Tune into Hell's Kitchen Radio, with John Hell, every Monday night 8-10PM (Pacific), on Radio Valencia (https://radiovalencia.fm) in San Francisco. You can find my playlists and links to the podcasts right here.
Listen into all my shows here! Subscribe to my show, via
It's Election Day 2022! Have you voted? Are you waiting until today to vote? My Monday night show was all about the California propositions I run through them all and what a "yes" and "no" vote means.
Take a listen here and then get out the vote!!!
Enjoy and please share.
jh
Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Clapton. Is he really any good? Overrated? What's his deal? Cocky, for sure. I would have loved to have seen the look on his face the night he met Jimi Hendrix.
The radio hits were well and good, but when I discovered Cream when I was a young teenager, hungry for more than what I was hearing on the FM dial. I grabbed Disraeli Gears and practically wore that record out within a few months. Wheels of Fire didn't last that much longer. I know I had a few copies of each. Cream's version of British Psych-Rock-Blues was on an entirely other level. Way beyond the stratosphere. Maybe it was the tension between the three of them. It was definitely the tension. Oh, and the fact that they are the prototypical power trio, was a big seller for me. I am weak for power trios.
Since I began collecting bootlegs in the early-mid 1980s, Cream was always a band that I wanted to get my hands on. To date I have 15 shows throughout their short two year career, including all of their BBC sessions, all the way through their final tour.
Tonight I want to share one of my favorite shows from Cream's final tour, much of which has already been officially released. This show was not. October 20, 1968, San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. This is their final California performance and one month before their dissolution.
Lineage: Soundboard > Silvers > Flac
And this is just the warm up act!
The headliner tonight also features Eric Clapton. I really fell hard for Derek and the Dominos. Once I found them I didn't put them down for 20+ years. I loved that Duane Allman recorded with them. I love how this band coalesced around Delaney and Bonnie and Friends.
Wow, this band. Hot damn! Where bootlegs are concerned, it is very challenging to find soundboards from this band. And only once (from what I know) did Duane Allman join them on stage (December 1, 1970 Curtis Dixon Hall, Tampa, FL). It was too expensive for bands to record live shows of themselves back in the 70s. Tape was expensive. Too bad.
They release the "Live at the Fillmore East", culled from two shows in October 1970. What an incredible album. Tonight I have the music from those two shows that was not officially released. These are the Fillmore outtakes.
Lineage: Superb stereo soundboard quality from previously uncirculated source.
You can find my mostly-complete list of live shows right here. Have a request? Leave a comment.
Support these bands. Buy their officially released music and merch, and never ever sell live bootlegs. These are for trade only.
Stick around Monday's 8-10PM Pacific for my weekly music mix, Hell's Kitchen Radio. Lots of new music to share with you every week.
Download the Love HERE! Listen into all my shows here! Subscribe to my show, via
Tribute shows give me little joy. But at least I have this platform to share music from those who passed on. Robert Hunter, lyricist from the Grateful Dead, Kim Shattuck of Pandoras and the Muffs, and Ginger Baker, drummer from Cream, Blind Faith, Air Force, and Fela Kuti's Africa '70 all passed on recently, so I'm obliged to pay tribute in the second hour.
Enjoy.
jh
Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Leave It (A Capella): Yes
Soul Rebel: Bob Marley and Lee "Scratch" Perry
Cheap Tragedies: The Avengers
Morning In America: Mudhoney
Lesson 2 (James Brown Mix): Steinski
Hobo Luv: Rube Waddell
The Lady Loves Me: Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret
Scutum and Scorpius: Oh Sees
My Uzi Weighs a Ton: Public Enemy
Shadrach: Beastie Boys
Up and Down: Cookie Mongoloid
Brand New Chevy: The Muffs
Tryin' Ain't Good Enough: Pandora's
Sad Tomorrow: The Muffs
Liar: The Pandora's
Toad: Cream (October 15, 1967, Grande Ballroom, Detroit, MI)
Eyes of the World: Grateful Dead (November 11, 1973, Winterland, SF, CA)
China Doll: Grateful Dead (November 11, 1973, Winterland, SF, CA)
Brokedown Palace: Grateful Dead (November 22, 1972, Municipal Auditorium Austin, TX)
Download Celebrations HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down Subscribe to my show, via
First live show for the new year and of course it's a tribute. Duh! Michael "The Professor" Shannon, co-host of Sex Cels (10-midnight Monday's on RV) passed away last month after a long bout with melanoma. I cannot say enough great things about The Professor. My regular interactions with him came during our weekly show transitions. Michael would start Sex Cels each week with a three-song opening theme. He would have me guess the theme and try to stump me. More often than not I would guess correctly. I am a walking musical encyclopedia after all. ;)~ He was a devout atheist and would proudly wear that on his sleeve. He was also a serious Star Wars fanatic. I still liked him though. I can't imagine being in the studio without his smiling face to greet me before taking over the board. Night night, Michael.
Another punch in the gut came a few weeks back when I heard about the passing of another friend, musical stalwart and jack of all musical trades, Ralph Carney. Ralph passed away following a fall down his stairs in his home in Portland, Oregon. He lived in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco for many years, where he was known lovingly as the Mayor of Bernal. Ralph was often found sitting in with local bands throughout the week at clubs like Amnesia or Club Deluxe. He had recorded sessions possibly numbering in the thousands with bands such as the B52s, Elvis Costello, Les Claypool, Stan Ridgeway, and of course Tom Waits, who he spent about 15 years with. Ralph was such a cornball. His personality really shone through his music. Listening to him it made sense that his music was just an extension of his personality. He was like a walking cartoon character; very rubbery. The final twenty minutes of my show is a tribute to Ralph. Another great has left the building. Ralph-a-Palooza will be held on Thursday February 1st, 8PM-2AM, at SF Eagle. Performers include Robin Coomer, Gaucho, The Extra Action Marching Band, The Cottontails, Allison Lovejoy, Griddle, and many more special surprises (no Tom Waits will probably not be one of those surprises).
I interviewed Ralph on my show August of 2009. Here's a link to the blog post.
The first hour features new music from King Gizzard as well as OCS (formerly Thee Oh Sees). Hour two has a lot of tasty live treats from my vault. The playlist follows.
Join my this Sunday afternoon starting at 4PM at Thee Parkside in SF for a live memorial to International Rock Poster artist Ron Donovan. There will be rock posters made in his honor by acclaimed artists including Chris Shaw (poster below on the left), and Ron's former partner Chuck Sperry. We're going to send Ron out the only way he would allow: drunk and very very late to the party.
Enjoy. jh Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Why (Is the King of Love Dead?): Nina Simone
A Night out With Jay: Epsilons
Hey Mr. DJ: Bobby Moore
Satan's Stomp: The Flesh Eaters
The Passenger: Iggy Pop
The Book: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Fist City: Loretta Lynn
Marijuana: Reverend Horton Heat
Convenient: Sun Kil Moon
Master Pretender: First Aid Kit
Snortin' Whiskey: Honky
Red Hot: Jurassic 5
Memory of a Cut off Head: OCS
Crossroads: Cream (1968-10-20 San Diego)
Pinhead: Ramones (1977-11-14 Utica, NY)
Don't Let It Bring You Down: Neil Young 1971-02-23 BBC)
Police and Thieves: The Clash (1978-12-28 Lyceum Theater, London, UK)
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad: Grateful Dead (1972-08-22 Berkeley Community Theater)
Overture/It's A Boy: The Who
It's Only A Bargain If You Want It: Des Ark
Pink Panther Theme: Oranj Symphonette
Blow Big Ralph: Ralph Carney's Serious Jass Project
Bojack Horseman Theme: Ralph and Pat Carney
Digital Witness: St. Vincent
Way Down In The Hole: Tom Waits
Love How In Love With Love You Are: Adam Mankintosh ft. Storm Large
My buddy and balloonatic, Addi Somekh shot this video with Ralph a few years back. Addi is playing a balloon bass and Ralph is playing a slide clarinet. This is too much fun not to share.
I grew up wishing I had graduated from a San Francisco high school in 1964 so that by the Summer of Love in 1967 I would 21 years old and able to fully immerse myself in everything that era had to offer. It's the music of that time that influenced me the most during my adolescent years, when I was moving past what played on the home hi-fi and more into discovering my own likes. It was that swirling psychedelic music and it was that message of change and opportunity that grabbed me most.
My family moved to the Bay Area in late 1982 when I was 12 years and I knew right away what a special place San Francisco was. In our first excursion into the city my parents wanted to tour Fisherman's Wharf, I wanted to go to the Haight. Of course by 1982 the Haight was long past its hippy prime and deep in its lost years of heroin and speed and closed storefronts. That didn't stop me from searching this great city and colorful neighborhoods for any crumb that remained from the vibe that the Summer of Love hoped to propagate following 1967. Today the area is inundated by boutiques and way too many Tibetan importers and head shops; not to mention countless tourists, who, like me, are looking for a shred of evidence that there was once an energy of love that attempted to take our nation to a higher level, overcoming war and grief and capitalism. And let's not forget the number of homeless teens and 20-somethings who have been termed out of foster care, who call the doorways of Haight Street their home.
It was the swirling music, colorful fashion, and risk-taking youth that took precedence at that time. It was the music industry that bastardized it and made way for the punk movement of the 70s/80s. But before that all came to pass we have to appreciate what the bands of the time were doing. San Fransisco was one hell of a great scene. Great clubs, like the Avalon Ballroom, Carousel, Fillmore, Family Dog at the Great Highway had the best bands playing their stages night after night. And promoters like Chet Helms and Bill Graham were pairing local rock bands with legendary blues and jazz artists, opening the ears of the audience to sights and sounds they may never have taken the time to check out on their own.
We are all better for 1967 and San Francisco.
Two books I'd like to recommend that will shed much better light on that era include Joel Selvin's
"Summer of Love", and David Talbot's "Season of the Witch". The latter starts in 67 and works its way up through the first 49er Super Bowl win in early 1982. Both are definitely worth your time, especially if you hold a place in your heart for San Francisco.
As for the music I chose for this show, it's all from 1967, and most are west coast American bands. in retrospect I could have chosen more obscure acts from that year, or other, more current bands, covering these songs, below. Instead I played music that really moved me as I was growing up. And isn't that the job of the DJ, to move you the way they have been?
My friend Linda Kelly, managing editor of the local rag Haight Street Voice was hanging out in the studio with me too. She was interviewing me for the August issue. It's a free paper, so pick it up when you see it, or go online to check it out. I hope she doesn't make me sound too bitter. It's been a challenging year when it comes to my love for SF. But isn't that like all relationships? We'll see it through to the end.
Wednesday I had the chance to take in the Summer of Love exhibition at the deYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park. It was more than I could have hoped for. If you live in the Bay Area make sure you get to this show before it closes, August 20th.
Next Monday night is lots of new music and the return of Little Lauson Hell!!!
Enjoy.
jh
Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Stream the Fear, HERE! Download the Future, HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down
Well....shit. Not really certain what to say. Monday's show featured an interview with a great group of fellas from the band Savage People, promotion this Sunday's first ever SF Punk-Metal Flea Market at the DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street, SF, 1-8PM. It's free and there are some great vendors scheduled to table the event. You really have to attend. More info here. See you there. I'll have my 12 year old daughter in tow.
The rest of the show was all about the election. You remember the election? It was Tuesday? It was fucking shit. You remember that? Do you remember your dreams? You remember those, right? You remember believing in all of those polls that Nate Silver told us to believe in? I wonder how well he's going to be sleeping from here on out. Truth be told, I truly do not think that Drumpf wants to, nor believes he ever would be elected President. I'm not joking. I really feel that he did everything in his power NOT to be elected. What does that tell you about Clinton and the DNC?
And would Bernie have actually been elected? Who knows.
Here's what I posted on my Facebook wall this morning:
"I want to reevaluate how I'm going to approach the next four years. I want to pay more attention to the things that I love, and the things that I have the power to improve. I want to recommit to the people that I love. I want to hold you all close, closer than ever before. I want to find the beauty in everything, including Trump. I want the best for all of us, while still fighting for what I believe to be the path towards truth. I refuse to live in denial, but I also refuse to wallow in misery, self-doubt, and blaming. I want you there with me. I love you all." Below is my playlist for election night. It tells a story. See if you can figure out the moral. Enjoy. jh Hell's Kitchen with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Listen into all my shows here! Subscribe to my show, via
Crap, I did it again. Or I didn't do it again. Right. I didn't. Dang. Here I sit in March 2022 taking a look back at a show I did in October 2014 trying to figure out something witty to say to you about this here show, and all I can offer is...dang. At lease the playlist looks fun!
Enjoy.
jh
Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
They Call it Stormy Monday (live): John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
Theme From An Imaginary Western: Jack Bruce
Apostrophe': Frank Zappa
Politician: Cream
Africa: Sun Ra
Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad: The Melvins
March of the Lor: The Sword
Red Bath: Boss Hog
Runnin' On Fumes: Obniii's
White Light/White Heat: Lou Reed
Like and Hurricane: Roxy Music
Heaven Knows: First Aid Kit
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction: Manfred Mann
Tobacco Road: War with Eric Burdon
Not Fade Away/Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad: Grateful Dead (October 18, 1974 Winterland Ballroom, SF, CA)
By The Time I Get To Arizona: Public Enemy vs Herb Alpert
Front My Cock: Prince vs. The Who
I Left My Heart In San Francisco: Tony Bennett
Happy Boy: Beat Farmers
I'm doing what I do every year before an election: I'm analyzing the propositions. I know, I know, it's really exciting. I've give analysis and how I'm voting and why. I only talk about the San Francisco and California props.
I also have an election night set or two, and a whole lot of blues thrown in for good measure.
Be sure to listen to the Led Zeppelin tune. I play it in a way you have NEVER heard it before.
It's fun to have a platform like this to share with you all.
If you would care to download this show and take it with you to the polls, click here.
If streaming this election night celebration is more to your liking, click here.
If you desire to listen to all of my many programs, you may click here, or just scroll down.
Enjoy.
jh
Do It: Rollins Band
Southern Politician: Willy DeVille
Another Bloody Election: Killing Joke
Sweet Thing/Candidate: David Bowie
Politician: Cream
Talking about the election
Candidate: Joy Division
Hey Hey What Can I Do(slowed down): Led Zeppelin
My Crime: Canned Heat
Talking about the election
Will Not Be Your Fool: Dave Bromberg Band
Walkin' Blues: Butterfield Blues Band
Talking about the election
Whiskey and Women: John Lee Hooker (03-30-85, The Stone, SF, CA)
Work Song: Nina Simone
Talking about the election
Boom Boom: Rube Waddell
Shake That Money Maker: Elmore James
Midnight Special: Harry Belafonte
Talking about the election
Dust My Broom: Howlin' Wolf
Basketball Jones: Cheech and Chong
