Those were the days

My senior year in high school, we had a beautiful instructor in art class. One of our early projects was carving linoleum tile pads for printing. We sketched an image on the surface then, using VERY SHARP wood carving tools, we were instructed to remove the negative portion of tile to make a positive image suitable for ink printing.

The backing on our tiles was like burlap - a stiff sheet affixed to the tiles. I was carving along, slowly and gently plowing the blade through the linoleum when the instructor, slowly meandering about, checking our progress, passed my way. I looked up, smiled and immediately dug the blade into the backing - stopping it cold. Continuing to smile, I pushed harder and the blade popped loose and imbedded itself into my left hand which was holding the tile on the opposite side. About 2 inches went straight into the webbing between my left thumb and forefinger. I continued smiling as our instructor continued on to the next student. I never made THAT mistake again, although I did continue to pay a great deal of attention to our instructor.

The End
 
We had multiple projects where about 16 of us would collaborate on experimental projects centered around MIDI. Splitting into two 8-person groups, each group would produce one MIDI composition. Each person in their group would receive a copy which, using their own mapping, would be transformed into an original composition. One person's strings became another's percussion. There were 8 wildly differing variations on a single starter file - 8 more in the second group.

Each person then either left their version as MIDI only, or they added guitars, vocals and analog percussion of their own. We then did stereo mixes of our own versions onto cassette tape and mailed to a designated final mixer to be processed as they saw fit. These were put to stereo cassettes and returned to each of us, along with final copies of all 16 versions.

That was some wild stuff there. No two of us had the same mapping in our MIDI gear.

There are many threads here looking for collaboration, that's what got me recalling this stuff. I don't dabble in this sort of MIDI these days, just drum kits.

Now THAT sounds like fun! I would have no idea how to do it, but it sounds cool.
 
Now THAT sounds like fun! I would have no idea how to do it, but it sounds cool.

It was very cool and, at the time, I was a MIDI novice. My MIDI module did most of the work, all I did was hit PLAY and switch instrument voices around at random until it sounded good. Like switching stations on the old car radio.

Now I can't even recall what kind of MIDI gear I had back then, other than my Kawai K3 synth.
 
My First Rock Concert

Ah yessss... it was 11/14/1970.


It was summertime... I had gotten involved with my best friend's ex-girlfriend... One of those deals where she was using me to make him jealous - didn't work. BUT! ... we continued seeing each other and one day the word spread that Grand Funk Railroad was comin' to town - to University of Md.'s Cole Field House. I was on it!

I don't even remember her name (head hurts) but I called her as soon as I got home with the tickets and asked her to go. YES! she said. When I got to her house that evening, I was dressed all hippie-like in jeans, denim shirt, denim jacket, boots, long hair and a black felt hat with a nice multi-colored band around it. I rang the doorbell and there she was... a matching blue denim jacket, high top Chuck Taylors - black, and a flaming pink tutu and bare legs. My dream date.

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WooHoo! Let's rock!

I swear, when we got there not one person did a double take on her outfit - probably due to lots of pre-partying. Once seated, the house filled with smoke, and it wasn't part of the show. Every 2 minutes someone was handing us one of them wacky tobacky things and that lasted till the show ended.

That was the rockingest concert I ever attended. Been to some way better sounding shows, but none that rocked like that one.

Those were the days...
 
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My First Electric Guitar

Late 1972. I had been playing guitar for just over a year. My friend Bob and I had stashed away some cash, so we hopped into his father's old VW Bug and headed to Boston (from Cape Cod) one Saturday.
I got a 72 Telecaster with Fender hardshell case for $289. I had just enough cash to cover the 3% sales tax. Bob got a Gibson SG for $320.00
I still have the Tele - pickguard changed a few times. Original signed by Todd Rundgren and hanging on my wall.

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My first electric guitar was also a 72 Tele - used, unsigned with awful playability. Came with a Fender hard case and a small 100W Yamaha combo for $300. Got that in (I think...) 1980 from a tech at the Olds dealer I worked at. Soon after, another tech turned me onto a 76 LP Pro with original hard case for $300. I was entering my GAS phase.

The last time I was in a Bug was around 1982 in No. Va. the day after a big snowfall. The girl next door had an old Bug and asked me out for a snow ride. part of that ride was on the Beltway and every time she changed lanes we plowed through ridges of snow and ice which exploded up through the rotted out floorboard on my side. It was like being trapped inside a shaved ice machine. With each bump I expected to fall through the floor and be sliced and diced.
 
One of our early projects was carving linoleum tile pads for printing
I remember doing this in 1973/74 when I was 10 and 11. On Friday afternoons. The class would split up, the girls would go somewhere for needlework and we'd do the linoleum carving. It was so boring but we had the freedom to just chat. And every week someone would slice up their hand. It got to the point where the pressure was on to not slice one's hand but it got us all in the end. I was about 4th from the end before I jooked my hand. Quite early on in the process, as the 3rd or whatever person did their hand, someone came up with the phrase "X {however many had sliced} down, X {those that hadn't} to go." That's where I learned that phrase. I can't remember if our teacher came up with it or one of the other kids but that's where I learned it. I never did linoleum carving after that, I'm glad to say. When that implement went into my hand, it damn well hurt.
 
I know sometimes for those that weren't there it is hard to believe that Eddie VH, Randy Rhodes ( quiet Riot pre Ozzy) , Ozzy Fox (Stryper) Mark Kendal ( Great White) The Motley Crue gang and several others all were unsigned musicians based in the San Gabriel Valley ( east of LA ) In 1976...when my band was in it's prime..We / I played gigs with VH and QR, Jammed with Ozzy and Mark and shared a rehearsal space with the Crue aka Rock Kandy back in the day... we were so close yet so far away.....no rock star soup for us..:mad: :laughings:

Below is a picture of Kenny Smith ( The dude that got me into keys ) and Eddie doing a wedding gig for a friend in 1975...

Those were the days...

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This is the band circa 1977 ..That's my long haired freaky hippie type ass in the middle....

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Thanks for all the pics! ;)

Nobody told me these were the good old days...

Here's one of that not so world famous Rock Keyboardist Tomco circa 1979

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Man.. wish I had some old pics. The only one I recall any of my bands taking was an outdoor shot for an album cover.. which never materialized. I have no idea where those went. If smart phones were around then I'd have hundreds.
 
Man.. wish I had some old pics.
I am a pack rat bordering on hoarder.....sick I tell ya!
Yeah I still have posters like the pic above where we are standing in front on the volvo in from of a mansion in San Marino...

Ya wanna get really jealous ...The light show company that did our shows loved us and invested in a video camera to record our shows...eat your heart out I have live videos brother...some still need to get transferred but just to give ya an idea of the fun I had...

Dems was the days...

 
Alright! Nice stuff. :guitar::thumbs up:

Reminds me of some parties we played where we just started jamming and didn't stop. Sometimes me (bass) and the drummer would lock into a groove and the guitar player would have to fend for himself.

Encore! Encore!
 
I think I know where a good portion of stimulus money is being spent in my neighborhood..

There has been a noticeable increase in loud exhaust systems cruising by my apartment this past month. I don't really object to them as they actually sound good. Not as good as the 60's 383 Hemi Roadrunners and Super Bee's, or SS 396 Chevelles, or 289 Mustangs, or 389 Tri-Power GTOs.. many with some form of Thrush exhaust.

My current apartment is right next to a divided highway where these vehicles are frequently opened up - no races, just putting the foot into it when taking off at the green light intersection or pulling out from a side street.

In the 60's, my apartment was also next to a divided highway where all the kids brought their super cars for straight-line racing. Those cars sounded much better and, believe it or not, we could tell which car was which by the exhaust notes, either at full throttle or at a loping idle. Some of those cams were sweet to the ear..

..those were the days
 
389 Tri-Power GTO's..
..those were the days

Trust me when I say we were middle class...I was not a spoiled rich kid... but...I always was working and making money early on in life...in late 69 @ 16 1/2 years old my 59 Ford fairlane galaxy tranny went out and the folks agreed to sign for me to get a newer car...to get back and forth to work...I was working nights and weekends at my uncles plating shop making a whopping $1.65 and hour...My Mom found it in the local Sunday paper ads...They nor I had a clue what they were putting me into when they signed the papers......yep a 65 GTO with Hijacker air shocks in the back, 389 tri-power with a Sig Erson cam, Muncie 4 speed with Hurst shifter and 390 posi-traction rear end Capri Gold ( not the Tiger Gold ...yuck) with Black leather interior....OMG it was an amazing ride..... That I lived to tell the tale is proof there is a God...In between rebuilding the rear end, several clutches and new synchros in the tranny ...and getting my license taken away for 6 months for "speeding" (Go figure) I owned and drove the car for just under 20 months...I was parked out on a residential street at a friends that was sort of a thoroughfare one evening. A poor girl that I went to school with swerved to miss a cat and killed my goat .....:eek:.... Totally sent it up into the neighbor next doors yard....She only got a bloody lip and a broken retainer out it....I was in shock and unusually calm and cool about it... Didn't loose my shit on her and was actually rather compassionate and sorry she got hurt...The lord giveth and the lord taketh away.. It certainly was a bummer at the time but probably saved my life....I was very wreckless and was not one bit worried about dying young.....as long as it was in a blaze of dumb ass glory.. Kids...:facepalm:

This is the closest I could quickly find out on the net and it is very close...no Hijackers...I had bigger wheels on the back and mine had black pinstripes and the side windows blacked out...what a joy to ride up highway 39 or on the brand new 210 freeway woo hoo!

YES THOSE WERE THE DAYS!

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Talk about a sleeper...

A guy I went to our geeky engineering college with was a mechanical savant. He took a 454 out of a 'Vette and put it in a CORVAIR!

And Nader thought it was unsafe stock.
 
I would kill for some video of my old bands. We were all pretty bad, but it would still be fun to see.

God, I miss my hair.
 
When I saved that picture I noticed it does have the black pinstriping and totally the closest match to the rims I had...I wanted Chrome Cragars but that is what came with it...Mine were dressed with Uniroyal Tiger Paws......
I really like those wheels - I figured they were Cragars. A friend drove a white '63 Impala convertible with those grayed Cragar spokes and it was beautiful. He didn't race or do burn-outs, just put the top down and did the slow boulevard cruise thing wherever he went.
 
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