Motown Museum

There are two things that Detroit is most famous for. The first is obvious. Mass production of vehicles by way of the assembly line, courtesy of Henry Ford. During World War 2, Detroit, "The Arsenal of Democracy", was the only place capable of producing the armaments needed to win the war. Good job.
The second most important is Motown Records. Do yourself a favor. If you love music, visit the Motown Museum, as I just did. Located on West Grand Blvd., Detroit. Featured are pictures, costumes, musical instruments, an echo chamber, gold and platinum records, and much more. I don't want to give it all away. And, then there's Studio A. Barry Gordy's converted garage. Every Motown hit was recorded there. Supremes, 4 Topps, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Jacksons, Vandellas, Temptations, Marvelettes, Velvelettes, Gladys Knight,Mary Welles. Ten dollars allows you to be in that room. Sacred ground. Yeah.
Thanks for reading,
Rocksteady60

The Blame Game

OK. I'm breaking my own rules. Never discuss politics or religion. No matter what you say, you will never change any one's mind.
I'm sure you, as I, have been bombarded with Emails spewing hate against our politicians, about the state of affairs in our country. One of the Emails claimed that the Obama administration was going to take away all guns from Americans. They were going to do this through an International treaty, so Congressional approval would not be required. Please.
How about one of my favorites: President Obama was not born in the USA, therefore, is not eligible to be President! Congressmen are being attacked unmercifully, especially regarding their Health care vote.
Make no mistake, I do not hold politicians in high regard. When they leave the room, I check my wallet. I believe that, like lawyers, they start out with the best of intentions. Hey, I want to help people. Then, they arrive, and have to play the game. I will vote for federal funds for your dam reconstruction, if you will vote for my friend's research on the sex lives of Yaks in North America. Deal. So it goes.
What I am suggesting is that some of the blame should go to the "Man in the Mirror".
Yeah, you and I.
Non-Politicians: Big Oil- Hundreds of thousands gallons of oil have leaked into the Gulf. The price of gas has gone down. Remember when the prices went up due to a minor incident at a refinery?
Wall Street- GREED with a capital G. Remember your first mortgage. I had to show no bills, except car or utility, to qualify.Our recent economic meltdown was partially attributed to banks handing out mortgages to anyone who wanted one.
Big Business- Billion Dollar Companies establishing their headquarters in another country to avoid taxes.
Joe Six Pack, (you and I):
If you are fifty or older, you remember when, "Made in Japan" meant cheap; and was laughable.
We have "Buy American" on our T-Shirts and bumper stickers, but we like our low, low prices. That means, we buy foreign.Love of SUVs and pick-up trucks the size of train cars, do not help the energy situation.

"We Have Met the Enemy, and the Enemy is Us".
Walt Kelly, 1970.

Son of a Preacher Man

In my previous postings, I wrote about my times playing with rock bands in the late sixties and early seventies. Now, I will salute and recommend artists that I like. Their music will be featured in my Amazon widget at the top of the page. Please click on it for samples of the music.

Forget about the fact that Marvin Gaye spent his last three days on earth,holed up in his parent's house, wearing a maroon bathrobe, carrying a gun. We are here to celebrate his incredible body of work.

His father was a strict minister. He did not allow singing, dancing, or listening to modern music. Marvin was allowed to sing in church. When of age, Marvin joined the Air Force. In 1957, when he got out, formed a band, called "The Marquees". Bo Diddly was his mentor.
In 1961, he signed with Motown, where he would later marry Barry Gordy's daughter. Spent his early time with Motown as a session drummer, working on early Smokey Robinson recordings. Soon, he would record as a singer. 1962 brought his first hit, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow". Later came, "Hitchhike", which the Rolling Stones covered, and "Can I Get a Witness. Followed by collaborations with Tami Terell, Mary Wells, and Kim Weston. 1968 brought his first No. 1 hit, with "I Heard it Through the Grapevine". His paranoia was evident here.
Marvin then went into his social, political, civil rights mode with, "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me", "Inner City Blues". 1973, he slid into eroticism. Along with his growing cocaine habit, Marvin was also quite the ladies man. Having been through a divorce, he was recording "Sexual Healing" and " Let's Get it On".
Marvin Gaye was a "Troubled Man", conflicted by his early strict religious upbring, and for his sexual adventures, and drug use.In 1983, trying to reconcile this, he returned from Europe, and moved into his parent's home in California. Instead of helping, he grew increasingly paranoid, detached from reality. In an ironic twist, he gave his father the gun, who shot him, in 1984, after a violent argument.

1983, Marvin received his only Grammy award.
He was elected to the Rock and Hall of Fame in 1987.

Life is a Carnival, especially for the Bouncer.

Well, I remembered so more stuff. While I'm typing this, I am uploading two more videos on Youtube, upstairs, on my daughter's laptop. What a country!.
First, I would like to recognize our "Roadies". Mike in the Attack, and Wayne and Dennis for White Light. The term, "Roadies" had not been invented yet. We called them, "Equipment Men". These guys were dedicated and very serious about their job. They would load, unload, and set up the equipment. All we had to do was go on stage, and plug-in. They would take care of whatever else you needed. We loved them, man!

The Carnival Lounge was located on West Vernor and Scotten, Detroit. A very tough Mexican neighborhood.We felt safe. the locals loved us. One night, while we were playing, a gunshot rang out! It seems an underage, wannabe patron, took exception to the bouncer rejecting his I.D., and shot him in the back. In all the confusion, we were told to "Keep Playing". The Bouncer was okay. The proprietor's name was Doc, and we received a free drink after every set. Only place to ever do that.
Right after that gig, the "People's Choice", played at Lafayette Orleans Club, across the street from Lafayette Towers in Detroit. Another culture shock. This place was a high class suit and tie, Black nightclub. Frequented by Detroit Lions, and visiting N.F.L. teams. Lions played at Tiger Stadium in those days. No free drinks there. We were offered "day" prices". So it goes.

Thanks for reading,

Rocky

Disco Arrives. See Ya'

Coincidently, just after I quit playing in bands, Disco music came on the scene. I was, and, still am grateful for the timing. I reached a point where things were not working out for one reason or another. It makes me appreciate the good times had in most of the bands I was in. Despite the lack of big time success, I have lasting positive memories.

Now, on to the business of why Disco was successful. Rock music had lost it's aggressive nature. Super bands like the Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream had become tremendously wealthy, and naturally complacent. It's hard to sing about teenage angst, and the man keeping me down, when you own castles in England, and mansions in Martinique! No doubt, the break up of the Beatles, and the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and others, played a part.
Right around 1976, young people started becoming narcissistic. Dressing better, or so they thought. Remember Leisure suits? Dancing lessons, Cocaine, and turning their back on Pot, and the whole "stoner" mentality, was now "IN". Club owners caught on right away. With their patrons so self absorbed, why should they pay for a band? How about bringing in some guy to play his music collection, for a fraction of the cost?
Thus, the 'Disc Jockey' was born. Not to be confused with disc jockeys on the radio.
These clowns, began to think they were, "Show Biz" personalities, developing their own styles. You know, part of the show.

On July 12, 1979, Rock fans could take it no more. A Chicago radio disc jockey, Steve Dahl, and the Chicago White Sox Baseball team staged a "Hate Disco Night". Fans were asked to bring in disco records to be blown up between games of a doubleheader played against the Detroit Tigers.The result was chaos. Hundreds of fans brought records. Some blew the records up themselves. Fires were started. The field was so trashed, it became unplayable. The White Sox had to forfeit the game to the Tigers.
We know now that Disco was an aberration, a fad. However, the music world today is...... Discuss amongst yourselves.
Bye for now. I'll be back. Perhaps with new topics.
Thanks for reading,
Rocky

Michigan Music Venues, and Oh! Canada Part 3 of 3

Detroit Federation of Musicians Union Hall, Schafer and Seven Mile Rd., Detroit, Mi.

Stan Mitchell and the People's Choice auditioned there, for "The June Brown Show". This lady was a columnist for the Detroit News, and had a Saturday afternoon talk show on channel 4. Pre-Oprah.
There were five other acts auditioning. When we started playing, the ladies working in the kitchen, came out into the hall, dancing and clapping their hands. Apparently, that influenced the four guys in suits, sitting at a table facing us. We got the job.
So, it was off to Channel 4 T.V. Studios. Nothing noteworthy, except we had to play at a low volume, and there were a lot of guys with headphones. June Brown called us, "Harold Mitchell and the People's Choice".

Twenty Grand Night Club, 14th Street, Detroit.

In the fifties, sixties, and seventies, 20 Grand was the hippest club in Detroit Black Society.
The hall of fame list of performers include, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson,Jackie Wilson, Temptations, Edwin Starr, Stevie Wonder, Supremes, Four Topps, James Jamerson, on and on.
We played there one night. Our lead singer, Stan, channeled his inner Frank Sinatra. One of two songs we did was, "Best Things In Life are Free", up tempo. The stage was piano shaped, with well dressed patrons sitting all around us.This was out of character for us, but we loved it.
The Twenty Grand, like so many other Detroit venerable institutions, was a victim of the wreaking ball. It should never be forgotten.

Michigan Music Venues, and Oh! Canada. Part 2

Has this happened to you? A band that you really like from the past,is coming to town. You have not seen them in years. Checking further, it is revealed that, not all the original members are still together. Maybe, the band member you were looking forward to seeing, is not a part of it.
Well, I was a part of taking this to the extreme.
On hiatus from "White Light", I was contacted by former "Attack" members. They were on a tour in Reading, Pennsylvania, as the "Detroit Wheels", (without Mitch Ryder).
In fact, the only original "Detroit Wheel', was, you guessed it, the bass player! He had become ill, and could not continue. So, there we were, playing, "Jenny Take a Ride", "Devil with the Blue Dress on",etc., with no original band members. Girls would knock on our motel room doors carrying Mitch Ryder albums, and ask us, "Which one are you?" We would point to a guy, and sign the album. Give the people what they want.
"Rolling Rock" was the local beer.
We then finished this off in Buffalo, N.Y.

To close out the Canadian story, (Buffalo is near Canada),'Stanley Mitchell and the People's Choice' played at the Embassy Bar and Hotel in Windsor, on Ouelette avenue. Travelling there five nights a week, for about six months, I was never really hassled by the border guards. The drinking age in Canada was eighteen, twenty one in the states. As a result,the influx of "Yankees", provided the bar with great business.
The bar also contained a hotel. "Nuff said".
The saga will continue.
Thanks for reading.

Michigan Music Venues, and Oh! Canada. Part 1

In this posting, I'd like to tell you about some of the places I've played. Talk about variety. A few have already been written about in previous postings.

Kennedy Square, downtown Detroit, 1968. Hip, FM radio station WABX, broadcast their first outdoor live concert. The "Attack", and "Target" were featured. This was before the radio station's Wayne State Tartar Field concert broadcasts.Two things I remember: It was chilly. The sound bouncing off the tall downtown buildings.

Grande Ballroom, Grand River and Beverly, Detroit.See my first posting for more.
There's a cat named Tony D'Annunzio,who is creating a film about the history of the Grande. It is called, "Louder Than Love,The Untold Story of the Grande Ballroom". Please check it out.

Crows Nest East, 13 mi. and Harper, St. Clair Shores. Teenage nightclubs like this sprung up all over Michigan. Kind of like the Grande, but with training wheels! No drinks, of course, but kids could see the bigger local bands, such as MC5, SRC,Frost, Rationals,Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Third Power, etc.

Goose Lake Festival, 1970? I really can't be a hundred percent sure we played there. I do know, that "White Light", played at a giant outdoor festival, where the previously stated MC5 incident took place. Playing in front of six, eight thousand people, did not bother me, as much as a room containing twenty, or so would. I figured the big crowd is busy trying to guess where the restrooms are, whether the acid they bought is safe, and is my ride home still around? Whereas, the smaller crowd is dissecting your every move.

Canada. When the "White Light" ventured there, We were the main act. Places like Sudbury,Tillbury, Wallaceburg and Chatham, Ontario.
Driving into town, we would see our name featured on the biggest marquee. We were the only thing going on that weekend. You could almost hear parents warning their daughters. The Ontario Provincial Police were on high alert. We were searched at the border, as though we were distributing narcotics to all the teenagers. One astute ranger at the border took one of our girlfriend's hair curler electric machines. He thought the white powder inside, was Cocaine. Alas, after thirty minutes, he returned with it, and stated it was only baking soda. Still, the van had to be unloaded, by us, and searched. Nothing was ever found. The word "Profiling" was not used then.
End of Part 1.

The Baddest Cat Lands, Where?

The Baddest Cat being Michael Henderson, Bass Player. A true "Electro-Funkateer"!
As a young prodigy, Michael played with the Detroit Emeralds at age thirteen. Soon after, Billy Preston, Aretha Franklin,and many more. He did session work at Motown, following James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt. In the late sixties, he found himself in Stevie Wonder's Band. This was the "If You Really Love Me" era. My favorite Stevie song.
At a Wonder concert, in a well documented fact, Miles Davis told Stevie Wonder, "I'm gonna steal your f@*^*ng bass player".
So, Michael joined Miles Davis' band. This was post "Bitches Brew". Miles had began a transformation into electric rock, and, for that reason, what better bass player to have than Michael Henderson.
As a member of the before mentioned, "Stanley Mitchell and the People's choice", we played at a club in St. Clair Shores, on Nine Mile near Mack, called "Shirley's Swinger Lounge". And, it did. That joint was jumpin'.We "tore the roof off".
One night, we knew a drummer named Lawrence was coming in. What we didn't know was, he brought a friend, Michael Henderson. I was playing, when I saw HIM walk in. Wow, instant jello legs, and throat issues!
Michael sat in with our band for one number. We talked after. He asked me if he could borrow my bass, because he had to do some sessions with Miles; and his bass was not working properly. I agreed, of course. The very same 1963 Fender Jazz Bass I use today.
Just two months ago, I emailed Michael on his Google site, to ask him, if he played my bass on any Miles Davis recordings. I still have not heard from him. He doesn't remember, or doesn't use that site any more, or is creeped out. Oh well.
Just a half mile from where I grew up, "Shirley's" is no longer there. A victim of suburban renewal. I still hope to hear from Michael.