“CRAGG”

c. 2017 Rod Ice

All rights reserved

(3-17)

I have written frequently about my long-distance friendship with legendary California guitarist Davie Allan. His work in ‘chopper’ films from the 1960’s has remained notable ever since those hedonistic days of yore. It has been my privilege to review his work in print, write letters lobbying on his behalf and even provide liner notes for his recordings.

My genuine affinity for Davie’s music began when I bought a copy of the ‘Devil’s Angels’ movie soundtrack, while going to high school in the Pittsburgh area. Like many music fans, I was familiar with his ‘Blues Theme’ 45 but knew little else about his recorded history. My favorite radio station, WYDD-FM, was a ‘hippie’ inspiration, one of the genuine ‘free-form’ broadcasters that sought to buck the corporate trend of regular broadcasting. But they offered little of Davie’s work. My vinyl artifact, only about ten years old at that time, began to open the door. I could not have imagined where that path would lead. Davie and I became connected after I added a personal note of thanks to an order of CDs through his website, during the 1990’s.

A modern bonus from my association with Davie arrived recently, when he was interviewed by Terry and Tiffany DuFoe, the creators of ‘Cult Radio A Go-Go’ which is available via the Internet.

I found a podcast link, and enjoyed their conversation. But, because I was unfamiliar with the CRAGG creations, it seemed appropriate to investigate further. A bit of reading revealed that their live stream and archives were available on my Roku box, in addition to other platforms. I downloaded their channels immediately. (CRAGG TV and CRAGG Radio.) And then came… an epiphany of sorts. All the way from California to the heartland of Ohio.

Another frequent subject for this writer has been the odd expertise of my late friend Paul Race, Jr. from Corning, New York. His status as a veteran of Cornell University, collector, musician, illustrator and anti-social iconoclast were unmatched by anyone I have known. The universe of CRAGG literally hit all these buttons with precision. It was as if my old friend had been reincarnated in these kindred souls.

I clicked through a list of interview subjects that had appeared on their live program and it was an impressive roster of postwar, pop culture which included:

Rob Zombie, musician; George Romero, film director; Elvira, horror host; Robert Englund, actor; Billy ‘Crash’ Craddock, heroic Country performer; Samuel Z. Arkoff, film mogul; Gilbert Gottfried, comedian; Ronda Shear, of ‘Up All Night’ fame; Orion, Elvis impersonator; Del Shannon, 60’s icon; June Lockhart, TV mom; Arch Hall, Jr., movie cult hero and musician; Vincent Price, hero of all.

I corresponded with Tiffany via social media and learned that they were fans of ‘Dark Shadows’ which was another of the influences that helped create my own consciousness as a wordsmith. Her live stream of their household collection looked much like my own, populated with relics of Coca-Cola, Rock rebellion and golden age television. For people that I had never met, on the other side of America, they seemed undeniably familiar. And alike. Eventually, I messaged her with this conclusion:

“Your mix of songs and material is truly amazing. I never know what to expect. It is almost like I took an acid trip and had my life played back, record by record. Something like ‘Rock & Roll Confidential’ by Penny Stallings.”

Continued research revealed that Terry and Tiffany originated their streamcasts from an abandoned drive-in theater, from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. PST on Saturday nights. A father-daughter team of great consequence. Included were Wicked Kitty and Fritz, the studio cats, along with CRAGG the gargoyle.

Their encyclopedic knowledge of all things from the ‘Baby Boom’ era seemed to be unlimited in scope. Terry was a disc jockey on AM and FM radio, while Tiffany was a prodigious child who reportedly ‘saw her first John Waters film at the age of ten.’

I was in awe!

This connection left me spellbound and I could not tune away. For weeks afterward, CRAGG was on my Roku whenever I was at home.

An old adage says: ‘Content is king.’ This truism echoed over and over as I listened to Tiny Tim singing “I love Rock & Roll’ followed by a show excerpt from ‘Hazel’ followed by a promo bit for ‘X Minus One’ from NBC radio in the 1950’s, a series which included scripts written by Issac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert A. Heinlein and Phillip K. Dick.

DuFoe & DuFoe seemed to tap directly into the zeitgeist of pop culture that would eventually come to bear fruit in the ‘Punk’ revolution of the 1970’s and in countless B-Movies offered to the masses with themes of teenage rebellion, horror, choppers and hot rods.

As an overgrown kid from Ohio, their stream-of-consciousness was irresistible,

I listened to an episode of ‘Kitchen Sink Radio’ from 2011, where Tiffany was interviewed, and she seemed very much like part of the family... her father, like one of our crew at WTCC/WCIC – channel 13 in Ithaca, New York, when I worked there in the 1970’s. People well-versed in the genres of Garage Band Rock, low-buck Sci-Fi and B-Movie abandon. Originally, like me, from ihe heartland.

One quote in particular caught my attention. She spoke about Terry’s desire to broaden the scope of terrestrial radio:

“He had... an idea, back in the late 70’s, of doing a radio station, he actually pitched this idea to AM/FM in Illinois where we’re from, that he wanted to do a free-form radio station that could literally be a hodgepodge of everything, that somebody who is very eclectic could listen to it and one time, you know, hear a Buck Owens song and then the next, hear a Ramones song. And… I guess it was before its time. It didn’t end up coming to fruition...”

Once again, I was back at my vintage RCA with the ‘Tone of the Golden Throat’ listening to WYDD in Pittsburgh.

I had been inspired by the station to think of radio as an educational tool. My hope was to provide a varied tonal palette in the spirit of our family record collection. One that dependably offered vintage recordings of Blues, Country & Western, Gospel, Folk and early Rock & Roll. But my attempts to swing an apprenticeship at local stations in New York, through Cornell University, yielded nothing but frustration at the commerce-driven industry. With a detour to local television I encountered on-air cohort David Bly, a librarian by profession and a faithful disciple of popular music. His notion that broadcasts should inform and uplift listeners was in sync with my own. What followed was an undisciplined stream of art and energy.

CRAGG brought these echoes of yonder days to a logical conclusion. It gave me a renewed sense of focus.

Another vibe from the realm of bygone culture came as I tuned into CRAGG TV and saw that they were offering a replay of the John Hayes classic “Grave of the Vampire.” I recalled seeing it on the WNEW late movie while I was studying at Cornell. Beyond pushing the reasonable limits of a cinematic feature to convey shock and entertainment, the film also offered William Smith, ‘chopper’ film hero, in a starring role.

More than spellbound, I was caught in a time warp between my youth and the harsh light of modernity.

I sent Tiffany You Tube links to video clips from my New York television show. It was the first time since my friend Paul passed away in 2014 that I felt truly excited about reviving those memories. I reckoned that she and Terry would understand our cause.

And share in continuing the journey!

Comments or questions about ‘Words on the Loose’ may be sent to: icewritesforyou@gmail.com

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Published weekly in the Geauga Independent