Huey Lewis, oldies rocked arena

Since opening in 1974, Lakeview Arena in Marquette has hosted many notable rock concerts including a pair of shows in the mid-80s which were especially memorable for my wife Sue and me.

Huey Lewis and the News played there in 1984 at the pinnacle of their career, while the following year saw an appearance by the highly successful Happy Together Tour, featuring a quartet of veteran acts.

Lewis, based in San Francisco, earned some recognition in 1982 with "Do You Believe in Love," while the mega-hit "Sports" album was released the next year, containing a remarkable four Top Ten smashes. In all, Lewis racked up 22 hit singles and received considerable time on MTV with video versions of those hits.

In fact, the man who starred in several of those videos, a comedian named Dr. Gonzo, served as warm-up act for the Marquette concert.

Accompanying himself on electric guitar, Dr. Gonzo, who's real name is John Means, delivered parodies of then-current songs along with his comic observations before a house itchy to hear the main act.

Dr. Gonzo, got his laughs and got off-stage as Lewis and the News launched into their their hit-filled performance before an arena packed with Yoopers eager for live versions of the radio friendly anthems they'd been hearing for months.

The band, with Lewis on vocals and harmonica, consisted of bass player Mario Cipollina, saxophonist Johnny Colla, drummer Bill Gibson, lead guitarist Chris Hayes and Sean Hopper on keyboards.

As you might expect they played crowd-pleasing versions of "Heart and Soul," "I Want a New Drug," "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "If This Is It," and "Walking on a Thin Line." If memory serves, they did not perform "The Power of Love," from the movie "Back to the Future," which would later give the group their first No. 1.

By 1985, we were back at Lakeview for the feel-good Happy Together Tour. This well-organized concert included the Turtles, featuring Flo & Eddie; the Buckinghams; Gary Lewis & the Playboys; and the Grass Roots with Rob Grill.

Like the Huey Lewis concert, we went to the show, a virtual trip down memory lane, with friends Dan and Nancy Young of Escanaba.

Not surprisingly, the Turtles' performance included a bit of satire from founding members Mark Volman (Flo) and Howard Kaylan (Eddie), specifically a hilarious take on "Flashdance."

Of course the crowd heard solid performances of "Eleanor," "You Showed Me" and "Happy Together," written, not by the Turtles, but by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon, members of a Boston area group, the Magicians.

The Chicago-based Buckinghams, with original members Nick Fortuna and Carl Giammarese, knocked out "Kind of a Drag," their monster No. 1 from 1967; plus "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," "Don't You Care," and "Susan," my wife's namesake song.

Gary Lewis (no relation to Huey) sang his string of hits, including "This Diamond Ring." But, he seemingly mimicked himself with insipid versions of his rather sappy songbook. And, he wasn't as funny as his dad, Jerry, either.

Original vocalist Rob Grill breathed life into the Grass Roots catalog when he performed more than credible versions of "Let's Live for Today," "Midnight Confessions," "Sooner or Later," and "I'd Wait a Million Years."

All told, the audience enjoyed a hit-filled evening that was replicated around the country over the course of eight-months, turning into one of the top-grossing tours of 1985.

The Huey Lewis tour, meanwhile, also won accolades, especially those shows for which Texas guitar-slinger and blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan opened.

In Marquette, however, you'll remember funnyman Dr. Gonzo was the "warm-up" act for Lewis. Today, the retired comedian, not to be confused with the character created by journalist Hunter S. Thompson, owns two restaurants in Mason City, Ill., his hometown. He also works as a college professor.

If you visit, tell him Huey sent you and ask him to 'warm-up' your coffee. He'll surely appreciate the humor.

Night Ranger's secret U.P. CD

If you want to collect all of Night Ranger's compact discs, you'll have to search for a hard-to-find Japanese recording which actually originated right here in the Upper Peninsula.

Night Ranger, of course, is the prolific San Francisco rock group, most famous for "Sister Christian," which dominated the mid-eighties music scene with a catalog of power ballads and pop-metal hits.

In the middle of that chart domination, as the band was moving from opener to headliner, they played a concert at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

Ten songs from that August 1984, show were captured on tape, including "When you Close Your Eyes" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," but how those performances ended up on an imported compact disc remains a mystery.

The Marquette recordings were paired with some live tracks from a Jan. 10, 1983 Cincinnati show in a double disc package called "Find Me A Thrill." Subtitled "The Lost Live Album," the set also contains two studio outtakes, "Wild & Innocent Youth" and "Girls All Like It."

Appearing on the Boardwalk Records label, the discs are not available commercially in the United States, giving suspicion to their legality. That's because copyright laws in other countries are often less strict than those in the U. S., and grey market CDs can surface.

While Boardwalk did release Night Ranger's debut album, "Dawn Patrol," in 1982, company founder Neil Bogart died that same year. The firm slipped into a downward spiral just as these live recordings were being made, prompting Night Ranger to move to the MCA/Camel label.

On tour, Night Ranger opened for ZZ Top and Ozzy Osbourne. The band, comprised of bassist Jack Blades, drummer Kelly Keagy, keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, and guitar player Jeff Watson, even stole another guitarist, Brad Gillis, from Ozzy's band.

Night Ranger's success grew with "Midnight Madness," their second album. While Night Ranger records were filled with risque innuendo and hard rocking guitars, the band also had a conservative side. Keagy wrote and sang "Sister Christian," for his own sibling, urging girls across America to be cautious. The group also promoted patriotic themes with "(You Can Still) Rock in America," an anthem similar to tracks by the likes of Sammy Hagar and Ted Nugent, two acts not afraid to espouse moderate principles.

Both "Sister Christian" and "Rock In America" were played at the Marquette show 22 years ago. Those and the rest of the U. P. recordings on "Find Me A Thrill" are offered in soundboard quality indicating they were obtained after being processed through the band's mixing console.

Listening to the disc reveals a more obvious clue about the origin of the recordings when an announcer credits the concert to an FM radio broadcast of the "King Biscuit Flour Hour," a program spotlighting live rock music. The album is not listed on Night Ranger's discography on the group's official website, giving further evidence about its legal status.

If you're looking for legitimate concert recordings, Night Ranger does have two officially released live discs readily available, "Live in Japan" from 1990 and "Rock in Japan '97." Both have budget pricetags, and carry similar track listings. The band has also cut a deal with Sony/BMG to release a third live album from shows performed in Japan during 2003.

While I didn't go to Night Ranger's 1984 Marquette show, I can listen to that CD now whenever I want.

The group's Escanaba appearance during the "Big Life Tour" three year later, meanwhile, is seared into my memory, although I didn't go to that performance, either.

You see, as Night Ranger was playing at top volume during an evening show at the Upper Peninsula State Fair on Friday, Aug. 21, 1987, some unsavory types attempted to use the noisy cover and deserted streets to break into my store. The culprits used their pick-up truck to ram the double doors at the rear of the building, which were fortified on the inside by a hefty steel bar.

Fortunately, an upstairs tenant heard some commotion, called public safety and confronted the would-be burglars who drove away before authorities arrived.

Perhaps going to concerts is overrated. After all, I know what went on during two Night Ranger concerts in the U. P., and I stayed home both times.

Jazz duo's lost 'Escanaba Beat'

The song is called "Escanaba Beat." You probably never heard of it, much less heard it.

But, it's a standout track recorded by jazz great Edward "Sonny" Stitt in 1974. You may never have heard of him, either.

Just so you know, Stitt was a renown alto and tenor saxophonist, almost as influential as Charlie Parker. Recognized for his great improvisations, Stitt's prolific career included 10 albums in 1974 & 1975 alone, including one called "Tornado." It's there you'll find "Escanaba Beat," a slightly Latin flavored number, featuring some funky keyboards, clocking in at just under five minutes.

The track was actually written by electric keyboardist Eddie Russ, hailing from Pittsburgh, whose band The Mixed Bag, also appeared on the disc.

Gladstone resident Jim Rockwell, a top jazz deejay in Detroit for decades, remembers Stitt as an influential performer in numerous bands which played in the metropolitan area during the1950s and 60s. "He played with everybody," Rockwell recounted.

Rockwell should know. During his career all the jazz greats who came to Detroit while on tour stopped by Rockwell's radio program which broadcast from the top floor of the Sheridan Cadillac Hotel.

"First they came by as guests, then friends. We'd just talk and I'd play the songs they wanted to hear," Rockwell remembered. Among the jazz stars appearing on Rockwell's all-night radio program were Miram Makeba, Maynard Ferguson, Nina Simone, Wes Montgomery, Ramsey Lewis, Bill Evans, Al Hirt, Johnny Hodges, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, perhaps the 20th century's greatest musician-- in any genre.

In fact, Rockwell recalled Ellington, by himself, paying a visit to his penthouse studio to appear on the area's top-rated jazz program.

Rockwell retired from Detroit radio in 1968, and was surprised to learn of Stitt's recording of "Escanaba Beat," which came out six years later.

The song appeared on a long play record on the Jazz Masters label, based in Grand Rapids, and has not been reissued on compact disc.

So, it's not surprising you probably haven't heard it. With no compact disc version available, you'll have to hunt down an LP and pay about $25 to hear the tune named after our fair city.

Designed by Travis Erby, the LP's purple and blue cover features the artist's conception of a city skyline with a twister approaching.

The sessions were produced and directed by Bob Crawford, who also had an interest in the Jazz Masters label, still located at 1232 Drexel Court in Grand Rapids. The album was recorded at a local facility, Cinema Sound, while re-recording was done at DXM Studios in Farmington.

Besides "Escanaba Beat," the long player included the title song, also written by Russ; the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun;" "Natural High," "By My Side," and a groovin' rendition of "Spinning Wheel," a 1969 smash for Blood, Sweat and Tears just begging for a jazz treatment.

While it's apparent the aim of the recording was to expose younger jazz listeners to Stitt's sounds with contemporary pop tunes, there is some mystery involved, too.

How did "Escanaba Beat" come to be named? Producer Crawford told me: "Russ named the song because he once worked in Escanaba and was really fascinated by the city."

Did Stitt ever visit or perform here? Stitt was a musical road warrior for over three decades. Plus, he lived in Saginaw, merely 300 miles from here. Crawford, however, said to his knowledge Stitt never came to Escanaba.

Did they play "Escanaba Beat" in concert or was it strictly a studio creation? According to Crawford, the pair played the tune in concert many times.

Since Stitt died of a heart attack in 1982 and Russ passed away in 1996, further questions about the song might be difficult to answer.

Still, jazz fans, including former Detroit deejay Jim Rockwell, hold Stitt in high regard. So, why would only a handful of his more than 100 albums be available on compact disc?

As we ponder those questions, the "Escanaba Beat" goes on.

Bob Seger's 'delicious dilemma'

Bob Seger has a delicious dilemma. The veteran Michigan rocker has so many tasty hit songs that he can't perform them all in a two hour show. It's not even close.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer released his 20th album, "Face the Promise," in September, and yielded to fans who begged him to tour for the first time in 10 years.

There begins Seger's predicament. With so many hits, it was easy to put together a strong set list. On the other hand, many great songs couldn't be included in the 120 minute program.

Consequently, Seger trimmed his biggest single, "Shakedown," the theme song from Beverly Hills Cop 2. He cut "Shame on the Moon" and "Still the Same." There was no room for "Fire Lake," "Feel Like a Number" or "Like a Rock," either. Seger's song choices were sure to please some fans but disappoint others.

So what would he play? Well, I knew what I wanted to hear, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." My favorite Seger song had capped off an incredible string of hard rock singles including "East Side Story," "Persecution Smith," "Héavy Music," "Looking Back," and "Ivory," which, remarkably were only regional hits. Reaching number 17 on the Billboard singles chart, "Ramblin'" opened Seger's first LP and caught my attention along with many other fans and should have made the hard-working Ann Arbor native a superstar. But it didn't happen due to record company ineptitude.

Despite not succeeding with tons of memorable follow-up singles, Seger continued to record and tour. He deserves kudos for tenacity during those lean years. Seger recorded seven albums, only one of which, "Smokin' O.P.'s," has been issued on CD.

For years, I've heard stories from folks attending pre-fame Seger shows for a $2 admission. He even played concerts in the Upper Peninsula numerous times. But, I didn't go to any of those shows, thinking I'd catch him next time. Then Seger's 10th album,"Night Moves," struck in late 1976 and he no longer performed in northern Michigan.

When Seger announced his 2006 tour schedule, the time was right to see him in concert, at last. My wife Sue and I got tickets to the Nov. 16 concert at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, just the fifth show of the tour, at the cost of $60 a seat, 30 times the early 70s price.

Seger and his Silver Bullet Band performed their first concert since 1996 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Nov. 8. Not wanting a rude surprise in Milwaukee, I got a copy of the set list from the Michigan show. They played Sue's favorite Seger song, "Sunspot Baby," but, unfortunately, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" was not included.

Still, my anticipation was high as we took our seats at the Bradley. Just as the set list confirmed, Seger opened the show with "Roll Me Away," and "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You," before launching into "Wreck My Heart," the opening track from the new album. Then came "Mainstreet" and "Old Time Rock & Roll," the song an underwear-clad Tom Cruise so effectively ruined for me in the movie Risky Business. Next came the hard rockin' "Tomorrow" from "Greatest Hits 2," followed by two more new songs. Five additional classics came before intermission: "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight," "We've Got Tonite," "Turn The Page," "Travelin' Man" and "Beautiful Loser."

After a short break, the group was back on stage with another new track, "Simplicity." Then, to my astonishment, came the unforgettable opening notes of my favorite Seger song, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." Seger had dropped a new song and instead performed just this one record from his early years! There he was singing, "Cause I was born lonely, down by the riverside; learned to spin fortune wheels and throw dice." Chuck Berry's "C'est La Vie," "Wait For Me," and "Sightseeing" followed.

He finished the night with nothing but smashes: "Sunspot Baby," "Horizontal Bop," "Katmandu," "Night Moves," "Hollywood Nights," "Against the Wind," and "Rock & Roll Never Forgets."

Seger and his 13-member band, including three female back-up singers and the Motor City Horns, were wildly received by fans, playing a total of 25 songs.

Just one of the evening's highlights came on "Turn the Page." With saxophonist Alto Reed adding effective horn flourishes, Seger took to the piano for the classic tune, which he recalled he "wrote in a small town in Wisconsin in 1972."

Moving continuously across the stage during the evening, Seger showed plenty of energy, singing with unrestrained gusto, and drew cheers when he told fans he was 61. But, because the stage was "old school" there was no video screen. For folks who weren't seated near the front, like us, Seger was about half an inch tall.

The tour will continue into next year, so don't put off seeing one of rock's greatest talents, like I did. But, if you can't see the show, don't be surprised if Seger reviews his song list again in the next year or two for a concert album to put along side classics like "Live Bullet" and "Nine Tonight."

Popular music may have changed in the last decade, not necessarily for the better, but Seger still has his audience and thankfully we still have him.

Old records tell family stories

My Dad brought me a box of old records the other day. I see vintage recordings often, but this collection was different; it was a group of LPs and 45s from our house when I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s.

He pointed out a couple of 78s, too. Many people know 78s as the thick fragile discs played on Victrolas in the World War II era and the decades before.

Dad (you might know him as Don Seymour) told me he bought the recordings in Japan while on leave when he was serving near Seoul during the Korean War in 1950-51. Since I've got a turntable which can play at 78 rpm speed, I thought it would be interesting to give the old platters a spin.

The first disc, on the Victor label, contained the titles "Ginza Kankan Musume" and "Waga Yume, Waga Uta." My Dad recalled soldiers in his outfit singing the first song, which translates to "Ginza Cancan Girl." The song was a pop hit in 1949 and was included in a Japanese film of the period starring Hideko Takamine, who apparently performed the theme song, as well. Pressed on the Columbia label, the second disc included "China Night," which he said reminded him of a soundtrack to a movie depicting a Chinese scene; and a song translated into English as "Hill of Pure Heart."

Manufactured in Yokohama and Kawasaki, the discs credit the artists only in Japanese characters, making further identification difficult.

Dad chuckled upon recognizing songs he hadn't heard in half a century or more. Another record in the box, meanwhile, elicited outright laughter from my brothers and sisters.

You may recall David Seville and The Chipmunks who captured number one on the Billboard top singles chart in 1958 with both "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song." Born Ross Bagdaserian, Seville created and provided the voices of cartoon characters Alvin, Simon and Theodore, beloved by generations of children.

My siblings were shocked when I revealed to them the long-play record they remembered was actually by another group, The Grasshoppers. "You're kidding!" remarked my sister Karen Germain. Yes, it seems The Chipmunks were so phenomenally popular, eventually spawning a animated television series and 22 hits, that imitators appeared.

The Grasshoppers-- Dennis, Archie and Rickey-- were even so bold as to record their own version of "The Chipmunk Song," adding to the the cartoon character confusion among the young people of America. In fact, The Grasshoppers probably equalled or surpassed The Chipmunks in sales as their album, aimed at the budget conscious customer, was issued in dozens of versions over the years.

The edition in the Seymour family collection appeared on the Parade label and allowed kids to sing along with those musical bugs on such songs as "Big Rock Candy Mountain," "On Top of Old Smokey," and "Glow Worm." The novelty group added to the disarray, intentionally or not, by also including a cover of "Alvin's Harmonica," by the rival Chipmunks.

The Grasshoppers never had enough cache to get a TV series, but they were sharp dressers, especially for insects, wearing straw hats, red vests and green and black striped bow-ties on the record cover.

As The Chipmunks enjoyed their final hit with "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" in late 1962, the Seymour family's music interest switched to a piano player born in Denmark named Bent Fabricius-Bjerre. Actually this musician smartly dropped the last section in his name and became simply Bent Fabric. His signature composition was called "Alley Cat," for which he received a Grammy award in 1963 for best rock 'n' roll recording. In Danish, "Alley Cat," appearing on the Atco label, was known as "Around the Piano," a title record executives didn't think would entice the American record buying public.

Some folks moved nimbly to a dance invented just for the song and played it at weddings and dance parties. As children, we heard "Alley Cat," dozens of times as our parents learned to square dance while that catchy instrumental played on the hi-fi in the basement.

Mom and Dad belonged to a local square dance group, and danced to waltzes, polkas and western swing numbers by the likes of The Four Notes, Al Russ, and The Southernaires. Those 45s even came with lyric sheets so the tune could be "called" for the dancers.

The box of old records also contained an album of big band tunes with titles many older people recall fondly such as "Song of India," by Tommy Dorsey; "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Benny Goodman; and "I Can't Get Started," by Bunny Berigan. The two disc set also includes the original versions of "Begin the Beguine," by Artie Shaw; "In the Mood," by Glenn Miller;" and "Take the 'A' Train," by Duke Ellington. Also represented in the family collection were numerous LPs by Ray Conniff, which I remember buying at a local dime store to give to my parents as Christmas gifts. During the 1960s, Conniff produced an average three albums (two instrumental and one vocal) every year. He even mined gold in 1966 with a Top Ten take on "Somewhere My Love," also known as "Laura's Theme," from the classic movie Dr. Zhivago.

So, there you have it, a few family stories as told by a box of old records.