If you're not listening to Andrew Hickey's podcast "The History of Rock in 500 Songs", I cannot recommend it enough. If I remember correctly, the most recent episode on the Turtles talked about how they signed Marc Bolan to their label pre-T. Rex. The intersection of bands and artists who seemingly have nothing to do with each other does not cease to amaze me.
I'll have to check that out. Howard Kaylan once told me a great story — as part of an interview which I hope to unearth for JTL — about meeting Bolan in his Tyrannosaurus Rex days and how he and Mark Volman wound up singing on his records. I don't recall any mention of them signing Marc to their label, though...
Okay, I checked it out - basically, the Turtles and the Bolan-era John’s Children were both on White Whale, though the Turtles had nothing to do with that; it was simply a licensing deal in the US.
Great song & story...Vamp Power! I've always been obsessed by all things Marc & T. Rex. My Trextacy moment came in the mid-eighties in L.A. when I was endlessly hyping the Michael McMahan Band, putting flyers around town at all the record stores. There was a new (and short-lived) store on Santa Monica & GLORIA JONES!!! was inside signing photos & her new album! I got her to sign a photo & as she was signing it, she told me "You look like a star." I could have died & went to heaven at that moment, still makes me smile as I'm writing this. Still have the photo & that great memory. (Looking back, maybe she said that to all the young dudes, lol)
Oh man, I had completely forgotten about that Schaffner book. It was an important one for me, too.
I still go back to it from time to time — most of it has aged remarkably well.
If you're not listening to Andrew Hickey's podcast "The History of Rock in 500 Songs", I cannot recommend it enough. If I remember correctly, the most recent episode on the Turtles talked about how they signed Marc Bolan to their label pre-T. Rex. The intersection of bands and artists who seemingly have nothing to do with each other does not cease to amaze me.
I'll have to check that out. Howard Kaylan once told me a great story — as part of an interview which I hope to unearth for JTL — about meeting Bolan in his Tyrannosaurus Rex days and how he and Mark Volman wound up singing on his records. I don't recall any mention of them signing Marc to their label, though...
Okay, I checked it out - basically, the Turtles and the Bolan-era John’s Children were both on White Whale, though the Turtles had nothing to do with that; it was simply a licensing deal in the US.
Great song & story...Vamp Power! I've always been obsessed by all things Marc & T. Rex. My Trextacy moment came in the mid-eighties in L.A. when I was endlessly hyping the Michael McMahan Band, putting flyers around town at all the record stores. There was a new (and short-lived) store on Santa Monica & GLORIA JONES!!! was inside signing photos & her new album! I got her to sign a photo & as she was signing it, she told me "You look like a star." I could have died & went to heaven at that moment, still makes me smile as I'm writing this. Still have the photo & that great memory. (Looking back, maybe she said that to all the young dudes, lol)
Oh man, that's incredible! It doesn't even matter if it was just a line — either way, she knew it would make your day!