Rock photogs offer their wares on Backstagegallery.com
Longtime Detroit rock photographer Tom Weschler alerted me to Backstagegallery.com, a website where you can buy photos taken by concert photographers -- including Weschler. Including a photo he'd taken of me, backstage at Pine Knob in 1982 when John Mellencamp sort of roughly kissed me on the cheek. I'm OK with that, despite occasionally saying something cranky about John, I like his stuff more than I don't like it. I was editor of Creem when the photo was taken. As for the website, the photos are catalogued by subject (Bob Seger, Hall & Oates, etc.), photographer or genre. Photogs include Leni Sinclair, my former Creem colleague Charlie Auringer, John Rockwood, and -- full disclosure, a relative -- my brother, Big City Blues publisher Robert Whitall. It's a stark reminder that in the '70s, '80s, and even '90s, photographers were given way more access, and allowed to shoot longer at concerts, than they are today, when photogs get 30 seconds to shoot Madonna in concert. A photog named John Rockwood has some photos up of Bob Seger with Ted Nugent that I'd never seen, both in long-haired days. Music writers have had Rock's Back Pages as an online, pay archive of our past material, so I guess it's the photogs' turn now...
Mary Wilson at Supemes exhibit in London
Here in Detroit the Detroit Historical Museum hosted an exhibit of gowns worn by Motown's Supremes, mostly from the collection of Supreme Mary Wilson. The prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum in London is the site of an exhibit, "The Story of the Supremes," which runs through October and consists of Wilson's collection of dazzling Supremes gowns, ranging from simple sheaths to over the top psychedelic swirls, among other artifacts. The exhibit will go on to Blackpool and other English cities, then tour Europe for the next three years.
It sounds like something that would appeal mostly to fashion mavens and Motown freaks, but there's sociology going on here. The elaborate costumes were extremely important to Motown groups meant to cross over to club audiences, especially the top girl groups, and it gives you a peek at just how fabulous the fashionable creations are.
A film of Wilson being interviewed runs in the exhibit, and she says "I'm ready," responding to a question about a possible Supremes reunion.
Personal memory -- I went to the Victoria & Albert a lot when I was a student at the University of London in the '70s. As an English major I was fascinated by an elaborate shirt (more of a blouse really) belonging to the poet Lord Byron that was on exhibit and ...yes, despite the many prohibitions against touching, I surreptiously, softly, touched it. What can I say? I promise not to do it again when I go back...
We hear from Mrs. Al Martino
I'm in trouble thanks to Bob Dylan -- not every day that happens... David Was, the rascal, is right in the middle of this little rhubarb too. What happened: In my Was (Not Was) story that ran Friday, David Was related a story about being in the studio with partner Don Was, recording Bob Dylan. The punch line of the story was that after Dylan recorded a vocal that all believed he could probably improve upon, David somewhat teasingly told him, "Yeah Bob, there was something special in the air here tonight. I got the feeling, while you were singing, that had Al Martino walked in here, the two of you c ould have created a very special magic together." "Al Martino?" Dylan demanded. He said the name several times, then rather crypically remarked that Martino wouldn't walk into a room unless it had a ceiling fan. It took David several years to decode this insult, but he did, translating it as that the singer only played downmarket places ("toilets," in the vivid Was parlance) in Florida. Well, we heard from Mrs. Al Martino -- Judy -- who left an angry message about the remark on my voicemail Saturday. I was so startled that midway through her outraged mention of "toilets" I cut the messsage off by accident without hearing the rest. But I can well imagine that she went on at length about her displeasure. It's not every day that I can shift blame for something to Bob Dylan, but hey, I was the delivery agent for the line, nothing more! I like "Spanish Eyes" ...
Was (Not Was) in Detroit, 05/09/08
It's a shame the sound system at the Majestic makes it almost impossible to hear what Don Was was saying when he spoke at length between songs, but a happy if dance-phobic hometown crowd had a lot of fun Friday night. Numerous Was relatives, including David Was' mother Elizabeth, gathered in the Majestic Cafe before the show, for a familial dinner. Both David and Don table-hopped to greet friends. David had already tipped us off about one highlight of the show to come, so we were ready when Don spoke of how close we were to the site of the legendary Village Club (Alexandrine & Woodward)-- that led to his introduction of Mitch Ryder, who emerged to perform "Devil with the Blue Dress" with the band. This wasn't his customary rave-up version, but the slower, original version of the song, by Motown's Shorty Long.
Was (Not Was): The Early Years
Pre-Was (Not Was), Don Was fronted punk band The Traitors... Detroit rock photographer Thomas Weschler has this photo of Don with the traitors, from about 1978, taken in Madison Heights ..."city of love..."
Was (Not Was) Video Lalapalooza
Here it is, Was (Not Was)palooza ...from back in their MTV heyday, to more recent live clips.
First, "Walk the Dinosaur," including those cool old cartoon clips:
These guys made some great vids. Here's "Spy in the House of Love":
"Earth to Doris/Robot Girl."
Here's a live clip from last year, of "I Feel Better Than James Brown":
Stax-Volt in the house! Jamming on Otis Redding's "Can't Turn You Loose."
Much more recently, David and Don Was were interviewed by the BBC before appearing on the Later with Jools Holland Show.
'Marvin Gaye Live in Montreux 1980'
Not sure why, but it's painful to watch Marvin Gaye in his later years, as in the "Marvin Gaye Live in Montreux 1980" special Detroit Public Television/Channel 56 is airing right now, after the Marvin Gaye "American Masters" documentary.
He appears to be forcing himself to be the dazzling sex symbol onstage, when in fact he'd rather be in the studio.
He looked so much more at ease in the "American Masters" film wearing a knitted, ethnic cap and parka, playing around on the piano at the time he was collaborating in Detroit with the Funk Brothers on "What's Going On."
If you go to the Hard Rock Cafe in Detroit, you can see Marvin Gaye's address book, opened up to the "J"s, I believe, in a glass case. The guy left a lot of stuff behind in the Donovan, the now-demolished Motown Center building.
Memories of Marvin Gaye
On Wednesday night (9 p.m. on Detroit Public Television/Channel 56) PBS is premiering a documentary on Marvin Gaye's life that will evoke memories for many Detroiters, Motown colleagues and music fans - some great, some melancholy.
It's hard when you have to always insert a clause, "shot and killed by his father" in every mention of Gaye's life and times.
Maybe that's why I love to watch, and rewatch, a YouTube clip of Gaye's "Save the Children" performance outside in Chicago, featuring Funk Brothers such as James Jamerson on bass (see link below). You forget everything but Marvin's almost Zen-like immersion in his music when you watch.
Here's my Marvin Gaye story: When I was editor of Creem Magazine, I asked for an interview with him via Motown PR guy Bob Jones. Good news: The interview was on. Bad news: Bob told me under no circumstance should I do the interview. Why? Bob said Marvin tended to relate to female journalists as, well, females. He said it happened with photographers, writers ... "You won't get a story," he warned. "He'll just treat you like a girl."
Apparently there was a female photographer assigned to shoot photos of Marvin. Instead they disappeared for a lost weekend. No photos taken.
In retrospect, I can't believe I let Bob talk me out of it, but I did. I assigned the story to another Creem writer, the very estimable (and male) Ed Ward. Ed was flown to Los Angeles from wherever he was at the time to talk to Marvin. The next day an irate Ed called me to say he only got an hour with Marvin, and that there was no way he could write up that into a feature.
An hour with Marvin Gaye! Right now, to think of an hour talking to him ... I can't remember if Ed only got monosyllables out of him or what, but I know I didn't agree that an hour wasn't worth writing up. Disappointing to fly across the country for that, but, hey, write it up! I couldn't talk Ed into it. Any irritation I felt was long ago replaced by envy and now, humor. What I wouldn't give to have an unsatisfactory interview with Marvin Gaye! Alas, I made the wrong call.
Nicole Kidman as Dusty Springfield? Say it isn't so
London's Daily Mail reports Nicole Kidman will play '60s singer Dusty Springfield in a biopic of the late British songbird's life.
It's as if the only actress working in Hollywood today is Nicole Kidman; otherwise, how could a perfectly average actress (IMO) keep getting so many prime roles?
Didn't the producers see "Bewitched"? Or, more importantly, didn't they see "Bewitched"'s box office receipts?
Don't even tell me she's going to try to sing like Dusty. I didn't even like it when Shelby Lynne did that.
Detroit Jazz Festival unveils 2008 roster, new board member Cockrel
Detroit City Council president Ken Cockrel Jr. is used to meeting the press, although on Wednesday he confessed he was happier to be talking about jazz at the Detroit International Jazz Festival presser than about text messages.
Cockrel is now on the board of the Jazzfest, which runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 this year, and for him the gig makes sense.
Growing up, the council president was immersed in jazz, thanks to his father, political activist and Councilman Ken Cockrel Sr., who played his favorite records by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, and other jazz greats constantly.
"And every year it was a ritual, my father would take me down to the jazz festival, which was still called Montreux back then," Cockrel said.
I particularly like this year's theme "A Love Supreme: The Detroit/Philly Summit," as a Philly native forcibly relocated here as a kid when my dad took a job with an auto supplier. Who knew the music would be as good?
Fans will have a great array of Detroit and Philly jazz and soul acts to catch; Detroit bebop legends like Kenny Burrell and Hank Jones, Philly jazzers Pat Martino and Kenny Heath, and much more.
This year there are a few changes to Jazz Fest physically; the Here and Now stage, which features up and coming talent like Hot Club of Detroit, will be moved further away from the din of the People Mover, over to Congress & Woodward. "Hopefully that will take care of the noise," festival director Terri Pontremoli said. "Who knew the People Mover ran so often?"
And this year the Jazz Festival's official hotel will be the Renaissance Center Marriott, it's bigger than the Pontchartrain, and that's a must. There will be jam sessions every night at the Marriott after jazzfest's outdoor concerts wind down.
The tribute to Marvin Gaye on Friday Aug. 29, opening night of Jazzfest should be fantastic. Gaye's "What's Going On" still haunts Detroit musicians and fans, and there will be not only musical tributes to him that day, but also extensive talk about Gaye and his music in the Jazz Talk Tent, with I hear, Gaye biographer David Ritz coming in to take part.
I wasn't surprised to hear that Ken Cockrel Jr. was such a jazz fan -- it was startling to hear that he was a Creem Magazine subscriber growing up, and remembered my byline there. So he was a rock kid too.
