW9Deu9bIPow90h78GzlU8B7BcO7anCjk_mVBHA73W_hOqJGCARVShgCHfoP/s320/Hendrix2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hendrix<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Setting the Record
Straight<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John McDermott with
Eddie Kramer<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This incredible volume was released in 1992,
yet resonates like yesterday, twenty three years later. McDermott goes back in
time when Jimi was known as John Allen Hendrix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was fresh out of the military and freelancing as a working musician,
taking gigs whenever he could. He learned his chops from watching others
whether it was Curtis Knight or an Vaudeville trooper. His early influences
were Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King. By chance Linda
Keith was at the Cheetah Club in New York and she was mesmerized by the
guitarist in Curtis Night’s band. They had a few drinks and became fast
friends. Later on Chas Chandler of the Animals saw Hendrix at the Café Wha. It
was a confluence of circumstances that these two musicians would meet. It
started a long time friendship that would scaffold the initial stirrings of
genius in Jimi Hendrix. Chandler embraced Jimi like a brother and took him back
to England in 1966. It was a fortuitous union of souls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chandler was
wise beyond his years and brought in two white English musicians to provide the
rhythm section, it was an incredible insight to have one of the first
interracial bands. Mitch Mitchell was a superb, jazzed inspired drummer and
Noel Redding would double on bass guitar and vocals. The first album Are You
Experienced was total Gold and the second release Axis: Bold as Love was
inspired. Electric Ladyland and Smash Hits were pure gold. Hendrix could do no
wrong. His performances at Monterey and Woodstock were historic and would
forever freeze frame his identity as a superb one-of-kind guitar genius.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">McDermott
weaves a compelling narrative of exceptional talent, lucky breaks, swindlers,
substance abuse, heroes and villains. It is real life story that will keep you
reading way past midnight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jimi Hendrix died on September 18th 1970. The
authorities confirmed that Monika Dannemann found Hendrix at 11am. He had
gotten sick in his sleep. He went without medical attention for at least twenty
seven minutes. By the time the ambulance reached the hospital, Hendrix’s heart
had swelled and the spinal column was congested. He simply could not recover.
Jimi Hendrix died at the age of 27.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The life and
times of Jimi Hendrix is colored in shadows, innuendo and half truths. After
Hendrix died there was a flurry of law suits and counter law suits that left
Hendrix’s legacy in the hands of the contracts and court judgments that did
more damage to the Hendrix image than anyone at the time could realize. Alan
Douglas come across as a charlatan and opportunist as he plundered the Hendrix
musical archives. He ended up releasing several posthumous recordings with
dubious value to the overall Hendrix canon. This includes Loose Ends, Crash
Landing, Nine to the Universe, Kiss the Sky and Midnight Lightning. As an aside
Flo & Eddie (Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman) mentioned Douglas owning the rights
to Hendrix recordings on their incredible album Illegal Immoral & Fattening.
It was a form of Kidding in the Square wherein the humor hides a darker
meaning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the time
this book was released the Hendrix legacy was in the process of renewal as another
generation discovered the incredible genius of Jim Hendrix. It has not been
diminished or grown out of date. Prince was inspired by Hendrix. He even cut
his own rendition of Purple Haze. Graffiti Bridge’s Tick Tick Bang was inspired
by Hendrix. His imprint runs the gamut of many well-known artists such as The
Time, Cameo, Niles Rodgers, Living Colour and the Gap Band<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">McDermott’s
volume clocks in at 324 pages. Appendix A is a diagram of Electric Lady
Studios, the first submission by architect John Storyk. Appendix B included
letters from the law firm of Steingarten, Wedeen & Weiss that included
counseling about Hendrix’s financial problems. The volume includes ten pages of
candid black & white photos taken by Linda Eastman (later married to Paul
McCartney) and Eddie Kramer. However, the author’s narrative is fact filled and
riveting at the same time. It is a light in the forest for the legion of
Hendrix fans who may not know the whole story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Check
Amazon.com or eBay.com for this or other books about Jimi Hendrix. The Hendrix
LP and CD catalog is available locally at Electric Kitsch (Midland), Records
& Tapes Galore (Saginaw),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Record
Conventions (Bay City)and at Barnes & Noble. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924191527571653794.post-13202792755605530712015-06-28T14:06:00.001-04:002015-06-28T14:06:20.061-04:00Vinyl Lives, Record Stores are Helping Lead the Way<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warm Analog Grooves<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Resurgence of Vinyl<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been a
vinyl freak for most of my life. It all started when my older brother brought
home groovy 45’s like Take A Look (My Friend) by the Bossmen, East Side Story
by Bob Seger & the Last Heard and 96 Tears by Question Mark & the
Mysterians. I liked Question Mark the best because he lived on the 800 block of
Howard Street next door to my cousin Sally Rork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She arranged a meeting between my idol and my
brother and me. It was a prophecy and a promise for better things to come.
Question Mark told us to buy all his 45’s so we did. We bought “I Need
Somebody” “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby”,” Girl (You Captivate Me),” and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Do Something To Me.” I then turned my
attention to The Bossmen (On The Road, Baby Boy), Terry Knight & the Pack
(Mister, You’re A Better Man Than I), the Excels (California on My Mind) and
Bob Seger’s Heavy Music, salacious boner rock & roll. I was coming of age.
The first albums I bought were “The Beatles 65 and the “Beach Boys Today.” They
were Christmas gifts for my mother. She seemed really delighted my largesse. As
I continued my quest for everything vinyl I bought albums by the Frost, The
Beatles, Bob Seger System, the Dave Clark 5, the Tremeloes and the Beatles…loved
those fabulous harmonies and that insistent big beat. I had it bad and though
the seventies, eighties and the new millennium I collected thousands of albums
from record stores, mail order catalogs, and garage sales. I bought so many
albums from Who Put the Bomp, a mail order magazine that I had a first name
relationship with the owner Greg Shaw. He was a true believer and so was I. But
then I would get the itch and I would sell all that beautiful vinyl and start
all over again, only to repeat this agony like a modern Sisyphus pushing the
boulder up the mountain. I continued this pattern of behavior many times until
I settled into a comfortable relationship with eBay for the long haul,
purchasing back my last big collection until I was suitably embarrassed. My
story is not dissimilar to anyone who loves music. To this day I do not regret
a single moment in my quest for vinyl. It’s a hunger that cannot be quenched.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fred Reif
has been in the trenches and witnessed the guerilla warfare of the record collecting
industry. He had his own store in Saginaw before he moved over to Ann Arbor to
run Schoolkids records. He has bought and sold countless record collections in
his time and he’s pretty savvy about how this industry appeals to teenagers as
well as aging baby boomers. He scratches his head about the new age collectors
buying habits. Recently Fred watched it happen in Frankenmuth where teenagers
would buy albums by Kiss, Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand, Willie Nelson as
well as the Beatles and Jefferson Airplane. The younger generation is building
their own collections, buying the easy ones first before diving into the more
expensive collectable albums (and 45’s). At this stage in their collecting
hobby they are primarily picking up the hits. The aging baby boomers are
getting rid of the records, rock & roll became rock! Fred realizes that
vinyl gets only a small percentage of the sales something like 2% to 6%. In the
past few months Jazz recordings are so stalled out those classical recordings
are doing better. The 55 and 65 year old demographic is still buying vinyl, but
they are not playing the records. Fred listens primarily to Caribbean music but
he sells lots of Rock & Roll and Blues 78’s. He sells on eBay but it’s a
mixed bag, “It’s harder to sell on eBay because they raised their fees. I used
to get 50 free ads a month, now it’s only 20 free ads, plus I’m charged 10% for
the sale and 10%for the charge on shipping.” To Fred eBay is trying to get rid
of the smaller dealer and Record Store Day promotes vinyl, it’s a free ad for
record stores – like Sweetest Day. “I buy obscure stuff and I go to thrift
stores everyday, says Fred, I buy collections, most are junk but if I’m lucky
I’ll get my money back. I like 45’s the most, that’s all we needed to have, travelling
bands would come into town the popularity of one song, like Incense &
Peppermints.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A long time
connoisseur of vinyl requested anonymity. But his voice is heard loud and clear.
“This is an energizing time period in the last three years, 50% of my sales are
high school and college kids. In the 90’s Jack White pushed vinyl and it
promoted interest in other records.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
2000 eBay changed this for the next 5-10 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now people want to buy things. “Stores are seeing teens buy regular LPs
like Hall & Oates and John Mellencamp. The classic stuff by the Beatles,
Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Rush are gone, you can hardly find them anywhere
(for a reasonable price). Young collectors want the original package. They want
to hear the pops and clicks in the music.” In the last 15 years vinyl has been
dumped, destroyed and thrown away. Millions of records ended up in the
landfills. However on the other side of that equation were the grandparents of
the new age collectors are giving their collections to their grandchildren or
they would take their parents records and the parents didn’t care. Vinyl became
HOT again! Now you see stores pop up from Flint and Frankenmuth to Detroit, New
York, Los Angeles and even Brazil. For my anonymous connoisseur the lust for
vinyl is growing, “kids buy vinyl, they have to take care of it, clean it and
put it on the turntable,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s a whole
vinyl experience, vinyl is something that you physically own but once it’s
gone, it cannot be replaced. Music is a personal thing. Preserve your vinyl!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I contacted
Jordan Pries from Electric Kitsch to get his view on the resurgence of vinyl.
“Vinyl …it’s almost new again. Their parents got rid of their collections so
their children grew up with CD’s and downloads. So it’s almost a new format
again.” Pries cites the White Stripes and the Black Keys who were total vinyl
heads, to the resurgence of record collecting. “Young people liked those bands
and the bands pushed vinyl, it’s like a new way of approaching music. It’s not
like reading a great book which is a different media, with the ascendance of
the internet music became a something you download, not something you hold and
place on a turntable. They could release one song at almost no cost for a
physical format. For Pries there is more than music at stake, art work, credits
and cool liner notes would be lost. Pries sees younger people buying newer
records that aren’t cheap. “They will pay $15-30 dollars and it’s mostly newer
music from artists like Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, Amy Winehouse and Lana
Delray. Some teens and adults will buy a record a week.” Reissues and Box sets
have been very popular lately especially with classic rockers like Led
Zeppelin, Beatles and Pink Floyd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jordan
recalls his early days of collecting. “Tuesdays were usually the release date.
We used to get in line at midnight to get the latest releases such as The
Battle of Los Angeles by Rage Against the Machine or Pantera’s The Great southern
Trend Kill.” Pries cites industry sales figures for vinyl – 3 million last
year; 9.6 million this year so far and should reach 16 million! It should
double production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>United Pressing is
pressing hundreds of thousands of discs. A buyer from Wichita Kansas found 13
record pressing machines. He will now have capacity to produce huge quantities
of vinyl LPs. For Jordan Pries record collecting is personal, “My dad was a
record collector and he gave me his collection of classic rock & roll
albums that included Del Shannon, The Byrds, The Beatles and Pentangle. My dad
was also a musician; he played the organ and was in a popular band called the
Coachmen. They released two 45’s on the Target label out of Wisconsin, Girl in
the Wind and Hey Bulldog.” Pries cites Jack White and his Third Man Records for
bringing some sanity to record collecting. “He wants record stores to survive.
They will sell to stores like mine so I can sell LPs cheaper.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In December
of 1974 Bill and Judy Wegner opened Records & Tapes Galore. At that time
the industry sold vinyl albums and 8 track tapes and cassettes were starting to
gain a following. Bill Wegner explains, “We sold a lot of albums, several
thousands. We had a one stop distributer who would get all the labels like
Capitol, CBS, Warner Brothers and RCA. For a small store we did really well.
They pushed hard and always had promos to give away. A particular rack jobber
had an old beat up car, he was a bit frumpy and looked like Peter Falk.” Bill
had an open invitation to take anything the man offered even if it was the
latest, hot off the presses LPs from major artists like Deep Purple or Joe
Walsh. The idea was that Bill would play the freebies in the store to promote
sales. Bill’s business was booming though the seventies and eighties but it
slowed down in the nineties. “CDs came out in 1984, Bill recalls, and it just
exploded. RCA promoted CDs as the perfect sound forever…but it was actually the
imperfect sound forever.” This led to a mass exodus of from vinyl, people got
junked their turntables and bought CD players. Bill recalls, “At one point the
industry jettisoned vinyl altogether. By the 1990’s very few albums were being
produced and in the mid-nineties LPs ceased production except for a few
boutique labels. In 2015 album sales have exploded again and companies are
having difficulty keeping up with the demand. It is a marriage of technology
and art.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bill admits
that he sold a ton of CDs during a brief renaissance that emerged in 2010/11.
“It is a tribute to several movies that had prominent roles for DJ’s and kids
got interested and the DJ became a focal point. He would play the music loudly
and use two turntables that could allow the DJ to mix one song into another.
Discotheques were prominent and the DJ was the hero. Vinyl was featured in
these films, it took the place of the record shop.” Bill has his pulse on the
action, he knows that kids have MP3’s but highs and lows are chopped off . Bill
says, “Its music but not all of the music.” There is no doubt that kids got
into their father’s vinyl collection. It was like tasting forbidden fruit. The
kids learned by watching dad dust off the vinyl, hold it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>carefully on the edges and set the needle
down on the grooves…heaven! Bill is knows that people from one era have an
affinity for music from their time, makes sense. Bill reports that older folks
are energized by the resurgence. “The LPs that are coming out now are 2/3 new
releases and 1/3 reissues,” says Bill, “Is it a fad or will it sustain and
grow. It’s hard to tell.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I love
music and records do have power for me, it involves me more and compels me to
drop my newspaper and listen intently to those beautiful sounds”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peace &
Love</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bo White<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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Bo Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11553181118897127928noreply@blogger.com0