Carol Kaye (born March 24, 1935) is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career.
As a session musician, Kaye was the bassist on many Phil Spector and Brian Wilson productions in the 1960s and 1970s. She played guitar on Ritchie Valens‘ “La Bamba” and is credited with the bass tracks on several Simon & Garfunkel hits and many film scores by Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifrin. Among her most often cited work Kaye anchored the Beach Boys‘ album Pet Sounds. – Wikipedia
This is the trailer for a proposed documentary on Kaye.
Via The Presurfer
Bo sells a t-shirt that says “Eat More Kale” from his home in rural Vermont. Titanic chicken sandwich chain Chick-Fil-A claims that this shirt infringes on their trademark for the slogan “Eat Mor (sic) Chikin’ (sic).” They’ve demanded that Bo shut down and turn over his website to them. Rather than capitulate, Bo is making a defiant documentary about his refusal, and he’s raising funds on Kickstarter.
Of course, I might not win — the odds are against me. All over the country ‘trademark bullies,’ large corporations that bully small businesses over alleged claims of trademark infringement, are legally harassing small businesses and wearing them down with repeated lawsuits and appeals. In the face of overwhelming legal bills, most small businesses just give up.
This is more than just plain wrong: it’s un-American.
By helping make this documentary I want to shine a light on this issue, my battle, and other trademark bullies, too. If I win, it’s a great story; if I lose, it’s a sad story. Either way, Jim and I think it’s a story worth telling.
It seems to me that there shouldn’t be any valid trademark claim here. Leaving aside the spelling issue, the graphic presentation of “Eat More Kale” is very different from “Eat mor chikin.” The phrase “Eat more,” is pretty generic, and is unlikely to result in confusion. I’m not a lawyer, but I’m inclined to think that if Bo can stay in the fight long enough — that is, if they don’t outspend him into oblivion — he stands a chance of winning.
Update: They’ve exceeded their goal of $75,000 and the film will be made.
A Defiant Dude by James Lantz and Eat More Kale guy — Kickstarter
Via Boing Boing and jimlantz3005
You may be surprised to learn that some people are pretty unhappy about this.
“The use of images of the violently anti-Semitic dictator who was responsible for the mass murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust to sell shampoo is a disgusting and deplorable marketing ploy,” said Anti-Defamation League director Abe Foxman. “There can never be any justifiable purpose for using the images of Hitler, Nazis or any other depiction of the Nazi killing machine to sell products or services.”
Unless, of course, you’re selling awful ad ideas.
Via The Daily What
P.P. Arnold was one of the Ikettes, the backing singers for the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in the 60s, but after a visit to London, Mick Jagger, impressed by her powerful voice and stunning beauty—who wouldn’t be???—connected her with Andrew Loog Oldham, who signed her to his Immediate Records label, alongside acts like the Small Faces, Chris Farlowe (recognize that one?) and pre-Velvet Underground Nico (who was then recording songs Dylan had written for her with session musicians like Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones). The Small Faces backed Arnold on several of her hits, including this one, “If You Think You’re Groovy,” which was written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane:
P.P. Arnold appears alongside the Small Faces for “Tin Soldier” on Flemish television from 1968:
P.P. Arnold has been firmly entrenched in my “rock goddess” pantheon for years and years. It was super annoying to see Roger Waters right up front at Madison Square Garden a few years ago, only to find out that PP Arnold was one of the back-up singers—she even had a featured number—and I didn’t even know it for a couple of days after the fact!
“Something Beautiful Happened” (my top favorite P.P. Arnold track, audio only)
P.P. Arnold: “Life is But Nothing” (60s music video)
Via Dangerous Minds
When I was a kid I’d always see comedy albums by Nichols and May
In the landscape of 1960s comedy, Mike Nichols and Elaine May were quite unique. They were more “sit down” comics than stand-ups, and their sophisticated dark satire was more about motivation, psychological set-up—and torture, usually directed at the male characters—than of going for easy laughs and gags. Which is why, of course, the comedy recordings of Nichols and May are still so highly regarded today. All comedy snobs will eventually discover the genius of Nichols and May. It’s the canon!
In this black and white kinescope of Nichols and May doing their classic “$65 Funeral” skit on the Jack Paar Show, we get a rare glimpse of their particular chemistry and comic magic as they take on an industry that was then very much in the news due to Jessica Mitford’s best-selling book, The American Way of Death
Writer and comedian Peter Bergman, best known as a member of the surrealist troupe The Firesign Theater, died last night of complications from leukemia. He was 72.
Here is a selection of classic, short bits Peter did with Firesign Theatre:
Louis Marshman Editorial: [MP3]
Shoes for Industry: [MP3]
Giant Toad Supermarket: [MP3]
Mr. Liverface: [MP3]
Rock or Roll Memory Bank: [MP3]
(Image: Firesign, in 1971. Thanks, Taylor Jessen)
Via Boing Boing
Actually, pardner, you can trot right out and get you a Daddle right now:
The Daddle from riding supply company Cashel is a soft Western style saddle that is made to strap on the backs of daddies so they can give their small children horsey-back rides in style. Daddle up, Daddies!
Via Laughing Squid
Here’s a delightful story about an elderly gentleman named Anthony Pisano, his whimsical knickknacks and collectibles, and his beloved cat. There aren’t enough Anthony Pisano’s in the world if you ask me.
From the Vimeo description:
On an unseasonably warm November night in Manhattan on our way to get ice cream, we stumbled upon what appeared to be a vintage shop, brightly lit display window and all. As we began to walk in, a man sitting out front warned us that we were welcome to explore, but nothing inside was for sale. Our interests piqued, we began to browse through the collections the man out front had built throughout his life. This is a story of a man and his home.
Via Dangerous Minds and Laughing Squid
The 1955 Hudson 