Trace down a artist.

[Sancho Panza]

I'm just curious on how far people are willing to go to find an artist. Will you hunt down every living relative to get in contact with the one you're searching for? It seems like every artist's been interviewed and that's what struck me - how do you find them?

 

[Laurent Bigot]

Sometimes it's just pure luck. My mother used to work for an american company based in Minneapolis and once some american colleagues were visiting the plant in France and came to our house. As my mother mentioned I was into obscure 60s music, the woman said something like "have you ever heard of TC Atlantic? Their drummer is our next door neighbour".

 

[Westex]

I'm a bit shy in the first place, so I really have to build up the courage to cold call someone. Emails are a bit easier.

And not every artist has been interviewed, there is always someone else. Especially for me... since I'm a regional hound I have found that there's always a someone with more information: a manager, a promoter, a dee jay, their friend's band that didn't release a record but has tapes, their wife's supervisor was in the Coachmen on Sea Ell, etc. I suppose it depends on who/what you're after.

 

[EXPO67]

I only ever use email.

I live in England and tracking down an American musician from a 60s group would otherwise be virtually impossible. Set up a website/blog and write about your favourite groups/45s and by the powers of the internet someone down the line will contact you.

Facebook is also a good connection point.

 

[Frantic]

In the days before Google my phone bills were sometimes $1000+ per month looking for guys in bands. I spent months and over 100 phone calls to find Gary Baermann lead singer of MADD INC. I found his mom in Wisconsin and he lived in Washington state. That was a great day. Try finding a guy with the last name of Smith. I called 100's of people with that last name around the Sacramento area and over a year later I found the guy I was looking for. It's a lot easier with Google but some people just don't want to be found and cell phones make it harder.

 

[greenfuzz]

I primarily only use Google/email nowadays, too, but I've written letters and blindly called as well. As Joey stated, there are FAR more misses than hits...and that can really take the excitement out of sleuthing. When the connection is made, however (especially if the guy is cooperative), it's usually worth the effort.

 

[EXPO67]

I was contacted 3 years ago by Fred Barnett who played lead guitar in a group called The Love Exchange. They had an album released on Tower Records. They were from Westchester, Los Angeles and during my chats via email with Fred he mentioned that a group he saw regularly during '65/'66 period were a young 'jangly' group called The Roosters.

The Roosters also came from Westchester. (so did some of The Turtles). Anyway, he remembered that the singer in The Roosters was called Ray Mangigion and he'd heard long ago that he became a dentist.

I started googling Ray Mangigion/dentists and found one located in California. I sent an email on the off chance to the Dentisty hoping that it was The Rooster I was after.

After about a week I got a reply and from our chats he put me in touch with 12 string jangler and Roosters songwriter Tim Ward. Tim sent me some fabulous professionally recorded songs via MP3 that had lay unheard since 1966.

I managed to persuad Tim to release this unissued material via Break-A-Way Records out of Germany. Just goes to show that from little acorns can grow a huge tree.

 

[wildpaws]

And I guess sometimes people contact you, I know that's what I did. I was doing searches on the internet looking for info about one of the bands I had been in (trying to locate some of the other members), while doing this I ran across the Garagehangover site and spent quite some time there checking out '60s bands. I eventually contacted site owner Chris Bishop and we decided to do a bio for The Wild Ones (Richmond, VA) and the former drummer and I put together some things and answered questions for Chris. And I will say, the drummer and I had a wonderful time discussing events from the past and being able to get our thoughts together. A big thank you to Chris for making this possible, both his efforts with the band bio and his efforts to keep the Garagehangover site up and running. I could never have imagined back in the '60s/'70s that info about our band would be available worldwide on something called the internet!
Clyde

 

[nachete_888]

From here in Spain is difficult, but i was lucky some weeks ago and bought my copy of Things To Come to his singer and guitarrist Kenny Utterback, we chat by mail and send me some pictures of his first group, that you can check in my little blog

http://thecoolheatrecords.blogspot.com/2012/02/things-to-come-im-not-talkin_20.html

 

[Sancho Panza]

Thanks for the answers!

I think you must have some nerves to call someone. E-mail is alit easier, though sometimes I don't get an answer. Some of them probably want a pigeon to come with their mail.