Godfrey "Down Whittier Blvd" (Whittier, 1967) with Thee Midniters! original vinyl - NYNT Daily Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train



Owner of the Kay-Gee, Gee-Kay, and Flashback record labels, radio DJ, and host of many East L.A. dances and review shows, Godfrey Kerr was one of the biggest proponents of Chicano rock and soul music in the mid-to-late 1960s. His recording of Kim Fowley’s “The Trip” backed by The Challengers is now canonical via Pebbles and other compilations. “Down Whittier Blvd” is yet another dose of his excellent outsider boho proto-rap poetry backed by Thee Midniters. It’s also the closer of his East L.A.-centric compilation Godfrey Presents: 16 Successful Sounds. If anybody out there knows Godfrey, please let him know we want to hear him do this one!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

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School of Life Monday Eastern vs. Western Philosophy

Eastern philosophy is a great deal more popular than its Western counterpart. That’s not because Western philosophy has nothing valuable to teach us - but because of the dispiriting, abstract way it has to date been presented to us by Western educational elites.

“The Seventeen Traditions: Patriotism”

4 this holiday weekend...

The life of a rock, animated

My FLAG photographs from Tuesday afternoon

Here's a few of the FILM photographs I made the other day when FLAG was in town.

(former member of BLACK FLAG) FLAG played here in NYC Tuesday ... Their current band photo was so weak, earlier in the year I volunteered to make a new one for them the next time we could all get together... I used half a roll of Tri-X (B&W) film, I think we got some good ones, including these.

Btw. They killed it on stage just a couple hours later, played all my favorite BLACK FLAG songs 👊🏾 💚 🤘🏼fucking great gig...

(I haven't made a band photo in many years, and certainly don't miss it, but we had a good time).

The Great Adventures of SLICK RICK just two blocks away from yesterday's post photos on my instagram

Yesterday's posted photo was made just 2 blocks from where i made this one! The Great Adventures of Slick Rick! One of my classic album covers, not only did i make the photos, but the whole album title and font design were also my ideas. We did this on the roof of my old building just before X-mas. My original idea was to take him to Times Square to work the photography. But Rick didn't want to shoot on the street, he was concerned about his own safety with all his jewelry, unless i had body guards with us, and that wasn't my style so we just did it up on my roof on 22nd street, and i came up with this new idea of him sneaking around the city via roof tops, in this image looking up town, most notably with the Metropolitan Life building in its art-deco style, beautiful and the closest in the background. One of the few times i used a 6x7 camera. There are other things about this cover we could talk about, but i'll leave that to another outlet, interview or public talk. #theRuler #SlickRick #hiphop #OldSchool #defJam #newyorkcity #adventure #childrensstory #mcRickyD #skyline #inspiration #classicHipHop

A photo posted by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jun 29, 2016 at 3:13pm PDT

FLAG played NYC last night

Last year I noticed my good friends in the band FLAG (mostly former members of BLACK FLAG) had a really weak publicity photo, I promised next time I am in the same town as all of them I'd be happy to make a new photo for them, So before last nights gig we went out back behind the venue and made some photos. I shot half a roll of B&W film and then a few digital images with my iPod... Here's a few of the digi-images, I assume the film ones will be much better, but here's these:

SCHOOL's OUT FOR SUMMER!

School Life Monday: LITERATURE - Gustave Flaubert

The great French 19th century novelist Gustave Flaubert understood tragedy, France, the bourgeoisie and laughter.

Sweden powers up world’s first electric highway outside Stockholm

from CleanTechCanada

Design allows trucks to seamlessly connect and disconnect from electrified overhead wires while traveling at speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour

MUNICH—Amid the rush of vehicles on Highway E16—a few kilometres outside Gävle in central Sweden—Siemens AG and Swedish heavy vehicle maker Scania AB have powered up the world’s first eHighway.

Running along a two-kilometre stretch of road, and designed to slash emissions in the carbon-intensive transportation industry, the pilot project will test an electrified overhead wire system, or catenary, specially-designed to allow transport trucks to draw power from the grid.

“By far the greatest part of the goods transported in Sweden goes on the road, but only a limited part of the goods can be moved to other traffic types,” Anders Berndtsson, chief strategist at the Swedish Transport Administration (STA), said. “That is why we must free the trucks from their dependence on fossil fuels, so that they can be of use also in the future.”

“Electric roads offer this possibility and are an excellent complement to the transport system,” he added.

A specially-designed, moveable pantograph enables an automatic connection between the systems overhead contact line and the vehicle at speeds of up to 90 km/h. PHOTO: Siemens/Scania CV AB
Contracted by the SFA and installed northwest of Stockholm, the overhead wire system functions similarly to the catenaries that power electric rail lines around the world. Unlike trains that remain on the electrified lines along their entire route, the eHighway is designed to allow trucks to seamlessly connect and disconnect from the wires while traveling at speeds of up to 90 km per hour.

Siemens says the design will cut energy consumption in half compared to conventional internal combustion engines.

While the German conglomerate designed the overhead electrical system, Sweden’s Scania manufactured and adapted a pair of heavy duty trucks for use in the demonstration project. The eHighway vehicles run using diesel hybrid drive, allowing them to operate like typical fuel-burning vehicles in areas that aren’t electrified, or on grid power while connected to the catenary system. Maintaining the adaptability of conventional trucks, the design would allow for a staged roll-out of the technology—a common issue when implementing next generation technologies.

Running for two years, the pilot will determine if the system can be commercialized and deployed more broadly. It’s the first project of its kind to run in real-world conditions on a public road.

While Sweden has committed to transforming its transportation system to run fossil fuel-free by 2030, the technology could also be applied in other areas. Siemens noted it is also currently developing another eHighway pilot project that will roll out in California in 2017.

via The PreSurfer

Disaster Control from the New York Times

In 1966, a B-52 bomber on a Cold War nuclear patrol exploded over Spain, releasing four hydrogen bombs. Fifty years later, Air Force veterans involved with the cleanup are sick and want recognition.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron urge people to eat less meat

who woulda thunk it.


from The Guardian:

Terminator actor and director fronting a new campaign to try and curb animal product consumption, endorsing initiatives in China to reduce meat eating by 50%


More than two decades since the first, gut-crunching Terminator movie, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger have collaborated again on a campaign encouraging people to cut down on the amount of meat they eat.

Spearheaded by WildAid, the drive has American and Chinese audiences in its crosshairs, and endorses efforts by the latter government to reduce the population’s meat consumption by 50%.

“You have to respect that,” says Cameron in backstage footage from the shoot. “That’s a leadership position.” The director, whose off-screen ecological activism has been detected in the plots of films such as Avatar, said he’d been stirred into action after clocking his own hypocrisy.

“How can I call myself an environmentalist when I’m contributing to environmental degradation by what I eat?”

Speaking alongside Cameron, Schwarzenegger reports health benefits of cutting down his meat and dairy intake on the advice of doctors. “I’m slowly getting off meat,” he says, “and I tell you: I feel fantastic.”

The video, which is part of a wider strategy including billboards and online pledges, features Schwarzenegger staggering through a ravaged landscape presumably destroyed in part by the carbon emissions of the livestock industry.

“Less meat, less heat, more life,” concludes the actor in the film, who also states that the notion meat is needed for muscle strength is incorrect.

The campaign makes curious contrast with a video released earlier this week, fronted by Matt Damon, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, lobbying for an end to the torture and slaughter of some 10,000 dogs in the far east as part of an annual food festival.

GO TO WILD_AID to see and hear more.

Samantha Bee puts the NRA before a firing squad

via Boing Boing



The NRA -- tone-deaf, intransigent, monied -- are seemingly unstoppable, but if anyone can shoot 'em down, it's Samantha Bee, whose tight, funny, rage-filled 5:30 on America's gun lobby is practically armor-piercing.

LOVE & HATE Automobiles the future

if there is one thing I have learned in my life from the concept drawings that i saw in the magazines as a kid that seemed unimaginable at the time, they eventually come true!

These few, similarly to the Mercedes clip i posted last year, are even more insane than the dream cars of my child hood, but they will probably happen sooner than we expect . . .









That said I have not owned a car for over 20 years, thankfully.

Living in NYC allows me the luxury of walking everywhere or using a pretty good MTA.

GEF

Gun control defeated in Senate. #Orlando means nothing if you're paid by the NRA.

from our friend Xeni at Boing Boing:

Serious question: Isn't one of the primary purposes of our government to protect American lives? Because today, our government chose not to. Again.

One week after 49 Americans were shot to death in an Orlando nightclub, the Senate today voted no on four different measures to limit gun sales. At least they're consistent. Each time there's a mass shooting, and they occur with alarming frequency and regularity, our politicians do nothing. They tweet thoughts, talk on TV about prayers, and take absolutely zero action.

Today's deadlock was split predictably between Democrats and Republicans, on amendments that would block people who are the federal terrorism watch list from being able to buy guns. The proposed changes would have also closed loopholes in background check laws.

“As the votes were held, families of gun violence victims looked on from the Senate chamber,” writes Jennifer Steinhauer in the New York Times.

“Our constituents see a disturbing pattern of inaction,” Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said on the Senate floor on Monday. “Sadly, our efforts are blocked by the Republican Congress, who take their marching orders from the National Rifle Association.”

From the Times:

Further action on gun safety measures or mental health provisions seemed unlikely before the fall election, given the rush to finish a series of spending bills and the relatively limited time that Congress will be in session before November.

In addition, the four gun measures were attached to legislation that contains several other thorny issues, such as the question of whether to take passports away from terrorism suspects, which suggests there will be little chance for further debate.

Related: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump today “walked back” his earlier inflammatory remarks that armed clubgoers could have prevented the Orlando massacre.

School of Life Monday LITERATURE - Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was one of the most popular writers in English in the 19th century. He deserves our attention for his ideas about sympathy, popularity and happiness

FUCK YOU GLEN E. FRIEDMAN by BILL DANIELS on My Instagram

Great little 'zine art piece created by BILL DANIEL. From photos he shot at a skate contest June 27th 1982...Apparently he was inspired to do this because i was in his way throughout the day, and using the font from my original FUCK YOU HEROES cover was too easy to parody... He sent me a few copies, its got a bunch of nice skate shots except for that i'm in the foreground of all of them 😜 i love the jab and am honored. I met Bill most notably when he was traveling with his Austin Texas brethren the BIG BOYS , he also got a great shot of me back stage at the Whisky as i was shooting a portrait of them... @bill.daniel #goodHumor #skateboarding #photograpy #austintx #SkateCityWhittier #PUNK

A photo posted by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jun 17, 2016 at 4:11pm PDT

Public Image Ltd. bootleg: The original band, live in New York, 1980

from Dangerous Minds:

In the 80s and 90s heyday of the “VHS tape trading underground”—from whence oozed choice fare like Jeff Krulik and John Heyn’s “Heavy Metal Parking Lot,” Todd Haynes‘ unorthodox Karen Carpenter bio Superstar and Apocalypse Pooh—the territory was covered in every major city and college town by a small cast of characters—often marginally employed losers who gained a certain amount of notoriety and geek pecking order prestige by the scarcity of their video treasure chests.

These social outcasts and otaku misfits usually kept tight reins on what they had. The less uptight of these guys would trade a full two hour tape for another full two hour tape, whereas others would demand two tapes for every one they traded you. Many were real pricks and would only trade for something they wanted, not something that you wanted. (The sort who might say “Sorry man, but rules are rules.” You know the type.) In this way, back then bootleggers and tape traders were the clutch point between collectors and what they coveted most. It wasn’t unusual for bootleg VHS tapes to sell for $50. “Deals” would be brokered between two assholes, one with a pristine 2nd generation of the demented TV movie Bad Ronald, the other frantically bargaining with him because, of course, acquiring a copy of a shitty movie like Bad Ronald was a matter of extreme importance. With Bittorrent, and before that eBay, this vibrant—albeit somewhat stunted and idiotic—fanboy culture eventually evaporated.

I cannot tell you how many of these dumb “negotiations” I was involved in myself, often with some pretty petty Gollum-like characters. Luckily I had several good “trading cards” in my hand to play, so I always got what I wanted. Three “top traders” that I will admit to back then were Robert Frank’s rarely seen Rolling Stones documentary Cocksucker Blues that I got via a guy I worked with who had himself transferred the film to tape under Robert Frank’s personal supervision; another was the oddball black and white latenight TV commercial for Captain Beefheart’s Lick My Decals Off, Baby album (dubbed by me from an ancient 2” videotape master possessed by an MTV producer who told me to make a copy for myself) and a sharp, first generation dub of an off air recording of Public Image Limited on American Bandstand.

I bring up the PiL clip in particular just to mention that the version that was used on a well-circulated bootleg PiL DVD anthology—one which Amazon used to sell like it was a legit release—that came out about 15 years ago was a grandchild (at least) of my Bandstand clip. I could tell this—definitively—because of the split-second of what preceded it, an outtake of the same Cramps set that was shot for Urgh! A Music War. The clip had been trading around for maybe fifteen years at that point and now it had come full circle. (As for Cocksucker Blues, if you see a brief videotape warble just as the title card fades out...)

But that’s how those things used to get around. They were quite literally copied one at a time and spread from hand to hand. Which brings me to the topic of this post, another PiL performance—unquestionably the greatest live PiL performance on video—director/editor Paul Dougherty‘s short document of PiL performing at the Great Gildersleeves, a low rent heavy metal bar in NYC, on April 22, 1980 that was bootlegged on this very same DVD. When I bought my copy—at the Pasadena Flea Market—as I scanned the contents and saw that this was on it, I thought I’d hit bootleg PiL paydirt. Sadly it was poor quality.

Now I know Paul. I actually met him at a screening of the PiL Tape, his video for Suicide’s “Frankie Teardrop” and his classic clip for Pulsallama’s “The Devil Lives in My Husband’s Body” when he was showing them at the ICA in London. Many times over the years I’ve asked him for a copy of the PiL Tape—he knows that I’m a complete PiL freak—and every time he just firmly said “No.”

He gave an interview to the The Filth and the Fury fanzine about the so-called PiL Tape in 1999:

Have you any idea how the bootleg videos of your film surfaced? The amazing thing is that until a couple of years ago no one even knew PiL had played the gig, let alone knew that it was filmed!

Paul Dougherty: I have a strong hunch how it leaked but I’m not certain. Because I know all too well how easy it is to copy videos, I was able to keep it bottled up for over 15 years.

They updated the interview on the PiL fansite Fodderstompf in 2013 to indicate “the offending leaker has been identified, case closed.”

There have been crappy uploads of this material from time to time on YouTube. They come and go, but I’ve never seen all of it in one piece and in quality as good as the embedded clip below (although it’s variable in places, too). Other than the precious few TV clips of the original band—John Lydon, Keith Levene, Jah Wobble, Martin Atkins—this is the ONLY live footage that exists of this line-up. It was shot with two cameras and they took sound from the audio board. It’s very easily the best PiL bootleg—and that’s not just my opinion, the webmaster of the definitive PiL website feels the same way:

This video recording features the classic 1980 Lydon, Levene, Wobble & Atkins line up playing live in New York. The best PiL bootleg EVER!! Filmed by two cameras, one at the back / middle, and one on the left-hand side of the stage. This recording is not really a bootleg, BUT neither is it an official release…

NY filmmaker & producer Paul Dougherty had full permission to film the band, however, it was never intended for an official release. It is unknown how ANY recordings of this tape circulated, Dougherty has closely guarded the footage all this time, and is very disappointed about the leak. In fact, he is very keen to find the source of the leek, so if you can help, get in touch…

Obviously, it’s well filmed, there are some great close ups of the band (even though John spends most of the time crouched down at the front of the stage). The colour is a bit faded here and there, but despite the age of the recording it’s decent quality. Unfortunately it’s only four songs, although ‘Careering’ from the gig has also surfaced separately, but the footage is absolutely superb! Look out for when John gets a young, hip looking, black kid up on stage to dance with him during ‘Bad Baby’, superb stuff (Lydon later claimed the kid was a transsexual!!).

This has to be one of my favourite PiL videos, it’s an absolute must have for PiL fans. It’s also the only concert footage of the 1980 line-up I know exists…

Chuck D Speaks On Black Baseball Players

from Public Enemy.com

Almost sixty-nine years have passed since Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, but despite the progress spurred on by this historic act, the sport faces declining numbers of both black players and black fans. Chris Rock has even likened being a black baseball fan to being part of an endangered species. In an interview with Complex, Chuck D discussed why the sport he loves is becoming an increasingly foreign experience to black youth.

In the 80's, black players represented about twenty percent of the MLB. Now they represent less than eight percent. "It disturbs me because of my own personal adoration with something I was obsessed with baseball as a [teenager]. I was obsessed with the game," Chuck said when asked how he felt about the sharp decline in black players.

Chuck sees this as another symptom of American society's eagerness to jail black men. "Number one, baseball in the United States of America starts with relationship of father to son. Ya hear me? Starts with the relationship of father to son. My father played baseball with myself and my brother... When you have the eradication of the black community and the destruction of black fatherhood for whatever reasons it might be—you can say it’s a redefinition of the family but there are actual facts. Meaning what? There was 100,000 black men in prison in 1970, and there’s well over a million and a half now in U.S. prisons... If you take the father away from the son, you’re going to have a lot of missing [opportunities for] explaining how we should work together as a team..."

"The black community has been fragmented seriously, since the 1980s, for a bunch of different reasons. Be it drugs, guns, a whole bunch of areas of non-development," Chuck said. "Baseball fields were always full in black communities in the United States in the ‘50s, in the ‘60s and in the ‘70s. They were full and at the same time you’d go to the sideline and fathers would almost always outnumber the sons. You don’t see that nowhere no more."

Chuck also takes issue with people claiming that the sport is boring, or that the reason it's failed to attract the attention of young athletes is because it's not as exciting to watch as say, basketball or football. "So when people say baseball is boring, yeah it’s boring because you don’t have the time to understand, to grasp it. Don’t just say it’s wack because you don’t understand," Chuck said. 

You can read the full interview, which includes more of Chuck's thoughts on how baseball has changed since he was obsessed with it as a teen, over at Complex.

http://www.complex.com/sports/2016/04/chuck-d-interview-loss-of-black-baseball-players

By Michael Lacerna for PublicEnemy.com