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Friends of the Sixties: John Sinclair and the Blues Scholars
"Friends of the Sixties" and host Michael Erlewine present poet and blues scholar John Sinclair backed up by the Blue Scholars doing the words from an interview of Howlin' Wolf by Michael Erlewine at the first Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969. The Blues Scholars include Michael Erlewine on harmonica, Seth Bernard on guitar, Luke Winslow-King on bass, with vocals by May and Anne Erlewine. Originally recorded in 2007 at the Heart Center Studios. (c) Copyright 2013 by Michael Erlewine.
This video originally appeared here.
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The Prime Movers Blues Band (Feat. Iggy Pop): "Yonder's Wall"
The Prime Mover Blues Band formed in the summer of 1965, lasted about five years and, like all things in life, gradually dissolved. Iggy, of course, went on to create 'The Stooges', Jack Dawson to play bass with the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band, Robert Sheff to become the avant-garde composer Blue Gene Tyranny, Daniel Erlewine to play lead guitar for the Sam Lay Blues Band (and to build guitars for the likes of Jerry Garcia and Albert King), and Michael Erlewine became an archivist, interviewed most of the blues greats, and created the All-Music Guide (allmusic.com) and other large Internet sites. By March of 1971, Michael was the only one left, playing piano and singing in bars under the name "Ann Arbor Heart Song." It was then that he met the love of his life, Margaret, married her, and found what he had been searching for and singing about. He gradually stopped playing.
Over the years there were more than 37 members in the Prime Movers. A few of these are listed below:
Lead Singer, harmonica: Michael Erlewine
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The Prime Movers Blues Band (Feat. Iggy Pop): Instrumental
The legendary Prime Movers Blues Band recorded no albums. The band formed in the summer of 1965 at the same time the Grateful Dead began. Known mostly throughout the Midwest, the band did play in San Francisco during the 'Summer of Love' in 1967, opening for "Cream" at the Fillmore Auditorium, playing at The Matrix, The Straight Theater, the Avalon Ballroom, and many other venues. Recently a reel-to-reel tape was found. It is one summer night's bar gig, one complete set probably in 1966 or 1967. This is one cut from that set, although a full album of the Prime Movers Blues Band will be available soon, with James Osterberg (Iggy Pop) singing the Muddy Water's song "I'm a Man."
The Prime Movers Blues Band was founded in the summer of 1965 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The main band members included:
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The Prime Movers Blues Band (Feat. Iggy Pop): "Drinkin' That Orange Driver"
"Digging out these old recordings has been fun, but it also has made me realize what a great place Ann Arbor was in the middle Sixties. The Prime Movers Blues Band formed in the summer of 1965, the same time as the Grateful Dead were doing the identical thing out in San Francisco. Neither knew about the other. Later, of course there was interaction among these new music groups that were appearing all over the country. There was something in the air. It was the Sixties! The Prime Movers had gone to Chicago. We had seen Little Walter, Big Walter, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, and all the blues greats playing live. I can remember one night listening to Howlin' Wolf play in a small club in Chicago. The room was empty and dark; there was no one there but a couple of us. Wolf was up front sitting on a chair next to the great blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin. Wolf's music went into our ears and then deep into my brain. Time just slowed down and then seemed to stop. The walls around me (and my body) became sort of transparent and it was as if I was somewhere out in deep space, just my mind alone, outside of time and place. My body just kind of disappeared. All that I could hear was Wolf's sound in my ear and brain. I lost all sense of a personal who and where I am. When folks ask me why I listen to and study the blues, it is more than just 'good music'. Blues (for me at least) has been a way to touch home, to go between the clock-ticking seconds of my life, somehow stepping outside of time, and get a sense of my life at a deeper level. Blues has always been for me a journey to see the nature of my own mind -- a refresher course in who I am and why I am here. Music has always been that for me." - Michael Erlewine
The main band members included:
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Friends of the Sixties: The Prime Movers Blues Band (Solo from "Endless Blues")
"Friends of the Sixties" with Michael Erlewine, a half-hour show on the legendary Ann Arbor blues group the Prime Movers Blues Band, with Iggy Pop as their drummer, complete with dozens of photos, live tunes, and Iggy Pop singing "I'm a Man" with the Prime Movers Blues Band. Michael Erlewine is founder of the All-Music Guide and former lead singer and amplified-harmonica player for the Prime Movers Blues Band.
This video originally appeared here.
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Friends of the Sixties: The Landmark Ann Arbor Blues Festivals 1969-1970
This is a rough-draft of some footage Stephen Erlewine took back in 1970 at the second pivotal Arbor Blues Festival, where his brother Michael was in charge of food and drink for the blues artists, and also served as interviewer for scores of the performers. This was a life-changing experience and led some years later to Michael founding the All-Music Guide (AMG).
This video originally appeared here.