Great God in Heaven…it happened again
This picture and info was sent to us by our friend, the Legendary WLS DJ Clark Weber:
A DVD and bonus CD, put out in 2010 by Reazar Productions, features old clips from a NYC small station Tv program from late 60’s to mid-70’s hosted by DJ Barry Richards. The DVD has classic performances by many great artists of the day.
The discs feature images not included in the video and lo and behold, there is an image of The Ides of March!
The Ides Of March LOST TAPES VOL 1.
Last year when the band was playing the lovely Acorn Theatre in 3 Oaks Michigan (we’ll be there again in November-worth the drive!!) , a gentleman approached JP and gave him a set of cassettes recorded live in 1972 at a College in Michigan. Jim listened to the tapes and found out they were of pretty good quality (for the day) and the band was smokin’! Larry took the tapes and did his digital cleanup magic, making them shine a little brighter. We picked the best tunes from the tape, and now present them to you on our new disc “Lost Tapes Vol. 1”.
This version of the Ides was short-lived, but was notable because of the addition of Conrad Prybe on Trombone. This was after Ray Herr left and just before Dave Arellano joined on keyboards. Probably the last hurrah of the classic “Brass-Driven” Ides from back in the day. There are some real rarity songs like “American Express”, “Share This Feeling”and a great fan favorite “Teeny Bopper Medley”. Also a great rocking rendition of B.B.King’s “Rock Me Baby”.
The fellow who gave Jim the tapes never gave his name. We sent out a big rockin’ THANK YOU to our nameless benefactor.
This is a must for every Ides fan, and we’ve got it at a special low price of $10.
Buy it TODAY here!!
Dick Clark
Dick Clark was kind enough to give The Ides of March a shout out for their 40th Anniversary. He will be missed.
A Tribute to a Fallen Brother
On September 21, 2011 we lost a dear musical brother- John Larson, a member of the Ides of March since joining the ranks in 1969. Ask anyone — John didn’t have a mean or vindictive bone in his body. His sweet spirit always shone through like a star.
Not just a world-class trumpet player, John’s humor, quick wit, and creative ideas were a cog in the Ides’ machine that helped create our signature sound.
John could go on seemingly endlessly about simple things in life, like the liver dumpling soup he specialized in. No detail was too small for his discerning eye and palette. Most of all, he celebrated life every day.
John was a good sport about the hilarious intros we gave him on stage — he wanted me to make a list of them. I never quite got around to it… So, John, here it is now: “Say hello to John Larson, Nick Nolte’s evil twin”; “Welcome John Larson, the eye candy of the band..”; “On high trumpet — John Larson, a person of interest in four states” and, of course, “Here’s John Larson, the other white meat.”
John was the guy holding the high F sharp just past the cut off from a given song to prove he still had the chops (and he did!)
Playing the iconic riff from the Ides’ eternal hit, “Vehicle,” his piercing tone was the perfect complement to Chuck’s and Bob’s more mellow sound.
We experienced so much together as a band — we grew up touring North America behind a Number One record in the early 70’s; and turning from kids to responsible adults when we re-formed in 1990. John was always there for us, the court jester, lightening up the mood on days it was sorely needed.
John, you will be missed by so many. If you judge a person’s wealth by the people you can call your friend, John was the richest person I know. His voice has been stilled but it can never be replaced. Close your eyes tonight and you just may hear a distant trumpet.
— Jim
New Site, New Shows, New Attitude
New show dates, news, photos and videos will be posted very soon. Stay tuned for more info in the coming months.