THE BLASTERS NEWSLETTER is 10 years old and the latest edition is up and at you now! The scoop on Dave's upcoming "Ashgrove" album is there plus a whole heap more!

A documentary on Joey Ramone from Dutch tv is now available on-line. Better skip the first 9 minutes as they feature a rather dull interview with one of the makers.
(link provided by Jos de Groot).

Interested in catching Sky Saxon and the Seeds with the Fleshtones? Then get yourself over to Greece for two mind altering shows in Athens (April 2) and Thessaloniki (April 3). Rumour has it that Sky once rang Peter Zaremba back in the early 80s with the intention of recruiting the boys as a backing band. Apparently Z-man politely declined the offer after Sky had sung a song to him about a dog. Sadly, Sky's reaction to Z-man humming "Screamin' Skull" is unrecorded. A fun time in Greece is assured.

If it's coming from the direction of those STEREO-TOTAL folks then it's worthy of your time...

RIP: J.J. Jackson. While all obits mention the man's pioneering role as an early MTV jock. We here at NBT salute J.J. for his classic 60s soul sides; 'But It's Alright', 'Boogaloo Baby', 'O Ma Liddy', 'Come And See Me' (as covered by the Pretty Things) and 'I Dig Girls'. He also wrote songs for Charles & Inez Fox, Mary Wells and the Shangri-Las a.o., and had a cameo in the disco movie 'Car Wash' from which one of his few lines "I Know You're Gonna Dig This" has been sampled hundreds of times over the years.
Update: There are heated discussions goin' on all over the web about there probably bein TWO guys called J.J. Jackson. Took my info from the liner notes of a mid 80s LP which claim the MTV jock and the soul singer are the same person....

Surviving New York Dolls rehearsing for UK festival...

20 Years of GIRL TROUBLE will be celebrated throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond this weekend! Drop by and give this fine combo your best.

The latest edition of Arthur Magazine features(ao) a BIG MC 5 piece: "Detroit's visionary MC5 played like gods, lived like pigs and freed everyone they touched. Steffie Nelson interviews the filmmakers of the astonishing forthcoming MC5 A True Testimonial documentary; James Parker, Ian Svenonius and The Seth Man walk us through the 5's recordings; and Wayne Kramer, John Sinclair and Ted Nugent talk about the 5's raw volume. With artwork by Plastic Crimewave, archival photos by Leni Sinclair and vintage posters by Gary Grimshaw".
And if you can't get a copy in your neck of the woods, the site has it available in pdf format.

I am 45% Punk Rock

Well, I may know what punk is, but... Okay maybe some people think I am punk, but is that enough? Nope.

Take the Punk Rock Test at fuali.com

Ok, some Motor City Action - DETROITBLOG which should set you up nicely for a shot of MOTOR CITY ROCKS!

This past week has brought way more than is necessary in the form of bad news. I'm not even the world's second most upbeat guy but some of our "crew" are being delivered a hand that they (and theirs) really don't deserve. They know who they are (or at least I hope they do) and that there's a corner here for 'em if they need it.

Norton Records News March 2004

Greeting again, Nortonians! Here's what's shaking in our parts...

... Boston faves the Lyres make a rare NYC appearance on March 27 with Purple Wizard at the Dong Dong Room... April 2, the REAL KIDS will be at CBGB's... records due in house March 23 are a new pair of twin-spins from the Norton Stones trib singles series! THE SWINGIN' NECKBREAKERS - IT'S NOT EASY b/w THE SHANKS - DONCHA BOTHER ME (45-9647) serves up Jersey's mighty Neckbreakers and Motor City maulers the Shanks (featuring ex-Detroit Cobra Jeff Meier) on a couple of raw primo AFTERMATH shakedowns for the loud crowd! Boston braniacs THE LYRES hop up a crack instro whammy on an early Nanker Phelge dance floor R&B workout NOW I'VE GOT A WITNESS b/w THE NEW CONOLLY 5 (45-9648), who polish off Phelger flip STONED from the unished 1 x 5 Brit LP! ... SKY SAXON AND THE SEEDS are on tour in Europe... word from Sky and the boys is that all the shows are sold out and that the fans are going wild for the STARLIGHT DATE WITH RICHARD MARSH album that serves up Sky's wild teener pre-Seeds recordings... SEEDS entry SINGER NOT THE SONG in Norton Stones trib series arrives in April...The REAL KIDS head for Spain in April on the heels of new Norton CD JOHN FELICE AND THE LOWDOWNS - NOTHING PRETTY (302), the super cool post-Real Kids combo which also featured Real Kid Billy Borgioli)... ANDRE WILLIAMS headlines Scotland in April, too... PONDEROSA STOMP in New Orleans is the place to be on April 27 and 28th... all details are at ponderosastomp.com and we suggest you all get tickets, reservations and plane tickets asap because it will sell out but quick... check our wailin' Norton kings THE FABULOUS WAILERS and LONG JOHN HUNTER on tap with RAY SHARPE, HOMESICK JAMES, BARBARA LYNN, ALVIS WAYNE, LADY BO, EDDIE BO.... and possibly Norton fave THE LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY... Snag all the boss new Norton wax (and swank old hootch, too!) in NYC on April 30, May 1 and 2 when the annual WFMU SPRING RECORD FAIR swings into the Metropolitan Pavillion (125 W. 18th St).. wfmu.org for fair info...Plan to make the scene in Las Vegas at this year's ROCKAROUND and dig HASIL ADKINS, SKY SAXON AND THE SEEDS, MONKS, DOWNLINERS SECT, GREENHORNES and many mo'! The A-BONES will be on hand for a special 20th Anniversary reunion show...watch for Rolling Stones trib 45's from the A-BONES, ROTTING STUMPS, ANDRE WILLIAMS, GREASY CHICKENS, 5.6.7.8'S, CHURCH KEYS, GREENHORNES, SHAMS, SKY SAXON AND THE SEEDS and THE LAIRDS all out by May with more to follow... Coming in April: FORT WORTH TEEN SCENE VOL. 1-3 with the best snarlers Cowtown had to offer, 1964-67...two more Capitol GENE VINCENT LPs...SOUNDS LIKE GENE VINCENT plus the rare stereo CRAZY TIMES...singles from RANDY ALVEY AND THE GREEN FUZ, BOTUMLESS PIT and KAI RAY... May releases will include NERVOUS NORVUS and JOHNNY BURNETTE!!!

Be sure to reset your eBay super-snooper-scopes to our new Norton ebay handle -- we have loads of original posters, old paperbacks, magazines, records, and assorted cool gunk of all persuasions coming up there so
bookmark us and get on 'em! Low starting bids so here's your chance to get some affordable hard to find crazy stuff plus you can always combine with a Norton order!

Have fun and don't forget to...

Crank it up!

Norton staff

nortonrecords.com

Compared to folks in other far flung corners of the world, I have exactly nada to complain about. Except that having to go on a course for two days kinda sucked out my will to live and left me way behind in more important pursuits. The great Amy Allison is headed back this way to start work on her next album this coming Monday and things are beginning to take shape on a few other fronts also...

Our thoughts are very much with our friends in Madrid and around Spain who are the latest victims of the "terror" sickness. The Spanish people I know are hardy and resiliant but still shaken up mightily. Where's it all going? Whilst you can understand that checks and surveillance are necessary, our civil and satellite liberties are being eroded at a rate of knots. Conversations recorded and listened to, CCTV everywhere, lists being drawn up and there's every chance we're all on 'em for one reason or another. On top of the needless death and destruction, we're being mollycoddled into becoming blockies or worse. Soon it'll be too much hassle to go anywhere and the assholes that go around blowing stuff up will have won. No matter what governments and law enforcement or whatever does, this pond life will make the occasional score. It's the nature of the beast and there's no sign of an antidote or serum. How many acres of press and radio/TV plugs do these fuckwits get every day everywhere? Too friggin' many. We know they're out there. Creeping about, waiting for their opportunity to break on through to the other side and they're willing to take you, me and everybody (if you excuse the Belushi-isms) with 'em. Being allowed to self-sacrifice is too, too good for this scum. Madrid is a great, great city and it'll bounce back quick but the hearts of its citizens might take a little longer to fix. Like New York.

With regard to the rollercoaster of hell that the EOtC guys are on, please be advised that it's some bottom feeder outside of the RAMONES and their "family" that's the stumbling block. Bear this in mind when posting messages on any of the sites with regard to getting the film out. The response has been very positive so hopefully them scales will be tipped. Obviously, you'll be kept posted.

Ok, if you need to get an angle on why we need to have the Ramones film released then read Agent Heiko's report from the Berlin screening HERE!

And this recent message from Jim Fields should irritate you enough to want to stick it to this Mr X character bigtime. Bear in mind that "The Ramones" that had a scoob are no longer with us. Take it Jim...

Fans, friends, fellow revolutionaries,

This is a fluid situation, to be sure. It's like an emotional rollercoaster for us. One day we have negotiations with Mr. X that glimmer with hope that the film will see the light of day. The next he comes back with more impossible demands previously unmentioned that dash all chances for the film. We say, if you want another documentary made, fine. Make it. Let the audience decide which they like better.

As of today our film is just about dead. It's not quite over yet. There is still a chance. I wish I could be more specific but I just cannot right now while our negotiations continue, however the amount of hostility we're getting from Mr. X. We DO have to deal with him, though I wouldn't call it "deal". It's more like getting shouted at and told why we suck, why our film sucks and why we should give up and go away. We're not going anywhere as long as we can help it.

I ask you all to please continue to spread the word of this miserable injustice (yes, yes, I'm being melodramatic. But like I said, it's an emotional rollercoaster here.) Please continue to go to www.ramonesworld.com and enter a message about our film on the "ask/tell" section. I would ask you all to please be somewhat polite. Just tell the Ramones that the fans and even just documentary film-lovers want this movie to come out in theaters around the world and then out on DVD. Why the senseless murder of our film? It really is senseless. This thing is bigger than Mr. X, people. Let the Ramones know it. Please keep up the pressure.

So:
1. www.ramonesworld.com -enter "ask/tell" section
2. www.endofthecentury.com visit the site, download our press reviews and have a look for yourself.
3. Spread the word. Have friends, neighbors, enemies, fans, dogs, cats, etc... demand our movie get released (see step 1!)

More to come.

-Jim Fields, co-director, End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones

Welcome Back PETER C. JOHNSON… after molto years in the wilderness, this Bostonian legend returns with an all new slice of his patented atmosphericana. All kindsa comparisons like Tom Waits meets Leonard Cohen etc. go some way toward extolling the virtues of his voice and twisted worldview but fact is that there’s virtually nothing out there like this. Pitching in you’ll find members of Treat Her Right and Morphine as well as Bonnie Raitt and Kris Delmhorst and even Robin Lane. (Remember The Chartbusters!) SOUL SHERPA is a mood-mottled rattle across the knuckles to conventional strands of folk and country. Sharper than yer average bayer.

So long Spalding Gray. I'll post a link to an obit in due course...

Just want to add my tuppence worth to the END OF THE CENTURY campaign. I don't understand what the problem is other than greed. Surely something made with a passion for the band like this ultimately helps everybody. Much more than Mark dragging his bahookie around the world cashing in with two guys from the UK Subs. And as for vaildating the Dick Porter book, what the heck is up with that? So check out the websites in J's post from yesterday and join the stooshy. We need to see that film then we'll decide on it's value. Word on the street from those who know a contender when they clock one reckon it's the business. So do whatever it takes...

Cyril Jordan's new band Magic Christian will play their first show ever on April First in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall, they'll be performing as part of a triple bill that includes the Romantics and the Chesterfield Kings.