True Story: Sandii & the Sunsetz, Go-Bang's and Rodney Bingenheimer and Me.

Some readers might know that I am a disc jockey in Japan. I have been doing this a long time. 

Long ago, I was the assistant for the legendary DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. It's how I got started in this business. And, since Rodney is my philosophical and spiritual leader for being a DJ, I have always tried to support new bands and new things like "Rodney Sensei" does. Today I want to tell you about the two hot Japanese girl fronted bands that were, I believe, the first Japanese bands that ever graced the airwaves on Rodney on the Roq's KROQ show in Los Angeles; one of, if not thee, most legendary rock n roll radio shows in history.

Earlier this morning, I had been talking with a friend about Little Tokyo in Los Angeles in the seventies and I was recalling a true story when I realized something for the very first time! That the very first Japanese band I ever got aired on the radio in Hollywood (on the World Famous Rodney on the Roq Show) had to have been Sandii and the Sunsetz (He played it once so he might not remember). 

The second one I got played on Rodney's show on KROQ, were the Go-Bangs which Rodney played heavily (He'd definitely remember them, I think.)

Here is my recollection of that time, to the best I can... 

See that? That just looks like a great record!

In 1980 ~ 81... I was a university student and assistant to legendary DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. 

On weekends, in the seventies and early eighties, I used to love going to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles just to hang out. Anyway, one day, I was in Little Tokyo wandering about and I walked by a bookstore. They had all sorts of Japanese magazines (duh!) and, right by the front door, they had a bin of used seven-inch records.

By this time, I had already played in a band and had a massive record collection. I became so cocky that I believed I could tell a good record just by looking at the jacket. 

I still do.

Anyway, I looked into the used bin and found a record by a band named "Sandii and the Sunsetz," that I thought, "This absolutely looks great!" But it was a Japanese band? How could I be sure? I couldn't. So, being a curious sort, I bought it and took it home to listen to and test my record selection skills. 

It was a GREAT song! I listened to it and loved it. That weekend, I took it to Rodney's show and handed it to him and he played it!

I can now honestly say that the first Japanese band that I ever got on air - in my radio career (and on the Rodney on the Roq Show), was Sandii and the Sunsetz - Battery. 

Maybe that isn't such a big deal to dear reader, but it is to me. I would have never guessed that so many years later, I'd be a DJ in Japan doing the same thing as Rodney: Finding new bands and playing them first!

Here's that video. I thought Sandii was a goddess!

Sandii and the Sunsetz - Battery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJVPlHbJfAI

Time would pass and I would move to Japan a few years later. I would find good music and send it to my friends like Rodney. Everyone liked Japanese versions of albums, because the Japanese versions always had extra tracks not available on the foreign releases.

In Japan, after looking a long time, I found another Girls band that I thought was fab! It was the Go-Bangs. I loved it!

I sent the Go Bangs song to Rodney and he liked it a lot too and played it several times. (I know he'd definitely remember the Go-Bangs!)

(The actual song, "Special Boyfriend" starts at about 2'30" into the video so you might want to fast forward to that. The other stuff is punk rock nonsense!)

Go-Bangs - Special Boyfriend: https://youtu.be/aVm9Ne1yMcc?t=2m31s

For me, being into punk music in L.A. since the early seventies, I felt that most Japanese music at that time was, well,  lacking... I felt the Go Bangs were a sort of Missing Link and liked it a lot too.... 

The Go Gos, Bangles (in America), then a Japanese "punk taste" girl's band named the Go-Bangs... They were the first ones to get big. 

Those were the days before the internet so it was hard to get information on music. Not like today...

Nowadays, there's a cool Japanese rock/garage music boom. We have the internet. I still have a radio show... 

And, recently, Rodney Bingenheimer has been playing a steady stream of cool bands from Japan. 

Thanks Rodney!

So, the point? I just wanted to set the record straight; the two bands that really allowed all these other Japanese bands to get airplay on the world famous Rodney Bingenheimer show, and the first two Japanese rock bands I got on air in the USA were Sandii and the Sunsetz and The Go-Bangs.

So, those artists have a special place in my heart and my Dj history.... 

If anyone from Sandii and the Sunsetz or The Go-Bangs wanna come and be guests on my show, my doors are open!!!!

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Rodney Bingenheimer has been playing some cool Japanese bands these last few years too. here's a couple of them:

The Privates - Action Woman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlHfjMx31Dw
(I made this video with Ken Nishikawa and some friends. Rodney plays this a LOT!) 

taffy - Snowberry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Aukza1gpY
(90's Brit Pop better than the British can make.)

The Routes - Perfect Hell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RbUuHB4bcA 

(The Routes have to be, by far, the most played band from Japan in the entire history of the Rodney Bingenheimer Show.)

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The Rodney Bingenheimer Show is on Sirius Radio! Check it here: https://www.siriusxm.com/

Here's his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ROTRLOSANGELES/

Thanks to Gene Gingatake for shaking the old cobwebs loose and reminding me of good times long ago.

Rock N Roll Music and the Proof of the Existence of God!

I'm making a rock n roll movie. It's called, "Ghostroads - A Rock N Roll Ghost Story" Here's the trailer: https://vimeo.com/210533272 

The movie stars my favorite Japanese rock band of all time, "The Neatbeats." Rodney Bingenheimer (AKA "Rodney on the Roq" KROQ Los Angeles) is also in the movie. Rodney is one of, if not thee most famous DJ in the world. He's made many great stars famous. As some regular readers might know, I used to be Rodney's assistant (Read: His lowly "Go-fer.")

Rodney Bingenheimer

In Japan, it isn't too cool to "toot one's horn" so to speak, so I tell few people about my past....

One day, during the shooting of the movie, I was at the Neatbeats' studio. There I saw they had a book about Phil Spector (a very famous music producer who did the Beatles, etc.) 

I saw the book and then I opened the book to a random page and, I'll be damned if there wasn't a photo of Rodney and Phil Spector right there. "What a coincidence!" I thought to myself.

I walked back into the studio where we were shooting and said to the Neatbeats members, "Hey! You guys like Phil Spector?" 

They all said, "YES! HE IS GOD!" 

Phil Spector

I answered, "Oh? I've met him two or three times. I even "had lunch" (or was it dinner?) with him and Rodney when he showed up to that restaurant that Rodney 'lives' at in Hollywood named 'Canters.'"

Oh. That was a mistake. I opened my big mouth. Should have shut up and said nothing.

Why?

I could tell by the expressions on their face that they didn't believe me at all. Their jaws dropped open in disappointed disbelief... They looked stupefied.... 

Here, all this time, I was their friend. They thought they could believe me and trust me.... But here I was telling them something that, to them, couldn't possibly be true in a million years...

I said, "No! Really! I have! I have met Phil Spector a few times.....I'm serious." They still looked like they thought I was full of shit....

Flustered and insistent to prove I wasn't lying, I figured I'd offer proof... I added, "Do you guys know who Rodney Bingenheimer is?" 

They all lit up again and said, "Of course! Rodney on the Roq is legendary! He is a DJ god!" 

I paused... hesitated a bit, and then I said, "I was Rodney's assistant from 1980 ~81. He introduced me to many famous people...."

It seemed then like the roof caved in. I was ready for the insane asylum by the expressions on their faces.

I could tell by the way they looked at me that they had lost all respect for me at that very moment. They thought that I was a total useless bullshitter. 

They didn't believe me at all. 

...Not anymore.... 

.....Not about.... 

..........Anything....

I protested, "No! Really! I was! Rodney introduced me to lots of famous people. The Ramones, Phil Spector, etc. etc." 

They still didn't believe me... So, in frustration, I threw my hands in the air, gave up and said, "OK. Fuck it! Whatever!...." 

That was Jan. of 2016. 

A few short months later...

In May 2016, by sheer coincidence, Rodney came to Japan and I was able to be a tour guide for several days for my old friend, Rodney on the Roq! I hadn't seen him in over 25 years.... 

We went to many good restaurants and fun places in Tokyo while he was here with his girlfriend (and fab movie director), Kansas Bowling who made the horror film, "B.C. Butcher." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxsSH4NhXMc)

And, Rodney and Kansas both appeared in my movie too! What timing!!!! 

So, don't tell me, "There's no God!" 

There is. 

I have met him. 

His name is Phil Spector....

...and another legend, a god named Rodney Bingenheimer.

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(I took lots of photos and wrote about sightseeing with Rodney here: http://modernmarketingjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/06/rodney-bingenheimer-in-japan.html) 

With my old friend and legendary radio DJ, Rodney Bingenheimer 

at the Poor Cow in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, Japan May 27, 2016.

Rodney Bingenheimer in Japan

Rodney Bingenheimer (Rodney on the Roq) came to Japan the other day. Since John Peel passed away, I figure that makes Rodney Bingenheimer the world's most famous DJ. Rodney came to Japan the other day with his friend, Kansas Bowling (she's a sweetheart!) Kansas is a film director and producer (See "BC Butcher") and, since I was Rodney's assistant over 30 years ago, I became his and Kansas' tour guide in Japan. So, since I was the tour guide, I figured I'd better take lots of photos... So here they are (with a few from my friends!)

Here's what Wikipedia says about Rodney:

Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1947) is an American radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market. His contribution to the music business has been described as important. He developed a reputation for being the first American D.J. to identify new artists and play "edgy new bands" such as Blondie, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses, Duran Duran, The Cure, Joan Jett, Hole, Symbol Six, No Doubt, Blur, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, The Bangles, X and many others.... He was the subject of a documentary... titled Mayor of the Sunset Strip. He was described as a "famous groupie, now respectable" by Mick Jagger and he has numerous high-profile friends. In 2007, he was honored with the 2,330th star on Hollywood Boulevard.

Rodney and Kansas at Tokyo Tower May 26, 2016

I was an unpaid Go-Fer for the World-Famous KROQ's Rodney on the Roq (Rodney Bingenheimer) for about 22 months between mid 1980 - 1981. I would clean up and organize albums that were scattered about in some rooms and also carry records for Rodney to and from his car. The best part of the job was answering the door for Rodney and greeting guests who came to be on his show. Through that I got to meet Clem Burke of Blondie, the Ramones, and a bunch of other super famous punk stars whose names escape me at the moment. The first time I got to meet Phil Spector was Christmas of 1980 and when he arrived at the door, he didn't look like a Punk so I was rude to him (like an idiot!) I didn't find out until much later who he was!... Doh! I used to go with Rodney to that all-night diner he likes (Canter's Deli) too after every show. There I met lots of people who were famous or to become extremely famous later... 

Two nice girls at Asakusa who allowed us to take photos.

Rodney and Kansas did the Rikishaw ride at Asakusa

These guys run 15 to 25 miles a day carting people around on the Jinrikisha... As they have done for the last 130 years!

Nakamise Dori

We went to Tokyo's fave punk rock club, The Poor Cow, on the night of May 27, 2016

Rodney and me in front of Tower Records... May 25, 2016

Lunch. Clockwise from left: Kansas Bowling, Rodney Bingenheimer, Mike Rogers, Tatsuji Nobuhara (the Privates), Ken Nishikawa on May 25, 2016... At Denny's in Shibuya!

Rodney and me with David Bowie and Mick Ronson at Shibuya Tower Records.

♬♬No future. No future. No future for you!♬

Classic Japan photo of Kansas and Rodney at Asakusa May 26, 2016.

Last night in Japan? My favorite Italian restaurant, Antonio's in Minami Aoyama! General Douglas MacArthur used to dine at Antonio's. It's been there since 1944... Rodney even sat at the very same seat MacArthur used to sit at!!! Well, maybe not the exact same seat! May 29, 2016

Last night in Japan? Karaoke, of course!

Even though I was just a lowly unpaid Go-fer back in the day, just working with/for Rodney - the most famous music DJ in the world today - was one of the best and most fun experiences in my entire life. 

Thank you Punk Rock & Roll! 

Thank you God!

Thank you Rodney!