Eau de Newark- Tosches perfume label.
Nick Tosches has long been a, make that, the, most perspicacious observer of what is left of, dare I say it? Popular culture.
His latest book Save The Last Dance For Satan, published by Brooklyn paperback powerhouse Kicks Books (and perfume company) is essential reading not just for anyone who wants to know something about the history of rock'n'roll when it was actually fun, but as to why it no longer exists in today's world. Both the rock'n'roll and the fun.
Expanded from a magazine article written for a publication so trite I refuse to type its name, Save The Last Dance For Satan examines the characters behind the scenes in the early days of rock'n'roll who were said to be "connected". Old Town's colorful Hy Weiss, motor mouth Philadelphia DJ Jerry "The Geator With The Heater" Blavant, one time promo man (and later Madonna and Jacko's manager) Freddie DeMann, Morris "Moishe" Levy, George Goldner, a guy named Wassel, a guy named Bruno, and the true story of the Jaynettes' ethereal classic Sally Go Round The Roses, are all present and accounted for. I shall not ruin what I promise is a quick and gainful reading experience by telling you what it actually says about them in its pages, but you will learn how made guys and degenerate gamblers, girls who spell their name Lezli and guys who wore Velour jump suits, and of course Wassel and Bruno, all colluded to perpetrate that music we remember as the real thing. The good shit. Rock'n'roll. And oh yeah, the pussy eating contest.
As our world falls apart around us (Says Nick-- "I give it two years...at most"), and we watch those both at the top and at the bottom, both too dumb to and figure out where it all went wrong, scratch their assholes and moan; I quote from Save The Last Dance For Satan:
The true gage of the freedom of any community is the measurement of the degree of equality by which the fruits of malfeasance are shared by the rulers and the ruled, the cop on the beat and the man or woman on the street. The essence of democracy, as of capitalism is corruption. Only when the criminal in blue and the criminal in mufti, the peddler and the priest and the alderman and the drunkard--only when they are neighbors of common root and conspiracy is any neighborhood safe for the old lady on the stoop on a hot summer night, only then is there true charity, only then is there a justice that is real, and only then is there life in the air. As the social clubs close, so the churches empty. This is fact, not metaphor".
Amen.
Nick Tosches will be reading from his latest work on Friday, September 9, at the Jefferson Market Library (425 Sixth Ave at 10th Street, New York City) at 8 PM, admission is free. Tosches perfume (I kid you not) will be for sale.
In other Nick news, an article in Variety reported that art oaf Julian Schnabel will be directing Johnny Depp in a feature film version of In The Hand Of Dante. When questioned on the subject, Nick inhaled from his cigarette and grimaced.
man, o man, all the belly achin' & moanin' 'bout the big bad no more kicks n' fun modern world. & here comes that pleasant 'ol chap, Mr. True Charity, whose bks sell for a penny on your Amazon link, grimacing all the way, to redeem ya.
ReplyDeleteYa beat me to it, Hound. Got the book today and finished it in one sitting. Vintage Nick: funny; grieving; researched; historic. I'm gonna write about it in a bit. And get me some cologne in November at Norton 25. My fave moment: the description of a promoter who's not of the defenestration-type.
ReplyDeleteOrdered. Just checked the Norton site and saw they have books coming out by Harlan Ellison and Kim Fowley. They just gave me much needed reason to look forward to the coming months.
ReplyDeleteGOOD! (as if Kicks would do anything which wasn't)
ReplyDeleteJim Linderman
Vintage Sleaze Dull Tool Dim Bulb
Read it in one sitting last night. If you enjoyed the magazine article that was its source,as I did,still buy the book - there is enough new material to make it worth your money. Plus, Tosches takes you behind the scene for the recording of the Jaynetts Sally Go 'Round the Roses,one of the most unusual recordings of the era.
ReplyDeleteDoug NJ
Hy Weiss actually has a co-writing credit on The Velvet Underground's "Foggy Notion", at least on the mid 90's box. I've always wondered what that was about. I kind of chalked it up to Lou and Sterling's love of 50's r&b and doo-wop, as a friendly nod of appreciation. Any thoughts??
ReplyDeleteBy the way, "Where Dead Voices Gather" is one of my favorite books on American Music. It is a fascinating ultra sound of the triplets that would grow up to be blues, country and rock and roll, as well as one of the little bastards many reputed fathers.
ReplyDelete"When they point their twisted fingers
ReplyDeleteAnd say that I must bow
And thank them all for nothing
For that’s all they will allow
When the pieces of my nerve ends
Come crawling up your stairs
But you take me in and you place your smile
Upon my venom eyes
You read me, and you know I’m crushed
and I’ll confess
I’ve been out a-crusin’ for the young and pretty Gods
Then your fingertips touch mine
And I see Him in the sky
Who’ll tell me of His garments
Are they new and clean and white
And tell me how He suffered
And take me to your bed
Beat upon the pillow till it’s fluffed to greet my head
You’re the one who calms the angry sounds
You’re the one who bathes my lips in brandy
Let me ride upon your back tonight
Fly me to the surf that’s warm and sandy
You’re the one who guides me through the light
And you’re the one who feeds me
Kentucky candy
When they crawl upon each other
And squeeze out each others eyes
Because they have no time left
To remember what they were
And in unison they turn to me
That I participate
And I taste the serpent’s tongue
And I freeze in all my frights
Can you tell them for me now
That theirs is not my fight
I’m busy building heaven
Upon the shifting sands
Then He who walked on water
Said ye not be turned
And why is this so hard
For them to understand
That a piece of molten iron never learned
The soul of man will someday have to burn and
You’re the one who calms the angry sounds
You’re the one who bathes my lips in brandy
Let me ride upon your back tonight and
Fly me to the surf that’s warm and sandy
You’re the one who guides me through the light
You’re the one who feeds me
Kentucky candy
Now they’ve given you a warning
And all the world is dead
It’s on the upper level
Where they’ll unscrew your head
The monkey people have begun to carry things
They’ll roll out an oriental
Through a corridor that’s dark
And you will see nothing
But the purple bowl that shines
And there you meet all your childhood toys
And someone who looks just like you
Will strap you to your throne
And with a rusty mallet
He’ll beat your every thought
Until your mind is drained from all it knows
And then perhaps he’ll give you back your clothes
And you’ll hear them all beneath you
Oh witches scream and laugh
As they throw disgusting objects into a boiling pot
And you’ll beg your name is not upon their lips
And then you’ll remember Jesus
For there’s nothing he can do
You’ll search your mind for prayers
That you can’t recall
You should have given all of them your shoes
Just when you think it’s over
Friendly lightning then reminds
You of the crawling serpent
Whose body’s still on flames and
Go crawl through the streets now
They’ll all look the other way
There’s no one there to climb inside your dreams and
You’re the one who calms the angry sounds
You’re the one who bathes my lips in brandy
Let me ride upon your back tonight and
Fly me to the surf that’s warm and sandy
You’re the one who guides me through the light
And you’re the one who feeds me
Kentucky candy
(heroin break)
Ah but now it is the Summer
And the sun surrounds the trees
I’ll take you to the town
Where white houses kiss the sun
And you’ll smell the grass that’s damp beneath your feet
And there’s the friendly farmer
With his hair so white and clean
He says that he remembers
But he just wants to talk
He’s tending to the things his hands have grown
So it’s out to picking mushrooms
And then dry them in the sun
And it’s off to Devil’s Hopyard
To spark and laugh for fun
And I wish that we might live here
But our money won’t afford
So we pack our things for going home again and
You’re the one who calms the angry sounds
You’re the one who bathes my lips in brandy
Let me ride upon your back tonight and
Fly me to the surf that’s warm and sandy
You’re the one who guides me through the light
And you’re the one who feeds me
Kentucky candy
Kentucky candy"
Roxana Purcarescu
"Hy Weiss actually has a co-writing credit on The Velvet Underground's "Foggy Notion", at least on the mid 90's box."
ReplyDeleteI never noticed that! On the VU LP it was credited to Reed, I assume part of the tune (maybe the Sally Mae part) came from some old doo wop tune and Weiss got himself cut in later. I know the reason Miss Joanie Lee was never released was because Reed could't remember if he copped any part of it from any old record. Oddly enough not one noticed the VU are playing Bo Diddley's Diddling under Sister Ray!
Dammit, won't be back for another month or so. At least the Jefferson Library is still there (the old Women's House of Detention is a fitting place for Nick.) I need some perfume.
ReplyDeleteWho's the "Anonymous" who posts long song lyrics in the Comments section? Latest was Springsteen's "Radio Nowhere," of all things. Not the worst lyrics ever written - Hound and/or his readers may even agree with the basic sentiment - I was just surprised to see them here.
ReplyDeleteThis will not actually have success, I consider this way.
ReplyDeleteBlavat NOT "Blavant"
ReplyDelete"...Philadelphia DJ Jerry "The Geator With The Heater" Blavant..."
Oh,,and... Nice pic... Think he's playin' "Summer in the City"???
- B_B