Echos of an Earler Life

[DUCeditor]

Totally off topic here, but as I've come to view many of you as friends...

Life has a funny way of catching up with you. My very first car was a Fiat - and now for some years a Fiat has again become a big part of my life. Somethings, like the above, I suppose should not be a surprise. If something gives you pleasure you look to do it again and again.

Sometimes though, things from an earlier part of our lives are, we think, just dead and gone. That is certainly the way I had come to think of my years as a rock musician. Been there. Done that. (Had a great time doing that!) Over and out.

Well, guess it just wasn't meant to be. My past found me out. Turned out to my (an my fellow musician friends) surprise that the record we had made back in the mid `60s -- "Always Always" -- has come to be considered a bit of a classic, although who "The Abstracts" were was a mystery. So when I innocently responded to a YouTube station comment "Has anyone ever actually seen this record?" that I had been the lead guitarist in the band, a chain of event started that ended here: http://www.break-a-way.de/bands/abtracts.html

Kind of amazing! The record is selling well. It was even a 'pick of the month' in a recent edition of England's Record Collector magazine.

What's that old game saying? "Where she stops nobody knows." Seems to be true about life itself. Anyway, its been kind'a fun. And now there is some talk about a European tour.

-Don

[Gunsmith]

That's pretty cool man. That has got to make you feel good, probably would have felt better then but better late than never?

[steve8462]

will you be able to deal with the droves of horny groupies and the all night parties if you go on tour? you might want to swing by lake sunapee and visit with Steven Tyler for a few pointers.

life has given you another chance at a once in a lifetime dream. soak up every minute of it and document it well my friend. i'm jealous

[divace73]

that's a cool song, maybe it should be the theme song about our spiders.....

[kmead]

Nice. Some pretty interesting undertones in the music. I like the mix. Definitely some strong prog rock in there. I think the sound could have gone more Floyd than Beatles but thats my interpretation.

Very cool indeed. Good luck with the tour!

Karl

[azruss]

the question is do you still own the rights. You definitely did better than me. Never made it to a recording studio and the only reference to my band "the impending doom" (guess the time period ) was on a credit list from our guitar player who is mentioned in some NW rock history. The only thing I recorded was an TV ad for the local Hammond dealer. wonder if the TV station still has it. Your story gives me hope

[DUCeditor]

the question is do you still own the rights. You definitely did better than me. Never made it to a recording studio and the only reference to my band "the impending doom" (guess the time period ) was on a credit list from our guitar player who is mentioned in some NW rock history. The only thing I recorded was an TV ad for the local Hammond dealer. wonder if the TV station still has it. Your story gives me hope

Yes, we definitely own the rights. And I had the joy and privilege of working closely with the album's producer, approving the masters, assuring the accuracy of the four-page insert that tells the history of the group, approving the cover art, etc.

If The Impending Doom (cool name!) made some significant noise, even locally, there are people who would want to see that fact in the record. One is the respected pop musicologist Mike Dugo. It was he that found me out while trolling the private YouTube stations that often provide the clues he is looking for as he continues to document the deep and detailed history of the `60s music scene - a passion of his.

If you have a story to tell Mike will, I expect, welcome hearing from you. He can be reached via his 60sgaragebands.com website. Feel free to use my name (Don Sucher) if you choose to do this. Mike is a great guy - and one who knows more about the `60s music scene than probably anyone alive.

My own part in that scene was initially preserved by the late Greg Shaw who, despite being able to ferret out no details about the band, felt that he had to take a chance (legally speaking) and include The Abstracts' "Always Always" on his Essential Pebbles CD set. That was back in 2003. Neither I nor any other member of the band had any knowledge of it until I discovered the fact quite by accident early last year. And when I wrote to Bomp Records, that CDs producer, I was amazed to get a letter back from Susie Shaw -- Greg's widow -- excitingly telling me what "a privilege" it was to hear from me and telling me how much she and Greg loved The Abstracts' music. Needless to say this blew me away. I assumed we'd been totally lost to the sands of time.

"Hey, Let's Go Now!" was produced by Break-A-Way Records of Erndtebrück Germany. I was even more amazed when the owner of that far away company bid to produce the album and said, somewhat defensively, "Of course we know about The Abstracts!" Huh? And indeed that is where most of our record sales have been: In Germany, England and the Netherlands. (Thus the talk about a European tour -- something the band members are not really anxious to do right now.)

So do, by all means, get your band's story told if it is an interesting one. The truth is that some of the best groups never made it big, and some (sadly) never even made it into the studio.

Here's the review of The Abstracts' "Hey, Let's Go Now" from "Ugly Things" magazine - the 'bible' of the `60s music scene. I was only 17 when the upper pic was taken -- my very first time in a recording studio, and only 19 in the concert pic below. How strange to see these published in a magazine in 2012!




BTW, if anyone is interested here is The Abstracts' story as Mike Dugo told it on his website: http://www.60sgaragebands.com/abstracts.html

-Don

[CajunMike]

Nice story Don, congrats. Funny how things come back around for the good in your case.

Since you are a guitarist, my son is 9 and has some skills on the acoustic. We will be soon purchasing an electric guitar for him. We have decided to go with a fender American stratocaster but are clueless as to what a decent amp would be. Any thoughts on what a good not break the bank amp would be?

Sorry to hijack your thread.

[DUCeditor]

Nice story Don, congrats. Funny how things come back around for the good in your case.

Since you are a guitarist, my son is 9 and has some skills on the acoustic. We will be soon purchasing an electric guitar for him. We have decided to go with a fender American stratocaster but are clueless as to what a decent amp would be. Any thoughts on what a good not break the bank amp would be?

Sorry to hijack your thread.

Sure do have a suggestion. The bargain of a life time too. http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Thirty-Ele ... r+g-dec+30

I use one of these as a practice amp. Plenty loud enough to play with a band in a garage setting or a small club, small enough to easily carry, great sounding AND it will even provide your son with an accompaniment.

(Hope my posting this doesn't break any rules.)

Cool about your son. Tell him "rock on!" for me.

-Don

[CajunMike]

Many thanks Don! Ill tell him your story.