It's good question. One that's worth asking from time to time. Where are all of those glamorous celebrities who entertained us, moved us deeply with their music, made us go out and buy glow-in-the-dark posters, and then just as quickly faded away into the silence from whence they came? This week we tried to find the answer. We went looking for a number of musicians who hit their stride in decades past. "Where are you now?" we asked. And, "Do you surf the Web?" Here's what we found:
Reggie Gondorf: vibes, session work with Glen Campbell.
We caught up with Reggie in Redondo Beach, where he plays vibes three nights a week with the house band at Blackie's All-You-Can-Eat Stroganoff Barn. "It's gratifying to still get a chance to play," says the native Oklahoman. "I'd love to do more gigs, but my academic schedule is pretty hectic. I teach a course in Modern French Poetry at the local college. This semester we're examining the work of Arthur Rimbaud and trying to draw parallels between his free verse masterpiece, 'The Drunken Boat,' and the collected works of Lionel Hampton. It's been tough going so far, but in the end I think it'll be very rewarding..." Good luck, Reggie. Just remember: il ne signifient pas une chose s'il ain't obtenait à cela oscillation!
Mervin Gaye: lounge singer.
Mervin never attained the superstar status of his almost namesake, Marvin Gaye. In fact, he didn't even come close. Sexy, soulful Marvin was famous for sultry love songs such as "Let's Get it On" and "Sexual Healing." And plain old Mervin... well, Mervin once got booed off stage at a Holiday Inn just outside of Oswego, New York. He'd started into the third verse of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and the audience decided to take him at his word. When we tracked down Mervin Gaye--now he lives a solitary life in an underground hut in Coober Pedy, Australia, singing to the local opal miners--he told us that his favorite web site was the The Fleagleman Sisters. It's all about "two lively gals just looking for some fun." When we registered our disbelief that two people named Polly and Esther Fleagleman could be "living life in the fast lane," he was quick to write back. "What's in a name, guys?" his email asked. Point well taken, Mervin. Point well taken.
Giles Gompert: bassist, Uriah Heep.
Once famous for swallowing a live chihuahua on stage, Giles sent us this brief but genial email from his private recording studio/thatched hut in the tiny Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye. "Several major European museums recently curated an exceptionally moving art exhibit commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Armistice of 1918. The 'Great War,' as you know, instigated the demise of three seminal empires – Germany, Russia, and Austro-Hungary. The Art of World War I traces the emotional repercussions of this global tragedy through the works of such diverse artists as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Egon Schiele. The Chagall pieces were particularly influential during the composition of my 1987 solo comeback album 'Grunting Season.'"
Maxine Douglas: backup singer, The Troggs.
We found Maxine at her home in Scottsdale, where she sells hand-crafted reproductions of Native American art. After receiving our email, Maxine called our voice mail and left this message: "My experience with the Web is pretty limited right now. I think it's got great potentiality though. In that, through the synergy of consciousness we may ultimately all achieve a sort of higher, or better, or more enlightened state of being. For example, if everyone on the planet could, for just a few minutes, experience first-hand one of the seven 'power points' of the Earth's aura, we'd be a much groovier species. I'd make everyone's browser load up At the Tomb of Tutankhamen, the 1923 National Geographic photo essay on the then-newly-discovered burial crypt of Egypt's legendary king. I could just live in that site. It's like what you'd get if you combined 'Love is All Around' and 'Wild Thing' and some really high-quality [tape garbled]. It's that good..."
Clive Bathwater: roadie for Pink Floyd, 1971-82.
The following is a brief excerpt from Clive's much longer email. We found him running an Internet Cafe on the sun-soaked, Mediterranean island of Folegandros, in Greece. "So in a way you might say yes, 'Wish You Were Here' was indeed about Rod Barnett's burning desire to find a soulmate, best friend, lover, and wife. But, the trouble began years later, after 'The Wall' and before 'The Final Cut.' Roger [Roger Waters, the band's bassist and chief lyricist] had by then become totally obsessed with war. He suggested to the guys that they do a concept album about Jews in the U.S. Civil War, titled 'Dark Side of the Menorah.' He'd found this great site about the subject, with photos and diary entries and all kinds of historical documents, but nobody would buy it..."
Buddy "Lips" Bodeane: harmonica player, The Oak Ridge Boys.
Buddy now manages a thriving barbecue restaurant in Normal, Illinois. When he's not slathering his famous spicy sauce on a warm slab of backmeat, he's surfing the Net. "I heard about a real humdinger on an IRC chat line last night. It goes by the name of Instant Classics, and it's a curious assortment of stories, scribblings, and photographs. There's a darn tootin' story by Barry Yourgrau called 'Horn,' and a photograph by John Gannon called 'Serial Killer in Training.' The kids might appreciated a strange comic strip by Tom Zummer called 'Gas Leak in the Suburbs.' As for myself, I'm particular to the dog pictures. Try my slaw. And don't forget to take your picking(s)."
If you know of any timely, informative, or wacky web sites, please drop us a note. Also, feel free to send any general thoughts or comments about Picks.