Once Upon A Time, In A Crackhouse Far, Far, Away,...II

So, at the bottom of this post is KKKrack RocKKK, your second song from my 1999 mix tape, The Big Lowensky: Crackhouse Hits From The Clinton Era, and, y'all, is it a hoot!

I got excited all over, listening to it again, because - even after all these years (The Big Lowensky tracks were originally recorded before '95, remember) - KKKrack RocKKK's still a happy reminder of how well I can make some cold machines "hum".

And it was even a lot of fun to make!

Everything, back then, was fun. 

With my help, the Broun Fellinis' shows stayed packed, with lines around the block, and there was so much money coming in we made Billboard Magazine (above). And even though we ended up losing our Bay Area Music Award nominations in a rigged contest (some guy from the Jefferson Starship was the obvious favorite) San Francisco was becoming more-than-a-little aware that wherever the Fellinis' intimidating symbol, "Clyde, The Dancing Hippo," appeared, that's where the action was.

I, too, became a force to be reckoned with (being the highlight of the Fellinis' shows) as nightly crowds chanted/shouted/demanded "Crack Emcee! Crack Emcee!" so much, not only did offers came in for modeling jobs and "special guest" spots on other artist's albums, but the Fellinis' saxophone player, David Boyce, started feeling like he wasn't exactly the star of his own scene anymore.

And, boy, did he let me know it. 

But that was cool because - by that time - he wasn't.

David eventually took over vocals, after I went solo, and our friendship never recovered.

But it was time for me to go anyway. The Fellinis' got signed to a vanity label out of Los Angeles and didn't include me in the deal, but, unfortunately for them, while their first record had some beautiful moments, there weren't enough for it to be considered "all that". And, no matter where Aphrokubist Improvisations, Vol. 9 was reviewed, the one song I was allowed on the album - Pow! - was the stand-out. Even after the band stupidly edited it for swearing. 

So what more did I need? I had it all - a wife who (I thought) loved me, offers coming in from everywhere, the papers were noticing - and I had a home art/recording studio to keep 'em doing so. 

I was ready to conquer the world.

So that's exactly what I set out to do,...

     

"With his base strung over his back,..."