By Friday (63.61.181.249 - 63.61.181.249) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 01:33 am:

Ralph,in a unrelated topic,when will the Tigers regain their 84 championship form?

By HW (68.37.217.106 - 68.37.217.106) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 02:05 am:

My first trip to Detroit was as a young boy when I saw the Tigers play a doubleheader vs. the Red Sox in 1968. They were known that year for coming from behind in games to win and they won both in their last at-bat. Later that year they won the World Series by coming from behind. Although I am a NY sports fan I have a Tigers bobblehead doll to remind me of my fondness for the city of Detroit.

That said, the Tigers are a long way off from getting back to championship form.

By Friday (63.61.181.204 - 63.61.181.204) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 02:32 am:

Harry,that was great!I remember seeing those bobblehead dolls.I think I might of even had one.

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 02:41 am:

Friday,
I don't know what to say about the Tigers. Even though I've lived on the West Coast for 25 years, I still consider myself a Detroiter and naturally a Tiger fan. However, I'm at a loss here. I just heard on yesterday's news that the Tigers have won 5 straight. that's great but the last time I looked they were something like 23 games out. Ya Gotta love the Wings though.

On HBO tomorrow night is a special on the 68 Tigers and how they helped heal a fractured Detroit, post 1967 riots. Should be quite interesting.

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 04:37 am:

Has anyone seen a 1960's 45 by some of The Tigers players? I think it was released on the Oncore label, but I can't recall the title.
Graham

By Friday (63.61.181.54 - 63.61.181.54) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 04:37 am:

Ralph,I wasn't aware you were elsewere.Regarding those 68 Tigers,I remember hearing stories that possibly,because of the riots,something was maybe arranged for them to win bringing a different spirit to the city of Detroit.I hope that wasn't the case.That was a great team.Yes,the Wings are very strong.It's very possible they can win another one next year.I'm going to try to check out that HBO special.Thanks for that information.

By Pgunn (12.233.165.71 - 12.233.165.71) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 04:43 am:

Jeez, Tiger fans should settle for the '71 championship form. They need a good team quickly to help recoup the cost of building Comerica Park!
Ouch!!

By M.McLeanTech (64.236.243.243 - 64.236.243.243) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 05:38 am:

I went to my first Tiger game at Briggs Stadium in 1948. At that time, I was deep into first run episodes on radio of "The Lone Ranger," "Sargent Preston of the Yukon," "The Shadow," and "Suspense!" It was at about this time that I first learned of the fact that one could purchase a television set, which was like a radio, except that it had moving pictures in addition to sound.

Also, at that time, my parents were in the habit of going to the movies on thursday nights. We often would drive all the way down Grand River to the Victory Theatre, a few blocks northwest of West Grand Blvd. because it was a nice comfortable place. I saw "Red River" with John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, and Rock Hudson as an indian chief, first run at the Victory on such an occasion. I can still picture the scene. For some reason, that film made a very strong impression on me. In those days, the Victory was a very nice clean place, and the neighborhood was perfectly safe.

All I can remember about the Tiger game is that Hal Newhauser was a member of the team, and that the man with the big metal steamer hung over his shoulder sold the most wonderful hot dogs that I had ever tasted!

While all this was going on, Doctors Shockley and Bardeen were inventing the transistor in the old Bell Telephone Labs on West Street in Greenwich Village in New York City. Twenty six years later, in 1974, I was working at Gotham Audio Corporation on Greenwich Street, a couple of blocks from the old Bell Labs building on West Street, which had been converted to condos.

At Gotham, I ran the service lab where we did all the repair on the Neumann microphones. I repaired hundreds of the things: U47, U49, M49, M50, KM56, SM2, U64, U67, KM74, U77, KM84, KM86, U87, SM69, SM69fet, KU80 Binaural Head, Etc. I cleaned enough spit off those capsules to make a fine bowl of soul brother's nest soup. (As in bird's nest soup.) I learned a hell of a lot about ultra high impedance (>1000 MegOhms) circuits, too. And another thing: All large mesh head grills add lots of coloration at high frequencies. Only a small microphone like a KM84, with a very small grill, is relative free of coloration.

I got in the habit of bringing a sandwich to work in a bag and picking up a quart of Budweiser beer at the little store. I would then walk over to the Hudson River and sit on the dock watching the boats go by and drink/eat my lunch. Every day, as I did this, I would walk by the old building and think of what had gone on there while I was eating hotdogs and watching Hal Newhauser.

A couple of times, while living in Manhattan and working at Gotham, I took the subway out to Shay Stadium and saw a Mets game. At this point, I was into Schaefer Beer, not those hot dogs. I remember that Tug McGraw was on the team.

About five years ago, I went to Dodger Stadium here in Los Angeles and watched a game. On that occasion, Mike Piazza hit a home run. What a towering smash! At that point I was into eating salted in the shell peanuts whole (shell and all) while drinking my Budweisers. Bitchin!

Today, I am addicted to having a little AM radio on the pillow next to me running all night with talk radio. Half the stations are currently making a mountain out of a molehill on the subject of the pending baseball strike.

I could care less.

I wonder what soul brother's nest soup would taste like. I'm too cheap to order a bowl and find out!

Mike McLean

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 12:26 pm:

Here's one "Tigers" 45 that dates from around 1968...

The Fans - Roly Poly Mickey Louch/Instrumental.

It was released on the Marquee label #447. I think Mickey was a player for the Tigers.
Graham

By Sue (152.163.205.63 - 152.163.205.63) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 12:42 pm:

Our own Bob Babbitt did that record in the fall of '68 -- and he's desperately trying to find a copy of the 45.

It did quite well in Detroit, got big airplay on WKNR ...Mickey Lolich was the Tiger pitcher who looked more like an autoworker with a fondness for Stroh's than an athlete.

By willy (209.142.215.124 - 209.142.215.124) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 01:22 pm:

I have four records by Detroit Tigers. Roly Poly Mickey Lolich by the Fans, Detroit is Happening by Willie Horton (backed by the Supremes), Denny McLain at the Organ and Baseball Rap by Rappin' Lloyd Moseby. Also the ultimate ballplayer/singer died last week. Arthur Lee Maye, who played with the Braves and sang with the Crowns.

By Lynn Bruce (64.233.239.172 - 64.233.239.172) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 02:23 pm:

My first Tiger game was a no-show.When I was 14,two friends and myself skipped school on opening day and hitch-hikedfrom Inkster to Tiger(Briggs)stadium.It was sleeting and way to early so we walked down to skid-row(Loved that place)and kept walking to the Gayity burlesqe.They asked our age,we lied and they let us in.WE got to see Skurvy the comic, some fine looking women,plus live music.Never did make the game.My father asked me some pointed questions about the game that I could not answer,I had some explaining to do as he let me skip for the game.
When the Tigers won the series in 68,I was working with Tommy Good &the Tabs at the surf-side lounge on East jefferson.On my way to work I got off the lodge at Jefferson going east.It looked like time square on Newyears eve.People were drunk or on their way, everywhere,BUT everyone was happy,giddy,and no one wanted that feeling to end, after the rebellion the previous year.I had to drive through that mass of celibrants at hart plaza about 5 miles an hour,hoping they would not walk on my car.I wanted to park my car and join in(they were having way to much fun for me to go to work)but the gig always came first.Damn-it

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 03:14 pm:

Friday,
I'm sure the World Series win for the Tigers was on the up and up. They were an awesome team at that time. Interestingly, last night on Bryant Gumble's sports show on HBO they did a piece on some mob guy that influenced some Yankee games some years back because some of the players got a little deep into them with gambleing debts.
The 68 series couldn't have been any better if it was scripted by Hollywood. An amazing story. I remember watching the pre-game show when they were interviewing Dizzy Dean, the former Cardinal great and now their commentator. At this particular time it looked like the Tigers were just about dead and ol' Diz was so smug asking where those big Tiger bats were. The man was insufferable. That day the Tigers won 13 to 2 if I remember correctly, and then went on to win the series. That sure shut up good old Dizzy.

By Joe Moorehouse (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 03:43 pm:

Another Tigers-related record from the late '60s is Go Get 'Em Tigers by the York Mills Trio on Detroit Sound. In '67 and '68 Ernie Harwell and Ray Lane played it regularly during Tiger games when we needed a rally or were in a tight spot.

Of course, Ernie Harwell is himself a songwriter and co-wrote Move Over Babe (Here Comes Henry) with Bill Slayback and Popcorn Wylie, which was released on Karen. But my favorite song of his is You've Got It Coming by Carol Anderson on Morning Glory, which I believe he co-wrote with Will Hatcher and Willie Pickett. From 1980 but sounds earlier, and a great, great soul song.

By Livonia Ken (136.2.1.153 - 136.2.1.153) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 05:23 pm:

On HBO tonight (10:00 PM EDT), there will be a documentary about the '68 Tigers and the healing effect they had on the city after the turmoil of the '67 riots.

The Tigers have been so bad over the last several years that one of the Detroit sports radio stations frequently refers to them only as "The Toledo Mudhens' Major League Affiliate"

Regards,
Ken

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 09:03 pm:

Ken,
That's very funny and probably somewhat close to the truth. To those who don't know...the Toledo Mudhens is a farm club of the Tigers.

By TD (152.163.197.186 - 152.163.197.186) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 11:22 pm:

My first Tiger game was in 5th grade. I was on the safety patrol at school and that was our big annual event. Must have been in 1965. I will never forget seeing that green,green grass for the first time. Priceless.
Mickey Lolich and Norm Cash- were my all time favorites-probably because I too was a left hander.

TD

By HW (68.37.217.106 - 68.37.217.106) on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 12:07 am:

Took a trip to the Motor City in '99 to visit Tiger Stadium one last time. (It's still there but not used for baseball.) Took a tour and they tell you to please not step on or touch the outfield grass. So, of course, I reached down and took a handful of green when no one was looking.

Another connection: when I mentioned I was going to Detroit, to a colleague at work, a guy who was then high up the sales chain and also a good neighbor, he told me he practically lived at Tiger Stadium as a kid in the late '50s. Turns out his Dad, who mostly pitched in the minors, had his one brief stint in the bigs with Detroit.

Baseball fans will notice: whenever sports announcers in the States report on a Tigers game that took place at home, they always say "from MOTOWN!"

By Friday (63.61.181.167 - 63.61.181.167) on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 12:33 am:

Very true Harry.

By acooolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 11:00 am:

Was it WCHB or WJLB that called itself "Tiger Radio" for a while during the 1960s? I have a copy of an advert somewhere that has a picture of Lebaron Taylor and all the other station's jocks.
Graham

By Sue (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 12:11 pm:

WJLB did Graham, but I don't know if it even was a straight connection with the baseball team? I don't think so.

By Flynny (213.1.129.138 - 213.1.129.138) on Thursday, August 01, 2002 - 11:53 am:

Coming to the thread late, but just noticed that one of you guys mentioned Arthur Lee Maye's passing on. Has anyone done a discography for him?

By john_coe (12.2.233.107 - 12.2.233.107) on Thursday, August 01, 2002 - 08:08 pm:

I'm from Portland, Oregon, which is not really known as a hotbed for soul/R&B, but it is the hometown of Mickey Lolich. I saw the Tigers play at Safeco this week, they have a longggg way to go to get back to championship form. M's sweep. Go M's!

By Pgunn (12.233.165.71 - 12.233.165.71) on Friday, August 02, 2002 - 02:55 am:

Lolich was a fine pitcher, who saved the Tigers in the '68 Series. I'm surprised McLain didn't try to get a recording contract at Hitsville!!

By Sue (205.188.209.48 - 205.188.209.48) on Friday, August 02, 2002 - 03:01 am:

Hey Ralph,
Tell the Denny McLain recording story you told me ... about how Bob Talbert dissed the producers of Denny's record ... and why his rhythm was off, really ...

By the count (65.59.41.165 - 65.59.41.165) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 12:11 am:

Somewhere in my novelty section,i have a willie horton single,DETROIT IS HAPPENING.He talks about things for kids and on one of the sides he sings some lyrics i think its with the Supremes,but i really dont think Diana Ross is in it,singing "The Happening".Does Ron Miller ring a bell to anyone? Its been years since I've played this but I think he had something to do with this recording,might be the Lyrics.I'll have to dig it out cause now i have my own curiousity going wild.Steve "the Count"

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:46 am:

Ok�Sue,
Denny McLean came into Tera Shirma with his band to record. When the record was released, Bob Talbert of the Detroit Free Press reviewed it in his week-end column where he once did record reviews. He said something to the effect that the Tera Shirma engineers would do well to learn a little more about mic placement because Denny's organ seemed to pulse slightly in volume. What was happening was, during the recording, the foot Denny used to tap his foot to the meter of the song was the foot he had on the volume pedal. It drove Milan Bogdan, the engineer, absolutely crazy, but all the prompting to Denny regarding this habit did no good. Naturally, when I read Talbert's column I freaked and had to call him. We had a great conversation once I told him the problem and from that point on, any time he reviewed a record that was recorded at TS he would always mention it with words to the effect, recorded at the great Tera Shirma Sound Studios.

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:50 am:

Count,
Ron Miller was a writer at Motown. His biggest claim to fame was co-writing " For Once In My Life " Strictly from the perspective of a song writer, that one song is enough to make a career. Incidentally, Ron was quite a character in his own right.

By the count (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 01:41 pm:

THANX RALPH,very interesting and informative,also educational.Thats the unique thing about this site,(THE INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL MUSIC WEB)Brother RALPH,I dont mean to bug you or bore you ,but when you were with THE SUNLINERS,did you record an instumental "THE ISLANDER"?.If so,we THE INVICTAS(5ive INVICTAS)had some Insturmentals also and for a breif time did the surf sound also,that was the hot thing then.thanks to Dick Dale and The Deltones,the inovater(KING OF THE SURF GUITAR).anyhow,If you were the SUNLINERS with that particular surf song,we are on the same album together called Surfers Mood vol.3.Our inst. was called "MISSING"the flip was "BREAK OUT".If so,I will post this album for you to see,if you dont already have it or seen it.(WALK SOFTLY,CARRY A BIG BOARD)Steve "The Count"

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:05 pm:

Geez Count,
I didn't think anyone remebered " The Islander " Actually it was a pretty good record that went nowhere. We didn't try to intentionally do a "surf " kind of record. In fact we detested the whole surf-Beachboy-Dick Dale scene. We were Detroiter's who were into R&B and R&R. The Islander was just something we wrote that we and our manager thought was a pretty song, so we recorded it. I'd love to see that album. I didn't have a clue about this.

By Sue (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:07 pm:

I wonder if anybody kept any of those Denny albums? Ouch! Who produced 'em?

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:19 pm:

Sue,
The label ( I think it was Capitol ) sent in a producer. I don't remember his name, but he was an older gentleman from the old school of 40's music. He was a great guy that was doing his very best to get anything out of the limited talent he was sent to produce. I was in the control room wih him during a session one day and he's talking to Denny over the talk-back mike, encouraging him and saying things like " You're doing great " and "Keep up the good work ". then when he flips the mike to the off position he kind of softly drawls out " Shit ".

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:37 pm:

Hey Ralph this is the front of the album. Steve the Count

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:43 pm:

Ralph - Just a shot in the dark - Nick Venet?

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:44 pm:

RALPH...Before I go any further and waste space, I dont understand why my image is not uploading. Its under 50kb and the format is correct. I will try one more time and if it doesnt work, give me your email address and I will email the photo.
Steve the Count

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 02:54 pm:

Ralph, one more time to see if this works

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:02 pm:

Nick Venet Ritchie??? Don't know.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:08 pm:

Just a wild guess. He was the guy behind some of Capitol's "Surf" stuff, assuming it was Capitol who put out the album of course! Almost everybody tried to climb on that bandwagon... e.g. even the Supremes and Little Stevie in one of those cheapo "beach" movies?

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:12 pm:

Ralph,we had no problems before as you have seen my pictures...what the hell is happening now. Last time, if this doesnt work, can someone help me.

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:21 pm:

Found my problem..have to disable Norton antivirus..now we will go to the record itself side A is with Sunliners and side B will be the Invictas

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:27 pm:

Here is side B with the Invictas

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:31 pm:

Here is the back of the album cover Surfers Mood Vol 3

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:47 pm:

Count,
Thanks for the post. very interesting. I wonder how The Sunlners got on there? Who issued the license? Maybe our former manager. At any rate there might be a whole buck and a half royalty waiting to be collected. I better get cracking.

By thecount (63.212.151.174 - 63.212.151.174) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 03:58 pm:

Good point Ralph.Being you were with MOTOWN,your bucks should be 6ix figures,we were with,20th. century fox and United Artists,3cents per and 4.5cents per.Steve "the Count"

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 04:19 pm:

A couple of interesting names on there too... the Temptations..? I wonder if this was the "Barbara" group, or yet another outfit with the same name. And, lurking in the writing credits - Mike Curb.

By Sue (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 04:22 pm:

I love the idea of you city boys doing surf music ...! Count, you'll have to play that for us sometime.

By thecount (64.152.154.153 - 64.152.154.153) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 06:21 pm:

SUE,I'll be glad to play the album for you,or even make a CD for you.When I get to Calif.which is about 3---4 times a year,I usually do some surfing,I really love it.Out there I'am Known as the "MOON SURFER" Another surf song we had was "Singapore Sling".This was the times of oriental sounds and surf.RITCHIE:The Temptations is not the BARBARA,TEMPS.But there were many groups with that name.Another surfer group with the TEMPS. name ---Temp-ta-shuns,ETC. Steve "the count"

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 07:31 pm:

Thanks, Steve -

it's just like real life - too many "temptations" to count!

By LTLFTC (12.245.225.79 - 12.245.225.79) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 08:24 pm:

Sue,
I dug out my Denny McLain album ( filed between the MC5 and the Meters- wow, there's some democracy ) and the producer is Dave Dexter Jr. I believe Dave Dexter Sr. produced an album for Don Mossi (ok I'm making that up). However the liner notes (by DD Jr.) refer to "Ralph Terrana's unconventional Tera Shirma Studios on Detroit's Livernois Avenue": probably never more "unconventional" than during those sessions!
Steve K.

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 09:11 pm:

Steve,
That's really funny. I wonder what he meant by " unconventional ?" I think ol' Denny's foot was tappng like a maniac because he had gotten a load of Neica Lee and couldn't wait for his next break so he could run out to the reception area to chat her up.

By david, glasgow, scotland (80.5.114.15 - 80.5.114.15) on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 10:10 pm:

I would think it was to do with the elevated Control Room.

Historically the studio speaks for itself.

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 12:11 am:

Good point David. I hadn't thought of the control room. Also, I forgot to thank Steve for bringing to mind the producer of these sessions. Actually Steve, when I saw the name I then remembered it. Thank you.

By LTLFTC (12.245.225.79 - 12.245.225.79) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 01:22 am:

Ralph,
You're welcome....By the way , was the upstairs control room THAT unusual? I believe I read somewhere that Bearsville Studio in New York has an elevated control room ; of course that would have been built later...also, I was only in United Studio a couple times around 1974, but I seem to recall a stairway in the middle of the room- did they have a control room upstairs or is my memory more shot than I think?
Steve K.

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 02:53 am:

Steve,
I'm not sure that the control room was all that unusual. In fact I think Bobby Eli told me Abbey Road studios had an elevated control room, and I'm sure there were others. Maybe it was just different to Dave Dexter considering the generation he was from, and the way studios were set up as seen through his eyes during the course of his career. The Tera Shirma Studio B control room was rather large and it was quite an experience to sit up there looking down into the studio through the large, slanted plate glass windows.
United's control room was not on a second floor. I also seem to remember some sort of spiral staircase in the middle of the main studio, or am I wrong? That may have had something to do with the fact that the studio was also a sound stage for commercial shoots, so maybe the ladder served some purpose in that. Maybe Ed Wolfrum can shed some light on that one. Too many years fo me to thumb through Steve, sorry.

By Friday (209.245.114.12 - 209.245.114.12) on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 12:56 am:

Tigers got some young hot talent and a quality GM.Give them just a couple of years.