TIMELINE: Part 1: From The Beginning

Dec 9th '46 Dennis Dale Dunaway born Creswell, Oregon

Sept 23rd '47 Neal Smith born, Akron, Ohio (Moved to Phoenix in '63)

Nov. 10th '47 Glen Buxton born, Akron, Ohio

Feb 4th '48 Vincent Damon Furnier born, Detroit, MI to Ether Moroni (Michael) Furnier and Ella Mae, née McCart.

March 16th '48 Michael Owen Bruce born, Arizona

By late '48/early '49 Furniers' had moved to L.A. and back to Detroit in an unsuccessful attempt to help Alice's asthma.

'51 Furniers' moved to Phoenix for a couple of years, again partly in an attempt to help Alice's asthma. The Dunaways move to Phoenix from Oregon.

Fall '53 Furniers' to Detroit for "three winters" or 5 years according to Me, Alice.

Spring/Summer '58 Furniers' moved to L.A. Living presumably temporarily, in Uncle Lonson's front room. - Father works at Jet Propulsion Lab. While in LA Vince attends Hayvenhurst Elementary School.

A Young Vincent Furnier

Feb '61 The Buxtons move to Phoenix from Akron, Ohio. Glen attends 8th Grade at Glendale Elementary School

April '61 Ether Moroni (Michael) Furnier ordained for the "Church of Jesus Christ", based in Pennsylvania (Me, Alice)

May/June '61 Furniers' move to Phoenix, to a 'little trailer camp' and Ether begins working with the Apache Indians at the "St. Carlos mission" which he helped establish.
I can find nothing on a "St. Carlos Mission" but there is a "San Carlos Apache Mission" in San Carlos, Arizona which is around 2 hours from Phoenix. Also a 'St. Charles Apache Mission School' in San Carlos, AZ, but that was established in 1965. Me, Alice claims they move dto Phoenix one month before the 4th of July incident.

July 4th '61 Vince gets ill. A couple of days later he's rushed to hospital with peritonitis from a burst appendix. He claims to have then spent a year in bed watching TV!

Summer '61 The Buxtons moved to 39th Ave and Orangewood in Glendale and Glen, with Dennis, start at Cortez High School in the fall. Neal Smith starts at Camelback High.

November '61 The Furniers move to a house on Campbell Ave, Phoenix,AZ

Spring '62 - Vince recovers enough to start at Squaw Peak Elementary School. He later also attends Madison No 2 (now "Madison Camelview Elementary School" located at 2002 East Campbell Avenue).

July 4th '62 Vince returns to hospital where they reopen his appendix scar to find that he has lesions on his intestines. The two operations leave a Y shaped scar which he later tells everybody is a shark bite!

Dennis Dunaway, Glen Buxton, John Speer and John Tatum at Cortez 1962

Fall '62 Vince starts at Cortez High School, 8828 N. 31st Ave, Phoenix/Glendale. He "lettered" in track for four years and especially cross country distance running after Dennis talked him into joining the team.

He excelled at running in school and was a member of the track team. He was so good that he reputably broke the 26 mile marathon record for Phoenix The story goes that on completion of the race, he promptly fell over and broke his nose, an injury that explains his distinctive face.
(Cortez Message Board)
This is actually not completely acurate. Dennis was the record holder not Alice, and John Speer came in second. Alice DID break his nose, but it was when he got home from the race. He fainted, and broke it on the bathtub.
There are various mentions of coach Emmett Smith helping out the band in the early days. In an article on his retirement in the Arizona Republic July 19th 1991 Smith recalled he and Vince had a close relationship (Vince was also in Smiths English class), and that The Earwigs used to rehearse in his house. In 1966 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had to undergo experimental surgury with a 50/50 chance of survival. After the operation he spent a long time recovering, and he recalls Vince sending him a letter every day with words of encouragement, funny comments, and cartoons. "He may be wild and everything up on that stage, but as far as I'm concerned I'll always appriciate what he did for me."
Vince was member of Cross Country Team Division II Champions as were John Speer and Dennis Dunaway.

Vince Furnier as part of the Cortez track team.	Dennis Dunaway at Cortez High School, 1962 John (Jim?) Speer also?	John Speer, Dennis Dunaway and Vince Furnier (with Coach Emmett Smith) with 1964 Trophy (Cortez yearbook)

June 27th-July 1963 Neal Smith is in the cast of 'The Threepenny Opera' at the Weathermane Community Playhouse in Akron, OH, as shown in the images below courtesy of Dennis Dunaway.

Late 1963/Early 1964 In his 3rd year Dennis Dunaway becomes the first male student to take the previously all girl journalism class at Cortez High School (mainly to meet girls!). He becomes the sports editor for school newsletter 'The Tip Sheet' and quickly brings in his best friend Vince (a junior in his third year), along with Glen Buxton, and occasionally John Speer as well. Dennis and Vince both wrote and drew cartoons for the publication while Glen took photos and John hung out, mainly to meet the girls! Vince eventually had his own column called "(Get) Out Of My Hair" which he sometimes wrote under the name of 'Muscles McNasel' and after Dennis graduated Vince took over from Dennis as the Tip Sheet sport editor. (Paraphrasing Dennis Dunaway)

Two examples of Vince Furnier's 'Get Out Of My Hair'		Dec. 4th 1964 Two articles from the Cortez Tip Sheet. One by Dennis and one by Vince.

1964

The Earwigs - Furnier, Buxton, Dunaway, Speer, with firstly Phil Wheeler, and later John Tatum

The original seed that would become The Earwigs was formed after Dennis Dunaway saw Duane Eddy and the Rebels live in 1963 and suggested to Vince that they should start their own band. They talked about the idea for a while until the upcoming Lettermen's Club Talent Show gave them the momentum to do something with the idea.

Spring 1964 Lettermen Talent Show, Cortez High School, Phoenix, AZ

The Earwigs playing the Cortez Cafeteria at the Letterman show
[Confirmed by DD. First time DD and Vince step on stage)
Dennis, Vince, Wheeler (hidden), Speer and Buxton

Alice's version of the story from 'Me, Alice':

"In the fall of my junior year I got shafted with the job of organizing the Letterman's talent show. My biggest problem was that nobody had any talent. Nobody even deluded themselves. I put up signs all over the school and all I found was a freshman who wanted to do magic tricks. I called a meeting in the locker room before a track meet one day and asked for suggestions.
"All right," I said, clapping my hands together to get their attention, "who wants to do what in the talent show?"
"Let's put Dunaway in a dress and have him sing 'I Enjoy Being a Girl,'" John Speer said. John Speer loved to torture Dennis Dunaway. Speer was a senior, a tall well-built eighteen-year-old with a good Midwestern face. He was a scene queen. He had to be the center of attraction and everything had to be his way, which he usually achieved because he was long-winded and determined not to fail. He brayed at people, donkeylike, insistent.
Dennis Dunaway was exactly the opposite and Speer hated him because of it. Dennis was my height and almost as skinny, with deep set, moist brown eyes. Speer was frantic and impulsive, Dennis lethargic and good-natured, like a farmer in Iowa. He had the slowest heartbeat on the team, a good advantage for a runner, but he was so very retiring sometimes we didn't think he could have had more than two heartbeats a day. His placidness drove John Speer nuts, but all of Speer's venom just splattered on Dennis' impenetrable hide.
"C'mon. How about if we all sing?" I said. We had been making up parodies of Beatle songs as we ran around the track: "We beat you, yeah, yeah, yeah," or "Last night I ran three laps for my coach." But nobody was listening to me. John Speer was hovering over Dennis Dunaway like the Angel of Death, trying to get him angry. I stepped between them and Speer pushed me aside.
"Listen, Dunaway, I want to make a deal with you. Whoever wins this meet doesn't say one word to the loser. I know it's going to be a big deal if I beat you, but I won't say nothing to you if I win, and if I lose you don't say nothing to me."
Dennis just sat there nodding, and I forgot about the talent show until after the meet. John Speer beat Dennis. At the last minute he took over in an incredible sprint. When they got back to the lockers Speer was screaming, "Ha! What's the matter with Dunaway? Didn't win the meet, did you? Huh, old slow poke?"
Dennis couldn't have cared less. As he was getting dressed, he said to me, "You want somebody to sing with you? I'll do it." Speer was at his side instantly "Sing what? Track songs? Is that what you're gonna do? Make it look like you're the big track stars? Not without me, buddy. I represent the track team around here."
That's how it started. I convinced Glen Buxton, who already played guitar, to join Dennis and John, and along with the track coach, Emmet Smith, we formed the Earwigs. An earwig is a water scorpion. If you step on one, it releases a terrible stink, and if one gets in your ear it'll chew right through the ear drum, get into your brain, and drive you crazy.
The night of the Letterman's talent show we got dressed up in our track suits and long Dynel wigs. Save for Glen, none of us knew how to play any instruments, so we faked it. We all stood on the stage in the cafeteria/auditorium, singing Beatle parodies feeling like idiots. During the last number we arranged for three girls to rush on stage and scream, "Earwigs! Earwigs!"
We caused an uproar in the school, mostly because we were so bad, but I loved the sudden attention. Everybody was talking about it. People complimented me the next day for having the guts to do it, and girls started talking to me who never before would have anything to do with the skinny guy with the big nose from the track team. It stimulated my entertaining chemicals like never before. I got hooked on the limelight. That's why I went into rock and roll. For fame and sex. I wanted more and more from that night on. To this day coach Emmet Smith hasn't forgiven himself for letting me taste that moment.

Despite what 'Me, Alice' says this first show by the Earwigs featured Vince, Glen, Dennis and John Speer along with a drummer called Phil Wheeler. Reports that they couldn't play and were awful, apparently coming in last, are incorrect as are claims they mimed to Beatles recordings. For example they couldn't have come last as they were were Lettermen and so couldn't compete in their own talent show.
Glen played guitar and Phil had a snare and cymbal, and they performed songs including "Foot Stompin" ('Listen to my track shoes stompin' all over you') "She Loves You" ('I'll Beat You Yeah, Yeah, Yeah') and "Please Please Me" '('Last night I ran 4 laps for my coach'). After the show Phil Wheeler left, John Speer took over on drums and shortly after John Tatum joined on second guitar.

"It was sponsored by the Cortez High Lettermen's Club. John Speer, Vince and I were members of Track and Cross Country. A fellow Letterman, Phil Wheeler, played a snare drum but insisted he wasn't in the Earwigs. He wasn't as desperate to impress the girls."
(Dennis Dunaway)

Various band names were considered including "Husky Babies Sandwich" and "Joe Banana and The Bunch (The band with a-ppeal)"
A newspaper clipping about the Earwigs (not this show) shows this first show must have been pre October 16th as by then they were playing proper proper shows.

"The actual date of origin would have to come from one of the original members. You are right about them forming before October of 1964 because there is a date on the paper. Upper left hand corner to the left of the Lettermen's Talent Show the newspaper clipping shows a date of Friday, October 16, 1964 so we know it was before that. When the Night Riders played for a Cortez dance kids in the crowd would raise their fist and yell "Earwigs To Eternity!" That's also how John Speer signed my 'Me & GB' book".
(Skip Ladd, August 1998)

John Tatum also remembers Phil Wheeler, however he also claimed that he played at the original Lettermans show which, according to Dennis, he didn't (and he isn't in the photos from the show). This could have come about due to both shows being called 'the 2nd Lettermen's Club Talent Show' and after all these years they maybe got mixed up in John's head.

"Yes, I was absolutely with them from day 1. Buxton and I had been jamming in his garage for a while, and we were both plugged in to his amplifier. He actually originally spoke to Vince and Dennis about getting together for the talent show (Letterman's Club).The exact lineup for the talent show included another drummer (Phil something?? ) he was a great drummer, but opted to not continue with the group, then we got Speer."
(John Tatum)

Orginal Earwigs Drummer Phil Wheeler

There were apparently TWO Lettermen Talent Shows, one in '64 and one in '65, and to add to confusion both were called "the 2nd Lettermen's club talent show"! In the photo of the first show Glen is the only one not wearing his Lettermen jacket. The Lettermen said he hadn't yet earned his jacket. At later shows he is seen wearing it (see below)(DD).

"The explanation [of there being two '2nd Lettermans Talent Shows'] is a bit complex - you have to keep in mind that the Lettermen were teenage athletes. The Lettermen sponsored several fundraisers each year. For instance they would buy an old car and charge people to take a swing at it with a sledge hammer. They would have a bunch of crazy competitions, like a potato rolling race, for Saint Patrick's Day, and so when we were having a meeting to brainstorm the next fundraiser, the Talent Show was instigated by Vince and I so that we could pretend to be a band. One jock, who wasn't someone that anybody cared to disagree with, said they had already tried to organize a talent show the previous year and had failed so he insisted that this be called the 2nd Annual Lettermen's Talent Show. The Playbill was printed before we added Glen and Phil Wheeler, and before we added our Beatles songs, I'll Beat You" ("She Loves You") and "Please Beat Me" ("Please Please Me") with sports oriented lyrics. The fundraiser was such a success that we soon hosted another one, which per logic, and per outvoting the dumb jock, was also called the 2nd Annual Lettermen's Talent Show."
(Dennis Dunaway, 2020)

The "2nd Lettermen Talent Show' programme.

From 'Me Alice':

"Over the year, we taught ourselves how to play instruments and changed our name to the Spiders. We learned all our songs from Yardbirds and Rolling Stones albums which we had to play several hundred times each to figure out the chords."

The Earwigs at Cortez: Tatum, Buxton, Dunaway, Speer, Furnier

Oct 1964 Cortez High Paper dated 16th Oct. 1964 reports Earwigs playing shows during lunch hours at school. (Also reports the band will be playing at the upcoming 'Pit and The Pendulum' dance on Oct 23rd.)

Vince Furnier circa 1964	Glen, Vince and John Speer circa 1964

Oct 23rd 1964 'Pit And The Pendulum' Dance, Cortez High School, Phoenix, AZ - This was the first time the band used a guillotine prop, which was made by the father of schoolmate John "Scott" Ward (Dennis Dunaway, 2020).

Above: Photos from the 'Pit and the Pendulum' dance. Glen and the Guilotine, Dennis, Ray Sadowski emerging from his coffin, and John "Scott" Ward with the original Guillotine.
(from High School Year Book, Courtesy of Dennis Dunaway)

Nov 7th 1964 Ukranian Hall, Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Republic 23rd October article states The Earwigs and 'the Fair Ladies' will provide the entertainment for a "Bunny Hop" held by the St. Vincent de Paul's Men's and Women's Council.

Arizona Republic 23rd October 1964

Nov. 25th 1964 Vince, Dennis and John Speer take part in the Division Cross country Meet at Glendale High School

1965

Early 1965 Lisa Hawks Sweet Sixteen Party, Phoenix, AZ - Suggested as first paying gig (first gig in 'Me Alice')

Jan 14th 1965 Vince breaks his nose while running during track (actually after getting home following an event).

Jan 26th 1965 Earwigs arrive for a talent show at Washington Grade School but get date wrong

Feb 9th 1965 Talent show at Washington Grad School - The right day!.

(Mar 30th 1965 Talent show at Janice Buxton's school - Earwigs not allowed to play?)

Phoenix Track Results mentioning Speer and Dunaway.

April 30th 1965 Sears Dance Talent Competition, Chris-town Mall, Phoenix, AZ. The Earwigs came first. Dennis still has the trophy.
From "Chris-Town Retrospective": "I played a few battle of the bands against the Tubes and Alice Cooper in 1964 in The Court of Fountains. They had live music on the weekends. The bands would battle, and the one that won would get paid and play the next three weekends. Then another battle. Phoenix was great back then, it's all concrete now."
The Mall housed The Fox Theatre where Walace And Ladmo performed their "Wallace 'n Ladmo Saturday Morning Show." and also featured both a Kresge store AND a Woolworths store ("Cause they look just like humans at Kresges and Woolworths" - Generation Landslide).

The Earwings at Chris-Town Mall

Original running order for the Sears dance contest	The Earwigs in Phoenix 1965

May 1st 1965 Neal Smith and the Laser Beats are featured in the Phoenix Gazette [image]

May 7th 1965 The Earwigs reportedly come second in a talent show, AZ

(1965?) The Dunes Lounge in Phoenix, AZ. - First paying gig for The Earwigs according to Dennis

June 1965 Several Battle Of the Bands, Phoenix, AZ (see ??-64 Chris-Town Mall above)

June 1st 1965 Vilage Inn Pizza/Pub, Phoenix, AZ

The Earwigs also get to perform on the TV show 'Wallace and Ladmo' (Possibly called 'It's Wallace' on one of the occasions which was shown on KPHO). Also on the show was Wayne Newton. They play the show again later as The Spiders.

June 4th 1965 Dennis and Glen graduates from Cortez High School. (Date from certificate reproduced in 'Me and GB' book)

Aug 2nd 1965 Neal Smith and the Laser Beats play a show at 'Rhoads' store on East Camelback. [Advert]

Sept 1965 Laser Beats win "Clash of the Combos" organised by local radio station KRUX [Arizona Republic 18th September]

Unknown date - Stage 7 on 7th St., This club was run on Saturdays by Jack Curtis in the same building, Jaycee’s at 4133 N. 7th St., that would house The VIP. It closed in 1965 presumably to be replaced by The VIP.

The Spiders 1 - Furnier, Buxton, Dunaway, Speer, Tatum

Sept. 1965 VIP Lounge, (part of the Phoenix Jaycees Building), 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ

Sept 4th 1965 VIP club, Jaycees, Phoenix (Spiders support The Yardbirds - billboard shown in 'Behind The Music')

Sept 1965 'Why Don't You Love Me' (by The Blackwells)/'Hitchhike (by Marvin Gaye)' single released (Mascott 112)

Other possible shows at The Red Dog Au Go Go ("Red Dog a-Go-Go" or "Red Dog Saloon") in Scottsdale ('The Spiders' and 'The Pendletons' on "Red Dog Sunday Teen Night") and Merriweathers in Paradise Valley, AZ

Oct 1965 The Spiders audition for the Phoenix Star Theaters forthcoming production of 'Bye Bye Birdie' [Scotsdale Progress 28th October]

Nov 30th 1965 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ (w/The Rockin' Ramrods, Patti LaBelle and The Bluebells) - The Spiders have been said to have opened this show for The Rolling Stones, and by doing so were the first band ever to play the venue which had only opened on November 3rd. However it isn't true, although the whole band were in audience, as was everyone else in Phoenix!

"Glen and I got some cardboard guitar cases and showed up at the Phoenix Memorial Coliseum in the afternoon. We banged on the back door until someone finally opened it. We told the guy we were the Stones and he let us in. We ditched the cases and played it cool until they let the crowd in."
(Dennis Dunway, 2020)

Dec 11th 1965 Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ - Also playing were Neal Smith's Laser Beats. The Spiders perform at the Phoenix Art Museum as part of 'Teen-Age Day'. - confirmed by Dennis Dunway after a photo turned up on the museum website.[Photo Exists]

Top: The Laser Beats with Neal Smith (left) Bottom: The Laser Beats in San Pedro

Above and below: Neal with The Nightriders

Dec 17th 1965 Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ (w/ The Byrds) - AZ Republic December 17th 1965: "The Byrds, whose recordings of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" reached the No. 1 position in national popularity, will appear at a dance and show tonight at Memorial Coliseum. Also appearing will be four Phoenix combos with the affair running from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. Proceeds from the Byrds appearance will benefit the Phoenix Jaycees."
Eyewitnesses report of the Spiders playing with The Byrds at the Phoenix Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Dennis Dunaway confirms there were three shows with the Byrds in Arizona. John Tatum mentions the first was at the VIP club, and the second was the Coliseum. Dennis later confirmed the third was at the The Sunset Bowlerama in Tucson, AZ.
In 'Snakes, Guillotines" Dennis says "We were to do three nights opening for The Byrds at the VIP, then were to accompany them down to Tucson, and then back to the Phoenix Coliseum". MOst of that fits what we have but that makes FIVE Byrds shows! However he says "were" so did they all happen?
Strangely no Byrds info site seems to make any mention of Arizona shows... One site does show a random Phoenix show in February 1967, but this could be incorrect and relate to a 1966 show.
Note: We have long had these shows in February 1966, but it now seems more likely to be December 1965.

The Spiders first tour, opening for the Byrds at the VIP. (Dennis Dunaway, February 2013)

Alice suspended from Cortez for long hair the second time on the opening night. He was suspended until after the show finished when he had his hair cut. In 'Snakes, Guillotines' Dennis mentions that after each performance the band headed down to the VIP and played there as well!

Arizona Republic Advert	Front cover of the 'Bye Bye Birdie' Programme.

"I later quit the band to join with Bill Spooner who later founded the "Tubes", and Michael Bruce was the rhythm guitar player for Bill. Bill replaced Michael Bruce with me, and Michael then joined the"Spiders" who later became 'Alice Cooper'."
(John Tatum, January 2008)

"After the Byrds Shows is when I wanted to be in a band that had 3 part harmony. I was so impressed by the Byrds and this is when I quit the Spiders and joined a band that was amazing, but this band only stayed together for 3 months and the Spiders had Mike B by then and I was out. Oops my bad."
(John Tatum, March 2013)

"John Tatum was out, and these friends of mine, Joel and Mark Rumerfield said, “Hey, they’re auditioning guitar players why don’t you go down?” So, I drove down there, and I had this Willies jeep, got up there and did everything like The Yardbirds’ rave ups and all that stuff. I was a good rhythm guitar player but, I had this van that I could carry gear in, and guess what? I was in the band but they never really said, “You’re in the band,” they just said, 'We’ve got a gig, come get the gear.' So, that’s how it started."
(Michael Bruce, 2011)

Me, Alice:

John Tatum is living somewhere in California and has been for many years. He was in a band called "Avenue" about 10-15 years ago.
(Sickthing Mike, November 1997)

Would 'Don't Blow Your Mind' be the first Spiders original song?

Skip Ladd(2002): "This Mike guy said he worked for a while with Foster Casey (spelt 'Forster Cayce') down in Tucson, Arizona. There was a recording studio called Santa Cruz Records (it was 'Copper State Studios') that changed their name to Copperstate Recording Company. He said Foster Casey was wondering what to do with all these master tapes of the Spiders he had. Foster Casey said he didn't know if the Spiders wanted them to release them or not, so he hasn't. So if any of the guys were wondering where those tapes went to, Foster Casey has them at Copperstate."

Me, Alice:

"We've played at the 5th estate a couple of times in last few weeks. It's really keen. The guy that owns the place really digs us. He wants to play there steady. He also wants to send us to the Hullaballoo club in LA NEAT!!! but we can't decide whether we should stay at the VIP or go to 5th Estate. I think we should go to 5th Estate because the guy that wants us is a millionaire ad he also knows far more about the record business."

This one definitly happened.
"YES it did happen, and I was there. The Catholic Boys High School!. Our boys with the pre-CBS Black face Super reverbs with 4 10" JBL D-110's (Often blown and reconed at Nutone speaker reconing on 24th street!) in each did not get a particularly warm response. They gigged well tho, and I enjoyed the show. "
(Chuck Warriner, October 2003)

"By 5 Nov. 1966, Spiders had already opened for The Drifters, The Coasters, Dean of Jan And Dean, The Lovin' Spoonful, Bobby Fuller, The Hollies, Beau Brummels, The Mamas and The Papas, Peter And Gordon and a statewide tour with the Byrds"

Most of these shows were likely at the VIP club in Phoenix.

" It was cool talking to [David] Crosby at the club, and I asked him if he minded being the rhythm guitar player and he responded that he was very content to not play lead, and as I was the rhythm for the Spiders, this gave me more enthusiasm to be the rhythm and not the lead."
(John Tatum, February 2008)

"The Church referred to below was also the site of very theatrical shows by Oat Willie and the Dream Band newly renamed the BEANS (Bill Spooner and company, soon to be the TUBES) This band included Ed Black (RIP) who later played with Linda Ronstadt, and Roger Steen (who on the same day along with me alone walked out of our draft physicals as free men!) who was the master of guitar in the TUBES."
(Chuck Warriner, October 2003)

“At the Phoenix VIP will be the Next of Kin and the Spiders. The motley-looking Spiders, who could be called Mothers of Invention by their appearance, are all college students who hustle for playing jobs on the weekends. In the group are Glendale Community College students Vince Furneir, 19, harmonica; Glen Buxton, 19, lead guitar; Dennis Dunaway, 20, bass guitar; John Speer, 19, drums; and Phoenix College student Mike Bruce, 18, rhythm guitar.”
(Arizona Republic)

They played the VIP in Tucson, and Glen was ill. Skip Ladd was called to deputize for the show and tells the following story.

"..tagged along with the Spiders to a gig at a high school cafeteria once. It would have been just before [Neal] joined the band. There was a big promotion around the last time the Spiders were to play ever in Tucson. The Next week this "new hot band from Phoenix" showed up. The Nazz. I can't remember if you joined at that time or shortly afterwards. Anyway the night after the "last ever" performance by the Spiders they played again in Tucson, at Canyon Del Oro High School. In the cafeteria. "
(Facebook post to Neal Smith, 2011)

Me, Alice: First time in LA-easter Sunday (w/Iron Butterfly).

NOTE: On Easter Sunday, March 26th 1967 Iron Butterfly played a festival in *Elysium Park* in Los Angeles, not Griffiths Park, called the "Easter Sunday Love-In". The full bill is normally listed as "with The Daily Flash, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Clear Light, The Rainy Daze, The Factory, The Other Half, Flamin' Groovies, Steve Miller Blues Band, Sopwith Camel (canceled), West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, The Turtles, West Coast Branch, **The Nazz**, Grateful Dead, Kim Fowley, Smokestack Lightning, The Seventh Son, Firesign Theatre & New Generation, The Yerba Buena Blues Band". The mention of "The Nazz" is either not the same band (possible) or a mistake (also possible). Or it could suggest the band changed their name from The Spider's to The Nazz a few months earlier then we orignally thought.

The band meet Sgt. Garcia.

In the Spiders, they started getting more grungy and casual (like the Rolling Stones). It really wasn't until they went to Los Angeles that they started getting freaky. There is a very early picture of the Spiders in the Prime Cuts video.
(Renfield, March 1996)

Neal Smith on The Early Days and Movements:

Michael Bruce On The Early Days and Movements:

Phoenix VIP - "Spiders and the two winners of the state hitbound contest held last night. Got to be a grove with the freaky Spiders who look like refugees from the L.A. love-in."
[AZ Republic, 8th April 1967)

Search for Gallup high school's list just 'Gallup High School' actually IN Gallup. There are others in surrounding area though.

The Yardbirds had a song called "The Nazz Are Blue." It comes from that. The Yardbirds may have gotten it from a Lord Buckley reference. I'd say it's safe to say that Todd Rungren got the Nazz band name the same way AC did. As far as I know, Todd's Nazz did not have a hit at the time but were getting known by that name so the guys figured it would be smart to change the name to Alice Cooper to be on the safe side before it was too late.
(Renfield, July 1995)

One early song was called 'Everything is Orange' which "...was a song about getting high, according to Michael Bruce. They used to play it when they were the Nazz. He doesn't remember what it turned out to be or if it was used on "Easy Action" or "Pretties for You". There was another song called "Travel Agent", and another called "Mr. Machine" (which turned into "Woman Machine") that they used to play back then, and also, "Animal Pajamas", which turns up on "Ladies Man" as "Science Fiction" (he thinks).
(Jeff Jatras, November 1997)

Announcing "The Nazz"			The Nazz: Glen, Mike, John, Dennis, Vince (kneeling)

Band meet Merry Cornwall, a booker for the Cheetah Club (?) after the second night, broke, and having to go home to Phoenix the next day.
The band stay with Sgt Garcia's front room in lower LA

"I was in a group called the Rainmakers; we had a week-long gig here, and after the second or third night, our guitar player got sick and couldn't do it. I had met Vincent Furnier outside the club here, and he was a real nice guy. At the last minute, I called up Vince, and his band the Nazz filled in for us. (Furnier and the Nazz would both later change their names to Alice Cooper.) The big break for them was, they met the booker of the Cheetah Club down in Venice, who fell in love with them, and that's where they took up residency, and then they met (manager) Shep Gordon."
(From 'Sunset Strip As Memory Lane" by S.L. Duff)

Bob Roberts (Dick's boyfriend) house on Doheny off of Santa Monica Blvb. and Sunset (MB int.)
Bob Roberts lived just off Sunset Boulevard on Wetherlee Drive, Not far from the Whisky-A-Go-Go. (Me Alice)

Alice has his first beer (Me Alice)

"The opening band for Sunday's matinee was listed as The Nazz — a new and upcoming band from back east, or so I originally thought, who I had never heard but knew by name through magazine blurbs. Yet when they took the stage something immediately seemed wrong and I was confused. The Nazz I knew from photos sported what in 1967 seemed like outdated moptop haircuts ala The Beatles. But this Nazz who were opening for The Doors looked completely different; they all had shoulder length hair and at least one of them was wearing what looked like a Sgt. Pepper-type outfit — overall much more hippie/bohemian and unruly than the comparatively tame and Beatles-looking Todd Rundren-led Nazz I'd read about. I pretty quickly made up my mind that this was a different band using the same name. Musically speaking, they were pretty raucous and animated but seemed generic and derivative, at least to my young ears who really just wanted to hear The Doors. "
(Michael Kelley, A Tale From The Cheetah)

Pink Floyd dates:
November 1967
4th - Winterland, San Francisco, California (all scheduled U.S. appearances prior to this one were canceled)
5th - The Cheetah Club, Santa Monica, California (two shows) - John Speer apparently recalls the band "partying" with the Floyd after the Cheetah shows
9th - Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, California
10th - Winterland, San Francisco, California
11th - Winterland, San Francisco, California

So it would be likely they stayed with them from/around 5th Nov 1967 which is pretty much what we figured before.
MB book mentions Piper album so this would be it. Also mentions Sherry Cottle got them to play the Cheetah. MB mentions Alice playing after eating Hash Brownies and that Speer left directly after this so it all fits.

At the GBMW, John Speer said that he did not leave the band voluntarily at all, but he would not say any more than that. However in the DD book Dennis recalls Speer threatening to quit just minutes before they were going to fire him anyway.

"John Speer came to a show a couple of years ago and had a great time."
(Renfield, November 1997)

"I believe in the 'Me, Alice' book that it was Glen that really wanted Neal in the band. Neal auditioned against one other drummer. I think Alice thought Neal was a bit stuck up but knocked everyone out with his playing by walking in and doing a simple military styled drumming. "
(Renfield, October 1997)

"I always thought Neal Smith was a jerk. I first saw him as a Battle of the Bands in Phoenix when he was the drummer in a rival band, the Surf Tones. Every group in that particular Battle of the Bands agreed to pool their equipment so each band wouldn't have to reset the stage after each set and lose the attention of the parking lot audiences. Neal Smith was the only musician there who was against it. He made all the musicians disassemble their equipment so he could set his drum kit on risers. Then in the middle of a sixteen-minute version of "Wipe Out," he did a fourteen minute drum solo."
(Me Alice)(DD Book also tells this exact story)

Denis Dunaway, in his book (pg 67), relates the story of Neal joining the band. The Nazz apparantly went out into the Phoenix desert (they had returned home briefly) where they knew of a power outlet on a telephone pole (?!!?). John Speer didn't want to go but Neal did and so they went out and jammed in the desert. It went well and they repeated the senario more then once. Locals heard about it and started to show up to listen.
The Nazz were having problems with Speer already and on their return to LA Neal was an obvious replacement, as they already knew him and had played with him. AND he was already living in their house!

Skip Ladd: "The Phoenix Love In's were sponsored by the Phoenix Parks & Recreations Department and were held at the Phoenix Bandshell in Encanto park. Neal Smith was the Master Of Ceremonies for a couple of them. "

"Tonight, Tomorrow and Sunday night The Nazz, a former Phoenix group now playing at the Cheetah in Los Angeles, and two local groups, the Twentieth Century Zoo and the Fold, will play at the Mad Hatter grand opening."
(Scotsdale Progress article on 5th January about the opening of the club)

An eye witness claims The Nazz were getting $750 a night and that they played the night the club closed which was February 28th 1968 (due to breaking their licence - various reports in Scottsdale Daily Progress).

Janice Buxton: "But I have that picture of Glen with the pink guitar. My dad took the picture when the boys came back from LA one time and played at JD's. It was a club owned by Waylon Jennings in Tempe, AZ. If I remember correctly"
A photo exists showing Alice Cooper on the JDs billboard. The venue was refubished in June 1968 and presumably the sign was updated as well signifying that the band played later in the year.

Jack Curtis opened this club in Dec 1967: "Teen Gazette" article from Saturday, Nov. 18, 1967, "the opening of Jack Curtis' new teen club Beau Brummel's was scheduled "for the end of this month." It was formerly the Wax Museum.

"Great scene there with Mike Smith helping to make Mill Ave the cultural Epicenter of the Arizona scene. This was the first time I remember laying eyes on Neal Smith. BUT NOTE! They were calling themselves Alice Cooper there and then. It was big weird news and confused all of us. I think they were practising some of the 'Pretties for You' songs" (Chuck Warriner, October 2003)

"We played Fri, Sat, + Sun. at the Flying Jib" which was in Redondo Beach, CA

"I actually have excellent documentation of when they became "Alice Cooper." I have a concert poster for a show in Santa Barbara, CA for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The opening act is listed as The Nazz. However, between the time the poster was printed and the time the concert began, the Nazz had decided to become Alice Cooper and were introduced for the first time at that show as such. I don't have the poster in front of me and as psycho as I am, cannot recall the exact date. I'll try to check it when I am in poster mode. "
(Renfield, July 1995)

Michael Bruce Letter (Duels Stationary):

AZ Republic 5th April: "Alice Cooper, formerly known as the Nazz, who used to be called the Spiders, will be playing for the grand opening this weekend at Alice Cooper's, which used to be Beau Brummel's before owner Jack Curtis renamed the teen club"
There is a "Teen Gazette" article dated Saturday, April 6, 1968, that is headlined "New Club 'Alice Cooper' Meets Valley Teens". - "Alice Cooper loves you! You'll love Alice Cooper. The Valley's newest teen night club opened last night with Alice Cooper, formerly the Nazz, namesake of the club. Tonight, the second night of the club's grand opening weekend features Alice Cooper, Thirst and Art Willy. Alice Cooper's entire interior color scheme is done in Alice's favorite color -- pink. (Alice the group, that is.)
"The building, located at 5555 E. Van Buren was completely redecorated, including wood paneling on the walls and pink crepe-like material draped from the ceiling of the lobby.
With this combination, Alice Cooper is a sure winner."
"A free record hop will culminate the week at 8pm at Alice Cooper (formally Beau Brummel's) teen club, 5555 E. Van Buren. The Dance will feature four radio personalities and two local bands, Motion and The Bridge." - Arizona Republic April 13th 1968.

Michael Bruce Letter(AC Headed Stationary):

First Cheetah show after changing name according to (Kurt's) research.

Said to have opened for the Doors on numerous occasions however I can find no reference to The Doors playing The Cheetah after 1967. They did play the Kaleidoscope in March and April and again in July.

Me Alice: "Miss Christine was practically his social secretary, and after much begging and cajoling she promised me an audience with Frank. One night Miss Christine took me to a party and Zappa was there sitting on a sofa drinking wine, his mustache bigger than life"

Me Alice: "I asked if he would come hear us at the Cheetah, but he put me off saying he was too busy, but I didn't take no for an answer. As the party went on and he got drunker, I got more insistent. Finally he said, "All right. Come by in the morning and I'll listen. I suppose he meant we should bring a tape, or maybe he forgot the next day was Sunday. Miss Christine let us into his house at the break of dawn, and we set up our equipment and lights in his basement and started playing. Zappa came rushing downstairs, naked, holding his ears. "All right, all right," he shouted, his cock swinging back and forth as he shook his head, "I'll sign you! I'll sign you! Just stop playing!"
Zappa wasn't kidding. Just like that, out of the clear blue sky, he told us to come to his office on Monday and talk to his business manager, Herbie Cohen. Cohen offered us a six-thousand-dollar advance for our first three record albums to be released on Zappa's newly formed Straight-Bizarre label distributed by Warner Brothers"

Me Alice: Zappa was 'chomping at the bit' to sign the band but they stalled for two weeks until Shep and Joey could see them at the Brucemas gig.

Dennis Dunaway: "I recall playing in the hallway outside his bedroom door. We woke him up with loud music. He made us wait until he got a big mug of black coffee and then he listened and he liked us. I remember his office being in a dinky bedroom off the same hallway. He asked if we had a manager, and when we said no, he said we needed to find one before he went on tour in 3 days. He said if we couldn't find one by then, we might be able to use his manager Herbie Cohen, but he would rather reserve all of Herbie's attention for the Mothers.
AC, MB, and NS recall us auditioning in the basement garage. When you walked down the wooden stairs to that garage, at the bottom of the stairs to the right, sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, was the Beardsley painting that, unknown to us at the time, would become our album cover. It had Moon Unit's baby hand prints on it - grape jelly I was told. To the left was a lavender Hammond Organ, with Leslie cabinets. The rest of the room was piled shoulder high with the Mother's equipment. There was a walking path only - no room for us to set up and audition. The path led to a bed where Frank made phone calls and wrote ideas down. No chairs or anything so we all stood around the bed to talk."

A diary entry for 11th July by Zappa's PA Pauline Butcher suggests the date of the audition was July 12th:
"Lots of people at the house [The "party" Alice mentions in Me, Alice?]. Alice Cooper and crowd. Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful walked in. PamZ nearly flipped. Frank agreed to audition Alice Cooper the next day, July 12th."

And here's the relevent passage from her book "Freak Out, My Life With Frank Zappa":

Zappa artist Cal Schenkel took photos of the band lounging around on the car port right after the audition which he posted to Facebook in 2014.

According to Joe Greenberg: “The day I met Cindy she told me that her brother was in a band looking for a Manager. I immediately told her that Shep and I were the West Coast Managers of "The Left Banke". Cindy took that information to the band and the meeting was set!"
Three days later Shep and Joey Greenburg meet the band at the Landmark Hotel. Shep says "the next time you get a job, I want to see you".

Dennis recalls they actually first met Joe and Shep in their rehearsal room in Topanga. Cindy brought Joe and Shep over after they picked her up at 'Inside Outside'.

Several different stories have been told over the years by Alice and Shep about how they first met including versions featuring Jimi Hendrix, but everyone else involved confirms the events above.

Maybe Zappa offered the contract in mid July (after audition). Contracts were drawn up in September (by Herb Cohens Attorney brother Martin "Mutt" Cohen by the looks of it) but then they realised they needed parental signatures as the band were under age. This would take another few weeks to sort out (if attorneys work as fast as they do nowadays) which would get us to maybe End July 1968/beginning of Aug.

These new contracts would possibly be reasoned to be a formality as everyone was in approval, so MB refers to them having been signed by Zappa despite the full legal process not having been completed. In a letter(3) he says:

This mention of the weekend of the 29th places the letter in June 1968 or Sept 1968 as the 29th is only at the weekend during that month in the time period we have. The fact that this was written by Michael at the time to his family means it's unlikely he'd get the date wrong. He's going home! New Information placing the Audition in July would suggest the letter is September.

The Left Banke were one of the bands MB(in book) and Alice (in Me ,Alice) say were already managed by Shep so for them to be on the tour would sound likely. Unfortunately I can't find one tour date for this band at all! In Dennis' book he suggests their claim was untrue.

Alive (Shep/Joey) are also the US representatives for Pink Floyd and West Coast reps for Left Banke and Blueberry Jam according to 1968 documentation (press release or letter) but this could be hype. Other sources including 'Supermench, the Legend of Shep Gordon' say Shep and Joey only managed Floyd for 9 days!

LA Free Press review of the Bastille Day Bash:
"Inside the Cheetah, which has been stripped of most of that obnoxious sheet metal which made one feel like the inside of a garbage can (Bob Gibson just kept enough to help the strobe lights along), a series of groups also played. Black Pearl, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, the BFD Blues Band (is it this group which accidentally took the PG & E Fender amplifier?), and a show stopping group called 'Alice Cooper.'"
"People have been asking: When is it going to happen again? Well, we can't give definite dates yet but John Carpenter is already at work lining up groups for another Free Press sponsored free party at the Cheetah to be held in August close to Lenny Bruce's birthday. It's going to be called Brucemas!!"

Alice seems to confuse this show and the Lenny Bruce show, combining them in retelling the story. Shep also mentions he first saw Alice at Brucemas but we now have a date for that show and it's certain that Shep saw them before it. The description of this show points to this being the one.
Possibly first time Zappa saw them live as well (MB book).
Me Alice: Outside (the Cheetah) on the pier, Five big name bands including the Doors were playing to 10,000 people on the beach.
Me Alice implies that Zappa had already seen them before this show but could be referring to the basement audition.

This is only time The Mothers appear to have been at the Whisky in the time period inferred (They did play a month earlier between June 28th and 30th) however Bruce says 'Gigs' plural so there may have either been two shows or more.) Going by the MB letter dated Aug 4th, Zappa recorded the bands performance. Zappa was famous for recording EVERYTHING.
This performances is likely to be the source of 'Live at the Whisky A-Go-Go 1969' album. Alive press release 1968 says Whiskey recording was July 1968.

"Yesterday we opened the Newport festival. We were the first group of about 30 groups that day. We talked to Frank Zappa last week at Sunset Sound and heard the tapes of the Whisky show. He said we'll be going into the studio at the end of Aug. and into Sept. Our album will break with the whole Bizarre prod. big push."

Skip Ladd: "Here was my invitation to the annual Levity Ball, but the band never played for it. "
Skip also reports that the band sent him a tape to play at the event. Could this be 'Live at The Whisky' or 'Levity Ball' from 'Pretties For You'?
A Statement was read out to apologise for their non-appearance.

The Aug 3rd 1968 issue of the LA Free Press has an advert for the show (the paper was the promoter), but it doesn't say who will be playing. There is then a review in the Aug 23rd 1968 issue and although it doesn't mention Alice Cooper specifically I think there's enough mentions of the show by the band members and Shep over the last 30 years that it's unlikely they didn't play it.
Where Shep first saw the band.
NOTE: Lenny Bruce was born 13th October 1925. He died in Aug 3rd 1966

Gig Cooper gig takes place inside the Cheetah AFTER the Brucemas performnces on Venice Beach under the Peir the Cheetach is on. Video footage (not of Alice Cooper) exists and can be seen currently at YoVenice with some background info. Estimated 30,000 turned up for the show outdoor show.

Could be that pic in MB book is a copy of the original made before Herb Cohen (Zappa man) signed it.
The document states that the approval of the 'minors contract' will be heard anytime after this date. Having read it through, it appears that this isn't the ACTUAL contract, but we can assume that the court hearing approved the contract as the deal went ahead.
A later contract states that the original Straight contract was agreed by the court on the 17th September 1968. It also infers that the original contract was for one album.

From MC5 timeline:

SUMMER ~ Following the rupture of the contract with Elektra: Danny Fields (Elektra Records) informs J.Sinclair that Jerry Wexler (Atlantic Records) is interested in signing the MC-5 as of their disengagement with Elektra. Sinclair goes back to New York where he meets Fields and Wexler. They quickly find an arrangement which gives to the MC-5 the total control of their recording, production, plus a money advance. Sinclair returns to Ann Arbor in time to face trial with Fred Smith for the assault charges from Oakland County July 23, 1968. He is acquitted but spends the night in jail. The following day he flies to Philadelphia where the MC-5 play with Alice Cooper (100 people attending.)

The Trial appears to have ended on Oct 10th (Trial Transcripts).

Me, Alice: "Shep and Joey finally got us a job, which was a small miracle in its own way. They knew nothing at all about rock and roll. They were learning as they went along, and not quickly either. This first booking was at an army base in Denver. As much as Shep swears he did not get the idea out of Gypsy, he billed us as “Alice Cooper and the Hollywood Blondes.” He actually hired four topless go-go dancers from a strip joint to go out to Denver with us and dance on either side of the stage.
I couldn’t believe Shep and Joey would subject us to the kind of reaction we knew we’d provoke at an army base. We were seething. Shep thought the topless go-go dancers would balance out the show; if the army guys hated us they’d still have tits and ass to look at. I was so drunk when we got to Denver I couldn’t even stand straight. After two minutes of playing the army guys were on their feet shouting, “Stop it! You stink! Go Home!” and I yelled, “What do you want from me? What do you want from my life?” hanging on my microphone stand for support."

Quote from website:
"The first concert Bob took several friends and myself to see was Alice Cooper at a ballroom at S.U.N.Y. Buffalo for 75 cents." Unfortunatly the writer goes on to mention "raccoon markings around his eyes... Alice guillotined himself, waved his pet python around and for an encore poured chicken feathers on the audience." only the last of which was likely in 1968.

"We are all just about finished with the album. It's will be a double fold-out with about 12 songs available in January. It is really strange to know that our record is going to be out. Bizarre expects to sell 100,000 on first release....we are playing at the Shrine on Dec. 5 & 6 with the mothers then three nights at the Whiskey. We'll probably be playing in Albque sometime after Jan."

A news/promo report states: "The band was introduced by Zappa (to the press) at a Bizarre Records concert in early December on the Shrine Auditorium in L.A."

Neal talks about the finale being a song called Animal Pyjamas?
MB Book suggests they played a second week of shows with Buddy Miles headlining after Zeppelin went down with Hong Kong Flu
"According to Alice Cooper, the two unknown bands flipped a coin the first night to see who would go on first. Jimmy Page does not remember that specifically, but agreed that such decisions were often decided this casually between bands."
(ChickenOnAUnicycle)

Me, Alice:
"We played Salt Lake City for $700, The University of Boulder for $1,000, The Black Dome in Cincinnati for $1,250, and Vancouver, British Columbia, in March for $1,500, where we saw the first copy of Pretties For You with an Ed Beardsley painting on the cover sealed in plastic."
NOTE: They played the Black Dome, Salt Lake City, and the University of Denver, in May so its possible, even likely, Me, Alice has its time frame wrong.

"Hello, again, I meant to write sooner but we've had many things to do. Last night we got some new equipment for the amps that were stolen with our truck. We are getting some new clothes and some props that we'll be using on stage.
During Feb 7th we are going to be in Denver with Iron Butterfly and Steve Miller. Then from there we are going to Aspen, Colo from the ninth to sixteenth, then back to the Whiskey (sic) with Blue Cheer. I hope we'll be coming to Albque in March or April. We have just signed with Creative Management Ass. who hand the "Cream" and "Jimi" and all the stars like Alice Cooper. They're sending us on a tour of twelve cities"

MB Letter: "I hope we'll be coming to Albque in March or April. We have just signed with Creative Management Ass. who handle the "Cream" and "Jimi" and all the stars like Alice Cooper. They're sending us on a tour of twelve cities"

LA Free Press February 14th 1969

'Me, Alice' claims that this is where they first saw a copy of 'Pretties For You', but the boxset lists the release as June.

Pop Scene: "Alice Cooper, (a group) however, proved to be little more interesting than sitting in on a jam session in an insane asylum. Light show excepted, these freaks pranced and skipped around the stage like the house band at a spastic reunion, playing with all the finesse of a kindergarten percussion group. The most interesting part of their act was trying to figure out if Alice Cooper was a girl, boy or neuter."

Review in the Vancouver Sun April 19th mentions that "their first album will be out next week [] But unless their record company can figure out a way to shrink-package a guy called Charlie Carnel with every album, it won't be a big hit."

"The venue was an old mill up in the mountains from Salt Lake City. Its secluded location allowed freedom to party hearty. Someone in the crowd requested "Season of The Witch" and we played a lengthy version of it. It was the only time we ever played that song."
[Dennis Dunaway, 2023]

"Well, here we are back east in Cincinnati... We've been to Canada, Denver, Phx, and next New York...Write to me c/o Shep Gordon 7097 Franklin, Ave, Hollywood. Don't fail or I'll come there directly after New York and Chicago."

"We couldn't find anywhere to live," he remembered. "This was back in 1968 and the band was basically thrown out of Los Angeles. We said, 'How about Cincinnati?' Now, picture how we must have looked like then. Somebody rented us a house down by the university."
But, Alice explains, the young rockers were scammed. The person who rented them the house didn't own it.
"All summer we fixed this house up. Fall comes and all the fraternity brothers show up. We had been rented a frat house and all these big frat guys show up and toss us out."

May 1969... Arizona State Fairgrounds is where the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum is located. Alice Cooper opened the concert for Iron Butterfly.
Iron Butterfly was considered a very HEAVY band, remember this was before Led Zeppelin and around the time of the initial exposure to Black Sabbath. Many people have trivialized Iron Butterfly as being pop or bubblegum. If one is studying history, one does not see it unfold as it happened, but as it has been interpreted. Iron Butterfly displayed heavy like a 30 pound sledge striking a red hot anvil that night. They had to because they were following a wild,loudand animated Alice Cooper!
The band had gone from scruffy high school kids playing covers of the Rolling Stones and Kinks, to a professional outfitwith actual costumes and a real stage show.
Glen showed me a Gibson SG guitar and it had been repainted a wild candy apply turquoise. Further he broke up amirror andglued those reflective pieces to the guitar. This made it sparkle and shoot light like a disco ball. There was slight talk about him getting cuts from the sharp edges. On reflection I understand better now, just how innovative and forward thinking those friends of my youth were. This was long before GLAM. Let nobody say they were not smarter than the average bear. Personally, I think this hipness was a by product of years of exposure to Wallace and Ladmo. The Tubes were friends and contemporaries and alsoorganized elaborate and outrageous stage shows. Maybe it was something in the water from the Salt River,because this was not what every band was achieving in 1966-1970.
On a personal note, These guys were genuine and friendly. They treated everybody with humanity and respect. They were nice people. I am glad to have been there to know them and watch their rise from obscurity to the legends they are now. They took the risk and starved in L.A. as so many have done. They lived their dream. They deserve the immortality which they now own.
(Chuck "Tangerine" Warriner, August 2010)

"Alice Cooper, Straight Record's five-member, all-male group are set to begin a cross-country tour starting June 3rd and continuing until the beginning of July"