Speaking of Videos and many years ago...

[buzzsmith]

Here's a link to our band back circa 1976.

Female singer Sharon is (still!) my wife.

Check out the "vintage" keys!

Probably about 10K worth of keyboards in mid 70's $$!

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... arch_type=

My favorites are the 2 ballads and Genie ("Open Sesame" by Kool and The Gang)

OK, OK, I did play Disco!

Buzzy

[jgest]

cool stuff....I am a sucker for disco or anything that makes you want to let go and dance.....

[Shooshie]

Very cool, Buzzy! It was actually a tight group; probably one of the tighter groups in Houston at that time. You guys were never affiliated with a group called The Southwest Freeway, were you?

Kit Reid rings a bell, and I can't figure out why (other than that he plays trumpet). Someone I know has talked a lot about Kit Reid, and I cannot figure out who is our friend in common, or why I know that name so well.

Enjoyed Sharon's singing, btw! Wow. That brings back memories.

Shoosh

PS: You really shouldn't hog the camera so much. I almost could see your face at one point!

[buzzsmith]

Shooshie:

Not affiliated with the Southwest Freeway Band...funny thing is though the Pappas Bros. Steakhouse (where I play 3 nights a week) sits on the exact property that once was the Village Inn Pizza Parlor where the SW Frwy. Band played a lot.

Kit Reid is well known in Houston as a premier trumpet player especially when he was a little younger. His Dad was also a highly respected musician.

Thanks for the nice comments...yeah, I've always been a little "camera shy", but not Sharon!

I haven't Googled this yet so these are list price estimates in 1978-ish $$.

Yamaha CP-70 Electric Grand 4000.00
Moog PolyMoog 4000.00
Moog Mini-Moog 1800.00
Arp Pro Soloist 1000.00
Arp "String" Ensemble 1800.00

(Not to mention the B-3 and 2 Leslies that were at the club...5000.00.)

Buzzy

[Shooshie]

list price estimates in 1978-ish $$.

Yamaha CP-70 Electric Grand 4000.00
Moog PolyMoog 4000.00
Moog Mini-Moog 1800.00
Arp Pro Soloist 1000.00
Arp "String" Ensemble 1800.00

(Not to mention the B-3 and 2 Leslies that were at the club...5000.00.)

In 1978 dollars, that would have bought about 3 new cars, excluding the B3 and leslies. Those would have bought another car, possibly a luxury model.

Interesting coincidence about you and the SW Frwy/Village Inn. I remember that place, vaguely.

Yours was a good group. Tell Sharon that I really enjoyed listening to her sing.

Shoosh

[buzzsmith]

In 1978 dollars, that would have bought about 3 new cars, excluding the B3 and leslies. Those would have bought another car, possibly a luxury model.

Interesting coincidence about you and the SW Frwy/Village Inn. I remember that place, vaguely. Shoosh

Yes, the famous quote "A fool and his money..." definitely applies to me.

Hopefully without boring other MotuNation members, the Village Inn was located on the south side of Westheimer between Chimney Rock and Fountainview. A lot of local bands, musicians and singers would perform there...very popular place.

The "down side": After an intense gut wrenching amazing performance by someone like Dean Scott, in between songs the singer would have to announce "Pizza Numbers!...45,46,48!" etc. for the patrons to go to the counter and pick up their pies!

The Pappas organization bought the property and it became "The Strawberry Patch" which is now (after extensive remodeling, etc. about 15 years ago) the Steakhouse. About 3/4 of a mile west of the Galleria.

If you've ever been to the one in the Dallas area, it's almost exactly the same design...just bigger.

Buzzy

[Shooshie]

Buzzy, since it's just you and me in this thread at this point, maybe I can go off-topic for a second without any complaints. I've been trying to remember a mall in Houston where I used to take girlfriends for fun. It was different. Seems like it was outdoors, kind of on a hill. Neat little shops that sold candles, blown-glass, herbs, wind-chimes... sort of the hippie stuff of that era, but set in an upscale sort of way. I remember lots of glass and little white decorative lights everywhere. That kind of thing wasn't common then as it is now.

I can no longer remember the name of it or even where it was located. Seems like it was something like "Canterbury Square," but I couldn't say for sure. Do you remember anything like that? If so, do you remember it's location? Houston is a fading memory for me these days. Except for passing through on tours a few times, and a few layovers at the two airports, I haven't actually been in Houston more than 3 times in the past 30 years. For the most part I don't miss it, but when I've visited, I HAVE enjoyed the Menil Collections, the museums, and the little upscale dives in the Montrose area. Is that what it's called? Montrose? Not even sure of that anymore. A friend used to live in the Heights, where I'd visit now and then, and we'd drive down and quaff a few.

When I moved to Dallas, I left behind the rain, smog, floods, hurricanes and congestion that I remember as Houston. But it had its finer points, too, and I know a lot of people who love that city and would live nowhere else. Maybe if they took down the billboards....

Shooshie

[buzzsmith]

Shooshie:

You are recalling one of my favorite places, too, that no longer exists:
Westbury Square.

It was a cool almost European style village with quaint shops and apartments above the shops. It's now mostly a Home Depot with just a hint or remnant or two of what it once was.



More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westbury,_Houston

Houston:

Congestion has improved, obviously hurricanes (Ike) can be an issue, and the billboards are coming down slowly, but supposedly surely.

Yes, Montrose is correct...kinda the artsy, eclectic area of Houston near downtown.

I'm sure the rest of MotuNation is enjoying our public conversations!

Can you spell "FaceBook"?

Have a great Sunday!

Buzzy

[Shooshie]

YES! That was it. On Chimney Rock. I had some great times there. The funny thing is that I had no idea just how unique that place was. But I guess the malls hadn't struck big yet. We'd still go downtown to Foleys to shop for Christmas (seems like toys were on the 4th floor; or was it the 6th?) But Westbury Square seemed like a town within a city, and it had a fountain and a plaza, and all these little shops. I wonder why on earth they put a Home Depot there? I suppose it was probably rotting by that time. Things made of wood require a lot of maintenance in Houston. Oh well, It's nice to have intersected that timeline when it was still cool.

They tried something like it in Dallas with more of a German flavor, although it was never very successful as far as I could tell. I'd never have known about it, but the musician's union office was there, and I would drive over to pay my dues back when I was playing a lot with the symphony.

Well, my apologies to those who are totally bored with this dialog, but this IS the off-topic forum. Thanks for solving the mystery for me, Buzzy.

Shooshie

[bomber]

Westbury Square...I'd been trying to remember that name for months!
I remember going there as a kid to watch fireworks shows. Though I can't remember if it was for the 4th of July or Christmas/New Years. Of course, the stores were way to ritzy for my family to shop there.