"Iggy Pop was seen downing 10 aspirins"/Rodney and His Glitter Kids/Who else would have played Alice Cooper's request for a Troggs medley

I am pretty sure that Rhino’s 3-lp box set of The History of Flo & Eddie and the Turtles have never been reissued, which is a shame. Listening to it recently, what struck me about the set is the final lp of interview excerpts from Flo and Eddie’s 1970’s radio show. Anyone who is a fan of Iggy’s 1976 “cameo” on Patti Smith's Teenage Perversity bootleg at the Roxy in early 1976 MUST hear Iggy’s interview on here with backing vocals by Flo & Eddie. My guess is that the interview is from 1974. A brief audio vérité snapshot of where Iggy was at in the years before Kill City. I will figure out a way to post that here at some point. The list of guests that appeared is pretty crazy: Lou Reed, David Bowie, Keith Moon, Ringo, Dean Torrence,Albert Brooks, Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper, Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn (playing their own Flo & Eddie theme!), Harry Nilsson, and Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan together for a mini Move reunion while ELO and Wizzard were in LA. What the Rhino set also has to recommend is a printed booklet (almost identical in size/print to the old Flipsides that came in the Posh Boy Rodney compilations), and the GREAT Richard Creamer photo here.

The Turtles Cover Judee Sill's "Lady-O" (1969)/Flo & Eddie Interview Lou Reed on the Midnight Special/Turtlesmania

Is the Turtles cover of "Lady-O" not one of the best pre-solo Sill covers out there and a great early promo film to boot (what ranch is that?). Flo & Eddie in the early 70's were on such a great roll: Mothers, T.Rex (Slider, Electric Warrior), Alice (Billion Dollar Babies) and their own 1973 lp with a GREAT Small Faces cover ("Afterglow"). I recently came across the Lou Reed connection again which I had forgotten about with the barn archive Bottom Line clipping and the Midnight Special interview (a sceen capture for you as well!). Also digging the Turtles "Outside Chance" with one of the best "Taxman" lifts outside of "Start."

Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar/Peter Laughner and Lou Reed December 1973/"I don't know, man, I mean you're the guy who played the lead on 'I Heard Her Call My Name . . .'"

Back in action and a nugget for ya from Laughner's December 1973 interview of Reed in Zeppelin at the time of Berlin's release. Apparently there exists an audio tape of the entire conversation which veered from topics including Ray Davies, Kant and Nixon,and a whole slew of unprintable gossip. Maybe Smog Veil can dig it up for the box set . . . .

Know Your Rock Writer: Alan Betrock/Lou Reed in a Nudie suit

We can only speculate who came up with the great column idea in Rock Scene of "Know Your Rock Writer." My guess is that it originated with Lenny Kaye aka Doc Rock but even money says Richard Robinson or Lisa Robinson. Does it really make any difference? They only featured the best writers in the column and this prime example from January 1976 just makes it seem sadder that the much missed Alan Betrock is not around to introduce us to greatness that was right there under our noses. We know him from Jamz, Rock Marketplace, New York Rocker and Shake Records. As per usual, you have to click on the image to actually see the whole thing. Gotta love the PSG/Television flyer there on the back wall. And the beefcake pose? Brilliant move. Try that one Mr. Record Nerd. Personally, Betrock is responsible for my introduction to the Neon Boys and possibly to D.Boon and Watt's first listen to the Hell classic "Time." Not many of the great rock journalists and fanzine writers of the 1970’s ever published books worthy of their hard earned reputations - reputations based upon yards of written periodical space and all night sessions editing, writing and typesetting. Alan Betrock was one who did, writing what may be considered the definitive book on girl groups. Let's just say that there were a lot of music books published by hacks who did not have anything near the taste that Alan had and who now get read in college sociology classes as decoding punk's early 20th Century roots in various European movements. Uh, I think I will take a pass and just hand me my copies of Jamz and Bomp thank you very much.


From the Lou Reed in a Nudie suit issue of Fusion, comes this great letter from Alan setting the record straight. Other than Who Put the Bomp, Jamz was the ultimate record nerd guide. Enjoy Alan's good hearted take down of Jon "Prix" Tiven and David Newberger and their lack of erudite knowledge on Van the Man's back catalogue. Mere mortal, do you really think you can outsmart me. Apparently New Haven Rock Press was a good fish wrap if you wanted actual recording data and details. Makes me wonder what Alan's take on the great 1974 lp "Veedon Fleece" was? First is the great Lou cover then Alan's "take that" letter. If anyone would like it, I can post the Lou article.