Happening! Joe Strummer Foundation Benefit, London, March 19 w/Jools Holland, Chrissie Hynde, Suggs, Mick Jones, and much more

The Joe Strummer Foundation gives opportunities to aspiring musicians, and support to projects around the world that create social mobility through music.

joestrummerfoundation.org

Just Because: Lou Reed on WPIX in 1979

Loaded: Lou Reed & John Cale at Lou's house in New York, Christmas 1977 - by Kate Simon

Originally surfacing a little over a year ago, I was listening to this wonderful bit of audio ephemera tonight, and then came upon the Soundcloud upload...This guest DJ spot by Lou Reed on WPIX in 1979 is definitely worth a listen - if you've heard it before, or especially if you haven't. There's great music & talk, Lou takes calls, and does what he was great at, i.e. being Lou. John Cale shows up at one point as well. You can skip segment #12 if you're pressed for time as that has nothing to do with Lou's appearance.

You don't really hear people who speak like this any longer. From Lou, to the call in guests, there's a definite NY in the accent as well as some slight neurosis & attitude.

More on Kate Simon's William Burroughs Centenary Exhibit in London

As previously reported, the ShowStudio Gallery will be celebrating the 100th birthday of literary giant, and counterculture icon, William Burroughs, with an incredible exhibit of photographs by the equally talented Kate Simon - the debut of Simon's Cibachrome Edition (a collection of 11 iconic shots in the now extinct cibachrome medium). These will be accompanied by a series of limited edition black and white prints, as well as supplementary material online at ShowStudio.com. If you're in London between March 14 and May 9 you would do well to get yourself down to 19 Motcomb St. in Belgravia.

Shot by Ira Cohen: Kate Simon & William Burroughs, 1985.

SHOWStudio to celebrate William Burroughs centenary with Kate Simon exhibit

SHOWStudio Gallery in London will be celebrating the 100th birthday of William Burroughs with an exhibit of 11 photos of the man by our pal, Kate Simon! The show will open March 13, and will run through May 19. Wish I could be there...The gallery is open from 11:00-6:00, Monday through Friday, and is located at 19 Motcomb St, London, United Kingdom.

From SHOWStudio.com: SHOWstudio Shop will host a solo exhibition of portraits of William S. Burroughs by Kate Simon to celebrate the occasion of his centenary. The exhibition will mark the debut release of Simon’s Cibachrome Edition portfolio, which is comprised of 11 iconic shots of the literary master printed in the now extinct cibachrome medium. These rare photographs will be displayed alongside a selection of black and white limited edition prints. Taken over a 20 year period, Simon has amassed a critical body of work that is widely unseen and captures the many faces of one of the most important American writers of the twentieth century. Continued here.

Five by Five: Year End Favorites, Part 1

I put out the call to some friends for a simple list of five favorites from the year...anything: events, concerts, recordings, personal moments, whatever. The title is in honor of the first responder, Andrew Loog Oldham, being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A big congratulations to him! This is the first of three installments.

ALO by Ambrea Dean

Andrew Loog Oldham -

1. Shambhala Mountain Center. "Chi-Gung, meditation, 12-step seminar," December 5th-8th MM13 with Kevin Griffin & Greg Pergament.

2. Re-watching Lou Reed's BERLIN directed by Julian Schnabel

3. Catching the hype as opposed to the content of David Bowie's THE NEXT DAY

4. Catching, finally, Wayne Wang's SMOKE with Harvey Keitel & William Hurt

5. HOUSE OF CARDS w/Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright...

RB, Mudd, 1979

Richard Boch - Top 5 Meals at Dave's Luncheonette, Canal Street NYC 1979-80:

5. Eggs Over, Potatoes, White Toast, Extra Grease

4. Eggs Over, Potatoes, White Toast, Extra Grease, Coffee

3. Hot Dog with Mustard To Go

2. Hot Dog with Mustard, Onions, Sauerkraut To Go

1. Two Hot Dogs with Mustard, Onions, Sauerkraut and a Vanilla Egg-cream ~ the second Dog eaten on the front steps of the Mudd Club

Delphine Blue - Top 5 Non-Brooklyn events:

Delphine at by Janette Beckman

Mark & Cetera, Santo's Party House, 4/17/13 - Mark Kamins' sudden passing in February knocked the club music world on its ass. The party to celebrate him was an ecstatic night featuring 19 DJs and the first performance by Konk since 1986, not to mention Coati Mundi, Johnny Dynell, Lady Miss Kier and many others. Everyone swore they saw Mark in the crowd, more than once....

The Clocktower closing party 11/23/13 - Our out-going Mayor sells the municipal building known as The Clocktower (designed by Stanford White), home to the Clocktower Gallery since 1973 and Art on Air Internet Radio. Before its conversion to condos the farewell party was an orgy of art and music and an amazingly cool looking crowd. Alanna Heiss who ran this little arts mecca made her farewell toast on the spiral staircase to the clock. The party featured a sunset dance on the roof by legendary Butoh dancer Min Tanaka.

Lou Reed Memorial, Apollo Theater 12/16/13 - A beautiful touching, intimate, and at times very funny memorial designed by Laurie Anderson featuring Lou's tai chi master Ren Guangyi as well as Hal Willner, Jenni Muldaur, Philip Glass, Emily Haines, Patti Smith etc. plus amazing film clips. Everyone floated out the door when it ended, entirely uplifted.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Beacon Theater 3/29-3/30 - So intensely amazing that I only went one night. To see it a second night might have lead to a sensory overdose.

Peter Hook and The Light Webster Hall, 9/13/13 - The infamous feud between the original members of New Order prevented fans from seeing all the players together. New Order played outdoors in Brooklyn on 7/24/13 bringing fans a lot of joy. But Peter Hook has been touring Joy Division's albums with his own band since 2010. This show featured the entire New Order albums Movement and Power Corruption and Lies. There was a lot of 'fuck you, here's how we do it' making for a blisteringly hot performance.

Kate With Bob Marley

Kate Simon - Here are 5 showbiz biographies that filled me with joy:

Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper

by Mac Rebennack & Jack Rummel

Rage To Survive: The Etta James Story

by David Ritz & Etta James

Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra

by George Jacobs & William Stadiem

The Peter Lawford Story: Life With the Kennedys, Monroe and the Rat Pack

by Patricia Seaton Lawford

Lucky Me: My Life With and Without My Mom, Shirley MacLaine

by Sachi Parker & Frederick Stroppel

Laura self-portrait

Laura Levine

May 1

September 26

February 20

March 14

August 2

So far underground you'll get the bends: More Lou Reed than you can shake a stick at

Since he passed away on October 27, there's been an overly abundant supply of Lou Reed content - bootlegs, video, what have you - popping up online. I thought I'd share here some links to a few items that have caught my attention.

Below, Lou gets interviewed by Anthony DeCurtis at the 92nd Street Y in NYC a few years back. I was lucky enough to be there, and I'm glad to see this again. DeCurtis seems a bit nervous at times, but he's good enough to give Lou space & let him finish his thoughts. I'm  sure it wasn't an easy gig. This video, and many others, can be found amongst the treasure trove of content that the 92nd Street Y recently made available here.

Secondly, and always good sources for tasty & choice live recordings, Doom & Gloom From The Tomb, and Aquarium Drunkard, have both have shared some great files from various sources recently. First up, from the Infinite Fool via Doom & Gloom, we have Lou Reed & The Tots - Alice Tully Hall, New York City, NY, January 27, 1973. This is a recording of one of the shows that the poster at the top of this post comes from. 

Then, from Music For Maniacs via Doom & Gloom, we have Pre-VU - an incredible collection of pre-Velvet Undergound recordings that involved Lou to some degree or another. Here's the track listing:

01. Jades - Leave Her for Me
02. Jades - So Blue (time-1002, 1958)
03. Lewis Reed - Merry Go Round (1962)
04. Lewis Reed - Your Love
05. The All Night Workers - Why Don’t You Smile Now
06. The Beachnuts - Cycle Annie (1965)
07. The Beachnuts - I’ve Got A Tiger In My Tank
08. the Hi-Lifes - Soul City (1965)
09. The Primitives - Sneaky Pete
10. The Primitives - The Ostrich
11. The Roughnecks - You’re Driving Me Insane

And then, perhaps the coolest of all, is a recording of Lou guest DJ-ing on the short lived WPIX rock station here in NYC in 1979. As Aquarium Drunkard writes, "Lou is in fine, fighting form here, peppering his commentary with scathing diatribes against Robert Christgau, Rolling Stone magazine, Jimmy Carter and NYC taxi drivers. He even takes some calls — witness the hilarious, surreal moment when Lou “Take No Prisoners” Reed admonishes a caller for using foul language. The music he plays is fantastic, too, with some classic doo wop, tracks from his then-unreleased The Bells LP, and a truly bizarro segue from Al Green to Nico. Lou even comes out in favor of disco.." Download a zipfile of this great show here.

And just for kicks, here are the Velvets doing "I'm Not A Young Man Anymore" which will be included with the forthcoming deluxe issue of White Light/White Heat.

I think thats it for now, but I know there will be more...It always comes back to the rain. And with that, I'll leave you with this classic shot of Lou & John Cale looking all festive back in 1977 as shot by Miss Kate Simon. I originally ran this last Christmas day with Kate's awesome playlist. And by the way, Kate, if you're reading this, don't forget that new Christmas playlist you've promised me this year.

Loaded: Lou Reed & John Cale at Lou's house in New York, Christmas 1977 - by Kate Simon

Kate Simon on ShowStudio discussing her work with the Clash and other legends

Joe Strummer backstage - After the show in Bath, UK, December 1978 by Kate Simon

Friend of the blog, master photographer Kate Simon, is a recent subject of the very cool series, The Photography of Punk, being run on ShowStudio. Have a listen to Kate discuss this photo of Joe Strummer, and her history - she's definitely one of the more interesting people I know, and I'm glad to call her a friend.

Other photographer-subjects in this great series include Dennis Morris, Ray Stevenson, Steve Johnston, Kevin Cummins, Bob Gruen, Judy Linn, Jon Savage, Steve Emberton, and Jonh Ingham. All ably interviewed via telephone by Nick Knight. All interviews can be accessed on the ShowStudio Soundcloud page.

Shot by: Joe Stevens

Kate Simon & Chrissie Hynde wearing their best Sex t-shirts, London, 1976, by Joe Stevens

The above photo, by Joe Stevens, will be featured in the upcoming photo show, Just Chaos!, opening this week at Bookmarc in the West Village. Hey Kate Simon, I know that look! 

UK fashion & music scribe, Paul Gorman, discusses the t-shirts today over at his blog. As usual, he adds a bit of perspective to the story.

Welcome Rachel!

Congrats KS...she's a doll!

Shot by: Kate Simon

Kevin Ayers in the Seventies in London by Kate Simon

After hearing about Kevin Ayer's very recent passing, Kate Simon was kind enough to send me this beautiful shot of him from the 1970's. She said, "I photographed him innumerable times, and was at the historic June 1, 1974 show he did at The Rainbow with Cale, Nico, and Eno.  He was a stunning musical and personal presence."

Thanks Kate!

Burroughs 99th birthday, new Beat Books catalog

William Burroughs keeping it real by Kate Simon

Happy 99th birthday to Mr. William S. Burroughs. And while we're at it, a brand new Beat Books catalog is now available for viewing. And for the first time in a while the focus of the catalog is on Beat-related items including some rare Burroughs recordings. See the catalog here.

Stupefied: The Kate Simon Playlist

Loaded: Lou Reed & John Cale at Lou's house in New York, Christmas 1977 - by Kate Simon

Kate Simon by Sara Driver

This week's Stupefied contributor is no stranger to Stupefaction readers. Its a Christmas gift (along with the incredible shot of Lou & John above) from master photographer Kate Simon who says, "This is no haphazard list: all of these were carefully chosen, and created as an inspiration for Stupefaction enthusiasts on Christmas Day."

In the new year, we'll be looking out for a collaboration between Kate and Gillian McCain (of Please Kill Me-fame), as well as a couple of other items of note that I'll be sure to mention here when they happen.

All I can say is thank you Kate, and thanks to everyone who takes a moment out of their day to stop by Stupefaction. Its truly a labor of love.

01. Aretha Franklin – God Will Take Care Of You

02. Bob Dylan – What Can I Do For You?

03. Mick Jagger – God Gave Me Everything

04. Ron Sexsmith – Speaking With The Angel

05. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Jah Live

06. Bobby Womack – Deep River

07. Freddie King – Key To The Highway

08. Bunny Wailer – Who Feels It

09. Tramaine Hawkins – Changed

10. Neil Young – A Dream That Can Last

11. Lou Reed – Busload Of Faith

12. Otis Rush – So Many Roads, So Many Trains - Single Version

13. Joe Strummer – Redemption Song

14. Sam Cooke – That's Heaven to Me

15. Abbey Lincoln – For All We Know

16. Iggy Pop – I Want To Go To The Beach

17. Radiohead – Exit Music (For A Film)

18. Al Green – Jesus Is Waiting

19. Mink DeVille – Guardian Angel

20. John Cale – Hallelujah

Shot by: Kate Simon (1981)

James Chance by Kate Simon, 1981 (previously unpublished)

Don't forget to follow James Chance!

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Steve Paul obituary

Steve Paul by Kate Simon, 2008

For those who missed the news, New York nightlife pioneer Steve Paul passed away recently. The obit ran in the NY Times today, and I thought it worth rerunning the entire thing here. Thanks again to Kate Simon for allowing me to run her wonderful portrait of the man (above)...photos of him are very difficult to come by!

Steve Paul Dies at 71; Owned ’60s Club in New York 
By DOUGLAS MARTIN

You first encountered Teddy, the sharkskin-suited maître d’hôtel, on the sidewalk. If you got past him, Steve Paul was at the door to insult you. 

The insult, usually devilishly clever, was the cover charge to one of New York City’s hottest, most intriguing clubs in the 1960s. It was called the Scene, and it was the brainchild of the dashing, idiosyncratic Mr. Paul, who was 23 when he opened it in 1964. It became famous for brilliant moments in the history of rock music, as the place where Jimi Hendrix and the Doors shaped the music of the ’60s in inspired jam sessions.

Mr. Paul, who went on to manage Johnny Winter and other rock stars and record them for his own label, died at 71 on Sunday at a hospital in Queens. His friend Tariq Abdus-Sabur said the cause was not yet known.

The Scene attracted swarms of jet-setters, Broadway dancers, motorcycle riders and Manhattan’s moneyed elite through two incarnations in its six-year life.

The first was as a refuge for performers, stagehands and artists, including stars like Sammy Davis Jr. and Liza Minnelli, who might burst into impromptu song. Richard Pryor might tell jokes. Tennessee Williams liked to stop by. Andy Warhol filmed an underground movie of Scene patrons watching an underground movie.

But after a few years the scene at the Scene began to lose steam, and it went dark. Then the poet Allen Ginsberg and Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, among others, stepped in with financial assistance. Mr. Paul’s focus soon changed to rock music. He invited Hendrix to play his first major New York engagement at the Scene in June 1967. 

Hendrix liked the place, at 46th Street and Eighth Avenue, as much as the fans liked him. He played long into the night, after most customers had been ushered out and Mr. Paul had locked the doors. “At the Scene, Jimi would completely let himself go — playing all he knew and didn’t know, going beyond sharing — playing all,” David Henderson wrote in his Hendrix biography, “ ’Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky.” “Trying to get it all out.”

Before long, acts like Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, the Chambers Brothers and Mr. Winter were playing the small club. Tiny Tim, with his ukulele, often opened.

Mr. Paul’s ideas could be unconventional. On Thanksgiving 1968, he put Hendrix on a double bill with the classical harpsichordist Fernando Valenti. At other times he mixed Indian classical music with rock, prompting a few adventurous souls to dance to the sitar.

More than anything else, the Scene was Mr. Paul’s personal vision, “a childhood dream come untrue” in his typically odd phrase. Newsweek described him as a “combination of sincerity, egotism, coffeehouse literacy and a pseudo-poetic, stream-of-consciousness speech.” It provided a sample sentence to illustrate: “I’m searching, always searching,” he said, “for self-actualization through personal reality within a larger world reality.”

Jim Morrison of the Doors put it more succinctly. “I like to hang around Steve Paul and listen to him rap,” he said. “He’s funny.” 

Stephen Neal Paul was born on April 28, 1941, in the Bronx. The son of a high school principal, he graduated from Dobbs Ferry High School in Westchester County at 16. Within a year he was doing public relations for a New York restaurant, even though he was too young to have a drink there. He soon added another restaurant as a client and then the Peppermint Lounge, where the twist craze took off.

By 1964, he had acquired a five-bedroom town house and found a home for his club on what was then a quite seedy Eighth Avenue. He modeled its labyrinthlike layout on cave-style Parisian discos, and said he saw its 5,000 square feet as his “canvas.”

At 25, Mr. Paul had a top-rated prime-time television show, “Steve Paul’s The Scene,” which featured artists like Aretha Franklin. It began as a local show on Channel 5 and then was syndicated nationally. He later managed stars like Mr. Winter and the McCoys and started Blue Sky Records, a label that was distributed by CBS Records, and recorded hit albums by Mr. Winter, his brother Edgar Winter and others. He produced musical revues for the stage and nightclubs.

Mr. Paul’s longtime partner, Robert Kitchen, died three and a half years ago. No immediate family members survive. The Scene closed in 1970.

At the peak of the Scene’s success, Mr. Paul garnered national attention, including an appearance on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. Newsweek quoted an ABC-TV executive predicting that he would one day be “a myth.” The magazine went on to say that a teenage girl had written him, “Dear Steve Paul: Please explain to me about life.”

Mr. Paul may not have been a guru with all the answers, but he had no quarrel with being treated as one.

“I know I could become president of the United States,” he told Newsweek, “but I really don’t need it.”

Why A Duck? Neil Innes by Kate Simon

"Here is a photograph for all of those out there with existential dread." - Kate Simon. Dedicated to the memory of The G.

Shot By: Kate Simon (Stupefaction exclusive!)

And now for something completely different: Monty Python at the Drury Lane Theatre, London, 1974, by Kate Simon. Silver gelatin print.

Kate was kind enough to share these thoughts on this previously unpublished photo: I love Monty Python, and always got a thrill when I would see John Cleese or Eric Idle at a party or event when I lived in London in the 70's. Nothing is sexier than "smart." For me, John Cleese embodied that.

When I took the photo of John Cleese presenting Terry Jones with the giant hammer on stage at The Drury Lane Theatre in 1974, I was just beginning as a professional photographer. I was thrilled that I was able to manage the shot from one of the upper balconies so far away from the stage with a telephoto lens.

Visit Kate's website: http://katesimonphotography.com/. A huge, large, effervescent thank you to her for the photo & comments.

Shot by: Kate Simon

Friend of the blog, Kate Simon, has a very nice article & slideshow in this week's New Yorker, and at their website, on her working relationship with Bob Marley:

When we asked Kate Simon to delve into her archive to find a photo of Bob Marley for this week’s issue, we knew she would send us something special. In addition to being the official photographer for Marley’s European Exodus Tour, in 1977, Kate has been a friend of Bob’s since they first met, at a concert, in 1975. Not only did Kate supply us with some amazing photos of Bob, she also shared a few words about her time with him. Continued here.

Check out the recent Marley documentary here.

Friday Ephemera - Tom Waits photos

Tom Waits at Ronnie Scott's, by Kate Simon, 1978

Tom Waits by Henry Diltz

Kate Simon by Paul Gorman

The Clash by Kate Simon

Every once in a while things pay off, and I feel like what I do, what I pursue, is worthwhile. I was recently able to introduce writer Paul Gorman, and photographer Kate Simon. The result is today's wonderful mini-bio, by Paul, of Simon's incredible career.

"...what has been her approach? “To make a connection; I love good eye contact, first and foremost. Also cultivating my work, which has been my greatest companion. My recommendation is: Follow your bliss and cultivate your work. That is one companion which will never abandon you.” Read the whole thing here.

Check out Kate's work here.

Of note - Yr Heart Out, Paul Gorman blog, Kate Simon book

I just wanted to point out a couple of things worth investigating.

Friend Kevin, over at Your Heart Out, has a new issue of his free ezine ready for your perusal entitled Skimming Stones. You can download it here.

As he describes it: After some revealing romps in the archives of The Pop Group and the Mad Professor’s Ariwa label it’s time to explore some related roots and branches. So, if you’ve even a passing interest in, for example, On-U Sound, Jah Wobble, Disco Dub Band, Dennis Bovell, lovers rock, afro rock, pub rock, The Fabulous Stains and Snatch, you will have a lot of fun exploring this particular pop tract.

Paul Gorman on his couch with friend

 Also, Mr. Paul Gorman, that great gumshoe at the crossroads of fashion, music, art, and all cool culture, has yet another blog to add to his already impressive list of online business. This would include the must reads The Look, and Reasons To Be Cheerful at BarneyBubbles.com. Head on over to PaulGormanIs.com and hit the subscribe button.

Wailers having fun at the hotel on tour for Exodus, by Kate Simon

Lastly, Kate Simon, she of the amazing photographic eye, has one of those incredibly beautiful, luxurious, and expensive books available from Genesis Publications in the UK - Bob Marley: Rebel Music. There are a couple of different editions available, and it's obviously essential for any serious Marley fans out there. Check it out here.

Wailers at the Lyceum Theatre, London, by Kate Simon