• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Unusual Rock Trivia?

Peaches & Herb are an American vocalist duo. Herb Fame has remained a constant as "Herb" since the duo was created in 1966 but seven different women have filled the role of "Peaches" even though only three of them recorded with the act.

1. Francine "Peaches" Hurd Barker (the original "Peaches" who lent her nickname to the duo) - Recorded
2. Marlene Mack
3. Linda Greene - Recorded
4. Patrice Hawthorne
5. Miriamm
6. Wanda Makle
7. Meritxhell Negre - Recorded

In between recording and touring with the act, Herb Fame has had a second career in law enforcement. In 1970, he enrolled in the police academy of Washington, D.C. and joined the city's police department. Fame returned to law enforcement and joined the U.S. Marshals Service in 1986 as a deputized court security officer at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
So "Reunited" was a lie?:crying:
 
Nigel Tufnel and Marty DiBergi invented the “rig rundown” in the feature film “This is Spinal Tap” (1984).

“Do you play all of these guitars?”

“This one still has the old tagger on it”

I have a friend that has a Gibson Moderne. He bought it and has never played it. Still has the original tag and strings. I was also perusing the local Facebook marketplace yesterday and came across a guy selling a Fender Showmaster. Bought it, put it in the case, and never played it.

Why? I mean, I can understand Nige. He's confused. But why do real people do that?

BnB
 
  • Like
Reactions: Novarocker
I have a friend that has a Gibson Moderne. He bought it and has never played it. Still has the original tag and strings. I was also perusing the local Facebook marketplace yesterday and came across a guy selling a Fender Showmaster. Bought it, put it in the case, and never played it.

Why? I mean, I can understand Nige. He's confused. But why do real people do that?

BnB
I don't understand that mentality, but those people are just collectors. The same type of people who buy expensive cars then store them in the garage and never drive them. It makes sense if they're highly collectible and they want a return on their investment. But guitars should be played and cars should be driven.
 
I don't understand that mentality, but those people are just collectors. The same type of people who buy expensive cars then store them in the garage and never drive them. It makes sense if they're highly collectible and they want a return on their investment. But guitars should be played and cars should be driven.

I agree. In the case of the Moderne, that guy was a true player. He had dozens of guitars and it was a toss up what he would show up with from gig to gig. He's been active on stage longer than I've been alive (nearly 53 years)

BnB
 
  • Like
Reactions: MonetBass
I have some weird Jeapordy like obsession with oddball rock trivia. Things like:
  • Mike Nesmith (Monkees) mother was the creator of White Out.
  • Blue Oyster Cult used to like playing small clubs under the pseudonym Soft White Underbelly.
  • Sean Lennon has the same birthday as his father, John Lennon.
What oddball rock trivia bounces around in your brain?
Keanu reeves plays bass. He even had a custom Matrix jazz bass made for him. But, you can usually find him picking away punk rock style on a standard P.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Novarocker
John Paul Jones was asked by Jet Harris of The Shadows to join a new band with him in the 1960s, but declined.

Dave Pegg of Fairport Convention played in bands with both Robert Plant and the father of the Campbell brothers of UB40, as well as Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull. Who knows, if John Paul Jones has been in 'The Shadows II', maybe Pegg would have been in Led Zepplin.

In related ironies, Jimmy Page’s first major date as a session player was on a track by Harris with his former Shadows mate Tony Meehan...

Harris was involved in the earliest stages of the Jeff Beck Group(with Rod Stewart), while Ron Wood was still on second guitar, but was dismissed due to drinking problems; Wood then switched to bass. As far as Zeppelin goes, Procol Harum’s BJ Wilson was Page’s first choice for drummer, but he passed on the offer, as PH was doing well at the time. Terry Reid was Page’s first choice as vocalist(after considering poaching Steve Marriott from the Small Faces)...once again, Reid passed as his solo career seemed to be taking off, but tipped Page on Robert Plant. As LZ essentially formed from the ashes of The Yardbirds, rhythm guitarist turned bassist Chris Dreja was to continue on with Page, but bailed early, going into photography. Rumor has it that Page persuaded Dreja to quit, when he realized that the band, initially considered to be a continuing version of The Yardbirds, would not be entirely under his control as Dreja would still be a senior member. Once the classic Zep line-up was in place, they did perform their earliest gigs as the “New Yardbirds”(to fill some contractual obligations), but then chose a new name as it became obvious that this band was a whole new thing.
 
On Dec. 1, 1983, Neil Young was served with papers from his then label, Geffen Records. The suit charged Young with recording “unrepresentative” and "uncharacteristic" albums, essentially arguing that Neil Young no longer sounded like Neil Young.

In early 1982, Young was looking for a change. He’d released 13 albums with Reprise Records and finished his commitment under the contract with the label. Thus, the singer-songwriter found himself searching for a new home.

He signed a contract with Geffen Records as a new outlet for his creative and artistic ideas. Neither got what they had hoped for. Young’s first release under the Geffen flag was Trans. Layered with synthesizers and vocoders, the album represented a foray into electronic music. Listeners were shocked by the stylistic change, and, though not a commercial success, Trans still made it to No. 19 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Geffen was disappointed with the album and expressed their opinions to the singer. In return, he offered them a country album that he'd recorded the previous fall titled Old Ways. The label rejected it and demanded a rock n' roll album. In an attempt to appease Geffen, Young recorded and released the rockabilly-style album Everybody's Rockin'. "They told me they wanted me to play rock 'n' roll, and told me I didn't sound like Neil Young," the singer recalled. "So I gave them Everybody's Rockin' and said, 'This is a rock 'n' roll album by Neil Young after someone tells him what to do; this is exactly what you said you wanted.' And we got way into it.”

Exacerbated with what they viewed was Young's refusal to make commercially viable music, Geffen took the unprecedented step of suing the artist. In response, Young countersued, claiming his contract gave him complete artistic freedom. After a messy war of words, the suit eventually settled, with Geffen apologizing to Young. The label would go on to release Old Ways, along with two more Young albums: Landing on Water (1986) and Life (1987). Following the completion of his commitment to Geffen, Young returned to Reprise Records. He continues releasing albums on the label to this day.
 
On Dec. 1, 1983, Neil Young was served with papers from his then label, Geffen Records. The suit charged Young with recording “unrepresentative” and "uncharacteristic" albums, essentially arguing that Neil Young no longer sounded like Neil Young.

In early 1982, Young was looking for a change. He’d released 13 albums with Reprise Records and finished his commitment under the contract with the label. Thus, the singer-songwriter found himself searching for a new home.

He signed a contract with Geffen Records as a new outlet for his creative and artistic ideas. Neither got what they had hoped for. Young’s first release under the Geffen flag was Trans. Layered with synthesizers and vocoders, the album represented a foray into electronic music. Listeners were shocked by the stylistic change, and, though not a commercial success, Trans still made it to No. 19 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Geffen was disappointed with the album and expressed their opinions to the singer. In return, he offered them a country album that he'd recorded the previous fall titled Old Ways. The label rejected it and demanded a rock n' roll album. In an attempt to appease Geffen, Young recorded and released the rockabilly-style album Everybody's Rockin'. "They told me they wanted me to play rock 'n' roll, and told me I didn't sound like Neil Young," the singer recalled. "So I gave them Everybody's Rockin' and said, 'This is a rock 'n' roll album by Neil Young after someone tells him what to do; this is exactly what you said you wanted.' And we got way into it.”

Exacerbated with what they viewed was Young's refusal to make commercially viable music, Geffen took the unprecedented step of suing the artist. In response, Young countersued, claiming his contract gave him complete artistic freedom. After a messy war of words, the suit eventually settled, with Geffen apologizing to Young. The label would go on to release Old Ways, along with two more Young albums: Landing on Water (1986) and Life (1987). Following the completion of his commitment to Geffen, Young returned to Reprise Records. He continues releasing albums on the label to this day.
Ha, I remember this. The '80s was a pretty rough decade for Neil commercially. His first eight albums of the '80s, starting with Hawks & Doves, haven't even hit Gold status according to Wiki. Only Freedom, released right at the end of the decade, hit Gold.

I didn't like Trans, but Geffen decided to grant him artistic freedom even though his last Reprise album, Re ac tor, was pretty bizarre.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Novarocker
On May 31, 1961, Jimi Hendrix
became Private James Hendrix.

It all started when Law enforcement authorities twice caught Hendrix riding in stolen cars and when given a choice between spending time in prison or joining the Army, he chose the latter and enlisted.

After completing his basic training at Fort Ord, California, the Army assigned him to the 101st Airborne Division and stationed him at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

In November 1961, fellow serviceman Billy Cox walked past the service club and heard Hendrix playing guitar inside. Cox, intrigued by the proficient playing, which he described as a combination of "John Lee Hooker and Beethoven", immediately checked-out a bass guitar and the two began to jam. Soon after, they began performing at the base clubs on the weekends with other musicians in a loosely organized band called the Casuals.

That's Private Hendrix, 59 years ago today.

c_oc=AQn0kxP9tBaD74Nm9QYH2hVNRIxvOe95ZcXUgv6f8NnneDMivVqtUv6A9851HASxCQ0&_nc_ht=scontent.fagc1-1.jpg
 
In 1979, Ned Steinberger designs the L2 Bass Guitar in Brooklyn, NY. The L2 is introduced at the summer show of the National Association of Music Merchants. Three prototypes are sold at The Guitarman to John Entwistle (The Who), Tony Levin (King Crimson) and Andy West (The Dregs).

Summer NAAM?
I saw The Dixie Dregs in Tucson in early 1979 and I am fairly sure Andy was playing the Steinberger then.

Can anyone add anything?
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Owl
Summer NAAM?
I saw The Dixie Dregs in Tucson in early 1979 and I am fairly sure Andy was playing the Steinberger then.

Can anyone add anything?

That information is directly from the Steinberger website history page.

My Steinberger L2 bass was made in 1983.

Here are a couple photos of Andy West with a Steinberger Bass from 1981 but no mention of which one.

Steinberger.jpg


the_steinberger_bass_1982_0011_12-jpg.2173146
 
First I found this on Andy's site:

So I played the Alembic exclusively on the first four Dregs albums. Those were Free Fall, What if, Night of the Living Dregs, and Dregs of the Earth. Around 1979 I read about this crazy guy making a bass out of composite graphite that looked like a stick. I tracked Ned Steinberger down from an article I read in Guitar player, got him on the phone and he said he had made 4 basses, was keeping one, sold 2 of them and there was 1 more. I could have it for $1500. He was still trying to get [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] going at that time. I played both basses at that point for quite a while. And on the last two Dregs albums there is a mix of the Alembic and the Steinberger.

I then saw this interview with Ned:
Interviews | NS Design

Where this is presented:

JR: According to the Steinberger timeline, in 1977 you were making prototypes, in 1979 you introduced the L2 at the summer NAMM (then the National Association of Music Merchandisers, now know as the International Music Products Association) show and sold prototypes to John Entwistle, Tony Levin and Andy West. Was ’79 the public unveiling of these instruments?

NS: We had already sold an instrument to Andy West before we went to the show. (Italics mine) That was very significant because he played with the Dixie Dregs at the show with that instrument.

JR: Was he the first sale?

NS: He was among the first. Tony Levin was absolutely the first sale. He bought a fretless bass that I made from an early mould. It was significantly different than the instruments now. At the time I was using additional steel reinforcements in the neck along with the graphite. So he had a very unusual fretless instrument, which he played quite a bit at the time. He recorded several of the last John Lennon sessions with a Steinberger bass.

But at the NAMM show, Andy played with the Dregs in front of the NAMM audience. At that time the entertainment during the show was more centrally organized. The big NAMM party, which most people went to, was held in a museum. It was a great party, great music. The Dixie Dregs were the featured act. Andy just strode up on to that stage with his Steinberger bass and this fabulous music came out. He was playing this very cranked up bass style, very energetic and central to the music. Andy is great player.

Until then, our booth at the show had been really ignored. People would twitter or giggle when they saw this ‘ridiculous’ looking instrument, but after that show with Andy the situation changed 100 per cent. We were pretty much mobbed after that and started to sell instruments. That was the beginning of the real business. It was through an artist. Artists are the key to getting musical instrument concepts over to the larger public.

>>>So it looks like he may well have had it when I saw the Dregs in early 1979.
EDIT: it was April 30

University of Arizona Ballroom, Tucson, AZ, USA Concert Setlists | setlist.fm

It was simul-synced on our local FM station...I still have a boot somewhere...

>>>1979 NAMM SHOWS :June 9-12 for the "summer" show that is being referred to but Feb 6-8 for the Anaheim show

>>>Some photos of an earlier (February 1979) show where Andy is still on his Alembic.
The Dixie Dregs In Concert At The Capri Ballroom February 21 1979 Stock Pictures, Royalty-free Photos & Images - Getty Images
 
Last edited:
Carly Simon singing ability was influenced by her musical parents.

But there is a dark side according to Wiki.

She was assaulted by a family friend when she was 7 and developed a severe stutter as a result. Singing allowed her to express herself without a stutter. She has mostly overcome her stutter but has occasional relapses.
 
Last edited:
On Dec. 1, 1983, Neil Young was served with papers from his then label, Geffen Records. The suit charged Young with recording “unrepresentative” and "uncharacteristic" albums, essentially arguing that Neil Young no longer sounded like Neil Young.

In early 1982, Young was looking for a change. He’d released 13 albums with Reprise Records and finished his commitment under the contract with the label. Thus, the singer-songwriter found himself searching for a new home.

He signed a contract with Geffen Records as a new outlet for his creative and artistic ideas. Neither got what they had hoped for. Young’s first release under the Geffen flag was Trans. Layered with synthesizers and vocoders, the album represented a foray into electronic music. Listeners were shocked by the stylistic change, and, though not a commercial success, Trans still made it to No. 19 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Geffen was disappointed with the album and expressed their opinions to the singer. In return, he offered them a country album that he'd recorded the previous fall titled Old Ways. The label rejected it and demanded a rock n' roll album. In an attempt to appease Geffen, Young recorded and released the rockabilly-style album Everybody's Rockin'. "They told me they wanted me to play rock 'n' roll, and told me I didn't sound like Neil Young," the singer recalled. "So I gave them Everybody's Rockin' and said, 'This is a rock 'n' roll album by Neil Young after someone tells him what to do; this is exactly what you said you wanted.' And we got way into it.”

Exacerbated with what they viewed was Young's refusal to make commercially viable music, Geffen took the unprecedented step of suing the artist. In response, Young countersued, claiming his contract gave him complete artistic freedom. After a messy war of words, the suit eventually settled, with Geffen apologizing to Young. The label would go on to release Old Ways, along with two more Young albums: Landing on Water (1986) and Life (1987). Following the completion of his commitment to Geffen, Young returned to Reprise Records. He continues releasing albums on the label to this day.
Geffen has had nasty runins with several artists.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pcake and GregC
The band The Nashville Teens were from England and had no connection to Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. They had a few Top 40 hits in the U.K. but only did well in the U.S. with their rock version of folk song "Tobacco Road" in 1964.

While playing in Hamburg, Germany in 1964, The Nashville Teens backed Jerry Lee Lewis for his Live at the Star Club, Hamburg album.

The band later backed Carl Perkins on his single "Big Bad Blues" (May 1964) and also played with Chuck Berry when he toured Britain.

The band members went on to play in other well known acts over the years. Bassist Colin Pattenden with in Manfred Mann's Earth Band from 1971 to 1977 as well as other bands.



 
Last edited:
I have 3 that very few people get:

Missing Persons had 3 former members of Frank Zappa's band
Journey had it's roots in Santana
Chevy Chase was the drummer in an early version of Steely Dan
Missing persons and Zappa. Got the album, Spring Session, with Bozzio, Cuccurulllo and O’hearn on bass. Dates but you can hear the musicianship there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Novarocker

Latest posts