THE TRIP! MARCH 23RD SHOW! TRIBUTE TO SCOTT ASHETON AND MORE!

 

This week on The Trip we pay tribute to the recently deceased Scott Asheton and Randy Alvey!  A tough week for rock and roll legends.  Listen to the show here:  http://cjamlog1.cjam.ca/mp3dirnew/381-The_Trip-20140323-0030-t1395531000.mp3

The setlist: 

BORIS KARLOFF - CIVIL DEFENSE SPOT 
DR. STRANGELOVE & THE FALLOUTS - LOVE THAT BOMB 
THE TRIP - STICK LIKE GLUE 
THE PUDDING - MAGIC BUS 
MARK & THE ESCORTS - GET YOUR BABY 
THE SPADES - YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 
THE KINKS - I'M NOT LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE 
THE STOOGES - REAL COOL TIME 
THE STOOGES - T.V. EYE 
THE STOOGES - GIMME DANGER 
SONIC'S RENDEZVOUS BAND - CITY SLANG 
DARK CARNIVAL - COP'S EYES 
THE THROB - BLACK 
KEN NORDINE - BLACK 
THE TROGGS - GIRL IN BLACK 
LINK WRAY - BLACK WIDOW 
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY - BLACK NIGHT 
IKE TURNER & RHYTHM KINGS - BLACK BEAUTY 
OBLIVIANS - BIG BLACK HOLE 
RANDY ALVEY & THE GREEN FUZ- GREEN FUZ 
BO DIDDLEY - DIDDLEY DADDY 
THEE HEADCOATS - ALL MY FEELINGS DENIED 
LOU CHRISTIE - GUITARS AND BONGOS 
JOHN LEE HOOKER - BIG LEGS TIGHT SKIRT 
BUMP MYERS & THE FRANTIC 5- I'M CLAPPIN' AND SHOUTIN' 
DONNA LYNN - I'D MUCH RATHER BE WITH THE GIRLS

THE TRIP! MARCH 16TH. THE MONKS TRIBUTE AND MOOOORRRRRREEEEE~~

This week Greg pays tribute to the late Gary Burger of The Monks and tons more!  Listen here:  http://cjamlog1.cjam.ca/mp3dirnew/381-The_Trip-20140316-0030-t1394926200.mp3

The setlist: 

rogues- how many times
cole & the embers- hey girl
sloths- makin' love
the black angels- science killer
crystal stilts- future folklore
the monks (u.s.,60's)- monk time
the monks (u.s.,60's)- shut up
the monks " " - cuckoo
the monks " " - love can tame the wild
lightnin' hopkins- shine on moon
goon moon- at the kit kat klub
goon moon- mashed
goon moon- at the kit kat klub
mad heads- invasion (aliens in town) 
mad heads- ukrainian horror show
taifuns- the west wind
olympics- the story of the girl with the bass guitar
belfast gypsies (them)- boom boom
belfast gypsies- " - secret police
stiff little fingers- alternative ulster
stiff little fingers- state of emergency
thin lizzy- that woman's gonna break your heart
gringo star- in the heat
juan blanco- loops
paul jones- going back home

Wayne/Jayne County

How could we forget REV NORB

Seething Wells

 

Dizzy Gillispie

Thee Slayer Hippie - Dwarves

Thee Billy Childish

Link Meany - The Meanies

Attila the Stockbroker

 

Playlist 03/22/14

Stooges Real Cool Time
Cramps Mystery Plane
Mutants A Tribute To Russ Meyer
99ers Godzilla's A Punk
Warm Soda Postcards
Manchester Social Club Remember, Remember
Hymans Outcast of Society
Baby Woodrose Good Day To Die
Fleshtones It Is As It Was
Men From S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Mercury Wall
Skafish Disgracing The Family Name
Zounds Great White Hunter
Fall Leave The Capital
Toy Dolls Dougy Giro
Sex Gang Children Mauritia Mayer
Launderettes Hot Rocks
Cherrypops Versteck' Dich
Ace Industrial Slit
False Poets A Girl I Know
Sensible Gray Cells Queen For A Day
Dum Dum Girls Rimbaud Eyes
Low Frequency In Stereo Elevated/Desecrated
Mozes and the Firstborn Bloodsucker
Black Lips Drive By Buddy
Holy Wave Psychological Thriller
Dark Colours Since 1685 Midnight Train
Connexions I'll Get You In The End
PyPy Pagan Day
Supplement Nowhere
Bloody Hollies I Dream of Bees
Stupidity King Midas
Barbacoa Captain 20
Rebel Set Dropout
Bow Wow Wow Oran-Outang
Godfathers Gone To Texas

I will be on the air and the web on Saturday March 22nd from 1:00-3:00PM EST.  You can listen at 89.7 WITR-FM in Rochester, NY or streaming live at http://witr.rit.edu.

Radio What Wave Playlist, March 20/2014

 

1. Whipping Wind....Don't Get Into It....4 song CD that probably came with a 7" they put out in 2011. Local combo with some power pop tendencies.

 

2. Danny Laj...Queen St West...from a 4 song CD that Boppa Do Down released kn 2012. Powerpop trio and Danny was the 1000th person to join the Radio What Wave facebook page, so we sent him a coupla tunes!

 

3. Danny Laj...Alien Ate Some People....from a 12" called The Match. Toronto based powerpop trio.

 

4. The Cheap Speakers...She Has A System...from their Switches and Levers CD. Toronto combo playing their last gig tonite in Toronto.

 

5. Madhouse....Mystery Train....80's demo and the part of our show dedicated to singer/guitarist Richard Carstens who passed away this week. Richard wrote this song and gave it to UIC and they released it on their live LP on OG Records.

 

6. Madhouse...Writing On Benzedrine....1983 demo.

 

7. The Wammee....Headjob...from an early 90's cassette called Walkin' Sideways. Another Richard Carstens lead combo.

 

8. The Monks....Monk Time...from the Black Monk Time LP from 1966. This goes out to guitarist/vocalist Gary Burger who passed away earlier this week. Gary was active recording and producing up until very recently. 

 

9. The Monks...Shut Up....as above.

 

10. Das Furlines....Boys Are Boys....recorded live at Call The Office 6/5/1986. The Das Furlines were an all female tribute band to The Monks and this is one of their only surviving recordings. They were a LOT of fun live to see....you shoulda been there, there were at least 30 of us at the show!

 

Das Furlines....Call The Office 6/5/1986

 

11. The Monks...Complication....from the Let's Start A Beat! CD recorded live at Cavestomp in NYC 1999. This was The Monks very first performance in North America.

 

12. Pack AD....Airborne....from the Do Not Engage CD. They were in London on St Pat's Day here in London and put on a fine show! They surprised me by playing The Cramps Teenage Werewolf. Guitarist Becky liked the song and that's one of the few covers Pack AD ever do.

 

 

 

Becky Black of Pack AD. APP 3/17/2014

 

13. Masked Boy....Bed Spins....from the brand new Self Loathing CD. One man band from Wheatley Ontario.

 

14. Nazi Drugs....Bride Of Yee Sook Ree....from the Dawn On Me CD. Pennsylvania studio duo who have released several CD's recently.

 

15. Noble Savages....The Music Will Kill You....from a brand new self released CD. Hamilton Ontario combo.

 

16. Dead City Soul Review....Breaking The Shackles Of Love....brand new recording and first time ever aired on the radio. Another Hamilton combo who are about to release a CD.

Dead City Soul Review, Call The Office 1/16/2014

 

17. Connexions....I'll Get You In The End....from the Connections 4 CD. Newfoundland garage/powerpop combo.

 

18. Heart Attack Kids...Daydream....from the Hooligans CD. 2 piece outta London Ontario.

 

Right around this time, Ryan In The Red dropped by to yammer on air about his podcast called Rock City Madness which is available on the garagepunk hideout website. Ryan used to do In The Red that was on CHRW for about 10 years and we've been pals that long! The next edition of Rock City Madness is due on April Fool's Day!! Thanx for dropping by Ryan!

 

19. Dark Carnival....Anybody Can Fuck Her....from the Greatest Show In Detroit LP. The rest of this show goes out to drummer Scott 'Rock Action' Asheton who passed away this week.

 

20. The Stooges....Real Cool Time....from the self titled debut LP. And this is where our sister show, Real Cool Time got their name! RCT is heard every tuesday at 6PM on CIUT FM from Toronto and feature Rocky and Deena on the sticks!

 

21. The Stooges....Loose....from Funhouse.

 

22. The Stooges...I Wanna Be Your Dog....from the first LP.

 

23. The Stooges...TV Eye...from Funhouse

 

 

Thanx for all the emails, phone calls, facebook messages and Heys!!! And thanx for tuning in to the madness each week! Back again next week with lots of new music and who knows what else.

You can listen to the podcast at:

http://chrwradio.ca/programs/radio-what-wave

Voix de Garage #19 – Love! Love! Love! (19/03/2014)

 (Jingle)  Know Your Product / The Saints / Eternally Yours / 1978 / Australie (Brisbane)

 *Quiet moment with love in Scott Asheton's memory* : Down On The Street / The Stooges / Fun House / 07/07/1970 / US (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Ever Fallen In Love (with someone you shouldn’t’ve) / Buzzcocks / Love Bites / 08/09/1978 / UK (Manchester)

She Said She Loves Me / The Scientists / The Scientists (aka The Pink Album) / 1981 /Perth (Australia)

Be My Lover / Alice Cooper / Killer / 11/1971 / US (Detroit Alice Cooper City)

*5' French talk* : about hippies

Her Love Rubbed Off / The Cramps / Saty Sick! (CD bonus track) / 12/02/1990 / US (Akron, Ohio)

*Listen to that lovely GLITTER* : Gary Glitter – I Didn’t Know I Loved You (‘til I saw you rock’n’roll) / Glitter / 03/03/1972 / UK (Banbury, Oxfordshire)

Your Love Is A Fine Thing / Reigning Sound / Too Much Guitar / 04/05/2004 / US (Memphis, TN & Ashevill, North Carolina)

In Love / The Datsuns / TV appearance BBC “…Later with Jools Holland” / 06/12/2002 / NZ (Cambridge)

*The quiet moment of pure love*: Swamp Of Love / King Tuff / King Tuff / 2012 / US (Vermont)

Hindu Gods (Of Love) / The Lipstick Killers / single / 1979 / Sydney (Australia)

*The DOUBLE 60's Chapell with Love*
     -Zombie Love / The X-Ray Harpoons / Zombie Love EP / 2010 / Germany (Köln)
     -Have Love will Travel / The Sonics / Here are the Sonics / 1965 / US (Tacoma, Washington)

Richard Hell & the Voidoids – Love Comes in Spurts / Blank Generation / 09/1977 / US (NYC)

Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World / The Ramones / Ramones / 23/04/1976 / US (NYC)

What Love is / The Dead Boys / Young Loud and Snotty / 10/1977 / US (Cleveland, Ohio)

*The Norway lesson of love* : Librium Love / Turbonegro / Hot Car and Spent Contraceptives / 03/1992 / Norway (Osl)

 *Must be played at maximum volume with love*: Love Buzz / Nirvana / Bleach / 15/06/1989 / US (Seattle)

- See more at: http://www.trensmissions.ens.fr/voix-de-garage-19/#sthash.8usSzEeP.dpuf

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican 
March 21, 2014

Note to loyal blog readers: This column is based on the blogging I did at SXSW last week (and early this week). 

For all of my fabulous snapshots of SXSW and other musical shows I saw in Texas last week CLICK HERE

I had just sat down to blog about what a fun evening of rock ’n’ roll I’d had on the opening day of the South by Southwest music festival on March 12 — all the great music I heard, all the cool people I saw, and all the friends I got to hang out with — when I got a Facebook message from my brother in Santa Fe. He had news of a bizarre tragedy at SXSW and wanted to know if I was OK.

It seems that a car that was the subject of a police pursuit plowed into a crowd in front of The Mohawk near 9th and Red River Streets. At that point, two people had died and five more were critically injured. By Monday morning, one of those five had died from injuries she’d sustained in the incident. A couple of dozen people injured by that driver were transported to hospitals that night.

I’ve heard grumbling for years about how the festival has grown too big and how the streets of Austin can’t handle the traffic, the crowds, and the insanity. You can’t blame the festival organizers for the alleged actions of the defendant, Rashad Owens, an aspiring rapper and music producer, who reportedly had a gig on the festival’s last night. According to police he was fleeing from a DWI checkpoint, may have been intoxicated, and had outstanding arrest warrants.

But this is a music column, not an op-ed piece, and I did hear lots of great music at the festival and at the unofficial events that surrounded SXSW.

Lucinda

There were a couple of singers I hadn’t planned on seeing who I saw at my very first SXSW in 1995. One was Lucinda Williams, who played a brief set at the Austin Music Awards. Accompanied by her own guitar and a lead guitarist, Williams played mostly old songs like “Passionate Kisses,” “Lake Charles,” and “Drunken Angel.” She was wonderful.

Another unexpected pleasure was Howe Gelb, who I’d caught two or three times before with his old group Giant Sand. I stumbled into the Continental Club, where he was playing with a trio. On his quieter songs, he sounded like Marty Robbins after a three-week peyote trip. But Gelb can also tear loose on electric guitar with the same weird vision and fire that made me love Giant Sand to begin with.

And of course, I didn’t miss The Waco Brothers playing at the annual Bloodshot Records party at the Yard Dog Gallery. The original “insurgent country” band did some of my favorites, including “See Willie Fly By” and “Plenty Tuff Union Made.” They also did their covers of Johnny Cash’s “Big River” (which Jon Langford introduced as “Hotel California” by The Eagles), “I Fought the Law,” and a rousing (and I suspect spontaneous) “Hey! Bo Diddley.”

Smitty of The Hickoids gets ready for his next dental appointment

I caught the classic Texas cowpunk crazies, The Hickoids (which includes longtime Santa Fe musician Tom Trusnovic), twice this year — at an east Austin joint called The White Horse, right after they were inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame, and later at the Triple Crown, a bar in San Marcos. As usual, they lean on the punk much heavier than the cow, but their raunchy tunes never fail to delight.

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages performed a set at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul that was sheer intensity. Playing lots of stuff from his latest, Dig Thy Savage Soul, Whitfield raised the energy level several notches. Guitarist (and Taos resident) Peter Greenberg’s fingers were bleeding well before he left the stage.

Possessed by Paul James, the musical superhero whose secret identity is mild-mannered teacher Konrad Wert, played at the off-the-beaten-track Austin Moose Lodge, at a showcase by the small but impressive Hillgrass Bluebilly Records. Wert was in his one-man-band mode, playing a small arsenal of stringed instruments and using his trademark stomp-box — which is basically a wooden board that is miked — as percussion. All that, and his voice. When Wert gets to wailing, sometimes it seems as if he really is possessed.

Bobby Patterson

Veteran Dallas soul man Bobby Patterson, who was celebrating his 70th birthday that night, performed at C-Boy’s. Never very famous as a performer, Patterson is known mainly as a producer and a DJ. He produced records for Little Johnny Taylor, Fontella Bass, and Chuck Jackson. He was backed by a band that included a horn section, and at one point he was joined onstage by Whitfield.

I first latched onto The Grannies two years ago at SXSW. Appearing in colorful wigs, horrible frocks, and muumuus, the band just tore up the Triple Crown. They attacked the music with humor as much as fury. Singer Wizard Sleeves was wearing some kind of flesh-colored body suit, and guitarist Sluggo ended his set with a classic-rock guitar smashing demonstration.

Sluggo of The Grannies

Playing at the Moose Lodge show were several bands new to me, including The Pine Hill Haints, an acoustic group (with a washtub bass) from Alabama who describe their sound as “Alabama ghost music.” Peewee Moore, a Tennessee-born songwriter, also played with an acoustic band, though his honky-tonk sound would work with a full country band — fiddle, steel, drums etc. (Apparently Moore has played the Cowgirl BBQ in Santa Fe. I hope he comes back so I can catch him again.) The Rock Bottom String Band is a gaggle of countrified hippie kids who play a variety of instruments and sing with so much enthusiasm it was impossible not to get into the spirit.

Left Lane Cruiser has a raw slide-guitar-based sound you might call “damaged blues.” The group’s bass player also made crazy noises on a bizarre homemade instrument fashioned from an old skateboard and a beer bottle on a couple of songs. It’s a type of diddley bow he calls “skidley bow.” Playing harmonica on the band’s first song was  J.D. Wilkes from The Legendary Shack Shakers. Wilkes made a similar cameo earlier in the evening with The Pine Hill Haints.

Col. Wilkes with Pine Hill Haints at The Moose Lodge

The Woggles, who played at C-Boy’s, is a neo-garage band that’s been around several years. You can hear a little Count Five in The Woggles’ guitar and see a little Paul Revere & The Raiders in their moves. But mostly I heard echoes of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels in The Woggles’ music.

A Pony Named Olga, who played at the Triple Crown, is a high-energy psychobilly trio from Berlin (they call themselves “country-punk and polkabilly”), featuring an electric guitarist/singer, a doghouse bassist, and a drummer. They have the basics of psychobilly down pat, but they also have a few unusual melodies and chord changes that bring a twist to that sound.

And then there are The Beaumonts, a tight little honky-tonk band from Lubbock led by singer Troy Wayne Delco. They play sweet country music with foul-mouthed lyrics about sex, drugs, getting drunk, and more sex. But that’s not all. They also have a song called “Toby Keith,” in which they declare that the jingoistic country star is the “ugliest woman I swear I’ve ever seen.”

I saw them on Tuesday night at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, and they totally killed it:)  They did kickass covers of "Louie, Louie" and "Rockaway Beach," and they sold out the place too.  BTW, I also saw Handsome Dick Manitoba at the gig, and B.P. Fallon gave the band a poetic introduction.  

The only sour note of the day was finding out that "Snapshot" was being released here in America on that same day, so I felt a little ridiculous buying that expensive import copy on amazon.  Oh well, what can I say, I have no patience.

I spent the day before the gig roaming the streets of NYC, and I came across the Cafe Wha? on MacDougal Street.  I'm sure most of you know the significance of that place (That's where the Velvet Underground first made a name for themselves).  I kept walking down MacDougal Street until it intersected with Bleeker Street, and I walked up Bleeker Street and took note of Mercer Street when I crossed that intersection (It made me think of the Mercer Arts Center, where the New York Dolls first made a name for themselves).  I kept on walking until Bleeker ended at Bowery, and, of course, that's where CBGB used to be.  I just thought it was cool seeing all those punk rock landmarks within that area.

BTW, anyone here familiar with Tim Horton's?  I tried some of their coffee while I was out and about.  We don't have any Tim Horton's here in Pittsburgh, so that's why I never tried them.  I liked the coffee, but I'm still a committed Dunkin Donuts man.

Anyway, I would highly recommend checking out the Strypes if they come to your hometown, or to anywhere near your hometown.  And if you still don't believe me, here is a collection of videos from that gig on youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrqfoPzNIvucBNY_cx4grYw/videos

I love 'em too.

This week's podcast featured mustic from 63 Monroe, Pointed Sticks, The Clash, The Replacements, The Kinks, Thee Oh Sees, Slow, Guided By Voices, The Velvet Underground and more.  It was also teh 500th episode of Revolution Rock.  

 

The Play List:

 

1. Sun Stone Revolvers Elmore's Surf
2. Action Makes - Nothing For Money
3. Simply Saucer - Get My Thrills
4. 63 Monroe - Twist My Wrist
5. The Victims - Open Your Eyes
6. St. Paul & The Broken Bones - The Glow
7. Holy Wave - How Do You Feel?
8. Them - You Just Can’t Win
9. Thee Oh Sees - Wait Let’s Go
10. Link Wray - Raunchy
11. Paul Jacobs - I Got It
12. No Fun - I Ain’t Got No Face
13. Carbonas - Hate You
14. Pointed Sticks - I’m Numb
15. The Scabs - Don’t Just Sit There
16. Ruefrex - Cross The Line
17. Slow - Have No Been The Same
18. The Replacements - Left Of The Dial
19. The Kinks - Powerman
20. Guided By Voices - A Good Flying Bird
21. The Clash - Deny
22. Ty Segall - Femme Fatale (Velvet Underground Cover)
23. The Black Lips - My Struggle
24. The Velvet Underground - Beginning To See The Light (Early Version)

 

Download/listen to this week's podcast here:  http://cjamlog1.cjam.ca/mp3dirnew/36-Revolution_Rock-20140318-1030-t1395135001.mp3

This week's blog post:  http://revrock.blogspot.ca/2014/03/revolution-rock-tales-of-late-night-dj.html

......I just have'nt been playing a lot of music , lately. I have'nt even listened to 'black monk time".

But , for some reason , the news about Asheton shook me up , though I did'nt know him. Some of my friends knew and worked with him , though , and always spoke highly of him. I was graciously invited by my good friend , Derek See , who worked with the Stooges , to attend the after party when THE BAND PLAYED HERE HE SUMMER OF '10 , I believe it was....I got to meet James Williamson and Steven McKay , briefly , which was very cool , but , Scott had family and friends with him , including his Daughter , so , I knew better than to disturb him....HE WAS GETTING UP TO REJOIN HIS FAMILY , BACKSTAGE, and he got up to leave. I JUST WANTED TO Say "Hi", tell him it was a great show but he seemed to be staring right through me, even with his shades on. I'm sure he was just as nice as my friends had told me , but I did not want to get in the way of his getting back to his family and friends , evenfor a few seconds. He still looked as tuff as he did in his 20's. Still intimidating , without trying to be. I usually don't freeze up like that. I did , once , with Steve Cropper , but he came around and talked to me.......Not much of a story , but , there it is... I saw Scott twice in the 80's with The Scott Morgan Band. His playing was somewhat restrained.  My friend , the late Bob Mulrooney (aka Bootsey X) , sang with Dark Carnival , and told me Scott had been taking Jazz drumming lessons , just to feel more confident and consistent about his playing. When The Stooges finally reformed , it was plain to tell , his attack was harder - hitting , and his embellishments were tasteful. Thank Jazz.   I went to the Clarkeston , Michigan "Homecoming" show (That had been postponed for a week , when the power in Detroit , New York , PARTS OF Canada , etc. , went out.) in 2003 , then saw them a second time , with Ron , 5 years later , and twice with James , IN cHICAGO. LARRY MULLENS WAS SUBBING FOR  Scott at the Riot Fest in 2012 , and he did a fine job , but it was always implied that Scott would eventually be well enough to return to the Drummer's chair.    

Such sad news...
There will be a definite memorial Stooges marathon playing in my house all day.

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS , THERE WILL PROBABLY BE  A LOT  MORE INFO AVAILABLE.....

Scott Asheton , aka "Rock Action" , had been in failing health for over a year , forcing him to go on sabbatical from The Stooges. He did appear at a concert shown on the internet several months to a year ago , but , I don't know if he played any other gigs with the band , after that.

Besides burnin' to ya with the Big Bad Beat STRAIGHT FROM Hell in every incarnation of The Stooges (Barring his , intended as temporary , replacement by Larry Mullens - whose picture appeared in two internet obits. How hard was it to find a photo of the actual deceased?!) , Scotts Asheton also played in heavy hitters , The Sonics Rendezvous Band , Dark Carnival , Scot's Pirates/Scott Morgan Band (Basically SRB minus Fred "Sonic" Smith.) and projects involving Sonny Vincent , and others.      I almost had a chance to meet him , once , bu t, I admit , I froze when he got in my range. ROCK FUCKIN' ACTION !!!!! BAAAAAAAD MOTHERFUCKER !!!!!

It's evident!

The band I'm in, The False Poets, would love to be included in Hideout Comp!

Here's the first EP that we recorded last month.

It's very sad....Gary was a great person. He really appreciated the sudden interest in the band - But , it was'nt sudden at all , as a low-key movement was happening in the 80's and 90's , via 10TH generation "Beat ! Beat! Beat!" videos exchanging hands in the tape trade , bootlegs of "black monk time" reportedly dating as far back as the Late 70's , and Wendy Wild and Deb O'Nair's all - female monks ' tribute band , Das Furlines.   Also "Complication" appeaed on the fine Garage /Psych "Turds on a Bum Ride" , before the first high profile unauthorized CD version of the monks' album on Repertoirre in Germany.

 

 

Wow. I wonder if Bob Gruen shot this , but , I've never heard of any color Gruen footage turning up on The Dolls. IF YOU HAVE THAT "ALL DOLLED UP" DVD  , it's kind of anticlimactic seeing the '75 footage after the earlier stuff , BUT , they seemed like they were working hard to reclaim what was theirs.

Personal problems , and Malcolm MacLaren's genius move to re - invent the band as faux - Maoist Rockers , centuries before that did'nt mean career suicide , made it all too clear the commercial success that had eluded them would never be theirs.

Still , they were working on some good material. A Third NYD album could have been a lot more on the PowerPop tip , I ALWAYS THOUGHT , but , might have been a lot better than anyone had a right to expect. 

The "Red Patent Leather" look makes more sense on color film  (Or video? Who even had a video camera in 1975 BESIDES gRUEN AND THE THREE MAJOR NETWORKS ? ha ha.). People say The Romantics lifted from The Dolls' unsuccessful later group image , but , for once  , Jagger looked more like Johansen (1978 "Some Girls " tour.) than the other  way around. I dunno. You do get a feel for how exciting it must have been to see The Dolls in a small club , even though they deserved so much better.

http://vimeo.com/88865429#at=0

I JUST GOT THE WORD , several hours ago , that Gary Burger from the monks passed away this morning from complications relate to Pancreatic Cancer.

He was 72 , I believe . I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE KNOWN GARY IN THE CAPACITY THAT I DID.....We first met , as did he and many of his fans , at the monks' first reunion performance , and very first US appearance , at The 1999 Cavestomp.  My Editor at Roctober , Jake Austen , was invited to the monks' first social reunion at Gary's home in Bemedji , Minnesota , about three years earlier. I GOT TO KNOW GARY A LITTLE BETTER THROUGH MY CONNECTION TO THE MAGAZINE , And I called him on the phone ever several months , at least.  I'm sure many people knew him better than I did , but , he was always kindly and easy - going , and it was as much fun hearing him talk about the early days as speculate on what the future may hold. After the NYC show , I saw the monks at The Vegas Rockaround Festival in 2004 , and Gary came to Chicago to give  a blowout solo performance , backed by tHE GOBLINS (WHOSE "GOBLIN PRIDE" CD GARY PRODUCED.) , Jake Austen's band . Gary kept busy as a Producer. Not long ago , I introduced him to Bill Bulinski of The Electras (''Action Woman") , who recorded a side project with Burger. Gary also released a split single , a few years back , and he did two performances of "Black Monk Time ", about a year ago ,  with local musicians . HE'S PRESENTLY INCLUDED ON THE FUZZTONES' Tribute "In Fuzz We Trust" performing "Hurt on Hold" with a "black monk time" arrangement.

I was'nt aware he'd been ill. I just spoke to him a few weeks ago , and a few months before then. He seemed in good spirits , and ,in a reflective mood. Not as if he were trying to tell me his time was almost up without having to say it , but , just as an older man who got to live these fantastic experiences most people could'nt even have made up. He really loved his fans , his friends , his music and his life. It's we who have to let go , now. Way Down.......To Heaven.

John Battles 3/14/14.

it's OK. i USED TO ALWAYS READ CONFLICTING DATES OF tHE BEATLES' ACTUAL FORMATION ,AS THEY CAME FROM VARIOUS OTHER BANDS....

'61 was really the year of The Twist. I forget if Chubby Checker's big hit version was in '60 or '61 , but Hank Ballard released it about a year earlier. The Twist became the biggest thing in the very early 60's besides the teen idol craze (yecch!). Some good Rock'n'Roll records were made in teh name of teh Twist fad.