two of the wildest ROCKIN' Deuce rods featured in Tony Thacker's new '32 FORD DEUCE book

1971 box art (above)
original 1963 box art for Revell (above)
completed kit by Andy Bannister, Horwich, Bolton, Lancashire, UK (above and below), courtesy www.showrods.com

original 1964 box art for Monogram (above)

completed kit by Tory Mucaro, Howell Township, New Jersey, above and below. Courtesy www.showrods.com.

This Spring, following the publication of ROCKIN' DOWN THE HIGHWAY, the publisher, Motorbooks, asked me to serve as the Marketing Manager (out of my West Coast office) for Tony Thacker's latest book, '32 FORD DEUCE. Tony is Exec. Director of the Wally Parks NHRA Museum in Pomona, Calif. He's also recently written a book titled SUNDAYS WITH VON DUTCH, which I commend to you as well.

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'32 FORD DEUCE is a definitive publication in 324 authoritative pages (and includes hundreds of choice photographs), but what's key is the depiction and description of 75 Deuce hot rods chosen by a blue-ribbon committee to honor the '32 Ford's 75th anniversary. Larry Erickson, the esteemed Ford designer, was on that committee, and I've blogged about Larry and his role in designing Billy F Gibbons' CadZZilla (also see pages 124 - 129 in ROCKIN'). Those of you who were at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona earlier this year saw a great many of the 75 on display.

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Two of these 75 actually touched my life as a teenager in 1962-1964, while growing up in Englewood, NJ: the Li'l Coffin and the Orange Crate. This is because I was a kit builder, and these two might well have been the best I ever built.The former is discussed in '32 FORD DEUCE on pages 184 - 195, and the latter on pages 270 - 271. These two cars both graced the covers of important hot rod publications: Li'l Coffin on the November, 1962 issue of ROD & CUSTOM, and Orange Crate on the February, 1962 issue of HOT ROD.

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Many would say these two kits were among the most ambitious every created, and the rods themselves were break-thru's in design and fabrication. Their stories can also be found on Dave Rasmussen's absolutely outstanding website about model kits, www.showrods.com. I'm now in communication with Dave himself, and my next blog will be about show rod kits and the impact they had on pop culture and on me personally.

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'32 FORD DEUCE can be found at www.Amazon.com

as well as all the key bookstore chains and independents. You may also order it directly from www.motorbooks.com.

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Tony will be autographing copies on Saturday, May 26th, at Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, CA. I myself will be appearing there the following month, on June 23rd, signing ROCKIN'.

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ROCKIN' remembers--as does Britain--glam-rocker Marc Bolan

T Rex EP, with "Cadillac" (above)

Marc Bolan clowning in car (he didn't drive). Keith Morris photo (above)
a characteristic portrait (above)

accident site from below grade, showing "the tree." Marc's bust (above)

the plaque (above)

the tree the Mini hit; messages of condolence attached (above)

the full shrine, from below Queens Road (above)

from overhead; impact site shown by "x" (above)

past the bridge, and downwards, accident site to left (above)

approaching the railway bridge (trains below); accident site beyond, left side (above)

In America, a death caused by an automobile crash is often marked by flowers and personal remembrances, and then within a week the authorities remove all physical traces so the site does not become a further distraction to motorists. Not so in the UK, where the site of glam rocker Marc Bolan's tragic death remains a public shrine.

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Marc Bolan is best known for his work with the band T.Rex (sometimes spelled T Rex or T-Rex), which he founded in 1967 but did not become a true success until 1971. Led by Bolan, glam-rock would sweep the UK and was a huge influence on David Bowie and, in America, Alice Cooper. Even hard rock groups such as AC/DC took notice of outrageously sexual songs like "Bang a Gong (Get It On)." Punk rock, BritPop, hair-metal, and even modern indie bands all reference elements which Bolan introduced. At the height of their popularity, T.Rex was reportedly selling 100,000 albums a day and those sales accounted for nearly 6% of the UK's total domestic record sales. People still remember that Bolan was the original glitter-rocker, and for that moment in time the single biggest pop star in Britain.

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Bolan's death is briefly addressed on page 71 in ROCKIN'. After pleasurable hours of drinking at the Speakeasy and then dining at Morton's Club on Berkeley Square (central London), a few minutes before 5:00 a.m. on September 16, 1977, Bolan was killed almost instantly when a purple Mini 1275GT (license plate FOX 66IL) driven by his lover and band mate Gloria Jones, in which he was riding, left the road, shot through a guard-rail (and fence) and smashed sidways into a sycamore tree at the southern edge of Barnes Common, South West London, less than a mile from his home at 142 Upper Richmond Road West in Richmond, a London suburb. This was Jones' car. It's not evident from the press reports how fast she was driving, but excessive speed likely was the key cause of the accident.

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Bolan himself had never learned to drive a car, and even had visions of dying in a car crash through much of his adult life. Jones survived the accident and relocated to the United States. Bolan would have turned 30 in less than two weeks.

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According to www.roadpeace.org and other accounts, "The Mini came over the local railway's hump-back bridge (shown in the sequence pictured above) and because the road narrows and curves to the right immediately beyond, the car hit a tree amongst those lining the left hand side of Queen's Ride road (B 306 on the maps), near Gypsy Lane. Bolan died instantly after his side of the car (the passenger side) took the full impact of the crash."

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The tree where Bolan died has become a shrine to his memory, and after over a quarter of a century it's still visited by fans from around the globe. The road by "the tree" has no shoulder per se and fans previously risked injury as they paid their respects. In 1998 it was reported in the Daily Mirror that "the tree" itself was in poor health and might have to be felled. As well, over the years rain runoff and the considerable foot traffic took their toll on the embankment below the accident site. In 1999, T.A.G. (the T.Rex Action Group) was formed to create a memorial shrine and preserve "the tree." The landowner, Railtrack, granted T.A.G. a lease in perpetuity on the site. The shrine would then include a viewing platform where fans could stand safely off the road. So, in 2000, T.A.G. laid steps, built the platform, and after consulting tree surgeons, fitted a metal calliper across the rotted section of the trunk to support the weight of the tree, thereby buying additional time. lFor the twenty-fifty anniversary of Bolan's death, a bronze bust initiated by T.A.G. was unveiled by Bolan's only son, Rolan.

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Wikipedia.com notes that "the manner of Bolan's death was made even more incredible when one considers the number of automotive references made in his songs. Whilst some of these may appear coincidental, and may easily be explained by Bolan's love of fifties US music showing a similar obsession, there are a few references that have led some commentators to see an uncanny element to Bolan's death. One such oddity concerns a copy of the NME (New Musical Express newspaper) found in Bolan's wrecked Mini. It was open at an interview with Pete Townsend of The Who, the headline on the interview reading 'Hope I Die Before I Get Old.'"

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Indeed, Bolan's 'automotive' songs include "Buick McKane," "Cadillac," "Jeepster," "Hot Rod Mama," "Black and White Incident," "Get It On," and "Mustang Ford."

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"Get it on.

Bang a gong.

Get it on.

You're built like a car

You got a hubcap

Diamond star halo

You're dirty sweet

And you're my girl."

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Here are a few of Bolan's own observations about life (from www.brainyquote.com):

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"Be strong and follow your own convictions. You can't assume there is a lot of time to do what you like."

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"I'm a performer and only a performer. I don't know how to do anything else, like blueprint a building or fix autos."

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"I never understood why people had dark windows in cars. I do now. There are times when attention can be fun. But it's not always like that."

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"I live my life with a sense of urgency that most people can't comprehend."

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For more photos and commentary, see www.tag.mercurymoon.co.uk/tree-history-1.html.

RIP Marc Bolan.

Grushkin to be autographing ROCKIN' at DUCKY WADDLES, Encinitas, CALIF Saturday, May 12

Y'all come on down now to DUCKY WADDLE'S EMPORIUM in Encinitas, Calif. (on the seacoast, close to San Diego) this Saturday, May 12th. I'll be authographing and personalizing ROCKIN' books from about 11:00 am till 4:00 pm. The street address is 414 North Coast Highway 101. Phone number: 760-632-0488

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DUCKY WADDLES, like La Luz de Jesus in Los Angeles, is a store and gallery replete with all the great things in life--hard-to-find books, folk art, toys, kitsch, rock posters, vintage decals . . . you name it, Jerry Waddle has unearthed it.

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Added treat: Scrojo will be there!! Scrojo is the great rock poster artist who did the front and back cover art for ART OF MODERN ROCK, the rock poster history book I co-authored with Dennis King in 2004. AMR is the "new testament;" the original ART OF ROCK which I authored is "the bible."

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But on Saturday we celebrate six months or so of ROCKIN' being on the shelves. It's sustained itself as a nationwide best-seller, and that, to be sure, makes me feel proud.

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See you Saturday at DUCKY WADDLES!!

ROCKIN' through rock history in the charabancs

Sept. 11, 1967. Paul waits for the Magical Mystery Tour's film staff to show. (above)
Paul and John, aboard. (above)

Paul and friend, the week of Sept. 10, 1967 (above)

off the bus, briefly, to record "I Am the Walrus" (above) stuck on a narrow English countryside bridge during filming (above)

Modern-day Liverpool, with a re-created excursion coach. "Here, at the stop just 'round the corner from Forthlin Road. This was where Paul used to catch his regular bus to school. He first got talking to George Harrison on the bus as they were both carrying guitars." (above) Note: a similar-painted bus, said to be the orignal from the film, now resides with the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, FL.

A "char-a-banc" at Dunsapie Loch, Holyrood Park, near Edinburgh, 1926 (above)

a charabank outing from Caernarfon, 1925 (above)

I was listening to Graham Parker's furiously rockin' 1976 Howlin' Wind album this weekend and in particular to the fine song "Gypsy Blood." Therein, Parker makes reference to the English excursion bus known as the charabanc.

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"Now don't you try to sell your wares, little babe

'Cause I'll buy everything, just about everything you got

Pots and pans, and charabancs,

Jet black curls all tied right up in a knot

'Cause she got red hot, hey hey, gypsy blood, hmm hmm"

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This was Parker's famous debut, rambunctious British pub rock at its finest, backed by The Rumour. Parker was labeled by his associations with punk and new-wave, owing to his connections with Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, and Stiff Records honcho Dave Robinson. But, Parker (as noted in an Amazon.com review) really was an angry white, red-eyed soul brother, his work exemplified by searing rages like "Back to Schooldays" and "Hey Lord, Don't Ask Me Questions," and "Howlin' Wind" itself. "Gypsy Blood" was as romantic as it got on that LP.

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But I got to thinking. Were there other uses of the term "charabanc" in English or other rock?

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There was Jethro Tull's "Wond'ring Again."

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"Incestuous ancestry's charabanc ride

Spawning new millions, throws the world on its side

Supporting their far-flung illusion, the national curse,

And those with no sandwiches, please get off the bus."

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And the Decemberists, in 2003, made reference in their song "The Legionnaire's Lament" off the Castaways and Cutouts album:

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"On the old left bank

My baby in a charabanc

Riding up the width and length

of the Champs Elysees"

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The charabanc was an early form of bus, used typically for sightseeing trips. The term came from the French char-a-bancs, a "carriage with benches." Lord Byron mentioned it in his journal in September, 1816, when he rode aboard a horse-drawn conveyance. British speakers usually said it as sharra-bang. The heyday of the charabanc in Britain was between the First and Second World Wars. Sometimes it had a roof, but almost always the sides were open to the elements. According to www.worldwidewords.org, "it was a conveyance mainly for the holidaymaking proletariat, who were disparagingly referred to by their social superiors as trippers. To such critics, the charabanc wasn't so much a vehicle as a noisy self-propelled pub that conveyed a drunken rabble who threw bottles and bellowed bawdy songs. This was a huge exaggeration of course, since most charabanc excursions were quite sober." Charabancs were especially popular for "works outings" to the country or seaside that businesses would hold for their employees once a year. A typical charabanc is shown at left, a 1929 Dennis, which still today departs daily from the Bandstand in Whitby (near the fish docks).

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The charabanc tour is also the premise for the Beatles' 1967 television film Magical Mystery Tour, in which a group of characters (including 'oddities', 'lovelies,' and the Beatles themselves) toured Southern England in a mix of music hall tunes, comedy, contemporary psychedelia, and musical set pieces by the Fab Four themselves (such as "I am the Walrus" -- shown above).

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When the Beatles formed Apple, their first business endeavor would be this project, spearheaded by Paul McCartney: a charabanc-inspired excursion. According to www.maccafan.net/Gallery/MagicalMisteryTour/Mystery.htm, "During a trip to the US in April, 1967, just after the Sgt. Pepper sessions, McCartney dreamed up an hourlong television film. The Beatles would hire a bus, fill it with actors and extras, and tour around England with a camera crew. Each of the bandmembers would write short episodes, with plenty of room for improvisation. And of course some of the film would be devoted to performances of their latest songs. His original notes, jotted on the plane trip back to England, were quite detailed. He'd already settled on Magical Mystery Tour as the title, and had the theme song written by the time he presented the idea to others on April 25th. His notes also specified a scene with a stripper, a sequence at an army recruiting station, a marathon, and a laboratory scene. His cast list included a courier, a driver, a busy hostess, a fat woman, and a small man. In the end, nearly all these things were included in the film."

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MMT initially aired on BBC-TV on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) in 1967, initially in black-and-white, then in colour a few days later. It was poorly received by critics and audiences, but is now approaching something of a cult classic. Indeed, there was no overriding script and the project proceeded on the basis of a collection of ideas, sketches, and situations which McCartney called the "Scrupt." The basic plot was that during the course of the tour, "strange things would begin to happen" at the whim of the four musicians, possibly in the manner of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters and their bus (see pages 144 - 145 in ROCKIN'). Many "ordinary people" (including John Lennon's uncle Charlie) were to be included on the charabanc. Much of the project was filmed in September, 1967 in the disused WWII aircraft hangers and on the surrounding airfield runways and taxi aprons at RAF West Malling in Kent.

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The hoped-for "magical" adventures never really happend. During the filming, an ever-greater number of cars followed the bus, hoping to see what its passengers were up to, until a running traffic jam developed. The spectacle ended after Lennon finally tore the lettering panels off the sides of the bus.

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The movie's soundtrack was far more favorably received, as it included the avant-garde "I am the Walrus," the wistful "Fool on the Hill," and the iconic "Strawberry Field Forever" and "Penny Lane." It concluded with "All You Need is Love," which would eventually bring home the animated movie that followed, Yellow Submarine.

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more info on John Holt's ROCKIN' Bone Bike, seen at CLASSICS AND CHROME

I saw John Holt's Bone Bike (also known as Iron Death) at Classics and Chrome in Rockford, IL this past weekend. Here's some more info on what's obviously one ROCKIN' ride.

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From http://graphicdesignbasics.com/2006/the-bare-bones.html:

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"John Holt, 38, is a self-taught metal bender who, ten years ago, designed and built suits of armor that were sold at Sotheby's auction house in New York City. The virtually all-handmade motorcycle was built in the basement shop of his Boone County, IL home (near Belvidere). It looks like a human skeleton but would be bigger (at 9 feet, 2 inches tall) if it stood erect.

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"The skeleton has a giant skull in front with one headlight in each eye socket, and 32 teeth in its awesome jaws. This is the first motorcycle that Holt has built, and it took him all of 22 months, fashioning it after a plastic model of a skeleton bought at a hobby shop.

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"Although the seat isn't padded, last year Holt rode it to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota and won third place in the "Rat's Hole" competition. He also showed it last year at Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, FL and at the Essen Motor Show in Essen, Germany (the European equivalent of the Detroit Auto Show)."

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Specs:

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Ford 2.3 litre engine

variable flow hydraulic drive

hammer-formed 16 gauge cold rolled steel

weighs approx. 850 lbs

top speed: 90 - 95 mph

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a ROCKIN' great time, definitely had by all, at CLASSICS AND CHROME in Rockford, IL

Troy Finner in his 2005 Chevy Cavalier Pro Stock drag car (above)

John Holt's 2006 Bone-Bike (above)

Walt Baranowski Jr. in his 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza convertible (above)
more Bone-Bike (above)
Bob Schaltenbrand's 1928 Ford Model A pickup (wife Judy above)
Irv Hammack's 1957 Pontiac Bonneville (above)

Darlene Hamaker admiring and wearing . . . the Little Deuce Coupe

Jon Esler, Headmaster, The Keith School (above)

1937 Cord, Lycoming engine inside (above)

Darrel Burnett in his 1957 Ford Thunderbird (above)

John Brizzolara (aka BRIZZ on WKGL-FM/Rockford (The Eagle), where he's Program Director) with son Reilly (above)

Arlene (the original Mustang Sally) (above, in her Mustang)

Arthur Swanson's 1942 Cadillac Model 62 (above)

look-- a 3-book guy!!!

I spent this past weekend at the Classics and Chrome event in Rockford, IL. My hosts were Jon and Jackie Esler (Jon is the Headmaster at The Keith School, the annual beneficiary of this fine event; Jackie teaches there as well). Jon and the school's event committee asked me to sign and personalize copies of ROCKIN' which the school purchased to raise money, and I was delighted to do so. I met hundreds of great people and I hope everyone enjoys their new book.

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Thousands of car fans and gearheads turned out, and I urge everyone in southern Wisconsin, northwest Illinois, northeast Iowa, and western Indiana to attend next year. It's that good!

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Gotta thank Donna Goomas for inviting me. Donna unfortunately witnessed the event from a hospital bed, thanks to a persistent flu that finally did her in. Donna--you were everywhere (in spirit)! Also, special thanks to Diane and Vince Zammuto; Darrel Burnett; Helen; Jeff; Brizz at WKGL; Ziggy (Craig, my rockin' chauffeur); and Annette and Lin Schryver for all their assistance and support. At the sponsors dinner, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the Myles Nielsen Band. Myles is the son of Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), and Rick, who was playing a gig in Florida that weekend, had his own T-Bird and a '58 Ranchero in the show. Rick also donated a number of famously-signed guitars to benefit the school.

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Thanks also to screenprinter-artists Ron Donovan and Chuck Sperry of the Firehouse Studio in San Francisco for donating one of the Eric Clapton tour posters they designed (portrayed in an earlier blog here), and Jay Ryan of The Bird Machine Studio in Chicago for donating his last copy of the Ferris Bueller film tribute poster which he drew and screenprinted You guys rock!

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I especially enjoyed seeing the Lycoming engine inside the '37 Cord; several magnificent Austin-Healey 3000's (my all-time favorite sports car); every one of the muscle cars; and the mustache-grille on the black and red '46 Chevy pickup. I could go on and on, tho.

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Nevertheless, the ROCKIN' car-of-the-show award goes to Darrel Burnett's black and white Thunderbird (having gone through a full-frame restoration, and estimated to be one of approx. 20 produced in 1957 with the combination of a 3-speed overdrive and a non-porthole (removable) top). See picture above. This, in honor of the greatest car song ever sung, "Black and White Thunderbird", by The Delicates (see page 181 in ROCKIN').

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