Unusual Rock Trivia?

[Tom Bomb]

Iconoclastic Bob Brown, a young Aussie doctor in 1970, who went on to sustain a formidable presence in Australian life, and continues to do so, was there, at the hospital when Jimi Hendrix was wheeled, on a trolley, by two ambulance men, into the emergency ward, just prior to the pronouncement of his untimely passing.

"Well it was a big surprise of course. It was a sunny morning at St Mary Abbots hospital in South Kensington and he came, the trolley from the ambulance with the body of Jimi Hendrix and his girlfriend and other people with him but there was nothing to be done." PM - 40th anniversary of the death of Jimi Hendrix 17/09/2010

​

 

[Richland123]

Before Donnie Iris (born Dominic Ierace on February 28, 1943) formed Donnie Iris & The Cruisers, he was a member of The Jaggerz, who had a big hit with The Rapper in 1970. The word "Jaggerz" came from a west central Pennsylvania name for thorn and sticker bushes. He was also a recording engineer at Jeree Recording in New Brighton, PA and working with many acts including Wild Cherry and eventually becoming a band member for their fourth and final album Only The Wild Survive.

In addition, Donnie had a successful real estate and mortgage business in Beaver Falls, PA for many years.

Donnie had the nickname "King Cool" and in 2008 and 2009, King Cool Light Beer was developed after Mark Avsec realized that "King Cool" sounded like the name of a refreshing beer. He later approached Iris and Marty Lee Hoenes who both immediately liked the idea, giving birth to King Cool Limited and contracted with The Lion Brewery of Wilkes Barre, PA to make it. King Cool Light was unveiled on November 20, 2009, at Club Diesel in Pittsburgh during the band's 30th anniversary concert.

Donnie has been a featured comedy skit performer on WDVE Radio Station in Pittsburgh, PA many times.

Donnie Iris and The Cruisers still perform.

As a side note, I have met Donnie Iris a couple times and he is one of the nicest musicians out there.











Live from February 10, 2018 Greensburg, PA Palace Theatre

 

[fretter]

Suzi Quatro used to be in band with her sister.

 

[jamro217]

Bryan Adams's debut single reminds of Billy Joel's story of how Joel's debut album was mastered at the wrong speed.

Being recorded at the wrong speed also reminds me of the Chipmunks and the BeeGees.


The Climax Blues Band's hit "Couldn't Get It Right" was written in response to their record label's complaint that their music wasn't radio friendly enough. After being a (duh) BLUES band on the same label for years without a Top 40 hit, they wrote it and eventually shifted their style more in the pop direction.

 

[Richland123]

Suzi Quatro used to be in band with her sister.

Actually, Suzi Quatro and two of her sisters were in The Pleasure Seekers.

(Left to Right Above) Patti Quatro, Arlene Quatro, Eileen Biddlingmeier, Diane Baker, Suzi Quatro

 

[Richland123]

Singer/Guitarist Talmage "Tal" Bachman is the son of Randy Bachman of The Guess Who, Brave Belt, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and other bands. He had a big hit in 1999 with the song "She's So High". The song became a multi-format Top 10 hit in the United States and internationally, earning BMI's "Song of the Year" award. His debut album earned Bachman two Juno awards in Canada. He had a few other lesser hits but never gained the success that was expected of him.

 

[Dogbertday]

Spike Jones played drums on Bing Crosby's version of white xmas.

 

[Richland123]

Singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat is the daughter of record producer/engineer/songwriter/executive Ken Caillat, who has worked on many albums since the 1960s by a variety of acts including those such as Billy Idol, Frank Sinatra, Pat Benatar, The Beach Boys, Herbie Hancock, Alice Cooper and he was co-producer and engineer for Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Tusk, Mirage, Live, and The Chain Box Set.

Colbie Caillat auditioned for American Idol but was rejected at the pre-audition stage and was unable to sing for the judges. The second time she auditioned for the show, she sang her own original song, "Bubbly", and was rejected once again. However, Caillat expressed gratitude at the judges' decision, saying "I was shy. I was nervous. I didn't look the greatest. I wasn't ready for it yet. I was glad, when I auditioned, that they said no." The popularity of Caillat's MySpace website profile led her to become the number-one unsigned singer in her genre for four consecutive months.

After being rejected twice by American Idol, she has since gone on to having numerous hit songs and selling millions of albums and singles.

 

[fretter]

After leaving Queensryche, founding member Chris DeGarmo ("Silent Lucidity") became a professional pilot.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

After leaving Queensryche, founding member Chris DeGarmo ("Silent Lucidity") became a professional pilot.

Staying with the "professional pilot" theme:

Gary and Dave, 1973 "Could You Ever Love Me Again"
This song has a vibe that I get listening to Glen Campbell.

...Both Gary and Dave had a long-standing love of flying. In 1975, they left music altogether to pursue careers as pilots with Airtransit STOL Canada. They did return to their music careers for a time[3] but, after their official disbanding, both Gary and Dave went to work as pilots for Air Canada. Gary Weeks later became a pastor, and left Canada for Ireland, where he worked as a missionary.

Gary had three sons, Ben, Jesse and Daniel. Daniel became the youngest pilot in Canada when he got his licence on his 16th birthday after Gary completed introductory flight training with him.[4] In 2005, Gospel Folio Press published Gary's biography, "Could You Ever Love Me Again: The Gary Weeks Story of Forgiveness."...
Source: Wikipedia Gary and Dave

 

[Richland123]

Percy Thrillington (Paul McCartney)
“Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”
Written by Percy Thrillington

For some reason, Paul McCartney decided that the world needed an instrumental version of the album Ram. He called arranger Richard Anthony Hewson (who arranged the strings for a few Beatles songs) and recorded the album simultaneously with Ram. Paul not only was Percy Thrillington, but he also wrote the album’s liner notes as Clint Harrigan. The album was shelved until 1977 under the title Thrillington. He probably should have waited longer, as it sank without a trace. In preparation for the release of Thrillington, McCartney invented the fictitious socialite Percy Thrillington, and even took out ads in various UK music papers announcing Thrillington's so-called comings and goings to generate curiosity and interest. It’s hard to choose a standout, so here’s Percy’s version of Ram’s hit single “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” and

 

[SoonerBill]

Brian May, guitarist for Queen, has a Phd in Astro-physics and was a chancellor of a university in the UK for several years. He also has an asteroid named after him.

He’s been on a number of shows recently talking about a current space probe that’s flying through the solar system that he was on the design team of.

 

[catcauphonic]

During his lifetime, Frank Zappa released 62 albums. Since 1994, the Zappa Family Trust has released 49 posthumous albums, making a total of 111 albums.

 

[Novarocker]

During his lifetime, Frank Zappa released 62 albums. Since 1994, the Zappa Family Trust has released 49 posthumous albums, making a total of 111 albums.

I knew he was prolific, but wow!

 

[catcauphonic]

During his lifetime, Frank Zappa released 62 albums. Since 1994, the Zappa Family Trust has released 49 posthumous albums, making a total of 111 albums.

I knew he was prolific, but wow!

Those are all official release studio and live albums. Wiki also cites...
13 greatest hits type comps,
40 tribute albums of his work by various artists, 34 singles, and
6 'miscellaneous.'

+ He's played sideman on nearly 20+ other artists releases.

Bizzy Guy

 

[Richland123]

Many famous musicians have performed on Frank Zappa albums and in his bands. There is a conflicting story about Jack Bruce playing on the song "Apostrophe (’)"

"Apostrophe (’)" is an instrumental featuring bassist Jack Bruce and session drummer Jim Gordon, who was on tour with Zappa's band at the time of the session in November 1972. Bruce is credited on the album cover with bass guitar and co-writing the title song. However, in an interview for Polish rock magazine Tylko Rock, he said that he had not played any bass guitar parts or done any co-writing on "Apostrophe (’)", only the cello intro. He reminisced, "So I turned up in a NY studio with my cello, I'm listening to [Zappa's] music, pretty awful, and just don't know what to do with myself, and Frank [Zappa] says to me: "Listen, I would like you to play a sound, like this... whaaaaaang!!!" So I did what he asked me to do. Whaaaaaang!!! That was all. That was my input to Frank Zappa's most popular record! [laughs]" Bruce had studied the instrument at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and performed with it on some of his other recordings.

However, Zappa has referred to Bruce playing bass on the song in an interview: "Well, that was just a jam thing that happened because he was a friend of (drummer) Jim Gordon. I found it very difficult to play with him; he's too busy. He doesn't really want to play the bass in terms of root functions; I think he has other things on his mind. But that's the way jam sessions go."

So, do you think this is Jack Bruce playing bass on this tune or not?

 

[catcauphonic]

Many famous musicians have performed on Frank Zappa albums and in his bands. There is a conflicting story about Jack Bruce playing on the song "Apostrophe (’)"

"Apostrophe (’)" is an instrumental featuring bassist Jack Bruce and session drummer Jim Gordon, who was on tour with Zappa's band at the time of the session in November 1972. Bruce is credited on the album cover with bass guitar and co-writing the title song. However, in an interview for Polish rock magazine Tylko Rock, he said that he had not played any bass guitar parts or done any co-writing on "Apostrophe (’)", only the cello intro. He reminisced, "So I turned up in a NY studio with my cello, I'm listening to [Zappa's] music, pretty awful, and just don't know what to do with myself, and Frank [Zappa] says to me: "Listen, I would like you to play a sound, like this... whaaaaaang!!!" So I did what he asked me to do. Whaaaaaang!!! That was all. That was my input to Frank Zappa's most popular record! [laughs]" Bruce had studied the instrument at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and performed with it on some of his other recordings.

However, Zappa has referred to Bruce playing bass on the song in an interview: "Well, that was just a jam thing that happened because he was a friend of (drummer) Jim Gordon. I found it very difficult to play with him; he's too busy. He doesn't really want to play the bass in terms of root functions; I think he has other things on his mind. But that's the way jam sessions go."

So, do you think this is Jack Bruce playing bass on this tune or not?

I would have never thought that is was, if not for those liner notes. Great song, Interesting trivia. I'm gonna go with what Bruce said 'Whaaang!'

 

[Son of Wobble]

I saw Beefheart play this gig in 1981. The tour ended two nights later, and Beefheart retired forever from
the stage, a legendary old curmudgeon. He had just turned 40.

 

[seilerbird]

The thing I always found interesting about the FBI investigating the lyrics to "Louie, Louie" is that if they would have heard the original version and lyrics of the song by Richard Berry, they would have realized there was nothing dirty about the song.



Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Fine little girl she waits for me
Me catch the ship for cross the sea
Me sail the ship all alone
Me never think me make it home
Louie, Louie, oh, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Three nights and days me sail the sea
Me think of girl constantly
On the ship I dream she there
I smell the rose in her hair
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Me see Jamaica moon above
It won't be long, me see my love
Me take her in my arms and then
I tell her I never leave again
Louie, Louie, oh, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
I say, me gotta go
I say, me gotta go

This whole thing amazes me. There was a dirty word in Louie Louie and most everyone missed it. It was not in the lyrics. The drummer flubbed a hit and said f%^&. Everyone was listening to the lyrics which were clean. The dirty word was in the background at about the one minute mark in this video:

 

[seilerbird]

Hoyt Wayne Axton was a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and a film and television actor. Some of his songs became well known hits. Among them were "Joy To The World", "The Pusher", "No No Song", "Greenback Dollar", "Della and the Dealer", and "Never Been To Spain" to name a few. He appeared in many TV shows and movies and recorded many albums.

His mother was Mae Boren Axton and was known in the music industry as the "Queen Mother of Nashville." She co-wrote the Elvis Presley hit single "Heartbreak Hotel" with Tommy Durden along with about 200 other songwriting credits. She worked with Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Tanya Tucker, Johnny Tillotson, Blake Shelton, and many more.

She was the link between Elvis Presley and RCA Victor Records as well as she introduced a 19-year-old Presley to Colonel Tom Parker after a performance in Jacksonville, FL and he became Presley's long time manager. She worked on behalf of Bob Neal to promote Presley and pressured RCA Victor's Nashville division head Stephen H. Sholes to sign Presley. In 1955, Boren co-wrote "Heartbreak Hotel" thus creating Elvis' first #1 record and one of the greatest rock and roll hits.

View attachment 2983134

My sister lives at Lake Tahoe. Her best friend is Donna Axton who was married to Hoyt and played piano in his band. I met her and fell in love with her but was too shy to ask her out (Hoyt was already dead and she was single). A few years later I was working at the Santa Cruz Cannabis Buyers Club and this guy walks in and introduces himself as Michael Axton and claims to be Hoyt's son. I said hello and told him I knew his mother. He said it was his step mom. I later mentioned this to Donna and she told me Michael was a real looser. What are the odds of meeting the wife and son of a famous person in two different settings in two different states?