Gang War – These Boots Were Made For Fighting / Rumbling In Ann Arbor Michigan (Missing In Action Records, 1989 - White Trash Soul Real R'n'R No.5)

Johnny called me up, one night, all excited, to tell me that he was starting a new band with Wayne Kramer, which, of course, I thought was fucking great. They wanted to start recording right away and needed a drummer. I was in New York and they were in Michigan but before I could blink they had me on a plane that very night and in a studio in An Arbor moments later. I was thrilled to meet Wayne who turned out to be even cooler that I had imagined. There were no rehearsals or anything. Ron Cooke, a friend of Wayne from Detroit was on bass, great guy too. I just sat at the drums having no idea what we were gonna do. They rolled the tape and Johnny just looked at me and said “Bo Diddley” and so I started ..Bam-ba-bala-bam bam-bam.. and we recorded Who Do Voodoo on the spot. Then we did M.I.A., then it was Just Because I’m White, Fats Domino’s I’m Gonna Be A Wheel and I’d Much Rather Be With The Boys, from The Stones. They didn’t like the studio we were in, so the second night we went to another one. One funny thing that happened was that when we got to that studio, the guy who owned it got a little freaked out when he saw us arrive and asked to see everybody’s I.D! Gang War’s “manager” told him:

“You must be joking! These guys happen to be very famous musicians! This is Wayne Kramer from The MC5, and you got Johnny Thunders from The New York Dolls over here!” The owner didn’t seem convinced at all and spat back “Don’t try to pull a fast one on me, buddy, my son was a big fan of The New York Dolls and he’s right here!”. He then proceeded to call his son “HEY, BILLY, COME DOWN HERE A MINUTE, WOULD YOU ?!” and out comes the fat kid in bermuda shorts, eating a sandwich.. “Is this one from the New York Dolls?” he asked, pointing at Johnny. The kid took a close look, hesitated a bit, then declared, amazed “It’s Johnny Thunders, dad, their guitar player!!”. So they let us in…

Johnny put me up in this real nice house where he was staying with his wife Julie and their two babies. We recorded for three nights in a row. The band being brand new, Wayne and Johnny were obviously thrilled to be playing together and sparks were flying! Back in New York, I wasn’t sure what to do, but I couldn’t just dump my own band, you know, we were totally into it.  Gang War wanted to tour and The Senders were already booked here and there, so it would have been hard to be able to do both. In the end, for some strange reason, I kinda concluded that, with Johnny on board, Gang War may not survive very long, and decided to stick with my own droogs. But my three nights in Michigan as Gang War’s first drummer remains one of the best memories of my life.

Excerpt from...

Special thanks to Steve!

The Jetboys - "Stealing Lynxx Chase, Vol. 1: Toilet Luv - Live at Gibus 1989" (WAX Tape 001)

Hey there! 

We finally made it! I mean, we tried our best on this for a year or so (maybe even more!) and we ended having as many problems as in all other WAX releases combined!!! Really now, we’re not lazy basterds… OK we are a little, but you have no idea how difficult it was. The whole procedure from the day our friend Steve handed us the tapes (yes, there are more!) waaaaayyyyy back till the proud moment (now!) of the Bobcat Twins first cassette release, many things have happened to delay this project. I'm not even trying to categorize those fuckups they're too many... 
Anyway, we’d like to thank our friend Steve for being patient all this time (a year? more..? I’m afraid to check it…) and Freddy Lynxx for being smart enough to give away those tapes (actually treasures). What my part JP did was only to remove hiss and that with care. We didn't want to ruin anything and we didn't! As the title hints, there's a Vol. 2 in sketch but you have to wait a little I'm afraid... JP has a brand new baby (congrats mate, all the best!!!) rockin' & rollin' his and his wife's nights, but we promise we're not going to delay THAT much  any other time...

As usual no bootlegging on WAX stuff, share and dance freely!

The Senders - "Goodbye Cruel World" (CD, Action Records - 2000)

Hi there!
You know, the hardest thing in this blog thing situation is what to write the second time you present a band or an artist from your 'pages'? To think what you haven't notice the first time and put it down. But what about the third? OK, I guess is not that hard if this band are the mighty Senders from New York and happens (naturally) to belong on your 'favorites' close club.
We 're leaving out this time the usual Johnny Thunders references and go further, straight to the point. So this album's my fave. Even though is from latter period of the band and has original ace guitarist Wild Bill Thompson playing in half of the songs. Cause you know, on the rest there's some Freddy Lynxx guy (he-he!!!) filling his shoes! Hmm, I guess the Senders and the Thunders relations would never stop, cause Freddy's like the only one ever never mimic the Saint but carried the torch of his unique style playing to the new generations. The production's great, the performances are SWINGIN' and the songs as usual a prefect blend of originals and splendid taste cover toons (from Willie Dixon to the Stones and from Gene Vincent to the Crazy Teens!). You really have no idea guys HOW MUCH I DIG bands in the vein of the Senders, like the Red Devils or the Fabulous Thunderbirds! This greasy punkitude R&B wailin'! I wish they were more of that heritage around today...

PS: I must thank one more time WTS faithful 'follower', Steve, for handing me this in a better bitrate til the day find it somewhere in its real condition. Thanks man!

Freddy Lynxx - "No Pleasure Thrills" (LP, Sucksex Records - 1996)

Freddy Lynxx's "Hurt Me"? You can say so. I'm doing probably the usual mistake and even though I'm not counting the great Croatian/French rock & roller as a copycat (in fact the opposite), this statement to the eyes of those not knowing him maybe do so. What I'm trying to say's that this is Freddy's acoustic masterpiece. And it's as good (if not better) as his (mine's, yours etc) idol. Quite rare item as I noticed from a quick walk through the net, more than the 'electric' drenched albums of his. I really can not understand the reason why some re-issue (or not) label(s) don't pick upon Lynxx's works and they remain still a dexterous people's game to cash-in on the fans thirst for infrequent quality's rock & roll, cause Freddy Lynxx still is one of the handful around with THAT scarce chop and class! And we must (us bloggers...you know pirates, thieves etc. for the music industry CEOs...) chuck our own backs cause we're the ones passing the message to the 'new' fans that those great artists maybe never had through their independent issues the ability to approach... Enuff with the self approbation (masturbation?)... This album's GREAT! Freddy's such a cool cat that always had 'stars' to accompany him. And here they are again. Johnny Thunders (naturally!), Nikki Sudden, Nicky Hopkins (yes, the Stones' one!) and Johan Asherton, all take a walk though this vinyl's grooves. And if that's not an impressive line up then what it is, right?! Freddy & Johnny combine forces for a great take on the Rolling Stones 'As Tears Go By', Nicky Hopkins chops the 88s for Dylan's 'Lay Lady Lay' and Johan Asherton's taking the mic. Tammy Wynette's 'Apartment #9' has my beloved bandit Nikki Sudden sharing the vocal duties with the 'Cover Side' to hide two more gems (the one's The Heartbreakers more sensitive in a way execution of 'I Love You'). In the three songs of the  'Uncover Side' the quality's stays the same. The funny thing's that when I first listen to this album (I can't remember who handed me this to get credit, not my rip - just two days back found it & grab it in a mart thing situation) I found my self disappointed cause at the time all I wanted was another Jetboys thing... Sometimes luck's with you and you don't even know it. 

Later!