THE EARTH IS SHAKING!!! THE SCOTT MORGAN / HYDROMATICS 2007 EURO TOUR (WHOLE ENCHILADA VERSION)

Scott Morgan, perhaps the most under-recognized legend of rock & soul ("One of the great American voices" -- David Fricke, Rolling Stone) leads the Hydromatics, a Europe-based band dedicated to revitalizing the songbook of Sonic's Rendezvous Band, the legendary band Morgan (ex-Rationals) co-founded with ex-MC5 guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith (which also included ex-Stooges drummer Scott Asheton and ex-Up bassist Gary Rasmussen).
This tour was in support of the latest Hydromatics CD, "The Earth Is Shaking." The film is a warts-and-all realistic portrayal of the band, with tons of tomfoolery, but also informative, with Morgan talking about the breakup of SRB, turning down the offer to record at Stax Records with Booker T & the MGs, getting out of the military draft in the 60s; Tony Slug talking about the politics of playing in Basque country, on the band's beginnings and astute observations on the state of rock & roll; the French Hotel incident, and most poignantly, a memorial at Madrid Football Stadium for their former tour manager, Benito Gasolini, who died there with a colleague from a scaffolding accident while working for the Rolling Stones.
Unfortunately, the BEST performances (Bilbao, Burgos, Leon) had to be left out as the audio tracks require mixing and a little fixing. (I have multi-track files -- any audio engineer who's willing to help, please get in touch!)
The Hydromatics were the brainchild of then-Hellacopters front man Nicke Andersson and Tony Slug, Amsterdam-based rock & roll guitar player extraordinaire. Andersson and Slug bonded over the fact they both knew, and were huge fans of, Sonic's Rendezvous Band (SRB). In its six years (1975-80), SRB had only released one song -- "City Slang" -- on a 45 single with mono and stereo versions. (No label in the age of disco dominance was interested in an uncompromising, classic Detroit/A2 high-energy rock band.) Other than the single, a bootleg LP, "Sweet Nothing," had limited circulation. Hardly anyone outside of Michigan knew of SRB, and Andersson and Slug made it their mission to bring the music to the world. On a US Hellacopters tour Andersson met Scott Morgan and proposed working together. With the addition of Theo Brouwer on bass, the Hydromatics were born, with Andersson taking the drum chair, which he had to give up after one album and tour due to too many other commitments.
On this tour the drummer is newcomer Ries Doms, an excellent, explosive drummer equally influenced by Keith Moon and jazzer Han Bennink (among others). Theo Brouwer was unable to make the tour, so Paul Grace Smith, on very short notice, substituted superbly.
Scott Morgan has a stunning recorded legacy (which he is still adding to). Starting in 1966 with The Rationals' cover version -- the first -- of Otis Redding's "Respect", a regional hit which Erma Franklin bought for her sister Aretha, suggesting it was a great song, but she could do it better. Which she did, of course, the arrangement based mainly on The Rationals' version. The one album by The Rationals wasn't released until 1969, and disappeared soon after due to the record company going broke. A brilliant album, it was only reissued 42 years and much legal wrangling later. The Sonic's Rendezvous Band is now documented by numerous concert tapes (which are burning and brilliant) that have been issued by Easy Action Records, which has also reissued The Scott Morgan Band albums from the '80s and the Hydromatics releases. The Solution is a southern-soul project Nicke Andersson and Morgan had; two superb CDs resulted. Morgan has excellent recent solo albums on Bomp! Records and "Rough and Ready," his latest, on Rouge Records. Other outstanding (and rare) recordings by Morgan are with Deniz Tek (of Radio Birdman), Wayne Kramer (of MC5), Powertrane ("Ann Arbor Revival Meeting" with both Tek and Ron Asheton). If you're lucky enough to find 'em, buy 'em!
Enjoy the film! Support the artists by buying their records, CDs, etc.!
Filmed, edited, etc. by Joseph Chonto for Some Real Music.
© 2018 Joseph Chonto, Some Real Music.