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
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
39-morrissey and the germans
no explo needed here, morrissey gets the germans to follow orders again. read the NME, see the farce. enjoy, o
CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
Monday, November 23, 2009
38 - sarah palin
it's only rock'n roll...alas. sarah palin on FOX looked like a feral idiot. if she looks bad on FOX never mind the rest. what is left for her? a country album? here is deepak chopra's take on the dame. enjoy, o
CLICK HERE
Friday, November 6, 2009
37 - christopher walken does lady gaga
our fave tapper and nutter, christopher walken does a lady gaga turn on jonathan ross's UK TV show. enjoy, o
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
35 - woodstock, lenny, r&r HOF MSG, hopper, gore
this weekend i'll be looking at woodstock again. the reason? mr. james parker's article on the 40th anniversary and celluloidsalesshmeer from the september issue of THE ATLANTIC. here is that article for you to enjoy in your own time as opposed to ours. best, o
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LENNY KRAVITZ LOST IN BORGATA, NEW JERSEY. NOT COLOMBIA. DEFINITELY ONE OF HIS BEST SHOWS...
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PARIS MATCH gets the best pictures, here is their take on the recent AARP ball at MSG.....
CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE
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Dennis Hopper has prostate cancer. a prayer said and a candle lit for the man. get better, stay better and brussels sprout on!
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT
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gore vidal....an american treasure....love him or loathe him (and i love him) you will at least gain some recharged brain cells as a result of the man's power and direction of words. the kennedys, the clintons and roman polanski. gore with gore.....
CLICK HERE
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
34 - harvey kubernik's "canyon of dreams"
Harvey Kubernik appears on pgs 140-44 and 250-51 of the second part of my autobiographies, 2STONED. He does so because in 2000 i was sitting with mr. and mrs. Lou Adler (Page my dear) in the Hollywood Bowl. we were awaiting the only (as opposed to lonely) Beach Boy, Brian Wilson to waltz us through the very first performance of "Pet Sounds." this performance was with the Wondermints, baton waver Van Dyke Parks and a 60 piece orchestra.
it was a night to remember, as well as the night Harvey Kubernik came up and introduced himself to Lou and I.
I am so glad he did. I was almost past the age where one makes friends easily, and with Harvey thatz what happened, and my life (at least)and perhaps his, has been the better for knowing him.
His knowledge of our game makes him one of the rare birds left one can have an unedited conversation with. He knows that Russ Titleman played guitar on the Phil Spector, Paris Sisters cut, "I Love How You Love Me", that Mo Ostin called Jack Nitzsche in to arrange a Soupy Sales record date( R.I.P and thanks for the body of fun ). Also which wall, in which cafe, in Venice my favorite actor Laurence Harvey sat and scribed his name on the wall.
It is more than his knowledge - it is his love, and with his new book, "Canyon of Dreams" love has come back in spades and given us what surely must be, the Music Book of the Year.
Plz get it and decide for yourself. This is our time, our John Adams, our Thomas Paine. The love has finally come together with the skill and the times portrayed. This book is a must.
In addition I have to thank Harvey for introducing me to Steven Van Zandt . For that I am forever grateful as a few years after we met at the late Mayflower Hotel overlooking NY's Central Park. Steven invited me to find my voice on his Underground Garage where I have been privileged to serve for nigh on five years.
Harvey has served the game for 40 years, with the power and glory of " Canyon of Dreams " the game looks as if it's finally serving Harvey.
BUY "CANYON OF DREAMS" BY CLICKING HERE
here are some photos, harvey was kind enough to allow us to share from his book:
Buffalo Springfield @ Hollywood Bowl-April 29, 1967
photo by: Henry Diltz
Donovan KHJ @ Hollywood Bowl-April 1966
photo by: Henry Diltz
Doors @ Hollywood Bowl-July 5, 1968
photo by: Henry Diltz
Sky Saxon (Seeds) @ Hollywood Bowl-April 29, 1967-1
photo by: Henry Diltz
Michelle Phillips & Mama Cass (Mamas & Papas) @ KHJ Hollywood Bowl-April 2, 1966
photo by: Henry Diltz
Lou Adler w- dog in Laurel Canyon-May 1967-Nurit Wilde
photo by: Nurit Wild
REVIEWS FOR "CANYON OF DREAMS: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon appearing in September and October, include:"
Glass House Presents.com (October 2009). Review by George DeLoro
http://glasshouse\presents.com
“A must-have for fans of the L.A. music scene. From Sterling Publishing.”
Friday Morning Quarterback. Review by Ken Sharp.
http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=115421
Goldmine. Review and interview by Peter Lindblad
http://blog.goldminemag.com/forgottenboy/2009/10/07/Uncovered+A+History+Lesson+On+Laurel+Canyon.aspx
Los Angeles Weekly (September 23, 2009). Review by Randall Roberts.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/off-the-record/canyon-dreams-book-kubernik-la/
Huffington Post. Review by Holly Cara Price. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-cara-price/icanyon-of-dreams-the-mag_b_316865.html
Child of the Moon blog (October 16, 2009). Review by Love Luna.
http://iamthechildofthemoon.blogspot.com/2009/10/canyon-of-dreams.html
Canadian Christianity (October 2009). Review by John Cody (coupled with L.A. Nuggets box).
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/bc/bccn/1009/20looking.html
MusicAngle.com (October 22, 2009). Review by Michael Fremer.
http://www.musicangle.com/feat.php?id=171
it was a night to remember, as well as the night Harvey Kubernik came up and introduced himself to Lou and I.
I am so glad he did. I was almost past the age where one makes friends easily, and with Harvey thatz what happened, and my life (at least)and perhaps his, has been the better for knowing him.
His knowledge of our game makes him one of the rare birds left one can have an unedited conversation with. He knows that Russ Titleman played guitar on the Phil Spector, Paris Sisters cut, "I Love How You Love Me", that Mo Ostin called Jack Nitzsche in to arrange a Soupy Sales record date( R.I.P and thanks for the body of fun ). Also which wall, in which cafe, in Venice my favorite actor Laurence Harvey sat and scribed his name on the wall.
It is more than his knowledge - it is his love, and with his new book, "Canyon of Dreams" love has come back in spades and given us what surely must be, the Music Book of the Year.
Plz get it and decide for yourself. This is our time, our John Adams, our Thomas Paine. The love has finally come together with the skill and the times portrayed. This book is a must.
In addition I have to thank Harvey for introducing me to Steven Van Zandt . For that I am forever grateful as a few years after we met at the late Mayflower Hotel overlooking NY's Central Park. Steven invited me to find my voice on his Underground Garage where I have been privileged to serve for nigh on five years.
Harvey has served the game for 40 years, with the power and glory of " Canyon of Dreams " the game looks as if it's finally serving Harvey.
BUY "CANYON OF DREAMS" BY CLICKING HERE
here are some photos, harvey was kind enough to allow us to share from his book:
Buffalo Springfield @ Hollywood Bowl-April 29, 1967
photo by: Henry Diltz
Donovan KHJ @ Hollywood Bowl-April 1966
photo by: Henry Diltz
Doors @ Hollywood Bowl-July 5, 1968
photo by: Henry Diltz
Sky Saxon (Seeds) @ Hollywood Bowl-April 29, 1967-1
photo by: Henry Diltz
Michelle Phillips & Mama Cass (Mamas & Papas) @ KHJ Hollywood Bowl-April 2, 1966
photo by: Henry Diltz
Lou Adler w- dog in Laurel Canyon-May 1967-Nurit Wilde
photo by: Nurit Wild
REVIEWS FOR "CANYON OF DREAMS: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon appearing in September and October, include:"
Glass House Presents.com (October 2009). Review by George DeLoro
http://glasshouse\presents.com
“A must-have for fans of the L.A. music scene. From Sterling Publishing.”
Friday Morning Quarterback. Review by Ken Sharp.
http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=115421
Goldmine. Review and interview by Peter Lindblad
http://blog.goldminemag.com/forgottenboy/2009/10/07/Uncovered+A+History+Lesson+On+Laurel+Canyon.aspx
Los Angeles Weekly (September 23, 2009). Review by Randall Roberts.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/off-the-record/canyon-dreams-book-kubernik-la/
Huffington Post. Review by Holly Cara Price. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-cara-price/icanyon-of-dreams-the-mag_b_316865.html
Child of the Moon blog (October 16, 2009). Review by Love Luna.
http://iamthechildofthemoon.blogspot.com/2009/10/canyon-of-dreams.html
Canadian Christianity (October 2009). Review by John Cody (coupled with L.A. Nuggets box).
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/bc/bccn/1009/20looking.html
MusicAngle.com (October 22, 2009). Review by Michael Fremer.
http://www.musicangle.com/feat.php?id=171
Monday, October 5, 2009
33 - sex on tv
the two events of last week as regards the ludicrous end of show biz have to be the roman polanski arrest in switzerland and the mackenzie phillips "consensual incest" with papa john phillips (revelations just in time to promote her book.)
she did OPRAH
she did everything and did her father in. geraldo rivera this past weekend showed clips of some of his earlier interviews with miss phillips; in one, she held a 3 year old kiddie and said the kiddie (hers) had straightened her up.
in the next clip she admitted she'd lied to get on television.
now we were not there but papa john was a heroin addict (and god knows what else) and my experience of heroin is that, heroin is sex itself and actual sex is not really necessary.
we were not there, and i know and papa john danced with many devils. however, given what books do not sell, was it worth it?
all the leaves are no longer brown.... they are shit....
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as for roman polanski...yes he had sex with a 13 year old girl (according to some published sources). this was at the time california was already undressed.
ok...he broke the law and skipped the US before sentencing, however the "13 year old girl" already had sex with her boyfriend that morning (and the girl's mother was the next best thing to a pimp and would have fucked anybody to get on the right side of the hills.)
CLICK HERE FOR LA TIMES ARTICLE
the LA times has it right and has it wrong. if a crime is a crime how come they didn't arrest ted kennedy before he passed? the lady in that dunking died, did she not?
anyway the swiss are throwing the US a polish bone, hoping to get some leniency on the UBS bank scams.....
and then there is the other side of the polanski story, and perhaps this is it....
CLICK HERE
she did OPRAH
she did everything and did her father in. geraldo rivera this past weekend showed clips of some of his earlier interviews with miss phillips; in one, she held a 3 year old kiddie and said the kiddie (hers) had straightened her up.
in the next clip she admitted she'd lied to get on television.
now we were not there but papa john was a heroin addict (and god knows what else) and my experience of heroin is that, heroin is sex itself and actual sex is not really necessary.
we were not there, and i know and papa john danced with many devils. however, given what books do not sell, was it worth it?
all the leaves are no longer brown.... they are shit....
***********************************************************************************
as for roman polanski...yes he had sex with a 13 year old girl (according to some published sources). this was at the time california was already undressed.
ok...he broke the law and skipped the US before sentencing, however the "13 year old girl" already had sex with her boyfriend that morning (and the girl's mother was the next best thing to a pimp and would have fucked anybody to get on the right side of the hills.)
CLICK HERE FOR LA TIMES ARTICLE
the LA times has it right and has it wrong. if a crime is a crime how come they didn't arrest ted kennedy before he passed? the lady in that dunking died, did she not?
anyway the swiss are throwing the US a polish bone, hoping to get some leniency on the UBS bank scams.....
and then there is the other side of the polanski story, and perhaps this is it....
CLICK HERE
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
32 - mick taylor
we had been wondering how mick taylor is (we often do), but more so after he canceled a recent stream of US dates "due to illness."
so here's an update mostly from the lad himself from the UK DAILY MAIL.
must say the house looks okay, i once saw a railway station for sale near where mick lives and they wanted 200K for that. hope he's healthy.
it might be a little late to get wealthy unless he's stronger than methinks. the law is a strange mistress and the stones may be a whore. and why not? whatz not in the article is that mick signed off when he left for 30K or 3K, but, according to all the villains and likely lads, he signed off.....
Saturday, September 5, 2009
31 - 2000 light years from home
here's a labor day goodie from those lads of labour, fun and strife, the rolling stones. enjoy and huge thanks to otto von ruggins for flying it in. a wunderbar, family filled labor day best to you all. - ALO
this text was taken from http://www.dangerousminds.net/
"Call me disputatious—or not, it’s entirely up to you—my favorite Stones album is Their Satanic Majesties Request. It’s the only one I play all the way through anymore. It sounds great as one great big, trippy chunk. It’s a great headphones album, too. Most Stones fans hate it and see it was a weak attempt to out weird the Beatles after they’d unleashed Sgt Pepper on the world, but to me, it’s just a thing of beauty, with the normal Blues-based Stones sound thrown out the door, and replaced with a colorful sonic palette the likes of which they would never return to. I’m not saying that it IS the best Stones album, I’m just saying it’s MY favorite. (My favorite Stones song, is Monkey Man, followed by Stray Cat Blues, then (Doo Doo Doo Doo) Heartbreaker, dark horses, all, I grant you. I’m also partial to Don’t Know Why I Love You, but the Glimmer Twins didn’t write that one, so it doesn’t count).
If you ask me, the Stones “demonic” phase, inaugurated, if you will, by their association with the Magus of Cinema, Kenneth Anger, was when the Stones were truly on fire. Mick was still quite into his Satan/Lucifer thing well into the Let It Bleed/Gimme Shelter era, but after Altamont, Jagger was often seen wearing a crucifix around his neck, perhaps seeking to put down all the hoodoo Age of Horus energy he’d raised? Have sympathy for the poor devil. Jagger had a current running through his body during the Sixties that killed quite a few of his contemporaries. Today, like a rock and roll Dorian Gray, he hardly looks any worse for the wear.
Here is a seldom seem pop video—so heavily influenced by Kenneth Anger that I always assumed that he’d directed it, but it seems more likely to be the work of photographer Michael Cooper, who not only shot the cover for the Satanic Majesties album jacket (which was originally issued with a fantastic 3-D lenticular cover (I have one!), but Kenneth Anger’s Lucifer Rising film as well. I had a copy of this on a Japanese laser disc, comically followed by a clip of Pete Townsend in full Mod drag sternly criticizing the Stones for their then recent marijuana busts. (It’s always the bluenoses who have the really outrageous vices, isn’ it?). Other than that, I’d never seen it anywhere, but here in the YouTube era (we’re living in the YouTube era, didn’t anyone tell you this?) some kind soul has liberated it for our viewing pleasure. Take a look, it’s great"
"
this text was taken from http://www.dangerousminds.net/
"Call me disputatious—or not, it’s entirely up to you—my favorite Stones album is Their Satanic Majesties Request. It’s the only one I play all the way through anymore. It sounds great as one great big, trippy chunk. It’s a great headphones album, too. Most Stones fans hate it and see it was a weak attempt to out weird the Beatles after they’d unleashed Sgt Pepper on the world, but to me, it’s just a thing of beauty, with the normal Blues-based Stones sound thrown out the door, and replaced with a colorful sonic palette the likes of which they would never return to. I’m not saying that it IS the best Stones album, I’m just saying it’s MY favorite. (My favorite Stones song, is Monkey Man, followed by Stray Cat Blues, then (Doo Doo Doo Doo) Heartbreaker, dark horses, all, I grant you. I’m also partial to Don’t Know Why I Love You, but the Glimmer Twins didn’t write that one, so it doesn’t count).
If you ask me, the Stones “demonic” phase, inaugurated, if you will, by their association with the Magus of Cinema, Kenneth Anger, was when the Stones were truly on fire. Mick was still quite into his Satan/Lucifer thing well into the Let It Bleed/Gimme Shelter era, but after Altamont, Jagger was often seen wearing a crucifix around his neck, perhaps seeking to put down all the hoodoo Age of Horus energy he’d raised? Have sympathy for the poor devil. Jagger had a current running through his body during the Sixties that killed quite a few of his contemporaries. Today, like a rock and roll Dorian Gray, he hardly looks any worse for the wear.
Here is a seldom seem pop video—so heavily influenced by Kenneth Anger that I always assumed that he’d directed it, but it seems more likely to be the work of photographer Michael Cooper, who not only shot the cover for the Satanic Majesties album jacket (which was originally issued with a fantastic 3-D lenticular cover (I have one!), but Kenneth Anger’s Lucifer Rising film as well. I had a copy of this on a Japanese laser disc, comically followed by a clip of Pete Townsend in full Mod drag sternly criticizing the Stones for their then recent marijuana busts. (It’s always the bluenoses who have the really outrageous vices, isn’ it?). Other than that, I’d never seen it anywhere, but here in the YouTube era (we’re living in the YouTube era, didn’t anyone tell you this?) some kind soul has liberated it for our viewing pleasure. Take a look, it’s great"
"
30 - hitler an oasis fan
oasis have finally split. love or loathe them, they kept the very idea of iconic pop on the move. i loved them even if i didn't always enjoy them. so did adolf..... enjoy, o
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
29 - stoned hbo
i am just so pleased to share this one with you. it's something i've been working on all my life, and most recently with lou adler, my pal. lou brought you (amongst others) johnny rivers, carole king, spirit, the mamas & papas, jan & dean, cheech & chong, "the rocky horror show" and the monterey pop festival.
no, mick will not be playing me, though i might ask him to play my mum .....
"HBO rolling with 'Stoned'
Network options rights to Oldham biography
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON
HBO is developing a comedy loosely inspired by the memoirs of former Rolling Stones producer and manager Andrew Loog Oldham.
The pay cabler has optioned the rights to two volumes of Oldham's biography, "Stoned" and "2Stoned."
Feature scribe Wesley Strick is penning the script. Oldham and Lou Adler, another music impresario, will exec produce along with Strick.
Project is described as a fictional account of a young man living the high life with artists and hipsters in London's vibrant Soho scene in the early 1960s.
Oldham worked as a pop music press agent in London before he befriended the up-and-coming Stones in 1963. He produced the band's early recordings, including signature hits "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Get Off of My Cloud" and "Ruby Tuesday," and he served as the group's co-manager until 1967.
In 1965, Oldham founded the indie record label Immediate, which was home to early recordings of the Small Faces, Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac and Humble Pie.
Strick's credits include the upcoming reboot of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise for New Line Cinema."
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
no, mick will not be playing me, though i might ask him to play my mum .....
"HBO rolling with 'Stoned'
Network options rights to Oldham biography
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON
HBO is developing a comedy loosely inspired by the memoirs of former Rolling Stones producer and manager Andrew Loog Oldham.
The pay cabler has optioned the rights to two volumes of Oldham's biography, "Stoned" and "2Stoned."
Feature scribe Wesley Strick is penning the script. Oldham and Lou Adler, another music impresario, will exec produce along with Strick.
Project is described as a fictional account of a young man living the high life with artists and hipsters in London's vibrant Soho scene in the early 1960s.
Oldham worked as a pop music press agent in London before he befriended the up-and-coming Stones in 1963. He produced the band's early recordings, including signature hits "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Get Off of My Cloud" and "Ruby Tuesday," and he served as the group's co-manager until 1967.
In 1965, Oldham founded the indie record label Immediate, which was home to early recordings of the Small Faces, Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac and Humble Pie.
Strick's credits include the upcoming reboot of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise for New Line Cinema."
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Monday, August 3, 2009
28 - buffy saint-marie and malcolm mclaren
i just love buffy sainte-marie, i hope you do. from the UK Financial Times .....
CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
_____________________________________________________________________________
i could never resist malcolm mclaren (sex pistols, bow wow wow, new york dolls and himself) probably because I have never met him.
marianne faithfull sent me a message about malcolm a few years ago saying "it's all right, andrew, he's one of us."
i am not exactly sure about that, however i did enjoy his latest ramblings. if you are in edinburgh in august do say hallo for me if you see him.
CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
Friday, July 31, 2009
27-alan mcgee on the faces
and more from the major domo of whatz not and what iz in the isles of late britania, the man with the four-eyed tifter, mr. alan mcgee railing forth on why rod & the faces should give it another go.
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
"ZANI - We Need a Reunion
Being a Rod Stewart fan these days is tough. If you mention his name in company then the odds are you're going to get at least one guffaw and a "blues traitor" comment. Why so serious about Rod the Mod? This is a man who was one of the main influences on the Sex Pistols (in his Faces days) and therefore helped instigate punk rock.
The problems people have with Stewart's career seem to start around the late 70s (his Blondes Have More Fun era), when he was making commercial bids into disco crossovers and soft pop (moves that prompted rockists to label Stewart a joke). Joke? Hardly. I can easily mention some classics from this period: Young Turks, Baby Jane and Downtown Train.
The anti-Stewart arguments are tired and scurrilous. From mod urchin to international playboy, Stewart has always been the essence of rock'n'roll by following his own instincts. His early days saw some of the heaviest players in UK music working with him: Joe Meek, Ray Davies, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, Fleetwood Mac and Jeff Beck. Impressive. However, it was when he joined the Faces and started his solo career that he began his iconic white-blues phase (1969-1974), releasing one commercial and critical smash after another.
A career highlight for me was discovering Stewart was a fan of Creation Records (he went on to cover the Primals and Oasis for his When We Were the New Boys album)
Being a fan, I'm surprised by the lack of hoopla for a Faces reunion. And the possibility of the Black Keys reworking Stewart?! This is news! Big news! The potential for a Black Keys and Stewart collaboration is exciting, and I have been tracking developments since I first heard the rumours. The Black Keys have been in collaboration heaven for the past few years, from their almost-there work with Ike Turner to Rick Rubin bringing them in for his ZZ Top project. Yet when I heard the Akron-based psychedelic blues boys were teaming up with Stewart? That tops the lot.
I mean, was there ever a better rock'n'roll band than the Faces? Drunken, likable and out for the good times – they have had a huge musical impact on myself, the Black Crowes, Wilco, the Sex Pistols, the Replacements, Oasis and many others. Which is why I think a Faces reunion will mean a return to the halcyon days of yore, where Stewart had critical and commercial success. Not that Stewart probably cares either way. The magic of Rod is that he does what he wants, when he wants, and hey, if he wants to work with the Black Keys and reunite the Faces, then that's fine with me."
CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE
"ZANI - We Need a Reunion
Being a Rod Stewart fan these days is tough. If you mention his name in company then the odds are you're going to get at least one guffaw and a "blues traitor" comment. Why so serious about Rod the Mod? This is a man who was one of the main influences on the Sex Pistols (in his Faces days) and therefore helped instigate punk rock.
The problems people have with Stewart's career seem to start around the late 70s (his Blondes Have More Fun era), when he was making commercial bids into disco crossovers and soft pop (moves that prompted rockists to label Stewart a joke). Joke? Hardly. I can easily mention some classics from this period: Young Turks, Baby Jane and Downtown Train.
The anti-Stewart arguments are tired and scurrilous. From mod urchin to international playboy, Stewart has always been the essence of rock'n'roll by following his own instincts. His early days saw some of the heaviest players in UK music working with him: Joe Meek, Ray Davies, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, Fleetwood Mac and Jeff Beck. Impressive. However, it was when he joined the Faces and started his solo career that he began his iconic white-blues phase (1969-1974), releasing one commercial and critical smash after another.
A career highlight for me was discovering Stewart was a fan of Creation Records (he went on to cover the Primals and Oasis for his When We Were the New Boys album)
Being a fan, I'm surprised by the lack of hoopla for a Faces reunion. And the possibility of the Black Keys reworking Stewart?! This is news! Big news! The potential for a Black Keys and Stewart collaboration is exciting, and I have been tracking developments since I first heard the rumours. The Black Keys have been in collaboration heaven for the past few years, from their almost-there work with Ike Turner to Rick Rubin bringing them in for his ZZ Top project. Yet when I heard the Akron-based psychedelic blues boys were teaming up with Stewart? That tops the lot.
I mean, was there ever a better rock'n'roll band than the Faces? Drunken, likable and out for the good times – they have had a huge musical impact on myself, the Black Crowes, Wilco, the Sex Pistols, the Replacements, Oasis and many others. Which is why I think a Faces reunion will mean a return to the halcyon days of yore, where Stewart had critical and commercial success. Not that Stewart probably cares either way. The magic of Rod is that he does what he wants, when he wants, and hey, if he wants to work with the Black Keys and reunite the Faces, then that's fine with me."
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
26 - vatman and alan mcgee
please enjoy a blog from scottish impresario, pop-mavan on new jersey's second finest and a rare picture of our vatman doing his thing for the pope...
vatman
alan mcgee blog (CLICK HERE TO GO TO ORIGINAL POSTING)
"Alan McGee on music: Why Bon Jovi are mythic New Jersey artists
I feel Bon Jovi have received a bad rap from people with who believe themselves to have rather superior musical tastes. Last month, I was hanging out with my friend Jerry Jaffe, an all-round legend in the music industry who was head of Creation Records in the US, managed the Jesus and Mary Chain and Saint Etienne, and signed iconic bands like Moțrhead and the Jam. Whenever I introduce Jaffe to friends by listing his achievements, he always adds, "Yes, but I also signed Bon Jovi Рharass me now". But, you know, signing Bon Jovi isn't that bad.
Bon Jovi. I guarantee that once you've heard these words, you suddenly have one of their songs in your head: Have a Nice Day, Livin' On a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name. Their name also makes me think of New Jersey.
Bon Jovi form part of a mythic pop-culture trilogy that has emerged from New Jersey. Alongside Bruce Springsteen and David Chase (creator of The Sopranos), they form an almost perfect triptych representing the inner workings of New Jersey's Italian American experience. What about Frank Sinatra? Born in Hoboken, Sinatra seems to represent the ideal of escape, whereas Chase, Bon Jovi and Springsteen have continually looked back to New Jersey for inspiration. Without these artists, New Jersey would certainly have been painted in different colours for the world, if thought of at all. These singers have helped give the state its own identity to such a degree that it often feels like an additional character in their narratives.
David Chase's Sopranos has had enormous pop-culture ramifications, influencing the way people view New Jersey. The opening credits make it immediately clear that the landscape is integral to the story. A Jersey native and only child of Italian immigrants, The Sopranos is based on both Chase's psychology and knowledge of Newark, transposed on to a specific criminal environment. Chase illustrates the daily lives of people living within New Jersey's mafia culture – whether it be the nature of violence, emotional brutality, and working-class men made good through mafia connections. Through violence, Chase explores significant ideas about redemption.
Funnily enough, Chase employed Springsteen's guitarist Little Stevie, aka Steve Van Zandt, as gangster Silvio Dante. Springsteen, of course, is well known for his interpretations of New Jersey life in song. Significantly, he also explores redemption in his songs, which are a tribute to the working class. His reincarnation as a stadium-rock Woody Guthrie expertly captures the tragedies of lives gone wrong and the compelling struggle for hope and salvation.
Bon Jovi entered the arena with the 1986 hit Livin' On a Prayer from the album Slippery When Wet. This classic song shares a similar backdrop to Springsteen's Born in the USA, both anthems offering hope during a time of economic struggle and recession. Bon Jovi sing about two working-class characters, Gina and Tommy, who struggle to make ends meet but decide that "it doesn't matter if we make it or not/we've got love and that's a lot". Bon Jovi have returned repeatedly to these fictional characters, following their lives in the songs 99 in the Shade, Fear, Lie to Me, It's My Life and Novocaine.
You may scoff, but even Springsteen recognises Bon Jovi's talent. They often share a stage and the vibe is very much about working-class Jersey Boys done good. I truly believe Jon Bon Jovi deserves critical recognition for his abilities as a world-class songwriter, but instead people focus on the
poppy hair-metal genre in which he previously worked. Bon Jovi are easily one of the three creators who have made New Jersey a place of inspiration, creation and expression for those seeking universal salvation and hope."
vatman
alan mcgee blog (CLICK HERE TO GO TO ORIGINAL POSTING)
"Alan McGee on music: Why Bon Jovi are mythic New Jersey artists
I feel Bon Jovi have received a bad rap from people with who believe themselves to have rather superior musical tastes. Last month, I was hanging out with my friend Jerry Jaffe, an all-round legend in the music industry who was head of Creation Records in the US, managed the Jesus and Mary Chain and Saint Etienne, and signed iconic bands like Moțrhead and the Jam. Whenever I introduce Jaffe to friends by listing his achievements, he always adds, "Yes, but I also signed Bon Jovi Рharass me now". But, you know, signing Bon Jovi isn't that bad.
Bon Jovi. I guarantee that once you've heard these words, you suddenly have one of their songs in your head: Have a Nice Day, Livin' On a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name. Their name also makes me think of New Jersey.
Bon Jovi form part of a mythic pop-culture trilogy that has emerged from New Jersey. Alongside Bruce Springsteen and David Chase (creator of The Sopranos), they form an almost perfect triptych representing the inner workings of New Jersey's Italian American experience. What about Frank Sinatra? Born in Hoboken, Sinatra seems to represent the ideal of escape, whereas Chase, Bon Jovi and Springsteen have continually looked back to New Jersey for inspiration. Without these artists, New Jersey would certainly have been painted in different colours for the world, if thought of at all. These singers have helped give the state its own identity to such a degree that it often feels like an additional character in their narratives.
David Chase's Sopranos has had enormous pop-culture ramifications, influencing the way people view New Jersey. The opening credits make it immediately clear that the landscape is integral to the story. A Jersey native and only child of Italian immigrants, The Sopranos is based on both Chase's psychology and knowledge of Newark, transposed on to a specific criminal environment. Chase illustrates the daily lives of people living within New Jersey's mafia culture – whether it be the nature of violence, emotional brutality, and working-class men made good through mafia connections. Through violence, Chase explores significant ideas about redemption.
Funnily enough, Chase employed Springsteen's guitarist Little Stevie, aka Steve Van Zandt, as gangster Silvio Dante. Springsteen, of course, is well known for his interpretations of New Jersey life in song. Significantly, he also explores redemption in his songs, which are a tribute to the working class. His reincarnation as a stadium-rock Woody Guthrie expertly captures the tragedies of lives gone wrong and the compelling struggle for hope and salvation.
Bon Jovi entered the arena with the 1986 hit Livin' On a Prayer from the album Slippery When Wet. This classic song shares a similar backdrop to Springsteen's Born in the USA, both anthems offering hope during a time of economic struggle and recession. Bon Jovi sing about two working-class characters, Gina and Tommy, who struggle to make ends meet but decide that "it doesn't matter if we make it or not/we've got love and that's a lot". Bon Jovi have returned repeatedly to these fictional characters, following their lives in the songs 99 in the Shade, Fear, Lie to Me, It's My Life and Novocaine.
You may scoff, but even Springsteen recognises Bon Jovi's talent. They often share a stage and the vibe is very much about working-class Jersey Boys done good. I truly believe Jon Bon Jovi deserves critical recognition for his abilities as a world-class songwriter, but instead people focus on the
poppy hair-metal genre in which he previously worked. Bon Jovi are easily one of the three creators who have made New Jersey a place of inspiration, creation and expression for those seeking universal salvation and hope."
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
25 - al kooper & dr. john,
a show we should all have caught. lucky albany...
July 25th, 2009 - Albany, NY
Al Kooper on organ, Dr. John on piano and in a rare appearance Ziggy, the drummer from The Meters tear it up for an appreciative audience.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
bill nighy is a terrific actor. from the time i saw him in 1998's STILL CRAZY with billy connolly and all his other great stuff, i fell in love with the geezer. he is also a super fan of the stones and conducts himself well. he also gives a funny and informative interview so i thought i'd share it with you. enjoy, o
CLICK HERE for interview with bill.
clip from STILL CRAZY:
July 25th, 2009 - Albany, NY
Al Kooper on organ, Dr. John on piano and in a rare appearance Ziggy, the drummer from The Meters tear it up for an appreciative audience.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
bill nighy is a terrific actor. from the time i saw him in 1998's STILL CRAZY with billy connolly and all his other great stuff, i fell in love with the geezer. he is also a super fan of the stones and conducts himself well. he also gives a funny and informative interview so i thought i'd share it with you. enjoy, o
CLICK HERE for interview with bill.
clip from STILL CRAZY:
Monday, July 27, 2009
24 - the sweet sweat of success
and something from back in 65 when a couple of beatles tried to jam in austria.....
here's the story compliments of Harvey Kubernik:
"When the Fabs were in Austria filming "Help!"
John and Paul decided to sit in
with the band in their hotel one night.
They got thru two songs
before the bar manager asked them to get off stage
and threatened to fire the band
if they ever let them up again ;-)
AMAZING that there happened to be a camera present
during those ten minutes:
We take it for granted in this age of cellphones
that Anything and EVERYTHING can be preserved for posterity;
but not so in the least
in '65.....
in the Alps....."
here's the story compliments of Harvey Kubernik:
"When the Fabs were in Austria filming "Help!"
John and Paul decided to sit in
with the band in their hotel one night.
They got thru two songs
before the bar manager asked them to get off stage
and threatened to fire the band
if they ever let them up again ;-)
AMAZING that there happened to be a camera present
during those ten minutes:
We take it for granted in this age of cellphones
that Anything and EVERYTHING can be preserved for posterity;
but not so in the least
in '65.....
in the Alps....."
Thursday, July 23, 2009
23 - get back, johnny burnette and head to body size ratio
my dear pal and magno performer Al Kooper (fellow Aquarian, born just five days after moi) sent this writing and video. it's from a very special moment in our shared (that's all of us) of our shared musical pleasure and history. the beatles and billy preston and "get back", plus a few guests.... enjoy and thanks al. best, o
from al:
"Hope you all enjoy this as much as I did. The history of the song
made it even more interesting.
________________________________
Here's a clip you likely have never seen. The recording of 'Get Back'
for the 'Let It Be' album.
In their early days, The Beatles played in clubs for hours most
nights, but by 1967, they stopped touring. This single was advertised
as "The Beatles as nature intended."
McCartney: "We were sitting in the studio and we made it up out of
thin air... we started to write words there and then... when we
finished it, we recorded it at Apple Studios and made it into a song
to roller coast by."
The character "JoJo" was based on Joseph Melville See Jr., Linda
McCartney's first husband. He was from Tucson, Arizona, and killed
himself there in 2000.
The missing verse from Get Back: "Meanwhile back at home there's
nineteen Pakistanis, Living in a council flat/Candidate for Labour
tells them what the plan is/Then he tells them where its at".
("Council flat" is the British equivalent for "housing project").
Early versions include the line "I dig no Pakistanis." The song began
as a commentary about immigration, telling people to "Get Back" to
their own countries. It was meant to mock Britain's anti-immigrant
proponents. Paul McCartney thought better of it and made the lyrics
more obscure.
Paul looked at Yoko in the studio when he sang the line "get back to
where you once belong." John thought he was disrespecting her. There
was a rare quote by Paul that said "I don't take any notice of her.
She's John's wife so I have to respect her for that, but I don't think
she's the brightest of buttons. She's said some particularly daft
things in her time. Her life is dedicated to putting me down but I
attempt very strongly not to put her down." They eventually became
friends even if it did have to be after John was murdered. Ringo was
the only one who would accept Yoko in the beginning when she first
came in picture, during and after The Beatles.
Billy Preston played piano and became the only guest artist to get a
credit on a Beatles single - "The Beatles with Billy Preston." George
Harrison had left the recording session one day and saw Preston in
concert with Ray Charles. The Beatles had met Preston back in 1962
when they were both playing in Germany, but they hadn't seen each
other since. Harrison asked Preston to come by the studio the next
day. Having him in the studio eased the tension and made it easier for
The Beatles to put personal conflicts aside and record the album.
On the clip you can briefly see a young Mick Jagger & Charlie Watts
from the Rolling Stones in the booth. Phil Spector was the guy with
the glasses."
_____________________________________________________________________________
and thanks to jason mcphail, the trainspotting bestest sammy glick of a manager from glasgow this side of wee alan mcgee, for reminding us how great the johnny burnette rock and roll trio, rip into " honey hush".
_________________________________________________________________________________
and here's another hip tip from jason.....
"Her head to body size ratio will have Gered doing cartwheels. As Kenny pointed out 'We're talking Bruce Springsteen ratios here'"
from al:
"Hope you all enjoy this as much as I did. The history of the song
made it even more interesting.
________________________________
Here's a clip you likely have never seen. The recording of 'Get Back'
for the 'Let It Be' album.
In their early days, The Beatles played in clubs for hours most
nights, but by 1967, they stopped touring. This single was advertised
as "The Beatles as nature intended."
McCartney: "We were sitting in the studio and we made it up out of
thin air... we started to write words there and then... when we
finished it, we recorded it at Apple Studios and made it into a song
to roller coast by."
The character "JoJo" was based on Joseph Melville See Jr., Linda
McCartney's first husband. He was from Tucson, Arizona, and killed
himself there in 2000.
The missing verse from Get Back: "Meanwhile back at home there's
nineteen Pakistanis, Living in a council flat/Candidate for Labour
tells them what the plan is/Then he tells them where its at".
("Council flat" is the British equivalent for "housing project").
Early versions include the line "I dig no Pakistanis." The song began
as a commentary about immigration, telling people to "Get Back" to
their own countries. It was meant to mock Britain's anti-immigrant
proponents. Paul McCartney thought better of it and made the lyrics
more obscure.
Paul looked at Yoko in the studio when he sang the line "get back to
where you once belong." John thought he was disrespecting her. There
was a rare quote by Paul that said "I don't take any notice of her.
She's John's wife so I have to respect her for that, but I don't think
she's the brightest of buttons. She's said some particularly daft
things in her time. Her life is dedicated to putting me down but I
attempt very strongly not to put her down." They eventually became
friends even if it did have to be after John was murdered. Ringo was
the only one who would accept Yoko in the beginning when she first
came in picture, during and after The Beatles.
Billy Preston played piano and became the only guest artist to get a
credit on a Beatles single - "The Beatles with Billy Preston." George
Harrison had left the recording session one day and saw Preston in
concert with Ray Charles. The Beatles had met Preston back in 1962
when they were both playing in Germany, but they hadn't seen each
other since. Harrison asked Preston to come by the studio the next
day. Having him in the studio eased the tension and made it easier for
The Beatles to put personal conflicts aside and record the album.
On the clip you can briefly see a young Mick Jagger & Charlie Watts
from the Rolling Stones in the booth. Phil Spector was the guy with
the glasses."
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and thanks to jason mcphail, the trainspotting bestest sammy glick of a manager from glasgow this side of wee alan mcgee, for reminding us how great the johnny burnette rock and roll trio, rip into " honey hush".
_________________________________________________________________________________
and here's another hip tip from jason.....
"Her head to body size ratio will have Gered doing cartwheels. As Kenny pointed out 'We're talking Bruce Springsteen ratios here'"
Monday, March 30, 2009
22-keith l'uomo vogue and korea
i picked this up on the corner of the hotel alvear in uptown buenos aires, where i saw tommy hilfiger in the lobby, wearing all his own gear. he looked like a breathing yacht. anyway, the pictures of keith are superb, the light shines on and through and i just wanted to share it with all of you who live more than just a little bit in keefville.
and here's a few more photos from inside of the issue
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and finally for now....just had to share this whacky korean band and drummer with you. i'll be on the road...in delaware, upstate NY and other splendid american locales but will check in with you soon. i gave my word to brucie. enjoy the korean. abrazo, o
and here's a few more photos from inside of the issue
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and finally for now....just had to share this whacky korean band and drummer with you. i'll be on the road...in delaware, upstate NY and other splendid american locales but will check in with you soon. i gave my word to brucie. enjoy the korean. abrazo, o
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
blog 22-there is life after motown
hallo folks, i spoke of on my radio show, this article with martha reeves of martha & the vandellas. this women's music changed my, and i would think, the lives of at least two of the rolling stones. it's so good to see how the lady moved on and into life, so i wanted to share this piece with you.
wellness, o
CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
21-blogs, bruce, lefsetz, ratones paranoicos
a couple of weeks ago the champion blogger bob lefsetz drew his fans, of which i am one, to a bruce springsteen blog about getting ready for his and the e street band's recent half-time performance at the super bowl.
i clicked onto bruce's blog and i was very impressed for many reasons; here was the john garfield of american music sharing with his fans the difficult choices he had to make about wearing new-ish boots or old faithful round toe'd boots, describing his dilemma with relish and detail that for sure would have elton john curling up on a las vegas couch calling out, "david, see, bruce has the same problem i have," or perhaps have sharon osbourne yelling lovingly to ozzy across the mansion, “see i told you to stuff the boots, to stop you falling over, you daft c___," or some other midland english term of endearment.
i was also impressed with the fact that bruce wrote this blog and that he continues to do so consistently. mr. lefsetz pointed out that the duty of the blogger is to write continually. this is something i have not been doing, and i apologize to both you and my work ethic.
*******************************************************************************
i could tell you that i have been traveling to buenos aires and recording the ratones paranoicos. here are some pictures from those sessions:
also here are a couple pictures that were on the wall of the studio i was recording at with the ratones. they are of the rolling stones having a night off being silly the last time they were in south america:
***********************************************************************
i have also been to los angeles to see if my two books, stoned and 2stoned, might make it to a screen in your cabled home.
i’ve been wrapping up the umpteenth edit on my third book; walking my dogs and spending a whole lot of time in my new internet-less jungle abode; recording a fine young colombian writer named juan galeano here in bogota; being with you daily on my shows for little steven's underground garage sirius xm; reading every book written by gay talese ; reading "the women" by t.c. boyle and danny goldberg's terrific book on his life in our biz called "bumping into geniuses" ; and finally, working on the rough sketches of a latin-influenced rolling stones songbook with master guitarist gary lucas.
but even all that will not set the record straight. i think bruce works harder, yet he still manages to bring his sleigh to blogsville on a regular basis.
i'm thus inclined to resign, because if you ain't hacking it you should have the decency to fess up and let thy people go.
perhaps it's because of the growing level of communication this recent sirius/xm merger has brought to everybody who works at the underground garage; perhaps my blogging was just a one night stand. we'll see....
in the meanwhile, candles lit and prayers said for the souls of two great dames of music who passed in recent weeks: estelle bennett of the ronettes, and the jazz diva blossom dearie.
hopefully this little spurt will get me hooked again. if not, over to the boss......
i clicked onto bruce's blog and i was very impressed for many reasons; here was the john garfield of american music sharing with his fans the difficult choices he had to make about wearing new-ish boots or old faithful round toe'd boots, describing his dilemma with relish and detail that for sure would have elton john curling up on a las vegas couch calling out, "david, see, bruce has the same problem i have," or perhaps have sharon osbourne yelling lovingly to ozzy across the mansion, “see i told you to stuff the boots, to stop you falling over, you daft c___," or some other midland english term of endearment.
i was also impressed with the fact that bruce wrote this blog and that he continues to do so consistently. mr. lefsetz pointed out that the duty of the blogger is to write continually. this is something i have not been doing, and i apologize to both you and my work ethic.
*******************************************************************************
i could tell you that i have been traveling to buenos aires and recording the ratones paranoicos. here are some pictures from those sessions:
also here are a couple pictures that were on the wall of the studio i was recording at with the ratones. they are of the rolling stones having a night off being silly the last time they were in south america:
***********************************************************************
i have also been to los angeles to see if my two books, stoned and 2stoned, might make it to a screen in your cabled home.
i’ve been wrapping up the umpteenth edit on my third book; walking my dogs and spending a whole lot of time in my new internet-less jungle abode; recording a fine young colombian writer named juan galeano here in bogota; being with you daily on my shows for little steven's underground garage sirius xm; reading every book written by gay talese ; reading "the women" by t.c. boyle and danny goldberg's terrific book on his life in our biz called "bumping into geniuses" ; and finally, working on the rough sketches of a latin-influenced rolling stones songbook with master guitarist gary lucas.
but even all that will not set the record straight. i think bruce works harder, yet he still manages to bring his sleigh to blogsville on a regular basis.
i'm thus inclined to resign, because if you ain't hacking it you should have the decency to fess up and let thy people go.
perhaps it's because of the growing level of communication this recent sirius/xm merger has brought to everybody who works at the underground garage; perhaps my blogging was just a one night stand. we'll see....
in the meanwhile, candles lit and prayers said for the souls of two great dames of music who passed in recent weeks: estelle bennett of the ronettes, and the jazz diva blossom dearie.
hopefully this little spurt will get me hooked again. if not, over to the boss......
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