"You don''t dig this long hair, then get yourself a crew-cut baby!"

 November 15, 2024

   A couple more highlights from yesterday's wrap up signing on The Old Vaquero Sayings book project down at Cattletrack Arts Compound in Scottsdale.

Cattletrack Cowboys

Mark and Brent Stylin' Woolies

   I fought my way down into The Beast, through insane traffic, landing at Cattletrack at 11:30. When I traipsed back into the studio area I heard a very familiar tune blasting out of Brent's speakers:

"Good guys bad guys which is which
The white collar worker or the digger in the ditch
Hey, and who's to say who's the better man
When I've always done the best I can"

   But, the best part is at the end and is spoken:

"You think those guys in the white collars are better than I am baby, Then flake off!
You don't dig this long hair, get yourself a crew-cut baby! Yeah, I mean what I said."

—The Standells

   The Cattletrack Cowboys were not familiar with the 1966 rock staple from the The Standells, but it is an anthem to me, super, SUPER classic and I had to put down my stuff and play some serious air bass (I know, I know, it doesn't make any sense for a rock drummer to play air bass, but there you have it). These are to me—classic rifts—so I got carried away and started duck-walking across the studio space, then duck-walking out the door and back in, then back and forth in front of my slack-jawed compadres, yelling out, "Get yourself a crew-cut baby!"

   Well, that was some serious serendipity. Then we got down to work.

Tres Old Vaquero Amigos In Signing Mode

   I signed all 100 of the books, then I signed another 27 books that were divided up into AP (artist proofs), AI (archival impression and one of them donated to the Public Trust) and then PP (printer's proofs) along with one "Bon-a-tier" (French for "Good to Pull"). Then, when that was all wrapped up, Brent started cleaning up the press and went into a traditional dance. It was all very exotic.

The Printer's Dance

   And, in case you do not remember "Good Guys Don't Wear White," here is the tune in all its early pre-punk glory:

The Standells "Good Guys Don't Wear White"

   So, the interesting thing is, have we started on Volume II? What do you think?

"The first thing you will notice when you get to heaven is that none of the interesting people are there." 

—Old Vaquero Saying

Daily Whip Out: "Old Vaquero In Hell"