August 2014

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Letter From The Editor

Mermaids...

Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

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Š Copyright Steel Notes Magazine 2014

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Features 29 8 24 94

Super Duper Alice Cooper Movie — Review By Alexxis Steele Model of the Month - Jessica Zweig — by Alexxis Steele Chiller Theater — by Bob Klien Jazz Great Chet Baker, remembered by Ruth Young on Lonely Hearts and Hot Rods — by Guido Colacci

Alexxis Steele

Bob Klein

Puma Perl

Roman

Guido Colacci

Victor Colicchio

Stewart Brodian

Marlowe B. West

Mike Dorn

Scott Brandon

Vera Ferrara-Rone

Sheri Bayne

Karen Best

Thomas Richmond

Drama D

Articles 3 18 24 42 72 76 102 106

Letter From The Editor — Alexxis Steele Theory of a Dead Man — Pictorial — By Sheri Bayne Chiller Theater — by Bob Klien NYC Dance and Ballet — by Guido Colacci Calling Karma — By Karen Best Interview with Paul Zone — by Marlowe B. West Takez Manhattan Pictoral - Alison Krauss — By Alison Krauss Tommy Ramone — By Michael Dorn

Reviews 20 42

51 55 66 68

Theory of a Dead Man — By Sheri Bayne Concert Review - John Fogerty at Sands Bethlehem — by Robert Klien CD Review- Annihilator by DarkOneSkip Concert Review - Boyz To Men - by Drama D Concert Review - Maxwell — By Vera Ferrara-Rone Concert Review - Redwood — By Scott Brandon

Columns 15 20 28 85 88 40

Guido Says — by Guido Colacci Colicchio’s Corner — by Victor Colicchio Barbell Buzz — by Tim Caso Roman’s Rant — Who are the Beatles?

Poetry Corner — By Puma Perl Brodian’s Banter — Archie

Playboy Energy Drinks

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Steel Notes Magazine is a monthly magazine featuring what is happening in the art, music, entertainment, and fashion industry. Copyright is reserved. Re posting is whole or in part on other sites and publication without permission is prohibited. All right to photos belong to their respective owners.

Advertising Media Kit please find our media kit with pricing at http://issuu.com/steelnotesmagazine/media. or download a PDF at http://steelnotesmagazine/media.pdf

STAFF Alexxis Steele - Publisher/Editor in chief Guido Colacci - Assistant Editor Adrian Stuehler - Proofreader/Copy Editor Leland Maurello - Layout & design.

Staff Writers

Tony Angelo Sheri Bayne HQDeceit BBStrange Karen Best Stormy Boz Stewart Brodian Tim Caso Victor Collichio Mike Dorn Vera Ferrara-Rone Michael Hendrick A. Jude Lori Kape Bob Klien Derek Oels Puma Pearl RomanR Thomas Richmond DarkOne Skip Rayvin Stites Marlowe B. West

Composition

Cover design by: Keith Boisvert http://VeroConcepts.com/ Layout & design by: Leland Maurello http://Lelanda.com

Social Media

Facebook.com/SteelNotesMagazine

Twitter LSteelNotesMagazine Google+LSteel Notes Magazine :

Photographers Sheri Bayne Larry Dell Mike Dorn Bob Klien Brian Matus Gary Preis

Videographers Lisa Koza DarkOne Skip

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Rockin’ Facts

by Thomas Richmond

1975

Paul McCartney and Wings went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Listen To What The Man Said’, his fourth US No.1, and No.6 hit in the UK, (the track features Tom Scott playing the saxophone solo). It would go on to sell a million copies in America and reach #6 in the UK. Wings also had the US No.1 album chart with ‘Venus And Mars’. Paul McCartney’s fourth No.1 album since The Beatles.

1975

The Bay City Rollers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Give A Little Love’, the group’s second and final UK No.1.

1980

Queen scored their third UK No.1 album with ‘The Game’, featuring the single ‘Another One Bites The Dust’

1986

Genesis went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Invisible Touch’. The bands former lead singer Peter Gabriel was at No.2 with ‘Sledgehammer’.

1975

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band rehearsed for a full 19 hours at The Record Plant in New York City the day before their Born To Run Tour kicked off. :

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Feature by Alexxis Steele

Model of the Month

Jessica Zweig

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August’s Model Of The Month, Jessica Zweig, is a Texas girl living in the heart of Hollywood, where she’s pursuing a makeup and hair-styling career. Besides her artistic career in beauty, she is a roller figure skater, fetish queen, lover of latex and all things leather.

Jessica had the honor and pleasure of being one of the hosts of this year’s Bondage Ball, and she would love to do more hosting gigs. Boulet Brothers are some of her biggest inspirations, not to mention the fetish Eye Candy, and she hopes to have the opportunity to work with them in the future. As a makeup artist in Chula Vista, California, Jessica was trained at the Sassoon Steel Notes Magazine | 9

Academy and is currently booking makeup and hair gigs.

You can see her work under Jessica Zweig Gallery on her Facebook page, as well as follow her on Instagram at jessica_zweig. :

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Hardware

Repair / Replacement Complete system Setup, Backup & Restore.

Software Installation Operating System Repair Remote Assistance, Individualized Instruction,

Laptops

Screen / Keyboard Speaker / Camera Power Supply Hard Drive Replacement,

Macintosh Linux Android Windows

Graphics Logos Page Layout Prepress Photo Correction Signs and Banners http://lelanda.com

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Guido Says

by Guido Colacci

What Independance Day Means Between the Bar— B— Qs, the beers, the kids, the 3 day weekend, the fireworks, the baseball games, the pool, the hot dogs and hamburgers, the parades, the patriotism and the flag waving, and the marching bands, and most of all, celebrating our so called FREEDOMS...

PLEASE take 20 minutes and read the Declaration of Independence...REALLY READ IT... let the words and the meaning and the original intent sink in. Now compare it to what it has come to mean today...

WOW, pretty sobering huh, even after all those beers?

ANYONE can dress like Uncle Sam and wave the flag and march in parades, but how many people have actually read the Constitution? How many people know the words, the wrongs that were done that pushed us as a very young colony that belonged to England to create a revolution and fight our very Mother country to become America, The United States of America… It would be unheard of in today’s day and age to discuss revolution in amerikkka … in fact it is against the law and its called sedition, treason, or terrorism. And the government would come down on its “citizens” like a sledge hammer with no mercy. The definition of sedition is conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch. And treason, the definition of treason is the offense of acting to overthrow one’s government or to harm or kill its sovereign. committing a violation of allegiance to one’s sovereign or to one’s state. And the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

All of these unlawful acts, whether one wants to call them sedition, treason, terrorism, or freedom fighting… were the EXACT things that our Founding Fathers who we revere and have sanctified to the level of sainthood committed against the country who we were a part of and that was England, which we said, was oppressing us, and not letting us have the rights we deserved and taxing us without representing us for our own good.

In reality, England was doing what was best for England, no different than we do what is best for amerikkka today.

So in understanding the meaning, words and intent and knowing how our country became our country, which was through land theft, imperialism, genocide, slavery, oppression, eminent domain, propaganda and war and war and more wars…war for profit, war for strategic control, war for our best interests, war for land grab, war for imperialism, but NEVER for freedom, unless it is ‘freedom” to make huge profits for certain individuals of the government or working for the government… aside from the Revolutionary War, in truth there is not a single war in which amerikkkan boys and girls have fought and died for the cause of our “FREEDOMS”.

The freedoms we are reminded each holiday that men and women have died for us so that we can enjoy these “freedoms.” ... I have had enough of this faux patriotic rhetoric, I’m calling people out … aside from the Revolutionary War, I want to know exactly and specifically which wars we fought that threatened our freedoms here and which freedoms specifically were threatened and how?… Yeah, I can’t think of one either... so sadly we realize a few things. First, we realize we are only playing lip service to The Declaration of Independence.

It is a sick joke on all the citizens except the 1%.

Second, the Fourth of July as we know it today, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO with honoring our military or our freedoms… It is about one thing and that is, our Declaring Independence from England. and third, the Declaration of Independence is a document of revolution and war against England.

But that was almost 250 years ago and now perhaps we can find the courage in ourselves to speak, to see and to hear and MOST importantly to tell the truth. We can and MUST admit to ourselves the ugly and frightening reality bubbling up all around us.

WE HAVE BECOME THE VERY THING WE FOUGHT A REVOLUTION TO GET AWAY FROM...

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Below is the text from The Declaration of Independence... see if it has anything to do with what we do today...

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.— — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. — He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. — He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. — He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. — He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. — He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. — He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. — He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. — He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. — He has

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combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. — He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. — He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. — He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. — He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity.

We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled,

appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. © Guido Colacci 2014 :

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Pictorial By Sheri Bayne

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Colicchio’s Corner

by Victor Colicchio

Victor Colicchio is a new York based actor, screenwriter, and musician. As a screenwriter Mr. Colicchio is best known for his screenplay SUMMER OF SAM directed by Spike Lee. His acting credit include, Bullets Over Broadway, Goodfella’s, Inside Man, Brave One, Soprano’s, numerous television appearances on Law & Order, and NY Undercover

CITIZENS OF EMERALD CITY Hi readers As a young boy living in the Bronx, I would often avoid the heat of a summer’s night by going out on the roof of my five-story walk up. I lived across the street from the Bronx Zoo. The roof featured a spectacular view of the animals that inhabited the vast zoo. I saw Elephants, Giraffes, Buffalos, Zebras, and Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my!

But the view which intrigued me most was that of the Manhattan Skyline at night. The Empire State building and its surrounding skyscrapers, when all lit up, had me believing that the island of Manhattan was in fact Emerald City, the Land of Oz, a horse of a different color.

I’ve been living on Manhattan Island for most of my life, and I have come to realize that life on the island is quite similar to life in Emerald City.

The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy, who finds herself in The Land of Oz and discovers new people, places and things. To me this sounds like a typical night out in Manhattan. One never knows who, or what, one will encounter on a single night out.

Here’s what I saw in my backyard this month

Little Italy and is best known for his work in Martin Scorsese’s CASINO, THE SOPRANOS and ANALYZE THAT. I met Vinny when Director Paul Bourghese cast us in his film FOUR DEADLY REASONS. I later cast Vinny in my film POTLUCK , which was produced by HIGH TIMES MAGAZINE. I hadn’t seen Vinny in a while, so I dropped by the studio to say ‘Hi’ and catch up on old times. I invited my photographer/girlfriend along. When we arrived at the studio, we discovered that the guest artist that week was Randy and The Rainbows, whose song DENISE hit the Top Ten on the 1963 Billboard Charts. The song was covered by BLONDIE and

We’re not in Kansas anymore

This is where my story begins. The month of July this year was hot. On one particular day it was too hot to cook dinner. I headed out for some dollar pizza. Along the way I ran into a friend who told me that another friend of ours was hosting a cable TV show that evening. The host was none other than Actor Vinny Vella. Vinny is a native of Manhattan’s

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Deana performs the songs of the RAT PACK era with a modern spin. The orchestra is every bit as good as Count Basie’s.

the band, their first Grammy for Best Rock Vocalist Performance.

I felt honored to be in the presence of Randy and The Rainbows. I felt blessed to hear them perform live. They sang their hit song and other Doo-Wop hits from their era. Although their era had long passed, these guys sounded and performed like teenagers. I was speaking to the group afterwards and one of them told me that there was a Dean Martin Expo that weekend at the Holiday Inn on West 57th St.

We represent the Lollipop Guild Dean Martin? THE Dean Martin? I’m there! Now this was truly a day in OZ. The citizens were out in full force. Not only did I get to see The World’s Largest Dean Martin Memorabilia Collection, but I actually met Dino’s daughter, Deana. Deana is not only gorgeous, but she inherited her dad’s vocal talents.

The story doesn’t end there. In addition to the Dino Expo the event also included an autograph show. WOW! I was in fan heaven. I was thrilled to meet so many of my favorite TV stars in attendance.

First there was Larry Storch from F TROOP, Robert Vaughn (my MAN FROM UNCLE) and BUDDY MATEO, whose comedy group The Untouchables appeared several times on the Dean Martin Show.

And now for the event’s highlight (drum rolls please) The one and only, the talented, the lovely, the vivacious secret agent…GET SMART’s one and only AGENT 99 …BARBARA FELDON. And let me

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one of my favorite guitarists, Jimmy (The Hit Man) McElliott. I refer to Jimmy as The Hit Man because he is like a gun for hire. I asked Jimmy, “How many different bands do you play with?” His reply? “As many as I can”.

I first saw Jimmy play at the Red Lion on Bleecker Street, with the band “Guitar Club for Men”. This band featured lead guitarist Gene Cornish of the YOUNG RASCALS. That night Jimmy sang a version of Pretty Woman that would actually give Roy Orbison say this, Barbara looks every bit as lovely as when she first appeared on the show. Now talk about a horse of a different color…I got to sit in The Batmobile. The event also featured celebrity lookalikes Batman, Jackie Gleason, and many others.

Back to OZ. I was just about to leave this event and in walks Catwoman, Supergirl, and Batgirl, who were part of the show, and they were escorted by none other than talent manager and casting director JOHN THOMAS ( co-owner and operator of JT TALENT).

a run for his money. Jimmy can play every style of guitar from A to Z - Chet Atkins to Frank Zappa.

What strikes me most about Jimmy is that he performs for the love of music. Jimmy, along with his punk band “The Propellers”, often performed at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s during the 1970s and John, who is had been produced by Tommy Ramone. Unlike a long time many of today’s musicians, Jimmy plays for the love friend, invited of it. Don’t get me wrong…he gets paid well, but me to the he also performs at parties and gatherings with Record Release Party for one of his clients, RICK friends. And Jimmy has quite a few distinguished JARMAN . Of course I accepted his invite. Any JT Rock N Roll friends. Just ask May Pang, Steve event is a happening where you can always find cool Marshall and Tommy James. Just ask them and locations, hot talent, and an array of Emerald City they will tell you that Jimmy (The Hit Man) McElliott citizens of the night. plays music just for the love of music.

I was looking forward to this event, which was held at 39 Grove in the West Village. For that night I decided to grow a mustache and dress vintage. I was dressed and ready to go, but first I had to stop off at Hill Country Barbeque on West 26th St to see

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While at the “Jimmy Show”, I ran into fellow Steel Notes columnist Marlowe B West and invited him to see Rick Jarman perform at his record release party.

Rick put on quite a show, and although I’m a bit old

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for his musical style, I can see that Rick is traveling on the Yellow Brick Road to fame.

Off to see The Wizard Just as I was about to leave the Rick Jarman event, I met event planner, media spokesperson, and style expert Catherine Schuller. Catherine was attracted to my moustache and vintage clothes. She told me that she puts on fashion shows every week, each with different themes, and was thinking of doing an 1940s retrospective fashion show. She then invited me to an event at Manhattan’s YOTEL. The event was a fashion show, “RUNWAY the REAL WAY”.

-filled, good-vibe, high-spirited Oz-worthy event.

At the event I was introduced to its producer and MC…Errickson Wilcox. Errickson produces events around Emerald City. One of his many events is a karaoke party featuring a live band that rocks this town.

Errickson invited me to yet another event the very next day (also held at the YOTEL). The event was a sort of American Idol brunch for female impersonators. Erickson dubbed this event Drag PAJJ (which is actually Drag Pageant # Drag PaJJ.) We arrived at The Yotel just in time to catch the beginning of the show. The performers, the audience, and the decor at Errickson’s event lived up to my every expectations of life in Emerald City.

There’s no place like home …..

I’ve been posting photos on Facebook of this month’s events. One of my FB friends, JILLIE SIMON, saw the photos and asked if I would be interested in playing TV news reporter Dave Buontempo in the film “HUNGRY” (which she wrote, stars in, and is currently directing).

The Yotel is Manhattan’s most modern and high tech hotel. The show, which featured some extremely beautiful models of all races, colors and creeds also featured plus-sized models as well.

At first I thought this was just going to be one of those typically boring high-fashion shows with all the backstage stress, but to my surprise it was a fun

I I had previously met Eric Roberts in 1978 during the filming of his first feature film “KING of the GYPSIES”. The movie was being filmed in my neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen. My hood, my turf , my home sweet home.

That’s all folks

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Chiller Theater — Spring 2014

by Bob Klien

For those that may not be familiar Chiller Theatre is an event that

takes place twice a year in Parsippany NJ at the Sheraton Hotel. 2 shows a year, one in the spring and another in the fall around Halloween. For me this particular Chiller was highly anticipated. Many of my favorite stars were here.

Michael Pare (played Eddie Wilson in Eddie and The Cruisers) This is one of my favorite films. Dean Cain (Adventures of Lois and Clark). We had a great conversation about my being a 3 time Cancer Survivor.

As a kid I was a big fan of The Partridge Family and it was a thrill to meet Shirley Jones.

Loni Anderson from WKRP in Cincinatti still looks Gorgeous.

Who can forget “Married with Children” and the young man that played Bud, David Faustino.

Michael Pare

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Dean Cain steelnotesmagazine.com | July 2014

The great thing about Chiller is the diversity.

You can meet anyone from a rock legend like Alice Cooper to adult film stars like Amber Lynn. Stunning model Angie Everhart was very sweet and thrilled to receive a photo that I had taken of her a few years ago. If you are a Walking Dead fan, this was the place to be.

Norman Reedus was signing autographs and at one point had a 2 HOUR wait.

Shirley Jones

INXS

Lori Anderson

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Angie Everhart

The HIGHLIGHT for me was meeting Priscilla Presley. She was at Chiller to promote her new book “Shades of Elvis” with photographer Chris Ameruso. This was my 1st meeting with Priscilla, so I was not quite sure what to expect. Priscilla could NOT have been nicer. She was VERY Cordial.

(Most cases at Chiller you are on and off the “Autograph Line” pretty quickly). Priscilla took at least 10— 15 minutes to speak to me like we were the ONLY people in the room. I presented her with a photo album of RARE photos of her with Elvis and she was Genuinely THRILLED. She took time to explain the circumstances behind many of the photos. As a life long Elvis fan I was “over the moon”. She posed for a photo with me and signed a special Family photo of herself with Elvis and Lisa Marie.

Norman Reedus

Chris Ameruso & Priscilla Presley

Bob Klein & Priscilla Presley

Chris Ameruso and Priscilla Presley

We ended our meeting with a warm embrace, and for me a memory that will last a lifetime. :

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Barbell Buzz

by Tim Caso

Building Speed and Strength In just about every sport (e.g. baseball, soft— ball, golf, tennis, football, etc), hip strength and explosive power are keys to performance. Watch a major league player swing the bat: he “unwinds” from his feet to his hips to his shoulders — with his hips supplying most of the power. So, what’s the best way to develop both speed and strength?

First, some history: practically every football coach has advised their players to do Power Cleans to help them develop speed and strength. The trouble is that most coaches have not mastered the fundamentals of this complicated lift, and this lack of knowledge translates into improper technique that fails to build power and speed and, quite often, leads to injury.

I’m going to show you a great way to safely build that power and speed — a way which has been proven to bring exceptional results. Before we continue, a couple of important technical points: first, the explosive power generated in the power clean occurs when the bar passes the knees. Second, this power is at its apex when the bar reaches the bottom of the lifter’s belt. That’s it. The rest of the lift is merely the momentum of the bar reaching the lifter’s shoulders, called the “clean.” This means that the “clean” part of the power clean is unnecessary when the objective is building power and speed. All you have to do is master the pull. Also, the “clean” potion is generally where the trouble starts: lifters tend to pull with their arms before the bar reaches their belt. This causes the back to hunch over, which slows the lift down, leads to a poor “receiving” position, and can injure the lifter. So, we are going to focus on the pull only.

When you hear an audible “click” as the weight hit’s the belt, you’ll know you’re doing it right! By the way, my training partner hardly ever did power cleans, and yet he clean and jerked 457 pounds! How? He mastered the clean pull — and you will too!

Before you begin, set the power rack up so that the bar is at knee height at the start of the lift. Next,

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you’ll need straps to help you maintain your grip on the bar. One last note to keep in mind: this lift is a very technical one, so have patience as it is the most difficult part of the Olympic lifts to master. Once you get it, you’ll be amazed at how this builds speed and strength!

The Start Place the bar on the blocks and get your knees right up to the bar. Your legs should be straight at about shoulder— width apart, and your toes should be underneath the bar. As you lean over, point your knees in the direction of your toes. Do not allow the bar to roll out and away from you. This is imperative!

Grab the bar, placing your hands a little wider than shoulder— width, and lower your hips until your shoulders are slightly ahead of the bar. This is the starting position.

The Pull Now that you are in the proper position, you are ready for the pull part of the lift. Steadily push upward with your legs, keeping your back tight and at roughly the same angle as your starting position. Do not jerk the bar from the blocks as it will throw off your positioning and cause your back to bend forward (called breaking). When the bar reaches mid— thigh, shift your weight to your toes while keeping your shoulders up. Do not allow your shoulders to fade backwards, which is a natural tendency. The bar should come in contact with your upper thighs, very close to your hips. The next move is easy: just jump straight up. Straighten your legs and shrug your shoulders, and keep those arms straight! The bar should hit the bottom of your belt if you’re doing it right. The audible click that I mentioned before will be your sign that you’ve done the pull correctly. Now you’re developing both strength and speed!

For more Training Tips, follow me on Twitter: @timothycaso :

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Movie Review By

Alexxis Steele

Included in this review are my personal experiences and photographs, starting in 1972

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Let me start off by saying— Alice Cooper WAS A GROUP! In 1971, at the age of 14, I fell in love with the Alice Cooper Group — every parent’s nightmare — which led my parents to question my sanity enough to take me to see a psychiatrist!

Music can have a very profound effect on a person, as evidenced by the factors that caused Vincent Damon Furnier, the man who would later become known as Alice Cooper, to develop the eventual Dr. Jekyll & Mister Hyde personality.

Being a musician myself, having grown up in the music industry from a young age in the Philadelphia area, I became friends with Tom, the backstage— door— manager, and began hanging out at the now defunct Spectrum.

I was enthralled by The Alice Cooper group, with their theatrics I so loved, and their hit song, the teen anthem “I’m Eighteen”, and I followed them like the mice being led by the Pied Piper . I attended all their concerts in PA & NJ, dressed in full garb with the eye makeup, black cape, top hat & cane! On several occasions I also interacted with Alice while he was onstage, using a flashlight on Black Juju, and I would make him gifts such as black velvet panties adorned with “Alice” in Silver sequins.

In January 1972, while hanging out backstage at the Spectrum, I met Alice and the drummer, Neal Smith, for the first time, as shown in these photographs, where Alice is actually wearing the same brown leather jacket as he is in this movie!

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Neal was hanging out in the limo at the time.

Alice told me he had the Asian flu and was not feeling well, but was still very pleasant. This first face— to— face encounter would lead to others where I would be in their company, and was the only time that I had ever seen him without an alcoholic beverage in his hand!

In 1973, at the height of their career, they released my all— time favorite Alice Cooper album and the song “Billion Dollar Babies”. That signature drum— intro by the Platinum God, Neal Smith, tops my favorite and is one that got you charged and on your feet. In March of that year, after the concert at the Spectrum, I took the elevator with Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway & Neal Smith up to their hotel room and was invited to attend the Billion Dollar Babies after— party on the Showboat in Penns Landing, Philadelphia. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Lead guitarist Glen Buxton, R.I.P, shown in this picture with myself, Glen and Pat Lucci from A & M Records.

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And so.. Here the story begins!....

Alice, the son of a pastor, grew up in Detroit, Michigan, the “Motor City”, where cars, street violence & Rock N Roll Music were the norm. Due to a bad bout of childhood asthma, the family relocated to Phoenix, AZ, upon recommendation of his doctor, not knowing this was where his destiny would begin. In high school art class he met Dennis Dunaway, who became his best friend and they shared a love of art and Salvador Dali.

It was a great party, flowing with food, drinks and the company of other musicians such as Mark Volman of The Turtles.

The Alice Cooper Group had the most amazing stage show, from their androgynous looks to their props and theatrics, of any band I had ever seen.

Onstage, Vincent Furnier as Alice, bottle of booze in hand, with his half man/half woman sexuality, was scary yet exciting at the same time.

This documentary takes you through the whole history of how the band came to be and their experiences. The main focus of this movie delves into the mind of Vincent Damon Furnier, aka Alice Cooper, and how it became a daily struggle to separate himself from the man, the artist, and the toll it took on his personal life, mental and physical health.

They were Beatle— maniacs, and when their school had a talent show they did a spoof, wearing Beatles— wigs and calling themselves The Earwigs.

Dennis brought in guitar player Glen Buxton to play the contest with them. That experience led Vincent and the boys to want to learn how to actually play instruments. The band changed their name to The Spyders, performed at the Vip Club, which was a teenage dance hall, and became the house band, playing The Yardbirds, The Stones, and others. They had a number 2 record on krux during their senior year in high school and a desire to move to LA to become rockstars.

1967, after moving to LA, they met the GTO’s, an all female band that lived in the basement of Frank Zappa’s log cabin. Hanging out with the girls, who were professional partiers, their experimentation with drugs began. Vince, who was totally straight up until then, ran into Judy Jones whom he had a crush on — an old friend from church that offered him a beer at a party. After a few beers he was so drunk, he had to be carried home.

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The band had decided it was time to change their name, so one night when they got together, Neal Smith dropped acid and consulted the ouija board, followed by Vince, who was instructed by the ouija board that in a former life he was a woman in England who was killed as a witch, by the name of Alice Cooper. The name stuck, and Alice Cooper was born. They enlisted the help of the GTO’s with their outfits for their first show under their new name, wearing makeup, costumes, and using a lot of theatrics. Miss Christine & Miss Pamela went to Frank Zappa, showed him a picture of the band, and said “wait until you see this band”.

Frank was excited at the thought of a male verison of the GTO’s and told them to show up at 7. Getting confused about the time, they showed up at 7am instead of 7pm, barged in, set up the equipment and started playing.

Frank was baffled at seeing this band from Phoenix, which was unlike anything he had expected, and asked them if they had a manager, which they did not have. Shep Gordon moved to LA from NY and checked into the Landmark Hotel, where he was dealing drugs among the musicians. He was told by the owner about covering up how he was paying for his room by saying he was a manager. Since he needed to have a band to manage, he mentioned that the Alice Cooper Group was living in the basement.

That night they were invited to the Hollywood Landmark Hotel, where they were introduced

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to Shep Gordon, who immediately became their manager. The next day the band went back to Frank Zappa and told him that Shep was now their manager and Shep made a deal with Frank’s record label.

Frank said the charm of their band was that of being a garage band. They tuned up their instruments and told the band that whatever music they got together by the time he got back, that was to be their album. When Frank came back at 5:15 and picked up the recording, that music became “Pretties For You”. Lester Banks reviewed the album but did not like it — he thought it was a tragic waste of plastic.

The band was hated in LA in the early days, so they left LA, living out of suitcases on the road. Shep got them a gig at the Saugatuck Pop Festival in Detroit for $2000.The band performed after Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and having to be the following act,

could not overpower them, so they had to use theatrics, which no one was doing at the time. The band got a standing ovation and they said it felt like coming home. Detroit was open to what they had to offer.

Shep helped put together The Toronto Rock Revival and had the band open up right before John Lennon. The stadium was packed, and they knew they had to do something spectacular. At the end of the show, the idea was to open up three feather pillows with a C02 cartridge to make it look like snow.

For some reason, there was a chicken backstage and Alice threw it into the crowd. The audience tore it into pieces and threw it back on stage with its bloody head and feathers. They killed a chicken in front of 70 000 hippies. The crowd fell silent.

They had become the most notorious band at that moment and suddenly everyone wanted to know

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they spent days watching TV and got inspired after hearing at a show they were watching someone say “school’s out”, which became a bigger anthem than “I’m Eighteen” ever was.

Shep Gordon said they were going to take over the Hollywood Bowl where all the class— acts play and turn it into Hell’s Apocalypse! The band Photo by Sheri Bayne was blown away that Wolfman Jack came out about Alice Cooper. At that point the whole band and introduced them . So was Alice Cooper, and the PR lady said she didn’t what would be next? Wanting to top that, they paid know how to make a whole band that was called a helicopter company to drop panties in different Alice Cooper stars, but she could make one person colors all over the audience. To get a pair, Rob a star. Vince said that he enjoyed scaring people and Halford fought people in the crowd and said Alice that it was almost a sexual experience, exposing his was a ringleader who wrapped the audience around Mr. Hyde personality. The only thing missing for the his fingers. As a showman you could not help but band was a hit song. They contacted Nimbus 9, who love him.. He became more in the fishbowl than the made several hits for The Guess Who. Originally the rest of the band and it became a world of unreality, boss was not interested in the band, but once Shep as he got totally lost in the character. They got a had him come to see the band play sets with all call from Salvador Dali’s people to meet him at the the props, lights, etc., he quickly changed his mind, San Moritz. Dali said he wanted Alice to be in this stating it was like a cultural movement. moving hologram wearing 4 million dollars worth of diamonds that would define who he was — a Vince wanted Alice to be as insane as he could be real icon. Dennis was not even told what was going behind the mask, matching a character with each on. The band was sent to one place, but only Alice song like >>he? they?<< did for “The Ballad Of went to the unveiling. This was something symbolic Dwight Fry” with the straight jacket, and actually make it believable. The trick was to capture that live of their achievement, and it really hurt Dennis being performance on record, which they were able to do excluded. He felt left out, because that was something he should be sharing too, even though he felt with the help of Bob Ezrin. happy for Alice.

They used to warm up with the song “I’m Eighteen” Things started changing with success. The band and Bob said that would be the song to put the became treated like outsiders as it became all about band on the map. For 24 hours a day he had everyone calling the stations to request them to play the Alice. He had his own car to go to radio stations for red carpets and parties, and it started catching up song, and they became an overnight sensation. with him…He needed a break from the band, from The band drank beer all day, representing untamed touring, and from Alice. He had no time to stop youth. Driving parents crazy, anything that they because they were expected to put out another would hate they would do ,using Alice wearing number 1 album. The band wanted to get back to a snake onstage, dead babies, makeup, hanging their roots as a band with a song called “Woman him, sado— masochism, acting out sex, death and Machine” and told Bob Ezrin, who stopped them. violence as portrayed on stage by Alice Cooper.

The band felt they had lost too much control. Bob Wondering how they would outdo themselves next,

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Ezrin told Alice that the band did not want to work with him any more. The band flew to LA without Bob Ezrin, and Alice lived in Malibu. There was no cohesion in the album, the band got frustrated and they all wanted to do solo albums. Bob said that it was not a good idea to take a year off. Shep understood that if Vince were to go out solo, he should own the name, because he was the character .

Photo by Sheri Bayne Being a lead vocalist myself , I understand how the front person very often gets more attention than the rest of the members and can wind up taking on the persona of the name of the band it is representing, like I have done in my bands, like Bang Bang Betty ( which is not my name!). I can also understand the point of view of how the rest of the band felt slighted, as stated by Dennis Dunaway, who co— founded the band with Vince. To them, Alice Cooper was the name of the band collectively, and not singularly with one person representing them.

When Alice Cooper became a solo artist, it was evident that Alice Cooper — the band — was then over, and it also was a separation of friendship and it meant having to leave Dennis behind.

Alice was scared to go out on his own and to a

new beginning without the band. Welcome To My Nightmare had Vincent Price, and dancers. He met his future wife Sheryl, who at 18 years old was the most beautiful dancer in his show, and recalled how she seemed to float onstage. According to Sheryl, she remembers how he was all dressed in white, with flowing black hair and gorgeous blue eyes.

They got lost in conversation about their childhood and found out they were both pastors’ kids, and started looking forward to those moments more than anything else. His solo career took off and he was happy and in his glory.

As time went on he became Alice all the time, drank all the time, and lost himself in the character until it began to consume him. An intervention was needed, so Shep Gordon found a hospital in upstate NY near his home . He was away from everything and eventually every day he felt a little better. When

Photo by Sheri Bayne

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he came out of the hospital he wanted to write an album based on his experiences. He had a pool house and he would talk about the characters in the sanitarium. A total confession, sober, but not fully armed to fight them and he came into contact with cocaine. He thought he quit drinking so it was okay, he could do a little, but he wound up losing 20 lbs and sunk into an abyss worse than the drinking.

They had a little girl and his wife was not so focused until it spiraled out of control. She was raising his daughter, but was powerless, so she begun divorce proceedings and moved to Chicago. He blamed it all on his success, on Alice, and on himself. He was up for three days with a rock the size of a baseball and a gun, with his wife Sheryl’s dresses all around the windows so no one could look in and see what he had turned into. His eyes were bleeding. He had that one second of “what sanity are you living in?”. He flushed the rock down the toilet , went to bed, and slept for 14 hours. When he

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woke up, the sun was shining and he decided that he was going to either die right there or live. His parents picked him up and he went back to Phoenix, to start all over. His condition was bad. His parents fasted and prayed…

When he got out of the hospital, he called his wife, saying it was over, it was done and he had no more craving for drugs and alcohol. His wife said they would need counseling. God saved him. Vince did not know if he could become that Alice character again…After 5 years away he played Halloween on MTV in his hometown of Detroit, and he was terrified, not knowing if he could, since he never played him straight.

As soon as the band started, he finally figured out that character did not want to live in his world, he only wanted to be onstage, he didn’t want to be married or play golf, he just wanted to perform.. Alice could live as Alice, but now with a healthy Vincent! :

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I give this rockâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; documentary a 10! I thoroughly enjoyed how well it was put together, including old photos and actual footage, enlightening the audience deeply into the mind of what makes Vincent Furnier, aka Alice Cooper, tick, and how he came to be who he is today!

Alexxis Steele * drummer Neil Smith

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Brodian’s Banter There was a recent article about how Archie, in a new issue of Archie comics, gets shot and killed while defending his openly gay friend.

There was a recent article about how Archie, in a new issue of Archie Comics, gets shot and killed while defending his openly gay friend.

It used to be that you would only see references to things like homosexuality, guns and so forth in adult comic books the kind where you had to be over 18 to buy them.

Some would say this is typical of our troubled times. I could blame things like Hollywood and MTV, but actually, this isn’t anything new. Archie has been around since 1941.

Seven years earlier, Dick Tracy debuted and in the first strip he sees his fiancee’s father get shot to death by robbers.

It was the first time that anyone had been gunned to death in the funny papers.

But here again, it was typical of the times: Gangster movies were popular (Edward G. Robinson movies, the “Roaring Twenties” with James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart), people were reading about people such as John Dillinger, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, and the public was eating it up.

However, society moved on from that.

True, history repeated itself with the likes of the OJ Simpson car chase and trial, but it’s time to move away from all that.

For entertainment, I think people are getting tired of shock value and want to go back to being entertained. :

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Dreaming my Dreams with You

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Levitation Deviation

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Double Vision

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Life on Mars

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Imagine

Golden Pointes

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Dancing Queen

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Believe

Once upon a time...

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Is it worth the pain?

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Roxanne

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Sleepless Night

Poetry in Motion

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Tonight

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Review Section

CD Review - Annilator

by DarkOneSkip

ANNIHILATOR “Feast” (3 Disc Re-Release)

Well, my Metal-Head Friends...

One of my top 25 bands, Jeff Waters’ ANNHILATOR, after 13 years and several member changes, has released a new installment called “Feast”.

A CD / DVD combo is included in this release too, once again no disappointment as they always pound the heart and senses with an amazing CD, and what a buy, with great tracks like “Deadlock,No Surrender”, “Demon Code” and “Wrapped”. The nine all-new tracks are very impressive. The band I still consider underrated has given us great new tracks, all of which I was as always impressed with - I highly recommend getting this three-disc set.

“Feast” sold around 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Which, as always, sold better, sad for the US, but nevertheless, Jeff Waters and Annihilator are one of the biggest thrash bands to come out of Canada ever!!

When plans hit for this re-release and Jeff was asked what made him re-release “Feast” so quickly after its original release, he replied, “I guess a re-release usually happened if you have a big year like 10 years or whatever, but I think what really happened here was we had our deal for the record with UDR, they had a really great distributor with, I think it was EMI Records or something.

Everything was set to go, and we had the double-edged sword.

The issue was that on the day of release the label called and said we have some good news and some

bad news. I was like, “What’s the good?” They said, “Well, you’ve sold out!” And they made up more copies than the previous company made for the last album and we sold out with all the pre-sales before the release date.

So when the release date came on a Friday last year, I was like, “Woohoo, Great News”! The bad news was, they were having issues with the distributor, so they couldn’t make another batch.

Imagine that you have a record that most of the critics in Europe are liking and enjoying, the fans are loving it and it’s sold out, and has sold more copies than our previous records for many years, and all of a sudden no one can get it. So it wasn’t anywhere; unless you had pre-ordered it, it wasn’t for sale anywhere.

That sucked, but it wasn’t the label’s fault, it was just bad luck with the distributor, the label was really cool and got another distributor, but still so many people were saying they can’t get it, so the label said,” Why don’t we re-release this?” I thought it was a little late, but it means that people who want to get it - and I know there’s a lot of them - they can get it again.”

So now my friends, I say go out and get it! It’s in my eyes one of their best but I have always loved the band , so check out a few tracks on Youtube - if you love ANNIHILATOR you will definitely enjoy this !! :

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Also, their tour-dates for the moment are all overseas , we would love to see them on a full US tour. Here at STEEL NOTES, we are starting a “REQUEST ANNIHILATOR US TOUR”.

Join us here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/761257593897074/?context=create&source=49

Read more at:

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/annihilators-feast-to-be-re-released-with-bonus-dvd/#rgUFWwIXgbdhETss.99

Bonus Disc: “Re-Kill (best-of, re-recorded in 2012)” 01. Fun Palace 02. Alison Hell 03. King Of The Kill 04. Never, Neverland 05. Set The World On Fire 06. Welcome To Your Death W.T.Y.D. 07. No Zone 08. Bloodbath 09. 21 10. Stonewall 11. Ultra Motion 12. Time Bomb 13. Refresh The Demon 14. Word Salad 15. Brain Dance

The new & re-release of “Feast” includes : 01. Deadlock 02. No Way Out 03. Smear Campaign 04. No Surrender 05. Wrapped 06. Perfect Angel Eyes 07. Demon Code 08. Fight The World 09. One Falls, Two Rise

Bonus DVD filmed live at Wacken Open Air 2013: 01. Smear Campaign 02. King Of The Kill 03. No Way Out 04. Clown Parade 05. Set The World On Fire 06. W.T.Y.D. 07. Fun Palace 08. I Am In Command 09. No Zone 10. Fiasco 11. Alison Hell

Summer shows, all overseas: We pray they finally do a US Tour.

2014 ANNIHILATOR dates announced (and more coming!)

06.06.2014 SWE Sölvesborg Sweden Rock Festival 08.06.2014 GER Gelsenkirchen Rock Hard Festival 14.06.2014 GER Weismain Legacy Open Air 20.06.2014 NED Dokkum Dokkem Open Air 22.06.2014 FRA Clisson Hellfest 27.06.2014 BEL Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting 28.06.2014 TCH Spálené Porící Basin Fire Fest 18.07.2014 GER Neukirchen-Vluyn Dong Open Air 20.07.2014 ITA Bari Total Metalfest 08.08.2014 ESP Villena Leyendas del Rock Festival 09.08.2014 POR Quinta do Ega, Vagos, Vagos Open Air

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Review Section

Concert Review - Boyz To Men The boyz are back in town!

by Drama D

Known for their soulful and meaningful ballads , boyz to men tore up the stage at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem, PA. Before opening the show, the crowd was getting some background knowledge on the boyz, including clips from past performances on the big screen.

Baratone Nathan Morris founded of the group in 1988.There were four other members of the group - Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris, who are still currently with Boy to men, Michael McCary, who had to leave the band due to health issues, and Marc Nelson, who’s no longer with the band either. At show time they start off with a bang - “ Music is my everything” - and the romantic ballad “ Down on bender knee” . After thanking the crowd for their years’ long support, they then put on a blast-from-the-past performance of some of motor a greatest artist’s hits such as the Four Tops’ “Melody” and “Same Old Song” along with “I’ll be there”. Boyz to men also did an amazing job covering Journey’s “Open Arms” and Lonestar’s “Amazed by you”. The arena-crowd was singing along the whole night. During a brief pause onstage , Wanya explained how they felt like uncles to the 90’s babies and beyond.

The ladies went crazy when they performed “Water runs dry” and “End of the Road”, which are two of many classics from the boyz.

Recently they accomplished what every artist or entertainer dreams of, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Well deserved! Throwing roses to the screaming fans was a pleasant surprise, showing they were true gentlemen. They ended the night with “Motown Philly”, and the place roared! If ever you are in Las Vegas you should check them out, they will not be hard to find, since they perform there every weekend . One of the best concerts I’ve been to!

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Review Section

Concert Review - Maxwell MAXWELL REVIEW - SANDS SUMMER SOULSTICE TOUR JULY 16th, 2014

By Vera Ferrara-Rone Maxwell, born Gerald Maxwell Rivera on May 23rd, 1973, in Brooklyn, NY is a Grammy-Award winning American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist of the later 1990s. His first album, “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite”, was released in 1996.

Maxwell, looking suave and sexy in a black suit and tie, opened the nearly sold-out show at the Sands in Bethlehem, Pa with “Sumthin Sumthin”. The 13-song concert proved that Maxwell’s voice is still absolutely, unequivocally, amazing. His famous falsetto is still clear, with a range that is pitch-perfect and sends chills up your spine.

Maxwell and his 6 man band rocked the house with most of his top songs. He was humble and thanked the fans with quips like “I’m so blown away by the love”. He joked that he “feels like Justin Bieber, except I’m black”.

Before singing his most successful single “ Fortunate”, Maxwell stated to the mostly female audience that “all I want to do is let you know how fortunate I am because of you”. Maxwell remains to be the most authentic, sincere, genuine artist I have known.

The stage lighting and back drop screen behind Maxwell were amazing. Each song was highlighted with images on

the screen like bubbles, feathers, fire and women. With a variety of colors, the stage looked fabulous.

With Kate Bush’s taped voice, along with the backdrop adorned with images of women, Maxwell sang “This Woman’s Work”, the famous song written and performed orginally by Kate Bush about an unexpected crisis during normal childbirth. The outcome is never stated and that alone brings tears to almost everyone’s eyes.

Maxwell sang his duet with Alicia Keys “Fire We Make”, with Alicia seductively performing her part on a screen behind Maxwell.

Although Maxwell did not sing his songs in their entirety, he made up for the snippets of his songs with his interactions with the audience and his moving across the stage. He did say he will be releasing another album in the near future.

The surprising first encore had the audience on their feet singing the song “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)”, while Maxwell danced and did a full split to the delight of the crowd.

Maxwell did a second encore featuring his Grammy-Award song “Pretty Wings” and introduced his band.

All in all an amazing concert. I just hope it won’t be another five years until we see and hear from Maxwell again.

SONG LIST Sumthin Sumthin Get to Know Ya BadHabits Stop the World Cold Lifetime This Woman’s Work Fire we Make Fistful of Tears Fortunate Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) Pretty Wings Steel Notes Magazine | 65

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Positively Energized

by Scott Brandon

Scott Brandon

POSITIVELY ENERGIZED….

WITH REDWOOD

Leo “Pookie” Klein III of the band Redwood was

kind enough to take some time to give me some insight into this new local reggae sensation, that has already been raising the attendance (and sales) of Lehigh Valley pubs and clubs.

Leo’s dad played with some of the biggest names of the fondly-termed “Rock & Roll Era” like The Brooklyn Bridge and The Crests (both led by Johnny Maestro); The Coasters; The Drifters; The Marvelettes; The Shirelles; and more.

With such direct influence from some of music’s most legendary performers, Leo’s passion for music grew. During rehearsal or recording sessions while the band took a break, Leo would grab the drummer’s sticks and start playing. Leo recalls, “Sometimes it would be for two minutes. Other times I got away with half an hour.”

But Leo didn’t put his passion to use right away. “I didn’t get my first drum set until I was about 19, and it wasn’t that good of a set”, Leo tells.

He further explains how he got a better set of drums at age 25, and that is when he really started to pursue his music passion.

In March of 2010, Leo joined a band called The Secret System, who opened for Blue Oyster Cult at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pa back in December 2013. They were also finalists in the 2013 Backyard bands competition, and enjoyed some TV coverage on The Steel. Personal commitments for all band members started getting in the way of rehearsals, etc. So, in early 2014, The Secret System amicably parted ways.

While he was playing with The Secret System, Leo was also continually doing other side gigs. He reflects, “I worked with a classic country/western band. I would do some

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classic rock and blues and whatever called. Secret System was great creative fun, but I wasn’t getting that rush from playing in front of people. So I was always doing extra work.” He continues, “I decided to start my own thing, and I wanted to do some (for lack of a better description) that real groovy late 70s to early 80s AM soft rock. If you listen to that stuff, the bass lines are so cool and funky. They always have great drum sound.”

Derek is Redwood’s bass player. He and Leo clicked immediately, and started weekly rehearsals soon after meeting. Lead singer Chris is a former member of reggae band Tribal City All-Stars, as is guitar player Bill.

These four talented men have been looking for the chance to perform together for quite some time, and (minus Chris, who had a previous commitment) their first jam session together in early January perfectly gelled. Their next session, which included Chris, was even better, Leo relates.

Each member of Redwood has some very cool ideas for original material, and they are planning to record an album in the near future. “We all think that we (individually and collectively) are pretty top notch musicians in our own right”, Leo explains. He goes on to say they are planning their debut album to be 60% original material, with about 40% being cover songs. If everything goes as well as Leo hopes, he says, they will begin work on the album this coming winter.

The members of Redwood encourage each other to maintain their own musical interests outside of the band. Leo elaborates, “Chris is a reggae DJ, while Derek and Bill are in other bands as well. But we are all very tied to Redwood.

It’s a heart thing. There’s a good friendship going on here.

It’s special.” :

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Leo Klein III on drums

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Calling Karma WEW

by Karen Best Photos by Karen Best

Color Fun Fest 5k at Coca Cola Park Allentown, Pa. July 12, 2014 \\

The Color Fun Fest is a color filled

5k run

with EDM music and lots of

fun fitness and night family friendly 5k races. Color Fun Fest 5K is an color! It brings and together for the first time with both day

all ages event, Kids 12 and under run for FREE , (with adult supervision.) The festival is free for spectators, and costumes are encouraged, which we got to see plenty of the day of the event. Originating in California and now based in Texas, this enthusiastic group of people have been in charge of traveling across country doing these events since November, but the organization has been around since 2011, says Jessica Waffles the person in charge of Public Relations for the Color Fun Fest.

Each run donates a portion of proceeds to a local non-profit charity. They work with Free Arts for Abused Children, a nonprofit organization that gives children that have suffered adversity a chance to express themselves through art. Another organization they are involved with is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;HopeKidsâ&#x20AC;?, a non profit that helps the families of children with life-threatening medical conditions find hope and enjoy life with a loving and supportive community of compassionate people.

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With over 6000 registered runners expected as of 2pm the day of the event, 1000 + registered for the day run, we | July 2014 were in for a steelnotesmagazine.com very colorful day.

What to expect when you run: Every kilometer they have a station that throws a different color on you and at the very end there is a massive finish-line celebration with colors flying everywhere. Pretty much, it looks like a rainbow fell onto the earth. Throughout the day there were people every- where opening packets of color and dumping them all over each other. Children were rolling on the ground trying to cover themselves in the excess color. At one point I saw a little girl on the ground trying to cover her stuffed bear in the color and her friends joined in to help her.

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hile day started turning into night, big colorful clouds of vibrant food - grade cornstarch engulfed the stage as they got the participants pumped up for the night run and EDM music pulsed through the sound system... The devoted event coordinators and volunteers really brought enthusiasm as handfuls of color packets went flying through the air into the crowd. All in all its a colorful fun experience for the whole family.. If you are considering participating or volunteering in the next Color Fun Fest 5k coming to your area you can register online @ www.colorfunfest5k.com :

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Marlowe B. West Takez Manhattan!

Interviewz

Paul Zone

Okay ... Now we are in the zone .. . For real ...

Anyone who is anyone already knows about my next guest on MARLOWE B. WEST TAKEZ MANHATTAN ... That sexy hunk from Downtown Punkzville ... Mr. Paul Zone ...To keep this topic up in the tropics ... Lets start out with “Male Stripper” ... Gimme what you got ... Let’s make ‘em sweat ... Where did this mop-upthe-dance floor mega hit come from ??? ...

Paul Zone: It was written by my brother Miki in 1983 and we did a demo of it back then with producer Bobby Orlando (the Flirts, Divine, Bobby ‘O’). We were in the process of changing from a punk/pop band named The Fast to an electronic duo named Man 2 Man. We never fully produced it to be released and later reworked it and asked Man Parrish to co-produce it with us as a b-side to a 12” single called “All Men Are Beasts” by Man 2 Man. “Male Stripper” became the #1 biggest selling dance/club record in the UK in 1986 and in 1987 hit the pop charts for 10 weeks and peaked at #4 on Top of the Pops. It went on to chart through out Europe, Australia, South America, Canada and South Africa.

Marlowe B. West: Always living in the fast lane ... Will you please excite my readers with some juicy stories about that sizzling, and most innovating, band of yours back in the mid 70’s ...

The Fast ??? ...

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PZ: My brothers Miki & Mandy formed The Fast in 1970 and were a local band in Brooklyn at high school dances, block parties and cover band clubs. By 1973 they moved across the river to Manhattan and joined the Glam/Glitter rock scene along side of the New York Dolls, Wayne County, Eric Emerson’s Magic Tramps, Harlots of 42nd st., the Brats & Kiss. By 1976 I had joined the Fast as lead singer with Miki on guitar & Mandy on synthesizer (we were the only band in NYC in the 70s with a synthesizer).

We had our debut at Max’s Kansas City and went on to release 2 LPs & 5 singles (“Kids Just Wanna Dance” voted one of the top 10 singles of 1977 in Spin magazine). We toured the US and Canada until 1982 when we abandoned the

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name The Fast and formed Man 2 Man. MBW: I could live in the recording studio ... My favorite ... zone ... ha ! ... Could you share what is was like being the person working with mega hit producing guys from the Pet Shop Boys, Ric Ocasek of the Cars and my favorite, Man Parrish ??? ...

PZ: We always attracted interesting talented producers that wanted to work with us. Bobby Orlando (the Flirts, Divine, Bobby ‘O’) who had his first producers job working with the fast in 1976 for the Max’s Kansas City LP. Our song on that LP was the break out track that got released by CBS records in the UK. We would work on demos again in 1983 when we switched to Man 2 Man. Bobby Orlando work on 3 songs with us that were never released. One was Unisex Haircut that Miki and I with Man Parrish produced for New York personality singer John Sex. Then the early version of Male Stripper that was a slower funked Kraftwerk-ish type groove. The last demo with Bobby ‘O’ was ‘At The Gym’. Man 2 Man later released a new version

of ‘At The Gym’ with Village People producer/writer Jaques Moralli. The fantastic Richard Gotthrer (Blondie, Strangeloves, Go Go’s, Raveonettes) produced the first US fast single “Kids Just Wanna Dance”/“It’s Like Love”. Ric Ocasek of the Cars produced 5 tracks for the first Fast LP “The Fast For Sale”. Electro wiz Man Parrish co-produced no less then a half dozen Man 2 Man 12” singles including, Male Stripper, I Need A Man, Energy Is Eurobeat, Sex Symbol, Swinging on A Star & Do Ya Wanna Funk that was released under the name Zone Bros.

Martin Bisi co-produced the first Man 2 Man single “Hottest of the Hot” that went to #1 in Mexico.

Ian North from the bands Milk ‘n’ Cookies, Neo co-produced the second Fast LP “Leatherboys From The Asphalt Jungle”, singles B. Movies / Cars Crash Moontan / Love Is Like An Itchin In My Heart & a dance/club cover version of Walk Like A Man that Divine’s label heard the demo for when we were shopping it in England and before we knew it, they took our production, re-produced it as Divine’s new UK single that went top 20 in the UK before we had

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a chance to release it.

MBW: What was it like touring ... or ... doing shows with such iconic underground sensations like Sylvester and Divine ... I used to take the Midnight Special flights from Hollywood to San Francisco and end up staying in their townhouse ... with my beautifully avante garde friends Sylvester and The Cockettes ... when they were trashing fashion and music ... They’d put on the most horrendous and beyond entertaining shows ... I remember when Sylvester came out from under piles of glitter and feather boas and sing ... I was stunned ... This was no joke ... Sylvester was a serious star with a powerful and exhilaratingly mind blowing voice that called out to the gods ... What’s your opinion, Paul ??? ...

PZ: Well it wasn’t as exciting as it should have or could have been. It was down in Mexico and we were on a few stadium type shows that had a few acts on the bill including the Flirts and other HI NRG artists that were popular in the mid 80s. It was our first big record after the fast and we had a #1 record in Mexico called “Hottest Of The Hot” so we were flying high at the time.

MBW: I think I speak for all of us when I say “I would all love to hear about your highest, happiest, most thrilling experiences, so far, doing shows here and in Europe” ...

What do you say ??? ...

PZ: The Tours in the UK in 1985 & 1986 were fun due to our records being the top tracks through out the gay clubs in England & Scotland so we were really having wild fun every night. When Male Stripper, Energy is Eurobeat, I Need A Man, Who Knows What Evil & At The Gym were on the pop charts Man 2 Man were book 90% of the time in straight clubs, needless to say those clubs over run by gay as well as straight, trans, bi, drag and what ever else anyone wanted to be that night.

MBW: I worked and played at Max’s ... Donna Destri and Peter Crowley were running the place ... Let’s hear your version ... What was it like playing at Max’s ??? ...

PZ: Max’s was our club, we were managed by the owners for a couple years at their peak, 76, 77, 78. You can just imagine. Not only being the house band but the co artist on mostly everyone’s debut shows and there after shows.

The NY debut for B52’s, Eddie and the Hotrods, The Troggs, uncountable shows with the Cramps, Suicide, Blondie, Mumps, Heartbreakers, Dolls, Ramones, Television, etc…

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MBW: The boundary breaking photographs I’ve seen of you modeling punk fashion with Natasha Adonzio ... with that St. Marks, East Village attitude ... capture a killer moment ...

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When the whole mood, and feel, of music and style ... emanating from the streets ... became the New York Underground ... Before that everything had sort of mellowed out ... Like everyday rock and roll ... Now the nerve was exposed and sex made the front page ... How did you fall into that scene like the moment it cracked the surface ??? ...

PZ: Didn’t really fall into the scene. The scene fell into place and my brothers and I just happened to be there already as a part of it.

and with you being, obviously, such a sought after celebrity there ... makes me wonder how you ever possibly managed to survive ... Most of the regulars are even gone by now ??? ...

PZ: These clubs were coming of age after the original max’s/cbgb era and just as Miki and I were yet again changing and developing in music & style.

Our first performances as a duo were at S.N.A.F.U. Pyramid and Mudd club in 82 & 83. By the end of 83 and through out 84, 85 & 86 we moved from the smaller indie clubs and started singing with backing tracks produced stronger and marketed to the audiences at the Funhouse Disco, the Saint and Limelight.

MBW: Yaa ... Natasha’s designs are still sexy and shocking ... I recently saw some she made being worn by Debbie Harry of Blondie ... To die ... You had to know Stephen Sprouse ... He lived upstairs from Debbie down on Bowery ... He dressed her a MBW: So now I am happy to see you have surfaced lot too ... and was always doing photo shoots there with Gallery Showings of your ground breaking ... He was a good friend of mine ... photographs... I just went a few Met him when I was in Jobriath’s weeks ago to see Chris Stein and Max’s was our band ... Stephen brought boxes Debbie Harry at the Morrison Gallery club, we were of garments ... Cast-offs from with their fantastic exhibit ... It was Halston’s fashion shows ... I still managed by the so exciting when Debbie showed up have a grey loose knit floor length ... looking glamorous surrounded by owners for a gown I used to lounge in ... that security and paparazzi ... and back falls straight down to the floor with couple years at a few months I went to see Leee a deep scoop neckline and a shawlChilders exhibit of Andy Warhol’s their peak, like draping that can be worn as a only play “Pulling Pork” photos ...

76, 77, 78. hood or not ... The fabric reminds Leee never showed up and it is so me of a mesh ... like something a dreadful that he has since gone on You can just knight wears under his armor ... to eternity ... leaving us all behind ... imagine.

What’s your opinion of fashion in Love that guy ... Tell us about “Paul that era ... as opposed to present Zone” The New York Underground day style ??? ...

Scene - from 1972 - 1977 --- Give us an update on these events ... Where and When ??? ...

PZ: Fashion, like music and art are always and will always be taken from past influence of that same or PZ: My first gallery show and book signing for my different parts of culture. It’s like the whole capture new book Playground: Growing Up In The New in a bottle of lightning thing. No matter how much York Underground was June 28th in Los Angeles you plan it, it just has to catch on or not. In my book and runs to July 31st. Major Cities gallery shows I make a point to showcase in photos or text people and book signings through out the US will follow that “made it” or not because to me they were very into 2015. Gallery shows with my photos will go up important to the scene and everyone was influencway after I’m long gone I’m sure. I have had these ing each other. photos under wraps for the last 40 years and now they are out there and they will be seen worldwide.

MBW: In the 80’s New York City was bursting with These are important photos of a lost in between hot spots and you were part of the wild entertaintime when glam/glitter rock was morphing into ment the masses flocked to see in clubs such as the beginnings of Punk. Not many amazing musical Harrahs, S.N.A.F.U., The Pyramid, The Mudd Club, changes come that are turning points in history and The Fun House, Limelight and The Saint ... Knowing I’m happy I was there to capture in photographs the kind of partying that went on in these places ... and put down in writing what it was like.:

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Roman’s Rant

“The Beatles?

Who Are They?”

D

“No”, said James

o you know who The Beatles are? , a 16 year old guitar student. James is a good guitarist. Plays bass as well, and dabbles in 7- and 8-string guitar theory. He can tell you about every variety of metal, djent, groups like Black Veil Brides (hates ‘em) and Animals as Leaders (likes ‘em.) Oh, YOU don’t know who THEY are?

Hmmm, I see an interesting dichot-

omy here. Were you in disbelief when you read that opening sentence “who are The Beatles?” How do you not know who THEY are? Or the Rolling Stones, The Who, or Hendrix? Yet I get guitar students on a regular basis who really don’t know. To be fair, I have plenty of students who DO know these Founding Fathers of Rock, they have been exposed to this fundamental Old Testament of Music through their great, wise, village elders (their parents).

Well, of course there’s the radio, so how can you NOT have heard these groups?

They’re on the radio all the time! I can’t avoid them for the life of me! The answer is simply that James doesn’t listen to the radio. I do. WE do. People with CARS. People with cars who can’t afford “satellite radio.”

I listen to the radio going to and from jobs, or shopping or whatever, but a kid puts on his headphones while YOU drive. They are not listening to the radio.

What!?! No radio? Life without music?

Hey, that doesn’t mean they’re in a cave, completely void of social media and Facebook. Nope, the kids are listening to music on their iPad, iPhone, iBall, iTwo-Way Radio Wristwatch...whatever. And playing a

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video game at the same time. And there are thousands of bands out there that you and I (and they) have never heard. For every few kids with a lap top, there’s a new band, genre, and game. And record label?

anymore. It’s all out there for the picking. It’s ALL available to ANYONE at ANYTIME ANYWHERE.

Back to our misguided youth. So they didn’t come across the Beatles in their search for a musical genre based on Keyword: Gothic, Satan Inspired You don’t even need to have a band if you have a Transsexual Cross-Dressing 8-String Guitar bands. It computer and who doesn’t have one of those? (Oh doesn’t mean they’re wasting their time. They are yeah, my great, wise, ancient elders.) You can invent finding stuff that I won’t find, or at least look for a virtual band, record label (I have one!), package it, (hmmmm....maybe I will do a “search” on those sell it, promote it on You Tube, get the “hit”-countkeywords.) But all of it shapes and forms the future, er racking up the “views”, all from your bedroom the new young lions, the new creativity, maybe the when your parents aren’t looking. “What are you next “big thing.” It will blend all kinds of styles and doing up there, ideas, creating young man?” “I’m something doing my hometotally new... work, Mom!” like that Man, if you do it Hendrix guy. A right, your mom new genre, a will be yelling to new approch you in your room, to a standard, “James, there’s homogenized some Label Guy popular style or something just ripe for here to see you!” defying twisting Wait, what am I and re-shaping. saying! The “Label Hey, I use a Guy” would never “tablet.” And, come to your in my opinion, mom’s door, to not be online he’d send you an with the interemail. Does your net is like saying kid have a suspiyou don’t ciously lucrative need a phone.

Pay Pal account?

I mean, as a The point is, musician, I have bands and their to be aware of music can be as stuff. Ideally evprolific as spam erything. I can’t and junk mail now. Not that there wasn’t a lot of even keep up with all of it, so I pick and choose, but bad or failing attempts of bands in my youth, but I technically there’s is no reason for a musician to didn’t ever see them. And I had no way of finding NOT know any song and chord chart that someone them. Believe me, I was one of them, and nobody might request. After all, you can search and obtain saw or heard us outside of the garage. Now there’s the lyrics, charts, even a video and video lesson with the Internet, and you can find anything. It makes your phone. me laugh when my “elders” tell me they have some There are many advantages. I saw a cover band “rare” version of a Hendrix tune or something, playing one night and each member, including because they got it in their local farmers market the drummer, had a tablet in front of them. On it Record & Video store and they never saw it before.

I hate to tell them that there are no “bootleg” gems were the songs in the set list in proper order. Any

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changes made by the bandleader would automatically take place on each of their tablets. They went through the sets, swiping away song after song.

No big book with other players straining to see. No sloppy papers falling off the music stand. No music stand light, the tablets are back lit.

It’s the state of technology today. There are whole Fakebooks available for your tablet, complete with backing tracks and auto scroll, key changing options, etc. My only real complaint is that the technology is moving so rapidly I can’t update fast enough. For one thing, I can’t afford it. For another thing, I’m turning into an elder statesman myself.

I find myself saying “back when I was first learning...” and crap like that, like the Old Geezers say.

About 10 years ago, 2000-something, many a student asked me to teach them Guns ‘N Roses hits. OK, I understand that. Less frequently, but much to my pleasant surprise, a Black Sabbath tune.

Impressive. Then a kid comes in and wants to learn “Search And Destroy” by Iggy and The Stooges.

What the ??? I had to know! “How do you know about The Stooges!?” A Dad ,OG, was my guess.

“Guitar Hero” was the reply. A video game!

Today kids DO know the Beatles again (except for James, who just doesn’t want to, but it’s too late, I already told him they exist.) Why the new “Beatles Awareness?” Because it’s available on iTunes and as a video game. I suppose it doesn’t matter how you become aware, only that you are. It’s funny though. When I wear a Stooges T-shirt, people (even quite a few OG) think it refers to Moe, Larry, and Curly or they associate any Iggy Pop familiarity with a TV commercial.

Today kids

Oh no, another can of worms. There’s nothing wrong with Old Geezers (OG) in music. They represent experience, wisdom, pride, and history. They represent.......The Beatles!

So we are coming full circle now. There’s a history behind everything, and we learn from it. Even the most modern successful fashionor music-artist can tell you the roots they trace their inspiration back to. Many a pro has told me not to listen to (your favorite most successful current trendy artist here) and instead listen to who THEY listened to. And with the state of the World Wide Web literally at out fingertips that’s easy to do. It’s so easy, there’s still no excuse for not knowing The Beatles. They weren’t one-hit wonders.

DO know The Beatles

again

So is it OG Dinosaur “I met one of the Beatles” Jurassic Park, or is it “I have one million hits/views/ friends/sales (pick one) on You Tube” Virtual Reality Chat Room? Maybe another student’s experience can help us find a happy medium and illustrate the advantage of both worlds:

In the end it’s a fact that technology changes and we are inspired or at least affected by it. And it doesn’t matter if you know The Dave Clark Five or Five Finger Death Punch, it’s all part of The Life. You don’t like your son listening to Death Metal? Or you don’t understand it? (Tip: you’re not supposed to.)

Your sweet young innocent daughter is digging Gangsta’ rap? It’ll be OK. It’s exposure to music and that’s what counts. Most likely their tastes will change.

Hell, eventually it’s all going to be in a toothpaste commercial anyway, so if you don’t want to accept it, just go back to your big ‘ol round record player or turntable or whatever you call that dusty, awkward looking thing. Damn, get the “app” for that! :

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Poetry Corner - with Puma Perl The Mermaid Parade: Thoughts, Poems and Pictures I used to watch the Mermaid Parade from the roof of Cha Cha’s on the Boardwalk, when it was around.

Eventually, I joined my former partner, Big Mike, a widely known parade fixture, in reenacting the classical mythological themes he would come up. One of his greatest sources of pride is that he won “Best Neptune” for his conception of the Rape of Europa, in which he starred as the White Bull Avatar of Zeus, wearing white body paint and a long gray foam rubber horn as a penis. Naturally there was a beautiful, nude woman on each arm. He is partial to water based themes, and in the past we have appeared as Beowulf and Grendel’s mother, and Zeus and Persephone. This year, he was campaigning for costumes representing the Greek underworld which involved himself as Odysseus and me as some sort of horse that brought him there. This is where I drew the line.

“You will take a taxi to Hades,” I informed him, “and I will channel Travis Bickel. So that’s what we did.

Here are two poems about Mermaid Parades of the last couple of years. :

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The Best Day of the Year We hung out on the roof at Cha Cha’s, watching the Mermaid Parade.

“This is my favorite day of the year,” said Danny, snapping pictures with a camera recently lifted from the trunk of a Buick.

They need Mambo Mermaids I remarked, as Zombie Mermaids, and Vampire Mermaids, Gothic Mermaids, Punk Rock Mermaids sauntered by. He ignored me, entranced by glittery pasties and hundreds of tits.

I had met Danny at the Siren Festival.

“You can be my Coney Island Baby” was the first thing he told me, while the New York Dolls played.

We danced straight down Surf Avenue, all the way to Seagate where he rented a room from a bunch of rabbis.

We’d been together almost a year.

You don’t need calendars on the boardwalk, time is measured by cyclone screams, sideshows, and wooden horses, by two shadows on the sand, by memories of striped chairs, and thunderbolt rides.

We climbed down the stairs.

Danny tried to steal an antique car but nobody took him seriously.

Coney Island kids paraded in wigs left behind by drunken mermaids, who now littered the street, pasties lost, and breasts drooping.

“This is the best day of the year,” said Danny, as we drank warm beer and headed towards the after- parties.

We were never invited, but it was the best day of the year, and we weren’t worried about a thing.

Another Mermaid Parade

The route is longer My legs are older I am half green half blue Random photos show me waving a sword, looking serious all around me, the young girls laugh and sway, I am not a mermaid I’m a sea monster, Charybidis, turned from nymph to whirlpool I have no idea why I have a sword My parade partner paints himself blue and plays to the crowd, who shout and applaud, people are so easily amused he mutters from the side of his mouth as he bends over and they go wild over his little ass and big belly, more photos emerge, I’m patiently crossing my arms tapping my foot as he performs, his exuberance unhampered by my passivity, he spreads his arms wide, his cardboard crown glittering in his head, Odysseus to my Charybdis, our secret identities. I am retiring from the parade, despite several bottles of Benjamin Nye face paint and an unused wig languishing in my closet, despite the ideas generated by my sullen photos – Depressed Mermaids BiPolar Mermaids Prozac Floats Borderline Nymphs Schizoid Octopi Agoraphobic Flora Hysterical Fauna I’ll hide behind shades drag my feet stare at the ground hmmm never mind I’m not retiring after all I’m going out on psychiatric disability

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As seen on the April cover of Steel Notes: Natasha NYC Custom Designer clothes Now a specialty for Music and Movie Stars

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Chet Baker, Man or Myth or Both

Lovingly Remembered by Miss Ruth Young Baker Interview by Guido Colacci

GC Hi Ruth, my Dear, this a pleasure and a privilege for me.

RY Thank you Guido, the pleasure is truly mine.

GC Ruth, there’s a lot of myths and untruths and confusion about Chet concerning many areas of his life, death and what has become his legend. Some are true, some are often repeated tales that have become part of his truth and some are outright lies. I’d like to get to the truth of the matter. I know you were not with him in the beginning or the end, but I believe you were with him during the crucial years in between. It is said that when Chet went to an audition for Charlie Parker, he was hired on the spot and Charlie was rumored to have said to Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie: “You better look out, there’s a little white cat on the coast who’s gonna eat you up.”

RY Yes, that’s a true story. Chet was a natural and Charlie recognized that.

GC What did you know about Chet before you met him?

RY I knew him from an introduction by my parents, who listened to his music. ! I knew very little about him personally, but I was familiar with his music since I was 11 or 12 years old.

GC How did it finally come about that you met Chet?

RY I was out for the evening, and decided to drop by a club called the Half Note, I had been going there for quite sometime, I knew the entire family that ran the place. I was at the outer door where you can see everything inside.

I’m trying to get my bearings on what I’m seeing which is Chet sitting there playing the trumpet, in all of his glory and I was just stunned. Eventually we made eye contact. In hindsight it was one of those moments that was meant to be.

GC Do you remember the date or year this happened?

RY July 13, 1973 at 10:45 PM! GC Wow, that is quite a recollection, down to the minute. That was an historic gig for him.

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RY Yes it was, it was a moment that I will never forget.

GC I’m sure you’re aware, but for our readers who may not know the details, if I may, I’d like to give a little background. 3+ years earlier, Chet had been ! involved in a beating by a drug dealer and lost most of his teeth.

We know that for a trumpet player, that is the end of his playing days. Chet disproved this. He spent three years learning to play with false teeth., a very difficult and mostly impossible accomplishment. When he felt he was ready, he tried to get back into playing but so much had happened. His incarceration, his drug use, his unreliability to show up on time or at all and what many thought was his decline in ability to perform. But one man believed in Chet, one man stuck his neck out and gave Chet this second chance. It was Dizzy Gillespie that set up his gig at The Half Note Jazz Club, and ultimately his successful comeback.

RY Yes, Chet loved Dizzy and was forever grateful to him, as I was there at the precious beginning of his comeback, ironically he referred to me as “Ruth-a new beginning”

each other. We went upstairs to his dressing room and talked. He extended an invitation for me to come back and see him the next night. And I did.

GC I cannot imagine what it felt like, here was this man that from the age of 11 you admired, you felt an attraction for and there was this crush, and here he is and you finally actually meet and talk to him and he seems to be attracted to you. What did that feel like, that first night and then he even asked you to come back and see him.

RY It was an surrealistic experience. I certainly wanted to believe that it was all true and not some kind of fantasy. I was on cloud nine. Although I did have some reservations, I went back anyway. I was so taken by the moment that it seems more real now than it did that first night.

GC So, you went back the next night at his invitation, and you watched him play, and I guess he joined you between sets,.

RY I watched him play and went to the dressing room between sets.

GC How old was Chet by this time?

GC So you met in 1973 and after that you just stayed together.

RY He was 42 and I was 21. I went to the bar and we continued to make eye contact with one another.! He finished his set and he came directly to me. It was as if we had already known

RY Basically from the next evening on we became inseparable. He chose not to tell me about his personal life, he had a wife and children in California. I realized now that had I known about that there would not have

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GC Did he have any heroes or personal favorites?

RY Yes, one was Jack Teagarden who played the trombone.

GC Let’s see if we can clear up some of the myths about Chet Baker. People have stated that he was a drug addict as far back as the fifties. Do you know when Chet began using drugs?

RY They were right about the fifties, he was 27. He was very adamant in making me understand about the addiction, when it started, how it started.

GC Did he ever mention why he started?

been any relationship between us. He began living in my apartment in NY. In all the years and all the other women, he never officially divorced his wife. He sought a divorce, but was not granted one and he made the decision to just live with me.

GC So what happened next, where did he play next?

RY I believe it was a small club in Long Island called The Town Crier.

GC So how long were you together with Chet?

RY All in all we were together for about ten years.

GC Did you feel like you were a muse to Chet?

RY To a certain extent, yes. He always made me feel very special and needed, like a partner or best friend.

GC Did Chet ever explain to you about his style, how he became interested in Jazz? He clearly felt what he played, even when he sang, he had a way about him that made !you feel what he was feeling. Did he ever explain where that came from for him?

RY He felt very, very fortunate to have this talent, it seemed to come natural to him, instinctually. It started when he was my age, as a young boy he’d listen to the radio. He became determined to follow this path that affected him very early on.

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RY Yes, when Chet was with his first band that he took to Europe, he was without Jerry Mulligan. Dick Twardzik was a very young piano player, he was 24 years old and Chet adored him. They had a recording date coming up and he never made it to the session, he was found dead in his hotel room in Paris from a drug overdose. Chet did not know how to cope with this, he felt accountable, and was overcome with grief.

Although Chet was already dabbling with drugs before this, he began using drugs much more right after that.

GC Let’s demystify another myth that Chet could not read nor write music.

RY That’s not true, he was able to do both although not proficiently. Most of what Chet did, he did instinctively and he had a great ear. He could play anything, as long as he knew what note to start on. He couldn’t tell you what chords he was playing, but he always played them beautifully.

GC That is amazing… Let’s talk a little about Chet’s style the white T-shirt white socks almost a James Dean kind of look. Was that something he established himself, that California Cool jazz style?

RY That was pure Chet, nobody ever taught him how to put on a white T-shirt.

GC And don’t forget a wonderful hairstyle.

RY Yes, that too. He was a nice looking guy and he did not take himself too seriously, he had a simple approach to everything which included his white T-shirt and jeans. He had a wonderfully unassuming personality, he was a sensual guy with a much more genuine portrait than someone like Elvis Presley.

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RY Well, once he had the endorsement of Charlie Parker and the acceptance by the jazz greats of the day, it did help him.

GC Chet was a bad business man, it was said he sold his music for a flat sum rather than future royalties and that he made a few “sell out” albums just for ‘drug money”.

GC I want to touch on one subject that intrigues me greatly Chet was probably one of the only jazz musicians that actually had a gay following, even though much of it was underground. He was looked at in the same way James Dean was perceived. It is also rumored that Chet did have a few gay experiences.

RY Yes, yes he did have a tremendous gay following although there was no relationship with any of them, and no gay experiences that he ever mentioned to me.

GC He came up with the idea of wanting to sing, and from my research everybody was against his singing but, he made an album anyway and it ended up becoming his biggest selling album. Why do you think there was such resistance to him singing?

RY It was thought that jazz players didn’t sing.

Serious jazz musicians or purists didn’t sing, it was considered a risky undertaking. I don’t think that to this day we’ve heard anybody sing and play like that. His performances were raw, real, never !contrived.

RY I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that was true. It’s not to say that he didn’t know what he was doing. In the earlier years he was much better but over time it became an issue. What I think you’re referring to is the latter years. In the latter years the focus was I need to get paid, and I need to get paid now. if I have to forgo something that’s fine. Unfortunately at that point I’m speaking about the drug habit, it became less of a priority to have a better business.

GC Yes, that’s what I meant and I agree with everything you said.

GC I was said that you couldn’t trust Chet, that he would steal whatever he could for money or not pay his people or short the members of the band so he could use the money for drugs.

RY That’s a good myth to demystify, he had a very high regard for his musicians. I can’t say that it never happened but he it avoided at all costs. He tried to make it as normal a situation as possible for the guys to get their money when it came time to pay them, which he did. Was he above holding back money if he was in

GC If you listen to Chet in the 50’s and you listen to him in 1988 he never lost that angelic presence, that purity, that ability to make you feel his voice and playing.

RY Chet never lost anything, he continued with that naked soul of his and he just never fell short. He was a genuine person unlike others who were more technically minded. Chet always said it’s just as important the notes you don’t play as the notes you do. He could be up in front of any number of people and he was always great and always himself.

GC He was considered by many as the great white hope of jazz.

RY Yes he was, and at the time race was a factor, sadly.

GC What I’m asking is, was the fact that he was a good looking white man hinder him or did that make it easier for him to break into the jazz world.

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really bad shape, unfortunately that did happen too.

GC Do you believe that if Chet didn’t have that fragile, angelic quality combined with his self destructive nature, some would almost call a almost death wish that he would not have had that great a following in his later years.

RY Yes, because without that, there wouldn’t be any extra mystique. To see just how far he had sunk and still play amazingly.

GC So you think people watched this beautiful young man deteriorate and turn into this old man before his time, and that helped to fuel a myth that he was really larger than life. I compare him to a couple of people who people watched deteriorate, and gain in popularity, like Lenny Bruce, Billy Holiday, Johnny Thunders. People would go to the shows always with a kind of blood lust for the train wreck to finally happen.

RY Yes, sadly it was a voyeurs paradise.

GC Ruth, you sent me a piece of film of Chet in one of his near to last performances, and it broke my heart to watch that. Here he is, singing with the same purity and soul that he always delivered and there is a member of the band who takes liberties with Chet’s song and is called out by Chet, mid song.

RY Did you ever see anyone on a stage when they had

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an altercation like that? You would have never have seen that if Chet was able to hire the right people to play with, but by that time he had to use what he could get. People were reluctant to play with him because of his drug habit and constantly being late, but on stage, Chet was always the consummate professional. You see Chet’s point about yelling at the guitar player about “stop playing with my life, my soul?” Something about the guy rolling his eyes and just brushing off Chet that was very sad. He was not even good enough to do his homework to be able to play up to speed. I’ve never seen anything like it. He kept trying to give everyone the message that Chet was the one who fucked up.

GC Can you mention this guitarists’ name?

RY Yeah, I’ve been quiet for a long time about this and I don’t want to be anymore. His name is Nicola Stilo.

GC Not much of a guitarist in my opinion. So sad and so unprofessional and even worse, he gets to use Chet even in death, as I’m sure that is the highlight of his résumé….

GC Why do you think that he was so accepted in Europe much more so than here?

RY I believe Europeans are more sophisticated, progressive and more ! appreciative of Jazz and Jazz musicians than American audiences. They ! consider them artists rather than musicians. They have more of an appreciation of Jazz and its history.

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GC I just want to add one observation, I believe at the time race may have been a factor, that the Europeans were willing to look past and we weren’t. I liken it to the British Invasion when America discovered The Blues through the bands that played it, like The Rolling Stones, The Animals and Eric Clapton just to name a few. And suddenly all these long forgotten Blues greats were resurrected and became popular here. Sad that we don’t appreciate what we have, and need others to point things out to us. He obviously found an incredible loyal and adoring following there.

RY Yes, a very astute observation and he was forever grateful for the way he was embraced there.

GC He was arrested in Italy for drugs and sentenced to 15 months in jail. Did he serve his entire sentence?

RY Yes he did.

GC You just mentioned something that I came across in my research a couple of times. Who got to call Chet “Chettie”? Was that something only those close to him got to use?

RY My understanding was that only a very few were permitted to call him that. But yes a lot of people also took license with that.

GC My first exposure to you, and it was an unforgettable one, was your appearance in the Bruce Webber film, “Let’s Get Lost”. You were captivating and enchanting, and you lit up the screen every moment you were on. As much as Chet tried to give Bruce what he wanted, Chet got yelled at for being too real. Do you think that film was an accurate representation of Chet and his life? To me it was one big mess of a collage filmed and edited out of any kind of sequence.

RY No, it was all according to what Bruce wanted.

GC Bruce paid for Chet’s funeral which turned out to be a circus between wife, kids and paramour.

RY Yes, in perfect step with Chet’s life. LOL GC Did you attend the funeral?

RY No, I did not. I remember Bruce telling me he didn’t think it was a good idea. Looking back at what happened, I am glad I wasn’t there.

GC Let me ask a question if I may. I know say too much sometimes. So Bruce paid for Chet’s funeral. Do you think he did this for his own economic reasons, since the movie was almost ready to be released in 1988 when Chet died, or do you think he had a genuine affection for Chet, and if Chet had lived would he have liked the movie?

RY As far as the first part of the question, I think it was a bit of both. As for the ! second part, Chet would have hated the movie. Bruce tried to show Chet as Bruce saw him, not as Chet really was.

GC Let me ask you about your singing with Chet on “Autumn Leaves”, which I have to say, is the definitive version of this standard as far as I am concerned. I have

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GC Why was My Funny Valentine considered Chet’s theme song?

RY It is in fact a great story. My Funny Valentine was written by Rogers and Hart for the 1937 Broadway musical, Babes In Arms. Gerry Mulligan was offered the tune to try to give it some new life. He started playing it with Chet throughout their 11 month association and and the reaction was just magical. By the time they parted Chet had decided to keep it in his repertoire where it again took on a new life and became a standard and the rest is history. It was a song for both of them but Chet took it for his own. heard Sinatra, Bennett, Cole, Doris Day and even Eric Clapton sing it and they don’t even come close to you and Chet.

GC He certainly did…

RY Thank you Guido.

GC So let’s talk about the end of his career, do you know anything about his relationship with Elvis Costello?

I know that Elvis did perform with Chet.

GC Well its the truth. It is as if you were born to sing that with him, an absolutely inspired and divine duet that flows so seamlessly between you and he as if you are of one soul.

RY There was not much of a relationship as far as I knew other than a mutual ! respect. And Chet took Elvis’ song Almost Blue, and again made another song his own.

RY He was magical.

GC I agree, it seems once Chet did a song, it became “His” regardless of who else wrote it or sang it. Do you think that this was beneficial to Chet in that it introduced him to a whole generation of people that had probably never heard of him.

GC You both were.

RY It was an odd album. Not a well known and didn’t take off.

GC Yes, the album was entitled “The Incredible Chet Baker Plays and Sings recorded in 1977.”

GC So when you sang on the 1977 album with him you didn’t sing on the whole album you only sang a couple of songs.

RY Only one or two, and that was at Chet’s insistence that I sing on the record whether I liked it or not. I was ultra sensitive about my ability but he was positive I would be great bless his heart.

GC And he was right. Autumn Leaves is an absolute masterpiece. You can’t listen to that version of the song and not be moved.

RY I was very critical of my vocal performance, I was a nervous wreck about it. But it was exactly that vulnerability that gave it the edge. I’ve been unable to see that till the later years. I guess we were just in the moment together.

GC You certainly were.

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RY It was a crowning moment for Chet and anybody who didn’t know about him certainly knew of him now.

The fact that you could now mention Chet to people in their 20’s and they know of him is amazing to me.

GC I agree, he has become an Iconic figure, and I love that.

GC Let talk about his death for a moment. There’s a lot of questions surrounding Chet’s death. For example, there was no heroin found in his body, and the window in which he fell out of only opened 12 inches.

RY I don’t know about the toxicology report.

GC Okay, let’s disregard the toxicology report for a moment. From all my research the window that he supposedly fell out of, or was pushed out of, or jumped out of was only open 12 inches. I find it hard to believe that a man would slide out a window with that space unless you’re going to kill yourself or possibly somebody throws you out. I don’t believe that he nodded out and fell accidentally. So my question to you is do you think his death is an accident, a suicide or a homicide?

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RY Well, it’s certainly not a suicide, there is a potential for it to be an accident or a homicide. It’s very difficult for me to render an opinion on that.

GC Well it’s not a suicide and I find it hard to believe that someone could accidentally slide through a 12 inch opening. Everything about the death was not reported. They did not do a very thorough investigation, and his wife Carol had a lot to do with withholding information about the investigation. I remember reading somewhere in my research, he had a window sash in his hand when he was found on the ground. I have no way to confirm if that’s true or not, but that adds another element to the accident scenario. One thing I find odd is that it was Friday the 13th.

have stayed if I didn’t. I can’t believe you asked me that.

GC Let me rephrase the question, how much did you love Chet?

RY Well I would have to say that every time I’ve been asked that, my answer has remained unchanged. Chet was the greatest love of my life, I have never cared for anybody else, not to mention nothing or no one before and after !ever ! approached how much I loved Chet. Nothing ever came close to the relationship that I had with Chet.

GC Does ever a day go by that you don’t think of him?

GC Do you have any regrets?

RY Absolutely, I wished for us a better life, a longer life together.

apartment.

RY No, of course not. I haven’t been without a thought of Chet since the night I locked him out of the

GC Let me finish it off with this, did you love Chet?

GC When Chet passed away how much of you did Chet take with him?

RY Did I love Chet? Of course I loved him, I couldn’t

RY All of me…

:

I just have to add one small addendum to this interview. It was conducted by phone and throughout the interview which lasted almost 2 hours, it was a bittersweet journey for both Ruth and I. We laughed and sighed and towards the end we were both in tears remembering Chet, both the good and bad, the happy and sad times. The world will never see the likes of another Chet Baker, he was truly a once in a lifetime artist and man. He will live forever through his music and inspiration. I want to thank Miss Ruth Young Baker for her loving, candid and always honest responses to my questions. She is an amazing and talented woman in her own right and a very good friend who has graciously agreed to be interviewed in the September issue of Steel Note Magazine about her own comeback plans.

LONELY HEARTS and HOT RODS Series © Guido Colacci 2014

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Pictorial - Alison Krauss

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Tommy Ramone Passes

by Michael Dorn

Cancer claims the Life of Tommy Ramone On July 11th, Tommy Ramone died of bile duct cancer while in hospice care. When the news broke of Tommy Ramone’s death, I’m sure every Ramones fan felt the same. First there was shock, then disbelief, sadness, then finally the realization that the last surviving member of the Ramones has died. All four of the founding fathers of punk music are gone.

Born Erdélyi Tamás, in Budapest, Hungary, on January 29th 1952, Erdélyi moved to America with his parents when he was 4 years old. Growing up in Forest Hills, Queens, Erdélyi wanted to put together a band he could manage and produce. When the Ramones first came together, with Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee, it was Joey who was playing the drums. After realizing he couldn’t keep up with the speed of the songs, the band decided to make Joey the singer and audition drummers. “Tommy Ramone, who was managing us, finally had to sit down behind the drums, because nobody else wanted to,” Dee Dee later recalled. It was Tommy’s idea for everyone to use the last name Ramone because it showed a sense of unity.

Tommy is credited with writing I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend and, perhaps the bands most recognizable song, Blitzkrieg Bop. When asked if the rumor about the Hey Ho, Let’s Go chant was really inspired by the Bay City Rollers, Tommy said, “Saturday Night was a big hit at the time, and I thought it would be a good idea to have a chant. It worked for them”.

Tommy played on, and co-produced the band’s first three albums, Ramones, Leave Home, and Rocket to Russia, as well as their live album, It’s Alive. By 1978 Tommy decided he no longer wanted to tour with the band, and was replaced by Marky Ramone. However, he handled band management and co-production for their fourth album, Road to Ruin. He later returned to produce the band’s eighth album, Too Tough to Die. On October 8th 2004, Tommy played as a Ramone once again when he joined CJ Ramone, Daniel Rey, and Blondie drummer Clem Burke (who played 2 shows with the Ramones under the name Elvis Ramone) in the Ramones Beat Down On Cancer concert.

Today a clothing store stands at 315 Bowery, where punk was born, and all four of the original members of the Ramones are gone, truly marking the end of an era. :

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