RIP to Mike "Motor X" Anderson of The Viletones and The Secrets

Details are short at the moment but it just announced on Saturday Nov.24 that Mike Anderson (AKA Motor X) drummer for one of Toronto's classic punk bands The Viletones and the Secrets was found dead. The Viletones were probably the most notorious denizens of the Canadian Punk scene in late 1970's Toronto. After a short and violent career in which they managed to find time between drunken brawls to record an album with a few classic songs such as "Screaming Fist", "Danger Boy" and "Possibilities". Later the chronically unstable Viletones quit out from under manic singer Steve Leckie (AKA Nazi Dog) and formed a new band, The Secrets, who would also record a good album and appear in the "Last Pogo" film before they two broke up. Motor X would then go on to play in Arson and The G-Rays.

THE VILETONES ~ "THE LAST GUY";


THE VILETONES ~ "DANGER BOY";


THE VILETONES ~ "REBEL";
A SHORT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE CRASH & BURN CLUB AND THE 1978 & 79 TORONTO PUNK SCENE;

RIP to Jo Gunne of Fuzzbox and some other post-punkers

Nothing says the 1980's quite like the hairstyles of U.K girl group "We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It" (AKA known as "Fuzzbox" for those who get tired of excessive typing) which range from the ludicrous to the ridiculous. However there was no denying the infectious glee and innocence of their actual music.

"FUZZBOX" ~ "LOVE IS THE SLUG";


Like Bow Wow Wow, The Go-Go's, Bangles, and Toronto's B-Girls they are a reminder that setting aside the archetypal anger of hardcore the most important ingredient of Punk and New Wave was innocence and good old fashioned fun. Rock and Roll all night and party every day indeed. Just as it was in the 1960's Surf and Garage Rock and 1950's Rockabilly. As it always should be. Before soulless corporations and humourless political activists suck all the fun out of things of course.

"FUZZBOX" ~ "RULES AND REGULATIONS"


Fuzzbox were a group of wildly upbeat post punk girls from England who bounced on the scene with hair explosions, cheerleader ready songs, pounding drums and of course a fuzzbox. Which they did in fact use. Jo Dunne was their guitarist. She died this week of cancer this week at 43. Which also tells you just how young they were back in the 1980's.

FUZZBOX & THE NIGHTINGALES ~ "ROCKIN WITH RITA";


If the over the top perkiness of girl bands like Fuzzbox, Go-Go's, Bangles etc. seem a little too undignified for today's riot grrls keep in mind that in the 1980's the very idea of girls playing actual rock and roll (as opposed to just singing) was still a radical one. Of course eventually a major record label got a hold of them and softened their sound to a more Bananarama type pop which got them a few top 40 hits. But the first few singles are still great fun.

FUZZBOX REUNION REPORT ON BBC;





Mike Scaccia; Guitarist for Ministry on their classic 1990's "Psalm 69" album and such songs as "Jesus Built my Hotrod" and "N.W.O.", collapsed and died on stage in Texas on December 22 aged 47. He started out in Thrash Metal band Rigor Mortis in 1983, then moved to Ministry in 1992. He also played in Ministry side projects like The Revolting Cocks, Buck Satan and Lard. Ministry's "Psalm 69" and the accompanying videos and Lollapalooza tour did much to bring Industrial Music (or a modernized club ready version of it) to the mainstream.

MINISTRY ~ "JESUS BUILT MY HOTROD";


MINISTRY ~ "N.W.O.";
Tony Sly, singer of 1990's California post hardcore band with a similarly awkward moniker "No Use For A Name" also died in July at age 41. No Use For A Name had actually had a series of different members over the years but Sly had been singer since 1989 and after Sly's death they announced that they would end the band. Sly had also recorded with Lagwagon as well.

NO USE FOR A NAME ~ "SOULMATE";


Sven Gali were a Toronto band of the late 1980's and early 1990's who started off as a Hair Metal Band before doing a quick chango when Grunge hit. It never really took of course which is kind of too bad since they were better than your average hair band. Guitarist Dee Cernile died this year.

SVEN GALI ~ "UNDER THE INFLUENCE";


From some pre-punk Psyche/Space Rock bands that I couldn't find room anywhere else from;
Ed Cassidy ~ Drummer for late sixties Psyche Band Spirit. Cassidy was an oddity in the late sixties in being fully twenty years older than the rest of the scene, i fact he was actually the father-in-law of Spirit guitarist Randy California. Partly to hide his age Cassidy shaved his head making him stand out even more. ~ 89
SPIRIT;


Huw Lloyd-Langton ~ Guitarist for UK Psyche/Space Rock band Hawkwind ~ 61
HAWKWIND ~ "SILVER MACHINE";


And in the "I can't believe I forgot to post this" department. Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys! I know I played some stuff on my radio show when this was announced but apparently I forgot to post anything. Ooops my bad.
At this point it's easy to forget that in the beginning they were so viciously attacked on all sides. The hysterical attacks by the Legion of Decency types were predictable enough (and also hysterically funny at this point) but they were also attacked by women's groups (for sexism, natch) and by leftists for "racism" and "appropriating black culture". Like that's possible. Serious music critics dismissed them as a joke at first (understandable) but by their second album they had developed a distinctive style of densely produced mixes that could not be denied. They also managed to combine their laddish persona with some good work on some serious issues like the Environment and Free Tibet that any punk should envy. So there.
So here's some extra Beasties to make amends;

BEASTIE BOYS ~ "FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SABOTAGE";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SO WATCHA WANT";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SURE SHOT";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "HEY LADIES";


BTW people forget that the Beasties actually started out as a New York City punk band, but they did in fact release one punk ep "Pollywog Stew" and a single;

BEASTIE BOYS ~ "ODE TO...";

CRTC turns down Astral/BELL deal. Toronto radio scene can go back to sleep now.

On October 18 the CRTC announced it's much anticipated ruling on the proposed merger of BCE and Astral Media. For the better part of a year there has been a serious lobbying and media campaign to stop the deal led by competitors such as Cogeco, Eastlink, and Vidéotron. The last of which are owned by the right wing Québecor Média (QMI), who also own SUN Media and have become notorious for their campaigns attacking the CBC as well as government grants and funding for the arts in general, all on behalf of the poor oppressed tax payers of course. Mind you this is even while QMI blithely takes millions of taxpayer funded grants themselves (something the CBC famously revealed and which I have already written about).
In fairness the anti-merger group did have some genuine grass roots support from consumers groups worried about concentration of media ownership and raising fees as well as less choices in programming. But I'm pretty sure they weren't behind all the anti-merger ads I've been seeing.

Still most smart money has been confidentially predicting that the merger would be rubber stamped, and that's not even counting the usual suspects with their conspiracy theories about the CRTC's "EVIL CORPORATE AGENDA" (cough..NCRA..cough) which makes the CRTC's ruling a bit of a surprise.



From the CTRC ruling;
"Conclusion
67. The Commission has reviewed BCE’s proposal, as well as the comments received in response to Broadcasting Notices of Consultation 2012-370, 2012-370-1 and 2012-370-2. As noted above, the Commission must evaluate applications for a change in effective control against the objectives set out in the Act, as well as its own policies and regulations. The Commission considers that the concerns related to competition, ownership concentration in television and radio, vertical integration and the exercise of market power are very substantial and fatal to the application.
68. The Commission finds that BCE has not discharged its burden and demonstrated that, on balance, this transaction is in the public interest. The benefits proposed would advantage BCE and its services, but the Commission is not persuaded that the transaction would provide significant and unequivocal benefits to the Canadian broadcasting system and to Canadians sufficient to outweigh the concerns described above.
69. Accordingly, the Commission denies the application by BCE Inc., on behalf of Astral Media inc., to change the effective control of Astral and its licensed broadcasting undertakings so that it is exercised by BCE (application 2012-0516-2). In light of its decision, the Commission has not made determinations on other aspects of BCE’s application, including the value of the transaction.
70. The Commission notes the objections of numerous interveners with respect to the application by Bell Media Inc. and 7550413 Canada Inc., partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Bell Media Canada Radio Partnership, to convert CKGM Montréal from an English-language to a French-language commercial radio programming undertaking (application 2012-0573-2). These objections related to, among other things, the integrity of the Commission’s licensing process and the loss of an English-language broadcasting service to an official language minority community. At the public hearing, BCE indicated that in the event the proposed transaction was denied, it would continue to operate CKGM Montréal as an English-language station. As a result, the Commission denies this application. Therefore, the licensee will continue to operate CKGM Montréal under the terms and conditions in effect under its current licence.
71. Similarly, the Commission denies the following related applications, which BCE indicated were contingent on approval of the proposed change of control of Astral:
applications by BCE Inc., on behalf of certain of its licensed broadcasting subsidiaries, to effect a multi-step corporate reorganization involving the transfer of the assets of 33 Bell Media radio stations to seven partnerships or corporations, requiring the issuance of new broadcasting licences (applications 2012-0701-9 and 2012-0736-6); and
application by BCE Inc., on behalf of Astral Media inc. and certain of its licensed broadcasting subsidiaries, to effect a corporate reorganization involving the transfer of the assets of certain broadcasting undertakings to companies to be incorporated, requiring the issuance of new broadcasting licences (application 2012-0735-8)."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What this means for radio is that a number of radio stations which Astral would have had to divest (sell off) in order to comply with existing ownership rules will now stay where they are.
BCE owned stations in Toronto include 1050 CHUM AM (TSN), 104 CHUM-FM and CKFM (Virgin Radio);



Informed speculation about the FM stations BCE were most likely to divest following the purchase of Astral Media based on performance are as follows:

City ~ Call letters/freq. ~ Station name and format ~ Share/Rating
1. Vancouver CHHR/104.3 Shore-FM, AAA 1.6/16th
2. Vancouver CKZZ/95.3 Virgin Radio, adult contmp. 7.2/5th
3. Ottawa CJOT/99.7 Boom, classic hits 1.5/14th
4. Ottawa CKQB/106.9 The Bear, active rock 3.5/11th
5. Calgary CKCE/101.5 Kool, adult contemporary 3.4/13th
6. Winnipeg CHIQ/94.3 FAB, ’60s/’70s hits 4.9/10th
7. Toronto CHBM/97.3 Boom, classic rock 5.7/7th
8. Toronto CFXJ/93.5 Flow, hip-hop 1.4/19th
Or they could have sold off the latest money loosing version of the former iconic CHUM AM, now an all-sports station called "TSN 1050". (I have already written about this as well).



Note the two Toronto stations. ASTRAL also had originally put in an application for the vacant 88.1FM frequency last year but then withdrew once the proposed merger was announced and before they had a chance to reveal what exactly they had in mind. Not that there was any guarantee they would have beaten out the winning INDIE 88FM application anyway.
Speaking of which the CRTC also recently announced that the call-letters for the new INDIE 88 will be "CIND".

At any rate this means that the after three years of uncertainty in the Toronto radio scene the status quo has been settled. The FLOW and BOOM 97 are not being sold, and probably not changing format either. Unless ASTRAL change their mind of course, but at least they don't actually have to. Some of those various corporate types who applied for the 88.1FM frequency and got turned down and who have been lurking around to see if they might get a second bite at the apple by buying one of ASTRAL's cast-offs can now go home thanks.

FLASH!! CRTC revokes license of a corporate radio station. NCRA says diddly squat.

Remember in 2010 when Ryerson University radio station CKLN lost it's broadcast license for being incompetent, lying, weasels? Remember when Ryerson's attempt to get that license back was turned down? Remember how the far leftist wack-jobs at CKLN and the National Campus Radio Association claimed it was proof of the CRTC's "corporate agenda" to "destroy community radio"? CKLN and NCRA partisans (like say; NCRA head Shelly Robinson, CKLN Manager Jacky Harrison and CKLN Exec Andrew Lehrer) insisted that the CRTC was being unfair, holding CKLN up to an unfair double standard compared to commercial radio who are always breaking the rules and never getting penalized. It's all so unfair. According to their official line the only time a commercial station lost it's license for not complying with CRTC was CHOI FM in Quebec City in 2006, and they were able to sort of weasel out of it by fighting the ruling in court until they could sell off the signal. (Note: As it happened the court ruled in the CRTC's favour after the fact, although by then the station had changed hands).



Somehow the CKLN/NCRA Axis failed to notice that commercial radio station CHSC in St Catherines also lost it's license in 2010. Even though the CHSC hearings were held at the same time as the CKLN hearings were originally to be held before they were postponed, and thus that ruling came down first. Well now there's been another;




THE ABANDONED CHSC STUDIOS

"CJRN 710 told to go off the air
By Matt Day, Niagara Falls Review
Friday, October 12, 2012 4:38:12 EDT PM
NIAGARA FALLS - The airwaves may go silent at CJRN 710.
The Niagara Falls tourist information radio station has been ordered by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to cease broadcasting by Nov. 30.
A report issued by the CRTC on Oct. 10 states that CJRN Radio 710 AM failed to comply with multiple sections of the Radio Regulations, including broadcasting a live program in the Punjabi language and having commercial messages that targeted the Asian community in Toronto.
“When you’re a tourist information station there are a number of things you can and cannot do,” said Annie Laflamme, director of radio polices and applications at the CRTC. “The bottom line in this case was that the licencee had been found in non compliance repeatedly.”
According to the licencee’s condition, the radio station was only permitted to broadcast pre-recorded tourist information for the purpose of informing visitors to Niagara Falls.
The CRTC monitored the programming of CJRN during the week of April 18, 2010 to April 24, 2010 and found that, in addition to weather forecasts and tourist information consistent to the licence, the station also broadcasted international, national and regional news, promotions for two Niagara Falls FM radio stations and sports updates from NHL games.
Radio 710 said that the information provided was of particular and direct relevance to tourists, said the report.
A second monitoring period took place between Aug. 14, 2011 and Aug. 20, 2011.
During that time, a program entitled Reflections on Islam containing both spoken word and musical selections was aired.
The radio stationed claimed it was providing the program for Muslim tourists who were celebrating Ramadan.
On Aug. 25, 2011, the CRTC requested program logs from that week in August and failed to receive portions of the broadcast.
“The Commission considers that the issues of non-compliance … when taken cumulatively, are extremely serious both due to the nature of the non-compliance and its recurrence,” said the report.
“The Commission is gravely concerned about the licencee’s willingness and ability to bring itself into compliance.”
Niagara Falls Tourism chairman Wayne Thomson said his organization “didn’t really have a relationship or association” with CJRN 710, but believed the radio station to be a good service to the tourist community.
The decision can be appealed.
A representative from CJRN could not be reached for comment.
matt.day@sunmedia.ca Twitter: @Matt_Review"

No word yet from the CKLN/NCRA Axis on why the CRTC forgot their much feared "corporate agenda" and shut down a corporate station for blatantly flaunting the rules. And this after the CRTC granted the old CKLN 8.1fm license in Toronto to tiny INDIE 88 instead of the 20 or so corporate entities who also applied. I guess they didn't get the memo from their corporate masters.

Prof Kitzel's Time Machine Profile; Fisk Jubilee Singers

The Fisk University Jubilee Singers were the first commercially and critically successful black vocal group, they were the first group to tour both the USA and Europe, they were also the first black vocal group to successfully record, setting the foundations for all later Gospel groups as well as those in turn influenced by gospel, ie. Jazz, Blues, R+B, Doo-Wop, Soul, & Rock n' Roll. ..

~The beginnings ~ ..

Fisk University was an all black Liberal Arts School in Nashville Tennessee in 1866 to educate newly freed slaves, founded by the American Missionary Association, a white northern abolitionist group. The school attracted 900 students in it's first year but had trouble raising funds so that by 1870 school treasurer (who also acted as choir master) George L. White hit upon a plan to raise money by sending the school's respected choir on a concert tour to raise funds. At first following the trail of the old underground railway to the north and performing to mainly white audiences the group were a sensation to whites who had never seen a non-minstrel black singing group. ..

THE FISK JUBILEE QUARTET ~ "SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT";


~ The Fisk University Jubilee Singers ~ ..

Billing the group as the Jubilee Singers to emphasize their dignified & religious nature, the group consisted of a male and female quartet with a female pianist. Their music consisted of traditional hymns performed in respectable European style, but also influenced by the more emotional style of the black churches and the work songs of the slaves giving them a power and depth no white group could match. They wore typically somber black suits and gowns of the Victorian era and sang impassively with out speaking to the audience, leaving White to introduce the songs. In 1872 they performed for President U.S. Grant, Vice-President Colfax and members of the congress as well as getting rave reviews in New York City before going to London where they performed for the Queen and Prime Minister Gladstone and royal guests from all over Europe, this tour was so successful that they stayed in Europe until 1874 when they finally returned home minus baritone Issac Dickerson who remained in Britain. Upon returning home singers Minnie Tate and Benjamin Holmes retired due to health issues and exhaustion as did musical director George White. In 1875 a renewed lineup toured Europe, doing especially well in Germany, Holland & Switzerland. In spite of their success the A.M.A facing financial hard times and govt. cuts, declined to fund the group anymore and they returned home (minus three members who stayed in Europe) and disbanded in 1878. Later a reorganized group would tour across the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand & Canada in the 1880's. The great success of the Fisk singers inspired the black schools like the Tuskegee Institute to follow suit. ..

THE FISK JUBILEE QUARTET ~ "I COULDN'T HEAR NOBODY PRAY";


~ The Fisk Jubilee Quartet ~ ..

By the 1890's the Europeanised style of the 1870's had been replaced by a newer quartet style which was less formal as well as being easier for the new recording industry to reproduce, accordingly the Fisk singers were reduced to a quartet which became one of the first to record starting in 1909 for Victor Records. These records were highly successful , continuing to sell well into the early 1920's when they were finally superseded by more rural groups like the Norfolk and Golden Gate Jubilee Quartets and even more down home preachers like Rev. J.M Gates. A later member of the quartet Roland Hayes would go on to a successful solo opera career and would become the first black singer to independently produce his own records. Versions of the quartet would continue to perform into the 1950's (including on the Grand Ole Opry) albeit to a largely older middle class and white audience. A yet again revived group continues to perform today. Fisk University is still in operation in Nashville.

Members;

The Fisk University Jubilee Singers ~ Thomas Rutling, Issac Dickerson, Benjamin Holmes, Fredrick Loudin, Minnie Tate, Ella Sheppard, w/George L. White as musical director.
The Fisk Jubilee Quartet ~ John W.Work, N.W.Ryder, J.A.Myers, Alfred King and later John Work, Roland Hayes, Leon P.O'Hara, Charles Wesley

THE FISK JUBILEE SINGERS ~ "WHEN I WAS SINKING DOWN":

Rock The Vote 2012

Hey Yanks! Tired of Christian Wackjobs trying to force their Medieval superstitions and Crusader mentality on the rest of us? Looking for someone Rock n' Roll to vote for in the 2012 election? Well Metalhead Surfer Dude Randy Blythe from "Lamb of God" wants you;
From his website;



"I want to be The Big Cheese.
It’s 2012 now, the year some are saying the Mayan calendar predicts a cataclysmic upheaval across the board for our planet, perhaps even the end of the world as we know it. I don’t know if these doomsday predictions have any validity, but I do know one thing: the potential candidates in the race to decide who will be elected President of the United States look like pure shit.
I’m not particularly stoked on any of the candidates. In a massive blow to our civil rights, Obama quietly signed the NDAA for the fiscal year 2012 into law while Americans drank in their party hats on New Year’s Eve. The GOP is parading around a bunch of ass-clowns in what has got to be the most embarrassing primary season in the history of their party. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse than Sarah Palin, they bust out that lunatic Michele Bachman. I have no clue what the Libertarians are up to now that Ron Paul is gunning for the Republican nomination. Probably loading their guns and preparing for the worst.
Don’t even get me started on our current Congress, THE WORST CONGRESS I HAVE EVER SEEN OR HEARD OF IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. It’s a relentless bipartisan pissing contest in Washington where not only is nothing getting done, nothing is ALLOWED to get done. There’s a bunch of squabbling children in Washington in charge of the business of running our country. These baboons are stopping any useful litigation from occurring by engaging in an endless game of “I know you are, but what am I?”. There is very little compromise happening in DC, and there is very little regard for the welfare of the American people. It’s PATHETIC.
Something has got to change. America is falling to pieces around us and we are sitting back and letting it happen. We need someone to come in and REALLY take charge, someone who can’t be bought by corporate dollars because he doesn’t need or want ‘em. Someone who is not going to bullshit the country or the rest of the world about what’s going to go down when he steps into office, because he LIKES pissing people off and doesn’t give a shit about hurting anyone’s feelings. We need a man who is not afraid to stick his neck out and risk embarrassing himself while doing the right thing, a man, in fact, INCAPABLE of embarrassment anymore PERIOD because he’s ALREADY done almost every stupid WRONG thing you can think of at one time or the other. We need a hard-boiled, no-nonsense, mean son-of-a-bitch with a bad reputation who ain’t afraid to cock-whip the shit out of some randomly selected pussy-ass billionaire on live tv during his annual State of the Union Address just to make a point and let the mega-rich know that NO ONE is above the law here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. In short, we need a man who just DOES NOT GIVE A FUCK.
America, that man is me.
Thats right, ME. David Randall Blythe. Ol’ D. Randall. Uncle Randy. Wassisname, that dude from that one band that got drunk and fought in a skirt. I love the USA like a nerd loves D&D, I am thoroughly disgusted with the state of affairs, and I am ready, willing, and able to FUCK SHIT UP without a micro-second’s hesitation in order to fix what ails this country. All you have to do is elect me as the next President of the United States of America and I’ll handle the rest.
You may be asking yourselves “What does this motherfucker think he’s got that all the other more politically experienced candidates don’t? What makes him think that he should be allowed to run this great country?” Well, let me tell you. I have something that all the other candidates lack, something this nation needs now more than ever: BALLS. And when I take office, I will IMMEDIATELY prove it.
My first act as President of the United States will to be shot. That’s right, SHOT. With a high-powered assault rifle. Immediately after taking the oath of office, I will be escorted about twenty yards away and be shot publicly in a non-lethal area of my body by a highly trained Navy SEAL sniper. It will hurt like fuck. Why would I do this? Because I will now be commander-in-chief of the armed forces. This means that during my term I will probably have to make some tough decisions affecting the survival of other men. And as commander-in-chief, I shouldn’t expect anyone in our military to do anything I’m not willing to do myself. That includes getting shot. Me being shot will be broadcast live world-wide via satellite, with no bleeping out of the incredible string of curse words I will undoubtably let fly with. I will be required to walk/limp/crawl on my own power a minimum of 50 yards through the mud to an ambulance that will take me away to patch me up. If I can’t make it on my own, I’m not tough enough to be your President. After all the nations in the entire world witness America’s new President, an insane looking heavily tattooed freak, getting shot ON HIS OWN ORDER as soon as he takes office, then crawling all bloody to an ambulance, cussing the whole way and screaming pure hate in a monstrous voice tortured by years of touring and Marlboro Reds, they will think twice before fucking with us. I can promise you that.
Speaking of military policy, there’s a few other things I will be required to do if I am going to be your commander-in-chief. The first thing I’ll do after recovering from being shot will be to go through the thirteen week Marine Corps basic training boot camp on luxurious Parris Island, South Carolina. I’ll be treated like any other recruit, in fact, probably worse due to my status as the new POTUS.
‘Well, well, well, what do we have here? Isn’t this just PRECIOUS” the drill sergeant will scream in my face “If it isn’t the goddamned President of the United fucking States. Do you think your special, boy? Do you think just because you fooled a bunch of goddamned idiots into voting you into the White House you deserve special treatment? Are you staring at my ass, son? Are you sweet for me? This is the Corps, not Harvey Milk’s San Francisco. Now drop and give me 50, you sub-human piece of shit!”
The physical and mental abuse will be extreme, but I’ve done that to myself for years already, so I’m confident I will pull through ok and be a better man for it.
After I make it through boot camp and come out a lean, mean, presidential killing machine, I’ll have to immediately assess our military presence world-wide. I’ll take a look at any conflicts we are currently involved in, and if I want to keep our troops there and fighting, I’ll be required to fly there ASAP on Air Force One and kill an enemy prisoner myself. In a UFC-style chain-link octagon. In hand-to-hand combat. With a ka-bar knife. If I don’t have the balls to use my recent Marine Corps training, face off against the enemy, and knife another man TO DEATH, then I have NO BUSINESS sending men and women I’ve never met to fight and maybe die in a strange land in the name of service to our country. Once again, if I don’t have the stones to do this, then I don’t have the stones to be your President.
In fact, anytime I decide America is going to war with another country, I will be REQUIRED to kill the first of the enemy, on their home turf, face to face in a brutal manner and with a primitive weapon. If I am willing to do that, there’s a pretty good chance I’m not shipping our guys and gals over there just because they have some oil I want or wear funny hats. They need to die in order to keep America safe. I should certainly not mind doing my part to make that happen.
If you think I’m overreaching a bit here here, take a look at one of my historical precedents - a bad motherfucker named John F. Kennedy. The son of a Congressman, JFK was disqualified from joining the Army in 1941 due to a chronic back problem. JFK was a pretty boy from Boston whose father had a ton of political juice. Had he used that juice to get his disqualification? FUCK NO. He was PISSED about it. Like any child of privilege, he rang Pops up to bitch and cry about how unfair life had treated him, and how he wanted daddy to fix it. And in the manner of connected men everywhere, his big-shot father DID use his old boy network to shut his whining son up. He pulled some strings and got Jack into the Navy instead.
JFK served as the commander of a torpedo patrol boat in the South Pacific during The Big One (WW2). He and his buddies were cruising around the Solomon Islands searching for the enemy late one night when a Japanese destroyer named Amagiri rammed his little-ass patrol boat and it started to sink. He gathered his posse around him on the flaming wreck of his boat and asked them if they wanted to surrender right there in the water.
FUCK NO. These guys knew that if JFK, their commander in charge, was willing to fight, then they should be willing to fight. NO SURRENDER. Fuck it. So they took off swimming to an island. JFK had re-injured his back in the crash, and wasn’t feeling so hot. But there was a badly burned man with them unable to swim to safety on his own. So JFK towed the man to safety. He had to tow him by grabbing the life jacket strap of his burned up homey, and once he had it secure, he swam him to safety. Fucked up back and all, he took off swimming in the dark water, pulling that extra weight. He didn’t let his man down, he didn’t let his man sink, he did what he had to do, and he held onto that strap.
WITH HIS FUCKING TEETH.
Now THAT is some hard shit right there. And he wasn’t even done yet. In fact, after they got to the island safely, JFK looked around and decided he just wasn’t in love with it. So he towed the man once again, WITH HIS TEETH, to another island, where the atmosphere looked a little more chill. Once his crew were all there, he decided he it was Miller time and took off swimming for a few HOURS, again with his fucked up back, through the night and in water a Japanese DESTROYER was cruising around in in search of brews for his boys. He didn’t find any beer, but he did secure food and aid and the men were rescued off the second island.
That was just one of the many awesome displays of BALLS Kennedy was known for. He was smart as a whip, too. We need a President with balls AND brains again. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I’m as hard, smart, or even as good looking as JFK. But I do have a few brain cells left rolling around in my knotty head, and I promise you that I won’t lead America into any unnecessary conflicts.
Why should you trust me on this? Because I’ll know what it’s like for our military guys and gals to go through boot camp, and I’ll know what it’s like to get shot then pull myself to safety. Most importantly, I’ll know what it’s like to kill another human being, face to face and with my bloody hands, not by making a fucking phone call. This is the type of bullshit games men behind desks play that get our young men and women killed. Fuck that.
If I do decide to get us into a war, I’ll untie the hands of our military when I send them off to fight. I’ll remove these ridiculous rules of engagement that say we can’t shoot until we are being shot at. It’s INSANE what our troops are expected to do- sit there like sitting ducks until someone puts a bullet in someone’s head. Only then are they allowed to start busting caps. This bullshit is getting Americans killed everyday. Under the Blythe administration, if we see you, you have a gun, and you come too close to us, you get shot the fuck up. BLAM! We’ll fight by ghetto law- in the hood, do you think a Blood is gonna wait until a gun waving Crip starts shooting at him to put a round in the motherfucker? HELL NO. He wants to live to sell another 50 rock, so he lets him have it! If I get us into a fight, it will be because we HAVE to fight, and once we’ve been FORCED to fight I’ll let our guys and gals do their jobs- KICK SOME FUCKING ASS IN A GODDAMNED HURRY so they can get safely back home, where they belong, drinking beer and getting laid.
This is the first of my campaign announcements, funded entirely by myself. I refuse to take campaign donations. Let’s let the people, not big money, decide who will be the next El Jefe. In my next announcement, I’ll address some of my ideas for domestic policy, including economic reform.
Thank you for your support, and God bless America."



OK there is one small problem. Actually two. First I'm pretty sure he's not actually on the ballot anywhere. Sure you can write him in but then you would probably have to bring your own pen. And you gotta know the Republicans won't count those votes.
And then there's the slight issue that Blythe was recently arrested in The Czech Republic for Manslaughter after an incident in 2010 in which a fan fell or was pushed off stage striking his head and dying. He is now out on bail and back in the USA promising to return to The Czech Republic for any trial, assuming the charges are not dropped. Blythe is insisting that the incident was an accident and he was unaware that anyone was hurt until he was arrested two years later. Still it doesn't look good.





Then there's Robert Burck, better known as "The Naked Cowboy" a notorious street performer in New York City who is also running on a basic far right wing Tea Party platform;



Wow! Who knew he was such a humourless prig? Seriously you might as well vote for Romney and Ryan.

Or screw it; you could just vote for this guy;

Nick Curran & Some recent Rock and Roll pioneer deaths

Nick Curran was not a Rock and Roll pioneer, in fact he was only 35 when he dies of cancer on October 6. But he did play with the original spirit and style. Besides his solo work he managed to also do some scorching guitar work with Ronnie Dawson, Kim Lenz and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

NICK CURRAN ~ "TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN";


KIM LENZ ~ "ZOMBIE FOR YOUR LOVE":


Another great guitarist, Mikey Baker, 1950's & 60' Rock & Roll and R&B guitarist and singer, both solo for the Savoy, King, Atlantic, Vik, MGM and RCA-Victor Record labels and with Sylvia Robinson as Mikey & Sylvia. He also played with The Drifters, Ray Charles, Ivory Joe Hunter, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, Champion Jack Dupree and Coleman Hawkins. He also played in touring band for Alan Freed's "Rock n' Roll Dance Party" with Big Al Sears, Freddie Mitchell and Sam "The Man" Taylor. Baker was hugely influential on blues and rockabilly guitarists in the 1960's in Britain and Europe where he toured extensively, later moving to France. ~ 87

MICKEY BAKER ~ "SPINNIN' ROCK BOOGIE";


MICKEY BAKER ~ "WHISTLE STOP";


MICKEY BAKER & COLEMAN HAWKINS;


Jon Lord ~ Keyboardist for 1960's and 1970's Hard Rock heavy weights Deep Purple ("Smoke on the Water", "Space Truckin'", "Hush") ~ 71
DEEP PURPLE ~ "SMOKE ON THE WATER";


Larry Reinhardt ~ American rock guitarist with 1960's Proto Heavy Metal Band Iron Butterfly ~ 63 ~ also Lee Dorman Iron Butterfly bassist ~ 70


Johnny Perez ~ Drummer for 1960's Texas garage band The Sir Douglas Quintet ("She's about a mover" ~ 69
THE SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET ~ "SHE'S ABOUT A MOVER";


BB Cunningham ~ Singer/Keyboardist with 1960's Garage Band The Hombres ("Let it out (Let it all hang out))" and Jerry Lee Lewis ~ 70

Eddie Bertrand ~ Guitarist w/ 1960's Surf band The Bel Airs ("Mr Moto")
THE BEL AIRS ~ "MR. MOTO";


Big Jim Sullivan ~ British session guitarist from the 1960's on. Played with; Dave Berry's 1964 hit "The Crying Game", Alexis Korner's and Blues Incorporated's, P.J. Proby's 1964 hit "Hold Me", Billy Fury, Frank Ifield, Adam Faith, Frankie Vaughan, Helen Shapiro, Freddie and the Dreamers, Cilla Black, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield, Georgie Fame, Bobby Darin, Little Richard, Dell Shannon, The Walker Brothers, Donovan, David Bowie, Engelbert Humperdinck, Benny Hill, The New Seekers, Thunderclap Newman, Long John Baldry, Marmalade, Small Faces, The Tremeloes. He was also the resident guitarist at TV shows "Top of the Pops" and "Ready Steady Go!" ~ 71
DAVE BERRY ~ "THE CRYING GAME";


BILLY FURY ~ "NOTHING SHAKING BUT THE LEAVES ON THE TREES";


THE WALKER BROS ~ "BABY YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME" & "THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE";


Bill Dees ~ Guitarist and songwriter with Rot Orbison in their original band "The Five Bops", co-wrote "Pretty Woman" and "It's Over", worked on the Orbison movie "The Fastest Gun Alive". Also worked with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning and Gene Pitney ~ 73

ROY ORBISON ~ "OH, PRETTY WOMAN";


ROY ORBISON ~ "IT'S OVER";


Eddie "Guitar" Burns ~ Detroit blues musician from the 1950's on who recorded with Chess, Checker, Red Bird and Delmark Records ~ 84

JIMMY McCRACKLIN; 1950's California R&B pianist/singer with hits like "The Walk" on Chess Records ~ 91
JIMMY MCCRACKLIN & RY COODER ~ "THE WALK";


Maurice Davis ~ 71 ~ American trumpeter (The Funk Brothers)
Bob Babbitt ~ 74 ~ American bass guitarist (The Funk Brothers)

~ The Funk Brothers were of course the house band for Motown Records. Babbitt was not the main bassist for Motown though, that was the legendary James Jamerson.

SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES ~ "GOING TO A GO-GO";


Bill Tillman, 65, American saxophonist (Blood, Sweat & Tears),
BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS ~ "AND WHEN I DIE";


James "Sugar Boy" Crawford ~ New Orleans R&B songwriter. Wrote "Iko Iko" hit by The Dixie Cups ~ 77
THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "IKO IKO";


Cleve Duncan ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group the Penguins ("Earth Angel" & "Pledge of Love") and The Viceroys and The Radiants as well as backup singer w/ Frank Zappa ~ 77
THE PENGUINS ~ "EARTH ANGEL";


Vincent Carrella ~ Singer with Doo Wop group Randy & The Radiants did the original version of "Denise" later covered by Blondie as "Denis"

Inez Andrews ~ Singer with 1950's Gospel Group The Caravans ~ 83

THE CARAVANS WITH REV JAMES CLEVELAND;


Fontella Bass ~ Gospel, R&B and Jazz singer from the 1960's & 1970's with hits on Chess like "Rescue Me", "You'll Never Know", "I Can't Rest", later recorded with The Art Ensemble of Chicago" ~ 72

FONTELLA BASS ~ "RESCUE ME";


Marva Whitney; Singer with James Brown's band, as well as solo, known as "Soul Sister"

MARVA WHITNEY ~ "IT'S MY THING";


Major Harris ~ Singer w/R&B Vocal Group The Delfonics ("Didn't I blow you mind this time" & "La La La Means I Love You") ~ 65
THE DELFONICS ~ "DIDN'T I BLOW YOUR MIND THIS TIME";


Dave Brubeck ~ Jazz Pianist who introduced new poly-rhythms to jazz from the Mid-East and was one of the leaders of the West Coast Cool Jazz sound of the late 1950's and early 1960's with sax players Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan and trumpet player Chet Baker. ~ 91

DAVE BRUBECK ~ "TAKE 5";


DAVE BRUBECK ~ "TAKE THE A-TRAIN";


Ted Curson ~ American Jazz trumpet player w/Charles Mingus ~ 77
CHARLES MINGUS SEXTET ~ "TAKE THE A TRAIN";


John Tchicai ~ Black Danish born Jazz Sax Free Jazz Sax Player, w/Albert Ayler, John Coltrane and Archie Shepp ~ 72
ALBERT AYLER ~ "ANGELS";


Frode Thingnæs ~ Norwegian Jazz Trombonist, composer and Jazz Pioneer who recorded the first jazz album in Norway ~ 72

Pete La Roca ~ American Jazz drummer w/ John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Marian McPartland, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison and Chic Corea as well as with his own bands. Retired and became a lawyer, later suing after one of his solo albums was released under Corea's name instead of his own. ~ 74

David S. Ware ~ Free Jazz sax player w/Cecil Taylor and later with his own Quartet ~ 62
DAVID WARE ~ "CRYSTAL PALACE";


Jose Curbelo ~ Cuban-born American Big Band Jazz musician and manager from 1939 to the 1970's, played with Xavier Cugat and Titi Puente ~ 95

Terry Callier ~ Jazz/Folk singer guitarist from the 1960's on. Also songwriter for 1960's psyche band H.P. Lovecraft and R&R band The Dells ~ 67

HP LOVECRAFT ~ "THE WHITE SHIP";


Scott McKenzie ~ American singer ("San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)") and songwriter ("Kokomo" covered by The Beach Boys) ~ 73
SCOTT MCKENZIE ~ "SAN FRANSISCO";


Mike Auldridge ~ Dobro player with Bluegrass The Seldom Scene from the 1960's on. Previously played with Cliff Waldron's Band, later played with Emmy Lou Harris and Lyle Lovett ~ 73

THE SELDOM SCENE ~ "LAY DOWN SALLY";


Doc Watson. A blind Folk & Old Time Country singer & guitarist from the 1950's on. Father of guitarist Merle Watson;

Doc Watson ~ "Deep River blues";


Martin Fay ~ Fiddler & Bones player with Irish Folk Band The Chieftains ~ 76
THE CHIEFTAINS & VAN MORRISON ~ "STAR OF THE COUNTRY";




Rollin Sullivan ~ Country singer with 1940's & 50's Country duo Lonzo & Oscar ~ 93

LONZO & OSCAR ~ "MOVIN' ON";


Kitty Wells ~ Country singer from the 1940's to the 1960's (It wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", "I can't stop loving you") ~ 92
KITTY WELLS ~ "IT WASN'T GOD WHO MADE HONKY TONK ANGELS";


Louis Nunely ~ Singer with 1950's & 60' vocal group The Anita Kerr Singers (who sang backups for Brenda Lee, Perry Como, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Vinton, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Floyd Cramer, Al Hirt, Ann-Margret, Red Foley, Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Faron Young, Chet Atkins, Rod McKuen, and Webb Pierce. In 1999 he joined the current gospel version of The Jordanaires ~ 81

RED FOLEY & THE ANITA KERR SINGERS w/ SPEEDY HAWORTH ~ "HEARTS OF STONE";


THE ANITA KERR SINGERS (W/MARTY ROBBINS INTRO) ~ "SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL";