Al was the guiding essence and
'soul spirit' for "The Beat Boys". He supplied the rehearsal space,
constructive criticism, driving force, presentation concepts, vehicle,
and support. Without Al there never could have been a "Master Bates & The Beat Boys".
" A lifelong friend, beyond a brother to me". - jeff yost
From Al Cole
ACT 1.
. OK OK OK after reading comments that
have been submitted... I feel an irresistible urge.. No, an
Uncontrollable Need to begin what will no doubt be a series of Facts,
Memories and Illusions drawn from the Abyss of my mind.. I will write
more as these Wonderfully, Incredible, UNBELIEVABLE Events invade my
consciousness. I will not try to put these thoughts in any
chronological order, but since they happened so long ago, and over such
a short period of time..... Who Cares???
George (Andy) made a stab at listing some of
the Band's more memorable gigs and events.. And as Great as they were..
they don't begin to scratch the surface, of the Magical Highs &
Lows that developed during "THE MASTER BATES & THE BEAT BOYS
EXPERIENCE".
Firstly, the Halloween Party at the Izaak
Walton clubhouse. George would remember, if he was the one that had to
clean the Orange & Black Stains off their floor!!! In future
additions to "My Page", I will relate my memories, which will be from a
different perspective than the band members.. After all, they were busy
performing.. all I had to do was watch. Here are a few basic facts....
This band, that played Jeff's Intricate Masterpieces (and
Masterpieces they were. He originally wrote them with parts included
for practically every instrument ever made), really couldn't play
anything else.. While they didn't miss a beat on "Somethings Spinning"
,
No Way could they play "Johnny Be Good" !! BUT... the Beat Boys are
responsible for transforming a decent Guitarist into the Best Damn
Guitar Playing Insurance Man on the Planet!!! And for turning a Drummer
(in name only) into a Rock Solid Drummer, with incite and Determination
to get better.... and better .... and better.. All for now.......
GIMME THE BEAT BOYS TO FREE MY SOUL, I WANNA GET LOST IN YOUR ROCK
& ROLL...
ACT
2.
Hello Again, I'm pretty down .. Today is the Indian's' Home Opener, and
for the 5th time since 1975, Barb & I aren't there.. So, I will
think of other things.. and The Beat Boys are about as "Other" as it
gets.. Several people have commented on Memorable Beat Boys events ..
but I don't see where anyone has mentioned the "New Year's Eve Party"
at the Ballville Township Hall.. To preface this, let me say that
having Jeff for almost my entire life, when he comes up with a "Great
Idea" a Warning Light should go off... BIG BRIGHT WARNING LIGHTS and
Sirens.. something that says "STOP HIM NOW".. But for some reason, even
though I believe I have a much better grasp of Decent Human
Behavior, Whatever Idea Jeff approaches me with , my reply always seems
to be ... "Great Idea .. Let's Do It".. Throw Firecrackers onto the
basement floor, in the middle of our Parents New Years Eve Parties...
"Great Idea"!!!! Put on concerts at Ole Zims, signing Howard Yost to
the Contracts....."Great Idea" !!! Throw the Keyboards out
the back of the Station Wagon... "Great Idea".. Put on any one of a
number of Jeff's "Private Parties" where Jeff and Friends
watched Great Entertainment.. with few to no Paying
Customers... "Great Idea".. SO when Jeff suggested that for
the Beat Boys "New Year's Eve Party" , he use 3 tubes of Fun Blood,
instead of the usual 2 tubes.. per the norm.. My reply was "Great
Idea"..... The Party was a lot of fun for all, but somehow, I neglected
to tell the people that Booked the Beat Boys, that they would be
treated to Beat Boys Music, and not Popular Oldies, which is what they
wanted.. Well, the Boys learned a few other tunes to mix in, "The Kids
Are Alright" and some others... But, mainly.. the crowd got
Beat Boys Music. The band finally got around to doing "It's A Nice Night(for a suicide)..
When they got to the place in the song
where Jeff pretends to Slice His Throat with our Custom Made "Dull
Edged" Ginsu Knife, Out Come the 3 Tubes of Fun Blood.. With 2 tubes,
the "Blood" would flow freely down his shirt... BUT with 3 Tubes.. The
Blood went Everywhere!!!!! All over Scott's bass, and also splattered
over much of the audience... We thought this was Great!!!!! But, when
several people began to run outside vomiting... we realized that we had
struck "Magic" Unfortunately, not everyone shared our enthusiasm.. And
a 2 Tube limit was decided upon.... But, I still think it was a "GREAT
IDEA" ... All For Now.... Say, I'm in a much better mood!!!!
THE SAGA CONTINUES
I have been thinking
about my next contribution, but John's entry put those
thoughts on hold. I hadn't remembered about the Cookoo's Nest Gig..
This was
a Big Night for the Beat Boys, a Real Live Gig in a Real Live Night
Club!!
Who cares that it was in Fostoria, Who cares that it was run by the
Hanson's, Who Cares that not many people would be there. Who cares that
there was almost no money involved... This was a REAL LIVE GIG
!!!!!!!!! It
shows how different people can have vastly different feelings about the
same
events. I remember the night as being Vindication for yet another "Great
Idea" . While John can only cringe as he can still feel the vibration
racing
from the beam through the guitar and through his body, and embedding
itself
forever in his mind. Since I owned the T-Shirt shop and George worked
with
me, making New Beat Boys T-Shirts was commonplace.. However, the
Inspiration
for the idea to make the "Suicide" shirts was pure marketing genius. In
my
last entry I explained how Jeff would squeeze the tubes of Fun Blood all
over his neck as he pretended to Cut-His-Throat. We came up with the
idea to
print the Master Bates & The Beat Boys logo in Black on white
muscle shirts
that we had already printed to look as though a large amount of Blood
had
poured down the front. Then we printed printed a few without the Blood,
for
Jeff., which he wore On-Stage. So, during "It's a Nice Night(for a
Suicide)"
, when he Cut His Throat , the Fun Blood would flow down his White
Shirt ,
over the logo and make it look like the Shirts we had for sale....
Finally,
a "Great Idea" that worked.... to some extent. The first night we tried
it
was at the Cookoo's Nest.. AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY The Fun Blood soaked
shirt looked almost identical to the ones we had printed.. It was a
Master
Stroke.. I still feel that under the right conditions and circumstances
it
was a Million Dollar Idea...... That night.. I think we sold 6 !!!!!
"Great
Idea"
All for now, I'm going to bed to dream that "I'm Lou Reed"
SIDE NOTE:
Because of some comments made on these pages, I feel compelled to add
my perspective on them, since I was mainly responsible. As far as I am
concerned there were only 2 configurations of Master Bates &
The Beat Boys..
The one with Christopher and the one with Wade. Any other line-up was
temporary and done for a specific purpose. I believe it was shortly
after Chris left, and the band was struggling to Re-Find their sound
with Wade,
that Jeff said he had set up some appointments with agents in New York
and he had just 2 weeks to come up with a presentable tape to play for
them. The Re-aligned Beat Boys had no chance of making
anything close to a polished Demo. I suggested that I make a couple of
calls to Friends of mine in Detroit. I called Fred, Joe &
Pete.. Cool Fred Schmidt, Guitar Joey Gaydos and Pete Bankert were the
Backbone of MUGSY, the Best Club Band in Detroit.
In 1979 Cub Koda spotted them and knew that they were exactly what he
needed for the New Band he had in mind. He "Stole" the 3 of them and
formed Cub Koda & Mugsy, later renamed by Randy Cress as "Cub
Koda & The Points". These 3 guys had been playing together
since they were kids and were very talented
and tight..... Always Tight.. Also, Pete Bankert was partners with
Henry Weck(drummer with Brownsville Station) in a small studio outside
Ann Arbor.
So, I worked out a deal, where we would pay the guys $25 each per song
and pay for the Recording Tape(about $1500 for the tape). So, Jeff and
I went up... we took John, so he could show them the timing and rhythm.
And we took Guyser for Back-Up Vocals. I knew that they could make a
presentable Demo in 2 or 3 takes.. AND THEY DID .. and what a time!!
The Studio was an old one room school house, complete with rusted
playground equipment, pictures of George Washington, Abe Lincoln and
the Alphabet around the top the the
Blackboard.
MY TWO MOST DISTINCT MEMORIES OF THE SESSION
On the song "Time",
, george had somehow thrown in a Marching
Beat, when Jeff sang "It's just like the soldiers of Hitler, marching
across the Human Race" . I had a recording of George doing it, and I
played it for Cool Fred.. Now, let me say this, Fred is beyond a doubt
the best drummer I have ever known.. Rock Solid in every phase of the
game.. After listening one time, Fred shook his head.. at my insistence
he listened a few more times..
finally he looked at me and say "That can't be played that way.. it
can't be done" and wouldn't dicusss it further. I mention this to show
just one more example of the "Magic" that was Beat Boys....
After the session Pete and Fred left and we went
into the sound booth to listen to what had been recorded. Joey had just
gotten a new guitar and decided to play with it.. He did several
"Great" over-dubs on the songs and
I'll never forget his "Laughing" Guitar on "Lose Your Mind".
MASTER BATES MEETS WEAPONS
I really can't comment on the American Legion
Show. George and I were in New York on a Buying Trip(buying leather
jackets ....) and Jeff pulled off that gig without even telling us. We
got back and found out that Jeff had hired Fred, Joe & Pete to
do a "Beat Boys Show" and it was That Night!!!!...
I must have had Jet Lag, all I really remember about that night is
something about a check, and Guitar Joey doing "Personality Crisis" for
me... One can only imagine what reason Jeff had for pulling that show
off.... Except that
I'd give my left nut to be onstage performing with those
3myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One more side note: The School House Session did exactly what it was
intended to do. Not only was Jeff happy with the Demo.. Cool Fred took
it to New York with him and shopped it around .. He was that impressed
with the Material
AMENDMENT TO JOHN'S ROOF-TOP STORY
It was great to read John's memories of the "The Rooftop
Story". For years, when it would come to mind, I wondered if
it really happened, or if it was a dream.. Honestly, even now, if it
weren't for all the witnesses, I would have a hard time believing we
really had the balls to do it. John's recollections are
pretty much "Right-On-The-Mark".. However, since he was busy with the
business of Playing, and getting ready to, My perspective
comes from a differeny angle. I had to get ready myself.. normally that
entailed burning a couple etc. etc. etc. Firstly, I'm sure John's
right.. It was ALL Jeff's idea.. "Great Idea Jeff!!! Let's do it" , or
As Mickey and Judy would say "Hey. Let's put on a show"....
However, as this was Fremont, and not Hollywood.. things, as usual,
didn't work out as expected, or at least as "We had wished".
Jeff, and the rest of the band worked their asses off all day.. Plus ,
the band had been practicing a lot.. Pile that on top of what
can at best be called "Jeff's Delicate Voice" and Jeff knew hours
before the show that it would take everything he had in him, to talk,
let alone sing. Cup after cup of Hot Tea and Honey.. It was a pipe
dream.. No Voice.. and that's really the crime... If that "Huge Crowd"
of gawkers could have heard, what I heard, every night at practice...
''''' "Ah... things could have been different" or as Brother Bill
always said .. "It might be something big, Brother".. John's right, ..
at the start of the show, I disappeared, I went across the street in
the Annex Bar, and started pounding 50 cent Shots of Black Velvet, and
watched the show though a little dark window facing Front St. and the
Show.. Half the Police were pissed, and the other half couldn't stop
laughing.. Later we found out that a Cop friend of Scott's mother, told
her that they had wanted to Shut-It-Down.. But couldn't. We weren't
breaking any laws.. and we were certainly no more of a Public Nuisance,
than the Festival!!! So, the police tried to find the owner of the
business... ME.. No luck.. they sure weren't going to look in the
Annex.. So they started looking for the the owner of the building.. Al
Cooper.. repeated calls to his home, brought no luck.. they couldn't
imagine where he was.. They should have thought a little harder,
because he was right where anyone who knew him, would expect him to
be....... 2 blocks down the street in the Beer Tent!!!!!!!!!! When they
finally found he, he came down to "The Show" and gave the OK, to shut
it down. We had expected this, and I'm sure it was George's Idea ... no
wait .. he wasn't George yet.. It was the Rebelious Andy's idea, to
make it as tough as possible to forcibly shut down. All the obvious
Power Cords, in plain view were "Dummys". So when the Police started to
pull out the cords, nothing happened. Eventually, they found the right
cords.. one instrument after anoth went dead ... BUT.. you can't
silence the drums....... John called it a "Dennis the Menace" look..
But I've seen that look before .. and I'm sure it was pure Abbie
Hoffman!!!!! The same look he gave the Police at the Quarry in
Sandusky, as he puffed what can only be called a Texas Stoggie.. Mr.
Cooper never said a word to me, no one ever got in trouble. I did make
sure to pay the 2 months back rent I owed, the following Monday.. But
no repercussions at all.. WOW!!!!!!!!! There are some more
interesting notes about the show.. Across the alley from the roof of my
building was a a one-floor roof behind the buildings facing
Front St. We had assembled scaffolding to hold the PA at roof-top
height, and ran the sound cable, in the air, to the roof across the
alley, and put the sound board there. On the platform, at the top of
the 3 story fire escape, across the alley.... we put Butch E. with a
Follow Spot. Of course we had neglected to get the owner's permisson.
In the middle of the show, the owner came out on His Own Roof, and told
the guy we had running sound to "Shut-It_Down" to which our sound man
replied in a most defiant tone "I SHUT IT DOWN WHEN THE BAND TELLS ME
TO SHUT IT DOWN".. The owner backed off sheepishly and never
said another word. The following Monday morning, the owner of that
building came over, into my T-Shirt shop, and complained to George and
I that some damage had been done to the roofiing that he had just had
repaired.. and he Noted "It was probably done by someone who wasn't
even supposed to be up there" .. as if there was
someone who actually was supposed to be up there !!! ??? !!! ??? He
told us the name of his roofer, and I promised to take care of it. Ten
minutes later, George and I went to Chud's .. our normal lunch stop.
There, sitting at the bar was the Roofer.. After lunch, he followed us
down, went up and looked, and spent about 20 minutes fixing the damaged
roof. The cost.. 1 joint .... ahhhhhhh it's a wonderful life. So, an
hour and a half after we were informed of the damage, it was fixxed.
and I still wake up thinking, it must be a dream.. No way we could have
really... No way ................ This was fun John.. which fiasco do
you want to talk about next?? Hey.. "Look at the pretty Pink and Blue
Lights, all over the water" maybe that
was just a dream, Too??????