Several weeks ago, a random gathering of some of the best musicians from Canada’s greatest musical berg (that’s Hamilton, Ontario, by the way) threw themselves onstage as part of the city’s annual Locke Street Festival. Spearheaded by the one and only Tom Wilson, said ad-hoc combo was busy rocking and rolling things all the way up that street as the sun slid down when suddenly, a most familiar figure was spotted nearby. The lead singer of the one, the only, Teenage Head.

As would later be reported in the press, "I asked Frankie, 'Frankie, fuck man, you've got to come up here and sing,'" Wilson says. "He said, 'You got to give me a hundred bucks.' So I reached into my pocket and I only had fifty, so I asked Dave Rave for the other half. I said, 'Dave, fifty bucks for Frankie.'

"And this was the kind of love they had for Frankie. Dave didn't ask me, 'What for? What does Frankie need fifty bucks for?' He was just pulling it out of his pocket. And Frankie got up and did ‘Let's Shake’."

It turned out to be the last-ever public appearance of Frank Kerr, much better known – and most rightfully so – as Frankie Venom, who along with his high school pals about thirty-three years ago decided to form a band in between spins of Dolls, Stooges and, yes, Flamin’ Groovies records. Remarkably, that little band that could went on to garner two gold and one platinum twelve-inchers of their very own; in fact, their latest, now available from the fine folk over at Sonic Unyon Recordings, actually features Marky Ramone on the drums. Terrifically high praise indeed.

In a scar-studded career that admittedly held more bumps than most bands’, Teenage Head never turned (or toned) things down, never towed anyone’s line, and never ever made a bad record or gave a bad show that I, or anyone else for that matter, should care to recall. And whether slithering across the heat pipes of Toronto’s legendary Crash and Burn club, opening for the Pretenders, Talking Heads and Elvis Costello in front of fifty-thousand at Canada’s Heatwave festival – or belting ‘Let’s Shake’ for and with some old friends on Locke Street on a warm late eve – Frankie Venom was every single inch the Head above all others.

He succumbed to throat cancer on October 15, 2008, aged fifty-two. Your record collection will never be the same.

Whilst continuing to faithfully remain
Lost In The Groove
all summer long,

your resident Pig has consented
to scribble monthly,
right over there at
Medleyville Dot US
as well.

so then,
If you’re ever wondering

why Bob was Judas,

when Simply Saucer turned Half Human,

who That Lucky Old Sun is still shining upon,

where you should buy Your First Punk Rock Record,

and even How much those Rolling Stones just got out of
the Universal Music Group,

(plus Pat Boone to boot),

feel more than free to get Lost
in that Medleyville Groove,
as autumn falls all around us

(…making sure to tell ‘em
Gary Pig Gold sentcha,
of course !! )

Sure,
every time this year,
as temps and spirits begin to rise
and the time gets right for doing
something in the street,

we could So easily get
laid back and lost within the usual grooves
of those Beach Boys,
Jan and/or Dean,
Fantastic Baggys (!!!)
or even Los Nooney Rickett Four.

but,
If you’re ready for a brand new beat instead
all this summer long,

May I suggest you tune on, log in,
turn up and hang at least 10dB
right over there at
Gary Pig Gold dot com,

thanx to our very hot pals
dba Zuzula, that is.

Listen !!

As stated before,

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada’s
one and only
Beefheart/Seeds/Floyd/Velvets-even
uber-amalgamation
(aka Simply Saucer)

have recently reformed, relaunched,
recorded and now actually released
their first “official” album in, oh,
say three-and-a-half-decades or so,
give or take.

and
Said sounds can now be streamed,
sampled,
purchased,
and/or experienced fully live

by any and all
willing to leave preconceptions,
not to mention pigeonholes,
firmly in the half past.

Just be sure to tell ‘em
Gary Pig sentcha....

Sure,

those Japan-rocking Ventures,
not to mention What’s left of The Dave Clark Five
finally got their free dinners and awards
at the Waldorf a few weeks ago,

but Me and my virtual polling pal Ken Burke
still can’t help but wonder…..

WHERE’S PAT BOONE ?!!!

They Came,
throughout 2007,

and I Heard,
as I do always try to.

but Just in case you haven’t,
or didn’t yet,

Here to hear are the ten discs
(listed strictly alphabetically of course)

that I most urge your ears immediately upon…

1. DEBRIS Static Disposal
(Anopheles Records)

2. THE DOUGHBOYS Is It Now?
(Ram Records)

3. THE FREDDIE STEADY 5 Tex Pop
(SteadyBoy Records)

4. THE LICKITY-SPLITS Another Taste
of the Lickity-Splits (Lickity-Splits)

5. LOLAS Like The Sun
(Jam Recordings)

6. THE MODD COUPLE Daze Gone By
(Modd Couple)

7. JACK PEDLER Let’s Get Nervous!
(Race Records)

8. THE SPRAGUE BROTHERS
Best of the EssBee CD’s Vol. 2 (El Toro Records)

9. THE SQUIRES OF THE SUBTERRAIN & BIG BOY PETE Rock It Racket (Rocket Racket)

10. ROBIN STANLEY Chronic Empire
(Creative Artists)

…and,
For all of those
who like to read as they rawk,

Uncover even more
about 07’s Top Lost Grooves
Right HERE !!

What really gets
none other than
the King of the Surf Guitar
truly hot this time of year ?

However has
that freedom-singing Pride of NashPop
come to link
Mel Torme to frosty Alex Chilton ??

Does no less than
the Once and Forever Female Elvis
actually dream of Snowbirds
this time every year ???

and What in the world
did the Killer’s Sister say
to squeeze the Scrooge clear out of Van the Man
one December 25th (or six) ago ??!

Come,
all ye Lost Groovers,

and roast your chestnuts
alongside all of my Yuletide Pig pals

right there in
Morty’s Cabin,

Ho Ho H(oink) !!!

Dear Pop Pals,

Our very good friend
Robert Barry Francos
certainly had lens in hand,
then fingers to keyboard,

to commemorate
none other than
Dave Rave, Shane Faubert, Gary Pig Gold
and Very Special Guests
at the opening of this year's
New York International Pop Overthrow Festival.

now,
You can
Read All About It HERE,

then Be Sure
to check out all the photographic evidence
right THERE !!

Those
Were The Daze,
indeed,

when you could
read all about

The Sex Pistols

Loved Ones

Simply Saucer

Dennis Wilson

and even those
Ramone Brothers

all in one place
all at one time,

and All for only
One Thin Dollar
(Canadian) !!

                               JANDEK
                   BROOKLYN WEDNESDAY
_________________________________________
                              SET ONE
                             DISC ONE
1. PUT ME THERE                                           (11:21)
2. DESTROY THE DAY                                     (10:43)
3. OBSCURE PHYSICS                                       (8:26)
4. STRUCTURE OF WORDS                                (9:02)
                             DISC TWO
1. ALL I WANT                                                 (5:11)
2. LONELY WORLD                                           (8:32)
3. CHANGE MY BRAIN                                       (9:51)
4. I’LL SEND A THOUGHT OUT FLOATING          (5:09)
5. I LOVE YOU                                                (10:51)
                              SET TWO
                             DISC ONE
1. HOW ‘R YOU                                               (13:31)
2. CITY POUNDING DOWN                              (12:12)
3. DIFFERENT BLUES                                       (9:21)
4. MY NECESSITY                                             (8:21)
                           DISC TWO
1. SEA OF PEOPLE                                            (7:59)
2. SORRY, SORRY                                             (9:13)
3. TEQUILA GIRL                                            (10:54)
4. JUST ENOUGH                                            (10:15)

RECORDED LIVE: ISSUE PROJECT ROOM

BROOKLYN NEW YORK SEPTEMBER 7, 2005
__________________________________________
©(P)2007 CORWOOD INDUSTRIES
               P.O. BOX 15375
        HOUSTON, TEXAS 77220
                      U.S.A.