San Francisco / New York Giants Quiz: 1) #2 career homers
behind Willie Mays? 2) Most RBI, season? 3) Who was the
manager before Dusty Baker? 4) Most home runs by a rookie?
[Hint: Post-1960] Answers below.
The Allman Brothers, Part II
As we pick up our story, it”s 1970 and the Allman Brothers”
career is taking off. But first, a little tidbit on Duane Allman that
you may have forgotten.
In the summer of 1970, Eric Clapton was working on his next
album, with his group Derek and The Dominos. The two knew
each other”s work and Clapton invited Duane to participate in
some of his recording sessions. For the album that would later
be titled “Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs,” Clapton had
written the title tune about his despair over his love for George
Harrison”s wife, Patti. Originally, the song was written as a
slow, soft ballad, but when Duane heard Clapton play it, he
convinced Eric that it lacked energy, and that it should be
speeded up. Well, you know the rest of the story. That”s Duane,
not Clapton, on the song”s signature riff.
OK, we now progress to March 1971, specifically March 12 and
13, when promoter Bill Graham has invited the Allman Brothers
back to Fillmore East for two dates. The band had felt that the
only way they would be given their due was through a live
album, so on the second night, “Live at Fillmore East” was cut.
The double-LP (opening with “Statesboro Blues”) is considered
to be the “classic” live rock and roll album of all time. [As Harry
K. reminds me every few months. He”s right, of course.] The
album was released in September and was a big smash for the
group.
Of course in between they continued their partying ways,
including a big bust of the band members and the roadies on
March 22 down in Jackson, Alabama. They were lucky to get
off paying just $5,000 in fines. Lots of heroin was found on
them, after all. They would go on to play 275 dates that year,
drinking and snorting, snorting and drinking. Then more
snorting, toking, and drinking.followed by excess amounts of
toking, drinking and snorting. Actually, Gregg had been
introduced to heroin in ”71, but Duane wouldn”t allow the band
or the roadies to use it, intravenously, that is. Heroin and
cocaine, inhaled, was alright, however.
On June 26 of ”71, Bill Graham decided Fillmore East had seen
enough so he had the Allman Brothers play the last night. Once
again, I think there was school the next day and it seems totally
irresponsible that the boys played from 2-7 AM. Those who
were there say it was a religious experience. Had I been in
attendance, I would have said, “That”s not Jesus, that”s just
Gregg, you morons!”
But then on October 29, 1971, Duane was returning home on his
motorcycle after extending birthday wishes to Berry Oakley”s
wife. He lost control on a Macon street while trying to avoid
hitting a tractor-trailer. Clearly he was doing more than the 35
mph speed limit and when he made contact, both he and the bike
soared in the air, the bike then landed on him, and the two
skidded 90 feet. He lost consciousness briefly, but then got to
his feet, with apparently only minor scrapes. Of course he had
massive internal injuries and he died 3 hours later.
The band all played at Duane”s funeral and vowed to continue
on. Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts took over (while Oakley
was really the ”manager” in the band) and the album “Eat a
Peach” was released, with 3 songs that had been recorded before
Duane”s death. It rapidly rose to #4 on the album charts. “Eat a
Peach” was followed by “Brothers and Sisters,” which went to
#1.
In early November 1972, the band flew up to Hofstra University
to appear on Don Kirschner”s “Rock Concert.” It was then that
they debuted Dickey Betts”s “Ramblin” Man,” (which he wrote
and sang on). Just a few days later, tragedy struck again.
On November 11, bassist Berry Oakley was riding his
motorcycle in Macon, with roadie Kim Payne on a separate bike
up ahead. Oakley was known to be a lousy rider and sure
enough, he crashed into a Macon city bus, went flying in the air,
and bike and rider landed about 58-feet away from the bus. Just
like Duane, Oakley stood up, apparently just bleeding from his
nose and lip. The police urged him to go to the hospital, but
Berry insisted on going home, whereupon he lied down and
began to hallucinate, not realizing he had severed an artery in his
brain. He died an hour later.
Well, once again, the boys faced tragedy but soldiered on. In
July of ”73, the Allman Brothers joined the Grateful Dead and
the Band at Watkins Glen, New York for the largest rock event
ever, 600,000 drugged up, sloppy hippies. A good time was had
by all.
But by 1974, Betts and Gregg were fighting and the two cut their
own solo albums. Back to the drug theme, however, on
September 23 of that year, Average White Band drummer
Robbie McIntosh was at a party thrown for Gregg when he died
from a strychnine-based heroin overdose. And, of course,
Gregg continued to have his own problems. Earlier that year,
during the band”s performance at the Georgia Jam, Gregg was so
wasted after playing just a few songs that he had to be led off the
stage. As one fan recalls, “Two stage hands, supporting him
from both sides, tried to sober him up by walking him around
backstage, right in front of us. At times it looked like they were
dragging him around, as his feet refused to keep up with them.”
According to author Marley Brant, the truth was that Allman had
apparently dosed on a strong hallucinogen.
In November 1975, the band (still basically together after Betts
and Allman had their solo flings), played a benefit for
presidential candidate Jimmy Carter. Carter was so smashed.
sorry, he wasn”t. When you write about the Allman Brothers you
just assume everyone in the story is wasted all the time. But
drugs become part of the story again in January 1976 when
Gregg is subpoenaed for a big Macon drug investigation.
Scooter Herring, one of the group”s road crew, was implicated in
a big narcotics ring. Allman had been threatened with a grand
jury indictment of his own unless he testified against Scooter.
Herring received 75 years (later reduced to just 30 months) and
the rest of the band felt that Gregg had betrayed them, by
breaking their fraternal bond. He was ostracized and it took
them about two years to get back together, though Allman and
Betts did mend the rift for a spell in time to play at President
Carter”s Inauguration. [Man, you should have seen Jimmy.]
Well, that”s about it as far as the good stuff. Gregg had his fling
with Cher, marrying the world”s dumbest Democrat just 4 days
after her divorce to Sonny Bono. They would then separate 10
days (yes, days) later, and eventually divorce.
In January 1993, continuing the tradition of Southern Rockers
playing at Democratic Inaugurations, the Allman Brothers played
at Bill Clinton”s big day.ughh. Then in 1995 the group was
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Willie Nelson,
who knows a thing or two about drugs, making him a great
choice to do the honors. Gregg, incidentally, has now been sober
for years. And on that uplifting note, we end our tale of The
Allman Brothers Band. Next up, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
[Sources: “The VH-1 Rock Stars Encyclopedia,” “The Rolling
Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll,” “Southern Rockers,” by
Marley Brant.]
And now.the rest of the story
On Friday I received a little note over the transom. Actually, it
was a note from Harry K. who, in turn, received his information
from what he claims is a totally reliable source. Now understand
I haven”t had a chance to confirm the validity of this but here it
goes.
You”ll recall the shark attack in Pensacola, FL, where the 8-year-
old had his arm bit off. I”m probably not the only one who has
wondered why the father hasn”t come forward in any interviews.
After all, we were calling this guy a hero for wrestling the shark
to the beach, after it tried to swallow his son.
According to the story now making the rounds, there may be a
good reason why the father has disappeared; he was fishing for
sharks! He may have had it on a special line for up to two hours,
fighting it, when the father and his friend eventually got it closer
to shore, whereupon the kids ran into the water and the shark
lunged from out of the two-feet depths and hit Jesse Arbogast
twice, taking the arm off and biting his leg. The entire family
was in the water, trying to wrestle it to shore because there is big
money to be made on a shark that size.
Now according to this source, the press has suppressed the truth
because they are afraid it will hurt contributions to the fund that
was established. That blood you saw on TV was the shark”s own
blood, from the hook that was still in its mouth, as the ranger that
shot the shark evidently testified. So now you know. maybe.
the rest of the story. [Seriously, all of the animal stories here at
Bar Chat are based on facts. In this case, maybe the truth will
finally come out. And if you live in Pensacola, please pass along
any reports you might have seen.]
Polar Bear Attack
So last week, these two couples are finishing up a one-week
camping excursion way up on Baffin Island in Canada. At 3:30
in the morning, a polar bear attacked one of the tents and the guy
and his girlfriend couldn”t get out the other side. A horrific
battle occurred, but the fellow in the other tent came to the
rescue, slashing the Great White Bear in the neck with a
pocketknife, yes, a little pocketknife. The bear then scampered
away and the couple survived their multiple wounds. But the
campers are extremely upset, not because the bear attacked them,
but rather because park officials knew the polar bear was in the
vicinity (they normally aren”t) and didn”t notify them.
Otherwise, they say, they never would have camped there.
Of course the big lesson here, boys and girls, is never leave home
without your pocketknife. Even here in the home office, we have
lots of weapons at the ready, in case a bear decides to attack the
place because of all the stories that the editor has written.
Madonna and the Creep
In the Star Ledger over the weekend there is the tale of a real
creepy guy (who looks to be about 25) who paid $1500 through a
ticket broker for a Madonna concert in New York. Now the guy
was promised a front row seat with admission to an “exclusive
cocktail party,” where he would get to meet the love of his life.
[Man, you should see this picture of the guy and his bedroom,
papered with her photos. Weird.]
Well, the fellow”s seat was only in the 10th row and there was no
party so he is rather bitter. The ticket broker was already under
investigation by the State of New Jersey but since the broker”s
offices are in Connecticut, he claims he isn”t subject to the laws
of N.J., where the maximum resale markup is 20%. Since the
ticket had a face value of $250, that”s all the broker is refunding
the poor schlep.
Real Ale
Why didn”t any of you tell me? The Great British Beer Festival
was held last week, an effort to promote “real ale,” and the 400
small breweries which use traditional techniques to brew high-
quality, distinctive brews for the local market. So what”s “real
ale?” This is brewed from malted barley, hops, yeast and water.
But, unlike keg beer which is sealed in a metal container before it
leaves the brewery to give it a longer shelf life, real ale
undergoes a second, natural fermentation in the cask. No carbon
dioxide or nitrogen is then needed to fizz it up. The beer is alive!!
One of the great brands at the festival was “Gravedigger”s Mild.”
Wesley Posvar
Here at Bar Chat we note the passing of the former chancellor at
the University of Pittsburgh, Wesley Posvar, who died last week
at the age of 75. Posvar was chancellor from 1967-1991.
Now understand that both my parents graduated from Pitt and so
growing up I was a Pitt football fan. Only one problem, Pitt
sucked. But, alas, Posvar hired one Johnny Majors as football
coach in the early 70s, Majors then recruited Tony Dorsett and
voila! Pitt won a national championship. Those were good
times for us long-suffering fans, as well as the city of Pittsburgh,
as the Panthers” success coincided with the rise of the once lowly
Steelers.
Actually, Posvar was also the first Air Force officer to be
awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and he was the founder of FEMA,
the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Mini Golf
So how much do you think it costs to construct a mini golf
course? The average is about $200,000; and it takes a 6-man
crew working 12-hour days about two weeks to finish. Now
admit it, how many of you are sitting in an office right now, with
your boss breathing down your neck, profits drying up, pink slips
flying, and no more free coffee and you”re thinking, “Geezuz,
how I wish I could just have my own mini golf course”? It”s
within reach. Go for it.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/6/66: #1 “Wild Thing” (The
Troggs) #2 “Lil” Red Riding Hood” (Sam the Sham & The
Pharaohs) #3 “Summer In The City” (The Lovin” Spoonful.
just good, solid summer tunes, eh?) *And at #10 this particular
week, “Somewhere, My Love,” by Ray Conniff & The Singers.
*Ron Townson, the rotund member of The 5th Dimension, died
last week at the age of 68.
San Francisco Giants Quiz Answers: 1) #2 career homers: Mel
Ott, 511 (Now, c”mon, how many of you missed this?) 2) RBI,
season: Mel Ott, 151, 1929. 3) Roger Craig was the manager
before Dusty Baker (1986-1992). 4) HR, rookie: Jim Ray Hart,
31, 1964.
*And remember Ian Woosnam”s caddie, Miles Byrne? Well, Ian
finally fired him. It seems that Miles slept in on Sunday, missing
Woosnam”s 7:15 tee-off time at the Scandinavian Open. Don”t
come looking here for work, Miles!
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday…Lynyrd Skynyrd and Johnny Mac”s
baseball.
