From: Bomp-Digest-Sender To: bomp-digest@bolis.com Subject: Bomp V96 #42 Reply-To: Bomp@bolis.com Precedence: bulk Bomp Wednesday, 24 July 1996 Volume 96 : Number 042 In this issue: Stingrays etc Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones Re: Soul Madrid Re: The Sting-rays Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: philmcm@dircon.co.uk (Phil McMullen) Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 11:53:31 +0100 Subject: Stingrays etc >This might be slightly off topic, but Alec Palao was in the band "The Sting-Rays" some time >ago... and seeing his name mentioned made me wonder if anyone had any information about what >happened to the band after they split up. I heard someone mention a group called "The Charity >Case" once but that was all I ever heard. Can anyone be kind enough to oblige with information? >Cheers, >Damon Sorry guys, no idea - but you can always try asking Alec yourself: palao@sirius.com (alec palao) Regards, Phil ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Phil McMullen, Editor The Ptolemaic TERRASCOPE 37 Sandridge Road Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 7BQ ENGLAND philmcm@dircon.co.uk http://web.mit.edu/jonb/www/pt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ From: knardone@tulip.usa.com (Kevin Nardone) Date: Wed, 24 Jul 96 8:59:14 Subject: Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones Blair said: < OR, Joe's probably Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 11:45:57 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones On Wed, 24 Jul 1996, Kevin Nardone wrote: > Blair, > > you dont happen to know the real call letters, or frequency of this > radio station, do you? Im especially interested because as of next > week, I'll be living in the greater Worcester area. Sorry, I don't, but I'd imagine that the FCC must have a web page with a list of US stations and their locations. Anyone know if this is true? WCUW just seems to be sticking in my head. I'd suggest heading to a local club and asking... is Ralph's still in existence? > Hey - know anyone else from the area who would like to start a > Worcester area 'Fuzztones' chapter playing garage / psych / surf? Well... not personally, but I know the Time Beings are still happening. Also, does anyone know if the Bel Mondos were a Worcester band or were they officially Boston? As far as I know, they're broken up now, but I remember seeing them in NYC one night on 14th St. (The Strip or Flannery's, I'm not sure which name was in effect, though I rather think it was the latter, since it was downstairs... which means the show couldn't have been any earlier than '91.) The Bel Mondos blew me away that night... Singer Artie Sneiderman looked very Question Mark and the band really knew what they were doing. Some of the best garage punk I'd heard in ages... and their demo tape (which both the Platterpuss and I made sure we bought) was amazing. Can't believe they never did any vinyl. In fact, the demo tape seemed live... "Hi, we're the Bel Mondos... Thrill-crazed hipsters on a spree... High on Sex, Kicks, and Rock'n'Roll." (So went the intro to the tape.) I dunno, I remember something that sounded like a cross between ? & The Remains, tho' that's not how I put it at the time (I'll dig back into early issues of the Teen Scene if anyone wants to know more.) Blair ------------------------------ From: scaf@pro-net.co.uk (Steve Coleman) Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 20:28:36 GMT Subject: Re: Soul Madrid >From: William_Jones@ITA.DOC.GOV >Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 11:07:04 -0400 >Subject: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones >Also, to Steve Coleman, are you (or anyone else) familiar with a live >Fleshtones' record called "Soul Madrid"? What do you think of it? I >picked it up a few years ago on Imposible Records and I think it's a >Spanish import. Not sure how easy it is to find, but I recommend this as >a fine document of their great live show. Bill, At the time the album came out (Spring '89) I was extremely excited. Correct me if I am wrong but this was the first 'Tones LP since 'vs. Reality' (early '87). So when I saw it in the shop I thought "Wow, a new 'Tones disc at last!" Moreover it contained a strange number called 'Los Reyes Del Piel Negro' which in fact turned out to be 'Leather Kings'. Fred Smith was helping the band at the time and although his playing is solid it does not have a funk/r'n'b edge absolutely essential to the super-rock sound. Another factor which is particularly important is Peter's voice. In short it is absolutely *ragged*. Great if you are a fan and know the songs but hardly something which will convert the curious. On the positive side the band are aided by Paul Vorcesi (Sax) and Nelson Keene Carse (Trombone) and it contains some great covers (for instance 'The Turn On Song' by Don & The Goodtimes). As usual our favourite ringmaster, the Z-man, delivers some neat one-liners. The album was the first record put out by Imposible (...that's how they spell it), nicely packaged in a gatefold sleeve and digitally transferred. Not that the last point is necessary when listening to a 'Tones "live" album. In the final analysis I would suggest people hunt out 'Speed Connection' or even better the bootleg of an '82 radio show they did in Phili' with Marty Thau at the controls. The latter is sometimes known as 'Live At Ceasers Palace' or 'The World Has Changed'. Steve "just trying to by objective" Coleman ------------------------------ From: scaf@pro-net.co.uk (Steve Coleman) Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 20:28:39 GMT Subject: Re: The Sting-rays >From: "Damon Mcgill" >Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 9:44:45 GMT >This might be slightly off topic, but Alec Palao was in the band "The Sting-Rays" >some time ago... and seeing his name mentioned made me wonder if anyone had >any information about what happened to the band after they split up. I heard >someone mention a group called "The Charity Case" once but that was all I ever >heard. Can anyone be kind enough to oblige with information Damon, This band were simply one of the best and original bands on the London trash scene in the early eighties. For those who have not heard of them, their influences ran from Rockabilly, Sixties Garage Punk, Folk-Rock and many other Bomp friendly musical styles. Always wild and fun onstage, they were embraced by the Psychobilly crowd, no doubt attracted by the Bal's (the singer) outragous haircut and onstage trick of diving off the backline. To be a perfect "garage snob" about this I do not think a lot of these Psychobilly boys and girls were faintly interested that the 'Rays covered 'Come On Kid' (Kenny & the Kasuals) or 'How Much More' (Terry Knight & The Pack) nor should they have been I suppose. Yes Mr Palao had good taste even back then. This straightjacketing hampered the band as Alec began to write more and more material which invevitably directed them in a more "scholarly" direction. To this particular fan it was probably the key factor which ripped the band apart. To illustrate the point, I saw their last gig at the Sir George Robey in Finsbury Park just as the final album was released. Bal could not even remember the words to the new songs and sang most of them from scraps of paper. Aah 'Cryptic And Coffee Time' what a great parting shot. The 'Rays constantly trying to overeach themselves and failing ...but with great style. All of the songs are by Mr 'Cream Puff War' Palao but suffer from vocal and instrumental limitations. This album would be a milestone (or should that be millstone) if the Dunhill session crew had been involved. Being a garage nut I really appreciate it when a band goes to the effort of pushing themselves a little further despite their musical handicaps. If you persevere with this record you will discover a slew of fantastic songs jumping out of the grooves. >From tbe ashes of the Sting-rays came The Charity Case. Alec gave me a copy of their single ('Safe In The Mind' b/w 'Sandie Shaw World War') when I attended his Rock'n'Roll evening class in '87 at the City University here in London. Hey the classes were great but that is another story! Anyway the Charity Case comprised Mark Hoskings (guitar), Joe Whitney (drums) and Alec (Bass) from the last Stingrays line-up and a lady called Rocola on lead vocals. I did see them once but found them rather gothic and a not as enjoyable as the Sting-rays. As for the other 'Rays, well Bal has had several projects inluding his latest band called 'The Flaming Stars'. They have just released an LP on Camden Town Records. I mentioned the other day that the bass player, Jon Bridgwood, turned up onstage at the John's Children reunion as did Mark Hoskings (playing vox continental) for the Wheels reunion. Mark is also active with Bal in the Flaming Stars. I hope this answers your question Damon. The Sting-rays were one hell of an original band and are sorely missed. It would have been so easy for The Sting-rays to go down the garage-mannequin route but they stuck to their own ideas. They made some vital and interesting records and I recommend all of them to members of this forum. Steve Coleman Prepare To Enter The Garage http://idun.unl.ac.uk/~hfa9colemas/records.htm ------------------------------ From: Phil Lerman Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 20:58:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones I just noticed this thread (been using the 'd' key a bit too easilly) but Kevin or anyone else in the Boston (most people I know from Woostah mainly go to shows here) area feel free to e-mail me if you go to shows or whatever and want to meet up. - -pHIL ____________________ | phil@picante.com | http://www.picante.com/~phil My random observation of the day/week: Acid Rain turned Kimberly Drummond's hair green on an episode of Dif'rent Strokes. ------------------------------ From: "Paul E. Piacentini" Date: Wed, 24 Jul 96 21:01 EDT Subject: Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones At 08:59 AM 7/24/96, you wrote: >Blair said: >< OR, Joe's probably > >Blair, > >you dont happen to know the real call letters, or frequency of this >radio station, do you? Im especially interested because as of next >week, I'll be living in the greater Worcester area. Call letters are definately WCUW (Clark University, Worcestor), also knows as Worcestor Community Unity, at 95.7 FM. Rev Joe used to host a great mid-80's garage show called Garageland, followed by Capt. PJ's show (the name esacpes me right now). A great one-two punch, if I remember right wednesday nites 9-12 PM. I used to look forward to it. Then the Rev was hosting a 50's oldies type show saturday nites at 9:00, playing obscure 50's things along with a few garage rocker thrown in. I'm not sure if he's still doing it, he was a couple years ago. I still have fond memories of a Fuzztones/Mad Violets show the Rev and "Puppetmaster" PJ hosted at Sir Morgan's Cove in Worcestor around 1986 or so... - -Paul ------------------------------ From: LaniDoe@aol.com Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 22:05:26 -0400 Subject: Re: Rock & Roll Reference, 'tones In response to Blair's questions/comments: The Bel Mondos are indeed broken up. I recently saw Artie (their singer) and Mike Michaud (guitarist) at Preston Wayne's (from The Odds, Time Beings, etc.) wedding. I also ran into Mike at the recent Fleshtones show in Boston and asked him if he's currently in a band. The answer was, at least for now, no. Lani ------------------------------ End of Bomp V96 #42 ******************* You have been reading Bomp-digest. For subscription requests, send a message to majordomo@bolis.com containing "subscribe Bomp-digest" or "unsubscribe Bomp-digest"