This is the Rodney Bingenheimer Thread Where We Tell Tales of Meeting Him and Discuss the Mayor of the Sunset Strip Film

This thread makes me think about the divide between "celebrity as abstract individual" who is known through public works, newspaper articles and the like, and "hey this is a person" who has a context. I know quite a bit about Rodney B. (and Kim Fowley) (and the Samoans) but I didn't want to say anything on this thread. I started to ponder why. It seems that even in a small pond, celebrity functions to smooth out the context, and that is what was bothering me. It seems these people had been reduced to the freakdom of chance meetings and the odd bit of journalistic interpretation.

If you lived in the LA area at the time (1979 and forward), as I did, you would remember KMET and Disco Sucks and the oppressive Led Zeppelin, Casablanca Records, and cocaine and limo rock culture we had at the time. Rodney played DEVO on KROQ back when no one knew who the fuck DEVO was and 99% percent of the US had never HEARD of punk rock or new wave. He had a club that booked these bands, as did Bomp's Greg Shaw. Blondie played an in-store when Bomp! was a record store. These guys were only people bringing the scene into LA. (Kim Fowley has his own survival story in the music business, but it didn't start with punk or new wave, I'm leaving him out of the discussion just because I am. he a professional "shocker", that's his thing, nuff said)

We were surrounded by crap in 1979. There was no such thing as indie distribution. No one even KNEW HOW to put out their own record. Reading the "Rodney was pathetic" article excerpts remind me of how much meaning, how much context is lost. What about all the bands who would NEVER had put a record out, indie or otherwise, without his help? He used to play demo tapes on the air. Jesus God, when bands couldn't even get on the radio without hiring a mobbed-up independent promoter to buy the station manager a brick of coke and a houseful of furniture, Rodney let unsigned, unknown, garage bands into the studio and played their demos.

Look, everyone in the music business is a freak in one way or another, but I'm really uncomfortable with looking at people through a telescope, with few datapoints; seeing them encircled by the lens of journalism with the context outside of the telescope missing.

Oh hell I said I wasn't going to say anything. Well I guess it didn't really--I just tried to put some of this in context.

RODNEY
ON THE ROQ
RODNEY
IT'S EIGHT O'CLOCK

He introduced Depeche Mode to KROQ. Case in point. If you listened to KROQ in between 1983 and 1990, Depeche Mode completely OWNED KROQ's playlists, lock stock and barrel. (Not just great punk rockers like Redd Kross, Devo, or what have you).

He's been a defiant anglophile up until the late 90s even (and probably still is).. I think he managed to get Super Furry Animals airplay on KROQ, who by then, were far more tighter and commercialized.

There were also rumours about the thing he had for 14 year girls with leopard skin tards and punkish hair, but whatever. Biggest surprise/disappointment: he was NOT at the Shonen Knife/Celebrity Skin/Redd Kross/Cowsills reunion/Permanent Green Light show the Roxy in L.A. back in 1992 that I went to (and was AMAZING and the most Rodney Bingenheimer show I could ever imagine!). He was down the street at Pennyfeather's instead, where he always used to hang out. It was confusing to say the least.

I met him once and he was super nice. But he probably forgot me just minutes later. But that's alright. :)

That last comment was meant to describe KROQ, not SFA. (although both could be argued)

When I was in The Quick...let's put it this way, this is just before punk rock. The LA scene was Van Halen doing covers at Gazzaris on the Strip, Jobriath when he hit town and the ludes had worn off and maybe folk singers.

When we were flukishly signed to Mercury, Rodney played our single every hour on the hour--a month before the rekkid was out.

Blondie, the Ramones, Richard Hell, The Jam--they hit town, they hit the radio. All for the cost of a few drinks with poor old Rodney.

I mean, Rodney played The Germs! Often. The Go Gos when they were The Eyes, The Dils, Screamers--he played all that stuff like it was frickin Pablo Cruise.

He and KROQ organized this off and on shambling rawkshow at this quaalude hotel and we'd be paid $1,000 per set--which could cover rent and food, for me at least, for a few months.

Yeah--he's got that vague Warhol thing but what's sad, or rather, what I perceive of as sad, was that he didn't know it, although I'm sure people have told him plenty by now.

And that little apartment.

Actually, Rodney had profound effect on my whole frickin' life.

Whilst a, well, let's say street-oriented 15 year old, my, um, 'friend' took me to Rodney's disco. Where one saw Marc Bolan and one was seriously like, Whoah.

And even better: I tried to go to the bathroom but Pam Des Barres wouldn't let me in because either A. she was doing blow and/or B. she was being done.

Another fun moment: With Ritchie Blackmore (sp?) in tow (!)", He walks up to me and says in that enthusiastic flatline voice, "Hey, Ian, Ritchie Balckmore, Deep Purple, wow, it's all happening!" So I shake Deep Purple's hand, and whisper in his ear with punky derision, "Deep Purple???" And he whispers back "And he's 28!" And I whisper the 70s version of "Eww, gross!"

Another time he told me Joey Ramone needed a haircut, ASAP (At 17, I'd gone to beauty school instead of college--tres Bowie, white trash Valley proto-boi division.)

So I go to their dressing room with a pair of scissors and Joey's frowning and Dee Dee says in deep Queens slur, "Nwah--he changed his mind, sorry." And Joey won't look at me, he's mortified--punk rockers don't get a *trim*, fer fuck's sake!

I could go on but nostalgia's a dangerous drug. Every celeb in that film owes him a bigass check. I owe him for a sense of validation nobody else gave me when I seriously needed it, and I couldn't even pay the interest on that.

But still.

Did anyone else find the filmmakers to be sort of cruel? That whole scene when he's giving the Elvis autograph to his step-sister and the interviewer keeps asking his father where Rodney's childhood pictures are is just horrible.

I grew up lovin Rodney, I still love him after seeing this movie, now I just feel kinda sad for him...

and Kim Fowley is one ghoulish motherfucker.

I liked the outtakes in the DVD. It's got Courtney being extremely bossy and making sense. Also, Michael Des Barres is very funny. He really should get better roles than "that snotty English guy" on various sitcoms.

Seems the key to longevity is : Do it and don't get paid (much)...

was on tv on monday or tuesday and i'm gradually working my way through it.

he looked so awkward (and had so many different haircuts) in all those photos. loved his frumpy gf too.

am struck, at times, with the similarities to Peel, especially the bit where he was saying 'i used to be on at 8, then 10 til 1, now midnight to 3'

have been to that canters (the one on fairfax?) but he wasn't there.

and rodney in the dojo that used to be his English Disco. looking awkward.

what's he doing these days?

Tube Tops! Tube Tops FOREVER!

I hate the 90s!

wikiwikiwikipedia
"After years of grassroots support, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce decided to acknowledge his contribution to music and radio with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which was presented on March 9, 2007. This is the 2,330th star awarded, and it is in front of the Knitting Factory nightclub at 7021 Hollywood Blvd."

watching this on hulu now, mostly sad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3xy8s-IQ7k

watching the movie right now and this guy is just so creepy, it's kind of hard to watch. i think i'd be less uncomfortable if the doc was about Kim Fowley even.

Was this the original "Kinda LOL but mostly sad" ?

I think the director of this doc recently passed away? Loved this movie when I saw it back in the day.

Yeah, George Hickenlooper:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hickenlooper

Watched it last night as it's pirated to YouTube. Not bad, gets uncomfortable at times. Was shot prior to Cherie Curie apparently making up with Kim Fowley.

Here's one of the movie's oddest characters by far, a friend of Rodney's, still at it:

http://www.asylum.com/2010/03/10/ronald-vaugh-captain-pootie-musically-pitches-poot-a-rama/

one thing the film does capture really well is that rare situation of these guys kind of being fixtures on the same scene together for like 40 years straight

Rodney leaves KROQ. Last show June 5th.
http://buzzbands.la/2017/05/25/rodney-bingenheimer-leaving-kroq/

Think that finally kills off the 20th century.

Did he ever make it up with Debbie Harry?

Didn't know he/it had their own thread. The film was my favourite of whatever year it came out--still remember the sequence where he kept popping up Zelig-like all over the place.

Used to listen to him when I was a kid until I heard all of his "disco sucks" stuff which seemed like something a 14 year old should do, not someone of his age. But then "not someone of his age" is the central theme of that sad documentary so I guess it's more tragic than lame now.

He's hinting that he'll be carrying on in some way so I guess that means Red Kross streaming on the Internet forever.

Article and playlist of his final show on KROQ.

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20170605/highlights-and-playlist-from-final-rodney-on-the-roq-show

Evidently not a fan of the Angry Samoans' "Get Off the Air"--would have been a nice exit song.

i always think of the GTO's "Permanent Damage" LP which has that one song with him on it. the way they say "Rodney BING - enheimer" was pretty fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVca426V9DY

Great-looking band: two Thurston Moores, Freddie Mercury, Rodney, and I don't know who the guy on the right's supposed to be.

"Get me to the year 2000 IMMEDIATELY!"

I don't know who the guy on the right's supposed to be.

one of the skinny ties from Blondie

I recorded Rodney's last show - PM/email me offboard if you want a copy.

He's back!

This is excellent news! Booted from KROQ, Rodney Bingenheimer will return to radio via Sirius XM. https://t.co/87xqh96iLH

— Aidin Vaziri (@MusicSF) June 28, 2017

As much as I love the cartoon "hate" of Angry Samoans, and I definitely do, I can't honestly hate on Rodney. He's got a Warhol-ish, esthetic wimpiness to him that I just couldn't bash in good conscience. In this day and age, niceness goes a long way with me, as it's a rapidly decreasing commodity. And he really did open the door for ALOT of bands who would've gotten zero airplay w/o him. The documentary was/is wonderful IMO.

And re: xpost Ned's latest. Welcome back Rodney!

Rodney has been a serious creep to underage women for about 100 years but yah him and Kim Fowley get a pass because the Earth is terrible.

wasn't he kind of a procurer or flesh for bands + crew?

Bingenheimer not as bad as Fowley in the predatory misogyny dept imo

Or afaict anyway

"not as bad" jfc. I take back everything I posted in this thread

"Go-Go’s Guitarist Jane Wiedlin Claims Influential Rock DJ Sexually Abused Her as a Teen. Six women now accuse famed former KROQ DJ and club owner Rodney Bingenheimer of molesting them when they were underage"

The correct response.

i wonder why i called chris carter an asshole upthread? i love breakfast with the beatles lol. my parents were sunset strip 60s people and knew rodney back then (kim was my dads manager for a spell). rodney would call our house in the 80s when my sister was teenage and ask for her and i remember my dad yelling on the phone "dont ever call my fucking house again rodney!"

wow

!!!

Come back, Angry Samoans, all is forgiven!