An amazing documentary of The Beatles/Barry & The Remains, The Cyrkle, The Ronettes and Bobby Hebb is now up on auction!Original 1966 Beatles Audio Recording at Auction Aug. 29
A previously unknown audio example of the entire Toronto concert as a 2 hour and 20 minute documentary detailing one family's experience at the final concert appearance of the Beatles in Canada - now up on auction.
http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784855&pg=1&keys=Beatles-Auction-Concert-Recording
What is really interesting is that I found this on Google news and - my my, they actually used my essay on the Bobby Hebb material performed there. I had the honor of hearing this amazing concert at the office of one of the fellows involved in the auction. What I wrote (which they have used on the above site) is intertwined into the auctioner's essay:
Barry Tashian’s stage introductions are preserved before each song. At 33 minutes the stage announcer describes how the Remains drummer N.D. Smart took a pratfall leaving
the stage...and introduces Bobby Hebb.
Bobby Hebb set: Crazy Baby (1:20) / For You (46 seconds) / Good Good Lovin’ (1:12) /
Mojo Workout (cuts, 2:24) / Sunny (complete w/ closing vamp, 5:19). The Remains re-took the stage to back the act with the biggest current hit record on the tour; Bobby Hebb. Nashville-based Hebb had hit #1 with “Sunny” only weeks before this recording was made (July 26. 1966) and the record was well on it’s way to classic status, being awarded the #25 position on BMI's Top 100 Songs of The Century nearly 40 years later. The set comprises almost entirely of song segments from the “Sunny” album, one notable exception being “Mojo Workout”, a staple of Hebb’s act during his New York City club dates with “Sylvia” (of “Mickey & Sylvia” fame). According to Hebb himself the song was never recorded in studio, making this live version
its only known documentation. An extended and complete version of “Sunny” rounds out the set with easily the most powerful performance and enthusiastic reception short of The Beatles. The sound quality throughout the 11 minutes of Bobby Hebb’s section is easily the best of the music portions of The Amos Tape. “How do you like the show so far?” asks the stage host at around the 45 minute mark. He continues to vamp waiting for the next act, Brian Epstien’s only American group, The Cyrkle.
UNNATURAL AXE / WILLIE LOCO ALEXANDER at CHURCH withCHEETAH CHROME Friday August 22, 2008
Willie "Loco" Alexander and his Boom Boom Band - David McClean on drums, Sev Grossman on bass and Billy Loosigian on guitar were absolutely explosive to a packed audience of old-time scenesters and nouveau punk rockers. They were just terrific. It was the 30th Anniversary of Unnatural Axe who were listed with "special guests", which must be the split personality of the bandmembers as only Cheetah Chrome performing a great "Sonic Reducer" (from what I could hear outside) seemed to be the guest. Anyway, what appears to be the big attraction at these "30th Anniversary"-type shows are the people in the audience returning to the source of their punk-rock youth, a bit older, wiser and somewhat rough around the edges.
That's Rock & Roll!
This could have been a mega event to send shockwaves through the town. But it wasn't.
It was a cool night with some cool bands proving that over 40 (or in the Boom Booms' case,
over 40, 50 and 60) they could still rock out - and make more sense than a lot of the derivative and mindless music pouring out of The Middle East in Cambridge these days. It isn't that ALL of the bands coming through are watered down, it is just that Unnatural Axe and Willie Loco have something these new bands don't have: personality. That essential element is so important in "drawing" the fans back out. But how long can a Rick Berlin or a Charlie Farren or a Mach Bell rely on old glories, glories which should have been more glorious but were not!
At least The Axe had the good sense to import a band or two in from Italy -
Miss Chain & The Broken Heels
http://www.myspace.com/misschainandthebrokenheels
Which at least makes for some sort of cultural exchange and is somewhat exotic. Better than hearing a local group that changes its name five times in a year and doesn't have any sense of establishing a trademark.
UNDERGROUND HIT RECORD
"They Saved Hitler's Brain" struck a chord. But what did the band do with their lucky break?
It would have been a neat addition to the video of "They Saved Hitler's Brain", the movie that inspired it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Saved_Hitler's_Brain
Even Rob Zombie knew how to take the first 3 Frankenstein films and add his name to the legend:
http://www.amazon.com/Words-Music-Frankenstein-Score-Anthology/dp/B00001QGSG
That should be what The Axe work on, especially with guitarist Tommy White being in the video industry.
Read more here:
http://musicbizcommentary.blogspot.com/
That's Rock & Roll!
As I've gravitated away from "the scene" to spend more time in The Matrix, this world of computers, I just can't quite comprehend the logic of a fantastic group like Fox Pass - Jon Macey, Mike Roy and now Steve Gilligan - playing so many times a year and, quite literally, banging their heads against the wall. At least Blondie, Iggy Pop, The Cars, Elvis Costello, The Talking Heads and many others leaped out of the New Wave to establish themselves, but the energy being expended by Unnatural Axe, Willie "Loco", Fox Pass, Third Rail, The Boize and other mainstays of the Boston scene (the ones of us still alive) would be better served marketing their wares on overnight TV or the internet. Not just posting a blog or a myspace but a concerted effort to get a hit on the world wide web. Look, how long can Mach Bell continue recording music, as good as it is, with his only claim to fame being the lead singer for Joe Perry's band for one album and some touring? At a certain point this "cult of personality" that is the individuality of each member of each rock band should consider that an event like Unnatural Axe & Willie Loco at The Church, should have been SPONSORED by a corporate entity, BROADCAST at the very least on New England Cable News, simulcast on WBCN or WAAF - something, anything, to make it just another night at another club in Boston.
Hey, it was deeply flattering to hear people say "The Count is here", and have the social circle outside on the sidewalk buzzing with gossip - my notes on the night centered on this new experience of cigarette smokers migrating outside of the club to the fresh clean air so that they can pollute their lungs and make small talk. Wasn't that supposed to be the original idea of the nightclub? A place where people could socialize? Club Owners worry about their insurance, their rent, their liquor sales, and attendance - as they have to - but no one seems to be looking for solutions - a major sponsor to underwrite the event - mega promotion on the radio and TV stations that care. This event should have been a monster. Instead, it was just another night on the scene with some interesting characters from way back when at least showing why the new kids on the Central Square block just don't know what really could be.
I'll be editorializing quite a bit on this blog so stay tuned:
http://musicbizcommentary.blogspot.com/
