JETHRO TULL: “My God…or How I developed a dislike for a great band…”
“This Was” JETHRO TULL: released (US)February 1969 Even with it’s unusual cover photo and liner notes so hard to visually decipher, I loved Jethro Tull’s first lp “This Was”. The music was incredible. Blues,folk, jazz, and rock all thrown together in a mix which made my 17 year old ears perk right up. The calendar had just turned to 1969(February) and this album was a fine addition to my ever expanding collection. I remember going to TSS which had a great record department to purchase “This Was” and “Fleetwood Mac” (Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac). From that afternoon, both pieces of vinyl found heavy rotation on the turntable in my upstairs bedroom.
So, here we are going into Spring of 69 and a new “favorite” guitarist joins my ever expanding list, MICK ABRAHAMS. Excitement filled the air in my tiny room every time that LP was played. CLIVE BUNKER on the kit, GLENN CORNICK on the bass, the flute and vocals of Ian (and Mick vocals) that album was a joy to listen to. Alas, my neighbor saw JETHRO TULL at STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY and again at FILLMORE EAST with JEFF BECK (July 69) and broke the news to me that MICK ABRAHAMS was out and a new guitarist was in, MARTIN BARRE. Geez, I was disappointed but my neighbor (3 years older than I) whom I considered to have had impeccable taste in the music told me the new guy was good.
“Stand Up” JETHRO TULL: released September 1969STAND UP is released in September 69, the second JETHRO TULL album, the first with MARTIN BARRE. It’s a bit different and I found listening to it quite enjoyable, but it wasn’t “This Was”.
NOVEMBER 1969: At one of the notorious weekend parties at a friend’s house, with TIME WAS being played in the background someone suggests we, the group, get tickets to see JETHRO TULL. I threw in my 11 bucks for two seats.
December, 1970 FILLMORE EAST:FAT MATTRESS up first, a band which was basically Noel Redding the ex-bassist for Hendrix’s Experience now playing lead guitar and fronting the group.They were terrible. (The band disbanded a few weeks later, with Noel walking out during the American tour) .GRAND FUNK RAILROAD was loud, very loud, fast and did I mention loud. There was a hair flowing lead guitarist running about on the stage. Geez, these schmoes got an encore and then another encore…WHAT? The Fillmore East crowd begging for multiple encores? Grand What? It was unusual even with my limited concert experience to see a support band called back more than once. Then, JETHRO TULL hits the stage with NOTHING IS EASY, a great opening tune. “Bouree”, “A New Day Yesterday, “My Sunday Feeling”, “Fat Man”, “Dharma For One” , “For A Thousand Mothers” along with a tune or two to which I was unfamiliar. Overall, a nice set by a band I was willing to see again.
April 70 Jethro Tull’s third album “Benefit” is released and I add it to my collection but overall was not too impressed with it.
May 1970: On a train with a large group of 12 friends we are off to the FILLMORE EAST late show featuring JETHRO TULL, supported by JOHN SEBASTIAN and CLOUDS, a strange mix of artists for his May 22 bill. CLOUDS a power trio from Scotland who shared management with Jethro Tull landed the opening slot and proceeded to assault our ears with their loud music, if that’s what it could be called. They were followed by JOHN SEBASTIAN, complete in his stoned out Woodstock tie dye outfit playing acoustic guitar, and harmonica. From a power trio to a stoned acoustic singer, we were mesmerized. Now, throw in JETHRO TULL as the closer. JETHRO TULL was now a five piece outfit, adding John Evans on piano, and the band was playing tunes from the recently released BENEFIT album along with the traditional STAND UP songs and a new one with a long diatribe introduction by IAN ANDERSON, “My God”. I pined for the THIS WAS era tunes and the only one they played this night was DHARMA FOR ONE(15 plus minutes) which is the drum solo.”Nothing Is Easy”,”My God”,”To Cry You A Song”, “With You There To Help Me”, “Sossity…”,”Reason For Waiting”, “Dharma For One”, “We Used To Know”, and “For A Thousand Mothers”.
JULY 17, 1970: RANDALL’S ISLAND FESTIVAL: Tull played the identical set as of the FILLMORE EAST show a few weeks ago.
August 3, 1970: WOLLMAN SKATING RINK in Central Park, JETHRO TULL is supported by HAYSTACKS BALBOA a band playing their very first major venue gig, and it showed. JETHRO TULL open up with “To Cry You A Song” followed by the almost identical introduction to “My God” as Anderson did in May. Ian Anderson tried to entertain the crowd with dialogs between some songs but I found this nonsense to show him as a weird dude and getting weirder by the moment. That night I lost all momentum to follow this band any further. ”With You There To Help Me”, “A Song For Jeffrey”,”Sossity, You’re A Woman” (loved it), the obligatory “Dharma For One” (about 15 minutes) and the traditional closer, “For A Thousand Mothers”.
April 29, 1971; JETHRO TULL @ New Paltz It was Spring Break and TULL was one of the major acts performing in the gym. The sound was muffled, the nonsense between tunes unbearable, and it was hotter than hell in the hall.
May 5,1971: JETHRO TULL at FILLMORE EAST, from a cancelled show last month.Yuck.
May 71 AQUALUNG released and Tull goes to MSG, I did purchase the lp, gave it a few spins and traded it away. Didn’t even consider buying a ticket for The Garden show.
May 72 THICK AS A BRICK: Nope/done
2020: Ian Anderson is still going and I only have the first two Tull records in my collection but did add an incredible THIS WAS (live) recorded by MICK ABRAHAMS THIS WAS BAND. Also, filed away are the two BLODWIN PIG records.
TICKETS TORN IN HALF: March Madness with THE ALLMAN BROTHERS FAMILY and FRIENDS
A complete book could be written about my musical fascination with one band that became my obsession, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND. It started in March of 71 when I saw them live for the very first time. I was speechless. They were that good and then some. Over the years I have been to hundreds of concerts seeing various bands of all genres, 50 plus shows (to date) have been ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND related. Not just the ABB per-say but ABB extended family and friends. I have numbered the show (I’m sure I missed one or several) and with the help of my handwritten notes, SETLIST.COM, some newspaper clipping I saved, and my trusty mayonnaise jar(s) filled with “tickets torn in half” I offer the following.
(Shows #1 and # 2)March 13,1971
My intro to the Allman Brothers was having their first album, sitting in the “A” pile of my record collection. I listened to it maybe twice by this time.Then, my college radio buddy was paying back a favor whereby I gave up my first row ticket for a Leon Russell show at The Capitol so that he could take a girl. He felt he owed me something in return so he invited me to join him to see Johnny Winter at Fillmore East. Our show was the 11:30 set. Dinner was planned for 7PM. By 8:45PM “my buddy” was a no show, and I was freezing just standing around in the cold waiting. Magically, some guy walks up to me handing me a free ticket for the 8PM show. Not knowing whether my buddy would ever show up I thanked the guy for the freebie, finished my cigarette and entered the sacred hall. ELVIN BISHOP was already “Partying Til The Cows Come Home” as I found my upper balcony seat. At the short intermission I grabbed a cup of coffee and a cigarette in the lobby then I sat down to hear the introduction that changed everything: “THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND”. In moments my eyes were wide, and a smile from ear to ear appeared across my face. Never before had I seen or heard anything like this band. Yes, I saw Fleetwood Mac with two guitarists exchanging leads, two drummers in THE DEAD, a bass player who had a bottom sound, yet here was a Hammond B-3 player who when he sang was angelic, Ray Charles like. After their set the crowd was roaring for “MORE, MORE”. One long encore, and it was over. After an equipment change the crowd was still buzzing about The ALLMANS. JOHNNY WINTER AND (THE McCOYS) took the stage but all I could think about was THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND.
The early show crowd was let out and I could still hear the raves outside about The Allman Brothers. Forget Johnny Winter, as I was excited at a chance to see The Allman Brothers Band again that night.I met my buddy with the ticket and told him of the band’s sound and the amazing guitar workings. After grabbing something to eat we headed back to the hall at about midnight. Elvin Bishop was tearing it up, had the crowd in his favor when we were met with the houselights rising and being instructed that we needed to evacuate the hall in a peaceful manner. Seems a bomb threat had been called in. As it was freezing outside we were promised we would be let back in as soon as it was possible. It seemed like an eternity outside but finally, back in, freezing, the house light dim and “Ladies and gentleman, Johnny Winter And”…. what? What about The Allmans??? I thought, geez. Johnny did a short 35 minute set, and as he exited the stage manager stated “The Allman BROTHERS BAND” would be up next. Thank goodness.
When The Allmans hit the stage an announcement was made that the band would be recording live. They played for hours, hours, yet it was not nearly long enough for me. The sun was rising as we headed for the door. It was an amazing set, as can be witnessed on the album, LIVE AT FILLMORE EAST. Note: a few guys I know went to the next night (Sunday) gig at Suffolk Community College.
(3) APRIL 27,1971:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND @ THE ACTION HOUSE, (aka Rock Pile) Island Park,NY A week night no less but to see the Allman Brothers Band at THE ACTION HOUSE, a small club would be a joy. A very late night, indeed, but worth it and not too crowded.(5 bucks)
(4) MAY 2,1971: ALLMAN BROTHERS @ Hofstra University. It was a Sunday night performance so school on Monday morn would be a drag and (Accounting 2 and Business Law) finals are beginning NOW.
(5) June 25,1971: THE FILLMORE EAST closes with the longest and best set (to date) given by the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND/ J. Geils Band and Albert King
END OF AN ERA:
The Fillmore East was closing it’s doors for good on Sunday, June 27, audience by invitation only. I felt I needed to be there on Saturday, June 26 for the late show. A few weeks prior to this date, I was speaking with a young lady who worked the box office. Somehow, we two had become friendly over the last few months. She got me a ticket for Saturday, in the middle section of the front balcony. Cool.
JUNE 25: ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, J. GEILS BAND, and ALBERT KING at Fillmore East, called “the ALLMAN BROTHERS show to end all shows”. In the hall after midnight, we saw the most incredible set by Albert King, followed by The J. Geils Band. Then, The ALLMAN BROTHERS took the stage, introduced so eloquently by Bill Graham, and the band played what is rumored to be their finest set ever. The sun was up, 7AM, as we headed toward the subway on Second Avenue.
July 7, 1971: The release of AT FILLMORE EAST
(6) July 21,1971: ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND/ COWBOY @ shows at Central Park were an experience. In the park the sun was shining brightly as the ABB hits the stage and they finished hours later in the calm of an early evening. Duane was in his element. I took photos galore. With two shows that night,we had the early one. STATESBORO TROUBLE NO MORE DON’T KEEP ME WONDERING DONE SOMEBODY WRONG ONE WAY OUT MIDNIGHT RIDER IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED YOU DON’T LOVE ME REVIVAL
(7)August 15,1971: ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND show moved to Academy Of Music from Manhattan Center. This was a Sunday night spectacular with Dr. John opening. The ABB were becoming HUGE at this very moment due to the release of the FILLMORE EAST album. It was amazing to see this band and the effect their music had on the crowd. It was like a brotherhood.
Statesboro
Trouble No More
Don’t Keep Me Wondering
Done Somebody Wrong
One Way Out
In Memory of Eliz Reed
Blue Sky (debut for me)
Midnight Rider
Hot ‘Lanta
Soul Serenade ( In Memory of King Curtis)
You Don’t Love Me
Revival
A few nights later (August 26th,1971) WPLJ-FM did a live from the A&R Recording Studio radio broadcast of the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND. I taped it.
STATESBORO
TROUBLE NO MORE
DON’T KEEP ME WONDERIN
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
ONE WAY OUT
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
STORMY MONDAY
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
(SOUL SERANADE INTERLUDE)
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
HOT ‘LANTA
BAND INTROS
I wore my tape out listening to it over and over again, and again. It was so great.
OCTOBER 1971:Suddenly very wealthy and very successful some of the band and crew took a break to rehab from a heroin addiction. Duane, Berry, and roadies Robert Payne and Red Dog Campbell checked into LINWOOD-BRYANT HOSPITAL.
OCTOBER 29, 1971: DUANE ALLMAN DIES in a motorcycle accident. The album EAT A PEACH is incomplete.
FEBRUARY 12, 1972: EAT A PEACH is released and becomes an instant success.
(8) July 13, 1972: The ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND @ Gaelic Park, BRONX, NY /Captain Beyond opened. This was a strange show DUANE was gone and you could feel the loss in the music.I had to meander through the crowd having gotten there late due to the horrendous traffic in the Bronx and when I finally got entrance I couldn’t find my group of friends. Show ended early due to local curfew, in The Bronx?
STATESBORO
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE (debut for me)
ONE WAY OUT
STORMY MONDAY
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
WHIPPING POST
MOUNTAIN JAM (W/ GARCIA and WEIR)
Strange on this night listening to Gregg cry out during AIN’T WASTING TIME (first time I heard it) as it pertains to death, not only of the author GREGG ALLMAN’S brother’s death (Duane) but also about soldiers returning from VIETNAM.
NOVEMBER 11, 1972 The Death of Berry Oakley. On November 11th, Berry Oakley was taking a ride on his ’67 Triumph motorcycle along with friend Kim Payne, when he crashed into a bus on Inverness Avenue, only three blocks from Duane Allman’s fatal crash site a year earlier.
(9) May 1, 1973: ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND/ MARSHALL TUCKER BAND @ Nassau Coliseum I had to go, I was curious. The ABB opened with “Wasted Words”.Duane’s gone and so is Berry. Lamar Williams (bass) and Chuck Levell (piano)join the ranks,these are RAMBLIN’ MAN days as DICKEY BETTS takes over. The addition of Chuck is a stroke of genius. He mesmerizes the crowd. Years later I bought the cd recorded this very evening.
WASTED WORDS
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
STATESBORO
ONE WAY OUT
STORMY MONDAY
MIDNIGHT RIDER
JESSICA
COME AND GO BLUES
RAMBLIN MAN
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
TROUBLE NO MORE
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
LES BRES IN A MINOR
WHIPPING POST
MOUNTAIN JAM
(10) July 21, 1973 ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND @ MSG The ABB even after the death of Duane and Berry were becoming a huge attraction on the circuit. This two night stand at MSG followed two sell outs with the Grateful Dead at RFK stadium , 80,000 seats each night.
WASTED WORDS
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
SOUTHBOUND- (CHUCK LEVELL IS AMAZING)
STORMY MONDAY
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
COME AND GO BLUES
TROUBLE NO MORE
RAMBLIN’ MAN
STATESBORO
ONE WAY OUT
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
LES BRES IN A MINOR
WHIPPING POST
MOUNTAIN JAM
(11)July 14,1974 ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND/ GRINDERSWITCH @ Nassau COLISEUM- In my opinion not really a good time musically for the ABB but they are huge and the crowd roars acknowledging each song which was a total misrepresentation of what was being played up on the stage. The music to me was disjointed to say the least. I was heart-broken. (except for Chuck during JESSICA). My note: It will be awhile before I see them again, if I ever do.
WASTED WORDS
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
ONE WAY OUT
STORMY MONDAY
MIDNIGHT RIDER
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
STATESBORO
BLUE SKY
COME AND GO BLUES
TROUBLE NO MORE
JESSICA
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
LES BRES IN A MINOR
RAMBLIN’ MAN
WHIPPING POST
1989: DREAMS: The Box Set is released.
(12) March 18, 1992: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND @ BEACON THEATRE . Its has been quite some time (18 years) since I witnessed an ABB show. Not due to something with me but rather them as a band. They broke up a few times due to drugs, ego, etc, etc,and at some point I lost interest in their shenanigans, but I still loved their music. I was offered a ticket to celebrate my 40th birthday from one of my former students who thought it would be a blast to take me and 8 others to see this monster of a band I raved about for years. So with a free ticket, a seat in the upper balcony left side of stage, safely placed in my pocket the question is: why not venture out the night AFTER St. Patrick’s Day to see if the band (and me) still got it. Jaimoe, Dickey, Gregg, Butch are the heart of the band and now they added Marc Quinones (percussionist), Warren Haynes on guitar and Woody Allen on bass. The house lights dim a few minutes after 8PM and with “1,2,3”…Statesboro Blues is played with THOM DOUCETTE on harp. From my seat in the balcony I was immediately thrown back 21 years in time to FILLMORE EAST, March of 71, with a true twin guitar approach, Gregg in good vocal form and 3 drummers pounding out the beat. WOW.And they offer a few acoustic numbers making their set mesmerizing. Got home about 3AM and went to work a few hours later. I will be back.Note:This night was the very first time I heard the ABB play “Dreams”.
(13) Aug 9, 1995: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@Jones Beach. They opened with Statesboro, and later Chris Robinson from BLACK CROWES joins in for SOUTHBOUND. Funny, I waited a few tours from the 92 show before I jumped back in, I was afraid of being disappointed. Tonight was the same line up as my last viewing (92) but the outdoor thing loses me a bit.
STATESBORO
MIDNIGHT RIDER
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
BLUE SKY
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE
THE SAME THING
DREAMS
SOUTHBOUND
END OF THE LINE
BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
HOOTCHIE COOCHIE MAN
NO ONE TO RUN WITH ANYMORE
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
ONE WAY OUT
RAMBLIN MAN
1996 THE ABB SELL OUT 13 BEACON THEATRE shows.
(14) March 9,1996: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@The Beacon. The 7th show of the 13 night run and according to the press Gregg has been erratic in his performance. The first few night he bowed out for a few songs and even missed the entire second set one night. Tonight he was strong in voice and on stage for the entire show. It was pretty good.This line up is great as Warren and Woody do command some attention. And we heard some new tunes.
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
GOOD CLEAN FUN
RAMBLIN’ MAN
WORRIED DOWN WITH THE BLUES
TOMBSTONE EYES
MIDNIGHT RIDER
STAND BACK
END OF THE LINE
CHANGE MY WAY OF LIVING
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
DON’T WANT YOU NO MORE
ITS NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE
HOOTCHIE COOCHIE MAN
BLUE SKY
I KNOW I OUGHTA LEAVE
BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
ONE WAY OUT
WHIPPING POST
(15)July 21, 1996 THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND/ GOD STREET WINE @ Jones Beach. They open w/ Statesboro and for me it’s always STATESBORO that grabs me. Sitting at the top of the expanded amphitheater with a guy I finally convinced to attend a show with me, we are seated amongst college kids, drunk guys who conned their drunk girls to go topless. And it rained.
STATESBORO
MIDNIGHT RIDER
BLUE SKY
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
WHAT’S DONE IS DONE
WORRIED DOWN WITH THE BLUES
CHANGE MY WAS OF LIVING
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED DREAMS
HOOTCHIE COOCHIE MAN
BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
ONE WAY OUT
6.
1997: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND SELL OUT A DOZEN SHOWS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH @ THE BEACON
(16) March 16,1997:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon-A SUNDAY NIGHT-THE FIFTH SHOW OF 12 NIGHTS and they open with HOT ‘LANTA. James Montgomery joins ONE WAY OUT, Duane Betts. Warren and Woody still there and smokin’.
HOT ‘LANTA
STATESBORO (DICKEY ON SLIDE)
SAILIN’ CROSS THE DEVIL’S SEA
MIDNIGHT RIDER
BLUE SKY
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
WHAT’S DONE IS DONE
WORRIED DOWN WITH THE BLUES
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
THE SAME THING
DREAMS
BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
SOULSHINE(debut for me-amazing)
CHANGE MY WAY OF LIVING
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
HIGH FALLS
ONE WAY OUT w/ James Montgomery, Duane Betts
1998: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS SELL OUT 15 SHOWS @ THE BEACON. This round odf shows the band has a different line up as WARREN HAYNES and WOODY ALLEN are out concentrating on GOV’T MULE while also avoiding the craziness known as DICKEY BETTS.
(17)March 7, 1998: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS@ THE BEACON The 4th of 15 dates:Jack Pearson (guitar) and Oteil Burbridge(bass) join Gregg,Dickie, Butch,Jaimoe and Marc. An Acoustic set is a nice change of pace.Note:Gregg appears to be in “la-la land”.
DON’T KEEP ME WONDERING
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE
CHANGE MY WAY OF LIVING DIMPLES
STORMY MONDAY
GOOD CLEAN FUN
HIGH FALLS
(ACOUSTIC SET)
PONY BOY
EVERYDAY
MIDNIGHT BLUES
COME ON IN MY KITCHEN (OUTSTANDING VERSION)
MELISSA
MIDNIGHT RIDER
(ELECTRIC)
NOBODY KNOWS
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
encore
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
(18) Oct 31,1998: GREGG ALLMAN @ Westbury Halloween night and what better way to have some fun then see THE GREGG ALLMAN BAND perform. I must say it was quite different from THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, yet still tasty.
1999: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND sell out 18 shows at THE BEACON.
(Taken from a clipping I saved) “Through that second set, the trademark twin-guitar attack of Betts and new guy Jack Pearson (who replaced Warren Haynes last year) soared as they first would cut heads trying to outdo each other, and then ultimately would play in well-rehearsed, parallel harmonies”.
Note:At the end of this run JACK PEARSON leaves the band.
(19)March 6,1999: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon, these run of shows in March are now known as THE RITE OF SPRING/ MARCH MADNESS and of the 18 sold out shows I have two sets of tickets, one set for MARCH 6 (orchestra left side) and another for the second night MARCH 19, front row center.And a new buddy joins in my madness for the first night.
March 6,1999 has an Amazing opening; the two tunes which open the debut album, the SPENCER DAVIS tune “Don’t Want You No More” and the band runs straight into “It’s Not My Cross To Bear”. WOW.
DON’T WANT YOU NO MORE
IT’S NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR
STAND BACK
GOOD TIMES (DON’T FADE AWAY)
PLEASE CALL HOME
I’M NOT CRYING
ONE WAY OUT
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
J.J.’S ALLEY
SEVEN TURNS (ACOUSTIC)
MELISSA (ACOUSTIC)
SAILING’ CROSS THE DEVIL’S SEA
BLUE SKY
LEAVE MY BLUES AT HOME
STORMY MONDAY
LES BRES IN A MINOR
REVIVAL
SOUTHBOUND
WHIPPING POST
(20)March 19,1999: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon : My second show of this run (first row center) and I couldn’t find ANYONE available to go. Then finally at a St. Paddy’s Day get together I offered the ticket (free) to a friend, and after speaking to his wife he finally agreed. To this day he states it was the “best show” he ever attended. I must admit it was pretty good.Note: Similar setlist from the other night.
DON’T WANT YOU NO MORE
IT’S NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR
DON’T KEEP ME WONDERING
GOOD TIMES (DON’T FADE)
PLEASE CALL HOME
I’M NOT CRYING
STATESBORO
SOUTHBOUND
J.J.’S ALLEY
SEVEN TURNS (acoustic)
MELISSA(acoustic)
SAILIN’ ACROSS THE DEVIL’S SEA
BLUE SKY
LEAVE MY BLUES AT HOME
LES BRES IN A MINOR
REVIVAL
RAMBLIN’ MAN
WHIPPING POST
(21) March 10: 2000: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon This year is DICKEY BETTS’ last run. Last year
Jack Pearson left the band due to “tinnitus” and blamed Dickey being way too loud, Jack preferred the acoustic sets which in years past were amazing. A new kid DEREK TRUCKS is in on guitar and he is a show unto himself. Dickey is fired a few months later.THE RITE OF SPRING/ MARCH MADNESS continues with 13 sold out dates and all recorded for the collection PEAKIN’ AT THE BEACON.These tapes when played back found DICKEY to be out of tune, lost in songs, and WAY TOO LOUD. These recordings sealed his fate. My mother was in the hospital in a coma since mid February. I had my tickets and was going to pass on this year until Pop told me, take a night off from visiting the hospital, go to the show, a Friday night and my first time in the loge seats. Mom died 5 days later.
EVERY HUNGRY WOMAN
STAND BACK
SEVEN TURNS
DREAMS **** (yeah)
GOOD CLEAN FUN
BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
DON’T WANT YOU NO MORE
IT’S NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR
AIN’T WASTING TIME
BLUE SKY
RAVE ON
FEEL SO BAD
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
NOBODY KNOWS
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
(22) March 24,2001: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND @ Beacon – Nine sold out shows. WARREN HAYNES (guitar and vocals) is slowly taking command with Derek Trucks as the set list changes every night and special guests are added. Chuck Leavell (guest) does an amazing JESSICA.My crew is now a quartet and we are seated in the second row loge. Wonderful seats and a fabulous setlist.
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
STAND BACK
HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
FEEL SO BAD / w Larry McCray,Ronnie Burrage
ROCKING HORSE
ALL NIGHT TRAIN(w/ Chuck Leavell)
DESDEMONA (oh my, this was so good)w/ Chuck
JESSICA w/ Chuck (the best ever)
DON’T KEEP ME WONDERING
SOULSHINE(Warren shines)
WHO TO BELIEVE
WORRIED DOWN WITH THE BLUES
DREAMS
THE SAME THING w/ John Popper,Jeff Potts
HIGH FALLS w/ Chuck
encore
SOUTHBOUND w/ Leavell, Popper,McCray, John Manning
(23) July 3, 2001: DICKEY BETTS BAND @ BB KINGS About 8 of us decide to go see what Mr. BETTS is up to. He is playing two shows at the much smaller than the BEACON, B.B. KING’s club on 42nd Street. Nice dinner at Conally’s, a short walk to BB’s. An after a few drinks at the club, DICKEY BETTS takes the stage. “ Sad” is all I wrote in my notebook.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11,2001: Our world changes.
(24)Nov 24, 2001: Derek Trucks Band @ IMAC, Huntington, NY This was one cool band, and a great night was had by the usual crew of 4.
(25) March 23,2002: 9 sold out shows THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon. We 4 headed over to the WHITE HORSE TAVERN for our pre-show dinner. So sad as we stood in the middle of Hudson Street staring at the downtown skyline and NOT seeing the TWIN TOWERS. We hugged, a group hug, shed a tear or two. Dinner and a quick cab ride uptown.
MIDNIGHT RIDER
TROUBLE NO MORE
LEAVE MY BLUES AT HOME
WOMAN ACROSS THE RIVER
HEART OF STONE ( a highlight)
GOOD CLEAN FUN
OLD BEFORE MY TIME
ROCKING HORSE
SOUTHBOUND (W/ Bobby Allende for Jaimoe)
STAND BACK
COME AND GO BLUES
HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
FIRING LINE
JUST BEFORE THE BULLETS FLY
INSTRUMENTAL (untitled)
DESDEMONA
WHIPPING POST
MOUNTAIN JAM
(26) MAY 9, 2002: Dickey Betts GREAT SOUTHERN @ Mulcahy’s One might ask, Why would you go to see Dickey again if he was so bad last outing? The answer is simple: We got 10 complementary passes and it was local bar. Dinner at the WANTAGH INN, a short walk to the bar (it is a pretty large room but not as big as BB King’s) and DICKEY’S band wasn’t half bad, and Dickey was in good voice, too.Not too bad.
(27) Aug 13, 2002: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Jones Beach. Dinner at Wantagh Inn, tailgating at The Beach.
AIN’T WASTING TIME
STATESBORO
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
WORRIED DOWN WITH THE BLUES
COME AND GO BLUES
WHO TO BELIEVE
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
WOMAN ACROSS THE RIVER
DREAMS
FIRING LINE
THE SAME THING W/ Danny Louis (Gov’t Mule) on keys
DON’T KEEP ME WONDERING
ROCKING HORSE
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
INSTRUMENTAL
WHIPPING POST
1.
(28) Oct 31, 2002: GREGG ALLMAN BAND @ Westbury our second time seeing GA on Halloween. Geez, The man can sing. And his band is pretty funky. Jay Collins on sax.
(29) March 22, 2003: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon-Unprecedented, the ABB sell out 13 shows. March Madness continues as we get the same 4 seats we had last year, in the second row loge. We have the 8th show of the run.
STATESBORO
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
ALL NIGHT TRAIN
BANKS OF THE DEEP END (Rob Barraco(piano) Thom Doucette (harp)
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
PLEASE CALL HOME (horn section)
MAYDELL
ROCKING HORSE
THE HIGH COST OF LOW LIVING
I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG (amazing Warren) w/horns
END OF THE LINE
MELISSA
COME AND GO BLUES
THE SAME THING w/ horns
TROUBLE NO MORE
CHANGE IS GONNA COME w/ horns
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
ONE WAY OUT w/ Thom, Seth Trucks (drums),Richard Bolger (trumpet) Jay Collins (sax), Christopher Karlic (baritone sax).
(30) March 20, 2004: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon The third night of 9 sold out shows. Same seats as last year.
DON’T WANT YOU NO MORE
IT’S NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR
EVERY HUNGRY WOMAN
THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN
GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOLGIRL w/ Thom
WASTED WORDS w/ Thom
STATESBORO w/ Thom
ROCKING HORSE
NO ONE LEFT TO RUN WITH
KEY TO THE HIGHWAY w/ Thom
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
THE SAME THING
NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
CAN’T LOSE WHAT YOU NEVER HAD
DON’T THINK TWICE (Susan Tedeschi- guitar/vocals)
DREAMS
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
ONE WAY OUT w/ Thom
(31) Aug 24, 2004: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Jones Beach, Wantagh aka THE NO FUN ZONE. This is a Tuesday night gig. We have 12 seats and a tailgate party pre show. THIS WAS AN AMAZING SHOW for many reasons, the first being the opening number, Dr. John’s “Walk On Guilded Splinters” and the encore “Layla”, both are first listens for me in an ABB concert setting. Derek did reprise his role as slide expert similar to when he played with Clapton so needless to say he nailed this one, as did Warren on guitar, and both GREGG and Warren on vocals was a treat. Even though we don’t like the Beach scene this was a great night with friends and family enjoying the ABB under the stars.
I WALK ON GILDED SPLINTERS
EVERY HUNGRY WOMAN
TROUBLE NO MORE
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE
WOMAN ACROSS THE RIVER
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
MIDNIGHT RIDER
STAND BACK
DREAMS TO REMEMBER
WHO TO BELIEVE
STATESBORO
MELISSA
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
MOUNTAIN JAM
AFRO BLUE
MOUNTAIN JAM-REPRISE
WHIPPING POST
LAYLA
1.
(32)March 12, 2005: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon The third night of 10 sold out shows and overall another amazing night. Warren is in complete control of the set list and invited guests. And the acoustic set is back featuring Derek and Warren (guitar duo), Gregg on a grand piano, and special added attraction-HUBERT SUMLIN. Wow.
REVIVAL
LEAVE MY BLUES AT HOMW
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
HOT ‘LANTA
JUST AIN’T EASY
END OF THE LINE
FORTY-FOUR BLUES (Hubert Sumlin)
SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING (Hubert Sumlin)
INSTRUMENTAL ILLNESS
acoustic set
ONCOMING TRAFFIC- Gregg solo on grand piano
PLEASE CALL HOME _Gregg solo on grand piano
THESE DAYS- Gregg and Warren guitars
DEATH LETTER -Derek and Warren guitars
electric set
SOULSHINE
DREAMS w/ Jay Collins (sax)
ROCKING HORSE
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
ONE WAY OUT
(33) March 11, 2006:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon The third show of a 14 night run of sold out performances, and ours was a goodie. Glenn joined us full time in our foursome and we have the same seats as in years past, second row in the loge. Glenn is a huge Skynard fan so one surprise guest made his night.Tonight was “The 35th Anniversary of the Live at Fillmore East Performances”.We also had PETER FRAMPTON as a guest guitarist in set 2 and the legendary ROY HAYNES on the skins.Too cool.Note: Over the many years and numerous ABB shows I saw ROY HAYNES with the BROTHERS 3 times.
DON’T WANT YOU NO MORE
IT’S NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR
EVERY HUNGRY WOMAN
WHO’S BEEN TALKING
MIDNIGHT RIDER ( Devon Allman-guitar)
GOOD CLEAN FUN
INSTRUMENTAL ILLNESS
I WALK ON GUILDED SPLINTERS
SIMPLE MAN (w/ Gary Rossington)
BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN (w/ Peter Frampton)
LES BRES IN A MINOR
MELISSA
KEY TO THE HIGHWAY
AFRO BLUE (w/ Roy Haynes(drums), Wil Calhoun(Living Colour-drums),Jay Collins (sax))
DREAMS
ONE WAY OUT
SOUTHBOUND( w/ Frampton, Collins,Calhoun)
(34)Dec 31, 2006: GREGG ALLMAN & FRIENDS @ Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, New York It’s NEW YEARS EVE and 3 couples have seats to see GREGG in a semi-round arena. Nice room, good seats, good friends, and great music. The horn section knocks me out and Gregg was in good voice. Highlight was THESE DAYS and MELISSA.
(35) March 24,2007:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon The 4th night of a nine sold out show run. Same seats as always, lucky us.But the noise in the crowd was Gregg was erratic and appears ill, again. Oh boy, this could get ugly fast. Warren to the rescue.
STATESBORO
REVIVAL
LEAVE MY BLUES AT HOME
ROCKING HORSE
SOULSHINE W/ Ron Holloway- sax
THE HIGH COST OF LOW LIVING
ONE WAY OUT
COME ON IN MY KITCHEN-W/ Luther Dickinson-guitar
DREAMS w/ Ron Holloway
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED- Oteil and Derek- bass duo, Kofi Burbridge-flute, Ron Holloway- sax
MOUNTAIN JAM
DAZED AND CONFUSED(yes, that song_-Warren amazing)
MOUNTAIN JAM -reprise
WHIPPING POST
(36) May19,2007: DICKEY BETTS/ GREAT SOUTHERN @ Westhampton Beach, NY- Why oh why did we go and paid a pretty penny for the right to see a legend in a sharp decline. Its been 7 years since DICKEY BETTS was fired from the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND and tonight I was so glad he hasn’t reappeared with them. He was drunk with slurred speech, could hardly stand, forgot words and stood idly by as his son took over when Dickey lost the lead on numerous songs. This was an embarrassment beyond belief. Now I know why they fired his fucking arrogant ass.
2008: The year of NO ALLMAN BROTHERS SHOWS at the Beacon. Gregg was ill and the band postponed their annual fest at The Beacon.
(37)March 21, 2009:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon
Its been two years and we were eagerly awaiting the announcement that the ABB would return to the stage of the Beacon. That announcement came the first week of January and as always I prepared for the resale, hoping for the same tickets, the same seats, as in years past.Bingo, this year the band scheduled 15 shows at the legendary venue and all 15 sold out immediately as this year marked the 50th anniversary of the birth of the band. The first few shows had many guests: BUDDY GUY, LOS LOBOS, JOHNNY WINTER, TAJ MAHAL, LEVON HELM, TREY ANASTASIO, BRUCE WILLIS (?), BOZ SCAGGS, STANLEY CLARKE, and SHERYL CROW. The special guest for Thursday and Friday nights performances (we had Saturday) was none other than ERIC CLAPTON, so it was anticipated that he / or someone of his stature would reappear for Saturday night. But alas, it was not to happen. Our guest(s) was the horn section from The ASBURY DUKES with BRUCE HORNSBY and SUSAN TEDESCHI. Overall, it was a blast but not a true ABB performance. Gregg was up front for the first few songs and disappeared for quite some time.
LITTLE MARTHA(tease)/ INSTRUMENTAL
ONE WAY OUT
STATESBORO
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
THE SAME THING (w/Jukes)
SOULSHINE (w/ Jukes)
LITTLE BY LITTLE (w/Jukes, Southside Johnny-harp,Susan Tedeschi-guitar/vocals, James van de Bogert-drums
DON’T THINK TWICE- Tedeschi- guitar/vocals
LOST LOVER BLUES- Tedeschi-guitar/vocals
STAND BACK-w/ Jukes/Tedeschi
GRANDMA’S HANDS (a Bill Withers tune) w/Hornsby-piano, Jukes, Tedeschi-vocals
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED W/ Hornsby-keys
THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN w/Jukes, Hornsby
JESSICA w/Hornsby
SOUTHBOUND
with The Asbury Jukes Horns; Bruce Hornsby, keyboards; Susan Tedeschi, guitar & vocals
(38) March 13, 2010:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ UNITED PALACE,NYC
WTF. The Dolan’s, owners of THE BEACON (and other places) scheduled the ABB each year boxing out most of the month for rehearsals and gigs. I guess after last year they were not to sure of the status of the band so the master of scheduling rented out the space for the entire month to CIRQUE DE SOLEIL. The ABB found solace in the UNITED PALACE, a theatre/church(huge) on 175th Street in WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, as we say in NY, “way the fuck up there”. Not really sure what was taking place, we entered the pool for the sale of tickets hoping for the best. Eight shows over two weeks was the announcement. We got the third show, the first Saturday in the run. Seats way up top.
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
AIN’T WASTIN’ TIME NO MORE
STAND BACK
HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
HEART OF STONE (UNBELIEVABLY GOOD)
NEW INSTRUMENTAL
GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOLGIRL
WHIPPING POST
LITTLE MARTHA>
BLUE SKY>
LITTLE MARTHA
DREAMS
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
THE SKY IS CRYING
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED (W/ BRUCE KATZ)
ONE WAY OUT
(39) August 3,2010: GOV’T MULE@ House of Blues, Myrtle Beach,SC
It was pretty late but I finally convinced the bride to go to the show.We got there as JACKIE GREENE was finishing up. She agreed to stay for one set of MULE,even knowing that GM can play for hours. We stayed for two sets and all the encores. They were that good.
(40) March 12,2011:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND back where they belong@ Beacon 13 sold out shows with a host of special guests each night. Tonight we had DAVID HIDALGO joining the band.AND Tonight was the 40th ANNIVERSARY of the recording of AT FILLMORE EAST. So what better way to enjoy the night by the band playing the entire album in sequential order for the first set.
STATESBORO
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
STORMY MONDAY
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
HOT ‘LANTA
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
WHIPPING POST
MOUNTAIN JAM
TROUBLE NO MORE
THE SKY IS CRYING
DON’T KEEP ME WONDERING(W/HILDALGO)
GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL (W/ HILDAGO)
EVERY HUNGRY WOMAN
MOUNTAIN JAM (REPRISE)
NO ONE TO RUN WITH
(41) March 10, 2012:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon with 10 sold out shows. Ours was the second night and featured an acoustic set then RANDY BRECKER joined the band. It was delightful.(Note: Last show of this run was without Gregg Allman)
STATESBORO
COME AND GO BLUES
DOWN ALONG THE COVE
STAND BACK
SAILIN’ CROSS THE DEVIL’S SEA
BLING WILLIE MCTELL
BAG END
ONE WAY OUT-w/AJ Ghent lap steel
Second Set
(Acoustic)OLD FRIEND-(WARREN/DEREK ONLY)
DARK END OF THE STREET (Gregg, Oteil, Warren, Derek,Marc)
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG-Gregg,Warren, Oteil,Marc,Derek)
(Electric)
REVIVAL
HOT ‘LANTA>
ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER>
HOT ‘LANTA w/ Randy Brecker-trumpet
DREAMS w/ Randy Brecker(amazing)
MOUNTAIN JAM W/ BRECKER & James van der Bogert-drums
SOUTHBOUND W/ Brecker,Duane Trucks-drums, AJ Ghent
(42) September 22, 2012: TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND @ Beacon This is my first time enjoying the husband wife collaboration known as TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND and what better place to see them then a loge seat at THE BEACON. I saw Susan with her solo outfit a few years back when she opened for BUDDY GUY. I also saw the DEREK TRUCKS BAND a few times and of course as part of the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND .
LOVE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY
ISN’T IT A PITY (Geo Harrison tune)
EVERYBODY’S TALKIN (Fred Neil cover)
I KNOW (Trucks Band cover)
THE SKY IS CRYING (Elmore James)
THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN (The Band)
MAHJOUN( Derek Trucks cover) w/ Marc Quinones
MIDNIGHT IN HARLEM
ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ (Hambone Willie Newbern cover)
SHELTER
ANYDAY/BLUE SKY(Derek&Dominos/Allman Bros)
THAT DID IT (Bobby Blue Bland)
OLD TIME LOVIN’ (Al Green cover wband intros)
UP TIGHT (Stevie Wonder)-truly spectacular
BOUND FOR GLORY
ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY(John Prine)
SIMPLE THINGS
GET WHAT YOU DESERVE(Derek Trucks cover)
GIVE IT UP OR LET ME GO (Bonnie Raitt) w/Eric Krasno
(43)March 9, 2013:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon Sold out 11 shows, ours was #6 in the run and were at our usual seats in the loge.
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
MIDNIGHT RIDER
END OF THE LINE
WORRIED DOWN WITH THE BLUES
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE
DUSK TILL DAWN (Bill Evans-sax)
JESSICA
STATESBORO(Davis Stoltz-bass)
YOU DON’T LOVE ME
ROCKING HORSE
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
STAND BACK
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED>
DRUMS>
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
SOUTHBOUND(w/Vaylor Trucks-guitar, John Ray-bass)
In January as THE BEACON run is announced, with it came the notification that DEREK TRUCKS and WARREN HAYNES will be leaving the band at years end.
Following the announcement three weeks ago that two key members of the Allman Brothers Band — guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks — would be leaving the group at the end of the year, frontman Gregg Allman has more bad news for the group’s loyal fans: It will stop touring altogether at the end of 2014.
In a new interview with Relix, Allman stated that he’s ready to move on. “This is it — this is the end of it,” he said. “Forty-five years is enough, and I want to do something else anyway. Everyone has their own real good perspective bands.”
(44)March 14, 2014:THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND@ Beacon- Something is amiss as we keep wondering, “Is this really the last year? The last time?” We sensed the end is near and knew the announcement. However, the boys sell out 10 night, ours is the fifth show and a Friday night which is unusual as we traditionally get tickets for Saturday. But here we are in the loge again, just down to three of us, but we took Glenn’s ashes with us. (NOTE: Gregg Allman misses the last two shows in this run).
DONE SOMEBODY WRONG
COME AND GO BLUES
WASTED WORDS
DUSK TILL DAWN
I WALK ON GILDED SPLINTERS (amazing)
GAMBLER’S ROLL
TRUE GRAVITY
HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
AIN’T WASTING TIME NO MORE
MELISSA
BLUE SKY w/James vander Bogert-drums
BLACK HEARTED WOMAN
SEVEN TURNS
ROCKING HORSE
GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED
ONE WAY OUT w/Duane Trucks-drums
Six OCTOBER shows-THE FINAL RUN- were announced for The BEACON. My desire was to obtain one ticket for the very last night. Prices for a regular ticket for the first five nights was extremely high and the last show was mortgage size, ridiculous. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be as the shows sold out in a matter of minutes and I was for once “out in the cold”.
From ROLLING STONE:
The only note of sentiment during the Allman Brothers Band‘s October 28th concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre – their last at that venue and anywhere else, at least for the foreseeable future – came after more than four hours of music: three sets and an inevitable encore, “Whipping Post.” The seven members of the group – the surviving trio of founders, singer-organist Gregg Allman and drummers Butch Trucks and Jaimoe; the long-serving guitar team of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks; and often overlooked veterans Oteil Burbridge on bass and percussionist Marc Quinones – lined up onstage and took a bow: a first at any Allmans-Beacon show I’d ever attended.
(Con’t)
That work, it seems, will stay undone. During the intermissions, a curious message appeared on the large video screen behind the band: “The road indeed goes on forever. So stay calm, eat a peach and carry on . . .” The individual members of the Allmans will certainly continue to play in some form and combinations. There may even be reunions. As for the guitarists, Derek’s R&B juggernaut with his wife Susan Tedeschi, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, recently played a transcendant Beacon run in September, and Haynes’ group Gov’t Mule will make their traditional holiday stop at that stage on December 30th and 31st. I went to the former; I don’t want to miss the latter.
(con’t)
But it will take more than a peach to get me through next March. It was never spring, I always said, until I saw the Allmans peakin’ at the Beacon. Tonight was a generous, continually thrilling farewell. It will make the leaving that much harder to bear. (My sentiments exactly)
(45) December 30, 2014: Gov’t Mule @ Beacon I already miss the ABB and The night before New Year’s Eve in Manhattan is not a great idea but I had to see Gov’t Mule at The Beacon-loge seats of course and I was rewarded with a great show. I was with one of my ABB buddies who informed me on the way home that next year I was on my own for MULE in December.We got home after 3 AM. Okay, you win.
WORLD BOSS
WHISPER IN YOUR SOUL
STOOP SO LOW
FORSAKEN SAVIOR
STRATUS(Billy Cobham cover)-amazing
THE JOKER/GET UP STAND UP(Steve Miler/Bob Marley)
BIRD ON THE WIRE(Leonard Cohen)w/Better Half Singers
THE LETTER (BoxTops)w/Better Half Singers
DONE GOT WISE
BROKE DOWN IN BRAZOS
TRIBUTARY JAM
MR.BIG (Free cover) w/ Simon Kirke-drums (unbelievable)
THE HUNTER >(Albert King/Free-cover)w/ Simon Kirke
GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOLGIRL >w/Simon Kirke
THE HUNTER (Reprise) w/ Simon Kirke
GAME FACE>BIRDLAND>MOUNTAIN JAM
THORAZINE SHUFFLE
FUNNY LITTLE TRAGEDY>MESSAGE IN THE BOTTLE>
FUNNY LITTLE TRAGEDY(Reprise)
HOT LEGS- (Rod Stewart cover)w/ Carmine Appice-drums
STAY WITH ME(Faces cover) w/Carmine Appice-drums
(46)October 3, 2015: Tedeschi Trucks Band@ Beacon I missed the run of TTB for the last two years. I needed to go for this one. And here I am in the lower balcony first row, not a bad seat with my bride for her first TTB show, which she loved. Tonight’s bill is two sets, no opening act.
ALL THAT I NEED
MADE UP MIND
IT’S SO HEAVY
GET WHAT YOU DESERVE (Trucks Band cover)
MAHJOUN (Trucks Band cover)
COMIN’ HOME (Delaney/Bonnie cover)- great idea
SOMETHING (Beatles cover)
IDLE WIND
THE LETTER (Box Tops cover)
KEEP YOUR LAMPS TRIMMED AND BURNING
LAUGH ABOUT IT
ANYHOW
LET’S GO GET STONED (The Coasters cover)
STICKS AND STONES (Titus Turner cover)
BIRD ON A WIRE (Leonard Cohen cover)
CRYING OVER YOU
THE SKY IS CRYING (Elmore James cover)
FIRE AND RAIN (James Taylor cover)
Instrumental Jam
THE STORM
I WANT MORE
MIDNIGHT IN HARLEM
I GOT A FEELING (Beatles cover)
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS (Beatles cover)
(47)Oct 7 2015: WARREN HAYNES – Ashes and Dust Tour/w/ JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE@ The Space, Westbury, NY Strange set up in a small venue. We took the very last row in the seated area, near a beer only bar. Not too bad. Warren is playing with a few guys from CHESSBOXER and a drummer JEFF SIPE.
Guitarist Warren Haynes returned to the stage with his Ashes & Dust Band featuring members of ChessBoxer and drummer Jeff Sipe last night at the Granada Theatre in Dallas, Texas. The Winter Tour opener featured a mix of material from Warren’s Ashes & Dust LP as well as choice covers and other favorites from Haynes’ solo repertoire.
Warren Haynes and the Ashes & Dust Band kicked off the show with a double dose of Ashes & Dust in the form of “Beat Down The Dust” and “Is It Me Or You.” The evening’s first cover was a take on Neil Young’s “Revolution Blues” which was followed by Warren’s ode to Jerry Garcia, “Patchwork Quilt.” It was then time for a trio of covers as “Instrumental Illness” from Haynes’ time in The Allman Brothers Band led into Little Feat’s “Skin It Back” and the Allmans’ “Blue Sky.” After a run of originals the ensemble ended the main set with one more Allman Brothers classic – “Jessica.” Warren and the band said farewell with a “Two Of A Kind Blues” encore.
SPOTS OF TIME
REVOLUTION BLUES (Neil Young)/JERUSALEM RIDGE
PATCHWORK QUILT (Phil Lesh and Friends cover)
BLUE SKY (Allman cover)>
INSTRUMENTAL ILLNESS (Allman cover)
LAY OF THE SUNFLOWER (Gov’t Mule)
BLUE MAIDEN’S TALE
COMPANY MAN
DUSK TILL DAWN (Allman cover)
HATTIESBURG HUSTLE>
DRUMS.>
HATTIESBURG HUSTLE (REPRISE)
STRANDED IN SELF PITY/HOTTENTOT
IS IT ME OR YOU
SKIN IT BACK (Little Feat cover)
JESSICA (Allman cover)
I BEEN TO GEORGIA ON A FAST TRAIN (Billy Joe Shaver cover) w/ Justin Townes Earle
(48)DECEMBER 30,2015: Gov’t Mule @BEACON Took a buddy of mine and he was amazed at the performance. So was I.
BLIND MAN IN THE DARK
MR.MAN
ANY OPEN WINDOW
FAR AWAY
ROCKIN’ HORSE>THELONIUS BECK
BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN
DOLPHINEUS
PAINTED SILVER LIGHT/HERE COMES THE SUN-tease
SOULSHINE/VOODOO CHILD
UNRING THE BELL/LES BRES IN A MINOR
ENDLESS PARADE
BAD LITTLE DOGGIE
I’LL BE THE ONE/BLUE SKY
SUGAREE w/Jack Pearson,Jimmy Vivino,Steve Kimock
I SHALL BE RELEASED w/ Kimock,Pierson and Chuck Leavell
DREAMS w/ Leavell,Pierson, Vivino
(49) Sept 9 2016: GOV’T MULE/ZZ TOP @ Jones Beach Probably the shortest set ever and a bit disappointed and then ZZ TOP did an uninspired set of hits. Nah, on ZZ TOP.
BAD LITTLE DOGGIE
STEPPING’ LIGHTLY
MR. HIGH AND MIGHTY
INSIDE OUTSIDE WOMAN BLUES #3
BANKS OF THE DEEP END
KIND OF BIRD (Allmans cover)
THORAZINE SHUFFLE
(50) October 8, 2016: TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND @ Beacon The buzz was that Warren was there the night before. Oh my. Tonight No Warren but I had my bride with me again. She really likes this band.
ANYDAY (Derek Dominoes cover)
LAUGH ABOUT IT
IT’S SO HEAVY
DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS
LEAVING TRUNK (Sleepy John Estes cover)
VOLUNTEERED SLAVERY (Rahsaan Roland Kirk cover)
I PITY THE FOOL (Bobby Blue Bland cover)
I WANT MORE
LES BRES IN A MINOR (Allmans cover)
IDLE WIND
CALLING OUT TO YOU
JUST AS STRANGE
WAH WAH (Geo Harrison cover)
LET ME GET BY
I GOT A FEELIN (Beatles cover)
ELENOR RIGBY (Beatles cover)
CRYING OVER YOU
HONEST I DO (Jimmy Reed cover) w/ Doyle Bramlett II
I WISH I KNEW HOW IT WOULD BE TO BE FREE (Billy Taylor cover)
SING A SIMPLE SONG (Sly/Family Stone cover) w/ Doyle Bramlett II
I WANT TO TAKE YOU HIGHER (Sly cover) w/ Bramlett
ANYHOW
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
(51)October 14,2017: TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND @ Beacon w/ my Beacon buddy and his bride
KEEP ON GROWING (Derek/Dominos cover)
MADE UP MIND
UNTIL YOU REMEMBER
SAILING ON (Toots/Maytals cover)
PART OF ME
MIDNIGHT IN HARLEM
DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS
HOW BLUE CAN YOU GET (3 Blazers cover)
THE STORM
DON’T LET ME SLIDE
DO I LOOK WORRIED
CHEVROLET (Lonnie Young Jr cover)
ISN’T IT A PITY (Geo Harrison cover)
THE LETTER (BoxTops cover)
I WANT MORE
I WISH I KNEW HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO BE FREE (Billy Taylor cover) amazing
DELTA LADY (Leon Russell cover) w/Trey Anastasio
MOUNTAIN JAM (Allmans cover) w/ Anastasio
A SONG FOR YOU (Leon Russell cover)
BOUND FOR GLORY
(52) TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND (4th time) at BEACON October 5, 2018 with my bride and another couple we get the same exact seats as the previous year. When the band opens with a Jimmy Cliff tune, one which I love…oh my…
SITTING IN LIMBO (Jimmy Cliff tune)
DO I LOOK WORRIED
PART OF ME
IT’S SO HEAVY
ANYHOW
HIGH & MIGHTY
LEAVING TRUNK (John Estes tune)
VOLUNTEERED SLAVERY ( Rashaan Roland Kirk tune)
IDLE WIND
TELL THE TRUTH (Derek/Dominos)
DON’T DRIFT AWAY
LET ME GET BY
SWEET AND LOW
DON’T MISS ME (Derek Trucks Band cover)
MADE UP MIND
I PITY THE FOOL(Bobby Blue Bland tune) amazing Susan
BLUE SKY (Allmans cover) w/ Jimmy Herring
IN MEMORY OF ELIZ REED w/ Jimmy Herring
GOING,GOING,GONE (amazing Dylan tune) w/Doyle Bramlett II
GET WHAT YOU DESERVE (Derek Trucks cover) w/ Doyle Bramlett II
1968 polarized me. The news, not only in print but on TV and radio had vivid footage, reports from the field of the Vietnam Conflict. Gun shots could be heard in the background as the reports were being taped. The newspapers and magazines did not concentrate solely on the war abroad but also on the conflict developing on the home front, particularly the protests against the war occurring in every major city. The Anti-War Movement was big news. Campus sit-ins, teach-ins, black arm bands, fist salutes,“the long hairs versus the hard hats” with the hard hats being saluted as “Pro America” while the “long hairs” were depicted as “Anti-American”.
A blurb written in Howard Smith’s SCENES in the Village Voice (February 17) addressed a Janis Joplin performance at The Anderson Theatre. I remember being amazed at how Smith described the show. This particular Big Brother and The Holding Company gig, with B.B. King on the bill,was meant to be a “coming out” party, NY style for the recently (8 months ago) herald band’s performance at Monterey. Smith compared Joplin to Bessie Smith (whom I never heard at that point in time), Aretha Franklin, and James Brown. But Janis, is a white girl. Hmmmm, this had to be good.
Besides the VOICE with it’s legendary Howard Smith (SCENES) and Richard Goldstein’s POP EYE column, I read CRAWDADDY , RAMPARTS, ROLLING STONE (newspaper format)and EYE magazine along with the weekly hit paraders that the local stations produced, GO(WMCA), etc. I vividly remember THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION ads run that summer in THE VOICE for their Garrick Theater performances. Also, the first Rolling Stone magazine with John Lennon gracing the cover and pictures from Monterey Pop. However, the risk of bringing home or to work a copy of THE EAST VILLAGE OTHER (EVO) was always a challenge. Oh yeah, that summer I had an intern’s job at CHASE MANHATTAN BANK on Wall Street NYC. 75 bucks a week, wearing a tie, short corporate hair.This 16 year old was now “citified” as I traveled on a daily early morning commute from “out in the country” to the Big Apple.
At CHASE, each Wednesday was pay day and that would be the day I would head to the WALL STREET RECORDS store where I would buy an album or two. I would also slip an EVO from the news stand, cooly placing it on top of the pile of my vinyl selections. After purchase I would carefully place EVO in the bag containing the records. I would only consider reading the EVO in the sanctity of my own room as some folks in my home, or anywhere in fact would deem even the comics a bit obscene. Mom would have freaked. I loved it. Overall, it was a wonderful summer job. My cousin John worked around the corner and we would get together for lunches. At only 16, looking like I was a 12 years old in a suit, I still was served beer at lunch, no questions asked. I did have a phony draft card which I paid 15 bucks for, it had my name printed out, matching my school ID photo and it looked legit but I was never asked for it, anywhere.
That summer from my desk on the tenth floor of the Chase building I watched the TWIN TOWERS being erected two streets over. From my perch I saw TRINITY CHURCH where Alexander Hamilton is buried, the Hudson River a few streets over, and basically the world at large. At work I progressed from a “runner/go-fer” handling mail the first few days, to sitting in the Signature Verification Department, to later helping to find a $1,000,000.00 error all by the end of my second week. I got a raise to $95.00 and was given a desk with my own adding machine and phone. Cool. Every day I still volunteered to take all the outgoing materials to the data processing center on the ninth floor at about 4:30 PM. Everyone considered this a lowly task, except me. The pretty girl at the window greeted me with a huge smile, knew my name by week 2 and gave me the receipt promptly which allowed me the time to zip down the stairs, out the door to the subway all in hopes of catching the 5:08 which I did most evening.
1968: My record collection was growing in leaps and bounds and with a decent paying job and having a record store only a street away well…it was now mostly albums (vinyl) and some cassettes, with an occasional single thrown in.
THE BEATLES “The Beatles” aka The White Album. I already posted about my experience in the manufacturing of the cassettes of this collection but I needed the vinyl. Wore that sucker out.
THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE- “Electric Ladyland,” this double set was a late year release,one which my girlfriend bought and I borrowed until she demanded it back so I had to get my own copy.I also picked up a 45 of “All Along The Watchtower” which I recently sold for 15 bucks.
JEFF BECK GROUP-“Truth” Arguments occur when I state that I like this lp better than “Electric Ladyland”. Most of my guitarist friends adored Hendrix and tolerated Beck, until they see him live. Different story they tell. This album was a killer , also bought on Wall Street that summer.
THE ZOMBIES-“Odessey and Oracle” yes the title is a misspelling and never corrected. This was one I bought on a lunch hour after seeing the poster of the band in a record store on Wall Street. Truly a gem “This Will Be Our Year”, the sheer fun of “Care of Cell 44” and of course the overlooked (for one year) “Time Of The Season”.
THE BAND-“Music From Big Pink” bought this early summer of 68, along with an accompanied 45 from THE BAND. Years later I won 5 or 10 bucks from a DYLAN fanatic who claimed the album was recorded AT “Big Pink” the house the band used for rehearsals. My disagreement lead to a minor argument, a few insults, and ultimately he handing over the money when he found out it was recorded in NYC and LA, not in the “basement”. I love being right.
THE DOORS-“Waiting For The Sun” I bought this the same day as “Big Pink’. Yuck, this album sucks, the gateway sleeve sucks, the photos suck,the songs suck, THE DOORS suck, yet I bought it so I suck,too.
ARETHA FRANKLIN- “Lady Soul”(my brother’s record but I took it constantly).Roger Hawkins on the kit,ERIC CLAPTON guitar, JOE SOUTH guitarist extradanaire on the unedited version of “Chain of Fools”,SPOONER OLDHAM keys and KING CURTIS on sax…what a line up and with the Queen of Soul at the mic…there is not one bad song here, geez, there is not one bad note.
“In December 1967, while he was still a member of Cream, 22-year-old British guitar phenom Eric Clapton was brought into a recording studio in the U.S. and asked to add a guitar part to Franklin’s powerful “Good to Me As I Am to You.”
BLOOMFIELD/KOOPER/STILLS-“Super Session” a great listen,especially the Mike Bloomfield side. Before this I thought of STILLS as just part of Buffalo Springfield. After this I thought of him as an amazing guitarist, which he is. Education is a strange thing, this educated me.
THE BYRDS-“Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” Not one of my friends had this, in fact not one of my friends like this. I was warned not to put it on at any house parties. My Pop liked it and that says alot. This album was a big change for the BYRDS, a big change for music, intro a new category “country rock”. God Bless Gram Parsons.Those in country music hated it, rock fans hated it, I loved it.
BIG BROTHER and THE HOLDING COMPANY-“(Sex,Dope and)Cheap Thrills”- this, contrary to popular myth, is not a live recording, only one track Ball and Chain is live, and what a great live track it is.
Dave Getz,drummer….“Cheap Thrills seems to have stood the test of time,It might be because it is arguably the greatest work by a great artist, Janis Joplin. It is certainly the greatest and closest representation of what Big Brother & the Holding Company was as a band and I would add to that argument that Big Brother/Janis as a band, and as a SOUND, was the embodiment of the San Francisco, psychedelic, counter-culture of the 1960s.”
CREAM-“Wheels Of Fire” their third album, a double lp set with one live the other studio recording. “Crossroads”,“Spoonful”, “White Room”, “Sitting On Top Of The World” and “Born Under A Bad Sign”, need I said more.
SMALL FACES-“Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake” is a blast. It is a precursor for HUMBLE PIE to be sure and “Happiness Stan” is one of my heroes.I played side two regularly on my college late night radio program and never got one complaint. Either people didn’t care or weren’t listening. Makes no never mind to me, I loved that album.
THE ROLLING STONES-“Beggar’s Banquet”- to this day this collection is one of my favorite albums, not just by the STONES but by every other artist.
I got that record the moment it was released and it very rarely left my turntable for one full year. Side 1, Side 2, back to Side 1, and on and on. There are very few albums I can said that about, very few albums I listen to in its entirety without getting bored by a clunker or two. I was enamored by this collection of Stones tunes. The slick printed cover (American version which was completely different from the British cover), the photo spread inside, and the music. These songs were individually and collectively a great relief, a wonderful change in direction from the ROLLING STONES ’67 set of THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST, which I owned but never played all the way through. The only tunes I liked on TSMR were 2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME and SHE’S A RAINBOW. The rest,rubbish.
Before SATANIC MAJESTIES I was stuck on BETWEEN THE BUTTONS(1967) (US version), especially side 1 which we played endlessly at my buddy George’s house.TSMR is/was nothing like BUTTONS. But then, BEGGAR’S BANQUET is released and with that a new STONES approach to the blues.The BB album was the real deal, and foreshadowed what would become of the STONES over the next few years and releases. To my ears Beggar’s Banquet was a Keith album as Brian Jones due to “personal reasons” is limited here to slide guitar on NO EXPECTATIONS, a harmonica on PARACHUTE WOMAN, DEAR DOCTOR and PRODIGAL SON. It was the last ROLLING STONES album to be released during Brian Jones’ life.
Side One Track 1, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, just listen to the title before you put the needle down, WHAT? Sympathy for whom? Are you kidding me? Conga, screams, maracas, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and THE WORDS…PLEASE TO MEET YOU, seriously this is not Satanic Majesties at all. WOW.Then the voices, Get down,hit it, guitar riffs…six minutes plus of sheer ecstasy . I danced around my room so many times shaking imaginary maracas.
Track 2:NO EXPECTATIONS, Keith on acoustic, Brian in a semi-sober moment plays slide. Bill with a few bass thuds,I still play this tune on my guitar, “never in my sweet short life have I felt like this before”.
Track 3: DEAR DOCTOR, humorous to say the least..”Help me please Doctor I’m damaged”…“preserve it right there in that jar”. Many a nights I sang this tune with like minded folks, very poor off keyed singers we were after a few cocktails.
Track 4:PARACHUTE WOMAN: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, some echo added to vocals, and Charlie beating it down, “join me for a ride”.
Track 5: JIGSAW PUZZLE: The drum beat is awesome, I played it thousands of time, Charlie was the man. “Me, I waiting so patiently, lying on the floor”.
SIDE TWO Track 1 STREET FIGHTING MAN: The guitar intro and then the drums…this was the tune revolutionaries were using as their theme song, well, pseudo- revolutionaries. Hey, it was a sign of the times.
Track 2: PRODIGAL SON: Not a Stones tune but a remake that they called their own.Charlie’s high hat work is exceptional, Mick’s vocals is a take on a blues man.
Track 3: STRAY CAT BLUES: This was sex, straight out.”I bet your mama don’t know you can scream like that”…
Track 4: FACTORY GIRL: I first thought this was the same riff from “2000 Light Years”, but no. As I was working in a factory at the time this tune made so much sense.”Waiting for a factory girl…”
Track 5: SALT OF THE EARTH: This is the one that did it for me. Aren’t we all salt of the earth? and when the drums kick in….”Let’s drink to the uncounted heads”…these words made so much sense to me…and then the mention…. “A choice of cancer or polio”.
Salt Of The Earth
The Rolling Stones
Let’s drink to the hard working people
Let’s drink to the lowly of birth
Raise your glass to the good and the evil
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth
Say a prayer for the common foot soldier
Spare a thought for his back breaking work
Say a prayer for his wife and his children
Who burn the fires and who still till the earth
And when I search a faceless crowd
A swirling mass of gray and
Black and white
They don’t look real to me
In fact, they look so strange
Raise your glass to the hard working people
Let’s drink to the uncounted heads
Let’s think of the wavering millions
Who need leaders but get gamblers instead
Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter
His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
And a parade of the gray suited grafters
A choice of cancer or polio
And when I look in the faceless crowd
A swirling mass of grays and
Black and white
They don’t look real to me
Or don’t they look so strange
Let’s drink to the hard working people
Let’s think of the lowly of birth
Spare a thought for the rag taggy people
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth
Let’s drink to the hard working people
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth
Let’s drink to the two thousand million
Let’s think of the humble of birth
TICKETS TORN IN HALF: The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1974 with THE LIPSTICK KILLERS
Who are the mystery girls? Androgynous,what the hell is that? Are they boys?Girls?Neither? Both? See through silk blouses, high heels, strange hats, a bass player about nine feet tall wearing a New York Rangers jersey with tights and red knee high boots.Teased hair, pink drums, whew, this band will be a treat.
All this leads up to an event on February 15, 1974 known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre held at the notorious Academy of Music. New York City at that time was a dirt hole, a freakin’ sewer. Subway cars smelled of urine,their walls, doors, and windows covered with graffiti, all this decoration/distraction making for a great ride at 3 o’clock in the morning. The streets surrounding 14the Street, the demarcation between the hip south siders and the snobby uptowners, were filled with bums, drunks, hookers, and drug addicts. Nobody was using cocaine as their drug of choice, it was too expensive and passe, here it was heroin. This descent into hell started ages before but culminated musically, socially, when five guys put together a band known asTHE NEW YORK DOLLS. David, Johnny, Billy, Arthur,and Sylvain, collectively these five guys could be found playing everywhere in Manhatten. Every Thursday morning searching the Village Voice one could immediately find an ad for that band and plan a night out, all for about five bucks.
At that time 1971/72 there were not many places that allowed an original band to perform “their” music. In the Village you could find the jazz clubs, a folk club, and some small venues that would employ “recording artists”. The Fillmore East closed so the bigger acts, those that refused to play Madison Square Garden needed to find another venue.That’s when THE ACADEMY booked bands on a regular basis.
Some bands had a history with small New York City theaters. In the mid/late sixties THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION played every Wednesday at the Garrick Theater on Bleecker St. The FUGS played seven nights a week at the Players Theater on MacDougal Street and by 71 THE VELVET UNDERGROUND played twice a night, five days a week at Max’s Kansas City.
Things changed around the time THE COCKETTES/ SYLVESTER and HIS HOT BAND were booked for a five week gig Halloween of 1971 at the old Anderson Theatre on Second Avenue. To the uninitiated this was a big event in the art/ theater environment known as New York City, a must see show for the A-listers.The COCKETTES were a San Francisco drag-queen troupe of aging LSD hippies. NYC was a buzz, tickets sold out in hours, and a few lucky college radio folks like me grabbed some complimentary tixs. One just needs to check out Sylvester and His Hot Band and/or The Cockettes on youtube.com to see how the hippie world of the Woodstock generation was dying off. It was a “new dawn”
(Wiki)“News of the 47 Cockettes boarding the flight was covered by local television and the group took over the plane in full drag. Once in New York they were housed in a dingy hotel where heroin was easily scored but spent most of their time as celebrated guests at dozens of parties where they could eat and drink for free, running a tab at a local diner and getting free taxicab rides”.The Cockettes were still transitioning from being “a happening” to actually doing structured performances.The group had one week to prepare but they had few resources and little energy after all the parties. They were however the talk of town and their show was the hot ticket”. The Anderson Theater in New York City had no sound or lighting systems and needed a curtain. The stage was also twice the size of the Cockettess’ usual one so all the sets had to be rebuilt from scratch in six days.They opened with “Tinsel Tarts In a Hot Coma”, a send-up of films about Broadway in the 1930s.What had seemed so fabulous in San Francisco did not translate well in New York City. For most New Yorkers, it was “You’ve got to be kidding!,” and the celebrities the Cockettes had so wanted to impress were not impressed.Later, the Cockettes tried to explain their New York failure by commenting “the New York audiences did not understand us,” (although it appeared perhaps New York had understood them). After a week of disastrous “Tinsel Tarts…” playing to empty houses, they performed their original musical “Pearls Over Shanghai” for the remaining 2 weeks of their contract, and the Village Voice gave it a rave. But it was too little too late.Sylvester and his band was the lone exception but he disassociated himself after several nights on advice from his business friends.
So here we are at the precipice of change, the “new dawn”,moving from the long-haired, tie-dye T-shirt, patch jeans, and work boots of the LSD 60s, to the tight jeans , satin shirts, platform shoes teased hair of the heroin 70s.
THE NEW YORK DOLLS opened for Long John Baldry (June 72) at My Father’s Place in Roslyn, to less than favorable reviews from my friends who attended. “They suck”…but they also mentioned laughingly that I might like them, as I am the “musical snob who hates MOUNTAIN”. So this outing will be a test. It’s Tuesday night in August 1972, hotter than hell in NYC,smoking a Marlboro Red while standing in the crowd outside the Mercer Arts Center, just north of Bleecker Street at the end of Washington Square. All are anticipating what can only be best described as a true NY happening.The “I’ll see you next week” crowd is there, dressed as provocatively as one might expect of the band.The New York Dolls had a standing Tuesday night gig in the Oscar Wilde Room of the said Mercer Arts Center. This engagement started in early June and had been regularly reported in the local newspapers, television, and a few magazines. The only problem for a local tunnel boy like me would be that the show starts at 10 PM and one had endure two bands before “THE DOLLS” came on. I had work at 7AM Wednesday morning.
One could find THE DOLLS everywhere in NYC. They would be at The Palm Room of The Hotel Diplomat, then doing five nights at Max’s Kansas City, Tuesday’s back at Mercer Arts Center, mostly with The Magic Tramps in tow.
THE NEW YORK DOLLS were everything one could imagine, and to some, nothing. They were five guys who hit the stage, entertaining a crowd which adored them or hated them. They were offensive, brash, bold, and wonderful. You either walked out or you begged for more. Some night they were the best band in the world and other nights the worst (Voted BEST and WORST BAND by the readers of Creem Magazine 1973)
September 72, the band agrees to open for LOU REED, five nights in England. However, after their first sound check, for whatever reason, either being too good or too bad, Lou declines to allow them to play. Stuck in England,they soldiered on, even recorded a few tunes as demos. Then, the premier gig, they opened up for THE FACES at an outdoor festival.Some say they stole the show. A few days later Billy Murcia, the drummer, dies. New York City’s most popular unsigned rock’n roll band is without their drummer.
Returning back to New York the band calls on Jerry Nolan,a known entity, pink drums and all. The second incarnation of The New York Dolls plays on December 22 at the old Fillmore East in a series known as “Bands of the 1970’s” with The Magic Tramps and Teenage Lust. New Year’s Eve they are back to the Mercer Arts Center with The Magic Tramps (another unsung band of NY music), Queen Elizabeth(w/Wayne County), The Modern Lovers, Ruby and The Rednecks, in what is to be called “the endless party of 1973” a show starting at 11 PM and ending when the sun came up, maybe.
The Dolls played in various clubs; Kenny’s Castaway up on 84th St. Street and Third, opened up for Captain Beefheart at Town Hall (February 24) and then on St. Patrick’s Day of 1973, they perform on a bill with Larry Coryell, along with The Mahavishnu Orchestra at the State University of New York in New Paltz. My brother, Kevin Patrick, a student there, called me the next day, he being a huge fan of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, stated… “who the fuck were those guys, how could you possibly like them”. Two days later the New York Dolls sign a two album record contract with Mercury Records for $25,000. July 27th 1973 THE NEW YORK DOLLS (debut) is released.
THE DOLLS were now all over New York. They played the Gaslight Au Go Go, Coventry in Queens, Memorial Day weekend at The (formerly Electric) Circus with Barnaby Bye. August 3 while opening for MOTT THE HOOPLE at The FELT FORUM of Madison Square Garden, the Mercer Arts Center collapses to the ground.Its been reported that the unauthorized renovations of 1969 took out some weight bearing walls. Many in THE DOLLS camp looked at this as a bad omen,losing your home base. For the rest of August The Dolls head over to Max’s Kansas City for a residency. In late September they leave on the West Coast tour where they performed on TV show “The Midnight Special.” It would back with Mott The Hoople traveling through Canada for most of October and returning home for the notorious “Homecoming Halloween Bash” at the Waldorf Astoria’s ballroom. The press coverage alone for this event was unbelievable, decadence to be sure, and tickets for fans virtually impossible to obtain.
It’s a “Costume Party” at $7.50 a ticket featuring THE NEW YORK DOLLS. Over 2000 nut jobs arrive early. First problem is the venue as opulent as it is ,with all its prestige, only holds about 1000,legally. And some/most of that 1000 would be A-listers. The band is scheduled to perform after the “costume contest”, a contest of costumes one can only imagine.Doors were to open at 11PM but don’t until 1AM.The band is drunk/high/in poor spirits/hate each other/whatever.
“Oh my God, the Waldorf-Astoria regrets that gig! Hundreds of FREAKS strolling around the entire lobby area, blowing minds. The Dolls made us wait like an extra 90 minutes and then were hilariously drunk. They were totally awful, but, looked great. It made sense somehow.” stated Blinky Phillips, guitarist for THE PLANETS.
To promote the album they embark on an ill fated European Fall Tour. There the press straight out hated them, labeling the band as “mock rock” and a poor imitation of the ROLLING STONES.
With their tails between their legs they are back home to the safe environment know as NEW YORK CITY, February 15, 1974, on a show advertised as “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”, at the Academy of Music with Elliott Murphy, tickets sell out in minutes. The stage is readied for THE DOLLS, the lights dim, and a newsreel montage of Hitler invading France is played.WTF? Next a film “The Lipstick Killers” is shown, hey, that’s THE DOLLS…
Film ends…”Puss N Boots” kicks it off. THE DOLLS are on, not just on… but ON. “Bad Girl”,”Looking For A Kiss”, “Who Are The Mystery Girls?”, “Trash”, “Stranded In The Jungle” “Great Big Kiss”, “Chatterbox”, “Personality Crisis”, “Babylon” “It’s Too Late”, “Pills”, and “Human Being”…applause… “you want more?… “Jet Boy”, “I’m Your Hootchie Coochie Man”, “Back In The USA”.The universe is back in balance. The guys can do it, they can be stars.
Two months later, April 14,1974 the band performs at My Father’s Place in Roslyn, with The Miamis opening. “Babylon”, “Puss n Boots”,“Looking For A Kiss”,“Trash”, Stranded In The Jungle”, “Personality Crisis”, “Bad Girl”, “Pills”, “Hoochie Koochie Dolls”, “It’s Too Late”, “Chatterbox”, and the show closer “Human Being” all broadcast by WBAB-FM.
May 10,1974 “IN TOO MUCH TOO SOON” is released. It bombs and Mercury drops them almost immediately. THE NEW YORK DOLLS virtually disappear.
The band tours for a few months with Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan in a true heroin dependency while Arthur “Killer” Kane is an out and out drunk.
I didn’t see much in the press or hear much of The Dolls after their release, I do know they played the “Little Hippodrome” the small place between Second and Third Avenue, dressed in red leather. My friend said it was terrible. The band was falling apart, the spirit and the camaraderie that once existed between the performers and the audience was gone.Now, you didn’t know if Arthur was going to show up sober, didn’t know if Jerry was going to stand up,or if Johnny was going to throw up. David and Syl we are trying to keep the band together. However, in that short period of time THE NEW YORK DOLLS go from the sweethearts of New York City, to playing on a bill with THE FACES in Europe, on tour with MOTT THE HOOPLE, now relegated to playing shitty little holes with nobody, I mean nobody, nobody there.
According to my friends I possess a somewhat eclectic taste in music and by my constantly seeking out new shows to attend, sometimes it is difficult to find an accompanist who would enjoy what I was going to see/listen to. This show was one of those nights. HOT TUNA (Jorma and Jack) was on a semi-official departure from JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, a band I was fascinated with.The last two times watching the Airplane, one night at Suffolk Community where there was more TUNA than AIRPLANE, and their last November Thanksgiving run at FILLMORE EAST when HOT TUNA did a complete set outshining the (newer) AIRPLANE, I was ready for this, HOT TUNA. Seems like most of my guy friends had plans or worse case scenario, had no interest in this particular show. So, a good friend, a woman accompanied me to FILLMORE EAST for HOT TUNA, TAJ MAHAL and BRETHEN. Brethren was a band out of New York, and a friend of mine knew one of the members so that connection made me pay close attention to what they were doing. They were alright, just alright, but somehow in the next few months they continued to pop up on the bills of other shows I attended. I learned to appreciate that band when I became familiar with their stuff.
TAJ MAHAL on the other hand was noteworthy from the git-go. He slipped out on stage, sat on a stool, and started to play a National Steel guitar. While slowly working through his repertoire other members of the band “appeared” without announcement of fanfare, to the point were there were four tubas on the stage accompanying him. FOUR TUBAS. It was mind blowing. Besides Taj his band consisted of HOWARD JOHNSON on tuba (later to be musical director for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE), JOHN HALL (later of ORLEANS fame and update NY politics) on guitar, JOHN SIMON, piano (producer of THE BAND’s “Music From Big Pink”, BIG BROTHER’S Cheap Thrills, BLOOD,SWEAT and TEARS “Child is the Father To The Man” and other recordings) and ROCKY DziDzournu on congas, a standout in my memory as he was the cat who takes THE STONES’ “Sympathy For The Devil” to new heights, along with a host of other musicians, totaling ten players on stage.Great stuff . A month later, at the same venue TAJ MAHAL is back to record his live album.
To close out the night, Hot Tuna which was now ELECTRIC HOT TUNA was ear shattering loud, to say the least, and being seated second row on the left directly in front of a huge bank of speakers…LOUD.Will Scarlett on harp, the aforementioned JORMA KAUKONEN on guitar, JACK CASADY, my favorite bass player, SAMMY PIAZZA, a (adequate) drummer (I miss Spencer Dryden) and PAPA JOHN CREACH from the AIRPLANE on violin/fiddle. The boys were on fire. Overall, it was another great night at FILLMORE EAST, a truly great night.
Putting out my BEST OF for this past year made me nostalgic in a way. So I dug out some listings from yesteryear and over the next few weeks I’ll post a few.My brother and I actual compiled lists of our favorite records but this listing is from most of the records I bought that year, in no particular order or preference.
It’s 1969 and my record collection was growing in leaps and bounds. Seems like the more money I had the more records I bought. However, my stereo was not what one would expect of a serious record collector. I was using an old split speaker (in a case) record player propped up on my desk. But hey, the sucker did the job. That and my portable single speaker cassette player tucked along side my portable PANASONIC AM/FM stereo radio made up my “sound system”. I also had an AM/FM radio bedside. A friend had a huge stereo unit, one with humongous speakers,a turntable with a “stylus” no less, but alas he had virtually no records, always borrowing mine.
Records In My Rotation throughout that year included:
The debut album from LED ZEPPELIN “Led Zeppelin”, I bought this early on in the year after a recommendation from my work buddy, Pete, who saw this “unknown” band open for IRON BUTTERFLY. This album was amazing and it took me a few days to realize that this JIMMY PAGE was the same JIMMY PAGE from THE YARDBIRDS. Later, in the year after its release and after seeing the band live twice I copped LED ZEPPELIN II. Geez, these recordings were unique, and the band was …WOW.
THE BEATLES “Abbey Road” was and still is a hard listen for me, yet when it first was released I played it continuously, usually picking out a song or two before moving on to some other record .It was probably the Harrison tunes that I liked the most.
THE WHO “Tommy” is another difficult record to listen to all the way through, but that year I did see the band perform “Tommy” in its entirety twice, and I must say, live WHO was better than any record.
KING CRIMSON’S “In The Court Of The Crimson King”was/is a great record, one that for its time was truly original. This band blew me away when I saw them in the fall of 69, opening for FLEETWOOD MAC and JOE COCKER. After their 34 minute set, I bought the album the next payday. Speaking of FLEETWOOD MAC “Then Play On”( their 3rd album) drew me to see them live and I became a PETER GREEN fan that night. This collection showed the originals of the name sake take their blues influenced and mostly refurbished recordings a step further. I must have recited the opening of “Oh, Well-Part 1” a million times to friends, to the point where I was annoying. I still am, say some. And JOE COCKER’s “With A Little Help From My Friends” which I grabbed in the early summer after hearing some of his tunes on the radio and before seeing him and THE GREASE BAND open for The AIRPLANE at FILLMORE EAST was a goodie, but again, live he was a trip.
Also, there was NEIL YOUNG’s masterpiece “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, along with FRANK ZAPPA’s “Hot Rats” which help change my musical perspective and soon led me to CAPTAIN BEEFHEART “Trout Mask Replica”.
Two debuts, one from CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH, a summer hit and Blind Faith’s one and only official release, which I thought was a mess, as was their show at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. “Nashville Skyline” by BOB DYLAN was a pleasant surprise, even my POP liked it, well, it had JOHNNY CASH on it.THE FLYING BURRITO BROS “Gilded Palace of Sin” was a good pick up and ISAAC HAYES’ “Hot Buttered Soul” arrived unannounced when I did not respond in time to a record company selection deadline but boy was I glad I got that gem. CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY’s debut double set before they shortened their name to CHICAGO, and coincidentally was the only record I ever bought by them. JETHRO TULL’s “Stand Up” was a mainstay on the turntable along with the profane MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams” which was played on minimal volume as not to upset the parents. And then there was the profanity nestled in JEFFERSON AIRPLANE’s “Volunteers” another record which kept a low profile when played.
I practiced my drums listening to THE GRATEFUL DEAD’s “Live Dead” but was not enthused with The DOORS “Soft Parade”, and
PINK FLOYD’s Ummagumma was, well, just listen to “Careful With That Axe ,Eugene” and wonder why my Mom would yell, “What is that? Please, no more.” She didn’t particularly enjoy THE STOOGES “The Stooges”, either, no matter how many times I played it. Speaking of Mom’s taste, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND “The Velvet Underground” was more to her liking as was THE KINKS “Arthur”.
JOHN MAYALL’s “Turning Point” was bought the same day as PHAROAH SANDER’s “Karma”, late 1969. Both late night incense burning albums.
and of course, THE ROLLING STONES Beggar’s Banquet which never left my turntable and the follow-up release Let It Bleed (see blog Oct. 20, 2018)
PROCUL HARUM’s “A Salty Dog” which was actually my kid brother’s record found it’s way into my room many a night, along with his SLY and The FAMILY STONE’s “Stand” and JANIS JOPLIN’s “I Got Dem Ole Kosmic Blues Again Mama” but not any of his CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL or his “Odessa” by THE BEE GEES. Just the red felt cover on that one turned my stomach. Continue reading →
ON THE TURNTABLE: TOP 40 LPs of 1979: Courtesy of VILLAGE VOICE
Every January since 1965 my brother, KEVIN PATRICK and I would exchange lists of our favorite albums of the year. We both had eclectic tastes for teens. He tried to steer me toward MOTOWN records while I dragged him through Anglophile and English blues related groups. After we secured each others lists we would search far and wide to find published lists to see which of us garnered more points in the standings, which we made up: 20 points for #1, one point for #20, etc. As time went on others joined our small collective of nut jobs. Twenty plus years ago a college friend of my brother’s started an organized group and actually publishes the sometimes embarrassing results , but all in good fun.
My kid brother passed away in February at age 64 after a long fight with cancer and cancer related heart issues. Seems the chemo of the 70’s slowly wore away the walls to his heart. Up until his last breath he was a true collector of all kinds of music, and his lists each year reflected it.This is my first year without his list.
Searching my archives I found how strange our 1979 listing had us in almost a virtual tie. The scoring criteria that year and for many other years was the work of Robert Christgau and his annual BEST OF. Thank you Bob for all the years of enjoyment,and I hope you are not offended that I publish it here.PS: My brother beat me out with THE SHOES and THE BUZZCOCKS. We both had THE CLASH and ELVIS COSTELLO in the top 3, a balancing act for our totals. Neither of us had AIR.
1. The Clash (Epic) 18. 2. Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never Sleeps (Reprise) 17. 3. Pere Ubu: Dub Housing (Chrysalis) 14. 4. Van Morrison: Into the Music (Warner Bros.) 11. 5. Air: Air Lore (Arista Novus) 11. 6. Graham Parker & the Rumour: Squeezing Out Sparks(Arista) 9. 7. The B-52s (Warner Bros.) 5. 8. Nick Lowe: Labour of Lust (Columbia) 5. 9. The Roches (Warner Bros.) 5. 10. Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown (Columbia) 5.
11. Tom Verlaine (Elektra). 12. Donna Summer: Bad Girls (Casablanca). 13. Talking Heads: Fear of Music (Sire). 14. Wreckless Eric: The Whole Wide World (Stiff). 15. The Only Ones: Special View (Epic). 16. Shoes: Present Tense (Elektra). 17. James Monroe H.S. Presents Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band Goes to Washington (Elektra). 18. The Buzzcocks: Singles Going Steady (I.R.S.). 19. Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Live Rust (Reprise). 20. Marianne Faithful: Broken English (Island).
21. Linton Kwesi Johnson: Forces of Victory (Mango). 22. Dave Edmunds: Repeat When Necessary (Swan Song). 23. Fashion: Product Perfect (I.R.S.). 24. James Brown: The Original Disco Man (Polydor). 25. Gary Numan & Tubeway Army: Replicas (Atco). 26. Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (Epic). 27. Culture: International Herb (Virgin Internatioal). 28. Chic: Good Times (Atlantic). 29. Millie Jackson: Live and Uncensored (Polydor). 30. Living Chicago Blues Volume 1 (Alligator).
31. Lene Lovich: Stateless (Stiff/Epic). 32. Tom Robinson Band: TRB Two (Harvest). 33. James Blood: Tales of Captain Black (Artists House). 34. Cory Daye: Cory and Me (New York International). 35. Mutiny: Mutiny on the Mamaship (Columbia). 36. Steel Pulse: Tribute to the Martyrs (Mango). 37. Blondie: Eat to the Beat (Chrysalis). 38. Roxy Music: Manifesto (Atlantic). 39. George Jones: My Very Special Guests (Epic). 40. Elvis Costello: Armed Forces (Columbia).
TICKETS TORN IN HALF: January 5, 1980-ROBERT GORDON @The Silver Dollar Music Saloon, BAYSHORE,NY
I grew up on all kinds of music; my dad’s big band collection, some Johnny Cash, the radio hits of the 1950’s and early 1960’s which included street corner doo-wop bands, girl groups, a little folk music, some matinee idols, a few Broadway tunes tossed in, and then… February of 1964 changed everything with The BEATLES appearance on Ed Sullivan. After that it was a hop, skip, and jump to WOODSTOCK. I along with everyone else my age experimented by listening to every type of music that was thrown my way. Late night free form FM radio influenced my listening habits and of course my purchasing habits. As the Woodstock Nation scattered away from the meadows of muddy joy and celebration, we moved on to college or gainful employment, and with that our tastes in music changed again. The Beatles broke up and corporate/ arena rock took over. Fortunately, for those of us living in New York City we had the rise of small clubs, where occasionally you could see an up-and-coming band before they hit the big time. Unfortunately, many times bands in these small clubs were expected to play the hits of the day. It was about this time in one of those small clubs that we first heard the uniqueness of The New York Dolls. That moment for me my friends changed everything. At some later date I’ll give you my meandering thoughts on what occurred with the band and of course how the band influenced others. But for now I’ll throw it out there on how the Dolls playing in clubs like Max’s Kansas City and later others in CBGB’s changed the course of music moving away from the drabness and into a new light. The Dolls even though their aspirations were to become huge, while disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm across middle America. However, they soldiered on and in doing so inspired others to form bands. This “newer wave” (sorry) of bands were diametrically opposed to the progressive rock sounds of corporate music. Mostly labeled “garage” bands, these combos consisted of drums, a bass player,a guitar player or two ,and a singer. Sometimes the label of “singer” was a stretch.
The year of the Bicentennial 1976 was a true turning point in music, especially music found in the clubs of New York City and music played on the radio. THE RAMONES first album was released and poor TOM PETTY was labeled “punk rock”, a phrase he hated all because he wore a leather jacket on the cover. The point is everything was changing, quickly. Every Tom, Dick, and Joey Ramone, all we’re looking for that moment in the sun but were looking for it in their own unique way. Bands popped up all over the place. There were duos like Suicide, trios like early Talking Heads, strange acts like the Contortionists and who can forget Wendy Williams and the Plasmatics. Life was grand. On any given night you would go out knowing you would be thoroughly entertained.Patrons of those NYC clubs were rarely if ever shocked.
All this jibber jabber is just a way for me to introduce the TUFF DARTS a band I saw a few times at CBGB’S and their short term lead singer Robert Gordon who broke away from them to concentrate on a rockabilly revival career.Shortly after the split from TUFF DARTS I met Robert Gordon in the New York City club, Hurrah, while we will both there separately to see my friends band, The Werewolves. Robert had a new look with a slicked back, high piled pompadour. He was accompanied by a gentleman in sunglasses a few years older then us whom he introduced to me. I immediately recognized the name, Link Wray, as a guitarist of some renown to say the least. Robert briefly informed me that he was working on a solo album and Link would be playing guitar. A few months later the album was released and gigs announced. For whatever reason our paths did not cross, I missed his performances with Link,and again a few years later with Chris Spedding but did get to see the January 5, 1980 performance with another guitarist of some note Danny Gatton,”the world’s best unknown guitarist”. Robert Gordon and his band did not disappoint. The sparse audience, mostly “dolls and cats” as he called them, followed him from gig to gig, dressed to the nines with men in white shirts with thin bolo ties,dolls in poodle skirts, all wearing mostly anything from the ROCKABILLY era. The show sometimes is the show, meaning the audience is ACT 1.Needless to say, it was a blast. So ROCKABILLY was just one of the niches carved out in the mid seventies and ROBERT GORDON was one of it’s shining stars.
NYT:April 23,1978-Rob’t Palmer
During the late 50’s, the rockabillies ran into trouble. Jerry Lee Lewis was hounded out of England by the press when it was discovered that his wife was only 13 and his cousin. Carl Perkins was disabled by an automobile accident at a critical juncture his career, and never found a suitable follow‐up to “Blue Suede Shoes.” The second‐string wild men—Sonny Burgess, Billy Lee Riley—never really found a mass audience outside the South and Midwest. Elvis Presley, whose early records started it all, fell increasingly under the sway of Nashville and Hollywood. An army of bland young men, the’ Fabians and Frankie Avalons, launched a counter‐attack on cleaned‐up teen television shows like Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand.” By 1960, the rockabilly era was definitely over.
But popular fashion runs in cycles, and rockabilly is back. The smooth, mass‐produced blandness of 70’s pop made a raw, uninhibited new wave inevitable, and when it came along, in the person of the punks, rockabilly came with it. In some cases, the rockabilly influence in punk rock is minimal, a question of dyed hair, black leather jackets, or an occasional song or vocal mannerism. But one prominent new:wave rocker, Robert Gordon, has based his entire repertory and performing persona on rockabilly:. Two of his most popular numbers are Billy Lee Riley evergreens.
1969: Records in heavy rotation in my bedroom included the debut album from Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, THE BEATLES Abbey Road (which is a hard listen for me-sorry Beatles fans), THE WHO Tommy (another difficult record to listen to all the way through), KING CRIMSON’S In The Court Of The Crimson King a great record,one that for its time was truly unique, THE ROLLING STONES Beggar’s Banquet which never left my turntable and the follow-up release Let It Bleed, NEIL YOUNG’s masterpiece Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, ZAPPA’s Hot Rats which help change my musical perspective, FLEETWOOD MAC’s Then Play On, CSN debut, Blind Faith’s one and only official release which is also a very strange record, Nashville Skyline by BOB DYLAN, The MC5’s Kick Out The Jams, Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul which arrived unexpectedly when I did not respond in time to a record company selection deadline and glad I got this gem,Chicago Transit Authority double set before they shortened their name to CHICAGO, Jethro Tull’s Stand Up, Live Dead, The DOORS Soft Parade, PINK FLOYD’s Ummagumma, Jefferson Airplane’s Volunteers, and PROCOL HARUM’s A Salty Dog which was actually my brothers record.
ON THE TURNTABLE: In November of 1967 I was purchasing mostly albums, having drifted away from single (45rpm) releases.This change in my purchasing, as well as the purchases of like minded teens listening to the same current music, was due in part, a large part, by one singular event; that being the change in FM radio broadcasting.
(A brief history thanks to Allen Sniffen) In 1966 the Federal Communications Commission ruled that major market FM radio stations could no longer simulcast their AM sister stations. FM had to become separate with individual programming. This was deemed necessary to allow FM to grow and develop its own audience. The ruling put radio station owners in a bind. They needed to come up with new formats for these weaker and less desirable stations. Since FM was more difficult to receive, its universe of potential listeners was much smaller… and so was its billing. The new formats therefore had to be both different and relatively inexpensive to program. It was in that environment that RKO General Broadcasting launched its new WOR-FM (98.7Mhz) “Hot 100” format on July 30, 1966. The name is deceiving because, in fact, it was the first progressive rock station in the country. It marketed itself as stereo as a way to distinguish itself from AM radio. The problem was that many of the records played by the station were not in stereo. While it was true that most record albums were stereo, singles were not. Since the singles came out before the albums, much of the new music it was breaking was in mono.
So to me as a 14 year old, my listening experience changed overnight, well actually after purchasing an AM-FM radio which did not exist in my house.The newly staffed WOR-FM hired some of NYC’s hottest “Top Ten” dj’s, specifically MURRAY“The K”(Kaufman) from 1010 WINS, SCOTT MUNI from 570 WMCA and later 770 WABC, and ROSKO, the coolest sounding person on the radio, anywhere. Murray The K appeared to be the draw for WOR-FM and the “new” MURRAY was a 180 degree departure from what I was familiar with while listening to him on 1010 WINS (AM). This was not “Top 40” jive talking any longer, as a matter of fact it was a “cool” MURRAY, one who it has been claimed broke the song “Society’s Child” in the Summer of 67 (because it should be heard), as well as PROCOL HARUM’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” simply because HE “liked it”.AND Murray was famous in the area for his holiday stage show extravaganzas, the last which brought THE WHO and (as billed) THE CREAM to NYC for the first time, Easter of 1967. My buddy went and raved about those two bands.
But WOR-FM was a short lived experiment as program directors tried to rein in the playlist, to the chagrin of the radio hosts. Murray was fired in September of 67 despite having the highest rated FM program in NY, even higher than most AM shows. During his short tenure at WOR-FM “The K” attracted not only a large audience but in the audience advertisers found a different demographic, a newer demographic,that being a more mature college aged kid and with this newer, older audience the station drew in record companies as their advertisers. Record companies had found the station (WOR-FM) was highly valuable at influencing sales of rock albums especially new artists and groups like Cream, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, acts which were having their records played and /or being introduced.
At WOR-FM (October 1967)with a new tighter playlist ROSKO quit while “on the air”. He was soon found (October 30,1967) hosting the 7PM to midnight program at the “all girls dj’s” of WNEW-FM 102.7 FM. WNEW-FM was at that time a MOR station with an entire staff of female Dj’s, a unique experiment at the time. But at the 7PM hour Rosko had a free hand to “do his thing”. JONATHAN SCHWARTZ (10AM- 2PM) was added on November19, and a few days later SCOTT MUNI (2-6PM) joined the staff. ALLISON STEELE later dubbed “The Nightbird” (2AM-6AM) was held over from the formerly “all girl” staff and WNEW-FM took off.
Note: a few years later the line up included John Zacherle and Pete Fornatale with Vince Scelsa added on weekends.
So all this AM/FM babble is the background to my “new” listening experiences which in turn changed my record purchases from TOP 40 hits (45RPM) to albums.
During that November I purchased “Love Forever Changes”, my first LOVE lp, their third and final collection. I picked up CREAM’s “Disraeli Gears” (did not have “Fresh Cream”) and spent hours looking at the cover while trying to decipher the meaning of “SWLABR”. Incidentally, the album was recorded (May 1967) following the nine days of CREAM being part of MURRAY THE K’S “Music In The Fifth Dimension” series.
Murray The K’s Music In The 5th Dimension | RKO 58 St Theater (28 shows over nine days and nights) featuring:
Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels, Wilson Pickett, The Who, Hardly-Worthit Players, Cream, Blues Magoos, The Blues Project, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Jim & Jean, Mandala, The Chicago Loop, Phil Ochs, Simon & Garfunkel, The Young Rascals
(udiscovermusic.com)When both The Who and Cream made their live debut in America, it could hardly have been any less auspicious. It happened for both of them on 25 March 1967 at the RKO Keith Theater on 58th and 3rd Ave in New York City. The shows were redolent of the old 1940s variety shows with a bill packed with artists that actually began at 10 o’clock in the morning and ran all day with a movie thrown in for good measure. All the artists on the bill played five shows a day and it was grueling; the whole thing was promoted by New York’s legendary DJ, Murray the K.
The Who and Cream, or The Cream as they were billed, were well down the bill. Headlining were Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Wilson Pickett, with Buddy Miles was on drums, The Hardly Worthit Players, The Mandala, the Chicago Loop, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim & Jean, Phil Ochs, The Young Rascals and The Blues Project, Al Kooper’s band.
My next album was “Buffalo Springfield Again” their second album (my first) followed by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE’s “After Bathing at Baxters”. “Surrelistic Pillow” was a man stay on my turntable before this collection was released on November 30,1967. This was departure and I loved that band. By the end of the CHRISTMAS release season I also had Hendrix’s “Axis As Bold As Love”, Dylan’s “John Wesley Harding” and an album I still love “The Who Sell Out”. Times surely had changed and so did my record collection.
Recently, I checked the files for purchases I made when I was 16 years old in 1968. Not surprisingly, those discs were all receiving heavy rotation on WNEW-FM: “Super Session”-Bloomfield,Kooper and Stills, The Airplane’s “Crown of Creation”, Jeff Beck’s amazing “Truth”, Big Brother and The Holding Company’s “Cheap Thrills”, Traffic’s second album, The Doors “Waiting For The Sun” and a fav of mine The Small Faces “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake”. Also included were:Dance To The Music,We’re Only In It For The Money, The Notorious Byrds Brothers, Anthem of The Sun, Child Is The Father To The Man, Odessey and Oracle, SweetHeart of The Rodeo, The Village Green Preservation Society, Wheels of Fire, Dr John’s GRIS GRIS, Electric Ladyland, Beggar’s Banquet, Music From Big Pink and of course THE BEATLES akaThe White Album.
