Music brightened depression era

WPA Stringed Band members

By STEVE SEYMOUR

A little known chapter in Delta County history tells how a group of young people softened the harsh realities of the Great Depression by taking up musical instruments to entertain the public.

The story is told in an old scrapbook put together years ago by Joseph Bussineau, who ran a music program in Flat Rock for the Works Progress Administration.

Created in April, 1935, the WPA was the largest agency in President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program, employing millions of people, especially in rural areas.

Bussineau was charged with teaching young people, who had no previous music training, to play a variety of stringed instruments such as violin, mandolin and banjo.

He took to his new assignment with relish.

The local program was started in early 1936 when large numbers of eager young music students began to congregate at Bussineau's residence in Flat Rock.

Soon, his basement became a studio where the aspiring musicians were taught in groups every night of the week, beginning at 7 p. m.

After just six months of instruction, the youths began to make public appearances all around the area. Publicity at the time said the band could be "obtained to play at any entertainment program in Delta County without charge, provided no admission is charged by the sponsors. Any club, organization or church desiring the services of this organization is asked to call."

An early appearance took place at the Bark River community building on Thursday June 18, 1936.

The public, desiring to forget about the economic hardships of the time, responded with enthusiasm.

Early on, the band included 86 pieces, then 150, and finally over 200 youngsters participated. The students broke into smaller groups to entertain at various events such as social club meetings and civic celebrations.

While the group made dozens of public appearances to entertain the weary public, Bussineau noticed another benefit. "It is one way to deal with the child delinquency problem. Give the children something to do in which they are interested and you will have no trouble. In my musical training work, I have found it easy to get the youngsters to give attention to every demand made upon them," a newspaper article quoted him as saying at the time.

Billed as the WPA String Band of Flat Rock, but also called the Junior Music Club, the group entertained crowds at the Labor Day picnic at Gladstone City Park on Sept. 7, 1936.

Joseph Bussineau residence

A large group of participants was photographed in front of Bussineau's residence one Sunday afternoon, 96-year-old Bill Charlebois recalled. A sign posted on the house, identifying it as "Home of the Junior Music Club," was made by Bussineau for the occasion, Charlebois remembered.

Paging through Bussineau's scrapbook reveals what popular entertainers his students became. An old ticket revealed the group held its 50th performance at Flat Rock town hall on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 1937. The event, which included "movies, music and entertainment," was free of charge.

The group's fame even extended to the airwaves. Although Escanaba didn't have a commercial radio station at this time, Bussineau approached the management of Marquette's WBEO, owned by Lake Superior Broadcasting Co., for consideration. Manager Gordon H. Brozek granted 15 minutes of air time, beginning at 10 a. m., Sunday, June 4, 1939.

Bussineau's daughter, Frances Bougie, now 80, remembers the occasion distinctly.

Notes in Bussineau's scrapbook testify that the program was well received. "Just wanted to compliment you on the fine program broadcast over WBEO last Sunday. Many of my friends and myself would like to have you broadcast often," wrote George Henricks. "Heard your very enjoyable program over WBEO Sunday morning. Please let us hear from you again soon," stated Mr. and Mrs. Oral Thompson Sr. Added M. Levesque: "I listened to your program on Sunday and enjoyed it a lot. I only wish you'se (sic) would be able to get a program every week. Every number sounded good and believe me I think it was grand."

Despite the favorable response, Mrs. Bougie said she thought it was the only time the group was broadcast on radio. One of the final performances was at the second annual U. P. Townsend Rally and Picnic, held Sunday, Aug. 4, 1940 at the fairgrounds in Escanaba.

As the WPA music program ended, Bussineau worked for Meiers Signs. He was later in charge of the State Highway Department Sign Shop in Escanaba. He died in 1974.

Because Bussineau was careful to paste dozens of newspaper clippings, letters, programs and photographs into a scrapbook, a little known chapter of local history has been preserved.

U. P. rockabilly star left mark

Al Barkle

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Although he moved to California with the occupation of mason, the Upper Peninsula's Al Barkle built a solid music career with at least two recordings continuing to reverberate today.

A native of Iron Mountain, the young Barkle began recording in 1951, cutting two 45s for the Sheboygan, Wis. based Polkaland label. But, after playing around northern Michigan for a few years, Barkle put his masonry training in his hip pocket, and relocated to the Oakland, Cal. area.

He began recording on the west coast in 1956 with "Jumpin' From Six to Six" becoming one of his earliest efforts. The song was written by Odie Ervin, a new artist, who first committed it to tape in 1954. But, it was the version credited to Al Barkle and the Trailblazers which caused rockabilly fans to take notice of the budding musician's talents as a singer and guitar player.

Then, while Barkle was busy "launching" his music career, halfway around the world the USSR was occupied with putting the Sputnik I satellite into space on Oct. 4, 1957.

With the news quickly circling the globe, Barkle teamed with songwriter Les Kangas to record "Sputnik II," a catchy-- if kooky-- love song to the Russian innovation which shocked the United States into a
race to the moon.

Credited to Al Barkle and the Tri-Tones, the tune begins with the singer imitating the low-frequency beeps emitted by Sputnik I as it orbitted earth. Near the end, the singer urges the space craft to start "spinnin' 'round my heart" as the song is completed with a wolf howl.

< Other musicians rushed to record space age songs, too. Another rockabilly entry by Jerry Engler and the Four Ekkos was called "Sputnik (Satellite Girl)," while Roosevelt Sykes did a rythym and blues number, "Sputnik Baby," and Ray Anderson and the Homefolks offered "Sputniks and Mutniks."

Still, Barkle's song stood out. It made enough of an impact on popular culture that it was noted in a cover story on the 50th anniversary of Sputnik printed in the Sept. 26, 2007 edition of the USA Today newspaper.

While "Jumping From Six to Six" and "Sputnik II" were early successes for Barkle, he continued to record regularly. The U. P. native cut singles for M&M, Vita, Frantic, Koo Koo, Fiddle and Bow, Royal American, Voice of Country and Kangaroo.

Based in San Gabriel, Cal., the Kangaroo label was owned by Les Kangas, the man behind the "Sputnik II" recording. The company's 45 rpm single called "A Talk With My Heart," pictures Barkle on the label with the "e" dropped from his last name.

The former U. P. resident recorded other songs written by Kangas, as well, including "Wait Till The Commercial" and "The Signal." Kangas, in fact, made a career out of novelty material. In response to the Beatles- led British Invasion, he later wrote "Beetle Bug Bop" for the Collins Kids, legends on the rockabilly circuit.

Barkle himself was well-known among rockabilly fans for his sound which effectively combined early rock 'n' roll and country, or hillbilly music, with western swing.

Most of Barkle's recording took place in the 1950s. He only entered the studio sporadically after that as the rockabilly craze waned.

Named Albert Frank Barkle, the rockabilly star was born in Iron Mountain, MI on May 17, 1927 to Clifton and Josephine (Smeltzer) Barkle. The musician married Lucille Ballario and the couple had three daughters, Carla, Debbie and Nicole.

In 1969, Barkle moved to Nashville, Tenn., the epicenter of counrty music, where he continued to perform for nearly three decades. He died in a nursing home there on May 6, 2006, just 11 days short of his 79th birthday.

Today Barkle's recording of "Jumpin' From Six to Six" is recognized as a classic in 1950s rockabilly music. The song received renewed interest when it was rerecorded by Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, a rockabilly revival band, as the title track to their debut album in 1994. So impressed was critic Jana Pendragon, she wrote "Jumpin' From Six to Six" marked nothing less than "a new era in country and western music."

Due to its connection with the space race, Barkle's take on "Sputnik II" will remain iconic in pop music.

Rockabilly, so popular five decades ago, enjoyed a revival in the 1980s with acts like the Stray Cats gaining wide acceptance. The style now exists as a subculture, combining music and fashion.

With "Sputnik II" and "Jumpin' From Six to Six" Al Barkle's family members have two special reasons to be proud of his musical legacy.

Band revives French Church tune

The Cyril Lords

By STEVE SEYMOUR

When Detroit garage rockers the Cyril Lords recorded a tune called "Slapneck 1943" in a bowling alley in 2005, few in the audience realized they were covering an old rock song about a tiny community in the Upper Peninsula.

At the time, guitarist Marty Morris and drummer Mayuko had just added bassist Sean Ellwood to their new band. Looking for fresh material for an upcoming gig, Ellwood suggested "Slapneck," a song he liked from a Michigan garage music compilation.

Originally recorded by a Marquette rock band called French Church four decades ago, "Slapneck" became a staple in the Cyril Lords live show for quite some time. When the band approached record label Nu Gold to release a single, owner Eric Silvenis insisted "Slapneck" appear as the record's flip side.

"I was hesitant to record a cover song at first," Morris, also known as Mother, told me. "I decided to record the b-side at the Garden Bowl, a bowling alley I was working in at the time-- the nation's oldest-- to attempt to have a sort of foil to the heavily produced, pop a-side called 'Ginger.' We set up and played a free show," Morris said.

"I think we played "Slapneck" twice that night to make sure we had a good take. We made $50 from the bar and handed it over to Kevin Peyok, the gentlemen who produced the live recording."

Not long after, the band had a brand new seven inch vinyl single to promote, their original tune paired with a song, credited to Spratto/ MacDonald, plucked from the past.

John Spratto and Gordon MacDonald composed "Slapneck" in 1967. "We actually were out squirrel hunting when we came upon an old sign for Slapneck. I came up with the idea for the song and it took all of five minutes to come up with the melody and chords the next time we were at practice in my parents' basement. Gordy helped with the words and as the say, 'the rest is history,'" Spratto recalled.

"That was the first time we traded song and lyrics, so John gets the credit for the punk rock sound of January, 1968," Gordon added

With Spratto on guitar, Gordon on bass, brother Warren MacDonald on drums and vocalist Mike Cleary, French Church rehearsed their new composition as arrangements were made to record it.

The band paid to have owner Fred Krook record "Slapneck" and "Without Crying" at his Princeton Studio, located in the basement of a lumber company in downtown Marquette. French Church had recorded other tracks for the label in the winter of 1966 when it was headquartered at Princeton Post Office, near Gwinn, Gordon remembered.

The four young men taped a legendary version of their new song, which included the catchy chorus, "Slapneck, come along with me." Two characters mentioned in the song, a milkman and a restaurant owner named Mrs. R. J. Green, were completely fictitious. The original song also contains a third verse about Mr. Green returning home from World War II, Gordon noted.

Released in 1968, "Slapneck" garnered airplay and sales while boosting the band's profile. During the year, French Church opened for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, which had a handful of current hits, during an appearance in Ironwood. The Marquette band also shared the stage with the McCoys, featuring Rick Derringer, during a show at the Northern Michigan University Fieldhouse that same year.

Warren remembered getting a check from BMI in 1969 for $12.50 which covered performance rights for "Slapneck." He thought "Without Crying," at one-minute 38 seconds, may have received more airplay because it was shorter and "we all know disc jockeys love to talk."

Starting on drums in kindergarten, Warren today is owner of MacDonald Music Store in Marquette. He continues to play and even got together a few years ago with other members of French Church to record 15 or 16 songs including a new take on "Slapneck."

Although Warren was well aware the two French Church songs were included in a compilation LP in 1985, called "Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Vol. 19," he didn't know "Slapneck" had been covered by the Cyril Lords. He still owns a few dusty copies of the original single.

Today, the original "Slapneck" 45 is highly sought after by collectors for its stunning punk feel and originality. With the version issued by the Cyril Lords, the song's fan base continues to grow.

Meanwhile, the speck of real estate about five miles east of Chatham in Alger County known as Slapneck remains largely untouched by the fame brought by its namesake song.

Named for John F. Slapnick, who surveyed the region, the moniker was soon misconstrued as Slapneck. At its peak, the area contained large farms, a railroad depot and a one-room schoolhouse, which enrolled 40 students in 1926. A centennial celebration at the Elmer Wanska farm on Aug. 5, 1995, attracted 500 people. Although the community feeling remains, only a few hardy people live in Slapneck these days.

The song, the hamlet which spawned it, the two bands which committed it to tape and even the places where it was recorded, have become part of the "Slapneck" legend.

Now, you know the story behind "Slapneck 1943."

U. P.'s Joey Gee met radio goal

Joey Gee, then

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Joe Giannunzio was determined to get on the radio, one way or another.

In the period following the Beatles invasion of America, the youthful Iron Mountain native thought making a hit record was one way to get on the airwaves. If that wasn't possible, being a radio disc jockey was another option.

When Giannunzio became known for his skill in singing along to songs on the radio, it wasn't long before he found himself in a rock band with Craig Sorensen, Bill Morrison and Ricky Bates. His Italian moniker shortened, Joey Gee and the Blue Tones began to reach for their dreams.

The group debuted at a record hop at the Kingford Armory in 1964. As their repertoire grew, they played between shows at the Braumart Theatre and the Tri City Drive- In, drawing record crowds. A popular local attraction, Giannunzio recalled the band playing at street dances, utilizing a service station parking lot, drive-in restaurant, or city park.

As the Blues Tones' reputation grew, Giannunzio discovered Cuca Record Corp., a tiny Wisconsin label which made a name for itself with "Mule Skinner Blues," by the Fendermen. "I called (label owner) James Kirchstein and he arranged a recording session with Joey Gee and the Blue Tones," Giannunzio said.

The resulting 45 rpm single, "Don't You Just Know It," backed by "Little Searcher," appeared on Cuca's main subsidiary label, as Sara 6541. With fresh product in hand, Giannunzio sent the 45 to various radio stations, along with a letter introducing the group.

One such mailing ended up in the hands of Dick Biondi, the influential disc jockey credited with being the first to play the Beatles' "Please Please Me" in America. In a stroke of luck, Biondi, then working at powerful Chicago radio station WLS, read the letter on the air and played the song.

While "Don't You Just Know It," didn't become a hit, Giannunzio decided to move to Milwaukee to attend radio broadcasting school at Career Academy. There he formed Joey Gee and the Come-Ons.

"We played all sorts of places in Milwaukee and came in sixth in a battle of the bands contest which had close to 1,000 entries."

Still optimistic, Giannunzio returned to Cuca's studio at 123 Water St. in Sauk City in the summer of 1965 to record a second 45. The group cut "She's Mean" and "You Know Till the End of Time," which were coupled as Sara 6599. Giannunzio wrote and sang lead vocals on both tracks. Although "She's Mean" had plenty of punk attitude, without major label backing to expose the song to a national audience, it failed to get much radio play. However, the song would resurface years later.

With his broadcast schooling completed, Giannunzio was hired by radio station WHAK, and moved to the northern lower Michigan community of Rogers City. When the station owner's wife told Giannunzio that he didn't belong in radio because he wasn't good enough, the young broadcaster took a job in St. Ignace. Undaunted, he worked for WIDG, known locally as widg by the bridge, due to its proximity to the span known as Big Mac.

Keeping his options open, Giannunzio formed another band, Gross National Product. "We never recorded any songs that were released, but the band was very good," the Upper Peninsula native recalled.

While in St. Ignace in 1968, Giannunzio, who chose the radio name Joe Arthur, married Kathleen Sweeney. Deciding to concentrate on broadcasting, Giannunzio's on-air personality led him to some of Michigan's best-known radio stations including WJIM in Lansing, WGRD in Grand Rapids and WKNR in Detroit.

He later moved to KGW, the number one station in Portland, Ore., which offered big city living, but was also close to the wilderness, a reminder of his northern Michigan upbringing. His profession then took him to Seattle's KING and KJR. During his west coast career, Giannunzio became familiar to millions of listeners who knew him as Joe Cooper.

Joe Giannunzio, now

Born in 1942, Giannunzio is retired but still takes the occasional radio fill-in job and does some commercial work. He and Kathy, who reside in Redmond, WA, will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in 2008.

"I have a lot of great memories of the U. P. I always liked going to the State Fair in Escanaba and seeing famous singers perform," Giannunzio said. He attended the Roy Orbison concert at the 1964 fair just as "Oh, Pretty Woman" was beginning to be played on radio. During his rock band days Giannunzio shared the stage with groups which later became famous, including the Mojo Men, Turtles and Grand Fund Railroad.

In those days, it seemed like any rock band with enough talent and determination could made it big. That enthusiasm propelled many small town groups into the recording studio, sometimes emerging with energetic blasts of rock 'n' roll, just like Joey Gee did.

CD featuring Joey Gee material

Ace Records, a label based in Germany, envisioned a demand for such music. Last year the company issued a 26-track compact disc featuring four songs by Joey Gee and the Come-ons. "Garagemental! The Cuca Records Story, Volume 2," includes their 1965 single along with takes on Little Richard's "Jenny Jenny" and "Little Latin Lupe Lu," the first hit for the Righteous Brothers. Both were previously unreleased.

Until I mentioned the two cover songs, a surprised Giannunzio said he was unaware they had been issued.

Reflecting on those days, Giannunzio said, "A lot of bands from the 60s and 70s had to curtail their music careers and work regular jobs. Many are starting bands again."

Then, Giannunzio added he has "often thought of singing again and maybe I will."

That he was pragmatic enough to follow his music career with one as a broadcaster, makes the return of "Joey Gee" seem perfectly plausible.

Music columns evolve into book

Steve's shameless self- promotion

By STEVE SEYMOUR

An old adage claims everyone has a book in them.

When I started writing a weekly column for the "That's Entertainment" section of the Daily Press on July 28, 2005, I thought I had a few installments in me, after all I had an interest in music and writing dating from my teenage years.

My first column explained to readers how the local Woodtick Festival had grown from a party in Brian Whitens' garage in 1994 to a regional event headlined by the Nitty Gritty Band just eleven years later.

As I began looking for story ideas, I soon found the Upper Peninsula had an incredible music heritage. But, regrettably, that rich tradition wasn't being documented. While a mere newspaper column couldn't remedy that neglect, I thought it could be a beginning.

So, I tried to give the stories a U. P. slant, whether I took a nostalgic look at Michigan's stars, local musicians or beloved international rock legends.

Taking a scatter shot approach, I wrote about which ever topic most interested me at the time. It might be Duke Ellington's 1959 trip to Marquette one week, a 1968 Battle of the Bands contest in Escanaba the next, or going backstage at a Steppenwolf concert, the following week.

Readers were quite receptive to the columns I presented and talked about them long after the newsprint they were printed on had yellowed. So to keep the stories available I started a website, rocknrollgraffiti.com.

Since the beginning I have received supportive comments and emails virtually every week. And, for well over a year now, people have also asked me to put my columns into a book. I finally began to take them seriously.

Thinking about all the fine people I've written about and all the folks who spent their precious time reading what I'd written, I decided over the Memorial Day weekend to enter the world of self-publishing.

In June, I asked my niece Jackie Hughes, with her considerable computer skills, to help me assemble a book. Not wanting to disappoint anyone if we decided to abandon the project, and to avoid having to update everyone about the book's progress, I swore Jackie to secrecy. We referred to it covertly as "the project."

Each Monday we spent four hours at the computer doing the drudgery required to ready a manuscript for printing. Our routine was occasionally broken by a heart-stopping moment.

Once, sparks shot out of the electrical outlet, like it was the Fourth of July. We thought the computer--with my book in it-- was fried, but miraculously, it wasn't harmed.

Another time, just hours before we were to submit the book electronically, the computer screen suddenly went blank. We thought disaster was stalking us, but luckily Jackie was able retrieve the pages from the realm of cyberspace.

As the summer disappeared, we emerged from our basement work station with a 300-page volume containing over 90 stories and dozens of photographs. Most of my columns up to that time were included. Like my website, the book was titled "Rock 'n' Roll Graffiti."

With two key strokes, the manuscript and cover were dispatched to Collierville, Tenn. where, in a few weeks, it was printed by Instantpublisher.com, the short-run publishing division of Funcraft Publishing Co.

Then, my wife Sue and I anxiously tracked the shipment from the printing plant to our back door over a three day period. But, when United Parcel Service finally delivered the boxes last week, my mood changed rapidly from excitement to panic. What if the book was defective? What if all our work was for nothing? Signing the UPS log, I was suddenly struck with a migraine headache.

However, when I opened one of the boxes to reveal a book as attractive and professional looking as any other, my headache vanished instantly.

My family and friends were all surprised when I presented them with copies. No one had learned about "Rock 'n' Roll Graffiti" in the four months it had taken to put together.

Now, since I've got a big stack of books to move, I want everybody to know about my "literary work."

If I might be allowed a bit of shameless self-promotion, you can get a copy of "Rock 'n' Roll Graffiti" at The Record Rack, Canterbury Book Store or Sayklly's Confectionery & Gifts, all in downtown Escanaba.

I'm still not sure if everyone has a book in them, but thanks to many helpful people, I discovered I had one in me.