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Fred "Sonic" Smith and his group Sonic's Rendezvous Band with Scott Morgan, Gary Rasmussen and Scott "Rock Action" Ashton performing "City Slang". MR. Smith was formally with the MC5. Photo thken backstage Second Chance, Ann Arbor, MI.
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The Underdogs were a east side band and were held up as a positive example at my east side elementary school. This track is from 1966 and in my opinion should have been a hit. At a young age the Detroit trio "Sky" were flown to England to record. They released two albums and are little remembered today.They were the late Doug Figer's band before he formed "The Knack". This track is from Sky's second album, produced by Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller, "Sailors Delight" released in 1971. Bobby Keys and Ian Stewart also appear on the record. This record was the only hit the "Small Faces" had in the states. Of course they went on to become the "Faces" after being joined by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood upon the departure of Steve Marriott. 1966. Every Saturday afternoon my buddies and I headed to the Cinderella theater to see a movie. Along with 100's of other grade school kids from all over the East side of Detroit we'd lay down our fifty cents and spend the afternoon watching whatever was playing.On one of those afternoons the movie was "The Wild Angels". This was one of the first biker movies and we were way too young to understand the film. But I never forgot the theme Blue was the main charter played by Peter Fonda. Later Fonda would star in "Easy Rider". I always thought of "Easy Rider" as a companion piece. "The Wild Angels" movie is available on Youtube. I recommend it. -- In the late '60s radio was very different. Not only were stations playing local bands they were encouraged to do so by listeners. This gave birth to the "regional hit". The Unrelated Segments, from Taylor,MI, were one of those bands. Back when dogs could talk, Eisenhower was president, Poodle skirts were in and Doo wop groups wandered the earth, there was a group from Allen Park, Michigan who released several records. One of these records was not only a hit, but a transformative event in Rock & Roll. Several years back I went to a weekly contest attended by a team of former and current broadcasters. I ended up sitting, each week, next to Scott Vertical. It turns out we had worked for the same company and in the same building for many years but had never met. We ended up, not surprisingly, talking about music. In subsequent weeks, I would email Mr. Vertical obscure, but what I felt were excellent, records/songs. Invariably he would say "ya I've got that on my iPod". One week, Mr. Vertical emailed me back and said what a great tune I had just sent him and that he was adding to his play list. That song was by a group called " Tim Tam and the Turn On's". "Wait a Minute" starts as a Doo wop tune, but quickly turns in to a hard charging rocker. As if by magic, it turns from '50's dreck in to the future of Rock & Roll. I attended my first "rock" concert/show as a sophomore in high school. Actually my first was a sock hop in Jr. High that stared a band called "Pepper and the Shakers". I have almost no memory of this event and can only imagine what my thoughts were. Probably 'is there a bake sale in here?'
The first show was at my High School with "The Third Power" headlining and "Harpo Jets" opening. This kicks ASS! Great memories from "Swinging Time" on CKLW CH. 9 in Windsor, Ontario, which broadcast into Detroit. Sylvester was a large black man and a "Disco Queen" in every sense of the phrase. He had a hit record on radio and in the clubs.
I was to meet Sylvester, Butch Brown the R&B promoter for the distributor and Sylvester's manager and Motown legend Harvey Fuqua at a furniture store remote for WGPR. Butch picked that weekend to get married so he could use the Rolls limo he had rented for Sylvester and Harvey on the record company's dime. |
Jeff Allen
Vertical asked me to join his blog as a guest expert on "Nuggets" era music... Psychedelic, Garage and Fuzz. Are there others more qualified? You bet, but they weren't asked. He's also letting me write about anything I want… We'll see.
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