Recently while driving down the road with my youngest son (25-years-old) the song ‘Tush’ by ZZ Top came on the radio. I mentioned to him how I liked Joan Jett’s version and we started talking about her. He had no idea she was in a band, The Runaways, prior to forming Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. So I told him about having all their albums, a few 8-tracks and seeing them live a couple times back in the day.

The next day I surfed online for some Runaways information to see what LPs were available on CD and came across the news that drummer and co-founder Sandy West had passed away on October 21, 2006 at the age of 47 of lung cancer. I had no idea. It was a sad moment because I instantly flashed back to a night in 1976 when Sandy took the time to talk to myself, Flash, Mott and Bug.

Joan Jett and Sandy West formed The Runaways in August 1975 and by the first of the year rock magazines like Creem, Circus, Hit Parader, Who Put The Bomp!, Cleveland Scene and even a British paper or two (I got them all back then) had begun writing about a new LA band made up of teenage girls who weren’t bubble gum or sugar coated, they were hardcore rockers (the term punk was also being bandied about). That new band was The Runaways and producer Kim Fowley, who always made the magazines, was their producer.

In March ’76 they entered the studio, recorded their first album, The Runaways, and went on tour amid lots of hype and media coverage. On June 1, 1976 The Runaways’ debut album was released and I dutifully bought it, I think at Far East Audio in Wooster, OH. I also picked up the 8-track for the Lincoln (I had a all black ’63 Lincoln Continental Towncar with suicide doors in mint condition).

Soon after word filtered out that The Runaways were going to be playing at The Wine Cellar in Massillon, OH, a nightclub. When the night came Flash, Bug, Mott and myself headed east to Massillon and caught their show. My Gawd, it was true! They were only 16 and 17! Jailbait!

It was a hot, sweaty, sticky night with a full crowd in attendance and while a bit sloppy I guess, The Runaways rocked the house by sheer enthusiasm, tenacity and guts. You couldn’t help but like them even though they were on par with some of the local bands talent-wise at that time.

After they were done we hung around for a couple more drinks and while getting ready to head out we walked by Sandy West who apparently was coming out for a drink before they closed The Wine Cellar for the night. We stopped and complimented her and the band and she was, looking back, gracious enough to stop and talk to us for a good 15 or 20 minutes.

She was fun, cute, friendly and loved rock ‘n roll.

That was a night we had a ton of fun. The original line-up of The Runaways that night consisted of Joan Jett (16), Sandy West (16), Lita Ford (17), Jackie Fox (16) and Cherie Currie (16).

I saw them one other time, on March 13, 1978 (three days before my oldest son was born and a day or two before a HUGE blizzard hit this area) at the Flying Machine in Akron, OH. The band line-up at that time included, Jett, West, Ford and Vicki Blue.

Apparently there is a film, Edgeplay, a Runaways documentary. I need to find that. One caveat is Joan Jett reportedly refused to have anything to do with the documentary personally.

After The Runaways broke up in 1979, Sandy West formed the Sandy West Band as a singer, drummer and guitarist. She released one solo EP.

For more information on Sandy Rocket City Records has a great tribute online, the Sandy West Tribute.

The late Sandy West in action. Tom Golden Photo

Muck And The Mires documented their trip out West and made a little video diary for your viewing pleasure.  Check out the YouTube footage below.  You will see legendary music man Kim Fowley, Bruce Wayne's office and West Hollywood landmark, Barney's Beanery.  It's great when musicians are cinematic geniuses too.   

In the very early days, Muck And The Mires would pretend to be from Canada, say "Ay" between songs and play Beatles "Cavern Club" styled music, but with way more hooks.  Over the next couple of years, they refined their sound and gained noteriety around the Northeast.  After winning Little Steven's Best Garage Band contest in 2004, they were catapulted into the upper stratosphere of Garageband Land and that's the where they've been ever since...and deservedly so.

BUT...I want to make it abundantly clear that Muck And The Mires are so much more than just a "Garage Band."  Songwriter Evan Shore (AKA "Joey Muccarino" or "Muck") is one of the foremost authorities on Sixties music and, in particular, the classic songwriting style that was introduced by The Beatles.  The Music Theorist in me forces me to describe Evan as a "great practitioner of functional harmony in the 'Pop' music sense," which is a huge compliment in my book.  Evan's craftmanship has made him one of my favorite songwriters.

Bar Pink Elephant Show: Friday - August 8, 2008 (San Diego)

This was a great night for Muck And The Mires.  It was their first live date in San Diego and their performance was nothing less than a professional stage show that knocked everyone's socks off.  I filmed the entire set with Evan Shore's digital video camera, so let's hope that they post the footage in its entirety very soon (they used a couple of snippets in the YouTube footage above.)  There is no immune system that can withstand the infectious sound of this band in the live setting...it's undeniable.   

"Mondo Hollywood Garage Band" Festival: Saturday - August 9, 2008 (Hollywood)

This 2-day "festival" turned out to be a debacle for the promoters (I'm positive about that,) but I am very happy to report that Muck And The Mires were the best band on the Saturday bill, turning in another energetic and polished set that made almost everyone shake a little, including this blogger.  Sure...Mary Weiss, the legendary lead vocalist from The Shangri-Las, was on the bill, playing LA for the first time, and so was Magic Christian, a garage band supergroup of sorts, consisting of Cyril Jordan (Flamin' Groovies,) Clem Burke (Blondie,) and Eddie Munoz (The Plimsouls,) but neither couldn't compete with Muck's stage show on this night.  Kim Fowley was the Emcee and his zany musical descriptions are always fun to hear.

Speaking of Kim Fowley, he co-produced Muck And The Mires' latest full-length effort, called "Hypnotic," along with Maria Baglien  The record has not been released yet, but I managed to get my hands on a copy a while back.  I like it a lot...really, A LOT.     

Now...Go get yourself all mucked up.

www.muckandthemires.com 

www.myspace.com/muckandthemires

Yours truly,

Chris Cormier

I figured that was pretty cosmic. It was the first Zappa print I had ever sold.

The woman who bought it turned out to be a beautiful and ultra tuned-in free thinker. We convoed back and for a bit. It turn out her brother was Pamela Des Barres first boyfriend. Nutty, huh?

I have been charting the cosmic for a while now. I read (present tense) a ton of books about life after life, life between life, life before life, you know. My curiosities run toward the magical.

I'm not alone. There are more and more TV shows centered around psychic phenomena.

I lament that they didn't do another season of Psychic Kids with the heroic Chip Coffey. Though the Biography channel is showing reruns.

Yesterday, The View, which I turn on for my granny to watch as she's eating her morning meal, had psychic James Van Praagh on and a duo of ex-plumber ghost hunters, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson.

Psychic phenomena and attempted communications from departed loved ones can happen in many ways.  

We should take notice of little things that float onto our real life screen.  We hear about something we'd just thought about. We see a butterfly floating near us in conjunction thoughts about a missed friend.

Feathers are supposed to be widely used as a visual communication from those on the other side though I have yet to see one. There are many ways the other side tries to get our attention. The signs are simple, subtle.

Some call it coincidence. Bob's line "Take what you have gathered from coincidence" from "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" has always resonated with me. And I have gathered plenty.

I like to call Dylan "Bob." In my head, he deserves the one name power-diva move like Cher, Madonna, Judy, cuz there is only one Bob for me.

Okay, I'll try to get back to the point here. Notice the title of this post. I will often get a blank page up and slap a title on it to hold an an idea I have for a future post. I decided it was time to explore the fascinating high school-era topic of dueling favorite bands.

Last night as my honey watched his evening hour of All My Children I was stunned to hear The Seeds "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" being played over a happy-gathering bar dance scene.

AMC never plays anything retro or anywhere near that cool. I sat there letting my soul roll thinking of Sky Saxon.

"I cant seem to make you mine, aww."  It was always the whiny longing in that "aww" at the end of the line that got your attention. Well, here, check it out:

After seeing the next video with Sky playing the teardrop bass, I wonder if her fancied himself the American Brian Jones.

The mighty Leo frontman will have a birthday on the 20th. I have to say that Sky was really strange and magnetic but not very smart. That's okay. He was very good at what he did.

One of my favorite Kim Fowley quotes is this: "Sky Saxon is what you'd get if Mick Jagger had sex with a donkey." Snarky? YES! But Kim is special, an unrecognized genius. He's got a great, if warped mind, and he's still here doing it. Dig him now in Mayor of the Sunset Strip!

That Fowley quote comes via Barney Hoskyns' book "Waiting For the Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes and the Sound of Los Angeles." A very informative portrait of LA as a music town.

Back in the 9th grade I liked the Seeds but I loved the Buffalo Springfield. I came in to my first and only year of high school fully loaded with a radical obsession with music and a particular fondness for the Springfield.

That bent lead me to become friends with a girl in my science class. Her name was name Pam Sprout.

Yes, the testosterone-poisoned young men had a field day. It didn't help that Pam was stacked, as they used to say, and drew their attention anyway. Pam was a very smart girl and one who had the DIY spirit early on. She didn't take much shit from anyone. She was cool and kinda femme butch and she loved the Seeds.

We spent lunch hours arguing the superiority of one band over the other. I went to see the Springfield whenever they played within reasonable parent-driving distance. Pam dragged me to see the Seeds whenever she could get someone to drive us to L.A.

Go back and watch that You Tube videos one more time. You see the organ player who seems to love himself a whole lot? That's Daryl Hooper. He was Pam's favorite. I said "Eww."

Oh, but the seductive sideburns! The Jeffersonian cuffs and stylee-thing of his jacket! The boots!

Maybe he had an audition with Paul Revere and the Raiders that afternoon.  Maybe I was jealous.

April 20 - May 20 Taurus
Rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy sauce and broiled black cod with miso from Nobu are two of the most sublime restaurant dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure to nibble in all my born days. I know what you’re thinking…I could never get in to Nobu!! It’s way expensive!! FYI it’s no more expensive than any other top shelf restaurant ~ and it’s well worth the money. O Best Beloved, you get what you pay for – especially here. And as for not getting in, c’mon you must really not be trying that hard. Call up the reservation line at the original location, the 57th Street location, or go to Next Door Nobu, which has a no-reservation policy except for large parties. And there are locations elsewhere in the U.S. and even London, Milan, Melbourne and more. Just go; trust me on this – you will never forget this meal.

May 21 - June 20 Gemini
No less a connoisseur of the finer things in life than Kim Fowley famously said of the A-Bones, “They’re like Chan Romero with the Hombres doing Trashmen songs.” I don’t know about you, but that’s enough of a recommendation for me to check out this classic garage band whose epicenter is formed of the redoubtable Billy Miller and Miriam Linna. You can see them this coming Friday July 18 rocking the rafters at Maxwells in Hoboken. Or check out the A-Bones Booze Cruise to Shea Stadium on Saturday July 26! Cruise up the East River to the Mets game aboard the Half Moon from the Skyport Marina, equipped with a full dance floor. Ticket price includes tickets to the game and everyone from the boat will be seated together. What says summer more than the Mets and rock & roll? Details here.

June 21 - July 22 Cancer
The novel Whistle Down the Wind was published in 1958 by Mary Hayley Bell, wife of actor John Mills and the mother of actresses Juliet and Hayley Mills. It was made into a movie in 1961 in which Hayley Mills stars as a young farm girl who finds an escaped convict (sexily played by Alan Bates) sleeping in the family’s barn and believes him to be Jesus Christ. She and her brothers and sisters attempt to keep him a secret from the grownups so they don’t find him and crucify him again. The book is stunning, spare, and haunting. The film will break your heart. Apparently it’s now been Andrew Lloyd Weberized into a Broadway musical set in the American South but I urge you to check out the original book and film.

July 23 - August 22 Leo
Cheb i Sabbah is a Jewish Algerian composer/DJ/wizard who weaves trance/dance soundscapes out of African, Asian, Arabic music and more. Born in Algeria, he later moved to Paris, and now spins his magic weekly in San Francisco every Thursday night at the Bollyhood Café from 10pm to 2am. Visit his site for other appearance info and to listen to clips from his albums. His most recent release is Devotion, released earlier this year, based on Hindu, Sikh, and Sufi religious music. Prepare for transcendence.

August 23 - September 22 Virgo
The website of the week is Score, Baby! – your guide to the cult soundtracks of the 60’s, 70’s & Beyond. Literally hours of time wastin’ fun can be had here, in a site that reminds me of the many ways the internet has changed our lives for the better. Here is a living, changing work of art containing hundreds of reviews of obscure film soundtracks with mp3’s. I take off my chapeau to webmaster Kristopher Spencer; his knowledge of these movies and the music that informs them is truly staggering.

September 23 - October 22 Libra
Lisa Zaslow and her company Gotham Organizers has helped many hundreds of people be more productive and less stressed by organizing their lives at work and at home - including me. She is a nationally recognized expert on organization and productivity and has been featured on television and in print on the subject. She also gives free consultations and as a customer, I highly recommend her. Her website is chock full of great tips and tricks for decluttering and she has a mailing list that periodically sends out free organizing tips.

October 23 - November 21 Scorpio
I’ve never liked peanut butter and in grade school when everyone pulled out their PB&J’s for lunch I just wrinkled my nose. Last year I finally tried almond butter and now I am addicted. I can’t tell you how it differs from peanut butter because I honestly have never had peanut butter, but I’m all about MaraNatha Organic Creamy & Raw Almond Butter (no salt added). Try it on toast, sliced apples, in smoothies, hot cereal, sauces. It’s full of protein and the good kind of fat that we all need in our diet.

November 22 - December 21 Sagittarius
The B&B of the week is the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, located in Fall River, Massachusetts. You may have heard of Ms. Borden. She was acquitted of the crime of slaying her father and stepmother in 1892 with an axe believed to be the murder weapon. Every year an E-bay auction is held for the honor of staying in one of the rooms where the murders occurred on the anniversary of the event, August 4th. Sorry kids, this year’s winner has already been determined. B&B guests are treated to a breakfast similar to the one consumed by Mr. and Mrs. Borden the morning of their last day on earth, replete with jonny-cakes and bananas. There’s even a gift shop on the premises and online where you can get your own Lizzie Borden Bobblehead Doll or a fetching pair of hatchet earrings.

December 22 - January 19 Capricorn
Has your get up and go got up and gone? Well, submitted for your approval: Magma Plus, a magical elixir from Green Foods. It’s what they call a ‘superfood,’ with green algae, herbs, probiotics, whole food extracts, active enzymes, antioxidants and chlorophyll. You can find it in health food stores. 3 teaspoons of this mixed into cold water or juice and you’ll feel centered and energized but without the high pitched whine of caffeine. Don’t believe me? Try it. Every one I’ve told about it so far has been astounded. And thank you Teri for turning me on to it in the first place!

January 20 - February 18 Aquarius
Perhaps you heard about Carol Kreck, the tiny 61 year old librarian and former Denver Post reporter who was ticketed for trespassing and forcibly removed from a McCain speech in Denver, Colorado because she was exercising her first amendment rights by holding a handmade sign that read McCain = Bush. Well now Ms. Kreck has a much larger forum than the perimeter of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She’s blogging on the Huffington Post website and her court appearance on July 23 will no doubt get a lot of attention in national media. Says Carol, “I didn't ask for any of this, but like dropping a stone in a pond, that idea is so much bigger now than if they had just left me alone in the first place." Watch Carol’s encounter with the Gestapo on Youtube.

February 19 - March 20 Pisces
Thanks to a friend with an extra ticket, I got to see August: Osage County on Broadway last week. The New York Times called it “a fraught, densely plotted saga of an Oklahoma clan in a state of near-apocalyptic meltdown” and went on to rave that “'August' is probably the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years. Oh, forget probably: It is, flat-out, no asterisks and without qualifications, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years.” Well, not being one who frequents Broadway plays very often, I can’t comment on that but I can tell you that its well worth 3 and a half hours of your time. Playwright Tracy Letts deservingly won both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony for the Best Play of 2008. The acting from the large ensemble cast is stupendous from the venerable Estelle Parsons on down to young Annie Berkowitz making her Broadway debut. It’s sarcastic, wise, funny, horribly sad, depressing, and beautiful.

Vi inledde på semi-allmän begäran med lite av det där oemotståndliga sitarflummet, hann med The Byrds otvivelaktigt bästa låt någonsin samt svävade ut i ett aggressivt machosjok där vi i på sedvanligt postmodernt vis sönderspjälkad version kunde avnjuta psykedelians egen Svullo, nämligen Kim Fowley, och hans 14-minuters-opus Up.

Spellista

• The Storybook - Psych-Out Sanctorum (1967)
• Dr. Strangely Strange - Jove Was at Home (1970)
• Buell Kazee - The Wagoner's Lad (1928)
• Penny Lim & the Silverstones - Kung See, Kung See, Let's Be Happy
• The Napoleon - Koi O Kesunda (1968)
• The Frantics - The Whip (1963)
• Kim Fowley - Up (1968) / Canterbury Fair - Song on a May Morning (1968) / Half Man Half Biscuit - I Hate Nerys Hughes (1985)
• Shining - Fight Dusk With Dawn (2007)
• The Byrds - Thoughts and Words (1967)
• Forest - The Midnight Hanging of a Runaway Serf (1970)
• Gryphon - Pastime With Good Company (1973)
• La Partenza [fältinspelning från Genua av Alan Lomax] (1954)
• A. A. Gray/Seven-Foot Dilly - The Old Ark's a-Movin'

Bonusmaterial

Trailern för Psych-Out från 1967 med bl.a. Jack Nicholson. Rekommenderas.