This is the last mention of Easy Rider. I picked it because it resonated with me. Then Larry Taylor died, and then today, SRV died 29 years ago. Shit never stops.
Y'all get on your dancin' shoes for Sunday's fundraiser. We do this twice a year. Bob opens up the world-famous Rhythm Room to us and let's us have at it. We always have a great time and want you to join us. BE THERE!!
Showdown is rapidly approaching. You can enter online at www.phoenixblues.org pr message Jane Porras on FB and she'll point you in the right direction. Let's make this one to remember.
Have a week after you hug somebody...
Sincerely,
Jim Crawford - PBS
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1969
cont'd
7. Fonda tried to get Hopper fired before the movie was even written. Schneider and Rafelson created The Monkees and used that money to fund the film. They gave Hopper $20,000 to do some preliminary shooting in New Orleans, and if they liked what they saw, they would give him more money to shoot the entire thing. Hopper filmed the NOLA scenes using Bolex 16mm cameras, which gave the movie a psychedelic sheen. "Peter and Bill Hayward are recording me," Hopper told Interview Magazine. "Every time I turn around they're filming me-and I'm not sure why-but I'm saying things like, 'We're going to win Cannes, man! We're young! We're going to take our energy and our strength and we're going to take this thing all the way! Just trust me and do what I'm saying! Nobody shoot any film until I tell them to!' I mean, we were all in open fights with one another at the time. I didn't find this out until Bert called me into his office after the movie was released, but Peter and Bill apparently wanted to pay him back the money he'd given us for Easy Rider and fire me. This is Peter and my brother-in-law, okay? This is before we've written a screenplay." Schneider didn't care about the footage and told the guys, "Well, Hopper sounds really excited. He says he's going to win Cannes. That sounds like a hell of an idea." And of course the movie ended up winning a Best First Work award at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival, where it was also nominated for the Palme d'Or. 8. Fonda and Hopper had a falling out over money. Fonda and Hopper clashed over writing credits and how Southern's money should be split between the men. When Southern left the project, Fonda gave a percentage of Southern's money to the production company and Hopper's brother-in-law, Bill Hayward, who was an associate producer on the film. This made Hopper feel like Fonda cheated him. "I just think that [Hopper] was so caught up in his own megalomania and his own bitterness that he couldn't see that I treated him quite fairly and that I respected his genius and his work," Fonda told The Independent. Unfortunately, Hopper held a grudge until the day he died, in 2010. "Well, I knew that Dennis was dying and I made many attempts to see Dennis as did Bert Schneider," Fonda said. "But he refused to see us. The funeral service was in a chapel in Taos, New Mexico. I rented a private jet and flew in, but I was not allowed in the chapel. So as much as I wanted to pay my respects, to Dennis and his family, I was not allowed to be a part of it." 9. The "We blew it" line was filmed after the movie wrapped. Near the end of the film, Wyatt and Billy sit around a campfire, and Wyatt's excited about how rich they are. Wyatt looks into the fire and utters, "You know Billy, we blew it," which foreshadows the ending, though is also open to interpretation. "It was two weeks after we wrapped the movie, we realized we didn't have the last campfire scene," Fonda told Daily Camera. "So we assembled the crew and went into the Santa Monica Mountains-if you don't light it, you can't see the difference-and we said we're in Florida." Hopper and Fonda argued about the dialogue. "He wanted me to say all this stuff about how we blew our inheritance, we messed up our heritage ... We were elevating the level of our conversation." Fonda wanted to mumble his line in a Warren Beatty way, and Hopper was at first against the idea, but once they filmed the scene Hopper was amenable. "Lots of people have asked me over the years, 'What did you mean by 'we blew it'?'" Fonda said. "And I say, 'Look out the window. If you don't think we've blown it, you've got to take a closer look.'" 10. Fonda's famous dad didn't understand the movie. The esteemed Henry Fonda saw a screening of his son's film. "I had him come down and look at an early cut," the younger Fonda told Daily Camera. "We had to get Dennis out of the room to get it below four hours. My dad watched it and then I went over the next day to his house. He was very serious. He said, 'Look son, I know you have all your eggs in this basket. And I'm worried about it because the film is inaccessible. We don't see where you're going and why? I just don't think many people will get it.' Even after [it was successful] he thought I was just a loose cannon, until he worked for me for one day." 11. You can pay to take the Easy Rider motorcycle tour. If you like riding motorcycles, have 15 days to spare, and about $4300 to $7700 burning a hole in your pocket, you can sign up for the 50th Anniversary Easy Rider Movie Tour. The 2589-mile path ventures to some of the movie's real filming locations, from L.A. to Death Valley to Colorado to New Orleans. According to the tour's website, they've worked with Sony Pictures in authenticating the locales. 12. An original Captain America motorcycle sold for $1.35 million. There's been much dispute over who designed and built the four Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a.k.a. choppers, used in the movie. Cliff Vaughs said he did it, but Peter Fonda said he designed the sketches and built them: "I built the motorcycles that I rode and Dennis rode. I bought four of them from Los Angeles Police Department." Vaughs worked on the movie for about a month before being fired, therefore his name doesn't appear in the credits. Three of the bikes were stolen, and the final one was destroyed in the film's finale but was later restored. Fonda gave the bike to actor Dan Haggerty, who eventually sold it to a collector named Michael Eisenberg. In October 2014, Profiles in History auctioned off the bike; the bike sold to an anonymous winner for $1.35 million and became the most expensive motorcycle in the world. 13. In 2012, an Easy Rider sequel was made. Phil Pitzer, an Ohio lawyer and producer, realized the sequel rights to Easy Rider were available, so in 2007 he sued Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider to prevent them from claiming they owned the rights. Pitzer won the case and moved forward with the sequel. The original title was Easy Rider: Scarlet Cross, but he changed the title to Easy Rider: The Ride Back. Unlike the first film, the sequel went straight to DVD and didn't make a dent in American culture. That's a wrap...
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Moved? Changed email addresses? Please let us know of any changes in your address, email, or phone number so we can keep you informed about the Blues community in Arizona. Email us at: info@phoenixblues.org or write to: Phoenix Blues Society P.O. Box 36874 Phoenix, Arizona 85067 |
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| Wild Bill
Funeral services for long-time Blues fan William "Bill" Scherwenka will take place from 1 - 3 p.m., Saturday, August 31 at Hansen Mortuary, 8314 N. 7th St. Bill was an avid Blues lover since his teens, a Phoenix Blues Society member in good standing and an enthusiastic volunteer at PBS events. Come help celebrate a Blues brother's life well lived with family and friends. Keith Hertz will serve as emcee and Eric Ramsey will provide music for the occasion. |
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| Out & About Tuesday, August 27 Carvin Jones, 7 p.m., Dirty Blonde, Chandler Wednesday, August 28 Hans Olson, 7 p.m., Time Out Lounge, Tempe Chuck Hall, 6 p.m., Corrado's, Carefree Carvin Jones, 7:30 p.m., Skip & Jan's, Gilbert Thursday, August 29 Sugar Thieves Duo, 6 p.m., Culinary Dropout, Gilbert Paris James, 7 p.m., St. Armand Kitchen, Chandler Eric Ramsey Hosts OPEN MIC, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Hans Olson EVERY THURSDAY, 6 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction Arizona Blues Project, 8 p.m., Harold's, Cave Creek Carvin Jones, 7:30 p.m., Brass Tap, Gilbert, Queen Creek Friday, August 30 Sugar Thieves, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Gallagher's, Phoenix Chuck Hall Band, 7:30 p.m., Janey's, Cave Creek Blues Review Band, 7 p.m., Sound Bites, Sedona Eric Ramsey/Robby Roberson, 8 p.m., XTreme Bean, Tempe Innocent Joe (solo), 6 p.m., Desert Eagle Brewing Co., Mesa Dennis Herreera w/Big Daddy D, 7 p.m., The Rickety Cricket, Prescott Saturday, August 31 Rocket 88s, 5:30 p.m., Rip's, Phoenix Rocket 88s, 9 p.m., Maverick Saloon, Phoenix Mike Eldred Trio, 7:30 p.m., Rebel Lounge, Phoenix Innocent Joe & The Hostile Witnesses, 7 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction True Flavor Blues, 8 p.m., West Alley BBQ, Chandler Blues Review Band, 9 p.m., Kazimierz, Scottsdale Nina Curri w/Doug Schultze, 6 p.m., Voodoo Daddy's, Tempe Carvin Jones, 9 p.m., Scorpion Bay Club, New River AZ All Star Blues Band w/Chuck Hall, 8:30 p.m., The Gopher Hole, Flagstaff Dennis Herreera w/Big Daddy D, 7 p.m., The Rickety Cricket, Prescott Sunday, September 1 Phoenix Blues Society Fundraiser (see poster), 12:30 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Carvin Jones, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix True Flavor Blues, NOON , Copper Star, Phoenix Eric Ramsey, 9 a.m., Roastery, Scottsdale Monday, September 2
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| Jams
Rocket 88s JAM, 4 p.m., Chopper John's, Phoenix
Bourbon Jack's JAM w/Kody Herring, 6 p.m., Chandler
JAM Hosted by The Scott O'Neal Band. Every other Thursday, Windsock, Prescott
Sir Harrison, JAM every other Sunday, The Windsock, Prescott MONDAY
Bam Bam & Badness Open JAM, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Weatherford Hotel JAM, 6:30 p.m., Flagstaff
TUESDAY
OPEN JAM Hosted by Jilly Bean & The Flipside Blues Band, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix
JAM Sir Harrison, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Gypsy's Bluesday Night JAM, 7 p.m. Pho Cao, Tempe
Tailgaters JAM, 7 p.m., Glendale
WEDNESDAY Rocket 88s, JAM, 6 p.m., The Last Stop (Old Hideaway West), Phoenix
Tool Shed JAM Party, 6 p.m. Gabby's, Mesa
THURSDAY Tool Shed JAM Party, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix Jolie's Place JAM w/Adrenaline, 9 p.m., Chandler
NEW JAM @ The Bench, Hosted by BluZone, 7 p.m., The Bench, Tempe
Friday
Saturday Bumpin' Bud's JAM 2nd & 4th Saturdays JAM, 6 p.m., Marc's Sports Grill |
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| GOT BLUES? If you are a Blues musician, a group, or a club that features Blues music, and would like to be listed, please send your info to info@phoenixblues.org and we'll be happy to list your event in our weekly Out & About section of the newsletter
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