Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In 1968, I took a bus to Washington. D.C. from New Brunswick to spend a week with friends. If you ever have the chance to take a bus ride like this .. Don't! But that is another story.

I visited a local club and was intrigued by the vocal talents of an artist who sang some great blues songs in what had to be the most soulful performance I have ever witnessed. I have not heard anything that has rivaled that evening since.

At the end of the first break I approached the stage and requested "Sunny." The most engaging artist kindly responded, "I love that song but don't have the voice for it tonight." I countered with "How about a gentler performance?" The kind reply, "Well, I am sorry but don't see Sunny that way." I commented about the singer's great voice and gave my thank you for a job well done.

I thought about this singer all the way back to New Brunswick and wondered if this artist would ever strike it big. I told my friends who thought I was taking the performance too far.

As I said thank you, that evening in DC, I said, "I'm sorry, I arrived after you came on and I didn't catch your name to which she replied "Roberta Flack."

I guess my only encounter with a 60s artist was when we opened for The Grass Roots, The Turtles, and Herman's Hermits. It was in the Dell Computers ballpark north of Austin. VERY nice park for AAA ball. Stage was at 2nd base. The guys from The Turtles were a lot of fun and told great stories, the singer/bassist for the Grass Roots was an ***, and I got to talk with Peter(Herman)Noone for a while, great guy, had a very interesting vocal warm-up, he sounded great. I've posted the photo here before but here's Peter singing my Epiphone Rivoli at the meet n greet before the show.

I posted in another thread about my band's opening for The Rascals in 1970. We also opened for a group from Texas claiming to be The Zombies. And I once picked up a hitchhiker who, after he found out that I was in a band said, "Remember ? and the Mysterians?" "Sure," I answered. "I'm ?" he replied. Do these last two count? If you extend it to the '70s, I can speak about ELP and the Allmans.

In' 82, I had one of my cars, a restored coral and gray 1955 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon, on display at the Long Beach Custom Car show. The display had big fake palm trees, several hundred pounds of sand, a couple of coral pink Fenders (Jazzmaster and Jazz Bass) propped up on the back seat of the car, and about two dozen album covers by surf bands.

The middle of the second day of the show, my wife was minding the display while I was off getting lunch. I returned to her telling me about a guy who jumped the rope around the display and proceeded to pick up one of the albums. Taking him for a thief (some of the covers were old and rare), she jumped up and began to shout.

It was Dick Dale, signing one of his covers for me. He was a symbol to me, growing up in Chicago, of everything "cool" about Southern California beach culture when I was a teen. The album he signed in '82, I had bought in '65 in Chicago.

He returned to my display a couple of hours later and my wife took a picture of him and me standing together, him holding my coral pink Jazzmaster. I remember him complaining that he "only played Strats".

In '98 or '99, following the release of his "Tribal Thunder" album, on which my friend Jimmy was the cover artist/art director, I met him again. He remembered the car, the guitar, and the album cover. But he couldn't recall me very well.

The business I am in has allowed me to meet '60's artist from McGuinn to the Who. But one experience left a lasting impression on me.
One radio station I worked at had the 'presents' for Procol Harum. I was given the opportunity to do the introduction for the show. I was elated, but my excitement would be short-lived. As I was about to go on stage to introduce PH, Gary Brooker told me that once I had finished, I was to be off the floor before the state lights came up. I thought this would be no problem. However, once I had finished and the spot on me was turned off I was immersed in darkness. I not so gracefully stumbled over Brooker's Grand piano, jettisoned to the stage floor and I was last seen crawling off the stage on my hands and knees as the stage lights came up. The audience got a good look at the soles of my shoes and my rump as I slithered off. A Kodak moment. No applause, please.

I once met Ronnie Rice (New Colony Six) years ago at my wife's cousin's wedding near Chicago. He sang a few songs at the reception, but had to leave right after that. I was able to meet him and shake his hand. I didn't really know who he was at the time, or what hit song is associated with the New Colony Six. That's my closest brush with a 60's artist.
whoopee!

Great Story Stan, in fact all are great in one way or another. I personally have met a few and without naming names a sixties legend, well in my book,and I exchange xmas cards etc every year.

One of my best memories though is meeting the legend that is Hank Marvin, certainly here in UK,in 1980. He had come out of his dressing room and found himself a quite spot to enjoy a pint od probably shandy but I spotted him and trying to act cool started to chat about numbers that only a true fan would know, he seemed impressed and asked me what I thought of "Don't cry for Me Argentina" a new number they had put into the act. i told him it was fabulous and should be released as a single, he felt too many had already done it and therefore they were going to include it on a album, i tried to convince him it was different as a instrumental and especially his sound.

Now probably nothing at all to do with our conversation but a few weeks later it was released as as single. RESULT First Shadows top 5 record in years and a whole new lease of life for them.


In fact to this day Hank says Roy WHO?

David, I went to HS with two members of the NC6 (Gerry "Van" Kollenberg and Patrick McBride, at St. Patrick H.S. in Chicago, back in the early '60s. They were sort of a pet group of the school. They started out as an ordinary sock hop type group, for fun, and during the summer of '65 acquired new management and split for Hollywood. They returned with a Vox Continental having replaced their faithful Cordovox (organ in an accordion package, also used by Gary Lewis' keyboardist at the time). Their stage getups gave them a sort of low-rent Paul Revere vibe. Ruffled shirts and tricornered hats went over like a lead balloon with the working-class kids of Chicago, but they did amass enough material to actually issue a "Best Of" album on Rhino a few years back.

Priceless Stan.

Another interesting part of the same night took place after the show and my immense ribbing (not to mention scowls from Procol Harum's road manager). I went to a restaurant/bar with the Capitol Records rep. and Albert Lee. Lee was with Heads, Hands and Feet at the time and was the opening act for PH. When we got to the bar it was late and Lee was in fine form. He commandeered a piano in the place and started playing tunes his father used to play in pubs in the UK. The few people there got a rare treat. It was the best part of the whole evening.

I missed the sixties by two years.
My mother however has regaled me with numerous stories of her experience. She saw many great groups and had good and bad encounters with notable musician.
She knew Todd Rundgren when he was with the Nazz (is that the right name?) and had nothing but good to say about him. Other artists left dreadful impressions such as the Allman Bros. Band (introducing one of her acquaintances to heroin).
Certainly heard a lot of great music in my childhood.

Thanks mom.

Noel

*however it was dad who pushed the Beatles on me!

I met Van Morrison in, I believe 1971. We booked him to play at the Gardens in Vancouver.

At that time he was a very moody individual but, he was probably one of the most focused men I have ever met in my life. His band delivered a performance that today, is unrivalled by any artist I have ever seen since. It was a gritty, demanding and sweaty performance that strode off that stage and assaulted your ears with a mixture of angst and feelings so raw, that it swallowed you whole and yet comforted you at the same time.

I can still recall the horn section during the sound check being pushed by Morrison to give their all even though no one was listening. He wanted perfection at all times. There was no letting up.

His music was powerful and dripped with emotion. After he was introduced to the audience they became his only focus for the night. He entertained and left the stage drained. To some degree still fretful that he had not wrenched the last drop of energy out of his charges that night and that perhaps someone might have noticed that there was something left in reserve.

Hopefully he has mellowed somewhat and hopefully he can still perform like that. He is quite a man and a superb artist.

I used to work at an organ company in the NW, where my mother still works. She had to go to NAMM one year, and I tagged along to help out. It was 1995, and the booth right next to ours was a Fender booth, and guess who was demoing a bass there but Noel Redding! So for 3 days I got to talk to him about his bass playing and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Really nice guy, and gave me an autograph too. Wish he was still around.

I met George Harrison in a Beverly Hills shopping mall. I've told it once too many times in this forum to repeat it.
Was too shy to get Fogarty's autograph, made my (then) girlfriend do it. At an arts & craft show/ gun show in L.A.
P.S. saw Stevie Wonder and Alfred Hitchcock at stop lights, sitting shotgun (I should hope in Stevie's case!). Not the same car or same time, as you probably guessed. Also pulled up next to Joni Mitchell on Sunset. I suppose sightings count a little. I should make a list of the "star sightings" I've had before I forget them.

I also ran into John Fogerty in LA at the West side Pavilion's B. Dalton Bookstore. My roommate at the time bumped into him first and thought it would be funny to surprise me and he told me he had an old friend he wanted to introduce to me and then brought me down the aisle to introduce me to John. My jaw dropped a few inches when I saw it was John Fogerty but he seemed to be amused by my surprise reaction lol!

I was also in the music rental business in LA and met quite a few 60s icons including Jan Berry, Gene Clark, Ricky Nelson & BB King.

Btw, Jerry I had an ex-girlfriend that told me she drove in a car with Stevie Driving! They would just give Stevie instructions on what to do. No kidding!