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Start your own rock and roll band: What was that book from the late 60s?

2N2222 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:47:13 -0800

Back in the late 70s, I found a how-to book (ca.1967) at the local library about starting a rock and roll band. What was that book??? It gave advice on how to create a rock and roll band, I'm guessing aimed at kids that were about the age I was at the time. I was in 6th or 7th grade when I found the book, about '78-'80. Even though the book itself was only about 10 or 12 years old at the time, it seemed to me ridiculously dated to me even then.

It had a few parts. One followed a nascent band of young mop-topped men, covering things like how they should dress, following them on a trip to Manny's in NYC to buy instruments, and advising how they needed a little gimmick to distinguish themselves. In this case, as exotic ethnic instruments like sitar were spicing pop songs at the time, the band chose to utilize a Greek bouzouki in their music, which I think also reflected the roots of one of the band members.

Another part profiled several successful bands of the time, like The Beau Brummels and Spanky and Our Gang, and their rise to fame. Amusing because several of the bands were somewhat obscure/mostly forgotten already by the time I got a hold of the book.

I think there was also a section covering musical instrument brands, buyers tips and such.

Does this ring any bells for anyone here? I've done some searches over the years via used book sellers, but have come up with no leads. Lacking a title or author, I get nothing but false leads. with subject matter.

British Guitar Fakebook, 1975-today

Admiral Haddock — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:26:42 -0800

I love playing guitar, and I love British rock/pop/punk (esp. 90s Britpop era). If you were compiling a list of awesome UK music to play on guitar from, say, 1975 to today, what specific songs would you include? It doesn't need to be virtuosic--I'd certainly include "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash, or "Connection" by Elastica (or Wire...)--but more complicated stuff (e.g., "Natwest Barclays Midlands Lloyds" by the Manics, or "I Am the Resurrection" by the Stone Roses, or "There's No Other Way" by Blur," or "This Charming Man" by the Smiths) is also very welcome. Looking for the songs you might want to play on a lazy afternoon, or coming back from a drunken night out.

Old or new, it's all good.

Duh-na na-na na-na na-na. Bass.

Slarty Bartfast — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:51:37 -0800

Aspiring bassist, and advanced guitarist, wants to know: what are the canonical rock and roll bass riffs? So I am taking up the bass after 30 years of guitar. I know my scales and chords backwards and forwards. I think I can develop my bass chops by learning to play some killer, instantly recognisable bass lines. Problem is, I can't really think of many. Thinking like "Stayin Alive" but not as dumb and popular. I'm talking what the wankers play at Guitar Center when they're testing out that Rickie 4003. What's the bass equivalent of Smoke on the Water, Back in Black, and Spirit of Radio? Any genre of music.

I don't want to sound like Les Claypool here, I just want to be familiar with the bass lines that every competent bassist should know.

Little Richard -> "Exile"-era Stones -> The Clash -> ?

nebulawindphone — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 22:45:30 -0800

Little Richard -> Exile-era Stones -> The Clash -> ? I'm looking for, you know, rock and roll.

Loose, but not dumb or too-stoned-to-play (e.g. not the Ramones or anyone who thinks they're the second coming of the Velvet Underground). Raucous, but not harder-than-thou (e.g. not Mötorhead or the Dead Kennedys). Energetic, but not all tense and frantic (e.g. not the Talking Heads or any of that mid-2000s dance-punk). And ideally not a straight-up novelty/revival act (e.g. not the Squirrel Nut Zippers or Brian Setzer).

What's been recorded after 1980 or so that fits the bill? Is there anyone worth paying attention to who's recording or touring now with this sort of music?

Rock & Roll Reading List

unsub — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:14:33 -0800

What is it really like to be in a band? Please recommend reading material! I am looking for books or blogs which capture the actual experience of being in a band. These could be nonfiction or fiction (or even documentary films), so long as they are authentic and detailed - the more jargon and minutiae the better. I am less interested in stories about wild rock star parties and more interested in things like: What is it like to write songs collaboratively and record them in a studio? How are disagreements resolved? What is it like to be on tour for months at a time? What is it like to be an opening act performing for a tiny, uninterested audience? What would the typical business arrangements be when a (non-superstar) group books a show at a venue? What are interactions with fans like? (Obviously everyone's experience is different - I am not expecting The One Answer to any of those questions.)

I am most interested in the indie rock scene, but am happy to read about musicians in other genres if they have some similarity. Thanks very much!

Great movies/films/documentaries about the roots of rock 'n' roll?

goethean — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:21:18 -0800

Great movies/films/documentaries about the roots of rock 'n' roll? We just enjoyed Nowhere Boy, Backbeat, and The Times and the Hours, all about John Lennon. Also luved Ray, about Ray Charles. Are there any similar (or different, but great) movies about Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Aretha Franklin, Dylan, the Beatles, Hendrix, the Stones, etc?

Help me be a drummer

Upon Further Review — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:29:22 -0800

I want to learn to play the drums and need advice on how to start a new hobby from our talented metadrummers out there! I played brass instruments in the 70's so have music knowledge however here we go with a new hobby. I played around on drums when I was a kid but now have the urge and time and quite a lot of different musical tastes to pursue drumming.. From the beginning what do I need to buy and what is a good starting drum set to get. Musicians friend has been mentioned as a good place to get starting gear. Should I start with a practice pad or get a noiseless set-up to begin: then get a drumset. Thanks for the help. Ready to rock and roll.

Find my kids some weird and wonderful rock and roll movies

2N2222 — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 01:09:42 -0800

Suggest some quirky rock and roll/pop music themed movies for teens. My 15 and 13 year old kids are on a wacky rock and roll movie kick. They were raised on a steady diet of Hard Day's Night, Help!, Yellow Submarine, Devo: The Men Who Make The Music, and Head. A few months back they started asking for more movies of the same kind. Quirky, weird, off the wall, OK. The more weird, the better. So I started going through the list of movies I'd seen and liked. In addition to the ones already mentioned, they've also now seen the following:

Human Highway
Tommy
The Wall
The Tune
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
The Rutles
True Stories
The Great Rock and Roll Swindle
Phantom of the Paradise
This Is Spinal Tap

That's pretty much all I came up with. We're not really looking for musicals, though they can be. The examples listed give the flavor of stuff we seek. For example, Jesus Christ Superstar doesn't seem to count. Nor do Frankie and Annette movies, though there's gotta be something worthwhile in that style, right? I'm thinking 200 Motels might be an option, but I kinda doubt they'll make it more than half way... I mean, it should also at least be entertaining. Any good ones I'm missing?

International Music Request

occidental — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:30:52 -0800

This question has certainly been asked before but I am looking for great rock music from different countries, the place matters not (except US and Canada). What I really want though is more musical exposure of bands who I can then listen to and research outward from them. In other words, I am not looking for exhaustive lists of bands, rather, geographic diversity. The more different countries, the better. This is essentially an update on this question from 2006.

One of my hobbies is finding new bands from far off places. I love hearing what is happening elsewhere and getting that broader perspective on music. Occasionally I share music on a blog I keep for my friends and I want to open some new avenues of inquiry. For examples of bands that I enjoy that I have found:

Kaizers Orchestra
Cate Le Bon
Noir Desir
Betting on the Mouse
Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Secret Chiefs 3
Arab Strap
The Growlers

I am not sure there is a genre that is evident with the exception of "Rock and Roll" VERY broadly defined.

The question goal is: at least one band from as many countries as possible.

Help me rock out with my c- ... uh help me rock.

komara — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:24:07 -0800

Looking for suggestions on rough raw blues-based rock and roll. Right now I'm really enjoying some early Black Keys, early White Stripes, and Black Diamond Heavies (which I learned about because of this thread (thanks ghharr)). I'm looking for anything else in this vein. Loud, raucous, greasy, simple rock and roll. Those three bands have three things in common: a blues-rock background, two members, and a male vocalist. Further consideration: I'm a music listener, not a lyrics listener, so I don't really care what the songs are about. Besides, if they're what I'm looking for chances are they'll be about drinking, drugs, and women who done them wrong, so that's fine.

To reiterate, I'd love to hear your suggestions on the following: a band that:
1.) has simple loud raw bluesy-rock
2.) is a small group, two or three people
3.) has a male vocalist

I'm horrible at finding good music, but you guys know what I'm looking for. I anticipate a weekend full of amazing times. The brown party liquor and I thank you in advance.

Famous Live Songs?

Ike_Arumba — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:42:10 -0800

What are some examples of live versions of popular songs that are more well-known than their studio counterparts? Perfect example of this is Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me," which is most often heard as the At Budokan live version. I don't think I've ever even heard the studio version of "I want You to Want Me". Another good example is Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do" from Frampton Comes Alive.... This is heard much more often than the original studio version off of Camel. One more: "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger.

Example of songs that don't count: songs that were originally released live (ex: "The Load Out/Stay" by Jackson Browne).

if u live on the road theres a new highway code

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:17:26 -0800

My band is going on a national rock tour: what should I know? Unexpectedly, a pretty big-time act wants this indie/psych group I play with to open for them on about 40 dates this fall. The dates are almost all booked, with a little break in the middle.

I have read this thread, and this thread, so I've got a pretty good idea about what to bring in the van, but mainly I'd like to know what you wish you'd known before your own band headed out on tour, or what you, as someone tangentially involved in the music scene in your town, wished that touring bands knew about.

Also: It's been 10 years since I went on the road what kinda stuff should I expect to have changed or be vital to know about now? What resources (besides BYOFL, which as far as I can tell is useless now) most came in handy when you were playing shows around?

FYI I am also the manager/publicist/booking agent and everything else. We have a self-released album and some t-shirts as a starter kit. We're buying a van. We walk the streets at night, we go where eagles dare.

Help me remember a documentary

Fiasco da Gama — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:31:57 -0800

Many years ago I either heard or read a documentary about an American rock 'n' roll producer who was—according to this documentary—highly influential but never particularly famous, but whose name I cannot now recall. There are only two details of his life I remember:
1. He once talked a bunch of children in his neighbourhood into jumping up and down on a wooden staircase in his house to record a backbeat, and
2. He eventually died in a shootout with his landlord.
I would love to know if this is a figment of my imagination, and if it was genuinely a documentary I remember, I'd love to know more about this person.

Hard Rock Hallelujah Fail.

zackola — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:53:55 -0800

Where did I get this picture of a priest rocking out on a Fender Stratocaster from originally? I'm a moron and when I changed web hosts a while ago, failed to take some image files with me. They are backed up nowhere. Anyhow, one of the images was this priest rocking out on a black and white Fender Stratocaster, in what looks like a church. I LOL captioned it. You can see the thumbnail on google image search by looking up

hard rock hallelujah

Is there any way for me to get the full size image out of google's cache? And if that's not an option, can anyone help me find a copy of the original (before I captioned it). Checked lots of google images and macrochan.org, but not coming up with anything. Thanks for helping out a dumbass (me).

Rising sun rock and roll?

soma lkzx — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:56:43 -0800

Tokyo Damage Report's list of shows and venues has sold me on going to see bands play while I'm in Japan, are there any resources like this for cities besides Tokyo? Turns out that going to a show alone isn't so bad when you're in a foreign country and your cultural/language skills are that of a 2 year old - I just need to know where to go! My musical taste in this case is just guitars and energy; I'll take anything from hardcore to twee to psychobilly. I think my guidebook has things like jazz pretty well covered, but feel free to bring suggestions from that end of the spectrum as well.

I'm going to be hanging around in indeterminate cities between Tokyo and Nagasaki for the next ten days, so the net is pretty wide. Show lists, venue lists, or even venue names would all be really helpful.

(And while I'm at it, if you have any amazing suggestions on less rock-n-rolly things to do or festivals in the next week, you can drop that in, too!)

Is it a good idea to use superglue for covering a popped blister?

waxboy — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:58:58 -0800

Is it a good idea to use superglue for covering a popped blister? I'm a drummer, and from time to time I get a wicked blister at the base of my index finger. A friend told me that Flea used to use superglue as a quick fix for blisters on stage, and this sounds reasonable enough. Of course, I don't know squat about biochem. Is there any reason why I wouldn't want to use this stuff to replace missing skin?

For those about to rock...

brautigan — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:29:03 -0800

Who has documented rock n roll's greatest excesses? I'm looking for the best books and films on life at the top, gross excess, debauchery, fast-living, hedonism, sex, drugs and general rock and roll.

Motley Crue's The Dirt would be the obvious example but what else would be unmissable in a sea of hazy memoirs and bad biogs?

I'd happily extend the rock n roll escapades to non music industry tales if they make for raucous reading / viewing.

Should I just crash a wedding, or is there somewhere else I can dance like that?

pithy comment — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:11:43 -0800

I'd like to take my sweetheart dancing tonight in NYC. Not hip-hop or grinding, but something almost like a wedding reception - good classics for dancing, maybe some swing, maybe some rock and roll, maybe some country, maybe the twist - I definitely want to twirl her across the dance floor. We're not expert dancers we just want to go have some fun, and cheap-to-free is good too. We're coming from Astoria but anywhere in the city works for me. Pre-dancing dinner suggestions would be nice too. I read these posts but they don't quite fit what I'm looking for. Swing 46 seems too expensive and touristy (is my guess), plus I don't want just swing.

She was too young to fall in love... I was too young to know'

crabintheocean — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 13:33:11 -0800

Creepiest / most double - entendre laden Rock n' Roll era love songs? I've been listening to a lot of XM radio lately, and it's re-ignited my love for 50's and early 60's pop, especially the significant minority of songs that are hauntingly creepy or surprisingly explicit... ...songs that came out of the same mass-produced pop mill as all the rest, but somehow got a little something extra. Like 'Blue Velvet', 'Runaround Sue', 'Seventeen' and 'Baby Talk'. I'm also trying to demonstrate to my wife the kind of David Lynch-esque horror that I see behind the bounciness innocence of some of that music. Ok maybe I'm going too far now... but what songs from that era raise your eyebrows, make you go 'WTF!', or are just jaw-droppingly beautiful?

Bonus point if you can help me find a song from that era or a little earlier (Harlem?) which is all about 'Jailbait' and contains lines like '15, 16, 17... Jailbait'. It ends with the protagonist pleading before a judge and saying that he's going to 'find me a girl about 42'!