Thursday, February 26, 2009

Canned Heat

Today is Bob Hite's 66th birthday. Affectionately known as The Bear, he remains to me the bane of my existence. Or the thorn in my side.

Why? Because I spent three weeks on the road with Canned Heat (plus a folk singer and a Detroit glam rock band - it was me and 19 guys) on a bus touring the far reaches of Eastern Canada in the dead of winter...

And I don't have one picture to show for it...other than this...

Bob Hite
2/26/43-4/5/81

The 'CANNED HT" on the side stands for Canned Heat. I'm sure you can figure out the CSNY. I also recall a yellow slide box that just said CANNED HEAT. And there had to be a lot more...since I was the tour photographer.

Where are the pictures? I have no idea. Since I was paid by the promoter/folk singer's manager I suppose I might have been required to give him everything I shot. Or they could have gone missing in one of my many moves over the years (I'm missing a lot of other pics, including the great Muddy Waters).

And it kills me.

It haunts me.

Every single day.

Where are they? Like where's the Turkish harem ring my dad gave back when I was in junior high school...where is it? My prized possession. Gone.

Does somebody out there have my stuff?

Can you please return it?

Now?

Crap...now I'm bummed. I want my pictures back. Maybe this will cheer me up...



Happy Birthday to The Bear!!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi!
what a great experience!
I love Canned Heat especially Bob and Alan (was he still alive when you went with them?) and everytime I read someone's experience involving Bob I imagine such a huge and nice hearted man, i hope this is true. I'm trying to know everything about the Heat, last year I've been to California to see the places where they made it all and try to "breathe the same air", this summer I've been in Germany to a concert of them (Fito, Harvey and Larry reunited) and they're still the best to me!and to everyone I think.
I'm from Italy so sorry for my english, I can't help reading everythign you've written..it's all great (also the pic with MIke Bloomfield, i love him).
Thank you very much for having shared and sharing these great experience you lived.
Cheers
filippo, Como - Italy