The Zig Gazette July 02 2009 Thezigsband.com Myspace.com/thezigsband Jim Ziegler, Adam York, Mike Johnson, Jim Downing FRI 7/3 Mooney’s Sunset Bar And Grill - Disney How’s That Book Coming Along? Oklahoma Bands & Discography 1955-1975 is of course a book I would have written if I had the time and the patience. Extreme appreciation goes to Rhett Lake and Teb Blackwell (Edison 64) for doing this work. Volume one, mostly by Rhett, and covering OKC and the south, is out and available at cost. You can call Rhett directly at (405) 420-6284 for ordering, or send us an email and we can send you a pdf order form. It’s full of pictures, stories, biographies and indexes of musicians and important bands. Teb has been working on Volume 2, Tulsa and the northern half of the state, for almost three years now. At one point, his research was all stolen. But he presses on. I have helped any way I could getting him in contact with members of many arcane and semi-forgotten bands from what is unquestionably the golden age of Rock and Roll. I contributed an essay on Tulsa Music, the John Henry interview and The Mystery Band interview. Oklahoma is a very musical place, and spawned much great music in this fertile time period; it’s almost overwhelming; this is an inordinately musical state. Not only has it been hard to track a lot of these people down, many are dead and/or forgetful, some were disorganized and some were just pointedly un-helpful. One old timer has tons of memorabilia, but it’s bulldozed into a corner and will take months to sort. Another man who was there in the thick of it in the beginning wants to be paid to talk – yet he will talk most people’s ears off. A few just go “Eh – who cares?” I for one don’t understand that. Yeah, it’s true that most people won’t care, but those who do care do so deeply. It’s a story that should be told and preserved. Boom age musicians seem to be dying off rapidly now. You don’t miss your water until your well runs dry. We have been neglected, unrecognized and ignored for so long that it’s discouraging. Most of us who are still playing gave up on the brass ring long ago; we just do it because we love to do it – it’s that passion that makes it good. But a lot of Okies have been successful, for reasons that can never be explained. The State Historical Society’s exhibit is long overdue, but it’s a good start; this is a huge story. We are still gathering information. This could go on forever. But here are a few queries we have right now. Does anyone have information? We need contacts and pictures. Forward this to any musicians and music lovers you know. Down Home was a killer four piece band from someplace like Blackwell in the early seventies. They were so talented and tight that some of them must have gone on to accomplish something. The Crystalline Silence was probably the first psychedelic band in the state in the late sixties. They started in Norman, lived in Tulsa for a while, and had their own light show. One member was Jim (?) Bowie. They played the Cellar Club and actually set up in Woodward Park one summer day in 67 before they got run off. Revolution, the Egotists, Enoch Tolbeken, The Shipman Brothers, The Takers, Who Cares- anyone have some info on these? FRI 7/03 Mooney’s Sunset Bar And Grill - Disney THAT JACKSON GUY Did you hear that Michael Jackson died? It was on the news. Bill Flanagan of VH1 had the best take on it on CBS Sunday Morning. He said there have been three super acts in rock; Elvis, The Beatles and Jackson. Elvis blended cultures of black and white, and put sex into the music. The Beatles brought in all types of music and (with the influence of Dylan) songs that were about something, individuality and a counterculture. That influence continues today with Springsteen and U2, etc. Michael brought back the show business. His influences were not Dylan and The Beatles, but Liz Taylor (another exploited child star) and Walt Disney. I don’t have a single Michael Jackson record. He was a great singer and an amazing dancer. I didn’t dislike his stuff, I wouldn’t turn it off, but I wouldn’t buy it. It was style over substance. I don’t think he broke any new ground musically. In fact, most of his hits have the same beat. I also tend to like artists that I can relate to on a personal or philosophical level too. Michael was confused. In the end he still was not particularly wise or self-aware. There are many parallels to Elvis. With both, the early music had more soul. Fame and fortune did not bring insight, but only exaggerated their insecurities. It also appears that legal drugs got to them both. In hindsight, we probably knew this story was not going to have a happy ending. “He sought any outrageous publicity. He fed that beast and it turned around and bit him. At some point he got so caught up in being a star that he abandoned being an artist.” Said Flanagan. After the trial, the kids quit coming to Neverland, and with an overhead of $10 million a year, the record sales weren’t covering it. Terrence Howard once said “Fame and fortune don’t change a man; they unmask him. Once you don’t have to answer to anybody, your real self comes out.” Flanagan notes that the Jackson model paved the way for glitzy fluff such as Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, etc. Maybe the pop pendulum will swing back to music with meaning. Let’s hope so. FRI 7/03 Mooney’s Sunset Bar And Grill - Disney Flotsam Bill looked the other night like the roadrunner had put a bell over his head and banged it: “What have you got on that guitar?” he asked Zig. “Echo with reverb.” Zig laughed. “It sounds like someone driving golf balls in a bathroom!” bellowed Bill. Ron Wood has set up a trust fund for Frank’s son Emory McPeters. If you would like to help out, contact Virginia Gibson at Oklahoma State Bank in Langley. Her email address is vgibson@okstatebank.com. The Zigs dance just like The Jacksons. Zig dances like Samuel L. Jackson, Bill dances like Stonewall Jackson, Mad Dog dances like J.J. Jackson and I dance like Jackson Pollock. We’ve been having fun every Tuesday at Riverparks for the Starlight Band Concerts. This week the Air Force Band sat in and they were great. There’s nothing like the sound of a big brass band. If you look closely at the list of donors you will see Jim & Marjorie Ziegler, who made a second contribution in memory of Franklin Paul McPeters, and The Zigs Band. Terrorists struck in Branson Missouri and took a dozen banjo players hostage. If their demands aren’t met, they have threatened to release one every day. Oh yeah, by the way, happy summer and all that. The Zigs encourage you to forward this to everyone you have ever met. Anyone who would like to receive The Zig Gazette directly, or if you have changed your email address, send a blank email with “fresh meat” in the subject line to ziggazette@sbcglobal.net. If you feel you have received this hysterical screed in error and somehow wish to be deleted, too bad. For entertainment use only – not to be taken seriously. Any correspondence we receive might end up in print. Do not operate heavy machinery while reading this Gazette. If condition persists, consult your physician. Not shown actual size. Use with proper ventilation