John Sinclair 4.16.11 1st Church Of Northampton (Youtube)

John Sinclair 4.16.11 1st Church Of Northampton His Back up Band includes : Ron Schneiderman - Guitar Andy Crespo - Bass John Maloney - Drums Ted Lee - Keys

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Radio Free Amsterdam is back! The X-mas Relaunch

Posted in: Upcomming Events

Radio Free Amsterdam is back on line with NEW and classic episodes of your favorite radio shows! To kick off the Christmas hlidays we have for you:

HIGHWAY 61 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL WITH SCOTT BARRETTA, Part 1
Scott Barretta features a power-packed two-part program of blues Christmas music
in episodes 30 & 31 of Highway 61 with classic selections by Charles Brown, Mabel Scott, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Llggins, Li’l Esther & Mel Walker, Lightning Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Reed, Big Joe Williams, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin, Papa Hop (Wilson), Detroit Junior, Jerry McCain, Sam Myers, and Big Jack Johnson.
Listen now <<<

HIGHWAY 61 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL WITH SCOTT BARRETTA, Part 2
The second episode of Christmas On Highway 61 features another hour of Christmas music with soul blues selections by B.B King, Albert King, Sir Mack Rice, Jerry McCain, Sam Myers, Robert Ward, Earl King, Vernon Garrett, Pete Mayes, Hot Rock Hayes, James Brown, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Charles Brown, Dr. John, Little Johnnie Taylor, and Huey “Piano” Smith & the Clowns.

Listen now <<<

NEW ORLEANS MUSIC SHOW WITH TOM MORGAN
Tom Morgan’s New Orleans Music Show from WWOZ-FM in New Orleans features a splendid set of Crescent City music from the Courtyard Kings, Charles Moore, Tom McDermott, Don Vappie, Ritmo Calypso, Milton Batiste, Big Al Carson, Trombone Shorty, Dr. John, J. Monque’D, Earl King, Schatzie, and Champion Jack Dupree.
Listen now <<<

HIGHWAY 61 WITH SCOTT BARRETTA
Scott Barretta investigates the roots of rap music in this week’s episode of Highway 61, featuring early statements by Frankie ”Half-Pint” Jaxon, Memphis Minnie, Speckled Red, Jimmie Davis, Luke Jordan, Willie Walker, Dan Pickett, Blind Willie McTell, Georgia Tom Dorsey & Kansas City Kitty, The Hokum Boys, Dirty Red, Leroy Carr, Harmonica Frank Floyd, Willie Nix, Katie Webster & Ashton Conroy, Little Caesar, Big Jay McNeely, Richard Berry, and Slim Gaillard.
Listen now <<<

JAZZ FROM THE HEMPSHOPPER WITH JOHN SINCLAIR
This week’s episode of Jazz from the Hempshopper with John Sinclair is back in Amsterdam at the Hempshopper on the Singel Canal with an hour of jazz from.the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festivals of 1972 and 1973, featuring Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Discipline Arkestra, CJQ, Archie Shepp, Miles Davis, the Revolutionary Ensemble, Infinite Sound, Count Basie & His Orchestra, the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop, and Leon Thomas & Full Circle

Listen now <<<
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Radio Free Amsterdam!


FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Freeing John Sinclair: The Day Legends Came To Town (Dedux)

Freeing John Sinclair: The Day Legends Came To Town

The John Sinclair Freedom Rally, held in Crisler Arena on December 10, 1971, is one of the most memorable concerts in Ann Arbor history and one of the most significant in the history of Rock and Roll, due in large part to John Lennon's decision to appear in support of radical White Panther leader John Sinclair, who was currently serving 8 1/2 to 10 years in prison for the possession of two marijuana cigarettes.

But also on the bill that night were Motown's Steve Wonder, folksinger Phil Ochs, and jazz legend Archie Schepp, plus Ann Arbor's own Bob Seger, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Teegarden & Van Winkle and The Up. Speakers included Bobby Seale, Allen Ginsberg, and Rennie Davis.

On the 40th anniversary of the Rally, AADL is launching this site tracing the history behind the Rally, in particular the story of the White Panther and Rainbow People's Parties in Ann Arbor, through a series of interviews; essays; photographs; historical audio files; and thousands of articles from both the Ann Arbor News and the Ann Arbor Sun, the underground newspaper published by the White Panther Party and Rainbow People's Party from 1967-1976.

Highlights of the site include the phone conversation between John and Leni Sinclair and John Lennon and Yoko Ono after Sinclair's release from prison, and our interview with the Honorable Damon J. Keith, Senior Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, about his famous "Keith Decision" in the CIA Conspiracy case. We also interview former White Panther leaders John Sinclair, Leni Sinclair, Pun Plamondon and legendary poster artist Gary Grimshaw.

The essays cover such topics as the hidden history of Ann Arbor's countercultural past and the story behind the Rally. John Sinclair writes about his years in Ann Arbor; Leni Sinclair describes the evolution of the Hill Street commune; and radical lawyer Hugh "Buck" Davis details the Constitutional significance of the CIA Conspiracy case.

But this is just the start. More interviews, historical audio, and browsing options are coming soon!

---

Freeing John Sinclair is a product of the Ann Arbor District Library in collaboration with the Bentley Historical Library, Cousins Vinyl, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

• Freeing John Sinclair
• White Panther Party
• 1520 Hill St.

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Robert Anton Wilson on medical Marijuana (2002)

[How does the spirit of the Cannabis protest movement today differ from its 60s counterpart?]

RAW : Well, besides the people who want it legalized because they enjoy it, for one reason or another the medical Marijuana issue which is especially good because - how can I say this - it takes a great deal of faith, blind faith in the government to believe that by taking medicine away from sick people they're doing something to protect us from terrorism which is their official line, and I have the feeling this is gonna - clearly I'm overly optimistic, I often am - but, I think this is gonna bounce back in their faces. They raided the Women's Alliance for Medical Marijuana which distributes marijuana to about 300 cancer and AIDS patient's, and a few with muscular dystrophy and post polio syndrome and other problems which are clearly helped by Marijuana very clearly and obviously, and they - the D.E.A - swooped down and arrested the two people who own the farm where most of it is grown and chopped down all the plants and carted them away to destroy them presumably, many believe they sell them on the black market, that's the most popular belief in the counterculture; they only seize them to resell on the black market at higher prices.


Legalization of medical marijuana has a lot more support across the board, even Diane Feinstein, who I think is one of the most reactionary people in congress, she's come out in favour of leaving the marijuana cooperatives alone, the medical Marijuana cooperatives. She's one of my Senators, and my representative Sam Fark, called it an outrage.  And we're getting more and more support on that issue. All the enemies of medical marijuana point out as soon as that's legalized there's gonna be no control, how they gonna know who's got a medical problem? You can arrest and harass a lot of people with that kind of conviction stick.  It's only the federal government doing it anyway, what's very curious is that where I live 55 percent of the voters of California voted to make medical marijuana legal and in Santa Cruz county 85 percent in the county-wide ballot voted to make it legal for any purpose, so if you need it for medicine or you just wanna get high, use it for meditation and religious purposes or just because they all know it makes a blow job even better, I think, for these legitimate reasons marijuana is the test case.
They're taking medicine away from dying people in pain, I mean gee, that's worse than anything they've done internationally, it's happening right here to American citizens, I think it's gonna bounce back and hit them in the face, maybe it's because I hope it will but as stupid as the American people seem to be a lot of the time I don't believe they are stupid enough to believe in taking medicine away from dying people, and most of the members of WAMM are dying, most of them are terminally ill cases; and they're in pain most of the time and the marijuana takes the pain away or at least eases it and in most cases it takes it away for hours you know. And the idea that these people with AIDS and cancer should die in pain because God doesn't want them to have any relief from the pain, I don't see how long they can hang on, it's like something out the middle ages you know, it's worse than medieval, it's the dark ages. I don't think they can hold onto that position very long but they sure as hell are trying. I get my pot absolutely free from the Women's Alliance for medical marijuana which doesn't charge, its a cooperative and we do what we can to keep it going, now they have been raided we're gonna have to do more, we're gonna have to decentralize even further, decentralize the production, the making of the tinctures, the cookies, the brownies and whatever forms we wanna take it in that's best for our condition, some people still smoke it, and were gonna have to decentralize the growth and production and distribution. What are they gonna do if 85 percent of the people in Santa Cruz County area are against the D.E.A coming in? They gotta arrest the whole Goddamn county, they gotta build a fence around the whole damn county and say were all in jail now! I dunno they might do that. I saw somebody who was kidding but he sounds just like George Bush suggesting we build a bomb that will blow up the whole world and cut a hole in the middle the shape of the United States and we'll survive after we blow everything else up, sounds like a great idea to me, there'll be no more enemies to fear, no more wars to fight, then we can spend our money getting a health plan like the civilized world has so everybody has health care. If we didn't spend all this money fighting the rest of the world we might have a health plan like England or Ireland or France or Germany, Canada or Israel, or any civilized country. We can't afford it because were so busy fighting the whole fucking planet at once, their not even finished in Afghanistan, and I doubt they ever will be. And they're getting ready to start a war with Iraq now, and Saudi Arabia or Iran is next on the list, they're not quite sure which is gonna be the third but it's gonna be either Saudi Arabia or Iran. All the Muslims in the world, which is between 1 billion and 2 billion, depending upon which estimate I believe, say one and a half billion; their all gonna hate the United States even more than they do now. Here we have a planet of six billion people, one and half billion people hate the United States, I don't know, ITS SO FUCKIN CRAZY I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. Who's running this show, the three stooges ? [laughs]
http://www.maybelogic.org/maybequarterly/08/0801FlyRAWInterview.htm

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

John Sinclair on the cover of HIGH TIMES (Jan 2012)

Pot’s Greatest Hits
Welcome to the wide world of stoner stats! Since the breadth of our community is staggering, we decided the first issue of 2012 would be an ideal time to lay down our choices for the most notable achievements in the marijuana world: the best, the worst, the biggest, the weirdest, and anything else that struck our ganja-enhanced fancy.

http://hightimes.com/magazine/ht_admin/7401





FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Sun Ra and his Arkestra Live at the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1972-74

Art Yard Records unveils their newest release with Wake Up Angels: Sun Ra and his Arkestra Live at the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1972-74

November 13, 2011 Sound Colour Vibration Leave a comment Go to comments

Sun Ra Arkestra Wake Up Angels Art Yard

Art Yard Records has been releasing some of the best Sun Ra Arkestra recordings under one roof in recent years. With a close relationship to the band and a patience and understanding for the overall vision of what Ra and his colleagues have set in foundation, every Art Yard project related to Sun Ra is given the highest attention to detail for research, packaging and quality of materials. Many of the 70′s period Sun Ra studio and live album reissues were much needed additions to the modern digital age and the expanding fan base of young and new listeners for Ra’s legacy.

This year has marked the arrival of a very special collection in Art Yard’s Sun Ra catalog: the reintroduction of monumental and pivotal performances with Wake Up Angels: Sun Ra and his Arkestra Live at Ann Arbor Jazz and Blues Festival 1972-74. John Sinclair and Peter Andrews were the people responsible for organizing and presenting the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festival events. Under their Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation, the Arkestra were hired for the festival held in 1972 to close out the opening evenings schedule of performance. The Arkestra was expanding into philosophical spoken word elements into their sets, lavish dance arrangements, very heavy African and Latin poly-rhythmic percussion additions, cosmic space sound collages, cerebreal improvisations into regions unknown and a very advanced form of orchestration that marveled techniques akin to Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, both of which were some of his closest and most respected teachers. Sun Ra had relocated to Philadelphia from New York in the late 60′s from a fairly long period of activity there. Pivotal recordings would soon come forth while Sun Ra would focus on underground projects and releases with his Saturn Records imprint started in Chicago during the 50′s. After a successful tour of the West Coast in 1969 and a lot of touring in France, UK and other regions of Europe in 1970, 1971 and on. Sun Ra of the 70′s was activated in a way he had never been before.

Sun Ra on the cover of Rolling Stone April 19, 1969

Rolling Stone had covered Ra’s gig in San Jose during his early 1969 West Coast tour. The magazine featured him on the cover along with a full cover story on his gig and what he had been up to. This exposure gave Sun Ra the type of attention he further needed to land radio recording deals and other forms of economic security that would ensure the survival of the Arkestra. Recordings in Egypt during this time are probably among the most prized in my collection and was something I was very happy to see Art Yards have a hand in putting back onto the market with the release Nidhamu + Dark Myth Equation Visitation. In 1972, Sun Ra was really starting to gain full exposure and the festival appearance at Ann Arbour took his group to the next level. Performing to an estimated 12,000 people, this was the biggest crowd Sun Ra had played too and was a breeding ground for the fan base created by MC5 due to the association and time they shared with them on bills in the Michigan area during the late 60′s. MC5 had prided themselves on their love for the Arkestra and Sun Ra made good use of this connection with solidifying a closing spot for one of the most important and diverse cultural statements to emerge from the 70′s in Detorit. Listen to the second half of Starship from their first record and there is no denying the influence Ra took on this group.

The newest 2CD set from Art Yard captures the Arkestra in one of their highest periods of critical acclaim and personal growth. The group had completed work for the epic film Space is the Place the same year of the first performance in the set, 1972. Ra would soon release studio materials with Impulse and many other pivotal labels. Tours all over the world became increasingly easier for the group, especially with Arkestra alumni Danny Ray Thompson taking over a lot of the management duties in the 70′s and on. Africa to Europe to Japan, the Arkestra propelled themselves further and further into the realm of world acknowledgement and the damage from press work of United States journalists in the 60′s could no longer trap the buzz and legacy Ra had created up to that point. Art Yard has slightly truncated the 1972 recording to fit on the 2CD layout with the editing out of two pieces from the set. Present is the Sun Ra Arkestra recorded in 1972, 1973 and 1974 at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festivals. Remastered from 2 track tapes recorded from the board mixes for reference purposes, these provide the clearest window of these Sun Ra shows to date. Previous versions had been released under the supervision of John Sinclair but this new releases serves as the definitive version to date. 16 track masters were documented of all three festivals in their entirety but like many of the professional quality recordings from that era, have been shelved away, lost or purposely hidden due to lack of payment and other reasons far outside of anyone’s reach. Art Yard has teamed with John Sinclair in the hopes to authentically create a home for these important recordings in the Sun Ra canon along with forging a relationship to present many more of John Sinclar’s massive archive of other artists during the time he was promoting and offer professional recording services. Wake Up Angels presents three mind blowing concerts in some of the best audio quality of the Arkestra during the first half of the 70′s. It doesn’t get much better for this period of the band.

1972 was a phase of heavy rehearsals along with the residency at Slug’s Saloon in New York the band was well known for during that year. Ohio, Philadelphia and many other cities around the New York residence on the east coast of the United States became a haven for Ra to grease up his large ensembles. Sun Ra had taught the course ”The Black Man In the Cosmos” at the prestigious UC Berkeley a year before and had spent a lot of time on the West Coast for various projects and tours. The man was simply everywhere and a big festival appearance was needed to further help finance his band and lifestyle. During this phase, Ra started to dive into more proclamations, philosophy and from this the recitation of more poems took place on stage. With the vocal abilities of June Tyson a full time feature of the Arkestra circa 1972, Ra was adding more and more vocal heavy songs to his sets. ‘Space is the Place’ is the clearest example of this switch as a never ending chorus is under pinned by beautiful horns and a constant cycling of percussion. “There is no limit to the things you can do” is just one of the many lyrics you hear the cast of people on stage say under the constant chant “Space is the Place”.

Sun Ra's film Space is The Place. Photo from mubi.com

The people of Ann Arbor were very lucky on the evening of September 8, 1972 as they experienced the first public presentation of his phenomenal and decade defining piece, ‘Space is the Place’. The song is complete with sonic collage freak out moments, psychedelic vocal musings, mutated and crashing horn lines and the rhythmic pulse that reflects what the Arkestra was all about. The film of the same name was shot in Oakland and San Francisco of 1972. The 1972 Arkestra concert at Ann Arbor’s famous Blues and Jazz Festival starts with the piece ‘Enlightenment‘. Dating back to his recordings with his 50′s era Chicago recordings, this piece was one that stayed in Ra’s repertoire of material and always shifted in tone, speed, styling, instrumentation usage and so much more. Ra always pulled a few things from his book of past creation for retooling and Enlightenment is one of the most retooled pieces in his catalog.

The piece Discipline 27-II was a regular composition in Sun Ra’s live shows during this era and appears on all three dates from the entire 2CD collection. Discipline 27-II served as a vehicle for one of Ra’s most sophisticated, beautiful and dynamically rich compositions, pulling spirits of Ancient Egypt and the musings of sound pioneer Duke Ellington into one concoction. It also served as an extension for the  proclamations and philosophical ideas that Ra became know for.

Each of these proclamations were like the notes for each song, very unique to each show. For the 1972 version, this release separates each of these sub sections after the main theme with the titles, ‘What Planet is This’, ‘Life is Splendid’, and ‘Immeasurable’. All of these present a very important landing point to anyone unaware of the philosophical side of Sun Ra. The two untitled improvisations are easily the most imaginative and exploratory in sonic scope. The Arkestra molds and stretches outward, diving deep into the foundations set in the early 60′s from the Magic City sessions and Sun Ra’s time in New York.  Saxophone players John Gilmore and Marshall Allen pour thunderous towering sheets of shattering all over the band when the group starts to cook. From squawks to squalls to long strident note configurations that go everywhere. It’s mind blowing when you see footage of this and realize there is sheet music in front of these guys.

It should be noted, improvisation was a strong direction the Arkestra took but everything you hear was created in the direction of Ra; most of which had sheet music and was rehearsed for days before performances would occur specific to that performance. It can be very hard at times to believe that Sun Ra wrote all the music for everyone, but it’s all documented from the musicians themselves. Sun Ra’s talents are sometimes overlooked because of costume presentation and the Afrocentric cosmic philosophy that he engraved into his path here as a professional musician. By the time Ra and his Arkestra left the stage in Ann Arbor, the crowd had absorbed about an hours worth of everything Sun Ra created in the last 20 years of his career. For many, this would prove life changing. The chants at the end of the of the 1972 set highlight how impacted the thousands of unexpected concert goers and those in anticipation for various reasons, were. Sun Ra had given everything he had this September night in Ann Arbor. Fate, a high level of musicality and deep levels of dedication brought him the audience he needed to project himself higher into the realm of public consciousness. After September of 1972, The Arkestra’s touring schedule picked up heavily and Europe and the East Coast of America would no longer be the Arkestra’s only safe havens for active and worthwhile gigs.

Various – Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1972 Atlantic Records SD 2-502

The 1972 festival in Ann Arbor was a success and a recording compiling the best performances from the 16 track professional audio tapes was quickly assembled and given to Atlantic for release. Included in the Atlantic release Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1972 is a 6 minute edit titled ‘Life is Splendid’ with highlights from Ra’s set along with stellar recordings from the likes of Dr. John, Koko Taylor, Holwin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and many others. In comparison to the many performers on the set, Sun ra was light years ahead of his contemporaries in scope and world approach. Nothing taking away from the blues as that is a world all its own, but Sun Ra was now finding audiences who could appreciate modern forms of black music. This release would prove to be very critical as it made the next years festival very successful but also made the engineer from all 3 years take the tapes away when he found out he would not be getting paid for the Atlantic release, his work at the festivals or from anything in the future. 


Recordings from Art Ensemble of Chicago and many other artists saw release and this further complicated the matters with the people who owned these original masters. If the professional film and 16 track masters ever surface, it could possibly be one of the most valuable archival pieces to Sun Ra’s 70′s period. Exactly one year and one day to the date of the Arkestra’s first performance at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival and the Arkestra was back stronger, better rehearsed, and versed in the long form residencies they established in many venues on the East Coast of the United States. Rolling Stone was creating buzz, Miles Davis was disgusted, Europe couldn’t get enough of Ra and the world at large didn’t know what to think. It didn’t really matter at this point as the band was clearly on their way to bridging the past history of black classical arts, advanced composer big band work, ancient Egypt and cosmic spiritual tones. The Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival was granted permission from the city for another permit on the same grounds held before: Otis Spann Memorial Field. Where in 1972 the Arkestra followed Seigel-Schwall Blues Band, Detroit’s Contemporary Jazz Quintet, Junior Walker & The All Stars, and the great Howlin’ Wolf to close out the first evenings set of performances, the Arkestra was now included on the closing day of performances of the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival. The organizers selected the last day as a highlight the best acts from the previous years performances. These acts included: Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers, Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Discipline Arkestra, the Chicago Blues Revue featuring Otis Rush, Homesick James, Eddie Taylor, Carey Bell, and Lucille Spann who was backed by the Mighty Joe Young Blues Band. Anticipation for the Arkestra was higher than ever and the band was now deeper in numbers. Sun Ra demanded excellence and the momentum in his career afforded him the space to acquire these musicians, record, build and tour them around. Moving, feeding, rehearsing and managing this size of a band took the force and strength of someone like Sun Ra and the commanding presence on the 1973 set shows in great detail how Sun Ra was bringing it all together in the strongest way he had ever achieved in his career.

Sun Ra

The Arkestra performance from 1973 starts off with a really wild organ solo drenched in effects. Frantic runs dash back and forth and the band comes in full charge sooner than you can be ready with Sun Ra modifying his organ tones constantly through this transition. It sounds as if organ is slowly being crushed by a massive weight as it bends and contorts in all directions. The band drops out, allowing interaction and instrumentation to change as easily as the direction of the wind. This is 13 minutes of pure cosmic vibrations. Organ segues the very end of this improvisation into another one of Sun Ra’s Discipline series, this one being number 99. The beginning sounds like a funeral service song with the somber yet elegant mood that is shaded by brushes of drum hits and sleek and dreamy horn harmonies. This is a very contemplative piece and shifts the mood of fire and chaos that was in high doses just minutes before it into something very relaxing and somewhat sad in tone. This song sounds a lot like the material from My Brother The Wind II recorded around 1969, very hypnotic and centered around the pulse of the bass. Love in Outer Space is also centered around a circular bass theme, but the percussion build up that starts right from the start pushes this song to a very charged mood. Ra’s organ is a constant staple of the piece and he adds in perfect rhythm before the horn section takes over. Africa to Philadelphia to Saturn, Ra was now achieving his multidimensional vision with the compositions that grace the 1973 set. 3 drummers and even more percussion players colors in the mix with syncopated hypnotic grooves. Ra plays around the constant melody while different musicians take solos, with the trumpet section being the most adventurous and mind blowing. The type of energy that must have been coming off the stage during this piece.

Watusi was another song in the Sun Ra canon that saw extensive retooling and reshaping during its lifetime performed with the band. The song wasn’t originally his but the way he performs it makes it its own thing. The organ and percussion beginning that starts this song is powerful on all fronts and the horn section takes it home, towering the heavens with line after line. Like the year before, Discpline 27-II serves as the vehicle for the proclamations and philosophical outlines presented from Ra and the band behind him. This time around, the main melody and beginning sequence is more melancholy and more somber, playful on some levels with the harmonies and rhythm section. The previous year saw a much sharper version. The inclusion of Watusi into the 1973 set along with the beautiful organ solo on the intro of Discpline 27-II could have accounted for this more relaxed approach to the piece that has a slight New Orleans feel. The organ intro has shades of the piece ‘Somebody Else’s World‘, but only a small hint and then it falls gently into the main structure of Discipline 27-II. The drummers are is in full swing and it foreshadows a lot of the rhythms Ra would dive back into as he included pieces from his favorite composers in his sets. The band talks about morality, the cosmos, the awakening of all spirits, creation and universal properties of why Ra feels he was here. It’s a testament to the hard work Sun Ra put into all areas of his life, not just music.

Sun Ra in rehearsal October, 1971 Oakland, CA. Photo from nuvoid.blogspot.com

‘Wake Up Angels’, the proclamation that serves as the title for this compilation, is the center piece of the 2CD’s and represents one of the phenomenal approaches Sun Ra took to spreading his views. Even with as much existentialism and untraceable futures as Ra projected, he was still a vessel of order and the ending of the 1973 Ann Arbour set also reflects that of the 1972 performance with the song and philosophical staple from the Arkestra, ‘Outer Space Employment Agency.’ The song is a beautiful calling to not only those he accepted into his bands, but for those who are looking for motivation and inspiration to create outside of the means of money return. This was a bold message in its time and there was no holding Ra back from it, especially after this performance and others during the year of 1973 launched him further into public consciousness. “We open up the door for the outer space employment agency” is a beautiful chant headed by June Tyson that sounds so lovely over the groove set in place. The crowd is ecstatic by the time the mc introduces the band again. You can immediately tell the affect this live presentation had this evening. The crowd knew nothing would ever come around like this again.
John Sinclair and everyone involved with the Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation had big plans for the follow up to the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival. With a simple and easy to purchase permit now required by the city from the promoters, Rainbow booked an incredible cast of talent to present their best booking to date. Some of the artists first booked included B.B. King, Cecil Taylor, John Lee Hooker, the Gil Evans Orchestra, Sunnyland Slim, The Persuasions, Sun Ra & His Arkestra and James Brown. Sun Ra would be the group to grace the stage before the hardest working man in show business, James Brown and was a reality that would prove to be all too special. Due to many issues in Detroit and the 1973 performances, the city of Ann Arbor denied Rainbow’s permit requests and left the promoters in shock. The Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival of 1974 was going to be one of the biggest and most important events of its kind and now the plug had just been pulled by a city who had no qualms in their decision to present this from occurring in Ann Arbor. The unlikely opening of doors occurred with the city of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. They offered to house this event with no more than a few weeks away from the dates set in place. The city also helped with connecting in free promotion and a radio sponsor for the event. The opportunity was immediately seized by Rainbow without open arms and the concert would prove to not be as successful economically as previous years but provided one of the most intriguing and eclectic settings of professional and timeless musicians ever.

By the time the Arkestra took the stage  at Wndsor’s St. Clair College Amphitheatre on Setpember 6, 1974, the night had already seen stellar sets from many of the performers mentioned before. With James Brown known to have one of the most entertaining shows during this era, Ra and his group brought every ounce of energy they had to the stage and the cassette master reference tapes preserved that night document this in full glory. The addition of electric guitar player Dale Williams and Detroit resident Reginald “Shoo-Be-Doo” Fields on the electric bass provide a nice twist to the songs laid out in the set. Long time alumni from the Arkestra are present and the set dives deeper into the world of Sun Ra’s vast career. ‘Space is the Place’ from this set is one of my favorite versions from any live take I have heard and that number ranges in the 100′s. The stand out piece of this set is the very rare song ‘It is Forbidden’. Performed well into the set, the Arkestra really show the poly-rhythmic Afrocentric elements of the band.
Lyrically, ‘It is Forbidden’ shows their universal calling for ancient knowledge to be preserved and a questioning of what was accepted as the standard for social morality and the decaying standards of life most lived with during the times. These are some of the most earth shattering sets from Sun Ra and Art Yard Records is the perfect home for the remastered release of these historic Sun Ra recordings. Unlike the dozen plus disc releases that should only sit in the hands of hardcore collectors, this is a live album collection fit for the dedicated fan of Ra and the new and interested listener.
- Erik Otis

Buy any of the incredible albums Art Yard has released so far HERE. This album will release November 21st, full details to come soon on where and how.
Sun Ra and his Arkestra
Wake Up Angels
Art Yard Records
CD012
CD1: Otis Spann Memorial Field, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Friday, September 8, 1972 (tracks 1-8) and September 9, 1973 (tracks 9-18)

1. Enlightenment
2. Space Is The Place
3. Untitled improvisation
4. Discipline 27-II
5. What Planet Is This
6. Life Is Splendid
7. Immeasurable
8. Outer Spaceways Incorporated
9. Untitled improvisation
10. Discipline 99
11. Love In Outer Space
12. Watusi
13. Discipline 27-II
14. At First There Was Nothing
15. The Universe Has More To Offer You
16. Wake Up Angels
17. The Universe Sent Me To Converse With You
18. Outer Space Employment Agency

CD2: St. Clair College Amphitheatre, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Friday, September 6, 1974

1. Untitled improvisation
2. Discipline 27
3. Love In Outer Space
4. The Shadow World
5. Space Is The Place
6. Second Stop Jupiter
7. Discipline 27-II / What Planet Is This
8. Images
9. It Is Forbidden
10. Watusi
11. Sun Ra And His Band From Outer Space

This 2CD set was Produced for Art Yard by John Sinclair. Mastered by Peter Beckmann at Technology Works. Front Cover design by Nana Makawi, Layout and Design by Sonny Kay. Re-mastered and Reissued by ART YARD ltd
All compositions and arrangements by Sun Ra. Published by Enterplanetary Koncepts except “Enlightenment” {Dotson-Ra} & “Watusi” {Pitts-Merrill}. Publishing and Copyright by Art Yard ltd and Enterplanetary Koncepts.
All rights reserved © 2011 Art Yard ltd.

http://soundcolourvibration.com/2011/11/13/art-yard-records-wake-up-angels/

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

The U.S. vs. John Lennon (soundtrack)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Soundtrack album by John Lennon
Released	25 September 2006
Recorded	1968–1980
Genre	Rock
Length	1:15:27
Label	Parlophone, Capitol, EMI
Producer	John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector, David Leaf, Lisa Wohl
John Lennon chronology
Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon (2005) The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) Gimme Some Truth (2010)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

The U.S. vs. John Lennon is a soundtrack to the 2006 documentary film The U.S. vs. John Lennon. It was released in September 2006 and it peaked at #19 on the 14 October 2006 U.S. Top Soundtracks chart.

[edit] Track listing

All songs by John Lennon, except where noted.

1. "Power to the People" – 3:22
2. "Nobody Told Me" – 3:34
3. "Working Class Hero" – 3:48
4. "I Found Out" – 3:37
5. "Bed Peace" (John Lennon, Yoko Ono)
6. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:00
7. "Give Peace a Chance" – 4:50
8. "Love" – 3:23
9. "Attica State" (live, recorded at the 1971 John Sinclair Freedom Rally at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan)
10. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (Lennon, Ono) – 3:37
11. "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" – 6:05
12. "Imagine" – 3:02
13. "How Do You Sleep?" (instrumental)
14. "New York City" – 4:30
15. "John Sinclair" (live, recorded at the 1971 John Sinclair Freedom Rally at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan)
16. "Scared"
17. "God" – 4:09
18. "Here We Go Again"
19. "Gimme Some Truth" – 3:15
20. "Oh My Love" (Lennon, Ono) – 2:44
21. "Instant Karma!" – 3:20

• The live version of "Attica State" from the 1971 John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the instrumental version of "How Do You Sleep" are previously unreleased tracks.^[2]

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

internationaltimes.it/ archive/ (Issue 2, 1976)

http://www.internationaltimes.it/archive/index.php?year=1976&volume=IT-Volume-76&issue=3

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Highway 61 Christmas Special with Scott Barretta, Part 1

Posted in: Highway 61

The John Sinclair Foundation Presents

Highway 61 Christmas Special, Part 1 with Scott Barretta
Mississippi Public Broadcasting, December 15, 2007 [HW-0030]

Scott Barretta features a power-packed program of blues Christmas music
on this week’s episode of Highway 61 with classic selections by Charles Brown, Mabel Scott, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Llggins, Li’l Esther & Mel Walker, Lightning Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Reed, Big Joe Williams, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin, Papa Hop (Wilson), Detroit Junior, Jerry McCain, Sam Myers, and Big Jack Johnson.

DETROIT LIFE 713
[01] Scott Barretta Opening Comments over Theme Music: 61 Highway
[02] Charles Brown: Merry Christmas Baby
[03] Mabel Scott: Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
[04] Big Joe Turner: Christmas Day Blues
[05] Scott Barretta Comments
[06] Jimmy Llggins: I Want My Baby for Christmas
[07] Li’l Esther & Mel Walker: Faraway Christmas Blues
[08] Scott Barretta Comments over Theme Music: Highway 61
[09] Lightning Hopkins: Merry Christmas
[10] John Lee Hooker: Blues for Christmas
[11] Sonny Boy Williamson: Sonny Boy’s Christmas Blues
[12] Scott Barretta Comments
[13] Sonny Boy Williamson: Santa Claus
[14] Jimmy Reed: Christmas Present Blues
[15] Big Joe Williams: Christmas Blues
[16] Scott Barretta Comments over Theme Music: Highway 61
[17] Lowell Fulson: I Wanna Spend Christmas with You
[18] Jimmy McCracklin: Christmas Time
[19] Papa Hop (Wilson): Merry Christmas Blues
[20] Detroit Junior: Christmas Day
[21] Scott Barretta Comments over Theme Music: 61 Highway
[22] Jerry McCain: I Wanna Be Your Santa Claus
[23] Sam Myers: Young Girls Drive Me Wild
[24] Scott Barretta Closing Comments over Theme Music: 61 Highway
[25] Closing Music: Big Jack Johnson: Jingle Bell Boogie

A JOINT PRODUCTION
Radio Free Amsterdam & Detroit Life Radio
Hosted by Scott Barretta for TapDetroit.com
Produced & recorded by Joe Yorke at University of Mississippi for Mississippi Public Broadcasting
Post-production, editing & annotation by John Sinclair
Executive Producer: Holice P. Wood
Sponsored by Sensi Seeds, Amsterdam
© 2006, 2011 Scott Barretta. Used with permission.

http://www.radiofreeamsterdam.com/highway-61-christmas-special-with-scott-barretta-part-1/

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Where the movement began (Metro Times)

1 Print Email

Higher Ground

Where the movement began

How, 40 years ago, Sinclair and company laid the groundwork for today

By John Sinclair

Published: December 21, 2011

I'd like to offer my most profound thanks to Amy Cantu and her people at the Ann Arbor District Library for their heroic efforts in dredging up the past and making it live again in the digital age at their new website called freeingjohnsinclair.org, which further includes every page of the underground newspaper known as the Ann Arbor and Detroit Sun in digital form.

The AADL also sponsored two days of events in Ann Arbor celebrating the John Sinclair Freedom Rally of Dec. 10, 1971, including a free concert at the Ark featuring Commander Cody and my own band with special surprise guest Wayne Kramer of the MC-5 joining Jeff Grand on guitar.

The second day of the festivities included a library-sponsored panel discussion centered on the Freedom Rally and the struggle to legalize marijuana, and a reunion of the White Panther Party and its successor, the Rainbow People's Party, reuniting a whole lot of people who first carried the banner for marijuana legalization in Michigan back in the 1960s and early '70s.

You probably already know that I just celebrated my 40th anniversary of being released from Jackson Prison on Dec. 13, 1971, after serving 29 months of a 9-1/2- to 10-year sentence for possession of two joints on Dec. 22, 1966. 

Actually I'd been charged with giving the two joints to an undercover policewoman from the Detroit Police Department who had disguised herself as a human being to ask me a favor I couldn't refuse. It was three days before Christmas and she wanted a joint to take home, so I gave her two.

Giving away, or "dispensing," two joints of marijuana — then classified by the state as a narcotic — carried the same penalty upon conviction as selling a few hundred pounds of heroin: a minimum mandatory 20 years in the penitentiary, with a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

From my arrest in Detroit on Jan. 24, 1967, to my release from prison almost five years later, I carried on a fight against the Michigan marijuana laws that ended in March 1972 when the Michigan Supreme Court overturned my conviction and ruled that marijuana was in fact not a narcotic and a sentence of 10 years for possession of marijuana constituted cruel and unusual punishment — just as I had argued in my appeal.

My struggle was aided, abetted and fully supported every step of the way by that indispensable element of a successful legal battle: a great team of dedicated attorneys, led by Sheldon Otis and Justin C. Ravitz, that was motivated not by chance of profit but by intense social conviction. This brilliant team of attorneys and legal workers took up my case and advanced it exactly as I had intended from the beginning.

I wanted to overthrow the marijuana laws, get them declared unconstitutional, put an end to the idiotic classification of marijuana as a narcotic, get rid of the imbecilic and sadistic sentencing structure, and — in the final analysis — legalize marijuana. Most of all I wanted to get the police out of the lives of marijuana smokers and indeed, all recreational drug users.

The last two objectives haven't yet been realized, although the citizens' initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Michigan now being readied for 2012 may, if successful, finally bring us to full legalization, and that would certainly begin to remove the cops from our lives as smokers. 

The legalization of medical marijuana has gone a long way in that direction, although Attorney General Schuette and his ilk are not at all prepared to give up their stranglehold on the throats of the smoking public, but I think it's clear that their days are now numbered.

In my case, I never intended to go to prison to prove that marijuana was not a narcotic and that 10 years for two joints was cruel and unusual punishment. I fully expected to post an appeal bond and proceed with my life as an American while my appeal wound its way through the courts to the point where the Michigan Supreme Court would have to consider our arguments and ultimately rule in my favor.

But Judge Robert J. Columbo considered me an unrepentant offender — not an inaccurate assessment — who deserved to be incarcerated without bond, and he sent me straight to Jackson Prison to begin my 10-year sentence. Then I was shipped to Marquette in the Upper Peninsula for a year under maximum security, returned to Jackson and held in an isolation block until shortly before my release.

During the two-and-a-half years of my imprisonment, my lawyers, my political associates, scores of bands and thousands of our supporters rallied on my behalf in a series of countless benefits, protests, press conferences, and other events designed to "Free John Now," culminating in the John Sinclair Freedom Rally at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor on Friday, Dec. 10, 1971.

But we also lobbied hard in the state Legislature during that period for a change in the narcotics laws, and on Dec. 9 the lawmakers voted to reclassify marijuana as a "controlled substance" and reduce the penalties to one year for possession and four years for sales or dispensing the evil weed. My appeal had been argued before the Michigan Supreme Court in October 1971 and was pending decision, so the judges decided that I could now be granted an appeal bond — having already served 2-1/2 times the new maximum sentence for possession.

On Monday, Dec. 13, I walked out of the prison gates to resume my life in Ann Arbor as chairman of the Rainbow People's Party and creative director of the Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation, a nonprofit artists' management and production company. Like I keep saying, that was 40 years ago this month, and hopefully this will be the last we hear about these events for at least another 10.

So many of the positive things that people accomplished back then has been erased from the official record and kept from the awareness of the people coming up, who are encouraged to believe that there's not much one can do about the oppressive conditions one finds oneself living under in the 21st century. Just now, that tide is starting to turn as well, and the contemporary movement needs all the information about past struggles that we can make available to them. 

So thanks again to the Ann Arbor District Library for bringing it all back home this month, and as you begin to take up the cudgel for ending marijuana prohibition in 2012, take a droll stroll through the electronic pages of the digital edition of the Ann Arbor Sun and follow the progress of the legalization movement when it began, way back in the day.

By the time you read this I intend (the gods of travel willing) to be back in Amsterdam for the holidays and the beginning of the new year. I'll be back in two weeks with a report from Viper Central on the current efforts of the Dutch government to catch up with the leaders of the international War on Drugs. Happy New Year's, everybody!

—Detroit

> Email John Sinclair

http://metrotimes.com/mmj/where-the-movement-began-1.1247708

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Bermondsey Joyriders with John Sinclair - My Generation and 1977

Bermondsey Joyriders with John Sinclair - My Generation and 1977 FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

John Sinclair Dec 9, 2011 Ann Arbor, MI (Youtube)

John Sinclair Dec 9, 2011 Ann Arbor, MI

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

John Sinclair and the 40 year Freedom Rally by Fly

Today, the 10th December 2011 is the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, a fairy-tale like happening that led to the main goal of freeing John Sinclair from the clutches of the man (a trumped up 10 year prison sentence for possession of two Marijuana joints).

John has continued his work as a poet activist, writer, performer and tireless drug reform proponent throughout the 40 years since the Rally, and let’s not forget for 10 years previous to 1971 where John helped nurture what became fabled as “the 1960’s countercultural revolution” John was mixing up the medicine: a highly potent cocktail of beatnik poetry, Jazz, Blues and consciousness expanding compounds blended into an open source cultural festival, a social movement, facilitating workshops, concerts, readings, food programs, and underground publications detailing the results of their work: F-E-E-D-B-A-C-K

John soared with his contemporary’s Abbie Hoffman, Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, Paul Krassner, Jerry Rubin, Ed Sanders, William S. Burroughs, Ken Kessey, and many more; way over the heads of any existing cultural authorities and/or institutionalized squares, and so, like so many of his contemporaries, John Sinclair was ridiculed, hounded, beaten, discredited and jailed by the American Tsarist Government in retaliation for such heady flight, and for his successful social engineering without help, or consent from the Gov. (See Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Tim Leary’s battles with the authorities, or more precisely operation Cointelpro).

However, the recordings of the music and speeches, the posters and the texts cannot be fully erased or censored and many artefacts have made it through into the 21st century, existing to wedge an alternative view, somewhat in step with the Occupy movement, open source movement and anti-war (drug wars and metal warfare) movements. And so what have we learnt from the 1960’s experience with alternate cultures?

Within the capable arenas of John Sinclair’s genius, I’m happy to communicate that John lives and breathes, speaks and writes this lineage into the hearts and minds of any who would grow a new ear. Listen, read and get high with John Sinclair on the 40th anniversary of his Freedom and a moment when the dedication of the people, his friends, rose to reverse injustice and led to the reform of wrong-headed laws. Yes.

--Steven 'Fly' Pratt.

http://www.johnsinclair.us/

http://www.tapdetroit.com/?page_id=141

http://www.aadl.org/node/191049

http://metrotimes.com/mmj



FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

Let's Go Get Em' (again)

Let's Go Get 'Em

(Mo-Sounds)

http://www.johnsinclair.us/home/3-newsflash/952-lets-go-get-em.html

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

John Sinclair Looks Back on "Freedom Rally" 40 Years Later

John Sinclair Looks Back on "Freedom Rally" 40 Years Later
http://www.wdet.org/news/story/JohnSinclair40thFreedomRallyInterview/

5

Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of a rally to free a Detroit area counterculture figure from prison. On December 10th, 1971 thousands packed the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor for the “John Sinclair Freedom Rally”. The performers included Bob Seger, Jerry Rubin, Stevie Wonder, Allen Ginsberg, Phil Ochs, former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono. At the event, John Lennon performed a song he wrote about Sinclair’s prison sentence for selling two marijuana cigarettes to an undercover cop.

WDET’s Rob St. Mary met up with John Sinclair recently at the Trans Love Energies Compassion Center – a store front near Eastern Market related to medical marijuana – to talk about what led up to rally, his release from prison and Sinclair’s on-going crusade to reform marijuana laws.



(click the link to hear the interview)
For more on John Sinclair: http://www.johnsinclair.us/

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-john-lennon-and-yoko-ono-concert-film

December 6, 2011 | by Steven Rosen

Why "Ten For Two" is the John Lennon-Yoko Ono Music Doc You Haven't Seen

Poster advertising the Dec. 10, 1971 John Sinclair Freedom Rally

 

When John Lennon and Yoko Ono accepted an invitation to perform at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor, they knew it would be an event to remember. In addition to their performances, the rock benefit concert marathon featured Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger and Allen Ginsberg as well as activists like Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale, Father James Groppi and David Dellinger. 



 

So Lennon and Ono commissioned “Ten For Two,” a documentary of the event; this Saturday, the University of Michigan's student union will celebrate the event's 40th anniversary. And the film is still unavailable for release in the U.S.

“It’s been a sore point with me since it was canned,” says Steve Gebhardt, who shot the film with Robert Fries and two other filmmakers. “I think it’s always had its need to be screened.” 



Gebhardt believes that by the time the film was ready in early 1973, the couple feared its release would further antagonize the Nixon administration, which began trying to deport Lennon for his political activism after the Sinclair rally for Sinclair, an activist and manager of MC5 who received a 10-year sentence for possessing two joints. 

“I think the pressure was on from above, lawyers, not to the piss the government off at this point,” Gebhardt says. 



Ono’s attorney, Jonas E. Herbsman, said by email that Ono wasn’t available to talk about the film. In a subsequent email asking for his input, Herbsman wrote, “Sorry, we do not have information on the film's current status or exhibition history to share.”



Gebhardt used clips of the film, with permission, in his later documentary about Sinclair, “20 to Life.” And portions are used in 2006’s “The U.S. vs. John Lennon,” which was made by David Leaf and John Scheinfeld with Ono’s participation. 



Sometimes, a low-quality version of “Ten for Two” is on YouTube. Recently it was removed following a notice of a copyright claim of one “Waldorf Frommer Rechtsanwalte.” Translated, that means YouTube received a cease-and-desist from a representative of German law firm Frommer Waldorf, which specializes in copyright law and represents clients such as Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and Universal Music. 

(It's up again, for now; it's embedded below.)


As far as a legitimate release goes, the idea of obtaining music clearances for a 40-year-old event is daunting -- all the more unfortunate since the film is a succinct, rousing and well-edited time capsule that’s even more relevant in the world of Occupy Wall Street. 

Lennon and Ono brought agit-prop street singer David Peel and the Lower East Side along for support. Besides those previously mentioned, the long show also featured musicians Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, Phil Ochs, Roswell Rudd with Archie Shepp, and the Up.



The highlight of the Lennon/Ono set, for which he donned a steel guitar while she played a small conga drum, was the bluesy “John Sinclair.” (Other songs were “Attica State,” “The Luck of the Irish” and Ono’s “Sisters, O, Sister.”) Gebhardt ends the film with a seequence that shows an ecstatic Sinclair’s subsequent release from jail into the waiting arms of his family.



Sinclair wishes the film were available, too. “Other people should have a chance to see it,” he says. “It records a historical event very nicely and it’s in limbo.”



Both Gebhardt and Sinclair say neither Lennon nor Ono ever told them they wanted to block the film from release. But at a meeting about the film in 1973, Gebhardt says they surprised Sinclair with an unusual request. 



“The way they dealt with it is Yoko said she wanted to give all the money (from the film) to women’s causes,” Gebhardt recalls. “Of course, John Sinclair came up with a list of where he wanted money to go to. His jaw dropped and Yoko and John dug in. And that was that. Sinclair went out the door to catch the plane back to Detroit and that was the end of the story.”



Sinclair adds: “That was the last time we spoke. I think it was their way to get out of it.”



Gebhardt met Lennon and Ono through avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas, his employer at New York’s Anthology Film Archives. In late 1970, Ono and Lennon showed up at Anthology to discuss film projects with Mekas. 

“They were behind closed doors for 20 minutes and then they called me in,” Gebhardt says. “They wondered if I’d be interested in shooting a couple of films of their design. I said yes, immediately.”



Gebhardt worked on the films with Fries, a filmmaking friend from Cincinnati who had set up a New York production company. They shot two of Ono’s best-known and well-received films, “Up Your Legs Forever” and “Fly.”  In 1971, they also worked on the couple’s long-form promotional film accompanying Lennon’s “Imagine” album, and in 1972 helped record Lennon’s two “One to One” benefit concerts in New York. 

They stopped working for Lennon and Ono in 1973.

By then, Gebhardt and Fries had another client, the Rolling Stones, for whom they had filmed some 1972 concerts for a 1974 limited theatrical release called “Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones.” 

Fries, now also in Cincinnati, recalls the delicacy of getting permission from Lennon for that. “He said, ‘You’re going to do something with Mick Jagger, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah, if it’s OK with you.’ He said, ‘Yes, but let me give you some advice. Watch out for him – he’s tricky.’ It pleased me that he wished me well.”

http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-john-lennon-and-yoko-ono-concert-film

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

John Sinclair recalls impact, importance of Freedom Rally.

Related story: White Panther Party coming home to Ann Arbor this weekend

John Sinclair had the worst seat possible for the freedom rally held in his own name at Crisler Arena on Dec. 10, 1971.
But he didn’t miss a minute of the show.

John Sinclair registering to vote, Ann Arbor, March 3, 1972

Photo by David Fenton

 

Sinclair, then 30, was sitting in his cell at the state prison in Jackson throughout the concert, serving 10 years for giving two joints to an undercover police officer. But he was listening in on a transistor radio to the WABX-FM broadcast of the event, which featured, among others, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Bob Seger and Phil Ochs.
Even 40 years later, Sinclair, who is seldom at a loss for words, struggles to describe the experience.
“I was gassed about it,” Sinclair recalled last week during a phone call from Ghent, Belgium. “It was just very, very heavy.

“Amazing. Unbelievable.”

It was also scary, he said, since he used his weekly call to his wife, Leni, to call in to the concert and have his words broadcast throughout the arena.

“I was terrified, because I thought as soon as the guards found out, they’d carry me off to the hole,” he said, breaking into a hearty laugh. “But I was lucky, because they were listening to the basketball game instead.”
“Then I figured all weekend I figured when the warden came in and heard the report of the phone call, my goose would be would be cooked."

Still, Sinclair recalled, it was worth the risk.
“I felt like I had the chance to speak with people who were supporting me from the penitentiary was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Ironically, instead of waking up Monday morning to a punishment, he learned that he was going home. On the day before the concert, the Michigan State Senate voted to remove marijuana from the state’s penal code for narcotics and to reconsider all existing convictions.
“We’d won before they even played a note,” he said.

More importantly, after two and a half years in prison, he was going home to his family.
Although his release was secured through a twist in the state’s political machinations, Sinclair believed then—as he does today—that his release came about in part to the hue and cry he and his supporters raised about what they saw as political and social persecution.

“They took two and a half years of my life—but on the face of it, I beat them because I refused to shut about it,” he said. “Ten years for two joints is cruel and unusual punishment, but I was a vociferous opponent of their system and they made an example out of me.”

Today, Sinclair remains a staunch pro-marijuana advocate—particularly for medical reasons—and said that his and his compatriots’ efforts during the 1960s and 70s helped to break down the stigma attached to its use.

“There was nothing wrong with marijuana then and there's nothing wrong with it now,” he said.
Sinclair, who today, at 70, splits his time between Detroit and Amsterdam, will be back in Ann Arbor on Dec. 9 and 10 for a two-day Ann Arbor District Library event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Rally. He said he’s particularly gratified to see their efforts being recognized for their contribution to Ann Arbor’s history.

“Everything we did in the ‘60s and ‘70s has been erased from modern life, because they don’t want people to do it again,” he said. “They don’t make movies or TV shows about hippies and dope fiends like us.
“So for the library to enshrine this countercultural, left-wing, anti-capitalist movement that we were a part of … well, that excites me.”

He said he also plans to attend the Friday reunion of former residents of the two houses on Hill Street that were the headquarters of Sinclair’s White Panther Party.

“It’ll be a kick,” he said. “I lived with these people and went through some heavy (stuff.)”
Then he added with his trademark raspy laugh: “I’ll try to keep an open mind and not call anybody any names.”

http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/sinclair-sidebar/

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011

White Panther Party coming home to Ann Arbor

By Will Stewart
AnnArbor.com Freelance Journalist

White Panther Party coming home to Ann Arbor, 40 years after bringing John Lennon to town in aid of John Sinclair

Related story: John Sinclair recalls impact, importance of Freedom Rally

They came from all over.
Runaways, university students, traveling counter-culture scenesters. And they all found a home away from home in two enormous houses on Hill Street, where they made a lot of noise, talked a lot of revolution, smoked a lot of grass and caused quite a stir around sleepy little Ann Arbor.

White Panthers at 1520 Hill St., Ann Arbor, 1970

photo by Leni Sinclair

And they’re coming back home. Members of the White Panther Party, the communal tribe of politicized hippies who lived at 1510 and 1520 Hill St., are staging a reunion to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the high-profile, star-studded concert they staged at Crisler Arena to secure the prison release of the party’s charismatic figurehead, John Sinclair.
Once again, they’re coming from all over.

“We realized that we were starting to lose some of our friends from those days,” said Anne LaVasseur-Mullen, one of the reunion’s organizers, who moved to the commune on her seventeenth birthday in November 1970. “I really wanted to do this as a tribute to the family we had back then, because we really did some crazy and incredible things.

“I think it’s important that we have a chance to look each other in the eyes before we go over that hill for the last time.”

Talk to former members of the White Panther Party for more than a minute or two and that word keeps coming up: family.

“We made lifelong friends,” said Peggy Bach. “They were all like our brothers and our sisters.”
In fact, Bach was drawn to the party’s house at 1510 Hill Street, because her older brother, Skip Taube, was hanging out there. It’s where she met her husband, Frank Bach, who was then the lead singer in the popular local band The Up, which was also based out of the houses on Hill Street.

“In my case, it really did turn into family.”

The White Panther Party, which was named for its self-declared alignment with the Black Panther Party, arrived in Ann Arbor after Sinclair’s Detroit Artists Workshop commune was squeezed out of Detroit in the wake of the city’s riots.

In bucolic Ann Arbor, just as the anti-Vietnam War movement was fomenting here, Sinclair and his comrades—including the revolutionary rock band MC5, which Sinclair managed—found a perfect environment for a unique social experiment.

Free concert in the park, Ann Arbor, 1972.

Photo by Leni Sinclair

“It was a very heady, interesting time, with free concerts in the park and communal living … the whole thing,” said David Fenton, who arrived in 1971 as a 19-year-old freelance photographer and immediately fell in with Sinclair. “It was a very intense, almost magical time, when we were all so young and so earnest.” But as the White Panthers’ profile began to rise, Sinclair became a target of the status quo. He was arrested in 1968 for giving two joints to undercover narcotics officers. It wasn’t his first offense, and the system made an example of him, slapping with a 10-year sentence under the state’s stiff narcotics laws.

Immediately, the Panthers, led by Sinclair’s wife, Leni, and brother, David, swung into action—organizing a series of concerts and guerilla actions designed not only to raise a defense fund for Sinclair, but also public awareness of his situation.

“As crazy as it was, we were a pretty organized bunch,” Peggy Bach recalled. “There were a lot of different aspects to the whole thing, all of which were designed to bring attention to the cause.”

And all of which led up to the Freedom Rally. If Sinclair is the defining figure of the White Panther Party, then the Freedom Rally is its defining event—even more so than Panther official Pun Plamondon’s alleged bombing of the CIA recruiting office on campus.

poster by Gary Grimshaw

This wasn’t just some concert in the park. This was the big time, featuringl John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder, local hero Bob Seger, folksinger Phil Ochs, poet Allen Ginsberg, Black Panther leader Bobby Seale, jazz giant Archie Shepp and countless other bands, poets and counter-culture figures. As members recalled, the Feedom Rally was shaping up to be yet another in a series of low-key events, until Yippee leaders Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman convinced their pal John Lennon that he should come to Ann Arbor in support of Sinclair’s release.

Lennon and Ono eventually agreed, leaving organizers just two weeks to get a show together that would be worth of a visit not only from a former Beatle, but one who would be performing live in the U.S. for the first time since the band’s demise.

“Needless to say, this was a very big deal,” Lavasseur-Mullen said.

Fenton, who by now had begun running publicity for the Panthers and their de-facto newspaper, The Arbor Sun, was among those who swung into action.

“I was the guy who called all the radio shows to make the announcement,” he said. “No one could believe it was really happening.”

In fact, no one was really willing to believe it was true until Lennon and Ono arrived in town.
Just a year after arriving in Ann Arbor, Lavasseur-Mullen found herself serving as one of the show’s two MCs.

As gender equality wasn’t as high on the Panthers’ list as reforms to the status quo, she said she was consigned to announce the show’s lesser acts, while her male counterpart got to announce the big names.
“Still, standing up in front of 10,000 people was a really big deal,” she said. “That was a lot of people to be looking out at as an 18-yea- old.”

Although everyone’s recollections are pretty fuzzy after 40 years, among other factors, (“I remember all these people breaking out literally pounds of pot in the audience,” Fenton said) they all agree that the concert was long. Too long.

Lennon and Ono didn’t hit the stage until well after 3 a.m., at which point they performed a short set, including the tune “John Sinclair,” which the former Beatle wrote for the occasion.

“We came here not only to help John and to spotlight what's going on, but also to show and to say to all of you that apathy isn't it, and that we can do something,” Lennon said on stage. “"Okay, so Flower Power didn't work. So what? We start again."

Ironically, just before the concert, the Michigan State Senate approved a bill that would exclude marijuana from the state’s narcotics code and cut the penalties for marijuana use from 10 years to 90 days. The Senate also agreed to reconsider existing convictions.

Still, when Sinclair was released from prison the following Monday, it was hailed as a victory of the people over “The Man.”

Indeed, it was more likely the result of some really groovy timing.

“It was the culmination of so many things we’d been doing,” Peggy Bach recalled. “It seemed to us as if we’d really made it happen.”

Rock and revolution

The Ann Arbor District Library is marking the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Rally in a number of ways. For more information, see aadl.org:

• • "Rock and Revolution" exhibit at the Downtown Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., with a special opening reception with Michael Erlewine, Leni Sinclair and Gary Grimshaw on Friday, Dec. 2 from 7-8:30 p.m.
• A Commander Cody Band Concert at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., with special guest John Sinclair & Beatnik Youth on Friday, Dec. 9. Admission is free.
• The launch of a new website, "Freeing John Sinclair," starting Dec. 9 as part of the library's website, aadl.org.
• A panel discussion featuring John and Leni Sinclair, Pun Plamondon, David Fenton, and Genie Parker moderated by Professor Bruce Conforth at the Michigan Union, 530 S. State St., on Saturday, December 10, at 1 p.m.

Now, this Friday, former White Panther Party members and associates will reunite in the Michigan Union Ballroom. In addition, the Ann Arbor District Library has organized a series of events to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Rally. 

While the rally was the Panthers’ public high-water mark, their work didn’t end there. By 1972, with change in name to the Rainbow People’s Party, the group had organized its Human Rights Party and gained seats on the Ann Arbor City Council.
“We were able to do a lot of good for a lot of people,” said Fenton, who now runs his own communications company in New York City. “I learned everything I know about my career back then.”

By 1975, the commune had folded and its members began to disburse. The Bachs moved to Detroit to raise their family and organize at the local level. LaVasseur-Mullen moved to Hawaii, where she is a high school art teacher. Fenton moved back to New York to work for Rolling Stone magazine.
An era had ended. But Ann Arbor would never really be the same.

“A lot of us never saw one another again,” Fenton said of the reunion. “So this is really exciting.
“We were so young and half crazy, but now we’ve all grown up and are growing old.”

FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES 2011