Unusual Rock Trivia?

[Richland123]

While not rock, still unusual in the music world. Talk about going out while performing on stage.

On September 28, 1996, Tiny Tim (Herbert Butros Khaury) suffered a heart attack at a ukulele festival at Montague Grange Hall in Montague, Massachusetts. He was hospitalized for approximately three weeks before being discharged with strong admonitions not to perform again because of his health, weight, and dietary needs for his diabetic and heart conditions. He ignored the advice.

Two months later on November 30, 1996, he was playing at a gala benefit hosted by the Women's Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had let his third wife ("Miss Sue") know before the show that he was not feeling well, but did not want to disappoint his fans. Before the start of his performance, most of the audience had left. While performing his last number of the evening, he suffered another heart attack on stage in the middle of a rendition of his hit, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". His wife asked him if he was feeling all right, and he said he was not; she was helping him back to their table where he collapsed, and never regained consciousness. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

 

[Indiedog]

While not rock, still unusual in the music world. Talk about going out while performing on stage.

On September 28, 1996, Tiny Tim (Herbert Butros Khaury) suffered a heart attack at a ukulele festival at Montague Grange Hall in Montague, Massachusetts. He was hospitalized for approximately three weeks before being discharged with strong admonitions not to perform again because of his health, weight, and dietary needs for his diabetic and heart conditions. He ignored the advice.

Two months later on November 30, 1996, he was playing at a gala benefit hosted by the Women's Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had let his third wife ("Miss Sue") know before the show that he was not feeling well, but did not want to disappoint his fans. Before the start of his performance, most of the audience had left. While performing his last number of the evening, he suffered another heart attack on stage in the middle of a rendition of his hit, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". His wife asked him if he was feeling all right, and he said he was not; she was helping him back to their table where he collapsed, and never regained consciousness. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

I fully remember what an impact Tiny Tim had on me as a youngster in the 60s. It was my first dose of someone being famous for affecting a persona that celebrated…well, no real talent or purpose other than being outrageous. It kinda weirded me out, because it seemed opposite to everything else I had learned about musicians.

 

[Michedelic]

I fully remember what an impact Tiny Tim had on me as a youngster in the 60s. It was my first dose of someone being famous for affecting a persona that celebrated…well, no real talent or purpose other than being outrageous. It kinda weirded me out, because it seemed opposite to everything else I had learned about musicians.

I wouldn’t say he was untalented, just extremely eccentric, and certainly working in a realm of music that was out of step with what people in 1968 were used to. And that’s saying a lot, considering that psychedelia had come and gone, but left a mark on the mainstream.
He was a font of knowledge of novelty and popular tunes from the teens, 20’s, and 30’s, and struggled in his early career, performing in the beatnik/underground/gay venues of NYC’s Greenwich Village until he eventually caught a break and was given a shot on Laugh-In, albeit as a sort of freak show attraction, but then everybody on that show was nuts. A little too early for Dr. Demento, perhaps, but he was sincere in what he did, and not a put-on or contrivance.
Just keep in mind, this was mainstream music almost a hundred years ago…

 

[Indiedog]

I wouldn’t say he was untalented, just extremely eccentric, and certainly working in a realm of music that was out of step with what people in 1968 were used to. And that’s saying a lot, considering that psychedelia had come and gone, but left a mark on the mainstream.
He was a font of knowledge of novelty and popular tunes from the teens, 20’s, and 30’s, and struggled in his early career, performing in the beatnik/underground/gay venues of NYC’s Greenwich Village until he eventually caught a break and was given a shot on Laugh-In, albeit as a sort of freak show attraction, but then everybody on that show was nuts. A little too early for Dr. Demento, perhaps, but he was sincere in what he did, and not a put-on or contrivance.
Just keep in mind, this was mainstream music almost a hundred years ago…

Agreed.
You express my feelings better than me on this.

Yes, I also recognized there was talent, and that they were “real” songs from the past, but my first exposure was on Laugh-In and as you point out, it was presented in a farcical way.

I do understand your last point as well, but as a child in the 60s, I was interested in anything OTHER than “mainstream music.” I wanted modern pop music! Yes, I was patient when watching “older talent” on the variety shows of the day, and aware of the importance of traditions, but I really wanted a glimpse of the hollies or the Beatles or any other new group.

 

[Michedelic]

Agreed.
You express my feelings better than me on this.

Yes, I also recognized there was talent, and that they were “real” songs from the past, but my first exposure was on Laugh-In and as you point out, it was presented in a farcical way.

I do understand your last point as well, but as a child in the 60s, I was interested in anything OTHER than “mainstream music.” I wanted modern pop music! Yes, I was patient when watching “older talent” on the variety shows of the day, and aware of the importance of traditions, but I really wanted a glimpse of the hollies or the Beatles or any other new group.

Ironically, McCartney would crank out stuff like “When I’m 64” and “Honey Pie” which harkened back to the English Music Hall style of the 20’s/30’s(and Lennon would put down as “Paul’s granny music”), and then, you might remember this big smash of 1966…

 

[GregC]

 

[MrClassicMetal]

This guy is hilarious!

 

[nickpc]

View attachment 5013877

Carom Billiards table. Carom billiards - Wikipedia

 

[MonetBass]

This guy is hilarious!

I'm reading Luke's book "The Gospel According To Luke" right now, and if you haven't read it, check it out. Great stories and good info!

Speaking of:
While Toto was recording the soundtrack for "Dune", David Paich and his father Marty (the arranger) flew to Austria to record the Vienna Symphony for some of the tracks. When they arrived, they discovered to their dismay that in Austria, they tune to A 442, while in America, everything was tuned to A 440. Since the symphony refused to retune, Paich used a Variable Speed Oscillator to get everything previously recorded in tune with the orchestra, a very tedious process.

 

[TyBo]

View attachment 5013877

Yeah, my Grandpa used to have one of those tables, in, yes ... the billard room. Stood me in good stead when I later encountered "pocket billiards" pool tables.

The Clampetts had a "Billiard room":

 

[Skokiaan]

While not rock, still unusual in the music world. Talk about going out while performing on stage.

On September 28, 1996, Tiny Tim (Herbert Butros Khaury) suffered a heart attack at a ukulele festival at Montague Grange Hall in Montague, Massachusetts. He was hospitalized for approximately three weeks before being discharged with strong admonitions not to perform again because of his health, weight, and dietary needs for his diabetic and heart conditions. He ignored the advice.

Two months later on November 30, 1996, he was playing at a gala benefit hosted by the Women's Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had let his third wife ("Miss Sue") know before the show that he was not feeling well, but did not want to disappoint his fans. Before the start of his performance, most of the audience had left. While performing his last number of the evening, he suffered another heart attack on stage in the middle of a rendition of his hit, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". His wife asked him if he was feeling all right, and he said he was not; she was helping him back to their table where he collapsed, and never regained consciousness. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

This is the ukulele Tiny Tim was playing that night. It's displayed in the Martin museum at the Martin factory. "It holds Tiny Tim's last song."

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Richland123]

Before Dave Bickler was the original lead singer of the band Survivor and sang on songs such as "Eye Of The Tiger" and he was the Budweiser Beer Real Men Of Genius ad singer, he was in a Chicago area band with the odd name Jamestown Massacre who had a single with the pop song "Summer Sun".

The Jamestown Massacre, who share their name with a Native American attack on the English colony of Virginia in 1622, formed in 1967 in Windy City suburb Downers Grove. Glenn Messmer (drums), Mark Zapel (bass), and John Gilleran (guitar, vocals) agreed to play monthly shows at the Downers Grove Youth Center in exchange for a place to rehearse. V.J. Comforte (lead vocals) and Dennis Carlson (lead guitar, vocals) joined the group in 1968, along with Naperville native Dave Bickler (lead vocals, flute, harmonica, trumpet). At the beginning of 1969, Jeff Quinn (organ, trumpet, vocals) from nearby Glen Ellyn completed the Massacre’s seven-piece lineup.

 

[IMMusicRulz]

Primus guitarist Larry Ler LaLonde is actually married to Shane Stirling, who was a former model on The Price Is Right from 2002 to 2007.

 

[Michedelic]

This week marks the 60th(!)anniversary of the get in and knock it out recording session for the Kingsmen’s cover of Louie Louie, the “Rosetta Stone” of garage rock. Written and performed by R&B artist Richard Berry in the mid-50’s, it was inspired by two songs…



It was a modest hit, and while Berry toured the Pacific Northwest, it resonated with many bands in the fledgling rock’n’roll scene there, being covered live and on records by countless bands, but the first most substantial regional one was by Rockin’ Roberts and the Wailers in 1961…


Portland up and comers Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded their version days after the Kingsmen, in the same studio, but released it first. It didn’t fare as well as the rival single, but it got them signed to Columbia Records and the label re-released it…


Obviously both versions owe much to the Wailers’ version.
The tune went on to be covered some 1600 to 2000 times…my favorites are by Pac NW proto-punks The Sonics, who use a totally different chord progression…

..and then, who else?


As if anyone hasn’t heard it, I’ll give it to you, right now…

Don’t forget, the V is minor.

 

[Richland123]

The first Lennon–McCartney composition to make the U.S. charts was not by The Beatles but was Del Shannon's cover version of "From Me To You" released in June 1963. The Beatles rendition was released on April 11, 1963 in the U.K. and was a #1 hit there and a hit in other countries.

On April 18, 1963, The Beatles were one of 15 acts to play at Swinging Sound '63, an all-star concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Del Shannon also played at the concert and told John Lennon that he wanted to record "From Me to You" because he liked the falsetto parts in the song. Lennon was flattered, but he quickly changed his mind, realizing that a cover version by Shannon might hurt the Beatles' chances of having a hit in the States. Shannon's version reached #77 on the U.S. Billboard charts, #67 on the U.S. Cashbox charts, #21 on the Australian charts, and #13 on the Canadian charts.

 

[TyBo]

Del Shannon and the Beatles (esp. Harrison) were mutual admirers. He was one of those who saw their talent early on.

 

[nickpc]

..and then, who else?

Wow - I find Lemmy's phrasing on the lyrics to be really bad! He loses all of the tension/release that makes the song powerful!

 

[roccobass]

John McLaughlin regarding Jimi Hendrix:

McLaughlin had moved to the U.S. in 1969 to join Tony Williams group Lifetime A recording from the Record Plant NYC, dated 25 March 1969, exists of McLaughlin jamming with Jimi Hendrix

McLaughlin recollects "we played one night, just a jam session. And we played from 2 until 8, in the morning. I thought it was a wonderful experience! I was playing an acoustic guitar with a pick-up. Um, flat-top guitar, and Jimi was playing an electric. Yeah, what a lovely time! Had he lived today, you'd find that he would be employing everything he could get his hands on, and I mean acoustic guitar, synthesizers, orchestras, voices, anything he could get his hands on he'd use!"

 

[tangentmusic]

The RUSH album Permanent Waves features (besides the lovely Rushka) a headline-less newspaper blowing in the wind.
It was supposed to be the “Dewey Defeats Truman” blunder, but the Chicago Daily Tribune evidently still had eggs on their face over the gaffe and
refused to let the band use it. So they had to blank it out.

 

[roccobass]

From a blog on the Acoustic Guitar Forum. Not rock per se, but interesting trivia.


The Many guitars of James Cagney
Another hobby of mine is Classic movies. Love those 30's, 40's & 50's movies.Watched a James Cagney Film the other day Called " Torrid Zone". Not one of his best movies, but certainly still enjoyable.The poster for the movie intrigued me. Cagney was holding a guitar. But no where in the movie was he playing guitar. Upon further research Cagney indeed loved playing guitar and owned a Classical, several Steel Strings and even an archtop. There is a south american group playing music while Ann Sheridan sings in this movie. I believe it is the very same Martin. He must have lent it to that person..or that person lent the guitar to him to play in the off hours of movie shooting. The movie was made in 1940. You can own one of two guitars up for sale that Cagney owned. One is a 1941 00-18 for 50K, and the other is a 1936 L-5 for 100K. In one of the pictures he is playing a rather unusual Martin with a typical arhctop bridge tailpiece.