Jimmy Ruffin - RIP
Showing posts with label Detroit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detroit. Show all posts
Nov 19, 2014
Sep 3, 2014
ATTN: Drum Nuts - Ever dream about owning a legends kit?
Now is your chance. Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson of the MC5 is making this vintage Ludwig set available. For much more info, including a contact address, do a drum fill on over to his website.
Jun 6, 2014
Mar 30, 2014
The Asheton House: Niagara Remembers Ron & Scott Asheton
Originally posted at Detroit Rock & Roll Magazine. Reposted with permission from Niagara.
If you ever had the nerve to be within Scott Asheton's force field, you'd have been stunned by his pale, BLUE eyes. He had a deceptively calm demeanor. Dangerous? Yes. You'd find yourself behaving very carefully. This was mid-70's, Ann Arbor.
Scott played drums with Sonic Rendezvous (Fred Smith-MC5, Scott Morgan-Rationals), at Second Chance, a ballroom/bar. Seeing him only made me (and FEW others at that time) miss The Stooges, since their disintegration years before. The last time I saw them: When Metallic K.O was recorded in Detroit.
Scott was a rock solid drummer. His friends called him "Rock.” His tattoo said "Rock Action".
People even now are intimidated by the memory of him, though he passed away in March 2014. Some wrote me: "He scared the BEJESUS out of me." But his friends adored him. He was a liked guy. No one could stay mad at him.
We met in that club's dressing room. The Ramones also played that night. I wrote for a Parisian mag- “A Letter from Detroit" sort of thing.
That summer of 1977, Ron Asheton returned from L.A. Finished with his interim, now defunct band, New Order (with Dennis Thompson-MC5). In the next few weeks, he became lead guitar for my band, DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. DAM had been, up till then, a basement Art/Noise unit. DAM with Ron Asheton promised to be eccentric & somewhat dazzling to an expectant local music landscape.
(Continued after the jump.)
Mar 16, 2014
Feb 5, 2014
Lost & Found: Marvin Gaye's 1964 Passport
This is the sort of story you hear maybe once every ten years or so. A Motown Museum employee, who also happens to be a crazy Motown collector, bought a bunch of Motown records for himself. And what fell out of one the LP's? Marvin Gaye's US passport, dated October 16, 1964. Wow... Appearing with the item on a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow, the lucky finder found it appraised at $20,000. Not bad! (via Fact Mag)
Jan 13, 2014
Dec 31, 2013
Auld Lang Syne: Sun Ra in Detroit (1981/82)
Thanks to Peter O. for sending along this little treat. Its Sun Ra & His Cosmo-JetSet Arkestra in Detroit on New Year's eve, 1981 into '82. Enjoy...
Oct 20, 2013
Movie of the Week: MC5 - A True Testimonial (2002)
If you've never seen this, and are interested, I highly suggest you watch it pronto...who knows how long it will be available on YouTube? This is, by far, one of the best rockumentaries out there. Not to mention the band wasn't too shabby either.
Sep 27, 2013
Apr 25, 2013
New documentary: A Band Called Death
I've mentioned them before, and then it seemed that interested had waned a bit in this band, but Death is back, baby! Available On May 24th digitally & in theaters, A Band Called Death tells the story of this pretty much unknown all-black 70's punk rock band from Detroit. Looks like a good one...
Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was a band called Death. Punk before punk existed, three teenage brothers in the early '70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a few local gigs and even pressed a single in the hopes of getting signed. But this was the era of Motown and emerging disco. Record companies found Death’s music— and band name—too intimidating, and the group were never given a fair shot, disbanding before they even completed one album. Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and epic family love story, A Band Called Death chronicles the incredible fairy-tale journey of what happened almost three decades later, when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of the attic and found an audience several generations younger. Playing music impossibly ahead of its time, Death is now being credited as the first black punk band (hell...the first punk band!), and are finally receiving their long overdue recognition as true rock pioneers.
Apr 24, 2013
Mar 25, 2013
1970 Rollin' In Sight: The Goose Lake International Music Festival, August 7-9, 1970
Acts who appeared included The Faces, Jethro Tull, Chicago, Ten Years After, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Mountain, John Sebastian, the James Gang, Bob Seger, the MC5, The Stooges, Detroit (with Mitch Ryder), Brownsville Station, and SRC.
Images courtesy of The Motor City Music Archives
Feb 2, 2013
Gets You There On Time: John Sinclair business card
John Sinclair business card, circa 1967, courtesy of Marty at Ephemera. Its up for auction on eBay for about two more days. Check it out here.
Dec 18, 2012
Nov 23, 2012
Feb 19, 2012
Michael Davis (MC5) RIP
 |
| Michael Davis, MC5 (far left) |
"...I had an acoustic guitar and I used to sing folk music and Bob Dylan songs. I loved rock and roll though. I grew up with it in the '50's. I was DEEPLY into R&B and everything that was on the radio. I was deeply into music but I was not a musician at the time.
So I went out there and saw those guys place in Detroit at this small bar. After they finished their set, I went over to say hi to Rob and he introduced me to Wayne and Fred. I had made a radical purchase of some brown Beatle boots. Wayne was like 'Where did you get those boots! Who is this guy?'
Basically, I had been to art school at Wayne University and my whole
direction in life was to be an artist and do drawings and paintings.
Wayne and I got to talking and we hit it off pretty good. We became
friends almost immediately. Like I said, I was a bit older than those
guys and travelled around the country a little bit so I had some things
to say about what was going on outside of Detriot. This was of enormous
interest to them. I lived in New York, down on the Lower East Side.
Anything I had to say about my travels was fascinating to them,
particularly to Wayne. We became pretty good friends and started hanging out. Within a short amount of time, Wayne and I both decided that it would be great if I was in the band. So I decided to start learning the parts to the different songs to see if I could pick it up. It was a short matter of time before the bass player that was in the band coincidentally quit so I was right there to step into the slot. I might have practiced for two weeks on my own. The first gig I played with them was at my alma mater, Wayne State University." - Continued at Perfect Sound Forever
Dec 13, 2011
Question Mark & the Mysterians LP's reissued for first time in 45 years! At 45 RPM!
 |
| 96 Tears (180 Gram
LP) 1966 Track Listing: I Need Somebody; Stormy Monday; You’re Telling Me Lies; Ten O’Clock; Set Aside; Up Side; 8 Teen; Don’t Tease Me; Don’t Break This Heart of Mine; Why Me; Midnight Hour; 96 Tears UPC: 848064000105 |
Pressed on 180 gram vinyl, and mastered at 45 RPM, ABKCO and Real Gone Music have teamed up & done an outstanding job on these. The artwork is impeccable, the sleeve notes exact, and the fidelity is just beyond! I've never heard these albums with such clarity before...If you're at all a fan of "96 Tears" and the other great tunes by these garage heroes, do yourself a favor and pick up a pair of these. You will not regret it.
Real Gone Music on Facebook.
ABKCO Music on Facebook.
 |
| Action (180 Gram LP), 1967 Track Listing: Girl (You Captivate Me); Can’t Get Enough of You Baby; Got To; I’ll Be Back;Shout; Hangin’ on a String; Smokes; It’s Not Easy; Don’t Hold It Against Me;Just Like a Rose; Do You Feel It. UPC: 848064000112 |
Oct 2, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
