As I sit here quickly one-finger dancing my keyboards like I have so often for so many years now, I'm swaying and rockin' to all the many great MP3 sounds I've been downloading for free over the past week. But, I realize I still don't have everything I need for an "article."
Luckily, this is a column, and I've got plenty of fresh meat and veggies to throw into a pot to nourish your boppin' souls with this week.
On the MP3 front, emusic.com has begun releasing over the Internet their recently-purchased catalogs of Jewel, Paula, Ronn and other influential private record labels from industry pioneer Stan "The Record Man" Lewis. This 8,000 track catalog includes classic, rare and previously unreleased material from such Blues and Rock legends as Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, B.B. King, Lightnin' Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, The Soul Stirrers, Fats Domino, Charles Brown, Magic Sam, Ike & Tina Turner, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Quite another prestigious leap for Internet integrity. However, although that site sells entire albums via MP3 download for only $8.99, watch out for 5 or 6 song titles that are a much wiser download at the single track price of 99 cents each.
Meanwhile, as the Foo Fighters recently pulled out because of the lost of guitarist Franz Stahl and guitar legend Jeff Beck again appears to be a no show, recent additions to the roster of Woodstock '99 (July 23-25) include The Insane Clown Posse, Moby, Buckcherry and Oleander. Already on the roster for the Rome, New York event are Metallica, George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Sugar Ray, Korn, Jewel, Limp Bizkit, Bush, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, DMX, Collective Soul, Rage Against The Machine, Sheryl Crow, The Offspring, Wyclef Jean, Los Lobos, Godsmack, Willie Nelson, Ice Cube and others in a line-up of nearly 30 acts on two stages at the 3,600 acre site. Other performers include Grateful Dead veteran Mickey Hart and his Planet Drum. The event is also available as a 60 hour Pay-Per-View broadcast on Viewer's Choice, DirecTv and TVN.
Talking blues, guitar legends and memorable events, Harvey "The Snake" Mandel and his guitar tech Bruce "The Buck" Jensen eluded death and injury in Europe recently when the promoter driving them to a gig hit a barricade somewhere in Switzerland at over 100 mph. Badly shaken up "The Snake" continued and finished the "Canned Heat" Euro tour....and is now on the USA leg.
From Steve P. Jones of my favorite "GothIndustrialCowpunk" band, Oklahoma's Billy Joe Winghead, comes word that again they are among the featured bands on "the final Sleazefest lineups" now displayed at that annual event's website. Plus "this year's Sleazefest is also going to be broadcast live over the internet in all it's sleazy and sweaty entirety thanks to the fine folks at catalogue.com."
Taking place in Chapel Hill, NC, Aug. 6, 7 and 8, the Sleazefest roster also includes Southern Culture On The Skids, Nashville Pussy, Robert Gordon, Fleshtones, Frantic Flattops, Davie Allen & The Arrows, Truckadelic, Trailer Bride, Satan's Pilgrims, Knoxville Girls, The Woggles, The Bent Scepters, The Bad Checks and lots more rockin' sleaze.
On the subject of live telecasts, Canadian rockfans and those elsewhere tuning into the CBC with C-Band Satellite TV systems for "a rousing end of the century" Canada Day celebration didn't get to see the heavily promoted Rock 'N' Roll Tribute Live performances from such veteran Canadian hit-makers as Randy Bachman, David Clayton Thomas, Nick Gilder, Crowbar's Kelly Jay and Five Man Electrical Band. Although the show got off to a very spirited start with Natalie MacMaster's lively fiddle playing and dancing, only the more contemporary sounds of the vocal duo Sky and new Canadian sensation Deborah Cox were enjoyed by the wildly cheering and increasingly-rained-upon crowd before the CBC broadcast suddenly changed to pre-recorded performances by Ashley MacIssac and Buddy MacMaster. As it became apparent "Celtic Electric" was now the fine show being broadcast, scrolling text went from saying the "Canada Day celebration paused due to storm conditions" to eventually "La Fete du Canada annulee, a cause des conditions meteorologiques / ...canceled due to storm conditions."
Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings and the other original members of the hit-heavy Guess Who have been offered $200,000 to reunite for four songs at the Pan-Am Games. They last played the Pan-Am Games in 1967 just before going to England and becoming what many called "The North American Beatles."
One of the American TV networks has recently made promotional use of the Bananarama hit song "Cruel Summer," but few may be having a crueler summer than Elton John. According to London's Sunday Times, this mega-rich rock star may be worth an estimated $250 million, but he has been spending himself into a cash flow problem and has had to put up his homes in England, France and the USA, plus royalty rights from his hit-laden record catalog, as collateral for an "emergency" $40 million loan to pay off monster bills he has accumulated with a credit card habit of $400,000 weekly, US/UK debts, and a British bank overdraft of over $11 million. However, the Times also reports being told by Elton's British business manager Frank Presland, that "Elton John's finances are sound" and that he is just reorganizing his assets to gain better control.
For sure a big plus to me and countless others around the world, little may be more exciting this summer than the five-disc box set from one of the most extraordinary musical artists of all time, Don Van Vliet, the eccentric nuke blues pioneer who made his own rules as the forever legendary Captain Beefheart. Infact, when I get my hands on Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Grow Fins, Rarities 1965-82 (which is supposed to include a 120-page hardcover book and an enhanced CD with video footage shot between 1968 and 1973) ~ gasp! ~ I think I'll finally write about the unbelievable-but-totally-true September 1971 Canadian debut tour of Beefheart which I put together with Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Velvet Underground, revealing at last all the surreal details of Don's ESP and the two terribly misguided assassins who followed him from Los Angeles to kill him on our tour of Western Canada.
But, next week we get back to concentrating on the multimedia revolution that MP3 is causing, and system upgrades to best take advantage of it either as a fan or young artist out to reach an audience.
If you are in Las Vegas for the July 4th weekend, pop into the Boulder Station where I'll be videotaping the rockabilly fireworks as Rocky Burnette and his band take the stage Monday July 5th, after a two day stand there by Morris Day & The Time. Feel free to introduce yourself.
Copyright © 1999 Hank Zevallos, All Rights Reserved
