Can we get these Zoom tapes released! Roger "Flash" Mansour was the drummer for the great Vagrants, whose role in the life of a young Johnny Ramone is documented here. The Vagrants as everyone knows were at one time the kings of Long Island. Check out a young Leslie West ripping it up poolside.
Binky Phillips has one of the better names in rock. Kicking around since the early 70's, the Planets were one of the mainstays of the early to late 70's NYC scene. Picked as one of the ones to watch by Rock Scene in 1973 (see barn archive image with early lineup), we coulda, woulda, shoulda had one of the better mid-70s high energy rock lps. These demos featuring singer Tally (who was compared to Arthur Lee by the broadcaster in DC playing these demos on air in '76), has some good power pop moves straight outta Artful Dodger. I suggest that the rhythm section's freakbeat execution in "Come on Up" is so good to be confused with its English brethren which at that time was only about ten years away from its heyday. Here are two demos - "Come on Up" and "Lexington Avenue" from (unbelievably) 35 years ago:
Waitakere Walks needs to sit down for a proper, in-depth interview with Joesph detailing his 60's and 70's output (both music and writing). Great single and great lp which followed. Why he isn't more well known we can try to remedy on this very forum. Until then, the debut lp is still available here and contains both sides of this ace 45 albeit in what I think are re-recorded versions. A comparison to check will be down the track later this southern hemisphere summer. In the meantime, listen to the lp versions of "The Salt Water Summers," "Jodi" (ballad with Johnny Thunders styled lead solos) and "The Morn of the Confrontation" here:
A 1972-73 barn archive review from the golden age of rock fanzines. Title from thee great Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. On the first Roxy Music lp: "A mixture of intellectualism, punkitude and a healthy understanding of what rock 'n roll is all about." That just about sums it up brother. No comparisons to Sha Na Na here which is where some of the early critics lost the plot. Hawkwind excerpt from the Greasy Trucker's review possibly next time. Prize for who can guess the source.
Inspired by all the buzz of the new box set of live two-guitar era Stooges, I have dug high and low through the archives, dusted off a copy of I Wanna Be Your Dog (entirely in French with great write-ups of the cover stars - and possibly one of the first features outside the US of Crime), and fired up the scanner.
It appears to have been part of the French Iggy Pop fan club. The back cover of the mag implores that you too can live on Iggy time. We could make a mint if we dusted off that exact plastic watch design! Cover, content and design are all ace. The photo to the right is of Ron, Jimi and Jim from the Iggy feature article. Not sure if I had seen it before. I swear I have seen Alice Cooper is the same t-shirt as Iggy. The photo is credited to Philippe Mogane (co-founder of Siamese Records along with James Williamson). Philippe, if you are out there, can you tell us the year and locale of the photo and where the rest of the film roll is.
The Stony Brook mafia cast a wide net in the pre-punk days. Its influence ranged from the shores of San Pedro, California to the bowery of Manhattan, to the coasts of Australia and as far north as Finland. As another piece of the pre-punk universe, I present for your consideration, straight out of Helsinki and fronted by likely Gulcher/Creem approved frontwoman Annika Salminen, Dead End 5. It was a world away from Helsinki to Bloomington, but Annika and the crew would have been right at home chomping burgers with the Cutters, downing Rolling Rocks and listening to the Dictators. Their 1976 lp “Dead Ends” features covers of BOC, ZZ Top and even “Let Me Go Rock n’ Roll” by KISS. A BOC and Kiss-lovin’ proto-punk, female fronted band. Would it have rated the Back Door Man seal of approval? Methinks so given the rarity of such acts in 1976. On “Dead Ends” there may be a few too many Deep Purple moves for your tastes but it sounds fine to these ears. The blurb on the back cover (penned by their svengali manager) sums it all up: DEAD END 5 is English. It's the street you live in. Your mental state. A nuclear charge in the atmosphere. Your insane self. A supernova in the stardust. It's a HARD ROCK band. It's DEAD END 5. Roger that. Their manager was also the manager just prior to Dead End 5 for Finnish proto-punk glam heads Virtanen. Dig these clips.
Was the “Dead Ends” lp a fluke? Not after the first Ramones lp. Move over E. Bloom and welcome to the master race rock of Jeffrey Ross Hyman. Dead End 5’s early 1977 single "James Dean Pop/ Teräsneitsyt" is Finland's first punk rock record, with the a-side a cover of "Blitzkrieg Bop". The second LP, "Läpilyönti" (1977) also had another Ramones cover "Judy is a Punk" ("Judy et Jackie Punk"). How All-American is that baseball cover art - do I detect Thurman Munson in the image? A Gabba Gabba Hey cat? These guys put together that the Ramones would be played in sports arenas as jock jams a good thirty years ahead of the rest of the western world. That cover art also rates nicely to the baseball themed cover art of the Jon Tiven (and Ivan Julian) led Yankees lp. Are they the Finnish Shakin’ Street? Not quite the same deal. Annika put out a solo 45 following "Läpilyönti" which has a turgid cover of Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy” (Ronstadt arrangement) backed with “Nobody Does it Better” from "The Spy Who Loved Me." Awful stuff but then again Patti used to sing “You Light Up My Life” in much the same manner.
So for the tunage. First up on deck is a cover of BOC’s “ME 262” from 1976's "Dead Ends." Second is the cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop” now christened “James Dean Pop.” Woulda gone down well at the Masque as does the entire second baseball lp. Now not to get into too much of a side tangent, the other great early Finnish punk band Briard (which featured Andy McCoy pre Hanoi Rocks), also had a tune called "James Dean Pop" which is NOT a Ramones cover or even a Dead End Five cover. Go figure these crazy Finns and their James Dean/punk rock fetish. Third track is Briard doing the “James Dean Pop.” Batting clean-up, and bring us all back to tyranny and mutation, we have Radio Birdman covering “Transmaniacon M.C.” live in Sydney 1976. Lastly is "Judy et Jackie Punk" from 1977.
These guys put together that the Ramones would be played in sports arenas as jock jams a good thirty years ahead of the rest of the western world. That cover art also rates nicely to the baseball themed cover art of the Jon Tiven (and Ivan Julian) led Yankees lp.
Are they the Finnish Shakin’ Street? Not quite the same deal. Annika put out a solo 45 following "Läpilyönti" which has a turgid cover of Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy” (Ronstadt arrangement) backed with “Nobody Does it Better” from "The Spy Who Loved Me." Awful stuff but then again Patti used to sing “You Light Up My Life” in much the same manner.
Now not to get into too much of a side tangent, the other great early Finnish punk band Briard (which featured Andy McCoy pre Hanoi Rocks), also had a tune called "James Dean Pop" which is NOT a Ramones cover or even a Dead End Five cover. Go figure these crazy Finns and their James Dean/punk rock fetish. Third track is Briard doing the “James Dean Pop.” Batting clean-up, and bring us all back to tyranny and mutation, we have Radio Birdman covering “Transmaniacon M.C.” live in Sydney 1976. Lastly is "Judy et Jackie Punk" from 1977.
Posts
