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.