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Can anyone recommend a good book on the Detroit music scene [[Grande Ballroom era) that delves into the trailblazing that WABX did for FM radio back then and the music journalists of that era like Barry Kramer, Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, etc.? I know that's a tall order, but a book title or a list of titles would be greatly appreciated. ;)
Cheers,
grphxman1
I'd like to read that book, too.
Grit, Noise, and Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock 'n' Roll by David Carson. If you order it thru my Amazon store, it helps to support my website.
http://www.detroitkidshow.com/Sagebr...eral_Store.htm
GRIT, NOISE AND REVOLUTION: THE BIRTH OF DETROIT ROCK 'N' ROLL
DAVID CARSON
The story of the great garage-inspired, blue collar Motor City rock 'n' roll bands that exemplified the Detroit rock sound: the MC5, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Mitch Rider and the Detroit Wheels, SRC, the Bob Seeger System, Ted Nugentand the Amboy Dukes and Grand Funk Railroad. The first book to chronicle Detroit music of the 1960s and 70s- a pivotal era in rock music.
Wouldn't Rockin'Down the Dial be a better fit for gman's request?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1879094622
I suspect Rockin' Down The Dial is out of print. I had a copy on back order for about 3 months at my local bookstore.....
Long Live Dave Dixon!!
Dave Dixon: A true character. Music aficionado. Perhaps not politically correct. Missed by many, including me.
Try this link http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/send-pdf...bgsu1214237279 Great info
If above link doesn't load properly refresh it and it will load.
While at a car show/swap meet on sunday I saw a vendor wearing a WABX jersey.Having been too young to hear the AIR ACES first hand I have always wondered what it was like back when WABX first came on the air.
Are you sure that t-shirt was for the old Detroit WABX and not this one?
http://www.wabx.net/
It was for Detroits 99 AND 1/2 WABX. I was around when you could get them new and somewhere I have some bumper stickers from back then.The site you sent looks interesting. Have to see if the Indiana girls are like the Riff ROCK GIRLS
Thanks for the suggestions guys! I hadn't thought of Rockin' Down the Dial, but I was already thinking about picking up a copy of GRIT, NOISE AND REVOLUTION: THE BIRTH OF DETROIT ROCK 'N' ROLL. :cool:
I was never good at saving stuff over the years like baseball cards, etc. but I'd love to have a mint condition 'ABX Secret Decoder Ring. :[[ I did manage to save my token/poker chip from Goose Lake.
I have an original, well worn WABX t-shirt. My husband got it for helping to move the new transmitter to the top of the David Stott Tower.
Detroit radio at its best.
Attachment 2390
Rockin' Down the Dial is available through dealers listed on Amazon, Alibris and other web sites.
Rockin' Down The Dial is out of print. Amazon says that more are coming, but the last time I spoke with the publisher they only had a few on hand, with no plans for another reprinting. Same deal with Kiska's Soupy To Nuts book, from the same publisher. It was their biggest seller, but they are letting it go OOP too.
I took a quick at Skidway's link to a doctoral dissertation by Jason Schmit[[probably unpublished) that anyone interested in Detroit R&R history from the 60's should check out.
It's an over 200 page PDF file entitled "LIKE THE LAST 30 YEARS NEVER HAPPENED: UNDERSTANDING DETROIT ROCK MUSIC THROUGH ORAL HISTORY'. It was a dissertation submitted at Bowling Green in summer of 2008.
maybe I'll print it out at work and give it a good read. Thanks Skidway!
Oh, here's the link again:
http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/send-pdf...bgsu1214237279
Yeah, I've been reading it and it sounds like it might be pretty good. You can't beat the price. ;) Oh yeah, I ordered "Grit, Noise, and Revolution" from your Amazon store Ed. Anything I can do to help. I've browsed your site before and it's a must read for boomers who grew up in Metro Detroit. Excellent site.
"Grit Noise and Revolution" is a great read. It really gives you a feel of what Detroit was like before all the playlists were created somewhere in Texas. Back then, local rockers could hit big in Detroit because the DJ's has some choice [[sometimes a lot of choice) over what they played. Now a days, it is guaranteed you only hear "corporate rock" or classic rock that is threadbare from being overplayed. No breaking through on the local airways any more. Of course the internet is allowing musicians to break out in a different way.
I didn't mean to preach, but "Grit Noise and Revolution" is a real eye opener.
I also read "Rockin Down the Dial". It added a lot more detail, and was well written and entertaining. It supplied even more detail about how the radios were run. And it underscored that the overview from "Grit Noise and Revolution" was correct. Great reads!
In the Garwood thread, I have a link to song I wrote that was inspired by these books. The words go something like this:
Baby you remember when the air was free?
the DJ's playing music just what they please.
The playlist not decided in some foreign city
Capitalism tends toward monopoly.
Start a revolution! ....
I was an intern at ABX in 1980...Alan Stagg, mornings Jon Bailey, John O'Leary, Rhonda Hart, Tiodd Fowler and a woman that came on at 10. I think she was originally from California...drove a VW Beetle...the bitchiest woman I ever met lol We were in the 3rd floor of an office building at 8 & Coolidge.
I just finished the Chapter entitled, "The Village is Burning", which details how Mitch Ryder got started. Now we're getting to the meaty part of the book. I understand the earlier chapters were laying the groundwork and giving all the early R&B and Rock pioneers their due, but it made for hard reading at times because I was constantly flipping back and forth to try and keep the names and relationships straight. David Carson has definitely done his homework and he's written a top-notch history of Detroit's music scene. :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by RickBeall
Are there any airchecks/tapes of WABX out there, ca. '68-'70? It'd be strange if nobody had any....
I was friends with the chief engineer at abx Jim Paffenbarger. At that time it was on top of the stott bldg circa 1975. For those that remember there was a station spot where an elderly man promoted "..wabx the station of your wildest dreams"... he was in fact one of the elevator operators at the stott bldg_ sadly Jim took his own life several years ago
This is a pic of me wearing my WABX-Air Aces shirt taken in early 1973. I still have the shirt, but both it and me are sort of well worn.
Attachment 2544
I've got similar pictures, yet it's the one where I'm NOT wearing an 'ABX shirt that hurt the most. Where oh where did those washboard abs go? :eek:
There is a guy that sells old radio tapes at the Dally in the Alley, he might have some. Also, a small quantity of WABX Air Aces t shirts were reprinted for a reunion radio show that Dave Dixon did on his AM radio show awhile back. There might be a few still around, try Showtime Clothing on Woodward.Quote:
Originally Posted by d'oh
Don't you hate it when the 6 pack turns into a whole case ???Quote:
Originally Posted by grphxman1
LOL! Ain't it the truth. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by lpg
Or a keg! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by lpg
Anybody remember Doug Podell from W4? I don't know if he was ever on ABX or not.
Doug MC'd the Rationals show last week. Looks like he's still got it together pretty good. It was hosted by WCSX so I'd guess you might find him there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meddle
I haven't seen much out there on BX. Art Vuolo's History of Detroit Radio set has a section on ABX, but I don't recall if there is much actual on air recording in it. I've have a few CDs of air checks from '60's CKLW & WKNR and 1971 WRIF-FM, but not ABX.Quote:
Originally Posted by d'oh
Still reading "Grit, Noise, and Revolution". You always hear stories about how Elektra didn't back and promote the MC5 properly. Some of this is probably true, but from reading the book it sounds to me like John Sinclair's affinity for fringe groups and his willingness to align the band with these groups [[particularly the Lower East Side chapter of the SDS who took to calling themselves "Up Against the Wall Motherf*****") did most of the damage. These idiots who were into total anarchy [[they liked to wade into a crowd swinging bicycle chains) managed to get the "5" blackballed by the two biggest promoters on the East Coast [[and country for that matter)...Bill Graham and Don Law in the span of a week. Then they followed the band out to the West Coast and proceeded to spread their "special vibe" out there and just about destroyed any reputation the band had left. What a shame! For too long the band idolized Sinclair and thought he could do no wrong. When they finally came to their senses their moment had passed. :mad:
Metro Times had a two-part interview with the remaining Air Aces at least 6-7 years ago. I think it was after Dixon passed. I have a copy buried somewhere. Try contacting them to get a reprint.
grphx....you're dead on about all that revolution bullshit. Most of that shit was spouted by poor little rich kids, who never held a job and feigned solidarity for the working masses ala SDS.
Also, I think the real demise of the MC5 was Rob Tyner's love for sparkly Elvis-like jumpsuits, of course he pre-dated Mr. Presley's "Fat Elvis" stage.
Yeah, Sinclair wrote an article in the Fifth Estate after the '67 riots hailing it as "the First Annual Robin Hood Day" and how the "people finally got their hands on the goodies" that the man had been denying them. That's the kind of empty rhetoric people like him spouted all the time. It's one thing to spout that crap in the abstract, but I guarantee you...if all the hare-brained stuff they were preaching had really come to pass they would have been the first ones out of Dodge. I have to admit that I considered myself a "head" or 'freak" back then and went to a couple anti-war rallies down at Wayne State, but I wasn't real big on the revolution thing though I kept that to myself for the most part, sorry to say. :rolleyes:
If this doesn't knock you flat on your ass it's you, not them...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj9fba0L398
eerr...did you actually read my post? :confused: Where in it, did I say I didn't like the"5"? I saw them something like 20 times [[at least) at the Grande, at Tartar Field, at the Eastown, at some free concerts in Ann Arbor, etc. I've got all their albums including a couple singles that were released early in the band's career. Guido Marasco [[owner of GM Studios where "Back in the USA" was recorded) was a high school classmate of my mother and had coached me in little league football for 3 years invited me and a friend down [[I lived 2 blocks away) to watch them record. Unfortunately, after about an hour somebody from the band saw us and put an end to our dream come true. :[[ So YES, I love the MC5 and YES I've heard "Motor City is Burning" a few times.:rolleyes:
My point was that John Sinclair put the interests of Trans-Love Energies [[a commune for artists including musicians, political types, and just plain street people) ahead of the MC5 too often. In fact, ALL of the band's earnings went into a communal fund to support TLE right up until the day the band fired Sinclair and replaced him with John Landau. The band had a roof over their head, food to eat, and money for clothes and equipment, the necessities basically.
I got to thinking wasn't Jerry Lubin on WLLZ in its early days? I belive it was the first time I heard Kick out the Jams. I got yelled at for the Kick out plus the MFrs quite alot that year.
Somebody mentioned Art Vuolo's "History Of Detroit Radio" a bit ago. I believe the history, done in 1971, is still available. He also has an extensive library of air checks that may contain some WABX tapes. You can contact Art through his website here.......
http://www.vuolovideo.com/
Sat with Dave at the re-opening of the theatre at 6 mi. and Woodward. Porn stars Marilyn Chambers and Johnny Keyes were in attendance as the premiere of Behind the Green Door aired. Was a memorable evening as I met several key Detroit dignataries including owner Mr. Wolfe , Ken Cockrell and his associate Justin Ravitz. Murro.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobl
Do have an original ABX ring in the box along with the printed instructions for sale best offer. Also WABX tote bag but not in original condition. A night of substance abuse rendered the bag colorized [[magic markers) instead of B/W. Murro.Quote:
Originally Posted by grphxman1
Attachment 5390
wabx 99 1/2
WABX, Radio Free Detroit
Worked with Jerry Lubin at the Royal Oak Post Office
in the early 90's before and after the shooting there.
He used to say you either made peanuts or made it big like Arthur P or Karen Savelly.
He worked the midnight shift on ABX.
Good guy.
Jerry Lubin is one fantastic person and a rare gem of the Motor City.
I have an embroidered patch around the house somewhere of Rocky the X-Pup. I had it on a satin baseball jacket in the late 70's. Hmmm - wonder where that is?
You must know the Earlins, Eddie and Nancy, from the RO Post Office.Quote:
Originally Posted by daddeeo
Also loved Ronnie "Play the Dolls" Legge across the river at CJOM in the early 70s.
You hear a lot about ABX and W4, but not much about CJOM. That was a great station. They didn't have to worry about the FCC regs. I may be biased because I was an intern there.
Last I saw, Eddie Earlin was still plugging away at the PO and racing his horse.
That's about what I know.
Jerry Goodwin, Jerry Lubin, Paul Cannon and Lee Alan
courtesy of http://www.cyberactivesites.com/radi.../page3-05.html
Steve Dahls turn on the hostage crisis...Quote:
Originally Posted by East Detroit
"Let my people go ...you ragheads"...was only the beginning, should`a sicced Dick the Bruiser on `em ...
Good point about CJOM, although they didn't last that long. Memory says they went into the "progressive" format as an all blues station.
I wouldn't really have considered W4 a force as a progressive outlet. They kicked off as one of the first "oldies" stations in 1970, but didn't really kick into the "rock" market until Ira Lipson took over as PD a couple years later.
There were a number of things that really helped WABX. First, they were the first in the market, and after stumbling around a while trying to figure out what "free-form" was, developed street cred because they were there before anyone else. WKNR-FM was badly hurt by 1) running their Top-40 format on the FM until noon, then using AM jocks like Jerry Goodwin in the "underground" format. WXYZ's wounds were self inflicted when they went to the ABC "Brother John" syndicated package, about as shallow an attempt to cash in on the format I'd ever heard.
Up till mid 70's FM was so little listened most formats were religion or easy listening Muzak/elevator music. It was 'open territory' for innovation like WABX. The FCC did not pay much attention to FM. Then they cracked down, and WABX was changed. It was probably 3-4 years before anyone heard a song with a drug reference again.Quote:
Originally Posted by douglasm
What probably killed CJOM was the "Canadian Content" laws that severly damaged CKLW. Those laws required stations licenced to operate in Canada to [[with some exception) to have playlists that contained a certain amount of material by Canadian artists. I believe Can-Con kicked in in 1971, and required [[at first) 25% Canadian content.
A good point to Can-con? The Dorians would not have had "Help For My Waiting" become a big hit on CKLW.
BTW, I believe Geoff Sterling [[Sterling Communications) owned CJOM through the mid 70's. In the early 70's Mike Linder was the station manager.
I started helping Mike Linder at CJOM the first week they went on the air. He was the only one there, doing a live show in the afternoon. The rest of the time it was automated, though sometimes he would just jump on live whenever he felt the need. I was running around putting up posters and stickers, etc. I still have a full size CJOM poster. Its a large picture of the moon that says CJOM Unearthly Rock. Dave Loncao and Greg Frith came on later. They had their ways of getting around the Canadian content, although a lot of Lighthouse and April Wine did get played. I learned a lot from hanging out there, good times for a 16 year old kid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BowlDetroit
Were her initial K.S.?
A friend and I, while in our early teens, negotiated w/ her. to shovel the snow from her driveway. She drove a hard bargain. We did it for $3, the lowest pay we received that day.
I called up ABX one night, and asked Dennis Frawley to play a particular John Lennon tune. He refused, stating that he didn't like that cut.
At the time, I thought, "What a rat-bastard prick." But looking back, I sure liked radio better when that was how some stations were operating.
Have always ironically used the term, "hauntingly beautiful," which I lifted from Dave Dixon, who would use it to describe cuts that were particularly rough on the ears. He might play something like "Search And Destroy" from Raw Power and describe it with that term.
Mark Parenteau always struck me as a guy who was probably an annoying asshole in person, but that guy could run together a good 45-minute set of killer tuneage when he was on his game.
"Annoying asshole" is far too kindly a description:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ravine
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/liv...ded_to_prison/
Quote:
Originally Posted by grphxman1
I saw the MC5, Frijid Pink and Frost along with many other local bands at the hall parties on 25th and Vernor in Detroit back in the very early 70s. I also saw a lot of local bands at Eastown. WABX was my all-time favorite radio station.
I just got my satin ABX baseball jacket out of the garage the other day to look at it. I can't quite squeeze into it any more but it's in good condition. It faded from the original purplish lavender to a kind of pink color. It's got my name stitched onto the front. I worked there from about '76 to '79 or so in the news and public service dept. It was an interesting place to work, met alot of famous people. We were in an office bldg. on Coolidge and 8 Mile [[gone). Also was an unofficial intern in '74 or so at the Stott Bldg 33rd floor. Rhonda Tanton, Betsy Strand etc. were there. Seems like Lonna Harris and Dennis Frawley were the only ones that made the transaition from the Stott bldg to Oak Park.
I'm not sure if the original poster is still interested but I was recently told about a book that is about the Detroit radio scene.
Rockin Down the Dial by David Carson.
You can find it at Book Beat on Greenfield Road and Lincoln.
I don't have any from that far back but I have a few seconds of me on the air doing news +/- 1977
so you were there just before I left, i think around 1980. KS was already there by then, and I thought she was friendly and pretty good to get along with, very likeable. I was news, etc staff. The office building on Coolidge has been torn down. I was also an unofficial intern at ABX when they were in the Stott Bldg in '74 or '75 and I went to high school down the street. If I recall only Lonna Harris, Dennis Frawley and myself ended up out at the Oak Pk location. A company out of Chicago bought the station then for a while it was run out of Hollywood..working there was wild back then, I was in my early 20s
It's me again...Solo sold my jacket in December. Somebody out there has an ABX warmup jacket with "Ronald" stenciled on the front. I wonder who.... Now I'm thinking maybe I should have kept it but hey, I've had it for about 30 years, time to let someone else enjoy it.
BGM Has 99WABX embroidered patch for sale if someone wants it.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...ZC8xGOIMuAblPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYGig...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_eis3nnkTw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfS8K29pj3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7eh-NtEdl8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR1fUQuLedQ&feature=related
http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.ph...&m=xxdetroitxx
embed src='http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/flvplayer.swf' width='448' height='356' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' allowfullscreen='true' flashvars="file=http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/v/wabx-99-1-2-fm-detroit-shower-old-lady-rock-thur-4-7-77.flv&image=http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/splashSR.png&showicons=false&autostart=true"></embed>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l17JrBsoRiM
Good evening Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea - Let's go to press!
Regarding Air Ace memories - One afternoon somewhere during the second Nixon administration - I came upon "Help Me Rhonda" on my car radio while I was driving to my ARA vending job downriver. Now I think the jock was Mark Perrento [[sp), and at the end of the tune, on the very last note that could be heard, Mark let's out a guffaw and then repeated the opening lyrics of the song as if revealing these words for the first time. Slowly and distinctly he uttered:
Since she put me down now I do it in my hand...
He paused for a sublime moment of dead air [[I could just imagine his Cheshire cat smile - ear-to-ear), and said: "Wow" before moving on...
I miss Dixon. The airwaves haven't been fun since he left. The Bombay Bicycle Club on DET was also special. Radio is so damn benign these days, as is the music they play.
One Sunday night at a small gathering in Lubin's basement and a couple of blokes from the Moody Blues were there. We were taking turns spinning records and I put Pharoah Sanders "Tauhid" on. One of the Moodys walks up to me and asks" "Is that music or something to frighten the cat with?"
Thats too funny. I used to play Pharoah Sanders on my late night jazz show at WEMU. No wonder there were no cats around.Quote:
Originally Posted by ridgeabilly