VA - Michigan Mayhem volume 2
29 More '60s Michigan Garage Gems
This one shoots out of the gate with the great "I've Been Through It Before" by the Plagues, followed by other classics of teenage havoc by the Friars of Youth, the Marauders, the 4 of Us, the Innsmen and many more. Though the Grifs were not really from Michigan - they were North Carolina boys - their "Keep Dreamin' " was recorded there and it is especially recommended for playing really loud. Now there's a blast of pure punk venom, and years ahead of its time! Barry Stacks of the Grifs was one of the kindest and funniest 60s garage band personalities I've ever heard from. He posted as OLGRIF in the garagepunk forum and was always truly amazed and honored to know that his old band's records had become timeless classics. Barry typed everything in upper case because of a problem with his eyesight, but here are some great recollections by this original punk rocker.
WAS IN A LITTLE BAND CALLED THE GRIFS...WE HAD A COUPLE RECORDS, GOT STONED, LAID AND TOURED LOTS OF THE U.S. AND HAD A GREAT TIME (BUT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT---I THINK)...
REMEMBER, I'M A LEGEND IN MY OWN MIND AND A REBEL WITHOUT A CLUE---SO THERE'S NO TELLIN'...BESIDES, I'M 61 NOW AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I JUST WENT INTO THE BATHROOM FOR---NOR CAN I REMEMBER WHY I'M STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF THE REFRIGERATOR...
A GOOD DAY FOR ME IS ONE WHERE MY NAME IS NOT IN THE OBITUARIES AND ONE THAT INCLUDES A FART ON A CROWDED ELEVATOR---I LOVE TO LEAVE AN SBD BEHIND ON THE COURT HOUSE ELEVATOR---IT MAKES ME THINK I CAN STILL GET AWAY WITH SOMETHING...
---------------------------------------------------------
BOBBY AND I WERE READING ONE OF JOHN LENNON'S BOOKS AND WE SAW IT (GRIFS) IN THERE---WE LOOKED IT UP IN THE DICTIONARY AND FOUND THAT IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH "GRIFTING"---TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE---RUNNING A GRIFT---WE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS ABSURD THAT WE WERE GETTING PAID TO DO WHAT WE LOVED---THAT WAS SORT OF A GRIF...WE ALSO USED TO TELL PEOPLE THAT IT MEANT, "GOD REALLY IS FOR SEX..." THAT ALWAYS RAISED AN EYBROW BACK THEN...
--------------------------------------------------------
(about the Kinks and "Keep Dreamin'")
RAY AND THE LADS WERE VERY INSPIRATIONAL FOR ME---I WROTE "KEEP DREAMIN" AFTER HAVING LISTENED TO MANY OF THEIR TUNES AND AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO THE BITCH FROM HELL (I STILL GET PISSED WHEN I THINK ABOUT HER)...
THANKS...I DRANK SOME RIGHTEOUS AND EXPENSIVE WHISKEY BEFORE I RECORDED THAT TUNE...AS I RECALL I DID THE VOCAL IN ONE TAKE, BUT I HAD A GOOD BUZZ ON AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN TWO...
I'M GLAD MY OLD TUNE IS STILL BEING ENJOYED---I USED TO LOVE TO PLAY THAT ONE LIVE--BUT ONLY GOT TO DO SO A FEW TIMES---WE BROKE UP SHORTLY AFTER WE RECORDED IT...
----------------------------------------------------------
(about the use of dangerous illegal substances)
I LOVED THE MUSIC I THOUGHT WAS BEING PRODUCED BY MUSCIANS WHO WERE EATING ACID LIKE M & M'S...I LOVED BOTH THE INNOVATIVE NEW MUSIC AND THE LYRICS THAT PAINTED PICTURES IN A VERY ABSTRACT MANNER...
PERSONALLY, I LOVED THE STUFF---FAVE WAS "YELLOW SUBMARINE" AND SOMETHING CALLED PURPLE OWSLEY....THE STUFF ON PAPER WAS MY FAVORITE, BUT I HAD A COUPLE OF "ADVENTURES" ON SUGAR CUBE LACED ACID---GOT THAT IN SAN FRANCISCO...
ONE BAND I WAS WITH "TRIPPED" ACROSS CANADA, WHILE BEING CHASED BY HUGE GORILLAS IN FOOTBALL UNIFORMS ON ROLLER SKATES---WE KNEW THEY WERE WEARING ROLLER SKATES 'CAUSE WE COULD SEE THE SPARKS FROM THE SKATES ON THE HIGHWAY BEHIND US AS THEY CHASED US THROUGH THE CANADIAN ROCKIES...WE STOPPED AT A "TRUCK STOP" AND WARNED THE UNSUSPECTING PATRONS, WHO WERE EATING "TRUCK STOP MEATLOAF", WHICH WAS REALLY BLENDED KITTENS...WE TRIED TO WARN THEM, BUT THEY WOULDN'T LISTEN...I'M SURE THE GORILLAS HAD THEIR WAY WITH THE PATRONS BEFORE EATING THE CITIZENS OF MOOSE JAW...
--------------------------------------------------------
IN THE SUMMER OF 67' WE (THE GRIFS) WERE ON OUR WAY TO DETROIT FROM EAST LANSING TO DO A GIG AT A PLACE CALLED THE MUMP---WE WERE OPENING FOR THE AMBOY DUKES (THERE WERE SEVERAL BANDS BOOKED THAT NIGHT)...WE WERE TRAVELING IN OUR LITTLE TOUR BUS AND LISTENING TO A DETROIT AM STATION WHEN I HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME "MAJIC BUS" BY THE WHO...
NOW, I WAS "TRIPPING" SO I WAS CONVINCED THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF "COSMIC MESSAGE" INVOLVED & WAS SURE THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF "THE" GREAT NIGHTS...WELL, WE GOT TO THE MUMP AND WE WENT INSIDE TO SET UP AND THEY HAD (LITERALLY) A ROTATING STAGE---AS I RECALL THREE BANDS COULD SET UP AND ONE WOULD "ROTATE" OUT TO PLAY...
WAY TOO "KEWL" I THOUGHT TO MYSELF...THIS WAS LIKE A RIDE AT A "CARNIE"---THEY COULDN'T GET ME OFF THE DAMN THING---EVERY TIME A BAND ROTATED OUT---THERE WAS, I DON'T KNOW---LIKE, 6 OR 7 BANDS ON THE "BILL" THAT NIGHT---I WAS ON THE PLATFORM AND WENT OUT WITH THAT BAND...MY MANAGER WAS QUITE EMBARASSED (JON FOXX OF WJIM IN LANSING) AND OUR PRODUCER WAS LIVID---EVRYTHING WITH THEM WAS A "BIG DEAL"---LIKE, "THIS IS YOUR BIG SHOT AT THE BRASS RING..."
"BLOW ME," I'D ALWAYS TELL THEM...
I WAS NEVER ONE TO TURN DOWN A FREE CARNIE RIDE---BESIDES---THE AUDIENCE WAS GETTING A REAL HOOT OUT OF IT--IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ONE OF DANNY HERNANDEZ' BANDS WAS ALSO ON THE BILL...WHAT A SWEET KIDS HE WAS...I COULD BE MISTAKEN, BUT WE PLAYED TOGETHER A FEW TIMES, AND I THINK THIS WAS ONE OF THEM...
ANYWAY, A SPLENDID TIME WAS HAD BY ALL...
----------------------------------------------------------
I SHALL SHARE WITH YOU THE STORY OF THE DAY MY DAUGHTER WAS BORN...SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BORN 7-23-70---SHE DECIDED TO ENTER THIS WORLD ON 6-15-70...THE WATER BROKE AROUND 7 AM AND I RUSHED MY WIFE (WHO HAS SINCE DIED) TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A LONG AND TRYING LABOR...A NURSE CAME TO THE WAITING ROOM AROUND NOON AND TOLD ME THERE WAS AN "ISSUE"---SHE WAS "BREACH"---FEET FIRST...IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR PAMELIA (MY WIFE)...NICOLE (MY DAUGHTER) ARRIVED AT 3 PM...WHEN I FIRST SAW HER SHE APPEARED TO HAVE A PURPLE SOCK ON HER LEFT FOOT---IT WAS BRUISED FROM THE UNCONVENTIONAL DELIVERY...
I STAYED WITH PAM AND NICOLE UNTIL THE HOSPITAL SUGGESTED THAT I GO HOME & REST (AND ALLOW THEM TIME TO REST AND GET AQUAINTED)...NOW, HERE'S WHERE IT GETS WEIRD...ON MY WAY HOME I PASSED A LAD WHO WAS TRYING TO "CATCH A RIDE" BY HITCH HIKING...HE APPEARED TO BE A YOUNG MAN IN HIS LATE TEENS WITH LONG FLOWING HAIR...HE WAS PROBABLY JUST TRYING TO EITHER GET HOME, GO SEE HIS GIRL OR GO SCORE SOME DOPE...
SUDDENLY "CATCH A RIDE" WAS IN MY HEAD...I KNEW THAT MY DAYS IN THE BIZ WERE OVER...I KNEW I HAD TO "BE THERE" FOR MY DAUGHTER---I HAD TO PROTECT HER AND PROVIDE FOR HER...THEN, OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF THE NITE, CAME A SUDDEN URGE TO RUN DOWN THIS LONG HAIRED FUCK TRYING TO "CATCH A RIDE" BECAUSE I KNEW THAT SOMEDAY HE'D BE CHASING MY DAUGHTER...
I SUDDENLY REALIZED WHAT ALL THE PARENTS IN ALL THE TOWNS THE GRIFS "VISITED" FELT WHEN THEY SAW THE GRIFS ARRIVE IN THEIR TOWNS IN A MINI-BUS WITH, "WE HAVE COME FOR YOUR DAUGHTERS" CLEARLY WRITTEN ON THE BACK DOOR...
PAYBACK IS A BITCH, AIN'T IT...
-------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? I JUST WOKE UP FROM A LONG 50 YEAR NAP AND I CAN'T REMEMBER A THING...I DON'T RECOGNIZE ANY OF THE BANDS IN ROLLING STONE...
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE BEATLES? I SAW THIS GUY ON TV WHO LOOKED LIKE ANGELA LANSBURY AND THEY SAID IT WAS PAUL MCCARTNEY...I SAW ANOTHER GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE YASIR ARAFAT AND THEY SAID IT WAS RINGO...I LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND THERE WAS SOME OL' FART LOOKING BACK AT ME...
PLEASE SEND HELP...I'M NOT WHO I ONCE WAS...SOMEONE MADE OFF WITH ME AND LEFT THIS OLD GUY IN MY PLACE...
I'LL NEED LOTS OF MONEY TO LAUNCH A SEARCH FOR MYSELF...
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO OLGRIF
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
philipking has put up Michigan Mayhem volume 1 and you can find it here: http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2118687/31824835/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01. Plagues - Iīve Been Through It Before [0:02:39.38]
02. Friars of Youth - All You Wanted Was A Stand By [0:02:40.60]
03. Pickwick Papers - Youīre So Square [0:02:48.11]
04. Marauders - Nightmare [0:02:03.57]
05. 4 of Us - Youīre Gonna Be Mine [0:01:46.54]
06. Pleasure Seekers - Never Thought Youīd Leave Me [0:02:12.08]
07. Grifs - Keep Dreaminī [0:02:09.40]
08. Fabulous Chantels - Remain Unknown Girl [0:02:19.70]
09. House of Commons - Till Tomorrow [0:02:12.60]
10. Underdogs - Surprise Surprise [0:02:22.30]
11. Beaux Jens - She Was Mine [0:03:10.28]
12. Marauders - Lovinī [0:03:04.03]
13. Rob Kirk and the Word - Girl Talk [0:02:11.72]
14. Lee VIīs - Pictures On My Shelf [0:02:43.39]
15. Innsmen - Things Are Different Now [0:02:38.64]
16. Aardvarks - I Donīt Need You [0:02:27.67]
17. Fugitives - Iīll Hang Around [0:01:52.74]
18. Aardvarks - Thatīs Your Way [0:02:13.34]
19. Mixed Emotions - My Back Door [0:02:55.69]
20. Royal Coachmen - You Canīt Catch Me [0:03:08.21]
21. Chentells - Be My Queen [0:02:08.02]
22. Run-A-Rounds - I Couldnīt Care Less [0:02:24.73]
23. Aardvarks - I Donīt Believe [0:02:24.43]
24. Ascots - Who Will It Be [0:01:55.02]
25. Lee VIīs - I Donīt Know [0:02:57.10]
26. Chessmen - You Canīt Catch Me [0:02:23.56]
27. Henchmen - Is Love Real [0:02:11.68]
28. Fugitives - You Canīt Blame That On Me [0:02:43.57]
29. Friars of Youth - Sparrleyy Manurpuss [0:02:17.27]