June 9, 2008

Gone Drummin’ and Pickin’.

Filed under: Uncategorized — Jim @ 10:59 pm

Yes, Peeps, tomorrow in the early morn we will be leaving for Hawaii for the Fourth Bi-annual Reunion of the band I played with in the sixties. We’re all Jersey guys, but we have scattered a bit over the years to places like Maui and Colorado. In 2002 (pre-blog), we gathered in Estes Park, Colorado. In 2004, the venue was Maui, and in 2006 we got together in Jersey.

We decided to return to Hawaii for this reunion, but rather than Maui, we will be rockin’ in Kona (on Hawaii, the Big Island). I’ll be bringing the electric axe (for use when I’m not drumming), and the other guys will be bringing a keyboard, guitars and bass. We have arranged to rent a set of drums and a sound system. There will be plenty of music, lots of bullshitting, tons of laughter and a cocktail or two.

Back in the sixties, the name of the band was “Saby and the Orientals,” a name that would now beget much howling from the politically correct peeps of the world, but it was a cool name back then for a band comprised of three Japanese American brothers and two Irish lemons, all from the same town in Jersey. Back in the day, we played at all sorts of places, including some pretty rough Buckets of Blood.

We did find time to cut a record in 1966. The “A” and “B” sides were both originals, written by Saby. We heard back then that it got about three minutes of air play in Albany and, oddly enough, in Hawaii (who knew?). After that, it became a mere conversation piece. However, just this week, we learned from the son of one of the guys that our 45 has become somewhat of a half-assed collector’s item. Someone on the web is selling it for $200.00! We also learned that the record is part of a compilation on an album available online called, “The White Group Sound.” I found that to be particularly comical, given that 3/5 of the band isn’t “white.”

Hell it doesn’t even raise us to the level of being “One Hit Wonders,” but we all got quite a kick out of seeing that our foray into the record world is still alive (albeit moribund) out there somewhere. I think I still have a few copies of the 45, and, if I can, I’ll figure out a way to post it, provided you’ll all agree to be kind.

The other band member who still lives in New Jersey and I (with spouses) will spend five days in Kauai before heading into Kona for the actual reunion. I expect to be back in Jersey, tired and hung over on June 21.

I have invited several most excellent bloggers to leave a few droppings here in my absence, so be sure to stop by to see their stuff, some of which will undoubtedly be most unkind to Yours Truly.

Play nice while I’m gone.

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