Mr. Brand New Cadillac himself, Vince Taylor, who took his second-rate ’50s rocker act from England to France, throws down the gauntlet in this vibrant Scopitone!
His challenger is hometown favorite Johnny Hallyday, France’s answer to early rock ‘n roll, thereby tainting the man’s work with a possibly unfair third-rate status. See if Johnny’s got what it takes to steal a victory in this Mach Schaudown…after the jump!
Happy birthday, Brian!
You know me when it comes to post-1966 Beach Boys: I’ve had it with any further examinations of Brian Wilson’s psyche, the possibilities left hanging in the unfinished SMiLE album, and the occasional decent tracks found on the albums following Pet Sounds. What I want to know is what exactly was going on in the band proper during the period captured for posterity in this 1969 Paris performance.
Has anyone ever sat down with one of the band members and asked them to look back specifically at this period? Not in broad terms of them hitting a commercial nadir, because that’s only a set-up for the triumphant return to the charts with Mike Love’s “concept album,” Endless Summer. Not even in terms of the band having reached its cultural nadir of irrelevance, because that would also be an easy set up for them to talk about how Endless Summer aided in healing a nation torn apart by Vietnam, Watergate, etc. No, what I want to know is if anyone simply asked Carl or Al what was going through their minds when they looked over at Mike. What discussions led to everyone wearing white while still allowing more than enough rope for a certain band member to hang himself in his own sense of personal style? What went through Carl’s mind the first time he caught a glimpse of his fat ass in those tight white slacks? What defined “success” for the band during that awkward stretch? I want thought bubbles atop these performances!
These performances of stomping hits from their past and stomping would-be hits of their then-present is pretty noble and poignant, if you ask me. Much more so than the detrius that’s more commonly put under the rock-nerd microscope and dipped into the critical wishing well of hidden riches. Maybe following my week in Paris and brushing up on my barely remembered French the narration accompanying the following 1970 Paris show will answer some of my questions…after the jump! Continue reading »
Happy Fathers’ Day, dads in the Hall! Kidz, be good to Pops, today. Feel free to share you rock ‘n roll father stories, on the giving or receiving end. Cheers to Pops Staples, Paul Weller’s dad, and all other dads who’ve supported their kids playing music. Moms who have to do it alone get props today, too!
Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
In this week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In a still-delighted Mr. Moderator reflects on his recent visit to sammymaudlin in Los Angeles while he prepares for a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. The Bad Attitude Club begins to grate on his nerves as he reveals our most-recent Mystery Date.
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-33.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 33][Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]
Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/MysteryDate061711.mp3|titles=MysteryDate061711]Regrets never get old.
This post initially appeared 6/22/07.
Ever have a piece of sweet gear sitting right under your nose for a price so right you had to rub your eyes? Ever walk away without that piece of sweet gear, for whatever reason? Tell me about it. Then we’ll share a moment of silence.
Young James
I’ll bet young Jimbo wished he’d found this MILF (don’t worry: this story is safe for work) next to him in his childhood bed! Can’t blame his ghost for trying to get back to where he once belonged…or was it his ghost?
Mad props to the lurking Townsman who alerted us to this story!
