James Brown vs. Gene Chandler

Dig me now, don't worry 'bout later... but I do need some help with this one. I tend to go for the originals, whether it's Otis vs. Aretha or the Detroit Cobras vs. Everyone. But I got a tough choice with this one: "There was a Time" was written by the Godfather, and there is no denying its qualitudinousness. But what about when it's stacked up to Gene Chandler's version? Tough call. First up, James Brown's version:

Now take it away Mr. Chandler:

I know on which side of the fence I am on this one. You?

Couple bonuses:

Dancing and a live JB version. And if you need some lessons:

Evidence CXVI: Boobs, Bowls, and Busts

Levy sent me this while I was in SD. His friend drained his pool to replaster it, so he let Levy skate it for one night. Perfect boob shot. 

Court told Hoss and Hoss told me about this one. Small and a little tight, it had 3 feet of water in it. good thing I brought the pump: the neighbor was out back, Hoss and I had our pool service shirts on, and I asked politely if we could plug in the pump. Took about 20 minutes to pump, and it was full of mosquitoes. The neighbor said the city had already drained it once.  

Dry and clean. The neighbor was in the backyard, so we decided to do some scoping and either come back later or come back the next day.

 

Evidence.

Scoped a few others in the neighborhood, but... 

A nosy neighbor was on to us, and felt crunchy after seeing us peek over a backyard wall. She actually called the cops then drove around following us as we did our recon in the alleys of East Tempe. We had just scoped one when the cop pulled in to the alley. We got in the car, started to drive, and the cop pulled us over. She had the hugest possible stick up her ass. Bottom line, we weren't doing anything wrong, but she had to make sure. She threatened us with some bullshit, but we held our ground, stating that people like it when we clean their pools for them (didn't mention the skating part, and she didn't check our trunk to make sure we didn't have any stolen items -- she would have found our boards though). Told us we should get other jobs -- I asked "in this economy?" Another cop showed up with a cooler head, and we drove away. Near miss -- but we gotta get that one we drained. It'll be a quick session... Hoss got a good photo of him, Science Fair, and the cops having a little discussion behind our car. Oh yeah, the cop said it was illegal to drive in alleys in Tempe -- we are gonna check on that, I think it's BS.

More evidence of shitwiggery

Great, the internet is virtually humming with evidence of shitwiggery from the late-80s and early-90s. Above, my amateur check out in Poweredge circa 1988 or 1989. Yeah, I guess I am not afraid to embarass myself in front of the whole internet or whatever. Hurricane at Granny's ramp, crail at this indoor ramp in Renton, and B-to-T at Alec Schroeder's ramp in LA. Answers are kind of funny -- including my desire, at age 20, to be able to skate pools better. I think I do now, especially living in AZ where they are plentiful. This check out is what got me from the "B" team on Alva ($20 boards, $10 wheels) to the "A" team. Cameron Martin did the interview -- kind of a tit-for-tat as a few months earlier I did his check out.

Bottom photo is at a contest in Oregon, photo courtesy of Steve Wright. Used to go down there with Alva stuff to sell, make much party, and skate whatever in the OASA and NSA contests. I wound up announcing a lot of the OASA contests after I lost interest in entering them.

Viva la shitwig!

Trip to SF and SJ

RS2 Solid Sound

Odd Numbers

Killer visit to San Francisco and San Jose last weekend. My buddy Ray was in the hospital for a few weeks last November after a tough fall skating and the rise of a tissue infection. Two surgeries and a skin graft later, and those bills are piling up. Ray’s a legendary dude, played in bands such as Los Olvidados, Drunk Injuns, the Faction, etc., and is a best friend (and was in my wedding!). Got the call up to come and help out and spin some records, so I was on it. We arranged a show the Thursday before at Thee Parkside in SF thanks to my buddy Rick. Not a super big turnout but a great time nonetheless, with a few old friends stopping by to say hi too. Rays band RS2 Solid Sound played, then the Odd Numbers. Long-time pal Amy and her beau Justin put me up for the first night, thanks guys! 

Google self-driving car: "Open the pod bay door, Hal."

Brad looks on while RS2 plays



Can Tokers were in effect at the show

Drunk Injuns

Los olvidados

 

Met up with Brad Wescott, then went on to Thrasher to pillage and check in with the folks. Tadashi picked us up, and we were off to San Jose. First stop was an art auction at Seeing Things, Jai Tanju’s gallery, with proceeds going to Ray. Great to see more folks and some very cool art. Got into a bidding war with someone who didn’t understand how the process works and got kinda pissed at me for bidding something up, but I eventually relented and he paid $40 more for a cool painting of Ray. He wound up being Ray’s roommate. Killer art, great times, thanks Jai! Then Meg sowed – she had flown into SJ earlier and had some work to finish up. We wolfed down a quite bite of sushi, then headed straight to the show. I played records for a while, and all three bands ruled: Rock Bottom from SF, Drunk Injuns, and Los Olvidados. Sold out show, killer time!

RS2 with hand made sign for Parkside show

 

Meg and I headed back to SF. She had some more work, so I went record shopping at Rooky Ricardo’s. Holy shit, a fuckton of killer old soul 45s! And Dick, the owner, was super cool and helpful, and after talking to me for a while pulled out a stack of killer tunes for me to check out --- the place had a dozen or so listening stations. Man, left there with a hole in my wallet.

Meg and I went to Millenium for dinner – killer vegcore spot but a big night out kind of place. We got seated in the exact same spot we got 2 years ago (almost to the day). We met our server, and lo-and-behold when she turned around and I saw the Black Flag bars on the back of her arm, I realized that she was the same server we had then too, and we liked her a bunch. She was super helpful, had some good recommendations, and in the course of yakking with her in between courses, we find out she’s from Bloomington, IN, knows some of our friends from there, etc., etc. Small world. She hooked us up big time with some extras and a big chunk out of the bill. Thanks Rebecca, good luck at grad school, and we’ll miss you next time we go.

Sunday Meg had some work to do, so I rolled by Amoeba. I poked around a little, but felt like I had already spent my allotment. And it kind of sucks to realize that Amoeba doesn’t have listening stations for used vinyl – that seems pretty common these days. I wanted to check something out, and since there was no reception in the place, I had to go out and up the street to check the tune out on Youtube on my phone. It was a winner, so I went back and got it. Then on to meet Meg, Amy and Justin for lunch/brunch at a killer spot.

Me, Bender, and Cass

Next to last stop on the trip was to Lee and Cassandra’s place in Oakland. Lee got into a horrible motorcycle wreck two weeks or so ago, crazy injuries: elbow, wrist, head, ribs, lung, both knees. He’s jacked but in good spirits. We got there a little early which was killer as we got to spend time with both of them before all the dudes with beards and bikes showed up. Heal up, kid!

Final stop: quick meal at Borobudur, an Indonesian restaurant. We ran out of time because there was a tour bus full of Indonesians who showed up, so we took it to go and ate in the hotel room before I rushed off to the hotel. Thanks to all, killer trip!

Evidence CXV: Wait this one out

So I've been hobbled with sacroiliitis for the past 2+ weeks. Not better yet. Running some errands with Hoss, and something that's been on the radar for years -- likely a lot of people will recognize where this is -- looks like it might be coming down the pike. Weird looking fiberglass coping(?), and a shallow (6-foot), green water filled pool. It would be very high profile, but it looks as though it might be slated for demo and that the residents have gone. Hmm... gonna keep our eyes peeled and maybe see how this one plays out. 

This is a modern pool sign. The old ones are all about running and noise and long hair and cut-offs and glass by the pool. This is about nasal or ear discharges, showering before getting in the pool, and incontinence. What a long way we've come. Make sure you use a swim diaper.

That's how they used to run it.

1969 Honda CB160 15k milestone

Lou, getting ready for a ride!

 

The ’69 CB160 just turned over 15k miles on the odometer, another motorbike milestone. 

Got this bike for $100 in 2009. Was trolling craigslist when it popped up. The ad had just been placed, I was at work (where things can be a little flexible if they need to be) and called right away. Rode straight home, borrowed Colby’s truck, stopped by the ATM, got to the guy’s house. I was the first one there, took a quick look at the bike, and paid the $100. This one had a title, too. It’d been sitting in the guy’s yard for a year or two, since he moved here from Washington. It was his grandfather’s bike, and had sat in a barn up there for a while. Remarkably, there wasn’t too much rust, and the rubber was in good shape (tank, etc., not the tires) as was the chrome. The original red paint was a little faded but looked super good. Loaded it up, and as we were signing the paperwork I asked how many calls he’d received. “At least 20 since I talked to you, but you’re the first to make it. How much is a bike like this worth, anyway?” Didn’t want to make him feel bad, so I told him if I could get it running it might be worth $200 or $300. At the time I knew that was way low, but I had no idea about the whole CB160/175 vintage racing scene in the Northwest and how it had driven up the value of these bikes. I just though it looked cool.

Brought it home, changed the plugs and points, new battery, and rebuilt the carbs, and it started on the first kick – ask Hoss, he was there! (Hoss also helped me unload it from the truck…). Next stop was figuring out what to do with it. I stripped it off unnecessary stuff, side covers, rear fender, handlebars, mirror, seat, etc. Sold all of that stuff for $350, so I am up on the deal already. Shaved some tabs (but was careful since I am didn’t paint or powder coat the frame – I just used a little touch up paint and left the weld marks). Repositioned the battery box and wiring, rigged up a café seat, and then bought new tubes and tire. The thing ran, but blew some smoke, and the stock exhaust had a few holes in it. I found some cool exhaust on craigslist in somewhere like Minneapolis for $20, with removable caps on the end. I also got the valves done (Short Block Charlie's in Tempe). Now the thing ran like a top. Final piece was having my buddy Brock (Dunlop Customs) fab up some rearsets using pieces from a CB400f set up.

Thing is a blast to ride, and will hit 65 if I peg it. I took it to the Love Cycles show a couple years back and it won best Japanese bike, despite the somewhat janky homemade seat. It helped a little that there were only about 5 or 6 Japanese bikes there. The charging system is a little weak, especially with the headlight on and a new rectifier, but if I keep the revs high it does OK and I can take it across Phoenix and back pretty easily. I just got a cheap café seat and cover ($65) and redid that – I still need to do a little sewing and mounting work, but it’s getting there.

15K on the odometer

With the original exhaust and working on fabbing the first try at the seat

This is what it looked like when I got it.

Here's the lovely wifey Meggers in a studio shot we did (thanks to Joe Hammeke!) -- based on the album cover "The Girl Most Likely" by Jeannie C. Riley (check here)

And getting some love at the Love Cycles show!

Beat Swap Score!

Killer $2 score from the Beat Swap show on Sunday: "Johnny's Jive" by Johnny Little John and Guitar on Margaret Records (which is why I had to buy it!). Took a chance on it, and it's a killer snazzy instro. Best part: they cite Menard Rogers and the Players' tune "Ain't Nothin' but a Titty" at the start and end!

Awesome upsidedownness... here's the record, killer shape!

Johnny Little John (or Johnny Littlejohn) was primarily a blues player. He moved from Mississippi to Chicago, where he cut his teeth on the Blues circuit. He was also a session musician, and played with the Jackson 5, for example. Most of his recorded output was after 1968 (although the wikipedias say the info is incorrect). Well, certainly: this single is from 1966.

And the Menard Rogers tune:

And of course Menard Rogers is credited with production on the "Johnny's Jive" 7".

 

Got a couple other decent records at the show. One oddball: "Skateboard" b/w "Closer" by Chemistry, bought for obvious reasons.

Sample lyrics: "I'm gonna rock/Until it really hits the spot/Don't you wanna/Whoooooooooo!" and  "Feel the Freddom/Let the wind blow/While we're riding." Check the disco beat! Definitely not particularly good songwriting, and at over 6 minutes long doomed to obscurity with no chance of airwave play. And if you are a glutton for punishment, check out the b-side "closer" where, if I remember correctly, the only lyric is "closer" -- and I am not going to listen to it again to make sure. Like I said, genius songwriting. "Skateboard", however, would be a great song to make a funny 6-minute video to.

 

I looked up the record and apparently a NM copy sold for $258 on Ebay on Christmas Day, 2012, and they regularly go for over $100. Apparently there are some hardcore, underground disco collectors who pay the big bucks. Shit, I am dumping this turd for some cash!

 

 

More Evidence of Shitwiggery

More evidence of shitwiggery? Sure, why not. I'm laid up with a bad back (sacroiliitis), been a week, might be a few more days or up to two weeks. Can barely tie my shoes and wipe my ass. Joel Mack posted a few photos from the old GRanny's days in Seattle.

Granny’s ramp was in Lynnwood, just north of Seattle. It was our local vert ramp, about 8.5 foot tranny, about a foot of vert, 24 feet wide with a channel. It went through some changes over time: bridge of death, pool coping, extension on one side, and eventually a tarp roof that sort of allowed to have some sessions in the Seattle rain. Granny’s was the spot from about 1986 to 1992, and our crew met there every day possible to ride before it was torn down. It overlapped with Ranquet’s ramp for a couple years, which was 12 feet high, 2 feet of vert and only 19 feet wide (until MTV paid for it to be widened in 1992 with the rock the vote campaign and a party we had there). I made lifetime friends there who I still talk to (many of whom were at the Fallout Team reunion last Fall – most of the Fallout Team was Granny’s locals). Most of those guys all got sponsored, some turned pro. Pat Quirke, Matt Gallardo, and Nels Grevstad were the older guys who we looked up to. Quite a combo.

The ramp was built in Ron Soderstrom’s grandparents’ backyard. They were super supportive, and all around awesome folks. Sessions were crazy and there were a few contests (one judged by the Faction when they played in Seattle). We would skate for hours until the sun went down every day we could.

Top photo is me doing a smith grind, shitwig balzing, Alva gear in effect (Alva Posse t-shirt, stickers on helmet and ramp, and likely Posse board -- or Dave Duncan board, Fallout sticker on helmet too). Billabong swim trunks? Shit, I guess I'd wear shit if I got it for free. In the background looks like Leigh Ledare (Petersoon), Gallardo, Mike Swim, and Smiley climbing up the ramp about the get his hand grinded off. Below is me doing an ollie over the channel under Gallardo doing a one-footed backside air the other way. I don't remember exactly how this happened, but I remember trying to talk Gallardo into it as a good idea. We made it, but there were a couple hairball attempts first.

A few words from the Q-Man. Totally amped and hyped to ride -- although what can you expect when you feed the guy bongloads of crack before filming him?

And a brief history of skateboarding...

Bad Back, No Skate

Ruined my back somehow. I think it is connected to my shoulder injury, which affected my neck, which spread. Can't tie my shoes or wipe my ass properly. On the hunt for muscle relaxants last weekend and came up short (until Sunday evening). Heading to the Dr later.

Was able to get the CB160 seat sorted out. Go a fiberglass seat and vinyl cover for $65 total. I had made the previous seat on there from scratch, using the back end of a gas tank and an old Honda seat cover. This one looks way better, if a little longer (I think the photo exagerates it). Got new rear sets for it too, then it's done. Oh yeah, need another speedo cable... 

Last week brought the Valiant up to Art Nolte to get him to check out the differential -- spotted what I thought was a leak, and lo and behold, the seal was bad. Looked into the garage at what appeared to be a Lamborghini. Nope, said Art, it's a kit car on a Pontiac Fiero platform. He said the guy who drops it off is always wearing scrubs -- but if you're a real doctor I would imagine you'd get something better car-wise? So I'm calling fake on the Dr. thing, too. And as you can see from the photo, in the front seat a book on how to deal with having a huge penis. So the guy parks his fake Lamborghini in Scottsdale, gets out wearing scrubs, and leaves his "huge penis" book on the seat for all to see: a trifecta of douchebaggery?

 On the serious side, good buddy Lee Bender got into a wreck in SF. Apparently someone pulled out in front of him. Multiple broken bones and a collapsed lung, but he's gonna be OK. Dunno the whole story, but below is the car.