I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous rest of the weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES — an exhibition entitled The Whole Drum Will Sound: Women in Southern Abstraction will be at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, Louisiana through July 22nd.
In New Orleans to July 22ndSIGN of the TIMES — Niccolò Pietro is only 10 days old and already a symbol: conceived by artificial insemination, the resident of the industrial city of Turin is the first Italian-born child of a same-sex couple to be officially recognized.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Scooter the Cat— with paralyzed hind legs, yet was adopted by a Kansas City medical student (and he has to help her with excretion).
Scooter the CatFOR AN EXCELLENT summation of the far-right government in Poland and its attack on the rule of law, use this link— with its social conservatism only one aspect of its toxic trend.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at the enactment of civil unions in Vermont— signed eighteen years ago Thursday — and the legacy of that legislative battle that divided the citizens of Vermont.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Shotzi the Hero Cat— who was fed by a man leaving for work at 4 AM, who then suffered a heart attack … but was saved when Shotzi woke-up his wife with “mountain lion” like howling .. and now, the kitteh keeps a watchful eye on the man ... in advance of his upcoming heart surgery.
Shotzi the Hero CatHAIL and FAREWELL to Charles Neville— the tenor saxophonist of the famed musical family of New Orleans, the Neville Brothers — who has died at the age of seventy-nine.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
OLDER-YOUNGER BROTHERS? — former NFL executive (and current ESPN college draft analyst) Bill Polian and the MSNBC host Chris Matthews.
Bill Polian (born 1942) Chris Matthews (born 1945)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… while other drummers have appeared on multiple famous rock’n’roll recordings by virtue of being an in-demand LA or NY session player (with Hal Blaine as well as Steve Gadd as prime examples of both) ... someone who has achieved this status instead by being a full-fledged band-member (or at least a touring member) is Aynsley Dunbar– whose 55-year career hasn't made him a household name, yet he has performed on thirty gold/platinum albums in all types of rock-band genres. The one constant is his ability to play with force yet never bombast: you know it’s him driving the band, yet he plays with taste and appropriateness to the music he is playing.
The Liverpool, England native began as a jazz drummer for Leo Rutherford in 1961 (at the age of 15). When rock music hit with a vengeance in 1963 he shifted easily into that scene, performing with a number of bands (including Stu James and the Mojos) before his first major gig in 1966 as a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, on A Hard Road - along with Peter Green and John McVie (who were soon to co-found Fleetwood Mac).
John Mayall was quick to change his lineups back then, and so Aynsley had to move on. He had a fateful audition with a then-unknown guitarist who had just relocated to Britain from the US, who couldn’t decide between Aynsley and another drummer ... and thus - incredibly - a coin flip led to Mitch Mitchell being offered a spot in the new Jimi Hendrix Experience, instead of Dunbar.
Undeterred, Aynsley joined the Jeff Beck Group (with Rod Stewart on vocals) and played on its Truth album - with songs such as "Morning Dew" and "Old Man River" - before that band splintered, and then he spent time touring with Tim Rose (of "Hey Joe" fame) plus blues veteran ‘Champion’ Jack Dupree.
In 1968 Aynsley Dunbar formed – as near as I can tell – his only group as a bandleader: the blues-rock Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (referring to his being unceremoniously dumped by John Mayall) at age 21. The band featured John Moreshead on guitar, Alex Dmochowski on bass and Victor Brox on keyboards/vocals (who later sang the role of Caiaphas on the Jesus Christ Superstar album) and had a number of successful albums in Britain, though not in the US (despite some heavy and successful touring).
When they disbanded in late 1970, a short stint in the band Blue Whale featured a Frank Zappa cover song – which led to his meeting Zappa. Frank never did anything conventionally, and so made him an official Mothers of Invention member first – then auditioned him by saying, "OK, remind me why I hired you?" Dunbar proceeded to do so, then helped arrange Zappa’s Chunga’s Revenge recording. Dunbar went on to play with Zappa through 200 Motels in 1972 (although recording selectively with Zappa up to 1974).
In 1973, Dunbar replaced the "Spiders from Mars" drummer in David Bowie’s band, where he performed on Pin-Ups and Diamond Dogs - most notably on the hit single Rebel, Rebel - and he remained with Bowie through 1974.
For the next year-and-a-half, Dunbar played as a session drummer on a dozen recordings – notably on Lou Reed’s album Berlin (with Steve Winwood and Jack Bruce), and on solo albums by former Mott the Hoople singer Ian Hunter, as well former Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson.
Then in 1975, he accepted an offer from Santana sidemen Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie to join the new jazz-rock band called Journey they were forming. He performed (and wrote several songs) on their first four albums, then left when the band made a major change in music (i.e., the Steve Perry arena-pop/rock band that Journey became … and remains, today).
After a guest spot on vocalist Sammy Hagar’s solo album "Nine on a Ten-Inch Scale", Aynsley Dunbar joined the Jefferson Starship from 1978-1982, performing on such songs as Jane and "Find Your Way Back". Finally, he took some time off to help raise his four children.
After dinner with singer David Coverdale at the LA restaurant La Dome in 1985, Dunbar was persuaded to return as the drummer in Coverdale’s band Whitesnake - and was there for the band’s commercial breakthrough in 1987, with the song Here I Go Again reaching #1 on the US charts.
In the late 1980’s, he again took time off to be with his family again before returning in 1994 on tours by Pat Travers, John Lee Hooker and Michael Schenker. The tragic loss of his five year-old son Dash (to brain cancer in 2000) saw him once again take time off from the road.
Since then he's maintained a less-hectic, yet still wide-ranging schedule: including a stint in the Best of British Blues (along with Ten Years After’s Alvin Lee and the Animal’s Eric Burdon). Dunbar has performed with Burdon’s "New Animals" often (including the 2000 Democratic National Convention) and since 2003 has also toured with the World Classic Rockers band from time-to-time.
In 2008, Aynsley Dunbar released a solo album called Mutiny - where he re-visited several popular songs from his past - and in 2010 performed on an album by The Bluesmasters with former Starship singer Mickey Thomas on vocals.
Now at age 72: as an original member of Journey: he is part of their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2017, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with that band. And in recent years he became friends once again with his neighbor John Mayall – apparently the "retaliation" days are in the past.
Aynsley Dunbar (in 1977) ... … and in more recent yearsWhen the first Black Sabbath album came out in 1970 it really wasn't my music, and I told my friends that. But upon hearing the entire recording, I must say that I did like the final song "Warning". It was the only cover song performed on the album, a blues theme.
It turns out it was written and first performed by the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation three years earlier – but the song "Warning" did not appear on any of the band's original, non-compilation albums; having only been released as a single in Britain (and just 3:17 in length). Black Sabbath revved the song up and extended it, and its doomy lyrics may have convinced Ozzie and the lads to record it. And below you can hear Victor Brox sing it, with Aynsley Dunbar driving his bandmates (as per usual).
The first day that I met you I was looking in the sky When the sun turned all-a-blur and the thunder clouds rolled by The sea began to shiver and the wind began to moan It must have been a sign for me to leave you well alone
Now the whole wide world is moving Because there’s iron in my heart I just can’t keep from crying Because you say we’ve got to part Sorrow grips my voice as I stand here all alone And watch you slowly take away a love I’ve never known
I was warned about you, baby but my feelings were a little bit too strong Just a little bit too strong
x xYouTube Video