Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the Che Underground blogging adventure has been the opportunity not only to revive longstanding friendships but to revisit old acquaintances and find new kinship there.
Case in point: Ray Brandes, the vastly talented veteran of the Hedgehogs, the Mystery Machine, the Tell-Tale Hearts, the Town Criers, the Shambles and a variety of superb solo projects, who celebrates another solar orbit today.
Ray and I weren’t what you’d call “close” as angry young men in the early ’80s. Since starting this blog, however, his beautiful writing, wit, wisdom, historical knowledge and diplomacy have rendered his friendship precious to me.
Happy birthday, Ray, and thanks for the do-over!
Music history from Ray Brandes:
- ‘Sweet Kisses from Mommy’: An introduction to an old friend
- The Mystery Machine in motion!
- ‘You’re way on top now’: Gary Heffern meets Iggy Pop
- Tell-Tale Hearts take on New Colony Six!
- The train keeps a-rollin’: The story of the Nashville Ramblers
- Hallelujah! The story of Glory
- The Tokyos over San Diego
- The Hitmakers’ hit that never was
- Sensational: The All Bitchin’ All Stud All Stars and the roots of Country Dick Montana
- The Penetrators: Walking the Beat
- Dream Sequence: The history of the Unknowns
- Let the Good Times Roll: The untold history of the Crawdaddys
- The Zeros: I Don’t Wanna Be a Hero, I Just Wanna Be a Zero
- Lend Me Your Comb: A short history of the Hedgehogs
Music and culture by Ray Brandes:
- Remember Walking in the Sand? Sunscreen, lemonade and summer radio
- No Particular Place to Go: Four-wheeled memories
- Everybody Is a Star: The ideal supergroup
- Radio days
- “Puberty Principle”: First sonic crushes
- Helter Skelter: Tate-LaBianca at 40
- Guess who’s coming to dinner?
- My favorite things: What are you listening to?
- Footloose: Rockin’ the ’80s
- “I don’t get it”
- Me and my monkey: Guilty pleasures
- Man-eaters and mad crushes
- Our Lady of Chula Vista
- You Never Give Me Your Money: IOUs and the Che Underground
Someone dropped a zoo! haha. Too bad we can’t have a Farrell’s Che Reunion. Wouldn’t that be fun? -- with our kids!
Have a very happy birthday Ray. It’s been neat getting to know you as an adult.
Happy birthday, Ray!
Yes, group vacation to the Hawaii Farrell’s. We can celebrate with kazoos and fire sirens!
Happy birthday my prolific friend.
Damn. Yes. Cool.
Glad you made it this far, Ray -- and many happy returns.
The Brandes/Rothenberg axis which seems so natural, now on this blog, would have startled a 19-year-old Jerry. With age, let us all hope we grow as much out of ourselves, as one does in to one’s self.
Happy Birthday Ray!!!
Thank you, Matthew and everyone else! This post was the best present I received today.
>> With age, let us all hope we grow as much out of ourselves, as one does in to one’s self.
Eloquently and cleverly stated, Jeremiah.
Just like the Farrell’s staff singing “Happy Birthday” without a visit from ASCAP lawyers, Dave’s flyer promising a “lighted candle and all” clearly predates these litigious times.
When we first moved to New Jersey, a big treat for our homesick daughter became regular visits to the Rainforest Cafe at the Menlo Park Mall in Edison, NJ. (More proof that parenthood involves compromise!)
And a highlight of the Rainforest Cafe experience was “the Volcano,” a hot fudge/ice cream/chocolate cake concoction topped with a lighted sparkler. The wait staff would run out while the sparkler sizzled, yelling “Volcano!” as if Mount Vesuvius were erupting right there in the restaurant. Quite pyrotechnic and satisfying for a young kid.
Apparently this was at odds with fire-safety laws, however. One day, the sparkler atop the Volcano was replaced with a tinsel pom-pom on a stick, rendering all the running and shouting completely pointless, except as conceptual art.
Ray: I wish you real sparks in the coming year, whatever the fire department says! 🙂
Harry B-day man!
Geez, why is it these things seem to come every year?
Happy Birthday, Ray!
On these occasions, I often recall
“…but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now…”
looks like a day late, but happy birthday, Ray!
I’m late to say it, too, but Happy Birthday, Ray! I’m glad you were born. Right around the time I found this site, I happened to pick up at my local record store 2 Brandes CDs. It’s been a pleasure hearing your music again and chatting with you a little here after all these years.
Happy B-Day Ray
Not sure if yours is the 19th or 20th?
My twin boys turned 10 on the 19th. What a great day we had and man are my kids cool.
So are you Ray