The Wheezer Society

Keyboards Silent For Bennie Wilson

Posted by Steve Lindstedt: Benny Wilson has passed on. Benny was the master of the Hammond B-3 organ. When I was running the 'Myrtle Brown' debacle, I hired Benny for several dates, and he was wonderful. Benny would haul in his Hammond organ, along with a huge Leslie cabinet, and hook it up in mere minutes. Meanwhile, our horn players would take forty-five minutes to tune up, all the while bitching about the monitor mix. Benny Wilson was the consummate professional. He'd show up, play his ass off, and get paid - with a smile. See ya, Benny!

Mrs Howland's Opus

Posted by Steve Lindstedt

I was saddened and dismayed at the news of Janet's passing. She, along with Mahlon Read, was a favorite teacher in high school. As you know, I really sucked at anything "academic" in school, thus, I exelled in the 'Artsy-Fartsy' subjects, such as choir and the arts. I had a lot of respect for her in my high school years, but I really got to know her after high school. She spent time as choir director at Westminster Presbyterian Church, when my folks and Bob and Winnie Mercer got to know her on a personal basis, as they were in the choir. During these years every Christmas, the Mercers would host a party involving Christmas caroling around the neighborhood of NE 34th and Klickitat, right across from the 'Klickitat mansion.'

After the caroling was over, The Mercers would throw a huge holiday party where Winnie would preside at the Steinway, and many luminaries from the Oregon Symphonic Choir would attend, including soprano Bonnie Hensley, organist Eskil Randolf, the alto Francis Arnold. Also in attendance were Addie Bobkins, who went to Lewis And Clark college with my folks and the Mercers. At these parties, Winnie would be on piano, and Janet Howland would direct an ersatz choir, kind of a choral jam session. The sheet music would be passed out and some serious vocals would be performed. Several movements from Handel and Bach, The choral part from Beethoven's ninth symphony, Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria", and, of course, Handel's "Halleluia Chorus". All the while, Janet is directing this make-shift choir with relish, enjoying her White Zinfandel.

The music was stunning! ...and she was in heaven! This is when I really got to know Janet Howland, visiting with her out of the school environment.

I think she might be directing God's choir about now, whaddya think??
-Steve Lindstedt

"Karloff's Koffin" Guest Isaac Hayes

Whip It Lawsuit! Devo Sues McDonalds

Last April, McDonald's rolled out a new Happy Meal, featuring toys with an American Idol theme with small singing figures including Disco Dave, Country Clay, Soulful Selma and Rockin' Riley. Oh, yeah - and New Wave Nigel.

Hey, what's with the Devo energy dome on New Wave Nigel's head? Oh, that's the "sue-us" trigger.

As indicated on Devo's website, Club Devo, "This New Wave Nigel doll that they've created is just a complete Devo rip-off and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I designed, and it's copyrighted and trademarked." Devo adds, "They didn't ask us anything. Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like American Idol, so we're doubly offended." The band also allege that the toy plays a "Devo-esque song". Listen here/hear

Whip it, Judge!

Can You Tell Me Where He's Gone?

From the earlier post this morning, Jay wrote a great story (see below) and Neil, wrote back.. "I didn't know what politics were about until RFK died..." that statement is true for many of our generation. Nicely put, Mr Sterett.

Abraham, Martin & John
Written by Dick Holler Produced by Phil Gernhard

Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham,
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone.

Has anybody here seen my old friend John,
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin,
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone.

Didn't you love the things they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free,
Someday soon it's gonna be one day.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby,
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John

Who Do You Love? Bo Diddley, That's Who!

"I walk Forty-seven miles of barbed-wire,
I gotta cobra-snake for a neck-tie.
I got a brand-new house on the road-side,
and it's made out of rattle-snake hide.
I got a brand new chimney, put on top,
and it's made out of human skull.
Come on, take a walk with me baby,
and tell me Who Do You Love?..."

Elias McDaniels at twelve years old constructed his own guitar. He called it his "diddley-bow". Hence his stage name... Bo Diddley. Elias wrote some of the darkest lyrics in the blues. He was also responsible for the famous 'Hand-Jive" beat, that is also known as the "shave and a hair-cut, two bits" tempo. You'll recognize it in such songs as Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away", and eighties hits like, "I Want Candy". Bo only knew one chord on the guitar, but he made great use of it. I met him once (while working at Bojangles) See ya, Bo. - Posted by Steve Lindstedt

Pig Escapes - Eventually Led To The Slaughter

Pink Floyd's Inflatable Pig with the word's "Don't Be Led To the Slaughter" floated away from a concert in Indio, California. Two couples found tattered halves of the pig in their yards, a few miles from the festival grounds.

Concert organizers had offered a $10,000 reward for the pig's return. On Tuesday, pieces of the plastic carcass were examined. "That's definitely our pig," producer Bill Fold said.

The pig which was as tall as a two-story house and as wide as two school buses, was used during the set of Pink Floyd's "Pigs" from the 1977 anti-capitalist album "Animals."

The pig displayed the words "Don't be led to the slaughter" and a cartoon of Uncle Sam holding two bloody cleavers. The other side read "Fear builds walls" and the underside read "Obama" with a checked ballot box for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Portland Set To Rock N Roll

Resident Wheezer Society Musicologist Steve Lindstedt reports, "Two of the world's shortest surf guitarists ever will actually play together, live, on one stage!!!"

"Jim Mesi and Steve Bradley will be performing at Mark Lindsay's Rock N' Roll Cafe on NE 42nd & Sandy Blvd in the heart of the Hollywood District on Friday March 21 and Friday March 28! Hey!! let's go!! All you Munchkins with Stratocasters, rockin' the dump!! ....Think about it....Lolly-pop kids with Fender guitars, reverb and Marshall amps!"

Beatles May Sing New iTune

CNet’s News.com blog reports that Paul McCartney has given his go ahead to make the Beatle's song catalog available on Apple’s iTunes in the coming months.

Britain’s Telegraph reports that the deal could be worth $600 million.

A spokesman for Apple Corps, the Beatles record label, would not confirm when the records would be available online and said: “The date has not yet been set.”

With McCartney's current divorce settlement still in negotiations, he may need the cash.

Singing Songs In A Vacuum

Over at SciFi Visuals, some American Idle Idol is being put to shame... check it out