Jr. Gone Wild/Mike McDonald Band Mailbag
I'm slow in updating this because there haven't been many
messages, but perhaps there haven't been many messages because
I've been slow in updating this. Whichever it is, the date as I
tickle the plastics (computer keyboards don't have ivories) is
Friday, March 19, 1999. And there are new
messages immediately below, followed by the previous incarnation
of this page, much as the layers of Troy were found, representing
eras of activity and inactivity in that city of antiquity, by
Heinrich Schliemann.
We begin with an email from a name that should be familiar to
anyone reading this page:
Subject: Thanks eh?
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 22:47:16 -0700
Thanks eh? I finally got a good look at the Jr. home page. It's excellent.
thanks for all the work of putting it together. I'm finally in the cyber world
and beginning to branch back into the music biz.
This marital bliss is swell for a while, but it's time to get back to work.
I hope things are going well for you in our nations capital.
You ( or anyone else) can reach me at dovebrown@hotmail.com
take care buddy
Dove
And now the rest of the recent mail, starting with a couple
messages from Sweden:
From: "Christer Stromberg"
To: mmb@planet.eon.net
Subject: Hi
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 10:34:14 PST
Hi
I'm Swedish recordcollector, and I got all the Jr Gone.. records even
the first LP, and now I wonder if you released any songs after
Jr Gone ..., If so how can I get them.
Me and a couple of friends are putting together a sort of Popfanzine,
and now I wonder if you are interessted in writing a short column in one
of the issues, we're not able to compensate you finacial because all
money goes back into the 'zine and hopefully to release some vinyl 7",
if you have any songs that you're willing to give away it would be
great, the 7" will be limited to 200 copies and sold without profit
along with the 'zine.
Best Regards
Christer Stromberg
Torggatan 22
534 31 VARA
SWEDEN
To: mmb@planet.eon.net
From: Jerker.Emanuelson@mailbox.swipnet.se (Jerker Emanuelsson)
Subject: Hi from Sweden!
Hi Mike,
I heard that you had been in touch with my good friend Christer Stromberg.
I don't know, if you remember me or not, but I saw Jr. Gone Wild play at
SXSW in Austin in 1992, and then I met you at a Junior Brown show that week.
I was in touch with your manager for a while, and he sent me your videos
among other things. I also received a few letters from you.
Since then, I've started my own label called Sound Asleep Records on which I
release records with American pop and country-rock artists. I've released
four compilations and several CDs with just one artist on them. Some of the
artists that have appeared on my releases are Bill Lloyd, Tim Carroll,
Robert Crenshaw, Young Fresh Fellows, The Picketts, Scud Mountain Boys,
Charlie Chesterman, Jonny Polonsky, 5 Chinese Brothers, Chris von Sneidern,
Walter Clevenger, The Spongetones, The Volebeats, The Incredible Casuals and
many more.
Jr. Gone Wild were one of my all-time favorite bands, so I'm really looking
forward to hearing some new music from you.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
All the best,
Jerker Emanuelson
Sound Asleep Records
Storgatan 1
534 31 VARA
SWEDEN
From: "Hurd, Mike"
To: mmb@planet.eon.net
Subject: Please add me to your mailing list.
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 14:58:05 -0600
We'd be thrilled - yes thrilled - to be added to the mailing list. We've
_really_ enjoyed the music since the Jr. days. I hope we can get up
north and catch a show sometime. (We're in Montana so its not that far)
Thanks
Mike and Jamie
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 15:37:23 -0400
From: Tomaso
To: mmb@planet.eon.net
Subject: Greetings
X-URL: http://www.well.com/user/sjroby/mike.html
Could you please advise me the best way to request an autographed
picture for my 14-year old daughter Ashley. She is a big fan since her
cousins in Morinville introduced her to MMB. Thanking you in advance.
Mrs Edie Tomaso
1681 Boisbriand Cres
Orleans, ON K1C 4V6
And that's the end of the most recent stuff. Below is the page
more or less as it was at the time of the last update.
The Internet is a wonderful forum for communication. It is
with both pride and joy (though not all that much of either; we
haven't discovered cold fusion or anything, and we want to stay
modest) that we announce our contribution to the great
marketplace of ideas we call the web, in the form of the Mailbag.
We're too low-tech around here to do a guestbook, so this is the
way for you to make your mark on this web page. Simply email Mike
McDonald at mmb@planet.eon.net
or the humble webslinger at sjroby@well.com.
We now begin with the email that, more than any other,
convinced us the time was right for this page. We begin with the
email, and follow with Mike's reply and commentary. Enjoy!
From modry@aol.com Mon
Mar 10 06:59:05 1997
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 1997 21:53:30 +1000
Reply-To: modry@aol.com
Organization: baltic.nadn.navy.mil
To: sjroby@well.com
Subject: NONE
JR GONE WILD ARE FAGGOTS THAT SUCKS
--
wimp
(formerly peking butterfly)
tyrone Jensen - vocals, guitars
derik modry - guitars
darwin handley - drums
And here's Mike's take on our first mailbag selection:
I don't know if those Peking Duck guys were kidding or not.
JGW weren't popular with everybody, and there were a couple bands
out there that harbored ill will. The one I remember vividly is
some group of whiners from Vancouver called WATERWALKER (not
pretentious at all). They hated us because I refused to share our
guarantee with them. We had no idea they were on the bill until
the clubowner told us when we arrived. He asked us if we'd mind
pitching in to pay them, and gave us the option of refusing,
which I did. We were under the impression we were playing the
whole night ourselves, couldn't afford to work for less (this was
in Van. We were on the road. Nuff said about that) and were still
prepared to play the whole night alone. The clubowner told
WATERWALKER that we would indeed give them some money, and I had
to refuse them as well. Well, those boys went on a cross Canada
anti-JGW tirade. A lot of the stops on the Canadian indie circuit
put you up in band houses. Every band house has the inevitable
autograph book. WATERWALKER went into great detail about how they
hated us in all those books. I saw most of them. Anyhow, here's
how I replied:
> JR GONE WILD ARE FAGGOTS THAT SUCKS
Now how did you know that? You should go back to Hooked On
Phonics, pal.
Mike McDonald
founder, and chief "faggots that sucks" of Jr. Gone
Wild
If they're a friend, they may reply again, probably
sarcastically, and with something more intelligent. If they are
ne'er-do-wells, they can suck my ass. Bring on all flamers! And
as far as people's appreciation of JGW is concerned, fuck 'em if
they can't take a joke. I recommend printing their e-mail, and my
response, and this note too. No secrets.
Bad musical taste in action:
Return-Path:
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 11:41:39 +0000
Reply-To: college@well.com
Organization: coc
To: sjroby@well.com
Subject: real mike mcdonald
you guys werent in the
doobie brothers.
you are no one.
Keith or Trudi writes:
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998
02:55:23 -0700
From: Keith Rose
Subject: Your soul
Dear Sir,
It was painfully evident to
me on perusal of your "Web Sight" that there is a great
dearth, or absence in your life. A yawning chasm of despair and
confusion which you seek to fill with hollow "art" and
the pop star's ravenous quest for attention. An all-too-common
syndrome, I fear, and a sad one. As the Lord is my witness, I
tell you that flaming gultch will continue ever to widen the more
such trivial humanistic temporalities you fling upon the rancid
heap at its bottom in a vain and ill-defined hope to narrow its
murky expanse. Expansive? You better believe it. We're talking
about the wages of sin, friend, and though you may have turned
away from the Evil One when he came to you in the guise of
liquor, your immortal soul will continue to thirst until you
accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour and beg His
forgiveness for your sins. I know that He loves you dearly and
that each day you continue to deny Him is like another thorn in
his hallowed scalp.
Mr. McDonald, the abyss of
meaninglessness in your life can be filled only with the blood of
the lamb. Put aside the unclean raiment of your worldly ambition
and pride and be as an infant taking his first furtive steps in
the cleansing rain of Our Heavenly Father's glory and love.
I know you'll do the right
thing.
Your friend in Christ,
Trudi
P.S. My girlfriend Phyllis
has a Board-Tap cassette of the band live in Montreal, 1988,
performing a song the set list identifies as "I'm Not Your
Boy". We think it's gear and want to know which Junior wrote
it and is it on any records?
Mathieu Campeau writes:
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 1998
02:58:18 -0500
From: mathieu campeau
Subject: Thanks Mister Mc Donald
dear mister mc donald, my
name is mathieu and since your first show as Jr gone wild at
foufounes électriques in Montréal (with The Campbell) I'm
trying to follow you in the musical way....but it's hard...please
is it possible to have info about your next new release (CD) or
your next show in Mtl...I know it's far...Dear mr mc donald it's
my pleasure to have found a way (net) to say I'm much your music
was important for me during the last 10 years thanks again
Mathieu Campeau
Joel Stewart writes:
From: "Joel"
Subject: more junior trivia
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 14:48:35 -0700
hi steve...i think we've met
before. my name is Joel Stewart and I have a company called Naked
Pictures and I live in Calgary, but I used to live in Edmonton.
I was the male lead in the
'Where The Hell Are You?" video and I directed the "I'm
So Glad" video from the Simple Little Wish Album.
In the latter video, it features a rabid fan in a
uddy 69 shirt.
That was my first music video and it won an award
and got some decent spins on muchmusic.
Of course, after that, the
band broke up.
Anyway, among the raft of videos I have done since,
there is a shirt that keeps making it's
way onto national TV...yes that same shirt. (It was a gift from
Mike).
The following videos have it
in there...
Captain Tractor
"Talk" Jeremy wears this
"The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" Jeremy wears this
"Here We Go Again" I wear it.
"Someday" Shoot this one tomorrow
Mike Plume Band "Save Me From Myself" Dave Klym
"Movin' On" Dave Klym
"Rattle the Cage" Dave Klym
"Straight Back Home" Ernie Basiliadias/Dave
"Back of My Hand" Derek Mazurek
Call me superstitious. But
these are the best of all the ones I've done.
Hope this helps.
Bernice Pelletier, once of JGW, writes:
From: Bernice Pelletier
Subject: Greetings from a former JGWer
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 14:46:48 -0600 ()
Bernice Pelletier here,
Steve. I don't know if we've ever met during my journeys with Jr
Gone Wild. I'm a neophyte to this whole Internet world and I
THOUGHT I had sent off this message way back in early August but
just discovered that our mail server isn't set up to connect
through Internet Explorer or some such thing.
I enjoyed your Jr. Gone Wild
website. Just to get the 411 straight on me and mine: I sang not
only on "Folk You" and "Too Dumb" (which was
dedicated to my daughter Justine since I travelled to the Pike
Lake, Sask recording studios when I was eight months pregnant)
but also on "Simple Little Wish." I was a full-fledged
band member at the time of that last recording but had departed
the band just prior to its release. That means I appeared on 3
out of 5 JGW releases -- not to mention the JGW/Trolls
"Hyperbole" release and Greyhound Tragedy's first. I
was one of the original members of The Bodkins but adjusting to
single parenthood kinda pulled me out of that one.
From Kevin Kent, not to be confused with Kevin Kent:
From: "Kevin Kent"
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 1997 19:58:27 +0000
Subject: Hello...
Hi! I understand this is the
address of Mike MacDonald, the canadian comedian. If it's not,
just ignore this, I got my wires crossed somewhere.
If it Is, tho, let me just
say that I say your three specials o CBC, and thought they were
great! Do you have any of your shows available for purchase? I've
got a friend's birthday coming up, and I know he'd love it... :)
Thanks!
Kevin Kent.
---
Kevin Kent (http://gulf.uvic.ca/~kkent)
Student, CSc/B, University of Victoria, Canada
'The higher the higher-ups are who've come to see your demo, the lower
your chances are of giving a successful one.' - Murphy's Law of Computing
Andrew Cowie writes:
Date: Fri, 06 Jun 1997
16:27:47 -0700
From: Andrew Cowie
Subject: You're a band of many mysteries, is it my duty to solve
them?
Greetings Mike!
How's it going? I am now residing in Calgary with a starvation
for good Edmonton based music. How's the album coming along?
Hopefully you've reached an agreement with Raging Postman (that's
the label right?). Anyway, now that you've teased us a little
with 'Magic Powers' on Gabino's disc, we're dying to saturate our
car stereos with the 'Mad
Cows...' album. I know I've nagged you enough about it over the
past year, so I'll stop here with one final comment: If the songs
on the upcoming album are as good as they are live, all us MMB
and JR. lovers are in for a real treat. Matt, Jon, Chris, myself,
just to name a few faithful followers are eagerly awaiting -
stereos set to 11.
I hope your summer is going well. I'll be up in Edmonton a few
times, so I'm sure I'll bump into you somewhere. An overdue
congratulations to you and Juliette as well Mike. I think it was
pretty brave to invite a bunch of ex-JR. members to your
reception and serve alcohol!! I hope it was an amazing
celebration. Take care, keep writing, playing, scowling, goalie
pulling, and social commentating - you know, all the stuff we
love you for!
SEE YOU SOON,
ANDREW (the "DUUUUUUUKE
chanting ringleader who will now have to invent a new cheer for
you or Sherry maybe something like "SHEEEEEEEERRY!!!...no no
don't worry it'll be tasteful)
Paul Murphy
writes:
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 14:13:06 -0400
From: Paul Murphy
Subject: Jr. pages
Just a word about how much this Edmonton ex-pat enjoys the Mike McDonald
Band and Jr.Gone Wild pages ...
A brief tidbit about the info on the _Less Art, More Pop_ page:
You note that "Tragedy in E" appears on the US release of LA,MP -- the
US release also includes very rough versions of "God is Not My Father"
and "Heather on a Bad Day". The version of "God" was later re-mixed
(i.e., a lot of effects were thrown on) and included on _Folk You_.
Oddly, the US version mixes up the track sequence and excludes a couple
of songs from the Canadian release; if I remember right, they cut
"Drivin' Thru Texas" (criminal!). But this is strictly from memory, as I
lent my cassette of the US version to my cousin and never saw it again
....
And for what it's worth, the "Old Blue" video was shot at the
(semi-legendary) Ambassador Tavern ... I was there that evening!
Keep up the good work,
Cheers,
Paul N. Murphy
Thanks for the note, the kind words, and the info (I'll be
updating the LA,MP page ASAP).
Stuart Drozd
writes:
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 12:56:26 -0600
From: Stuart
Subject: JR Gone Wild Homepage
Dear Steve,
I have to commend you on the quality of the JGW home page, it is
top notch. In fact, it is one of the best I have ever seen. I have
been a JR. fan as long as I can remember. I first heard them when I was
in junior high school in about 1986. I have been playing in bands for
quite a while around here too. I started off in the Pleasure Monks with
Rusty Graag and Richard Luikko(owner of Freecloud Records where Ken
Larsen and tom from Pal Joey as well as myself used to work) and then
moved on to Hippychick with Rich Luikko. More recently I had the good
sense to stop playing with Rich and formed JADED in 1995 with a former
member of Blinside, Court Carruthers. Court is also a HUGE JR. fan but
recently had to move east to work and so I am in between CD's without a
drummer. Anyway, that info is kind of irrelevant, I just thought it
might help you place my roots. Even though I used to play in punk and
hardcore bands and now I am in a pretty heavy band, JGW is still a huge
influence. I just wanted to say hats off about the home page, its
awesome...
Stuart Drozd sdrozd@gpu.srv.ualberta
Thanks for the note, and if you get a web page for your band,
let me know so I can put in a link to it.
Keep 'em coming, folks!
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