Monday, June 08, 2009

Deadbeat Poets Green Man Festival


Deadbeat Poets.......Green Man Festival!


The Deadbeat Poets are officially listed on the GreenPoll voting site for The Green Man Festival in England in August! This is a site where VOTES decide what unknown act gets to OPEN this huge festival! Imagine playing The Green Man....at The Green Man Festival!!!!! Anyhow....you can vote ONCE per day....so tell all of your friends about it the link below. You have to register to vote, but that is easy. Then....VOTE ONCE PER DAY!!! Thanks
http://www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk/greenpoll/

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

What The Critics Are Saying About Blue Ash!


What The Critics Are Saying.............
"Blue Ash were power-pop pioneers. Their debut layers soaring, romantic harmonies over bumptious, Who-inspired rock, and as with fellow chart flops Big Star, their rep has grown ever since" —SPIN


"These 1970's power-poppers never got the acclaim of fellow Ohioans the Raspberries, but this reissue of their 1973 debut LP proves they were nearly as groovy" —ROLLING STONE


"It takes but one listen to realize it's a landmark power-pop album" —RELIX


"Time to rediscover '70's power-pop group Blue Ash...Lovers of power-pop-let alone lost souls-shouldn't let the group stay unknown a moment longer" —NEW YORK DAILY NEWS


"Anyone who caught Not Lame's 2004 collection of outtakes will applaud this first-ever digitization of the debut album from a band that, for three minutes at least, put Youngstown, Ohio on the map" —RECORD COLLECTOR


"Blue Ash hailed from Youngstown, Ohio, and are best known for the sprightly pop magic of the timeless "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)" —GOLDMINE


"No More, No Less" a delirious, melodious, guitar-happy romp through the group's influences: the Who, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Byrds...etc.” —COLUMBUS DISPATCH


"Blue Ash interpreted their '60's influences in the context and conventions of their times. What's surprising is how undated it still sounds, particularly compared to the radio pop of just a few years later. By sticking to the basics of guitar, bass, drums & a hint of piano, by relying on classic pop melody & craft, Blue Ash minted a timeless classic" —HYPERBOLIUM


"This bar-bred quartet distilled the meatiest, beatiest aspects of the British Invasion; imported some Byrds-inspired jangle from the left coast; and delivered Blue Ash's wares with rafter shaking intensity.....Blue Ash's 1973 debut became a power-pop touchstone despite being out-of-print for decades" —AUSTIN CHRONICLE


"Indeed, Blue Ash was so gloriously '70's--so gloriously ahead of it's time so as to appear behind it--it stands to reason that that the band got signed to Mercury Records by the too-bright and too far-sighted A&R man Paul Nelson, whose bands either left an indelible (but somewhat invisible) thumbprint on rock 'n' roll (Blue Ash) or downright changed it's course forever (New York Dolls). Of course trailblazers never get their due.” —DETROIT METRO TIMES


"Jam-packed with Guitar Hero-bound riffs, monster choruses and some well-arranged ballads masquerading as rockers ("Dusty Old Fairgrounds") this is an obscure gem on which power and pop are both evenly matched and brilliantly intertwined.” —FLAGPOLE (Athens, GA)


“The Blue Ash story is one of rock's best kept secrets, No More, No Less is selling briskly on Amazon .com, proving it's never to late to pick up where you left off.” —BLOGCRITICS


"All this indicates the Blue Ash were a rock band first and foremost, placing sheer rush of sound over hooks, something a lot of their progeny never did. That's what gives their debut "No More, No Less now reissued by Collectors Choice in 2008, a full 35 years after it's release--such a punch" —ALL MUSIC GUIDE


"An album that should send paroxysms of joy through the central nervous systems of power pop fans everywhere" —LOS ANGELES CITYBEAT


"While many bozos wanked away in early '70's prog bombast, this Ohio band studied the Who and the Kinks, holding fast to the tenets of concise ans energetic pop. It won't realign you world, but you'll be glad to know about it.” —HARTFORD ADVOCATE


"This is one of power pop's great albums” —BLURT


"Liner notes are included courtesy of Blue Ash co-songwriter and bass player Frank Secich....Secich dwells only on the positive, which is reflective of the typically upbeat attitude the band proffers on No More, No Less, as well as during their still-going-strong live performances. Power pop fans need to own this reissue!” —SHINDIG (U.K.)

Power Pop Criminals


Rare And Vintage Blue Ash From The Power Pop Criminals!


http://powerpopcriminals.blogspot.com/2009/01/blue-ash-alternate-around.html

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Blue Ash At Youngstown IPO 2008!

Blue Ash Video from Youngstown International Pop Overthrow!



Blue Ash (Frank Secich, Jim Kendzor, Bill "Cupid" Bartolin, Jeffrey Rozniata & Bobby Darke) performing "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?" & Anytime At All" during the IPO at Cedars in Youngstown.




Saturday, November 22, 2008

Blue Ash At Barrow Civic Theater January 17TH!

Blue Ash will be appearing at the Barrow Civic Theater in Franklin, PA on January 17, 2009. Also, on the bill are the Max Schang Blues Band & Ransom. More info available at: http://myspace.com/officialblueash

Blue Ash's debut album is now available in CD at: http://www.ccmusic.com/item.cfm?itemid=CCM09632

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Youngstown International Pop Overthrow

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International Pop Overthrow Youngstown
Here is the schedule for the first ever IPO Youngstown & more info!Friday, November 14: Cedar's Lounge23 N. Hazel St.Youngstown 330 743-6560http://www.myspace.com/cedarslounge$88:00 The Smith Bros.8:30 SKooBER9:00 The Speeds9:30 Gems10:00 Saul Glennon10:30 Yellow Delicious11:00 The Zou11:30 The Deadbeat PoetsSaturday, November 15: Cedar's Lounge23 N. Hazel St.Youngstown 330 743-6560http://www.myspace.com/cedarslounge$88:00 The Plastic Hearts8:30 The Dreadful Yawns9:00 Pale Hollow9:30 The Jellybricks10:00 Triggers10:30 Sky Dragster11:00 The Infidels11:30 Blue AshSunday, November 16: Cedar's Lounge23 N. Hazel St.Youngstown 330 743-6560http://www.myspace.com/cedarslounge$68:00 Billy Sullivan8:30 Good Touch, Bad Touch9:00 Greenlawn Abbey9:30 Wino Riot10:00 The Tamboureens10:30 Readymade Breakup11:00 First In Spacehttp://www.internationalpopoverthrow.comAlso, Blue Ash "No More, No Less" release info with bonus CD's at:
Not Lamehttp://www.notlame.com/BLUE_ASH/Page_1/CDBLUEASH1.html

Kool Kat Musik
http://www.koolkatmusik.com/showproduct.aspx?productid=4920
http://www.myspace.com/deadbeatpoetshttp://www.myspace.com/officialblueashhttp://www.myspace.com/frank_secich


At Collectors Choice:
http://www.ccmusic.com/item.cfm?itemid=CCM09632
This is the press release fron Collectors Choice.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 6, 2008BLUE ASH'S 1973 POWERPOP MASTERPIECE NO MORE, NO LESS TO BE REISSUED ON COLLECTORS' CHOICE MUSIC ON OCTOBER 28Youngstown, Ohio band, signed to Mercury by Paul Nelson (New York Dolls), never hit the big time but are worshipped by the pop cognoscentiLOS ANGELES, Calif. — When England's Guardian newspaper assembled its list of "1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die," the 1973 debut album from Blue Ash made the grade alongside all the established classics — pretty remarkable considering the album in question, 1973's No More, No Less, had been out of print for 30 years. Thirty-five years after its release, on October 28, 2008, Collectors' Choice Music will reissue the album, complete with liner notes from founding bass player (and band historian) Frank Secich.Blue Ash formed in 1969 with a clear set of influences — The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, The Byrds, The Searchers, The Hollies, The Beau Brummels and all the British Invasion and West Coast bands of the mid-'60s. They developed a following in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia. Wilson Pickett even stopped by a session and remarked, "You guys aren't bad . . . for white boys."The band was signed to Mercury Records in 1972 by legendary rock critic and A&R man Paul Nelson. At the time, bands like Badfinger, Big Star and the Raspberries were reviving pop in the era of prog rock excess and singer-songwriter self-absorption. Nelson had just signed the New York Dolls, who commanded some of the highest critical accolades of their day but never caught on at radio, which was in a confused state between free-form and what was to become album-oriented rock. This fate would befall Blue Ash as well, despite a chiming pop single titled "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)."No More No Less was released in May 1973 and immediately received rave reviews Rolling Stone, Creem, Fusion, Phonograph Record, Rock Scene, Rock, Bomp!, Zoo World and dozens of other magazines throughout the country. The band opened for the likes of Aerosmith, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent and Nazareth. Dick Clark played them on American Bandstand. Alas, in June of 1974 the band was dropped, with Nelson fired soon after. The band recorded one more LP in 1977 for Playboy Records before calling it a day in 1979.The story could have ended there. But a funny thing happened on the road to oblivion. Blue Ash somehow became cult heroes. In 2004, Not Lame Records released a two-CD set of previously unreleased Blue Ash demos and outtakes called Around Again. Soon after, the band reunited for the first time in 25 years for half a dozen Midwest gigs (the band will appear November 15 in Youngstown as part of the International Pop Overthrow Festival). They remain good friends to this day, and maintain a MySpace page at www.myspace.com/officialblueash, which streams the band's classic songs. The late Bomp Records founder Greg Shaw once told Secich, "You guys made a great album with No More, No Less, and whether an LP sells 5 million copies or 500 copies, nothing will ever change the fact that you made a great album."The first-ever CD release of No More, No Less by Collectors' Choice has been long awaited by Blue Ash fan worldwide. It will also give a whole new generation insight into this archetypal power-pop band. As Secich wrote in the liner notes, "Somewhere, Paul Nelson and Greg Shaw are smiling."For more information on Collectors' Choice Music, please contact conqueroo:Cary Baker •†(323) 656-1600 • cary@conqueroo.com

Friday, October 17, 2008

Blue Ash "No More, No Less" With Special Bonus CD's!



There will be a special limited free bonus CD when ordering Blue Ash's "No More, No Less" from Not Lame or Kool Kat Musik. The Not Lame bonus CD will feature unreleased songs from 1973 that were done " live in Peppermint Studios.

http://www.notlame.com/BLUE_ASH/Page_1/CDBLUEASH1.html

The tracks are:
Hippy, Hippy Shake
(Chan Romero)
Baby You Lied
(Secich- Bartolin)
Now All You've Got Is You
(Kendzor)
She Cried For 15 years
(Secich-Bartolin)
One After 909
(Lennon-McCartney)
I Thought I Knew You
(Secich-Bartolin)
Say Goodbye
(Secich-Bartolin)
Give Me Love
(Secich-Bartolin)
Walls
(Secich-Bartolin)
Paper Bag Blues
(Secich-Bartolin-Kendzor-Evans)
Be My Girl
(Secich-Bartolin)
When I Get You
(Secich-Bartolin)
Make It Easy
(Secich-Bartolin)

The bonus CD album with Kool Kat Musik will feature a "live" performance of 12 songs recorded on January 31, 1974 at the Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio! The band was opening for the Raspberries at this show - and, as you'll hear, they definitely had their "game face" on as they rock through these covers and originals:

Hippy Hippy Shake
One After 909
Do You Love Me
Anytime At All
Start All Over Again
Plain To See
What Can I Do For You
She's So Nice
Baby Baby Come On
All I Want
Twist and Shout
My Generation

It must be noted that this is an audience recording (the only type that exists according to the band) that, while not of the highest audio quality, captures the band at a magical moment in their career, and serves as an archival testament to the power they exhibited as a live band! You'll still be awfully glad you snagged this little piece o' Power Pop history!



orders@koolkatmusik.com

856-468-2442

http://www.koolkatmusik.com/showproduct.aspx?Productid=4920&Sectionid=1
.. type=text/javascript> hasEML = false; ..>

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Blue Song In Film Trailer!

Blue Ash Song In Film Trailer For New Movie!


"Can't Get Her Off My Mind" written by the Blue Ash songwriting team of Frank Secich & Bill Bartolin and performed by Blue Ash appears in the film trailer of an upcoming comedy called "Smother". "Smother" stars Liv Tyler, Diane Keaton & Dax Shepard. "Can't Get Her Off My Mind" appears at 1:51 of the trailer. The trailer will be in theaters this coming weekend and the film will be released September 26th in America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdxLUW8Wscc

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Blue Ash "No More, No Less" Out On CD!

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Blue Ash's debut album "No More, No Less" has been issued for the first time on CD by the good folks at Collectors' Choice. Here are the details:
http://www.ccmusic.com/item.cfm?itemid=CCM09632

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Blue Ash....Lost In The Grooves


BLUE ASH NOW! @"Lost In The Grooves"


Blue Ash is a Lost in the Grooves artist. Click to sample the music or purchase tracks from Around Again - A Collection of Rarities From the Vault 1972-1979. And keep an eye peeled to Frank Secich's Blue Ash blog here at LITG for news, photos and insights straight from the band. This reissue (of a double CD first put out by the good folks at Not Lame) is just the start, as we'll soon be digging deeper into the Blue Ash vaults for songs never before heard by fans.
Metal Mike Saunders provided this vintage record review for the Lost in the Grooves anthology:

BLUE ASH "No More, No Less" (1973)
“I Remember A Time” could do for Blue Ash what “Mr. Tambourine Man” did for the Byrds: the start of a brilliant career, a Number One hit, instant mythology. The guitar intro lasts all of five seconds before Jimmy Kendzor and Frank Secich's voices come in, oozing of everything the Byrds and Lovin' Spoonful ever promised, the soaring harmonies in the chorus driving over jangling lead guitar work. It's the sound of tomorrow right here today, it's the perfect folk-rock single. It's beautiful, that's what.



This is one of the most spirited, powerful debuts ever from an American group. No More, No Less opens with “Have you Seen Her,” a fast rocker kicked off by four whomps on David Evans' snare. This is the one that makes me think of The Who; the lead guitar is pure West Coast, though.



"Just Another Game” is the one quiet song, an effective tonedown before “I Remember A Time.” “Plain To See” is similar to “I Remember A Time” in the way its simple, compelling melody rocks out with vocal harmonies framed over a trebly Byrds guitar sound.
“Here We Go Again” follows, midway between the hardest and softest numbers on the first side. What's great here are the group vocals on top of the tuff folk-rock cum hard rock instrumental sound; it's like killing two birds with one stone, the whole premise behind the old and new Mod groups (Small Faces, early Who, the Sweet), not to mention the hard pop masterpiece known to the world as “Do Ya.”



By the time this album ends, there's no doubt about it, Blue Ash have got themselves one hell of a debut LP that may send fellow stateside groups like Stories, the Raspberries, and Big Star running back to the woodshed to come up with music even better than their present stuff. (Mike Saunders)

Blue Ash 1974- photo by Geoff Jones

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Blue Ash "Around Again, Again!"

BLUE ASH..........AROUND AGAIN
a collection of rarities from the vault 1972-79

The songs from Blue Ash's "Around Again"(a 2004 two cd retrospective) are now available for collective and individual downloads at Lost In The Grooves.
http://www.lostinthegrooves.com/tags/blue-ash
Also, over 170 Blue Ash songs that were found in the vaults a few years ago will also be available for the first time anywhere. Some of the titles are "Walls", "I'll Be Standing By", "Dinner At Mr. Billy's", "It's All In Your Mind", "Look Out Your Window Baby I'm On Your Porch", "Baby Doll", Dangerous! Dynamite!", "You Know My Number", "When I Get You", "You Really Get To Me"...and dozens of other tunes that have never before been heard by anyone outside of the band members themselves. All of it was written by the Blue Ash songwriting team of Bill "Cupid" Bartolin and Frank Secich. The songs were recorded in Youngstown, Ohio at Peppermint studios between 1972 and 1976. More details about future releases will be forthcoming at www.lostinthegrooves.com in the next few weeks.

Blue Ash News & Related Items


Jim Kendzor and Frank Secich on stage in 1969
photo by Maryann Hartmann



Frank Secich Interview On Russian Sitehttp://powerpop.ru/interview/2006/frank_secich__eng.shtml

Blue Ash Official Website
http://www.BlueAshMusic.com

John Wicks And the Records have a new recording called "Live In Concert" includes free downloads and a "live" cover of Blue Ash's "Have You Seen Her?"
http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com/news.htm

Power Pop Lovers "The Blog Gems 1978-1999" includes the Infidels' classic "Mad About That Girl" produced by Frank Secich of Blue Ash
http://powerpoplovers.blogspot.com/

Blue Ash Yahoo Group
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/BlueAsh

photo by Kurt Sunderman

Starting at 8 o'clock and going clockwise: Jim Kendzor,Frank Secich, David Evans, Bill "Goog" Yendrek and roadie Joe "Lice" Harris in 1969
Labels: , , ,

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Pop Detective Blue Ash

POP DETECTIVE
CASE FILE # 6


BLUE ASH by Mark Hershberger


SEVENTIES CLASSIC GUITAR BAND BLUE ASH formed in 1969 when Frank Secich and Jim Kendzor were kicked out of high school because they refused to cut their hair. Already having had the idea to form the band, Frank and Jim used their ousting from school as an opportunity to practice daily. That is was months before their parents found out they had been booted out of school is our good fortune. By the time the school followed up on their suspension the band was well established. The original line up was Frank Secich(bass guitar, vocals), Jim Kendzor (lead vocals, guitar), Bill Yendrek (lead guitar) and David Evans (drummer). Their name came about after seeing a road sign outside of Cincinnati, Ohio pointing the way to a small town called Blue Ash. The name struck them as unusual so they made it their own. Lead guitarist, Bill Yendrek, quit the band within a year and was replaced by high school friend Bill Bartolin. by 1970, Blue Ash was busy playing clubs, dances, and "anyplace that would have them" between Pittsburgh and Cleveland.


photo by Darla Bartolin

From their first moments they churned out enormous amounts of original material and thoughts soon turned to demos and a record contract. Before they made it into the studio Bob Mack (of Bob Mack Productions, he discovered Tommy James) approached the band with a song he wanted them to record and offered to take them to Philadelphia'a Sigma Sound Studio. They agreed and cut "We'll Live Tomorrow", a tribute to Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix (tribute songs were big at the time). Only one vinyl single was pressed, the first Blue Ash single ever, and Frank Secich is still the proud owner of it today. While recording the song, Wilson Pickett stopped by to listen and commented "Not bad for white boys!" After this experience the band wanted to record their own music. They entered Peppermint Studios in Youngstown, Ohio and proceeded to record "tons of demos" which they shopped to various labels. They were eventually signed to Mercury Records through a great stroke of luck. Paul Nelson, a Mercury exec had an appointment with a man from Warren, Ohio who was pushing his own band's demo tape. During the meeting the man glanced down at a box of demos in Nelson's office, and commented on the top tape labeled Blue Ash. "I've seen that band band and they're incredible! They kick ass!" The man's endorsement prompted Nelson to play the tape and resulted in his signing Blue Ash.

Pictured below in 1973 are left to right: Frank Secich, Jim Kendzor, Bill Bartolin, Paul Nelson and David Evans
photo by Geoff Jones

In putting together the first album No More, No Less Nelson recommended their version of the Beatles"Anytime At All" be included and he also introduced the band to a demo of " Dusty Old Fairgrounds" by Bob Dylan. (Nelson and Dylan were old college pals) The then unreleased song was arranged for the band by Bill Bartolin and debuted on the album with Dylan's blessing. (Note: "Dusty Old Fairgrounds" appears onthe Sony/Rhino compilation I Shall be Unreleased.........The Songs Of Bob Dylan, making it the only Blue Ash appearance in the CD format.No More, No Less ('73) spawned three singles."Abracadabra" b/w "Dusty Old Fairgrounds", "I RememberA Time" b/w "Plain To See" and "Anytime At All" b/w"She's So Nice." (Note: "She's So Nice" wasn't on the first album, it was a track recorded for the never-to-be-released second Mercury album). No More, No Less was not a major success, selling a total of19,500 copies of the 20,000 pressed. It sold well throughout the Blue Ash local area but did little regionally or nationally. Album sales were hurt by lack of advertising funds and distribution support from Mercury. It really was a simple case of being on a good label at a bad time. Mercury had four projects ready to go-new albums by Rod Stewart, Bachman,Turner, Overdrive, The New York Dolls and Blue Ash. Stewart was at the top of the funding list, followed closely by BTO. When it came down to choosing between The Dolls and Blue Ash for the remaining funds Mercury chose the New York market over the Youngstown, Ohio market, and logically speaking, who could blame them.Blue Ash received very little ad and distribution support and the album sales bore this out.


The band continued to tour regionally ( opening for such acts as Bob Seger, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent and Raspberries) and to write. Soon they reentered Peppermint Studios to record a second album for Mercury. Mercury execs, however, were split on whether or not to proceed with another album. Although the vote was only four to three, the combination of slow record sales and the band's reluctance to play the NY club scene when Mercury pushed them to do so, spelled the end of their association with the label.Around this time, original drummer David Evans quit the group and was replaced by one of Blue Ash's roadies, Jeff Rozniata. Jeff drummed for various bands in his early days including Mother Goose (which included Stiv Bators). The band also hooked up with Steve Friedman who began negotiating with PlayboyRecords for a new Blue Ash album (Front Page News would become one of the first rock and roll albums on Playboy). Because Rozniata was so new to the band, Playboy refused to pay for his transportation to the recording studio, opting to send only the three original members. Resultingly, Front Page News was recorded using session drummers. The first half of the album was recorded in Miami's Criteria Studios and the second half at Los Angeles's Village Recorders Studio. Frank, Jim, and Bill agree that Front Page News as originally written and recorded, was a very good rock record. The problems with the album occured after the band finished recording and turned the masters over to Playboy. photo by Geoff Jones

Unbeknownst to Blue Ash, Playboy attempted to make the band sound more like the Bee Gees" and brought in Mike Lewis (string and horn arrangements for K.C. and the Sunshine Band) to add horns, keyboards, and strings to the master. Just days prior to the scheduled release of the record band members received advance copies and were outraged at what Playboy had turned the record into. Bill Bartolin was so upset that he quit the band temporarily. Jim Kendzor had told then president of Playboy Records, Tommy Takioshi, that " if they released that version, he was not touring...it would make the band look stupid." Finally, Frank Secich blew a fuse and read the riot act to Takioshi. In the end, Playboy re-mixed the masters, toning down the embellishments added by Lewis, Though the record ended up sounding very different than Blue Ash intended, it was significantly better than the first re-mixed version from Playboy. Some songs including "The Boy Won't Listen" and "Rock and Roll Millionaire" turned out fairly well.Front Page News was released in 1977 and the single"Look At You Now" did very well reaching #1 in some markets. In fact, the single did so well in Texas that Playboy Records was going to give the band $25,000 to tour the state. The album, overall, did much better than No More, No Less selling a total of 55,000 copies. Just before plans were solidified for the tour of Texas, Playboy international pulled the plug on Playboy Records leaving Blue Ash, once again, without a recording company or a deal.


The band continued to tour regionally, added keyboard player Brian Wingrove and, in 1978, returned to Peppermint Studios to begin recording again. The tracks from these sessions, like those for the second Mercury album, remain unreleased to this day.With disco still hanging on and the new wave/punk uprising gaining momentum, Blue Ash called it a career in 1979. It wasn't an actual band decision to pack it in, they just sort of slowly fizzled as the members started concentrating more on day jobs and less on music. After Blue Ash, Bill Bartolin left the business and works for General Motors. Jim Kendzor also left the music business and is a union carpenter. David Evans, the original drummer, works in real estate in Florida. Frank Secich continued playing and producing for a while ( he spent three years with the StivBators/Dead Boys band, a short stint with Club Wow-which included Jimmy Zero of the Dead Boys, and worked as a producer/songwriter/studio musician for power pop band The Infidels). Today, Frank makes his living in the insurance business.


Special thanks to Bill Bartolin, Jim Kendzor and Frank Secich of Blue Ash for their time and a huge thanks to subscriber Mike Orwell, honorary Pop Detective, for his assistance in locating the band!Reprinted with permissionCopyright 1996, 1997 Audities and the author, all rights reserved

and counting

MORE ABOUT BLUE ASH



Pop Culture Press Interview and Reviewby Kent BenjaminHttp://popculturepress.com/blueash.htm

Ohio On Line-Frank Secich Interview by Peanutshttp://www.ohioonline.com/2004/nov04/music.phtml


Blue Ash At Isound
Has a free mp3 of an acoustic demo called "The Goodie Wagon"
http://www.isound.com/blue_ash


Blue Ash Review From UNCUT Magazine UK
http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/blue_ash/reviews/8488


Blue Ash At "Lost In The Grooves"
http://www.lostinthegrooves.com/tags/blue-ash


Blue Ash Pop 45 From 1974
http://www.geocities.com/popfortyfive/blueash.html


Blue Ash Article In German Magazine "Oldies-Markt"
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:Thf2hR37kdYJ:www.funwithmusic.de/oldiemarkt/Flashback/pdf-files/Magazin%252005-2006.pdf+Frank+Secich&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=88


Blue Ash Review In Pstereo From Norway
http://www.pstereo.no/Webdesk/netblast/pages/index.html?id=329821


Cool Cleveland Review Of "Around Again"
http://www.coolcleveland.com/index.php?n=Main.MusiCleveland


Poplopedia-Seventies Rock
http://poplopedia.com/12301.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val

YOUNGSTOWN'S ROCK & ROLL PHOTOS


YOUNGSTOWN'S ROCK & ROLL PHOTO'S

This site has great old photos of album and 45 covers and newspaper ads from classic Northeast Ohio bands such as the Human Beinz, Glass Harp, Blue Ash, Left End, LAW, Holes In The Road.....and many, many others

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/YoungstownRocknRollPhotos/



Verden's Beste Powerpop?
Blue Ash

photo by Geoff Jones

http://www.pstereo.no/Webdesk/netblast/pages/index.html?id=314258


Norwegian To English Translation
by Ole from Mike Orwell


World's Best Powerpop?

Blue Ash

Blue Ash got together in 1970 and spent three years on an intensive concert tour before their debut record came out in 1973. A debut, as in my ears, stands like the strongest in history, at the same time one of the best, if not the best, powerpop record ever. No, not the best, but top ten, of course! In my opinion, this record came out too early to be defined as powerpop because, if you think about it, the category was not invented at this time. But then you have this thing about categories where a spade is a spade no matter how you look at it and this is powerpop in a classic performance despite the category not even being invented.


OK, I know I have offended a lot of the readers now and maybe I have done it on purpose because don't I forget Raspberries, a big star, and Badfinger and a whole lot of other bands? No, I don't. For me these guys have always been straight pop. When I think about powerpop, I compare this sound to the punk rock influence on the pop harmony inheritance from the 60's. And this definition you can link to the period of 1977 to 1982. Blue Ash is not necessarily far from bands like Big Star and Co., but the band is falling more naturally into the category with it's energetic follower.

Maybe you can look at this record as a connection between these periods.


How can I then call Blue Ash powerpop? Inspiration from punk rock is impossible despite the fact that you include bands which many people said started punk rock. The musical influence these bands could have had would just turn into an experimental sound so far from the harmony you could have. But, I think that the gold old rock and roll from the 70's has done a lot for Blue Ash. From a strange situation Blue Ash was able to put together the same sound picture as the powerpop generation. Listen with your rock and roll ears and you will find . . .


I don't know how I can explain myself better but I stand for what I am saying.


What can this record offer? Yes, I can tell you. Here you find something as seldom as a good collection of powerpop pearls. It's no secret that you usually find only one or two hits on most powerpop records. One after another they tumble over you with the sound of guitar playing, both electric and acoustic. This is love in uncomplicated form. Maybe the text tries to tell you something else but who is able to absorb that or understand that when you get so happy. The band was able to make only two albums. The name of the second record was "Front Page News" and it came out in 1977, but it's this one you want if you are looking for powerpop. The music critics were nice to Blue Ash. The public was not. You cannot buy much bread and milk with good reviews. There have been a few reunion concerts through the years but I doubt that you need more than one hand to count them. I think you also can play with your father's circular saw without losing the count. But, with a little curiosity I can mention that bass player Frank Secich is playing on Stiv Bators' legendary "Disconnected" from 1980.


As you probably understand by now, this record has a lot of qualities which should secure the golden wings in rock and roll sky, but that's not where it belongs. It deserves to live. It keeps itself fresh and good even today. This is not only one of the best records that has been sailing under the powerpop flag, but because of the clear old rock and roll vibes it gives a special particular sound which is also refreshing and calming. This is one of my absolute favorites and they deserve a special place in each and everyone's respectable collection.

Kenneth Dahlgren


5/23/05



A Greg Shaw Tribute, Blue Ash Rarities........and an International Tribute To Stiv Bators



photo by Theresa Kereakes Frank Secich, Stiv Bators and Greg Shaw at the "It's Cold Outside" recording session in Hollywood April of 1979
THE GREG SHAW TRIBUTE.......Two members of Blue Ash (Bill Bartolin and Frank Secich) will be appearing on a cut for the upcoming tribute to Greg Shaw on Bomp Records. The song they recorded is a cover of "Him Or Me....What's It Gonna Be?" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. Also, featured on the track are Ohio musicians: Jimmy Zero (Dead Boys), George Cabaniss (Color Me Gone, Hammer Damage Band), Billy Sullivan (Raspberries reunion band), John Koury and Pete Drivere (Infidels), Dave Swanson (Rainy Day Saints) and veteran Canadian, David "Quinton" Steinberg of (Stiv Bators Band and Mods). The tribute album to Greg is novel in it's approach in that it will be comprised of Greg's favorite songs done by some of his favorite artists. It's tentatively scheduled for release late this year or early 2007.


Planet Of The Popboomerang Vol. 2




Blue Ash have 2 never-before-released cuts "She Cried For 15 Years" and "Say Goodbye" on an Australian compilation called "Planet Of The Popboomerang 2". It's a 2cd set that features American power pop artists on one disc and on the other, artists from all over the world. You can check out samples at: www.popboomerang.com


Frank Secich will be appearing as a solo artist on an upcoming tribute to Stiv Bators out of Italy. The tribute is called "I'm Not Just Anyone.....A Portrait Of Stiv" Frank's song is called "The Stiv Bators Ghost Tour". Artists from around the world have contributed covers of Dead Boys, Wanderers, Lords Of The New Church and Stiv Bators Band songs.

LXT_VS_DECADENZA ON..."I'm Not Just Anyone......A Portrait Of Stiv"LXT Will Be Proud To Annouce The Track List Of The Compilation



photo by Theresa Kereakes

American Heartbreak - Calling On You
Stevie Klasson's Fat Chance - Don't Worry Children
Nikki Sudden - Not That Way Anymore
The Dead Dogs - A Gun Called Justice
Snatches of Pink - Dance With me
Neil Leyton - Lord's Prayer
Hundred Million Martians - I'll Be Alright
Land$lide Ladie$ - Method To My Madness
Lucky Sperms Club - Evil Boy
Adam Bomb - I Wanna Forget You (Just The Way You Are)
Sparkling Bombs - I Won't Look Back
Latexxx Teens feat. Killo&LN1 - Ain't It Fun
Steve Scarlet - Never Believed
Mr.Nasty - Black Girl / White Girl
The Throbs - Sonic Reducer ( live )
Frank Secich - The Stiv Bators Ghost Tour (unreleased track)
Http://www.latexxxteens.com/