Louie7
Joined: Jan 30, 2007
Posts: 448
50,000 Light-Years Beyond Planet Claire
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 12:27 PM
Just wondering.
Seems like every other band of note has some sort of reunion or reformation or stab at the oldies circuit.
Why not the Astronauts. You'd think.
Those guys had a lot of moxie...what happened?
Competition Coupe was a great tune for them.
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John
Joined: Aug 23, 2007
Posts: 594
Monterey County, California
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 01:00 PM
Ah, but there WAS an Astronauts' reunion. It happened in Boulder, Colorado on 21 October 1989. Documented, too, it was...on VHS tape. A number of copies were sold at the time. I don't believe the concert has been reissued digitally. Great show...all five original members and thank goodness it happened! In the years since, at least one of the guys developed some serious health issues. I'd like to think that all of them are still with us but it's probably those sort of things that would prevent a reunion today.
John
— www.johnblair.us
www.soundofthesurf.com
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Louie7
Joined: Jan 30, 2007
Posts: 448
50,000 Light-Years Beyond Planet Claire
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 02:47 PM
That's cool.... did you see the video ?
I wonder which member has the health issues.
You'd think that one substitute member wouldn't keep them from firing up the amps on stage.
Afterall, the world is cluttered with 'where are they now' and 'one-hit-Oneder' bands that typically cruise the oldies circuit with as little as one, or sometimes even NONE of the original members.
Cases in point... Iron Butterfly; Steppenwolf; Quicksilver Messenger Service; Gary Lewis & Playboys; The Animals; The Surfaris; Bo Grumpus (who?) 
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25522
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 02:50 PM
John ,
what member got up and played at the lighthouse in the 90s
and how was it?
how many songs?
which songs?
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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Louie7
Joined: Jan 30, 2007
Posts: 448
50,000 Light-Years Beyond Planet Claire
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 02:57 PM
man, Denver HAD some good lookin' kids. What happened ? 
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John
Joined: Aug 23, 2007
Posts: 594
Monterey County, California
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 04:25 PM
bigtikidude
John ,
what member got up and played at the lighthouse in the 90s
and how was it?
how many songs?
which songs?
That was Bob Demmon. I actually had the honor of playing on "Baja," me on lead and Bob on rhythm (his idea since he played rhythm on the original recording). I only recall doing that one Astronauts' tune with him that day (GREAT show, BTW...1 April 1995...one of Paul Johnson's early surf band reunion productions, so thanks for the memory, PJ). Bob told me afterward that I sounded "just like" Rich Fifield. I'm not so sure I came remotely close but it was a tremendous compliment. Such a pleasure to have met him.
As for the 1989 Astronauts' reunion in Boulder, yes I have seen the tape a few times. Perhaps we can arrange to screen it at the SG101 shindig in August?
— www.johnblair.us
www.soundofthesurf.com
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25522
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 04:38 PM
John, yeah I'm up for that.
you have a copy?
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2769
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 05:56 PM
I have a copy of the VHS and have arranged for Rob from StratoGeezer to digitize the instrumental portion (Baja and Movin') to post here.
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2769
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 05:57 PM
I can bring my copy to LA.
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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Sonichris
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1892
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 06:54 PM
Dennis Lindsey died, around 1995 I think it was.
Bob Demmon has throat cancer I heard.
Jim Gallagher told a bandmate of mine that the reunion they did in '89 almost killed him. He doesn't play drums anymore.
Rich Fifield still plays around Boulder, and Denver, but no surf. He was the bass player for a very early version of the Boulder surf band, The Beloved Invaders. He quit after only a few practices. He doesn't like surf music.
The remaining members have said they won't play again, since Dennis is dead.
Sadly, none of The Astronauts have any real clue as to how much they are loved in the surf community. I also think they don't really care. They were a rock and roll band, not a surf band, at least in their minds.
— "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 07:07 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 22:03:25
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Sonichris
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1892
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 07:13 PM
That's the stuff they played at the '89 reunion as well. Lots of Chuck Berry, and other standard 50's and 60's material. They only played Baja, Movin' and maybe one other surf tune during the whole set. I spent a lot of time fast forwarding that video.
I listened to several of their studio albums this week. I was struck by, how, on each one, they basically cover someone new. One album was the Yardbird sound, another was The Rolling Stones, another was The car/beach California sound.
I doubt they ever played much surf during live shows. I've met a bunch of people who claim to have seen the Astronauts during the early 60's, and even my own mother saw them. No one ever mentions the surf music they played. The only know that material from the albums.
— "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 07:22 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 22:04:05
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25522
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 07:52 PM
I got a 2 fer cd of Travelin' Man, and Down the Line just for the Version of
Out of Limits and it was recoded really well, but had no reverb at all.
I was sadly disappointed.
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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Billyboy
Joined: Sep 19, 2006
Posts: 38
Indianapolis, IN
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Posted on Feb 07 2009 08:30 PM
Saw them in the summer of 1964 in Omaha, Nebraska. They played Baja. The show was great; lots of madras shirts and weejuns. I was concentrating more on my date than every song the band played.
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JC
Joined: Oct 13, 2008
Posts: 98
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Posted on Feb 08 2009 08:39 AM
Maybe none of the members of the original Astronauts was taking part in the recording of _Out Of Limits _from the _Travelin´ Men _LP. This record seems to me the typical Snuff Garrett/Leon Russell (Gary Lewis & The Playboys) studio product. A bit sterile, I think.
I do not think the same about their excellent _Down The Line, From Us To You _and _Go, Go, Go _LPs. Brilliant records that I like as much as their beloved reverb drenched four earlier LPs.
And yes, they really were a rock&roll band. But one of the finest from the 60s for sure.
Last edited: Feb 08, 2009 15:30:33
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2769
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Feb 08 2009 09:16 AM
I have those albums on vinyl, and on CD. I have the complete RCA collection on a 4 disk CD collection, as well as their Rarities CD I dubbed from Richard's disk. I also have three original copies of Everything is A-OK which has in my opinion, the best album art of all time.
Our high school rock band, The Nightriders learned almost every song we knew and played from the Astronauts recordings. We could buy their latest record and learn twelve great songs we could play at sock hops and such.
It was a great time to be in a band.
Several years back I had Bob Demon's email address and we exchanged emails back and forth for a short while. I have also heard from Willie Mosely who writes for Vintage Guitar Magazine, that Bob has relocated to Colorado and is battling throat cancer.
Ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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JC
Joined: Oct 13, 2008
Posts: 98
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Posted on Feb 08 2009 10:25 AM
Those original USA RCA Dynagroove records sounds incredible. The _Everything is A-OK _was the first Astronauts LP I had found in a record shop long years ago (in the pre-ebay days). When I listened it at home it shook my brain (wow, the kicks of discovery!)... Months later the same dealer offered me a mint copy of the _Surfin´ With _album... but excuse me, I think I´m going lightly off topic.
Last edited: Feb 08, 2009 16:06:27
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2769
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Feb 08 2009 10:56 AM
My story is similar.
I was sitting in home room with my first electric guitar (early 50's Epiphone Century) when the guy who always sat next to me, asked about my guitar. He then told me he had an album I needed to "see." As it turned out, his dad worked for RCA and my buddy brought in Everything is A-OK for me the next day. It was a promotional copy that I still have. I put it on my dad's stereo at home and was blown away.
Some time later, while once again carefully checking out the fine print on the back of the cover, I noticed a mention of the Surfin' with....album. I jumped up, got in my '59 Rambler station wagon and drove to Lenox Square Mall to Kresge's where I bought my Ventures albums. Funny thing is they actually had the Surfin' with album. I have it but it's unplayable.
When I put Surfin' with the Astronauts on......my life changed.
Reverbs,
ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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Jon
Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 1076
Columbus, OH
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Posted on Feb 08 2009 12:00 PM
Does anyone else think that the kids in those pictures look like they're all in their 30s?
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