CURLEW

What I heard was that some middle eastern oil sheik had a larger retainer wall built as well as a reshaping of the curve on the boulevard, as he was not much of a Nick Lowe fan, and, hence, did NOT 'love the sound of breaking glass.'...

You wouldn't happen to remember what year & model that Jag sedan was, would you? I'm a big fan of the 1960's jag sedans. If you watch the show 'Mad Men' season 5 episodes 10 & 11, shot in what is supposed to be a Jaguar 'dealership', the 'honey beige' Mark 2 sedan in the front of the room is mine... What a fun gig that was....

Anyone who lives in Southern California or who has visited & spent some time here would know that every street & intersection in "Dead Man's Curve" does, in fact, exist, any many local tales abound of young fools who followed the lyrics of the song and raced & wrecked many a car there.

Wendy Thanks again for a fabulous time to brighten up the drive home from San Diego. Please thank Gary again for the incredible heart pounding experience of driving that brand spanking new 'Vette and Susan for those scruptuous cupcakes. I can think of only one other method to pleasurably increase the heart rate.. We should definitely make this a tradition...

I knew they sould sound good, I just didn't expect them to sound THIS good.......what a treat...

I guess that was Ira Jr.'s version of 'singing the blues'....

Ira You take a photo of what's left of that car & keep it in your wallet. Any time you feel that stress and/or exhaustion are taking their toll, just step back, pull out the photo, and remember how you dodged a bullet on the morning of March 9th. One 'sick' day off is better than no more days on or off. Good things are happenning for you at this point in your life, and we certainly all want you to be around to enjoy them...

Actually, ABM works very well with Little Anthony's vocal style. Great performance.

My earlier post was not meant to insinuate that after so many years in a previous marriage/relationship that families were made and familial relationships cultivated. My point was that many folks , in this long process, unfortunately, lose their own sense of identity and other interests in the years which go by. Yes, by all means, these ties are important, BUT, when that's all that is spoken about, and there is no 'passion' nor 'spark' to the individual beyond that, it's disappointing.

Since Ira quoted me at the beginning of his post, it's only right that I get to chime in with a few choice words of my own. Since he's been out there dating, I've heard all the details about his potential candidates as he wended his way through the various online singles sites. What's really so discouraging is that most of these women (at least the ones Ira has met) sound as though they got married young, created a sense of identity wrapped solely around the the parameter of being a 'reproductive couple' , and now, whether by divorce or widowhood, are absolutely clueless about what to do to feel good now. I guarantee all of you that NONE of these women were listening to the Raspberries all those years ago. Songs like 'Tonight' or 'I wanna Be With you' or 'Ecstacy' would sound incalculably alien to all of these women. And therein lies the bulk of the problem.... I think Ira should subject his potential dating partners to a rock'n'roll appreciation proficiency exam right from the start. It would save him a lot of time and effort....

What a great voice Del had....so sad he took his own life...autumn here in Southern California is just like summer in Southern California except the days are shorter & the nights get longer...

Perhaps my character will be introduced in the "Five Fingers Discount" episode....

Great photos...I'm looking forward to meeting the group at the music festival mid-September....

Yes...definitely...

Yes...I remember that video got tons of airplay in 1979 when "Cruel to Be Kind" rose in the charts...

That Fastball tune "The Way" actually got lots of airplay here in Southern California when it was released...I think it's been ten years already (yikes!)

G.Man and of course, you mustn't fail to mention the chauffeur driver of the mid-1970's black Mercedes was none other than the fabulous Dave Edmunds.....

"Winter in Bayonne?".....fortunately, I won't be writing "Sweating in Santa Monica"....

When you really analyze it, what it ultimately comes down to is choosing the location and its weather patterns that is most tolerable to us (short of having to live somewhere because of work or large extended family), and accepting the fact that every choice will have its pros and cons. I grew up in New York but moved to Southern California many years ago due to an employment opportunity and curiosity about the magical world of the west coast I fantasized about all those years listening to the Beach Boys & Jan & Dean. What I found shortly after I moved was that I didn't like working for the employer but wanted to stay. That's not to say I wasn't constantly homesick for the NY items like a decent pizza slice, Entenman's French Filled Crumb, Gabila's potato knishes, and a decent corned beef or pastrami sandwich. Now nearly all these items are readily available here. What I did not miss after my first winter in California was: 1) rust on my cars 2) scraping and shoveling snow and ice 3) hot humid summers with a heat and humidity index so high I'd even consider jumping in the Hudson River and 4)prices so exorbitantly higher to live and drive and eat in the NY metro area than anywhere else in the US. I still go back to NY at least once a year to visit, but, quite frankly, 60 degree Christmas day with the sounds of the Kinks' "Father Christmas" or Roy Woods's "I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday" work just fine for me....

Yes, indeed, Ira is right about Bobby Vee... as a witness to this fabulous event last weekend, I can tell you not only that the performance was fabulous, but, also , how incredibly friendly and generous Bobby was as he invited us into his studio before and backstage area after the show. What really amazed me was this: with all the fans swirling about after the show, Bobby himself pushed his way past security to ask Ira in particular, "I'm so glad you game...what did you think about the show?" All of you who couldn't make it to this event really missed something special. what a treat it was....

Yes, indeed, only my good buddy Ira can convince me to leave the shores of Southern California for the plains of the midwest in pursuit of milestone rock'n'roll experiences. Five years ago it was Raspberries at HOB Chicago, and next month it's the final Bobby Vee concert in the hinterlands of Minnesota. In "Overnight Sensation" Eric referenced the late nights he listened to the AM radio nestled under his pillow. All those years ago, when I listened to my late night AM radio, many of those moments on the airwaves were filled with Bobby Vee's memorable tunes. It's not too late for any of you to plan to get in on the fun....

Wendy Ann great job!...I am still a bit surprised you didn't use "Overnight Sensation" as the backing track....:)

One time, years ago in Southern California, Ian Anderson at a Jethro Tull concert, threw out a beach ball during a performance of the tune "Wind Up." After about a minute, some fool in the audience deliberately punctured the ball, at which point Anderson abruptly stopped the song, grabbed the microphone, and said, "there's always an a--hole invery crowd. Show's over."......

Thanks... I have the EMI stereo and mono (on the same cd's) versions of 'Evolution" and "Butterfly." They were probably what you are referring to, though they have a copyright date of 2000. The "60's 2on1" albums I referred to on my posts were issued later in 2004, and probably someone at EMI was just too lazy to dig up the stereo recordings of that 'Hollies' album. Thanks for filling me in...

For all you die hard Hollies fans, an interesting 'find' and a few questions: Recently, at a 'blowout' sale at a cd store in the area, I found two Hollies EMI cd reissues on their "60s 2 on 1" series. Makes sense they could fit two LP's on one cd, as they were relatively short. Anyway, I found "Stay With the Hollies"/ "In the Hollies Style" on one cd, all nicely mastered stereo tracks, many of which I hadn't heard before. The other cd was "Hollies"/"Would You Believe", this one raising a few questions. I had read about both these LP's before and jumped at the chance to purchase both on cd, but was very disappointed that "Hollies" was in mono. I don't understand why. Many years ago, I found a Dutch vinyl version of the "Hollies" album under the name "Hollies Days", and very track was in real stereo, so why didn't the EMI folks find those master tapes? Or, was the original vinyl LP only released in stereo in Holland? Tracks included "Very Last Day" and "Fortune Teller." Very strange. Stranger still is the Hollies' version of Simon & Garfunkel's "I am a Rock" on the "Would You believe" album. Any light anyone could shed on this would be appreciated. Thanks.!