The Mellotron Group

Yeah, it's not like there was a choice back then. Cheech? Up here it 
was "Guido".

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, djacques@... wrote:
>
> The problem was that in the 70's it was either join the union or 
you might get a visit from "Cheech". 
> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Bernie" <kornowicz@...>
> 
> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 15:07:02 
> To:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: My Mellotron Obsession
> 
> 
> Here in Connecticut, they used to tell us the same thing. Turns out 
>  it wasn't true. At least one local booking agent who was in big 
with 
>  the AFM was shaking down the bands. A club owner showed us our 
>  contract, which the agent would never let us see. He was taking 
45%. 
>  Later on, he was brought up on charges by the National Association 
of 
>  Orchestra Leaders for violating a private contract by refusing to 
>  cross a hotel picket line to play at a private party.
>  
>  Bernie
>  
>  --- In newmellotrongroup@ <mailto:newmellotrongroup%
40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com, "David Jacques" 
>  <djacques@> wrote:
>  >
>  > Back in the 70's you had to be in the union to play any of the 
>  major clubs
>  > in Miami. Even rock bands. 
>  > 
>  > 
>  > 
>  > _____ 
>  > 
>  > From: newmellotrongroup@ <mailto:newmellotrongroup%
40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com
>  > [mailto:newmellotrongroup@ <mailto:newmellotrongroup%
40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bernie
>  > Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 4:48 PM
>  > To: newmellotrongroup@ <mailto:newmellotrongroup%
40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com
>  > Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: My Mellotron Obsession
>  > 
>  > 
>  > 
>  > 
>  > 
>  > --- In newmellotrongroup@ <mailto:newmellotrongroup%
>  40yahoogroups.com>
>  > yahoogroups.com, "David Jacques" <djacques@>
>  > wrote:
>  > >
>  > A few days later I was
>  > > called onto the carpet from my union, The American Federation 
of
>  > Musicians.
>  > > Uh oh.
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > It was pretty funny going before a "jury" of old Miami Beach 
>  musicians
>  > > lecturing this long-haired hack keyboardist that my playing a
>  > Mellotron was
>  > > putting musicians out of work. So they fined me $100 and I 
>  continued
>  > > playing.
>  > 
>  > Has anyone else had union problems regarding Mellotron usage? The
>  > Hartford local, a group of small-time Mafia gentlemen, harassed 
my 
>  band
>  > because we dared to use a Mellotron to "replace other union 
>  members".
>  > They even sent some of their officers to spy on us in the hopes 
of
>  > finding some incriminating evidence, but they were too ignorant 
to
>  > recognize our Tron for what it was. I called the president of the
>  > Hartford local and told him to keep his fat nose out of my band's
>  > business (literally). For some reason, he took offense to this 
and
>  > threatened to bring me up on charges (whatever that means). 
>  Fortunately,
>  > I was also a member of the competing Allied Musicians Union in 
NYC 
>  at
>  > the time and they offered to send down a lawyer on the next 
plane to
>  > defend me. When the Hartford local found out about it, they 
backed 
>  off.
>  > A very strange, but entertaining situation.
>  > 
>  > As an aside, of what value is the union to musicians? They don't 
>  seem to
>  > benefit musicians in any way.
>  > 
>  > Bernie
>  >
>