ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

The Pud Princes, Amerika’s rock law firm, are still harmonious but they won’t be hangin’ out together til next July. In the meantime C is doing a solo album, as is S, N is doing a BBC-TV special (featuring C) and helping out on C and Paul Kantner’s solo LP and a solo album of his own on which he’s backed up by Y. Y is working on his fourth solo lp and a solo tour, to take up three weeks beginning next January. C and N are probably (but not positively) going to tour. Y’s occasional back-up contingent, Crazy Horse, led by J. Nitzschke, who was formerly a lonely surfer, is also working on an album on which Y sings “a song or two”

Finally, CSN&Y will do a tour in June 1971. Ho. Hum.

WABX is expanding its horizons. First, the dynamic FM community-oriented rock station presented the NET special “Live at the Fillmore East” as a stereo simulcast with WTVS (Channel 56) which is educational television in Motown. That was in late October.

In early November, the station did a four-hour quadrasonic hook-up, with educational station WDET-FM, presenting various styles of music in the new double-stereo process.

The station has also added a new disc jockey, Anne Christ, from Milwaukee who replaces Jerry Lubin, who is now with WXYZ, Detroit’s ABC-FM station. Miss Christ is the Motor City’s first progressive rock female disc jockey, unless you count Martha Jean, the Queen. And how can you ignore her?

Expect Eric Clapton to produce (but not play on) Buddy Guy’s next record. Guy will be backed by Junior Wells.

Third of the Taylors is about to record — brother Alex is recording at Capricorn where Livingston did his Atco killer. James will play on the album and Duane Allman may, as well.

The next Fire sign Theatre record will be aimed at the kiddies with the cute title of Why Do the Porridgebird Lay His Egg In the A ir?

Judy Collins next album will have her backed on a couple of tracks by the Legendary Humpback Whales.

John Cipollina has split Quicksilver, probably permanently. He’s supposed to produce an album by John Murray, who was with the band in the Dark Ages. Cipollina himself is reported to be concentrating on playing Hawaiian guitar (the last dude who did that on stage was Iggy Stooge).

Nicky Hopkins, who left the bad after Just for Love, is recovering from a hand injury and should be doing a solo album for Capitol when he’s finally recovered.

Quicksilver, still containing the entrancing Dino Valenti, now has a horn section. The horns will be featured on the next album, due in January.

In Chicago the Aragon has folded, after a nine-teen year old freaked on acid and flipped out a window, fracturing his arm and skull in the process. That cost the club its license.

Aragon manager Scott Deneen issued a statement, cancelling the October 2nd show (Stooges, Dr. John, MC5) which read, in part: “We can no longer guarantee the safety of people attending the Aragon ... We have been forced to cancel... all future shows.”

Politics played something of a part in the problem, as Doneen had been busted once as “keeper of a disorderly house” as had a member of owner Frank Fried’s staff. That’s when Fried refused to rent the hall to Doneen any longer.

Sly Stone was popped here in London recently, with road manager Stephen Topley, for possession of . cocaine. The Family Stone had gigged at Isle of Wight and then around the Isles. Stone and Topley arc free on 1,000 pound bound with their passports impounded pending outcome of the case.

Chris Farlowe (who did the original of “Handbags and Gladrags”, since made renowned by such as Rod Stewart) has joined Colosseum. No real surprise, since organist Dave Greenslade formerly was in Chris’ backup group, the Thunderbirds, He’s reportedly all over their new record, Daughter of Time, slated for November release in Great Britain.

Spooky Tooth, who do these things, have again reformed, around Mike Harrison, Luther Grosvenor and Mike Kellie. They’ve added former Mayall bassist Steve Thompson and ex-Renaissance keyboard artist, John Hawken.

A British act called Caravan has been popped for obscenity in London after a row with the local gendarmes over a promotional poster. The poster was for their new record, “If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You” and featured a naked, pregnant woman. Their manager, Terry King, may be prosecuted.

The Ann Arbor Blues Festival album has been mixed down by Warner Bros, and festival producer I Big Fat writer John Fishel. The record (or records?) should be available by Christmas.

The Woolies, who had a Dunhill hit four years ago with “Who ,Do You Love”, have finally released an album Basic Rock that contains that single. Jim Schwall (late of Siegel/ ) plays mandolin on the record. In the past few years, the band has occupied itself around Lansing, Mich, and also, frequently backed up Chuck Berry.

Super-shuck Grand Funk is about to release its fourth album, a live one, recorded this summer in Florida. With the group’s usual flare for creativity the record will be called Live A Ibum.

Keith Moon, the Who’s drummer, is the proud owner of a 14th century hotel/pub in Oxfordshire. It’s called the Crown and Cushion and has sixteen bedrooms, along with dining facilities and a lounge. Mr. Moon now mans the bar on the occasional weekend.

Blodwyn Pig have split with their lead guitarist and originator, Mick Abrahams, who’ll form his own group, which is what he did when he left Jethro Tull. The new Abrahams contingent will be c&w oriented.

The group has reformed with former Yes-man Peter Banks on guitar and Barry Reynolds (ex-Pacific Drift) on rhythm. The two will split vocal chores with the rest of the band remaining intact.

Van Morrison may be working with Lorraine Ellison on her next album. That’s a sort of officially unofficial rumor, or somethin’ like that.

James Taylor’s flick, Two Lane Blacktop, also features Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson who plays an auto mechanic.

Viva, the Andy Warhol super-star, has her first novel ready for publication. Called Superstar, it’s about a little girl named Janet who runs away to the big city and becomes Gloria (“as in GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO”) and then embarks on even more seemingly autobiographical trips. Actually, despite the fact that it seems unlikely, it’ll probably work. Viva herself is pretty unlikely.

Rita Coolidge (A & M) and Roxy (Elektra) have been working together, not only in concert but also writing new material together. They will be doing a national tour together starting Mid-November.

Capitol is releasing the hard-to-find Songs of the Humpback Whale album. The album was previously only available by mail from its small label.

The Other Section, the Detroit News .youth-culture rip-off oriented section, has finally folded. Conceived a year ago as a vehicle to be a kind of “overground/underground” the Other Section simply couldn’t rip off the advertising from the youth papers (Argus, Fifth Estate, etc.) to survive. About the only viable writer the paper had, flamboyant Cheryl McCall, has moved over to the paper’s ombudsman column Contact Ten where she continues in search of truth justice and the AmeriKKKan way.

The Stooges are back to five pieces as Steve McKay split, leaving the group horn-less for the nonce. They still have both Bill Cheatham and Ron Asheton on guitar, Zeke Zettner on bass, Scott Asheton on drums and their lead singer, What’s His Name.

The Floating Opera, an A-Square jazz/rock unit, are cutting an album for Embryo, Herbie Mann’s Altantic-distributed label, with Mann producing.

The Seeds are no longer with MGM Records. The Seeds were not allowed recording freedom nor freedom to choose their own producer so the group has split from MGM. If they can’t find the right company,, they may try to start their own label.

About the only rock and roll now available in Chicago is at Alice’s Revisited, a small, neighborhood coffeehouse style joint that is closely aligned with the radical/hip community and generally presents homegrown shows. Admission is as low as one dollar, never any higher, a thoroughly unheard of price to pay for such attractions as Otis Rush and Howlin’ Wolf, Siegel Schwall, Wilderness Road and others. Alice’s may be the saviour of whatever rock scene there is left in the Second City.

Looks like the Stones will record their next album in Miami, still no label Set, still no details. Miami, however, is where Atlantic Records has its southern complex and chances are good that that’s who the boys will be recording for.

Van Morrison will release his second album momentarily, entitled Van Morrison His Band and the Street Choir. Morrison is doing all the production, some at Albert Grossman’s new Woodstock studio. Two cuts from the record are already receiving airplay — “Dominoes” and “Sweet Janie” (“Dominoes” is the A-side).

Tiny Tim cancelled the remainder of his British tour after he was molested on stage for singing a patriotic British song in London. Tiny was described as “furious” while his assailant said that he thought Mr. Tim, by singing “Land of Hope and Glory” through a megaphone was “running down England”.

John Lennon is reportedly working, with Ringo alone of all the rest of the Fab Four, on his solo album in London. George Harrison is mixing his solo album at EMI Studios as well, and he’s visited his compatriots but hasn’t played on the record as yet. Harrison’s record should be out in a matter of days.

Leo Kottke, an underground accoustical guitarist is being produced by John Fahey and Dennie Bruce of Takoma Productions. The album will be released on Capitol at the end of this year.

Traffic are looking to add a fifth member, ho'pefully a multi-instrumentalist. (Rick Grech, the newest Trafficker, Steve Winwood and Chris Wood are all proficient, to one degree or another, on several axes.) Rumors have circulated that the fifth member might be George Harrison, but they have all been laid to rest by now.

The entire , band, in its present configuration have also appeared in a fdm, with Jim Capaldi staying on at the North African film-site to co-star. No titles are as yet available.

Derek and the Dominoes have been reported to be adding Duane Allman as a new member. This rumor, for a change, is both un-squelchable and highly inaccurate. Allman will not be a permanent member > of the band, his primary gig will remain with the Allman Brothers, but he will record and perform on the band’s Amerikan tour.

Hard on the heels of their British tour, and with Ya-Yas zooming into every home in Amerika and most of the rest of the civilized (”) world, the Stones have announced that the title of their new (new, new as opposed to the old, new Get Your Ya-Yas Out) album will be Sticky Fingers. (Obviously, the sequel to Let It Bleed; that’s what happens, just ask Charley.) The single off that one will probably be “You Got To Move”, one of the acoustic numbers from the Stones’ Amerikan tour and if you weren’t there, it was kinda like “Prodigal Son” on Beggars Banquet.

The Stones have also intimated that one of their first releases on their new label will be the tapes Brian Jones recorded of North African tribal music. Other details seem sketchy and, indeed, the whole proposition is rather if-fy.

The Stones have also been going through peripheral marital changes. Donovan recently married Brian Jones’ ex-girlfriend, Lynda Lawrence (a turnabout in the heads of some for Mr. Leitch) and Marianne Faithfull’s husband, John Dunbar, has finally sued her for divorce. That’s rather strange, considering that Mick Jagger is named as co-respondent in the suit and that Jagger and Miss Faithfull have not been seeing each other for the last year.

Canned Heat have replaced the late A1 Wilson with guitarist Joe Scott, who joined the band in the midst of their present European tour. As for Wilson’s alleged death by overdose, people who knew Wilson say that that is highly unlikely since quote “He didn’t take drugs.”

The Last Poets, who have remarkably risen into the top thirty with their first album, have released a new single entitled “O.D.”. The song, of course, comes down properly hard on death and control drugs, specifically smack.

If you’ve been wondering where Taj Mahal took off to, he’s in Spain, just sorta bummin’ around and with no intention, apparently, of ever returning to the pop star biz.

Peter Paul and Mary are taking a one year break, somewhat in the interest of getting their heads together and somewhat necessitated by Peter Yarrow’s three month jail sentence. All three will probably record solo albums in the meantime.

Brother records, the Beach Boys label, has discovered how to make quadrosonic sound work with the addition of two speakers and a lamp cord to your stereo. Their first release in compatible quad sound (works also in the stereo and mono) will be the Flame lp and it’ll include instructions on how to do it.

Van Dyke Parks, maker of the world’s only 1 cent record album and occasional part-time Beach Boys songwriter, and a general maker of music, is now Warner Bros. Director of Audio-Visual Services which means he’ll get to be a guerrilla gadgeteer with video cassettes and the like. He’ll still continue to be a music-maker, as well.

Collegeville Goes Smack Crazy

ANN ARBOR — This serene collegiate community is no longer the idyllic hippie retreat it has often seemed. A rash of rock and roll rip offs has incensed the burgeoning hip community here, resulting in many houses of hipsters arming themselves and uniting for the common defense of their property.

One of the most-ripped-off bands has been the SRC, the former Capitol group who are presently making plans to begin their own production/recording company; their home was ripped-off for several hundred dollars worth of personal effects, though the recording facilities adjacent were unscathed and manager Pete Andrews offices in the middle of A-2 proper were relieved of a television set not long after.

Pete put the crimes down as “heroin oriented”, said the the group had been ripped off three separate times (all while, out on the road doing jobs) and that one house of bandsters in Ypsilanti (nearby and the site of Eastern Michigan University) was held up at gunpoint by a pack of shaky fingered junkie bandits.

But the prime areas of concern right now are “the police”, said Andrews, who “know who these guys are“ and “are refusing to take proper action” and smack. “Skag is the real problem, that an’d the failure of society to deal with it. It looks like we’re just going to have to move towards taking care of ourselves.”

The Who Sell Out

Kit Lambert, manager of The Who and producer of several of the group’s albums, was. screaming with joy and what seemed to be relief as he talked on the telephone from New York. “I’ve been working with these guys for six years,” he exlaimed, as excited as if The Who has just signed their first recording contract.

The reason for Lamberfs delight is the fact The Who and their million-seller rock-opera, Tommy, have made record industry history. The album has been in the top 100 for a year, spending some of that time as number one, dropping to number 93 over a period of 42 weeks; Then, just a couple of weeks ago, it took off back up the charts and presently sits in the top 20. The initial jump back up the charts was a good 61 points, the first time a group or artist has sent an album up the top 100 a second time without ever having left it.

Three weeks ago Townshend said he didn’t think they had followed up Tommy yet. Live at Leeds could have been done two weeks after Tommy had been initially released, according to Townshend, and it still would have done well. “It’s a side album, something we wanted to do even before Tommy. People have always said there’s a mile of difference between our recorded sound and what we do live. So we’ve always wanted to capture a live sound.”

Live At Leeds is top ten, Tommy is doing it all over again and The Who are presently working on a new album. It will obviously go top ten whenever it’s released.

As far as the third album is concerned, “We’re half way through it,” Townshend said three weeks ago. It’s quite possible they are much closer to

the finish now. “We aren’t pretending that it’s possible to make an album of the impact of Tommy commercially. But we have said that we wanted it to be good rock. We’ve kind of experimented in the same way we did with Live at Leeds. If it’s not good enough we won’t put it out.”

By experimenting, Townshend means they are recording themselves in their own studio just to see what happens. “We’ve got a lot of stuff now which I think are some of the finest tracts we’ve ever done.”

The Who, according to leader Townshend are hoping that they will be part of or stimulate the next major thing in rock. Could that be Tommy? It’s possible this present surge for the album will make it so big it will start something, whatever that will be.

“We see ourselves as one of the few groups that can really stop rock from going under. We can withstand any amount of abuse or criticism. A lot of people missed what we were getting at with Tommy. We were trying to open a new door for rock and allow it to breathe a bit.”

Any of the feelings Townshend has about the death of rock is, “American kids are willing to pay for their dope but not for their music. I see that as one of the most cockeyed things I’ve ever come across. They want their music free but they’re willing to pay any price to get stoned.”

Townshend gave a hint of deeper feelings when he said The Who can withstand any amount of abuse of criticism. Many, many groups today don’t like being told they’re rotten. The competition is so high, and everyone’s in such a hurry to “make it big”, they close their ears to someone suggesting a change for the better. But let anyone say, “You have a nice trumpet solo in that song,” and the group goes off into the ozone about their sensational brass section and how the rest of the group measures up to that greatness.

The Who have handled the praise-condemn syndrome by ignoring both. As Townshend says, “If you’re pleased when you’re flattered you’ve got to expect to be knocked down when you are criticized. Anyway, we’ve not been that pleased by being flattered because in our opinion Tommy wasn’t everything that the rock critique made it out to be.”

As if being involved in what is probably the hottest rock group in the world at the moment isn’t enough, Townshend is spending some time with another group that could be as great. The group is Thunderclap Newman, fondly remembered for “Something In The Air” that sold extremely well around the world and has been featured in two films, The Magic Christian and The Strawberry Statement. Townshend produces that group, but obviously and admittedly doesn’t spend enough time with them.

“They have an album out called Hollywood Dream released many months after ‘Something In The Air’ was a hit,” Peter said. “With the album I’m absolutely starting all over with the group. You see, at first I had these three friends who were looking towards me, not really for help, but for something. When I brought them together it was so fantastic and ‘Something In The Air’ was so sensational I just worked on with the group. But then The Who did three lengthy American tours and I had no time to work with them. The three members of the group started to get into their own things, like solo albums, writing etc., so I actually had to re-form the group when it came time to do the album. ., •§

“They’re a strange group because they don’t work well together and won’t do personal appearances. I think what’s missing is me in -a way,” Townshend continued; “When they record they can all relate to me because I’m there. It’s like when you have a party of various friends who don’t know each other but they all know you. If you stay at the party, make a lot of introductions and really work hard, new friendships are being made. But if you leave, the whole thing would probably fall apart. Well, with Thunderclap Newman I feel I’m the host and when I’m not there. they just don’t get on.” -“The title of the album comes from a song written by Speedy, the group’s drummer; It’s called that because Speedy has never been to America and he has the long distance view which has to do with glamor. At the moment the Holly wood dream is over and he wrote the song about film stars in long black cars, the Klu Klux Klan, the Tate murder, etc. In a way it’s light hearted but at the same time it has kind of a deep reflection of the American way.

“I find it very difficult to write songs that really reflect the mood of America,”, Townshend says. “I’m much too into it and part of it now.”

Mike Gormley

We Better Get Out of Here

ATLANTA, Ga. (UPS) - Monday night Dick Gregory had given his cowboys-and-Indians speech, his Kent State Memorial speech, to the banquet of the Association of College Unions International conference at Georgia Tech and then rested briefly while the waiter lads cleared off the tables and then he played the speech over again to a thousand-odd Tech students from 9:30 until half past eleven or so; and now, still fresh and animated, was into a press conference, following which he would head for the Tech Afro-American house to rap with the brothers

See, all you have to do is read the papers. Everybody knew Janis was a juicehead; and everybody knows that no entertainer is gonna track up the arms. Because you can make them from the audience. So here she has tracks up the arms. Bullshit. Them tracks was put on her arm. ’

And like Jimi: hell, they couldn’t agree on where he DIED. In the hotel, in the ambulance, in the hospital. And then it took TEN DA YS for an autopsy; and then it turned out he didn't die of drugs after all. Well, now...

How about Canada, Mr. Gregory?

There’s things that may or may not have significance; like, two days after Canada recognized Red China, then the shit jumped off. See, Canada was very into the death of Mr. King; and James Earl Ray was discovered in London, he had $400,000 in small bills on him and not an Amerikan paper would print it. And when the hippy papers began to leak the news why then, all of a sudden, the FBI began to discover how many banks Ray had robbed. And then Canada recognized Red China, because she realized she was gonna need a new friend; because Canada believes this country’s gonna be overthrown by the CIA and so do I.

Angela Davis?

The FBI release said the man with her was a wealthy Black Amerikan from Chicago. You know the FBI never calls a Negro a Black man unless he’s a friend of theirs. And I know every rich Black cat in Chicago and I never HEARD of that nigger: and then some of the brothers met me on a campus and said that the Panthers had run his picture two years ago in their paper as an agent. And now he’s out on bond and they say his mama paid it.

Gregory remembers seeing Easy Rider in London and people being so overcome that they stood up and'began to chant Fuck Amerika and Gregory said “We better get out of here; but you know, if that motorcycle had been a horse and the rider an Indian why it would have been a comedy. Nobody noticed when it was an Indian.”

And we remeimber his speech, with Indians and Jews and Italians and Irishmen and Black Men each coming up to the great white father and saying, “We ain’t gonna be your injun no more” and the Father of all the Cowboys saying “We gotta find us a new injun and a new nigga” and Gregory leaning over the podium and fixing the thousand clean white Techmen and Techwomen and saying “And you his new nigga, ever since last May you his new nigga.”

“And the cowboy ain’t, never changed,” says Gregory. “The cowboy ain’t never changed.”

Og, King of Bashan

Gala Premiere of Death

SAN FRANCISCO — Lemme take you back, black silk threads of time, to where it was the long ago Fillmore ... listen, ’67 was a good year, back when/ where there was hippies, there was innocence, even it if was really only naivete.

Through colors of swirling, spectral magnificence and between sets of orgasm rock not to be heard today by groups who were then the future greats, the M.C. ladies and gents for this evening, would step out with a word or two of soft-spoken explanation.

1 found it hard to believe this was the infamous Bill Graham, magician of terrible reknown who could, with a glance, fuse amp systems to a damp-hot heap on any stage (from considerable distance) and with but a turn of a hand make and/or break a career, five careers... just like that. Indeed it wasn’t Graham, it was Paul.

Paul Baratta was Graham’s right hand man in those days — moving over, the grain of things, feeling out the shapes of things, for years and working with it , he became a skilled hand, and now with said skill, this hand is opening the doors on the (continuing drama of the) Winterland (glitter, gleam) Pleasure Palace. Hedonists, Rock Freaks and those with the Price in yer Pocket, take note.

(Someday someone with exceptional talents will flip out and do it for free, for “the people” whoever that is, all of them, until then we are grateful for our music scene, defined by what goes on inside three to five dollar walls, except for what goes on inside 15 dollar fences, and as those things go this venture promises a glittering round up, yes sir, of rilly big shews, a tad greater than Graham’s Fillmore and considerably less blinded by idealism, altruism and other such unprofitable stuff than Chet Helm’s Family Dog.)

I had this neat pamphlet with all the upcoming acts and blurbs about them, and Wintedand, and the “men behind the marquees”, but someone ripped, it off for the pictures. I think there’s three of ’em, dudes I mean, and one of ’em, Dave, he s the dude I got the passes from for the gala opening (and what an opening it was, ya shudda been there ... ) he wants a copy of this here article to see if it was worth giving me the passes and I assure you it was Dave. I had a killer time but I can’t not say nothin’ nasty just because of that you understand. Your arguments about how you got to pay pop stars gobs and gobs of money, cause its expensive to be a pop star and after plane fares, for the whole crew, and equipment and rental vans and new drumsticks and what not why they’re only clearin’ maybe 200 a week and that’s the top pops but listen that’s also after a couple nice cars, the Fairmont, the Jag, clothes +* I know how much that shit costs, I can window shop too, ya know — and lots and lots a reel fine dope, and I mean coke, not California green (fine dope that it may be, it just ain’t coke — priced accordingly) and well, I ain’t sayin’ they shouldn’t have all them things — everybody should have all those things — and the 200 left over after all those things. Every week. But I’m sayin’ they can live without havin’ all those things all the time, just so’s to make sure everyone else can have ’em occasionally too. Like the other smaller bands, and the people who gotta make the choice between a lid of dope or some righteous acid, and the gate fee at the local emporium. I mean, it’s not as though if you told them (them?) you’d only give ’em 5000 or whatever would deal with realities with a tidy tad left over for artistry but cutting the tab you pay for Name, it’s not like everybody would quit makin’ music immediately, in fact I think it would be easier to stay interested in music if there wasn’t all that money distractin’ you all the time.

And besides, then it could be cheaper, so the hippies, who are left, and by reason of their innocence/naivete are starving and/or broke can get in by panhandling $1.00 or $2.00 which is faster than $3.50. Thereby giving you, dear promoter, even authenticity and see everybody benefits cause at $1.00 you can be open more days to accommodate the new multitudes and what’s more at $1.00 you’re closer to “the people”, who are less likely to call you capitalist cultural rip off artists (although you’re never really safe as long as that’s the structure you use but it helps a lot) and also it’s easier to serve the people and have a good time and reap social rewards and all but I’m sure you’ve considered all this stuff.

THE GRAND OPENING

It needs a little headline cause you can’t get a marquee these days. Not in these underground rock mags, anyway, and a marquee is indeed in order. It was the bash of all time, well anyway, it was a nice party. The Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Airplane (Jefferson), and Quicksilver Messengers officiating. Now that don’t happen everyday. Not even in San Francisco, mother of us all. The Plane wasn’t flyin’ too high, but the Dead indeed seemed more than Grateful and we all got the message though Quicksilver’s set flashed by, what with the local constabulary at the door (just as they began to get it proverbially on) bringing reality crashing back to Post and Steiner Sts.

• Which brings me to an intermissory break. I just thought I’d bring up among all the glory of rock what a joy it is to see all those shining white faces surrounding that shining white palace in the middle of that shining black neighborhood and how is it, I keep wondering, that all these ballrooms are like that

cultural transplants, grafts that aren’t supposed to take. The Fillmore, the Grande, the Aragon, and now Winterland — all these old beautiful past pleasure domes, ghosts of past hedonisms, in the middle of the past’s beautiful communities and today’s ghettos, and these rock concerts always come there to happen — sweep it up a little and happen there, right over, all that past and all those ghosts and in the middle of all those contradictions and I just think it’s interesting that’s all....

And now backstage for the party which lasted longer than I did with Dusty Streets wrapped up in mike chords that would have strangled her if she’d been alive but that is unduly nasty. I guess it’s hard to be real in a room full of pop stars when you have a mike in your hands. I give you my word I woflldn’t have done it for the world. Besides, I was too stoned (and oh everybody was there! if only I had my autograph book!!) Really, it was a killer party; like a reunion. Everybody from everywhere, from the old days. It was great. A warm happy aura of family and it couldn’t have been more un-real when they said didja hear? Janis is dead. And, you know, you wondered why she wasn’t here, she shoulda been you know, but she wasn’t and you said, “Yeah sure, you sick or somethin’?” J mean, Jimi fust died and Janis too? I mean the karmic implications were just unreadable and it simply didn’t compute right in the middle of this enormous reunion-grand opening-family party, Janis died, who should have been there, and there were just enough chemicals flowing to make me wonder if everything didn’t fit too perfectly, make too much sense.

Welcome to the scene, Paul and Co., good luck and don’t make too much money.

Detroit Annie

Stanley Mouse Exhibits Himself

Stanley Mouse grew up in the Motor City and eventually got down to the State Fair and began to draw grotesque little figures on t-shirts, for which he got paid fearsom prices and all. The t-shirt biz not being exactly his idea of a big-time occupation, however, Stanley set sail in the mid-sixties for sunny ’Frisco, where he quickly became the first of the legendary San Francisco psychedelic poster artists.

Since that entailed dealing with the hot-shot rock groups, Mr. Mouse was later able to move on to such rock and roll centers as London and Boston and design covers for, among other biggies, Blind Faith, the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix. In the meantime, he and partner Kelly have rented out their services to sundry others, as the Kelly/Mouse Studios (located wherever either of the two may chance to reside at the moment).

Well, the Detroit Institute of Arts needing its semi-annual injection of hip, ole Stanley covered the walls and such with his killer works, designed a killer poster for the exhibit itself and generally blew minds with his true-to-life psychedelic visions.

Thus, during the entire month of November, 1970, A.D. the ole Institute reeked even more heavily than usual with the heavy scent of the herb of Ra. A most mighty testimonial to the energies of the alternative culture. Especially since the Peter Max exhibit lamed on at the London Arts gallery some twenty blocks north in the Fisher Building. And we all know who won.

New York Letter

Soul Sacrifice: The Supremes in Central Park: running out, all white teeth in orange-gold lame pant suits, greeted by squeals and cheers from young black men in the front rowswho waved and held up signs and yelled “I love You” at odd moments throughout the show. The Judy Garlands of Motown? Well, it wasn’t quite that bad - no middle-aged men rushed tearfully to the stage with roses — but the audience did love them immoderately. In spite of “Little Green Apples” done like a cutesie show tune (with a Drug Reference: “I wake up in the morning and get the kids off to school and we get high”); in spite of “MacArthur Park;” in spite of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone;” in spite of the dredging up of such dreck as “The Happening” and “Reflections.” That is, in spite of an alarming waste of talent.;

Because somewhere in there Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong and the new one, Jean Terrell, made it obvious that they do have a lot of “talent”: they each have excellent voices — with Mary standing out for the first time — and are pleasant, relaxed performers. But “performers” is the key word there: they are not very real; the gloss has been applied a little too thick for anything buried underneath to show through. I’ve just been listening to some old Supremes singles (“Run, Run, Run,” -“Stop! In The Name of Love,” “Where Did Our Love Go”) and am amazed by their sweet

THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS 1970

toughness, the almost raunchy edge to their voices and the punch of the arrangements. It’s that toughness and that excitement that have been polished over.

“Someday We’ll Be Together,” Diana Ross’ last single with the group, was a worthy send-off, reaching back as it did to pick up some of the zest of the old days. “Up the Ladder to the Roof’ and the latest, “Everybody’s Got the Right to Love,” are hardly masterpieces but display a kind of vocal richness the group had abandoned for several years. Jean Terrell sounds enough like Diana Ross to keep the group “sound” intact and Miss Ross’ departure has apparently given each member of the group more freedom. (During some of the early between-song patter, Cindy remarked, “You know this must be a new set-up, cause they’re even letting me talk now;” the former back-up girls also took a greater part in the songs, trading off choruses on “Everybody’s Got the Right.”)

The major problem with the Supremes is performance — and something I find myself coming back to again and again when writing about r&b acts — is the choice of material. Of course, the girls don’t pick it themselves, but who decides that Mary Wilson will be shown to best advantage if she does a solo of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”? — when she could be singing “Walk On By” or maybe “My Guy” songs more appropriate to her singing and being. Why “MacArthur Park” and not “Keep on Pushing”? Rather than surprising us with refreshing versions of fine songs, they do yet another rendition of the tired Ed Sullivan standards. It may be done in the name of “versatility,” but it simply proves a lack of taste. Sadly, as a finale, the Supremes did “Oh Happy Day,” allegedly in the style of a “real revival meeting.” This, I thought, is what they should be doing. Ideally, yes; but in fact, it tqrned out rather flat and disappointing and they exited flashing the ubiquitous V-sign. Try again, girls, you’re on the right track.

With the Voices of East Harlem, choice of material is one of their strong points. Their frantic, rockin’ gospel style gives “For What It’s Worth,” “Proud Mary” and Tim Hardin’s little-heard “Sing a Simple Song of Freedom” new life and excitement. One of the majdr differences between the Voices and other black “groups,” the Supremes for a close example, is that the Voices are directed toward relevance, if that isn’t an over-used word. Their music is about their being, about the life of black people in this country — and, as it opens up, about all our lives together. It’s this perfect sense of relevance that links together their opening African chant/dance, a version of Edwin Starr’s ‘Twenty-five Miles,” the rousing gospel of “Music in the Air” and even Richie Havens’ “Run Shaker Life.” Nothing rings a false note. Rather than singing songs that negate their lives, the Voices affirm and emphasize their experience through the music.

Their presence is an extension of this as well. They stretch across the stage in constant motion, dressed in faded or bleached jeans and denim jackets: about twenty or twenty-five of them (the number varies each time I see the group), all seemingly in their teens. The girls, who are in the majority, are very individual — yelling out, clapping and dancing very much at whim and in their own style — but I love the four dudes who stand together over to the right. More often than not, the guys dance in group formation, one starting a. step and the others falling in beautifully: very cool, very onstage at the Apollo and yet very naturally on the street in front of the Record Shack (and you realize how essentially it’s all the same thing). That is, it’s not like watching Show Business, it’s like watching — being a part of —: Real Life whatever that is. The Supremes somehow passed out of real several years ago; I think they’re making efforts to get back. But the Voices of East Harlem know very much what they are about and I don’t think they’re going to throw over their energy and spontaneity for anything.

The Voices were on the bill at the Fillmore with Santana, the only mostly-instrumental group I can listen to without getting restless and wanting to do something worthwhile with my time. Their set was full of new material, presumably from their always-forthcoming album — no new departures but all very solid, with each instrument driving the others before it in an ecstatic rush. In almost every other group, I find instrumental work excessive, waste material for its own sake (“Did you hear Tongue has a 24-minute cut on their new album? Wow!”) (or is it “Far out!”). Santana — in performance at least, their album can become tedious — seem to hit a fine balance, with a hint of perfection from each player.

Vince Aletti

Deadmen Due on Douglas

SAN FRANCISCO — Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and occasional sidekick, Howard Wales, keyboard artist formerly with the A.B. Dick Band are set to record an album for Douglas. Douglas owner Alan Douglas will produce.

BESTSELLER

SMALL FACES

“The First Step”

Isa Big One

Small Faces, still remembered fondly here for the sizeable hit “Itchycoo Park,” are in the process of re-conquering the United States with smashing personal appearances and an ecstaticallyreceived album on Warner Bros. Records, “The First Step.” They are, of course, already one of Europe’s biggest rock attractions.

Ronnie Lane, Kenny Jones and Ian McLagan founded the group in 1966. Ronnie, the bassist, joined Steve Marriott to write a string of songs which, along with Kenny’s drums and Ian’s key-

boards, shortly brought Small Faces international fame.

Phase II-of Small Faces saw Ronnie Wood, bassist turned guitarist, and Rod Stewart, one of the finest contemporary blues singers, leave the Jeff Beck group to join Ronny, Kenny and Ian rounding out an exceptional sound. "The First Step" is available as Warner Bros, album 1851 and on tapes distributed by Ampex.

Garcia-and Wales have been gigging together in and around the Frisco area for several months. The deal involves a long-term contract for Wales.

Meanwhile, Dead drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart are preparing an album of their own for Douglas. According to Douglas propagandist Ken Schaffer, they’ll record their percussion tracks at home in the barn, overdub their “favorite sounds” and then whole numbers of people on the San Francisco scene will make their contributions. Rumors have Charles Lloyd playing flute and Grace Slick on piano and god knows who else playing god knows what else.

Huey on Youth Culture

S.F., Cal. — “I think that the drug culture and the drop-out movement are in a transitional stage,” said Huey Newton in an interview with John Bancroft and David Fenton of Liberation News Service August 21st in New Haven. “I think that the youth .will drop out and then they’ll start dropping in again after they see they can’t find any peace by separating. They’ll drop back in and when they drop back in, they’ll be very political. Because then they will have experienced everything short of violence g|§ running away through drugs and so forth — but when they come back, they’ll come back very serious and they’ll see that the only solution is to transform what’s here, and they can’t go anywhere else.

“I think that the youth culture at this time is another manifestation of the separatist idea that' many black nationalists preached just a few years ago. The youth drug culture is another manifestation of this — you know, like ‘we’ll get out of the whole thing.’

“But we’re starting to find out that we can’t separate,” said the Supreme Commander of the Black Panther Party, “because imperialism won’t allow us to separate. Imperialism won’t allow developing countries some 10 or 15 thousand miles away to live in peace, and they’re already separated on a geographical level. If imperialism won’t allow those countries to be free 15,000 miles away, it surely won’t let a group of people right here in North Amerika separate.”

Tim Leary Safe with Eldridge

ALGIERS, ALGERIA (UPS) - Timothy Leary is in Algiers. I last saw him on a very white and sunny beach. He and Rosemary told me to give you their love and best wishes for a violent revolution.

I was in Algeria to get political advice from Eldridge Cleaver and to make contacts for the Youth International Party. Eldridge and DC were the hosts, but it was time to leave and my suitcase was packed.

“Hey, Stew, we can’t let you go, Tim Leary is here,” Eldridge announced.

My mind was blown. The best dream a revolutionary madman could have had suddenly become true flesh. The psychedelic revolution broken out of jail and now in the Third World making

common cause with a black gun.

“Hey, man, did you levitate over the fence?” I asked.

Leary was in my arms. He was disguised as a completely ordinary pig businessman. But the twinkle in his eyes was a dead giveaway. Fortunately, the FBI isn’t trained to read twinkles.

“Stew, this is so beautiful, you know, the last time I saw Eldridge was on an airplane; he told me to stay out of jail. I should have listened to him.”

“Hey, crime partner, how ya doin’?” • Eldridge extended his hand and two people who should have gotten together a thousand years ago, began exchanging jail house memories.

“All that propaganda about my diggin’jail as righteous Karma was just bullshit!” Dr. Tim declared. “We were trying to convince the pigs I was a model prisoner so they wouldn’t be afraid to turn their back. I intended to escape from the first day.”

“The pigs have absolutely no idea how I got out and I don’t want to give it away, but I’ll tell you this, I had to lift weights every day to pull it off.”

“I realized my freedom was the only thing I wanted and was willing to kill for it. The need for armed revolution becomes obvious when you spend seven months of your existence living among pigs.”

“The Weathermen drove my getaway car but I completely supported them before I knew they were involved in my escape.”

“Hey, Leary, did you spend much time with the Weathermen?” Eldridge inquired.

“Yes, we turned on a lot and Rosemary and I went to see Woodstock with Bernadine Dohrn and Jeff Jones. We were stoned out of our minds.”

Dr. Timothy Leary, former Harvard Professor and political prisoner, has been given political asylum by the Algerian government. His request for protection in exile was backed completely by the Black Panther Party.

Leary listed himself as a member of the YIP and the Weathermen.

“The same pigs who wanted to ice me are after Leary. They hate him because he made their children rebel. Kids want to make love and not kill niggers. That’s a crime in Babylon,” Eldridge rapped to an Algerian friend.

Rosemary Leary working for Tim on the outside has gone through changes.

“Bernadine taught me a lot about women’s liberation,” Rosemary exuded. “I want to go back to Amerika; I want to take revenge and blow things up.”

What is Tim Leary going to do in a revolutionary African country?

“I am going to write a book about my prison life and conversion. I’ll do a regular column for the underground press and I want to go to Hanoi. Naturally, I will accept totally the discipline of the Black Panther Party.”

“We used to quote from the I Ching a lot,” Rosemary stated, “but now it’s going to be Kin II Sung and the thought of Chairman Mao.”

Rosemary and Tim will be renting a house in the Algerian countryside. They woild like the International brotherhood to visit them but room is limited so write first.

Our revolution has taken an inevitable turn.

In Algeria, the gun protects the flower.

In Algeria, the flower becomes the gun.

Right Om.

Stew Albert