My wife Pam and I recently returned from a two-week road trip that included visits to Olney, IL; Cave City, KY; Gatlinburg, TN; Asheville, NC; and Nashville, TN. We arrived home late last Sunday after a 12-hour drive that included three delays and a detour due to traffic accidents (not ours) and torrential rain. It’s taken a few days to navigate a full-time work-at-home schedule; unpack luggage; and catch up on laundry and grocery shopping. I also came up with some bits and pieces of blog material.
Hollies drummer Bobby Elliott dropped by the Pendle Heritage Centre in Burnley in the UK recently to sign copies of his autobiography It Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Story. I purchased an autographed copy from the official Hollies website and have found it to be a fascinating read.
Karl Ferris, the famed English rock and roll photographer who crafted the eye-catching, psychedelic cover for The Hollies’ 1967 Evolution LP, has a high-end coffee table book titled The Karl Ferris Experience coming out on July 16. Ferris also worked with The Beatles, Cream, Donovan and Jimi Hendrix on various projects. Check out his Facebook page for more info.
A few months ago, I wrote about an upcoming book by Malcolm C. Searles titled The Hollies - Riding The Carousel. I just checked his Dojotone Publications website, and it looks like it’s coming out this summer. Searles has also written books about The Beach Boys, The Association, and Bread.
Congratulations to my nephew Joe Flamm and his wife Hillary Delich on the birth of their daughter Sydney Josephine. She’s their second child; their son Luka having arrived a few years back. He’s going to be a great big brother. Joe, who was the Season 15 winner for the TV show Top Chef, recently opened his own restaurant in Chicago’s trendy Fulton Market area. It’s called Rose Mary, and is off to an extremely successful start. In related news, Joe was a special guest/mentor on Top Chef Amateurs recently.
Director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s documentary Summer Of Soul opened yesterday in theaters, and is also now available to watch on Hulu. The film combines vintage footage of Sly And The Family Stone, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Stevie Wonder, The Fifth Dimension, and other acts from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival with commentary from current musicians as well as those who performed at the event.
In addition to doing the usual touristy things on our road trip, like filming the white squirrels in Olney, Illinois; traveling into the depths of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky; touring The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina; and taking extended woodland hikes every chance we got, I also visited some record stores, thanks to Pam’s extraordinary GPS skills. Those establishments included Harvest Records in Asheville, NC; Disk-Go-Joe’s in Goodlettsville, TN; The Rhythm Section in Gatlinburg, TN; Third Man Records in Nashville, TN; and JTB’s Groovy Record Room in Cottontown, TN. I had interesting conversations with employees or owners in each of them. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Jack White at Third Man Records.
The indie label American Laundromat has released a remastered version of its tribute album Cinnamon Girl on CD , with plans to put out a vinyl edition later this year. Subtitled Women Artists Covering Neil Young for Charity, it includes tracks by Tanya Donnelly, Kristin Hersh, Josie Cotton, Britta Phillips, Veruca Salt, Jill Sobule (with John Doe), Euro Trash Girl, and Lori Mckenna. All proceeds will be donated to Casting For Recovery, which offers outdoor retreats for women with breast cancer.
While I was away, I missed a show by the Chicago-based power pop band The Spindles and their special guest Rob Elvis at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Rob was a founding member of the thoroughly enjoyable trio The Elvis Brothers and continues to perform on the local club scene. The Montrose Saloon show included a spirited version of “Santa Fe” with a guest appearance by another former Elvis Brother, Brad Elvis. Brad now co-leads The Handcuffs with vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell.
Vacations are also give me an opportunity to scout local publications, particularly ones focused on entertainment. I have a collection that dates back to the mid-1970s. This time around, I picked up The East Nashvillian; Mountain Xpress; Nashville Scene; and The Biltmore Beacon. I found others, but these are the ones that turned out to be keepers.
Have an enjoyable holiday weekend, party responsibly, and keep safe.
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