LOVE REVISITED, THE PANDORAS at the 50th Anniversary of the RIOTS ON SUNSET STRIP

Left,
Love 
Revisited. Right, Johnny
Echols
of Love
ReVisited

The night of Nov. 12, 2016 was dedicated to its 50th Anniversary of the Riots on Sunset Strip that sprang from Pandora's Box club in Hollywood, Calif., 1966, but this multi-artists' gig's highlights unquestionably were by two bands with more in common than first appears, Love Revisited and The Pandoras. Both Love and The Pandoras lost their guiding lights, singer/songwriter/guitarists Arthur Lee of Love in 2006, and Paula Pierce of the Pandoras in 1991 (both of natural causes.) Then, both bands decided that the canon of each was just too good to remain unperformed indefinitely. New fans far and wide now may hear these great songs performed with the gusto that only original players and close associates of those icons can bring.

The Pandoras, 2016: lead vocals/guitar Kim Shattuck (The Muffs, The Pixies, long ago Pandora,) keyboardist Melanie Vammen and bassist Karen Basset (Paula Pierce Pandoras 2.0,) and drummer Hilary Burton.

Kim Shattuck gets a hug after an onstage dancing bout by the show's promoter, author/1960s pop culture expert Dominic Priore joining the two Go Go dancers, also seen with Love Revisited below.

 

Left, Love Revisited singer/guitarist Rusty Squeezebox. Right, Love ReVisited guitarist Mike Randle. They made sure the classic songs rocked and that proto-speedmetal manifesto "7 And 7 Is" was played at Mach 10.

Love Revisited's pedigree hails from Arthur Lee's last backup band Baby Lemonade (including Squeezebox and Randle,) with assorted worthy musicians and highly distinctive Love guitarist Johnny Echols, Lee's BFF from not only the original Love psychedelic daze, but also from their mutual pre-Love, Memphis TN/L.A. roots playing in bands with Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix. 

A compelling "Signed D.C." was sung by Johnny Echols (pictured above and below) with the coda of this ballad's haunting chorus "...no one cares (pause) for me" changed to "... signed J.E." One should note that this appeared on Love's debut album in 1966, whereas another song with the same chords and tempo "Knights In White Satin" by the Moody Blues sprung forth in 1967...

PHOTO OPS:

  Above, Evita Corby, Tim and Terry Moreland Henderson, Shelley Mitchell.

 Below, beautiful couple Johnny Echols and Georgiana Steele-Waller.

 Below, multi-talented musician John Tyree (The Richmond Sluts, Cheap Tissue) and Ignacio Gonzalez of Creation Factory / Lolipop Records

 

 Above, Johnny Echols and Shelley Mitchell

Below, Betsy Tucker and fellow photographer Dianne Carter

 

 ↑ Happy all ages audience for 1960s thrills. Note David Arnson of The Insect Surfers and The Raw Power Rangers, curly-haired with glasses, in crowd. ↓