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Post by featheredfish on Nov 12, 2009 19:49:16 GMT -5
We all know that Dickie and Jerre were involved with Group B prior to Blue Cheer, but you might want to try and check out `Ripper` from somewhere around the late 70s which featured Dickie on bass, Tonia Muschenko (Tonka Belle) on vocals, can`t find the name of the drummer in my archives, but it`s the first place that Tony Rainier is mentioned prior to that unreleased album from around 1980 and subsequently `The Beast is Back`. Tony replaced another guitarist. They recorded two demos `Feelin` Okay` and `Lady`. Tony features on the second track. I have a copy of a flyer which says they played Friday - Saturday 20th - 21st May at 727 Mendocino (but not what year) and entry was $3.00. The opening band were called `One`. Maybe Feedbacklord can help me out here. I sent him all I had about ten years ago when I first got to know him.
`Gypsy Ball` - you must be the last person on this board to get your hands on that unreleased album. I first got a copy of it from someone really close to Dickie back in the mid 90s and passed it on to FBL. I got a lot of stuff back then. Hopefully, most people have it by now. None of it really belongs to anybody, but I was asked to distribute it with Dickie`s blessing. The flyer and the Ripper demos came from the same source.
You might want to check out Melvin Q Watchpocket, who were pre-Mint Tattoo. I believe they were responsible for the music for the `Levi`s Ad` around about 1967.
Maybe some of this will jog some of Eric`s memory. There`s a lot of untold story out there.
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Post by ericalbronda on Nov 12, 2009 22:46:40 GMT -5
Mr. Feathered Fish, sir.
First time I saw Dickie play was the Fillmore Auditorium with Group B Must have been 1965. along with Dickie in that band was Jack May who was one of my all time favorite people . Smart beyond words and as crazy as a loon.
On stage Jack had a metal Box he made attached to his belt with so many wires coming out of it he looked like a Hippy Robot that escaped from the intensive care unit of the local Hospital---what a trip he was --amazing , The drummers name was Jim King --I forgot the others except for Jerre , dickies Brother. Also it appeared that Dickie's bass was bigger than he was.
Tonka Bell was Dickie's lady friend at the time and he lived with her in Cotati, California . They did make a demo I was not involved except to eventually have the job from Dickie to tell Tonka Bell she was no longer the singer of Blue Cheer --Quite a Story and the main reason Dickie went to Germany at my strongest suggestion to avoid a certain crash and burn of the worst order. Michael Fleck may have been the drummer as he toured with tony and Dickie around 1982 with Jack May as a Roadie ----Paul whaley lived at the house in Cotati so he could have been playing drums as well as Tony Rainier Took him in in Carolines house in Corta Madera after Paul resurfaced from his forced vacation of 18 months ---Tony is responsible for bringing the great Whaley back to the drums.
I never saw Melvin Q Watchpocket but I believe they backed up Chuck Berry in Sacramento---seems like all of a sudden here was Bruce and Ralph around a lot of the time ---they were managed at firsat by Paul Greshim, biker and wild man with a flag for a tooth --they were right on the tails of blue Cheer with Greg Thomas as the third and drummer.
I believe the demos you speak of and the non released album were done at the same time --Dickie Tony and Mike
backed up the Notorious Dr. Dick Peddicord at the Army Street Studios owned by Jim Keylor , bass player from the Oxford Circle ---Army Street Studios was the premier Punk music Studio in San Francisco recording the Dead Kennedy's , The Offs , Blue Cheer , Dick Peddicord Etc.
As Cotati was close to the Russian river Dickie had many opportunities to play at different venues up there for a short while although at the time it was real Speedy, so to speak and real Tweelky.
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Post by mrmaltese on Feb 8, 2010 12:48:38 GMT -5
Just out of curiosity was anyone here on the board who happened to be watching the Superbowl last night and happen to catch The Who’s performance during the half time of the game?,…I happen to think they sounded pretty energetic considering their age even though the two most important members of the band are gone IMHO (and of course the cut down versions of the songs) but I will add that Zakk Starky did play the drums very well and sort of resembled Moon the way he looked and played and his drum kit was set up just the way Moon did back in the day I did notice how the camera hardly showed the bassist and was focused mainly on Daltrey, Townsend and Starky,……no one would be able to fill in Entwhistles' shoes however they did sound good overall of course it’ll never be like the late sixties or early seventies ever but at least they had someone classic performing rather than the typical bs that you would normally see
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Post by barbaricus on Feb 8, 2010 21:13:20 GMT -5
Eric ... as always, thank you for your insight. Regarding your comment about Paul Whaley's 18 month forced vacation ... you've mentioned it before, but I can't place when it occurred. Here's my timeline for Paul: he leaves BC in spring 1969, gigs with Gary Yoder in SoCal that year and then drops off the face of the Earth until he is located working as a baker in Tintagel, England in 1983. Paul and Dickie kick start BC with Tony Rainier in late '83, and by mid-1985 Paul is out of the band again, making pizza in San Francisco. He is thanked on "Blitzkreig" and rejoins the band around 1989 or 1990 for "Highlights" and "Sharks," after which he leaves BC and joins again at least two more times. Eric, between 1969 and 1989, when did his forced vacation occur, and why did he leave BC in 1985? Thank you!
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Post by ericalbronda on Feb 9, 2010 4:03:21 GMT -5
barbaricus,
Sorry but I cannot remember the exact dates I want to think in the mid seventies --??
Partly due to these unfortunate circumstances Paul had restricted movement and decided he would be less confined in England . That is why he remained in Europe as unfinished business scared him.
It seems however that perhaps finally this is all resolved somehow as he was able to tour here a few times with no problems.
Specifically , why he left in 1985 was due to their inability to support themselves adequately with any sort of consistency.
E
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rokkz
New Member
DEATH TO FALSE METAL
Posts: 23
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Post by rokkz on Nov 4, 2010 22:08:41 GMT -5
ericalbronda,
you were able to witness blue cheer before they happened, that is fukkin killer sir!!!
could you please enlighten me as to the style of music, type of lyrics and direction that dickie
was driving for before he got together with blue cheer.
as i have never tuned into someone with your first hand experence from that pre-scene.
also were you anywhere around the band as they came together as blue cheer, as to know what and why they took the musical direction they did?
you have my full attention !!!
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Post by citizensfo on Oct 31, 2014 14:58:12 GMT -5
Until Blue Cheer Dickie was under his brother, Jere's thumb . He forced Dickie to learn his scales and to practice enough to play with Andrew Staples and Group B.
I really don"t think Dickie had a direction except to be accepted by his brother and play live which he accomplished .
If you mix acid and the Blues you have Dickie at the beginning of Blue Cheer . Much of what he did was free forum and experimental until one day
the magic happened and they drifted into what set Blue Cheer apart and ahead of the m,usic at the time.
It just happened one fine day to everyone's amazed spirit-quite explosive in the cosmos of things........................................
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