The Next Big Thing

NORTON NEWSLETTER • JANUARY 2006

GET YA KICKS IN 2006, INDEED! Dig ye the Winter-Spring Events calendar which will blow your gourd offa the stump (what, again?) with mass bashes piled up like a late night plate of Waffle House chili cheese fries-- and read on for some of the biggest NEW RELEASE news we've had, like EVER!

JAN-FEB-MARCH RAMA-LAMA-DING-DONGS:

JAN 15 SUNDAY (Rockville MD) THIS WEEKEND! LINK WRAY TRIB BASH! News came edged in black last time around, when we learned of the passing of guitar hero Link Wray. Now, in tribute to Link, the Wray family joins friends, musicians and fans to celebrate his life and music on January 15 in Rockville (where else) Maryland! Dig members of the original Raymen, Los Straitjackets, A-Bones, Billy Hancock, Jerry "The Bug" Dallman, the Triumphs, and loads more rock'n'rollers with an ear to the big bad Link beat! See you all there! El Boqueron II, 1330 Gude Ave, Rockville MD. Directions, maps, details at http://www.dc-rock-and-roll.org

FEB 2-3-4 THURS-FRI-SAT (NYC) FAB REACTION! WEEKENDER SMASHED!BLOCKED!
presents their first full-on rock'n'rollin' fab mod lost weekend basheroonie at 3 swank NYC venues with 3 big days of DJ's, shows, a record fair and loads more, including the first full-on MIGHTY HANNIBAL stage show in two years-- the sensational soul shouter has still got it.. in SPADES! See you all there!
www.smashedblocked.com/reaction.html (Scroll past calendar for three day schedule!)

MARCH 4 SATURDAY (CLEVELAND, OH) CHOIR/ ALARM CLOCKS/ES-SHADES REUNION BASH!
HOLY MOTHER OF MURGATROY! It took a miracle to hang the world in space and also to put this show together, so thank your lucky stars as well as the everso fabulous Beachland Ballroom for presenting this confab, and on the banks of hallowed lake Eerie, no less! As you may not know, missing Alarm Clocks screamer Mike Pierce reared his hollerin' noggin a few weeks ago and wheels aplenty started grinding for an immediate blast...just added the Es-Shades! This will sell out quickly so get tix like NOW! More info herein past calendar and on the site too. SEE YOU THERE!!!! http://www.beachlandballroom.com.

MARCH 18 SATURDAY (ALLENTOWN, PA) 14th ANNUAL 45/78 RPM RECORD EXPO All wax blast with dealers from all over the globe sellin' and swappin' their itty bitty brains out! Massive and essential! See you there!
http://www.surroundsoundproductions.com

MARCH 26 SUNDAY PAPERBACK COLLECTORS SHOW & SALE West Coast pulp mavens host the show of shows out in the land of fruits and nuts aplenty- we like it like that!- the cream of the crop dealers, pulp artists, writers, publishers, fans and general populi! See You There! Best Western Mission Hills Inn, 10621 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 9 am to 4:30 pm, Admission $5 Information at Tom Lesser: TLesser@aol.com and Rose Idlet: RoseIdlet@aol.com

• GENERAL NORTON GIDDY-UP A DING-DONG • NEW RELEASES • STAY TUNED • Nortonians should all have received the new Norton 20th Anniversary catalog (with the PHANTOM UNMASKED on the cover!) by now- if not, check the bushes. If you've moved, been arrested and incarcerated, or are new to this ballyhoo, DEMAND A FREE CATALOG! Thanks to all who welcomed in the new year with the A-BONES and talented guest stars the BLACK LIPS and BLOODSHOT BILL plus local soul sensation MC the MIGHTY HANNIBAL and the brash bevy of boss jocks (dee jays!) Dave The Spazz (Music To Spazz By), Rex (Fool's Paradise), Andy Maltz (Little Killers), Tim Warren (Crypt Records) and Bazooka Joe and Christine X-Teen (Thing With Two Heads)! We needed that kind of megaton blast to catapult us into the rare air that is fast shaping into the wildest year ever!

THEE MIDNITERS INK WITH NORTON! Get ready for the first ever comp made up exclusively of these East LA kings' top 1964-67 stompers! NO BALLADS!! Just one souped-up killer after another! Whittier Blvd./Everybody Needs Somebody To Love/Jump, Jive And Harmonize/Gloria/Love Special Delivery/Thee Midnite Feeling/I Found A Peanut/Never Knew I Had it So Bad/Down Whittier Blvd./Empty Heart/Looking Out A Window/Do You Love Me/Dragon-Fly/Hey Little Girl/Money/Welcome Home Darling/Devil With A Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly/Land Of A Thousand dances (extended live version)/Down Whittier Blvd. (Godfrey vocal) - pounds like no manana! Stay tuned for March release date info!

OUT JANUARY 25! REIGNING SOUND - BLACK SHEEP/TENNESSEE (Norton 45-128) Recorded live n' wild at Goner Records! Add a bonus cut to the Norton TURBAN RENEWAL LP with a tuff Sam The Sham cover! Carl Perkins flp spells firm double deck Memphis salute! Great sound!

INFO ABOUT REACTION! WEEKENDER Feb. 2nd, 3rd, & 4th 2006 with DJs:
ROB BAILEY (Le Beat Bespoke LP, New Untouchables, UK) JOSH STYLES (SMASHED!BLOCKED!, NYC) TONY THE TYGER SANCHEZ (Satisfaction Club, LA) TY JESSO (Wylde Card DJs, RI) BILLY MILLER and MIRIAM LINNA (Norton Records, NYC) TODD-O-PHONIC (Telstar Records) LORDJULIAN (7 of Clubs, France) JAIME KOZYRA (The Dansettes, NYC) MR. FINEWINE (Downtown Soulville, NYC) MICHAEL ROBINSON (Smashed!Blocked!, NYC) BRIAN HARRIS (Solid!, NC)

Plus LIVE on stage:
THE INSOMNIACS, THE DANSETTES and soul legend THE MIGHTY HANNIBAL!!!!

Schedule:

Thurs, Feb. 2nd: Party and BLACK AND WHITE BAR (86 East 10th St., any train to Union Square station) with DJs. Open Molinari Extra Sambuca and Fernet Branca bar 10 'til 11PM. Party from 10PM 'til 4AM. FREE!

Fri., Feb 3rd: Party at BEAUTY BAR (231 East 14th St. btwn 2nd & 3rd Aves., take L train to 3rd Avenue) with DJs and go-go dancers Anna Copacabanna and Miss Colleen. Open Molinari Extra Sambuca and Fernet Branca bar 10 'til 11PM. Party from 10PM 'til 4AM. FREE!

Sat. afternoon, Feb. 4th: Happening at NIAGARA (112 Ave. A at 7th St) Mini-record fair and LADIES ONLY DJ special featuring Lynne K. (UpTight!), Sheila B.
(Cha Cha Charming), DJ Gemini, The Soul Sisters aka Jennie Wasserman and Jaime
Kozyra (Dansettes), BossyBoots, and Miriam Linna (Norton Records). 2PM 'til
6PM. FREE!

Sat. evening, Feb. 4th: BIG FINALE with live performances, DJs, and go-go gals Anna Copacabanna, Miss Colleen, Jaiko Suzuki, and Noemi. Happening at THE DELANCEY BAR (112 Delancey Street, take f train to Delancey stop). Open Molinari Extra Sambuca and Fernet Branca bar 10 'til 11PM. 9PM 'til 4AM. $10.00.

www.smashedblocked.com/reaction.html

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CHOIR/ALARM CLOCKS/ES-SHADES SHOW INFO
http://www.beachlandballroom.com

From BB site: The Beachland Ballroom is proud to announce the first public performance since 1970 of the legendary Cleveland (Mentor, to be exact) band THE CHOIR. The band will feature original members Dave Smalley (vocals), Wally Bryson (guitar, vocals), Jim Bonfanti (drums, vocals), Dave Burke (bass) and Dann Klawon (guitar, vocals) plus Kenny Margolis (who joined in '67) on keyboards. "It's Cold Outside" was the #1 record for five weeks in Cleveland in 1967, and the band opened for many of the top British-Invasion groups, including The Who, Dave Clark Five, Yardbirds and Herman's Hermits. Bryson, Bonfanti, and Smalley later went on to the Raspberries with Eric Carmen. Opening we'll have Parma's very own ALARM CLOCKS, a band that was discovered long after their '60s' high school days. NYC's Norton Records says, "wild sixties Ohio garage band mayhem" about the full-length LP of Alarm Clocks material they released in 2000. The Alarm Clocks' sole '66 single "Yeah/No Reason To Complain," which was only pressed in a quantity of 200, remains one of the most sought after punk 45s ever! They've been covered by the Lyres, Teengenerate, and countless other modern combos. The Alarm Clocks haven't played out since '67! We expect to be announcing some other very special opening bands within the next few days as well. Tickets will be available on Friday, January 13th at 10 a.m. through www.beachlandballroom.com. In addition, tickets for this performance will be available at all of our usual ticketing outlets: CD/Game Exchanges throughout the area, Music Saves, and Square Records. Advance tickets are $25.00; day of show tickets are $28.00> Norton adds: THIS WILL SELL OUT, KIDDOS SO GET TIX LIKE NOW! SEE YOU THERE!