The first time I saw Chilton play was later in ’77, at one of his infamous Village Gate appearances, with the underrated Chris Stamey backing him. I was sort of fascinated by the way he took his cigarette and put it into the neck of the guitar while he was playing, to keep his fingers free (later I would see Johnny Thunders do the same). The show felt more like a rehearsal than an actual show, with Chilton stopping songs, changing key or tempo, and starting it from the beginning once again. It felt like being a fly on the wall, and somehow magical. Their drummer was new, and I distinctly remember Chilton often yelling at him to either slow down, speed up, or keep tempo; I doubt he lasted past the show. This was also the night I met the then-Marbles (“Red Lights”) manager and New York Rocker founder, the late Alan Betrock. I went with Bernie that night. Another time I saw him was at Max’s Kansas City, during the late ‘70s. I don’t have any photos of that, but it was a great show, that I attended with Bernie’s college roommate (and then-bassist for the Good), Steve Lum, and their friend, Janet. Chilton seemed comfortable on stage, but I don’t remember who backed him up. What I do recall, and I am digressing here, is tormenting this poor kid who sat across from us at the communal table. The teen was obviously waiting for someone and even more obviously bored. He sat down as the show began, and so had no idea we all knew each other. By the denim jacket he wore, I made some taste assumptions. When Chilton left, I said to the kid, “So, what did you think?” He shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “Meh.” I said, “Well, it coulda been worse…it coulda been Led Zeppelin.” He grew pale, eyes wide and jaw slack, and said, “You don’t like Zeppelin?” like his whole world was being questioned. I said, “Naw.” He looked at Steve, again, not knowing we knew each other, and Steve made a “yuck” face. Looking at Janet next, she gave a thumb down. At this point, if he would have said he liked the Ramones, one of my personal faves, of course, I would have done a Peter and denied them, just for the reaction. Then I started mentioning any band I could think of that I presumed he would have liked, and made disparaging comments, about the likes of Kansas, America, Yes, and the like. Luckily, these are bands I’m not impressed with anyway, so it was not hard. He walked – nay, stumbled – away, and we all had a good laugh, and waited for the second set, which did not disappoint.
In 1981, I was driving through Greensboro, North Carolina, while visiting my pal Nancy Neon Foster, and saw my very first Big Star supermarket, for which the band is named.
The last time I saw him play was at Irving Plaza, in the mid-‘80s. With Human Switchboard opening, Chilton breezed through his more bluesy numbers, with Bernie Worrell jumping on stage to join him on keyboards. That was another fun night. – RBF, 2010
Alex Chilton: “A Self-Made Man…” By Bernard Kugel, Big Star Magazine, 1977
What do ya do when ya have something like fifty handwritten pages on somebody and ya can’t possibly fit it all into one issue? Well, how about if you print some of the most interesting parts of the interview you did and save the other stuff for some later date??? That sounds O.K… so here’s a little of what the kid who sang “The Letter” and who wrote “September Gurls” and was in a little Memphis group named Big Star had to say one June 1977 night in New York.
Bernard: Do you have a favorite Box Tops song? Alex: “The Letter” I guess is my favorite Box Tops song.
Bernard: Do you have a favorite songs off Radio City? Alex: Mmm… I don’t know… I like “She’s a Mover” a lot.
Bernard: A favorite song off #1 Record? Alex: “In the Street.”
Bernard: Fave song offa the 3rd album? Alex: “Kanga Roo.”
Bernard: I really like “Nighttime off that album… Alex: Yeah, we do that now.
Bernard: What are some of the songs you’ve written recently? Alex: I haven’t written many things lately. Like the last time I saw you (Feb. ’76) I had a lot of new songs written. I haven’t really written anything since then. Since I’ve been in N.Y., I’ve written “Fishy” and “Shakin’ the World”; I rattled them off in one day, so we’d have something to do on stage. But just living has been so distracting… I still haven’t got a place to live even.
Bernard: You think your current band’s better than previous bands you’ve been in (current band consists of Alex on vocals and guitar, of course; Ex-Sneaker Chris Stamey, bass, backup vocals; Fran Kowalski, keyboard, backup vocals; and Lloyd Fonoroff on drums)? Alex: Yeah, it’s the best group yet.
Bernard: What do you think about being a cult figure and Big Star albums going for lots and lots of money? Alex: It don’t pay no bills. I don’t know. People recognize me on the street all the time in New York.
Bernard: Have you seen any New York bands? Alex: Yeah, I’ve seen I guess all of them.
Bernard: Do you like any of the ones you’ve seen? Alex: Not really… yeah, I like the Ramones. I think they’re good and I like their records, but not really live so much. I haven’t heard Blondie’s album; I heard them live, they were really bad. I haven’t heard Television live but I don’t think their album’s that good.
Bernard: What special stuff have you been listening to lately? Alex: Colin Blunstone.
Bernard: What did ya think of the Sneakers’ EP? Alex: It was god.
Bernard: What do you think of Dwight Twilley? Alex: It’s alright. It sounds kid of empty though in a funny sort of way. It’s like they’re in a big echo chamber, two or three of them, and they can’t really play that good ‘cause they’re in the echo chamber all the time. Something’s weird about that record, but no, I haven’t heard it all. Let’s see, a record I’ve liked… The Ramones. You know every time I see a record player and a Ramones album, I play “Oh, Oh, I Love Her So” and “Kill that Girl,” and California Sun,” in that order.
Bernard: Do you have any idea of the songs on an upcoming album? Would you be redoing “September Gurls” or would it be new stuff, or… Alex: I don’t know. There’s about half an album of new stuff or maybe a little bit more right now… but I haven’t really be writing ‘cause there’s not really an outlet and I guess if I wrote some good songs some of them would do it [get them signed, I think – BK]. But I don’t write unless there’s a real tangible, commercial purpose for the song.
Bernard: What happened to the two girls you were singing with for a while in Memphis? Alex: Yeah, well, that just kinda went down the drain. We didn’t record or anything…
Bernard: What drove you to put songs like “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” [The Seeds, Beach Boys, respectively – RBF, 2010] in your current repertoire? Alex: Lack of really good stage material for one thing. I think those are good songs and they just fitted into the sets and they were something everyone in the audience would know about even if they hadn’t heard anything I’d ever done. And it was such an odd idea to do “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” with three pieces that it always went off in the right way. The vice was nice, and it was like a novelty and we actually did it well. Now we do it with all those harmonies... now it sounds just like the Beach Boys.
Bernard: Would you think of putting “Wouldn’t It” and “Can’t Seem” on an album? Alex: “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine,“ I was thinking about doing for an Ork single. I probably wouldn’t do “Wouldn’t…” but I’d try it. But “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” is a good song to record ‘cause it’s not as big as it could have been and we do it really well.
Bernard: Do you know what the other guys from Big Star are doing now? Alex: Yeah, Chris (Bell) is managing a hamburger joint that his dad owns a chain of and wants to turn into the next McDonald’s. He goes around the store with all his Jesus doctrine; it’s pretty weird [Bell died December 27, 1978 at the age of 27, in a car accident – RBF, 2010]. I don’t know what Jody’s (Stephens) doing, maybe still living with his mother, working somewhere, some incredibly miserable job [He currently works at Ardent Studios – RBF, 2010].
Bernard: What about John Lightman (who became bass player after Andy Hummel left) Alex: I don’t’ know what he’s doing – I think he’s working in a bowling alley and going to school, and waiting for his trust fund to come in [We somehow forgot about Andy Hummel, but I remember Alex telling me what he was doing in ’76, and while I can’t recall what Alex said Chris was doin’, I don’t think it was really very different than what the other guys are doing now. – BK]
Bernard: Would you like to see the Big Star albums reissued someday? Alex: Yeah… or maybe a Greatest Hits. You know, I think it would be a neat compilation… I don’t expect I’ll ever make any money from them whatever happens, but I would feel honored if they’d be re-released someday by some record company catering to the collectors of this world.
Bernard: Do you think if “September Gurls” was put out again it might possibly be a hit single someday? Alex: Yeah. But there might be better singles, like I have a recording in the can of “Oh, My Soul” that’s a lot better than the one that’s on the album with different musicians that I did when I quite the band after the first album came out. It’s real hot; that’s probably a hit song, too. It’s got a twelve-string on it.
Bernard: If someone gave you a million dollars and said you could do what you want with it, would you not make music ‘cause financially you wouldn’t have to, or do you think you would? Alex: I’d make a lot of music. Make a lot more music; make films, interview people…
Bernard: Is there anything you like about New York? Alex: Yeah, you know, it’s like real easy to run though New York, skim it, get all the glimpses you want. Everybody loves me here, it’s incredible. In Memphis, everybody thinks I’m a jerk. Come up there, get respect, girls wanna sleep with me.
Bernard: What did you think of the Dudes when you met them last year? Alex: Not much, really.
Bernard: You wouldn’t think of doing anything with them? Alex: Oh, yeah, but I would let him [Bob Segarini, of the Dudes, I believe – B.K.] control me… I just think I know more than he does.
Bernard: Did you hear about the big super-session plans for you and Segarini, Wally Bryson, and (Nils) Lofgren? Alex: Yeah, I was prepared to do that because I just figured once we get into a recording studio you do what you could do and everybody does what they can do, and what I can do is… it all [laughs]… but I was prepared to do that.
Bernard: Why did the deal with DJM / Amherst [the record co. who last year brought Alex to Buffalo, introduced him to the Dues in Toronto, and had these super-session plans for Chilton] fall through? Alex: They never called me back. I went home and never heard from them again, which was OK. You know, I don’t know what was in their heads. I don’t’ know what they thought after they met me [laughs]…
Bernard: Were there a lot of fights within Big Star? Alex: Chris Bell had a lot of them, but I couldn’t ever tell who he was having them with…
Bernard: When you stared out playing in Overton Square in Memphis with Big Star, were you playing songs that weren’t on the album? Alex: We were doing a few things like Todd Rundgren’s “Slut” and the Kinks’ “Come On New,” and some more covers.
Bernard: What do you think of the whole “new-wave” thing and people releasing their own records? Alex: It’s a step in the right direction…
Bernard: What would you like written on your grave? Alex: “A Self Made Man” sounds best to me.
The following interview originally appeared in FFanzeen Number 10, which was issued in 1983.
Never saw the Blasters play, but I have a few of their vinyl releases from that period. Rockabilly was definitely making a re-swing, despite the Blasters’ comments below, which I believe are meant respectfully tongue-in-cheek.
However, I did see Dave Alvin’s Americana-style group play at the Calgary Folk Festival during the early ’90s, and they were a blast (pun intended), though I was too far away for decent photos (hence their absence here). If you want to see them in action, though, they’re right there in the film Streets of Fire pretty much playing themselves for two great numbers (one of which is at the bottom of this page). – RBF “You don’t really think were rockabilly, do you?” asks Jon Bazz, bass player for the Blasters, the Slash / Warner Bros. recording artists who are reviving the roots of ‘50s rock’n’roll and transplanting them into the hearts of the ‘80’s record buying public. The Blasters, which include Phil Alvin, vocals; Bill Bateman, drums; Gene Taylor, piano; and Dave Alvin, lead guitar, prefer to look upon their brand of rock’n’roll as just “American music.
“For rockabilly, you have to have a stand-up bass, and the singer’s got to croon or hiccup. Our singer thinks it’s a racist term because back in the ‘50s, their influences were black (like) Little Junior Parker and Ray Brown. Then a white guy came along and put a hillbilly – because that’s what Elvis was – to it. Sam Phillips, who created the Sun sound, wanted a white guy who could sing like a black. He knew there was something to be gained by the mix of black and white when he started out.
“One of the biggest hits Carl Perkins had, ‘Matchbox,’ was an old negro folk tune out of the cotton fields. His daddy taught it to him.”
The Blasters see their music as more R&B than rockabilly, although they admit that “Go, Go, Go” is rockabilly-ish and “Rock ‘Em Pete” is jazz, and that their first album, American Music was on a rockabilly label, Rolling Rock Records.
“I liked a lot of different types of music. I’m 30 now. When I was going up in Downey (California), surf music was popular. Later in high school, I started listening to blues – post-war Chicago blues – like Muddy Waters.” It was around this time that John met Phil Alvin, another blues fan. They’d jam together and formed a band whenever they wanted an outlet for their music.
They hadn’t decided to devote themselves to music professionally until three-and-a-half years ago, when they were asked to play at a wedding reception. Phil, who was a math teacher at the time, and Bill Bateman, who was working in an amplifier company, had heard of someone who needed a band for their reception. So, they threw together an impromptu band with David and a few friends. They enjoyed performing so much that they decide to start rehearsing regularly, and organize a band.
“We played biker bars for free drinks and $40 a night. The bikers were more into their girlfriends and playing pool than listening to a band. They used to throw beer bottles. We were horrible then. We’d break strings and have to end the set. We learned a lot in 10 gigs, about how to present ourselves to an audience.”
And in their short career, they’ve presented themselves to many different types of audiences as they opened for various acts around the Los Angeles area. “We’ve always got along with the punk audience because we’re very authentic in the way we present ourselves. We were into playing the music we liked and eventually ended up on a rockabilly label.”
While out on the road promoting their independent release, the Blasters built up a following. “People liked our shows and that’s how we got on Slash / Warner Bros. I’m really thankful that the public likes our music.”
With a successful East Coast tour under their belts and their LP, The Blasters, doing well on the charts, the group is inspired with ambition. Right now, “the battle plan for the Blasters is rehearsing and getting new material. We’ve got six songs. We’re very slow in terms of putting out an album.”
But their die-hard fans shouldn’t worry, a six-song EP, The Blasters Live at the Venue, London, is soon to be released. [Note that the EP was titled Over There by the time it was released – RBF, 2010]
They’re also planning to put out a new album in February, and then get out on the road again. In the meanwhile, however, the band is looking forward to playing their old haunts in Los Angeles. “Things have split up. There are so many things going on. If we go out on tour for a couple of months, when we get back, there is a whole new generation out here.”
[Sidebar: Please excuse the dubbed dialog, that’s all I found; and note that the woman dancing is the real dancer from the film Flashdance]
There are two local stories going on in the news right now, both of which are raising eyebrows on an international stage. Here is my take.
The 9/11 Pig Roast
The Saskatchewan Party is running this province right now. It is a new political organization which has a strong conservative curve that makes the Republicans in the States seem moderate. Their election to higher office has much to do with the traditional bent of rural communities whose population is wary of government spending on cities and social programs, and not paying enough attention to farming needs (there are just over a million people in Saskatchewan, but less than half in the two major cities of Saskatoon and Regina). The Prairies have long been leaning this way, despite the relatively liberal (as opposed to Liberal) leanings of Saskatoon, though currently under the thumb of the Mayor Don “me-me-me” Atchison (sort of like New York City under Giuliani or Bloomberg).
As a fundraiser for the Saskatchewan Party, they are throwing themselves a pig roast on April 11 in the local town (oh, sorry, recently declared city) of Martinsville, about 10 miles north of Saskatoon. As a guest, they have invited New York City fire chief Richard Picciotto, who was trapped in the North Tower on 9/11. Why conservatives love to drag out 9/11 for their own means even after all these years is another question, but one that this particular blog does not concern.
To publicize the event, they chose Nancy Heppner, the Minister of the Environment, to design the flyer. This is where the controversy starts. She chose an image of the Twin Towers burning, in itself not a wise choice, even as Picciotto was one of the surviving heroes of the attack (yes, attack, by Saudi nationals… I’m not into conspiracy theories… but I digress…), even with some benefit of the doubt. To have the buildings burning, as a promotional image though, seems a bit heartless. Okay, we are talking about conservatives, so that’s not so far off (again, their vision is “me, me, me”).
[The flyer (click to enlarge)] And here is where the fun begins. On top of the image, it says, “Pig Roast.” I’m not sure about in Canada, but in the states, “pig” is also used as a derogative term for the members of the organizations who were the first responders to the scene. There were 341 firefighters and 23 police officers acknowledged to have been killed in the burning and subsequently collapsing towers. To use this image under the term “pig roast” is beyond an oversight, it is cruel. Definitely a lose-lose vision: If it was meant intentionally, it is disingenuous at best. If it was not meant intentionally, well, who wants someone that thoughtless in control of the government?
All governments have slip-ups, I know, such as Bushie Jr. sending out Hanukkah cards with a Christmas image, and there was one recently with the Obama administration that I can’t remember off-hand, but this is something that seems occasional with the liberals, but pretty consistent with conservatives. They are so focused on themselves and how to crush anyone they deem under them that they lose sight of what they are doing, and how they are achieving it. Liberals (Democrats in the US; NDP in Canada) seem to want to focus on spending for social programs and physical infrastructure, but conservatives (Republicans in the US; Conservatives and Liberals in Canada) want instant bottom line everything, make monuments to themselves (stadiums in New York, for instance; River Landing in Saskatoon), and create a caste system between wealth and poverty (when the liberals try to make it more level, the conservatives cry “socialism!” and try to scare everyone).
[Nancy Heppner] Another part of this situation I don’t understand is why Picciotto is still showing up, as both he and the Fire Department of New York have both publicly denounced the use of 9/11 imagery for political purposes (hear that Giuliani? Oh, yeah, that’s right, you stated that no terrorism occurred on U.S. soil during Bushie’s administration, even when you practically use “9/11” as your phone number). This Saskatchewan Party is the same group that demanded the resignation of a NDP staff member for referring to Bushie Jr. as “Shrub.” Reminds me of how many Republicans called for Bill Clinton’s resignation after the whole Monica debacle, though many were caught with their own peckers where they didn’t belong (right, Giuliani?).
The province of Saskatchewan is equivalent to New York state, in that the majority of the people seem to vote against their own self interests, in fear of liberal social programs, and would rather see the money that would have served them go to commercial organizations and corporations that wouldn’t give a sou about their own workers, let alone the rest of the population.
Perhaps next time I’ll discuss a Saskatoon / Humboldt Minister of Parliament (U.S. equivalent is local Senator) who wants to end all funding to Planned Parenthood because he is against abortion (like that is all PP do). But again, I digress… Now back to the topics at hand.
The First Nations Leader for National Socialism
[David Ahenakew] Recently, it was announced that David Ahenakew passed away in Saskatchewan, about an hour north of Saskatoon. The 76 year old was / is certainly a controversial figure. The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) has been lauding him for the good he has done in his life, and it is quite a lot, such as being in the army for 16 years (including serving in Korea), being elected Chief of the FSIN (serving 10 years), helped establish the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College and the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (now called the First Nations University of Canada, which I pass nearly every day), and helped bring updated technology to many of the poorer areas. Ahenakew even received the Order of Canada distinction in 1978. All well and good, and he should be noted for that. But some of his other stances should not be passed over, including his statements that Jews are a “disease” who started World War II, and that Hitler helped "clean up Europe" when he "fried six million of those guys.” He then stated that the Israel was going to help start a new world war (in a joint effort with Bushie Jr.). These comments were physically recorded with his knowledge, not in some ambush taping. His Order of Distinction, I should note here, was stripped from him in 2005 in disgrace.
So, here is a man who had spent his life helping out the needy and oppressed First Nations, who have been mistreated by the majority, stripped of rights, placed into ghettos, and scapegoated for the ills of the nation, and yet has a problem seeing the connection between the treatment of the First Nations and the Jews at the time of World War II of, well, everywhere.
What especially amazes me is the shortsightedness of the topic of the Holocaust. During WWII, the Arab nations sided with the Nazis in the destruction of Jews. If the Nazis had won, after the Jews were gone, next would have been the Arabs. And if they made it here to the North American continent, the First Nations would also have been exterminated as being non-Aryan (as would the Latinos, the Blacks, the Catholics, and the list goes on).
The WASPs of the 19th Century did their best, as it was, to rid this continent of First Nations people in their march towards “Manifest Destiny.” And what do you think the Jews contribution to that was? How many Jewish homesteaders were there then? Jews were certainly not allowed in the Army at the time, and certainly not allowed to own land in the New West. And yet Ahenakew defends the Nazis, representing the very people who would have sought to wipe his people out, and blame a minority that was as oppressed as his own. Yet another tale of voting against one’s self interest.
Jews have a history of support for those oppressed, such as participating in the Civil Rights marches of the early ‘60s, and helping to start the NAACP; if there was a positive cause, there were Jews backing it, and sometimes leading the charge. My mother would have mah jongg games with all the winnings going towards some social cause; this was common practice in the period of time when Ahenakew claims the Jews were a “disease.”
Some people, such as Ahenakew’s lawyer Doug Christie, is saying that Ahenakew’s comments should not be held against that many years of dedication. Well, I’m mixed about that, because he was not just a person spouting a misguided belief; rather, he was in a leadership position, and his opinion is the equivalent of inciting a riot. He was initially found guilty of hate speech, but was then exonerated in court in appeal, because they said it was just an opinion. However, he was in no less power than James Keegstra, the popular teacher from Eckville, Alberta (near Red Deer) who was a staunch Holocaust denier in the classroom, and who was consequently found guilty of that same charge.
I am not saying that Ahenakew should have been thrown in jail, but his comments should stick like the stigma it should be, as rightfully so with Jesse Jackson’s “Hymietown” statement, or John McCain’s “Bomb, bomb Iran” ditty. These are leaders, and should be held accountable. If it was some shmoe living down the street, I’d tisk and be done with it. I know people who have jokingly made racist jokes and statements, but they were not in a position of power and influence. There comes a point when one must realize that everything they say will have some import to someone.
Another point is that this lawyer, “Christie,” said that he only said this once, and under dire circumstances (new medication, being in a press conference, etc.). But this comment is much like seeing a single cockroach in a kitchen. If you see one, there are many more hiding out. If the man said this statement once, then the odds are there is a lot of ice under the surface of the water, and we’re only seeing the tip. This can effect this person’s decisions in his power-position, and it is important to note that, and not to sweep it under the carpet of the good the person has done. It should be like a pile of shit that sits on top of the carpet, for all to know. Let the people judge how they like the carpet, but know that the pile of shit is there.
This tape was created for a very long drive from New York to Nova Scotia. It was the last tape I made before switching to mixed CDs. As always, I have tried to find the original release of the song as it appears on the tape, and if that’s not possible, a live version. However, much of the music I listen to is indie stuff, so it’s kind of hard to find. SIDE ONE
Mary Lou Lord – His Indie World This was off her first EP, arguably one of the strongest of her releases, on SubPop. She recorded in Seattle (before being famously chased off by an off-center rocker rival), but comes from Boston, with a history of busking on the subways there. In this tune she complains that her boyfriend wants to listen to said indie music while she’s more interested in “my Joni (Mitchell), my Nick (Drake), Neil (Young) and Bob (Dylan), you can keep your Tsunami, your Slant 6 and Smog.” In this song, she mentions a ton of bands, most of who went on to further fame: “I said ‘What’s the story?’ / He said ‘Butterglory’ / I said, ‘What’s the news?’ / He said ‘The Silver Jews’”). Check out the lyrics on the Web, they’re quite fun.
The Good – Judy Bernie Kugel redid the song when he was in Mystic Eyes, but way before that, his original band, the Good, did a lower-fi version for Tommy Calandra’s BCMK Records (that’s Buffalo College of Musical Knowledge). The swirling keyboards take the listener on one of Bernie’s many great pop garage tunes of the era. While we’re still waiting for “Mail on Sundays” to come out, I am happy with this cut. Both versions of this song are great, but this one, being the one I heard and learned to love first, holds a warm spot in my heart.
The Byrds – Eight Miles High As someone who is not into hallucinogenics (though the band seemed to have been from the video I’ve seen of them doing this song live on German TV, they’re so obviously stoned), I still find this song to be powerful. McGuinn’s 12-string just sings in this classic. Yeah, Husker Du did a decent version, but cannot compete with this one. Usually, long songs with solos are not my speed, but this one is different. Yet, my fave Byrds song remains “Child of the Universe,” their theme song to the film Candy (I have it on another tape).
Blues Magoos – (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” This is one of those iconic guitar-and-keyboards songs from the late ‘60s, with a pounding, dum-dum-da-dum rhythm. You hear any part of this song, it’s instantly recognizable. One of the first hit self-bragging songs I know of (“You know we’ve got what it takes / But we ain’t got nothin’ yet.). Couldn’t copy the song, so here’s the link: youtube.com/watch?v=GOGRTLn2uKY
John Otway – Josephine I’ve been a fan of Otway since the late ‘70s, when his Stiff Records were released. Teamed with fellow guitarist Wild Willy Barrett, he was just insane, but after they split, John started his second stage, which allowed him to do more serious songs, such as this one. The topic is of a local harvest festival, and the teen that is chosen to lead it (“And the crowd screams “Josephine / Our May Day eyes are on you”). Otway has a unique voice, both phrasing and style, and he always seems to be enjoying himself. There is a greatest hits package of his, and I highly recommend it.
Phil Ochs – The Highwayman One of many songs based on the Alfred Noyes poem (actually, John Otway has one, as well); this is probably the best known. It’s a long piece (and a longer poem), but Phil keeps the interest high as “Bess the landlord’s daughter” makes a futile sacrifice for her highwayman lover. It’s a romantic piece, for sure, but the title character’s actions at the end seem to nullify. And yet, it remains a beautiful song. The video is a wilted, live version, rather than the feisty recorded one.
3 Days Grace – I Hate Everything About You This song came to me by way of a three-song give-away disk at some store. I was instantly entranced by the emotion of it. At the time, I mentioned it to a friend, Vonny, and she said that she didn’t like the singer’s voice. Thing is, she’s actually right. Yes, I still like this song, but every other thing I’ve heard from the band has left me cold. Good call, Vonny! My one amusing story about this band is when I was in an Ontario Zeller’s, and this song came over the PA. Seemed like an odd choice, even if the band is from Canada. There’s an official music video to this, but it’s verbally edited, so here is this one.
Linda Ronstadt – I Can’t Help It The original Hank William’s one is arguably superior, but I don’t own any of his material on CD (the source for the rest of the songs), so I went for the Linda R one instead. I run hot and cold with Ronstadt: her ‘60s stuff (such as “Different Drum”) and Heart Like a Wheel country material are enjoyable, but I find the period after that and on (covers of Buddy Holly, etc.) kind of flat. This song shows some of her range.
Linda Ronstadt – Keep Me From Blowing Away This sad, wistful song has a country feel, but it’s more modern country pop. And yet, again, I like it a lot. There have been many times I’ve felt like this song, wanting some kind of anchor, something solid in my life, to keep me grounded. She emotes well here, that feeling of restlessness.
Kris Delmhorst – Hurricane This remains my favorite Kris Delmhorst song (so far). She equates a hurricane to the volatile relationship to which she’s currently involved (“I’ve always kept the company of clouds / I like my lightning bright, my thunder loud / I was never one for bluer skies / All that bright sun droning in my eyes / So blow me down, blow me down and leave me lying in your wake”). She’s still early on in her career, so there’s bound to be more great music to come. This is a live video, which is a bit distorted, but the sense is there.
Contraband – Hard Life Howard Bowler and his brother David, of the Marbles in the heady CBGBs days, lead this folk / country / rock / jazz band, and now have at least three full length CDs out. A Howard original, this song is almost oppressive in its negative charge, with dissonant notes and pressed lyrics (“The sun is shining / And all I get is rain / Comin’ down so hard / It’s drivin’ me insane”). It’s actually a powerful song, and Howard’s vocals shine with just the right unflinching tip of bitterness. Like the blues, it’s in your face, and yet somehow makes the listener feel better.
Dusty Springfield – The Look of Love Has anyone ever done a sexier version of this song than Dusty? Can they? I mean, she has a sultry voice to begin with, but this is one of her finest in this romantic mode. She practically whispers in your ear. Even her phrasing with pausing between words keeps you on your seat. Herb Albert’s horn also stands out here, with a couple of interesting false endings. This song just lulls me, from the first time I heard it in the ‘60s version of Casino Royale (as Ursula Andress seduces Peter Sellers).
Bob Crewe Generation – Peter Gunn This makes me think more of Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse more than Peter Gunn, but it’s a great iconic television theme song from the golden era of television; a classic noir in aural form.
SIDE TWO
The BKE – TBD Can’t talk about these two demos yet, but there are gonna be a lot of happy fans out there.
Margo Hennebach – After All There are two versions of this song, one on Margo’s second collection, Big Love, and one with her trio, Mad Agnes, Live at UH. This one is from the former, but they’re both done excellently, and I tend to listen to them both; I just had this one when I made the tape, though. Margo is one of my favorite modern singer-songwriters in the journeymyn tradition. With a hint of the Celtic, her songs are strongly supported by guitar and piano (both hers). I interviewed her the day of Woodstock II, just across the Hudson River from it, in fact. It was an enjoyable day, sitting on her porch and talking music (that interview can be read at this blog, dated October 26, 2008).
CSNY – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes My cousin Ken’s favorite song, but I didn’t know that when I put this tape together. While CSNY were one of those groups that annoyed the crap out of me in the early ‘70s (along with Yes, Kansas, America, and all those other bands that it seems everyone listened to when I was in college before punk hit), but someone gave me a greatest hits CD, and this one grew on me. It’s a long ode to Judy Collins (from Stephen Stills), but it changes often (hence the “suite”), and is not cloying.
Maria McKee – You Gotta Sin to Get Saved It was not Lone Justice that got me interested in Maria McKee, but an appearance on a TV show called Night Music, singing “Breathe” from her first solo release. Love at first hear. While there is a lot of subtly in Maria’s voice, damn she can belt them out good. This live in the studio recording from her record by the same name, is a bluesy, ballsy gospelly number that is nearly the female side of “Lightenin’ Strikes.” She tells her boyfriend “I could never shame you / Honey, you’re by pride and joy / But what’s a girl to do, now, daddy / I’m drowning in a sea of boys.” She further explains that “If I make an honest vow / To someday where a dress of white / ‘Cause scarlet’s what I’m wearing now.” Great song with a fun call-and-response chorus.
Al Yankovic – The Saga Begins A freakin’ brilliant cover of “American Pie,” but with lyrics reflecting the fourth Star Wars film, Chapter 1. Weird Al tells the entire story here, in his usual witty way, using similar rhyme patterns to the original (“Oh my, my this here Anakin guy / May be Vader someday later / Now he's just a small fry / He left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye / Sayin' ‘Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi’”). I laughed all the way through it the first time I heard the song. It still bemuses me.
David Wilcox – The Kind of Love You Never Recover From Off a sampler CD (two songs each from 5 albums), this was part of a tribute release for Christine Lavin, who wrote the songs. Wilcox’s reading is very spare, and full of emotion. The song is about wishing you had said something – the right thing – before your lover leaves (“At times like this when the moon is right / When the air is foggy like it is tonight / She'll think about what might have been / If she had just held on to him.”). It’s a sad song, but as with just about everything Lavin writes, it has a strong heart.
Barbara Kessler – Attainable Love Another Christine Lavin-er from the same sampler, this time the topic is being in love with someone who is commitment phobic, wishing she could change someone unchangeable (“Add me to the list of women / Who think you'll be different with me / Add me to the list of fools / Who flatly refuse to see / That just like me....”).
Susan McKeown – Winter King A strong Celtic tune from someone deeply associated with the genre. However, in this piece, McKeown also modernizes the arrangement to make it something else. Not with a disco-like beat some Celtic artists seem to have added (since those annoying dance-track Gregorian Chants), this is more rockish. I was going to put the next song from the CD, her killer version of “Aud Lange Syne,” but decided against it.
Leonard Cohen – Take This Longing Gotta say, the opening guitar chord to this song is not my favorite. It’s clanky and annoying, but once the listener gets past that, the song unfolds. Unfortunately, I found after listening to this tape on the road that I had to crank the volume all the way up, because the car noise was drowning out Cohen’s soft voice. Still a great song, though (“Take this longing from my tongue / All the useless things these hands have done / Let me see your beauty broken down / Like you would do for one you love”). Yes, the man is more than just “Suzanne” and “Hallelujah.”
The Dictators – Next Big Thing “I didn’t have to be here you know. I didn’t have to show up here. With my vast, financial holdings, I coulda be basking in the sun in Florida. This just a hobby for me. Nothin’, y’hear? A hobby!” With that, the opening cut to the ‘Tator’s first album starts strong and doesn’t let up. As they say later on in the tune, “We knocked ‘em dead in Dallas / And we didn’t pay our dues / Yeah, we knocked ‘em dead in Dallas / They didn’t know we were Jews.” Ah, the boys from the Bronx. I say again, DFFD. The video is a live version, without the intro, unfortunately. s
Taken during a long walk (and after) around Saskatoon. It was pretty cold, but it was easy to tell Spring was just about to start. Pictures can be enlarged by double-clicking them.
Hoar frost; yes, it's spelled hoar
A dentist in need of attention
Earl's, a classy place to eat (have yet to be inside)
Simon(e) Sez: women on signs, touch your head
Whaaaaaaat?
The local-yet-internationally-known beer factory
Am I interpreting this wrong?
Seedy bar with funny sign
A music instrument store on the edge of downtown
This was the King George Hotel before renovations into the present office building; it used to have a bowling alley in the basement that is now our kitchen counter
Downtown store trying to make me feel at home; where's CBGBs?
Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found By Joe Bonomo Continuum (NY/London), 2009 208 pages ISBN: 978-0-82642-966-7 www.continuumbooks.com Joe Bonomo wrote the book on the Fleshtones, SWEAT: The Story of the Fleshtones, America’s Garage Band, and now he goes back a bit further, looking at one of the master’s of rock’n’roll’s riotous career.
I’m going to assume the reader of this blog has enough awareness to be cognizant of The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, and his amazing music. I’m not going to insult your intelligence, because neither does Bonomo.
The ultimate focus of the book is a rare 1964 recording Lewis made in Hamburg, Germany, called ”Live” At the Star-Club, where he was accompanied by the British band, the Nashville Teens. To many who have heard it, the recording is one of the highlights of not only Lewis’ career, but is considered one of the best live recordings in the history of the genre. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity, as this is still considered a hard album to find (anyone wants to send me a copy, I wouldn’t complain…).
Essentially, the book is broken up into four sections. The first covers what happened to the career of Lewis’ during and after his infamous downfall, when the news broke he married his barely teen second cousin (while still married to someone else, no less). The second section deals with what lead up to this Star-Club recording, the taping itself, and the aftermath. The next section deals with the rest of his career as it veered into country, and the final is his legacy.
Bonomo has stated (on Facebook, I believe) that biographies are also about the author. In this case, it’s absolutely true, and all kudos for the acknowledgement. As there really is no such thing as “objective,” it’s refreshing to see an author embrace that notion. He clearly places himself within the story, describing how the album effected and affected him, how he came to know the recording in the first place, and how it fits into his own world of music (including punk rock). One of the ways he does this is by discussing some other excellent live recordings, such James Brown’s Live at the Apollo and one by Charlie Pickett and the Eggs (and yes, it is an amazing LP; I saw them play CBGBs, as well).
It’s telling that Bonomo starts the book with the Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word “ego,” as there should be a picture of Lewis right there (I have an OED, and there is not, FYI). Lewis does not always come off as a likeable guy in the story of his life, but Bonomo does not shy away from that, looking at both good and bad points of the artist as a talented, self-loving, self-loathing, drug and alcohol-fueled, misogynistic and abusive musical genius. As he states on page 102, in discussing a performance of “Mean Woman Blues,” “As always, the lyrics take a back seat to their filthy delivery, which takes a back seat to Jerry Lee’s piano playing, which takes a back seat to nothing and no one.”
As a side-bar, I remember when JLL was set to play the Ritz in New York City in the 1980s, someone was to interview him, but before he could, JLL insisted the writer down a tumbler amount of likker prior to him even being allowed to sit down at the same table (I would have walked out, frankly). I don’t remember who the writer was, where I read this, or what the outcome was, but it shows the personality of the man and his need to control. However, what he dominated the best was the piano keyboard. Lord, the man can play.
While extremely knowledgeable about his subject, Bonomo constantly feeds the reader many facts about Lewis, but with his excellent writing style, he never hits one over the head with it, nor does it resemble a history class, reeling off the facts. Rather, he weaves them into the story in a way where the reader is totally engaged in the moment, which is not an easy task. The author’s love of the topic comes through with excitement rather than gushing, without pretention of raising a flawed character, but rather places the reader there, sharing the experience rather than lecturing about it.
One of Bonomo’s strong directions is taking the events that are happening within the storyline, as it were, and placing them into a larger cultural context, such as telling what the Beatles and Stones were doing at the same time Lewis was at the Star-Club, or details about the Nashville Teens, what let up to their backing Lewis, and what happened to them after.
Bonomo talks to many of those who were involved with Lewis’ career, including the late, great musician Jim Dickinson and producer Jerry Kennedy, both from Memphis, as well as some who had been at the Star-Club that night, such as the person who did the recording, did the mixing the tape onto the album, and who ran the club at the time. All this gives authenticity to the author’s tales of the many rises and falls of Lewis.
Although short, I enjoyed the final part, where Bonomo takes the legacy of Lewis and shows it through his interpretation, and in the eyes of some current musicians of various genres, from the snubbing of Lewis by the Country Hall of Fame, to the punk of X and the Ramones, and the rockabilly revision of the Reverend Horton Heat and Dave Alvin of the Blasters (Alvin has a great quote near the end of the book [p. 188] where he states, “When you’re younger you have all these silly conversations: ‘What’s the best Fuck You record of all time?’ Was it Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music? I’d say, no, it was Self-Portrait by Bob Dylan. Well, so is ’Live’ At the Star-Club. The way I think about it is you’ve got a wolf that’s caught in a trap, and Jerry Lee at the Star-Club is the sound of a wolf biting his own leg off.”
As Jerry Lee Lewis declined to be interviewed for this book, I wonder what he thinks of it. But then again, by not talking to him, I believe that there is more freedom for Joe Bonomo in the book, giving him a bit of a clearer head perhaps, with less pressure to “perform” (Lewis is infamous for his demands), which makes for a grand ol’ time in itself.
Currently living in Saskatoon (email at RBF55@msn.com for address). From 1977-88, I used to publish a print version of a music magazine in New York called FFanzeen, which dealt with the wide-ranging independent music scene. I also photographed many bands from the period (and since). Now I write this blog. And the beat goes on.
FFanzeen: You have a new LP [Lyres, Lyres], and it has a couple of re-cuts including the Chip Lamey single (“How Do You Know”). Any reason for that?
Jeff Conolly: Yeah, that single is like – R.E.M.’s first single, that “Radio Free Europe” on Hiptone, the Cramps’ first two singles, “Human Fly” and “Surfin’ Bird,” on that Vengeance label – go for a lot of money. And Lyres first 45 and some of the Chesterfield Kings’ singles go for a lot of money. There was, like a thousand pressed or whatever, so they go for 20 or 30 Pounds in Europe or England. The song “How Do You Know” was only available on one of those “record collector” type singles. So I figured I’d put it out on a 12” record and that’s why the song was re-recorded.
FF: Okay. How about “Busy Man”?
Jeff: The new one is “Busy Men.” Originally it was “Busy Man” nine years ago as DMZ, but I just wanted to make more money ‘cause I decided to get greedier. I changed m-a-n to m-e-n so I could cut out some of the publisher people that were grabbing 15 or 20 percent. That was motivated by sheer greed.
FF: We should talk about the history of Lyres and DMZ. You’ve been around for what, 10, 12 years now?
Jeff: I’m pretty old, but I do aright! I got lots of friends [yuks all around]. We were, like, college students and maybe one guy that used to work at a radio station. There was a big punk explosion in ’75, and we started playing gigs [in Boston]. We had the drummer that left the Modern Lovers for the Cars [David Robinson]; we had him for the whole summer. We gained some notoriety there. We started making records and then we had an album on Sire Records [DMZ] before the Pretenders had an album on there.
FF: Did a record on Bomp!, too.
Jeff: Yeah, we did that stuff, too. And then at the very end of ’78, everybody kinda split up. It was very quick. It lasted a short period of time.
FF: They repackaged some of that early stuff with some other unreleased stuff they dragged out. Did you see any of that?
Jeff: Probably not. I didn’t receive any of it.
FF: No?
Jeff: You kind of have to go out to Los Angeles and go to the warehouse and grab the stuff off the shelves.
FF: So, how did Lyres come to be? This would be ’79 now?
Jeff: Yeah, January 1, 1979. That was the first Lyres rehearsal. So here we are in 1986, so that’s well over 8 years that we’ve been playing gigs and making records here and there.
FF: Who’s in the band now?
Jeff: The same guys [on the Lyres, Lyres album]. We have a new bass player since the last time we played here in Hamilton. In fact, the bass player we had last time we played Chugggies quit when we got back home because he didn’t want to sleep on other people’s couches anymore. Well, I like sleeping on people’s couches and in their beds, wherever I’m accepted, as long as it’s, y’know, a virus-free environment. So that’s why were’ back here with a new bass player.
FF: He likes couches.
Jeff: He’s looking for viruses and anything he can get his ands on, basically.
FF: So, the vinyl tally is -
Jeff: We’re tallying up big scores.
FF: Two LPs, and a compact disc (!).
Jeff: No, we have two compact discs (!!). Two albums, two CDs, and four 45s.
FF: On the new LP, there’s a Percy Sledge-like reworking of “She Pays the Rent.” What bolt of inspiration provided that?
Jeff: This friend of mine that lives in Oslo, Norway, he’s, like, a Pretty Things expert, but, like, y’know, he’s a nice guitarist and he had these bands. His name is Willie B. I don’t say his last name so well [probably unpronounceable on the first attempt – BM]. He sends me over this single and it’s like, him, the male guitarist, and three chicks playing bass, drums, and lead singer. These beautiful Norwegian women with the high cheekbones, perfect shaped breasts, tits, bosoms! So, like, they do this song, “That’s How Strong My Love Is.” And its, like, excellent. It’s great. It’s like Janis Joplin-meets-Oslo, Norway, but it’s a really nice record, okay. The guy sent it over to me for free! So I’m going, “I’m really pissed off about this Nomads bullshit,” so I’m going to do the Norwegian “That’s How Strong My Love Is” by this Willie B. and Three Norwegian revue, and take their songs and slow “She Pays the Rent” to a soul ballad. It was basically people from Norway that gave me the inspiration as a backlash to the Swedish people.
FF: What happened with that Nomads’ version of “She Pays the Rent”?
Jeff: What happened was bad for everybody because people were comparing both versions and it’s stupid, y’know, ‘cause I wrote the stupid song and I don’t need to be in competition with somebody who’s going to outdo me on my own material. So the Norwegian people just came through, through the mail, and I was able to slap the Swedish people in the face with the help of the Norwegian people, which I thought was really appropriate.
FF: A couple of other things from the LP: “Stormy” by the Classics IV?
Jeff: The Jesters of Newport, California.
FF: Is it corrected? That track is a lot different from what people expect from Lyres.
Jeff: Well, I don’t know what they’re gonna expect because as long as Lyres are making records there will be some stuff on the records that people won’t understand.
FF: That just gives you more depth.
Jeff: It’s probably too much for people to take in.
FF: What would you like to be doing in the future?
Jeff: Probably take two-three months off from the music business completely, ‘cause there’s plenty of other bands waiting in the wings to pull up the slack, and I figure, let these guys take over for awhile and sit in the hot sand. I’m going to go to the beach and lie in the sun, and just completely forget about the music business. I’m supposed to promote this Lyres, Lyres album, which is an okay record. I like it a lot in certain ways, and I’m supposed to go to Europe to promote it. And then I’m just going to take a vacation. This is, like, one summer that I’m going to enjoy because too many summers have gone where I didn’t have a good time, so I think that’s what ’87 is going to be all about. People just saying, “Fuck this, I’ve had enough of this crap and I’m gonna take a vacation for a while,” I think that’s the theme for ’87, to lay back and take stock of yourself – “Are you taking music too serious?” “Are you concerned by what it all means?” ‘Cause personally, I’ve had enough. I think it’s time to take a big vacation. And if people want money, good, work your ass off for the whole summer, but, y’know, good luck! [Yuks]. Have a good time, I mean, get everybody for every buck they’re worth! That’s what I have to say.
FF: Trivial notes: Who’s the woman on the cover of the LP?
Jeff: She’s a groupie. Boston-based, but she’s pretty much, y’know, familiar with all kinds of rock stars in all kinds of ways. She’s a nice girl. She’s on the album cover and on the poster. I thought it was quite fitting that she could be the El Producto Cigar Girl of ’87. If you’ve ever seen a package of El Producto cigars, then you’ll understand what the album cover’s about, y'know?
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