MONSTER OF THE MONTH

(6-29-12)   RAY OF LIGHT, RAY OF HOPE..The Monster is "The Beast From 20.000 Fathoms" but this Blooge is really a tribute to two "Rays", both born in 1920. Today is the B-Day of RAYMOND "RAY" HARRYHAUSEN. No CGI will ever be as cool as Ray's stop-motion style of special effects ("DYNAMATION!") . And the plot for "The Beast.." was based on a short story by RAY BRADBURY, who we lost this month on the 5th. To paraphrase the last line from the great book "Science Fiction in the Cinema" by John Baxter: " Like a dream half remembered from childhood, their echoes will linger on 'till Doomsday."
PS. Exteriors for the climax of "The Beast.." were filmed at The Pike in Long Beach, which has sadly gone the way of Dynamation...

We Like Monsters!

NAME THAT BLOOGE!

(6-28-12) PART OF THE SOLUTION..I have NO idea what's going on in this pic except it happened June 27, 1990 and there's IGGY and some moolah involved. So, in the spirit of The NEW YORKER "Cartoon Caption Contest" I'm gonna leave it up to my Fellow Bloogers. Winner receives an exclusive, one of a kind , IGGY mix CD made by yours truly. Winner announced next Friday the 6th! You must choose, Brothers and Sisters, you must choose... Testimony  from Little Stranger: Kev Action did NOT choose! All the Bloogers who played got a CD! Iggy: the final solution!

THE QUIETED ONE

(6-27-12)  WHY CAN'T WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE,AND NEVER DIE..R.I.P. JOHN ALEC ENTWISTLE, who died this day in 2002. RON ASHETON and DAVE ALEXANDER both dropped out of high school together and traveled to London, hoping to see The BEATLES. Instead they saw The WHO live in a small club. One can imagine the impression that Entwistle's fret-work made on the future STOOGE bassists. In fact, when RON got "demoted" to bass for RAW POWER he became the best practitioner of that instrument since The OX himself.
  I saw The WHO's first show without JOHN and it was the most emotionally charged ROCK N'ROLL show I had ever been to..until The STOOGE'S Palladium gig. It was a fitting memorial for ENTWISTLE, and sad truth be told, for The WHO, too...

PUPPET WORLD

(6-24-12)  NO DUMMY..This Sunday in 2005 we lost the great ventriloquist, inventor ( first artificial heart ), voice actor ( Tigger ), philanthropist, and childhood favorite PAUL WINCHELL. How cool is Paul; making a dummy of himself to talk to the other dummy ( Jerry ) while Paul has a smoke and reads the paper! Paul worked with The THREE STOOGES on a film called "Stop,Look,& Laugh". IGGY wrote a song called "Puppet World" which he played live(see IGGY's "Nuggets" CD) but sadly never recorded.
NOT-SO FUN FACT: All surviving tapes of the WINCHELL-MAHONEY Show were destroyed by Metromedia ( an early version of Fox TV ) after Paul tried to sue 'them' over syndication rights to his work. The Supreme Court is right..corporations ARE people..really despicable people...
Dum-Dum Bonus

CHRISTA, THE STRAWBERRY GIRL

(6/22/12)   FLORA FATALE..This weekend in London, Ohio it's their annual STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL! That's all the pretext I need to post this fabulous shot of a young, pre-VU NICO taken by fashion photographer Mark Shaw ( early '60's ?).
FUN FACT: Strawberries are the only fruit with THE SEEDS on the outside!
"BIG" Bonus

KING OF KINKS

 (6/21/12)  ANOTHER RAY DAY..Let's raise a glass of demon alcohol to B-Day lad Raymond Douglas "RAY" Davies, who from 1964 to '71 was the best song writer in the world ( The STOOGES didn't record 'til '69 ). IGGY has played "You Really Got Me" on some of his solo tours ( an obvious choice, but what did ya expect, "Autumn Almanac"?). Check Blooge achive Feb.2012 "KINK KRAZY" for more Kink konnections.
FUN FACT #1 : After singing a song on British TV ("Waterloo Sunset", I think) Ray was approached by JIMI HENDRIX. Jimi asked if He could see Ray's guitar. While strumming some chords Jimi told Ray how much he dug his song. Ray took the guitar home, hung it on his wall, and never played it again.
FUN FACT #2 : Ray's "This Is Where I Belong" was the first song played immediately after the 'I Do's " at Amanda and I's wedding. Thanks for the perfect song, Ray!

HEROES AND STOOGES

(6-20-12)     SOME WEIRD SING..A big SMILE for birthday ( Beach ) boy BRIAN WILSON, who first met IGGY at a party thrown by ALICE COOPER back in the late '70's.
The IG and Alice went back to Brian's pad where he proceeded to have the three of them sing "Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread" over and over again for about an hour before IGGY and Alice decided to split. "Too damn weird" was IGGY's exit line. 

YOU TAKE THE HAIKU AND I'LL TAKE THE LOWKU

(6-19-12)    CALLING ALL STOOGES! Today is the B-Day of Our Father in Comedy Heaven MOE HOWARD. Before naming the band IGGY got MOE on the phone and asked his permission to use the name "STOOGES". MOE reportedly replied: "I don't care what they call themselves as long as they're not the THREE Stooges!".Then he hung up.
      HAIKU TO A STOOGE
  pie to the face
  peanut butter to chest
  not much difference I guess

DEPP CHARGE

(6-18-12)   HE CREATURE OF THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS..

IGGY first met June B-Day boy JOHNNY DEPP after a drunk,teenage JD shouted obscenities at the IG during POP's concert. After the show IGGY walked right up to Johnny and called him "a little turd." So natually they became friends ( that's whats called in Hollywood a "meet-cute"). They made movies together ( "Cry Baby" and "Dead Man") and recorded a co-written composition called "Hollywood Affair" which was released as the B-Side to IGGY's "Corruption" single. They sang it together on French TV in Dec. 1999. Hey, just be thankful we ain't talkin' about Keanu Reeves!
BTW..You can check the web for vids of Mr.Depp hanging out backstage after the Palladium gig.

"Tell me about the rabbits, George!"

HEAD ON

(6-16-12)    CLOTHES MAKE THE STOOGE..This Saturday June the 16th is NATIONAL HAT DAY UK!!

Hats off to Larry

BONUS BLOOGE

 

( 6-15-12)  Iggy Self-portrait

HAD IT IN MY EAR BEFORE

(6-15-12)  MIXIN' THE COLORS..IGGY claimed that when he wrote the lyrics to the title track of LUST FOR LIFE he had never heard of the bio-pic of the same name about VINCENT VAN GOGH, which makes those lines about "the ear" quite a coincidence ( Bowie MUST have known!).    Perhaps IGGY has seen it since..the IG's own self-portraits suggest the bright colored palette Van Vogh favored after he went to Paris in 1886 and was exposed to the work of the Impressionists..although IGGY's quick, thick, visible brush strokes recall the early work of Neo-Impressionist Paul Signac..
Deep Cover

AIN'T NO LIFE NOWHERE

(6-14-12)  MAD MEN..True madness is waiting this long to post a picture of my OTHER fave ROCK N'ROLL Artist,James Marshall Hendrix aka JIMI. Lotsa JIMI/IGGY connections; see Blooge 5/25/12 "Miles High" for one. Also check archive 3/8/12 "Hear Him Roar" for BONUS LINK to IGGY singing "Foxey Lady." Our pal, Raw Power Ranger, Insect Surfer, contortionist, guitarist supreme, and fellow STP'er DAVE ARNSON sang both The STOOGES' "Down On The Street" and "Foxey Lady" at Amanda and I's wedding reception..Comin' to GETCHA!
Related FUN FACT: At Woodstock, after apologizing for His new, under-rehearsed band, JIMI said: " What, me worry?" 
Band of Stooges

"ALFRED" 1900's Bonus Blooge

(6-13-12) "ALFRED" from the 1900 century.

Are you now, or have you ever been, Ambedelic?

JUST A MODERN GUY

(6-13-12)   WHAT, ME WORRY?..IGGY picked the photo for the LUST FOR LIFE LP cover because it reminded him of that Icon of Idiocracy ALFRED E. NEUMAN. Alfred's likeness existed pre-Mad Magazine, at least as far back as the early 1900's. In it's earliest incarnations it was often referred to as.."The Idiot"!
FUN FACT: The name "Alfred E. Neuman" was a reference to Alfred Newman, Hollywood film score composer and Randy Newman's uncle!

There goes the neighborhood!

TURN BLUE

  (6-12-12:  Little Stranger : This is Blooge #200! Kudos to Kev Action) RETURN TO SENDER..Early in The Blooge's history ( see archive for 1/8/12 ) we established the connection between The KING'S Death and LUST FOR LIFE'S sales decline ( RCA's failure to release a "The Passenger" single, as requested by IGGY's management, didn't help either). The National Enquirer used $18,000 to bribe ELVIS's cousin into taking this snapshot. The original photo ( valued at a million bucks ) was accidently shredded during six years of anthrax decontamination work on the Enquirer's handquarters in FLA after their photo editor died while opening a letter containing military strength anthrax spores. Publishing's a rough business...

and it's NO FUN!

A MILLION IN PRIZES

(6-11-12)   HERE COMES IGGY IN AGAIN..It's "LUST FOR LIFE WEEK" here at the Blooge. IGGY,BOWIE, and the SONS OF SALES created an LP that, like early LP's by CHUCK BERRY, BO DIDDLEY, JIMI HENDRIX, the STOOGES (natch) & the VELVET UNDERGROUND, sounds more like a "Greatest Hits Vol.1 " album than just IGGY'S second solo LP. The only negative thing I can think of is that it's not as sonically ground breaking as the IG'S first LP, the equally tuneful "THE IDIOT." Place your bet...

Little Stanger talkin at ya: Imitiation being the sincerest form of flattery, let's flatter Iggy with some cool covers during Lust for Life week here at the Blooge. I wouldn't have it any other way!

CATNIPOTISM

(6-8-12)   NANCY(WITH THE SHINY BOOTS)..Happy B-Day to the eternally cool NANCY SINATRA. While auditioning for CBS Records IGGY was asked by Clive Davis if he would sing Simon & Garfunkel songs. IGGY said no but he would gladly sing FRANK SINATRA'S version of "The Shadow of Your Smile", which he then proceeded to sing acappella right there in Clive's office. The IG got the gig ( for the time being..).
FUN FACT: The original lyrics to the song "Nancy(With the Laughing Face)" were written by Phil "SGT Bilko" Silvers!

At heart all poets are con artists.

EDELVICE

(6-7-12)   JUDGEMENT AT NURNBERG..This day in '78 IGGY played in Nurnberg (Nuremberg to us Yanks), Bavaria. Cool poster, richtig?
IGGY BIN EIN BERLINER

LUNARSHORE

(6-6-12)   THOSE DAYS..NICO gave what turned out to be her last show on June 6,1988, in West Berlin. Released as a CD called "Nico's Last Concert/Fata Morgana", it featured NICO and her band playing new material in a planetarium surrounded by Moon themed projections. In 1962 a picture of NICO ( then a fashion model) was used for BILL EVAN'S LP "Moon Beams".
"We've Got the Gold"

DUDE VS STOOGE

  (6-5-12) All hail the B-Day of IAN HUNTER(6/3/'39), main man dude with the fabulous MOTT THE HOOPLE. MTH & the STOOGES shared the same stage in the mid-'70's, with Ian & IGGY thereafter excanging a few insults via the media. Asked about it in 2005 Ian claims any remarks made by him must have been "taken out of context", now saying: "Iggy's a one-off, totally unique, goes his own way..I respect that." I'd say much the same for Ian, one of the only artists of his Rock N'Roll generation ( he's OLDER than the Stones!) who still makes vital, NEW music. Dunno what IGGY would say, tho'...
P.S. If "FUN HOUSE" had gone platinum, would RON have gotten made a swastika shaped guitar?

BO GOES DUCH

(6-4-12)   THREE STARS IN HEAVEN..On June 2, 2009 BO DIDDLEY joined The DUCHESS & JEROME in Rock N'Roll Heaven. Recently an interviewer asked IGGY what he thought about young musicians looking up to him as an icon. IGGY thought for a moment, then said: "When I was 18 I always wanted to be Bo Diddley. I looked around one day...and I kinda was..."

Syl knows Bo

ONE OF THE BOYS

(6-1-12)   RON WOULD..B-Day bloke RON WOOD was a fine guitarist with The Birds(UK), The Creation, and The Faces. And as a bassist with The Jeff Beck Group he was one of the best. Since Ronnie joined The Stones in 1975, however, he's mainly been a "good mate". On Nov.19.'85, with only 20 minutes notice, he joined BOWIE,IGGY, and others for a surprise jam session at the China Club in NYC. The "blowing" session after the music must have been something else, too..

IGGY POP APPROXIMATELY

(5-31-12)   STOOGE ON STOOGE..Can't leave May without celebratin' the B-Day of Robert Z-Man alias BOB DYLAN(5-24-41). The still an Iguana Jimmy Osterberg first saw Dylan at Detriots Cobo Hall during Bob's initial "gone electric" tour. What impressed the future IG as much as the music was Dylan's reaction to the boos..Bobby didn't seem to care at all what the audience thought..a defining moment in the transformation of Jimmy into IGGY.
  "Well it's a mighty long way,
        Down Rock N'Roll.
    From the Hall of Cobo,
        To Metallic KO,
  And you play Louie,Louie,
      Then get hit by a Strohs,
  All the way from Detriot.."

**

"Are you insured?" 

MONSTER OF THE MONTH

(5-30-12)   THE HAND OF DERN..No one who sees the 1963 Outer Limits episode called "THE ZANTI MISFITS" ever forgets it. Like the Man Who Shot Liberty Valance or the Bicyle Thief, the true identity of the "practiced executioners" may...surprise you...

"Print the legend..."

FLOWERS OF EVIL

(5-29-12)   FORGOTTEN IN MANHATTAN..This day in 1966 the VU invade enemy territory. They lose the battle but win the war. Those Evil Mothers didn't really stand a chance, especially with the VELVETS backed up by that Pop gal NICO

MILES HIGH

(5-25-12)   BIRTH OF THE BLOW..May 26,1926 is the B-Day of music giant and eternal colossus of cool MILES DAVIS. Before checking out the STOOGES live (Ungano's NYC 8-17-70)

Miles and the band snorted a "big old pile" of coke. "Imagine, my head next to MILES, man!" recalled RON, still amazed at the memory of it almost 40 yrs later. 
Miles verdict: "The STOOGES are original, they got spirit!" JIMI HENDRIX earlier had a drink with RON & IGGY at the bar but no one knows if JIMI ever checked out the gig..if  he didn't see them in this world..maybe in the next one...
"What is Cool?"

FALSE ALARM

(5-24-12)     FIRE O'LIFE..Chances are you never heard of the volunteer work IGGY did for the New York Fire Dept..and with good reason..IT NEVER HAPPENED! But JAMES WILLIAMSON did volunteer to do some soundtrack music for "BURN", a documentary about Detriot fire fighters directed by Brenna Sanchez, the director of "SEARCH & DESTROY", the IGGY & THE STOOGES RAW POWER doc. And back in '83 IGGY recorded a demo for a song called "FIRE ENGINE", produced by Rik Ocasek and featuring members of Ministry..Motor City is STILL burnin'...

BRICK BY BRICK

(5-23-12)   RISE BUILDINGS,RISE TO THE SKY..The Empire State Building first opened it's doors to the public this month back in 1931 in NEW YORK CITY. NYC looms large in STOOGE history if for no other reason than that's where IGGY MET BOWIE. Looming large in MY childhood history is the work of the great trading card artist NORMAN SAUNDERS..check out "Mars Attacks, card #10!"

THESE CHARMING MEN

(5-22-12)    STOOGEHEAD..Here's IGGY hangin' with  birthday boy MORRISSEY, who has wrote/sang lotsa great tunes such as "How Soon is Now," "Everyday is Like Sunday," "The Last of the Famous International Playboys," "Tomorrow," and "First of the Gang to Die." He also got the NEW YORK DOLLS back together for 2004's Meltdown Festival. He denies, however, the often stated rumor that in his youth he was president of the UK branch of the DOLL'S fan club.
  FUN FACT..while acting as a MTV guest VJ back in the '90's IGGY said that The Smiths were his favorite band.
THIS JUST IN!! IGGY AND THE STOOGES opening for Morrissey at the Staples Center on Nov. 24!!...god, I hate the Staples Center...

STOOGE MEETS CRETIN

 (5/21/12)   YOUR PRETTY PINHEAD IS GOING TO HELL. May 19 was the B-Day of JOEY RAMONE,born Jeffry Ross Hyman in 1951. Joey called IGGY a 'major inspiration' and sang "1969" on the IGGY tribute CD "We Will Fall". IGGY wrote a beautiful tribute to Joey for the Mar. 2002 issue of Interview Magazine, ending it with a vivid image of seeing Joey for the last time, "at dusk in the twilight, walking like a ghost or wraith thru the park."
P.S. Let's all acknowledge the sad end of the reign of the great ROBIN GIBB with a round of Fosters and a chorus of 'Every Christian Lionhearted Man"..."..for every child, is thinking of something wild..."

HEIN-SIGHT

(5-18-12)  REAL TALL COOL ONE TIME..Construction began on this day in 1867 on the first HEINEKEN brewery. Ron dons the garb and commemorates the occasion by playing a 55 minute version of "REAL COOL TIME."

"WHAT KIND OF BEER DO YOU LIKE?"

(5/17/12) VISITING HOURS..On this day in '36 actor/director/photographer/misfit  DENNIS HOPPERwas born. When IGGY was in the psychiatric ward during 1975 Dennis and BOWIE would smuggle drugs inside to IGGY to "cheer him up." "We thought we should bring him some drugs, because he probably hadn't had any in days."
FUN FACTS:
  1. On IGGY'S LP "INSTINCT" is a song called  "Easy Rider"written by the IG and Steve Jones.
  2. Dennis starred in a 1995 movie called "Search & Destroy."