Appleseed Eyes
Thanks to the Internet and some folks who put their CD collections up on Amazon, I’m listening to a beloved album I haven’t heard in twenty years. It’s bringing up Some Stuff.
I’m listening to “Broomtree” by Downy Mildew. It came out in 1986 on the Texas Hotel label, long since gone. The band recorded a few albums for the Windham Hill imprint High Street, and those disks are out of print as well. Downy Mildew’s entire recorded output, 56 songs, takes up less than four hours of listening.
For me, though, their entire recorded output… especially “Broomtree” and their debut self-titled EP… those songs take up years.
I remember 1989 or so, sitting in the twilight in the apartment I shared with Anne Bray in San Clemente, the room lit only by strings of clear Christmas lights and the glow of the stereo. Sitting in front of the speakers, turning the record over again and again. The deep, jangling reverb, the harmonies of Charlie Baldonado and Jenny Homer, the… purity of this record… it soothed what was at that time a very turbulent soul.
Apparently there’s a good part of me that is still that way. Listening to it now makes me ache.
I miss the people who were in my life then. I miss the smell of the ocean on the night. I hate this desert where I live, I really do. I’m drying up.
Observation: you only miss the past this strongly when there are things missing from the present. Noted. I miss my friends, then and now. I miss the magic of making music with people, spontaneously, joyously. Taking risks. I miss those people.
I don’t want to go back to that time in a literal, yearning sense — I should be clear. I was in my earliest twenties in those years, a confused, sad, desperate young guy surrounded by drama and sustained by blind passion. It was a painful time, and I’ve learned a thing or two since then. Not everything, but… some things, for sure.
But damn, I miss those people. As I get older, I’m facing the fact that I don’t think I ever fall out of love. I want to give everyone from those days — those hazy days and cloudy nights — a hug that crosses decades.
Of all those people from that time, I’m only in touch with a very small handful, and we’re barely in contact because of life and schedules and maybe the laziness that email encourages. So many others are out there, somewhere… and it disturbs me, not knowing if these loved ones are dead or alive.
Here’s to Theresa Copell. Pat Copell. Tony Vick. Willie Asher. Steve Smith. Gina Bloxham. Donovan Spencely. Sean Truitt. Steve Harvey. Holly. Tony Lekas. J.D. Christie. Phil Clevenger. Craig Clevenger. J.J. Minue. Paula Stromberg. Jill and Dave Stewart. Matt Brown. Russell Scott. Ron Russell. Gus Contreras. Andrea Lucas. To name a few. I miss you all, and I hope you’re well.
I’m gonna put this out there, because the Interwebs have innumerable strands and connections can surprise us sometimes: Let’s make this a meme, those names. I want to say hello to those people, and if you have a blog, you can help facilitate that. Write a little post… let the world know Matt Selznick wants to check in on some people from the old San Clemente days, and link back to here so that if… just if… anything comes of it, the thread leads back to me. Thanks for doing that. We’ll see what comes of it.
And thanks for reading. Writing through this, I feel better. We’re on the last song of “Broomtree” now, and the music makes me feel peaceful as opposed to down. That’s good. I think I can go to bed now.
Nostalgia can be so bittersweet, can’t it?
Don’t give up your search for missed friends. Being much older than you I understand the yearning for knowing how the lives of your old friends has turned out for them. Amazingly I am enjoying the reunion of almost all my friends from before first grade, through junior high, high school, graduation and more. We email often and it has been a blast to catch up after all these years. I am talking about over 67 years of people who traveled through life with me. It is a blessing although when I find that some have passed on it is very sad but I am thankful that they were in my life. Don’t forget to check classmates.com and do a switchboard.com search and the SSDI records at http://www.rootsweb.com.
Good luck and much love…
psb
Hi Matthew-
I’m the Ron Russell you mention in this post, which I found through a Google search for Gina Bloxham. Strange to find myself in a search for someone else.
How are you?
-ron
Ron Russell! What do you know… this Internet thing works after all!
I’ll be e-mailing you, if you want to catch up. You should know I’ve played several Children’s Day songs on my podcasts over the years. I don’t know if they’ve resulted in any sales over a Posh Boy, but if so, I hope you’re seeing a few pennies now and then. You deserve it.
I’d love to touch base with Gina, myself..!
[...] one of those names is yours, and you know/knew a guy named Matt Selznick, click THIS LINK. Thank [...]
Hi Matthew,
I enjoyed reading your thoughts. We weren’t in the same circle of friends, but I knew many of the people you did/do. I appreciate your nostalgic memories. Thanks for jogging my memory for some of those names! I think Donovan’s made a name for himself in Copenhagen.
All the best,
Tom Burrows
Hello Tom!
Yes — I found Donovan Spenceley through MySpace shortly after I made this post. He’s a luthier living in Denmark, as you said. He’s still involved with the death metal / speed metal scene, too!
Craig Clevenger, Ron Russell and by extension a few people not on this list have been uncovered since, too. Craig is in San Francisco, Ron in Pasadena.
How did you know Donovan?
Hi again,
Sorry…the people in your list whose paths I crossed are Donovan Spenceley, J.D. Christie, Sean Truitt, Dave Stewart, and Matt Brown. The last 3 were sort of collateral acquaintances, but nice guys for sure.
I must have met Donovan through J.D. I remember one summer in the late 80’s in particular when I rode with Donovan up to some car show in San Bernadino County, I think, to sell one of his two hearses. In fact, my most vivid mental picture of Donovan is him with green hair racing down El Camino Real in his burgundy-colored hearse blasting some unidentifiable punk rock or speed metal.
J. D.! Man, if you ever get back in touch with him, send him my way. I’d love to hear from him.
I remember Donovan’s hearse very well..!
Hi All,
I do not know any of you but I’m sort of connected with one of the people you’ve listed, Gina Bloxham. She was my violin teacher all the way back in the early to mid 90s. I’ve always wanted to track her down and see what she was up to. Anybody know her whereabouts? I did remember that she was dating a Donovan, perhaps the Donovan listed in the same list.
Thanks,
Robert
Hi Robert — if you knew Gina in the nineties, you’ve been in contact with her more recently than I. I wish I could find her… I’ve even been contacted by a relative of Gina’s, hoping I had some way of finding her. Unfortunately, I don’t.
Where was Gina teaching violin? That may be a lead.
Anne Marie Bray!?! Where is she now? Girl was half in space.
You can find Tony Vick, Phil Clevenger, and Craig Clevenger on facebook. And Charlie Brand…
Gina Bloxham used to be my roomate in an industrial park in Orange after she got kicked out of Slovenly Manor. In 89 or 88 I kicked her out after she got together with Donavan and I couldn’t stand the guy. That pretty much ended our friendship.
Don’t think I know you… I used to drive Citroens, if that rings a bell.
Hi Mark — thanks for the updates! I’ve already connected with Tony, Phil, Craig and Charlie on Facebook since I originally wrote this post. Anne’s there too; a search finds her pretty quickly.
I’ve learned that Gina’s performing in a band called Hibbitty Skibbitty and goes by the name Gina Violina. I remember that industrial park, vaguely — I think I might have gone by there once. I lived with Theresa Copell right next to Slovenly Manor; when the city decided that whole area was too nasty for residential living, I lived with J.D. Christie at what was called Dark House.
Donovan was a pal, but I can understand that you might not have gotten along.
Can’t remember you from what you drove… were you in any bands? In those days I was playing with Theresa, Steve Harvey and Tony Lekas in psychopathway…
Thanks for chiming in!
Wow that is the sweetest thing I have read in a long time. Hugs back your way and I too wish I could see everyone again. What a great list of people :)
Tardon has been posting some pix on Facebook recently from way back before there were iPods…
Now I’m gonna read your post a third time and savor it. Greets to EVERYONE.
Love,
Phil :)
Hey there Phil!
It means a great deal to me that my little musically-inspired nostalgia jag moved you. I saw many of those pictures of Tardon’s, in fact that’s where I discovered that Gina’s in a music-and-puppets duo called Hibbitty Skibbitty. She’s got a page on Facebook, too. I reached out to her, but she may be too busy with the actual real world to have noticed it. If so… good for her!
Speaking of the real world… what has taken you to India? I’ve subscribed to your blog and look forward to following your exploits.
Finally, here’s another “look back” that might spark some similar memories / feelings for you… my thank you nod to Tower Records.
Cheers, Phil… and if there are any mutual friends you’re in touch with who might want to get in touch with me, you know where to find me.
you’re amazing. \(^-^)/ Yeah! Love how with a few words, those lost in the ether materialize.
You know where to find me.
Hugs,
Annie
Aw, shucks, Annie!
I do indeed know where to find you, thank goodness. When are we gonna have that catch-up lunch? I’ll be free during the week in a couple of weeks..?