Blasters Q&A

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Questions Answered:

	"Downey California is the place to be from" I notice that The Blasters are playing at the Pioneertown Palace in April. As this aera is my old/(and to be again) stomping grounds. I hope to be there. The question I have is. Was it Phil or Dave that would sing "Hot Nuts" at Ed Atkinsons' back porch at 1:00 Am. Thanks for the memeries.
	Roy, That was Phil who sang "Hot Nuts" and many others, back in the day. See you at Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown. John

	Hi Dave, This is Steve Trivoli. You know the drummer/singer guy that used to hang with Billy Bateman. I just purchase your new DVD. It was killer. After seeing old Bill, I really would like to see him again. Ya know, talk about old times. Anyway, it would be really cool if you could let him know I'm lookin' him up. My e-mail address is Ricken01@netzero.com. Or Stevet@3day.com. Sincerely, Steve Trivoli
	Steve, I forwarded your message to Bill. JohnB

	Hi. I keep hearing about a new CD from the current Blasters lineup. It's been an awfully long wait, so what's the deal? You guys have a great band, and you deserve to have it out there. I hope to hear it soon. Nick.
	Nick, Our new record, "4-11-44," is out in Europe on Evangeline Records, but isn't yet available here in the states. I've heard from a friend that it's availabe from www.mymusic.com. Until we secure a domestic deal for our new CD, this is one of the few ways to obtain it. Thanks for the question. JohnB

	A question for Phil... In 1986 I saw you play in a university quad (UCSD I think.) You set up a little pig-amp and played the contents of Unsung Stories. I bought the tape from you and played it till it died. It still remains one of my top ten favorites. How do I buy the CD?
	Gary, That's a great record but unfortunately out of print. Try contacting Billy Davis at blastersnewsletter.com for suggestions to where you might find a used copy - tell him I sent you. Good luck, JohnB

	A number of years ago (15 or so)a friend played a song for me that I think was called "How Do You Talk To An Angel." I thought it was by you folks, but am unable to find it anywhere. Was this your song and if so, where can I find it? Thank You, John Pidgeon
	John, No, that's not our song. I think was done by the Heights. Try a Google search for that title. Good luck, JohnB

	What prompted you guys to record again after all that time off? I have to tell you that I went to the House of Blues show last night to see X, a band i used to see a lot many years ago and was blown away by the Blasters!! You guys stole the show. I can't believe I managed to miss you guys for all those years!! I'm definitely going to be catching up on your music. All the bands were good, but the Blasters were unbelievable! Whatever your motive, I'm glad you guys got back in the studio and I can't wait to hear your new stuff...and I'm glad there's old stuff for me to look into. I hope you play LA again soon...I can guarantee you at least one new fan in the audience! Michiko (ps - sorry but i just have to ask...is john bazz married?)
	Michiko, Believe it or not, we've been attempting to record a CD for the last 10 years or so, but have been taking our sweet time about it. We are, after all, world class procrastinators. Thanks for your compliments. I too, feel that we're a pretty hard rockin' band. Sorry for the late notice, but we play L.A. again, tomorrow (2/5/05), at the Echo on Sunset Blvd., in L.A. Keep on rockin' JohnB (ps - married, two kids)

	Hi i was wonderin' where i might be able to purchase the Goin' Home DVD. Oh ya and You guys (the Blasters) KICK butt you guys rule.
	You should be able to pick up the DVD from any reputable record store or from Amazon.com. Good Luck, JohnB

	hi. Well, first of all I would like to say that you guys are really great. You are fantastic. The second, by sending this mail, I wanna to ask you for a favour. You see, I'm from Norway and in september 25/2004 you were playing in Sweden at Jøssefors, I couldn't wait to see you guys. You are my favourite. But when I findly came to Sweden, I got car sickness and that was not good. And on our way to the House where you were playing, I coludn't do anything else than look forward to see you, so we started drinking in the cab. And guess what I got worse. I did listen to the first band from sweden. and try to stay and wait for you, but I couldn't, so what happend, when my favourite band got on stage I was down the toilett for 2 and a hafe hour. And I did hear you. That was hard, cause I wish I was uppstairs offcourse. So what I am asking you is, if you could send me a poster with your signatures???? I can pay for it!!!I really want you guys on the wall. And actually my boyfriend and his friends was in backstage talking with you guys, cause they do have a club in Norway called The Wild Bunch rock n' roll club, and they really want to book you sometime..... Well, thanks anyway.
	Boy, that was a fun show in Jossefors, I remember meeting your friends from Wild Bunch club and telling them that we'd like to play there next time we visit Scandinavia. Please send me your address and I'll see what I can do about getting you a signed poster of the band. Cheers, JohnB lazyboyrocker@hotmail.com

	What is the name of the song, that references the boxer Roy Jones Jr. Please let me know Thank you
	John, The song is "One Bad Stud," and is from the "Streets of Fire" soundtrack. Although the lyrics don't mention Roy Jones jr., Phil usually dedicates the song to whomever is currently boxing's heavy weight champion. Hope this helps. JohnB

	I was looking at the merchindise section of the Blasters web site and, I didn't see any calenders available. Is there any chance you will produce a calender with pictures of the "Classic" Blasters and the current line up also? I've got a calender of the Greatful Dead hanging in my cubical now but, I'd replace it in a second if a Balaster one was available. Thanks, Steve
	Steve, Thats' a really cool Idea; merchandise that is useful! I'll ask managemant to look into it. Thanks again, JohnB

	How many Blasters albums did Lee Allen play on? Which ones?
	Nick, Lee Allen played on 4 albums and 1 soundtrack. They are: Blasters, 1981 Over There, 1982 Non Fiction, 1983 Two songs on the Streets of Fire Soundtrack, 1984 Hard Line, 1985 He also appears on the reissues: Testament and the Blasters Collection. Thanks for the question. JohnB PS, Billy Davis, did I miss anything?

	This is more of an observation, but I would love to hear any of the bands' comments on it: I'm listening to Testament and I suddenly understood something: Phil's voice is really an instrument, apart from the lyrics. The only thing I can compare it to is an opera singer, where you can appreciate the voice as an instrument even if you don't understand the lyrics. But while an opera singer's voice might be compared to a violin, Phil's is something more soulful, like a saxophone. In fact, his voice sounds so similar to a saxophone, you could probably play exactly what sings on a saxophone and it would sound great. Just had to get that out, thanks.
	Martin, Too bad Phil has such an aversion to email, this would be a good question for him to answer. I do know for certain, though, that two of his all time favorite singers are Big Joe Turner and Bing Crosby, and I think if you listen closely to Phil's singing, you can't miss hearing those influences. The saxaphone, of all the instruments, is the most voice-like. I wouldn't doubt that all of those years playing with Lee Allen, had an effect on Phil. Later, JohnB

	Did The Blasters truly cancel the Seattle show with Rev. Heat on 9/12/03? They're still selling tickets as advertised.
	Mike, The Rev HH tour was called off last week. It was a tough call, but we really had to cancel. JohnB

	Hello,I am interested to know if there was ever a recording with your band, which included Hollywood Fats.I believe he was part of the band for a while. I live in England, but would be happy to purchase abroad if neccasary.
	No- there have been no official Blasters releases with any other members other than the original crew. All studio albums feature Dave on guitar - as does their new live release. Scot

	Yeah I have a question. First off Testament is simply awesome. no doubt long over due. Congrats on the reissue. But my question is this: Is there any chance that the Blasters: At Home will ever see the light of day? My local tower store here in Phoenix says it is available, and I ordered it, but have yet to hear back from them. Just a long shot anyways! Come to Phoenix some time. And make the t-shirts available! Kevin in Az.
	Kevin, The concept of At Home was to record the Blasters live at various venues (House of Blues, Linda's Doll Hut , Blue Cafe, etc.) around our home. We recorded at those places, but for one reason or another, weren't ever satisfied with our performance or the quality of the recording. So the project never saw the light of day. The final blow to "At Home" came when James Intveld left the band, making all of those recordings somewhat irrellevant for us to pursue. The label that was helping us finance the recording, folded at about the same time, but before they did, let the cat out of the bag in the form of a press release and Tower Records, somehow, entered this into their data base / catalog, and to this day, thinks that it's for real.... it ain't. Hope this helps. JohnB

	hey fellas, in billy's newsletter it says your playing in boston at "the paradise" on nov. 16th. the paradise doesn't have you on their schedule and when you call to order tix. they say your unconfirmed and we can't get tix. so, are you coming? we want to see you. please, play... oh, dress warm. it's freezing here already. dave's leather won't be enough. love sarah
	Take it easy Sarah. Good things come to those who wait. You're ahead of the curve on this one - tickets should be available by the time you read this. JohnB

	TO THE BLASTERS: I WAS AT TWO OF THE BLASTERS "ORIGINAL RECIPE TOUR" SHOWS, SAN FRANCISCO AND PETALUMA. THAT IS WHAT I'VE DREMPT OF SINCE THE LAST TIME I SAW THE ORIGINAL BAND LIVE (GOD BLESS LEE ALLEN AND YOUR TRIBUTE TO HIM). THE NEXT DAY I BOUGHT THE DOUBLE CD. ACTUALLY, I BOUGHT TWO OF THEM. ONE TO PUT IN MY BLASTERS ARCHIEVE AND ONE TO LISTEN TO. OH, MY GOD! I LISTEN TO IT 24/7, AT THATS STILL NOT LONG ENOUGH. I AM ON CLOUD NINE, CAUSE ALL OF MY BLASTERS VINYL WAS GETTING PRETTY WORN OUT.(BUT I STILL PLAYED IT, CAUSE IT'S THE BLASTERS) MY QUESTION: AT THE REUNION SHOWS, THEY WERE BEING VIDEO TAPED. ARE WE GOING TO BE BLESSED WITH DVD OR VIDEO COVERAGE SOON THAT WE COULD BUY? A SINCERE BLASTER FAN 4 EVER MARTY FERRO VACAVILLE, CALIFORNIA BLASTERSROCKER@AOL.COM
	Marty, The task of editing all of that footage is an overwhelmIng task and takes more time that anyone has at the moment. When it's ready, I'm sure that Billy Davis will let us all know in his American Music newsletter (americanmusic.com). Like I told that dude from Sweden, give me a ring at my hotmail address, and I'll put something together for you. John Bazz

	Hallo! Is there any show on video out? Sigge (fan from Sweden)
	Dude, I can always whip something together. Give me a hollar at: lazyboyrocker@hotmail.com John Bazz

	Dearest Phil, et al., I'd like to suggest that you play at the Luther Burbank Center in beautiful Santa Rosa, CA. I'd love to see you there! Take Care, Very Truly Yours.
	Allie, Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, our new contract w/ Rhino doesn't allow us to travel any farther North than Cotati. JohnB

	Hi there. I bought Testament and loved the inside long photo of Dave and Phil on stage. It perfectly captures the Blasters. Any way this photo can be posted so I can save it and print off a hard copy to put up on my wall? Thanks. Kieron Grady Vancouver, B.C. Canada kgrady@telus.net
	Kieron, That photo is copyrighted to the photographer, Ann Summa. I did a little digging and found her website: annsumma.com. It looks like you could aquire a copy of that photo there. Good luck, JohnB

	I recently heard a Blaster's song which I describe as an Elvis doo-wop style. I don't know the name, I call it " Don't You Know". I can't find it on any album. It doesn't sound like a live recording. Where can I find a recording of this great song, another example of American Music. Thanks, Tom Newbill
	Tom, That's not our song. I also heard that song while browsing through Napster's files last year. I couldn't tell who it is. Maybe Billy Davis can shed some light on this...Billy!...are you out there? Once something is misidentified and then put out on the web, like that song, it becomes virtually impossible to correct. There's another song called the "Angry Cockroach," that I found on Napster that also wasn't ours, but was credited to us. But it may be even more likely that another group (or groups) with the name Blasters is out there making music too...hmmm? Thanks for the question, JohnB

	I just bought the new Blasters testament cd. I've been listening to most of those songs pretty much non-stop since 1982 but it's been a while since I heard all of them since the only place I had them all was on vinyl in my closet. Amazing. Anyhow, the question is this: There is a photo of Phil and Dave that is part of the jacket behind where the CD's sit. I want to know where the original of this photo is and how I can get a high quality copy of it. When my dad was alive he'd talk about seeing duke ellington or louis armstrong and for me I imagine that I'll be talking about seeing these guys. That photo, better than any other image, captures the essence of those guys. Thanks, Phil Smith
	Phil, Yeah, that's a great photograph but impossible to scan or copy because of its placement. I'm sure the photographer, Ann Summa, would be willing to sell you a copy of the picture, but I'm relluctant to post her phone number here on the web. If you drop me a line at: lazyboyrocker@hotmail.com, I'd be more than happy to email you her number. Allrighty, JohnB

	Dear Blasters, where's Buster Bill Bateman these days? XOXOX!
	Allison, Bill "Buster" Bateman has been living in Los Angeles, CA for the last couple of years. Prior to that, he was living in Anchorage, AK for a little over a year. To see him in action, come by the King King (Hollywood @ Whittley in Hollywood) any Monday night where he and I, along w/ singer Javier Matos, play old country blues in our group, the Blue Shadows. To see a picture of him, pick up the upcoming issue of Billboard magazine, due out this Friday, 7/26(?). Rumor has it, the Blue Shadows made the cover!!! JohnB

	what happened to u guys at the hootenanny
	r singer was 2 late so they booted us JohnB

	Thanks to Scot for letting me know how to interact with the Q&A section of the site- I'll be happy to answer any questions I can about the Blasters...which probably ain't many. regards to all, Keith Wyatt
	Thanks, Keith- readers: question on!

	How are sales going with the Testament CD? Any idea if and when a CD of your 6/11 HOB show will be released? I was there and it was great.
	Jeff, That show, and two others, were recorded in hopes of someday putting out a live CD. Hightone Records has become involved with this project and the tapes from those three shows are currently being mixed. If all goes well, we should see a CD on Hightone Records sometime in September. Keep your fingers crossed. JohnB PS, The June show that you attended was so good that it should make up approx 90% of the CD.

	Love your site - just got the Testament Box Set and...guess what...can't stop listening.... Here in San Diego I get a Blasters (with no Dave)/ Dave and the Guilty Men live double option....missed all 5 playing together at 4th & B (bummer! but kids were a higher priority..). Just wondering what the chances were of Dave playing again with the Blasters, especially at their July San Diego show? Keep up the fine work, thx Frank
	Hi Frank, The chances are very slim of Dave showing up at Blasters shows unannounced. Dave is on tour himself and the reunion of the original Blasters has become a special event that comes along with a lot of publicity and hype. Look for possibly more reunion shows in the fall. --Billy Davis

	Sir: Dave Alvin said saturday at wolf trap that this website had info/link (/) to lou beach who does dave's albums and is working on the blasters new cd cover. I have photos i am trying to submit to lou asap. do you have contact info mailing address email and or fon for lou.thanks in advance for any help. Joe Compton
	Hi Joe, That link Dave was refering to was on the www.BlastersNewsletter.com site. Here is the address so you can go directly to it: www.LouBeach.com Hope that helps --Billy Davis

	I am trying to find any type of Blasters t-shirt. I know this is a difficult mission. I saw the group recently but no merchandise was sold. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks........Tom
	Hi Tom, The BLasters are selling T-Shirts at their Original 5 Blasters reunion shows. So keep an eye out for that. Right now thats the only way to get em. Also Dave Alvin has a very cool T shirt available on his tour. Its a photo of Dave from the cover of The Blasters Live At The Venue album. --Billy Davis

	Trying to be sure it's the original lineup playing Tuesday (June 11th) at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Advertised as "The Original Blasters" Please let me know as soon as possible - we'll see you there!
	Yes- the 11June lineup is supposed to be the "Original Recipe". Same as in the recent CA shows. Enjoy the show! Scot

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