Music Museum of New England - Latest Comments

Re: Orpheus

Frank Consiglio — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:05:50 -0000

I began streaming a film from 1969 titled "Marlow" with James Garner and during the opening credits a song played that was credited to Orpheus named Little Sister. Info about it was on the Youtube video of the song claiming that "Only Orpheus lead singer, Bruce Arnold and backup singer, Jack McKenes were on the track, since the music had been pre-recorded. However, future Orpheus member and legendary studio musician, Bernard Pretty Purdie, plays drums on the song's backing track." Being from Worcester and 16 when this film came out, I am always curious about the musicians who came out of central Mass. It was a nice surprise to hear the song and see that credit.

Re: The Short, Beautiful Life of The Performance Center

Steve W. — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:50:54 -0000

Etta James, Linda Hopkins, Patti LaBelle, Minnie Riperton - amazing shows at The Performance Center. When LaBelle played: Patti, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash would wander through the audience singing and dancing with the crowd.

Re: Coffeehouse Culture on Charles Street, Boston, 1967

Jim Chevallier — Thu, 21 May 2026 09:09:49 -0000

I forgot that a long time ago I downloaded this article on some of these places (complete with rare images of the Turk's Head and the Sword in the Stone):
https://uploads.disquscdn.c... I would quibble with its being an "honor" to play at the Turk's Head - more than once I got a call asking me to come in for some act that hadn't made it. I also booked the club for a while and memorably refused David Misch, a comic songwriter who would later save WCAS from being bought by a Christian group and still later wrote for "Mork and Mindy". We improbably became friends for a while.

Re: Central Music

Melodye Chisholm-Buskin — Sun, 10 May 2026 19:04:18 -0000

Loved this article as it brought back so many memories. Over the course of several decades, my parents grew to know the owner and his family very well indeed.

Growing up in Brockton as a child, my mum and I would walk to the store to get sheet music for her Sunday soprano solos at the Unitarian Church in Brockton. My dad and his band, The Chisholm Brothers, were also regular customers there and would often visit to purchase guitar strings, picks, and country albums. In fact, I also remember them selling my dad‘s first and second albums in their store when they came out.

My time finally came at the age of 16 when my mother bought me my first silver grey pearl colored Ralston drum kit there. I can’t tell you the excitement I felt watching them take it down from the top display shelf and putting it in our car for the ride home. I went on to play many gigs with that kit till I was 20.

The highlight of one of my visits there with my mom was when I was in my teens - asking about The Two Virgins album because we couldn’t find it on the shelf. The guy at the counter, who I believe was the son of the owner, told us that it actually wasn’t allowed to be out because copies were getting stolen and proceeded to pull a copy out from under the counter, which was in a brown paper bag. We asked if we could see the album and he obliged by grinning while pulling a portion of the album out of the paper bag. We were disappointed to see that the actual cover itself was also blotted out with the exception of their faces. My mum and I were certainly disappointed until we got home. When we opened the cover to play the album, we discovered that it was just a paper covering with the original cardboard album sleeve underneath. When we took off the sleeve, there were John and Yoko in all their naked glory. I know we were several years behind finding out about this shocking piece of album art, but being 16 and finding my idol without his clothes on was still a bit of a shock.

Regardless, If it weren’t for Central Music, I may have remained not only less musical but also rather naïvely innocent a bit longer!

Re: Paula Cole

Bobby — Sun, 03 May 2026 02:13:25 -0000

No Mention of the Secret World Tour with Peter Gabriel. C'mon man, that's how the world knows her! She was fantastic!

Re: The Stompers

Joe — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:33:42 -0000

I bought their VHS tape off ebay 'living the dream for real' only to get it and find that someone had recorded over it in 1993 with CBS news reports. Not another copy on the internet anywhere

Re: Hot Tin Roof

Michael — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:11:26 -0000

July of 83, my friend from Aspen took a epic trip to the island and then to the Hot Tin Roof .. What a nite .Totally too good. Missed the ferry by 24 hours🥴😎. Slept in the woods. Got catch by the cops. Told to walk To the ferry, and don't come back. True, awesome time...

Re: Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg

dawnfl — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:22:56 -0000

I am not sure why I suddenly was thinking of the adventure carhop song today and of course, Arnie “woo woo” Ginsburg. You had to have a portable transistor radio back then I remember sitting on the front steps listening to him at night because everyone sat on the front steps. I forget deal you could get a free record at adventure. There was a lot to do on route one
The surf and paragon played a big part in my life as an older teen because we moved to the town of Hull but before that, we would have of us from Boston going down to the Surf. Does anyone remember how the Dance floor would be covered with everyone doing the stroll And temptation walk. I just smiled. It’s nice to have this to think about.

The good old days

Re: Cocoanut Grove

Mike Hanlon — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:14:38 -0000

Hello,
In the photo on the front page, it shows the large neon sign base is RED, with WHITE lettering. Are those the actual colors of the sign? Thank you.

Re: The Infliktors

Maso47 — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:57:19 -0000

Lee Ritter was a very close friend of mine during the 1960s in Yonkers, New York. We had a little garage band together that didn't last very long. I spoke to him a good long while on telephone just before he died of Emphysema in Valley Forge Penn.

Re: Swallow

RealEagleScout — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:51:54 -0000

in the early Seventies, we would frequently travel up from the. BBerkshire in W. Mass. To Wilmington VT, to Fat City, a nightclub with six bars to hear Swallow. Drinks of course were e 1.01.00 each back then, It was a very exciting place. WWe were lost one night in a heavy snowstorm, stopped to dust off a State highway sign which read Zoar Ma...Swallow put out many albalbums. Some patrons used to tease blind George sleigh by hanging
string from above. He was always accompanied onstage.
listening to their horn section developed in a love of later band's such as the Great Tower of Power

Re: Strawberries Records & Tapes

Greg Tutunjian — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:47:50 -0000

I remember a record store opposite the Prudential Center on Boylston Street (up a short flight of stairs) - "Out Of Town" (?) where I could find LPs in 70's. I'd shop there and the record department of The Harvard Coop (starting in the 60's) for new releases. The storefront is still there (alas, no music shop for a few decades.) Same block as The Apple Store (to the left, facing The Apple Store.) Thanks for all you do on this site, too!

Re: Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, Jazz & Blues

Lynn Menna — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:30:39 -0000

Hi there! For many years my brother Jack Menna was a musician who played drums at Chans with John Allmark on the trumpet.The jazz band was remarkable and we went to hear them play often.Always a great time with great food. One of the very best memories!!❤

Re: Howard “Swan” Johnson

Melodye Buskin — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:46:55 -0000

This article brings me back to the days when my mum’s dad, Earl Perry, told me he played banjo in ragtime and jazz bands in and around at the Brockton /New England area and may have known or even played with some of these musicians you’ve mentioned in this article. When we’d have family gatherings, I loved hearing him sing and play those old songs as he was a very adept and nimble player. He also mentioned that he played in one of the Dorsey Brothers bands and that he loved Bix Beiderbeck. Memorable music and times.

Re: The Unicorn Coffee House

Mark Turrell — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:18:19 -0000

Sorry this was 1967

Re: The Unicorn Coffee House

Mark Turrell — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:17:15 -0000

During my freshman year at Northeastern, I saw Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Ponies at the Unicorn. Also saw The First Edition ( with Kenny Rogers).

Re: Lou Miami & The Kozmetix

Melodye Buskin — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:22:56 -0000

Very colorful and descriptive bio. Waited a long time for this.
Working with Lou was fun but he was also very focused on what he wanted musically.
I drummed and sang with him for about two years doing live shows and TV. I never thought his music career would be legendary but here we are almost 50 years later and still talking about him!
You can check out all the band’s videos on YouTube. You’ll laugh, sing and maybe even cry a little.

Melodye Chisholm (Buskin)

Re: Ben Orr

LaDonna Raney — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:05:00 -0000

can we see a pic

Re: Hillbilly Ranch

Linda — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 23:43:10 -0000

My mother Lillian Hulehan was a waitress at the hillbilly ranch for years through the 70s. I can remember her talking me there and sitting up at the bar and ordering my a Shirley Temple.

Re: Daddy’s Junky Music Stores

Bob Maunsell — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 17:36:40 -0000

Me and my Mom bought my first electric guitar at the Salem (Gas Station Store) Salem NH DePot, from Chris, It was a Copy SG clear finish. 1976. I later traded that in with some cash at a pawn shop for a 1975 Black Fender Strat..

Re: The Short, Beautiful Life of The Performance Center

Diane W. — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 23:48:32 -0000

I have wonderful memories of working at The Performance Center as a cocktail waitress. Listened to great music every night. It really was a shame that it did not last!

Re: Arthur Fiedler

SusieDavidson — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 13:15:05 -0000

I am not one of those Jewish people who looks for antisemitism everywhere, but I can't help but wonder why in this long biography of Arthur Fiedler, there is not one mention of his being Jewish. His parents were Austrian, yes, but they were in fact Austrian Jews.
I would imagine the family returned to Boston during World War I, as is reported, but also because conditions were becoming ominous for Jews in Europe at that time.
Fiedler was not Jewishly observant, but he did identify as a Jew. And he did incorporate that into some of his productions. I don't know why the Jewish aspect is completely left out of this essay. It still is what he was. I don't expect his Jewish-themed productions would be covered in this bio, but surely at least a mention that his family were Austrian Jews would have at least been something. That facet of his identity is curiously left out in this bio.

AI:
Jewish Heritage: Fiedler's parents were Austrian Jewish immigrants, and he grew up with this background.
Non-Observant: He described himself as a "non-observant Jew," meaning he didn't adhere to strict religious practices but acknowledged his heritage.
Cultural Identity: His Jewish identity was part of his cultural background, influencing his life and even leading to some connection with Jewish music, such as conducting Zionist-themed pieces later in his career, notes the Milken Archive of Jewish Music.

Re: Bunratty’s/Melody Lounge/Local 186/The Wonder Bar

Tom L. — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:55:47 -0000

In 1980, or there abouts, I was doing sound for a very good Blues Rock band named Shack Bully. Our agent booked us into Bunratty's for a two-night gig. As soon as I got accustomed to the StudioMaster house console, things went to plan until the middle of the second set when the dance floor thined. This was normally a very dance-oriented set and I was concerned to see only a dozen dancers. Things got back to normal in the third set and the band played to an encore. It was only at load-out that we learned that a person had been stabbed to death in the entryway during the second set. Apparently most of the patrons had a better night than that individual.

Re: The Remains

Karl Sharicz — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:37:07 -0000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D6g6qtBDFI&list=RD7D6g6qtBDFI&start_radio=1 Live at The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY in 2013

Re: The Remains

Karl Sharicz — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:33:25 -0000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CS8rB5gVSo&t=28s Live at the Bell house, Brooklyn, NY