A fan letter to Bob Seger

Bob Seger
% Punch Enterprises
567 Purdy St.
Birmingham, MI 48009

Dear Bob,

Just a note from some of your long-time Upper Peninsula fans to remind you how much we've enjoyed your music since you first recorded as a young man nearly forty years ago.

Although many of your fans here are a little older now, many younger folks were made aware of your talents when the heavy metal band Metallica recorded a version of your classic song "Turn the Page," about life on the road.

While you're continuing to add new fans, many of us still love the great body of work you produced before your commercial breakthrough in 1976 with "Night Moves." You were rockin' at your best when you recorded your first songs like "East Side Story," "Persecution Smith," "Chain Smokin'," and "Heavy Music." Fast-talking deejays had a bit of trouble though when your group was called Bob Seger and The Last Heard (try it!).

Then, of course you formed the Bob Seger System in 1968 and snagged a No. 17 national hit with "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." Heck, that song was on the jukebox at Baron's Bar in Escanaba for years and years. We know how hard it must have been to carry on when your great follow- ups-- "Ivory" and "Lucifer"-- didn't became hits outside of Michigan and Florida.

We admire how you persevered, performing hundreds of concerts every year. You probably remember doing shows in the early seventies at Northern Michigan University in Marquette with Bachman Turner Overdrive and at Michigan Tech in Houghton. When your warm-up band traveled by mistake to downstate Houghton Lake, you thought nothing of taking the stage first so as not to disappoint the crowd, while the other band sped toward the Keweenaw.

And you kept it up. Songs like "Lookin' Back," "If I Were a Carpenter," and "Get Out of Denver," are indelibly etched into the minds of tens of thousands of Midwest radio listeners (and concert goers).

You were unrecognized nationally then, but your Midwest fans bought those singles and cherished them. Even more treasured were your first seven (count 'em- seven!) long playing records. The grooves are worn out on "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," "Noah," "Mongrel," "Brand New Morning," "Back in '72," and "Seven." Although you released 1972's "Smokin' O. P.'s" on compact disc last summer, all your other early material remains out-of-print.

Of course, all your wonderful late-seventies and eighties albums with the Silver Bullet Band remain available and are reason enough that you were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall on Fame in 2004.

Your two greatest hits compilations are especially stellar with 19 Top 40 hits. The first volume, from 1994, with "Old Time Rock & Roll," "Against the Wind," and "Like a Rock," even includes two new tracks. In 2003, you did the same with Greatest Hits 2, by adding "Satisfied" and "Tomorrow." Those new songs really whetted our appetite for something new. Publicity at the time indicated a fresh album would be forthcoming.

We are still eagerly awaiting your new effort and we realize you're a bit of a perfectionist. But, it's been ten years since your last studio album, "It's a Mystery," and we're getting a little anxious.

Now, we understand from Capitol Records that "Face the Promise" is scheduled for release May 2, 2006. That's just a few days before your 61st birthday. This summer would be a great time to tour, too. Although you had a record-breaking American tour in 1996, that was a decade ago.

So, here's hoping you'll release your early material soon. You'd make a lot of people happy. And, best of luck on the new album, too. We're ready for the Bob Seger story to continue.

Thanks, Your U. P. Fans

P. S. If you want to sail into Little Bay de Noc again on your boat Lightning, you know how hospitable the folks around Escanaba can be.

The 'Creem' of Michigan rock

Back in the distant mists of time, Michigan seeded homegrown rock acts and an underground press which together sparked an exciting counterculture, if only briefly.

At the forefront were musical groups such as the punk prototype Motor City 5 (MC5) and the Fifth Estate, a counterculture rag founded at Wayne State University in 1965.

The scene was eagerly embraced by tens of thousands of college students at campuses across the state who were protesting the Vietnam War, calling for women's liberation and racial equality.

Rolling Stone magazine, founded by Jann Wenner in San Francisco, was viewed by many as an "underground" publication. Now a slick magazine, Rolling Stone was originally printed on newsprint and folded into magazine size. It was the country's original serious music paper and provided a national forum for the emerging underground scene.

Detroit, meanwhile, was the base for Creem Magazine, edited for a time by Lester Bangs, who earned credence as an irreverent rock critic and commentator on the social scene. Creem's logo was a drawing of a milk (or beer) bottle dubbed "Boy Howdy." Robert Crumb drew the cartoon for $50 in 1969 despite having a growing national reputation in independent comics.

With a visit to the neighborhood record store a customer could pick-up music from the hippest Michigan bands and plenty of counterculture reading material. In East Lansing, half a dozen such independent shops existed across the street from the Michigan State University campus.

On the music side of this intersection were the MC5, managed by political activist John Sinclair; Detroit's namesake band featuring a newly -invigorated Mitch Ryder; Bob Seger System; SRC; Frijid Pink; Frost; Amboy Dukes; Brownsville Station; Catfish Hodge; Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen; and Iggy Pop and the Stooges.

The journalistic side of the equation included Ypsilanti's Second Coming, Ann Arbor Argus, East Lansing's The Paper, and other regionally produced publications. Other well-known (at the time, anyway) underground newspapers included Chicago Seed, San Francisco Oracle, Atlanta's Great Speckled Bird, Berkeley Barb and Los Angeles Free Press. Even Escanaba had an underground publication called The Experiment, edited by this writer.

Independent comics also flourished. One of the most popular was The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comic book drawn by Gilbert Shelton, which featured the adventures of three hippies, Freewheelin' Franklin, Fat Freddie and Phineas. I still own issue No. 2 which features each of the brothers giving a different hand gesture on the cover.

Besides music and various publications, the counterculture needed accompanying gear. Headshops sprung up to supply rolling papers, herbs, blacklight posters, psychedelic clothing, incense and lighters, pins, stickers and similar artifacts. One such collective of shops near Central Michigan University was called Mountain City, a reference to Mt. Pleasant.

Concerts were another unifying factor and Michigan's bands delivered the goods. Singer Rob Tyner led the MC5 through wild versions of "Kick Out the Jams" and tons of great original material only to miss national acclaim for their politics. Ditto for Iggy Pop. Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes took us on a "Journey to the Center of Your Mind." Frijid Pink released a killer update on "House of the Rising Sun" and Brownsville Station earned praise for shows featuring their hit "Smokin' in the Boys Room." SRC ignited concert-goers with "Black Sheep," while Bob Seger ran through myriad regional hits--including "Heavy Music"-- with little recognition.

Creem--calling itself America's Only Rock & Roll Magazine-- became headquarters for Mitch Ryder's Detroit, making a direct link between the music and rock journalism.

Still, failure to achieve national success spelled doom for many great Michigan bands. By 1975, as its college-age participants grew older, the youth culture experiment faded.

Rock history: Berry to Carey

Settle down, students. Any questions?

Who invented rock 'n' roll? Many people give the nod for the first rock record to Bill Haley and His Comets who released "Rock Around the Clock" in 1955. But if you want to recognize someone who had an early dynamic influence look to Chuck Berry. Berry added tasty guitar licks to his "poems" and teenage America responded. Dozens went on to became anthems, if you will. Add 'em up: " Maybellene," "School Day," "Rock & Roll Music," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Johnny B. Goode" and more. The Beatles made "Roll Over Beethoven" an international hit. The Rolling Stones did the same with "Carol." Every rock band (even Judas Priest) knows his songs. To prove it, Berry toured for years with pick-up bands he hired where ever he was playing. For more proof watch the movie "Hail, Hail Rock & Roll."

Ever see Berry live? Sure. Berry performed a free outdoor show at Central Michigan University in the fall of 1972, backed by The Woolies, the East Lansing garage band often utilized by the veteran rocker during this period. The crowd cheered and sang along as he played "My Ding-A-Ling," his only number one song, from 1972.

Wasn't Elvis Presley the biggest rock star? Presley was phenomenal and achieved greater fame than Berry. He had more than 150 chart hits in the United States starting with "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956. Elvis is certainly the King of Rock & Roll, but he rarely wrote his own material. He was good looking, had a great voice and starred in dozens of movies besides. Whatever there was to do in rock music, he probably did it first. He was the number one star of the fifties, number two in the sixties (behind only the Beatles) and still in the top ten recording artists in the seventies.

Why did people like the Beatles so much? Music fans were eager for a change from the fifties- style music they were still hearing in the early 1960s. The Beatles appeared in the United States with a gigantic single ("I Want to Hold Your Hand") following the assassination of President Kennedy when the country was about to enter a turbulent era. In fact, the Beatles were at the forefront-- if not leading-- a countercultural revolution. In the beginning, though, they were just four lovable "moptops." As the sixties progressed they had an unprecedented 21 number one hit singles and a dozen smash albums which broke all barriers in modern pop music. Their impact on music and society cannot be over estimated. After their break-up in 1970, each had successful solo careers, racking up another 16 number one hits.

When did the singer-songwriter period begin? As the seventies dawned, Elton John and other solo artists took the public's imagination. John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin penned dozens of top hits, including "Crocodile Rock" and "Bennie and the Jets." He was the top hit producing machine of the decade, followed by Paul McCartney and his new band, Wings. Elton continued as the seventh best selling act in the eighties, still making the top ten list for the nineties as well.

Who toppled Elton John from the top spot in the eighties? That would be the famous and infamous Michael Jackson who hit big with "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." He even teamed with Paul McCartney for "Say, Say, Say." Jackson had been a star since 1969 as lead vocalist for the Jackson Five. His 1982 album "Thriller" is amongst the best-selling LPs of all time at over 40 million copies. The public has been fascinated with Jackson (the tabloids label him Wacko-Jacko), even as he's slipped into more and more bizarre behavior. He survived a child molestation trial and now lives in Bahrain. He had 13 number ones, but his unlikely to have another, at least in the United States.

Who was the most popular artist of the nineties? Mariah Carey-- who has a top-selling album right now with "Emancipation of Mimi" -- has been extremely popular since "Vision of Love" appeared in 1990. She won the best new artist Grammy award that year and later starred in the movie "Glimmer." She had an incredible 15 number one singles in the nineties and was nominated for eight Grammys just last week. Janet Jackson and Madonna follow as most popular artists of the decade.

Where is rock music going now? That's a good question. Certainly, hip hop and rap have been incorporated into the sound of modern music. The future is anyone's guess, but it's bound to include the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z, Nelly and their cohorts. Perhaps someone will give an old Chuck Berry riff a twist and turn it into the next big thing.

Class dismissed!

How to get Mitch Ryder's autograph

Sometimes getting a rock star's autograph can require a little time.

Take Mitch Ryder, for instance.

You may remember Ryder from his ferocious 1966-67 singles such as "Devil With the Blue Dress On/ Good Golly Miss Molly," "Sock It to Me Baby," or "Jenny Take a Ride." He's still a staple on oldies radio.

In fact, Ryder was the first great Detroit rock and roller. Born William Levise Jr., he was leader of the Detroit Wheels, the original white American r&b/rock band which hit the Billboard singles chart seven times in two years. He struck gold as a solo act four more times before forming the supergroup "Detroit" in 1971.

Detroit's first and only LP featured eight propulsive tracks inside a beautifully conceived cover designed by Stanley Mouse, a San Francisco artist famed for his concert poster work. The cover evoked Detroit (the city and the band) with its stylized vintage sedan, flag back drop, metal wings and insignia with a small gear dotting the "i" in the group's name.

At the forefront of a new brand of Michigan hard rock, Detroit generated considerable excitement when it topped a bill at Central Michigan University's Finch Fieldhouse on Saturday, April 8, 1972.

The poster for the event, designed by noted artist Gary Grimshaw, featured an eye within a pyramid and a prominent gear with the words "Motor City roll & roll." Sponsored by WCHP Rock Radio, tickets for the show cost $3.

Several thousand fans (including myself) cheered throughout the high energy performances which also included Brownsville Station (famous for the superior original version of "Smokin' in the Boys Room") and Teegarden & VanWinkle (renowned for backing Bob Seger on his "Smokin' OP's" disc). Apparently, there was a lot of "smokin'" going on in those days.

Especially appealing were the screaming rocker "Long Neck Goose" and a Lou Reed-penned song, "Rock 'N Roll." (Reed called the Detroit version the definitive take of his song and, to prove it, stole guitarist Steve Hunter from Ryder's band.)

While my roommates and I got a copy of the concert poster as a souvenir and to display in our dorm room, there was no opportunity to get it autographed. When graduation came, I was not fortunate enough to take home the coveted item.

Years passed.

Ryder, meanwhile, recorded "Never Kick a Sleeping Dog," produced by John Mellencamp, and enjoyed a mid-1980's European revival.

Then, one day in the mid-1990's, my wife Sue and I spotted the poster from the 1972 CMU show on an EBay auction. We bid and won. The item was actually quite rare since concert promoters usually only printed a few dozen posters to to put up around campus and the community.

Although we had returned to CMU periodically through the years, the 1997 homecoming celebration was special. That's because Ryder was to perform at an alumni dance. So, for the price of a pair of $18 tickets, we set off to see him at the same venue he appeared at all those years ago.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Ryder put on an energetic show in front of an enthusiastic, if older, crowd. His band included Johnny "Bee" Badanjek from the original Detroit Wheels who pounded the skins during Ryder's hit-filled set.

After the encore, Sue was along side the stage and got Ryder's autograph on the old poster. He signed "Always, Mitch Ryder."

To put poster and signature together took 25 years, six months and three days.

Sometimes, getting a rock star's autograph can require a little time.

Christmas with the Shropshires

You know Dr. E. Shropshire, right?

Hint 1: As well as being a famous musician, he's a retired veterinarian. Hint 2: His first name's Elmo.

Yes, Dr. Elmo teamed with wife Patsy to record the novelty classic "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

Don't laugh, the song made the duo and songwriter Randy Brooks rich folks. Royalty checks continue to arrive in their mailboxes on a regular basis. In fact, at 10 million copies, that "Grandma" song is the best selling independent single of all time.

The song was first aired by a San Francisco radio station in 1979 and later picked up for national distribution by Epic Records.

Elmo & Patsy made four albums together, none as successful as "Grandma," before the partnership ended in divorce. Dr. Elmo, now in his 60s, has since remarried and lives on his rural estate in California. He founded a label called Laughing Stock Records to market his products and hosts his own website. Ex-wife Patsy, meanwhile, keeps a low profile.

"Grandma" was the top charting song in for two consecutive years in the Eighties and continued its popularity with another spike in sales in 1997.

In fact, when MTV began airing the "Grandma" video in 1983, it topped Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" on Billboard's holiday chart. That was quite a feat, considering....

Crosby's label first released "White Christmas" for the 1954 holiday season. It went to the lucky No. 13 position on the pop charts and sold strongly every Christmas through 1962. The following year, Crosby took "Do You Hear What I Hear" to No. 2 on the pop chart.

In his career, Crosby also released other seasonal hits including "Silver Bells," "Silent Night," "How Lonely Is Christmas," "Oh Come all Ye Faithful," and "Peace on Earth/ Little Drummer Boy." (The last song was revived in 1977 when David Bowie joined Crosby in a version which appeared in Bing's TV Christmas special).

The color of Christmas 1964 changed when Elvis struck holiday gold. "Blue Christmas" was the top selling holiday single and an evergreen selection since.

Another perennial favorite is John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." Actually, the song is performed by John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. The song, first released in 1971, has charted in each decade, reaching No. 32 on the adult contemporary chart in 1995.

Lennon's fellow Beatles have also recorded holiday songs throughout the years. Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" reached the No. 10 position on the Christmas chart in 1984. George Harrison reached No. 36 on the pop singles chart with "Ding Dong Ding Dong" in 1975, while Ringo Starr has recorded an entire album's worth of Christmas material, including his own take on "Little Drummer Boy."

Most everyone has a favorite Christmas tune. In the Upper Peninsula, Da Yoopers' "Rusty Chevrolet" has been popular since being released in 1986.

In 2000, the country group Shedaisy took "Deck the Halls" to No. 61 on the pop singles chart. That's no big deal, but the song took me back to 1961 at Lemmer Elementary School. Fifth grade teacher Mrs. McEachern, eager to make a good impression at the annual Christmas program, made her class practice singing "Deck the Halls" virtually from the first day of school. Fifth graders today would giggle at "Don we now our gay apparel." And, don't forget the seemingly endless "Fa la la la la, la la la la....

With a snappy chorus like that, even Dr. Elmo would be proud.