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When You Were Burning All The Photographs,
Was There One That Made You Laugh?
by Ralph Alfonso
Whatever roads we took
You know, we finally made it here
A little older, a little wiser
We like to think that, anyway,
you look great
I'm not just saying that
Why would I?
There's nothing to gain
I missed that train
I spent too much time looking at
the schedule
not realizing
time had run out
Doors shut
the whistle blows
Where you went
The conductor knows
Those railway tracks
Never looking back
When you were burning all the photographs,
was there one that made you laugh?
The secret sign
The secret joke
The time and place to our favourite song
We knew all the words
Sometimes I try to sing along
But now my heart
gets it all wrong
That's how it is
I know i'm just passing through
Wanted to say hi
Nothing happens unless you try
(c) 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Bongo Beat Records & Film Pop presents the Montreal premieres of two important films
Bongo Beat Records in association with Film Pop is proud to present two important film documentaries as part of the Pop Montreal festival for 2011.
First is the Montreal premiere of Bloodied But Unbowed, The Birth of Vancouver Punk Rock 1977-82
Ralph Alfonso designed all the Zulu Records punk re-issues when he was part of the Vancouver music scene in the 90s and is one of the few original 1977 pioneers who has contributed both to the 77 Toronto scene (as manager of The Diodes, The Crash'n'Burn Club and journalist for Bomp, Cheap Thrills, and New York Rocker) and the 77 Vancouver scene through associations with Zulu Records, Sudden Death/Joe Keithley and the individual band members.
This film means a lot to us and we are very proud to be involved with Pop Montreal and Blue Sunshine in presenting it.
The next film is a long overdue look at the life of Phil Ochs, one of the great heroes of the 60s musical revolution and an inspiration for many (including myself). Again, this is the Montreal premiere.
As a special treat, we are happy to offer a free download of a tribute song that I wrote for Phil Ochs a few years ago and by the powers of kismet, manages to tie in both Phil Ochs and the Vancouver punk scene as it features myself on vocals with Gord Nicholl (Pointed Sticks) on keyboards who also recorded and mixed it with Buck Cherry (Modernettes) at their Vancouver studios, Paramount Recorders. On electric guitar is Michael Rummen (Four Horsemen, Bruno Gerussi's Medallion, Ralph) and on acoustic guitar is Dave Rave (Teenage Head). They are all featured on the "electric" version. There is also an acoustic version which is just Dave and myself. I have only ever performed this song once or twice live and it always garners an appreciative response. Phil Ochs and his music touched a lot of people.
First is the Montreal premiere of Bloodied But Unbowed, The Birth of Vancouver Punk Rock 1977-82
Ralph Alfonso designed all the Zulu Records punk re-issues when he was part of the Vancouver music scene in the 90s and is one of the few original 1977 pioneers who has contributed both to the 77 Toronto scene (as manager of The Diodes, The Crash'n'Burn Club and journalist for Bomp, Cheap Thrills, and New York Rocker) and the 77 Vancouver scene through associations with Zulu Records, Sudden Death/Joe Keithley and the individual band members.
This film means a lot to us and we are very proud to be involved with Pop Montreal and Blue Sunshine in presenting it.
BLOODIED BUT UNBOWED
Susanne Tabata | Canada 2011 | 74min. | Quebec Premiere
http://www.blue-sunshine.com/music-scene-reader/events/filmpop-bloodied-but-unbowed.html
Susanne Tabata | Canada 2011 | 74min. | Quebec Premiere
http://www.blue-sunshine.com/music-scene-reader/events/filmpop-bloodied-but-unbowed.html
Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 19:30 - 21:00
additional matinee screening Sunday Sept. 25 at 1:30pm!
Bloodied But Unbowed is the first in-depth chronicle of Vancouver's original punk scene. Distinct from London, New York and L.A., Vancouver punk was eclectic, raw, politically charged, relentless and at times comedic. Bands like DOA, Subhumans, Young Canadians, Pointed Sticks, Modernettes, UJ3RK5 and the Dishrags, helped forge the city's reputation as an alternative mecca, attracting and influencing the likes of Kurt Cobain, former Guns N' Roses' bassist Duff McKagan and Henry Rollins.
Leather, spit, beer, drugs, sex and a righteously enraged music terrified the mainstream in Vancouver in the 70s and Bloodied But Unbowed captures the raw essence of the kids who barely lived through it, as well as those who did not. Drugs wreaked havoc in the punk scene, snuffing short the lives of some of the scene's luminaries. But despite the harsh toll, many of Vancouver's most infamous sons (to wit: Joe Shithead and eternal bad boy Randy Rampage) are still on the road, playing gigs, pissing on squares and generally causing an uproar. Narrated by Billy Hopeless and packed with stories of love and loss, rebellion and regret, Bloodied But Unbowed captures the rise and fall of an epic era.
The next film is a long overdue look at the life of Phil Ochs, one of the great heroes of the 60s musical revolution and an inspiration for many (including myself). Again, this is the Montreal premiere.
PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE
Kenneth Bowser | USA 2010 | 96min. | Quebec Premiere
Kenneth Bowser | USA 2010 | 96min. | Quebec Premiere
Friday, September 23, 2011 - 19:00 - 20:50
$8
NOTE: Michael Ochs will NOT be at this screening due to unforseen circumstances.
From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.
Guest Bio: Michael Ochs
Michael Ochs is an American photographic archivist best known for his extensive collection of pictures related to rock music dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. The Michael Ochs Archive contains 3 million vintage prints, proof sheets and negatives which are licensed daily for use in CD reissues, books, films and documentaries. The Los Angeles Times called Ochs "America's preeminent rock 'n' roll photo archivist" and The New York Times called his archive "the premier source of musician photography in the world".
Michael Ochs is an American photographic archivist best known for his extensive collection of pictures related to rock music dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. The Michael Ochs Archive contains 3 million vintage prints, proof sheets and negatives which are licensed daily for use in CD reissues, books, films and documentaries. The Los Angeles Times called Ochs "America's preeminent rock 'n' roll photo archivist" and The New York Times called his archive "the premier source of musician photography in the world".
As a special treat, we are happy to offer a free download of a tribute song that I wrote for Phil Ochs a few years ago and by the powers of kismet, manages to tie in both Phil Ochs and the Vancouver punk scene as it features myself on vocals with Gord Nicholl (Pointed Sticks) on keyboards who also recorded and mixed it with Buck Cherry (Modernettes) at their Vancouver studios, Paramount Recorders. On electric guitar is Michael Rummen (Four Horsemen, Bruno Gerussi's Medallion, Ralph) and on acoustic guitar is Dave Rave (Teenage Head). They are all featured on the "electric" version. There is also an acoustic version which is just Dave and myself. I have only ever performed this song once or twice live and it always garners an appreciative response. Phil Ochs and his music touched a lot of people.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Ralph Alfonso on tour. I am coming to your town & having a coffee. Seriously.
Hi folks.
The snow has cleared. The rains have swept away the debris and once again, yours truly, Ralph Alfonso, is on tour; taking Bongo Beat Records directly to music fans - be it at record shows, book fairs, flea markets, church basement bazaars and basically anywhere we can plant our flag and and let the Bongo Beat banner fly.
We've already hit Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and Kingston; meeting lots of old and new friends.
Join us on our upcoming adventures.
Get Bongo Beat cds, Bongo Beat books, punk photo prints, and collector vinyl (from Ralph's collection) where applicable.
Some shows will have free cds (a cool Bongo Beat selection), so come early and say hi.
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Sunday, May 15
Toronto, Ontario
Flipside DJ & Collectors Vintage Record Sale
10am-4pm
Gladstone Hotel, 1213 Queen St. W, Toronto
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Sunday, May 22
St. Catharines, Ontario
Musicians Open, 2011 Golf Tournament
Ralph is one of the industry judges at this year's 2011 Niagara Music Awards, and, as such, will be participating at this special event.
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Sunday, May 29
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Mid-Town Collectibles Show
10am - 3:30pm
Greenwood College School
443 Mount Pleasant Road
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Sunday, June 19
Toronto, Ontario
Small Press of Toronto Spring Book Fair
Hart House (Univ of Toronto Campus)
7 Hart House Circle
11am - 5pm
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Saturday, June 25
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa Small Press Book Fair
Jack Purcell Community Centre
Room 203 (upstairs)
320 Jack Purcell Lane (off Elgin, Starbucks on the corner)
Noon - 5pm
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FRIDAY, AUG 12
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Saturday, Aug 13
Montreal, Quebec
Semaine Italienne de Montreal / Montreal Italian Week
1:30PM to 3:00PM
The Gazebo, corner St-Laurent and St-Zotique
http://www.semaineitaliennedemontreal.com/en/main-events/literary-events
An afternoon of readings by Italian Canadian authors in English, French, and Italian.
Ralph will be reading two short poems in Italian (all authors only have 6mins ea to read).
We don't have a schedule of the reading order so please be there early to avoid any
disappointment.
-------------------------------------------------------
FRIDAY, AUG 12
Montreal, Quebec
Semaine Italienne de Montreal / Montreal Italian Week
8:00PM to 10:00PM
The Writers Tent, corner St-Laurent and Mozart
MEET THE WRITERS. Members of the Association of Italian Canadian Writers will be in Little Italy to present their works, discuss their books, and answer questions about writing. The presentations and discussions will be in English, French, and Italian.
Ralph Alfonso will be here from 8pm-10pm. Come by and chat in Italian, French, or English. Ralph will have all his books and cds for sale.
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Saturday, Aug 13
Montreal, Quebec
Semaine Italienne de Montreal / Montreal Italian Week
1:30PM to 3:00PM
The Gazebo, corner St-Laurent and St-Zotique
http://www.semaineitaliennedemontreal.com/en/main-events/literary-events
An afternoon of readings by Italian Canadian authors in English, French, and Italian.
Ralph will be reading two short poems in Italian (all authors only have 6mins ea to read).
We don't have a schedule of the reading order so please be there early to avoid any
disappointment.
-------------------------------------------------------
Sept tba
Montreal, Quebec
Pop Montreal Record Show
details tba
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Sunday, Sept 25
Toronto, Ontario
Word on The Street
Queen's Park Crescent
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Sunday, Oct 2
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa Record Show
St Anthony's Hall
523 St Anthony St
10am-4pm
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Sunday, Oct 16
Toronto, Ontario
Musical Collectables Record & CD Sale
Capitol Banquet Centre
6435 Dixie Rd
10am-4pm
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Saturday, Nov 5
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax Record Fair
http://halifaxrecordfair.ca/
Halifax Forum, Maritime Hall
2901 Windsor Street, Halifax
http://www.halifaxforum.ca/location
$5 early bird (8-9am! get out of that box, I'm still pricing...)
$2 (9am-6pm)
----------------------------
Saturday, Dec 10
Toronto
The Small Press Winter Book Fair
http://smallpressoftoronto.wordpress.com/
last chance for books, punk photo prints (12x18 unframed),
books, weird xmas vinyl, cds, and lots more affordable
stocking stuffers and christmas gifts
Hart House, UofT
(same building as CIUT Radio)
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax Record Fair
http://halifaxrecordfair.ca/
Halifax Forum, Maritime Hall
2901 Windsor Street, Halifax
http://www.halifaxforum.ca/location
$5 early bird (8-9am! get out of that box, I'm still pricing...)
$2 (9am-6pm)
----------------------------
Nov 26-27
Montreal, Quebec
Expozine
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Saturday, Dec 10
Toronto
The Small Press Winter Book Fair
http://smallpressoftoronto.wordpress.com/
last chance for books, punk photo prints (12x18 unframed),
books, weird xmas vinyl, cds, and lots more affordable
stocking stuffers and christmas gifts
Hart House, UofT
(same building as CIUT Radio)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ralph Makes Top 50 Indie List. Broken Pencil Loves Ralph :)
Just a quick note that the latest issue of Broken Pencil magazine (#50), Canada's magazine of the independent arts, has named me one of their "50 People We Love". I am listed #4 on the list.
Broken Pencil is available in the USA/Canada and also internationally at selected outlets.
I have attached a scan of the write-up.
The write up is a very brief (and selective) overview of my almost 40 years in the independent community and I am very proud to read that I am "setting new standards for an art form that's threatening to disappear as music increasingly goes all-digital."
I have been publishing since 1969 and running Bongo Beat Records since 1995.
This is a great honour and congratulations to everyone on the list, including many colleagues and artistic collaborators; most notably Ian Ferrier who has released a solo cd on Bongo Beat and also the group project, Pharmakon MTL, which came out last month.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Ralph - Unreleased Songs (Phil Ochs Tribute)
The songs "April Say" and "Stars That Are Silver" can be downloaded for free.
"April Say" was recorded in Toronto with Kevin Quain on piano and accordian. That is Kevin on keyboards also for "Goodbye Jack. Kerouac."
"Stars That Are Silver" was inspired by and dedicated to Phil Ochs. This track was recorded in Vancouver with Dave Rave on guitar and engineered by Buck Cherry (MOdernettes) and Gord Nicholls (POinted Sticks). This is the acoustic version. There is a fuller version with Gord on keyboards.
Just select the song and click the Download button (this button appears only for these two tracks).
"April Say" was recorded in Toronto with Kevin Quain on piano and accordian. That is Kevin on keyboards also for "Goodbye Jack. Kerouac."
"Stars That Are Silver" was inspired by and dedicated to Phil Ochs. This track was recorded in Vancouver with Dave Rave on guitar and engineered by Buck Cherry (MOdernettes) and Gord Nicholls (POinted Sticks). This is the acoustic version. There is a fuller version with Gord on keyboards.
Just select the song and click the Download button (this button appears only for these two tracks).
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Last Year's Valentine
RALPH. "Last Year's Valentine" from the album, This Is For The Night People.
Directed by Chris Hooper. Starring Sandra Steier as the girl and Graham Howell as the guy.
Vintage Car by Graham Howell.
Produced by Alison E. Rogers for Ladybird Films.
Music by Ralph Alfonso and Michael Rummen.
(c) 2011 by Ralph Alfonso/Bongo Beat Records
Directed by Chris Hooper. Starring Sandra Steier as the girl and Graham Howell as the guy.
Vintage Car by Graham Howell.
Produced by Alison E. Rogers for Ladybird Films.
Music by Ralph Alfonso and Michael Rummen.
(c) 2011 by Ralph Alfonso/Bongo Beat Records
Friday, January 7, 2011
Memories of Cannes, Midem, Gangsters, and Croissants
January is Midem month for many people in the music industry. Midem is a higher-end trade fair where labels and publishers and anything connected with music (video, software, internet, etc) gathers to make deals.
The Midem Conference - a cruel knife to the soul of all who are weak of heart and endeavour. This is where the heavy deals and scramble go down, thousands of industry types clutching demos and press kits, looking for entry points to foreign lands and foreign musical adventure.
My own adventures in Cannes always revolve around what vinyl records or second hand books i've bought at the weekend flea market or what interesting book or cd at the FNAC store which gets sadder and sadder each year with less and less music, more and more dvds and so on.
Of course, the wonderful pastry shops where I sneak off to during breaks; croissants and baguettes and hand-made chocolates. I can only take so much sometimes - you need a capuccino break.
Of course, the wonderful pastry shops where I sneak off to during breaks; croissants and baguettes and hand-made chocolates. I can only take so much sometimes - you need a capuccino break.
For business, I have always managed to come out with a distribution deal or sub-publishing or new contact - sometimes it may take years before you actually do business with a contact but the important thing is that you're on the radar. Lately, the exhibit floor has seen less and less attendees with everyone selling and no one buying. On the surface, anyway. There's always a deal to be made if you play your cards right.
Cannes itself can be an overpriced playland since all the hotel rates double for any convention coming to town but there's always a cool spot that's not TOO overpriced. It is a funny old town where rich and not so rich stake out their turfs; where both crowd into the shops for the January sales.
January is usually mostly cold, sometimes rainy. During the day, it might be sunny and you can stroll along the beach.
I've printed a few things on my myspace blog over the years and I've rounded them all up here plus a few other things I just found from my notebooks; stuff written in the hotel at night or on the plane coming in or bus to Nice or sitting in a cafe after some guy from some label in Norway has told me "your label is too smart for us"
-------------------------------
SOUVENIR DE CANNES
Gangster's girlfriend
drinking wine
dark hair
Juliette Greco style
all black
long dress turtleneck
laughing
Cote d'azur avec un dur
hard living Riviera
too many secrets between them
I try not to look but
her mouth
black lipstick smile
hard to say no to
the gangster sees me
there's a scar from his ear to
his mouth
his little eye
burrowing a hole in my head
it's understood
i look again
i'm dead
well, now
i know
ralph alfonso
------
desole petite fleur
desole
petite fleur
qui attends le vent
qui a faim pour le soleil
c'est moi qui ta quitte
c'est moi qui s'en vole
dans la nuit
vers la plui
d'un futur rien compris
ralph alfonso
-----------------------------
DID I JUMP OR DID YOU PUSH
I'm sitting all alone on the edge of the world
I'm waving hello to
everyone down below
and did I jump or did you push?
Only you and I will ever know
Ralph Alfonso
----------------------------------
PLAGE A PARIS
la plage a paris
un rencontre a minuit
un cigarette entre les deux
j'aime tes cheveaux dans le vent
odeur de
parfum
des gens qui rit
les amants dans la nuit
sous les etoiles
ici
au centre
de notre monde
ralph alfonso
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IT ALL DEPENDS
There's a full moon on
the sand dunes
a cool breeze that will end soon
a sad little poem
sent adrift to find a home
lovers going round the verse
still trying to find the chorus
and this is where we cue the violins
the girl is his, the good guy wins
and I wish that's how the story ends
but in this case, it all depends
Ralph Alfonso
---------------------
NO COLOURS LEFT
It's a coffee cold October
All the leaves have
fallen down
There's nowhere
to go to
cause there's no one else around
but there's no mistake
that's the road
I want to take
I guess there's
no colours left
in the world
it's a choice between
brown or brown
I put a call in to somebody
I want to complain
I'm sick of all the
cold walks
I'm sick of
alll the rain
Ralph Alfonso
----------------
BONJOUR TRISTESSE with Juliette Greco
MIDEM MADNESS
SOME CANNES SIGHTS
CHARLES TRENET
CHARLES TRENET - La Romance de Paris
JULIETTE GRECO - St Germain de Pres
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