1965

[DanvillRob]

After listening to MissouriPicker's song about the guys he grew up with, I thought I'd post this.

Was written and performed by my very best friend in the world, who I lost about a year ago.

It's about our first band... song was always special to me...but now that we've lost David, it rips my heart out.

 

 

[zombywoof]

More than a few of us who joined our first band in the wake of the Beatles performance on he Sullivan Show  can relate to that song..  That was fun and I thank you.  

Were you in that band?  My first thought looking at the pictures was those guys must have been mighty well heeled in the mid-1960s wearing suits and playing Fenders through Vox amps.  I remember being in Manny's Music on 48th Street, NYC and watching those Vox Super Beatle amps come up on the freight elevator with my mouth hanging open in awe.  But at that time we had not yet graduated from acoustics with Dearmond pickups slapped across the soundhole with two guitars often  plugged into the same amp.  My first amp was a used Ampeg Portaflex.

Edited September 19, 2021 by zombywoof

[DanvillRob]

7 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

More than a few of us who joined our first band in the wake of the Beatles performance on he Sullivan Show  can relate to that song..  That was fun and I thank you.  

Were you in that band?  My first thought looking at the pictures was those guys must have been mighty well heeled in the mid-1960s wearing suits and playing Fenders through Vox amps.  I remember being in Manny's Music on 48th Street, NYC and watching those Vox Super Beatle amps come up on the freight elevator with my mouth hanging open in awe.  But at that time we had not yet graduated from acoustics with Dearmond pickups slapped across the soundhole with two guitars often  plugged into the same amp.  My first amp was a used Ampeg Portaflex.

ZW.... yes, I was a guitar player in the first band that David writes about, (I'm the guy with the Fender Jaguar)....went on to be the bass player in band we morphed into after David left.

When he says, "Bobby's building buses, owns a feet of limousines" he talking about me.

[QuestionMark]

Really touching song and video, and well performed, too.  Thanks for sharing it on this forum.  
 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Edited September 19, 2021 by QuestionMark

[j45nick]

Oh man, Bob. That all but breaks my heart.

The dreams we had.

Things didn't turn out the way we thought they would, but maybe what we actually did is better.

[MissouriPicker]

Sweet as hell, Bob!  Great tune and real life story.  I love the gentle music and the way the different stories are all weaved together as they lead to-and-from 1965.  I’m glad you shared this.  This is how so many of us identify with each other and relate to the past.  Real music about real people.

[kidblast]

thanks for sharing that.  I understand.   My brother in-law Jim played bass with me in the same band for well over 10 years.

he passed from cancer at 36, leaving two kids behind.

 

 

[zombywoof]

I do not have much to remember any of it.  I have no ideas were the tapes we made are.  About the only thing is some footage of a local band festival shot in May 1967.  The reason that exists  is a friend's father worked for a news station and he used it on a story about garage bands.  

One of my favorite blast from the past stories remains the Doughboys.  These guys originally came together in New Jersey in 1965 disbanding in late-1968.  In 2000 the wife of one of the members put together a surprise reunion as a birthday present.  The show went over so well they continued to perform.  One of their songs was later named the Coolest Song in the World by Little Steven's Underground Garage.

Edited September 20, 2021 by zombywoof

[AnneS]

Loved this, too, Bob(by)…thanks for sharing it here. 

[DanvillRob]

16 hours ago, QuestionMark said:

Really touching song and video, and well performed, too.  Thanks for sharing it on this forum.  
 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Thanks Jeff.    David performed the song.... sent it to me, and I put the video together.

Song means even more to me now that I'm actually 'the last guy standing' from that original band!

[DanvillRob]

15 hours ago, j45nick said:

Oh man, Bob. That all but breaks my heart.

The dreams we had.

Things didn't turn out the way we thought they would, but maybe what we actually did is better.

Nick, I think sometimes 'not making it' is better than 'making it'.   You all know I went to school with most of the guys from Tower of Power..... Rocco is dead..... and I wouldn't trade places with Mimi (the leader) or Jody (original guitar player)....drugs and alcohol might 'pass the time' but they play hell with your body!

Edited September 20, 2021 by DanvillRob

[DanvillRob]

11 hours ago, MissouriPicker said:

Sweet as hell, Bob!  Great tune and real life story.  I love the gentle music and the way the different stories are all weaved together as they lead to-and-from 1965.  I’m glad you shared this.  This is how so many of us identify with each other and relate to the past.  Real music about real people.

MP, this is NOT the 'finished' recording....but it's the one I like best!   Right at the end you can hear David's oldest son, Lou Allen, say: "That was pretty good, Dad."   David says, "Thanks" and Lou Allen says, You're welcome.".... glad it got captured on tape!

Edited September 20, 2021 by DanvillRob

[DanvillRob]

4 hours ago, kidblast said:

thanks for sharing that.  I understand.   My brother in-law Jim played bass with me in the same band for well over 10 years.

he passed from cancer at 36, leaving two kids behind.

 

 

Kid, I'm so sorry.... life can be so unfair.....

[DanvillRob]

36 minutes ago, AnneS said:

Loved this, too, Bob(by)…thanks for sharing it here. 

Thanks, Anne.

[Lars68]

Awesome, is all I can say!!

Lars

[DanvillRob]

13 minutes ago, Lars68 said:

Awesome, is all I can say!!

Lars

Lars, David was a good songwriter.    Probably the kindest person I ever knew, (although...when we were young, we used to raise heck!). 

He was friends with Guy Clark, and recorded with Merle Haggard's band members.

[kidblast]

On 9/20/2021 at 12:05 PM, DanvillRob said:

Kid, I'm so sorry.... life can be so unfair.....

that's for sure Rob,  everyone goes through these times.  no one immune.

[DanvillRob]

14 hours ago, kidblast said:

that's for sure Rob,  everyone goes through these times.  no one immune.

I just want to be too old to die young!   (sounds like a song!).

[kidblast]

11 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

I just want to be too old to die young!   (sounds like a song!).

I think I'm there!!!!!!!!

 

[MissouriPicker]

42 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

I just want to be too old to die young!   (sounds like a song!).

 

30 minutes ago, kidblast said:

I think I'm there!!!!!!!!

 

Remember when 30 seemed so far away and 40 wasn’t even on the radar scope?   A song I wrote about twenty-five years ago starts with  “When I was young, I would never be this old.”

[DanvillRob]

3 minutes ago, MissouriPicker said:

 

Remember when 30 seemed so far away and 40 wasn’t even on the radar scope?   A song I wrote about twenty-five years ago starts with  “When I was young, I would never be this old.”

Yes, it's hard to believe that time (and my life) has gone by so quickly.

I look at old photos and marvel at how slim I was....look at current photos and marvel at how much I look like my dad!

Since my family has a history of cancer, I've had to get a colonoscopy every few years..... I asked my doctor about scheduling one this year....he said no need....a polyp found now wouldn't be a problem for 15-20 years.....and You'll probably be dead of old age or something else by then!

[QuestionMark]

On 9/20/2021 at 11:52 AM, DanvillRob said:

Lars, David was a good songwriter.    Probably the kindest person I ever knew, (although...when we were young, we used to raise heck!). 

He was friends with Guy Clark, and recorded with Merle Haggard's band members.

Guy Clark was a great person and communicator.  We had a great conversation backstage at one of his gigs in Chicago and when I let him know I would be in his hometown of Austin in a few months doing some  gigs and some music business, he said no worries, he would find me when I was there and we’d continue our great conversation.  Sure enough, a few months later when I was sitting in the lobby at the Driskell Hotel in Austin, Guy comes walking over to me and says Jeff, let’s continue that great conversation we were having.  Guy was quite a human being and your friend was blessed to have been friends with him.

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

[DanvillRob]

15 hours ago, QuestionMark said:

Guy Clark was a great person and communicator.  We had a great conversation backstage at one of his gigs in Chicago and when I let him know I would be in his hometown of Austin in a few months doing some  gigs and some music business, he said no worries, he would find me when I was there and we’d continue our great conversation.  Sure enough, a few months later when I was sitting in the lobby at the Driskell Hotel in Austin, Guy comes walking over to me and says Jeff, let’s continue that great conversation we were having.  Guy was quite a human being and your friend was blessed to have been friends with him.

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

Jeff, few people on earth could put words together like Guy Clark....truly a gift from God!

[fortyearspickn]

I feel somehow embarrassed that I am attracted to songs about pickup trucks,  dogs,   prison  and  dance halls -  when I hear a song like this that touches on Real Life.  As Missouri Picker said - Real Music About Real People.  This song, along with the photos communicates more than this old man ever could to his grandchildren.   Touching.   I graduated HS in '65, so I think it certainly means more to me than it would if my granddaughter listened to it.  Hopefully, the kids in high school now will have similar happy times, and memories to look back on.   I, for one, never appreciated enough the 'Life and Times'  of my parents' generation.   As my mother use to say,  "To soon old, too late smart."   A saying from her (old) German grandfather.  

[DanvillRob]

12 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said:

I feel somehow embarrassed that I am attracted to songs about pickup trucks,  dogs,   prison  and  dance halls -  when I hear a song like this that touches on Real Life.  As Missouri Picker said - Real Music About Real People.  This song, along with the photos communicates more than this old man ever could to his grandchildren.   Touching.   I graduated HS in '65, so I think it certainly means more to me than it would if my granddaughter listened to it.  Hopefully, the kids in high school now will have similar happy times, and memories to look back on.   I, for one, never appreciated enough the 'Life and Times'  of my parents' generation.   As my mother use to say,  "To soon old, too late smart."   A saying from her (old) German grandfather.  

My grandfather wasn't a refined as your mom....he used to tell me, "Some folk, the older they get the wiser they get....other folk, the older they get, the older they get."

I really didn't have too many photos of "The Tarantels", (people back then didn't carry cameras around with them all the time)..... have more photos of the group we morphed into.... the rest of the photos are just family photos....and a couple of photos of Dave and me.