Up Close with Bob Fisk Road Manager for The Galaxies and Mark Five during the Sixties   (Mark Five - Circa early -'60s) (Interview conducted by TLM Chief Staff Writer, Beverly Paterson)

[TLM Interviewer, Beverly Paterson Notes: Perhaps the next best thing to playing in a cool rock and roll band is being road manager for the group. No kidding, such a job can be awfully difficult, but the perks certainly outweigh the challenges. During the sixties, Bob Fisk was road manager for two very well known Northwest bands, The Galaxies and The Mark Five, and later connected with a number of other acts, one of which was soul-popping hit-makers Honey Cone. How important it is for bands to have trusted reliable road managers, a role, which Bob filled, and then some! ]

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TLM Chief Staff Writer, Beverly Paterson: Prior to working behind the scenes with bands, did you have any musical aspirations yourself? Do you play any instruments and have you ever performed with any bands?

Bob Fisk: Just the thought of being a star like everybody else did. Even all of you reading this had the same ambition!

Beverly: How did you hook up with The Galaxies? Did you approach them about a job or did they come to you?

Bob: The Galaxies, as they were to me, was Kathy Trudell and The Galaxies, and I first started working with them when my friend, Ben Gardner, who played lead guitar for The Mark Five, decided to start his own group.  So he asked me to help him start a group, and that’s how Kathy Trudell and The Galaxies formed. The group included Kathy Trudell, Chuck Voltz, Bob Fosdick, Ben Gardner, Richard Peterson and Glen Blacksmith.   

Beverly: The Pacific Northwest is, of course, legendary for its incredible music, and the sixties certainly produced the best of the bunch from the area. Aside from the usual suspects like The Sonics, The Wailers, The Galaxies, The Kingsmen and Paul Revere and The Raiders, what other bands were making the scene? Are there any particular groups that really stand out in your mind?

Bob: There Were The Viceroys, Surprise Package, Grants Blue Boys, The Patriots, Paul Bearer And The Hearsemen and Helen Love. These were the groups, just like The Mark Five, that helped start the garage sound, which was a unique sound.

Beverly: What were some of the top clubs around the area?

Bob: Crystal Ballroom in Portland, The Tork Club in Eugene, Salem Armory, TG's in Albany and Newport, Saratoga Trunk in Seattle, Tooterville Trolley in Seattle, Cascade Club in Eugene, and just too many more to mention. Many national groups played with us during this era.  

Beverly: As a road manager, what duties did your job involve?

Bob: I was security, first, for the entertainers, and did sound, lights and wardrobe.  Sound was loading in all the amps (they were SUNN amps), and setting them up. I hooked up all the keyboards and stuff and adjusted the PA, which was also SUNN and the lights, before the band even walked into the building for the afternoon sound check; then running through and fixing anything that didn't work or was broken before the doors opened. With wardrobe, I made sure they all got their stuff to the laundromat to be cleaned before the show. The lights were usually personally made or rented, if not supplied by the club.  

Beverly: Did you travel much outside the Pacific Northwest? If so, how far and wide did you tour?

Bob: The Midwest was our general area to travel to. We also traveled to California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah.

I moved to Los Angeles in 1972 or so, and contracted out to groups. One of the groups was Honey Cone, who had hits with “Want Ads“ and “One Monkey Don‘t Stop No Show.” After returning to the Northwest, I teamed up with Ben Gardner, the former lead guitar player for The Galaxies, and teamed up to do a tour with Loverboy, Adam and The Ants and a then young Bryan Adams, which took place in Kamloops, British Columbia. Plus, there was a stop over in Seattle with Jan and Dean and Kim Carnes.

Beverly: Did you sit in on any recording sessions for either The Galaxies or The Mark Five? What can you tell me about these sessions?

Bob: Yes, I sat in on most of the sessions, and the guys were always very professional during the recordings.  During one recording, in Seattle, we had to come back and do another track. The next day, we found out the recording was lost, and it was said later that it came out in Canada as a song from another group. Contracts are important!

Beverly: I can imagine you encountered a lot of crazy stuff while working for the bands - insanity tends to go with rock and roll! What incident really sticks out in your mind as far as being just outright wild?

Bob: Yeah, this is true! One of the craziest things I encountered happened here in Portland during a Paul Revere and The Raiders Show. The people in the crowd were allowed to come right up the stage, and Mark Lindsay would sing to the crazy girls till the ones in the back would cause the ones in the front to pass out.  From so much pushing, Mark “Hoss“ (road manager for Paul Revere and The Raiders) and I would have to go on stage and pull the girls from the crowd and take them off stage so they could be given smelling salts to revive them. And then we would put the girls back in the crowd. This one girl, all of fifteen years old, had passed out and she was a major Mark Lindsay fan. As she came to, Mark Lindsay, who was not far away, walked up to her to see if she was ok - and she passed out again!   

Beverly: Do you ever plan to write a book about your experiences?

Bob: Not really, because that is what my best friend Mark “Hoss” Amans is doing. He has some great stories to tell, and that’s why you should all get his book, “Where The Action Was!,“ which should be made into a movie. The lives that Hoss, myself and John Kando (road manager for The Liverpool Five) and many other roadies lived, is a story in itself!

Beverly: Are you still working with bands or have you moved onto another line of work?

Bob: Yes, somewhat, but what I do now is professional sound and lighting, under the name of Bandstand2000. I also work with some members of the Howard Stern Show, doing shows with them too. Should I retire? Not!

Beverly: Have you remained in touch over the years with any members of The Galaxies or The Mark Five? How about other musicians from the era?

Bob: Yes, we are all good friends and talk regularly. We would love to do a reunion show some day, but we have been saying that for years.  We are a family in a family, brothers bonded by music. I try to see all my friends as much as possible, and the bigger groups, I always try to go see them when they’re in the area.

Beverly: What’s the most appealing aspect of being a road manager and what is the most frustrating part of the job?

Bob: The most appealing part is, aside from being able to be part of the music as we know it today, was being there when there were no stage monitors, no 20 to 40 road crew members, and knowing that your final word was what was done. And meeting the greatest musicians in the world, and having some of them say, without the old music we couldn't have done it, without the garage bands and the crews.

The most frustrating part was realizing it was time to step down, and let the corporate sound crews take over, with their large road crews and all that high tech stuff, but still knowing that we where in the trenches doing it all by ear the old school way.  Hoss, John Kando and I, and many others worked our buts off to show all of you 2 to 4 hours of fun. Another hard part was it being hard on family life.

Beverly: What are some of your all time favorite Pacific Northwest “garage band rock” records?

Bob: “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen, “Determination” by The Mark Five, “Big Boy Pete“ by The Kingsmen and “Rockin' Robin” by Rockin Robby Roberts. What’s the matter with this new era? Why can’t they write new songs and leave ours alone?!  

Beverly: Along with The Galaxies and The Mark Five, what other bands did you work with? And do you have any special stories to share about these groups?

Bob: The Wailers, Dick And DeeDee, Them, The Electric Prunes, Joe Walsh and The James Gang, The Grass Roots and many more, but oh yeah, those are other stories to tell and there‘s many of them! Ask Paul Dean, the lead guitar player for Loverboy, about this one - he was in our recording studio, playing with the mixer. When I saw him, I said, “Don’t touch,” but I, of course, didn’t know who Paul was. I then proceeded to show him the door in a most uncomfortable way until Ben Gardner stopped me!

Beverly: Have you kept most of the mementos you accumulated over the years? What would you say is your most prized possession from those days?

Bob: Memories, some guitars and keyboards I still have, plus a lot of pictures!

[If you would like to make a comment in reference to this interview, please send it to rvstewartproductions@yahoo.com and write “Fisk” in the subject box.]

     When I was a high school student (yes, I actually did go to high school) I learned a lot of things that are not written in the books.  One of the important things that some of us learned and perfected right away was to inquire and ascertain the primary interests of the teacher and then draw them into a discussion of their favorite experiences.  The idea was that if the teacher was relating things he or she enjoyed this would keep the class away from the boring books, plus a happy teacher usually would go easy on grading tests.  This scheme seemed to work more easily with the male teachers.  For example, my journalism teacher loved to talk about his summer vacations and if prompted, would spend many entire class periods on the subject:

Me: So, Mr. Suave, where are you going this summer?

Mr. S:  The same place I always go.

Me:  And where is that again?

Mr. S:  I've spent the last three summers in Spain and just can't wait to go back.

Me (or one of the other students):  Wow!  That seems so far away.  Why travel all that distance?

     This would launch him into many long tales of his experiences with 'the beautiful people of Spain, especially the women.  Of course, he was right about the people there.  My trip to Spain in October 2009 just reinforced this fact to me when I was invited to appear at the fourth annual Ubangi Stomp Rock and Roll Festival.  You may recall this show takes its name from the old Warren Smith song.  Roc LaRue and I were headliners for this four-day event in the spectacular city of Benidorm on the Mediterranean.  All activities took place in the Gran Bali Hotel, the tallest hotel in Europe.

     This was four nights of non-stop old time rock and roll with bits of blues and traditional country thrown in.  Each day, the music started in the early afternoon and continued until the early morning hours.  The event featured a total of about fifteen bands and a dozen DJs.  The DJs played records between the live acts creating a seamless music experience, while the open bars served up liquid refreshment and the vendors offered collector records, CDs, souvenirs and vintage clothing.

     Roc LaRue was the featured US artist on the third day of the fest.  He released records in the ‘50s for Rama Records (Baby Take Me Back) and Holland Records (If I Were in Your Shoes).  He was backed at this event by Spo-Dee-O-Dee, a band from Germany and was given a great reception as he performed his rockers, as well as some of his country songs from the 1960s.

     My show was on the final day with backing by Uncle Charlie, a four-piece Spanish group.  They were very good and really “pumped up” for the show.  The large crowd loved it.  Someone in the audience recorded parts of my show and posted it on YouTube.  For those that may be curious I have posted the link below... or one can go to the YouTube site and type in Sweet Rockin' Baby or my name.

The fans and musicians were great as always.  The organizers, Hector and Ruth were extremely gracious.  Everything was perfect.  I've always been lucky.

[If you would like to make a comment in reference to this article, please send it to rvstewartproductions@yahoo.com and write “Ubangi” in the subject box.]

     Something magical must have been floating around in the water in Texas in the sixties, as such a staggering number of fabulous bands emerged in the state during the decade. And that includes Those Guys, whose star illuminated brightly amid the Fort Worth-Dallas community. Sixties garage rock connoisseurs probably don’t need to be told this is the band Bob Barnes played in prior to linking up with The Yellow Payges. Or that future famed singer, songwriter, musician and producer T-Bone Burnett engineered a handful of Those Guys sessions.

     Compiled by Lance Monthly writer and 60sgaragebands.com commander in chief Mike Dugo, “Behind The Glasses” is the first time Those Guys have been rewarded the anthology treatment. And what a goodie it is! The band’s lead guitarist and keyboardist, David Owens, submitted the sleeve notes to the disc, which are extensive and informative. He also penned much of the band’s material, while his cousin, Jimmy Owens, and Bob Barnes co-authored a couple of tunes. Not only were Those Guys talented musicians, but their songwriting skills were exceptional as well.

     Released in 1967, “Lookin’ At You Behind the Glasses” backed by “Stereopsis of a Floret” is a certified psychedelic classic. Assembled of dreamy harmonies, trippy melodies and esoteric lyrics, both these cuts are rich with flowery impressions. Brooding keyboard passages, otherworldly vocals and bouts of crunchy guitar breaks place “Lookin’ At You Behind the Glasses” squarely in Doors or Iron Butterfly terrain, where “Stereopsis of a Floret” deposits a more streamlined touch, but is nonetheless just as enterprising and imaginative. Also issued in 1967 was the bluesy Rolling Stones riggings of “Three Days Gone,” while on the opposite end of the river, a cover of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich’s “People Say” embodies a giddy pop pose.

     It’s too bad the recordings engineered by T-Bone Burnett failed to make it to vinyl and have been hibernating in the vaults year after year. Had these ventures received official releases, Those Guys would have arguably acquired far wider attention. Peppered with paisley seasonings and juicy hooks galore, “Sunshine Go Lightly” is sonically stunning and “The Fix-It Man” continues to emphasize how confident and direct the band was. Razor sharp chops, telepathic chemistry and boundless enthusiasm clearly ran deep in the veins of Those Guys.

The Legendary Gentlemen “In Your Face!” (self-released)

     Better known as The Gentlemen, whose 1966 single, “It’s a Cry’n Shame” is an eternal favorite among garage rock aficionados from here to the moon, this Dallas, Texas band recently reunited and are now billed The Legendary Gentlemen. Remaining thoroughly committed to rambunctious type of music for which they’re recognized, the band explodes with electricity on “In Your Face!,” which serves as their first full-length album, because back in the day they did not have the opportunity to record such a project. 

     Galvanized by a fiercely loyal remake of “It’s a Cry’n Shame,” the disc proceeds to spit out one hot and sassy song after another. The energy level is extremely high, the synergy is great and the exuberance is contagious. It’s been forty odd years since these guys have played together, but they could have fooled us, as they brandish the force and fury of restless teenagers. Pledging allegiance to the frat rock philosophy of The Strangeloves and The Swinging Medallions, the stomping gallop of “Baby Get On Home” name drops noted tunes like “Mustang Sally,” “Mony Mony” and “Twist And Shout,” and yes, “The Sub Prime Blues” is a blues number, performed in the grizzled, growling white-boy fashion of The Moving Sidewalks or Steppenwolf. 

     Raiding the “Nuggets” archives, The Legendary Gentlemen cover corkers by The Litter (“Action Woman”), The Golliwogs (“Fight Fire”), The Leaves (“Too Many People”) and The Third Bardo (“I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time”) with strength and conviction. Their version of “That’s The Way It’s Got To Be,” slaps an additional wow factor onto the original recording by The Poets, as the volume is raised and intense jamming lines the walls. A rendition of The Shadows of Knight’s “Shake” (re-titled “Shake Shake Shake”) is also tackled with wild abandon. 

     Judging from “In Your Face!,” The Legendary Gentlemen have performed an astonishing resurrection. Utilizing all the proper garage rock elements, from pumping keyboards to tasty throbbing drum beats to smirking vocals oozing with mischief to bruising guitar licks to howling harmonicas, the band still has what it takes to lay down the smoking stuff. Not a speck of contemporary dust is spotted on “In Your Face!,” which is a very good thing. The Legendary Gentlemen have succeeded at revisiting the sound and style of sixties garage rock in a most earnest manner.

Jamie & Steve “English Afterthoughts” (Loaded Goat Records)

     When The Spongetones arrived on the scene thirty years ago, they were rightfully referred to as a modern day response to the British pop music of the sixties. Few bands at that time were not only not channeling the spirit of The Beatles, The Hollies, The Dave Clark Five, The Searchers and so forth, and if they were they seldom wrote their own material, especially material that matched the quality of the artists they emulated. So that alone made The Spongetones extra special. Decades on, the North Carolina band continues to produce amazingly catchy songs, that in turn, have deservedly awarded them a worldwide fan club. 

     To tide us over until the next Spongetones album lands on the decks, lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Hoover and guitarist, bassist and vocalist Steve Stoeckel teamed up to conceive “English Afterthoughts,” which marks their debut as a duo. Anglo Saxon roots intact, the fellows jangle their way through a dozen tunes that are perfect in every sense. Tugging hooks pinned tight against firm arrangements drive each track on the disc. Vibrant harmonies are delivered in spades, supplying the songs with a cheery, playful touch. A swinging tempo surrounds “Color Me Over Again,” impossibly bouncy rhythms fuel the rather bubble gummy “Let’s Don’t Count This One” and “Emily’s Ghost” shimmers with echo and light. “Feeling You Watching Me Watching You” and “In The Other Life And On Another Day” are further treasures heard on “English Afterthoughts,” but the whole package is truly priceless.

Goliath “Goliath” (Gear Fab Records)

     Evolving from a trio of bands that included The Sons of Sounds, Kicks and The XL’s, Goliath was very much a product of the era in which they existed. The material on this disc was recorded in 1970 at Allen Martin Studios in Louisville, Kentucky, and keenly captures the mercurial mindset that was then navigating the circuit. Observing and absorbing everything going on around them, Goliath brazenly mixed such diversified influences into one lethal cocktail.

     Kind of country, kind of folk and kind of bluesy, “I Feel Like I’m Gonna Die” owes a shake of the head to The Grateful Dead, where the chugging grooves of “Taking Back Roads” pays homage to Cream, complete with haunting Jack Bruce styled vocals. Shades of jazz, trailed by a burst of gospel choruses, are the ingredients lodged behind “In The Summertime,” and both “Sunny Days” and “Words” are sweet melodic ballads. Then there’s the straight and simple hard rock glare of “Chessboard Kings” and “Kentucky Roads.” Punctuated with the swirling whirl of a soulful Hammond organ and stirring guitar exercises, “Kwak” is interesting and innovative, while the blossoming harmonies and taut layout of “It’s Your Land” recalls the grand pop rock of The Guess Who. A nice blend of improvisational jamming and mellow musings constitute “Goliath,” resulting in a real cool hippy artifact.

Various Artists “Ka Hula O Na Niu (The Dance Of The Palm Trees)”  (Rolltop Music)

     Musically active since the sixties, Tim Coffman is a jack-of-all-trades. Besides being a musician himself, who is not restricted to one genre, he writes songs and produces records and commercials. The San Diego, California based artist also operates his own studio and label. Tim’s most recent effort, which he twiddled the knobs on and plays guitar on, “Ka Hula O Na Niu (The Dance Of The Palm Trees)” features a choice cast of characters singing and performing Hawaiian music. Splashed with pastoral textures and swaying rhythms, the disc flawlessly evokes the warmth and tranquility of the state’s climate and personality.

     A pair of instrumentals, “Big Island” and “Ka Hula O Na Niu (The Dance of The Palm Trees)” were both nominated by The JPF International Music Awards for the 2009 song of the year, and it’s not difficult to hear why. Bathed in waves of color and polish, these tracks are spellbindingly gorgeous. Herb Pillilaau joins Tim on a toe-tapping rendition of “Island Style,” Tropical Green’s “Hanalei Moon” is absolutely breathtaking, Sarah Maisel’s “Waikiki” glides gracefully to a gentle pitch and Marchand Melcher’s “Kalua” gushes and swells to a soothing finish. Ah, there’s nothing more relaxing than a chorus of Hawaiian steel guitars, strummy ukuleles and silky smooth vocals. Radiating with beauty and class, “Ka Hula O Na Niu (The Dance Of The Palm Trees)” is a ticket to paradise!

Artist: Mostly Autumn   

Title: Pass The Clock-1998-2008 Remastered (3 CD Set)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Label: Mostly Autumn Records

Website: http://www.mostly-autumn.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001M0TH42?ie=UTF8&tag=muzikmassoundscr&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001M0TH42

Source Link: http://www.muzikreviews.com/reviews.php?ID=888

     Mostly Autumn has been one of the most productive progressive rock bands over the last ten years. They also quickly became one of the best even though flying slightly under the radar initially did not position them ideally or fairly. Now it’s more than ten years later and most deservingly we have Pass The Clock-1998-2008, a collection of 35 remastered tracks spanning that timeframe.

     Bryan Josh (lead and backing vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, keyboards, piano), Heather Findlay (lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, piano, recorders, percussion), Iain Jennings (keyboards, piano), Anne-Marie Helder (flutes, keyboards, piano, acoustic guitars, backing vocals), Liam Davison (rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, slide guitars, backing vocals),  Andy Smith (bass guitars), Gavin Griffiths (drums) and Olivia Sparnenn (backing vocals, percussion) make up the current Mostly Autumn lineup. 

     Mostly Autumn’s sound is very atmospheric with a combination of keyboards, guitars, bass, various forms of percussion, flutes and dreamy vocals provided by Heather Findlay and David Gilmour like vocalizations from Bryan Josh. Their overall sound has always reminded me of Pink Floyd, but much of what they do is very original and memorable. I discovered this band early in their career around 2000 or thereabouts and was immediately captivated with what they had to offer. Since then I have reviewed a lot of their work including lavishly presented DVD sets and high-end CDs for optimal sound. You can always count on a great quality presentation from this band.

     Pass The Clock-1998-2008 seems like it could be overkill with 3 CDs and 35 tracks; however, that should be the least of your worries. If you are a solid band like Mostly Autumn it’s not hard to come up with viable tracks over a ten year period; the difficulty lies in choosing which tracks to include in such a comprehensive set. It seemed like an insurmountable task for the band to choose the tracks, but it did come together and the final piece was remastering everything. The results are jaw-dropping sounds that even the most astute prog-rock enthusiast would find difficulty in criticizing. The packing is top notch, featuring a high-quality cardboard, three-piece gatefold CD holder with liner notes and the necessary thanks to all the important supporters of the band.

     I suppose packaging is the least important in most cases; however, when you are talking about progressive rock listeners, it happens to go hand in hand with the music. Mostly Autumn has never been a band to feature futuristic or spacey designs on their album covers like Yes or Uriah Heep for instance; they are lower key and their artwork reflects a more subtle message while fitting the band’s approach and name.

     This is an outstanding collection of tracks, not one dinger in the lot folks and a quintessential snapshot of one of the most excellent perhaps underrated prog-rock bands in the world. 

Fans should know as well that two volumes of Live 2009 are now available from the band.