My posting here is dwindling yes. So are gigs in the audio engineering world, partly due to the economy and partly because I’m retired from that world.
I’m playing some gigs, recording some albums and still around the music biz so check back occasionally. You just might hear about some nut job musician doing something boneheaded.
I never saw the light with Michael Jackson and his whiny little girl voice. I also don’t see the fascination losers people have about him.
The big news today on the front page of CNN.com is that Michael Jackson had lethal levels of some sort of drugs in his system.
Gee really? Ya think that’s why he died?
I’ve not just gotten a THIRD email from a third local studio going out of business. They’re all emailing their gear lists and liquidating.
If you need cheap gear now is the time. Lots o’ gear out there on ebay right now from lots of desperate former studio owners trying to get some quick cash.
I really didn’t like Michael Jackson or his music. I left town for a camping trip and came back to find he’d died. Maybe I should go camping more often.
I felt sorry for the guy really. He never had the chance to be a kid when he grew up. He was thrown right into the spotlight and had to perform and tour at a very young age. Later in life he tried to be a kid, but had the hormones of an adult. Not a good combination.
He owned the rights to the Beatles and married Elvis’ daughter. He really tried to be the King of Pop and whatever else he could. Then he died, apparently just like Elvis, via a prescription drug overdose. You have to wonder if that was actually his plan.
I for one am glad that chapter of the freak show is over.
My rock & roll band covers many Ventures tunes like “Hawaii Five-O” and “Walk Don’t Run,” “Wipeout,” “Penetration” etc. There are no tunes more fun to play than those classic Ventures surf tunes.
Tribute to Bob Bogle
Bob Bogle, guitarist for the Venutres, died yesterday at 75. Hats off, wine glasses up to you man. Your plunky, reverberant guitar style is classic and influenced many guitar players. And your sound with that Fender Jaguar guitar through a Fender Reverb Amp is one of the best guitar tones in the history of rock & roll.
My Ventures memory
Years ago my band opened for the ventures and the coolest club in town. The place was packed and we had a GREAT time. It was an honor to share the stage with such legends and to meet them.
It was hilarious during their rendition of Hawaii Five-O when the drummer was doing his solo on his gigantic kit with his black gloves. The bass player’s amp went down and they were trying to figure out how to get it running again. The drummer kept soloing and soloing. He’d anxiously look at the bass player, who would throw his arms up in the air. The drummer got the most classic looks on his face because he was shot but had to keep soloing… Classic.
During that show I didn’t sit in the audience. I sat on the stage, with Bob Bogle’s guitar amp sitting next to me. I absolutely loved it. Every time he’d do one of those plucky riffs where he slid down the neck of the guitar made me a giddy as an elementary school girl.
Am I having a nightmare? Somebody wake me up.
A couple of posts back I said I’d be reflecting on the hell project of 2008, since it was done.
It isn’t.
Unfortunately my new vendor who was doing the replication (two of my old ones went out of business in this economy) screwed the pooch. I’m now waiting for the client to supply me with some samples of the screwed up discs to verify what happened so I can get it fixed.
I can’t write the closing chapter on “Hell Project ‘08″ since “Hell Project ‘08″ is now alive and well in ‘09.
One of the biggest legends in drumming died a few days ago, Louie Bellson. Louie was one of the most incredible jazz drummers ever and gave Buddy Rich a run for his money on many occasions.
First double bass drum
Among may of the things Louie was known for was being the first guy to play two bass drums. Even today not many jazz cats do that.
Nice
I had the pleasure of seeing Louie play live several times and I have yet to see another musician on stage who enjoyed what he was doing more than him. Louie was well known for being a very nice gentleman, unlike the reputation that Buddy Rich had.
Louie, I’ll miss you man. Cheers to you. I’m sure you’re playing drums in drum heaven and still have that great smile on your face.
I’ve gone through my blogroll and gotten rid of all the bad links. Many blogs I used to link to are now gone. I also delete blogs that haven’t been updated for a long time.
In case you didn’t notice, I also changed the look here. With Obama as president I guess I can’t resist the “change change change” thing…