WE'VE GOT FORTY YEARS...

Originally Posted 1/08/2013-Posted here out of order in honor of David Bowie's passing

      CRASH COURSE FOR THE STOOGES...Forty years ago (1973 ) was a big year for B-Day boy DAVID BOWIE ( b. 1947 ). It was the height of Ziggymania: "Aladdin Sane",  "Pin Ups"...it's amazing he found a whole spare day to mix RAW POWER ( in truth, a remix salvage job of IGGY's original botched production and mix ). The STOOGES over the years have bitched to high heaven about Bowie's 'sabotage' of their masterwork but time has proven that David made the right choices. Chances are a big budget Bob Ezrin/Alice Cooper type production job STILL wouldn't have made the mid '70's Rock audience buy into the STOOGES' trip  (hell, they couldn't even get past the group's name!). But Bowie's visionary mix taught many people (including musicians) to actually hear music in new ways...to listen and be inspired by sounds they never would have accepted before. Whether this was Bowie's intent is another question...HIS records certainly didn't sound anything like RAW POWER. He probably just did the best he could do with what he had. And WE wouldn't have had RAW POWER 'come running to us'  without him...thanks, Mr. Jones.

      PHUN FACT: "Pin Ups", Bowie's LP of his versions of songs by mid '60's British bands ( Yardbirds, Who, etc...) was actually supposed to be "Part One". "Part Two" was rumored to be an LP of covers of songs by American groups like The STOOGES and The VELVETS ( Ziggy and the Spiders were already performing "White Light, White Heat" and "I'm Waiting For My Man"). Unfortunately Ziggy had to 'break up the band' and "Pin Ups Vol.2" never materialized. What a drag...it would have been fun to hear RONNO work out on some STOOGES' jams!

      Check out last year's Bowie B-Day tribute on Blooge Archive "LEPER MESSIAHS?" ( 1/19/12 ).

        http://countdowntothestooges.blogspot.com/2012/01/leper-messiahs.html

REALLY QUITE PARADISE

STOOGE de JOUR

      10-26-12  THE HUNGER DAME...A "Bon Anniversaire" (10/22) to CATHERINE DENEUVE, who is the subject of this curious quote by IGGY.

          Sayeth IG: " Bowie's a real man. And I'm a real woman, like Catherine Deneuve."

      Not positive why POP picked Cathy as his female role model. Perhaps the fact that Bowie and Deneuve both co-stared together in "The Hunger" might have had something to do with it ( they both played vampires ). 

    PHUN FACT:  When asked by Hit Parader magazine what His musical influences were, JIMI HENDREX replied: "Eddie Cochran, the blues, atonal music, and "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers."

SYMPATHY FOR THE STOOGE

     10-25-12 #2  IN ANOTHER LAND...I gotta confess, fellow bloogsters...I'm as hung over as ten muthas barfin' in the shadows. So I'll let you gaze in rapture at the tragic triangle pictured here and let you come up with your own sick scenarios. I just keep wondering...is that air conditioner behind them on?

TUTTI STOOGEY

MR. BASS MAN

 10-25-12   ALL DOWN THE BASS LINE...Happy B-Day ( 10/24/'36 ) to past and perhaps future ROLLING STONES' bassist BILL WYMAN ( he's scheduled to do guest spots on the upcoming Stones'50th anniversary tour ).  That bass run that Bill plays on the fade of "19th Nervous Breakdown" was the second classic "bass moment" I noticed as a lad; the first was Chas Chandlers' bass intro to "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" by the ANIMALS. I figured if I was gonna pick a pix of Wyman it would be a B&W photo like the cover of an old Stones' LP. But I couldn't resist this shot of Bill as cover birthday boy for the Oct. 24th ( '64? ) issue of "POP" magazine. HEY! I'm free..to do want I want...any old time!

Monsieur Wyman

FLEA'S BAG

    (10-24-12) FLEAFORNICATION...Happy B-Day to FLEA! ( 10/16/62). Can't say I dug that slap happy bass sound he and that Primus guy introduced to the Rock world in the Eighties. But the Red Hot Chili Peppers are one group that got WAY better when they slooooowed their music down. And Flea seems like he's a fabulous dude. Whether jamming with Patti Smith last week, opening the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music, or as seen here kickin' out the jams with IGGY at  a May 8, 2009 benefit for addiction recovery programs, Flea always seems to be on the right side of cool. Keep "giving it away", man.

      BTW...The Peppers released their version of "Search & Destroy" on the B-Side of their "Suck My Kiss'' single. Save my soul!

      P.S. And a happy B-Day ( 10/24 ) to BUFFIN of MOTT THE HOOPLE! Keep on Hooplin', dude..and despite what the ballad says I hope you didn't lose ALL your "child-like dreams."

CAMERA OBSCURA

  (10-23-12 #2)  CORRUPTION...As a lonely juvenile record geek not only did I play my LP's constantly but I'd stare at the covers and read the liner notes over and over again. I'd also check out the pictures of all the other LP's featured on the paper inner sleeve that housed the record itself. One of the LP pictures I looked at every time I played an album on the ATCO/ATLANTIC label is the one shown on today's blooge. If a kid could have a crush on an album cover then I did on this one. So imagine my surprise 40 years later when I saw this album on the wall of a record store in Williamsburg and I found out that my ancient teenage dream girl was actually our future Queen of Gloom and Doom Christa Paffgen aka NICO! Who would have guessed that the woman on the LP cover ( b. 10/16 ) would one day be recording "The End" and writing songs like "Janitor of Lunacy"?

    "I used to be naive. Thanks to Nico I got corrupt. "  IGGY 1977

BRING IT TO JEROME

    (10-23-12 #1) SOITENLY!...A happy B-Day ( 10/22/1903 ) to JEROME LESTER "JERRY" HORWITZ aka CURLY HOWARD! 

"We baked you a birthday cake,

                If you get a tummy ache,

            If you moan and groan and woe,

              Don't forget we told you so!" 

Bonus: 
Bring it to Macca!(2:36) 

SKETCH AND DESTROY

  (10-22-12)    WORLD'S FORGOTTEN BLOOGE...Charter Bloogist and Internet Blooge Master DOUG "Little Stranger" O'CONNOR recently found this picture he drew for his high school senior year ( 1976 ) art class. He entitled it "World's Forgotten Boy". It's proof of Doug's long standing fidelity to the STOOGE's cause ( as if any was needed!). He got a B-plus on it but Charter Bloogist and art teacher AMANDA insists that it's an A-plus ( at least!). I know all you out there have artistic talent ( some even get paid for it!). If you have any drawings , photos, ANYTHING pertaining to The IG that you would like to share with your fellow bloogists that'd be bitchen!

  P.S...Check out Blooge Archives for "BONUS BLOOGE, IGGY SELF-PORTRAIT" ( 9/9/12 ).

I FELT THE LUXURY

   (10-19-12 #2) FOR US THE LIVING, THIS DANCE WAS MEANT, TOO...When I lived in East Hollywood I saw Lux and Poison on occasion; in line at a movie screening or just on the street. It seemed obvious to me that they belonged together. What's it like to lose your soul mate, especially this early in your life? I don't know you and what you've been thru Miss Ivy. So who the hell am I to say this but here's wishing life still brings you joy. And I'm hoping you're still rockin' that guitar. Your tone and attack are as ROCK N"ROLL as it gets!

GOO GOO MUCKRAKERS

   (10-19-12 #1)   I WANNA BE YOUR GOREHOUND...This weekend is a (un)holy one in the Church of Psychobilly's calendar for it contains both the B-Days of the King and Queen of Punk Junk, LUX INTERIOR (10/21/46) and POISON IVY(10/20) of the CRAMPS. The term 'Psychobilly' is perhaps too limiting; Punk, Goth, and Garage all owe a blood debt to the Cramps. Plus, their depraved taste in all sorts of crazed Rock, Pop, and R & B from the past turned many of us on to amazing songs and performers we would never have heard of otherwise. Lux died on 2/4/'09 but he lives on thru all his Voodoo Children. To quote CARL PERKINS: " Rave on, chillun..I'm WITCHA!"

P.S. Check Blooge Archives "SONGS THE IG TAUGHT US"(2/14/12) FOR IGGY Connection!!

BONUS BORIS BLOOGE

 (10/18/12 #2 )      LOOK WHO'S CRAWLING UP MY WALL...JIMI HENDRIX said that Entwistle's "Boris The Spider" was His favorite Who song...which must have 'bugged' Townshend to no end, Pete being a huge Hendrix fan and all...

THE OX AND THE FIDDLE

(10-18-12)   WHEN WE WERE BOYS...A happy B-Day (10/9/12 ) to the late JOHN ENTWISTLE! John's bass playing prowess is well-known but all that fast finger action would amount to nothing but 'fiddlin' about' if you didn't have the songs. The Who had plenty of great ones, many of them written by Entwistle himself. Being an American Who fan in the mid/late '60's meant you had to seek out most of John's tunes on British only compilations like "Direct Hits" or rare B-sides. One of my favorites, "When I Was A Boy", was only available as the flip side to the non-LP "Let's See Action" '45. John's songs, with their quirky character studies and darkly humorous scenarios, made for a sharp contrast with Townshend's anthems and high concepts. Of course, Pete could write great character driven songs, too. "I'm A Boy" is more Entwistle than Entwistle"! How amazing it was to have two such creative but different writers in one ROCK N'ROLL band.

  P.S. See Blooge Archive "THE QUIETED ONE" ( 6/27/12) for RON & ZANDERS pre-STOOGE date with the Who and destiny in London ( 1965).

LAND OF THE PHAROAH

(10-17-12 #2) UPPER ANN ARBOR...

On October 13, 1940 Free Jazz giant and Coltrane ( both John & Alice ) collaborator  PHAROAH SANDERS was born. The Pharoah's "Tauhid" LP supplied the soundtrack for many of the PSYCHEDLIC STOOGES' acid trips back at Stooge Hall ( a.k.a.  the Fun House ). The bass riff from Sanders' "Upper and Lower Egypt" was the foundation for the STOOGES' "Little Doll". You can find the MC 5's live version of "Upper Egypt" on the "Live At Sturgis Armoury" CD. Wayne Kramer  wrote "At Our Best" when he signed my copy of the CD so that's a big thumbs up from Brother Wayne.

     PHUN FACT # 1 : Like Mr. Sanders, Jim "IGGY" Osterberg was heavily into ancient Egyptian culture. The IG says he got the idea of going shirtless from the male figures in Egyptian wall paintings.

     PHUN FACT # 2: Jim Morrison pronounced the word 'pharaoh' as ' FAY-row ' 
( "Texas Radio& The Big Beat" )..

PIX OF THE LITTER

     (10-17-12 # 1) SOME PEOPLE SAY WE'RE NEGATIVE...In October of 1839 Englishman John Herschel made the first glass negative. It was the first time the terms "negative" and "positive" had been applied to photography. On 9/27/12 The Daily Blooge's own web-site master LITTLE STRANGER used the latest Pixel technology to immortalize the signing of The STOOGES to Elektra Records ( see blooge "ELEKTRA SIGNS IN BLUE" 9/27/12). The further you get from the image the clearer The STOOGES become; but to understand them you must get as close as possible
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IS TAKES TO BE "ONE OF THE GUYS"?!

AUSTIN POWER

     (10-16-12)  SOUND ADVISE...No pontificatin' today..just a cool shot of IGGY in action at this last weekend's (10/14/12) Austin City Limit's Music Festival. And some killer news...after a quick perusal of JAMES WILLIAMSON's FB page I found out the STOOGES are in the process of recording NEW material! True, "The Stooges", "Fun House", & "Raw Power" set such a high ROCK N' ROLL  standard that it seems it would be impossible to reach those heights again ( see "The Weirdness"). But in the recent past both IGGY and JW have stated that if they couldn't come up with something they felt matched past glories then they wouldn't release anything at all ( it's not like the IG or JW needs the moolah). So I'm gonna take it on faith that if they're that confident about the quality of their new stuff then it's gonna blast our brains. And if not, well...we'll always have the Palladium...

    BTW...A while back on JW's Facebook page people were giving James suggestions for who should produce any new STOOGE's material. I told James he and the IG should just do it themselves. He liked that idea the best. If the sound of the new recordings are anywhere near as good as JW's recent re-mix of "KILL CITY" then we gots nuthin' to worry about on that ( sonic ) score.

   P.S. ..I guess I ended up pontificating a little anyway....to quote Rob Tyner: "Enuff preachin'.....THE JAMS!"

      

MALICE IN THE PALACE

    (10-15-12)   HONOR AMONG STOOGES...

During IGGY and the STOOGES final tour ('73/74) they played three shows at the Michigan Palace; two of which ( 10/6/73 & 2/9/74) were immortalized on the legendary "METALLIC KO" LP. Side Two features their very last stand, with the band spending as much time dodging flying objects as playing music.

Beer bottles? Light bulbs? Eggs? "I've been egged by better than you...any GRENADES you can throw at the stage?" Only IGGY would defend his band by inviting even MORE abuse. They can "throw every God-damn thing in the world"...but only the STOOGES can kill the STOOGES.

BONUS GRENADE BLOOGE

POTATO MASHER...Since this is the STOOGES, maybe we should show a German hand grenade. The more I look at that kraut on the right the more he looks like a young RON.  

LONELY IN LEATHER

  (10-12-12 Part 2)  THE DAY THE WORLD TURNED BLUE...

On this day (10/12) in 1971 Original Rocker Sweet GENE VINCENT finally lost that race with the Devil ( see Blooge Archive "WHO SLAPPED JOHN" 3/4/12). I love this shot of Gene, taken from the beautiful "Lonely Street" Gene Vincent tribute page. Check it out...preferably whilst swiggin' some White Lightnin' with that jukebox turned up WAY loud! If that ain't practical, I guess a Corona and iTunes will have to do...

GRANDE OPENING

(10-12-12)    THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE STOOGES...

On Oct. 7, '66 Detroit's GRANDE BALLROOM first opened its doors to ROCK N'ROLL ( see Blooge Archive "HOUSE OF STROBE LIGHT" 3/23/12). Opening for the MC 5 that night was the CHOSEN FEW. Their first song, "Everybody Needs Somebody", starts out with a short bass intro. So the first notes ever heard at the Grande were played by the Few's bassist and future STOOGE RON ASHETON! Which shouldn't be surprising. Most "scenes", whether they're London or Liverpool, the Haight or Hollywood, Seattle or Silver Lake, are pretty small and incestuous (WILLIAMSON also did time in the Few). One of the great things about the Grande scene was the fact that local bands, even ones that had barely just formed, could get high profile gigs. Some of the PSYCHEDELIC STOOGES very first shows were opening for national acts with songs on the radio like Sly Stone, Blood Sweat & Tears, and the James Gang. Whether the headliners enjoyed being upstaged by the locals is another matter...
SQUARES HAVE FENCED MY VERY SOUL!
(10-12-12) BONUS GRANDE BLOOGE

      IN GRANDSTYLE...Another cool thang about the late '60's Michigan scene is how well documented it is by the locals. Perhaps it's got something to do with their assembly line roots..you know..keeping stock, tool cribs, etc. Here's a poster from that very first Grande show. Notice how they are advertising it as "in the San Francisco style". They won't have to do that for long. They'd soon have they own, better model.

HELL BELOW ZERO

   (10-11-12) BLANK VENERATION...Happy B-Day to singer, author, actor, and early Punk Rock pin-up boy RICHARD HELL (10/2/49). Most famous for his records with the Voidoids, my favorite release from Hell is the early version of "Love Comes In Spurts" he recorded with the Neon Boys ( soon to become TELEVISION). All you need musically from Hell is the "Spurts, the Richard Hell Story" CD, assembled by Mr. Hell himself.

      VOGUE REMEMBERANCE...Back in the late '70's or early '80's Hell and the Voidoids were scheduled to play something called the "Punk Rock Fashion Show" at the Palladium with Blondie and some other bands. Blondie, having had a few hits in Europe, decided that they had to have their own dressing room while all the other bands plus the Punk models had to share one room. Because of this Hell backed out of the gig and ended up not playing LA. Which pissed the local NewWave women off to no end because they had been waiting forever is see Hell in the flesh. They blamed Blondie for this and never forgave Debbie. ANYWAY, that's what my girlfriend at the time told me....Hell hath no fury...

JUDY IS A PUNK

HUMUNGUS ROCK

     (10-10-12) WE HAVE ALL LOST SOMEONE WE LOVE...On Oct. 4, 1974 the late great BON SCOTT played his first gig with AC/DC! We all have our own tastes in music but I have to feel just a little bit sorry for anyone who can't feel the pure, over the top, Aussie- infected ROCK N"ROLL joy of early BON-afied AC/DC classics like "Long Way To The Top", "Ride On", and "Ain't No Fun ( Waitin' Around To Be a Millionaire)". It was a goofy kinda down under charm that the band lost when they became SCOTT-free. As Bon sang in "Jailbreak" ( while referring to Australia's penal colony roots): "..it was all in the name of Liberty..."

     Dunno what Bon and The IG are conversing about in this pix but it must have been fun for IGGY to talk to another shirtless lead singer who was actually shorter than him! 

HARD TO BEAT