You remember – it started in 7th Grade – you had a choice; play a Recorder or play Guitar. You picked guitar. You had an idea and you had a plan; you were going to start a Rock band. You were going to practice every day – you were going to write incredible songs – you were going to be famous. One problem; you were not a guy.
You saved every penny of your Babysitting money and took the bus down to Sol Betnun’s on Larchmont and bought a Gibson, you kept hearing over and over; “No Chicks In Rock n’ Roll Bands!”. Guys didn’t take you seriously – they laughed. They said “maybe you could be a singer or play Folk Music”.
You know the deal; stand behind a microphone and do nothing but sing and smile a lot.
That wasn’t you – your idol was Jeff Beck and you wanted to play in a band like the Yardbirds. You answered ads at Betnun’s – you put up ads at Wallich’s Music City – you took your guitar with you everywhere. People looked at you funny – but some of the girls in your class didn’t. They secretly admired you and they wanted to do what you were doing.
Word got out. By Summer you had a band. Your mom talked your dad into giving you the garage on weekends so you could practice. Your mom made cookies. You put together ten songs you all knew. When you weren’t practicing you were listening to the radio to find more songs. You were determined to be good enough to play at your school dances and maybe, just maybe, try and get to play at The Sea Witch or The Teenage Fair.
You just had to get past all the guys in the music stores who laughed and pretended they couldn’t hear you when you wanted to buy Strings. Your mom suggested you wear mini-skirts and go-go boots and call yourselves The Beautiques. She showed you magazines with Peggy Moffitt and Mary Quant and said you had to look like them.
Your bandmates were perplexed – you were not. You mom was a big band singer – she knew.
And to complete the picture – here’s an hour’s worth of The Hullaballooer, Dave Hull at KRLA just as he sounded on August 18, 1966.
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