Rich and Johnny’s Inzane Michigan

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-the-peoples-choice-from-grand-rapids/  Nearly complete output of Grand Rapid's obscure and soulful THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE from 1966 to 1969.

Rich & Johnny have a big gulp of a chat with Grand Rapids underground King BRANDON HILL: DJ, blitzkrieg thunder drummer, cold electronics freezer: multi talented musician holding down the west coast of Michigan in the 00's and beyond. Hear a collection of Brandon's damage at: https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-episode-9-brandon-hill-plagues-cloud-rat-xtra-vomit-gr-rager/

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-hunts-determination-band-from-flint/

DEDICATED TO FLINT ONE: Big mix from Flint's greatest: HUNT'S DETERMINATION BAND 1: "I Need Love 1 & 2" 2: "Loneliness" 3: "Tonight" 4: "Are We Through" 5: "She's On My Mind" 6: "Number One Lady" 7: "You're My Heart And Soul" 8: "Scotty Beam Me Up"

Big moves from primitive equipment come the nearly complete output from Marquette's greatest (besides Roger Chase) rockers the almighty THE EXCELS. https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-the-excels-from-marquette-michigan/

Rich & Johnny have a greasy local bunker chat with OG Detroit Rocker David Buick about his history with Italy Records, The Go! & recent projects with Third Man Records.

Peep the Italy Records grab bag :https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-episode-8-david-buick-italy-records-the-go-detroit-rocker/

  THE SHEFFIELDS from Holland Michigan 1965. Sunny on the outside, moody on the inside. 1: "Fool Minus A Heart" 2: "Do You Still Love Me" 3: "Nothing I Can Do" 4: "Please Come Back To Me" 5: "My Loving Days Are Through"

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-the-sheffields-from-holland-michigan/

Rich & Johnny pull up a quarantine chat with  nearly unheard Western Michigan loner folk  folk artist Stan Moeller known for his 1980 private press "Thin Ties" lp and more. Give a listen to his record:

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-episode-7-stan-moeller-michigan-loner-folk/

Also check out Stan's paintings: http://www.stanmoeller.com/

Nearly complete output from the big dreaming Benton Harbor's Bece Label. Peep below:

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-bece-records-from-benton-harbor/?fbclid=IwAR06_ZteqE9_eshaCO9Dr0EJK2djWR2G3oRvxPkFUaB5UnQ5nSaFx4BB_FA

Rich & Johnny Inzane Michigan track down the elusive SKIDD FREEMAN for episode #6. Unreal but yet too real homemade damage par excellence'. PUREST MICHIGAN. Peep more Skidd at :

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-episode-6-skidd-freeman/

and more Skidd at his site:

www.skiddfreeman.com

  https://www.nts.live/shows/guests/episodes/rich-johnny-michigan-mix-21st-april-2020

The complete output of Traverse City's moody and rabid THE RAINMAKERS from 1965-66. Peep the Mix=

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-the-rainmakers-from-traverse-city/

Couple of finds on band info:

http://www.grandrapidsrocks.com/bands/rainmakers.php

http://www.westmichmusichystericalsociety.com/rainmakers/

Rich & Johnny have a big 'ol quarantine bunker chat with Michael Goldwater aka Mick Nasty about his history from the shadows of Detroit's Punk / Hardcore past and more recently SF's Rubber O Cement. Hear a collection of Micks damage below:

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-soundtrack-episode-5-mick-nasty-from-the-pathetx-the-allied/

  For a smattering of tunes from below = https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-rich-tupicas-obscure-heaterz/

14 HYPER OBSCURE MICHIGAN LURKERS VIA RICH TUPICA 



The Rondells “Everybody to and Fro”
Formed in 1961 at Cooley High School on the West Side of Detroit, the Rondells stuck together until most of the band was drafted into the Vietnam War. The five-piece outfit banged out rock ‘n’ roll laced with rhythm and blues – equal parts Bo Diddley and Dave Clark Five. The band traveled as far as Ontario and Cleveland for gigs and even performed on Robin Seymour's Swingin' Time. This ridiculously limited single was recorded in Detroit at Rainbow Recording Studio at 15305 Livernois.

The Ides of March – “Playthings 5x5” 
From the tiny town of Essexville, just north of Bay City, the Ides of March formed in 1966 while attending Garber High School. The band’s frontman Bob Ward, known for nicking Mick Jagger’s stage moves, doubled as the band manager and landed the group opening slots on big shows with The Bossmen, Terry Knight & the Pack and Paul Revere & the Raiders. This 1966 B-side, recorded for $27.50, was thrown together just prior to the session, but outshined the A-side and scored local radio play. The record was self-released, hence the 45’s unadorned red label. After the group disbanded in 1968, Tim Ward (lead guitar) later formed the Blues Company, also heard on this fine compilation. 


The Ferraris “Lovin’ Feeling” 
While the Ones and the Woolies saw the most national success out of the Lansing-based bands, other teenage outfits like the Plagues, Tonto & the Renegades and Beaux Jens were also packing local teen clubs. One of the most overlooked bands from that scene is the Ferraris. Formed by teenage twin brothers Hector and Victor Juarez, the band gigged every weekend at packed teen dances. In 1967, the Ferraris spent a week performing in a musical clinic alongside Stevie Wonder, who was attending Lansing’s Michigan School for the Blind. Wonder even fronted an impromptu jam session in the Juarez’s living room. This rare track, “Lovin’ Feeling,” was recorded in January 1966 at the long defunct Don Lee Studios in Lansing but was never properly released. The brothers disbanded after Vietnam called in 1970. 



The Oxford Five “Out of Love For You” 
The Oxford Five were a Birmingham-based band spawned from an even more obscure band called the Intruders. This B-side was recorded in late ’66 and released on the Sidra Records label in January 1967 as the flipside of “The World I’ve Planned.” The single helped land the group some decent shows, including an opening slot on a Beau Brummels’ bill and a string of gigs at the Hideout, Detroit’s now legendary teen club. Much to the band’s chagrin, the label on the DJ promo copy of this 45 accidentally omitted the band name. 


The Monday Knights “What is Love”
 This jovial jam was released in the late ‘60s as an A-side via the Flint-based Endy label – the flip was the “The Electrafyed Sound.” This short-lived Davison-based outfit is the same batch of Michigan cats who fronted another obscure act, Foxx and The United Lace, which recorded the “Watch Out for Love” single on Zip Records.

Chevrons “Hey Little Teaser” 
In 1965, the Chevrons formed at East Christian High in Grand Rapids and quickly did what most West Michigan-based bands did: headed to Great Lakes Recording Studio in nearby Sparta and cut tracks for the studio’s Fenton Records imprint – the label responsible for fellow locals like the JuJus and the Quest’s. Lead vocalist and keyboardist Bob Goote wrote this tune and many of the band’s other originals. In early 1966, “Hey Little Teaser” climbed to #5 on local radio charts. A year later the group disbanded after their high school graduation. Soon after, Goote formed a new band, Counts of Coventry, and recorded “Somewhere (Someone Is Waiting),” another lost local hit on 4 Count Records.

James T and the Workers “I Can’t Stop” 
This organ-driven 1967 B-side was recorded in the Flint suburb of Mount Morris. Released on the Prophonics Studios label, James T and the Workers, led by songwriter Richard Ross, were a fixture in Flint’s rock ‘n’ roll revival that later birthed Terry Knight & the Pack and Grand Funk Railroad. The group’s crude, primitive single, “That is All,” written in 1964 by the band’s guitarist David Rilett, was immortalized on Back from the Grave Vol. 8. This track showcases the band’s more melodic side.

The Other Kind “Can’t Wait Forever”
 While it’s now just another vacant lot in Detroit, 4619 14th St, near Grand River Avenue, once housed 
Mickay’s Records, a forgotten Motor City studio known for cutting a string of singles, most notably a series of discs from J.J. Barnes. The studio was also home to the Other Kind, a soul-tinged Michigan rock group who laid down its 1967 single, “Can’t Wait Forever,” at the long-gone recording service. The building was destroyed during the ’67 riots. 



The Royal Coachmen “You Can’t Get Me Down”
 Armed with an ample amount of searing fuzz, the Royal Coachmen developed a dedicated following in the Lenawee County teen-club scene. The Adrian-based band scored airtime on Swingin' Time and also managed to record this self-penned A-side, backed by another original track, “You Don’t Know.”

5 of a Kind “Please Tell Me (They Were Wrong)” 
Label mates to the Oxford Five, 5 of a Kind were also on the Sidra label. Established in 1966, the imprint was headquartered in Detroit at 18292 Wyoming Avenue and linked to at least three other labels: Team Town, W.I.G and Drew. Five of a Kind are best known for the sought out 1966 northern-soul instrumental “The Other Side.” Presented here is the flipside of that 45, “Please Tell Me (They Were Wrong).”



Kross of the Moon “Speak Softly to the Wind”
 This tune from the obnoxiously rare Kross of the Moon 45 was released on the Wildcat label, a Detroit-based subsidiary of Big Mack. Led by Fortune Records alumni Maury Dean (and Big Mack vice president), the Wildcat label didn’t last long. After releasing a small stack of wax, including the rugged 1967 “Enchanted Island” single from the Crosstown Bus, Dean fled Detroit shortly after the ’67 riots. The imprint fizzled and its releases, like Kross of the Moon’s “Speak Softly to the Wind,” slipped into vinyl oblivion. 



Fabulous Shantels “Remain Unknown Girl”
 While the Fabulous Shantels, who formed in 1964, will forever be attached to the Ohio and northern Kentucky music scene, the Cincinnati-based foursome also formed some Michigan ties. Just after Thanksgiving 1966, the group headed north to Sound Incorporated Studios in New Haven, a town 40 minutes north of Detroit. While in Michigan, the Fabulous Shantels performed at a high school dance and recorded this piercing track, along with three others. The single was rushed to the pressing plant and released in early 1967 via the Sound imprint. 



The Blues Company “I’m Comin’” 
Featuring the swirling, scorching lead guitar work of Tim Ward, this 1968 track, released on the group’s Pear label, is another gem courtesy of Great Lakes Recording Studio in Sparta. This Bay City-based band is a prime example of a garage band’s conversion into the heavier, LSD-fueled realm of psych-rock. After three mind-altering singles, the group split up in 1969. Ward later released one solo LP. 


The Sayms “In the Wind” 
Closing out this volume of Michigan Mayhem is a supreme rarity. The muffled, otherworldly sounds of “In the Wind” are confined to this one acetate by the Sayms, from parts unknown. The flipside was “I Walk Alone,” and some scrawl on the sleeve indicates, at some point, it was sent as a promo to WXOX 1250-AM, a Saginaw-area radio station.

Notes by Rich Tupica


https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-the-human-beings-from-detroit/?fbclid=IwAR0i4Tl8JY8VOGGSqcTxMXOste7EuBvG4NGqHbRI5V5hg9-qiJKL1dSx3s8

THE HUMAN BEINGS from Detroit, complete three single output. AMAZING SNARLING DAMAGE. Zero info on em, even with major label playz. 

Quick mix from uber obscure Benton Harbor combo THE GHOSTERS.

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-mix-the-ghosters-from-benton-harbor/

Thx to Peter Cook for the rare press clippings. Peep an old interview as well by Massimo Del Pozzo& Mike Dugo=

http://home.unet.nl/kesteloo/ghosters.html?fbclid=IwAR0uLFVjjjlVT0Xm_9BE9SAoDZuCoDC4N4J4JnBEGtgdy13I7Ua8b4DlawE

LISTEN TO HIS OTHER WORLDLY HIT "ECHO" =

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIuv13wQwng&feature=emb_logo

 Well since its less than 24 hours away from Easter and the previous John Outlaw post got some cats feeling like poseurs, here is well...the opposite. Gotta love the "turn this off right now" category at the Olzone crib, rare demand natch but usually victim to Italian hardcore or super rough Michigan bluegrass but sermons in general are for solo ears only at the hut post 11pm in low volume and this is one, phew, super gnarly. Big money Diadem job that's pretty common in the bins, cause A: bring up Dr. Jack's name to anyone esp in his home state and find yourself ALONE real quick and B: ish is a grim as it gets. Has the same paranoid dispensationalist zeal as fellow TV minster boi Hal Lindsey but with an utterly grim fidelity that, minus the content, hits RAW when Van Impe thumps his crude aged wooden pulpit with his worn out & memorized bible. Makes your neck hair revolt, fast. This is titled "The Greatest Love Story" but in actuality a full account of the last days of a "formless from every bone broken" Jesus in all its gory detail from violence and being spit upon in conjunction with the Van Impe speed - hammering out verses to seal the experience. Utterly not chill, utterly not supposed to be. The pastor has a gaggle of stark records to help you form your personality : classics like  "Nightclubs to Christ", "Hell Without Hell", "Demons and Exorcism!" and more via heavyweight local labels like Singcord and Victory. Would love to hang as a trio with Jack and "Tremendous" Jones and fully dive into this "New LSD" they were yammering on about in the mid seventies. Maybe out of some kind of personal self torture these "no hope" paranoid Sermon records keep calling out to be digested in the Olson household but what is really fascinating is the Michigan chasm that houses both C.L Franklin's powerhouse Chess Series Lps in nearly the same era as Dr, Jack's "Coming War with Russia", only miles apart. Unbelievable really, grab your Accorgan and sing your own song. Have to clean out the cabbage with some pulp Sci Fi after diving into these icy lake waters.

  Man, here's a big ol greasy splinter for your soul pressed out on twelve inches of uncommercial plastic via Northville Michigan in the middle game of 1973. I reckon if you add even a sprinkle of "non committal" to the Xian game from the shadows of the mitten, the whole stew gets real sour, real fast. Organ + Christ poetry is common yes, and normally pretty solid transport to SOME other region circa 11pm onward for solo evening audio reflection, and the same blueprint is more prevalent on the lower Western side of the state on bougie big cash labels like Diadem, but here under the guise of John Outlaw, the experience makes you feel like you just took a shower in a goo gone and toweled off with turpentine. Side one's entire A-B-B smug social poetry gets real tight real fast and the schmaltzy story of "Testimony" on side two from girls to candy stealing to wavering candles signs from Jesus feels more like Salesmen-like than Soul-like. It has that 23% of "come on yo" than I dunno, The Family Alter Of The Air does. Instead of hammers, we got baskets. That said, that uneasy feeling and the "why the fuck I am listening to all these" atmosphere makes for a memorable jaunt. Sticks with you, somehow, and Mr. (sic) Outlaw was some kind of radio personality, just doesn't sit well with the Michigan cannon, which is fine, right? Strange label too, only did two versions of this that for all its conversion pretense, it not haunting the thrift stores, anywhere. Odd one that will always get a brow tenser when seen next to its more Michigan earnest counterparts. Whatever drama false or not that went into this, I'm good from here.

Rich and Johnny talk from the shadows of the quarantine bunkers with Bill Malone of Lansing's finest downer troupe, The Plagues. Peep the entire discography and two Frightened Trees tracks at:

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-soundtrack-episode-4-the-plagues/

More Imaginary Cassette Company basement damage that makes my cabbage boil with all sorts of local pride. A gaggle of goofy "Clubs Of Rome" out there but trust me, drop your euro vampire costumes in the Granger dumpster outside cause here is the trophy, natch. Mark Fedewa appears to be the captain here in prime 88-89 EL basement scene styles but the grainy gate fold snap has three members, maybe Jeffrey Deason was one of the troops? Nada info to be found from the shadowy corners of the ICC camp, most you can hope for is a heated down memory lane post on FB to get some kinda handle on the wicked ingredients hidden magnetically inside. Standard 8min + "nowhere" free form cryptic lurch as put down in prime  congruent c90 styles from the label. There are some spooky urban moves here and there but nothing really adds up and the stoned basement smog apexes in the lonely rainy Tuesday night harmonica gracing side two. The vocal echo warble and delayed cardboard drums on "Leave Only Footprints" makes me wanna jump out a one story suburb hut and run a mile backwards, twice at 2am. Club of Rome even has a downer / loner folk element that utterly covers everything you could ever want from a whacked- out local tape from the 80s. It's all there. Did you work with them at El Az in 1987? Were C.O.R too weird to do blow with the kitchen staff at Bilbos?  The whole audio experience is akin to a LSD soaked 4 track weekend experiment in all it's mid Michigan dreary winter black and white glory. Swear to Cthulhu if you were seeing double with Kroger Kevin from King Corba 40z -ers paid for with returnables from Saturday's MSU game, I'd tell you this was an unreleased WEEDS Xpressway tape from... eer.. 1988. Can't ingest this "stuff" enough, makes the Screaming Mee Mees sound like a pre  - UFO mania Blink 182 gig at a crowed Utah brewery. Bottom level living-in-a-closet genius of the highest non - order. I hope whoever made this righteous racket is a teacher at Okemos High School RN. Will brag about this tape and this f'in label till you get damn well get sick of it, even the Lime Giants 96i one. Lots of fantasies in Olzone nugget, one of them is a split bill via Kalamazoo in an empty basement with Club of Rome sharing a banger gig with homemade gods Strange Fruit Abiku. Simply put, they are FROM HERE and OUT THERE. Phew.

Bio by Rich Tupica, Lansing City Pulse Tonto & the Renegades and the Beaux Jens were admitted rivals in their small town. The two Grand Ledge High School bands would play various parties, venues and battle of the bands, although they never shared a bill.

Gary “Tonto” Richey, bassist/vocalist of Tonto & the Renegades, recalled only brief encounters with their rivals outside of school. “I think I only saw the Beaux Jens play once or twice,” Richey said. “One of those times was at a party at Toby Bates’ (of the Beaux Jens) house. We were busy playing our own shows on Friday, Saturday and sometimes more — so was their band.”

Tonto & the Renegades’ story started much like their neighboring Lansing bands. Terry Slocum, guitarist and vocalist for the band, recalled a pivotal moment in his life. “In 1964 I was 14 years old, that’s when I first saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan,” Slocum said. “I played clarinet at that time, and I thought, ‘Man, this thing has to go!’ So I went down to Marshall Music and traded it for a guitar.”

The band, which also included Tom Kirby (drums), Bill Ford (guitar/vocals), Jeff Keast (organ), and later Dave Pung (organ), started practicing in Richey’s parents’ basement in 1964. It wasn’t long before they were winning multiple battles of the bands and becoming favorites in the Michigan teen circuit.

One of the popular teen clubs, The Sceen (near Sunfield, southeast of Lake Odessa), was frequented by most Lansing bands, as well as the Beaux Jens and Tonto & the Renegades. The club owner, Don Trefry, even financed 45s for the Grand Ledge bands under the record label name Sound of the Sceen.

Today, those 45s are highly collectable and fetch hundreds on eBay from buyers across the globe, selling for hundreds of dollars. Garage vinyl collectors mainly seek out Tonto & the Renegades' “Little Boy Blue” single, a 1967 fuzzed-out garage anthem. Slocum said he wrote and sang it for Vicky Schnepp, his then-girlfriend. The song was later featured on the second volume of the wildly influential “Back From the Grave” compilation on Crypt Records.

But back in the 1960s, the band’s cover tunes were the band’s top attraction. “Back then, it was all about the covers,” Kirby said. “You didn’t get acceptance for your originals until you proved yourself to people — they had to like you. People came to dance, so they wanted music they knew, and they wanted it to sound how they knew it. Not that you couldn’t make it your own, but it had to be solid. After our records were on the radio and the band was well known, we could throw in our originals and people would be happy.”

Eventually the band’s song “I Knew This Thing Would Happen” charted locally on WILS. The band’s second (and final) single featured polished tunes written and produced by Dick Wagner of the Bossmen, The Frost and Alice Cooper’s band.

In the 1960s, popular radio wasn’t exclusive to major-label stars. If a local DJ happened to dig a local band’s single, he would play it, sometimes boosting it to a local hit. Both WILS and WJIM would play local singles. As local radio picked up on the Tonto singles, so did major record labels, including Decca and Columbia.

“We were about to sign with Columbia,” Kirby said. “We were going to take the deal because they offered us a national tour, $10,000 advance and they were going to distribute our record nationally. They were the best of the five offers.”

While the record deal was in the works, Kirby was sent a letter from the United States government: He was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1969, which ended Kirby’s music career. "It killed it. The war killed Tonto & the Renegades,” Kirby said. “After I did three tours in Vietnam, I never went back to playing. I got home in the early 1970s and got on with my life. Gary and Terry were off playing with other people.”

While the band never signed a major deal, in 2008 “Little Boy Blue” was named the #14 Top Song by Michigan Rock and Roll Legends — along with other inductees such as Marvin Gaye, Bob Seger and Del Shannon. In 2012 Tonto & the Renegades were inducted into the Michigan Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Bob Seger and Ted Nugent.

Also, in 2002, all four of the band’s recordings were compiled on a 45 by Misty Lane Records, an Italian label.

Written by Steve Miller (Former member of The FIX) from the Turn It Down Blog 2012 When I came home one afternoon, I realized that being part of a nascent music scene meant some great perks. Other than the loud noise you could inflict on strangers, the Bad Brains would roll you joints in your living room, play your entire Pablo Moses collection with the bass turned up the right way and cook spinach noodles with spicy peanut sauce for lunch. 

  The owners could have been mad, but nothing was busted. In fact, “None of those glass tables ever got broken,” Bernath marvels today. He was booking the good stuff with little regard to what made him dough; MX-80 Sound played to a dozen people. Eugene Chadbourne came in. The Flesheaters, the Panther Burns. When the place closed in November 1982, Bernath was in talks to bring NYC legends Suicide to town.   Lansing didn’t have a Mr. Brown’s (Columbus) or a Seventh Street Entry (Minneapolis). It did have a moving host of little places, though, that could bring the national, now legendary, noise.

Bio by Rich Tupica, Lansing City Pulse The rival to the Plagues was another local band of teens, the Ones. After founding members/brothers Kevin Nicholoff (bass) and Kerry Nicholoff (organ) recruited the dynamic lead vocalist and guitarist Danny Hernandez (who passed away in 2000 at age 53), the Ones quickly became Lansing’s biggest sensation.

The Ones, which also included drummer Mark Boomershine, toured the circuit, packing in huge crowds at each stop. The band primarily played covers of soul hits — and Hernandez had the perfect voice, guitar skills and stage presence for the job.

“We were doing James Brown stuff because Danny could do it,” Kerry Nicholoff said. “He was a great showman and guitar player. He’d drop down to his knees and all that. That’s what he did. His whole family were great musicians.”

Loren Molinare of the classic Lansing rock 'n' roll band the Dogs, which formed in 1969, recalled growing up in the Lansing teen scene and witnessing the brilliance of Hernandez and the Ones at the Armory on Washington Avenue.

“Danny was kind of like the Hispanic James Brown with a guitar — he was quite the showman,” Molinare said. “People take that stuff for granted now. Back then, rock 'n' roll was still fresh and new. Bands actually made money back then. Live music was a big deal. There was no MTV or Internet, so when a band came to town it was a big deal. It was a different world.”

Dave Cripe, who played in the Back Alley, a 1960s Lansing band, recalled seeing Hernandez perform in a group prior to the Ones. “Danny was fantastic, just unbelievable. I saw him when he was in a band called Pepe & the Problems,” Cripe said. “My cousin, who was a little older than me, took me over to a dance that was in the Frandor parking lot. I thought he was fantastic then. But the Ones — they were like celebrities in Lansing. They still are to our class at Everett High School.”

Aside from clubs, dances and concerts, the Ones played a seven-night-a-week gig at the Metro Bowl in Lansing, which was then a hip bowling alley and night club. That gig is where the band honed its stage show and perfected what would later be its signature tune.

“You Haven’t Seen My Love” hit the charts in late 1967, and later took off across the region in early 1968. The song featured lyrics by Hernandez and was produced by “Boogie” Bob Baldori of the Woolies at Fenton Records. Kerry Nicholoff, who wrote the classic organ riff on the tune, recalled being surprised by the reaction to the epic love ballad.

“It went to No. 1 in Lansing,” Nicholoff said. “They were playing it on all the stations non-stop. We’d sit outside on a summer night, and it seemed like the record was on every half hour. Then it started playing in Grand Rapids and other cities in the area. Then we started getting calls from just about every record label.”

The song, originally released by local labels Spirit and Fenton, soon got picked up and distributed by Motown Records — a first for a non-Motown-produced act. The record deal led to additional Motown singles and a tour, which included one date opening for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.

By 1969, the Nicholoff brothers left the band. Hernandez continued to perform as Danny Hernandez & the Ones with a rotating cast of members for a number of years. Later lineups included Hernandez’s nephew Ronnie Hernandez (of the New Paris Bakery), as well as local musicians Tom Taylor, Gary Pitchford, Gary Melvin and Brad Hersey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt_7h3aHrH8

Lansing’s 1960s garage band scene retrospective
 (Originally written back in 2011) 
Rich Tupica Soon after Feb. 9, 1964, Lansing area teens began filing into Marshall Music in search of guitars, organs, amplifiers and drum kits. Those school kids had just witnessed the Beatles perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show" — and they wanted to experience the energy of live rock 'n' roll. Thanks to Beatlemania and the British Invasion, the mid-1960s saw the birth of garage bands across the map: Lansing was no different. Crew cuts grew into mop tops and teenagers were picking up instruments for the first time — each musician doing his or her best impersonation of the British Invasion bands ruling the charts. While the sound from these bands’ tube amps may seem primitive by today’s standards, make no mistake: These teen bands could rip through a set of danceable Top 40 rock covers. Every weekend the bands would play wild shows across the state, often held at teen clubs, battles of the bands, frat parties, high school dances and VFW halls. They’d have huge crowds dancing to the latest crazes, as well as their own three-chord, organ-heavy originals. Toby Bates, organ player of The Beaux Jens, a Grand Ledge band, said the garage bands’ live shows and original recordings were full of primal energy. “We all kind of formed this raw sound, it was teaming with energy,” Bates said. “It was primitive, with a lot of screams. We’d put a big, long scream in a lot of songs. That scream was the signature of that garage band era. That would get the crowd screaming. This was the first time a lot of kids heard this stuff live. They got revved up, too. It was wild, crazy and loud. It was fun.” The teen club fad would only last a few years, approximately the same amount of time as the bands that performed in them. The 1970s would make both obsolete. However, in their heyday, top Lansing bands like the Ones, New Paris Bakery, the Plagues, the Ferraris, the Woolies, the Saharas, the Assortment and the Chancellors were playing packed shows every weekend, recording singles and getting them played on local radio stations. A majority of the bands also played on “Swing Lively,” a local television show that featured live performances from local bands. For four years (1964-1968), high schoolers were dressed in their best stage attire and on top of local dance scenes across the map. The beginning of this era was a transitional period for popular music. While a coffee house folk music trend continued to thrive, rock 'n' roll concerts were still a fairly new phenomenon — and the kids were going crazy for them. To accommodate this demand for live concerts, teen clubs began sprouting up all over the country. Lansing had The Incline and Hullabaloo, which were two of the top spots in the city. Lansing even had a local studio where teen bands would record. The Ferraris and the Plagues both recorded at Don Lee Studios, which was located at 1438 E. Michigan Ave. However, the bulk of the Lansing bands, as well as the groups from the Grand Rapids scene, recorded singles at Fenton Records’ Great Lakes Recording Studio in Sparta, which doubled as a movie theater. The studio was owned and operated by producer Dave Kalmbach. Bruce Reinoehl, rhythm guitar player for The Chancellors (1965-1967), an Okemos/ East Lansing band, said his band (which was formed by vocalist/organ player Jim Ovaitt) would make the hour-and-a-half drive to Sparta to record a couple of original tunes. “Listening now, it sounds fairly primitive,” Reinoehl said. “Now you can overdub and triple-track instruments. Back then, at the studio in Sparta, you had one chance and everyone in the band had to play it right at the same time. By the time we recorded our single ‘Dear John,’ which was played on local radio, I didn’t want to hear it again. It took us a couple days to get that one right.”

THE PLAGUES: Bill Malone, lead singer and bassist for The Plagues (1964-1967), said the Plagues spent almost every weekend touring across the state, putting on its best “mini-Beatles concert.” “We were basically a Beatles band to start with,” Malone said. “We did all Beatles tunes. Then we started branching out. We also liked the Byrds and the Animals. It wasn’t long after our first show at Everett High School that we played Waverly Junior High School — we nearly started a riot,” Malone recalled. “It was like something out of ‘Hard Day’s Night.’ We had a big local following; there were about 300 kids in our fan club.” The Plagues, which also consisted of Van Decker (lead guitar), Phil Nobach (drums) and James Hosley (rhythm guitar), could fly through a set of Beatles covers and other Top 40 hits like “Louie, Louie,” “Hang on Sloopy” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The band’s original tune, “Through This World,” charted locally on WILS, then a popular AM pop station in Lansing. The band also opened a Lansing show for the Young Rascals. “We were very energetic and enthusiastic,” Malone said. “We were funny and goofy on stage. We’d rock it out like teeny-bop rockers. We’d put on a show. Our story is very much like the movie ‘That Thing You Do!’ I laugh every time I see it.” Hosley, the band’s rhythm guitarist, said shows often drew 75 to 200 teens, who would be seen coming and going throughout the night. “They couldn’t have alcohol in the club, but some would drink before they got there,” Hosley said. “People would stop in, hang out for awhile, and then they’d find a party and leave. They’d come and go — a group of people would leave, then more would show up — it seemed like it was rotating all night.” After the Plagues broke up in 1966, Malone briefly fronted another Lansing garage band, the Frightened Trees. He then permanently relocated to California in April 1967. Malone began a job at Don Post Studios where he molded masks for films, including the Michael Myers mask for the classic 1978 film “Halloween.” He later became a director, with a resume that includes the 1999 remake of “House on Haunted Hill.” The other Plagues stayed in Lansing. Decker, Nobach and Hosley began working to reform a band in the fall of 1966. With the addition of Scott Durbin and, later, Steve Allen, the band became the Plain Brown Wrapper. Decker said Plain Brown Wrapper, which broke up in 1974, was more experimental than the Plagues. “The Wrapper was influenced by American groups like the Beach Boys, Motown and some jazz artists.” Decker said. “(The sound) had a lot to do with Scott Durbin, who was an experienced jazz musician. Scott's trumpet playing and piano talents made it possible to explore a much wider variety of styles, which carried over into our original material.” Before breaking up, the Plagues recorded three singles, one of which is the catchy and fuzzy garage rocker “I’ve Been Through It Before.” It’s now highly collectible and has sold for over $700 on eBay. Today, by chance, Malone, Decker and Hosley all live in California.

THE ONES: The rival to the Plagues was another local band of teens, the Ones. After founding members/brothers Kevin Nicholoff (bass) and Kerry Nicholoff (organ) recruited the dynamic lead vocalist and guitarist Danny Hernandez (who passed away in 2000 at age 53), the Ones quickly became Lansing’s biggest sensation. The Ones, which also included drummer Mark Boomershine, toured the circuit, packing in huge crowds at each stop. The band primarily played covers of soul hits — and Hernandez had the perfect voice, guitar skills and stage presence for the job. “We were doing James Brown stuff because Danny could do it,” Kerry Nicholoff said. “He was a great showman and guitar player. He’d drop down to his knees and all that. That’s what he did. His whole family were great musicians.” Loren Molinare of the classic Lansing rock 'n' roll band the Dogs, which formed in 1969, recalled growing up in the Lansing teen scene and witnessing the brilliance of Hernandez and the Ones at the Armory on Washington Avenue. “Danny was kind of like the Hispanic James Brown with a guitar — he was quite the showman,” Molinare said. “People take that stuff for granted now. Back then, rock 'n' roll was still fresh and new. Bands actually made money back then. Live music was a big deal. There was no MTV or Internet, so when a band came to town it was a big deal. It was a different world.” Dave Cripe, who played in the Back Alley, a 1960s Lansing band, recalled seeing Hernandez perform in a group prior to the Ones. “Danny was fantastic, just unbelievable. I saw him when he was in a band called Pepe & the Problems,” Cripe said. “My cousin, who was a little older than me, took me over to a dance that was in the Frandor parking lot. I thought he was fantastic then. But the Ones — they were like celebrities in Lansing. They still are to our class at Everett High School.” Aside from clubs, dances and concerts, the Ones played a seven-night-a-week gig at the Metro Bowl in Lansing, which was then a hip bowling alley and night club. That gig is where the band honed its stage show and perfected what would later be its signature tune. “You Haven’t Seen My Love” hit the charts in late 1967, and later took off across the region in early 1968. The song featured lyrics by Hernandez and was produced by “Boogie” Bob Baldori of the Woolies at Fenton Records. Kerry Nicholoff, who wrote the classic organ riff on the tune, recalled being surprised by the reaction to the epic love ballad.

Nicholoff said he vividly recalls recording the track. “I’d say Bob Baldori, who produced it, was behind the sound,” Nicholoff said. "He instilled a concept of dynamics in us. You can tell when you listen to it that there are a lot of dynamics going on. The volume goes up and down in certain areas of the song. When a new verse would come in, everyone would drop down to a whisper on the instruments — that was Bob’s influence on us. He always pushed the idea of dynamics, and it showed on that record when I listen to it today.” 

Soon, the Lansing band was riding high on a huge success. “It went to No. 1 in Lansing,” Nicholoff said. “They were playing it on all the stations non-stop. We’d sit outside on a summer night, and it seemed like the record was on every half hour. Then it started playing in Grand Rapids and other cities in the area. Then we started getting calls from just about every record label.” The song, originally released by local labels Spirit and Fenton, soon got picked up and distributed by Motown Records — a first for a non-Motown-produced act. The record deal led to additional Motown singles and a tour, which included one date opening for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. By 1969, the Nicholoff brothers left the band. Hernandez continued to perform as Danny Hernandez & the Ones with a rotating cast of members for a number of years. Later lineups included Hernandez’s nephew Ronnie Hernandez (of the New Paris Bakery), as well as local musicians Tom Taylor, Gary Pitchford, Gary Melvin and Brad Hersey. 
THE WOOLIES: Another hot act in the ‘60s Lansing scene was the Woolies. The band saw national success and worked with Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Stevie Wonder and Chuck Berry. The Woolies, led by “Boogie” Bob Baldori, made a mark far beyond Michigan. Baldori moved from Dearborn to East Lansing in 1961 to attend Michigan State University. His early bands, Maury Dean & the Nightshift and the Mongers, would be a precursor to a life-long career in blues-inspired rock-nroll. Baldori also founded Spirit Records in the mid-1960s, a local label with a catalog of over 30 records. While most local bands were digging the British Invasion, Baldori said the Woolies, which also included the younger Baldori brother, Jeff, were more influenced by the roots of American music. “We were locked into early blues,” Baldori said. “We did a lot of Robert Johnson and Chicago, urban rhythm and blues. Basic rock is what we called it.” Upon arriving in East Lansing, Baldori became heavily involved with the then-lackluster East Lansing rock scene. He was even a part of a club called the Fat Black Pussycat, which was home to the local booming folk music circuit that booked big-name singers like Pete Seeger. But soon enough, the Woolies, and rock 'n' roll in general, would take up all his time. Baldori, a lawyer who still lives in the Lansing area, recalls watching downtown East Lansing grow into a musical hot spot. “When I got here, East Lansing was dry,” he said. “The closest place to play was Coral Gables, so we’d play there all the time. But when bars opened in East Lansing it became a mecca for music in Michigan. We played all the bars there. There would be 10 bands working in two or three blocks of downtown. We’d play Lizard’s (now Rick’s American Cafe) every Thursday for a long time. Then we switched to Sunday nights.” While his band played in the same area as the Ones and the Plagues, Baldori said his band was part of a different scene. “We were more plugged into the regional scene,” Baldori said. “We traveled a lot. We’d even played gigs in California. Then we hooked up with Chuck Berry in 1966 and played all over the country with him. We also recorded two albums with him. We are still great friends with him. I played with him at his 80th birthday a few years ago.” The Woolies’ biggest hit was a cover of “Who Do You Love.” Originally released as a single in 1966, the song later found its way onto Rhino Records' "Nuggets" box set, an acclaimed collection of 1960s garage singles. “It went to No. 1 in a few markets,” Baldori said. “It was a big deal. The reason it didn’t score nationally is because back then it took forever to spread across the country. It was a hit in Boston, Miami, Los Angeles — but not all at the same time. It was spread out between ‘66 and ‘67. I still go to cities and people remember it being a No. 1 hit. It was breaking in regional charts, but had it broke all at once, it could have been bigger.”

THE FERRARIS: While the Ones and the Woolies saw the most national success out of the capital city bands, a number of other talented local bands performed at many of the same clubs throughout the city and state. The Ferraris were formed in 1965 by twin brothers Hector and Victor Juarez when they were 14 years old. “Before the Beatles influenced us, we were fond of the Beach Boys — that’s what started it for us,” Hector Juarez recalled. “We heard '409' and wanted to have a singing group. Then a year later the Beatles hit on Ed Sullivan, and that’s what got us into guitars and playing music.” Like the Beatles, the Ferraris used Vox brand amplifiers, bought by the twins’ supportive father and manager, Mario Juarez, who booked the band’s shows and drove them to gigs. Juarez said even at their young age, the band worked hard and played shows every weekend. “Being only 14, we had these high falsetto voices. It sounded pretty cool,” Juarez said. “We’d pick harder songs to play. We’d do ‘Along Comes Mary’ by the Association. We’d play the Young Rascals, all the hits of the day.” Aside from winning a battle of the bands in 1968 and playing countless packed shows at “young adult” dances at the Jack Tar Hotel (hosted by Erik OFurseth, a popular WILS DJ), a high point in the Ferraris’ career was working with Stevie Wonder in 1967 at the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing, where young Stevie was attending classes. “We were with Stevie for a week,” recalled Juarez. “It was a music clinic for the kids at the school. For the first two days we met with Stevie and talked with blind kids about music. At the end of the week all these musicians from Motown came and we played a big show on Friday night. “That Sunday Stevie came over to our house for a chicken dinner and we jammed in the living room.” The Ferraris would play until early 1970 when the Juarez brothers were drafted into the Vietnam War. The two spent their time deployed in Europe.

TONTO & THE RENEGADES: Tonto & the Renegades and the Beaux Jens were admitted rivals in their small town. The two Grand Ledge High School bands would play various parties, venues and battle of the bands, although they never shared a bill. Gary “Tonto” Richey, bassist/vocalist of Tonto & the Renegades, recalled only brief encounters with their rivals outside of school. “I think I only saw the Beaux Jens play once or twice,” Richey said. “One of those times was at a party at Toby Bates’ (of the Beaux Jens) house. We were busy playing our own shows on Friday, Saturday and sometimes more — so was their band.” Tonto & the Renegades’ story started much like their neighboring Lansing bands. Terry Slocum, guitarist and vocalist for the band, recalled a pivotal moment in his life. “In 1964 I was 14 years old, that’s when I first saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan,” Slocum said. “I played clarinet at that time, and I thought, ‘Man, this thing has to go!’ So I went down to Marshall Music and traded it for a guitar.” The band, which also included Tom Kirby (drums), Bill Ford (guitar/vocals), Jeff Keast (organ), and later Dave Pung (organ), started practicing in Richey’s parents’ basement in 1964. It wasn’t long before they were winning multiple battles of the bands and becoming favorites in the Michigan teen circuit. One of the popular teen clubs, The Sceen (near Sunfield, southeast of Lake Odessa), was frequented by most Lansing bands, as well as the Beaux Jens and Tonto & the Renegades. The club owner, Don Trefry, even financed 45s for the Grand Ledge bands under the record label name Sound of the Sceen. Today, those 45s are highly collectable and fetch hundreds on eBay from buyers across the globe, selling for hundreds of dollars. Garage vinyl collectors mainly seek out Tonto & the Renegades' “Little Boy Blue” single, a 1967 fuzzed-out garage anthem. Slocum said he wrote and sang it for Vicky Schnepp, his then-girlfriend. The song was later featured on the second volume of the wildly influential “Back From the Grave” compilation on Crypt Records. But back in the 1960s, the band’s cover tunes were the band’s top attraction. “Back then, it was all about the covers,” Kirby said. “You didn’t get acceptance for your originals until you proved yourself to people — they had to like you. People came to dance, so they wanted music they knew, and they wanted it to sound how they knew it. Not that you couldn’t make it your own, but it had to be solid. After our records were on the radio and the band was well known, we could throw in our originals and people would be happy.” Eventually the band’s song “I Knew This Thing Would Happen” charted locally on WILS. The band’s second (and final) single featured polished tunes written and produced by Dick Wagner of the Bossmen, The Frost and Alice Cooper’s band. In the 1960s, popular radio wasn’t exclusive to major-label stars. If a local DJ happened to dig a local band’s single, he would play it, sometimes boosting it to a local hit. Both WILS and WJIM would play local singles. As local radio picked up on the Tonto singles, so did major record labels, including Decca and Columbia. “We were about to sign with Columbia,” Kirby said. “We were going to take the deal because they offered us a national tour, $10,000 advance and they were going to distribute our record nationally. They were the best of the five offers.” While the record deal was in the works, Kirby was sent a letter from the United States government: He was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1969, which ended Kirby’s music career. "It killed it. The war killed Tonto & the Renegades,” Kirby said. “After I did three tours in Vietnam, I never went back to playing. I got home in the early 1970s and got on with my life. Gary and Terry were off playing with other people.” While the band never signed a major deal, in 2008 “Little Boy Blue” was named the #14 Top Song by Michigan Rock and Roll Legends — along with other inductees such as Marvin Gaye, Bob Seger and Del Shannon. In 2012 Tonto & the Renegades were inducted into the Michigan Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Bob Seger and Ted Nugent. Also, in 2002, all four of the band’s recordings were compiled on a 45 by Misty Lane Records, an Italian label.

THE BEAUX JENS: Formed in March 1966, the Beaux Jens were the other side of Grand Ledge teen rock until they broke up in July 1968. The band’s original song “She Was Mine” (originally released on Sound of the Sceen) has become an underground classic after being featured on the third volume of “Back From The Grave.” The sporadic screams and haunting organ sets it apart from other cheery tunes of the times. Toby Bates, the band’s organ/coronet player, recalls the band’s humble genesis. “We didn’t know shit,” Bates said. “Tim Schram was the musical leader because he actually knew chords. At the beginning of the band we were still learning how to play. We were only 15 or 16 at the time.” However, after a rigorous practice-andshow schedule, the musicians developed into an energetic and solid live band. “I think we were pretty intense. Between Gordy Garris (bass/vocals) and Joe Panessidi (drums) we had two very energetic performers on stage,” Bates said. “We were an energetic show and very fast-paced. We didn’t fool around between songs. We were on it. Joe was a ball of fire twirling his drum sticks around, jumping up and down, laughing and smiling.” Bates said the band, like the other busy garage bands, juggled school and being local rock stars. “None of us were great students,” Bates said. “The more success we got as a band, the more we all kind of fizzled out on academics. But we had a great following at our high school. Along with our rivals, Tonto & the Renegades, we were all in the same circle. After we released the 45, we had a fan club between Grand Rapids and Flint.” The party soon ended when Garris left the band and hooked up with a Michigan guitar legend. “When we lost Gordy, our bass player, to Dick Wagner’s band, The Frost, it was the beginning of the end. We tried to replace Gordy with two people, and it still didn’t work,” Bates said. “So two months later it all fizzled out and everyone went their own directions.”

END OF AN ERA, 1968: With the escalating Vietnam War, and the emerging drug culture, the teen scene’s days were drawing to a close. Suddenly, young adults weren’t interested in dancing to happy tunes anymore, a more progressive sound began to develop. The release of the Beatles' psyched-out "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the birth of an array of progressive bands changed people’s perspective of music. Teen-scene band members eventually abandoned their instruments, or were swallowed into the long-haired and bearded world of experimental rock. Jim Joseph, who managed the Ones, recalled a transformation with audiences. Crowds went from happy dancing teens to lethargic hippies. “The Ones were always a dance-oriented group,” Joseph said. “The groove was everything. They wanted people to move; that was the thing back then. We played Daniel’s Den in Saginaw, and everyone was dancing their asses off. Then all of a sudden in 1969 things changed. Next time we played Daniel’s Den everyone was sitting on the floor wanting to hear a rock concert. Suddenly R&B and dance-influenced bands were not popular anymore.” Bands like the Moody Blues and other prog-rock innovators had taken over. It wasn’t until the 1980s when the “garage rock revival” happened that young people began to appreciate the teen-scene sound. Mid-1980s garage compilations, like “Back From the Grave,” would also regenerate an interest in the primitive sounds of the past. Forty-five years later the bands mentioned in this story aren’t playing shows (aside from The Woolies), but the recordings are still available on CD and vinyl. “Scream Loud! The Fenton Story,” a 2007 CD/LP compilation, specifically documented the Lansing and Grand Rapids area teen scene. The collection features an array of Lansing bands that recorded at the studio. “Scream Loud!” is available at Flat, Black & Circular in East Lansing. - by Rich Tupica For more information on Lansing '60s Garage Bands, visit: www.facebook.com/lansinggaragebands

About the only time you can use samples of thunder and rain along with cheap - kroger keyboards drenched in suburban lost hope is apparently, East Lansing's mysterious "The Imaginary Cassette Company." Nearly impossible to gleam ANY info on this "set" other than it MIGHT be pre Astrobrite Scott Cortez / which is weird cause I went to high school ELHS during this time with Scott and knew nada of these deviant activities. He was friends with my sister, and all he mentioned during the 88 era, complete from a tench coat during summer outfit, is boring AF British jams and referred to me as a "hardcore monkey." Whatever. Even weirder when I see UK Gretchen Guttersnipe in a homemade loveliescrushing shirt LAST YEAR and it turns out SC is seen as some kind of shoe-gaze originator. Weird all around. So, if it is "Scottie" behind this label, homie was on some wild local underground NON shoe gaze ish that is destroying my now "adult" cabbage. Here we have a band from SF(?) The Lowly Cows with a long one sider "Cow Scratch Free Bird" that goes from Door-ish moody wave moves to not - together eeer "underground" rock that is homemade and full of inept magic. Like the other ICC tape, each song seems to be 7 minutes plus, and shit, all the better for it. They have a SF address as of 1988 but the only digital info is a stark January gig with Fugazi at the end of January '88. I asked SF Rusty / Rubber O about the Lowly Cows and he remembers "the Sacred Cows" but even though they lived two blocks from him, "probably weren't on any kool gigs." Lots of basement goofery and backwards stoned 4 track nonsense that there cannot be enough of in this earthly plane. Full of SK - 1 explorations in fine 80's style but the goth shadow is light on this gem, thankfully, but be warned its there on further label tapes. I can't help to think that the almighty homemade menace of Skidd Freeman is somewhere in the shadows of this label. Easy to get through, lots of homespun local magician moves, gets really out there with ending  "20th Century Monk"  = add some foreign accent spice and it could be an non- educated Scorched Earth Policy rehearsal tape. "Cow Scratch" is a solid signpost to the MSU weirdo underworld cauldron in a seemingly dead period. Wonder if Just Say No wanted to fight them?. Stay tuned for further delves into The Imaginary Cassette Company treasure chest.

Third installment of INZANE MICHIGAN features none other than the almighty legend STEVE MILLER from The Fix, Blight, Strange Fruit, Just Say No, author of Detroit Rock City, Juggalo: Insane Clown Posse, Commando: The Johnny Ramone story, and more. Peep the Steve Miller audio journey at:

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-soundtrack-episode-3-steve-miller-the-fix-blight-strange-fruit/

Thx as always to George Szegedy for the audio help.

  Thickest of homemade action here: Seems to be SOME kind of info on that something existed bearing the name of this duo around the Lapeer Michigan area, where this stark und cold cassette was found in the shadowy outskirts of Flint, and that's it folks. Save the digital presence in a soul-swap exchange for this ruff home walk -man recording of piano & voice in a style so pure and ernest you'd *swear* you were alone with the team in a grey empty living room in the middle of winter. Complete with "song is over stop the tape" gruff click to end each track really finalizes each tunes uber experience. I would reckon that when the QCA and Archer pressing plants quieted down in the late seventies / early eighties and this then - new tape joints tried to replace the wax that the local "set" would be flooded with these grim plastic boxes of joy, but they really ain't around...at all. Still timeless, but even further down the homemade dungeon experience with the xeroxed plain stock J card devoid of any personal outpourings, thus taking the Michigan experience to even deeper cryptic extremes. The piano is boxed inn, and the voice could be "harmelodic / Flint Style." Any tape plants exist in Mich? This appears to be utterly dubbed and copied with zero commerce in mind, not even a local church address. In times of viruses dipped in chaos, this kind of local anesthetic is the kick you need to keep from diving into the cold February moon in a desperate plea of marginalized hope. Amazing all around, though everything inside, cynicism and all, comes to a DEAD END.

Second episode of RICH & JOHNNY INZANE MICHIGAN = This time an indepth dive into the tragic world of Terry Knight. Thx again to George Szegedy. Stay tuned to for further episodes on Golden Rod MSU Archive, Del Shannon, a live chat with Rick of Rick & J.B, and the Kalamazoo history lesson with the I'd Buy That For a Dollar crew. All things MICHIGAN MF.

Peep the Terry Knight & The Pack companion soundtrack below:

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/rich-johnnys-inzane-michigan-soundtrack-episode-2-terry-knight-the-pack/

Weird semi trad AOR Flint style thing here on their lone long player with some def puzzler moments inside. Oddly well known for its "Funk- key" single appearances on "Black Exhaust" and huh Qbico (?) comps, but never mentioned in the home state amongst the private/ lokill lurkers, even after 17 years of Flushing styled destruction. A solid homespun affair, of the almost Tempest / Texas Rose / Monster Records label- styled "big dreams  - no budget" life choices but with a cold Northern edge. How on gods green earth does a fully privately funded hard rocking blue collar unit have a road crew aka "The Hardheads" is mystery indeed, and matched with a creepy end song about being strapped at a party, see "Party", makes this black and silver crude boi have a definite street edge. Even darker NOW when there is like 6 total active police officers for the entire Genesee County. The OG single version of "Confusion" is super gruff, three years earlier and primitive, along with both versions of "Same" singles - this Jacob crew could lay down some wicked sophisticated punishment in short format. Wild Northern distortion indeed. All around solid, even at a time when tuff rockers could wear skinny ties. Broken Records label, broken amps from Miller Lite spills und chills. Used to skate Flint on Sundays for years, there was no one around and our local connect was a strange shredder dude that collected vintage G.I. Joe's. Ran the Crim once, good time too. And finally, was recently kicked out the White Horse cause my crew of Foster Care Allison and Lila were being "too loud for the recently unemployed" at 3pm  = and that's WITH being fam with the forever local Gonzales squad. It's alright, the pizza there was "meh" anyway. Wonder if Joel Rash booked em? Steady Mid Michigan culture here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDoePSZ54u0

  Utterly unknown till the Padraigh / NTS wild cat pointed this under-bridge-lurking monster out to the world via twitter, like an hour ago. Raga done under the most diseased Michigan moon imaginable. Via the Universal ne/  Sound label. No date but smart money and the "America's Singing Tribute To The Astronauts" tag could place this at the eve of the 50's. Might as well been pressed on pre - construction NIGHTMARE 75th South gray dirty winter soaked freeway gravel under the skeletal mitts of a lonely winter creature hiding starving in the corners of Alma. Where fidelity goes to die an unceremonious cold death. WTF is this beast? Makes  "Dawn of the Devi" era SCG sound like Justin Bieber trying out audio plug ins in line at a Jack In the Box. Uncomprehendingly Michigan Magic *or U.M.M for the emoji set. Peep The Fyrebirds "I'm So Lonely" for label mate'd continued dollar store grey joy, or if you are one of the truly TWIZTED, drop the Thompson Middle School 8th Grade Chorus boi on a particularly lonely stoned winter knight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suV5bqsUv-Q

    And take me away she does. Beautiful Uncle Dirty's Sound Machine Kzoo special here. Four amazing originals, other covers done in such a fine laid back soft rock style you won't notice. Amazing vibe all around, tons of wave samples work right into the breeze-core / must've been a windy day at some lonely hidden Benton Harbor cozy cove when the fingers hit the strings that late afternoon, apparently. Becky and her Tattoo records only did this Lp, can't imagine the classically cantankerous Bryce Robinson throwing shade on the results in any form whatsoever as the record plays thru as smooth as penguins ice skating downhill. Her originals really shine, too bad there isn't more to seek out. Has similar low tech / low fi vibe as Pittsburgh's phenom low key duo The Same People, but also true to the Kalamazoo soft rock ethos of the mysterious "Comp", the dusty and catchy Van Havel & Vaughan, Greg Framer, Jeffery Liberman's more oversexed breezy tracks, Jana Roberson, and Martin & Lamn's amazing "Bittersweet" lp which shares not only Becky's drummer  Nancy Rogers, but also the same NR on the killer and local Abyss "Dare To Dream" lp, and a GIA tape which is really a strange connection. ???. Whoa now every single thing mentioned was a Dirty Bryce production, and well, how about Poor Richard's piano player Glenn Lewis in the Koch mix too? Look down 94, all superstar underground legends. Stack it up anyway you want it , this Becky affair has one foot in the weirdo underground of the Zoo while the other lays on the pedal to cruise- drive over to a purple Lake Michigan sunset in the late warm summer. Every copy appears to be autographed, lucky for us. Fireworks & golden dynomite. 

  "Come home, Come home, its Suppertime." Tapes of birds in the grotesque un-harmonious background. So is the backdrop to this eerie "Mom & Pop" Price aka Family Altar of Air monster Battle Creek Lurker from gods-knows-when. Traditional in it's fam focused format but unique with its spoken word parts and super-long all over the map "buffett" of chimes, that f'in talking organ thing, disgusted four part harmonies, handsaw: the works. So grim and filled with dark grey joy, this Family stands above the Michigan Xian herd with even-cruder angles of mutant musical attempts. Has a band photo in the lower corner that looks like the photographer was pointing six nuclear weapons at their faces. Can't get enough of this stuff. Has "Rock of Ages" but Rock has sprinted from this crude monstrosity four hundred years ago. Trust me, no one is looking for this Lp. Is a Queen City press but no label or year to be found. On a strong hit of clean LSD at 10:45pm on a Tuesday night dead of winter, this album makes you feel like your soul has been rung through a rusty laundromat that operates on the bones of forgotten drifters. Genius, but not rolling up to this squad when the dinner triangle of rotten magic rings through the empty Battle Creek fields. No sir. Hearing 11 year old Donnie sing "Nobody, nobody, nobody cared" leading into a 30 second hand saw solo can be a "moving experience" to the loner hand puppet set. Music for the unglueing seams of the shadow civilizations silently amongst us. 

https://grpunkflyers.wordpress.com/flyers/

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART EAST LANSING RADIO ID 1974 WKAR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvH97gFHqJw

Nolan Strong & The Diablos Fortune Records' next to a East Lansing private press from 1977. Thx to George Szegedy & the Tovinator. Hear the jams at ww.mixcloud.com/john-olson2/