Jamul meets Little Richard!
(Courtesy of Mikel Toombs, drummer Ron Armstrong of San Diego’s Misfits and Jamul describes the latter band’s TV appearance supporting a rock-’n'-roll legend.)
It was 1970 and our band, Jamul, was playing the Whiskey in Hollywood. We were stoked that Little Richard came in to catch our show. We learned he loved our cover of his song, “Long Tall Sally.”
He told our leader/singer/guitarist that he liked our band better than his previous large 16-piece group and wanted us to back him for a Barry Richards TV special in Washington, D.C. We did and also performed a song … explained from a recent Internet link here.
“Little Richard appeared on the show ‘Barry Richards Presents,’ backed up by obscure rockers Jamul. He is a co-host of the show and performs ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ live! Other artists on the show performing live are Fats Domino, Muddy Waters, Alice Cooper, Humble Pie, Rory Gallagher, Richie Havens, Zephyr.”
Anyway, I found another picture file for your collection … attached. (After we did the audio/video for the performance, they shot some stuff behind the rehearsal place in a dumping area as a goof.)
Read more about Ron Armstrong and San Diego’s rockin’ ’60s!
From where I’m sitting on drums, that’s Little Richard to my front left in the yellow shirt. I remember it was over 100 degrees and this black guy holding his suits said; “Richard pays me $200 a week to do this.”
— Ron Armstrong
Tags: Barry Richards, Jamul, Little Richard, Mikel Toombs, Ron Armstrong, San Diego music, the Misfits
December 8th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Mr. Armstrong is one degree of separation from the Rolling Stones, since the Misfits opened for ‘em 11/1/64.
I think Six Degrees of Rolling Stones would be a good rock-’n'-roll version of the Kevin Bacon game.
One route for me:
1. Noise 292 performed with Decision, which included Paul Brewin on drums.
2. Paul Brewin played in Drip Tank, which performed with Bad Radio.
3. Bad Radio included Eddie Vedder on vocals.
4. Eddie Vedder sang with Pearl Jam, which performed with the Rolling Stones.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
The guy with the light bulb was horrifying.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
>>The guy with the light bulb was horrifying.
Perhaps so, but that clip of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show scared the hell out of me.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Game winner:
1. Jamul appeared on the Barry Richards Show with Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
2. Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show had a hit with “Cover of the Rolling Stone.”
December 9th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
>>Perhaps so, but that clip of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show scared the hell out of me.
I think that guy talking about Dick Clark spare-changed me a few times in the BART station.
December 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Both the light bulb and the beard-combing are pretty awful!
December 9th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
>>Both the light bulb and the beard-combing are pretty awful!
Yes, that beard is particularly gruesome. Barry Richards somehow managed to perfect the worst styles of each era, from the greasy, long sideburned look of the mid-sixties, to the Chewbacca-y early seventies, to the feathered silk shirted late seventies.
December 9th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
>>Barry Richards somehow managed to perfect the worst styles of each era, from the greasy, long sideburned look of the mid-sixties, to the Chewbacca-y early seventies, to the feathered silk shirted late seventies.
His autobiography, “Bad-Hair Life,” is riveting.
December 9th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
wow, this is so funny… there should be a movie about Barry Richards staring Will Farrell.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
A founding member of Jamul (cool ’stache) explains that the band’s original name, Jamul City Funk and Marching Band, was shortened to Jamul City Funk Band. The rest, as they say, is history:
http://www.myspace.com/bob_desnoyers
December 9th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Here’s a myspace tribute page with some songs from their album Jamul:
http://www.myspace.com/jamulfan
December 9th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Barry Richards reminds me of a hilarious SCTV sketch about Gino Vanelli.
Extra points for recreating the “turn and look” from the infamous Patterson Bigfoot film!
December 10th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Gerry Todd/Tom Monroe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax8hp3Ivbs8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJrdYLMRJGo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyOuDGqHY1Q