THE GREAT BLUESMAN TELLS IT STRAIGHT Doc Pomus no longer had to cater to the teenage rock ’n’ roll market. He wrote sophisticated songs for adults. In his final years, he mentored dozens of singers, discovered bands like Roomful of Blues and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and wrote the best lyrics of his life. Episode Links Doc’s website AKA Doc Pomus, the documentary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Music bed under " Mr. Nobody :" " Highway 61 " by Josh Alan Band) Josh Alan Friedman, Josh’s mother Ginge...
Mar 28, 2019•32 min•Season 2Ep. 17
THE EARLY STIGMA OF ROCK 'N' ROLL After a dormant decade, the great songwriter Doc Pomus was back in business by the late 1970s. I became his sidekick, entrenched in Doc’s late-night rock ‘n’ roll whirl, where he held court like a Buddha. He was amazed that so many of his songs became iconic anthems in a genre once vilified as teenage junk. Episode Links AKA Doc Pomus documentary trailer Blues in the Red (Doc’s early 78’s) Song under Sinatra quote: "Fat Back," by Josh Alan Band (unreleased) Doc ...
Mar 14, 2019•23 min•Season 2Ep. 16
FROM PARADISE TO THE GUTTER The Great Pornographer went from Upper East Side family man/pornographer-next-door to Bowery bum. The First Amendment hero became destitute. But he never lost his appetite for pussy and pastrami. Episode Links I Goldstein: My Screwed Life, by Al Goldstein and Josh Alan Friedman When Sex Was Dirty, by Josh Alan Friedman Al’s Pompano Beach mansion, with the 11-foot finger that welcomed boats on the intracoastal waterway Goldstein’s New York office Beach Blanket Hippos: ...
Jan 31, 2019•34 min•Season 2Ep. 15
THE GREAT PORNOGRAPHER GETS SCREWED With the creation of Screw and Midnight Blue, Al Goldstein liberated sex from the shadows of shame and illegal obscenity. He had no idea what it would lead to today. But in his era, the sexual revolution was a cry for liberation and the laws against sex came tumbling down in his wake. Episode Links I Goldstein: My Screwed Life, by Al Goldstein and Josh Alan Friedman When Sex Was Dirty, by Josh Alan Friedman Screw magazine, #1,024, "The Weird Sex Life of R. Cru...
Jan 24, 2019•22 min•Season 2Ep. 14
AN EDITOR’S EDITOR A legend among his peers at the old men’s adventure magazines, Mel Shestack made people believe the impossible. And anyone who fell for his “gentle cons” felt privileged afterward. Episode Links Weasels Ripped My Flesh Even the Rhinos Were Nymphos It’s A Man’s World True Action, one of the many magazines published each month by Magazine Management Mel Shestack presenting a fake mock-up cover to Bruce Jay Friedman at Bruce’s Magazine Management retirement in 1966. (photo: Jules...
Jan 11, 2019•25 min•Season 2Ep. 13
A BASS PLAYER PREPARES Jack Bruce reinvented the bass guitar and wrote spectacular songs. Cream lasted a mere three years. But he remained a working musician first and disregarded the pretense of rock stardom. Episode Links Cream Box set Harmony Row Songs For A Tailor Jack Bruce in mid-career Classically trained in cello...
Jan 03, 2019•24 min•Season 2Ep. 12
A COMPOSER PREPARES Cy Coleman wrote the scores to a dozen legendary Broadway musicals. But he was a jazz pianist first, and virtually invented the sophisticated culture of New York cocktail jazz in the 1950s. Episode Links The Best Is Yet To Come Witchcraft and Lenny You Fascinate Me So...
Dec 20, 2018•20 min•Season 2Ep. 11
WHEN ADVENTURE MAGAZINES BEGAT MOVIES My father hired Mario Puzo as associate editor at Magazine Management at 655 Madison Avenue in 1960. While working there, Puzo would write his great novel about Hell’s Kitchen, The Fortunate Pilgrim. And then at age 49, break out with the most successful novel in history—The Godfather. Episode Links The Fortunate Pilgrim The Godfather Papers Weasels Ripped My Flesh! Two-Fisted Stories From Men’s Adventure Magazines Mario Puzo’s 1966 children's book, with a c...
Dec 06, 2018•23 min•Season 2Ep. 10
A HUSTLER WITH EXQUISITE TASTE Joel Dorn was one of the last record producers standing from the old music biz. When the new industry pushed him out in the 1980s, he bounced back with the creation of CD box sets. “Don’t give me that ‘Hey, baby’ shit,” he said. “I invented it.” Episode Playlist Joel Dorn discography Don Mclean: Homeless Brother Joel Dorn standing behind one of our mentors, Doc Pomus One of Joel’s repackages on his own Label M...
Nov 29, 2018•22 min•Season 2Ep. 9
UGLY PEOPLE GOT NO REASON TO LIVE As a new, 22-year-old writer for The SoHo News in 1978, I was sent out to interview Lou Reed. He gave the nastiest interview of his life. Then demanded it be printed verbatim. Episode Playlist Lou Reed: Growing Up in Public Transformer Little Richard Lanham: On Your Radio SoHo News, March 9-15, 1978 Lou Reed in front of his doorway. “You oughta fucking kiss the ground you’re walking on that I’m even talking to you." (photo: Anton Perich)...
Nov 15, 2018•41 min•Season 2Ep. 8
A DIVINE MADMAN Tiny Tim lived in his own bubble with angelic girls dancing in the clouds, while 1920’s Broadway lullabies played on harps. He became the biggest fad of 1968. But his lifelong dedication to early 20th-century music was without equal. Episode Playlist Prisoner of Love: A Tribute to Russ Columbo Girl: Tiny Tim with Brave Combo God Bless Tiny Tim Read Josh's original article with Tiny Tim on the blog [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="2753,2751,2750,2752"]...
Nov 08, 2018•31 min•Season 2Ep. 7
THE BRUTE PIMP OF WHITECHAPEL The 19th century life model for anti-Semitic caricatures was quite a guy. Except I made him up. And he now joins the cast of this season’s Dead Heroes. Episode Playlist The Worst, Bela's Funeral Dirge heard in this episode. [caption id="attachment_2725" align="alignnone" width="454"] Seymour the Kike[/caption]
Oct 26, 2018•34 min•Season 2Ep. 6
PACHUCO BLUES Ferguson avoids the Vietnam draft, plays Houston lesbian clubs with young Johnny Winter, and joins the Thunderbirds. Like an old wolf, Keith paces his communal porch in Austin. It was his last refuge. Recommended Playlist Girls Go Wild T-Bird Rhythm The TailGators Second Winter [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="2706,2707,2708,2709"]...
Oct 18, 2018•23 min•Season 2Ep. 5
AUSTIN'S GREATEST FALLEN MUSIC HERO In a town known for its fallen musical heroes, Fabulous Thunderbirds bassist Keith Ferguson was a tour de force. He submerged into semi-retirement on his rustic estate, a hangout for wounded animals, reptiles and old pachuchos. The music biz turned ugly, but Austin’s beautiful losers—as well as the heroin—remained pure. And Keith was Numero Uno. Recommended Playlist Girls Go Wild T-Bird Rhythm The TailGators Big Guitars From Texas [gallery columns="2" link="fi...
Oct 11, 2018•28 min•Season 2Ep. 4
IS THAT ALL THERE IS? Writing songs with Jerry was, for me, like having a catch with Willie Mays or Joe DiMaggio—when they were old. But his genius was never far away. Cloistered in his exquisite home in Venice Beach, the awards for Leiber & Stoller’s achievements came in by the week. But only Mike Stoller showed up to receive them. Episode Playlist 50 Coastin’ Classics Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller Josh Alan Band (“Strike A Match”) [gallery size="large" columns="2" link="file" ids="2...
Oct 04, 2018•26 min•Season 2Ep. 3
THE IRVING BERLIN OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL We worked on a book in which he would tell off the world, to be called Kiss My Big Black Ass. It remained unfinished. But Jerry Leiber blew my mind. And he was one bitch of a chef. [gallery size="large" columns="2" link="file" ids="2659,2650,2651"]
Sep 27, 2018•29 min•Season 2Ep. 2
BUT ALMOST DOESN'T COUNT When Josh auditioned for Beatlemania in 1977, he was just one hopeful in the callbacks for George. Thousands of Beatle manqués descended from the hinterlands to audition for the Broadway show. There were only four parts, but no shortage of broken dreams. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="2618,2619"]
Sep 20, 2018•23 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Josh's dead heroes. Interviews, memories and short stories. First up, A 20-year-old Josh auditions for Beatlemania in 1977. Coming September 20.
Sep 13, 2018•3 min•Season 2Ep. 1
So long, Sucker Old Times Square was at the brink of extinction and my job was done. The finale of this series. [gallery columns="2" size="large" link="file" ids="2168,2170,2171,2169,2172,2167"]
Jan 25, 2018•24 min•Season 1Ep. 17
OLD FLESH AGENTS Irv Charnoff and Jess Mack were the last remaining vaudeville/burlesque booking agents in 1984. They mourned the decline of wholesome American show-biz, as it devolved into pornography. [gallery size="large" columns="2" link="file" ids="2153,2155,2154,2152"]
Jan 12, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 16
FREEING THE NIPPLE FROM SALES TAX Al Kronish, one of the Melody Burlesk’s owners, was the first CPA to do tax returns for porn stars. Under constant legal harassment from the city, he kept Times Square’s last bastion of old burlesque open and spread-eagled. (All photos by Don Demcsik for Tales of Times Square) [gallery columns="2" size="large" link="file" ids="2113,2112,2125,2126,2117"]
Jan 04, 2018•25 min•Season 1Ep. 15
TIMES SQUARE CLEANS UP FOR PORN REBORN No sooner than the neighborhood rid itself of filth, pimps and whores came dancing back into the hearts of Broadway. Composer Cy Coleman and writer David Newman discuss their hit musical in 1997. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="2086,2087,2088,2089"]
Dec 22, 2017•24 min•Season 1Ep. 14
A SAFE SPACE FOR SISTERS OF THE NIGHT. Girls from all over the country gravitated to NY to make more money in street prostitution than anywhere else. Missionary Arlene Carmen ran a mobile van that gave them a respite from the cops, the tricks and their pimps. [gallery size="large" columns="2" link="file" ids="2053,2054,2081"]
Dec 14, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Caruso tipped her $5. Fanny Gold ran her family’s 42nd Street newsstand as an eight-year-old girl in 1915. Living in poverty one block away, she was enchanted by Times Square’s aristocratic era. And was mugged six times there as an old lady. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="2043,2026,2027,2025"]
Dec 08, 2017•20 min•Season 1Ep. 12
FROM CAGNEY TO KUNG FU. Martin Levine, president of Brandt Theaters, booked most of the movies across 42nd Street for 50 years. His office reflects the faded glamour of a once mighty theater empire now reduced to kung-fu, grindhouse and porn flicks. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="1867,1868,1869"]
Nov 30, 2017•25 min•Season 1Ep. 11
INNOCENT VICTIMS OF ADVERSITY. That’s how Uncle Lou, a geologist turned chauffeur, saw many of the girls in Times Square, who affectionately called him Uncle. His scrapbook documents an era of burlesque queens and porn starlets, whom he remains loyal to decades after their careers ended. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="1850,1851,1853,1854"]
Nov 16, 2017•26 min•Season 1Ep. 10
COPPING A FEEL IN TIMES SQUARE. Show girls, moonlighting nurses, pickpockets and members of a fake marriage ring. Live Nude Girls 25¢ was the neon community catchphrase, and it was all about fast cash. [gallery size="large" columns="2" link="file" ids="1828,1831"]
Nov 09, 2017•22 min•Season 1Ep. 9
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH VS. TIMES SQUARE. Three priests of Holy Cross Church witnessed the rise and fall of Times Square. Father Robert Rappleyea, pastor during the era of porn, saw the human condition reach bottom. He put up a bold front. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="large" ids="1804,1805,1806,1807"]
Nov 02, 2017•27 min•Season 1Ep. 8
THE TOAST OF BROADWAY. A lightweight contender in the 1920s, Manny Rosen worked in the kitchen of the Stage Delicatessen for 32 years—in charge of making toast. But he also wrote “King Heroin” for James Brown, after losing his daughter to heroin. He became the right-hand man of Bob Anthony, “Mr. Burlesk,” in the Melody Burlesk back office. [gallery columns="2" size="large" link="file" ids="1781,1783,1782,1787"]
Oct 26, 2017•18 min•Season 1Ep. 7
LIVE NUDE GIRLS 25¢. Peep Shows were a phenomenon as common to Times Square as slot machines to Las Vegas. Live Nude Girls became the neon community catchphrase. We visit Roger K as he creates the technology in his private laboratory at Show World. [gallery size="large" columns="2" link="file" ids="1689,1713,1691,1704"]
Oct 19, 2017•27 min•Season 1Ep. 6
