2018/01/26 Linda Thorne
Dear Gary and Russ,
KNOW that you both are so appreciated by fans around the world for each of your skills and expertise in keeping the flame of R&R burning for millions of boomers. You probably can only guess as to how many people you inform and give such happy memories reminiscing with the best ol’ music in the world.
Your blog email list must be extensive. If every grateful recipient sent it ‘forward’ to about 50 friends, like me… and they sent it on then exponentially you both have a big fan club!
Never underestimate how much joy and good-heart feelings you bring to so many.
THANK YOU!!
Cheers,
Linda from Wiarton
2018/01/24 Ronald Beattie
I would personally like to thank you for putting together all the videos and music that I grew up with.It brings back many great memories.
2018/01/14 Andy Merey
I’m impressed with your Kenny Burrell tribute. It shows your diversity.
I particularly like “Downstairs”, a single on Verve from ’65.
2018/01/07 evan paul
Russ and Gary, I can’t thank you enough for all the work you have done on this, a history of Toronto music of the 60’s. I was only a kid still at school, playing with various mostly unknown bands, and frequenting all of the clubs on Yonge st…
2017/12/21 Jim Cates.
Gary & Russ, Thanks for another year of eagerly awaited posts. Merry Christmas!!
2017/12/16 HUGH “BABE” O’DONNELL
Merry Christmas to Gary and Russ every time you send me information it like CHRISTMAS everyday with a big present of pure music knowledge.
2017/12/15 Linda Thorn
Thanx Gary and Russ for all you do for R&R enthusiasts and Boomers around the world! Happy Christmas to you and yours….
2017/12/11 Bob Burrows
My goodness! … what an incredible report on the life of this great artist. Steve Winwood has been an inspiration to many over the years and rightly so. Obviously a very talented and gifted instrumentalist, but as a vocalist I have always loved the soulful timbre of his voice and his approach to singing from the moment he opens his mouth … on any tune! Congrats on a such wonderful and comprehensive outline of his life, his music and his career. Great work here Russ and Gary … much appreciated and worthwhile.
2017/11/29 HUGH “BABE” O’DONNELL
Age means nothing as long as the brain is working and sure as hell yours is smoking with all this musical information….
2017/07/22 Rob Bush
Hi Russ, You probably don’t remember me but when we were teenagers I played drums and we played together on a few gigs at frat houses, schools, church halls and a legion in Willowdale a few times. We played with the likes of Jim Dixon, Paul Weldon, Nick Bassil, Bob Andrews and Al Sumpter.
My name is Rob Bush and I thank you for this trip down memory lane.
2017/07/01 Sonja Goadsby
dear Russ & Gary Goldy Mcjohn here …ive been hearing CANADA honoring its musicians this year ???can you help me find out why Im not being recognized who to call, etc.Thanx goldymcjohn
2017/06/30 Matt Tibbits
I love Neil Larsen and Buzz Feiten both in their solo and side projects and together in their band. Such talented composers and musicians. Any trip to California is incomplete for me without listening to their music.
Thanks for the excellent article!
2017/04/06 Gavin Smith
What a wonderful collection of videos. I am sure there are more but this will keep me busy for quite a while. Great work!
2017/04/04 HUGH “BABE” O’DONNELL
I always enjoy a great contest or challenge about music that made our WORLD sing and DANCE which other countries are not allowed to do or participate in there life time. Thanks GARY and RUSS for the LONELY ISLAND contest.
2017/04/02 Thomas Ramon Jr
Rock the Joint boogie is what we called R&R in Waco Texas in those days. There are some real classics in your list so choosing just one is tough.
In the 50’s my Dad taught me how to make a crystal radio and at night I would lay on the roof of the house and listen and dream of things out in the universe far beyond my grasp. We were migrant farm workers so it was quite a treat. KMOX,WLS,XERF(Wolfman’s station)WWL and more were in my hand,all I had to do was slide the dial on my tuner. What days!!
2017/03/27 lawrence solari
what a bummer drugs are! how many potential artists have been runed by drugs. I have been receiving your most welcome emails for some time now.larry Williams his material was quite hard to get hold of during the 60s. dizzy miss lizzie has always been a favorite of mine
sorry for the babble, but keep up the good work
kind regards
2017/03/16 Joseph Tompai
Great Music Guys. Please don’t stop. Love it.
2017/03/06 Les Howard
I enjoyed this article very much. The videos link to many other equally worthy videos. I spent parts of 2 days reading this one.
2017/03/02 HUGH “BABE” O’DONNELL
Gary and Russ you always amaze me with your great information about singers and musicians.. Keep up the good work…
2017/02/14 Ray Harrison
Ray Harrison here..i spent many years playing Yonge st…Brass Rail Zanzibar friars tavern , Colonial..town tavern etc It was an amazing era for sure..played with many of the guys you have listed here too …..those were the days !!!!
2016/12/13 Gavin Smith
Once again you’ve done it. What a concise but at the same time full explanation. The blues influence is everywhere in pop music. I love the work you do.
2016/12/13 HUGH “BABE” O’DONNELL
You really out did yourselves with this great Blues information. Today I do not have the Blues I want to move and shake it down to the ground. Thanks you made my day a Sunny one especially in the cold Pittsburgh area.
2016/12/03 Nick Bassel
I really enjoy your posts; they provide interesting & informative insights into many of the groups & artists that I enjoy. Good work
2016/07/29 mcasebier9
Thank you so very, very much for exposing me to a very crucial piece of Rock n’ Roll history! I’m adding this one to my favorites,…
2016/07/24 Dave
Very well researched and full of interesting details. Brought back some names that had slipped from my memory.Well done chaps
2016/06/05 Linda Thorn
This is such a detailed and interesting compilation . Know that Boomers everywhere send KUDOS for all your hours of diligent research…from the Boomers who are your fans and the Boomers who haven’t connected with you yet. This is a tremendous musical legacy of our generation in general but specifically the non-singing popular records.
It is easy to overlook these instrumentals when there was such a wealth of vocalists emerging in our youth. But you have captured the essence of this evolving genre in the 50’s and 60’s.
Linda from Wiarton
2016/06/05 Denny MacDougall
Your posts on 50’s and 60’s instrumentals brought back some great memories and reminded me of how much I enjoyed this genre which for the most part has been lost in pop music.
2016/05/19 Mike Brewes
Today has been a powerful experience in re-visiting the musical past and this site has been a welcome part of it.
2016/02/23 William b. Grice
Time is passing me bye…at 83 I must tell this story while I still remember the details clearly……..Around 1960/61 I was working in television…….one day I was asked to goto rehearsal studio and pick up a script of credits……There was a young man strumming and singing…..I watched for a few minutes and left ,thinking hope he saves his money cus he’ll never get another gig…. it was Bob Dylan and I think at that time he went under the name of Robert Zimmerman
Later he was all over the radio…….by ’64/65 I was digging him and his music and still do.
Your pages bring back great memories to me and I have for the past 16 years told my grand daughter about early R&R and she loves it,
W.B.G.
2016/01/29 Laima Dambrauskas
OMG!,! What fantastic memories which I LOVE reliving….often! Echo my gratitude for this mammoth task u completed! Couple of the venues I was going to remind of were eventually mentioned. I remember almost wearing a groove into Yonge st. crossing over to the bar at Bassel’s from the Note to get drinks, even tho I was waaay under age! The Palm Grove Lounge at the Embassy is where Wayne Cochran put on an amazing show n I remember seeing Gladys n the Pips there, about 1967.
So lovely to see Smitty’s face again after all these years! Eric Mercury (Jay’s best friend) of course was also at the Bluenote. (Which had a cpl reunions).
BTW The Silver Rail restaurant, while the music wasn’t all that, they had THE best Caesar’s salad – bar none!!!
I was at all these venues from 1966 til they closed many moons later n developed some of my most longstanding n richest friendships at n thru them!!! The Fabulous Peps became great friends (Joe n Ronnie still around, Tommy passed away cpl yrs ago). Detroit became a second home for me.
Saw Erroll Garner (writer of “Misty”) at the Colonial, King Curtis passed away w/in 6 wks of the gig at Le Coq d’Or where Bill Cosby came to check him out. Jackie Shane n I used to split a cab from the Saphire to get to the Bluenote in time for the floor show, n God forbid anyone got in the way of getting those seats out for it! ROFLMAO
Saw Jimmy McGriff at the Towne or was it Jimmy Smith??
The ParliaFunkadelicMent Thang absconded w/Prakash John after the Hawk’s Nest I think. (M intouch w/Fuzzy Haskins).
Just hearing Shawne in my mind’s eye n ear singing “come n get these memories…” had the good fortune to c Shawne n Jay n his wife, Jan at the Princess of Wales catching “Motown: the Musical”!! What a wonderful blessing to c them!
Sorry for the scattered thinking/writing but just soooo many memories triggered by ur excellent blog!!!!!! In my mind’s eye again c Sandy Rhodes doing the two step, excellently, w/his usual partner, Georgina (I think her name was)?
We had THE best music scene no question! Tremendous that some gained much warranted success from these times, but also several more were certainly worthy of it as well!
The late, GREAT Edwin Starr mentioned often, his very favourite venue was the Club Bluenote!
Ok – m taking a breath n think I m done -for the moment! Lol …..
Ooops, Terry Logan, Bob Francis, Charlie ?? (comedian) Louie, George, the Peepers, Mary-Ann (beautiful, waist length red hair) did coat check at the Note moved to Holland mid-70’s n got married there. Returns to Canada to visit family cpl times/yr. Her son, early 30’s , is a disc jockey there n guess what his favourite music is!?! Lol – o, n btw, he’s wheelchair bound w/cerebral palsy, but sooooo good at his job!
Ok, now I’m REALLY done! Lol! Cheers! Have an awesome week-end!!
2016/01/23 Brian Massey
Great blog Russ, Gary. You have filled the blanks in my memory bank. Thanks for sharing.
Brian
2016/01/12 Shawne Jackson
Russ and Gary! All I can say is WOW!!!! What an INCREDIBLE site! What an AMAZING job!!! What patience, perseverance and pure love you have put into this and shared with so many!
Russ, I have to say that the years my brother Jay and I spent with you and the Majestics were some of the best in my career! You were always an exceptional man.
What an accomplishment! We ALL have to thank you for the memories!
God Bless You Both,
Love, Shawne Jackson
2015/12/18 Nicholas Bassel
Outstanding posting. I have learned so much about the music and the artists that I love, from your postings. Thanks for doing this.
February 15, 2011
“I was thrilled to stumble onto this site. We were transferred to Houston in 1989 and because of our love for good live music, made the acquaintance with many of the area musicians. Gene Thomas, Roy Head, Kelley Schoppa, Ron Dickson and many more. Since retiring and returning to Texas have reconnected with Roy and Kelley. We would love to see Gene perform again.” – Lynne and Ronnie .
September 30, 2010
“Thank you so much! The whole site is not only filled with information It has a lot of the music we are trying to keep from disappearing. ” – Deb B.
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Russ & Gary's "The Best Years of Music" 