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(J. Geils Band - Straight up, Traditional Rock n' Roll from 1975)

A bit of straight-up Rock n' Roll tonight. The J. Geils Band recorded (at least I think so) at the Augusta Civic Theatre on October 24, 1975. I'm doubting the recording date because I'm only going off notes from other websites as my original King Biscuit Flour Hour tape box says only 1975 and doesn't list venues. So . . .any clarification from J. Geils fans out there would be most appreciated.

At any rate, it's a short set but a good one and a little something to go with a Saturday night before Thanksgiving.

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(Come on, admit it - it just wouldn't be Halloween without Alice Cooper, would it?)

A little something to put you in the Halloween spirit - a concert from July 1975 featuring Alice Cooper at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles.

Play loud - play often.

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(Tech. Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, 1975 - Not the first time and certainly not the last)

With the recent fervor over the Don't Ask/Don't Tell policy for gays in the military, I was reminded of the case of Tech. Sergeant Leonard Matlovich in 1975, who came out and was promptly discharged from the Air Force, after having a distinguished service record that also included tours in Vietnam.

As a result, The Gay Activists Alliance of Washington D.C. held a conference entitled "Gays In The Government"where the subject of the Matlovich trial and others like it were the focus of attention. One of the observers at the trial was Professor Martin Duberman, who delivered the opening speech at the conference:

Professor Martin Duberman: “The government’s attorney actually invoked the 19th century remedy. At one point he asked Sergeant Matlovitch directly: ‘will you sign a contract never to practice homosexuality again?’. Matlovich understandably blanched in disbelief and then declined. Had he agreed to take a vow of chastity, I think it’s at least conceivable, no more than that, that he then would have been thought fit for “rehabilitation and returned for Military Service”, because there is a clause in the Air Force regulations which, the regulations say essentially, homosexuality will not be tolerated but there is a clause that says “except under the most unusual circumstances”. What Matlovich’s attornies argued at length and with great skill, was that Matlovich did qualify under that exception clause. He qualified because of the high level of his past performance on the job. But apparently an unblemished record and common talent do not make for unusual circumstances.”

Looking at this case from 1975, and the perceptions which abounded at the time, it seems so strange and naive. Yet, this is exactly what's been happening ever since "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" came into being. And, to a large extent, still happening today. An absurd notion based on faulty 19th century logic just seems incredible in 2009.

Yet . . . .

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(City Boy - timing is the whole enchilada)

Somebody once told me that getting a movie made, no matter how bad it was, is a miracle - all the elements falling magically into place and hoping an audience finds it. And no matter how good a movie is, if there is no audience for it, nobody sees it.

The same is true with albums. The miracle of all the elements falling in place, the support and momentum of the record company - hoping an audience finds it.

In the case of City Boy, a folk outfit turned electric, their first several albums went nowhere, despite good reviews. 1975, when their self-titled first album came out, there was a change in the audience, and rock music was about to undergo a radical upheaval. Groups in Britain featuring lavish harmonies and progressive instrumentation just weren't cutting it with an audience who fell head over heels for all the raw viscera of Punk. And City Boy, during their first few outings sounded a little too much like Supertramp for comfort.

It wasn't until much later that their style changed and their audience changed its mind. They did score well with two hits, "5.7.0.5." and "The Day The Earth Caught Fire", but sadly things didn't work out and they broke up in 1982.

But whatever is to be said about timing, one thing is certain; City Boy were an excellent band who made some wonderful albums which, thanks to a recent reissue, are having a chance to be discovered all over again.

This track, (Moonlight) Shake My Head And Leave, opens their first album.

Good undiscovered albums, like good undiscovered movies are further evidence having an open mind has its rewards. Remember that next time you think you've heard and seen it all.

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(Sadistic Mika Band - rumored to have been named in honor of Mika's cooking)

Sort of in keeping with the Prog/International feel of the week, I thought I would toss something a little different in the live concert department. The Sadistic Mika Band wasn't really characterized as a Prog-Rock band. They came about at a time Glam was starting to take off in 1972 and had the distinction of having their second and third albums produced by Chris Thomas (whom Mika wound up having an affair with and later marrying) and released in the UK, to good reviews and a decent following.

They toured as opening act for Roxy Music in October 1975 (where this concert comes from) to coincide with the release of their 3rd album "Hot Menu" and did several appearances on British television.

As usual, they were never issued by a label in the U.S. and had only the hardcore import collectors here for a following. Naturally, they never performed live in the U.S. even though there was a lot of press about them and a goodly amount of hype, which in turn made it possible for a number of other Japanese bands to explore popularity outside their own country during the middle and late 70's.

It's highly likely that the popularity in Europe for bands like Sadistic Mika made it possible for bands like Yellow Magic Orchestra (which morphed from ex-Mika Band members) and Ryuichi Sakamoto to establish themselves to English speaking audiences. Just as it was possible performers like Stomu Yamash'ta made it possible for bands like Sadistic Mika to be considered for release in the UK. Just speculating.

Vocals are a bit weak and not their strong suit. But the bulk of the tracks during this concert are instrumental, which are top notch and confirms the idea a lot of great musicians were not confined to a couple of countries.

After the affair surfaced, Mika and Kazuhiko Kato, the bands lead guitarist and estranged husband, divorced and left the band. Mika becoming Mrs. Thomas, Kazuhiko pursuing a solo career before becoming a TV personality, while the rest of the group continued for a time as simply The Sadistics.

Just a reminder that music is the universal language and its spoken everywhere and you don't necessarily have to understand it to get into it.

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(Phil Manzanera w/Andy McKay - Roxy Music and the splendid quirkiness)

Roxy Music were always one of those bands I loved no matter what they did or which direction they took. Because of that, they have maintained a pretty constant popularity for the better part of 35 years.

In the mid 1970's the various members of the band did side projects of solo albums. Some with great success and others not so memorable.

One of the more memorable solo albums was by Phil Manzanera, lead guitarist of Roxy Music and carried their indelible stamp on every cut.

This track, Miss Shapiro, opens the first side wonderfully well and sets the scene for the rest of the album which, if you've heard it, is memorable.

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(Tom Waits - perfect for an August night - even 35 years ago)

I originally ran a short clip of this concert some months back, but promised I would run the whole thing as soon as the snappy C&L embed player got hooked up. Well now that it is, and we're 35 years past the exact day of the show, I thought I would put it up now so you can finally hear the whole thing.

If you heard the earlier excerpted version, you know what a great show this is - vintage Waits and his second set of the night.

A caveat - we had some mic problems that night, most notably a radio mic that was picking up the acoustic guitar. It was sounding weird and causing some hum and we eventually had to dump it mid-way through the set. But it's a small inconvenience and I've tried working around it so it's not all that noticeable.

At any rate - it's a great concert and a memorable night with Tom Waits at The Troubadour during its heyday on August 16, 1975.

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(Aut'chose - It's not as dull up there as we thought)

Another band you've probably never heard of, unless you've spent a bunch of time in the 70's in Quebec. Aut'chose (pronounced "out-shows") were one of the better known exports of Rock Quebecois - although probably in Europe and not so much in the States (the French thing).

Some fan pages have been touting them as the precursor to rap, which is more than a bit of a stretch. Probably a bit more like Serge Gainsbourg with a rock band than L'NWA.

But anyway - they recorded three albums for CBS Canada from 1974-1976. This track Sexe-Fiction is off their second album "Une Nuit comme une Autre". From all indications, they were still gigging around as of 2006.

Not for all tastes - but it's good to expand your horizons every once in a while. And it goes well with Saturday night.

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(Dr. John - In honor of the long, strange week its been)

What better way to end a week than with a nice big dose of Dr. John from his 1975 album "Hollywood Be Thy Name" and the cut "Babylon".

I can't think of a better one, can you?

Look out - here comes Monday.

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( . . and not to the happiest place on earth either!)

In 1975, the big concern (post-Watergate) was where our consumer society was heading. Ralph Nader, riding the crest of the Consumer bandwagon was actively pursuing the development of a Consumer Advocacy Agency, geared toward safeguarding the people of the U.S. against unsafe water, unsafe cars, unsafe food and anything else seen as endangering our society.

Then, as now, it was met with a lot of resistance and fear. Fear that all these regulations would indeed hurt and doom our society, our economy and our free enterprise system, not improve on it. Trying to protect the American people from unscrupulous business practices was seen as a dangerous red flag in the eyes of the Republican leadership.

As part of its continuing series of National Town Meetings, broadcast by NPR, a debate and Q&A session took place on April 23, 1975. It featured Ralph Nader - Consumer advocate and Senator Carl Curtis (R-Nebraska).

It is interesting to note the level of desperation Curtis addresses the Meeting, citing dire consequences to even our Foreign Policy should such legislation become law.

Ralph Nader:

"The Consumer Advocacy Agency deals with such things as dangerous drugs, flammable fabrics, unsafe cars, gouging energy prices, contaminated food, and these are the areas that will be the province of the consumer agency. It also doesn’t regulate a thing. All it does is just make the government agencies, hold their feet to reason, and data. And if they can’t support their procedural and substantive courses of action, then this agency can take other agencies to court. That’s all. And that’s enough for big business."

Carl Curtis:

"I hold in my hand a letter from the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, vigorously opposing this act. They say is will disrupt emergency food aid to foreign nations through the beneficial PL-480 Assistance Food Program, and thus seriously affect U.S. foreign policy. I’ll illustrate how that can happen: The Consumer Advocacy Agency can challenge a decision to send some food abroad, on the ground that any food that is shipped out of this country, it will effect the price here. They can drag that on for a long time."

As I've pointed out in the past, and as I've shown with posts dealing with the question of Health Care, the wages of fear and distortion are enormous. The resistance towards anything that opposes the status quo is almost immediately met with the threat of dire consequences. Consequences that are not based on anything remotely resembling facts.

But it is all fear. It is sometimes the only card those about to lose power can play.

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(Hummingbird - coming in at the tipping point in 1975 )

Hummingbird probably isn't a household name. This, their first album for A&M in 1975 didn't sell all that well and I believe the only place it's been reissued on CD is in Japan (in 2007). But prior to their incarnation as Hummingbird, they were collectively The Jeff Beck Group (only minus Beck). A few weeks ago I ran a Beck concert from 1972 which featured the members of this band during one of their last concert appearances together, before Beck left to explore other possibilities. Upon Beck's departure they continued on, known as Hummingbird and eventually landing a deal with A&M and two releases. I think one of the main reasons this band, and so many others of the same genre, didn't get deserved recognition was their timing. By 1976 the whole business underwent a big change with the advent of Punk and New Wave. Mellow was quickly becoming a hard sell.

Hummingbird features Max Middleton on keyboards, Bobby Tench on vocals, Bernie Holland on guitar, Clive Chaman on bass and Conrad Isidore on drums.

The track Ocean Blues pretty much sums up what the band's sound was all about. A tight, cohesive unit that's been sadly neglected but really deserves another hearing.

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(In the era of funny money - $1.5 mil got you this fixer-upper)

As California continues it's circle around the monetary drain, I was reminded of another fiscal crisis on the other side of the country. New York and the big default of 1975 - the one where President Ford all but said drop dead to Mayor Beame and his request for Federal bailout funds. Interesting times - they became something of a pattern for American cities during those years. New York, Cleveland, Detroit. And the offshoots - Prop 13 for California. The Savings and Loan Scandal. All potential crises, swept under the carpet of history and forgotten about.

I ran across this documentary, part of NPR's "Options" series called "Growing Economic Problems for U.S. Cities", which ran in September of 1975.

It features Mayors Abraham Beame of New York and Coleman Young of Detroit, along with Treasury Secretary William Simon and Senators Jacob Javits and Hubert Humphrey, all wrestling with the impending fiscal crisis.

New York City Comptroller Harrison Golden has an interesting take on it - I'm sure much of it echoes today.

“The politicians who developed the tricks and all of the devices that built in the seeds of disaster bear a measure of the blame. So does the media, the press which heralded those sleights of hand as representing mathematical ingenuity or fiscal wizardry. What all those steps were was delaying till tomorrow which should have been the problems on the day in which those tricks were used. The banks are to blame because they made money off of the devices that were developed. The citizens generally and businesses are to blame because they wanted a free lunch, wanted more service without paying for it. There’s plenty of responsibility, plenty of culpability to go around.“

Plenty of culpability. And plenty more now where that came from.

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(Richard Helms - What Didn't He Know and When Didn't He Know It)

Ever since the latest fiasco regarding the CIA surfaced, I kept thinking how adept the CIA has always been, historically in telling half-truths, no truths and "who me?" prevarications.

Beginning in 1975, a series of hearings took place in an attempt to investigate certain "illegal goings on" within the CIA, It ran the full gamut from wiretapping, domestic espionage, assassinations and mail tampering. Heading up the Senate Select Committee was Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho), and the hearings were dubbed The Church Committee. The hearings lasted several months and fortunately most all of them were recorded and broadcast by NPR, back when NPR actually stood for something in the way of integrity and solid reporting.

This particular clip, from the afternoon session of October 22, 1975, features former CIA Director Richard Helms (who would later serve as Ambassador to Iran) being questioned by Senator Church over his role in the matter of illegal mail tampering - a practice that had gone on since the days Allen Dulles ran the CIA in 1953.

Since there are numerous hours of testimony to sift through from many witnesses, I will try and offer as much as I can in small doses over the next few weeks. Bear with me - it'll be worth it.

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(Attorney General Edward H. Levi - you wonder what he'd have to say today)

". . .for example some of the alleged instances of misuse of the FBI over previous periods have involved directions from the White House, often from low ranking officials, given orally and couched in terms of law enforcement of national security. They involve such matters as surveillance at a political convention, investigations of a newsman unsympathetic to the administration cause, or the collection of information on political opponents. The proposed guidelines require that the request be made or confirmed in writing, specify those who may make requests, require the official initiating the investigation be identified, the purpose of the investigation stated among certain routine areas, and where a field investigation is initiated, an attestation that the subject has given consent".

Attorney General Edward H. Levi (1975-1977) addressing the American Bar Association convention in Montreal in 1975. Post-Watergate, post-Nixon. Listening to this address, I wondered what Levi would have to say about Roberto Gonzalez and the shambles the judicial system had become - falling very far from the "high moral ground" we had been so tenuously placed. I was struck by Levi's mention of the "ambiguous nature" of our Constitution as part of the genius of it. But all it of seemed to be based on an assumption it would never be manipulated to fulfill an agenda of fear. The unscrupulous placed in charge to find loopholes in order to justify immoral behavior and the degree in which those behaviors are carried out.

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(Jerry Brown: Post-Reagan - Pre-Jarvis - hair and optimism in abundance)

Since today is an election day in California, and since California is teetering on an abyss yet again, I ran across an old Meet The Press from October 15, 1975 featuring an interview with Governor Jerry Brown.

In 1975 California had a $300 million surplus. But then, the average household income was $13K a year (hard to imagine . . .not really). New York City was the problem child at the time, plunging hip-deep in bankruptcy and asking for bailout money from the government. To a lot of people it seemed an abstract concept, the U.S. Government actually bailing a city out, and the Ford Administration were loath to offer any help at first. But that was New York City - it could never happen in California.

Famous last words.

So here is Jerry Brown in his first year as Governor in 1975. Loaded with optimism and new ideas and all was sailing along before that little thing called Prop 13 and the Howard Jarvis Tax initiative blew into Sacramento in 1978. And 34 years later we're casting our eyes to Washington with hopes of a bailout.

I've included commercials for one of the sponsors of Meet The Press - Exxon. Seems the issue of clean coal just can't get off the ground.

Like I always say, some things just never change.