the Rock Report

Geez … not a lot of entries on that last quiz. Anyway, true to promise, here are the answers:

1. Roberta Anderson: Joni Mitchell
2. Hugh Clegg: Huey Lewis ( … and the News)
3. Patricia Holt: Patti LaBelle
4. Stanley Kirk Burrell: M C Hammer
5. William Johnson: Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
6. Noel Scott Engel: Scott Walker (of the Walker Brothers)
7. Eithne Ni Bhraonain: Enya
8. Nicholas Bates: Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran)
9. Stuart Goddard: Adam Ant
10. Paul Hewson: Bono (of U2)
11. David Evans: The Edge (U2)
12. Marshall Mathers: Eminem
13. John Baldwin: John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
14. Vincent Furnier: Alice Cooper
15. Brian Warner: Marilyn Manson
16. Gary Webb: Gary Numan
17. Benjamin Earl Nelson: Ben E. King
18. Yvette Marie Stevens: Chaka Khan
19. Charles Hatcher: Edwin Starr (Agent 00-Soul, 25 Miles, War)
20. Faroukh Bulsara: Freddie Mercury
21. Christopher Davidson: Chris De Burgh
22. Otha Ellas Bates: Bo Diddley (also reported as Elias McDaniel)
23. Francis Castelluccio: Frankie Valli
24. William Bailey: Axl Rose
25. Saul Hudson: Slash (guitarist, Guns ‘n Roses, Velvet Revolver
26. Sylvester Stewart: Sly (of the Family Stone)
27. Susan Dallion: Souxie (… and the Banshees)
28. Charles Westover: Del Shannon
29. John Simon Ritchie: Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols)
30. Jeffrey Hyman: Joey Ramone (the Ramones)

The first page is (nearly) totally linked on the new OUR GENERATION&#8482 page! More pages coming soon (sitebuilding/blogposting/and-something-like-pneumonia [”pneu-flu?”] has kept this BeatBird momentarily grounded. I do believe it’s getting better, though.) …

RELICOMMENDATIONS

Memory: Good for elephants, rough on PCs. And, as anyone who uses the Megabyte Monster can tell ya, it’s vital to have enough to run your programs (many older models have 40 megs. Mine usedta be so short on it, I thought it had some kinda computer Alzheimer’s or something … until I found the place to enhance your computer memory. Again, great prices … the best upgrades on the market … even an auto-search that’ll tell ya what memory type your PC has! Listen … the more ya put on your computer, the more memory you’re gonna need! So be a friend to your PC and give it a bit of a boost — it’ll thank ya for it by giving you better service!

Dig some cool oldie downloads? Check out The Bubblegum Machine and pick your year …

That’s it for now … until next time, keep your feet on the ground, your eyes on the skies, your ears to the radio, and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

We’ll get to the results of our Name Game in just a minute (awwww, let the suspense build a little, okay?). First, these messages … er, RELICOMMENDATIONS:

Whether you’re a rocker or not, there’s gotta be folks you need or wanna meet with. Sometimes they’re agents, sometimes clients, or maybe just friends … but simple emails just don’t cut it! So, for the max in effectiveness (and at a LOW cost), try web conferencing! More can be accomplished, and a face-to-face conference, even over the miles, does wonders for every presentation you make!

Okay …. let’s see who got the names right from last week:

1. James Marcus Smith: P J Proby (1965's Let The Water Run Down)2. Concetta Maria Franconero: Connie Francis3. Virginia Patterson Hensley: Patsy Cline4. Robert Smith: Wolfman Jack5. Steveland Judkins: Stevie Wonder6. Muriel Deason:  Kitty Wells7. Harold Jenkins:  Conway Twitty8 Randy Traywick: Randy Travis9. Sophia Kalish:  Sophie Tucker10. Annie Mae Bullock: Tina Turner11. Harold Ragsdale: Ray Stevens (Everything is Beautiful, etc)12. La Donna Andrea Gaines: Donna Summer13. Gregory Lenoir:  Greg Allman14. Patricia Andrzejewski:  Pat Benatar15. Salvatore Phillip Bono:  Sonny Bono (obviously!)16. Ernest Evans:  Chubby Checker17. Cherilyn Sarkasian:  Cher18. William Board:  Billy Idol (Halfway To Paradise)19. Frank LoVecchio: Frankie Laine (who passed away recently)20. Sidney Liebowitz:  Steve Lawrence (Don’t Be Afraid, Little Darlin’)21. Brenda Mae Tarpley: Brenda Lee22. Norma Egstrom: Peggy Lee23. Albert George Cernick:  Guy Mitchell  (Ballad of Davy Crockett)24. Prince Rogers Nelson:  Prince25. John Henry Ramistella:  Johnny Rivers26. Martin David Robinson:  Marty Robbins27. Reginald Dwight:  Elton John28. Peter Baker:  Ginger Baker29. Leonard Borizoff:  Len Barry30. Jape Perry Richardson: The Big Bopper31. John Symon Asher:  Jack Bruce (of Cream)32. Don Van Vliet:  Captain Beefheart33. Lugee Sacco:  Lou Christie34. Declan McManus:  Elvis Costello35. Vito Rocco Farinola: Vic Damone36. George O’Dowd: Boy George37. Pauline Matthews:  Kiki Dee38. Mary Frances Pennick:  Skeeter Davis (End Of The World)39. Doris Kappelhoff:  Doris Day40. Howard Andrew:  Andy Williams41. Frank Abelson:  Frankie Vaughan42. McKinley Morganfield:  Muddy Waters43. Lloyd Thaxton:  — Mighty Mouse

NEW!  A quick contest to find the lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngest song title on record (or CD,  Or tape.  Or whatever.  But it must be legitimate!).  So far, the RockRelic/Eagle’s found the Faces hold the record with 1974’s You Can Make Me Dance,Sing Or Anything (Even Take The Dog For A Walk, Mend A Fuse, FoldAway the Ironing Board, Or Any Other Domestic Shortcomings)..Anybody up to the challenge, or does Ron’s group keep its trophy??

Now … back to the NAME GAME: Do you know the stage names of these superstars? 1.   Roberta Anderson:              2.   Hugh Clegg:                        3.   Patricia Holt:                       4.   Stanley Kirk Burrell:            5.   William Johnson:                 6.   Noel Scott Engel:                 7.   Eithne Ni Bhraonain:            8.  Nicholas Bates:                   9.  Stuart Goddard:                  10.  Paul Hewson:                      11.  David Evans:                       12.  Marshall Mathers:                 13.  John Baldwin:                       14.  Vincent Furnier:                     15.  Brian Warner:                        16.  Gary Webb:                          17.  Benjamin Earl Nelson:           18.  Yvette Marie Stevens:            19.  Charles Hatcher:                    20.  Faroukh Bulsara:                   21.  Christopher Davidson:           22.  Otha Ellas Bates:                  23.  Francis Castelluccio:              24.  William Bailey:                       25.  Saul Hudson:                        26.  Sylvester Stewart:                   27.  Susan Dallion:                        28.  Charles Westover:                 29.  John Simon Ritchie:               30.  Jeffrey Hyman:

‘Til next week, keep your feet on the ground, your eyes to the skies, your heart on rock-and-roll, and I’llsee ya (with answers, no less!) on the flip side …. 

Okay, dudes and dudettes … since ya dig yer music, let’s see how sharp you are on the bonafide names behind the acts! This is the first of a coupla quizzes where you (yes, you! ‘Sides, I got the list … so I already know!) figure out the stage monikers of the following people.
Oh, yeah … this does include some that are obvious, a few kinda- newbies on the radio, and acts from pop, blues and even country as well. You’ll even find the great Sophie Tucker in there somewhere! Drop me a line when ya get ‘em done. I’ll include the answers in the next post … along with a new list:

1. James Marcus Smith:
2. Concetta Maria Franconero:
3. Virginia Patterson Hensley:
4. Robert Smith:
5. Steveland Judkins:
6. Muriel Deason:
7. Harold Jenkins:
8 Randy Traywick:
9. Sophia Kalish:
10. Annie Mae Bullock:
11. Harold Ragsdale:
12. La Donna Andrea Gaines:
13. Gregory Lenoir:
14. Patricia Andrzejewski:
15. Salvatore Phillip Bono:
16. Ernest Evans:
17. Cherilyn Sarkasian:
18. William Board:
19. Frank LoVecchio:
20. Sidney Liebowitz:
21. Brenda Mae Tarpley:
22. Norma Egstrom:
23. Albert George Cernick:
24. Prince Rogers Nelson:
25. John Henry Ramistella:
26. Martin David Robinson:
27. Reginald Dwight:
28. Peter Baker:
29. Leonard Borizoff:
30. Jape Perry Richardson:
31. John Symon Asher:
32. Don Van Vliet:
33. Lugee Sacco:
34. Declan McManus:
35. Vito Rocco Farinola:
36. George O’Dowd:
37. Pauline Matthews:
38. Mary Frances Pennick:
39. Doris Kappelhoff:
40. Howard Andrew:
41. Frank Abelson:
42. McKinley Morganfield:
43. Lloyd Thaxton:

Now, I’ve gotta put a word in here about Jay Richardson’s recent endeavor. “BB Jr., now that you’ve done, be sure to flush …”
Also, word is that the soon-to-be-former Mrs. Macca has settled with Paul for somewhere around $51 mil. Said she’s on Dancing With The Stars because she needs the money. Didn’t she marry Paul for the same reason?

One more little tidbit: Total Guitar Magazine has reported the ultimate guitar solo is Zep’s Stairway to Heaven. Here’s how the voting went:

Top 10 Guitar Solos
1. Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
2. Van Halen - Eruption
3. Guns N’ Roses - Paradise City
4. The Eagles - Hotel California
5. Metallica - Enter Sandman
6. Cream - Crossroads
7. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
8. Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
9. Free - All Right Now
10. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Any disputes, corrections or additions?

Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your ears to the radio (by the way, did I mention that U. S. Senator John Hall is the same one who played guitar for Orleans?) … and I’ll see ya on the flip side …

The Doors. Innovators, poets, intestinal-fortitude-in-the-key-of-C — and painters of the song that went #1-with-a-bullet with the EagleRelic within minutes of hearing it. Break On Through, at its hook, carries more impact for my Eagle side than any other song, except maybe (We’re) All In This Together by the Pirates (the first few bars of that one puts the balding Bird in flight). Second Door to the right: Touch Me, which has dynamite ska-like rhythm.
Jim Morrison had moxie down to a science; he didn’t give a damned who liked his stage presence. He was gonna be himself. With Kreiger, Dinsmore and Manzarek providing the palette for the Lizard’s musical painting, the man was the show … and deserves iconic status!

A few words about other acts mentioned in return posts (btw, thanks for dropping the line, rockers!):

Incense and Peppermints was the solid hit of Strawberry Alarm Clock (although Ed King and, for a time, bassist George Bunnell gained a bit more fame as part of Lynyrd Skynyrd), but the one that did it for me was Unwind With The Clock. It’s interesting to note that Jimmy Pittman was part of The Nightcrawlers, who did the Byrds-inspired Little Black Egg.

Radar Love has a totally outtasight drum fill. Whatever happened to Golden Earring, anyway? Stay tuned …

Younger Girl by the Hondells. Gary, was that a remake of the old Critters song? Or the original?

AC/DC. ‘Nuff said … except, along with the ass-kicking music (my fave is Highway to Hell) their geneology is unique, starting way back with the Easybeats (Friday On My Mind) and John Paul Young (Love Is In The Air). Word is (and this is true!) a new group is being considered to spring from these guys.

Cream. Yes, Slowhand is the premier axist (an old acquaintance, Mick Green of the Pirates, influenced him heavily). But, man, this rocker’s got a case of Ginger-vitis! Good to see Mr. Baker behind the multi-piece set again …

The Monkees. First group to use a Moog Synthesizer in the US. Glad to see Pete standing up to the guys, though, and staying on the wagon. He’s now with Shoe Suede Blues and sounds great! The ones that do it here are Zor and Zam (remember? They gave a war and nobody came ? Made a lotta posters …) and the scattish, James-Brownish Goin’ Down. Dolenz’s stage act on that was fabulous … and, years after hearing it the first time, I still remember all the lyrics …

Go Now. Laine’s piano break was the most soulful of the white rockers. It’s a toss-up between that and their later one, Question. Now, there’s a heavy song!
Moby Grape was perhaps the most perfect predecessor to the Eagles in many ways. Their song, 8:05, was heartrending and melodic at the same time … but these guys could also rock like mad …

More later. Question for the cats (and mice) out there: Anybody know what happened to the group, Bloodrock … their 1971 hit, D. O. A., gave me my first set of post-Army creeps … but the group itself was tight …

Okay … that’s it for this session. ‘Til next time, keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your ear to the radio … and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

Look … we know that, if we’re truly raised on rock, the rhythm settles deep in our soul and our hearts start to tick to the 4/4 beat. There are songs that can juice us up better than any pill, thrill or dollar bill; calm us better than a good martini, sensuous massage and Mantovani playing (welllll … maybe the massage has one up on us, depending on who gives it!); and make us laugh or cry (sometimes at the same time) without assistance of a tax auditor.

For the EagleRocker, the deep playlist includes smoothies like Three Dog Night’s Out In The Country and The Bee Gee’s Edge of the Universe; laugh trax Auntie Grizelda and Gonna Buy Me A Dog by The Monkees, They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaaa! by Jerry Samuels (aka Napoleon XIV) (that last one was played at my divorce hearing in 1992), Elenore and Guide for the Common Man by the Turtles; action tracks like … well, there are hundreds of those, but The Beatles’ Little Child, Chicago’s Feelin’ Stronger Everyday (last third to fadeout), The Others’ Oh, Yeah, The Pirates’ You Don’t Own Me (definitely not the Lesley Gore tune!), GFR’s American Band and Robert Palmer’s Simply Irresistable do it for me; and Amazing, by Aerosmith, is practically my life story …

Now … it’s your turn: How about sharing your biggest hits with us?(wait … don’t male fans ask that, or something similar, of Dolly Parton?) Which ones give you the groove ya want … and stick in mind as sortuva psych “firewall” against downers?
Lemme know …

Oh, yeah … until next post, how about catchin’ The Eagle/Rock Relic at the newly revamped TGAN™, or his personal-but-not-private site at the site uncovered by clicking on this fancy underlined lettering?
So, until next post, keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your ears to the radio … and I’ll catch ya on the flip side.