October 2005 - Blue Lake Records

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October 2005
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Semantics
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Re-Vue Chicago
We’re back after a short break last month… And again, the writers have gone the
extra mile to get you some excellent content this month.
The mayor, Ken Mottet, kicks things off with an exposé on when enough stuff
is enough stuff. Ken describes an affliction that overtakes many a poor
rockabilly...a classic case of pack-rat-itis. We’re into old music, old clothes, old
furniture… we all fall into that same trap. How much longer will we be able to
find this stuff? So we collect. And we horde all the loot we can find. We stuff
our closets… we cram our garages… we pack our places to the rafters with all
that cool stuff. But then comes the question? Where do you finally draw the line?
Ken Mottet
Just because Ken wrote his article on buying too much stuff, I decided to poll the
staffers to see what some of their favorite shopping places are. We have a few
of their choices this month and I hope to keep them coming in future issues.
Mary Mottet let’s the cat out of the bag about one of her best kept secrets…
“A.J. Wright”. Anne Gelau writes about two of her faves, “RR1” and
“Anthropologie”. Ken Mottet dishes the dirt on where to find some premium
westernwear. And there’s even a little piece in there about one of my hidden
treasures in the southwest suburbs, a fabulous record store called “Remember
When Records”.
Joe Hellfish
Doug Freedman, International Man of Mystery, brings us yet another
Anne Gelau
interesting movie review. This time he brings us “Two Dollar Bettor”. Talk about
a budget flick, Doug found this one in the budget section of Tower Records for
less than $5. About an obsessive gambler that manages to lose all his own
money, then steal from his company… digging himself in deeper and deeper
until...well, I’ll let Doug tell you the rest.
Paul Gilvary
One of our loyal but faith-less foreign correspondents pipes in from his native
Kentucky. That southern wild man does some SOUL searching… yes, I know,
but unfortunately the bad pun was intended. Rocko writes this time about Sam
Cooke.
Dennis Leise takes us on a little trip to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He
Chad Schaffer
recently attended a thumb-picking event in the very hometown of Merle Travis
and the Everly Brothers. Dennis gives a run-down on the festivities and turns
many of us onto some really fabulous talent.
Doug Freedman Re-Vue brings you a Pre-Vue this month for October. The Fourth Hunnert Car
Pile Up is shaping up to be an even bigger event than the previous three. Head
on out to Morris, Illinois this weekend to breathe the fumes, feel the scorching
heat of the flame throwers, and dig some rockin’ bands. Check out Joe
Hellfish’s article this month for the details.
Paul Gilvary took time out to research and write up a short piece on Hayden
Thompson to run in conjunction with his appearance hosting the Big C. A real
rockabilly legend, recording some 50 plus years ago at Sun Records, and now
living in the far North suburbs of Chicago, Hayden Thompson graces the stage at
Martyr’s on October 6.
Rocko
October 2005
No pictures
at press time:
Mary Mottet
and Dez Kiss
Next month we will run a photo spread from Austin, Texas. Chicago ex-patriot,
Chad Schaeffer will be sending along some exciting photos from the recent
Day of the Drags.
Carol
Those that attended the recent High Rockabilly madness in Calafell, Spain can
attest to the savagery that transpired early in September. Detroit’s most savage
rocker, Matt Strickland said it a couple years back… this is one of the wildest
parties on earth. Check out some of the photos… and start saving up to go next
year! Photos were provided by Paul and Carol from Switzerland, Esmeralda
Rivera, and Marcella Smit from Holland. Also included are some random
shots that were posted to PlanetRockabilly.com.
Each month I look forward to checking out the reviews that Matt Strickland
writes. Constantly turning folks onto new bands and new releases, Strickland is
at the top of his game. This month he writes about Lil Luis y Los Wild Teens and
El Loco Rocancol.
Esmeralda
Rivera
Matt
Strickland
Paul
There are some really exciting shows just around the corner. And Dez Kiss
makes sure you don’t miss a beat. Compiling all the dates for events and shows
all the way through December 31, we’ve got you covered for the rest of the year.
Los Straitjackets Christmas Shows with the Pontani Sisters and Kaiser George,
to Brian Setzer Orchestra at House of Blues to The Hi-Risers, Big Sandy and the
Fly Rite Boys and Los Straitjackets with the Pontani Sisters on New Years Eve.
Check out the listings for shows for the coming months… at least we’ll have
Marcella Smit
some hot shows as the weather cools off.
As the political climate and the awful cataclysmic weather have taken their toll,
gas prices have begun to soar. We all gripe about how much it costs now to get
to and from work. Well, as a matter of perspective, think about this. Touring
acts have to drive hundreds of miles between gigs. Sometimes paying more
than they make on a given evening just to get to the next town. Life has always
been difficult for touring acts. They’ve always struggled to draw audiences. Even
well-established acts are not immune to the pressure at the pump. Now it is more
important than ever to make every attempt possible to support these acts as they
make a pass through town. They need the door money, they need people to
purchase their music and merchandise. But most of all, they need to see that
we’re there to support them and show our love for their music. On that note, we
have a short message from Deke Dickerson which details his coming tour
dates. Although he’ll have passed through Chicago as we go to press, its an
important message and we felt it needed to be passed on to our readers.
Finally, as always, we have lots of other tid-bits and news pieces that may be of
interest which you’ll find in the Regarding and Re-Late sections. As always, ReVue staffers are trying to bring you interesting content and entertaining
anecdotes. Music reviews, upcoming gigs, and a concert calendar… trying to
give you the tools to keep you rockin’ from month to month. Speaking of month
to month, Re-Vue is coming up on its third year anniversary in December.
What’s in store for the coming year? Will there still be a Re-Vue issue every
month? Will Re-Vue Chicago EVER make it online? You’ll have to stay tuned in
the coming months to find out. Covering all the angles all the time…
Susan E. Funk
Susan Funk
Oddly enough, the wife and I
made the drive out to the
western suburbs recently
(Ed. Note - somewhat
recently… we skipped a
Sept issue so… as recently
as I could get this to print…)
for a pretty fantastic garage
sale. Some folks we've
known for about a million
years were clearing out the
crawl spaces in their homes
and
unloading
their
overstock of vintage
what-nots. When we
arrived the spacious
front yard was filled with
three plastic tarp tents of
gab jackets, deco light
fixtures, bakelite box purses
and enough barkcloth to
make a matching suit for all
the Treniers. Needless to
say, we hung around for
quite a few hours, bought a
few odds and ends, ate
dinner with the sellers and
then made the drive home.
just as much--if not more—
back-stock as these folks.
We are all blessed and
cursed with the exact same
sickness. We are all
searching for the very same
HE’S
S
Somewhere during the
course of the afternoon I got
the birds-eye lowdown from
one of the wives. The two
couples were having this
sale because, quite frankly,
they were all drowning in
their own stuff. Rather than
ending up like the psycho cat
ladies whose homes are
stacked floor to ceiling with
old newspapers, folding
chairs and doll clothes, they
figured that a yard sale might
redistribute the wealth a little
bit. And it was kind of ironic
walking from rack to rack
realizing that the things they
were selling off were already
in storage boxes in my
garage & basement. I have
filled every space in his life
with some piece of
something.
I personally
have been doing this for
twenty-five years and I'm
still dragging home more
than my share of beat-up
suits
and
National
Geographics. I tell myself to
stop but it doesn't do a
damn bit of good. If there's
room in the car and
money in the pocket
that bi-level coffee
table is coming home
with me.
!
!
!
D
E
TU F F
h o l y
grails--the
two-tone
shoes, the pink and black
sportcoat, the head vases,
the 1958 Studebaker
Commander, the '57 sunburst
Strat. We're all looking. And
when we find it, we go looking
for another one for the day
when the first one wears out.
And along the way we find
other things we didn't know
we were looking for---an
autographed picture of
Grandpa Jones, "Be Bop a
Lula" on 78, a Nudie suit or
two. The fun never ends and
neither does the hunt.
Like it or not, most of us have
that World War II/Great
Depression mentality. We are
packrats and hoarders. We
are guarding against the day
when they stop making them,
selling them and fixing them.
We are all saving for that
rainy day. And in the process,
our homes become choked
with umbrellas.
I am in no position to
preach against the evils of
hoarding. I cannot stop. I
can only warn. Be aware
that it is a sickness. Be
aware that we all have it.
Resist when you can. Keep
an eye on your budget. If
your yard is covered in
finmobiles, you probably
have enough. If your closet
is so full that you don't need
hangers to keep things off
the floor, stop already.
You're done. You can't quit.
No one can. Just be aware
of it. And, by the way, I take
a 17-32 shirt, an 11D shoe
and a 42 jacket...in case
you're tossing anything.
There must come a point
where enough is enough…
where reality kicks in and a
person realizes that he has
Ken Mottet
S H O P P I NG
S P R EE
I LOVE AJ Wright, he’s
the poor cousin in that TJX
clan (which includes
Marshall’s and TJ-Max.) (I
love those guys.)
You’re sure to find “his”
locations in a LESS
frequented strip mall FAR
from you! You know the
strip, the one with the Dollar
Buster and the 2’nd Time
Around Game Store and that
KFC where you got food
poisoning?
But here’s the little known
secret: Was there something
you really wanted at
Marshall
Field’s
or
Nordstrom’s—like two years
ago? Was it $400 and it
never went on sale and they
were all “gone” before you’d
finally capitulated and
decided you’d pay the high
price?
Well it’s at AJ
Wright’s today and it’s 7
bucks (or $3.99, $19.99— at
worst it’s $29.99. Heck,
sometimes it’s only $1!)
But go, go often, wear good
shoes and earplugs. And
s tar t e xerc isin g yo ur
shopping rack arm ‘cause
you’ll need to go through
EACH RACK/EACH ITEM.
It’s the only way to win at
this place. I actually SAW a
lady snag all the good shoes
(at least 10 pair) and toss
them in her FULL shopping
cart. She shattered her
credit card limit. But she “just
had to” run through the store
“one more time” only to stash
10 more great finds in the
lamp section (!) so she could
hurry home, get the check
book, and race back for the
rest. (Oh wait, that was me.)
I mentioned earplugs-MANDITORY. They usually
have a huge pile of the latest
mind numbing musical and
“educational” toys. If you don’t
have children of your own,
you simply will not survive this
place without a walkman,
earplugs, or better yet find
someone who guides in
planes at O’Hare and borrow
her head gear. You can thank
her by picking her out a great
pair of suede T-straps with
mink fur trim, or she might
possibly like some green
patent leather go-go boots
with psychedelic Warholesque picture lining!
And don’t come back and tell
me you “just couldn’t find
anything!” You don’t go to a
place like this with a specific
item in mind. You certainly
can’t go in thinking “All I’m
gonna buy is some black
slacks.” Just walk in, tune out
the monster truck toy with the
ironic sound track of Queen’s
“We Will Rock You”, still your
heart beat and take a deep
breath. Then listen for the
whispering shoes, they’re
calling your name.
— Mary Mottet
Editor’s Note:
As an aside or in addition to
Mary’s article, I wanted to
pipe in real quick… A.J.
Wright has some really great
finds this fall.
Fashion
designers are thieves. They
steal past designs update
them and re-market them.
This season’s item of special
interest for the “civilians” is
the sequined full circle skirt.
Any rockabilly gal in the
know would comprehend
that this style is CLEARLY
stolen straight from the
pages of a vintage fashion
magazine. But, since they
are now cranking them out,
why not reap the benefits?
How hard is it to find a
Mexican full circle skirt that
is sequined and in good
condition? Now what about
the HAND-PAINTED ones?
Well, now you can have it all
without the staggering price
tag. And larger gals? Sick
of finding the skirts in the
teenage sizes?
Look no
farther. A.J. Wright had a
whole stock of the vintage
style full circle sequined
skirts. Some of them even
had screen-printed fabric in
vintage color schemes that
mimicked the look of handpainted scenes. I was lucky
enough to snag a few myself
for prosperity. Oh yeah…
and they aren’t as pricey as
you’ll find them at those
fancy-schmancy department
stores either. So pick up a
few… and pack them away.
Who knows when they’ll stop
making them after all ...
— Susan E. Funk
S H O P P I NG
RR1
S P R EE
From
candles,
bath
products, baby to kitsch RR1
is one of my most favorite
shopping places in Chicago.
Since being told about the
place and seeing the fun
items that came out of it at
friends homes I haven’t been
able to stop myself from
going ever since. If you want
to get all of your birthday,
Christmas, anniversary, and
possibly bar/bat mitzvah
shopping out of the way, all
in one place, this is the
place! There is a website,
http://www.rr1chicago.com/,
which does show the
amazing building RR1 is
housed in, a 1900’s
apothecary shop, complete
with the original floor,
drawers and cabinets, the
owner hasn’t changed a
thing (including the original
owners name on the front of
the building).
So, if you are looking for a
one-stop shop place, RR1 is
that place!
Anthropologie
Thanks to Allison Rose, I am
too an Anthropologie gal!!
After seeing her in soo many
fabulous blouses, skirts and
jackets, I asked where’d you
get those outfits? She
answered, Anthropologie,
and I have been hooked
ever since. Stefan now
knows where to go to get my
Christmas and birthday
presents, if I am in need of a
new outfit!
Their website, http://
www.anthropologie.com, has
varying vintage looking styles
of blouses, skirts, sweaters,
and jackets, and the styles
change each month , so you
don’t have to worry about
someone wearing the same
thing as you!
Much of Anthropologie’s
clothing is based on the
1920’s/30’s style of clothing,
with the drapey and silhouette
looks. But, they do change
their look from time to time
and have been known to base
their styles of clothing on
everything from Edwardian to
Bohemian chic. You wont find
cheap clothing here, much of
the clothing is in the middle to
med. high price range, but I
guarantee it is worth it, for
quality and a unique style.
And, they do have sales and
when they do you will find
much of the clothing is half
the price of what it originally
was.
I guarantee you once you
check out Anthropologie’s
site you will be hooked and
won’t have to shop elsewhere
for clothing any more.
— Anne Gelau
Westernwear—
Square Dance Attire
Anyone who has ever
wanted to buy a cowboy hat
or a mariachi suit, of course,
knows about Alcala's. But
the truly discerning shopper
makes the extra drive out to
Harlem and Addison to the
Square Dance Attire store at
3405 North Harlem Avenue.
The selection may not be as
broad. But up on those
shelves
are
some
unexpected sartorial gems
from the likes of Ely and
HBarC. On top of that the
lady who owns and operates
the joint (and I still don't
know her name) is an
absolute hoot and a half.
When you need petticoats,
clogging shoes, collar points
and true highbrow hillbilly
threads no one beats the
Square Dance Attire shop.
Amen.
Rock
n’
roll
Clothes—Russian
Navy Shirts
While the Gin Palace Jesters
were in Hamburg, Randy
Rich's bass player Michael
showed up at the gig in the
coolest shirt. Black and white
horizontal stripes. Threequarter sleeves. Boat neck
(oooh, ain't I the fashion
maven). I immediately
complimented him on it and
said I had always wanted
one. He said he got it at the
army-navy
store...the
Russian army-navy store. It
was a Russian navy shirt--(Cont. next page)
S H O P P I NG
S P R EE
complete with Russian
label. In fact, if you saw the
news coverage of the
recently rescued sub,
several of the crew were
sporting these shirts.
merchandise in this store.
Records, gas furnaces,
western string ties...all could
be found at Pilcher's. But
what made Pilcher's the
coolest of the cool!?!
We couldn't find an armynavy surplus store while in
Deutschland. I returned to
America and went back to
my job. Not more than ten
days later a catalogue
crossed my desk for a
company called Siegler's.
And right there on page 47
was the shirt of my dreams
more than available for mailorder. And it is Russian navy
goods. They also carry other
articles of clothing, belt
buckles and pendants from
our former enemies. They
can be reached online at
www.sieglers.com.
It was never open. My buddy
grew up in Davenport and he
saw the place open twice-once when he was in high
school and once when I was
in town visiting him. It was like
the return of Brigadoon or the
Flying Dutchman. We dug like
fiends and returned home
with bags filled with
unspeakable goodness. I am
sure that Pilcher's is long long
gone by now.
Long Gone
When I went to college in the
early eighties in Iowa my
friend Bruce introduced me
to the coolest coolest coolest
thrift store ever. It was
located somewhere in
downtown Davenport, Iowa.
It was right across the street
from a giant Salvation Army.
Looking through the front
windows it appeared that a
veritable garbage truck had
backed up to the front door
and hit the dump button.
There was absolutely neither
rhyme nor reason to the
— Ken Mottet
Remember
Records
When
Tucked away into one of
those super tacky suburban
mini-malls is a record
collectors dream. You won’t
find the stuff for dirt cheap,
but you will find it. These
folks have been in business
for probably over 30 years.
Buying, selling and trading
vintage vinyl. They also carry
tons of “old” music in just
about every format and
genre. Rock n’ roll? Surf?
Doo Wop?
60’s Garage
Rock? 40s and 50s Country?
Western Swing? Rockabilly?
Jump Blues? Tapes, CDs,
and more importantly in my
opinion, 78, 45 and 33 RPM
records. They are tucked
away from the non-collectors
in the basement.
The
owners moved locations
about 5 years ago and
moved into a huge space. I
have spent hours in this
place. As a matter of fact, I
have lost entire days during
the weekend there. You can
tell them what you want…
they’ll find it. From Bear
Family, to Ace, to Norton, to
all those rockin’ compilation
CDs that I hold dear for
those super long drives to
work in mind numbing traffic.
Keep an eye out after you
have been there. They have
sales usually right around
Christmas and you can clean
up at about 30% off. And if
you own a vintage record
player… what agony is it
when the needle is worn
down to a pitiful nub. When
you feel that pressing need
to replace that needle and
don’t know where to turn?
These folks can probably
help. If you have the old
model number for the unit,
that would be the best route.
Bring it in and they can look
up the size and make of the
needle to best fit your player.
Check first though.
Last
time I bought several so I
wouldn’t feel so traumatized
when the needle wore out
again. I have honestly never
left the place empty handed.
Oh yeah… the location: (630)
963-1957 - 309 W Ogden Ave,
Westmont, IL. I’ve said it
before, and I’ll say it again…
music is meant to be heard
at 33, 45 and 78 RPM.
— Susan E. Funk
Hayden
Thompson
If you are reading this at Martyrs on October 6, just look
up at the stage. There stands a living legacy of the Sun
Records rockabilly era. His name is Hayden Thompson
and he just came out with a new CD called “Rockabilly
Rhythm.”
He was backed up on that CD by Rockin’ Billy among
other local luminaries. Rockin’ Billy told Hayden,
correctly, that I like to write about rockabilly legends for
Re-Vue Chicago.
Hayden sent me a copy of the CD and it sounds great
right out of the box with “Mama’s Little Baby.” It also
includes a remake of Hayden’s biggest song “Love My
Baby.” While the whole band rocks, Rockin’ Billy
Harden’s lead guitar work on the record is smoking’ hot.
I’m not the only one who thinks so, the guitarist on the
original version was equally impressed.
Hayden is in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. I looked up his
page and found a lot of interesting history. So instead of
reinventing the wheel, I excerpted the following from that
page.
Sun Records rockabilly artist, songwriter, country
singer, limo driver, son of Mississippi, adopted son of
Chicago, a true original and a survivor: That's Hayden
Thompson. Born a few miles north of Tupelo in the town
of Booneville, Miss., on March 5, 1938, Thompson is one
of the original rockabilly cats who recorded for Sam
Phillips and his legendary Sun Records label in the mid50's. His one and only Sun release was a cover of Junior
Parker's "Love My Baby" (originally recorded and
released by Sun in 1953 as Sun Record #192) recorded
in 1956 and finally released in September of 1957 on
Sun's sister label Phillips International (#3517). The
record never charted and was eclipsed by sax player Bill
Justis' semi-funky instrumental "Raunchy" (Phillips
International 3519).
Thompson returned to Sam Phillip's famed Memphis
Recording Service studio, but interest in rockabilly as raw
and primitive as his was losing favor with an ever-fickle
public. Tastes were turning to the safe-as-milk stylings of
Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell and a host of other
fresh boy-next-door types whose talents were, to be
polite, questionable.
Paul Gilvary
Perhaps a combination of the
lack of support from Phillips as
well as a need for a change of
pace prompted Thompson to
move north to Chicago in 1958.
He still resides, with his wife
Georgia and son Keith, in the
Chicago area, in the North
Shore suburb of Highland Park.
Despite his affiliation with Sam
Phillip's highly acclaimed Sun
Records and a long history of
recording and performing.
(Continued Next Page)
country and gospel and played the
harmonica. As he puts it, "All Southern
people play music.”
So that’s the history, back to nowsville.
Producer George Paulus contacted
Hayden about this project. Paulus’ idea
was to capture the old sound. That he
did. This CD was recorded live, which is
the way Hayden likes it.
Hayden
Thompson
Cont.
Thompson has never had a hit record in
the U.S. Music has quite literally taken a
necessary backseat to his day job as a
limo driver. He periodically participates in
short tours, mainly in Europe, and his
recordings have been reissued by a
number of labels.
Thompson occasionally records new
material for his legion of worldwide, fans
and a 1991 release on the Swedish Sunjay
label, The Time Is Now (Sunjay JLP-589/
SPARKCD-13), clearly demonstrates his
voice is as strong as ever. Thompson can
still tackle rock 'n' roll with the same
enthusiasm he did as a teenager, as well
as ballads and more contemporary
material. He has mellowed with age, is still
definitely a force to be reckoned with. He is
a proud man who still loves to entertain
and write songs ("I've got some pretty good
original songs layin' around here") and with
over forty years in the music business, he
is quick to point out that "One hit record
could bring it all to the surface." This is the
story of a true survivor.
Thompson's parents, Baxter and Thelma
Thompson, were both active musically. His
father played the guitar and his mother
Paul Gilvary
So, tonight the Memphis rockabilly
legend who has chosen to make
Chicago his adopted home is gracing
the Big C Jamboree. Chicago has been
good to him, especially DJ Dick Biondi
and WGN’s Steve King and Johnny
Putman.
Show the man some respect. Buy a
copy of his CD, it’s worth it. And even if
you dance as badly as I do, go shake
your ass on the dance floor.
A weekend in
Muhlenberg
County
Late in August, I was fortunate enough to be
able to attend the 10th annual National
Thumb Picking Hall of Fame (NTPHF)
inductions and contest in Central City/
Muhlenberg County Kentucky. Not only is
this the hometown of Merle Travis and the
Everly Brothers, but it is also the place to go
to hear the best in the business when it
comes to the somewhat obscure world of
thumb picking style guitar playing. Though I
was a little overwhelmed by the weekend, I
have done my best to document the events.
As for the trip there, I studied what the best
way to get there would be-Taking 57 would
have taken me too far west. Heading out
Indy way would put me too far to the eastthen I happened on Route 41. This not only
is a somewhat 4 lane main road, but it runs
due south, parallel to the IN/IL boarderstraight down through where I was looking
to go. I knew once I got south of Dyer, IN
that I was on the right path-no guard rails
and scant presence of roadside billboards
ensured for the best possible intake of what
made for a beautiful trip.
The only stop for food I made was just south
of the Henderson, KY on Alt. 41. I had not
eaten anything since I left Chicago about 6
hours prior, so I hopped off the main drag to
see if I could find some local fare. As I
rocketed through the back roads on a dual
quest of making good time and trying to find
food, I came upon a shack to my right that
looked to be on fire due to the amount of
smoke bellowing out of it. I saw a sign with
a pig on it and nearly crashed into the place
while pulling into the gravel lot. The name of
the place? Good Ole’ Boys Barbecue-I kid
you not. While they did not have a combo
plate, I told them my situation (starved) and
Dennis Leise
that I wanted to sample many things, so
we haggled out a price for what I wanted
to try. $9.00 for a healthy portion of ribs,
chicken, brisket, pulled pork, mutton, cole
slaw and baked beans. I ate more than
anyone should and there was still food left
over.
After the gorging, I made it to the West
Kentucky Parkway and headed East to
Central City. I made it to the hotel in time
to check in and get directions to the
evening’s events. The Friday evening
event was the Award ceremony, hosted
by NTPHF Executive Director Bobby
Anderson, with some help from Eddie
Pennington and Paul Moseley. There was
an opening tune played by Paul and
another gentlman-who, upon hitting the
first bar of the song they were playing
made me aware that I was in the best
spot anyone in the country could be.
Paul’s playing is as smooth as glass. He
can play Chet like nobody else I’ve ever
heard.
There were a host of awards presentedmost notable were a Living Legend type
award which went to Bob Saxton (More
on Bob later) and another induction award
to Tommy Emmanuel-a guest of honor
and a featured performer for the weekend
(More on Tommy later also). An added
treat to the ceremony was a performance
from Dwight Linkhart, from Boulder
Colorado. Dwight is an award winning
cowboy poet and a musical historian who
had penned many tunes about the deep
history of the music and region we were
in.
Following Dwight, Tommy Emmanuel and
a gentleman by the name of Richard
Smith (Originally from England, now living
in Nashville-apparently a walking
encyclopedia of Chet Atkins’ music) took
up arms with a couple of guitars and
started jamming on the stage with an
intensity I have never seen or heard in
(Continued Next Page)
A weekend in
Muhlenberg
County (Cont.)
this style of music. They started off both on
one guitar playing two parts of “Cannonball
Rag” then someone plugged in another
guitar for Richard, then they tore the roof off
of the place. I was completely blown away.
After about an hour of this, they broke and
everyone headed home for the evening. As
I settled in at the hotel, there was a cluster
of folks out in the lobby jamming, so I went
out. Tommy and Richard were at it again.
This time they had half a dozen other folks
jamming along with them. I will tell you right
now, it is impossible to sleep with this going
on right outside your room. It is even more
impossible to sleep knowing it is going on
down the hall and you are missing it. I had
to stick it out for fear of missing anything.
My mind was blown for a second time in the
evening.
Saturday morning at around 10 the contest
began in Paradise Park (For any John Prine
fans-this place really does exist). There
were 3 classes of competition- traditional,
contemporary and open class. Traditional
being mostly Merle Travis material,
contemporary being more towards some of
Chet’s progressive material and anything
that still had the bass line thumping of
thumb picking. The open class was anything
but the thumb picking style-but it must be
played using a thumb pick (Most of this
went in the direction of Classical and Jazz
guitar).
A few things worth noting, anyone using a
flat pick for anything was openly scorned.
They warned that if you get pulled over by
the police in Central City with a flat pick, you
would were jail bound-if you had a thumb
pick, you could go on your way. Paradise
park has the house that Merle Travis was
Dennis Leise
born in on the premises-moved up from a
little further south and west of Central city.
It is a museum now-it has pictures,
albums and inductee pictures for the hall
of fame in years past. They had a chair
with a guitar (the trophy guitar for whoever
won the contest) and an amp sitting on
the front porch, next to the swing. It was a
hallowed enough experience to visit the
house, walk around and see the pictures,
but the fact that I got to sit on the front
porch of Merle Travis’ boyhood home and
bolt though a couple of measures of the
“Cannonball Rag” is beyond words.
Also worth noting, they had the Merle
Travis Gibson Custom Super 400 on
display-it is the one that has several
pictures of him painted on the front and
back of the body of the guitar-it is
beautiful. Locals say that Gibson turned
down an offer of $1million for this guitar.
Back to the contest…The awesome thing
was the kids that were competing in this
thing. I consider myself to be a hobbyist
guitarist-these kids outplayed anything
that I could put together with weeks of
i n t e n s e
practice. The
winner of the
traditional
class and the
overall winner
could
not
have
been
out of High
School won
the
Mel
McCo llough
c u s t o m
electric guitar
that I had
played on the
porch earlier.
(Continued
Next Page)
A weekend in
Tommy
Emmanuel
Muhlenberg
County (cont)
The Saturday evening concert featured a
classic country outfit out of Louisiana called
the Gene King Band. I had unknowingly had
breakfast with some of these guys and
Richard Smith (One of the previous night’s
jammers.). They told some tales of their
playing and things they had encountered.
One of the guys in Gene King’s outfit is
apparently related to Jerry Lee Lewis, so he
had a few Jerry Lee stories to tell. Like how
JL was upstaged by a streaker at a show
somewhere in Southern IL in the early 70s,
and that one time the pianist had come to
play at a joint and the piano was out of tune
(It was Saturday and the piano had been
tuned the prior weekend, but Jerry Lee
played it so hard in a concert on Thursday
that he knocked it out of tune.). There was
another story of how one of the band
members had gone to see Jerry Lee, but
the show was cancelled, as Jerry was in jailapparently he had been caught and
arrested for stealing sewing machines from
some place. Some of these tales may have
been a bit tall, but they sure were fun to
take in over breakfast.
The headliner for the event, Tommy
Emmanuel was the greatest live guitarist I
have ever seen. He is widely referred to by
critics as one of the greatest living guitarists
on the planet. Locals indicated that Chet
Atkins-Mr. Guitar Himself (who recorded a
CD with him called “The Day the Thumb
Pickers Took Over the Earth” stated that he
was the best guitar player in the world. He
ranks only behind Leo Kottke in most
surveys taken. His performance was
nothing short of breathtaking. I recommend
everyone see him on October 7 when he
comes to Martyrs’.
Dennis Leise
As if this
wasn’t
enough
to wrap
up the
day,
I
headed
back to
the hotel
and in
t h e
lobby
sat the
living legend himself, Bob Saxton. If you
don’t already know who he is, the best
person I could put him into perspective with
would be Les Paul. He is an elderly, kind,
soft-spoken gentleman who quite simply
knows every song written from 1900 to five
years from now. I approached him to
congratulate him on his award and he
thanked me-he was half watching TV but
looked a little bemused by it. I excused
myself and departed to my room where I
grabbed my Martin DR flat top and brought
it back out to the lobby and told Bob that I
would be honored if he would give my guitar
a play.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a
thumb pick and asked me what I would like
to hear. I said something of his. He backed
away from this, but did start into “Deed I
Do”. I then started making requests and ran
out of songs to name before he ran out of
songs to play. As he played, more and more
folks streamed into the lobby. The more he
played, the better he got. He took little
breaks between songs to warm the room
up, telling stories of how he played lead
guitar for Gene Vincent and in the early 60s
he played for Patsy Cline. He also had just
had dinner a week before with Don Helmsthe only surviving member of Hank Williams’
(Continued Next Page)
A weekend in
Muhlenberg
County (cont)
band. He also told of his appearance on
Tommy Dorsey’s show back in the day. As
more folks streamed into the lobby, the efforts
to stump him increased-but nobody could
stump him. This man is a living giant.
Sunday was a short day with the mainstay of
activities going on at an event called “Goat
Ropin’” at Eddie Pennington’s house in nearby
Christian County. This was a free event, and
had I planned things better, I would have been
here for the day, but alas I needed to work on
Monday. When I got there, there was a local
bluegrass band playing on the stage. There
was more of the smooth picking of Paul
Moseley, then a western swing trio with bass/
fiddle/guitar-all an unexpected treat. As I look
back on this, Merle Travis had his influence on
all of these genres. While I did not see a
rockabilly band while there, there was still
about 10 hours of music to be heard that
could well have accommodated such a thing.
Between acts, Eddie played my request-a
song he arranged called “John’s Smoke Turns
Blue”. It starts with the John Travis version of
“Blue Smoke”, then goes into little brother
Merle’s version-and Eddie cooks like nobody
else on this one. It is my opinion and that of
the local scene that Eddie has the sound that
is the closest to Merle Travis of anyone else to
be heard. He is an award-winning musician
and has won top American Heritage awards in
addition to having his music recorded for the
Smithsonian Institute. He is really something
to hear.
While at the “Goat Ropin’”,
I had an
opportunity to visit with NTPHF Executive
Director Bobby Anderson. Bobby is a humble
man with a love and zeal for this style of
music. He was a close friend of Merle Travis
and is in tune with virtually everyone in the
Dennis Leise
the local community and the world
throughout (After all, he was able to bring
Tommy Emmanuel in from Australia!). We
talked about Merle and Randal Hyltonanother favorite of mine who passed away
a few years ago-another close friend of
Bobby’s. He has done much in working to
preserve and promote the heritage and
history of this music-they are working to
put up a concert hall and are getting kids
in the local schools educated on this style
of guitar-good moves all around.
Towards the end of my stay that day, I
had the opportunity to see and meet Roni
Stoneman of Hee Haw fame-she was at
the Goat Roping with her banjo. She did a
couple of songs, told a couple of crazy
jokes and made the rounds through an
appreciative crowd. She tells me she
hopes to make it up to Chicago soon as
she has someone at Northwestern writing
up a biography for her (She is one of 23
kids and was an original member of the
southern Appalachian Stoneman Family
outfit-this added to her time on Hee Haw
should make for an interesting read)
On some unrelated notes beyond the
scope of my intended trip but of possible
interest to you-Labor Day Weekend is the
Everly Brothers Rockin’ 50s festival and
cruise. Locals tell me that the Everlys
used to make appearances, but have not
for some time. This and I learned that
Mose Rager days (Mose was one of the
folks that taught Merle Travis and Eddie
Pennington how to play) is coming up in
November-I may have to make another
trip for this. Also, there is a Chet Atkins
festival held in July of each year in
Nashville-who knew?
As for this festival, I was completely blown
away time and time again. For a mere
$20, you just can’t beat it.
Hi there everybody!
We just got back from a very successful
month long tour of Europe and it was
incredible!
Although we could certainly
use a little rest, we are wicked and as you
know, there is no rest for the wicked. So
we hit the road early next week to see all
our friends in the USA again!
The lineup of the band this time around is
myself (Deke) on guitar & vocals--Chris
"Sugarballs" Sprague on drums & vocals-and Billy Horton on bass & vocals. A great
lineup! We'll be promoting our new release
"The Melody" as well as Sugarballs new
truckin' album "Hammer Down." A new tshirt design is available as well.
Friends, if you value live music, now is the
time to go out and support all acts that tour
around the world in a van. The gas prices
(!!!) and general lack of interest are making
a lot of us wonder if we can keep doing this
for a living. This is the first time in my
career I've ever had to wave the banner of
"Support Live Music!" but if it's something
that's important to you--think about bands
like Big Sandy, Los Straitjackets, Two
Timin Three etc. that face extinction in the
wake of 3 dollar a gallon gasoline. We
need your support, and we need it now.
Enough of the soapbox, here are our tour
dates (more to come) and we hope to see
you out there on the great American
highway!
Your buddy,
Deke
www.dekedickerson.com
Oct. 4
Walnut Tap Des Moines, IA
Oct. 5 Beat Kitchen Chicago, IL
Oct. 6 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, ON
Oct. 7 Canada TBA
Oct. 8 Red Hot & Blue Rockabilly Festival,
St-Hyacinthe, Quebec (near Montreal)
Oct. 9 Ale House Troy, NY
Oct. 11 Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
Oct. 12 Rosebud Grand Haven, MI
Oct. 13 Northfield Roadhouse Ann Arbor, MI
Oct. 14 Canal St. Tavern Dayton, OH
Oct. 15 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH
Oct. 19 Chicky's Fine Diner Westbrook, ME
Oct. 20 Narrows Center for the Arts Fall
River, MA
Oct. 21 Southpaw Brooklyn, NY (with Big
Sandy & Los Straitjackets)
Oct. 22 Rodeo Bar New York, NY
Oct. 24 Dangerous Pie Shop Baltimore, MD
(with Monsters from the Surf)
Oct. 26 Taphouse Grill Norfolk, VA
Oct. 27 The Earl Atlanta, GA
Oct. 28 Copper Rocket Maitland (Orlando)
FL
Oct. 31 Chelsea's Baton Rouge, LA
Nov. 1 Vortex Beaumont, TX
Nov. 2 Continental Club, Houston, TX
Nov. 4 Casbeers San Antonio, TX
Nov. 5 Continental Club, Austin, TX
October is now upon us. For many, that
means that Halloween is coming and
thoughts turn to ghosts and goblins, apple
picking, hayrides, and the changing of the
leaves. For those of us with grease under
our nails and bandages over rust-filled cuts,
thoughts turn to roaring engines, exhaust
fumes, flame jobs, burning tail pipes, rock
and roll, and of course, beer. Lots of
beer. For us, October means one thing…
the return of the Hunnert Car Pileup!
2005 marks the 4th annual Pileup, a show
hosted by the Chrome Czars Motor Club of
Chicago. The show has become an
international phenomenon. In three years,
the show has blossomed from a small
gathering of less than 100 cars at an auto
body shop in 2003, to a whopping 700 cars
at a historic racetrack in 2004, yet still
retains its DIY, relaxed feel. The show has
been featured in car culture magazines all
over the world, and mentioned in major US
car magazines such as Hot Rod and Rod &
Custom. The show was even featured in the
first edition of the Mad Fabricators’ Society
DVD.
So what’s all the hub-bub, Bub? Well, let me
tell you! The show is strictly limited to hot
rods and custom cars built in a “traditional”
style. That means that if the car doesn’t look
like something you would’ve seen driving
around before the first Mustang hit the
asphalt, then it doesn’t get in. Most similar
shows don’t stick that closely to their own
rules. The Pileup’s reputation for strict
adherence to that criteria has spread far
and wide. If you want to see traditional hot
rods without tripping over teddy bears, lawn
chairs and bottles of aluminum polish, the
Pileup is the place to go. Check out the
website for a full list of entry criteria.
OK, so there will be cool cars there. So
what? This is a rockabilly ‘zine. The show is
chock full of great music, too. The Chrome
Czars get a sampling of great car-related
bands and music every year that matches
the era of the cars in the lot. Rockabilly,
Joe Hellfish
garage, surf, psychobilly, country, and
even punk, fit the show’s theme. Some of
the bands that have crossed the stage at
the Pileup in the past include Rocket 350,
the Hi-Qs, Bleed, Sin City Injectors, and
the Reluctant Aquanauts. This year’s
lineup includes the Riptones, the Swingin’
Demons, Hi Fi & the Roadburners,
Boneyard Brawlers, Knuckel Dragger, and
more. In case you were wondering what
happened, Shaun Young (from High Noon)
with the Hortons was scheduled to play,
but a casino in Wisconsin canceled his
show to hold a poker tournament, so he
had to cancel his trip here. Dangerville was
also scheduled, but they doubled-booked
themselves
and
canceled
their
commitment with us.
The Pileup is one of the last shows of the
year, so everyone goes to just hang out
and talk cars. Guys who’ve only talked
online get to meet in person and show off
their work. In 2004, there were cars from
all over the US and Canada that drove to
the show (no trailers allowed!). Some car
clubs expected to be there this year
include the Rattletraps, Voodoo Kings,
Road Rockets, Exiles, Deadbeats,
Blacktop Barons, Atomic Injectors, Graves,
Cheaters, Toppers, Emperors, and many
(Continued Next Page)
more. There are no awards. There’s always
plenty of food and beer on hand, and plenty
of vendors selling everything from vintage
clothes to shift knobs and transmission
adaptors. There will also be plenty of
pinstripers on hand to stripe anything you
can sit them in front of, from cars to purses.
The show is Saturday, October 8, 2005 at
historic Grundy County Speedway and
Fairgrounds in Morris, IL (that’s about an
hour South of Chicago near where I-80
crosses I-55). Gates open at 9am. For all of
you who want to make a weekend out of it,
there will be a pre-show party at Fool’s Bar
in Morris, and following the show, there will
be a post-show party there, too! See the
schedule below.
The speedway has simple rules that need to
be adhered to: 1. No pets, 2. No glass
containers, 3. No riding scooters, mini bikes,
or bicycles in the area, 4. No burnouts or
irresponsible vehicular behavior (especially
throwing flames while driving around), but
we are planning on having a "fire pit" for
flame throwing cars... so bring your camera.
While the Chrome Czars plan and host the
Pileup, we couldn’t run the show without a
LOT of help from our friends, especially the
Voodoo Kings. Thanks!
Joe Hellfish
Friday night
Fool's Bar and Grill
Morris, IL
9pm, $5
Boneyard Brawlers
http://www.boneyardbrawlers.com
Wild psychobilly madness from Prison City,
IL. Lots of songs about drinkin' and fu...
Drinkin' and fun!
and
Hot Rod Hucksters
http://www.hotrodhucksters.com
Like a love child of Eddie Cochran raised by
the Cramps on a steady diet of racing fuel
and axle grease, this Chicago based combo
tears it up with a mix of hard-drivin' rockabilly
and roots rock.
Saturday at the Pileup
Grundy County Speedway/Fairgrounds
Morris, IL
gates open at 9am, bands start at 12, $5
The Swingin' Demons
http://www.myspace.com/theswingindemons
Once again, some of the best midwestern
bands to come out of Michigan play the
"pileup" stage. These guys have got it all together and can blow the roof off like only the
demons can... Swingin' Demons that is!
Hi Fi & The Roadburners
http://www.hifiandtheroadburners.com
Chicago's own hard driving rhythm and blues
band. The real deal. 20 years and still rockin!
The Riptones
http://www.theriptones.com/
Smoothest roots rock/country/rockabilly band
to slide out of Chicago.
A long time Chicago favorite, that will blow
your doors off with songs about hair, bar-bque, and motorcycles.
Joe Hellfish
Sat. Nite
Fool's Bar and Grill
9pm, $5
DJ Kevin Massacre of the Massacres
spins rockabilly, psychobilly, and punk.
Black Cat Rebellion
http://www.blackcatrebellion.com/
One of the fastest, nastiest, craziest
new psychobilly/rock bands to crawl
from the depths of Indys hot scene. A
jaw dropper for sure!
Knuckel Drager
http://www.geocities.com/
knuckeldrager
If you missed them at 2nd Pileup or on
the Mad Fabricators Society DVD and
CD, then here's your second chance.
These guys put on a helluva good
show and will close out the Pileup
weekend. Fast and furious drag strip
surf played by real monsters. No
foolin'.
SEMANTICS of ROCK'N'ROLL
When somebody says that somebody "invented" or "created" a style of music, you can
usually assume that it's crap. We're not talking about the lightbulb or the garage door
opener, after all. Still, you got guys from Charlie Feathers to Little Richard claiming a whole
lot of intellectual property as their own.
Rock'n'Roll was a term that turned up in Rhythm and Blues songs that meant crackin'.
There was alotta stuff like that. What do you think a "one eyed cat peepin' in a seafood
store" is? Here's a hint: It's not a cat with one eye hanging around in front of a store that
sells fish. Get hip. Rock'n'Roll as a word doesn't mean a damn thing. Alan Freed called it
that so when white kids brought home the hot stuff on 45 their parents didn't freak out. As
much.
Then you got Rockabilly, and it's been well documented that not too many people were
talking about it with that phrase back in the day. We say that now cuz when you say
"Rock'n'Roll" you could mean Toto. Even I don't want anybody thinking I'm into Toto. Since
I'm not that into Country I've always had kind of a stuterring block with the "abilly" part.
Here's some other phrases I want to try to get into our lexicon, genrewise:
Jungle Music
Slap Giant Fiddle
Bop
Degenerate Bop
Bop Hop
Shake and Shout
Shout and Scream
Scream and Bop
Run and Jump
Skip and Jump
Hop and Giant Fiddle
Jungle Fiddle
Something, I dunno.
That said, I have no qualms whatsoever with the concept that Sam Cooke invented Soul
Music.
SAM COOKE: MY FAVORITE AMERICAN
I think that a big part of why Sam Cooke's legacy has been in deep freeze, putting aside
the fact that he got shot 3 times with his pants off in Watts, is that his catalog of hits is
spread over three labels, and there are 3 faces of Sam. Sam was a Gospel Singer, a Pop
Singer, but in his truest heart of hearts, I'd like to think he was the pure, visceral Soul
Singer that is unleashed like a Panther from a cage on the recently re-released "One Night
Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club." If you hear this record and don't dig it
I don't wanna know you. This thing is an exaltation of life sang with such conviction and
such pure power with an audience that is so very involved and enamored that it will make
you dizzy. It'll make bad times good and good times great. (Continued Next Page)
Rocko
SAM COOKE: MY FAVORITE AMERICAN (Cont.)
Sam could emote on a level that is untouchable. I heard Sam sing about Jesus and I could
believe in Jesus. I heard Sam sing of love and I could relate to his feelings. Got it, don't got
it, want it, don't want it, it doesn't matter-Sam could sing them all. And he wrote them all-he
was a master of writing songs the way people speak, to capture and amplify the poetry of
things, sometimes mundane. "You say it's time to go and she says yes I know/But just stay
one minute more/That's where it's at." Steinbeck couldn't have written something so true
and yet so simple.
When I think about Sam alot in one sitting I inevitably get angry with him for leaving the
mortal coil in such a foolish way. After living such a brilliant life. Sam ended up owning and
running his own label, SAR, at a time when a black guy couldn't
eat at a restraunt. He owned his own publishing rights and master tapes at a time when nobody did, black or white. His songs
literally did not leave the charts from the time he went pop with
"You Send Me" to his posthumous hit with the incredible
"Change Is Gonna Come." He had conquered the world. He
had it all and he earned it all but somehow it wasn't enough and
he blew it for no reason and left us all to wonder why forever.
And if that's not America…
For further reading, check out "Dream Boogie," Peter Guralnick's long awaited biography of Sam Cooke For further listening, check out "One Night
Stand: Live at the Harlem
Square Club". Both on sale at
Barnes & Noble.
Rocko
Two-Dollar
Bettor (1951)
Sometimes you can find the best movies in
the discount section of your video store. This
is the case with "Two Dollar Bettor". This
DVD about gambling addiction stars John
Litel, one of those character actors you'll know
once you see him, in a rare starring role,
Marie Windsor, Steve Brody,
Barbara
Billingsley as the secretary. (Just imagine
June Cleaver without the rest of the family.)
and
grown-up "Little Rascals" star Carl
"Alfalfa" Switzer as a high school all-american
fullback. (I don't understand it either.)
Our story begins with John Hewitt,
played by John Litel, meeting some
friends at the racetrack. Hewitt is a
widower with two daughters, who is very
frugel. He has a $6000 a year job. (No,
he doesn't work at Walmart.) He also
has four $500 war bonds, and $1100 in
savings. He meets his friends at the
racetrack with the intention of watching
the races and not betting. They talk him
into placing a small wager and he
wins. He decides to place his winnings
on horses driven by a jockey named
Osbourne and he keeps winning. That
day he wins close to $300. He uses the
money to buy his two daughters a new
car. He can't believe how easy it is.
(Continued Next Page)
Two-Dollar
Bettor (cont)
As the story progresses, John Hewitt's
brother-in-law George, gives him the number
of a bookie. Hewitt starts placing bets with the
bookie. As long as he bets on any horse that
Osbourne is riding, he will win. Every Friday
he collects his winnings from his bookie's
messenger Mary Slate, played by Marie
Windsor. Marie seems to like John Hewitt and
the relationship seems to be getting a little
more personal.
But, as in every great Bmovie something goes wrong and this is no
exception. Osbourne gets injured. He won't
be able to race for a little while, but it's too
late, John Hewitt knows the rush of winning
and he can't give it up.
John Hewitt keeps on betting. Only this time
he loses. He loses his savings. He loses his
war bonds. Luckily for Hewitt, he has a job as
comptroller of the largest property
management company in his city. He is able
to get his hands on the company's cash fund
with no questions asked. Before you know it
he has stolen $14,000 from his company. To
make matters more complicated, one of his
daughter's is engaged to be married to his
boss' son. He decides he has had enough of
gambling and quits cold turkey. He must find
a way to pay back the $14,000 he stole. He
goes to his brother-in-law George. Because
George is such a good salesman he will
receive a $10,000 bonus from his
company. This and his life's savings will be
enough to replace the stolen money. He will
receive it in three months. This is good
because Hewitt's company's books don't get
audited for another three months.
John Hewitt is off the hook and behaving
himself. His boss comes over to the house
one night to tell him that he is getting
promoted to a job that will pay him $20,000 a
year, plus company stock. This is what you
call
a
good-news,
bad-news
promotion. The good news is that you
got a promotion. The bad news is that
before you could take over your new
position, we must audit the books right
away. Hewitt knows that he is in a
fix.
They will discover $14,000
missing. How will he get the money
back. He picks up the sports section of
the newspaper, and discovers that
Osbourne has recovered and will be
racing again. John Hewitt dashes to his
companies vault and pulls out another
$2000. He calls his bookie, but the
bookie doesn't take bets that high. He
takes a plane to New Orleans and goes
to the track to place the bet himself on a
7-1 longshot. In a dramatic race scene,
where John Litel does his best acting in
the movie, the horse ends up
winning. John Hewitt is off the hook. As
he starts celebrating you get the feeling
that something is going to go wrong, and
it does. The horse was disqualified for
bumping another horse. John Hewitt
now owes his company $16,000.
Just when
there looks
like no way
out, Hewitt
runs
into
Mary Slate,
who
tells
him that he
w i l l
introduce
him to her
brother Rick,
played
by
S t e v e
Brodie. Rick
is a gambler that only bets a lot of money
on sure things. Mary tells John that one
bet with Rick and his troubles will be
over. Mary seems to be doing this
because she seems to be romantically
interested in John. Unfortunately for
John, Rick isn't Mary's brother, but her
husband.
(Continued Next Page)
Two-Dollar
Bettor (cont)
They tell John Hewitt that if he could come up
with $20,000 the will let him in on the latest
sure thing. Hewitt rushes to his company's
vault and pulls out $20,000, and gives it to
Mary. Mary and Rick aren't planning to bet
the money, but to leave for Mexico and take
the money with them. John Hewitt calls the
50's version of Sportsphone to find out the
results of the race. (He actually gets a human
voice instead of a recording.) He finds out the
horse has been scatch, so he doesn't lose any
money. He phones Rick at the hotel where
Rick is staying, and discovers that he has
checked out. It dawns on him that he has
been cheated, and he desperately gets in his
car and drives to Mary's apartment to confront
them. Will he get his $20,000 back? Will he
be able to pay back the $16,000 that he
already owes? I do not want to ruin this movie
for anyone that wants to see it.
This is an excellent movie. It gives John Litel,
who is usually a supporting player, to actually
show his acting ability. I got my copy at
Tower Records in the discount section. It only
cost me between $4.00 and $5.00. It's the
best investment I ever made, and I didn't have
to steal my company's money to do it.
Doug Freedman
El Loco Rocancol Vol. 1 –
Various (Floridita
Records)
Si hablo Espanol? If so, you are sure to
enjoy this hot new release that is chock
full o' Mexican rock n' roll! Ok, all fans of
50's music will probably get a kick out of
listening to songs like "Lucille", "Tutti
Frutti" and "Train Kept a Rollin" in
Spanish! The tracks by Los Locos Del
Ritmo stand out as some of the best o-n
the CD! Their version of "Chica
Alborotada" (Tallahassee Lassee) is a
must have stroller! I also dug Los Loud
Jets "Sputnik", Los Teen Tops "Lucille"
and the very hard to find Lalo Guerrero
"Marihuana Boogie" (not really rock n
roll, but a damn good r&b jiver!). Good
quality CD with liner notes in Spanish!
Track List:
Los Baby Rocks - Me Nena
Los Crazy Boys - El Niño Popis
Johny Tedesco - El Rock Del Ton Ton
Los Teen Tops - Presumida
Los Locos Del Ritmo - La Mantequilla
Los Crazy Kings - Crazy Kings
Los Loud Jets - Sputnik
Los Boppers - Tren Solitario
Los Milos - Lucila
Roberto Carlos - Es Prohibido Fumar
Los Locos del Ritmo - Chica Alborotada
Los Teen Tops - Lucille
Los Rockets - Tarantula
Los Hittlers - Mary y Juana
Dyno Y Los Solitarios - Ahi Va mi Nena
Los Teen Tops - Buen Rock Esta Noche
Los Locos del Ritmo - El Caracol
Los Sirex - El Tren De La Costa
Los Rebeldes Del Rock - Trashtornado
Lalo Guerrero - Marihuana Boogie
Los Psicodelicos Xochimilcas - Susie Q
Los Babys - Jinetes Del Cielo
4.0 fezes
(Cont Next Page)
Lil Luis y Los Wild Teens
– "Wild Juvenile Rock n
Roll" 45 (Thousands)
California's original 50's rock n roll
combo Lil Luis y Los Wild Teens are
back with their fist since the release of
their full length cd "Rip It Up". Featured o
-n the recordings are Luis Arriaga o-n
vocals/guitar, Jeff Graves o-n lead guitar,
Angel Hernandez o-n drums and Iggy
Garcia o-n upright bass. Despite some
line-up changes, Los Wild Teens deliver
the sound we have all come to know and
love….wild!!!
"La Fiesta Esta De Ambiente" (Wild
Party) is a nice fast rockin' jiver sung in
Spanish and features some hot lead
guitar. "Lies, Lies, Lies" was written by
the Wild Teens and is a late 50's style
fast stroller that reminds me a bit of the
Night Raiders stuff. Complete with hand
claps and a solid guitar hook, this is sure
to get the ladies out o-n the dance floor.
Better pick this o-ne up quick as supplies
are limited. Lil Luis y Los made a rare
European appearance at the High
Rockabilly weekender in Spain this
September.
Side A:
La Fiesta Esta De Ambiente
Side B:
Lies, Lies, Lies
4.5 fezes
Matt Strickland
Regarding…
. . . The Git Gone Boys are back at the Red
Line Tap on Saturday October 8. The Red
Line Tap is located at 7006 N. Glenwood, a
few doors north of the Heartland Cafe. The
cover is only $5 and there are two other rockabilly bands.
. . . TWO-DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL WILL
BENEFIT NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS
VICTIMIZED BY HURRICANE KATRINA
2006 Ponderosa Stomp in Memphis
Ponderosa Stomp, the annual New Orleans
roots music romp that draws music fans from
all over the world, will change its location to
Memphis next year. The festival will take
place May 2 & May 3 in a venue to be announced. The money raised will be split between the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and
a special fund to be administered by the Mystic Knights of the Mau-Mau ‹ producers of the
Stomp ‹ to directly help New Orleans and
Gulf Coast musicians. Due to the economic
damage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the
Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau want to try to
help musicians rendered homeless and jobless by these disasters.
According to Ponderosa Stomp ringmaster
Dr. Ike, "New Orleans and Louisiana musicians have played a major role in the development of American music. Without them,
such musical forms as jazz, blues, R&B, rock
'n' roll, Zydeco and Cajun music would not
exist as we know them. Katrina and Rita
have greatly affected the ability of these musicians to make a living and continue the rich
traditions of Louisiana music. The Mystic
Knights of the Mau Mau seek to raise money
to help out the musicians so they can keep
the tradition alive."
(Continued Next Page)
Regarding…
Artists tentatively scheduled to appear at
Ponderosa Stomp 2006 include Dale
Hawkins, Billy Lee Riley, Sonny Burgess, ? &
the Mysterians, Billy Boy Arnold, Lady Bo,
Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana and many more to
follow.
Early sponsors onboard for the event include
Santa Fe National Tobacco Products and the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Additional details regarding Ponderosa Stomp
will be announced shortly. Updates will be
posted at www.ponderosastomp.com - For
more information regarding Ponderosa Stomp,
contact conqueroo: Cary Baker (818) 5012001- cary@conqueroo.com
. . . Bassist Marshall Lytle Reports:
Comets Add Guitarist; Hit Branson in 2006
"Hi Everyone, We Just Got home from a
Fantastic tour. I just received a copy of the
local paper The Branson Independent, in
Branson, Mo. They have broken the big news,
I was saving for a later release, because it is
going to be the greatest gig that The
COMETS has ever had. Here is another bit of
news that needs to get out by an official
anouncement by the COMETS.
We are adding Andrew Norblin (The great
guitarist) that plays like Franny Beecher, To
the COMETS lineup in BRANSON. This
Addition is only the give the Comets a bigger
fuller sound. Franny is excited about having
Andrew's great guitar work filling in as a new
Comet. We are ALL very excited about
it. Andrew will also be with us on the
wonderful www.oldiescruise2006.com on
Jan. 29th thru Feb. 5th, on the Costa Cruise
Line. Check it out and get on board, You will
have the time of your life. Check it out and
get on board.
. . . Rhythm Riot New Orleans Fund
Robin, Colette and Jerry, organisers of
the Rhythm Riot 1950s Rhythm & Blues
and Roots Rock'n'Roll Weekend, are
launching a fund to raise money for the
displaced musicians of New Orleans.
Many of you will have spent many happy
hours listening to the great recordings of
Smiley Lewis, Dave Bartholomew, Fats
Domino, Professor Longhair, Frankie
Ford, and so many others who have come
out of the Crescent City. Now, New Orleans is empty and the musicians are going to need a lot of help to get back on
their feet.
Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, a genuine
New Orleans legend, played at the
Rhythm Riot last year - and was absolutely fantastic. He was greeted like a
hero and gave one of the best shows ever
seen at the festival. We know that Clarence and his family are, thankfully, all OK
- but their home has suffered extensive
damage.
Many others, like them, are now unable to
return to their homes, out of telephone
and email contact, and facing an uncertain future.
We are launching our fund with $1000
and we will add $5 for every person booking for the Rhythm Riot in October (our
busiest month of the year), which should
add another $3000. Ace Records have
made a very generous donation and have
matched our initial $1000. We will also be
arranging a collection at the Rhythm Riot
in November, with the intention of closing
the fund on 1st December, to send the
money in time for Christmas. We will announce the grand total, after that, on our
website at www.RhythmRiot.com. Anyone wishing to add to our fund, should
send donations to us at: Rhythm Riot! PO
Box 2149 London W5 3GP UK
Inside Scoop...
OCTOBER
Wednesday 5th:
Three Bad Jacks @ Nite Cap Lounge 5007 W. Irving Park Road
Deke Dickerson & the Eccofonics @ Beat Kitchen
Thursday 6th: Big"C"Jamboree with guest host Hayden Thompson @ Martyrs’
Show time: 9:30 pm (No cover!) http://www.bigcjamboree.com
Friday 7th - Saturday 8th: Hunnert Car Pileup @ Grundy County Speedway &
Fool?s Bar in Morris, IL http://www.hunnertcarpileup.com
Friday 7th - Sunday 9th:
Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly Weekend, Montreal, Canada
Friday 7th: The Neverly Brothers@ Good Time Charlie?s (Manhattan, IL)
http://www.rockabillyjam.com
Sunday 9th: The Neverly Brothers @ St. Christina?s Parish Field (Mt. Greenwood, IL)
Saturday 15th:
The Rumblejetts, Little Rachel and the Honeybees @ Gunther Murphy?s
The Neverly Brothers @ Argosy?s Empress Casino (Zanabar Lounge)
Wednesday 19th: The Neverly Brothers @ Martini Blu (Orland Hills)
Thursday 20th: The Neverly Brothers @ Ed & Joe?s Pizza Pub
Friday 21st:
Kent Rose with Michael Krasovech from the Riptones, The Honeybees, Decoy
Prayer Meeting @ Nite Cap Lounge (5007 W Irving Park Rd.)
Mercury Express @ the California Clipper
Sunday 23rd: The Neverly Brothers @ Shakers (Ottawa)
Wednesday 26th: The Neverly Brothers @ The White Horse Inn
Saturday 29th: Halloween Hop! The Crown Vics & Rhythm Rockets @ Frankie?s
Blue Room (food, booze, costumes, prizes & more)
Inside Scoop...
November
Thursday 3rd: Big"C"Jamboree w/ TBA @ Martyrs?
Saturday 12th: The Neverly Brothers @ McNally?s
Sunday 13th: Neverly Brothers @ Westfield Shoppign Mall (Aurora)
Thursday 17th:
The Neverly Brothers @ Ed & Joe?s Pizza Pub
Brian Setzer Christmas Extravaganza @ Oneida Casino
http://www.briansetzer.com/tour_main.html
Friday 18th: The Neverly Brothers @ Ballydolyle Irish Pub
Saturday 19th: Brian Setzer Christmas Extravaganza @ House of Blues Chicago
http://www.briansetzer.com/tour_main.html
Sunday 20th: Brian Setzer Christmas Extravaganza @ House of Blues Chicago
Tickets on sale now via this link:
http://www.briansetzer.com/tour_main.html
Wednesday 23rd: The Neverly Brothers @ Saint John?s Pub (St. John?s)
Friday 25th: Rhythm Riot @ Sussex, England
www.rhythmriot.com
Wednesday 30th: The Neverly Brothers @ the White Horse Inn
December
Thursday 1st: Big"C"Jamboree w/ TBA @ Martyrs?
Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd, Sunday 4th:
Los Straitjackets & the World Famous Pontani Sisters Christmas Pageant with
Kaiser George @ Fitzgerald’s
Inside Scoop...
December
Sunday 4th - Tuesday 6th: Dale Watson @ Oneida Casino, Green Bay WI
Thursday 8th - Sunday 1oth: Barcelona Hayride 2005 @ Barelona, Spain
http://www.bcnhayride.com/index2.htm
Friday 9th: The Neverly Brothers @ Chamber?s Restaurant & Lounge (Niles)
Saturday 10th: The Neverly Brothers @ McNally?s
Wednesday 28th: The Neverly Brothers @ the White Horse Inn
Thursday 29th: Neverly Brothers @ Ed & Joe?s Pizza Pub
Saturday 31st:
NEW YEARS EVE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
Yep Roc Records Recording Artists
BIG SANDY & HIS FLY RITE BOYS 7:30pm - 8:30pm/FREE
THE HI-RISERS 9pm- 10:30pm/FREE
"The Grand Dames of Burlesque" THE WORLD FAMOUS PONTANI
SISTERS 11:30pm-1:30pm
LOS STRAITJACKETS 11:30pm-1:30pm
@ Oneida Casino,
Green Bay WI
October 6th - 9th 2005