Interview with Natalie Schlossman

A big thank you to Natalie Schlossman (she ran the first Stooges Fan Club) who very kindly answered a few questions from me and a few others from the forum, over the past few weeks. (Edit - Natalie is now on the Forum, so I'm sure she'd be happy to answer any other questions you might have)


NATALIE SCHLOSSMAN INTERVIEW


I’m interested in the Popped fanzine you put out in the late 60s / early 70s. No Stooges fans I know have ever seen one, and the only one I've read (from late Summer 1970) was a reprint in an old book "20 Minute Fandangos and Forever Changes". Do you still have any of them?

To your question at hand, I do not have any of the Popped newsletters. I do not even have a copy of the book. Long story made short.......in 1972 I lent Tony de Fries all my Stooge press. He promised to copy it and return it. He never did send it back. All of it was original. Soon after he stopped representing the Stooges and then Iggy went solo.

While Iggy was touring with Bowie he was in Philly and rung me. He asked me to bring all my press and photos so we could reminisce. I did and needless to say he begged me with those blue eyes to keep the press and photos.


How many editions of Popped did you actually put out, and in what sort of numbers?

I wrote 5 Popped. There was no set schedule. When the muse hit me I wrote. (It was Danny Fields who engineered the 20 Minute Fandango thing. One day he called me and said oh by the way you are a published author.)

They were all typed on a manual typewriter which did not even have spell check. LOL. After I wrote them I would send them to my friend who worked for Elektra and she would photocopy the pages and send them back. Then I would sit on my living room floor and collate and staple. I had 100 copies made. There were about 75 members I sent out the newsletters and I also sent copies to the guys. I even had a member in Japan named Sammy. I also sent out autographed pictures and copies of my photos. Matter of fact some photos I have seen in books are ones I have taken. I have no idea how they got there but I know I took them. In those days I never worried about copy writes.

All this visiting the past makes me realize how much easier running that club would have been in the internet age.


So what sort of music were you into before you first came across the Stooges?

I was mostly into British rock as most teenagers in the sixties. I saw the Beatles live in 64 but my friends and I had to go to the show with an older sister as we were too young to go by ourselves.

Soon after I first heard the Stones and they became my favorite band. In the 60's thru the 80's I saw about 150 Stones concerts. I also loved the Who and Hendrix and Dylan but I never got obsessed with seeing them all over the place like with the Stones. That was reserved for the Stones. I need to explain that it was much easier to meet bands in those days. You did not have to be a groupie to get back stage. There was almost no security and if you were cute and female and smiled you could get almost any place. Also tickets were very reasonably priced.

By 1969 I was also very impressed with Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, the Doors. To this day I am a classic Rock girl. I never loved heavy metal as much as classic rock. After I met the Stooges I got into the Velvet Underground and later Lou Reed. I also liked the NY Dolls. It was real easy to see bands. There were so many clubs that had live music.

My father was a jazz fan and when I was really young he would take me to hear jazz live so I was brought up to appreciate music at an early age.

From the time I met the Stooges they knew how much I loved the Stones and that they were my favorite band. Iggy would always ask about their shows as soon as he would see me. He wanted to know the set list and what the stage looked like. We would even discuss lighting. Then he would ask me if they were still my favorite group. I would tell him "yes". Then I would tell him that he and the guys were my "best" band but the Stones were still my favorite. It became like a game. He would ask and crack up laughing and I would always answer the same way and then I would laugh. I never would tell him that he was my favorite.

I almost forget this. I was in Michigan because the Stones were doing a show and Destroy all Monsters were supposed to play at a club so my friends and I decided to make the field trip. I don't remember why Ron did not play but we were so disappointed that it was cancelled. We were going to go with Kathy and Scott to see Ron play. I had an extra ticket to one of the Stones shows so Scott came with us to the show. It was '75 and it was the first time Scott had seen them live.


So it wasn't quite a Danny Fields "I knew within 10 seconds of hearing them, they were the band I had been waiting my whole life to hear" moment. Second to the Stones isn't too bad though. What were your thoughts on first hearing the 1st Stooges album?

You have to remember that I had already met Iggy, Ron, Dave and Scott and spent several hours with them that first day. We all piled into the rented van and drove into the city and helped with luggage and check in at the hotel. Then we sat around and just talked for about 3 hours. In retrospect, I think that was the first and last time I had a completely normal afternoon with the band. We talked about what the music would sound like. Still it was a surprise when I heard the album.

To give a bit of background.

I met Josie in 1968 right after I returned from spending the summer in England. We met at a concert in NYC and soon after she started working for Elektra records. She had become friends with Danny Fields and started to hear things about the Stooges and MC5. I had also met Danny and since we were all such Rock fans we got on great. Then the Stooges were coming to NYC for the first time. Danny invited my friend Jeanne and I to accompany Josie when he picked them up at the airport. So I first met them before I ever heard them play and right before the album was recorded.

Danny gave me an advance promo of the album. We listened in the publicity office at Elektra records. I was immediately taken with the primitive sound. I loved the guitar and I loved the vocals. I really loved the words to "1969" and "No Fun".

However, it was when I saw them perform live for the first time that I had my "ah ha" moment. There were no seats and I was jammed up against the stage. Iggy was bare chested and it was loud, erratic and so filled with energy, it blew me away. I never saw or heard anything like it. I was so hooked.

As I got to know the band and the roadies more extensively, I started to sit or stand right in front of Ron's amp so I could really feel the music. With all the shows I attended, it is a miracle that I don't suffer from hearing loss.

Somewhere around that time I decided to start the fan club. Danny got my info published in a couple of magazines and I started to get requests for pub shots and bios. I started to meet fans at concerts and word of mouth as well as the magazines got the whole thing rolling. Later on (1970-71) I did some interviews for magazines and newspapers. That was what gave the club more exposure. I also started to travel to Michigan and surrounding states for their gigs and gathered more club members.

Danny Fields

That first NY gig in 69 was at the Pavilion I believe, didn't they get pelted with drinks by the crowd? I know I'd have really enjoyed being immersed in the sound from Ron's amp, it's so totally unique. I've never heard anyone who's managed to reproduce it.

How did the sound of the songs from the 1st album differ when played live? Faster? More Jamming? And did you ever get to hear any of those mythical early tracks - Goodbye Bozos, Dance of Romance, I'm Sick and Asthma Attack?

Yes, the first NY gig was in Sept 69 at the Pavilion in Queens. The Pavilion was a hall that was part of the 1968 Worlds Fair. I think it was used for concerts for a few years after the rest of the rest of the Fair's structures were torn down. I remember seeing Zeppelin there after the Stooges played.

As I told you I was jammed up against the stage and could not move. If drinks were thrown at the stage I was not aware of it. Also I remember being jammed against people but I was only wet with perspiration, not drinks. I have not read any of the books about the band but I have read most of the press and many magazine articles. From my perspective, there seems to be embellishing and enhancement of some of the goings on. For example, early on there was no stage diving peanut butter, hot wax or dog food. That did not happen at any shows I attended in 1969. That started in 1970. I also feel compelled to tell you that I have been witness to some very tall tales over the years. Sometimes all I could do was laugh. However, much of what has been written is absolutely true. Also I have been a victim of misquoting. Sometimes I think journalists ask the questions and have pre-conceived the answers no matter what you say. For example, I was quoted as asking "why does it always have to be his (Iggy's) blood? I would never ask that question because I know why it had to be his blood. Sorry for going off topic but I had to make the point.

As for the live shows, there was not any jamming in those days. The shows were between 30 and 40 minutes. They were loud, even more free spirited than the record, they generated so much energy and they were insane and fun.

The only time I heard serious jamming was in the studio in NY while they were mixing and finishing up "*Raw Power".

I did not hear any songs but the ones on that first album at the first shows. I did hear remnants of Dance of Romance and I'm Sick in the dressing rooms before the shows. The first time I heard something they had not recorded was at Unganos. Iggy threw out a verse of "the Shadow of your Smile". I remember thinking that it sounded good for a straight song.


And then you followed them back to Michigan soon after. Can you describe the "Funhouse" or "Stooge Manor" or whatever they called home, maybe give us a run through of the layout of the place. What did the guys get up to at home, and what were they like? Very little is ever mentioned about Dave and Scott - the quiet ones of the group.

Actually, I did not visit Michigan right after the first shows. It was the following summer before I was invited to the house although I had seen a few shows in Michigan before the invite.

It was called Stooge Hall at the time. All the guys lived there. It was not a big house, had either two or three floors (I only went up to the second floor to use the loo), random furniture throughout. There was not much furniture on the second level. The furniture looked second hand but I never confirmed that it was. There was a telephone on the wall in the kitchen. Everybody hung out in the living room. On the ceiling someone wrote in large letters "FUNHOUSE". I remember thinking it was so fitting and soon after the album was released. As a group they were not living at the house that long. I do remember that Iggy had his own place and when James joined, he and Scott shared an apartment. I also remember talk about how long they could afford to keep the living arrangements.

Dave and Scott

Dave was quiet and sweet and kind. Even then he liked his drink.
Once we got to know each other he became more talkative. Dave never seemed to have any ill feelings about being asked to leave the band. Matter of fact, when the band performed at Max's Dave came to NY for the gigs. He was with some other friends from home and seemed to have a good old time. After the gigs we all hung out together downstairs. Dave also became friends with my two friends (Pat and Debbie). We hung out during the day and went to Chinatown together late into the night.

Scott on the other hand was very quiet until you got to know him. Scott has a wicked sense of humor and was full of hell and lots of fun to talk to. I used to tease him once he got the tattoo and declared himself "Rock Action". He took the teasing well and knew how to give it right back!

You know I am pretty sure a lot of this stuff I discussed in the issues of Popped. If they ever surface and get posted much of this will seem redundant. Hope the forum folks won't mind.

Forgot to tell you that there was one cat living at Stooge Hall.


Did Dave Alexander dye his hair? And did he have a daughter, born in 1969?

To the best of my knowledge Dave's hair was natural brown. I also never heard about a daughter. I think I would have known as I surely knew about Iggy's son. I think when Dave died if there were any children, they would have surfaced.


Around the time you first got to know the Stooges they made several TV appearances on Robin Seymour's Swingin' Time (Canadian Show) and the Hy Lit show, playing along to tracks off the 1st Album (but no-one seems to have had the foresight to record these!). I also recently heard that a film/communications professor at Wayne State University, Detroit may have filmed several hours of interviews w/ original Stooges members and it's rumoured that the Stooges' Chicago Pop Festival appearance at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, on 29 December 1969 was filmed by a team of underground Chicago filmmakers. Did you see either of the TV shows or know anything about this or other unreleased video footage of the band? So little seems to exist, which is a terrible shame.

The Hy Lit show was filmed in Philadelphia. As you know I still reside in Philly. Yes I can confirm that they did the show. I was there along with Jeanne and Josephine. (Both ladies worked for Elektra Records but at the time of the Hy Lit show, Jeanne had not yet started working there).

It was a half hour show. HY Lit was a very popular DJ for many years. The TV show did not last very long. It was filmed on a Saturday afternoon when the Stooges played a 2 night gig at the Electric Factory. If memory serves me correctly, they did 1969 and Dog. This show was locally aired only.

Jeanne taped the show with one of those old reel to reel cameras. We were up in the sound booth looking down at the studio. I did view the tape after ward but the quality was not great. I know you will ask so I will tell you that the tape is not around now. Jeanne worked at Rolling Stone and then for Robert Stigwood after she left Elektra. She moved to LA and travelled all around the world for him and much of her stuff was misplaced. She also suffered an early demise. She passed away from cancer 9 years ago.

Yes also to the Cinncinatti ( not Chicago) Pop festival. It was recorded and shown on TV here in the states. Iggy walked on the crowd's hands as part of that performance. I used to have a photo of him from that show. It was lost with all the press I never got back from de Freis. I don't remember the song. Back in the day they were the only 2 performances ever shown on US TV.

I don't have any info about Swingin Time. Sorry I can't help you out with that one.


So moving on into 1970 did the introduction of the Funhouse tracks come gradually into their live set alongside the 1st Album stuff or did they just change the setlist en masse at some point? They also started doing some really big festivals at this time - Cinncinatti Pop as you mentioned, Soldier Field, Goose Lake, and others. Was the feeling that they might be about to make it really big? I personally wonder if this had something to do with Dave's departure, maybe he wasn't ready for the fame aspect of things?

Actually I'd always thought Dave was just fired by Iggy after being too stoned to play at Goose Lake, but you mentioned in the only Popped I've seen (which I just saw recently) that he was also interested in doing his own thing (Health Foods?). Was this an influence of Jimmy Silver, I think he was also in that line of business?

Did you yourself prefer seeing them at the big festivals or the small clubs, and do you know what the band themselves enjoyed most?

The best way I can answer is to explain that the guys played gigs outside of local halls in the fall of 69 in support of the debut album. I saw the shows in NY and Philly and then did not see them play live again until early spring of 70 when I went to some gigs in Michigan. I don't recall the name of one place but one was the Eastown ballroom. The Eastown replaced the Grande as the "go to" place to see bands at that time. (That was the first time I saw the MC5 perform. Of course I had their album as soon as it was released. Having friends at Elektra did have its privileges).

So when I first saw a live show after that long Stoogeless winter, they were still doing short sets and still playing the same songs. I am not really sure of exact dates as it was so long ago. Things and situations I still recall vividly but the dates and halls are a blur.
I think that some of the Funhouse songs were not even written in the spring. That summer I distinctly recall the Unganos gigs and the Funhouse songs live for the first time. The shows the following summer were a mixture of old and new.

Dave was kicked out of the band because he no longer could play. I always thought it was more alcohol related than drugs but I am not denying drugs were one of the reasons. As for the health food thing......it never happened and saying Dave wanted to do his own thing was a public way of "saving face". Yes, Jimmy Silver was into macrobiotics but to my knowledge that didn't influence Dave's departure.

I don't think the guys thought they were going to make it big. Many people hated them but would come to gigs just to see the Ig's antics. At that point and for years after they never made much money from their gigs. In the early days they would be paid a percentage of the gate. When they played festivals it was usually a set fee. But it was never much. Not like bands today. It was nothing near that back in the day. I remember talk about the gigs at Max's Kansas City. After the gigs everybody with the band would go downstairs and drink and eat. There was a tab set up and by the end of those shows, very little money was actually made.

I always preferred the smaller clubs and halls. It was for self serving reasons. Smaller venues were easier to get close to the amps and when I was not taking photographs, that or in the wings was where I wanted to be. I never discussed with the band whether they preferred one type of venue over the other. Sorry I can not answer that.


You were certainly enthusiastic about the Unganos shows in Popped! “Way Down in Egypt” with its noise and Iggy wailing “I’m Dead” sounds fantastic. I hope this will be on the Unganos tape that Danny Fields sold to a certain collector and that all Stooges fans have been waiting for, for years.

Several roadies like Billy Cheatham and Zeke Zettner joined the band around this time, didn’t they also form some kind of side band with Scotty doing songs like “Private Parts” and “Searching for Head”. Did you ever get to hear them, who was the singer and what did they sound like? Did they do any proper gigs?

I would love to read my Popped as I am sure they would jog my memory. I am sure I would recall some trivia tidbits.

Billy and Zeke were in the band for short periods of time after first doing roadie work. I would hear warm ups in the dressing rooms but I never heard them actually perform any songs.

You know seeing the band live in the early days was such a treat. We never knew what would happen. And we never knew how the crowd would react depending on what Iggy said or did to the audience. I was never bored which is why I used to fly to Michigan any chance I got. In those days if you were 21 or younger you could fly standby for half price. Sometimes my flight cost $40 round trip.

I have been reading as much of the forum as I can access. It appear that Scotty Thurston seems to be forgotten. I liked him very much so I am just curious.

I have a couple questions. Has anyone been able to track down Michael Tipton? I spoke with him last in the mid 90's. He was married and living in Texas. He was a car salesman which gave me a chuckle. I was visiting my friend Pat who had kept in touch with him and he happened to telephone. Now I don't have contact with either. Anyway, Michael may have Popped and he had copies of many of my photos. He also may have some recordings that have not seen the light of day also.


I'm pretty sure Paul Trynka interviewed Michael Tipton for his book, and I think they keep in touch. I think quite a lot of Michael's recordings are out there already - do you remember him recording stuff before 73? I know many of us would love to see all your Poppeds. You put such a personal touch on them, and there are so many things I hadn't read anywhere else.

I will email Paul T about Michael. I introduced Michael to the guys. He was a big fan and joined the club. I told him I was going to a show in Michigan and he offered to meet me at the airport. We became fast friends and when he wanted to start taping the gigs, I was the one who talked to the guys about him. Then he did his own thing once he got started. I only asked for the tape that became the first bootleg. Wish I would have asked for all of them now. He taped quite a few shows around Michigan before he taped at Max's. I believe he started taping in '72.

James Williamson and Jimmy Recca joined the band in late 1970 / early 1971 on guitar and bass. It was a pretty messy period drugswise, but the band did produce some fantastic new songs - a fact unfortunately not recognised by Elektra. What memories do you have of this time?

The Jimmy/James period of time was musically creative. I remember hearing Open Up And Bleed (one of my favorites of all time) and a few different versions of Cock in my Pocket during the time before Raw Power was released. This is just my opinion but I think some people at Elektra knew the band had good stuff left. The powers found Iggy difficult and it was well known that drugs were the problem. Also Elektra was being bought out at the same time and I think the Stooges were considered excess baggage. I do know Jeanne was let go because they were "letting go everybody who is loyal to Jac Holzman". That was the mentality at the time. They did not care if the employees were doing a good job. They were all fired.

Iggy used to use my cosmetics before the shows. This started after James joined. James used to wear lots of black eye liner. One show in Michigan the Stooges opened for Alice Cooper. Alice did not have his makeup bag that night so the Ig gave him mine to use. I never did get it back.

One night in NYC Iggy and I were in a taxi headed to the recording studio. He tells the driver to stop in the middle of the street. He wanted water ice. He gets out of the taxi runs across the street and runs right back. He had no money and he needed me to give him money for his water ice. At the time I could not decide what was funnier. I decided that the fact that he was out and about in NYC with not a penny in his pocket far exceeded the water ice desire.

I have to admit that I was never a James fan. I never thought he was a patch on Ron. It may have been loyalty to Ron at first. When I found out that James was the one who sold the Metallic KO tape, that sealed the deal. I had the same copy of the tape(which was recorded by my friend Michael) in a drawer in my bedroom for years. I went nuts trying to obtain the bootleg only to discover I had it all along.

You are right about the drug issue. It was bad in '73-74 but for some of the guys it was bad years before. I know Iggy was so messed up as early as '70 that he had a hard time signing a contract for Elektra. My friend Jeanne went to his room to get it signed while I was getting dressed for the show. We were in Maryland and all staying at the same hotel. When she returned, she was really quiet and it took her a while to tell me because she was so upset. One time after a show in Cleveland where they played with Slade, Iggy was so out of it he was running around the halls of the hotel naked. Of course everybody else was partying and they could not be bothered with him. I found him wandering so I took him back to his room. I helped him get dressed and tried to get him to go to sleep. I thought he was drifting to sleep. I went back to my room to do whatever I was going to do in the first place. When I finished I found him wandering the hall again and he was naked again. This time I got him back to the room and locked him in and took the key. I put a chair on the outside of the door so he could not get out. I guess he eventually passed out. The next day he did not remember any of it.

Can you identify the person in the photo attached (it's from late 70 or early 71) - initially thought to be Iggy but probably not.



The guy in the attachment is Eric Haddox. I am almost sure as it looks like his body type and he was the only roadie who used to wear leather pants. Eric was my favorite non Stooge person. He was always the voice of reason in the middle of all the insanity. He quit the band because he met a woman and was getting married. They were going to live in LA.


On their return from England in 1972/3 after recording Raw Power they lived in a place in the Hollywood Hills, did you ever get to visit? Any stories from that time and onwards until the end in 74?

No I never visited them in LA. In 73 I spent a month in London, had snake skin boots custom made and purchased about 30 albums while there. I also spent my last pence going to shows. I was working full time but after the trip I was broke and could not afford the air fare to go any place. Unfortunately I have no stories to tell from that time. I do remember they were living in the rock hotel on Sunset Blvd.


Did you see the '73 show where 'Tornado Turner' replaced Williamson? Impressions?

I was not at the show where Tornado Turner replaced James. This is the first time I am hearing about it.


Oh and do you have a photo of yourself with the band or Iggy or Ron/Scott/Dave that I could post with along your answers? If not maybe just a photo of you back in the day?

I don't have any photos of me with the band. I was always the one taking the photos. I also rarely took off stage photos because at that time I was more interested in talking to everybody. I needed to do that so I would have material for Popped. I don't have any photos of me back in the day. There were a couple printed in magazines. Danny took one of me walking up the steps at Max's and it along with many others taken that night, appeared in a magazine. There was also one which appeared with an interview I did early on with a rock newspaper. It's funny because I am a photographer so even now, I am the one behind the lens and never in front of it.


Natalie 1969 (still from the movie 'Groupies'!)

Great interview! helps fill in a few pieces of the myths!

Fantastic interview. Highly informative and I'm sure many people on this forum - myself included - are just drooling with envy. Many thanks to both of you for the time and effort. (Nice to see Eric Haddix conclusively ID'd. Nitebob nailed it.)

Great interview !

Thanks mc and Natalie, wonderful stuff I thoroughly enjoyed that.

Thanks a lot mc and Natalie!

absolutely great interview!
Thank you so much!

Great interview thanks for posting mc, and thanks Natalie

thanks for the interview mc and natalie

Thanks to both of you - just great stuff!!!

Wonderful! Huge thanks to Natalie and MC for that.
Cheers,
Richard

Glad you all liked it. Natalie made all her responses via one of those handheld blackberries, so by the length of her answers you can see she's still as passionate about the Stooges as we all are!

Thanks SO much Natalie and mc, brilliant read

Wow! Great interview!

Hi everybody,

A big thank you to mc for asking all those questions and putting the whole thing together.

Thanks so much for. the warm welcome. You all are great. What I would have given back in the day to have all of you with me in the fan club.

If any of you have more questions, please. Feel free to ask away.

Natalie

Wow thanks Natalie I was wondering if you remembered any of the names of any 1971 Stooges songs?

In the timeframe between Funhouse and the release of Raw Power, the sets consisted of a combo of the first 2 albums. The first new song I heard was " Cock in My Pocket".

If any of the old fanzines ever surface, I remember listing a set list in one issue.

BTW,I forgot to mention in the interview that the club was called "Stoogelings Courageous".

Although almost all my Stooge stuff went various ways, I found the stamp I used to send out all the newsletters and pub photos in an old box. It is 40 years old and still in good condition. LOL

Natalie, I was wondering if you recall a show in Michigan around 70 at the Sherwood Forest, Davison MI ? My dad's memory was that -- either Iggy's managar, or the owner of the place, didn't want any horseplay from iggy, in fear that would scare audience members away,, and so iggy agreed to terms verbaly. Then when the show started, he proceeded by twirling his mic chord around his neck, and (either the managar, or club owner) came out(pissed off) and yanked it, unwinding it from his neck. Iggy then just walked off stage, and that was it... only lasted maybe a song or two... fans were mad. My father walked backstage, and saw Iggy standing there, in a towl, saying "I never meant to hurt anybody, I didn't hurt nobody"

Wondered if you may have recalled this. Thanks again

thank you so much Natalie.
this was an absolute pleasure to read.

Hi Nick, I was not at that show but I remember talk about a show where the management pulled the plug after 1 or 2 songs. It was back home which meant any place in Michigan.I could not swear this was the same gig but I would bet it is.

Iggy was notorious for not following the rules. He would pretty much do what he wanted. That was part of his charm but he could also really piss people off including the other band members. None of us would stay angry long. Things were easy going in those days.

When I hear he has turned nice now it cracks me up. He was never not nice or mean. He was just a free spirit and the antics on stage were just part of the act. During the day he did not dive or play with wax,etc. However I did see him eat dog food at a record signing. He was up on this little stage talking to the crowd at the record store. He got out a can of dog food, opened it in front of the crowd to prove it was DOG FOOD and proceded to eat it with his fingers. He then asked if anybody wanted to share it with him.

OK, thanks for the question and the trip down memory lane.
Natalie

Wonderful stuff, thanks Natalie and keep it coming.

Hello Natalie,
I saw Debbie in NYC about 3 weeks ago.
Great to see you here!
nitebob

Bob,

How the hell are you???? Great to see you here too.

If you happen to have contact info for Debbie or Pat would you please PM me. Lost track and would love.to find them.

What are you up to these days?

Thanks so much.