Lou Molinaro

TEMPTATION PAYS DOUBLE (Sweden's Nomads)

Howdy Folks

Ah the good old computer.  Turn it on and hope that it can create magic before your eyes.  I can’t formulate a spread sheet to save my life, but I sure can strike gold and meet the people who have influenced me the most.

That’s the case with the NOMADS.   Just recently, I had the chance to meet Nik Vahlberg of the NOMADS via the internet.  For many of you, The Nomads may not be a band that takes up Real Estate in the “N” section of your record collection, unfortunately.   However, next to my New York Dolls, New Christs, and Ted Nugent records stand a rich musical body of work created and composed by Sweden’s NOMADS. 

I was introduced to this band courtesy of CKCU 93.1 in Ottawa in the mid 80’s.  At that time, the 80’s were a decade that had a lot of musical risks involved.  Many bands and artists were capitalizing on Image via Videos, where a new crop of bands came out in full force to oppose it.  As sad as it was to see cool bands like ZZ TOP become industry darlings, there was another Rock N Roll Tour De Force that raked all the true substance of the “devil’s music” and made it their own.

Bands like The Chesterfield Kings, The Fuzztones, Cramps, Lyres/DMZ, The Cynics, and the NOMADS were rebelling loudly using their musical merits to save Rock N Roll.  College and University radio stations were soon discovering these acts and respectfully tagged them as their own musical spokespeople.  These acts gave radio stations character.  University radio stations would have bands like the Replacements, REM, Durango 95, and the NOMADS in their TOP 30 charts. 

While the foundation was set, the growth unfortunately did not happen in many areas of North America for these cool acts.  Industry reps had other intentions of mastering a theory that would eventually try to kill Rock N Roll 20 years later.  They skimmed the talent and played it safe.   Meanwhile, Europe established a method that would support these cool bands, and kept them active.

Many of us experienced this externally thru Fanzines.   Great zines from all over the world would circulate in cool record stores and bars, and that would be our means of knowledge.

The NOMADS still represent the hopes that Rock N Roll will never die.  They continue making great music, and they continue proving that there is a better way.  Easily, these guys are perfect figureheads for a chapter that many of us keep very close to our hearts and turntables.

Here is my chat with Nik Vahlberg of the NOMADS

The Nomads are often regarded as a Cult Status band based on your existence. Did you originally set out to be a band of this nature? Or were your intentions from the get go to be commercial darlings?

We didn't have any ambitions or plans whatsoever when we began. We just thought it was good fun to meet up on Saturday afternoons, drink beer and work out crude cover versions of our favourite songs by the Stooges, the New York Dolls and the Pretty Things. We didn't even expect to be asked to play live shows...

Garage Rock from the Sixties as well as selective areas of music from the 70’s was the foundation of the Nomads. You have documented your preferences quite well with your choice of covers over the years. Many would be surprised to hear that as much as you were a fan of the Sonics, you were also a fan of Blue Oyster Cult. As you know, I too am a big BOC fan. How did you first learn about Blue Oyster Cult?

An older cousin, my then best friend played us “Tyranny and Mutation” sometime '73-'74 and I was instantly hooked. Then in '75 “On your feet or on your knees” was a big hit amongst the kids that I was hanging out with. When the first Ramones album came out in '76 I pretty much forgot about everything that I'd listened to up to then, except for the BÖC who I still think are completely brilliant. At least those five first albums...

Hans and yourself must have had a very interesting musical upbringing in comparison to your other peers at the time. How did you learn about all these great bands that would influence the direction of the Nomads? I presume you frequented some cool record shops. Also, were there any notable Swedish Garage bands from the 60’s that you looked up to?

I'd say it was very much thanks to the great fanzine culture of the mid to late '70's. We'd read Bomp and there was an amazing Swedish one called Larm that we found out about a lot of cool stuff from. Finding the records was no problem as Stockholm had many great record stores at the time. Regarding Swedish 60's garage bands, we didn't know of any then, it wasn't until our producer 4-Eyed Thomas put out his amazing compilation “Searching For Shakes” in the '80's that I realized that there were a lot good Swedish stuff from the '60's. Most of the well known Swedish stuff from that time is incredibly lame.

 How did you meet Hans?

We went to the same school and became friends in '79. There weren't that many who were into punk rock in our school so it was easy to find one another!

Can you tell us about some of your earlier bands that lead to the formation of the Nomads?

Hans was in a band called the Sewer Rats when we met. They were pretty popular in Solna, the Stockholm suburb where we grew up. Through Hans I met some guys who had a band called Element 19 and I started to play guitar with them.

When Punk Rock broke out in the mid 70’s, what was happening in Sweden at the time?

Punk really caught on in Sweden, all the important bands from the US and England came here early...Ramones, Pistols, and Clash. It took some time for the band scene to get started, but by '78 there were lots of bands.

Were there any Swedish bands during this era that you followed closely?

Most of the bands were pretty bad, but we always went to see the Stoodes from Stockholm, an extremely chaotic Stooges-inspired bunch of lunatics, and Problem from Malmö. Amazing band, very inspired by '60s punk.

Did you venture off in travelling to London at all to catch any of the London Punk Scene in the 70s?

Yeah, we went there all the time. Charter trips were cheap and the pound rate was incredible. Records were half price compared to Sweden. Of course it was a blast to be able to go out and see great bands every night too.

Aside from bands like DMZ/Lyres, The Fleshtones, The Cramps, The Chesterfield Kings, and a few others, the Garage Rock scene was quite minimal. However the Nomads are to be added to these names as well. Your first single was released in 1981. I am presuming that the Nomads really stood out, especially in Sweden during this time.

Yeah...apart from Problem there weren't that many who were into garage rock at that time here.

The original line up of the Nomads included Joakim Tärnström, Ed Johnson, Hans Ostlund, and yourself. How did all of you meet each other?

The very first line-up was me, Hans and Joakim, who I'd known since we were kids, with different drummers. Ed was a few years older and had played with a lot of bands since the mid 70's. He saw one of our shows and asked if he could join. We were amazed that someone we considered a “real” musician would want to have anything to do with us!

In 1982, The Nomads released a 2nd single, which included NIGHT TIME and BOSS HOSS. Did you do any touring at all in support of these releases?

Very little. We didn't know anything about how to go about booking shows outside Stockholm. When “Night Time” came out the guys from Larm asked us to play Malmö in southern Sweden with Problem, which of course was a big thrill for us.

Following your 1st two singles, the Nomads would release their first full length record. I remember being in University in Ottawa and hearing the Nomads on University Radio. It was my first intro to the band. Luckily, there was a DJ who had great taste in music, and a record store in called SHAKE RECORDS. Did your first full length open doors for the Nomads internationally?

Yes, definitely. Before the “Outburst” album we released a “mini-LP”, a popular format at that time, a 12” with six songs out called “Where the wolf bane blooms”. That one was very well received, both in Sweden and in continental Europe. All of a sudden we were approached by cool international labels who wanted to sign us.

Did your touring increase due to your first full length?

Yes, we did our first show outside Scandinavia at the Pandora's Box Festival in Rotterdam in '84 where we appeared together with the Gun Club, the Scientists, the Lyres and Johnny Thunders – some of our favorite bands at the time. After that we started doing proper tours of Europe.

What were The Nomads doing work wise during the birth of the band? Did you guys have jobs? Were you students? Did you guys just lounge around at home and listen to music and daydream?

We had menial jobs that paid the rent and made it possible to concentrate on music. I was employed by the Swedish Post Office for a long time in the '80's...

From 1981 - 1990, The Nomads were a very prolific band. You released tons of great singles and some stellar records. I am going to mention some song titles that the Nomads covered. Please explain your reasons in choosing these songs.
THIS AIN’T THE SUMMER OF LOVE
SHE PAYS THE RENT
NEXT BIG THING
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE BEFORE
CHINESE ROCKS
Well, we've always enjoyed covering cool songs. All of these are by bands and artists that we're big fans of, BÖC, Lyres, Dictators, Roky Erickson and the Heartbreakers. We only played CHINESE ROCKS once, at a tribute to Thunders just after he died. The idea to cover SHE PAYS THE RENT came up when we played together in Holland in '84 and became good friends. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE BEFORE was only available in an acoustic version by Roky and we thought it'd be cool to try an electric arrangement.

When did you first tour North America? Do you remember the acts that toured with the Nomads during your first North American trip? Are there any memorable NA trips?

We had some offers to come to North America in the '80's, but it never worked out. The first time we played the US was in '94 – We were in Seattle to record “Powerstrip” with Conrad Uno in his Egg Studio and our friends Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows and Dave Crider of the Mono Men set up shows for us in Seattle and Bellingham. Then in '95 Dave invited us to his Garageshock festival in Bellingham and to a tour of the west coast together with the Mono Men. Thanks to Dave and Estrus Records we then toured the US several times throughout the '90's.

Did you ever visit Canada? If so,when?

Yes, we have. The great Canadian band Bum also played Garageshock in '95 and they brought us up to Victoria and Vancouver for two shows.

You had a very interesting side project called the SCREAMIN’ DIZBUSTERS. I know where the name came from, although the funny thing is that the single did not include any songs from the authors of the band name. What’s gives?

I know that the Imperial Dogs did the original of THIS AIN’T THE SUMMER OF LOVE, but don't you think most people would consider it a BÖC song?

By the time Grunge hit turntables and discplayers, there were interesting asides that were connecting Grunge to cool Garage Rock. Bands like Mudhoney would be using Garage Rock as their foundation for their musical brilliance. Did you follow a lot of the Grunge scene? If so, care to name drop some of your Grunge faves?

Yeah, I really liked the stuff that Sub Pop were putting out in the beginning, especially Mudhoney and the Fluid, we definitely felt we had something in common with those bands. Tad were amazing too...

Did you ever tour with any Grunge bands that visited Sweden during the hype?

No, but I almost got Nirvana a small club show in Stockholm. I convinced a local promoter to book them even though he'd never heard of them. I guess the show was supposed to have been in the autumn of '91 but before they got here “Smells like teen spirit” became a hit and when they finally played here some time later, and they were on a stadium level...

The Nomads have always been represented with very cool labels. In North America, labels like Estrus, and Sympathy For The Record Industry released quite a bit of your material. Were The Nomads quite selective in deciding who was going to release your music?

Well, I guess it's mainly a question of finding record labls run by people that you get along well with and feel you can trust. Both Dave at Estrus and Long Gone John at Sympathy have been amazingly supportive of the Nomads and they're also very good friends of ours. Great, great guys...

In 1996, Lance Rock Records released a Nomads record called The Cold Hard Facts Of Life. Interestingly enough, it was a record full of Canadian Covers. The Nomads covered songs from bands such as The Ugly Ducklings, The Jury, Luke & The Apostles, and Teenage Head. How did this concept for a record originally take shape? Also, were you aware of these bands prior to this release?

We met Jack who runs Lance Rock during the Canadian shows in '95. He asked us if we would consider doing something for his label, and we said sure, but we don't have any songs at the moment. Jack, being very patriotic, suggested the concept of a Canadian cover record. We thought that sounded like a fun, wacky idea and we didn't have anything else going on so we agreed. I was familiar with most of the bands we covered from before, but some of them were suggested by Jack. I'd never heard of the Northwest Company and we ended up doing two of their songs!

I have often heard that The Nomads are the Swedish Dictators. Being a HUGE Dictators fan, I think that this would be a compliment. However, both The Nomads and Dictators have been good friends for a long time. How did the both bands initially meet up?

I've been a huge fan of the Dictators since I first heard “Two Tub Man” back in '75 and tracked down their first album. In the '90s they were doing some reunion shows and when our friend Carl (from White Jazz Records), who's also a fanatic fan, heard that they were touring Spain in '96 he suggested that they'd do a Scandinvian tour at the same time, together with the Nomads and this new band that Carl had found, the Hellacopters. Carl named the package “Three generations of Master race rock” and it was of course a complete blast.

Throughout the 90’s, the Nomads continued to release some very impressive releases. Records like Sonically Speaking, and Powerstrip stand as some of my personal favourites from your rich discography. This also marked the 10 years in the Nomads existence. Did both Hans and yourself view things differently towards the approach and direction of the Nomads at this time?

No, not really. In our opinion we just kept on doing the same thing.
In the late 90’s I had the privilege of hanging out with the Hellacopters in Canada. Those guys spoke very highly of the Nomads. In fact they praised the Nomads as Swedish royalty.

 How and when did you first meet the Hellacopters?

We met Nicke Anderson, the leader of the band, through Carl when Nicke was still playing drums for the death metal band Entombed. We became friends and me, Nicke, Joakim Ericson from the Nomads and Ulf Cederlund from Entombed even had a band, called Leadfoot, together for a while.

In 2003, the Nomads celebrated their 20th anniversary. In addition to this landmark, there was a tribute called 20 Year Too Soon. Bands like the Nitwitz, Dictators, and The Hellacopters took part in this event. Luckily, you documented this celebration and released it in 2003. Unfortunately, we have not yet seen this in Canada. Or at least, I have not yet found it. Tell us about the evening.

We celebrated the 20th anniversary with a big party in Stockholm on good friday 2001. Then we got an offer from the Hultsfred festival, one of the biggest around here, to do a reprise of it on one of their main stages a few months later. They gave us a large budget to bring in some famous friends to be special guests, so we invited Ross the Boss and Handsome Dick Manitoba from the Dictators, Chris Bailey from the Saints, Jello Biafra and Wayne Kramer. HDM was the MC of the show and the others joined us on stage for a song or two. The whole thing ended with just about everybody on stage doing “Kick out the jams”. An unforgettable evening! It was recorded by TV and Swedish national radio and some of it can be found on the compilation album “Showdown 2 – the 90's” that White Jazz and Sympathy put out in 2002. The tribute album came out a little bit later, in 2003.

The Nomads have always had the coolest Rock N Roll artists as friends: Fleshtones, Wayne Kramer, The Dictators, Chris Bailey, Hellacopters, Ramones, and even Jello Biafra. If the records have not made the Nomads wealthy, the friendships certainly have.

Yeah, definitely...

27 years and still strong - Obviously the Nomads show their strength in longevity. Quite often when bands stretch their careers, their music tends to weaken. However for the Nomads, this is not the case. Is it because the Nomads call their own shots? Is it because there is minimal interference from the music industry? Or is it because you have created such a niche market that you can always rely on your fans for support?

Hard to say ... I like to think that we have the good judgment to be able to realize when we start to suck and immediately give up

Have you been noticing changes in the demographic of your fan base in the last few years? Are younger rock n roll fans coming out to see the Nomads?

When the Hellacopters broke and had their commercial breakthrough here in europe in the late '90's we gained a lot of younger fans, as they namechecked the Nomads as a major influence. The albums we did around that time (“Big Sound 2000” in '99 and “Up-Tight” in '01) did quite well because of that.
As you know, Albert Bouchard from BOC came to Hamilton Ontario to visit us for a week. During that time, we had the pleasure of recording and performing live with him. I still kept the note from you that sent me stating that you were envious….hahaha….How can we convince you to come out here and be part of this outfit? Not to rub it in, but we had a BLAST working with him!

Yeah, that must have been amazing...

In Hamilton, there is a Rock N Roll band called the Orphans. If there was ever a band that really influenced these guys, it would be the Nomads. Everything from guitar tones, to songwriting and creativity can be linked to the Nomads.  Have you heard of the Orphans? If not, an Orphans disc in the mail can be easily arranged.

No, I hadn't heard them before but those mp3's you sent me sound great! I hear a lot of the New Christs in there as well, another fave band of mine.

Who are you listening to nowadays? Are there any bands that really excite you?

I'm not listening to many new rock bands these days, if I want to hear loud rock 'n' roll I'll put on something from the '70's. At work today I listened to the Zeros “Don't push me around” album and some vintage Wipers...it seems unlikely that any band as good as those could emerge in 2009! One of the few “new” bands that I can think of that really excites me is the Reigning Sound.

Just recently, the Nomads took part in a tribute to the Fleshtones: Another great band that defines positive longevity. Care to share a few thoughts about the Fleshtones?

What a fantastic band. We go way back with the Fleshtones, played together at the Museum of Modern Art here in Stockholm in 1984 and have hung out together many times after that. They were one of the best live bands on the planet back then and they still are!

Richard Lloyd spent some time in Sweden in the 80’s. Just curious, did you have the opportunity to meet him and hang out?

Yes, we met a few times. He went out to shows quite a lot, but he always seemed to be in a pretty gloomy mood. I got the impression that it was because he'd just quit the booze and drugs...

North America has not been a common stomping ground for the Nomads. Obviously, finances have a lot to do with it. What is Europe doing differently in supporting REAL Rock N Roll in comparison to North America?

Yes, it's true that the reason we haven't toured North America more is that it's really hard to make it work financially. We're not too keen on paying out of our own pockets to tour. It's much easier logistically to tour Europe. Spain, for example, is a great country for rock 'n' roll, we draw bigger crowds there than back home...

When can we expect to see a new Nomads record? What can we do to possibly have some Nomads shows in Canada? You do have fans here, you know!!!

We have about 15 really good songs ready, so all we need to do is to figure out how to record them and get them out in some form. Most of the labels we used to work within the past have given up and left the business. Hopefully we can find some way to get over to Canada when there's a new record out!

With all of the musical experience that both Hans and you have acquired over the years, have either one of you thought of being more prolific in producing Rock N Roll music for other acts?

We've done a couple of small projects over the years, but it was a long time now since there were any offers. 

You had an opportunity to share the stage with Roky.  How did that come about?  What songs did the Nomads perform with him?

That was like a dream come true. We've all been huge fans of Roky for ages. The promoter of this Swedish festival is a friend of Roky's tour manager and asked him if Roky would be interested in playing with Nomads as his backing band. Roky wasn't aware of us, but luckily the tour manager was a fan! We played a full set with him (there's a photo of the set list on our Myspace) and it went really good, despite the fact that we only rehearsed for about 45 minutes together. Roky was really cool and easy going and the members of his family that was along on the trip seemed to be genuinely pleased with the way it turned out. Hans got an awesome compliment from Roky's wife: “You're the best guitar player he's had since Duane (Aslaksen)”!

CYRIL JORDAN's MAGIC CHRISTIAN

Howdy Folks...

Only 4 more sleeps till the big January 20th Magic Christian Show at Club Absinthe.

Cyril Jordan's name poses no head scratching in the Hammer!  Easily, Mr. Cyril Jordan (once of the Flamin Groovies) is the Rock N Roll Godfather of Hamilton, Ontario. He will be visiting his musically prized god-son,if you will — GORD LEWIS for the very first time!!!

Later on this week, I will be including a 37-minute interview that I had with Cyril Jordan thru my weekly radio show, Lou's Control.  The interview will be put into text so all of you can enjoy it.

In the meantime, please come down to the Absinthe on Tuesday, Jan 20th, for a very sentimental rock 'n' roll show. It's the first meeting ever for Cyril Jordan and Gord Lewis. 

We are pleased to announce Gord Lewis will be sharing the stage with The Magic Christian on Tuesday Jan 20th.

Finally, for any of you who are wondering whether or not Cyril will be signing any Flamin' Groovies collectables — it's a green light!!!!  He will be pleased to see you all after the show!

Joining Cyril Jordan on stage will be — Clem Burke (Blondie, Ramones, Romantics), Eddie Munoz (Plimsouls) and Peter Kopf ( One time California promoter and Rock N Roll fanatic).

See you Tuesday night!!!

Lou

R.I.P. RON ASHETON

 

Howdy Rock N Roll fans...

 

This year certainly started with another dark grey cloud hanging over our heads.  I was saddened to hear of the loss of Ron Asheton.    We ended 2008 mourning the loss of Frank Venom, and we began the new year with another huge loss to the Rock N Roll art form.

 

Chris Houston told me that it's a shitty hard reality.  All of us are getting older, and its only natural that these things happen.  Unfortunately, I am too selfish when it comes to losing heroes.  It's depressing. 

 

I first heard about the Stooges from seeing a record called RAW POWER.  I was immediately drawn to this person on the cover.  It looked interesting, but was not too sure what I was getting into.  I flipped the cover to see the back and I saw these weird looking characters that belong to this band called IGGY AND THE STOOGES.  I noticed that it was produced by David Bowie, and by this time, I already had 2 Bowie records in my collection - Spiders from Mars and Space Oddity. 

 

I bought the Stooges record based on intrigue and Bowie's connection to the band.  You have to realize that I was soooooo impressionable then musically.  In 1978, I was getting ready to go into grade 9, and I had a thirst for anything that kept me spending money on Rock N Roll music.  To be very honest with you, I did not get thru the whole record during my first listen.  Infact, I think I put it away for a while because at that time, I did not like the production of the record.

 

Days or weeks later, I remember going into Star Records in Oshawa and telling a young Rob Sweeney at the time that I bought a used version of RAW POWER.  His reply was something like..."Great, isn't it?"  So, I did not have the guts to say that I did not like it, so I kept quiet on my initial feelings.

 

Thankfully, Rob's validation made me go back and listen to that record over and over. 

 

I began loving the Stooges, plus also learning about the previous 2 records that were released prior to Raw Power.  I loved them more than I loved Raw Power.  However the thing that really stood out on the Stooges 1st two records were the guitars.  I had never heard anything like that before. The tones, effects, and energy made me a fan forever.

 

Do not get me wrong, I think that James Osterberg is brilliant, and I respect him so much for what he has done to Rock N Roll.  However, I was a fan of the Stooges because of Ron Asheton. 

 

Even the last 2 Stooges records have great moments all over them because of Ron Asheton. 

 

I eventually went out and bought New Order, New Race, Destroy All Monster records and held him as one of my favourite guitar players.   Its again so sad to know that we will not hear anything new from Ron Asheton again.  I can only hope that somewhere in the vaults there is unreleased music that features Mr. Asheton. 

 

Please.....get your Fun House record out and praise Ron Asheton.

 

May He Rest In Peace..

 

Lou Molinaro

CATCHING UP

CATCHING UP -

Hey gang....

Man...its been a while, and I am so sorry for the departure, but when real life calls the shots, you tend to give in for a bit.....BUT....not forever!

The passing away of Frank Venom has been a definite sour cloud all over.  As a fan it will be very tough to accept the fact that we will never see Frank perform live again.   It sure makes one appreciate their last Teenage Head show.  Venom burned the old book on how to be a Canadian Rock Star.  Frank called the shots.  He really fathered the fact that the stage could be a risky playground. 

Many know Frank as a stage performer, but let's not forget that Frankie was a great singer too.  No matter what condition he brought up on stage, his singing was bang on.  Perfectly toned, with bone chillin' deliveries.  What a guy.....WHAT A LOSS...

Its getting awfully painful seeing my faves pass away.

Cheetah Chrome was in town just recently hanging with The Screwed and yours truly.  Mr. Chrome recorded some new music with The Screwed at Peter Hudson's studio in Toronto.  This gem is doing great and his songwriting, playing and singing has been the best ever!  Cheetah and The Screwed just performed an amazing set of music at Dakotas on November 20th to a very rock n roll hungry crowd.  It was great to see various demographics at the show.  The young dudes in the crowd get it and know it!!

Cheetah also recorded some guitar for the Bouchard's Outrageous Canadians music at Grant Ave Studio in Hamilton.   Many Punk purists may be surprised to hear that Cheetah is a BOC fan, but as of late there have been many positive testimonials from all sorts of cool Punk Rock Icons about the MIGHTY BOC....Gord Lewis, Rob Younger, Jeremy Gluck, Nik Vahlberg...and the list goes on.

I also wanted to tell you how elated I was to win the BEST RADIO SHOW in this year's Hamilton Music Awards.  I must admit that when I first started this show in 98, it was basically a selfish ploy to share my favourite tunes over the air.  I was never too sure if any one listend or if anyone even cared.  However, LOU'S CONTROL RADIO SHOW has taken Sir Hammy home 4 out of the last 5 years.  The emails, and calls keep coming in, and as long as you are listening, I will GLADLY play these goodies for you.  The  first song ever played on Lou's Control was Teenage Head song, and it felt great to win this award the same year as the HEAD accepting their Hamilton Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award!

YES....THE HAMMY HAS BEEN RESCUED FROM RIC TAYLOR'S PENTHOUSE!!!.....hahahahaha

Speaking of the Hamilton Music Awards.....Congrats to all of you who won an award(s) at this years HMAs.

Finally.....Buckshot Bebee and Kerry Wade.... what 2 great gals!!!!!

These two lovely ladies started BLACKBIRD STUDIO.  Its a new Fashion injection in Hamilton.  Buckshot and Kerry will dress the this dame of a city like its a Million Dollar Seducer.  They are located in the Sonic Unyon Building and are currently cutting, sewing, silkscreaming, and looking great.  Congrats to the both of you lovely ladies.

That's it for now.

 Lou

NO RESPECT FOR CANADIAN TRADITION

Howdy Folks...

I read this morning on the Internet that Hockey Night In Canada is going to stop using the HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA theme song.  They apparently submitted an email letter to the parties responsible for the HNIC theme and informed them that they will no longer use this piece of music.

I am sorry, but there are certain things that are stronger than religion, more consistent than the stench in the old Corktown's Men's washroom, and they rank high on the esteem shelf of Canadian Tradition.  These untouchables are minimal, but they shift everything positive in our planet called Canada.

Stellar moments like The Oh Canada anthem, Teenage Head, Stompin' Tom Connors, Bobby Orr, Hamilton Tiger Cats, Tommy Douglas and Pierre Trudeau are some subjective examples of the brightest stars that shine in Canada's galaxy.  You can not remove Bobby Orr from sports history.  You can not remove the plank below Stompin Tom's boot, and you can not remove Picture My Face from Canada's jukebox. 

However, couple of office workers from the Hockey Night In Canada selfishly have come up with this insane mental concoction.  They have decided they they can abort another piece of Canadiana. 

They want to change the Hockey Night In Canada music theme!!!!!

How can you ever justify this incredibly stupid move?  Plus, for the powers that be, who protect all that is great about Canadian Hockey...Isn't this a clear example that these cretins should be fired from their positions? 

I would be tremendously worried about other "brilliant"  ideas that these ill-functioning brain stormers may have. They should be unemployed IMMEDIATELY. 

Why do you have to change the song?  Did you lose a game of Fish to Nickelback?

Canada is the ONLY real market for Hockey.  The US has always been the intentional market for the NHL.  Let's admit it....at times Hockey at best in the US is parallel to one of the Xtreme sports.  While the NHL tries to figure out the Rubik's cube, they mishandle the properties of Hockey necessities.  This is a whole separate monster.  However, let me vent solely on the Hockey Night In Canada theme issue for now.

This is a crisis. 

I agree that sometimes everyone has to splash new paint on the walls to refresh the vibe, but you do not smear primer on the Mona Lisa!!!!!!

Below is a story that I cut and pasted directly from Yahoo.com 

Do your thing, and protect our heritage!!!!

Number 4 - Lou Molinaro

Hockey Night in Canada theme song may be benched permanently from broadcasts

Amit Shilton, THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - Hockey fans called a major penalty against the CBC Thursday as the national broadcaster seemed prepared to do away with the Hockey Night in Canada theme - a beloved 40-year-old musical institution as familiar to Canadians as the country’s national anthem.
“CBC won’t get away with that,” said Mary Quigley of Cape Breton, N.S., outside the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. “The Canadian people won’t let them get away with that.”
Websites carrying news of the possible separation of the hockey anthem from Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts quickly got e-mails from people passionate about the theme.
Online petitions were launched. Some fans of the song shared anecdotes.
“In 1990 my son stood up in a crowded restaurant in Tokyo, Japan and ‘sang’ the Hockey Night in Canada theme,” commented a reader on the CBC website carrying the story. “Before he had completed four bars he was joined by various other Canadians he did not know.”
Reports that the theme might be benched next year came when the agency that represents the song’s composer said Thursday that the CBC will no longer use the familiar hockey anthem.
But the head of CBC Sports says the song hasn’t been shelved yet.
“Our negotiations continue and if we can do a deal for the theme that’s reasonable for both sides, we’ll do it,” said CBC Sports executive director Scott Moore in an interview. “It’s a great theme. If we can’t, then we have an alternate direction that we’re excited about and that I think will create controversy and create excitement amongst Canadians.”
“But certainly our first choice would be to keep the theme as it is.”
The licence agreement CBC had with composer Dolores Claman ended with this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, which wrapped up Wednesday night.
John Ciccone, whose company Copyright Music & Visuals controls use of the song, said he was given a deadline of noon Wednesday to reach a new agreement. Ciccone said the CBC sent him an e-mail later in the afternoon telling him they would not renew the contract.
“We looked at it every different way we could,” he said. “Whatever it takes, let’s try and come up with something.”
Moore said that he was scheduled to speak with Ciccone later Thursday.
It didn’t take long for a public outcry to gather steam over the possibility of a theme change. The story immediately became a hot topic at the water cooler, on radio phone-in shows - some politicians even weighed in with their reaction.
“The Hockey Night in Canada theme - you hear it everywhere,” said Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach. “Even during the summer, you get to a barbecue in rural Alberta and somebody strikes it up after a good (version) of O Canada. And it’s going to disappear and it’s been with us for years and years.”
For many people, the song is wrapped up in hockey days gone by.
“It just brings back memories of Ward Cornell and all those other guys that brought Hockey Night in Canada to us,” said Gary Fiering, who said in Toronto that the song reminds him of watching hockey in the 1970s and ’80s. “It is our national anthem.”
But the idea of change doesn’t bother everyone.
Elizabeth Richards said in Toronto that while she remembers hearing the song as a little girl, she thinks the theme song might need a postmodern edge.
News websites had hundreds of readers weighing in and discussing the cultural significance of the theme.
Moore of CBC Sports said he thinks it is great that people are passionate about the Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.
“While we want to keep what is a great musical theme, we can’t do it at all costs, we can’t do it with a cloud hanging over our head,” he said.
Moore said one option would be to launch a nationwide contest for musicians to submit themes for consideration.
It cost the public broadcaster about $500 every time it used the theme, but Ciccone doesn’t think the issue is money. One of the ideas Ciccone said he offered involved maintaining the same contract for two years, then increasing the rates by about 15 per cent, an increase he calls an industry standard.
Claman could not be reached for comment but released a statement on the website hockeytheme.com.
“I am saddened by the decision of the CBC to drop the Hockey Night in Canada theme after our lengthy history together. I nevertheless respect its right to move in a new direction.”
Claman wrote the song in 1968 after it was commissioned by McLaren Advertising. The company was looking for something big, adventurous and brave to go with the broadcast.
Despite going through numerous rearrangements, the jingle has become one of Canada’s most recognized tunes.
Claman has written about 2,000 jingles over her career. She is also credited with writing the Ontario theme “A Place To Stand,” which she co-wrote with her husband Richard Morris in 1967.

WE HAVE LANDED BACK TO REALITY

   

Howdy Folks..

 

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner.  The past 4 weeks have been hillariously busy and I have just placed my footings back on earth.  I was in La-La land for the past 4 weeks.

   

We had the amazing pleasure of hosting Albert Bouchard for a week.  Within that time span we nailed down 2 great live performances as well as a recording session at Grant Ave Studio. 

   

My ego was as grand as eternity.  Albert Bouchard represents everything that is positive about music and art.  He is full of integrity, passion, kindness and craziness. The Outrageous Canadians were spoiled with great BOC stories, as well as great memories from his illustirous career.  On a personal note, one of the week's highest peaks was having Albert Bouchard, Tommy Ramone and Gord Lewis as guests on my radio show.  How cool is that???  Beat that, STERN!

 

Once Albert left the Hammer, I took out my BOC records (now autographed) and started re-living possibly one of the greatest weeks of my life. 

   

Since his visit, I have contacted artists like Jeremy Gluck, The Nomads, and Dave Rave Ogilvie and shared with them the many over the top moments.

 

The green light is on, and Mr. Albert Bouchard will be back.  While Albert brainstorms in the workshop, his team, Bouchard's Outrageous Canadians wait ,ready and able, in the hangar for the next voyage.

 

Attached are a plethora of shots taken during the debut of Bouchard's Outrageous Canadians.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did participating in the action.

 

 

"Riding the underground

 

Swimming in sweat
A rumble above and below
Hey cop dont you know?
The heats on alright
The hot summer day didnt quit for the night"

   

Lou

Bouchard’s Outrageous Canadians Featuring ALBERT BOUCHARD!!!!

Howdy Folks…
I speak about BLUE OYSTER CULT a lot.  I think that part of me loves living in the past because times back then were exciting for me.  I was open to all sorts of music, and the bands that played an impact on me really created who I am today as a person.  As much as I have always loved various styles of Rock N Roll, I have always been a fan of creative induced Rock N Roll.  No other band really captained this genre better then BLUE OYSTER CULT.
I was in grade 7 when I first heard of Blue Oyster Cult.  I was an alter boy for Holy Cross Church in Oshawa, and another alter boy turned me on them.  His older brother was quite the music guru and learning about BOC made things a lot more exciting for me musically.  During those years, Godzilla was becoming an FM radio hit, and Don’t Fear The Reaper had already left its print on the masses. 
The more obsessive I became with BOC, the more I became aware of credits.  The more I studied the credits, the more I saw the name ALBERT BOUCHARD.  Personally speaking, Albert Bouchard was the brains that made the BOC body function.  His imagination, his melodies, and music made BOC artistically rich.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to host a BRAIN SURGEONS show. The BS were a band that included Albert Bouchard.  Being a Dictators fan, I was elated to see that Ross The Boss was playing with the Surgeons.  I was super excited to host this show.  In the back of my mind, I knew that Albert Bouchard from BOC was coming into the venue that I managed.  The closer it was to the date, the more I became aware of how much I really missed those golden years with Bouchard in BOC.  1972 - 1982 was a remarkable decade for BOC.  These composers sang everything from Dominance and Submission to Joan Crawford rising from the grave.  Needless to say, that once the Brain Surgeons finished their show, I chatted with Albert Bouchard till the early hours. 
Meeting Albert Bouchard left a very spectacular impression on me.  It was like meeting Bobby Orr when I was a kid.  I was star struck.  I remembered the live BOC shows that I went to see.  I remembered buying the records as a kid, and I remember re-buying the records on CD. 
Just recently, I contacted Albert Bouchard to come up for a visit.  We spoke about presenting a workshop as well as performing live.  Instead of having Albert sit in with a bar band doing the bar circuit set list, we decided to form a band that would allow Albert the opportunity to play a bunch of songs that we so dearly miss. 

I assembled a band of Hamilton musicians that would be dish out the BOC dynamics.  We needed a name.  Sir Bouchard wanted the word “Canadian” in the name, so keeping with the BOC acronym, we decided upon BOUCHARD’S OUTRAGEOUS CANADIANS.  The band includes…
Strat Andriotis - guitars
Sean Royle - guitars
Dave Elley - Bass
Lisa Winn - Vocals
Buckshot Bebee - Vocals
Greg Brisco - keyboards
Ginger St. James - vocals
Eric Herrmann - percussions and vocals
And finally….ALBERT BOUCHARD.
The debut of the OUTRAGEOUS CANADIANS takes place on Friday April 25th at the Bovine in Toronto, and Saturday April 26th at Club Absinthe in Hamilton.
Folks….enjoy this interview with Albert Bouchard.
I would like to dedicate this piece to Rob Sweeney (Durango 95, Purple Toads, Dominators, Boneyard Devils, Get Ready To Rumble, Crummy stuff).  His patience in teaching me about cool Rock N Roll has payed off.  After all, we are hosting an Albert Bouchard week. 
Does it get any better?

Blue Oyster Cult is an American musical institution.  Looking back at the band's infancy, it must have been somewhat interesting to see where the band would eventually land.  Both Buck Dharma and yourself started out in a band called Soft White Underbelly.  The band seemed to be soaked with lots of psychedelic sounds.  Who was Soft White Underbelly?

Soft White Underbelly was a band started by Sandy Pearlman in the summer of 1967. It had a shifting line up until the band got a record deal with Elektra in 1968. Previous to that there were a lot of musicians who came and went. Some of the singers were Steve Noonan, Jackson Browne, Jeff Richards, Richard Meltzer and finally Les Braunstein. Guitarists were John Wiesnthal (Jackson Browne's teacher) Jackson Browne, Allen Lanier, Jeff Latham, Steve Noonan and Don Roeser, We had a cello player named Mike Witzel and Sandy Pearlman played harmonica. I played drums and Andrew Winters played bass and acoustic guitar.

How much touring did the SWU do.  Were there any magical shows that stood out for you?

There were no tours as I can recall. We did mostly one off gigs or multi-night stands around New York City.

What bands or artists inspired SWU to begin its own creative music?

We were inspired mainly by the blues guys, Muddy Waters, BB King and the rock guys Chuck Berry and also the Beach Boys, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Coasters. A band that influenced both Buck Dharma and myself were the Blues Project. The band as a whole was also influenced by Cream and the Grateful Dead.

I have heard various stories about SWU releases.  Could you be kind enough to set the record straight on this?

There has never been an official SWUB release. We cut several demos for Elektra and others and recorded basic tracks for an album but when Les Braunstein left the band the album was shelved.

You eventually started the Stalk Forest Group.  Many of us know this as the original BOC.  Who was in the original line up of the Stalk Forest Group?

Stalk Forrest was the same as BOC with the exception of Joe Bouchard on bass instead of Andy Winters. The material was more like SWUB however.

You were obviously a fan of many literary works.  How did you meet Sandy Pearlman and Richard Meltzer?  Was this during the SFG era?

Pearlman was a friend of Don Roeser on Long Island and Meltzer was his friend.

I would have loved to be in the room while Meltzer, Pearlman and yourself were working on music.  Describe the songwriting compatibility with the 3 of you?

We never were all in a room together working on songs. I would work on songs with Pearlman but Meltzer just gave me lyrics and said to do whatever I wanted with them. He didn't contribute anything to the music part of the song. OTOH his songs were easier to make music to because they rhymed more consistently and had an easily identifiable rhythm.

Oh, and other question about The Stalk Forest Group. Did Les Sing in the SFG?

No we changed the name from SWUB because at our Fillmore debut with Eric we were so bad we had to change our name.

At that time, what was Eric Bloom doing musically?  Was he part of a band ?

Eric took over from Les when we became SFG. Before that he was our road crew.

I read that there was another band before BOC called Oaxaca?

WE called ourselves that before we decided on SFG

Did you visit the Mexican state?

I've never been there but hope to someday.

Is it true that Sandy's dad owned a pharmacy?  I get this humourous image of the boys in the band hanging out at the Pharmacy, but not really sitting in the Sods fountain section of the store!...

He did own a Pharmacy in Smithtown Long Island but we did not get our drugs there.

Eventually, Joe, Eric, Donald, Allen and yourself became Blue Oyster Cult.  I read somewhere that the name was inspired by Sandy Pearlman.  How did he come up with the name?

The name was the title of a song Sandy wrote for the song cycle called Imaginos.

How did BOC land the deal with Columbia?  Was Columbia Records also working with Soft White Underbelly?

Soft White Underbelly and SFG both auditioned for Columbia and were turned down before we auditioned once again before the big cheese, Clive Davis. He decided to sign us.

Your first album was mixed with heavy rock songs as well as psychedelic flavoured songs like `` Scream`` and "She's As Beautiful As A Foot".  Personally, I thought that it was a great ensemble of songs.  Who was BOC inspired by musically at that time?

We had made a conscious decision to do our take on Black Sabbath and we were really enjoying the first King Crimson album but by the time we made the record we were having the idea that we had a pretty unique sound and really were trying to get away from any obvious imitations.

BOC has always been able to build great melodies within these diverse musical styles.  That's a hard thing to do, Mr. Bouchard!  However you seem to create these melodies consistently.  How important is that aspect of songwriting?

All music, even instrumentals, comes from singing. The human voice is our original instrument. I just try to find something that is singable and sounds different. I can spend years on a song.

The song I'M ON THE LAMB, BUT I AIN'T NO SHEEP had the same lyrics as THE RED AND THE BLACK.  Had you considered continuing the trend?  It may have been interesting having one song on each release with these particular lyrics attached to a different melody.

It has almost the same melody as well. It's a funny idea that I might do again. Some of the Ünderbelly folks want to do that on our record we've been working on.

How were you introduced to Lenny Kaye?  How did you meet Patti Smith?

I met Lenny with Patti. Sandy Pealman introduced us to Patti. He wanted her to be our lead singer but the rest of the band didn't want a girl.

During the time of your first recording, as a music fan, who were you watching and listening to?

I've always been a jazzer, Coltraine, Byrd, Count, Duke and Armstrong. I was digging everything that was on the radio as well. It was the early years of progressive FM radio so there was a lot of cool stuff around. Enough lists…

Many may not know that you wrote the bulk of the the BOC songs 72 - 82.  Did you approach the song with lyrics first or did a song start from strumming a guitar?

Most of the time, I started with the lyrics. I would record little guitar and piano riffs on my riff tapes but these were not anything but little bits. Sometimes I would match a riff I had with a lyric I had but the songs usually did not come together until I had a lyric.

So, you must be a milk lover if you make reference to a Guernsey cow...

Cow was one of the original names for SWUB.

1972 - 1982 Personally, this is a pretty impressive decade.  Most of my favourite bands live in those 10 years.  Everything from BOC, The Dictators, Mott The Hoople, NY Dolls, Sparks, DMZ, all the way to Chesterfield Kings first record.  You must have been aware of the magic happening everywhere. Care to share any specific times that stand out?

First Patti Smith gig was memorable, just her and Lenny and it was amazing. The most amazing stuff for me was before that. Seeing Jimmi in a little club, the Who, Santana and Sly and the Family Stone at the Fillmore, Cream, Grateful Dead, Blues Project and Muddy Water at Cafe Au Go Go.

Songs like WHAT IS QUICKSAND remind me of Quicksilver Messenger Service or the Dead.  Were you listening to both bands during SWU.

Yes.

BOC took the Dictators under their wings early on during their career.  How did you enjoy working with those young Dictators?

I thought they were great and hysterically funny.

You must have or had a pretty impressive record collection.  Am I correct to presume?

I don't have many records anymore but I have a 30 gig iPod that is cram packed.

The music industry changes often and quickly.  A few weeks ago I read a story online that indicated that vinyl is the only musical format that continues to increase in sales, more so than CDs.  What's your take on that?

Really? Wow!

So, I have to ask you about the term Diz-Busters.  Is it true that this refers to someone or something that makes one ejaculate.  If this is true......SEVEN?  Wow!

No. It's someone who alters the penis in not a good way. Very bad.

Did you know that a very super cool band from Sweden called The Nomads had a side project called the Screaming Diz-Busters?

I'd love to hear them.

Jazz creeps into the BOC music a lot.  Did any of BOC study Jazz in school?

The only one who studied it was Joe. The rest of us just picked it up but Don Roeser Sr. is an excellent jazz sax player.

One of my favourite live albums of all time is ON YOUR FEET ON YOUR KNEES.   Its the perfect description of a live Rock N Roll band.  Oddly enough within the first 10 years of BOC, you released 3 live records.  I really liked Some Enchanted Evening, and there were a few great moments in Extra Terrestial Live.  Were you a fan of live records in general?

Actually I wasn't in general but for BOC those records are my favorites.

Who was the Animals fan in the band?

How can you not like the Animals? I just did a tour with them in France (2 originals) and they're still awesome.

BOC had some pretty impressive tours.  You shared the stage with all sorts.  Rush, Black Sabbath, UFO, Be Bop DeLuxe, Utopia, The Dictators, early ACDC.  Is it true that you also played with Mott The Hoople, Iggy, NY Dolls, and even T-Rex?

Yes and a huge list more. Sorry Lou.

I think that it is safe to say that AGENTS OF FORTUNE increased the popularity of BOC.  Once the popularity stepped in, did the job of being a musician also change?

Many things changed. Lifestyles, workload, record company pressure, inter-band jealousy, outside-band jealousy, expectations, disappointments, temptations, drugs. It's not hard to loose your way.

How does popularity change creativity?

You can say you're not distracted but it's easier said than done.

Subjectively speaking, some of the coolest bands and acts name drop BOC as inspirations.  Here are only a few...  Radio Birdman, The Dictators, The Nomads, Julien Cope.  This is quite remarkable!

In the mid 80's BOC actually changed their name to Soft White Underbelly for a short while.  What was the idea behind the resurrection of the name?

We wanted to play some gigs in small venues before or after we did the big show in the same town so it was a way to do that and not freak the promoters of the big show out.

The character IMAGINOS and the concept is still so current, especially when you take into consideration some Political figures.  Do you agree?

Imaginos is about the past and the future.

Most recently, you created the Brain Surgeons.  This band is a representation of a current Albert Bouchard in a more current form of musical business.  How do you like having your own record label?

It was great for the first 10 years. Sometimes it gets tiring being the leader though.

The Brain Surgeons also featured Ross The Boss on its last release.  How did you hook up with Ross for this record?

The Dictators had broken up for probably the last time and he was available. I've always wanted to have a band with him so it was great for the two years we worked together. Now we're on to other things but I'm sure we'll play together again.

Did you feel an obligation to continue on creating Heavy Rock with the Brain Surgeons?  Did you consider maybe forming a psychedic band, or jazz band instead?

That's what I'm doing now with Ünderbelly.

The Brain Surgeons were like a tease to most BOC fans, and I say that with respect.  Knowing that Albert Bouchard is in the band makes the fans expect to hear some BOC music.  You must be delighted to know that your music never expires.  Did this conflict with your creative insight?  Or did this inspire more music to be created?

It did at first but after a while I learned how to give them what they wanted and also please myself by giving them something they didn't expect too.

Many true BOC fans felt like there was a death in the band once you left.  There are so many variations on why the band continued sans Albert.  I continued collecting BOC records post Albert, but that delicious spice that made BOC so tasy was missing.  Could the 5 of you possibly consider working together permanently again?  Considering that the original line up is still alive and well, it could make a reunion very possible.

We talk about it occasionally. It's possible.

You are going to be backed up by 8 Hamilton Ontario musicians for a few shows in Ontario.  Do you venture into these territories often?  How many times are you asked to "Chuck Berry" a back up band?

This is a first for me.

Continuing on with the BOC acronym, BOUCHARD'S OUTRAGEOUS CANADIANS debuts on April 25th in Toronto and April 26th in Hamilton.  Should this be a successful project musically, would you consider continuing on with this idea?  I know that the Outrageous Canadians are willing to share the limo with you, Sir!

Of course.

You are teaching music in New York.  These students also represent the future of music.  Would you say that Rock N Roll is going to be alive and well with future generations?

Most of my students still love punk so I'd say so. It's the white grandfather of hip hop.

Do your students realize who Albert Bouchard is?

Thanks to Will Farrell and SNL.

Recently, you had the opportunity to visit France.  Was this trip related to working with Les from Soft White Underbelly?

Yes, Les is the main singer in Ünderberlly.

I read somewhere most recently, you are in a trio with Dennis Dunaway, and your brother Joe Bouchard.  Any talk of releasing a record?

We talk about it but as we have many other projects it's on the back burner for now.

Who are you listening to nowadays?

A mix of classic rock, world music and jazz.

You have always enjoyed Sci-Fi.  Are you still enjoying the new slant on it?

I'm not as into sci-fi as I used to be, mostly literature and crime novels.

Have you ever read Umberto Eco's FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM?  It reminds me of a BOC-esque story.  The only thing that is missing is the 2 Bouchard Bros, Bloom, Lanier and Roeser.

I had the book but never read it and and lost it somewhere.

You had a very unique drumming style compared to other Rock Drummers.  Who did you look up to as Percussionists?

Gene Krupa, Joe Morrello, Tony Williams, Ringo, Keith Moon, Bonham etc.

HALF CSONTOS HALF BREAU
A JOURNEY CALLED SIMPLY SAUCER

Howdy Folks…

I had the honour of interviewing Joe Csontos and Edgar Breau from Simply Saucer in the past few days.  When I was getting ready to interview both of these dudes, I realized that Art is so often misunderstood or taken for granted.  While society is inundated with commercialism, many of us tend to forget real art.  Waves that come and go musically frustrate the market, as well as frustrate the consumer.  Simply Saucer represents the true essence of Rock Music.  The dangers that lie within the songs, the risks that artists take to be genuine, and the fortitude of expression is what makes REAL music live on. 

Luckily, for Simply Saucer, their story is “Here Yesterday,BUT Lookout For Tomorrow”.

Simply Saucer will be celebrating the release of HALF HUMAN HALF LIVE on Friday April 4th 2008 at The Westside Theatre.  It’s an honour to be promoting this event, and more importantly, its an honour to have these gents as peers.

Enjoy this very entertaining look at Simply Saucer.

JOE CSONTOS

Simply Saucer is a selective sounding Rock N Roll band.  As loud as the influences are, would you say that the departure from the project probably has influenced the sound of the current Simply Saucer the most?

Funk,specifically the euro-type of  funk of Can. Of course,it never sounds like that in the finished product but it is there at the inception. James Brown for the simplicity of the arrangements ,at least that’s how they start and the layering process begins. Jimi Hendrix as well...

You fit into this band both musically and logistically.  You represent the “new blood” of Simply Saucer, as do Steve Foster and Dan Winterman.  Did it take long for this current line up to gel?

I think the band really started to “gel” as you would say after Steve Foster joined the band as a full time member and suffering through a  a few gigs with us in Montreal and Ottawa. Suffering the travel with the band not the music.that is...

How did you get invited to join Simply Saucer?

Bruce the Mole asked me several years ago to consider a one off with Sparky,Kevin and Edgar in 2006. 

Stepping into a band that has Seminal status, and Cult like existence, there has to be some sort of extra responsibility towards maintaining the Cool vibe of the band.  Do you find the Saucer fan base somewhat different in comparisons to other projects that you were involved in?

The fan base ranges from people in their early 20’s to people our parent’s age. Me Mum loves us.

Just like Simply Saucer, you as well took a break from road travels.  Is your approach towards traveling with this band more different than previous excursions?

It’s all about balance,which at times is a challenge...but my wife and kids know that if I don’t play music I will drive them crazy at home...it’s kinda like cabin fever,really.

The new record HALF HUMAN HALF LIVE is a collaboration of live and studio recorded material.  Why choose this concept?

I think because the  Cyborgs record were low-fi recordings never meant for release in that particular state and the fact that people loved perhaps for that reason that “we” wanted to bridge our new recordings with a touchstone of the past,even though most of the arrangements have been re=worked by the new incarnation.

Compromise in your life now must mean a lot.  What does your family think of you being part of Simply Saucer?  Obviously, you thought out the whole plan before committing to a potentially lengthy adventure.  Are all of you comfortable and ready to make this your main focus?

Never say never to any possibility but for now see above question for the answer.

Simply Saucer live is energetic and tight.  However there is a definite noticeable flow.  The songs seem to get from Point A to Point Z very easily.  Loudness is also another element that has been audibly noticeable.  Simply Saucer’s dynamics of loudness remind me of a Blue Oyster Cult show from long ago.  BOC were soooo loud but clear.  Did you guys put effort in making the live shows loud?

I think some of the best bands live understand and understood the use of dynamics and space. Ask Don Van Vliet.

The demographic of Simply Saucer is interesting.  Its made up of fans who take their music very seriously, but there is also a noticeable range in ages.  Are you somewhat surprised at how many young people enjoy Simply Saucer?

A little surprised but I think it is wonderful.

You have been a friend of SS for a long time.  You were hanging out with the band during the “Saucer House” era.  Are there any moments that stand out during those early Saucer years?

Nothing that is shocking or lurid but we had some extremely “out there” philosophical discussions on a few nights. H.P. Lovecraft and Crowley thrown in with an intensely loud soundtrack of Motorhead’s Overkill by Carl.   

How was the band live back then?

Definitely more short song oriented but there was some extended workouts ala the song Reckless Agitation. 

You have a very interesting connection to Teenage Head as well.  Care to mention what happened during the Hamilton Music Awards sound check?

I was the first drummer in T-Head for about 2 days when it was Gordie,Steve and Nick was  the singer. When Jack Pedler had to duck out of the HMA sound check I was invited to play once again w/ the ‘Head. It was fantastic.

Saucer is an example of how Old Records Never Die.  Did you think back then that Simply Saucer would be like a phoenix and rise again?

Never in a million years...so once again I reiterate”never say never...

Listed as #36 in Mesereau’s - All of you must have questioned perspectives.  How often has the band referred to that recognition for extra assurance?

Perspective changes throughout the ages...who said if  you  hang around long enough,”they” will eventually give you an award. Something to that effect. One record and one gig at a time.

Ayers or Cale?

Are you kidding me,Cale,of course,imagine yourself at 65 years old still looking menacing and cool ,all at the same time.

Who would Joe Csontos like to see replacing Sonic Smith and Rob Tyner for the DEFINITIVE MC5

There are no substitutes for those two.

Detroit or New York?

Trick question? In the seventies and early eighties definitely NYC but since the 90’s
and currently-Detroit Rock City,baby.

New Christs seem to be a perfect example of a band who are probably huge Rock N Roll record collectors.  Think of any other examples?

Mars Volta,Robert Pollard,and Ken Fox. Do I get to talk about Imants Krumins yet?

Mudhoney seemed to best represent Seattle in my honest opinion.  How about you, Joe?

Initially,I thought so too, but Nirvana killed me with Dave Grohl-chunkier,harder and the songwriting just got better.

EDGAR BREAU
Simply Saucer's second wind is very important because it sheds light on the true meaning of the Independent music existence. A cult status band who has been labeled as a proto-type punk band in 1974 comes back 30 years later and receives international attention.  Does this make sense to you, Edgar?

Only when you know the whole story of how it happened and the role played by certain music critics who took up our cause and promoted the band when we were long dead. As well, our influences themselves over the years grew in importance, especially the Velvet Underground who had become one of the most influential bands in the world despite never having a hit record.

Hamilton definitely had some sort of magical ingredients in the Burlington Bay.  Take this into consideration.  King Biscuit Boy, Gord Lewis, Mickey DeSadist, Dave Rave, Tim Gibbons, Tom Wilson, Edgar Breau, Harrison Kennedy, Daniel and Bob Lanois, and a bunch more.......What explains this musical mythology?

All of the above artists could have moved away and stayed away but we all chose to keep a strong connection to this city because we love the people here and believe that our work has an integral connection to this area. Without it we wouldn't have been the same. I think there's a stubborn tenaciousness in all of us. Also not being part of a trendy scene in a way helps the artist arrive at a vision that is truly his/her own.

How did Simply Saucer start?

Simply Saucer started with two boys attending Bishop Ryan High School, myself and Paul Colilli a keyboard player talking endlessly in and out of class about all the cool records we were buying. Later on, we met a couple of others at Bob Moody's Record Bar on John St. My foster brother played synth and audio generator and the bass player Kevin Christoff I met at Sir Wilfred Laurier High School. We used to have record spinoffs with Imants Krumins, where we drank a lot of wine and played and rated records..bands like the Saints, Savage Rose, the Velvets, Flamin' Groovies, Hawkwind, Kinks, Thirteenth Floor Elevator, Seeds, Can, Faust, Sun Ra..etc etc

Did being so different musically, effect all of you on a personal basis?  For some reason, I get this mental image of people looking at you guys and thinking..."who are these guys?"  Is there any validity to this?

Yea there was a certain artistic, not exactly affectation, but a deliberate turning away from the mainstream not only musically but in some ways socially. We were similar to the French linguistic deconstructionists who wanted to start all over again with language. Music was something to be deployed like a weapon against the unsuspecting audience. Unfortunately at the time there WAS NO audience for our music which was chaotic and very much improvised.

Obviously, the name is an ode to early Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett.  How did you first learn about the mentioned names?

I'm sure it was Paul Colilli who introduced me to Piper at the Gates of Dawn '67/68. He read a lot of English Pop mags and eventually we discovered the Move, the Herd, the Soft Machine, Tyranosaurus Rex and many other great bands.

Explain what Hamilton was like musically in the early 70's?  Where did you shop for records back then?

There were a lot of cover bands. I bought records at Kresge's, Melody Lane, Bob Moody's Record Bar, Hermandad's and of course Sam the Record Man's and various Buffalo stores. Plus from import record catalogues.  You could find records in variety stores as well on budget labels.

What were the early Saucer shows like in Hamilton?  When was the official first Simply Saucer show?

The first show we played was at St. Alban's Anglican Church on Brittania St. in the east end. We were an east end band. We played three sets and I know the second set consisted of one song called "Noise". We only played that one once. It was completely improvised and I played an audio generator. In the middle of it, fights began breaking out in the audience and eventually the cops arrived and hauled some people away.

At what venues did you perform in Hamilton?

We played Westdale High, Sir John A. McDonald, Burlington Fair, the YMCA, YWCA, the Kiwanis Club

Bands like the Velvets, Stooges and Barrett's version of Pink Floyd are often name dropped by those who try to explain Simply Saucer.  Are there any other bands that we should also acknowledge as inspirations?

Can, the Krautrock bands in general,for me Moby Grape, Lighnin Hopkins, the Kinks, I'm sure the Stones and a little bit of Hendrix, Hawkwind, the Soft Machine, Pink Fairies, Eddie Cochrane, Terry Riley, Sun Ra lots of others

I understand that you kept in touch with Craig Bell of Rocket From The Tombs back in the early 70's.  How did you learn about RFTT?

Craig and I were both members of the Syd Barret Appreciation Society and began corresponding around 1973 or so. He was playing in a band called the Saucers at the time and eventually ended up playing in Rocket from the Tombs.

You must have felt some ambition from knowing that Cleveland was tapped into the same headspace as Breau and Christoff back in the early 70's.  Did you ever have the chance to see each other's shows back then?

No, unfortunately not..Craig did come to Hamilton looking for me but I was out of town the day he arrived. His wife, was a prof I think  doing a seminar on Women's studies at the u. of Toronto.

There has been folklore built on the "Saucer House".  Many local musicians will always make reference to various stories, but most importantly, they always comment on how Simply Saucer formulated a sound, image and dynamic at the corner of Main and Ferguson.  What was the environment like at this historical location?

There was constant stream of people that came through the house and so often when we rehearsed there was a ready made audience which was great but eventually the party atmosphere got totally out of hand and got in the way of the artistic ends of the band. Band members got burned out, addicted and messed up and the centre did not hold. The centrifugal forces hurled us all into various parts of the universe...

You played with Pere Ubu back in the late 70's.  Plus you revisited the experience a few months ago in Hamilton.  You must have been somewhat delighted to see that although so many things change, its good to see things stay the same.  Both bands seemed more mature, and both acts still had this overflowing passion about their art.  How important was it to reunite again with the Ubus for you on a personal level?

Yea it was fun to see that sort of commitment on the part of Pere Ubu to an uncompromising musical vision. Both bands came from cities with industrial backgrounds in the shadow of larger more sophisticated artistic centres but managed to make  their musical statements apart from universal adulation. 

During the 1977 punk scene, Simply Saucer were musically different compared to the young punk bands.  Both the Saucers and the punks bands had the same musical inspirations, however your styles were very different.  Did you think of this as a positive foundation for SS or was it a deterrent?

Well yeah it was in some ways a more difficult sell for us because our musical mix was more diverse than some of the Toronto punk bands. We were listening to the Ramones and aware of the Sex Pistols and the Damned and all the rest.. It was just that we weren't musically influenced by them to any great extent. My favorite English bands at the time were the Only Ones and the Soft Boys. I had grown up in the East End of the Hammer with real punks..I didn't need to wear safety pins but I did wear a leather jacket. The whole deliberate minimalist approach to music had drawbacks as well, least of all some very boring and repetetive arrangements. I tended to prefer the punk/artiste Television Patti Smith axis to the fast/loud and ugly version that was dominating in Toronto. Teenage Head had some influences like the Dolls, Groovies, rockabilly and apparently Hawkwind that kept the mix interesting but again they were a kind of hybrid like ourselves.

You recorded your music with Bob Lanois.  How did you meet Bob?

The first time I met Bob was in 1974 when him and brother Dan had a studio in the basement of their mother's Ancaster home called Master Sound Studio. Our manager Rick Bissell had booked some time for us to record demos to interest clubs and hopefully labels.

What was the recording experience like?  Was Bob aware of what you were trying to do musically?

Bob did most of the recording though Dan helped as well when he was around. I wasn't sure just where their musical tastes lie so I brought a copy of the Stooges Raw Power and the Velvet Underground's White Light White Heat to give Bob an idea of what we wanted. Bob took it all in stride, was very professional and interested in the electronics we were using.

How long did it take to record all these songs?

I think it was all of two days..much of it live off the floor.

Was there an official Simply Saucer release during the initial existence of the band?

No but there was an unofficial wine fest along with some other incidentals...

Many times, I hear more of the early 70's English Rock in your music as compared to New York or Detroit.  I hear many traces of early Pink Fairies and Hawkwind in Cyborgs. Did you guys have specific records that you wanted to sound like? 

I really liked the first Pink Fairies record with Larry Wallis..kings of oblivion
We had a Detroit influence (the Stooges) mixed with a New York Influence (the Velvet Underground) topped with an Anglophile love affair

When did the official break up actually take place?

1979, the fall? K.C. would know he's the archivist

Did you put together another band after the break up of Simply Saucer? 

I reunited with David Byers who was an original member in a band called Third Kind around 1983. Kevin Christoff from the Saucer played bass and his brother Dereck played the drums. We did some interesting recordings but never played live.

There was this pure volatile sound to Simply Saucer.  It seems that some bands try to sound this way, while others unfortunately live it.  How much did Saucer bleed its real life experiences or references to its music?

Quite a bit actually I was living wherever our rehearsal space was and at one time in a store front, sleeping on a thin piece of foam, without a bath, shower, closet, stove..that's where Cyborgs Revisited was born..in the distance the smoke stacks and the mysterious clanking of steel...

After a hiatus, you stepped back into the scene on a solo basis?  How did it feel stepping into the "acoustic" field musically?  Also, how different was the music scene in Hamilton since the departure of Simply Saucer?

For me it was a refreshing change playing acoustic. I was a big fan of John Fahey, Nick Drake Mel Lyman, Sandy Bull, Mississippi John Hurt, Pentangle  countless others. I decided doing the troubadour things wasn't such a bad idea. Many of the bands I admired also had a softer side.

How did you meet Bruce Mowat?

Bruce caught a set I did at the Baytides Cafe and introduced himself.

Bruce singlehandedly established Simply Saucer as a MUST HEAR band.  Were you overwhelmed by his enthusiasm?

Yea still am he's a one man promotional army, a good friend, mentor and an inexhaustible resource for local musicians.

Again, Simply Saucer is tainted with these great valid anecdotes.  Were you at Copps Colliseum when Thurston Moore dedicated a song to Simply Saucer?

No I learned about it the next day reading the review in the Spec and then the spec called for an interview about it.

You must have been freaked to hear that Thurston Moore was paying homage to a Garage band from Hamilton.  Did that make you look at your work or musical involvement differently? 

Yea validation from your peers is always nice and gives you encouragement to continue on..

Afterwards, younger fans were picking up on Simply Saucer, and they treated SS like a rare discovery.  Were you prepared to consider the revisitation of Simply Saucer? 

Not at first, I had been separated from my own repertoire, my own catalogue for many years and it was only by a very convoluted process that I was brought to the point where I could ask myself the questions like "what if' or "how" or "with whom" or "can you do it again'. I think that having a new young audience that were digging the band played a large part in my decision to reform Simply Saucer and wherever I played solo they would come out of the woodwork and ask about the band.

How important is it to be a Hamilton band?  Would this band have been the same if it was started in another city?

No, it wouldn';t have been..that industrial hardscrabble sub text gave the band it's grittiness

Luckily for us, you were performing acoustic shows during the 2nd phase of Simply Saucer.  Both shows are musically different.  Do you need that balance as an artist?

Yea pretty well..it's all part of my many sided personality that I'm still trying to sort out.

How long did it take before Kevin Christoff and yourself decided to reform SS?

I think cranking the Les Paul up on stage at our first mini show at the Corktown did it for me. The other factor was finding creative musicians to play with and Joe Csontos, Dan Winterman and Steve Foster fit the bill admirably. All of them bring substantial musical gifts to the table and eventually we began to jell.

SS -  thats kind of funny in its own way..hahahha

not going there, man...

Do you feel comfortable as being tagged as the leader of Simply Saucer?

Yea I suppose so..but it is a real band it's not Edgar Breau and Simply the Sidemen

How did you meet Foster, Csontos and Winterman?

Joe was a part of the Saucer circle way back in the seventies, hung out with us, gigged with us, booked us, partied with us..he was invited by Steve Park to see Steve's first gig with us at the YWCA. Joe played with the Loudmouths who opened for us way back when. Daniel I first met as part of the Velvet Underground tribute band doing a benefit at the Casbah..or was it with the 'Battleship Ethyl?  Steve, we rehearsed at his studio on Napier st in Dundas and soon he had joined the band and was recording our new album at Catherine North.. Steve moves fast

Your visits into the studio were close to 30 years apart.  How did it feel going into the Saucer recording headspace?  Any similarities to Cyborgs?

It was surreal, a fantastic full circle and Duke and Steve Foster were great to work with

So Simply Saucer has achieved real estate in the Canadian Rock N Roll Art History.  Who would have thought that 30 years later, Cyborgs would achieve status as 36th on the TOP 100 Canadian Records.  Ed....these are bragging rights.  Plus you are in pretty good company!  What do you make from all of this?

I think there's always a good thing waiting for you around the corner, man
the future is up for grabs
here's to yesterday, today and tomorrow!

here are a few quickies...

You played with Richard Lloyd recently.  He definitely brought 2 lungs full of New York and shot it out musically.  Richard also openly mixes the street life with spirituality.  Some see this as a oxymoron.  What is your take on this?

There's life lived existentially. There are messages from outside. There is reason. There is faith. Science. Poetry. Music.
Richard is in pursuit of that. It's just that he looks in some very dangerous places. I have to admire that. At the same time we are very fragile beings...His session at Grant Ave was amazing

Have you ever thought about working with Gord Lewis?  Both of you have a very deep root to New York, Detroit and England, musically.

Gord's a true Hamilton musical legend and sure I'd work with him. We could call the project Simply Head (just joking)  Saucer have some real connections with Teenage Head. Steve Park came over to Saucer after helping form the original five piece version of Teenage Head. Our drummer, Joe Csontos was their first drummer. I'm sure there are some common musical influences as well like the Stooges..I was a big fan of the Flaming Groovies who's LP, Teenage Head gave them their name.
Last but not least both my father and Frank's father were guards together at the Barton St. jail..now how's that for a connection?

Have you heard Kevin Ayers newest record?

No but i've heard it's really awesome..

You saw Willie P Bennett perform in Feb 2007.  What did you think of the show?

It was my first time seeing Willie and I was totally blown away

Have you ever thought about having your own satellite radio show? 

No but I once did a show at CFMU with Imants Krumins

What do you remember about the first time The Forgotten Rebels opened for you?
I remember my friend Mickey burning the Canadian flag and my brother Mike punching out three of their roadies for badmouthin us.
Did you ever see Slander?

no

I KNEW AND DROPPED OUT WITH EXPATRIATE GLUCK

   

Howdy Folks...

 

The magic dust still keeps getting sprinkled on yours truly, and because of this special powder, I am getting freaked with the opportunities of interviewing Heroes and Iconic figures.

 

Many years ago, I bought a Barracudas record on a recommendation from a friend.  I remember walking into Star Records in Oshawa and asking Mike Shulga if he heard of a band called the Barracudas. Luckily, he had a play copy available and spun it in the store.  I immediately loved it. It's a great slice of power pop with all sorts of nods to surf and 60's Garage music. 

 

When I bought this record, I had no idea of bands like the Seeds, The Standells or The Remains.  I learned about these bands by following 2 bands quite closely.  The Chesterfield Kings from Rochester NY and The Barracudas from London England were door openers to a completely new vibe and style of music. 

   

Later on that same year, I went to Carleton University, and all the cool record stores were talking about this guy by the name of Jeremy.  I finally figured who the mystery man was once I stepped into CKCU and met Nadine Gelineau.  As she was speaking with another radio host, John Stamos.....not the actor, I overheard the 2 of them speaking about this Jeremy guy again.  Finally, I asked Nadine who he was referring to, and she replied: "Jeremy Gluck".  In my mind, I thought...."JEREMY GLUCK OF THE BARRACUDAS!!!!!  THAT'S HUGE!!!" 

   

So, after the mental freakout, I regained my psychotic composure and realized that good ol' Canada was that much more cooler for producing a dude like Mr. Gluck.

   

Couple of years later in Ottawa, I worked part time in a record store.  It was an awful chain record store. I tried to convince the manager to let me bring in my own music during my shifts.  However, with tons of confidence, he replied "Lou, no one cares about the shit that you listen to".  So, I was stuck having to hear Amazulu, INXS, all sorts of very bad French dance (danse) music, and A-HA.  Not a word of a lie.....The music gave me a mental rash!!!!! 

   

Luckily, this record store brought in an Assitant Manager who actually liked cool music.  His name was Blair.  I can not remember his last name, but he could have been Michael Stipe's twin.  He noticed a cool T-shirt that I was wearing, and that began the conversation about musical likes.  You see, I ALWAYS wear cool T-shirts, and even though my personality can not start a conversation, my Tees always do!!! 

   

He asked me something along the lines of what kind of music I was enjoying.  I remember name dropping Jeremy Gluck's BURNING SKULLS RISE.   Blair lit up a smile and told me that he knew Jeremy very well. Furthermore, his worshipping sessions about Mr. Gluck made him a Cult Status ROCK GOD! 

   

Just recently, I had the opportunity to touch base with Jeremy Gluck.  He was kind enough to answer a bunch of questions that I always wanted to know.  I think that this is a great interview and I am that much better off in life because of this Q & A opportunity..

   

Ladies and Gents...My interview with Mr. Jeremy Gluck.

   

Jeremy Gluck is a name that is associated with a distinctive slice of music. I would even go far enough to say that your fans are "Music snobs", like myself, who take their music seriously.  As an artist, were you more intrigued with playing music for those who shared the same musical likes as yourself?  Or, did you pursue music hoping that you could convince the mainstream minds to take those musical risks?

   

I would have to say that it had been a combination of the two. Growing up in Ottawa before punk rock rescued us, I gravitated to the music my older brother and older friends fixated on; The Stooges, MC5, the Dolls, Nuggets and so on. The seed of eclecticism was planted young. Robin and I formed The Barracudas consciously set upon playing music alien to those around us. We did have an almost evangelical love of garage punk and power pop: Hey, you don't play King of the Surf for skinheads without some degree of commitment! We did want to convert the massses, but as we loved cult bands we also wanted that backward kudo of carving a niche and being poor in it. But we were always interested in a big record deal, big studios...those drugs of the aspirant rock n roll star. And we got them, for a while.

   

When I was first turned on to the Barracudas, I honestly felt that you guys were possibly the best power pop band in the world.  

   

Now I'm blushing. But...only "possibly"?

   

I remember thinking that The Barracudas music was a musical marriage of bands like The Boys, The Beach Boys, The Clash's first 2 records, early Kinks, The Standells, and The Ramones. Was there a musical prerequiste that each musician had to have in order to be in the Barracudas?

   

The definitive Barracudas line-up comprised one singer who couldn't sing – that'd be me – one excellent drummer in Nick, and a bassist who was taught bass by the great guitarist – Dave and Robin. The Boys! I love “Brickfield Nights”. Like any good band we were more than the sum of our parts. Robin and I were united in our love of certain musical genres and bands and a sense of humour about same. Dave just looked right, and Nick was a very good drummer with a bent for practicalities. Robin and I got into the surf angle because we played so many styles nobody knew what we were about. The surf thing got us in the papers right away. We were “cool”. And it's always good to be cool!

   

Robin Wills overheard you speaking about The Seeds, and that apparently united the both of you.  Is that true?

   

The first time I was in London in early 1977 I did indeed go to The Speakeasy to see long-lost Pye band Dead Fingers Talk and was conversing with some marginal music journalist about The Seeds. Lurking nearby was a shortish fellow who, when I ended my conversation, approached me and asked if I had been discussing The Seeds. At that time, on the eve of the Pebbles boom, this was not an everyday occurrence in the clubs of London. Within minutes we were yakking volubly. I soon went to Robin's parents place in Motspur Park where he was still living and saw and heard his enormous collection of prime vinyl. We became fast friends.

   

How did you meet Nick, and David?

   

When I went to London to live in 1978 I met some characters who squatted in Westbourne Grove, some of whom attended Hornsey Art College and were in or associated with The Raincoats. Amongst their pals were Nick, who came from affluent 'burbs folk. We lured him in. David Robin stumbled upon at the White Rats gig at The Electric Ballroom and, admiring his Byrdsian haircut, invited him to play bass with The Barracudas; as he couldn't play, Robin proceeded to teach him.

 

When I attended Carleton University, I went to a lot of the record stores in Ottawa, and I would say that the 2 names that I heard  often in record stores were Les Emerson and Jeremy Gluck.  At that point, I realized that your name already achieved a Cult Status reputation.  Musicians who I have interviewed dislike that particular tag, while others feel that it is the most credible honour.  In your point of view, Is that a positive reputation to have as an artist?   

   

It can be but it is also a double-edged sword in that it can be a consolation prize position in terms of commercial success. I grew up loving cult bands of that time – the Groovies, Stooges et. al. - so it was not something I felt was negative. On the other hand, I think that had we not self-destructed The Barracudas could have been much more than a cult band. Now it seems that The Barracudas are more popular than ever. We had a track on a UK compilation a few years ago that sold hundreds of thousands of copies, so we seem to have become an enhanced cult band. Or something.

   

You were born in Canada, but you moved to the UK to pursue your musical career.  Back then, was there something about Canada's music industry, or Canada's music scene that deterred you from staying here?

   

Only that I saw Toronto bands getting big...in Toronto, And I realised that was the only place they would ever get big or be noticed to any great extent. And so it proved. I wanted to see London, and I thought that if I could make something happen in London it would be a real achievement. I loved The Viletones, Teenage Head, and The Diodes et. al. But by early 78 when I left it was already obvious there was not going to be a serious uptake of such acts by the public. All credit to The Diodes for their CBS deal, though.

   

I often think, "What would Canada have been like if Jeremy Gluck stayed in Canada?"  You are obviously a charismatic artist who is confident about your art and style.  I am sure that when Punk Rock was breaking in Canada, and even after the initial TORONTO 1977 scene, you could have Captained a national scene.  Do you ever wonder what it would have been like had you stayed and pursued your music in Canada?

   

An interesting question...who knows? After I'd visited London in 77 I was only interested in going back there, I had fallen in love with the place. So it never would have happened. I'd met Robin, too. The die was cast.

   

Are there any musical moments from Ottawa that you have cherished?  This could be either with you as a musician, or as a fan.

   

Many! Growing up in Ottawa in the 70s was a bonanza for rock n roll. No kidding! Local heroes like Murray McLauchlan and Pagliaro came thru a lot, and I listen to them to this day. And then every tour: Alice Cooper, Bowie, Roxy Music, KISS (Simmons' hair caught fire during the fire-breathing act and a roadie had to put it out!) the list goes on and on. Seeing Springsteen at the NAC in 73 was...words fail me, and the next time in 75 at the Civic Centre he was cataclysmically awesome.

   

Once you arrived in England, you must have felt somewhat overwhelmed with the thick musical scene at that time.  Tell me about your recollections of that magical time?

   

The first time I went, in Sping 77, it was as though Heaven had come to Earth. I saw a gig every nite, and what gigs...Gen X, The Saints...incredible. Everybody was in a band or forming a band or hanging with or going to see a band. I could have seen the Pistols if I'd gotten to Sweden a few days earlier. D'oh! The second time I went to stay, in 78, was also amazing. I flew into Heathrow, Robin met me and we went to his friend's flat where he played me Complete Control, it had just been released. I said, They sound like The Beatles now!, and Robin thought that was very funny. :-)

   

While you were in England, the 1977 Punk Scene had exploded, and a few years later, this explosion would act as a foundation to other musical expressions.  Acts like XTC, Elvis Costello, The Police, The Stranglers, and The Cure were born.  However, the Barracudas went backwards musically, in order to progress.  What other bands existed in England that were on the same page as the Barracudas?

   

None that I am aware of, and I'm not being precious. Can you think of any?

   

The United States of America had the Chesterfield Kings as the teachers of Nuggets, and Pebbles.  England had the Barracudas.  Would you say that's pretty accurate? 

   

Yes, I would. We were missionaries for the garage sound.

   

Who was Geoff Mann?  I know that he was a Surf Music fan.  Was he a musician as well?

   

Geoff is a dear fellow, now employed in the higher echelons of some London borough council. In 78-79 when The Barracudas were beginning, he was one of our regulars at gigs. He had a little label, Cells Records, and had released one single when he approached us. He wasn't a musician, just a raving fan.

   

The Barracudas played with acts like the Stray Cats, and even the Tourists (pre Eurythmics). Are there any particular Barracudas shows that stand out? 

   

With The Stray Cats we played Brighton, it was a hellish tour. On the nite in question unbeknownst to us our publisher, agent and others were in attendance. We had major Teddy Boy problems on that tour with fake Teds harassing us. At one point I harangued them for not being American whereas our bassist Dave was. A hail of cans was directed at me, one which bounced off my forehead to great applause. It's tough at the top.

   

Nick Turner went on to join LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH.  Personally, I thought that the LOTNC were a supergroup of sorts.  It must have been great being present during those early LOTNC shows.  What did you think of the Lords?

   

Stiv's strategy was clever, and some of their songs rocked, but to be honest the Lords bored me. All that fancy dressing and other nonsense did nothing for me.

   

The Barracudas had a Flamin' Groovie play for a duration of the band's existence.  How did you meet Chris Wilson?

   

After Drop Out there was a short-lived Paisley Underground scene in London we got associated with, although most of the bands were awful. Anyhow, a friend of ours had a psychedelic clothing stall in Kensington High St Market we'd bought stage clothes from. He'd hung out with the Groovies in San Francisco and one day told me he'd heard Chris had left the band and was headed to London. I bided my time and then when he arrived a meet was arranged at a club. We got on good and little by little he joined The Barracudas.

   

I read on the liner notes of TWO SIDES OF A COIN, that Chris' addition to the band took away from the band's "Puritanical monomania".  Were you hesitant to take the band in a different direction?

   

Robin, Jim and I all considered the Groovies godlike. I mean, for God's sake, Chris co-wrote the Shake Some Action originals and songs like Between The Lines that I worshipped. It was exciting and surreal to have him in our band. He did soften the sound, which eventually became a sore point although live we retained our edge. Writing with Chris was the fulfilment of a dream I hadn't dared to dream. So we embraced working with Chris. Other matters arose in time that made things more difficult but what matters is that Chris will always be one of the true greats and I was very lucky to play with him.

   

During the tenure of the Barracudas, the band penned iconic songs like I WISH IT COULD BE 1965 AGAIN, I CAN'T PRETEND, and I WANT MY WOODY BACK. These songs have obviously stood the test of time.  Did you know this back then when you were writing these songs?

 

Speaking of the B.O. Cult I once interviewed E. Bloom and asked him about Don't Fear The Reaper becoming a huge smash and he pointed out they had no idea it would be until it was. On a more modest scale, we really didn't know. Robin did call me and play Summer Fun over the phone, though, and said it would be a hit and it was indeed a minor hit.

   

EMI worked with the Barracudas.  Did EMI really understand what the Barracudas were all about musically?   Was the band's working relationship with them unbalanced?

   

The guy who signed us, Roger Ames, saw the commercial potential. His successor didn't. They liked the pop-novelty thing but once we started getting more complicated big differences arose. In a way EMI was good for us, but we should have signed to Sire maybe, who also wanted us. We would have been at home there.

   

Is it true that The Barracudas recorded at Ringo Starr's studio?

   

Yeah. Starling. We did Meantime there with Pete Gage (Vinegar Joe) producing. Our drummer Terry knew Pete. Fine little studio, and I did once glimpse Ringo through a dark window!

   

Did you guys do a lot of touring in America back then? 

   

We never toured America. The closest we came was a very short tour in Canada to support Wait for Everything. We toured Europe a lot, over several years.

   

In the latter part of the Barracudas, Australian musician Jim Dickson joined the band.  Since Jim was connected again with Cult Status acts from Australia, Did this allow the band to tour in OZ?

   

We never toured Australia.

   

Musicians or artists always tend to validate their professional existence on meaningful relationships.  Would you say that Greg Shaw releasing your music on VOXX provided that validity?

   

I was aware of BOMP from Groovies and Poppees singles and so on, he was a major inspiration. When he loved and released Drop Out Robin and I were thrilled. We met Greg a few times, he saw us in Paris in 82 and we had a great meeting beforehand. Wonderful man.

   

You credit your brother for being integral to your musical upbringing.  I am presuming that the both of you had a great record collection.  Did you keep a lot of your vinyl?  Did your brother play music?

   

My brother had (and still has) a fantastic record collection. His record collection was my education in good music. He also gave me seminal albums from time to time – The Who, The Velvets – that became touchstones of my taste.

   

I was surprised to see that you too are a Blue Oyster Cult fan!  I am in touch with Albert Bouchard all the time.  I think that there are 2 chapters to BOC.  The first chapter is the Albert Bouchard era, the 2nd is the Post Albert Bouchard era.  BOC was NEVER the same sans Albert. Do you agree?

   

Yeah. Sure, they weren't the same band. Mind you, I saw them 4 years ago here with Alan Lanier and they were incredible. A band that's toured for like 30 years or more do tend to be tight. I do love some later stuff like “Take Me Away” and "Perfect Water" but clearly the first four albums are one of the great rolls of rock history. I listen to “Od'd On Life Itself” and it still is visionary. Some bands – Suicide is another – just sound more and more ahead of their time. It's a gift and prime time BOC have it in spades.

   

Eventually, you started playing more acoustic guitar music, still with lots of musical energy.  Some would say that it was the Folk side of Jeremy Gluck.  Was Rock N Roll becoming too repetitive?  Did you need a breath of fresh air in order to keep you more creative and artistic?

 

The musical and logistical simplicity of acoustic work appealed to me. I also followed as much as led, for example with Nikki, whose solo work was often acoustic. I liked the traditional aspect of it and the connection with country and western music. It could also be easier to sing to.

   

I remember buying BURNING SKULLS RISE and thinking that Jeremy Gluck was musically maturing.  Songs like SORROW DRIVE, and EPISODE IN A TOWN made me think of Jeremy Gluck as an older experienced brother.  Was there any particular music inspiration at that time that convinced you to change gears?  Was it Life itself?

   

Part of it was life and a desire to bring through a different kind of lyrics. I'd done songs like Ballad of a Liar with The Barracudas, but I wanted to be more plain. I was very influenced by old country on Skulls, hence the cover of Marty Robbins that Thin White Rope also covered later. Sorrow Drive and Episode in a Town (the latter the best lyric I've written IMHO) were attempts at archetypes of country and western with lines like “Now I know why they call Main Street a drag” aiming for that brilliant twist in country lyrics that is right on the cusp of comedy and tragedy. I wanted to capture the lostness and sadness of so many lives that were not wasted but not used either, but more like time that breathes.

   

BURNING SKULLS RISE had great musical moments that were driven particularly by emotional passion.  Would you say that your solo material made it easier for your to be more sentimental as an artist?

   

Although there is often more sentiment, I wouldn't agree with the term “sentimental”. On Burning Skulls Nikki and I were very influenced by 50s and 60s root country. I like the hard softness you find in that music and songs like Sorrow Drive aspired to emulate it. There is little directly personal writing in the lyrics, apart from the title track. However I did put in a lot of ideas I had about things beyond the immediate work, an example being The Proving Trail. “Why do we end up so far from where we belong?” was a cop from some French writer, and there are a lot of words and moments that try to reflect a more melancholy and rounded view of life. The title track was later covered by Rowland and Lydia Lunch and now appears on several Goth compilations. Go figure!

   

21 years ago, you released I KNEW BUFFALO BILL.  The crazy thing about this record is the guests that perform on it.  Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Nikki Sudden, and Rowland Howard appear on BUFFALO BILL?  How did all of you meet? 

   

It's all down to Nikki, whose Swell Maps were of course a Rough Trade act. Back in the day Robin and I would hang around the old Rough Trade shop in Kensington High Street, and Nikki would come and go. We did some shows together, hung out, became friends. Over the years we saw a lof of each other and were always planning to record, wrote some songs, did some demo's, the usual. Meanwhile Nikki had met and become buddies with Rowland, whose band his brother Epic drummed with. I was on good terms with Frenchie Gloder of Flicknife Records, who was a monster Barracudas fan. Nikki was in the studio with Rowland and Epic working on an album and he called and asked if I wanted to tack some time on to their session and do our album together. Frenchie jumped at it – a dream line-up! - and it began. Jeffrey was put in for another name; Frenchie gave him some drug money and brought him over to do some slide overdubs at the studio where we finished the album.

   

Care to share some moments during the making of I KNEW BUFFALO BILL?  I would have LOVED to be a fly on the studio walls!

   

Ha. Thing is, Lou, most flies in this situation witness only musicians bitching at each other! There were some charmed moments, though. As I was somewhat in awe of Rowland I let him do much as he pleased. Likewise, Epic, who as Nikki's brother and himself a formidable musician, needed no direction. It was a lovely week or whatever. My favourite moment was when I was struggling with the vocal to Nikki's “Gallery Wharf”. I was getting more and more frustrated and then the engineer said, Look, let's do one more for rehearsal and have lunch and try another take when we get back. I liked that and did a very good vocal, and said, I wish we had taken that! There was laughter from the booth: of course the canny engineer had taken it, bless him. Psychology 101.

   

Personally, I thought that the songwriting on I KNEW BUFFALO BILL was very strong. The making of BUFFALO BILL must have provided you a musical learning opportunity.  Did you ever film or document the making of the record?

   

I'm not sure how much I learned as such. But working with outstanding musicians I loved – Nikki – and admired – Rowland and Epic – was a great privilege. Some of the songs, like Four Seasons of Trouble, Nikki and I had written in 1983. Others, like Time Undone, were written by me close to recording and the music composed in the studio just before or when I arrived. Time Undone, which has some brilliant guitar from Rowland, is a lyric that does show my desire to tell stories with a metaphysical shading. “To myself I was nothing, as worthless as straw” was a line Rowland and which I had to tell him I had paraphrased from Meister Eckhart, one of the great mediaeval mystics and typical of my reading of the time. Episode In A Town we just doubled in speed for April North! (16 Wheels we...well, I asked Rowland to play Folsom Prison Blues backwards.)

   

A few years later, both Robin and yourself would reform The Barracudas. The new recruits were Steve Robinson and Jay Posner.  The producer of the WAIT FOR EVERYTHING record was the one and only ANDY SHERNOFF.  What made you decide to have Andy as the project producer?

   

I am sure you share my love of The Dictators. Go Girl Crazy was a touchstone when I was still in Ottawa. I got in touch with Andy through my old friend Lindsay Hutton. I just wanted a sympathetic producer. I remember when Andy returned my call I was amazed that he knew all our stuff and even wanted us to re-record a song from Endeavour To Persevere with him. He did a fine job, though the album is for me hardly a success, most of the songs are weak and despite a fantastic drummer in Jay (RIP) the line-up never gelled.

   

WAIT FOR EVERYTHING was another reflection of the Barracudas in comparison to DROP OUT.  The Pop sensibility never went away, and I do not think any of us expected it to vanish.  However, the songs seemed fuller in the way that the band played more into them.  Metaphorically speaking, it would be like the band taking out the other 56 crayons from the box and using them to colour the page, instead of only using 8 colours.  Is this what Andy brought to the record?

   

Andy did have a clear idea about and the ability to get a very crisp pop sound. I've always loved that trebly, crystal power pop thing. Snare sounds that can slice bread and so forth. I don't like the album much, although Can't Get Away From You I find perfect: a classic Robin Wills composition, incredibly economical and tuneful and I sing it well. Steve's I'm The One is superb, I listen to it all the time, even now. But we didn't have our feet in the stirrups and let the things get away. We fixed that on the 2005 album, because we had a new, killer rhythm section and Robin produced himself with a perfect grasp of how we should sound. That album I am very proud of. Wait I see as a missed opportunity.

   

Additonal vocals on WAIT FOR EVERYTHING are courtesy of the SURFIN' LUNGS.   When and how did you meet the Surfin' Lungs?  I have the LET THEM EAT SURF record, and I like it a lot.  Did Robin play in the Surfin Lungs after the Barracudas?

   

Robin worked with and produced the Lungs, I believe, but I really don't know that much about that collaboration. We knew them from an early stage of the band. I envied them their harmonies.

   

Songs like LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO FALL, and GONE FREE were examples of how well both Nikki and yourself worked together.  Prior to Nikki passing away, the both of you collaborated on the soon to be released record called VICTIM OF DREAMS.  When was this recorded?

 

The new album is really an old and new album. I wanted to compile the best of my older material and throw in new. There will be a companion iTunes album eventually that covers what the album doesn't include. My original idea was a kinda Bill – The Sequel. While Nikki was still alive I contacted him and he recorded two songs for me, which I overdubbed at home. I did some new thematic songs with my local pals Superczar – Train Station and The White River – and some 'net collaborations, notably with Circo Fantasma and Indianpalms, Italian bands whose quasi-tribute “I Knew Jeffrey Lee” Nikki had told me about and includes covers of 3 songs from the Bill album. I did want to write with Rowland again but it just didn't happen, although we did speak just before and after Nikki died. Other songs have diverse origins, from sessions in 1985 in Paris, to work with electronic duo Zone to whose albums I have contributed over the years.I've done a lot of electronic stuff, including lately with Michael Dent formerly of TO legacy punks The Dents, putting his words to sounds collages.

   

The VICTIM OF DREAMS is an interesting title.  Is that a true reflection of yourself?

   

The title derives from a poem I wrote in 2006. I would say that it is a reflection of one or more of my selves but maybe not all. A friend took issue with seeming to term myself a “victim” but I'm not partial to psychobabble definitions. I know what I intend by the title. As they say in Zen, “Explanations never convince”, so I will desist from explanation.

   

Many of us also know you as RALPH TRAITOR, the music journalist.  You wrote for SOUNDS, BUCKETFULL OF BRAINS, MOJO and even LINDSEY HUTTON'S NEXT BIG THING.  Your writing was an incredible documentation of a very diverse musical period.  Were there any highlights from your Journalistic adventures that stand out? 

   

One alone must take top spot and that was meeting Brian Wilson. Say no more.

   

You have also written a few books where you are spoofing the American Culture.  I am presuming Burroughs was an influence? 

   

My older brother influenced me a great deal in books, too, and I read Burroughs' work as a teen and over the years used the cut up technique extensively in my own writing. Burroughs was a revolutionary of the word and his final novel, The Western Lands, I absolutely venerate.

   

I have not had the chance to actually get hard copies of  GOD IS LOVE - GET IT IN WRITING, or NECROTRIVIA vs SKULL.  I have read reviews and both of these titles are critically acclaimed.  Did you find it different being a literary artist as opposed to a musician?  Is one more rewarding than the other?

   

I've always written and done music in parallel. Love both.

   

Which pays better?..hahahha

   

I do what I do for love, Lou, you know that!

   

Just from what I have read on the reviews of your books, we are introduced to another side of Jeremy Gluck.  For an example, Sci-Fi seems to be predominant in both books.  Have you ever thought about writing music with Sci-Fi stories? 

   

Not since my teens. I loved 50s and 60s sci-fi, with its naivete and story telling. I don't read sci-fi. I don't write it, either, my books are more straight satire with flourishes around spirituality and technology. I did write a third novel, The Love Gun, but it was unpublished; it did have more sci-fi in it but was mostly a dark and cynical meditation on the so-called New Age.

   

You are involved with Spiritech.  I understand that it is an Electronic Religion.  Its about the Spiritual Revolution in cyberspace.  How would this compare to more common religions and spiritual practices?

 

My Spiritech project has now been retired. It was active from about 1996-2004, but its height of activity was maybe five years. The e-book I published based on the Spiritech material is still online at http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/65163-ebook.htm.

   

How has SPIRITECH changed Jeremy Gluck?

 

Spiritech played a major role in my life for some years. As I originated it for the most part in the form it took and the content it comprised I don't feel it changed me: it was an expression of me. I had an adventure with Spiritech but this isn't really the place to go into it, and in any case it is behind me now.

   

Did you get a chance to see Arthur Lee and Love in 2003?

   

Yes, but passed. No judgement of Lee, I just didn't go.

   

Who are you currently listening to nowadays? Any new acts or artists that impress Jeremy Gluck?

   

Huh. I tend to know nothing of what I term “young people's music”, which would be anything after about 1995 ;) The last band I went for in a big way was early Placebo. I listen to what I always did, with later loves like Van Morrison and The Smiths also high on the list. I listen to The Who compulsively, they have been my musical heroes since before my teens. I get into stuff like Denim, then forget it. As I write this I am listening to Mink Deville, The Comsat Angels, and Bebop Deluxe. I heard The Arctic Monkeys once, for thirty seconds and put on Baba O'Riley. Who needs the aggravation?

   

If you had the chance to produce a band, who would you choose?

   

Britney Spears. If ever there was a candidate to cover “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White” it must be Brit!

   

Has there ever been a record by an artist or band that you wished you either played on or produced?

   

Where do I begin?

   

MC5 - Did you know that Bob Seger sang back up on High Time?

   

No. Did you know that The Kingsmen's Don Galucci produced Funhouse?

   

What did you think of The Stooges' WEIRDNESS record?

   

Let me preface my few remarks by assuring readers that I adored The Stooges and Iggy for years and still venerate their seminal recordings. I did listen to some of the new album and was left cold. The lyrics are lousy, and although the Ashetons still can make you feel a truck has been dropped on your head from an upper floor, it all seemed like a “Look Ma, new band!” exercise. Today we are stuck with digital sound, which is clean and clear but means bands sound like people playing at the same time, not together. I love The Stooges, but it did nothing for me. Look, Moses comes down from the mountain only once in the Bible. That would be Funhouse, by analogy. What did they propose to bring down this time?

   

When did you last visit Canada? 

  

Not for some years, too long.

   

When did you first meet Ralph Alfonso?

   

In Toronto in 1977.

   

Do you have any great Teenage Head memories?

   

That's a rather personal question, Lou, and if you're not going to be nice I am afraid I am going to have to end this interview!

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE NEW YORK DOLLS

THE NEW YORK DOLLS

Hello Folks.  Buckshot and I had the opportunity to see the New York Dolls on February 18th at the Phoenix.  Couple of things stood out about this show.  First of all, the Dolls are still terrific!  While some critics slag them for trying to be what they were 30 years ago, I believe that they really never changed.  They have not changed because they are real.  When you think about influential bands like The Who, Stones, & MC5, you have to include the New York Dolls in the mix too.  C'mon folks.....these guys revolutionized a look that would inspire everyone from Axl Rose to Robin Black.  Without the Dolls, Rock N Roll would have been pretty boring.

Ideally and chronologically, they stemmed from the Velvet Underground/Warhol scene without the pretentiousness.  As much as I love the Velvets, too many of the so called fans used their music to indulge in their personal drama.  However, the Dolls grabbed a fish (dressed in drag of course) and smacked you on the side of the head with it.  The Dolls were not afraid to simplyfy the art of music, and they showed their true colours by building their sound on acts like the Shangri-Las, and on Doo Wop genre.

I had the opportunity to interview David Johansen on February 6th in support of the New York Dolls Toronto show.  To describe how I felt about chatting with David is unexplainable.  One of the greatest Rock N Roll singers and Frontmen!  Luckily he leads a sensation called the New York Dolls.  I hope you enjoy the interview...

LOU - It's 2:29 and change here at C-101.5 FM.  Man oh Man, what a huge pleasure to introduce to you David Johansen of The New York Dolls.  David, are you there?

DJ - Yes, I am here, and the pleasure is all mine, Lou.

LOU - Ah, THANK YOU...you are a kind gentleman.  Also joining me in the studio is my girlfriend Buckshot Bebee who is a huge fan of the David Johansen and The New York Dolls.

Buckshot - Hi David!!!!!

DJ- Hello!

LOU - Buckshot actually recorded Puss N Boots on her debut record with the Poisoned Aeros, and the one and only Sylvain Sylvain also sat in on it.

DJ - Really?  I do not know why I was not aware of this...(chuckling)

LOU - Well, you know how sneaky Sylvain is, right?

DJ - That's true.  I never really know what he is up to.  I have given up trying, Lou!!!

LOU - You don't try anymore?

DJ - No, I turned my thoughts towards other pursuits, because I know when I am licked!

LOU - OK...well, let's talk about some of your pursuits.  Aside from the New York Dolls, and we will talk about the Dolls....but you have become an amazing actor.  I have followed a lot of your acting, including a great episode of OZ recently.  PRISONER 96Z858.

DJ - hahahaha...Was that my name?  What I recall from that OZ episode was that I was walking down the street in Manhatten, and literally, an 87 year old lady maybe even older like 90 was dressed in black.  She looked like a widow, she walked with a cane and as I walked by her, she said to me.."Oh, I saw you on OZ!"  I said to her "You watch that show???? "

LOU - Wow David....she is the coolest 90 year old lady in the world!

DJ - More like a lady from Central Casting!..hahahaha

LOU - It was a pretty intense episode where you were in a kitchen and you threw hot grease from a pan at someone's crotch?

DJ - I can't really remember, but on that show they would show the crime, and I believe that I threw bacon fat in the face of my boss.  I was a short order cook, or something like that.  It was some horrible thing that I did to him.

LOU - Looking at your acting career over the years, I really do believe that you are still at the prime of your career.  Its hard to think that you have been at this for over 30 years!  As much as you have been a visionary, you have also been a chameleon where you have been lucky to be able to change into so many roles.  You are a Rock N Roll singer, actor, Lounge singer.  Heck, you were doing this Lounge thing even before it became popular again.  You were almost a 2nd generation proto-type Lounge singer as Buster Pointdexter.

DJ - Yeah....First came Louis Prima, and then came Buster Pointdexter.

LOU - You are very comfortable with all that you do.  You are a very natural born entertainer.  You must be happy with everything that you have been involved with.

DJ - I am not complaining.

LOU - Almost 10 years ago, you were involved in a project called September Songs. 

DJ - Oh yeah.....!  I think that we did that in Toronto.

LOU - No way?

DJ - Yeah....that was a lot of fun.

LOU - I remember when it came out, the critics praised it.  The video that you were in was also very cool.  Your make up in the video was remarkable.  Folks, the video is on Youtube.  Check it out!  Also, you did a beautiful Hymm with an acoustic guitar player a few years ago.  I loved that song!  Who was that on guitar with you? 

DJ -Oh, that was Brian Koonin.  We both played in the Harry Smiths.

LOU - Wanna hear a funny story about the Harry Smiths?

DJ - Yeah...

LOU - Back in 1998, and I want to remind you that this is a true story and for this reason, The Harry Smiths will always be scarred on my skin....Through one of the links of the Harry Smiths website, I got this very bad computer virus and I ended up losing tons of stuff on the computer!

DJ - Really?  What site was that?  I don't think that we had an actual Harry Smiths website, but our record company had a Harry Smiths website  .

LOU - That's the one!

DJ - Back then, wow, I don't think any of us had a computer!

LOU - And now you do?

DJ - Now, I have a computer and everything that goes with it.  Lou, I am really with it!

LOU - How are you enjoying this re-incarnation of the Dolls?  The different players obviously add a new and different dynamic to the band.  Obviously, you can not compare 30 years ago to today.  You are a new band, times have changed, and both Syl and yourself have changed.  Some of the reviews that I read on the latest record had critics saying that it did not sound like the first 2 records, but c'mon give me a break! 

DJ - Well, I don't think any 2 records really sound the same anyway.  Except for maybe Badfinger who sound a lot like Wings.

LOU - Wow...David!  You threw me for a loop there!  Do you listen to a lot of Wings and Badfinger?

DJ - No, I don't, but its the first thing that came to my mind.  There are 2 bands that put out records that sounded alike.

LOU - Oh yeah, that thick production quality.  I know what you mean.

DJ - Yeah...You can probably compare any 2 records that were produced by Jeff Lynne and they would sound alike...hahahaha. But other than that......Lou!  I can't think of any! hahahahahahaha

LOU - hahahahahaha

LOU - Your last release on Roadrunner records was a successful record in my opinion.  I loved the record, the songs, and I thought that Jack Douglas did a great job on the production.  But as a fan, it was great to see the longevity of the Dolls still continue.

DJ - Oh Cool! Being in this band is really great!  You see, I am a member of this band, and I do not have the responsibilities of having to wash the bottles or keep a count of things.  I go in, I sing, and that makes it a great gig!

LOU - A Few years ago when Sylvain spent almost 10 days with Buckshot and I, he was with another New York band called the She Wolves.  He kind of tipped me off saying "Lou, I think that its going to happen!  I think that David wants to do it!".  I was freakging!  So was that when Morrissey entered the picture?  Luckily the band did get back together, but what were your first impressions?

DJ - Well, here is how it went Lou.  Morrissey called because he was producing and booking a week of shows in London.  They do this every year.  They pick a different rock star to pick a bunch of bands.  So, Morrissey booked all the acts for this week of shows.  He called and said, "Would you guys like to do a show?"  So we went into this really only expecting to do one show only.  The show sold out. I don't know...pretty quickly.  So, they added a 2nd show.  We knew that we were going to do 2 shows and stay in a really nice hotel.  We went into this thing thinking "let's have the most fun that we could possibly have!"  So after it was all said and done, we got a lot of good notes on the shows.  This was in June 2004 I think.  Afterwards, we were invited to play festivals like Leeds and Reading and all these other mud baths...(hahahahaha).  So we figured lets do these shows too because we are having so much fun.  Eventually, a year or a year and a half later, we were still doing shows together.  So, we decided to make a record because we're in a band and that's what we do.  So, we really did not go into this in any way planning a reunion or something like that.  You know what I mean?  I think that would have been too much!  But the fact that we just fell into it, and it lead us instead of us trying to lead it, that drove the train and it worked out the way it did.

LOU - You must have been overwhelmed by the positive reactions from all over.  Especially from musicians themselves.  They were embracing the news of the Dolls getting back together.  If you look at guests that appeared on your last record like Michael Stipe, it showed us that there were lots of Dolls fans who did not look or try to sound like the Dolls.

DJ - Well, a lot of musicians tell me that they were inspired by the Dolls.  As far as we are concerned, we consider ourselves as artists.  Probably, the most important job of an artist is to inspire other artists.  The Dolls are a big package.  We have philosophy, fashion, and we have music.  We have all this stuff going on, so people took different things from the Dolls and different aspects were applied to their art.  Yeah, that is very satisfying.

LOU - I know that the Dolls have always been fasion innovators and visionaries with the Rock N Roll look.  Plus, 30 years later, looking at the Dolls and your age group....there are not many cooler looking guys than Sylvain and yourself.  You are setting a standard for guys who are maturing to still look cool.  We are grateful that you are not directing us in the old man's department of clothing.

DJ - I guess so, I never really thought about that.  I wear what I wear, and I go walking around and people say to me..."Oh, there goes David".  So, I don't even know....

LOU - Couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see Todd Rundgen, and I had the chance to meet him and get some stuff signed.  With a bunch of Todd records, I also included 2 records that he produced.  One was the Sparks/Halfnelson record, and the other was the Dolls debut record.  In a very respectful way, he said to me..."Wow, this record still continues to haunt me!"

DJ - Well...that is a great record.  Its kind of an iconic record.

LOU - Did you guys realize the importance of that first record when you were recording it?

DJ - Well, at the time, we were very excited about making a record, and we were very happy that Todd agreed to produce it.  I don't know if we thought too much beyond that, or what its impact would be.  We were inclined to make a certain kind of Rock N Roll music.  We all had staunch ideas about how Rock N Roll should be played, and how it should be presented.  I think that Todd understood that.  We maybe worked in the studio for a week or so. It definitely was not a long drawn out process.  It was how the bad played, and it did not have a lot of overdubs on it.  So, it was not like we tinkered with the sound too much.  But we did have very strong ideas about the record.  You know how Folk Art is?  Someone one paints a rooster on a side of a barn.  They are not doing it because they want to put it in a gallery, they do it because they want to do it.  Its not really geared for the marketplace.  Its geared towards personal satisfaction.  So, we make records that we think that we would like to hear.  Then, if other people like it, then that is really great!  The amount of people who liked it were all considering living the Artist life themselves.  So, they took bits of it, and with that inspiration they went out and did other things.

LOU - Did you guys feel the same way, philosophically, about the last record that the Dolls made?

DJ - Yeah, well we went in to make a record, but we did not think about how it was going to sound because the record was going to sound just how we play.  We were not going in trying to sound like something else.  To me, that would be too much of a job....trying to sound like something else.  But if you can go in and feel free and do what you do, then that's playing music, not working on music.  I do not like to work music.  I like to play it.

LOU -  I know that you have played Toronto many times.  Are there any recollections of Toronto that stand out?

DJ - Well, I like Toronto a lot, and I feel very comfortable there.  I do not know how to explain the comfort.  One time, I was doing some filming there and I was there for couple of months.  I even had an apartment there.

LOU - And you didn't call....

DJ - No, I forgot....hahahaha

DJ - Actually, I was working long hours, and I was not playing.  I was working!!!

LOU - David, how did Jack Douglas come into the picture for the production role of the Dolls last record?

DJ - It just seemed natural that we should use him because he was the engineer on our first record.  He had a lot to do with the sound of that first record.  It was early in his career, and we felt that he knew what to do.  We knew that we were not going to have many discussions about it.

LOU - I saw a clip of you being interviewed by Susan Blond at a Cheap Trick afterparty in 1978, and you described your songwriting as "Light and Campy in the song department".  Do you still feel the same way?

DJ - Yeah, I think so.  Its Rock N Roll music.  Its got a philosophy there to think about, but it was made for fun.

LOU - You must be impressed and maybe overwhelmed by the amount of times that the Dolls get name dropped.  Are there moments where you feel that this is beyond comprehension?

DJ - To comprehend is not my job.  When you do what we do, you only think of that, and not the other stuff.

LOU - I guess that is what keeps you guys real, and it prevents you from going into LaLa land.  Unfortunately a lot of artists tend to go there.

DJ - You know, thinking about it, maybe we do have a responsibility in making a kind of Rock N Roll music that we like.  We are pretty much geared to doing that, and nothing else beyond that.

LOU - The band is still active and doing a lot of shows.  Can we expect a new record soon?

DJ - Yeah, we actually have a live record coming out in 2 weeks or so.  It was recorded on December 28th at the Fillmore East, which is the old Irving Plaza.  We decided to tape a couple of shows and see what we sound like.  The tapes came out so great, we decided to put them out.

LOU - Will this be a Roadrunner release?

DJ - I believe that it will be out on Sony.  But most people will probably get it at the download depot.

LOU - What do you think about that method of getting music?

DJ - Its fine with me. You know, we're a band.  We go out, we play, we sing, and we eat.  So....its ok by me.

LOU - Are you still living in New York?

DJ - Yeah..

LOU - How's New York today?

DJ - Its very odd because its 65 degrees outside and its February.

LOU - Wow...we are getting belted with snow and ice. 

DJ - Well, we will be coming out there soon and we'll share some of that with you.

LOU - Or melt it.

DJ - YEAH!!!!!

LOU - Are you feeling comfortable about New York City?  I know that there have been lots of changes.  Are you still proud to call it home?

DJ - Yeah...Well...if you were to go away for a long period of time and then come back, then its more shocking.  But when you live her all the time, you notice the changes gradually, and you become accustomed to it.

LOU - I do not mean to sound redundant, but I can not tell you how much of a thrill it is to talk to you.  I have been a fan of yours for a very long time.  I have been a fan of your acting, and of course your music.  But again, you have really become a great actor!

DJ - Well, as far as the acting is concerned.  Once in a while, someone will approach me with a script and tell me that they want me to be in their movie.  If there is nothing else going on, then I will consider it.  But I really do not go out and look for acting jobs.

LOU - Really?  Now I would find that hard to believe because you are so good at it.

DJ - Well, people will say that I am a natural at it, and that is fine.  However it is not my pursuit.  I am a singer.

LOU - And that is what you prefer most?

DJ - Oh Yeah...You know there is something about singing and being in a band that is just gratifying.  I have always dug singing.

LOU - Have you ever thought about doing something else in a band other than singing?  Maybe playing an instrument in the band only?

DJ - Well, just to be the Harmonica player in a band would really be great!

LOU - There is a local artist by the name of Bob Lanois, and he is the brother of the infamous Dan Lanois, and he has taken his harmonica playing to another level.  Its not Rock or Blues, but its more ambient sounding.  However the Harmonica is the the main instrument.  Its has been courageous of him to take the Harmonica to a different level.

DJ - Oh Cool!  You know when we were kids, everyone said, "Oh, I want to play drums".  I would think "Oh, I would hate to think that I would have to schlep those things around"  Others would say, "I want to play Bass" and I would think "Well, that's a pretty big amp you have to carry around".  Can you imagine having that on your back as you are going to a gig?  The Harmonica is nice, because you can put it in your pocket and after the show you can say to the rest of the boys, "I will be seeing you fellas later!"

LOU - I am learning from you David, that I do not need to work, I just need to play.

DJ - Well, you know I think that the most ideal situation that one can be in during their life - To follow their bliss.  If one is fortunate enough to be doing what they want to do....its the best.

LOU - Mind if I ask you what you are listening to nowadays?

DJ - Last night I got couple of songs off from I-Tunes.  One was NOT ME by Gary US Bonds, and TELL'EM I'M NOT HOME By Chuck Jackson.  I like the I-Tunes thing because a song can be floating thru your mind, and then you think that you can probably get that song right now.  It can even be at 2am in the morning.

LOU - Have you heard Mary Weiss' latest record?

DJ - Yup...

LOU - What did you think?

DJ - I like it very much!  I have a radio show on Satellite and I played it.

LOU - Oh....very cool!!!!  Maybe I can be your guest one day!

DJ - That would be good!  You are very good at the interview stuff.  I am quite impressed!

LOU - Wow..this is INSANE!!!  Wow...Really?

DJ - YES!

LOU - Thanks David..

DJ -Yeah..

LOU - I have to tell you that my head has filled up the whole city.  Now I am on an ego rush.

DJ - Oh good for you!

LOU - So listen to this....A good friend of mine...he's kind of a bruiser.  He calls himself  Glen, the Hamilton Kid.  He invited me for a winter walk in the Arboretum.  Normally we drink, but..

DJ - He's gonna beat you up!

LOU - Maybe that's what he wants to do is beat me up!!!!!  Here I am thinking that he wants to get something off his chest, or complain about his marriage or something, but I think that you are right.

DJ - He probably likes to beat people up in the Arboretum!  Can't you say,"Ah, can't you just beat me up at home?  Do I have to put on all my sweaters and stuff?"

LOU - Maybe we can get this done without involving any winter clothing or a lot of maintenance.

DJ - EXACTLY!

LOU - I am looking forward to seeing you in Toronto.  Thank you so much for doing what you are doing.  I am so pleased that the spirit of the New York Dolls still lives on.  You guys are such an important band to the art of Rock N Roll and to the music of Rock N Roll....and let's not forget the look of music as well.

DJ - Well, I hope you all come out and see the show.  Its going to be a lot of fun!

LOU - What song did you want us to play from your records?

DJ - How about DANCING ON THE LIP OF THE VOLCANO

LOU - Tell us a little about the song before we let you go.

DJ - Its a song about Ritualistic Dancing.  While we were recording the record, Michael Stipe came in to watch us.  He was curious on how these Savants can create impeccable music.  We were watching him thru the glass, and he was watching us.  So, we said "why don't you come here and sing with us?"  That's what happened.

LOU - WOW!!  He must have been as giddy as a little girl!

DJ - hahaha...we had a lot of fun!

LOU - David...its been a HUGE pleasure.  Please say hello to Sylvain on behalf of Hamilton Ontario.  We can not wait to see you guys!  Thank you Mr. Johansen.

DJ - Alright Lou, Thank you...

And the music played on.......

And the February 18th show was great