retro-the-best....: Retro: Kimmer

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Retro: Kimmer

DETROIT'S PURPLE GANG: THE ALBION CONNECTION
TIME WON'T LET ME: THE OUTSIDERS!
RETRO: KIMMER'S 10 FAVORITE LPS OF 1969-1972
THE ULTRA COOL 1961 CORVAIR MONZA!

DETROIT'S PURPLE GANG: THE ALBION CONNECTION

Posted: 02 Jan 2011 09:36 PM PST

The Purple Gang

How did the Purple Gang get its colorful name? Legend has it that one day after members of what would become the Purple Gang had established their criminal ways of shoplifting and vandalizing youngsters in Detroit, two local shopkeepers were bemoaning their fate and the youngsters' characters. One of them concluded that the gang of delinquents was not like other boys, but 'rotten, purple like the color of bad

Albion Michigan Purple Gang Walking Tour
Albion shows off haunts of violent Purple Gang

Detroit, Michigan circa 1930

For their safe-robbing and other criminal work, the Fleishers used a specially enhanced gun-metal colored Graham-Paige sedan they had stolen, later described by state police as 'the most completely equipped burglar's automobile' ever seen. The car sported revolving license plates, bullet-proof glass,metal shields, and removable doors and seats to accommodate large safes. The Gang leased the south stall of the auto storage building just north of the junkyard along the river, and used it to secretly house their 'super auto.'

Detroit Boomtown

In the late 1920s, Detroit was a boomtown with a flourishing economy, newly built skyscrapers, and a burgeoning population. But those seemingly halcyon times were marred by bloodshed and terror caused by the Purple Gang, a loosely organized but ruthless group of predominantly Jewish racketeers, headed by the Burnstein brothers.

Real Deal Mafia The Purple Gang

Citizens were petrified to testify against them. Corrupt police officials, their hands greased by bribes, looked the other way.

During the apex of their power, 1927-32, the Purples were the kings of the underworld. The group is perhaps most notorious for the 1931 Collingwood Massacre (at Collingwood and Twelfth streets), in which the gang killed three members who were trying to start their own rackets.

Collingwood Manor After the Massacre

A victim of the Collingwood Manor Massacre (left), and the crowd that assembled after the Purple Gang violence.

Collingwood Manor Massacre

Read More on RK
Detroit's Purple Gang

TIME WON'T LET ME: THE OUTSIDERS!

Posted: 02 Jan 2011 04:15 PM PST

The Outsiders married the Motown sound and the British Invasion to generate a sound that featured horns, a Hammond B organ and a biting guitar. This sound would later influence groups started and directed by Jim Guercio which included the Buckinghams, Chicago, and other midwest pop bands.

You can even hear the Outsiders sound in the 80's band...Huey Lewis. The CD has other great cuts including the Isley Brothers remake of "Respectable" which landed in the Top 15. Had the Outsiders released this song right after Time Won't Let Me it would have made the Top 10.

Sonny Geraci still performs a night club act for casinos, cruises and corporate parties and is performing better than ever. Actually he is a much overlooked talent who comes in somewhere between Bobby Darin and Dean Martin.

The Outsiders were a rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Founded and led by guitarist Tom King. The band is best known for its Top 5 hit "Time Won't Let Me" in early 1966, which peaked at #5 in the US, but the band had three other hit singles in 1966 and released a total of four albums in the mid-1960s.

They started in 1959 as Tom King And The Starfires. After the arrival of the Beatles they changed their sound and changed their name to The Outsiders. Signing to Capitol at the beginning of 1966 their first single Time Won't Let Me was a Number 5 pop hit. They scored 3 more Top Thirty hits that year. Singer Sonny Geraci was later in the band ("Precious and Few") Climax. Sonny in 2008

The Outsiders

The Outsiders had 4 top 40 hits. "Girl In Love" #21. "Help me Girl" #37. "Respectable" # 15 and "Time Won't let me" #5. These were all from 1966. Their third hit "Respectable" peaked at a respectable #15 in the National Billboard Top 100 charts, which disqualifies The Outsiders from being mere "one hit wonders".

The lead guitarist on the "Time Won't Let Me" recording, Joe Baldassarre, was a session guy in Cleveland, and now holds a Ph.D. in early civ music (as in medieval music) and is considered an international authority on said period music; he's a professor of guitar at Boise State University, in Boise Idaho.

Allmusic described the act's style: "Part of the secret behind the Outsiders' musical success lay in the group's embellishments [with horns and strings], which slotted in perfectly with their basic three- or four-piece instrumental sound. . .

This was the first hit for The Outsiders, who were a Cleveland group that scored 3 other US Top 40s in 1966. Their lead singer Sonny Geraci was also the lead singer for Climax, Jimmy Fox, who was the drummer on the Outsiders' first album, later formed The James Gang with Joe Walsh. Sonny is still cute!

Biography by Bruce Eder

Chances are that, despite their having come from Cleveland, OH -- and, thus, having a certain home field advantage -- the Outsiders will never be considered for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Bands with just two big hits ("Time Won't Let Me," "Respectable") and a history mostly confined to AM radio in the '60s don't seem to rate that kind of recognition. But if any two-hit, dance-oriented band from the '60s ever deserved a crack at being voted in, the Outsiders do, simply based on the quality of their work over three years and four albums. Full Story HERE

The Outsiders on Yahoo Music

Read More on RK
The Ventures
Alex Chilton and The Boxtops
The Righteous Brothers
Lou Christie
Three Dog Night

RETRO: KIMMER'S 10 FAVORITE LPS OF 1969-1972

Posted: 02 Jan 2011 02:49 PM PST

Kick Out the Jams is the first album by Detroit heavy-weights The MC5, released in 1969. It was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom over two nights, Devil's Night and Halloween, 1968. In 2003, the album was ranked number 294 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Which of course RK rates it much higher!

Kick Out the Jams MC5 Live at the Grande Ball Room

Derek and The Dominos

Released in 1970, Layla is one of the most known and loved rock songs of all time. Written by Eric Clapton, and released by his band Derek and the Dominos, Layla was inspired by Clapton's love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of George Harrison.

The Who Live at Leeds

Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is their only live album that was released while the group was still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970. As of 2005, the album is ranked number 170 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Deep Purple in Rock

Released in June 1970. It was their fourth studio album. Deep Purple in Rock was their breakthrough album in Europe and would peak at #4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for months. The album was supported by the hugely successful In Rock World Tour which lasted 15 months

Grand Funk Railroad LIVE Album

Grand Funk sold more than 25 MILLION records, toured constantly, packed arenas worldwide, and received four RIAA gold albums during 1970— the most for any American group that year.
GFR out sold The Beatles at NY's Shea Stadium and don't get me started about Mark Farner... :)

Led Zeppelin One

Led Zeppelin One was released on 12 January 1969. The album featured integral contributions from each of the group's four musicians and established Led Zeppelin's fusion of blues and rock.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East

At Fillmore East is a double live album by The Allman Brothers Band. The band's breakthrough success, At Fillmore East was released in July 1971. It ranks Number 49 among Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and remains among the top-selling albums in the band's catalog. It is often cited as being one of the most well-known live recordings in history. It is a great album for certain.

Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street

Exile on Main St. Released as a double LP in May 1972, it draws on many genres including rock & roll, blues, country and soul and calypso. Exile on Main St. was initially greeted with mixed reviews, but it has since become almost universally regarded as a masterpiece.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 7 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

J Geils BLOODSHOT

Great funky album, with deep roots in blues-rock-R&B . Most of the songs here are my favorite dance tunes "Make Up Your Mind", "Southside Shuffle", and "Give It To Me".

Spirit Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus

Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus album released in 1970 shortly before Spirit disbanded.

This diverse yet cohesive effort is a sci-fi-based, loose concept album. The album's second song is the key track "Nature's Way", the most notable hit (along with "I've Got a Line on You" – #28 in Canada) the band would ever produce. "Mr. Skin" also became a hit single in the U.S., three years after the album's release. The album also includes several other less well-known tunes which are considered to have had an impact on the genre of experimental rock in the United States. We girls absolutely loved this record...

THE ULTRA COOL 1961 CORVAIR MONZA!

Posted: 02 Jan 2011 12:18 PM PST

In 1960 or '61 (we can't recall) my mother helped out a friend and picked up the payments on a very cool Tuxedo Black Chevrolet Corvair Monza. The Monza made its debut with sportier bucket seats and a bigger flat 6 engine.This car was hot! Not a speedy car as my mom recalls but cool to drive. Mom says it was always in need of a new fan belt! Chevrolet introduced the Sebring Spider Coupe in 1961 to further enhance the sportier, concept image.

Sebring Spider Concept Car

The Monza (ours), was a two-door hardtop, tuxedo black with posh red interior and bucket seats. The 1961 engines were upped from 140 to 145 cubic inches. Our Corvair was a 4 speed stick that Mom says was like shifting upside down. It had your normal push button AM radio which was of course set to my favorite station CKLW THE BIG 8.

Our Monza looked a lot like this one below. I used to wash it with my dad and his chamois on the weekends when it was warm. Ours didn't have the cool sport wheels the one below has...

1962 Doug's Chevrolet Corvair

The Corvair Monza had the engine in the back compartment and the trunk in the front like a VW Beetle. Chevrolet had lots of problems with this car's design as Ralph Nader made famous in his book "Unsafe at Any Speed". Having the most weight behind the rear axle caused a lot of spin outs. We never did... but Mom did slide down an icy hill with ours once.

Awesome dashboard

By the time Nader's book was publish (1965) we no longer had the Monza. We then owned an Oldsmobile Dynamic 88. Dad later bought a very retro white VW bug.

1962 Doug's Chevrolet Corvair

The rear view of the Monza was so cool.

1962 Doug's Chevrolet Corvair

Our Monza had hot red interior just like the one above. Neither of us remeber the steering wheel in our Monza. I think if ours had been red I would have remembered that. Must have been black.