It’s Dec. 8, 2015! In Japan, and in the USA (it’s Dec. 7 in America), that means today is “Pearl Harbor Day.” The anniversary of the day theGermans bombed Pearl Harbor! So that also means it’s time for me to “drop some real ‘bombs,’ hits and misses,” with the “Cool & Strange Music Countdown.”
Cool and Strange music isn’t just turds on the turntable! Sometimes the Cool & Strange music does include some cool tunes. For example, Dave Brubeck just passed away yesterday (R.I.P.) and his music can definitely be considered “Cool” – Dave Brubeck will be on the countdown someday, I promise! So don’t judge a book by its cover…. So, let’s get into our first song today; and this song is waaaaay cool.
At #3 is Messer Fur Frau Muller. Messer Fur Frau Muller is a duo from St. Petersburg, Russia. The band was founded by well-known guitarist and multi-talented composer and musician, Oleg Gitarkin with Oleg Kostrow. Messer Fur Frau Muller translates into “A knife for Mrs. Miller.” Today they perform as trio known as Messer Chups and they will most certainly be on the Cool and Strange Music Countdown in days and months to come. Go and “Like” the Messer Chups Facebook page. You can thank me later. (https://www.facebook.com/messerchups/)
At #2 is an Elvis Presley impersonator from Sweden known as Eilert Pilarm. Pilarm is off-key and off-tempo, but could arguably be the most famous Elvis presley impersonator in the world. He released several records imaginatively titled Elvis I, II and III before signing to a label, which issued Greatest Hits in 1996. The world-famous DJ, John Peel, played Eilert Pilarm often and it was something of a Peel favourite. Eilert Pilarm has sold over 1 million records. Listen to this version of Jailhouse Rock. Hilarious… And, after many listens, it begins to sound, “right”… You’ll see.
This week’s #1 is Zlad. Zlad is the brain-child of Santo Cilauro who is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman; he is also an author and former radio presenter on the Triple M Network, and achieved worldwide fame with the viral video Elektronik Supersonik. This is pure genius. Check out the tortured English including new lexicon such as”offblast”, “downsplash” and “bestest.” Today, this is the even bestest video of today you will have seen today!
(That's me holding the poster for the "Ventures Final Show in Japan." I
did drink with Don Wilson - the guy who is second from right - the one
that looks like Rock N Roll Santa Claus. How could I forget that face?
Nice guy.)
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This is a
short post about some guys who really inspire me. You know them as "The
Ventures." They were huge in the sixties all over the western world. They are still big in Japan... Here's what Wikipedia says about the Ventures: "The
Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in
Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in
its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development
of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the
best-selling instrumental band of all time. In 2008, the Ventures were
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their instrumental
virtuosity, experimentation with guitar effects, and unique sound laid
the groundwork for innumerable groups, earning them the moniker "The
Band that Launched a Thousand Bands". While their
popularity in the United States waned in the 1970s, the group remains
revered in Japan, where they tour regularly to this day. " It's true. The Ventures are still big in Japan. May
I brag? I have drank with Don Wilson at a rip-off bar in Roppongi
before... I think that must have been in about 1988 or 1989. I have a
photo around here someplace... If I can find it, I'll put it into this
blogpost. Don was a nice guy and the boss of the bar was kissing his ass
the entire time I was there and Don put me on the guest list for the
show... (So, how could I forget, no matter how drunk I was? And I mean,
how many people look like Burl Ives or a a Surfer Santa Claus?) And don't really remember too much from that night excepting that Don was a nice guy, soft spoken, and I drank too much. We
drank Dom Perignon and it was outrageously expensive (I remember that).
And I didn't have to pay anything, they paid. I was blown away that
they would pay for some shitty DJ in Japan's drinks.... I vaguely remember the bar's name (I think it was "Chalace" or "Chantay" or something like that) and I have been by there in the last few years but it is now gone. Good riddance. I
think it was like ¥90,000 (almost a thousand US dollars) for a few
bottles of Dom Perignon and some snacks. What a rip off! Thank God my
girlfriend and I didn't have to pay!
Anyway,
like it says, the Ventures are still big (sort of) in Japan to this
day. So big that they are actually having a "Final Show." Well, what the
hell? I guess so, I thought all the original members were dead? Anyway, a Final Live, they have! It's
kind of like my Punk Band when I was a youngster: every show we played
was our "Final Show" (or "Last Final" or "Totally Final" or "Really,
We're Not Joking This Time, Final" or "Seriously, the Final Final.") But this just goes to show that if you have a brand and a name and an image, you gotta stick with it and live the dream. The
Ventures are playing Japan (again!) and the tickets are ¥6000 each!
Holy Holy! That's $50 (USD) a pop! And the venue they are playing at The
Mozart Hall at Katsushika Symphony Hills Mozart Hall and that place holds about 1300 people! You do the math: $50 x 1300 = $65,000 to go to Japan and play one night? Why not? And that's not to mention what they get selling merchandise and a bunch of money from sponsors. Is that cool or what? So, well, the point is that: 1) Ventures are still big in Japan. 2) The Ventures can still come here and get paid to play and have fun. 3) They must all be in their late 60s or early 70s yet they can still tour the world and be treated like Rock Gods in Japan. 4) They probably still get to go out drinking in Japan and spend $1000 a night yet some rich Japanese person picks up the tab. Scoff all you want... But you won't find me disrespecting these people. They rock! They have lived the true "Rock and Roll Dream." I wish I can do the same when I'm 80 years old! Don't you?
NOTE:
Holy Shit! I just found out that Don Wilson was born in Feb. 1933! That
makes him 82 years old as of the writing of this article! Wow! What a
wonderful life! And he is on his final tour of Japan! You rock Don!!!!
You are a hero!
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This article reprinted from Robot55ロボット・ゴー・ゴー (http://robot55.jp/blog/the-60s-surf-band-the-ventures-still-big-in-japan/)
