Friday, March 6, 2015

THE GAME OF THE NAME - GERONIMO JACKSON


'THE NAME OF THE GAME'
"A HARD CASE OF THE BLUES"



After waiting three hours for rock-blues singer Jessie Boone to show up for her recording session, producer Lester Mavelson couldn't take it anymore.....

"I have produced, personally, at least 774 records!"  

Then he leaned in to the sound engineer who was Zenned/zoned out in his reading.  "Did you hear that, Geronimo? 774 records!"

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the real Geronimo Jackson.

'LOST'
"THE HUNTING PARTY"
"THE WHOLE TRUTH"
"FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS"
"CABIN FEVER"
"THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME"
"THIS PLACE IS DEATH"
"316"
"LaFLEUR"
"NAMASTE"
"HE'S OUR YOU"

"Geronimo Jackson" was a litttle-known  rock/folk/country band that had its heyday back at the waning of the Flower Power era.  The group was founded by a Kentucky musician named Keith Strutter once he found his way to San Francisco.  They put out only one album, "Magna Carta", from which came the single "Dharma Lady".  Geronimo Jackson toured Europe in 1969, playing a German club in August of that year, but they were drawn to Woodstock after the festival and because of the presence of Dylan and The Band - which is where they finally broke up and faded into obscurity.


So I'm thinking this sound engineer whom Lester addressed as "Geronimo", was the real Geronimo Jackson and that he not only was the sound engineer for "Magna Carta", but that he produced the album as well.  Keith Strutter may have been an old friend of his from back in his days living in Kentucky, and either out of that friendship or as thanks for working on the album, Strutter may have suggested to the others in the band that they should take Geronimo's name for their band name.  

Geronimo Jackson was a fascination for me when 'Lost' was on the air because of a theory I came up with.  (I may not have been the only one, but I've yet to find anybody else who touts it.)  

Take a look at the album cover for "Magna Carta".  I believe the dirty blonde musician standing in front of the stage, dressed in denim was the elder Ford, father to James "Sawyer" Ford.  His earnings from the band's recording and tours earned him the money which the original Sawyer conned out of Ford's wife - which led to the murder and suicide of James' parents back in Alabama.

Just sayin', is all......

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