For lo these many years, the Gentle Giant catalog has been left to gather dust, an analog creature lost and abandoned in a digital world. That's about to change.

On Nov. 3, the band will be digitally releasing seven of the band's most adventurous works, including In a Glass House, The Power & The Glory, Freehand, Interview, Playing The Fool — The Official Live, The Missing Piece and Giant For a Day. It promises to be a glorious day for a group of virtuosos that always pushed itself to go well beyond established musical boundaries.






"As far as we're concerned, it's nice to first of all, to know that we have the music, which, came out on Capitol many years ago, revert back to the group," says Derek Shulman (lead vocals/alto sax/bass), one of three brothers who founded Gentle Giant in 1970. "And now we're able to reap the rewards shall we say (laughs). I shouldn't say it, but I'm saying it. And this music had never been up digitally ... ever. Even though it came out as vinyl years ago, and for a short period of time on CD, now we're putting out the music on the digital platform. So it's fun to do that."

That rights for these records boomeranged back to Gentle Giant is a minor miracle, and they want to do right by them.

"Yeah, I think we were lucky in that respect because, generally, rights for albums and music is in perpetuity for most artists," says Derek, "but we have, for some reason — I don't know how — we found out and discovered the rights reverted back after 25 years when we signed to Capitol in the U.S., and so we were able to do what the group wanted 30 years ago now."

The records will be released in digital form through Gentle Giant's own Alucard label via EMI Music's Label Services unit.

Melding jazz, pop, classical, rock, blues, medieval music and many other genres, Gentle Giant's heyday was the early- to mid-1970s, though they stuck around through the punk explosion in their native England. Though Gentle Giant never became as popular as Genesis or Yes, they did leave their mark, influencing a number of jam bands, arena rockers and even chamber-pop ensembles.

The new digital releases will also include previously unheard bonus tracks and artwork. The band has chosen favorite live versions of songs from each album and some obscure radio sessions. Two of the bonus tracks “Intro 74” and “Intro 76” have been partially re-recorded, embellished and remixed by Kerry Minnear of the group.

And things don't end here. More Gentle Giant music will be available in a variety of formats in 2010, starting with the January release of the seven CDs Re-Mastered from the original 1⁄4 inch tapes through Hi-Resolution (24bit 96k) transfer. Early in 2010, the band will also uncork box sets and limited-edition vinyl LPs.

Look for more on Gentle Giant in our Dec. 4 edition of Goldmine.

GENTLE GIANT DIGITAL RELEASES

TRACK LISTINGS

IN A GLASS HOUSE — 1973
1.The Runaway              
2. An Inmates Lullaby         
3. Way Of Life         
4. Experience         
5. A Reunion              
6. In A Glass House

Digital Bonus Tracks:
The Runaway/Experience Live 1975
Way Of Life - Radio Session 1973

THE POWER AND THE GLORY — 1974
1. Proclamation              
2. So Sincere              
3. Aspirations              
4. Playing the Game              
5. Cogs in Cogs              
6. No God's A Man              
7. Valedictory
8. (The Power And The Glory)

Digital Bonus Tracks:
Intro '74
Proclamation - Live 1975
Aspirations - Radio Session 1974
Cogs In Cogs - Live 1975

FREE HAND — 1975
1. Just The Same              
2. On Reflection              
3. Free Hand              
4. Time To Kill              
5. His Last Voyage              
6. Talybont              
7. Mobile

Digital Bonus Tracks:
Just The Same — Live 1975
On Reflection — Radio Session 1975
Free Hand — Live 1975

INTERVIEW - 1976
1. Interview              
2. Give it Back              
3. Design              
4. Another Show              
5. Empty City              
6. Timing              
7. I Lost My Head

Digital Bonus Tracks:
Intro '76
Interview - Live 1976
Give It Back - Live 1976

PLAYING THE FOOL — THE OFFICIAL LIVE — 1977
1. Just the Same              
2. Proclamation              
3. On Reflection              
4. Excerpts from Octopus         
5. Funny Ways              
6. The Runaway              
7. Experience              
8. So Sincere              
9. Free Hand              
10. Sweet Georgia Brown (Breakdown in Brussels)    
11. Peel the Paint / I Lost My Head

Digital Bonus Tracks:
Just The Same — Radio Session 1975
Excerpts From Octopus — Radio Session 1973

THE MISSING PIECE — 1977
1. Two Weeks In Spain    
2. I'm Turning Around         
3. Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It         
4. Who Do You Think You Are?         
5. Mountain Time              
6. As Old As You're Young         
7. Memories of Old Days         
8. Winning              
9. For Nobody

Digital Bonus Tracks:
Two Weeks In Spain - Live 1978
I'm Turning Around - Live 1978
For Nobody - Live 1978

GIANT FOR A DAY — 1978
1. Words from the Wise         
2. Thank You              
3. Giant For A Day              
4. Spooky Boogie              
5. Take Me              
6. Little Brown Bag              
7. Friends              
8. No Stranger              
9. It's Only Goodbye
10. Rock Climber

Digital Bonus Track:
Giant For A Day - Live 1980

A perfect space-rock storm of drone-fueled, mind-bending psychedelia, guitars drenched in swirling distortion and bottom-scraping bass that quakes so heavily it feels as if the earth beneath your feet will give way at any second, White Hills is the rightful heir to Hawkwind's massive legacy.






These Brooklyn-based astronauts, the black sheep of Major Tom's family, aren't afraid to tunnel into the deepest reaches of your mind with one of the mightiest sonic armadas of this, or any, age, and getting caught up in the drug-induced nightmares of their 2007 album Heads On Fire, with the overdriven, pounding fury of "Radiate," "Visions of the Past, Present and Future" and "Oceans Of Sound," can be thrilling and absolutely terrifying at the same time.

Hawkwind could also generate that kind of madness back in its heyday, and Dave W. (no last name given), one of those responsible for White Hills' careening journey into the unknown, is, indeed, a fan of the band that introduced the world to the genius of Lemmy Kilmister.

In the Dec. 4 edition of Goldmine, being worked on as we speak, Dave W. will give us his five favorite Hawkwind records. Here's what Dave had to say about Space Ritual, Hawkwind's 1973 live assault on the senses:

Space Ritual: "This was the first Hawkwind album I ever heard … needless to say it was a life-changing experience. Is there a better live album than this? I think not. Catching the band at their peak in 1972, this album is psychedelic as f**k — not only that it so punk. Even sober this album makes you feel like you are tripping or like you want to kick some ass."

Want to catch the rest? Check out the Dec. 4 print edition of Goldmine, which should hit the newsstands in early November.

Visit www.whitehillsmusic.com to find out more about White Hills, or go to www.thrilljockey.com to get the lowdown on this band and many other fine musical anarchists.

What happens to us in life is no accident. At least that's how a Buddhist sees it. This is the basic tenet of Karma, where nothing happens to a person that he or she doesn't deserve.






So how does that relate to Winger's new album? Did one of the most glam of all glam-metal bands of the 1980s get, in essence, what they deserved, which was a pair of platinum-selling records in Winger and In The Heart Of The Young and a smattering of charting singles, among them "Headed For A Heartbreak" and "Seventeen"?

Winger chose to name its latest release Karma, and the title came about in one of those moment of serendipity that seem to happen all the time in rock.

"Winger has had a long interesting history in the scheme of it all," says the band's namesake Kip Winger. "We were sitting around one day discussing it, and I said something like, 'Yeah, we've had interesting Karma.' Someone said, 'Great name for the record.'"

And just like Karma, Winger's music can be heavy, as evidenced by new tracks like "Stone Cold Killer." When asked if this record might be heavier than what's come before it, Kip replied, "No, Pull and IV are very heavy, and the 1st and 2nd [albums] would have been heavier with a different person mixing them. I think this new record truly is the sound of the band; if you come see us live, this is what it will sound like."

Check out www.wingertheband.com for more on the band.



 

Papa Roach and Jet ... so, it's not Tiny Tim and Metallica. Still, the two young hard-rock gunslingers don't quite seem like a match made in touring heaven. 







Where Jet is more of a garage-rocking combo with a Rolling Stones-like swagger, Papa Roach approaches the more metallic end of the heavy-rock spectrum, though they're a bit more diverse than your Slipknot or your Nickelback. That's not to say there can't be a diplomatic solution between fans of both bands. In fact, Papa Roach guitarist Jerry Horton, in a recent press conference, expressed confidence in the co-headlining bill, which blasted off Sunday in Amarillo, Texas.

"Well, honestly, I don't what to expect in terms of their fans, but we have been on a wide range of tours in the last year and a half, and it's something that I think ... well, it's going to be a little different because we're co-headlining," says Horton, whose band marked its 10-year anniversary with last spring's Metamorphosis release. "And I'm actually looking forward to it. I think that in some people's minds maybe it doesn't seem like it would work, but we've been on tours that it doesn't seem like it would work, but it actually ends up that we get a pretty good response. And you know, I've been on our community on Paparoach.com, and there's a lot of people really looking forward to it, and are excited that we're going to be with Jet.

Although the body of Metamorphosis is still somewhat warm, inevitably the question came up about what Papa Roach has in store for its next album.

Horton replied, "Well, the album came out in March, so we're not really ready to go and make another one, but we're always working on ideas. And we haven't necessarily focused on writing songs, but just talked over ideas, recorded and we mess around with stuff in the dressing room here and there."

It appears as though the groundwork has been laid, however, and that should get Papa Roach fans excited.

For the Jet/Papa Roach tour, tickets can be purchased through the bands’ Web sites at www.paparoach.com and JETtheband.com.


Papa Roach/JET Tour Dates (Additional dates to be announced)
 
OCTOBER
25   Amarillo, TX                              Aztec Music Hall
26   Denver, CO                               Ogden Theatre
30   Indianapolis, IN                         Egyptian Room at the Murat Centre
 
NOVEMBER
1    Detroit, MI                                 The Fillmore
4    Des Moines, IA                         Val Air Ballroom
5    St. Paul, MN                             Roy Wilkins Auditorium
9    Baltimore, MD                           Rams Head Live!
11   Philadelphia, PA                        The Electric Factory
12   New York, NY                            Nokia Theatre
14   Jacksonville, FL                          Metropolitan Park
23   Los Angeles, CA                       Nokia LA

Ah, necessary evils — the music business is rife with them. Jet knows this all too well.

Promotion for the Aussie garage-rockers' latest LP Shaka Rock has been intense, and "She's A Genius," the initial single, has been everywhere.






There it was in a steamy "Body by Victoria" ad, cavorting with super models Alessandra Ambrosio, Emanuela de Paula, Lindsay Ellington and Marisa Miller. Hope you didn't blink. You might have missed it pumping out of the speakers at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards as Megan Fox strutted to the podium. And there more appearances, it cropping up on the CW show "One Tree Hill" and CBS' "NCIS." Down the line, look for the track "One Hipster, One Bullit," a bonus track only available on the vinyl version of the record, on CW's "90210" and "Start The Show" on ABC's "Brothers And Sisters."

As for the "Body by Victoria" ad, Jet guitarist and lead singer Nic Cester admits, "I've never seen it, man. I've honestly never, ever seen it."

No strangers to the world of marketing, Jet's wildly successful 2003 single "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" wound up in an Apple iPod ad. The exposure was viral, and going on six years after its release, that song still can be heard anywhere you go. Nic, whose brother Chris is Jet's drummer, has learned to accept the link between songs and advertising. And he has an interesting take on how "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" exploded thanks to it, and how, in the end, there's really not much of a difference between getting a song played on the radio or one played in an ad.

"I guess external forces are always hassling me to say, "Yes," to everything, first of all," says Nic. "There's too much planning that goes on by those external forces. They just like to hear you say, "Yes," a lot, and then, I guess it's up to us to tend to that a bit, you know. I remember, originally, it was a really dirty, dark place to go to, using a song in ad campaigns. And I guess us, as a bunch of Australians who were over here for the first time and weren't getting any support from radio stations, we were a bit more open-minded than other bands, I guess. And during this whole time, the whole industry's been changing so quickly you know. The whole radio format ... I mean, it's dying. And essentially, radio is linked with advertisement anyway. When we all debated the issue at length — obviously, we did beforehand — we didn't really see too big a difference, you know. You could have your song on the radio and be aligned with a bunch of ads that you've not given your permission to use. So, yeah, I guess in terms of our career, and what it's allowed us to do, it's probably the best decision we ever made."

And they continue to make astute business moves with regard to Shaka Rock. "Black Hearts (On Fire)," the adreneline-fueled second single, provides the sonic backdrop to the newest spot for Bud Light's new Golden Wheat beer. In fact, Anheuser-Busch and NBC ran the ad in conjunction with programming for "Saturday Night Live."

One new trend in this area that Nic isn't so thrilled about is the social-media craze. Though he acknowledges its usefulness, in a press conference on Wednesday to promote a new tour co-headlining tour package featuring Jet and Papa Roach, Nic couldn't help but reveal his true feelings about the Internet when detailing the band's new management company's insistence that they increase their web presence.

"It gives me the sh*ts," says Nic. "Everyone's six feet tall on the Internet, and I'd rather look someone in the eye and if you've got something to say, say it to my f**king face, you know what I mean? Everyone's a hero on the Internet. I think it's a f**king place for weasels and scoundrels, you know."

Still, the management company won out, and you can read more about Jet at jettheband.ning.com

Six years after it poked its head out of the album Ain't Complaining and then charged up the U.K. charts, only to run out of steam at #5, the Status Quo song "Burning Bridges" was given a second chance.






The song was re-recorded in April 1994 with new lyrics and recast as "Come On You Reds," becoming a rousing anthem for the U.K. soccer kingpins Manchester United F.C. It would hit #1, giving the band its second such accomplishment, although it was credited "by Manchester United."

To this day, Francis Rossi, a founding member of Status Quo, the band that slipped us a tab of psychedelic madness called "Pictures Of Matchstick Men" in 1968 that became the band's only Top 40 smash in the U.S., still has misgivings about the Manchester United version.

Explaining the story behind it, Rossi related, "Someone came to us, quite a famous footballer in England (whispers) who I wouldn't know, and they brought us to the office, and told us this and [asked] would we write a song, and I said, 'Well, if anybody goes to write a song for a football thing, if it's any good, I'd keep it.'"

So instead of penning a new track for Man U, Rossi suggested "Burning Bridges" as a compromise. "At the time was a great crowd-pleaser," says Rossi. "It's got that great jig thing going on in the middle, and I said, 'Why don't we use that?' And they took that and accepted that, and we had a #1 in lots of places ... extremely embarrassing."

Why so? Well, not being a rabid football fan, perhaps it ended up not being the way Rossi would have like to have Status Quo's song represented. But, there have been worse things done in the name of rock 'n' roll.

"That's what happens, and I prostituted myself everywhere since I was 16 or 17 to keep this band's name alive, and I will still go on doing it," says Rossi. "I don't think that was a great move. There's some moves we've made that have been horrendous howlers, but there's been some moves we've made that have been really, really good. And some that were good we didn't even see coming. And everyone says, 'Well, that was great timing, Quo.' (whispers) 'Nothing to do with us. It was sheer luck. Just keep quiet. Show business.' It's show business."

Rossi and Status Quo have a new album out titled In Search Of The Fourth Chord that's as full of booty-shaking rock grooves as anything they've put out in recent years. Also, a concert DVD called "Pictures — Live At Montreux 2009" has been released in the U.K. by Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Check out www.statusquo.co.uk to get caught up on all the news about Status Quo.

Read more from Rossi in the Nov. 20 issue of Goldmine.

In essence, Axxel G. Reese and his band, The D.I.s, saw the Los Angeles punk scene's shadow the day before Groundhog Day in 1983. It was becoming fragmented, divisive and violent, thanks to the growing presence of skinheads.

Winter's gloom had descended upon what once was a graffiti-splattered bastion of irreverent fun, and there was no end in sight to the dark mayhem and cold they had brought with them. In response, The D.I.s, formed from the ashes of another one of L.A. finest punk outfits, The Gears, recorded a brawling anthem of comedic defiance titled "Mohawk Vs. DA" during their "Dreamship Sessions," which took place Feb. 1 of that year under the watchful eye of their producer, X's Billy Zoom.






"Dave and I wrote the song ‘cause we were a bit disappointed with the way punk was shifting to all kinds of sub-cultures, including rockabilly and the skinhead scene (not to mention GothMetal ... what the hell is that?!)," recalls Reese. "Although I love Black Flag as a band, their fan base spawned the South Bay/Orange County skinhead scene which I wasn’t too crazy about — a bit too racist & violent for me."

In turn, the skinheads haven't been too crazy about Reese and company. "They threw a dead bird at me at a big gig we did at the Santa Ana football stadium a few years back!" says Reese.

At least Reese could take comfort in knowing that "Mohawk Vs. DA," the track he and longtime partner Dave Drive wrote, had hit the mark and stung the very skins they despised. It wouldn't be the last time The D.I.s ruffled some feathers. A much higher profile confrontation would come when Tipper Gore went on her rampage about violent and sexually explicit lyrics and album cover art in pop music in the early- to mid-1980s. Outside a Tower Records in front of TV cameras set up to capture the fire-and-brimstone coming from her mouth, Gore held up a copy of The D.I.'s Lock & Load EP as a prime example of how music's seedier elements were destroying the youth of America.

On the cover was a strategic shot of 1984 Playmate Of The Year Barbara Edwards' bikini-covered crotch, with an ammunition belt and a tattoo of The D.I.'s logo on her thigh inked by tat artist Bob Roberts.

"A friend had called me about it when they saw it, but I missed the story," says Reese. "I thought 'that was that’ but was pleasantly, or unpleasantly, surprised to see the same clip on another station that night. I personally am against any kind of targeted censorship (especially if I’m or we’re the target) and I’ve never agreed with anything the so-called ‘Moral Majority’ was espousing during those days of the ‘right’ side of politicking."

How embarrassing for Axxel and company. How red-faced they must have been when Gore shamed them and showed them the error of their ways. Well, Reese found a silver lining.

"To answer truthfully though, I was stoked that we caused that kind of uproar, especially that we put Tipper’s ‘panties in a ruffle’ that way," says Reese. "And speaking of panties ... the model on that cover wearing the homemade chastity belt (designed/assembled by D.I. Jimmy Reed) was our friend and reigning Playmate of the Year Barbara Edwards ... that was the most clothing she wore in a photo that year, believe me!"

Undoubtedly, the uproar gave The D.I.s more publicity than they'd ever be able to generate on their own. That wasn't the band's nefarious plan, however.

"We never intended to attract that kind of attention or reaction, and I think we were all a bit surprised by it," says Reese. "But as they say, any publicity is good publicity. That must be true as we’re still asked about it today."

Stirring up controversy wasn't the only thing The D.I.s excelled at. Rockabilly firebrands that they were, The D.I.s blended storming, beat-driven punk with blistering, gut-bucket roots-rock. Their riffs were explosive and razor sharp, and their lyrics dealt with life's simple pleasures: drinking, chasing women and the never-ending chase for the almighty dollar — not in a Wall Street, corporate greed sense, but more in a "I need a couple of bucks to buy ramen noodles so I won't go hungry" kind of way.

It all started when The Gears ended that strange night in 1982 when that band's guitarist Kidd Spike destroyed his guitar midway through a show at the Starwood.

"Spike’s reasons [for doing that] were personal and he’d have to tell you [what they were]," says Reese. "But unknown to us at the time, it wasn’t the end of The Gears, but the beginning for The D.I.s."

For The Gears, it all began one day in 1977. Reese heard " ... punk rock being played in a garage in Eagle Rock; I checked it out," and he found grade-school chum Drive " ... rehearsing with a version of the L.A. Shakers." It wasn't long before Reese and Drive joined forces as The Gears.

The product of a thrilling L.A. underground scene, Reese and Drive got their kicks from watching a virulent strain of punk become a full-blown pandemic. Band such as "Weirdos, Black Randy, Dils, Controllers, etc., and Go-Gos and Black Flag a bit later," according to Reese, had a powerful effect on the pair.

"All of these bands influenced Dave and I to go forth with our take on it all," says Reese. "It was always fun to see and hear The Screamers and Weirdos and what kind of mess they would leave the stage in ... A lot of organic materials were used, if you know what I’m saying."

Before The Gears imploded, they recorded the riotous live album Rockin' At Ground Zero, conceived of by Spike. It was " ... more of a musical moment than a gig," says Reese. "It was a turning point for us and eventually became the impetus for us to record with him for the first time."

After the unceremonious end of The Gears, Reese and Drive regrouped in short order and plotted a of change in direction. They ditched much of the surf sound found in The Gears' aesthetic, opting for strong doses of rockabilly and blues rabies to make their already potent mix practically froth at the mouth.

In that way, The D.I.s followed a number of L.A. bands who added rootsy elements to their punk aesthetic. 

"L.A. is where Levi & The Rockats ended up and made their home base, and Dave and I happened to be listening to a lot of roots music around the same time," says Reese. "It was a pretty natural conversion."

There wasn't much downtime between bands for the pair.

"Not much time off, but it was a progressive transition and again, it felt right and natural," says Reese. The D.I.s came together when " ... Guy Hemmer had just left The Rockats, and we met and he became the first guitarist for The D.I.s."

As explained in an earlier blog on the groups, X's Zoom would become the band's mentor/producer and the D.I.s, though they went through a series of lineup changes that would bring in such L.A. punk heavyweights as TSOL guitarist Ron Emory and "Venice George" Chavlez, became a scourge of the L.A. music scene.

And it wasn't just the music that was dangerous. Their flyers and gig posters contained art that combined elements of pulp fiction, military symbols and vintage punk imagery.

Many are included in the poster that comes with the new D.I.s' collection, Rare Cuts, from Hepcat Records. Rare Cuts is available separately or in combination in a deluxe package with The Gears' Rockin' At Ground Zero, which also includes a poster with a montage of photos and flyers. The fact that Reese found them for the packaging is a minor miracle, and those famous flyers were created by members of the band.

"I found a lot of them, but both bands were fortunate to have a lot of creative and artistic members and all of them contributed art work, especially Jimmy Reed and Jonny Ray Bartel for The D.I.s," says Reese. "I did some of The Gears flyers back in the day."

In addition to "Mohawk Vs. DA," Rare Cuts is chock full of rambunctious, powerful rock 'n' roll. Tracks like "Number," the high-stepping "Yo-Yo," the swaggering nastiness of "Hot Bitch," the hell-spawned rumble "Pray For Surf," and the surprisingly reflective, though no less ferocious, "Is There A God?" make the collection essential for anybody who wants a history lesson on L.A. punk. But "Mohawk Vs. DA" is another animal entirely.

"I like this song a lot," says Reese. "The riff is courtesy of Mike ‘Shakey’ Wilcox’s wonderful take on rock ‘n' roll. (He & I both go back to the Glitter Rock days of Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco On Sunset Blvd. Billy Bones from The Skulls was also there ... We never met or talked, but we all remember each others outfits!)." 

As for The Gears' part of the package, in addition to menacing, primal rockers like "Baby Runaround," "Let's Go To The Beach," "Don't Be Afraid To Pogo," and "I Smoke Dope" from the original Rockin' At Ground Zero release, there are original 45 versions of "Hard Rock," "Let's Go To The Beach" and "Don't Be Afraid To Pogo." The real treasures, however, might be the handful of newly found 1979 demos of "Girl Crazy," "High School Girls," "Darlin' Baby," "Heartbeat Baby" and "Rockin' At Ground Zero." Full of youthful energy and bravado, these demos jump out the speakers and mug you. They're on the attack from start to finish and they're surprisingly not as amateurish as you might expect.

Of them, Reese says, "I found some Gears tapes in my storage while looking for D.I.s tapes I wasn’t sure I had. My first impression on hearing The Gears again on these tapes was that we sounded good, but much younger."

In recent years, The Gears have been playing live with new members Sean Shift and Mike Manifold taking the places of Dave Drive and Brian Redz, respectively. Still, Drive and Redz do, on occasion, joined The Gears onstage. There's also a just-released 10-inch red vinyl EP on Chris Ashford's Wondercap label titled Four On The Floor, with four never-recorded tunes by Spike, and a vinyl Trudie Trudie EP due out on Dionysus Records, plus a split vinyl single with L.A.'s Disguster.

Watch for all of it coming down the pike. Check out www.hepcatrecords.com for more on The Gears/The D.I.s package.
 

At one time, the Plastic Ono Band truly was an honest-to-goodness supergroup.

After all, what else would you call such a constellation of stars, however loose a confederation it was, that included George Harrison and Ringo Starr, plus Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, a soon-to-be Yes drummer in Alan White, Keith Moon, Billy Preston, Phil Spector, members of Delaney and Bonnie ... well, basically a cast of thousands?






After John Lennon and Yoko Ono had collaborated on the visionary avant-garde outings Two Virgins (1968) and Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions, they decided to put all future endeavors under the Plastic Ono Band umbrella. Hardly a formal group, the Plastic Ono Band was, in the end, Yoko and Lennon and anybody who happened to be playing with them at the time.

There were singles such as "Give Peace A Chance" in July 1969 and the drug-rehabilitation tale of "Cold Turkey," and then there was the Live Peace in Toronto 1969 LP.

Flash forward to 2009, and Ono has revived the Plastic Ono Band concept for her latest LP Between My Head And The Sky. This time around, however, the star power has dimmed. Which isn't to say that this record isn't as groundbreaking as any of the Plastic Ono Band-related records that have come before it. Brimming with sunny electro-pop and the occasional burst of guitar-driven rock, Between My Head And The Sky finds Ono working with a host of fresh faces, including electronic trend-setter Cornelius. Their partnership really comes to the fore on the song "The Sun Is Down."

During a recent interview, Ono talked about working with Cornelius and how Yoko's son Sean Lennon, who served as co-musical director on the new record, helped bring about the connection. It was a concert in Tokyo in January that started the ball rolling.

"Isn’t it amazing? I’m glad you mentioned that about Cornelius, because you see, the thing is, my son Sean had called me from Japan and said, 'We’re doing this concert, mom. Just come and help us,'" relates Ono. "He says, 'Why don’t you just come and sing, too?' And I’m thinking, 'For one concert, I’m going to go all the way to Japan? Please (laughs).'"

Still, Ono couldn't resist helping out her child, and she would quickly find out just how in tune Cornelius and the rest of the musicians who were there caught on to what she wanted to do.

"But I did it, because it’s my son," says Ono. "I thought, 'It’s my son. I better do it.' So I went, and there was no rehearsal or anything. I just walked in and I did the songs and some of the songs were already recorded, 'Ask The Elephant' ... so they might have picked up on that. But then I was doing some spontaneous stuff, and I thought, 'They can’t follow this.' Because usually, I was lucky in that the musicians who played with me in the West world are sort of the top musicians and very sensitive guys, so they could pick it up, you know. But what’s going to happen here? I don’t know, but then Cornelius ... great people. So, anyway, I said, 'They can’t follow this.' And I’m going, 'bump, bump, bump, ba' and I’m going up, up, up, up, up and I suddenly stopped. They not only followed that up, up, up, but when I suddenly stopped, they were stopping, too. They just stopped. I thought, 'Who are they?' And I just looked back at the band, you know. And they’re just smiling. So I said, 'OK.'"

Having gained her respect, those musicians would perform on Between My Head And The Sky. It was Sean who suggested to Yoko that she go ahead and make the album, which features contributions from a number of Japanese avant-garde artists and improvisational New York City musicians.

"And so, when Sean asked afterwards a couple of weeks later or something like that, 'Mom, I think you should make an album now. Let’s make it. Let’s make it,' says Ono, "I thought, 'OK. Then get those three here.' And I got those three there, and then Sean sort of like collected all the people, all the right people, the right musicians for me. So in a way I sort of owe that much to the music director."

So who are these people that Yoko had to have? Along with Keigo "Cornelius" Oyamada, Yuka Honda of Cibo Matto represents the Japanese group, which also includes Yuko Araki and Hirotaka Shimmy Shimizu. And in this corner, from Manhattan, there is Shahzad Ismaily (guitar, bass, percussion), Erik Friedlander(cello), Michael Leonhart (trumpet, vibes), Daniel Carter (reeds) and Indigo Street (guitar). Sadly, Eric Clapton is nowhere to be found. But maybe that's for the best.

Laurel Canyon has always had a mythic quality to it. To those who've never been there, it almost seems fictional, like West Egg in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Only Laurel Canyon would be far more implausible, that is if it wasn't actually real.

After all, what imagination could dream up this Eden where artists such as The Doors, Carole King, The Turtles, Joni Mitchell, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, among others, crafted some of the most amazing music of all-time? It was home to some of Hollywood's biggest stars, and it has its own tales of mystery and intrigue to tell.






One of Laurel Canyon's residents has undertaken the Herculean task of detailing the locale's amazing history, in incredible pictures and words, and he's a longtime contributor to Goldmine. Harvey Kubernik takes readers back to the Laurel Canyon of the '20s and retraces his footsteps all the way up to the present, stopping off in the '60s and '70s to reacquaint us with the artists that made it famous, in his book "Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon," published by Sterling Publishing.

Beautifully illustrated with more than 350 photographs — about 100 of which, never before seen, from the camera of famed photographer, and fellow Laurel Canyon resident, Henry Diltz — and other items of note, such as original fliers, posters, and ticket stubs, it's a deeply personal work for Kubernik. Through his unique multiple-voice narrative, he lets those who spent a good portion of their lives there tell the story of Laurel Canyon, not to mention the notorious Sunset Boulevard that crashes headlong into it.

Kubernik took time out to discuss his new book in a recent e-mail interview.

How long has this book been in the making?
Harvey Kubernik: It formally began about 16 months ago.

What made you want to write about Laurel Canyon?
HK: For over 35 years I have been writing and documenting Laurel Canyon and the musical legacy of Los Angeles and Hollywood. 

I had written the liner notes to the CD reissue of Carol King’s Tapestry album set in 2008, and around the same time received a phone call from a book packager who got my contact information from a Southern California-based radio DJ and music supervisor who is a big fan of my work and previous books. The book packager called this Laurel Canyon resident as the publishing company Sterling was seeking a writer for a Laurel Canyon project. Someone who could deliver original text, passionate never-published details and photos and visuals. I insisted on a multi-voice narrative structure. 

Reading "Canyon Of Dreams" I was struck by how interconnected Laurel Canyon artists and entertainers of different eras were. Was that something that struck you as well while researching the book?
HK: I really wasn’t struck by this fact since I always knew everything in Los Angeles and Hollywood is and was interconnected. I was born on the border of Los Angeles and East Hollywood yards from Sunset Boulevard — before the Sixties began on the calendar. I carry the lore and the lure of the Fifties for over a half a century ride on the pages. 

The musicians, producers and shakers of the 1950s’ entertainment world always informed subsequent movements, musical genres and album endeavors — many done 30 and 40 years ago but reissued this decade. That’s really obvious in my book. You can see that jazz cats like Don Randi, who played Sunset Strip night clubs, later would play keyboard on Phil Spector-produced recording sessions and the Brian Wilson-produced Pet Sounds. Or, drummer Hal Blaine would do the same clubs and later do albums for producer Lou Adler on his Jan & Dean and Mamas & Papas sessions.  

What's great about the book is that it isn't just a rehashing of the '60s . You go much further back in detailing the history of Laurel Canyon. Was that important to you, to not just focus on what happened in the '60s?
HK: I insisted this book not be the usual and obvious time-period magazine and newspaper article and some books about the region that concentrate on 1960-1979, or there was not going to be a book.

Over the last 10 years, I had a very loose concept and outline on a Los Angeles and Hollywood book and when the time was right, I had all the bases covered like no one ever in history. I saw The Doors, Seeds, Music Machine, Turtles, Buffalo Springfield and Poco in the ‘60s. Most people who document Laurel Canyon or Hollywood did not see these artists perform in person. They miss the context. I’m a native Angeleno. 

I also caught live jazz at the tail end of the ‘50s — Spike Jones and Julie London. And since 1957 I was glued to the local radio and TV for the R&B and jazz TV programs and the music shows of the ‘60s. 

Because I have played on a handful of recording sessions with “The Wrecking Crew” and covered the local music community in print since 1973 — my first record review was in 1974 in “The Los Angeles Times” was on the Beach Boys' Endless Summer double LP collection — I knew I had to cover the past and bring everyone into 2009. No book around has chronicled our melodic environment from the late ‘40s to 2009. That’s why we have a volume that features the legendary DJ and record label owner, Art Laboe, a Laurel Canyon resident since 1958, and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Wilson, who has lived in the area the last few years. But his musical influences incorporate many of the earlier singer/songwriters of the neighborhood.       

It was not going to be a re-hash of the ‘60s and the “same 10 people or bands or cult groups” as Danny Hutton congratulated me on. Or a focus on a five-year subject specific period — 50 years, not 5 years.
 
Who was your favorite Laurel Canyon character?
HK: Danny Hutton. Because he has been in Laurel Canyon since the early '60s and stayed in the vicinity. He’s also a native Angeleno. Danny always nurtured and discovered talent for Three Dog Night albums and live shows when he was in a band that took it all the way to arenas and sports stadiums. He utilized local players on his solo sessions, too. He has a cool sense of community and gave many musicians early breaks in the studio. Plus, unlike 95 percent of the musicians who come to Laurel Canyon, Danny stayed in town and in the Canyon. Not like so many musicians and songwriters who hang for a year or two, get a hit record, suck the place dry, then they leave immediately to the beach or other cities or states.       

What drew so many artists and entertainers to the area, especially many of the counter-culture rockers of the '60s?
HK: The sense of freedom that always existed. Most of these musicians who came out to the West Coast or to Los Angeles and Hollywood failed in their own home towns and got a new start in my city. Some brought a lot to the table, so I’m OK with the transplant mentality. I made sure in this book the natives got a big taste.

To you, why is Laurel Canyon such an important locale in the history of music, and especially rock and roll?
HK: It’s important, and Don Randi, Glen Campbell, Bill Mumy, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Henry Diltz, Jackie De Shannon, Slash and others all point this out that there was a plethora of recording studios five to 10 minutes away from Laurel Canyon — numerous music clubs and venues on Sunset Boulevard, dozens of major and indie record labels and all sorts of AM and FM radio stations. When the music business and the record labels started opening offices in Los Angeles and Hollywood in the late ‘50s and all through the ‘60s, it added to the show-business equation that was already established and in motion. Previously, going back to the late '40s and early '50s musicians and recording artists would always visit the area for radio and TV appearances, in addition to their live gigs. Now they could record, live and eventually reside in this world.

What did you learn about Laurel Canyon in the course of your research that you didn't know before?
HK: I found out many things about Laurel Canyon.

I knew Guns ‘N Roses were a part of the Laurel Canyon world but got further educated in the process. Slash grew up in Laurel Canyon and his mother, Ola Hudson, made clothes for the likes of Joni Mitchell and his father, Tony Hudson, did album covers for the area’s singer/songwriters. Slash really underscored to me in a lengthy conversation how his band rehearsed in Laurel Canyon or above Sunset Boulevard. He briefly went to Fairfax High School, maybe a long mile or two maximum from Laurel Canyon. He was very happy to discuss Joni Mitchell and Minnie Ripperton, as well as Graham Nash and The Doors — musicians that influenced his life and career. I saw the further link of the jazz musicians and the singer/songwriters that extended to the heavy metal world. 

What is the best story you heard about the Laurel Canyon of the '60s?
HK: I liked the way Mark Volman of The Turtles really described the block that he lived on. Members of Love were down the same street; record producer Paul Rothchild was around the corner. Mark went over to Paul’s house and heard the acetate of The Doors’ first LP before it was in retail release.

Think about hearing “Break On Through” before anyone else on the planet with the exception of The Doors, Rothchild and engineer Bruce Botnick. I like that story because they were all in on a special place and time, creating and bringing magic that would reach our ears.   

What is the area like now, and do you think we'll ever see another place like it?
HK: Some parts of the area remain the same. Many people and musicians who lived in the area in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s moved out many, many years ago. You have to have big bucks to live in Laurel Canyon these days. You pretty much need to own the home, not rent it. And the problem with parking and space for vehicles has ruined a lot of the attraction of Laurel Canyon. But as I discovered, there are new singer/songwriters and artists making music, going to the Canyon Store, recording at home so the music continues. And many of these musicians draw inspiration from the jazz cats and musicians from bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s.  

Visually, the book is stunning as well. Did you think that when you began this project it would turn out like it did?
HK: Thank you. I knew very early in the game that this was not going to be the usual handful of never-published or rare photos added to stock images or record label pictures. Nor was it going to be album covers and some fliers. I had my own stash and over many years, I had “my people” in place so when the opportunity would happen for a book about Los Angeles music, Hollywood and Laurel Canyon, I knew exactly where to go. Henry Diltz provided a large chunk of the color images, and I went back to some high school friends of 35 and 40 years ago ‘cause we always kept some posters, fliers and ticket stubs that have not been on display. Then word of mouth got out about this project. Everyone I knew or contacted always loved my writing and liner-note work. And they knew I would serve the music and the community and do it right for the first time. And it would be multi-cultural, like only a guy from Fairfax High School would know and realize. And the image providers always felt I was a true renegade maverick artist/writer and could bring it from a world that went back to the early ‘50s ‘cause I was there.

The Light Speed Press and Sterling Publishers book people did a damn good job on layout and design, paper stock and packaging. I knew it was gonna be good, but when I saw the people and musicians on parade in page galley form, I was really happy. The book works visually and in text. You will never view or listen to the music of Laurel Canyon or the Sunset Boulevard birthed and housed bands ever the same after you really spend time with this volume.

The hardcover book, featuring a foreward by The Doors' Ray Manzarek and an afterward by Lou Adler, is 384 pages, and it costs $29.95. To find out more about it, visit www.sterlingpublishing.com

It's amazing how fast time goes, isn't it? Can you believe that next year will be the 25th anniversary of Live Aid, the mega-concert that raised money for Africa's starving populations?

One of the bands that played the event was the U.K.'s bluesiest boogie-rock merchants Status Quo, the same outfit that had a global hit with the warped psychedelia of "Pictures Of Matchstick Men" – a #12 hit in the U.S. Some 40 years into their career, Status Quo is still going strong, having recently released the LP In Search Of The Fourth Chord, perhaps the band's strongest offering in years.






Almost a quarter of a century ago, however, things were not all that well with Quo. And when Bob Geldof asked the band if it wanted to perform at Live Aid, lead singer/guitarist Francis Rossi gave Geldof an answer he didn't want to hear.

"Rick [Harrison] and I were doing some promo for Vertigo, and I think the Boomtown Rats were still doing it at the time, and there was this Paddy Irish fellow shooting his f**king mouth off all over the f**king place and I said, 'Jesus,'" says Rossi. "And he said, 'Hey guys.' And I said, 'Yeah, all right. Hi, Bob. How are you?' 'Do you wanna do this gig?' 'No thanks, goodbye.' We didn't. We really didn't want to. No, we're not interested. He said, 'Nobody's interested.' And I said, 'Bob I don't care.'"

Geldof didn't give up. About a week or two later, Rossi ran into him again and again, Geldof asked if Quo would perform. "And I said, 'No, Bob, I don't really ...' I said, 'The band's not getting along. We haven't rehearsed,'" recalls Rossi. "He said, 'It doesn't matter a f**k what you're saying.' And it sounds like he said that to everybody. But we said, 'All right, we'll do it.' And we sort of didn't rehearse very well, and I remember then walking on and seeing ...  I don't think I've ever seen that many cameras in my life and I still haven't seen as many."

That wasn't all Rossi saw. A certain Material Girl came into view, with an entourage in tow. "And I remember seeing Madonna go take a leak with 12 men," says Rossi. "I don't think they all went in with her. But I think they all escorted her to this toilet, which wasn't received very well backstage. But I just remember seeing 12 guys take this woman for a piss and then bring her back. [I thought] 'Oh, that's incredible. She must be big down there.'"

Aside from Madonna's bathroom visit, Rossi remembers how uplifting the event was.

"There was a sense of euphoria in the audience, so I don't think one's ever likely to experience an audience quite like that again," says Rossi. "They were so, so proud of being that audience, to raise that money. And I think England had gone through very much a materialistic spell and I don't know, it was leaving a bad taste in some people's mouths."

To get the lowdown on what Status Quo is up to these days, visit www.statusquo.co.uk.

As she stumped to purge the world of rock of its more pornagraphic elements back in the '80s, Tipper Gore knew damn well who The D.I.'s were. Before she got her panties in a bunch over Prince and W.A.S.P., she was on live TV outside a Tower Records in on Sunset Blvd., shaking a copy of the D.I.'s Lock & Load as an example of the kind of rock 'n' roll filth that was ruining America.






Produced by X's Billy Zoom, Lock & Load was a fiery five-track 12-inch record, full of venemous rockabilly-infused punk, that came wrapped in a cover that was ... well, suggestive. Zoom acted as something of a mentor to The D.I.'s.

"He took us under his wing because we were playing a lot of gigs with X and The Blasters at the time," explains Axxel G. Reese, lead singer for both the furious, rockabilly-poisoned punk outfit and the band the that proceeded them, The Gears. "Another natural development. We always got along well with X and of course, J. Ray (Jonny Ray Bartel) eventually became an original member of The Knitters. I guess we’re pretty well associated with Billy and X at this point in our ‘careers.'"

Having Zoom in their corner was a big feather in their caps. Getting Tipper's seal of disapproval was another.

Nowadays, a whole new generation of L.A. punks are getting a taste of what The Gears were, and still are, about. Hep Cat Records has reissued The Gears' sweaty, bruising classic Rockin At Ground Zero record in a variety of formats. There's the deluxe edition which comes as a two-CD reissue, packaging the original 1980 LP with the group's first single ("Let's Go To The Beach") and five unreleased demos from 1979 — all remastered — plus another disc called Rare Cuts, which features 22 studio recordings by the D.I.s. The Lock & Load EP is included.

Rockin' At Ground Zero will also be released as a single CD with five previously unreleased demos, including the rockabilly-propelled title track and the never-before-released "Girl Crazy." A fold-out poster is also included. Another way to get it Rockin' At Ground Zero is as a vinyl LP. There will be a limited run of 500 available. It comes in colored vinyl with silk-screened jackets, just like the original Playgem Records 1980 LP.

As for Axxel, he still plays live shows with The Gears, a band that is far from being dead and buried.

"Sean Shift and Mike Manifold have replaced Dave Drive and Brian Redz, respectively, but they both occasionally make appearances with us onstage and we’re all still good friends," says Reese. "This is really ‘The Year of The Gears’ as we not only have the Hep Cat releases out, but there’s a just-released 10” red vinyl EP on Chris Ashford’s Wondercap label called Four on the Floor and it has four never-before-recorded tunes penned by Spike. We also have a vinyl Trudie Trudie EP coming out on Dionysus records (Thanks Lee!), as well as a soon to be released split single (vinyl) with L.A. favorites Disguster. We’re kind of resurrecting ourselves this year in a big way. Bottom line is we’re alive and happy and everybody can see and hear us soon on the 'Catch Us While We’re Alive’ tour coming to a town or burgh near you."

For more on The Gears/D.I.s, stay tuned to this space, or visit www.hepcatrecords.com.