The Quick in the Studio with Kim Fowley and Earle Mankey (Mondo Deco sessions)/Rodney and the Flamin' Groovies/Dee Dee on L.A. & More/Blast Celebrity Rock Magazine December 1976 [Repost April 2014]

The December 1976 Rolling Stone magazine covers: Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Maurice Sendak. Almost a parody that Belushi would have had a field day with if given more writing time during the 1976-77 SNL season. Blast which billed itself as a "Celebrity Rock Magazine" (my kinda celebs for the most part, I might add) in their December 1976 issue: the Who on the cover with generous features on BOC, Bryan Ferry, Burning Spear/Toots/Marley and Tosh, as well as a 1960's SF rock family tree ala Zig Zag. Gotta say that Blast wins the December 1976 battle royale with a team including Jon Tiven, Trix A. Balm (Lauren Agnelli) and edited by Michael Gross (who had some nice NME articles circa 73'74). The Ferry piece was written by Mick Rock who also supplied the photos. Also among the contributing photographers for this issue are a who's who of rockist photographers including  Richard Creamer (who I consider the Brassaï of glitter Hollywood), Richard Aaron, Chuck Pulin, and the great Brad Elterman, my man from the SFV. For your enjoyment are two thumbnail photos by Brad a little larger for your perusal (where are the full negative sheets of these sessions!!). Historically, I think these two pictures would now get the full feature treatment given how important the events documented in the photos. The Quick at the Mondo Deco recording sessions.  The Flamin' Groovies with Rodney was taken by my guess at the joint Ramones/Flamin' Groovies bill at the Roxy, August 12, 1976. Sire Records double bill.  In the audience we can only guess the Denney Bros., Claude and Philomena, Mike Kelley, the entire nascent Masque scene, the Runaways, the Back Door Man crew, Plez and Kid Congo, Greg Shaw, Gene Scalutti, Gregg Turner (was Meltzer in LA by late 1976). Anyway, Brad WAS there to take the photos. Any crowd shots? Even better is Dee Dee's take on LA nightlife circa 1976 . . . .

The announcement of the start of Rodney on the Roq!

  [back in 2014, the much missed Don Waller confirmed that yes, the Back Door Man masthead was present at those shows!]

Johnny Thunders' 1974 Top 10 Name Check/Reunion "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)

Was this Johnny Thunders' first Top 40 exposure and at the tail end of Dollsmania in 1974? Pure bubble gum detritus that I love which hilariously places JT between the Osmond Brothers and Eric Clapton and "pedalwah wah"! Not only that but Reunion's "Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) was a Top 40 single on KHJ is 1974.  There is even Ullman's early 80's straight take of the song. Not too soon after Cheech & Chongs' "Earache My Eye" overtook Stevie Wonder and topped the KHJ single charts.

I have written before how in the documentary "Never Mind the Sex Pistols, Here's the Bollocks" there is evidence that the Ramones were barred from the KHJ playlist which would have had them at the top of the charts given how voting was kid dominated and the likes of Cheech & Chong had a hit. Makes me want to scream . . .

Del Shannon "Early in the Morning"

Been on a massive Everly Brothers and Del Shannon kick of recent.  I keep coming back to possibly my favorite Del Shannon track, "Early in the Morning." This early 70's one hits the sweet spot somewhere between Gene Clark, Vince Martin, Dion, Tim Buckley and Fred Neil. Pure gold. The only way to get this track currently is as an extra on the “The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover” cd reissue which itself is deserving of another write-up. Did Del record a whole lp in this style?

And now I can kick myself for not seeing Del when he was playing around a lot in the 1980’s, including some appearances at the Country Club in Reseda (when Steven Hufsteter from the Quick/Cruzados was in the band – see below), which was also the time Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were working with him (“Drop Down and Get Me”era).