BOWIE

Rest In Peace, Legend.

GB JAN 2016 interview with Jerry Jaffe

“There were all these great characters,” is how Jerry Jaffe describes his music industry cohorts during the 70’s & 80’s when he was A&R at Polygram, and later artist management.  Those were days when companies would hire someone based on their knowledge and passion for music, and the college music coarse requisite of today on your resume wasn’t even a blimp on your qualifications.  There’s the new HBO series Vinyl, produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger based on the record industry of that time, which depicts these characters.  So you went to Belmont, big deal, go fuck yourself.  The heart and integrity, the search for true talent, the nights out in the clubs, the makings of deals because you’d put your ass on the line for that band is something associated with the Jimmy Iovine’s, Tommy Mottola’s, Tom Werman’s, and Tom Zutaut’s of the world.  Insert Jerry Jaffe to that list.  Bon Jovi performed at his wedding.  In this podcast episode, he recounts the time Bongiovi’s demo tape was handed to him by Derek Shulman, which led to the band’s signing, in addition to Jerry’s suggestion of dropping the “g” in the name.  1984 also saw the release of one of his other signings, Candy’s “Whatever Happened To Fun.”  It’s a record he’s proud to have had a hand in.  While Jerry went on to sign acts like Jesus & Mary Chain and others, we focus more on this episode with his tenure of hard rock & glam bands.  His involvement with Kiss through 4 of their records, Danny Goldberg enlisting him in his camp in favor of the band taking the make up off, showcasing Electric Angels for Jason Flom at Atlantic, and how his other band Nancy Boy took flak for being male models.
Cut through the static and listen to this music veteran tell it how it is.  Get it here.

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Marky Ramone "Punk Rock Blitzkrieg"

Punk Rock Blitzkrieg by Marky Ramone tells the story of his journey from the burgeoning NY scene of the 70’s on through to the present.  From his early music beginnings of being signed to Neil Bogart’s first label, to Wayne County, the man who took gender bending to a whole other place.  Under the management of MainMan, Bowie’s people at the time, interesting anecdotes of how rumors went around that MainMan only kept Wayne on their roster so Bowie could knick ideas from Wayne.  When that band didn’t pan out, Marky went on to join Richard Hell & The Voidoids, who in many ways would inspire the UK punks when their Sire Records debut was released.
Once he hooked up with The Ramones, let the games begin.  Talk about a disfunctional bunch of bandmates, whether it be pulling knives on each other, stealing girlfriends, or Joey’s OCD condition, Marky tells it in a way with a ray of humour. 
His own battles with alcoholism, led to a wake up call when he was told he could no longer be in the band.  The final straw, finding himself in a furniture store, and it wasn’t to buy a new sofa.  His father’s stern words left an impact, and it was time for AA. 
His second chance at a healthy life would eventually coincide with a second chance in The Ramones. 
It’s a captivating book from a stand up guy who’s been through the high’s and low’s and has found a comfortable place on the other end of it all.  How many artists can say they recorded with Phil Spector?  How many can create a movement?  This one has lasted, influenced countless others, a musical legacy that continues to be as strong as ever.  This book is a must read for any self proclaimed music aficionado, or those wanting a history trip through the roots of punk/rock and New York City.

Xmas edition/Eric Stacy interview Dec 2015

They were the band Elektra didn’t expect to do well.  A #1 video on MTV (back when it meant something still), Top 40 single, countless tours with the big boys, Faster Pussycat left their mark.  But as colorful a ride as it was, Eric Stacy tells us in this interview tales of some rough patches, including how some band members had to take odd jobs after Whipped wasn’t able to supersede it’s previous release.  More importantly though, this was a band that came up during the last great days of the Sunset Strip.  Their singer opened up a night club, and the Cathouse would become as infamous as the band itself.  If you ever wondered what a night out with Taime and Co. was like at their hotspot, listen on and find out.  We also come closer to solving the ever present golden question... Taime as a blond vs. black.  Eric shares his thoughts on this and more.  Get it here

GLAMBONE!

Podcast episode/Free episode

Biters, Nashville show 11/21/15 Scott Weiland tour

We're living in a time where people attending a show are either embarrassed or scared to show emotion.  Oh is it ok to clap?  I better look over my shoulder and see if anyone's looking at me.
Dude, you're at a rock show. 
The setting at City Winery is like dinner theater.  As the Biters played, opening the show on their current trek with Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts, this is what the band faced on their Saturday night show in Nashville.  Table seatings, eat your steak or scallops while trying to watch the band.

That didn't stop the Biters from ripping through their set and serving up their rock n' roll exactly how you'd expect.  Tuk, owning the frontman role, he doesn't back down from talking to the crowd, razzing them to get a reaction, it's not calculated, it's straight from the lip and in the moment.  Maybe the majority of dudes there were in their seats just to hear some STP, so be it, but what I noticed after Biters set were people hitting their merch table, and then presenting vinyl LP's at the band to grace with their autographs.   That right there is called converting.  Otherwise known as kicking ass and taking names.  As David Bowie would sing "all you've got to do is Win."

Alice Cooper/Dennis Dunaway - Snakes Guillotines Electric Chairs!

Seems like I read these autobios one after the other these days.  Some blur together, some end up being quite forgettable.  My expectation of Snakes Guillotines Electric Chairs! the book from Alice Cooper original bass player Dennis Dunaway was “here’s a guy who probably has some great stories to tell.”  Maybe because his time away from the group allowed for a more genuine reflection.  The book certainly delivers. 
He paints tales of high school in the early 60’s, and how Vince Furnier’s ability to adlib a story and garner attention was set in motion right from the start.  Asking fellow student Glen Buxton to play guitar in the school talent show, thus becoming the Earwigs.
What’s most compelling is their time spent in L.A., those early years of rubbing shoulders with everyone from The Doors to Pink Floyd to Led Zeppelin to Hendrix.  Can you imagine?  One gets the sense of being there in the moment of when new music and bands were coming up, and the excitement of the pursuit of it all.
Dennis tells vivid memories of this.   My favorite is when they befriended the GTO’s, which he refers to as “this group of rock n roll wenches,” one of whom was Miss Pamela, later to become Des Barres.  The GTO’s lived in the basement of Frank Zappa’s home...in which Alice plainly asks one of them if she can get Frank to give them a record deal.  And how the whole band shows up at his house one morning, storms in, sets up gear right in front of his bedroom door and begins their onslaught.  To which Zappa somewhat amused asks to get his coffee first.
The making of all the classic records and how the songs came to be is relived in fine detail here, as is the tours and how they would become one of the biggest bands in the world.  And then how it would all unravel, with the name Alice Cooper solely being identified as one man instead of one group, making it easier to push the guys out of their own band.  These stories and more keep the reader’s interest high.  It’s an entertaining read from start to finish.  A book about love and loss, triumph, and ultimately friendships that never die.

GB-FALL/interview with Billy Rowe

It was Guns ‘N Roses, Poison, and Jetboy.  The Big 3.  They were leading the new wave of glam influenced rock after the previous “Big 3” Crue, Quiet Riot, Ratt opened the doors to the kingdom of hair & warpaint.  All these dudes hung out together, played shows together, competed amongst each other.  Why did one not climb as high as the other?  Billy Rowe has his thoughts about this.   As he tells us here, “fast forward 30 years later and the band is known for that mohawk.”  Was it detrimental to the band being accepted into the mainstream?  Billy sheds light on how the same people that wanted Jetboy for those reasons of being different also tried to change them.   Who could forget the image of Billy slingin’ his White Falcon over his shoulder either?  For those unaware, Mr. Rowe is the founder of his own boutique guitar company called Rock  N Roll Relics.  Prided in building and capturing the worn-in look and sound of vintage 6-strings, there’s Tele’s, Strats, and coolest of all - the Johnny Thunders TV model.  We learn more about his growing business, plans for production, as well as past and present happenings of Jetboy, right here in this podcast episode.




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Glambone says... MAKE SUM NOISE!