It was a grand and a glorious time.  Because Raul Cardenas, Fernando Corral, Arian Roberts, and I had roamed the rather raunchy thoroughfare of Sixth Street in Austin, TX, Greenwich Village was tame to me.  But, aside from the Greek belly clubs of Eighth Avenue and a rare jazz nightspot like the Jazz Gallery over at Eight St. Marks Place, there was little excitement in Manhattan.  And a new and wilder music was being born in the Bitter End and the Café au Go Go and the Café Wha as folk music began to fade, morph, and become something else.  When the Cream came to the states and first appeared at the Café au Go Go an intense fever spread and grabbed me from my desk (I had only a cubicle then) at the offices of Billboard and I subway’d down there to catch the magic.  I believe I took Barbara.  She doesn’t remember.  She remembers hearing Mountain much later at the Capitol when we were invited out by Felix Pappalardi, but not the Cream.  She does remember the ice cream at the Café au Go Go, though.  But that night in the Café au Go Go, huge speakers pumping your stomach in and out, the wild flings of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce that were literally pure jazz and made your heart thunder and your mind visit other worlds … there was nothing like it. 

To name the artists that performed in the Café au Go Go is to virtually list a Who’s Who of music of the 60s.  From Richie Havens to Paul Butterfield, from Jimi Hendrix to Blood, Sweat and Tears.  My personal favorites were Cream, Fred Neil, Paul Butterfield.  But I could not list them all.  It was a mecca of what was happening in music.  A narrow basement room on Bleeker St. 

Howard Solomon and Elly 

One night, I was there shooting pictures with a little 35mm and a flash and someone came over and told me that I couldn’t shoot pictures of Albert Grossman.  Well, I was Billboard and I was Claude Hall and, naturally, after that I had to shoot pictures of Albert Grossman, whoever he was in the crowd.  Probably there with Bob Dylan.  Everyone who was anyone in happening music hung out in the Café au Go Go run by Howard Solomon and his wife Elly (shown at left).  For a kick, I took a picture one night of Jac Holzman, head of Electra Records, with his hand on the bathroom door.  I shot other photos I don’t even understand after all these years.  The young of the day.  I had a good little German camera and film was reasonable.  I was grooming for another issue of the SoundMakers, but that magazine was fated for one issue and gone.  This was before Rolling Stone.  The only real music publication at the time was Crawdaddy published by Paul Williams.  SoundMakers sold out, but not fast enough on the newsstands of Manhattan to please Billboard publisher Hal Cook.  A pity. 

Many of us gathered backstage at the Café au Go Go.  But when something was going great on stage, we’d drift out to be one of the audience.  I was there the night the Paupers, a group that didn’t make it, wiped out the Jefferson Airplane, a West Coast group that became legend.  The atmosphere regarding music was always: Bring it on!  The DVD mentions a jam session and a half until dawn; I’m sorry that I missed that one!  But I enjoyed every instant that I spent in the Café au Go Go. 

Oh, yes … the DVD.  A few months ago, I heard from Jason Solomon.  He’d discovered that I’d featured some photos in Commentary about the Café au Go Go.  I sent him two or three that I had at hand.  Then, a week ago, I found a photo of a man and woman looking at posters on the wall and sent that to him.  Years ago, I’d run the photo in Commentary and asked if anyone could identify it.  I thought it was a photo of Howard Solomon.  No one knew who it was.  But when I sent it to Jason, he wrote back: “Jackpot.  It’s a picture of my mother and father.” 

In return for my photos, Jason sent me a DVD called “7 Years Underground – A 60s Tale.”  The subtitle read “A Documentary Film about a legendary Greenwich Village Coffeehouse.”  I am honored to receive this DVD.  It appears to be the heart-task of Jason to honor his mother and father.  It actually is a very valuable research piece for anyone interested in music.  If you love music, I heartily recommend you write Full Circle Mgt., 4932 Lankershim Blvd. #202, North Hollywood, CA 91607, and ask if you can purchase a copy.  Beg if you have to! 

Just one of the bonuses:  Elly was involved in defending Lenny Bruce.  I hadn’t known of her involvement.  Neither had my wife Barbara.  History!  The defense of the First Amendment. 

Once again, I feel honored to have this DVD in my possession.  I shall treasure it.  And my two sons, John Alexander Hall, Esq., Los Angeles, and Andy Hall, poet, Peoria, IL, will love it when they get an opportunity to see it.  Both are into music.  Both will love the lessons in this DVD. 

My compliments, Jason Solomon.  Great on you! 

BASS MATTERS

Most of you will remember the name Billy Bass, once a leading radio programmer. He reports that he has cancelled his personal Facebook account in favor of a business account … Bill Bass Photography on Facebook.  I always liked Billy Bass.  He was a good program director.

COMPUTER MATTERS

Nancy Sain is involved in a project to help vets get free computers.  Check out:  http://www.fundageek.com/project/detail/284/TechForVets 

HALE MATTERS

Sam Hale, Georgia: “Regarding the John McDonald story, I continued to probe for accurate information in order to assist Dave Nichols and his TN Radio Hall of Fame History Committee's building a complete and accurate record of this figure who achieved legendary status among all who, in any way, were involved in agriculture in the Mid-South.  I was able to confirm that the correct spelling of his name was McDonald based upon: University of TN records; his personal physician; the funeral home; in all books that referenced him; in all the stories that appeared in BILLBOARD; records of the National Association of Farm Directors records, of which he was President in 1956, as well as the obituary listings.” 

So it’s John Anderson McDonald (03-05-1902 - 11-26-1983)

According to Sam, legendary radio station WSM signed on the air with a 1,000 Watt transmitter and an audience of 300 on October 5, 1925.  The station was on the air Monday-Wednesday-Saturday and every other Sunday night as they shared the 1060 AM frequency with WOAN in Lawrenceburg.  After broadcasting for Just over a year, it went off the air for about five weeks, during which time a 5000-watt transmitter was installed.  In 1929, the FCC granted a license for a move to a clear channel frequency of 650.  In filings with the FCC to be granted a license for a 50,000 watt signal on clear channel 650, and the erection of an engineering marvel, an 878-foot diamond shaped transmitting tower, WSM executives promoted their "public service" motto, including having broadcast farm market reports, Monday through Friday, since 1927 with reports directly from the state department of agriculture.  Additionally, NBC provided a daily hour-long farm program which they ended in 1945.  At that time WSM officials determined to replace it with their own farm program as it was important in the defense of their retaining the clear-channel frequency to provide service to the rural areas of the mid-South.  The station hired John McDonald from Savannah, TN, and named him Farm Director.  He was a 1932 graduate of the University of Tennessee's College of Agriculture and had taught vocational agriculture for 13 years after obtaining his degree.  The station developed a program with broad appeal around Mr. McDonald -- not just farm reports and interviews.  With a 25-piece orchestra, originally conducted by Beasley Smith, and later by Owen Bradley, then Marvin Hughes, as well as entertainers from the "Grand Ole Opry," it became a lunch-break staple for an enormous audience.  The program was called "Noontime Neighbors" and ran for 27 years before budget cuts led to its termination.  However, he was such an important figure to the audience, and revenue for the station, that he remained with the station an additional five-odd years doing daily farm price reports and commentaries.  Mr. McDonald was a founding member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters and served as its President in 1956.  He became nationally known  as a farm broadcast expert and received innumerable accolades and awards from the Secretary of Agriculture on down.  His wife, Mary Evelyn, who had also been a teacher before their move to Nashville, became a travel planner.  She sometimes scheduled foreign tours in which Mr. McDonald developed reports of the agriculture programs in those countries and often was a judge in various competitions.  Several agricultural professionals joined these tours which included a five-week around-the-world tour as far back as 1948.  In addition to important daily farm price reports, Mr. McDonald invited farm industry leaders, vocational agriculture teachers and students, University of TN Extension agents and 4-H members, as well as a weekly guest from the Farm Bureau, for discussions of current issues of particular interest to the farm community.

Note:  I may be jumping the gun by printing the above, because I’m sure Sam intends it as a tribute to Mr. McDonald for Tennessee broadcasters and future fans.  Thank you, Sam.  Great on you. 

JOEY MATTERS

Joey Reynolds, New York City:  “Hey, Claude, I am a rest stop on the information superhighway -- what happened to that now that the latest buzzwords are platforms and branding.  I attended the CES and have not been able to leave the campus because of the thirst for knowledge from innovation and marketing. They have accelerated the keynote addresses and panels so that there is very little time to leave the convention center.  I have a yearly date to see Beatles – ‘Love’ at the Mirage with Peter Weedfald.  He is the man who brought Samsung from last place to first in 3 years, a really good family man.  Peter also helped me with my business model.  By way of explanation, I have been working on the first global triplecast in history, every night live from Times Square on radio-TV-internet.  You can peek at the work by going to: allnightwithjoeyreynolds.com.  Just had an offer to do this on you-tube, as they move into habit-forming content.  This is the stuff you would be teaching at UNLV or Brockport, maybe over a chicken fried steak in Enid, or as you Novelists would say:  East Of Enid.  Love to Barbara and the kids.” 

DARRYL MATTERS

Darryl Hall, San Francisco: “We had a beautiful, sunny day yesterday but today is a little foggy and cool.  Gave a Bible away and that lifted my spirits somewhat.  This makes eight that I have given away (including the four from you, Mom).  Anyway, I figure that I should try to give away one a month.  My radio is bringing me much joy and entertainment.  I listen a lot to a nonprofit station that plays a lot of blues and promotes Barak Obama and black issues.  On the weekends they play some Spanish music.  I get a kick out of the call letters which are KPOO.  Other stations which come in somewhat clear are an oldie station, a love song station, and a rock station.  It's great to have music in my life again.  Good luck in the Super Bowl against the Patriots, Dad.  Congrats on selling another book.  Have started going to the United Nations Plaza near my apartment and watching the water fountains while I smoke my pipe in the afternoons.  Lots of seagulls and people playing around and it is good to get out of the house.”