nice piece on the ROCK'N ROLL HALL OF FAME choices this year from good mate jim bessman. enjoy the HOLLIES video of " stop, stop, stop!"
i'm so pleased about the hollies being inducted. as for ABBA they keep a lot of old rock farts at the writing table, and JIMMY CLIFF, i could care less. he was an embittered runt when i worked with him in '75 and i doubt the boy has changed. best, o
CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
44-paul mcguinness and the stones on red skelton
manager of the last 20 years (along with jon landau and danny goldberg...) U2's paul mcguinness...of course the model's remain albert grossman and shep gordon. enjoy, o
CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE
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and thanks to ron "somerset" ross for this one on the stones...
CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE
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and thanks to ron "somerset" ross for this one on the stones...
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
43-eric woolfson
eric woolfson was known to a lot of the world for creating the alan parsons project, known to UG listeners as the co-writer of chris farlowe's, mick jagger produced, "baby make it soon."
eric passed last week. he will be missed. a great, great pop ear and a lovely fellow...
CLICK HERE for a link to Eric's homepage
CLICK HERE for his obituary
Friday, December 4, 2009
42-reasons to be cheerful
a very nice riff from michael sigman, one of the early runners with the LA WEEKLY. nice to see the guv'nor SVZ and the work he does get a very fine nod. enjoy, o
3. Andrew Loog Oldham. XM Sirius Satellite Radio has become a kind of rock-and-roll heaven on earth, with iconic artists turning us on to their favorite tracks and telling stories we'd never hear otherwise. Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour is the godhead of the form, and Steve Van Zandt (creator of Little Steven's Underground Garage, one of the greatest rock stations of all time), Steve Earle, Graham Parker, Tom Petty and others also have -- or have had -- their own shows. I especially love Andrew Loog Oldham's daily broadcasts on Underground Garage. Oldham managed and produced the Rolling Stones from 1963-1967 (Marianne Faithful too!). From his virtual headquarters in Bogota, he spins sets that might begin with a little-known Who or Kinks track, progress to Kate Winslet by the Silver Brazilians and Del Shannon's Little Town Flirt and end by swinging from the Ronettes to the Noisettes, whose lead singer, Shingai Shoniwa, he describes as "the voice, the voice...Diana Ross meets Eartha Kitt today." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnxQMAmv3gU
Oldham's eclectic sensibility and droll philosophizing make his shows that much more fun. When he calls us "darlings" or "luv" while giving his current take on Beatles ("They never had to look over their shoulders") vs. Stones, he transports us to a special world in which the British Invasion co-exists with Sarah Palin, whom he describes as a "feral idiot."
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
3. Andrew Loog Oldham. XM Sirius Satellite Radio has become a kind of rock-and-roll heaven on earth, with iconic artists turning us on to their favorite tracks and telling stories we'd never hear otherwise. Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour is the godhead of the form, and Steve Van Zandt (creator of Little Steven's Underground Garage, one of the greatest rock stations of all time), Steve Earle, Graham Parker, Tom Petty and others also have -- or have had -- their own shows. I especially love Andrew Loog Oldham's daily broadcasts on Underground Garage. Oldham managed and produced the Rolling Stones from 1963-1967 (Marianne Faithful too!). From his virtual headquarters in Bogota, he spins sets that might begin with a little-known Who or Kinks track, progress to Kate Winslet by the Silver Brazilians and Del Shannon's Little Town Flirt and end by swinging from the Ronettes to the Noisettes, whose lead singer, Shingai Shoniwa, he describes as "the voice, the voice...Diana Ross meets Eartha Kitt today." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnxQMAmv3gU
Oldham's eclectic sensibility and droll philosophizing make his shows that much more fun. When he calls us "darlings" or "luv" while giving his current take on Beatles ("They never had to look over their shoulders") vs. Stones, he transports us to a special world in which the British Invasion co-exists with Sarah Palin, whom he describes as a "feral idiot."
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Thursday, December 3, 2009
41-altamont
aah the sixties, adieu to the 60's...
The Rolling Stones at Altamont: the day the music died
by Ethan A Russell
The Rolling Stones’ 1969 US Tour was a remarkable tour at a remarkable time. Some say Altamont – the free concert tacked on to the end – ended the Sixties. Since I was the photographer for the tour I had an inside view of the sometimes ecstatic experiences of the 16 shows and the nightmare that was Altamont.
The idea for a so-called Concert in the Park (San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park) was first broached in 1968. But Golden Gate Park wasn’t available. San Francisco wouldn’t issue permits. No problem.
Marvin Belli, a flamboyant San Francisco lawyer, produced a last-minute saviour: Dick Carter, owner of something called the Altamont Speedway. 'Altamont was going to be Woodstock West,’ said Michael Lydon, a writer who covered the tour. 'Everybody was talking about it.’
But it was a dull, lifeless landscape. There was no hint of green, not a tree, not a blade of grass. When we arrived there was no palpable feeling of joy or even happiness. It slowly dawned on me that this concert might not turn out to be what I expected.
Mick Jagger had no such luck. His realisation came instantly. Stanley Booth, another writer, saw it happen: 'Mick got off the first helicopter with Ronnie [Schneider, the tour manager] when a kid comes running up to Mick and says: “I hate you,” or something, and punches Mick right in the mouth.’
Ronnie recalls: 'I remember Mick screaming: “Don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him!” Me, I wanted to kill the guy right away. That set the tone.’
Jo Bergman, the Stones’ office manager, saw it too: 'On the day of the show there were these ugly people all around. Then I went into the tent with the Hells Angels. These people were very spooky.’ Hells Angels always scared me. I knew, of course, about their new peaceful reputation in the San Francisco scene. I’d read how Ken Kesey invited them to participate and how they would stand next to the stage at concerts in San Francisco, a kind of unofficial security presence.
'Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas came,’ says Booth, 'bearing tales of how the Angels were fighting with civilians, women, and each other, bouncing full cans of beer off people’s heads.’
During the Jefferson Airplane set, a Hells Angel had beaten Marty Balin, the lead singer, unconscious. Charlie Watts, the Stones’ drummer: 'I was talking to a couple of the Angels when the tent flap wobbled and one of them whacked it with a billiard cue – there was probably some kid’s head behind it. When it came time for us to go on, the Angels made a line for us to pass through. I felt very worried as we walked to the stage.’
Bill Wyman, bassist: 'We could be halfway through a song and suddenly there was some commotion, and the Angels were just beating the s--- out of some guy. The crowd would open and you would see six Angels just whacking them with pool cues, and you thought: “What’s going on?”’
I expected Mick to stop it. I naively believed he had the power, and was disappointed he seemed so timid. Keith Richards, much bolder, tried to put a stop to it – and then was told someone in the audience had a gun and was shooting at the stage. That someone was Meredith Hunter.
Wave after wave of violence swept through the crowd, causing people to be jammed up against each other. There were swarms of people on the stage, including many Hells Angels. Sam Cutler announced that the Rolling Stones would not perform until the stage had cleared.
Hunter got involved in trying to get people off the speaker boxes in front of the stage. The next thing Hunter was arguing with six or seven Hells Angels. He tried to get away to the right of the stage but was hemmed in by the crowd. He turned and pulled his gun. Alan Pasarro, a Hells Angel standing near the stage, saw the gun. He pulled a five-inch knife and stabbed it deep into Hunter’s back.
Bill Wyman: 'Mick Taylor and I were the ones nearest to it. We saw the crowd open up and the guy chase the other guy right in front of us. We both saw the commotion when the guy got stabbed. We saw the whole thing, and my heart skipped a beat.’
Mick finally spoke up: 'You know, this could be the most beautiful evening we’ve had this winter if we are all one, let’s show we’re all one!’
After his plea Mick continued, 'Now there’s one thing we need, Sam. We need an ambulance.’ But it was too late.
Bergman: 'We were taken to the helicopter and I had this feeling that it was like you were the last person on the last chopper out of ’Nam.’
Astrid Lundstrom, Bill’s girlfriend, escaped on the helicopter: 'I don’t remember anyone talking about it. I remember them being more like in shock. There was none of that usual bravado.’
Bill: 'It must seem strange that no one has talked about it.The chaos of the earlier tours was fun. But no one really talked about Altamont because there was nothing to laugh about. No good memories.’
In an interview shortly afterwards Mick remarked: 'I thought the scene in San Francisco was supposed to be so groovy. It was terrible. If Jesus had been there he would have been crucified.’
CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK
The Rolling Stones at Altamont: the day the music died
by Ethan A Russell
The Rolling Stones’ 1969 US Tour was a remarkable tour at a remarkable time. Some say Altamont – the free concert tacked on to the end – ended the Sixties. Since I was the photographer for the tour I had an inside view of the sometimes ecstatic experiences of the 16 shows and the nightmare that was Altamont.
The idea for a so-called Concert in the Park (San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park) was first broached in 1968. But Golden Gate Park wasn’t available. San Francisco wouldn’t issue permits. No problem.
Marvin Belli, a flamboyant San Francisco lawyer, produced a last-minute saviour: Dick Carter, owner of something called the Altamont Speedway. 'Altamont was going to be Woodstock West,’ said Michael Lydon, a writer who covered the tour. 'Everybody was talking about it.’
But it was a dull, lifeless landscape. There was no hint of green, not a tree, not a blade of grass. When we arrived there was no palpable feeling of joy or even happiness. It slowly dawned on me that this concert might not turn out to be what I expected.
Mick Jagger had no such luck. His realisation came instantly. Stanley Booth, another writer, saw it happen: 'Mick got off the first helicopter with Ronnie [Schneider, the tour manager] when a kid comes running up to Mick and says: “I hate you,” or something, and punches Mick right in the mouth.’
Ronnie recalls: 'I remember Mick screaming: “Don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him!” Me, I wanted to kill the guy right away. That set the tone.’
Jo Bergman, the Stones’ office manager, saw it too: 'On the day of the show there were these ugly people all around. Then I went into the tent with the Hells Angels. These people were very spooky.’ Hells Angels always scared me. I knew, of course, about their new peaceful reputation in the San Francisco scene. I’d read how Ken Kesey invited them to participate and how they would stand next to the stage at concerts in San Francisco, a kind of unofficial security presence.
'Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas came,’ says Booth, 'bearing tales of how the Angels were fighting with civilians, women, and each other, bouncing full cans of beer off people’s heads.’
During the Jefferson Airplane set, a Hells Angel had beaten Marty Balin, the lead singer, unconscious. Charlie Watts, the Stones’ drummer: 'I was talking to a couple of the Angels when the tent flap wobbled and one of them whacked it with a billiard cue – there was probably some kid’s head behind it. When it came time for us to go on, the Angels made a line for us to pass through. I felt very worried as we walked to the stage.’
Bill Wyman, bassist: 'We could be halfway through a song and suddenly there was some commotion, and the Angels were just beating the s--- out of some guy. The crowd would open and you would see six Angels just whacking them with pool cues, and you thought: “What’s going on?”’
I expected Mick to stop it. I naively believed he had the power, and was disappointed he seemed so timid. Keith Richards, much bolder, tried to put a stop to it – and then was told someone in the audience had a gun and was shooting at the stage. That someone was Meredith Hunter.
Wave after wave of violence swept through the crowd, causing people to be jammed up against each other. There were swarms of people on the stage, including many Hells Angels. Sam Cutler announced that the Rolling Stones would not perform until the stage had cleared.
Hunter got involved in trying to get people off the speaker boxes in front of the stage. The next thing Hunter was arguing with six or seven Hells Angels. He tried to get away to the right of the stage but was hemmed in by the crowd. He turned and pulled his gun. Alan Pasarro, a Hells Angel standing near the stage, saw the gun. He pulled a five-inch knife and stabbed it deep into Hunter’s back.
Bill Wyman: 'Mick Taylor and I were the ones nearest to it. We saw the crowd open up and the guy chase the other guy right in front of us. We both saw the commotion when the guy got stabbed. We saw the whole thing, and my heart skipped a beat.’
Mick finally spoke up: 'You know, this could be the most beautiful evening we’ve had this winter if we are all one, let’s show we’re all one!’
After his plea Mick continued, 'Now there’s one thing we need, Sam. We need an ambulance.’ But it was too late.
Bergman: 'We were taken to the helicopter and I had this feeling that it was like you were the last person on the last chopper out of ’Nam.’
Astrid Lundstrom, Bill’s girlfriend, escaped on the helicopter: 'I don’t remember anyone talking about it. I remember them being more like in shock. There was none of that usual bravado.’
Bill: 'It must seem strange that no one has talked about it.The chaos of the earlier tours was fun. But no one really talked about Altamont because there was nothing to laugh about. No good memories.’
In an interview shortly afterwards Mick remarked: 'I thought the scene in San Francisco was supposed to be so groovy. It was terrible. If Jesus had been there he would have been crucified.’
CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
40 - kim fowley release and marilyn smoked cannabis
my underground garage label-mate, kim fowley, goes all arts & leisure in the new york times. wonderful recognition for a man of our time and then some...
"music by the unknown for the unloved"...pure rock'n roll proust. enjoy, o
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH
KIM FOWLEY
“One Man’s Garbage: Lost Treasures From the Vaults 1959-69, Volume One”
“Another Man’s Gold: Lost Treasures From the Vaults 1959-69, Volume Two”
(Norton)
Many have made profound records with a heavy hand and dumb records with a light hand. But making dumb records with a heavy hand: that is for the true hot-doggers, those who truly love their own scent and know that immortality in the arts is both a construct and the desired thing.
During rock’s middleweight years Kim Fowley turned out this sort of record by the dozen: doo-wop, surf, girl-group, novelty, psychedelia. A song about undercover cops posing as surfers. A song about yo-yos. Who is Kim Fowley? He’s a recording-studio lizard still living and working in Los Angeles, an old-fashioned producer, promo man and Svengali who eagerly sang or talked over the band when necessary. You may know him from his work with the Runaways, Joan Jett and Lita Ford’s mid-’70s band. It’s possible you know him as a producer of “Alley Oop,” by the Hollywood Argyles, from 1960; or as a writer of “Nut Rocker,” the 1962 instrumental that swiped the “March of the Wooden Soldiers” melody from “The Nutcracker.” Maybe, if you’re good at this, you know him as a credit line on lesser tunes by Kiss or Cat Stevens. Beyond that you might be in trouble.
An anthology of Mr. Fowley’s work, “Impossible but True,” totes up his successes, and another, “Underground Animal,” is dedicated to his obscurities, with a greater quotient of greatness. But here, in two volumes, are his abject failures, mostly small-batch 45s, some never let out of the can. This music is in certain parts nearly unjudgeable by musical standards. But it qualifies as West Coast social history, conceptual art and, possibly, a form of fiction
A few songs are great (“Bodacious” by the U.S. Rockets). Some are deeply inept (“Bounty Hunter” by Donnie and the Outcasts). Outside of their three minutes or less on vinyl, most of these bands existed mainly in Mr. Fowley’s head; he had a concept for each one. Rock ’n’ roll, he writes in his loud, profane and insightful liner notes, is “music by the unknown for the unloved.” Further, he writes, it’s “about the sun beating down on you and lemonade in your hand. It’s atmospheric.” That may be his credo or just a rationalization, but it’s very good.
In his early days there was no album-length work to undertake, and as he imagined his one-off happenings, Mr. Fowley jumped on meager opportunities with a brio beyond what they deserved. He took unused instrumental tracks made by bands with unpaid studio bills and rendered new songs upon them. He corralled misfits into studios and dreamed up band names in short order. He created his own labels: Kimco, Last Chance, Rubbish.
Here are a bad Shirelles (Althea and the Memories), a bad white Shirelles (Bonnie and the Treasures), a good California-beach “Susie Q” (the Renegades’ “Geronimo”), a corny satire about hippies (“Long Hair, Unsquare Dude Called Jack”). There’s a great creative wiliness behind it all. You can’t condescend to Kim Fowley as an outsider artist: he’s too mercenary, too self-conscious about the aesthetics of pop and too much of a thrill seeker.
BEN RATLIFF
CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO ARTICLE
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it's been a big year for marilyn monroe. first she joins me in singing "happy birthday" to little steven, now she's busted for going up in pot. is she or isn't she? smudge for yourself. best, o
CLICK HERE TO READ
and here's me and marilyn singing happy birthday
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