Michigan Music History Podcast -- MMHP989

Mel Kanar was the supplier. He knew the bands, the songs, the CEO and the DJ's. What music fans don't know is how large of a roll he played on charting early rock and roll on radio throughout suburban Detroit and beyond. The sounds you heard, you favored, you loved, smash or trashed, Mel was the delivery man and the polisher for the companies that needed their palms greased in order to get the next big song on the radio.

   You've heard it all about payola, the rags to riches, the gravity of the unknown coming to light. Mel was the lynchpin in all of it for Michigan and mid-west early rock and roll. He knew Barry Gordy, he knew the big DJs, he knew the clubs and he drove the bands.

   Here in Part 2, Mel digs into payola, blues, the English music invasion, insurance sales, and his money saving toilet ideas that he has invested in. A living, walking legend from the top of the pops, to the flushing lows...it's all here! Turn it up...

Mark Farner is releasing his brand new album this Friday, Nov. 8, titled Closer To My Home. It's a musical celebration that brings the familiar sound of Grand Funk closer to the ears of Mark's crowd than ever before. Recorded with special guests and Co-Produced with Mark Slaughter (vocalist of the band Slaughter), Farner gets track by track with the MM15HC/MMHP, giving his thoughts, process, tracking, and real world wisdom. 

   Farner goes into detail on his Grand Funk feelings, his desire to go back, and his willingness to take his legacy to the people any way he can. This set of songs sits perfectly by the side of Grand Funk's catalog and is as highlight feather in Mark's solo music cap.  Listen in now!

Mel Kanar was the supplier. He knew the bands, the songs, the CEO and the DJ's. What music fans don't know is how large of a roll he played on charting early rock and roll on radio throughout suburban Detroit and beyond. The sounds you heard, you favored, you loved, smash or trashed, Mel was the delivery man and the polisher for the companies that needed their palms greased in order to get the next big song on the radio.

   You've heard it all about payola, the rags to riches, the gravity of the unknown coming to light. Mel was the lynchpin in all of it for Michigan and mid-west early rock and roll. He knew Barry Gordy, he knew the big DJs, he knew the clubs and he drove the bands. Get in the car with Mel for Episode 1 of 2 here in the MMHP!

Sanford, MI/Midland, MI world music master, teacher, student, tone-enthusiast, and forebearer of touch and musical invitation, Bryan Rombalski is ahead of everyone else when it comes to the musical curves. Guitar teacher, former classic rocker, '80s sound designer, and jazz/fusion projecting, speaking many musical languages, Rombalski has laid more ground offering his gifts as a musician from a mental standpoint, than most musicians can put on a resume. Let's fact check: played with Leslie West/Mountain, UFO, Cheap Trick, and Van Halen (hanging out with Edward on their first tour of course) while in Couture, a touring monster, was able to grasp the Robert Fripp/Adrian Belew, Andy Summers, and Talking Heads thrivent-stylistic music while in '80s and '90s cover acts, and went on to learn from masters and teach students, while maintaining regular monthly jazz sets in Midland over the past 15 or so years. Rombalski's gentle demeanor comes from invitation to participate, rather than the 'ram-it down the throat' guitar hero's which adorned the covers of the magazines.

   A YouTube video initiation showcases his genius in finger style, common thread, and quartet/quintet values. Equally at home with Wayne Shorter and Wayne Kramer, or even John Coltrane and Mark Knopfler, Rombalski's ethos as a musician knows zero bounds. His studies have taken him around the world and yet he reserves space for his art, teaching and performance as his daily bread.  There is only ONE Bryan Rombalski.

    Turn it up--he's soft spoken with a huge sound.

Steve Swart was on the bandstand and in college at CMU just in time to see owner Harvey Vanier turn The Foolery into Rubbles. Mt. Pleasant has always been at the dead center of the state of Michigan when it comes to cross-over touring due to WCMU and the college music market. One quick look north from Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Lansing, all eyes hit the college town. The blended artistry from roots folk, to deep blues, power pop, metal, and first generation punk all huddled in this marketplace, long after the '60s Flint scene dispersed. 

   Yes, you could see Texas blues man Gatemouth Brown, followed by funky rockin' Fishbone, and then a tour stop for the punk legends Dead Milkmen. Or how about Blues Brother Matt 'Guitar' Murphy? Verve Pipe? Etc...this was a Michigan hub town thanks to the venues, Theatres, and WCMU radio.

   While Swart notes that much remains in historical value, the word-of-mouth of the area's scene is more of a recollection and myth, than the hub it once was. North of Mt. Pleasant lies Interlochen, which seems to have taken on the persona that Mt. Pleasant used to be known for. A quick look at Traverse City, Petoskey, Alpena, or over west to Big Rapids or Grand Rapids, or even east to the Tri-Cities and you can see speckles of the majestic college town scene. Swart is taking the Mt. Pleasant music history seriously and is not only documenting it, but releasing lost shows on YouTube. Steve has compiled a fantastic episode that not only covers his music, but some of his rock/metal expeditions (magnetite)--which is not rock/metal like you think ;) Tune in and check this out too! Here is his Link List for this episode:

"Legacy of Harvey's Foolery":  https://www.facebook.com/groups/38403127560/

Youtube Playlist Legacy of Harvey's Foolery https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxX1AiehvuPKAgF_VtCwzWJ6iclZIJRY1

Clarke Historical Library website at CMU: http://www.clarkehistoricallibrary.org/p/about-us.html?m=0   Michigan bands that we hosted and recorded in concert at The Broadway Theatre in Mt Pleasant: Steppin' In It Levi Rose and Hooker Man Mollie O'Brien and Jive at Five Alma College Percussion and Drum Ensemble Jeff Haas Quintet with Marcus Belgrave THOSE Delta Rhythm Kings (Lansing area) Earl Haynes and Friends (subject of the song "Mr Easy" ala Walmsley/McCray) Brian Koehler Chris Freeman (Sitar) Myk Rise Hurry The Jug YouTube Playlist - Live at The Broadway 2003-2005:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxX1AiehvuPJkLJDeREK10heB0qEAfT3o

The Michigan Music History Podcast Special Edition 2024 Hell's Half Mile Music Line-up and Film Rundown:

   Hell's Half Mile music organizer Don Hessell returns for the third-annual MMHP HHM Special, along with his new assistant Spencer Biery. Also this year, past music organizer and HHM alum Jay Glysz, offers past stories and details from the origins of the 18 year Fest. (Festival ALL-STAR person Brendon Baranek (Deon) was unable to attend the taping for this event and still holds a strong hand in much of the set-up for HHM. Mr. Mike was also unable to join the MMHP crew for video archiving.)

   JW Francis from New York will kick of Thursday night at Old City Hall. Bluhm from Detroit will be Friday's entertainment at MI Table. The Saturday showcase at Jefferson Building will be Sungaze from Cincinnati, Waltzer from Chicago, and Liquid Mike from Marquette.

   Films such as Tallywacker and Marqueetown ring true for music fans. Also of interest is podcast film Sydney.

   Here is your backstage pass and details from the past, present and future of the HHM, one of Michigan's biggest Independent Music and Film fests. Tune in now and see you this weekend!

PS: Also of note--come support the Bay County Historical Museum/Michigan Rock Legends Hall of Fame with a fundraiser Wednesday-Saturday at Drydock in Bay City, walking or riding between HHM events! The perfect paring of history and current events. Music all four nights including Bobby Balderrama (from ? & The Mysterians) on Wednesday, MMHP's own Scott Baker Thursday and Friday, and DJ David Asher on Saturday.

On Episode 1 of this season, we headed over to the Juke Joint and got Robert Barclay's back story on the past 39 years of the show. Robert gave his background, college history, photography interest, and ultimately the keys to the club as we got to go backstage with the Duke of Juke. For Episode 2, Robert goes into his passion for Tom Waits, venues like The Ark, Slim Harpo, Johnny Bassett, Hasting Street and Gatemouth Brown--and then some!

   Tune in Thursday morning for the wrap up with the legendary Blues DJ--and don't forget to join Robert at the Juke Joint on 89.5 FM WCMU every Sunday night at 8pm for his three hour show. Thank you all for listening and Robert for the hospitality.

WOW! Five seasons into the MMHP in the 989 and we couldn't be more thankful for our listeners! As our show grows, the grass roots word of mouth continues to ramp and bring us better numbers and more guests. We couldn't get there without you!

   On Episode 1 of this season, we head over to the Juke Joint and get Robert Barclay's back story on the past 39 years of the show. Robert gives his background, college history, photography interest, and ultimately the keys to the club as we get to go backstage with the Duke of Juke. Inside stories, accidental happenings, and handshake deals go down with the Duke in episode 1!

   Tune in Thursday morning for our show--and don't forget to join Robert at the Juke Joint on 89.5 FM WCMU every Sunday night at 8pm for his three hour show. Part 1 is NOW...

Michiganders Keith Hlavacs and Marlin Wilson belong in their own music collection time zone. Hlavacs not only collects artifacts of early music from 78s/cylinders/diamond discs and phonographs, but he touches upon some of the most sought after music from the earliest days of recordings--with some rare Michigan Music thrown in for good measure. Wilson was the first-call for Dr. J to help assemble some pieces in the Michigan Rock Legends Hall Of Fame and has one of the most extensive deep collections of Michigan Rock, primarily from the earliest heyday of Mid-Michigan.

   One of the biggest feedback joys we get is the depth of our podcasts, the spoken word documentation. We decided to wrap Season 4 with a round table on ultimate music collecting, with a focus on Michigan pieces. Yet there is SO much more than Michigan in this episode. Sir Fred tosses in the dirty earliest printed music, Mr. Mike talks of his massive archives, and Dr. J waxes ecstatic on his collection and why he is into specifics. All of the collectors share the love of music and the desire to find the next rare, cool, unknown thing. It's not just a Michigan thing, but our state has a slew of collectibles as we will find out along the way.

   Thank you for listening to Season 4--Season 5 is two weeks out and this episode is a tribute to you music lovers. Dig in!

Mad Dog--a 1970's independent touring machine, known for crossing the state and region, fuzzed out and throttling headliners like Bob Seger, has gone on to have their much-sought-after debut album '617' amongst the finest crate dig finds in many vinyl collectors realms. Straight out of Bay City, Mad Dog's '617' continues to be a highlight in the murky power/stoner rock realm through 2024.

   Brother's Bob (guitar/vocals) and Joe (drums/vocals) Charlebois along with driving force and Bassist Don Langenburg, were a power trio that still gets word-of-mouth, and even had bootleggers re-releasing their album around 2005. For the first time in decades, the MMHP has pulled together the original line-up for a Q&A session that delivers a brotherhood, moment in time, and with the brilliant sonic thumbprint that got them inducted into the Michigan Rock Legends Hall of Fame in 2019.

   Part 2 of 2 takes us from the NYC promo run, to the second (unreleased) album, to where the power trio is at now with Blues Mobile, The Burdons, and tribute bands with Bob Seger/Kenny Rogers backing Saginaw Sheriff Bill Federspiel.

Special thanks to Outrageous Cherry/The Volbeats guitarist/vocalist, songwriter extraordinaire Matthew Smith for spearheading this idea to reunite and get the legacy behind the trio.

For a deep dive, click here:

https://michiganrockandrolllegends.com/index.php/mrrl-hall-of-fame/349-mad-dog