Continuing a look back at my first exposure to a number of rock 'n' roll acts and superheroes (or other denizens of print or periodical publication), some of which were passing fancies, and some of which I went on to kinda like. They say you never forget your first time; that may be true, but it's the subsequent visits--the second time, the fourth time, the twentieth time, the hundredth time--that define our relationships with the things we cherish. Ultimately, the first meeting is less important than what comes after that. But every love story still needs to begin with that first kiss.
HELLCAT
I was reading The Avengers regularly in 1975-76, when writer Steve Englehart brought the character of Patsy Walker into the mix. I don't think I'd read any issues of Marvel's Patsy Walker teen humor comic book in the '60s, nor had I seen Patsy's more serious appearances as a supporting character in The Beast (starring in Amazing Adventures). I had seen Marvel's short-lived Claws Of The Cat book, so I recognized the costume Walker donned in The Avengers # 144, which was Patsy Walker's first appearance as Hellcat. Decades later, I was several episodes into Marvel's Jessica Jones TV series on Netflix before I realized that the character "Trish Walker" was Patsy Walker, albeit without the Hellcat identity.
THE HOLLIES
"Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" was yet another of my many favorite songs on the radio in the early '70s. I didn't remember any of The Hollies' '60s hits from when I was younger, but I sure loved this song. My interest in The Hollies expanded as I began to explore more oldies radio, and I picked up a copy of The Very Best Of The Hollies outta the cut-out bin at Gerber Music in Penn Can Mall. Granted, it didn't include "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress," but it did have "Bus Stop,""Look Through Any Window,""Stop, Stop, Stop,""I Can't Let Go," and "On A Carousel," among others, so I was in Heaven. I also picked up the soundtrack to the David Essex movie Stardust out of the dingy basement at Record Revolution in Cleveland Heights, and that contained The Hollies' "Carrie Anne." And, after all these years, I still don't care about The Hollies' 1974 hit "The Air That I Breathe."
HOLLY & THE ITALIANS
In 1981, Creem magazine described Holly & the Italians' debut album The Right To Be Italian as something like Lesley Gore or The Angels backed by Leave Home-era Ramones. Well, I was sold! I first heard Holly & the Italians on a CBS Records various-artists collection called Exposed II, which included "Rock Against Romance" and the group's signature tune, "Tell That Girl To Shut Up." A Holly & the Italians flexi-disc was also included with one of my subscription copies of Trouser Press magazine, and I bought a copy of The Right To Be Italian (with a water-damaged cover) from a record store in New York. The Right To Be Italian remains one of my all-time Top 25 albums.
HOT WHEELS
I was a big fan of Mattel's Hot Wheels cars--my first Hot Wheels car was Splittin Image--and I liked the 1969 cartoon TV series on ABC. DC Comics licensed the rights to adapt the TV series, and these were some really well-done comics, with stunning artwork from Alex Toth and (in its final issue) Neal Adams. DC's Hot Wheels comic ran for only six issues, and the daunting prospect of trying to navigate the Sargasso Sea of licensing complications will likely prevent it from ever being reprinted.
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Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes,Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here.
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