the Rock Report

First of all, don’t get me wrong: I have a lot of respect for Chubby Checker. He introed a dance craze that did more for weight-loss than a dozen Atkins diets ever could (and who woulda thought this amazing dance was popularized by someone named Chubby?). He had the first LP to ever go platinum. He does know music inside-and-out.
But, recently, he became miffed that people haven’t put him up there with Elvis or the Beatles in musical importance.
It’s kinda sad, really. I mean, if you’re into rock music at all, you’d know that the giants — Elvis, Beatles, Zeppelin, etc. — were all consistent. You don’t just do one or two songs, make special appearances, and expect to become a true superstar!
Secondly, you would know that, in rock, you let the fans build you up! No need for self-promotion if you’re “that” good … the fans’ll do that for you! It’s a hard lesson that performers from Johnny Ace to Axl Rose have had to learn the hard way. You can make a fool of yourself otherwise …
Thirdly, you gotta know the secret of attack in both song and stage personality … wake up the audience, get them to hear you … and want more of what you’ve got. And it takes (again with the word) consistent exposure … positive exposure … with a solid set to do that.

There’s no doubt that Chubby has done a lot for music … but to put him on the same plane as Elvis (who was rather humble about his fame) or the Beatles (who saw their fame through satirical eyes)? Naaaaah ….

Any input on this, anyone?

QUICK REMINDER before we start: This week’s Rock History update on The Rock Relic’s site has been delayed because I … ummm … I … ah, well, I … lost my modemBUT I JUST FOUND IT, so it’ll be updated by Friday, okay??

Now …

Y’know, after getting advance copies of new-act CDs, intros into their small venues, and knowing various band members, it amazes me at how many of them have been thrown together, right out of the box (rehearsing in garages), getting a friend or cousin to book them into a club after a performable set of covers are established, and then cutting a CD at some inexpensive studio, thinking they’re “ready for the spotlight.”

Problem is, 99% of ‘em never make it beyond a few local gigs, even with the disc under their belts. And I think I know why …

Y’see, when ya think back on the entertainers of the ’60s, you’ll find that most of the heavy-hitters paid some serious dues on their way to the top: Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel (who started as high-schoolers Tom and Jerry), the Beatles (whose hard road to the top is legend), CCR (as the Golliwogs, had a minor hit with Fight Fire! before reassessing their sound), and Mamas and Papas (who started as fragments of the Mugwumps, and gave us a look back at their rise with Creeque Alley), just to name a few.

Low-paying gigs, sometimes travelling long back roads in cheap cars or VW “buses”, small (and often rowdy) audiences, record deals falling through, year after year was what they went through — until, finally, the hard work and devotion to their music began to pay off.

The groups of today have it easier for the most part (one exception is the excellent American Minor, whose rise is reminiscent of the powergroups of the Sixties). When these others begin paying the same dues as the acts that influenced them, then they stand a better chance of getting somewhere …

One more thing (for readers in LA and NY): Look for the new movie, U. S. vs. John Lennon to premiere in your cities in September. To coincide with the movie’s premiere, look for John Lennon’s Attica State to be released nationally … one that (considering present political climates) is sure to go #1-with-a-bullet on Billboard’s Top 100!

More later. Check out the site at The Rock Relic, and I’ll see you on the flip side …