The Bob Seger-Michael Jackson link
Guess who gave Michael Jackson one of his 8 Grammys in 1984 -- none other than Bob Seger. Jackson invites all his sisters up onstage...
Joe Jackson, father of Michael, at the BET Awards Sunday night
Yes, Joe Jackson really does plug his new record company halfway through this interview with CNN...
Bob Seger: the garage rock years
As a Monday non-death theme, here's another great clip from Robin Seymour's "Swingin' Time" of Bob Seger performing "East Side Story," known and loved by Detroiters as one of his early hits here.
I posted this on my Facebook page and got some interesting reaction from far flung music writer friends who'd never seen it.
Here Bob is, in all his Hideout Club glory, rocking a "free wheelin' Bob Dylan" cap and Otis Redding satin shirt:
Detroit music youtube blitz
In the midst of feeling nostalgic about Michael Jackson's sudden and probably unnecessary demise, here are two happy clips. A very young Scott Morgan and the Rationals from Robin Seymour's Swingin' Time in 1966...
Happy news too, the Rationals are playing a CD release party July 24 at the Magic Bag.
Lost in the mix...Sky Saxon RIP
Everybody talks about celebrity deaths coming in threes -- in this case it would be Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett then Michael Jackson -- but it's also a truism that many notable deaths get lost in the shuffle.
Sky Saxon died Thursday as well, cause of death not yet official. He didn't have the fame of Michael Jackson, but he led the Seeds, who, with "Pushin' Too Hard" were one of the key garage bands of the late '60s. The Seeds on the surface were one-hit wonders, but that hit had so much impact on generations of bands, and fans that it's hard to measure.
Saxon had recently moved to Austin and was set to be a part of the California '66 tour along with remnants of Love and the Electric Prunes.
Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr.'s reaction to the death of Michael Jackson
BERRY GORDY STATEMENT on MICHAEL JACKSON passing
I am shocked beyond words. It's like a dream -- a bad dream. This cannot be! How can Michael Jackson not be here?
As a kid, Michael was always beyond his years. He had a knowingness about him that was incredible.
When I first heard him sing Smokey’s song, “Who’s Lovin’ You” at 10 years’ old, it felt like he had lived the song for 50 years.
Somehow, even at that first meeting with him, he had a hunger to learn, a hunger to be the best and was willing to work as hard and as long as it took.
I had no concern about his ability to go to the top. He was like my son. He had warmth, sensitivity and two personalities.
When he was not on stage, he was loving, respectful and shy. When he WAS on stage, he was so in charge you would not believe he was the same person.
Michael was and will remain one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived.
He was exceptional, artistic and original. He gave the world his heart and soul through his music.
I extend my sympathies to Joe, Katherine and the entire Jackson family. My prayers are with them.
Berry Gordy
Founder, Motown
June 25, 2009
Seeds' Sky Saxon hospitalized
I just heard about the California '66 Revue that's supposed to stop in at the Magic Bag Aug. 15, with three of the top psychedelic bands of that year touring together, at least remnants of each: The Electric Prunes ("I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night"), The Seeds ("Pushin' Too Hard") and Love ("My Little Red Book").
That early burst of California flower power was more potent than the later scene in the much ballyhooed Summer of Love.
But sadly, Sky Saxon of the Seeds, aka Richard Marsh, fell ill and was hospitalized in critical condition in Austin, where he recently relocated.
There apparently will be an announcement soon about the California '66 Tour going on.
Saxon's wife Sabrina asked that balloons and cards (no flowers) be sent to him at:
St David's South Austin Hospital
901 West Ben White Boulevard
ICU-10 (Richard Marsh)
Austin, Texas 78704
Buying music live and in person
I'm still not done with record retail, oh no...
I forgot to mention E.J. Korvettes, a defunct discount emporium here in Michigan, as another place where I would top up my album collection. As a staffer at Creem Magazine in the '70s I usually didn't need to buy much, but I remember getting a slew of Jeff Beck albums there for about $3.00 each.
This was before the advent of $18 CDs pretty much destroyed the business model.
Most intriguingly, blogger Chris Morton of Floydian Slips,who also grew up near Birmingham, Mich., jump-started my memory bank when he mentioned a tiny drugstore on the northeast corner of Maple & Woodward Ave. in Birmingham. On the southeast corner sat Cunningham's Drugstore, where I don't recall buying any records, just music and fashion magazines.
Eureka! In the basement of this place on the NE corner (which I believe was called AAA Discount Drugs, although Chris isn't so sure), in a dank little basement was a wonderland packed with 100s of 45s and 33s. As kids we would go down a narrow stairway and paw through the latest hits under garish lighting.
If anyone can help us with the name of this place that started so many on the road to music retail ruin, please do tell.
Music retail...will you miss it?
Everybody has a different memory, when it comes to buying music at a bricks and mortar store, and the closing of the Virgin mega store in New York, one of two Virgin mega stores left in the U.S. (the other, in Hollywood, is also about to close) has led to many folks exchanging their favorite retail memories.
Scott Westerman at keener13.com recalls buying "black vinyl" at stores like EJ Korvettes and Discount Records, and lists some of his favorite album covers.
I can't say any one chain had a hold on my heart; I remember pining for and finally convincing my mother to buy Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips Part II," the Motown single, at for me at the Kresge's 5 & 10 in downtown Birmingham as a nipper. I wouldn't have known what a record store was, back then.
More often than not, I bought 45s and 33s at such places; I remember forking over $3 or so for Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" at Perry Drugs, to the elderly male cashier's disdain. ("What are you going to torture your parents with now?" he said).
I do remember standing in line at Discount Records for a Beatles album, probably "Abbey Road."
At Michigan State I once traded in a few textbooks for a copy of the Beatles' White Album, an unexplained gap in my Beatles collection. It was a lucky break for me that the Student Bookstore carried records...
My favorite record store for years was the late, lamented Sam's Jams in Ferndale, because it carried the more unusual stuff. I remember finding "Gino is a Coward" and some other vintage R&B, racked as oldies, at Sam's. Never would you find anything that different at the chain stores. Today my only music retail stop is Street Corner Records at 13 and Southfield. (I hear they're moving to Greenfield Plaza in Oak Park, but at least they're still alive.) What's your music retail favorite, or memory?We catch up with Question Mark
Question Mark, who plays with the Mysterians on Sunday at the All Around Club in Taylor (Show starts at 6, ? goes on at 9:30 p.m., much earlier than he's used to), is forging ahead after losing all his belongings in a house fire a few years ago.
"It's like the line in '96 Tears,' 'and when the sun comes up, I'll be on top,'" Question Mark said. "No matter what the tragedy is, just rock and roll."
There's a movie coming out, "It's a Krazzy World" that Question Mark describes as 3/4 nonfiction, 1/8 fiction and the rest music" that has him being kidnapped and sent back to Planet Mars. Yes, "back to," QM has long maintained that his soul originated on the Red Planet.
Look for Question Mark to perform -- solo -- as part of the Don Was Supersession at Orchestra Hall July 18, during the Concert of Colors.
