Short Attention Span Theatre #1: The Hot Fudge Show

Early mornings have never been the same...

Syndicated out of Detroit from 1976-1982, it's the Hot Fudge Show!

While the memories are fading, I am pretty sure WKYC (Channel 3) in Cleveland used to broadcast this at 7:00AM every weekday morning.



"Hot Fudge. Right on!"


Links of Interest:

* Hot Fudge Show - Official Site

40? Nope. No angst here.

First post in quite some time, but that is neither here nor there.

... Unless we're talking about Spot's CleSoul blog.

Updates at that place are like dentures to the gummy. Mad Dog to the rummy? I don't really know, but I enjoy that blog enough to stalk ... er, follow it for as long as Bob continues the education ride.

You see, I rode on the further most outskirts of Bob/Spot's social circles as a me-teen/young adult; a friends of friends type of deal.

The Normandy Freaks.
Domestic Crisis.
Doc's Shake Shoppe.

Essentially 'All of those kids cooler than I', or some such nonsensical truth.

I mooned over Kristi Huska for far longer than I dare admit, which - of course, tends to obscure all things. But that particular cast of characters did include many of the elite in the Parma punk scene: Jim Luppuci, Kristi, the Mysterious Mr. Konya... um... and a whole lot more, believe you me.

Oh, how I wanted to be like them. I'd hang around in my room pretending to be amputated, or a talented artist, or a frenzied mop of hair. Yet hiding behind the moron front I presented, the cool never did translate.

But I sure fell down a lot!

"Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so!"

One of the single most interesting of freaks in that entire scene was Spot.

The infamous Tony Erba was perhaps more gonzo to me; Jim Morgan and Mark Embrogno more directly influential; Corey Barnett more respected, but Spot... Spot was the King.

Just the mere mention of his name and the person opposite would frame a huge smile, chuckle to themselves, then let loose with the most amazing of stories you'd ever be likely to hear. Laughter and/or bafflement never ceased to follow.

Everyone - and I do mean everyone had a Spot Story they would pass amongst themselves. And not one of them mean-spirited. At least none that I ever heard or first-hand experienced.

I cringe, twitch and generally spaz out when thinking back on the things I've pulled over the years. Some of the funniest and more memorable, however, were inspired by the Spirit of Spot and his guerrilla theater of the absurd.

Twenty years down the road, Bob continues to serve as inspiration and entertainment.

And I'm still falling down.

Nope. No angst here!

Flipper Rules, OK?

Obligatory Cut and Paste job from Wikipedia and/or AllMusic.

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Because research is for librarians and egghead kid sisters. And that's not punk. It is, however, borderline emo.

Which only goes to show you: librarians and kid sisters are emos.

You're so bored, cause you're boring!

- You Nought Me

Named after an infamous dolphin... Or birth defect babies... Or an insane band member's habit of naming every pet he ever owned 'Flipper', Dagwood Bum's Sled formed in San Francisco in 1979. Will Shatter, Bruce Lose, Ted Falconi, and Steve DePace quickly tired of having to explain the witty double entendre to hapless punk rockers like the Dead Ken-I-Gotta-Pees and Soupy Sales. So they went back to calling themselves Flipper.

It was a bold move in a career defined by bold moves. And drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.

I guess you can say music, too. But music is so yesterday; Flipper is next Tuesday at 4:36PM EST!

Back (L-R): Steve DePace, drums - Ted Falconi, guitar

Front (L-R): Will Shatter, bass & vocals - Bruce Lose, bass & vocals

No less than respected punk legend Henry Rollins called Flipper, and I am quoting here:

"Blah Blah Look at my tattoos Blah Blah Denis Leary Blah Blah VH1 Blah Blah Heavier Than You!!!!"

And, well... if it is coming from Henry Rollins, you'd be silly not to take it as gospel. He is a spoken word artist, you know. Just like Jello Biafra!

And that crazy bag lady down the street who cries drunken soliloquies to her long dead child. But I don't see her getting her own VH1 show or college spoken word tours, you two-bit carnies.

How much are kids being charged to hear your live-action infomercials, anyways? Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll end up blaming Ticketmaster.

Set it and forget it!!

Love Canal b/w Ha, Ha, Ha 7" (Front), 1980

Subterranean Records #SUB 07

A Mayfly Link (@320kbps)

Album: Generic Flipper (Front), 1981

Subterranean Records #SUB 25

Christ Almartyr Blog

Blow'n Chunks (Front), 1984

ROIR Records #A-126

Hangover Heart Attack Blog

Gone Fishin' (Front), 1984

Subterranean Records #SUB 42

Christ Almartyr Blog (again)

Public Flipper Limited: Live 1980-85 (Front), 1986

Subterranean Records #SUB 53

Nothin' Sez Somethin' Blog

And now I'll take some questions from the readers. Sound fun?

Q - You claim to be a punk, yet insult everything about them in most of your blog postings. What the hell is up with that?

A - Thanks for your question.

Q - Do you think youre funny? What's with the post on Johnny Rotten man?

A - Whoa! One question at a time please.

Q - I didn't think your Sid Vicious joke in the post from Dec. 20th was funny. How dare you! #%$@ You and the horse you rode in on, buddy!!

A - I'm sorry. Was there a question in there?

Note: If you have a question that you would like answered, feel free to drop me a line. Comments are always welcomed. Henry would approve...

Ari-Up: Punky Reggae Queen of Many Names

Even before the breakup of all-girl punk outfit the Slits in 1981, Ariana Forster; aka Ari-Up (aka Ari Stepper; aka Baby Ari; aka Madussa; aka Whatever the hell she wants us to call her this week) began lending her extraordinary vocal talents to various ground-breaking earthbeat productions. Even if the press didn't see it, artists such as Nina Hagen, Talking Heads, Adrian Sherwood, and Neneh Cherry valued her contributions to their expanding world-view.

When one lays out the recorded work Ari-Up either fronted, contributed to, or appeared on from 1978 until disappearing to the dancehalls of Jamaica in 1983, it is perplexing that the woman's influence on the world music explosion of the mid-80s is not better noted by music scribes.

Then again, music critics, video DJs, and latent feminists proclaimed Paul Simon's wonderful Graceland (1986) as 'the most refreshing thing since oxygen tanks' in trying to celebrate that albums 'innovative use of world music in Tin Pan Alley Folk-Pop'. The hucksters.

After gushing their ignorance so blatantly, who can fault music historians for missing the boat so badly on Ari-Up. They've got the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to worry about. Not to mention the burden of perpetuating the myth of Björk's originality.

That's a big responsibility!

- The Slits (L-R), Viv Albertine, Tessa Pollitt, Ari-Up

It has been suggested by journalists interviewing the woman that Ari-Up's growing interest in reggae and dub during the late 70s was the catalyst of the shocking change in musical outlook of the Slits from sonically brash to the experimental. An interesting, if not butt-kissing assessment. I would tend to credit the many converging influences surrounding the Slits during the 1977-79 period - including, but not limited to legendary Roxy DJ Don Letts managing the band for a spell, Nora Forster, the mother of Ari, dating and eventually marrying reggae aficionado John Lydon, and the general influence of Public Image Limited's first two releases. But what do I know? I do not get paid for this!

Whatever the influences, the Slits' output during the bands lifetime was remarkably different from any of their first wave U.K. punk rock brethren. You know - the ones that got all of the press and after-thought recognition.

Good thing I do not trust anyone in the mainstream that reports on the many forms of entertainment we gorge ourselves on. If I did, I'd probably be blogging about Amy Winehouse. Or Metallica.

Or Caboose Supe.

He sold more records than Elvis and The Beatles, you know.

The recordings of Ari-Up, 1978-1983

Nina Hagen Band - S/T (Front), 1978 -- CBS Records #CBS 83136

Contribution: Music & Lyrics, Pank (track 11)

Frisian's Other Favorites Blog

The New Age Steppers - S/T (Front), 1981

On-U Sound Records #On-U LP 01

Contribution: Vocals

Not Rock On Blog

Rip Rig & Panic - God (Front), 1981

Virgin Records #V 2213

Contributions: Vocals (track 4)

Down Underground Blog

Creation Rebel & New Age Steppers - Threat to Creation, 1981

Cherry Red Records #BRED 21

Contributions: Piano, Organ

Global Groove Blog

Singers & Players - War of Words (Front), 1982

On-U Sound Records #ON-U LP 05

Contributions: Keyboard

Devotional Hooligan Blog

New Age Steppers - Action Battlefield (Front), 1982

Statik Records #STAT LP 02

Contributions: Vocals, Piano, Percussion

Rocket Remnants Blog

New Age Steppers - Foundation Steppers (Front), 1983

On-U Sound Records #ON-U LP 21

Contributions: Vocals

Rocket Remnants Blog

Note: Besides the Slits albums and Talking Heads' Fear of Music, which can be found elsewhere on this blog, the only Ari-Up appearances during the period in question I am unable to link to is the My Love 12" and 7" singles by New Age Steppers (both released in 1981) and Prince Far I & The Arab's Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter III (1980) - which features Ari providing backing vocals on 'Shake the Nation'.