Then came this reviewers favorite part of the show; a tight medley of Frank Zappa music for which Flo & Eddie appeared on during their time in the legendary Mothers of Invention.

The medley included “Road Ladies” and the hard rocking “Magic Fingers” from the zany 200 Motels album and the Zappa–favorite instrumental “Peaches En Regalia” in which young–gun guitarist Joel Hoekstra pulled off a ripping solo that nearly tore the roof off the theatre!

Other highlights of the second set included “She'd Rather Be With Me,” “Memory Trick,” a Hawkes eukelele performance during “Nikki Hoi” and of course, the show ending “Happy Together”, The Turtles only #1 hit.

In the end and whether you were a part of the hippie generation or not, and there were plenty of both in this audience, The Turtles and their accomplished band successfully conveyed the vibe of their era and obviously still have a “very groovy” time in doing so.

This link just in from good friend and renowned producer/director Mick Garris.

The website, Trailers From Hell, has posted the original theatrical trailer for the animated feature, Dirty Duck, which was voiced and scored by our own Flo and Eddie, complete with commentary from Mick, himself.

It's a great piece of history and the voice-over puts this classic footage over the top.

Thanks to our buddy Mick Garris for this gem.

http://trailersfromhell.com/trailers/84?auto=1

OK kids;

At last the wait is over.

You've been asking Howard for the past couple of years, when his movie, "My Dinner With Jimi" would be available for home sale and we are pleased to announce that the day has arrived.

At least, in most parts of the civilized world.

Films We Like, "Jimi"'s Canadian distributor, has released MY DINNER WITH JIMI on DVD.

#FWL09088

It is a Rhino Films Feature available through Warner Music north of the lower 48.

The movie will also have it's official U.S. release on DVD through Shout Factory this coming Spring.

But the good news is that U.S. residents don't have to wait that long.

You can get the movie by going to

www.Amazon.ca

and, since it's a "region one" copy, it will play on any machine in North America.

If you live outside of North America, the movie is available in Germany from SunFilms #22121--you've GOT to hear what the German actors sound like playing the parts of the Turtles!

and in Belgium and Portugal, in that most strange of languages, from California Films #CDCV 149

PLUS, this year, if you attend any Turtles' performance, My Dinner With Jimi will be on sale at the autograph table, right next to Dust Bunnies and The Turtles' Greatest Hits.

Howard will, of course, be pleased to sign your copies.

To read a synopsis of the film, check the cast list, credits and photos, click on

www.mydinnerwithjimi.com

and thanks, in advance, for buying Howard's cool little rock and roll odyssey.

You're going to love it!

Hey... if you see anything Turtles-related grab your digital camera or cameraphone and email us a pic.

We'll post it in Turtle-isms  

Check out the latest submissions!

Hippiefest: A trip down memory lane

by Julian Cavazos - Jul. 12, 2008 04:23 PM

The Arizona Republic

Fans spent their Friday evening traveling back to the 1960s, a time of war protest songs, flower power, love and peace with Hippie Fest 2008.

Fans, mostly in their 50s and 60s, came dressed up for the occasion in their psychedelic tye-die shirts and hippie costumes, feeling as if they were teenagers again.

Phoenix was the first stop in the 22-city tour.

Jonathan Edwards, Badfinger featuring Joey Molland, Janis Ian, The Turtles, featuring Flo and Eddie, Jack Bruce of Cream, and Eric Burdon and the Animals all played the biggest hits of their careers.

Hosts Flo and Eddie, also known as Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, introduced each artist.

“The kids are at the Jonas Brothers concert tonight, the adults are here,” said Eddie.

First up was Jonathan Edwards, who is now age 61. He started the concert with his guitar playing timeless music, including his most popular song, Sunshine and a soothing rendition of the poetic This Island Earth.

Following Edwards was the first band of the evening, Badfinger, who kicked off their performance with Baby Blue. As they performed Come and Get It and No Matter What, fans started bobbing their heads and singing along to the words.

Once Badfinger finished, Flo and Eddie came out and gave a brief overview of facts from 1967. 

“Things were happening in ‘67,” Flo said. “It was the year Rolling Stone Magazine got published. Elvis married Priscilla. The Beatles put out Sgt. Pepper. A new house cost $14,000; gasoline was $.33.

Then they introduced the third performer, Janis Ian, the mellowest of all the performers. “You spend your whole life trying not to be thought of as a chick singer,” Ian joked. “I’m here to represent the more depressing side of folk music.”

The audience laughed uproariously.

She then sang Jesse.

Once the song was over, she talked about the six artists performing at the fest, and how each of them had a different style.

It doesn’t get more different than the six of us, Ian said.

“The cool of the ‘60s was that you were supposed to be yourself,” she said.

Ian continued on with Society’s Child, one of her most famous songs.

She then spoke of her autobiographical book released last year, and sang an accompanying satirical song about her famous life.

“There’s nothing more I enjoy than talking about myself,” Ian joked. “I wake up every morning, and I google myself.”

She finished with At 17, with fans clapping and yelling in support during the first few lines of the song.

The Turtles performed next with their hits Nobody But You, It Ain’t Me Babe, Elenore, You Showed Me, andShe’d Rather Be With Me.

Flo and Eddie joked that back in the 1960s, they were “druggies” who took acid, and smoked opium. Now they find themselves taking drugs “old people” take.

“We spent so much money trying to kill ourselves,” Flo joked. “Now we spend so much money trying to keep ourselves alive.”

The highlight of the night was The Turtles performing Happy Together. The whole arena stood up, with couples putting their arms around their loved ones as they sang the song. Some couples got emotional and kissed.

Jack Bruce of Cream, using long high-pitched vocals, sang songs like Sunshine of Your Love, I Feel Free, and the bluesier Sitting on the Top off the World.

Eric Burdon and the Animals, performed next with a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. He gave an energetic performance to hits like We Gotta Get Out of This Place, See See Rider, It’s My Life, and Boom Boom.

Ian summed up all of the performers goals as talented musicians wanting to have an impact on people’s lives. All six artists did just that.

“The one common thing I have with every other artist here tonight,” Ian said, “is that all of us dream at one time or another of creating just one piece of art that will transcend race, culture, color and gender…Every artist dreams of that.”

From TMZ.COM:

Imagine Me and You, I'll Sue

Two members of the 60's group, The Turtles (you know, "Happy Together'), have sued Capitol Records over an Ice Cube song -- bitches!

According to the suit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, Flo & Eddie recorded a song in 1972 for The Turtles called "Buzzsaw." The suit claims the song was sampled in a rap song by Ice Cube called "Jackin' for Beats." Flo & Eddie allege Capital signed a deal for the derivative song but went beyond the agreement to make even more money.

Flo & Eddie want minimum $25,000 but not more than $70,000. We know, it's weird to set a limit when you sue.

Capital, Eddie & Flo -- not happy together.

Nice review from UK magazine Record Collector:

Long overdue CD release for surreal-pop kings and harmonisers to the stars

Led by jocular duo Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, The Turtles epitomised 60s California sunshine pop with hits such as Happy Together. Renamed The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie by Frank Zappa, the pair found themselves translating the complex musical surrealism of 200 Motels-era Mothers Of Invention, before joining T.Rex in kick-starting glam rock. Volman and Kaylan effortlessly navigated these three wildly-disparate musical titans, while blessing many with their otherworldly vocal harmonies, including Springsteen, Lennon, Cooper, Blondie and countless others. In 1972, after Montreux casino burned around the Mothers (inspiring Smoke On The Water) and Zappa’s fall offstage rendered his group inactive, the duo started their own project, recording four albums, the first two now on CD for the first time.

As ever, it’s those exquisite harmonies which elevate each track into the heavens, the first album (originally intended to be the Turtles’ last) mixing sublime West Coast rock and perfect pop of Feel Older Now with the odd novelty detour. 1974’s Flo & Eddie was produced by bombast-king Bob Ezrin, a spectacular combination on their stellar treatment of the Small Faces’ Afterglow or Another Pop Star’s Life and Just Another Town: brilliant first-hand observations about the rock’n’roll life. Overshadowed at the time by their illustrious employers, this chance to re-evaluate these lovely records is long overdue.

Manifesto | MFO 48001

Reviewed by Kris Needs

Monday March 10 - Music-News.com - Review by Andy S.

When pop music is good it can be utterly uplifting and bring a smile to the grumpiest of faces. This is very, very good.

For my money The Turtles were the best American pop band of all and possibly one of the best pop bands period. Flo & Eddie grew out of the Turtles founder members – Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan – sojourn with Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and the first two albums from this pair have finally been released on CD after contractual wrangles that tied up the bands name for thirty years.

The first of these albums is a sublime piece of west coast pop and there are numbers here that are easily the match of their Turtles output. 'Thoughts Have Turned’ , 'Strange Girl’, 'I Been Born Again’ all feature superb harmonies around melodies that the likes of The Hollies or The Beach Boys would have been proud and show the musicianship that Flo & Eddie learned at the feet of Zappa. To anyone familiar with Zappa, Aynsley Dunbar, Don Preston or Jim Pons will be instantly recognisable – class and quality and capable of creating magic.

The lyrics though are the thing that sets Flo & Eddie apart from the Turtles. In a world of cutesy-poo songs about love and satisfaction they were singing about girls who belonged to everyone and about 'Can I give her to my friends?' or opening a song with 'Think of all the things the we could do today – maybe we could burn down the house today' – there is a twisted side to the lyrics that the boys learned from Zappa, a way of looking at the world through a warped lens; and all within a gorgeous set of songs that can be whistled or hummed and that stick in the memory for ages.

The second album wasn’t released for another two years and by this time they had been playing live and developing the comedy side of their nature as support for Alice Cooper and others and the songs represent the change in their style. Some of the songs are as good as on the first album – 'If We Only Had The Time’ or 'Marmendy Mill’ are divine – but there are also numbers such as 'Carlos And The Bull’ or 'The Sanzini Brothers’ which were big hits live but should have stayed there. But then they also include three covers of classic Britbeat songs that actually match if not better the originals – The Kinks 'Days’, The Small Faces 'Afterglow’ and 'The Best Part Of Breaking Up..’ show what they were still capable of.

Rather than thinking about this as a double CD (and bearing in mind that each CD is only around 35 minutes) buy this for the first disc and revel in the 'bonus’ tracks on the second disc. 

Rated 4 out of 5 Stars

The first 2 Flo & Eddie records have just arrived and can now be ordered in one RE-MASTERED release.

That's right you heard you heard right  - 

TWO in ONE !!

"THE PHLORESCENT LEECH & EDDIE" ( features, "Nikki Hoi," "I Been Born Again" & "Feel Older Now)"

and

''FLO & EDDIE" ( features "Afterglow," "Another Pop Stars Life/Just Another Town" & "Marmendy Mill)"

Two records NEVER BEFORE RELEASED ON CD

together for the first time in their entirety

on one CD.

Limited Editions -

A very special signed CD by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan

Flo & Eddie for $40.00

This includes all shipping and handling costs. Send to:

The Turtles

1113 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 106

Room 330

Franklin, Tennessee 37064

Add $7.50 for all international orders

TWO MORE in ONE!!

"ILLEGAL, IMMORAL and FATTENING"

and

''MOVING TARGETS"

This double-disc set includes both CBS. releases:

Illegal, Immoral and Fattening - (features "Rebecca," "Livin' in the Jungle" and "Let Me Make Love To You")   and

Moving Targets - (features "Keep it Warm," "Mama, Open Up" &  "Moving Targets)"

Two MORE records NEVER BEFORE RELEASED ON CD together for the first time in their entirety on one CD.

Due to the limited number this CD is only available in a limited signed CD by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (Flo & Eddie) for $40.00 Price include all shipping. Send to:

The Turtles

1113 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 106

Room 330

Franklin, Tennessee 37064 

Add $7.50 for all international orders

Hey kids;

For the first time ever,  Howard is making Dust Bunnies, his solo album, available for purchase here--online.

Click on the link to order a personalized, signed copy of this highly praised debut CD sent directly from Howard's home to yours.  

or

Click on the side link to order this CD from Amazon.com.

Either way, Howard personally guarantees that you'll hear him singing on this record.

But that's all he'll guarantee.

After all, his personal motto is:

"I never said I'd be good--I just said I'd be here!"

Variations on a theme - Check out the different versions of Happy Together on You Tube:

Red Russian Army Choir & Leningrad Cowboys 

Japanese Carlsberg Beer TV Commercial

Smiths Chips Australian TV Ad

La Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de El Salvador

Donna Fargo's awesome version

Crowded House in concert at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles

This just in from Mark:

Dear Friends,

Last August my brother-in-law asked Sam to create a video to go on YouTube related to his two assisted living facilities in Southern California. They decided to do a singing group, which Sam titled RejuveNation. He hired a singing coach and got together about 25 residents of the two facilities - MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE VIDEO ARE IN THEIR 80's or 90's. The beautiful Asian woman in the front row is 94! None of them had any singing training, but were eager to participant. It was hysterical - wow, people that age are even more opinionated and obstinate than we are!  Sam really earned his pay!  Anyway, Sam just posted the first video on You Tube. We're hoping you will watch it and forward it to as many people as you can, as he's trying to get it out there.

And watch for Rejuvenation - Twist and Shout (adorable!), which will be posted next week.  The Residents of the facilities loved doing this so much it's going to become a regular activity for them, so the next videos he shoots will be more professional because the group is going to practice more than two days, as they did here.

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cultrg0Pw8s. 

If this link doesn't work, go to YouTube.com and type in RejuveNation - Happy Together

Thanks, Cherie

Check out the latest Eddie's Media Corner at HowardKaylan.com

This just in from Emily:

...We have had lots of people tell us that Mark looked like Chris Sligh (a recently booted contestant on American Idol), but who would have imagined the Associated Press would make it newsworthy....

Check out this news story "Turtle-turned-professor..." from Tennessean.com about Mark's teaching career:

http://www.tennessean.com/

Mark and Howard's longtime friend Richie Furay has a new CD release and Mark is singing on it—

Click here to read the whole story 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Jan. 10, 2007) - The Recording Academy® announced the newest additions to its GRAMMY Hall Of Fame®, adding 44 recordings to a timeless list that now includes 728 titles. The Hall Of Fame serves as a celebration and reminder of the triumphs and achievements of the recording arts. Selections are drawn from all major categories of music, acknowledging the diversity of musical expression for which The Recording Academy has become renowned.

"This year's GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inductees spotlight a diverse array of masterpiece recordings that have had a profound impact on our musical history," said Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy. "They exemplify some of the best qualities that make the recording arts essential to our culture, and they all greatly deserve to be commemorated."

The selections range from 1924's It Had To Be You by Isham Jones & His Orchestra to 1980's He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones. Other recordings also chosen this year include Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl, Elvis Presley's Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Star Wars - Motion Picture Soundtrack by John Williams cond. London Symphony Orchestra, Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, Bob Marley & The Wailers' One Love, The Miracles' The Tracks Of My Tears, and Duke Ellington & His Orchestra's Cocktails For Two. Other artists with selections include the Clash, Elvis Costello, Spike Jones & His City Slickers, Patsy Montana & The Prairie Ramblers, Bob Newhart, the Ramones, Bill Withers, and Led Zeppelin.

The Recording Academy's National Trustees established the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Hall Of Fame recordings are reviewed annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, and final approval is made by The Recording Academy Trustees. For more information about the Hall Of Fame or the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards (to be broadcast live on Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network), please visit www.grammy.com.

A complete list of GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inductees for 2007 follows. An entire list of GRAMMY Hall Of Fame recipients through 2006 can be found at http://www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Awards/Hall_Of_Fame/.

2007 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inductees

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH)

Spike Jones & His City Slickers

RCA Victor (1948)

Novelty (Single)

AM I BLUE?

Ethel Waters

Columbia (1929)

Traditional Pop (Single)

ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?

Elvis Presley

RCA Victor (1960)

Pop (Single)

BARBER: VIOLIN CONCERTO

Leonard Bernstein cond. New York Philharmonic with Isaac Stern

Columbia (1964)

Classical (Album)

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY NO. 7 IN A MAJ. OP. 92

Arturo Toscanini cond. New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

RCA Victor (1936)

Classical (Album)

BLUE YODEL #9 (STANDING ON THE CORNER)

Jimmie Rodgers (Featuring Louis Armstrong)

Victor (1930)

Country (Single)

BLUES STAY AWAY FROM ME

The Delmore Brothers

King (1949)

Country (Single)

BROWN EYED GIRL

Van Morrison

Bang (1967)

Rock (Single)

THE BUTTON-DOWN MIND OF BOB NEWHART

Bob Newhart

Warner Bros. (1960)

Comedy (Album)

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

Vince Guaraldi Trio

Fantasy (1965)

Film & TV Soundtracks (Album)

CHEAP THRILLS

Big Brother & The Holding Company

Columbia (1968)

Rock (Album)

A CHORUS LINE

Original Broadway Cast

Columbia (1975)

Musical Show (Album)

COCKTAILS FOR TWO

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra

Victor (1934)

Jazz (Single)

COPLAND: SYMPHONY NO. 3

Antal Dorati cond. Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra

Mercury (1951)

Classical (Album)

DON'T LET YOUR DEAL GO DOWN BLUES

Charlie Poole

Columbia Records (1925)

Country (Single)

ELGAR: VIOLIN CONCERTO

Yehudi Menuhin with Sir Edward Elgar cond. London Symphony Orchestra

Victor (1932)

Classical (Album)

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN

Ben Selvin & His Orchestra

Columbia (1930)

Traditional Pop (Single)

HAPPY TOGETHER

The Turtles

White Whale (1967)

Pop (Single)

HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY

George Jones

Epic (1980)

Country (Single)

I WANT TO BE A COWBOY'S SWEETHEART

Patsy Montana & The Prairie Ramblers

Vocalion (1935)

Country (Single)

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

Dolly Parton

RCA (1974)

Country (Single)

IN THE JAILHOUSE NOW

Jimmie Rodgers

Victor (1928)

Country (Single)

ISRAELITES

Desmond Dekker & The Aces

Uni (1969)

Reggae (Single)

IT HAD TO BE YOU

Isham Jones & His Orchestra

Brunswick (1924)

Traditional Pop (Single)

KEEP MY SKILLET GOOD AND GREASY

Uncle Dave Macon

Vocalion Records (1924)

Country (Single)

LEAN ON ME

Bill Withers

Sussex (1972)

R&B (Single)

LONDON CALLING

The Clash

Epic (1979)

Rock (Album)

LOVESICK BLUES

Emmett Miller & His Georgia Crackers

Okeh (1928)

Country (Single)

MBUBE

Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds

Singer (1939)

World Music (Single)

MY AIM IS TRUE

Elvis Costello

Columbia (1977)

Rock (Album)

MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY

Mary Martin

Decca (1938)

Traditional Pop (Single)

ONE LOVE

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Coxsone (1965)

Reggae (Single)

PAN AMERICAN BLUES

DeFord Bailey

Brunswick (1927)

Country (Single)

PORTRAIT IN JAZZ

Bill Evans Trio

Riverside (1960)

Jazz (Album)

RAMONES

Ramones

Sire (1976)

Rock (Album)

SCHOENBERG: GURRE-LIEDER

Leopold Stokowski cond. Philadelphia Orchestra, Soloists, Choruses

Victor (1932)

Classical (Album)

SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 5

Leonard Bernstein cond. New York Philharmonic

Columbia (1959)

Classical (Album)

STAR WARS - MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

John Williams cond. London Symphony Orchestra

20th Century (1977)

Film & TV Soundtracks (Album)

THELONIOUS MONK WITH JOHN COLTRANE

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

Jazzland (1961)

Jazz (Album)

THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS

The Miracles

Tamla (1965)

R&B (Single)

WALK RIGHT IN

Cannon's Jug Stompers

Victor (1930)

Blues (Single)

WANTED! THE OUTLAWS

Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, Tompall Glaser

RCA Victor (1976)

Country (Album)

If you're a collector of memorabilia and a fan of The Turtles/Flo & Eddie, Frank Zappa, Marc Bolan/T-Rex or The Beatles, you won't want to miss out on this:

THE TURTLES AND BEYOND AUCTION

- Featuring the private collection of Howard Kaylan 

Check out the latest edition of Eddie's Media Corner!

Click • here • 

In case you missed it the first time - here's a clip of

 The Turtles on The Mike Douglas Show.

featuring "Elenore" & "House On The Hill"

Here's a clip submitted by David at Punmaster's MusicWire:

•Elenore• from the Kraft Music Hall 

The Turtles are all over YouTube: 

- Here's Outside Chance 

From The Fillmore Archives - The Turtles at The Fillmore East, 1968

Turtles best out of their shell

By GREG HAYMES, Times Union Staff writer

First published: Friday, July 14, 2006

ALBANY -- You can count the number of Top 10 records that the Turtles made

on just one hand, and the band hasn't had a hit since the '60s. But more

than 35 years later, the Turtles can still draw a huge crowd.

And more importantly, they still put on a wonderful show -- just ask any

Of the more than 10,000 or so people who packed into the Albany Riverfront

Park on Thursday evening.  So, while most oldies acts seem to just go through the motions, why are the Turtles so good?  A large part of it comes from the fact that the gray-bearded Howard Kaylan and the frizzy-haired Mark Volman are among the very finest, funniest entertainers in rock 'n' roll. They proved it in the Turtles with top-shelf songwriting like "Elenore," (one of the biggest crowd-pleasers on Thursday), featuring such wry love song lyrics as "You're my pride and joy et cetera."

After the break-up of the Turtles in '70, the duo moved on to become lead

actors in Frank Zappa's merry Mothers of Invention, where they uncorked

such off-the-wall masterpieces as "Billy the Mountain" and "Magdalena."

And Volman and Kaylan (also known as Flo & Eddie) continue to display

Sharp wit, wry commentary and endless self-effacing humor in the current

incarnation of the Turtles. Backed by a crack quartet of musicians helmed

by former Scandal keyboardist Benjie King, Flo & Eddie were free to cajole

the audience, run amok onstage, tell stories and jokes and generally crack

wise throughout their 70-minute performance. Along the way, they poked fun at everyone and everything from Ed Sullivan to "Total Request Live," from

Linda Ronstadt to Ellen DeGeneres, from Iron Butterfly to Yo La Tengo, from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to "The Lion King," from the French soccer team to Italian wine.

In one of his rare lead vocals, Volman stepped up to the microphone to

deliver Cole Porter's "I Love Paris" as re-imagined by Jim Morrison and the Doors, and then they somehow segued into a medley of KC & the Sunshine

Band, Sister Sledge, Britney Spears and Eminem. Definitely not your standard

oldies concert fare.

And, of course, they sang the hits -- the sunny "You Baby," the defiant

"It Ain't Me, Babe," the slink finger snapper "She's My Girl," the semi-baroque

"You Showed Me," "You Know She'd Rather Be With Me" (complete with cowbell solo) and the closing "Happy Together," perhaps the best feel-good

sing-along song of the rock era. As they whipped into the final chorus,

Kaylan urged the crowd to sing even louder, "C'mon, just like a big Nick

Lachey concert!" Priceless.

The Daily Gazette - Friday, July 14, 2006 - Page D4 - MUSIC REVIEW

Turtles bring their hits, and some humor to Albany

BY JEFF WILKIN - Gazette Reporter

"Ba-ba-ba-baa, ba-ba-ba-baaa."

Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan can probably expect this verse from "Happy Together" etched onto their gravestones some day.

It won't be anytime soon: The two 1960s-era rockers are still kicking, singing and busting chops on stage.

Volman and Kaylan, also known by their 1970s stage names Flo and Eddie, Thursday brought the Turtles to Albany's "Alive at Five" party at Riverfront Park. They showed up with all the band's monster pop hits from 40 years ago on a sweltering evening that attracted about 7,000 people to the Corning Preserve. The Buckinghams were also on the Oldies Night ticket.

The Turtles' 70-minute concert was equal parts music, comedy, rant and banter. Kaylan introduced himself and his longtime musical partner as the two newest "American Idols" and jumped into a wild, warbling "You Baby."

"One song and we haven't died yet," said Volman, a hip hippie dressed in multi-colored longsleeved shirt, purple vest, sunglasses and worn jeans. No shorts, no T-shirts sleeves; Turtles apparently dig hot weather.

And these turtles apparently love to talk. After a strong, jamming "Dirty Water" and "It Ain't Me Babe" (an old reliable from the band's catalog), the guys began yaking it up. Kaylan, well aware many Turtles fans are in their 50s and 60s, reminisced about "Shindig" and "Hullabaloo," two television shows from the mid-1960s that were tops with teens of the day.

"Rock and Roll did not start with MTV!" added Volman.

The rants gave way to bits of humor. Introducing "She's My Girl," Volman said the band performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show, the CBS Sunday night variety hour that ran from 1948 until 1971. "Ed Sullivan was dead when we did the show," he cracked.

A lot of the comedy worked, like Kaylan calling his frizzyhaired friend "the Brillo pad that walks like a man." And Kaylan tellling younger members of the audience that they were probably conceived while their parents listened to Turtle tunes. "There's probably a good chance that this was one of them," he said, as the band launched into the dreamy "You Showed Me," one of the great make-out and slow dance songs of rock history.

"Flo and Eddie" showed they can still harmonize and work with four crackerjack backing musicians. Sometimes, the vocal work was a little raw, but their voices are still strong and still spiral. And those monster hits - like "Elenore," "She'd Rather Be With Me" and "Happy Together" define feel good, good-time rock and roll. And they seem perfect for a summer evening.

This just in from Mark:

"...we have a new My Space site. http://www.myspace.com/floandeddie

I have added some really great stuff from our days with Zappa, i.e. 200 Motels, Strictly Genteel, Magic fingers, John & Yoko and more... Click here:          

Out Now!

Howard Kaylan's first solo album Dust Bunnies.

Recorded with and featuring Billy Bob Thornton.

Download now at Rhapsody, MSN, Yahoo, etc. AND buy at finer record stores everywhere including Amazon.com

From Intentional Records/Halogen Records distributed by CED Entertainment and Sony/Red

Remember the Sanzini Brothers? Can you perform The Tibetan Memory Trick?

No? Well, that's okay... neither can most.

Click here for a trip down "Memory" Lane 

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Sanzini Brothers!

The new "Happy Together - The Very Best Of The Turtles" was released September 28th, 2004 by Shout! Factory.

Michael Ribas of Shout! Factory reports that "...it's completely remastered... It also has track-by-track commentary by Mark and Howard."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Sounding so good remastered on CD!, October 6, 2004

Reviewer: E. D. Kayser "eric-the-red" (Los Angeles, CA USA) -

Is this the only Turtles CD you need? Probably so. It's the only one I need. It's got all the best songs, the remastered sound is excellent, and the liner notes and packaging are top-notch. Everybody and their mother knows the smash hit "Happy Together" and most people know at least half a dozen of these other songs even if they don't know they're all by The Turtles. All the essentials are here: the four "me" songs: Let Me Be, It Ain't Me Babe, She'd Rather Be With Me, and You Showed Me plus the four "you" songs: You Know What I Mean, You Baby, You Don't Have To Walk In The Rain, Can I Get To Know You Better. And then there's the "me and you" song, or should I say the "imagine me and you" song...

If you're a fan of sixties pop you need a Turtles CD in your collection. This one.

Reviewer: David D. "insanemusicfan" (Takoma Park, MD) -

The Sundazed reissues of the original LPs are nice, but they highlight the fact that the Turtles were ultimately a great singles band, not a great album band. This collection collects their best singles, remastered so that they sound even better than they did back in the day. The liner notes by Flo & Eddie are a really nice touch--they tell the inside story on each track. If you're a fan of sunshine pop, or '60s pop in general, you'll love this CD. Highly recommended!