Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories: True and Tall Tales of the Glory Days, Told by Musicians, DJs, Promoters, and Fans Who Made the Scene in the '60s, '70s, and '80s (Paperback)

by Carlo Wolff (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A well-researched work that is an absolute blast to read." -- West Life

"Chock full of pictures (stars, tickets, concert posters, stickers and pins). Reading it is like overhearing folks swap tales." -- Morning Journal

"Covers a great deal of territory in one small volume . . . Wolff's best move is letting the participants speak for themselves." -- coolcleveland.com

"Loads of very readable anecdotes told to Wolff by fans, radio and rock club personalities." -- Chronicle-Telegram

"Wolff has established himself as a pithy chronicler of Cleveland's formidable influence on rock music." -- Cleveland Jewish News

A fun, incisive look at three decades of Cleveland s music history. The result is a well-researched work that is an absolute blast to read . . . Feels less like following a detailed history text than flipping through a scrapbook, or watching a documentry . . . A sharply written piece of folk history. It s a quick read, and certainly an enjoyable one for Cleveland rock fans who were there the first time around. --West Life

A high-spirited, very conversational compilation of true and tall tales of the glory days of the Cleveland music scene, as told through the eyes of musicians, DJs, promoters and fans. --Goldmine

Largely presented as an oral history, making the book essentially a collection of anecdotes. As a result, you get a real you are there feeling, especially as author Wolff covers everything rock-related that happened in town. . . A bittersweet look back at a time before the mainstream music industry became totally pre-packaged, a time when radio DJs could actually choose the songs they were going to play. --Harp Magazine

Product Description
Music fans who grew up with Rock and Roll in Cleveland remember a golden age. We were young, so was the music, and the sense of freedom and excitement the Rock and Roll scene delivered was electric. There were so many great clubs, like the Agora, where every big band seemed to break in the 1970s. The trendsetting radio stations, from A.M.'s WIXY 1260 to F.M.'s groundbreaking "Home of the Buzzard", WMMS. And all those memorable shows. The free Coffee Break Concerts--remember Springsteen just when he hit it big? The gigantic World Series of Rock. Nights on the lawn at Blossom (including local favorites the Michael Stanley Band and their record-setting sellout streak).
This book collects the favorite memories of Clevelanders who made the scene: fans, musicians, DJs, reporters, club owners, and more.
Includes rare photographs and other memorabilia such as concert posters, bumper stickers, pins, and ticket stubs.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 131 pages
• Publisher: Gray & Co., Publishers (October 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188622899X
• ISBN-13: 978-1886228993
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #118,818 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cleveland Rock and Roll Memories, April 5, 2008

By	David Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Carlo Wolff has done a wonderful job of collecting the comments of folks who lived in Cleveland during the 60's, 70's and 80's and their memories of an era of music that will probably never be seen again.

This is a really fun book to read! It is also an amazing resource that reminds the reader over and over again of groups, concerts, disc jockies, radio stations, and people who helped to make Cleveland, Ohio a cornerstone for rock and roll in America.

I was reading this book when my company was holding a sales meeting. We ended up having a bunch of phone calls home to family and friends to determine which songs were song by which bands. One single book was able to take a room full of a variety of ages all to a place where we were having a ball together! Of course, my boss thought we should spend more time thinking about sales! Ha! That was not going to happen when we had Cleveland Rock and Roll Memories in the room!

This book is a great gift for anyone who loves music and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. It is also a great book for fans of Rock and Roll who want to see the influence of a city that changed music forever!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Cleveland Rock Memories, November 28, 2007

By	Gregg Eldred (Avon Lake, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are several books on the market in Cleveland that trace the city's roots in rock. There is even one that deals strictly with WMMS, the once high flying Buzzard and the onetime king of the airwaves. This book, Cleveland Rock and Roll Memories, by Carlo Wolff, is the latest in a line. I will say that some of you probably won't care one bit about this very specific book. However, if you are a fan of rock, you may find it interesting.

Chapter List:
1. Making Waves - Radio
2. Shakin' All Over - The British Invade Cleveland
3. Passing Through, Plugging In - National Acts
4. So You Wanna Be A Rock and Roll Star - Local Acts
5. In the Trenches - Other Local Acts
6. Hangouts & Hotspots - Clubs
7. Fanning the Flames - Music and the Media
8. Selling Sounds and Styles - Retail

Back before radio went corporate and bands made many stops across this great land, Cleveland was king (after all, that is one of the reasons why the Rock Hall is here). Detroit is only a couple of hours away, so after bands released new singles in Motown, they headed to Cleveland to promote them. The airwaves were ruled by aggressive and unique voices, Larry Morrow, Alan Freed, Kid Leo, Matt "The Cat," Billy Bass, Lynn Tolliver, Bill Randle, and many others. These pioneers were always looking at the music scene, and they brought new voices to town, Elvis, Bruce Springsteen, Roxy Music, David Bowie, among others. And it wasn't just radio. Television played a big part in putting the Cleveland music scene on the map. From 1964 to 1971, a television show called Upbeat showcased new and old talent. And before the days of syndication and satellite, tapes of the show would be sent to other markets, increasing the reach of these bands. I haven't even touched on the number of clubs and record stores in the area.

So why is this book unique? Wolff lets the people that were there to tell the stories. Every chapter has a theme, and he lets the voices speak. There is very little editorial content, it is all the musicians, DJs, fans, and promoters. Really, he interviews people that were there when Elvis and Beatles came to town. When Pink Floyd played the Stadium. When Bruce Springsteen rocked the Agora. He talks to the DJs, and they tell you how they found the artists and promoted them. Fans talking about hanging out with the bands. He dedicates a lot of space to Jane Scott, the nations' premier music reviewer (she wasn't really a critic) who was the oldest person in attendance at the concerts - she is a local legend and very well known to the bands that passed through Cleveland. Wolff includes some great memorabilia in the margins, like concert tickets (David Bowie for $4.50, Rolling Stones for $5.50, The Eagles for $3.50, and Pink Floyd for $3.00), the best concerts, record stores through the decades, groundbreaking Cleveland concerts, and newspaper ads for the shows/clubs. They all add to the stories that are told.

If you are from the Cleveland area, this is a must read. Especially if you are/were really into the music. For those of you outside the area, this will give you a real flavor of why Cleveland is "The Rock and Roll Capital of the World." As I was talking to others about this book, everyone told me about the first concert they attended, the most amazing acts that they witnessed, or some other rock anecdote. It is a conversation starter. And it takes you to the events, as if you were there. It is a quick, enjoyable, and highly entertaining read. And you might learn something, too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cleveland rock(ed), May 6, 2007

By	Thomas Richissin - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It was a fun look back at some of the bands, clubs,concerts,etc. that I spent time in the 70's with. I even saw some quotes and pictures of long time friends.

I thought there were a few glaring omissions though. Devo, who must have sold as many records as almost anyone else from Northeast Ohio, and was an influential force in music, barely warrants a mention.Also, from a media standpoint, Scene Magazine played a big part in exposing people to both local and national bands, and they too are barely referred to.