Happy Birthday Rick Nielsen!

Rick Nielsen (photo swiped from Google)

Happy Birthday to Rick Nielsen! I have a cute Rick Nielsen story, that I mention in “Guest List.” In the mid-1990s, when rubber dresses were very popular for women. I had a purple one, similar to the one  Heather Locklear wore on a Details magazine cover, which I wore to a Cheap Trick concert. Ladies know those dresses do amazing things for your figure. They push you in and lift you up — in all the right places! Amazing!

I was right in the front and all night Rick was trying to throw a guitar pick into my cleavage. Finally he succeeded! I still have that pick!

And while many girls go ga-ga for Robin Zander, I think Rick is the hottest of the bunch! When I saw him, he had a long goatee, braided, with a small price-tag on it. You just can’t beat that kinda cool!

Here’s Rick with Foo Fighters!

And to purchase a copy of my book “On the Guest List: Adventures of a Music Journalist” visit: http://www.nextcenturystore.com/on-the-guest-list-adventures-of-a-music-journalist.html

I’m on Cheap Trick Tribute!

I’m honored that I was able to sing back up on “Come On Come One” with Hounds of Winter on this cool tribute CD that features over 40 Cheap Trick songs.

Once again, I was in Tom Corea’s studio with Tom DiPaolo, Ric Pink and my husband Dennis.

Lots of other great acts are on this including two I really like, The Spyders and Matt Keating.

For more information on the project, please visit: http://www.pozible.com/project/184392#

So cool to be a part of something that honors a band I love very much. I share a Cheap Trick story in my book “On the Guest List: Adventures of a Music Journalist” (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/162903908X)

Back in the mid-1990s, if you Google “Heather Locklear – Details Magazine” you will see she was wearing an incredible purple rubber dress. I had the same one! On night I was at a Cheap Trick concert and Rick Nielson was throwing guitar picks at me, aiming for my cleavage. He finally got it! It was so funny. I still have the pick 🙂

My Prized Guitar Pick Collection

The late Dee Dee Ramone played bass with this very pick!

As some of you know I’m a major music fan and went to hundreds of shows over the years. And over the years, especially in my younger day, I was always up front at the shows and therefore built up quite a collection of guitar picks from famous guitarists and bassists. Tonite I present to you, from my very own scrap book, some of the more impressive ones!

I saw The Ramones play so many times, and the above is from Dee Dee, the bassist.

From legendary late Johnny Thunders

I was too young to see the original New York Dolls, but I followed Johnny Thunders all over NYC, seeing him perform at least 25 times (the most I’ve seen any performer!)

Steve Jones 

I was too young to see Steve Jones play guitar with the Sex Pistols, but followed him all over NYC and New Jersey when he played with The Professionals a few years later. Amazing guitarist and song writer, great guy too!

Richie Stotts of The Plasmatics

More picks from Richie Stotts, Plasmatics

The Plasmatics were always my favorite live band and it was so easy to get picks from them, as I have six from Richie Stotts. And for years I’ve kept pieces of flower pots that Wendy O. Williams smashed onstage, as well as pieces from the demolished television sets, etc.

I love how banged up Stotts’s picks are! How great is that?

From what I can remember, other picks I have include: Steve Diggle of The Buzzcocks, Dick Dale, and Rick Nielson from Cheap Trick.

Funny story about the Cheap Trick pick. It was in the early 1990s when rubber dresses were in vogue. (Remember Pamela Anderson in “Barbed Wire” or Heather Locklear on the cover of Details magazine?) At the time I was young, single, good looking and in excellent shape. So, being in vogue, I had a rubber dress too. Mine was similar to the one Heather Locklear wore on the cover of Details magazine. I was in the front, wearing my rubber dress and Rick Nielson kept trying to get pick in my cleavage! Well, he succeeded and I still have the pick.

Another time, I’ll share set lists! ENJOY!

Come on Christmas! (Songs from Tom Corea’s Studio!)

(Left to right – Ric Pink, Dennis and Me, 2011)

Every year our good friend Tom Corea puts out an amazing Christmas project via his Babyfishmouth Studio.

My husband, Dennis, often plays bass (and some guitar) on many of the tunes, along with Tom DiPaolo on guitar.

Sometimes I’ll join them in the studio and once in awhile participate.

“Come on Christmas” was a really fun song that was recorded over the summer. (Vocals: Ric Pink, guitar: Tom DiPaolo, bass: Dennis Mistretta, Drums: Tom Corea). And I got to help by singing the back-up vocals! What an honor to be working amongst such great talents!

If you click on the following “Come On Christmas” you will see there are some great shots of all of us having fun in the studio. The album cover photo of Tom DiPaolo and Tom Corea was beautifully done by my very good friend, Darlene Foster (www.darlenefoster.com). It’s worth it to check out the song just to see her fabulous work!

Check out the song and photos by clicking here:

Come On Christmas!

And here’s another one from a few years back, 2006, it’s a surf song featuring Dennis on bass guitar and rhythm, Tom DiPaolo on guitar, Tom Corea on drums, and I’m the opening spoken word vocal, “Hey, Santa, Surf’s Up!”

SURFER’S CHRISTMAS

And finally, a surf take on this Nutcracker classic. Tom DiPaolo on guitars, Dennis Mistretta on bass and Tom Corea on drums: Dance of the Sugar Plum Scary

I always love going to the studio with Dennis. I adore music and watching a tune be put together step-by-step. Or sometimes I’ll go upstairs and hang out with Tom Corea’s wife, Carol, and have a fantastic time drinking wine and having great conversation. They also have two beautiful kids, Jessie and T.J.

We are so blessed to have such great friends and so many wonderful memories!

Tom Corea, of Babyfishmouth Studio and his son, Jessie

Me, Carol Corea and Darlene Foster (Ric Pink in background)