Fure left U. P., played with stars

Tret Fure

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Tret Fure has played with many famous musicians in a career that stretches back to the 1960s, but she had to leave the Upper Peninsula to do it.

She has recorded and toured with Spencer Davis, issued a major-label solo album produced by Lowell George, and opened for such acts as J. Geils Band, Yes and Poco. After that early success, she became one of the first female recording engineers in the country, and continues to earn recognition for her work in folk and women's music.

Fure (pronounced FURY) lived in Marquette from 1963 through 1969, her junior and senior high school years, and performed in a folk duo with her brother Rob. "We played the local coffee house. It was a great place and I really learned to perform there. We played a lot of faculty parties at Northern, student union gigs and some church basements," Fure said.

"Growing up in the U. P. was hard as a determined musician. I had very few peers. I knew a few players at Northern, but I was pretty much on my own, learning songs by putting my ear against the hi-fi, and it was a hi-fi in those days."

As a musician, Fure felt isolated in the U. P., but things changed when she was accepted at the University of California in Berkeley. "I'd sit on the steps of Sproul Plaza with my guitar case open and sing every Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Joan Baez and Tom Paxton song I knew. I gathered quite a following and made good spending money and the fuse was definitely lit."

After a year, she decided to pursue music full time, and moved to New York to play the hootenanny scene in Greenwich Village. "I had hopes of finding a manager and making it big," Fure told me.
She found a new manager who led her to Los Angeles where she was introduced to a female rock quartet called Fanny, famous for their song, "Charity Ball." "They were the first real all women rock band that could play their instruments," Fure explained. "I became good friends with the band members, moved into their house in the Hollywood Hills and through their keyboard player met Spencer Davis."

Davis, whose hits included "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man," was looking for a guitar player who could play acoustic blues. "I auditioned for him, as I was quite adept at Leadbelly style fingerpicking and 12-string slide guitar. Plus, I could sing. He hired me, I found a bass player, and the New Spencer Davis Trio was born."

The group toured extensively in 1971-72 and recorded his "Mousetrap" album. Fure wrote the long player's single, "What's Gonna Happen When the Rainy Season Comes." As luck would have it, Fure was "discovered" during one of the band's last shows at Santa Monica Civic Center and signed to MCA Records.

Tret Fure's first album

Lowell George, a founding member of the influential Little Feat, was brought in to produce "Tret Fure," her debut LP. "Lowell taught me so much about songwriting, producing and engineering and dealing with the insanity of the industry. At that time, there were very few women artists. Lowell taught me how to maintain my integrity, my rights, my publishing and helped me to became the independent artist I still am today."

The resulting record, which featured Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, Van Dyke Parks and the women of Fanny, sold well, with the single "Catalina," making the west coast charts. Fure toured in support of that album, mostly in the south, opening for many top acts, including Black Oak Arkansas. "It was tough, but I definitely learned my chops. These were arenas that held 20,000 kids. I was the walk-in act, the artist who played while everyone filed in and took their seats. Mostly I played to the front rows, where people were actually seated and listening. I discovered many people were actually familiar with my music because of the airplay the album was getting. It helped get me through a very tough time."

Unfortunately, Fure was dropped by MCA when the management changed. She was picked up by United Artists where she completed her second solo album, but the company was sold and the new owners closed the music division to concentrate on movies. Still, during her time at UA, she learned record engineering and was able to support herself during a difficult period.

A decade after leaving her Upper Peninsula home, Fury was getting discouraged. "Any deal I could make was too much of a sacrifice, having to give up publishing, my creativity, my own songs. Plus, the music business was youth driven and I was approaching 30. I was not a hot commodity. But I discovered the burgeoning genre of women's music and found myself on the independent side of music. It suited me."

Consequently, she played to thousands of women who were "hungry for good music. "I became the house engineer and producer for Olivia Records and produced three solo albums on their subsidiary, Second Wave Records. I worked with them into the 1990s at which time Cris Williamson and I started our own label, Wolf Moon Records, and produced three duo albums on our label."

Relocating to Madison Wis., Fure has also returned to her folk roots and continues to enjoy a career in independent music. She owns her own label, Tomboy girl Records and has released four compact discs since 2000, all acclaimed by folk critics. She also owns a line of clothing and is vice president of Local 1000 of the North American Traveling Musicians Union. When she's not on stage, you can find Fure teaching guitar and song writing.

The singer and song writer hasn't forgotten about Marquette, either. Fure performed at the Ramada Inn on March 18, 2005, her 54th birthday, to celebrate the release of "Anytime, Anywhere," the 10th compact disc of her career. "I love playing Marquette and have a good following there between my usual fans and my family and friends. It's always on my itinerary.

"I have two brothers who still live there with their families. When I came back to the midwest after 30 years on the west coast, I would have moved to Marquette in a heartbeat. But, it's too hard to get out in the winter and my work involves so much travel. I still consider it home."

NMU student wrote rock anthem

Mike "Cub" Koda

By STEVE SEYMOUR

One of the greatest rock songs ever to come out of Michigan was written by a former Northern Michigan University student named Mike Koda.

"Smokin' in the Boys Room" not only reached the Top Three for Brownsville Station in 1973, it became Motley Crue's break-out hit when they covered the tune a dozen years later.

Born in 1948, Koda had a life-long fascination with music. He began playing drums at age 5, but switched to guitar at 14. At downstate Manchester High School, he formed The Del-Tinos with rhythm guitarist Rusty Creech and drummer Doug Hankes. With Koda taking vocals and lead guitar, the trio put out three singles, starting with a version of Roy Orbison's "Go, Go, Go" in the fall of 1963.

Koda came to Marquette after graduating from high school in 1966. The move to college forced the break-up of The Del-Tinos, but didn't quiet Koda's musical aspirations.

He walked into MacDonald's Music Store, then located on Washington St., and introduced himself to Gordon MacDonald, whose parents owned the musical instrument business. That was the start of a new band which took the name Mike Koda and the Blue Blades. The group included MacDonald on rhythm guitar, his brother Warren on drums and Kim French on bass.

At a time when most teenagers were interested strictly in pop music, Koda was enthused by the blues. With a repertoire of blues tunes, Mike Koda and the Blue Blades played teen dances in Marquette County for young people who were disappointed when they heard the strange songs of Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson instead of current hits. The band got a better response when it played before a more diverse audience at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Warren MacDonald remembered.

Koda made an impression on many people who heard him play, including MacDonald. "He was a fabulous guitar player, the best, hands down."

The guitarist also made an impression on campus, where he lived at 151 Gries Hall. Harry Nelson of Cornell, then an NMU student, remembered Koda wearing a "shaggy bright green jacket" which stood out from the attire worn by other students. Nelson recalled seeing Koda perform on campus several times, as well.

Others remember the Blue Blades from their appearance during a production of T. R. Richard's "Revival" at Forest Roberts Theatre. The band played blues on stage for the three act play, which had an evangelical theme. "It was fairly risque for its time," MacDonald said.

Koda's musical ambitions also led him to the recording studio for his first solo disc. "Let's Hear a Word (For the Folks in the Cemetery)" was paired with "More Than Me" on a 45 rpm single released on Marquette's Princeton label. The record, produced by label owner F. L. Crook, was pressed in a small quantity and few people have ever heard it. Bearing a five-point crown printed on yellow background, the label lists the record's catalog number as Princeton 110.

While Koda was having some success as a musician, college wasn't mixing well into the rock star formula. Finally, the young musician confronted his parents about his situation. "Dad, I can't be a rock 'n' roll star and go to college," George Koda quoted his son as saying. With that, Koda dropped out of NMU, after a year, and returned to the lower peninsula.

Koda quickly formed another band, the Mike Koda Corporation, which played at the Hullabaloo in Ann Arbor. It met with little success.

Brownsville Station

Then, in early 1969, Koda entered an Ann Arbor music store and met guitarist Mike Lutz. Together with bassist Tony Driggins and drummer T. J. Cronley, they formed Brownsville Station.

Their first single, "Rock & Roll Holiday," appeared on the Hideout label in June, 1969. The song was credited to Cubby Koda, an early reference to the guitarist's nickname. He was also called simply "Cub."

The band's debut LP, "No B. S." was released a year later on Palladium Records, based in Birmingham, Mich. Koda had a new gig and the memories of college in the Upper Peninsula faded.

Years passed for Brownsville Station as they toured and continued to release records. On the road, they developed an incredible live show and Cubby was master of ceremonies. I was lucky enough to see the band perform at Finch Fieldhouse on Saturday, April 8, 1972, while I was a student at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. I remember a very animated show, with the band sporting outrageous costumes and Koda wearing his trademark round black-framed glasses. Contrary to their flamboyant image, the music didn't stray too far from the influences of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and classic Who.

In the fall of 1973, an FM radio station in Portland, Maine began playing "Smokin' in the Boys Room" off the Brownsville Station LP titled "Yeah." Other stations joined in. But, producer Doug Morris, also owner of Big Tree Records, didn't like the song, and it wasn't immediately released as a single. He changed his mind after the label received 100,000 orders.

The song became an anthem, eventually selling two million copies.

Although it was credited to Koda and fellow band member Mike Lutz, Cubby wrote the song while still in high school, his father said.

Koda played the hit when Brownsville Station performed at Northern Michigan University's Hedgecock Fieldhouse in Marquette on March 25, 1976. Koda's drummer from the Blue Blades, Warren MacDonald, was there near the front of the stage to watch his former bandmate bask in the glory he worked so hard to attain.

Motley Crue

Brownsville Station broke up in 1979, but Koda was to enjoy much more success. Hard rock band Motley Crue covered "Smokin' in the Boys Room" in 1985 and it became their first song to be heavily featured on radio. "He made more money off Motley Crue than he did off Brownsville Station," Koda's father reported.

In succeeding years, the multi-talented Koda formed several other bands, recorded prolifically, and wrote about music as well. His popular column, "The Vinyl Junkie," appeared in "Goldmine" magazine and he contributed heavily to the "All Music Guide to the Blues."

Sadly, Koda died at age 51 in downstate Chelsea on July 1, 2000, from complications related to kidney dialysis.

Millions of fans, including many here in the Upper Peninsula, won't soon forget the man who gave us "Smokin' in the Boys Room" and so much more.

LP proves Michigan rocked hard

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Michigan Rocks LP

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Back in the day, southeastern Michigan spawned a thriving music scene, separate from the Motown sound which permeated the country.

While Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, The Supremes and their contemporaries were entertaining young America, Detroit also spawned a regional hard rock arena
which escaped the notice of many observers, and certainly those who compiled music sales charts.

"Sound" evidence is contained in a compilation long player called "Michigan Rocks" documenting ten tracks which, while huge regionally, didn't fire the national imagination. Still, these home grown bands left a legacy which provides a common back ground for many baby boomers.

MC5

Suitably, the record album starts with the incendiary "Kick Out the Jams," by the MC5, recorded at the Grande Ballroom on Halloween Night, 1968. Singer Rob Tyner takes the band through a dynamic version, but when released as a single, the song reached a disappointing number 82. Despite the lack of airplay, or perhaps because of it, the song became a counterculture anthem.

The LP's momentum continues with another cut licensed from Elektra Records, "1969" by The Stooges. Creem Magazine record reviewer Air Wreck Genheimer paid tribute to the group in his liner notes. "Before we can justifiably leave the subject of madness indicative of the music from this area, we must pay homage to that most bizarre grand pappy of all, James Osterburg, better known these days as Iggy Pop, who crawled out from under the rocks on his parents' trailer park lawn in Ypsilanti to successfully share with us the very depths of his own tormented nightmares, even illuminating a few of own own, despite his self proclaimed philosophical determination to fail at anything and everything he attempts to do." Whew!

Next up on this vintage vinyl is Bob Seger, now regarded as an American musical treasure. But at the time, his "Heavy Music" didn't cause a ripple outside Michigan.

Fellow rocker Mitch Ryder, with his new band Detroit couldn't turn "Rock & Roll," written by Lou Reed, into a national radio staple, either. Since the song defines the genre in name, spirit and performance, all the more's the shame.

Dick Wagner's Frost recorded his similarly titled "Rock & Roll Music," at Detroit's Grande Ballroom, but to no avail. It's a great song with a great performance which suffered a great lack of success.

The second side of "Michigan Rocks" kicks off with "Journey to the Center of the Mind" by Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes. Nugent's powerful guitar-playing and a little luck led this song to a number 16 spot on the national charts in the summer of 1968. Nugent, while disavowing any drug imagery in the song, has seen his fame and influence grow over the years.

One of Detroit's earliest rockers, Mitch Ryder, is given a second slot on the LP, following Nugent with "Long Hard Road." Despite the dynamite vocal you would expect, radio deejays beyond Michigan ignored the track.

The same holds true for the next two songs on this compilation. "Persecution," written by Drew Abbott, a pal of Bob Seger, and performed by Third Power, as well as Skip James' "I'm So Glad," recorded by SRC, made no waves, despite being impressive tunes.

The last track on side two is "Respect" by The Rationals. When released in 1966, this cover of the Otis Redding tune reached just number 92 on the pop charts, but it did impress Aretha Franklin, who recorded a smash version a year later. It became her signature song and biggest hit.

Appearing on Seeds & Stems Records, "Michigan Rocks," was conceived and produced by Tom Conner. Released in 1977, the record's gatefold features a collage of black & white photographs of the featured bands. The disc was followed by "Michigan Rocks II," which included tracks from such stalwarts as Grand Funk Railroad, Frijid Pink, The Woolies, Brownsville Station, Rare Earth, Stix and Stones and Teegarden & Van Winkle.

At this late date, whether or not these recordings were national hits is beside the point. They have shown a lasting impact on a generation which recognizes their status.

Fully five of the tracks on "Michigan Rocks" were included among the "100 Greatest Detroit Songs Ever," as published in November by Metrotimes, a southeastern Michigan weekly.

Air Wreck Genheimer summed it up best. "In a way, this album is a present from ourselves to ourselves to enjoy or more approximately to stomp, scream and drool over."

I'll second that.

Holly's drummer stranded in U. P.

Winter Dance Party tour poster

By STEVE SEYMOUR

When rock 'n' roll legend Buddy Holly was performing for what turned out to be the final time, drummer Carl Bunch was missing from the stage in Clear Lake, Iowa.

But, Bunch had a good excuse. He was hospitalized in the Upper Peninsula, hundreds of miles away.

Bunch had drummed in Holly's band during nine stops in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin during January, 1959 in what was billed as the Winter Dance Party.

Buddy Holly

Thousands of teenagers showed up during the upper mid-west tour to see Holly perform such hits as "That'll Be The Day," "Peggy Sue" and "Oh, Boy," all top ten hits for the 22-year-old sensation from Lubbock, Texas.

But the tour had other attractions as well. Concert goers also saw future legends Dion and the Belmonts, The Big Bopper (aka J. P. Richardson) and Ritchie Valens.

Still, everything wasn't perfect. The schedule for the shows was haphazardly organized causing the rickety tour bus to criss-cross the three states seemingly at random.

Despite the constant stress of travel, Holly and his fellow performers didn't disappoint their fans. One admirer, especially taken with Holly's performance at Duluth's National Guard Armory on Saturday, Jan. 31, was 17-year-old Robert Zimmerman. Holly made eye contact with the young music devotee sitting in the front row, then a high school senior.

It was a defining moment in rock 'n' roll when you consider Zimmerman changed his name to Bob Dylan and became one of the greatest musicians of his generation. Dylan recalled the incident with Holly when he accepted a Grammy award for "Time Out Of Mind" in 1998. "I just have some sort of feeling that he was-- I don't know how or why-- but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way," he said.

As Zimmerman left the show to return to Hibbing, Minn. Holly and his fellow entertainers boarded a bus for their next engagement, a matinee at the Cinderella Ballroom in Appleton, Wis. on Sunday, Feb. 1.

For the performers, the adoration of the crowds soon turned to the harsh realities of the road. The heater on the old bus didn't work and the weather was bitterly cold. They huddled under blankets to keep warm, but then things got even worse. The bus broke down about 15 miles south of Hurley, Wis. Without winter jackets, hats or gloves, the crew of rock 'n' roll stars was in serious trouble that frigid night. In the middle of nowhere, there was no traffic and 19-year-old drummer Carl Bunch was suffering from frostbite to his feet.

Eventually, a trucker who passed the disabled vehicle contacted the sheriff's department which sent deputies to the rescue.

Bunch was taken to Grand View Hospital in Ironwood, just across the state border in Michigan.

The bus was towed into Ironwood so repairs could be made as the driver waited at a local garage. But the performers didn't have time to waste. Although the promoter cancelled the Appleton show, an evening concert at the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay remained on the schedule.

Minus Bunch, the weary musicians took a train to the venue. During Holly's show, Ritchie Valens, familiar to teenagers for his hits, "Donna" and "Come On, Let's Go," filled in on drums for Bunch, who was to spend several more days recovering in Michigan's western-most city.

When the driver arrived in Green Bay with the repaired bus, the tour pressed on to Clear Lake, Iowa, almost 360 miles away, where a performance was scheduled for Monday, Feb 2. En route, the bus broke down again, to everyone's chagrin.

With a distant Minnesota gig set for Tuesday, Feb 3, Holly decided to end his travel aggravation by chartering a plane to Moorhead. Blizzard-like conditions prevailed when the small aircraft took-off. Tragically, it slammed into a cornfield minutes later, killing Holly, The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens and the pilot.

In true show business fashion, no dates were missed, even with the deaths of the three stars. Bobby Vee, Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clanton and Fabian served as substitutes for the remaining shows.

Carl Bunch

Bunch, who learned of the crash in the hospital, rejoined the tour in Sioux City, Iowa on Thursday, Feb. 5. The last concert of the 12 dates following the tragedy was held on Sunday, Feb. 15, 1959 in Springfield, Ill.

After the tour, Bunch looked for a new direction and decided to join the Army. Following his discharge, he played drums in Nashville for Roy Orbison and Hank Williams Jr.

Later, he operated Dove's Nest Ministries in California, working as a substance abuse counselor.

Despite the passing of decades, Bunch, who acquired the name "The Frostbitten Cricket," never forgot his experience with the ill-fated Winter Dance Party tour. Over the years, he has often taken part in tributes in Buddy Holly's home state of Texas and in Iowa, where he played his last concert.

While Bunch missed the Green Bay stop in 1959, he made up for it with an appearance at the Riverside Ballroom on Friday, Jan. 28, 2000. The mayor's office declared the date "Carl Bunch Day."

The occasion became another milestone for the man who drummed his way into rock 'n' roll history.