We loved the Mambo Sons and sad that they broke up...but guitarist Tom Guerra has a great new solo project releasing June 5....Take a look and listen....Tom loves using vintage guitars and amps so we are certain our favorite guitarist friends will enjoy his new cd.....
For the past 15 years Tom has been the guitarist, producer and songwriter with the indie rock and roll trio Mambo Sons, releasing 4 critically acclaimed cds on Omnicide Records.
The new cd is a collection of 11 new guitar based rock and roll originals recorded using a fine collection of vintage instruments and amps. The album also features special guests Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople, Queen) and Matt Zeiner (Dickey Betts Band) on keyboards and has an official release date of June 5.
I'm Valentin (stage name Valentin The Mad) a lead guitarist - solo artist from Haifa, Israel. I'm currently working on my solo project on which I play all of the tracks - record the guitars, the bass and program the drums.
My latest release -- Never Peace of Mind (prog rock):
Great news! Steve Hunter's Oscar Teller Acoustic guitar is now going be auctioned by Julien’s in their Icons & Idols Rock n Roll sale later this year.
Julien's are one of the worlds largest celebrity auctioneers and you can find out more about them here…. http://www.juliensauctions.com
Oscar Teller photo Karen Hunter
This 1964 Oscar Teller nylon string acoustic guitar has quite a
history. While recording Peter Gabriel’s first solo album, we rented
this guitar to use during the sessions. I loved it and would noodle on
it when I wasn’t working. Robert Fripp played this incredible
fast-picking part, as only Fripp could do, on this guitar in the song
“Humdrum”.
There was a party after the album was finished and this guitar was given to me by Bob Ezrin and Peter. I still have the little card in the glove box. I later used this guitar on the Alice Cooper hits ‘I Never Cry’ and ‘You and Me’ plus Japanese Artist Nobuteru Maeda’s ‘Hard Pressed’. I used it on my solo album The Deacon and countless other recordings.
Oscar Teller photo Karen Hunter
The guitar is getting quite fragile now. It’s 50 years old and has done a lot of work....scratched and dinged, but it’s a beautiful sounding guitar. I think it’s time it made it to a collector...to not be played any more.
Oscar Teller photo Karen Hunter
It’s too fragile and it should be kept for its history. This guitar is for very serious collectors only and I hope someone who really loves guitars with a real history will give this guitar a great home of honor. Thanks to you all and Blessings...steve
One of the very finest guitarists in Detroit history is mostly unknown to the public. Terry Kelly..Terry's playing influenced many of the best Detroit players. We would love to have any or you who knew him to write in your stories about Terry so we can do a fitting tribute to him...Terry passed away in 2011. Guitarist Robert Gillespie wrote this tribute to his friend originally posted here
Written by guitarist/friend: Robert Gillespie
A lot of people never heard of him I'm sure, but he was one of THE best guitarists from the Detroit area EVER.
Terry was the original guitarist in CACTUS and wrote many of the songs on the first album and just got a thank you, he also played with the Detroit Wheels after Mitch left in the late 60's and many other projects that never really happened.
One funny story about Terry; way back in the day he was at the in-famous Massimino Music store on 7 mile and Van Dyke and was trying out a guitar and played a Bone-Shattering lick......Ted Nugent was there with jaw dropped and drooling saying; "let's jam man-show me that?" and Terry said; "Naw I'm tired man" and left. He had it all the taste, the feel, the look and all the chops.
Just ask Jim McCarty......Terry did have some Demons as well like so many artists do and that may have been holding him back from success, regardless a chosen few of us that knew him are the ones that know just how talented the man was. I'm sure he'll be fronting the band in the after-life with many more like himself, and it will be one hell of a band!! God Bless Terry Kelly...................RKG
James William McCarty (born June 1, 1945) is an American blues rock guitarist from Detroit, Michigan. He has performed with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, the Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, the popular Detroit rock band The Rockets, the Detroit Blues Band, and more recently, Mystery Train.
In an August 2006 interview on VH1 Classic, Ted Nugent remarked "I'm the only guy in rock'n'roll that plays that hollow body jazz guitar and it's because in 1960 I saw Jimmy McCarty creating those big fat full chords like I do on "Stranglehold"; I learned that from Jimmy McCarty. Remember the name Jimmy McCarty. He is as important as Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Les Paul...a god on guitar."FULL STORY HERE
Had a great time chatting with Bad ass Detroit Axe man Robert Gillespie the other day. It has been a long time coming as i know damn near everyone he played with! We almost met at a gig at Alvin's in 2009. I thought it was time to share the man with my readers...He has a long history and is a founding father of Detroit Rock n Roll. He is so smooth but right on the money... as Stanley T. Madhatter used to say...."ARE YOU READY TO ROCK N ROLL?"
Robert Gillespie
Detroit Guitarist Robert Gillespie has had an interest in guitar since the early age of six or seven; his grandmother, Martha played piano and a little banjo and his grandfather, Jesse, played fiddle and mandolin.
There was an old guitar in granny’s closet that Robert wanted to play with all the time and finally Martha got it out and tuned to to an open chord Hawaiian style and laid it across his lap and would use a butter knife to play chords and slide up and down the neck. Robert was hooked but still too small hold it up-right and play it properly.
The Torpedos
At the age of ten Robert got a cheap acoustic and started banging around with that and finally took lessons after seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan show like many other young people.
After a year and a half of lessons he was ready and got organized with some older guys and played in a garage band called The Wise Guys they played one back-yard party and a wedding, then broke up.
All through school the interest continued and Robert was very into the English wave of Rock bands like Rolling Stones / Kinks / Animals and most of all the Yardbirds and The Who.
Robert Gillespie
Robert played with a cool East-Side band called Lickin’ Stick that performed at the Cinderella Ballroom in 1971, and also backed up Chuck Berry at the Allen Theater in Cleveland, Ohio that fall.
Lickin’ Stick turned into Limousine and they recorded a few songs that Robert wrote and one caught the interest of a local D.J. Johnny Williams. The new 18 year old vote had just came into effect and Johnny Williams added some lyrics.
"This is my 50's Les Paul Gold-top; "Goldie" I bought her from Paul Warren from Rod Stewart's band......she's smooth like "butta"..." Robert Gillespie
The song “You’ve Got The Power” b/w “Natural Fact” written by Gillespie and vocalist John Ogen, a great singer from downriver received airplay locally and in Flint. That band turned into Northstar with Motown bassist Tony Newton.
The summer of 1976 Robert was jamming at the infamous Red Carpet, a popular east-side club with the Rockets. Robert met guitarist Jimmy McCarty and drummer Johnny Bee Bandanjek, the cream of the crop of Detroit musicians from the Detroit Wheels, whom Robert admired blaring from the transistor radio in 1965.
One special night Robert found himself on stage with Rob Tyner from the MC5. They both hit it off and starting rehearsing, writing songs.
Robert Gillespie with Rob Tyner
Their new band the New MC5 played their first show the next year at the Red Carpet. They soon signed with Brass Ring Productions and began playing arenas all over the tri-state area, mostly Michigan. They opened for big headliners like AC-DC, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush, and recorded some tracks for Atlantic Records.
By late 1978, Robert and Johnny Angelos started the Torpedos with Mike Marshall on bass and Ralph Serafino on drums (both from the Tyner band). They began writing and recording then became very big in Detroit creating a buzz with record people on a national level.
The Torpedos
The late Johnny Angelos a brilliant pop songwriter and much more. — with Tom Curry, Robert Gillespie, Johnny Angelos, and Ralph Serafino. Johnny quit the Torpedos just as things were getting hot on the scene. He went on to front another smaller band then sadly committed suicide. Robert and the Detroit rock scene were devastated.
Robert is very proud of the music the Torpedos created. In recent years Johnny's son Mitchell Angelos has been fronting the reunited Torpedos. My pals Robin and Trudi went with me in 2009 to see Helldrivers/Torpedos/Circus Boy at Alvin's in Detroit.
Robert Gillespie and Mitch Ryder
Though they were all great...to me the Torpedos stole the show! We danced their entire set. Barely got any photographs due to having so much fun. Didn't get to meet Robert that night but we will meet soon I am certain.
ROBERT SMOKES THIS TUNE......................
During the 1980′s Robert started a band with vocalist Dennis Quinn and Mike Marshall on bass plus Greg Calder on drums called The Finnz.
They recorded two singles and performed on Doug Podell’s T.V. show called The Beat. The Finnz’s were finished in early ’83 when Robert heard "When You Were Mine" on the radio from Mitch Ryder and just had to have that gig.
He auditioned and got hired spring of ’83 and toured the US and Europe and recorded five albums and a DVD over the 19 years with Mitch (longer than anyone else BTW).
L2R Andy Frost Chris Taylor Robert Gillespie and Scott Morgan
In 2001 Robert formed Powertrane with Scott Morgan of the Rationals and Sonic’s Rendezvous Band. They performed and recorded two CD’s, two singles and did gigs sporadically over the next eight years.
Ron Asheton Robert Gillespie Scott Morgan
When Geoff Ginsberg, president of Real O Minds Records (Philadelphia), brought Robert Gillespie into Forty-Ounce Studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan to overdub the guitar work on Morgan's song, "Satisfier", the chemistry between Morgan and Gillespie was immediately apparent.
Powertrane's combination of young talented rockers with Detroit legendary musicians has created a unity and cohesion which has drawn out the talent and creative energy evident in this lineup.
Ron Asheton, Robert Gillespie, Deniz Tek, Chris Taylor Scott Morgan
Their first show was at the Magic Bag on St. Patrick's Day 2001. Powertrane played sold-out, high-profile gigs in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Cincinnati, not to mention Detroit and Ann Arbor. They were been joined on stage by Mitch Ryder, Ron Asheton and Deniz Tek.
Then in 2010 Robert had the idea to start an instrumental band. He called his long time pals bass man Mike Marshall and drummer Greg Calder. Will be writing more on these guys soon...K
Guitarist Robert Gillespie along with Mike Marshall on bass & Greg Calder on drums. They play instrumental Guitar-Rock; from Dickie Dale to Jimi Hendrix and exciting originals.
Together they formed The Detroit Daggers.. I am anxious to see them play..Loved their videos..
The legions of Detroit rock fans are overjoyed that The Rockets will be playing 4 new tunes, live at the Fillmore on December 28.
Yes.. there have been some changes in the lineup.
So what? This will no doubt prove to be a stellar show with Jim Edwards out front giving it everything he's got and that's plenty. The new team have played a huge part in the Detroit rock scene forever. (read more below)
The Rocket's playlist contains a ton of tunes written by Johnny Bee Badanjek..his beat continues to astound us no matter what band he is in or what their NAME is...It doesn't matter...the fans will continue to support Detroit's hard working, hard rocking and bad ass musicians...(RK)
Live Nation presents The Rockets at The Filmore on Saturday Night December 28th. We haven't taken any promo shots yet because we've been so busy in the studio. This is the cover of our new four song EP Greetings From Detroit which will be put up on I-Tunes and Amazon and many other Internet sites with a week or so... stay tuned..
The band will be recording more songs and adding onto the tracks we already have. It's some smokin' hot Detroit Shimmy. Live Nation will announce opening bands in the days to come.
Johnny “Bee” Badanjek, along with Jim Edwards (lead vocals), and Danny Taylor (keyboards) are thrilled to announce new band members;
Mike Marshall (bass).
Mike Marshall (bass) has lent his musical virtuosity to hundreds of recording sessions and toured with The Motor City Mutants, Torpedoes, Rob Tyner (MC5), Catfish Hodge, Johnny Bassett. Joe Weaver, Alberta Adams, and many other Detroit acts.
Phil “Greasy” Carlisi (guitar) Sirius Trixon & The Motor City Bad Boys, legendary Stooges' members Ron and Scott Asheton (Destroy All Monsters) and toured extensively in the States and abroad with rock-a-billy musician, Robert Gordon, and British guitarist, Chris Spedding. Carlisi has been a mainstay player in the Detroit music scene for over 35 years.
Joey Gaydos (lead guitar), also a Detroit music veteran, has played with rock heavies Rob Tyner (MC5), Cub Koda and the Points (Brownsville Station). Gaydos built a loyal Detroit fan base with his bands, Mugsy, and Weapons and has a reputation for his showmanship and incendiary lead guitar prowess in the Midwest.
World-renowned guitarist Steve Hunter, known for his work with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper, was trying to change some strings on one of his Gretsch Guitars. As always there was a good deal of frustration as this is difficult for most people, but even more so for someone like Steve who is partially sighted.
Only certain guitars have a Bigsby, most of those are Gretsch but there are other makes of guitars such as Gibson and Fender who use the metal string bending arm attachment.
The main problem is how to hold the eyelet at the end of the new string in place, on the pin of the Bigsby, without it springing off when you go to the other end of the neck to wind on the string.
Steve said “There must be a way of holding the string in place, maybe something simple that could be taken in and out easily”. Karen thought that a squishy door wedge shape would do the job.
Knowing Steve used foam speaker positioning wedges in his studio she found a spare one. Karen cut out a wedge to the exact requirements and low and behold! The String Change Buddy was born. Steve still uses that very wedge, with less hassle, less time and less swearing!
Perfecting the idea for production took nearly two years, mainly due to finding the right foam. It needed to be firm enough to push under the metal bar of the Bigsby but also needed to have the right compression and recovery so it could be used many times.
Once they had started the process of protecting the design with a patent, all they had to do was find the right manufacturer whom they are proud to say is right here in the USA.
The String Change Buddy will not change the world but it will help anybody with a Bigsby fitted guitar to change strings without losing their cool.
