Re-Vue - Blue Lake Records

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Re-V Ch
June 2006
Re-Vues:
Music
Lake Rattle and Roll
Miss Lauren Marie
Eddie and the Backfires
Movie
Hooked/The Flaming
Teenage
Rockabilly's "Dark Ages"
Finding History in your
own Backyard
Century of Progress
Homes get a Face-lift
As always News, reviews, Event Notices,
Calendar And morE Inside this issue
Event pre-Vue:
Rockabilly Rebel Weekend
Blues Fest
Event Re-Vues:
Ponderosa Stomp
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Re-Vue staff have been hard at work in the month of May
coming up with some interesting topics for the ‘zine. We
have a first-time submission again. And on that note,
please drop us a line with any story ideas you have or any
article you’d like us to run. We’re up for new ideas all the
time.
The Detroit madman himself, Matt Strickland is always
at the forefront of new rockabilly CDs from acts round the
globe...and this month it is no different. He pops in with a
few new reviews: “Lake Rattle and Roll”, a compilation of
the talented rockabilly acts on the Blue Lake Record label
out of Switzerland (Editors note—Juan of Blue Lake is also
kind enough to host Re-Vue’s monthly issues on the Blue
Lake website at www.bluelake.ch ), Miss Lauren Marie’s
debut CD, and a CD by German rockabilly band, Eddie and
the Backfires.
We have a first-time submission from Chicago native and
urban legend, John Battles. He pipes in on the little
covered (more like covered-up) rockabilly of the Late 60s
and early 70s. He calls the time period, the “Dark Ages” of
Rockabilly. Read about what some of the original 50s
recording artists and neo-rockabilly acts were up to in that
era.
Doug Freedman never fails to find true nuggets of pure
juvenile delinquent entertainment. This month’s review,
“Hooked/The Flaming Teenage” promises to be prime DVD
viewing. And I quote Mr. Freedman himself, “These are two
films that deal with heroin abuse, filmed back in the days
when drug abusers knew how to dress, listened to the best
music, drove the coolest cars (or stole them), and had real
cool hair styles.” Sign me up for that showing!
Who says history has to be stuffy? Ken Mottet explains
one of the wonders of shopping at estate sales in the
greater Chicago area. Vintage photographs and instaancestors. Ken takes it a step further by piecing together
who the people are in the photos. Call him the photo
sleuth...
Months—maybe years ago, we covered a little known
historic spot, Beverly Shores, the final resting place of
some of the homes from the Century of Progress
Worlds’ Fair in Chicago in 1933. The homes were brought
to Beverly Shores, Indiana by barge in the late 30s. These
houses neglected and heart-breakingly abandoned over the
years were in dire need of a facelift. A visit over the
Memorial Day weekend to my favorite beach-area yielded
the photos shown and the positive report that Indiana and
the National Park system is finally stepping up to restore
these precious palaces.
The Ponderosa Stomp took place in Memphis
last month and one of our favorite
correspondents, David Leucinger, attended
and dishes it out—to make us all regret what we
missed. He also reports in about the Chicago
Blues Fest this time around.
We also have event pre-vue information for you
on the Berwyn Historical Society Bungalow
House Walk taking place this very weekend on
Sunday, June 4. Enough to make you green with
envy, for sure… Also, we preview the Road
Rockets Car Show in Indy and the Rockabilly
Rebel Weekend which is coming up later this
month. Joe Hellfish of the Chrome Czars Motor
Club pulled together a handy-dandy list of the
summer’s car shows and posted it to the Chrome
Czars message board and Desiree Kiss reformatted it for use in Re-Vue. Nice team work
guys!
As always, there are other news snippets
interspersed for your reading enjoyment.
We are ALWAYS looking for more contributors.
You can only go to the same well so many times
before the well starts to run dry… share your
ideas and interests with your rockabilly
brethren… we’re waiting to hear from you!
Covering all the angles all the time…
Susan E. Funk
Re-Vue
Matt Strickland
Joe hellfish
Don’t Say We
Didn’t Warn You….
See the calendar on the back page for
June 2006 dates.
July
June 30th and July 1
Jimmy Sutton’s Four Charms at the Green Mill.
Three sets.
Ken Mottet
Doug Freedman
June 30th, July 1, 2 & 3!
American Music Festival at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn
Featuring Marcia Ball, Brave Combo, Walter
“Wolfman” Washington, The Blasters, Ian
McLagan & The Bump Band, Chatham County
Line, Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men, Dale Watson,
Jeff & Vida AND MUCH MORE!
2nd Singin' and Stylin' Summer Sundays
Kent Rose@ Night&Day Vintage showtime 2:30
for monthly shows featuring vintage threads and
timeless tunes.
6th Big"C"Jamboree with The Bottletones & A special treat: a quick performance by Burlesque-capades, a World Famous Pontani Sisters Production!!
@ Martyrs’
Susan E. Funk
Desiree Kiss
7th Gin Palace Jesters Derailers @ Beat Kitchen
7th Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys @ Fitzgerald’s
Pictures not available at press time:
John Battles
David Leucinger
8th Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys @ Sangamon
Valley Music Festival, Springfield, IL
25th Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys @ Starlight
Concert Series Dawes Park Evanston
28th Fulton County Line @ Horseshoe
Matt StrickLaND
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June
2006
Lake Rattle & Roll—Various Artists
(Blue Lake Records)
This brand new sampler of Blue
Lake artists was released on
February 26, 2006 and is nothing
short of fantastic. Included on the
CD are 25 tracks, 19 of which have
never been released and 6 that
have only been issued on vinyl or
custom CDR's. The majority of the
bands that record at JCR (Juan
Recording Service, Switzerland) are
represented on the CD. Styles on
the CD range from rockabilly to
hillbilly to wild 50's rock n’ roll. The
CD is a tribute to the Lake Geneva rockin' scene in Switzerland and is
sure to be a welcome addition to any collection!
NOTE: Like all Blue Lake Records releases, there is a nifty video that
includes a ton of great photos!!!
Track List:
Noisy Boys – Don't Be Runnin' Wild
King Louie Combo – Sixty Minute Man
Earl & the Overtones – Heartless Woman
Mars Attacks – High School Caeser
Phil Trigwell – Night Time
Nero Schwarz & the Black Noir – Hot Sake
Rhythm 55 – Mistery Night
Rockin' Piano Jerry – That Lucky Old Sun
Waun-a-bees – Can't Stop Me
Kick em' Jenny – Stressed Up
Johnny Loda – Lonesome Tears In My Eyes
Dixie Bop – Seven Nights to Rock
Little Boy Arnold - If You Don't Know
Cal Degal – Pink & Black
Hot Rhythm and Booze – I Don’t' Want to Loose Her
Matthiue Bore & Suzy Blackstone – I Need Your Love Tonight
John Guster – Ain't That A Dilly
Ray Gibson & the Flattop Cats – Mora
Jerry & the Rockets – Shadow My Baby
Fred & Franky – You're Gonna Miss Me
The Reptiles - I Still Have the Will to Rock n Roll
The Starliters – Rock & Roll Fever
Waun-a-bees – Satisfied
The Thunder Jets – A Little More Wise
Kick em' Jenny – Raw Deal
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STRICKLAND SCALE 5 fezes
www.bluelake.ch
Miss Lauren Marie
–
"Introducing Miss Lauren
Marie"
(Texas Jamboree Records)
Lauren Marie is hot out of the
recording studio with her debut release
"Introducing Miss Lauren Marie".
Originally from Cape Cod,
Massac huse tts , sh e's rec en tly
transplanted herself to America's music
capital Austin, Texas. Having sat in
with the Two Timin' Three for a while,
she was easily able to start booking
shows under her own name. On the
CD she is backed by members of the
Horton Brothers (Bobby & Billy Horton,
Buck Johnson, Dave Leroy Biller, T
Jarrod Bonta) as well as the Two
Timin' Three (Eric Laufer, Shane Kiel,
Jeff Herring). Recorded at Fort Horton
Studios, the CD has a crisp sound that
reminds me a quite of bit of hillbilly on
Capitol Records…nice job guys!
Lauren Marie lists her influences as
Janis Martin, Elvis, Johnny Burnette
and Patsy Cline. And though you can
hear a bit of some of these artists in
her singing, she does have a nice style
of her own. The CD contains 13 songs,
including some originals written by
Bobby Horton and Eric Laufer. The
material on the CD ranges from mid
tempo hillbilly (Don Gibson's "Who
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Cares") to romantic ballads (Bobby Horton's "A Heart That Isn't True")
to pop rockabilly (Burnettes' "Believe What You Say) to honky tonk
country (Willie Nelson's "How Long is Forever"). While not wild rock n’
roll in any sense of the term, there are plenty of numbers on here that
will get your toes tappin' and out on the dance floor. The playing and
singing are fantastic throughout and I sure look forward to hearing
more from Miss Lauren Marie!
Track List:
Just Like Two Drops of Water
Sweet and Easy to Love
A Heart That Isn't True
As My Heart Breaks
Who Cares
Moody River
One Sided Heart
How Long is Forever
Everytime
Three Little Words
Please Take a Picture
The Last Kiss is the Sweetest
Believe What You Say
STRICKLAND SCALE 4 Fezes
www.myspace.com/laurenmarie
June
2006
www.backfires.de
www.myspace.com/backfires
www.wildpresents.com
Track List:
I Feel Rockin
I'm Gone
Cat Killer
Dancing Doll
All I Can Do Is Cry
High Speed Daddy
They Call Me Bad
Let's Rock Tonight
Tick Tack Baby
Mobilin Baby of Mine
Rockin and a Rollin
That's Wild
Last Surf
Sometimes I Wonder
It's So Hard
Mexican Love
STRICKLAND SCALE
4 Fezes
Eddy & the Backfires
"Cat Killer"
(Rhythm Bomb)
If the name of the group hasn't tipped
you off, these cats are into vintage
cars! My German is kind of rusty, but I
did gather from their website that the
Backfires have been together since
1999, hail from Hannover and this is
their third official release.
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Their current line-up features Eddy on lead vocals/rhythm guitar, Juergen
on upright bass, Nosi on lead guitar and Randy Rich on drums (but not on
the CD). The CD was recorded and mastered at Lightning Recording
Service in Berlin…guaranteed quality sound!
The CD has 15 songs and a bonus track with video. Standouts on the CD
are the Backfires original tracks "I Feel Rockin" (fast, heavy bopper) &
"That's Wild" (great mid-tempo bopper) and they do a nice version of
Jimmy Grubbs' "Let's Rock Tonight". I have to say that I also enjoyed the
bonus track "Mexican Love" and the accompanying video was well done
and humorous. The Backfires overall style is very peppy modern
rockabilly with an authentic feel. I look forward to hearing more from these
cats!
Have a Cd you’d
like to have
reviewed?
Drop us a line at:
revuechicago.com and
we’ll give it a spin!
John Battles
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June
2006
Rockabilly's
In 1986 , I was briefly in a
talented (But go nowhere) Rockabilly outfit
in Dallas. The guitarist
didn't understand why I
thought his old man, a
Vietnam vet and active
musician since the mid 60's, was cool. I guess
playing Rockabilly and
idolizing Eddie Cochran
was sort of his way of rebelling against Dad, who had
my undivided attention with stories of meeting The
Standells and Love, backing up Bo Diddley and Sam
The Sham, and seeing Blue Cheer in San Francisco.
His son HATED him some Blue Cheer, saying,
"Those fuckin' Hippies! Eddie would have hated what
they did to "Summertime Blues". I tried to put him
straight, telling him Blue Cheer were PUNKS, not
Hippies, and who's to say that, had he lived, Cochran
wouldn’t have been their producer (it goes without
saying that Eddie's signature riffs were the blueprint
for Punk, anyway), and, besides, you're gonna meet
a lot of longhaired guys in your lifetime, some will be
cool, and some will be assholes, but none of 'em are
going to be Hippies (Though the patchouli and B.O.
set tried hard, didn’t they?). "You fuckin' pacifist", he
said with a chuckle.
Commander
Cody,
already well established
at the time with his fun loving blend of Rockabilly,
Honky Tonk C & W, and
Jump Blues, also proved
remarkably sympathetic
backing for Gene, who
was, by then, well into
the throes of alcoholism
and
depression.
A
bootleg recording exists where Gene, shell-shocked by
the wild audience response, honors a request for
"Woman Love", though he only remembers part of it.
Commander Cody, of course, plays his affable piano
boogie (As few can) to this day, though guitarist Bill
Kirchen took most of the Rockabilly songs with him
(The original Lost Planet Airmen did at least one
reunion gig not too long ago), though The Commander
still sees fit to play his one certified hit a cover of
Charlie Ryan's "Hot Rod Lincoln", which is probably the
biggest selling U.S. Rockabilly single of the 70's
(Unless you want to count Billy Swan's excellent,
though damned difficult to classify, hit, "I Can Help",
which warranted quick cover versions from Elvis and
Jerry Lee.).
"Dark Ages"
Late 60's-Early 70's
In the early 70's, and even the late 60's, as Billy
Zoom (Then guitarist for Gene Vincent's L.A. - based
band, and, later, of course, the man who successfully
melded Rockabilly with Punk in the legendary, and
still active, X.) put it, "I was trying to put a Rockabilly
thing together, but, you couldn't GIVE Rockabilly
away at the time". Nevertheless, Zoom, aided by
Johnny Legend, Jimmie Lee Maslon, veteran
Rockabilly musician, Ray Campi, and others, under
the banner of freedom fighter, Ronnie Weiser, were
soon to form a Rockabilly alliance that gradually
picked up steam, setting fire to the City of Angels.
Johnny Legend told me that the aforementioned
musicians and himself tried to put together a band
that could really do justice to the Blue Caps' material
to back up Gene Vincent. A date was set, but Gene
died a week before it would have gone down. (In a
more bizarre set of circumstances, Legend once
ratted out a weasely promoter who'd advertised a gig
starring Ral Donner, who'd already been dead for
about a month.).
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Amazingly enough, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
also made it to the bottom of the Top 100 in 1968 with
"Paralyzed", easily the most psychotic single to chart in
that decade, and probably since. It was
"Psychobilly" (All those who're tired of that phrase, say
"I") a good ten years before The Meteors debuted, and
a good 30 - plus years before Metal backboned, Misfits
- influenced groups started calling themselves that
(They mean well, I guess). It was also a Dada Deconstructivist 2:25 minute trip to Hell and back
(Having lived in The Ledge's home state of Texas, I
know Hell like the back of my hand.). Some of his other
early sides, like "Who's Knocking At My Door?", take
on a more coherent, minimalist Rockabilly feel, but,
they're still not for the timid. The Ledge still tours
sporadically, backed by a crackerjack Rockabilly/
Garage wrecking crew that features (Past and present)
members of The Dead Kennedys, The Cramps, and
Johnny Legend's Rockabilly Bastards.
New Jerseyite, Donny B.Waugh, released a savage
Rockabilly/Garage Rave - Up called "You Better
Believe It", backed with an insane reworking of Eddie
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John Battles
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Cochran's classic party song
"C'mon, Everybody" (No
disrespect to Eddie , but Waugh's
sounds like the wilder party!),
which either influenced NRBQ's
version, or vice versa.). The
record was released on United
Artists in 1970 (Making it two
anachronisms for the price of (Continued
one!!!). NRBQ, of course, would
include other Rockabilly songs in and amongst the
Sun Ra Space - Rock freakouts , and even record
an LP with Carl Perkins.
June
2006
Vincent several times in
Europe, and their regular
lead singer, Graham
Fenton, remains, to this
day, the finest interpreter
of Gene's vocal style
(Why he wasn't chosen
to sing on Jeff Beck's
from Previous Page) o t h e r w i s e f l a w l e s s
"Crazy Legs" is beyond
me.). The Houseshakers can be seen , briefly, doing
"Be - Bop - A- Lula" , and backing Chuck Berry in
"The London Rock'n'Roll Show" film (Required
viewing).
Rockabilly's
"Dark Ages"
Late 60's-Early 70's
The fantastic Flamin' Groovies were no strangers to
the Rockabilly Revival that had yet to happen,
either. Singer, Roy Loney, employed a plethora of
shudders, hiccups, and other required Rockabilly
vocal techniques (And still does!), "Evil - Hearted
Ada" being one of the greatest records never
recorded at Sun. Early on, the group also did a very
cool medley of Eddie's "Somethin' Else" and Gene's
version of "Pistol Packin' Mama", which was
originally recorded as per the arrangement Eddie
had given Gene just before he died. The New York
Dolls also did a pretty kickin' live version of
"Somethin' Else", as did Slade with their 1000 mph
sendup of the "Somethin' Else"/" Pistol Packin'
Mama" medley.
Brownsville Station also performed amplified
versions of Rockabilly standards alongside their own
Proto - Punk Motor City originals. They recorded
probably the only cover version of "Rumble" in 1970,
and, eventually , cut the terrific Novelty - Rocker,
"The Martian Hop", which cross referenced Junior
Parker's "Feelin' Good" and Harmonica Frank's
"Rockin' Chair Daddy" (Both on Sun.). The late Cub
Koda, the band's singer and guitarist, went on to be
known as a foremost authority on Rockabilly. In my
limited dealings with him, I just knew him as a
sweetheart of a guy.
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The Teddy Boy bands in England were kicking up
some steam by the late 60's - early 70's (While
some of their fans might've been kicking in some
heads, though anyone who was there will probably
tell you that was'nt always the case.). The
Houseshakers were a smokin' RAB/R'n'R outfit that
featured Terry Clemson, former (And future)
guitarist for The Downliner's Sect (Buy ANYTHING
with their name on it!). The group backed up Gene
Fenton later joined Teddy Boy favorites, Matchbox,
who still play out occasionally. Matchbox made a
noble effort to get the legendary Vince Taylor (Of
"Brand New Cadillac" fame.) back on stage in the
late 70's. Taylor, reportedly, was a very early acid
casualty in the mid - 60's, becoming delusional,
paranoid, and possessed of a messianic complex.
He remains, however, one of the great early
Rockers from Britain (NOT France, or even The
U.S., as it's been frequently, and erroneously,
written.)
The still - active Crazy Cavan and The Flying
Saucers (Both of whom can be seen, along with
Matchbox, Freddie "Fingers" Lee, Ray Campi and
an unrepentant Bill Haley in the UK film, "Blue
Suede Shoes", which is recommended, IF you can
find a copy)
also epitomized the Teddy Boy
movement of the 70's and early 80's. These bands
served up the Rockabilly goods with a distinctly
English flair, putting embellishments where needed,
while still retaining a tough Rock'n'Roll sound.
On a more commercially viable note, Rockabilly
Revivalist, Shakin' Stevens, sustained a lucrative
career in his native Great Britain before and after
The Stray Cats' brief reign, despite the relative
inconsistency of much of his material (He's been
known to swing from Rockabilly to Pop.) Steven's
first LP, produced by Dave Edmunds (Who was
more successful, artistically, at making the jump
from Pop to Rockabilly, until that horrid, Jeff Lynne produced, "Information" LP), is definitely worth
seeking out, and was re - issued on the British
Music For Pleasure label.
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John Battles
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June
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Rockabilly's
Bigger names than you might
readily imagine flirted with
Rockabilly, including Alice
Cooper, and, would you believe
(?), Fleetwood Mac (To say
nothing of CCR's unabashed
flirtations with Rockabilly.) The
Alice Cooper Group were big fans
of Rockabilly, which was just one (Continued from
ingredient in their huminary stew.
The unreleased (until recently) "Big Black Limousine", with
a chugging bass line that'd do Bill Black proud,
complemented by some hot slide guitar action and Alice at
his warbly, Elvisian best (It was around this time that Alice
and Elvis actually met. Elvis insisted on demonstrating a
Karate move by telling Cooper to lunge at him with a
loaded gun, Alice contemplated the possibility of making
the cover of every newspaper in the world, should the
experiment fail.). Alice had become drinking buddies with
Gene Vincent, too, in LA, and his band ended up backing
Gene at the 1969 Toronto Rock'n'Roll Revival. The Doors
were slated to perform the task, but turned up late,
probably due to Alice and Gene's OTHER drinking buddy
getting into some hilarious hi-jinks with airport security.
The gig reportedly went very well, with Gene getting so
choked up that John Lennon came out and hugged him as
he cried during "Be - Bop - A - Lula". The Alice Cooper
Group dedicated a song, "Return Of The Spiders", to
Gene on their second album. They may have been the
first to do so, Gene still being alive at the time. If you still
wanna question Alice's Rockabilly cred, check out his
savage take on "Ubangi Stomp", recorded several years
before The Stray Cats' version.
departure.). Besides, they
ARE the band that
originally
recorded
"Somebody's Gonna Get
Their Head Kicked in
Tonight", actually. I
would'nt shit you. Jeremy
Spencer cooked up a right
Previous Page) Teddy Boy Stomp that
would have pleased Vince
Taylor no end. In fact, it was released under the
assumed monniker, Earl Vince and The Valiants, an
obvious nod to early British Rockers like Taylor and
Johnny Kidd and The Pirates (Johnny Kidd's classic
Pirates lineup also reformed in the 70's, led by guitar
god, Mick Green, and are still kicking ass and taking
names). The similarly named Vince Vance and The
Valiants, an Oldies show band from Ft.Worth, bore
no resemblance to this savage one - shot monster.
"Dark Ages"
Late 60's-Early 70's
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Before the Three C's came in and ruined Fleetwood Mac
( California, Cocaine, and Chicks.... Don't get your dander
up, though, because Christine Perfect was a fine White
Blues singer, and proved to have better pipes than Stevie
the Seal when the latter had become the group's focal
point), they'd been, for a couple of years, the baddest
White Blues band on the planet. Guitarist Jeremy Spencer
was largely responsible for bringing in the 50's Rock'n'Roll
and Rockabilly material that was contrary to the Down
Home Blues sounds that group leader, Peter Green
preferred, though it all worked together beautifully. Future
Peter Green collaborator, Ray Dorset, was, no doubt, one
of the first artists of the 70's to record two Elvis Sun
Records classics with his own group, the criminally
overlooked Mungo Jerry. Fleetwood Mac's" Live at the
BBC" CD features the Buddy Hollyfied "Linda" and
"Buddy's Song" , plus a killer version of "Honey
Hush" (Which the group later released upon Green's
Of course, veteran Rockabillies, like Charlie
Feathers and Sleepy LaBeef (and, of course, the
aforementioned Ray Campi), kept on rockin',
regardless of demand, in the early 70's, while
Robert Gordon, The Cramps, and Suicide would go
on to infiltrate the New York Punk scene with their
own, all radically different, interpretations of the
medium.
Gordon employed ace musicians like Link Wray,
Chris Spedding, Rob Stoner, from Dylan's band, the
overrated Anton Fig, and, nearly, Johnny Thunders
and The Heartbreakers (Jerry Nolan, of The Dolls
and Heartbreakers, went on to drum with Levi and
The Rockats.) .
The Cramps are erroneously credited as being the
first Rockabilly - influenced band without a bassist.
Suicide had 'em beat by a few years, incorporating
Rockabilly patterns and vocal techniques with no
bass, guitars OR drums, just an already - primitive
synthesizer setup. In 1981, Alan Vega, Suicide's
vocalist and confrontation - as - art specialist,
released an excellent, Rockabilly - oriented, solo LP
called "Collision Drive", with a full band. Around this
time, my friends were talking about this new
Rockabilly band, presumably from The UK, with big
hair and New Romantic trappings, that they'd seen
on TV. I heard their first LP in the spring of '81, and
their second, a year later. They remained an
underground attraction, at best. I saw them at the
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legendary Dallas Punk dive, The Hot Klub, in September of '82 , but they had yet to make it in The U.S.
(Where it was still assumed they were merely visiting,
until Underground DJ , George Gimarc, asked them,
point blank, where they were actually from. "I'm from
that suburb of London called Long Island", replied the
guitarist. Mainstream Rock DJ, Bob Shannon, surprisingly, was also in attendance at the band's gig,
and he even waited outside with the rest of us
schlubs to be let in, well after their set began.
All the following week, Stray Cats songs were being
played in prime time (Though, surprisingly, not the
two songs that would prove to be their biggest U.S.
hits), though Gimarc had been playing them on his
late night show for over a year. The short - lived
American Rockabilly revival of The 80's was now underway. The Stray Cats had no visible competition,
and their gradual fall from grace was complete in
about a year's time. If you were around at the time,
you'll notice that, with the (First) breakup of The Stray
Cats, most (Though not all) of the Rockabilly bands
formed in their wake packed it in. Bands that did'nt
put "Rockabilly" on their resumes , but felt it all the
same, like The Blasters, The Paladins, Teddy and
The Tall Tops, (and, later, The Reverend Horton
Heat), weathered the storm, and smaller, local
scenes prevailed, but gigs disappeared, or paid a lot
less, for so many bands, after the novelty of the previous wave wore off. David Gonzales of The Paladins
once told me, "When The Stray Cats were happening, we were gigging all the time, but, when that sort
of fizzled, we were'nt getting as many gigs playing
Rockabilly" , which takes us back to when another
guitar genius from the Los Angeles area said, "You
can't give Rockabilly away around here!".
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Battles
Re-Vue is looking for new writers and
photographers. Interest in Rockabilly,
Rock n Roll, Doo Wop, R n B, western
swing, or old country music? Interested
in vintage cars, clothing or architecture?
Well then you fit the bill. Drop a line to:
[email protected].
June
2006
Hooked (1957)/
The Flaming Teenage
(1956)
The Something Weird Video double feature, the
greatest invention since the wheel. O.K. it's not
that great, but "Hooked" and "The Flaming
Teenage" come close. These are two films that
deal with heroin abuse, filmed back in the days
when drug abusers knew how to dress, listened to
the best music, drove the coolest cars (or stole
them), and had real cool hair styles. For those of
you who thought that the hippies invented drug
use, these movies are a real eyeopener. For
those of you whose parents or grandparents said
that there wasn't a drug problem when they went
to school, just show them these movies and see if
anything jogs their memory.
"Hooked" starts off this double feature. 17 year
old high school student Ray Bowman has been
missing from high school for three days. The
school has reported his disappearance to the
police. The police question his totally clueless
aunt, whom he lives with. She does not find his
disappearance unusual. She claims he is a "good
kid". What she doesn't know is that he is a heroin
addict. For the last three days he has been
looking for a fix. He has finally found his drug
dealer James Milton. Milton has found out that
the police are looking for Bowman. He is afraid
that Bowman might expose him as a drug dealer if
he is questioned by the police. Milton gives
Bowman a shot laced with strychnine. Bowman
dies instantly. The police round up all the teenage
friends that Bowman hangs out with. One of
these kids happens to be a heroin addict. As
soon as the police discover that the kid is an
addict, they lock him in a jail cell and let him suffer
withdrawel pains. As soon as the addict can't take
it anymore, he tells the police that Milton is the
supplier. Milton is arrested, but the story doesn't
end there.
(Continued Next Page)
Doug
Freedman
Re-Wind
Hooked/
The Flaming Teenage
(Continued from previous page)
As soon as the word gets around that one pusher
has gotten arrested, the other pushers go into
hiding. The heroin supply diminishes, and the the
price of the drug skyrockets. In fact, if a high school
economics teacher ever needs to explain the laws of
supply and demand to his class, all he has to do is
show them this movie.
The price has gone way up. Now an addict's regular
job won't cover the expense of his drug habit. The
addict is forced to sell his stuff at pawn shops, and
after his stuff is sold, he must turn to crime, and the
crime rate goes up. Will the police ever solve the
drug problem in the community? Will they be able to
prove James Milton actually killed Ray
Bowman? You will have to get this movie to find out.
Not only does this movie have a lot of great action,
but you get to see a real cool Gulf gas station, and a
place called the Melody Mill where the druggie
teenagers hang out. In one scene at the Melody Mill
there is this great rockin' band where them
saxaphone player just sings nonsense lyrics while his
band rocks away, and for the next number, a sleazy
looking woman sings "Baby Baby Baby, Have
yourself a Time". This movie as a number of minor
stars in it for a film of it's type. Paul Kelly plays the
police lieutenant, Cathy Downs plays the aunt, Regis
Toomey plays the high school football coach, and
one of those actors whose name you don't know, but
will instantly recognize, Byron Foulger as the school
principal.
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If you thought "Hooked" was great, "The Flaming
Teenage" is even better. This is basically two films in
one. It started off as "Twice Convicted" which was
filmed in 1951. In 1956, additional footage was
added to appeal to the teenage audience, and the
name was changed to "The Flaming Teenage".
The story starts out with teenager Tim Kruger getting
drunk and passing out in the middle of the street. Of
course, the police arrest him for getting drunk and
passing out in the middle of the street. His dad has
June
2006
to come and
pick
him
up.
Most
dads would be
pissed
off,
but Tim's dad
has got to be
the
coolest
dad in motion
p i c t u r e
history.
Instead
of
punishing
Tim,
dad
thinks
he
could learn a
real lesson by
seeing what
alcohol does
to paper.
The next night
Tim's
dad
takes him to every bar in town. This movie should
have won an Oscar for "the best neon signs in a
motion picture" catagory. You will see the coolest
signs for places called the "Zoo Bar", the "Zebra
Lounge", the "Hi-Ho Lounge", the "Aces of Club", and
even a place called "The Hideout".
At one club, they see a man get into an
argument with his wife and almost beat her up. This
is too much for Tim. He begs his father to take him
home
and
promises
never
to
drink
again. Unfortunately, with an attitude like that, he will
never be a member of the Mabuhah Club. In a
flashback scene, Tim describes to his dad how he
got drunk the night before. We get to see a cool
teenage house party, with teenagers dancing to cool
music, getting drunk, and making out. This blond
comes on to Tim, but he is too drunk to do anything
about it.
That was only the added footage to this film. Now on
to the main movie.
The original film was called "Twice Convicted". It is
supposed to be the true story of Fred Garland. I tried
to google Fred Garland only to discover that there
are a million Fred Garlands in this world.
Re-Wind
June 2006
Hooked/
Up Highway 61:
The Flaming Teenage Ponderosa Stomp’s Memphis
Continued from previous page
Sojourn, a Great Success
Noel Reyburn plays Fred Garland, a man who starts out
by owning a candy store. Unfortunately, he has a
drinking problem. He gets bored with the candy store
and sells it. He leaves home to find a more exciting
job.
Instead, he drinks and gambles his money
away. After he uses up the money he got from the candy
store, he meets an actress who gets him a part in
a broadway play, eventhough he doesn't have any acting
experience. His drinking gets in the way and he gets
fired. He moves back home with his parents and gets a
job as a shoe salesman. His boss finds out that he used
to be an actor and gives him money to finance a
production. Eventhough, the production is successful,
Fred Garland gets fired again. He and another actor from
the production open a booking agency, but his drinking
gets in the way. It is so bad that one night he runs out of
liquor and drinks iodine. His partner finds him in time
to get him medical attention. Fred Garland walks out on
his booking agency. He gets involved with gangsters
who get him hooked on heroin. In order to support his
drug habit, he tries shoplifting and gets caught. He is
sentenced to prison. While he is in prison, he becomes a
born again christian. After his release from prison, he
becomes and evangelical preacher that tries to prevent
people from taking the path he has taken.
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Noel Reyburn gives a good performance as Fred
Garland. You get to see his transformation from a
healthy human being into a crazed dope addict who only
lives for his next fix. You get to see him go through his
withdrawal pains while he is in prison.
This is a highly recommended double feature from
Something Weird Video. These movies take you to all
the sleazy bars and hotel rooms that made the fifties the
great decade that it was. This DVD could be purchased
at any place that sells DVD's or by going to
www.somethingweird.com.
Doug Freedman
The Ponderosa Stomp had already grown into the
most diverse collection of “lost” musical talent in its
four-year run in New Orleans. Plans were all but
complete for year five when Hurricane Katrina took
the festival back to Square One.
However, the Gibson Factory in downtown Memphis
proved to be far more than adequate for the festival’s
fifth year – in fact, the new and spacious facility allowed the Stomp to grow to a new level of attendance, comfort, and awareness. While the Stomp’s
official three-day run began on Monday, May 8th, the
event’s atmosphere had already permeated through
the city – beginning with a spin of rare soul music on
Sunday evening. Record collectors from around the
world shuffled through 45s and LPs during the day on
May 8th, whetting the musical appetites of those in
attendance.
In three days and three stages of concerts, disappointments were few – mostly limited to a few lastminute cancellations and health problems. Highlights
reached across all genres, though. Guitarist Travis
Wammack
tore
through his set of
mostly instrumentals after reprising
his role from almost 50 years
earlier, backing
Eddie
Bond.
Other rockabilly
highlights
included Joe Clay,
bopping across
the stage to his
classic two-sider
“Ducktail”
and
“Sixteen Chicks.”
Sleepy La Beef
and his band
(Continued Next
Page)
Dave Leucinger
Re-Wind
Up Highway 61:
Ponderosa Stomp
(Continued from previous page)
delivered two dynamic sets
– the latter set extended
an hour past its scheduled
time slot, with artists and
attendees both delighted
to close out one night with
an
exclamation
of
endurance.
Paul Ansell’s No. 9, a topnotch British group, was a
very pleasant surprise with
a solid send-up of Sun
classics. Speaking of Sun,
Sonny Burgess and
Hayden Thompson both
bridged past and present
with energetic sets. And Jay Chevalier, long a troubadour
of Louisiana music, presented a reworking of his 1963
song, “Come Back To Louisiana” that days later became
the official State Recovery Song in a unanimous vote by
that state’s Senate.
New Orleans artists were still well represented, although
their performances often hinted at a deeper melancholy.
Most notable in this regard was Al “Carnival Time”
Johnson, whose solo piano set bore testimony to the
homes he and others lost in Katrina. More exuberant was
pianist Eddie Bo, who flashed a reassured smile through
lively songs such as “Check Your Bucket.” Another crowd
favorite, Clarence “Frogman” Henry treated the audience
to his classic “Ain’t Got No Home” after a medley of his
other hits, including “I Don’t Know Why.”
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The Memphis soul connection was prominently featured.
William Bell was one of the first successful artists on
Stax; his set – one of the festival’s highlights – featured a
magnificent rendition of his 1967 ballad, “Everybody
Loves a Winner.” Syl Johnson had a string of hits on the
Hi label in the early 1970s; he delivered songs such as
“Take Me To The River” to an enthusiastic audience.
Dallas soul master Bobby Patterson closed the fest with
an energetic set, peppered with call-and-response
classics such as “How Do You Spell Love?”
June 2006
On the blues beat, there was a mix of delight and
disappointment. Barbara Lynn was in visible agony
from arthritis; nevertheless she bravely performed in
an abbreviated set. Atlanta’s Chick Willis is best
known for his jukebox favorite “Stoop Down Baby;”
his full band set also featured tracks from his most
recent CD, “I Did It All.” Rockie Charles’ solo set
captivated
his
audience with pure,
soulful blues ballads.
Two pianists, each in
his eighties, were
among the most lively
blues
musicians.
Henry
Gray,
a
veteran of Howlin’
Wolf’s band, was the
highlight of a set that
also featured Billy
Boy
Arnold.
Meanwhile,
Dennis
Binder’s flashy red
velvet suit matched
his
musical
flamboyance, rocking
through his classics such as “Early Times.” A
pleasant surprise was Nashville blues guitarist
Johnny Jones; his set inspired Taj Mahal, in town for
the Blues Awards, to joyfully take to the dance floor.
The country music veterans included Herb
Remington, steel player for the great Bob Wills. At
the urging of Deke Dickerson, he reprised his selftitled standard, “Remington Ride.” Johnny Cash’s
presence was also felt in Memphis. Guitarist/vocalist
Bob Wootton eerily sounded like his former boss;
joining Wootten was Cash’s long-time drummer, W.S.
Holland, as The Tennessee Two. They were carried
by Cash’s old tour bus, which also carried the
perceptible spirit of the Man In Black.
Garage and psychedelic rock also found several slots
at Ponderosa Stomp ’06. The Wailers, one of the
exalted Pacific Northwest bands of the early 1960s,
punched out a forceful set of their frat-rock classics.
Meanwhile, the Alarm Clocks out of Ohio may have
been the surprise of this genre – displaying the
emotive urgency of that era. The Climates, a vocal
group that was one of the last artists to have a Sun
Records release, delivered a mesmerizing a cappella
set that resonated through the facility’s atrium.
(Continued Next Page)
Dave Leucinger
Re-Wind
Up Highway 61:
Perhaps the most
enthusiastic
response of the
festival went to
Enocky Enomoto
of Jackie & the
C e d r i c s .
Attending in nearanonymity as a fan, he asked if he could fill in for a lastsecond cancellation – and knocked out the audience with a
one-man-band (guitar and drums) set that recalled Hasil
Adkins – only with crispness and sober fervor.
Ponderosa Stomp
(Continued from previous page)
Many of the soul sets were solidly backed each day by Lil’
Buck Sinegal and the Top Cats. Included in the group was
Hammond B-3 organist Stanley Dural, better known to zydeco
fans as accordionist Buckwheat Zydeco. Dural’s enthusiasm
was unbridled, and carried through to most of the audience.
Rockabilly, country, and even blues musicians were often
backed by Deke Dickerson – he and drummer Chris “Sugar
Balls” Sprague fluidly made the transitions, sometimes more
seamlessly than the musicians they supported.
Many attendees also took advantage of tour opportunities at
the Sun Studios and the Stax Museum. During the tour of Sun
on Tuesday, special guides Sonny Burgess and Hayden
Thompson recalled their time spent at 706 Union, from
mundane details such as where desks were, to more personal
and emotional recollections – memories that left Thompson
unable to finish speaking at the tour’s end. The Stax Museum
recreates the building where hundreds of soul, funk, blues,
and other classics were recorded and marketed between 1960
and 1974; the original building was demolished in 1989.
However, the multimedia presentations and displays of that
soul music era are top-notch – including Isaac Hayes’
customized 1972 Cadillac Eldorado, and original instruments
from Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn.
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While sentiment all but mandates that the Stomp return to
New Orleans in 2007, it will be difficult to find a facility with the
capacity and amenities as was graciously provided by Gibson.
Many of the behind-the-scene efforts to save the Stomp were
from Scotty Moore; while rotator cuff surgery kept him from
performing at this year’s Stomp, he personally petitioned
Gibson to ensure the event continued. Hundreds of music fans
from around the world owe him a great debt of gratitude for
bringing the Stomp to Memphis, infusing new life and new
musical influence to a must-not-miss annual event.
June 2006
Chicago Blues
Festival 2006: A
guide for “traditional”
music fans
It’s
the
standard
bearer for
b l u e s
festivals in
N o r t h
America,
if not the
w or ld .
Chicago’s
B l u e s
Festival is
now at its
23rd year,
and
its
four-day
run (this
year, June
8 - 1 1 )
d r a w s
hundreds
o
f
thousands
to Grant Park. In keeping with its traditions, the
free festival will feature blues (and related)
musicians across all styles. For 2006, state
sponsorship from Louisiana and Mississippi
brings several artists from those states to the
festival; many will be performing more than one
day. Also new this year is a “Jam Station” at the
Mississippi Juke Joint, with Chicago’s Dave
Specter, Aron Burton, and Kenny Smith at-theready for musicians looking to duck in for a song
or two.
Continuing traditions include the highly
recommended discussions and seminars at the
Route 66 Roadhouse; this year’s offerings
include discussions of “road” blues songs, the
annual Howlin’ Wolf Birthday Party, and a
“Blues Congress” for the future. Also featured
(Continued Next Page)
Dave Leucinger
Re-Wind
Chicago Blues
Festival 2006
are discussions with
several
major
writers,
including
Nadine
Cohodas
(
a
u
t
h
o
r
o f
(Continued from previous page)
biographies on the
Chess Brothers and
Dinah Washington), Jim O’Neal (founder of Living Blues
Magazine), and David Whiteis (Chicago Reader blues writer,
and author of the new book Chicago Blues: Today).
And while blues is classic storytelling, the musicians are the
critical storytellers. Here are several artists and sets promising
to be among this year’s highlights:
New Orleans/Gulf Coast Tribute: Eddie Bo (6/9, U.S. Cellular
Front Porch), Henry Butler (6/9, Louisiana Bayou Station &
Social Club and Petrillo Music Shell), and Henry Gray (6/10,
Louisiana Bayou): In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
three of the great pianists of our time come together. All three
have deep roots in the Bayou State, but each brings a different
interpretation of blues piano. Eddie Bo’s early recordings were
rooted in bouncy style of legends such as Professor Longhair,
but also tinged with bop jazz at times. Through the 1960s and
1970s he evolved into a leader in emerging Crescent City
funk, with tunes such as “Hook and Sling” and “Pass the
Hatchet” becoming standards for musicians everywhere.
Henry Butler’s booming vocals are surpassed only by booming
keyboard work – hands of granite crashing down in rapid-fire
perfection on upper and lower registers of the 88s. Henry
Gray’s career bridges Louisiana (his birthplace and current
home) with Chicago (where he lived from 1946 through 1968,
and backed Howlin’ Wolf in the late 1950s and 1960s). Gray’s
performance style could be compared to a steam locomotive gradual starts that build steam, then draw in the rest of the
band, finally reaching smooth syncopated speed and sound.
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Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women (Front Porch, 6/8): In
presenting blues music from the perspective of strong women
in their middle years, Saffire goes against the guitar-wanker
stereotype of modern blues-rock. In truth, this trio is just
bringing back the origins of blues music – rooted in strong,
opinionated women such as Bessie Smith and Memphis
Minnie.
Bettye Lavette (Petrillo Bandshell, 6/8): At Lavette’s last
appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival, she showed little
impact from performing sleeveless in 50-degree weather –
such is her intensity of focus on-stage. Her vocals are textured
and emotive; her delivery is theatric without being trite.
James “Super Chikan” Johnson (sets all four days): This raw
and playful guitarist is solidly rooted in Mississippi Delta
June 2006
blues; his name derives from his childhood
fascination/love of chickens in his family’s yard.
His work as a truck driver also has added to his
repertoire of stories – real and embellished.
Mississippi Round Robin (Mississippi Juke Joint,
sets 6/8 – 6/10): The Mississippi Arts
Commission is sponsoring these sets of local
and regional musicians, each leaning havily
towards traditional styles – Louis “Gearshifter”
Youngblood, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, and Ben
Wiley Payton.
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne (Louisiana Bayou
Station, 6/9): This Vancouver, B.C. – based
pianist brought his jump blues boogie to the
festival last June, beginning a year that hit a
high note in April – winning the Juno (Canadian
Grammy) for Blues Album of the Year (Let It
Loose).
Deitra Farr (Petrillo Bandshell, 6/9): This former
teacher carries herself and her vocals as would
be expected – no-nonsense, and right to the
point. Beneath her trademark wide-brim hat is
also an articulate songwriter and global traveler,
frequently featured in concerts across Europe.
“Master Set” – Honeyboy Edwards, Henry
Townsend, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Homesick
James (Front Porch and Mississippi Juke Joint,
6/10): Each of these four musicians has passed
his 90th birthday, and each still performs with a
haunting eeriness that reflects their historic
status – Edwards with stop-timing and tremolo;
Townsend with barrelhouse piano and acoustic
guitar passages of the 1920s and 1930s;
Lockwood with shimmering electric 12-string
guitar chords; and James with weeping
bottleneck slide.
Lee Boys (Front Porch 6/11; two sets): This
family-based sacred steel group (up-tempo
gospel played in call-and-response style on
steel guitar) brings the same level of energy as
better-known family groups such as the
Campbell Brothers and Robert Randolph and
the Family Band. Yes, these sets will attract a
fair share of jam-band fans – but it’s really
energetic, uplifting music.
(Continued Next Page)
Re-Wind
Chicago Blues
Festival 2006
Louisiana
Red
(Front Porch 6/9;
Louisiana
Bayou
6/11):
Recorded
(Continued from previous page) since the 1950s,
Louisiana Red is
one of the most
contemplative and philosophical musicians in the blues genre.
For him, the stories of the African-American experience are
not apocryphal; Red was left an orphan at age 9 after his
father was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. Not surprisingly, he has
resided in Europe since the early 1980s.
Hidden Treasures? Some artists are new to me, but have the
potential for breaking through as surprise hits. This include
French boogie blues pianist Julien Brunetaud (6/8, Louisiana
Bayou Station); Lil Ray (Raful Neal, Jr., one of the many
musical progeny of late Baton Rouge guitarist/club owner
Raful Neal; sets all four days); accordionist Zydeco Joe
Mouton (sets 6/9 and 6/11); and my pick to impress – Earl
Thomas (6/11, Gibson Guitar Crossroads) – a prolific
songwriter performing with the impact and style of ‘60s soul
men such as Howard Tate and Wilson Pickett.
If you still have energy, make sure to catch some of the great
after-fest shows in the clubs. Recommendations include Magic
Slim & the Teardrops (Buddy Guy’s, 6/9); Honeyboy Edwards’
91st Birthday Party (HotHouse 6/10, with many guests
expected); the Delmark Revue featuring Jimmy Dawkins,
Jimmy Burns, Tail Dragger, and Little Arthur (Buddy Guy’s,
6/11), and Lurrie Bell (Rosa’s Lounge, 6/11).
Dave Leucinger
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3 Illinois restaurants on Rte 66 declared
historic places
Associated Press Published May 25, 2006, 5:58 PM CDT
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinoisans can officially ruin their diets in
the name of history now that three restaurants along Route 66
have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Six other Illinois sites, including a Chicago cemetery and three
homes in Lake Forest, also made the cut, the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency announced Thursday.
"These properties make us justifiably proud of our heritage in
Illinois," the agency's director, Robert Coomer, said in a statement.
June 2006
The restaurants were established in the 1920,
'30s and '40s, when Route 66 was a key
transportation link between the Midwest and
California. Entrepreneurs saw the river of cars
running from Chicago to L.A. and saw a way to
make money by feeding them, selling them
trinkets and putting them up for the night in
motels.
One of the newly honored restaurants is Lou
Mitchell's, a diner near Chicago's Union Station.
Known for huge portions of comfort foods, the
restaurant opened in 1923 and its current
b u i l d i ng
w as
c o mp l e t e d
in
1949.
The second restaurant is Dell Rhea's Chicken
Basket, in the Chicago suburbs near Hinsdale. It
began as a lunch counter in a gas station, and
its current home was built in 1946.
More than 200 miles south stands the third
restaurant, Litchfield's Ariston Cafe. Founded by
a Greek immigrant, it opened in 1924 and
moved to its current art deco-inspired building in
1935.
A section of state Route 53 between Joliet and
Wilmington was also added to the national
register. The road, lined by farm fields but now
facing residential development, was once a
section of Route 66.
The other sites added to the register are:
-- Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago,
which was established in 1877 and features
several architecturally significant buildings.
-- Meekerville Historic District in Chicago, former
home to some of the city's elite families,
including the ones behind Montgomery Ward
and Oscar Mayer.
-- Three homes in Lake Forest's Deerpath Hill
Estates, the community's first planned
subdivision.
The National Register of Historic Places is
maintained by the National Park Service and is
meant to recognize significant sites that are
worthy of preservation.
Joe Hellfish &
Desiree Kiss
Rendezvous
June 3rd (this
SATURDAY!!)
Blacktop Barons'
Road Block Car
Show, Plainfield, IL
http://
blacktopbarons.com/
pages/
carshowmain.htm
At the American
Legion hall in
Plainfield Illinois
All proceeds of this
show will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The
show will be from 12 to 6.
1965 and earlier cars, trucks, hotrods, customs,
dragsters, racecars and pre-1970 motorcycles and
scooters.
NO Billet, NO Dubs, NO Low Profile Tires
NO mag wheels that where not available before 1965
NO Crying Baby Dolls, NO Art Cars
We reserve the right to allow or refuse entry to anyone for
any reason.
Live Surf Music by the Reluctant Aquanauts and a DJ
Spinning Rockabilly, Surf, Garage, and Hot Rod Music!
Pinstriping and Monster Shirt painting, Kustom Kulture
Vendors, Custom Bicycles, Kids Activities Food and
More! $20 per car $5 for spectators kids under 12 get in
FREE!
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Billetproof "Motor City Mania": June 3rd, 2006
http://billetproof.com/upcoming_shows/michigan/
show.htm
Three's a charm! The third annual Billetproof "Motor City
Mania" is returning to Michigan this June! This year's
event will again be packed with one-of-a-kind events, live
bands, swap meet, burnout contest great vendors and
the sickest pre '65 do-it-yourself traditional rods, kustoms
and motorcycles on the planet! It was a hit last year, so
we're bringing back the live figure eight racing!
Springfield Oaks Fairgrounds
12450 Andersonville Road
Davisburg, Michigan
June 9, 10 & 11
-Good Guys Auto
Show
Indianapolis
Raceway Park
8AM-5PM
10267 East U.S. Hwy.
136
Indianapolis, IN 46234
June 23-24
Cartopia
June 2006
Re-Vue’s
Summer
Car Show
Guide
Berwyn, IL
www.berwyn.net/
ocuments/1stQ2006Newsletter.pdf
June 24
Indy Road Rockets Rumble Car Show – flyer
elsewhere in the ‘zine.
June 24 9 am- ??
Pre ’65 Hot Rods and Customs
Bands, Pin-Up Contest, Awards
http://roadrocketsindy.com/
June 23-25
Back To The 50s, St. Paul, MN http://www.msra.com/
June 25
Dupage County Fair Grounds, Gears & Ears
July 7,8 & 9
Columbus Good Guys Car Show
Columbus, Ohio
July 13-16
International Challenge w/ Brian Redman
(vintage racing), Road America, Elkhart Lake,
WI http://www.roadamerica.com/2006/index.htm
July 14,15 & 16
NSRA Milwaukee, Wisconsin
July 21-22
Hot Rod Chassis and Cycle Open Wheel
Reunion, Addison, IL http://www.hotrodchassisandcycle.com/
Rendezvous
July 22
1st Annual Dragway 42 Rock & Race Nostalgia
Drags, Cleveland area http://www.dragway42.com/
August 12-18th
Bonneville Speed Week, Utah
August 19
Cheaters Car Show, Nite Owl Drive-In, Milwaukee,
WI
August 18-19
2nd Annual Hula Hop Car Show, Columbus, OH http://www.fraternalorderofmoai.org/
August 18, 19 & 20
Goodguys Car show
Waukesha, WI
August 20th
Hot Rod Chassis and Cycle Open House,
Addison, IL
http://www.hotrodchassisandcycle.com/
August 26
4th Annual HAMB Drags, Mokan, KS
August 31st—September 2nd
Vintage Motorcycle Races, Davenport, IA
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September 9, 2006, (Saturday)
Annual Route 66 Car Show - Berwyn, Illinois
September 15-17
Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival (VSCDA) Road
America, Elkhart Lake, WI
http://www.roadamerica.com/2006/index.htm
September 16
- Pigs N' Pistons Show, Fon Du Lac, WI
http://www.pignpiston.com/
September 21st-24th
Ducktail Run, Gas City, IN
October 14th
Hunnert Car Pile Up, Morris, IL see flyer this
page http://www.hunertcarpileup.com
June
2006
Rendezvous
About the Tour
The Berwyn Historical Society invites you to participate in “Historic Berwyn’s
Bungalow Tour” to be held on Sunday June 4, 2006 — from noon to 5 pm.
Celebrate a housing style that defined an era and join us for this leisurely
walking tour featuring five of the community’s finest homes and a historic
church open to the public for a one day showing.
Learn the history of each home while being treated to a variety of interior
spaces. These include beautifully maintained, original 1920’s era; as well as
contemporary bungalows— rehabbed to suit a modern life-style, and those
that fall somewhere in between. Whatever your preference, you’ll gain valuable ideas and insight for your own vintage home.
All ticket sale proceeds will benefit the Berwyn Historical Society. We look
forward to seeing you!
Purchase Tour Tickets
Advance tickets will be for sale by check or cash for $20.00 at these Berwyn
merchants:
Serendipity Antiques, 6733 Stanley Avenue
Figatner-Scott Company, 6217 Cermak Road
Turano Pastry Shop, 6501 Roosevelt Road
Berwyn Ace Hardware, 6316 Ogden Avenue
You may also purchase tickets with a credit card by calling “SWF Products” at
(708) 484-2325. Ask to speak to the “tour operator.” Please note that when
you purchase your tickets with a credit card, your statement will reflect a
charge from “SWF Products,” not the Berwyn Historical Society.
Tickets will be sold the day of the tour for $25.00 at check-in at Proksa Park
field house, 3001 Wisconsin Avenue.
Rendezvous
June 2006
http://
blacktopba
rons.com/
pages/
carshowma
in.htm
At the
American
Legion Hall
in Plainfield
Illinois
The show
will be from
12 to 6.
Live Surf
Music by
the
Reluctant
Aquanauts
and a DJ
Spinning
Rockabilly,
Surf,
Garage,
and Hot
Rod Music!
Pinstriping
and
Monster
Shirt
painting,
Kustom
Kulture
Vendors,
Custom
Bicycles,
Kids
Activities
Food and
More!
Rendezvous
The 14th Annual
ROCKABILLY REBEL
WEEKEND
June 22, 23 & 24, 2006
Clarion Hotel & Conference
Center
2930 Waterfront Parkway W.
Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46214
(317 )299-8400
ALL of the events this year
will take place right at the
Hotel. Shows, Vendors
(vendor room locks at night
for safety), Car Show, etc.
The hotel is really nice and
the air conditioning works
good!
The Seventh Annual Road
Rockets Rumble
Saturday June 24th, 2006
9am to ?
Pre ’65 Hot Rods & Customs
Only
Most of the rooms have a
refrigerator and microwave
too.
[email protected]
There is also a bar and a
restaurant at the Hotel. This
will be a Great one!!!
Hot Rod Car Show!
Prizes !
Pin Up Girl Contest !
Saturday June 24th
Twistin’ Tarantulas, Wanda
Jackson, The Lustre Tones
The Buzzards, Hot Rod
Hucksters
Live Music By
The Cowtown Playboys, Hot Rod
Hucksters, The Freightliners, The
Knuckletones
Friday June 23rd
The Gin Palace Jesters, Art
Adams. The Star Devils
The Freightliners, The
Cowtown Playboys
Thursday June 22nd
Buck Stevens, Pat Cupp,
Thommy Burns & His Sterling
Cowboys
Ace Brown & His Helldivers,
The Knuckletones
Above; Wanda Jackson
Below: Pat Cupp
Tickets: Thursday $25, Friday
$30, Saturday $35.
Checks or Money Orders
Payable to:
JADE Productions, PO Box
55, Fairmount, IN 46928
VISA, Mastercard, American
Express & Discover
(765) 998-2080 or (765) 9483326
Paypal Payments to
[email protected]
In the parking lot
For Info: Tom (317) 244-8271
www.RoadRocketsIndy.com
Vintage and Retro Clothing,
Jewelry, Records, CD’s,
Novelties, Collectibles and More
inside the Hotel on all three
days! For Vendor info: (765) 9982080 or (765) 948-3326
Swimming, Sunbathing & Jam
Sessions by the Indoor Pool and
Jacuzzi under a clear bubble
dome.
The entire Clarion Hotel is
reserved for RRW#14 Guests
with a special room rate of $70.
per night. When making your
reservations you must mention
Rockabilly Rebel Weekend or you
will be told that it is sold out!
For Reservations Call: (317) 7878341
The Clarion Hotel is just minutes
away from The Indianapolis
Motor Speedway and Speedway
Museum.
Rendezvous
Ken “The
Mayor” Mottet
RePartee
June
2006
Over the years I have developed some fairly interesting bad
habits. My latest sickness involves wedding photos...other
couples' wedding photos...wedding photos from forty or fifty
years ago. It started as a bit of a well known joke in junk
store circles(a box of old photos will be labeled as "instant
ancestors"). Usually I was just snapping them up for the
frames, art deco reverse painted frames that oldened up
any photo they held.
Then I developed a fascination with the people in the pictures. Who were they? What was their story? Why did they
all bear a striking resemblance to my Uncle Ed...even the
women? These questions and dozens more ran through my
tiny peanut brain as I pawed through box after box of formal
portraits.
About a year ago I was in a basement not far from my own
home and I found the most exquisite formal wedding portrait ever. The new bride was as gorgeous as only a new
bride can be. The groom could have been a stand-in for
Huntz Hall but this photo made him look like Ronald Coleman. The couple was in a studio standing on a short pedestal. And they were surrounded by art deco columns and
set pieces. It was as if Busby Berkley had staged their wedding. To top it off, the photo was hand tinted in that way
that spells forever-ago and timeless simultaneously.
While I was at this particular sale I found a scrap of mail
bearing the address and family name. Running home with
the photo, I checked for that name in the local phone book.
And it was there. So I copied the name and address on a
scrap of paper and put it in the frame behind the photo.
Somewhere down the line I will be asked who these folks
are and I will actually know.
Not long after that fiasco I was going through framed portraits at another house in the neighborhood. This time I
grabbed one for the frame--an unlikely 3-D spider web of a
frame like I had never seen before. The couple in the picture were older but obviously freshly married. I took it home
and stored it away.
Six months later we got a joyous call from fellow hillbillies
who had just landed a home in our neighborhood. The wife
and I hightailed it to the new home (with an appropriate
stop along the way at the liquor store for a little housewarming gift). During the ten cent tour of the house it all
started looking very familiar, like I had been there before...because I had. I was informed that the lady who had
owned the house was quite regal and had been married a
time or two.
That's when it hit me. The spider web picture was
the lady who lived in my friends' house. I shot
home, grabbed the photo out of cold storage and
returned it to its rightful place. My friends did confirm with their neighbors that this was a picture of
the lady of the house, a picture that is hanging
once again above the electric organ in the living
room.
History is a screwy thing. Usually it is populated by
Franklin Roosevelt, the Eiffel Tower and Enron. But
it's the little stuff too--the story of the gas powered
refrigerator, the hardware store on Roosevelt Road
that got replaced by a Burger King or the lady
across the street who met her husband when they
both worked at Western Electric. We are bonded in
our little goofball club because we respect the past-its people, its music, its cars and its events.
Whether we are aware of it or not each of us has a
responsibility for preserving the past. Every time a
record is played it lives a little longer. Every time a
suit is worn it can be appreciated once again.
Every time a bungalow becomes a home to someone who digs its simple beauty it lasts that much
longer.
Susan E. Funk
Re-Vamp
June
2006
At the World’s
F a i r
in
Chicago
in
1933,
there
w e r e
a
number
of
model homes
that were built
just for the fair.
After the fair
concluded, in
1935,
a
developer in
B e v e r l y
S h o r e s ,
I n d i a n a ,
R o b e r t
Bartlett, paid
to have the
houses transported via barge across the lake to their current location
lakeside in Beverly Shores. He was hoping to attract potential buyer to the
area. For years these beautiful homes sat vacant and for the most part,
abandoned and neglected.
However, that is about to change,
as a major renovation project is
being undertaken by the Indiana
Dunes National Lakeshore, Historic
Landmarks Association of Indiana
and private parties. All of the houses
shown here are on the National
Register of Historic Places. On
Memorial Day when we visited
Beverly Shores, the Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore Visitor Center
was not open, so I do not currently have the particulars about how long the
renovations are anticipated to take. But I look forward to the completion of the
project and the restoration of these lakeside palaces.
Century of
Progress Homes
Get a Face-lift
As an aside, Ken and Mary Mottet have done considerable research on the
Century of Progress homes and they tipped me off to the location of these
buildings
several
y e a r s
ago.
(More
Photos
on Next
Page)
Susan E. Funk
Re-Vamp
June
2006
Regarding
. . . BIG
SANDY'S NEW
ALBUM, TURNTABLE MATINEE,
RECAPTURES
A LOST ERA
OF ROCK 'N'
ROLL
May 4, 2006, 10:41 am
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- From the very
first song on Big Sandy & the Fly-Rite
Boys's forthcoming Turntable Matinee
album, you know where this journey is
headed. "Drop the needle in the groove
and start to move," he sings in the lead
track, "The Power of the 45, Part 1," a
spitcurl rockabilly number in which
Sandy cites many of his influences by
name: Little Junior Parker, Lazy Lester,
Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Ronnie
Dawson.
The new album, Big Sandy's eleventh,
which ships July 11 on Yep Roc Records, also features the Western swing
of "(Yes) I Feel Sorry for You" to the
old-time country of "Lonesome Dollar,"
the Stax-style Memphis soul sendup
"Slipping Away" and the bossa nova
"Spanish Dagger.
The recording of Turntable Matinee
found Big Sandy and company in a
more relaxed studio setting than ever
before. "We were looking for a place
that we could just come and go," he
says, and they found just such a place
in the studio of their producer and
friend D.E. Hannigan. This made them
feel at home indeed, considering it's
built in the very house that Fly-Rite
Boys bassist Jeff West grew up in. "I
lived in it for my first ten years," West
says. "Then I lived there again from the
late '80s until '94, and now [Hannigan]
lives there. The studio is in the garage."
"Recording was different this
time," Big Sandy said. "I feel like it
was a bit more of a creative atmosphere, because we worked
up all the songs in the studio. A
good example of that was the
song 'Spanish Dagger.' I wrote
that song . . . Well, I met a girl at a
car show we were playing, then I
wrote the song the next day, and
then we recorded it the day after
that."
Based in Southern California, the
group is almost always on the
road, enough to burn through two
tour buses in recent years. The
first was a converted passenger
bus from 1949 that they retired for
use on an old movie set, followed
only a few years later by a yellow
1950 school bus that they left for
dead in Montana. "We're flying
more now," says Big Sandy.
The band has appeared on "Late
Night with Conan O'Brien" and
NPR's "All Things Considered."
They've played the Grand Ole
Opry as well as roadhouses
throughout the world. According
to San Jose's Metro, "flies right by
the poseur high-moussed hair
and washable tattoos of such '80s
rockabilly phenoms as the Stray
Cats into an aerie all their own
where the music is to dance to
and the words can make you cry."
Turntable Matinee closes with a
reprise of "The Power of the 45,"
in which Big Sandy sings, "Feel
that rhythm in your soul, taking
control. That's what keeps me
alive, that's the power of the 45."
Big Sandy isn't speaking just for
himself; as you listen to him sing
about his own love of the music,
you can't help but fall in love with
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
too.
June
2006
. . . Jerry Lee's Album Now Set for
Sept. April 29, 2006 - Rockabilly
hellraiser Jerry Lee Lewis will release his first album in 11 years next
September through Columbia Records. Redemption, a star-studded
effort featuring the likes of Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Mick Jagger and
Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen,
Neil Young and Jimmy Page, was
originally set for a February 2005
release via DreamWorks Nashville,
which has since closed down. Although he still tours regularly, Lewis
hasn't released a studio album since
1995's Young Blood (Sire), which
failed to reach The Billboard 200.
. . . Chicago Summerdance Schedule
Friday, June 16, 6 p.m.: East coast
swing; 7:30 p.m.: Alan Gresik Swing
Shift Orchestra
Saturday, June 17; 6 p.m.: Country
line dancing; 7:30 p.m.: Robbie Fulks
Sunday, June 18; 4 p.m.: Jive; 5 p.m.:
Vito Buffalo Orchestra
Saturday, June 24; 6 p.m.: Swing/
Lindy hop; 7:30 p.m.: Chicago Jazz
Orchestra
Sunday, June 25; 4 p.m.: Fox trot/
Swing; 5 p.m.: John Burnett Orchestra
Sunday, July 9; 4 p.m.: Jitterbug/
Swing
5 p.m.: Barry Winograd's Alternatives
Big Band
Saturday, July 15; 6 p.m.: Swing;
7:30 p.m.: Lesley Byers & the Jazz
Cats
Saturday, July 22; 6 p.m.: Fox trot/
Swing; 7:30 p.m.: Sam Burckhardt
Nonet
Friday, July 28; 6 p.m.: East coast
swing; 7:30 p.m.: Rhythm Rockets
Saturday, August 12; 6 p.m.: Jitterbug
7:30 p.m.: Ernest Dawkins' Louie Jordan Tribute
Sunday, August 13; 4 p.m.: East
coast swing; 5 p.m.: Chicago Grandstand Big Band
More info at:
metromix.chicagotribune.com/
events/festivals/
June 2006
Re
-Vue
o
g
a
c
i
Ch
Sun
Mon Tue
4 Singin' & Stylin' Kent
5
Rose@ Night & Day Vintage showtime 2:30
featuring vintage threads &
timeless tunes.
“Our Way of Thinking”:
Meet at 2pm Pontiac Café,
ride out at 3pm to Montrose Beach BBQ, head to
Delilah’s for MayDay’s
mod revival
Sat
3 Nick Willett @ Capone’s
Mokena 8-12pm
Everett Dean Reckless
Abandon, Git Gone Boys,
Suzie Gomez Silvie's
Blacktop Barons Car Show
Plainfield
Hot Rod Hucksters & Chicago Blues Angels@
Grubens Uptown Tap,
Plainfield
ALLEZ CATS
REUNION Chicago Delilah's
10 Everett Dean & Reckless Abandon @ Capone's
10 - 1 A.M. Mokena
Code West, Gin Palace
Jesters & Hoyle Brothers
Forest Park Fest 3pm
Gin Palace Jesters California Clipper 3 sets
Cocktail Preachers at
Sandbar, Brookfield
8
9
15
16 Neverly Brothers @ HARRAH'S
RIVERBOAT CASINO
Wayne Hancock
@ Shank Hall,
Milwaukee
17 Cocktail Preachers at
DVA gallery’s 2nd Annual
Tiki Art Show
MODS VS ROCKERS IITon-Up Chicago is back
with round 2. modchicago.com/scooterist/
rides.html
23 Gin Palace
Jesters, Art Adams. The Star
Devils, The
Freightliners, The
Cowtown Playboys
INDY
24 7th Annual Road Rockets Rumble 9am to ? Pre
’65 Hot Rods & Customs—
hotel parking lot—Indy
Twistin’ Tarantulas, Wanda
Jackson, Lustre Tones,
Buzzards, Hot Rod Hucksters
Fulton County Line @
California Clipper, Chgo
12
13
14
18
19
20
21 BurlesqueA-Pades!
(w/Pontani Sisters and many
more...) @
Martyr's
26
Fri
2 Mod Weekender
Scooter Run: 7pm
at The Globe, scoot
to Sonotheque MIDNITE COWBWOY,
DJ MARCO
HAMMOND,
CHRONIC ARET &
SON BUNS, DAVE
MONROE 1444 W
Chicago Ave, 9pm2am $10
7
11
25
Thu
1 Big "C" Uptown Savages &
Burlesque-capades, World
Famous Pontani
Sisters
@ Martyrs’
6
Be sure to check with venues before Shows.
Schedule subject to change. Dates are compiled
through several Sources:
gunthermurphys.com, beatkitchen.com, abbeypub.com, fitzgeraldsnightclub.com, schubas.com,
metromix.com, martyrslive.com,
[email protected], chicagorockabillycom
(Amy Ott), Desiree Kiss, and yeproc.com.
Wed
Check Coming Soon dates on inside cover. Weekly Gigs:
Mon – DJ Pete spins country & western @ Carol’s Pub 9pm-2 AM
Tues- DJ Pete spins rockabilly, doo-wop, blues, 50’s, R & B, country and
trash rock @ Streetside bar & Grill; Devil In A Woodpile (roots) @ Hideout
Wednesdays- The Rhythm Rockets @ Frankie’s Blue Room
Most Thurs The West Side Winders @ Green Dolphin
Thurs - Psychobilly DJ Kevin Massacre @ Exit; Susie Gomez’s Open Mic
Nite @ InnerTown ; Urban’s Hog Wranglers at the Smoke Daddy
Fri – The Hoyle Brothers @ The Empty Bottle (5:30-7:30)
Every other Fri- Susie Gomez and Her Multiple Cats at Cal. Clipper
Fri – True Historians @ Betty’s Bluestar Lounge 7-9 pm No Cover
Sun – Casey McDonough @ MoJoe’s Hot House 12 - 2pm; Honky Tonk
Bingo 7 Fulton County Line 9 @ Pontiac Café; Matt Lewis & his Medium
Big Band @ One Galaria All Ages
27
28
22 ROCKABILLY REBEL
WEEKEND Indy
Buck Stevens,
Pat Cupp,
Tommy Burns &
His Sterling
Cowboys Ace
Brown & His
Helldivers, The
Knuckletones
29
Dale Watson @
Martyr’s, Chicago
30 Jimmy Sutton’s
Four Charms at
the Green Mill.
Three sets.