"The feeling
remains... 
Even after 
the glitter fades"

Stevie Nicks

 

 

DETROIT'S MUSICAL LEGACY

The old Grande Ballroom today

I can't have a massive site dedicated to the music of the
sixties and seventies without tipping my hat to Detroit.
I could not believe the number of bands I found researching,
that were out of Detroit. Many were already on the site, but the
city must be praised for its enormous contribution to rock and roll.

Some of the bands out of Motor City in those days were:
Grand Funk Railroad, MC5, Alice Cooper, Mitch Ryder and
the Detroit Wheels, SRC, Amboy Dukes, The Bob Seger System,
Rare Earth, Iggy Pop & the Stooges, The Rationals, and Frigid Pink.
...so the Detroit folks are dealing with their own hangover and
currently mourning the official demise of the Grande Ballroom,
often called "The Fillmore of the Midwest" last summer.

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
Band Members Included:

MITCH RYDER
JIM McCARTY - Lead Guitar, Vocals
JOE KUBERT - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
JOHN (Johnny Bee) BADANJEK  Drums
EARL ELLIOT - Bass, Vocals (initially)
JIM McCALLISTER - Bass, Vocals (later)

Alice Cooper
 Band members included:

VINCENT (Alice Cooper) FURNIER - Lead Vocals
MIKE BRUCE - Lead Guitar
DENNIS DUNAWAY - Bass
GLEN BUXTON - Guitar
NEAL SMITH - Drums

    
Amboy Dukes
Original band members included:

TED NUGENT - Lead Guitar
JOHN DRAKE (BRAKE) - Vocals
BILL WHITE - Bass
RICK LOBER - Keyboards
STEVE FARMER- Rhythm Guitar
DAVE PALMER - Drums

1968 footage of the Amboy Dukes--check it out!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnkoIT2Ps7w

Grande Ballroom Poster - New Year's Eve, 1970

MC5
Band members included:

MICHAEL DAVIS - Bass
FRED "SONIC SMITH - Guitar & Vocals
DENNIS THOMPSON - Drums
BOB TYNER - Lead Vocals

Video performance of Kick out the Jams at the Grande Ballroom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaR6Rh5H_vE

SRC
Band Members Included:

Iggy Pop with SRC in background

Rare Earth
Band members included:

When Detroit is brought up in the context of music,
the first thought that springs to mind for many people is the Motown sound; the soul of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson,
and the Supremes. The second thing that comes to mind
(and the first for many hard rock fans) is the sound of Detroit rock, a largely aggressive and energetic heartland
style of rock that had influence over the mainstream
in the late 60's to mid 70's.

Historic General Motors Corporate headquarters building complex which GM 
vacated around year 2001 and moved its corporate headquarters to the 
Renaissance Center on the Detroit River in Downtown Detroit. 

At its heart, Detroit rock was basic, hard rocking,
working class, and sweaty. It could be gritty
and dirty, or pile driving and boogieing.

Handbill from Detroit's famed Grande Ballroom. Dates of shows were 11/21-24 /1968. A long weekend featured Jefferson Airplane, Blue Cheer, Stooges, Tim Buckley, Terry Reid, Wilson Mower Pursuit, Frost and Caste.

Patterning the large venue after the successful West Coast hippie vibe of concert halls such as the Fillmore and the Avalon, The Grande became the place to see not only the MC5, Iggy & The Stooges and Alice Cooper in their infancy, but national touring acts, such as The Doors, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Cream, as well. Although popular in its heyday in the late '60s, by the early '70s The Grande closed its doors due to competing venues and money problems.

Grande Ballroom admission card

Good for one free trip

   

Glenn Frey had 3 bands before he split for California and
 Eagles fame. They were The Four of Us, The Subterraneans, 
and The Mushrooms in photo above.
The Mushrooms band members are:
L-R Lenny Mintz - Drums
Bill Barnes - Lead Guitar
Glenn Frey - Vocals
Doug Gunch - Rhythm Guitar

Clear Blue Sky
Various Personnel From 1965-69:

Keith Buckley - Vocals, Bass Guitar 
John Rocco - Lead Guitar, Vocals 
Les Ward - Drums, Percussion 
Dan Angott - Organ, Harmonica, Percussion, Vocals 
Bill West - Guitar 
Jeff Floyd, Dave Porath, Mike Pramstaller - Roadies 
Mark (Sneaky Levine) LePine - Manager

Rationals
Band Members Included: 

SCOTT MORGAN - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Flute, Harmonica 
STEVE CORRELL - Vocals, Lead Guitar 
TERRY TRABANDT - Bass, Backing Vocals 
BILL FIGG - Drums, Backing Vocals

       
Stooges 
Band Members Included: 
JAMES (IGGY) OSTERBERG - Vocals 
RON ASHETON- Guitar 
SCOTT ASHETON - Drums 
DAVE ALEXANDER - Bass 
JAMES WILLIAMSON - Guitar

    
Bob Seger, cornerstone of Detroit rock and roll.
Click the link to watch Seger on a local TV show, circa 1967 
doing Ramblin Gamblin Man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2aBOTNGWMY

       
The Canterbury, The Alley, and the Cinderella Ballroom

Thanks so much for a fabulous web site. It is nice for those who love to reflect and / or endeavor into knowledge. My father Al Wilmot played bass with Lighthouse SRC and the Thyme of Detroit / Ann Arbor, and Canada, in the late 60's early 70's. He continued to play his whole life and taught me as well. Although he never received as much recognition as deserved he continued to play and balance a family, playing locally in Northern Michigan. You know those bass players always trying to balance the act. He actually had a gig the night he passed away, September 10, 2005. Although gone physically I still feel him here at times, and wanted to let you know there are a lot of people smiling down on you from Rock and Roll Heaven, and I hope that settles any type of sorrow you would ever feel. Thank you again for keeping the spirit never fading alive.

Al Wilmot

Send in your Detroit stories, photos, memorabilia
to Hllywd4ever@comcast.net

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